summerfancy

So, so bad in so many ways!

The plot idea itself could have had merit if it had been executed properly. I like the idea of a husband trying to get his ex-wife back, and the ex-wife giving him the cold shoulder. However, this drama was pack full of bitches - his mom, his sister and his - well, I don't know what she is - wannabe girlfriend? It's very confusing, especially at the beginning with two women dressed up as brides and one bride stabbing the other. Did this happen or was it some sort of dream? Why are both dressed as brides? So confusing and poorly executed. ML is an absolute asshole, and he doesn't improve much even when he comes to his senses and realizes what he's lost. He pulls her around like a rag doll and punches her male friend when he no longer has the right to do so. I will grudgingly report that he does improve somewhat once she comes back, and there is one bright spot with MLs like this - they treat the obsessed (a.k.a. bat crap crazy & psychotically delusional) love rival like crap as well. But, most importantly, the acting was bad, bad, bad, especially ML's sister and mother. Honestly, the best acting came from the 5 year old kid! HAHA! Loved when she sprayed the psycho chick in the face with a water gun! At least she knows how to take care of vermin! This drama is what we call a B-rate in the US. It might even be worse than a B-rate in terms of acting. Thankfully, it's short. That's all I can say about it.

I raised the music score 1 point since they used a song from 'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.' Apparently, someone on their crew had good taste.

UPDATE: it's amazing how quickly FL forgives this asshole. I guess because he saves her from being run over by his bat crap crazy sister? But hey, it's a short drama so I guess we can't have her lingering over hurt feelings. The scene where the sister tries to run FL over is so bad it's funny. Two questions: 1) why is FL wandering down a deserted street in the middle of the night when she has a kid at home; and 2) why the hell is she walking down the middle of the road instead of a sidewalk? Why does she want to run over FL? Well, the delusional love rival puts her up to it, saying that if FL was gone sister could have SML (Yiran) and crazy love rival could have ML. Yeah, love that logic. It never occurred to these two egotistical twits that both men wouldn't want either of them even if they were the last women on the planet. But I will give this drama credit - it's 10 times better than the other short series called 'If I Never Loved You'. At least, FL knows when to get out of a toxic relationship, and ML is smart enough not to fall for psycho chick's tricks and delusions.

So, why do I keep watching? Well, there comes a point when a movie/TV series is so bad that it becomes funny. It's like Mystery Science Theater 3000. You watch to make fun of it.

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Started at good, hit a speed bump but ended well

It started out well. I loved a country setting because nearly all C-dramas are set in the city. I liked ML finally joining in and helping out on the farm instead of sitting around like a snooty prick. But like most C-dramas, the scriptwriter managed to kill the good feelings in the middle thanks to - you guessed it - a mean chick who was supposedly FL's 'friend'. Then ML gets on his high horse. I recommend skipping 20-23 to the ending, which is happy. Thankfully, these episodes are brief so the angst ought to go quickly if you chose to watch it. I don't recommend it because I can't stand petty men (or women); it particularly looks bad on a man, but ML has that type of personality.

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Typical short WeTV C-drama

This drama is typical of the short, low budget, badly acted C-dramas on WeTV. The storyline had promise if the FL's character had been more likeable; she sort of remains in the snooty rich girl persona, and I could never really sympathize with her dilemma. As for the actress playing the part, she's fairly common in both looks and acting ability. As for looks, she just doesn't stand out - she looks like a hundred other Chinese actresses. There's nothing about her that you'd say 'oh, hey, that's so-so. I like her dramas.' She's not a Tang Seven, Bai Lu, Zhao Lusi or Yuan Qian. In other words, there's nothing recognizable about her. Her acting ability is below average. I don't expect her to ever land a leading role in a major C-drama unless she plays the part of obsessed love rival.

Now ML is a different story altogether and is really the only bright spot in this drama. The viewer immediately sympathizes with him because FL, as bitchy rich girl, dumps him for no good reason other than she's rich and he isn't. Why he wants this chick is beyond me. As she tells him in episode 11, he could do a lot better than her. Ditto! But he's obsessed with her so she's going to remain our FL, unfortunately. His acting ability is above average - his demeanor is more natural and he delivers his lines in a more believable fashion (like he was actually the a character rather than just reading lines). He's wasn't as stiff as a lot of these B-rate MLs are. He has potential of moving up the ladder to a supporting role in a higher budget drama. With better direction, he might even land a leading role some day. The 6.5 stars for acting is based solely on FL and the other characters, not ML. I would have given him an 8.

Overall, the drama was slightly better than other short C-dramas I've seen thanks mainly to storyline and ML.

