Reviews

A bit of an emotional up & down episode…

A bit of an emotional up & down episode but forward progress on both the main and secondary romances was made and they also finally got rid of the annoying Auntie so overall a very good episode. I really like how the episode closed with a strong emotional moment between Zheng Chu and Su Mang. I also have to call out the acting performance by Zhang Wei, (the actor playing Mr. Yan, Xiaoqiu's father). In the scene in Tang Ming's office, when he tells the story of his family's past and breaks down remembering Xiaoqiu's words .... that was very real despair and regret in his voice. That performance in that scene by itself was worth watching the episode. On the flip side, I'm pretty much done with Tang Ming. He's so infuriatingly stupid and does not really deserve Yan Xiaoqiu. She consistently does nothing but the 'right thing' for everyone but her reward is to get just emotionally stepped on by both her sister (expected) and, worse, by idiot Tang Ming (not expected). She deserves a better man than him, though I know that the drama is probably going to make them end up together. So he had better do a lot to make up for the crap way he treated her.

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So silly but great laughs

First of all Blue and Co really dropped the ball with not making this series available for international fans. As of ep 1 airing the only way to watch it legally has been with paid VPNs connecting to Thailand and then going to VIU app for the subbed version. 3HD chanel is not even worth it, works only with vpn again, no subs, it's riddled with ads and the live version has long commercials. It really put a damper on people's moods though we're supposed to watch a light-hearted comedy. Unto the series:Definitely a departure from the usual roles Boss and Noeul have done so far. 😅So much packed in ep 1 I was exhausted by the end. So much to see. Definitely a rewatchable series. I look forward to seeing the rest. It's taking a bit of getting used to seeing them be so cheesy and at times very cringe, but it still made me laugh a lot. The editing is timed well and it makes those cheesy/cringe moments funny and it doesn't linger on moments to make them awkward. I now understand why they loved filming this series, it looks like a lot of fun. OST - it's so catchy it's totally stuck in my head now. It's definitely a memorable one with potential for Thai speakers to memorize it and have it become a known OST. I liked how at one point they added a slower version of it in the background, it was an elegant touch. Cinematography is beautiful, set design is quite grand. Filming at Boss' university with Moo doing the cheerleading routine was a nice touch. Boss' acting is gonna be quite a journey for me to get used to, since the cringe facial expressions are very forced. I'm hoping the shock effect will wear off soon and I can just enjoy the show. When Fu flips HIMSELF into Moo's arms at the cheer leading scene was so out of the blue I couldn't stop laughing. The conversation at the stop light was also a highlight and again editing and timing was great. Shower scene in SLOW MOTION definitely made the fandom hyperventilate. This man's intense workout definitely paid off 😏😉Story wise I am not quite sure I like how they jumped right into showing Fu super adoring/melting around Moo from the beginning and then his CEO side. I wish they had showed his CEO side first and then the sweet puppy side. It would've made for a more tsundere dynamic. But maybe the intensity will come from him being jealous or maybe they aren't going for tsundere just a well rounded good guy who is head over heals for Moo and is very prone to play on words and dad jokes. We'll have to see. Noeul again with the great micro expressions, I've missed his subtle and controlled acting he also displayed in The Boy Next World. Glad to see it again. He nails the annoyed with Fu part well, but I feel Noeul's love for Boss comes through in his eyes way too well to make it believable. 🤣 Noeul is absolutely gorgeous in this series. From this episode at the moment Moo looks way more shy than the trailer made it out to be. Waiting to see how that plays out later. The club scene was my least favourite in this episode. I'm sorry I have to mention it. I thought Moo was supposed to be spicy and yet we get him in a Korean chaebol ahjumma vibe tweed/bouclé “Chanel-style” jacket dancing awkwardly with all the men in the club fawning over him. Are you sure he doesn't secretly love Fu instead? The dance-off...way too basic for the era we live in when a simple tiktok dance is more powerful. The sharp quick editing cuts saved this scene. The slap stick sound effects are intense and got old after 30 min of it but it's been only the first episode. There was a lot introduced and it's all new and different so maybe the sound effects seem more crammed in at the beginning. I do hope things balance out and it's not all just full of slapstick sound effects. Who knows maybe culturally for Thai audiences this is the norm, but as an interfan it was a lot. The other couples so far are interesting enough to keep my attention. Donut being a very hungry playboy was NOT something I ever expected. 🤣We got CLMM's version of LITA's favourite mechanic Aon in Fu's assistant Ryan. For a second I thought it was the same actor they look so similar. But they have the same vibes and I screamed so loud coz Aon was totally hilarious in LITA and I'm looking forward to seeing what antics Ryan is up to. Overall I liked how fast paced the story was. It made me laugh a lot and I'm glad this opportunity challenges everyone's acting skills. Looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds. Seems like it will be an interesting journey. I hope BNC finds a way to give interfans a chance to watch it properly.

