Jaaziah

Quite unnecessary

What bothered me about this season wasn't that she ended up with the second lead, but that there was so many unnecessary parts to this season.

There was a murderer for some reason that was used as a vehicle to let Jojo come to terms with her past and her true feelings for Hye-yeong. However, I believe she could have figured it out with there being a murderer inspired by her drawings.

Sun-oh's endgame relationship was not needed as it seemed like they just wanted him to end up with somebody so the viewers would be satisfied but it was rushed and awkward.

The inclusion of Hye-yeong's father being in prison was also unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot whatsoever.

Overall the only reason for the second season was to find out who Jojo decides was the best option for her which would not have been enough for a whole season so they added in whatever they wanted

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It's nice

Many reviews complained about the slow pace or lack of complexity in the plot and storyline. However, the drama doesn't disguise itself as something it is not. It is a lighthearted romance drama that very lightly addresses issues such as grief, trauma, and self-destructive behaviors. I say this lightly because these more serious topics are not given many plotlines, but, like in life, they are a part of the character's identity, not completely who they are.

The romance is youthful and light, and somewhat reminds me of Strong Girl Bong Soon. It was something that was made to be easy to watch and to smile at.

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Worth the watch

Overall the show was well done and had a great ending. From beginning to end you are hooked into the story and lives of our characters and yearn to know how it plays out. You find yourself wanting more and yearning for justice and explanations. No character had an ending that was unsatisfying or uncalled for. Even the sad endings that hurt your heart feel necessary and appropriate.

Pros:
- Female characters are portrayed as strong and not the stereotypical clumsy damsels in distresses
- Plot twist of who the true villain is throughout the whole show
- Character development and redemption that we were all rooting for
- Familial and platonic relationships that were tried and restored
- Many cute and well-executed couples

Cons:
- Adoptive brother loves adopted sister trope
- Misunderstanding trope
- Smart second female lead that is obsessed with the main lead that clearly doesn't want her

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Very Cliche

I have watched a good amount of Chinese romance dramas and I always find that the ones who have some cliche but still bring something new to the table are the best. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this drama had all the cliche without bringing anything super new to the table:

- contract relationship
- Second male lead giving up on his feelings and helping the main ML
- main couple knew each other as kids
- female rival that uses dirty tricks to get ML
- break up that could have been avoided with simple communication
- etc

One thing that was different in that the female love rival ends up hurting the ML more than the FL, she ends up hurting his company just for attention which was new because usually, they hurt the FL and her reputation.

Overall it was a decent drama, I wish the cliches were at least executed better and in a fresh way.

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It's okay

This drama is okay for being a short drama, trying to pack in a full and entertaining story in a very short episode run time.

FL: The FL never stops lying. She hides her identity until episode 23, and proceeds to blame the ML for this. She then continues to lie about losing their baby despite being pregnant until the last minute of the very last episode. She was not all bad; she had her strong moments when dealing with those around her (step-mom, half-sis, and MIL) who treated her poorly. She is outspoken and not weak-willed as some FLs have been in past C-dramas, I will give her that. However, the shifting of blame did annoy me to no end.

ML: He loved to jump to conclusions and was incredibly possessive (not in a good way). He jumped to conclusions about his wife's character without ever meeting her. I can't blame him, given the circumstances; however, he never takes even the smallest step to see if he is right about who she is. His jumping to conclusions continues to the very end of the show, even after learning about the FL's character, which makes it feel as though the couple has not grown through the drama. His possessiveness became excessive as the show went on, with MULTIPLE forced kiss scenes. Some may like the forced kiss, which eventually led to the FL realizing her feelings and engaging in the kiss as well. However, the sheer number of times this type of kiss happened was annoying to me. Like the FL, the ML had his good moments; he was very protective of the FL and had many funny moments throughout the drama.

Overall, it was okay. There were some good moments, and it was entertaining enough to get through. It unfortunately fell short of making the audience feel as though the couple overcame their hurdles to come together, rather leaving us feeling as though they simply swept their problems under the rug for a moment.

