John Smith

He is the ML of a fluffy romantic comedy, so he is going to be unbelievably talented. That is just how they are written.

I have watched the first eight episodes, and she is not really obsessed with him. Li Yan Ran's behavior towards Gu Jia Xin is obsession.

I really do not know how to ad-dress that. but maybe fashion is just not in his jeans.

Maybe they were trying to make him look more cape-able.

I am enjoying this one after the first six episodes. It is nothing new, but it does not have to be if it is done right. I think there is humor in the fact that the story starts from a dating app, and yet all the characters seems to be inexperienced, inept, or confused when it comes to love-related issues.

Thank you. I have always been told I am full of it. Good ideas.

I was just thinking that if more dramas were watched by those motivated enough to participate, it might lead to some of them posting reviews. I would consider it more of an indirect benefit.
As for starting one, I would start one, but... nah, I would not. As of now, I do not feel it in my heart to start one. It is a privilege to be able to have a space to share our love for Asian dramas, and as such, I feel a halfhearted thread with a half-baked game would only serve to taint a place where users have obviously put forth great efforts to create projects and games for the benefit of the entire community.

I humbly accept your kind words. I wanted to emphasize that my feelings are the challenge should be viewed as something personal and not a competition where there is pass and fail. It might seem a bit selfish, but I want to get those users who want to start (but who are feeling overwhelmed or intimidated) motivation to participate. More viewing hours and more dramas watched will lead to more (and hopefully better) reviews. That will give me a better idea of what I want to watch when I use this site.
As far as articles on the watch challenge or way to get more participants, those just came to my head. Forums and feeds are good places, but also limited to those who use them. Maybe if someone is writing an article and participating in the watch challenge, they can work a mention into it. Maybe a banner could be created on the site that could be used as well. I also thought about monthly or quarterly challenges that could serve as a springboard to participating in the yearly challenge. For example, Valentine's Day is in February, so could be a romance themed challenge. It is still winter in Asia, so there could be a winter themed challenge.

I think the word fail is not really the right term to use, especially in regards to the challenge itself. If you have watched as much drama as you can in a year, and in that process you have broadened your drama palette, that is a success. Failing (the term) can also be a deterrent to users wanting to participate, but feeling trying is not worth failing (or knowing you will fail), when in reality, most users are constantly working on their own watch challenge, they just do not see it like that.
I think that monthly (or frequent) articles about the watch challenge would be beneficial to remind users new and old that any time is a good time to join. It could also offer tips and tricks to get the most out of the challenge itself. The extra motivation does not hurt either.

Ply me with compliments and ramp up the pressure to ask me for something. How do you know me so well? I am unofficially terrible at recommending dramas. Part of me would love to redeem myself by browsing your drama list and recommending dramas that you have rated highly, and then I would claim to be amazing. Instead, I will think of some of my favorites, then check your completed list and hope at least one is not on there.

Not fair! You have a lot of good ones you have already seen, but I will not be deterred. My favorite Chinese drama is No Secrets, which is the Chinese adaption of the Korean drama I Hear Your Voice. More emphasis on romance and less on the legal issues than the original. One I have recently watched and thought was excellent is Shining For One Thing. Sort of time travel, but not really, a bit of school drama, and an emotional last half of the drama. If that one pulls you in, it can be heartfelt. I suppose I would be remiss if I did not include a 24 episode Chinese romantic comedy. Once We Get Married might not be the best one I have seen, but the leads (main couple) were outstanding and the chemistry was excellent. They bicker more often than not, but that is part of their charm.

Like the MLs of romantic-flavored dramas where they like the FL but either do not know how to express it, or feel they will be thought less of if they say it first. Fear, pressure, and inexperience make anything more difficult, including romance (love). Just like the dramas, in real life, it takes the right person and situation to help or motivate you to overcome those obstacles. I do not think that watching romantic dramas can make you a better person, but I think never wanting to watch one might hinder you in becoming a better one.

I enjoy romance dramas, but more so, I enjoy good dramas. I have seen terrible rom-coms, soulful action dramas, bland thrillers, and spicy slices of life. I think that maybe a generation or so ago that people thought you could manufacture things like a man's toughness or a woman's gentleness simply by forcing then to respond in a certain way. Do not cry, do not share feelings, or wear pretty dresses, stay at home. My thinking is that romance is a two-way street, so it makes sense that most people would be at least interested in romantic dramas.

My gut reaction was that the first half of the last episode was done to play up the psychological and thriller aspect which in a way worked because I was a bit scared that I was missing something because I had watched the previous 15 episodes and it made no sense. Some dramas tend to do a disservice to the viewer by being longer than it needs to be. This one could have used more time to finish the story, especially since the pacing seemed much better for 3/4 of the drama. Their cases could take a few episodes to deal with, and the main plot seemed to really only get developed a few places here and there, and BAM! Let's deal with it all now at the end.

