Reviews

I know there are already many reviews but I never felt such urgency to tell how much I have loved a show.
This drama was so refreshing and comforting, a complete year-end surprise. Never two friends became lovers so naturally. Never friendship, family and love were portrayed as adorably well as here. I didn't expect it to be so addictive and beautiful, I'm speechless.

STORY
The story itself seemed very attractive, but after seeing the first ep I felt somewhat disappointed. But thank God I didn't dropped it! From the fourth episode the quality increased a lot, the story took shape and the characters looked better defined. No doubt they took full advantage of this beautiful plot that only took the sport as an excuse to show how two friends fall in love as they struggle to achieve their dreams. No weak characters, no idiots and abusive male leads. I love the way this portrays the youth and its warmth.

ACTING
Applause for everyone! If I was already surprised by the drastic change of character Sung Kyung ventured into when she accepted this role, I was more surprised when I saw Joo Hyuk's adorable performance, which translated into the couple's insuperable chemistry. Seriously, I can never accept that they don't act side by side.
The secondary performances were also more than charming.

OVERALL
I finished this drama full of hope, as if suddenly I had injected a great dose of energy to get ahead. All of it reminds you how beautiful life can be. Give yourself the pleasure of watching this drama! Impossible to repent later. Oh and I almost forgot: SWAAAAAG!

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Machiavelli in love.

The first thing that comes up in any discussion of the Rise of the Phoenixes is that it has a bad ending. I put this in cold storage because I didn't want to be punched in the face after 70 episodes. After watching, l can confirm that it does indeed have the worst ending ever: 5 bad minutes that make little sense. The rest of it is so engaging that I loved almost every moment, plot flaws and all. It is one of my top 3 dramas. There is a spoiler discussion of the ending at the bottom if you scroll down. 

This was adapted from a popular novel (which I did not read) that had tragic elements but did not end in tragedy. Most of the flaws can be traced back to a fatal decision to change the book ending. That resulted in plot inconsistencies and several main characters making odd and uncharacteristic decisions in order to force this outcome. This begins from about episode 50. The last arc (~10 episodes) are the least convincing and closes the drama at its weakest moments. There are excellent reviews here that analyze the plot holes and flaws with this drama so I won't deep dive any of that. I will focus on what makes this hidden gem irresistible and unforgettable in spite of the negatives. 

This is a political drama about the ascent of Ning Yi, the 6th prince of Tiansheng. Raised amidst palace intrigue, betrayal and murder, Ning Yi is a somewhat dark character who is an ultimate survivor. He is the quintessential Machiavelli; a ruthless manipulator and a consummate Go player both literally and figuratively. Wrongfully banished for eight years, he claws his way back to favor, methodically eviscerating his scheming brothers along the way. Initially his purpose is uncover the mystery behind his mother's disappearance and avenge his third brother's deposal. As he gains power, the goal posts change as he aspires to unite the kingdom and make it a place where all are equal in the eyes of the law. Like all characters destined for political greatness, Ning Yi believes that the ends justify the means and ruthlessly and deftly eliminates anyone in his way. He is a guarded character that conceals his true self behind a mockingly care-free and cynical façade. Shards of radiant light emerges when his core convictions are tested and when the people he cares for are threatened. Chen Kun's deliciously portrayed Ning Yi is brilliant, dramatic, wicked, ferocious, daring, charismatic, mischievous, sentimental and utterly unforgettable. I could not get enough of his wandering eyebrow, the wicked gleam in his eyes, his vehemence and his diabolical sense of humor. Ning Yi is an endlessly fascinating, one of a kind character that is by far my all-time favorite c-drama protagonist. 

