Completed
Pliuzz
22 people found this review helpful
Feb 22, 2016
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
This drama has all the elements of a very successful show. It's aesthetically appealing, one of the best in the world of Taiwanese dramas. The storyline and characters were very complex and intriguing.

The story itself, although seemingly cliche, was done very realistically setting it apart from other dramas with similar concepts. You won't find this drama to be a repeat of things you've seen before (I would know I've watched over 130 lol .-.) The story flowed smoothly and until the last 3 episodes, I had absolutely no complaints. Although the ending was a bit iffy for me, it still produced lots of feels so no worries there.

The characters were so refreshing. The wit in this drama is just AMAZING. The main female lead is so strong and although may seem bitchy at first, you'll definitely warm up to her. The dialogue between the characters are extremely intriguing, and their relationship develops very smoothly. There is sooooo much chemistry, I can't believe they're just acting. It's that good.

The music is really great, maybe because I've liked Yoga Lin songs for a while, but the other songs are really good as well.

Overall, I loved it. It was one of the best Taiwanese dramas I've seen in a while. It'll literally take you on a roller coaster of emotions (that's a good thing). I highly highly highly recommend this show!

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Completed
Jasmine
19 people found this review helpful
Feb 14, 2016
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
Love is like a battlefield. Who will walk away victorious and who will walk away defeated? Or is there no winner in love at all? Marry me or not explores the complexities of love and the various obstacles one might face in a relationship.

The first few episodes felt forced, like the director was trying to make the scenes unique by switching rapidly between past, present, and imagination scenes. By the 4th episode, however, I was hooked. The editing became much more smooth and the transitions between the different scenes started to make more sense towards to plot. The double meaning of the title is true to the plot- b*tchy women and the 'must marry' woman. The story explores both themes.

Story: The whole revenge plot in the first half of the drama was refreshing and definitely something new to watch. It set up many misunderstandings that while on the surface seem to be obstacles for the sake of having obstacles (in other words, 'dragging'), the misunderstandings were very uniquely directed and slowly revealed the characters' inner thoughts/motives. The interactions between Huan Zhen (Alice) and Hao Meng (Roy) of calling each others bluff were hilarious and full of chemistry. I loved watching Huan Zhen and Hao Meng's journey of falling in love.

Alice Ke and Roy Chiu finally collaborate again and their chemistry is still spot on! I find it hard to compare Marry Me or Not to Office Girls because the characters they portray are completely different. If Office Girls had a more chaste and cute vibe, Marry Me or Not is like the mature and sizzling version. I think Alice's acting was more natural in Office Girls but her crying scenes have improved immensely in Marry me or Not. Roy Chiu hasn't changed a bit; his crying scenes still get to me. The directing and cinematography in this drama was gorgeous and the date/deep talk scenes were so different than the norm. No cliche stuff here in that regard!

The supporting cast was great, no complaints at all. The office cast was adorable but didn't really stand out to me. Sheng Nan (Joanne Tseng) and Hao Meng's (Roy Chiu) sibling love was done so well and I loved how their relationship was portrayed. Many viewers disliked Sheng Nan but honestly I don't know how I'll act if I was so in love like she was. She's the perfect example of love can make you blind and do stupid things. But because of that, her character was so real that you could relate to her and that made her character come to life. The parents of Hao Meng and Huan Zhen (Alice Ke) were stark contrasts. One was in an 'unloving' relationship while the other was very much in love. Their respective marriages were a form of symbolism for the different kinds of romantic love and the director used that to set up the main plot between Hao Meng and Huan Zhen. Now, the other male lead, Qian Yao (Harry Chang), is the most 'evil'; character in this drama. Nevertheless, I still liked him and Harry portrayed this faceted, flawed character well.

