MangoTree

Everyday CEO romance

7.5

Decent.

Story:
The beginning can be a bit difficult, because it's your everyday cold ceo archetype.
But, soon enough, it gets quite funny and cute. The cold lawyer becomes more emotional and nice (because dude needs a character arc). Like, his personality took an 180 degree change. The best analogy I can think of is that the pampered, bad tempered dog morphed into a clingy puppy. 🤣🤣🤣. Though he was still kind of controlling so..
The fl is also very admirable. Her motivations and fears were made really clear. I really like her.
There were some aspects that were plain weird, but like, but overlook them and enjoy the drama!

Acting:
-acting was fine
-ml was pretty good
-fl was negligible
-chemistry was dead, but cute enough to watch

Music:
-really cute

btw, the ending was pretty good. The fl is super great in this regard. You'll see! 😉

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Don't worry! There is payoff!

I painfully give 7 stars (I want to give it way more, but that isn't fair)

Love the male and female leads from The Love You Give Me SO MUCH!!!
CHEMISTRY IS AMAZING!!!

The last 6 episodes are my favorite. All the episodes are my favorite excluding the meddling 2nd leads. Contract marriage was so good!

What took away the last 2 stars
-Just wish the love rivals can just go away for God's sake (no offense to the actual actors), like they took up way too much screen time
-Okay, I understand some people's reservations. The ml's personality in the beginning was a real turn off, but he does become more caring and drops his controlling nature.
-I just wish the fl could have some more agency over her life, I found her a tad too cute and passive for my liking (I like badass, strong, and/or smart fls)

Overall:
Although there are some odd parts, you should still give it ago!

Note:
If you watch this and don't feel satisfied, do not give up! Watch The Love You Give Me and you'll not regret it!

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Slow Burn with Little Pay Off

Past me: 4 stars

How we got 6 stars:
-nothing was wrong with acting, well casted
-Music was really nice, added them to my playlist (find on youtube)
-like crossdressing trope personally

How we did not get the rest of the stars:
Slow burn romance:
they get together in the last 2 episodes. The rest is just them flirting, which really isn't that satisfying. For me, a good ending should have a marriage or a proposal of marriage.

Actually the ~parents~ (trying not to spoil) tried separating them and it was really really painful. I actually took a break for a month and then skipped the painful part to the confession. It dragged so long.

Also, there was a lot of parts that just seemed plain dumb.

In general, I like Chen Yao. She was really good in Maiden Holmes. Hope to see more of her. Those stars are partly for her. I actually didn't like the ml that much. He was a little annoying at times.

If you like slow burn with little pay off, here you go!

3/2/2025
Maybe I watched this in the wrong mood. Small chance of rewatching just to see if past me was right...

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A Lovable Slice of Life Drama (but kinda slow)

8.25
Finished 29/40 episodes
(I tried to get a perfect 30/40, btu I couldn't get myself to watch one more episode. I feel like I should give this an 8.5, but 8.25 is more suitable I believe)

Note: I watched this drama with my parents in the room, so any flaws that this drama had was emphasized as my parents are quite critical of what I watch.

Disclaimer: The below opinions are mine and mine alone. If you don't agree then that is just fine. If you really loved this drama, I am happy for you. I'm genuinely glad that this drama was enjoyable and even lovable for you.

I feel really sad to drop this, but this drama has met its limit for me. I have come to a point where it's only bearable to watch at a fricken 2x speed. And if I'm watching a drama at such a speed, I feel like there is no need to force myself if I have ~~VERY~~ little motivation to watch. I mean, I am curious how it ends, but not curious enough to watch it all through. I think I'll just watch some Youtube shorts and read some episode guides, and I'll be satisfied.

However, for a dropped drama, this was pretty good. I definitely can believe that some people would love this drama.

Story:
-so many very well developed characters. This aspect was the highlight of the whole show. And that was wonderful because it wasn’t just the main leads who had complex inner makings, but also all the supporting leads. They had also made understandable decisions.

