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It's like a less refined and moneyed version of Vincenzo meets Mysterious Love. I've liked the ML in other dramas though so let's see if I make it before the cringe gets me! :D

Ep 16 has one of the most relatably awkward, intimate and heartfelt confessions I've seen in a modern romcom. Really, really well delivered and well-written! That's going into my drama top 5 moments without missing a beat.

Continues to be clever and funny. They've leant into the tropes but updated them (thank heavens!) for a modern sensibility! No overbearing chaebol/bossy President aggression here. He's very much aware of the power difference between them both in terms of hierarchy and economic status. And treads very carefully. She is also showing character growth becoming bolder in her own person (beyond her abilities) with the occasional setback and crisis of self-confidence. But they are charming together. First time I've seen a mum as a BFF for a dude. It's a nice switch. No stupid love triangles. And the second leads are clever in their own right. So far one of the better contemporary romcoms from c-drama land in a year full of hot, steaming sh$t piles.

More power to you, I say! :)

It's mindless fluff. I enjoyed the friendship between the four friends, and how women, with a few exceptions, were supportive of each other. It's a rarity in k- and c-dramas. Soo Bin was her effervescent self. I always enjoy her performances. Her clothes and styling were fantastic. Park Her Jung was a badass. She definitely has the super model vibe. Everyone else was ok. A little disappointed in Minho's styling. Lovely eyes and smile wasted with that terrible mullet and odd styling choices. Still pretty people, doing (mostly) fun things, and a good time was had by all. Not bad at all for an afternoon of brain candy when you're snowed in. :) Be kind folks. It's not claiming to be anything meaningful. Take it at face value and enjoy the sparks.

Ok, so this is now beginning to get annoying. It took the FL 30 episodes to process her emotions and finally become proactive. I'm sympathetic but when a drama is 38 eps long -- that's poor timing and make the drama drag. Also, the ML's inability to take no for an answer, to assault her in the name of 'love' or 'liking' or whatever bs term he's using is getting really old. I'm glad she kneed him in the junk! She should have done much worse. Now, she should use him to figure shit out, grab the 40 million, consign them all to hell and move away to a nice place. The ML is a good actor, like the FL, but his character development is appalling. They've dragged on this mystery nonsense for too long that now it's less mysterious and more tedious.
What a waste of a drama that started out reasonably well.

Crown Prince's wife has probably experienced his temperament first hand. I think Hao Jia made a very pragmatic decision based on her life and experiences, and she's managed/manoeuvred things very well. For the most part. But someone needs to poison the crown prince. What a dickbag. And probably the norm for the most part. I don't know what daddy dearest is cooking up but it tastes pretty better. Not sure how long the whole balancing family and the world on the tip of a knife and the ends justify the means approach is going to last.

Yes! Exactly! Such a well-written cast of women characters. And btw the new princess from the monied region is BOSS. :) Charming slice of life. Well acted, well-written, beautifully lit. The sets and costumes are a feast for the eyes.

I tripped into this drama and am thoroughly enjoying it! The leads are lovely, mature, intelligent and funny. The FL's besties are funny and supportive too. Thankfully, the first love triangle (if it can even be called that) was extremely short-lived and ended on a mature note. I think the leads have some really funny lines and the character development is pretty good too. It's a tropey and sweet rom-com, which sometimes is what my brain needs. But I like that the tropes are tongue in cheek! No histrionics or badly behaved people. And everyone mostly acts appropriately for the context they find themselves in....which let me tell you....of a contemporary, rom-com from c-drama land is a big ask! :)

Aaaaa! So excited. The first season was like crack! 🤣 Love Wan Peng. Her acting and chemistry with ML were a treat to watch.

Ha, I know right. I knew male apologists were rampant as was mysog but wow you read comments - across any number of dramas -- and women get lambasted while men are "misunderstood" or excused for the same exact shit. Mind boggling!

Man, he's something alright. Oddly enough, I think the actor playing him is doing well. He's not a straight-up sociopath or villain. There's nuance there. Which if you think of the terrible editing and unmentionable subs says something about the actor's calibre.

It's an in glorious train wreck and I can't look away. 🙈

I wish they'd stick to the main storyline with the PDs and the Writers. All these side stories are the expense of character development and detract from the main story. Although the little sparks and friendship between Ma Eum and Joon Yong is lovely! Sorry, Mr. Choi, you're very nice but that ship has sailed.

Not much but I guess even that was too much, 😂

OMG, I'm so excited for this drama. Loved the book. The leads are great actors -- now if they can get the chemistry down and stay faithful to the story (i.e. both sensible adults with high degree of self respect and respect for their partner with limited instances of noble idiocy) then this will be grand. I hope they keep it a seething, simmering slow burn in terms of the adaptation. ❤️‍🔥 I really really enjoyed the director's work on Crush. Solid visual storytelling and character development. Now if only IQIY would get off their butts and release this already! 😂

Appalling subs and editing. Wow. I was getting dizzy from all the scene cuts. Shame though, this had the potential to be such a good dog's blood, face slapping, makjang dialled to 11 drama!

bwahahahahahahaha!

That's kind of you! I have so many thoughts and feelings about this drama. lol. And I virtually never watch historicals. I think, I mainly love the fact that this is a coming of age story. A hero's journey for our protagonists. The woman she will become. And the man he will find inside the weapon he sees himself as.

But the scene where CSS is chatting away with the emperor and empress has my heart! She was beaming in delight on meeting two adults who thought she was clever and witty and who found her guilelessness charming rather than off-putting unlike everything she's heard before (from all sorts of people including her family) and the devastating condemnation that came from her mum later on.

On a side note, I would totally have said the same to empress! No competition in the entire palace.