Zogitt

A stark contrast of two cultures

I like this show very much and a lot has to do with the first half of this series which was set in Helsinki, Finland. The snowy cityscape is very appealing. The use of local actors in key roles helps with immersion and let us know that it is not a token effort.

Whether it is the setting or the fact that the ML has been living abroad for several years made him very forthcoming in his pursuit of the FL. Similarly, FL is also surprisingly receptive when you consider most romantic c-dramas will spend a good deal of time wandering around the garden path while the leads assess and reassess their feelings. Forget about skinship, a mere accidental touch is all you'd get.

Not so here. The ML knew what he wants, and he is going for it. He taking no prisoners either. While the FL was initially hesitant, she soon fell into his warm embrace, and we have an explosion of skinship mere days after their fateful meet-cute in a snowstorm. They were hugging and kissing at every opportunity while enjoying the delights of the city.

This is so refreshing that I commented to an online friend that it feels like I'm watching a western romance. The progress is steady and meaningful. None of this endless longing and confusing double speak. We are not in Beijing anymore!

I was praying that the show will keep going down this path and they can be HEA in Finland. I'd have given this show 11/10 on the spot! Alas, this is not to be. China happens.

Yep, both leads relocate back to China after a time skip. The change in tone is stark. Gone are the carefree days of love and be loved. Now it is all about rules, status, obligations and respect.

The OTP are still madly in love, but they must hide their relationship and tread carefully. PDA quota went over a cliff. The ML puts on a mask and behave like other ML's in a typical c-drama. All hail the status quo.

It is not all bad. The relationship between the ML and his teacher was mended and it was beautifully done. There was not a dry eye in the room when the elderly gentleman passed. However, this just triggers another round of scripted role playing and more conformities.

To be honest, this was disappointing for me. I harboured hopes that this drama will dare to be different. Yes, it was that and more for 2/3 of the show but as soon as the ML arrives back in China, it was like a different show. It became a tropey Chinese drama poured from the same mould. Family issues, youthful transgression, societal obligations weighting everything down. The core is still there but you can barely see it from the tropes. If anything, the writer seems to double down on them. They really labour the teacher/disciple relationship as well. It feels like you're watching a wuxia drama rather than billiards! I guess they are trying to promote the positive aspect of Chinese cultures but it was a bit heavy handed.

The flag waving event where China won many gold medals in billiards is over the top. Huzzah!

It makes any talk of spreading the game to the masses seems farcical. It all comes down to prize money, world ranking and a creche of elite players.

Eventually, we get the HEA ending we craved. It was telling that the passing remark from the ML after 3 years in China is that he wants to be "free and easy" again. Guess where he went? ;) Is that a hidden message from the writer? It certainly rings true for me.

Acting by the leads are on point. There are so many sweet and swoon-y scenes. The tender moments felt real. I ship them unconditionally. Forget RL dating rumours, I'm waiting for the wedding invite! This makes the scenes back in China feel all the more like excess baggage.

Support cast earned their pay, but they have little to do. There are no real second leads nor secondary couples. A few minor distractions but it was the OTP's show from start to finish. There is no real antagonist either but there are angsty moments when the leads are back in China. As I mentioned before, the change in tone is stark.

I'd have given it 10/10 if it was a 20 eps run focused on their wonderful romance in Finland. The rest pulled me out of my happy place which lead to a re-evaluation of my final score. That is a shame.

I could rewatch parts of this show but I'd skip tracts as well. The OST is very good.

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Tropey rom-com totally saved by the CP's chemistry and their sweet moments

Yes, it is another contract marriage story between a low EQ CEO and a feisty, cheerful girl. I don't blame you if you switch off after that intro but it does get better. After a decent meet-cute, the story just meanders around for a good half of the show. Of course, the process of the OTP falling in love was front and centre but it was a bit cliché. Even though the ML was not a cold hearted person, his low EQ made his romantic overtures a hit and miss affair. Similarly, the FL was definitely falling for the ML but she kept sending mixed messages to both the ML and SML. This is frustrating for the viewer because just when you thought all the stars were aligned and they are getting together, they backtracked and all the sweet moments from the day before were all forgotten and we are back to the "will they, won't they" phase again.

As the show progressed, the poor SML just hangs around the FL and ticked off the ML. Turning him into a green eyed monster even after the OTP became official. I do feel sorry for him because he was a decent guy but you don't get a strong Second Lead Syndrome vibe with him.

On the other hand, the SFL was a nasty piece of work. She will not take no for an answer. Even after the ML very clearly and repeatedly rejected her advances, she kept escalating her evil deeds against the FL to the point of total annihilation. I'm also annoyed that after doing all that damage, she just packed her bag and went away scot free in the final episode. Very typical c-drama trope but not a good one.

