Master of My Own (2022)

Not a rom-com, but a woman empowerment drama

I think if I didn’t have high rom-com expectations, I wouldn’t have been so disappointed. I went into this drama for the actors. I have seen almost everything Tan Song is in because she is just that good. I love her short stature, her bubbly personality and her smiles. She’s never lead me wrong. I’ve seen Ling Geng Xin in Princess Agents where I liked him more in that role.

My main issue with this drama was the tone and pacing. The first 10 episode was the ML being a horrible person to the FL. He was not supportive, he didn’t do anything adorable or cute that made you think he had best intensions. Not only did he say she wasn’t good at anything, but she wouldn’t amount to anything, he didn’t really care that she struggled. He treated her so harshly for 30% of the drama, I was basically against him from that point forward.

I started to look at the drama in a new light, as in, this is a woman empowerment drama and I was simply rooting for the FL to get her awesome power back. I was so happy to watch her figuring out issues (with little to no help from the ML) and kind of letting all the people that doubted her that she is just as good as them.

There was hardly any romantic interactions between the ML and FL. I found them to be bickering people that are just friends. The ML is only two years older than the FL and he acts and looks beyond the years. I was very shocked by this.

I felt like a lot of entertaining and moving moments happened when the FL was speaking to secondary characters, like the second ML or her best friend or my favorite person in the drama, her second boss. I really liked the relationship between the FL and her second boss because, well that is how the ML should have acted.

Husband liked the financial side of the show since he is in finance and could understand all of that language. It was easier for me to understand when he explained everything about “margin calls”, “bonds” “liquidated stocks”, so just note, it’s very financial heavy in the dialogue.

I’m happy the drama is only 32 episodes and costume and sets were decent to look at. I would watch it for the actors if you are super fans, but don’t expect your typical rom-com or heavy romance drama.

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slice of life & intellectual women are nice

It's really really nice as a journey through life, with a lot of slow-paced events and ordinary things that add to the realistic picture, but it somehow became boring when nothing really happened... It was so so slow that it became unrealistic for some intellectual educated successful people like our protagonists!
The ML is doing an incredible job with performing someone who is unable to accept and express his feelings and establish the human relationships he is craving for. Also hard to believe that a smart woman - the FL - could miss the signals of a man's obvious interest in her... The SML and SFL are nice and funny in their own way, but still lacking as characters. Actors are always top notch!!
Too bad the writer and director didnt make more of the excellent script and cast and chose to drag and drag and reach an incredible 30 episodes - or so - over... nothing!
I truly enjoyed the first half of this series! It conveys a lot of meaning. So much that it made the other half useless for me.

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Male leads like this should be illegal!

OVERALL
This drama is cliché, and not the good kind. Watch it if 1) You're really, REALLY a fan of the actors, 2) You're a masochist in love with jerks, 3) You love seeing women debased by men. If you're not, then do yourself a favor and skip.

THE STORY
I gave this drama a try because of Seven Tan, who I liked in The Sword & the Brocade. Unfortunately, this drama turns out to be one of her many projects I simply can't get behind. The only positive thing I can say about this drama is that it starts well. I like how Female lead is introduced, as a total boss who knows her stuff and is in control of the situation. That lasts about...five minutes. Then we move on to Male Lead being a jerk, and more Male Lead being a jerk, and (yes, you got it right) more Male Lead being a jerk, while Female Lead just takes it all. By episode 7, he's still a total jerk and Female Lead is...somewhat into him? Like what? There's ABSOLUTELY nothing to be attracted to! This type of drama drives me mad because under the pretense of a "male growth" drama it sells the idea that guys can do and say whatever they want to girls and girls are just supposed to put up with it. Male Lead is really HORRID, as bad as the king in Yanxi Palace (if you know, you know!), if not worse, and this is a modern drama. It's TOTALLY unacceptable!