Fang Zhiwei for the first ~50 episodes is the rare strong female lead character we don't see enough of. She is the lowly niece of a powerful minister that is raised in his household on sufferance. She is highly educated, clever, idealistic and audacious enough to take charge of her own destiny. She encounters Ning Yi for the first time in a bold attempt to foil her uncle's plot to marry her off to this powerless prince in her cousin's place. He is intrigued by her and recognizes her resourcefulness could be useful to him. But she has a mind of her own and does not fall in with his plans that easily; as often as not they end up on different (though not necessarily opposing) sides. With Ning Yi's help, she disguises herself as a male scholar Weizhi and enrolls in the most prestigious school in the capital. She gains recognition as the Ultimate Scholar and becomes an influential member of the court and trusted confidante of the emperor. I love strong female characters like this and Ni Ni really shines in this role, especially when she goes toe to toe with Ning Yi. She is as persuasive as the boyish, accomplished and cunning Weizhi as she is the exquisite, vulnerable and overly idealistic Zhiwei. Zhiwei/Weizhi is a consistently awesome character until she sheds her identity as Weizhi and becomes Zhiwei again. At that point, in all the moments that matter she loses her common sense and regresses into a naïve, overly emotional and easily manipulated Zhiwei who no longer knows what she wants. Unfortunately this remarkable character was thrown under the bus to facilitate the dreadful ending.

Ning Yi and Fang Zhiwei were just made for each other.  Only actors of Chen Kun and Ni Ni's caliber can express intense passion and longing while barely touching and the wordless communication of two soul mates who just know each other. All of their interactions are mesmerizing - their spirited and witty banter, the way Ning Yi chokes with unholy mirth every time he teases her and of course the biting scenes that I couldn't stop re-watching. Every time they part ways, I am devastated by how dejected Ning Yi is; how their body language conveys the true feeling behind the false bravado of their words. Ning Yi is proud of, not threatened by Zhiwei's abilities and independence, even when she challenges him. Thus Zhiwei bails out Ning Yi as often as he saves her. They are the ultimate power couple, a force to be reckoned with when they are united against some rather formidable villains. By no means invincible, they suffer crushing personal losses and setbacks that among other things forces Ning Yi to make the hardest sacrifice to keep Zhiwei safe. 

The romance is so consuming it sucks you into rooting for them through many obstacles; blithely ignoring the blatant warnings throughout that it doesn't end well. This overshadows the fact that this drama is actually about political strife both internal and external. Together our main protagonists deal with internal conspiracies, ambitious princes and politicians, rebellious fiefdoms, remnants of the former kingdom, encroaching neighbors and a devious and paranoid emperor. The emperor is a distant father with too many sons that he treats as little more than pawns and potential usurpers. He is the one person that Ning Yi cannot protect Zhiwei from once her origins are revealed. Their worst enemy however is misplaced fiduciary to an older generation that can not let go of the past so that the younger generation can follow their hearts and dreams.

While the plot is complex with multi-faceted main characters, the overall narrative is clear, well paced and easy to follow. Despite some messy transitions and plot holes (likely due to censorship), the meaning and general thrust of the storyline is intact. The dialogue is witty and sprinkled with light humor that balances politically heavy tone of the drama. The characters are colorful and many have lovable quirks: Nanyi's odd eating habits, Ning Sheng's priceless facial expressions and Helian Zhang's parody of a lovesick fool.  Both main protagonists have meaningful and independent relationships with the other core characters; they are not just defined by each other. Ning Yi's key friend, ally and confidante is headmaster Xin Zhiyan, an ambitious and wily strategist. He is protected by the fiercely loyal Ning Cheng, who is the couple's greatest champion. Zhiwei is aided by the dependable Yan Huaishi and protected by the devoted and silently lethal Gu Nanyi. The characters are well written, with their own priorities and agendas and have free will. Ning Yi and Zhiwei's relationship and their actions create uncertainly and friction in some of these surrounding relationships that sets in motion a number of unexpected and exciting plot twists with some heartbreaking consequences.

