littlebluemonster

Came across my own review and got reminded of how frustrating this show was and couldn't believe I actually gave it a 7, I had to change my rating to a 6. 😂😂😂😂😂

Haha I totally get you. I feel the same way too whenever I watch dramas that end up like this.

And yea, Yu and Xiu definitely had the realest progression, and that's what made them my fave at the end. Haha. Coming in second for me, would be Da Sen and Mingming. I'm glad they had a happy ending, especially one that felt real. And necessarily realistic, but real. Because we actually got to see Da Sen's character development and how he fought and struggled and still chose her in the end.

On the other hand, even though Xiao Xi and Bei kinda had an ambiguous happy ending, their relationship just felt too fictional and disconnected to the audience sometimes. But of course, that's just my personal feeling about them.

I actually thought Gong and Yu He were quite cute together as well, but their relationship got a little unhealthy so I'm glad they parted ways. But I'm happy they're still on good terms.

I'd like to know which couple was your favorite!

In Ep7, I really loved that when FL asked her mom what kind of guy she should date, her mom fired back, "Am I the one dating him?" 👏👏👏 Her mom is right, if she can't even decide for herself, don't bother dating the guy at all. FL should be making that decision herself. Her mom shouldn't have to decide for her. To be honest, FL asking that question was the final nail in the coffin for me to drop this. Although I get that not everyone is used to making decisions themselves, I almost felt my eye twitching when FL asked her mother that. The ending of Ep7 also made it more predictable than keeping me intrigued.

Like I mentioned after last week's episodes, the fun in this drama at first was the impression that both male leads had sort of an equal chance. It takes the unconventional road of FL *actually* feeling torn between both guys. But SML's love has been feeling so one-sided even from the start. They still had some strong chemistry going before and things between ML and FL weren't certain yet at the time, so the story still felt kinda interesting. But now.... it's obviously just the same old pattern again. Unless there's a major plot twist by Ep12 where FL chooses 2ML, then I'll come back to eat my words. 😂😂

Yea, I agree that Lee Yang Mi is just wicked. People like the main leads are just trying to survive. Sure, sometimes they're for selfish reasons and greed, but Lee Yang Mi is just pure evil.

First two episodes were intriguing enough. There are no good guys in this drama. It's just a journey to discovering who's actually one-upping the other. I feel that Sang Ah is just pretending to be weak in front of Lee Yang Mi. Lee Yang Mi is like an open book, you know she's bold and crazy. But Sang Ah is mysterious. Two episodes in and you still can't read her. She could very likely be the shadiest of all.

Finally binged and completed the last few episodes!

At first, I was glad that Gong knew where to draw the line because when he found out Yu He was getting married, he immediately made it clear between them. But gosh, all these parents are so traditional and..... annoying 😐 Xiao Xi's parents are pretty nice actually, but Yu's parents definitely take the cake for being the worst. But I mean, coming from an Asian family.... I totally get it. Conversations like this still happen in some Asian families. I'm glad my parents aren't like that, but I have friends facing those problems.

But parents, I mean, I really liked how Gong had his own views about marriages and stuck to it, but then the writer or director had to get preachy and pull the "believing marriage is beautiful and worth it" card on him through his parents. Ugh. Give me a break. The moment he got swayed by his mom's preposterous answer about sticking by his dad's side, it honestly ruined part of his character. I'm fine with him deciding to come clean about his feelings to Xiao Xi in the end, but the way he got to that point was just so frustrating and didn't make sense at all. But what I really felt about him going against Bei later on, was that he did it on purpose. Half serious because he truly cares about Xiao Xi, half trying to give Bei that push. Half hoping he might stand a chance, half wanting Xiao Xi to be happy because he knows she loves Bei. Because that scene where she dropped her hand with the rose felt self-explanatory to me. And it's been obvious throughout the series. She never liked Gong the way he liked her. So it really felt like Gong was just messing with Bei.

And An Miu thinking she's calling out Bei, trying to play the victim and guilt trip him. Meh, not feeling any pity for her till the end. Bei made it clear with her from the very beginning. She just refused to believe it that no matter Bei met Xiao Xi or not, it's not gonna happen between them. She's the typical "if I can't have him, no one can have him". And who is she to judge and decide which woman is good enough for him? So yea, she brought this on herself. I still don't like her. She insisted on sticking her nose where it didn't belong, then threw a fit whenever it didn't go her way. And then we have the ex Zhen, who comes back few years later asking to reconcile in such a weird way 🙃 Err.... what??

