I don't know why I haven't drop this

I saw so many problems in this show I don't even know where do I begin to explain them.

Well, first thing: THE SIDE CHARACTERS. It bothered me how the portrayal of bong soon's power gets tiring at some point. In the beginning of the show it was interesting to see her beating up those criminals. But then it kinda got really repetitive to see them never getting out of the hospital because of her. And other than being beaten up by her they didn't really have any other function in the show. And what was that monk plot?! (if that can be called a plot even). It was boring, annoying, nonsensical and a bit racist. About bong soon's parents, I can't say I was bothered by her mother abusing her father. But that's a really serious thing that was being shown as a comic situation. So that's a huge red flag in the series.

Second: THE SECOND LEAD. Why did bong soon like him in the first place? He never let her end a sentence when she is talking to him or show him any kind of affection. He never shows her any affection. It's like he doesn't like her. But the thing is: he does like her, he just doesn't know how to express that I think? He couldn't even express his feelings for his girlfriend! It's ridiculous! I think the reason why he doesn't demonstrates he likes bong soon is because of her brother. But he's not even that close of a friend with him and her brother is not the type that interferes with bong soon's love life. So it doesn't make any sense. And there's also the fact that bong soon felt the need to hide her powers from him because she thought he would think less of her due to that. While min min liked her because of that and thinks that she's more interesting because of this. I think I don't need to explain further right?

Third: THE ROMANCE. Bong soon and min min's relationship was really cute. Actually I remember when this drama was still airing and I used to watch short videos and gifs of them. I had never watched a kdrama before so I didn't know how and where to watch these things, but I really wanted to. So I think I didn't drop this drama because of this memory I have. But while watching I got annoyed by how bong soon takes too long to realize her love for min min, and she only gives in to min min's love after that other guy (I can't remember his name) leaves her waiting in the cafe. I didn't understand her hesitance to choose min min since it was obvious the other guy didn't like her (actually he liked her but he's just a total idiot when it comes to love apparently). But the thing that really disturbed me was how, close to the end, I couldn't care less for their romance when all those girls were suffering hell with that kidnapper. Those girls were going through real trauma, they were going through all women's nightmare. And we were supposed to laugh of all the rest. I just wanted that plot to end.

Fourth: THE VILLAIN. The whole plot of kidnapping was the worst thing in the series for me. It was really a trigger. And it wasn't even well treated during the show. But that's smth I'm gonna talk about later. The thing is I don't even think he was a good villain, in relation to plot. The problem is how he doesn't have any connection or relationship with bong soon, so they only have their first meeting in the second half of the series. Bong soon spends a lot of time fighting those gang criminals instead of concentrating in the real villain. I was a lot times hoping that bong soon would finally pay attention to the kidnappings in her area. To sum up, the show didn't create a strong dynamic of antagonism between her and the villain.

Fifth: THE PLOT. When I began watching the show I caught all the heroic references, the opening, the story of her power and how she can lose it, the crimes happening in her area, and I thought I was going to see the story of how bong soon would become a true superhero. However, she took like a loooong time to begin thinking about those crimes and trying to find the psycho who was doing that. Actually, she only worried about that when her friend was in danger, because she was only a hero for her friend, she only used her power to help her friend and those highschool students who looked like a bunch of grownups. Or to hurt people for comedic purposes (min min, secretary gong, that doppelganger). All those kidnapped girls were being tortured and bong soon could only think about that guy who didn't give a shit about her. And when we were supposed to see her big fight against the villain it was all just so... lame. It was dull and annoying. She's Do Bong Soon. Why she can't end up that guy?! And it looked like her two love interests were the ones who really did smth. So bong soon, the great protagonist with superhuman power, was outshined by two men. It completely contradicts the bigger message of the show. The real problem of the plot was the difference of moods in the series. In one scene we're suppose to feel horror and pain for the girls in captivity and in the others we're supposed to laugh and swoon for the other characters. For a comedy series the dark part was too dark.

Wow, I really said some harsh things about this series. But it really disappointed me since I've always wanted to watch it. But the truth is that I should've dropped when I had the time.

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A little slow but a very good watch

I really liked this series. I liked and related to all characters. I actually wanted to know their stories. There was a good balance between drama and comedy. While I felt like crying at some moments (the 1st ep as a whole for example), at others I wanted to laugh as well. The couple was cute and real at the same time. Loved how they seemed comfortable around each other. The overall message of the series and the lessons we learn with the characters were really good.

