Paper People Unite!
I haven’t enjoyed a show this much since Joy of Life 1! The story sucked me in right from the start and never let me go up until the last episode. I loved how it spoofed many of the C-drama tropes by fully leaning into the absurdity with the right amount of cringe & humor. It was a fun & funny show but don’t let the unseriousness of show fool you! It led me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions - I felt the pain, the heartache, and the sadness, but also the joy and the love in each episode. And the only way a show can pull at your heartstrings without it feeling manipulative is through the characters in the show. Complex & beautifully flawed characters make for a good drama because we are able to see their growth in real time.
Nan Heng was our tragic ML whose villainous reputation preceded him, whether it was true or not. He grew up abandoned by everyone he loved so his first instinct was survival. All he wanted was for someone to trust him. Yi Meng was our chaotic FL who made decisions based on her prior knowledge of the world’s events and its people which made her weary of NH. She just wanted to avoid the inevitable tragic endings of a bad script. Li Yu Ning & Li Yi Tong portrayed their characters well. Their chemistry was electrifying every time they interacted on screen. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop from being weary of each other to learning to trust one another. I appreciated that it was not love at first sight but rather a gradual & steady build-up of their relationship through their many interactions. It was frustrating at times because you just wanted NH to be happy but you also understood why YM was so hesitant to let go of her fears. And when she did, it was well earned. NH & YM are two of my favorite characters in c-drama land & I will defend their rights & their wrongs against the world!
Of course a good drama becomes a great drama with plots that are plotting, supporting characters who are supporting, and most importantly, an ending that is satisfying. ADWAD definitely checked all those boxes — the pace of the story, the ability to smoothly shift from comedy to drama to romance, the supporting characters who had their own storylines outside of the main leads which allowed them to have their own endings that didn’t involve the main leads. All were done well! The costumes were beautiful but the MVP was definitely the soundtrack! The sound effects were edited well & the eclectic song choices made for fun show. And of course, the king of OST Li Yu Ning once again blessed us with his beautiful voice on the theme song 💕
This is in my top 3 drama list. I’m already on my second viewing!!
Nan Heng was our tragic ML whose villainous reputation preceded him, whether it was true or not. He grew up abandoned by everyone he loved so his first instinct was survival. All he wanted was for someone to trust him. Yi Meng was our chaotic FL who made decisions based on her prior knowledge of the world’s events and its people which made her weary of NH. She just wanted to avoid the inevitable tragic endings of a bad script. Li Yu Ning & Li Yi Tong portrayed their characters well. Their chemistry was electrifying every time they interacted on screen. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop from being weary of each other to learning to trust one another. I appreciated that it was not love at first sight but rather a gradual & steady build-up of their relationship through their many interactions. It was frustrating at times because you just wanted NH to be happy but you also understood why YM was so hesitant to let go of her fears. And when she did, it was well earned. NH & YM are two of my favorite characters in c-drama land & I will defend their rights & their wrongs against the world!
Of course a good drama becomes a great drama with plots that are plotting, supporting characters who are supporting, and most importantly, an ending that is satisfying. ADWAD definitely checked all those boxes — the pace of the story, the ability to smoothly shift from comedy to drama to romance, the supporting characters who had their own storylines outside of the main leads which allowed them to have their own endings that didn’t involve the main leads. All were done well! The costumes were beautiful but the MVP was definitely the soundtrack! The sound effects were edited well & the eclectic song choices made for fun show. And of course, the king of OST Li Yu Ning once again blessed us with his beautiful voice on the theme song 💕
This is in my top 3 drama list. I’m already on my second viewing!!
Was this review helpful to you?