A slow burn romance that was good but not great
I love both the actors and I actually like drama plots surrounding very niche careers. So I was excited for this drama.
Let's start with the positives:
1. The cast- The cast can't be anymore perfect. I have watched the main actors' other works so I knew they could act well. The supporting characters were a hit or miss since some of them had cardboard stiff faces while acting but the second male lead definitely delivered on account of how much I disliked him.
2. The chemistry- The chemistry between the main leads were off the charts. It was there from their first scene together and didn't feel awkward at all.
3. The character design- I liked how well written the characters were. I liked how both of them were unapologetic about who they were and weren't your usual grumpy ceo x naive fmc combination. I liked how we could understand yet dislike the second male lead. Like I understood why he did the things he did but I still don't like him which I suppose is the purpose of his character.
4. The cinematography- I liked the wintery setting of the story. The scenes were shot beautifully and added to the cozy vibe of the story.
Now let's move onto the negatives/rant:
1. A cringe fest of a plot- There were a lot of cringe or cheesy scenes that were totally unnecessary. I know cdramas come with a certain level of cheesiness but this had one too many. I was especially thrown off when it was a serious moment in the story but the dialogue is so cringe that i had to skip some lines.
2. The nonsensical plot points- Again, the plot had so many nonsensical aspects that were tough to get over. You have a male lead who's under 30 yet has a phd in neurosurgery, was a surgeon for a few years and then suddenly becomes a director in a major corporation (when he's just 28). The female lead is supposed to lead a major large scale sttuctural project while she's a fresher with a finance degree, is in the admin team and hasn't even worked in the company for a year. I don't understand chinese writers and their obsession with very young characters who have career positions usually held by people with many years of experience.
3. The long episode list- This drama would have heavily benefitted if it was at least 5 episodes shorter. It definitely dragged out in some parts and the final episode was almost unnecessary.
4. The relationship dynamic- I was ok with their dynamic towards the end but at the beginning, it was icky because I thought the mmc was in his 30s and a company director (tho it was revealed he was 28 later) while the fmc was 22 and a new hire. I'm ok with office romance but a new hire x director was a little hard to swallow.
5. The unrealistic story- (again plot related, ik) I just can't get over how both the main leads do what they do careerwise while they're not even 30. I don't know why chinese writers are against late 20s or early 30s adults who's resume actually makes sense to what they do for work. Also, I can't believe that their workplace accepted their romance without any pushback. We're talking about a orthodox chinese company in the early 2010s and they don't have a problem with a romance like in the story? If the writers made the scenarios realistic, it would've just enhanced the story and made it even better. It felt like they couldn't bother with some of the plot points.
6. The costumes- As a designer, I've got to say that I was pulling my hair out regarding the wadrobe. The setting is 2011-2012 but they were wearing clothes that are trending now. I get they have to promote a few brands but atleast put some effort to make it believable. And they were working in a factory, but the characters were wearing designer street wear in some scenes. It just took me out of the story.
Overall, I liked this drama mainly because of the actors and their portrayal of the characters. The plot definitely has its mishaps but was enjoyable in a lighthearted way. I would recommend this for beginners who want a sweet fluffy romance with suprising character depth. 8/10 stars for me.
Let's start with the positives:
1. The cast- The cast can't be anymore perfect. I have watched the main actors' other works so I knew they could act well. The supporting characters were a hit or miss since some of them had cardboard stiff faces while acting but the second male lead definitely delivered on account of how much I disliked him.
2. The chemistry- The chemistry between the main leads were off the charts. It was there from their first scene together and didn't feel awkward at all.
3. The character design- I liked how well written the characters were. I liked how both of them were unapologetic about who they were and weren't your usual grumpy ceo x naive fmc combination. I liked how we could understand yet dislike the second male lead. Like I understood why he did the things he did but I still don't like him which I suppose is the purpose of his character.
4. The cinematography- I liked the wintery setting of the story. The scenes were shot beautifully and added to the cozy vibe of the story.
Now let's move onto the negatives/rant:
1. A cringe fest of a plot- There were a lot of cringe or cheesy scenes that were totally unnecessary. I know cdramas come with a certain level of cheesiness but this had one too many. I was especially thrown off when it was a serious moment in the story but the dialogue is so cringe that i had to skip some lines.
2. The nonsensical plot points- Again, the plot had so many nonsensical aspects that were tough to get over. You have a male lead who's under 30 yet has a phd in neurosurgery, was a surgeon for a few years and then suddenly becomes a director in a major corporation (when he's just 28). The female lead is supposed to lead a major large scale sttuctural project while she's a fresher with a finance degree, is in the admin team and hasn't even worked in the company for a year. I don't understand chinese writers and their obsession with very young characters who have career positions usually held by people with many years of experience.
3. The long episode list- This drama would have heavily benefitted if it was at least 5 episodes shorter. It definitely dragged out in some parts and the final episode was almost unnecessary.
4. The relationship dynamic- I was ok with their dynamic towards the end but at the beginning, it was icky because I thought the mmc was in his 30s and a company director (tho it was revealed he was 28 later) while the fmc was 22 and a new hire. I'm ok with office romance but a new hire x director was a little hard to swallow.
5. The unrealistic story- (again plot related, ik) I just can't get over how both the main leads do what they do careerwise while they're not even 30. I don't know why chinese writers are against late 20s or early 30s adults who's resume actually makes sense to what they do for work. Also, I can't believe that their workplace accepted their romance without any pushback. We're talking about a orthodox chinese company in the early 2010s and they don't have a problem with a romance like in the story? If the writers made the scenarios realistic, it would've just enhanced the story and made it even better. It felt like they couldn't bother with some of the plot points.
6. The costumes- As a designer, I've got to say that I was pulling my hair out regarding the wadrobe. The setting is 2011-2012 but they were wearing clothes that are trending now. I get they have to promote a few brands but atleast put some effort to make it believable. And they were working in a factory, but the characters were wearing designer street wear in some scenes. It just took me out of the story.
Overall, I liked this drama mainly because of the actors and their portrayal of the characters. The plot definitely has its mishaps but was enjoyable in a lighthearted way. I would recommend this for beginners who want a sweet fluffy romance with suprising character depth. 8/10 stars for me.
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