COMMENDABLE JOB
Are you curious why I wrote "commendable job" in the title? It's because the writer and director of this MoD actually need some applause for making this unique Thai BL.I am so so so happy that finally Thai BL makers are coming out of their comfort zone and trying out genres which are way beyond of their league. Crime thriller is absolutely not what their area of interest.
To be very honest, I found many flaws but I think it's worth looking them away for they've come out of their box probably for the first time. In fact, they've done a pretty good job in direction, screenwriting and screenplay, which I thought they might not work out.
It was a pretty good story with plots, twists and turns placed at their rightful places. Few things felt absurd but can be totally ignored. They didn't research about the forensic stuffs properly which they could have done by consulting experts of the respective fields. And the thing about the police station organisation didn't feel right either.
But anyways, I was intrigued by the ending and tbe way the main culprit was revealed.
It was overally a good watch. I hope they keep making such Thai BLs.
Was this review helpful to you?
An Unexpected Spring Treat
True love is not possession but fulfilmentPlot
The plot is simple. This drama is a light romantic comedy with a heavy focus on the romance and comedy so adjust expectations accordingly.
What doesn’t work:
Some viewers might not like the simplicity of the plot. Some may not like the slow down to focus on romance and plot after the rush of comedy in the first third of the show.
What works:
Expecting heavy plot and intrigue will lead to disappointment, however, even though the plot is simple, it gets the story from A to B in a coherent and logical manner.
This does not mean the story is without charm though. It’s cleverness lies in its delivery, clear sense of character growth, and setup.
To be honest it’s delivery is a bit of a surprise in that the story unfolds like a mystery rather than a romance. It leaves the viewer with questions and those questions rope the viewer in because they want answers. It’s a brilliant and daring move because some viewers may disregard the story thinking it’s full of plot-holes but the story surprises viewers again as those same plot holes in the front of the story are explained slowly throughout the drama in a way that ties up everything neatly by the story’s end.
To achieve this, the drama is full of foreshadowing, details, and setup. In fact, despite being a light romantic comedy, it has some of the best foreshadowing and setup that I have seen in years. It has foreshadowing that gets paid off dozens of episodes later. Chechov’s guns are a constant and tiny things that do not seem to matter become massive a-ha moments later on, which makes the story fun and raises its rewatch value as viewers find themselves wanting to go back and follow the clues. The setup doesn’t lose to the foreshadowing either. It effect often delivers what would be illogical and unbelievable cliche moments believable and innovative ways. A great example is the kitchen fire scene. In an ordinary drama, Ji man might just trip on thin air trying to escape and fall on Ning Yuxuan but instead, the momentum of her trying to use a beam to break the door just as it opens sets the moment up in a more logical and believable way. This works with the characters as well. The setup of some characters early in the drama leads to a great twist in the last stretch of the drama. The details are also fun. Some like calla lilies being poisonous or horse dung containing antibacterial fungi are weird bits of trivia that are used in a hilarious way. The callbacks are also great with one leading up to an amazing gut punch later on in the story. Plus, the end will make you bald to make up for all the setup.
Story:
This show was adapted from a novel titled, Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir. However, in order to pass censorship and entice viewers, the show made some deep changes. For book fans, it’s better to think of this show as very loose adaptation or as a different work entirely because a lot events and characters have been dropped or changed.
What doesn’t work:
The complexity of the house-fighting and politics is gone. The villains are flatter(this is a censorship issue though). The tension of Ji Man losing her life if she makes a mistake is also greatly reduced. If you like Ning Yuxuan as a scumbag, his scumbag very is pretty much annihilated (also a censorship issue).
What works:
The drama keeps the essence of the story and characters. There’s still an essence of growing up and growing together as a couple for Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan. Ji Man keeps her tenacious spirit (She’s almost feral in the first part to hilarious effect). Ning Yuxuan still transforms into a love sick husband but retains his sense of conflict between honour and love with 95% less scumbag. The house fighting is replaced with a sisterhood storyline and the ableism issues regarding one of the main villains are also gone. This makes the story more palatable to viewers.