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Thankfully short

Cute but packed full of typical C-drama tropes/clichés. I really don’t know why the Chinese viewing audience wants to see the same ole plot (and tropes/clichés) over and over again. Isn't there anything else that's romantic other than accidental kisses and slipping females who need to be caught? Come on – FL has TWO rich guys (heirs, of course) pursuing her? What makes her so special as to attract two rich guys? (oh, oh, now I sound like a female love rival!) And how many average girls attend college and run into two heirs? It’s amazing how these dramas insult capitalism over and over but yet ML is almost always from a rich family, and mom/dad always wants their prospective son in law to be successful, i.e. wealthy. And can I just say I’m sick and tired of all this feminine bullying? Just because ML likes FL, the bitchy love rival and her minions have to harass and torment FL…like that’s going to change his mind about who he likes? You’re in college – it’s time to grow up. What’s worse is that the teacher (supposedly the adult) just let’s this kind of behavior slide or believes what the crazy love rival and her minions claim. So, ML has to come to the rescue when the adults in the college ought to crack down on this kind of behavior in their classrooms. And in this case, the perpetrators receive no punishment for their acts (destroying everyone’s project). They show crocodile tears and teacher says ‘ok, there's nothing more to see'. I'm not going to bother watching the rest even though it's short because I can probably guess what the other 16 episodes contain - nothing new, just more tropes/clichés and love rival bullying that goes unpunished. I'm sure at some point the love rival bitch will say to ML - 'I've loved you forever (translation: so I deserve your love because I'm like dog poop stuck to your shoe - you'll never get rid of me. And never mind that I'm a spoiled brat and have the personality of a viper- force yourself to love me, damn it!). Why her and not me? I'm so much better than her (translation: my ego is to the point of being delusional, and I ought to be in a straight jacket but this drama needs, well, drama, so I'm free to torment both you and your love interest until I suddenly come to my senses and then, hey, we're all good, right?)' Been there, done that, I'm not interested in listening to it again...and again...and again. Oh, and another thing that's typical - the costuming of the females. FL designs and wears some really ugly outfits. Can't believe that thing she designs and dresses ML in at the end actually won 1st place! Honestly, he looked like a male figure skater getting ready to compete in that get-up and the tennis shoes really finished the look {eye roll}. And let's not forget the perquisite control freak rich parent that refuses to accept ML's choice because they've got his partner already picked out - the bitchy love rival, of course. Yep, this drama has that too. At least, ML tells Mom to shove it and continues living as a pauper rather than give into his parent's plans for his life. If you can stand all these tropes/drama devices/clichés, it's one of the better template romances - probably because it's thankfully short.

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Worth the Watch if You Can Tolerate the Exes

This is basically a drama about first loves vs. new loves so be prepared for far too much time spent on ML/FL’s exes. I would have enjoyed this drama more if we’d had more time watching the sweet and emotionally mature romance between ML/FL rather than watching their annoying (ML’s ex) and psychotic (FL’s ex) exes trying to win these two back. The audacity of these two exes is breathtaking, especially the female ex. So, let’s start with the bad first.

The bad – the exes. ML’s ex is No-uel. I call her the Christmas cupcake since her name looks like ‘Noel’ and she’s got the personality of a cupcake – nauseating sweet and fluffy, a typical ‘damsel in distress’ who thinks men have to roll over and do her bidding because she’s pretty. What ML (Hae-Kyong) ever saw in this woman in beyond me other than the script told his character that he had to love her in the past. She has absolutely no personality or uniqueness that warrants this man’s devotion. She a selfish, spoiled, narcissistic, immature, entitled brat of a woman. All she’s got going for her is her body and her looks. I wouldn’t expect a man of ML’s depth to be in love with such a shallow, superficial character. Her character is totally useless to this whole drama other than ML had to have a ‘first love’ to correspond with FL having a ‘first love’ who comes back out of the blue. It makes absolutely no sense why ML would still be confused about his feelings for this woman because she doesn’t deserve his love. I never once believed that No-uel ever truly loved ML. It was always all about her, and it's still all about her. Now, FL’s ex. Jae-Hyuk is a first-class psycho, but at least, his character is interesting, and I did feel some sympathy for him because of his emotional torment and mental illness. I didn’t doubt his love for FL although it was an obsessive, unhealthy love. The actor, Lee Ji Hoon, does a terrific job portraying this character. Unlike No-uel, Jae-Hyuk was an actual danger to this couple & himself. But around episode 10, I had had enough of these two exes and simply wanted them to GO AWAY, especially No-uel. I didn’t mind Jae-Hyuk sticking around a bit longer since I wanted to know the real reason he left FL and his background with Keanu. Jae-Hyuk mattered to the plot; No-uel didn’t. Way too much time was spent on the exes and the leads’ continuing relationship with them. Honestly, ML shouldn’t have had as much trouble as he did turning the cupcake down flat, considering how she treated him during their relationship (she admits cheating on him). However, I could understand FL’s struggle since Jae-Hyuk treated her well before their break-up.

Now, the good. ML was WONDERFUL! This man is a saint! A true gem! How any woman could treat him like No-uel or even FL (she was always pushing him away; I wanted to shake some sense into her several times) is beyond me. He was perfect…other than being a tad too cautious and reserved. And he was just too nice. He needed to be firmer with No-uel and tell the woman ‘there’s no way in hell I’m getting back together with you so keep your tears and your hands to yourself, especially in front of my new woman.’ Don’t just look uncomfortable – take action and push her hands away, buddy. In this instance, he needed to be more like a Chinese ML who is flat-out rude to the female love rival. Other than his lingering feelings for that cupcake – which was completely illogical in my opinion - he was everything a woman would want – handsome, successful, gentle, understanding, etc. Why FL took so long to see that is purely a contrivance of the script to drag out the drama – a real woman would have pounced on this man and never let go! I do like how his character does become bolder, more willing to display emotion and take risks - the very things cupcake wanted, Do-Hee, without any conscious effort on her part, manages to pull out of him.

I liked FL (Do-Hee) a lot. She had spunk but she was mature, especially in her relationship with ML. They both trusted and respected each other so there wasn’t a lot of jumping to conclusions or misunderstandings. They felt like one of those couples that are just ‘meant to be’ since they managed to stick together despite the clingy exes that circled them like flies. At about episode 10, if I were either of the two leads, I would have gone off on my ex since they were starting to behave like dog poop you can’t get off your shoe. Stop harassing me already! I don’t love you anymore! It was frustrating how it took Do-Hee so long to commit to Hae-Kyong, but I suppose it's reasonable for her to hold back after the two ex-boyfriends she'd had, but it made so sense to me how she felt her past was an obstacle to her relationship with ML. He knew all the ugly bits and still loved her so what's the problem? She played the noble idiot 1-2 times, but at least, it was brief! But, boy, it was heart-breaking for the viewer to watch Hae-Kyong's confusion and misery.