Amazingly, there were no seriously vindictive second leads at all in this drama. Rather, their worst enemy was themselves and their pride. For those of you out there that didn't like this drama as much as I did, I do think that connecting to the characters in a drama really helps the relatability of a drama. Unfortunately, there are still some family problems in this drama but it doesn't detract from the drama- it actually unveils more understanding. I think a huge part of this drama was understanding the different forms of love and also understanding yourself when you're in love. Honestly, this drama taught me so many life lessons and although there were a few bumps along the way plot-wise, I still think this drama showed a lot of heart. Dramas like this, with lots of inner monologues, are hard done well because they can get boring but not only does Marry Me or Not keep them interesting, but they add so much to the episodes. Seriously, I cried too many times.

Music: The soundtrack was well rounded. There are lively upbeat songs, and super emotionally wrecking songs. A little something for everyone. I loved this soundtrack, even for my high drama ost standards. My favorites are Lost Heartbeat and the song sang by Joanne Tseng, also known as Sheng Nan in the drama! I listened to the soundtrack so much that I started to notice the lyrics for many of the songs correspond with the plot perfectly and describe many of the characters really well.

This drama kind of reminded me of the famous T-drama, In Time With You, not just because Li Da Ren (Chen Bo Lin) cameoed for a small part but also because this drama is more about mature, thoughtful, retrospective, love, not innocent fluffy young love. The monologues and self reflection scenes were also very reminiscent of some In Time With You scenes, but definitely still different. I wholeheartedly recommend this drama even for those people who don't like T-dramas because this drama felt completely different from the usual T-dramas I watched. Since I already re-watched a few episodes, I would assume the re-watch value is high! I most definitely recommend this drama for those romantics out there (like me!) and those looking for a incredibly well done drama that feels very fresh and has fantastic acting all around. (10/9.5)

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Completed
BrightestStar
4 people found this review helpful
Jun 26, 2016
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 6.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This drama had a lot of good going for it, but some dragginess and some nonsensical plot development prevents me from giving it a higher rating.

If you're a fan of Roy Qiu or Alice Ke, and even Joanne Tseng, I'd encourage you to go for it. They brought life into their characters and had great chemistry with each other.

I love Roy's character Justine. He's the only character that stayed constant throughout the drama, and his development and views regarding love and relationships felt both authentic and refreshing. As for Huan Zhen, I really liked her, Alice was so different from her character in Office Girls. She was confident, sexy and strong. The last couple of episodes the character kinda stopped making any sense writing wise, but Alice was constant in her acting. As much as Sheng Nan showed much stupidity for a good portion of the drama, it made sense that some girls are like that, and how bit by bit she managed to see things clearly as they really are.

Another great point of the drama is the parents here. I specially appreciate the way Justine and Sheng Nan's parents are written. Those are couples very present in every society, and I love how it shows how it has an effect on their children's confidence and their views of the world. Huan Zhen's parents might've been too perfect, but they were too adorable and refreshing to have on screen.

Jiang Qian Yue made no sense to me at all, and the guy playing the character was just plain, incapable of showing any emotions. He just looks shady, and I think he gets that look naturally :P I just wish they had a better written character and another actor to play it.

Nothing much happens in the last two episodes. I found even the deep and thoughtful character issues found in our leads weren't well addressed, and the solution was shallow.

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Completed
Zogitt
2 people found this review helpful
Mar 30, 2021
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Pride and Prejudice (and Zombified plots)

Oh how I wanted to like this show. It started off strong, a bit whacky and over the top but had a certain je ne sais quoi. It started the fourth wall breaking from ep.1 which suggested some fun, insightful touches. There were definitely some funny moments in the early part (the hypnosis scene was a classic). There was little fluff though. It had very adult themes and the unicorns were locked in their stables most of the time. This is definitely a melodrama but with funny moments. The production value appear to be high as well. Main characters are well dressed, dare we say, stylish. No cheap set to be seen, hooray!

The main actors were good looking, especially the ML. The OTP had good chemistry and appropriate skinship. There is no mistaking the relationship between the FL (Cai Huan Zhen) and the 2FL (Hao Sheng Nan). They were the worst frenemies. They were always catty to each other and tried to one-up each other at every opportunity. We soon find out that they were the best of friends in senior high school but during their college years, they became the worst enemies because of some misunderstanding over a male college senior.

