After reading a lot of good reviews and comments on MDL about this drama, I decided to watch this. I am so glad I gave it a go because it is one of nicest youth/school dramas I have ever watched.

PLOT:
The plot is basic. It is inspired by Reply series and revolves around 5 childhood friends who grew up in the same neighbourhood block. They all attend school, are all unique in their ways and it follows their adventures during high school. I honestly loved all five of them - they were unique, loyal and funny as heck. Arguing with families, struggling with studies and finances, the interactions between parent-child, the hope of youth, fangirling, skipping class, falling in love - they do all of this in the drama. There is no negativity anywhere and it showed how real people are. I am sure everyone can find something relatable in this drama. As for me - this resonated a lot with my own childhood. It reminded me of some of my stupid classmates and my own school crushes. This drama couldn't have done it better.

CHARACTERS:
Tan Song and Cheng Zi are cute as eff. Tan Song is a playful, jealous boy that the actor did an amazing job of. Cheng Zi took some time to grow on me but she was very cute and innocent. Their friends Jinxiao and Jinzhaoa re hilariously opposite and Zui(? - i forgot his name) was too cute for words. They reminded me of Reply characters and the way Song and Cheng Zi bicker was very similar to Shi Won and Yoon Jae's bickering in Reply 1997. Their parents are also portrayed as hard-working and supportive which I terribly liked. The romance was lacking but I wasn't missing out on that since their friendship made up for any lack of it.

REWATCH VALUE:
Surely, I'd love to watch this again a few months or year from now on. Maybe I'll see more sides to the characters which I might have missed the first time around. This drama is very re-watchable.

OVERALL:
I highly recommend this. It's not a fancy drama nor does it portray glam lives like Gossip Girl. However, it perfectly captures the innocence of teenage years and will leave you highly nostalgic. It's a bit slow - so if you don't like the characters then you won't enjoy it all. However, if you stick around - I promise it would be an enjoyable one. Every friend is unique and have strong personalities. I am up for a 2nd Season if they ever got around to making one.

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I picked up this drama due to Zhao Lu Si and also since I kept hearing great things about it. This drama had a nice premise and somewhat lived up to the hype. There are things I liked and I didn't like about this.

PLOT:
Age gap between the leads in dramaland isn't very common. At least not in the way that you'd see the characters ever acknowledging this. I've seen age gaps which were fun or cringe, but this was actually quite nice. The way the drama started off and the interaction between the leads felt like a Western story to me. They form a genuine bond and their love and relationship follows that. I wasn't a fan of the male lead but he was watchable and watching him being in love with the female lead was a lot of fun. The only downsides started after Ep 15 where the good moments were less and secondary melodrama took over. If it weren't for the leads, I wouldn't have watched this nor completed this as none of the secondary characters were interesting. The uncle and the friend were super boring. The drama with the second leads and the mother-in-law didn't go with the plot at all. There were times the drama ignored the cooking aspect and concentrated on some other uninteresting points. I also didn't fully love the food aspect as I am a vegetarian and almost all the dishes had meat in it.

ACTING/CAST:
Zhao Lusi steals the show for me. This role was slightly different from her previous dramas although she always does comedy in all her dramas. She looked fabulous and her playful side always made me smile. I like the fact that she has good chemistry with whoever she acts with. The ML actor was new to me but he did a good job too. He looked older than he was supposed to be, but he never let age get in the way of affecting their chemistry.

OST:
Normally I wouldn't like these kinds of songs, but all of them fit the mood of the drama pretty well.

OVERALL:
If food and romance with a big age gap is your thing, go for it. I would say don't lead the age gap deter you from watching because the leads did a genuinely good job of it. Zhao Lusi is a treat to watch and the food that they show seems delicious. A special mention to the SL because I felt like he matched with the FL better. This drama is a one-time watch and you'll find some delightful moments to watch. If you don't like the leads then don't watch this as the drama doesn't have much else to offer.

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This is a sweet but boring drama. Never having quite understood the hype, I decide to watch this once and for all. I would say this was a mixed bag for me as there were moments I liked and many that annoyed me. However it delivers what it promises - a fresh cast, romance and pure fluff.

