Bittersweet youth drama with time travel elements

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this youth drama.

BASIC PLOT
Lin Beixing is working at a zoo job she doesn’t particularly enjoy and preparing for her wedding to her high school sweetheart Zhan Yu when he abruptly dumps her and tells her he never really liked her. As she begins to accept the breakup and delete old text messages she unexpectedly finds herself repeatedly transported back in time to her high school days.

As Beixing travels between past and present, she begins to wonder if she can change the present by making different choices in the past. She finds herself learning more about a classmate Zhang Wansen who she learns passed away shortly after the gaokao. She also gets to know Yang Chaoxang (a boy obsessed with crosstalk), Gao Ge (principal’s daughter with good grades but a rebellious streak), and Maizi (orphan and seeming “bad boy” - but is he really?)

Can she excel at the gaokao this time? What really happened to cause Wansen’s death and can she prevent it? Will she revisit her relationship with Zhan Yu or find new love? The time travel element allows to glimpse different facets of the past and also learn what remains constant and what changes based on the choices Beixing makes.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
Beixing’s character is sunny and brave, and the friendships that develop as she travels to the past are heartwarming. The romances that develop will give you the feels and in one case break your heart. Like many youth dramas, there is an embedded message about not forgetting to enjoy life and friends in the moment even while focused on gakao (major high school exam), and another about only being happy when you are true to yourself and your dreams. There is also an additional darker element (I can’t reveal without spoilers) that adds depth to the latter half and a solid warning to youth. I liked this more than I expected and binged it

Recommend.

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What not to do in a romantic relationship

The drama started out so strongly and then became disappointing. FL unexpectedly runs into her ex while on a trip to Africa. She is now a physician, who can keep her cool and treat a gunshot wound under pressure (thumbs up for a strong FL). We get flashbacks to her time in medical school when she has a hopeless, unrequited crush on him. You can’t help but wonder about their history. When they both return to China, the main storyline begins.

The cast is great - a mix of likable, mature characters. My major problem happens as the history of FL and ML is revealed and their current relationship continues to unfold. It is all about a FL who stalks, gives up career, etc for an uncaring and emotionally toxic ML. Then in the present, instead of truly moving on and starting a healthier relationship, she gets reentangled with the ML even though he doesn’t show much emotional growth. Girls, don’t behave like our FL please ?

And don’t get me started on the unnecessary melodrama in the latter half… (starting with the kid’s bio mom showing up and progressing from there to unnecessary deaths and amnesia plot). This drama had so much promise. I wish they could have edited it to 24 episodes and added more character growth for our leads.

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Cute modern workplace drama

Overview: Ding Yike just lost her job and her boyfriend of seven years but she did win a reality tv show that landed her a job at the fashion company May - the only problem is she has no interest in fashion! Her new boss is cold and efficient, with a mysterious past. And what is up with her pesky downstairs neighbor, who is starting a boutique of his own?

My opinion: I enjoyed this drama much more than I thought I would, and I give a lot of credit to the FL for being so engaging. The ex-bf is unappealing (the drama makes it hard to explain what she saw in him to begin with??) but the slowly unfolding relationship between the two leads was enjoyable. It felt like a Chinese drama take on Devil Wears Prada at times, which I liked. The drama often breaks the third wall, having the actors speak directly to the audience, which I felt helped a lot with exposition. The original male lead was edited out and a new actor’s face was superimposed - it mostly works but there are a few scenes where he looks weird and I think that is why. The ending is abrupt/choppy but the loose plot threads were mostly resolved. The story would have been a lot tighter with 16-18 episodes instead of 24 but I know that’s not typical for Cdramas. Enjoyable but not memorable.

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Childhood friends reunite and butt heads in office rom com

Motivated by the death of her father, Jiang Jun applies for a job at investment banking firm MH only to find that her childhood friend /frenemy Yuan Shuai is already working there. He initially doesn’t want her there and tries to sabotage her chances of working at MH, but later changes his mind. Will their relationship turn into something more?

