MangoTree

So Random and Cliched

Fyi, rating off of short series standards...

began watching this because I wanted to watch a sweet rom com that would make me smile. This is only 14 ep fyi, so that's really short for a cdrama (rom com cdramas usually range from 24-36 ep).

FYI: This is directed at a younger audience (because there's a bunch of weird situations)

Story:
-pacing was really weird. Sometimes they would rush scenes but drag others...
-slow burn, but the pay off wasn't really worth it. At the 92% mark, they get together.
-it's kind of like the writers threw all the tropes they could think of inside. In the first 6ish ep, it was funny, but it got old quick. Like, they were having decent communication until suddenly we got a misunderstanding for reasons that didn't match their past behaviors
-the ml had no game. He said he liked the fl but never showed it (except small smiles at random times)
-the fl did misunderstand him, but she was very empathetic to him, so I don't blame her (it's his fault for him not clarifying)
-the 2cp was much more interesting. Yan Zhi Chao (fl from Mr. Gu) acted really well and so did her ship. I enjoyed them more. They had decent chemistry (but kisses were lacking)
-there is some considerable third-wheeling
-started out as a work drama but then morphed into smth else?
-the more I think about it, the more I get confused
-the lack of direction in this drama is weird

-Don't know if this counts as a spoiler : Why do they suddenly start dating, marry, and have kids? The pacing is really weird y'all...

Acting.
-Jiang Zhi Nan was done dirty. She deserved a better ml. Her acting was a 100 times better than his.
-their chemistry was kinda bad. I mean, their kisses weren't the worse, but they didn't look comfortable with each other. I can deal with slow burn, if it pays off. This slow burn didn't, so now I feel like I wasted my time.
-it was obvious that they rushed a bunch of the scenes. I get that it's a short drama, but c'mon

Music:
-would turn on at random times (kind of was a nuisance)
-some of the songs are ok

Rewatch:
-I wouldn't rewatch, nor would I recommend. I would call this drama a disappointment.

I hope you have a better experience than me.

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Not a dull moment!

8.75
(rated on short drama standards)

I came in wanting to find a nice short drama to get me out of my drama slump (overwhelmed by my cw list 😭) It worked.

Story:
-romcom with plot twists
-very entertaining (fl was a little immature at times, but it was really hilarious)
-crazy funny at the right moments
-some angst, but they made it really bearable. Like the angst was exciting and not giving me heartburn

-cute romance with loads of trust and communication (this is aspect was done better than full on 40 min per ep dramas) This is what made me love this drama so much. Even when they had bumps in their relationship, they would trust eachother more than random people who try to break their relationship.

-showed trauma in a nice way
-main leads supported each other!
-they get (arranged-ish) married and everything, but they already had feelings for eachother. (definitely, cause they had a one-night stand)

-villains were pretty 3 dimensiona;
-2cp was cute, but their ending was a little sad, but it made sense.
-fl's dad was really funny. So were ml's brothers.

Acting/Cast:
-Yang Ze is definitely experienced in the short drama world
-FL was really entertaining to watch. Love her so much!
-chemistry was pretty decent. It got better as the drama went on (as well as the kisses 😉)

-2ml was done dirty with his beard cut. It was uneven and had random patches
-clothes weren't atrocious. The same can't be said for many cdramas. Looking at you Night of Love With You.

Music:
-the OST was really, really good
-dubbing was kinda off. Like it sounded the same no matter how close or far the actors were from the screen.
-some weird sound effects, but whatever

Rewatch value:
-totally would
-nice watch!

Overall:
-Recommend!

Quote (viki subtitles) : "I'm asking you to help me bear a baby. No matter how talented I am, I can't do that on my own." -FL
https://kisskh.at/profile/MangoTree7/feeds/5JnnxSn

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Mature, Unique, Well-Written Workplace Drama

Used to be 9.5
Now: 9.75
Reason for change:
This drama changes my ideas about love in such a profound way, that I think about extremely often. I used to believe that I need to find the perfect guy in order for everything to "work". This has made a significant impact on my life in general.

This drama is a vibe. The clothes, interactions, music, romance. Wow. 👏🏽

Had to mention: The theme at the beginning of each episode is so iconic. It makes so much sense as the drama goes on. So does the name for this drama. It represents this drama soooo well.

