Straightforward story with fantastic acting, cinematography, and CGI

Quick disclaimer: I have never read the original novel or known anything about this prior to the movie.

For a movie like this, you don't necessarily watch it for a surprise twist (although there were a couple that I didn't see coming). Probably because this movie is based on an old and famous novel, these are tons of stories that have this kind of storyline nowadays, so it was fairly easy to predict what was going to happen. The scenes in general can be on-the-nose about their messages.

BUT! I was totally okay with that because I was still able to enjoy the movie. All the actors were fantastic. The sets were incredible. The CGI was really incredible (and I was told that some stuff wasn't even CGI, but done by the makeup department). So, you can tell how grand this movie was and how much money, labor, and effort was spent on it.

I want to especially stressed the acting. If the actors were not world-class level, this movie would not have been so emotionally moving. Even though the messages of this story were pretty simple, it was taken to another level thanks to especially the four main actors--Mark, Allen, Olivia, and Wang Duo. They were perfect.

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2017 was a different time. Liked the romance, but some questionable aspects

2017 was really a different time for time-travelling historical romcom cdramas--before censorship on straight-up time travel plots and before voice dubbing became prominent. I was quite surprised and unsettled to hear most of their real voices (that seemed to be recorded on the actual set) and took me a few episodes to get used to it. The narrating voice was a bit unnecessary since it only appeared a few times and was a bit intrusive.

Overall, this low-budget time-travelling historical romcom drama was enjoyable for several reasons.
First and foremost is the main leads/couple Mo Lian Cheng (Xing Zhao Lin) and Qu Tan Er (Liang Jie). The actors' chemistry and scenes carried this show--as proven by their reoccurring roles in the second and third season of this drama as well as their modern drama You Are My Destiny. They look really good together and just work so well together.
Besides them, the MVP of the show is Tan Er's maid Jingxin. She was the best and I love her.
The second reason is Liang Jie's acting as Qu Tan Er and Qu Xiang Tan. She's very good at switching between these two personalities and was very convincing. I had a hard time feeling attached to them at the beginning since both of them were kind of annoying in their own ways, but as their relationship deepens and become more harmonious, the better they both become.
The third reason is the potential of the plot, especially knowing that there's a second and third season. There's the mystery of a bigger story tied to who she is and the orb that's being searched. I enjoyed the deepening of the story and how that eventually explains the title of this drama.

However, there were a couple things that didn't sit right with me, especially regarding the issue of agency with Qu Tan Er and Qu Xiang Tan sharing a body. The disregard that Xiang Tan treats the body made me disappointed and almost dropped this drama. I only kept going because I was curious about how the overall story especially since there are two seasons after this. Characters aren't as complex as they could've been nor had as much character development as they should had. For example, Richards Wang is listed as a "main role" in here as Mo Yi Huai but he didn't have as much appearances as the main roles did and, at some episodes, barely showed up at all.

Overall, I think I'm surprised at the high rating this drama has on MDL, but for its time in 2017, it must had been pretty interesting. And, of course, the romantic scenes are pretty sweet and cute. Other aspects may suffer, but not them.

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A memorable drama with great cinematography, strong characters, and genuine heart

The premise is typical for a romcom historical, but the execution of this drama is perfect. This drama grows on you and becomes unexpectedly moving, sweet, and just incredibly beautiful. Don't give up on it in the early episodes! The ending is satisfying and happy.

This is a romcom historical with a personality and distinguishes itself in so many ways.

