Unwatchable
Things I hated1 I'll make it short. Everything.
2 The acting was atrocious for lack of a worse word. The FL overdid it every time she opened her mouth. These days she's one I watch her dramas but in this one, there's no trace of any talent. I blame the director first and her young age second, but it's unbearable to watch. The ML actor has no range at all. It was like he read the menu list of a bad restaurant.
3 The ML. Not only he's unattractive but a red flag all the way. Toxic behavior that nothing saves. Not even the ending.
4 The FL. the screenwriter did him dirty with the way he represented her. At first I thought she'd be cute. It turned out she was stupid, and ... stupid.
5 When they went to the grave and talked about marriage It felt to me like she was a child who was about to get scarified. First time since I started watching K and C dramas I felt so uncomfortable. Something went wrong with this drama and honestly there was not even a single thing I liked let alone loved. It should be watched only as a warning for the young girls of what not to do.
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Not for me
Things I liked1 The opening scene. I thought it would be interesting, it wasn't.
2 The mother. I like the actress and I think she did a good job with her role.
Things I disliked
1 The main leads. I found them uncharismatic, so I didn't care about what was going to happen to them.
2 It was darker than I expected and I didn't laugh once.
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This review may contain spoilers
Another 10 for Bai Lu - Second review after watching only the main couple parts
I wrote a first review after watching the series for the first time and I never thought I would go back and change my review, but here we are. My rating went from 9.5 to 8.0 after watching again all the episodes focused only on the leads. I did that in parallel for Love is Sweet and Only for Love and the comparison was detrimental to Only for Love. I wasn't expecting my rating to fall so much. If you are interested in what changed, read the new review as well as the amendments I added for some of the things I listed in my first review.Things I adored - Second review
1 The actress who played the niece. She was the best actress, she embodied her role and she was the only one to act as a mature person although she was the youngest.
2 Daniel Zhou. he gave once again a great performance and he was much better written than the ML. It's funny to me that the two youngest roles were the better written.
Things I loved - Second review
1 The relationship of the ML and his niece. This felt much more natural and I was looking forward to their scenes together. This tells me that the actor can act, but for some reason he didn't find a way to bring his character as a romantic lead to life.
2 The ML's family. I loved his sister and his father and his uncle. I enjoyed the scenes they were together.
3 The friend and colleague of the FL who got together with the ML assistant. She was a good person and good friend.
4 Some of the kisses in the last episodes. They were passionate enough to make he romance believable because otherwise it was hard to believe they were in love.
Things I disliked - Second review
1 The lack of chemistry. After watching the series for the second time I realized what was missing. Apart from the script that didn't do any favors to the main leads, I didn't find there was any chemistry between them. Sure it didn't help that their lines were cringe or nonsensical, I want to blame some of them to the translation, but I get what some reviewers said when they talked about him looking younger and their relationship like one of a older sister younger brother.
At first I was looking forward to their scenes together because I was hoping for some banter or electric chemistry like in Love is Sweet, but it was every time lackluster so after a while I didn't care anymore about their scenes together. Such a shame.
I hated that he called her by her full name because after a while it lose its cuteness. I hated that every time she said something stupid or not he answered with "Hm". There was no chemistry regarding the kisses etch but it was worse actually when they tried to communicate. I'm surprised how much these things stood up with this second viewing. I think the first time I was more lenient because other parts interfered and it wasn't so painful to watch their interactions. It was also probably the anticipation that it gets better, that they kiss, that they exchange more than two words.
It wasn't only the lack of chemistry the problem, but an overall feeling that there was no romance, no real feelings. As I said I was watching one episode of Love is Sweet and one episode of Only for Love and the contrast was startling, i was looking forward for the main couple to be alone from Love is Sweet because the romance was everywhere. from hey way they looked at each other to the smallest gesture. It was electric and believable. Not the same feeling while watching only for Love. It was weird and sometimes frustrating as hell.
2 The outfits. The ML had it worse since most of his suits were bad. They didn't fit him at all. Not to mention that the glasses they chose, and I love guys with glasses, weren't at all complementary to his looks. When he didn't wear them he was much more handsome.
The FL wasn't better, some of the outfits were hideous and most were for an older woman. The other two FL had better taste in clothes. Again, a shame they didn't manage to do well in that department.
3 I didn't like at all how petty both the leads could be like when Daniel Zhou's character called while they were in bed and the ML made it clear that they were together. Not cute for me, plain stupid. There were many other instances I felt both characters were far from endearing and when I watch a rom com I want my leads to be exemplary.
Things I adored
1 Bai Lu. She's my favorite romantic comedy actress and I'm a romantic comedy expert since I've seen hundreds over the years. Not a single actress comes close to her except maybe Sandra Bullock and Meg Ryan. She's great as per usual and this time she works with a character that isn't as adorable as the one in Lucky's Love or Love is Sweet. But she pulled it off, so kudos to her.
Amendment: She didn't really pull it off. I was wearing pink glasses the first time after watching her in Love is Sweet. She tried too hard to be cutesy and the writing didn't do her any favors. Also some lines she said or some thoughts she had didn't make any sense. Maybe it was the translation, but I'm sure it was also that the screenwriters tried to make it more intellectual than they should. She irritated me a lot and I think there were two reasons to that.