Though the last ten episodes are the weakest with pathetic and unconvincing villains, I still wanted to see the last main villain go down. Although I was warned, I won't lie: the last 5 minutes were still despicable and unforgivable. It was also completely out of character for Fang Zhiwei and thus not convincing. It was so bad I didn't even feel sad, I just kept shaking my fist at the TV. That said, this drama must be judged in its entirety and remains emphatically one where the journey is much more important than the destination. What a thrilling and riveting journey! I started to re-watch it almost immediately, something I haven't done since TMOPB. I really want to give this a 10 because I love it so much I just don't care about the flaws. But I knocked off 0.5 anyway as my petty and impotent vengeance for the ending.

On re-watch I realized that the ending can be interpreted as open which I discuss below (MAJOR SPOILER).





Warning: Major Ending Spoiler

In Zhiwei's last conversation with Nanyi at their base in the capital, he reiterates that he goes where she goes. He asks her if she is really going to marry Ning Yi and be his empress. She asks if that would be such a terrible thing? We may not have been shown the whole conversation which ends with Nanyi saying that he will wait there for her, implying she is coming back (and not marrying Ning Yi). The ending jump scene had a very surreal quality to it, almost as if it were a dream and not real. It can be argued that she fakes her death and disappears with Nanyi. This would be much more in character for Zhiwei. It would also be closer to the book ending which has her faking her death and eventually reuniting with Ning Yi who gives up the throne for her (credit to @Skibbies who shared the book ending with me). I think most viewers (including myself) were so shocked and dismayed they missed this subtlety. Though less obvious, it is the ending interpretation I prefer. I understand why Zhiwei wouldn't want to be empress when their path to the throne is littered with bodies but she is also smart enough to know that their cause was never her cause and that would be too unfair to Ning Yi. Ning Yi and Zhiwei have done enough for king and country and deserve a chance to enjoy their uncommon love as common people.

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Since I belong to the minority that hasn't seen Something in the Rain, I am going to review this show purely based on the story that it brought to me, regardless of what came before it.

Let's start with the story, One Spring Night tells a tale of two people who fell in love despite the whole world telling them not to. They tugged at my heartstrings with their beautiful, mischevious relationship that not only had to bear the weight of internal struggles but also had to face the societal pressures that came along with being Korean. It's as much a social drama as it is a romance story, so please go into it keeping that in mind. The cultural differences will make some decisions hard to understand but all of them make perfect sense, regardless. Jeong In and Ji Ho's slow burn romance coupled with extremely lovable side characters, realistic and fleshed out "antagonists" (though I'm not sure if I want to call them that because they weren't inherently evil, just handicapped by their circumstances, upbringing and morals). All in all, OSN offers what most dramas tend to lack these days: authenticity. It makes you feel like you're there with the characters and you grow fond of them. A beautiful, minimalist love story.

The acting is so extremely well done that I don't even feel like I'm watching Jung Hae In or Han Jimin (or any of the actors for that matter). Everyone, EVERYONE, did a brilliant job of internalizing the characters. From the minor characters to the major ones, all of them gave a very natural performance that made me think that the characters were people that could actually exist IRL. I would also like to applaud the writing and directing. There are plenty of scenes whose artistic value could be seen even through my inexperienced eyes. The drama is a treat to watch.

I also really, really loved the music. It fit really well with the setting of the scenes. Best of all, I feel like the OST wasn't used to manipulate the mood of the show which gave it an even more authentic feel. It complimented the scenes and wasn't distracting at all. They do have limited songs playing in the background but tbh I didn't mind that at all. I'll think of OSN when I listen to We Could Still Be Happy haha.

I want to add that another reason why this drama is so special is because of its exceptional secondary characters. All of them feel like you could be friends with them. They're flawed yet extremely raw and realistic. They aren't caricatures or used as a plot device to further our main couple's story but instead they power through struggles of their own. They're all very different from each other but equally endearing. This show deserves an award for creating characters like them.

Anyway, I really loved this drama and it has become one of my favourite dramas of all time!

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In Love With Mr. Queen!

