Overall a very good show but with some very questionable scenes.
I really enjoyed this show. It has a fantastic cast and I really appreciate the ensemble nature of it. It is a bit weird in that at each character featured plays progressively a smaller role the farther the story goes, but I do enjoy that it isn't the typical 2 main characters with comic relief side characters. Most plot lines are good and each of the men and woman are different enough and have distinct dynamics that make them enjoyable.The main negatives for me is that there is a lot of just artificially placed issues with many of the romances. Obviously you don't want smooth sailing but for me personally there are too many issues caused by complete failure in communication and unreasonable assumptions / idealism.
There are also 4 or 5 five scenes that are really despicable but played off as lighthearted or reasonable. They are minor enough in plot relevance which makes it annoying that they were even included. Examples include prolonging a forced abduction for brownie points, insane gaslighting, and just weird and callous behavior between family members.
Overall the show is very enjoyable, mostly due to the cast and production. The characters all have their unique elements and likeable. While some are close to being Mary Sues, most of them are more nuanced than a lot of other main roles portrayed in Chinese dramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
MAJOR SPOILERS - Complaints about each couple's storyline
How I wish story should've or shouldn't have been:(1) 1st Couple - It seems that Du Yanxi has been planning to take revenge on his dad for a long time. Maybe he didn't have a plan at that point but he could've given reasons to delay any marriage till he figured out a plot. If he happened to marry someone else instead and didn't fall in love with the wife, would he have allowed her to go through the same?
I don't dislike his character; he's flawed, but still a decent husband. He doesn't need to be the perfect ML. It's his whole plan I'm not a fan of. And why keep Shou Hua in the dark? Why not just tell her about your childhood trauma and plans so she can be better prepared? She might have actually helped you plot a better revenge plan that this coz she's so smart and cunning.
Also, a small point - they could've shown his reaction when he found out about the initial bride-switch that took place. That could've set a better context to his initial reaction to Shou Hua on their wedding night and not shown his character like an outright demon.
(2) 2nd Couple - Would've been nice to see some kind of quick backstory to how these 2 got married in the first place. It obviously seems to be arranged but how did the poor Li family from far away manage to even connect with the richer Fan family and arrange this? How come the Fan family even agreed to this marriage?
(3) 3rd Couple - I think the only thing I wasn't particularly happy about was the pretend-kidnapping stunt he pulled-off. It was cute but I felt like Kangning wasn't angry enough or scared enough about it coz imagining to be in her position of being picked up and sold off to traffickers is pretty frightening. Her sister Fuhui had a proper reaction of crying and relief. Any person would have this reaction even if it's your crush in front of you.
(4) 4th Couple - They're definitely my 2nd favourite couple in this show. But why go with the Amnesia trope? 😑 It felt lazy to me. Very Lazy. And it felt so odd to see a cold-hearted Hui Shao to be force-smiling. I thoroughly enjoyed the cases they solved together. But if they wanted a reason for the both to hang out and solve cases, they could've done so even without forcing Amnesia. Just a normal fracture or injury would do. And I definitely feel he should've told her at one point about his trauma with his sister (this was the most tragic plot in the show IMO).
This is what should've happened - Give him a fracture instead of Amnesia, make her take care of him. She starts noticing and reading through his cases and gives unsolicited opinions which he would start to appreciate gradually. Later he starts asking for her opinions upfront. Show the other 4 sister's involvement also when required. Definitely show the BIL Alliance. If she's not around, he would start to miss her in a friendly way. Along the way, he informs her about his past which makes her understand his behaviour. Now that he's opened up to her and feels vulnerable around her, slowly and steadily, make his heart melt for her.
(5) 5th Couple - I'm sure a lot of people agreed that this plot started well and ended in the garbage bin. Firstly, the violence was funny in the beginning, but it was starting to get a bit too unrealistic. It took me a while to understand that the dad had a concubine so I kept confusing her to be one of the sisters. I think her character should've been presented gradually or atleast make the audience aware that she's one of the evil ones. I get that they wanted character development for Yang Xian but it could've been done while they were rich too. The explanation of why the King Majesty decided to make his consorts poor was very weird. If they wanted to go with this plot, they could've atleast established a romantic relationship between Leshan and Yang Xian. We never got to see this till the very end. They had a chance to show affectionate scenes when he would visit her at her window but that didn't happen either. No hug, no kiss, only a stick to beat him with. (Even the 6th couple got a long hug)! It feels like they only wanted to show this as a funny couple but there was definitely chemistry brewing between the 2 that the writers SHOULD have exploited that but they never did and we all truly missed something good.
Oh, and that whole adopted sister of Yang Xian - completely UNNECESSARY. They didn't even use her for a Jealousy Trope.
(6) 6th Couple - Before getting into the plot, in my personal opinion, I find Qiongnu to be one of the most beautiful of the sisters. She has a combination of a pretty face, cuteness, sweetness, and elegance. Therefore, I feel the casting of She Cong was not the best. Their looks did not match at all. Forget everyone else for a moment, his looks did not even remotely match his own twin sister Kangning! Infact! The side actor who was casted as She Cong's right-hand man or his guard actually looked much better suited AND his sharp features could even match with Kangning's while complimenting Qiongnu's beauty.