Acting/Cast
The show’s cast is drastically cut down from the book. Neither of the leads, Ding Yuxi or Peng Xiao Ran, are traffic stars and most of the rest of the cast are either non traffic, newcomers, or old drama bones.
What doesn’t work:
Sometimes the acting does not work. The expressions are too extreme or the acting is too hard but I believe this an issue with the Chief Director having seen the director’s other works. Xie Ze is prone to directing his actor to exaggerate for some strange reason, maybe to maximise the comedic/soap opera effect or offset the smoothing factor of filters. Some viewers might not like the agile style acting of Peng Xiao Ran, which is made strange sometimes by Xie Ze’s lens.
What works:
Xie Ze pretty much always chooses a cast that can act and these actors carry the show. The leads, Peng Xiao Ran and Ding Yuxi, are great. Peng Xiao Ran is beautiful despite plain styling. Ding Yuxi is handsome and boyish. They are not afraid of making big or weird expressions. Best of all is that they can both act- there are no scenes where one partner drops the acting ball and ruins the scene; and their characters, Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan respectively , both have a clear sense of growth by the end. Their chemistry is also amazing. Strong, sweet, and most importantly believable-Jinyumantang is really on top and the pair have moments that can be rewatched several times over without the sweetness ever turning sour.
Another highlight is that all of the main characters undergo growth or transformation giving them a sense of three dimensionality. Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan go from enemies to lovers, but in a way that really feels like a young couple fumbling their way into a serious and mature relationship where they support and love each other. Gui Bai overcomes his hesitations to fall in love. Miss Shui leaves the past behind and Qian Xue develops the confidence to become businesswoman. Even Muxu and Sang Shen, transform a bit - going from squabbling pettiness against each other to occasionally working together for the benefit of Jiman.
Costumes
What doesn’t work:
The women’s costumes are plain. Their makeup also looks very plain, which sometimes reveals facial flaws. This could be due to filters as it looks fine in the tidbits or it could also be due to Xie Ze’s way of shooting which is not friendly to actresses. The lack of eye makeup is the most detrimental as it makes it harder to see the actresses’s eye skills, especially if they have a thick filter.
After seeing the makeup video, it’s strange that the stylist didn’t go with Peng Xiao Ran’s original look.
What does work:
The lack of women’s makeup strangely makes the actresses stand out more because their individual characteristics haven’t been standardised or covered up with makeup. It also makes the viewer focus more on their acting because the viewer isn’t being distracted by fancy costumes or a great red lip.
The men’s costumes are okay. They may not be innovative but all the main young male stars all look handsome and attractive, which is the basic requirement for an idol drama.
The biggest complaints come from Peng Xiao Ran’s styling but she has a pretty enough face to support the look and when she is shot well, her clothing takes on a fairy and flowing effect that gives her a fairy like or xianxia appearance. In fact, the effect is so good, that the choice of mostly gauzy outfits seems wonderful in those moments.
Direction:
What doesn’t work:
Xie Ze. It’s better than Jun Jiu Ling and Fuyao so he’s learning but sometimes watching the show and comparing tidbits, I’m not sure why he still has a job. His vision ruins some key scenes that under other directors would have positively gone out of the circle.
What works:
Xie Zie. He has impeccable pacing and as much as I complain about him, his dramas are also the only ones I finish without skipping😂. The complaints about the pacing of this show fall a bit flat considering there are highly rated shows where 10+ episodes or entire arcs can be missed without touching the story. In fact, with this show, if you skip, you might miss out on a detail which could lead to confusion later.
There are also some amazing shots. The water play is gorgeous. Some of Peng Xiao Ran’s running scenes are very pretty. And, the boat raid scene with Ding Yuxi is really fast paced and cool. The only caveat is I’m not sure they were taken by Xie Ze because the lens language is different and I’ve never seen such camerawork in his previous dramas. Episode 9, 15, 16, and 30 seems to be shot by some one completely different but the styling and atmosphere are also best in those episodes. 16 is especially a highlight.
