A nice and chill watch!

pros:
- easy storyline, nice and fast paced in the last 10 episodes.
- cute fluffy moments between the leads
- leads are very loyal to each other in the later half!! there are second leads but like they don’t cause too much trouble for the mains after a while.
- the wu ji and ling couple are the cutest <3
- HYX is quite possibly one of the most beautiful chinese actresses out there.
- loved the soundtrack!!! esp the theme song, i never skipped the theme song lol

cons:
- very obviously low budget. the costumes and makeup was sometimes a bit jarring. it’s not unwatchable though.
- draggy on the middle, i skipped loads. defo could have just done with 24 eps.
- ML was so abusive to FL in the first half, nearly ruined their chemistry for me.
- it’s nothing spectacular, like it’s an okay drama. i wouldn’t watch again but if you need something to pass time, or like a wind down drama because you have withdrawals from another one, this one is good.
- ending was happy but it was so rushed. a shame we never got to see into qiqi’s past properly and explore her mage powers.

looking forward to HYX’s future dramas!
and the guy that played Wu Ji defo needs a ML role soon.... ;)

overall, MDL rating is for once accurate. 7.5/10!

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I love mystery/crime romances and I also love republican dramas so needless to say, I was ecstatic to see this drama to fit all my favourite genres!

Story:
Good setup, nice and fast paced straight off the bat. We have emotional baggage from the male lead and female lead that could have contributed well into the main mystery underlying all the cases (Captain). The cases were actually enjoyable to watch and I had a lot of fun guessing who the criminals were. Other characters such as Benjamin added a nice comedic element into the story, and also some bromance! The chemistry between Xiao Man and Luo Fei rrally made me squeal! They are so adorable and their banter really mixed well with their case solving. A lovely dynamic pair where there strengths complimented one another.

But as with many Chinese web dramas, the plotline suffered terribly from the number of episodes it needed to have. I thought from the fast pace that we would have addressed the main issues by episode 23, but nothing was ever solved in the end. A 'no ending' ending, you might say. I'm not even sure if everyone survived by the end because the ending was essentially the beginning to the real story. I don't even know how the mastermind criminal managed to do all the evil things he did from prison? I don't know who killed Xiao Lu? I liked the twist with Huo Wen Si, but that twist LITERALLY happened in the last minute of the last episode. C'mon? The characters could have done with a lot more developing in terms of background- Luo Fei's background especially. I wanted to see more of his relationship with Captain and his younger sister, but nothing. Overall, good story in terms of case solving but a horrible ending if there is no season 2 to follow.

Actors:
Cannot fault! Bai Yu was really hot as Luo Fei, YRJ is adrorable as Xiao Man and Jeffery made a really compassionate Benjamin. And the psychologist did an unexpectedly good job too! Costumes and camera work were beautifully done and the aesthetic was definitely there. The cinematography could convey messages without the actors saying anything (e.g. the scene where XM and LF were at the river side and walks over to her). The chemistry between LF and XM was sizzling with the characters bouncing off each other in the most wonderful ways.

Music:
Music did really well to create suspense. Lots of strings to really set the more tense scenes. Nice piano music for the endearing scenes. Only two actual songs released as OST but I don't recall these songs ever being actually used in the drama which I actually prefer.

Rewatch value:
Bro.... after that ending, I ain't touching this series again unless they have a second season to justify that abrupt ending. So unless they do release a second season, I will not be watching this again.

Romance:

A BIG FAT 11/10. A strong female lead? A strong male lead? Leads that support each other emotionally? XM and LF have it all. What strengths one have, the other one doesn't and so they fit like perfect puzzle pieces together. Those endearing looks Luo Fei gives to Xiao Man when she isn't looking, oh my! Just get married already. Biggest shame and waste of potential that their relationship was never resolved or explored deeply. They both clearly harbour feelings for one another with everyone noticing their special relationship and essentially pushing the pair together, so would have loved to see an acknowledgement to each other about the way they feel.