But there was a little problem: it was too long! Honestly, the series could easily tell eveyone's stories and be 30 episodes long. If it had to have 40 eps then they should've put more scenes where smth was actually happening, or then some other romance story instead of a lot of meditation and nature contemplation. Don't get me wrong. I loved the series. But it was a little slow at times and it failed to create some cliffhangers and let me wanting to watch more everyday. Furthermore, I think there was some points which were left open and could've been closed:
1) Na Na and Xia Xia's ending could be more clear. Will they get together in the future? Why aren't they together now? Why take so much time, or no time at all, to develop their story? I feel like the series had too much time and could tell their story but it didn't and that disappointed me.
2) Mr. Hu had some family issues and a bad relationship with his dad. Why this matter wasn't talked more deeply like they did with Damai? And why couldn't they show us his happy ending with Manjun? I think it felt a little rushed.
3) I was hoping Xiaochun would talk things out and restart with her ex-husband. Both of them had a lot to learn from the problems that led to their divorce and I wanted to see that evolution from them, especially hers since she's the one we see the most. But the series took too much time to begin talking abt them and just for them not to come back together.

These were the main problems I found while watching. Like I said, it is a 40-ep-long series which means that they had the time to talk about a lot of things but they didn't. This was more clear on the last episode which spent a lot of time on Mr. Hu's singing and the leads watching the sunset together, instead of closing some plots. However, that didn't stop me from actually enjoying the series. Seeing from my ratings that was a very good watch.

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Should've focused more on the main couple

This was a really average series. Some things were the worst while others were good. The things is, these good things were very little and not enough to forgive all the negative points in narrative. As I usually write my reviews, I will tell my favorite and least favorite parts.

Things I liked:

- The main couple, that is jiho and sangeun, they have great chemistry, I loved every scene with them.
- Jiho is so cute, he's my favorite character, no doubt. I just love him!!!

Things I didn't like:

- The actor haejin is so annoying. The writers tried to create a love triangle to make the audience discuss who she should end up with, but it's clear who is her love interest. And bc of that, haejin keeps forcing situations with sangeun. It's so embarassing and annoying really. Honestly, it's so unnecessary that the series tries to build sangeun's story with him when we know, from the beginning, that she's gonna really end up with jiho.
- Where's the development of jiho's background story? I kept waiting for when they were going to talk about his story whith his family and why he is so closed and antisocial. I think it would be really good to see more about his past with his family. This could actually be a way for him overcoming his social problems since I thought he developed them bc of some childhood trauma.
- That scene of her bff with his family and telling them he was gay was too rushed and undeveloped. Did his parents accept his sexuality? It was not clear, and that's so sad bc I really wanted his story to be told.
- And that leads me to the main problem of the show: it should have developed and talked more about these characters' stories and families instead of wasting time on that eena group plot which was going round in circles at some point. There was a moment, close to the ending, when her nanny and the eena group guy were talking for like the hundredth time of marrying her to haejin. It was so tiring. And while the series was going in circles with this plot, it could have been showing jiho's backstory or her gay friend's problems with his family or whatever.
- And why she left him in the end? It didn't made sense to me. I didn't understand if it was because she was embarassed of him (for some reason which I can't quite grasp) or because he was trying to do smth wrong for her wellbeing and she wanted to prevent him. Either way, I don't think these were reasons for doing that to him.

To conclude, it was not the worst show I've ever watched but it was way way far from being the best. It had a lot of problems regarding narrative, but the couple was good and if they had focused more on them maybe it would've been a better experience.

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Last episodes ruined it for me

Ok, so, how do I start? I mean, I loved this drama, the romance, the couple, the interactions between them. It was going to be one of the best cdramas I've watched ever, BUT... last episodes ruined it for me.

For starters, DWL tells the story of how Su Kelan, who loves cooking, teaches Yu Hao, her boss, how to cook and also some manners along the way. This is a typical "brooding boy/gentle girl" situation, he's cold and annoying, and very rude to his subordinates, while she's caring and sweet and everyone seems to like her. I usually tend to like these stories, and it was no different here. All the romance parts went really well, she was penetrating his barriers and he fell in love with her. They started to date and everything seemed to be alright. There are some sweet and fluffy scenes of them together, which I loved. They were happy and making plans for the future. Until FL has to make a work trip, without ML, and when she's on the plane she gets a call from the hospital saying her mother's health worsened. What happens from this moment on is a sequence of bad choices made by FL.

