3
13
2
Sugar Crown
not a damsel - only in distress
This review may contain spoilers
Amazing Chemistry + A Highly Underrated Gem
In less than three days I completed "My Treasure" and it was, as in the name, a treasure.
Often times the english version of a C-Drama title doesn't fit the story but this one certainly does.
This drama should receive a reward for details! Because, wow! I watch so many dramas day-in-day-out and yet very few feel as real as this one. The characters are three-dimensional and especially the ML feels like a deeply complex yet so genuine person.
It also has a high production value, so on that front everything is very pleasing.
The good:
The mentor-mentee relationship. This was just fantastic and like nothing I've seen before. Their origin story started before the drama starts so there is no push-and-pull, just supporting each other and already being very trusting.
He fully trusts her and is not like a typical ML, when he helps her it's not by doing her work but rather by teaching her how to do it herself and by expressing that she is capable and reassuring her.
The Treasure aka Dong Na, was exactly that. I don't think you could put her in a category saying she is this or that type of female lead. Yes, she is hard working, young and ambitious but she is oh so unique and real. Everyone surrounding her will at some point melt and start appreciating her. She cares so much for the people around her and especially her mentor. Really loved the writing and acting of her character.
+ the onion technique! if you watch the drama, you will know what I mean - one of the details I loved.
About the slight romance:
Again, have to give it to Gu Fei / Roy who was just so brilliant with this expressive eyes and most delicate details. Watching him find healing, peace, comfort and happiness once more all because of the treasure that is the FL, was just beautiful and gave me butterflies. As if I had never seen somebody like someone - in a way it was so much more than that. This is not your typical romance (drama). It's more so about realizing that you have a soulmate by your side and that soulmate inspires you to grow and heal.
I need to stop spoiling :P - but let me say one more thing. Gu Fei was so straightforward yet in the moment you could see him contemplating on what to say next to her and I believe even if the script had no lines we would have still understood what he told her. I loved, loved that and that it was important to him that she thought highly of him.
Despite the age difference they had fantastic chemistry, be prepared however that his drama is very PG due to that - but it does not impact the viewing experience at all since they are very in tune with each other.
The not so ideal: (spoilers ahead)
Chunky Plot arrangement. Our hard working FL is ever present and she is the leading lady for sure but every 5 episodes two episodes will focus on certain supporting roles and it happens in chunks instead of telling their story slowly over the course of the drama. However this critique point is a bit harsh as it's not something that bothered me too much, it's just something I noticed.
About half way through the drama it dipped into melo-genre for one storyline a few episodes and I just did not like that. Don't get me wrong it brought forth the BEST acting, raw emotions and certainly pushed the leads closer together but it did make the drama less "slice-of-life" and more like a melodrama. However that faded again, so don't worry!
And lastly, the "I grew up very poor, you have no idea how hard that is" speech was used one too many times and in situations where it was not needed at all. It made the FL look a tiny bit like a pushover at times but her overall attitude towards life made up for that.
Favorite Quote:
Maybe you're not smart enough to be an Entrepreneur or scientist.
But don't worry. So am I:
Maybe, besides day dreaming,
ordinary people like us
can work hard an strive
to become an artist of life.
The Conclusion:
I had a hard time rating this drama since I felt like it was better than the 8.5 dramas on my list, however it's a little too flawed to be a 9.0, so I decided to look up the production and see! - It has the same director as "The Rise of Phoenixes" and the writer of "A Dream of Splendor". Both those dramas made me feel like this - I have come to the conclusion, that they're exceptionally good at creating real characters and unique connections as well as the ultimate binge factor by casting actors that have off-the-charts chemistry with each other. But then the second half of the drama arrives... and it's just not as good as it could be. There was protentional for it to be phenomenal but in the end it was (just) very good.
So the dilemma is, does a fantastic first half justify a 9.0 rating, when certain episodes later on are a bitlack-luster or venture into melo? Nevertheless I watched it within mere three days and I loved it, highly recommendable despite a few things - that in all honesty aren't that much of a bother, since the two leads' story is just so intriguing that everything else is not that important.