Now getting to the plot, like someone rightly mentioned, we were truly robbed of a decent love story here. Only 1 singular uno scene. Realistically, if you knew each other before adolescence roughly 10-15 years ago, it's odd to suddenly have romantic feelings for each other. Even a single episode that was dedicated to this couple to establish some affection or atleast some respect would've worked.
They could've even showed a scene where he gets along with all his sisters and BILs but they only showed him hanging around Leshan for Yang Xian to feel jealous which also felt incomplete.
And why was it never mentioned that Qiongnu was promised to Madam Li's son when they were children? I just assumed she was an orphan who was rescued by him and so she was adopted by Madam Li due to pity and to honour her son's "death". This whole time, she was her to-be in-law. That changes the dynamic completely.
Now, aside from this, that whole plot about the case of 200 children and some priestess getting kidnapped, the whole scene with the King, She Cong and Shen Huishao (and what I'm assuming was the 4th consort who is now a priestess)...... I don't know why was this included nor did I understand how it impacted the story at all or for whom they had written it. It feels like this was part of a larger plotline that was cut out but because it was linked to Yang Xian and Leshan's scene, they left it I guess.
(7) There's no 7th couple and I know I'm asking too much now but I feel they could've done something small for Chun Lai. She was also quite pretty and cute.
I enjoyed this show alot, which is why I have so many complaints 😂
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Perfect all round happy ending for all
When I started this show I knew I would be getting 5 different storylines for all the pairings so I knew it would be an entertaining show. What I wasn't expecting was for it to be so varied in genres within those storylines.It gave us longing, drama, rivalry, family secrets, forced proximity, healing, and more drama in all shapes and forms including murder mistery!
I will say though, that I personally got a little bit bored during Shouhua's arc so I skipped a couple scenes to get through it quicker, but that's my personal preference in regards to pacing. There's a little bit of everything for everyone in here.
My favorite sister was Leshan, maybe because I identify with being the youngest and fiercest in my family, but my favorite relationship arc was Haode's, followed by Kangning's.
The ending was quite satisfying with everyone happy and that's all I'll say on that.
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For The Hopeless Romantics
Some romance dramas tell stories of people who find love in life, but this drama, this one tells stories about people who live for love. This one is romance in its pure form, and hopeless romantics, this one is for you!I love everything about this. I love the healthy, empowering dynamics of the Li matriarch and her daughters, and between each daughters. They love each other deeply, and their daily lives together are so heartwarming to see.
Each daughters are given their own spotlight and their own stories, and I really love how drama focus on the stories one by one, part by part, so we can focus on the development between the couples better, without overlapping mixed feelings and all.
In summary, personally, I think the tags/vibes for the couple stories are:
1. 1st daughter: noona romance, older woman x younger man, calm couple, power couple, scheming couple (the good ones), the overall feeling of their story is slow and soft but dramatic
2. 2nd daughter: mommy romance(?) lol idk how to explain it but like, the man is such a mommy's boy, he also listens and fears for his wife, and literally a good for nothing young master, but he's kind and really funny and the most earnest of them all. the vibes are the old married couple who's been together for twenty years
3. 3rd daughter: bickering couple, rival to lovers, mutual pining (both are oblivious at first), neighbours, scheming couple (the naughty ones), the vibe is full of banters and jibes and teasing each other, but both loves earnestly and openly
4. 4th daughter: one sided pining, unrequited love, amnesia, warm woman x cold man, that law enforcement couple who defends the locals, the vibe initially is a bit sad, then it becomes cute and funny, then a bit sad again, then it becomes cute again lol i love the rollercoaster!
5. 5th daughter: enemies to lovers (quite literally), good woman x bad man, freespirited couple, the messy rich household backyard affairs, one sided physical banter, one sided pining (but he's bad at pining so), switched brides (on purpose) like god the vibes are literally slapstick comedy and dumbasses falling in love, right person at the right time
Also for someone who gets anxious easily with conflicts, this drama gives me none of it, like no stress at all, I'm really happy with this one. Recommended if you love romcoms, and likes multiple leads drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
FIVE Heartwarming,light and interesting stories packed in one.
Plot - The show has the story of a widowed mother and her 5 daughters. The bond between the daughters, their quirky personalities and many talents...and the kind of men they end up attracting is interesting to see.Actors - All the actors have done a great job but I am especially a fan of the actors who acted as the THIRD (husband of first widowed daughter) AND FOURTH HUSBAND. All the female leads and the mother have done an amazing job. They have put their all into the role.
Cons - The most disappointing part of the drama was the treatment of Yang Xian. The fact that they treated him like trash AFTER HIS SINCERE EFFORTS and redemption (all because he lost his wealth) is truly sad because he would have NEVER done that to the people he calls family. He even forgave his sister. Its a shame that they treated him badly and laughed about it. He endured the most pain, heartbreak and humiliation and Li family had zero remorse for it.
