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With Food as the Main Course, Everything Else Was Just a Side Dish!

After being transported 500 years back to Joseon, award-winning French chef, Yeon Ji Yeong, met temperamental tyrant, King Yi Heon, when he was out on a hunting spree. Despite being in shock and disbelief, Yeon Ji Yeong ended up cooking her first dish in Joseon. Although initially skeptical, Yi Heon gave it a taste and memories about his late mother, the deposed Queen, came flooding in. After a failed attempt at escaping, Yeon Ji Yeong was brought to the palace by Yi Heon where he commanded her to cook for him as his Chief Royal Cook. As they work together, love blooms and eventually continues across time.

I never knew food could be such scene stealers. I believe the dishes in this drama and the visualization of its taste makes up a majority of the scenes. The camera angles and sound effects when cooking and tasting the food would make you drool. This would be perfect for a food or cooking show. However, as a drama that promises themes of fantasy, comedy, and romance, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty did not deliver mainly because of sloppy writing.

The story started out promising showing enmity between the two main characters. As the drama progresses, there was a repetitive formula of conflict, cooking, tasting, and conflict solved. This made it seem that cooking and tasting were the focus of the drama and everything else were just grounds to serve the food. The comedy in this drama was also below par. Compared to its predecessor Mr. Queen, as a historical, cooking, time travel, comedy romance drama, this drama left no lasting impact. Not to mention, the sloppy ending that left so many unanswered questions. The writer was definitely lazy towards the end and decided to go for the "what matters is that it's a happy ending, everything else doesn't matter" approach. The script in the end left me scratching my head in disbelief as it clearly represents how the writer just don't want to be bothered writing anymore.

Aside from the story, the character development was also poorly written. Despite Yoona and Lee Chae Min's potential as actors, it is a pity that their abilities were not used to the best advantage. In the first two episodes, Yeon Ji Yeong and Yi Heon's chemistry were interesting enough to keep you anticipating. However as the story progresses, the chemistry between the characters started to get plain and boring, which was ironic considering that their romance were supposed to start and make you feel butterflies in the stomach. The only evident progress was that they went from a hostile relationship to becoming friendly and closer. The buildup of romance was not strong enough to support the ending when Yi Heon lost Yeon Ji Yeong and how they reunite in the present. Watching the ending actually made me cringe as I wonder how dramatic and exaggerated the characters are.

To summarize, this drama definitely lacks depth in terms of story and character development. It is a drama best watched on a faster speed and while eating some food, just to kill time. However, if you are a fan of Yoona or Lee Chae Min, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is worth giving a try!

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An Underrated Masterpiece

Started watching this with no expectations and ended up finishing it in two days, not able to move on.

This drama explores the theme of human rights, social class, and women empowerment. Despite the heavy theme, it is packed in a slightly light manner with enough elements of humor and suspense to keep you entertained. engaged, and curious as to how the story folds out.

Zhao Pan Er is not your average Chinese drama female lead. She is a 24 year old woman with a past that puts her on the bottom of the social class. While the male lead, Gu Qian Fan, is also a man with a complicated past and a reputation feared by the public, not to mention, caught in a power struggle. Aside from them, there are also two other characters whose roles are pivotal to the theme of this drama, Song Yin Zhang and Sun San Niang, friends of Zhao Pan Er, each with their own struggles.

Rather than the ‘pretty’ parts of a woman, this drama features their struggles and how they empower one another. This drama doesn’t really delve much into the male characters aside from Gu Qian Fan, who’s the male lead. In terms of story, it was definitely well written and well paced. I do think that the ending could’ve been better though. I wish that we could see more happy moments between the leads and primary characters of the show. Also, I think that it’s a bit of a pity that Xu Ouyang served as one of the major character of this drama, only to disappear in the middle of the drama, then reappear as a major villain in the end. It left me with several questions. Although so, I do like and enjoyed how the story was written and unfolded.