My biggest complaint: the scriptwriter/director really needed to give us more sweet romance between the leads – they were so darn cute together. It was so adorable when they both were imagining romantic scenes with each other. And boy, it was a long wait for their first kiss! Fortunately, as we near the end and the problem of Jae-Hyuk is resolved, we get more cuteness as they settle into their relationship. The final episode is like a sigh of relief after the tension/angst of the proceeding 2-3 episodes.

The supporting cast was good as they are with nearly all K-Dramas. I don’t know how the Koreans do it, but they have a wonderful knack for creating interesting side characters. The side romance between Ah-Yeong and Keanu was cute as well and was well balanced so it didn’t distract from MC’s romance. It was a little odd how Geun knew everybody in the love square individually – what’s the probability of that in real life? He was like a spoke that they all revolved around. I absolutely loved how he finally scolded No-uel for her selfish behavior. My advice to her - look, honey, there are consequences to the decisions you make so now you have to live with them. You can't have back the toy you threw away.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama, although I fast forwarded through most of No-uel because she was just an irritant (although her character does improve once she stops harassing Hae-Kyong). If you can put up with exes that just won’t go away and a slow burn romance that makes you want to shake the leads at times, then watch this drama. The sweet moments between ML/FL are worth it…not to mention Song Seung-heon’s (ML) smile. If they ever made the webtoon/comic ‘The Office Blind Date’ into a drama, I think Song Seung-Heon just might be handsome enough to play the lead role of Kang Tae-Mu. The only reason I marked the re-watch value low is because there's too many scenes with the exes and not enough of the leads being romantic.

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Meh! She chose the wrong guy, IMO

I haven't much to say about this drama. It was okay but not memorable. In my opinion, she chose the wrong guy. I preferred Bai Bing to ML. I didn't have anything against ML - he was alright - but for me, he was blah. Just a little too stiff, a little to unemotional. Kind of like a plank of wood. I mean, come on, what kind of sculptor wears a suit while sculpting? Of course, that's the costume designer's fault, but I'm sorry, I just couldn't take him seriously as a sculptor when he's sitting at a desk in a tie. I expect a sculptor to be in a studio with his hands dirty. Bai Bing wasn't the most expressive dude, but at least I got a sense of quiet longing from him. The other couples weren't memorable either. So, all I can say about this drama is 'meh'. It manages to avoid some of those really annoying C-drama plot devices like delusional women and tyrannical parents, but the romance just wasn't there to make up for it. The MC's chemistry was zero.

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Meh

As far as acting and plot, it's one of the better 'shorts'. My only complaint - the ML is a coward, as he himself says at the end. He allows guy after a guy to walk away with FL without lifting a finger to stop it. So, to me, he's sort of a milk toast character, unworthy of being the ML. He gets ready to confess in episode 23, but once again, let's another guy walk off with FL, and then he just up and leaves for the company's overseas branch without even telling her or saying goodbye. And, as far as I can tell, they don't communicate with each other while he's overseas...like you don't have each other's number and can't text??? Sorry, it just wasn't satisfying. I'd rather her have ended up with the best friend - at least, he made an effort. Still, as mentioned, it's one of the better shorts in terms of acting and filming so you won't be too disappointed if you watch.

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At least, it stopped being a Boys Over Flowers/Meteor Garden remake

I was glad to see that the sequel veered away from the BOF/MG and became its own story. However, Season 2 was mostly about a family squabble/competition between the stepbrother and ML. Stepbrother turns out to be a Long by blood after all (too bad he didn't know that before he had to give up Yoona - not that I liked Yoona - but what a raw deal!) and challenges ML's right to succession. During this competition, ML begins to mature (although I think he returns to immaturity in Season 3 and has to start the process over again).

We're also introduced to a new b***** who successfully convinces FL to play the noble idiot role and dump ML so she can have him because 'they're a perfect match' - apparently, because both are a couple of rich, entitled jerks. She looks about 10 years older than him so it can't be because they share common experiences like someone his own age. In exchange for dumping him, the rich b**** will use her family power to back ML over half-brother (aka stepbrother). Fortunately, the artist friend/love rival from last Season deliberately lets the cat out of the bag to ML, and ML puts a kybosh to the plan. For once, his obsession with FL actually saves the day - he ain't marry nobody but FL - and the rich b**** is actually sane enough to give him up. Must be because of those advanced years.

Finally, I regret to say we also meet a new character called Yangyang, and boy, is this girl annoying. Sorry but I really, really hate her hair - the color looks like a bad dye job, ok? She's supposedly the sister of both of these dudes, but apparently not, because she confesses to the stepbrother who's now the half-brother in later episodes. He rejects her. Thank God! Please, please don't put our cute boy -next-door Wei Zhemeng with this dingbat in Season 3. I'd rather him be with that sugary-sweet Yoona or better yet remain single. None of these chicks are worthy of him.

Well, that's the highlights.

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Another Boys Over Flowers/Meteor Garden remake but with a few differences

This is very much like Boys Over Flowers/Meteor Garden, but with a few subtle differences. The violin player becomes ML's stepbrother, and the male love rival becomes an artist who just happens to be an old friend of ML's. I personally don't know why Asian women are so infatuated with this type of ML (bossy, overbearing CEO). Yeah, there's a primitive part of me that is thrilled by his possessiveness and persistence in declaring her his girlfriend (even when she declares that she isn't), but he's really an ass, especially with his childish behavior following the picture incident. Frankly, she ought to have been glad to finally get rid of him so she could further her relationship with the more mature and considerate SML. I can understand wanting to clear your name but just ignore him. When he sees you having a good time with SML, he'll get off his high horse.