PLOT:
I feel like the plot itself was just the cohabitation and how two people meet and fall in love. The Male Lead is a typical icy yet sweet guy who appears cold on the surface but is a puppy when in love. The Female Lead is bubbly, outgoing and lacking in common sense. Both seem opposites but the ML falls for her way earlier on than she does and does a lot of sweet things for her. Rest of the drama was about how they get close. Plus, thankfully there weren't any villains or clingy second leads. The heroine's male friend was annoying but he gets over her and tries to moves on with another girl but sadly never grows as a character. What is sad was how the overall premise was alright / passable, but the execution didn't quite hit the mark when it came to keeping me engaged. The secondary characters are all uninteresting and the romance between the leads is awkward as heck once they get to the dating stage. The parents were intolerable and new characters are introduced later on for no reason.

ROMANCE:
Meh. It was sweet till the leads actually confessed to each other. After that they spend all their time together to the point where it seems like they have no interests outside each other. Their relationship lacked maturity in communication and they are always dying to be together and their skinship wasn't fun either. There are no real conflicts they face and neither do they seem to be in a healthy relationship. It was boring because there was all fluff and no real talk between the two.

ACTING:
I didn't like Fair Xing but it seemed like she has potential. Her hairstyle and clothes were horrible and playing a ditzy college girl wasn't the best role for her. The main actor is cute and seems to have potential as this is his debut drama. None of the other actors made an impression on me apart from the ones whom I have seen in other works.

REWATCH VALUE:
No, thanks. I won't take this on again. It would be very challenging as skipping scenes is what got me to the end.

OVERALL:
If you like two people being in love, who are childish and are a pair that never get anywhere but are just CUTE - then this is the drama for you. I wish the characters of the main leads were written well because that is literally who the plot revolves around. In no way did I envy their relationship as I do with romance dramas because it never gave me healthy or fun vibes. Everything was cute in a boring way.

Time to move on to the next drama.

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After several attempts and many months, I managed to finish this drama. The promise of excellent romance and awesome leads was what attracted me and was ultimately the reason to watch this. I am not sure how this drama was because it was like watching a film project with no direction, aim and conclusion.

STORY:
I think the foundation of the story was fine, but executed weakly. They had some ideas strung together and made it into an extended drama. I wouldn't say there was no content, but seems like it was an amalgamation of ideas from several writers. There is no consistency to the plot. There are some exciting moments, some random ones, leads who get lost again and again and some inconsistent as heck villains.

CHARACTERS:
This is where the drama suffers. Forget about the plot, it's like the writers themselves didn't know what they were aiming to show and tell. The only consistent thing I could find was the male lead's devotion to our female lead. There were some okay supporting characters but ultimately none of them ended up being memorable for me. The villains were gullible and not threatening enough. The lore was poor, the solutions to the problems were not satisfactory and we are just left with a confused plot and set of characters. The main leads are unrecognizable by the end and lose all spark and essence they had in the beginning.

ROMANCE / ACTING:
I'm only going to mention the awesome chemistry between Bai Lu and Xu Kai. Both don't need words because their stares are enough to fill up the screen and make me fluttery. Their kisses were nice and the devotion the male lead shows towards the female lead was commendable. The female lead grows but ends up becoming a damsel in distress and the male leads ends up becoming a doormat. There was no growth there, however the leads are AWESOME actors. They hard carried the entire mess of this drama and gave me a reason to devote my time and special hours.

OST:
The lead song is quite nice. I don't remember much of the other music in the drama.

REWATCH VALUE:
Yes to Bai Lu- Xu Kai and nah to everything else.

OVERALL:
I don't think I would recommend this drama unless you happen to love the leads like I do. I wouldn't say it was a horrible drama because there were moments I enjoyed the action. The idea was there but even after the drama is over, I feel like I want to know more and see more. I didn't get what I was hoping for and am not sure what should've been done properly because I can only think of so many things that DIDN'T go right.