For me, the show only really kicked into high romantic gear after the half way mark. Once the OTP finally become official in ep.17 and was signed, sealed and consummated, we can all rejoice. Their chemistry hit the roof as well. From that point on, we have lots of skinship. I mean A LOT by c-drama standard and there were even several tame bed scenes. The running gag is the grandma wants a grandchild ASAP (yes please!), much to the chagrin of the FL. To be fair, they do look great together and there are lots of swoon worthy moments. Love is definitely in the air and that's what saved the Show.

The 2OTP was quite cute. An odd pairing but I can see how it could work. They got together fairly early on and they were hot and sexy from a running start. They did hit a bad patch later on but once that was sorted, they just kind of plateaued which was a bit of a shame.

The older cast members were all nice. The grandma is a gem. The "evil" mother-in-law turned out to be the good MiL. Some of the FL's mother's scenes were LOL funny.

Acting was great from the leads but monotonal from the SM/FL's. I really liked the ML when he starred in the Imperial Coroner and he didn't disappoint here. The FL is not the classic beauty but she has a very expressive face so there were not many Botox moments. The support casts did their job. The CP's swoon worthy moments gave us the dopamine rushes and I'm thankful for that.

OST was serviceable. I would happily rewatch from ep.17 onwards for the sweet CP moments but the rest I can skip.

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Don't ruin a good story with facts

Love stories are eternal. You can set it in prehistory. You can set it in a warzone. The problem is how do you make the setting work for you and not against you.

Before I dive into my thesis, let's start with the fundamentals. The OTP's romance is very sweet and swoonworthy. While there is a bit of push-pull and misunderstanding, the ML is totally in love and unwavering. While the FL's initial motive was self-serving and showed little interest in the ML, she soon fell deeply in love as well. Nothing can stand between them, not even a major natural disaster.

While the main love line is cute and fairly straightforward, the romance between the ML's sister (2FL) and a talented neurosurgeon (2ML) is a lot more complicated. There are lots of trials and neither of them are sure of their feelings. It was nice to watch the 2ML walk back on his errors and worked hard to win over the 2FL. It was bittersweet when they finally confirm their love for each other. Their romance definitely feels rawer and has teeth. They earnt their happiness in the end. Oh, did I mention the 2ML is very handsome? ;)

But wait, there’s more! If two CP's are not enough, we have a third. The FL's brother (3ML) and his GF (3FL) rounded out the collective. Not an easy pairing, by any means, and it is not particularly swoonworthy either. A lot comes down to the 3ML being a square block trying to fit into an CCP approved round hole. It was a bit painful to watch at times.

You know the production has my seal of approval when you see the calibre of the ensemble cast. Some of the younger members are a bit rough around the edges, but our leads did well. The senior members are all familiar faces and they deserve our respect. The ensemble’s acting abilities are tested by an emotionally charged script. Bring tissues, there won’t be a dry eye in the house by the end of the series.

If we just look at the love lines, they are worthy of our undivided attentions. However, I was wondering why set this drama during the Cultural Revolution? Even a few years later would make life a lot easier. It finally dawn on me in the second half.

I alluded to the historical setting in my introduction. In this regard, this drama made the most of it, but at the same time, it left me feeling uneasy.

You must understand 1975 is towards the end of the Cultural Revolution. It is a tumultuous and destructive period in recent Chinese history. Much scholarly research has been done on this. What we saw is a benign and abridged representation.

We get a hint of the revolution and its impact. We see some fallouts like the exiling of the ML's well educated parents to Yunnan (aka Chinese Siberia in the 70's), and the destruction of their family unit. Yet it was all done with a light touch.

There is scant evidence of the pain and suffering endured by the masses. There was a passing reference to the arrest of the Gang of Four. There is no mention of the death of Chairman Mao(!). His presence was largely MIA (not counting faded slogans) until very late in the show.

So why did the show pick this particular moment in time? The Cultural Revolution definitely turned the established system upside down and spun it sideways. It does help to explain the motivation of our characters. They are unique to that period where scores are settled by manipulating the political system. Self-preservation is paramount. Normal support networks are demolished. Reality is skewed and not in a good way.

The massive earthquake in July 1976 impacted many (est. 300,000 deaths). The drama made the most of it by farming the high dramas during the last third of the show. Those scenes are impactful and well made. On top of that, the end of the Cultural Revolution a few months later signalled a new era of restoration, regeneration and hope. This allows the show to close with a sense of optimism that is bordering on giddiness.

In the end, I truly enjoyed this series and it deserves high praise. The historical whitewashing leaves me a little cold though. I can imagine a casual western viewer sat through the whole show only seeing some overbearing sloganeering and horrible dress sense! Maybe it is better to let the sleeping dog lie.

I shall close with the immortal words from Queen; 🎶Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?🎶 Peace.

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What do you call a show with a chaotic start, a solid middle and a jingoistic ending?

