ahhh I love this, i didn't think about his gestures for her this way, you're right most leading men have lots…
He's now #9 on VPulse for global actors!!! His upcoming drama with Meng Zi Yi seems to have a lot of potential, so I think he's on the up and up!
And yes!!! I love these little details. He knows her family is well off but he still chooses to give her so much. It makes me tear up thinking about it LOL
I also randomly thought about marriage vows... "for richer for poorer, in sickness in health" -- he cherished her the most, above himself, while he was poor AND rich, and while he was health AND sick omg I'm gonna cry
Ain't no way i got an Nissan Silvia followed by an RX-7 and now an AE86 in a drama with action, fighting, emotions,…
random but I feel like current idol cdramas are the closest to what we got on the CW haha (gratuitous shows with questionable but very addictive plots and hot ppl, like Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl)
But yeah it did fine. Just wished it broke records etc (like breaking 10k heat index even tho I don’t even know if that’s possible for modern dramas on IQIYI), so it could’ve redefined some industry standards
Wish SAL did better in China, so future shows can take note and give us more screentime with the MLs, and less dumb side plots / annoying love triangles / unnecessary villains
Ugh I still can't get over this drama despite the editing being such a mess and the Thailand plot occasionally making no sense. I think what the drama did really well is fleshing out why and how Jiang Mu and Jin Zhao fell in love with each other and no one else can compare.
Let's start from the beginning, when they were young. For Jiang Mu, Jin Zhao treated her like an absolute princess when she was young, carrying her on his back, eating the strawberry tops that Mumu didn't want while Mumu ate the sweet first bites. This was part of her everyday life. For Jin Zhao, Jiang Mu offered him a sense of place and belonging -- a sense of security. He was about to be kicked out of the home, until she spoke her first words "gege" (I'm not saying this is necessarily healthy, but it's very convincing to see why he would continue to think about her day and night even after being separated in Thailand). Now compare that to the surface level 'childhood connection' trope that K-drama watchers complain about
Now fast forward to Thailand -- Jin Zhao now fears that his lifestyle has now become too "dirty" for Mumu, thinking she'll leave after a few days. He asks her why she's here. She said "tourism", not wanting to admit that she came to see him after her mother said he wasn't doing well. But she (who has also grown into a very pretty young adult) witnesses his current lifestyle and doesn't recoil, instead, chooses to stay in Thailand for him, helping him feel like he has an 'anchor' again in his life, a North Star if you will, after he has spent all his time in Thailand alone and struggling (his dad started another family -- with a new daughter related by blood, he's been living on the edge trying to make ends meet). Now here, I compare it to other dramas' MLs who fall in love at first sight, or after a couple days of witnessing some semblance of cute / quirky personality
Even before she told him she was staying, he was dropping his own activities to cater to her little wishes (taking out for a midnight snack, picking out the onions in her fried rice). While TV dramas often showcase grand gestures or acts of service, I think the difference in SAL is that it highlights the ***sacrifices*** Jin Zhao needs to make in order to prioritize Mumu's happiness, which rings deeper for me. He gives his most treasured school uniform to her. He doesn't have a lot of money, but gave her a lot in the red envelope for New Years, bought her a dog she wanted, and gave her a very very nice pen -- only the best for her. After he got into a tragic accident, he crawled out of death's door to live the life she imagined for him. Other dramas' MLs are often shown to have infinite resources and time, so their actions toward the FL feel less meaningful. Even when he thought she was getting married to someone else, he still showed up to her wedding with wedding gifts, as she asked. Because she's Mumu. That's how unconditional his love is for her. Also if you look at Mumu's dates in Canada -- it was all the guys doing the talking, asking nothing about her, showing how self centered they are. There was also one random guy asking her out, likely based on her looks. Given those circumstances, I think it makes perfect sense to continue yearning for someone who has understood you since childhood and has shown time and time again that you are his #1 priority
I don't think I did a great job of capturing all the details of their love for each other but hope you got the gist :)
Disclaimer: I don't mean to belittle other dramas, as I enjoyed them too. I just wanted to explain my POV on why I can't move on from this one :)
Plot: ?/10
😎
My favorite below, parts 1 & 2:
Part 1: http://xhslink.com/o/2l6mVqWDjCK
Part 2: http://xhslink.com/o/9GnNQ3X52m3
“If she makes him do tiktok dances, haters will say she’s committing elderly abuse” 😂
And yes!!! I love these little details. He knows her family is well off but he still chooses to give her so much. It makes me tear up thinking about it LOL
I also randomly thought about marriage vows... "for richer for poorer, in sickness in health" -- he cherished her the most, above himself, while he was poor AND rich, and while he was health AND sick omg I'm gonna cry
iQIYI Heat Index = how hot a show is right now, combining views, completion rate, engagement, and buzz (not just clicks).
