Engrossing plot
The romance was not really the focus, but mostly the journey and obstacles for writers and editors.The ML was really childish and annoying, especially at the beginning. As for the female lead, there wasn't much growth for her, because she was perfect from the beginning. She consistently acted with integrity and was always right.
The office drama was more interesting for the plot.
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Sweet but long winded
Sweet romance but the leads took too long to confess their feelings. This whole drama have lots of incessant scenes and I found myself having to skip through everything because the second leads are really boring. Story is mediocre but at least the romance is about authors and editors, rather than the typical overbearing boss with clumsy employee. Female lead is smart and naive at the same time. She is very successful and capable but failed to realise that male lead lied to her when she confronted about his other identity. There were so many clues and the reasoning he gave her to brush her suspicion off were not convincing enough and she believed it. It was nice to see the female lead changing the male lead from a hot tempered, weak-willed, lazy, unromantic with zero social skills to someone romantic, heart warming and supportive boyfriend. Female lead is very capable, successful and smart and is a huge pillar of support for male lead. She’s extremely bubbly, adorable and cute. When both of them were at their lowest, both of them stayed strong together and female lead slowly climbed her way up. There were no break ups at all. The dog was really cute. The second leads were boring. Literally skipped their parts out as they were predictable. This drama could have shortened to 24 episodes but they choose to have 36 episodes of unnecessary scenes.Was this review helpful to you?
Highly recommend!
I didn’t think I’d finish all 30 plus episodes but this was a really really good cdrama! Both main characters were really lovable and I loved the premise. The female lead is such a natural, lovable character who stands up for her values. Really good acting skills from the male lead who has a hidden Mr Fox character. I really enjoyed his acting in Tiger and the Rose and liked him even more as the haughty but smart budding young author. Highly recommend this to cdrama lover who has a strong appreciation for books/ literature too :)Was this review helpful to you?
Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi my cuties
Overall very enjoyable.The first 16 episodes are enjoyable and engaging. The episodes after that feel like a drag, nothing exciting happens and it feels like nothing is really moving forward however, the last few episodes make up for it. Chu Li and Zhou Chuan's relationship and dynamic is so beautiful and fun to watch. I liked how Chu Li was able to pursue her dream of being an editor due to her persistence and determination to prove herself and work hard. Zhou Chuan's relationship with his father is also something that was beautifully cultivated and grown as the story progressed. A reminder that communication is utterly important! All the characters were well written and each character had something to learn from as you watch. The soundtrack is absolutely perfect. Would highly recommend watching!
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This review may contain spoilers
Nice Doesn’t Mean Weak!
I’m a total book nerd so a love story between a kind-hearted editor + a best-selling author totally piqued my interest when I read the synopsis. And while it was a bit more fluffy than I was expecting I still really enjoyed their story.I found the FL to be quite relatable (though a bit too “cutesy” at times) with her bubbly personality, enthusiasm for her writers, & optimistic nature. She showed a lot of spunk for a girl who was just starting out in her career. She quickly learns it won’t all be easy since several colleagues seem intent on seeing her fail, but she’s determined to prove that she has what it takes to succeed. To do so, she sets out to sign a contract with a difficult & reluctant author.
I admired her character throughout the show. She faces a lot of challenges as she embarks on this new phase of her life, but she never lets the pressures or failures keep her down. She’s a sweet girl who others often underestimate. But we witness her inner strength when she stands up for herself, for what she believes in, & for her authors multiple times. It was refreshing to see a FL who’s friendly & kinda quirky not let anyone push her around. Like hey - we can be kind A N D strong, ya know? 🙌🏻
The ML matches her energy well as he’s also a combination of strong & dorky. He doesn’t care what others think of him or his writing, he stays true to himself despite any negative reviews. It’s only when his loved ones are threatened later in the show that he considers bending, though they refuse to let him do so. He’s a bit of an eccentric character, whom I found both entertaining & frustrating in equal parts for the first half of the show.
Let me explain: I’m not a fan of the hidden identity trope so that lessened my enjoyment of both him & the drama a bit. Him not admitting to the FL that he’s her online friend (even straight up lying to her about it) was confusing. I didn’t at all understand his reasoning for this. I know he explained it to her later amidst their fighting & reconciliation scenes, but I still don’t get it. IMO, the FL was fully justified in her anger towards him. So while, yes, I did love the ML, he wasn’t without flaws.
