Hanah
Simple concept, absolutely beautiful execution
Falling Into Your Smile is a cute, simplistic but extremely well made romcom. It is a treat to watch, especially for those sweet, aww-worthy moments.The story is very well-balanced between romance and gaming. Although there are quite a few e-sports dramas now, having a female gamer gives it a fresh angle and the prejudice and struggles Tong Yao goes through sound very true-to-life, especially hearing about Chine's netizen culture. The romance moments are so sweet. There are quite a few blink-and-you-might-miss-it-moments and flirty verbal moments that I think are much cuter than the obvious staring into each others eyes for 5 minutes while the music plays scenes.
I liked our leads well enough. I appreciated how importance is placed on Tong Yao skills as e-gamer and dedication. The actress is really good at playing cute, which I've found through extensive drama watching is not as easy as it looks. I really liked all other the characters as well, whose interactions were very fun to watch. It's nice how enough development is given to the numerous side characters so it is possible to find personal favorites and they are not all clones. I like how a lot is put on the teamwork aspect and it not just one person carrying the team. I also liked how the e-sports community felt like...well, a nice, tight-knit community. Members were friends across teams, people supported one another, competitions were fair and everyone vaguely knew or knew of each other. It kind of reminds me when people 'reminisce' about previous Kpop eras when groups collaborated more often, even across different companies, and fandoms weren't so crazy (side note: this is per numerous online comments, I cannot say how accurate it is on then vs now).
The production was pretty good, but at times felt overproduced. The acting was very good but it sometimes felt like there was so much skin filtering or smoothening or something that facial expressions looked stiff. The worse was then people would comment on how someone's face would look so red or with dark circles and all you see is this perfectly made-up and glamourized look. Like, if you are going to have a bunch of people comment on how someone is embarrassed and beet-red, at least make her look a little flushed or something.
Overall, this is a simple and sweet romcom that stays in romcom territory. I was debating between an 8 vs 8.5 since it's not a grand masterpiece but ended up choosing 8.5 because it achieves what it tries to do. This is a great watch when you in the mood for something light and fluffy but still well made or something to relax to after a long day.
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Well-Crafted Melodrama
The key to this drama is managing expectations. While this drama has noir, mystery and thriller themes, at it's core it is a melodrama. It's not a bad thing; South Korea is excellent at crafting melodramas and probably my favorite genre of Kdramas. But since this a melo, not a crime drama, things like civilians openly conducting investigations along with the police or classic logic fails are par for the course. It's more about the drama, the story and the characters than accuracy or depth. Keep that in mind and the ride will go much smoother.The absolute BEST part of this show is the acting. The leads absolutely nailed it. The glances, the facial expressions, the small movements, everything was on point. Certain scenes might not have packed the same punch if it was not for those two. They have brilliant what I call non-kissing chemistry - they can give the couple vibe just by being next to each other. The support characters also did a very good job and all the characters came to life.
Story: The story, for the most part was pretty solid. It starts off a little slow but builds up to a delicious and addictive flow. The writing for the last third was not as strong, but the story finished off to a respectable end. There was some shortcoming in the story-writing minutia and some personal things that frustrated me but overall, everything made sense in a satisfactory way. I will half a point off just because the show was initially presented to be very dark and thrilling with the theme of exploring morally grey characters but did not really go in that direction.
The highlight for this show for me was MCW's Cha Ji Won; she carried the show for me. From a story perspective, I appreciate her role as a active character whose actions directly affected the story line. As a character, I loved how she thought through things to make informed decisions and her strong love for her husband. I admired her perseverance, her compassion and her no-bullshit moments. LJG's Do Hyun Su/Baek Hee Sung was also very good and it interesting to see the character development he goes through. Something that really frustrated me was that he had a very subtle paternalistic side when it came to the females in this life which lead to him keeping secrets or not properly communicating with them. I honestly couldn't tell if this was done on purpose to show the background he grew up in or if it was the writer's bias seeping in. It is subtle and not directly related to the plot but did affect me enough to 1) notice it and 2) dampen my enjoyment.
The Baek couple was also interesting. They were not how they seemed at first and ended up being the greyest characters in the show. I wish we got to spend more time with the police team. Their interactions so natural with no forced team dynamics. I really liked Chief Lee despite his short screen time. He was so low-key I would initially have a hard time remembering he is the chief but he is the kind of leader I would dream of having. He knows when to push, when to let things go and how to keep his team together.
