I haven't seen the Taiwanese version so I watched Love in Time with no expectations. Love in Time started off promising, with the arrogant lawyer Zheng Yu and passionate reporter Jia Lan frightened and confused when time-space begins to overlap for 46 minutes every night. The cases they're working on and their respective best friends, Ji Rong and Sheng Hao, cause their lives to intersect, allowing them to get to know each other gradually. However, by episode 15 I had lost interest. Much of the plot is about saving the relationship between Ji Rong and Sheng Hao, but it failed to create any sort of emotional investment. There was just no depth to them or the villains in the drama so the the story lost too much momentum.

Instead of dropping the series though, I kept going and did enjoy the last 7-8 episodes because of Zheng Yu's storyline. I won't spoil it by going into specifics, but Yang Xu Wen did a great job. Unfortunately, I found Jia Lan really annoying. I liked her character in the beginning; she's energetic, cares about people and getting justice for them, isn't afraid to speak up. The issue is that while Zheng Yu's character experiences so much growth from beginning to end, Jia Lan doesn't and just seems immature in comparison. (Maybe another actress in the role would have been more convincing?) I didn't care about their romance at all, and in the second half I watched those scenes on double speed.

I did think the logic of the time-space overlap worked well, and also shout out to Chen Guan Yu who played Zheng Yu's assistant Da Jun and provided comic relief. Overall, Love in Time isn't the worst drama but missed the mark.

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This drama is worth watching for the main character Ning Meng, a smart and quick-witted woman who dreams of becoming an investment director but has been stuck working as Lu Ji Ming's assistant. She finally puts her foot down and pursues her dream, and luckily finds a fantastic mentor in Shi Ying. I loved seeing the ups and down of her pursuit of her dream. She's a relatable and likable character, and Tang Song Yun does a great job. (Plus her outfits were awesome! Fashionable but realistic.)

As for Lu Ji Ming, his character is so overly rude and unpleasant in the beginning that it's took some time to root for the blossoming feelings between him and Ning Meng. Thankfully, this drama is not centered around a romance between them, and he experiences a lot of growth as well. His friend Ceng Yu Hang brings a lot of humor to the drama and made me laugh out loud several times. I'm also so glad they didn't make Xu Si Tian one of those annoying second leads who won't give up on the male lead. Very pleasantly surprised by her character!

Not quite sure I'd rewatch this but I enjoyed it.

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First of all, I don't typically enjoy over-the-top slapstick humor and usually I give it a try if I like the cast (for example, Vincenzo). Cafe Minamdang caught my eye because of Seo In Guk, and as expected, he was a delight. I laughed out loud at this shaman antics. The way he snaps open the fan! At the same time, he offers a very heartfelt portrayal of grief and guilt. I loved the first half of this drama because of this balance between comedy and a more serious storyline. Unfortunately, the second half really dragged, a lot of the antics felt like filler, and I often questioned the intelligence of these characters.

I've never seen Oh Yeon Seo in anything before, but the casting choice is a bit baffling due to the supposed age gap between her and Seo In Guk's characters. Her character was so frustrating in the beginning with her stubbornness and tunnel vision, and it just feels like she remained flat throughout. Soo Cheol's character was too over the top and really got on my nerves. Lee I was surprised when Min Kyung and Park Jin Sang kept showing up in the end in such a slapstick way. I would've liked them more if their characters had been a bit darker instead.

Anyhow, plenty of people loved this so it just may depend on if you like this type of humor!

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If I were rating solely the main characters and their story & romance, this would be a 10. I haven’t seen Jeremy Tsui’s past dramas, but he plays the sharp and confident Liang Yi, to perfection. I’ve seen several of Qiao Xin’s dramas and I’m not a fan of her acting (especially when she has emotional scenes), but the writing and the chemistry make up for it here. Her character, Qiu Yan, is quick-witted and daring, doing whatever it takes to take control of her own fate, including lying and manipulating—but she does have a bottom line & is a caring person at heart. I loved both the bickering dynamic & the teamwork between Liang Yi and Qiu Yan, and the gradual development of their relationship from dislike to mutual admiration to love. It’s refreshing that they are direct with each other and there aren’t misunderstandings, things aren’t dragged out. This is a pairing where you 100% feel like they’re meant to be together and I would absolutely rewatch all their scenes together.

Besides the leads, I adored Song Jin and Liang Yi’s mother, and they both brought so much warmth and laughter to the show. The opening song is so good, but I don’t remember any other songs from the OST.