When FL gets the call she simply leaves the plane (where she was headed to a VERY important work meeting btw) and gives no explanation whatsoever, neither to her colleague who was going with her nor to Yu Hao who kept calling her to know what was happening. I can't explain how outraged I was in that moment. It's not that I'm diminishing her mother's situation or her love for her mother. But what harm would be done if she just... idk... called to let him know?! If only that was the only mistake, it would be fine. I could forgive her. But then, after this she decides that the best choice is to break up with Yu Hao bc she felt she was neglecting her mother for him. That didn't make any sense for me bc 1) FL didn't have any social or personal life beyond work and taking care of her mother. And Yu Hao gave that to her, she was happier and her mother felt that. He was even going to live together with her mother bc of her health issues; 2) ML was her boss, so she could just step down and quit if it was too much for her. I know he would understand, he became a very much more understanding person BECAUSE of her. But she'd rather break up with him than try a different way. And so, they spend a long time apart.

But I knew there was a happy ending to this story. Only I was hoping that because it was her decision to break up due to her personal problems, I thought she was gonna be the one to start the reconciliation. How naive of me. It's him who makes the move and proposes to her after he knows her mother is 100% well and she's "free" to be with him. And to make matters worse, this only happens like in the second half of the last ep. So we spend the last episodes just seeing them apart living their lives. FL taking care of her mother during treatment; ML working to become a better person. It was the worst. I honestly thought he deserved better than her. She got so annoying close to the end, acting like she was the victim and like he wasn't waiting for her to change her mind and come back to him.

The second couple (the leads' bffs), on the other side, were way better. I mean, they had problems as well but they always chose to work things out together instead of leaving each other. There's a moment that they get divorced but, at least in my view, it was understandable bc they married on a whim so it made sense that when they had a big fight they ended up divorcing. But, like I said, they work things out, have a child together and end up happy.

The other side couple (the director and the actress) were very disappointing. They had a lot of potential, but it was a total waste bc they spent a longer time than it should trying to separate the main couple. Both of them had a crush on the leads and that brought them together, she falls for him eventually but he doesn't apparently, and for what I remember they never really get together in the end. He just signs that he might try with her. So I got very disappointed with them.

As for the production, it was really well done. It had a kdrama vibe to me. Not only bc of the number of eps but also the story and pace as well. In the beginning it was really good. It tried to kinda discuss some topics and it wasn't just drama for drama. It felt deep somehow. So it was great.

The rating could've been worse but the drama was the best for most eps so I had to consider that as well. But it really deserved a 5 or 4 just because of the ending. Regardless of all that I said here, if you're reading this bc you're planning on watching and don't want to watch silly dramas with stupid characters then I'd reccomend this one. Most people seemed to have liked this drama here. Just be prepared for the last few eps cuz FL gets annoying af. But apart from that, it's not a bad drama.

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The leads carried the drama all by themselves

They really got chemistry. And they carried the drama all by themselves. The plot is weak and, once again, it is carried solely by the leads. The fact that Ja-yeon has some intimate scenes with the secretary kinda bothered me. And that scene where the president catches her in the air was too much for me. But, like I said, they have chemistry so I endured.

However, this drama is empty and it brings nothing new. Basically she ends up inside her webnovel, as the FL, but the ML is not her teenage crush but the guy she's sueing for hate. In the beginning, the president doesn't believe her and the drama plays this for laughs, making her run away from him. Then, she convinces him of what's happening to her, he gets sad bc his life is fake and, suddenly, she falls for him. Seriously, it's like from one moment to another. After this, they get to spend some good moments together, until he gets in an accident, he confesses how much he loves her, and she wakes up from her dream. Then she just forgives him and that's it. End of story. The drama wasn't even that spicy, she barely has any hot scenes with Lee Sangyi.

I know this is a just a 2-ep drama. But I expected more. But seeing that No Gain No Love's ending was disappointing, this one couldn't be no different.

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Annoying FL + messy writing

It was an average drama. The mind-reading plot had a lot of potential and it was fine in the beginning. Although only then. ML was the best. Very cute and straightforward. Chae Jong Hyeop is really good at doing these light and fun types. He was one of the best to watch. The side characters were good to some extent. However, many things bothered me in this drama.

Starting with the main one: FL is so annoying!!! She acts as if she was a 13yo girl discovering how to talk to a boy. Ok, I get that she's unnexperienced but so am I and you won't see me struggling to connect two words whenever I'm around a cute guy. Her "innocence" is too forced. All of her jumpscares and her perpetual state of confusion is so irritating. Not to mention how all of her problems are solved by third parties cuz she's simply unable to do something for her life. It didn't make sense how she got to be a CEO with THAT personality. Seriously. It's so tiring to watch her just panic over all of ML's advances and any little difficulty.

The picture book story and why they should break up was weak and poorly explained. I didn't understand why they had to break up in the first place. What kind of misfortunes would happen if they were together? How did Min Hana know that her story was the rule? Why did she think that her failed romantic story happened BECAUSE of her power?! So many plot holes. She created a whole fiction in her head and tried to ruin the leads' relationship bc of that. It was so funny how she did all that through Hanaoka cuz the only two people in the world (or so it seems) who had the power of mind-reading never had one. single. conversation. in the whole drama! For real. Hana speaks with ML to convince him to break up, and with Hanaoka for HIM to convince FL of breaking up. But both Hana and Yuri never once talk with each other.