-I like how they showed dysfunctional mothers. In the media, we always hear about horrible fathers and angelic mothers. That’s the combination that everyone is obsessed with. As someone who’s biological mom wasn’t the most mentally stable in the least, I grew up where if I told people my relationship with her, they would think I’m either (or even all) lying, hallucinating, or going crazy. “No, ALL mothers care about their children and do what's best for them!” And it was so dehumanizing, because my mother wasn't all that great. But watching this drama, I really felt seen and acknowledged. (However, unlike Ling Xiao aka ML, I did not feel any sort to filial piety towards her but maybe that’s Chinese culture 🤷🏽‍♀️)

-liked how much they showed Li Hai Chao (the dad) cook. Made me hungry 🤣
-liked the fl's job
-ml and 2ml's jobs made me roll my eyes
-there are some really good, heart felt, meaningful dialogues in here
-we got to see the characters grow up

-What made me drop this was the speed at which everything was happening. I used to think I was the kind of person who liked "Slice of Life" dramas. Now I'm starting to doubt myself. This is genuinely a good story but its taking up too much of my time... And some of the flaws (in the romance) I just couldn't overlook.
If I had nothing better to do, I would finish this drama. But since I do, I've dropped.

Romance:
-the romance makes one realize that, yes, this was made in 2020. It hasn't aged well.
-it was really toxic; they were romanticizing emotional blackmail
-the above really pissed me off and made me want to roll my eyes. Yes, he is pitiful, but that doesn't mean you owe him to be his girlfriend

Acting/Cast:
-Zhang Xin Cheng has blown me away. He might not be good at romance and might not have the most pretty face, but he sure can act. This dude is amazing
-Tan Song Yun also did very well, but Imo, I felt like she made the role fit her instead of her fit the role. I also don't really like her style of acting. Like, yes, act like a child while you're a teenager, but once your 26-27 or whatever, please act like an adult 🤷🏽‍♀️
-Song Wei Long was the weak link of the three. His acting was mediocre compared to the others. He brought some of the chemistry to the romance but it gave more predatory vibes than love vibes
-the chemistry between TSY and SWL was not great, but the kisses were good. Mostly because TSY brought no heat at all
-I also enjoyed watching Tu Song Yan

Music:
-I probably won't listen to the music in my own time
-but, it really suited the drama and the moments that it turned on
-this drama also managed to not overplay the ost, which is hard to achieve nowadays

Rewatch:
-no
-I wasn't even able to completely watch it in the first place 😅😅😅

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Power Couple, but not so great in later episodes

8.00

Y'all, the first episode or 2 is trash, but keep going. Everything unfolds......

Pros:
-lots of twists and turns
-love the scheming
-love the political intrigue
-love the dealing with of the 2ml
-side characters were mostly liked
-love how the main leads support each other (using power, finances, and emotionally)

Cons:
-some of the plot twists stab you
-one of the side couples are kinda annoying (skipped past them)
-the sister of the ml is troublesome
-not a huge amount of chemistry

(I will soon finish and give my final review)

Update at 3/28/2025: I finally dropped. This was on-hold for nearly half a year. At this point, I don't think I will pick this up. Zhang Jing Yi, yet again, found a powerful, admirable fl to play, and played her well. This drama was my first of hers (she is my fav actress btw). The reason I dropped this is because there was a conflict between the ml and fl that just didn't make sense, and caused the ml to make the fl lose face in front of everyone. I was so in pain that I couldn't watch. Days became weeks, and weeks became months. I feel really sad that I had to drop this, but here we are anyway. 😭

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I can't... hope others can enjoy

I really dislike dropping dramas, but I simply got too bored to continue. (take my words with a grain of salt because this is my 3rd xianxia so I'm not experienced at all)