1) GREAT CINEMATOGRAPHY: I wonder if the cameras are different or comes from making films, because each episode really looks like a film. It doesn't have that look like other romcom historicals. It's really beautiful in the physical settings and the direction of the scenes.
2) STRONG SOUNDTRACK: I'm a believer in how a soundtrack can make or break a drama. Music is so important in building the right mood and tension. Although this drama doesn't have a lot of song variety, this drama does it right and use the music effectively, especially with the ending theme "Stealing Heart" where the vocals are perfectly heartbreaking and the music is moving.
3) LOVEABLE MAIN LEADS:
-Xiong Xiruo is your typical FL who doesn't know how to fight but uses her skills and cleverness to deal with situations. Of course, when she only solves something for the short-term, it can create a bigger problem in the long run...but that's part of the amusement and plot. At the beginning, she comes across as a bit annoying, and some of her actions is a bit too dramatic, but becomes more thoughtful as the drama continues. She becomes more sincere and becomes very adorable in my opinion.
-Li Hongbin is your typical cold ML who faces precarious situations with a calm, arrogant face. After he falls in love though, I completely forgot that that was his original personality! I mean this in a good way haha. He became so sweet and loving once he accepted his own feelings. He's capable and he becomes more thoughtful as well as the drama continues. Both the main characters grow and become very sweet together.
4) AND ENDEARING SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:
There's a lot, but I'll just highlight my favorite ones.
Li Hongbin's parents! Absolute favorites, hands down, from any other historical romcom dramas. They are so funny, so kind, and also just real? Like, they act like how a real, long-time married couple would act. They are very lovable.
Xiong Xiruo's friendship with the doctor is hilarious and also very nice to see. It's refreshing to see a girl/boy relationship that doesn't turn into love. They're like brother and sister, so they have a funny relationship.
Li Hong You is probably the character that I feel lacks a little bit. He is still a good guy and a good character, but doesn't get as much screentime as I hoped toward the end. However, I like that he isn't a conniving hateful kind of brother and instead wishes well for his brother and sister-in-law. I like his own backstory too and his previous loved one.
Li Hongbin's right hand man Amao: I adore him so much because he's hilarious and may look like a slapstick character, but is very capable.
5) A STRAIGHTFORWARD SERIOUS PLOTLINE WITH SWEET ROMANCE: It's only 29 episodes, so the serious plot doesn't get too complicated. There are a couple twists, but it gets resolved in a pretty satisfactory way. The antagonists get what they deserve (although I would argue that one got more than the other one...)
The romance is handled pretty well. Their misunderstandings is established well in the beginning and the lie between Xiong Xiruo and Li Hongbin doesn't last too long. As the summary already indicates, Li Hongbin eventually knows her truth but then the lie continues for the family and it's up to Xiong Xiruo and Li Hongbin to eventually come clean. I think this whole part of the drama is well done as we see that it gets more difficult for the truth comes out when you sincerely care about the people you lied to. The stakes becomes higher as Xiong Xiruo becomes attach to the family. Very well done!
One of my absolute favorite part of this drama was the wedding. It's quite unique compared to the typical Chinese weddings and also the wedding becomes another detail in showing how this city is a bit different from the capital. There are little details that show that this city--that is on the border--has some slight difference in customs, and so, the wedding was a bit different. Even, for example, Li Hongbin's look. I love the little square clip on his head. I don't think I've seen that on other historical male characters.

Note: The comedy is a little rough in the beginning--they had a few of those moments where they make fun of a fat character by making the fat character's entire personality about eating--but some of that crude humor goes away and the comedy gets refined.
It was interesting to me also that this was one of the first dramas where I saw multiple characters who were bigger in size/weight and that these characters were consistent in the show rather than just being one-dimensional one-off characters.
Li Hongbin's father is of bigger size and his main male servant is also of bigger size.

Anyway, this was an enjoyable, very sweet story. I really love the world of this story and how most of the characters really feel complex and have unique personalities. Most of all, I love the lesson of the drama: sincerity is more important than status or heritage. :)

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Started out with potential but ended with inconsistencies; watch lightly without full investment

This is a show that you watch just to enjoy the actors and the cliché plots and scenes. It's not a drama that you need to fully invest emotionally and mentally and so don't worry too much about plot. I only came here to watch Zhang Zhehan and came to really enjoy Li Yitong's acting as well. I enjoyed their chemistry and their scenes and really liked their characters despite some small frustrations.