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I think no more reviews for this drama are needed, but I wanted to write one anyway. I've been waiting for all subs to be out because xianxia is my favourite genre in C-dramas. Can't believe I finished all 59 episodes without skipping a single one. I think I was expecting it to be good and it is as good as I thought it would be.

STORY:
Typical xianxia drama but done differently. The drama focuses less on Heavenly Realm and more on the Mortal realm which was different. The main plot is the love story as everything else is built on it. The camaraderie of Si Feng, Xuan Ji, Liu Da Ge, Ling Long, 6th Senior, Teng She Zihu and Wu Zi Qi was one of the best I've ever come across. This drama can be described as Untamed + Ashes of Love. There are plenty of battles, hunting demons, a dense heroine, an awe-spiring male lead, trials and tribulations and romance. This drama exceeded my expectations in terms of the intensity of love a male character can have for a female. I also loved the ending and it wasn't open or bittersweet - but fit perfectly with the story. With TMOPB and Ashes of Love the endings were only doable but here it is worth the long wait and suffering. And OMG - it is full of suffering, hatred, love and anger. Never have I seen such a pitiful pair of characters.

CHARACTERS :
I don't think I need to describe Si Feng. He's the all-round perfect dreamy boy. He loves the heroine to no depths and is always ready to be there for her. Xuan Ji isn't the perfect heroine but she comes around and was less frustrating than some other leads I've seen before. I loved all the characters minus Ling Long. I couldn't feel enough sorry for her and was frankly bored of her whining. I freaking hated Teng She in the beginning but he grows wonderfully by the end. He's one of the best characters in the drama!

CASTING:
Cheng Yi steals the show here. I'm going to be looking out for his future projects. I was a bit unsure on Crystal Yuan but she did her crying scenes better than her innocent side. However, she was quite convincing as innocent and then a badass heroine. Rest of the casting was also done well - the families, friends and the villains. We have some interesting, complex villains and see them more up close than some other dramas like to focus on.

ROMANCE:
The plot is focused on the love story, but I felt like we were deprived of more content. The longing was extreme but the scenes were sparse. I wanted more love scenes between the leads and sadly got lesser than I wanted. There was a lot of focus on other subplots and more on the demons which could have been less.

OST:
The soundtrack is quite nice. It has a few ballads and an upbeat theme song which sets the mood for the drama.

OVERALL:
Love and Redemption is a very fitting title. I think anyone can enjoy this drama regardless of whether they know the actors or not. The story is quite a ride and comes full circle - very satisfyingly so. I am not sure of the rewatch value since I cannot bear the repeated sufferings our leads went through but come out a fan of Cheng Yi out of this. This is definitely making me rethink the quality of Ashes of Love because I always considered that my top xianxia. This is well worth a watch. Don't hesitate to dive into it.

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Midsummer is Full of Love seemed interesting to me when the trailer came out. At first, I couldn't make out that it would be the remake of Full House. However I did some research and decided to give it a try in spite of the mixed reviews it was receiving.

STORY + CHARACTERS:
Nothing special - it's a cliche done multiple times before. However, I felt like this version had a charm that maybe the older versions lacked. The story isn't ground-breaking by any means but it kept me entertained enough. It has a fresh cast that pulled me in, with a beautiful summer backdrop (what a BEAUTIFUL house and LOCATION it was) and some cute scenes. Our leads are young and blend well. The heroine is sweet and stays innocently so till the end. The male lead is a bit immature but he was more likable than other version leads. What I liked was that the story wasn't replicated 100% but still retained the charm that Full House series has to offer. They did away with some infuriating plots and added other annoying ones - which leads me to rate it lower than my enjoyment factor.

The story drags in places and in some places the pacing was fine. I had a SLS syndrome in this version although the childhood angle was cheesy as heck. I wish they the main leads had more romance but I liked that the male lead was sincere towards the female lead more than the previous versions. He was always respectful to her, which I liked (original version had yelling all the time). There was no female childhood love interest which he pined after which was a PLUS. The unexpected amnesia plot and the ending made no sense to me otherwise I would have rated it higher.