Opinion:
Office drama with an investment banking investigative twist in that the two leads are often working on cases together, checking out companies on behalf of the firm and making decisions accordingly. Later, there is the tension of what happened to her father’s company. There is a second male lead who works at rival investment banking firm and a best female friend character with her own secondary romance plot (involving a handsome but bland Riley Wang).

Note: I initially wrote this review after only 12 episodes and recently updated to reflect changing opinion after getting to ep 26.

Likes:
* Jiang Jun is a plucky female character who may be a little naive and sweet compared to her colleagues but still strong and deeply principled. You can’t help rooting for her as she tries to make it in a male dominated industry (only 20% of bankers are female).

* Gradual reveal of character personalities and backstories is well done. Even Bai Lu’s fellow trainees get a bit of development and second male lead has a backstory that makes you want to learn more. I also like that most of the characters in the investment banking world are edgy — characters that you’re not entirely sure you like but that feel real and complicated . Makes this different from your typical office drama with all fluffy characters

* Investigating different companies keeps the story fresh and brings in new mysteries to solve, which creates opportunities for the two main leads to cooperate and grow outside the romantic relationship. Two early cases involve a pharmaceutical company and an entertainment company, both with shady CEOs. In the second half of the drama there is a bigger case that gets personal for the characters and really hooks you in.

* Gorgeous cast. Seriously, everyone is ridiculously good looking (Leo Luo, Kido Gao, Riley Wang, Bai Lu, etc). I also like the chemistry between the two main leads. I initially couldn’t stand his jerky, controlling ways in ep 1 but he’d won me over by the time I finished watching the available episodes, in part because female lead stood her ground and he acknowledged her strength and began to change his ways. Both characters show signs of development which is a plus, and I really like how much the main lead obviously cares deeply for Jiang Jun even if he sucks at showing it directly to her

* the relationship between the ML and FL is amazing once it gets started. I like that the drama doesn’t end right when they get together and that there is a larger storyline than just their relationship to keep you hooked in.

Dislikes:
*The drama starts with many cliches: heroine has a tear allergy so her life is threatened if she cries; there is an accidental kiss with the main male lead in ep 1 that was about as contrived as it gets; etc. I know this is par for the course in Cdrama land and it does get better. The show also periodically makes fun of itself by acknowledging the cliche which helps

* the male lead is initially WAY too controlling (tries to keep Jiang Jun from working at MH because he’s worried she can’t hack it and will cry, manipulates her housing situation so she ends up living across the hall from him) but luckily our female lead is undeterred and quickly proves she is stronger than he thinks. (Update: Many episodes later I have completely changed my opinion and now completely love the main lead and his relationship with the female lead. 1000% won over).

*secondary romance is my least favorite kind of storyline, involving a female character who seems to have no aspirations of her own other than chasing a guy who may not be that into her. Currently do not care about this storyline AT ALL and end up watching it on 2x speed to get through it faster. (Update: My feelings about the secondary relationship remain unchanged, unfortunately).

Verdict: Wonderful office romance. My favorite show on the air right now.

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fun but flawed reverse harem with martial artist as the female lead

Basic Story: Ming Xiao Xi is a martial artist from a rural village who gets accepted to Guang Yu university. On her first day, Xiao Xi has a negative encounter with the Elite Union, a clique/club of popular kids at the school led by three boys (Mu Liu Bing, Feng Che, Dong Hao Nan) and one girl (Sha Sha) who happen to be children of powerful leaders in the community. The principal is eager to have Xiao Xi there to shake up the entitled elitism within the school, while the entrenched elite want to kick her out. The Elite Union initially vows to kick her out, but somewhere along the way two of the boys (Mu Liu Bing and Feng Che) begin to like Xiao Xi, and drama ensues. Be prepared for multiple overlapping love triangles and misunderstandings.