Overall:
Good watch if you love mystery with a sprinkle of romance. A quirky detective with a witty police detective. But do not expect an answer to your questions by the end because it's an open ending.
Please come out with a second season so I can stop feeling so salty lol

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Bland drama for a drama about flavour

unbelievably bland drama. such a shame because simon and the rest of the cast did a decent job. i liked ireine’s acting in Professional Single but it really lacked here. i find it so off putting that she always downturns her mouth for every expression she makes. she also tends to not be able to look the ML in the eyes half the time. in terms of the FL’s character, she was too hung up on the SML for too long. there was barely any time for her to build chemistry as an official couple with the ML before it ended. i don’t even know what exactly happened with the plot but i lost interest in like episode 3 but decided to push through in hopes to see some cute scenes between the leads and it wasn’t worth it. i don’t recommend this one, sadly. 3.5/10.

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It was cute! Nothing special though.

an enjoyable watch.

pros:
- story is cute! admittedly, it’s nothing out of the box but it was enjoyable nonetheless
- romance was fluffy :) lots of cute scenes between the leads and the ML treated the FL very nice!
- acting was good (ish...). jasper did a good job. i found SY’s acting was so so in this. some feelings i felt werent conveyed properly in more romantic scenes and that affected their chemistry a little bit they still made a cute couple.
- i loved the way this was filmed. the sometimes skewed camera was so such a nice touch. the lighting was so lovely too! in the beginning, the ML was always in dark lighting while the FL was in warm. once they met, he was presented in a warm lighting more! small detail but didn’t go unnoticed :D
- the bodyguard side couple was sooooo cute
- nice extra episode. rare u get to see FL pregnant and married life.

cons:
- the climax (?) of the drama was written so poorly. i get the whole FL being hurt because of the ML’s fam trope but they did not convey that well in this drama, poorly built up as well and felt rushed. it was such a drag and i skipped loads at this part.
- SML was annoying lol normally they are jarring but this one, i skipped all his parts.
- FL’s bro’s side couple was weird. he’s fresh out of high school, no?
- FL should have proposed to ML in the end. he was wronged by her and put through so much sadness and for her being irrational.
- as i said, story was cute but it was not that interesting. it’s rare i find cliches boring because i’m a big fan of them, but this was kind of boring lol proceed with caution ig?

overall, 7.5/10. it was nice and average. i haven’t watched the kdrama version but i don’t think i will after this lol
watch it to pass time but not to make ur time fun?

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Fluffy, cliche romance! Highly recommend <3

what a lovely drama! exactly to my taste :) the acting is brilliant, the story is paced well and the cast has amazing chemistry. i love the light, fluffy 24 episode modern chinese dramas and this is the PERFECT example of it. i wish they would have done more steamy kisses like love is sweet, i feel like this drama would have suited that hehe also, petition to see amy and eden in a historical drama please! they could defo both pull it off :D

i enjoy cliche dramas if it’s done well (which this drama did very well), but if you don’t like cliche stuff and looking for something more riveting and eventful, then this one might not be for you.

overall, i give this drama 10/10, i cannot fault it. definitely worth the watch if you love the fluffy romantic dramas <3

the first drama i have given 10/10 to this year as well!

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Overrated BUT a good drama!

pros:
- the acting: wow. the whole cast did an AMAZING job. I can't fault their acting at all. They all had brilliant chemistry with one another and I felt every emotion they wanted to portray. Bravo to the whole cast!
- the comedy next to the gore: on the contrary to what most have said about the comedy being out of place with the violence, I actually really enjoyed the stark contrast. Big fan of dark comedy lol kept things light enough to make the series not to feel too draining and gave everyone some depth in their personalities.
- fun villains! and I fell in love with some of the side characters because they were so charming.
- wowee, the ROMANCE!!!: Vincenzo did best was the romance. SJK and JYB have sizzling insane chemistry. Their romance reminded me of my fave anime, City Hunter, where they fall in love while working together and then becoming the cutest dream team ever. It was a mature romance where they mutually supported each other in healthy ways. If it weren't for the romance, I would have dropped this episode 4.
- a snazzy FL!