You know, we've all seen work-place dramas. But this one, is revolutionary. Mature in a way that blows all the stupid ones away. Cough. Cute Programmer. Lucky's First Love. (Maybe) My Boss. My Little Happiness. (Maybe) The Love You Give Me. (Maybe) Hi Venus. Love is Sweet. Only for Love. Step by Step Love. Why Women Love. Here we Meet Again. You are My Secret. Cough. Damn, that's a lot to say in one breath.

Not to say those dramas are horrible (Some of my fav dramas are part of those), just that the workplace aspect wasn't realistic.

Story:
65% Female Lead. 35% Male Lead

-I love so many characters
-every character is *deeply* flawed
-every character makes mistakes
-very well written
-we saw the back stories of so many characters, effectively learning that 知人知面不知心 (Know a person, you know their face, but not their heart). Slowly we learned their face.

-They dealt with the issue 内卷 (rat race) in the workplace soooo well
-themes were well shown
-shows how life in unexpected

The relationship between Tang Ying and Lin Xin Zi (cousins) was so precious. Venting to each other about their *failing* love life just felt so real and relatable.
The relationship between Tang Ying and Wang Yu Su (boss-employee) was so supportive. Taught Tang Ying so many lessons. So healthy and inspiring.

Romance:
Tang Ying and Xu Zi Quan (main leads)
-gets healthier by each episode, love the communication
-the banter is crazy. The best I've seen (and I've watched You Are My Glory and Lighter and Princess sooo)
-both have baggage
-dealt with love rivals in such an amusing way
-I liked how they only did the cohabitation trope AFTER they got together (so it isn't stupid)
-I also appreciate that they couldn't just drop work to hang out. To add to that, although the ML was richer, that didn't mean he didn't have higher ups. He was also struggling in 内卷. That was so awesome. Them not being able to meet because of work is so real. Love this.
-They had difficulties that real life couples have. Love their communication.

Just btw, the romance gets 40% of the screen time, so if you're looking for 100% romance, then go elsewhere. The first few ep has a lot of work things, which was slight slow...

Lin Xin Zi and others
-loved how they showed a toxic relationship (yay for no romanization of red flags)
-genuinely scary and realistic
-learned that the person who you're looking for may not be the one

-loved how she ended up with a green flag
-I'm so happy for her.

Note~ Lots of people (on viki) said they didn't like her. If you are a woman hater, don't watch 🤷🏽‍♀️

Just wished we saw her and her green flag for a little longer.
Wish this whole drama was longer. Don't mind me, I don't want this drama to end 😭😭😭


Note after reading reviews:
Some people felt that the workplace aspect was boring. I acknowledge that we didn’t go too deep in the work itself. But we learned how it’s possible to basically sell bits of your souls to your work where you’re just a husk of who you once were. All the pressure isn’t healthy. Workplaces intrigue can be real if you have toxic colleagues. If you don’t find that interesting, maybe save this for a different time.

Acting:
-great chemistry between leads (kisses, intimacy. banter, the look in their eyes. All were great)
-I've seen Dai Yun Fan in so many roles. He slayed this one.

-clothes were so mature. They fit this genre and the vibe so well. So does the makeup. Love her lipstick. Her hair is meh.
-the cinematography. Was something alright. Really swoopy and not still. At first I found it weird, but I soon got used to it. It gets wiggly whenever something stressful happens or exciting. Yeah, that part was weird…

Music:
-so unique
-old, jazzy feeling (in a good way where it felt nostalgic)
-timings of the songs are of the same tier as When I Fly Towards You and Lighter and Princess

Favorites (but I liked all) were: 每天 and Us and Moment of Peace

Rewatch:
-totally would

Overall, Sooooo good. If you want something:
-slow burn
-great story telling
-important themes
-great chemistry
-intellectual
Watch!!!

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The Most Heartwarming Youth Drama

9.5!!!!!!!

Rating by episode:
01-05: 7.50
06-11: 8.00
11-15: 8.25
15-18: 8.00
18-20: 9.25
20-24: 9.75

SHE FELL FIRST, BUT HE FELL HARDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Note 4/4/2025: thinking back, the plot itself was fine, but what really made this special is the directing (so scenes they chose) and the acting of all five leads.

