This review may contain spoilers
I was 8.5 until I counted the times God was mentioned and how many villains got out scotch free
Things I adored1 The uncle of the FL. Great actor and incredible character who stood up for his principles from start to finish. It's rare to see a father written this way but it was the right way and it was heartwarming to see they never ruined his character. My heart went to him many times during his feud with that stupid daughter he had.
Things I loved
1 That it has a cooking theme. I love the premise and this one didn't disappoint.
2 The FL. She became one of my favorite actresses after Legally Romance and she proved once more that she's a wonderful actress. That said, I can't put her on the adore list and I'm sad but her character wasn't really developed and sometimes she came out as too childish. Especially regarding the romance part. She called the ML Mr. Jiang even after confessing her love, she slept on the same room but had to specify in another bed. She never stood really up to the 2FL or the cousin or anyone who wronged her. Yes she was likable and lovable, no doubt about that, but she was nowhere near the fabulous character of Legally Romance. Not her fault of course, but I have to rate with what I have.
She had some great moments when she rebelled, when she smiled, when she cried and of course she made me feel what she felt. I also liked her inner monologues and her relationship with her best friend/crush as well as her relationship with Nina, her uncle, her parents. I still think she could be much better if she had a better character development ad acted more like a young woman in love rather than treat the romance as an afterthought.
3 The ML. he's a good actor, no doubt. this is the first drama I watch with him but there's a chance I'll look for other dramas he was in. Now there were too many things I disliked in his arc and especially the last episode. He forgave the stupid 2FL who nearly killed him and he never affronted her. Not his fault, the fault of the stupid writing, but I have to take thins into account. It was bad for his character. Same for his supposedly friend, the doctor. I also have many issues with the romance part. I know in real life they are years apart with the FL but I never felt like there was a big gap between them in the drama. Yet he never kissed properly the FL except for one kiss in the last episode.
Many things were lacking in the romance part and after noticing how many times God has been mentioned in this drama I guess this is the reason. it seems for some stupid writers being in love and show it is contrary to the God's will. Effing idiots they ruined the drama for me. Other than that I have several issues with some of his actions, like asking the 2FL to get back with him. What the heck was that? No explanation, no following up, then confessing to the FL like this had never happened, a messed up arc. He also never learnt about the contract, about Lin Yan, so many things that weren't satisfying. But the last episode ruined things the most.
4 The camaraderie in the uncle's restaurant. It was heartwarming and needed to lighten up all this negativity the drama brought. There were other characters like the president of the contest, or the chef in the ML's restaurant, or Blu's mentor that were decent and nice to watch.
5 Nina, the housekeeper. She wasn't in many episodes and I hated the way she was written off for most of the drama but I loved her character and he relationship with the FL. Even more than her relationship with the L. I was happy to see her back even if it was for a reason that broke my heart. Great actress and character.
6 The best friend of the FL. He was always good to her and supported her whenever she needed it. He had no idea about her feelings and he was confused about his but he had the best arc to be honest. He learned from his mistakes and grew as a person. He respected the FL and was her first fan. He made mistakes in his personal life but he tried to correct them and for that alone he is one of my favorite characters.
7 Chu Ting, the girlfriend of the best friend of the FL. The most normal person out there and I understand her reactions all along. I'm happy she found happiness with the best friend. I also have to add that the actress was very beautiful and had great outfits, which is nice to watch.
8 The FL's parents. Great parents, great characters. I loved seeing them as a couple, but also seeing the support of their daughter and they were the only ones that provided a bit of humor in this otherwise quite depressing sometimes drama.
Things I liked
1 Blu. I didn't care much about him but at east he was a decent character and that's a lot for this drama where decency doesn't come along often.
Things I disliked
1 The lack of real romance. I expected more since the chemistry between the leads was there but the story of the competition and the illness took so much space it left no space for real romantic moments and that bothered me a lot. One of the reasons the rating isn't better. There were some heart fluttering moments but they were rare and never enough.
Things I hated
1 I guess the low rating has to do with how many of the characters were despicable, but to me the fact that there were that many awful characters was one of the reasons I kept watching. I wanted them to pay for their actions. So let's start and let me tell you the list will be longue. First that atrocious caricature of a person with more eyeliner than Boy George and the talent of a high school student in their first school drama performance. That he had a love story on top of that was ludicrous and I skipped all the scenes after a while.
That he won also was frustrating to watch and that he put up a performance to congratulate the main couple contestants irritated me to no end. Why did the writer needed that? They should leave him be the miserable know it all unethical and arrogant son of a "beach" he was all over the drama. And the nail in the coffin, he became a helper at the uncle's restaurant. Spare me the violins. A character I hated from start to finish and I never want to see again that ugly, untalented actor. He had the nerve to say his sister is a good person when his love interest asks. What a distorted view of what is good and what is bad. Unbelievable.
