Unplug your brain and enjoy!
Having just finished a heavy plot drama, I needed something lighter when I stumbled on this. No big names, no crazy sets, just compelling story telling. Were there plot holes? Yes. Was there some nice cast chemistry? Also yes. Was it a bit messy at times? Yes. Did I ever want to drop it? No. The story tackled a lot in 240 minutes, and I think that's where they missed the boat. A tighter script would have given this a 10. That said, grab a popcorn and binge!Was this review helpful to you?
A different take
This drama came out at a time when the concept of female generals in Chinese dramas was fairly unheard of. It took all the norms and threw them out the window. I loved that at the time! But I'm not convinced that it aged well. Highly entertaining if not over exaggerated. Loved it, not so much on the re-watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Perfect mini-drama
Coming in at 12 episodes, about one hour a piece, this drama packed a lot into its episodes. Binge watched this addictive drama and loved every second. No bloated cast, no loose ends, wrapped with a pretty bow! Could have gone full melo, but chose to walk the line well instead. Great cast, great music with a seeming not big budget. Based on a webtoon of the same name, it could also be compared to Marry My Husband (both Korean and Japanese versions.) Both originals came out in 2021. Well done either way. Give it a watch and enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
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Strong leads, stronger pair!
I had to buy the VIP at iQiYi because the free episodes had me hooked. And I am not disappointed. Slightly episodic with a overarching plotline, this drama flew by. Only a moment or two where I felt a drag, but nearly perfect. If you love a strong female lead, a stronger male lead who knows how to support his woman, you will love this drama. Lots of mystery, some intrigue and a perfect amount of romance. Just hit play and enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
Just hit play
Only 8 short episodes (on Viki) and man did they all pack a punch! I've never seen this ML or FL before, but they were perfect. Add an adorable child actor and superb! Action, romance, humor, plot twists... it's all here! The description doesn't do it justice. One or two small things introduced that were left unsaid to drop it from a 10 but otherwise awesome!!! Just hit play and enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
The happiness and heartbreak of first love
This drama takes you on the journey of first love... the heart fluttering meetings, the heart wrenching misunderstandings. Meeting someone and wanting to run toward them, only to have them move. Until they realize that you were there all along. Well acted, well produced. Music that will stick with you. You'll grin. You'll tear up. You'll be happy with all of them in the end. Enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
Worth the tears, bring the tissues- Sister to Hidden Love
It took me a while to start this drama, something told me to hold off. I binged and dropped many dramas of various genres before I came back to this title. I found out that this was the big sister to Hidden Love which I highly enjoyed and then began appreciating this drama even more. This drama is profound, not a casual watch. It is emotionally charged from the beginning and it brings you in, wanting to know more. The longing glances, the hurt expressions, the twinkling eyes, the subtle changes in the background music, or different lighting and camera angles... The whole crew did an amazing job. As my roommate said upon sitting for 5 minutes to watch it as tears streamed down my face "Man! This is freaking good. I'm getting emotional and I'm not even invested!"If you are looking for a drama without contrived drama, if you understand that not everyone loves the same, if you are okay with exploring heavy topics in an emotionally raw fashion, if you love to see justice served but not without the injury first, if you love to see two people find, grow and love each other through it all then this may be the drama for you.
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I chase you, you chase me. But don't mess with us!
A perfect break from heavy costume/period dramas with this light rom/com. A little tropey but altogether fresh, sweet and funny. Perfectly broken up places that could have pulled it toward the melo side of political intrigue.Fabulous cast, with character growth. Lovely costuming.
Some say the last 3 episodes are off the rails, but for me they fit the characters. And the end seemed just right for our lovely couples.
Well balanced. Sit back, unplug your brain and enjoy!
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Knowing this was a prequel saved my heart
This story is slow and sweet to start. Our two leads say so much with their actions alone and that carries throughout the drama. A sometimes intense ride of conflict between love, country, and family, this drama makes full use of a relatively limited cast and sets/locations. Its soft and subtle until you realize your heart is being ripped out.That said, it was beautifully crafted, carefully constructed and fantastically acted. I just needed a tiny bit more for it to hit a 10. I am not likely to watch again only for my heart's sake. Thank goodness for reviews and knowing I had more of their story to watch in "Forever and Ever."
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For your next detox watch.
I started watching this drama twice. The first time, I was bored and stopped at episode 14. The second time, I binged in record time. This show is an amazing watch after something heavier. Smart leads (1st and 2nd) and great support casting. Episodic in its arcs which kept it moving along nicely. I felt a bit of lag at times, the sound effects sort of grated, and obvious limited budget became a bit tiresome but it all resolved quickly. So glad they chose 32 episodes for this. An awesome watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A great story that landed in tropeland
Things I loved- the cast! Great actors carried this story. The OST- rarely does music stick with me, but this OST was amazing.Things that flopped- This great cast failed in the chemistry department. It was odd- some of the best pairings were not where they were supposed to be. The bloat in the script diluted what was a novel concept and story. This was especially apparent in the latter half of the drama. Annnnd... the tropes they introduced- noble idiocy and a time skip. Seriously- The story had the three wedding thing which was novel, but noble idiocy to get the third?! Ugh. The family owing a grand wedding was enough of a reason. The writers really lost the plot- and at the 37th episode! The ending was sweet and satisfying, but the last two episodes were really filler. You know its bad when you hit ff then. Highly enjoyable, different plot (with some plot holes). But my 10 rating dropped to an 8.5.
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Turn your brain off and enjoy
i went into this drama as a big fan of the ML. And he didn't disappoint! I also did not know the story from the book, but did know the drama had been chopped in episode count. You could see that chopping if you are an avid drama fan. I honestly didn't miss the apparent lack of second and third lovelines, second and third character development. That said, although it was a bit piecemeal in places, and the tone had me not taking it too seriously, I shut my brain off and enjoyed this drama immensely.Was this review helpful to you?
Love O2O condensed
I have watched the series too many time to count, often skipping the plot driving side plot characters. This movie does a great job of capturing that essence in a short time span- Weiwei's smart but worldly naive personality, Xiao Nai's smart but worldly aloof side, their friendships, their budding romance, their stumbles, their love. It gave nods to the things and characters that drove the series without getting bogged down. Does it change the story a bit- Yeah, kinda but not really. If you enjoyed the series, this is worth the watch to remember that happy feeling. If you haven't watched either, I would get on that next!Was this review helpful to you?
