Reviews

A Comforting Slice of Life in 1970s Communist China

Set in dreary 1970s communist China, two single parents find love again in their middle age. Their sweet and heartwarming courtship takes place in the court of public opinion involving meddlesome community leaders, spurned suitors, supportive comrades and those hellbent against it. The couple marries despite objections from their children to become an antagonistic blended family.

As the story develops, incidents happen along the way and reveal how each character deals with them on an individual and collective level. Other than the recurring scenes of public confrontation and shaming, I find the portrayal of everyday situations and the characters’ responses to them realistic, relatable and comical.

For some reason, I find this drama comforting -- its pace, its music, the tone of voice used by the actors and the way the characters resolve conflicts. I especially appreciate how wholesome values are illuminated in this nuanced drama.

In this day and age in which revenge and violence is glorified and romantic relationships are often sexualised in entertainment, 'Wonderful Times' is a breath of fresh air. Here's hoping it will continue to impress me till the end.

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Team Hanmin female dormitory assemble!!

To hate this show would be like kicking a puppy, but to give it a glowing review would be misleading as well. I'm torn.

I had planned an in-depth review, but having just finished it, I can't do it. Oh the pain!

This show is watchable and has a big heart. Lots of social justice messages. Doing the right thing is noble after all.

I'm going to be blunt, the A-plot really can't sustain 16 X 70 mins eps. Cut the number of episodes or trim it down to 45 mins would be more workable. It did get draggy at times.

The big drawcard is the FL going undercover as a 20-year-old. To be fair, the FL is not one who shies away from challenges. Her titular role as the The Judge from Hell was delicious. This script, however, is probably more pain than gain.

To be fair, the FL gave it her all. There are a lot of sight gags and in-jokes while she is forced to act like a girlie girl. They tried to milk it for all it is worth. Unfortunately, it is a one gag pony.

Similarly, the revenge/business shenanigans could have been sharp and biting. I thought we are finally getting somewhere around ep.9. Even when all the ducklings are lined up and quacking loudly, the show just mills around the water cooler. We have seen it all before. Overbearing chairman, inept/criminal senior staff, slush funds, rigged shareholder meeting, etc.

The ending is "satisfying" as in everything that needs to happen, happened. Everyone got their just dessert. Surprisingly, there is no real romance. Nada, no OTP nor second CP's. At least there is no Big White Truck of Doom™. We give thanks for that.

In the end, this show is not for me, mea culpa. Your mileage will differ. It is not a bad show per se. You will enjoy this more if you are a big fan of the leads. The social justice angle is appealing. Setting the show around the IMF Crisis is interesting. (BTW, Typhoon Family did it better, just saying.) Caveat emptor, chingu. Peace.

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Rewatched after nine years !

I first watched Detective Chinatown nine years ago, and recently decided to rewatch it. Even after all this time, it’s still the most memorable film in the Detective Chinatown series for me.

Personally, I still feel like the sequels never quite lived up to the first movie. In fact, I can barely remember the storylines or even the antagonists from the later films anymore. But the first movie? I still remember it clearly.

One of the reasons is the main antagonist. The performance by Zhang Zifeng really left an impression on me. Her role added a chilling layer to the story that made the ending especially memorable.

Of course, the film isn’t perfect. There are quite a few cringe moments throughout the movie, especially in some of the comedy scenes. But despite that, it remains a very entertaining film within the crime genre.

Overall, Detective Chinatown is still a fun and engaging crime movie that sticks in your memory, even years after watching it.

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Very fun season

i really liked this season more than the last one.

The witty dialogue the funny characters,the set and costume designs were all incredible.

I love that even tho it has a serious goal they keep the childish spirit abd humor from the anime.

Howere i felt like it could have been better, as someone who hasn't read the manga or watched the anime it felt so slow paced i thought they were gonna takd down the organization this season but it was just a set uo for the next season which is fine.
But personally i don't enjoy slow paced things hence the 8.
But i can see a number of people liking this show regardless of the pacing.

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The Series That Finally Made Me Notice Zhou Yiran

🍅 Great Actors

First of all, applause to the casting team. The chemistry between the ML and FL is practically overflowing.