2 The cousin. Yes they gave her a way to redeem herself but she stays on my hate list nonetheless. The things she did and how crazy she went for a competition losing her soul, if she ever had one, were beyond anything I can tolerate as a human being. The FL vexed me to no end when she didn't reciprocate ever. Why? I'm a pushover notoriously but even I would accept things to a certain point and would never forgive her. That said, I have to admit that due to her father and the parents of the FL I was happy to see that the family wouldn't be affected because of that stupid girl. She didn't deserve Blu either, but there you have it. Whoever wrote this wanted a world where there is no accountability and everyone can be happy even when they are despicable human beings.
3 Boris. Okay first of all ridiculous to choose someone called Boris to be a villain, but it is what it is. The thing is I hated him and wanted him to suffer, but he's also the only one I wasn't too mad he got off scotch free. I get where he came from although he has no excuse to behave like a lunatic when he was a grown up man. But I can understand that when we are hurt and we see things from a distorted angle we can become our worst enemy and go too far. So there's no doubt he remains in my hate list despite the redeeming but at least there was story there. The other villains had no story, they were just villains without reason.
4 The mother of the 2FL. I think I hated her the most of all. What an awful character without any redeeming qualities. Not only she was a dangerous mother to her children with her advice and her enabling but she never regretted any of her actions. A two faced beach who I wanted to suffer though hell. She knew what her daughter had done and instead of asking her to take responsibility she pushed her to harm even more the ML. Seriously I hated her every second she appeared. I wish she paid a hefty price for her maliciousness and never have anyone forgive her. Cruel and terrible person and instead of making her pay for her cruelness they gave her a love story. Are you effing kidding me?
5 Li Yan. Another stupid character you have to hate. Going along with the despicable 2FL was his downhill. Although I can't move him from the hate list, I get why he did what he did. Well, as much as you can understand a villain. He showed early on redeeming qualities and that's something in this ocean of bad characters.
6 The doctor, supposedly friend of the ML. He was one of the worst. How can a person who vowed to protect and cure people can go along with a near murderess and forget all his principles because he had feelings for her? No, here's no way this person should be redeemed. So as I write this review I come to understand because so many people gave a lower rating than me. Because of this kind of things, the unaccountability of the villains.
7 The last episode. What the heck was that? After all we went through we had a heavy episode and not even an interesting one. Eulogy? Are you effing kidding me again? He was a gift from heaven, Who in their right minds writes this? Yes until now I had the drama at 8.5 but I'll go lower it to 8. Enough is enough. The praying, I watch Cdramas to avoid that kind of western stupid thinking and now I have to see it in Cdramas as well? I think this is the drama that had more times mentioned God and that kind of things than any other. Thank God, God's gift, God heard my prayers, and every other sentence was about God. No doubt the stupid writer chose to redeem everyone. They probably think it's their mission.
Only I watch dramas to get entertained and one of the things I expect is to have realistic arcs for the characters. There's no effing way in hell anyone would forgive any of these awful people. He wrote a letter of forgiveness because there were no terrible consequences. That is the understatement of the century. Are you effing kidding me for the millionth time?
Then we also have the cherry on the top with the musical sequence and none of the actors had any natural gift for that. It could be great if they had spent more than 20 minutes to learn how to act and if the vibe of the last episode was lighthearted. But after an awful over the top dramatic episode you give me that? Yeah, hard pass. You are idiots. Instead of giving us a few moments with the leads and a kiss or two we have that nonsensical finale. Now that I think of it I'll lower it even more which pains me since I loved the main couple, but it is what it is.
8 The 2FL. A psychotic person with as many issues and the distance to the end of the Earth. We're supposed to understand why the idiot forgave her and it is because she showed remorse. So she almost killed him, she was the reason he lost his taste buds, his sight, she tricked him to take the restaurant away, but because she went to the police after he almost died, she had a redeeming arc. I will definitely avoid this writer because I'm so frustrated I could scream.
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It was good but something was missing
Things I loved1 The genre. This is one of my favorite genres, mystery and romance, but it has to be done well, and there the romance lacked something.
2 The ML (Zhang Yun Long). He's a good actor and he was great in his role. I loved his friendship with the other ML and their scenes were the best.
Things I liked
1 The ML (Hu Yi Tian). I don't know, something bothered me and I think he wasn't as good an actor as the other ML. Still, he was handsome and he was funny enough times to keep watching.
