Reviews

What can be said for this drama ?

A superb , suspenseful show that combines drama and Romance involving the politics at its best .
incredible storyline and spectacular acting from all the actors , i personally think till now Zhang Ling He gave the best performance of his career in this one .
the Fl is adventurous , brave and witty , She knows what she wants and isn't shy of getting up snatching it up.
the ML is a grey character who gets pretty obsessive over the FL , he has a dark and twisted childhood. He fights to maintain control of his memories and always knows what to do and how to handle situations .
Also the drama has a host of deep side characters who are more than just side characters , the second ML isn't just here to make the ML jealous but he has his own emotions and his journey towards his career .
the princess has the best character development the growth in her character is great .

the only two things i'm not satisfied with are :
- the way some scenes are directed , I found it extremely exaggerated .
- the death of You Fang Yin makes no sense she died pointlessly to protect nothing , it comes from nowhere , i think it's the stupidest sacrifice a drama character has ever done .

otherwise the show is really worth exploring .

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Most tiring drama ever

Okay, I admit, the storyline was a bit interesting - although it is a bit common. The reason I was able to watch 25 episodes was because i fast forwarded the 30 minute episodes due to boredom to:

1) the main female lead. The drama wants to portray her as a goody two shoes, saintly good girl but she just becomes annoying and annoyingly nosy. maybe it's because of her personality, it doesn't give out a sweet innocent vibe.
2) the chemistry between ML and FL is just boring.
3) the male lead is such a dork.
4) the Dream Food family as a whole. the Father CEO and the "real" mother of FL relationship is such a drag.
5) the Dream Food CEO's nephew and FL chemistry is a FLOP. No chemistry at all. UGH.

There are some good parts tho:
1) Villain female's acting is good to the point that you root for her LOL. I was yelling, "switch the baby!" rooting for her.
2) the Villain's storyline is kinda like pitiful, although the mother was evil but you know how emotions will take you when you know your husband cheated on you.
3) the Grandma Bobaejung is cute.

I can easily predict the ending though.

FL gets divorced. Dream food CEO's nephew is divorced and will get together with FL. FL's baby didn't die - she was adopted by Nephew's family with his auntie (real mother) DF CEO's 2nd wife as the grandma. ML will be together with female Villain, their daughter Soo Yi is their daughter anyway. Annoying FL will be proven the real granddaughter - lives happily with Ahjumma and An Na (adopted daughter of nephew). Meanwhile cheating ML ends up with female villain and remains poor.

ALSO ... WHO WOULD WANT TO WATCH 120 EPISODES OF THIS BORING PREDICTABLE DRAMA? Please end it at 25!

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The Ultimate Sacrifice.

I didn't know what to name this review to bring together all of my feelings after finishing this series but I think the ultimate sacrifice says it all.

I picked up this series at random, it had been on my watchlist for a long time but for some reason I never got to it. After a series drought, seeing Jang Ki Yong in the cast, knowing that he is also in that of an upcoming thriller, I became curious.

I have to say that in a sense the story and execution is a bit clumsy, and surreal but so tragic.

The story revolves around Kim Soo Hyun, a young man who has been trained since childhood to kill by a hitman, prior to that, he has no memory of his past life and knows nothing beyond the fact that his biological father wanted him dead and that he was in an orphanage. We then follow Kim Soo Hyun on the road to discovering his past while he is guided by a mysterious client to kill powerful men who all seem linked by the management of the said orphanage years ago. After each murder, he receives a photo from his client which supposedly will help him discover who he is.

Do Hyun Jin is the other person we are acquainted with. She is a young woman who was adopted at a young age into a very rich and powerful family, and decided to become a police officer. She finds herself on the trail of Kim Soo Hyun when his serial killings become apparent.

The two of them also come to know each other randomly, and quickly discover that they are linked to the same orphanage, and even that they were childhood friends. Kim Soo Hyun is the infamous "number 88", a number that brings dread to the most powerful while sweet memories to Do Hyun Jin.