Often times the english version of a C-Drama title doesn't fit the story but this one certainly does.
This drama should receive a reward for details! Because, wow! I watch so many dramas day-in-day-out and yet very few feel as real as this one. The characters are three-dimensional and especially the ML feels like a deeply complex yet so genuine person.
It also has a high production value, so on that front everything is very pleasing.
The good:
The mentor-mentee relationship. This was just fantastic and like nothing I've seen before. Their origin story started before the drama starts so there is no push-and-pull, just supporting each other and already being very trusting.
He fully trusts her and is not like a typical ML, when he helps her it's not by doing her work but rather by teaching her how to do it herself and by expressing that she is capable and reassuring her.
The Treasure aka Dong Na, was exactly that. I don't think you could put her in a category saying she is this or that type of female lead. Yes, she is hard working, young and ambitious but she is oh so unique and real. Everyone surrounding her will at some point melt and start appreciating her. She cares so much for the people around her and especially her mentor. Really loved the writing and acting of her character.
+ the onion technique! if you watch the drama, you will know what I mean - one of the details I loved.
About the slight romance:
Again, have to give it to Gu Fei / Roy who was just so brilliant with this expressive eyes and most delicate details. Watching him find healing, peace, comfort and happiness once more all because of the treasure that is the FL, was just beautiful and gave me butterflies. As if I had never seen somebody like someone - in a way it was so much more than that. This is not your typical romance (drama). It's more so about realizing that you have a soulmate by your side and that soulmate inspires you to grow and heal.
I need to stop spoiling :P - but let me say one more thing. Gu Fei was so straightforward yet in the moment you could see him contemplating on what to say next to her and I believe even if the script had no lines we would have still understood what he told her. I loved, loved that and that it was important to him that she thought highly of him.
Despite the age difference they had fantastic chemistry, be prepared however that his drama is very PG due to that - but it does not impact the viewing experience at all since they are very in tune with each other.
The not so ideal: (spoilers ahead)
Chunky Plot arrangement. Our hard working FL is ever present and she is the leading lady for sure but every 5 episodes two episodes will focus on certain supporting roles and it happens in chunks instead of telling their story slowly over the course of the drama. However this critique point is a bit harsh as it's not something that bothered me too much, it's just something I noticed.
About half way through the drama it dipped into melo-genre for one storyline a few episodes and I just did not like that. Don't get me wrong it brought forth the BEST acting, raw emotions and certainly pushed the leads closer together but it did make the drama less "slice-of-life" and more like a melodrama. However that faded again, so don't worry!
And lastly, the "I grew up very poor, you have no idea how hard that is" speech was used one too many times and in situations where it was not needed at all. It made the FL look a tiny bit like a pushover at times but her overall attitude towards life made up for that.
Favorite Quote:
Maybe you're not smart enough to be an Entrepreneur or scientist.
But don't worry. So am I:
Maybe, besides day dreaming,
ordinary people like us
can work hard an strive
to become an artist of life.
The Conclusion:
I had a hard time rating this drama since I felt like it was better than the 8.5 dramas on my list, however it's a little too flawed to be a 9.0, so I decided to look up the production and see! - It has the same director as "The Rise of Phoenixes" and the writer of "A Dream of Splendor". Both those dramas made me feel like this - I have come to the conclusion, that they're exceptionally good at creating real characters and unique connections as well as the ultimate binge factor by casting actors that have off-the-charts chemistry with each other. But then the second half of the drama arrives... and it's just not as good as it could be. There was protentional for it to be phenomenal but in the end it was (just) very good.
So the dilemma is, does a fantastic first half justify a 9.0 rating, when certain episodes later on are a bitlack-luster or venture into melo? Nevertheless I watched it within mere three days and I loved it, highly recommendable despite a few things - that in all honesty aren't that much of a bother, since the two leads' story is just so intriguing that everything else is not that important.
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