Gu Man gives us another amazing drama & Yang Yang & Reba bring it to life

Novelist Gu Man has written yet another novel (You Are My Glory) that was turned into an amazing drama. If you haven’t watched her dramas or read her novels you’re missing out. Two of her dramas, Boss & Me and Love o2o will forever be in my top ten all time favorite cdramas. I love how endearing and touching her novels are. This drama is deep and very emotional so most actors would struggle with it. But not Yang Yang and Reba. Their acting blew me away and made this drama what it is.

I expected this to be a cute romcom but was pleasantly surprised to find a rather deep drama with a unique story to tell. Even though it had a few cute and funny moments, it wasn’t something that made me laugh a lot. The drama mainly focuses on the leads and their struggles to achieve success in both their careers and in their private lives. In keeping with her other stellar dramas, Gu Man gives us a mature drama about adults working together to build a healthy relationship without all of the noble idiocy, stupid misunderstandings, love triangles, and unnecessary breakups. There are no second leads causing trouble nor is there anyone plotting against the leads at their workplace. This is more of a slice of life drama that has an underlying message and a lesson to teach.

I appreciate how much effort went into this drama. This is definitely a big budget drama. The set designs were elaborate, the wardrobe was gorgeous and many scenes were filmed in exotic locations. I especially loved the beautiful desert area they filmed in several times. The CGI for the games was really good too. They obviously went all out for this drama.

Some will say that this drama is not unique since the designer and gamer storylines have been done a lot lately. What makes this drama unique is not the setting the characters are put in. It’s how Gu Man wrote their characters and how those characters interact with others. This is a unique drama where the leads actually have a healthy relationship and communicate. And yet it’s not boring at all. She proves that you don’t have to have ridiculous misunderstandings, breakups, or obsessed second leads to make a drama interesting. That’s why this drama is so unique. And it’s why I like Gu Mans dramas so much.

There are no tripping and falling into the male leads arms, no accidental kisses, or drunk confessions. Everything is very normal and realistic so the drama was very relatable. The leads gradually fall in love over time and the issues they face aren’t silly misunderstandings but normal things many couples face in the real world. Their romance is very realistic and their chemistry is some of the best I’ve seen. If you prefer your romance dramas to have lots of kisses and skinship then you won’t be disappointed here. There’s lots of kisses, hugs, princess carrying, and cuddling. But it’s not cheesy at all, it’s very mature and realistic. The romance is what truly shines in this drama.

If I had a complaint, it would be that I wished there was a bit more tension and action in the drama. But slice of life dramas like this one don’t rely on evil antagonists or fast paced action scenes to move the plot along. They rely on well developed characters and the emotional journey they take to move us and get us invested in the drama. And this drama does that extremely well. Seeing the male lead work hard his whole life to achieve a dream he had since high school then reluctantly decide to give it up was heart wrenching. So when he decides to make one last effort to pursue his dreams, I won’t lie, I was out of my seat and cheering him on. And seeing both leads grow and mature in both their personal and professional lives was very satisfying. Their journey in life was quite endearing.

I’ve enjoyed watching Yang Yang and Reba mature and grow as actors over the years. I’ve watched many of their movies and dramas but this was probably the best I’ve seen from both of them. Their acting was amazing and their facial expressions blew me away. The whole cast did well but the main leads were spectacular.

Overall I’d say this was an amazing drama. It’s not cliche nor is it cheesy and the acting is incredible. The storyline is interesting as it delves into the world of online gaming, then we learn about aerospace engineering, and then we see what professional actors have to deal with. So it’s never boring or uninteresting. It’s one of the best slice of life dramas I’ve ever watched. If you don’t watch this drama then you’re missing out, I highly recommend it.

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A truly great romcom

If Love o2o and Go Go Squid had a love child it would be called Falling Into Your Smile. This drama reminded me a lot of these two dramas. Just like Love o2o the main leads never doubt each other, they communicate well, and never have any issues in their romance. There are no messy breakups, no noble idiocy, no mean in-laws, and no love triangles. And it doesn’t have a lot of angst or heavy melodrama either. It also reminded me a lot of Go Go Squid with its riveting gaming competitions. I loved how the teams worked and lived together just like a family. The camaraderie and team spirit were quite touching. If you liked Love o2o and Go Go Squid then you’ll love this because they’re quite similar.

Most dramas first few episodes aren’t that interesting as they set up the storyline. Introducing a variety of characters and their backstories may be crucial to the plot but it can be quite tedious and uninteresting. But this drama is quite interesting right from the beginning. It takes us into the world of gaming with a live match right away. Then we get to meet some intriguing characters which will crack you up. This drama has some great comedy. There’s not really any slow moments and I didn’t have to fast forward at all. And it stays a romcom throughout the whole drama which was refreshing.

One thing that I like about this drama is that it’s about more than just romance and gaming. It delves into deeper subjects like how public figures deal with immense pressure from fans, the news media, their managers, and social media. They also have to deal with the disrespectful attitude most people have that e-sports is just a bunch of people sitting around playing games for fun. They don’t see it as a legitimate career worthy of respect. Then there are the gamers parents who want them to quit e-sports and get a ‘real job’. I also appreciated how hard the female lead works to help people see that women can be just as good at gaming as men are.

The gaming aspect of the drama was fun and made it more interesting. I wish that they made it a little easier to follow and understand. There are lots of different characters to choose from during the game and they seem to play a different character every time they compete. So it’s hard to know who is who when they’re playing. Plus, the games rules aren’t explained at all. So expect to get a bit lost and confused during the games.

