Bromance + Cute Male Lead

This drama is underrated. I highly recommend this to other viewers. It’s actually a good watch in that the plot is interesting enough!

The female lead should be changed though (imo) because she isn’t cute and she isn’t a very good actress (imo).

However, I have always liked the male lead and I thought that I’d give this drama a go for his sake. Surprisingly, the other male lead is rather adorable. He grows on viewers.

Watch because:
- plot is interesting and engaging
- plot is suspenseful
- male lead is swoon-worthy
- second male lead is manly
- bromance is cute

Overall, I’d say watch this because it’s really much better than many other poorly made dramas out there. Watch !

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Watch for Jin Dong

I wanted to watch this drama for the longest time but well, time flies and I finally managed to do so!
I fell in love with Jin Dong after watching Ode to Joy (both 1 and 2) and told myself that I had to watch The First Half of My Life.
I’m so happy that I did. Jin Dong is superb in this show. He steals hearts, mine included. He’s suave, manly, tall and good looking. Such gorgeous eye candy with excellent acting skills.
Just watch because of him.

To add on, the entire cast acted very well. Great drama to watch. Fairly fast paced. Slice of life drama that throws some nuggets of wisdom for the audience.

Go for it! This is a gem. Ending could have been a lot better though — ps: I’m a sucker for cliched happily ever afters.

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49 Glorious Episodes of Wang Da Lu <3

I watched this drama purely for Darren Wang Da Lu. I’m a fan. Yes, I am. To me, he is a extremely hot, charming and handsome. I had to watch this drama for him!

I highly recommend this drama if u, like me, are a Darren fan. Please watch this drama to enjoy how tremendously handsome he is in it! I enjoyed seeing him on my tv screen. He is gorgeous.

Watch because:
- Darren is the male lead. He is so very manly and powerful in this show. He looks supremely gorgeous in his getup. He looks so suave and powerful on horseback. I love his side profile which we get plenty of. I love his kiss scenes which are tender and yet, hot and sexy! He is my main reason for watching and my fellow likeminded fan of Darren, pls watch to enjoy Darren. He is awesome in this drama.
- Great acting from most actors and actresses, especially Darren/ Bo Wang. I think that Darren deserves Best Actor Award for his performance in this drama.
- The sound track is well-made and I have been listening to it non-stop since I started on the drama. The best songs are the ones sung by Jolin Tsai and another two called Stone and Sirius. Well-made OST for sure.
- Storyline is fairly good - exciting and interesting.

The parts that I didn’t like much:
- Lots of bloodshed.
- The female lead got on my nerves quite a bit. She could have been re-cast and another better female lead would have been better. I can think of better/ more suitable actresses but I won’t name any.
- The nasties - meaning the bad characters - are awful. The King is mad for power. The second son is crazy and evil. There are a few very annoying characters in this drama.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this drama and I will definitely rewatch this drama for scenes with Darren/ Bo Wang. He is truly extremely handsome, charming and charismatic in this drama. I have seen him in movies and yet, in this drama, he is exceptional! Exceptionally handsome! Exceptionally powerful! Exceptionally great! Watch for 49 episodes of darling Darren/ Bo Wang. <3

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Don’t Bother

I watched this because I chanced upon a drama list video which introduced this movie as a must watch because it’s cool and interesting.

I was filled with anticipation and could not wait to watch the movie! But, this movie isn’t good at all.

Don’t bother with it because:
- there isn’t much plot / storyline
- the action was mundane - just a lot of climbing
- there’s nothing much to this movie

I watched because I liked both the male lead and female lead. They did their job/ roles well but this movie is totally nothing to shout about. It’s kind of boring actually. I fast forwarded it. There’s nothing touching, nothing romantic, nothing really happens.

Don’t bother.

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Watch! Thumbs up!

I really enjoyed this show!!

This show popped up on my YouTube. As a result, I decided to do some research. After my research, I decided to watch Chef Fang first before watching Chef Hua. Chef Fang was good enough. Thus, I decided to watch Chef Hua and it turned out to be better than Chef Fang IMO.

