summerfancy

I've liked other family drama better

It’s an okay family drama if you have a lot of time on your hands (49 episodes) and nothing better to watch. I liked ‘Seo Young, My Daughter’ and ‘Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life’ better. The plot isn’t complicated, but there’s a mystery as to why adoptive mom ‘stole’ FL as a baby as well as the backstory of all the parents, which takes a long time to develop. The romance between ML/FL also is a slow burn, and ML is one of those annoying guys who’s too nice to flat out tell the obsessed chick and her mother that ‘we’re not dating, I’m not her boyfriend’. Yeah, he tells Seo-Ah, her coworkers and FL that he’s not her boyfriend, but he apparently isn’t firm enough because nobody believes him. This wishy-washiness on his part delays his romance with FL because she keeps hearing conflicting information. He tells her one thing, but everyone else is telling her something else. As a result of this aggravating ‘nice guy’ persona, I would have preferred Hwang Na Ro, the resident black hat (guy up to no good) to be ML. At least, he has a redemption story going on as his ill intentions get up-ended by the love/acceptance he finds at the villa. He actually shows character development while Jae Hee (ML) starts out as a nice guy and ends as a nice guy. Really, there’s no character development of either lead; we just see them dealing with obstacles in their family/work lives. The biggest opposition to their romance is the dog poop stuck to Jae Hee’s foot called Seo-Ah, but that’s his fault for not being firmer. That’s always the problem with these childhood friend relationships – MLs can’t seem to bring themselves to be mean or rude to these obsessed brats. And Seo-Ah is a first class brat - she throws multiple tantrums. She's an embarrassment to womankind everywhere.

The two things I didn’t like about this drama:

1) I would have preferred Jae Hee’s parents to remain separated. I would have liked to see the first love between his dad (Woo Hong) and FL’s adoptive mom (Jung Soon) to finally be realized after so many years apart. I think it sends a bad message to these obsessed chicks for Jae Hee’s parents to get back together. Why? Because it’s saying if an obsessed chick hangs in there and somehow forces/pressures the guy to marry her, then he’ll eventually realize her worth and love her in return. That doesn’t usually happen in real life. Most of these relationships end in divorce as portrayed in this drama. I understand that the Asian culture admires persistence but persistence can easily become obsession as we see in so many Asian dramas in the form of a resident psycho chick who has no self-respect and can’t let go of a man who doesn’t love or want her. I would have preferred to see Jae Hee’s mom become independent and stay independent without a man in her life.

2) I really disliked Hwang Na Ro ending up with Seo-Ah. Despite his ill intentions, he didn't deserve to be matched up with that brat . I couldn’t stand Seo-Ah’s character, even when she finally apologized to FL, and I didn’t want her getting the guy I felt should have been ML. After professing themselves in love with different people, they suddenly fall in love with each other? Ah, why? What did either of them see in each other? Their romance seemed forced as though the screenwriter felt the need to have everyone matched up with somebody at the end. I think it would have been better to see Seo-Ah focusing on her career and maybe going on blind dates (a testament that she's over Jae-Hee) and see Na Ro coming back to the villa after his time to prison, ready to start a new life (that's what he really needed - family love and acceptance - not some bratty cupcake). It just was unbelievable to me that Na Ro and Seo-Ah would genuinely fall in love so soon after being in love with other people.

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Disappointing

I left this drama with a bad taste in my mouth. Although the ending was acceptable, I was not happy with it because I really didn’t see how Ji-Hun was better than Derek…other than the fact that he was a cop who caught spies while Derek was a spy. Both men kept their careers a secret from FL. I can understand Derek doing so (after all, FL did exactly what he feared she’d do once she found out), but I don’t understand why Ji-Hun felt the need to hide his from her. There’s nothing shameful in being an Interpol agent. If FL had such a gigantic issue about her husbands lying to her about what they did for a living, then she shouldn’t have ended up with either one of them.

Yeah, I’m a Derek fan, and I think his character got the shaft in this drama. He was royally screwed by his mother AND his wife. The wife insisted that he leave the life he’d been trained from childhood to live and then she goes bat crap crazy when her world starts falling down around her ears. Derek, of course, gets the blame. Hey, sister, you were the one that insisted he stop being a spy to save your marriage. Did you think it was going to be easy? Not only that but he has to leave the spy game with the help of his wife’s ex who just happens to still be in love with her. We, the viewers, are constantly told that Derek is selfish, cold and calculating with a fake smile yet he basically gives up everything for this wife of his. Yeah, he runs away in the end, but I don’t blame him one bit. He gave FL the opportunity to disappear with him and start a new life, but she refused because she had to find Sophie’s killer…so don’t tell me that she was ‘abandoned’, ok? In my opinion, she abandoned him. Derek’s character was the most interesting yet he’s the one that gets shafted the most. We’re constantly told he’s a scumbag, but I just don’t see it, and I would have preferred his character being redeemed with his marriage healed and happy once again. If the scriptwriter wanted her to end up with her ex, they went about it the wrong way, and I disliked the feeling that she was actually cheating on Derek despite her and Ji-Hun not exchanging anything but hugs.

FL – although she’d supposed to be a strong, independent, professional woman, I no longer felt sympathy for her once she went bat crap crazy on Derek in episode 15. She totally forgot that he’d been instrumental in bringing down his own mother, that she’d forced him to choose between the two of them, that he was in the hospital because he’d taken the hit by Tinker’s car instead of her. Everything is suddenly all Derek’s fault. Pardon me, but I think it was her prying into Sophie’s death that started this whole ball rolling. It wasn’t as if Sophie was her best friend either yet she was obsessed with finding this woman’s killer. If she hadn’t started prying, she could have remained in blissful ignorance so some of the responsibility for her situation in episode 15 was hers. I wanted her to suffer long and hard when she thought Derek was dead. Not only that but she’s partnering up with her ex-husband who’s obviously still in love with her. Love and regret are dripping out of Ji-Hun’s eyes and yet she makes her current husband turn himself over to this man. That’s just clueless, showing no respect for Derek’s feelings. I mean how humiliating to have to turn yourself over to your wife’s ex! By the end, I disliked this woman because she threw all the blame on Derek when she instigated this whole mess and then insisted on Derek giving up his spy career. She was not abandoned. He gave her the opportunity to start a new life with him, and she turned him down. She claims in episode 16 that out of love, she tried to accept him as he was – that’s total BS. As soon as she found out he’s a spy, she insisted on him leaving his career and turning himself in. That’s not accepting him; that’s an attempt to forcibly change him since she threatened that if he didn’t, their marriage was over. This woman is just full of self-righteous baloney.

