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The story:
It’s basically the story about a young man who lost his father when he was graduating college. He’s suddenly thrown into the corporate world running his fathers large and successful business. He was lied to and cheated by those closest to his family so he starts having trust issues. He then meets the female lead who is super sweet and is devastated to find out she’s dying. They have a whirlwind romance while they are both on vacation. But when he returns home and finds out that the female leads story about dying of cancer was a lie and that everything that happened to them on the island where they met was a lie, he’s furious. To make matters worse, they end up having to work together and he repeatedly takes revenge on her. After a lot of misunderstandings the truth comes out that the female lead was such a workaholic that her family lied to her about her dying just to get her to take a break and go on vacation. He feels terrible about his behavior and becomes this sweet charming guy that’s impossible to resist. I love how dedicated and loyal he is to her throughout the drama. He never waivers in his support of her.
The romance:
The romance in this drama is pretty spicy. The shower scene between the main leads was the steamiest scene I’ve ever watched in an Asian drama. I’ve seen individual shower scenes but never one with two people together making out in a shower. And the way the male lead likes to bite and tug at the female leads lips while he kisses her is just so sexy. I also like that we get to see the main leads beyond just getting together and dating. We see them in their married life and beyond which is nice.
The acting:
There’s some really good acting in this drama. I loved everyone. They all had me into their characters and their storylines. The side characters were so charming, especially the sweet little grandma. I also loved the the female leads father that was so loving and supportive of her. But the female leads relationship with her little sister was just so touching and gave me all types of feels. There are also multiple couples that each have their own interesting storylines so the drama never gets draggy. The male leads sister and her romance woes was so realistic and relatable too.
If I had a complaint it would be that it gets a little melodramatic and cheesy sometimes but since this is a melodrama that’s to be expected. And the length is way longer than anything I’ve ever watched but honestly, it was so good I’ve rewatched it. The romance of the main leads is just so amazing that I can’t help but go back and relive it. I would say if you’re sitting on the fence with this one then just take a leap and watch it. You won’t regrets it.
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Unique storyline, very sweet, but all over the place
This drama had a refreshing and unique storyline. The main leads weren’t childhood friends that reunited nor were they coworkers, classmates, or strangers forced into cohabiting or pretending they are lovers. They were two people whose lives intersected one another at a time when they were both facing some really difficult obstacles. And they found in each other the perfect person to help them overcome their difficulties and they bonded over that. I really liked how unique their story was.I also really liked the female leads personality, she wasn’t one of those weak helpless types you often see. She didn’t let the second female lead walk all over her and when the male lead screwed up she stood up to him and held him accountable for his actions. She was well educated, smart, confident, and she never gave up despite the many setbacks she faced. I wasn’t crazy about her very conservative and old fashioned wardrobe but it fit her characters situation. Having an extremely over protective, strict, overbearing father with very old fashioned values, it would be very difficult to wear anything even slightly revealing or form fitting. Her biggest problem is that she lacks confidence in her musical abilities and it really pulls her down.
The male lead isn’t your typical rich chaebol with a cold demeanor. He’s a very studious and hardworking doctor that is obsessed with germs and cleanliness. But he’s also very sweet and cares a lot for his patients. Even when they don’t appreciate his efforts or make baseless accusations against him when things don’t go right, he still puts the well being of the patient first. His biggest problem is that he internalizes everything and tries to fix everything himself without asking for help. And when he fails he withdraws from everyone both emotionally and physically.
The character growth is really good in this drama. The main leads really help each other to grow and learn. When the male lead, who never fails and isn’t used to facing obstacles, shuts down and withdraws from everyone, I like how the female lead helps him. She confronts him letting him know how much he hurt his family, his friends, his coworkers, his job, and her by running off to “sort things out.” She gives him some stern words saying that he failed as a boyfriend. It was the wake-up call he needed and it forced him to mature. And when the female lead lacks confidence in her musical abilities, the male lead boosts her confidence and helps her find direction in her life. He’s also a huge comfort to her when her fathers illness becomes severe. I also liked the female leads fathers character growth. He really became a much better father in the end.
The romance was perfect. The main leads had great chemistry. And there’s were lots of kisses, hugs, and cuddles. They didn’t take forever to get together which was refreshing. And I liked that they faced lots of situations normal dating couples face. There’s a slight breakup (if you would even call it that) but it’s resolved pretty quickly and it happened for a good reason. Someone needed a wake up call. But overall the romance was done very well and was the highlight of the drama.