Watch this because:

* The chemistry between the leads is wonderful, heartwarming and heart-stopping. I love watching them together.
* I love the interactions and expressions of affection and love between the two leads. In the show, they truly love and care for each other. It’s so lovely to watch. ‘Heart Eyes’
* The story line is decent enough.
* The female lead is so cute and pretty.
* The male lead is manly, handsome enough and has a good build.

Overall, please watch! I highly recommend!!

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Strangely Captivating!

I watched the FL in "Our Glamorous Time" and that was it. Nonetheless, she left a positive impression on me - pretty and a good actress. I was stoked to see high ratings for this drama and decided to watch it without further ado.

What I Enjoyed A Lot:
- I love a strong FL and an endearing ML who is just oh-so-smitten-in-a-good-way about his lady love.
- The ML is so cute too.
- Acting for both ML and FL are top-notch. The supporting cast is great too.
- Drama is full of ups and downs which make it exciting and suspenseful.
- Music is dramatic and matches the different scenes well.
- The CG is actually nice to look at. The cartoon phoenix is cute.
- The plot, though (to me) at times really kind of bizarre and unbelievable, comes together in the end. I am amazed and delighted at how everything ties up nicely.
- The snake spirit is so cute. I like the camaraderie between the ladies in the show.
- I like Mo Fang before the weird transformation.
- The happy ending is wonderful. I like.

What I Did Not Enjoy So Much:
- Poor Mo Fang and his battle with that weirdo with a one-track mind.
- The fixated weirdos in the drama who want to rule everything and create ghouls.
- Some parts were a little strange and perhaps, too long and perhaps, not needed.

Nevertheless, this drama is exciting and dramatic. Everything is quite nicely tied up. Everything is explained quite well. I like such shows which do not leave the viewers hanging and wondering what is actually going on. I highly recommend this drama! I like it very much! Both leads are "da bomb"! <3

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Mature, Secure Man & Feisty Woman

The beginning of this 40-episode drama was really cool and great. I was taken from the get-go. The premise seemed funny and engaging. The leads are an actor and an actress whom I admire :) The rating would have been a notch higher if not for the ending...

What I Liked Very Much:
- Hands down, the ML and FL. Ever since I watched the ML as Hao Du, I have fallen much in love. He is suave and manly and tall and charming... I only watched the FL once in Bu Bu Jing Xin but she left a very positive impression on me. I was happy to watch this pretty actress who has the acting chops to match.
- I liked that the ML was a secure man who did not see the need or have to lord over his woman. I liked seeing a healthy man-woman relationship in which two mature people wanted to be together and chose to overcome their challenges to be together. Seeing them together was beautiful and heart-warming.
- I liked the growth of the characters like the growth of Princess Yang Ying from timid and weak to valiant and resourceful. I liked seeing the growth of the different main characters and how the characters matured/ developed as the plot unfolded.
- I liked the strong and fearless FL who unabashedly reminded others that she was the best assassin. She would kill and she could kill and that she was not to be messed with. The empress of Wu State turned out to be a strong woman too who was smart and resourceful.
- The plot, especially the first 20 episodes were fast-paced and riveting. Many things were happening and things were moving quite happily along IMO. There were several twists in the plot which were highly interesting and suspenseful.

What I Did Not Like Very Much:
- There were, of course, villains. I do not like villains even though I am fully aware of the need for both good and bad in a plot. The emperor of An State was insufferable. I was glad to see him gotten rid of.
- The ending was not a happy one and while I understand that both in reel life and in real life, happy endings are not guaranteed, I was desperately hoping for a more pleasant/ happier ending without that many deaths and suffering and bloodshed.
- The ending, to me, was also kind of ambiguous. Speaking for myself, I much prefer a more direct happy ending.

Nonetheless, this drama is an excellent one. The actresses and actors did a fantastic job. I recommend this drama! :)

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Dramatic "Mini" Drama

I chanced upon this on YouTube and went forth with it. After all, it is a relatively easy watch since there are only 20 episodes and each episode is roughly 10 to 12 minutes long.