The FL ( second daughter) is too harsh and physically abusive to her husband which I do not condone..They have tried to make it funny but its never funny. The actors managed to make it light despite this major drawback in the writing so...kudos to them!
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Disappointing
An okay drama ruined by a minor actress having a romance with an almost 30 yr old guy stopped at 29 and have no interest in watching her rubbing the 27 yr old guy back wheh she was probably only 16 cuz wtf. I would have Givin this an 8 cuz the sisters arc were good but I can't in good conscious give it an 8 when it's so problematic. So it's a 1. And don't bother arguing and making excuses on how minor exploitation is normal cuz idc.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Loving this show so far (completed 6 episodes)
This show pulls you in within the first episode with its slapstick humor and over the top antics of some of main characters who have big personalities. There’s nuance and some characters manipulate and lie. If you’re not paying attention to the dialogue, it’s easy to misunderstand what the writers are trying to reveal about the main character personalities and relationships. Episode 6 does a good job of reiterating the misunderstandings to pave the way for the enemies to lovers transition for one couple.The Li family and Chai An are actively pressing their interests forward which keeps the tempo of the story telling moving. The actors deliver strong performances. Wang Chu Ran, Wang Xingyue, and Liu Xie Ning are as gorgeous as ever. The set design, costumes, use of livestock and horses support the story as a realistic period piece. Also like that the storytelling is showcasing the food (baozi, roasted goose, varities cakes and pastries, etc) of that time period and that when people sit to eat or drink, they are occasionally really ingesting something. I’ve noted in other shows how a group sits down to eat and they talk and no one actually eats.
My only regret after watching the first 6 episodes is that future episodes are being rolled out in 1 to 2 episode increments.
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A drama for single women raising their children
The first thing that grabbed me about this series was the determination the mother has for her children, its like how many if not all mothers would have reacted with 6 children to raise alone - she is a force of nature.the second thing I liked about this drama was the stories especially the first romance between daughter 3 and Chia was great and has the greatest end
the 3rd thing was the way in which the stories unfold quite naturally through the circumstances of each of the individuals in them and how the daughters' choices of husbands evolves into a main plot story too....
Am at episode 20 writing this so am really very pleased with it so far....
Some clever drama writing in this series....
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Not for Me
I was excited to watch this on Netflix because I am a huge fan of the main leads. But I wasn’t really sure what to expect since we have a mother with five daughters. That would be really interesting. I know they would all have their matches and their own stories. Don’t get me wrong, I really love the characters but I’m not going to lie, but some of them are annoying. I love the main ML actor, but the way he treated the FL by being so competitive with her family and the way he kicked that ball and hit her on the head? Forget it. I wouldn’t fall for a guy like that. I stopped at episode 13 back in January 2025 and I thought I was going to continue but it’s already November 2025. There’s no hope in going back to continue. It’s just not for me.Was this review helpful to you?
Boring
I only watched this because I like a few of the leads. Couldn't finish it.First, I dislike shows that try too hard to be funny. The "funny" scenes were not. It felt a little bit like slapstick. Not amusing.
Second, the storyline was an endless repeating loop. It got boring quickly.
Most of the acting was good. Unfortunately, they really didn't have much to work with.
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I love this show
I love the show from the music to the actors to the storyline to the production to the set. I love everything. I watched this show sometime last year and since then I have re-watched the show constantly (I don’t often rewatch shows). it’s lighthearted and funny, and I love the different personalities that come out through each sister. I love the matriarchal aspect of it that centers around a strong mother. and I love how each sister didn’t have to give up their strength but in a way they didn’t need it that much because they gained support and strength from their husbands as well. I love the brotherhood that their husbands formed. I thought it was really cute and funny. and I think each storyline for each sister was unique. this is really specific, but I wish I could get a spinoff show of the concubine and the emperor just because they looked good together and I love the concubine’s demeanour.I don’t care what anyone says yes there are some production holes, especially near the end which is purely (I think) because they have quite a few characters to get through and they didn’t want to elongate the show which I really appreciate. The holes were not major if I’m honest I wouldn’t even call them holes. I would just say that they sped up the storyline in the last two episodes.
special shout out to the mum. She truly embodied all of the single hard-working strong mums out there. especially the mums fighting for the survival and the success of their daughters in a patriarchal society.
will 10 out of 10 recommend.
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Such a beautiful story
Perfect Match (2025) is a heartwarming and beautifully crafted period drama that sweeps you into the lively streets of the Northern Song Dynasty. At its core, it’s a story of love, resilience, and the unbreakable bond of family. Ni Hong-jie shines as Madame Li, a determined mother guiding her five daughters through life’s twists and turns, each with their own struggles and desires.Lu Yu-xiao’s portrayal of Kang-ning, the fierce yet vulnerable “Rogue Tiger,” is especially captivating, as she fights for independence in a world that tries to confine her. The romance, filled with longing and sharp wit, keeps you invested, while the rich historical setting and stunning costumes make every scene a visual feast. Though the pacing stumbles at times, the warmth, humor, and emotional depth of Perfect Match make it a truly enchanting watch—one that lingers in your heart long after the final episode.
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