That's ok, a bit tropey but dramaland is built upon such tropes. The problem in this case is that there were just so many misunderstandings, lies, manipulations and failure to communicate that it was wearisome within the first few episodes. The show kept telling us that this was all due to their pride and inability to admit their mistakes. Fair enough, I agree that that can be a problem in real life too but this show suffered from a plague of this affliction. All I can think of when they finally got to the pivotal wedding scene at the end of ep.2 was "this is not going to end well".

Due to this heavy handedness, I began to dislike many of the characters very early on. All we saw were their nasty behaviours and how they tortured themselves as well as people around them. That is a bad thing. A drama need protagonists as well as antagonists. When you don't really care about the main characters, you lost the key motivation to keep watching the show. It is a fine line when a show can be seen as draggy. In all honesty, I was sorely tempted to drop the show at several points along the way but I hanged in there because the show did have its moments but it was a close call at times.

Things do improve about mid point. The OTP was reasonably stable after they managed to communicate more openly (after many frustrating failed attempts and bucket of tears) and even had some sweet moments. Then they introduced the 2ML (Jiang Qian Yue aka THE college senior). OMG, I'm sorry but he was a completely douchebag. His older brother was even worse. The plot went for a swim in the muddy pool of sleazy tropes with them. Of course that took the OTP off the rails and down a cliff but unlike most dramas, where the 2/3OTP would step up and lighten the mood or at least distract us. We just have more angst and bad behaviours from all involved. The problem is that the 2FL and the 2ML pairing just didn't gel (unless it was another dastardly plot twist), I cannot ship them. That subplot was pretty flimsy and self serving. Nevertheless, the 2ML maintained his feelings for the 2FL was genuine to the bitter end, just like his secret crush on her for 10 years. Not buying it, not feeling it, not at all. By then, Illogical plot holes abound in the show so it was just another whatever moment.

But wait, there is more! The writer pulled the Noble Idiot card on the OTP as well and we had the mandatory breakup. I have said it before and I'll say it again, why writers insist that breaking up with someone who truly loved you is the best way to bring them happiness, success and peace of mind. Really?!

And drumroll please . . . my pet peeve taunted me throughout this show. Putting aside the frenemy shenanigans, all the bad deeds went unpunished. Attempted rape, slander/libel, invasion of privacy, inflicting actual bodily harm all received no sanctions. Yes, I get that this is an adult drama and not a fairy tale but this is one heck of a dystopian world they lived in.

Not all characters were unlikeable, the ML turned out to be a flawed character but very loyal and had a heart of gold. The FL was a flawed character but tough and strong willed, she will grow on you (in time, I hope). The FL's parents were loveable but their were like caricatures especially the mum but at least they were nice and sweet and didn't trying to harm anyone. The ML's parents were kind of funny in the beginning but it just became sad after a few episodes of constant bickering, especially when you learnt that they have been like that for years. It also made their reconciliation in the end felt rushed and undercooked.
The ending was over the top and it would be sweet if the storyline supported it. Just watch the café scene before finale and hear what she said to the ML and then watch the last few minutes, you will see what I mean. It just didn't make sense. Damn those unicorns, they are getting restless.

I'm sorry that this turned into a bit of a rant but this show just worn me out. It tried to stir our emotions but most of the time I just felt annoyed or dumbfounded. Episode 13 was the best one in my book because the characters finally voiced my frustrations in their own dialogues. They actually called each other out and say what is wrong with them. Is it a realistic portrayal of modern relationships? I hope not. It had its good moments that kept you watching but most of the show was mired in a swamp of its own making.

Acting were good but it is a tough gig. I particularly felt for Joanne Tseng. OST was fine. Rewatch is no thank you, unless they added zombies.

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Completed
Dae Kitty Cat
2 people found this review helpful
Oct 31, 2020
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

So so

This show had a such a great beginning. I really enjoyed how they tried to trick each other and the hate/love relationship. But somewhere at the middle the screenwriters started to mess things up. It was very repetitive until the end. They kept braking up and getting back together in almost every episode and the obstacles became so far fetched that it made me roll my eyes a lot. It's a shame because the beginning was so great and i was hoping for a great series to the end, but that didn't happen.
The acting was very good and the chemistry between the main leads wad amazing so it's worth the watch for that part. It's not that i would or wouldn't recommend it, i guess just see for your self. I was a bit disappointed with constant braking up and getting back together that just felt to repetitive and boring.

