Lynn

For Hyun Bin

This is a very belated review. I watched it once it was aired and I have since rewatched it a few times. It was on my list because of Hyun Bin. When I knew that he was the male lead, I knew that I had to watch it and of course, I did!

This drama has received tons of positive reviews and I want to add mine! Hyun Bin is an absolute delight to watch! The scene where he was being transformed into a Seoul man was drop dead gorgeous!! OMG!! So very hot and sexy.

This drama has funny elements, touching elements as well as intriguing moments, suspenseful moments! The cast was excellent but my highlight was and still is Hyun Bin.

Pls watch for this very fine actor. I loved him since Secret Garden. These two are, to me, his best best best dramas thus far and I look forward to more of his brilliant work.

Watch - for the love for Hyun Bin.

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Feisty Female Lead + Manly Male Lead

Chanced upon this show and decided to give it a go after reading the positive reviews written by other viewers.

Show didn’t disappoint. Of course, there will be *annoying moments* (my pet phrase already) but the good moments outweigh those irritating moments.

Watch because:
- female lead is spunky and cute in her own way.
- female lead is capable and as the show develops, fondness for her grows.
- male lead is the manly sort - soldier. Strong. Manly. Dependable. My kind of man.
- plot moves fairly fast.
- acting is generally good.

Overall, a very watchable show!! Recommend!

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Draggy... Angsty... Mediocre acting...

This drama was on my list for a long time - years, in fact, considering that it was released in 2017. I wanted to watch it but just never got down to it because other dramas got in the way... After watching the epic "Love like Galaxy Parts 1 and 2" which I loved dearly, I wanted to find something lovely to indulge in once more. I decided to go back to this "old" drama on my KIV list.

At first, I thought that the drama was quite "healing" because of the slow-ish pacing. The actors and actresses were all new faces to me and I thought they were fairly refreshing. However, as the episodes continued, I found the acting rather mediocre and stilted. Later, I read FGV (iykyk) and I agreed with the C+ review for this drama. The points mentioned in FGV's review were the thoughts that I had too.

What I liked:
- Started off quite okay...
- The cinematography is (erm) pleasant.
- The songs are actually nice.

What I didn't like:
- The green actors and actresses in that the acting was mediocre and stilted.
- The lack of nuanced expressions of the actors and actresses. e.g.: The female lead just looked sullen.
- I could not understand the way the female lead behaved. Did she like him? Did she want him? Why did she keep on playing push-pull? I understand that the male lead also appeared like a playboy but he sincerely confessed to her and showed that he wanted to be with her but there was still this push-pull from the female lead which I found rather odd.
- The angst really got to me. I was patiently waiting for the "big revelation" as to why male lead disappeared from female lead's life and why, as adults, she was searching for him. I got to episode 7, going on 8, and realised that drama was "getting nowhere" despite building up so much angst. I could not take it anymore.
- The second male lead just did not have guts to confess until episode 7 and it was, again, very angsty for me.
- The transition from 2007 to 2017 (past to present day) was very abrupt and often, I did not know that they had changed time frame until they started speaking and such. It would have been better if there was "fading in and fading out" or just a small date to indicate the time frame clearly for viewers.

As an impatient viewer, I wanted things to hurry along just a bit more. I guess this drama did not work out for me.

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]

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On and on about nothing.

I had pretty high expectations of this drama because of the 8.6 rating (at time of post). Also, the reviews were positive and so, I thought that it would be quite excellent. I also think that Liu Tao is a pretty good actress. I’m not a fan of hers but I do think that she’s a talented actress.

At first, it seemed very slice of life and relatable. As the plot continued, it became draggy fast. The issues were the same from episode 1 to episode 10. There was no growth or interesting change in the characters or plot.

Jiang Si Yuan was a spoilt brat. His maternal grandparents were crazily unreasonable and spoilt him rotten. Xi Wang had a voice like a duck and even though I know he’s a child, he was superbly annoying in the drama. Xi Wang’s parents seems very incompetent. The father kept on going against the very anxious mother. It was hard to watch their interaction. Fei Fan’s father was a complete ass. Xin Yue’s father was crazy because of his unrealistically high expectations that he had of his daughter.

After watching 1/4 of this drama, I couldn’t continue. I wanted too but I felt like I was wasting my time and my life on issues that kept on repeating without positive changes and growth.