To be fair, the problem is not only Male Lead. Female Lead's submissive behavior bothers, her inability to see things coming (when she was so good at it in the first 5 minutes) too, and then you have the overused, triggering cliches like the glasses removal (oh, now that she has no glasses, she's SO pretty! *eyeroll*). I came, I saw, and I gave it up. Save yourself the trouble, skip.

THE ACTING
Ok, but not mind-blowing. I saw some people in another platform say main leads had chemistry. I must be blind, because I didn't see any.

THE MUSIC
No comment.

REWATCH VALUE
Nonexistent.

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Dependency is not romantic folks

I think this one has cured my c-drama addiction for good.

This is the story of an overly giving woman having to raise an emotionally stunted man in order for him to be acceptably human enough to have a so called relationship with.

It’s a shame because it started off so well. FL actually managed to escape from the narcissistic ML but then repeatedly allowed herself to be pulled back into an endless cycle of abuse and humiliation whilst still continuing to aid and support him.

What are signally to young people here?

Writers need to do better, I mean the ML called the FL in the night to ask how to use his coffee machine so he can entertain another woman, and the FL talks him through the process WTF - all the while knowing the woman is with him.

Only watch this is you have high tolerance for idiocy.

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My second actor crush - It would be a 10 if only it had a decent kiss or some truly romantic scenes

Things I loved:

1 The male lead actor. Gorgeous and such a good actor. He doesn't have the beauty of Ji Chang Wook, but I had an equal crush on him. He's more mature, more rugged, but as much talented and handsome.

2 Mrs. Shi. I don't think I've ever liked a secondary character more than her. This is what every employer should aspire to and every woman and man. Not only the character was great, but the actress also was stunning and played the role to perfection. she was believable as the thoughtful, smart and kind CEO. Her kindness was visible in her expression and her whole demeanor. I truly loved her.

3 The setting of the story. I loved that it was a field I'm interested in and it doesn't disappoint.

4 The second couple. Both great actors and great characters. At first I thought the second female lead would be the rival and disliked her a lot. But once she changed, I loved her more and more. I loved their relationship with the male lead. Their friendship felt genuine and moving. I think from all the second couples I've seen this is my favorite.

5 The team in the male lead's company. Those who stayed with him were all great characters.

6 The secretary. her interactions with the male lead were so cute. I loved that in the end she'll have her happy ending. Song was also a great character even though he wasn't often on screen.

7 I loved the partner of his father. Such a wise and kind woman. I loved how she treated the male lead and how their relationship was portrayed.

8 The cinematography. Gorgeous views of Shanghai.

9 The heroine's parents. What a funny, warm, caring and wise couple. The family dynamic was great to watch.

10 I want to add separately how much I loved the friendship between the male lead and the second male lead. Their friendship was so good to watch. It was fun and at the same time moving how they interacted depending of the situation.

11 I loved the witty dialogue between the main leads especially in the first half when there were so many witty exchanges. It slowed down later and that displeased me. I don't know why they can't keep things on the same lever when it comes to the identity of a show. They can make the characters evolve without necessary change what makes the charm of a show.

12 How capable and smart the heroine was.

13 That it's the drama I laughed the most spontaneously in some of the dialogues.

Things I disliked:

1 The father story. They could choose another way to go. To me that was heartbreaking for the male hero and he never had closure even though they tried.

2 Something futile and just for fun. The way he coiffed his hair sometimes. It seemed so unkempt and so not him.

3 The main lead actress. I know many will dislike what I say, and I'm not proud to say it either, but although she's pretty, she's not attractive to me and I don't think she was a good match for the actor. I never stopped imagining someone else like Bai Lu in her place. I know it's not fair and she's a talented actress, no doubt about this, but because I didn't find her attractive enough for the male lead, there was no romantic chemistry between them. I even felt like the actress didn't know how to play the romantic scenes well. She was great while she sparred with him, but I've never felt like she cared about her boyfriend or the male lead romantically. I get that they focused on the business side of the story and how she fulfilled her dreams, but it's a miss in my opinion not to give is more romance. Anyway the 10 is for the male lead and some witty dialogues, but not for the actress unfortunately.