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Completed
Amastris Dratwka
2 people found this review helpful
Mar 14, 2016
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5
STORY:
This story line never dragged for me. The flow and pacing was very nice. It had different stories within the main story that kept it from going off track too much and keeping it from getting boring. It stuck to a theme and I really liked that aspect. I loved the sismance in this one. The 2 female leads were paired well and their relationship to everyone else was pretty quality entertainment. It started off silly, got a bit serious in the middle without losing its humorous feel, and then ended with the same kind of silliness. Overall a really "feel good" series with just the right amount of angst to have a good story throughout 15 episodes. It didn't feel draggy, or rushed. It was just right.

ACTING:
Everyone acted superbly in this drama. I really did like everyone's character, even the villains. I do have to give special props to Roy's character and NOT merely because it's Roy or for fangirling or anything like that at all. His character was just like the most perfect imperfect male lead you could ever ask for in a drama. I like that he's not necessarily romantic and "for love" but learns through the process of falling in love, being let down by it, yet still never giving up on himself and being true to what he feels. It really was a quality love process... ...and it really helped that Alice and him play well off each other. They have really good chemistry, but I think I'd still like his character even if it was someone else. He's just a really, really likable guy.

MUSIC:
The music was pretty good quality. Not overpowering and interfering with the drama. Upbeat, sad, & sweet all placed at the right times.... and at least 3 songs [Linger on by Yoga Lin] [Lost Heartbeat (?????) by Power Station] [So Close (??) by Joanne Tseng] are worthy of downloading and playing on your mp3 player. ;)

REWATCH:
It's just such a feel good show with lots of great kiss scenes between Roy and Alice that after it sinks in you'll probably want to come back to see it again. There are those rare ones that are worth a rewatch. This is one of them.

OVERALL:
What can I say more than ^^^ this? I just really, really liked this drama.

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Completed
olewis
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 5, 2020
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

More layered than I was expecting

Alice Ke, Roy Chiu, AND Joanne Tseng? How could I resist?

I first started watching this drama mainly for the star-studded cast. The first episodes are pretty soapy and catty, but around episode 6, the plotline and characters develop much deeper layers, and things evolve in more interesting ways. In the end, I was impressed by the show's quality and was surprised by some of the twists and turns.

The cast was great; Joanne Tseng and Roy Chiu have such cute sibling chemistry and an authentic, complicated relationship. They fight, they scheme, they commiserate...I loved watching them on screen. And after finishing Office Girls, it was funny to watch Roy Chiu and Alice Ke star as love interests again, only this time with a whole different dynamic. Alice Ke plays the complete opposite of her Office Girls character; as Huan Zheng, she is super confident and powerful. In the first few episodes, she's pretty annoying, but once you see her layers under the surface, you start to root for her and her romance with Hao Meng.

The storyline itself, while nicely layered, wasn't without its soapy or unrealistic turns. I liked that they included a storyline for the parents and made them more of three-dimensional characters than usual, but that whole plotline also seemed really uneven and half-baked. Like the parental storyline would pop up in some episodes and then disappear again for a while.

Like with most T-dramas, the theme song and soundtrack are pretty fun. The production design actually seems a lot higher than most T-dramas.

Overall, a fun, worthwhile drama. Good if you want to practice your Mandarin listening skills because they use a lot of fun, colloquial phrases. Also, some of the older characters speak in Hokkien too, which is always nice.