Some people don't like Ming Xia because he doesn't seem to do as much for Qing Cheng, but for a human man, he has a genuine and true heart toward her. I appreciate that. I did have second lead syndrome for a little while for Yalkun Merxat's You Tong, but that went away toward the end. I really adore Ming Xia and felt bad for him toward the end of this season since he was just a human after all and was manipulated to some extent.
Some people also didn't like Qing Cheng and are frustrated with her going back and forth--and I do think the story didn't need to do that as much--but it was understandable for me. Qing Cheng is not a badass (in this season). She's just a girl who's frightened of what she's becoming and fears for her loved ones. Yes, she was weak (physically--she wasn't a fighter and didn't know her powers yet)and too trusting, but that was her personality to believe in good and righteous. She was just trying to protect her loved ones but sadly that backfired in many ways. Thus, in season 2, the contrast is huge--she changes. I'll stop there with the season 2 spoilers.

The last probably 6-8 episodes did suffer in writing a lot and I ended up skipping the scenes to just get to the end to see what happened. There were several things that made me laugh because of its plot hole or ridiculous scenario--like when the villain human doctor survives a cliff fall but not the demon boy. It made me laugh ultimately so that was whatever. But definitely, toward the end, the writing became something like a middle-school fanfiction full of clichés and unnecessary angst/drama.

In the end, the acting especially from the two leads saved the show for me (along with a couple supporting characters who were interesting). I felt their emotions and sadness and even felt sad about their partings. I even liked the flashbacks to the older era (with Qing Cheng's parents). This drama has some strong cinematography, soundtracks, and directing, but alas, it suffers from poor writing. Ah, all that potential.

Edit after having seen most of season 2:
Oh yeah, season 1 is like an origins story for Qing Cheng lol and although I like the focus on the romance between Qing Cheng and Ming Xia a lot, I actually like season 2 more for various reasons that I'll write a review for.

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Happy ending with continuation issues

I am more than happy to accept this happy ending version for this couple and this drama, but only the first half in which she wakes up and they live happily together. If I have to accept the second half of the episode, then it doesn't really make sense how the first half is possible.
The second half is about the secondary and even the potential third couple. The second couple Nanan and Luo Ji, I'm fine with, but it's the third couple's storyline that doesn't make sense. Naxi and the other prince's romantic storyline doesn't make sense as they show that she goes back to him during the poison smoke. However, chuyue already changed that and that's why she fell asleep. That's the timeline that we're on, so the whole part about Naxi saving the prince during poison smoke is impossible--it didn't happen. Now, if they somehow met again at a later time and fell in love, then maybe. But not during the new timeline.

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A wholesome group combined with a compelling detective story

First, I want to thank the tumblr user "belsmultifandommess" for bringing my attention to this drama via their Q&A post (belsmultifandommess.tumblr.com/post/629385192518434816).

It was well worth the watch and this user summed it very well, which I will copy and paste here. If you like these kinds of tropes/storylines, you'll enjoy Maiden Holmes.

✓ Cross-dressing woman detective
✓ Prince-who’s also a god of war-disguised as a commoner trope
✓ A HIMBO hero
✓ A poison-wielding doctress who also heals
✓ A cute sidekick/chef
✓ Destiny we-met-as-kids trope
✓ Oh-no-main-couple-cuffed-together trope
✓ Only ONE BED omg (lmao but not what you think)
✓ Underwater I’m-just-giving-you-air kiss
✓ Trapped-in-a-hole SO close proximity
✓ Horny drug! lmao (this seems prevalent to costume dramas)
✓ Sole survivor of a clan annihilation
✓ You killed my family now get ready to die
✓ Marry a foreign princess to save beloved
✓ Mystery-solving FOUND FAMILY!!!

To add on to this list, there is also "devoted to my love and do everything in my power to help them." Also, even though there's a "marry a foreign princess to save beloved" mini-plot...don't stress about this part too much lol. It has a wholesome finish.
Also, HAPPY ENDING! Considering that there's been some really great romcom dramas recently but have sad or ambiguous endings...that's not Maiden Holmes!! Maiden Holmes gives our characters what they deserve.

THE STORY:
I don't know what's up with the synopsis of this drama, but thank goodness I didn't read that because I would've been very confused. That info is part of Prince Pei's background, but since the drama begins with Su Ci and Su Ci's story is the bigger plot thread....yeah.
So, the story is about the gathering of evidences and uncovering of the truths behind not only the battle that Pei Zhao lost but also the truth behind Su Ci's exterminated clan. They make friends who become part of their found family. It's wholesome and great.