2 The format of the cases.
Things I disliked
1 The FL. I think what bothered me most was the lack of chemistry with the ML rather than her character. If another actress had the role, the series would be a 9 for me at least.
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So fake
Things I liked1 The premise was interesting and I'm open to things like that so I wanted to watch and be surprised in a good way.
Things I hated
1 The panel. They were all blithering idiots that had never constructive to say and if you ask me they all played a role and I find this despicable.
2 The so called shamans and tarot readers and the whole bunch of Pythias. Not even one passed the sniff test. I'm someone who is interested in all these things and read gazillions of things about how it works and I can say without any doubt that not only this was scripted but it was badly scripted. The tests were ridiculous and an insult to my intelligence. If they really wanted to test them there were better ways and in France they did that in a much more objective and scientific way. This series was a bunch of nonsense and I'm vexed right now to having waste my time watching people try to fool us. Although I don't blame them, they wanted exposition and they had it. When I think that here are people who were fooled and praise their performances I'm livid. This is the reason the world is in such pitiful state. That conmen and women make us believe in whatever they sell. Shame on everyone involved in this scam.
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A mix of boring and sweet
Things I loved1 The theme. I've never watched a series based on the brewing theme and I wanted to learn things and watch them drink and discuss beer. I don't like drinking at all but wine and beer are two drinks that fascinate me as of their popularity and I always want to find out more about how it's done.
2 The beginning. I loved the FL character and wanted to find out more about her journey. The issue is that somehow it got boring after a while and I wasn't so much into her journey.
3 The FL. She's one of my favorite actresses after Business Proposal, so she is the reason with the theme that I started this. I think she's as cute as ever and she's a good romantic comedy actress. I will definitely continue to look for her dramas. Did she have chemistry with the ML? I guess. I wasn't that transported by the romance so I can't really say.
Things I liked
1 The ML. it's the first drama I watch with him, and I think he did a good job with his character. My issue is that I never warmed to his character. I wanted to love him, but it didn't happen. I didn't dislike him, that's certain, he was a great person, I just didn't connect with him.
2 The other characters. They were good and I don't have anything to complain. I just didn't care enough to put them on the "love" list.
Things I disliked
1 It was quite boring, and I think this is the first review where I say this. I'm not easily bored and I don't mind slow pace at all, but with this one it felt sometimes like nothing happened.
2 The village theme. Others are attracted by it, but that's not my case. I love villages as setting as much as big cities, but I dislike everything that comes with like meddling people and hidden lessons. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't something that appealed to me either. All in all, it was a sweet, heartwarming drama with a little too many boring moments.
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Boring is the word
Things I liked1 The premise. I thought it would be well-acted and interesting and since I love the trope I was ready to have fun. I didn't even smile once.
Things I disliked
1 The grandfather. I never warmed at him. I think it's the actor I disliked even more than the character.
2 The brother of the ML. I didn't connect with him and his issues, but that's probably because they didn't care to make me connect. Everything stayed superficial.
3 The ML. I thought he'd be great at first but I changed my mind episode after episode. I've never seen him on something else so I can't say if he's talented and didn't shine here or if this is his acting style. If the latter, he was wrong for the role. He didn't make feel anything either.
4 The FL. I haven't seen her either on another series but in this one she was completely wrong for the role. She wasn't cute or beautiful enough to carry the character so I ended up indifferent to her as well. All in all, a bland and uninspired script delivered by actors who did the minimum.
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This review may contain spoilers
Potatoes and rom com, not a bad combination after all
Things I adored1 The crew of the Potato Lab and their relationship. Probably many disliked how nosy they were but I grew up in a close family and know that when you love someone you appear to be nosy because you care. I'm all for privacy but I learned early on to never judge and rather appreciate any kindness and meddling that comes from the heart.
2 The friendship between the FL and the 2FL. I think this is how a genuine and true friendship looks. I loved how honest they were with each other and how they cared for each other. They were funny which is always a plus.
Things I loved
1 The FL. She was feisty yes, but the actress did a good work to convey emotions and she was great in the sad and the funny parts. I see many don't like her but I've only seen a funny, intelligent hardworking person who did everything she could to move forward with her life and chose to see the good side on everything.
2 The romance between the main leads. It was a great enemies to lovers rom com and they nailed it for most parts. Yes. there were some things they could have handled better, but at the end of the day their relationship was a real romcom. I didn't see any of them like a doormat. It's always funny t me that some think the ML was in the wrong whilst others the FL. No one was a bad person. Their relationship was believable and cute and funny.
