Nice storyline set up, decent execution

Wow, am I giving a web-drama a rating higher than 8? Yes.
Don't expect this to blow your socks off, but I really did enjoy the storyline and the characters of this story. It's got a good balance of comedy (actual LOL moments), romance, and near-tearjerks (just the way I like it...not ripping out my heart but sad enough to feel something).
I was a really big fan of the character composition. Two main CPs: a more mature CP with deep love and loyalty for eachother, and a young CP with lots of funny and embarrassing moments. I'm a big fan of having those two CPs side-by-side (honestly, now that I'm thinking of it, it's really big brain bc dramas usually end up using a stoopid second CP to keep the mood up that everyone gets annoyed about. But with the age gap, it's all natural.)
Zhao DongZe plays the two MLs pretty well...the characters are quite different from each other despite their similar passions in art. Also, I really have no complaints about the execution of the Lu Ming-YouYou-Ma ZiXuan love triangle (I'm not calling this a spoiler...you can tell from like ep 1); which is quite shocking because it really could've been half-as*ed.
There weren't a whole lot of cliches, which is surprising for a web drama (the only one I can think of is a scheming SFL trying to win the ML. I'm not counting the love triangles bc the execution wasn't cliche).

Overall, enjoyable watch! I binged, but I can imagine pacing...I think a lot of the episode endings were minor cliffhangers so should be enough to keep you interested. Lots of things going on: kid getting into college for art, dealing with a new *situation*, and having a youthful romance; older guy battling sabbatoge at work and in his love life; all while they do this body switch thing (only a few times...not that much) trying to go unnoticed.

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All the gaming dramas mashed into one

If you've seen other chinese drama's on e-sports, it's basically a mash-up of most of them (particularly rom-com gaming dramas). So don't expect anything new...but it's still a good drama.
I've written out more specifics in a spoiler comment on this page so I won't write it out again. But expect to see bits of a range starting from the OG Love O2O to the most recently released Falling Into Your Smile.
This drama is really light: many funny moments, good bromance, cute flirting. Romance is a bit slow...takes over half of the eps for ML and FL *officially* get together (ngl I thought they were already together before it was official). Definitely not the slowest burn but with context it is a bit slow. No break ups or unreasonable misunderstandings in the relationship (other than a single one...I won't say spoilers, but guarantee no angst from it).
Overall, a solid mid-range drama.

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tropes-galore, only good for that classic fluffy rom-com feel

Ok, I’m going to write my first ever review with spoilers.
This drama’s storyline is all the tropes wrapped up into a coherent drama. There is nothing novel here, no major plot twists, you could see what was going to happen for the most part, from the start. But you’ll have lots of laughs, second hand embarrassment, and an at least decent OST.
For everyone who wants to know all the tropes in this drama, I’ve tried to take note of them (hopefully I at least got most HAHA)
- The ones you could tell from the summary: twin switching identities, contract marriage to fulfill grandparent’s wishes (on FL side, for money), two love triangles, ML CEO & poor FL
- ML & FL first meeting is misunderstanding (FL thinks ML is rude)
- Accidental kiss within 1st ep
- Childhood backstory (ML & FL AND SML & FL)
- FL’s mom is in the hospital and she needs to pay the bills
- Ex-“good friend” of ML (I’ll just call her SFL) Comes back after “improving her social status” to match ML and tries to win ML over (and sabotages FL in the workplace and in FL’s relationship with ML)
- SML tries to convince SFL to not act crazy/manipulative (there are two different ways love triangles pan out)
- ML best friend/secretary paired with FL best friend
- ML falls for FL first while in the contract relationship (and has fits of jealousy…FL also gets jealous too later on)
- ML talks to FL under the guise of anonymous online friend
- FL get kidnaped, ML saves her
- ML finds out about FL’s secret on his own; and it causes split
- Princess carries, ML saving FL from drunk person, ML gets hurt saving FL and FL puts on medicine, kissing in the rain, cheesy romantic lines
There area a *few* non-tropes though…but I won’t write it all out.

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Quality storytelling housed in good production

Storyline, consistent pacing, acting, cinematography, minimal dubbing, character construction, are all things you will not miss in this drama. What else can I say? Its a story about a guy and his friends holding onto the thread of life as low-level workers in the service industry, and how they move along their journey towards a happier and more fulfilling life. Along the way are sparks of motivation and then set backs, moments when others push them forward, moments when they push others forward. You see the themes: power of love, wisdom of elders, self-reflection, little things that make people happy, strong brotherly bond, ups and downs of relationships; all packaged *not* in a melodrama, but in a comedic fashion (realistic comedy, not nonsensical silly). Its a story that I don't regret immersing myself into...it was a satisfying watch (yes, it is 37 eps, so if you don't have the time, then maybe wait until you do. Romance is more on the slow-burn side). I really liked the production; also, there are quality volunteer subs with good explanations too. Maybe the only thing I had to get used to was the music...they really utilized the music to set the tone (like heavily depended on it) but sometimes it made the cuts of music a bit weird...like it just cuts off the music before to go into another song or silence without cross-fading/fading in/out. I do like the concept of using music to set the tone though but...hmmm...just not my favorite execution of this concept.

