One of the best of the year
I really enjoyed this drama. Here's my breakdown:Pros:
-- It's a great battle of wits between the leads. Both the FL and ML are witty, sharp and keep each other on their toes, making the series tantalizing and binge-worthy.
-- The plot, though laden with many moving parts, is engaging and fairly simple to follow thanks to a single McGuffin that moves the story forward. While predictable in some ways (and honestly, which drama isn't), it also provides good twists and turns that keep you guessing and make for great cliffhangers.
-- The FL actress, Lu Yu Xiao, has this cute, girl-next door beauty. Not movie-star looks but an exquisite aura that explains why men fell hard for her. She plays a character who is also cunning, decisive and one of the best warriors out there but with none of that girl-boss trope that wrecks her femininity. It makes her more natural, balanced and approachable so her emotional scenes carry more weight.
-- The FX are awesome! It definitely made the wuxia magic come to life. Great production value and the rich, lush and wonderfully creative sceneries speak for themselves.
-- The final nemesis has plausible and deep underlying motives. To have a great lead, you need a great antagonist, and the actor, Yu Cheng En, with his naive-boyish looks, was a good fit for the role. His character deals with a mix of resentment, humiliation and obsession that makes him quite interesting and not one dimensional.
Cons:
-- I could do with fewer than 36 episodes. I'd say 26 tops. I fast-forwarded through some scenes with the secondary romantic couple (they weren't that interesting) and some family drama between the nemesis' families which seemed more like filler to me.
-- The acting range of Hou Ming Hao, the ML, is not elite, but to his credit, it was enough to render the character well. After all his story arch was heart wrenching and well layered. It demanded very intense scenes, so his role was no walk in the park.
-- One couple embodies mutual self-sacrifice while, in the end, while another couple alluded that marriage can be a stumbling block to one's career. You can find this dichotomy quite jarring or a plausible decision by the writers to provide different perspectives. So whether this is a pro or a con is in the eye of the beholder.
In the end, there are way more pluses than minuses so give it a go!
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A Pure Delight
No need to add marshmallows to this warm cup of choco. This is a genuine heart-warmer. The plot is mid, but if you ever been in a broken relationship, this drama will prove to be cathartic. Good vibes all the way thanks to great acting, luscious imagery and strong chemistry between the leads.Aside from an ex-boyfriend, who appears rather briefly, there is no central, captivating antagonist and the second leads are more of an afterthought. The dynamics of the drama center on the leads and that's okay. They hit it out of the ballpark. The FL is the same one from Perfect and Casual and again brings that same level of casual, pristine beauty to this role. Whether it is her endearing smile or teary gaze, she elicits a wide range of deep emotions.
There are also no Mary or Johnny Sues here. Just imperfect and hurt young adults trying to give romance another try. The secondary characters are lovely but I must take exception with the FL's dad who perpetuates the cliche of the emasculated, bumbling husband who is only known as the guy who cooks dinners, gets screamed at by the wife, and has little to say or hardly offers any leadership or agency in the family (Meet Yourself also comes to mind). It's turning into a cliche.
Thankfully, the ML is not the CEO tired trope (neither a doctor nor lawyer, for that matter), but a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this side of Chinese culture. Glad to see dramas showing more diverse professions and facets of life. My main misgiving about the ML is that he asked the FL to hang out at his apartment at first rather than go for a cup of joe. In real life that wouldn't fly. No self-respecting girl would hang at a dude's apartment from the get-go and if she does, that'd be a big red flag. Other than that, the ML was for the most part patient, level-headed and humble, adding layers to what could have been mishandled as just another one-dimensional, always-confident hunk lacking any depth. Like Meet Yourself, this drama is worth a rewatch just as when you need warm tea on a cold night.
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Exquisite
Despite its flaws, this is one of my top five C-dramas. A story of finding yourself in the midst of heartbreak. It centers on a young woman who experienced deep heartbreak and went on a long term vacation at a sleepy town in rural China.Plot: Slow paced in every sense of the word. This drama is character-driven and the romance is one of the most slow-burn you'll ever see. So this drama might not be everyone's cup of tea. But joining the FL in her path to healing and bonding with her newfound friends makes it all worth it.
Cast: Known in the West as the actress who played Mulan, Crystal showcases her superb acting skills in this drama. Her soft-voice and gentle demeanor matches this drama's atmosphere to a T. She's so talented. Fans will also recognize the ML as the protagonist in Go Go Squid. Xian is also a perfect fit since he doesn't have top model looks, making him a good fit as a likeable everyman who is devoted to his small town and fights for his ideals while trying to woo the FL in relatable ways.
The support cast have backstories that are for the most part endearing and engaging, but I could have done without the guitarist You Yu Hu and the ML's colleague, Xiao. A divorced single mom, Xiao is short fused and no-nonsense, so it was hard to understand why this professional woman was once married to a guy who is so mellow, introverted and simple-minded. I know opposite attracts but without any backstory the contrast between the two is jarring. She also shuns another potential suitor but there's little explanation behind her choices, making her character too one-dimensional.
However, my biggest peeve goes to the lazy and aimless guitarist Hu, a kind of a starving-artist stereotype who was the butt of all jokes. A character for comedic relief is understandable, but the guy was the target of so many put-downs that, as a male viewer, it got very annoying after a while. As icing on the cake, he had to be "rescued" in a scene by an older woman. In short, saying he was a wimp is a big understatement. They laid it down too thick with this character, so I skipped most of his story arc.
Final Thoughts: There is another concern about the script that few people talk about, but it needs to be said. The leads were both in their 30s. I believe the FL was already 30 when she met the ML and the drama makes it very clear that she is focused on building her career in the upcoming years. Similar to You Are My Glory, you get the sense that if the couple starts a family, it will be well into their mid-30s, at the onset of a geriatric pregnancy, and the challenges that it entails. No drama I've seen, whether in the East or the West, shows couples even remotely talking about this matter. It would serve the impressionable young adults who watch these dramas to see this important topic at least mentioned when couples plan for the future and decide whether to bear children or not.
All that aside, Meet Yourself is so highly rewatchable since it deftly weaves together wise teachings with inspirational stories about the power of friendship and community as we find our meaning, healing and thirsting for life. You'll fall in love with the sweet grandma, the chatty townswomen, and the charming backdrop and slow pace of life in rural China. I hope to see more dramas that explore more regions outside the big cities and shows more of the vibrant and diverse landscape of East Asian culture.
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Lighthearted Fun
I'm more of a CDrama guy, but this KDrama hits the right buttons. However, let me warn you that one must give this drama some leniency in terms of plot. As others have mentioned, the premise behind their main misunderstanding in the first episode is one big, head-scratching eye-roll. I mean, the writers could have done better there. But they make it up by weaving stories of perseverance, comedy and redemption in the story arch of the charming and entertaining leads.The romance between them is definitely crackling with chemistry. The FL gives off down-to-earth, relatable vibes while ML balances those GQ-perfect looks with a wide emotional range and charming goofiness as opposed to the old tired cold and always composed demigod who can do no wrong.
The first episode gets things moving quickly and crescendos to a banger in the end that, without giving it away, encapsulates the series' title in a tantalizing way. Let's just say that the leads' chemistry shoots to the roof here. Overall, this is a good lighthearted drama that has you cheering for both leads. I also love how they both look after their mothers and closed ones. It's a home run!
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