What I like about this drama:
- I like the idea of a competent and intelligent FL trying to make the ML her man instead of the usual cliché whereby a powerful CEO et cetera alpha-male tries to dominate a damsel in distress.
- The FL is quite cute. However, she does not make me doubt that she can get her job done and have her man too. This is a short drama and so, don't expect too much. But for a short drama, I find that she's quite a believable character.
- The ML is all right. I like that both ML and FL are true towards each other.
- This mini series tries its best to be as dramatic as possible in a short frame of time and I think it has succeeded. Many little things are going on. There is a bit of mystery and such. I like that things move along fast because there is no time to waste in a mini series like this one.
- The drama tries its best to tie everything up and I appreciate this.
- The ending is a happy one.

What I don't like so much:
- The second ML really needs a shave. He looks dirty and kind of like a sleaze-ball.
- The second ML's sidekick has issues.

Overall, I like this mini series that can easily be binged. It's a nice morsel to have while searching for a larger treat. :)

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Great Actors + Great Acting + Great Plot = Enjoyable Watch :)

I was looking forward to this drama after knowing that Leo Wu would be starring in it. It is quite obvious that I am quite a fan of this fine, young actor. Leo Wu can act so well. It is not a dread but a joy to watch him on screen. (Some actors cannot even be called actors as they cannot act at all.) Leo Wu is truly a fine, young actor and having watched different dramas in which he has starred in, I must say that he adds sparkle to these dramas because he is truly in character and very believable as the character that he is acting as.

What I liked about this drama:
- Fine acting from everyone in this drama especially the ML and FL.
- I liked that their relationship developed quite organically and that it was not forced or super one-sided. Rather, both parties fell in love and truly liked each other. What held them back was their 10 year age gap which is actually quite a large age difference. I liked that the drama explored this topic openly and pointed out that there would be challenges due to this pretty large age gap. I also liked that they decided that they would face the challenges together. The relationship was treated quite maturely and thoughtfully.
- Liang Tao ended up not being a hateful b*tch which I appreciated a lot. The sisters ended up helping each other and looking out for each other despite having different mothers. I was quite heartwarming. I liked that their relationship was realistically portrayed too.
- An Cong, ML's "father", was such a nice man. He looked out for his "son" and provided some comic relief.
- The drama showcased the difficulties faced by sportspeople and how they really challenge themselves physically for the sake of their sport. The "shelf-life" of sportspeople is short and this point was highlighted by the drama.
- The supporting cast members, like the coach, FL's best friend and other sportspeople, were great in the drama (but not-so-memorable).
- Intelligent and realistic script/ plot with some very meaningful lines.
- Happy ending.

What I disliked about this drama:
- Jiang Jie was an enigmatic man and an as*hole. As FL pointed out, he wanted everyone and everything to go his way and to have things revolve around him but well, sadly, people have their own minds and ideas. He was forcing his will on others which was painful and annoying to watch. He wore one utterly "done with life" resigned look throughout the drama which was a pain to watch. I did not like seeing him on my screen. I cheered when his wife finally decided that she wanted out from this man.
- The middle-aged men in this drama were power hungry and manipulative people. Well, I guess this is how things are in the working world where it is cut-throat.
- Jiang Jiao Jiao did not endear himself to me even until the end but he sort of redeemed himself.

To me, the ML and FL lead made this drama work very well. They had natural chemistry and I would totally be able to see them as lovers despite their 10-year age gap. Their excellent acting was wonderful. It was nice to see such easy and effortless interaction and "flow"/ "energy" between all the actors and actresses, especially the ML and FL. I'd say: Please watch this drama! :)

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What is happening? And, what happened??

I was drawn to the apparent mystique of this drama after reading the synopsis.

After watching it, I must say that it was fairly disappointing. Why?
- The actors and actresses did not seem very good at their craft. The acting was quite a pain to watch.
- The plot made me go "Huh?" and "Why?" and "What's happening?"
- I expected more from the cast and the plot but perhaps it was my expectation that was misplaced because it was a mini drama series and so, nothing more could be done (perhaps).

