vlees

Sometimes he reminds me of Lee Know

I don’t want to spoil anything there but better be prepared. She’s in my top of worst drama mothers, next to the ones from The Glory, Ashes of Love and Under Queen’s Umbrella (not the FL but iykyk).

Oh, I didn't mean to suggest that you solely blame the father; I was just sharing my perspective on him. What both parents did to their child was absolutely appalling, and I really feel for the FL, having to endure such a traumatic childhood.

I completely agree—he was either a narcissist or an incredibly immature person who got away with those behaviors because of his "artist" persona. The funeral scene was a prime example. While the FL was horrified, his friends and fans were applauding. It’s clear he never received any real feedback from the world about how inappropriate and insensitive his actions were.

To be fair, he did try to reach out to her, but the extreme and inappropriate way he did it (which I still find disgusting and wrong) might have been his last, desperate attempt to reconcile. That doesn’t excuse what he did, but it does add another layer to his character.

There are certainly worse fathers out there, and while he didn’t know how to communicate with her, that doesn’t change the fact that he genuinely loved her and tried to reconcile. As someone who grew up without a father (because he simply didn’t care), that episode was an emotional roller coaster for me. He did care about her and wanted to stay in her life, but he just didn’t know how to approach it. And while he knew that staging the fake funeral was wrong, he was acting out of desperation.

I appreciate the depth of his character—he wasn’t portrayed as just a bad father or one who didn’t care at all, but rather as someone complex, flawed, unqualified, and unable to handle his daughter’s emotions properly.

That's one of the strongest aspects of this drama for me—its ability to present characters as multi-dimensional, flawed individuals. Each character has their own backstory, struggles, and inner conflicts, which adds a layer of depth and realism. There are no clear-cut "good" or "bad" characters; instead, everyone exists in shades of gray, making their actions more relatable and human.

Honestly, I believe Zhang Xin Cheng really brought Ziqiu to life, adding depth to his character that isn't found in the Korean version. In contrast, Haejun starts off more innocent and cute, gradually revealing some rebellious tendencies, whereas Ziqiu is portrayed as a much more complex and layered character.

Additionally, I miss the way Jianjian interacted with her brothers, especially Lingxiao. She was quite tomboyish and chaotic, often jumping on their backs like a child, which clearly indicated that she saw them as brothers rather than potential romantic interests.

Lastly, while I try to avoid judging based on appearance, I feel the Korean version's cast has more unnatural-looking faces due to cosmetic procedures, particularly among the older actors. This takes away from the authenticity of their portrayals.

It's a good drama in its own right, but as you've pointed out, it doesn't quite do justice to the original.

Nah, if she did that, it would just shift the focus back to herself, inflicting even more trauma on him. Honestly, I wish she’d just be locked away forever.

What angers me the most is the audacity of terrible parents and the way society treats children from incomplete families.

He's truly shining in this drama, and it's fantastic to finally see him in a role that allows him to fully showcase his talent. If the series continues to follow the Chinese original closely, Sanha's character will evolve into a complex and deeply layered one.

Oh, she's only warming up. This woman is devious.

For me this character has serious mental issues

I think her father is being unfairly blamed for her mother's death, especially since the relationship seems to have had more complexity than just one person being at fault. In the flashbacks, it's clear that the father was willing to offer help and even suggested hiring assistance, which implies that he didn’t expect his wife to take on all the burdens of housework and childcare alone.

Her mother’s decision to stop playing the piano and take on everything could have stemmed from internal mental health struggles rather than pressure from her husband. It's possible she felt overwhelmed or like she had to prove herself, despite offers of help. Her eventual tragic decision, also took place in front of their daughter, which seems to show deeper mental health issues that went beyond her marriage.

Blaming the father entirely oversimplifies the situation, and it misses the nuance that there were likely mental health factors at play that contributed significantly to the outcome. This type of blame can overlook the complexity of relationships, where responsibility and struggles are often shared, not one-sided.

I was conflicted about the situation too, but at the same time, he had just found out the truth himself. He felt pity for her father and was clearly in shock. He knew he was wrong right away and apologized. The female lead was aware that her father had manipulated him, which is probably why she didn’t make a big fuss about it.

Episodes 18 and 19 were an emotional roller coaster for me, I was conflicted what to think about certain characters but at the end I think we finally got some missing pieces and better understanding of FL’s character.

Chen Zhu is so toxic, not just as a wife but as a friend too. I get the feeling she judges everyone around her by her own standards, and she’s literally made the situation between the introverted couple even worse. SQ seems to be under her influence, but as you mentioned, what kind of attorney is she going to be if she lets herself be that easily swayed by others?