cons:
- plot was weak: with the rating and raging reviews, I was expecting an explosive plot but instead, the backseat romance storyline saved the drama imo. The plot was typical, predictable and overall meh.
- draggy: should have been a 16 episode drama. skipped loadsssssss from episode 10-19. I finished it so quickly bc i skipped so much lol i i get that it was meant to be slow-paced, slow burn or whatever but with a drama about mafia, it would have been better if it was punchy and to the point.
- ik this was not meant to be a romance drama, but it should have been. i would have rated this a 10 if they let the romance develop a bit more. they had two strong characters and actors with such chemistry and plenty leeway to make something more happen than what did. I don't think it would have taken away from the plot which i already lost interest in episode 4, but would have gave it more stability and would have made the ML seem more... human lol instead, a lot of screentime was wasted on god knows what on random characters (loved the side characters but didn't need to see them THAT much). idm the ML being super OP and perfect, but felt it was too extreme bc they didnt flesh out the more 'human' side of him, like loving others. which would have been interesting since ppl in the mafia are meant to be heartless.
- the ending was disappointing. they could have wrapped up the story so much better, like seeing the FL actually on his island. it just felt wishy washy that they threw in a kiss to a romance they hadn't even bothered to develop.

overall, 7.5/10. it was a good drama, no doubt. but not as good as it was hyped up to be. haven't watched kdramas in a while so this was nice first one in a while. do i recommend? a tentative yes. just go in with lower expectations. looking forward to the casts' future projects!

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Terrible drama!

Don’t understand how this drama has a 8.1 rating. It was terrible. Was expecting so much more of ZZH and JJY coupling because they had built up a following from LoYX, but not even good chemistry can save whatever this drama is lol
Stuck it out until the end for the ML, he treated the FL so well. And then the FL was all over the place.

The ending was ridiculous with the lighting revival in the last 10 mins like wth?

Everything was going so well until episode 20. The story was completed lost after that. Not only was the script bad but the editing was odd. Overall, a disappointment, 4/10.

I do hope to see ZZH in more historical dramas, he looks so good in costume dramas haha and JJY’s (dubbed?) voice is lovely as well!

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Goodbye Mr. Gu. Hope we never have to meet again.

normally i love the cliche romance fluffy drama, but this was was not good.

pros:
- enjoyed the ML’s acting
- some nice fluffy romantic moments
- was engaging in the first half
- second couple was cute

cons:
- the FL’s acting. she wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t main lead quality of acting.
- as a result of her acting, i felt there was poor chemistry between the main couple.
- storyline was messy. they got together officially for like 2 eps (and that took 21 eps) and spent the next 4 eps broken up until the last episode.
- on top of the above point, characters lacked depth. i did not feel any attachment to any of the characters.
- i normally overlook the questionable a parts of relationships in dramas because they’re normally minor but the couple was always arguing like kids with no communication.
- skipped heavily from episode 22-30 and i’m glad i did.

overall, 5.5/10. i’m so disappointed because i was waiting for this to be subbed before starting so i could binge watch but it fell flat. there’s nothing wrong with cliches and predictability in dramas, i love them. but it’s when it’s done poorly that i find them annoying. i would not recommend this drama.

that being said, i am interested in the ML’s future dramas though!!