This picture incident is followed up by more childish behavior re: FL and his stepbrother. One reviewer felt the fault lies with FL because ML told her to stay away from his stepbrother, however, I'm sorry, but nobody has the right to dictate who she's allowed to associate with, ok? That's taking possessiveness too far, and the fault of the last 2 episodes rest mostly on the bullying chick and ML. If ML hadn't been an immature ass and just believed FL, she would have never been outside in the storm. However, bat crap crazy grandpa banishes her and basically forces her to leave town. If I were her, I'd say 'good riddance' to this toxic jerk and his tyrannical granddad and take up with the guy I should have originally taken up with. This drama reminds me a lot of 'Chasing Ball' as well - dumb FL choses the immature jerk instead of the guy who's always there to love and support her. Heck, at this point, even the stepbrother would be a better choice even if he was declaring himself in love with Yoona only a couple episodes ago. BTW, I preferred the Yoona character in Boys Over Flowers/Meteor Garden better than this chick. At least, the character in the other two dramas chose her career rather than being forced into an arranged business marriage by her family.

Even though I think ML is an immature jerk (and my last choice among the available men), he does have his cute moments. Of course, these moments only occur when FL is obeying him and everything is going his way. You know, I actually like childish MLs, but I like the ones who's childishness isn't tyrannical, destructive or borders on psychotic. Examples: MLs in Brilliant Class 8, Out with a Bang, Moonlight, Superstar Assistant, etc. These guys had diva-like egos and could be petulant/grumpy, but they didn't act like they owned FL nor did they throw tantrums. They also didn't abandon FL when she needed them most. That's the real kicker - both the MLs of Chasing Ball and this drama wouldn't believe in FL and abandoned her in front of everyone. That's unforgivable in my book.

FL knows Taekwondo, but she can't use it because of her 'Venus' image, causing her to be bullied by a bunch of b******. So, why even bring in the Taekwondo thing if she can't use it? She does finally kick a few girl butts, but apparently, she's not good enough to kick male butts. I wish for once these FLs would properly kick the butts of their bullies. I get tired of the helpless female who can just stand there pathetically as she's pushed, shoved and plastered with water/flour/food.

That's about all I have to say about this drama. In some ways, I prefer it to Boys Over Flowers/Meteor right now. It's removed a few of the elements I disliked about those dramas. So far, ML is not being forced to marry some rich brat...but there's still Season 2 and the Chinese have a way of ruining a good start. Grandpa already forced ML to go to Paris and he's banished the girl so I wouldn't put the arranged marriage thing past him next season.

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Still enjoyable despite the typical cliches/tropes

When I watch a drama or movie, I’m looking for pure romance. That’s why I loved ‘Be My Princess’. It was one of the most romantic C-dramas I’ve ever watched. That being said, I’m not a big fan of all the cliches/tropes – try using your imaginations, screenwriters! There are other scenes you can create that’s romantic that don’t involve umbrellas, accidental kisses, clumsy FLs who need caught all the time, blisters on heels, MLs cooking and cuts on fingers, ok? Oh, and let's not forget that one of the leads have to come down with a mysterious fever that's miraculously gone the next morning. Nevertheless, there were some really sweet, romantic moments in this drama that are worth watching. They did a good job creating a romantic mood in the scenes that should be romantic, and the MC actually shared some decent kisses, especially in episode 17. Despite the fact that this drama is loaded with cliches/tropes and some real nutcase love rivals, it’s worth watching. I don’t think it deserves some of the bad reviews it got on this site. I’ve seen much, much worse.

Ok, let’s start with ML. He’s gorgeous, especially when shot from the side where his hair falls on his forehead. Although he starts off a bit cold, it’s clear he’s a softie on the inside and actually a little too soft, especially when it comes to dealing with psycho chick. Don’t get me wrong – he shows her no affection and states clearly (finally) that he never liked her – but he shouldn’t have allowed her to remain in the company (since she only joined to stalk him), and honestly, he needed to get a restraining order. His scolding of FL in episode 12 nearly had me dropping this drama. He basically takes psycho’s side and tells FL she acted inappropriately in the workplace. While I agree that FL stupidly placed herself under this nut job’s dominion by joining her department, she acted no more inappropriately than psycho chick who took credit for FL’s design ideas. That scolding really burnt me up, and I was as pissed off as FL. I also think he went a little too bat crap crazy over his ‘obsession’. FL was right – he needed to deal with it and seek help. She approached the subject calmly and sympathetically, but he totally overreacted, causing her, and pretty much everyone else, to overreact during ‘the typhoon’ scene. Finally, I did not feel sorry for him when he learned that FL was filling in for her sister for the following reasons: 1) he started this whole thing by wanting to deceive grandma. If FL owes him an apology, he owes grandma one; 2) he was pretty stupid not to realize the girl in the garage wasn’t the girl who met him and signed the contract. Their attire alone should have been his first clue, ok?; and 3) he’s pissed off because FL didn’t trust him enough to tell him, but the reason she didn’t tell you was because she was afraid you’d react just like you’re reacting now, buddy. So, I don’t blame her from keeping it from you. Overall, he was one of the better MLs, but I didn't love him so he didn’t make it into my ML Hall of Fame.

