Perseverance is Magical

I didn't plan on writing a review but it doesn't make sense for me how the top reviews for this drama are the low-scored ones. It was actually a pretty good watch for me.
Definitely, it's your typical rom-com , rich guy, multiple couples, cliche Chinese drama -- but aren't most Chinese dramas like this?

At the beginning, when she was pretending to be a boy, I couldn't find it interesting but it was really funny how he thought he was gay when he was already falling for her, that early on. Then, they got married, that's when it really started to kick for me. I'm a sucker for male leads who never admits their feelings but cares for the female lead so deeply -- oh, never fails to make me flutter.

I'm only guessing, people might not have liked the conflict, which explains the low score. There were also too many conflicts -- looking back, probably just one conflict that just branched out, which sucked. I would understand the Li Man part 'cause she's an ex who's obsessed, but when the FL ran away pregnant? They prolonged the Congqing 'arc' too much. I was already eager for them to get back together that I no longer gave a damn about DaHuang's and the cat couple's love stories. She was already pregnant, he's trying to win you back, just give in already! I think that's the only part I didn't like.

Going back to the Li Man 'arc'... I super commend the male lead during these episodes 'cause he was never swayed. He was very stern on not getting back together even after learning the truth... but still disappointed 'cause he never tries to explain to his wife.

On the other couples, i literally didn't give a damn on the Gu-Gu (cat couple). I even find their ending so-so, whatevs, don't care. I liked the sister and the best friend. Altho it doesn't do me justice when he just suddenly fell in love with her. I wanted more, but I guess it was explained by saying, "perseverance is magical."
Another thing I like is the male lead's family, his parents and his sister. His parents for being so lovey-dovey and ignoring their children, lol. But really, mostly for being ever so supportive. At least it saved us from hating another evil mother-in-law.

In general, this was actually a pretty good watch!! It was very similar to You Are My Destiny, except the pregnancy came a little bit later. and Anna = Li Man -- very similar, evil ex-girlfriends who ruins arranged marriages. Plus, I love Xing Zhao Lin so I would've persevered watching this anyway even if it's not any good, and i'm glad I did because PERSEVERANCE IS MAGICAL :P

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I dont really watch ongoing dramas cause its not good for my EQ to wait a whole week before the next episode. And as much as I can, i stay away from spoilers and clips floating around the net just so I can appreciate the drama more in my own view. But with Nevertheless, I found myself browsing thru clips and reviews and I concluded its not going to be a happy ending judging from the toxicity of being with f*** boy. I started to watch it hours before the last episode was released so Id be able to avoid spoilers on the ending — and im glad i did.
I never read the webtoon nor do I care about it. A webtoon is a webtoon, drama is a drama. I read that the webtoon is more dramatic, darker, and realistic. But come on, out of 10 dramas you’ve watched, just how many are realistic? While finally watching Nevertheless, I could never see the bad on Jae Eon. His eyes are always full of warmth. His gaze towards Nabi was too different from his actions. When he met Nabi, I already felt he wants to change but continuously to avoid the fact that he does. If you read too much on other people’s ments, like the aunt’s talking to Nabi or Gyu hyun talking to Jae Eon, you would somehow know how this drama would end up. Thats why I became really hopeful. I could understand totally understand Nabi’s thoughts as to why she wants to stay away from Jae Eon as much as possible. In this open minded world that we live in, its really hard to find a person you can trust, love fully and unconditionally. You’d want to question their sincerity towards you - and obviously, Jae Eon showed zero sincerity at the start. But you know, Im really glad both of them tried to change. Nabi for going after what she really likes and Jae Eon letting go of his dark nature for Nabi. One thing I super loved about Jae Eon is he never forced himself to Nabi. He would always ask before doing anything and letting Nabi decide on their relationship. Like, how is that a f*ck boy? A f*ck boy would NEVER care about the girl’s feelings as long as he attains his goals. Im really satisfied with the ending. I couldnt get over the fact that the supposed f*ck boy would shed tears for the girl he thought he couldnt have. I repeated that scene too many times.

