Rike

Started for Dai Gao Zheng and the interesting forest setting, finished only for Dai Gao Zheng.
I dislike random timeskips... and it started going downhill when they moved to the city setting.
The (half-)amnesia (or whatever that "I tried hard not thinking about you, but I have memory loss" blabbering was) was one troupe too much. (Wondering why it's not in the tags... at least I would have been warned.)
But ultimately, DGZ was great (as always), chemistry was decent though I have seen better, action scenes were great.
I just feel a little bit more disappointed than with other mini dramas bcs they usually don't even manage to get your hopes up in the first place. So might be judging this harsher bcs the start was really great.

I bet I wouldn't have remembered either, if I hadn't just finished "Maid's revenge" before I came here to look for more of their work. ^^
And yes, I had the exact same reaction. First, I found it weird but after thinking about it a bit I like that they use subtle ways to connect different dramas of the same CP even if it's not a real sequel (I came across this for another CP and I really enjoyed those little easter eggs). But anyways, fingers crossed for a HE in this drama!

I just finished "Maid's revenge"..... still crying 😭😭😭
I might have to rewatch or at least skip through Forever Love again to heal my broken heart. I knew it was coming but I somehow hoped it wouldn't hurt this bad. Or they both die, idk why but maybe that would be less painful than one having to stay behind alone.

But you're so right, it was so worth watching.
"longing glares and unstoppable desire" - This 100%!!
It leaves the biggest lasting impression exactly because of their glares that tell more than a thousand words.

Now I'm impatiently waiting for their 3rd drama together with the same director "Jin Sheng Yu Ni":
https://mydramalist.com/768347-jin-sheng-yu-ni
I desperately hope it's gonna be just as good and a happy ending so I can leave this pairing with a happy heart. But one thing is for sure, their chemistry will always be captivating!
There are almost no infos out yet, but I noticed they named the new ML He Yu Chen - so the same as the new recruit that appears at the end of "Maid's revenge" looking the same as the general.... Just noticing that I almost starting crying again... 😭

Wait a second...He Yu Chen?? Did they really give ML the same name as the new recruit that appears at the end of "Maid's revenge"?? Stop I'm gonna cry over that ending again 😭

Hahaha "a wild thought", no no don't sell yourself short! Another sequel with abducting the kids and two badass parents fighting to get them back sounds like a splendid idea! Plss isn't there a way to contact the writer and pitch your idea somehow ? 🥲

I'm trying to cope with the loss of this pairing by watching other mini dramas and while doing so happened to find Dai Gao Zheng x Chen Fang Tong in Forever Love Chinese Drama (2023) which is another pairing with great chemistry! Definitely recommended, if you haven't watched it already.
I just finished that drama yesterday and for me it's just as good, if not even a tiny bit better than Your Trap and Embrace in the Dark Night (which had been my favorite mini dramas till now), so now I'm on to watch their other drama "Maid's revenge". But I'm already scared bcs comments spoiled the ending for me and I don't want to let go of another pairing which has already grown on me.🥲 Maybe if it gets too hard to bear I'll just rewatch Lost and Found which was filled with the cutest smiles and which had the perfect happy ending making me feel warm and fuzzy 🥹

True, when it comes to the OST of Your Trap, it was hard to find anything besides the intro or outro and that one English song that I've mentioned before (Beo - Season Finale).
For Lost and Found it was easy to find a playlist, but it didn't include the song I was looking for - the English song they played during the ending scene of them playing with the baloons and then kissing. But I easily found it by searching for the lyrics: Hard to Find - Cayson Renshaw (in case you want to have a listen). I thought it sounded really cute and the lyrics were very fitting for the warm ending.

But I've already noticed I get less attached to the music with mini dramas - just for the obvious reason of the short length and the songs not being played that often and also for the reason that sometimes the sound quality is bad and songs are muted and it just takes to much time to keep looking for a version online which has sound in that specific scene :'D
But to my surprise, the last few dramas, I often ended up looking for the pre-existing English songs they used. They seem to stand out to me because I immediately understand the lyrics and when it fits the emotion of the scene they strike a chord with me.

