a sweet watch

Cute but a bit dry. Sweet storyline but wish the ML broke out of his shell a bit more. He was inside sweet and did somewhat break out of his shell but I wanted the female lead to see a new side of him. Even see him smile a bit more. I wanted to see him melt for her and be cuddly maybe. Wake up and snuggle with her, or be staring at her and look away a bit shy... I also wanted the female lead to be a bit more confident by the end, to stand up and demand the love she deserves.
I'm also a bit partial to her childhood crush who stood by her side, who gave her comfort when she felt uneasy, who fought for her, and worried over her when people were causing issues.

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Honestly perfection

I'm normally not one to say a show is perfection, but I truly I felt this show hit all the sweet spots and did not leave you unsatisfied by the end. It never slowed down and there wasn’t any messy outside stories or drama that left you bored between scenes.

There have been so many cliche damsels in need of saving series that I was unsure on watching this one at first. But I am so glad I gave it a chance. I'll keep this as short and sweet as i can, since so many others have probably said the same with this being such a popular drama but I honestly had to write a review of one of my new favorites or I would burst!

While the main focus of this series was more about overcoming traumatic events both main leads went through in childhood and as adults, the love story between the main leads was still very sweet and to watch as they both started to find their sanctuary/home where they could both finally feel at peace with each other was beautiful to watch. They honestly grew together, and the male lead was amazing in how he cared for her. He is the epitome of what a partner should do and be when faced with someone they love who has gone through trauma.

First of all, the women in this series are the POWERHOUSES which I Ioved:
The female lead was nothing short of a woman learning to take control of her own life. Yes the male lead helped her but she was not a wilting flower when she discovered her own strength to fight. She didn't wait around for the male lead to solve all the problems, while yes she did lean on him when she needed to and he did the same, she was at the forefront of unraveling the web of deceit and hate her stepmother wrapped around her family before serving revenge on all of those who hurt them.

The Stepmother and stepsister were the epitome of villains, they did not pull any punches or rely on the men on the side lines to fight for them UNLESS it was part of their plan to use them. The stepmother was honestly amazing since there was zero overarching redemption arc for her, she was evil through and through which made her even better as a character. The step-daughter was more so spoilt than evil but she was still given her just desserts just like her mother.

The in-law women (mother, grandmother, sister, cousin - in -laws) were all strong, take no guff business driven individuals who took matters into their own hands when faced with obstacles. With the matriarch of the family being the grandmother who was the founder of the company, she worked as a carpenter first and grew from there, and never let others define what she could do which you can see mirrored in the the other women of this family who fight tooth and nail to protect those who they deemed family.

While the husbands and the evil brother were key with having the storyline progress, they were less dominant characters compared to the women in most respects. Although the evil brother does play a huge role in the finale, he's in between spoilt brat and evil demon level of the step mom and step sister of the female lead.

All in all I encourage you ALL to watch it so that viki can make more amazing originals like this one.

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The type of love that lasts

While this drama does have a central couple, there are multiple characters who make this series the amazing series it is.

Maybe its because I just watched Professional Single (another cute drama with Song Yi Ren) but this is a story is the sweet romance that could have happened with her childhood friend if she didn't start dating the high school hunk. I found this drama to be bursting to the seems with sweet story lines between all the characters, which was lacking in professional singles

To start the main couple is Chi Chi and Fang Fang who grew up together from the age of 8 when they became neighbors. They were the best of friends who enjoyed pranking and daring each other all through school. It was one of these dares at the end of their high school year that leads to a fall out between them and they don't speak until they are in the same college months later. While their friendship becomes strong once again, Chi Chi begins to see Fang Fang in a different light and realizes that he had a crush on her for "centuries" >.< Their romance is one of sweet love that grew out of friendship and while they do hit a few obstacles it is due to their strong foundation of friendship that they are able to stay together even with distance between them.

Now the other characters are just as important in this series, Chi Chi's family is broken due to decisions that her parents made when she and her brother were little, something that not only hurt her then but when she learns the truth it only seems to reopen the wounds that never got to fully heal.