3 The brother of the FL. He was a good brother and the only thing I didn't like was that his sister could use violence sometimes. I don't find violence funny an any form so that always bothers me. I didn't care for hos relationship either, I'd prefer they didn't go down that road but I just skipped some scenes when it was about his relationship with the 2FL.
4 I lived the wife of the ex of the ML. She came across as a real person and an honest one regarding her faults and feelings. I loved her friendship with the ML. I wish she could find happiness.
5 The ML. I loved the actor although sometimes I was baffled of how attractive I found him whilst others not at all. So weird. In any case he did a despicable thing regarding the FL, but for him it was just work and I totally understand why the FL accepted to be with him. He was honest, he did what he could to redeem himself by giving up his job, and he tried hard to become a better person. What else can we ask from someone? I thought the actor did a good job with the romance part and the funny beats. They were a good couple with the FL. There was chemistry between them, and their kisses were for once good.
6 The 2 FL. I thought the actress was cute, talented and she had a great sense of humor. I loved how she portrayed her role, she was a great friend, and I just wish the romance was with someone else.
Things I liked
1 That it was about potatoes. A different and interesting background.
Things I disliked
1 The ex. I don't put him in the "Things I hated" list because for once I think he paid for his stupid decisions and that he regretted genuinely his behavior. I didn't like the actor at all, he was looking close to 50 than 38 and I can't truly believe a young woman like his wife would fall for him. I just thought he was unappealing.
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It didn't deliver for me
Things I liked1 The premise. Funny, original and with so much potential.
2 The Three exes. They were interesting enough and the actresses were good enough to keep my attention.
Things I disliked
1 The FL. She didn't embrace her role. I don't know if it was the role or her acting skills but I don't think she did a great job.
2 Her relationship with her sister, I found her intolerable and even though she had some redeeming qualities this is the kind of character I dislike thoroughly.
3 ML. Not handsome enough or talented enough to bring me to care for his character.
Things I hated
1 That such a brilliant premise was ruined by casting the wrong leads.
2 That such a brilliant premise was ruined by a sloppy script. It could have been brilliant if they took the time to write a decent script. This wasn't funny or witty or interesting. A shame.
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Good actors and some funny moments
Things I loved:1 The last scenes between the main couple and their family-ies. I thought their chemistry shone and it warmed my heart to see them so happy.
Things I liked:
1 The main actors. I think they did a good job. I'm not in love with them, and I didn't go right away to find other series they were in, but maybe I'll do in the future. I found the FL a good actress and beautiful which is a bonus for a romantic series.
2 The whole tone. It wasn't anything extraordinary but it was light most of the time and it has some good comedic moments.
3 The scene where the SFL talks about her regrets. I think she did a great job. It felt real and it got me.
4 The friendships and how close they stayed after school some of them.
Things I disliked:
1 The proposal setting. That's personal of course, and I'm sure others love it, but for me it'd be the worst thing my boyfriend could do if he wanted to propose. That said it wasn't as bad as one would expect.
2 The whole heart transplant thing. I don't care for this kind of heavy stories in my lighthearted series.
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Such a fun idea
Things I liked:1 The main actor. Some think he's not handsome enough, but I think he was good looking and also great for the character. He fitted the role to perfection.
2 The best friend of the heroine. She was down to earth and I liked how honest she was sometimes.
3 The brother of the heroine. He wasn't the best character but he felt real.
4 The actress. She isn't my favorite and I think that if another actress played the role I'd have more fun, but she was good enough.
5 The male character. He fought for his dreams, he never did any bad things on purpose, he did the right thing when he understood his mistakes. I loved him and he moved me more than once.
Things I disliked:
1 The age talk. I don't get it. These people were young, and it's so weird to me to talk about how people aren't beautiful after a certain age that it took away of my entertainment.
2 The people she worked with. I didn't find they were people I'd love to have as colleagues.
3 Not enough romantic scenes.
4 There was a story it was too heavy although it made me cry so it was acted well.
5 I think they should have taken more time to show why they were in love the first time and again the second time. It wasn't enough for me.
6 They also should take more time to craft a better script so we could sympathize more with the heroine. I liked her but I was expecting more of such a fun concept. More romance, more tenderness, more fun.
Things I hated:
1 The rival. What a psychopath. No excuses for he behavior even after knowing her past. She was a lunatic, nothing less and I wish she paid in a way. I think she didn't suffer enough.
2 The SML. I dislike the actor so much that I was biased against him anyway. But I also think the whole plot was contrived and stupid. He didn't have any chemistry with the heroine.