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Completed
AlphaGirlReviews
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 8, 2017
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
I finally finished a Taiwanese drama after so long and I am happy to have selected another good drama to watch. Actually, this drama was recommended to me and I picked it up because it has only 15 episodes. Taiwanese dramas are good but can get too long to bear as each episode spans mostly more than 70 minutes. I have been meaning to watch one specific T-drama for a while but have still not been able to watch it. Hope this drama breaks the jinx and I finally start watching it soon.
Coming to the review, Marry Me, or Not? (MMoN) is a rom-com with the central plot revolving around human pride. People often give up on things and people they love just to preserve their pride. In MMoN, Huan Zhen and Shen Nan have a misunderstanding and give up on their close friendship only because neither of the two wants to sort out their differences. This leads to years of enmity between the two former best friends. This drama is high on romance and comedy which is why I enjoyed watching it.  
Let’s weigh this funny romantic Taiwanese drama on our drama beam balance and see which side it weighs heavy with.

Good Weights
Roy Chiu: Roy is ‘seriously’ funny. He plays Hao Meng who wanted to be an environmental lawyer but is compelled to become a divorce lawyer due to lack of scope in environmental law. This man is hurt for not being able to achieve his dream. He lacks respect for marriage after seeing his parents fight all his life which is why he is glad to take up divorce cases. Roy maintains a poker face throughout the show that makes you crack up easily during comedy scenes. However, in scenes where he is required to show pain, sorrow or anger, he has done so like an ace. His acting is subtle and controlled. His occasional smile would make me swoon for him. His performance is sincere and flawless. He is the first male character I have seen crying so much in a drama.  

Alice Ke: Alice plays Huan Zheng who appears snooty and selfish on the outside but actually deals with a lot of insecurities. She camouflages her vulnerabilities with attitude and aloofness. She fears being abandoned which is why she easily breaks relations so that she does not feel hurt on being left by someone. Her ego often gets into her way to real happiness in life. Alice Ke does a splendid job in this drama. She looks fabulous in everything she wears on the show and her good acting helps make her character convincing. Also, she shares a great chemistry with Roy Chiu.

Brother-Sister Duo: I often applaud lead couple chemistry in my drama reviews and even though I liked the main couple chemistry, I personally preferred the brother-sister duo more. Sheng Nan and Hao Meng's crazy antics would make me want to see them more in the drama. This pair of menacing siblings looks painfully adorable.
 
Production Value: Taiwanese dramas are usually made on low budgets which affect the quality of a drama. But that wasn’t the case with MMoN. This drama was visually appealing. Even the wardrobe the two girls flaunted was chic and high-end. This drama certainly looked a lot better than the other T-dramas I have watched till now.
 
Bad Weights
Second-Lead: Don’t be surprised, I am not criticizing the second-lead here. The second-lead is a bad weight because I felt his character was not well-written. Harry Chang plays the role of Jiang Qian Yao (love the way Hao Meng addresses him as Qian ‘whatever’ Yao) and man he’s cute. He even resembles my favourite Korean actor, Lee Joon Gi. Initially, he appeared to be a very weak actor compared to the rest of the cast but as the episodes progressed, the man startled me with his evil-grin and easy charm. His acting was good but the character was rather weak. Qian Yao is perceived as a bad character who then seems to be good but later ends up becoming the bad guy. I’m am not sure if it is my love for second-leads that has me dissatisfied with the way Qian Yao’s character shaped up in the drama. I liked his chemistry with Sheng Nan and wanted to see more of them. Too bad, that does not happen and Qian Yao has to leave without any scope for redemption. Had his character been a little more developed, he surely could have redeemed himself later and I could have had the perfect ending for Sheng Nan. But the writers wanted to show something different and I will accept that.  
 
Marry Me, or Not? is loaded with good weights. You may find it frustrating each time the main leads break-up. Also, the drama does get draggy towards the end but those are just a few low-point for a rather good drama. This drama will surely make you laugh because it is high on comic quotient. I want to mention here that there is a special appearance by the uber-cute Chen Bolin (In Time With You) in episode 2 where he complains of having issues with his wife. He looks so cute that I missed watching him on-screen.  
 
Marry Me, or Not? is a very entertaining drama and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. You have to watch it if romantic comedy is your favourite genre.  

Originally posted on www.alphagirl.in.
 


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Completed
blackstar_aria
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 15, 2016
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Marry Me or Not? Is a solid Taiwanese Romantic DRAMA. Emphasis on the drama. The main characters are solidly built with great chemistry, acting skill and the supporting cast is not shabby either. The highlights are Roy Chiu and the way the scenes are shot, the low points are stupid female characters and the mediocre ending; overall it is a good dramatic watch.