Chinese dramas tend to have perky, upbeat, outgoing female leads that are often silly and naive but cute. But the female lead in this drama is different. She’s more reserved, serious and focused on her career. And she’s determined to prove to the male dominated gaming world that women can be just as good as men in e-sports. Therefore we don’t see a cute bubbly happy female lead like we usually do in cdramas. Instead we see a more aloof, reserved female lead that’s very focused on her career. Some have complained about her facial expressions, especially because she rarely smiles and her nickname in the gaming world is ‘Smiling’. She chose that name to honor a past gamer she admires, not because she smiles a lot. Her lack of smiles and cute or silly facial expressions is not poor acting, it’s how her character is written. If you understand that she is portraying a more soft spoken laidback type of character then you’ll enjoy her acting like I did.

I took off one star for a couple of reasons. Most of the actors in this drama are new and even though they did a great job, you can still tell the difference between them and the more seasoned veteran actors. The other reason would be because of how confusing the games are. It’s really hard to know what’s going on during the gaming competitions and that’s a big part of the drama. But don’t let those two things hold you back because the games are still fun to watch and they’re acting is still really good, especially for newbies.

I can’t end this without addressing the romance in the drama. The romance had amazing chemistry with lots of steamy kisses. And once they get together he just can’t seem to keep his hands off of her. Expect lots of kiss scenes, back hugs, princess carrying, and cuddling. They did an amazing job on the romance in this drama. There’s also a secondary couple that are fun to watch and added a lot to the drama.

In conclusion, this is one of those rare dramas that is low on angst but is still very interesting, which is hard to do. There are no breakups, no hateful parents, no scheming second leads, and no love triangles. Yet I couldn’t stop binge watching it. And that’s highly unusual for me. It’s not perfect but it’s definitely close. Don’t pass this one up, you’ll regret it.

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Sweet, cute, & funny

This is a light fluffy romcom with very little angst or melodrama. If you’re looking for something simple and easy to watch that doesn’t make you think too much and has a cute romance, then you’ll love this drama. But if you’re looking for something with an intriguing storyline or a spicy sexy romance with lots of skinship, then this is not the drama for you.

All of the actors in this drama did a great job. They made me laugh, they made me angry, and they made me cry. The acting was way above average. I give top marks to their acting.

The romance is a bit of a slow burn in the beginning but once they get together they are very cute. This isn’t a spicy romance with lots of skinship. It’s more of a sweet cute type of romance. There are several steamy kiss scenes and a very brief bedroom scene towards the end, but for the most part, there isn’t a lot of physical touching between the main leads. As a Gumiho he craves a humans energy and fears he will harm her if he touches her too much so for a good part of the drama they refrain from touching each other. They are very sweet together and have great chemistry. But I was left wishing they had more romantic moments between them. I took a half star off because the romance left me wishing there were was a little more to it.

The storyline was what I had the biggest issue with. The first few episodes were interesting but after that I found it getting a little slow. It took forever for the main leads to get together and there wasn’t much to the storyline other than their romance. So I took a star off for the slow start that almost made me drop it (I’m glad I didn’t.)

The storyline is a bit simple and mainly revolves around the male lead wanting to become a human and his romance with the female lead. A deity called “the mountain spirit” or the “old man” shows up a few times, and there’s an evil spirit that briefly creates chaos, but they only seem to appear when they’re needed to move the story along. The evil spirit just gives up and disappears without an explanation. And the deity is given no backstory as to who he is or why he does the things he does. So I took another star off for the lack of depth in the storyline and it’s side characters.

Even though there were several things I didn’t like, there’s still a lot of things I did like about this drama. The comedy is really good. There aren’t any evil antagonists trying to cause problems for the main leads. And there are no mean family members trying to break up the main leads either. There’s no love triangles or second leads causing misunderstandings. And I also like that’s it’s not full of angst and melodrama. And I loved the fact that they didn’t have any breakups, time jumps, or lengthy separations.

Overall I’d say this is a decent drama that’s worth watching. It isn’t a masterpiece but it’s cute, sweet, and funny. I wish the storyline and side characters had more depth. And it does start off a bit slow. But the main leads are cute together and it’s got some great comedy. It’s definitely worth watching.

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This is one you’ll go back and rewatch

At first I avoided this drama. I wasn’t crazy about the idea of a female lead that was chubby, unattractive, and going nowhere in her life. It didn’t seem like it would be a fun watch, especially when the female lead is caught in lots of embarrassing situations. And from the previews it looked like the male lead was super fit, attractive, and full of himself. I just didn’t like the dynamics of the situation. But it got so many glowing reviews that I finally broke down and watched it. And boy am I glad I did! It’s nothing like I expected.

Okay yes I felt a lot of second hand embarrassment for the female lead in the beginning. But a lot of it was quite comical and I found myself laughing along. And we needed to see just how low she had gotten to understand how much she truly accomplished. Because her character explodes with growth and you can’t help but root for her. The female lead starts out clumsy and lazy then transforms into this sassy little warrior that gives you all of the feels.

The male lead is super fit and we get to see his shirtless workout routine right away setting the stage for what appears to be a narcissistic hardworking overachiever type of character. But things are not as they appear. He has had a very tough life and was shown no love and little mercy. He has a lot of growth and healing to do too. Seeing him conquer his problems and fight for the life he wants was an absolute pleasure to watch. One thing I liked about him was his concern for the female leads health and safety. He was very much a gentleman. And when he said his ideal woman was a Jiu Jitsu expert because “a woman that can defend herself is sexy,” I had mad respect for him.

The romance was one of the best kdrama romances I’ve seen. Their chemistry just leaped off of the screen. I especially appreciate that the male lead starts falling for the female lead while she’s still chubby. When she lost some weight in her face I loved how obsessed he became with her dimples. When he poked her dimples and asked “what is this?” hovering inches from her face with utter fascination in his voice, you know he’s fallen for her. Then a few days later, her muscles are sore so she decides to go for a massage and he freaks out thinking about some muscular dude massaging her. So he insists she use his massage chair. And of course their first kiss and his bold pursuit of her is while she’s still chubby. The fact that he liked her long before she lost all of her weight made the romance feel less superficial and more genuine to me. Especially when he often emphasized that her health was most important to him, not her weight. I love how they interacted as a couple. His obsession with her dimples is so bad that he calls them his dimples and he melts every time she smiles.