FL – I congratulate the costume designer for controlling themselves and dressing her like an ordinary girl. She wore small earrings and flat shoes and for the most part her attire was tasteful. However, I think the neckline on the dress she wore to the auction could have been more mature. She looked like a child next to the other women at the auction. Her reactions could be childish, and she got upset easily and jumped to conclusions a few times. However, I did like how she stood up to psycho chick’s taunts, and even if ML felt it inappropriate, I liked how she ‘marked’ him as her property right in front of psycho chick. You go, girl! That being said, I wish she’d just told ML her big secret instead of moping around. Just rip the Band-Aid off, girl, since no matter how or when you do it, he’s going to be upset because we need a plot device to cause separation and angst in the final episodes.

Now for the love rivals – these two (Nanfong Liuli & Fu Boya) were certified crazies. Nanfong was absolutely, 100% delusional, and even after ML told her that he never liked her, she still wouldn’t give it up. This woman needed to be in a psych ward instead of loose on the streets of China, ok? And Fu Boya needed to be in a psych ward next to her because he knew she was mental yet he deliberately submarined FL/ML’s relationship so crazy girl could be happy. What a really pathetic couple these two were. By the end of their usefulness as drama devices, I just wanted them off my screen. I don’t know why in C-dramas these types of characters are pampered by family, friends and even the leads instead of being placed under psychological care. I mean I’ve watched dramas were ML even goes as far as agreeing to marry a crazy because the family puts pressure on him. No, mom and dad, your daughter needs psychological care instead of getting her way once again. The reason she’s a psycho is because you’ve spoiled her rotten. Don’t keep doing it or she’ll never become a well-adjusted member of society. I also find it ridiculous how in a lot of these C-dramas, the crazy miraculously becomes sane, and we’re all good. Happened in this one too. Suddenly, crazy girl is no longer crazy and actually apologizing to FL. What?! And just a word of advice to the actress playing Nanfong - eat some food, girl!!!

To be honest, after these two crazies, I had no patience for the bitchy sister so I skipped through the last 5-6 episodes. I did like how ML was totally repulsed by evil sis and gave her verbal slap downs at every opportunity. I did feel sympathy for him during this period since FL's response to his desire to send sis packing was totally illogical.

Oddly enough, I liked the second couple. I usually don’t in C-dramas, but I liked An’an and Situ and their romance. I found them cute and not overly annoying like most besties. I do think they overreacted when FL wandered off during the rain storm (maybe she just wanted to be alone? You think?), but overall, I found them amusing, and I think the screenwriter/director managed to find the right balance between them and the MC. The nice thing about the 2nd couple? They rarely have psycho chicks or SMLs clinging to them so the only thing annoying about them is...well, their personalities.

Finally, grandma, of course, wins the award for being the most likeable. She reminded me of Maurice Chevalier with ‘I’d Rather Be Rich’ where he fakes an illness to get his granddaughter married. I love it when Asian parents assist the romance instead of trying to destroy and hinder it. It adds humor and likeability to the character(s).

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Good but frustrating

Although I think the FL blew it in terms of choosing the best boyfriend, this was a pretty good C-drama. I stayed engaged throughout and was interested in most of the characters. However, the constant quarrelling of the MC did get tedious – make up, break up, make up, break up - it was sort of like the table tennis they were playing, and maybe that was the intent of the director/scriptwriter, but after 36 episodes, I was yelling at her to ‘dump him already!’ I felt about as exhausted as she looked when she broke up with him for the last time.

FL (Yan Xiaoxi) was a likeable FL; she just had poor taste in men, in my opinion. She wasn’t the typical ‘cutesy’ C-drama heroine, which apparently was the problem if you listened to ML’s friend, Yun Gaoyang, who felt every girl should be a coquette like his girlfriend, Nana, or syrupy sweet like the female villain, Bai Wei (a.k.a. the Biscuit B**** – my pet name for her). FL was just an ordinary girl with good table tennis skills and a tremendous amount of patience since she stoically put up with ML’s childish behavior and the cat fights between DongDong (her tomboy friend) and the campus Belle, Tong Jiayue. Her biggest faults were 1) her choice of boyfriend; and 2) taking it upon herself to deliver justice for her adoptive dad. As far as I know, dad never asked her to - she just assumed that if she were him, he’d want justice - and this quest of hers got her into a lot of trouble.

ML (Qi Jinghao) – we are told by Bai Wei and others that Jinghao is the ‘perfect boyfriend’. In what universe?! He’s a terrible boyfriend, mostly due to his immaturity. Although he certainly had his cute moments and was convincingly anguished over their numerous break-ups, his immature responses to any perceived slight by Xiaoxi or disobedience to his orders was the #1 reason they quarreled so much. One of his problems was he listened too much to his funny but stupid friend, Yun Gaoyang, whose ideal woman was a simpering coquette, which was the opposite of Xiaoxi’s personality. She wasn’t the type to stroke a guy’s ego or blindly obey. His second problem was that he craved attention and affection, a result of growing up without his mother’s love so he was always upset when Xiaoxi didn’t show him the attention he wanted. My biggest issue with ML was he was way too immature for a relationship, which led to constant quarrelling and climaxing in his abandonment of FL when she needed him most. So, why the heck would she stay with this guy, especially when she had a perfect boyfriend waiting in the wings? Stockholm Syndrome apparently.