The story devolves into a web of connection between the past and present, the persecutors and victims. Kim Soo Hyun is not only trying to discover his past but to make right by his friends and those who continue to suffer under the yoke of the antagonists.

Kim Soo Hyun is a cold and quiet character, he never smiles, and he only speaks in a few words. It’s a great performance offered by Jang Ki Yong, because Kim Soo Hyun says very little but his looks and locked emotions say a lot. He can be the most caring guy in the world one moment and a cold killer the next. What I liked throughout this series was that I was virtually not afraid for him. He was very capable and intelligent, as he said, others may make mistakes, but not him, and in the end ; I can say that on his road to revenge he didn't make a mistake. I really like this character for what he brings.

The ending is more than tragic, but honestly I couldn't see him spending his life in prison, or even running. So I think the ultimate sacrifice he made for the children fits the character.

As for the other characters, I found myself having affection for them, especially Kang Seul Gi and Philip Ahn, who infiltrated my heart without me seeing it, they were annoying but endearing, a bit like siblings that we unwillingly to keep close but that we love regardless. I even warmed up to Do Hyun Jin who was quite obnoxious at first but turned out to be a nice addition.

I must say that one thing that the series succeeds in is the cruelty and realism of the unfolding of certain events and the fate of certain characters. Generally, in other series, when a character is in danger, they are somehow saved by the protagonist who miraculously arrives at the scene in time. Here, this is not the case. The protagonist is not omnipotent, he is not a superhero, and people including children are killed mercilessly because no one knew in time.

Despite the sweet moments and slow pace, this remains a fairly dark thriller overall that deals with tough subjects. I recommend the series without hesitation, entertaining and terrible at the same time, with a satisfactory in a sense.

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A second chance

It was a story about the girl who always ill treated by her family. One day limit had exceeded when she came to know her husband was cheating her and she can't handled this . And then she met an accident ,that accident gave her second chance to ae the think correct but she never understand the date which had been mentioned on her hand . Even I had also not understand what that mean . Once again she met an accident that vanish the date from her hand and she thought that the date had disappeared so might be everything would be all aright.
Everything was nice in drama ,except I didn't get the logic of date.
Actors were good.

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I find the actor Xu Xin Chi and actress Seven Zou on-screen more good-looking, they ought to be the leads more than the current ones.

Queen that does the thing by herself, goes to ransom and investigates, etc, in that era.(-__-)

female lead I didn't like her flirt and molly-coddle.

General option:-
1. Particularly in Chinese drama continuously refers to the beauty that makes the leads fall in love.

The audience can see, so choose the beautiful and handsome.

I do hate that Excessive praise of the actress based on her beauty, the male lead falls in love with the female lead for her beauty, I don't mind if it is for other characteristics, when on-screen the actress, is not the most beautiful within the drama actress team. Just because the actor or actress is more famous or good in acting, is different from the apparent beauty.

2. Something does not make sense when female actors pretend to be men, only hairstyle changes. We get it with an ASIAN woman's body point of view, Which can be covered up with a cloth. The face? Are men and females the same? No. Where is the makeup artist? why don't work on the actress's face to make it more manly? It doesn't matter if the on-screen character does not look nice, This acting so please make it more practical.

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bittersweet reality wrapped up in youthful sweetness

I'm pleasantly surprised with how raw this drama felt. I thought this will be another cutesy, angsty and full of youthful energy drama but it's more than just that.

I love the balance - when focused on the youth, the story is leaning more towards innocence, studies, and having fun (except for our poor Jiang Haoyue of course 🥲); while the adults' story is very real and heavy. This makes Flourish in Time a perfect drama to watch with the entire family. Oftentimes, adults would want to shield their children from the early exposure to the realities of life which is why JHY's story is absolutely gut-wrenching. I hate to think any child would go through life like that but I know it's real. The drama was able to convey that without ruining the lightness of a youth drama.