The side characters are all great actors and added so much to the story. I appreciate that they weren’t just used as filler but had interesting stories of their own to tell. They were super funny and tons of fun to watch. I especially loved the relationship the male lead had with his two buddies. This is rare drama that I did not fast forward through any of the side characters storylines.

As with every drama, there were a few things I didn’t like. I really dislike that there was a long period of time where the leads were apart and it’s hard to watch. The reason was understandable and warranted under the circumstances. And the speech the female lead gave giving her undying support to her man was epic. She was trying to fortify him for the difficult road ahead that he chose to traverse alone to spare her and it was so inspiring. Fortunately the separation only lasted one episode and the reunion was most definitely worth waiting for. But I still detest separations and had to deduct half a point for that. I also wasn’t crazy about the final scene in the airport. But it was only one brief little scene so it was okay I guess.

Overall I give this high marks. It has a unique storyline, amazing acting, great chemistry, lots of character growth, it’s fast paced, very funny, and quite touching. This is a true gem I would highly recommend to anyone.

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Short, spicy, and unique

The one thing I like about Jdrama’s is how different they are from all the other Asian dramas out there. I’m getting a little burned out on kdramas because they’re all starting to look the same. I’m so tired of waiting 10 plus episodes for the first kiss, seeing jealous second leads sabotaging the main leads, getting frustrated over silly misunderstandings that would never happen in real life, and enduring unnecessary angst. This drama was the total opposite of that. The main leads kiss on the first episode, and boy was it a kiss! There are no jealous obsessed second leads, no unnecessary angst, and the main couple actually talk to each other about their problems. It was so refreshing!

Kei (the male lead) is called the phantom because he never seems to leave work and can be seen all over the building both during the daytime and nighttime, almost like a ghost. He seems to be drifting through life without much purpose or concern for his health, often forgetting to eat and sleep. He tells Momo (the female lead) that he pushes himself like that because it’s the only way he knows how to keep himself going. He’s very lonely and no one seems to notice or care that he’s not taking care of himself. But Momo’s concern for his welfare touches him. And he’s instantly drawn to her kind sweet personality. He’s a very bold take charge type of guy that becomes very loving and protective of Momo.

Momo is a very simple sweet girl with a heart of gold. She is probably one of the most shy naive characters I've ever seen, especially with the opposite sex. But her genuine concern for others touches everyone around her. She’s hardworking and quite loyal too.

The romance in this drama was done really well. The kissing scenes are quite steamy and numerous. And if you’re easily offended at bed scenes then you should skip this drama because they spend a lot of time kissing, cuddling, and doing other stuff (ahem, cough cough) in the bedroom. He’s very straightforward and aggressive and even though she’s a shy virgin she makes it clear that she’s fallen for him. They are a super sweet couple with amazing chemistry.

The storyline doesn’t have much to it. There’s a mysterious aura about the male lead and his past that I found interesting, but other than that it didn’t really have much depth. But what made me give it such high marks was because it was so unique. Even though the male lead sees the female lead, who is now his girlfriend, embrace another man and even feed him a bite of cake, he doesn’t flip out with jealousy or misunderstand the situation. He actually understands her naive actions and trusts her. And the female lead trusts the male lead too. Imagine that! They actually trust each other without jumping to conclusions and misunderstanding things. It was refreshing to see a drama where the main leads had a healthy relationship.

Okay so let’s talk about what I didn’t like. I took off a full point because most of the other characters were just there to move the story along. There were no other couples and we really didn’t get to know any of the side characters or their stories. The entire dramas focus was on the main leads and no one else. I would have loved to get to know the male leads best friend Fukami a little better. I also took a half point off because we never got to see the female leads backstory. There were no family or friends or info on her past. The only people in her life were her coworkers and they didn’t seem super close to her. It would have been nice if she had a best friend she was super close to that could have filled us in on her past.

Overall I’d say this is one of the better Jdrama’s I’ve watched. It’s short, super sweet, spicy, and refreshingly unique. I loved how a good deal of the drama was filmed in low lighting that set this dark shadowy mysterious mood. It wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but I enjoyed how light sweet and refreshing it was. Don’t miss out on this hidden gem.

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Much more than just a romcom

At first glance this seems to be a light fluffy romcom about the main leads working through their problems to be together. And in the beginning that’s exactly what it is. But somewhere along the way it becomes much more. It becomes a story about not giving up when life gets you down. It’s about lifting your head up and facing your problems head on instead of running away from them.

The male lead is a very talented chef that gave his all to achieve his dreams but failed. Then, instead of facing his problems, he ran away from them. He became a free spirited minimalist. He has very few things, not even a cell phone and he shuns all material things. But underneath it all he’s miserable. And when the cracks begin to appear in his defenses and we get to see how truly passionate he is about his dreams, you can’t help but root for him. His character growth was a joy to watch.

The female lead is a smart and very talented person that is working hard to achieve her goals. She pushes herself to succeed and never waivers in her determination to better herself. But when her world comes crashing down around her she begins to doubt herself. Her first instinct is to run away from her problems. But her friends rally around her and help push her in the right direction. I really enjoyed watching her work through her problems.

The rest of the cast wasn’t just there to move the story along. They had lovable personalities and interesting storylines of their own. I enjoyed the second couples romance and was pleasantly surprised at another relationship that pops up towards the end of the drama. Even though this is a romantic drama, the romance isn’t the central focus. There are a few kisses and some sweet moments but that wasn’t what the drama was about. The drama mainly focuses on the lives of the people sharing the house. It’s more about working hard to achieve your dreams and not giving up. As each person in the house faces roadblocks on their path to happiness you can’t help but cheer them on. Seeing them overcome these obstacles is what makes this drama so interesting.

