tiraaa

He doesn't really try to do much until the last few eps. Throughout the drama, he just helps her. He did have motives to get close to her to take down Yuan Shuai at first (like giving hints to their rival companies), but he actually likes her, so he never really harms her (till the end, when he kind of strays off the right path. But it's short, you won't even have time to get annoyed. In fact, it kind of makes you go like ???wut?? ). No real love triangle. It won't annoy you. FL and ML only like each other. FL is actually oblivious to the fact that SML likes her until the last couple eps. Even the girl that likes the ML is great. In fact, the second couple was more annoying to watch than the antagonists (at least for the first half.) Pls watch! It's a great romance if you're into sweet dramas!!

Loved this drama so much I literally cried when it ended. Literally.
The romance was one of the sweetest ever <3 Def one of my favorites this year! and Yuan Shuai's character was literally too good to be true. Seriously only exists in dramaland. Fck dramas for telling us what we CAN'T HAVE in reality.
Definitely not a drama without flaws, but relatively few stupid conflicts compared to others out there. Very happy with the overall pacing of this drama. Nothing dragged on for too long. The only thing I'd say was slightly off was the writing of Du Lei's character.... I mean I get how it's possible for things to have turned out the way it was, but I think it was written pretty badly.
Oh, right, I do have to complain about Lili's character which was almost intolerable for half the drama. I seriously started watching the second couple's scenes in 2.0x speed because Lili's character was both getting annoying and embarrassing. I could seriously feel the second hand embarrassment through the screen.
Other than that, lovedddddd it so damn much. Lots of hilarious moments as well! Will def be rewatching this one. Major drama withdrawal here T____T

Watched up to Ep 9 so far and quite loving it!! But I honestly really can't stand Lili's character... No hate for the actress at all, but this kind of boy-crazy character is really not my cup of tea. She's a great friend and everything, but I can't stand the fact that so far, 95% of all her scenes are about her drooling over some handsome guy =.= Jesus christ. It's like she has nothing else to do. Like get a life, would you? How old are you? Working at a convenience store because you want to chase after a guy? I groan every time she appears. IDK what the writers were thinking. In this age and time, this kind of character is not that likable.

Yeah, I really agree. I hate it when EVERYONE just somehow ends up being related to each other. I agree that accident is the worst of it all. I actually called it in the first couple of eps already. I actually thought to myself "If the real Hee Sung ends up being the accomplice, I'm gonna laugh." Welp it really was him.
And yes, so many dumb things the police did too (like sending ONE police officer to watch over a major criminal at the hospital, Ji Won leaving a criminal unhandcuffed before walking away....) Not to mention Hyun Soo's sister... and the maid..... ugh. And that horrible plan of Hyun Soo and Ji Won's, showing up BEFORE the scheduled time so the ppl you suspect have time to notify the murderer they hired. (Though that didn't really matter since the psychopath boy was ten steps ahead of them anyway)
And then after all that happened, Ji Won continues to suspect Hyun Soo again. Like hello? it's been 13 episodes, can we not have some confrontation instead of testing fingerprints secretly and jumping to your own conclusions? That part kind of ruined the trust and love they finally managed to secure in the last few eps.
Oh, and I also find it pretty stupid that Hyun Soo never suspected Ji Won knew his secret when she started acting weird. Like you'd think he'd at least have SOME skepticism. You can clearly tell he wasn't the murderer cuz he clearly ain't smart enough for that.
I still enjoy watching the drama, but there's a lot of things that just make me facepalm in this show. Just not very well written. IDK what's wrong with the writers. I'm not done the last three eps yet, but so far, I don't think they've done a very good job with discussing Hyun Soo's dark side.
I swear my fave character is the psychopath cuz he seems to be the only smart one in this whole show. (maybe except the detective sunbae too)

It was a great ride, but lack of shock factor honestly. Everything is just connected too coincidentally and honestly for a show at such a high rating, there were way too many dumbass moments in this show. So many characters did so much dumb sh*t, you'd just be like ????? wtf????

Ohhh, I see! Under the Power has a good balance I think. And I totally know what you mean about long series, I also rarely watch long dramas, but that show surprised me.
I recommend you can try non-romance shows like the Light On Series if you want to try more Chinese dramas! They are very short and most of them are pretty good :) Or Love Me If You Dare is a good mix!

You should really give Under the Power another try when you get the chance!! Though there's not much skinship in it, but the chemistry and romance development between the leads is great. I'm also someone who cares quite a bit about skinship in my dramas (seriously, I'm literally clicking on every drama page to search comments about how the kisses are rn LOOL), but Under the Power was a surprising exception. I literally did not find myself complaining at all throughout all 55 episodes. The development is gradual but you still feel the romance developing every single episode.