I like that JHY's father had a redemption arc, so did Su Daifei. It's also refreshing that somehow 2 of the leads didn't have partners at the end, and didn't just magically found a partner in the final ep. I also love Ziye and Shi Che's dynamics, they'd make a cute couple. And personally, I'd easily fall for Qu Wei lol he's a nerd but also has a comparably high EQ and i love his humor. He's a very well-written character.

Zhang Linghe's naturally soft and innocent aura is a double-edged sword for me. He's definitely lovable but this is the 4th time (LBFAD, MJTY, SOKP) I've watched him in a dysfunctional family and so emotionally and mentally troubled because of it. It's heartbreaking to watch especially with those soft dewy eyes 🥲 Nonetheless he's done a really good job portraying Jiang Haoyue!

Solid story and acting from everyone = an amazing drama, Flourish in Time.

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Character-driven drama with campy humor and titillating romance

Plot Summary:
Zheng Shu Yi (Bai Lu) is a pretty, brilliant and hard-working 25-year-old reporter who hopes to write the front-page article of the Financial Vision magazine for at least the 9th time. And her ticket to scoring the latest cover article is to land an interview with the CEO of a venture capital company, 27-year-old Shi Yan (Dylan Wang), who, as it happens, has taken an interest in her, insisting the magazine send her to interview him.

Before that happens, her boyfriend dumps her for a girl surnamed Qin whose uncle owns impressive cars with impressive plate numbers. Having found out that Shi Yan has a niece with a surname of Qin and that he owns a roll royce with an an imposing plate number, Shu Yi concludes that her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend is the niece of Shi Yan.

Armed with a desire to use her rejection as fuel to succeed in her career as well as with her dream of upgrading the online version of Financial Vision magazine, Shu Yi pursues Shi Yan to get him to agree to a series of interviews for the online magazine. That is, as she makes herself believe. But might she be harboring some other reason for pursuing the handsome aloof bachelor?

For some mysterious reason of his own that will be revealed later, the cold CEO, who would have spurned such advances from any other girl, humored Shu Yi. Frequently thrown in each other's company due to the interviews as well as their jobs, they develop a deeper bond that propels them into a rocky journey of growth necessary to bring about a lasting and happy relationship where honesty and effective communication prevail.

Review:
This drama is character-driven thus requires a good understanding of the characters to be thoroughly appreciated. Skipping scenes would jar one's ability to be drawn into the characters and understanding them. In addition, skipping scenes could make one miss the campy spoofing feel throughout the drama, such as Shu Yi's pursuit of Shi Yan, the blind-leading-the-blind attempts of Shu Yi's cocksure but clueless best friend to give her advice, Shi Yan's seeming ability to hear Shu Yi's thoughts which could be a device to show they are on the same wavelengths, the phone conversations that everyone in the room can hear, the phone interruptions, the over-the-top riding clothes and many more. Those who recognize the campy humor in these situations would laugh. Those who don't would grumble.

Therefore, if you skip scenes or don't pay attention to the story, don't blame the writer or director if you can't find, much less understand, the plot.

This drama does not describe characters by having somebody directly point out that, say, Shu Yi is brilliant or that Shi Yan is a visionary. The drama SHOWS the audience, another reason skipping scenes is a no-no.

Shu Yi is not the conventional sensible-can-do-no-wrong cdrama female lead. She is smart, kind, friendly, playful, a good sweet daughter, hard-working, cannot be bribed and stays cool when a conniving work rival plays dirty tricks against her. But having been pampered by her parents, she is spoiled, self-centered and not above using people to attain her goals. Most of all, the drama shows her tendency to lie, causing her to do things contrary to what she feels and to make excuses to avoid facing up to the consequences of inappropriate actions.

It is intentional that Shu Yi sometimes throws ethics to the wind. Those who think smart people never do stupid things have unrealistic expectations of people. A lot of intelligent people make unwise decisions. Shu Yi's ethical lapses are part and parcel of the story which is unique to one particular reporter who does some things she should not do. So, complaints about degrading her profession are terribly misplaced. It is highly improbable that the drama would make viewers think reporters do this sort of thing all the time. In fact, that's why this story is told - it deals with a unique character.