To each his or her own. For me, I give up on watching their struggles that aren’t going anywhere!

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this Male Lead and this motley cooking crew made this drama work

It looked like an interesting premise and drama and so, I went right in. I have watched FL a couple of times. She is a rather pretty FL but her acting chops aren’t the most impressive. This is the first time that I am watching the ML. I would say that he’s a pretty fine actor and he did a better job than FL.

What I Liked:
- The ML turned out to be very watchable.
- The motley crew of cooks turned out to be a cute supporting cast.
- The food shown per episode was interesting and looked delectable. I looked forward to finding out about the food to be presented per episode. The background CG which was shown when the food was enjoyed was cute. Very LOL.
- The cooking competition was fun to watch.
- There was some palace thingy going on to try to keep the intrigue.

What I Didn’t Like:
- I didn’t like the (to me) confusing palace intrigue to do with the deposed queen and all that.
- The crazy consort acted well but well, she was too cray cray for me.
- The Je San fellow and all the old bearded men were also kind of cray cray.
- I didn’t like the bloodthirsty characters and bloodshed in the last two episodes even though I understood their necessity.
- The ending could have better IMO. It seemed a little rushed.

Overall, I still enjoyed this drama especially the good, fun parts. :o)
Additionally, the ML worked to keep this drama going. Kudos to him. The food was great. I enjoyed watching the food prep come to fruition per episode. 8/10!

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I LOVE YAN ZHENG. I LOVE XIE ZHENG. I LOVE ZHANG LING HE.

Well, this drama is definitely a 10/10 for me. Well, if I can, I'll happily rate it as 11/10 on this site. I love it this much.

What I Loved:
- The ML, but of course. He was the absolute star of the drama. He looked so suave and dashing and behaved so charmingly. It was such a joy seeing him light up my TV screen. Every scene with him in it was breathtaking and some scenes were even more so. For example, the scenes of him protecting Chang Yu's home while she was away. He told the villains to "shi shi" (try) and it made me swoon. The way he looked tenderly at Chang Yu each time made me melt. I loved how he stared down at Song Yan and showed how powerful he was. I love the pent up emotions he displayed and how he longed for and even lusted for Chang Yu. He made me swoon and melt like ice cream in heat.
- The plot was absolutely intriguing and exciting to me. I also liked how the ending was properly done and it even gave us viewers an alternate ending which was very sweet too. Well, Chang Yu and Xie Zheng were fated to be together no matter what.
- I liked the fight scenes and how Chang Yu showed how she had a good heart and very strong physique. She used her strength to help others.
- The side characters, like the villains turned good, Gongsun Yin, the old teacher, Chang Ning, Mr and Mrs Zhao, were also brilliant and made the show even better. Having watched Mr Zhao as an awful villain in other dramas, I was delighted that he was a good fellow through and through in this drama. I liked how he was so nice throughout. Gongsun Yin turned out to be really funny too. Chang Ning was adorable throughout the show.
- The OST was extremely suitable for the show other than the song by JJ Lin because I'm not a fan of his vocals. "Jing Jing Ru Wo" was one of the nicest songs. Many others were excellent too.
- The costumes and setting were very nice too.

Now, I want to go into the Main Reason why I love this drama. This drama is written for women by a female writer who knows exactly what women want in a man and she delivered our dream male lover. As I watched the drama, I thought to myself, "This drama is written for the female gaze." I went to look things up and viola! Yes, the author of the novel is a female. I also believe that she is heterosexual. LOL :o)

** "Pursuit of Jade" is written for the female gaze/ the female viewer. **

First, women want a man who loves us and a man who protects us. The fact that the ML is two people in one person gives this to us women. Yan Zheng loves Chang Yu. This side of him is the one who loves her and even marries into her family. He is not a chauvinist. He does not have male ego. He gives in to her and marries into her family and promises to listen to his wife as she is the head of the family and not him. In this patriarchal society where countless women are put down and where countless women have unreasonable demands placed on them, this is a relief. Women want to be loved by lovers who have no frustrating male ego that we women have to stroke. Yan Zheng had no unreasonable male ego. He yielded to Chang Yu and agreed to her terms and her words. He often said "hao" (good) to her. He hardly argued. To her, everything went her way. She led and he willingly followed. Women want this. Please do not question us women. We do know what we want and we want support and loving treatment. Additionally, the ML remains manly and suave. He is clearly a fully grown and handsome man through and through. He is not a sad wimp. This is also what women want. We want a true manly man without the inflated male ego. We want a true man who loves his woman dearly and truly. Moving forward, I will talk about the ML being a man who protects his woman at all costs. He loves deeply and he loves hard. For instance, the ML, despite being injured, goes all out to protect Chang Yu from corrupt officials. Moreover, throughout the drama, he saves her many times and he protects her throughout. He loves her so much that he wants her safe and sound. We women want this. We want a man who loves and cares only for us. We want a man, who will sacrifice for us, without airs and ego. We want a protector. We want to be able to fully rely on our man and to know that he has got our back no matter what. Xie Zheng gives this to us. He is completely able to protect his woman and we feel safe with such a man.