My favorite arc by the end of it turned out to be Yu and Xiu. These two made so much progress!!! And I absolutely loved Yu by the end of the show. She's my favorite now. She didn't give a hoot about her mother's nonsense, and she went after her dreams, lived the life she wanted, and didn't treat her divorce like some tainted past. She never regretted her decisions, took accountability for it, and accepted them as part of her with grace. She wasn't even afraid to start again from the bottom, and she did it all on her own. Like her friend Hua said, even if she started again from zero, she'd still succeed, and he was absolutely right.

The main couple honestly got a little draggy towards the end though. Before the last few eps, even though it wasn't easy to connect with Xiao Xi sometimes, you could still see where she's coming from. Like her fears, her insecurities, her distrusts, we can sort of relate to them. But as we got closer to the end and things kept going back and forth between her and Bei, and then adding Gong to the mix again, I found that I felt a little disconnected with Xiao Xi, got more frustrated with Bei, and for Gong, he was reduced to mere comic relief and a propeller to Xiao Xi and Bei's ship.

I still think the series was pretty good overall, and I did enjoy it. But the last few eps just felt a bit off for me. It felt like a lot was happening, but it also somehow felt draggy, and I caught myself speeding up certain scenes. I feel that the writer or director tried to make this unconventional, but perhaps due to... *ehem* certain rules and regulations to get broadcasting approval, they had to hard sell marriage a little somewhere in there. Though I've gotta admit the parents pushing and nagging their children into marriage was cultural accurate.

He was wrong for ignoring her and giving her the cold shoulder when she wanted to talk it out. He was jealous and was more afraid she'd leave him. She kept reaching out but he pushed her away and hurt her. He even admitted it himself in the last ep.

Just finished Ep5 and I'm starting to think maybe Seol Ah really orchestrated everything. But why? Coz I can't figure out what she's trying to get out of it. She didn't get any of the insurance money. So what else did she get that we haven't discovered?

Her friend Eun-hyuk is also getting more suspicious, while Paek Jun Beom just feels like a red herring now. It also kinda feels like Seol Ah is using Woo Seok to get rid of Paek Jun Beom. But nothing makes sense coz we still don't know what exactly the real culprit is after.

Yea, she did say that in Ep1 but it was still very early to make assumptions and the selling point was that she had to choose between two guys, so I was still holding onto some hope that she'd actually had to *choose*. Lol.

I can see how it comes off that way with her and the SML. That's why I think the writer dropped the ball with FL's romantic plot with him. If she had shown a bit more interest and conflict on her end, it wouldn't feel so much like she's just stringing him along. It would be more convincing as well with the way he thinks he's still got a solid chance.

But personally, I wouldn't call FL or SML toxic yet. For now, I see FL treating him sort of like a friendly younger brother. That's why she was confused in the taxi on her way home about what he told her at the cafe. Which is why her obvious lack of interest makes it boring to watch now (and could end up looking toxic, like you mentioned) coz SML clearly doesn't have a chance when the fun was guessing who she'll choose between both men.

For SML, I think it's not that he doesn't respect himself, but he's just enjoying being flirty and feeling things out with her. FL hasn't flat out rejected him, so being a charming young man, I think it's normal he still thinks he's got a chance, especially with how friendly FL is with him. But we'll see how things go in Ep7 when he actually starts getting serious and upfront about it with FL. Maybe that might change things and sway FL a little.

Yea, it can come off as culture shock at first, and there are always viewers who are concerned with the amount of alcohol involved. But once you understand that it's part of their culture and that it's their norm, perhaps it could be a little less repulsive later on. But for viewers who really can't stand it, then it really can't be helped coz the amount of alcohol consumption shown in kdramas won't get lesser.

Koreans appear as hard workers and are mostly overworked, but I've never worked in South Korea before so I can't comment on the accuracy of that or their actual working culture.

I feel that the interesting catch of this drama at first was that FL was interested in both guys. But now it's pretty obvious she's interested in ML more than 2ML. Personally, that kinda takes away the fun because we already know who she's gonna end up with. Maybe it's still too early to assume, but this only has 12 episodes, so seeing her have a change of mind feels unlikely. Sure, she's got chemistry with SML, but the way she acts around him is so different from the way she acts around ML. And not just when she's with them, but even when they're not around her.

With the ML, she's always looking forward to see him. After that kiss at the church, she gets all excited and hopeful, and she keeps thinking about it. But with the SML, after she pulls him close in bed while she was drunk, she remembers it and that was it. She acts like nothing happened with him. So it's not like she's very conflicted about her feelings for both men. She doesn't see SML the same way he sees her. But watching Ep7 preview.... maybe things might change a little? Hopefully? Still, I can't see it happening. Their chemistry is there, but the interest feels so one-sided from SML. Meanwhile, FL and ML lack chemistry but their feelings are clearly mutual.