It was a great drama but there were some negatives for me. I took one star off because I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the main leads. Don’t get me wrong, they were cute together and I liked them. But they seemed more like good friends than lovers. There just didn’t seem to be that spark of electricity between them that I think is essential in a romantic drama. Maybe it’s because there weren’t enough romantic moments between the leads so I couldn’t feel the chemistry between them. But for whatever reason, the romance felt a bit lackluster to me. I also took a star off because the storyline was a little too predictable. I enjoyed watching each characters journey but I knew everything that was going to happen well in advance. I was disappointed at how predictable it was.

Overall I’d say this is a light, sweet fun drama to watch. If the leads had more chemistry and if the storyline threw me a few surprises it would have been perfect. But even though it’s not perfect, it comes pretty darn close. The characters journey and growth are a joy to watch and it’s quite touching. It definitely left me feeling all fuzzy and warm inside. You won’t regret watching it, I didn’t.

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A bit cliche but worth watching

This isn’t really a romcom so if you’re looking for lots of laughs then you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a drama with an interesting storyline and a sizzling romance and don’t mind a few cliches thrown in along the way then you’ve come to the right place.

The storyline is pretty original with a few twists and turns to keep it interesting. I liked that there were several villains throughout the drama which kept it from getting predictable and boring. I also liked that both main leads are tough and can hold their own. If it weren’t for the cliche guy obsessed with the female lead and the cliche girl obsessed with the male lead it would have been much better. I’m so tired of seeing that scenario in almost every drama I watch nowadays. But the second male lead and his romance with the female leads best friend made up for that. I enjoyed watching their little romance. The side characters were well fleshed out and thankfully there weren’t any love triangles which was so refreshing.

The romance was the best part of this drama. Not only are both leads gorgeous, but they had great chemistry. The kisses were pretty steamy and there were plenty of them. The romance wasn’t cliche at all either. In fact it was pretty original. There weren’t any accidental falls into the male leads arms or second leads sabotaging the main leads by creating misunderstandings between them. Instead we see the male lead make some original moves like smoothly maneuvering the female lead into his lap on a bus. It was also nice seeing them together fairly early on and getting to enjoy their romance for a good deal of the drama. Overall the romance was done really well.

The male lead is a smooth confident and very charming guy. Even though he was orphaned at a young age he’s brilliant and was able to create a lucrative security company that provides protection to the elite upperclass. His charismatic personality along with his superb fighting skills reminded me of James Bond. He’s a bit high handed and aggressive with the female lead sometimes but I’ve always been a sucker for strong alpha males as long as they are respectful of women. And the male lead was a complete gentleman throughout the drama.

The female lead is smart, confident, talented, and capable of taking care of herself. On numerous occasions she got away from those trying to harm her all by herself. Yes the male lead does rescue her a few times but she helps him out too. I like how she saw through the women that tried to make her jealous or misunderstand things. She’s definitely not one of those annoying female leads. I found her character very likable.

In conclusion I would say this is definitely a drama I’d recommend watching. The storyline is great, the acting is great, the romance sizzles, and you can tell it was a high budget drama. I did deduct a full star for both main leads having someone obsessed with them without much of a reason for the obsession other than to move the story along. And to make matters worse they were so obsessed that they were willing to kill to be with them. I also deducted half a star because of the numerous flashbacks. There were multiple flashbacks every episode. It got tiresome and confusing at times. But it’s still a great drama that doesn’t get too melodramatic and is pretty balanced. Most misunderstandings get resolved fairly quickly and it’s well paced. This is a drama that shouldn’t be skipped. I really enjoyed watching it.

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Light fluffy romcom with likable characters

This is an easy watch that’s low on angst, high on romance, and has really likable characters. I wish the story had more depth but the acting was really good. And there’s some great side characters that are fun to watch.

The storyline:
The dramas description doesn’t really tell you what the basic storyline is about which might lead to confusion because it jumps right into the story so let me fill you in. The FL (Ye Wei Mian) has an identical twin sister (Ye Zheng Han) who is in a coma from a car accident. They are both in college but at different campuses with different majors. The FL pretends to be her sister at her sisters college to help her with an important scholarship she desperately needs. She also keeps up with her own college classes and works several part time jobs. She’s so exhausted she ends up accidentally breaking the ML’s birthday gift for his mother when delivering it to his house. It’s super expensive so she ends up paying for it by pretending to be the ML’s girlfriend which his mother says is the best birthday gift she could ever receive (I loved his mom). And he’s happy because it gets his mom off his back about him needing to find a girlfriend.

The female lead:
I was a bit apprehensive about the FL because it looked like she might be one of those annoying FL’s that are silly and naive and is always needing the ML’s help. But I was pleasantly surprised when she ended up being very smart and hardworking. She’s already a great designer with her own online shop. And the way she’s always dancing, laughing, or singing makes it understandable why people are drawn to her. She seems pretty happy with her life and is very positive all the time. I just got good vibes from her.

The male lead:
What can I say? He’s super hot and the perfect boyfriend. I love a male lead that knows what he wants and goes after it. And the way he shuts down the girl chasing after him every time she makes a play for him was refreshing. Even though he’s your typical super smart successful rich male lead, he’s very charismatic, charming and funny too. If you like shirtless scenes and a male lead that knows how to kiss, you’ll love this guy!

What I didn’t like:
The storyline was the weak point in this drama. The whole entire drama is about the twin swap and the problems it causes. If the drama had shown more of their family life and backgrounds or had went into more detail about their future goals it would have been more interesting. It just seemed to lack depth. Fortunately there is character growth, some cute side romances, and lots of great comedy which makes it worth watching. Plus the romance sizzles with lots of kisses and skinship which is a must for me when watching a romance drama.