All the actors also did very well in bringing their characters to life, especially the two leads. I would like to give credits to Liu Yifei for her detailed acting like when her character was surprised, it looked so real. I also liked how Chen Xiao made Gu Qian Fan’s character look so reliable and charismatic. Not to mention, the inexplicit facial expressions to show his admiration and love towards Zhao Pan Er, lovely! Jelly Lin also did a great job. As someone who plays a character with the most character development in the show, she did a really great job at portraying that naive, jealous girl turned mature, smart, independent woman. The change in her attitude and expression were evident!

All in all, this drama was entertaining, inspiring, and definitely keeps you hooked to see how it all unfolds!

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What Got Me Addicted to Chinese Dramas

Enemies to lovers and arranged marriage, two tropes that never fails to catch my attention. Although the plot is cliché, the delivery was perfect. The story was well written and perfectly paced, leaving no plot holes or unanswered questions. The actors brought their respective characters to life.

Liu Yuning flawlessly portrayed Wei Shao as the sharp and kind leader of the Wei family who grew up bearing a grudge and heavy responsibilities after being betrayed by the Qiao family. While Song Zuer was made for the role of Qiao Xiao as the beautiful, kind, and strategically smart daughter of the Qiao family who was never afraid to stand up for her family.

I particularly like how wise Wei Shao was. Despite his grudge towards the Qiao family, he always puts the people first. Although Qiao Xiao’s beauty caught his attention at first glance, as the leader, he was not blinded by it. He remains steadfast in his resolve to care for the people. I also like how despite her beauty, Qiao Xiao was also a smart, strong, and independent woman, who like her grandpa said, could lead the family if only she was a man. Even as she falls for Wei Shao, she was not lovestruck and she still has her family in the back of her mind.

The OSTs, set, color grading, all gave the right ambience to this drama. One thing worth mentioning is the ending. I would say that it’s not so often a Chinese drama would have that perfect ending, but this one definitely does. The ending gave the closure I need after watching the whole story.

Lastly, I would like to thank Wei Shao’s advisor because without him, the drama could’ve ended by episode 1.

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Surprisingly Entertaining!

After her family and life was destroyed by tyrant Jun Che, Lu Ying Ying got a second chance in life and was determined to change her fate. Upon being reborn before the tragedy begins and meeting Jun Che, who was then a slave, she bought him and attempted to get revenge. However, as they work together, love sprouts and new revelations came to light.

This was a random watch on a slow afternoon. With no expectations, this is the type of drama that would surprisingly keep you engaged without needing your full unwavering attention or critical thinking skills. A light watch indeed! It is a cliché enemies to lovers story yet it would keep you seated to see how things unfold. The casting, although not perfect, was enough to bring the characters to life and portray each character's development and relationship throughout the drama.

It is definitely not the best short drama of its kind but enough to receive a rating of 7. This is an easy drama to watch when looking for an enemies to lovers plot without needing to think or fully commit your attention.

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Promising Start, Disappointing End

Why was Jing Tao Hua so stylish, with a full hairdo, even after she went through a disaster?!

I started this drama due to the hype and arranged marriage plot and I admit, the first half was promising. The actors did well in acting out their roles and the story kept me hooked, up until the leads were chased and ended up going to that village.

Okay, I gave it a chance and continued watching because maybe that part is needed for the plot and for character development. However, amnesia?! I’ve aways hated and felt disturbed whenever there’s an amnesia plot and that did not change in this drama. The amnesia plot was definitely unnecessary.

Now comes my next ‘huh’ moment.. In episode 31, the characters went through a disaster, the explosion and debris kind of disaster, yet while all the other characters were dressed simple covered with dusts and debris, Jing Tao Hua had full on makeup, hairdo, and a stylish dress. The only thing that lacked color was her lips because she was supposed to be low on energy lmao. Girl, please.. that was cringe.

Due to these questionable moments that built up towards the ending, the open ending did not really affect me as I already had no hope for this drama. However, although the second half of the drama was not for me, others might still find it amusing. So give it a try!

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Don't Judge a Drama by Its Synopsis!

