This review may contain spoilers
Don’t be a sleeper on a very good story
I totally base my reviews on my likes. I also like to point out that I have no credibility for being a writer. Okay, now that’s out of the way, let me speak on this wonderful drama. Warning ⚠️ I really don’t mean to give spoilers so my intent isn’t to. If it comes out that way, I apologize. I really hope though that I put it in a way that will make you want to find out for yourself.So the plot line is nothing new. Two lovebirds break up because of ambitions. Three years later they meet up. In the course of the story there is competition in office, business building, it’s ups and downs. At the same time, complications in human relationships play out, among lovers, peers. The crux of it all is the realness of how it portrays life. To me, the writing is really good, especially the way the relationships of the three main characters panned out. There was no cheesiness in the relations, but rather, a good look at how decisions shaped based on past hurts, fear of unknown, but most importantly, recognizing and honoring the value of each persons decision. Seriously, there are so many life lessons to learn from this story, from these characters.
The cast are good. These are more mature casts. I really enjoyed the cast who played the family members of the couples. Maybe because I’m so relieved none were hateful, screamers, or slappers. The dramas with these types of parents (too many for my likes) is so cringey I loathe it. Its ending was simple but poignantly happy.
On the last note, subtitles weren’t super good ( not dissing on subbers work as I appreciate the work and time) so hopefully you can find a site that may have a better one. I watched on DC, but maybe you’ll be lucky and find it adjusted. Give it a try. No matter your take, I really enjoyed it and feel you will too. Thanks
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Well worth the time
Everyone seems to have said it all; how great this series is. Mine will be short. The cast were phenomenal. LiQin, I’ve seen several of her dramas. I really like her character here. She really shone. Xiao Zhan, I’ve heard of and definitely he was very good here. There was a short kiss scene between them and I’m wondering if it’s something they agreed on. I don’t know bout Zhan, but in other Qin shows, she has barely intimate scenes. It must be her conditions. I think they chose a very good drama that highlights their flexibility and maturity.Story of growth, perseverance, as well as choices really highlights this wonderful production. We were young once too. This story depicts so much relatable circumstances of our youth into growing up. It’s a really good one.
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Stand or Fall
True to its title, you’ll either take a stand or a tumbling fall, you choose. I’ll just try to give my impressions and hopefullyit’ll give you some perspective if you’re on the fence.
Cons: subtitles where I watched was so bad that to really follow the gist of the business side of it, tends to keep you engaged. I mean you can definitely infer a lot (if you’ve seen one business drama you quickly pick up that two sides are working to advance, except there’s the other doing everything to sabotage that effort, right}. It was hard to follow along the business aspect of it, and it wasn’t anything so mind blowing to keep you teetering. In fact, it was a bit frustrating.
Pros: the cast! I always give grace to the hard working cast, no matter how the final product turns out. These are veteran casts and I automatically warm up to this type of series. They did a good job with what given. Whether by choice of what they agreed in contract, I always feel that there’s a hold back in level of chemistry. I’m so glad that one marriage portrayed did not add a cheat tag, but that the workaholic husband became mindful of his wife and supported her. I’m tired of cheating theme dramas so one married couple who worked through theirs was refreshing. The other married couple thought, at least, justice was served. As for main couple, they could have had more ‘them’ screen time but they were cute.
Overall, it’s not a bad production. I mean there’s lots they probably could have done better but still, it was fine. I liked it and if you have time, it’s worth seeing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Wasn’t magical, but strong females.
This is pretty decent in that the main women, Su Fei (FL) and An Ming (SFL) did not wallow in tears of ‘why me, poor me’ after hubbys infidelity. In fact, they stood their ground, never wavered to stand high on their decision to leave the past.I’m weary of weak, submissive, self sacrifice, wavering decision written women characters. The main two here shows how to stand on their own. That’s what I like most.