4 I didn't care about the friend from the past. She wasn't a bad character, just underwhelming for me and not necessary at all. She didn't contribute anything to the story. It could be great without her.

4 The non communication between the father and the male lead. I know it was meant to show that he struggled in life as well, but I would like another resolution as I said before.

5 The best friend of the female led. Her character irked me. Yes her boyfriend turned out to be a scumbag but what the heck was she doing living the life of a lazy person who only wanted someone to dot on her. Despicable and I hate that kind of women. She's supposedly changed and the hint of romance between her and the factory owner was great, but it doesn't redeem her for being such a leech before and excuse her behavior because he promised her to take care of her. What the heck?

Things I hated:

1 The lack of any romantic scenes. Really? You write such a good script and you have a great actor as male lead and you don't think it would add to the enjoinment to add some romantic moments between them? Real romantic moments where both leads were present and could witness each others feelings grow. We were robbed as viewers of watching their romance grow. I wanted to lower my rating just for that but then the male lead was so good I couldn't.

2 The boyfriend of the female lead. The moment he appeared I disliked the actor so much that he could be a great character and I'd never warm on him. Like at first sight, there's have at first sight. That's what happened to me when he appeared on my screen. Not only I don't like his appearance, but he also made me think of someone I'd never like to meet in my life. It's weird how our feelings work.
Of course the character he played didn't help changing my first impression. I hated his character more than anything and I didn't feel the smallest kind feeling and understanding about him. He chose to do what he did and he wasn0t redeemed because he did the right thing i n the end. He hit her so there will never be any redemption for him. he should have treated whatever problems he had before ruining other people's lives. Despicable character, unattractive actor. Comparing him and the boyfriend of the best friend who mislead the main couple, I'd still have more understanding for the boyfriend of the best friend of the heroine.

3 The last episode. Although I loved seeing everyone and it was fun to see how they evolved and where they are now, how the heck do you spend so much time on the scumbag? Who cares what happens to him? Give us the result in one minute and move to the main couple or anyone else for that matter. That was a big failure and I don't get why they did it. They could have wrapped up this story in the previous episode. We didn't need the musings of that stupid character.
I also hated that the main leads had only 5 minutes, really five minutes, to decide to be together. What is wrong with the writers and the director? How on earth is this satisfactory for everyone who watched 32episodes and invested their time on the series? And of course there's declaration of love, there's no tenderness, nothing cute or romantic. Such a let down, I almost cried. I was waiting for that last episode, hoping they would have the time to talk about their feelings. Unbelievable and so frustrating.

4 I hated the way the female lead dressed. She didn't look elegant at all. More like a child who played a grown up. Her clothes were too similar and too bland. She could be professional and at the same time elegant. Everyone else was best dressed and I loved the male lead's style. Her character was the only one to wear such uninspiring clothes. I don't get why. Same thing for her hair. They should use someone who could make her look pretty because the truth is she's pretty enough, but the clothes, and the high heels that didn't suit her at all, and the hair didn't do her any favors.

5 I can't get past the supposed kiss. It was teased and never delivered. What the heck was that? We saw them just touch the lips accidentally and they kept talking about a kiss. What kiss? Where was that kiss? It was beyond ridiculous to describe this as a kiss and it irked me a lot. I felt cheated as a viewer. And I felt both leads behaved stupidly for something that didn't even happen. That scene was so unnatural, so cringe. Not funny, not romantic, not anything other than ridiculous. And then we had to wait until the last minute to see them kiss for two seconds. Great! Good job, no one ever said.

6 I hated that the female lead had to think about breaking up with that stupid boyfriend. He hit her and she took time to send him packing. Really? Not only that but we never saw her being attached to him, so why the heck would she hesitate to make a decision about their relationship? I would get if they were together for years and it was the first time and she was surprised etc. etc. But there was no reason for her to think about it. She should have pushed him in front of a car. Sorry, I'm just so mad about that. I want the heroines to be like we should be and not like we are as women. I get the verbal sparring because leads because you can talk back and the level can be equal. You can have sharp and witty exchanges without abusing the other person. but hit someone is nowhere acceptable, so it just made me dislike the heroine who's supposed to grow and be a smart woman.

