This review may contain spoilers
What even is the point?The basic plot idea is simple: provide Yumi with men with two different personalities and have her choose. Major problem though: both men have paper thin backstories and personalities, and we already spent a whole season with them!
Can you drag this out over 14 episodes? No. But, they certainly were going to try. This has all the flip flops of your basic daytime soap with no emotional/psychological or logical brain reasons why it was twisting and turning. I only watched to the end to see if I hated the end: and lo and behold I did. This is the problem with multi-season series with no defined goals.
The acting was excellent, and you really got tied to the characters as it went on even with paper thin backstories and reasons for doing what they are doing.
The only thing that worked for me was the music, which was layered with meaning and nostalgia after suffering with all these characters through last season.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 5.0
Everyone lets you down eventually?
Complex Characters/Character Growth: 2.0
Last season, the psychology and emotions made sense. This time, they just really didn't. Ba Bi is all surface, no depth on one hand he has all these dark hidden sides and secrets, and yet is also someone of great depth of emotional feeling who is highly responsible and meets his commitments. Which is it?? If he's putting on a mask or a face, then why are we seeing into his head and FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW he's just a really great, mature all around guy. Then it's hinted at that maybe all this romance, lovey-dovey stuff is an act, or he is someone of inconsistent shallow feeling, but we don't actually see that we see someone who is caring, cries, plans for the future, reads fiction, cares for his family, it just doesn't make sense.
On Yumi's side, she is still deeply hurt by the betrayal of many years ago, and as a result requires constant validation, and is not very trusting. She doesn't mature or change or gain new perspective over the course of the show. She just changes professions.
Wung is the same from last season, portrayed more neurodivergent than last season, he still has no EQ and heavily relies on his pride and logical fallacies to get through arguments.
Quality interactions between women: 6.0
Because Yumi switching careers is one of the plot points, it allows Yumi to discuss her career ambitions and work with other women, but it's all fairly shallow.
Production/Cinematography: 8.0
Still quite high, and there's little magical cinematic moments that will linger, but relies on a lot of what was done before.
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What else is there to say that hasn't been said already about the primary romance? Male lead takes no action or initiative, Female lead bounces around the edges hoping he will take notice. Doesn't make for great chemistry or interesting watching.
HOWEVER, the secondary romance between Guan Ji and Bi Ruo Shan, is sexy, mature and intriguing. I really liked the intrigue there between two sophisticated people who have dated around. I also bought into the conflict! Two people used to being slick and superficial having trouble being vulnerable makes sense to me. But, in the end, this relationship wasn't given enough screen time to keep me watching . .
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