I will note, that in the beginning, I found the ML to be a spineless creep, but I think he slowly got better (subtly)...don't want to spoil anything. And I didn't think much of the FL at first, but I liked her more and more later on. I guess this is something else I can comment on: usually in dramas, the "goddess" or "perfect male" maintains their "god-like" image (maybe their single blemish is childhood trauma-induced or maybe they are innocent and don't know anything about dating). That is not true in this drama...ML sees FL as this perfect goddess at first sight, but as viewers, we know that she's built different but she's still our species.
P.S. #conspiracytheory: the real purpose of this drama was to put square dancing aunties (the notorious 大妈s who are known for being insensible retirees who blast their dancing music and bother people in the community who just want peace and quiet) in a positive light?? Especially that last line of the drama...got me solidifying this thought.

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Unexpectedly good

So...as of now, there is no eng sub and no quality trailer on youtube for this drama. I was looking for a 40-ep filler...and it was pretty good (to be clear, the version I watched has 39 eps total).
Unique, quality points of this drama:
- It is a unique story and set up (loyal and righteous small business owner in debt ML and his little family of friends; righteous silver-spoon acclaimed FL and her helicopter mom; ML and FL interact with different customers of different backgrounds)
- The character design was soooo good. In a basic drama, we have a classic "good guy" and "bad guy" and/or "good guy turned bad because of a series of events". This good vs bad is based on a basic viewpoint of what is moral and acceptable to society (tell the truth, do good for yourself and others, etc.) and what is not (stealing, cheating, manipulating, etc.). But this drama managed to create characters all along the spectrum, as it is in real life (people are all over the place, lets be real). You have lifelong friends that steal money, backstabbers that remain loyal for old times' sake. What a mess; but it keeps it exciting. All of the actions of each character make sense (and the lead and supporting actors are able to portray these oddly shaped morales for these unique characters).
- You would expect character development to be very strong over 39 eps to keep the story going...but there wasn't too much development. You can see the minor change in the last couple episodes, but it wasn't the focus. I think the focus was on different fully developed characters interacting with each other with pros and cons slowly rubbing off on each other.
- ML is a basic broke and loyal guy but he's not pitiful. He's smart enough to stay true to what he believes in, but loyal enough to bend backwards to help others. Minor thing I appreciate: while he is in debt, there is a lack of the basic loan shark that hunts him down. It seems that every story writes in a loan shark scene when explaining how broke someone is, but ML would be too smart to take a loan from a loan shark or anything sketchy like that.
- FL is a rich kid with talents, but seems like people care more about her background than her works. But her works aren't necessarily 100% spot-on the client
- The chemistry is so good, acting is on point
- Subtle witty jokes scattered throughout drama, otherwise it's just all drama #tea

What I didn't like:
- Some of these characters that have twisted morales are just uncomfortable to watch (for example swindling your own friend) and ML always gets taken advantage of...this doesn't really change...so if you have strong vigilante-like personality, then you'll be extremely frustrated
- You can't really tell what age they are...these are all good actors, but...real life age and drama age...you can only imagine so much. And I don't think they really spell it out for you either, but once in a while there are some lines that infer ages you may not have expected. Age isn't always important, but it's nice to have context (the more background, the better). It doesn't interfere with the storyline though.
- the ending...it was like another episode ended...nothing special except for the words "the end". But it's a happy ending. I really feel like an extra 2 or so eps could've wrapped up some things. But I wouldn't say ending was unsatisfying...it just wasn't grand. It's so odd because the pacing throughout was good...why couldn't they just also have a nicely-wrapped-with-a-bow ending? Maybe it's an ode to "...life goes on..."

Wow this is a very long review. Thanks for reading through.

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MS. SHI IS A QUEEN

This is the best C-drama in the rom-com realm of 2022 so far (I was thinking this year was so dry up until this point). The story, the production, the richness of characters, wow. Now to explain my title: the most unexpected thing about this drama was the power of mentorship (especially female mentorship in a man's world). You can see it in Ms.Shi's company where her M:F ratio is amazing and she offers so much guidance.
On the story: it's hard to get past the first nearly third of the drama of how the FL is treated (especially by the ML) and how she just has so much bad luck. But she powers through (it was great seeing that she used her own strengths to stand on her own, but Ms.Shi actually provided her a lot of support that she needed; her friendship with her bestfriend was strong, and she's so loved by her family). We also see that ML's friends don't always agree with his ways...he doesn't get a free pass just because he's a rich boss. I really like the ML's best friend's character who is that thoughtful friend that considers others' feelings (classic nice guy but that actually gets a girl).
It was really enjoyable seeing the themes of mentorship, staying true to yourself and grounded in your beliefs, using your own strength to get back up again, and strong friendship ALL in a non-melodrama. This isn't the fluffiest drama but there are some real funny bits.
On the other parts: chemistry was on point, sounds like they tried to avoid dubbing (I love not having to hear an ultra-crispy voice), music was fitting to each situation...all good stuff. I'm so glad I finally have a favorite 2022 c-drama.

