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An Unfinished Script That Somehow Made It to the Screen
I never thought I’d say this, but this might be the weakest drama I’ve seen from Zhao Jinmai. I waited for this drama for so long, so perhaps my expectations were set too high. But allow me to share my perspective.
The first four episodes were actually quite promising. Although I wasn't particularly fond of the short-drama-style editing, the intriguing premise and the leads' chemistry kept me invested.
However, around Episode 8, the narrative began to stumble. For a drama with only 20 episodes, introducing three main couples in a business romance genre felt overwhelming and unnecessary.
Once again, it felt like Wei Daxun was denied proper screentime and treatment as a male lead, similar to what happened in Later I Laugh. Surprisingly, I found myself learning far more about Bu Tianna’s background than about Ye Xinzhi or even Xu Chi, whose pasts were merely shown through repeated flashback clips.
Meanwhile, we were given every single detail about Bu Tianna.
Ye Xinzhi’s character was sidelined for far too long, leaving her trauma to be revealed only near the final episodes. We barely got any foundational background on the main leads—things as simple as who their parents were or how their family relationships functioned—normal details we should naturally know about the main characters.
I was disappointed by how the drama lost its focus, shifting from a business romance to a rushed romance attempting to pair up three couples at once. With only 20 episodes, none of the three couples managed to build a standout chemistry. It felt as though the writers were operating on a rule that no character was allowed to end up single.
To this day, my benchmark for the best second-couple writing remains A River Runs Through It—coincidentally starring the same actress who plays Bu Tianna here. In that show, the second couple didn’t end up together because their toxic dynamic wasn't worth saving. In contrast, Bu Tianna and Zhao Heng's relationship in this drama was deeply toxic, yet forced to work until the end. Normalizing constant verbal abuse under the guise of past trauma is far too cliché, and I couldn't sympathize with their storyline at all.
As for the main couple, their trajectory was even more disheartening. The writer seemed at a loss on how to genuinely bring these two wounded souls together. Up until the very end, their bond felt fragile—a pairing of two insecure individuals forced together. In the end, the title Irreplaceable felt unfulfilled, as both characters ultimately felt like they were the most replaceable ones.
It pains me to admit it, but Zhao Jinmai’s performance here wasn't as strong as her work in other dramas I’ve watched. Even for an office worker role, her portrayal of Miao Miao in Growing Pain was much better, with a character that felt far more natural. While Xu Chi kept emphasizing that their lives weren't a drama, his brilliant achievements and seamless success made it obvious that it could only happen in a script.
It leaves me wondering whether the script was even fully completed before filming started. As the show approached its finale, it simply ran out of meaningful ways to resolve its conflicts. I really didn't expect to give a Jinmai drama such a low rating.
Sometimes, I feel it is much better to leave a couple unsailed rather than forcing everyone into a artificial happy ending.
The first four episodes were actually quite promising. Although I wasn't particularly fond of the short-drama-style editing, the intriguing premise and the leads' chemistry kept me invested.
However, around Episode 8, the narrative began to stumble. For a drama with only 20 episodes, introducing three main couples in a business romance genre felt overwhelming and unnecessary.
Once again, it felt like Wei Daxun was denied proper screentime and treatment as a male lead, similar to what happened in Later I Laugh. Surprisingly, I found myself learning far more about Bu Tianna’s background than about Ye Xinzhi or even Xu Chi, whose pasts were merely shown through repeated flashback clips.
Meanwhile, we were given every single detail about Bu Tianna.
Ye Xinzhi’s character was sidelined for far too long, leaving her trauma to be revealed only near the final episodes. We barely got any foundational background on the main leads—things as simple as who their parents were or how their family relationships functioned—normal details we should naturally know about the main characters.
I was disappointed by how the drama lost its focus, shifting from a business romance to a rushed romance attempting to pair up three couples at once. With only 20 episodes, none of the three couples managed to build a standout chemistry. It felt as though the writers were operating on a rule that no character was allowed to end up single.
To this day, my benchmark for the best second-couple writing remains A River Runs Through It—coincidentally starring the same actress who plays Bu Tianna here. In that show, the second couple didn’t end up together because their toxic dynamic wasn't worth saving. In contrast, Bu Tianna and Zhao Heng's relationship in this drama was deeply toxic, yet forced to work until the end. Normalizing constant verbal abuse under the guise of past trauma is far too cliché, and I couldn't sympathize with their storyline at all.
As for the main couple, their trajectory was even more disheartening. The writer seemed at a loss on how to genuinely bring these two wounded souls together. Up until the very end, their bond felt fragile—a pairing of two insecure individuals forced together. In the end, the title Irreplaceable felt unfulfilled, as both characters ultimately felt like they were the most replaceable ones.
It pains me to admit it, but Zhao Jinmai’s performance here wasn't as strong as her work in other dramas I’ve watched. Even for an office worker role, her portrayal of Miao Miao in Growing Pain was much better, with a character that felt far more natural. While Xu Chi kept emphasizing that their lives weren't a drama, his brilliant achievements and seamless success made it obvious that it could only happen in a script.
It leaves me wondering whether the script was even fully completed before filming started. As the show approached its finale, it simply ran out of meaningful ways to resolve its conflicts. I really didn't expect to give a Jinmai drama such a low rating.
Sometimes, I feel it is much better to leave a couple unsailed rather than forcing everyone into a artificial happy ending.
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