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My first 10 star rating of this year! Amazing drama!

pros:
- plot isn’t anything groundbreaking but it was well written and well paced and well rounded. i barely skipped any parts which is rare for when i watch cdramas!
- the romance and friendship in this everythinggggg!!!! it’s what made this drama so special imo the cast all had such good chemistry with one another :D
- i play MOBAs for fun and i enjoyed the game play and competition aspects of it. the animation of the fights were so inaccurate BUT i loved the more interactive touch it provided for the audience. and it was such a bonus that the FL was also playing and not just an onlooker :)
- acting was rly great!!! really aced their roles (excluding CX lol)
- kisses were fireeeeeeee <3
- all the characters were such well written. loved every one of them! i like how this drama lacked an ‘enemy’ character (the enemy were the obsessive crazy hateful fans lol)
- great cinematography, could tell the budget was pretty high in this and it paid off for sure :)
- xu kai is so good looking in modern drama!!!!!!!

cons:
- said it before but CX can’t act lol i get that her character is meant to be stoic and whatnot but like... i don’t even think she pulled it off that well. one thing she did pull of well was being shocked bc she looked like that for every scene
. not a deal breaker but was a bit jarring. she’s gorgeous though!
- FL character was also a bit irking at times. very much negative ‘i’m not like other girls’ vibes at times. and also came off as quite cold and unsympathetic to the rest of the characters. idk if it’s just the script writing, but there would b parts where it’s meant to be a heart to heart and she would just dismiss it or stand there looking shocked and provide no empathetic qualities. i think her character was the most flawed when it came to character writing.
- minor but could they not have changed up her hair as well? lol
- don’t take the esports part seriously. i wouldn’t personally consider it as hot flaw though.
- on the contrary to others, i found the second couple boring. skipped most of their scenes. it wasn’t bad though, just not interesting to me lol
- ending was rushed. it did tie things up but would have loved to see a bit more post competition team banter.
- the cats deserved more screen time!!!!! they were so cute i love cats lol

overall, i am teetering between a 9.5 or a 10. considering my enjoyment, i’ll give it a 10. a well rounded drama, gave me butterflies and literally had me on the edge of my seat during the competitions. do i recommend? yes, for sure! well-exceeded my expectations.
i don’t think the drama deserves the hate at all! a 3/10 on douban is completely inaccurate.

I really don’t understand why chinese fans are so petty. I understand there are plagiarism allegations towards the AUTHOR so it’s not fair to bring down the cast and drama THIS much. the comments on the official weibo page are so sad and the rating on douban is truly a result of people wanting to be malicious/hopping onto the hate train kind of thing. it’s ironic because this drama criticises those kind of fans and the damage they do. this drama has one of the best written characters of this year. some esports details are distorted however, this is a drama, not a documentary. people need to treat it as a piece of fiction work. and the fact that this has most likely dashed any possibility of a second season (due to high chances itll be boycotted) is so heartbreaking. I hope the cast and crew know how popular this is internationally and how many fans the cast have gained across the world as well.

best of luck to all the cast and crew for future projects and i hope theyre proud of this one :)
hopefully 明年见? ;))

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Unique, funny, romantic: all in one!

turns out third time IS a charm! just finished this :)

pros:
- SIZZLING chemistry between the leads: nothing more expected from the king and queen of creating chemistry (srsly, ZLS and DYX looks good with each other and everyone they work with)!
- great acting: wowow the whole cast was great at their roles! no awkward acting at all :) LS is so cute and DYX’s cute gaze <3
- unique storyline: i tend to immensely dislike isekai/time-travel/‘it was all just a dream’ dramas (hence it took me so many tries to get into this) because it sucks when they return to the real world and it’s just like.... what’s the point of the drama, but this is an exception! riveting plot with a good balance of comedy and angst :) also the feminist element of the plot is really refreshing.
- intense romance: loved the main leads’ romance. ML was so whipped by FL, so cute! both were very loyal to one another by the end. not very many kisses and the ones we did get weren’t very ‘passionate’ though :( but i think the other interactions made up for it a little :D
- the costumes were lovely. could tell the budget wasn’t that high but i think they did a good job with what they had.
- the script writing was so good! funny, snappy and not too convoluted. ML had killer romantic lines and FL had such funny modern day lines too!
cons:
- a bit draggy in the middle: FL took her time to finally accept she had fallen for ML and it got annoying so i skipped a few bits in the middle. admittedly, while i did love the couple in the end, it took me a while to get into the romance bc of how dismissive the FL was towards ML for so long.
- ML forcing himself on the FL in the latter half was not it. it was so OOC for him, even in context he was doing it in.
- FL was a bit brainless at times. i understand she was trying to get out of the script and all, but like she should have given up way earlier lol
- i get the ending but also, we need an explanation. it wasn’t terrible but it was a tad rushed. why did they travel together? how did they have the same dream? is the world the FL is in also a script? they wrapped up the romance well but they left so many plot questions unanswered.