This is an odd show. It has one of the most chaotic start but also a solid middle. It then ran out of puff. Becomes really jingoistic and flag waving towards the end. There is not a lot of substance to the main plot so I won't bother to dissect it. I’ll just list some pros and cons;

Pros:
• It is angst lite. There are some family issues, business shenanigans and a hint of a love triangle but nothing life or death. There is a lot of misunderstanding early on which took many episodes to clear up. While the entanglement is a bit contrived, its resolution is surprisingly well scripted and plausible.

• There is quite a bit of swoon worthy moments once the leads are official. The skinship quota is also higher than usual and quite passionate. There are no fish lip kisses nor camera tricks.

• The acting is generally good. The leads have lots of chemistry. The FL is minx like and her growth is rewarding to watch. The ML is handsome and charismatic and he turns in a solid performance. The performance from the younger cast members are more uneven but it is par for the course.

• There is a recognisable gay support character. This came as a surprise to me because for the last couple of years all BL dramas have been shelved and male characters are decidedly masculine and unambiguous.

Cons:
• The start is chaotic and a bit silly. Lots happened but achieved very little. Too many side characters are introduced in a rush which leads to more confusion. I’m not surprise if some viewers dropped the show after the first couple of episodes.

• While the romance line is nice and sweet, the main plot is a bit thin. It is mostly tropey family problems, office politics and business shenanigans. Nothing unique nor original.

• PPL, so much PPL. They are hardly subtle. A rough count has the leads catching 4 or 5 colds just so that the cold medicine can make an appearance. Ditto various cosmetics and personal grooming aids. The scene with an electric shaver was so heavily scripted that it was laughable. This extends to a parade of new cars.

• This show reminds me of Flight to You where at times it feels like a glossy promo video for the new Chinese airliner (C-919). In this case, it is the Chinese owned global positioning satellite system called BeiDou. However, it is much more patriotic and jingoistic in this show. There is even a firebrand professor who lectures us on sacrifice for the greater good and why the world needs an alterative to GPS. This also means several characters (including the antagonists!) and related subplots are sidelined to make way for it. Your mileage will definitely differ.

This show is watchable once you get past the messy start. The romantic line is swoon worthy and the leads makes the most of it. However, the last few episodes feel out of place and the propaganda is quite heavy handed. While we got the HEA ending in the end, it feels flat to me. Peace out.

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Watch a nude portrait drying is more engaging and sexier

As you would expect, the first couple of episodes were quite cute and set up the contract marriage scenario. To say the two leads are introverts is an understatement. They have low emotional intelligence and barely adequate social skills.

Contract marriage is a staple of j/k/c-dramas so it is a well worn path. There are certain expectations when we watch such a show. The journey of the OTP is never going to be easy, but it is their growing love for each other and their eventual coming together that give us the raison d’etre to watch. It is in this regard that the show left us wanting.

In terms of production and acting, they are both fine. It is up to the usual j-drama standard. The actors played their roles well enough and mostly by the book. The problem lies mostly with the script.

In essence, the writer-san want to show us a different style of marriage/relationship where the couple continue to lead independent lives and only meet up when the mood suits them. This is happening more and more with mature aged couples who have established home and a comfortable work/life routine. They don’t want to upend their lives completely just for the sake of a relationship. However, in this case, it goes beyond that, our leads just don’t know how to live with other people.

They are constantly confused about their feelings and in denial. They internalise everything and hide behind excuses even when their hearts are shouting for attention.

Misunderstanding is a given. The noble idiot card is being playing repeatedly. Almost every subplot is about failed relationship or difficult romances which undermine their house of cards. It was cute for a while, but it soon become draining and unproductive. They do get jealous when the SF/ML shows up but the effect is never consistent. Sometimes it is productive but other times they are self-destructive. Most cliché plot device that normally would bring the OTP closer together are foiled.

In the end, the lack of chemistry between the leads is the killer blow. They have the odd sweet moment but most of the time they are just awkward around each other and pushing each other away. Their relationship is just flat. The ML is a wet mop. You can’t get a rise out of him if you fill him with helium. Just about every romantic trope used is muted.

Every thread are closed with a pink bow in the last episode. Happy ending is a given. Sadly, the main love line remains anticlimactic unto the bitter end. The proposal is a damp squib and there wasn’t even a kiss to seal the deal. Of course, they live apart after they got married (sans wedding ceremony). Even when they meet up on their days off, they behave like acquaintances, polite acquaintances to be sure. There is no PDA and definitely no skinship. All the while the voiceover (FL) is telling us how much they are in love. Indeed! I’m not even going to ask if they have ever slept together. From the viewer’s point of view, there is scant reward after sitting through 10 episodes.

The Show is dull, tropey but watchable. The travelogue is nice and there are cute moments. Regrettably, the show is just not very rewarding from a viewer's perspective.