I understand why Bai Lu bravely took on this role. Shu Yi would have been a challenge to portray because not doing her right could have made her obnoxious. I was amused at her flaws, scrapes and outrageousness, indicating Bai Lu portrayed her well.

Shi Yan is another complex character. The viewers' first impression of him is his stoic demeanor which is the amalgamation of his reserved and taciturn nature plus his upbringing and grooming to take over a company that would have made him resolute about appearing proper and older than his age at all times. The business scenes show how intelligent, competent and forward-thinking he is by letting us see how he handles meetings with business associates and how he chooses business partners. For example. he concurs with a startup's philosophy to put quality of technology ahead of production. These scenes also show the challenges he faces from senior executives who undermine his capability to lead the company due to his youth and inexperience. To delineate his sincerity in helping startups, the drama shows us that through thick and thin, he stands by a struggling chip producer he has been helping to establish. He gets personally involved in the chip industry and time and again defends his company's stand to finance the startup.

The business scenes also show how compatible the leads are in terms of interests and values. They are both hard-working. Shi Yan's passion to give back to society by helping startups is matched by Shu Yi's passion to make a contribution to society by creating an online version of her company's magazine that would allow more people access to information about finance. They both agree in doing the right things such as when Shi Yan, with Shu Yi's support, refuses to work with a corrupt battery manufacturer.

As he gets to know Shu Yi better, Shi Yan unlocks other parts of his personality - his thoughtfulness and dependability, his gentle and caring nature, his jealousy and his vulnerability that he only shows in her presence. Reserved by nature, Shi Yan's love is shown through his actions - making sure Shu Yi has eaten or has a ride home, even cooking for her. He is a natural nurturer, the best person who can help a spoilt girl in her journey to maturity.

This drama also shows how lack of communication can exacerbate couple issues. This is another hurdle the leads must face and overcome. Those who are intently watching would actually welcome a rift between the leads to knock some sense into Shu Yi. She has a lot of growing up to do and Shi Yan is prepared to take that journey with her as long as she wants to. All he wants is to love her, if she wants that love. What hurts him, more than the thought that she used him, is the thought that she loves another man. He is heartbroken as he muses, "what you wanted was never me". Though it devastates him, he loves her too much to force her to be with him while she is unsure of her feelings. So he lets her go and gives her space and time to sort her feelings out.

One of the things I admire about this drama is how subtle it showed Shu Yi's growth. She was self-centered before she met Shi Yan. She treated her ex-boyfriend like a driver, choosing to do an interview rather than celebrate his birthday with him. When he broke up with her, it was her pride more than her heart that was hurt. Shi Yan's unselfishness must have rubbed off on her. When she received her bonus, the first thing she thought of was to buy her parents gifts. When Shi Yan blocked her, she did not try to make excuses for what she did as what a spoiled child would have done. She felt guilty and remorseful thus felt resigned to losing him. She remembers Shi Yan's loving care and was ready to talk to him in person. When she saw him with another girl, she most probably took that as punishment for what she did and accepted the heartbreak. When news of Shi Yan's shareholders broke out, she first thought of Shi Yan's feelings instead of the effect the news would have on her online magazine. When she finally broke down, she did not care that her fierce work rival was there to witness her anguish. She did not whine or complain about her heartache but got sick due most probably to intense mental and psychological pain.

But the starkest manifestation of Shu Yi's growth was that, when her relationship with Shi Yan stabilized, she stopped lying.

Finally, to complete this multi-dimensional characterization of Shu Yi and Shi Yan, one needs a good idea of the world they're living in. Their friends, families, work, hobbies and other activities provide that additional dimension to their world.

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Wonder when it will end.

The leads were beautiful in looks and chemistry, The comedic moments within the series were just enough to ease the seriousness of the moving plots and subplots. The romantic scenes were palpable. However, the momentum of the drama started to drag at points and had scenes that felt like fillers to broaden the episode count. This definitely could have been accomplished much cleaner within 30-35max episodes. The push and pull of emotions as well as temperament between the ML and FL blended well in revealing how they learned from each other and also stopped being as abrasive as they once were. The OST was okay but didn't leave any lasting effect on the scenes. All in all, it is a solid series with beautiful production that can drag but is worth the watch.

