Reviews

Would've been perfect if it was given proper time

The only thing that made this series a 9.5 instead of 10 for me was that it was too short, and because it was too short it had to cram a lot of stuff in its runtime. Which did make the plot suffer BUT it didn't make the chemistry any less.

In fact I'll say it made the tension between the main characters burn even brighter. Both actors were phenomenal in their work and their chemistry was so goddamn good I wish I can raise money to have them in another series. Despite the time constraint they tried their best to wrap all ends and gave us a satisfying end. All actors gave full justice to their roles. The music gave a very good ambience, the intimacy moments felt heated but not over the top.

10/10 if it was like 20 episode long but good thing this has a novel so I'll be reading that.

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A Love Worth Waiting For

Never-Ending Summer (炽夏) – Review
Overall Rating: 9.4/10

Overview
Watched: Youtube
Never-Ending Summer is one of the best Chinese dramas I've watched in a long time. It perfectly balances romance, heartbreak, healing, and coming-of-age themes without feeling overly dramatic. The story captures the feeling of a realistic high school romance while also highlighting the struggles of poverty, family responsibilities, and growing up. The emotional moments hit hard, but the lighter, romantic scenes keep the drama engaging throughout.

Plot
The story follows Zhou Wan (Bao Shang'en) and Lu Xixiao (Daniel Zhou/Zhou Keyu). Their relationship develops naturally from complicated circumstances into a deep, emotional love story. What makes the plot stand out is that the romance never feels rushed, it takes time for both characters to trust each other and grow together. The drama also does a great job portraying the realities of financial hardship and how those struggles affect relationships and life choices.

Characters
Zhou Wan (Bao Shang'en)
Bao Shang'en delivered a strong performance as Zhou Wan. She portrayed her character's resilience, kindness, and emotional burdens very well. While I understood why Zhou Wan kept so many secrets because of her difficult circumstances, it became frustrating that she constantly chose to hide the truth instead of communicating. Many of the conflicts could have been avoided if she had simply been honest.
Lu Xixiao (Daniel Zhou / Zhou Keyu)
Daniel Zhou was definitely one of the highlights of the drama. His acting felt incredibly natural, and he portrayed Lu Xixiao's devotion and emotional vulnerability so well. I especially loved how much he yearned for Zhou Wan without it ever feeling forced or over-the-top. His chemistry with Bao Shang'en was outstanding, and their relationship felt believable from beginning to end.

What I Loved
• The chemistry between the two leads was amazing. Their interactions felt genuine, funny, romantic, and full of tension.
•The romance developed naturally instead of relying on instant love.
• The balance between sweet moments and emotional heartbreak kept the story engaging.
• The drama realistically portrayed poverty, family pressure, and personal sacrifice.
• The emotional scenes were powerful without becoming overly melodramatic.
• Daniel Zhou's performance was excellent and made Lu Xixiao incredibly easy to root for.

What Could Have Been Better
My biggest issue with the drama was the number of misunderstandings. Zhou Wan repeatedly kept important secrets, lied by omission, and pushed Lu Xixiao away. While I understood her motivations, it became repetitive and sometimes felt like the drama created conflict simply to extend the story.
I also wish Lu Xixiao had stood by the boundaries he set. After everything that happened, he forgave Zhou Wan fairly quickly. Considering how deeply hurt he was, I expected a longer period of rebuilding trust. A slower reconciliation would have felt more realistic and made their reunion even more satisfying.
A few of the misunderstandings could have been resolved through simple conversations, making some conflicts feel slightly forced. Though I understand the reason she lied, he said to promise to her that they will share everything and she said yes, then continued to lie, they could have fought evil together, i understand they are young and this becomes more plausible actions but idk. I also hate in general when shows add kidnapping scenes. ( i never dated a rich guy and his family is keeping us apart and never got into it with debt collectors lol). I feel this trope is overly used and find it hard to believe it happens this often. Also unrealistic how a 17-18 year old boy can fight off most of these guys.