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In space, no one can hear you facepalm

I have finished this series and here are my final thoughts;

I don't think the ending substantially changed my views nor my rating. In the end, the show becomes an existential tearjerker. I wasn't surprised by this development but it has certainly taken plot development to infinity and beyond. The FL could have returned to Earth but they are not getting off the ISS that easily. It is a narrative mess. Is it a dream? Did the writer-nim OD on special herbs? Obviously, it is hard to diss the ending as I don't want to speak ill of the dead but it is very tempting. My original comments stands, with minor edits. Peace.

~~~ my original comments ~~~
Rather than a rambling rant I'll hit you with some salient points. Here goes;

1) While the show is billed as a rom-com, there is a disassociation. Yes, there are comedic moments but they are largely at the ML's expense. The astronauts also gets up to some whacky stuff as well. They are more cringey than funny. You can feel the show labouring to make it work and it has largely given up by mid show.

2) Taking itself seriously is a fundamental problem with this drama. If it was written as a spoof then I can excuse many issues. As it stands, there is a serious disconnect between the hyper realistic setting and a fanciful plot. So much effort is devoted to reproduction in space. Yes, the story does come full circle but is that really the whole point of a multi million dollar production?

3) The series is full of pseudo science yet it laughs in Newton's face and do whatever it needs to move the plot forward.

4) Cue The Space White Truck of Doom™. Let's be real, the ISS is designed to function for years in the most hostile environment known to human and every system is designed with fail-safe and redundancy in mind. I don't have a problem if they did something dramatic with a failed valve or some such but they face catastrophic failures on multiple fronts as soon as the ML arrives.

5) They kept referring to the morula. That is BS because it is only called a morula on day 4. In another ~24 hours it will become a blastocyst as the cells divides every 12 hours. They are still looking at the same 16 cells after days in the incubator. My head hurts.

6) While I touched on the comedic aspect, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. The ML only met the FL a few times before the launch and she is always cold and aloof. There is no hint of any chemistry/attraction. Flash forward a few days after launch and he has the biggest crush on her but why should she reciprocate? Ah, yes, finding your man sleeping with your boss can do it. So . . she has revenge sex? Once they are back on Earth, the romance does progress as expected. I can sense the writer's desperate attempt to sustain the romance.

7) Which leads us to the relationship between the various protagonist. What a mess! There are so many unrequited love, crushes and toxic relationships. That is a recipe for disaster even in a normal k-drama, let alone in a space opera.

8) Chairman Choi is a caricature. His lording over everyone is so cliché. It is painful to watch and he gets away with it.

9) The whole lottery ticket plotline is like a game of Whack-a-Mole. It kept popping up every ep. The 3 astronauts just look pathetic. The scene where they wave the ticket around outside a restaurant is beyond stupid. No words.

10) The KSA is not a quasi space police. They can't interrogate people and confine them. The ownership of the zygote is very grey. Riding roughshod with science is bad enough, very iffy about their interpretation of extraterrestrial laws.

I have a feeling this series relies on star power and CGI extravaganza to paste over narrative gaps. It's a huge gamble and they lost, big time.

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A fantasy romance that ticked all the boxes

First, a confession, I have not read any of the novels and I'm only vaguely aware of the anime series on Netflix. My friend @Nelly recommended it to me and that is good enough. 👍🏼

As a standalone movie, it is fast paced and run through the extensive lore without a pause. That probably won't please the hardcore fans, but you roll with it as a casual viewer.

It is set in an alternate Meiji Japan circa turn of the 20th Century where “gifted” people with special powers try to hold off some kind of ancient evil. While the Gifted ones appears to be united in their noble task, it is far from the truth.

Our ML is one of them and a Captain in the special guards unit specifically tasked to hunt down the evil "insects". The FL is the daughter of one of the noble houses, but she doesn't seem to have any special power so she is treated like a servant as soon as her mother passed.

The similarity to Cinderella is obvious. That includes an evil stepmother and a nasty stepsister. Her life in that household is hellish. Her surprise betrothal to the ML offers her an avenue of escape.

If that is not enough, the Beauty and the Beast trope also joins the fun. The ML has a horrible reputation of being a beast to any female who tries to marry him in the name of political alliance. Just like in B&B, the FL tames the ML with her sincerity and "inner" beauty.

As a hopeless romantic, that is win-win right there. Throw in a handsome ML who looks dashing in uniform and a pretty FL who is vulnerable on the surface but has a backbone of steel, the movie can do no wrong.

But is it? I would be lying if I said the show is perfect. The world building is rushed and lack depth. No doubt a lot of lore and background information have been glossed over. It is understandable due to the time constraint, but you do occasionally feel that there should be more nuisances.

Speaking of the story, the Emperor's plot moves in mysterious ways. It is meant to be full of mysticism and symbolism but it is slow and stilted.

Also, the romance between our leads is very sweet but innocent. I'm sure they would die for each other but they always behave very properly. I'd love to see a bit of skinship. Fine, we'll just say their love is pure. (Grumble, grumble)