The music was amazing and really enriched the emotions of certain scenes. The lighting, camerawork and was also top-notch and another reason why this drama excelled. It has pretty good re-watch value.
Overall, this drama is a visual and auditory treat to watch with great characters and good plot. Go in expecting a very good Kdrama melodrama to come out satisfied.
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Hard to Start but Stayed Up All Night to Finish It
I had really hard time picking between 8.5 or 9 to rate this one. It personally took for effort to get into but once the plot got rolling, I was so addicted I sacrificed sleep to keep watching, an action I have not had for a drama in a really long time.Story: As I stated above, the story was really hard to get into at first. There is no fluff there. It dealt with themes that I am not used to in dramas (or, that I am not used to the protagonists displaying, more accurately) and the personality of certain characters, particularly the female lead, was really hard to digest. But as the drama kept going, especially around the mid-way point, I noticed just how intricately everything was placed. Things did not happen because the plot was just 'written like that' - there was a precise mechanism of action that lead to major events happening. I loved how events in later-on episodes referenced past episodes that made it come full circle.
As the plot thickened, the characters also grew depth. The story is in large part character-driven so part of the reason the plot is so seamless is because multiple characters make decisions that move the plot forward. If a single character had not made the decision they did, the plot would not have ended up in that direction. Although some characters can be frustrating and others disappointing, almost all of them have a reason for behaving they way they do. In short, active, well-written characters. At the heart of it was Go Hye Ran, who I went from unlikeable to grudging respect to full blown admiration to utmost devotion. She is one the best-written female leads I have seen recently. I like how her character goes through major development yet her essence remains unchanged through out the show. I love how though she can be ruthless, unpleasant and use unconventional means to get her way, she always plays thing straight. She lays her trap out and waits for others to get ensnared. If you did nothing wrong, you would never have gotten caught. And I also like that she (or almost all of the characters for that matter) do not get to escape from her flaws. I also had a very soft spot for Director Jang and Office Manager Jeong.
Acting/Production: The acting was top-notch from the entire cast, especially our two leads. The female lead in particular; it is very hard to pull of that kind of role but the actress did brilliantly. The production was also astounding. I'm not the best at identifying cinematography stuff but the lighting and camera angles and frame shots added so much depth to the story.
Music: Definitely added to the mood. I particularly loved "Painful Love."
Rewatch Value: Seeing as I watched this 3 years later, I had already knew the spoilers. So, going on with that knowledge, I still thoroughly enjoyed the drama. In fact, I may have enjoyed it even more since I could look at events in a different light.
I think, more than the plot itself, this drama was also about themes. Some where addressed directly, such as success vs happiness, love vs obsession, greed & corruption and internal/external locus of control. I liked how the dramas slightly glamourizes but does not glorify themes that it should not, such as corruption, greed or violence. One interesting theme I feel like the drama addresses subtly and almost lampshades is gender roles and the concept of men needing to be protectors. Several men try to do things for our female lead in the name of protecting her, but it is interesting to see the effects of that so-called protection play out.
All-in-all, this is a drama I highly recommend and hope to see a similar caliber of in the future!
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An Excellent Gem
There are so many good things to say about this drama! It may not have the highest budget but it has a lot of brains and heart which more than make up for it.Plot: it's been a while (or ever) since I've seen a drama with such good pacing. The plot never slows down and keeps going right until the end. No time is wasted on silly, unnecessary drama. I blink and the episode is over. One mystery leads right into another. All the clues fit together and even link back up to previous ones and more importantly, it all make logical sense (aside from a coupleee of nit picky things). While the answer often require some deep deduction, the rationale is sound.
Characters: I really appreciate the fact that everyone in our main crew of 4 (technically 6?) has their strengths and weaknesses and they all have to work together, each with their own chance to shine. I also appreciate that despite the fast pace, each character gets to have his or her own personality and they more or less act like normal people. I like how while the main male lead is smart and clearly the brains of the group, he does not overshadow everyone.
And finally, a drama writer that knows the difference between being naïve and stupid. I feel like a lot of drama writers tend to struggle with this distinction, which is why many of these naive/sweet/innocent female leads in drama tend to come across as dumb. No such problem here! Our main female lead, despite being a little unworldly and cute as a button, is an expert in her field and stays that way until the very end of the show. What she knows and does not know aligns very well with her character setting.