Just an aside, there was more chemistry between Derek and Ji-Hun than FL with either of these two leads.

The supporting cast wasn’t as memorable as I would expect from a Korean drama. The most interesting supporting character was Doo Bong. Young Goo was cute, but I wasn’t crazy about his crush on the cynical, tough girl Seo-Ra.

That’s about all I have to say about this train wreck. The action, story line felt slow, the only twist was who ‘Mrs. Big’ was, and I definitely was not satisfied with the ending.

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I could only tolerate FL for 13 episodes

I dropped after episode 13 because FL and her overly sensitive attitude was getting on my last nerve.

She began picking fights with ML starting in episode 10. Can’t you two just sit down and discuss business related issues like professional adults? I understand her being upset with his know-it-all attitude – I get it, it’s annoying - but her attitude was just as know-it-all, and she was not willing to compromise. If you want to act like this because he's your ex, then keep it in your free time, not during working hours. It was like she’s just looking for ways to take offensive when it comes to ML. Yep, I’m clearly on ML’s side because he has every right to feel insecure based on how she prioritizes everything over their relationship and how she broke it off with him in the past. Yeah, she was sort of forced to do that by evil boss lady, but still, it was brutal. And he forgives her too easily and instantly wants her back. I’m sorry - she's the one who should work to get him back, not the other way around.

She’s really a mass of conflicting behaviors. She takes care of him when he’s blind, but as soon as he can see again, she’s pushing him away, having cat fights with him in the office and suspecting him of sabotaging her exhibition. She’s the kind of woman that drive men crazy because they can’t figure out what the hell she wants – nothing seems to please her. He disagrees with her and she takes offense; he agrees with her and she takes offense. This is not how you do business, ok? Frankly, this is not spunky or gutsy behavior; this is immature, childish, unreasonable behavior. Episode 13, she has them stop the car in the middle of nowhere so she can get her suitcase and apparently stomp off in a huff. So childish. At this point, he’s supposedly the bad guy because he’s trying to ‘control her’ yet everyone has apparently forgotten how she broke up with him earlier. Why he wants this unreasonable, childish, short-tempered female back is beyond me. She’s only thinking of herself and disregarding what his shrink and Mingcheng has told her – he’s insecure because of how you’ve treated him in the past and you need to show him more warmth and affection and take your revenge later. Revenge? If anyone should be taking revenge, it’s ML! He’s the one that had his heart stomped on without any explanation. Even now, has she shown any REAL remorse? And she has the nerve to call ML childish! ML has control issues, yes, but they are exacerbated by her placing their relationship so far down on the priority ladder, and she's too selfish to realize that even when other people flat out tell her. The shrink asks her if she still likes him, and she says 'yes'. Well, sister, that's hard to believe right now. Go back to Europe and finish junior high school. Once you're an adult, give it another try with ML...if he's still available, which he probably will be because he's stupid enough to love you.

I'm so tired of immature C-drama FLs who become loud, nagging, control freak mothers. Immature, unreasonable, overly sensitive, easily offended, jumping to conclusions, my career/dreams come before our relationship behavior does not equal spunk, spirit, guts, strength of character, maturity, whatever, Screenwriter/Director, and the mature members of your audience know that. Why even bother with the romance genre if the career/dream is always going to trump the relationship?

I really had no interest in the other couples (I hardly ever do in C-dramas). I will say I liked Ning Fei as the mouthy devil better than the fragile, sensitive artist of Season 1.

I would have liked to keep watching, but I've run out of patience with FL and her attitude.

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Wonderfully Lighthearted, Non Complicated Romance

I don't know why many reviewers are hating on this drama. Does it have tropes - yeah but what drama doesn't? People loved 'A Business Proposal', and there were tropes all over the place. I personally hated 'A Business Proposal' because it was nothing like the webtoon. Netflix took a hatchet job to it and packed it full of ridiculous tropes yet people loved it. Go figure, eh? Once Upon a Small Town was just a lighthearted, non-complicated romance, which is more realistic than Cinderella marrying a chaebol CEO.

The plot: you have a city vet meeting a small village cop, a girl he met as a child but forgot her. I honestly don't know how you forget an entire summer playing with a little girl but apparently, he did, the dope. This plot could happen to anyone, which makes it more relatable. Yes, we have a love triangle. I loved the peach farmer (SML) - he's so no-nonsense and blunt, never have to guess what he's thinking - but SML is very mature about it and accepts it. Maybe that's why people hated this drama - SML was just as good as ML, maybe better since he never forgot anything and didn't have an ex-girlfriend. Sometimes I wish when they have an equally likeable SML, the drama would provide two endings so the viewers can chose which ML they prefer. We also have ML's ex-girlfriend show up, thinking she's going to pick up where she left off with the guy she dumped when she left for the US. The arrogance of this girl is something else - she just thinks ML is waiting around for her to come back like he's hers to pick up or throw away, like a worn out sock or something - but she gives up graciously and departs. That's pretty much the plot - summer friends meet again and love blossoms. I found the town people likeable, especially the little boy and the old guy with the old bull. I especially like how ML ends up taking over his grandfather's vet practice rather than remain in Seoul. I, personally, would much rather live in the countryside than the city.

I also don't know why there's people that hated FL. I didn't find her annoying at all. Other FLs that people complain about, I can understand once I start watching, but this one, I don't get it. Maybe it's because she's a K-pop singer. I don't have a clue.

Just two negatives - they didn't show us the ending for ML's vet friend and the vet nurse and couldn't they have splurged and paid an actor to play the role of Grandpa Vet???

So, overall, I loved it. Maybe I'm just not a connoisseur of dramas. Not every drama I watch needs to be complicated with a bunch of twists and turns. Most of the time, I'm just looking for a lighthearted, non-complicated romance, which is what this is. If that's your style of drama or you're looking for something to help you unwind, please watch and don't listen to the naysayers.