Finally, the production value is good, and the OST is very nice. The SFX is generally well done. There are many cinematic moments. However, its budget is limited, and it does show from time to time.

Don’t get me wrong, these are niggles rather than faults. In the end, the movie is an enjoyable romp with all the ingredients of a swoonworthy romance, Meiji style. The pseudo historical setting adds colour and novelty. Who can say no to some bonus fantasy actions?

The post-credit scene hinted at a possible sequel. I'd welcome that. More than anything, I want to see a traditional wedding ceremony. The bride in a fabulous kimono with all the trimmings and the groom in full dress uniform with a honour guard. Sweet!

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Standard healing drama with a very confused message

This is not how I wanted to write the review, but this is one confused puppy and I just don't feel comfortable watching it. Let's get the standard stuff out of the way.

This drama has a big ensemble cast and chock full of veteran actors. Our leads are good actors, and they are in their element. The OTP has good chemistry and there is a bit of skinship. The usual village ajummas can be loud and nosy but you roll with it. They are least of our problems.

OST is fine. Production value is par for the course. With the show set in a country town, most sets are rustic but feel lived in. Perfectly fine.

What is not fine is the conflicting messages being delivered. The basic premise is supposed to be the evil of the Korean drinking culture. This piqued my interest as this is a pet peeve of mine. I lost count the number of times writer-nim uses drunkenness as a device to either create a situation or to move the plot along. It is a miracle that more people don't get into serious trouble, especially young ladies. If this is a reflection of reality then I'm afraid . . very afraid.

Unfortunately, after watching the first few eps, I’m more confused than ever. Sure, the ML runs a clinic treating alcohol addiction and the FL shows all the sign of being an alcoholic so we have the instant connection. That's one tough meet-cute though. Their interactions are naturally fraught. We soon learn that they were each other's crush in senior high school but became estranged later on. Let’s just say the title gives the rest of the plot away.

You might think, so far so good, right? Not so fast, chingu. While the show seems to be promoting the abstinence message, it also gives us every excuse why people “would/should” drink to excess. This is not just about the FL but many people in her circle of friends and family.

Sure, we soon learn why she was hitting the bottle, but she is surrounded by enablers with drinking problem of their own. This is not just at the beginning to set the scene but went on all through the show. Every time the FL tries to be abstinent, someone will tempt her or challenge her. Hwaiting?

Heck, you would think the show is serious about this issue when one character dies from alcohol poisoning, but it never feels . . right. Their resolve seems to ebb and flow from one scene to the next. It might be lecturing us one minute but shows us people having a blast drinking the next. Yes, I know it is part of their culture, but why highlight it then? It feels so inconsistent. Is excessive drinking their sacred cow?

Once you dilute the central tenet, the show feels hollow, contrived. I was hoping the writer-nim would finally flip the narrative but we got something much less convincing. Sure, they listed all the ills, including unable to donate your organ but what's the chance of that in RL compared to the effort required to order another round of soju? Talk about low hanging fruit.

Without a strong core message, it is just another standard issue second chance story with a weak 2CP noona romance. Competent and watchable but what's the point? Very odd.

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Everyone gets their yummy desserts

Not all makjang are made equal and I’m glad that this is a good’un in my book.

Makjang storylines, by definition, are meant to be convoluted and outrageous. While for a shortish 12 eps run, it does traipsed through many tropey plots, it is hardly a witch’s brew. I am pleasantly surprised by how well paced, coherent and logical the script is, well, once you get past the whole cancel death shenanigan.

I’ll be honest, the do-over plot device is old hat by now. Every year, there is a new crop with minor variations. This one started fairly typically. Death by misadventure and (GASP) you wake up and get another chance to get things right or in the FL’s case, exact revenge for many years of pain and suffering in the hands of her family.

There are no shortage of shenanigans, foul deeds, mental as well as physical torments. It is full on and yet it feels manageable, relatable. The A-plot needs the darker tropes to make the story work, but it doesn't take them to the extreme just to earn the torture porn badge.

Once the show established the lowest point in their lives, death will do that to you, it is a steady and engaging climb back to the top. Of course, it is never going to be easy for our leads, but they are quite a power couple. They might not be all loved up from Day 1 but their relationship is refreshingly pure and solid. While the FL thought that she is just using the ML as a stepping stone to archive her goals, the ML has other ideas.

I know that sounds bad but in fact, it is quite the opposite. While the motivation of FL’s initial actions is pure revenge, once she takes greater control of her life and learn more of the truth, their relationship changes and evolves. The show changes focus to healing and getting a second chance at life. That is so much more rewarding to watch than a show that is hellbent on Mutually Assured Destruction.

Another gratifying aspect of the show is while the antagonists knows all the dirty tricks, they are not omnipotent. Their plans are effective, even devastating at times, but our leads are not hapless punching bags. They have their wits about them and they have the measure on the evildoers. The show doesn’t jump feet first into non-sensical plots just to meter out endless pain and sufferings to our OTP.