The connection of Yuri's powers with the Ainu legend was interesting but completely undeveloped. Mahiro, Onoda and Iiyama had all the trouble to search a way of making Yuri lose her powers so the leads could be together just for, in the end, she and Tae-oh deciding that it doesn't matter anymore. Was it true? Could Yuri lose her powers if she want to? Well, we'll never know cuz they never tried. Also, I missed some explanation as to why Yuri, and Hana as well, got their powers. What's the meaning of all that? Was there a purpose?

And the way all got resolved in the end was so fast and sloppy. There's a time skip and we go directly from the leads deciding to stay together despite anything to Hanaoka saying that Hana's boyfriend had a heart attack totally unrelated to her powers. That's right. So you're telling me she never knew her boyfriend's cause of death?! And she came all the way from Korea to Japan to try and separate the couple based on THAT?! Unbelievable.

I hated how FL rejected ML before deciding to be with him. Why did she do that? Was it bc she found out Hanaoka likes her? But he never SAID that, she just read his mind, so I don't get why she changed around him. And Hanaoka was obviously trying to get the leads together so it was strange how FL avoided ML in the first place. That didn't last long. Good thing. But their relationship is so frustrating. If ML doesn't advance and do something nothing will happen cuz FL is just an awkward ball of hesitation. Their 3 kisses were awkward as well. They just touch lips and that's it. The last one was better but still bad.

Side characters:

- Second couple (Mahiro and Onoda) were cute but the guy is too dense. How can anyone be that oblivious?! She had to do almost everything.
- Hanaoka was a good character. I thought I was gonna hate him in the beginning, cuz he's had a crush on FL, but he surprised me a lot. He deserved more screentime and a story of his own instead of just being there to solve FL's problems. Funny how she was the CEO but he was the one who actually looked like the decison-maker there.
- The office colleagues were ok. I missed the moment of them finding out that Yuri and Tae-oh are a couple. One of the things that the time jump at the last episode robbed me.

That was it. Like I said: an average drama. It wasn't the worst. I enjoyed the watch. ML is great. SML is good too. However, few things made sense and I felt like slapping the FL at times. Writing is all over the place. Do not recommend.

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An easy drama for easy audiences

Couple had decent chemistry. Although ML was really annoying in the beginning, I liked the turn things took when she was dumped by him and he started to go for her. It really balanced things between them. However, they spent a long time in this dynamic. So much that when they finally do get together it was a little anti-climatic. Let me explain: ML wanted to confess his love for FL, so he prepared the moment and place to do it. He tried two times but smth always happened that prevented him from doing it. There was also the date their moms set up for them but he didn't show up. So, anyways, when he is eventually able to finally confess his feelings, it's like this in the middle of an alley, with some random clothes hanging to dry and some nosy children barging in. It just didn't give me the feels. Their first kiss was a little underwhelming as well. Actually, everything after they get together is a little underwhelming. They had cute scenes, that's true, but they were scarce and writing was sloppy.

I didn't like how the focus switched to the company's problems in the last eps. The couple was totally overshadowed by that. This plot had a lot of twists which were rushed and poorly explained. Mainly due to the fact that it was introduced later than it should. And let's not mention how the leads went from uni straight to good positions in a big company. ML was even the boss! I still can't understand that.

Personally hated when FL started working for both departments. She gave her all to keep up with the double workload but they kept putting the blame on her for anything. Like when she first presented her drawing for the new game character and everyone roasted her, forgetting the fact that 1) she had just arrived in the project so she didn't have all infos, 2) she never had to do that kind of work, and 3) she was working there bc ML had insisted A LOT for her to help him. Besides that, she missed meetings in one dept. bc she was attending meetings in the other one, and everyone judged her like she was the one deciding those things when both of her bosses were the ones who made a deal for her to work for both of them bc they didn't want to lose her. It didn't make any sense!

I didn't like that they rivalized the two departments. Director Jiang was a good guy and a good boss, he didn't deserve to not be recognized for his hard work. There was no need to put many of his subordinates leaving him to pursue AAA games with Gu Xun. It was like only triple A games mattered and Jiang's game was inferior smh. The moment that Gu Xun's team got the award, I felt sorry for Director Jiang. He was nice, I liked him.

