The Brightest of Us (2023)

Enjoyed it because of FL but ML was a disappointment

I watched a clip on YouTube and halfway through I thought "why not give this drama a go?!". The last 10 episodes were frustrating.

What I liked:
1) Zhou Ran characterisation - She is bubbly, smart and career-driven and overall a FL who went through great character growth. Zhang Tian Ai was brilliant in this role. With her styling, she looks like Satomi Ishihara during Pretty Proofreader. She is a flawed character - she helps people when I think they don't deserve her kindness.
2) Xiao Fei characterisation - FL's best friend was wonderfully written as well. She started off as a kept woman but wanted more from her relationship. I like that she's unwilling to compromise her principle with her lover. Her character also grew up and it's great to see her form a bond with Liang Wei and his kid. Lorene Jen was great in her role.
3) Chairman - She was cold and aloof at the start of the drama but there is a reason for that cold exterior. I really liked her especially when she bonded with Zhou Ran.
4) Gu Yunfei - He is handsome and more attentive to Zhou Ran compared to Ye Rong Xuan, the ML. I wish Zhou Ran had picked him over Rong Xuan but you can't force someone to fall in love. I don't like his friendship with Siyan though - he didn't tell Zhou Ran nor Rong Xuan of Siyan's tricks.
5) The ending - I like that Zhou Ran took that decision and excelled in her chosen path. I also like the vague ending because I think Rong Xuan needs a lot of grovelling to do.
6) Plot - I like the business/professional aspect of the main 2 characters. It's fascinated to see a glimpse into fashion magazine world. The personal side of main 2 characters were good too except the romance.

What I disliked:
1) Siyan - We have 2 main villains in this drama: Siyan and Guo Rei. Siyan was cunning, manipulative b!tch! I HATE her character so much that I wish I could strangle her.
2) Guo Rei - I fast-forwarded a lot of the scenes of Guo Rei and Xu Man after he broke Zhou Ran's heart. The only time I watched in full was when his parents met Mr Xu & discussed the marriage and when Guo Rei & Xu Man had a big fight. I couldn't care less about them after that.
3) Ye Rong Xuan characterisation - I am frustrated by ML's behaviour throughout the fake relationship. I can't believe that he took Siyan's side or wasn't suspicious of "incidents" at the office. He was also ok with Siyan's touches after breaking Zhou Ran's heart.
4) Romance - I wish there were more affections shown by Ye Rong Xuan toward Zhou Ran in their private time. Their kiss was good but why must Zhou Ran be drunk? The romantic scences between Xiao Fei and Liang Wei were sweet.

Favourite scene:
When Zhou Ran chased Chairman up the stairs and convinced her to do surgery. Good acting & writing!

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