worldkdramafan2025

The show is continuing to deliver in every episode. I am also enjoying watching the MDL rating climb after the initial attacks by the anti-fan brigading the moment it was released brought the rating so far down.

Episode 11 is where everything turns. Pei Wen Xuan finally ditches his past baggage. And Li Rong starts although her journey was always going to be more difficult.

To each their own. Could not disagree with you more.

A solid 7.8 - 8. Not a very complicated drama at all. But enjoyable and what I would term "a light watch" - full of pleasant scenes with very mild drama.

This is my first experience with Xu Ruo Han. I would term her "feminine" in demeanor and very suitable for this role.

Not much was really required of Zhang Ling He from an acting perspective but nor did he falter. They wanted a tall actor with good visuals and paired well with Xu Ruo Han and he delivered.

This drama wins on the obvious appeal of the journey of 2 career adults slowly working their way to love. The flip side is that the drama is also fairly superficial although sometimes that is all we want in a drama - a good timewaster that triggers the positive buttons.

This drama is genre "life" and up to this point it has mostly been live/slice of life and psychology. The romance sub-plot is only very slowly building. I think the writers are trying to steer a course of a natural progression between 2 people who both arrived into the city with motives that had no romance in the initial equation. The last 4 episodes we have seen the walls break down a bit and my read is the writers will build the romance a bit more prominently perhaps around ep 19 and 20.

And surely we will have at least one major misunderstanding and fallout somewhere along the line. Writers just cannot resist negative tension.

Her voice is fine.

Anytime you have heard a different voice in the past dramas such as her "cute" voice that some anti-fans have seized upon you should hopefully realize that the use of that voice is as per the drama director and script. An actor does what the director tells them to do.

We saw that progression in Love Between Fairy and Devil. She started out as an innocent flower with the cute personae full on in mannerisms, makeup and voice. But in the latter part of the drama that was dispensed with. Why? Because that is what the writing and directing required.

Its all acting. In this drama the script is modern adult life genre oriented. So that is what the actress is delivering per the setup by the director.

One would say that in this drama Ester uses her "real" voice. She actually has a slightly higher tone in her normal voice - it is not a base undertone. So if her normal voice is not to your liking so be it.

I am finding this drama fine, but not exceptional. Currently watching 5-6 dramas in total between kdrama and cdrama, and I am finding this one less engaging. My 2026 marker dramas for romcom and romance drama are Spring Fever (romcom) and In Your Radiant Season (romance drama) and this is just not up to either standard for me.

My gut check is the rating is boosted by stanners. It is perfectly fine to be an avid fan of one or both leads and I am not suggesting this is a poor drama at all. But pending some positive turn going forward I am inclined to rate in the 7.5-8 range.

In part I find Jun Ji Hyun has absolutely no romantic appeal. This is not helping some of the scenes.

I will revise my rating and comment if I feel changes in the drama warrant updating.

Yes. All the statistical information I am able to view indicates the show is performing very well. Holding very steady with a heat index around 8000 daily. Now that we are past the hate crowd initial barricading of the drama the drama score on MDL and elsewhere is climbing as real viewers cast real votes.

I started viewing it solely on the premise of Esther who has a great track record. As others have stated all the elements of an enjoyable watch are in place and it is a good ride so far.

And she is not using that personae or voice in this drama. It is just blind stupid ignorant hate.

When Esther acted girlish cute in past dramas that is because that is how she was directed and per the script. Its called "acting" and the idiocy of some who don't realize this astounds me. Directors wanted an actress who could start out as a naive young waif and transition to an adult and a perfect example of this was her characters in Love Between Fairy and Devil, and Ski Into Love.

We all know a portion of the public simply lacks intellectual capacity to discern and the hate emanates from that portion of the population.

I commented above about ep 11 in the photo studio. The road to romance commenced!

Thanks for these links lin wanxing. I bookmarked all the ones you replied with a couple of days ago but these comments where you provide good ones to focus upon are appreciated.

In the midst of Episode 11. And so it begins! The photoshoot has commenced the romance journey!They both looked lovely in their vintage outfits. Ester's outfit reminded me so much of Swing Era fashion.

I see the show rating is starting to recover after the initial rating brigading by the hate group. Media reports seem to indicate the drama was swarmed by a negative campaign the moment the ratings opened.

So fight back and properly rate this drama! It should land in the mid-8 range I think unless the show drops the ball further into the episode arc. But I don't see that happening.

Seconded! Great news. These actresses & actors willing to now consider having children while in the prime of their careers is setting a fine example.

I think it was also a measure of curiosity on her part. She has an agile mind and is willing to risk in order to view outcomes.

The complaints are just haters trying to impair the drama. They will have no impact.

I read it passed 8000 but I did not save the link. I did post above two other links as it did pass 7900 and it also hit a couple of other high standards as well.

A great summation As Yun.

Later posts indicate it hit 7900 and even later ones that it past 8000. I did not save all the links but here is the one for it hitting 7900:

https://x.com/tata_shi/status/2073994350883979635

Also:
https://x.com/jasenjoylife30/status/2073835182323642754
Top 1 🥇 Most popular modern drama first day heat year 2026
Top 2 🎖️ IQIYI Cloud seat participant 450,000 ➕

Despite the naysayers it is a very successful drama and being well received.

To my eye Esther has not lost any noticeable weight recently. There have been many hate attacks on the net against her and other actresses. Some who unfortunately are looking thin due to pressures on them.

Esther did several photoshoot for IQIYI awards and she was a picture of health and got a lot of acclaim for her healthy appearance.

Here is a link to a couple of very recent images:

https://preview.redd.it/esther-yu-looks-stunning-in-her-latest-photoshoot-for-a-v0-tdgc7l548f5h1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=580ea5b6c9c2eaa99a674cff900886a6dd4f69e9

https://preview.redd.it/esther-yu-looks-stunning-in-her-latest-photoshoot-for-a-v0-pp9766788f5h1.jpg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=f8f7be485bb24fd41b087e3aa8b698e02834771c

And to my eye she looks absolutely fine. I wonder if by accident you may have been mistakenly drawn into some of the anti-Esther press. There are a ton of smear campaigns ongoing against several of the top actresses.

Thank you for that. I don't follow anyone on social media but to me the count did seem low. Your clarification is appreciated.