MariliT

Difficult to review

Things I adored

1 The 2FL. Such a beautiful actress and so talented. I wish she played the main role. I also loved her story with the 2ML. It was funny and touching and although I dislike the baby thing in any drama here it didn't bother me that much.

Things I loved

1 The premise. It was original and it had potential to be funny, interesting and moving. I think it failed more than it succeeded.

2 The 2ML. I would never imagine saying that after Love is Sweet where I hated his character more than anything. On top of that I don't find him attractive at all, but here he did a great job and I went as far as looking for his other dramas.

Things I liked

1 The sister. She was something. I liked hat she knew about the secret and that she helped the girls. I thought I'd hate her but it turned out I was wrong. I enjoyed her performance. The only thing that bothered me is the constant reminder that she is gorgeous. She's not.

2 The ML. This is my first drama with him and while at firs I didn't like him at all, little by little I found his acting fine and started to like him. I'm looking forward to watch another drama with him so I can find out if I really like his acting. I think he's also much more handsome than what he looks like here. So I give an 8 for the premise and the second couple and a little for him, otherwise it would be a 5.

Things I disliked

1 The serious aspects of the story. They weren't done well so I didn't feel much. I think the director and the screenwriter messed things up. Some things were cringe and I wanted to skip them.

2 The characters she used. I didn't care for any of them and that was the biggest flaw of the series. None of these characters was interesting or funny and none moved me.

Things I hated

1 The ML. She never made me care about her. I have felt more things in romantic comedies about characters who just have an argument. Here we are supposed to feel her pain but what I feel is indifference. I'm not familiar with the actress, apparently she is well-known and people love her but I found her bland and boring. Her delivery reminded me of school plays. Something was definitely missing. Maybe she was well cast for the supposedly less beautiful than her sister girl and I agree sometimes I found her totally unattractive but let's be real, she wasn't ugly either so it's not that the issue. It's her acting.

2 The death thing for the first character. Ridiculous is the best word I can find to avoid indult that part and the way it unraveled.

3 The abused woman. It was too dark and not well done. I didn't like the actress either so to me it was a NO again.

4 The third character was a bit better but again I don't think it was such a smart addition. I could come up with dozens more interesting characters and I could turn the story in a way that could make sense and at the same time move me and make me laugh.

5 The chemistry between the leads was nonexistent to me. I didn't see any.

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Flowers for the win

Things I loved

1 The ML. A charismatic actor and a good character. I will definitely look for his other dramas and hope they'll be a little more dynamic so I can watch him on something more vibrant. Here he was good, but the theme od the drama didn't give him much room to show his talent. I feel like he could be much better on another series and have better chemistry with another actress. Although it's not guaranteed, maybe this was his best.

2 The parents. I loved how supportive were of their daughter.

3 The FL as bride. One of the most beautiful I've ever seen and her wedding dress was great also.

4 The flowers. I was looking forward to see the nest scene where flowers would play a part. Magical.

Things I liked

1 The Chinese Medicine theme. It's interesting to me and I was happy with the way they involved it in the story.

2 The FL. I didn't love her, but I didn't dislike her either. I won't look for any other dramas with her because I think she didn't do justice to the role and she lacked something to make me care about her. She was apathetic most of the times and I don't know, maybe it's a me problem, I didn't click with her. On the other hand, I can't dislike her character or the actress. I even think that maybe it's worth it to give her another chance, bot not yet. Maybe after a while when I'll be over this drama.

Things I disliked

1 The pace. It was too slow for me even though I like slow.

2 The ex. Stupid character who should have disappeared sooner.

3 The first episodes where the FL was sad and indecisive. I know it's realistic, but I still didn't like it.

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Too dark for me

Things I liked

1 The ML. He's handsome at least. I can't say much for his acting skills though since this my first drama with him and I wasn't impressed. I didn't find his character was that great to be honest so maybe he should play it like that. I don't know. The thing is I was disappointed after seeing so many good reviews.

Things I disliked

1 The FL. I think she's not a great actress and her character wasn't compelling. She wasn't able to give it some depth so in the end I didn't care for her.

Things I hated

1 The script. It was too dark without make me care for the cases.

2 The lack of chemistry between the leads. I blame both, it feels like they didn't even try,

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The judges were awful

Things I loved

1 That it was a pastry contest of course. Although for the love of god I don't know why they kept saying bread in English. If it was about bread then it should be about bread. That wasn't the case. Did the bake bread? Yes. But mostly it was pastries, so what the heck? All in all, it was an utter failure.

Things I liked

1 The contestants. Most were sympathetic and did their best to present us great pastries.

2 The winner. She was good, she has a crazy talent for details and she deserved the win.

3 The amateur judge. She was fresh and she honest about what she enjoyed and why. She didn't try to act like an expert and I appreciated that.

Things I disliked

1 The theme of every episode. I didn't find them enticing enough and there were too many that were stupid and not original at all.

2 Some of the contestants but luckily very few.

3 The judges that I didn't hate except for Mimi that I liked.

Things I hated

1 The judges panel. Napoli Matfia what an idiot. Not only did he win without glory his competition but he had to ruin this one with his stupid comments. Not only that but he had the nerve to say to the amateur contestant that she shouldn't be there. What a despicable idiot. She was one of the best contestants and she had a great attitude and she had to agree with that idiot? Please!!