Back to his good points, though. He’s not at all lacking in self-confidence, but when it comes to the FL he’s a bit out of his depth. He likes her but he’s not quite sure what to do about it since she likes her online friend (the ML’s jealousy over this “love rival” is funny since he’s knowingly jealous of himself, haha.) His attempts at wooing her are clumsy & tend to have the opposite effect, but eventually his efforts pay off. And we get to experience how adorable this duo is as a couple in love. 🫶🏻
Together, they’re precious. They’re both very loyal & refuse to be swayed by others’ opinions. They don’t give outsiders any room to cause misunderstandings between them (I LOVE how they both handled the delulu girl - she didn’t stand a chance at breaking up these two). They’re fierce in their defense of one another & they make each other/their relationship a top priority. They’re a solid couple with great chemistry. They have lots of cute, swoon worthy moments & many sweet kisses. 🫠
Apart from the greatness of the Leads’ relationship, I also enjoyed the “business” side of things. If you’re a word-lover like me, I think you would as well. Taking a peek into the world of authors & their editors was a fun delight (even if it’s a fictional look in another country). There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes for the books we love to wind up in our hands. I wasn’t at all bored by this aspect of the plot line or the many scenes focusing on their careers. And I liked that the Leads were able to separate their personal relationship & their business dynamic. They handled that very maturely. Same goes for their interactions with colleagues - they never let work negatively impact their friendships. Healthy relationships all around!
_________\\__________//________
-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-
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…
….
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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.19 💋
- Together : ep.21 👩🏻❤️👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope 💖
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cute & fun
you know how some work related cdramas tend to dive tooo deep into the work drama and make the show less interesting.. but this show doesnt do that. the plot was written well and there weren’t any unnecessary conflicts that annoys me too much. i couldnt care less about the second leads unfortunately. this show is worth a watch if you’re looking for something lighthearted and sweet ! looking forward to the ML’s new costume drama togetherWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A dreamy and cute romance!
goodness me, what a delightful watch!pros:
- wonderfully written characters who developed well as the episodes went on. there was a beautiful balance between romance and plot happenings.
- healthy relationship between the leads. it started off rocky with ZC’s very apparent daddy issues but I love how his character actually grew and matured while still maintaining a playful air! i love the trust and loyalty they had towards each other, with a sprinkle of healthy jealousy. it was so nice to watch <3
- the plot was actually good! i feel that often with cdramas, the romance and story can clash or be incompatible sometimes and i lose interest in one or the other after a bit but i enjoyed both in Moonlight! it was nice seeing some insight into the publishing world
- i loveeeee the beige/warm colour palette and aesthetics. so comforting :)
- the acting was great :D DYX has really nailed the loving gaze (reminds me of Mark Prin’s loving gazes haha) and his kisses are so good lol there were some bits from Esther’s side where i felt was a bit awkward? but overall, everyone did a good job.
- side characters were not jarring and i didn’t feel like they’re screentime was taking away from the leads’ storyline. well written once again!
- the natsume soseki references. ugh will never be soft for ‘the moon is beautiful tonight’ confessions.
- the ending was perfect! beautifully wrapped up :) love it when they end with them becoming a family and not just a wedding :D
- er gou. that’s it. that’s the tweet.
cons:
- i did skip Jiang yu cheng’s storyline and romance, it was so boring to me lol
- it got a *little* draggy near the middle before zhou chuan and chu li got together. they overused the interruption before the leads wanted to say smth trope and it got annoying after a point. nothing a good skip can’t solve though.
- sorry but zhou chuan’s style was horrendous LOL he’s meant 28 year old man they were dressing him like a 12 year old fortnite kids at times (what was with the hoodie + blazer/trench coat combo?!) esther’s styling was nice though.
- i am not a fan of babyish female leads and unfortunately chu li was just that. it took me at least 10 episodes to tolerate the baby voices, sounds, accent and mannerisms. while i still enjoyed her character in the end, i felt like her character could have done without it. it seems she always gets casted in these type of roles since her voice is very scratchy and squeaky and is so unpleasant to listen to when she wails. her acting is pretty good though so it didn’t ruin the drama for me in the end.
overall, a very smooth sailing drama and such a gem! i highly highly recommend it! 9/10
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An enjoyable watch!