The story is nothing new. Two female leads bonded by chance over one knew the other’s hubby was being naughty. This formed a unique friendship. In the business world they battle wits to outdo, and manipulate. How? You’ll have to find out. I guarantee there is no tropes though as these females know how to walk and won’t be falling. Story paces well. All the side characters, from cute children to annoying ones served their parts to add flavor to the story. Stirred together, it’s pretty good entertainment.
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Wholesome, Without Nuisance, Love at Second Chances
Personally, I believe that love is only experienced once, and I mean love that is deep, committed, therefore, even in death. I say this to introduce this drama. ML, not because he was looking for it, but it coming naturally and subtly, is just a delightful unfolding story that foremost, makes this drama so favorable to me. A widower, dedicated to visit the columbarium for his wife, with a satisfying successful life while raising his young adult children finds love. While this plot is definitely not new, the way this has panned out is such out standing planning. Scenes are created with care and variety that brings believable moments where leads just naturally develop feelings for one another. Both leads are greatly casted and they are doing such a good job portraying their characters. I’ve always complained that directors can be more creative in staying away from too much recycled tropes we see in just about every romantic dramas. Here, it is done. So far, it’s been such nice blends of humor, seriousness, heart flutter, pieces weaving together to keep those invested in this weekend gem. Yes, it’s a gem.The leads are middle aged. Refreshing. Rarely do we see good made romantic dramas about this group range so this is such a welcomed surprise. The idol range are nice (creating lots of fantasizers) but there are so many viewers in this drama range so this is a great treat.
There are actually many couples in this story and each are just as engaging. I think that each one are given enough time and screen to develop, thus making this a wholesome family show. My bias is the main couple but then, the others just become important too as you start to feel and cheer for them too. The creations of build ups of relationships are nicely done. No nonsense misunderstandings, push and pulls. Instead, the directors presents us these characters whose story can be any of us and their management is straightforward.
Cast are so good. Veteran casts in older leads and up and coming younger ones are doing great. Veterans certainly have cemented their facial expressions to convey appropriate reactions it just amazes me. Ahn Jae Wook is eye candy and Uhm Ji Won is gorgeous and their vulnerable scenes of falling in love are so darn cute.
It might not be for everyone but it can be for anyone. Mind you this review is mid point of this ongoing show, but that’s the flow of it. Will follow with afterthoughts upon conclusion hoping upon hoping it remains good and not fall on kdrama curse of mid point fall apart.
🌟🌟**********************
Completed afterthoughts: 8/24/25 based on some themes
1. Love after widowed: it might not be for everyone but in the chance that it does, this surely would be a wonderful way of happening. Love and care, priority and GS n DS on top of that, laughed and smiled a lot. I liked that.
Remorse: Dok Tak and Miae, definitely committed wrong. Yes only because caught, as well as guilt did they come around. No one should be trodden to death by their mistakes, if they but repent and make restitution. That should be the biggest take of these two characters. Behind every bad person was once a shining pride of someone else. Our society needs to be more tolerant and of grant grace for those who truly makes the complete turnaround.
Child Abandonment: not all unfortunately, but more than enough there’s a story behind an ‘abandonment’. For whatever reason, there’s some worthy of sympathy. Having adopted, I sympathize greatly with the mother of my child as I understood her choice of giving up her child. If ever possible, reunion’s would be great. Se Ri being understanding and left door open for future communications about cute Ha Ni is so ideal. I’d love for my daughter to meet her birth mother someday as we left our country it’s been over thirty years. To have that closure if anything else. It’s humanity.
Big Families: it is definitely not surprising as my culture is very much similar in many ways. Definitely there’s pros and cons. Keys for it to be successful is respect and mutual family closeness. The brothers were that. It helped to accommodate their different dynamics as individual couples. As long as I have a definite space to be on my own (ha, a room), big families can be very helpful.
Overall, I enjoyed this family drama. I’ve watched so many already with absolute nonstop nonsense. This, without those nuances, is uplifting, wholesome, and wonderful. It started well and ended swell. To me that is.
