This review may contain spoilers
ML is such a MANCHILD!!!!!
This is a rant review so if you like this drama please move on and don't ruin your day.I started watching this drama while waiting for Love Game in Eastern Fantasy´s next episodes to drop because, unlike this drama, that one is actually giving what it is supposed to give, and I literally cannot wait for the next episode huhu😊.
That being said, I obviously watched this drama for the CP, but oh boy were they the worst couple in this one.
Where do I even start with this one? The ML Zhou Chuan character is just so insufferable. he is rude, man-child, obsessive, and an entitled prick. The drama makes you wonder how he even stayed alive before meeting the FL because he can't do anything without her. He can't even feed himself or his dog. All he does is sit in his study and sulk all day and wait for Chu Li to return from work and cook and clean for him. On top of that, he is always casually fat-shaming her, getting jealous if she talks to any other man even if it is for work. like wtf bro?????!!!
Am I supposed to root for this a-hole??😑 Zhou Chuan has to be one of the worst love interests. He is always fighting and screaming at her. I can't I just can´t. I do not like these types of toxic love interests. I hate that this drama is romanticizing his behavior. They want it to be seen as cute. Every time he makes a mistake he thinks he has done nothing wrong and when he knows he is wrong he still gets angry at Chu Li for not forgiving him immediately.
There is one scene where Chu Li has broken up with him and stays with her friend because he lied about his identity as Mr. Fox, who is Chu Li´s online best friend. he basically hides from her that he is Mr. Fox and manipulates her feelings for him. When she finds out the truth and feels betrayed rightfully so…she breaks up with him. And instead of sincerely apologizing to her and explaining his reasons to her, he SCREAMS AT HER…that because she has not returned home for a while he and his dog have become thin because she is not feeding them. and he said sorry what more can he do?
aww poor guy! must be so difficult for him *(eye roll)*
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!????????? that's what you've got? seriously???? 😶 Why is she even dating him? She literally forgives him after this. like gurlll please have some self-respect.
it's crazy how I didn't get annoyed by Esther Yu´s baby voice and over-the-top child-like acting in this drama because of ML's insufferable character. It´s a miracle.
The whole drama is a miscommunication trope on steroids. OMG please, just talk!!!!!!!
It did not need to be 36 episodes. It's just 36 episodes of nothingness. Unless you are a big fan of the cast I don't see any reason why must you torture yourself with this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Chu Li is not a well developed character
I'm so annoyed with this drama, I don't even know where to begin! Chu Li is such a disappointment. I guess I shouldn't expect the writers to be infallible, but if you're trying to make an empowered female, then she shouldn't simultaneously be oblivious and reckless. Also, a "strong female lead" who still needs constant rescuing from the ML is oxymoronic. Mostly because she never acknowledges how much he helps and bails her out. Meanwhile she spends a ton of energy pushing the ML lead and 2ML to do things that go against their gut and are ultimately bad decisions. And she never learns her lesson, nor even seems to recognize it was her fault. I'm not saying that the ML is perfect, but the FL character seems to not understand him at all, constantly pressuring him to do things that don't suit him at all (e.g. collaborating with the illustrator, meeting the actress, doing the interview.) Yet, she spends most of the series professing to know him better than everyone else. I get that they needed to drive things forward with the conflicts created, but I just wish she wasn't always responsible for them. It makes it harder to root for her. I also got the impression--that unfortunately seems to be a trend in several of the contemporary C-Dramas I've watched lately--that the FL was just romantically tolerating the male lead, but not really attracted to him or that into him. The NYE scene in the last episode reinforced that, like what girl in love wouldn't be in a hurry to ring in the new year with her boyfriend?! Yet she didn't want him to get her from work and she turned down a ride home to instead slowly walk through crowds of people celebrating. Like WTH, do you even like him at all? Again, I get that they were trying to set up a scene, but I still think it's a really bad portrayal of a girl in love; like completely unconvincing most of the time.They did a couple of "day-dream" scenes to try to offset her stiffness but her indifferent/standoffish/prude behavior throughout was hard to overlook. Maybe this is a style/theme, but if it's a tag I would definitely avoid dramas with this attribute in the future. I've just started Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (liking it so far) and if the FL doesn't develop convincing feelings for the ML then I'll know it's just an Esther Yu (and maybe Ryan Ding) problem, and I won't watch her drama's anymore.