This drama really exceeded my expectations. As a person of being choosy regarding comedy genre who would have thought this drama had so much potential! Surprisingly I enjoyed It throughout. But the results are soaring with high ratings making it the 5th highest rated TVN drama and 7th highest rated cable drama. Can't be happier!

South Korean chef Jung Bong Hwan finds himself transported into Kim So Yong, the queen of Joseon era. While Joseon is beset with corruption Cheol Jong is a king for namesake. Queen Dowager Sun Won and brother Kim Jwa Geon are the main power holders and the root of corruption. But things are not as they seem. King Cheol Jong is a capable king but in disguise.

After the soul transfer, the antics of the queen will surely entertain you. The twist and turns are so satisfying. The intriguing struggle to gain power gives another dash of emotion. The plot itself is interesting.

The cast did a brilliant job. The King and Queen were adorable. I loved how they portrayed the friendship between the queen, courtlady Choi, Hong Yeon & another trio Prince Yeongpeong, Hong Byul Gam, Kim Hwan. Courtlady and Royal Chef Man Bok's romance was another thing. The ending was good. At least it did not have a sad ending like the parent story "Go Princess Go!". Although I felt sad for Kim Beong In, he loved & protected the queen till his last breath.

The OST's deserve separate appreciation. I personally loved Xiumin's "To My One & Only". It was so soothing. Others including Kim Jong Hyun's tracks were also good. They captured the essence.

I can't get enough of this drama. The lines of Jang Bong Hwan "You can make a change in the world by changing yourself" was adept. I'm gonna now keep myself busy in the spinoff. Hope 2021 gives us more dramas to binge.

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“Oops, All Kisses and Chaos”

Ok, so this one definitely falls into the elite category of "oops, I accidentally clicked on the play button and now it’s 3AM and I’ve finished all 31 episodes while clutching a bag of chips and my last shred of dignity."

Is it a hot mess? Oh, absolutely. Logic? Plot coherence? Character development? Yeah, they all packed their bags and left the galaxy in this. And I respect that. This show looked at the script and said, “Plot? I don’t know her. But steamy stares and questionable decisions? Now we’re talkin’.”

I came here for Ryan Ren, and let me tell you, the man understood the assignment. He is out here gobbling up his FL like she’s the last slice of cake on Earth. It’s basically 31 episodes of him looking at her like she’s both his lifeline and a particularly juicy dumpling. Make-out sessions? Check. Wall slams? Check. Random jealousy? DOUBLE CHECK. Plot twists that make no sense but you cheer anyway? Absolutely.

If you’re emotionally burnt out from all the tear-jerking, trauma-deep, character-study-type dramas and just want to watch the two leads play cat and mouse (and then just full-on lions), this one is your emotional junk food. A complete nutritional disaster—but oh, so satisfying.

Would I recommend it? Only if you’re okay with screaming “WHAT IS HAPPENING” every 10 minutes… in between rewinding your favorite spicy scene for the third time. No regrets. 12/10 would lose brain cells for this again.

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They say good things come in small packages well, such is the case of this movie. Even though it was brief and, as many other viewers, I would have liked to see more, it was packed with emotion.

CASTING:
I came to watch this movie for Yun Woo Jin but honestly, Lee Je Hoon had my attention throughout. Maybe because the movie starts and ends with him, I found him very endearing.

MUSIC:
The opening song is catchy, I like that it was performed by the actors, it adds a element of closeness and gives the movie an all-rounded feeling. I also liked Yun Woo Jin's short song that explains his feelings to his mother.

CHEMISTRY:
I'm always a bit concerned about the level of chemistry between actors because this can either 'make-or-break' a drama/movie. I'm glad to say that I really felt the characters' feelings for one another. There's a touching moment where Lee Je Hoon reveals his inner thoughts about homosexuality, which I found compelling. The skinship is also believable and well executed.

REWATCH VALUE:
All in all, a very good movie. I recommend it to anyone who likes these actors. Because it is so short, the rewatch value for this movie is very high. The only warning I have is: beware of the cuteness!

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ROMANCE not bromance.