THE CHARACTERS:
I love everyone. The main four characters (+ adorable Fei Yuan!) are endearing and have their own depth and complexities. Love them. I also care about the supporting cast too, especially Beirong's princess and commander Fu.

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Editing is terrible but show is still good once you understand these few things

As someone who has never read the novel, watching this show was very confusing at times due to the terrible editing and cutting of some scenes & flashbacks. Truly, I've never seen a lakorn do this badly with editing. It's not bad all the time, but at critical moments like flashbacks, it was chopped up so much and put together so sloppily that I didn't know a lot of important information until I came to MDL to read people's comments. If the show had done better with this, it would've been a more enjoyable experience.

With some tolerance and patience, I kept watching this show because I adored Mew and Mark's acting and chemistry. There were some events that happened early in the series that made me almost drop the show (due to how confusing it was and how sudden it was in showing Muey's character in a different light), but I trudged through and the payoff by the end was pretty good. What helped me accept that mini-arc and Muey's personality was that Thien truly didn't know her and we the audience was also learning who she really was like he was.

I'm glad Muey didn't let him off so easily in the latter half of the series. Also, I'm glad that our antagonist girl didn't get a terrible ending because she deserved so much better.

I didn't expect a mainstream lakorn show like this to have boys' love/girls' love, which was pretty cool. I'm glad that it was taken seriously and not brushed aside as some joke.

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This review is about the first half (aka s1) and the second half (aka s2) of this show.

(I came to watch this because of Simon Gong (after seeing him in Lost Love in Times) and I really enjoyed his performance as Zhong Wumei--a tsundere with a bad temper. In Lost Love in Times, he was a lot more cheerful and lighthearted, so seeing him as this stern face guy was interesting.)

This show is mainly carried by the good acting and chemistry between the actors. The plot is also not bad and is well-paced, but there is definitely a tone shift between the first half and the second half. The first half was lighthearted and comedic like the romcom that it is. The second half takes it deeper by bringing in the heartaches, tears, and angst. Personally, I thought that was a good move on the plot. In the first half, there weren't really any risks yet. It was still just Lin Luojing thinking about the game as a game and accomplishing tasks. In the second half, however, we move away from that as Lin Luojing becomes more entangled with the characters and plot and as she falls in love. As much as I enjoyed the first half, the second half is what makes this show memorable and move away from a "otome game" plot. The story then becomes more immersed in what Lin Luojing gains/loses if she ends the game.

Lin Luojing's personality, at first, is a bit annoying as she drools over hot guys and mutters to herself a lot about game-related stuff. However, that aspect doesn't show up as much near the end of season 1 (around episodes 7-9, I'd say). Her character becomes more serious and makes her more likable. I loved her by the second half and enjoyed her very much.
Zhong Wumei's bad temper was almost a bit too much and it creates misunderstandings, but it's resolved in a timely manner. He becomes a complex character that makes him very endearing.
Liu Xiuwen became a more complex character, which was great, although towards the end, he seemed a bit repetitive. However, he was still likable.
Jiang Xuanyu and Swordsman Hua probably received the shorter ends as their characters are not as fleshed out evenly throughout the series, but they are given decent screentime and backstories that make them likeable.

This drama is for those who enjoyed the dramas like "The Sweet Girl", "To Get Her", and those kind of type of shows where the plot may not be the greatest of all time, but it's good enough to support the romance and obstacles the characters face. The show has good heartfelt moments and good chemistry between the characters. In the end, the show is enjoyable enough.

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50% adventures, 50% martial arts politics, 100% BL

For all the hoops that this production has went through to become what it is today, major props to everyone involved. It deserves all the adoration and love. It's a low budget drama but, with the love of the script writer (who is an actual fan of the original novel and cares about the work deeply), the hard work of the crew and the actors, this drama pulled off some amazing chemistry, good acting, and beautiful props and designs. Not to mention that all of the actors are eye candy.