However, overall this drama isn’t a 10 for me for a few reasons. There’s investigating cases, cute romantic moments, a bitter rivalry, terrible family members, life-or-death stakes, and sometimes it felt a little uneven. (I recall a few episodes in the middle of the drama that I didn't quite care for.) I really disliked Qiu Min from beginning to end, and the resolution her character received at the end was jarring. I was also not a fan of the last half of the final episode and wished the writer(s) had went in a different direction, but I do give credit for including many references from previous episodes. It felt like there was attention paid to the details.

Still, I have a feeling this will end up in my favorite dramas of 2022 list! I had zero expectations when I started it (thought it'd be a filler drama lol) and ended up being delighted by the main characters.

Content warnings: episode 19, r*pe (scene begins at around the 33 minute mark) & a suicide attempt; episode 34, suicide

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This is a really solid time loop thriller with a great cast & 15 episodes was the perfect length. I wouldn't have expected to see Bai Jing Ting and Zhao Jin Mai paired together, but they were a great fit for their characters & I enjoyed seeing how they grew individually and together. Their characters are both relatable, ordinary young people so when they try to change their fates each time, you really feel that you'd perhaps act similarly.

I enjoyed watching this so much that I didn't wait for the English subtitles and watched new episodes as soon as they were out. Episodes 5-7 were a bit slow, but afterwards the pacing picked up again. Liu Yi Jun had a really memorable performance here and I loved every moment that he was on screen. I really liked his (Too bad Liu Tao's role wasn't as memorable.)

This isn't a 10 for me because there were some unanswered questions (nothing too major) and some aspects I wanted to see more of, but overall I found this to be a very satisfying watch!

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A last-minute, under-the-radar contender for one of my favorite dramas of the year! And really, a favorite from the past few years. Relatable, funny, heartwarming, and sometimes totally chaotic (the multi-episode club arc, I'm looking at you).

There have definitely been a lot of dramas lately that center around a group of female friends, but I've rarely found myself truly loving them. The charm of Delicious Romance is that it explores various relatable issues like divorce/ending a long-term relationship, re-entering the workforce, and changing careers, but also manages to feel light-hearted instead of stressful. The episodes are about 30 episodes and there are also 20! What a rarity! That means this drama never drags. I would actually love a second season.

This drama just surprised me in so many ways. Also, I loved that Xia Meng worked on developing dramas for a streaming site, and had some sharp commentary to offer. A total delight!

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I can't believe I watched this entire drama. I found the main actress annoying in the beginning but decided to give it a second chance. It was briefly entertaining, but then things just stopped making sense. Everyone is in love with (or more accurately, obsessed with) either Yun Qian Yue or Rong Jing. Everyone wants to keep them apart. There's the most bizarre poison I've ever seen in a drama. I lost interest before they even returned to modern time, which felt like a different story altogether. Anyhow, sorry for this jumble of sentences that probably makes no sense. That's what the drama felt like as well.

Also, Ye Qian deserved better and the violence of what happens to Qin Yu Ning was too much.

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The only reason I watched this so quickly is because I skimmed the scenes I didn't care about, and I never felt that invested in the romances to feel stressed out by their struggles... The acting was pretty average, and sometimes the editing was confusing.

I was initially interested because this is a second chance romance between the main characters He Feng and Wang Xiao An. There were some legitimate issues that caused their breakup, and they both held regrets in their hearts. However, the chemistry between them just wasn't really there? It took He Feng way too long to see how his actions regarding Feng Yiyi affected Xiao An. Their storyline really focuses more on their pursuit of their individual dreams and others sabotaging them. Towards the end, I didn't feel like things like moving in together and getting married were addressed clearly? Why did we never see Xiao An talk to her parents? The scenes with He Feng's mom seemed meaningless. I was so surprised when the last episode centered around revealing a villain--I honestly thought that would occur sooner and would've preferred a final episode focused on the main characters.

The actress who played Xiao An's best friend Lin Jin Jin was too over the top. I basically skipped most of her scenes. Ye Nan was so cute and sweet. I also really liked He Jing Xiao for bringing some humor into the drama, but I feel like the casting was off. Yu Yi Jie (Jerry Yu) is pretty good at this sort of role, but he just looked too old that it was difficult to match him to his character's storyline.

Anyhow, you could give it a try if you're looking for a mindless, low-investment watch. At least both cases of unrequited love were dealt with pretty well. (One was super mature about it, and the other was annoying but at least eventually acknowledged their true feelings and moved on.)