Some things I need explanation on - justification on SeolA’s character, i mean, she was just there to get Nabi jealous, and get Nabi to say, “Jae Eon likes doing IT with your hair tied.” Lol. Who was she to Jae Eon then? I was really curious. Also as to why Jae Eon loves butterflies too much and hates dating. Id really like some light on those points but Im guessing the webtoon touched on it, which I have no intention of reading.

Some thoughts of mine, Song Kang is not fit to play a playboy or a fck boy. He looks too nice. His eyes are really too innocent for something like this. Im kind of falling for him now. He’s gonna be my next oppa, but i think he’s going to the army soon. Also, i read about the webtoon’s ending prior to the drama’s ending. And honestly, I can’t stand the fact that Song Kang might not end up with the FL again — i was traumatized from Love Alarm. Song Kang deserves the FL. Lol.

Thats it for me, I loved it, and I dont give a damn to those people who hates this drama, and comparing it to the webtoon too much. Like wtf, cant you differentiate? They written by different writers for a reason.

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Feel sorry for those people who dropped this.

I read the comments on MDL and honestly, I feel sorry for those people who dropped this. They just missed one good hell of a story.

Story:
There are a lot of lines about sacrifice in this drama. Lovers sacrifice for their other half, family members for their loved ones, soldiers for their country and fellowmen, and doctors for their patients. For me, sacrifice is a really big thing and something that is hard to do and the fact that this drama has shown the different sides of sacrifice, already makes it a good drama. I didn't find it boring at all -- or probably some Mi Gu and Zhou Ran parts (read below). The story was very similar to You Are My Hero. One difference is in MDG, they had one enemy which they need to catch/destroy. In YAMH, there is no constant enemy but the couple meets a lot of danger together. But in terms of loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, love, family, and others, I could see a lot of similarities. And I actually think soldier/police-doctor stories is my thing now. I l loved DOTS, YAMH, and MDG. Hope it trends more.

[SPOILER] I'll talk about the couples now, probably spoilers.
1st couple, as a hopeless romantic, I was a little bit disappointed with the romance 'cause I was expecting more from Johnny Huang since he's had a great chemistry with his female leads. The main leads also had good chemistry, I just wish for more. Oh, and the way he just stares at her sometimes, already was full of meaning, he just needed his little cousin as interpreter 'cause the FL was a little dense.
2nd couple, Mi Gu and Zhou Ran... Personally, I dislike girls who fall head over heels guys and just lose their sanity and sense of reality. I felt so bad for them at the end, but it was something that was bound to happen. They were never going to end up together.
3rd couple, Dr Zhang and Meng Zhen, I loved Dr Zhang! How he was a playboy at first but became serious for Meng Zhen. He was really just searching and waiting for the right one. I also felt bad when they almost didn't end up together but I'm glad he came around, thanks to Xiao Jun, and the gossiping ladies at the canteen. As for the girl, I kind of wasn't convinced how she pushed away Dr. Zhang, comparing him to her first husband. Honestly, there's really no good in comparing things, in all aspects. Of course, they weren't going to be the same! You know, if it's love, it's love.
4th couple, my fave, but the saddest. Tian Yong and Xue, OMG, there are no words to describe them honestly. They were perfect for each other even if I think they have a huge age gap. There also no words other than devastation for this couple. My heart still aches when I think about it. I kind of saw it coming but I still hoped for the best. She actually deserves him, she needed someone as true and naive as he is, but sadly, it wasn't meant to be. It just hurts.

[CHARACTERS]
- Main FL. A lot of people found her annoying. At first, I also did. But damn, her principles and passion as doctor, really touched me. She could be a coward sometimes but the care she has shown to her patients was really something. I think she was the only doctor in the whole drama who was like that. The other doctors were actually a little bit selfish, and that was even more annoying.
- Tian Yong: I LOVED HIM, definitely one of my faves in this drama. Again, it's just so sad what happened to him, so unfair.
- The other resident doctor: I HATE HER. She was one of those doctors who were super selfish. TBH, most of he doctors in this drama were selfish, but her in particular. I disliked how she went back and forth, enemy then friend to the FL. Even if she explained herself at the end, I still dont like her.
- Dr Zhang's ex: Most selfish doctor. PERIOD.

My review was super long, but it was more like comments than a review. Overall, it's good drama! Just watch it. ;)

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Nicest youth/slice of drama!