3 The father. This character was an abomination and I regret spending a minute to write about him.
4 The assistant of the father. What a pathetic character and no their past isn't an excuse to accept being a punching ball for someone. These awful characters made me lower the rating for this series that otherwise was great,
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Love the actress
Things I loved:1 The main actress. This was the first series I watched with her and I loved her acting. She was beautiful (even more when she supposedly was ugly) , cute, funny, great. her character as well. She was smart, funny, hardworking, loyal.
2 The magazine team, all of them. They had a good relationship and it felt real. Also that the story took place in a magazine. I love anything that ahs to do with publishing.
Things I liked:
1 The friendship between the main female lead and her friend. They were there for each other and they were smart, ambitious women who wanted to be happy without sacrificing their friendship.
2 The ending. Sweet and not rushed. Also that she followed her dream and that they supported each other.
3 Some funny moments before they got together and some romantic ones after they got together. I think the leads had a good chemistry.
4 The premise. Original and funny.
5 The mystery about Ten although I knew who he/she was.
6 The relationship between the SML and the heroine. That said it was also a reason to dislike this triangle.
Things I disliked:
1 The main male actor. He grew on me though and I think he's good actor, it's just that he's not handsome enough for me and I'm shallow when it comes to romantic comedies and I want gorgeous couples. I still looked for other series he played to watch.
2 The triangle between the female lead and two males. Triangles is what I dislike on every series, but here it was once again painful because the SML was a great character.
3 The male lead character at first. He was rude and cruel without reason.
Things I hated:
1 The female triangle. HATED it! They didn't ruin things and managed to salvage the story, but while watching, it bothered me a lot.
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Flowers for the win
Things I loved1 The ML. A charismatic actor and a good character. I will definitely look for his other dramas and hope they'll be a little more dynamic so I can watch him on something more vibrant. Here he was good, but the theme od the drama didn't give him much room to show his talent. I feel like he could be much better on another series and have better chemistry with another actress. Although it's not guaranteed, maybe this was his best.
2 The parents. I loved how supportive were of their daughter.
3 The FL as bride. One of the most beautiful I've ever seen and her wedding dress was great also.
4 The flowers. I was looking forward to see the nest scene where flowers would play a part. Magical.
Things I liked
1 The Chinese Medicine theme. It's interesting to me and I was happy with the way they involved it in the story.
2 The FL. I didn't love her, but I didn't dislike her either. I won't look for any other dramas with her because I think she didn't do justice to the role and she lacked something to make me care about her. She was apathetic most of the times and I don't know, maybe it's a me problem, I didn't click with her. On the other hand, I can't dislike her character or the actress. I even think that maybe it's worth it to give her another chance, bot not yet. Maybe after a while when I'll be over this drama.
Things I disliked
1 The pace. It was too slow for me even though I like slow.
2 The ex. Stupid character who should have disappeared sooner.
3 The first episodes where the FL was sad and indecisive. I know it's realistic, but I still didn't like it.
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The chemistry was off the charts and the actor gave a stellar performance
Things I adored1 The ML. I've never seen apart for Hidden Love an actor play his part in such a natural way. If you ask me he must be one of the greatest actor out there and I've seen thousands of movies and series n my life. He's not only handsome, he embodies his role like no one else. It was such a joyful experience to see him fall in love, fall in despair and get back from hell. I haven't read the novel and I have no idea if the differences are big between the novel and the drama. What I do know is that his character is perfection. The right amount of rebellious attitude, the right amount of arrogance, of kindness, of everything. I don't know what else can one ask from a character. I'll follow his career and I hope he does many modern dramas and has a successful trajectory. He was just perfect in this drama.
2 The chemistry between the main couple. They were wonderful together. I'll rewatch for sure their romantic swooning moments and fortunately there were so many. He did a great job playing the head over heels for her guy and she matched his talent although I'll admit I think he was stellar and she was great. Some scenes were breathtaking. I cried, I laughed, I wished I could live such a relationship. The dancing scene was so absurd yet so moving. I can't get it out of my mind.
3 The song. It was one of the rare songs I listened to without ever get tired of it. Perfection.
Things I loved
1 The FL. She was a great character and not once I didn't get why she did what she did. She did what she had to do to survive and she thought she did the right thing when she left. I have no complaints about her character and the actress did a great job. It's my first drama with her and I loved her acting. I preferred her looks when she was an adult. I think she was more beautiful and I liked her aura more.
2 The grandmother. The actress did a good job and the relationship between the grandmother and the FL was beautiful. I wish she was there for a longer period.
3 The kisses. There weren't enough, but at least they were decent and they showed us that they had a mature believable relationship. I adored the way they were comfortable with each other, the teasing, the closeness, the gestures.