Positives: the 2nd leads are pretty great and very attractive. The villain is the perfect "love to hate" character. I find the music in dramas extremely intrusive, and this wasn't exactly an exception. However, this OST actually included catchy songs and I liked a couple of them.
Was this review helpful to you?
A new heartwarming story
It has been a while since I saw such a lighthearted drama. It is a slow burn. Before you realize it you are already addicted to it. This kind of story was a first time for me. Originally I wanted to see it because the 1st main leads were my favorites. But later on I liked the story and how it was very well depicted. Everyone acted as their character very well. I did not fell like it was boring but maybe the no. of episodes could have been reduced a little. All the cast chemistry is so good. For the first time I am seeing a drama in which there are lot of females in the cast and are very strong. I liked how they depicted the story with so much reality. It is in my top 5 Chinese drama lit now. I wanted a light drama as there have been lot of dark dramas or boring dramas recently. I can't wait for the actors' next projects. The ending given to everyone was also very well written. Maybe after a while I might re-watch it again if my mood is down.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful and amazing drama
I never write a review, but I want to make a special exception to this one.--Story--
For many people probably this will be lke typical romance, but it's unique compared to others dramas. They balanced very well business and their relationship at once like wow. Relationship between leads is beautiful and cute, it's hard to find sometimes good relationship between characters in dramas but in this one it's P E R F E C T. And also theres no "dumb" characters you know in every drama theres always one character that is so stupid or will made so stupid decision that you want to DIE ;-;.
And also i want to say something about FL cause she was the best:
FL - Looks gently and cute and some people can say that shes "weak" but shes really a bad bitch or more like BOSS. If she wants something she gets it, if she wants to achievement something, she will achieve it. She works really hard that she made one of the writers win AWARD in less than 2 years. You can say that shes perfect definition of "hardworking people".
--Acting/Cast--
I can't tell to much about cast because i don't know anyone but i want to say something about them. Im really impressed by their acting especially Yang Shi Ze acting cause he debuted in 2018 and it's only 3 years also Ma Yin Yin. About Ryan and Esther how? just how? They look like a real life couple i really thought that they were maybe dating or something (yeah i know stupid idea) and i even did researched about it LOL.
--Music--
To be honest i don't like OST from dramas but here are beautiful and i fall in love with THE9 Ester – Chu Li is Here that angel voice OMG i listen this on repeat and Shuang Shen – NiūNiū is also good.
--SPOILER AND MY RATING--
I give 9,5 rating because i had only with one thing problem at the end there was one character that girl who suddenly apeart and says that she fell in love with Zhou Chan a long time ago. This was really uncesenery but everything else was PERFECT. So theres chance that i will rewatch this in future :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful and Heartfelt
I absolutely loved this drama! I started watching it because I like the main actress Esther Yu but I fell in love with the whole cast as well. The setting and story was very interesting as I've never watched a drama about and writer and an editor before which made it refreshing to watch. The main couple has great chemistry and their love story is built with care and without frustrating plot points to keep them apart longer. Their personalities mesh very well and I liked their individual characters a lot. I even enjoyed the side characters! My only complaint was that I did not like the second couple that much. I don't know if it's an issue of my personal taste or a fault of the show but I didn't like the sfl that much which made it hard to like them as a couple. This however isn't that much of an issue since their scenes are skippable without missing much. I recommend this drama to anyone who wants a romantic feel good show that has an interesting and simple plot.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute, light-hearted drama with great lead chemistry -- just a smidge off amazing
If you're looking for something that's cute and sweet without much angst/separation/betrayals, this is the show for you. Throughout the whole show, it keeps up its lighthearted atmosphere. All the leads are likeable and the "villains" in the story aren't too bad - they're generally more annoying and disruptive rather than evil and sinister.1) Pros:
Great acting and characters. Ryan Ding and Esther Yu both were amazing in their roles. Although this isn't totally out of their comfort levels, it was still a good display. Ryan Ding was able to play a more bratty/successful male lead while Esther Yu played the foil of being the naive/air-headed female lead, although there are moments where she was able to show off her range of emotions. Second Male Lead and Male Lead have a good relationship; although there is a love-triangle involving them, it never felt angsty or upsetting, but rather more akin to friendly competition. The male leads are friends from beginning to end and its great to see their friendship. Second Female Lead is solid too and had a good performance, but I didn't find her character too much of a stand-out.
