Losing Money to be a Tycoon
Well, since I’m the first one here, let me be the guiding light as someone who has read the manhua, watched the donghua, and read all 1,674 chapters of the light novel.Let’s start with what’s different and what’s straight-up bad.
1. The SYSTEM
In the original, Pei Qian had a system, and the system was basically the personality of Mr. Pei himself. What made it hilarious was the constant misunderstanding. The system provided him with funds, sure, but it actually made sense why Pei Qian was trying to lose money while no one else knew about it.
Now? We get this Mr. Sima nonsense. It makes everything feel cheap, outright disgusting, and lowers Pei Qian as a character.
2. Absolute control over Tengda
One of Pei Qian’s core personality traits is that he never relinquishes even an inch of control over Tengda. This is one of the spines of the novel. One of the things that made Pei Qian… Pei Qian.
Secretary Xu was an employee of Tengda. Pei Qian didn’t report to anyone. His word was absolute.
3. The “polymath” misunderstanding
Because of that absolute control and his absurd Midas touch, a massive misunderstanding arose: everyone believed Pei Qian was a polymath. This misunderstanding dragged in the employees, then subtly the entire world.
That’s how he was able to portray himself as a genius without actually trying. Remove this, and the entire illusion collapses.
4. Character origins are butchered
Lv Ming, Lin Wan, Hao Qiong, Huang Sibi, etc. — their origins and personalities are way different. Their original character traits are basically nonexistent. They feel like completely different people who just happen to share the same names.
5. Lin Wan
In the novel, she’s optimistic, capable, and actually useful. Here? The forced romance subplot is honestly killing me.
All in all, these five points summarize everything that’s different. And make no mistake: even though this looks like a “summary,” these points are the backbone of the original. Once you change them, no amount of linear storytelling can ever reach the same destination.
Now, let’s talk about what’s actually good.
1. The humor stands out, especially because the show fully commits to silliness instead of pretending to be serious.
2. The wordplay, poetry, and layered jokes are genuinely clever and make the dialogue feel smart and distinctive.
3. The writing feels refreshing and unpredictable compared to the usual formulaic dramas, and it doesn’t rely on romance to carry itself — the story and comedy do the heavy lifting.
4. It has a clear personality and tone that separates it from mainstream, crowd-pleasing shows.
5. The comedy feels intentional and confident, trusting the audience to keep up instead of over-explaining every joke.
In the end, this isn’t a bad show, but it’s not a faithful one either. It’s fun, it’s clever, and it definitely has its moments but it’s built on the wrong foundation. If you’ve never touched the original, you’ll enjoy it to no end. If you have, you’ll feel exactly where and why it went wrong, and once you see what was lost, no amount of polish can fix it.
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one need hella strong stomach to watch dis........
well i won’t talk about acting or music. i am sure the ones who chose were wiser than me, but as an ordinary viewer i would like to say some things.warning: this review contains no explicit spoilers. however, if you’re perceptive enough, you can still spoil yourself. oh, RANT warning.
so
1. age gap and remarriage.
well okay, we live in the 21st century and we can accept and be more open-minded. but since you’re doing it, idk, at least show some experience. ik he can be justified as traumatized and suffering from PTSD or whatnot, but since you are actively pursuing FL, show some responsibility. he be like police showing up when everything is over.
2. fl is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy (put many y’s for effect) overconfident.
she is 17, came to the capital. i mean she’s smart, so she should know that everyone here knows everything more than her. i mean there is an information gap of about 17 years. gather the information. know thy enemy, know thy self—this is the oldest quotation of smart ppl. and it’s not like there are no hints. i mean when ML first warns her, that is a hugeeee red flag. something is wrong.
3. put aside fl overconfidence.
fl is supposed to be smart. throughout the drama i couldn’t bear to see her being outsmarted. ok, to be fair, i have no problem with her being outsmarted—OP ML or OP FL is so last century—but why the whiny route? i would like to quote some examples, but to avoid spoilers i would say: carefully observe demeanor of her father since the temple where there is a red light on the statue.
4. overall
i just noticed that in 2 and 3 i ranted about FML being dumb, so to correct myself: fl’s head is better than most ppl’s. she’s about top 20% in intelligence. but she lacks information and power and is overconfident. this is a major turn-off.
5. oh and last thing about fl
she is not cruel and cold. ik it doesn’t sound bad, but watch the drama—if she were 50% more cold and cruel and less confident, well let’s just say the drama would be more dramatic. i have more to rant about fl, but more on it later.
6. father.
let’s just say i saw many ppl hating him and i say: well well well, mission accomplished. he is a true politician to the core, the ones we read about in history. i have no complaints about the character. he’s a b**ch as he’s supposed to be. again, i blame fl for being an overconfident ignorant fire.
7. mother
good, typical bipolar and depressed housewife. liked her both ways. got the vibe of that game meme that goes:
the final boss when i fight him: godzilla roaring
the final boss as a playable character: chrome dino
8. ml.
let’s say nice assist. writing about him would reveal spoilers, so just say that he is not useless—it’s our fl that is useless.
9. and i just remembered from 8
WHY DA FAQ DOES FL HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PEI DAFU’S ADOPTED CHILDREN. DID THEY KISS YOUR MAMA AND RUN OFF? why you be hating him—you never saw him, he never harmed you, or had any karma with you. you be against his literal deadass as if he be your mortal enemy.
and that’s all for today. ik this has many holes and i would be happy to rant longer with examples, but it’ll spoil the fun. so if it suits your cup of tea, go ahead. it certainly didn’t suit mine, but i finished it cuz i was 20 eps in and chose to tough it out for 10 more.
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