Things I liked
1 The 2ML. Unlike others I didn't dislike him. Yes he did something that cost our couple dearly but as the FL said, he didn't do it on purpose, and even if he did, who can blame him? he had a stupid mother and a horrible father and no one to lean on. The ML and the FL had at least each other. He literally had no one, so as an adult I get why he did what he did and he redeemed himself so I'm quite happy with his character development. I just wish he remained friends with the FL and built a relationship with the ML. My heart went to him when we last saw him. He was a lonely child who had to figure things out alone.
2 The second couple. I liked them but I didn't love them. Yes their arc was believable and realistic, but I was put off by the looks of the actor. I've seen him recently in my Little Happiness and he was my favorite character. Here he had a weird haircut and he seemed so awkward. In the high school years he was good, but then he was weird so I didn't care much about his arc. Anyway, I was happy they stayed friends with the main couple and I was happy they had their happy ending.
3 The aunt of the ML. I wish she had a bigger part and a closer relationship to her nephew. They probably were close but we didn't see that enough.
Things I disliked
1 The outfits. I read that many praised the way the FL was dressed but I thought she was awfully dressed most of the times. The outfits weren't a good fit for her and same goes for the ML. He had some good outfits but he had also some quite awful. Did I hate all of them? No, she had a few good ones and same goes for him, but all in all I can't say I liked the bad fitted items they wore. An example: the white dress and the awful flower. What the heck was that? There were others equally bad and even worse, but that is what came to mind right now.
2 That we didn't have enough episodes with them as adults. I'd like to see them more in their adult life. I didn't like that the forgive her period lasted so little. I wanted him to be distant and try to make her pay for longer. Somehow it felt rushed and not strong enough a reaction for what he went through. Yes, I get that he loved her, but I needed a better outcome. I wanted to see more of him keeping his distance even though I was craving for him to forgive her. Weird I know, but I needed more time with them dealing with their past.
Things I hated
1 The father of the ML. What can I say other than he should go to jail and have a terrible, horrible life from then on. What a despicable, horrible excuse of a father. No excuse for any of his actions. He deserved nothing than the worst. He didn't suffer enough if you ask me.
2 The mother of the FL. It's crazy that they tried to find her some excuses for abandoning her child. Do I think parents have sometimes to make hard decisions go give their children a better future? Absolutely and it's heartbreaking. Do I think this was the case here? Definitely not. It's not only what she did when the FL was a child. It was how she behaved when they met again. She was a horrible human being and I was happy she paid a price, albeit not big enough for me. Unlike others I didn't find the actress beautiful at all, but maybe that's because she did a great job to make me hate her and I could only see her as an ugly villain.
3 The grandfather. I'm not sure why they tried to sell him to us as a good person. He wasn't. He didn't care abut his grandson, he only cared about what he wanted for him. He had no reason whatsoever to behave he way he did with the FL and I blame him for his despicable son. I wasn't happy that the ML still had a close relationship with him. He shouldn't have forgiven him. Period.
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Bad acting galore and no plot
Things I loved1 Yin Jie, the friend of the FL who works with her. Such a beautiful and lovely actress and her role was great as well. She shone in every scene and I wish she gets roles as the main lead. I think this is the only positive thing I have to say for this awful drama and I can't believe this has a 8.6 rating. I understand different strokes for different people, but come on. There is nothing in this drama to justify this rating and it makes the whole 8.6 ridiculous.
2 The cousin of the FL. Sweet, lovable, funny and the only one who provided with Yin Jie some lightness. I wish he had more scenes. He even was the voice of reason sometimes.
3 I loved the mother of the FL, and the parents of the ML. Decent people that also would love to see more. But at the end of the day they had no substance either.
4 I loved the little girl who played the daughter. She was cute and talented. Yet I also found she had no chemistry with the "parents."
Things I disliked
1 The FL. She has no range, her acting is mediocre at best, and her role wasn't better either. I've seen another series where the FL was the granddaughter of the owner of the company and the actress did a great job with the role. Here there was nothing for the actress to work with, but she also didn't have the talent.
Also how many times can you label her gorgeous and beautiful. I'm sorry but although we don't like all the same things, and certainly beauty is on the eye of the beholder, there's a point that it becomes ridiculous to shove this down our throat every other scene, when the actress is an average girl without anything striking or particularly special.
Let's also talk about her mannerisms. Have you ever had a friend who thinks she's cute and sexy and speaks with a baby voice and makes faces she thinks are adorable. Well, this is what the actress did. She spoke in a baby voice, without any real intonation though. Whether she talked about her morning coffee or someone dying she'd adopt the same tone. Only when she played cute with the ML she changed, but unfortunately from bad to worse.