Final Thoughts
Despite my frustrations with the repeated misunderstandings and the quick forgiveness, Never-Ending Summer is an incredibly enjoyable romance. The chemistry between Bao Shang'en and Daniel Zhou carries the entire drama, and their performances make every emotional moment feel authentic. The romance feels mature, heartfelt, and beautifully developed, making it easy to become invested in their journey.
If you enjoy coming-of-age romances with strong emotional storytelling, realistic struggles, slow-burn chemistry, and unforgettable lead performances, this drama is absolutely worth watching. It's easily one of my favorite Chinese dramas released this year and overall.

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If you like to raise your Blood Pressure...

(Note for the curious, you won't see this drama on my account, I only keep a Completed List and a Currently Watching list. I don't list Dropped titles).

I've started this show at end of April... At the time I'm watching these lines... we're reaching the end of July and I've just decided after 22 episodes and a lot of "speed watching" of following episodes ( which is watching a couple of key scenes here and there to know what to expect when the angst is too much). I've decided to throw the towel and yes... I had to take big brakes between chunks of episodes because my frustration level was just sky high.

The special effects are... not really good, but the show is old so I didn't hold it against it... My issue though, is that he show is mostly frustrating and really pissed me off non-stop. Hao Chen is unsufferable and Sifeng is basically suffering most of the series... I've checked. It actually gets even worse in later episodes as if I wasn't about to break my screen already.

I'm not having fun watching this. I don't mind a little bit of angst and misunderstandings but when the whole show is basically relying ENTIRELY on this to create drama for 59 FREAKIN' EPISODES... that's when I give up. The worldbuilding is rich enough that we could have had enough conflicts without having the ML literally suffering physically and psychologically for 59 episodes straight. This is just too much.

Is it entertainment?

BECAUSE I AM NOT ENTERTAINED!

This is one of these series that I think worked well for the audience when it initially aired but didn't hold well the passage of time. Seeing one character being misunderstood and remaining totally selfless after being tortured physically and/or psychologically by everyone including his love interest is not something today's audience would tolerate for 59 episodes straight. At some point, it just becomes masochism and apart from the selfless martyr, you just end up hating everybody including the writers.

I think they failed to realize that rewarding the sacrifices and selflessness of the hero shouldn't just happen at episode 59. BUT NO, when Sifeng finally gets all his misunderstandings cleared and his love secured... he's just about to die, and we're supposed to be happy that he gets his girl on the brink of death? We don't even have a scene with the father sincerely apologizing for all the grief and hurt he caused him. F*** NO!

THIS SUCKS!

Overall I'm giving this a 4 because I feel there should be a better balance between angst and happy moments so that the conflicts/misunderstanding/suffering blabla doesn't reach a point where your viewers, who are already stressed enough IRL, are mostly pissed off watching your show.

This is the second time I'm watching one of these oldies with rave reviews which is just a whole lot of misunderstandings piling up. The other one was Ashes of Love, but I finished that one even though my frustration level was also very high. At least in Ashes of Love, the 2ML was a good vilain you could understand even if you wouldn't root for him and even if the ML got misunderstood, there were OTHER conflicts as well so that he wasn't THE ONLY ONE suffering for 63 episodes.

Hao Chen though? What a nasty piece of sheep. Everytime this character opened his mouth, I just wanted to slap his face. I'm so disgusted with this character, I don't even want to see this actor's face anymore... And I know its a role, but it's gonna take a while for me to cleanse my brain and forget how frustrated and angry I was everytime he appeared on my screen.

Anyway, no way in hell am I giving this show 1 single more minute of my precious time. I've watched a third of it and have seen enough scenes from episodes 23 to 59 to know what to expect. I've given it a fair chance.

It's not necessarily a bad show... but clearly not a show for everyone. For me, this show is just a good way to raise one's blood pressure. Honestly it's akin to torture.

I'm not signing for that but to each one their own.

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The Bourne Paternity

Some pasts fade with time. Others wait patiently for the perfect moment to strike. Manager Kim has spent years trading covert missions for a quiet life as a bank employee and single father, believing he had finally escaped the shadows of his former life as a top spy. But when his daughter, Min Ji, disappeared, fate calls his bluff. To save her, Kim must dust off the skills he buried long ago and face the enemies who never forgot his name. After all, old habits die hard, especially the dangerous ones.