In terms of acting, it is a definite mixed bag. The highly emotional plots and extreme situations are fertile grounds for overacting. Still, I have seen worse. They are within the realm of “normal” behaviours rather than pantomime grade performances.

In the end, I enjoyed this show very much. More because of the leads' growth and their healing journey than the revenge angle. Also, for a change, I can cheer them on without having to facepalm later because the show threw the kitchen sink at them and make them suffer for no reason other than for our “entertainment”. The last ep is purely fan service and I give thanks. It ties up all the loose ends. All key characters are given their moment in the sun (or in purgatory) so we are not left hanging. It is not award winning stuff but it is a solid production.

For some, this might be a weak example of a makjang but I will take it. There are enough troubles in the world today. I don’t usually rewatch this style of drama but I can make an exception in this case. Peace out.

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Some shows are created great, some achieve greatness, this one needs to try harder

Let’s start with the good bits. This Show is watchable. It is not too long. It has swoon worthy moments and a bit of skinship. The ML is handsome and charismatic. The use of antique restoration is an interesting backdrop. If those statements feel a bit like faint praises that’s because while the Show does nothing drastically wrong, there is little substance to sink your teeth into.

Now let’s move on to the not-so-good bits. While the Show is watchable, the plot is tropey and uninspired. It started well enough and there are some nice plot developments early on but then it got tedious and is not helped by some loose storytelling.

There is an overarching thread about antique fraud, but it is not hard hitting at all. To be honest, it is fairly amateurish in execution. Any twists are telegraphed well in advance. Some side plots and scenes feel like busy-work as if they are drawn randomly from a shoebox of plot ideas. Can a show suffer from FOMO?

While the ML is handsome and charismatic, his role suffers towards the last 1/3 of the show. After his confession, his character becomes a bit capricious. I get that people can behave a bit “funny” when they are in love, but his portrayal is stilted and hammy. I’m inclined to blame the director for some iffy instructions. The personality shift does not sit comfortably with his style.

The FL has the feisty, street-smart girl role down pat. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have the experience nor the range yet to give her role real depth. She can smile and cry on cue, but you can sense that she is being told what to do rather than owning the role. This contributes to my next point.

I don’t ship the OTP wholeheartedly. The script would have us believe that they are madly in love, but I don’t sense a strong chemistry between them. Yes, they went through all the typical rom-com tropes, and they say all the right things, but it is not convincing. I also dislike the script’s propensity of leading the actors to the brink of confession and then pull back hard only to have the leads suffer from some misunderstanding in the next scene. All that can be avoided if their feelings are clear. Once more around that blasted mulberry bush we go. As someone who wanted to ship them, it is frustrating and unrewarding.

Speaking of CP’s. I can see the writer wants to push the opposite attracts trope so 2CP is a mismatch and tiresome to watch. Of course, they will get together in the end, the drama gods have spoken! I get more chemistry while watching dough rise.

Sometimes, a show can be lifted by a good ensemble cast but the secondary characters here are problematic. The 2ML won’t take no for an answer and is delusional. The cousin of the FL is the main troublemaker. He is not evil, but he is stupid, greedy and inept. Yet the Show paints him as a loveable rogue. Even though he does so much damage, he is always forgiven and handled with kid gloves. Most of the secondary characters are one dimensional and farmed out to actors with limited abilities. It is not a happy confluence.

The antique restoration theme is largely used as a plot device. They try to make it educational, but the titbits of information soon feel superfluous. They should put a disclaimer before the show to make sure viewers DO NOT try this at home.

Am I being harsh? Yes. I’m not mincing words because the Show is not trying to do better. You can find B grade shows that is hitting above its weight or really awful shows that should never be made. It is the crowded middle that is a quagmire for mediocre shows to sink out of sight.

I don’t believe in dismissing shows just because it doesn’t have top stars or a big budget. I have been pleasantly surprised by a number of second or even third tier productions. Nevertheless, It is a waste when you pair decent actors with a decent production and you still ended up with an insipid mishmash.

OST is serviceable. Rewatch? You jest. Peace out.

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Cute, easy to watch rom-com that took the path of least resistance

The start of this show is actually the best part. The premise of an overbearing highflyer who flew too close to the sun, crash and burn to become a lowly live-in caretaker of a share house is interesting.

The fish out of water trope generated a few laughs. The injection of a FL who held a grudge against the ML sounds spicy but that's about as angsty as it got. Yes, there was a bit of payback fun and resultant character growth and healing but it is a tropey rom-com to its core so it is no surprise that the rest of the plotlines follow the well thumbed playbook.

I'm not saying that it is bad, to the contrary, it is quite light and an easy watch. The "problem" is that it doesn't push hard in any direction. The revenge plot is half hearted because the FL is too nice. The SML/SFL are too understanding and they just take the hint and move on. A bit of distraction and that's about it. The romance of the OTP is nice but not particularly passionate. Even the skinship is more coincidental than full on passionate affairs. I normally hate "angst for angst sake" type of writing but this show swings a little too far in the opposite direction.