I don't need to talk about the love between zhou zishu and wen kexing since I'm sure other reviewers have done a great job of that, but I'd like to give TWO WARNINGS for folks in case they came into this drama thinking it's ONLY about those two.

1) SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS ACCORDINGLY. Please note that although the adventures of Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing (and by extension: Zhang Chengling, Gu Xiang, and Cao Weining) is a major part of the show, a big part of the show is also dedicated to a lot of the supporting characters and the politics of the martial arts world. You'll either get bored of it or you'll bear through it for your love of the supporting characters (like the Scorpion King).

2) Around episode 29-30, there is a major disruption of the pacing of the drama and pretty much continues on to the end of the drama. I've been told that this happened because of the low budget of the drama (and also, I heard it was supposed to have 45 episodes? But then, due to money reasons, they could only do 36.) Whatever it is, you can really feel the change around those episodes and can feel some of the impact on the characters' arcs and growths. Unfortunately, it is what it is.

Fortunately, despite some of these shortcomings, the ending is good enough and, considering everything we've been given throughout the show, it's been very enjoyable. I didn't have as much passion for the show as I first started since I was waiting for the YouTube releases, but I found myself still unexpectedly smiling at some of the later episodes. The main cast--all five of them--are so critical to the success to this show. Their chemistry and relationship are fantastic.

Ultimately, you can enjoy this BL drama because the love and chemistry between Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing is quite obvious, but if you want to understand the full depth of some of the metaphors and literature, then you'll have to do more digging around Tumblr and Twitter and whatnot.

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This drama proves how much mini cdramas are improving

I have so much to say but don't know if I'll be coherent enough. If you've been keeping an eye on the Chinese drama entertainment world, you'll know that they've been venturing a lot into the short series world. Just in the past couple of years, the short series have grown tremendously and have ranged from being 2min-14min long and varied in production quality.

Usually, the 2min-per-episode kind of dramas are low in plot and acting, but hit all the fun clichés and tropes. The dramas that are longer in length are typically better in all areas: soundtrack, acting, characters, plot, and production. I put the dramas "Queen of Attack," "The Killer is also Romantic," and "Night of Love with You" on the list of better short cdramas. Now, I am also adding this drama to the list.

This drama is directed by the same person who did "The Killer is also Romantic" and that can already tell you a lot about the cinematography and quality of directing and editing. This person does a fantastic job and I trust them wholeheartedly. They understand how to tell the story VISUALLY and there are many memorable moments in this drama that I adore. (Fireflies! Scene!)

I love the soundtrack and listen to it weekly.

The acting for these fairly unknown actors are prett good, but I especially have to applaud Cheng Lei. I was one of his first fans since his first drama in "Queen of Attack" and he also did great in this drama. I suspect that he'll make it big in the future. He has the charisma for these kind of roles: the stoic or cold male leads who have a vulnerability to him. But overall, I think all the actors did a good job. Their characters, too, were intriguing and there was nobody that I found annoying or unnecessary. (It's a short drama so the plot is tightly woven throughout.) Best of all, the main couple was SO good. (The tension!? The kisses!?) The male lead was such a good kind of male lead where he was trusting despite otherwise and was protective and loving. The female lead was smart and always tried to do the right thing by the male lead. I loved her.

The only reason why I didn't give it a full 10 was because of 1 plot choice that was done near the end of the drama. I thought it was a strange decision, but it didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the show.

If you're looking for a good short Chinese drama, this is it. Tip: watch it on Viki. The channel mgtv on youtube generally sucks with subtitles so I wouldn't trust that. Happy watching!

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Will have you grinning!

For a short drama already, I felt like this drama was almost a slow burn? It really built well to them getting together later in the series and I enjoyed that a lot. This drama made me cackle and smile so hard, it was 85% romance and humor and cuteness with a dash of angst--which is a good balance for a short drama. There was one part where I felt like it was resolved a bit TOO easy but I'm ultimately fine with it.

The cliché tropes felt fun thanks to the chemistry of the two leads and it was just an overall good time. Definitely a fun one to watch if you're into the romcom genre!