Agent Kim Reactivated tells a story that is as familiar as comfort food. The "my dad is secretly a cool spy" premise is hardly original, but it is one that I almost always enjoy unless it is executed terribly. What immediately separates this drama from many others is its cast. It gathers some of Korean drama's most iconic ahjussis, and watching them share the screen is already half the fun. The narrative constantly shifts between the present and flashbacks, gradually revealing who Manager Kim used to be. It first introduces him as an incredibly patient and ordinary man who works at a bank. He swallows his pride, apologizes to unreasonable people, and even accepts punches if it means avoiding unnecessary conflict. Watching him repeatedly lower his head while doing his best to provide for Min Ji is honestly painful. It almost feels like watching a tiger willingly pretend to be a house cat.

Min Ji's life is no easier. Because she and her father move frequently for reasons she does not understand, she struggles to build lasting friendships. She quietly endures being used by her only friend at school and eventually becomes the target of school bullying after catching the attention of a boy who happens to be the bully's crush. She continues to stay silent until the insults begin targeting her parents. That is the breaking point. The bullying escalates, both families are called to school, and Manager Kim kneels to apologize for something that was never Min Ji's fault simply because he desperately wants to stay unnoticed and keep a low profile. It is a heartbreaking moment, made even worse by Min Ji's disappointment in him. Things spiral even further when the bullies violently attack Min Ji, leaving behind nothing but bloodstains and uncertainty. The moment Manager Kim discovers that blood on the ground, the quiet bank employee disappears. Agent Kim is officially reactivated.

Because the first episode spends so much time showing us an almost powerless and passive father, his transformation into the ruthless agent carries incredible weight. Those opening episodes are absolute fire. They are thrilling, intense, and packed with adrenaline. Agent Kim tears through everyone standing between him and his daughter without hesitation. At the same time, the flashbacks slowly reveal his past, making the action feel even more meaningful.

We learn that Agent Kim endured brutal training in North Korea, earned the code name 73, and later inherited the prestigious code name 66 after the death of his closest friend, Park Yeong Gwang. On that same day, he surrendered to South Korea and became a double agent. Eventually he fell in love, married, and desperately wanted to leave that life behind. It was only after his wife died giving birth to Min Ji that he finally forced the SMD to release him. Some of the most touching moments are not the action scenes but the quiet flashbacks of Kim learning how to become a father. They are simple yet incredibly warm. I only wish the drama had explored his relationship with his wife a little more. It did not need an entire subplot, but even a few scenes showing how they met, how she reacted to learning about his past, or how they built their relationship would have added another emotional layer. The drama functions perfectly fine without it, but it leaves behind a few unanswered questions.

The action itself rarely slows down. Blood flies, bones crack, knives slash, fists land, and the fights just keep coming. So Ji Sub was perfectly cast as both Agent Kim and Papa Kim. One detail I particularly appreciated was how his body actually reflected the scars and wear of someone who had lived through countless battles instead of looking unrealistically pristine. His action style also felt very recognisable. I am no martial arts expert, but his movements reminded me a lot of Mercy for None. The way he handled firearms and coordinated every situation carried an effortless charisma that made every action sequence enjoyable. Yet despite all that, he was equally convincing as an awkward father who unintentionally guilt trips while somehow mastering that uniquely Korean dad energy that is both frustrating and oddly comforting.

Fortunately, Agent Kim is never alone. His two former special forces friends, Seong Han Su and Park Jin Cheol, are easily among the highlights of the drama. Choi Dae Hoon and Yoon Kyung Ho bring both excellent action and perfectly timed comedy. Choi Dae Hoon continues proving that he is one of Korea's true chameleon actors. Every role he takes somehow feels completely different, and Han Su is no exception. His calm personality, sharp intelligence, and subtle comedic timing constantly made me laugh. Yoon Kyung Ho perfectly complements him as the loud and energetic Jin Cheol, whose solution to almost every problem seems to involve overwhelming punches and firepower. His exaggerated reactions, constant bickering with Han Su, and surprisingly solid action scenes made him endlessly entertaining. Together with Agent Kim, the three create a wonderfully loyal trio.