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Not everything is black and white in a marriage.
I really enjoyed this drama and felt it was written well. I’m with a partner whom I enjoy life with and raised pretty good kids. As good as it is, definitely it’s not free from rough edges and heavy patches. I think though the key is honesty and willingness to compromise…of course love isn’t questioned. This drama at least put perspective into what Not to do for a healthy marriage so if anything, learn from this relationship.Hallelujah we have a very strong minded smart female character. I’m very satisfied with her performance and I’ve been on the fence with this actress until Fake It Til You Make It which I feel her character is similarly acted(Elvira Cai) . Male lead (Shao Feng) was good acting as the pompous ass jerk. His credit though is that he adored his son.
@Dedra70 in her review has an excellent breakdown of this drama if you want to know more. I just wanted to give credit to the cast and producers/writers of this story and hope that more people will give it a chance. It’s not rom-com, rather, it’s a look at how to build good and better relationships. Give this show a try as there’s some things to take away.
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What I find refreshing is just that. Little by little layers are delved into so that we understand the characters as they develop. Not only that, it’s family oriented, gives us slice of life moments. It has palace intrigues, secrets, birthrights, and of course scheme.
Towards the end of season, as General declares his love for Shaoshang, it’s a perfect arrival to season two where we have lots to build on as we anticipate the direction of the leads romance. Mind you, there’s loads of great moments of the story to keep us entertained, laugh out loud, shed some tears, etc. I give so much credit to entire cast, yes leads and younger cast members but also salute to older members for their great contributions. It’s a well put together story so don’t be a sleeper on this great production. Just read subs fast cuz lots of script conversations. Enjoy!
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Money doesn’t solve everything.
I started this series because subbing was fast. Not expecting a lot as description was vague, about a single mother, meeting up with other women of preschool children, Surprisingly for me, I stayed with it, now waiting for few more episodes to go.The story: A single mother got her son into a sought after kindergarten school, meets the elite moms of the group, and thus embarks on a journey of ups and downs. There are about five families in story with their own struggles. Through their stories, it engages us in life as seen through theirs with themes such as infidelity, bad investments, parent involvement in marriage, rebellious children, high expectations on kids, etc. While lead is single mom and kindergarten teacher, screen time is focused on all these families so this is one where we can say leads are multi. Leads include the kindergartners who are very much a part of the story.
It’s a drama about life. There’s much to take and appreciate. While the group belong in upper class, we can learn what NOT to do or become. No matter how much more money people have, they experience the same hurts and pains of ordinary people so it has much to offer about life and it’s challenges.
It kept me engaged. Episode to episode keeps me glued to see next. So, if this is the family type of drama you like, you’ll enjoy it. There’s a slow burn romance of single mom so it’s cute. Enjoy
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It’s really sloppy writing and directing in my opinion. I mean (you’ll see), just some things are so unrealistic it’s ridiculous. He’s about to look at marriage certificate when phone rings so he doesn’t. I mean you look at it while on phone is probably what ninety nine percent of humans would do. There’s no slow motion in opening a chinese certificate , come on. On and on he gets close to finding out just before something intercepts. I get they’re trying to build the suspense but by the second interruption, it’ll only build your bad vocabulary and brain spasms. Yes, nineteen episodes and she’s still at dodgeball full swing.BUT, it’s not bad. As a commenter said in comments, watch with your smart cells off. It’s a sweet popcorn watch with whole kernels here and there. Leads are eye candy and seriously though, main guy really does have smoldering eyes that are too lovely to skip over. Lots of skinship that some see as aggressive. I know it’s fiction only in my sight so you can say it’s weird that I find it romantic pursuit.
So, don’t be turned off too quickly and give it a try if you’re looking for a fluffy sweet romance. If you’re serious minded and hate overloaded cliches and plot holes, it’s not for you.