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Unique set-up, aight execution

Wow, I have been watching this with the drop (am a few days late to the finale...and I'm surprised there is no other reviews). This definitely was an investment at 40 eps, but I liked the storyline...especially the set up, and it made me really curious at the beginning (ngl there was one minor revelation I wasn't expecting). Overall, there were quite a few cliches (bossy CEO who doesn't express, FL who is loving and caring, jealousy, love triangle, miscommunication, sabotage...the whole list). If you have time to fill, this drama will fill a lot of it. But if you don't have time, your not missing out on anything novel. But it was still a good time with laughs, second-hand embarrassment, and a few tears (the usual).

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Mixed feelings: interesting story but some inconsistencies and simplistic storytelling/script

From episode 1, there have been some inconsistencies (as with many fantasy stories) and so many questions. The mystery storyline was what kept me watching. The FL character was refreshing...she has a very carpe-diem attitude, flirty and full of life but not a simple happy-go-lucky personality. The acting was great too...I think the personalities were very distinct.
I wasn't a fan of the build up to the main CP. Honestly, at the point that they confessed to each other, I thought they were still giving friend vibes...I was so confused. But I don't think that was a result of the acting...it was more of the script. As I was watching this drama, I couldn't help but think that it was adapted (and apparently changed quite a bit) from a webtoon because I thought I was watching a webtoon in action. There were parts of the scripts that were so chunky...it was just a lack of consistent build up (just mysteries and then wait a bit, then bam, the answer to everything). The storyline had so many twists, it would've been nice to see slow-dropped hints and even possible misleading hints to make the ride more fun. This is the first time I've ever really wanted to separate a script from the storyline (rating-wise). Thinking about it more, it could be a result of cutting/editing the script. It's a 30-40 episode storyline crammed into 24 eps.

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Great actors, not-so-great story execution

Don't have high expectations for this drama, but its a decent filler drama that is very light. To be honest, the storyline was just not the best...at first I thought it was fine as a low-drama slow-romance story but the little plot towards the end just did not match the pace of the storyline. The only reason I have given this drama a passing rating was because of the actors and production (cinematography was decent with a good color balance and it seemed like they tried to avoid dubbing, which I appreciated).
One thing that I have not yet read in other reviews or comments:

While I appreciate a realistic slowness of romance and research (this 24-ep drama spans a few years with no "time skips"), it's just a bit disappointing to see how unrealistic they portray research. After seeing how realistic science can be portrayed in the likes of You Are My Glory, its quite disappointing to see this in 2021. Average labs look like the lab they call "gross and old" (in fact, that was a very clean and organized lab...other than the rat she saw). It is *never* okay to eat in a lab (maybe you can sneak in a snack into an engineering lab) but they always eat and bring food in? impossible with their "strictness"...leaving your waterbottle outside a lab could be standard procedure in a real lab. Also the questions they ask while they seem well on their way through development seemed really basic (especially towards the beginning). These are just some issues with the science part...and they could've consulted an undergraduate to know these things. I know its the dramaworld and there are many unrealistic situations, but I feel like these are basic things (I don't even want to talk about how they're conducting experiments) and I'm no where close to an expert.

Also some have commented on how unrealistic the online boyfriend thing was...but we have shows like MTV catfish so I don't think this storyline is out of the realm of possibility. Also, they don't start dating until later. They started off as internet friends who eventually developed feelings for each other.

TLDR: If this was a 5-min clip web drama or 40-ep long drama, I would've instantly dropped. But because its only 24 eps, its another excuse to see Jasper Liu and Zhou Yu Tong act. Also, its not a very dramatic or sweetness-overload drama so don't expect that.

