Zogitt

Thanks for your kind words. I try to be fair rather than jump on the hype train. ;)
I'm afraid like all mass consumption products, it goes through trends. Youth drama was definitely more popular then.

🤣 Ouch! Am I getting a reputation as a tough critic?!
I demand a retrial, your honour!!

Thank you for your kind words, @Nelly! I wish I can comment on Song Luo but it has been a long time since I watched it and I only have vague recall of the show. I do remember the fireworks scene where they had their first kiss! :) The other characters are very hazy by now.

Thank you @Nelly for this wonderfully in-depth review. I'm half convinced to watch it but 65 eps is still outside my comfort zone. ;)

Hear! Hear! This series certainly has merits. Least of all our dear leads and their romance but the rest feels cobbled together. Nothing is fully explored. Plots just mill around and consume screen time.
BTW, I don't have a problem with the 2ML pursuing the aunt but do something with it. Let them be happy or break them up. Even at the end of ep.29 I am still none the wiser. :p
Thanks for your insightful comments, @y

I totally agree that it is tropes lite and an easy watch. I just can't quite shake the feeling that they danced around some topics but doesn't really drill down. They took the safe path.

Yes, it can be the last option for some. Very sad.
It is always a mystery how their censor system works. It can be very obvious or inexplicably obtuse.

Yes, you are correct. It is like someone had a lightbulb moment but they just can't workshop a plausible romantic story with the cards they are dealt. :p They should have walked away at the table reading stage.

Will do :)

Hear! Hear! :)

Yes, I'd agree too. That's partly my point. They are producing shows that is for a smallish target market so they can focus on topics that resonate with them. However, this is a double edged sword. When they are seen by a broader audience, it can feel insular or too colloquial. It might not appeal to everyone.

To be honest, you didn't miss much. :D

I'll trade you When Life Give you Tangerines. ;) I find it hard to get into that show even though I'm a big fan of IU. :(

Ahh, personal taste is the final arbitrator. ;)
I have started shows that others raved about and found them wanting and vice versa. If my review helped you to dispell some of your concerns then by all means give it another go.
However, if it doesn't click with you the first time, it might not ever. No biggie, it is only dramas. ;)

Yes, the writer-nim did play it safe. It was the role reversal that pulled me in. Their chemistry kept me watching. It was enjoyable without being amazing. ;)
Well, if it was 36 eps, there would be even more tropes! Be careful what you wish for. LoL

BTW, I've started Wanna Be. Interesting. :)

Thanks! I've marked My Father is Strange down.

I have to say that 50 eps family sagas is not my fav. I only stumbled onto Eagle Bros by chance. I prefer the shorter 12-16 eps dramas. Of course, you don't have that luxury with c-dramas. They are almost always 30+ eps. I'm the same. I used to finish every show I started but nowadays, I'm more selective. It is better for my mental health to drop a show early than suffer through it and then regret the decision. ;)

Thanks for the tip on Wanna Be. Have to say that one slip passed my radar. ;) Sounds interesting but when you consider there were over 150 dramas releases each year in China, originality is hard to come by.
BTW, speaking of Family Dramas, I'm watching Eagle Brothers atm. It is tropey and melo but love the leads. :)

Thank you, @Nelly for your comments. Unfortunately, that's a lot of Asian dramas in a nutshell. Most are tropey and a lot of tropes are based on watching the FL suffer to some degree. If we are lucky, we get growth and redemption with a HEA ending. Is it a bad thing? It depends on whether the show can deliver something we can get behind. They want us to be invested. It is a thin edge. I have watched shows that made my blood boil but is a smash hit. They are formulaic for a reason. After writing 320 reviews, I can spot a trope from space. LoL

Oh, don't get me started on length of c-dramas. Even the government knows that and institute a 40 eps limit on series but what do productions do? They cut a 70 eps series into season 1 and 2! It is all about return on investment over there. ;)