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Do Not Miss Out
I can affirm and confirm that this is one of the best (if not best) romcom drama this year. I can stop at episode ten and be very satisfied. In fact, it would be the most perfect beginning to an ending. For me especially, i find it more rewarding because i found it on my own without seeing or reading beforehand about it. Like the drama, Tell Me You Love Me, these two are like a gem that snuck quietly in when I wasn’t looking, yet hold the fiercest of satisfaction to become an embedded treasure.My reason is simple. First the story. I’ve seen it all. Rich and poor, hate to love, first sight love, cold to warm, etc. I think I may have seen something similar as this, reformed mobster, girl falls in love. Yeah im sure I have. Regardless, I love it here.
The cast! Absolutely the best! The side characters, especially the ml “reformed” family makes me wanna have a bunch like them too. They’re hilarious, dedicated, and lifetime friends once in their circle. They are such an important bunch in this drama that made it super extra fun. Leads? What a perfect pairing. Uhm Tae Goo as male lead is superb as the cold, no nonsense, guy turned soft. Oh my gosh, how he acts, reacts at his own change of falling in love is hilarious but so so heartwarming. True to the saying, she fell first but he fell harder……add butterscotch with honey dripped in savory chocolate. Han Seon Hwa as female lead is soft, kind, and plays her role perfectly. Not only is she beautiful but she’s the one to tame and jellify the man.. Everyone, even fl best friend and her love interest are cute. Everyone in the cast makes this drama memorable.
Like I said, for me it’s perfect. Well weaved, acted, and one to definitely go back to over and over. It’s so good. If it ended at ep 10, it would be perfect. Glad though there’s six more of these guys that’s making my drama watching so fun. Don’t miss out on a gem.
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Underrated gem
I’ve watched this twice within a year and I want to share it this time around as I appreciate it so much better.First, I like the writing. There’s so many poignant life lessons to go along the phases of the story. I always feel that when connections are made from screen to audience, then it’s good. I’ve felt that a lot.
Second, the friendship (s). Yes though it is about the sismance of best friends Si Yi (Jin) and Lu Ke (Li Tong), overall the relationship of college classmates was so heartwarming. Everyone who had a role in this story was so good. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the group where you’re laughing at the spontaneous humor or crying at setbacks.
Third, the acting. I’m a fan of Li Tong but I think I appreciate her acting in this a lot more. She’s the reasonable, unselfish friend vs her bestie played by Gina Jin, who is very tough and cares about the outcome no matter what way to get it. Both ladies really shined in their roles. Guan He played by Chen Hao turned out to be such a cool girl I love her development and her relationship with Ze Hou was adorable. Yao Han, played by Zhang Chao (Si Yi’s love interest) is a woman’s dream man. Smart, handsome, kind, and cute low voice is such a great character. He’s so opposite of Si Yi they matched so well. Their chemistry was so good. He’s become a favorite I’m gonna watch his other works. Again, casting is great, all of them.
My only complaint was that like many stories to keep it going is unkind to the good people. Always those unscrupulous business people or scheming characters that knocks down the hard work of the honest people. At least towards ending they got their redemptions. Wonderful story, you would most likely enjoy this mature cast and production. Trust me, I’ve watched it twice. So good.
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Here’s another first for me. The music. Like the Hawaii Five-O older catchy theme music, I always looked forward to this ones and bops to it. Then, there are two songs sung brought in during those climatic moments. Both are very good but the one by female artist is so beautiful. After a great episode, I’d linger on just letting the soothing song sink in. I have no idea what it’s saying (no translation) but it’s fine, it touches deeply. I’ll later find out but that is one beautiful voice. Oh yeah, can’t forget to give credit to cast. Mature cast, perfectly selected…bravo.
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Usually I’m a rom-com person, will stray to a good law story (Suits) or political (Designated Survivor) once in a while but I haven’t in a bit. I saw the poster of this one, liked the looks of the leads, read the synopsis, twins, detective work, sounded interesting, started 1st episode and after three days not straying, just finished and very satisfied.