After being transported back in time to Yong'an City, the Shen family met their (supposed) ancestor Lin Yan, a royal official. Following their failed attempts at returning to the present, the Shen family decided to settle in the city where they go on a journey filled with culinary delights, business, familial bond, and an unconventional love story.

Upon reading the synopsis and watching the trailers, I have to admit that I was skeptical about the whole romance plot with your ancestor. I eventually gave it a try and ended up getting hooked. The whole concept of a family of three generations that gets transported back in time was definitely fresh and interesting enough for me to give this drama a chance. The story started out great with elements of comedy that stood out when the Shen family were just transported back to the past. It was funny to see how the Shen family would treat their then young ancestor with respect and fear of retribution when they go against him. The sound effects also helped in supporting the comedic mood to the story. The story even got more interesting when the present-day three generation Shen family started settling down and building a business in the old Yong'an City. Unfortunately, what started out great ended up going downhill towards the end.

After the plot twist towards the end, the story started to get heavy and hard to digest. The ending was slow yet rushed, clear but questionable, and definitely bittersweet. The ending definitely raised some questions unanswered. Not to mention, the scene of nearly meeting them in the present time, as expected from time travel costume dramas. How I wish for a better ending to this warm family costume romance drama.

Despite the sloppy ending, the drama really did well in casting Li Yun Rui and Wang Ying Lu for the roles of Lin Yan and Shen Shao Guang, respectively. Li Yun Rui exudes the charisma, intelligence, power, and maturity befitting for the role of Lin Yan. He was great with his expressions and he was able to portray Lin Yan as a dependable young man (or ancestor) for the Shen family. Wang Ying Lu also delivered with her performance as Shen Shao Guang, a young, modern, and smart lady. She was able to clearly show Shen Shao Guang's conflict after starting to develop feelings for Lin Yan. In addition to the two main characters, the actors who acted as the Shen family also left a lasting impact, enough to say that they stole my attention. Even the kid actor was such a scene stealer!

Do I recommend this drama? Only if you stop just before the ending. Yummy Yummy Yummy is a drama that lures you with warmth and wit yet ends with an unnecessary sad and draggy approach.

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A Life Lived for Vengeance

The Glory features the intriguing journey of Zhuang Han Yan who was hell-bent on revenge. Abandoned right after birth, Zhuang Han Yan grew up facing constant abuse by her foster parents and local kids from the neighborhood. It was not until her foster father attempted to assault her that she killed him and returned to her family in the capital city. Upon her return, she met Fu Yun Xi, a deputy minister with a mysterious illness an an agenda of his own. The story then follows her journey as she attempts to rekindle her relationship with her mother and works with Fu Yun Xi to plot revenge against the people that wronged them.

This drama is the type of drama that gets you hooked from the beginning until the end as you watch with anticipation as to how the story unfolds. Although the writing was a bit sloppy towards the end and the ending felt a bit rushed, it was enough to say that this drama was well-written. This story in this drama centers on Zhuang Han Yan's revenge, which later ends in a bittersweet glory. Zhuang Han Yan was never an innocent, virtuous, or righteous lady. Abandoned as a baby, she has lived a hard life ever since she could remember. She is cunning, resilient, tenacious, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She is a survivor and will always fight back. Despite her tough personality, there is also a vulnerable side to her. Due to her lack of social support, she was always skeptical against new people. She would also go on emotional outbursts and make impulsive decisions when something doesn't go as planned or when something unexpected happens. Regardless of her unfortunate upbringing, she knows how to be grateful and is loyal to the people who are kind to her. She would do anything she can to protect the people who are nice to her, even if it means sacrificing herself and her revenge. She is a very well-written character in this story that definitely leaves a lasting impact. Seeing how she has lived and her journey on getting revenge just makes you want to pat her back and hug her. Casting Chen Du Ling for the role of Zhuang Han Yan was the right decision. Chen Du Ling brought life to Zhuang Han Yan, exuding vulnerability and resilience. Chen Du Ling's visual and thin figure were also befitting for the character of Zhuang Han Yan considering the character's upbringing.