Which brings us to the guy FL should have chosen, Li Sheng. I admit at times that I struggle with SML syndrome just like everyone else, but in the end, I usually lean towards ML. Not in this case. I’m 100% a member of Team Li Sheng. His only fault was not finding FL before she fell under the spell of Jinghao. Now, this guy WAS the perfect boyfriend. Not only should he have been leading the table tennis club due to his athletic skill and calm, mature nature but he should have gotten the girl as well. He was always there for Xiaoxi, and even scooped her off the road like a drowned rat after Jinghao’s abandonment, carried her home and took care of her. This boy was long-suffering and deserved her devotion yet she continually returned to the man child. I didn’t get it. I guess the only explanation is – good guy finish last. I wish Xiaoxi had been as smart of Hou Jianbei when he discovered the Biscuit B**** had used him to get close to Jinghao. He dumped her and ended up with the girl who’d liked him from the beginning (Jiayue). If only FL had come to her senses and went to the guy who’d demonstrated his love over and over again in actions, not a bunch of tears and anguished expressions. In my imagination, she did since the drama didn’t explicitly say that she cancelled the final break-up with Jinghao. Besides, with their relationship, just wait a little longer, Li Sheng. They’ll break up again. Someday she's got to get tired of this guy!

The side characters – Gaoyang could be humorous as well as annoying. I felt so sorry for Hou Jianbai being played by the Biscuit B**** so she could get Jinghao. He was too soft and gentle to be used like that. I’m glad he finally realized who had loved him from the beginning. Tong Jiayue was a b**** at first, but she became more likeable. At least, she didn’t pretend to be your friend like the Biscuit B****, Bai Wei, while plotting against you.

The mystery of dad’s expulsion took a back seat for several episodes as the drama focused on MC’s make ups and break ups, etc., but it was the source of all the trouble that FL experienced, and although justice was met in the end, I can’t help but think that it would have been better to just leave this past incident alone. Dad was living fine and wasn’t demanding justice so why open a can of worms that brought a lot of people further pain and suffering?

I would recommend this drama if you can put up with an immature ML, constant breakups and a stupid FL who doesn’t know a good man when she sees him. This is the first time the supporting cast kept me watching when the constant breakups of the MC became tedious.

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Although not the best K-drama, it's still worthy of watching

It wasn’t as good as most K-dramas, but it was better than the typical C-drama. The supporting cast, as usual, was made up of unique characters and relationships. The plot itself was interesting enough to hold the viewer’s attention, although it took several episodes before we got to where the ‘Strongest Deliveryman’ title entered into the picture. I think the weakness was in the male leads – not the actors – just the characters they were portraying. Both men spent too much time wallowing around in self-pity while the female leads provided the backbone they both needed.

Let’s start with Kang-Soo (ML) – without a doubt, he was nice, friendly, honorable, everybody loved him. He had made tons of friends. However, I found him a bit too righteous, especially in his quest to put Jin-Gyu (SML) behind bars because he and his cohorts closed down a highway to race, which delayed Kang-Soo’s friend/half-brother from getting timely medical care. I really dislike this need to seek justice/revenge (in other words, find somebody to blame) in Asian dramas. The half-brother ran a red light so he was ultimately responsible for the accident, however, Kang-Soo insisted on bringing Jin Gyu to justice as though he deliberately and maliciously harmed Hyun-Soo. Putting JG behind bars isn't going to make HS wake up, ok? And if we're going to be fair, why are they only targeting JG? There were other rich kids at that race. (BTW, what is it with Korean Chaebols and golf clubs? This is the second guy I've seen getting beat with a golf club!) I just wish Kang-Soo had shown this kind of tenacity when Ma Jung tried to destroy his business. He’s like Samson - once he changed his hair style, he lost all his strength/backbone. I really preferred this actor as the ghost in Chicago Typewriter. Although Kang-Soo was a likeable character, I didn’t love him like I have other MLs. He was too soft and squishy for my tastes.

Jin Gyu (SML) – I actually liked him better than Kang-Soo because he was a redeemed character. He started out as a good for nothing rich playboy and ended up being a useful member of the Deliveryman team as well as society. I liked how he refused to return to his family in the final episode, preferring to remain independent. I wish more rich MLs would do that instead of letting mom and dad tell them who to marry, etc. Although he wallowed around in self-pity for far too long, he was shrewder than Kang-Soo and thought outside the box when it came to business. It was really Jin Gyu as well as Min Chan who saved Strongest Deliveryman. Jin Gyu told them what I was telling them from my armchair several episodes prior to the ‘takedown’ by Ma Jung – don’t focus solely on the food alley and deliver something besides food. A good businessperson knows not to put all your eggs in one basket. I felt really bad for Jin Gyu having to be paired with that dingbat, Ji-Yoon. Yes, their bickering was cute and amusing, but she was SO annoying! I would have preferred him with Dan-ah and let Kang-Soo have the dingbat.

Dan-ah (FL) – she was the most likeable lead character of the group, in my opinion. She was tough and gutsy, having got that way by experiencing the ups and downs on life and coming through them still standing. She was really the backbone of this group, having saved Jin Gyu from drowning and smacking some sense into Kang-Soo when he ran away. I only wish she hadn’t joined the others in ostracizing Jin Gyu when she found out about his role in Hyun-Soo’s coma. I had hoped that she would have stood against the group and remained Jin Gyu’s friend. And let him keep his promise to you - accept his money, girl! She definitely had a cynical streak, but once she’d made a promise to Kang-Soo to stay, she had the strength to keep that promise when circumstances became difficult.

Ji-Yoon (SML) – unlike some bloggers I’ve read, I simply couldn’t warm up to this character. She was a dingbat and really annoying, especially when she was tormenting JG when he was trying to sleep. It felt like she was a little rich girl who was playing at being independent. I give her credit for not running back home when things got tough, but that didn’t overcome the annoyance factor. I honestly don’t know how Jin Gyu could stand being with her, let alone marrying her someday.

I’d like to comment on the other characters, but simply don't have time, and I'm sure you don't want to read a book. As with most K-dramas, the supporting cast was unique and memorable and added to the overall drama with humor and heart-warming togetherness.