This is gay. ෆ

Im not joking, this show is more flaming than a pride parade float lmao.

This masterpiece of chaotic gay tension masquerading as a school drama has no business being as homoerotic as it is. I watched it expecting a fun, angsty teen soap and ended up screaming at my screen like it owed me emotional reparations ffs.

So we have Saint and Shin, two former besties turned raging enemies forced back into each other’s lives when their schools merge. Saint, the cold, stonefaced heartbreaker who apparently majored in being dead inside spends his days ignoring everyone like he is allergic to eye contact. And then there is Shin ♡ bless his hot-tempered, heart-on-sleeve self, who is ready to blow a gasket every time Saint so much as breathes in his direction.

I am telling ya'll, THE TENSION between these two could power the national grid. Every time I watched them on screen together, I felt like I was committing a fucking crime because the way they look at each other is illegal in at least 23 countries I'm not even joking. Shakespeare himself would be clutching his pearls.

Also the flashbacks are so sadistic because they just drip with the bittersweet remnants of a beautiful friendship and they give you just enough “we were once so happy” moments to leave you screaming at the screen, "JUST TELL ME WHAT WENT WRONG!" And when the big reveal finally drops...well no spoilers but let’s just say Saint didn’t exactly follow the friendship handbook.

And the acting is also so DAMN good. Their scenes have me convinced they are soulmates in some alternate universe or possibly in THIS one because they are fooling exactly no one.

My only regret is that these two didn’t get thrown into an actual BL because they are serving LOVERS so hard. They are giving us slow burn. They are giving us tortured yearning. They are giving us “I’d rather stab myself than admit I love you but oh god I love you so much”. Honestly, Saint and Shin have more chemistry in one glare than half the official BL couples out there. No shade GMMTV, but shade.

Side note: shoutout to Mark's character, who has autism and brings some genuinely refreshing and much-needed representation. He is so fucking precious, authentic and provides a nice breather from the on-screen storm that is Saint and Shin’s "friendship" crisis. NGL Mark is probably the only sane one here, while everyone else is busy having emotional stare-downs or fighting.

So, to sum it up: High School Frenemy is the most non-BL, BL series that ever non-BLed. It’s filled with emotions, teenage angst, broken limbs, unresolved sexual tension and enough romantic subtext to sink the Titanic. You will laugh, you will cry and you will absolutely scream at the screen, “JUST KISS ALREADY!” ♡

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"Who's the leading man of my life?" -There is no such person for that role.

Dramas never failed to deliver fairytales... with happily ever after themes, fantasies that could never come true in real life, with the most perfect characters without any flaws, and even upside-down character development that the lead might be a jerk at the beginning but till the 16th episode he's an angel.

To think of it, it's really hard to find something in dramaland, that we could relate to.. or even say, "ah this has happened with me." "Oh, I've been in this situation"... "I know how does it feel." This is why Yumi's Cells is different, it never tries to portray something picture-perfect or flawless... rather shows how things-relationships-emotions work in real life, well realistic portrayal? is it sound boring? don't worry we've got a lot of cells to keep you entertained.

It lives up to its name 'Yumi's Cells' is only about her... her cells, her life, her relationship, it never distracts or goes on the wrong path. We see this story from her narrative from her cells narrative. It's almost 50% animation... I never imagined I would love drama with a cocktail of animation, but I did.. way more than what I imagined, Cells are the stars of the show, they are everything. I love how accurately it managed to show how the brain or our emotions work.

Kim Go Eun did an amazing job. Honestly, this role was challenging. Curious, why? Just think of it we're watching a normal drama... any incident happens we get to know how that person feels through his/her reaction-expression, we can never guess what's happening in their head (unless we already getting to know due to storytelling or know their exact thoughts) so at the end of the day, it depends on actor.. and their acting how emotion gonna covey to us. But here it's a different case coz we exactly know how she's feeling... what's her mood and what's happening in her brain (literally). So she has to show every emotion that we do know from her cells with her expressions. And she did it! even a slight change was visible through her micro emotions, she lived Yumi.