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I like the contract relationship trope and this drama only has 24 episodes, but I still managed my expectations... and was disappointed. The initial setup of the contract relationship turned me off a little because I hate when it's based on manipulation and deceit, but I continued on because the leads have really great chemistry. The grandma is also such a joy! Unfortunately, there are just SO many annoying things I can go on about. Both main characters have a childhood friend who is in love with them and won't give up. One of them keeps swooping in to save the day again and again, and the other schemes against the couple again and again, and this causes almost all of the conflict throughout the drama. I didn't love either of the main characters' management of boundaries.

Even though the main couple looked cute together, the writing was cheesy and the male lead was especially immature. Although I liked that he respected the female lead's dream and supported her, he was so jealous, childishly petty, and clingy. I guess at least he stopped being a manipulative schemer. (For a similar CEO & designer dynamic that's more mature, I recommend Sunshine of My Life from earlier this year! No contract relationship though.)

Lastly... the second couple. YIKES. Shang Ke is one of the most annoying characters I've seen this year. Usually the male lead's best friend is a fun character and I like seeing their friendship but Shang Ke was an immature troublemaker. To make matters worse, his love interest was an awesome, smart woman who he was really no match for. I ended up skipping their scenes. Instead, Yin Si Chen's assistant Fei Ang was the hidden gem here! On Gu Xi Xi's side, her friend was somewhat annoying and somewhat unreliable towards the beginning, but at least she was loyal.

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Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is such a refreshing drama, with more layers than I expected and a beautiful seaside backdrop. I loved all the supporting characters so much, and honestly liked their storylines more than the romance between the two leads. Hwa Jeong and Yeong Guk's storyline was so memorable, Eun Chul and Mi Seon had such a sweet storyline, Gam Ri and her friends, and the two adorable little kids and their friendship! And yes, I absolutely had SML syndrome because Director Ji was so delightful and charming. I loved his friendship with Doo Shik.

But about Doo Shik and Hye Jin: yes, I know Hye Jin is a prickly sort of character who seems superficial on the outside but is very warm-hearted inside. However, I couldn't help but wonder what if Doo Shik hadn't graduated from such a prestigious university?! Would she have changed her mind so quickly? This drama definitely saves its most dramatic, emotional storyline for the last few episodes... and yet the moment that brought tears to my eyes was actually because of a supporting character.

The cast was excellent and I really thought Kim Seon Ho shined as Doo Shik. One last thing though.. it really makes me roll my eyes when there is an overabundance of moments where it turns out the characters had met in the past. Please.

P.S. I love DOS and their song. Where is the full version!!

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To sum it up, this drama bored me. I would've dropped it if there weren't 2 new episodes almost every day, and if I didn't have a MangoTV subscription that I'm trying to get the most out of. (The English subtitles on MangoTV are terrible though.)

Live Your Life explores themes of friendship, pursuing career goals, relationships with parents, finding love, and letting go of the past. I liked most of the main characters but I wasn't necessarily a fan of their storylines. The middle part of this drama really dragged and then towards the end, a lot happened at such a fast pace. Also, the series begins by introducing a car accident, and I had expected it to be addressed earlier in the drama—but at least it wasn’t used in a melodramatic way.

Cai Wen Jing (aka Elvira Cai) is pretty charming and only occasionally cringey as the spirited and determined Wu You, while Lin Yu Shen's He Xi Ya is more serious and unbending. Although I usually like bickering/dislike to mutual respect/friendship to love narratives, I never felt invested in these two as a couple. The balcony scene towards the beginning really made me laugh out loud but there aren’t many scenes later in the drama that stand out. I cringed when they spoke to each other affectionately. The most fun part of their storyline is when He Xiao Yu is introduced at episode 17—he’s such a bright and funny character, and I loved his interactions with both Wu You and He Xi Ya. I also liked He Xi Ya’s friend and colleague Liang Kuai but it’s too bad he’s only used for comic relief!

As for the rest of the friends, Lu Man's character was too over-the-top and Tu Bing sometimes got on my nerves. But at least she was a rich heiress who is actually interested in working hard and pursued her own goals. I *loved* her love interest Lin Qing, who is played by Zhou Ting Wei (I recognized him as Mu Ci from Ashes of Love!). These two actually have a similar bickering/dislike to mutual respect to love path, but their storyline was so cliched (and rushed) at the end.