This is a cute drama with a super cute couple....but I am SO disappointed that this drama barely has any kissing scenes T______T UGHHH I know they're not everything obviously, but when it's a supposed to be a romance drama with a back plot that's not THAT interesting, then I'm expecting FLUFF and kiss scenes. SUCH a waste of a cute pairing like this one! SAD

Yeah, you're absolutely right, and that's because he's very emotionally damaged, so he is is somewhat mentally "sick". His feelings for Jianjian are his way of coping with the emptiness in his life during his years in Singapore. That's why it's very fortunate he has someone like Jianjian to heal him.
It is indeed quite scary to be him; that's why depression can be so terrifying. Imagine falling into such hopelessness that you literally think there's only one thing left in life to hang on to.
Almost every single character in this drama is emotionally damaged in some way, to some extent, whether light or severe. I loved that about the show because it shows the reality of life.

Yes and no. Some people might not want to believe it or they just can't see it, but from the beginning of the drama, the writers have made it clear that Jianjian actually likes Ling Xiao a lot, though she doesn't know it's romance. So the feelings ARE mutual. It is clear that she treats Ling Xiao differently compared to Zi Qiu. You can also tell from the lyrics of Seven Tan's "Like a Breeze". The trio also talked about it near the end of the show when Zi Qiu suggested that Jianjian always liked Ling Xiao all along, and how she always treated him differently. She also said herself in the show that she would not have agreed to the relationship if she didn't like him. I don't think she would agree if she didn't like him. I'd say Ling Xiao gave her pressure to look into her feelings, and if he didn't maybe Jianjian would never realize it. Though it was pressuring (and could be a total turn off), I don't agree that it was blackmail nor do I think it's fair to say Ling Xiao has no real love for Jianjian and only needed therapy. It's not like he's expecting to only take from her and not have to give back love and care or anything in return. In normal cases, it would probably scare someone off, but it didn't turn Jianjian off, which proves that she does like him. Like people say, whether someone's actions piss u off really depends whether u like that person or not. If u don't like someone, any nice thing to do probably wouldn't move u anyway.
And don't forget his feelings for her started way before Singapore... It's not like he only wanted her after he started feeling depressed and needed healing. He simply had only his crush/love to think about when he was in Singapore because he had no one else around him to give him any care at all.

Also, it's love that makes you want to heal someone. She's not a charity, and with her character's personality, I don't think she would do stuff just cuz she "feels sorry" for someone. Also, 'love' is a pretty complicated topic. Reality is, reliance is actually a huge part of it. One side needs healing, and the other side is needed and WANTS to heal the other half. That can be a good match. It all depends on personality and what you look for. Some people actually like being needed and knowing they're so important to someone. Plus, like I said, it's not like she's the only one that's giving.
Just my two cents anyway. It's a drama after all and we didn't actually get to see everything in their lives, so people are bound to interpret things differently.

This was a really enjoyable family drama! Literally surprised that I pretty much never skipped a single second of this show (except for maybe the few times when it was getting late and I had to finish the episode faster cuz I had to sleep XD) Usually in such long dramas like this, I tend to get impatient to see the stuff I want to happen and start fastforwarding through the scenes, but not this one!!! I think this show really gave a good amount of equal screentime to all the plot lines! And they were all enjoyable to watch, so I literally didn't get bored of any of the stories.
I loved every character!! They were all so humorous and all the relationships were so warm and sweet. I realize I really love family dramas so much (if they are done well)! I'll really miss this drama so much!! Probably the best family kdrama I've watched! There are a few that come close, but this one really is the most well-rounded of all, without frustrating elements or anything of that sort.
Really great job to the actors, writers and production crew!

Haha, yes! Feel free to steal that line because people should know this!!
I'm glad my review helped! I really hope you'll enjoy the story cuz I really did, and I'm usually pretty critical of C-drama writing. Song Wei Long def isn't that great yet, but I think it kind of fits his character here, so it was acceptable to me. (He could've prob had better crying scenes tho lol) But a lot of other actors are worth watching in the drama, especially Jianjian's father!

Yes!! There were so many funny moments in the show too!! A great balance of comedy, touching, and heart-wrenching scenes!

Thanks for reading my long comment hahaha! I thought my blabbering would be too long for a review, but maybe I'll pick out some parts and put it as a review!! Thanks for the suggestion <3

Somewhat briefly. But only because Ziqiu misunderstands his desperation for family as romance. So it's not really a real triangle, I suppose. And it's not dragged out. Just happens for like 2-3 eps?

