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If you like cold, brilliant boy falling for earnest / kind girl, this is the drama for you
==Breakdown==Background plot - 45%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good
If you're looking for a drama where the boy (eventually a man) is cold and brilliant and secretly smitten with the upright, good girl (eventually a woman) then this is the one for you. It's *almost* the best in genre (that I've seen so far) and the chemistry between the main couple is chemistrying 100% of the time. Both the ML and the FML were masterful in their scenes together and the romance that takes place on screen felt authentic.
The problem was the story. Or rather, the story is problematic. Usually (interestingly enough) I can easily disassociate and watch a problematic story with no issue. But I felt like the writers took extreme measures (from the middle to the end) to have the ML mistreat the FML to such an extent, I couldn't root for them to be together in the end. I actually wanted her to walk away and leave him in the dust. All I needed was one begging scene, one scene where he crawls for her, something like in 'A Love So Beautiful' when Jiang Chen begs Chen Xiao Xi to give him one more chance, and then he's openly smitten from that point forward.
Unfortunately, the writers never gave it to us, Lighter barely apologizes to Princess, and thus I ultimately felt unsatisfied.
But if you don't need a groveling scene in these kinds of scenarios, you'll likely love this drama. It might become your favorite.
For the record, 'A Love so Beautiful' remains my favorite cold guy falling for kind girl show. If you have any other recs, please let me know!!
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The best part of this show was the female lead
==Breakdown==Background plot - 25%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 25%
Background plot - Boring
Romantic chemistry - She was great, he was terrible
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Not great
This show was frustrating to watch, mostly because I loved the FL-- the character and the actress-- but watching the ML behave so entirely tepid for the entirety of the show was incredibly frustrating. I completely understood why the ML would've fallen for her as the storyline dictated. At first, I felt their chemistry and waited in anticipation for him to show *some* emotion. But ultimately, by the end of the show, the acting (and directing) choices for the ML's character were so bad. I believed her feelings for him; I did not believe he had any feelings for her.
The story was fine. Very typical and predictable. Production values were also fine. Secondary storyline was extremely boring.
I hope Jiang Zhi Nan gets a better acting partner in her new show. I'll keep an eye out for her future projects.
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Middle episodes are the best
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good
This show suffered from being too long. It should've been 16 episodes instead of 24.
The first 5 are repetitive and somewhat boring.
6-12 are REALLY GOOD. The ML does a really good job pining for the FL. His acting during these episodes made them super enjoyable.
13-end are repetitive again. There are a few fun moments sprinkled throughout, but nothing memorable.
Acting was fine. Story was fine, nothing special. I might re-watch 6-12. Then again, I might not.
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Worth it for Ryan Cheng's bombastic side-eye
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 5%
Background plot - Excellent in some parts, rushed and sloppy in others
Romantic chemistry - Excellent for second leads, tepid for main leads
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Ranging from good to excellent
Ryan Cheng stole this one. Except a few crumbs stolen by Lester Lin, Ryan Cheng staged a heist and legit burgled the whole dang show.
THINGS I LOVED:
1) Every scene with Ryan Cheng (or Lester Lin) was captivating.
2) The fight scenes were awesome.
3) Cinematography and set design
4) Costumes
5) Background of story and set up of story
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
1) I love Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He, but the script was not great and many of the scenes were waaaaaaaay to slow. By all accounts, Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He had good chemistry, but weren't given the scenes or the dialogue to demonstrate it. Their interactions were boring after a while (because of the pace and script), which was a shame because you could tell (with their expressions and eye contact) that they gave it their all.
2) Someone said in the comments that every scene was overly dramatic. I co-sign this statement. The panning to everyone's face to see their facial expressions and reactions would've been fine if it had been used as a device for one or two scenes, but it was waaay over used.
3) Not only was it slow, but the show had a huge amount of repetition, showing the same scenes over and over.
4) Also, this was weird: the show did this thing where they'd show a character once and then kill them (someone I'd never seen before or hadn't seen much of) and then do a flashback with that character for 20 minutes where we were apparently supposed to get to know them via a summary of their past and then feel sad about their current death. This never worked. I just fast forwarded these flashbacks after the 4th time this happened.
5) The second to last episode was absolutely nothing but exposition wherein the bad guy spent 45minutes telling us how he did it. That's just lazy storytelling.