This wasn’t the best K-drama I’ve watched, but it was solid and certainly better than most C-dramas. You won’t be wasting your time by watching it.

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The star of the drama is definitely Black

A viewer needs to pay attention to the smallest details in this drama because all are incorporated in the overall plot. It feels a little chaotic and disjointed in the earlier episodes as you meet a lot of characters and situations that appear to be unrelated, but as the episodes progress to the end, all these details are drawn together to culminate in one overarching event that involves our leads. It’s a masterfully woven plot that makes sense until the last 10 minutes where everything you’ve just watched is nullified and voided, bringing us to the old problem experienced with time travel plots – remove a character in the past and you’ve just opened up a can of unsatisfying worms as the viewer is left with more questions than answers. I understand the desire for a happy ending – I want a happy ending too – but I think a better ending could have been created for our MC. I’ll discuss this at the end in more detail. Also, just a FYI – almost everybody wants to kill themselves at some point. I’ve never seen so many suicide attempts on one drama.

The star of the show is, of course, Black, the grim reaper stuck in a human body, and Song Seung-Heon does a fabulous job bringing this character to life. First of all, he’s just damn good-looking with his upswept hair and black clothing, and his badass attitude just oozes ‘cool’. I loved how this character at first disdains humans, being rude and bad tempered. It was a good transition between actors as well – from Kim Tae-woo as GR Black to Song Seung-Heon as MG Black. KTW set the tone and SSH maintained it. Episode 2 is hilarious as the grim reaper adjusts to life in a human body in a human world. Who knew a grim reaper could be so funny? I just loved his bad-tempered grumbling, outbursts of annoyance and frustration with FL as she continually runs off to save someone, placing herself in danger and forcing him to break GR rules and save humans. At one point, he calls her a beagle, and my advice to him – put a leash on her. I shared his frustration as this girl didn’t know when to stop her crazy quest to save pretty much everyone who’s scheduled to die. It’s amazing how a grim reaper could so quickly become an ace detective, connecting the dots and completing the investigation that Det. Na had been working on. Not to mention solving the Joon mystery. Loved in episode 15 how he’s in Moo Gang persona when confronting the congressman but when he comes outside, he’s Black again with black clothing and upswept hair. I guess he made sure to bring some hair putty along with his change of clothing. HA! Also, cute how Man-Soo’s hair takes an upward turn when he temporarily borrowed one of Black’s suits in an earlier episode. HAHA!

I liked FL when she was tough and gutsy, but boy, this girl manic depressive! Like Black, I began to get frustrated with her impulsive rush to save everyone with a shadow. I mean, chill, girl! Her reckless, impulsive behavior from child to adult caused quite a few problems. As she found out, sometimes you need to be selective regarding who you save because you may be saving a serial killer. Personally, when it comes to ‘shadows’, I think it’s best to let fate take its course and not interfere. Was this actress pregnant during the filming of this drama? They continually dress her is very baggy, ill-fitting clothes that make her appear frumpy.

Many of the characters were interesting and added to the overall drama. I liked Black’s grim reaper friends (although I’m not sure why Hip Hop had to change in appearance – something about GRs not having human faces – and once he was found, why didn’t he go to heaven like Clara? I know he said he would go with Black but can GRs decide when they will and won’t go?) I liked Man-Soo although he needed to grow a pair with that deranged brother of his and stop letting him pummel him with a golf club. I couldn’t watch when he lost his dog. I’m surprised the writer even put a scene like that in, but this drama was a lot gorier than most so I guess cruelty to animals goes along with showing us intestines and brain matter.

The ending was a disappointment and as mentioned above left the viewer with more questions than answers. In the last 10-15 minutes, Black, in front of the death squad, asks for Joon to have never existed. We then see Ha-Ram living a happy life without either Joon or Black until she’s an old woman. Black comes to pick her up and they walk off together to paradise, I guess. Here’s my problem with this – Joon was involved in multiple people’s lives so what happened to those characters? Without Joon, Moo Gang doesn’t get a heart so did Moo Gang die? Without Joon’s heart, MG wouldn’t have thought Soo-Wan was the girl for him so chances are MG and SW were never involved (if MG is alive). And how does Joon never existing stop Ha Ram’s father from dying and being taken over by a reaper, thus keeping HR from being half reaper? And then, if Joon never existed, why does Black still look like MG when he meets Ha Ram after her death, and if Joon never existed to go missing that means Black would never have been a reaper. Since Joon’s body was found (or having never existed), why is Black meeting Ha-Ram? Shouldn’t he be in heaven or not even exist? And why does the loser inside of Leo still remember Black/Joon and have his bracelet if he never existed? See what I mean? So many unanswered questions because the writer felt the need to give Ha-Ram a happy ending. Couldn’t she have been happy dying and joining Black in the afterlife sooner? Or better yet couldn’t the writer have found a way for Black to become human and live the life his stepmom had denied him? And if you were committed to having Ha-Ram live a happy life without Joon/Black, the writer could have at least had her married to Man-Soo instead of some unknown husband. After all, Man-Soo deserved a happy ending after the crappy life he had. I’m just saying that they could have created a better happy ending than the one we got. It was only minimally acceptable. Enough said. Oh, wait, one more thing - why do old ladies always have to have curly gray hair, especially when they always had straight, long hair in their younger years? Such a bad makeup job on these two.