CAST:
I don't think the cast were great at acting. However they were charming - especially the main leads and the 2nd male lead. The actors were what kept me glued till the end and I was unable to drop this drama. Even the female lead's friends were well-casted and were very good-looking. I must admit the visuals of the cast added to the overall likability of the drama. The parents and grandma were all likable as well which I enjoyed.

MUSIC:
I skipped the music scenes. I barely ever make out the OST of C-dramas because I always turn down the volume and watch as I can't stand the dubbing much.

OVERALL:
I'd recommend to watch this if you have nothing to do. I happened to have a bit of free time and patience hence I rolled with it. It wasn't a memorable drama but it was worth my time and I enjoyed giving this a chance.

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Intense Love was one of my most anticipated dramas of the year. I picked it up when it started airing but found it to be boring. I resumed watching this recently and overall it was a mixed bag for me. There were some cute and romantic moments and some were downright annoying. This drama would be a zero for me if not for the main leads.

STORY + CHARACTERS:
There was no story. It's just about a ditzy, vain actress who falls for an icy doctor. Yes, the leads were cute but I never got invested in them. It felt like watching a compilation of scenes where I felt like I missed the initial build up. Because there was NONE. They fell in love out of nowhere and I wanted to smack the main girl because she annoyed me to no end. Her dumbness wasn't cute after a few episodes. There was no growth in her nor the male lead's character, What didn't help was the annoying sister of the male lead. She was infuriating to no end. There is a secondary couple in the drama as well who got the majority screentime, a below average story and no chemistry. I didn't like anyone.

ACTING:
Here is where I feel bad. The actors did the best they could. Ryan Ding and Zhang Yu Xi are decent and watchable. It wasn't their fault that the script was lacking, there were no challenging scenes nor that there was no character growth. Entire drama seemed like a teenage girl's fantasy being adapted on screen. I liked Jiawei and the male lead's friend. They were both quite good at their roles.

MUSIC:
Didn't notice any. Meh.

OVERALL:
I like turning off my brain and watching cheesy romance films/dramas. However this one tread on boring and disappointing category for me. I felt like it was an insult to my intelligence had I kept on watching this story that started nowhere and ended no where. It should've been a middle-school drama instead of unrealistically portraying all adults as ditzy and shallow. I wish I could have liked this because it was a waste of the main leads' potential. I don't recommend this drama unless you have nothing to watch.

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My ratings are a bit inconsistent for this drama. The good parts of this drama impressed me too much to the point of ignoring the weak sides of it. The male lead had me falling head over heels.

STORY:
Childhood tragedies, misunderstandings, "cold" CEO, mistreated heroine, annoying second leads - this drama has it all. What sets this drama apart are the lovely main couple and the awesome male lead. The cliches are not too overbearing but it could have done with less focus on these plots. Misunderstandings are there but the main couple sails through everything. I couldn't get too invested in the 2nd leads. The side couple was also cute and the heroine's family was simply horrible.

CHARACTERS:
The male is very awesome. He seems like a control freak in regards to his honesty and lack of understanding when it came to people lying. I wouldn't say the reason behind it all made sense to me. The heroine was cute and had slow growth which I like. With the support of the male lead she grows a backbone and learns to stand up for herself. Her friend and the friend's boyfriend were super cute. However I hated her family. They were cartoonishly wicked and I couldn't forgive anyone till the end. I did love the main female lead's loyalty and friendship with her best friend. A special mention to the male lead's sister - extremely cute and smart kid. She made me smile every single time she appeared on the screen and turned the mood around.

ROMANCE:
If there is a reason to watch this drama - it's the romance. The leads have very good chemistry and their skinship seemed very real and mature. The hero's devotion to the main girl won me over and the actor won me over too. They seemed like a real couple to me at times! The kisses and hugs were all very cute and warm. The secondary couple was also sweet although their development was a bit slow. I couldn't care enough for the chasing second leads and their actions in trying to force the couple apart were a bit pathetic at times.

OVERALL:
I would recommend this drama for a few characters. A lot of annoying plots and twists are also there but you can always skip those scenes/characters. Heroine's "revenge" on her evil family was satisfying to watch and her cousin remained pathetic till the end. Thankfully, the good parts outweighed the bad parts but it could have been shorter.