The Good: This drama is addictive with cliff hangs at the end of each episode. I must admit the story was well written. Avoiding almost all of the clichés you see in a typical drama, Marry me or not? Is a very refreshing take on various male-female relationships comparing the lead’s parents relationship, the side character relationships and the lead couple relationship. This story is meant to tell the watcher that love comes in various forms/ways and doesn’t require perfection. The lead characters were awesome, with some extremely believable chemistry and acting. ROY! Was as handsome as ever and we did get a little fan service, but its never enough- his smile melts my soul. Wardrobe was really nice, and scenery was great. The secondary characters provided much needed comedic relief on what otherwise could be titled a “Romantic Melodrama”.

The Bad: My only gripe with this drama was the blatant stupidity of the female characters. Although the main character often broke the 3rd wall (looking and talking to the audience) which is annoying, in the beginning she had great commentary and insight that left her once she fell in love. The second female lead was as equally stupid throughout the whole drama and was ridiculously selfish. Occasionally I became confused about the purpose of the second male lead; his part was minimized making his antagonist role a bit confusing until the very end. There was tons of crying and these people cried on cue… idk how – but there was constant tears in the beginning and in the end. Lastly the ending ties up all the loose ends ok, but it leaves a unsatisfying taste in your mouth.

Verdict: I liked this drama enough to marathon, wait and then marathon it again to find out what happened to these characters. While the portrayal of women in the drama is not a positive one, it was sometimes realistic and very entertaining. There are no real slow parts or slow episodes and the production was really good. If you like Roy, you want to see a heartbreak to love story, or you just want a grown up romance story… this one is for you.
P.s. over 16 please- this one gets a tad on the graphic adult situation side.

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Completed
Zoe
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 26, 2018
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 8.0
“So you’re saying...I am seducing you?”
“And I have taken the bait.”
“So frank?”
“It’s a fact.”


I loved this show. But by the time the end of the drama came, I was a bit disappointed with the characters. Still, watch it for the amazing make out scenes. *swooooon
You know that it’s ridiculous when you’re more interested in the parents than the main romance. Both the lead actors are very charismatic and easy to watch on screen. They make everything interesting. It’s been a while since I really rooted for the main couple instead of just blindly accepting that they are meant to be.
They are both similar in character with the way they get what they want and manipulate people. It’s hard to tell whether their interactions with each other are sincere or not. Even they are confused.
I actually enjoyed all the ridiculous scheming and how the major schemers were getting lost with how many schemes are going on.
I’m surprised at how entertained I was by Hao Meng’s scenes with his clients.

Huan Zhen
This character plays her devious role to perfection. She’s the perfect bad guy and she knows how to get revenge. There are little things about her character that are satisfying. Like how she doesn’t mind sending Hao Meng pictures of her sleep hair. I like that even though she is a crazy bitch, it’s not because she doesn’t have good parents or she had a bad life.
I like the way she is so cool. She doesn’t freak out at blood and she can happily offer her services to the police as bait to catch a criminal.
Huan Zhe is a complex character. She can easily change the direction of a conversation and you can see how she will stop in her tracks and decide to go with a different reaction.
She is never clueless. I was surprised at how many times she reveals what she knows.

Sheng Nan – second female lead
I like that Sheng Nan is not just a cardboard character. I enjoyed her relationship with her brother and her parents’ silent war. It made her story much more meaningful. I felt sorry for her getting caught in the middle. She’s very dutiful in her role though.
It’s probably really mean of me, but she really is no match for Huan Zhen. Sheng Nan just rolls with the fact that she is in Huan Zhen’s shadow. To top it off, when Huan Zhen is in danger, Sheng Nan steps up to the plate readily.
I like the proximity of the enemies with Sheng Nan’s brother being caught in the middle.

