Marian

Fun young adult drama

Just finished watching this drama. Endearing storyline with the main leads knowing each other since they were little and the ML loving her since then while the FL didn't know her feelings until much later. There's also a cute second couple in the story. But my main complaint is the SML who is like the annoying bug that won't go away. He started out as part of the usual love triangle. But eventually it just became bizarre because after the FL made it clear that she wasn't interested, he didn't give up. He kept pursuing her so it became annoying. And then towards the middle, they added a third character that became interested in her which didn't make any sense. I get that they want to keep the story interesting by creating conflict, but I think they could have come up with a more interesting way of doing this than just creating more male competition. For the most part, I enjoyed the series. But I did find myself skipping over some of the parts.

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Great drama with strong leads

So it took me a bit to get into this story versus "Hidden Love". I really enjoyed seeing the growth of the main characters. But I also enjoyed the side characters as they supported the main characters and how their story developed. I've seen Hidden Love many times and appreciate all the performances in there. But I can understand why they went with a completely different cast for this story. Victor Ma was perfect as the older brother teasing his sister in "Hidden Love", but also a supportive one. But I can't see him in a romantic role playing the lead. And he alluded to this in an interview that I read online that said he doesn't play these kinds of characters very well. With this said, I don't feel like this story will offer as much rewatch value for me as Hidden love. A big part of this has to do with the subject matter. I have to be honest, I fast forward some of those flashback parts when she was being sexually harassed by her uncle. I can appreciate these stories and how the FL can overcome many obstacles and come out stronger in the end. But seeing her going through trauma is not what I call an enjoyable watch multiple times. It's definitely not a rewatch unlike "Hidden Love" which had an innocence and charm about it. But I do recommend this drama especially if you're interested in learning about the older brother's backstory. Plus this is the third drama I've seen Bai Jing Ting in and he never disappoints. He really is an excellent actors and not just a pretty face. He portrays a wide variety of emotions convincly. And it's the second drama that I've seen Zhang Ruonan in and she did a great job convincing me that she experienced some horrific trauma. Yet she was able to bounce back. Also their chemistry was perfect which helped to sell the story more. I often find if the chemistry is not right, that can break the success of the drama. In this case, this was not an issue. Overall a strong cast and a well told story.

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Overall story was good

Enjoyed watching this mystery/romance. It was a nice twist to see a female coroner in that time period which I'm sure was unheard of. This was the first time that I saw a love triangle where it was hard to decide between the two leads. I found myself bouncing back and forth between the two. But in many ways, I almost wished that she ended up with the assassin because I think the actress had better chemistry as far as the romance with the other actor. I also enjoyed watching the various other cases get solved throughout the series. It really was like watching a detective show as they solved each case. I also liked the side characters like the FL's made and the ML's assistant. They were devoted to them and it showed throughout the series. A fun series for anyone who wants to watch a show that's not just a romance, but has a bit of mystery, action, and even a little danger in it.

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The story sucks you in

I admit, when I first saw the premise of this movie, I wasn't initially interested because I'm not much of a gamer. But the way they presented the story with a fiesty young girl who loves the game and joins an all male team, it hooked me in almost instantly. And although there is a romance in the story, I found that there were also enough solid side characters that made the story that much more interesting. I like the character of chubby, he wasn't just a comic relief like is often the case when they have an overweight character. Instead, he ended being very much used as also a support for the ML in his quest to get the girl. And the various competitions that they have to go through, you can see the growth in the FL as a player. She goes from just being an amateur gamer to a professional. I actually teared up when she lost the first time against that other gamer online especially when she said it didn't affect her. But then continued to stay up late to try and practice in order to get better. It was so touching when the ML came back to check on her. This was so early in the series. But you could already see the writers setting up the story for them to get together, Of course it's predicatable. But if you're looking for a series that's easy to watch, not much to figure out, with a solid cast and fun storyline, I highly recommend this series. This is also easily a rewatch one. I'm watching it again, I think for the 4th time now.

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Good drama, but.....

I can see why this drama had mixed reviews. I'm enjoying it so far, but one thing I find frustrating is the class disparity in the workplace. The higher ups treat the subordinates as trash and give them Little respect. And this goes down the chain from the very top to the bottom. I was shocked when that head person drank up the coffee drink of the subordinate and then proceeded to do the same with the manager. And also made a snide remark about why she shouldn't be drinking it. I can see why the ML is frustrated by his half sister and the way she has little regard for the employees and everything is about making money. Even when the ML asks his father have you ever rescued just one person. And his father replied with something like people are preoccupied with making money as if to imply that making money takes priority over saving one individual's life. My question is does this really happen in Korea and is this drama based on reality in terms of how the workplace is run? Or is there is a bit of fiction here for drama's sake? At any rate, will continue watching it as I do like the two leads and I appreciate some of the side stories like the grandma.

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Cute story

I'm enjoying this drama so far. I like Esther Yu and enjoyed watching her in Love Between Fairy and Devil and Find Yourself. She plays the innocent girl with a good heart, but you know there's someone who's not completely clueless and quickly grows up at some point, really well. I always enjoy watching her character development and how she matures from the beginning to the end. And so far, her character in this drama seems to be similar. Some people find her voice annoying, but I think it works for the roles that she plays. And the ML with being kind of opposite of her works. I enjoyed the humor throughout the early episodes so far. If you're looking for a light Rom Com with a slow pace and easy viewing, this is for you. My only minor complaint is sometimes when the background music with lyrics is playing, if you're dependent on subtitles like me, the subtitles for the lyrics kind of interferes with the subtitles for the dialogue. So it's hard to follow as they are both posted at the same time.

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Really wanted to like this, but having trouble

I'm trying to get into this drama. But I'm having a difficult time staying engaged and have stopped/started multiple times. The idea interested me because I saw some reviews mentioning it was like an Asian version of Pride and Prejudice. But while the acting is okay, I think the writing isn't as clever and isn't keeping me as engaged. And I don't feel the same feeling like I did watching Pride and Prejudice where you were cheering for the leads and really wanted to see them get together. And the leads don't really feel like leads although I do have respect for the actors who played them. I saw the ML in a couple other dramas, he impressed me with how young he was IRL, yet conveyed deep emotions and pulled off playing someone older. And the FL, I only saw her in Blossom in Adversity as a SFL. I actually liked her character in that series more than here. I think part of it is because she used her real voice in the other drama while she was dubbed here. Just my opinion, but after becoming familiar with an actor's real voice, it's always harder for me to get into a series when the actor is dubbed. I'm not sure if I will continue or not. I am taking a break and may start up again at some point.

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Noticed the male leads voice is dubbed

Just discovered this drama and decided to give it a try since I recognize the actor Zhao Yi Qin from his previous drama Wait for my Youth. I guess they dubbed his voice in this one because I saw him in an interview and noticed his deep voice. And it was used in Wait for my Youth. But in this drama, his voice is totally different. But then I read online somewhere that in modern dramas, if the actors can speak in the standard Mandarin that is accepted in China, they will go ahead and use their own voices to dub into the drama. But in the historical dramas, they tend to use other voices.

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