CKDramaddicts

Thanks so much for reading the review and commenting! And I definitely agree that desperation and wanting answers can make a person very pushy and drive people to behave less than ideally.

I was really expecting them to make the ML seem suspicious just to throw us off like Flower of Evil or something, but he is straight up an emotionally and psychologically abusive husband. Abuse doesn't have to be physical, and making her cut off contact with her family, isolating her, telling her "it's for your own good" are all classic signs among many others he presented. (An aside: the FL's eldest sister is pretty problematic too.)

And in that super disturbing "vow" he made her read for the video, she had to promise she would maintain their agreement and secret, and not disclose it to outsiders *without his permission* -- including family! WTAF.

I initially found the FL character annoying and weak, but now, I wonder if she became like this because of his constant gaslighting and pyschological manipulation, or if the qualities that made her annoying also made her particularly vulnerable to his abusive tactics.

At this point, I hope the ML gets his just deserts at the end (if they do a redemption arc for him, I will be absolutely livid at the message that sends), but I hope the story nevertheless surprises us with other twists and turns. Nobody wants to watch 27 episodes of infuriating psychological abuse - their interactions are becoming increasingly frustrating and enraging. At the same time, the evolution and escalation of the entire situation is well done. The music is especially effective in helping to build tension.

The opening credits are interesting and compelling. The first episode was effectively creepy and unsettling, and even more so by the end of episode seven. Fan Zhixin is very good at playing ambigious and "grey" characters. I'm finding the FL character somewhat annoying so far, however.

I've said this before, but it's really too bad Mango doesn't provide decent subs. They've done a lot of really solid productions, but the language barrier alienates non-Mandarin speaking C-drama fans. This one is well done so far, especially for a short-length, modern drama.

This should probably have a spoiler tag :)

Currently? Never, lol. This was made many years ago, I think just before the hallyu ban in China and never aired. There are a bunch of these c-dramas starring Korean actors that are gathering dust somewhere waiting to be discovered by our great grand kids🤣. But things are supposedly easing a teeny bit, so who knows?! Maybe they will drop it without warning one day like they've done with a couple of the BL dramas recently, haha...

If you're looking for a good JCW drama, try Healer.

Was really not planning on watching this since I'm usually not into rom coms or shows with Sex and the City-type vibes, but I checked it out on a friend's strong recommendation and it was such a delightful and refreshing surprise! I found myself laughing out loud a lot, the FL is so ridiculously kick-ass, the friendships between the FL and ML and their respective best friends are really wonderful, and the romance is surprisingly sweet given how it all began. I also love how the ML's respect for the FL stems from who she is as a person, with no judgment about her sexual history, and how he stands by her despite the misguided moral high horse of public opinion. I also just came off watching the 2ML again in Flower of Evil (purely coincidental) so it's also quite fun to see Kim Jihoon in such a completely different role.

As much as I would love to rewatch my favourite dramas, I never do because there are just too many new (and old) ones I haven't watched yet and not enough time. But I just rewatched this again after more than two years (I had just watched Lee Joongi in Two Weeks where he also plays someone with a messed up past, which made me want to watch him again here), and I think I loved this even more the second time (one of the only dramas I've ever given a 9.5 to). It does such a poignant job tackling the effects of trauma, the impact and influence of words/bad diagnosis on children, and the power and importance of trust in relationships.

I hate amnesia tropes too, but I really don't see it used as an extraneous or unnecessary trope here -- to me, it felt like an authentic portrayal of the psychological impact of trauma rather than one caused by a head injury, just like the woman who was missing for 15 years, she blocked it all out, but started to remember. And they show the way he started to remember as well once he began reconciling his identity and emotions. The first time I watched it a couple of years ago, I found the ending a bit unsatisfactory even though I understood why they did it that way, but I just rewatched again and thought the ending was well done. He found the anchor/starting point his sister said he needed to guide him, and you know they are on a journey towards healing and finding happiness again. An ending that showed them perfectly happy and reunited I think would cheapen the underlying theme of what trauma can do to a person's psyche and the journey required to recovery and heal.

Wuxia dramas also need to have a strong martial arts element. So historicals with no fighting or where the main focus is about the Imperial Court or palace intrigue, or daily life, etc. are not Wuxias.

Can also watch here, but no subs - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-Sx9vEHFsmuyMjVoT1v6t8R5Ytvrr7SU

Yes, while both this and Gaus Electronics are based on the same webtoon and the premise and characters are similar, my understanding is that the situations and comedy are also culturally specific, so lots of similarities, but also differences.

Just started this ridiculous romp and really enjoying it so far. I don't easily enjoy rom coms, tbh, but cracking up with this one. I'm loving the strong FL and how she is really standing up and asserting herself. She's smart, resourceful, doesn't take any BS, but is also kind. The ML is so over the top with his self-confident arrogance and vanity -- and at the same time, completely oblivious to social norms and cues (his vain personality reminds me of the ML in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim). I would find him gratingly annoying if it wasn't for the fact that he gets put in his place every so often (even if he is a bit like Teflon in that nothing sticks, lol) and his cluelessness and sense of wonder whenever he discovers something lends an air of adorableness. A lot of the humour is in what they say versus the situation itself, so some of the humour and quips in the dialogue are lost in translation, which may make this less funny for viewers who don't understand Mandarin, unfortunately. So far, a breezy and fun watch.

I think this might actually be an original script(!) ... apparently the FL is terminally ill, so...

Gahh! Okay. Good to know too. 😅 Maybe its different if you already know the story vs if you don't...

Thanks, that's helpful to know!

Is this something I should pace myself and watch as it airs or wait until it's almost finished to binge?

yes, I agree, I think the illicit affair was the driving force behind the censorship, not the content of those cut scenes. And they would never allow a drama on the air if the plot had the protagonist rebel and over throw a "legitimate" ruler, no matter how terrible that ruler was.

Supposedly the series didn't pass the second round of censorship review, so they were really brutal with the editing in order to get it to air. I only just started watching this so I could binge properly and thought the first episode was really well done in terms of pacing, editing, production, etc. so it's pretty disappointing to think how butchered the editing gets later! I'd been hearing about the jarring cut scenes and weird choppy edits from my friends and it sounds pretty ridiculous. (I also just watched Lighter and Princess recently, which I thought pushed the boundaries a bit on what's normally shown in C-dramas, and also had one of most natural romantic interactions between a couple I've seen in C dramas -- no weird, awkward, frozen kisses or hugs.😜)

Noting that it is scoring 7.1 on Douban, which is pretty solid for that platform (Who Rules the World, for example, scores a 5.8), so I feel like maybe the bad reviews are attracting disproportionate attention perhaps...

I haven't been stuck in a show hole in well over a year...the "good" thing with being unable to move on is that I'm more productive with my time and not wasting it on mediocre dramas, lol. 😅