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Everyone Wants to Control Her 🏮

First ImpressionEpisode 4 really pushed the family and political tensions further while also giving us more insight into the male lead’s family and the prince’s behaviour. Also… the female lead’s father somehow continues to get worse every episode 😭Episode ThoughtsAt this point the female lead’s father has truly committed himself to being the most frustrating character in the drama.This episode centres heavily around his newest scheme: forcing the female lead into marriage. And honestly? We are only FOUR episodes in and this man is already trying to use his daughter’s future as political currency again.Naturally the female lead is furious about being forced into a marriage she never agreed to, especially since she knows her father’s motivations have absolutely nothing to do with her happiness.To make matters worse, he places her under house arrest while preparing the arrangement 😭But thankfully she’s far too smart to simply sit there and accept her fate. Instead, she immediately starts investigating the man she’s supposedly being forced to marry.The timing overlaps with the imperial examinations, which introduces a lot more political movement throughout the episode. Both the man she’s meant to marry and the male lead’s nephew participate in the exams, and this ends up revealing more cracks within the male lead’s own family.We discover that the male lead’s brother murdered another brother, which honestly explains SO much about the tension and mistrust surrounding that side of the family. The nephew has been trying to keep a low profile because of how dangerous the family situation is, but unfortunately he places first in the imperial exam 😭 which immediately draws attention to him.The male lead is visibly disappointed because staying unnoticed was supposed to protect him.At the same time, the “wrong uncle” also passes the exam and becomes an official too, which absolutely does not feel like good news considering how corrupt and dangerous this family already seems.One thing this episode did really well was showing how exhausting political survival must be for the male lead. He constantly has to think several steps ahead because everyone around him could become either a threat or a weakness.Meanwhile, the female lead realises she only really has two possible people who could help her escape this forced marriage situation:* the male lead* or the princeUnfortunately for her, the prince is ALSO under house arrest 😭And honestly? Those scenes ended up being unexpectedly interesting because we get to see another side of both the male lead and the prince. The male lead is overseeing the young crown prince and disciplining him after he lies and tries covering up his mistakes.I actually really liked this sequence because the male lead wasn’t punishing the child for simply playing around — he was teaching him accountability.The prince, however, gets punished alongside him because he covered for the crown prince instead of correcting him. And while the punishment scene was slightly funny because of how dramatic the prince is 😭 it also quietly reveals more about his character.By the end of the episode, we finally start seeing where some of his arrogance and chaotic behaviour comes from. His father clearly views him as weak because he doesn’t fit the image of the “strong general’s son,” and even his mother doesn’t really defend him.Honestly? Suddenly a LOT of his behaviour makes sense.And then the episode ends with him showing up at the female lead’s door after finally being released from house arrest 👀 still arrogant as ever, but clearly intending to help her.Character NotesFemale Lead: Continues to be clever, resourceful, and unwilling to accept the life others try forcing onto her.Male Lead: This episode highlighted just how much pressure and responsibility he carries politically and within his own family.The Prince: Still chaotic 😭 but now much more emotionally interesting after learning more about his family situation.Father: Truly one of the worst fathers I’ve watched in a historical drama in a while.Male Lead’s Nephew: Feels trapped between survival and expectations. His storyline is becoming increasingly dangerous.Final ThoughtsEpisode 4 spent a lot of time building future political conflict, but the emotional and family tensions kept it engaging. The forced marriage storyline is frustrating, but in the right way because you genuinely want the female lead to outsmart everyone trying to control her.Also… somebody PLEASE let this girl have one peaceful day 😭Favourite MomentThe prince turning up at the female lead’s door immediately after getting out of house arrest 😭Trope Check* Forced marriage plot 🏮* Political scheming* Smart female lead* Family betrayal* Chaotic prince energy* Hidden family corruption* House arrest* Imperial examinations* Slow burn tension* “Everyone needs therapy” energy 😭