Second couple was... ok idk. I liked him, he was a nice leader and the main reason why she continued working in the project. I liked her too, she was cute. But when he started dating another girl and became a coward and an idiot, I just didn't know where things were going. He basically made her do half things he should be doing as a boyfriend. Like buying gifts and making excuses for when he couldn't meet his gf. Glad he realized that in the end. He is really a nice person. But a terrible bf. Hoped they would focus more on them as a couple after that. They did, but not in the right way. Basically they were one of those second couples that only get together at the last ep.

It was a nice watch anyways. The drama is light and fun at times. There was no annoying side characters or draggy plots. Although last eps could've been way better, they didn't last long so that was a relief. Their chemistry is not much explored after they become a couple. None of the OSTs caught my attention although they weren't bad either. It's an easy drama for easy audiences.

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Mending a broken heart

It was a little slow in the beginning, the leads had too few scenes together and it was all about Bora and her ex. But then it got so much better after her break up. I understood then that it was a process Bora had to go through. The narrative has a good pace, it's not slow, and that's really good. I was a little afraid of all the relationship talk in this drama but I really liked it in the end. It wasn't shallow and full of corny and cringe phrases, instead I resonated with Bora's views and takes on love and relationships. I like the narration on some scenes, it makes all her suffering and eventual growth more meaningful. It was all very well produced and directed. The OSTs were really good, there wasn't a single bad one for me.

The leads are great together, they have chemistry and are fun together. Liked how they become friends and connect with each other before being together. I think they could've stayed together just a little bit sooner, but the fact that they just become a couple in the last episode didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Her ex was an asshole, I hated him, but I knew he was gonna ask to come back with her. Liked how she stayed firm and never thought of a second chance with him. Also, I think it was a sign of growth how she was the one that confessed first to Suhyeok, he's really slow and she learned her lesson with her ex.

Some side stories were good. In many dramas I feel like the side plots are fillers and shenanigans that are used as a relief from the main story. But it wasn't like this in this drama, the side characters have their own stories and personal dramas going on (at least some of them), and I personally like that. It kinda feels like all characters are deep in a way or just as important.

Since the main theme of the drama is romantic relationships, they explored this not only with the leads but also with the side characters. So we have many couples, the married one, the younger couple, and the divorced.
However, the only side couple that mattered were BOMI/JINHO. They were cute together, loved and trusted each other. Thought they were gonna make her be cruel and distant to him until the last minute, but instead she warmed to him and ended up being a good girlfriend. Although it was too soon, I liked that they married and were gonna have a baby in the end.
YUJEONG/JINWOO were disappointing. I mean, he was not a good husband. She spent the whole drama trying to make him see her but he was just too busy playing videogames to notice her. I understand he needs some alone time but at what cost! They simply stopped having sex and he couldn't be bothered by that. In the end he changed, that was good, but I didn't see that change, it was too rushed.
SANGJIN/WOORI were weird. I couldn't understand where they were taking this couple cuz they don't make sense. That's it. Her voice was a little annoying, she speaks like a kid. And their interactions seemed more like uncle/niece to me. Tbh, why did he accept her feelings for him?! It came out of nowhere.

Overall, I think it was a great drama. The main couple is good and the thoughts on love and relationships are mature. There were some things that annoyed me but I had a great time watching it. Totally reccomend.

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Beautiful people with a lot of chemistry falling in love...

- The main couple have great chemistry, I loved every moment of them. The show had a lot of problems regarding narrative and pace which I'll talk about later. But the leads are the best part in the show which wasn't a total waste of time just because of them. I loved the way they looked at each other. Esther Yu is so beautiful and cute, she's perfect for the role. While Vin Zhang was also great as the stern professor.

- Second couple started out really annoying. Mostly because of the guy, he just forces situations with her and it's just wrong sometimes. However, from ep 15-ish they became watchable. In the end I began liking them a lot. I just have one thing to say: I felt that they should've told us what was that problem jin xi had in the past that he had been in a wheelchair. I thought they were gonna show us in the end, before he and tiantian reconciled but then it comes the revelation that he had lost his leg and apparently it wasn't related to anything he already had. So I just think this became a loose information in the show, one that could aggregate to the character if used, but was completely forgotten by the writers. And this fact takes me to the main problem with this series, which is its writing.- Right in the beginning things are running smoothly. She had a crush on him in the past and he was an asshole to her (at least that's what she thought) bc she wasn't smart enough. And now she is this stunning beauty influencer who's also a PhD and who wants revenge on him. That was okay. And I was looking forward to how she was gonna do that; how he would react when he find out that he's in love with a girl that's beautiful but not that brilliant until he'd find out that she actually is brilliant. Anyways, it had potential from the beginning. However, it became a little confusing whether the fact that she's a doctorate was really a secret bc at some point it wasn't clear if she was actually hiding this fact from him since when she started ministering classes at uni he acted kinda normal to this and she wasn't hiding from him at uni. So the main plot which is her revenge was completely forgotten by the writers.