Overall:
I think outside of the acting and main couple, the best part of this drama is it’s themes. It’s hard not to fall in love with the message of self improvement and fulfilment it carries throughout the whole story. The leads may be in love but they also focus on their career and it’s extremely touching to see them using their talents to support and help other. Ji nyumantang are worthy of the emperor’s praise. The way they insist on communicating with each other, respecting boundaries, and trying to understand each other make them such a sweet pair. Best of all they don’t start out perfect at it, it’s a gradual and warm hearted development.
I also have to say that I love the way the drama handles women. Ji Man is flesh and blood. She has depth, duality, and complexity. Many viewers might write her off as just another cutesy FML but she’s an astute businesswoman, supports her friends into gainful employment, and eventually breaks out to start achieving things with her own strength. What’s not wonderful about that? Add to it her scaredy cat personality and her desire to be babied by Ning Yuxuan and there is a refreshing sense for those who are tired of the trope of strong women needing to be fortresses 24/7 without any vulnerability or softness at all. There are many ways to be a strong woman and I’m glad RoaTF showcases this with its message of sisterhood, self improvement, positive love, and having your own career and achievements-even the villainess,Wen Wan, embarks on a career. I love it and I think it’s a great message paired with Ji Man and Ning Yuxan’s journeys of becoming the best version of themselves before they get together.
Rewatch Value
It’s high. The details make you want to rewatch. The a-ha moments make you want to rewatch. Most of all the sweetness of Jinyumantang makes makes you want to come back again and again.
Not recommended for:
- Those looking for deep plot and intrigue
- Those who do not understand what a romantic comedy entails
- Those who carry preconceived notions of what an actor should act in or those carrying heavy filters from other shows
Recommended for:
- Fans of Peng Xiao Ran and Ding Yuxi who love to see them branching out
- Those who looking for something lighthearted or soapy to relax to without too much plot
- Those who love quirky, goofy girls like Sailor Moon and and Bea from Bea from Bea and Puppy-cat
- Those who love sweet romances
Was this review helpful to you?
............... I like Have have no words to describe this ....... Phenomenal , Amazing , Breath taking , funny , thrilling ..... thats only a few words that could describe this drama for me ...
Like just WOW ! I love the cast and there acting was so perfect . Its my 14 time re-watching this drama ...i know right , I am addicted ..... well it had comedy , and mystery really well put together , some cases were solved in every episodes and some weren't . I would recommend this to detective lovers that are ok with fantasy elements . It was a fresh take on the detective series and thats why I think I fell in love with it the first time I watched it ..And any one who is looking for some light comedy :)
PS : I know , some people just look at review and are like this person is probably crazy just giving it 10 ... and read others and never end up watching the drama ...well for this one PLEASE GIVE IT A TRY , if you don't want to watch the whole first episode, just watch the first part of it ...! Hope you enjoy :)
Was this review helpful to you?
I would probably recommend watching this drama if u just want a good laugh tbh or if u just wanna kill time don’t quote me on that tho :0
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
An Underrated Realistic Love Story.
I first came across this movie in the MDL article, Underrated Movies with Low number of Watchers. Honestly, it deserves to be on that list. I decided to give this a try because I'm watching an airing drama of the FL and wanted to see her other works. Her acting in the drama is very convincing, but in this movie, she was wonderful! And not just her, the ML too was just as wonderful! Their acting, cinematography, and direction are all really good.The storyline might be something very usual but what makes the movie unusual is its realistic approach to the love story. While I'm not really fond of works that don't end on a happy note, this is an exception. What really caught my eye was the title. I've always heard others say, Love brings people together but here, it's the opposite.