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Trophy wedding

Mei is waiting for Zhao because she knows what happened. She and Zhao chat about him and Zhao has a very sad way of looking at things. She decides to return his hottie favor by having Mei stay with his gma. Ling tries to explain himself and still profess love and she doesn’t care and leaves. Zhao has perfect makeup and getting her parents to upgrade their looks between mahjong hands. Her mean girl is out with Lin. She is keeping score and stacking up Lin’s losses — her wedding gift to herself. Lin shines in this moment by taking the high road and writing her own speech. They share some words about Gu Yan and He Han. The ceremony takes place and Zhao is all smiles. Even Lin and Mei break out in grins at her audaciousness. Ling is pretty but definitely the unhappy groom. He is not happy his groom price was met and paid for. No matter how unwilling, he set the price and conditions. It segues to GuYan who is running late with both chapters and devouring the pages written by his idol. Ms Zhao has sent him a luxurious meal and his ex has come to join him. For her it is a bitter meal as she finally tells GuYan she is through loving him and officially with their friend. She tells him straight up that she will side with him and save best things for him from now on and GuYan would be the one on his own. She is still trying to persuade him to work with Zhao who takes better care of him. He is not as impressed because he knows she only takes care of those who she gets something out of. He goes to lament on the landing. This might be a baby step to growing up. Zhao and a very drunk Ling return to their room. He acts out in anger and she returns in kind and then leaves him to sleep it off. Dai actually kept the car as her severance.😂🤣 she invited HeHan to dinner where he met an entrepreneur starting a new platform. This guy wanted the rights to his name and photo to sell books. Dai happens to be a shareholder and this is where HeHan was disappointed with her. There is no question she was in for the cash, but I think she really wanted to give He Han a boost til he figured himself out. By the next morning internet gossip has He Han not writing. He gets an online license to be a driver. It is unclear if he is truly quitting writing or taking a hiatus to just clear his head. He is serious enough he has left the forums. Cai still annoys me. She is excellent at her job but her off time is whining about or worshipping her idol. She is like an energizer bunny fan with nothing better to do with her life.😝🙄 Mei gets a call from the Mrs to meet up and she decides to go. She can now find out which bf is telling the truth.🙄 I’m to the point I don’t care about either of them. I’d prefer to see her have it out with her mother and become her own person. Zhao is paying for Gu Yan’s haircut and encouraging him. His place seems a lot more secure with either nom de plume while He Han is out of the way.