Story:
-character development brilliantly done
-very healthy and not toxic
-extremely sweet
-both main CP and second CP were adorable and funny
-I like how the drama was able to be funny but not a joke
-I love how they documented their youth using videos
-happiest ending, brought many to tears
-lovely friendship
-really good communication between main CP
-a little slow burn

FL:
-love her personality
-shameless in the cutest way
-has teenage rizz for days
-knows how to stand up for herself and her friends

ML
-also love him
-got the best character development
-see this especially when he started flirting back to our fl
-he might've been cold in the beginning, but gets the "best boyfriend ever" reward

Jiang Jia (2fl) and Gu Ran (2ml) are so crazy, I love them.

I like how they showed the friend croup, especially the mcp and 2cp. When the mcp got a little slow, the 2cp was fun to watch, and when the 2cp got a little slow, the mcp was fun to watch!

Acting:
Zhang Miao Yi
-succeeded in being cute, but not cringey
-the character was already great, but this actor brought life to her
Zhou Yi Ran
-has the cutest smile, which you get to see when he is with the fl or his friends

-I like how they were able to keep an 8 year story in 24 episodes. They used time skips in a very eloquent way.
-beautiful cast
-couples had surprisingly good chemistry for a youth drama, which I really enjoyed. Many of the youth dramas I've seen before all have had lacking chemistry. Here, there is no lack.

Music:
-matched the scenes so well
-even though they used some english songs (which I usually don't like) they made me like it

Rewatch
-you can watch this over and over
-I wanna rewatch rn, but I find it more rewarding to wait at least a few months before rewatching
-nothing is toxic, only character development
-EDIT: 1/28/2025: Rewatched the last 6 episodes a few nights ago. That's like 2 weeks after I first watched it. I still laughed and happy cried the same way 😍. Couldn't stop myself from rewatching

Con:
I wish Gu Ran and Jiang Jia got together earlier.
First bits of the show had a bit 2nd hand embarrassment (but it's forgiven)

I usually don't like youth dramas. I also usually don't like female lead pursuing first. Actually, I watched the first episode of this last year and dropped it. Multiple months later, I tried again, after hearing many good reviews. This is the kind of drama that gets better as you keep watching. I soon realized that this drama is really worth watching. After watching this drama, I've started opening my heart to other youth dramas and haven't been disappointed!

So, I know that there are soooo many good reviews for this drama. It's actually good, y'all. The only way you could not love this is if you don't like great character development, sweet, cute, funny, and beautiful youth romances! Highly recommend!

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When Emotions are Written Well

8.50
(rated on short drama standards)

Story:
-extremely bingeable
-very interesting premise.
-Liked their dynamic from the beginning to the end
-characters are well developed
-main leads have emotions, even when they're outwardly cold
-well directed
-the plot was good, but the emotions that the characters went through was what made it special

-the ending was happy, but not as satisfying as I would like it. I wish they had a longer moment alone.
-every time there was a sweet or romantic scene, it would sour in five seconds. Quite angsty, but it made sense

Acting/casting:
-excellent chemistry and kisses
-both leads gave depth to their characters
-Chen Fang Tong did pretty well acting blind. When I first saw her, I thought she was too cute for the role. But, no. She aced it.
-the fiancé's acting wasn't so good

Music:
-had this one really good song that they sorta overplayed

Rewatch
-some of it, yeah

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Focused on the wrong things

This is my first republican era short drama. I feel like this drama had the potential to be pretty good. But it kind of flopped…

Story:
Pros:
-the only sensible character is the fl. I have no issue with her. The woman was just trying to do her job as a tutor
-the kid who gets tutored is cute and hilarious

Cons:
ML:
-this guy is all over the place (in a bad way)
-he had love at first sight with the fl. Heck, he thought she was a prostitute when they first met 🤦‍♀️
-extremely violent in the first few ep
-overly flirty
-but we soon learn his awkward cute side
-every issue in this drama always seems to come down to him.
-I hate how he used the fl to get this crazy 2fl to get away from him.
-throughout the whole drama, whenever the fl would set boundaries, he would make it his business to break them (which is so damn toxic, ew)

-this drama has a few strong points. The chemistry between leads and the kid. But instead of focusing on those, they focused on the 2fl and the 2ml (who aren’t the 2cp, they are both just trying to get a jab at the ml)
-we had a total of 4 kiss scenes. One was when the fl was drunk. Another when the ml was dreaming. Another when they actually got together. And the last was when “all was good in the world” aka the ending
-mind you, they got together at ep21 only to breakup and other shenanigans. But yes, they do get married and have their happily ever after and whatever
-but the lack of screen time for the leads and the kid actually is the downfall for this drama. It wasted so much of my time. I watched a lot on 1.25-1.75 speed, mostly at the ending eps