Story
-at first, the balance of comedy, cheesyness, and seriousness was really good. Soon they dipped into plot hole territory with not enough romance (when this drama is literally focusing on their romance)
-I love this fl. She has common sense and is rational. Everything she did was understandable
-the ml couldn't stop stabbing people (joke) but at least he's nice and not toxic (can't believe I have to say that)
-I liked how the fl and ml communicated (mostly the fl initialized while the ml had to learn to do it)
-the beginning was good until the 2ml and fell in love with the fl, then it got annoying.
-other than than the ml, fl, and 2ml, the other characters felt shallow and useless. Wish we got more understanding of them
-Although the story (at first) moved fast to my liking, they added all these filler scenes which was annoying. Like, we're trying to find this dude's body parts, like shouldn't we be hurrying?
-by the early 20 episodes, the slowness really hit me. It just felt kind of stupid.
-the plot kept on being thrown off track. If you've ever studied writing books just a bit, you would learn that scenes and moments are used for the plot (character development must also push the plot), but here its kinda like they stuck the plot in the trunk and drove other places

Acting/Cast
-I loved Zhou Ye here. I watched her in Love me, Love my voice, and her personality here is so different (but she still loves to eat!) I felt like she really portrayed Yan Hui very well.
-Hou Ming Hao was what I expected. I watched him in A Girl like me, and he still only has 5 facial expressions. I feel like Zhou Ye deserved better...
-I didn't notice any chemistry. The fl had more chemistry with the 2ml than the ml. This was very disappointing because chemistry is what draws me back to a drama if the plot flops.
-the 2ml did very well

Music
-the soundtrack is gorgeous, like it's really good

Visuals
-the cgi was kinda tacky ngl
-the magic tho looked good
-but the clothes need mentioning. They were stunning
-the makeup also was very pretty

Overall, if you are patient and like the laughs, then watch!

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Melodrama: Watch at your own risk

Used to be: 6.5
Now is: 5

Pros:
-chemistry (10/10)
-ost is very very good (10/10)

Cons:
-they have a long break up period (broke my heart and they didn't even try fixing it fast enough)
-plot holes within plot holes (I know this is drama land, but like, this drama took it way too far)
-unrealistic actions (way too many)
-after watching this much, whenever I see the ml's face (the actor's face) when looking for dramas, my brain goes "nope" and turns to the opposite direction. Like dude actually scares me. The actor himself is probably a decent dude, but this drama has scarred me.

I had to stop because of the break up period. I did some research, and it says they won't get back together for a while. :( I would call this a melodrama, which I do not like.

So, like I said, watch at your own risk.

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Rise From the Ashes

Dropping! So sad, because I really like Zhang Jing Yi.

Story:
-we see the cast grow up
-the main leads were very mature, especially fl
-fl is sensible and smart
-healthy relationships
-the sister of the ml was really cute (so is her ship)

-I found all the many, many side couples and ships cute (but time consuming when it was overdone)
-got a tad slow at times

Acting:
-the romance didn't have much chemistry, but the show isn't focusing on that
-I feel sad that Zhang Jing Yi got paired with Hu Yi Tian. Like, Hu Yi Tian is good at fight scenes, but that's kinda it.
-Zhang Jing Yi's acting outshined Hu Yi Tian's a lot.

Music:
-Really good.
-added to my playlist

Why I dropped:
It started feeling too slow and draggy. I couldn't get myself to finish it.
What I mean is, the drama is very good, but, like many dramas, had a draggy middle. Other cdramas caught my interest, and this one was just silently forgotten. However, it is worth rating and watching.

Overall. This drama is meant for people who like to see the main character rise from the ashes. Don't watch this if you want romance, which isn't emphasized here.