Solid plot. The plot isn't anything too special if you read the synopsis but the execution is great if you're looking for something light-hearted. Most of the conflicts are character-driven rather than external villains acting 'evil'. This allows the major strength of the show (the characters) to really shine through since the viewers are able to see their growth. Ryan Ding's character moves from a bratty/self-centered person to a caring and considerate one. Esther's character starts off air-headed and a pushover but really starts to stand-up for things and people she cares about. It's great to see. As it's an easy to digest plot, marathoning this show was very easy and there's a solid rewatch value.
2) Minor Quips:
There really isn't any major cons so I'll only go over some minor things I had issue with.
Last arc was disappointing. Around episodes 28-34, I felt the plot really started to drag. Many cdramas have this issue of having underwhelming final arcs and I felt this one was a bit forced. I felt like it moved away from what made the previous episodes enjoyable and started moving towards "evil villain" and forced-drama vibes (especially with the introduction of another certain character....).
Would've liked to see more of the female lead's thoughts. Although the FL is the "main" character, the story really heavily centers around the point of view of the male-lead. This makes the FL feel like she's in a more passive/static role whereas the ML is one that's in the dynamic role.
A little bit too much focus on second leads. Since the main leads' relationship is relatively smooth-sailing, this put a lot of the drag/boring tropes on the second leads with their back-and-forth. Not too big of a deal.
3) Miscellaneous:
Plot is VERY reminiscent to Love is Sweet. Characters, dog, motivations, cohabitation, etc. Not a con by any means but there's a lot of similarities to be drawn. OST is solid but really only 1 song by Esther Yu that's actually rememberable. Cute FL outfits.
Overall, would definitely recommend.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Why can't I have their relationship?
Came to watch this after Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and I really enjoyed it even though I rarely watch modern dramas.The beginning was slow moving for the couple but it was quite funny and light-hearted. The FL wasn't a damsel in distress. She was a queen who wasn't afraid to defend her authors and demand others respect them and their work. She was dedicated and good at her job. She deserved every good thing that happened to her. She valued and respected others and they valued and respected her in return. As someone in the creative industry, I appreciate this a lot and hope others can also learn to respect creatives and their work. We work for our passion but we deserve fair pay too.
Sure Zhou Chuan was childish at the start. As someone who only lived for himself and his work to suddenly have to do feelings. I don't think it's too far-fetched. He is endearingly childish to me and as the story progresses, he finally shows his generosity and care, not just towards his girlfriend but also to people he genuinely cares about. He's resourceful, he knows his worth and he makes full use of it (to help his girlfriend fight against unfairness in her workplace). They are both professionals at work and respect each other.
Finally a series where the dude is not oblivious to other girls and their schemes. He is direct and rude but i love it HAHAHA! THIS SHOULD BE THE WAY GUYS PLEASE TAKE NOTES! He sees through all the girls trying to get in between him and FL and he just goes "yeah nope byebye" in the most direct manner.
I love it when smart people get together and this is one such instance.
Special mention: the bromance!! The friendship between Zhou Chuan and Jiang Yu Cheng is one of the best I've seen in any drama. They bicker and fight but also have each other's back anytime. They are friendship goals!!!
Will 10/10 rewatch again.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is as beautiful as the moon! I'm in love!
I don't want to expect a lot from this drama but I've read a lot of good reviews and this drama didn't disappoint me.I really enjoyed every episodes. The plot includes comedy, romance, life lessons, friendship, family and career. It's very impressive. I love books but not that much as I prefer watching dramas now. Though I still read sometimes. They also showed the works in a publishing company and it is very interesting. Usually work/ business talks are boring but this drama made it interesting.