Hao Meng – male lead
This actor has a beautifully expressive face. And I loved seeing his expression when he was moved by something. The funny thing about him is that he has such a chiseled look but when he smiles it’s so freakin’ cute. Sometimes, the cuteness doesn’t even seem to fit the situation especially when he’s trying to be masculine. He’s too freakin’ cute.
I liked seeing how conflicted Hao Meng was about Huan Zhen especially after being warned so thoroughly by his sister. His loyalty to his sister is great and so is his fascination with Huan Zhen. He is hilariously clandestine about his new budding romance with her and hides it from everyone like he is committing a crime. The show did well with showing his interest in her had affected his life so completely.

“When she cries I am even more upset than her.”

Romance
I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a couple with this much sizzling sexual tension.
It’s funny seeing Hao Meng dislike himself for loving the morally ambiguous Huan Zhen.

Friend - “This girl has serious problems.”
Hao Meng- “How come it feels like I have a problem?”

This pair were more sinister than undercover agents the way they danced around each other. They say all the right things to each other when they are completing bullshitting. It’s funny because they are so busy keeping in mind what’s going on in the other’s mind, they appear to be so selfless.
The show really ramps up the flirting. And the two main characters do flirting so well.
I was impressed that as far as Hao Meng will push her Huan Zhen will push right back even when it come to her modesty. It’s really bizarre having him be so fake nice to her when it really is an enemies-to-lovers vibe.
I really liked that despite them being dishonest with each other, they way they try and trip each other up, is actually very revealing of their personalities and I feel like they really got to know each other despite all the deception.
Despite the cheesiness of it, I love that she could overcome his insomnia.

Friendship
I really like that the girls are so awesome when they patch it up.

Siblings
Sheng Nan and Justin are pretty funny together. They have good chemistry as siblings. I liked the way they interacted and the way they looked at each other, with such meaning and intent like they could read each other’s minds.
I love that he draws the boundaries with her and his relationship with Huan Zhen. But even while they are arguing, he makes her a sandwich. So cute!

Parents
Huan Zhe’s parents are cool. Her relationship with them is good and she’s particularly cute with her mother. I like that her dad can talk to her about meaningful things too.
Hao Meng’s dad is cool. But too cool for the family.
The show makes a point to contrast Huan Zhen’s simple and happy parents and Hao Meng’s argumentative, stressed parents. Huan Zhen’s mother is girlishly still in love with her husband.
I liked Hao Meng’s relationship with his mother and how the drama really fleshed it out. It felt more real than the usual mother idolising her precious only son. The show allowed Hao Meng to understand her viewpoint. He’s already really considerate of her, but this show took it to another level.

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Completed
Florahh
0 people found this review helpful
Jan 20, 2024
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Delightful and Painful

Delightful: Roy Chiu! Though this was out many years ago, it is nevertheless a very fun light watch because of his ability to be comedic. He is very good at being funny it made this drama really entertaining. Two female leads, Alice Ke and Joane Tseng also were great (and irritating I must admit at times but is there ever a drama that doesn’t happen) adding to the intrigue. On top of the cast, the story highlighted young love trying to sort out feelings and uncertainties in relationships. Older love too have problems to be ironed out. Ordinary story with perfect casting to keep you rooting.

Painful: got messy towards middle where writer tried too hard to create content to keep the amount of episodes. There were some very positive narratives but got buried in the resolution that went everywhere. It dragged a bit that it lost its cuteness when it should have climbed to crescendo.

Overall: it ended cute with kind of a weird finale that led to the proposal. Happy ending.

Noteworthy to mention that this drama has the most realistic sweet kisses and lots of it. In case you wanted to know^^~^^

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Completed
Giz
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 21, 2017
15 of 15 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 4.5
I was hesitant to watch this drama only bcoz of Roy. I had seen him in Office Girls (my first Asian drama ever) and thought I had grown past him by now. I saw the trailer by accident on YouTube and was shocked to see this aswesome guy he is now!

For the drama -thank God I watched it. It is beautifully made. Excellent cast and chemistry. You will FEEL deeply while watching this.

Been ages since I have seen a drama that is really different.

Taiwanese Comedy cannot compare to Korean ones but the chemistry and antics come close.
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Marry Me, or Not? (2015) poster

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