The maid outfit controversy:
The FL is trying on formal dresses for a fancy event when one of the dresses looks a lot like a maids uniform. The ML says “you look like a Filipino maid.” Her dress did resemble a maids outfit and I think that’s all they were trying to convey because it wasn’t appropriate for the event they were going to attend. Was it disrespectful to say that? Yes. Could it offend some people? Yes. But for so many people to watch only one episode then give the entire drama one star based on a single isolated comment they didn’t like is ludicrous. I was more offended by the numerous reviews giving the drama one star and calling it racist after only watching one episode than I was about the comment itself. Fortunately, most websites and apps have removed that comment from the drama. And despite all those unjustified one star reviews, the dramas ratings are still quite good which proves that it’s a decent drama worth watching.

Final thoughts:
This isn’t the best drama I’ve watched but it’s not the worst either. I guess it’s somewhere in between. It lacks depth and has a predictable storyline. But the acting is amazing, the comedy is really good, and the characters are delightful. If you’re looking for something light, fluffy, romantic, and easy to watch then this is the drama for you. It’s a decent drama and I’m glad I watched it.

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Very funny with a sweet romance

If you watch this, watch it for the great comedy and sweet romance. Don’t expect much from the storyline or the characters and you’ll enjoy it more. The plot isn’t very realistic so you have to shut off your brain and just enjoy it for what it’s worth and not over analyze things.

Storyline
The basic premise of the drama is cute and interesting. It could have been such a great drama if it had been executed properly. But there are three mistakes they made that lowered my rating. First, the main leads don’t know each other’s true identities which is cute and funny. But they decided to take this plot line and drag it out way too long which was both annoying and unrealistic. One characters true identity is revealed halfway through the drama. The other characters true identity isn’t revealed until almost the end (episode 20). No one with even half a brain is going to believe that. It just wasn’t believable at all.
Second, they introduce too many characters and subplots. Not only was it confusing trying to remember each new character and their problems, but it made it feel like the drama had lost its focus and didn’t know where it was going. There was the twin sister and older brother and their issues. Then there was the ex girlfriend and all her problems. Then there was the FL’s parents and their backstory of divorcing and raising the twins separately. Then there was the grandpa and all of the flashbacks of him manipulating the family. Then there was the FL’s guy friend that was in love with her sister and causing all types of problems for everyone. Then they threw in another romance between the main leads best friends. There was just too much going on which diluted the story.
Third, there were just way too many cliche drama tropes used. There was the jealous ex causing problems, an overbearing disapproving parent, lots of accidental kisses, twins switching places, forced cohabitation, etc. There wasn’t much that was exciting or new or different about this drama.

Romance
The romance was perfect. The main leads had tons of chemistry. The numerous kisses and skinship made the romance sizzle. I especially liked how the ML tossed the FL over his shoulder and carried her off numerous times. She’s so tiny it seemed like she weighed nothing to him. I don’t know why but I find stuff like that very romantic. I also liked how they fought to stay together and made compromises when needed. It was nice to see the main leads together as a couple throughout a good deal of the drama. There were so many romantic moments with them cuddling on the couch, snuggling together in bed, holding hands, etc. If you’re looking for a drama with lots of romance and skinship then this is the drama for you.

Comedy
The comedy in this drama was absolutely hilarious. I was constantly laughing out loud while watching it. In the beginning it’s almost pure comedy with one laugh after another. I wished the comedy had kept on nonstop throughout the drama. But midway through the drama the angst and melodrama sets in and the comedy is there but it’s not a constant thing anymore. It’s present but it’s not the central focus like it was in the beginning. But overall I give this drama a high score for its comedy.

Final thoughts
I give high scores to the acting, comedy, and romance in this drama. If they had just stuck to the romance and comedy it would have been so much better. But lately, Chinese dramas have been starting out as fluffy romcoms then they turn into full melodramas increasing the angst the further you get into the drama. Im not a fan of this trend of switching genres from romcom to melodrama midway through the drama. I’m not saying this is overly melodramatic or angsty. Most problems get resolved fairly quickly. But there was just too much going on and most of it was unnecessary and didn’t enhance the storyline. So I deducted stars because of the unrealistic storyline that dragged out the hidden identities for way too long, because there were too many side plots that did nothing to enhance the storyline, and because it wasn’t original and had way too many cliche drama tropes. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy and you love a good laugh and a sweet romance then you should like this drama. It’s nothing amazing but it’s still pretty cute. I won’t be watching it again but it made me laugh a lot and sigh over the sweetness of the romance so I’m glad I watched it.

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Light fluffy romcom done right

If you like light fluffy romcoms light on angst and heavy on romance then you’ll love this drama. There’s no breakups, no rude parents, no stupid misunderstandings, and no love triangle. If you liked Love o2o and Put Your Head On My Shoulder then you’ll like this. It’s very similar to those dramas because it’s more of a slice life drama than an action drama or a melodrama. I wouldn’t say it’s quite as good as those two dramas but it comes close.

The FL is a super popular highly acclaimed singer that’s sassy, confident, and hardworking. The ML is a child prodigy genius that’s in his senior year in college. He’s an internet star and has a huge following in the gaming community. The first ten episodes are about how the main leads meet online and fall in love. These are some of my favorite episodes since the games had lots of different settings so it never got boring. Sometimes they were like spies (just like James Bond), or they were soldiers fighting in the jungle, or they were scientists. And the costumes and set designs were outstanding.

The romance:
I like how the main leads didn’t instantly fall in love (or lust) at first sight like in some dramas. They didn’t even know what each other looked like since it was online. They fell in love gradually over time as they got to know each other. There’s lots of real kisses and they’re steamy. There’s also lots of back hugs, cuddling, hand holding, and skinship. The romance is what makes this drama stand out.