2 The female judge who works in France. What a disagreeable arrogant woman. She rarely smiled and what ever she said you thought she ate a bitter lemon. I hated her. It's so clear she thinks she's the best.

2 Da-Hee, the presenter. I love her in Single's Inferno. She's so funny, incisive, beautiful. Here she was awful. She had nothing to do and when she spoke was only to frustrate us by taking an hour to effing give us the scores etc. If there is a second season she should stay out of that program. She deserves better.

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The chemistry was off the charts and the actor gave a stellar performance

Things I adored

1 The ML. I've never seen apart for Hidden Love an actor play his part in such a natural way. If you ask me he must be one of the greatest actor out there and I've seen thousands of movies and series n my life. He's not only handsome, he embodies his role like no one else. It was such a joyful experience to see him fall in love, fall in despair and get back from hell. I haven't read the novel and I have no idea if the differences are big between the novel and the drama. What I do know is that his character is perfection. The right amount of rebellious attitude, the right amount of arrogance, of kindness, of everything. I don't know what else can one ask from a character. I'll follow his career and I hope he does many modern dramas and has a successful trajectory. He was just perfect in this drama.

2 The chemistry between the main couple. They were wonderful together. I'll rewatch for sure their romantic swooning moments and fortunately there were so many. He did a great job playing the head over heels for her guy and she matched his talent although I'll admit I think he was stellar and she was great. Some scenes were breathtaking. I cried, I laughed, I wished I could live such a relationship. The dancing scene was so absurd yet so moving. I can't get it out of my mind.

3 The song. It was one of the rare songs I listened to without ever get tired of it. Perfection.

Things I loved

1 The FL. She was a great character and not once I didn't get why she did what she did. She did what she had to do to survive and she thought she did the right thing when she left. I have no complaints about her character and the actress did a great job. It's my first drama with her and I loved her acting. I preferred her looks when she was an adult. I think she was more beautiful and I liked her aura more.

2 The grandmother. The actress did a good job and the relationship between the grandmother and the FL was beautiful. I wish she was there for a longer period.

3 The kisses. There weren't enough, but at least they were decent and they showed us that they had a mature believable relationship. I adored the way they were comfortable with each other, the teasing, the closeness, the gestures.

Things I liked

1 The 2ML. Unlike others I didn't dislike him. Yes he did something that cost our couple dearly but as the FL said, he didn't do it on purpose, and even if he did, who can blame him? he had a stupid mother and a horrible father and no one to lean on. The ML and the FL had at least each other. He literally had no one, so as an adult I get why he did what he did and he redeemed himself so I'm quite happy with his character development. I just wish he remained friends with the FL and built a relationship with the ML. My heart went to him when we last saw him. He was a lonely child who had to figure things out alone.

2 The second couple. I liked them but I didn't love them. Yes their arc was believable and realistic, but I was put off by the looks of the actor. I've seen him recently in my Little Happiness and he was my favorite character. Here he had a weird haircut and he seemed so awkward. In the high school years he was good, but then he was weird so I didn't care much about his arc. Anyway, I was happy they stayed friends with the main couple and I was happy they had their happy ending.

3 The aunt of the ML. I wish she had a bigger part and a closer relationship to her nephew. They probably were close but we didn't see that enough.

Things I disliked

1 The outfits. I read that many praised the way the FL was dressed but I thought she was awfully dressed most of the times. The outfits weren't a good fit for her and same goes for the ML. He had some good outfits but he had also some quite awful. Did I hate all of them? No, she had a few good ones and same goes for him, but all in all I can't say I liked the bad fitted items they wore. An example: the white dress and the awful flower. What the heck was that? There were others equally bad and even worse, but that is what came to mind right now.

2 That we didn't have enough episodes with them as adults. I'd like to see them more in their adult life. I didn't like that the forgive her period lasted so little. I wanted him to be distant and try to make her pay for longer. Somehow it felt rushed and not strong enough a reaction for what he went through. Yes, I get that he loved her, but I needed a better outcome. I wanted to see more of him keeping his distance even though I was craving for him to forgive her. Weird I know, but I needed more time with them dealing with their past.

Things I hated

1 The father of the ML. What can I say other than he should go to jail and have a terrible, horrible life from then on. What a despicable, horrible excuse of a father. No excuse for any of his actions. He deserved nothing than the worst. He didn't suffer enough if you ask me.

2 The mother of the FL. It's crazy that they tried to find her some excuses for abandoning her child. Do I think parents have sometimes to make hard decisions go give their children a better future? Absolutely and it's heartbreaking. Do I think this was the case here? Definitely not. It's not only what she did when the FL was a child. It was how she behaved when they met again. She was a horrible human being and I was happy she paid a price, albeit not big enough for me. Unlike others I didn't find the actress beautiful at all, but maybe that's because she did a great job to make me hate her and I could only see her as an ugly villain.

3 The grandfather. I'm not sure why they tried to sell him to us as a good person. He wasn't. He didn't care abut his grandson, he only cared about what he wanted for him. He had no reason whatsoever to behave he way he did with the FL and I blame him for his despicable son. I wasn't happy that the ML still had a close relationship with him. He shouldn't have forgiven him. Period.

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Please do another drama with the same leads. The best child actor ever.

