Lost me along the way.
I loved this drama, and I hated this drama. So- I loved the Wang - Wang couple chemistry- both as a couple and as two people getting past things in life. I LOVED the young child actor. He brought so much to this drama! I did not care for either of the other couples. They seemed just there to balance out the drama only they were not compelling enough. Cute? Yes. Compelling? No. The whole drama just seemed out of whack. It really was a commentary on women's' struggles in life only they didn't lean fully into that. Instead it couldn't make up it's mind and got lost along the way.Was this review helpful to you?
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?
I hate to like this drama
Really about a 8.7. But couldn't in good faith give it a 9. A drama full of food porn with a scant side of romance. But not truly dramatic romance- emotional slow burn enemies to friends to romance. The first 20 episodes flew by, really great development of all characters. You could see the arcs building then it bloomed into a 15 different direction mess. After that, my finger stayed on the fast forward button. And was saved in the end. Sorta. I loved our leads. Thank you for all our Ethan fan service. I cried over tanghulu and can never unsee Boris doing the can-can. I hate to like this drama, but I did.Was this review helpful to you?
Military/medical drama
A great, highly bingeable drama. Our leads have amazing performances and both show growth through out the 40 eps. Only a 9 because this is really a 32 ep drama with lots of side plot filler with the 3 other love lines. That said, this is a military/medical drama with very little romance. They did that well. But if you come looking for love, it's hard to find- romantic love that is. Friendships, deep connection- plenty. Just the balance of it all was a little off. Still binged in 2 days- cause Johnny Huang! And the opening music rocked! (literally) Enjoy!Was this review helpful to you?
Start to finish great!
So, I rewatched, on binge, this drama three times while airing. Each time I took a little something more from it! I paused to watch the whole thing until I had the time to deal with the unraveling I knew was coming. And I am so glad I did! This drama deserves nothing less than the stellar rating it is receiving. Beautifully cast, fantastically acted. Love, hate, rich, poor, black and white, right and wrong-and every shade of all things in between. It even paid homage to the book without needing to delve fully into it and losing the story it set out to tell. If I had to nit-pick, I would say that the exquisite world cut scenes could have been cut back to give the story a bit more character time at the end. I also know that the music was not loved by all, but thought it fit well for the emotions it needed to carry. Overall, my final binge, from start to finish, delivered the amazing story and characters I knew I would love. In fact, I many need to watch it again soon!Was this review helpful to you?
Sweet, Fun but just misses the mark
From the start, this drama started out strong, with the understanding that they only had 10 episodes. Taking a 16 episode mindset, this drama stayed on pace with sweetness and drama building as you would expect. Only when it should be wrapping up plotlines, it got bogged down as many 16 episode dramas do. This left no time for the solid ending, making it rushed and leaving big plot holes when it could have been a perfect short drama.That said, it was a fun drama, worth the watch for its character growth, sweet romance, silly antics and wonderful cast.
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Fast, easy, not overly angsty
This short BL drama hits just right for a romance quick fix. Tackling some naturally heavy topics, it just skims the surface but does not make light. The music was really well done- adding to, not overshadowing scenes. Small cast, not bloated in any way. Amazing cast chemistry. I would love to see these actors again! Well done.Was this review helpful to you?
Don't judge too early
So, I started watching this a few times before it caught my attention fully. It honestly seemed like a lot to start. But hold on! At 15 min per episode its an intrigue drama lite. LOTS of scheming but with a twist or two or five! And the twists keep coming! Sweet with lots of kisses. Totally worth the watch when you are looking for something lighter where arcs are very short. Stayed consistent beginning to end.Was this review helpful to you?
Exactly as advertised!
So I watched this drama on a whim, having no expectations. I was looking for something lighter with a solid romance. THIS DELIVERED! Is it high budget? No. Is it high quality? Also no. But is perfectly in its lane. Campy, silly, sexy, with mild intrigue. It stayed true to itself throughout! So hard to find in a rom-com. Any time it began to veer into melo land, it course corrected! Highly enjoyable for when you are looking for a drama palette cleanser. I will be revisiting I'm sure!Was this review helpful to you?
Romantic, rom-com fantasy with palace intrigue? YES!
Romantic, rom-com fantasy with palace intrigue? YES! This drama sat in my to watch pile for a while when I went looking for something different. At boy, did this satisfy! A tad reminiscent of The Master's Sun, this ghost story had a few good jump scares to balance out the amazing antics of our BTOB ML. He was amazing. Great, different plot, no dragging. Antagonists you will love to hate and protagonists you will root for with your whole heart. Unplug your brain, this in un-apologetically fantasy based, and enjoy. This is a must watch. You will not be disappointed!Was this review helpful to you?
I've already rewatched it!
This enemy's to lovers drama does it right. Darker production when it was needed transforming to lighter production as their relationship progressed. Brilliant! Subtle humor to offset heavy conflict. Awesome. Political intrigue countered by intelligent foes. Perfect! OST by our hero. Couldn't love it more. And a pair that learns to trust each other against all odds. Re-watch! And I already did.Was this review helpful to you?