The romance and chemistry between our main leads was so sweet. I loved the trust and open communication. Their chemistry was so sweet and the group chemistry as a whole was amazing. I also really appreciated the camaraderie between the two female leads. While deep friendships between females do exist, oftentimes "the best friend" is a side character whose purpose if to be the FL's best friend. Or, especially in historical dramas, she is a servant or someone under the female lead's care. It was nice to see a friendship between two females on equal grounds where both have their own development.
Acting: The actors are all pretty new but they did a very good job and displayed the emotions they needed to display. I will admit the the FL tended to carry a deer-in-headlights look a few times more than needed, but unsure if this was her or what she was instructed to do.
Music: added to the watching experience nicely. I really liked the how they recapped the previous episode and kept changing the intros. Not a big fan of the second intro though.
Rewatch: While this is rewatchable, because it is a mystery drama, it just will not carry the same punch.
Overall: tldr, this drama shines with a well-paced mystery story where the clues fit together and sequence of events (for the most part) make sense, great characters with quality teamwork, multiple intelligent female (and male) leads and cute romances.
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Funny and fantastical journey
I really appreciated the humor and the writing in this drama. The jokes are on-point and the comic timing is excellent. It's a great drama to kick back and relax to after a long day. The writing is also very good. The pacing, for the most part, is pretty solid with little drag. I was binging this until almost the last few episodes. I'm not sure if this was because I was truly felt those episodes were not that interesting or as the major political conflict was reaching the climax, the budding doubts I had about certain sequences of events were burgeoning into confusion and slight disengagement. But it's mostly subjective nit-picking and would not detract from the overall drama to most.The characters were well-written. I appreciate the character develop our male lead has. Our female lead is an endearing character with humorous pragmatism and zeal. As others have mentioned, the lead actress did a phenomenal job and it was extremely easy to differentiate who she was playing. Kudos for playing on the the standard nice-female-lead, evil-second-female lead trope. And even when the second female lead is behaving like a standard antagonist second female lead at her worst, there is complex and relatable emotions behind her actions. Being put in her position, it would be quite understandable to interpret (or misinterpret) certain situations. There were even times in the first few episodes where I was blaming the female lead and/or male lead for their words or actions and ill-unintended effect on her. The second male lead did not have as much complexity but I appreciated him for who he was and I understood this character arc. I also appreciated the insight into clans and their inner-workings. The rest of the of the cast was so lovable. Hats off to Lady Choi! The facial expressions, tone and total comedic timing of the actress are total scene-stealers! It there was a spin-off on the FL and kitchen gang having random cooking adventures, I would watch it in a heartbeat.
As mentioned above, these was some political and character conflict I was a little unsure about. In addition, it seemed like this drama was wavering between being realistic vs totally campy and unrealistic. Overall, it seemed like the comedy was the latter and the series scenes or conflicts were the former. I worked very well, but there was few "serious" conflicts that, to me, did not seem very realistic or at least I was not drawn into the suspension of disbelief. Thus the disengagement I mentioned above. Also, when most Asian dramas have the problem of telling instead of showing, I wish this drama was a little more obvious about some distinctions between Bong Hwan vs So Yong. But really, this is all minor nit-picking.
The music is great and really augments the mood of the drama. The opening ost and Bong Hwan A are so upbeat and instant mood lifters.
Overall, this is a great drama with an amazing cast of characters, brilliant acting and witty sense of humor that I recommend, hands down.
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Palate Cleansing Millennial Coming of Age Story
So my headline probably seems like an incoherent jumble of words. Let me break them down:Palate Cleansing: If you been watching a lot of shows that are filled with too much drama, this is a nice palate cleanser drama that removes those residual dregs. This is especially true if you do not watch many Jdoramas and have gotten too used to the story structures and plot devices from the dramas of other countries. Like Nagi itself, this drama provides a nice reset. Its themes of slow-living, mindfulness, personal discovery and community and the story used to discuss these themes feel like a breath of fresh air. Other nice things about this drama
- The story is well-told and circular in conclusion
- Good pacing with little to no drag
- Each character has his or her own story and almost no 1D villains. I say almost because there is one character who is stereotypical mean, gossipy coworker but the concept is so familiar that she becomes a necessary plot device.
- It's one of those happy, everyone-gets-along kind of stories
Millennial: Nagi, at 28 years old in 2019, is by definition a millennial and the challenges she and other characters go through represent what a lot of millennials are dealing with - unemployment, housing, mental health, parental expectations and Adulting. Which brings me to my last point
Coming of Age Story: given that Nagi has already been an adult for 8 years and is pretty responsible/self-sufficient, this one may seem off. But part of coming into adulthood is finding yourself and your values and passions and dealing with the people and society around you, which is Nagi's journey throughout this story. And Nagi is a millennial and most millennial's define becoming an adult around ago 30. So, yes, I would call this a coming of age = transitioning into adulthood story.