I usually talk about characterization in my reviews, but I feel this is insignificant here, leads are just like any normal person... like me, like you, like us. Facing normal real-life problems, real difficulties in the relationship, without any dramatization-cliches-tropes. We don't need something grand to happen to start or end any relationship... it happens with time, with small things. And this is the essence of it. It happens, it's okay! not the end of the world... as loving only one person is not the only purpose of life itself.

For those who might feel some characters are one-dimensional, like Sae-Yi, Ruby, and even Woong sometimes... it's not even the point here, coz we never get to explore any of them in real, we see them from one perspective which is Yumi's so how are we supposed to know every shade of them. This is not lazy writing but it wasn't intended to start with.

The amount of second-hand embarrassment I've got from this drama is insane. It's cute-sweet-cringey-heart fluttering-emotionally heavy-embarrassing-realistic at the same time, that's the specialty of it. And of course, the cells are show-stealer there wasn't a split second where I was bothered by animation... I loved watching them, arguing-fighting with each other. Helping each other while deciding important decisions snd being there for each other... they were like important characters of the show having their own persona. Ah the cameos of different cells were amazing lol

This isn't a conventional and normal drama story that follows the path that every drama has, it's different, it's unique, and quite refreshing.... but watch it to try something new, it never promised of being extraordinary.

Lastly...


Who the heck was the stylist?
It took me forever to get warmed up for their hairstyle -_-

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I went into this expecting it to be just a chill, casual watch. Predicted I'd end up rating it like an 8 - not bad, but not stellar. HAH. I was wrong.

This drama.. Where do I begin? Phenomenal acting aside (which, I mean, look at that cast, they did fantastic), the story was amazing. I saw so many people saying that they knew nothing about baseball but were still enjoying the show. Why is that? Because the show isn't actually about the sport, it's about the people. What made this drama so great was that it was heavily character driven. You don't have to understand the mechanics behind baseball management because you understand the basics: if the characters get what they want, you're happy for them, and if something bad happens, you hurt for them. Each one of these characters were so special, and the writers--round of applause to the writers, folks--were able to take characters that you didn't care about or that you actually disliked and made you root for them. That is skill right there. The bond between the staff and the bond between the baseball team were addicting. And the twists and turns, and watching them build up this team from nothing was so thrilling! And to top it all off, there were some really great messages woven throughout the drama.

I'm going to miss these characters so much. I know it's a hopeless dream (pun intended lol), but I would love for them to make a season two.

10/10 would recommend.

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the biggest WHAT IF

I'm editing this to add: if something is wrong it's better to fix it and show the right thing instead of burying it and everyone involved in criticism. make them be a lesson for the rest. past bullying? let them do community work or a movement against school bullying. "inaccurate" history? force them to show a documentary at the end explaining how things really were. you don't fight a problem by cancelling everyone.... the only thing people will learn from this? don't waste your money and time at making historicals..

I'll just use this space to vent a little more. as a fan of JDY I've been waiting for this since last year. and as a historical fan who's bored of the repetitive palace politics, this was going to be one of the most unique stories. Kingdom explored zombies but this was bigger and had more characters. this combined vampires, zombies and demons. it sounds overboard but the combination was so fitting. they bit people in the neck and they were as brainless and lost as zombies, but they were evil spirits controlled by the biggest demon
this was going to be so much fun!