Overall Impression: The drama started out fun and funny, if predictable. Other reviews have compared the drama to Meteor Garden, the Heirs, and Boys Over Flowers, and there are definitely strong similarities in the beginning. Xiao Xi arrives with a truly appalling bowl haircut, mismatched clothing, and an affinity for toe socks, which when combined with her martial arts skills and her earnest but bumbling personality truly help her stick out like a sore thumb in the beginning. The early episodes do a great job of slowly showcasing how the two male leads begin to like her in spite of themselves. There is a story arc where multiple characters go back to Xiao Xi's village over vacation/break that is also fun and engaging, as you get to see how well loved Xiao Xi is in her hometown and some truly ludicrous competition between the boys for Xiao Xi's affections. However, the drama ultimately runs too long, and the storyline gets very draggy and inconsistent. There is a lot of unnecessary jealousy, including a multiple episode arc where Xiao Xi's initial personality as a self-confident martial artist disappears and she turns into a weepy, clingy, jealous unhappy mess that never seems to successfully use martial arts again. I can also never tell exactly what Xiao Xi is studying at university and if there is any career goal at the end, as the series focuses more on the odd jobs she is constantly having to take to pay bills and the tension that the need for money introduces into her relationships. There are also a number of random characters introduced towards the end that I struggled to parse and connect with, as they appeared to have come into the picture purely for convenience (or maybe some kind of cameo idol appearance / fan service I am unaware of). I struggled to finish watching and by the end of the 30-episode series was no longer rooting for the main male lead because the relationship felt too emotionally unhealthy and I'm tired of that dynamic being rewarded in these dramas.

Likes:
-Initially plucky heroine that ultimately rocks her bowlcut and toe socks to the bitter end (with only three instances where she "glams up"/changes the hair)
-Lots of eye candy
-Large supporting cast (side characters Coco and Lan Di deserve notable mentions as supporting characters that are abruptly and randomly introduced in the latter half of the drama. While their backstories are never really adequately explained and they ultimately also exit abruptly, their characters are definitely more interesting than the one-note villains and they've got more nuance and color than some of the supporting characters that appear to exist solely to feed love triangles)

Dislikes
-Unhealthy jealousy, excessive amount of one-sided loves, and emotionally abusive relationships. The relationship involving the male character who is most respectful of boundaries, communicates best with the female lead, and understands her best is ultimately not the one that succeeds. By contrast, the relationship with the male lead who initially uses the female lead to taunt another character, forces a kiss on her, forces himself into her dorm room, and later lies to her / pushes her away in the name of pursuing revenge is the one that succeeds. The older I get, the less patience I have for this type of romantic storyline. (Side note: The only reverse harem that I feel does a good job of having FL end up in the relationship that will be best for HER is "Go Ho's Starry Night" and I will happily recommend that one instead, though it is rocking an office vibe and an older FL)
-Heroine's personality is written very inconsistently and it is difficult to root for her in the middle of the drama
-Meandering plot. This drama could have told a much tighter and effective story if it was 18-20 episodes instead of 30.

Overall Verdict: Fluffy filler if you're in the mood for a school-based reverse harem that shares many of the strengths and weaknesses of Meteor Garden/Boys Over Flowers, but not particularly memorable or rewatchable.

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Xiao Nuan is an aspiring actress making a living taking on small parts to support her family's theater. Feimo is the CEO of Anning Culture, which is a major player in the Chinese film industry. Feimo's mother hires Xiao Nuan as Feimo's caregiver and pretend girlfriend at an event celebrating the return of Feimo's ex to the country. Will they fall in love for real? And what will happen with Xiao Nuan's career?

Likes: The drama uses multiple parallel relationship storylines to illustrate the impact of different choices people make in relationships, and I really enjoyed this. Despite intensive kiss and a shirtless scene early on, the romance between the two leads is a slow burn and shows how they slowly build affection and trust over time. The mother of the main MIL character doesn't follow the villain trope in this drama, which is a wonderful, refreshing change of pace involving a number of funny moments. Xiao Nuan is an extremely likable female lead who doesn't let herself get dragged down by pettiness and has her values in the right place. She's sympathetic without being overly pitiful. Strong supporting cast of characters (e.g., Xiao Nuan's friend Jiayi, who is an actress at a rival company; Xiao Nuan's agent, Feim's cousin, etc.).

