Perfect and Casual (2020)

An Almost Perfect Scenario of Contract Marriage Turn Into Real Love

As almost everyone has reviewed here, this drama contains a lot of cliche rom-com tropes, but there are few things that made them special:

❤Perfect, cold but actually warm ML & Bubbly, Casual and warm FL (both characters developed well here, esp ML who learned to love and accept love that he deserved & FL who finally turned from a girl who often had misfortunes into a dependent girl. Most importantly, ML never bullied her, always helped & supported FL for whatever her choice is)

❤Contract marriage (but with warm interactions & no love tug and war between the Mainleads, ML really respected FL at first & I love how he seriously took contract in account)

❤First love between the Mainleads (they fell in love after the contract marriage)

❤Cute Love Scenes between Mainleads (I squealed every time the Mainleads do the skinship scenes. I love how gentle ML took FL in every kisses, hugs & how sweet FL responded to it. What blown my mind in some of the scenes, I think that ML actually deep down inside had this preference of showing his love in front of other people either in person or when FL had a phone call with other people esp the Secondary Male Lead. Like it made me scream how we saw that the cold, perfect teacher in the first few episodes was actually a jealous & possessive husband towards her wife??)

It is a simple drama. But its filled with warm & love vibes everywhere. You will also feel the warmth of the family & kinda made you wanted to have a healthy relationship that the Mainleads had.

Lastly, what made me scored this drama to be 9,5/10 is because I love how FL portray a message in the last episode, that sometimes you gotta choose something that is irreplaceable for you / someone who really loved you because maybe in the future you might regret not to hold on it. So, STREAM IT, guys!! Recommend it so much!❤❤

Read More

I just finish this cdrama recently and can't believe I forgot to watch this bcos it was suggested on youtube back 5 months ago :<

But I am soo glad I went into this drama I just wanted to watch Miles Wei as a male lead. I've watched his supporting role in Count Your Lucky Star and he really caught my eye!!! ❤️

Ok so this drama is soo good to be true! Mr. Zhang really is sucha good kisser ? For a contract marriage, I did not expect Si Nian Zhang (Miles Wei) to actually be this sweet to Yun Shu (Xu Ruo Han) ? I mean how can he be so damn perfect? He sets my ideal husband so high!! ?

Unlike other cdramas, FL is clumsy but it's not exaggerated. I just love how they talk about how they feel and what is happening so there are no ridiculous misunderstanding and no silly scenes. I honestly forgot that they were in that student-teacher relationship haha maybe because their each others first loves? Haha GOALSSS!!!! ?‍❤️‍?

I just think that the ending was too hasty. I mean some supporting characters are cut off suddenly at some point. What happened to Meng Ran? The matter between Lin Nuo and Zhi Yi should have been explained more. I think they could have made the ending bit better.

P.S But overall this drama is worth watching!! It's soo good!!! Y'all should try to watch this ?

Read More

Fluff & Romance - I like them

I really enjoyed the easiness of this show. Angst is kept minimal and no one dies in the show. I am all for fluff and cute romance so I give this simple drama a thumbs up!

Watch because:
- it’s only 24 eps at about 35 mins per ep
- obviously, the two leads will fall in love but they work as they have chemistry
- it’s my first time seeing these two leads and I like them as the guy is quite tall and handsome. He’s very easy on the eyes. The girl is cute in her own way. She grows on viewers and is likable.
- the romance between the leads feels realistic
- I like the way in which the two leads behave fairly maturely and respectfully once they have confessed their love for each other as I cannot stand stupid and unrealistic interactions between a couple and we have seen many
- the two leads remain steadfast in their love and affection for each other
- the other characters are handled quite well too
- no one dies. I was afraid that the grandfather would pass on but nope, he’s ‘well and alive’.
- happy ending!!

Easy and fun watch! I like it! Recommend!

Read More

First Review at MDL: This Drama's worth it!

First of all, this year, CDramas have completely outshone KDramas for me. And, of course, I had great expectations about this one as well, because, I like the Teacher-Student rom-coms as they are few worth watching and Miles Wei (Our Teacher Zhang) looked promising enough to not ruin the show for me. (By this I mean, the unusual age gaps that makes one uncomfortable with a teacher-student relationship) Needless to say, Perfect and Casual exceeded my expectations. I was NOT ready for the onslaught of overwhelming sweetness, not to the extent that would give you cringe or make your teeth on edge, but the slow and melting sweetness like honey. The leads were hands down the best actors for this drama. Miles Wei (Wei Zhe Ming) and Xu Rou Han perfectly delivered. Their chemistry was spot on. The story itself might sound your same old plot of helpless cohabitation and contract marriage, but it was so much more than that. The romance was not rushed and sudden, it grows with them and that's just so cute. They communicate, respect each other, and I would recommend everyone to watch it.