Levels that matter
< 6,000 → quiet / niche
6,000–8,000 → some buzz, modest success
8,000–9,000 → hot drama, clear commercial win
9,000–10,000 → breakout hit
10,000+ → rare, cultural phenomenon
Key takeaway:
A stable 8,500+ already counts as success.
I’m gonna message you my thoughts haha
https://x.com/Lxinxinc/status/2009422985040744880?s=20
But yeah it did fine. Just wished it broke records etc (like breaking 10k heat index even tho I don’t even know if that’s possible for modern dramas on IQIYI), so it could’ve redefined some industry standards
Let's start from the beginning, when they were young. For Jiang Mu, Jin Zhao treated her like an absolute princess when she was young, carrying her on his back, eating the strawberry tops that Mumu didn't want while Mumu ate the sweet first bites. This was part of her everyday life. For Jin Zhao, Jiang Mu offered him a sense of place and belonging -- a sense of security. He was about to be kicked out of the home, until she spoke her first words "gege" (I'm not saying this is necessarily healthy, but it's very convincing to see why he would continue to think about her day and night even after being separated in Thailand). Now compare that to the surface level 'childhood connection' trope that K-drama watchers complain about
Now fast forward to Thailand -- Jin Zhao now fears that his lifestyle has now become too "dirty" for Mumu, thinking she'll leave after a few days. He asks her why she's here. She said "tourism", not wanting to admit that she came to see him after her mother said he wasn't doing well. But she (who has also grown into a very pretty young adult) witnesses his current lifestyle and doesn't recoil, instead, chooses to stay in Thailand for him, helping him feel like he has an 'anchor' again in his life, a North Star if you will, after he has spent all his time in Thailand alone and struggling (his dad started another family -- with a new daughter related by blood, he's been living on the edge trying to make ends meet). Now here, I compare it to other dramas' MLs who fall in love at first sight, or after a couple days of witnessing some semblance of cute / quirky personality
Even before she told him she was staying, he was dropping his own activities to cater to her little wishes (taking out for a midnight snack, picking out the onions in her fried rice). While TV dramas often showcase grand gestures or acts of service, I think the difference in SAL is that it highlights the ***sacrifices*** Jin Zhao needs to make in order to prioritize Mumu's happiness, which rings deeper for me. He gives his most treasured school uniform to her. He doesn't have a lot of money, but gave her a lot in the red envelope for New Years, bought her a dog she wanted, and gave her a very very nice pen -- only the best for her. After he got into a tragic accident, he crawled out of death's door to live the life she imagined for him. Other dramas' MLs are often shown to have infinite resources and time, so their actions toward the FL feel less meaningful. Even when he thought she was getting married to someone else, he still showed up to her wedding with wedding gifts, as she asked. Because she's Mumu. That's how unconditional his love is for her. Also if you look at Mumu's dates in Canada -- it was all the guys doing the talking, asking nothing about her, showing how self centered they are. There was also one random guy asking her out, likely based on her looks. Given those circumstances, I think it makes perfect sense to continue yearning for someone who has understood you since childhood and has shown time and time again that you are his #1 priority
I don't think I did a great job of capturing all the details of their love for each other but hope you got the gist :)
Disclaimer: I don't mean to belittle other dramas, as I enjoyed them too. I just wanted to explain my POV on why I can't move on from this one :)