Dislikes: The main male lead has fairly low EQ when it comes to love, and it makes him extremely unlikable at times, especially early on (though he does always turn it around, especially in the last 2 episodes). The drama also runs a bit too long -- particularly close to the end there are a few episodes that introduce completely unnecessary drama cliche plot point that made me roll my eyes.

Overall: Fun romantic comedy/drama.

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Starts out promising with gorgeous male cast but ultimately disappoints.

Overview: Ae-Jong is a single mom with a 14 year old daughter and big dreams of becoming a movie producer. One day she has the opportunity to make her dreams come true... while attracting the interest of four guys (three from her past and one new). Will she fall for any of them? And might one of them be the father of her daughter? Must watch to find out

Reactions: I initially found the female lead annoying — too helpless and over dramatic as a character, to the point where it is not clear why the male leads like her so much. I initially stuck with the show because the male leads and female supporting cast (especially daughter and her landlord/friend) really sold the show for me. The plot is light and moves along slowly, and there are many cliches but most of the characters were initially so fun to watch (eg., a fight scene between two men that devolves to hair pulling and wrestling made me laugh, and drama with the PTA at the daughters school) that I didn’t mind. However over time the lack of character development really became noticeable and I became frustrated because we never see enough positive interactions in the past to understand why any of the characters like the main female lead or to root for a relationship going forward. I stopped feeling invested in the story and couldn’t follow through to the end.

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Fun and fluffy sports rom com

Basic premise: Piao Piao starts college thinking she will be an arts and calligraphy major but then runs into Wei Chu, a senior who dreams of revitalizing tai chi as a martial art but is injured and can no longer fight. She shows incredible tai chi skills saving him from rivals in the boxing department and the story evolves from there.

My take: Fun and fluffy rom com that also shows the female lead learning more about her family’s history and her own strengths and dreams. I liked that the female lead could do martial arts, and although she was portrayed as quite naive, at least she wasn’t helpless.

The main lead does a great job playing an aloof character who seems quite cold on the outside until he falls for the FL. There are a lot of training montages, fun secondary romances and characters (loved the couple from different tai chi sects that had been together since childhood!), and even a second FL and second ML. The pacing can be uneven at times (for example, the ending was rushed and I would have liked more time on martial arts and fewer shots of different couples gazing longingly at each other - but that’s what the skip 10 seconds button is for) and the show is very G rated (I’d buy the two leads care about each other but the actual interactions are very very G rated and the ML plays it almost too cool). However, while the drama wasn’t perfect I still really enjoyed it and wish there were more shows that mixed “sports/martial arts” and romance like this.

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Story improves over time

I don’t normally like to write reviews until I’m closer to the end but felt like I wanted to counteract the negative reviews.

Overview: Liuli is the daughter of a woman who used to be renowned in the palace for her weaving skills but ultimately left because she disliked the associated palace politics. Unfortunately Liuli’s mother is framed and killed by someone in the palace. Liuli’s life is saved by a kind palace eunuch and she is raised in hiding, until she eventually grows up, learns the truth, and vows to avenge her mother. The drama follows her journey, with additional layers of palace intrigue and romance on top.

Overall: I liked the basic premise of the show and the first episode hooked me in. The show’s not perfect but I’m glad I stuck it out because I’m now at a point where the story is getting better and better and I’m actively looking forward to seeing what happens next.

What’s not so great:
*The female lead’s character. The first couple episodes focus on Liuli the child, who is shown as brave and a quick thinker. Unfortunately when the show transitions to Liuli as a young adult, she is portrayed as headstrong, impulsive, and frankly not too smart. For example, at one point Liuli loses a bag of money and when a male character finds it and tries to return it, Liuli pursues a vendetta against him when she discovers the money is gone, ignoring the fact that if he had actually been a thief he could have just not said anything about the bag at all and she would have been none the wiser. Her persistent inability to overcome these types of logic gaps don’t show her in the best light. I have hope for improvement in her character arc but am a bit “meh” about it and not totally sure why the male lead likes her.