I have to address the acting because it was some of the best I’ve seen. I loved the female lead in Go Go Squid but in this drama she outdid herself. Her crying scenes were so touching they made me tear up and I never cry. And the male lead just stole my heart with his facial expressions when he was hurt or sad. He was a very convincing actor. In fact all of the actors in this drama were way above average. I really liked them all.
So if the drama was so great why didn’t I give it a perfect 10?
1.) The first reason is because even though the storyline was very unique and it started out great, after a while it got slow. The first 8-10 episodes are good then it gets a little slow and I started losing interest. If they had delved more into the music world it might have been more interesting. But the female lead only played a handful of times and we never get to know anything about her school or classmates or teachers. I just didn’t feel her passion for music. Or if they’d dwelt more on the hospital and the medical part of the drama that might have peaked my interest. But the hospital drama was only about how the male lead dealt with the obstacles in his life. I didn’t feel vested in the hospital and what was going on with him and his coworkers. So I took a point off for how slow the middle of the drama was. It got really slow for a good while and almost lost me.
2.) The second reason is because I felt like the drama didn’t know what direction it was going in. Is it a romance? Is it a tearjerker? Is it a melodrama? Or is it a slice of life drama? In the beginning I was sure that it was a slice of life drama. We followed the leads daily lives so religiously, there was very little angst, and there seemed a lot of life lessons being taught. And this went on for long time. Then it suddenly went into full melodrama with a terminally ill character, all 3 couples breakup and someone is suspended from their job. It went from easygoing to full on melodrama. Then things settled down and it was super romantic. But that too didn’t last long because it suddenly became very emotional all the way to the end. Expect to cry buckets because it’s very sad but also really touching. So I took off a full point because the drama was all over the place and the pacing wasn’t consistent. It started out normal, then got super slow for a long stretch, then there was a ton of angst, then it was a tearjerker, then it ended with a lot of sweetness and touching moments.
Overall I’m glad I watched this drama. It’s not an amazing drama but it’s got a lot of sweet touching moments, the acting is superb, and the romance is very good. There are 2 other couples in the drama but their stories aren’t given much time and you’re left hanging as to how they end up. So if you’re really into dramas with multiple couples you might not like this one. I liked it and I would recommend it because of the sweet romance, the acting and the character growth.
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Big budget drama with superb cast
This drama has a little bit of everything. It’s got great romance, hilarious comedy, office politics, great fight scenes, and intriguing side characters. It’s not super light and fluffy but it’s not a real angst ridden melodrama either. It’s somewhere in between.Storyline:
This drama has the most original first meeting of the main leads I’ve ever seen. The male lead is performing a military operation in the middle of the jungle and ends up risking his life and his teams whole operation to save the female lead from her kidnappers. He quickly disappears after saving her and she can’t identify him since he had his face covered the whole time. It’s the sweetest moment when she finally realizes, after being thrown together in the business world for some time, that he’s the one who saved her. The main plot revolves around the rivalry between businesses in the fashion world. It’s very interesting but the constant sabotaging, stealing ideas, and ruthlessness in the business world is overdone and gets a bit irritating. But the great romance between the main leads and the second leads along with some great side characters saves this drama. The male leads friendship with his military buddies was touching as they were obviously closer to each other than even family members would be. I also adored the female leads sweet protective older brother and wished I could have seen more of his story.
Acting:
The female lead is the same one from “The Story Of Minglan” which is one of my favorite dramas so I knew she would rock this drama and she did. Her acting was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by the male leads acting, he’s really good and his fight scenes were awesome. I usually have at least one or two actors whose acting I’m not impressed with, but not with this drama. They’re all really good.
Romance:
The main couple have an amazing romance. I like that they take their time getting to know each other and gradually fall in love because it made it seem more realistic. It was a nice touch having them workout together which was really cute with her sitting on him while he did sit-ups and push-ups. There’s princess carrying, piggyback rides, and lots of cute romantic moments. My only complaint is that the kissing scenes weren’t very realistic with the just touching lips and staring into each other’s eyes type of kissing. There are several other couples in this drama that are fun to watch too. The romance is done right and really shines in this drama.