Life isn't a bed of roses and despite the harsh work circumstances, Lu Qin Yang stays true to his values and Ling Yi Yao waits patiently for him. They love each other to the point that she is ready to leave her house for him after her mom is not quite happy about their relationship and he goes to great lengths to earn enough money just so he can give her a comfortable life. Eventually, it's the same love that drives them apart.
Although it made me bawl my eyes out, I'm not really pleased with the ending. From the comments, it seems like an open ending and that relieved me a teeny tiny bit.
But I recommend watching this if you don't mind such endings because the movie, in general, was satisfying.
Was this review helpful to you?
It has a great cast and Joo Won and Park Ki Woong are amazing in it. The story is interesting but different, since it is set in the 1930's, so you get a different part of Korea's history and there is a modern-saeguk feel to it. The music is exciting and upbeat, plus you get to hear some 1930's music in there, if you like that type of music.
I am totally going to rewatch this! Truth be told, I have already moved on to another drama, but I still occasionally go online just to rewatch my favorite scenes or to listen to the OST. It is a really great drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
P.S. Sorry if there are errors, I'm not very good in English =)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Watch at your own risk
The adjectives that I could use to describe this series are not very pretty. And I feel bad for those who were excited and curious to see the continuation of this couple cause for me personally, it was a letdown. And I choose to binge watch, cause sometimes that helps in watching a series. However, sadly that wasn't the case. If anyone who is reading this still wants to watch this series...well then- watch at your own risk!Story- 3/10
Here's the thing- if it was only Golf and Bank and maybe the storyline with one of his friends and the guy with fewer episodes, then maybe this series could have been salvaged. But then we are introduced to secondary characters who are not linked to the main couple except for the fact that they are attending the school that Golf and Bank previously did (except for Hungray who was a student of one of thier friends).
Also, while I have come accustomed to typical BL storylines and would tolerate like one or two in a series, this one had a field day (with at least two of them sleeping with druken boys that I clearly did ot see as consent) as well as older man teying to force themselves on the younger men cause they have some form of power over the success of the younger men.
And what's up with that ending? Giving us a wrap up story that no one clearly asked for. I mean, Arm broke up with Bank so that he could be happy but they really wrap t up and say 'he dies a month later in a car accident? ' What the frick on the frack?! Nah! This just wasn't it for me!
Acting-5/10
I'm giving this score cause while the storyline was shit (I don't care what anyone says- it was), I can say these actors honestly tried. So I will give them half for thier effort.
Music-2/10
Unfortunately, nothing stood out for me. Like...really, nothing.
Rewatch Valu-1/10
Why? Cause I can't give it a zero.
Overall-3/10
This is now officially the second worst series that I have watched after I Am Your King 2. And yes I watched WTD and WTD2:FC. But still...this was worse than them. And it's unfortunate, cause at the ending of the series it was said that the movie before this series started LGBT shows in Thailand. And, five years later, we are given this hot piece of mess. I will most definitely not recommend this series to anyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
Full Review:
Generally, I don't get into Taiwanese dramas as much as I do Korean dramas. The length of most well known Taiwanese dramas is too long for me. The use of multiple romances going on as at once is interesting, but also distracting. I have my favorite Taiwanese dramas but not many.
What is Love changed that. I fell so hard for this show. I watched it day and night, squeezing it in between work and sleep. I wanted the drama to never end. It is now one of my all time favorites. Funny that for the first two episodes I felt like barfing.
In the beginning I thought all the people in the show were either on happy mushrooms or so desperately lonely that they would fall for ANYTHING. The main lead was a 32 year old Wholesome Woman (Li Yi Hau) surrounded by loving family and friends, whose one goal in life is to get married (ugh). She then falls for the Big Bad Wolf (Bai Zong You), a dashing playboy, whose one goal in life is to play the game of love and win- with multiple women. Love was battlefield. For Li Yi Hau the game of love is won when she stands at the altar. For Bai Zong You, the game of love is won when he gets laid. Li Yi Hau finds out the truth of her relationship with Bai Zong You fairly quickly (Thank God) And things get much more interesting. She gets revenge for her broken heart and the hundred's of girl's before her. That should have been the end of their ill fated relationship. Of course, Bai Zong You has to have revenge for what Li Yi Hau did to him. He makes a bet that she will fall in love with him first and when she does she has to admit that she is a loser in love.