*There are a few scenes introduced for Cdrama effect that have zero storyline purpose and are a bit ridiculous. For example, at one point Liuli demonstrates her expertise in an ethnic dance, but it’s never explained how she acquired these skills while being raised as a boy eunuch in the palace. Similarly there is a scene where Liuli is almost knocked over by a carriage and the male lead kicks someone else (a literal random passerby) who was going to catch her out of the way so he can do a cliche Cdrama half hug and dip. It served zero plot purpose, unless making the audience cringe or laugh was the point.

What I do like:
*The main lead and other secondary characters are amazing! I love the friendly eunuch that raises her and his other apprentice, Lady Wu the palace concubine that Liuli met as a child, the crown prince that wants to reform the kingdom, Liuli’s uncle and Ah Ni that own a dress shop, etc. Basically, for every cliche Cdrama villain, there is also another truly likable other support character that you want to root for. Along these lines, I love that the show passes the Bechdel test in including multiple great female characters that talk to each other about topics other than boys.

*The storyline improves over time and really picks up once Liuli discovers the truth of her mother’s death and decides to seek revenge. At this point, Liuli’s story also begins to complement and feel almost ancillary to another, more compelling storyline involving palace intrigue and starring the Crown Prince and Lady Wu, a concubine who is clever and compelling in her own right. I’m especially a fan of Lady Wu, who is shown as clever, ambitious, and kind and steals the scene as a character.

*Great action scenes, though typically only occur in the context of male lead helping fend off some kind of assassination attempt. Helps make it a more entertaining watch.

Note: I’ll update this review if the show gets worse rather than better but right now for me it’s on an uphill trajectory that I’m excited about.

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Entertaining office drama

Overview: Xia Qian (our female lead) runs a small company that negotiates purchases / contracts on behalf of others. She has avoided Evergreen Hotel ever since her fiance dumped her there two years ago, but finds herself unable to turn down a contract to book a wedding there. In the process of negotiating the contract, she encounters the outwardly gruff but inwardly kind-hearted general manager, Sheng Zhe Ning. The two are initially at odds, but over time, begin to fall for each other. What will happen? Add a corporate plot to take over the Evergreen Hotel, Xia Qian's efforts to grow her business, and two secondary couples, and we have enough content to fuel a drama.

Early impressions:
The beginning of the drama is pretty rich with eye-rolling cliches, so much so that I almost dropped the drama (e.g., when in real life has a klutzy slip ever resulted in a kiss??) The re-introduction of the ex was also cringe-inducing. But, once you get through the first few episodes and our characters are established, the show really picks up and now I actively enjoy it. I love that the female lead is actually smart and independent (even after in a relationship), and her chemistry with the male lead is great. The secondary characters are appropriately developed and even the most villainous characters have shades of gray rather than being black and white (e.g., the corporate spy manages to make his character sympathetic, and even my least favorite character, Ning Meng, is more pitiable and self-destructive than over-the-top evil). Not sure if the drama will keep this momentum to the end but for now, I am enjoying it quite a bit.

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Sweet slow burn college romance

Yifan is an athlete (javelin) and former tomboy who goes to college and discovers her high school crush, Yan Ke is there. Will they become a couple?

Opinion:
Sweet slow burn college romance. Yes there are love triangles and artificial misunderstandings that keep the two leads apart (there are 24 episodes to fill after all). But, what elevates this particular romantic drama for me is (1) two leads clearly do like each other from the get go and you get to see the reasons they like each other develop over time and not just insta-love and (2) strong female lead. Yes, she is inexperienced in love and clueless at reading signals BUT she has her own firm opinions and dreams, and is a fully fleshed character independent of her crush on the male lead. I also love that she isn’t “weak” and helpless, eg., there is a scene very early in the drama where there is a school sporting event and she ends up slinging the male lead over her shoulder and running him to the finish line. The male lead is handsome but more than a pretty face - he is pursuing his own dream of becoming a pianist.