This is one of my favorite Chinese drama. What I like most on most Chinese dramas is that they don't have the overly dramatic and overly complicated plot. You just enjoy the story and relate to characters experiences. And this Cdrama is one of the best.
Actors portrayed their Characters well. Zhou Chuan (Ryan Ding) is such a childish brat. But I love him and he's so cute. I actually watched this because of the plot and him. Hehe.
There is really a good chemistry between all the Characters. There are bromance, sismance and love-hate relationships and I love everything.
But, as I mostly indicate on my reviews, there is no perfect drama. There are some scenes that you might wanna skip, some Characters you might hate and some scenes you might not relate to but this drama all in all is a good one. I barely noticed that I already finished the 36 episodes as I really enjoyed watching it.
I will definitely miss them and will definitely re-watch. Although I don't know when since I have tons of dramas on my watch list. Hehe.
Side note:
I also want to see a beautiful moon with someone beside me. :')
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A boost of serotonin!
i’m a fluffy romance fanatic and this drama is the boost of serotonin i was looking for! moonlight is a rom-com that hit the nail in the head for me. i watched a few episodes and i was all-in, especially the lead couple and their portrayals. i only recently became familiar with ding yuxi’s works but his portrayal of zhou chuan in ML is by far my favorite work of his.the relationship between the leads is adorable and it was nice to see the ML liking the FL first rather than it being the FL always crushing on the ML. their chemistry was really good and they had many swoon worthy scenes and to contrast, some bickering scenes that made me love them more; zhou chuan is childish but in a way that it only made his character more lovable ( i applaud yuxi’s amazing acting! ). the plot of this story is pretty generic IMO, showing everyday work in the publishing industry; chu li struggles in the beginning of the drama with her work being difficult. but it was so refreshing that chu li had a backbone and never allowed anyone to walk all over her; her determination to do her work proficiently was admirable and empowering. she’s not only reliable but she’s a lovable character that i sincerely grew fond of as the drama progressed. the bromance between zhou chuan and jiang yucheng was lovely and i enjoyed their moments of friendship ( it was hilarious how zhou chuan would get jealous everytime chu li praised jiang’s works and he’d want her attention to himself LOL ). one of my most favorite moments would have to be the way chu li handled the rumors that her BF was involved with another woman — she handled that amazingly and with such maturity it just boosted my respect for her. i simply love it when dramas promote healthy relationships!
overall this drama really exceeded my expectations as i am usually not a fan of dramas with a large amount of episodes as they tend to get dragged out; but this rom-com was entertaining to watch and a sweet fluffy delight; you get invested in the characters that you look forward to seeing what comes next! i can’t quite express wholely why i loved moonlight but it was a complete pleasure to watch, hands down one of my favorite dramas from 2021. i congratulate ding yuxi on yet another incredible project and to esther yu as well! one of the best modern cdramas i have ever seen <3
Was this review helpful to you?
Best Romantic drama with great chemistry..smart but cute female lead and nice clingy male lead..
To be honest I really like this drama moonlight..the acting of eesther yu and ding yuxi iso so good... they fit so amazingly in their roles!!The story, plots and their sweet romance is so good...
And their chemistry.. woww ❤️
To be honest I really like this drama moonlight..the acting of eesther yu and ding yuxi iso so good... they fit so amazingly in their roles!!
The story, plots and their sweet romance is so good...
And their chemistry.. woww ❤️To be honest I really like this drama moonlight..the acting of eesther yu and ding yuxi iso so good... they fit so amazingly in their roles!!
The story, plots and their sweet romance is so good...