The premise of this drama sounds horribly cliche. It's been done a hundred times before. For me, this drama is the best bad boy gets the good girl story I have ever seen. The strength of this show is in it's execution. The acting was phenomenal. The balance between breezy romance, heartbreak, growth, family, and love appeared effortlessly. The writers answered sincerely, without plot devices and evil second leads, what love is. In this case, love not only changed the "bad boy" but also the "good girl". You can see a progressive growth in all the characters of this drama. Chris Wu (who plays Bai Zong You) is a FANTASTIC actor. I have to watch all the dramas he is in because of the raw emotion that sizzles on the screen.
The moment I knew I would love this drama for life was during the finale. Most dramas tapper off towards the end, wrapping things up in a pretty bow with a cute happily ever after. This show did not. It was grounded in realism. There is a happy ending, but it was so much sweeter because of the final conflict.
Show, I love you.
Was this review helpful to you?
There is something rotten in Kaifeng.
Riverside Code at Qingming Festival/清明上河图密码 is adapted from Ye Wenbiao's popular suspense novel of the same name. One of the highest rated popular novels on Douban, it draws inspiration from Zhang Zeduan's epic 11th century scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival/清明上河图. This panoramic masterpiece meticulously depicts 814 figures, 60 animals, 122 houses, 28 ships, 15 vehicles, over 30 buildings and 8 sedan chairs going about their daily lives along the grand canal. It is an eerily vibrant, intricate and authentic snapshot of Kaifeng (then known as Bianjing) at the peak of its cultural and economic significance; not long before the city was invaded, captured and largely destroyed by the Jurchens in 1127. It is a miracle that this iconic and magnificent record of the city's urban infrastructure, military instalments, industry and commerce and citizens from all walks of life survived. This visually immersive drama virtually restores the sweeping grandeur and prosperity of Kaifeng when it was believed to be the largest city in the ancient world and brings it to life. The drama opens with the mysterious disappearance of the Mei ship sailing under the Rainbow Bridge, which is the centrepiece of the painting.This narrative examines what lies beneath the glittering facade of prosperity and the elated bustle along the Bian River as the citizens of Kaifeng celebrate the Qingming Festival via the eyes of a common family of five. This ties in with the Confucian concept of the family as a microcosm of the state 家国一体; thus the wellbeing of the family is intricately linked with the success of the state. For fifteen years, Zhao Buyou languished as a lowly assistant scribe at Dàlǐsì, the Court of Judicial Review. Even though he doesn't have everything, he is content; happily married to Wen Yue, a filial son to his eccentric father Zhao Li and a good elder brother to his much younger siblings Mo'er and Ban'er. Wen Yue however thinks they need a bigger house so she makes umbrellas to supplement their income. Their world fractures when Buyou is unfairly dismissed from Dàlǐsì while Wen Yue is extorted and harassed by a corrupt official. Pushed into a corner, they discover each other’s hidden secrets and race to protect each other and their family. Soon the entire family uses their special talents to assist Gu Zhen and Wan Fu of the Kaifeng Court solve a series of mysterious cases beginning with the Mei ship case. As the cases unfold, it becomes obvious that something is rotten in Kaifeng, and his name is Zou Mian.