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Beautiful sets & costumes w/ some enjoyable stories told, but also feels convoluted

As someone completely unaware of 红楼梦 aka Hongloumeng (Dream of the Red Chamber) while I was watching, I wondered why there were so many side characters' stories in this drama. It makes much more sense now, thanks to other reviewers explaining how this drama is somewhat based from that novel. To get some cultural context about the book and how it connects back to the drama, you can check out the other reviews.

Overall? It's enjoyable enough but not as great as it could've been. There are many things to love: the great costumes and overall production, the strong acting for the ensemble cast, and an aching soundtrack. Unfortunately, the plot can feel jarring because you can feel the distinct arcs and storylines--which, reading from other reviewers, is due to the influence of the novel.

Anyway, you can see how Sun Yulou and Lin Shaochun's relationship takes over the first like 1/5 of the drama (about 15 episodes or so...) and then it starts shifting into essentially to Lin Shaochun as the fixer within the Sun family, solving things like the relationship between the First Young Master & First Young Madam, the lack of relationship of Second Young Master & Second Young Madam, & the greedy Third Young Madam and her useless husband the Third Young Master.

Because I enjoyed their relationship a lot and liked both actors Wang Yizhe and Bai Lu, I was disappointed that as the drama went on, they would sometimes fade into the background as other supporting characters' storylines were prioritized. It wasn't all bad though. Some of the supporting characters and their relationships were also a lot of fun. I was just as emotional about their relationships as I was with Sun Yulou and Lin Shaochun. However, I really missed them.

Ultimately, this production did good overall with most aspects (I really liked the cinematography and directing too) but the part that lacked the most was the plot itself and how disconnected it felt in trying to tie the characters all together.

The ending of the drama itself was also...well. It was happy but not satisfactory. That's all I'll say about that.

I didn't regret watching this drama as I got to see so many beautiful faces in this drama and enjoyed the heartbreak and emotions of the relationships, but just wished it had a stronger plot to tie the characters better together.

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Hilarious and cute with fun commentary on BL

It's a shame it's so short. I hope it will get a second season!

This is a short series about a man who realizes he's living in the world of Boys' Love (BL) and actively avoids typical tropes so that he doesn't in love with a man because, well, he's straight.

With this premise, you might think it's homophobic but trust me, it's not. Our main character "Mob" doesn't care if men are falling in love in front of him. Well, he thinks it's a bit dramatic, haha. Anyway, he's just frustrated by the tropes and criticizes how every little thing, like bumping into a stranger, can cause a chain reaction toward romance. Because he's self-aware, everything is just machinery; he can predict accurately how the world works and so he's trying to live quietly as a background character, maybe find a girlfriend, and just live his life without it turning into a romance.

This show pokes fun at BL tropes through "Mob" and it truly makes me laugh because, well, he's not wrong about some tropes being just ridiculous. It's just fun to see "Mob" work hard at not becoming a main character. It's important to note that "Mob" isn't against male/male romantic relationships. He's against the tropes and the mysterious world way that forces every interaction toward a romantic path.

The actor Inukai Atsuhiro was absolutely perfect as "Mob." His expressions were so fantastic and extra, I laughed so hard every time he panics about a situation.

Anyway, you'll enjoy this greatly if you like comedy, especially meta comedy, and if you enjoy dramatic visual acting.

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This IS a love story. No doubts about that if you watch the uncut version.

Look, a major problem with (most) BL viewers is that they DEMAND that a male/male couple kiss or have sex explicitly for it to be actually BL. Well, that's now how it works, especially in China where productions have to work around censorship. Have no doubts: this IS a love story and it IS designed through romance lens and music. It may not have kisses and sex, but this show still works in every romantic aspect as possible, which I had no problem with. It was obvious enough for me and well done.

The only problems I have are to do with the things that crossed over from the novel (I assume). We all know that BL novels have certain archetypes and tropes and some of that did make it into the drama which I didn't care too much for. It made the drama absurd at times but you just have to shrug it off. There are also supporting characters that kind of fell off toward the end and so they could've had a better closure too, but alas.