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Relocating

We start off with the not so sweet meet cute of Lin and Zhao at Gu Yan’s door. Zhao is reminding her of wedding invitation and how Mei will be bridesmaid. She is snarky with commenting on stealing staff and talent and asks if she will be there. Lin ignores the snark, affirms her attendance and then point blank asks if SanSan is Gu Yan. Here I was a bit surprised that Zhao denied it and full out lied. I figured that would give her something else to gloat about, but maybe this was just to keep things calm about contracts etc . He Han is settling up with the hotel and getting his things packed pitched or donated. He is very nice with the staff and gives them things they will truly like or appreciate. Lin’s company is dealing with a contract from a game creator. They are reopening a failed contract and being manipulative in the content they want the editing department to review to comply with their game process. Lin could have picked GuYan and friends’ brains about gaming and he would have been much better at how storyline impacted game experience to have an excellent short cut to the crap the company was trying to pull about adjusting characters. But Lin continues to make the same mistake and micro manages everything. She is supposed to meet He Han before he checks out after her meeting. But because she had to accommodate a possible client she stays tunnel visioned until almost midnight. They of course have the epic just missed scene to try to make it feel poignant. At this point, it is overly redundant and goes right back to the beginning. Lin was focused on her pillow and toothbrush more than asking HeHan’s opinion. He was definitely the immature man child, but she continues repeating with GuYan and her staff. Everything has to go according to the world of Lin and this is where she annoys me more than He Han. She stays a step behind because she is more concerned of having a backup plan than paying attention to anybody’s actual needs. Even her own. She is selfish with controlling, not with herself. This is why they all tune her out when she starts yapping at top volume and speed. The words and tone stay all too consistent. It’s not that she’s not an excellent mentor, it’s that she doesn’t let herself or anybody else have a life out of the work zone. This is why she gets left when better options become available, He Han looks to have moved in same area as Gu Yan and Zhao. That will be an interesting collision if they would all meet. I have to give He Han credit for being content in his surroundings whether grand or plain. He likes what he likes without apology. The scene with the boy was very sweet and unexpected. He was so gentle and presenting himself as the king of stories was quite apt. I hope we see more of this. They are trashing Mei’s character and her dragged out Bei relationship is just sad. Is she now supposed to be the great savior of the man she chose to have an affair with? Who is telling her the truth— bf or Bei? The bf is definitely working with the Mrs. but she has the right of it. She is on the right side for protecting her family and assets. They are making Bei look sad and a shadow of himself, but it doesn’t move me. I also have no sympathy left for Mei since she opts to keep contact while chiding him for reaching out. She went from the most interesting character to the one I least want to know about. She has almost reached the same level as Cai for being annoying.😝 Mr Kun is an ass from the second he opens his mouth. He is a loud blowhard that could have been shut up if they had cliff notes from GuYan and friends about game info. She runs off and makes her overworked staff listen to his top volume know it all stance. She runs to He Han and pretty much begs him to come back. Her comments about GuYan’s preference for Phantom Knight story showed how little regard she had for his interests. She knows he is SanSan but doesn’t have evidence for contract breach. Once she clears the air about that she starts yapping at him in crescendoing dialogue that he calmly rejects. Everybody thinks HeHan is the one needing changing and I don’t disagree. But I think Lin has as much if not more need to change than he does. She seems so much more organized and capable but she is a workplace bully and sees no need to change her own issues. Even her ex lover HeHan has had enough. As much as he cares about her, he can’t work for her. She is so obtuse to her own fault with this that she did not see it coming. It’s not that she isn’t correct in her rants, she just simply does not offer better solutions worth putting up with them. She is so convinced that she is better for him that it never crosses her mind that maybe she really isn’t. They are simply better for her situation with no actual betterment to theirs other than cash. Both of her prime writers feel that way and she is to blame. It then cuts to Ms Zhao bringing her parents in to what will be a farce of a wedding. They even have to show Ling with his hottie spending the night in the honeymoon suite. His pose over girl was wasted when Mei’s call distracted Zhao from coming in room. Lin called HeHan about Phantom Knight book and learns she actually has the finished rendition in the boxes he gave her. She shows these to GuYan as leverage. He believes her to be the author but that is still unclear. He Han and Lin were joined at the hip in their early projects so somewhere between these two and Ma one or more of them the writer. She leaves him to digest this news while she makes her way to the wedding. Now we will get to see if Ling can show up without lipstick on his collar or even at all. I think she sent Mei on a watch chase so that she could hide the suite from her. Ling spent a long time frozen in that position just to appall her into backing down from the wedding. Not only did she not back down, she invited hottie to attend. Zhao successfully flipped the table on him to make him more aghast at her response than his actions. This actress did a phenomenal job relaying all those emotions in a time sequenced manner so that her façade was kept to observers and her pain and heartbreak kept to herself. She remains my favorite gray person. For all of her trophy room antics, she is the one that sees people for who they really are. It’s not that she doesn’t take advantage, she just includes taking care of their needs. Lin could learn from her.

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