Things I adored

1 The child who played the son of the couple. Oh, my God, I never ever fell in love with a child actor as much as with that child. Every scene he was in he shined. I wish him a great career and every happiness in the world because he made me smile and laugh so many times. His chemistry with his "parents" was perfect. Honestly if you hesitate about watching this series please watch it just for him. Adorable, natural, perfect and that comes from someone who avoids series with children usually.

2 The FL. I'm ashamed to say it but I discarded a few series with her at the beginning because I didn't find she had charisma. Then I watched a few episodes of My Page in the 90's after Love Between the Lines and thought she wasn't bad, but I still haven't finished this drama. That led me to My Lover Friend, though, and she was exceptionally good. I fell in love with her natural acting, she can do anything well, and then starting looking for her other series. Now she became one of my favorite actresses and in this series she was great. She nailed every aspect. The friendship scenes, the business scenes, the sad, the happy scenes, but she was the best as a mom and as a lover. Absolutely phenomenal.

3 The ML. At first I thought he wasn't my type. I liked him in Guess Who I am, but the female lead and the ending ruined it for me, so I didn't give him a second chance. But then this series came, and I fell in love with him as much as with the FL. Now I'll check his dramas, and I hope I find another one with the same tone because he excelled in playing the childish grown man, all the while being protective and warm, and his acting is so natural I believe him in every role.

4 The chemistry. I adored the chemistry in the My Lover Friend, but here it was even better. Every scene was perfection. If you told me they are friends or a couple I would have believed you right away. I think this is the best chemistry I've ever seen between a couple and that is the standard now for me about chemistry. Please do another modern drama together.

Things I loved

1 The premise. I love second chance trope and when you add the business component I'm all in. I hesitated though because there was a kid involved, but the pictures convinced me to start it, and once the child appeared I was gone.

2 The friendship between the FL and the 2FL. Business partners, mature women who trust and support each other. I'm there for it.

3 The third ML. At first I wasn't fond of him, you can imagine why. But I ended up loving him and wanted him to be happy. I enjoyed his rivalry with the ML and that they became friends. Not only that but I found him quite handsome. I've seen comments about how the FL led him on, but I didn't see anything like that. She considered him a friend and she never led him on. That he was in love wasn't her fault, and I'm happy they ended that soon enough to enjoy their friendship without that hanging over their head. I also loved that he cared genuinely about the kid.

4 The outfits of both leads. I pay attention to the outfits and in the other series the FL has with the same ML her outfits are horrible. Here they were great. As for the ML he's good in everything he wears, but here he had some great suits.

Things I liked

1 The 2 FL. She is beautiful and I wanted her to be happy. I didn't like her with the 2ML though. Their relationship fell flat and I fast forwarded their scenes after a while. That said, she was a great friend and I loved her relationship with the FL. She was also a great godmother and I loved her scenes with the child.

2 The 3FL. I'm not sure why some people hate her. I liked her from start to finish. She liked him and was honest. Why is that a problem? She didn't do anything to create issues between him and the FL. She was sometimes too insisting but she didn't cause any harm and she bowed out gracefully when she realized he was in love with the FL. To be honest, I was happy to see him groveling after she rejected him. She deserved to be loved by someone who was clear about his feelings. Kudos to her. She was also beautiful and kind and I loved her relationship with the little kid.

Things I disliked

1 The 2ML. Unfortunately he didn't work for me. He is the reason I give a 9.5 and not a 10 to the series when if there was only the main couple it would have been a 20. I don't like the trope older woman younger man in general, and here it wasn't as bad as in other dramas, but I still found him too young. It felt like I was watching an 18 year old with a 35 year old woman. He didn't convince me he was mature enough for a relationship, even though he was a good guy.

Things I hated

1 Well, if I hated them it means they did a good job, but I still want to say how much I hated the characters of the two male villains. I'm happy they paid for their actions and I wish we'd see more of their suffering. Despicable, horrible characters and I'm glad the drama addressed the sexual harassment at work. It could be better, but at least it wasn't glossed over and they spent quite a time on this.

2 The lover of the villain. What a stupid woman who wasted her life on someone like him. I'm happy she came to her senses but a little too late for me. Covering a sexual harassment is never something I can forgive. You must be out of your mind to do that. But I was happy she could change and help the leads get him down.

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Great acting but too dark for me

Things I adored

1 The costumes of the FL. Gorgeous and she wore them perfectly. She was so elegant, so beautiful in these costumes, it's uncanny.

Things I loved

1 The FL. This is the first time I watched her on anything and she's beautiful and so talented. I loved her and I'm looking forward to watch other dramas with her.

2 The ML. Same for him. he was great and I will look for other series with him. He had great chemistry with the FL which was also a plus and kept me watching.

Things I hated

1 The too dark past f the ML. I can't stand that kind of plot and it triggered a lot of things that made me enjoy less the series.

2 The intrigues and the whole palace thing. I hate power people who abuse of their power and if it weren't for the leads I would have dropped this the moment it went dark.

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Just wonderful - Don't miss it

Things I adored

1 The ML. What fabulous actor and what a great role. I fell in love with him from the first scene and was first with his character. How can you not fall in love with someone who's unique and talented and hard working and never lets life and stupid people get in his way. I wish there were more dramas with him I could watch. And to think I don't even find him handsome in a classic way, yet he was so perfect in his role I found him more than handsome in the end. I'm already on his profile looking for other shows with him.