Chi Chi's absentee mother is one of the characters that was pivotal since it was due to that trauma that made her so scared to lose Fang Fang but he was also the one who gave her the security she needed since they were young and how they were able to grow together to build a strong, healthy relationship.

Her brother and father are sweet characters, and while you don't learn much about the father you learn how he impacted her life even when he knew he made mistakes and was at a loss at what to do.

Chi Chi's roommates are just as cute as any other rom com college roommates but they also made each character unique with actual personalities and story lines of their own.

I loved the introduction of the archery team who are a rowdy bunch who are more than just jocks and work hard to prove themselves against other teams who are seen as unbeatable.

This series takes place over years, and while it can be a bit hard to pinpoint how much time has passed sometimes, you can see that these friends all become a second family to Fang Fang and Chi Chi. And it is with this second family that they overcome the hardships of college and becoming the best versions of themselves.

If I had to criticize anything, I just wanted more normal days between fang fang and Chi Chi, I wanted to see them hanging out or on a date. While you do get some really amazing scenes, it did seem to be sparsely scattered. But that really picking at small things.

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Swoon Worthy Chemistry

If you want a rollercoaster , swoon-worthy couple then you really get that with this series.

Honestly, Lu Jin is one of those characters that makes you melt when he looks at Nan Nan. Lin Shen is one of those actors that can say so much in an expression, he really made the character believable and portray the type of love where the other person just makes you feel complete

Yes there is an age gap with these characters, and they really do use it for the story but in a way that makes it less "lecherous old man and student" and more so that she brings him the spark of being carefree and happy. She helps him shed his heartless, cold shell that kept him protected after his father deserted him and his mother, and learn to to the risk to embrace family and love again.

I found the second couple Richard and Celine to be a bit much. Not that I didn't like them at first, but I really just wanted to rush back to the scenes with Fussy Lu and Nan Nan again since I just loved their chemistry.

Now I do have to say I did get a bit annoyed with the male lead, Lu Jin, a few times since there was some points where I felt he needed to stick up for Gu Shengnan more. But I did like that Nan Nan did seem to start standing up for herself and Lu Jin was there for her when it mattered in many situations.

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What can be said about this drama other than a simple masterpiece?

If you are looking for a "swoon and boom" love story with over the top confessions with evil being conquered, then this is not the one for you. So instead of a rollercoaster, its more so catching the wrong bus, not knowing where you may end up but enjoying the new scenery and deciding to see where it leads instead of jumping off on the next stop.

I honestly can't say anything bad about it from the start to the finish, its like looking into a world of "real" people with insecurities, goals, and baggage that they are learning to deal with on their own but also supporting each other.

This isn't a story that just focuses on the main couple and the side couples are there for filler but more so a household of friends turned family who support and love each other, while yes couples are formed in that time that is definitely not the main focus.

I don't want to spoil anything since I found this story to be one that is unique and fulfilling to watch from start to finish, and I do mean finish since the last minute of this show truly gives you the best moment of "it all worked out and they are truly happy they followed their dreams"

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Cute and complex. A must watch!

Ok ok this was a really cute series, it really explored a strong women and them learning to love themselves, to not have to fit the thin, frail image that many people use for the ideal.
The female lead and male lead grow together throughout the series, learning about each other and learning that love comes from learning to trust and expose your flaws to the other person.
I really loved that it showed that not only was the female lead a strong woman but that she was also very in tune with her emotions since many archetypes will only have one or the other since showing emotions are normally associated with being weak. Also on that note showing the male lead crying and dealing with the twisted history with his mother gave a lot of dimensions to his character and showing him maturing.

All in all I loved this series and really recommend it to anyone wanting a more complex romcom

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love love love

I was so surprised at every twist and turn. I loved how confident the female lead was. She was strong and talented on her own which made the male lead and her love even more amazing. I am glad that the "criminal" and "bully" got what they deserved, since its always so unsatisfying when the villain gets happiness anyways, but they showed the reasons leading up to why they become what they are.
All and all this series was so packed with so many twists and turns that you are so excited for every episode. I am normally very good at discerning what will happen before it does but this one really kept me on my toes, especially finding out who the main villain(s) were... (0.0)
a must see for anyone looking for an amazing series.

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