This is actually, if not the best, one of the nicest youth Chinese dramas i've seen. It was more of a slice of life than youth actually 'cause they had to deal with issues such as disabilities, broken families and such. I thought at the beginning I wouldn't like it 'cause I'm not really a fan of dramas without romance in it. Altho this drama has very little romance... I loved how they held back on romance and focused on their studies, rather than some puppy love (the contract) and waited for themselves to mature, know what they really want before they get into the relationship. Really, i'm a sucker for mature relationships (not in the sensual aspect).

I really loved the family stories. Whenever there's such a scene, it really leaves a big impact, a heavy heart, and teary eyes. It's very similar to Go Ahead but I would say I like this better (in terms of the family story), but in terms of romance, definitely Go Ahead. I didnt like the mom, just like how I disliked her in Go Ahead, she's really fits that bad mother-in-law, but I was touched in the end because her daughter understood her intentions even if she had a nasty personality, and that was really touching.

The acting was definitely great. I liked the male lead from Sparkle Love and I think he looks very much like Got7's Jinyoung, a tall version. Plus, i find the female lead really pretty, her eyes are so nice. Their roles are actually perfect. I found out also that the girl is only 16 irl, probably why there's very little romance. I liked all characters tbh, even that Guoguo and that Su DaiFei. But I particularly loved Qu Wei!! I actually thought they were'nt going to be friends but I loved how he was like the love guru, so funny.

Bottomline, I could really say it's the best youth drama i've seen, and it's rare for me to love dramas without romance or slice of life dramas. So this one's really great. I'd give it a 9, -1 for not having more romance.

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from her voice. The setting is a little bit too dramatic for the characters tho. The main couple was too bubbly for it but probably because the story has a to be a little emotional so its acceptable. There were many cute scenes of the main couple and Im glad they didnt break up. I love them together, especially when the ML is too clingy! At first, I didnt like how the second couple turned around, from dislike to love, but afterwards, I found them lovely. Its because they were willing to change for each other — and that is true love. Plus, their steamy kisses are great. Lol. I was actually surprised to learn that the second ML is still quite young IRL. Good job in making him look like he’s in his 30s. He’s so hot! Those muscles, arms!! I didnt only love the cast but the story as well — the developments and the supporting stories. I dont want to write too much about the plot, watch it yourself. Its definitely worth it!!

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I love it! It was super light, cute and fluffy. I’m a big fan of the leads and their couples IRL so it makes me think the four are close friends which is great. It was definitely a good watch after watching stressful dramas like Law School and Mouse so I really enjoyed this one. The story was cliche obviously and some say that it’s more like a Cdrama than a Kdrama. But for me, it was def a Kdrama, a cliche one. There were funny scenes which I loved. I cant believe it only aired 3 yrs after being shot. But I guess now is a good timing cause the leads are back from the army (just in time for CTJ’s release too) I just didnt like the story of Inhyung, didnt like how desperate she was, but it was part of the story so meh. Another, the music I didnt like. I had expectations since it was an idol drama, but I know CTJ is not a good singer but they shouldve still picked better songs. It wasnt catchy at all. Other than those, I love it.

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It's more sad than giddy

I normally collect my favorite giddy scenes from a drama but I wasn't able to collect such from this because almost all of their encounters are just so sad. You know those dramas/movies where the protagonist prepares for death and prepares everything that they will leave behind? Such never fails to make me cry.

What I didn't like about this is how they took sooooo long to resolve the super obvious? They started hinting on who was the mastermind behind their accident early on but only resolved it at the last episode? I forwarded many scenes regarding this because it was just so obvious and predictable that I no longer care.

What I deeply cared about is how will the male lead survive? Will he die? But knowing C-dramas, i doubt he would. I would've been super disappointed if they somehow miraculously come up with a ridiculous plot on how they will let him leave. I thought it would have to do something with Dr. P being alive after all, the assistant a bad person, or a thunder will hit him and let him live. I even thought that the accident at the last episode would definitely cure him. BUT im glad they didn't come up with such ridiculous plots.