Then there’s the scene where her husband was doing everything he could to make her happy—he even deleted his favorite game and planned everything exactly the way she’d want—yet she still looked pissed off. If by the end of this drama she hasn’t changed at all and they’re still together, that’s going to be a huge disappointment for me. She has no respect for him, and at this point, I’d even say she doesn’t like him at all. She treats him like her property, more of a toy than a partner. That woman needs to face some real challenges and snap out of her princess state.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Chen Zhu is actually making me more annoyed than that stupid nepo-intern!

After EP19: the character development is just chef's kiss! It's realistic, not rushed, and thoughtfully grounded in each character's backstory and personality.

This drama is downvoted because of the flawed and quite authentic characters when it comes to romance. Those can be annoying or their actions can be toxic but there are also reasons behind it and character development is shown. 7.6 is definitely too low compared to its quality.

Honestly, after the date in episode 13, I started wondering if she might have feelings for Chengzhou. I’d love to see that plot twist! Even though they’ve known each other for a long time, we haven’t seen much of their interactions until now, but it seems like she’s been aware of both his fun side and his deeper qualities for a while.
If that's true, it makes sense that she hadn’t made any moves before since he was married, but now that he's going through a divorce, she might see an opportunity. At the same time, she doesn’t come across as someone who would pursue him at any cost—she seems to be a kind of person more focused on happiness of someone she likes.

That’s a good example of toxic long term relationship. Even so he realized she’s been toxic to him, he became codependent over time.

Tbf, they’re te only couple right now I really hope won’t end up together just for SFL to realize she needs to work on herself first before entering any relationship.

I completely agree, and that’s what makes this drama so engaging—it portrays romantic relationships in a very real and relatable way.

After the last two episodes, it became clear that the second female lead doesn’t truly respect her ex-husband. Initially, I thought he was immature and inattentive to her needs, while she had her princess-like moments. However, as the show progressed, it became evident that their relationship was imbalanced. Even her friends pointed out how he was always the one to apologize and fight for their relationship, while she would throw tantrums.

This dynamic shows how the relationship may have been largely one-sided, with him putting in the emotional labor and effort, while she emotionally manipulated him, creating a power imbalance. Over time, his frustration likely built up, leading him to become resentful of her behavior, which contributed to their eventual split.

Mt favorite plot twist of this drama so far:
Challengers ❌
Therapists ✅

Challengers are the most stable and healthy ones among those people 😅

(Yup, FL’s friend was a piece of trash before, but the way he helped both other FLs was just chef’s kiss)

For me, the female lead and male lead perfectly reflect the avoidant and anxious attachment styles in their relationship, respectively. For anyone interested in the psychological aspect of those characters, I found some short descriptions:

Avoidant style (FL):
The avoidant attachment style is characterized by a reluctance to rely on others and a strong emphasis on independence. Individuals with this style often prioritize self-sufficiency and may feel uncomfortable with emotional closeness or vulnerability, leading them to withdraw or distance themselves in relationships. They tend to suppress their feelings and can struggle to communicate their needs, resulting in challenges with intimacy and connection. This description perfectly fits the female lead, as she clearly has a hard time opening up to others about her deeper thoughts. Her strong statement regarding marriage further reinforces this, suggesting that something may have happened between her parents that caused her to lose faith in the permanence of romantic relationships.

Secure/Anxious style (ML):
I believe the male lead initially exhibited traits of a secure attachment style, though he displayed some codependency issues at times. His parents’ healthy relationship likely influenced his perspective, making it difficult for him to fully grasp the female lead's point of view. However, things worsened when she moved to Germany, leading him to exhibit more anxious attachment behaviors towards her as he struggled with feelings of insecurity and fear of losing her.

The main characters are a textbook example of such a relationship:
Relationships between individuals with avoidant and anxious attachment styles often create a push-pull dynamic. The anxious partner seeks closeness and reassurance, while the avoidant partner values independence and may withdraw, leading to misunderstandings. This emotional mismatch can cause the anxious partner to perceive the avoidant's need for space as rejection, while the avoidant may view the anxious partner's intimacy-seeking as suffocating, resulting in tension and insecurity.

To make their relationship work, individuals with avoidant and anxious attachment styles need to prioritize open communication and establish clear boundaries to respect each other's emotional needs. Additionally, mutual support, patience, and possibly seeking professional help can aid in developing healthier relationship patterns and fostering understanding. I believe that being a part of the TV show is their form of therapy.