Severely underrated drama, in my opinion, especially considering the popularity of Ding Yuxi and Esther Yu. Excellent writing, interesting plot, and so funny too! Major props to the actors for their refreshing comedic performances. Much better and a whole lot less cringe than many idol dramas with huge followings. The two leads have great chemistry (not quite as good as the chemistry in The Romance of Tiger and Rose -- also starring Ding Yuxi -- but they're definitely cute together)An enjoyable watch!
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It’s good but not that good.
Looking at the high rating, I had the urge to watch this series. However, it doesn’t satisfy me enough.Plot wise, it’s interesting but a bit too draggy and repetitive. Can easily cut some episode to make it compact. Romance and chemistry? Great! The sole reason that keep me going until the last episode. Their relationship are cute and fluffy. Definitely a good serotonin boost. Acting wise? Honestly cringing most of the time listening to FL high tone voice. I don’t mind if she want to baby talk to ML, but she’s also act like a child in front of her older colleagues. Doesn’t seem professional and it annoyed me so much. ML is also childish but at least, he only acted like that around his close ones. Despite FL being child-like behaviour, i still like her character, radiating positive aura and a happy pill. It will be 100% better if she act as a professional during the work setting.
Overall, still enjoyable if you crave for happy couple moments.
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This review may contain spoilers
honestly one of the best c-dramas in 2021
note: mandarin is my mother tongue, i speak it almost everydaylong story short if u wanna know if this show is good... i bought all 4 books of the original novel lol... :D
lets start off with the actors shall we?
visuals are OFF THE CHARTS!!! male 1, female 1, male 2 and female 3,, my goodness !!!!!! male and female 1 are the cutsie couple while male and female 2 are the cool and chic couple!! not to mention the 2 girls, they sing so well in real life!!! i recommend GWALLA and ChuLi is Here both by Esther Yu [ChuLi] and Reverse - Ma YinYin [GuBaiZhi] Both guys are smoking hot as well hahahaha
now the story -
unlike what esther yu dramas were always like, this sotry is more on the maturity side, like entering the workforce for the frist time, pursuing dreams and goals. this show is worth to watch because of the meaning of the story and basically how the show progressed and how the characters were portrayed. the main couple being goofy and finding love with each other while the second couple finding their love and passion for each other. so it is right for me/us to say that this show covers everything from different aspects. its like a whole package. story summary that is more in detail: chuli works at a book publishing company of her dreams ever since middle school, she meets her favourite novel writers, zhou chuan and jiang yu cheng respectively, coincidentally both of these writers were best friends since young! zhou chuan and chuli relationship grows steadier and closer as they work on publishing books together and.......living with each other under the same roof! and as for jian yu cheng, he meets his ex again, gu bai zhi and like the latter, they work together on books and also their broken relationship as to ge back together! overall, like ive mentioned, the story is lovely and very whlesome and family oriented as well. oo and honourable mention: er gou!! the doggo of the show hehe
acting skills,
well ding yu xi who played zhou chuan has already captured my dear old mum's heart so what else can i say! as for esther yu and chu li, their personalities are EXACTLY THE SAME! goofy and ambitious, no one can ever take place of acting chu li!!
music -
very nice! my favourites would be ChuLi is Here and NiuNiu! very cute songs!
and of course 10/10 wld rewatch! i even bought all 4 parts of the novels, which are VERY aesthetic. book 1 to book 4 is a spectrum from white to gray to black! :D
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Sweet rom-com
LIKEWhen Jiang Yu Cheng read Liu Lao Shi husband's letter - those words extremely touching
When Jiang Yu Cheng mentioned about He Shu Huan from Romance in the Rain where he popped up from a box - my memories came back
DISLIKE
How Jiang Yu Cheng treated Gu Bai Zhi - arrgghh that guy...
MUSIC - personal fav
初礼来了 Chu Li Lai Le - 虞书欣 Yu Shu Xin
無心之詩 Wu Xin Zhi Shi - 丁禹兮 Ding Yu Xi
暈海 Yun Hai - 張遠 Zhang Yuan
REWATCH VALUE
Will re-watch some day
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