I loved that all three have now settled into ordinary lives as fathers who wear glasses and work regular jobs. One runs a bank, another teaches taekwondo, and the third works as a security guard. Yet beneath those peaceful lives remain soldiers who instinctively trust one another with their lives. Their yearly reunion unintentionally exposes Kim's survival, drawing the attention of both South and North Korea. Since Kim had faked his own death to disappear, both sides now consider him a threat, creating multiple groups chasing him while he continues searching for Min Ji. It turns the story into complete chaos in the best possible way.

The problem is that the more the drama expands its world, the more its logic begins asking for blind faith. I found myself wondering whether Min Ji could realistically recover so quickly after suffering such severe injuries without proper treatment. I also kept asking why none of the pursuers thought about targeting Han Su's or Jin Cheol's children much earlier if their goal was to reach Agent Kim. Eventually I decided this was simply not the kind of drama that benefits from overthinking. Sometimes you have to switch off the analytical part of your brain and let the adrenaline do the driving. Even when I could predict almost every twist, my heart still raced during the action scenes. It is like riding a roller coaster you have memorised. You still know exactly when the drop is coming, but it remains fun anyway.

That said, I do think the pacing could have been tighter. For a ten episode drama, it introduces quite a few characters and moving pieces that never fully justify their existence. Joo Sang Wook's Ju Gang Chan initially appears to be an intimidating major villain, but by the end he feels surprisingly underused. His downfall happens so quickly that he loses much of the menace he spent the early episodes building. Characters like Golden Teeth also feel less like complete individuals and more like narrative tools used to amplify someone else's cruelty. Similarly, Kim Sung Kyu's role as Park Gang Seong kept me anxious throughout the chase, but once everything concluded, I found myself questioning how necessary his character really was. The drama is filled with talented veteran actors, all of whom perform well, while the younger cast, especially the actresses playing Min Ji and Ju Hye Ri, also leave strong impressions.

Personally, I think the main conflict could have wrapped up around episode seven before jumping to the heartwarming ending. Much of episodes eight through the beginning of ten feels like additional conflict for the sake of extending the runtime. Instead of repeating similar confrontations, I would have preferred the drama using that time to explore its characters further or answer some of the lingering questions.

Visually, there is nothing particularly groundbreaking, although the action scenes occasionally receive stylish comic book inspired touches that fit the tone beautifully. One of my favourite shots was an overhead silhouette sequence during a fight, along with a night vision perspective from an NPC. Some viewers thought certain sequences looked AI generated, but honestly I was too invested to notice. The cinematography successfully captured the intensity of every fight, while the soundtrack consistently elevated the tension.

The final episode mainly focuses on tying up loose ends. It delivers exactly the ending I expected because this drama was never trying to fool anyone. It was always heading towards a happy ending. Even the subplot involving Han Su's and Jin Cheol's children finally appears only at the very end, almost as if the drama remembered it had one last card left to play. Since it arrives so late, it feels more like comedic relief than genuine suspense. I think introducing that conflict earlier would have made the final stretch significantly more impactful.

The climax itself remains highly predictable. It is obvious that Manager Kim and his friends will eventually outsmart Ju Gang Chan together, and thankfully the drama fully commits to giving everyone a clean and satisfying ending. The father and daughter moments in the finale genuinely touched me. When Min Ji says that her father is just an ordinary ahjussi until someone messes with her, it perfectly captures the entire heart of the drama. It is both funny and surprisingly emotional. Watching how far Kim is willing to go for his daughter also left me strangely bittersweet because it made me think about my own relationship with my father.

The ending does introduce one mysterious new character whose overwhelming influence left me both curious and confused. As someone who has never read the webtoon, I could only wonder why someone capable of bringing down Ju Construction so easily never entered the picture earlier. I assume the favour Kim owes him will eventually involve contract killing or another dangerous mission, but that remains speculation. Even the ending raises a few logical questions, but by then I had already accepted that logic was never this drama's strongest weapon.

In the end, I enjoyed Agent Kim Reactivated for exactly what it is. The story is simple, predictable, and occasionally careless with its details, but the combination of charismatic veteran actors, exhilarating action, hilarious comedy, and heartfelt father and daughter moments makes it incredibly entertaining. It made me laugh, got my adrenaline pumping, and occasionally made me scratch my head in confusion. Sometimes that is more than enough. Not every drama needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes it just needs to put the wheel on fire and let So Ji Sub drive it.