I still gave this drama a pass as it did entertain me (somewhat) and I felt that the main leads were earnestly trying to act well. I applaud their efforts. To me, the male lead was also quite handsome. LOL! :)

I'd say: Watch if you are curious and watch if you're in the midst of looking for another drama to enjoy.

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]

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Slice of life plot with great acting~!

I was wavering between giving this 7.5/10 or 8/10. In the end, I decided to give it the higher rating because of the stellar acting from the entire cast. :)

What I liked about this drama:
- An engaging slice-of-life drama which made me want to go from one episode to another to find out what would happen next.
- In general, this drama was fast-paced enough and things moved along.
- The acting from every single member of the cast was stellar and I was, frankly, blown away by how natural they were as the people they were acting as!! :)
- This drama is interesting enough and the ending is fairly happy with everything tying up for the main cast.
- Lao Huang was a gem of a friend and I liked how the friends were there for one another.
- I liked the chemistry between Yao Yuan and Shen Si Yi. They looked good together.

What I didn't like:
- I hated the characters who constantly f-ed themselves up, namely, Cheng Nan and Guan Yue. Cheng Nan was all sorts of insecure and he did not cherish his relationship with Lu Ke, who gave her all into their relationship and was sincere to him. He was a bast*rd to cheat on her. He did not deserve her love and affections.
- I hated Guan Yue because she was constantly just very loud in the show. She was very shouty and she didn't have the best of brains. How can a designer simply give her design away to anyone at all? This isn't about trusting the other party. This is about protecting one's "baby" with one's life. Would you hand over your baby to a stranger even if the stranger is a famous person? The answer is a big NO. She was so senseless and the fact that she blamed everyone else, like Lu Ke, and made things go from bad to worse and worst was insufferable to watch. I hated seeing her on-screen. She also did not have chemistry with Ye Zhou and I felt that Ye Zhou was much more sensible and was too good for her. (However, the fact that she could make me be filled with wrath indicated that she was a very good actress because she had performed her role well.)

Overall, I enjoyed this drama. It was a good enough ride!

I recommend this drama to others. The acting is stellar and the 2 female leads (especially Shen Si Yi) are real good-lookers. Their fashion was great! Both looked like models from glossy magazines. I like how real / human the characters are. A great slice-of-life drama that should be enjoyed! :)

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Sincerity & Pureness of heart.

I plunged right into the drama without much thought and I’m glad that it turned out all right.

What I liked:
- The FL and the ML have good chemistry. I really liked that ML was sincere in his affections and love for the FL right from the start. He wasn’t a player.
- The female characters in this drama are likable. No one is a full on bitch (other than 4th mistress) which is so great. The female characters support one another and help one another.
- I like that this drama focuses on overthrowing dated stereotypes and ridiculous ‘norms’. Eg: women should not show their faces outside. Women should stay home and be dutiful wives and mothers. Women should this. Women shouldn’t this. I, personally, don’t think it’s a woman or a man thing. It’s a person thing. Avoid gender stereotypes and look at a person as a person (not just as female or a male). Don’t have erroneous preconceived notions of what men / women should be like. No such thing! I like that the show tries to overthrow these unreasonable and outdated ‘norms’.
- The drama also talks about post partum depression and about how to take care of an expectant mother. Women don’t have easy lives and it’ll be so much better if women had supportive partners/ men/ family members etc. People should support people. Lift one another up with love and courage and compassion.
- Yuan Ying turned out to be so cute. I loved how she was so capable and so by-the-book. She was so cute!
- I liked the relationship which formed between Yuan Ying and Li Wei. So cute! There was no fighting over the same husband. They became sisters.
- The butler Su Shen and the maids were so cute too. I especially love to see Su Shen fussing over Yin Zheng. He’s earnest and comedic.

What I didn’t like:
- Insecure and crazy and incompetent second master.
- Vicious fourth mistress.

Overall, I enjoyed this ‘feel good’ drama with a happy ending. This moved quickly and issues were resolved pretty fast. The first 20-25 episodes were very interesting but it sort of watered down afterwards. Still a good watch. I loved that Yin Zheng was powerful in terms of his martial arts and he loved his wife so much. Pls watch!