overall, 9.5/10. this was such an enjoyable watch and i so recommend this for both romance and comedy :) i am a bit worried though bc i don’t think this needs a second season, more of a special episode or smth? i’ll put why in a spoiler below lol

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A good cliche romance, if that’s what you’re looking for!

ik everyone has different tastes, but this was rly not as bad as everyone made it out to be in the comments!

pros:
- the chemistry between liu te and lusi was good! he has such a cute little face and him gazing at FL was so adorable!
- i enjoyed the relationship in the drama. it was a bit questionable at first since he lied to her about many things but his apology for it was one of the most genuine apologies i’ve seen in cdramas LOL and he did change after that and stopped doing the annoying ‘i know what’s best for you’ thing ML in dramas sometimes does. lots of trust by the end and didn’t let anything get between them. it was very cute and fluffy, loved their scenes!! :)
- strong FL. she was a bit all over the place in one or two episodes in the latter half, but overall, she stood up for herself and was charismatic.
- i enjoyed the first half the most, where the setting wasn’t mainly in the office so praises to that section. but still quite enjoyed the later business side of things too! it wasn’t amazing but it was interesting enough to keep me watching.
- cute side couples :)
- acting was good from the whole cast! i’ve seen liu te receive criticism for his acting in this but it really wasn’t terrible. it was a little stiff but it didn’t ruin the drama for me.

cons:
- an sheng was jarring as hell. he was the controlling and manipulative one if anything, getting FL to choose between him and ML at one point. it got so weird after like one or two episodes. also i am not a fan of the whole step siblings romance, regardless of whether they’re blood related or not. its just incest lol skipped majority of his scene.
- weaker and messier storyline in the second half. it was like they didn’t know where to take the story and develop characters. it was still watchable though.
- knocked some points off for the ending. could have wrapped up better. the number of episodes were enough to wrap things up nicely but they had directed their energy to characters that didn’t need it like xin er.

overall, 8.5/10. a very enjoyable, simple and cute watch. cliche done well! don’t go in thinking you’re getting a new cdrama storyline bc u defo won’t like it. if you’re looking for a typical chinese romance dreams with lots of fluff, then you’ll love this! :D

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A dreamy and cute romance!

goodness me, what a delightful watch!

pros:
- wonderfully written characters who developed well as the episodes went on. there was a beautiful balance between romance and plot happenings.
- healthy relationship between the leads. it started off rocky with ZC’s very apparent daddy issues but I love how his character actually grew and matured while still maintaining a playful air! i love the trust and loyalty they had towards each other, with a sprinkle of healthy jealousy. it was so nice to watch <3
- the plot was actually good! i feel that often with cdramas, the romance and story can clash or be incompatible sometimes and i lose interest in one or the other after a bit but i enjoyed both in Moonlight! it was nice seeing some insight into the publishing world
- i loveeeee the beige/warm colour palette and aesthetics. so comforting :)
- the acting was great :D DYX has really nailed the loving gaze (reminds me of Mark Prin’s loving gazes haha) and his kisses are so good lol there were some bits from Esther’s side where i felt was a bit awkward? but overall, everyone did a good job.
- side characters were not jarring and i didn’t feel like they’re screentime was taking away from the leads’ storyline. well written once again!
- the natsume soseki references. ugh will never be soft for ‘the moon is beautiful tonight’ confessions.
- the ending was perfect! beautifully wrapped up :) love it when they end with them becoming a family and not just a wedding :D
- er gou. that’s it. that’s the tweet.

