Life is unfair
This series has a message it wants to ram home, which is mainly directed at women.
It’s this: you should always be able to take care of yourself because you never know what might happen, who might try to undermine you, or even betray you. Life is unfair.
The FL learns in the first episode that her husband has been having a long term affair with a woman who’s now pregnant, who wants to replace her as her husband’s wife. The husband seems perfectly happy to let this happen.
So, Miyu, the FL, a woman with no education or work experience, divorces him and goes looking for an entry level job.
At this point, some Asian dramas like to imply that if the female lead (it’s always the female) grits her teeth, endures her burdens with grace and fortitude, all will turn out for the best. Every once in a while, one character or another pounds this theme home–in case the viewers have missed it.
The FL finds work at the elegant Purong Hotel, where she’s subject to daily indignities, mild bullying, and other unfair treatment. Another theme of this series is how the lower level employees of the hotel are blamed for everything that goes wrong. And they in turn, blame someone even lower than they are on the totem pole.
But the FL actually likes her job. She finds a few genuine friends and allies, and strives to please the remote, mysterious Feng Ji, General Manager of the hotel, who often corrects her (trivial) mistakes and criticizes her.
It soon turns out that the success of the hotel is hanging by a thread. Everything depends on–wait for it--SHEETS! Will a certain hygiene problem be solved? Or will the hotel’s dirty laundry be exposed for all to see?
The main rule of storytelling is: keep the viewer engaged.
And I’m still engaged, although slightly bemused by this absolutely silly plot development
Later (episode 28): I still don’t feel much warmth for the ML. He seems to be a cold fish, someone who can express negative emotions when necessary, but struggles with the positive ones. Does he feel anything for the clever and beautiful FL? Or does he have ice water in his veins.
Another thing that’s tiresome is the way the two leads treat the rich guests at the hotel. Both the ML and the FL find immense satisfaction in devoting their lives to making the moneyed classes ever more comfortable than they already are. Really Miyu? Really Ji Feng? This is how you want to spend your one precious life? Obsessing over laundry, pastry, and carpet stains?
Well, maybe not. I’ll check in again later to see if either of these folks have had a change of heart.
Epsode 31 – Well...finally. Things have taken a turn.
But...a little bit later–it’s back to the real business of this drama, which is–BUSINESS. Does Miyu have what it takes to go into sales? I guess we’ll find out. The poor girl may have to start at the bottom...again.
Eps. 34 has my favorite scene. Our two leads quarrel--and to emphasize how far apart they are (metaphorically speaking), we see them separated by an elevator door, which closes slowly...once...twice...as many as five or six times. Loved it.
Meanwhile, product placement and industry accolades are creeping into the dialog, eulogising the merits of pickles, AI, and robots. I’m hoping this story won’t turn into an advertorial, but I fear it might.
Last episode. Whew! No. A fine and fitting conclusion. The ML shows that he can man up when necessary. And everyone gets what they deserve, although we, the viewers, need to hear the moral driven home yet again.
P.S. Special shout out to the villains, who never get the appreciation they deserve, especially: Jing Chao (so hard to hate), and Zhang Yi, who looks like he would be lots of fun in real life.
It’s this: you should always be able to take care of yourself because you never know what might happen, who might try to undermine you, or even betray you. Life is unfair.
The FL learns in the first episode that her husband has been having a long term affair with a woman who’s now pregnant, who wants to replace her as her husband’s wife. The husband seems perfectly happy to let this happen.
So, Miyu, the FL, a woman with no education or work experience, divorces him and goes looking for an entry level job.
At this point, some Asian dramas like to imply that if the female lead (it’s always the female) grits her teeth, endures her burdens with grace and fortitude, all will turn out for the best. Every once in a while, one character or another pounds this theme home–in case the viewers have missed it.
The FL finds work at the elegant Purong Hotel, where she’s subject to daily indignities, mild bullying, and other unfair treatment. Another theme of this series is how the lower level employees of the hotel are blamed for everything that goes wrong. And they in turn, blame someone even lower than they are on the totem pole.
But the FL actually likes her job. She finds a few genuine friends and allies, and strives to please the remote, mysterious Feng Ji, General Manager of the hotel, who often corrects her (trivial) mistakes and criticizes her.
It soon turns out that the success of the hotel is hanging by a thread. Everything depends on–wait for it--SHEETS! Will a certain hygiene problem be solved? Or will the hotel’s dirty laundry be exposed for all to see?
The main rule of storytelling is: keep the viewer engaged.
And I’m still engaged, although slightly bemused by this absolutely silly plot development
Later (episode 28): I still don’t feel much warmth for the ML. He seems to be a cold fish, someone who can express negative emotions when necessary, but struggles with the positive ones. Does he feel anything for the clever and beautiful FL? Or does he have ice water in his veins.
Another thing that’s tiresome is the way the two leads treat the rich guests at the hotel. Both the ML and the FL find immense satisfaction in devoting their lives to making the moneyed classes ever more comfortable than they already are. Really Miyu? Really Ji Feng? This is how you want to spend your one precious life? Obsessing over laundry, pastry, and carpet stains?
Well, maybe not. I’ll check in again later to see if either of these folks have had a change of heart.
Epsode 31 – Well...finally. Things have taken a turn.
But...a little bit later–it’s back to the real business of this drama, which is–BUSINESS. Does Miyu have what it takes to go into sales? I guess we’ll find out. The poor girl may have to start at the bottom...again.
Eps. 34 has my favorite scene. Our two leads quarrel--and to emphasize how far apart they are (metaphorically speaking), we see them separated by an elevator door, which closes slowly...once...twice...as many as five or six times. Loved it.
Meanwhile, product placement and industry accolades are creeping into the dialog, eulogising the merits of pickles, AI, and robots. I’m hoping this story won’t turn into an advertorial, but I fear it might.
Last episode. Whew! No. A fine and fitting conclusion. The ML shows that he can man up when necessary. And everyone gets what they deserve, although we, the viewers, need to hear the moral driven home yet again.
P.S. Special shout out to the villains, who never get the appreciation they deserve, especially: Jing Chao (so hard to hate), and Zhang Yi, who looks like he would be lots of fun in real life.
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