I ended up skimming through the storylines of the other two main characters. I really liked Qian Jia Yi (played by Jane Cheng)—she’s the marketing director at the same company Wu You works at, and is smart and confident. (Love her hair, too!) Her storyline explores ideas about marriage and having children, and I really liked her perspective but I truly despised her love interest (and his cousin!!!). Jia Yi is resolute in her choices and lifestyle and has a strong personality, but I think over time she could've slowly changed a little as a trusting relationship formed. He claims to accept her as she is but has his own agenda (for example, "accidentally" bumping into his friend). Lastly, Su Fei live streams her own show and she was a very loyal friend but I just wasn’t interested in her storyline. I’m also not a fan of a certain character tricking her into moving into their house, but at least she calls them out on it!

Overall, this wasn’t the worst modern c-drama but it just wasn’t memorable.

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I was so intrigued by the idea of One and Only & Forever and Ever being a two-part drama with one set in historical times and one set in modern day. This review will only refer to One and Only on its own!

It took some time for me to warm up to this drama because of the pacing in the very beginning. Shi Yi (Bai Lu) becomes Zhousheng Chen's (Ren Jia Lun) student when she's in her teenage years, and from the beginning she has a moony-eyed crush on him. This is totally understandable because Zhousheng Chen is intelligent, poised, considerate, an excellent general, and of course, he's handsome. (Ren Jia Lun really looks great in this role!) The drama skims over these initial years so quickly and makes me wonder, what did Shi Yi even do during these years? Did she learn anything as his student?! Bai Lu does an excellent job conveying her adoration of Zhousheng Chen from the beginning, which is exactly what annoyed me because it never felt like a student-shifu relationship. It's more like she entered his manor and he took care of her...

Anyways, I didn't drop this after the first 3-4 episodes because of the crown prince Liu Zi Xing (played by Wang Xing Yue, who is only 19! I'll definitely be looking out for his future dramas). Liu Zi Xing is such an interesting character because he's trapped in the palace with little hope of actually becoming the future emperor. An engagement was long arranged for him and Shi Yi, and he falls in love with her just from gazing at her portrait--she's a light at the end of the tunnel for him, something precious to look forward to since he's treated poorly in the palace. But of course, Shi Yi isn't just a portrait, she's a human being with different feelings about their engagement. Although perhaps I wanted him to become a more likable character, his storyline is very fitting, because he's someone who gets in over his head.

It was around episode 9, when the battle takes place, that One and Only finally hooked me. Things escalated quickly, and it's the storylines of all the other characters that I found intriguing. There's Shi Yi's cousin and General Hong, which was honestly my favorite pairing of the series. Their scenes together were so memorable and heartwrenching. I loved the other generals under Zhousheng Chen, too--Feng Qiao, Xie Yun, Zhou Tian Xing. They were all so lovable! And of course, the runaway prince/monk was my favorite. I loved the scenes in which he gave Zhousheng Chen advice, and saw right through his true feelings. I also loved Shi Yi's mother and how brave and intelligent she was. It's because I loved these characters so much that I was motivated to keep watching and I'm sad that they don't return in Forever and Ever.

As for the villains and the political scheming, I don't always enjoy this part of historical dramas but I thought it was well-done here. There wasn't *too* much screentime for this aspect of the drama, but enough that it kept tension and suspense high. The Empress Dowager was a real piece of work, and I shook my head at her son.

I wasn't expecting to see Daisy Dai in this drama but I liked her character and wish she'd had a bigger role. (Why doesn't Daisy Dai get bigger roles?!) Another surprise was Han Cheng Yu, who I liked in Love and Redemption and really does a great job with characters that are a little quirky.

Thankfully this drama is only 24 episodes and the entire cast was excellent, or I would've dropped it!

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This drama is the kind that I've been looking for!! A devastating, relatable, and moving slice-of-life story about characters in their mid-20s to mid-30s. I know that dramas centering about female friendships have been a trend in the past few years, but I have yet to find one I really liked. (I dropped Ode to Joy, and have yet to give Nothing But Thirty a second chance. I've tried Brilliant Girls, Love Yourself, To Dear Myself. I'm not saying you won't like this drama if you loved any of those, but maybe you've also been searching for a certain kind of story like me!)

First of all, please be aware that in the first episode (including the opening scene), a character dies by suicide. Throughout the drama, there are many scenes of grief and where the characters try to understand why. This drama is a beautiful reminder that sometimes you will have no idea about the struggles of those closest to you, that depression is an illness, and that life is precious.