Storyline:
The storyline is a very simple slice of life story that gives off that warm relaxing vibe. I appreciated that the characters were multidimensional with layers to their personalities. For instance, even though the FL was a superstar with lots of confidence in herself, she wasn't without flaws. Seeing her awkward clueless side when playing the online games or her shyness and insecurity around the ML made her seem more human and likable. And even though the ML was super smart and a little nerdy, he had this very charismatic suave personality when he was around the FL. His flirting with her and teasing her was too cute. I just wished the storyline had a little more depth and that the characters had more growth. But overall, the storyline was quite endearing.

A couple of areas where it fell short:
They chose a 50 year old man to be the second male lead with a love interest in the FL who is 26 years old. I thought he was her father or uncle at first. The age difference (24 years) is blatantly obvious. And it’s a shame because he was amazing in love Designer and deserves better. His unrequited love for her made most of their scenes awkward and a little creepy. My other complaint is the second female leads storyline. She gives up her career, a lifelong friendship, and all of her dreams over an incident in the past. Throughout the drama they hint at some devastating incident that traumatized her. But when you find out what happened it’s a BIG disappointment. I kept thinking ‘That’s it? She gave up everything over that?!?!’ She’s a great actress but her storyline fell flat and wasn’t believable. So I deducted two stars for these two reasons.

This is a good drama with great acting, a romance that has lots of chemistry, adorable and funny side characters, and some terrific music. Yes there are some flaws but the good far outweighs the bad in this drama and I’m glad I watched it. I think you will too.

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Adorable unique story with lots of laughs

When there’s lots of stress in my life I like to watch a drama that’s light sweet and happy with lots of laughs. That’s what I was looking for when I started watching “Be My Cat.” And it’s definitely a light fluffy romcom full of laughs and cuteness (for the most part.)

The male lead totally nails the whole cat thing. From batting at dangling things, to being obsessed with stroking soft furry things, to being fastidiously clean and collecting stuff with feathers, he was as catlike as a human can be. His cuteness level was a ten out of ten. When watching “My Fantastic Mrs Right” one of my biggest complaints was that when the female lead turned into a cat it was an unattractive obese stubby legged animated cat which really took away from the drama. So I was really happy when this drama used a real cat that was super cute. This drama did the human/cat theme really well. And I loved the uniqueness of the storyline.

What I liked:
The storyline was unique and interesting and there’s a cute second couple that pops up about halfway through the drama that was fun to watch. I also liked the female leads cute spunky and smart personality. She was a breath of fresh air. The comedy was really good and had me cracking up all of the time. The romance was light fluffy and cute with several kisses. It wasn’t one of those romances that has steamy kisses and lots of skinship. It was more of a wholesome sweet romance with a few soft sweet kisses and lots of staring dreamily at each other which was perfect for this type of romcom. The story isn’t very believable and it’s a bit cheesy sometimes but the cuteness and great comedy are absolutely top notch.

What I didn’t like:
The storyline itself was a true romcom that was quite simple, light, and fluffy with lots of laughs. But about three fourths of the way through the drama they suddenly hit you with some heavy angst and melodrama. I was so disappointed! Chinese dramas like to do this so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I don’t mind some occasional mild to moderate angst in a romcom. But when a cute funny romcom goes full on melodrama with noble idiocy, with an unnecessary meanly worded breakup, and a new romantic rival pops up out of nowhere, it bothers me. I liked having some friction and story depth (it was a bit too light and fluffy) I just didn’t like how heavy the angst was.

Overall this is a very cute fluffy romcom. It reminded me a lot of “Meow The Secret Boy” with its cuteness and great comedy. You will laugh your butt off at the well timed comedy, you will melt over the cuteness of the male lead, and you will sigh over the sweet romance. If you don’t mind a little angst thrown in along with some plot twists towards the end of the drama, then you’ll love it. It’s not perfect but it I enjoyed it.

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Not as good as season 1 but it’s worth the watch

How much you like this drama will largely depend on whether or not you watched season one. If you watched Go Go Squid season one then you probably won’t like this season as much as you did the first one. The storyline is identical so it’s a bit too predictable. But if you never saw the first season then you will probably fall in love with this drama since it will all be new to you. Let me explain.

This is not a continuation of season one nor is it a spinoff of the original drama. It follows the same exact storyline as season one except it comes from the viewpoint of different characters. Everything is seen through DT and Appledog’s eyes this time. We see what they experienced professionally and personally during season one which mainly focused on Gun and Tong Nian’s experiences. On paper it sounds good, but in reality it ends up lacking the originality and uniqueness that set the original Go Go Squid apart from the rest. It’s hard to stay focused and interested when you already know what’s going to happen.

When it started out with flashbacks alluding to what happened to the original team Solo I thought we were just being given a brief bit of background info on what happened in the original drama so we would know what was going on in this one. But the team Solo flashbacks kept going on. Then lots of scenes of Solo arguing with his ex over custody of their child pops up. Then Appledog shows an interest in being an announcer. Then Xiao Mi starts having trouble at SP and decides to retire. So by the time Xiao Mi gets hired on at K&K I finally realized that season two would not have its own original storyline. It shows a bit of what happened both before and after season one, but the majority of the drama focuses on all of the events in season one. It basically re-enacts a lot of the scenes from season one but with different actors and from a different perspective. The storyline became a bit too predictable for me. I felt like I was watching season one all over again except a lot of familiar faces were missing. Be prepared to watch over 30 episodes before the storyline picks up where season one left off and they go to the world championships.

What saved this drama was the romance between DT and Appledog. They have great chemistry and a sweet romance. Their relationship was both realistic and touching. If you like romcoms with real kisses and skinship then you’ll love seeing them together. It’s worth watching just to see their romance.