Aside from that, this is very heartwarming and entertaining slice-of-life. Nagi is a great character you really want to cheer on. Shinji is someone that more or less grows on you. I love the rest of the cast of characters and their diverse backgrounds and how they all come together and support one another. The acting is fantastic, particularly our main cast. The production is well-done too with quite meaningful use of specific above head shots and camera angles. The music is also used very well to reflect certain moods. There are these scenes where the music is quirky and upbeat and creates this positive and slightly zany vibe and the music is brought to a screeching halt and it's just so impactful.
Overall, this drama is about accepting yourself and truly observing and learning about the people and world around you to find your values in life.
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Friendship, gaming and reaching your dreams
There are a lot of aspects this drama does well and a lot of ways this drama is refreshingly unique. But there a few things I was not particularly satisfied with, namely the romance.First off, this drama focuses more on the leads' e-sports dreams (more on the male lead's though) and friendship/bromance, with less attention being given to the lead's romance (or the female lead's journey). In terms of the first two aspects, the drama does a pretty good job. We see the ups and downs the leads face to reach their goals and how they overcome their obstacles. It sort of fits the song "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor very well. Watching the friendship and bromance among the male lead and the various team members we encounters was also fun.
This drama respects and challenges it's female lead, Qiu Ying. For one, she works really hard - she starts at the bottom and her success is due to her determination and effort. People do not automatically like her. She does not have some insane underlying talent or is constantly protected by the male characters. While she does get help from others, she puts in effort to get that help. In fact, there is a scene where a character is discussing with Qiu Ying's career rival that she (the rival) is in fact just as talented as Qiu Ying but the difference is that Qiu Ying just works harder. Next, she is not dense when it comes to love. She has to experience the struggles of liking someone, supporting them and pursing a relationship. The male lead does not fall for her because she's cute or she's the first person to treat him a certain way. To add to that, her love rival is not the typical evil second female lead but actually a real character with her own struggles and a connection to the male lead. In fact, the second female lead gets the 'character background' advantage that drama writers usually reserve for female leads. Due to all of the above, Qiu Ying is a character who has to prove she is the female lead through her actions not because her character is 'set up' to win. A lot of her actions revolve around the male lead, but she can exist as her own character.
The male lead also also has his fair share of struggles. Although he is very talented, his role in the team is the background tactician. When the team wins, the credit and stardom goes to the player that makes the killer moves and when the team loses, it's his fault for not having a good strategy. He is also someone that has goals, works hard, does the right thing and is a very loyal team member and friend. The big flaw he had was prioritizing relationships. As stated earlier, the one aspect I felt was lacking was the romance and that was due to the male lead. I really appreciate the attempt to make it organic and not fall on clichés or coincidence and while it was not bad, all the credit here goes to the female lead. I actually though the second (the best friend's) romance, although not given as much screen time, was cuter, more balanced and more fulfilling.
The acting was pretty good. Pei Xi seemed a little stiff, not sure if it was the actor himself or the way he was told to play that character. The production was glaringly low-budget and the product placement was part comical and part exacerbating. The music is decent. Overall, it was not my favorite drama but a decent watch and deserves credit for it's organic character set-up, particularly for the female lead.
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Sweet Romance and Epic Story
L&R took me on a wild adventure and it has the sweetest romance. I went in with medium expectations - kind of high because of the ratings, kind of low because the premise seemed tropey. The storyline and world-building is what drew me in but the cast of characters is what kept my attention.Story: seems kind of tropey and predictable but actually pretty well thought out with interesting twists. The pace is pretty fast in the beginning which kept me interested and pacing is pretty good. I personally had a really hard time grasping what "loss of six senses" meant (the physical senses? also emotionless? but why does it seem more like trouble understanding social norms?) so that was an initial roadblock for me. The world-building is awesome partly in due to the excellent production and CGI. It felt like being immersed in a video game at times. It's only after finishing the drama do I realize the ending really makes this drama. In an effort to increase suspense, the drama purposely withholds things until much later. It makes for a great twist but as someone who likes to fully immerse and understand the plot, it kind of felt more like a plot hole or that the story was not well-written until the twist is revealed. Rather than an unpredictable revelation, it was more like 'oh, why didn't you just say that sooner'? The mask thing would be the best example. Some of the conflicts were overly frustrating and repetitive, which prevented me from giving a higher rating. There a few scenes that are overly flashbacked (like, you might get bits of the flashback as the story progresses, then longer versions of those bits then the entire sequence so by the end it is shown 4-5 times). On the other hand, there a few scenes or plot points that are hinted at or built up that never fully get explored. One of the villain's endings was too abrupt and it felt like all of his other characteristics were taken away. I have mixed thoughts on what they did with the female lead's character toward the end. But the overall story is cohesive with a sound message.