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Short and worth a watch just for the bombastic side-eye
If you're a historical CDrama fan, this one is short and worth your time if only for the ML's bombastic side-eye. His side-eye game is so strong, he'd win the side-eye Olympics if such a thing existed.The story is rushed, but that's to be expected with the small episode count. That also means every episode is worth watching and there's no draggy bits. Really impressed with the ML actor. This is the first drama of his that I've watched, so I'll be seeking out more of his work ASAP (I already have 'My Journey to You' queued up).
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Romance was 7.5, Bromance was a 10
==Breakdown==Background plot - 65%
Romance - 20%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good
The romance was pretty good. The ML and FL had solid chemistry, but the ML's tragic story and his portrayal of it carried most of the show and took over / overwhelmed the romance.
However, the real star of this drama was the bromance between the two male leads. Their friendship and their scenes (and their friendship chemistry) stole the show. I ended up fast forwarding all scenes just to get to the friendship side story.
Of note, the overall plot is a little convoluted, but-- like I said-- the friendship plot completely charmed and made up for (mostly) the other deficiencies. Not that you asked, but I didn't care about or have a favorite of the two potential love interests for the friend male lead and, other than enriching his character, that part fell flat (for me).
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Difficult to rate
==Breakdown==Background plot - 45%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Fine
First, the ML and FL and their chemistry were pretty good. The rest of the cast did a good job with what they were given. But the story was uneven, funny moments felt super forced, and the dialogue was often stilted.
I love a good fantasy / sci-fi romance, and in a fantasy/fictional setting, I'm open to the idea of a robot / human love story, otherwise I wouldn't have watched this kdrama. But this drama never fully committed to the idea, and thus it suffered. I wonder if it was the director or the script writer who had a problem with the concept. It felt like the story kept apologizing for the idea which undercut the concept and left the end ultimately unsatisfying.
I want to compare this one to 'I am not a robot,' but don't want to give any spoilers. Basically, the difference between the two is that this one seemed embarrassed by its own premise and that one fully committed to the idea.
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Cozy and healing
==Breakdown==Background plot - 20%
Romance - 70%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - fine
Romantic chemistry - Amazing
Misc comedy - fine
Production value - Good
If you're looking for a cozy, sweet and sexy, lovely, feel-good drama, this one is it. The only reason it gets a 9.5 from me is because there is one plot element in the middle episodes that made me dislike the FL character for 2 episodes / made her appear petty and shallow. She somewhat redeemed herself, but the shadow of her actions never fully receded. (The kid in the hospital storyline... I was so irritated with her choices after that and thought she didn't deserve the ML; there's nothing wrong with being a single parent!!)
I will say, both leads in this drama are absolutely stunning. They're almost aggressively beautiful. I couldn't watch more than 1 episode at a time because it felt like an overdose of prettiness and sweetness. But 1-episode at the end of each day brought a smile to my face and was the perfect dose of this lovely drama.
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Well acted, terrible script, basic/unimaginative direction
==Breakdown==Background plot - 0%
Romance - 80%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - I'm not sure there was a plot...
Romantic chemistry - Great
Misc comedy - terrible
Production value - Good
I dropped after episode 8. The script completely went off the rails and the characters' actions no longer made any sense. I do enjoy these actors and will look forward to seeing them in different dramas. But life is too short for this hot mess.
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It's a romance first and foremost
==Breakdown==Background plot- 35%
Romance - 55%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Pretty good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy -Good
Production value- Pretty good
Direction -Mixed bag
If you're looking for a war or historical epic, this isn't it. It isn't an epic at all, but rather a straight-forward romance. It's too bad, because it probably could have been an epic if they'd used the same director as 'The Double' or 'Fangs of Fortune,' or someone similar.
The fight scenes were directed quite well, however.
Now, if you're looking for a good historical romance, this is quite good. The chemistry between the leads is excellent and was consistently the only reason I kept watching. Since I watch CDramas for the romance, this bumps up my rating from a 7.5 to an 8.5 (because the romance / chemistry was THAT good).
Overall, watch if you love romantic CDramas. Skip if you don't.
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The best part was the flashback to the teenager romance
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 25%
Background plot - boring
Romantic chemistry -
---Adult couple: Ranging from tepid to really bad
---Teenagers: ON FIRE
Misc comedy - boring
Production value - fine
I just didn't believe the romance between the adults, especially when the teenager version of the story was so incredibly good.