I think both male leads have their own strengths and flaws. It really all depends on what kind of guy you're more into. What kinda fell flat to me was SML's flirting with FL due to her clueless response to his hints. Or maybe she's just pretending not to notice to avoid awkwardness since she's interested in ML and not him. If she showed a little bit more interest toward SML, or we see how some of SML's advances make her sway a little, perhaps SML's advances wouldn't feel so flat. Because right now, it just feels like we're watching FL and ML plus an unwelcomed third wheel but the whole selling point of this drama was FL being conflicted about 2 guys. But since Ep3 or 4, when FL was shown excited about ML's message and all that while she just treats SML like a friend or younger brother, and she's so uninterested to the point where she doesn't even bother going to see his show once except the first time (which she eventually missed and I totally saw it coming 🙃), all that fun and excitement about having 2 guys pursuing FL come to nothing. And I've gotta say it's getting a bit boring to watch, because just like most of the other love-triangle themed dramas, we already know who she'll end up with, and the SML is just gonna get some sad backstory.

Ep7's preview does seem to stir things up a tiny bit and I'll still check it out, but I'm not sure if I'll be making it till Ep12 at this point. 🤔

I get where you're coming from, but since drinking is a huge part of Korean culture, I think it's hard to avoid in kdramas. They will definitely include lots of drinking scenes in kdrama to align with realistic Korean culture. So viewers either ignore it or accept it, because creators will definitely prioritize sticking closer to real Korean culture.

In Ep3 when James Paek smiled, I knew he'd most likely be the mastermind. He wanted to corner Seol Ah so that she has no choice but turn to him for help when he offered. At first I thought maybe Yun Ji might have colluded with someone, or it was Eun Hyeok. But after watching Ep4, James Paek could likely be the one targeting Seol Ah since the first man who died. Remember Seol Ah said she remembered seeing him before? That's probably when it all started.

But James Paek probably had nothing to do with Seol Ah's parents' deaths. I'm suspecting the auction house lady boss. Something about her just doesn't feel right. I have a feeling she's keeping Seol Ah close to spy on her and control her. Or maybe this lady boss is the real mastermind behind all of the deaths of the men who pursued Seol Ah.

I also wonder if the detective really took a bribe to cover up Woo Seok's sister's case. Maybe the detective isn't bad and there's something that Woo Seok doesn't know. I feel that anyhow, the detective must know something and isn't completely innocent. I wonder if it could later on tie to James Paek as well. Maybe the sister's boyfriend had some connections with him.

Seol Ah really seemed suspicious at first and I think it's understandable how Woo Seok was on her tail. Him finding out and changing his views about her after the first quarter of the show seems right. I think the pacing was done well. It would've been unrealistic if he completely trusted her so soon. He had to dig further and see it for himself to actually believe her.

Also, I wonder when will the detectives find out that Seol Ah's friend also met Yun Ji at the stairwell? What happened to that? So many suspicious people around Seol Ah, tbh.

This drama can be quite dark and depressing, but I'm really intrigued by the mystery and the acting. A lot of microexpressions are needed to convey the emotions for many scenes without much dialogue, and especially when many characters don't seem to be who they appear. Watching this can be a little draining emotionally, I've got to say. Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the series, and the leads have great chemistry! Really looking forward to upcoming episodes!

"I can't 100% agree with him but I do think it's deliberate."
I second you on this!

Thanks for sharing this. It's an interesting take! I feel that the shortcomings mentioned by the reviewer could also be deliberately used by the director to convey certain aspects with a dramatic approach. Take Bei's character for example, I feel that it's exactly what the director was trying to do with him, wanting viewers to instantly see how "perfect" Bei is to the point he almost seems fake. He doesn't want viewers to think Bei is perfect prince charming. He wants viewers to question the genuineness of Bei and whether such a person actually exists.

Perhaps some logic's definitely out the window, but I feel that the director is making each character questionable on purpose, representing different flaws. Just my two cents.

Ep18 was such a crazy ride, I couldn't wait any longer and had to look for illeg@l site to watch Ep19 coz I'm not paying for express 😂😂 Honestly, it was so satisfying seeing Yu toughen up and finally call out Xiu in the most direct way possible. She'd been playing mind games with him, being sarcastic, being indirect, putting on a show, and avoid saying those exact words coz she's terrified of saying it out loud. Hearing her say it right to Xiu's face almost had me applauding.

