mats

Great production and acting, but the writing and character development were so underwhelming. For a 24-episode drama, we barely got ANY meaningful development for the side characters. They felt more like props in the leads' story than actual characters with lives, relationships, and arcs of their own. Sun Yuanzhu's story was heartbreaking in theory, but I felt so disconnected from him that I couldn't bring myself to feel much. Sun Yu and his relationship could have been so compelling if we'd actually seen how their love went beyond romance and became a genuine bond of support. And Lumi and Will? Their storyline felt like a whisper on the street, barely explored enough to make sense.

The constant time jumps made things worse. We kept returning to the same problems between the leads until their relationship reached a point of saturation, only for everything to suddenly work out. Where was the actual development? The show kept skipping over the very moments that could have made these characters and their relationships feel real.

The intimacy scenes were easily the highlight, not just the steamy ones but the little moments of affection and tenderness, too. But beyond that, I struggled to form a genuine connection with anyone. Beautifully produced and well acted, but for a 24-episode drama, everything felt frustratingly surface-level.