REWATCH VALUE:
YES. Yes to all those butterfly-inducing kisses between the leads. I will watch them again and also keep an eye for the main actor's future works.

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This drama was lying on my 'To-Watch' list for a while before I picked it up. I had no clue about the gender-bender plot because I'm a sucker for those and it's been a while since I watched one. This drama is quite good and has some cheesy but cute moments too.

STORY:
A freaking unbelievable story, but that's how it is with gender-benders. There is a random disability trope thrown in and some things about 'destiny'. There are some good messages about teamwork, friendship and never giving up. One could probably find inspiration in the story as well. Most of the drama is sports and romance. I am never too invested on the sports side in any drama and other focus- the romance was quite enjoyable. For the first time, a C-drama felt short because the leads were adorable together and had made a nice pair. All the main characters and side characters are wonderful which is rare in any drama. I was just disappointed with all the teasing we got with our main leads together but the resolution was quick and their time together was just PG-level at best.

ACTING:
I am new to Sabrina Chen but she made an adorable boy. Her transformation from boy to girl makes her look unrecognizable. I am not too familiar with Darren Chen - outside of a few episodes of Meteor Garden that I watched but he was memorable. He started off as an icy character but his consistency in loving the female lead and his childish sides were funny. He smirks like a bad boy and tries to come off as cold and teasing but we all know he is a nice guy. I also loved the sibling and best friend of the heroine. The "second lead" in the show is quite nice as well. I liked the actor in one other drama as well.

OST:
I liked the songs. Not sure which is my favourite but they were nice.

OVERALL:
Watch it if you are into sports and teamwork. Or if you love cross-dressing (like I do) but expect less time with the male lead questioning his identity (which is always done so well in K-dramas). The romance was nice and fluffy. There were some hilarous moments and the characters I thought would turn out to be hateful were all likable by the middle/end. I do recommend picking this up as it is one of the better C-dramas out there.

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Here goes another drama by the writer of 'Weightlifting Fairy' in my well-rated drama list. This is the very first time as a drama viewer that I picked up a 'Currently Airing' family drama and stuck with it for entire 50 episodes. This drama started of well, got better, got lost for a while and then ended like any other drama. It is not a unique drama but the Song family makes it a delight to watch.

STORY:
What I loved most about this drama was how it focused on fun and less on makjang. There are no crazy birth secrets or illnesses (not that serious anyway). The in-laws are flawed but all the characters grow and become a functional family by the end. You could pick your favourite member or sibling, because all are relatable in their own way. The premise of all siblings getting divorced was a bit weird to me, but they wrapped it up very neatly.

The struggles and emotions were real. It also gave some excellent message for families that fall apart, couples that break-up or in-laws who do not get along. I think there would be at least one plot or character everyone has seen or heard of in real life too.

SUB-PLOTS, ACTING & CHARACTERS:
I have no particular favourite romance plot, but my favourite people were Song mother, Yoon mother-in-law, Ga Hee, Seo Yoon (the eldest brother's daughter) and Jae Seok. These were my favourite characters who kept me most entertained. All the actors did an excellent job of their roles. There was some aspect of myself or my family or my acquaintances that I identified in each story. There were some annoying plots and characters as well but nothing gets too dragged.

OVERALL:
It's a family drama with daily issues. There isn't much to say in my review, but I would say it is worth a watch. It is a nice drama if you are looking for something light to watch because it is less heavier than some of the other dramas I have watched. Just the last 10-12 episodes were low on quality and the ending is a bit random - but at least the major characters received some closure by the end.

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So I finally caught up to this drama and finished the remaining episodes. I must say the cast was what initially drew me in especially Song Wei Long. He has one of the nicest faces I have seen and he is damn cute. I also like Steven Zhang and the trailer was very interesting.