Cinematography & Set Design:
This was obviously a big budget production because the sets were very elaborate. The scenes in the jungle with all of the fighting, bombs going off, vehicles blowing up, and guns blasting away looked like something out of a big blockbuster movie. And the wardrobe worn by the actors were all very elaborate and quite fashionable. The editing was smooth and seamless with no choppy or confusing scenes. Even though there were some timeline jumps I was never confused or lost at any time. So I would say that the cinematography and set design were top notch.
My overall thoughts:
This is a big budget high end production with a superb cast of great actors and a good storyline. What detracts points for me would be the great length of the drama and how the backstabbing and rivalry of the businesses is taken too far. If the drama were shorter and if the business rivalry hadn’t gotten so nasty and hadn’t been drawn out for so long, then the drama would have been perfect. But I do like how everyone came together in the end to defeat an outsider that wanted to monopolize China’s designer clothing industry. It was a nice twist to what could have been a boring and predictable ending. This is a good drama worth watching. I don’t rewatch dramas very often but surprisingly this one drew me back and made me watch it again.
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It lives up to its hype!
This continues the story of Dong Hua & Feng Jiu from Eternal Love. When Eternal Love was being produced they didn’t have the rights to this story yet. So in Eternal Love they just made up a fictitious storyline for them. But in The Pillow Book they follow the book pretty closely. So just be aware that their story here is different and doesn’t pick up where it left off in Eternal Love. But don’t let that put you off. It’s an excellent drama well worth watching.Things that I liked:
Dilraba Dilmurat’s portrayal of a fox is spot on perfect. She’s so adorable! And I usually hate watching girls act cute but she just does such a good job of it. And the chemistry between her and Vengo Gao is off the charts just like in Eternal Love. It’s takes a while for them to get together but when they do there are lots of sweet moments for you romance lovers. There’s lots of real kisses, cuddles, flirting, and skinship. But what’s so great about this drama is that it’s way more than just romance. It has an amazing storyline. There’s political intrigue, great fight scenes, birth secrets, and warring gods. It’s a perfect combination of a deep period drama and a romance drama. It’s well paced with great music. I liked that the sad or angsty parts of the story didn’t get stretched out too long. They were there and they certainly got me more invested in the drama but they weren’t overdone to where I was stressed out and upset.
Things I didn’t like:
The storyline was quite similar to Eternal Love. It starts out with a Dong Hua having an adopted sister that’s obsessed with him just like Ye Hua had in Eternal Love. Then in the mortal realm Dong Hua has a love trial with Feng Jiu (and she has to break his heart) just like in Eternal Love. And yes, it was even harder the second time watching them suffer. Then of course there’s the evil being that’s locked up and trying to break free and destroy the world just like in Eternal Love. It’s eerily similar to Eternal Love and it made me wish it was a little different and more original. But I guess it’s really not their fault because they were just following the story written in the book.
That being said, it’s still an excellent drama that’s in my top 20 dramas and I’ve literally watched hundreds of them. Any drama that can take a similar storyline and make me love it this much has got to be great! It was well acted and the characters had so much depth and growth. It was well worth my time watching the full 56 episodes without skipping a single second. (Which is rare for me.) I liked that all of the questions were answered and there were no loose ends or open endings. And it didn’t kill off a bunch of beloved characters or make me sad or cry at the end like a lot of Chinese period dramas tend to do lately. It’s just a really good overall drama that never has a dull moment and gives you tons of characters that you enjoy and get invested in. I would highly recommend watching this drama.
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Great acting and amazing chemistry
Acting:
I’ve watched quite a few of Dilraba Dilmurat’s dramas and I thought historical dramas were what she did best, especially after Eternal Love. Boy was I wrong! Her acting in this was beyond my expectations! She’s so polished, confident, and smooth in this drama. After watching so many of her historical dramas it was quite refreshing seeing her in a modern setting. And of course Johnny Huang did an amazing job as usual. The whole cast were not only great actors but there was a lot of eye candy. Such a beautiful cast!
The romance:
Now I see why everyone talks about the main leads chemistry. It’s not just the steamy kisses or sparks flying between them. It’s how smooth and relaxed they were in scenes that would make most actors feel very uncomfortable. There’s were lots of kisses, cuddles, hand holding, foot rubs, back massages, princess carrying, and some serious flirting. And every time they made you feel like they’d been dating for many years in real life. It takes some serious acting skills to do that. And I also like that it took a while for the main leads to get together and you see them as they begin to have feelings for each other. It seemed like a more natural more realistic romance.