- Another thing I found annoying was how the main couple took too long to get together. Although it didn't bother me that much since I was able to enjoy them throughout the series, I couldn't understand why the writers chose this way. They could've become a couple way earlier. There was some point, after he came back from his trip, which she wasn't mad at him anymore like she was in the beginning, but they weren't together either. He was putting so much effort for her to forgive him that I thought this was like a love confession from him to her, and they would finally begin dating after that. At least that's what I thought, but it didn't happen. They were okay, as if they were together, but it wasn't clear. And if you haven't watched the series yet, this is around 30th episode, which means that they got together only in the last episodes. And that becomes a bigger problem since the second couple starts dating way earlier in the series. When the leads finally begin dating the SLs have already dated, broken up, and reconciled. The second couple have a lot more interactions and kiss scenes than the leads. I didn't hate the second leads as many people did, I enjoyed their moments on screen. But the leads had much more chemistry and I wanted to see THEM together. If the writers focused more on the leads or just balanced each couple maybe the story would've been better.

Well, that's it. It's clear this drama had a serious problem regarding its narrative. It was slow at times, the second couple had too much screen-time, and from middle to end it's like the basic plot has been forgot. Although I said a lot of negative things about this drama, I actually liked it. Like I said, the leads have an overflowing chemistry. It wasn't hard for me to keep up with the show cuz they are amazing together on scene. My 8.5 rating is only because of that cause really this show is a 5. I'd reccomend this drama only if you just want to see beautiful people with a lot of chemistry falling in love. Don't expect anything from the story.

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It got boring for some reason

The couple took too long to get together, such that when they finally do, it doesn't cause the catarsis it should. And after that, the drama got a little boring since all the possible obstacles they could have are kinda resolved. And they brought an ex to shake things up but I hate this trope.

So basically this was so so good to watch at the beginning but because the writers chose, for some reason, to take long 20 eps to make the couple be together, they simply ruined the series.

But the ML is really good, I like that he is younger than her but also mature. He was silly but not imature or childish, and that's good. While FL was good as well but a little too slow to admit she felt smth for him. But they had chemistry and I liked them together. Liked that they were friends and acted natural with each other. There was no pretending or forcing to be smth they weren't. But, like I said, it felt like they took ages to be a couple, and when they do it all gets boring for some reason.

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Warm love story with no stupid plots

Wow! It had been such a long time ever since I felt like this for a drama. It's so good! I finished watching the last ep with a smile on my face. I truly believe this one is an example that a good drama doesn't need a break up at final episodes to shake things up. If a good story is being told, with the right amount of drama and a good pace then it will catch the viewer's attention. And I just love stories where the couple trust each other and would never leave just because smth/smone said/did something. All of my fav dramas are this way.

I was eyeing this drama eversince I saw the pics of the lead actors and they looked so good together. And that was just by the photos. In the end, they didn't let me down. They're so so cute together and have amazing chemistry. I simply loved the way Jiaxu looked at Sang zhi. At the same time their story wasn't neither rushed nor slow. It all went in the right pace. Nothing feels exagerated or too melodramatic. Which I like. They have good communication. There's no stupid misunderstandings and break ups in the last eps. Although they have little to no experience when it comes to love, they are really mature. So no stupid plots here.

I confess I did got worried with all of that she's young/he's older thing. And it was a little weird that they know each other ever since she was just a kid. But the drama was able to grow from that in a healthy and not creepy way.

I love her brother and their bickering. They're so funny together and I laughed a lot with them. On the other hand, I lost total respect for Sang zhi's parents when they expressed their "concerns" for Jiaxu and Sang zhi's relationship. I mean, I know asians are conservative but so what if he has a bedridden father?! What's the problem with having a sick relative? Is it a crime? As for that girl harassing him, he can't control everything. I just don't think those were good reasons for them to go against their relationship. Fortunately, like I said, nothing is turned into a melodrama, so all of this doesn't really represent an obstacle to their love.

The OSTs are simply the best. So light and warm. They really had the vibes of the drama and I loved it.

In summary, it was one of the best, if not THE best drama of 2023. I had the best time watching it so I totally recomend. 10/10 no doubt.