Characters/Acting: While the story is the foundation of the drama, the characters are the heart. I liked our main leads, which are both acted very well. I probably would not have liked these leads if it were not for the actors. The naive/cutesy/stupid female lead trope is a hit or miss (mostly miss) for me but I really liked Xuan Ji. Like I've indicated in other posts, despite her naivety, she is charmingly straightforward, relatively calm and values proper communication. When she is aware there is a problem or misunderstanding, she tries her best to fix it, through words or actions. This is very consistent throughout the drama. And her physical strength is a nice bonus. And who does not love Si Feng and his sweet devotion to our female lead? I melted at the way he would stare at her. He pretty much tops the charts for selfless love and is always silently sacrificing himself for the female lead's sake. But is that really a good thing? Si Feng is the kind of boyfriend/husband that would (if he could get away with it) hide the fact you have kidney disease, secretly donate his kidney to you and sell all of his assets to pay for the medical bills. That's...romantic, but it's also a bit much. IMO, communication is an important part of a healthy relationship. My point is, Si Feng is written as the most flawless male lead and superficially, it looks like it is the female lead that is causing all of their conflict. But (imo) he is not blameless, even though the drama never addresses this. That aside, the romance is still very touching and that two actors have a lot of chemistry.
The supporting roles are also well-written and well-acted. I loved Ting Nu, Brother Liu and Purple Fox. You could tell they had many years of cultivation under their belt because they were often the voices of reason our leads needed. Brother Liu was essentially the group relationship counselor. Wu Zhi Qi is someone who is name-dropped a lot and does not appear until very late into the show but he is so worth the wait. His causal swagger and lazy, flirty demeanor that hides a sharp eye and keen insight are so swoon worthy. But my #1 spot has to go to Teng She, who is a scene stealer and basically carries the drama. This actor is such a comedic genius; he is able to control the level of humor a scene has and also influences the other character's vibe around him. Take Hao Chen for example, who is a very serious person. The same facial expressions or eye widening that come off as serious or angry become completely comedic under Teng She's influence. Adding to that, I cannot believe he was the drama I has finished just prior to starting L&R (Miss Gu Who is Silent) and I didn't even recognize him! That aside, he is very witty and his commentary almost breaks the 4th wall. He is such a loyal friend. I loved watching his friendship with Xuan Ji because of how they trusted and supported one another. He reminds me of a more platonic version of Tal Tal in Empress Ki.
Music: beautiful, exciting and epic. The pieces were really nice to listen to on their own and really added to the emotions of the scene.
Rewatch value: I don't typically re-watch dramas but I just finished it and am skimming though episode 1 again while writing this review, mostly to help recapture my initial thoughts on this drama. Actually, it might be a better watch the second time around since I'm not so busy trying to keep everyone straight and all those details at the beginning now make sense.
Bottom line: Xianxias generally have an expectation to be epic, with an intricate storyline, detailed world-building, varied cast of characters and passionate romance spanning lifetimes. But they can get predictable, because it is always the same types of characters and same conflict . This drama does not escape from the tropes but presents them from a fresh angle. That, plus the good actin and great production make this a worthwhile watch.
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Interesting Characters and Good Suspense
Possible Spoilers Ahead:I think what initially drew me to this drama were the stellar reviews and comments, the somewhat unique storyline and the "cold female lead" tag. I was really tired of the silly/innocent female lead concept so this story seemed like a breath of fresh air. And after watching it, I agree with my initial thoughts.
Story: It's fairly obvious this drama is more about the suspense and scandal than true mystery and crime-solving. A lot of medical, legal and financial things are not very realistic but this does not distract from the purpose of the show or its entertainment factor. Due to being only 20 episodes (a rarity in many c-dramas), the plot is pretty tight and wrapped up very well. While clues are laid there so things can be figured out, the story does have a good amount of twists, particularly at the end. The comedic moments are nice bonus too.