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Story of Ning Meng

Ning Meng's Character analysis:
come from loving family, hard worker, cheerful.

Childhood:
wanna be investor because her father business went bad.

College era:
took finance major, a clever student, confessed love to classmate but got rejected, never date anyone ever since.

Graduated:
applied at Joint investment division but ended up as secretary of investment owner/director. Learn a lot from this perfectionist/bossy/arrogant boss about investment, found out this company was not her place to got what she want.

3 Years after working at Joint co, got job at Eaglestone co, got a very kind boss, join a project with her former boss company as representative, the love feelings started develop as she found out her boss is actually good to her:
- start to realize her feelings to her ex boss

- broken hearted seeing her boss already got someone he loved (her ex boss later realized his feelings are actually for Ning Meng but kinda too late)

- accepted her previously rejected her classmate, date this classmate, rejected love confession from her soon-to-bankrupt ex-boss, realized her classmate is psycho but try to go on, kept contact with her now-bankrupt ex-boss (nothing happen between this two 'professional' people), but being hardly slapped by this psycho thought she was cheating and break up.

- her career rocketed since she got out from Joint co to Eaglestone co, because she is smart, got learn many things from ex boss, got good new boss to give her opportunities, she is also hard worker, also kind to everyone and willing to help them.

- "chased" her now-"poverty stricken"-ex boss, resigned from her position as director company, helped him rebuild new company again, sent all criminals that ever "bully" her ex-boss to jail, succeeded, then got proposed by her ex boss.

Conclusion:
1. Hard work and stick on your dream will definitely come true.
2. Be kind, there are many people out there still understand kindness and repaying kindness.
3. To have loved ones support you, cheer you up, when you're down is important.
4. Career or love? Both can!

The End.

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Be a master of our fate, not a victim

Master Of My Own is a C-drama that covers romance, comedy and tragedy.

It tells a story about a young personal assistant, Ning Meng, to a venture capitalist, Lu Ji Ming, who was given the job at her job interview out of urgency and was guaranteed a role with the investment team in the company.

When she realises that she is not going to achieve her dream by constant sabotage by her colleagues, NM quits her job and joins another investment company to pursue her dream.

From then onwards, she experiences the ups and downs of her role as an investment analyst while bumping into her former boss regularly and dealing with his tantrums.

This C-drama is entertaining for those who work in the corporate world.

Watch it.

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Another masterpiece of Tan song yun.again proves her versatility ?

Its the one of the best office Romance for me in 2022...Rather than focusing on Romance mainly they focus on career development of a Girl from secretary to director.. it'll surely motivate you in many ways...Again i must say "Ning Meng" played by Tan song yun is a remarkable character..There is no doubt Seven is always do justice to her character.. she is really a hardworking nd versatile actress.. The ML somehow may irritate you in d beginning. but u'll b convinced by the character development later... But "Tan song yun" definitely steals the show...

Love the ending also....so well managed ❤️

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Tinha tudo para ser ótimo mas não foi

Fiquei bem empolgada quando encontrei esse drama pois adoro a atriz que faz a protagonista e o resumo também era muito interessante.
Adoro tramas que trazem mulheres forte e decididas e isso foi muito forte aqui. A protagonista é linda e mesmo diante de todas as dificuldades permaneceu firme em seus objetivos.
O que me irritou profundamente foi o plot dos romances. Queria entender pq forçam tanto que protagonistas tenham alguém, parece que não é possível ser feliz sozinho e isso nesse drama foi muito chato e cansativo.
Do meio para o final estava assistindo sem vontade mas não queria dropar pois queria saber como a trama da prota terminava.
Achei chato e cansativo.

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