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This drama was so unbearably skippable

- The relationship was severely rushed, therefore there was no deep connection to the couple, which makes viewers want to root for them.
- There were two separate love triangles that were implied, both being swept under the rug very easily and quickly making it a waste of time.
- The FL's personality was unbearable, she had no backbone and real personality other than being "cute". There are multiple men that are in "love" with the FL for no reason and it makes her character worst.
- There were basically more kiss scenes than speaking lines, leaving no room for a story whatsoever
- Any trials they had in their relationship lasted not even half an episode there was nothing that made the viewers want to root for the couple

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Behind every abusive parent is a complacent one

Truthfully I read the reviews before going into this drama, however, I find they fail to be completely honest with how it will make you feel.

To start the acting in this drama is phenomenal. The performances invoked such strong emotions and left a lasting impression. However, I could not rate this drama any higher.

The entire drama felt like pro-abuser propaganda. First we see how easy it is for siblings and parents to turn a blind eye to the abuse that they themselves are not experiencing, but the drama takes a turn for the absolute worse when the second brother assault the FL.

It became so frustrating the way EVERYONE excused his behaviour and found a way to turn onto the victim. And continually the FL let them convince her that letting the brother off was somehow a reflection of her “goodness” as a person. When she drops the charges she is then called harsh, even by her own boyfriend, for recording the apology video. She then deletes the video for everyone else’s sake, but it is written as her being able to “let it go and move on”. Every time she lets her abusive family walk all over her the writing is as if doing so makes her the better person. When in fact it just give them more and more opportunities to hurt her. And it also allows for their behaviour to continue. We see this when the second brother then hits his wife (shocker, shocker). And again the writing is everyone blaming the SIL for the brother's behaviour, to the point we get a monologue from the beaten SIL on why she was at fault and why she should stay with him. She actually goes home and APOLOGIZED to her abusive husband, only divorcing because of their financial problems.

The writers make it seem the financial irresponsibility is worse than physical abuse. For the love of God, somebody sedate me!!!!!

To not ramble on l, this trend continues for 44 episodes. The abusive family makes a mess then blames or pins onto our FL, everyone guilts her into fixing it, which she will inevitably do. Neve receiving proper gratitude or apologies. The last two remaining episodes decide that to make it right, the father will get dementia and (shocker) will need to be taken cared of by the FL. Which then makes the second brother see the errors of his ways and apologize to his sister for the years of torment… The End.

Needless to say, this drama gets a 7/10 for the incredible acting from the cast. But no higher because of the incredibly harmful and problematic message.

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Who said healthy love is unrealistic?

Main relationship:
The straightforwardness of the ML and FL is what makes their relationship work. They are two individuals who can stand on their own by the time they meet, which in turn just shows them adding to one another rather than burdening each other. The moments when they were on “rocky ground” were the realistic moments of needed individual space that was accompanied by strong communication, and that was before they were dating! Some will say that their relationship is unrealistic, but I disagree. It was a very good example of how a relationship looks when two mature like like-minded people CHOOSE each other. Choosing to be together and choosing to make each other better through their relationship.

Xi Guang: The FL is my type of person. She starts the show very upfront about who she is, and it is quite refreshing. Though I am not an upbeat and bubbly person, one can only admire a person who is true to themselves, no matter what. I believe this trait is what makes her hard to digest for those who are insecure around her. The SML feels that someone of her status should not also be kind and that she should feel some shame about the opportunities afforded to her due to her background. While Ye Rong feels inferior to her not only socio-economically but also in personality. Her willingness to stand up for herself but maintain her kindness is not something we see often in shows. It's either one or the other: she’s mean but not a doormat, or she's kind but gets trampled on. After what she went through with the SML, Xi Guang is more reserved about love; she is not only afraid of pursuing, but she is also apprehensive about letting herself be pursued. However, after noticing the similarities between her past self and Lin Yuse, she realizes that she shouldn't let the one bad experience stop her from trusting that Yusen is serious about her. She is quite quick when it comes to self-reflection and correction, which is another likeable attribute about her. Though she becomes reserved in love, she remains true to her nature everywhere else, and it’s very refreshing to see.