STORY:
There were some absolutely golden and some absolutely boring moments. It started off strong and remained consistently good till ep 25-26. I felt like child actors were too cute and the sentiment of family was captured perfectly. In spite of the hurtful childhood all 3 of our leads had, they were quite fortunate. That was a little fairytale-like for me and at the same unbelievable i.e. the amount of abandonment happening and tying people together. The latter episodes focusing on the parents were a snoozefest. The mothers were unforgivable and at times the entire situation seemed too melodramatic for my taste. Emotions were good and some struggles were real but there were some unbelievable moments also.

ROMANCE:
I am glad my ship was right and the one I shipped her with came true. At times 'Ge' was cringey for me but maybe it is the same as 'Oppa'?? There could have been more in the romance department, but too much was focused on work and family.

CHARACTERS AND ACTORS:
For me the characters and the actors drove the story. I wouldn't give all credit to the script. Right from the Dads to the friends- Mingyue and Tang Can, everyone was perfect. The leads were also casted perfectly but the age gap was a little weird. I like Seven's portrayal but I still inclined towards the male leads. Even the unlikable mothers were good at playing their part. Felt like the drama portrayed two ends of spectrum when it comes to type of parents - good and the terrible. In the end it tells you family doesn't mean kindness. Kindness can be felt even from strangedd and make anyone feel like family. I felt worst for Ling Xiao. His life was too bad and his dependency on Jianjian was pitiful. His mother was horrible all the time. The little sister was also freaking annoying. I didn't feel anything for other brother's mom also and didn't buy her story. The biological dad was also no good.

OST:
First time ever I am appreciating OST from a Mainland drama. Highly recommend listening to all the songs.

OVERALL:
Realistic yet melodramatic. Not enough of romance yet enough of good family moments. Nice way to show sibling and friendly love, gratitude and loyalty. I liked that it touched upon Mental Health but lot of it was unresolved and poorly handled. I wasn't as hooked till the end but I am glad I watched it. Maybe it was perfect for some but missed the mark for me in few areas.

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I was planning to watch this drama for a while, but it wasn't available on my country's Netflix. What intrigued me to watch was Davikah Hoorne - whom I follow as an IG celebrity. I follow her daily and always felt awed by her beauty. So anyway, with minimal expectations. This drama surprised me and I was glad I gave it a shot.

STORY:
It makes no sense a lot of times, but it starts off with some dark and cute moments. Once the kids are adults only then do we get the exact idea of what their personalities are like. Our lead is a good-for-nothing but a loving girlfriend. Her boyfriend is a cold and level-headed doctor and then enters our 2nd lead. This drama is a true love triangle - quite funny and cute in places and there are times when it is cliche. Depends on your preference but I did like a few characters. I didn't take the drama too seriously because it was more of brainless fun.

CHARACTERS/ROMANCE:
I didn't like the character development of Peng. He went 180 degrees a couple of times and in the end it wasn't believable to me. Tantawan was ditzy but I did understand and empathize with her. But she cried too much and I wonder how taxing it must have been to act. Chalan was someone I didn't take seriously in the beginning but the process of him falling for our main girl was quite cute. He won me over a couple of times. What I did like was that the heroine gives both a fair shot - whether you agree or disagree with her choice in the end. I was Team Chalan after the first few episodes and there was no going back for me when it came to Peng. I wished there was more development of romance or romantic moments in general. I didn't like the back and forth with Peng and Chalan's idiocy at times. But it still had its moments and I was glad with her final choice. Nothing else would have made sense to me.

ACTING:
I like Sunny in the beginning but he wasn't too diverse with his expressions. I feel like Davikah can pull off any role if she is given the right one. She is drop-dead gorgeous, cute and also cries well. She is good at humorous scenes as well. The Chalan actor is quite young so he can improve but he is someone I would like to keep my eyes on.

REWATCH VALUE:
Probably none. I could go back to some Tantawan and Chalan scenes and that would be it.

I would like to recommend this if you're looking for something fantasy, quick and a stressbuster. There is a BL plot too which was cute but I didn't like the way they ended it. I'd like to mention the Ambulance girl too because she is a very cute actress and now I am following her on IG as well. Thai actors are great at pulling you in with their personalities.

