Assistant Li Is so Charming (2023)

Lighthearted crossdressing and hidden identity drama with sensible antagonist arc

I was in the mood for Li Ke Yi dramas in preparation for a reddit post on her work in vertical dramas. I chose this drama because this is her debut drama and the running time is short. I enjoyed it.

What I liked:
1. Romance - This drama is quite clever at using crossdressing and loving a person because of who they are, regardless of sex and gender. There was a growing attraction between FL and ML with ML having a tough time accepting his feelings for FL disguised as a man.
2. Main characters - They were likeable enough though I felt that the writer could play around more with ML's character growth.
3. Supporting characters - Zhou Ting Sheng the actor was the highlight of this drama. Perceptive and kind to FL even though she was oblivious about his crush on her. Anyway wasn't FL's friend / housemate played by Liu Xi Yu? Gosh, this must be one of her early roles.
4. Antagonist - I must say Ms Bai had a great arc - she's manipulative but smart.
5. Styling - I don't know who in real world would think Li Ke Yi was a man but her tomboy style was preppy and cute. I also liked her champagne gold evening gown and the wedding dress. Zeng Hui wore great outfits too - they were fitted nicely.
6. Length - This drama is about 1 hour 50 minutes. The pacing was good and overall it was quick and easy watch.

What I disliked:
1. Hidden identity - I wish FL had come clean about her identity to ML earlier, after receiving a bribe from Ms Bai. Let there be a real conflict between FL and ML.

Favourite scene
When Ms Bai convinced ML that she was the girl he had been looking for

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