Acting/Cast:
-gorgeous ml
-innocent looking fl
-cute kid
-pretty good romantic chemistry, but even better kiss scenes

-sets were boring and repetitive
-coats were nice

Music:
-oh God, the background music was… it was sooo overdramatic. It was funny at first but then it kind of lowered the quality of the whole drama
-the ost itself is nothing interesting

Rewatch:
-no
-maybe just the scenes with the leads having chemistry through YouTube shorts

Overall:
-I didn’t drop this!
-ml is gorgeous, so just seeing him on screen is satisfying
-fl was a nice character

-really don’t recommend. Definitely a waste of time

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Stupid, but funny

Used to be: 7.0
Now: 7.75
Reason for change: If you ignore the last few episodes, there are some good lessons taught to the fl. She learned that you shouldn’t have sacrifice yourself for man. And we see how when she did that, it only hurt her.

I've been a bit of a cdrama slump, and came in with no expectations. It was bad, but something made me continue watching.

Story:
-Ml's sister and Ml's friend is the reason why they stayed together for as long as they did (so I love them)
-The parents in the show was really good
-toxic/unhealthy relationships were everywhere (especially main couple except for the last 2 ep)
-they take forever to get together because of Li Man (second fl) who really makes me hate her (good for the actor at least)
-I didn't like the idea of the ml cheating (was a real turnoff)
-there are so many plot holes and unrealistic things, but you can deal with it, because, from the beginning, its obvious that this show is not meant to be a master piece so it's not like you're disappointed.
-my finger rarely left the skip button.
-fl was kind of a doormat, but what I did like about her is that she had a line. As soon as she had enough of the ml, she left him. I've never been so happy for a breakup before. The ml then, obviously, grovels for a while and changes his ways, so the fl eventually accepts him.
-characters felt a bit flat, but you only realize this after watching the whole thing

-am I the only one who thinks that it's concerning that the majority of their kissing scenes happened when the ml was drunk? I watched this on Viki, so I was able to read comments. Some of the comments literally wanted to drug him so they can kiss lol. Like, this drama was literally starving us to get to a point like that 😭

Acting/Cast
-the whole cast is gorgeous, especially the fl. Hard to drop with a drop-dead gorgeous fl.
-ml's tears didn't seem genuine. Looked fake as heck.
-ml and fl had decent (but not amazing) chemistry.

Music
-ost was average
-kind of meh

Overall, don't waste you're time on this drama unless you're bored to death

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The Most Heartwarming Sports Rom Com!

9.0!

I am so sad I've finished watching! 😭😭😭 It was so good!

Pros:
-perfect mix of sports, romance, comedy, cuteness, and growth.
-healthy relationship
-our ml actually has feelings! Like he cries sometimes and is cute! We need more mls like this.
-very inspiring
-themes of hard work will bring success, friendship, and support!
-show might seem long, but you'll wish it would not end!
-ost is was really good
-small note: the fl's bestie actually gives good relationship advice! (usually, I'll be like "nooo! don't listen to her!). The ml's bestie also gave good relationship advice 80% of the time (but it ended it up fine sooo)

Cons:
-one of the "bad guys", was given an arc where he fixes his mistakes (Coach Xiao). I personally believe that he isn't worth a second chance. Dude is a manipulating jerk (so is his sister)

Not sure which category to put this: they're kiss scenes were not the best (but not bad enough to complain too much), obviously a college drama, so they are quite more on the cutesy side. However, they're hugs and banter more than makes up for it.

Rating as I watched:
1-5 episodes: 7.75
5-14 episodes: 8.00
14-18 episodes: 7.50
18-25 episodes: 8.75
25-33 episodes: 9.25

I haven't really watched many sports dramas recently, because I just haven't really had many good experiences with them. I started this one with the lowest expectations to man (As, I watched the first 5 eps a few months ago and wasn't impressed. I was planning on quitting at ep 12 or smth. I just wanted to spend time doing smth) I later found out that this drama actually isn't bad. I kept watching and it kept getting better!

So, overall, I highly recommend this!

