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A More Realistic Professional Simulation
‒Review‒
While the show premise may intrigue the viewers with the promise of VR adventures, the show itself is far above the typical idol fare because it's grounded enough that the characters and the story feels a more like flesh and blood, rather than just pixels on the screen. Anchoring the drama are the terrific performances by Cheng Xingxu as the CEO figure and Lu Yuxiao as the employee/romantic interest. Yes, the CHEmiSTry is a captivating element for many. But more than just charm and dazzle, it's the fact that the two characters also bleed and have resonating backstories that breath life into the show.
As for the VR-aspect, it was more integral in the beginning but quickly became a forgotten prop. A better title for this show would be Romance in the Alley, the title of another (very good) realistic period drama starring Lu Yuxiao. So to keep things simple, just understand that LYX likes to bait-and-switch her viewers. So if you want to see VR spectacle, please wait for her next drama, "Peasants in the 1960s", where she'll unleash a sizzling VR romance with her Cultural Revolution comrades.
What I liked
✅ 50% less cringe compared to the average idol drama. The leads have more relatable ambitions and backstories, and the characterization stays mostly consistent within the show’s setup. The dialogue also has fewer lines that liquifies your brain.
✅ Chen Xingxu, savior of idol dramas in early 2026. He actually looks like a CEO and speaks like one, and not a boyband fuckboy zipped into a suit. A rare achievement in CDramaland.
✅ Lu Yuxiao looks like a professional. She brings seriousness, ambition, and a few battle scars to the role. She looks like she has actual work experience—not just extensive Sims experience.
✅ Cinematography, visuals, and music was also decent
What I didn’t like
❌ This simulation needs more realism. The meet-cute radius is suspiciously small for the couple. In the beginning of the show, they keep bumping into each other in a city of 20 million. Maybe it's the ultimate test of fate. Just drop two people randomly into Shanghai's Line 2 during rush hour. And if they somehow end up together in a torrent of people for a week straight, just hand them a marriage certificate on the spot, or a restraining order. Also some scene of them shooting ghosts with fireworks in a rendition of Disney-princess meets redneck fever dream.
❌ Zhao Xiaorou doing Wang Guangming dirty. He was NOT cheating. He was putting up with an admirer while trying to land his big break and didn't want to bring unnecessary anxiety to his wife. There was a communication problem, sure, but did it need to become a divorce? I kept waiting for them to reconcile, but no she divorced him at literally the first conflict. WGM was put in an awkward position and getting propositioned by a boss/client. The smarter thing for him to do was just to dump his wife, and just cheat with the admirer, who seems more attached to him after admiring for so many years. And she can be a good contributor and bring clients, steal some server racks from Tencent, and bring free merch. Alternatively, WGM should have just trans'sed into a woman, at which point he will get all the sympathy in the world, and relentless shaming of the spouse for not being more understanding, supportive, and fighting the unjust system.
--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 7 --> MDL 7.5
- Plot - 7
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 7.5
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8.5
While the show premise may intrigue the viewers with the promise of VR adventures, the show itself is far above the typical idol fare because it's grounded enough that the characters and the story feels a more like flesh and blood, rather than just pixels on the screen. Anchoring the drama are the terrific performances by Cheng Xingxu as the CEO figure and Lu Yuxiao as the employee/romantic interest. Yes, the CHEmiSTry is a captivating element for many. But more than just charm and dazzle, it's the fact that the two characters also bleed and have resonating backstories that breath life into the show.
As for the VR-aspect, it was more integral in the beginning but quickly became a forgotten prop. A better title for this show would be Romance in the Alley, the title of another (very good) realistic period drama starring Lu Yuxiao. So to keep things simple, just understand that LYX likes to bait-and-switch her viewers. So if you want to see VR spectacle, please wait for her next drama, "Peasants in the 1960s", where she'll unleash a sizzling VR romance with her Cultural Revolution comrades.
What I liked
✅ 50% less cringe compared to the average idol drama. The leads have more relatable ambitions and backstories, and the characterization stays mostly consistent within the show’s setup. The dialogue also has fewer lines that liquifies your brain.
✅ Chen Xingxu, savior of idol dramas in early 2026. He actually looks like a CEO and speaks like one, and not a boyband fuckboy zipped into a suit. A rare achievement in CDramaland.
✅ Lu Yuxiao looks like a professional. She brings seriousness, ambition, and a few battle scars to the role. She looks like she has actual work experience—not just extensive Sims experience.
✅ Cinematography, visuals, and music was also decent
What I didn’t like
❌ This simulation needs more realism. The meet-cute radius is suspiciously small for the couple. In the beginning of the show, they keep bumping into each other in a city of 20 million. Maybe it's the ultimate test of fate. Just drop two people randomly into Shanghai's Line 2 during rush hour. And if they somehow end up together in a torrent of people for a week straight, just hand them a marriage certificate on the spot, or a restraining order. Also some scene of them shooting ghosts with fireworks in a rendition of Disney-princess meets redneck fever dream.
❌ Zhao Xiaorou doing Wang Guangming dirty. He was NOT cheating. He was putting up with an admirer while trying to land his big break and didn't want to bring unnecessary anxiety to his wife. There was a communication problem, sure, but did it need to become a divorce? I kept waiting for them to reconcile, but no she divorced him at literally the first conflict. WGM was put in an awkward position and getting propositioned by a boss/client. The smarter thing for him to do was just to dump his wife, and just cheat with the admirer, who seems more attached to him after admiring for so many years. And she can be a good contributor and bring clients, steal some server racks from Tencent, and bring free merch. Alternatively, WGM should have just trans'sed into a woman, at which point he will get all the sympathy in the world, and relentless shaming of the spouse for not being more understanding, supportive, and fighting the unjust system.
--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 7 --> MDL 7.5
- Plot - 7
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 7.5
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8.5
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