My best CDrama couple
I just read a review where the reviewer was complaining bitterly about the amount of product placement. I totally get it and while I wasn’t as pissed off about the product placement issue like said reviewer was I do understand their frustration.My frustration was with the second couple. I actually liked Zuo Yulin aka FiveThree and Qin Qing as a stand alone character without their romance. FiveThree was smart, nice and loyal. While Qin Qing was annoying most of the time and took her bestie role way too far sometimes she was supremely loyal to Zhou Fang and I can appreciate that. But they spent so much time on the second leads relationship and drama sometimes, it felt like they were the leads, if they had significantly reduced their screen time I believe this would have had better reviews.
Then why the 10/10 everything, the love I have for Zhou Fang and Song Lin runs very deep. They are my favorite CDrama couple of all time.
That accident rain scene, OMG, it gave me chills and goosebumps. I have watched a lot of CDramas that have good chemistry and whatnot but most of them felt like acting which wasn’t a bad thing because they are indeed acting and most of them acted super well but here it didn’t feel like acting at all between Zhou Fang and Song Lin, it felt so real, the way it felt so real and not acting made me believe that the rumors of Johnny and Dilraba dating might just be true.
Song Lin’s sister Song Luo was my favorite character after my couple. They started her off with the typical annoying teenager troupe (but it was a bit understandable because of what she has gone through) but boy did she become so adorable. I absolutely loved her.
Rewatch value is 10/10 (I have rewatched so many times and will keep rewatching) but every time I rewatch I skip all the parts of Qin Qing and FiveThrees relationship.
The second lead couple dragged down this series so badly but i will still rate it the highest because it’s my go to romance series.
Overall 10/10
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Dilraba + Johnny Huang = fireworks!
The chemistry between the FL and ML is sizzling hot! I would watch show purely for that and the fashion eye candy.I would recommend this show if you want something with humour and lots of eye candy in a modern day setting.
Story-wise, it's nothing new. Rich CEO falls in love (rather quickly) with someone he stumbled across in his industry. They have really hot and sweet moments ... then they have their arguments and misunderstandings.
The side relationships are really good too. The friendship between Zhou Fang and Qin Qing, and the sibling tag team between Song Lin and Song Luo. I rate this rather highly because the casting is quite perfect.
Downside? This show could have been compressed to 30 episodes but it went on until 45 episodes. To be frank, the last 1/3 of the show bored me quite a bit because the misunderstandings and conflicts just start repeating themselves over and over. There's also a little too much emphasis on the side characters (QQ & WS) in the last arc.
But really, Dilraba and Johnny has one of the best on-screen chemistry I've seen. Dilraba has improved so much since she's started acting and I would say this is one of her best works. As for Johnny, this is my first time watching his show and I'm 100% impressed. It just sucks that his personal life scandal ruined the ratings for this show when it aired.
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Too long
Plot: I actually like the plot but second couple dragged out the story. Too many unnecessary fillers that bored me to death. I dropped this series few months ago and since I only have 5 episodes left, I decided to pick it up again. Thankfully, there’s a fast forward button so I could finish this easily and review it.Acting: Nothing special but nothing to complain about as well. I think they all did a good job portraying their characters, however, no one stood out.
Music: meh
Rewatch value: Main lead’s chemistry. Johnny & Reba looked very comfortable and romantic together. Especially Johnny huang, I definitely could tell he truly adored her.
Overall: I like the main lead’s mature relationship and how they talked about their differences and decisions in life. I also like the story of johnny’s good opponent, it was subtle yet significant. This drama actually talked about traditional family vs modern family. That communication and understanding are also important. Good plot but poor delivery, so overall, a 5-6 rating from me.
Extra: Reba and Viann looked fashionably beautiful in this drama but ‘Wu San’ caught my attention. I have a huge crush on him ‘cos his smile is just dazzling.