Second, women want a very handsome man. I mean, who does not want a good-looking lover? A good-looking lover who only has eyes for his one and only... this is a complete win as many good-looking men are players. It is, indisputable, that the ML is exceedingly good-looking. Mirrors love him and so do I.

Third, women want a very strong man. Women want a man who is physically very strong. Seeing all the muscles in the right places and seeing the armour on that fit and taut body makes us swoon. After all, women are looking for the best possible father for our potential offspring and the best person to protect us. Being very physically fit is something that women desire in our ideal man. The ML is 190 cm tall and so toned that we cannot help but swoon and fall in love with this very fine specimen of a man. He is a very manly man indeed.

Fourth, women also desire a very capable man. Women want a man who is highly competent and who can take good care of us with his capabilities. The ML is a high-ranking official and he is an extremely good fighter. Women go head over heels for such a man. Xie Zheng is the character which gives this to us. He is a fighter and so good at it. He is powerful and he uses his powers.

Fifth, women want a man who listens to us. We want a man to be tough on the world but soft with us. The ML does just this. He is very harsh and tough to everyone else. He fears no one and everyone seems to fear him. However, when it comes to his lady love, he is soft and acquiesces to her words and her demands. Yan Zheng is this side of the character of the ML. He is soft and gentle with Chang Yu and he supports her and helps her without making her feel that she has lost her pride and dignity. What is important to Chang Yu is important to Yan Zheng. We women want a man who will support us through thick and thin and even through our nonsense. We want someone who listens properly to us and the ML does this well.

Sixth, women want a man who is loyal and who looks only at us with such loving gazes each time. The ML is a faithful lover. He stays true to Chang Yu and loves only her. He gazes at her with such deep love and tenderness. We women want a man who does just this. We want to be viewed in a glowing and positive light. We want to be the FL in our man's life. Chang Yu is Yan Zheng's/ Xie Zheng's one and only lady and this is what we want as women. We want a handsome, capable and fit man who loves us fully.

Seventh and last, women want a man with a healthy desire for his woman. It is clear that while the ML loves Chang Yu, he also lusts after her. However, he is a gentleman until everything is all serious in their relationship and until she gives her approval to move further along the bases. We women want an "interested in us" man but we want to be respected and valued. Women are not just objects to satisfy male lust. Women desire to be loved right and to be treated right.

All in all, "Pursuit of Jade" works so well because women are given our fantasy lover/ man/ husband in the very delicious and good-looking form of ZLH. He is the epitome of Yan Zheng/ Xie Zheng and I will love him forever as Wu An Hou in Zhu Yu.

<3 <3 <3

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First half - great. Second half - just ok.

The rating was 8.7 and I thought it’d be awesome possum.

The first half of this drama was full of cute shenanigans and was really pretty funny. I laughed quite a bit and enjoyed myself a lot. The drama was very cute when the two leads first got to know each other and before they became a couple. The misunderstandings were not agonizing. Rather, their misunderstandings were kind of cute and engaging. I really had a fun ride for the first half of this drama.

The second half of this drama was not quite as enjoyable and funny as the first half though. There were parts that were rather ‘meh’ and ‘hmm’. The love between the couple was sweet and sincere but it wasn’t sizzling hot and ‘wow-whee’. After the leads got together, they were rather ‘meh’ as a couple.

Overall, this drama is watchable. I just do not think that it’s worth 8.7 / 10. I’d think that it’s more 7.5 / 10 :)

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Watch this!!

I really, really liked this drama and I’d like everyone to give this drama a go!