Lin Yusen: Our ML is a breath of fresh air compared to the SML and many of those around our FL. Though he starts very conflicted about his feelings towards Xi Guang, he is consistently straightforward. When he “hated” her, he didn't make her confused if that was the case what confused her was why. Once he decided to leave it in the past, he in fact left it in the past. Quickly and honestly telling Xi Guang how he feels and his intentions of being a positive force in his life, not a burden. Much like the Xi Guang in college, he leaves his feelings at his desired partner's feet, waiting for them to choose what to do next. Apologizing when he felt he overstepped, and communicated with Xi Guang clearly. When the misunderstanding comes to an end, he is conflicted and rather than take it out on Xi Guang, like we have seen others do, he takes time for himself. To reflect on how this impacts his complicated feelings, but also how it may impact how Xi Guang sees him. His clarity stands in direct contrast to Zhuang Xu's redirection of people's feelings and intentional obtuseness regarding misconceptions and misunderstandings. He is a walking green flag and is a perfect example of a character that is not without faults and but is willing to be accountable.

Zhuang Xu: To me, he is neither a villain nor a victim. I understand his reasoning behind not wanting to be with FL, given their different backgrounds and societal positions. In this front, you could pity him for never being able to let go of this insecurity and be true with his feelings. However, being pitiful does not excuse how you speak to others, and feeling frustrated isn't an excuse to treat people however you would like. He spoke so condescendingly to Xi Guang and Ye Rong, to the point where I felt bad for Rong on some points. When Xi Guang explains how it is natural to have a change in feelings when someone treats you well and likes you, it should have been a wake-up call for him. He didn't have to confess his feelings to her to be kind; that was his major problem, he didn’t see that. Furthermore, he is drowning in self-pity and victimization. He takes no responsibility for the fact that it was his choices and unwillingness to let go of his misconceptions and insecurities to chase the one he “loves”. To the point, he blames Ye Rong, Xi Guang, and the universe for missing the timing with Xi Guang. Without taking accountability that he was fully in control of this “timing” for a long time.

Ye Rong; In my opinion, Ye Rong and Zhuang Xu are two sides of the same coin. Rong has the stereotypical insecure “friend” trope surrounding her. We are first led to believe that it is all revolving around Zhuang Xu, but it later becomes obvious, especially when speaking about careers, that Rong feels inferior to Xi Guang and must one-up her at every turn. The insecurity surrounding Xi Guang's background is what makes Rong and Xu so similar; both, in my opinion, are using each other to bring Xi Guang down a notch. Rong, to feel superior, and Xu, to bridge the gap that makes their relationship “impossible”. What makes Ye Rong a bit more villainous is that what she did was meant to ruin Xi Guang’s reputation. At the same time, Zhuang Xu put Xi Guang down to feel a little better about his situation; he holds to misconceptions he had of Xi Guang, even when they were unreliable, to make himself have a reason other than their socio-economic standing to not be together.

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Well-rounded show

While I was able to guess who the big bad was fairly quickly due to my previous experience with C-dramas, this show did a good job of revealing the intricate details of their motive slowly and in a way that still allowed for plot twists and surprises.

The romance takes a back seat to the murder mystery plot and is viewed more as a clue in the story rather than a major component. I had no issue with this; however, the moments in which they decided to allow for romantic moments between the couple were strange and out of place. There were 2-3 episodes in which the investigation was heating up and was completely halted for a few episodes of a romantic subplot.

Finally, I felt that once the investigation was completed, the opportunity for a good conclusion of the couple was lost to more flashbacks and a weird compilation of conclusions to the various side characters' stories that leaving very little room for us to see a true happy ending for the main couple.

Overall, it was good drama, one of the best Chinese dramas I've seen, and it is worth watching.