Also her character was beyond ridiculous sometimes. She threw a tantrum because the ML didn't call her when he was in an ambulance. Her reasoning: he didn't think of her. Tell me you're entitled without telling me you're entitled.
I sympathized at first with her when she was wronged by her college roommates and I thought her character had potential, but I was so wrong., but after a while I thought she deserved it. She wasn't better than them and honestly I think she must be one of the most coldhearted heroines I've seen in a drama.
She didn't really care about anyone and the college drama wasn't that interesting. She didn't suffer anything really and yes people can be judgmental and yes people can make mistakes.
I didn't like Rong at first but I liked her in the end. Because she grew up and admitted her mistake. If you ask me the college girls were the only real characters with faults and all. The FL was mad at the "ML and she didn't even acknowledged what that happened that summer. He wasn't a perfect guy but he didn't deserve her wrath. She told him I'll wait until you love me and once she met the ML , she forgot anything she said. Fine, but not blame the other person for hoping. Seriously, one ofthe worst FL. Her character was weak and went nowhere. So disappointing.
2 The ML. No acting chops whatsoever. It's my first drama with him and maybe he's better on others, but here his acting was robotic at best and I felt nothing. Nothing about the romance, nothing about his career loss. That alone tells me that the acting is beyond awful. Also the unfitting outfits, and the fact that I don't find him handsome at all, and both he and the 2ML gave me vibes of Heathcliff made me laugh rather than fall for them. It was too much the brooding style from both of them. Now about the character arc. I didn't even get why he was suitable for the job he got after the surgeon career ended. As for being a prodigy, unfortunately even when I want to suspend any belief, the numbers don't work and the premise that he was that perfect neurosurgeon is flimsy.
Now about the romance. No chemistry at all with the FL and why on earth should we care about their relationship? We didn't see anything to justify that he fell for her. From Monday to Tuesday suddenly he let go of his resentment and started pursuing her. Just because he had see her yell at someone in a soirée. Give me a break. The resentment was for a ridiculous reason, but at least gave us something to wait. To wait for the revelation. Ridiculous character development, and it was frustrating to watch the romance. I think I liked one scene when they got together at the party at episode 27 and even this scene was underwhelming.
Also, yes, I'll mention it again. That stupid accident went nowhere and thinking that they based the whole story at that was ridiculous. Why would any sane person blame anyone else for an accident they caused? They were all so stupid blaming the FL's father or the daughter of the mistress. What the heck? How does this even make sense? The next time I go to the pharmacy for aspirin and slip while going back home I'll blame the Pharmacist. If she hadn't a pharmacy I wouldn't have gone for the aspirin there fore... You see? It makes perfect sense.
3 The 3ML. I didn't hate him like others. To be honest, I found him as bad as the rest of the cast. Another Heathcliff wannabe and an untalented and unattractive male lead. I did get why he was the way he was at first, though, and while I don't excuse him I find his arc better than the main arc. His relationship with the FL and Rong was frustrating to watch since he never had the guts to be honest with any of them. But again I didn't care enough to hate him and I get where he comes from. No excuse for listening to Rong though and don't trust the FL. That said the last scene with him broke my heart. Because let's be honest, the odds were against him from the start. He caused his pain in a way, but let's not be hypocritical. That FL would never love him.
4 The father of the FL. He was an idiot and no sympathy from me, although frankly he was at least more interesting than the main leads. Same for the mistress and her daughter. Slimy people, but still had something to make me stay with them and see where this was going. I can't say that much for the main couple.
5 The way they spoke about Switzerland and the food in Europe. This is the first time I hear such negative opinions and so unfair about Europe. He said he was skiing because there was nothing else to do abroad which is stupid and unworthy of anyone with even a little intelligence. If you can't find anything to do in Europe and in Switzerland you are just a lazy or idiotic person.
Same thing about the FL, who traveled to Europe for two months and bashed the food when she came back. Really? I like cuisines from all over the world, but it bothers me more than you know to hear someone say so inaccurate things about food in Europe. Who the hell can take seriously someone who says things like that? Have you ever heard of Greek cuisine, French, Spanish, Italian? What the hell again? I lost the little respect I had for these leads and the screenwriter. There was no reason for the bashing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Please do another drama with the same leads. The best child actor ever.
Things I adored1 The child who played the son of the couple. Oh, my God, I never ever fell in love with a child actor as much as with that child. Every scene he was in he shined. I wish him a great career and every happiness in the world because he made me smile and laugh so many times. His chemistry with his "parents" was perfect. Honestly if you hesitate about watching this series please watch it just for him. Adorable, natural, perfect and that comes from someone who avoids series with children usually.
