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I can see that. I wasnt feeling it till episodes 21-23. Im digging it now because she comes across as very carefree and young for her age while he comes off as very mature for his age. They kind of meet in the middle.

Id like to see them again to see if they are doing better. Especially ex’s mom. Her whole decisive leaving of her husband following his cheating reminds me of grandma. BUT their story seems over and Id hate for the real story of the Mai family to be shortchanged to make room for some more Xin shenanigans.

She called off the wedding but not the relationship. Episode 11 is the real “Im breaking up with you” conversation. And than sister and mom do a thing that puts the nail in the coffin of their relationship .

Episode 11. She comes to the conclusion they arent a good match due their family and personal values a few episodes before and was trying to give him time to see it too.

She is entitled and suffers from a severe case of classism. The first episode we meet her we learn she chose to enter into a loveless marriage to secure position and money for her family. She looks at everything through the calculating lens of benefits. She defines herself by her social position and power.

So she’s super disrespectful to the FL and her family because she disdains their social and monetary status and assumes those things mean the FL and her family are “taking advantage” of the FL’s boyfriend and his family. So she attacks like a rabid tasmanian devil. (No disrepect to the fine creatures but the image
works)

She’s not Important enough to have a full arc but you are left with the impression she at least learns she was wrong about the FL. She’s frustratingly
rude but also barely in the drama. I actually looked forward to her scenes because half of them were satirical jokes about her social station, pregnancy etc.

She’s like an angry clown there to amuse and cause mayhem.

He tried so hard. Failed so spectacularly.

Depends on what triggers you.

I like the mom because her relationship with the FL has toxic elements but is also super sweet and affectionate. I went in knowing they would have this kind of toxic parent/child dynamic thanks to the synopsis. So my expectations were low allowing me to be surprised and enjoy every layer of complexity and character growth they seed for both the FL and her mom all through the drama.

Each time the mom makes a mistake in the first half it fuels the FL’s growth to start setting boundaries. Each time the FL insists on those boundaries in the second half you can see mom woking through her grief and confusion of “losing” her daughter. Its been done so well and it all clearly serves the goal of allowing both characters to mature into a healthier dynamic.

Its not like other hyper controlling for your own good trope parent dramas because everyone but mom can see moms mistakes and tries to tell her. The drama never suggests she’s right. But it also doesn’t suggest she is a monster undeserving or incapable of giving love. This family really loves and is devoted to each other. Mom has a critical flaw and a full not tacked on at the last minute arc to overcome it.

If you can handle that being on screen for about 10-20 minutes each episode, you’ll like this. If that is too much for you, you might hate this dama.

I think he’s motivated and lonely enough to really enjoy her overbearing care.

I think you are right. This show does a good job showing that while her family doesnt reject her for her behaviors they do try to help her see how problematic it is to force what you think is good on someone who doesn’t want it. Dad and brother and the FL have all said that to her. It’s a way for the writer to cue us into what her character journey is going to be.

Im really enjoying the mom. I see the toxicity of her behaviors. But she’s so well written, acted and the character arc they are giving her feels like an actual arc rather than using her as an obstacle to the romance the whole drama only to tack on an unearned redemption with a time skip in the last episode. Alot of times with a hyper controlling status obsessed parent in dramas I feel like they dont actually like or love their kids. In this drama I totally see that mom and her daughter are genuinely close. The way the FL respects and understands her mother makes it easy for me to feel the same. The way the mom would literally do anything for her kids but doesnt understand their values so keeps making overbearing mistakes is actually realistic. The FL even has the same protective controlling tendencies as mom but hers are balanced by her greater experience, confidence and even temperament. They feel like a real mother and daughter. It also helped the synopsis set me up to know there would be a conflict between them which would start the FL’s journey of independence. Its just such a satisfying portrayal of close family members who love each other navigating value and generational differences when they both have strong personalities.

I agree she was lucky to meet ML, Fudong and 6th prince. And they dont show long arcs of her encountering a challenge, feeling overwhelmed and than overcoming. So it feels like things come easily to her because she doesnt emphasize how hard they are. Which given her character design is smart. Her defining feature as shown in the boat in the storm memory is when facing a challenge she can clearly see a path (whether right or wrong) and follows it regardless of risk.

Her business was never smooth sailing. It just seems that way because she anticipated and faced challenges without being flustered. When others started copying the haws and other dishes the Hua’s sell plus their marketing strategy with the lantern masks, she anticipated it and was ready to face it. When they opened the pastry shop and people said rumors about her character that would cause another woman to kill themself, she just kept working to make sure their product were so quality no one could ignore the shop. When they reached an impasse in making more funds she saw the restaurant opportunity and started this contest game. All of these events in anther show would have been milked. But since the whole show starts with a devastating family adversity and is about how a young courageous woman faces the criticisms, disrespect, and disbelief of her family and everyone else to lead the Hua’s through the storm, the majority of the show will be about her finding a way others dont expect. So it works out. Like the bandits.

That being said preview of episode 28 shows a fairly devastating challenge ahead. Might make her character feel more grounded as she deals with that.

Edit: And I understand from novel readers the Shen family is going to have a big arc. They established Shen Qi first. Next Shen Huan. So soon we should see those storylines merge into whatever challenge faces their family. Caesar will return and Im guessing Shen Qi’s character was a big draw to play the part. He’s just such a good guy.

I can see that. I feel they are the same because bro also got his first job through connections. Neither he or his sister liked having those connections forced on them. But they both made the same choice to accept the opportunity. And they both formed connections through those jobs that led to future opportunities because of how hard they worked. Grandma only left FL hotel cause she knew how hard she’d work to take care of it. Little bro had worse luck in that his first job was a crap environment. But they both seems to put in the same level of work with the same pragmatic mindset towards opportunities. Neither actively seek to trade on relationships. FL just got luckier/burdened with grandma’s trust. I think they are both as pure as they can be given their different scenarios. Not sure comparison is fair cause I dont think brother would have said no to a hotel.

?? FL inherited a debt ridden beast of a hotel that is so out of date it’ll take everything she has to save it. Anything she achieves will be through her hard work.

Died. Seizure so he’ll be disabled his whole life. Both are wins. Its also probably the only hope of their son maturing and being a better person than his parents. Not that we’ll see much of him now.

If its ML who saved her, maybe more happened in accident. However, if it was 2nd ML who “dropped out” but actually he got really hurt or died, that could explain it. My original thought was the basic instinct guy (MLs dad) died saving her. Course I dont think that makes sense with her flashback. Looking forward to the mystery reveal.

Isnt that his high school friend in hyuk? I think he was mad cause of how far apart theyd grown. He feels like a red herring.

If nothing else its better than most misunderstandings because in 2008 she did like Tae Sung up to the day before she woke up from the future. Its realistic there are consequences to her behavior changing so quickly and seemingly without reason. A couple episodes of hyjinks because of that makes sense. If they are still beating that horse at episode 11, than I’ll be annoyed.

That would explain the level of his disappointment when she said she didnt know him.

My wild theory is a time loop. Although it can change as proven by the polaroid.

That connection is totally why I started instead of waiting four episodes like usual.