The main characters are close friends who are from a small town in the northeast, and now live in Beijing. They work, struggle with money, have phone calls with their parents (honestly the things that some of the mothers said have been things my mom has said, almost word for word!), fall in love... Since this drama is only 12 episodes (they're each a little over an hour long), it really feels like there's no filler. There are heartbreaking moments and frustrating moments, but also warmth and humor. Even if Xu Yan was my least favorite character, she felt very realistic and she did experience growth. I admit that I adored Jian Yi Fan. His voice is so soothing and I can't believe I hadn't seen Bai Yu Fan (the actor) in anything before. Even though I dropped Begin Again, I do really like Zhou Yu Tong. Ren Su Xi is a new face for me but she was so great at portraying Nan Jia.

Lastly, I really enjoyed watching the deleted scenes because it's interesting to see what didn't make the final cut. It seems like a lot of them focused on supporting characters and I understood that their scenes were cut to focus more on the main characters. I do wish they'd kept some of Jing Jing's ex's scenes in though because the drama made their relationship seem so inconsequential.

Anyhow, this is a favorite of 2021 and probably an all-time favorite for me as well. Highly recommend!

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I don't usually watch youth dramas because I'm just too far from my teenage years, but Our Secret was just so cute! This drama opens with the main characters meeting again in college, before telling their story from the beginning, when Ding Xian moves next door to Zhou Siyue right before they begin high school. I was hooked because I was curious to see how they reached that point!

I love that Ding Xian and Zhou Si Yue are deskmates who, after getting off to a slightly prickly start, soon become close friends who care about each other. Although Zhou Si Yue is a genius, he is not the cold type, and Ding Xian isn't hopeless at school. She's actually smart, studies hard, and very determined to prove herself. Thankfully, this isn't the kind of drama where the girl pines after the guy for 95% of the drama! During their high school years, this drama does a great job of balancing the stress of school and the impending gaokao and the growing friendship between Ding Xian and Zhou Si Yue. There are some frustrating moments, but it's due to relatable insecurities and especially Ding Xian's personality. She herself admits to these weaknesses at one point, and it's definitely difficult to change a habit. There is a brief angsty period in their college years but they both needed to grow. I saw some comments about how nice it was to see Zhou Si Yue crying on screen and showing vulnerability, and I totally agree! It felt realistic to see these moments shown.

Ding Xian and Zhou Si Yue's friends were lovely characters, especially Song Zi Qi and Kong Sha Di from their high school years. Their tight-knit group was so cute. This drama doesn't have any annoying villains - there are a few characters that are somewhat villains but they only have a few scenes so it's not stressful! I initially really liked Su Bo Cong's character but was disappointed with the direction the writers took later on.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot. 24 episodes was perfect. I'll especially be keeping an eye out for more of Chen Zhe Yuan's dramas.

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This was stressful but I couldn't stop watching it!

Neglected by their father, these five siblings go through a lot and you can't help but root for them. There's the stubborn but devoted eldest brother Yi Cheng, who you simultaneously admire and want to shake—basically his cousin is 100% right about him every time they argue. The second brother Er Qiang is so simple and sweet, ambling through life trying to get things right. Third sister San Li is good-natured but will firmly stand up for herself. (I haven't been a fan of Mao Xiaotong in the past but I really loved her as San Li.) And ah, the youngest sister Si Mei. I loved her lively spirit and that she follows her heart... but sometimes she definitely needed some rationality. The quiet fifth brother Qi Qi has the least screentime but I especially liked his moments towards the end. And although their father is terrible, there are plenty of other contenders for worst human being! Ha.

The rate of marriage and divorce was quite high but this isn't a romance-centered drama. It's really about the bond between the siblings and how they're always there for each other. I only wish that there had been more heartwarming, quiet moments in between all the crises! It felt like Yi Cheng couldn't catch a break because there was always someone in the family who needed his help. I also would've loved to see more development of the relationship between certain pairs. This drama was (only) 36 episodes and I wouldn't have minded if it were longer!

The standout supporting character is Yi Cheng's colleague and friend Song Qing Yuan, who brings some levity to all his scenes. He's not only a loyal friend, he's direct and honest with Yi Cheng, not holding back on what needs to be said. This is the third supporting role I've seen Chang Long in and I hope he gets a bigger role in the future. Overall, every cast member in The Bond is great though.

Lastly, the theme song by Zhou Shen is so beautiful and perfect for this drama.

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