She wasn't a good person, which I noticed the first time as well, but what bothered me the second time it's the inconsistency she behaved. I was irritated by her coldness toward some of her colleagues, but also her constant cute remarks about her beauty. I could find that cute and funny if it weren't used too many times.
The second reason she irritated me were some thoughts about their relationship. She thought that kissing in public would be bad for children. Ridiculous thought from a smart modern woman. She was at the end of the day a very poorly written character and although I know Bai Lu is a fine actress and gorgeous, she wasn't the best here.
2 The SFL. The niece character was a rare case of loving so much a second character for me. It happened before once or twice, but this time I truly loved the actress and her character. So cute and charming and not annoying at all. Comparing her with the SFL of the Love is Sweet who got on my nerve more than once and ruined the series for me, I have to say that here the actress did a fabulous job to make her character adorable instead of annoying.
Things I loved:
1 The ML. I've seen better actors, I found him wooden sometimes, but all in all he did a good job and I was drawn into his character. I don't find him as handsome as some other reviewers seem to find him, but maybe that's because of his character. If he played a more emotionally available character maybe it'd work for me. I can't help but compare him to the ML of Love is Sweet who also isn't handsome for me, yet he embodied his character so well, I fell in love with him and now I find him handsome.
Amendment: I think he was the weak link of that series. Bai Lu's character was poorly written but she still salvage it somehow. His was poorly written and he made it worse with his acting. What is funny is that this time I got the handsome thing, but there were some many more things I didn't like. He also tried too hard to play the aloof CEO and he didn't do it well. The bigger issue wasn't even the wooden acting, it was that his lines were awful. Most of the times he stayed silent and it wasn't endearing. It was frustrating as hell. The kiss scenes weren't good either. There was even one scene that made me cringe bad when he entered the apartment and kissed the FL to show he was jealous her ex appeared at her doorstep. It felt more like a performance than a true passionate act.
2 The premise. I thought it was a great premise for a romantic comedy. Maybe it could be a little better executed but it didn't take out of my enjoyment.
3 The superior of the FL. Great actress and I loved her character as well. She's also such a beautiful woman, and her smile and voice fit with the characters I've seen her playing. Charming and heartwarming.
4 The ML uncle. I loved his character and the relationship he had with the superior of the FL. Realistic and sweet.
5 I loved the friendship between the three male characters.
6 I loved the friendship between the three female characters.
7 I loved the humor the SFL (the niece) brought in the mix. Her character allowed for many comedic scenes.
Things I liked:
1 I liked the relationship of the niece and the professor.
2 I liked the SML both of them. They had a good and interesting story both. They were also good people and none annoyed me at any time. I think it's the only series where none of the secondary characters annoyed me.
3 The antagonist of the FL at work. I didn't like her as character, that's clear. But I liked the dynamic her character brought and also that her rivalry seemed real and not like something pushed to create drama. I think the actress conveyed the character well.
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The most ridiculous plot ever
Things I hated1 Everything. I though the plot would be interesting and funny, the reason I bothered with this, and it turned out to be ridiculous.
2 The main leads and everyone else. The acting was atrocious.
3 The twin thing got fast stupid and tiring and most of the scenes were cringe.
4 The families. What's wrong with them? I've never seen such stupid, infuriating families.
5 The wedding scenes. They weren't funny. They were awfully unfunny.
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Not in the mood
What I lovedThe character and the actor who played the ML partner. He's one of my favorite actors anyway but here he stole my heart.
What I disliked
1 The ML. Not charismatic enough for me. His character maybe is great, but seeing him trigged depression feelings in me.
2 The whole cinematography. Not something I enjoyed. It felt like it tried too hard to be artsy.
3 The SML. I came to the conclusion that I don't like this actor. Something in his acting bothers me. No idea why, but I dropped other series where he was the ML.
4 The siblings. The actress who played the sister is one of my most disliked. Every time I see her she ruins the series for me.
What I hated
1 The FL. I liked her enough in Shooting Stars. I thought she was awful here. She tried too hard. I know the character she had to play didn't help, but I can imagine other actresses that would do justice to the role. In the end, I wanted to cry from frustration, so much she depressed me with her acting. It was like she thought she was in a drama called: How to kill any will to live on people.
2 The mothers. No redeeming qualities for me.
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The FL actress tries too hard
Things I liked1 The premise. It sounded cute and exactly the rom com style I love. It could have been great with another actress I guess.
Things I disliked
1 The ML. I'm not saying he's not a good actor, I will check dramas with him again but here he didn't shine and I guess the problem might be the script or his costar.
Things I hated
1 The dubbing of the FL. So bad I cringed every time she talked.
2 The FL actress. I'm not sure why she's considered a talented actress. She always tries to be cute and she always ends up looking stupid. She's too old to play the ingénue and she never was talented anyway. I hated every second of her scenes and every time she tried to play cute and adorable she made me wonder if she has any idea how awful she looks. Well, she has enough fans I gather to continue acting badly. The only regret I have is that I can't stand her and I put aside Healer, which is a great series, because of her. Let's hope I can stand her enough to watch it one day. Until now every time I tried I didn't last more than 20 minutes.