The male lead, on the other hand, was a disappointment. Fu Yun Xi is written as a master of political warfare with a calm exterior and impactful depth. With his cool facade, he bears great responsibilities in addition to being chased by time. He is a character integral to the story as he aids Zhuang Han Yan in her revenge. Sadly, his character did not leave a lasting impact due to poor casting. Xin Yun Lai definitely has the charismatic and cool visual befitting for the role of Fu Yun Xi. It is a shame that his acting was far from expressive. Throughout the drama, the only expression he had was a straight face. It was like he just woke up. The only part when he showed expression was when a prince was flirting with Zhuang Han Yan. Even then, he only gave side eyes. I couldn't feel anything from him.

Although the Fu Yun Xi's character could've been improved, the casting of other characters were great. I would give a special shoutout to Wen Zheng Ron playing Ruan Xi Wen, Zhuang Han Yan's mother. Not only did she resembles Zhuang Han Yan, she also exudes the beauty, charisma, vulnerability, endurance, patience, and intelligence of Ruan Xi Wen's character. Her expressions were definitely above par and she definitely managed to leave a lasting impact!

The ending was okay in a way that Zhuang Han Yan got her revenge and Fu Yun Xi got what he wanted. Despite the symbolism trickery in the end through the alive and dead characters' blocking, as well as their outfit colors, I wish they made it clear whether or not Fu Yun Xi ended up dying in the end, hence the bittersweet glorious ending. All in all, this drama is definitely in my recommended list for those looking for a revenge plot.

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Love in All Forms

She is the famed assassin, Ren Ru Yi. He is the famed leader of the Wu State's Six Realms Hall, Ning Yuan Zhou. Together alongside free-spirited Yu Shi Yan, intelligent and cunning Yuan Lu, stern and courageous Qian Zhao, as well as the young and brave Princess Yang Ying, they journey to the State of An as Wu State's escort delegation to save their king. Along their journey, they encountered brotherhood, sisterhood, friendship, love, growth, loyalty, betrayal, glory, and death.

This was a surprisingly funny drama despite its patriotic task of a delegation journey. There is suspense with every challenge, yet the humor packed in this drama is enough to give you a breather amidst the heavy responsibilities that each character carries. This is one of the few dramas that will make you fall in love and root for the supporting characters. Aside from the well-written and well-paced story, the character development here were also very evident. I particularly like how there remains a constant amount of action scenes throughout the drama with the respective characters all continuously showing their martial arts skills until the end.

They team did well in casting Liu Shi Shi and Liu Yu Ning as lead roles. Both actors exudes the charisma, intelligence, and power befitting for each of their characters. The build up of their chemistry was full of humor, flirtation, and cuteness while their love was a mature love built on mutual respect and trust. However, what stole the show are not the two leads but rather the supporting actors playing the team of Wu State's delegation envoys. All the actors did a great job at portraying each characters very distinctive personalities. Watching them would make you feel like you're part of the group and part of the journey, feeling what all the characters are feeling. I would like to give a shoutout to the He Lan Dou. She was amazing at acting out Princess Yang Ying who cosplayed as a prince. Not to mention the side burns. It made her nailed her role as a princess cosplaying as a prince.

The production quality of this drama was enough to be called top tier. The action scenes were impeccably done with all the figure actors doing their job well, the set and costume were beautiful, the visual effects were great, and the OSTs as well as the sound effects were perfect at supporting the whole nuance and build up of the story. Even from the start, this drama makes you feel what the characters are feeling and you can already expect a bittersweet ending despite your hopes for a miracle in the end.

A Journey to Love is definitely one of the dramas worth praising for its high quality production, script, and casting. The drama lives up to its fame and easily makes it to my recommended list!

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A Chain of Face Swaps

While looking for her sister, Shi Qi woke up to find her face swapped with Shen Qin using a dark magic and blackmailed by Shen Qin to take her place in marrying the powerful general, Xiao Han Seng.

