I need to get this off my chest before moving on

Read this if you don't want to be unpleasantly surprised by the ending like I was.

This is my first time writing a review. I am so mad I just couldn't let this go without writing one.
I wish there was a tag in the description that hinted at the sad ending, then I wouldn't have watched this series.
To be honest, I was going to give this drama a solid 9, but then I watched the ending.
I don't know if I'm allowed to go into details, but let's just say it felt like a gigantic ball of ice fell from the sky on a nice summer day and just crushed me. Let me explain.

I absolutely loved the drama until 1.02 into the final episode. Sure, it wasn't perfect but I really enjoyed it for all it was. The acting is, in my opinion, great most of the time and I think the main actors have a good chemistry. The music is also nice. Of course there are elements in this drama that can be found in a lot of other BL dramas, but for me it really had its own vibe. I also love how it handles the subject of LGBT+ and what it does with it, something I haven't (so far) seen any other BL dramas do. The obstacles the main couple had to overcome weren't extreme but I liked that. I mean, they were still difficult enough. The story had me really invested and I was looking forward to the main couples happy ending very much. With less then 15 minutes to go I was ready to say thank you and goodbye to this drama with a smile on my face. Boy was I wrong.

Out of nowhere the most tragic thing that could happen actually happens. And for what?? For me it was absolutely pointless. The whole ending is one big confusion. So much happens in the last 15 minutes, it's insane. I know one shouldn't be surprised by drama being in a drama. Heck, I've watched Until We Meet Again and got my heart ripped out, but that was good tragedy. It made some kind of sense, I could get with the point of the story. What happens in this drama? It doesn't makes sense (to me) at all! They both end up miserable. Yes, both.
In less then 15 minutes I went through shock, denial, sadness, confusion and anger. To say I am unhappy with this ending is an understatement. And it's not because it's a sad ending. Yes, I do not like sad endings, but I can see the beauty in them. I can respect what they add to a series. That wasn't the case for this drama. I think the ending is just really bad.

If you put aside the ending I think this drama is really good and I definitely want you to give it a shot and watch it. To not make this even longer I didn't talk about every single thing I liked about this drama but there is a lot to love. I do recommend you to keep in mind that the ending will punch you in the face. If you really don't like pointless, sad and confusing endings then I recommend you either stop watching at 1.02 (this would have been a nice ending) or don't watch the drama at all.

I was tempted to give a lower score then I have, but I think that would be unfair to everything before the ending. The actors also did a good job. It's just that endings are very important to me so I'm not able to go higher. It would have been a 9 for the story and overall rating from me if it hadn't ended like it did.

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Not awful but not that good either

Major spoiler about the ending, so be warned if you have yet to watch this series/the ending and want to experience the disappointment for yourself.

I really can't say that I ever thought this series was actually good, but there was something about it that kept me watching. I like stories with a strange twist and I'm up for a gender-bender adventure.

Let's first go through the main things that I disliked.
The first thing that bothered me is the age difference between the main leads. The FL is from 1986 and the ML from 1998. The ML was like 19 or 20 when the series came out. Him playing this boss like (don't remember his official title) figure of this big company was just not believable for me. But who knows, maybe there are many 19 yo bosses out there and I am just too narrow minded. I'm also not a fan of his acting (except for some moments that I thought were pretty good), maybe because he was still young at the time. He is really handsome, but I would have loved to see more expressions on his face besides o_o.
The second thing that bothered me are how whiny female characters acted. But Cdramas just can't live without them it seems so I wasn't surprised.
The third thing is something I have mixed feelings about; the kissing (of strangers) without consent. I guess it's kinda necessary for a story like this, but in some cases it just made me feel a little uncomfortable.
The fourth thing is the pacing. The series got really draggy at some points and I'm pretty sure this didn't need 24 episodes of 30 minutes. Might have been just me getting impatient and a little bored though.
Fifth; animal abuse. I know, I know, it's just a drama. But poor hamster being carried around (where did he even put the poor thing? In his pocket?) and at some point even being thrown through the air, and that fish being left in a glass of water. My animal loving heart cried for sec.
The last thing I want to mention that I disliked is the worst thing of all; the ending. Why for heaven's sake did she need to get run over? I have no clue what this added to the series except for confusion and frustration. Was there not enough drama or something? She didn't even die. You did this for what?? It also looked ridiculous. The main leads also didn't talk about the FL's "illness". Did the ML even realize what was going on? I feel like he might have figured it out but I would have liked to see that confirmed. Besides that there are more things that didn't get resolved. Were they gonna make a season 2? It's been 3,5 years so I don't think that's gonna happen.

Now on to some positives.
I am satisfied with the FL actress' male look. There were some moments where the makeup was too feminine (like they forgot about it or something) but most of the time it looked pretty good. I also liked the dubbed voice, the voice acting and lip syncing was pretty good imo. Everyone was good looking so no complaints there. Most people showed good or decent acting. The chemistry between the characters was also pretty good. The plot was just interesting enough to keep me watching, although at some point I just binged episodes to get it over with faster. I truly did like the concept of this series, but I would have liked the story a lot more if some things had been done differently. I also liked the special effects used to show the FL's male persona as an actual male. Lastly, I thought the music was nice. Some songs I liked more then others but nothing bothered me.

Do I recommend you watch this?
If you have plenty of time to spare and you're into these kinds of stories then sure why not. Just don't set your expectations too high and don't expect a great and satisfying ending.

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