Hahaha yes, I had that phenomenon happen to me with Marcus' dramas, as well. But though I didn't expect it, I really had no problem moving on to a new pairing when watching Lost Romance almost directly after Trick or Love because the "new" actress there just quickly grew on me.
And like I said before I liked the FL in Trick or Love more than in Behind your smile, so I was happy that I watched them in this order.

Anyways, I am happy to hear that you are enjoying it so far!
Indeed, the behavior fits her role. But tbh shouting "Mommy" a few times less would have been sufficient.
Interesting point about her possibly being autistic, but I just assumed they wanted her to appear to be very pampered and dependent on her mom, so she's just naive and clusmy. But from that perspective, it felt like over-acting more than just a few times.
At least, after finishing I realized I wasn't mad at her character because she somehow grew on me with her outlook of never losing the faith that people have some good inside of them and to be fair she also had some character growth, becomes more independent and starts thinking on her own even if it took more than half the drama.

Hahaha so I am not the only one crying watching that ending!
Yees, I was also so surprised crying because of a mini drama! They really made me get attached to the characters in no time. I think the OST, which was surprisingly good, also helped to emphasize the emotional (as well as funny) scenes! If I want to look up the OST after I finished a drama it's generally a good sign :)

Ohh "The Only Girl You Haven't Seen" S1 & S2( my all time favourite)" ??
*adds to plan-to-watch list* :D
I'll definitely check it out, but maybe not right away bcs I know if I watch dramas with an actor/actress from a pairing I love, back to back with a drama with another pairing including only one of them, I might end up liking the drama not as much as if I was watching while not still missing the old pairing.
So I guess I still need a bit of time till I can move on :')

I just finished, thank you so much for the recomendation again!
What can I say? In short: I loved it even more than Your Trap! They're chemistry was great (as expected^^) and I felt like the drama had the perfect ratio of steamy, funny and warm scenes!

You're right it feels like a funny more light-hearted sequel of Your Trap. Their characters' vibes are really similar, especially hers. She's still badass (at least most of the time) and calling out the SFL's ridiculous behavior - good on her! :'D
And I don't know if you noticed bcs it was just in the backgroud, but in ep 11. on that big screen on the wall in his house, they played scenes from Your Trap instead of the scenes from 7 years ago that were played in the first eps., so it feels even more like a sequel without officially being named one.

I'm still overwhelmed with the cuteness of the children. I was afraid I might think their annoying (bcs children roles easily are) but they were just cute and I loved how they used them to resolve the conflicts/misunderstandings quicker :)

But you're right about you're dislikes, especially the one-dimensional villains... the only good thing about them is that I dont feel a tiny bit bad when they get what they deserve.

Honarable mention: Funniest scene award to the ML appearing in the helicopter outside the church, in the most noiseful and noticeable away, so that the villain definitely has enough time to kill your wife before you reach her... and FL also only realized she had legs to stand up and run when ML appeared, when earlier she was always fighting back. I know yes if nobodies outside it might be hard to get away, but at least try to struggle to run, instead of struggling only sitting there like a statue...
Anyways, that whole scene made me laugh.

But I have to admit they almost got me with the ending, I was ready to believe they would let her die (which kinda seemed more realistic) and give us a bad ending, when he appeared with such a sad look after the caption "3 months later". When the children shouted Mommy woke up and he tears up, I might have shed a tear as well. Hah- I don't know how they do it, but I really love those two together, even so much that at the end I almost forgot the parts that were just mediocre :')

(So sorry for the looong reply, but you might notice I really just finished a few minutes ago and am still on my drama-high that I get when I thoroughly enjoyed a drama even till the last minute!)