What I liked:
- both male and female leads
- the supporting cast is great on the whole (other than a few irksome ones, but of course)
- the kissing scenes are wow - so delicious
- the chemistry between the leads
- how cool Lee Min Ki is

What I didn’t like:
- some angst (normal though)
- the supporting actress who just wants to get hitched is, imo, mad and super annoying

Overall, wonderful! I super HEART this show! Watch. Watch. Watch.

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The Rose ... wilted ...

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only. I do not hate on any actor or actress.]

Having watched the gorgeous LYF in other wonderful dramas like "Dream of Splendor" and "Meet Yourself", I was looking forward to watching "The Story of Rose".

I found the first few episodes fun and entertaining. LYF was lovely.

However, how she destroyed her boyfriend's home was, to me, unreasonable and "cray-cray". I felt that her actions were uncalled for. Yes, I can empathise with her emotions then but they could have behaved more sensibly and maturely. They could have communicated more calmly and in a better manner.

Thereafter, I felt torn between continuing and not continuing...

In the end, I decided to drop it and watch something else. I know that the actors and actresses in this drama are fine ones and I am pretty sure the show is, in general, all right... but episodes 8 to 10 (there-ish) were "the straw that broke the camel's back".

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It seems much ado about nothing and kind of R&J to me.

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Thank you. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. After all, I do not know them at all and have nothing against them. No hate on them at all! It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]

I was kind of shocked by how cutesy and high-pitched the FL's voice was in another famous series (which made me feel rather repulsed then) and so, I was quite skeptical about this drama. Nonetheless, I just watched "Kunning Palace" and loved the ML as Xie Wei/ Xie Ju An in it and so, I thought "let's go!".

These are my honest thoughts about this particular drama, and I have nothing against any actor or actress in real life.

Upon starting the very 1st episode, it was pleasant to see that FL had a different sort of role in this drama and I thought "seems good". The colour of the drama and the production and costumes ... looked high class and polished. After watching the action-packed 1st episode, I looked forward to the 2nd episode. All seemed quite great and I was quite intrigued.

However, as I continued watching, I found myself feeling less intrigued and more bemused and even bored by the shenanigans of the deadly spies... everything seemed to be going round in circles and was even rather confusing to me. The four factions (can I call them 'factions') on Wu Feng's side as well as on Gong's side were perplexing and rather boring. My thoughts were "this is starting to feel sort of like R&J where we have 2 feuding factions who are just feuding and feuding and much ado about nothing". I felt that there was a lot of posturing going on but nothing much worthy was going on.

Currently, I am in two minds about this drama - to continue or to drop. And so, it is "On-Hold" at the moment. While I recognise that this production is a good one and big budget with good actors and actresses, it did not make me feel invested and keen. It also did not make me feel the urge to continue watching to find out how things would pan out.

Let me see how I should proceed from here ;o)

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HUH?

I read the synopsis and thought that this drama would be good. However, I found this drama fairly "huh" and boring from the start. I tried to continue with it to let it build up and intrigue me but as I continued watching, I simply felt annoyed and frustrated and disappointed.

What I didn't like:
- The ML is cute but he didn't have a lot of chemistry with the FL. I know that I'm sort of early into the drama but things did not seem to be the way I would like...
- The FL seems constantly shocked by the ML. I expected a smart detective like her to be more composed and shrewd. It was strange and jarring to watch her being so startled by her interactions with the ML.
- The 2nd ML and 2nd FL - I do not know if I can call them second leads - were insufferable to watch. Their acting wasn't good and the man appeared like a big, bumbling idiot.

As I couldn't continue watching it, I decided to drop it and move on to other dramas which probably appeal more.


[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. I am just a reviewer. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only. I do not know the actors and actresses in real life and I am not hating on anyone. This is my honest review on this drama which I have tried watching.]

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What's good about this drama? Seems LAME.

I read the reviews which were generally very positive. The rating of (8 and up) for this drama made me consider it and so, I embarked on it with eagerness.

The first episode was "meh". I did not really like the vibes and all. Nevertheless, I thought I should give it a chance and so, I watched the second episode. The second episode made me shake my head and cluck my tongue in both disgust and annoyance.