cons:
- i did skip Jiang yu cheng’s storyline and romance, it was so boring to me lol
- it got a *little* draggy near the middle before zhou chuan and chu li got together. they overused the interruption before the leads wanted to say smth trope and it got annoying after a point. nothing a good skip can’t solve though.
- sorry but zhou chuan’s style was horrendous LOL he’s meant 28 year old man they were dressing him like a 12 year old fortnite kids at times (what was with the hoodie + blazer/trench coat combo?!) esther’s styling was nice though.
- i am not a fan of babyish female leads and unfortunately chu li was just that. it took me at least 10 episodes to tolerate the baby voices, sounds, accent and mannerisms. while i still enjoyed her character in the end, i felt like her character could have done without it. it seems she always gets casted in these type of roles since her voice is very scratchy and squeaky and is so unpleasant to listen to when she wails. her acting is pretty good though so it didn’t ruin the drama for me in the end.

overall, a very smooth sailing drama and such a gem! i highly highly recommend it! 9/10

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To love or not to love this drama? That is the question...

boy, do i have a fair few things about this drama. put shortly, overall it is worth a watch! love crime and romance and this drama does it well. so if you are reading comments trying to decide whether to watch it, here’s the sign for you to watch it ;) Cass and Kenny have amazing chemistry (even more so now that it seems that they’re a couple irl!) and the trio of policemen have such a cute bromance by the end.

long answer: this drama would have defo been one of my faves if it had not been 40 episodes, the story was dragged on for too long. and most of the time, YJ was not even a free man?! i was not a fan of the flashback interview thing for the first 14 episodes. the way they presented the storyline in multiple POVs was a nice touch but the flashback kind of thing made it difficult for me to connect with the characters once the story was brought into the present. like, the characters didn’t feel developed? if the series had maintained the energy it had in the final 10 eps, it would have definitely been a more enjoyable watch than it already is. that being said though, i love the romance between our main leads. such a strong bond and trust. the bromance is top notch too (which surprised me because i hatedddd ZTH for most of the drama lol).

the ending was a bit annoying but i mean, it’s hinted that it’s a good ending so i’ll take it. i don’t think it ruined the drama overall.

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The writer was clearly sleepless when they wrote this drama

god, please give ZYC and HYX another drama to make up for this one. it started off good (although i HATEEEEEE the way they framed the story with guan shan and wan wan, made the whole story feel false as hell and took me a while to get into the drama without being put off by the fact that they’re not actually the ‘leads’. it gave the whole drama ‘it was just a dream’ vibes) and then it just went spiralling to a mess of a drama. ZYC and HYX’s chemistry is the only thing which held it together because i wanted to see more of their scenes. the latter half of was an annoying push and pull and dragged on. should have only been about 24 episodes.

the contents of the story itself was alright. i expected more of her dream power to take the front seat, but only really proved significant during the last 10 episodes. episode 36 was cute tho! i’m just gonna act like that was episode 35 lol
i liked the leads’ characters, the manly general and his witty wife. i think it was enjoyable if you skipped bits but i would not watch again. 6.5/10

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I’m certainly feeling like a sweet girl after this drama!

i enjoyed this so much! well exceeded my expectations. definitely deserves a higher rating. while the FL is a bit jarring, she gets better after about 6 episodes. even then, it wasn’t unbearable enough to drop the drama, i’ve seen worse childish FL in chinese dramas before. the plot is nice and the pacing is good. leads has brilliant chemistry and although the drama clearly didn’t have the highest budget (that beautify filter was abused in some scenes lol), i still thought the set and costumes were very nice! i liked that the ML knew of the FL real identity early on and fell in love with the FL for who she was. one thing i thought was a bit rushed was how they dealt with the real Lu Yiling.
other than that, a nice cliche drama with cute romance. don’t go in expecting anything outside the box and you'll enjoy it loads. the best for when you want something not too stressful. defo recommend! 8/10.

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