Characters: I just loved our female lead. She's not really cold like the tag says but more of a cool, enigmatic but seemingly-carefree personality but with a hidden vulnerable side. She has goals, she has flaws, she has character development. I really liked her relationship with her brother, in all its aspects. She has reasons behind her decisions (whether good or bad) and she is an active characters - her actions move the plot forward. Unless I'm watching the wrong dramas, this is rare of find in a lot of c-dramas, especially web dramas. It's in direct contrast to the other (second?) female lead, Wen Ke Er, who behaves much more like a traditional female lead. She has that sweet and naïve personality and is more passive than reactive. She has her own trauma to deal with and she has her moments of independence but she ends relying on the males in her life, whether on purpose or not. She feels a deconstructed female lead archetype viewed from a second lead/side character perspective. In fact, the whole story felt like it was from the (evil) second female lead's point of view except without making her pointlessly evil. I really liked Wen Molin's warm and caring personality. He had his flaws too and you can see the direct consequences his overprotectiveness has on Ke Er. He had really good chemistry with the FL and the romance was so sweet. Chen An is also very well developed and an endearing character as well. I enjoyed all of the side characters and their progression throughout the story.
Acting: Not perfect, maybe a little stiff at times but not distracting or taking away from the story or entertainment.
Music: Excellent. The opening and ending theme songs are very catchy and the melodies fit the moods of the drama very well.
Conclusion: I think I'm partial to stories with a psychological or character driven element to them because it require well-written characters to make the story work and this drama excels at that. It blends genres pretty well and gives good food for though. Would definitely recommend.
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A Beautiful Melo
I really liked this drama. I was debating between an 8.5 or a 9. My overall suggested the site calculates for you is an 8.5 but I gave it a 9 because I basically binged this. This drama was really engaging. Of course, it was not perfect. It definitely had it's plot holes, required some suspension of disbelief from a medical and legal perspective and despite being a suspense, was predictable to some extent. But these flaws could be overlooked because the drama was so enjoyable and had that addictive factor.The characters were well-written and cast did a really good job. I think Lee Yoo Ri is a great actress; even though she is given a fair amount of tragic-melo-revenge roles, she makes each role fresh. I'm glad they gave the female lead character good depth and showed the effects of her traumatic past. Granted, humans deal with trauma in different ways but too often I see dramas where the female lead has this tragic backstory but she never seems to have any mental consequences and always cheerful. I felt her emotions and motivations. There were a few times I teared up with her and I was always rooting for her happiness.
Lee Il Hwa did a really good job too; she got my blood boiling but she was horribly captivating the way only a charismatic actress can be. And I was dumbfounded when I realized I didn't even recognize her from a drama I had watched recently. I liked Yeon Jung Hoon well enough, he played his character very well. Go Na Hee was adorable and full of life; I loved her squeals of excitement. The only problem I had was Im Ju Eun. It's not even her fault but she has these (gorgeous) huge eyes that were emphasized even more with bold eye makeup. I kept noticing how she would widen her eyes all the time which made it look like she was constantly giving the death glare. Plus, I felt like her character was not the best written and somewhat inconsistent when it came to her goals and motivation. But I digress.
The music had this haunting quality that fit the mood of the drama very well. I don't usually rewatch dramas but I could see myself watching it again. If this dramas was dragged out to a 50-episdoe weekend drama (which for some reason I though it was initially), I would definably watch every episode. All-in-all, 100% recommend.
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Good Mix of Genres
So, I have a tendency to "save" dramas - to hold off watching them in fear that once I watch them, my expectations will be set way too high and it will ruin all other dramas for me. And Healer was the #1 drama I was saving - this drama was so hyped up I was so convinced that once I watched it, I would never be able to move on from it (as so many posts all over this site show). And now I finally watched it. How do I feel? Really, yes, it is a really good drama and I completely understand the hype (especially considering the time) but because the expectations for this drama are set up impossibly high, they are well, a little impossible to meet.It is a good story. One thing this drama does well is it's mixing of genres - spy, action, comedy, romance. The story, for the most part, was pretty well laid out with no glaring plot holes. I mean, there is some suspension of disbelief given it's premise but things generally flow well.