The design of the overarching plot is fresh and interesting; the main villain Zou Mian is so powerful he appears to be above the law and his identity is known from the get go. But the true antagonist hides in plain sight and uses ruthless means to expose Zou Mian's corruption and misdeeds, including threatening the Zhao family. All of the cases are linked to the overarching plot, which is well designed and ties everything together in a satisfying way. The cases are very dark and disturbing and some of the antagonists are unnecessarily depraved and cruel. A unifying theme is that good people can become radicalised and driven to do terrible, desperate and extreme things when they lose faith in a system that fails them repeatedly. While the cases start out well, possibly because of how daringly they push the boundaries in terms of justifying vigilante justice, the conclusions seem to suffer from heavy cuts that leave logic gaps and loose ends. There is some level of just too much going on with the Zhao family drama unfolding alongside the cases. While I enjoyed their family dynamics and learning their backstories, these scenes could have been tightened. In particular Wen Yue going solo was based on shaky logic and her mid-life crisis was not well articulated and detracted from the cases at hand. I always get excited to see c-dramas attempt dark comedy but in this case, while there were some really funny moments, half the time it just didn't land. Overall, for something adapted from such a highly regarded novel, the screenplay does not do justice to the high production values, the exquisite set and the stellar cast.
As for the cast, it is a veteran dream team. I couldn't ask for a better lineup of favorite actors who deliver commanding performances in supporting roles notably Li Naiwen's disingenuous Dilun, Zhang Xinyu's wicked Qiniang and Hai Yitian's slightly unhinged Xiao Yishui. As expected, Zhang Songwen delivers an empathetic and nuanced performance as a flawed, miserable and oppressed character who just sucks it up while his talent is ignored until his harmonious family is threatened. He is more of a coward than a hero and his motives are selfish but relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed his humorous banter with Gu Zhen and Wan Fu and but was shocked by how cynically and ruthlessly they navigate a system that is so broken from within to find their own brand of justice. While Bai Baihe delivers a few exceptional moments as Wen Yue, she doesn't consistently convey the complexity of the role and the inner conflicts that Wen Yue struggled with. The weakest link by far however is Zhang Yao's Mo'er. This is an important role that is meant to illustrate the poisoning of the well. Unfortunately this young actor who struck me as promising years ago in Love in Between, was not ready for this role. He failed to convincingly portray how Mo'er's sorrow, disillusionment and budding resentment made him susceptible to manipulation. This made his darkening from an idealistic young scholar who wanted to reform the system from within seem abrupt and out of character. After all the build-up, I was also surprised by what a lame, wimp Zou Mian turned out to be. There were many fantastic wild, wicked and intimidating villains in this drama but sadly, the "Big Boss" did not live up to his reputation.
Even though this drama ends satisfyingly shortly after the plot climaxes with the reveal of a well-acted and well-hidden mastermind, Zou Mian's take down was anti-climactic. After all the vigilante justice, it makes sense for rule of law and procedural justice to win the day. However, I would have better enjoyed a more exciting denouement and preferably one that does not bypass the question of whether the ends justify the means. As much as I appreciate the meticulous attention to historical detail and the high production values, this drama falters enough in the writing and execution that I can't rate it better than 8.5/10.0. It is still a riveting suspense drama that is entertaining and engaging enough that it deserves another season, hopefully with a better writing team.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
I think the entire cast was excellent. Park Bo Gum is perfect. He is completely charming as the young Crown Prince. I totally fell for his smirk, and truly empathized with his struggle to become a true leader within a corrupt system. He is matched with Kim Yoo Jung, who I was very impressed with. Usually underage romantic lead actresses seem so obviously out of place to me, but she was a formidable leading lady, and the age gap wasn't so big. Beyond pulling off the gender-bender trope pretty well, she was also very believable expressing the range of emotions Ra On had to go through. They had an extremely cute chemistry, and seemed to be generally falling for each other. They are definitely the MVPs of this drama.
Aside from the main couple, there are two young actors who also deserve praise, Kwak Dong Yeon and Jung Jin Young. Byung Yeon was so bad@ss, and although a man of few words, his was the only character that made me actually cry. Jung Jin Young as Yoon Sung is the perfect second lead. I didn't exactly have second lead syndrome, but I came close a few times. The friendship dynamic between all four is complicated, which makes it even more interesting. Nothing is what it appears to be at face value, and that's the kind of storytelling I think this drama did well.
