Fell a bit flat

After seeing the premise of the drama during the Sweet On promotions, I was really excited and could not wait for it to air. In terms of positives, I liked the story even though it's not super original, it's still something that will interest a lot of people. The cast was fine for the most part. The male lead actor was pretty good. I did enjoy how it seemed to focus on the male lead falling in love and thought that was an enjoyable twist from most dramas. Now onto the negatives...

The female lead is really not a great actor. I thought she was tolerable in Use for My Talent, but she really does not have much range and it bored me to death. Her character as well verged on the edge of annoying with her odd personality ticks that were overdone. The male lead's character was introduced as this mischievous, witty, and attractive villain which was enticing. But as the story progressed, he felt the need to transform into the female lead's ideal type a.k.a a vanilla love interest. So, with the boring acting from the female lead and now boring character of the male lead, the drama was almost unwatchable around the 2nd half. The cute, butterflies in your stomach moments were strangely dull? I expected to feel something, but I didn't. The secondary cast was okay, but they didn't contribute much and i just skipped their parts. Them getting married and having kids in the last episode was ridiculous. The actors looked way too young to be married let alone be parents. Edit: oh apparently it was all in her book and not real but I totally missed it because I just skimmed the last episode LOL. Still don't care for it though!

In terms of technical stuff, the editing was jarring in some parts. It would just cut at the weirdest times, and you would have no idea how it got to the next scene. The drama pacing was weird. It seemed episodic in the beginning but slowed down to a painfully boring pace in the middle and end.

Overall, it's an ok drama but I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it or dedicate a day to binging it.

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The most perfect mini drama!

I've watched a few other mini dramas before this one, but wow does this one blow the others away! I found that other mini dramas always lacked in one area whether it be a confusing story, not-so-great acting, or low production value. Whoever made this drama definitely took notes and improved on all aspects.

The story isn't anything new to seasoned watchers/readers, but it's fun, well executed, and stays interesting throughout the entirety of the drama. The relationship between the female and male lead is built up beautifully. There was not a single second wasted on filler or confusing plotline. I really liked all the characters and thought there were some truly funny, heartwarming, and sad moments. The actors had good chemistry and all of them did well in their respective roles. The female and male lead were especially charismatic and brought their characters to life.

I wish the 2nd ml got a more rounded out ending, I think they kind of left him hanging LOL. The villain wasn't particularly villainous which didn't really bother me because I was looking for a feel-good drama.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama!

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Pleasantly surprised

This is the first short/1 video long drama that I've watched so I wasn't sure what to expect. I really enjoyed the format as I tend to get bored of the standard 24+ episode dramas and struggle to finish them. The story can be described as sort of an anti-drama which was super unique and interesting the whole way through. It was refreshing to have a cunning and self-reliant female lead that poked fun at tropes in dramas while also utilizing them. I really enjoyed the romance scenes and thought they had some witty dialogue that complimented their characters quite well. I will say, the actual logistics of the story became a bit muddled towards the end and I'm not sure if it was lost in translation or what. It began to drag as a result of this, and I was thankful when I reached the ending. I think the actors did a pretty good job given the material. The production and editing were a bit low budget, but it didn't deter me from watching. This drama is definitely worth the watch!

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Solid drama

This drama is probably one of the most solid dramas I've seen in a while. Both the leads did a great job, but I think the male lead really shined in this. The secondary characters were just okay, they kind of just got dropped once they weren't useful to the story anymore. This was a little unfortunate as I really enjoyed the interactions between Mr. Mu and the female lead in the beginning and was looking forward to a love triangle situation. However, given the complexity of the time travel element, it made sense that they wanted to really develop the main couple's relationship. I will say that I enjoyed the beginning stages of the main couple's relationship much more than later on. I liked how they quarreled like roommates and once they got together it was a little boring. At times the female lead looked too young and immature compared to the male lead, and I wished they casted someone older.

There are some parts of the drama that are a little overdone. Like all dramas, the villains are incessant with their need for revenge, and I personally got bored with it. Jirong's initial storyline was so tragic! I was really taken aback by it. I found the reasoning for Jirong and Shenghao's ultimate divorce to be petty. It seemed that Shenghao was just agreeing with Jirong? I'm not sure why she was so offended by his suggestion especially after he apologized.

Overall, I do recommend this drama. It's well acted, produced, and written. I'm not the type of person who likes to rewatch things but if you are, you may score it higher on that scale.

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A refreshing concept

This is probably the first drama I've seen that puts romance in the backseat and I think it really worked out in its favour. The story and concept are pretty akin to something like "Blade Runner", just without the cyberpunk element. Therefore, it is not entirely unique but in the realm of dramas and especially mini dramas, it is executed quite well. In terms of acting, I think both the ML and FL are on par with each other. In some moments their delivery works, but in others it falls flat. I think they both need to work on their range. Harkening back to Greek concepts of love, the drama trades off the typical eros love for something more centred on agape, philia, and storge. I think this decision complemented the story well and provided a lot more depth. It also leaves a stronger message for the viewer to think about after they finish the show. I also thoroughly enjoyed the production of the drama.

In terms of cons, I do agree with other reviewers that it could have been more flushed out. I also think around the halfway point it starts to become more predictable.

Overall, I still recommend this drama if you're looking for a drama that isn't a cookie cutter love story.

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Captivating show that will blow anyone away

Disclaimer: this is the first one out of the daomu biji series I've seen!

As someone who just started this drama after seeing Joseph Zeng in Take my Brother Away, I was blown away! Firstly, I did not know it was a whole series but even then I think I was able to keep up pretty well. I thought the casting was amazing and all the actors did such a great job, it will be hard for the one's in the sequel to live up to. I found the pacing of the story to be weird in some parts but overall it was fine.