Despite the peculiar plot of face swaps, there is an ample amount of suspense, romance, humor, and mystery to keep you hooked. The story was well-written and well-paced with a mind-boggling yet comedic plot twist in the end. Compared to other short web series, this one definitely stood out! The chemistry between the leads were also full of passion. Cheng Lei and Ke Ying delivered indeed. Cheng Lei stole the spotlight for me with his micro-expressions. I do wish they did Cheng Lei's hairstyle and makeup differently though.

A Familiar Stranger definitely made it to the top of my list in terms of short web dramas. This drama is the type of drama that you would start with no expectations but leave you hooked and engaged. A surprising find indeed!

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A Light Watch of a Cliché Plot

Youthful Glory is a drama about Jiang Xu, Prince of Dingbei, and Ming Tan, a general's daughter, who agreed to do a contract marriage for political reasons but ended up falling in love as they work together to fight corruption.

With its simple and rather cliché plot, this drama has a high entertainment value. It has a good blend of romance, family, politics, and action. Although the writing was a bit sloppy at times, the pacing was great! I finished all 30 episodes in one sitting without ever feeling bored. I admit I had some prejudice before watching this drama. I saw the preview and thought that Ming Tan would be a cute but dumb character who constantly relies on the male lead however I was proven wrong. It turns out she was not only beautiful but also very smart, tactical, strategic, and independent. All the characters were well written, even the supporting characters were memorable.

The actors did a great job at bringing their respective characters to life. Bao Shang En was perfect for Ming Tan. She was able to portray her as a beautiful and intelligent young lady. Her styling and makeup were also great at supporting her character's personality and characteristics. Song Wei Long also did a great job at portraying the vigorous Jiang Xu. Although I think that his standing posture lacks the aura of a martial arts expert.

One thing that was a minor miss but left a huge impact on me was during the scene when Jiang Xu rescued the king, we can see that the figure actors acting as the army in the back were just softly clashing their weapons with one another. Some did not even fight. It gave me the cringe and ever since I saw that, I began to pay attention to the figure actors in the fight scenes of other dramas as well.

Despite so, I really enjoyed this drama. If you're watching for a light drama that you can watch after a long day, this drama would be the perfect option to go for. Youthful Glory will make you smile, squeal, addicted, and kick your feet against the air!

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One of the Best CGI in Chinese Dramas

Love of the Divine Tree is about Su Yi Shu a talented cultivator who met Mu Qing Ge who tricks him into becoming her disciple. Su Yi Shu then fell in love with her as she gave him a 'home'. She was then presumed dead leaving Su Yi Shu heartbroken. With Su Yi Shu's efforts, Mu Qing Ge managed to reincarnate as Xue Ran Ran eighteen years later. Su Yi Shu and Xue Ran Ran met and have their master-disciple roles swapped.

This is the first xianxia drama that I was able to watch until the end. After reading the synopsis, I was not convinced to watch it, however after seeing the reviews and having people recommend it to me, I decided to give it a try, and I am glad I did. The story immediately got me hooked with its 'he fell first, he fell harder' and an 'I changed him' trope. Not to mention, I also love a strong and independent female lead, which is why I became such a big fan of Mu Qing Ge and I wanted her to have a happy ever after with Su Yi Shu. However, after her reincarnation as Xue Ran Ran, I felt anxious because Xue Ran Ran was so different than Mu Qing Ge. I then got even more anxious when Su Yi Shu and Xue Ran Ran fell in love despite knowing that Mu Qing Ge and Xue Ran Ran are the same person. I just love Mu Qing Ge's personality for Su Yi Shu. I also find Mu Qing Ge's character to be way more appealing and interesting than Xue Ran Ran who in my opinion, is rather boring. I do wish we could see more of Mu Qing Ge. I really like the revelation scene when Mu Qing Ge said jokingly, "how dare you make your master a disciple?!" that gave me a relief and a major fangirl moment. I also love the ending scene when it shows Mu Qing Ge/Xue Ran Ran and Su Yi Shu's little family with their kids. Such a cute closure for me as an audience.