I'm really glad Bei and Xiao Xi are on Yu's side and know Luan Luan's take on the whole thing was unfair to Yu. Because they damn well know Xiu was partly responsible for the way Yu turned out. Even Gong wasn't siding with Luan Luan and I'm so relieved. Gong telling off Xiu at his house was also so satisfying to watch. Facts!!!! Gong spitting facts!!!! Xiu is just such a frustrating friend. Gosh.

Bei's soft approach back then was useless. Not that Gong's harsh approach knocked any sense into Xiu either. 🙄 How Gong and Bei are still able to tolerate Xiu for so many years and stay friends with him is unbelievable to me. If I had a friend like this who turned out to be such a scum and chooses to continue being a scum knowing they're a scum, I'd eventually leave this friendship and wish them the best.

Also seeing the way Bei protected Xiao Xi when her past client showed up, I feel more confident about Bei sticking with Xiao Xi even when he finds out about the psychiatrist. Though, I feel he might get angry that she didn't tell him she was threatened by Guan Jie, because that'd make him think that Xiao Xi didn't trust him enough to handle it. But speaking of this, it felt weird to me how those two past clients showed up right there and then. I have a feeling they were sent by Guan Jie. In fact, I even think the psychiatrist is in cahoots with Guan Jie and he's a trap for Xiao Xi. I really hope Guan Jie and An Miu will just rot together.

Da Sen and Mingming gave me the most surprises lately. From how Da Sen matured overnight after meeting that colleague to now handling Mingming's situation without lashing out and being a control freak. Da Sen had so much character growth. I guess he really meant it when he said he'd learn to trust her now, and he really trusted her this time. Also hate violence, but like Mingming said, it was kinda satisfying having Da Sen beat up that photographer jerk. He deserved it.

And then we also have Ying Tao and that young guy. Although Ying Tao's a divorcee, I'm seeing Yu and Xiu's reflection in them. Though Ying Tao seems more clear-headed and forward compared to Yu. And the clear difference between them is Ying Tao was very decisive when it came to divorcing her cheating husband's a$$. I feel that partly comes from having higher self-worth. And now when she's faced with a young guy, she knows it's too risky so she doesn't wanna put herself through another possible wreck of a relationship again. I don't know if I can trust the young guy Ze Yan. He looks soft and innocent, but that could also mean he's likely the type who fails to put his ex in her place. I really hope he doesn't turn out to be another a-hole, please.

And last but not least, what will happen between Gong and Yu He at Gong's place???!? 😱😱😱 Honestly, I really like Yu He. But I don't think Gong likes her anymore. He didn't even like her anymore even since he met Jiang Yi Fan, or more accurately, before he even met Jiang Yi Fan. His love for her was already fading. It was just Yu He still being crazily in love with him until Gong had an evident excuse to break up with her. It even took Jiang Yi Fan calling him out first. But excitement and anticipation aside, I feel that Gong wouldn't cross the line with Yu He now. He'd done it once, he wouldn't do it twice. Unless... Gong doesn't know Yu He is already committed to someone now. I feel that Yu He also wouldn't become the kind of person she wanted to test. I have high hopes in Yu He and Gong not to be another frustrating couple/ex-couple. I feel they were actually pretty cute together back then. It'd be nice to see them properly get closure for their relationship and part ways on good terms.

Luan Luan is indeed a top tier manipulator. I completely agree with you. I wrote about her emotionally manipulating Xiu as well after watching Ep16 yesterday. What I can't stand about her is she justifies her actions by implying no one's a saint, yet at the same time, acts innocent claiming she and Xiu never crossed the line. She wasn't just manipulating Xiu with her words and actions, she was also manipulating Xiao Xi when she claimed there was nothing between her and Xiu. But Xiao Xi never bought her bullsh*t of course. She tried to flip it back on Xiao Xi and although it left Xiao Xi stunned at first, Xiao Xi saw through her and chose to be on Yu's side.

Honestly, Luan Luan sounds so confident like she could give Xiu happiness now. But if she marries Xiu one day and faces similar problems in their marriage, I really wonder if she'd end up turning out like Yu.

Also about Mingming and Da Sen, my understanding was like you mentioned, it was all Da Sen's one-sided pursue until she officially got together with him after she ended things with her ex. I was also confused at first because of how Bei (ML) acted towards Mingming, but later on realized he was just speaking based on Da Sen's side of the story. All he knew was Da Sen had been pursuing MM all these years while Da Sen kept giving his friends the impression that he's got a chance. I think that could've made Bei and the others think that Mingming had been leading Da Sen on while still dating someone else. But based on what we've seen, that's not how it was. Mingming had tried turning down Da Sen, but Da Sen just wouldn't back down. So no, I don't think MM has cheated on Da Sen with the photographer. I feel that she's the most sane and rational and clear-minded person of the bunch so far.