Villain Awards: First Place – Moo Gang’s mom for murdering a child to save hers. Second Place - Congressman Kim (and all the other rich old perverts) for numerous heinous crimes, including rape and murder. Third Place – Man-Soo’s brother for animal cruelty and overall assholery. Fourth Place – a tie between Missing Finger and the psycho serial killer. Fifth Place – Ha-Ram’s mom who was living happily enough with her husband until she finds out he’s a grim reaper, and then he’s suddenly disgusting and she has to leave him and her child for a child/wife abuser.

Stupid Awards: First Place – the young Ha-Ram – did you really think you could shoot a freaking shadow, kiddo? Second Place – Joon for having a crush on Soo-wan and thus getting entangled in her problems. Third Place – the adult Ha-Ram for recklessly trying to save the world from black shadows. Fourth Place – Moo Gang for thinking the magical heart fluttering meant he should be with Soo-wan and thus following his brother down the path of destruction because of this woman’s baggage. Fifth Place – Black for doing the noble idiot thing. I much preferred his idea of living out his life in MG's body and being happy with Ha-Ram. Sixth Place: the last 10-15 minutes of the drama.

Annoying Award: Soo-wan. Yeah, she has a tragic backstory, but all this woman did was run from and fret over her past instead of confronting it and sending that dirtbag to jail 20 years ago. She was a victim throughout and only briefly got enough courage to help Black and the other detectives trap the congressman into a confession. Also, she clung to Moo-Gang like dog poop even when it was clear he was no longer Moo Gang. At least, she did the noble thing and helped Black get Ha-Ram’s trust back. Really this one girl/woman was the cause of both brothers dying.

I wanted to give this drama a perfect 10, but I took off a star for the crappity-ass ending. Ha-Ram shouldn't be the only one getting a happy ending and was it really happy without Black/Joon?

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Typical old school C-drama

This drama was filmed in 2004, and it shows. The storyline is typical of old school C-dramas - naive FL, evil female love rival and rich tyrannical parent. FLs family is ok - there's even a cute white bunny who yawns - and her love rival is non-evil although he's a motorcycle dude. ML (of course - ML always has the crappy family bc he's rich) has an asshole dad trying to force him to marry his ex-girlfriend. His mom is sweet and accepting of FL, and it's mom who saves the day at the end by stopping ML's wedding to the b****. And, yeah, FL is also getting married on the same day to a different guy, but SML does the honorable thing and calls off the wedding. Why are men always portrayed as honorable in C-dramas while women are evil, vindictive b****** who will do anything to marry ML? What does that say about Chinese opinion of females? At least, that's beginning to change in current dramas - well, not really, there's still too many obsessed female love rivals. Well, anyway, both weddings come to a halt in final episode and then we get a happy MC wedding scene where we see all the baddies smiling happily. What? Suddenly ML's dad and Katrina are happy about ML marrying FL? Why couldn't they have gotten on board earlier so we wouldn't have had to be tortured like this? Well, anyway, the plot is typical and soapy.

The filming is pretty bad. Too many close-up shots and filmed at strange angles. What am I? An ant that I have to view them from the ground? I'm glad filming, at least, has progressed in China and most C-dramas no longer have shots like these. Now, if we could only get rid of the evil female love rivals, tyrannical rich parent(s) and usual romantic tropes/cliches like falling in ML's arms for an accidental kiss, tripping into his arms, band aids on heels, etc., etc. Surely romantic gestures/situations aren't limited to these. Use your imaginations!

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Would have been better to end at 24 episodes

First off, I’m not a big fan of FLs who worship, adore and crush on MLs right from the beginning of the drama. I feel FL is instantly put at a disadvantage in the relationship, especially with the MLs who are Abominable Snowmen a.k.a. cold, indifferent jerks. Unlike Korean's Snowmen, Chinese ones never seem to melt enough to make me love them. So, right off the bat, I wasn't thrilled with the story line. But that's just me. If you don't mind this kind of FL, then that's not a negative.

Also, this drama seems to shine positive light on FL’s perseverance in pursing this guy. Uh, yeah, perseverance is a good thing, but I’ve seen too many C-dramas where love rivals, ex-girlfriends, etc. can’t seem to let go/give up/go away/get a life no matter how many times ML tells them he’s not interested or how many times he’s outright rude to them so I’m not sure I like the message that’s being conveyed. We've got enough psycho chicks in these dramas; we don't need to create real ones in real life. Sometimes, no, a lot of times perseverance is not enough to make someone fall in love with you, which we’ve seen over and over in C-drama love rivals.

MC had their cute moments, but honestly, I preferred Lu Jingwen, even if he was a playboy. I liked his teasing nature. What can I say? I just love rascals…as long as they get reformed and stick to one lady, which most do in these dramas, if they happen to be the ML.

As far as story and set go, at times, I wondered if ML had stepped out of Lucky’s First Romance into Cute Programmer because 1) it’s the gaming industry again and 2) the office space looked suspiciously like the office space in Lucky’s First Romance. Even some of ML’s attire looked like it came from that drama. That being said, I preferred Bai Lu’s character to Lu Li's. She was alright, but the adoration thing immediately made me dislike her character, which isn’t the actress’s fault.

And as always, I've got to mention the costume! Where do these Chinese costume designers come up with these outfits? Ok, FL is pregnant. She didn’t suddenly become a pilgrim (that ugly black dress with the white collar that was far too big on her even if they added padding for the pregnancy) and she suddenly didn’t become 80 years old! And what’s up with that blue sweater whose sleeves look like a shredded tissue? I can’t believe people pay money for such clothing!

Overall, it’s an alright drama if you don’t mind the hero worship nonsense. She does at least make him chase her and suffer emotional distress in the final episodes. Her coldness helped make up for the earlier worship although she suddenly lost any of her former cheerfulness to behave like a sedated nun....or pilgrim.

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