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Cute rom-com with unique focus on Go and it's culture

I thought this was a pretty well executed storyline with nice graphics/editing and music/sound effects. I thought it was interesting how they sometimes visualized the games of Go like video game scenes (given, these aren't the cleanest edits I've ever seen but it was a nice concept). The characters were quite well developed, I especially like the antagonist's story...they were able to make him slowly sink his bottom line (like before he knew it, he was in the deep end already), it was very natural. All of the characters' judgements seem to make sense and the acting was really great for the most part. One character I wasn't the biggest fan of for maybe 2/3 of the drama was Jiang YuDa (you'll probably see him throughout the comments) but I'm pretty sure half his character was written in just as gov propaganda (raised abroad but wants to come back to his homeland, has tried all foods but thinks Chinese foods are the best, etc.). Another issue was that the ML's "greatness" I think was just overkill especially in the beginning of the drama...that was just unnecessary. Overall, a pretty decent watch; very medium-paced and sensible interactions/reactions (there were just a few things about the ML's ability that were very over-exaggerated in the beginning). Keep in mind, this is a drama, and not real life, so things are overexaggerated and this drama also follows the recent trend I've been seeing of dramas greatly overestimating social media hype (let's be real...not every bit of gossip can become a "hot search").

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Sweet and fluffy

Production was pretty good, music matched, actors were really great (esp the leads; I really like the FL); car sticker was from 2018 so maybe they filmed back then. But don't come here if you're looking for a good storyline. The story is 100% fluff (the business portion isn't really realistic and the girl has so much free time every day), but most of the screentime is on their relationship. Also, these kids really are from well-off families (the FL bought $5k worth of furniture (approx $1k USD) for the ML when they were barely friends???). There's also quite a long period of awkward "liking each other but not official" time but I think that's expected with many fluff pieces. The ending wasn't my favorite--it felt like a short web-drama type of ending, but it was still happy.
One thing that stood out to me was that unlike other fluff dramas, the CEO doesn't have zero EQ (he's a little awkward but he's nice to those around him) and the FL doesn't have zero brain cells (she's top of her class and great at baseball and drawing). Overall, this is definitely a good filler drama if you want to smile every episode (there's basically no antagonist) and well-rounded characters.

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Cute story with a bit of mystery and fantasy

Great writing, great acting, what else can I say?? This is your typical rom-com but without basic tropes and a decent fantasy story. I'm usually not a fan of fantasy because I feel like they just make things up along the way and there are many inconsistencies. To be honest, I did find a few inconsistencies in the beginning but the acting really held the story together (all the lines came out so naturally, even the side characters). The mystery wasn't a surprise at all, but it was enough for you to keep watching. Its the kind of the storyline that isn't predictable right from the beginning but as you watch more you'll know whats coming and you're excited for the execution. Music matches the set, dubbing and production quality isn't bad. At first I was hesitant to watch this drama because I'm not completely comfortable with this interspecies relationship concept (its a male version of a cat-lady to a whole new level) but I enjoyed the production overall.

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Unique storyline with a few basic tropes

Had a good time watching this drama...there were many cute scenes and the acting was pretty good. ML was also good at acting (you can really see the difference before and after his psychological issues). They also had a good balance of silly characters that didn't go overboard. Also love that the FL and SFL are both smart kickass women (yah, its possible for two queens to be friends). One thing I found interesting was their use of many side characters (it didn't distract from the story but I feel like there is usually a more limited cast or larger side casts are usually all in the same area such as the workplace in c-dramas). I think the only real negative thing I can't justify is her reason for pretending the ML is her fiance (the original lie that started it all), especially as I don't think she actually liked him at that point, so there was no straightforward benefit for anyone from that lie. If it made the checkout process (leaving the hospital and Thailand) easier, I think it should've been explained (but you usually need your own ID anyways and that point, there's no difference between a good friend and a fiance).
Overall, the storyline was original (although the plot was quite predictable and had some classic rom-com tropes) and I liked the chemistry. Story didn't feel too draggy at 32 episodes, although I think quality wouldn't go down if it was 26 episodes.

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Light watch despite a serious domestic abuse background

You can only get so much content out of a short web series...I think this was executed in the best way given the time constraints. It was as quick-paced and silly comedy as typical web series are but everything flowed very well and despite the serious topic of domestic abuse, it wasn't a sappy story. I was also really satisfied with the ending (not a "squeeze in a full unrealistic happy resolution even though the characters didn't interact much" type of web series ending).
One thing I did feel awkward about was how large the age gap was (high schooler and middle-aged doctor) and the fact that the girl actually very aware how large this gap was (she always called him a proper uncle...not even older brother, as you would call a young man even if you were super young).

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So fluffy!

There were many cute scenes in this drama! I have to say, I was a bit annoyed with the FL a bit sometimes because she speaks a little slow and her character is the cutesy type. But overall, the chemistry was great (and I actually like the second CP chemistry more). There were no major misunderstandings or unnecessary relationship drama. Honestly, this drama was extremely predictable and the "dark past" parts seemed to not hit right at the heart wrenching spot. But since the cute scenes were executed so well and antagonists weren't annoying to the point of angst, it can still pass as a quality fluffy piece. This will definitely lift your spirits after you finish a serious drama.

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