I'm not sure if it's because of the actor's ages or what, but none of the characters ages made sense or the year this story takes place. They're dressed pretty modern but they use phones from the early 2000s but they also have access to hi-tech drones? Also, Ah Ning's death was inadequate for a main character and it was weird how her body kept showing up in places with no explanation. A lot of elements are introduced and made to seem important but as soon as its inconvenient, it gets dropped or ignored. For example, the doppelgängers theory was introduced (with no basis may I add) but was never mentioned again. The deadly bugs that can kill you with one bite is another example of this as by the end of the show, they're just shooing them away. I thought the snakes were way too overused and wished they brought in something new. I liked how they changed the objectives as the show went on and it wasn't set in 1 place for too long. However, it became really confusing at times as to how the objectives were connected and related to the larger story. We go from finding the secret of immortality to Wu Xie's uncle missing to Zhang Qi Ling losing his memory to hunting for the Zhang family pavilion just to get Zhang Qi Ling's memory back?

I would hesitate to even call the ending an ending. Wu Xie is seemingly distressed about his friends but never goes to look for them? And Cox Hendry says he will join when they get close to the entrance but misses his cue? They should've at least tied up some loose ends. I'm just being a little nit picky but overall this big budget production will be a great watch for anyone (maybe not romance fans).

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A classic!

I agree with all the cons other reviewers listed. The female lead is frustratingly naïve, to the point it's straight up unjustifiable. There is a lot of screaming and over acting. However, something about it feels so nostalgic and comforting. It looks like a big budget early YouTube sketch and I love it! Aaron Yan was awesome and carried this drama. The story is nothing special, just a CEO/employee relationship but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you want something to take you back to the 2010s and don't mind the over acting, I would recommend this. If you're in search of a quality drama, maybe skip this one.

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Refreshing and unique

The story of this drama is unlike any other I have seen. Each of the short stories in the beginning left my jaw hanging in how well they were written. The production and directing are also amazing! Everything fit so well together. The acting was exceptional and each of the characters were so unique. To my knowledge, this drama doesn't follow any tropes I have seen before so I highly recommend it if you are looking for a break from the standard, formulaic dramas. I will say, it is important to get a good translation for this drama, otherwise the dialogue and story become confusing. I did take a pretty long break in the middle of the drama, and it was hard to get back into it, so I don't recommend doing that either.

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Watchable but not the best

This drama was just okay. The story is pretty cookie cutter and the actors did their jobs but didn't really excel. I honestly found it difficult to like the female lead after she berated multiple people in the beginning of the drama. I get having a strong and resilient female lead, but it made her seem self-rightous and rude. The male lead was also odd because of how childish his dub and character were. I will say, both the female and male lead seemed to mature a little bit as the drama went on which I liked. I appreciate the effort in including Dong Xin and Bi Xi Wen's story because it was considerably more mature than what's usually in dramas. However, there was no introduction to either character and I had no idea why I should care at all about them. Dong Xin especially because everyone looked up to and respected her but why? Who is she?? I thought Ye Zi and Zhu Shou had the cutest relationship and were easily my favourite storyline.

Overall, I don't really recommend this drama but it's definitely not the worst.

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So absurd that it's entertaining

This drama is completely nonsensical but very entertaining. The story starts off intriguing with the infidelity, but it was mostly just a hook for a standard romance drama. The actors did a decent job, with Qin Qi shining the most. However, I felt that the actor for Qin Qi looked a little too young for the role. What I couldn't wrap my head around is why Qin Lang ever liked An Duo Duo in the first place. If your mom doesn't like her and you're cheating on her with someone with much higher social status, why would you get married? LOL! The conflicts were also magically solved by the male lead without showing any planning or work. I guess that should be expected from a mini drama, but I think the momentum was off because of it. Overall, it's a fun, light watch but don't think too much while watching it.

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Short and sweet

I liked this drama more than I expected to. The premise of the story is a little nonsensical as you cannot be denied a job based on a disability (where I live at least). Thankfully the drama shifts focus a few times and that kept it fresh and enjoyable to watch. I liked how resourceful and outspoken the female lead was. The friend group was supportive of one another, and it felt really good watching them overcome obstacles together. Other than that, the story is pretty standard and formulaic (not necessarily a bad thing if that's what you're looking for). The production value was quite good which surprised me. The actors all seem new to the drama world, but I think they did a good job! I can't say much about the music as I watched on Youtube and most of it was edited out. If you're bored and want to watch a feel-good drama or want something to play in the background, this is a good choice.

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Great slice of life drama

So entertaining! I really applaud the direction of this show. In the beginning, they use some panels from the manhua I believe to supplement the action and it was cool. The first 20 episodes were non stop entertainment, chaos, and laughs. The last 10 or so try to deal with more serious matters but do so poorly. Their dad drunk driving, being on antidepressants, and in debt to mobsters gets glossed over with no resolution. I don't think they should've went that far if they weren't going to address it a little bit. The meimei also treats her friends and family terribly at several points and doesn't learn her lesson. The supporting cast was great.

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So sweet!

The perfect modern romance in my opinion. If you need something light to watch that will cheer you up, this is it. The combination of a dentist and librarian seems odd but they made it work somehow. There aren't many heavy plot elements (except the one I'll talk about a bit later) or much stakes in this drama at all. There is no shortage of swoon worthy romance moments. I was blown away by all the actors' performances and their visuals are no joke. The pregnancy storyline was handled in a really uncomfortable way and I did not care for it at all. I recommended this drama to a friend and they watched it all in 1 night!

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