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Recycled Tropes and Zero Chemistry

I can somewhat understand screenwriters, but I’ll never get why actors keep accepting the exact same recycled storylines. It’s the same cliché plot we’ve seen a million times—all they did was change the company’s industry. A cold boss, petty misunderstandings, absurd breakup reasons, and the female lead’s "unsolvable" inner conflict that could literally be fixed in two minutes.
I’m genuinely exhausted and dropping this after episode 8. It offers nothing in terms of plot or romance. The leads have zero chemistry, and their relationship feels completely forced. Honestly, every time they share a scene, the show seems to drop into agonizing slow motion. No real dialogue, no romantic spark—just endless slow-mo walking, talking, and staring at each other.
I'm officially done with this show.

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Deep, Complex, and Utterly Captivating

Set in the world of classical musicians, this engaging K-drama’s overarching theme exposes the negative impact of unhealthy competition and the toxicity it engenders. The series is replete with examples of the deleterious effects of ranking as a measure of self-worth. It explores relationships—ranging from nurturing to deeply toxic—between parents and children, peers, professors and students, as well as the arts foundations meant to support them (embodied by the manipulative matriarch CEO).
The first-rate cast inhabit their roles effortlessly, making the performances feel entirely natural. The lead actors shine, by capturing their quiet, shy awkward characters while the supporting cast remains equally convincing. The details of the visual portrayals of the actors actually playing their instruments is wonderful.

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Sins and Secrets

This series is labeled as horror and me personally, a person who can't stand horror movies/series, enjoyed it a lot. The storyline and the idea of this series is just unique and new(maybe because I haven't watched much). I've seen some reviews that says the cast can't really act and don't have much facial expression but I disagree as I believe that was how the character(Saeng Gang) was meant to be portrayed. Some reviews even said that there's no "justice" but I believe that this story is to teach us to not hold on to resentment and hatred, just let it go and you will live(well in the case of this story, die) peacefully.
The first and second episode really caught my attention and made me really interested but as the story progressed, it got a bit less interesting but not entirely boring. The plotThe main characters had such good chemistry and the pairing is amazing.
Another thing I need to talk about is the cinematography and all the effects. It was amazing and well executed. The spirits and the spirit world, everything just look so amazing and I really really love it.

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ai commercial?

the characters really start well. they both are smart and handle office problems well but the events after first four eps and their concerns don't make sense to me and hence the flow is also very off. it honestly felt just like how they say in one of the ep "let's make a drama to show off our AI products" and it indeed ends up giving a very beautiful commerical for integration of AI in home appliances. But really why would consumers spend so much money only for the companies to extract so much data through AI integration and give minimal safety features and most importantly make everything subscription based?

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SPOILER ALERT

Recently, I've become a very big fan of Fan Cheng Cheng. That's why I started watching it. I thought it would just be normal love stories BUT I WAS HELLA WRONG......... it depicted very well how life strikes us with unexpected incidents. Although the main story stays in their thirties, their high school time was what touched me the most. I think the boys of the story were really amazing(as a partner). It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions. Like I was laughing till the 26 ep, then on I was just ............

I am really happy that I watched it. The whole time I was like "Oh, to be loved like that". Definitely recommended.


(spoiler alert)
There were 6 of them together. Except Huang Yangzi, the others had different family issues, and around the time of the college entrance exam, this led to suicide of one of their friend. And that affected Yangzi very hard (as Jiang Yi, her crush, also left the country); these incidents caused her trauma that led her to imagine that her friend was still alive (and any stimulation caused her to faint). That's why Jiang Yi protected her from a distance and researched and even created a game for her to get her out of the trauma😭. The Boys didn't fail to love 💯

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Not Revolutionary, But Genuinely Endearing