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Dumb story with dumb characters

After 10 episodes I decided to drop this drama for reasons I'll address below:

ML is a typical CEO: cold, arrogant and demanding. FL is cute, nice and lovely. He is her boss so we got that dynamic where ML exploits and abuses of his power over FL, and she just goes on with it bc sHe neEdS The joB. I'm a little tired of these kinds of plots. But it was still quite enjoyable in the beginning. However, it felt like nothing was actually happening most of the time. The drama has a comedic tone so most of their scenes are supposed to be funny or even cute but not swoony or deeply romantic. At least in the first 10 episodes it's just him ordering her around and remembering her of how unnexperienced and dumb she is, while she just flatters him because of concern of being fired. It wasn't the right energy for me. Also, I don't think I understood the humor. I laughed sometimes but for the most part it was kinda boring.

The plot seemed a little dumb from the beginning. And like is gonna be really hard to get through 36 episodes without it falling apart. I mean, 6 eps in and nobody has any depth and everything is just played for laughs. There's no real plot. Surely this drama could be 15 episodes shorter.

I personally didn't like how FL acted like a child sometimes. The tone of her voice, the way she runs, how she behaves in general. It's all so silly and childlike that it bothered me. And it gets worse when she's put in contrast with ML's cold demeanor. He behaves more like an old man. And that made it difficult for me to feel their chemistry. Not to mention how he cannot let us forget the reasons she isn't made to be a lawyer. It's funny how in the office he insists that men and women are equals while at home he makes her cook and clean for him. Such a hypocrite!

SML is such a cool guy. I like him. However, the way he crushes and pursues SFL is a little weird. It's an almost stalker-like behavior. And their relationship felt vague. Like, did they spend a night together or not? Why didn't he make things clear with her sooner? I was confused.

That was pretty much it. It wasn't one of the worst dramas I've ever watched. But it could've been waaay better.

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So many writing problems

I liked the overall vibes of family, friendship and healing. Good comedic timing and the most dramatic parts were very touching. I was really moved by the sequence of Yongpil's mother's death. It was all so sad... and poignant. The friendship between the leads' mothers was beautifully portrayed. I had a good time watching it, however the drama had many problems of narrative:

- I found Samdal a little annoying in the beginning. She seemed too self-focused and kinda oblivious of people around her. Her dream of making big in Seoul and leaving Jeju wasn't explained, like why she hates Jeju so much? Later she got better but still I couldn't empathise with her. She acted like this strong woman while in Seoul but after what her assistant did to her she just became too passive and forgiving. She never did anything to change what happened to her or to make justice. When things are resolved in the end, is bc other people did. And let's not forget that she accepted to work with her ex, who cheated on her with her assistant and helped that same assistant to screw her up. It didn't make sense!
- Yongpil was a little disappointing as well. He lacked a story of his own. He never stood up against his father to defend Samdal. Basically, all the drama with his father was poorly written. But not as much as his love for forecasting. He dreamed of working abroad but we only know that through third parties cuz he doesn't say this not even once. He set himself and his dreams aside for FL the whole time. It was not good. Ji Chang Wook is great and I only liked his character bc of him.
- The romance could've been better. I mean, every moment potentially romantic is always linked to their past together. So there's little swoony moments of them in the present time. Their chemistry could be better explored. Samdal never showed that she still had feelings for him. They spend a lot of time interacting together with other characters. Idk if I just wasn't caught on the couple but I felt smth was lacking.
- Sangdo's one-sided love was boring. I never really like love triangles, it's one of the worst tropes, but they can be bearable if done right. But I hate when the third wheel is such a good person that is only there to suffer. For real, that's his only function in the narrative. He loved Samdal his whole life, she never got to know his feelings, and Yongpil didn't really care so... yeah... he's there to suffer. alone. forever. UGH!
- Isn't it annoying when people in dramas hide an important info abt themselves to sPAre EveRybOdy frOm wOrRyiNg. Seriously, why was FL's mother hiding such a serious thing (like a heart problem!) from her daughters?! But I do understand that they never bothered to come home even once for their family so it served them best.
- What happened to Bang Eunju? I know she lost credibility in the fashion world but did she give up attacking Samdal seeing she was obsessed with her? How did she end up?
- Many things were left for the last episode. a) Haedal's history with swimming and interest in being a haenyeo was only brought up in the last eps so it didn't have more screentime to develop this storyline. b) Jindal's history with her ex felt rushed to me. It wasn't clear how his relationship with his family was resolved. Did his family accept her? Are they in a secret relationship? Does his family still treat him like garbage? It was a mess. c) Sangdo, Gyeongtae and Eunwoo's success in Seoul was a surprise. After failing in mainland, they never showed any interest in going back and trying again. Samdal's dream was always in the forefront and everybody helped her with it but nobody ever talked abt THEIR dreams and wishes. Besides, they all had good jobs in Jeju. Why leaving? Why success can only happen in Seoul? Also, does anyone know why Sangdo is rich? Just too many plot holes.