JDY was Sejong the Great ! I did not know that TT_TT no wonder why he was such a sweetie, honestly if they wanted great representation of the past they had the bestest boy to play their bestest beloved king TT_TT


the biggest mistake on this was the timing and the fact that historicals don't seem to check facts beforehand.. every historical right now is under some sort of fire but this got the biggest blow...

and even if they let the dramas air, they turn their pitchforks onto the actors.. the issue seems so easily avoidable, there needs to be a big historic association so people can check their facts


like we all knew this would be about king Taejong from the start, so like they (whoever they are) could've showed their stance before. if they didn't want a historical figure to be showed as a person who kills possessed people then they shouldn't have let them film it!

it'd have been easily avoided by naming them differently. and they didn't even let them change that. they just attacked this until the canceled 14eps worth of hard work. the actors got injured... we'll never know how they'd have dealt with the process, but the promise of the plot was unique and it will forever be the biggest WHAT IF TT__TT

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No Just no

First of, this Cdrama is not your typical romance where ML and FL fall in love and end up together, no, instead what you get is a DEEP and VERY annoying love triangle between ML, SML, and of our FL.

It begins with the ML and FL dating, and as things move forward, the rich and annoying SML starts to flirt with FL, and guess what, she is giving him the time and day despite having a boyfriend(ML).

Thats not the end of it, soon after breaking up with ML because of "something related to the death of her parents" she attempts to make the ML move on by marrying the SML, Oh did i mention she was pregnant with MLs baby but never told him? Yep, and our ML throughout this continues to pursue the FL to the bitter end, despite FL playing with both men.

Never been so furious while watching a drama since watching this one.

I would never recommend this cdrama to anyone.

Save your time and energy because it'll drive you crazy.

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How To Become a Perfect Lover

I wasn’t planning to pick up “Hi Venus” in the beginning because I had had a bad experience with Liang Jie in “Time Flies and You are Here”. But I couldn’t resist Zeng Shunxi (aka Joseph Zeng) because I have really enjoyed most of his dramas thus far. He has a magnetic charisma that pulls the viewers in and his adorable good-looking face beacons. I was taken by surprise how enjoyable this series is. This drama gives viewers a perfect lover here in the male lead.

Though given a hospital setting as the background, the story is more akin to an office romance. There are no hardcore hospital scenes, nor talented/ambitious female/male lead doctors trying to save lives or inventing new medical technologies/procedures. This is basically a love story between a boss who has no medical experience, and his personal assistant who is a pediatrician with no administrative experience.

Ye Shilan (Liang Jie) is a fresh pediatrician of a private hospital. She is temporarily assigned to the Chief Executive Officer, Lu Zhaoxi (Zeng Shunxi) as his personal assistant. Reluctantly, she complies. Coming from a broken family with a father who killed himself and a mother who remarried, Ye Shilan is insecure and has a low self-esteem; she is awkward, guarding and reserved. Despite the inadequacy she feels of herself, she is upstanding, accepts her own mistakes, systematic, clear-cut, and independent. I’m so relieved that Liang Jie has handled this role very well. Her styling is soothing and down to earth, and her serious demeanor is appropriate for the character. Most importantly, she has an amazing chemistry with Zeng Shunxi.

Born with a silver spoon in an entrepreneurial household where his parents run the hospital business, Lu Zhaoxi is not the typical cold, rude, arrogant, and authoritative CEO. He is mature, considerate, playful, never imposing, optimistic, empathetic (as shown with him going through simulated childbirth pain), romantic, earnest, accommodating, sweet, warm, friendly, fearless (except for insects), intelligent and confident; he’s a perfect partner that all girls want and deserve.

When Lu Zhaoxi falls in love with Ye Shilan and she him, both are not exactly sure of the other: she thinks he is too good for her and she doesn’t deserve him, and she fears losing him if she accepts him; whereas for him, through various rumors and conversations, he thinks she still cannot come out from the hurt of a previous relationship, so he hesitates for fear of being rejected.

Not only very good looking, I find Zeng Shunxi a very good actor. His large round eyes speak volumes, capturing his playfulness, thoughtfulness, exacerbations, romance, intelligence, and confidence. I always feel soothed watching him, even in my most critical drama of his in “Time Flies and You are Here”. Zeng Shunxi nails the role as Lu Zhaoxi. He’s perfect here and I don’t think another actor could do better.