My first thought when watching this drama was "wow, what a visual!" The CGI was impeccably done, the set, costume, makeup was beautiful, and the visual of the actors stunning. I particularly applaud Xiang Han Zhi's makeup and styling for both Mu Qing Ge and Xue Ran Ran. The makeup and styling for both characters were so different yet so iconic in representing both character's unique personalities. On that note, the actors did incredibly well in this drama, especially Xiang Han Zhi and Deng Wei.

Playing two characters with two very different personalities, Xiang Han Zhi did an amazing job. I would even think they are two different people if not for the same face. As mentioned before, the makeup and styling were also so different. Mu Qing Ge has a bolder makeup compared to Xue Ran Ran and she often wears red. Xue Ran Ran, with a softer makeup, often wears more lively colors. Mu Qing Ge exudes charisma, elegance, beauty, intelligence, maturity, power, and a reliable aura. Definitely befitting for a female master. On the other hand, we can clearly see a difference with Xue Ran Ran being more youthful, cute, cheerful, immature, just like a teenager. Xiang Han Zhi did an amazing job at bringing the two characters to life. Aside from Xiang Han Zhi, Deng Wei also did an incredible job at portraying Su Yi Shu as a person with a past and later grows into a mature, kindhearted, powerful, intelligent master. We can clearly see Su Yi Shu's character development and transformation throughout this drama. The chemistry between the leads were also great! It was very clear how different Su Yi Shu's relationship and chemistry with Mu Qing Ge and Xue Ran Ran was.

After failing to finish my first xianxia drama, I admit I had my doubts with this being another xianxia drama. However, I instantly got hooked on the story and even got more surprised with the CGI, as well as the character development. In my opinion, this drama is a hit or miss. Despite so, I would still recommend it as an option for those looking to watch a xianxia drama.

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If not for the ending..

I started this drama because of Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi’s chemistry offscreen, especially during that award show. I’ve also heard people recommending this drama, which is why I gave this one a try.

Honestly, I was getting bored of the “getting sucked into another world” plot and did not find this particular one interesting either. However after watching the first episode, I instantly got hooked! I would say that this drama is a light option of its kind (the demon slaying, magic costume type of drama). Among similar-themed costume dramas that I’ve watched, this one had the perfect balance of romance, comedy, familial relationship, and demon slaying plot. The story was not draggy and was well-written. I find it interesting how Miao Miao was transported into a game and had to complete missions narrated by the game operator. The game theme is definitely a fresh and entertaining concept for me.

In terms of acting, I’ve got nothing to say other than all the actors did an incredible job! Even Lu Yu Hao did an amazing job at portraying the cute Cui Cui. Esther Yu was so adorable when acting as Miao Miao. I even find myself saying that she’s cute multiple times. Also, Ding Yuxi’s facial expression was art! His facial expression was so captivating especially his eyes and eyebrows. I have to say that among his dramas that I’ve watched, Mu Sheng is his best character. I also want to give a shout out to Zhu Xu Dan and Yang Shi Ze. Zhu Xu Dan has such pretty eyes and she was perfect for the role of Mu Yao. Yang Shi Ze was also so manly and dependable as Liu Fu Yi. Not to mention, the make up, hairstyle, and outfits of all the actors was perfectly executed. They all looked so good!

Everything was perfect until the ending. I guess the writer just gave up. I remember looking forward to the ending and the plot twist that other people mentioned. The excitement gradually decreased when the team went to rescue Mu Yao. Then I started repeating “huh?” when Miao Miao asked the game operator to repeat the scene (?) so Mu Sheng won’t die.. Ugh, messy. Not to mention the plot twist in the end. Everything was so rushed I didn’t have to time to process it. Also, I am aware that time travel dramas often have open endings so I learned to not put expectations on the endings, however Love Game in Eastern Fantasy was so promising, which is why I ended up looking forward to them meeting again in real life but yep, was disappointed (again) with the ending.