The actors all did a good job in their roles and their was good cast chemistry. There was a wide range of enjoyable characters aside from the main case - the hacker ajumma, the FL's dad, the Someday News gang, the detective and even the SS guard guy - that kept the story entertaining. The main trio, of course, did an excellent job and had a fresh set-up. The romance was really very sweet and I can totally see why this drama is the standard used when asking for good romance or couple chemistry recommendations on the forums. I have a thing for super-devoted male leads with a puppyish side to them so I loved the male lead. While the female lead wasn't as dynamic as the male lead, I though they did a pretty good job with her. While I do appreciate the shift these days to write strong female characters, a lot of dramas are so focused on giving the FL ultra kung-fu skills or whatnot, they fail to write an actual character or make that character have an influence on the plot. CYS is a well-rounded character with likes, dislikes, goals, quirky traits, strength, flaws and is it her actions that help move the plot forward.
The music helped, a LOT. The OSTs on their own were hits but they complimented and enhanced the drama really well - I probably would not like it as much if not for the music (which typically does not affect my drama watching experience that much).
Overall, this is a very good drama that I highly recommend, especially if you want a cute romance. Just take all that astronomically, unrealistically high hype with a little bit of salt.
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This review may contain spoilers
TROTAR is like eating zucchini brownies - it has that additional health benefit but still tastes as good as a regular brownie. This drama manages to provide some 'food for thought' (cough) while staying as fluffy and sweet as typical romcom, if not more so. Story/Acting: I really can't talk about the story or acting separately in this drama because both (with the production) have this nice synergistic effect that makes the drama extremely binge-worthy. At 24 episodes, the plot is not dragged out at all and story arcs finish relatively fast. It's genuinely really funny and the humor feels more original compared to other dramas. This is in part to both the well-done script writing and the actor's comedic timing and the sound effect choices. It's actually brilliant how they make serious plot points into complete jokes (in a good way). The romance was also so, so dreamy with the perfect combination of silly, sweet and serious. I particularly loved how the male lead could switch from a complete puppy to a tiger (err, the Xuanha definition of it) while remaining so devoted to the female lead. Of course, this wouldn't be possible without the actors' chemistry, which was on fire. Take out the good writing and the chemistry between these two already puts this drama on the better-than-average rating. The only points I would take off would be a somewhat weird tone shift in the last third and a little rushed pacing at the end.
Going back the the insightful commentary part, I agree what a lot of others have said about the gender equality themes. I also liked what the drama had to about character depth. What makes a strong character? One that can overcome obstacles. Are the characters we see in dramas given real obstacles or is it paper thin writing just there to make the main leads seem better? The main lead is the main lead because the story is written to make sure they come out on top. But what if is wasn't written that way? Makes me think of all the dramas I watched if those characters really strong enough to overcome their obstacles or if they even had obstacles in the first place.
Music: Loved the beginning and ending OSTs, definitely added to that fun, zippy feel
Rewatch value: Don't usually rewatch dramas but will most likely replay clips on YT
Overall: Recommend without hesitation!
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More Family Drama than Romance
I was delightfully taken by this drama. As the title implies, I started watching for the age-gap romance but what really caught my interest and addiction to this drama was all the friendship/familyship. I really would call this more of a family, slice-of-life drama than straight romance based on how much screen time our leads ended up getting.Story: I just loved watching the He family interact with each other, how they were so bickering yet open and supportive. I know it's a cultural thing, but I liked how they just causally put food in each other's bowls. I also loved the strong friendship among the FL and her friends (and her brother too). It was really heartwarming to see them encouraging and/or gently scolding one another. I think one of my favorite parts of the show is how Song Xue and Xiao Yu walking into the He residence unannounced is considered normal behavior.
As for our main romance, it was cute. Our couple had a good enough chemistry and I was always rooting for them. Our supporting couples were cute too.
I really liked our female lead. To be honest, as I was watching the drama, there was something off about her and I couldn't figure it out until this scene where she is telling someone that she wants to be a normal person and that's what I realized felt off - she really felt more like a normal person. To me, a lot of drama female leads are written as, well, drama female leads. They are positive, cheerful, resilient, self-sacrificing, idealistic and brave, almost to the point of unrealistic. It's kind of hard to explain, but a lot of drama characters are written in a way where you enjoy watching them as characters but wouldn't see them as real people. Although Fanxing shared many similar characteristics, she had flaws - she was insecure, hesitant and timid - that got her into trouble and were frustrating to watch as a viewer but these are flaws real people have. I read a comment once on how rather than "strong female characters" dramas need to have well well-written ones and I do believe Fanxing is a well-written female lead. Coming from a culture that does not support older female/younger male romance, I could see where she was coming from and why she was making the decisions she was.