Even though I was a bit disappointed with the storyline, there were some things I really liked. Like when they explained why the club was named K&K. The reason the club was given that name is so sweet. And they also explained why Wubai chose the name DT. When you find out his reasons for his nickname you’re going to melt. I also loved seeing the Grandpa again. He’s just too cute in this drama. Seeing the story behind Appledog’s decision to be a commentator was nice. I also loved the multiple appearances by Gun and Tong Nian. It was nice to see them again. I really appreciate being able to see the end of their story too. And finally getting to see them compete in the world championships was so exciting!

I deducted 3 stars for three reasons. First, because a lot of the storyline is the same as season one. It’s not unique and lacks originality. Second, because the switch from CTF to robots took away from the story. Each guy on the CTF team had a specific role they personally played in each match. Watching them fight together as a team at the competitions was so touching. But with robots only 1 or 2 players can compete in a match. So it lacked the warmth and camaraderie that the CTF matches had when they competed together. Third, The inconsistencies in the two storylines bothered me. If you’re going to have the exact same storyline but have it seen from someone else’s perspective, then keep the storyline the same. Don’t change it. In season 1 Gun personally managed and lead the team to victory. But in season 2 they had DT do it. In season 1 Solo had been living in the original teams training facility for quite a few years. But in season 2 he buys the empty training facility hoping it will help him get back with Appledog. And in season 2 Xiao Mi’s adorable girlfriend (&Tong Nian’s best friend) doesn’t exist. In season one grandpa lives in Norway and occasionally visits them in China. In this one he lives full time in China. I really dislike inconsistencies and plot holes.

Even though I originally planned on deducting 3 stars, I added back half a star because of the ending. The ending just takes everything and wraps it up in a big bow. It was very touching to see everyone together again. It was one of the more satisfying endings to a drama.

Overall, this isn’t near as good as season one. Be prepared to be bored at times as you have to watch the same exact storyline be re-enacted. And the inconsistencies between the two seasons may bother you as they did me. But the great acting and amazing romance saves this drama. That along with a touching reunion with some of season one’s characters makes it worth the watch.

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Light easy to watch romcom with great storyline

I like how Chinese dramas are having more strong female leads like this one. The female lead is no clumsy naive simpleton, she’s a genius college student. And she’s super confident and very outgoing. I love the relationship she has with her cousin and her bestie in college too. I also liked that even though she was a big internet star, she was genuine and down to earth. She has a very likable personality. On the downside, be prepared for some odd outfits that are a bit oversized and for her hair to always be pulled into a half ponytail. It’s been a terrible trend with Chinese dramas lately. I don’t know why they can’t leave the hair down and put close fitting figure flattering clothes on the female leads.

As for the male lead, at first he comes off as your typical cold unfeeling hot guy thats full of himself and ignores all of the females vying for his attention. But once you get to know him you realize he’s not full of himself or trying to ignore anyone or be rude. His upbringing made him clueless about social situations and an event in the past has him hyper focused on winning the world championship for China in CTF (Cyber security). Plus he co owns a big cyber security company and runs the entire Chinese branch by himself. So he doesn’t have the time to put much effort into friendships or relationships.

Fortunately for the male lead, the female lead comes along and turns his world upside down. Because of a misunderstanding, they have to pretend to date for a while and she teaches him so much about relationships and how to be a good friend. She sees through his rough exterior to the warm caring person he really is and helps his character to grow tremendously. I love their romance with the real kisses, hugs, and cuddles. It’s very sweet and they have great chemistry. The romantic aspects of this drama were done perfectly.

Another big plus for this drama is the CTF (cyber security) gaming competitions. I loved how the teams worked and lived together. The camaraderie and team spirit was quite touching. They seemed more like family than friends. And the way the male lead was more of a father figure to his team than a friend was endearing. The gaming storyline made it much deeper and more interesting than your typical romance drama.

I normally don’t even notice the music in a drama. It’s just not my thing. But I have to say that I found myself humming along to a lot of the songs. I even looked up a couple of songs and downloaded them. The entire soundtrack is really good and added a lot to the drama.

There are a lot of well fleshed out side characters that you’ll love. The male leads grandfather is just adorable. I couldn’t get enough of him! And his gorgeous and talented cousin is so quiet and mysterious. The female leads parents relationship was so funny and cute too. And the whole K & K CTF team is pure eye candy.

In conclusion, I would say that this is a relatively light easy to watch romance drama with an interesting storyline. There’s not too much angst or sadness. It’s there but it’s not drawn out for too long making you want to scream at your tv. The acting is absolutely amazing with a great cast. It flows well never leaving you confused about what happened. All of the questions are answered and the loose ends are tied up in the end too. My only complaint would be that there are way too many flashbacks to the past throughout the drama. They hint at what really happened in the past between the group of friends for way too long. But I guess no drama is perfect, right? But this one is pretty close to perfect in my honest opinion. I would definitely recommend watching this drama.

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A very chill, laidback, feel good drama

This is one of those dramas that gives you a warm cozy feeling like you’re sipping on hot cocoa while snuggling under a warm blanket reading a good book. It just gives off chill laid back vibes. Some may call it slow because its more focused on the leads everyday lives and careers and there’s not a lot of angst. But that’s how slice of life dramas are supposed to be. They don’t use misunderstandings, overbearing parents, or scheming second leads to make the drama interesting. Instead, they delve further into normal everyday situations finding deeper meanings and understandings of things. And this is a classic example of how a good slice of life drama should be. It pairs soft sweet music with the poetic musings of various characters thoughts throughout the drama which I found both interesting and endearing.

And can I just say how refreshing it is to finally have a Chinese drama that doesn’t dress its female lead in odd looking clothes that are at least two sizes too big? It’s one of my biggest gripes about Chinese dramas lately. Fortunately this female leads wardrobe is not only form fitting but it’s very stylish and flattering too. And speaking of the female lead, I just love that she’s a strong, confident, woman that knows exactly what she wants and is willing to put in the hard work it will require to achieve her dreams. And even though she’s confident, she’s not arrogant or rude. I also like what she says about her desire to be a lawyer and why she has such a strong sense of justice. She says; “the silent majority is a victims accomplice. I can’t stay silent. As long as I can make even a little bit of change to society then my dreams will come true. We must uphold justice even if it’s trivial justice.” Her character is very likable because even though she has a very high profile career she’s still down to earth and dedicated to helping others.