Thanks for letting me know how you felt about it!
"an easy watch, cute and funny" - sounds exactly like something I need right now after having watched too many darker themed hate to love /revenge mini dramas. So I'm starting to watch now, hope I'll like it. I'm already excited to see their amazing chemistry again :D

Everyone complaining about how stupid the FL is - which I mostly agree to - but did anyone else notice that Masterr Qi just hid the crucial evidence right in the cupboard next to his desk without any safety measures? And also keeps a knife on his desk that any (un)invited guest can conveniently use to threaten him if they want to? Most stupid villain or at least aid to a villain I've ever seen...

Haha if you still finished it despite a childish FL, the drama must be good. Let me add that to my evergrowing plan to watch list :D

But on a serious note, I get what you mean. There is a difference between cute and childish.
But now I kinda regret recommending you Behind your Smile because the FL really acts like she is 5 for half of the drama 😅😂 like I guess the actress had a hard time to convey naivety and clumsiness in any other way,...
Anyways, pls let me know if you watch it and whether Marcus saves the drama for you like he did for me 😆

Yes, I just noticed that under "Genre" for Legend of the blue Sea it says comedy even before Romance 😅
But I think I don't have any problems with preferences to Korean culture. I also enjoyed Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale a lot. But I can imagine that it could definitely create problems if you lack the knowledge to get the jokes 😅
For me the problem is rather that Korean comedy is sometimes too over-the-top, almost slapstick kind of humor that is just cringey in my eyes. But still not always, it depends on the amount and how it's integrated and used to advance the plot, as well. So I still have hope 😅🙏🏻

Haha you really seem to have a problem with childish FLs. I havent watched City Hunter in ages, so I dont remember a lot, but again it was definitely LMH's acting and face (you're right, very handsome indeed ) carrying the drama for me. :D

Hahaha sounds like you were indeed hooked to this drama. I really can't imagine watching any mini drama while airing for that matter because for all the wait you only get like 10-30 mins and then it's waiting and suffering again :'D

If I happen to watch Lost and found soon I'll let you know if I enjoyed how they handled the amnesia plot. :)

I mean honestly it's fine that they didn't make it full circle and came back to that scene. It's just that like you said that high sexual tension in the beginning was top-notch and hard to forget, so it seems like a missed opportunity.
Also, later there was this (if I remember correctly) first kiss in the shower, where I felt like they lost control for the first time in their game of cat and mouse, but with the first fire scene still in the back of my mind, I naturally questioned whether that would come up soon or if it actually already had happened and they were just (publicly) restraining themselves.

Honestly respect to you, because this one must have been torturous to watch while it was airing, not only because it was so thrilling but also because of the 2nd ML/FL constantly changing their mind/plans and all the ellipsis/flashbacks they used to create suspense. I don't have anything against hopping around the timeline but in this drama it seems a bit overused and having watched "Embrace in the Dark Night" right before this, I just though you can keep the tension and the viewer's excitement (especially in a mini drama) without doing so much.
But anyways, I still enjoyed it and I'll defnitely save their other drama you recommended bcs their chemistry in Your Trap was really one of the strongest aspects and the other story sounds interesting, though I'm not always fond of the memory loss trope, but let's see.

Oh smart, you even checked her profile for romance dramas! You're right, that's probably not her strong suit then.

Ah, right "The Legend of the Blue Sea". I haven't watched it yet though it's long been on my watch list. But I just rewatched the trailer and I think I know why I put if off for so long. It seems rather funny and it's just that sometimes Korean humor is not my cup of tea. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't enjoy LMH's role more here, maybe the trailer isn't portraying the drama's vibe fully either. So, thanks for the reminder that I still wanted to watch that!