One important thing: there's no water splashing or money throwing xD

What I liked about this drama:
1. Miles Wei as Zhang laoshi
2. Xu Rou Han as Yun Shu
3. Miles & Rou Han together
3. The OST
4. The second ml and fl
5. Grandpa (He's just adorbs)
6. The little interactions between the leads which makes their relation so relatable and so real
7. The behind the scenes footages (one must see those)
8. Miles Wei (because he's worth mentioning twice)

What I disliked:
1. The unnecessary addition of a certain female's unrequited love (I'm not gonna mention who, but you'd get it and honestly, this also became a likeable part because she gets what she deserves)
2. The relationship of the friends of Yun Shu

Would I rewatch it?
YES

Read More

A cliché breaking take on an old formula

On paper, this show seems to tick all the cliché boxes. Contract marriage, cold, smart ML, a naïve, bubbly bumbling FL, etc. So if you are expecting a walk down the well trodden path then you will be pleasantly surprised.
Yes, it started with the contract marriage but instead of the usual scheming/blackmail/scandal setup, the marriage was to placate a sweet dying old man. The motivation was not greed, what a surprise!
Yes, the ML has a cold exterior, poor EQ and super smart but he was also a real gentleman and had this innocent aura about him. When he fell in love (for the first time), it is just so cute and adorable. The FL is kind of typical for that genre but at least she is not annoying and is kind and caring. You do need someone like that to play off the ML, it is dramaland, after all.
What you don't expect is when you thought the show will have the ML bully the FL or put her down, the ML actually showed the FL the error of her way (indirectly most of the time) and help her to correct her mistakes. Where the problem is too big for the FL to handle, he will quietly work behind her back to resolve her problems and then take no credit for it. Awww.
BTW, their chemistry is off the chart. It felt organic as they dance around each other at first and then try to make their blossoming love life work. To be fair, the FL does have a crush on the ML (with a dose of love-hate in the beginning) and the ML tried to keep things business like but fell for her over time. It was fun watching them trying to keep their "relationship" purely platonic but failing miserably. When they did confess their love for each other, it was so cute and swoon worthy. Their love is strong and with every challenge, it grew more unshakable. Any potential love triangles are quickly dealt with with some straight talking between the parties.
It was super cute how the ML analysed how much he loves the FL and come up with statistical chart. In the same vein, we also see real growth in the FL as the ML supported her career decisions and nurtured her. Honestly, if you ask me if their love will last forever, I would say yes without hesitation.
The final cliché breaker was the old chestnut, the 1/2/3 years overseas posting/training/job separation plot. The story line was all set up, they said their goodbyes at the airport and we were sobbing quietly while cursing the writer and then the FL did something unexpected in this type of drama.
Support cast is generally good to excellent. The grandfather was a gem. Wise, kind and understanding. He was a real scene stealer. The FL's sister and ML's best friend were good as well. They were another odd couple but they made their relationship work but their journey was a lot more bumpy. It provides a counterpoint to the sweet love story of the OTP. The weaker link was the pairing of the FL's best friends. Their pairing was not convincing and served only to occupy some screen time and move the plot along.
I know some reviews are calling this light, sugary fluff and I can see their point of view but I enjoyed this very much because how it did not follow the cliché leaden path and turn it into a melodrama or a farce. It will bring a smile to your face and you will swoon from time to time. These are not bad things, we can dream sometimes too, right?

Read More

Had to Fast forward to finish it, the ML is the only saving grace

Zhang Si Nian (ML): The actor that portrays this character does very well with roles that feature him as a genius. But he was much better in Unforgettable Love (2021). The ML in the show was pretty nice but a bit slow on the uptake. Once he figured out that he was in love in the FL, he didn't play any games and tried his best to win her over.

Yun Shu (FL):
The Bad:
Childish character with annoying voice. I had to clench my teeth to keep going, because i just needed to know the entire story. I don't mind it when a character is a little bubbly, it makes things interesting, but Yun Shu was kind of unbearable. The ML looked better with Yun Shu's sister when they were all together in a frame.
The Good:
She was a nice person overall and also didn't play any games. She even reminded me of Shim Chung / Seo Hwa from The Legend of the Blue Sea even before she actually put on a mermaid costume.

It was an okay drama. Not worth a rewatch though.

Read More

You have to see the imperfection with perfect vision (Grandpa Zhang) ;)

Marriage of convenience does happen and this drama lightly delivered the message. What a convenient marriage could turn out to be: lifetime friendship. ML and FL didn't enter an arranged marriage out of wickedness or for the sake of some inheritance. The ML really won over FL head and heart first before the marriage begin. The sick grandpa and demanding sister have only escalated the process.

Yun Shu wasn't as smart as Mu Wan Qing (Fall in Love) but not as dangerously dumb as Xiao Wan Zi (Truth or Dare), and Zhang Sinian wasn't as perfect as Xiao Nai (Love 020). Shinian is wealthy, but the apartment was aligned with the story. When you are single and academic chances are your house will be super smart-tech (if you are hefty) or super fit. If you don't have anyone looking over your house, then the house you choose must be practical to be taken care of. That is what this drama offered. Unlike some drama where the wealthy ML must have a penthouse-looking house.