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Like the Style but Not the Plot Developlment

7.75

Story:
-gangsters
-the synopsis spoils more than half the drama
-we were promised a badass fl and we didn’t get one
-the romance had cute scene but we don’t understand why the met
-it is filmed like a full length drama. It felt less like 24 ep of 10 minutes, and more like 6 ep of 40 minutes.
-I don’t like how the ml was involved with someone else… but it’s also understandable so…
-very good fight and fun scenes
-ending was weird, but ultimately happy

Acting/Cast:
-Leo Yang (ml) acted pretty well. He made miniscule movements with his face, which I thought was cool.
-Han Le Yao (fl). Decent cryer. tbh, Idk whether she acted well or not. She didn't get too many scenes and her face didn't change that much...
-main leads had good chemistry (though we did get to see too much of them)
-Kun 哥 (random male character --hard to explain) Qi Hang has gorgeous eyes.
-2fl was entertaining to watch
-Tai 哥 was also interesting...

-there were so many great sets. Some of the scenery is cooler than full length dramas.

Music:
-I hate YouKu. I was watching this free on YouTube, but the sound kept going out
-however, when the songs did come on, I did like them

Rewatch Value:
-probably not. Nice drama to watch just for visuals

Overall:
I liked this . Come for the vibe and not story

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Details: Pretty Cool. Big Picture: Extremely Underwhelming

7.75

I started watching this in November. It is now nearly April, and I've finally finished it. This drama taught me something: Good chemistry doesn't make up for a dull plot. This is a special drama, so I'll be reviewing this differently to how I usually do. This is because I watched in December-January, but then put it on hold until recently.

First half: 8.50
Second half: 7.50
Overall drama: 7.75
(yes, the beginning was really good, but if the end is bad, that means that they didn't make a good overall story and that is more significant to me)

Details (akaActing/Cast/Visuals/Scenes et):
-very cute "married couple chemistry"
-lots of cute romance scenes, especially in the beginning, but less near end
-individual acting of both Wu Lei and Zhao Jin Mai fit their characters really well
-styling was really good
-sets were great
- there were some really well shot sport scenes, also quite visually pleasing
-a few cute bromance scenes
-***extremely*** green flag ml
-ending was anti climatic, but happy nonetheless

-for the kisses, they either avoided doing them or used weird camera tricks which makes me feel cheated
-side characters were under developed. (e.g. fl's best friend gets virtually no screentime, and she ~supposedly~ matters)
-time skips was just too much. Like, I just lost track after the third one...
-some people said they found this drama realistic. Well, read the first point in Big Picture.

Big picture:
-This drama is labeled as a sports drama. If you come expecting a ~good~ sports drama, you ~will~ be disappointed. They do a lot of "tell", instead of "show" when it came to, especially the ml (Lin Yi Yang/ LYY)'s, progress in his sport. And the fl (Yin Guo/ YG) didn't seem to make any progress. She was great in the beginning and she was great in the end. These showcase how little importance the sports had to the overall plot and what the director/screen writer wanted to show us.

-It also seemed that LYY had a complicated past with the group of sports people. It was really confusing and hard to follow. They needed more flashbacks. Heck, they just needed more screentime and effort to really showcase this struggle and past, but they simply neglected that plotline.

-pacing really makes want to face palm. Like, we don't need to see every action play out. It's more important to spend screentime on developing the characters. Personally, after watching this, I feel like we went only ankle-deep when understanding both leads. (Though Wu Lei did a great job with trying to show depth, but we need actual stuff to show that, not just good acting). They both don't have any deep side to them. Yes, they have a personality, but thats kinda it...

-things were to happy. Like, there were no actual obstacles. Like we are a 100% sure that everything will be the most happy. There is no real struggle when it came to anything. You know, when I was first watching this, I compared it a lot to Love Me, Love My Voice, but this drama is even more low stakes than that one...

Music:
-some of the songs were ok
-but they repeated them wayyy too much
-I don't like English songs in dramas....

Rewatch:
-some scenes were really cute, so if I was feeling down, I'd definitely rewatch a few ep in the first half

Overall:
I didn't hate this drama. By all means, there were many scenes that made me smile. It just wasn't interesting enough to really devote one's time on. Like, there are plenty of dramas out there to watch. This one, I'd recommend to watch if you want something slow between other dramas. Very low angst. Yeah, I'd call this a filler drama. Hope others enjoy!

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