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Better than expected but still a typical C-drama

Where do they come up with these titles? There’s no ‘sweet first love’ in this unless you’re referring to ML, and his experience wasn’t exactly sweet since FL kept him pursuing her throughout most of the drama. As for everyone else, they didn’t get their ‘first loves’ except for maybe Li Din, but who knows if Zihui was his first love or not? I suggest they go hire the people who give names to paint chips and nail polish to come up with more descriptive titles.

I honestly didn’t find this drama as bad as some people said it was. Sure, it was a typical high school to adulthood C-drama, but I didn’t get an ick vibe. I personally have no problem with foster/adopted/step siblings becoming romantically involved. As long as they don’t share blood, I’m fine with it. Yes, ML and FL were raised as siblings, but they were aware that they weren't true brother/sister, and it just seemed natural for ML’s parents to raise their best friends’ daughter. Honestly, for me, there's more an ick factor with older woman/younger men romances.

As for ML, he was certainly overly possessive, jealous and controlling, but I didn’t get a dangerous vibe. He was more a bully than anything else, but he did try to change in episode 21, doing things that he would have felt silly – like wearing a panda bear outfit, dancing with rabbit ears, cooking and even buying her a lizard. He was always there for her, and she did sort of take him for granted. He reminded me of the plant in Little Shop of Horrors because he was constantly telling her to feed him and used his stomach issues to gain her sympathy on more than one occasion. I’m not a fan of the poker face ML, but I do like how guys like this don’t give the obsessed female rivals the time of day. He was rude and dismissive of both Zihui and Ouyang Qingxue. I just wish he would have actually told Qingxue that he wouldn’t marry her even if FL hadn’t existed. He could have at least been more expressive to Qin Yao and told his friend he wouldn't marry that harpy for all the investment funds in China. The patch on his neck was odd, and they should have covered the tattoo with make-up, made him wear shirts with collars or get a patch that blended better. Back to his possessiveness – I didn’t find him as dangerous as some MLs I’ve seen (like the guy in Well-Intended Love that lied about FL having an illness when he could have just asked her out like a normal person). But, this is the great thing about fiction – ML will never become dangerous unless it’s written in the script. He’ll never cross the line so those viewers who like their men a little possessive can indulge without being frightened. In real life, you should take note of the red flags though, ok?

FL was cute without being too cute, if you know what I mean. She also wore sensible heels! She was definitely likeable, but I wish being ‘nice’ didn’t mean she takes all the crap flung at her by this drama’s trio of harpies (Qingxue, Monica and Qi Yuan) and their minions. At least, once in a while, she did speak up for herself, and she had the protection of ML and Ouyang Yu although I would have liked to see her take care of these harpies herself instead of relying on men to fight her battles. I really don’t know why these FLs let these b****** bully them so badly. You’ve got a mouth – use it! I agree with other reviewers about how FL reacted to Qingxue big revelation about her parents’ death. Why in the world would you believe this harpy over your adopted parents? I mean, who of the two displays the better character here? The harpy or the people who have taken care of and loved you all these years? I can understand being shaken at first, but after thinking about it, you should be reasonable and listen to their side of the story. At one point, she tells a dog she thought was a stray that both of them don’t have homes. Well, who’s fault is that? It was your decision to take off. But, on the positive, her self-imposed exile did help her grow up and take care of herself. I’m glad when she and ML went through a ‘silent treatment’ phase that she was the one that finally went to him, even though ML was at fault (jealous again, he was constantly jumping to conclusions). Why? Because it was always ML running after her. It was nice to see her seek him out for once. It was a little odd how she suddenly switched careers; ok, you can’t handle hospital work but what about medical research like she’d already done with Dr. Thomas? Why throw all that schooling away? And 1) where did they get the money to open this dessert shop and 2) when did she learn to make gourmet desserts?

Just a few comments on the other characters:

Le Diyin was a sweetie, but can't you just find this guy a new heart? Seems like a transplant would have been simpler.

As Zihui asked - was Qin Yao blind? Why did this guy continue to like Qi Yuan when he could clearly see what a vindictive, nasty shrew she was? For old times sake? He said she was a spoiled brat before her parents lost their money and you liked that? FL was his friend yet he just stood there and let Qi Yuan mock and sneer at her. He wasn’t worthy of being FL’s first love. He was an idiot....as a lot of first loves are. Why these people put them on pedestals is beyond me.

Qingxue was a first-class psycho chick who needed to be in a mental hospital. Her conceit was astronomical yet ML humiliated her as a child and gave her low self esteem? Really? FL didn’t do anything to her (except have ML’s love and devotion, which she didn’t accept for the majority of the drama) yet this spoiled baby had to maliciously harass her at every turn. Like that’s going to make ML fall in love with you instead? Then when ML turns down her investment/business marriage, she uses her family’s influence to make sure he’s not hired by someone else. And, at the end, she basically receives no consequences for all the harassment the MC had to endure because of her. I hate these kinds of characters, and it seems like every C-drama has one. And, let’s not forget her henchwoman, Monica, who tries her best to make FL’s work life a living hell because she wants psycho chick's brother who also likes FL. She didn't receive any consequences either. Just a question – are work places actually like this these days? Where groups of women will make snarky comments within earshot of their victim? I worked with women in a large company in the past, and I don’t remember this ever happening, but that was 20 years ago so maybe the current workforce is different. Or maybe Cdramas just exaggerate this? I don't know.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama, even though it was packed full of vindictive harpies who didn't get any consequences for their disgusting behavior. I like my leading men to be a bit more lively in terms of expression, but there was never a doubt that ML was devoted only and always to FL. I was glad they and their parents had a happy ending. As usual, I wasn't interested in the second couple's (Lihui & Li Din) romance.

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Once again, the Chinese managed to ruin a good drama!

This was a good, solid drama until the final 25 minutes when they returned to their crappy lives. Sorry for the spoiler, but potential viewers need to know the truth so they don't waste their time and effort on this piece of junk. The only bright spot was that ML/FL seemed to retain their memories from this 22 episode dream so maybe their love survived. Their careers didn't. Neither did all the great things that happened to FL's family and friends. They got to continue in their previous misery. Who wrote this piece of garbage??? I gave it 9.0 for story because it was great until the last 25 minutes. I gave it an overall 3 because of the last 25 minutes. Don't watch it unless you want to have your heartbroken like all the characters in this drama who returned to their crappy lives.