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Take this review with a grain of salt

7.75

This drama took me 4+ months to finish. (I started in November and its now March)

First 3/4 of drama: 8.00
Last 1/4 of drama: 7.00
Overall: 7.75

Story:
-unique body switching
-wicked funny
-second hand embarrassment
-over arching themes about celebrities (i didn't find it that interesting, but others might)
-cute sismance between fl and her best friend

-Last quarter of the drama was not very nice. The mcp did end up together, but the ending (last 2 ep) were just not working for me
-too much comedy

Acting/Casting:
-very good acting for body switching, absolutely well done
-kisses were definitely real, as well as plenty
-though, I didn't feel the romantic tension and chemistry between the mcp
-however, anyone with eyes can see that they are very natural around eachother

-product placement is the most I've seen. Hilarious.

Music:
-very good ost
-too much English songs though

Rewatch:
-wouldn't rewatch
-ending just doesn't really allow me to watch again with that same joy

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Not the greatest, but not bad at all either

7.75.
Second short drama ever

Story:
-quite shallow, but still enjoyable
-lack of sufficient backstory made it a bit jarring at time
-had some weird conflicts that didn't really make sense, but it did drive the plot
-romance was cute and no angst
-I admit that at parts I would watch at 1.25, 1.5, or even 1.75 times the speed because it got a tad boring at some parts
-The end was really cute and tied all loose ends

Acting/Cast
-chemistry was good
-some parts weren't acted as well as I would like, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment

Music
-they had like only 2 songs
-they were good songs, but I wish there were more
-But, this is a short series so it is forgiven

Rewatch Value
-there are some twists, so rewatching wouldn't be that great
-however, the couple was really cute when they got together, so if I were to watch it again, I would simply skip parts to the nice parts

Overall
if you
-got some time on your hands (like 3 hours)
-don't care about details
-are bored
Then, give it a go!

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Lighthearted, Cute, and Sweet

This cdrama was adorable

Note 3/2/2025:
This drama is surprisingly good. Just by seeing the tags and tropes, this could have been a 7.5. But the way how they executed it was what made it special. Our quiet ml isn't a jerk, but just isn't very good at talking to people (normally). Of course, as a romcom, there are some weird plot lines, but overall, it was a great watch.

Story:
-I love how caring the ml was and how naturally cute the fl was.
-It can be a bit slow burn at times, but the reward at the end is definitely worth it.
-This is perfect if you want something simple, but cute to watch.
-I love how the love rivals got dealt with efficiently.
-opposites attract (or are they more similar than they seem?)
-very nice themes. I feel like they really resonated with me. One of the issues in the story was that ml and fl were "too different". Loved how they talk about that. Sometimes, I feel like I should make friends with people who are similar to me. But this drama shows... Actually you should watch it yourself to see! 😜

-The second couple was cute and third couple was a bit unneeded, but they didn't take away anything from the drama.

Acting:
-They also actually look good together, so good casting
-At first, I didn't really like Wei Zheming (Miles Wei) that much when I saw him in You Are My Secret, but now, I really like him
-FL is really pretty
-Both leads did very well in their roles

Music:
-very cute and upbeat
-added to my playlist

Rewatch:
-definitely
-extremely nice to rewatch

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Power Couple

Really enjoyed this. It had capable main leads and a lot of political intrigue.
The chemistry was pretty good (it could've been better, hence the minus 0.5), both are excellent actors, Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi.
This was the first Cdrama I ever watched. Not too romantic, but still puts a smile on your face,
I found this quite entertaining.
Also, the OST was awesome.
Hope you enjoy!

Update:
This is me a year later (a much more seasoned watcher as you can see from my other reviews). This drama, compared to the many other dramas I've watched, is extraordinary. Also, we don't have a stereotypical damsel in distress who needs a strong man to save her; we have the definition of a power couple, both are rivals (but then work together), so they both have brains and martial arts skills.
Pacing got weird a bit

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38 episodes of my life: Gone

This drama has a bad ending. There, I said it.

The whole time, we're rooting for them. If it wasn't for Xiao Zhan's pretty face, ngl, I would have left a while ago.

The whole time, we are just waiting for them to realize each other's feelings, but they are too stupid.
I cried on multiple occasions because of this.

I'm the kind of person who needs to have a good ending. Like, I'm not gonna waste 42 episodes (around 32 hrs) of my life, just so you could make me cry, have multiple heart attacks and multiple stabs in the guts. Like why does the Fl say 我爱他 and not 我爱你 to the ml??? Like was that necessary????

Btw, I'm writing this review a few months after watching. As you can see, I'm still very emotional about it. I hope this can properly warn you...

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