And, of course, those last few minutes of the ending is weird and can just be ignored as not even being a part of the drama. I enjoyed the drama just fine and those last few minutes didn't make stop my happy feelings about this drama.

What carried this show is the main leads' chemistry and relationship. Yuan Zong and Xia Yao started on a rocky beginning, but they definitely become very cute, especially Xia Yao towards Yuan Zong. (Yuan Zong is your stoic cool guy who cares for his beloved through food and actions, so he's cute in that kind of way.)

Overall, this is a good BL drama as long as you adjust your expectations. This isn't a Thai BL production; this is a Chinese one that had to go through censorship. What we got thought despite censorship was pretty damn good. So, make sure you're watching the uncut version.

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strong start, great leads, good supporting cast, but ending seemed rushed.

Opinion for this drama will vary depending on if you've seen the original and the other adaptations. I have never watched the other adaptations and only vaguely remember the plot of the original. I did watch the original when it first came out and got about halfway through the series, but because of the wackiness and dragging drama, I stopped.

The only reason why I started this drama is because of the two main leads who are also the main couple in The Eternal Love series. I had just started The Eternal Love and learned that they were also in this drama, so I watched both alongside each other, and they are one of those perfect couples who fit so well together. Their visuals, their chemistry, their scenes--just perfect. (Their real voices too! Always appreciate it when cdrama actors get to use their real voices.)

The premise is an old one, of course, since it's an adaptation, but it's been modernized to fit the times. The absurdity of some scenes and characters from the original was toned down and so everything felt more logical and more realistic. For example, there's a scene when a character accidentally goes viral on the internet, making her into a meme, and revealing the truth about her situation. That part was hilarious but also too real in today's times where anything can go viral.

I love the main leads. I love Wang Xiyi. I think in the original, he was more of an asshole, but in this one, he felt like a realistic guy. I never felt like he was a complete douchy guy, but just a guy trying to deal with a complicated situation. From the very first episode, it's shown that he has a cold exterior, but is a pretty kind person on the inside. So, that made him so much more likeable in this version and made me care about him.
I love Cheng Jiaxin so much. She's a bit old fashion and has low self-esteem, but so kind and caring. She's a good person and her growth into a confident person, though painful, was very good to see.

Unfortunately, for the supporting characters, other than the family figures, I didn't care too much for the supporting characters like Dylan, Anna, Anson, and Liu Siqi.
The problem with Dylan, as much as I liked him as this gentleman type, is that he makes very little appearances and his backstory and his plotline is sidelined until the end. So, it felt lopsided. I was interested at first and then didn't care very much.
Anna: decent at first and I did feel bad for her, but of course, later on, she was just too much. And then barely faces the consequences of her actions, so. Really didn't care for her, sadly.
Anson and Liu Siqi: they're the funny side couple and I do enjoy that dynamic, but they felt a bit too extra. Anson felt too much like a comedian, especially, that it was too hard to take him seriously when he's in love. Liu Siqi was chill, but since her storyline was tied with Anson, I had a hard time caring.
These four characters seemed like they were just filling in the archetypes and the plots rather than being fleshed out characters.

The best side characters are the family figures like the grandmother, the aunt, the cousin, and, especially Cheng Jiaxin's mother. The true MVP is Jiaxin's mother. One of the best relationships on this show is Jiaxin and her mother. The portrayal of a mother and daughter, a parent and child, is so good and complex and just really well done. The grief, the ache, the love--it's all there and acted so well by both of them. Their scenes are some of the best on this show.

As some other reviewers had mentioned, the last maybe eight episodes start to get a bit clunky. So, my recommendation is to enjoy the beginning and middle of this drama and then when it starts to get annoying later on, just fast-forward.

Overall, I still enjoy this drama very much, a lot more than I thought I would since I typically don't watch modern dramas. I really loved the main leads and the familial members. I also appreciate all the the info about pregnancy because, truly, people don't think about how much of a toll it takes on the mother and how much support she needs. I'm so glad that this drama continously emphasized how important it is for a pregnant woman to have support and good health and didn't praise a father/husband who was only doing the minimal work. Fathers/husbands need to step UP!

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