daydreamer

I’ve been orbiting this drama since the first whispers of its existence escaped into the wild, so yes, expectations were involved. Possibly too involved.

Let’s start with the good, because credit where credit is absolutely due.

- Visually? This drama knew what it was doing. He Yu—sir. SIR. The camera loved him, the lighting worshipped him, and the man was sweating through half the scenes like he was being paid per droplet. Magnificently divine. No notes. My eyes were fed.
- The chemistry was also very much alive and breathing. There was sizzle. There were sparks. There were kisses, and not the shy peck-and-run kind either. Sprinkle sprinkle indeed. Whoever was in charge of that understood the assignment and clocked in early.
- Aesthetically, the drama was moody, atmospheric, and honestly gorgeous. The Thailand scenes in particular felt lush and cinematic, like the show briefly remembered it wanted to be cool and succeeded.

Now. Deep breath. The struggles.

- The “fake sibling” trope… listen. I tried. I really did. I performed Olympic-level mental gymnastics to tolerate this, but the ick kept winning gold. Too many moments were just deeply uncomfortable, and no amount of “but they’re not *actually* related” could save it.
- And then there’s the FL. Lord give me strength. Let’s be fair: Esther looked stunning in many outfits. Truly gorgeous. Face card never declined.
However.
I understand the intent: ML is mature, masculine, stoic—so they wanted contrast. What we got instead was infantilization turned up to eleven. Soft and feminine does not mean behaving like a 12-year-old with picky eating habits and childlike mannerisms. Yes, she’s 18. No, that does not excuse the constant helpless energy, the perpetual chasing, the desperation. Watching her run after the ML over and over again was exhausting. He yearns. We get it. But balance exists. Agency exists. Please locate it next time. She is doing the entire emotional labour of this relationship.
- Plot-wise? A free-for-all. Characters came and went, motivations shapeshifted mid-scene, and some dialogue lines had me staring at the screen like, “Who talks like this? Who approved this?”.

So, final verdict?

At the end of the day, this is pure fan service. A textbook idol drama, clearly aimed at a younger audience, and for that demographic, it probably hits. For me? It’s not unwatchable, but it is work. We’ve still got nine episodes left, and yes, I’ll probably finish them—out of commitment, curiosity, and He Yu-related reasons—but at this point, it feels less like a binge and more like a contractual obligation.

A chaotic watch. A visual feast. Chemistry is chemistrying. A narrative shrug.
Consume responsibly.


✨Alright. I’ve crossed the finish line.✨

All my previous points still stand, firmly planted and unbothered. Episodes 21–25, in particular, continued to irritate me for the same reason as before: the FL’s identity remained orbit-locked around the ML. Everything she was, felt, or did still seemed to exist in relation to him, and that creative choice continues to sit poorly with me.

I understand the reasoning behind their separation. Truly. Having read the novel, I’m familiar with JZ’s introspection, his internal logic, his emotional restraint masquerading as self-sacrifice. From a narrative standpoint, it tracks. From a woman’s standpoint? I have mixed feelings. If my supposed soulmate—someone who had yearned for me for years—still couldn’t bring himself to reach out, and the relationship only moved forward because I made the effort and carried the emotional momentum… that would hurt. Deeply. Love should not feel like a one-sided construction project.

That said, credit where it’s due: Jiang Mu’s character growth was beautifully handled. Her maturation felt earned, organic, and genuinely satisfying to watch. I loved her in the later stretch—confident, grounded, and emotionally present without losing her softness.

Episodes 26–29, in contrast, were unexpectedly healing. Warm. Unhurried. Rewarding. Watching them simply be happy—without constant tension, misunderstandings, or narrative whiplash—felt like a deep exhale. You could see it on the ML’s face: he had healed. He was no longer bracing himself against the world. He was openly cherishing his girl, and honestly? That part worked. It really did. Yay indeed.

As for the mother… I’m not touching that redemption arc. I’m still not forgiving how she treated JZ as a child, and no amount of present-day reconciliation will retroactively make that sit right with me. I said what I said.

Still, I am glad they reunited. I’m glad they reconnected. The ending delivered emotional closure, and while it doesn’t erase the earlier issues, it does soften the landing.