2 The FL. Such a great actress and a positive character. I loved her as well from the very first moment and she never disappointed me. She is a great actress although I have to say that since this is my first drama with her I don't know how she'll do with another script and I hope she does better in the romance scenes because here there was something lacking. I'm going to search for other shows with her for sure.

3 Pei XI. Another wonderful character and his story was one of the most compelling. I loved every minute he was in and I was so happy for his story arc. The way it started it continued and ended. It was perfect all the way.

4 Lin Yi Xuan. What an adorable character and the actor did a great job to make me care about him. A loyal friend, a fierce competitor and the dash of humor we needed in this drama. He was perfect all the way.

5 Summer. Not a big character but he made me laugh the more with Lin Yi Xuan and he was also a great friend with a big heart. What else can you ask? His smile made me smile and his actions made my heart fond.

6 The friendship. The relationship between these characters was the highlight of the show along with the competition. I've never seen so many friendships that stood time so well and proved to be solid and real. I cried a lot of times and laughed as many and my heart grew fond of all of them. Such a great bunch of friends and competitors.

7 The script. The screenwriter did a great job creating so many real, compelling characters. I wouldn't even be able to choose my favorite from the cast. I adore the ML, but the rest of the cast is as good.

8 The competition part. It was thrilling and it's the first time after maybe a 100 shoes that I stayed awake for two nights to watch the series. Never happened to me to watch a whole series in two days and nights. I watched a lot of series I adored but I could stop for a few days and go back while here I couldn't stop. I just wanted to see what happened and how. Honestly, if not for the lacking in the romance department this would be on my top 3 shows.

Things I loved

1 The game universe. I didn't think I would, and some things went over my head, but it didn't take away from my pleasure. Competition was thrilling and I was at the edge of my seat until the last minutes.

2 The 2FL. I loved her, she was a great friend and a good journalist, but didn't adore her. Only one reason to this. She acted too childish sometimes, to the point that it was frustrating. I wish her relationship with Lin Yi Xuan was better developed as well. It still was adorable, though.

3 Gu Fang. We didn't have the chance to get to know him better but the little we saw made me love him and his behavior after the first championship was exemplary of a great athlete. I also loved his relationship with the ML.

4 Xia Ling. Another adorable character who contributed to make the series compelling, Not only the story with his sister was interesting but also his personal growth. I would have done without the drama but it wasn't that bad.

5 Sun Ze Yi. I repeat myself but he as also a great character and I'm so happy with his story arc. I think his was one of the most compelling. The actor played well and I'm happy with his personal story as well. I wish we could have seen more of his romantic arc.

6 Shu Wen. I loved her and how she stood up for what she believed. I loved her relationship with the ML, her ex and her team. A positive smart character whom I'd love to watch more as well.

Things I liked

1 Luo Tian. I wasn't fond of the actor to be honest, but his character won some points after he behaved so well with the FL. Not a negative point, though. He did his part and contributed to the whole series.

Things I disliked

1 I don't think make Luo Tian have feelings for the FL even though it never went far was necessary. I'm not even sure it contributed anything except for a few scenes that could have been done another way to express what the writer wanted.

2 The way the treated the romance part. Although I get that this was primarily a competition focused drama the romance was a big part of it and it should have been done better. They did dirty on the ML with the way they wrote some scenes and they never took the time to have the main leads have an explanation and that's a complete miss for me. I invested so many hours I think I deserved to see them happy and have a good explanation instead of a rush ending. Another thing the messed u was that they created a warm, great relationship between the ML and his ex and showed us how in love they were but failed to do so with the FL. That's something that frustrated me a lot.

3 The lack of chemistry between the leads when it comes to romance. let me explain because this is tricky. They had great chemistry when they bickered, it was a treat. Same for when they became friends. They were adorable. But it never translated to the scenes where they were together as a couple. I'm not sure why. They didn't even have a proper kiss. The two kisses, although it may have been only one, were fish kisses and left me frustrated and irritated. If you are able to make me lose sleep for two nights to watch this, you have to be able to write and film a great kiss. That's the only reason I take half a point of my rating. Because I think it's a great miss to mess the romance part so much. They didn't even have any sweet moments after they got together. it was more sweet and adorable before.

4 The ex. Fu Mi Ya. I know most people hated her, but I didn't. I think her reaction was natural in a way. She was in love she sacrificed everything for her career and she felt alone. It was natural to turn to her ex and they did a great job to show us how close they were and why she would still be attached to the memory of them. Did she go a little too far? Definitely, but she redeemed herself and that was a true redemption. I think they should have given us a scene where she realized Tony, her manager is the person she should be with. The actress did a good job by the way to make us not hate her character.

Things I hated

1 The way the FL reacted to their romance. There was a line I hated with all my heart because it made me question the whole relationship between the leads. She said when she was asked id she was sad that she wasn't as sad as she expected. That she was grateful to have met him bla bla. That ruined the romance for me. How the heck aren't you sad mere hours after you think your love story has ended? If you were truly in love there's no way you felt happy for all the stupid reasons you uttered. You need time to process all this and react in such a cold way. I'm sorry that was an awful line.

2 Zhao Yang. I wish he paid a heavy price for what he did and not only lose his job. His character was despicable and we never were given a reason other than jealousy. Good riddance.