I liked our male lead too - he was adorable and I loved his earnest love for our female lead. I had mixed feelings about our second ML but I'm not sure if it's my double standards. I don't mind if when male leads are sneaky (cough Love O2O) but the way our 2nd ML went about it just irked me. I think this drama showed me why chemistry is so important. I sometimes get so frustrated with dramas where the female lead leaves this perfect 2nd lead or sees him as just a friend but I could see exactly why our female lead wanted our male lead.
Acting: Almost everyone did a decent enough job, most especially the parents. This is my first time seeing both the FL/ML act. I think Victoria did a good job. This is just my opinion, but I think the male lead did just ok. Yes, he was really (really, really) handsome. But, there were a few times I had to rely on context clues to figure out what he was thinking, I couldn't tell by looking at his face.
Music: loved the OST, really had the dreamy but calm vibe
Production: This is the one area that lowers points for me. I hated how edited a lot of the kissing/romance scenes were, to the point where I feel like didn't even see the actual scene, just a bunch of side angles and snapshots of what it was supposed to be.
Overall: At the end of the day, we watch dramas for enjoyment and this did its genre well. It was just the right mix of realism and cheesiness to make it a worthwhile watch.
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Story/Production: You can really tell the writers and producers put a lot of thought into this and it shows. Time-travel is a very tricky subject. It is a well-known rule that going to the past affects the future, so if even one piece of sequence does not fit, it ruins the entire setup. We've all seen the dramas that start to break their own rules and mess everything up. The writers did a phenomenal job here of connecting everything so it fits and revealing it in a way that keeps viewers engaged, amazed and astounded. There is almost no filler. Entire storylines are told in a few minutes. I am still mindblown by the opening and ending sequences. Production-wise, the classroom settings, alleyways, realistic houses and old buildings really added to the viewer depth. Everything felt so natural and lack of product placement really gives it an authentic touch.
This is a personal rating criteria, but I also really like how the drama manages to give the female lead a lot of agency. Despite the influx of female leads that appear well-written on paper, once the story gets going, the female lead is often overshadowed. I was worried for a hot minute that this story would turn the male lead into the one making all of the decisions/figuring out all of the answers but, to my utter delight, that doesn't happen. Not only does the female make critical decisions that moves the plot forward, you see her relationship progress with family and friends that does not involve the male lead.
Acting: Phenomenal. You could right away which character our lead actors were trying to play, even when that character was not acting like how they usually would. The rest of the actors did a great job too, everyone felt very natural, like they actually were the characters they were playing. The actors all had good chemistry too. Siblings and BFFs felt like siblings and BFFs. And the lead two actors, their sweet chemistry is off the charts. If you took away the plot, I could probably watch 13 hours of these two just just talking or flirting with each other.
Music: Music is an important part of the story but the songs they choose really add to the nostalgic, dreamy and mysterious mood. Actually very good standalone too.
Rewatch value: Because this drama has a lot of 'boom' type revelations, it might not be as exciting the 2nd time around but since it is so intricate, it could be fun trying to break it down again from the beginning. I would re-watch it for the romance and chemistry alone.
Final thoughts: Would recommend to anyone without any hesitation. One of those dramas that are more than the sum of its parts.
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The male lead was fine. He was somewhat childishly self-centered but just like how you can't get mad at a child, you can really never hate him. I didn't really see them as a couple at first, but maybe as the actor started to get more comfortable behind the camera/with the actress, they started to get super cute.
It's been a while since I've seen a older female/younger male played so straight, so I enjoyed it for what it was. Dramas almost always make the male lead more capable/competent and the female lead more naive, no matter who is older. Here, true to their age, the female lead was more mature and stable and was like a rock for the male lead, who depended on her quite a bit. Obs, this kind of romance would be tiring in real life, but it was cute on screen. If you hate older female/younger male, stay away.
The pacing is horrible. It starts fine, when crawls so slowly that despite all the cute couple moments you wonder where this is going then accelerates so a rushed ending. The plotholes can be pretty annoying too, if you let them be.
The music is pretty good--it gives everything a lighter, zippy feel. The "this is a funny scene" music was pretty good too.
It's clearly not the best drama but for someone who can't seem to finish them recently, I managed to watch this one straight through. I was debating between a 7.5 and 8 for this one (if I could, it'd be a 7.8), but since I enjoyed it for what is was, I'll stick to 8.
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