The male lead isn’t your typical arrogant chaebol with a cold aloof personality. Even though he’s a doctor with a wealthy family background, he’s very kind and considerate. And he’s especially nice to the female lead as he chases her. He’s very principled with strong work ethics and a deep desire to help others. I like how he’s so cool and sexy one minute, then a sweet little puppy the next minute. And boy is he obsessed with kissing the female lead or what? I’ve watched hundreds of Asian dramas and I’ve never seen one with so many kisses. And they were such realistic kisses too. If you’re looking for a drama with real kisses, lots of skinship, and an epic romance, you’ve come to the right place.

I’m not usually into the side couples in dramas but the second leads romance is really quite good. At first I didn’t like the second female lead because of her tendency to cry at the drop of a hat. But she grew on me as her character began to mature. I liked that after she got her tears out of the way she was always very determined to keep working hard toward her goals. And she was a very loyal and thoughtful friend too. I liked her character and her romance was both realistic and sweet.

The main drawback of this drama is the storyline. It touches on many interesting subjects like dealing with meddling parents that oppose their children's career choices, how judgemental people are towards doctors, how unfairly lawyers are viewed, and how the elderly are easily taken advantage of. At the same time it’s dealing with the main leads romance and the issues they were facing in their careers. And they spent a ton of time on the secondary romance too. I think they were trying to put lots of little storylines into the drama to make it more interesting but it ended up backfiring for me. They spent too much time on trivial side stories and not enough time on the important stuff. If more time had been invested in the main leads lives and the challenges they faced in their careers as a doctor and lawyer, the drama would have been much better. For that reason, I deducted a point. The other problem I had was that they used the very much over used childhood friends reunited to become lovers trope. If this were my first drama or early on in my many years of drama watching I wouldn’t be so bothered by it. But I’m really tired of seeing this overused trope in dramas. Therefore, I deducted a half point.

That being said, I just loved that there were no evil exes, no parents opposing the romance, no love triangles, and no evil corporate bad guys. This drama was free of most of your typical cliche drama tropes that are so annoying which gave it a fresh unique feel. There was the one childhood friends to lovers trope but it was the only thing that was cliche about this drama. For the most part it was very unique and refreshing. I would definitely recommend watching this sweet fluffy romcom.

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A true romcom worth watching

This is a good romcom but it makes a couple of mistakes that keeps it from being truly great. It’s not a bad drama, I enjoyed it, but it could have been so much better. First, it makes the second male lead too perfect. He’s almost irresistible to the audience. Few people can resist the lure of a super hot bad boy that’s manly and tough on the outside but a sweet wounded little puppy on the inside. And then matters are further compounded by not giving him a love interest of his own to turn to for comfort. No, instead we always see him off by himself in some corner crying his eyes out. Their making him so pitiful only fired up his fans. People were firmly on either “team Suho” or “team Seojun.” Any drama that creates a strong second lead syndrome like this should expect mixed reviews with some loving it and others hating it depending on whether or not their crush got the girl. And those negative reviews will only end up hurting viewership and ratings.

The second mistake they made was that the only thing they focused on for 10 straight episodes was the misunderstandings between the main leads and the female leads fear of being seen without makeup. The story just didn’t have enough depth to hold my attention span for that long. It was cute in the beginning but got tiresome after a while. I can see why some may have dropped it. Fortunately around episodes 11-12 it gets better. The story finally gets a villain and bullying and unrequited love are addressed. The side characters become a bit more fleshed out too, often providing comedic relief during the sad and angsty parts.

The one thing that really confused me was why everyone was calling this a love triangle when it clearly never was one. The dramas description only mentions two characters, Joo Gyeong the makeup goddess, and Suho the boy who helps her “find her true beauty.” It even describes these two as “finding love with each other.” So one would have to be a fool not to know who the main leads are and who the girl will end up with. And in the drama the female lead never flirts with or leads on the second male lead. It’s very clear that she only sees him as a good friend. So the whole “love triangle” tag and those who commented about how angry they were when she chose the male lead had me scratching my head. I mean, did you even read the dramas description? Is it a love triangle? No. Is there unrequited love? Yes.

The second male lead having a big fan base might lead you to believe that the main male lead isn’t that good. But nothing could be further from the truth. Not only is he strikingly good looking, but his portrayal of the sad, lonely chaebol that is tortured by the death of his best friend is spot on. Having lost his mother early in life and then having his father neglect him and leave him on his own since middle school has left him emotionally stunted. His character growth is touching. You can’t help but love him. It’s no surprise that he has a huge fan base of his own rooting for his character.

One thing I really liked about this drama is that it continues to be a romcom throughout, never spiraling into a melodrama at the end. It stays true to its genre with lots of great comedy and romance. There is some sadness and angst but it’s never overly sad and the misunderstandings aren’t drawn out for too long. It has more of a light fun hearted feel to it.

That being said, the comedy was exceptionally good and had me literally laughing out loud. I would rewatch this drama just to relive some of the funny moments. The other great thing about this drama is the romance. The main leads have great chemistry and real kisses. There were at least a half dozen kisses and they were all long kisses too. There’s also piggyback rides, hugs, cuddles, and surprisingly enough, a bed scene. High School/college romcoms don’t usually have that much skinship so I was quite surprised. This drama is worthy of a watch just based on the comedy and romance alone. But be prepared for things to drag a bit in the middle and to have your heartstrings pulled by the second male lead. I did like that the story had a positive message of how true beauty isn’t superficial but it’s really about what’s inside that makes you truly beautiful. It’s not perfect, but definitely worth watching.

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