There are too many great minor characters to mention them all. I honestly can't think of a single weak link. The villains are extra villainous, and some of the more comedic characters are completely silly, but they all felt real, and not just included to fill up space and time.
This story is more complicated than it initially appears to be, so it's not as if I was ever really bored, but I still wish that the second half of the drama didn't lose all of the fun the initial episodes had. At the same time, it makes total sense to the story that it was told exactly the way it was, so maybe I was just in the mood to watch something lighter. I'm really trying hard to find something solid to complain about, but the music... the direction... the amount of episodes... it all worked well. Some aspects may have been a bit repetitive, which was frustrating at times, but that frustration served to motivate the Crown Prince, so I think it was necessary. It isn't exactly filled with epic twists either, which makes it not extremely exciting at times, but also not unnecessarily complicated.
Would I watch this again? Sure. I also wonder if being in the right mood to watch this kind of story would make me like it more. I also liked that it all ended with no loose ends, which made watching the whole thing more satisfying. Even the title is explained, which was a nice touch.
Overall, this is a great addition to the pantheon of guy-falls-for-girl-pretending-to-be-a-guy dramas. Lovers of historical romantic dramas should definitely watch. Romance fans should make sure they are ready to watch something that isn't lighthearted. I also think it's a great vehicle for some impressive young talent. I look forward to seeing what's next for them.
Was this review helpful to you?
Irresistible Chemistry, Heart-Fluttering Moments and a Few Frustrations!
Dai Gao Zheng and Chen Fang Tong strike again with their insane chemistry! I’ll try to keep this spoiler-free, but let’s start with the pros—this drama has even more swoon-worthy kisses and interactions than their previous ones, making it my favorite in the romance department.I love that the female lead is strong and takes the initiative, even making the male lead a little shy, which was adorable. The story hooks you right away, but around episode 20, it starts to drag because of frustrating side characters who exist just to create chaos. My advice? Ignore them and focus on the leads to save yourself from the frustration!
I do wish the leads communicated more since there were a lot of misunderstandings. The plot was messy, which lowers the rating, but their incredible chemistry makes up for it. A nice touch was including an OST from their second drama, Forever Love, along with a great new one.
Would I rewatch? Absolutely—for their scenes alone! Plus, they’ve just wrapped filming their fourth drama together, and I can’t wait to see it. Oh, and if you love their chemistry as much as I do, I’ve compiled a Drive full of their cutest behind-the-scenes moments—check the discussion for the link!
Was this review helpful to you?
romanticizes SA
How this TV series passed censorship is a mistery to me. As a short series from Tencent with cold CEO as male lead, I expected something closed to SA or mild SA but this one just got the crown among all. Listening to romantic music while watching the ML corner the FL in a corner or throw her very hardshly against a wall and force kiss after kiss to a very scared FL who cannot move (Very clearly being SA) it just sits so wrong with me and make me question how f**ked up we are as an audience to like this to be in the second position of most viewed series on wetv this week.The storyline looks great so far. The actors are great too and the picture makes everything eveything an eye candy. except it’s…romanticized SA.
Was this review helpful to you?
Looks over substance
It looked nice?I can't think of anything else positive to say. Oh! Well, there was a brief side Lesbian couple! Yeah . . . That's all I got *shrugs*
There were itty bitty teensy tiny pieces of a somewhat good drama that could have been. I feel like the writers and directors were really indecisive. They couldn't decide whether to have their characters be toxic and mysterious or sweet and silly. Like, you can have some of both but you have to do it well! Seems like they just couldn't make up their minds let alone execute their vision properly.
And the writing . . . It was just bad.
Another thing, I have to be honest, for the majority of the runtime the acting of the leads . . . Sucked. I generally put the onus on the director[s] for not directing them correctly. But even if they had I still think these actors just didn't know what to do with their faces or hands most of the time.
This is a definite skip from me.
Side Note: Really? The "wife" line again? Can't we let that die already?!
Was this review helpful to you?