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Story could've been better, casting is perfect
The casting did a great job, although some of the supporting actors still need improvements though. The story is quite draggy, and I lost interest halfway through the drama, but I finished it because I love the actors and was interested to see the ending. Happy ending for villains is what I don't like about this drama, and the leads are too forgiving. There are no karma for bad character. Even FL's ex-fiancee who cheated on her, and pulling a fraud on her gets an okay ending, and FL ends up giving him money for him to settle. Furthermore, what I don't get about this drama is FL is too forgiving and trust other people easily, but treats her boyfriend badly even though ML gives all of him, which she doesn't deserve.What I like about this show is only how mature the lines are. There are no acting cutesy or whatsoever, which I dislike. There is still room for improvements, FL dubbing is showing too clearly, I don't want to compare it to Korean Drama, but I have never seen any Korean Drama do any dubbing, or if so, they did a great job hiding it. But in this drama, the dubbing is too obvious, there are some scenes in which the dialogue doesn't match their mouths when they're speaking. The telephone ringtone is bugging me too for some reason, why can't they just use normal telephone ringing instead of a song, every character's phone uses the same song for the ringtone, and since this is a business drama, it's kind of expected that there are a lot of "calling" scenes, maybe 8-10+ per episode, so imagine listening to the same song for 40 x 10 = 400 times of the same song on this drama.
PS. I don't get why so many people are triggered by product placement (pp) in this drama. I didn't notice the pp at all, I think it's a normal amount of pp.
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I think both Huang Johnny, who played Song Lin and Zhou Fang really matched each other in the show! - I did find some of the kiss scenes a little cringe! But other than that I really liked this, and how they helped each other family wise, and in everything.
I loved the little sister, Christine Zheng who was Luo Luo! She played the sister so well, and it was interesting to see her develop and help the main characters be together!
I didn't really like the story of the two other actors, Yulin & Qin Qing! I thought the guy was so annoying, and like super needy! I just didn't really like watching both their stories, just made me cringe at it! - I skipped their section. But overall, I enjoyed the drama!
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I'm really enjoying this show thus far. I love Reba and the role she is playing. I actually like the childish roles she plays, but I also like this more mature character. It reminds me of the second half of Flame's Daughter where her character is mature and has grown. I love Johnny as well, and I like that he isn't some cold, mean CEO who only mellows out by falling in love. He's actually pretty nice so far, and I already feel the chemistry between him and Reba. I also really love her friend and her style, and how they have a genuine friendship. The friend isn't just there as the passive main girl's best friend, who's only job is to give advice and encourage the main girl to get with the main guy; she has her own personality and her own storyline and I really like her relationship with the other guy. I like that there's a new episode every day, as it gives me something to look forward to, and I know that it's not going to take months to finish. So far it's had one of the strongest starts to any show I've seen, and I can't wait to see what they do with the rest of it.Episode 7-11: 10 Stars
Still really enjoying this show. The relationship progression between the two mains is something I am liking very much. The two communicate very well, leaving little room for misunderstandings which I greatly appreciate. The plot is a little underwhelming, but is still good enough that I am not losing interest. I actively look forward to each new episode, and though I feel the plot isn't anything new, the characters and the acting make the show worth watching. Reba is still killing it, and I love Johnny's character and how they interact. The only thing I don't really like is the second female lead. She's your typical, terrible, jealous woman in love with the main male, and she adds nothing new to the role. Her childish character and actions feels out of place with the adult characters being shown by everyone else. It's like the show wants to be more mature, but still wants to keep some of the unnecessary drama tropes. Other than that the show is very good, and honestly I can look past it's flaws. I still think it's worth watching so far.
Episode 12-16: 8 Stars
I knew things were looking too good to be true relationship wise. As soon as they both got together I knew it wasn't going to last at all. And of course it was because of a stupid misunderstanding with Luna. I'm not going to lie, I don't remember much else that has happened other than they got together for like an episode and then break up almost straight away. I feel like on Zhou Fang's side, their relationship was way too fast. Like I didn't even think she liked him as more than a friend but then suddenly she did and then they were dating? That came out of nowhere for me. And then they communicate well at first, and then just don't. I also think her friend is starting to grate on me. I really liked her before, but not only does she give terrible advice, meddle where she doesn't need to, constantly invites the second lead to hang out despite Zhou Fang never showing any interest in him, she also is horrific in her own relationship. 'Wusan' is far from perfect, but she treats him terribly herself. I'm still watching the show, and I still want to know where it is going, but I definitely don't think they have just under 30 episodes of interesting content left to show. This could have had way less episodes and still have a good enough story. But 45? I don't think it's going to stay engaging that long.