Naturally, the ML is a changed man by the end of the show and we get the mandatory HEA ending. Totally fine and a bit of fan service but this puts it squarely in the middle of a very crowded space with little to separate it from the rest.
Worth the one time watch but hard to come back for seconds.

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The screenwriters want to teach us what love is but the Show came across as half baked and tedious

The fake marriage trope is now firmly established as a recognised genre and j-drama has done its best to invent a sub-genre whereby the marriage is between two total strangers with little or no preamble.

It can be very interesting and rewarding to see two strangers navigate living as a married couple with all the obligations and expectations from families and society. Finding love is a must and that journey of discovery is usually what sustain us and defines whether the Show succeeds. This show started on the right track but then lost its way in a maze of its own making before eventually finding the exit. The viewer is taken on a protracted run through the maze and it is frustrating when we can see the correct path before us but the protagonists always seemed to take the wrong turns.

The show is billed as a rom-com. There is the usual overacting and it has lots of romance in its plots but most of them seem to circumvent our OTP. It is as if the writers are giving us a tutorial on what true love is with lots of book examples. Unfortunately, the ML must have slept through most of it.

Time and time again, the ML was confronted with "feelings". He would get confused or misunderstood simple signals. At one stage, the FL shouted that she loves him and he replied "that's nice. What's for dinner?" (that is not what he actually said but you get my drift). The problem is that this doesn't happen once but repeatedly. The ML was berated by his friends, family and even his love rival as being dumb, idiotic and clueless. This is a person who works in advertising, well educated and pushing 30. He is not a shut-in. I can accept social awkwardness and inexperience but his behaviour is next level. Yet, at the same time, he has a long time crush on someone so he is not without feelings. While the FL was better represented, she was portraited initially as scatty, impulsive and naïve but at least she knows what love is when it hits her between the eyes. Of course the FL spent much of the show annoyed, disappointed and/or confused.

So with all the tutoring, expositions and observations of other people falling in and out of love over many episodes, you'd think our CP got the gist, right? Nope, not for 90% of the run. Even after multiple "confessions" and the donning of couple's pyjamas they still broke up on the weakest pretence. Forsooth, ye ol' curse of Failure to Communicate! The writers loved to use this device. They would have the actors interrupt other each repeatedly at key moments or an action is totally misunderstood but there is never any clarification. That is painful to watch as it was so obvious and served only to prolong their suffering and ours.

Speaking of love, there seems to be a queue of people who would fall in love with our protagonists pretty much at first sight. Random characters would be introduced for an episode or two, hit on one of the leads and sow confusion and then disappear. Why is this the only way for our protagonists to get any clarity about their feelings?

In terms of chemistry between the leads, there is a bit but there should be a lot more. The pairing just never felt 100% right. The Show tells us again and again that they are perfect for each other but I don't feel it. Friends, yes but soulmates? Kisses are rare and felt wooden. You just don't sense the passion. The herd of unicorns are MIA for this show.

Of course the ending is HEA with hints of multiple pairings. I would have prefer a show that spend a lot more time and energy showing us how the OTP falls in love and work together to sort out problems rather than standing around observing other people's love affairs and then completely botch their own. This is not a DIY car repair video after all.

There are much better examples of this genre such as "Because This Is My First Life" and "Shanai Marriage Honey".

The Show is watchable and there are funny and cute moments but it doesn't balance out the tedious bits. There is next to no re-watch value for me. Peace out.

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Cliché rom-com with the memory of a goldfish

First of all, apologies to all my goldfish friends. ;)
I'm ambivalent about this show. On one hand, taken moment by moment, it is light, fluffy and swoon worthy. On the other hand, the script is weak and too tropey, has pacing issues, plot holes big enough to drive through and one dimensional characters. After episode 5 until around ep. 19, I watched the show at 1.5-2x speed. I didn't skip scenes but I can't be bothered to sit through them at normal speed either.
The start of the show is way too fantastical (I didn't say it was fantastic). It all happened at breakneck speed with tropey meet-cute, accidental first kiss, cohabitation, faked illness, falling into each other's arms (repeatedly) all done and dusted by the end of episode 2. It was bordering on non-sensical. By the fifth episode, the OTP was signed, sealed and delivered. What a shame that the show then expanded all its energy on creating road blocks for the CP. Nothing new there but it was done with little finesse. The simple plots were transparent and with the ML's Super Intelligence™, he was always one step ahead of the antagonists. It might be satisfying to watch piecewise but it also reduced any tension to near zero as you knew the ML will win every time.
Speaking of antagonists, it was very claustrophobic. There are about 6 key characters (plus the usual family, best friends and close associates) but they are from just 2 families and they all grew up together and most of them have a crush/unrequited love of some one else in that group. Even with numerous rejections, the circle just goes around and around and nobody takes no for an answer.