3 Qi Yue. No shortage of characters to hate and I don't care about his redemption. I don't believe he would ever be able to do that and I think he should never get another chance to play. After all he tried to destroy the ML without any remorse. Good riddance as well. Not happy with the redemption idea.

4 Qiao Xin. The queen of malice. Do I believe she changed? I don't care. I don't want to see her again so why would I care? She was an immature and quite uninteresting character to be honest. Her acts didn't make any sense to me. How jealous and insecure can you be to try to smear someone who did nothing to harm you? Such a selfish nasty person.

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I get why some love it and others hate it

Things I loved

1 The fresh and original premise. The problem is I thought it would be a comedy and it turned out it was a mix of everything and anything and that irked me in the end.

Things I liked

1 The FL mother. I think she was a great mother even though at first I wanted to smack her.

Things I disliked

1 The FL. I thought at first I would love the actress and the character but little by little I came to dislike both. Sometimes I had the impression the actress was in a trance. Hearing her speaking put me to sleep.

Things I hated

1 The mix of genres that wasn't particularly successful. The sad vibe that was predominant put me off. I didn't expect that and it ruined it for me.

2 The ML actor. Oh God, it's not only that I find him unappealing, it's that his acting was as bad as the acting of the FL if not worse. Every time he spoke or appeared I wanted to shout at him to wake up and behave like a normal person. The "I know I'll die" stupid thing was unnecessary and made the whole series unwatchable. I wonder why I give it a 3. Probably because I think the premise was so unique it deserved it.

3 No chemistry between the leads. It's subjective, I know, but other than both make me feel depressed I didn't see anything that made my heart flutter and think they were meant to be together.

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Disappointing at all levels

Things I loved

1 The premise. I thought it would be interesting and it was for a few episodes. Then I stopped caring.

Things I liked

1 The FL. She's one of the actresses I like, but here something was amiss. I can't put my finger on it, but she didn't fit the role for some reason.

Things I disliked

1 The ML. Unfortunately I didn't care about his acting and I found him disturbing. Maybe he's a good actor but here he didn't deliver for me. I didn't want him to be guilty but I didn't care either and that's what ruined the whole drama for me. That he wasn't a compelling enough character to make me care.

2 The romance part. They didn't have chemistry in my book.

3 The ending. Not riveting and at that point i didn't care for that ether.

4 The fan part. I thought it would be good but it was limit disturbing. I didn't hate it but it wasn't dealt well with and that diminished my enjoyment. All in all, not as good as I was expecting and hoping.

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How can you rate perfection?

Things I adored

1 The FL. I thought I'd never like anyone more than Bai Lu. Well, it happened. I think Lu Yu Xiao became my favorite actress ever. Beautiful, sweet, funny, talented. I never liked any actress the way I liked her in Love Between Lines. She nailed every second she was in. The way she laughed, the way she cried, the way she teased, the way she kissed, it was a master class of acting. Her character was one of the best I've ever seen as well. Smart, dedicated, great friend, great daughter, the best girlfriend ever. I wish I could explain how much I loved her but it's impossible. I wish her a long and fulfilling career. She made me cry and laugh and swoon and I had some wonderful moments watching her in LBL. Absolute perfection. I think she is the best rom com heroine ever and i doubt anyone surpass her.

2 The whole series. Were they some things I didn't adore? Definitely. But when everything makes your heart flutter or sink and makes you feel alive and so lucky to see this drama everything is perfect. The premise was wonderful, the pace was great, the plot was compelling. Only details bothered me.

3 The chemistry between the leads. So wonderful to watch. Every smile between them, every hug, every word was perfection. I didn't expect that when I started it and I made it last as much as I could, but in the end I gave in and watched the last episodes only to feel sad and empty knowing I can't recapture the joy this drama brought me. When you think that I don't even find the ML that handsome and I've seen other dramas of him I didn't like, you can imagine how good this one is to make me love him as well.

4 The ML. I don't find him that handsome, and I definitely didn't like his clothes this time. But his acting was so subtle, so perfect that now he is on my favorite actors list. He was the perfect boyfriend, he had crazy chemistry with Lu Yu Xiao and it felt like they didn't act. They felt like a real couple.

5 The jealousy scenes. Both nailed them and they were so fun to watch. I would love a compilation of them just to rewatch them again and again.

6 The kisses. They were great. Finally some real kiss scenes that were believable and so rewarding. Perfection again.

7 Their relationship. Once it happened they were there for each other in such a way that you can only fall in love with them and want them to be happy.

8 The relationship of the FL with her parents. It reminded me of my family and I felt for her father, her mother and the FL. I loved how close they were and how they were ready to listen to each other and forgive and support. The way my family is and the way I wish everyone were with their family.

9 The virtual setting. I loved it. So fun and original to see them in the virtual game. Was it perfect? Of course not but I wanted to ha fun. I didn't care about the credibility of this part. It was the best start of a romance ever.

10 I loved the relationship between the FL and her friend. They were there for each other without any judgment and this is another strong appeal of the drama.

Things I loved

1 The people who worked at Dynamic studio. They weren't developed enough but it was a healthy and creative environment which was refreshing and healing to watch after watching so many dramas with awful, toxic work places.

2 The best friend of the ML. He wasn't developed enough ether but he seemed a genuinely good guy and although we didn't see him with the FL's best friend we know that's where it headed and why not? I have some reservations because to be honest I felt like he's not appreciated enough but I loved him and I would like for him to find happiness.