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These 'shorts' are getting better

Some think the kid is the redeeming factor in this drama, however, I think ML is cuter than the kid. What can I say - I'm a sucker for fussy, irritable MLs, and this actor does a good job playing the role. I could see him landing a lead role in a higher budget film in the near future. I like him better than a lot of the current popular Chinese MLs (Liu Te or Xing Zhao, for example). He's pretty natural delivering his lines, he's handsome and he's got well developed abs. I think he's the best of the actors I've seen in these lower budget films. For me, he's the bright spot in this short drama even though, yes, the kid is cute, FL is doing a good job with her role and even SML is a better actor than a lot of the supporting characters on these shorts.

The worse part about the drama is the translations. I think I'm missing some content because the translation is so bad.

UPDATE: I loved ML - he was cute, amusing at times and the actor did a good job - BUT if I'd been her I would have made him suffer longer for taking off with the kid and not returning my phone calls. She forgives him WAY too easily. I guess it's because it's a short, and we don't have time to give him the silent treatment or make him beg and grovel. Honestly, he deserved to lose her to SML. And poor SML! Poor guy! But, anyway, this is still one of the better shorts, even if she did forgive ML too easily.

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Loved this B-rate series

It's low budget, but honestly, I'm loving it. Why? FL is kicking the butt of the would-be bullies, i.e. girl who cheated with her ex-fiancé and ex-fiancé's mom. This is so refreshing! Usually, FLs are doormats for these bitchy bullies, but this FL is no push-over. I loved it when she slapped the bitch twice in the office. Some people might think FL is a bitch herself, but hey, Wei Wei started it by stealing FL's fiancé and design, and she just won't let it be - she keeps picking at FL. I also loved it when FL flung the tea in her ex-mother-in-law's face! Although ML's power is helpful, this girl is quite capable of taking down the bitches herself. YAY! So, refreshing from most C-drama FLs. So fun watching the bullies get their just desserts for once.

As for ML, he needs to eat some meat (he's tall and skinny), but I like the mischievous look he gets on his face and the winks he exchanges with FL. Although he's the CEO, he hasn't been overly cold or bossy, i.e. grabbing or shoving FL up against wall. FYI - he knows her from the past and is already smitten with her. The best kind of ML, in my opinion. I like that ML willingly helped FL with her wedding stunt, and I like that FL is willingly playing the role of wife with compensation, which makes their relationship less angsty or combative. They're more like partners.

Although plus, ML's mom has already accepted her son's choice, and mom is a powerful figure in the family just like ML so the two harpies can't use ML's mom against FL. Another refreshing detail - I get so tired of the control freak, nasty parent plot device.

I don't know what the rest of the episodes hold, but right now, I love this drama despite it's low budget. I can't give it a 10 because of the lower quality in terms of set, acting, etc., but sometimes you don't need a 10 star drama to keep you entertained and cheering. I think this is the best low budget short C-drama I've watched...other than 'Please, Don't Spoil Me', but then, they ruined that funny, little drama with the 3rd Season and its ending. Bleh.

UPDATE: Watched the whole thing and I loved it! For a low budget, B-rate series, it was very good! Mostly, I say this because of FL and ML. FL was not the typical C-drama FL - she had backbone and doesn't react like a lot of these wishy-washy FLs. Only once was I disappointed in her reaction and that's when the psycho chick crashes ML's love confession. She totally overreacted and didn't give ML an opportunity to explain. Fortunately, in the next episode, she starts acting like the smart and mature person I expected her to be. She really shines when the truth about their marriage comes out and the reporters swarms her and ML. Unlike most C-drama FLs, she doesn't run away or break it off with ML; no, she stands up to the gossip and supports ML. She even kisses him in front of the cameras for everyone to see. YAY! Screw the gossips! At this point, they become a supportive and emotionally solid couple who work together to take down the villains. As for ML, he's really cute - especially when he's interacting with his secretary while planning the confession. I could see both of these leads moving into higher budget films in the future. As for the supporting cast, they were better than most B-rate films, especially the secretary, but ML/FL make this series worth watching.

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Just another version of Season 2

I say this is another version of Season 2 because somehow ML reverts back to being an immature jerk, probably under the influence of a new group of annoying, loud mouth friends and has to start the maturing process all over again. For most of the drama, ML/FL are married, but this jerk manages to lose her in the last few episodes (although they don't divorce) and has to get her back again in the final one. Also, FL goes from wanting to be a director to being a successful manga writer (her book is the title of this TV series). The stepbrother/half brother is no longer in the cast as well as the dingbat 'sister' with the bad dye job. Apparently, Wei Zhemeng had moved onto lead roles when this was made. The artist friend with the red/yellow hair has been replaced by another dude with similar hair, but this guy's personality is as arrogant and annoying as ML. Hey, ML can be cute at times, but he really needs to grow up and stay grown up, ok? Also, FL has a new group of besties. It's a happy ending, but they could have easily ended this at Season 2.

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Disappointing - didn't live up to high ratings, in my opinion

I honestly don’t know why this drama has such a high rating other than it’s based on e-sports/gaming, but I wasn’t crazy about Go Go Squid either so maybe it’s just me. Other than a lot of time spent on showing gaming action, this plot is the same ole plot you get with a lot of other C-dramas. All the same old tropes/cliches and plot devices are used – FL tripping and being caught by ML, ridiculous social media scandals, mom forcing ML on blind date, obsessed blind date (although thankfully brief), corporation buckling under pressure by ‘fans’, etc. There’s nothing new here, and in some ways, it’s a lot worse than I’ve seen in other similar C-dramas. So, let’s get into the details.

1) Lu Yue who is the younger brother of ML. He explodes into the drama in episode 7-8, and geez, this boy is incredibly annoying. At first, two team members don’t want to accept him back, and then, ‘oh, he was protecting us’, and now, we’re all good and we’re sorry that we thought you were unprofessional (which he definitely was - I don't care if another team threatens your team, you don't break a whiskey bottle over their heads, ok?), and yeah, go ahead and compete with FL for her starter position even though she’s only lost one game and she has a signed contract. Ridiculous and not a good message re: assault. Fortunately, the director/screenwriter muzzled this character in following episodes, making him slightly less irritating.