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The Messiness of Life & That of Differing Perspectives

For me, an 8/10 means that a drama is pretty excellent and so, you can tell that I find Draw the Line quite a great watch. I recommend it!

What I liked:
- Jin Dong. I am quite a fan of his. He acted very well in the show and brought out Fang Yuan very well. I liked how he was so grounded, level-headed and wise. He was a good role model and leader/ mentor as Fang Yuan.
- There were many different cases. Most of the cases were intriguing and they made me want to find out what the final verdict would be based on all the evidence that would surface along the way.
- The acting was top-notch for this drama and all the characters did a fabulous job. I really liked how realistic and slice of life things were outside the courtrooms. Another character that I liked was Wang Xiu Fang. She appeared very real and her struggles as a working mother were relatable.
- I liked seeing the growth of the characters as the show progressed. EG: Ye Xin became more aware of things around her and was less obstinate and "up there". Fang Yuan got his promotion. I think all these "little things" made the drama a good watch with a decent enough "happy ending".

What I didn't like:
- Zhou Yi An was a complete "mumbler". How can a judge mumble his way through? Hmm. I had to turn up the volume whenever it came to his parts because I could not hear what he was talking about.
- Fang Yuan's wife could be all sorts of "cray" and was unreasonable at times. EG: I could not understand why she would take the gift card from her boss and risk sacrificing her husband's job and reputation. As his wife, she should understand the nature of his challenging job. Yes, her job is important too, I don't discount that. Her role as mother to the child who does most of the parenting is exceedingly hard. But, she should not sabotage her husband. Her behaviour and her thoughts were strange and to me, unreasonable.
- Ye Xin's mother was another odd character. Drama tried to provide explanation as to why she behaved as such towards Ye Xin in Ep 39 or 40 but it seemed rushed and unfulfilling.

In essence, episodes 1 to 25 were excellent and then, things watered down from there. Drama became less exciting and less riveting. However, I still recommend this drama as it is well-made and with an excellent cast.

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Ambitions and Aspirations

I enjoyed watching this drama from the get-go! I found this drama engaging and riveting. I wanted very much to "chase show".

What I liked very much:
- From the start when Chi Yan Nei appeared, I didn't dislike him. He was a petty person. He was a spoilt brat and wanted things his way. He was the "chaebol" in this drama too. He had lots of money to be the "mover and shaker". He and his gang were comic relief. Towards the later part of this drama, Chi Yan Nei became my favourite character and I would laugh out loud at this antics that were childish and yet, quite adorably hilarious. I really liked his character (towards the end) in this drama. I liked how he admitted his mistakes and how he tried to make amends by kowtowing four times to Zhao Pan Er in order to apologise for humiliating her for his own entertainment. I liked how he had so much money that he didn't mind wasting it on a restaurant simply because he wanted it and liked it. I liked his hedonistic insistence. I liked that he was authentic (in that he was not devious and not scheming on the whole). I liked that he was his petty self throughout and didn't try to hide his pettiness and his true self. He was humorously child-like.
- I liked Zhao Pan Er despite her flaws and Liu Yi Fei really brought this character to life. Zhao Pan Er wasn't perfect. She had her flaws and her pride. But, she was strong and intelligent. She had ambitions and aspirations which she tried hard to accomplish. She depended mainly on herself and not on others or a man to improve her own situation. I liked how she held her head high and tried her utmost despite her unfavourable circumstances. I liked how she was resourceful and shrewd. She was also a beauty who knew when and how to use her good looks to get her ways. I liked her feminine wiles.
- I liked the sisterhood. San Niang was another female character whom I liked a lot. She was not the best in terms of brains but she could cook! Song Yin Zhang was a pipa genius and with the power of the three women combined, they could overcome challenges and lift one another up. I liked that this drama shows that "with our powers combined, we can do great things together".
- I liked Gu Qian Fan as he was a man of his words. He was dependable and he loved as well as cared truly and deeply. I liked how he turned all "cute puppy" with his lady love and yet, he could be cold-hearted and brutal when dealing with crooks. Swoon! I liked Chen Lian because he seemed naughty and cheeky but oh boy, when "heavy-lifting" was required, he was manly and capable. Swoon too!
- I liked the chemistry of the two leads - Zhao Pan Er and Gu Qian Fan. They had chemistry as lovers and their romance was rather slow-burn yet realistic. I liked that Zhao Pan Er knocked some sense into him by telling him that he did not do anything that he had to feel sorry for as the bad deeds were done by the older generations - their fathers - and had nothing to do with them, the younger generation. They were free to love as long as they loved!
- I liked how wrongs were made right. For instance, Du Chang Feng was a horrific prig at the start of this drama. However, he later became more empathetic and more manly. His romance with San Niang felt warm and believable.
- The King was an intelligent man who wasn't overtly fearsome and power-hungry. He was a little bit of a joker at times. I liked how he truly loved and pampered the Queen and softened her heart and allayed her fears with his comforting words.
- I liked the stellar cast and their acting. Everyone played his/her part very well. I really enjoyed watching the cast showcase their fine acting chops!
- Crooks were dealt with and in general, there was a happy ending. :) Everything panned out well and there was closure.