I am glad I gave it a watch and finished it. I did think it would be the best Thai drama ever but still nothing beats Padiwaradda and the magic of Jamesji for me.

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I've had a love-hate relationship with this drama all along. There were times I was obsessed with, couldn't get enough of and other times I flat out got bored / annoyed. I kept hanging on for a twist towards the end that would surprise me, but nothing was a surprise really. I think this is a good drama as some moments were very enjoyable for me and lots that bored me as well. I won't recommend it if you are looking for something light as this is nothing short of a sob story.

STORY:
I feel like it had great potential where it could keep one guessing. However it fell short due to an inconsistent plot and pacing. I felt like they didn't have any script editor to look over nor did it feel like the same person wrote the entire thing. There were too many loopholes, too many unexplained things, things that got brushed under the carpet and were never acknowledged. I felt the point of the story was about the characters and not so much about the fantasy aspect of it. I feel like we shouldn't have spent too much time on unnecessary plotlines and some character interactions would have been good enough to drive the story. Nothing about Cha Yu Ri coming to life made sense nor the ways the ghosts and shamans acted. The ending was touching, because the characters were lovely but it was limited by the lackluster writing of the scriptwriter. Of course I was never promised a happy ending but only the probability of it. In the end it's bittersweet but stayed consistent with Yu Ri's wishes. I feel like during the flashbacks and the flashforward, we only see that life goes on no matter what. I would like to take a moment to criticize the screentime given to the flashbacks. It didn't serve much purpose for me and I found myself skipping through a few.

ACTING / CHARACTERS:
The actors were good and Seo Woo Jin is the most adorable kid ever. His smile made smile like a fool the entire time he ever appeared on screen. I wasn't too pleased with the male leads as it ended up being a female-centered drama. The gals were great together and I loved their friendship. Yu Ri's family also had great chemistry with each other. I like that it stayed on course with human interactions and never went towards unnecessary romantic plots.

WHAT WORKED BEST:
I would like to give a special mention to Yuri's mother and her despair were absolutely heartbreaking. Her father's way of grieving was also really touching. Somehow I didn't connect with Gang hwa from the flashbacks. It just seemed out of character for me and his character made the least sense in all aspects of his life. Yuri's back and forth was quite fun with the shaman (who again was amazing). Yuri's friend/sis-in-law was also one of the highlights. Of course, Min Jeong was also wonderful and once we get to know her character, it was wonderful. I felt like some actors gave it their best but the writing fell flat. The ghost family were annoying and funny at the same time. I couldn't give a crap about the other ghosts at all. I did however like the direction and editing. The filters they used to create a mood and ambience stayed consistent throughout which really helped in case of this drama. I might look up the video director / cinematographer.

WHAT SUCKED:
Inconsistencies, how characters acted and the fantasy aspect were a hot mess. It should have been revised and then approved for filming. I feel like the writer had no clue on how to do the world building and handle the ending. They just did whatever fit best and gave us a cop out ending.

THE ENDING:
Oh ma gosh. It was beautiful, heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. Some things happened too easily and some didn't happen at all. I feel like I missed closures with few of the characters. At the same time how they acted made zero sense. The life lessons and all were something I had to look hard for but it still fares worse than say, '49 Days' in my books. At the least the closing line was thoughtful. But I didn't buy the flashforward. At ALL.

OVERALL:
It was a mixed ride for me. At times I wanted to quit this show. But somehow the ending had me so curious that I couldn't back out. I liked watching Kim Tae Hee in an age-appropriate role. She seems to have improved and still looks hella fine after having 2 kids!

Watch it, don't watch it. It's a sob story by the end but started cool and funny in the beginning. Take your pick according to what you wish to sign up for (includes al the mentioned). I really didn't want the way they ended, but hey - I wasn't surprised either.

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Being a fan of TMOPB I was hesitant of picking up this one. While it was airing a lot of people complained, but by the time it was over people couldn't stop praising. Hence I ended up picking it up anyway.

Although it would be unfair to compare it to TMOPB, it just doesn't compare. The lore in this version isn't so big or exciting. It is only worth checking out if you like the leads or love stories in general. The overall cast in the 1st part was clearly superior and I found myself somehow missing Zhang Bin Bin the most lol.