2) The way in which FL is constantly being singled out and targeted by 1) a player who just wants to humiliate her because she’s a newbie; 2) a player who’s got a crush on her; and 3) a player who wants revenge because she didn’t help him cover up his cheating with a fan. All these players are on opposing teams, and they all just happen to be Korean. Do the Chinese have something against Koreans? At least, two are portrayed as womanizers.

3) The social media scandal plot device is far worse than anything I’ve seen in other C-dramas because it goes on and on. Just a question – why does FL keep reading fan comments if they bother her? Just put down your phone, girl, ok? First of all, in the general population, how many people actually know who these gamers are? But the screenwriter/director makes it seem like everyone in the country is paying attention to this nonsense. Second of all, I’m tired of these corporations buckling under ‘fan’ pressure when we all know that most of this outrage is caused by a minority of loud trolls. Thirdly, these fans are lunatics, ok? They have no right to dictate a player's (or celeb or CEO) private life. I suppose it comes from the same mentality that says a parent has the right to interfere and dictate their adult child’s life. Ridiculous, and I’m frankly sick and tired of this plot device of public ‘outrage’. Social media is a scrounge on society and has caused unimaginable damage to people’s lives so we need to take away it’s power and stop paying attention to it.

4) I wasn’t impressed with FL. The more I saw her, the less I liked her. I’ll give her credit for not looking like the typical Chinese actress – long hair, high heels and bright red lipstick (that persona was saved for the blind date). She wasn’t overly ‘cutesy’, but she was still immature (she wore a mask in the workplace because she was ashamed of her drunken behavior – what is she? Ten years old?), and I got tired of that pouting expression on her face. Maybe this role would have been more likeable if played by a different actress.

5) In my opinion, Xu Cai’s acting abilities were wasted on this drama. He plays the rascal role much better than the tsundere. His best role, in my opinion, was in Arsenal Military Academy where he played the rascal and was given the opportunity to display his ability to show tender and heart-wrenching emotion. Nevertheless, I liked his character’s attitude towards fans, especially when he refused to settle with the parents of the psycho fan who sent razor blades to FL. But, why do these MLs always have to be rich? C-dramas insult capitalists whenever they get the chance, yet they sure do like wealthy, successful MLs.

6) The best part of this drama? The supporting cast, especially the trio of Fatty, Old K and Old Cat. They helped me make it through this social media scandal nightmare. It was nice to see the actor who plays Old Cat acting in a light-hearted role although his performance in By My Cat was amusing and cute. If I were FL, I would have gotten back together with the ex-boyfriend – I found this actor very cute. Sorry, Xu Cai, I loved you in Arsenal, but I found Jian Yang damn good-looking. Also, the secondary romance of FL’s bestie and Ai Jie was - thankfully - kept at the minimum.

If you like gaming, then I guess you’ll like this drama. For me, I don’t think it lived up to it's rating.

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Better than most WeTV shorts but still B-rate

I enjoyed the storyline and even the acting (although worse than a higher budget C-drama) until the final episode. I think the introduction of a kid was totally unnecessary, and frankly, these two didn't look old enough to have a five year old. I also think a five year separation was overkill, and tell me, how could his eyes still be healing after FIVE years? But that's what he said at the end. Also, if you're eyes aren't fully healed 1) why are you driving and 2) why aren't you wearing glasses? Little details like that just didn't make sense. It's clearly a 'short' C-drama, but it needed to be paced better so the ending wasn't so rushed and unsatisfactory. Yeah, they got back together, but it seemed too easy after five years, he didn't show much shock at being a daddy and he just gave her back the necklace rather than saying 'I love you, let's get married'.

The love rival apparently plays the b**** role well since she played a similar role in 'Love Starts From Marriage'. Can't miss that blonde hair.

I felt ML was rather stiff at times, but he was a better kisser than a lot of Chinese MLs. There actually looked as though there was some passion involved. His acting skills were ok, but I don't expect to see him playing ML in any high budget C-drama anytime soon. As for FL, I liked her better than a lot of these 'short' FLs because she didn't look or dress like a tramp/femme fatale. She looked ordinary with limited make-up and her hair in a messy bun. I really hate the FLs with the bright red lipstick, stiletto heels and long hair, not to mention the short shorts with a baggy suit coat. They look so trampy. Sorry - that's just the way they appear to me.

I liked Cheng Mu and wished he'd gotten the girl, but alas, he was cast in the role of SML who goes away frustrated and lonely.

It's an acceptable little drama to watch when you're bored and want something quick and easy to watch.

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So relatable!

I simply loved this drama because it was so relatable. In other words, I could relate to both FL and ML as well as many of the other characters. Theirs were real situations and real reactions. We didn't have any tripping and falling into ML's arms or accidental kisses that frankly, never happen in real life. (If you have experienced or know someone who's experienced an accidental kiss by falling on top of each other, I apologize, but it's practically impossible without at least getting a bloody lip.) The romance was the slow burn kind and wasn't a bunch of hearts and flowers and unicorns. It was a mature meeting of souls and hearts, common to what you'd experience in real life. That's why the first word I'd use to describe this drama is relatable. The situations you're going to witness could happen in real life.

I could see myself in FL – reserved, awkward around so many boisterous people, liking the finer things of life, unintentionally snobbish. I liked how the drama allowed her to have flaws, some of which were unpleasant but common. She was difficult to like at the beginning because of her city snobbiness. Even ML wavered back and forth between like and dislike. However, the viewer accepts her with her flaws just like the townspeople accept her. The only thing I didn't like about her was how she turned much too cutesy once she and ML were a couple. It was overdone in my opinion. The only thing she didn't do was pout like Chinese FLs. ML fell in love with you when you acted like a mature woman; why would he want you to suddenly turn into a little girl?