What I didn't like that much:
- Oh, I detested Ouyang Xu. What a crook! He was a bad seed from the start and he just became worse and worse. There was no positive turning point. He sank deeper and deeper into "the dark side" and instead of being introspective, he blamed others like Zhao Pan Er for his awful fate (which he had actually brought upon himself with his terrible decision-making skills).
- I didn't like Song Yin Zhang that much. I think Jelly Lin suits modern day shows more and she seemed quite out of place in this drama. She became a "better watch" after she suffered more and learnt to depend on herself (and not on unreliable men with no morals). After she had more of a backbone and "found herself and her self-esteem", she was more tolerable.
- I disliked Ouyang Xu's butler. He was a bumbling idiot.
- I disliked San Niang's husband and son. Thankfully, later on, her son redeemed himself.
- I disliked how women were faulted simply for being women. (Still happening till today, sadly.) I disliked seeing how women were at a disadvantage simply for being women. I am all for female empowerment.
- It was torturous to watch Zhao Pan Er going around looking for money when Gu Qian Fan already gave her the money in the form of a bank (pawn) note. Well, there had to be drama (I guess) but it was painful to watch the misunderstanding and the suffering.

What could have been better:
- The happy ending would have been happier if Zhao Pan Er and Gu Qian Fan could have had their wedding too, just like San Niang and Du Chang Feng.
- Explain what happened to Song Yin Zhang's elder sister. Chi Yan Nei wanted to know and I wanted to know to.

Takeaway from this drama:
* Everyone has different sides and not all sides are shown at all times. Some sides are shown only to selected people. Some sides are vulnerable while some sides are tough etc.
* Women should lift one another up and men play a huge part in helping women to achieve equality/ power.
* It is important to play up and play to our strengths. Everyone has different gifts to share with the world. Yin Zhang has her beautiful music while San Niang has her scrumptious cuisine. Zhao Pan Er has a smarts while Zhao Di is a hard worker... ... ... By working together, we can achieve even more than if we work solo.
* It is important to have self-esteem and dignity. It is important to have the will and perseverance to achieve one's goals. It is important to have resilience because life has down and we need to pull ourselves back up. It is important to be real to others for we are all flawed individuals. It is most important to grow and become better versions of ourselves.

I really liked this drama a lot! :)

My verdict: WATCH!! It's 40 episodes of engaging antics and drama and ups and downs and tears and laughter! :)

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Cute Couple!

I was surprised by how watchable this drama is. It popped up on my YouTube and I thought I’d give it a go! What a cute as well as entertaining short ride! :)

What I liked:
- The FL turned out to be cute and yet not annoying. This drama was the first time I saw her and I was pleasantly surprised by how adorable she was and how natural her interactions with ML was.
- ML seemed to be a newbie actor (I’m not sure) but he acted very well and was manly!
- FL and ML have good chemistry.
- I liked the shenanigans! FL constantly wanted to go to Cold Palace to the bewilderment of everyone else especially the ML.

It was a fast and entertaining ride! I liked it so much that I moved on to the second season. :)

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