3 The way the FL dressed. There ere a few outfits I didn't love but nothing I truly disliked. Most were very stylish and elegant and suited her. Well, she's gorgeous so it helps, but still. Cute outfits that suited her personality.

Things I disliked

1 The shoes the FL wore. most were ugly and shoes meant for old people. I'm not sure why she wore these.

2 The ML's clothes. I've seen many comment about how well he was dressed but honestly I thought exactly the opposite. The suits weren't flattering and the trousers same thing. They didn't make him look better but worse. None of his clothes were fitting. Let's be real, the 2ML was much more elegant.

3 The way they deal with the best friend and the husband. We didn't have time and enough information to side with her a 100%. I'm in no way in support of any kind of cheating, but I needed him to explain more. I needed her to take some time to think before making such a drastic decision. Nothing was really explained and until the "cheating" we saw some issues but not enough to make me understand her decision. That said, I'm all for her asking for a divorce. At that point, trust was lost and they could never be together and happy. Still, I wish they took the time to make us feel what both went through. After all they married because they loved each other. It should count for a few weeks of grief. Here we had the impression that from evening to morning everything was dealt.

4 The mother of the ML. I can't hate her, she went through a horrible moment and made a wrong decision, but she was a weak woman and I hate weak women in dramas. The actress wasn't great either. More like a robot than a real person.

5 The 2ML. I can't put him in the "hated" list. I can't put an abused child in this list, not even in a drama. Not even when he des some questionable if not despicable things. I wish we could see him happy to be honest and I took his last scene as he will find his purpose and some day he'll be happy. I didn't find him handsome at all so it's not because of that. It's because I think he was abused and lied his whole life and he deserves some happiness.

Things I hated

1 The father of the 2ML. The actor nailed the role, no doubt. I haven't abhorred someone so much since the 2Ml in So I Married an Anti-Fan. I wanted to punch him every time he appeared. Such a horrible horrible person. I wish we could have seen him suffer instead of a few minutes of confrontation. I wish I could see a confrontation with his wife, his son and the ML.

2 The story was too heavy in some aspects. I didn't like the abuse of the 2ML. it was triggering to me and didn't have its place in such a drama. Same for the fire thing. It would be as much compelling without these two things.

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Uneven and disappointing

Things I liked

1 That is was a law theme series. I love everything that has a law premise. That said, it started well and then it changed and went downhill. Some episodes were decent some were awful. It wasn't only the cases but the way they glossed over, and they rarely managed to move me. It happened but not as much as I thought.

2 The ML. Actually I hesitated were to pout him. I could also put him in the things I disliked, but he was better than the rest of the cast so I have to acknowledge this. That said, I thought he was looking quite old, his acting was too restrained, more than the role required, and even in the moving scenes he was holding back. Though he was better than the FL. Still a decent performance.

Things I disliked

1 The FL. I don't think she was good in this role. It felt like she had no idea how to act. She didn't deliver her smart ideas in a convincing way. She wasn't able to move me when she talked about her sister and the whole family debacle. To put it bluntly she didn't make me care.

2 The ML ex wife. I didn't hate her as others because I think she was flawed but I could clearly see what happened and how it was difficult for her to make the right decision. I don't excuse her, I just think she was a normal human being who made mistakes. She should have owned her mistakes sooner though.

3 The lack f chemistry. Unfortunately even though they tried both actors didn't manage to have any sparks between them. It felt to me like two high school students read their script instead of living it. After having seen so many K and C dramas, I can say that for me both were wrong for their role.

Things I hated

1 The FL mother. No redemption arc could save her. I loathed her and I wish she paid for what she did. There's no excuse for being such a coward and despicable human being.

2 The culprit in the animals case. I know he was there for an episode but he was one of the worst villains I've ever seen and it made me hurt, really hurt. My stomach was in knots.

3 The 2ML. I thought he was childish and so boring and stupid. I didn't like at all the way he chased the 2FL. I didn't feel their couple was one to rule for. I hate age gap but in this case it wasn't about that. He just seemed so immature from the first time he courted her to the stupid proposal. That was one of the stupidest I've ever seen. I wish she'd rejected him.

4 The ending. The conversation between the leads. So trite and pseudo philosophical. Who the heck says things like that with a straight face? It was like they both read a script and not having a genuine conversation and I'm the queen of such conversations. There was no passion, no conviction, nothing. One of the less satisfying endings out there. Not to mention the memorial like we went through the dead people after a reward ceremony. Awful.

5 The ex wife's husband. I just mention it because he was so insecure and stupid it ruined every scene he was on.

6 Some cases like the animal and the bulling cases. I do get why they did it and I applaud that, but it was too hard to watch for a series that wasn't supposed to be that brutal. As for the last case it takes the crown for the most stupid case and the most stupid outcome. I didn't get what he gained or why she behaved like nothing had changed. Both idiots.

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When I fell in love with Ji Chang Wook

Things I loved:

1 Ji Chang Wook. I never thought I could fall in love with an actor and yet here I am. When he wore his glasses and didn't have his hair styled, he was just adorable. His acting skills and especially comedic are fantastic. I could rave about him for hours so let's say he's my first crush.

2 The secondary characters. I loved all of them. The whole lawyer team, the moms, her nemesis, and the female prosecutor.