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It's a good drama, rather solid in terms of narrative construction, but maybe it doesn't close the story very well, forcing quite a lot in the last episodes, it doesn't have the same evocative power of a drama like the remarkable "Sad Love Story (2005)" for example, but it can count on a really formidable cast, the female characters are excellent in their complementary nature (moreover two beautiful actresses!).
Personally I struggle a bit with the temporal collocation of some events, but no big deal.
In my humble opinion, I love so much the so called " old dramas" there is certainly more courage and more melodramatic strength than the contemporaries, but I also understand that these peculiarities can leave some viewers a bit sceptical,
for what it's worth my personal rating is 8/10

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So Very Disappointing

I loved series 1, It was cute and quirky, and I have been waiting excitedly to see their relationship develop and grow.
Sadly series 2 is more or less a repeat of S1, but way worse. There is zero development and growth and absolutely no chemistry between the main characters.

Considering Minato and Shin have now been together for 3 months, they appear to be in exactly the same place that we left them at the end of series 1. Minato has a hissy fit every time Shin gets any where near him, and runs away screaming, while Shin stands about looking like a wooden plank. Shin isn't even allowed to use Minato's first name!

The whole series goes on like this for every episode until it becomes extremely annoying and boring.
Later there is a horribly contrived "accident" that is utterly pointless and adds nothing to the story. It is lazy writing and I have to wonder if even the script writer was bored by this point!
Overall a disappointing story I blame the script writer and the director.
... :~(

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BEST CHEMISTRY EVER

This truly is one of the best dramas I've ever seen .
The romance between the two leads is so beautifully portrayed.the performance of the two wonderful lead actors truly captivate the audience.their depiction of awkwardness in the beginning of a relationship and how they slowly fall in love with each other is just breathtaking to watch .
The music and the visuals accompanying their story truly takes us on a romantic journey .
On top of the amazing story and performance by the leads. it's such a realistic portrayal of the culture of the Korean society.this is real life .unlike many kdramas which chooses to focus only on the fluffy side ,this drama chose to show the rough real side of society.the workplace harassments that women face and the pressures placed by asian parents .as an asian I can truly relate to the FL's situation .this truly is the story of the FL's growth with the help and support of the ML .
It was a wonderful experience to watch .truly takes u on a journey

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DIFFERENT BUT GOOD NONETHELESS

There was an evident difference in the latest season, from the cinematography, music, cgi/vfx and overall direction- and in my opinion thats what made season one so original and just so fun to watch. From the first episode of season 2, it just felt like watching a whole other drama - the charm of the first season wasn't entirely there. S1 had amazing cinematography and OST that added the hype and uniqueness to the project. The monsters were actual PEOPLE in suits and makeup and then altered with vfx whilst S2 was mainly cgi. Not to be dramatic but it felt like the art was gone lol. Season 2 just reminded me of a typical
military action thriller...

The second instalment seemed to go toward a different narrative as we're are no longer in the residential building, we get to meet new characters, some interesting and some... not so much. The crazy doctor and the little girl were the most compelling to the storyline and hopefully we will see more of them in the next season. We see a lot of military involvement and though they add a great perspective to this pandemic, it just got boring having them on my screen most of the time. There were also too many throwaway characters which i personally didn't care for, and instead wished they gave some more screen time to Hyun su (you know, the main character??) It would've been interesting to see his connection with the little girl and his overall struggle to survive in the world as monster who had very human emotions.

The the last few episode is where it seemed to pick up, i had no idea what was going on.. there's people that made into monsters is that how this pandemic started? What was the crazy doctors role in this?? There were a lot of unanswered questions which made me very excited for the S3

The original cast done amazing reprising their role and i cant wait to see more of them (as MAIN character hopefully)

ALSO the amount of bare booty's i've seen in episode 2.... i was flabbergasted.

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