And their chemistry.. woww ❤️
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Serotonin boost!
i’m a fluffy romance fanatic and this drama is the boost of serotonin i was looking for! moonlight is a rom-com that hit the nail in the head for me. i watched a few episodes and i was all-in, especially the lead couple and their portrayals. i only recently became familiar with ding yuxi’s works but his portrayal of zhou chuan in ML is by far my favorite work of his.the relationship between the leads is adorable and it was nice to see the ML liking the FL first rather than it being the FL always crushing on the ML. their chemistry was really good and they had many swoon worthy scenes and to contrast, some bickering scenes that made me love them more; zhou chuan is childish but in a way that it only made his character more lovable ( i applaud yuxi’s amazing acting! ). the plot of this story is pretty generic IMO, showing everyday work in the publishing industry; chu li struggles in the beginning of the drama with her work being difficult. but it was so refreshing that chu li had a backbone and never allowed anyone to walk all over her; her determination to do her work proficiently was admirable and empowering. she’s not only reliable but she’s a lovable character that i sincerely grew fond of as the drama progressed. the bromance between zhou chuan and jiang yucheng was lovely and i enjoyed their moments of friendship ( it was hilarious how zhou chuan would get jealous everytime chu li praised jiang’s works and he’d want her attention to himself LOL ). one of my most favorite moments would have to be the way chu li handled the rumors that her BF was involved with another woman — she handled that amazingly and with such maturity it just boosted my respect for her. i simply love it when dramas promote healthy relationships!
overall this drama really exceeded my expectations as i am usually not a fan of dramas with a large amount of episodes as they tend to get dragged out; but this rom-com was entertaining to watch and a sweet fluffy delight; you get invested in the characters that you look forward to seeing what comes next! i can’t quite express wholely why i loved moonlight but it was a complete pleasure to watch, hands down one of my favorite dramas from 2021. i congratulate ding yuxi on yet another incredible project and to esther yu as well! one of the best modern cdramas i have ever seen <3
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the Best FL and Main Couple in a Modern C-drama
< Review mostly focuses on the main couple >STORY
Overall: The absolute best part was how their characters were written and portrayed! The romance for the main couple was gradually developed and felt natural (don't worry, they have their fair share of sweet and romantic moments). Their relationships and friendships with other characters were nicely interwoven. The progression is good and while it sometimes quickly jumped to a month or two later (with a mere mention of it in dialogue), it was a bit more realistic compared to some dramas where a bunch of dramatic events occur in succession and they date/break-up in less than 2 months. Though there were times I wondered where things would go and how, it was never boring and only made me more invested.
Breaking it down,
Beginning: Don't be fooled by the initial tropes like cohabitation, bad first impression, and being online friends because there was so much more to offer. Their acting and reactions during the first third was highly entertaining and fun. It offers glimpses into who the characters really are as well.
Middle: Initially wasn't sure how the story would progress but with additional characters, there was more to the story and relationship development.
End: Changes in setting were somewhat randomly added sometimes in later eps to add more romance, but it helps since they were often in the same setting of either Zhou Chuan's house or the Yuan Yue Publishing Office.
CHARACTERS
1. Chu Li (Female Lead):
Chu Li retains the main characteristic of a typical FL that's bubbly and cute, but she goes beyond the typical damsel in distress that always fails and has to rely on the ML. Instead, she often refuses to! She was smart, thorough, persistent, firm, strong, and confident. She could solve problems on her own and knew how to stand up for herself.
2. Zhou Chuan (Male Lead):
Zhou Chuan started off as a character that had a rude demeanor and was the typical tsundere ML. However, his online persona and friendship with Jiang Yu Cheng showcased his nicer side in the beginning until we could see improvements in how he treated Chu Li.
Chu Li <3 Zhou Chuan as a Couple:
What I enjoyed about the two of them is that they kept this drama light and enjoyable. They gradually became interested in each other romantically until they came to see each other as partners in life. The best part of their relationship was how they were:
1. being mutually supportive,
2. respectful of each other's views/work/decisions,
3. concerned about each other's well-being (physical and emotional),
4. present in each other's happy and sad moments,
5. trusting/confident in their love and feelings for each other
6. understanding and accepting of each other's flaws
Overall, both Chu Li and Zhou Chuan were multidimensional characters that made rational decisions which made sense for who they were and what they wanted to achieve. While each of them had their flaws/weaknesses, they had their own strengths to utilize towards their goals. They weren't perfect but that's what made them relatable. Their efforts inspire viewers to do work hard, grow from our past, and end up stronger on the other side.
Was this review helpful to you?