Although so, I really enjoyed watching this drama. I even binged it in one sitting. The ending definitely sucked but everything else was worth the watch!

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A Classic!

Loved the Korean adaptation and definitely enjoyed the original Chinese version as well!

I was bored and suddenly thought of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Since I've rewatched the Korean adaptation a lot of times and was also bored of Korean dramas, I remembered that it was an adaptation of a Chinese drama. I decided to watch Scarlet Heart with no expectation and ended up finishing it in 2 days.

Released in 2011, the production quality was definitely outdated. The story, however, was well-written to the point that it kept me hooked even if I already know, more or less, how it goes as I've watched the Korean adaptation first. I do have to applaud the actors though. Honestly, the only ones I was most familiar with were Liu Shishi and Li Gengxin. However, as expected from seasoned actors, everyone did an incredible job and exceeded my expectations. Nicky Wu and Kevin Cheng definitely left a lasting impression on me. Nicky Wu's charismatic aura as the fourth prince and Kevin Cheng's portrayal of quite strength and vulnerability just got me so immersed. Liu Shishi also did an amazing job at portraying the cheerful and bubbly Maertai Ruoxi turned weak, apathetic, and helpless. Li Gengxin was also great at portraying the loyal, kindhearted, and affectionate fourteenth prince. All the actors definitely did an amazing job! I have to say, their use of older actors, the men especially, for the main characters gives the characters a different sense of charismatic, manly appeal compared to newer costume drama these days.

That said, this drama is definitely worth watching, especially if you've watched the Korean adaptation. I wish we could see more new costume dramas featuring older, seasoned actors like this one.

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One Cozy Costume Chinese Drama

This female-centric show was so warm and cozy. It had the perfect mixture of comedy, familial relationship, romance, business, politics, sad moments, happy moments.. everything!

This drama features the story of Mrs. Li as she settles down with her family in Bianjing and seeks suitors for her 4 (or 5) unmarried daughters. The story was well-written and well-paced with several episodes allotted to focus on the story of each daughter.

The first part of this drama focuses on the third daughter's story, which includes the second daughter's marriage problems, as well as the Li family settling down and building a business in Bianjing. The second part of this drama focuses on the first daughter's marriage followed by the third part focusing on the fourth daughter's marriage. Then comes the story of the youngest daughter's marriage. Lastly, we get to see how the Li family's adopted daughter gets her happily ever after with a twist in the end.

I love how each woman in the Li family has their own unique personalities and we can see clearly how their stories connect in this drama. My favorite scene in this drama is when the Li sisters or the Li son-in-laws would meet to discuss their game plan or confide with one another. The Li sisters scenes are definitely empowering and gives me a pump of adrenaline because I always look forward to the creative ideas they have to solve their problems. Whereas the Li son-in-laws scenes are hilarious (even when the story is actually sad) because they're so soft for their wives and they bond over the Li women domineering traits.

One thing I wish they could've improved is to add more scenes of the growing Li family in the end. This drama closes with the family celebrating Madam Li's birthday and a new storefront sign for the Li business. I wish they could add more scenes of the grandchildren playing around and the big family celebrating together instead of only showing Madam Li, the daughters, son-in-laws, one granddaughter, and staffs just staying still celebrating the birthday and the new signage. However, this was just something good to have as the ending of this drama was already pleasant and cozy.

I have to also give credits for the production. The color grading, set, outfit, hairdo, makeup, sfx, everything was done flawlessly. The producers also did a very great job at the casting because each actor suits their characters so well! The actors also did a great job at bringing their characters to life. Ni Hong Jie was definitely hilarious as Madam Li. The actors playing the Li daughters and son-in-laws each did a great job at portraying their respective character's unique personality. Not to mention, other supporting actors also did a great job as well. I am quite surprised that Zeng Shun Xi played the emperor though. The casting was definitely high-quality!

All in all, this was one cozy, heartwarming, and funny drama that I personally enjoyed a lot. Definitely recommended for those wanting to watch a rather light family drama over food or while snugging in your favorite blanket.

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