Disappointingly, the FL felt muted. Zhao Lu Si has a lot of screen time but her character was not strong and easily manipulated. Normally, she plays the feisty, bubbly FL that throws down the gauntlet to the world but not this time. There are glimpses of that but on the whole, she was overshadowed by the ML and more suffering than dishing it out. She was totally manipulated by the ML in the early episodes, then she became his pretty partner and cheerleader. She has her own achievements but it was small scale by comparison. I think she was underutilised and frankly didn't shine.
I have no doubt many viewers will ship the OTP but my cynical eyes kept seeing the writer's hand in pushing them onto us. Creating those "moments" that will be talked about and shared.
On top of that, there were endless business shenanigans (just within the key players). Once again, very poorly constructed and involved expositions on some wicked machination and magically, the other company's shares will crash. It paints the Chinese business world in pretty grim lights, TBH. Of course, the ML came through (again and again) and made his enemies look stupid (and they were). That is why I mentioned gold fish memory as all these were done in small cycles. Confession/rejection, business gain/loss, family politics, rinse and repeat.
It got better in the last few episodes but the tone is set and it is really just a race to the finish line of closures and CP happiness.
The secondary pairings provided some relieve but they didn't do much more than that. You don't really feel invested in them.
OST was mostly happy tunes and rewatch is not really there unless you want to watch some of the CP highlights. There were some egregious PPL as well.
Like I said before, moment by moment, it is not bad but sadly, the whole is less than the sum of the parts.

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Very sweet rom com dragged down by 2OTP

I really enjoyed this drama for the simple reason that it was not dramatic. That was an odd statement to make, I know. :)
This drama was definitely not attached to reality as it matched up a male god with a slightly older goddess and they lived happily ever after. On top of that, half the show was set in a PC game world. Total fantasy but it was surprisingly good.
This is not the first show with the back drop being a game but this show did it with style. They didn't try to make the game realistic but they used it to set up some crazy scenarios. Think James Bond meets Romancing the Stone. As they technically met online, the meet-cute was done in game and there were many funny and cute moments. Unfortunately, the game scene faded away about mid show. I missed some of that surreal wackiness.

Once they did meet up in real life, the romance really kick started and they were so sweet and cute together. The ML was really forthright with his pursuit of the FL which was refreshing. The show did have its fair share of clichés but I appreciate that they didn't succumb to tropey pressure to break them up. Every time their relationship was tested, they resolved the issues fairly quickly and their relationship grew even stronger. So many lovey-dovey moments and they have a mature approach to skinship. They really acted like a couple in love. Swoon.

What I didn't like was the 2OTP. I understand a second and even a third pairing is the norm but this show just took a strange line with the 2OTP. Yes, they started on the wrong foot and it was definitely more hate than love but I just can't ship this CP. The 2ML was just pathetic. He came across as weak, desperate and somewhat annoying. The 2FL had so much emotional baggage that she could have opened her own storage facility! It literally took them the whole show to get together and a) there was no time left for any sweet moments with them and b) I stop caring a long time ago.

The acting from the OTP was very good. The ML has matured in age and acting ability since his "Rest Your Head on My Shoulder" days. He is handsome and he can act cute so well. No stoney face ML thanks. The FL is a professional singer and that helped to bring a lot of the singing and performance scenes to life. This also contributed to a better than average OST. They really worked on the sound track and lifted the the show. Cinematography was good and interesting, sets and costumes well above average. It was a polished product.

There was a lot of growth, healing and closure so you felt good after watching this. This positivity made it easy to rewatch it for the sweet romance. of the OTP Just fast forward the 2OTP scenes and life will be even sweeter.

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Sweet, refreshing rom-com

What a lovely, refreshing rom-com. It is almost a 9 but for the unnecessary break-up and a messy tail (see later). It is refreshing to see the cool, clever ML doing all the chasing while the FL is clever and bold but a bit clueless when it comes to dating. Not that she is ditzy, just a little innocent and happy-go-lucky. The chemistry of the OTP is very good. Not raw lust, just pure first love from two nice sweet characters. There were genuine LoL moments as well. The scientific approach to dating from the ML is sooo cute, not done for laughs like other dramas but totally in character. There are just so many cute moments during the first 2/3 of the show, it really brings on the feels. That makes the obligatory break up so much harder to take. Especially, when the reason behind the break up was so thin and weak. I'd call it poor writing, to be honest. We don't need that just to have the bitter sweet reunion later on (can't recapture the light tone for several episodes). I can do without the manufactured pain and suffering for our OTP, thank you very much. All the support casts were great. Strong characters and lively banters. One last thing, there are 27 episodes on Viki. The ending at the end of ep. 27 is not the true ending, a bit meh and half baked. The reason is that there is an episode 28 (26 mins long) on Youtube with eng sub which you must watch to conclude the series properly.

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