2 The FL. I'm ashamed to say it but I discarded a few series with her at the beginning because I didn't find she had charisma. Then I watched a few episodes of My Page in the 90's after Love Between the Lines and thought she wasn't bad, but I still haven't finished this drama. That led me to My Lover Friend, though, and she was exceptionally good. I fell in love with her natural acting, she can do anything well, and then starting looking for her other series. Now she became one of my favorite actresses and in this series she was great. She nailed every aspect. The friendship scenes, the business scenes, the sad, the happy scenes, but she was the best as a mom and as a lover. Absolutely phenomenal.
3 The ML. At first I thought he wasn't my type. I liked him in Guess Who I am, but the female lead and the ending ruined it for me, so I didn't give him a second chance. But then this series came, and I fell in love with him as much as with the FL. Now I'll check his dramas, and I hope I find another one with the same tone because he excelled in playing the childish grown man, all the while being protective and warm, and his acting is so natural I believe him in every role.
4 The chemistry. I adored the chemistry in the My Lover Friend, but here it was even better. Every scene was perfection. If you told me they are friends or a couple I would have believed you right away. I think this is the best chemistry I've ever seen between a couple and that is the standard now for me about chemistry. Please do another modern drama together.
Things I loved
1 The premise. I love second chance trope and when you add the business component I'm all in. I hesitated though because there was a kid involved, but the pictures convinced me to start it, and once the child appeared I was gone.
2 The friendship between the FL and the 2FL. Business partners, mature women who trust and support each other. I'm there for it.
3 The third ML. At first I wasn't fond of him, you can imagine why. But I ended up loving him and wanted him to be happy. I enjoyed his rivalry with the ML and that they became friends. Not only that but I found him quite handsome. I've seen comments about how the FL led him on, but I didn't see anything like that. She considered him a friend and she never led him on. That he was in love wasn't her fault, and I'm happy they ended that soon enough to enjoy their friendship without that hanging over their head. I also loved that he cared genuinely about the kid.
4 The outfits of both leads. I pay attention to the outfits and in the other series the FL has with the same ML her outfits are horrible. Here they were great. As for the ML he's good in everything he wears, but here he had some great suits.
Things I liked
1 The 2 FL. She is beautiful and I wanted her to be happy. I didn't like her with the 2ML though. Their relationship fell flat and I fast forwarded their scenes after a while. That said, she was a great friend and I loved her relationship with the FL. She was also a great godmother and I loved her scenes with the child.
2 The 3FL. I'm not sure why some people hate her. I liked her from start to finish. She liked him and was honest. Why is that a problem? She didn't do anything to create issues between him and the FL. She was sometimes too insisting but she didn't cause any harm and she bowed out gracefully when she realized he was in love with the FL. To be honest, I was happy to see him groveling after she rejected him. She deserved to be loved by someone who was clear about his feelings. Kudos to her. She was also beautiful and kind and I loved her relationship with the little kid.
Things I disliked
1 The 2ML. Unfortunately he didn't work for me. He is the reason I give a 9.5 and not a 10 to the series when if there was only the main couple it would have been a 20. I don't like the trope older woman younger man in general, and here it wasn't as bad as in other dramas, but I still found him too young. It felt like I was watching an 18 year old with a 35 year old woman. He didn't convince me he was mature enough for a relationship, even though he was a good guy.
Things I hated
1 Well, if I hated them it means they did a good job, but I still want to say how much I hated the characters of the two male villains. I'm happy they paid for their actions and I wish we'd see more of their suffering. Despicable, horrible characters and I'm glad the drama addressed the sexual harassment at work. It could be better, but at least it wasn't glossed over and they spent quite a time on this.
2 The lover of the villain. What a stupid woman who wasted her life on someone like him. I'm happy she came to her senses but a little too late for me. Covering a sexual harassment is never something I can forgive. You must be out of your mind to do that. But I was happy she could change and help the leads get him down.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great acting but too dark for me
Things I adored1 The costumes of the FL. Gorgeous and she wore them perfectly. She was so elegant, so beautiful in these costumes, it's uncanny.
Things I loved
1 The FL. This is the first time I watched her on anything and she's beautiful and so talented. I loved her and I'm looking forward to watch other dramas with her.
2 The ML. Same for him. he was great and I will look for other series with him. He had great chemistry with the FL which was also a plus and kept me watching.
Things I hated
1 The too dark past f the ML. I can't stand that kind of plot and it triggered a lot of things that made me enjoy less the series.
2 The intrigues and the whole palace thing. I hate power people who abuse of their power and if it weren't for the leads I would have dropped this the moment it went dark.
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