And same here. I like that ML and FL are both finally opening up to each other about their past. But I also don't think she's told him about the psychiatrist and Guan Jie's threat. I think that will definitely backfire on her too. The whole thing with the psychiatrist honestly feels like a trap Guan Jie set up. I really don't get Guan Jie's deal. Is she jealous of people and wanna ruin every happy couple or what?

Everyone has said a lot about Bei, but honestly, I think more people in real life are like Bei than you'd think. Certain conversations between Bei and Mingming didn't sit completely well with me, but I also get where Bei's coming from. I've had friends being in questionable relationships but I also looked the other way even though it feels uncomfortable when they talk about their relationship and I don't exactly like their partner. But they're my good friend and it's not easy calling them out. If I hadn't known MM's side of the story, I'd probably be more concerned about my friend more as well. But I admit I'm a coward and if I feel that my words won't get through them, I'd just slowly distance myself because I've gotta look out for my own mental health and peace. I don't wanna get involved with their toxicity. So thinking back, I guess Bei actually has more guts sticking around and calling his friends out and still being there for his friends. His loyalty could also be both a good and bad trait, I guess.

Lastly, just wanna say that I don't think Bei is actually perfect either. He just appears that way. But no one's perfect for sure and that includes him.

Omg Ep15 I'm so happy for Xiao Xi and Bei for finally coming clean (but I later realize Xiao Xi hadn't told him about the psychiatrist and Guan Jie's threat). Also, it was hella satisfying hearing Bei put An Miu right in her place while Xiao Xi was right beside him. Ahhh I really wish Xiao Xi and Bei would be happy together 🥹 Even Ming Ming and Da Sen made such great progress. I guess it took Da Sen to be on the receiving end to finally gain clarity. Honestly happy for these two couples! I know both couples still have a lot to work on, but baby steps!

And then we have Ep16 with Xiu and Yu. Gosh. I don't see how their marriage could still work out. At first I thought Xiu was really putting in effort, until he met Luan Luan again.... 🤦‍♀️ Bei says Xiu is planning to end things with Luan Luan, but we'll see. I ain't trusting Xiu until he actually ends things for real.

Honestly, Xiu almost convinced me that he really made up his mind this time. But during the whole trip except for when he tried so hard finding Yu's skincare product, it really felt like he no longer loves Yu like he did before. They barely had anything to talk about. He's just constantly on his phone while Yu is there reminiscing their past. And then he asks to meet Luan Luan again and I'm like 🙄 Glad Yu's friend caught him red-handed and put him in his place.

Also can't stand Luan Luan sometimes when she's emotionally manipulating Xiu. Seriously? Giving Xiu advice to win his wife back? In that kind of tone? And then calling him baby? Luan Luan is sly AF. And Xiu is a dumb dumb who doesn't know what he wants and can never make up his mind, so he's easily led by the nose by both women in his life. Ugh. Unbearable. The 3 of them—Yu, Xiu, and Luan are all unbearable. Yu is getting more and more inferior since she's older, then she lashes out at Xiu for little things. Xiu... ugh. Need I say more? Just a complete coward and jerk. And Luan, this sly... sly woman who's so good at playing with words and feelings, having Xiu completely wrapped around her fingers. She damn well knows what their "relationship" is. She damn well knows what Xiu meant. But she's playing innocent, throwing the question back at Xiu, because she knows that will throw Xiu into confusion and he'd be unable to make up his mind.

Xiu really has got to make up his mind. If he doesn't love Yu anymore, he's gotta accept it and let her go. I get that Yu can't let go of him because she still loves him, but girl you deserve better. Stop turning yourself into an ugly monster for a man who isn't worth it. Yu's gotta accept that their love can't go back to the way it was, and neither can it be rebuilt unless Xiu makes up his effing mind to cut Luan Luan out of his life. I doubt he can keep things clear with Luan Luan if both of them still stay in that circle of friends, tbh. I don't trust both of them.

Ep15 and 16 were honestly quite heavy, especially with the absence of Gong. We got more of Gong's backstory before, so I get it's time the focus shifted to the rest. I hope we'd be getting Gong back in the next episode, even for just a short scene, because I miss his silly antics that sometimes either carry meaningful insights or is just the plain harsh truth masked as a joke. Lol. Also miss his annoying shark pouch 😂😂😂 Seriously, Gong feels like the type of guy-friend girls would like hanging out with coz he's got your back like a bestie, but you know he's not quite relationship material so you'd never date him, but you'd still feel safe with him coz he may be flirty but if you don't cross the line, he won't either.