The story is narrated through Ye Shilan's perspective, how she changes from an inferior character to a positive person; she meets her 救星 ("jiùxīng" or savior), her Venus. This is quite a slow burn, pull-push kind of relationship which is subtle and humorous. The couple’s official relationship begins in Episode 16 when they are more open to their closest friends. I'm usually not a very patient person with intentionally made misunderstandings and wasteful moments. However, I find the development of romance here very charming and interesting; it's the little moments that are precious and unforgettable. The dialogues are so funny that at times viewers must think twice to get the meaning and truly understand the words. I feel the scriptwriter has given the viewers one of the best dialogue writings here: subtly funny, humorous, oxymoronic, and paradoxical.

Among others, one thing that stands out to me is, there are no annoying bad parents forcing their kids to marry for wealth and status, or for people they (the parents) approve of. Here, Lu Zhaoxi's parents dote on him and give him freedom to discover himself, hence making him very close to them (the parents); he tells them everything on his mind, including his love life. In fact, Lu Zhaoxi's mother is his best confidante, talking and listening to him pouring out his happiness and frustrations every night, and his father warns him not to use his power to coerce his subordinates to go out with him. Rarely I see such open-minded parents in Chinese dramas. This has definitely taken out a lot of angsts in any romantic relationship.

There are also no annoying ex-girlfriends nor ex-boyfriends, no toxic relationship nor emotional hijacks, but a pair of very engaging best friends who later become our beloved side couple. Unlike in other dramas where the OTP’s best friends always give silly and outlandish ideas, the best friends here, Yao Jiajia (Li Linfei) and Lin Kaiwen (Zhou Zihan), are intelligent and analytical, giving our couple insights and sound advices, helping them to see themselves and find each other.

Finally, the background music is amusing, usually fast and upbeat. There’s a wide usage of assortment of musical tunes, including classical music such as Mozart’s Ala Turka, to accentuate the moods and blunders of the scenes. The flow of romantic music can abruptly stop when something unexpectedly happens. This adds even more humor to the moments and is brilliantly executed.

My Verdict

This is a story with a very simple storyline and no plot twists. I find the writing of the final few episodes not as engrossing as the earlier ones, and the drama becomes rather bland towards the end -- everything is smooth sailing. Nonetheless, this drama is soothing and light-hearted, a chicken soup for the soul, great for erasing away the stress and anxiety.

I love the writer’s humor. It’s so subtle that one may not catch it right away. To me, this is some very excellent writing and a lot of thoughts have gone into it. Many lines spoken here can be used by lovers to enhance their relationship. The “confession conversation” is the type of conversation all viewers should learn to say, in whatever circumstances. It can help us move positively forward in our life.

Another conversation that stands out to me is when Lu Zhaoxi tries to address Ye Shilan’s concern, “Many families are better off than ours, and many are worse off. We cannot use these, better off or worse off, to determine success or failure. But hard work, ideology, compassion can. So don't compare with others to chase after success; we compare within ourselves to have a better life, that's suffice.”

"If you want people to help you, you first have to extend your hand." "If you want people to save you, you first have to save yourself." And this is the message of the story.

Love life. Love everyday!

Great watch! Recommended for all romance buffs and all viewers with fragile hearts (like myself).

BRAVO!

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Best 20 hours of my life

Never would have thought there could be such a storyline. The clueless acting of the ml was Oscar worthy and I am sure fl won the hearts of many people. Shin hye sun(fl) I had watched her in a lot of other shows but this character was just built for her.
The music for the show was spot on, especially the outro song at the end of each episode was so good. Plus all the music or sounds at funny moments made those scenes even better.
All the supporting characters where making this already awesome show even better.
I don't know who the author/writer of the shows but you can definitely tell I am gonna check out his other works until I die. I just want to thank all the people who where responsible for this show , amid all the covid-19 problems you guys kept me happy. Truly best 20 hours of my life
Ps. I am a picky guy , I find fault in everything but no mater how much I tried for some reason I can't think of any. This feeling is certainly wonderful.

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