PLOT:
It's cute but it gets frustrating seeing the female - Fengjiu being hopelessly in love with Dong Hua. I was prepared to go in for some real heartbreak as I knew DH is a sort of cold person. But man, I did feel so bad for Fengjiu who got her heart broken so many times within the first 10 episodes. It seems largely due to her playful but naive self but it does make you pity her. The mortal realm was surprisingly lighter compared to other xianxia dramas. When they got back to heaven all was fine except the Dream of Aranya sequence. I had to do FF after ep 36ish. The ending was better than expected because at least we got back the main leads back in one piece and the 'separation' didn't last long.

CHARACTERS:
Fengjiu's character growth is what made watching it worthwhile. She's awfully immature in the beginning but beomes much better later on. Dong Hua was also pissing me off for a while - there's only so many smirks one can win me over with. Neither of them seem as badass as Bai Qian or Ye Hua nor they did they have the same chemistry. But overall it was pleasant to watch. I feel like this story was more on the redemption of Di Jun/Dong Hua because I wanted to sit and see him suffer some as well. I feel like in the last installment and this one, it was majorly Fengjiu having to suffer and prove everything. When it comes to the baddies, they all fell flat to me. I didn't even like any of their acting. I'd have to rate it meh in that department.

ACTING:
Oh BOY this is where this drama lacks A LOT. Neither Dilraba nor Vengo were excellent. Dilraba was good because her character was basic and didn't have to have Oscar-level acting. I'd rate Vengo lower because he had this awesome character to play but it fell flat. I did like his "ice face" and "romance face" but I was just not feeling it with the sad parts. I didn't think this role was totally cut out for someone of his level of acting. I would say he is charming at best because, come on - there is only one Dong Hua in this world! But there could have been someone better at acting. (I am treading into dangerous category here and must be offending a few fans)

OVERALL:
I was guaranteed sugary sweetness which I got but I wanted more. The plot was ok, acting was ok and the overall experience was ok. I don't think I ever lost sleep over this as I recall being obsessed over other C-dramas that I have watched. I have seem some people say that this drama wasn't required at all. I could somewhat agree but then I never would have seen the growth of the two leads nor the redemption of Dong Hua (yes, I am calling that because he always seemed cold to me in TMOPB and the initial 10 eps of this drama). I also watched because of Dilraba - I love her and she is very cute and gorgeous at the same time.

Take your pick - watch it or skip it. I can't find many reasons to do either.

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Started off boring, was good in the middle and went off the rails towards the last 3-4 episodes.

This was promised as an upbeat, youth drama. Instead what I was served consisted of some bits of what was promised with a heck lot of makjang. I think this drama was poorly written and executed. This should have remained as a underdog to riches story instead of the unnecessary revenge, crime and what-not being included.

Kim Dami stole the show. But even an actress of her caliber felt like she was struggling towards the end because the direction in which the plot went made no sense. Park Seo Joon had an ugly hairstyle and was mediocre at best throughout the entire drama. Shame, because this drama could have been one of the best roles he would have had. Kwon Nara is okay for me - never does much, but I believe she did the best to her potential.

There were some cool offbeat things about the drama like the youth culture of Itaewon and a diverse cast with issues like LGBTQ+ and racism being addressed. Some characters were great, others were okay. I feel like my time was wasted while I was impatiently waiting for episodes to come out. I won't even categorize this drama as a one-time watch. My recommendation would be to either skip it altogether or do a lot of skip-watching to get through this.

Park Saeroyi reminds of old-time self-sacrificing characters in old Bollywood films. They only live by principles and only want to be the better person in every situation, no matter how unforgiving the other party may be. Romance felt forced and the friendship focus drifted off pretty badly. Not to mention the time jumps made it all the more uninteresting.

At least the drama had a decent soundtrack.

It wasn't worth my time if not for those few good Itaewon-centered episodes and beautiful city and Namsan Tower views in a lot of scenes. It made me miss Seoul a lot.

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