This review may contain spoilers
POV: Watching people be in love
Honestly, I’m not even sure how to start this review because watching this drama was such an emotional rollercoaster. There’s no real villain here—just people who are still figuring themselves out.
The overall vibe is pretty angsty. I could never fully relax while watching because I kept worrying someone was about to get hit with a tragedy :’)
The pacing is actually quite fast—probably because it’s only 21 episodes. But despite that, it never felt rushed. The story flows nicely, even beautifully at times… though I’ll admit, some of the background songs felt a little mismatched to the moment.
Watching this drama really hit me with a reminder: the line between life and death is so thin. From the moment we’re born, we’re already moving toward death. And no matter how much we prepare, death is never something we can truly be ready for. So while we’re here, we should just live—really live—because we’ll never be fully prepared when the end comes.
And while Chen Mai Dong keeps getting teased for being single by his friends, the real single ones are us viewers watching him. I mean, how am I supposed to stay calm when I’m over here smiling, crying, laughing, and getting secondhand butterflies every episode? Like… are they actually dating in real life? Because the romance was leaping out of the screen.
But here’s the thing—despite all that sweetness, they’re actually the perfect example of right person, wrong time.
Not because either of them is already with someone else, but because they fell in love before they’d fully made peace with themselves.
Mai Dong has his trauma, Zhuang Jie has her insecurities. And honestly, watching them was a little frustrating—they’re grown adults, yet sometimes they acted like high schoolers. But if you think about it, it actually makes sense.
They may be older and wiser, but deep down, they’re still stuck in the past. That’s why their love came at the wrong time. Their relationship was on-and-off, a little toxic—but in a way, they really did fit each other.
By the end, they both managed to put together the missing pieces of themselves. Especially Zhuang Jie—she finally found what she was really looking for after years of chasing her career just to feel worthy.
She realized she didn’t have to be “perfect” before being with the person she loved. It was never that Mai Dong couldn’t accept her—it was that she couldn’t accept herself. The incident in episode 21 really opened her eyes: there’s no such thing as perfect plans, especially not for life.
Now, I have to be honest—I wasn’t a fan of Zhuang Jie’s mom. She’s not evil, but she’s also not exactly great. She’s the classic Asian mom type. If you look closely, she does love her kids, but for some reason, her words are always so harsh.
And maybe she doesn’t realize it, but she’s partly why Zhuang Jie struggled with toxic patterns in her relationships. Growing up hearing that you’re “less than” or “different” shapes you. It traps you in a cycle of constantly trying to prove yourself. And Zhuang Jie’s mom did that over and over again.
That’s why I really appreciated Mai Dong—he never treated Zhuang Jie like she was different. To him, everyone’s equal. He sees people for their soul, and when he loves someone, he loves them wholeheartedly. You can see it in how he treats his grandma and Grandma Lin.
Mai Dong isn’t the most outwardly friendly guy, but he’s not cold either. He just understands the world in a broader way than most people, so he tends to be quiet. But deep down, he’s cheerful—especially when he’s with the people he loves. Outside of his trauma, he’s just… a good man who’s too kind to the world but not kind enough to himself.
And out of all the conflicts, the one that hit me the hardest was Uncle He’s death. That was such a devastating blow for everyone. But like in real life, they each found their own way to stand back up. And no matter what happens—no matter how far apart you are—if your hearts were once connected, the people you’ve lost are never truly gone.
So, thank you to the cast, the writer, the director, and the entire crew for making a drama about death in such a beautiful way.
The overall vibe is pretty angsty. I could never fully relax while watching because I kept worrying someone was about to get hit with a tragedy :’)
The pacing is actually quite fast—probably because it’s only 21 episodes. But despite that, it never felt rushed. The story flows nicely, even beautifully at times… though I’ll admit, some of the background songs felt a little mismatched to the moment.
Watching this drama really hit me with a reminder: the line between life and death is so thin. From the moment we’re born, we’re already moving toward death. And no matter how much we prepare, death is never something we can truly be ready for. So while we’re here, we should just live—really live—because we’ll never be fully prepared when the end comes.
And while Chen Mai Dong keeps getting teased for being single by his friends, the real single ones are us viewers watching him. I mean, how am I supposed to stay calm when I’m over here smiling, crying, laughing, and getting secondhand butterflies every episode? Like… are they actually dating in real life? Because the romance was leaping out of the screen.
But here’s the thing—despite all that sweetness, they’re actually the perfect example of right person, wrong time.
Not because either of them is already with someone else, but because they fell in love before they’d fully made peace with themselves.
Mai Dong has his trauma, Zhuang Jie has her insecurities. And honestly, watching them was a little frustrating—they’re grown adults, yet sometimes they acted like high schoolers. But if you think about it, it actually makes sense.
They may be older and wiser, but deep down, they’re still stuck in the past. That’s why their love came at the wrong time. Their relationship was on-and-off, a little toxic—but in a way, they really did fit each other.
By the end, they both managed to put together the missing pieces of themselves. Especially Zhuang Jie—she finally found what she was really looking for after years of chasing her career just to feel worthy.
She realized she didn’t have to be “perfect” before being with the person she loved. It was never that Mai Dong couldn’t accept her—it was that she couldn’t accept herself. The incident in episode 21 really opened her eyes: there’s no such thing as perfect plans, especially not for life.
Now, I have to be honest—I wasn’t a fan of Zhuang Jie’s mom. She’s not evil, but she’s also not exactly great. She’s the classic Asian mom type. If you look closely, she does love her kids, but for some reason, her words are always so harsh.
And maybe she doesn’t realize it, but she’s partly why Zhuang Jie struggled with toxic patterns in her relationships. Growing up hearing that you’re “less than” or “different” shapes you. It traps you in a cycle of constantly trying to prove yourself. And Zhuang Jie’s mom did that over and over again.
That’s why I really appreciated Mai Dong—he never treated Zhuang Jie like she was different. To him, everyone’s equal. He sees people for their soul, and when he loves someone, he loves them wholeheartedly. You can see it in how he treats his grandma and Grandma Lin.
Mai Dong isn’t the most outwardly friendly guy, but he’s not cold either. He just understands the world in a broader way than most people, so he tends to be quiet. But deep down, he’s cheerful—especially when he’s with the people he loves. Outside of his trauma, he’s just… a good man who’s too kind to the world but not kind enough to himself.
And out of all the conflicts, the one that hit me the hardest was Uncle He’s death. That was such a devastating blow for everyone. But like in real life, they each found their own way to stand back up. And no matter what happens—no matter how far apart you are—if your hearts were once connected, the people you’ve lost are never truly gone.
So, thank you to the cast, the writer, the director, and the entire crew for making a drama about death in such a beautiful way.
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