What a beautifully written review. I was eager to watch this show when the teasers dropped but waited for it to finish so that I watch it in one go. But the mixed to negative reviews made me reconsider. So desperately searched for some positive reviews so that it helps me to start this show. And I'm glad that I came across yours.
Just finished this show. Def one of the good one's this year. Started very strongly....at a 9 for me. By the end of 40.5 ep.... I gave it an 8.5. Maybe cos it got a bit too stretch-y. They should've wrapped it in 30 eps. Nevertheless a grt show. The show is primarily abt revenge, politics, greed, human nature and viciousness. Romance is an imp aspect of the story but it's NOT the main focus. The romance is super slow burn (not complaining). A lot of flirting and great understanding exhibited by the leads. The fl did a good job. She suit the role well. Ml is absolutely superb. This is my third show of his and you can tell he has a very bright future. He exudes impeccable aura onscreen. All in all, great direction, exciting cinematography, engaging music, promising acting by the whole cast and slow but consistent pacing of the story. A must watch for the fans of the genre.
It had an extremely promising start. I was thoroughly enjoying it. But from ep 20....it started going down hill. Personally, I did not like how the fl handled their first night together. I completely understood her character and maybe even empathized with her. But till the very end I felt that the ml was just too amazing too good. And she could not match that. He was jst a character with an exceptional moral compass....and in that process he compensated for the flaws of the fl as well. Ofc the latter eps are warm and great. But I lost the connect with the fl in ep 20. Giving a generous 8. Definitely worth a one time watch.
The only way to watch this....is on Viki. The comments keep things entertaining. You will enjoy this show if you view it as a comedy. Cos good lord. The male lead likes to strangle. The femal lead has no brain. The second fl is horrible af. The second ml is wishy washy. It's a whole ass circus with some hot scenes. So watch it with zero expectations. Also.....how tf does it have 8.1 !!! OMG. It doesn't deserve more than 7.5
Positives: Nice story, nice direction, interesting world building, good actors, good ost, good cinematography Negatives: Lack of chemistry, incoherent character development, plot holes, choppy relationship development, lackluster romance
All in all its definitely better than many mainstream BLS and deserves a watch by the fans of the genre. But 8.9 is bonkers and is mysteriously overhyped. A generous 8.
I honestly never understood the hype. Like What exactly was I supposed to be enjoying in this? Not to sound rude…
I think when we revisit old classics we need to view them within the context of the times it released in. In 2016, c dramas were not THAT popular beyond East/Southeast Asian region. It was one of the first dramas at the time that merged gaming with college romance while boasting above average graphics. This show introduced a massive wave of international fans to cdramas (including me). Its a simple story that did a good job with the slow burn romance. This was Yang Yang's breakout show... probably because of his character & looks....more than his acting (later he did do roles which proved his acting chops). The fl was not liked that much even back in the day so I more or less agree with your criticism of her. Many of the supporting cast members have now become big stars. So in a way it was a starting point for many known faces in the Cdrama world. This show won't necessarily age well as there are far more well written and engaging shows available these days. However, it'll always hold a nostalgic value for many.
3 episodes. 3 episodes is all it took for this one to prove how good writing, good casting & great storytelling could do wonders. Bravo to the makers. Its an absolute must watch for all bl lovers. What a fantastic gem of a show ✨
The second lead were so adorable !! Wish they had more episodes. They were far more interesting than the main leads. The main couple was okay.... but their emotional trajectory was so frustrating at times. However, tons of fluff and surprising amount of steamy moments made up for it. If you're bored and don't have anything to watch or if you need a sweet palette cleanser drama after a heavy watch...give this a go. An average 7.5
I know how you feel. I was like this a few days ago! But I promise it's sooooo worth it! Hang in there!
I have put it on hold !! Will watch some quick light show and then pick it up again. I'm keen to know what happens next but also not prepared for the angst :(
I'm on ep 21 and oh my god I can sense things going south in love town from miles. It's like the calmness before the storm. I'm so anxious watching it 😭
What did I just watch !! Did it have fluff ? yes. Did the actors act well ? yes. Was the production good? yes. But omg what an atrocious script. The female lead did not have any character development. The male lead changed 180 degrees in the second half. The reason for their love made no sense apart from the fact that both preferred good looking and professionally successful/competent individuals. The writing was such a let down as they presented one dimensional main characters with no depth or justified motivation to their actions.The cliches were so 2010s, the constant miscommunication & misunderstanding, the whole "pick me up" vibe of the fl, the second couple who could've gotten together long back but chose not to because how else can we get unnecessary angst, the third couple was actually better.....I mean yes the second half is so much better. But the first half was a car crash. Thank god for Dylan And Bai lu....their star power was the saving grace. And for the love of God stop stretching shows for 35-36 odd eps when u have literally no story to tell. Angry watched my way cos I was too stubborn to drop. A very generous 7.5.
What a delightful watch !! On the surface it might seem like a modern day Japanese Marry Poppins but it was not.The focus on the fl was consistent rather than making this abt her becoming a maternal figure in a man's household. The maternal and paternal role was always played by the ml which was refreshing to see. Her addition to their family was more abt her choices, her decision and her ability to bring more happiness to the three because of her companionship & friendship. It's so easy to make the fl a maternal figure in such plots without giving them the room to retain their personality and agency. This wasn't the case here so this choice of storytelling was much appreciated. The actors were very good esp the younger cast. Both the leads were sweet and just perfect. A deserving 8.5.
If there's one thing k-bls are excellent at....it's creating compelling sexual tension. The push & pull of attraction between the two leads was amazing. You don't need tons of skinship to convey passion between the two characters. This art of storytelling is mastered by Korean entertainment industry. Also, Korean actors more often than not are above average actors which makes so much difference. So even if the story is average, good actors, good screenplay, good direction & dreamy cinematography make it work. Could it have been better ? Sure. This story needed more eps as there was so much to unpack. But it was still a great watch. Deserving 8.5.
That 7.9 rating is INSANE !! This one deserves to be at least 8.5 by mdl standards. It's literally one of the best BLs of 2023. They hit a jackpot with this casting. The story is simple but the execution is sharp. You can tell that the writers kept 100% attention on the couple's evolution from friendship to love. A very character driven series. No unnecessary sub plot. They squeazed in good amount of story in each 20 min ep. The acting was surprisingly good even though they both are relatively new. The production quality was high even though the budget was less. The flow of narration was on point. It was heartwarming, sweet, fluff, low key angst-y & a very satisfying watch. A solid deserving 9.5 from me.
Now that was a hot mess. What an uninspiring writing. The buildup to the story was good but the pay off was pretty disappointing. It had potential & required an imaginative treatment to an otherwise promising premise. And because of this, I could not invest too deeply in the relationship of the leads. The writing was blah which made the characters seem superficial and hollow. They lacked depth. Giving a generous 8 cos the production was immaculate, their chemistry was good, ost was pleasing and some memorable moments.
Negatives: Lack of chemistry, incoherent character development, plot holes, choppy relationship development, lackluster romance
All in all its definitely better than many mainstream BLS and deserves a watch by the fans of the genre. But 8.9 is bonkers and is mysteriously overhyped. A generous 8.