phoenixfrost

It wasn't as simple or subjective as "drama is boring". The saboteurs nitpicked the drama to pieces, even an object that was on camera for a split second became a big deal. It was ridiculous. The sabotage was overt. It originated from the kdrama industry itself and was repeated in social media. That's why I got disillusioned with kdramaland as a whole. Petty, nasty and toxic.

This is what disgusts me about Korean drama awards. The nominations and awards are given to the popular dramas and actors. Sooo commercialized.

It's exceedingly unfair not to be nominated just to give others a chance. The title "Best" should live up to its meaning. Always. Had Hollywood followed the "give others a chance" nonsense, there would be no Meryl Streep.

That's what I'm doing with the new kdramas I'm watching. It's a pity though. The main reason I joined MDL was because I love discussing dramas with others who like them too. It enhances one's enjoyment when one can laugh and swoon with others. It's too bad there are those who seem to relish ruining others' enjoyment.

No worries, I didn't mean Kim Hee-ae, Yeom Jung-ah, Namkoong Min or Yoo Ah In.

Sadly, easier said than done. I did tell myself not to get affected by the sabotage the drama got subjected to, but, though I still love the drama, every time I think of it, my blood boils at the injustice it suffered. It has totally soured me on the kdrama industry because it wasn't just the fans that joined in the sabotage, Korean newspapers too.

I got turned off kdramas due to toxic fans who sabotage other actors' dramas. My enjoyment of a kdrama I loved was traumatically spoiled by arguments with haters of the drama here in MDL. I also got turned off by what kdrama industry seems to think is good acting - over-acting. Actors who are cool and don't overact tend to get snubbed in acting awards. Frankly, I cringe when I hear kdrama actors yell. Why would I want to be subjected to such abuse? Toxic fans can have their kdramas. I'm not anymore as fanatic about kdramas as I used to be. Nowadays, I watch 2 or 3 a year compared to more than 10 a year before. Currently, I'm checking out cdramas and I actually like that actors are cooler, with nuanced acting. However, toxic fans also abound, downrating cdramas and leaving bad reviews on dramas of actors perceived as competitors of their favorites. It spoils the enjoyment of cdramas as a whole. So I'll probably go back to western shows.

So far, drama has 3.341M reservations on Tencent Video China app and 31.9K reservations on WeTV (international) app.
https://x.com/dafengguardian/status/1824621248917455011
https://x.com/dafengguardian/status/1824660161946103817

Guardians of the Dafeng is #1 on WeChat Index ranking for dramas that released materials for Qixi Festival on 8/10. Its heat index was almost 3x higher than the #2 drama.

Source:
https://x.com/dafengguardian/status/1822488825329045613

So true! Even Douban can't be trusted anymore, or any publicly available online rating. On one hand we have the antis and blackmailers who downrate the dramas. On the other hand, we have the fans who uprate them. And it can't be assumed that these two sides cancel each other out. So, these ratings are basically useless.

This drama is about flawed individuals, like in real life. It's about loving somebody despite his/her flaws. Shu Yi is self-centered and lies a lot, but she has fine qualities - she can't be bribed and is hard-working, doesn't believe in taking short cuts at work. She also detests negligence, shirking of responsibility.

This drama is also about growth, showing how a loving partner can help one become a better person. In the end, Shi Yan sheds his jealousy and Shu Yi becomes less self-centered and deceitful.

Here are discussion points that might help you understand the lead characters better:

https://kisskh.at/discussions/cuo-liao/121097-choosing-a-partner-like-a-venture-capitalist-with-shi-yan-long-analysis

https://kisskh.at/discussions/cuo-liao/126949-why-this-show-doesn-t-suck-episode-review-summary-focused-on-the-leads

According to the following tweet, Only For Love hashtag has reached 20 billion views on Douyin, becoming the TOP 1 modern drama over the past 5 yrs.
https://x.com/WangHediFolder/status/1815637753708912839/

Thank you for providing us with such vivid and well-written summaries to help new viewers understand the drama better and to help those who have already finished watching remember and relive this lovely rom-com about beautiful and quirky Shu Yi and stoic but sweet Shi Yan.

Yeah, eps 31 to the end are the sweet and happy episodes. The couple might still have some bumpy scenes but I like seeing them work their problems out together. Shi Yan is the most supportive boyfriend.

Yup, there are indeed some comments here that mentioned her stalkerish behavior. For my part, I did find her stalkery and relentless that I attributed to her being spoilt and pampered thus has that "mine, mine, mine" mentality that can't let go of anything denied her. But I find her low-key funny and endearing so I did not hate her. I find her mature and admire her self-confidence. I also like the way the actress carries herself. She looks effortlessly classy, thus fits the character to a T.

Shu Yi being insecure of her looks due to Shi Yan's extreme self-control is a new experience for her and is quite amusing

Amazing. You sure have a gift for storytelling. It's like watching the episode again, complete with details I didn't pick up while I was watching, like the number of seconds they stared at each other (did you actualy measure it or is it a joke? lol), the lyrics of the music and the time. I found myself giggling at the titillating scenes in the hospital again, like Shi Yan's "Oh".

A trivia about the phrase “Yeah, you should have been at my house at this time”. Apparently, based on Shi Yan's lips, the original line was " “Yeah, you should have been in my bed at this time”.

One thing I like about this episode is the way it subtly shows Shu Yi's emotional growth. From a self-centered girl whose heart is hardly touched by romance, she finally laid bare her feelings. When she broke down at her office, not even caring that her fierce rival saw her at her most most vulnerable moment, she showed the depth of her fellings and gave in to the anguish in her heart. Another thing that this episode reveals is Shu Yi's humility and accountability. When she saw Shi Yan with Fiona, she quietly bore her pain. The arrogant Shu Yi would probably have demanded some words with Shi Yan. But she owned up to her fault in driving him away and quietly let him start a new relationship with another girl. This also showed her shedding off her selfishness.

I also admire the way comedy is mixed with the heavy scenes. Shi Yue is so funny in that restaurant scene with Yu You, Shu Yi and Yi Yang. The way she is trying to get Shu Yi and Shi Yan back together is both amusing and endearing.

I chuckle evertytime you mention Buzzard, picturing him as a fly that Shi Yan would like to swat away everytime he gets close to Shu Yi 🤣 For some reason though, I only feel sympathy for him coz Shu Yi treats him as no more than a friend. Regarding the phone block, yup, my understanding is that Shi Yan did block her that time the second part of her apology did not get delivered. I suppose he expected her to try to see him personally? But he also made it almost impossible for her to do so. I guess, he was also in a state of confusion and did not know what to do.

Ahh, I see the reason why they need to separate. Yup, 15 years could be a more realistic duration for her to shed off that nasty habit of hers for good. So perhaps when they see each other again, they will need to work together on a project that will require her utmost honesty to succeed. Can't think of the details yet, but since they separated because of her lies, it seems poetic that they get back together due to her honesty that would probably entail her to sacrifice something precious to her to prove that she has really turned around.