Episode 17-19: 7 Stars
I am so far behind in this show right now it is unfunny. Currently there are 28 episodes out, and I'm only on 19. I've gone from watching it daily, to being way over a week behind, and that's because this show has lost it's spark for me. I'm going to catch up, and I will finish it, but it's hard to find the excitement for this show again. Nothing much is happening anymore, the plot and characters seem aimless, like no one knows where to take the show until we are far enough in to warrant them getting back together. Every episode seems more and more like filler. I'm still giving it a seven because I have hopes it will get better, but I have to admit I'm disappointed in how far it has fallen for me. Zhou Fang admits she likes Song Lin still, but then is dragging out their relationship, when it is clear he wants to get back together. I get there is nuance behind it, but still, it's getting a little old now.
So I dropped it. Honestly every time I went to watch an episode, I just decided to watch something else, because this show had lost it's pull. It started off very strong, however as it progresses, the things that made it unique and interesting became less and less, and it just felt boring. That's the risk that comes with having the couple together too early. It's disappointing because I genuinely enjoyed it at the beginning, but I have decided to officially drop it. Maybe others will enjoy the rest, but just not me :
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Dragged out and Frustrating
To start, I haven't finished this drama and I'm still contemplating if I will watch the remaining episodes.I have a somewhat love/hate feeling towards this drama.
The good points about this drama so far mainly consists of the chemistry between the leads and the level-headed, mature nature of the female lead - a quality that I feel you don't often find in Chinese dramas (particularly since they seem to favour the cute, simple-minded damsels).
For the most part those two qualities appear to be the only strengths I've particularly recognised. The female leads best friend, is a head-strong, no-bullshit character, and she is a pretty good friend. However, she is a terrible girlfriend, her perspective on love is very negative and is fraught with insecurity. The way she treats her love interest is not good at all, and is quite frankly immature and often toxic.
The mothers in the drama, of both the female lead and her best friend, seem to only serve the purpose of shoving marriage down their throats. It is literally the only thing they talk about.
The storyline is very drawn out, with no clear plot set out (in terms of beginning, middle and end) - it is literally problem after problem, drama after drama. In some cases this could work, if done well. However, I feel like in this drama it feels like the story is dragging out. This is obviously due to the writing (and some people may not agree which is perfectly fine), which fails to connect the story and build on it in a meaningful way. By this I mean that it often feels like the the problems thrown into the story are just there to create drama more than anything else, you feel like they can cut out several story arcs and still achieve a meaningful drama.
Again, I have a love/hate feeling towards this drama. There are several characters I am more than happy to skip (such as the best friend and her boyfriend, or the mothers), but I also want to see what happens to the main leads as they do have good chemistry and it would be nice to see them together. Overall, I feel like this is the kiind of drama you watch once and then go on to YouTube to rewatch cute scenes between the main couple and nothing more. This really isn't the best written drama I have ever watched and it goes on for so long that it feels hard to finish let alone rewatch. Honestly, 45 episodes is way too long. They could have done better perhaps if they shortened the drama, pehaps then it wouldn't feel so stretched out.
While this is my perspective, I also know that there are many reviews which highly praise this drama. At the same time I also know that there are many people who share my opinion, and perhaps even have a more negative opinion on this drama.
All I can suggest is that you look at multiple reviews and decide for yourself if it is worth it.
To summarise: the chemistry is good, mothers talk inccestanly about marriage, best friend is a sucky girlfriend, drama tends to feel like it drags
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I highly recommend this drama, I love it. I just finished Episode 1-17 (5-30-2020 ). I’m just Waiting for the next episodes,,,, the story line just keeps getting better and better. It’s a a must-watch drama. So give it a try and you’ll gonna like it ......................................................................…… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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An interesting first half and a draggy second half.