I want to comment on the second couple and their acting. I think Xu fits the role well (probably because of his real life playboy image). I love their story too but I think Yan Yan was a little bit too strict. About Yan Yan's acting, it was bad! Especially on the emotional scenes. When Xu finally told her about Gu, I was already crying my eyeballs out but she remained calm? No tears? That's it? I mean, the most important person in your man's life is dying, can't you at least empathize? And when she was proposing at the end, it was an emotional scene but she again remained with no tears. Probably because her character's supposed to be tough. But still, I believe that emotions have to be properly expressed in necessary scenes.

I've never liked Fair Xing and her dramas but I keep watching because of the rom-com plot. I gotta say, she still does not impress me. But at least she finally got paired with someone who's not that tall and someone who matches her height well. This is also my first time watching the guy and he's good as an emotionless person but he scares me when he smiles lol. Nonetheless, this drama was good enough to make me cry. But I won't give it a high rating. It wasn't my cup of tea.

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Does this kind of man really exist in real life?

Its one of those dramas that would make you wonder, “Does this kind of man really exist in real life?” It’s frustrating because you know want to end up with such guy but can’t. Hyun-seung is someone who’s really serious about relationships and love. He is so dedicated and loyal. At first I thought it would be strange to end up with a girl who has a toxic past but Hyun-seung persevered and fought for his love which made me love him too. Song-ah is kind of ok. I think her character is more realistic than Hyun-seung because she knows what she wants. I also like the other couples’ stories, some of them were realistic and some of them was just there for some swoon and cute. So it’s a nice drama to watch altho it’s just another Korean romance drama but good to watch still. It’s not exceptional but It’s always a good idea to get some romance out of dramas if you can’t in real life

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The happiest thing is that the one youve been waiting for is also waiting for you

Ok, so i didnt’t really like this drama at the beginning to the point that I couldnt wait to finish it because of boredom. but it had a high rating on MDL so tried to be as open minded as I can be. The reason why I didnt like it was probably because the male lead wasnt my type and probably also because I was so bothered by their height difference to the point I wonder every time they are close, "did the girl adjust her height, stepped on a platform?" Lol. And I just want to comment, this actress ALWAYS gets paired with tall actors. I want her to find someone around her height, Steven Zhang maybe?

Dont get me wrong, there are still some things I like about this drama — the second couple. The uncle was more of my type lol. Just the way he teases the girl a lot, I loved them towards the end, i’m gonna miss them more than the main. I also liked Zhong Zhen, how clingy he was TO ALL THE CHARACTERS in the drama lol.

And last thing, I loved the line at their wedding, "The happiest thing is that the one you’ve been waiting for is also waiting for you." I mean, this line really meant a lot especially for me, a 26 y/o no-boyfriend-since-birth. I truly believe that you shouldn’t settle for less ‘cause someday, the one you’ve been wanting for, waiting for you, will come with even great bonuses. So the whole series actually made sense when I heard this line, making me like this at the end. I’m glad I finished it!

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Overbearing CEO

Overbearing CEO stories always calls out the butterflies in my stomach. But sometimes this overbearing CEO becomes a little too overbearing that if I were the female lead, I would worry of potential domestic violence. Lol. But since it’s a Chinese idol drama, I doubt it would lead to that.

The story itself was cliche, marriage contract, first love, childhood sweethearts, childhood trauma, etc. It’s light and cute but the thing that made it complicated for me was that the times that CEO becomes too overbearing. I felt like the plot was a little bit similar to Love is Sweet, but definitely, Love is Sweet is so much better. I even think male leads from both dramas look alike.

The acting I would say is also ok. One thing I kind of liked was that the actors looked mature for 25-year-olds (yes i liked it). It’s nice to see something new than innocent and naive young adults. When I did my research, the actors were actually already in their 30s which is not surprising judging by how they look.

This is another drama that I would recommend if you’re bored and have run out better dramas to watch like me. Don’t expect anything tho.

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More than just about surviving

This drama is more than just about surviving but also teaches that we must learn how to control human desire. My favorite thing about this drama is that it didn’t focus on how only a man can be strong but it showed that women, elderly, disabled, and even children can also be as strong and fearless as men. This is one of the biggest issues that our society faces to date and i’m glad this drama touched on it. There are undeserved deaths or sacrifices in the drama but in reality, these should serve as a warning or wake up call to the people to do good and feel good.

