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This review may contain spoilers
Shen Mo deserved better
Overall: there was no redemption arc after what a character did. Note the series and this review may have triggering content. Based on the book The Missing Piece (貌合神离) by Kun Yi Wei Lou (困倚危楼). I have not read the source material and am reviewing the series on its own merits. 15 episodes about 35 minutes each. Airing on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/9032/the-missing-piece-2026-e01 ; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/show/VLPLGOvxXmhie_0?sbp=KgtpYW1QbUdFU1R5Y0AB ; Heavenly (S. Korea) & more.
Content Warnings: intimate partner abuse, manipulation, slap, past (kidnapping/violence/torture/death), rape*, victim blaming, non con kissing, kidnapping, violence
What I Liked
- visuals
- got right into things at the start
- sister is nice
- finale (episode 15) 9min-end
Room For Improvement
- Ji Ming Xuan took agency away from his sister and he could have easily guessed what that family would do after he told them the reason why he hestitated with the marriage alliance, he destroyed Shen Mo's love life and his future career and then *raped him after he said he wouldn't (I consider it rape because Shen Mo thought Ji Ming Xuan was a different person, Shen Mo was not in is right mind which Ji Ming Xuan knew)
- it's never explained why being abusive to Shen Mo was going to win his heart with the contract
- confusing, a series should not expect all views to have read the source material (got less confusing as it went on)
- voiced inner thoughts
- multiple memory losses, multiple kidnappings
- the intimacy scenes were weird with them appearing to be fully clothed
- nonsense stuff, a ring line from no sun after not wearing the ring for years? not explaining right away when the kid entered the picture, not having bodyguards, forgetting about the tracking app
Content Warnings: intimate partner abuse, manipulation, slap, past (kidnapping/violence/torture/death), rape*, victim blaming, non con kissing, kidnapping, violence
What I Liked
- visuals
- got right into things at the start
- sister is nice
- finale (episode 15) 9min-end
Room For Improvement
- Ji Ming Xuan took agency away from his sister and he could have easily guessed what that family would do after he told them the reason why he hestitated with the marriage alliance, he destroyed Shen Mo's love life and his future career and then *raped him after he said he wouldn't (I consider it rape because Shen Mo thought Ji Ming Xuan was a different person, Shen Mo was not in is right mind which Ji Ming Xuan knew)
- it's never explained why being abusive to Shen Mo was going to win his heart with the contract
- confusing, a series should not expect all views to have read the source material (got less confusing as it went on)
- voiced inner thoughts
- multiple memory losses, multiple kidnappings
- the intimacy scenes were weird with them appearing to be fully clothed
- nonsense stuff, a ring line from no sun after not wearing the ring for years? not explaining right away when the kid entered the picture, not having bodyguards, forgetting about the tracking app
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