odetodramas
This drama had so much potential, with interesting characters and an avoidance of many annoying cliches I've repeatedly encountered in modern dramas lately. However, it was ultimately very disappointing, with a lot of storylines that lacked depth and a rushed ending.
Dilraba Dilmurat finally plays a character who is not naive, silly, and clumsy. Zhou Fang is a motivated, ambitious fashion designer who speaks her mind, and I liked that they didn't make her a spectacularly talented designer but someone who is learning and recognizes how far she has to grow. Meanwhile, Johnny Huang's Song Lin is a workaholic CEO but he's (for the most part) straightforward. There is, thankfully, not a lot of will-they-or-won't-they and only briefly is there a second lead who tries to get between them. The biggest conflict between Zhou Fang and Song Lin is that they are both ambitious and stubborn, and they encounter work-related problems including conflicts of interest and struggles with work-life balance. They have a lot of very sweet moments, which is a nice change from all those dramas where it takes 40 episodes for the leads to finally express their feelings for each other. Also, I loved the storyline with Zhou Fang's nephew and Song Lin's younger sister. They brought so much humor and lightheartedness to the drama.
The other storylines were extremely weak. I loved Qin Qing in the beginning because she's a fiercely loyal friend and a confident, successful jewelry designer. Unfortunately, everything went downhill due to Zuo Yu Lin. I could understand her uncertainty due to their age gap, but it was his mother's storyline that I found intolerable. While Zuo Yu Lin initially seemed like a genuine, caring boyfriend, it was when they encountered a real external conflict that he showed his true colors. He should've addressed the issues with his mother rather than repeatedly lying and then letting Qin Qing do the work to win her over. Also, they became increasingly cheesy and over-the-top when they were together and it made me cringe.
The biggest missed opportunity was Su Yu Shan, who was initially presented as the Bad Guy, a ruthless businessman who uses questionable methods and ignores his lonely wife. They should have developed his story more, and not just in the last episode. Things changed so quickly in the end! The two other supporting characters were Zhou Fang and Qin Qing's friends, Huo Chen Dong and Shen Pei Pei, who totally disappear towards the end and receive an unsatisfying resolution in the final episode. Zhou Fang's mother was also had a significant storyline, and she was just too much. Honestly, all three mothers in this drama were rather domineering.
Lastly, a note on product placement: I hope to never encounter that awful ringtone that multiple (or was it every??) character used, but I am curious to try Hai Di Lao takeout (lol).
Dilraba Dilmurat finally plays a character who is not naive, silly, and clumsy. Zhou Fang is a motivated, ambitious fashion designer who speaks her mind, and I liked that they didn't make her a spectacularly talented designer but someone who is learning and recognizes how far she has to grow. Meanwhile, Johnny Huang's Song Lin is a workaholic CEO but he's (for the most part) straightforward. There is, thankfully, not a lot of will-they-or-won't-they and only briefly is there a second lead who tries to get between them. The biggest conflict between Zhou Fang and Song Lin is that they are both ambitious and stubborn, and they encounter work-related problems including conflicts of interest and struggles with work-life balance. They have a lot of very sweet moments, which is a nice change from all those dramas where it takes 40 episodes for the leads to finally express their feelings for each other. Also, I loved the storyline with Zhou Fang's nephew and Song Lin's younger sister. They brought so much humor and lightheartedness to the drama.
The other storylines were extremely weak. I loved Qin Qing in the beginning because she's a fiercely loyal friend and a confident, successful jewelry designer. Unfortunately, everything went downhill due to Zuo Yu Lin. I could understand her uncertainty due to their age gap, but it was his mother's storyline that I found intolerable. While Zuo Yu Lin initially seemed like a genuine, caring boyfriend, it was when they encountered a real external conflict that he showed his true colors. He should've addressed the issues with his mother rather than repeatedly lying and then letting Qin Qing do the work to win her over. Also, they became increasingly cheesy and over-the-top when they were together and it made me cringe.
The biggest missed opportunity was Su Yu Shan, who was initially presented as the Bad Guy, a ruthless businessman who uses questionable methods and ignores his lonely wife. They should have developed his story more, and not just in the last episode. Things changed so quickly in the end! The two other supporting characters were Zhou Fang and Qin Qing's friends, Huo Chen Dong and Shen Pei Pei, who totally disappear towards the end and receive an unsatisfying resolution in the final episode. Zhou Fang's mother was also had a significant storyline, and she was just too much. Honestly, all three mothers in this drama were rather domineering.
Lastly, a note on product placement: I hope to never encounter that awful ringtone that multiple (or was it every??) character used, but I am curious to try Hai Di Lao takeout (lol).
Was this review helpful to you?