This is directed by the director of Goblin and DOTS so I had really high expectations (fortunately, it was met). I don’t have anything that I dislike in this drama except the undeserved deaths but they were necessary to the story so i’ll pass on it. I think the story was also good! I had questions at the beginning and were answered as I continued to watch. I had more questions at the end that only a season 2 could answer. ? I just can’t wait for season 2. Knowing Netflix, it’d probably take more than a year before they release a new season which sucks.

About acting... there were a lot of familiar faces, supporting characters and antagonists from other dramas but in Sweet Home, they acted as heroes (even if they have shitty personalities). They were all great tbh. I didn’t find any unconvincing acting, only shitty characters which means their acting was good enough to convince their viewers that they are awful people ?.

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it's been a long time since i last rated a cdrama 10

let me share the things that i liked about this drama

1. despite the plot, it wasn't overly dramatic, like fight for custody, messy divorce, severe family issues. it maintained the fluffy, cutesy, little bit of drama, non-complicated issues.
2. their acting. the FL has portrayed a convincing domineering female CEO. Applause~~ They are a lovely couple. i just couldnt get enough of them. even if they were still a fake couple, they romance was already way over the top, loveeee!!
3. Not much business talk. altho there some problems with the business, the scenes were just at a right amount, not too much boring stuff. goodgoodgood
4. the secondary couples/support roles - i wished i had more of the leads but the secondary couples were also necessary.

(FOLLOWING ARE ALL SPOILERS)

like Peng Bo during the hospital auction, ESPECIALLY: Si Yu and Simon when the leads got back together but were still awkward with each other. It was really funny cause instead of solving their own problem, they just went on and talked about the other couple's issue. <3
- what i just didnt like about SiYu and Simon couple - it also took them 6 years to resolve their misunderstanding?? What, did Simon just continue to daze for 6 yrs while wondering if they really slept together that night??
5. i cried a lot -- the most heartbreaking scene for me was 6 yrs later when Ling Rui went back to the their old home and imagining how Deer left him. i pity him that time. also cried on the family issues, when the Deers gave up their shares and had a father-daughter confrontation. and lastly, when the dead sister showed up on the bday, in front of Gao. he didnt deserve my tears for what he did, but he was just so pitiful that time.
6. what i didnt like tho was that Ling Rui forgave her so easily. i was expecting more cutesy push and pull but i guess they have to prolong the drama if they were going to do that. so 35 episodes was just fine. i was also expecting that the father revelation would be more shocking. it was just stupid of the mom to say "How did you know he was your dad?" --- ugh he had a body-sized pillow with his face on it for 5 years.
7. another thing i didnt like (or feel indifferent about) Tang Ping (and her love line) - she's just so stupid. and she didnt even contribute that much to the couple's progress. even if she was in love with Ling Rui, she was just so ineffective during those times. but it was nice that she finally gave up and
8. Lastly, YOUYOU! who doesnt love him? i wish we had him sooner. he's so smart for a 5yrold. it reminded me of the cute son in Autumn's Concerto. and i noticed that he hugs a lot which is so cuteeeeeee.


there are probably more reasons why i loved this drama but these are the only things i could think of right now.
this deserves a higher rating.

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From rate 6 to 10

if only this drama had better subs at dramacool... huhu such a waste. if this comes out on netflix, i swear im gonna rewatch this w/o skipping.
i really had a hard time watching it at the beginning, wasnt really hyping me. took me 3 days to watch the first half of the show. i was contemplating before what score i should give this drama. at the beginning, i was like, so-so, a 6. then towards the middle, oh an 8. at the middle, a 9. towards the end, definitely an effin 10!!

-love how not everything was serious, their jokes are funny, well at least for me. id really love to spoil my fave funny scenes but im saving it for those who havent watched.
-im a huge fan of romance but i liked how they keept the romance at a minimum -- priority is always the team, always the dream, always the passion. I LOVE IT.
-ending couldnt be better. unlike other e-sports dramas where they stop before the world champs (go go squid) or stop after winning the champs (gank your heart). ending was perfect great, no cliff hangers.
-definitely want a season 2 but not because its open ended but because i want to see more of chang sha, more of seven and north, and more of chang sha. lol
-lastly, luhan and leo wu are definitely going to my fave actors list. luhan just said buh-bye idol life, hello acting!

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