The story:
The fashion industry makes for an interesting setting and their clothes are beautiful. I liked that even though the main couple are faced with many obstacles on the path to happiness, nothing is drawn out too long or overdone. The love triangle in the beginning (thankfully) doesn’t stretch out for the whole drama as I expected it to. And each obstacle they face, once it’s handled it doesn’t keep coming back or get repetitive which kept the drama interesting. I also liked that this drama didn’t overdo the angst. It wasn’t overly melodramatic or overly sad. There is some conflict and angst but it’s nothing over the top or too upsetting. This drama felt more light and sweet to me which was refreshing. There are other couples and their stories are interesting. The family and friends were also very easy to like, even the crazy ones.
What I didn’t like was how heavy it got into work related issues for the last half of the drama. I also didn’t like how easily the main leads forgave all of the bad guys for all of the crap they pulled. It’s just not realistic. No one is that perfect. Other than that there wasn’t a lot to dislike about this drama.
Overall this is a really good drama with great acting, a diverse and interesting cast of characters, an interesting storyline and some really amazing chemistry. I’ll definitely watch it again.
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This will always be in my top 10 favorites
I’ve watched hundreds of dramas including Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean dramas. Despite watching so many Asian dramas this is still in my top ten favorites. It’s an amazing show well worth watching.This is a melodrama with a little bit of everything. There’s an epic romance, great comedy, political intrigue, warring gods, and excellent fighting scenes. The cinematography is really good. And I like that the female lead is a badass that can hold her own. It’s refreshing to see a female lead that’s not only strong and confident but super clever too. She single handedly defeats a very powerful god that few others could fight. And the male lead is one of my all time favorite male leads. He’s handsome, powerful, unselfish, and extremely loyal. This drama has a fair amount of angst but the sweetness of the romance, the depth of the story, the phenomenal acting, and the beautiful ending that ties up all the loose ends make it all worth it.
The love story of the main leads is what really drives this drama. I love that the male lead never waivers in his feelings for the female lead and will do anything for her. He never, even for a minute, gives up on her and is very open with his affection. I love how he tossed her over his shoulder and took her to their room when his strength and virility is questioned. And the numerous kisses are swoon worthy. There’s lots of skinship and sweet romantic moments too. Theirs is one of my all time favorite romances.
Another strength of this drama is the really great side characters. From the sweet little boy named Ali who just wants to find his mom, to the mischievous nine tailed fox Feng Jiu who valiantly pursues true love , to the powerful god Mo Yuan and his unrequited love, the side characters have so much depth and growth.
I normally don’t watch really long dramas but this one is so worth it. And I don’t rewatch dramas but I’ve rewatched this one several times. All of the side characters are interesting and there are cute side couples. This drama never has a dull moment. If I had to complain, it would be about the male leads adopted sister and her crazy obsession with him. But honestly, she should win an award for her acting. She really pulls you into her crazy head and does a great job of making you hate her.
Overall I’d say don’t pass this one up. Yes it’s long and yes it’s angsty and melodramatic which is not usually my cup of tea. I don’t like dramas that make me cry or get really upset. I usually prefer light sweet funny romcoms. But this drama is just too good to pass up. I’ll go back and get angry and cry because the romance is so touching and the side characters are so endearing that it’s worth it.
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Warm hearted, cute & spicy!
With all of the mixed reviews I wasn’t sure what to expect. But when a drama has really high ratings then there’s a sudden influx of bad reviews that lowers it pretty quickly, it usually means people are deliberately trying to lower the rating. It’s usually because they want their favorite drama to remain at the top. I think that may have been the situation here because this is actually a really good drama. The female lead isn’t a damsel in distress which is refreshing. She’s strong, confident and driven. And the male lead acts very cold but is actually very caring deep inside. I really liked all of the characters.Storyline
The storyline isn’t unique, office romance dramas are common. And the cold CEO trope is very cliche. But this drama made their office politics interesting without going overboard to where you were screaming at the tv over the unfairness and mistreatment. It was very interesting and entertaining. It also balanced the office drama with four couples facing various issues in their relationships. I liked that there was angst but not too much, it was just right. And every character is well fleshed out and has depth and growth throughout the show.
Acting
The acting was what really shined in this drama. Every actor pulled me into their character and made me either root for them or hate them. With a stellar cast of seasoned actors I expected above average acting and was not disappointed.