It is one thing for a show to not be that good from the beginning and either drop it or force your way through it for whatever reason. When a drama is pretty good and draws you in, only to be disappointed in the last episode, it can be worse than watching a bad drama.

When I saw the first episode, I immediately remembered him as being the younger ML in the Taiwanese drama My Queen opposite the more mature Cheryl Yang. Now he is the mature one with the younger FL. As far as the age gap goes, I agree with you, it was more noticeable in the beginning. I think as their chemistry got better, it was less noticeable. Song Zu Er also started out as naive and childish in many ways (from style to actions), and as she matured, she became someone that could be by his side.

This is the third drama I have seen recently (Cupid's Kitchen and Lion's Secret) where the last episode left a lot to be desired. The drama itself was okay overall. Very mild for a psychological thriller, but the developing romances were good.

I agree with those thoughts. I do think we are less likely to get SLS, especially if you want to see the SFL with the ML. I do not like love triangles because if they are balanced, it is frustrating plot-wise, and if it is a one-sided love, it is frustrating for character development. I think the best love triangles (if they are necessary) are ones that are resolved clearly and early. They can provide the spark necessary to spur the lead forward and still leave enough time to focus on something (like a plot) other than fighting over the lead.

I tend to agree that most alternate love interests of a ML tend to have their negative qualities magnified even if they have some good traits. On the other hand, the SML often has their positive traits magnified to such an extent that it either becomes something negative or obscures the reason why they were not chosen in the first place. At least to the viewers.
Maybe drama lovers can get lulled to sleep by the constant pattern of the same ML and FL types with the same romantic story, and when a SML acts outside of expectations, it just naturally draws you in, regardless of what you think about anything else. Like you said, it is rare for a SFL to differ from what we expect from a love interest.
In True Beauty, the SML had some ML qualities that might have drawn viewers to him and created the SLS. I noticed it, but did not feel moved by it. Others did.

The article made for interesting reading and discussion. Writers write a story they want to write, then when it becomes screenwriting, the story they wrote must also appeal to viewers. I wonder how much SLS is written into the story before it is developed for viewers. I wonder if writers fall in love with certain characters and they do not even realize it. Maybe the best dramas take you for a ride off the beaten path.

I think if you define second lead syndrome (SLS) as thinking a lead made the wrong choice, then I do not think that has happened in my view. If you define SLS as putting yourself in the lead's place and making a different decision, that is different, but I still cannot recall a drama where I felt like that. If you define SLS as you (the viewer) being drawn to a second lead more than a main lead (for whatever reason and for whatever length of time), then that has happened because not every main lead would be my choice, and sometimes while you might not see the second lead with a main, you feel they definitely deserve someone.
I think everyone should get SLS at least once (and certainly to some degree) because the bittersweet feeling is grounded in reality. I do not know if it makes a drama better, but judging from the responses, it surely makes it memorable.

I have commented on a few drama pages here, and notice that a vast majority of SLS involve the second male lead. I rarely come across a wave of comments in regards to SLS with a second female lead. Are most viewers (and commenters) female, and that might make them more open to SLS towards the SML? Are SFLs generally written in a different way than their male counterparts? I really liked the SFL in My Fated Boy, but she never had a chance. I am not saying the ML should have chosen her, but the SFL really became an attractive character as the drama progressed too, and not just because she was Tian Xi Wei.

I had started watching this, and avoided the page for it on MDL out of fear it would be a low score and get me curious and ruin it for me. I finished it awhile ago, and it was probably the best drama I have seen in quite a while. I usually say it about every third or fourth drama (I cannot help it, I get emotionally invested in a drama when I decide to watch one), but this time I mean it... probably. At least for today it is. I really did not hear much about it, and probably did not make the list of top airing dramas because it dropped all at once, but it really deserves a lot of praise all around. The FL was absolutely amazing. It was like she just drew you into her world and made you feel what she felt, especially as the drama progressed. The ML was excellent as well. He was probably one of the best ML I have seen, especially in a 24 episode Chinese romantic comedy. How he was written and how he came across on screen should be recommended study for other writers, directors, and actors. He was written with the best qualities of a ML and SML with enough imperfections to make you believe that such a person could exist. Their chemistry was the driving force for the drama. It was a story that only worked if they made you believe it did. Even without know what someone's favorite types of drama are, I would recommend this one. I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was, and I think others would be as well.

I thought her makeup was odd, but I would like to attribute it to the lighting for the contest that is probably different than lighting they would normally use, her darker skin tone, and some inexperience on the makeup artist team.