My Love, Enlighten Me is a good one-time watch that, for many viewers, will probably have decent rewatch value. While the story does rely on familiar C-drama tropes, they're not so overdone that they become frustrating. The cast does a great job overall, but the female lead deserves special mention. Much of the cast are typical characters we find in c dramas. She delivers a remarkably natural performance, especially in the emotional scenes. She isn't afraid to cry without worrying about looking conventionally glamorous on screen, and that vulnerability makes her portrayal feel authentic and moving.
The character growth is another strength. Watching Nuan Nuan mature over the course of the drama is satisfying, and most of the supporting characters are given meaningful development as well. The final two episodes, in particular, tie up these arcs beautifully and leave the story on a genuinely uplifting note. After a somewhat uneven stretch, the ending more than makes up for it.That said, the drama does stumble in the penultimate episodes set at Nuan Nuan's parents' home. Those episodes feel like unnecessary fillers that interrupt the momentum just when the story should be building towards its conclusion. Another recurring issue is the lack of communication between characters. It's the kind of contrived misunderstanding that often shows up in Korean and Chinese dramas, and here it occasionally feels more like a plot device than a natural conflict.
I also wasn't entirely convinced by the resolution of the third couple. Hangchen, in particular, comes across more as a convenient plot device than a fully realised character by the end, making that romance less emotionally satisfying than the others. One aspect I genuinely appreciated was the focus on preserving intangible cultural heritage through 3D digitisation. It's a fresh and meaningful concept, and I also liked the app the characters develop in the finale. It adds a modern, optimistic touch to the story and gives the ending a sense of purpose beyond the romance.

Overall, My Love, Enlighten Me is a fairly well-executed romantic drama with likeable characters, strong performances, and a satisfying ending. It isn't groundbreaking, but it tells its story with enough heart to make the journey worthwhile. If you can overlook a few filler episodes and the occasional communication cliché, it's an enjoyable watch that's likely to resonate with fans of character-driven romances.One last thing, I appreciate the msg of the show, I think in korea and china the idol trainee thing is a huge thing--but beyond the glitz most of us often forget that not all trainees end up with a glitzy career.
Nuan Nuan's development shows that well.

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Old Spy, New Mission- "Don't Mess with the DAD"

Adapted from the popular Manager Kim webtoon, Agent Kim Reactivated delivers a high-octane blend of gritty revenge and family drama, when a retired elite spy forced back into the underworld when his daughter is abducted.

The drama belongs entirely to So Ji-sub, who slips effortlessly between an exhausted salaryman and a ruthless former black-ops operative, appearing as a meek, submissive bank worker who kneels to apologize to bullies' wealthy parents, before turning into an unyielding, stone-cold killing machine the moment his daughter is threatened. Choi Dae-hoon & Yoon Kyung-ho, as former teammates Seong Han-su and Park Jin-cheol, provide excellent chemistry as Agent Kim's old comrades, balancing the tension with well-timed humor, Joo Sang-uk plays Ju Gang-chan the primary antagonist, Son Na-eun as Kim Min ji and the supporting cast contribute solid performances, even if some characters aren't explored as deeply as they deserve.

The action choreography is easily one of the strongest highlights of Agent Kim Reactivated. Rather than relying on flashy wirework, the series embraces grounded close-quarters combat. The music complements the series without dominating it.

In the end Agent Kim Reactivated delivers hard-hitting fight scenes, charismatic performances, and enough emotional stakes, Powered by So Ji-sub's magnetic lead performance, fantastic comedic sidekicks, and clever fight choreography which is well worth the mission It doesn't break new ground, but it executes its mission with confidence and plenty of adrenaline.

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SHORT AND GOOD?✨

This drama was good...not perfect but not bad too.
MAIN COUPLE- This drama revolves around su qiao who has a trauma of city because whenever she went to a city anything bad happened to her and lin zilu who is a famous actor but have some problem going on in his career. they have a past connection and meet again where su qiao not remembering lin zilu but he remembers her. they face many ups and downs in this village and fell in love again like their past. this couple is comforting where su qiao being a silly and cheerful female lead and lin zilu being more mature then her.

SIDE COUPLE- this drama contains two more ships one being friends of the main couple and one being the female lead uncle and the students' teacher. the friend couple is cute and soft where the girl jin jin is this quite and obedient girl and the guy fang liang being this chaotic but a love fool guy the slow burn is really good and nice. and unc-aunt couple hadn't been focused much but it's good they married in the end and it was not bad but not good just ok

CONCLUSION- absolutely good for watching if you like a little bit school drama mixed with childhood sweetheart drama and ofc rom-com.

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