This show is about really good police investigative, forensics mystery work and it’s very riveting and intriguing. Dedicated to the core are its cast who never seems to stop working nor have a life beyond the uniform. For that you are very tuned into the mystery episode after episode with little rest to your imagination and emotions. The mysteries relate directly to the main people of the story which is why you’re deeply involved. You love them and hate them. Martial arts skills are great in the fight scenes and hands down applause for the training obviously put into this work. Though it’s not the focus, yet, the warm and tender relationship of the leads adds the flavor to this. Their romance is just beautiful with the maturity you crave in the eye candy idols cast dramas. Kisses are sweet and no big eye surprises or stone bodied hands glued to side either. Kisses are as it should be…clingy, returned, with warm hugs. Lol. Sorry but I’m so over the other unrealistic ones so was very satisfied in the sweet moments of this one.
The cast are all new to me but I’m gonna give them a shout out.
Bosco Wong dual plays twins Beichen and Beishen. Both have love interests so lucky him, he’s intimate with two beautiful women..haha. He’s so poised and dedicated to his work as a medical examiner that his character is strengthened by his intelligence and raw honesty, as he really needed to be to keep the woman he loved.
Julia Ye Qing plays Gu Chu, fellow medical examiner and love interest of Beichen. Beautiful and also poised, I love her facial expressions appropriately portraying her emotions. Her best yet was at the most, and I mean most painful moment of her character life. She’s great.
Gu Gao Wei is Capt Luo. This guy is absolutely professional in his character field. He’s handsome and enigmatic and also a poised leader. I researched him and found this is his first main lead role and he nails it. I would love to see him in another lead role where he gets the girl.
Liu Xian Da is Guo Chao, partner of Capt Luo. He’s reckless because he’s eager to be a good cop to catch the bad guys. I feel like he grew so much in the series and I can’t decide if it’s the character growth or actor growth. Handsome and naive, he grows to be a very resourceful cop.
The two antagonists are so good too. I mean the evil look, demeanor was perfect. Everyone on the team were good and big clap to them all. As to the ending? You’ll find closure I think.
I don’t know how they determine the popularity of shows and it looks like this isn’t favored. It’s seriously good though and if you feel you need a divert from other genres, give this one a go. I believe you will like it a lot. My overall opinion is a 9.5, low rewatch value because it’s no longer a mystery. Try it.
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It’s a drama for mature minds. It’s a nice break from idol casting. It might not be for everyone but I think if you’re willing to be patient and stick with it, producers and writers did a pretty decent job, and of course the cast who is delivering. I’m up to episode thirty and my attention hasn’t been hindered. Well…perhaps a tad here and there with the slow burn romance. Otherwise, this cast deserves an audience and I hope you give them a try.
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The story here is a plot line seen way too many. CEO, cold, strict, recently returned. Woman is poor, tries to make in competitive business world. They meet, clash….yes! That’s the premise of this one, with the schemers in background, family secrets, etc. I’ve seen so many idol cast dramas of this sort the plots become very predictable. The difference for all these business/office genre is the cast and makeup of the story. The cast!
The main leads are older. Depending on individual watchers, as an older person this was a refreshing change. (not that I don’t watch idol star casts). Wei Gao (Wang Juan) and Zhang Qi (Su Mo) as leads were nicely paired. Their chemistry could be better but they did well enough i didn’t mind it. It’s just a nice change. Side characters who were the leads supporters are just as awesome. They complimented the leads by way of friendship. The supporting younger cast, Tianlu (Ren You) and Wang Jian (Zhang Mo) added depth as they were the peacemakers, the alternative voice of reason. They were great. My all time favorite though is Zhong Sheng (Zhao Yao) She was a strong character that portrayed a young woman who studies hard, and expresses and follow suit with wise judgment.
I enjoyed this a lot and really think you will too.
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