The main love story plot that I like about this drama was FL and ML realizing their fall in love because they enjoy each other companionship. Not because ML was a superman or FL has perfect traits.
This kind of plot is easily overlooked because, in the sea of Asian dramas where FL is often portrayed super dumb or ML portrayed superman, this light story plot won't make you exciting over the roof, but you will nod for the realistic situation.

Every time the leads try to clear up their misunderstanding, I eagerly nodded my head. Cause, well, you solving misunderstood problem with communication! You talk! As simple as that.

The chemistry between FL and ML was okay. It's not sparkling fireworks like Zhang Zhehan - Jun Jing Yi or Yang Yang - Dilraba Dilmurat. But I think, the supporting roles have lacked of chemistry. Even the friendships didn't look sincere, the supporting love story didn't deliver any excitement, and the intimate part didn't have the makes-you-giggle effect. The second ML didn't give his life and everything for FL unlike most asian dramas, but sadly he easily gave up his what-so-called love for FL.

The rewatch value is 10 though because this is the most realistic, light, logical drama I watched.
I hate when a ML seems to understand the insightful thinking of their partners which are NEVER HAPPENS in real life. Yow, gurl out there, let me tell you that if the man that truly understands your thought exists, then this world is close to its end. No kidding. In Perfect & Casual, the ML had to project FL thought based on his statistical thinking. In real life, this is true, because most men will base their actions on what they thought was right, not what they felt right. Besides, this drama pictured that falling in love doesn't need someone with perfect traits, you just roll with it.

Bottom line, this is a must-watch drama. Go get your hot cocoa and chips for this drama was sweet!

Updated: for the music score. Gotta admit, later on somehow the OST Mr. Perfect & Miss Almost constantly rewinding in my head :D. So, I guess their theme song is obviously catchy .

Read More

This is a biased review. Read at your own risk!

You think this story is cliche? I thought so too and had doubts on whether I should watch it or not but it was worth it. Why? Because of how the actors portrayed their characters wasn't disappointing and they gave justice to each of their roles especially how they developed as the story progressed.

Yes, it is the typical cold and almost perfect ML and the clumsy and a little dumb FL, but, to me, it was a breath of fresh air. Why? Because the creators were able to balance the IQ and EQ between the characters especially the leads. It wasn't created just so they could give something to the audience. They wanted the audience to be able to feel and fantasize, and personally, I feel that they succeeded in doing that.

First off, let me start by saying that the FL and ML's chemistry is oozing. I mean, they really, really look good together on screen. Judging their chemistry, it's either they are really good at acting or it just comes naturally, and I choose to believe that it gave off from the two of them naturally. You won't feel the 8 year gap between these two.
I also want to commend the FL as a newbie in acting. I can feel all her frustrations, happiness, and sadness in the drama, all the time. She's a natural, although there are some parts that I feel she's lacking, but it was tolerable and she's really cute. I can say that the lead characters complement each other well. They patch up to what each other lacks and it was able to create a harmony that enabled them both to shine together; a supplement to each other.

I've watched a lot of other Chinese dramas before I discovered this one and what frustrates me most about some Chinese dramas is the dragging relationship between the leads. In this story, I personally feel that the pace of the development of the relationship between the leads is not too slow and not too fast. It was just perfect for me.

As a girl who judge by emotions, I was touched by this story because I felt the warmth that the creators wanted to extend to their viewers. The story just makes you want to love and be loved. It just wants to make you wish that characters like them do exist in real life.

Read More

Great and casual

This drama pretty much hits all the typical modern romcon cliches/tropes, so don't watch it if you expect an original story. However, the story itself was pretty realistic without too much drama or dragging it out too long. The "annoying" side characters also did not overstay their welcome.

It was satisfying to watch that the communication was good between the main leads (small problems got fixed quickly, which is realistic for a functioning relationship). Did not really care about the "third couple", so in my opinion they could have not included that and cut the drama shorter. I see a lot of people complaining about the FL, but she did pretty well. All in all, this is definitely a watch for romcon lovers who want a fluffy romcon.

Read More

another gem

Let me say "AGAIN" China is hitting it out of the park. They are slamming SK with the best dramas EVER! This one was no exception to that rule. The sweetest and lovelyest (not a word) drama I've seen during the Pandemic. I couldn't put this one down and watched all 24 eps in 2 days, which is a lot for someone who works full-time, mother and other things going on. This was about opposites attracting and YES I agree. This didn't have any of the usual...terrible family members, misunderstanding that last into at least 3 eps, love triangle that had a chance, it was PERFECT. The only downfall was that I was not interesting in the 2nd and 3rd couple. They were boring and got on my nerve. Fast forward them a lot. But the original couple was all that I needed. LOVED IT.

Read More