Yes, Jianjian was the first person to ever show him the warmth he needed, and even throughout his childhood, she and her father were the ones to give him the most love. His father, of course, loves him too, but he is just too busy that it's hard for him to give him sufficient attention. During those nine years in Singapore, the thought of Jianjian was the only thing that kept him going. I think my fave scene is definitely when Ling Xiao reveals how thinking and daydreaming about a future with Jianjian was the only comfort he had during those dark times, and Jianjian felt so heartbroken to hear that, realizing Ling Xiao is really broken inside, yet no one noticed or bothered to help him all this time.
He literally lived a zombie life in Singapore, always under pressure from his mother.... having to take on the huge responsibility of taking care of both his mom and his sister... Desperately wanting to leave and see the people who he loves, but can't, because she's his mother, and he feels guilt for causing his mother's depression (as he believes he is to blame for his little sister's death.) He didn't have a single second to himself in Singapore, and everything he did was for the sake of others, completely disregarding his own happiness T_____T I'm glad he was at least strong enough to be determined to go back to Jianjian and strive to get this ONE thing he wants so badly.

His performance was by no means perfect (I think his crying scenes could be improved), but he was able to display the right amount of despair and desperation... and especially his love for Jianjian. The moments when he desperately needs healing from her are done quite well as well.

I realize I'm a sucker for these types of plotlines where the male lead is really pitiful and broken, but eventually finds someone who can heal him. The other drama this year that really hit me deep in the heart like this was "Everyone Wants To Meet You", where the male lead lived a life without proper love.

Ah, yes, definitely forget to mention the awesome OST!! I love every single song so much! They fit the drama so well, and some of them are indeed tearjerking! I'll definitely be looping them for a while! Seven Tan's voice in Like a Breeze especially surprised me. I've heard some of her other songs before, but the key of this song especially complimented her voice!

Totally agree!! Wish there was some fluff at the end for us to savor and be able to sleep happily like you said!
Ling Xiao definitely made me cry a lot... His character was just so pitiful... I could really understand his pain and how much he suffered in those nine years. It just makes his relationship with Jianjian much more precious <3 Ling Xiao lived in such darkness for nine years, plus he was emotionally hurt since childhood already, so the adult Ling Xiao would naturally have less emotions and expressions. So, although quite a lot of people criticized SWL's acting, I think it still fit the character quite well. He's still quite a new actor, so it's normal that his acting is not completely mature yet, but for this character, it worked out fine.

Another big takeaway from this show is the fact that we cannot let wounds just keep getting bigger. One of the biggest things in most of the problematic relationships in this show was the fact that people just kept avoiding problems, and also the people who were hurting never got the help they needed, and instead, more problems just piled up on top of another. Avoiding problems and just enduring it may seem like a temporary solution, but behind the scenes, wounds are just getting deeper.

Chen Ting was probably the most hated person in the drama, but though her behavior was often selfish, I was able to understand what caused all of it. In fact, she is also a pitiful character. Obviously, being psychologically damaged is no excuse to be a horrible person, but because I understood where she was coming from, I didn’t really have strong hate for her. Compared to those annoying mothers who meddle or think they’re better than everyone else, I think Chen Ting was tolerable.

After her accident, Chen Ting was probably just like a lifeless zombie… I can’t imagine how it feels when you fall so deep into darkness that you genuinely think living is worse than dying. Ling Xiao was the one that pulled her back from tipping completely over the edge… which is why she grasped onto him so tight afterward.

Though we only briefly saw her mom, it is clear Chen Ting was somewhat psychologically damaged since she was young. And when ‘wounds’ just keep building up (daughter dies, husband too busy for her, new husband dies, gets crippled), eventually, you’ll spiral. Chen Ting would’ve died long ago if it weren’t for Ling Xiao. I can absolutely understand why Chen Ting was so clingy, and why she was so against the Li family… That’s because her kids are literally the only things that are keeping her alive… Without them, she really feels there would be nothing left. She also feels guilty for abandoning Ling Xiao back then, and desperately wants to make it up to him in fear that she’ll lose him again. But the Li family’s existence reminds her of her grave mistake… plus she obviously feels threatened seeing them as her son clearly likes them more than he likes her. The Li family was able to give him the love he needed, while she couldn’t.

Everything she did was because she feared losing her son, the only thing she has left in the world. Every time I see her, I just think I’m glad I’ve never experienced her pain and desperation before. It would be so miserable to live life revolving someone else, and not yourself. But sadly, there are actually a lot of people like this.

I think the ending for her was the best... just leaving her son alone and going back to Singapore. I'm glad the show didn't try to force some emotional mother-son reunion and having them getting along and living happily ever after. Sometimes, certain relationships really cannot be fixed no matter how hard you try. When two people are so damaged, it really may not be a good thing for them to be around each other.
During those nine years in Singapore, both of them were only getting hurt more and more, because they were both so emotionally unhealthy, yet instead of getting the healing they needed,the two of them living together just caused more emotional strain on each other.