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Good Romance story

If you are looking for a show that is pure romance without the major plot twist and other bells and whistles this is it. It is a well-known tale of childhood sweethearts reuniting and getting their happy ending, but the show was done in a refreshing manner. The show was entertaining without the need for unhealthy and toxic relationships.

The main couple faces trials that are prevalent in everyday life, such as busy schedules and jealousy, making you feel as though you can relate to the beautiful story. The ML was manly and romantically assertive, without coming across as toxic and aggressive. While the FL was independent and smart, while simultaneously being reliant on the ML when necessary.

The second couple, though a but unhealthy relative to the main couple, displayed two people overcoming personal struggles to form a healthy and prosperous relationship.

There was a refreshing lack of overly toxic women-women feuds when one was thought to have begun the women of the show behaved in a mature manner to resolve the issue without unnecessarily becoming enemies over a man they both liked.

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Genuinely good.

Vincenzo was a show that was enjoyable to the very end. The relationship was cute and not too overly romantic as that wasn't the focus of the show. The show integrated the relationship in a way that was sensible to the overall plot of the story.

Vincenzo gave a satisfying and realistic ending. I believe that the show wouldn't have been as good if he didn't have to flee Korea after killing the villains. Though it was sad to see him and his new family in Korea, it was a strong and solid ending.
The story was very strong, and the actors executed their roles to perfection.

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It gets boring and over complicated.

The first 5 episodes had me hooked and could've completed the show in all honesty, but as the show progresses it becomes less about the time warp and more political than necessary. Though much of the political jargon seemed necessary I believe the story could've progressed well without so much of it.

Once the father is saved the show drops off on how interesting it truly was, especially since the perpetrator was revealed early in the story. It seems as though the remainder of the show will be to convince the ML that the father of the FL is not the murderer of his brother, and when he is convinced they will work together for justice. It has just become boring and longwinded, compared to the earlier episodes.

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Overall this drama was good, there was nothing really special about it

The problem I had with this drama is that it had every romance cliche in the book:
- ML and FL knew met as children
- FL best friend betrays her because she in love with ML
- Everyone likes the FL or hates her no in between
- love triangle where FL is oblivious to SML's feelings
- love rival and ML used to be best friends but has fallen out
- ML and love rival end up becoming friends
- love rival helps ML with relationship
- and more

While these were executed well it felt repetitive to all the other romance dramas seen before, but this did not make it a bad show. It had its own specialties and fun moments that made this show enjoyable. The thing that truly bothered me in this story was the fact that they never really express that it's okay not to look perfect and to fit the standards of beauty. They just make it seem that everyone at her new school was just slightly nicer than her last which is why they didn't bully her for her "ugly" face.

The cast was great and the acting as a whole was good, there were some moments of questionable acting but otherwise, it was a very enjoyable k-drama.

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Great potential

The story had great potential and was very intriguing at times. The overall connection and ties that each character had with one another were some of the highlights in the show. That being said the first 10-14 episodes were very in-depth and detail-oriented almost warning to pay attention to every detail or you will miss something. This caused you to believe that the way that the villain will be stopped would be incredibly intricate and hard to follow. Unfortunately, the ending wasn't so. It was very clear that the way that the day would be saved was through the usage of a helping hand from the future and past. The emphasis placed on the villain just needing someone to check on him made it obvious that this was going to play a role in defeating him. And though the ending with Eddy and Han Tae-sul killing himself was shocking, it wasn't a good ending because it seemed rushed and unnecessary. It felt as though if he was going to kill himself to save the day he should have done it from the beginning. They wanted to push the agenda that it was his love for her that caused him in the end to sacrifice himself but it felt cliche and uncalled for.

Edit: Let's talk about the ending. After he shoots himself he returns onto the plane from the beginning of the show which was 2020, and the FL is sitting right next to him. Now, unless it was a dream or hallucination, that makes no sense. the FL said she was born in 2012, making her 8 years old in 2020.

The overall show was pretty good but due to the ending, it is unfortunately turned into a decent show at best.

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