As for ML, I could understand his fear of allowing himself to love again, having lost so many loved ones in his life. I mean, heck, is this guy cursed or something? He lost far too many people – couldn’t they have spared him losing Gam-Ri as well? But, I guess, the writer felt we needed to experience all of life in this small town by the sea. It was amusing how ML basically could do everything – but dance. He had certificates for everything, a true jack of all trades, and I honestly felt there was no reason to change his preference for part time jobs and simplistic living. He wasn’t unemployed; he just made his living doing whatever was available, and by keeping his living simple, he didn’t need a lot of money. Not everyone defines life by a successful career. Some prefer a simple, peaceful life based on relationships. I liked how this drama didn't feel the need to turn Du-Sik into a man defined by his material wealth or professional ambition. I wish I were as brave as him. Seems like an idyllic life to me. And it was heart-warming in episode 15 how the town people had a hard time coping with their businesses when he secluded himself. It was also great how he and his love rival (Seong-Hyun) became good friends. A nice bromance.

Now, I'd like to comment on responsibility and blame. Du-Sik had a guilt complex. He blamed himself for everything. For example, he blamed himself for his grandfather’s death because he was out playing soccer when grandpa had a heart attack. Then he blamed himself for what happened during those 5 years in Seoul, which was not his fault at all. He was only coincidently involved because it was his job yet he received the blame (and accepted it) from the grieving family members. Why do these family members always have to find someone to blame rather than the person who’s really responsible? Gun-ho’s son viciously attacked ML, repeatedly calling him a bastard, yet the father (Gun-ho) was ultimately to blame for making the decision to invest in risky funds and then his attempted suicide. It wasn’t ML’s fault that the market crashed. He was even less to blame for his friend’s death yet the widow went off on him at the funeral. This blame game that relatives engaged in needs to stop in Korea and elsewhere. Sometimes crap happens, and nobody is directly to blame for it. It's just life. I was so angry at how Du-Sik was treated by these two families and even angrier when he willingly accepted the blame.

Poor Seong-Hyun – he should have confessed to FL back in university since she had a crush on him at the time. I really feel bad for these male love rivals who hesitate and then end up losing the girl. Seong-Hyun was a real sweetie and even more outgoing than ML. I really didn’t want him matched with Ms. Wang in the end. I don’t know why some writers think everyone needs to be paired off for a drama to have a happy ending. MC couple, yes, but other couples/characters, no.

I congratulate the writer/director for being able to juggle a supporting cast of 10+ characters. It was done effectively with each character adding to the overall story. At no time did it feel like there were too many characters since each had a part to play, and they didn’t distract from the MC at all. A Chinese drama wouldn’t have been able to do this. I would love to comment on each character, but I haven’t the time or space to do that so I’ll just mention my favorite of the group – the little boy, I-Jun. He was just such a mature kid and his little childhood romance was so cute. It’s obvious that when he and Bo-Ra grow up, they’re going to be a couple. Koreans love the childhood connection thing.

Speaking of childhood connections – I loved how ML/FL met each other throughout their lives in various situations. I also liked how at the end of each episode, there’s a short scene expanding on something that’s happened earlier. It allowed the viewer a peek into motivations and actions.

This is definitely a drama worth watching. It’ll make you laugh, cry and just feel really good about living in a small town. Plus, it’s so nice to see a drama set outside a city (Seoul). I wish more dramas would be set in the countryside rather than the city.

P.S. I also loved the 'la la la' song!

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Tragic for most characters but oh, so good for MC!

For me, this is the best dynasty era historical that I’ve watched even though FL spends at least a third of the drama married to another man (against her will, of course). Usually, I’m bored with dynasty historicals because there’s too many forced engagements, psycho female love rivals/evil moms/concubines and political intrigue, but I was not bored with this drama at all even though it contained several of those elements. I guess it was how and to what character those elements were applied that made the difference for me.

FL (Rong Le/Man Yao) – I loved her calm, dignified, mature nature. There’s none of that ‘cute’ crap that C-dramas like to add to their heroines. No baby talk or pouting. I did wish, however, that she had begun a bit of plotting herself instead of being a pawn in this game of revenge that’s going on. It wasn’t until she got the silver hair that she became kick-ass. That doesn’t mean that she’s a damsel in distress. She’s trained in martial arts and can fight with a sword; she’s just used and betrayed by a variety of people in her life. One inconsistency that bugged me - in the final episodes, she becomes pregnant and was determined that she would give up her life for the child (had a fight with Wu You about this too). Yet at the very end, she's apparently no longer concerned about the baby because she spends 5 years away from her husband and child mourning her first love, Rong Qi. Where's all those motherly instincts now? I know there was a blood bath at the end (7 people die), which can be traumatic, but it takes her five years before she returns to her husband and child's side? That just seems like an exaggeration of grief to me.

ML (Wu You) – I call him ML because he’s FL’s love interest and she ends up with him, but General Fu was also a male lead in terms of screen time. Poor Wu You - what bittersweet irony! He was so opposed to a marriage alliance (good for him, BTW!) that unbeknownst to him, he caused the woman he loved to be married off to another man! Yeah, he was deceived, but talk about the regret! I loved this guy despite his earlier schemes to get the book that everyone’s obsessed about. He’s honorable, capable, committed wholeheartedly to the woman he loves and is strenuously opposed to marriage alliances. His children will thank him! You’ve got to love a guy who purposefully takes poison to turn his hair silver in order to protect his woman! He and FL are such a striking couple when they have silver hair! I was sad when their hair returned to its original color. He's a rare breed - a Chinese ML that I simply loved! He was strong without being cold and had such a regal demeanor. Everything you’d want in a benevolent dictator. He and FL are such a beautiful couple! Once they are officially a couple, there are no longer any misunderstandings between them - they trust and are totally devoted to one another - which is part of the reason this drama is different than other dramas.

