K-Drama 
A light-hearted drama that's enjoyable despite its little flaws
The beginning was a bit of a let-down, as it wasn't at all what I expected after reading the synopsis and seeing the edits that came up on my feed and got me interested in watching it in the first place.I felt like the relationship between the leads could have been developed a little more, as I would have liked to see more of how they fall in love and how their relationship gradually develops in the beginning. I understand that, with a short drama, there's only so much time to develop the story, but I think spending a little longer on this part would have made everything feel more natural.
Despite this, the story is very light-hearted and an easy watch. There were also several moments I genuinely enjoyed, and I had a good time watching it, so I can't say it was a bad experience at all.
As for the acting, that's the best part of the drama for me, although I'm not particularly surprised, as I was already familiar with both leads and knew what to expect from them.
Would I recommend it? I think this is a drama that fans of the two leads will enjoy the most. If you're watching it for them, it might be worth giving it a go, but if you're looking for a romance with a more detailed and well-developed storyline, you might find it falls a little short.
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A Fun and Entertaining Watch
I started watching this drama because of its synopsis, which promised cases to solve and a female lead who works as a forensic specialist, so I was expecting a story more focused on investigations. However, it turned out to be quite different from what I had imagined.If you're looking for well-written cases and a great plot, this definitely isn't the drama for you. The cases are pretty obvious, and the story is very predictable overall, with quite a few plot holes along the way. That said, I did find the plot towards the end more consistent than it was at the beginning, and these flaws haven't stopped me from enjoying the series.
What I've enjoyed the most, without a doubt, is the humour. The acting has a rather theatrical feel to it, which I personally suspect was a direction from the director, since the entire cast seems to follow the same style. While this isn't usually something that particularly appeals to me in other dramas, it works really well here and suits the overall tone of the story.
On the other hand, the male lead has been my biggest problem. I haven't liked his personality, and the actor's performance hasn't convinced me either. At times, it felt too exaggerated, which made it even harder for me to connect with the character. In fact, I ended up enjoying the secondary couple more than the main one. They were so sweet together, and I found their relationship genuinely adorable.
Thankfully, we have Esther Yu as San Qi, and I think she was the perfect choice for the role. I've loved how she balances her more professional side with her sweet and adorable personality, and I think she fits the drama's comedic tone wonderfully. Honestly, they couldn't have picked a better leading actress.
Overall, although the plot and the cases leave quite a bit to be desired, the humour and Esther Yu have made the experience enjoyable for me. It's not a drama that stands out for its story, but it kept me so entertained that I finished it in just three days! Despite its obvious flaws, I had a genuinely fun time watching it. It may not be particularly memorable for its plot, but it's an entertaining watch if you're looking for something light-hearted that will keep you hooked.
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Great cast with a decent plot
Although the drama has been primarily promoted as a comedy, and while I didn't dislike it in that aspect, I feel its strongest moments are undoubtedly the most serious. The conflicts and obstacles are quite simple and predictable; the tension never quite explodes, and the stakes don't feel entirely convincing.However, its greatest strength lies in the casting and character development. Both the main and supporting characters are very well-developed, which makes a script without too many surprising elements stand out more than one might expect within its genre.
Up until episode 10, I was enjoying it, but it didn't strike me as anything exceptional; I kept watching mainly because of the performances of the main cast. From then on, I started to connect more with the story, although not all parts interested me equally, and it never completely captivated me. And since that's important to me, it's the reason I only give it a 7.5/10: as much as the characters and their performances fascinated me, they don't quite compensate for a plot I consider somewhat weak.
I want to especially highlight Wang Churan, the only member of the main cast I hadn't seen before, and who completely captivated me; every time she appeared on screen, my attention was drawn to her. In contrast, the Empress as the antagonist struck me as unconvincing, almost cartoonish, while Prince Duan seemed a much more complete and better-developed character.
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A promising short drama that deserves a chance
Lately, I haven’t had as much time to watch dramas as I used to, so I’ve got quite into short dramas. Whenever I come across one with an interesting synopsis, cast or overall concept, I like to give it a go, and this one caught my attention because of its rather original premise: four stories directed by four different directors, each featuring a different female lead, whose stories eventually intertwine.Even so, I didn’t go into it with particularly high expectations, as both the directors and much of the cast are relatively new to the industry, so I wasn’t quite sure how this concept would work out. However, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise, although there were some aspects I liked more than others. So, let’s break it down.
What I liked most:
Bao Jie Yi’s story, Cat Legend. Without a doubt, this is my favourite of the four, and the one I’d choose if I could only watch one of them. I also think it’s the best-directed story, and Bao Jie Yi’s performance genuinely surprised me in the best way. Considering she’s completely new to the industry, I think she did a really good job and has a lot of potential. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on her career to see how she develops and improves over time.
The chemistry between Bao Jie Yi and Zhou Zhi Yi. I was literally SCREAMING over these two! I absolutely loved them both and had such a good time watching their chemistry on screen. Definitely one of my favourite parts of the whole drama.
The length of the stories. With only five episodes per story, each around ten minutes long, you can get through them in no time, and they never feel like a drag. It’s the perfect format when you don’t have much time but fancy watching something interesting without committing to a full-length series.
Wei Xiao’s performance. She’s the only one of the four female leads with previous acting experience, and it shows, especially in how natural her performance feels. For me, hers is the most natural performance of the four and one of the drama’s strongest points.
The editing and picture quality. Considering this is a fairly low-budget drama, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall visual quality. Both the cinematography and editing are really well done for this type of production.
What I liked least:
The repeated scenes across the four stories. I understand that, since the four stories are interconnected, certain scenes or situations are bound to be repeated. I wouldn’t mind at all if they were slightly different from one another, but the problem is that some are practically identical, which makes things feel a little repetitive at times.
Hou Ben’s performance. I feel like the character wasn’t quite the right fit for her. It was too obvious that she was acting, and I couldn’t really immerse myself in her story. This also contributed to it being my least favourite of the four.
The direction of 8 Days a Week, Zhou Zhi Yi’s story. I feel like the director didn’t make the most of her performance. Some of the shots felt a bit pointless or just didn’t make much sense, and I was left feeling that the directors of the other stories managed to bring out more of her potential and portray her better on screen.
All in all, I think this is an interesting concept and quite a refreshing take on the short drama format. Although I didn’t enjoy all four stories equally and some aspects could have been handled better, I’m glad I gave it a chance. I’ve also discovered Bao Jie Yi, whose career I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on, and found a favourite story that I’d choose again without hesitation. It’s not a perfect drama, but I think it has enough going for it to be worth a watch, especially if you enjoy short stories and like discovering new faces in the industry.
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