OSTs are very good and were present during the whole series. The more melancholic ones played during sad scenes were the best. They really helped me connecting with these moments. Visuals were great too. Jeju is a beautiful place and they used it well.

To conclude, it had a lot of problems of writing but it was an enjoying drama overall. It wasn't as bad as I made it seem although it could've been a lot better.

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Good production, good romance

The best jdrama I've watched ever. I loved the couple, they are really great together. Togo is just perfect! He seemed to be harsh and rude, but he's actually gentle, sensible and understanding. Whenever he got angry with her, he had very good reasons and, in the end, he always forgave her and understood her. Besides that, he's the most handsome japanese ML I've ever seen. So he's the best. I liked FL too, the way she wasn't a plain female lead. She entered the contract marriage for the money and wasn't afraid to admit it. Also, she's beautiful and knows that. They formed a beautiful couple who chose and fought to be together always.

The production for this drama was really good. I couldn't stop remarking, as I was watching, how it seemed I was watching a kdrama. The plot full of cliches that were mostly well explored felt like it. Also, in my experience jdramas are very low-budget-looking and this one was the opposite. Very good production.

Regarding the narrative, in the overall it was good and simple. It was a lot funny and the romance got me too. But there were some writing problems related to the villains:

- Kamiyama was the worst! Although he's a good guy, few things justify the way he tried to break up the leads, and he didn't have a good reason. Yes, he needed the money for his father and their company, but that wasn't reason for him to take a drunk FL to a hotel room, take off her dress, and pretend they had a night together. That was just disgusting! And from where I come from, this is a crime, you can go to jail for these things. So all that had totally ruined the character for me. And I didn't understand how FL forgave him for that. I was totally on ML's side for getting angry at her for trusting a man who did what he did to her. As a woman, I'm afraid of these types who disguise as friend to gaslight and manipulate women. Ugh, so disgusted!

- As for ML's mother, I knew there was smth wrong with her. She acted weird from the very beginning. Hated how she had a redemption and they forgave her although she never asked for it and was willing to continue with her malicious plans. It wasn't clear why she stopped trying to separate the leads cuz she clearly had an obssession with Togo and I can't believe that everything went well in the end bc he just asked her to stop. She needed mental treatment really.

On the overall it was a very enjoying drama. The romance was the best part. If you overlook the poor villain arcs it was very good and worth watching.

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Writing is a mess but good romantic scenes

Wow! So many resemblances with "You are my glory" and "A Romance of the Little Forest." But the drama had its own story and vibes. I gotta say I was really expecting more from this one, but there were some things that bothered me along the way.

- It was little draggy in the beginning. I didn't really understand why the couple took that much time to be together. It's not that they took a long time, but they didn't have any obstacles to their love, so why didn't Xiang Yuan say yes to Xu Yanshi before?
- The writing is not that good. There were some plot points that were poorly explained or could've been better developed. Like Yanshi's family; his father was never present in his life and he holds a grudge bc of that, but they never really talk abt that and Yanshi just gives his little brother away to his father. And no explanation is given as to why he let his brother go that way; Yanshi's mother appearing in the last ep was really weird. His dad raised him all by himself, through many difficulties, Yanshi is always addressed as a poor and alone guy, but then we find out that his mother is alive, well AND rich! And they are in good terms with each other. Then why did he need his professor's help with his brother so he could study?! And the debt with Chen Shan?! Where was his mother during all that?!
- The main couple is good and have chemistry. I really like that they have a lot of skinship and appear natural and intimate together. There are a lot of good kissing scenes and the couple trust each other. But that break up in the 30th ep was unlike them. They should've talked abt their views and opinions on the problem. Both of them had a point but they just didn't talk clearly with each other and just gave up. At least that lasted only one episode.
- Second couple is boring af. They have absolutely no chemistry and doen't even make sense together. Chen Shu is annoying and so it is Gao Leng. I didn't understand why she was so mad at him to the point of breaking up with him, so it was confusing why she came back to him in the end.
- Side characters are a little boring as well. I didn't hate anything or anyone in specific but they were just forgettable. Like I said, the second couple was boring, and the other characters didn't shine or have their story told.
- All the Beidou lecture was too patriotic and just cringey. Maybe for chinese people it made sense but for me, a foreigner, it was just annoying. I also didn't understand most of the talk about navigation systems and all, so I just zoned out on those parts.

That's it. All in all, I enjoyed watching it, first eps are a little draggy but the couple is good. Although the writing is a mess, I think for some people it would be worth for the couple. They really deliver good romance. If I were to rewatch I would skip everything but them. I also think this drama could be 10 eps shorter, it would be faster and it wouldn't waste time with characters and plots we don't really care.

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