General Fu – oh, how I loved this guy even though he starts out as a villain! He’s the 1st husband of FL and acts as an impediment to the MC’s love story. It’s so sad how he longs for the love of his wife yet can’t get it no matter what he does. She constantly misunderstands and thinks the worse of him despite his patience with her (a true villain wouldn’t let her keep him out of her bed). Part of me wished that she would love him just a little so he could experience a little happiness but the other part of me wanted her to remain true to ML. Listening to his dream of a life with Rong Le in episode 33 was heart-breaking, and even more heart-breaking when he gets tricked by Hen Xiang. He finds out as the drama progresses that revenge isn’t as sweet as he thought it would be. In fact, it’s pretty devastating for himself and everything he cares about. The bitter irony is that he’s been used and is being used by the true villain (Fu Yuan) of this drama just as much as FL. Aw, my heart aches for him. I loved his expressions, especially when he's shaking his head and laughing to himself as though thinking 'what fresh hell is this?' Also, I loved his thoughts when the dying Hen Xiang promises to find him in the next life. Basically, his voice over says, 'Please don't. Just leave me alone already.' If there were such a thing as a next life, I hope he finally gets Rong Le.

Hen Xiang – one of the women obsessed with General Fu. She’s so obsessed that she puts on FL’s face to trick this poor guy into sleeping with her. All I can say is at least she pulled this on the General and not Wu You (keep our MC’s love pure!). Personally, I think this drama didn’t need her. She was just another character obsessed by unrequited love.

Sun Yali – this pitiful character had a ‘hero’ complex. Whenever she’s ‘saved’ by some guy, she falls in love with them. Instead of accepting the proposal of a man that actually wants her, she spends her life fantasizing about men that will never love her. She and her father were delusional to think they could force WY to marry her. WY never does anything he doesn’t want to do; peer pressure/imperial decrees don't faze him. He won’t be your typical C-drama emperor with numerous concubines. He makes it clear numerous times that he will only ever love and marry FL.

Emperor Qi, FL’s brother – Leo looks much better with short hair and glasses. The long hair doesn’t suit him. He’s another tragic character, another plotting male. It’s clear that he loves his ‘sister’, but he’s got an evil mom (the ultimate villain of this drama) to deal with.

Fu Yuan & Lin Shen - evil incarnate. Enough said.

There are many other characters I’d like to mention but I don't want to write a book. Let’s just say I was interested in all of them, which is unusual for me with a C-drama. This drama had it all – irony, regret, revenge, unrequited love (everybody pretty much didn’t get who they wanted except for MC), obsession, betrayal, but the worse of this was applied to supporting characters, leaving MC’s love pure and unshakeable even though they experienced difficulties. The story itself was interesting, held together and had a few shockers at the end as the main plot was finally revealed and the viewer understands the motivations behind things that have taken place in earlier episodes. It’s tragic on many levels, but the MC’s ending is so satisfying that it makes up for how many characters get killed off.

If anything these historicals make it clear that men marrying multiple wives/concubines and having multiple children via different wives breed hatred and strife. Wives/concubines constantly scheming, brothers constantly scheming for the throne. One husband and one wife is best for family unity as well as a peaceful nation.

58 episodes is a lot but it’s definitely worth the watch.

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A little slow but worth a watch

My observations:

1) ML is an absolute cutie pie and pretty much perfect…although some might consider him a bit too obsessive in his pursuit of FL. However, in my opinion, FL doesn’t deserve this guy. It’s not that I don’t like her; it’s just that I don’t like how she treats him, especially at the end when she dumps him for her career. Honestly, I can’t believe this nearly perfect man is dumped twice: once by his ex-girlfriend for another guy and once by FL for her career. I agree with her mom – no career is worth leaving a man like this. He’s a once in a lifetime find. It’s really unfair of the scriptwriter to have him dumped twice. And, honestly, how realistic is it for a guy to be dumped twice, especially one as wonderful as this guy, but I suppose one can ask the question – how realistic is it for a guy like this to even exist in real life.

2) One reviewer I read said that ML’s motives for showing FL the truth about Jae-Shin were purely selfish in nature. Perhaps but honestly, she needed to know. If I were her, I’d want to know before I made a bigger fool of myself. Plus, ML took this course of action, knowing that she might hate him afterwards so was his motives purely selfish? He could have waited and let her discover the truth in 3 months, but of course, maybe Jae-Shin would have kept seeing her after his marriage, making the betrayal even worse. I think ML did the right thing despite the benefit he received in their break-up.

3) I didn’t like how FL wasn’t straightforward with Jae-Shin. She avoided telling him the truth as to why she was breaking up with him over and over again. Just tell him that you know about the fiancée instead of making him guess! This guessing game just didn’t seem to fit her normally straightforward character. Yeah, to her and ML, he was a jerk, but the viewer knows that Jae-Shin isn’t as bad as he seems. He’s a man being suffocated by his father, a woman who’s mentally unstable and her rich family. Instead of Jae-Won begging JS to accept his sister, he should have been making arrangements for her to be placed in a psych ward. No doubt JS’s relationship with FL was the one place he could go and BREATHE, which is why he didn’t want to accept the end of it.

4) I think Jae-Shin is an interesting character, probably the most interesting of the drama. On the surface, he appears like a typical cheating boyfriend, but I felt real sympathy for him and the life he was living. He clearly didn’t want to marry the Hyo-Joo (I despise people who threaten suicide to blackmail the object of their obsession) but felt he couldn’t resist because of his dad’s debt and the deal he made with Jae-Won as a teen. The best thing that happened to him was his dad’s death since it made it possible for him to break free from the toxic Hyo-Joo & Lee family. One of my favorite moments of the drama is when Hyo-Joo asks him later on (after she’s recovered from her obsession) if he ever regrets ending it with her, and he says, ‘Not once.’ Good for you, Jae-Shin! I’m so glad he was able to live free in the end, although, by that time, there was no hope of recovering the woman he loved. Just a side note: Hyo-Joo's outfits were ugly - too big on her and loud.

5) I liked FL's calm voice and manner. She behaved maturely except for the guessing game she put Jae-Shin through. However, I found it hard to like her when she leaves for Europe and eventually dumps ML. Clearly, ML loved her more than she loved him since he was willing to suck it up and wait it out until she returns, but she throws him away like something you once cherished but no longer have time for. Oh, sure, she cried – boo hoo - but the fact remains, that she chose herself over the man she claims to love. I guess, in the modern world, sacrifice is a dirty word, and now, it’s all about ME and MY dreams because you know, I don’t want any regrets. All of us regret at some point, no matter what choice we make. At least, when she comes back, she does acknowledge to her friend how shameless she’d be to expect ML to take her back. If I didn't prefer happy endings, I would have rooted for ML never to take her back. At the very least, he should have made her suffer longer than he did, but we only had an episode to get them back together, I guess. Just one question – why do all these FLs’ dreams involve studying aboard, working aboard? Can no one further their career in their own country, in their own city? And why do most of these dreams seem to be about acquiring power/prestige through career? Is furthering one’s career the only dream these days? I guess I must be showing my age because I still believe that relationships are important and shouldn’t be thrown away so casually. But I guess in the end, since she returned after only 3 years, she found out that her dream wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. That’s the dirty little secret dramaland doesn’t tell the young women watching these dramas – dreams aren’t always what you imagined them to be.