Romance
I know not everyone covers this aspect in a drama but I think if you’re watching a romance drama you’re going to want a review of how good the romance is. There are four couples featured and every one of them was interesting and fun to watch. I think four was a little too much to keep up with though, three couples would have been better. But if you like spicy dramas you’ll like this one. It takes a while for the main couple to get together but when they do it’s quite explosive. There’s lots of kisses, cuddles, bedroom scenes and skinship. The male lead is very aggressive in his kisses which was quite refreshing. I get tired of the light, delicate kisses you see in most dramas. But this male lead is a very confidant and assertive lover. (I love me some Dylan Wang 😘) The romance was excellent.
What did I not like?
There were too many romances to keep up with and it took time away from the main couples screen time. They were good romances, there were just too many of them. The office politics got a little draggy in the middle, I would have liked to see more of their personal lives with their families explored instead. There was a relationship breakup for a couple of episodes which I’m not crazy about in dramas but this one was understandable considering the situation and it wasn’t for very long.
Overall thoughts
If you like office romances, warm hearted girl softens up cold hearted CEO tropes, spicy romances, multiples couples, strong female lead, strong male lead, etc then you’ll love this drama. It’s not a romcom so don’t expect lots of laughs. But it is very warm hearted and cute. And it’s not all angst all the time which I appreciate. It’s well written, well acted, has an excellent romance with lots of spice and has a great ending that wraps everything up neatly. Overall I highly recommend it.
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Excellent acting, great story, & sweet romance
I’m not usually one to watch college romance dramas because (since the actors are so young) they often cut out kissing scenes, the romance tends to be a slow burn and the actors are sometimes a bit stiff and inexperienced. But there are a few college romance dramas that have a perfect blend of some great acting, an epic romance that sizzles, some hilarious comedy, and memorable characters that touch your heart. This is one of those dramas.I was surprised at how funny this was. The male lead is very quiet, serious, and focused. So when he’s put into awkward situations, his facial expressions are absolutely hilarious. In one really funny scene he uses a toothbrush to fish something out of a dish of soapy water only to realize, to his horror, that it is a bra. The look on his face was priceless! Then, when he has to explain to the female lead why her toothbrush is laying in that dish, I just about died laughing.
Even though this is a slice of life type of drama it’s not boring because the characters are refreshingly different and the story is interesting. I like that the male lead has a unique personality. He’s not your typical wealthy, arrogant heir that’s cold and aloof. He has many facets to his personality which is quite appealing. One minute he’s all cool and sexy. The next minute he’s this nerdy little genius scientist thats always creating or fixing things. Then he will show this sweet confused little puppy side. And the way he was always googling things on his phone because he was so clueless on how to handle most social situations was adorable. His acting was really very good too.
The female lead is outgoing, confident, hardworking, and loyal. She may be tiny but she’s feisty and always stands up for herself. As she’s about to graduate she realizes accounting isn’t really what she wants to do. The male lead encourages her to follow her heart and do what makes her happy. So she switches to advertising which really excites her. I really liked her characters growth and her acting was great.
What makes this drama so good (other than the great romance which I’ll get to later) are the really great side characters. Like the male leads classmate that was always throwing tantrums or pouting because the male lead was better than him at everything. His childish antics were hilarious. And it was so refreshing to hear the female leads mom tell her that she didn’t have high expectations for her in her career, she just wants her to be happy. It’s not often you see a parent in an Asian drama make that kind of statement. And watching her hilarious attempts at matchmaking the leads and getting them together was too cute. Then there was the Easter egg at the end of each episode with some behind the scenes stuff that I always looked forward to.
The romance here was just perfect. It wasn’t a slow burn but it wasn’t super fast insta love either. It was just right. There are some cute kisses, piggyback rides, cuddles, lots of handholding, and lots of sweet moments. And (thankfully) there aren’t any ridiculous breakups or noble idiocy either. They go through issues like any normal couple but they work through them together in a very normal realistic way.
This is a slice of life drama so you won’t see any evil devious characters, there aren’t any action scenes like car chases or kidnappings, and it’s not super sad or filled with angst. But it does have some super interesting characters, a sweet romance, a touching storyline, and hopefully you’ll walk away from it feeling all fuzzy inside like I did. This cute height difference couple will always be one of my favorite drama couples.
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