It's kind of funny that I actually enjoyed the drama for 26 episodes before finally realizing that I was watching it for the sake of watching it.What I absolutely loved about the drama was the leads and their interactions with their best friends and siblings. They were axtual, mature individuals. Particularly, the lead Zhou Fang, who tried to put up against her mom's wishes for a quick marriage and actually wanting to settle down by herself first. Song Lin's relationship with his sister was another highlight of the show.
I loved Zhou Fang's perseverance.
Then came the business thingies, coupled with product placements. I actually liked the second couple at first, then got annoyed with their screentime and draggy stuff. Overall, it could've been a good drama, but wasted a ton of episodes on subplots. Pretty sure that it was a "me" issue and not the drama's fault. But, all I can remember now about this drama is the hotpot and coconut drink. Which is definitely not a good sign.
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It had everything but lost the charm.
I completed 32 episodes of this drama but decided to put it on hold, as I doubt I will be able to finish it. Initially, I loved the drama because both the female lead (FL) and male lead (ML) had strong and mature characters, and the storyline was simple yet enjoyable. However, the main issue was that the drama progressed too slowly, lacking enough hooks to keep the audience engaged in every episode. Even skipping some episodes didn't affect the overall plot. Additionally, the side story involving the second male lead (SML) and second female lead (SFL) lost its charm over time, and the writers seemed to be running out of concepts. Despite this, I continued watching due to the chemistry between the ML and FL, which was the only entertaining aspect. However, even their chemistry was not enough to motivate me to complete the drama.Was this review helpful to you?
What it has going for it:
1. Dilraba. Gone are the vapid expressions and cheese (Sweet Dreams) or dull, lifeless characterizations (Flame’s Daughter). She has blossomed into the epitome of elegance and grace in this. Well done, lady, I knew you had it in you.
2. The funny moments. For instance, the SFL calling the SML a misogynist. Let’s be honest, how many times have we wanted to hear a girl just say it???? (As an aside, there is only a token love triangle in this, so tbh I consider the SFL/ SML to be the MFL’s bff and her boyfriend. They really didn’t need a love triangle at all, but if they can interject a cliche, well goddammit you just know they’re going to.) Johnny’s woebegone expression when he’s ostracized during dinner. There are a few, those are just my two favorites.
3. It’s just ….watchable. So far there’s only one cringy “I can’t look at the tv right now” moment so far. Which brings me to...
What it does not have going for it:
4. The choices.
From the ringtone that absolutely everyone has on their phones (what the actual eff?), which gets monotonous to the point of wanting to throw all their cells to the ground and destroy them in a stomping fit of agonized rage.
To my cringe moment: the first kiss. Which had me run the gamut from being avidly interested in seeing how this romance would hit its flashpoint, to desperately wanting a literary, cinematographic and directorial do-over. It was so. Very. Horrifying.
5. Now I realize I have to take culture into account. After 50+ Asian dramas, that’s just a given. And really, Asia seems only 50 or so years behind in the women's equality movement, which just goes a a snail's pace anywhere. However. It seems glaringly obvious in this particular show that Chinese women are being actively encouraged to think of little more than clothing, jewelry, kids and their love lives. For instance, reading between the not so subtle lines, it seems it’s ok for a woman to be rich, but only if it's left to you by your parents... and you’re not particularly good at business anyway. It’s better for you to be more concerned with getting a worthy boyfriend, or taking care of the kids. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a confident, alpha male kind of man. But I want to see one that can handle having an equally capable woman at his side without demeaning her. I will say that I noticed the writing seemed to change periodically. It’s as if it was written in a committee, and there was one lone frustrated woman determinedly trying to write a semblance of independent feminine spirit into the otherwise male-dominated script. It comes, and then it goes.
Otherwise, this is a fun, cheerful and easy to watch show as long as you don’t get sucked into the subliminal messages, or are having fun analytically observing them.
Edit: Taking this down a star for the increasingly obnoxious and excessive product placement. It starts to become one long advertisement after a while :(
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