6) Jae-Won and Ji-Seong added a bit of humor, which this Rom-Com was seriously lacking. Uh, writer/director, this is billed as a Rom-COM, which means there should be some comedy involved. This relationship (thanks mostly Jae-Won), the little girl, Ha-Eun, and the coworkers were the only comic relief. For the most part, it was pure romance. I would have liked to see more of Jae-Won and Ji-Seong – it took forever for their romance to get off the ground, mostly because so much time was spent on FL rejecting ML, and ML looking like a lovesick puppy. I know FL was coming out of a broken relationship, but geesh, for the sake of viewer interest, could we move her romance with ML along a bit faster? Heck, why not send her off to Europe early on so she could get Jae-Shin out of her system and be ready for a new love? It would have been kinder to breaks ML’s heart before she actually started a relationship with him, but alas, this great guy is destined to be kicked around by the women in his life.

Overall, it was an ok drama, but I'm not likely to go back and watch again. If I did watch again, it would purely be in order to gaze at that Cutie Pie, Chae Hyun-Seong.

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Surprisingly Good!

I don’t expect much from C-dramas so I go in with low expectations. The Sweet Girl, however, exceeded those expectations. Not once in the 24 episodes did I get bored and press the fast forward button. I think that’s due to most of the drama being focused on ML/FLs romance rather than side romances or intrigue. Don’t get me wrong, there is, indeed, intrigue as a competing workshop tries to cheat their way into winning the chamber of commerce’s competition, but those scenes are kept at a minimum. Just like the secondary romance between Su Yi and Lvshai. Also, there’s plenty of psycho chicks who think they’re the only ones worthy of ML/SMLs love because somehow hanging around them entitles you. But, the psycho chicks, although annoyingly sure of their own worthiness, in no way has a rat rear end’s chance of coming between ML/SML and FL, and subsequently get banished by ML/SML for trying to do so. Nice to see men that take immediate action against these toxic women. Well, anyway, on with the review.

This period piece was set – I think – in the 1920s, which immediately wet my interest. Any time I find a C-drama set in a historical time period other than the dynasties, I pounce like a cat on a mouse. The costumes were romantic and a welcome change to the typical dynasty garb. I just wish more of the women had 20s hairstyles – really only Su Yi’s mom fulfilled that wish. At least, the men had short hair (although with A LOT of product in it), not man buns or long flowing tresses.

ML – If I didn't have a bad case of SML syndrome right from the start, I would have liked him better. Also, if his hairstyle for the first half hadn’t remind me of Edward Scissorhands, I might have like him better…but it was cute how he could expel a puff of air from his mouth and move that one strand of hair on his forehead. Wonder if he could do that naturally or it took him practice. I was impressed with the actor’s ability to express his character’s emotions. His expression turned so sweetly loving when he looked at FL (once he’s fallen in love with her, of course). He really did look like he adored her. And he expressed a fair amount of angst when FL nearly died and then when she was scheduled to marry SML. He also brought humor to the drama – not laugh out loud humor – just smiling to yourself humor. I would have been perfectly satisfied with FL’s choice if it weren’t for SML syndrome.

SML aka Mr. Pei – FL didn’t fall in love with him, but I did, and my heart broke for him as FL gravitated toward ML. I guess that’s the advantage of proximity. Honestly, there was no reason for her to choose ML over SML other than proximity…and the script told her to. Mr. Pei was sweet and kind and elegant. He was so happy when the evil Mrs. Qin arranged for him to marry FL, and my heart broke once again when she was snatched away from him at the last minute. Too be so close to your dream and then have it taken from you – no wonder he hated ML after that! Yeah, he strayed in the psycho chick territory for a while – she’s not yours if she loves the other guy, sweetie - but I still loved him. I kept telling FL that there were worse things than marrying Mr. Pei, and she just wouldn’t listen to me. Darn it!

FL – a typical spunky heroine although she was also incredibly stupid. How could she not know for 20 episodes that ML knew who she was? How could she think that he was in love with the previous Manager Lu when he told her to her face over and over again that he loved her? I can understand thinking he used you to get the book- since you heard something to that effect - but there’s no way she can't know that he knows who she is unless she’s just stupid.

Second couple – Su Yi and Lvshai. They were one of the first C-drama second couples that I was actually interested in - probably because the scriptwriter/director kept their story to the minimum. Their romance didn’t distract from the MC. I did find SFL’s timid behavior rather annoying, and honestly, would these Chinese parents really accept their son marrying a maid/shop worker? I know we’re in the 1920s, but these parents were surprisingly kind and accepting of their son’s choice in wife. Not that I’m complaining – I’ve had more than enough meddling Asian parents! I’m always happy to see nice Asian parents – although I could’ve done without the concubine thing. Sad to know that kind of stuff was still going on in the early 20th century.

The villagers did get on my nerves. First of all, what is this? A village of women and children only? How come Agui was the only male in the village? And why was FL the only woman willing to stand up to the bad guys? I guess the helplessness and dependency of the villagers just rubbed me the wrong way. Also, Grandma had TB but somehow recovered? TB was pretty deadly in those days so I found her recovery a bit far-fetched.

Finally, the ending seemed a bit odd to me. Why would FL suddenly decide to take the kids and head out on an adventure, leaving ML behind? Did she get bored because she was no longer Superflash? I don’t get it. And then ML runs after them to join them in their travels. Uh, who's minding the shop and producing money? Why did this family suddenly decide to travel when everyone was perfectly content at home for the previous 24 episodes? Just makes no sense to me.

But, overall, this drama exceeds my expectations, and I would highly recommend it.

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