3 The production. It seemed so cheap it bothered me and I'm not bothered easily by this.
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Untalented actress
Here is why I dropped this title:1 The acting of the female lead was atrocious. I haven't see her anywhere else so maybe I'm being unfair but here she was terrible.
2 The execution. I'm all for romantic comedies, and I can watch the same trope a million times. The Cinderella trope is one of my favorites but here the execution was bad. I stopped counting how many times I rolled my eyes. It's a shame since I was keen in watching it.
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The FL annoyed me to no end
Things I liked1 I love the boss employee trope and I was looking forward to it, but in the end it wasn't as charming as I was expecting and hoping.
2 The ML. At first I thought he would be the problem since I don't find him handsome at all, but he won me over while the opposite happened with the FL. So weird.
Things I disliked
1 The FL. She ruined it for me with her annoying demeanor and when you add that I don't find it her pretty at all, she got on my nerves and couldn't care less about the plot.
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The ML doesn't know how to act
Things I disliked1 The FL. She was too much a passive character to like her and the acting wasn't stellar.
Things I hated
1 The ML. Boring, unattractive and... boring. The worst a character can be is boring. Here you have it. Nothing cute, sweet or romantic in this series.
2 The antagonistic lawyer. So unbelievably caricature.
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Unpleasant FL
What I liked:The premise.
What I disliked:
The ML. He looks too old and has no charisma for me.
What I hated:
The age gap. Too obvious. I don't mind when it's not that obvious but here he looks too old.
The FL. I disliked her character and I didn't think she was funny. This isn't a rom-com. I love rom-coms but when they are fluffy, funny. Not when the characters are mean or make no sense.
The director. So obnoxious and such an unpleasant person.
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4 Just for the 2ML
Things I loved1 The 2ML. Fortunately for us he went on to do some great dramas. he was a scene stealer and just like with the Korean version his character was much more sympathetic than the ML and I rarely say that if ever. He was the only good thing of the show.
Things I liked
1 The premise. I've already seen the Korean one so I knew what to expect and I like the premise so much I didn't care if it was a remake.
Things I disliked
1 The FL. I don't know what others see in this actress. I tried again and again to like her in some of her dramas and failed miserable. This was the less cringe although very cringe due to her character. This was the last one I try where she acts. It doesn't worth my time. The FL in the Korean version did a fabulous job and I wanted her to succeed so much. Here I didn't care.
Things I hated
1 The ML acting. He was wrong for the role and I agree with others that the 2ML should be the lead. What do cast directors think sometimes? Was it that complicated to see the actor was wrong for the role? Playing the cold, aloof CEO doesn't mean you play it without any expression. Awful.
2 The story about the friend and her crush. I hated that in the Korean version as well. Hated it.
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No chemistry
Things I liked:1 The premise. I love real estate so I was excited to see a series with this theme. Unfortunately it didn't last.
2 The FL. I've seen her in a few dramas and although she's not my favorite, I quite like her.
Things I disliked:
1 The ML. I should separate the actor and the character but let's say I can't say much about his character since I couldn't watch him. His expressions are so weird and they put me off. I tried but there was no way I spent any more time in his company.
2 The chemistry. Well, the lack, of chemistry. She looks too young, he looks too old, therefore off putting for me and I had to stop.
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Impossible to move past my disliking of the main male lead
Things I liked:1 The premise. I liked the concept of living together and even the fake marriage and that's why I wanted to give it a chance.
2 The actress. I quite like the actress and she's the reason I checked this out.
3 The opening scenes. I thought it was funny and had high expectations.
4 The secondary roles. I think they have potential. I'd love to go through with this to see if I'm right.
Things I hated:
1 The ML. I gave it a fair chance, but it's beyond my capabilities to continue watching him. I feel like I'll have nightmares for days. He seems like a robot and no, it's not the role. He's just an awful actor. He has no chemistry with the heroine and it felt like I was punishing myself watching him act.
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Not enough romance
Reasons I dropped this series:1 At first I thought I'd love the fact that the three women are important, but in the end I didn't. I didn't care for any of the stories to be honest.
2 I found the actress very beautiful and talented but she also seemed old for 33 and that's rare for me to notice since I usually have the opposite problem I haven't checked how old the actress is but she seemed 40 to me and that bothered me for some reason although I'd never drop the series only for that reason.
3 I like business themed series, but mixed with a good dose of romance. here the romance wasn't strong enough. Not enough romantic moments.
4 The main actor is probably handsome for other people but to me he was too generic. No real charm. Not Prince Charming materiel and I need my Prince Charming in most of the series that include romance.
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I tried but the actress got to my nerves
I tried but here my two reasons to drop this:1 The actress needs to take acting lessons. I felt like she didn't understand what she said, she just recited lines. I didn't feel anything positive toward her, she didn't make me want to know what the future holds for her.
2 The topic. I wanted to like the universe of the series but it didn't capture my interest. Nothing cute, funny or original to draw me in.
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