Eleison

Not sure, but I assumed there would be based on the premise and the actors in lead roles.

If you find friendship, food, and people and their dynamics interesting (e.g. struggles they have at work, and challenges that don't have clear answers), you will probably like this. It's a character driven drama that focuses on friends doing life together in a law firm, not plot driven.

For instance, they portrayed a seasoned lawyer vs. a newb in the law profession beautifully, showcasing the tension of a bright-eyed, bleeding heart who lacks exposure to their craft against experience, expertise, nuance and the weariness of being part of a broken system while working with messy people. I found their work chats and intellectual tussles over meals really interesting!

This sounds more like the plot of a Jdrama!

He was also a small support role in Descendents of the Sun, too (and Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People)! I think Itaewon Class was definitely his breakout role. Got tons of lead roles after that.

I was so happy to see the younger actress in this was a character in Racket Boys that I enjoyed! Her haircut is better in this by spades, though. 😅

He stood out in that one, for sure!

Very slight romance. It showcases more as close friendship and trust than anything explicitly romantic. But the undertones are there. There's actually two romances going on (the one from the "past" is actually more prominent. 😉).

Interesting, because when he shows her his arm when he pulls rhe sleeve off, there was no scar that I saw (and it didn't seem like he tried to hide anything?). 🤷‍♀️

😅😅😅 Whoops, sorry! 😶‍🌫️

I also kind of loved his "proposal." It was impromptu and simple (and sweet), and felt like one of the most natural interactions the leads had in the entire drama (the ML had to arrange the jot and tittle out of everything else, so it was nice to see something he didn't plan the heck out of 😅).

I also thought they showed the ML retiring from voice acting very thoughtfully. I am coming up on the end of a 10 year career and transitioning into something different, and I thought they portrayed the bittersweet nature of it (knowing it needs to happen, but still loving what you're leaving behind) quite well!

Some of them certainly did--I wanted to see how the coconut rice turned out!

Now that I'm completely finished with it, I can say with confidence that at times the leads' chemistry is VERY good, and of course they are just stunning to look at. Tan Jian Ci is a wonderful actor who played this role beautifully, and Zhou Ye was also really cute (I loved her outfits that were reminiscent of traditional Chinese attire, but her "childish" mannerisms did get a bit cringier by the end, though).

It was so relaxing and calm, warm and fuzzy, with a pace that meanders at times which makes it feel more slice of life (like maybe WIFTY (for the character dynamics) meets Hidden Love (heavy romance emphasis and focus, with a sizeable age gap) meets Meet Yourself (gentle pace that follows a very simple, unextraordinary plot).).

The music is lovely, and everything is sweet and rosy, like a perfect postcard. And I won't lie, it succeeded in making me want to visit Yangshuo. 😅 (Subway product placement doesn't lure me in, but apparently a whole city being used as product placement succeeded where Subway fails. 😂)

I also enjoyed the little twist on their first online meet cute they showcased at the end.

All that said, my gripe from an earlier comment still stands, though (you can see below, but it has to do with how the ML treats FL like a dainty, delicate flower instead of a human being. I appreciate the gentleness, but one CAN go too far to the point of infantilizing your lover). And while I did enjoy all the friendship dynamics, most of the characters felt like accessories to the leads' love story.

And just keep in mind that while the slowness of every day life is reflected in this drama which makes it feel more realistic, nothing else about this drama portrays any sort of "real life." It's beautiful and ordinary... fantasy. 😉

I enjoyed this, but I agree that it did feel like the ML often infantilized the FL in his treatment of her. Thankfully the actor playing him manages to keep this behavior from feeling insufferable (he's a such a great actor) because he's so gentle and kind while he's doing it. 😅

Thankfully seeing chicken gizzards and pork feet kept me from feeling too jealous and hungry. 😅

A Dream Of Splendor is also a Cdrama where the leads have very good chemistry (and The Double).

Yes, already quite obvious! Though I'm hoping it's based on a more significant interaction from the first time they met (that it seems she just remembered by the end of Episode 2) since their interactions so far don't seem to provide any substantial basis for him crushing so hard. 😅

I think Blossom feels like a better production value. I thought the story was very poorly edited and written at certain points in PoB (beginning Nd end), even though overall it was entertaining and enjoyable (the actors did well!).

My Sweet Mobster, Pump Up The Healthy Love and Like Flowers In Sand

It was cute when he started singing the song, "Bom, bom, bom...!"

And I also just realized the title of the drama is a play on words with her name once he started singing it. 🤦‍♀️

Yes, I know, and it's by the same screenwriter. I'm just saying I'm bummed the screenwriter copied and pasted so much from this when writing Vincenzo. 😉