I mean LMH definitely also played other roles I just haven't seen all his work yet and among those that I watched I only remember Faith and City Hunter (wich I absolutely loved and rewatched several times btw), in which he didn't play a character full of himself.
I might be treating him unfairly because I definitely ended up enjoying most of his dramas and I also don't condemn other actors that play such roles. But I just can't help but compare his later roles to Choi Young and anyways it's always a fine line between a smart ML that's just confident bcs of his skills and one that's cocky bcs of his background and overestimates himself. So, in dramas, like for example "the king eternal monarch", I really need a lot of time to warm up to his character and ignore the arrogance in the first eps. 🥶

On another note, I think I recently heard somewhere that he said in an interview that he wants to take on other, more complex roles in the future, so I have hope that I might enjoy his future work more.
I just checked his profile and for his upcoming drama "When the stars gossip" his role is described as follows:
"Gong Ryong, an OB-GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist), will be staying at the space station for a few days as a space tourist, but he has a secret goal. Gong Ryong is also the future son-in-law of the MZ Group, the richest conglomerate in Korea."
So, at least for once he has a rather unusual occupation for a man and is not the son but the son-in-law of a chaebol family 😂 But seriously, I think this one could be quite interesting, if you want to check it out:
https://mydramalist.com/686405-ask-the-stars

And you're right the 2nd ML and FL were definitely irritating. Especially the ML was acting ridiculous and somehow his expression, whether he was angry or not, always looked kinda the same to me.
But what bothered me more was them starting with that steamy flashback and never coming back to it. When afterwards they gave that notice "three months ago", I thought they might keep giving "timestamps" and we will end up catching up with this moment when the sexual tension seemed to be at its peak. But no, so now I wonder whether I missed something or if we never got to know when exactly that -let me borrow your analogy- first "fire" scene might have happened. But anyway I was entertained enough with the hot "coal" burning till the end. :)

This line "starts with fire and keeps on burning with coal" sums it up perfectly!
And "But the minute a set foot in this drama I was caught." from your review is so true. I just wanted to watch the first ep. to see if might like it and continue later but I somehow ended up losing some sleep binge-watching this over the last 2 days, bcs the plot was that intriguing and ngl all the twists had me worried that if I take a break I might forget something important of what had happened before :'D
And lets not talk about all the steamy scenes that were just fire, but what I especially loved was those combined with the OST "Season Finale" by Beo because that added an emotional layer that gave them more depth.
Again thanks a lot for the recommendation! :)

Yeah, I get what you mean now. But I think it's interesting because the actress' portrayal never bothered me and I actually thought they had great chemistry. But now that you mention it, I remember several scenes which made me cringe bcs I also thought she is acting way too childish. And since this was my first drama I must admit I might not have had big expectations and rewatching it of course comes just with so much nostalgia that I probably wouldn't be bothered by anything I didn't notice the first time. xD
Also, I don't think I've seen anything with her afterwards either, so I can't say her acting wouldn't bother me now, but discussing this with you really makes me want to rewatch this or look for another drama with her.

Also, you're absolutely right, LMH definitely conveyed more emotions than she did and carried the whole drama with his acting anyway. I wouldn't call me his fan either, though I watched several of his works after this one, but Choi Young still remains my favourite character of him, because he mainly gets/chooses these cocky, often rich chaebol son/king etc. characters and though I enjoyed many of his dramas, I just always end up comparing them to Faith and I just loved how he played Choi Young too much to not be a bit disappointed by all the other roles. I think he really got to shine here because of how well he portrayed the complex emotional conflicts Choi Young goes through.

Thx for the suggestion! Just read the synopsis of Your Trap, added it to my watchlist and am already excited to watch it soon when I find the time! :D
Just to warn you, the FL in Behind your Smile is kinda annoying, but it definitely gets better towards the end, but many dropped it bcs they found it unbearable. I also liked her role and acting a lot more in Trick Or Love, but maybe you'll be like me and endure the FL for Marcus Chang :')
Anyways, I still ended up liking the drama a lot and the OST is soo good, I'm still listening to it from time to time.

What a fitting reference, that would have been the perfect ending! 🥲
Actually, I don't remember her as cold, because she cared a lot about the ML and had the warmest smile, especially for him. But I still agree that she came of as rather reserved, but I always thought that makes sense because rationally there is no way they can be together and she was still undecided to stay. So when she finally made up her mind and made such efforts to find him, I think it would have been truly fitting for her to finally openly display her affection at the end.