What I didn't like:
-The blatant unfairness shown towards the smart students versus the less-intelligent students.
-The teachers were extra nice to the smart ones and incorrigibly unreasonable to the less-able students. 1st example: Teacher allowed smart student to use his phone while a less-intelligent student was being disparaged for wanting to use the washroom. 2nd example: Principal berated the less-intelligent student severely and punished the less-intelligent student by making her write a 5000-word reflection while the smart student was gently admonished and advised to write a 500-word reflection.
-I didn't like the double standards displayed. Weren't teachers and principals supposed to be fair and reasonable?
-The male lead was annoying. He kept rushing about here and there without explanation.
-The female lead wasn't cute. She was also annoying in her bumbling manner.

Despite the very positive reviews from the other viewers, I have decided that I have to drop this drama for the sake of my well-being. I do not wish to be stressed out and irked by a drama which does not resonate with me.

Overall: Don't know why others say it is good. Personally, I find it very lame!!

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all that roundabout and slapstick

I was full excitement to embark on this drama. I saw the trailer and I was stoked. I was waiting in anticipation for it. When I was done with "Prisoner of Beauty", I went straight to this drama and gosh, … I was disappointed. It was saddening to feel disappointed (to be honest) as I wanted to enjoy this drama.

I saw a title from one of the reviewers which said (on the line of) "for LYN fans" only. I concur.

I watched the first episode eagerly but, it was sort of a let-down.

First, I went from Wei Shao in "Prisoner of Beauty" to this role here and it was a huge disconnect.

Second, the female lead seemed quite inexperienced and raw to me... especially when I went from Qian Man to this actress.

Third, the premise was not a fun watch for me. I went from the intrigue of "Prisoner of Beauty" to the roundabout-quite-a-mess plot (to me) and I just did not have the patience to ride it out. "Prisoner of Beauty" was excellent. I loved the acting. I loved the intrigue. I loved the suspense and the riveting plot.

Well, as you can see, I did not fail this drama at all, so please don't bash me for it. We are all entitled to our own positive/ negative reviews with our own justifications. I do think it'll be a good watch for his fans. I do like him but I'm not in his fandom (yet). Thus, I gave up the roundabout and decided to embark on something else.

Salut!!

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]

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Well-Intended but I couldn't continue with it...

[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life as I do not know them at all and have no grudges against them. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]


I watched the trailer on Netflix and anticipated this drama. However, after watching the whole of episode 1, I must confess that I am unable to continue with it.

What I didn't like:
- The acting was raw/ unpolished. It was quite painful to watch the actors and actresses trying hard to act but not quite succeeding.
- The plot was full of loopholes and very strange. e.g.: How is it possible for her to just get into a car and have the actual owner and driver drive her to her destination? It should simply be: Miss, you have made a mistake. Please leave or I will call the police. Next, how is it possible for a doctor to be so negligent as to leave a patient in the consultation room with all the private documents for her to look at? The doctor and the patient could probably be sued. Moving on, why would the secretary let himself be tied up and manipulated by two girls? Also, the unwell FL looked too healthy to be so very ill.

Perhaps, I have been 'pampered' by excellent acting while watching other dramas such as (insert drama name on your own) and so, I could not sit through this drama.


[I respect other reviewers and their individual choices. There are plenty of dramas out there to suit every taste. Direct your support or lack of to the drama itself. If you support this drama, good for you and please continue to. Please write your own good reviews. If you do not support this drama, please also write your own review. We are reviewers. Not personal attackers. We review. We do not attack. Reserve your opinions for your reviews and not for the reviewer who is responding to the drama itself and not to other external aspects. I am responding to this drama that I have watched and I am not personally attacking any actor or actress in real life as I do not know them at all and have no grudges against them. It is all based on this particular drama only/ this particular reel life only.]

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The Song - First Love - by Utada Hikaru Got Me!

I was drawn to this drama because of the song "First Love" by Utada Hikaru -- SO MANY MEMORIES...

I decided to watch this drama because of the song which I heard when the trailer flashed.

I would say that I actually kind of like this drama but it is a little too slow-moving for me... I think it could be one of those "healing" types of dramas (yet again). The acting is pretty good. I think the young version of the FL is very attractive. She has an X-factor of sorts but the young version of the ML seems a bit too dorky and he smokes too much for my liking. I have dropped this for now but, I may pick it up again. :) As it's just 9 episodes long, I think that I can, perhaps, find time for it? I'm not sure... I do prefer dramas with more of a Fun Element and more of a Dramatic Element though. :)

The OST for this drama should be good though. Going to listen to First Love by Utada Hikaru again and reminisce.

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