3 The story. Although I thought it could be better regarding some points, it still was great and interesting.

4 Nam Ji Hyun. I'm not in love with her, but she's a great actress and she was great showing her feelings. I especially loved her comedic moments.

5 Ji Chang Wook. Fine, I repeat myself but he deserves it, and I just wanted to add it again to talk about the meeting scenes. I loved each and every one of them. The bickering and the care they had for each other shone through.

6 The relationship of the female lead with her rival, the woman her ex cheated with her.

Things I disliked (although not much):

1 Not enough romantic, sizzling scenes. I'll probably say this again and again, but it's a shame such wonderful series (Korean and Chinese) lack at this department.

2 The second couple wasn't developed enough. I wanted to see how their relationship evolves and have them confess their feelings.

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Sweet but average

This will be one of my short reviews. I realize that it's a waste of time to try to give all the reasons I didn't like something, so I prefer to focus on what I like and write long reviews for the dramas I loved. So from now on anything that gets less than a 7 gets a short review.

The tory has been done a million times but I still love that kind of story so I stared with enthusiasm. I loved the FL especially in high school, the actress did a great job. For some reason I didn't like that much later. No idea why, I just liked more her vibe in high school.

The problems isn't her, though. It's the ML. I don't have anything specific to blame him from other than I didn't find there was much chemistry between the leads and also he was too boring, too average. I get the shy thing, I'm the shyest person out there, but it's not something that attracts me in dramas. To be honest, I'm not sure if he played well the role or not. I guess he did, but at some point I stopped caring.

The plot itself was boring and after a while it was a struggle to get through. The main problem the lack of true romance. Everything was too calm, too proper, too mild. I wanted more life in their romance.

I liked the rest of the characters and I was happy to see everyone happy in the end. It just wasn't interesting enough and I expected more after the first few episodes. I still think the ML was the issue. He wasn't good enough to be the ML. He didn't match the FL.

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Something went wrong

Things I adored

1 The premise. High school and geniuses and the prospect of Best Friends to Lovers trope. Sign me in. This had everything to become my favorite drama of the year. So I still try to understand where things went awry.

2 Qi Yan. His character was my favorite from start to finish. I liked how natural the actor was, how his character evolved, how much chemistry he had with everyone. he was a true friend, and a smart, funny and kind person who stayed true to himself. The actor did a great job and I hope to see him in other dramas as the main character.

3 The young leads. They were so talented and so cute. One of my favorite arts of the drama. The chemistry that the main couple lacked was present with the young leads and hat made all the difference. kudos to both of them.

4 The sketches at the end of each episode. They were so well done and one of the best parts of the drama. I caught myself waiting for them at the end of the episode and I loved almost all the scenes they chose. Good job.

5 The high school part. I don't know why everyone wanted them to move to the adult era. Yes I wanted that too, but I wasn't in a hurry. I loved everything about their high school days. They were at their best, all of them, and their friendship shone through. I loved their interactions at school and outside and how they were there for each other. Honestly after finishing the drama, I think this was the only thing that was worth it. I wish they had kept the same quality for the adult era, but for me it went downhill.

6 The relationship between the FL and her brother. It was great to see them bickering but also support each other. I loved particularly the high school era although it was still fine later when they were adults. Both had chemistry and conveyed well the siblings banter and love. One of my favorite parts of the drama.

7 The leaf scene. It was cute and romantic and meaningful and one of my favorites.

Things I loved

1 The FL. She is beautiful, adorable and I'm sure she'll have a great career. I haven't seen yet in any other dramas, I don't watch historical dramas, and I hope she does more modern dramas with better scripts and more chemistry with her partner. I still loved her even though I think in the adult era her character was quite dull and annoying even. I loved her a child and as a teenager. She did a great job to convey who she was and honestly she was a great person. She lost me when she was adult because I didn't see any of her genius characteristics and she even became stupid. I hated her inner thoughts about love, her inability to get what she felt etc. It was like they changed her for someone dumb.

2 The parents of the FL. They were good people and good parents. It was good to see such a different way of parenting than the stupid parents of Bai Hu. I enjoyed their family vibe.

3 Fu Xuan. I had seen the actor in Shine on Me and unlike others didn't hate his character. I got him, but the actor himself didn't impress me. Here he was good though. It suited him to play a lighter character, although still serious. He was probably the most adult when they were at school and later. I liked how he resolved his rivalry with the ML. There was no need for drama and I was happy with it. I was also happy he remained friends with all of them. I never wanted him with the FL, but I didn't want him to go away either, so in my book this is a good thing. It means the actor did a good job. I wish he found someone as well, but well, I want to imagine he will.

4 Ze Qiu. The brother of the FL. The actor was cute and he conveyed a lot of warmth and also cheekiness as the brother of a genius. I loved watching his scenes and I wanted him to succeed and find his path. I was happy about his relationship as well, although he lost me a bit when he confessed and when he decided to marry so soon after he feigned a relationship with his future wife. It didn't sit well with me and I didn't feel it was earned. Also it didn't work for the character. I still loved him.

5 Ting Ting. She was one of my favorite characters, especially in high school. The actress is beautiful and talented and I loved her as adult as well. She was successful and hard working and a good friend. I was hoping for her to be in love with Qi Yan and they had great chemistry, although once again I found them more natural in high school. I hope the actress finds a role she will shine in as main lead.

