With every drop of kindness I possess, this was one of the worst shows I ever endured.
I genuinely hated this so much but I'm allergic to dropping mid-show so here I am, finished and seething.This felt really corny, in so many ways, and I'm saying this as someone who doesn't mind a well written cliché.
The FL was likeable (though, a little flat) but I didn't like the male character whatsoever and found it really hard to be invested in his story/past. I'm sorry but that man was so obnoxious, I couldn't care less about him nor his mama.
The plot was extremely (and I mean extremely) boring to me. Getting through it felt like how I imagine climbing the great wall of China would feel.
The romance felt forced/disingenuous. The (romance?) plot with the 2nd ML was HELLAAAA WEIRDD he was basically her brother, it felt incestuous.
This one is a bit silly but I also hated their outfits lol, they dressed in "2014 business casual." I was really surprised when I saw that this only came out in 2019.
There were also a lot of just STUPID scenarios. Like the fact that one of the main "conflicts" was her being 'soooo embarrassed' of being a fangirl and hiding all her merch, that whole thing felt really goofy.
I consider myself a respectful viewer who likes to keep any harsh criticism to myself, but this was so bad that I genuinely cannot water down my loathing.
Watched on Mar 23, 2026.
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Perpetual state of golden hour.
I loved the beautifully lit cinematography, the romantic lighting, and the perpetual state of golden hour... :pI usually avoid watching teenage/highschool romance because it often feels weird to me. Sometimes they're just plainly unrelatable. And sometimes there's a lot of directors/writers that throw in a highschool setting into a story that would work way better for adult characters, not to mention the creepy directors that project their predatory gaze into these kinda shows (hello hollywood, hello sam levinson..) But this show was not even close to any of that. It felt like the showmakers created this out of a deeply beloved nostalgia, and maybe even one they felt after becoming parents themselves, because some scenes, like the ones with Qin Ye Yun's dad, felt like they came from a parental perspective..
I found it really touching how this brings up economical and class struggles.
I know a lot of people dislike the ML/Jiang Qiao Xi, and even tho I don't agree with his actions, I see where he's coming from. I thought his character was beautifully complex, and the shame he felt was very human.
This was also a confirmation for me that Zhang Linghe can really ACT. It's a shame some people dismiss his talent just because he's known for being good looking.
Overall, I really loved this drama and I think it deserves a much higher rating than the current one.
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Just my type, or whatever they said...
This was such a unique story, whoa. I'm not sure about the scientific/medical accuracy of it all, but as someone unrelated to that domain, I definitely enjoyed all the psychology/psychiatry stuff.Something about this felt so laid back and natural, even though the story isn't what you would call "laid back," which, btw, was a huge surprise to me! I went into this expecting a romcom, and in a way, it was, but there was so much more to it. I think romcoms today got oversaturated and filled with trope after trope that I kind of subconsciously went into this expecting that same thing and was proven wrong...
I gave it a 9/10 but some scenes with her mother ragebaited me so bad that I genuinely considered dropping my rating lol. But it's very realistic if you think about it xD. There were actually several scenes that triggered me because I do not have the same compassion, patience, and/or tolerance that some of these characters have, and I do think that media that leaves you with very intense and polarized feelings can be good for you. To me, any story that makes me feel intense emotions (other than negative emotions towards the writers rather than the characters) is a good story.
Bring back romcoms with strange stories and polarizing characters :p
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Slow and cozy drama with underdeveloped characters...
this had a really sweet and comforting vibe. I loved the ml's little sister, she was the most interesting lively (yes lively, also lovely but I mean lively) character. Her obsession with that guy was cute I was kinda rooting for them but it's a good thing they didn't end up together, small age gaps are more serious for younger people.I love the sisterhood between the mother and the aunt!
Lee Jang Woo !!!!!! <3 this character was endearingly annoying and I loved him. I love the actor too.
the leads are both visually very pretty.
The FL tho... *ahem* (skip this part if she means a lot to you) her character was incredibly bland, boring, unseasoned and unflavored. It made no sense for everyone to be in love with her, she didn't have a single personality trait and idk if it's an issue with the writing or the actress but whyy was sheee just standing there for 90% of the time omg like make a face, show an emotion, do something.. the only time she showed some sort of personality was when she cried lol (I'll give the actress credit for that) and the lack of life in her just made it really hard for me to care about her or her story
Initially I had a lot of criticism for the FL only but after some careful thought, I decided that the ML wasn't that impressive of a character either.
shoutout to everyone else tho, the entire cast was great and the rest of the characters are very warm and likeable
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Yearning ML, Irritating Fl.
I really love a pathetic ML <3• really engaging plot
• amazing actors all across, including the ones playing small roles [I was especially impressed by Ha Chan Ho, played by Ji Hyun Joon]
• lovable ML, shamelessly into the FL, really hot lmao
• unlikeable FL who isn't a very good person, but if you're someone who appreciates flawed female characters then you might love her (Side note: she's not unlikeable in the sense that she's badly written or underdeveloped as a character, she's unlikeable the way a real person would be, and I'm sure the writers intended for her to be like that)
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A masterclass in character writing...
I'm kind of at a loss for words...This was such an insanely superior drama, I can't believe people don't recommend it very often and it's not rated as highly as a lot of below-par romcoms on here.
I found the characters extremely well developed by the writers, which was truly so impressive and so above my expectations.
The written contrast between the ML and FL was so interesting to see, how one tends to avoid blame while the other takes on others' blame, and the way they circled each other and balanced those traits out and grew as people. Something about that felt so literary, it kind of reminded me of the character development you see in Jane Austen novels, but considering the fact that Wuthering Heights was referenced multiple times in this, I guess there was more Bronte to it than Austen.
The other interesting part is character X (who I will not name, to not spoil it for anyone)'s descent into madness. It was an absolute rollercoaster to see. That development felt SO natural and organic but so shocking at the same time, some scenes with X had me gasping at 5am and pausing to talk to the invisible cameras in my room.
This was an absolute 10/10 watch and I recommend it to anyone who appreciates excellent writing.
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