This review may contain spoilers
This drama is amazing, I swear. I didn’t feel bored for even a moment, and I watched every episode with huge interest.The chemistry combined with the strong tension and desire between the main couple was exactly what I’d been looking for for a long time. The female lead mentioned at one point that in the beginning she thought he was a flirt. When I started watching the show, I also thought he was that type. I expected games similar to the male lead from "Nevertheless,". But it turned out differently. At first, the male lead was completely closed off and didn’t let anyone get close. Only after meeting her did he slowly start to open up, and she showed him that the world could be beautiful for him too. As for the female lead, I really liked her character: fighting for her goals, confident, beautiful. She didn’t let anyone walk all over her. At first glance, she tried to pretend she had control in their relationship, but looking more closely, that wasn’t true - neither of them had control. And to be clear, this drama is definitely not a sweet romance from the beginning. Early on, their relationship was toxic at times - especially because of him, since he didn’t know how to talk about his problems. But I can understand why he acted that way. Their relationship progressed quickly, and opening up after the hell his mother put him through since childhood isn’t easy. The biggest fight in their relationship - the one that nearly led her to divorce him (and yes, I understand that he was trying to protect her in his own way - his mother was a threat, though it would’ve been better if he had told her right away) - was the last major moment of tension. After that, he finally opened up, and from then on they fought together, not against each other. I really liked that they stayed by each other’s side even as stronger and stronger evidence appeared that his mother was involved in her mother’s suicide. I was afraid that this would push them apart again (either through her or through him), but it didn’t. My only complaint about the male lead is the letter in the second-to-last episode. He really needs to learn how to write those better, because even I thought he was leaving the female lead - which wouldn't surprise me
A huge plus is the character creation. I could write pages about this, so I’ll shorten it to my favorites:
→ Chen Jia Yu – a wonderful son. He didn’t have an easy childhood, which made him more mature than his peers, but he loved his mom unconditionally. Thanks to him I went through all kinds of emotions - from laughter to tears.
→ Tai Ming Xiao – he stole my heart with his reaction to the main couple’s marriage and later with how he tried to separate them at work (too bad he didn’t get more scenes).
→ The female lead’s family / the male lead’s grandma and cousin – I’ll group them together here. Watching them was wonderful. The closeness between them, the grandmas teasing each other, wedding and baby planning for the main couple, trying to reconcile them, fishing with her dad - and I’ve probably forgotten something. (I’m glad the male lead’s grandma survived; I was really scared about that.)
The secondary couple deserves its own section. Even though the beginning of his feelings didn’t fully convince me (he developed feelings for the female lead because he mistakenly thought she saved him, and once he learned it was actually Fang Ya En, he immediately redirected his feelings), I still enjoyed watching the development of their relationship. His support during her divorce from her abusive husband, his care for her son - I really liked the bond he formed with the boy (especially helping with the school performance; that absolutely melted my heart). Turning the bar into a restaurant so she could come with her child. The friendship between Fang Ya En and the female lead was also amazing - anyone would want to have such supportive friends. Same with the relationship between Cheng Kai Ran and the male lead. They always lifted my mood - for example, in the scene where they both tried to write messages to "their" girlfriends in episode 12.
The last point is Li Ling Bai. The script tried to explain her actions, but that sentimental backstory didn’t convince me at all. She went through hell - I’m not denying that. But it doesn’t justify what she did. She should’ve dragged herself to a psychologist, not her son, whose life she turned into hell for nearly 30 years. She shouldn’t have blamed her friend (the female lead’s mother), who stayed in the orphanage to help her, nor should she have destroyed her life and pushed her toward the worst possible end. That’s why I’m glad she ended up behind bars, and I didn’t feel sorry for her for even a moment. I hope she rots there for the rest of her life - along with Wang Xing Sheng, though I’m not discussing him because we know too little, which is a pity, because for me he’s the only key character who wasn’t developed well enough
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I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE WHO NEEDS A PLEASANT, CALM BREAK AFTER WATCHING A DRAMA.
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This review may contain spoilers
I really liked the series. I was very intrigued by the main character, and their relationship in high school was wonderful to me. I also really liked the main heroine, especially her determination. The beating seemed a bit absurd to me, though, because he was thinking a few steps ahead, and that was thoughtless. I cursed the main character’s parents (especially the mother) a lot, because in my opinion, sometimes they went way too far—for example, wanting to decide about their daughter’s relationship when she was already an adult and had her life settled. Not to mention that after she was diagnosed with depression, they still wanted to send her abroad as soon as possible and only thought about that. The character Gao—no character has annoyed me so much in a long time (respect to the actor, though). I couldn’t stand his insecure personality, always looking for problems around him when he himself was the problem. For most of the series, I prayed for him to disappear from the screen—I suffered terribly and what was it all for? Just so that in the end he faced no consequences and built a happy life? Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I truly fell in love with this series. The plot drew me in so much that I watched episodes every chance I got. I liked how all the characters were portrayed—most of them really grew on me, even the main character’s admirers, who usually annoy me. I appreciated how popularity was depicted—it’s not always a good thing. It showed the pressure they were all under, as well as how Smiling kept growing with each new game. I also really enjoyed how the games themselves were presented; it was interesting and well done.The only downside for me were the animations—I couldn’t always recognize the characters in them, and they sometimes went on for too long. I would have much preferred just a regular view of the game. Despite this, I can’t lower my rating, because I haven’t been this hooked on a series in a long time.
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I had a great time watching this series, even though I had seen a lot of scenes on TikTok beforehand and had already watched the Korean version (I think the Thai version was much better).The character development was excellent. The main character’s transformation through love happened naturally, not all at once. The female lead never gave up despite all the obstacles she faced. The supporting characters were very interesting—each one different, yet all engaging in their own way.
Even the main character’s mother, whom I couldn’t stand for most of the series—there were hints from the beginning that she was hiding her true self, and only in the final episode did she finally reveal it.
The only downside for some might be the violence, which was quite intense in the first few episodes.
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The plot and storyline are incredibly engaging, and they’re what created the whole atmosphere. We experience everything from beginning to end together with the characters. Just like them, we’re manipulated into thinking we know the truth—when in reality, we don’t—and we slowly uncover it along the way.
However, this is not a typical romance. In my opinion, romance played more of a supporting role here, while the main focus was on the storyline itself. As a romance lover, I didn’t mind it at all, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone because of that. The relationship between the main characters, though complicated, was beautiful. It wasn’t about the physical aspect but the emotional one. True, Qi Lian could be terrible to her at the very beginning while “caring” for “his” Jiang Xiao Yuan (it’s a pity this was brushed under the rug), but we gradually saw him change, and his care for “his” Jiang Xiao Yuan turned into genuine care for Jiang Xiao Yuan.
The character development was also very interesting—especially for Jiang Xiao Yuan. By “moving to another time,” she slowly discovered herself, her dreams, and her passions. She came to understand the meaning of true friendship, love, and what really matters in life. Not wealth or the things she once longed for, but the things she was learning and experiencing along the way. Here, the lead actress deserves huge recognition, as she portrayed all the emotions her character went through remarkably well.
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