There is also a strong supporting cast of characters, including Yifan’s two best friends from high school and the second lead (photography student and playboy), whose stories are also enjoyable to follow. I’m loving the drama so far though the second female lead has yet to make an appearance so we will see how that goes... Recommended so far!

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Contract romance between two childhood friends

Xu Jianan doesn’t want to inherit her father’s lingerie empire but instead wishes to be a writer. To escape pressure from her father she agrees to a contract marriage with Lu Buoyan, a childhood friend who is now the CEO of a successful investment company. Can their contract romance become real?

Opinion:
This rom com doesn’t tread much new ground but is still (so far) a fun watch, largely because of the chemistry between the two main leads. Also, I am a fan of stories where the male lead is deeply in love with the female lead but has to work (in a non creepy way) to get her to fall in love back.

Likes:
* A nice twist that female lead comes from a rich background and agrees to the contract marriage to help further her career goal of becoming a writer. My favorite moments of the drama so far have come from her efforts to get real life experience to aid in her writing.

* In laws that want the main couple to succeed as a couple, sometimes to the point of comedic embarrassment on the part of the female lead. For example, in ep 1, the father’s efforts to gift his daughter sexy lingerie and the MIL bursting in to fetch a “forgotten” purse on the wedding night to see if the marriage is real are fun.

* Great chemistry between the two leads. As in many Cdramas, the female lead is a bit naive when it comes to love and relationships (eg., never been in a relationship despite being 25 and beautiful). However, the male lead does a great job of conveying his long time frustrated love for her and it’s great to see her attitude towards him change over time. Basically, Jianan thinks it’s a contract marriage and they’ll part ways after a year but it’s clear from the beginning that Lu Buoyan would like their relationship to become real but is not sure how to get there. The fake marriage ends up serving as an artifact that allows him to spend more time together with her and woo her. The moments they spend together that are harmonious and not misunderstanding one another or fighting are really beautiful.

Dislikes:
* Catty second female lead out to destroy the couple. I know there needs to be tension but I hate this trope and the artificial misunderstandings introduced. (Why is honest communication so hard in Cdramas?!) I hope this will not be too much of a recurring theme throughout the drama.

* So many tropes. If I played a drinking game where I had to take a shot every time the female lead trips and falls into male lead’s arms during the first few episodes I’d probably need to get my stomach pumped at the hospital for alcohol poisoning.

* there are a lot of childhood flashbacks. For the most part I believe these flashbacks are appropriate for explaining male lead’s current behaviors and showing that he loved her (and her writing!) a long time ago, even when others wouldn’t have considered her stereotypically attractive. There is also an interesting flashback in one episode that hints at trauma in the male lead’s past that I hope we will learn more about in later part of the drama.

Overall: Enjoying this drama so far but withholding a final verdict until I’ve seen more. “Love in Time” could end up being a lovely solid rom com if it amps up the positive couple interactions and focuses more on the female lead’s dream of becoming a writer or the male lead’s backstory. However, this drama could also become a drop for me if it delves too much into the second lead melodrama and artificial misunderstanding territory. Hard to know which way it will go at this point. I know many recent contract marriage rom coms end up with the contract being revealed and then the couple breaks up for a while before getting back together. Not sure if this drama will follow that pattern but here’s hoping “Love in Time” will yield some pleasant narrative surprises, or at least make the journey fun and not miserable to watch.

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Office rom-com with thin plot but likable cast.

Lu Jia returns from Beijing and finds herself working at Voya, a company run by two old classmates. One of these classmates is her boss and former crush, Xu Jia Xiu, who rejected her confession back when they were classmates. Lu Jia finds him unbearable now and wants to quit, but her contract specifies she needs to stay at least a month or face stiff financial penalties. Hijinks ensue, with Lu Jia determined to make enough money to quit and Xu Jia determined to keep her around. Add in a quirky cast of coworkers, and that's the drama so far. The plot is paperthin and the drama is largely carried by the engaging cast. The romance is a slow burn, and you get to see each character's unique personality and layers unfold. I'm (so far) still willing to see where the story goes.

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