Things I liked

1 Bai Hui. The actress did a good job and she is beautiful and talented. She frustrated me a lot though and I wish she was bolder and stand up to her parents sooner. When she did, she ddin'0t a good job either, she just tried to smooth things and that annoyed me. She should be her own woman and tell them the truth that they were terrible parents instead of crying and lamenting about how they suffered.
Although I was all in for her to be with Ze Qiu, and they were cute sometimes, the whole thing wasn't as goods as I was hoping when they made it clear they'd end up together in the high school part. I was hoping for more romance and cute moments. Also It would be great if they gave us more scenes with her and the whole band in high school and take the time to make the transition from enemies to friends smoother between her and the FL.

2 The ML. I didn't love him or his character but I liked him enough. I don't know what to think of the actor. I've seen him in other dramas and I always felt he could do better. Here, though, I'm not sure he could. He didn't pull off the high school part, but would? He doesn't look like a teenager, I think he looks older than he is even, and don't start me on the hair. Awful is the best I can say.
That said, I loved his character in high school. I didn't mind at all the competition, and his relationship with the FL as friends was believable. My issues are with the adult era. I disliked the arc they gave him. Not endearing to me, rather frustrating and the only thing I liked was his long hair. They gave him an edge that was welcome because the actor looks boring and bland to be honest.

Things I disliked

1 The whole wedding theme with Bai Hui and Ze Qiu. I love that ended up together and they were a great match, but honestly that part was cringe and made me roll my yes. Why would you go down that path when they were so many much more romantic and natural ways to show they were in love and ready to move forward. I would get it if all Chinese dramas were like this and it was a cultural thing but it's not the case, so I just don't get this kind of writing.
They didn't even kiss and suddenly they plan a wedding? Who the heck does that? And the whole time he was talking without looking at her and it was so maddening. I loved his character but this was too much and illogical. Sorry. This drama started so well and then added a bunch of stupid things that ruined it in some way. Such a shame.

2 The lack of chemistry between the leads. Unfortunately, I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between them. There was some as friends but nothing extraordinary either. He was looking too old for her and they had more a sibling vibe. I was happy before the drama started, I thought they would be great together, but I was quite disappointed.

3 The lack of romance. I thought the director did a terrible job in the romance department. It wasn't only the lack of chemistry between the leads, it was the whole thing. The confessions felt flat, with a small exception that between Qi Yan and Ting Ting. It was the only one that felt somewhat natural and even this wasn't earned. There were some terrible kisses, although a few decent as well. The narration of the love story between the leads felt flat and didn't steer any emotion in me. I wish we had more time to enjoy the relationship between Qi Yan and Ting Ting. All in all, a disappointing part of the drama. Even the wedding proposal felt flat to me.

4 The romantic interests for both Ting Ting and Qi Yan. They were useless and didn't add anything to the story.

5 The patient story. The actress was beautiful and the story touching, but honestly it wasn't what I wanted in this drama. The ending made things worse. I shed a tear or two, but it still didn't make me like the whole arc.

Things I hated

1 The scene of episode 25 where she goes to ask why her heart races etc. Oh, my God. I mean, I get it. It was supposed to be cute but it made me mad. The dumping down was so insane I curded the writer and the director. Not the fault oft he actors, but what the hella was that? She may not be experienced and yes, there are naïve 22 year old girls, and I was one, but come on. Don't take us for fools. She can handle so many difficult situations at work and with her friends, but she can't imagine why her heart races? Give me a break. It wasn't cute, it was cringe as hell and honestly I changed my rating from 8.5 to 8.
I give everyone the benefit of the doubt until you take me for a fool. The discussion with Ting Ting and her advise was fine and it could be funny, but the whole thing was so stupid that I didn't even enjoy that. Then she continued to behave like an idiot and sorry but being a genius doesn't mean you don't get basic things. She was like possessed with the sprite of idiocy. It was so annoying.

2 Bai Hui's parents. What despicable people. I'm not sure what to say about them other than they were the biggest hypocrites ever and the worst parents. I didn't agree with what they said once and it was so obvious that the only thing that mattered to them was to control their daughter. I know there are parents like them in real life, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I hated them with all my being and wish I could make them disappear every time they were on the screen. Stupid effing idiots.
I hated that they tried to give them excuses and to redeem them. What the effing hell? Why would they do that? Didn't they see how their daughter suffered? Give me a break. I wasn't a genius, but I come from a modest family and my parents wished we all go to university and have a better life than them.
Guess what? I went and obtained two university diplomas and a doctorate. I speak five languages and I chose my life. My two sisters didn't study after high school, and same for my older brother. My younger brother studied a lot of things that he liked and he can do anything he puts his mind into. Not once they treated us differently. I wasn't any better because I went to university and we were praised for the same things. Kindness, generosity and uniqueness. We were also scolded for the same things. Stubbornness, intolerance, laziness.
That's what good parenting is. You give your children everything they need to choose their path, and you love them equally, no matter what path they choose as long as they are kind and tolerant people.
So, yes I hated the way they tried to pass their attitude as normal. Hurting your children because you failed is the worst you can do as a human being. So no good will toward them from me and Bai Hu should have told off them earlier and not accept to be scolded for being herself even in the last episodes and when she was an adult.

3 The ring the ML chose. One of the ugliest I've ever seen. Enough to feel the urge to mention it. The ad was cringe but the ring itself awful.

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