MyLangyaList

There should be some, though it's not focus, it's much more about her personal growth. It's probably going to a realistic slow burn in the 2nd half.

This show is so good! There are literally dozens of screencap worthy moments in every episode. There are no fillers and the messages are delivered intelligently and stylistically. And so many frames are worth a thousand words in referencing and lampooning people, workplace, and society.

Yeah I was already planning to drop it after the ZGL arc based on your review. Then the above mentioned shenanigans happened and it was the nail in the coffin. It's a pity because now I will only remember the ridiculousness instead of the ensuing scene of a geriatric SMY picking up and carrying a dead Cao Rui on his back once again.

I couldn't get fully immersed in the characterization and poignant scenes because the director was like an enemy mole, constantly running sabotage on his own camp.

Link Click and Bureau of Transformers are two other similar supernatural with a good balance of comedy, action, and heart. Unfortunately BoT's subs are rough and often doesn't convey the proper meaning and humor.

You should check out Joy of Life, very similar vibes and shares many of the cast.

A lot of the crime thrillers have that noir look. I personally liked 'Interlaced Scenes' the best this year. And Blossom Shanghai should have very unique visuals as people are calling it a 20-hr Wong Kar-Wai film. Though I'm not sure if there's an official subbed version yet.

There are a lot of quality realistic dramas, like dozens a year. Though the selection is more limited if you need romance: Alliance, Be Your Own Light, There Will Be Ample Time, The Ideal City, Delicious Romance, Nothing But Thirty, Meet Yourself

If Smile Code is along the lines of a typical idol drama, then it's not in the same league as this, even if they share stand-up as a topic.

This would actually be a pretty good A/B comparison between idol and non-idol dramas.

China actually has many great coming-of-age dramas. Other great shows in the genre: Go Ahead, The Bond, Once and Forever: The Sun Rises, Romance in the Alley (70s China, so a bit of cultural barrier to get used to)

Yeah, I spoke too soon, he got worse from ep1. Even though he thinks he's taking care of her, he essentially takes her for granted and doesn't understand/appreciate her personality, talent, or needs.

Yeah you could do a lot worse than the boyfriend, and plenty of women do select this type. But he's clearly not a good fit for the FL, who's struggling with her own repressed independence and spunkiness. One sign of a decent drama are that nobody's fully good/bad.

Edit: spoke too soon, the bf does have a lot of problems with his mindset and how he's treating her.

Asian work culture tends to be more toxic compared to the West in general, and the issues depicted in the drama are not unusual. This and Fake It Till You Make It have very realistic work depictions unlike the typical idol CEO romance dramas, even if there's some dramatization as with all shows.

Yep, loving this drama. More people need to check this one out.

Link Click

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It's pretty realistic unfortunately.

I haven't seen her in enough shows to have a staunch opinion. So thanks to idol dramas for setting my expectations on acting so low, she doesn't seem that bad.

But she does seem to star in quite a few serious and proper dramas, and by those standards, her acting would be far more lacking.

She's not a terrible actress, but seems to suffer from 表演痕迹 and there's too much unwarranted overlap between her characters. And she's outclassed here among the other characters/actors that just fits the setting and story so well.

It's similar to the Guo Qilin problem in Trilateral Slopes. Whereas that show has enough action and other characters to carry, here ZRY's impact is even bigger as the show is a fine painting to be carefully appreciated.

You are probably better served watching without my gripes in mind, as many people didn't have an issue with her character. My criticisms are more for those who have already seen it and come to their own conclusions.

It may be like one of those reversible figures, where it's difficult to unsee the blemish once being attuned to a certain perspective. Even my own impression of the drama has continued to decline as I write the review and spend more time focusing on the problems. It's like a black hole that feeds on your attention, the more you think about it, the bigger the black hole becomes.

Maybe LX could have found a way to return sooner, of LX's mom recover in China, but Ling Dad going would have been almost impossible. He can't leave his job as cop, he can't get a job in Singapore or even get a visa there (LX Mom got there through marriage). LX's Dad is the last person his Mom wants to see, for a variety of reasons.

The most reasonable would be for LX's mom to recover in China where relatives can help out. But she's not the type of considerate person to do that. Orange's study, better medical treatment in Singapore, and being closer to in-laws are some reasons. But the biggest reason is she's too proud to recover in China and face all the relatives and others who know her.