Another reviewer said the adult section of the story was like when a baker forgets to add sugar to the recipe and I would say a better analogy for this disappointing drama would be that the baker forgot to add baking soda (or other leavening agent). I know these two actors are capable of having romantic chemistry with other actors, but they had none with each other, and since this was a romance the entire modern storyline felt flat. I started watching this show when it was airing but then stopped and never thought about picking it back up. I just don't have the time or energy to watch the last two episodes.
The teenager / flashback portion of the romance was just the opposite. It was *FIRE* and I highly suggest y'all go check out youtube video compilations of that part of the story. Everything about it was truly excellent and the two young actors who played the parts should be given a new drama ASAP!!
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The problems are the script and direction
==Breakdown==Background plot - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Bad
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Fine
The actors did their best, I'm convinced the ML actor would have chemistry with a turnip, and the premise for the story is pretty good (and had the potential to be great if given to the right team) but the script and direction were just plain bad.
The pacing was off and the script didn't make any sense. Maybe writer was trying to maintain an air of mystery by being purposefully confusing, but it just came across as a jumbled mess, nothing made sense. People had reactions that were unrealistic, too much or too little given what was happening on screen (I blame the director for this disconnect, he/she are responsible for translating the emotions in the script for the audience, the actors only do what they're told by the director in terms of reaction.)
Perhaps this drama could have been saved if either the direction or the script had been halfway decent. Unfortunately, two wrongs don't make a right. It's such a shame! I really like the actors and was looking forward to this one.
:-(
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I guess I'm one of those people who need someone to root for
This incredible cast was wasted. I'm so disappointed. I had high hopes. That first episode with Kim Soo Hyun being drunk and crying about being cute, I thought, "This show is going to be so good!!" The first episode didn't hook me, but I thought for sure it was just a slow start and would get better.Well, after 6 episodes, it was a complete slog. I tried. I really, really did. It took me 5 days to finish episode 6, I kept finding reasons to do other things. Not even Kim Soo Hyun could keep me engaged, and that makes me so sad. This was his first drama in YEARS. I feel cheated.
The issue was the story, I think...
Actually, I'm not sure. The overall story was interesting. I'll probably look up a spoiler review to find out what happens.
You know what I think the problem was? I had no one to root for. I didn't *like* anyone except the villain (and I only liked the villain because his scenes didn't put me to sleep). I didn't care what happened to any of the other main characters, they were so boring. I probably would've ended up rooting for the bad guy if I'd continued (because at least he was entertaining to watch).
Oh well.
I hope Kim Soo Hyun's next drama is better. :-\
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It's not bad, it's just boring.
Background plot- 65%Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 5%
Background plot - Boring
Romantic chemistry - Pretty good
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Pretty good
Direction / editing - Not great
It pains me to write this review because the two leads are some of my favorites, but this drama was painfully boring. Not even the chemistry between the two main characters could save it. I kept finding reasons to turn it off or watch something else and I had to talk myself into finishing it.
I love a good slow, cozy romance / story, see last year's The Best Thing or First Frost. But this one was not it and the issue, I think, was the complete lack of real story and therefore character growth for the two main characters. They started the drama as strong, kind, lovely people and they ended the drama just the same. Add in all the incredibly dull scenes about solar panel technology that felt like propaganda and completely unnecessary and I had to fast forward at least 50% of the drama, but even then the parts that remained were so freaking BORING.
I'm not sure what else to say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Entertaining slowburn romance from start to finish
==Breakdown==Background plot- 35%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Fun
Production value and direction - Good
The "virtual game" aspect of the plot was the most interesting and engaging part of the story and it's a shame they didn't make the main plot more woven within the virtual world. The main part of the plot followed a very predictable path, one that's extremely common in most modern (or even historical) CDramas.
However, the romantic chemistry and acting (especially between the main leads) carried the drama and took a story that might've been (overall) mid and made it something magical. This is a true slowburn romance with a fantastic payoff. Both the main characters are almost too good to be true, but I didn't mind because the actors did such a stellar job making the characters feel flawed and real and accessible. This is my first time enjoying a drama with Chen Xing Xu as a lead; I've attempted to watch other dramas of his but always dropped them as the story / characters weren't engaging.
But Lu Yu Xiao has recently become a favorite of mine. Or rather, the dramas she stars in have become favorites of mine, and I have to think that's not a coincidence. Either she has a real talent for picking great dramas / roles, or she brings something special to the production that elevates it. Either way, I find her consistently excellent and her dramas extremely watchable.
I highly recommend this drama for fans of romances with fun twists and excellent chemistry / acting.
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