Noctis

I had no expectations coming into this drama.. I just wanted to watch something that’s not too demanding.. Unexpectedly, this was good.. Nothing innovative or fresh and I don’t think that was the intention either.. It sticks to familiar conventions and still works..

I think it’s important to understand that this is not a romance story but a legal drama with a robust, character driven competitive narrative through and through, with a touch of romance and undeniable chemistry and instinctive spark between the main leads.. It also had one of the most mature relationships I saw from characters in this age group in dramas.. No unnecessary jealousy, love triangles, outside interference or forced tensions.. This had all the good vibes I needed at the time..

The characters here feel deeply and love wholeheartedly.. They are good, not flawless but always trying to be decent, to be good to those they care about even when they could be selfish, because their futures are at stake here..

Special shoutout to He Lan Dou.. She was really good.. Her character Guo Xiao Yu was one of my favorites.. Hu Xian Xu and Zhou Yi Ran were good too.. I liked how Hu Xian Xu brought his character, Jiang Chen to life.. There were a lot of small nuances in his character traits that made him feel real.. This is my first drama of both of them.. I was waiting for his upcoming drama Undercover Auto Genius because of Wang Ying Lu, but now I have one more reason to watch it I guess..

There were a few things that bugged me but I just want to bring up one here.. They were part of a Talent Hunt Program, essentially a competition to get a job.. They kept saying elimination, elimination but none of them actually got eliminated.. The first one was forced out because he cheated and the rest quit by their own choice.. That took the edge out of the competition, which was the core theme of the story.. I mean, we all knew who the finalists would be but they didn’t have to go so easy on the others..

Overall, it is a pretty decent watch.. I would have loved to see another 6 episodes, showing what their lives were like after the competition ended.. The ending might feel vague but I think it’s fairly clear that they both got the job and stayed together at the firm.. Still they could have done a better job with that..