🍅 << ML >>

This is the most prominent work of the male lead so far. I first saw him in Falling Into Your Smile, and I had zero impression of him. I didn't even realize he was in that series.

Later I tried watching When I Fly Towards You, which people seem to love, but I couldn't get past ep 3. And I didn’t try just once. I tried twice - two years apart. It was such an annoying series to me. WIFTY was boring and cliché, the story was childish, and the ML’s acting there was honestly terrible.

Then I watched Twelve Letters, which is a very intense story. Both FL and ML did a great job there, but the drama clearly has FL as the main character, so she outshined him.

Anyway in this one, both ML and FL stand on equal ground. The characters are designed in a very interesting way and both actors deliver their roles really well.

I would say this is the first work that made me actually take note of Zhou Yiran as someone to watch in the future.

Really loved him in this role. And he looks a lot better with long hair than short hair.

🍅 << FL >>

The actress playing the FL also did a very good job. She’s still quite young, but her performance left nothing to complain about.

While the ML surprised me and greatly changed my perspective on him, I hadn't known the FL before. So even though both of them did a great job, the ML left a stronger impression on me.

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🍅 Plot & Storytelling

The plot is great. There’s real substance in it.

From ep 1, the director straightly opens the story in an aggressive way. It throws me into a series of intense scenes. It's like it got hit in the face without much clue, and naturally I want to know why.

The series maintains a very cool, slightly eerie atmosphere throughout. I really like the mysterious blue tone of the whole production. It keeps the tension simmering without turning it into cheap suspense. And it keeps my curiosity at the right level without becoming irritating.

The push and pull between the ML and FL is also handled well. Both characters are intelligent. Their interactions feel like games that they know exactly what they’re doing. Both characters are sharp to keep up with each other. Neither of them is easily deceived. Their dynamic is a real match of minds. No pointless sulking. No childish misunderstandings. No nonsense drama where main characters become stupid just to create conflict.

I saw that some people say the first 5 episodes are hard to understand, but I didn’t feel that at all. I had no trouble following the story and personally I found it very engaging.

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🍅 Some Nonsense

Even though the leads are written as smart, no-nonsense characters, the rest of the universe around them can still be a bit stupid.

So when ridiculous ways of thinking appear, it usually comes from the environment or side characters, which still gives the series some unnecessary nonsense vibes nonetheless.

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🍅 A Bit Cringe

Throughout most of the story, both ML and FL are portrayed as very cool characters.

I especially enjoy how mischievous the ML is when he tries every shameless means possible to win the FL over.

But then the series decided we needed a singing scene.

And that scene… wow ummm. That was so cringe I got second-hand embarrassment watching it. I almost couldn't sit through it, lol.

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🍅 A Small Distraction

Around episode 30, Pursuit of Jade started airing and I began watching that as well.

For the first 5 episodes, Pursuit of Jade couldn't grab my attention the way Generation to Generation did in its first 5 episodes. For that early stage, I definitely preferred Generation to Generation.

Still, switching between the two slowed down my watching a bit. And even though Generation to Generation was approaching its peak by that point, I realized something.

Overall, the drama matches my taste well, but somehow it still didn’t quite capture my heart completely.

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Easy happy watch

It's surprisingly funny & lighthearted for a CBL 😂 The island is gorgeous, making it so healing just looking at the view- sth that we often see in JBL and I'm glad I get to see this here too. I love the chemistry of both couples. It's an easy watch- binge it in one night after siting on it for a while as I thought it'd be heavy

I didn't watch Addicted, so I don't know if there's any reference at all but I heard that this couple is the 2nd couple in the original Addicted. If that's the case, I'm SO happy for them because boy- there are so many 2nd couple that I wish had their own series! SO, I'm glad they have their time now, even if it comes 10 years later apparently.

The only thing is the sudden separation before getting back together that I don't like. Not because they get separated but just somehow don't make that much sense but the ending saves it all.

I really enjoy it so much I put this in my rewatch list.

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the second half is NOT it

like i said in the headline, second half is not it. while it served eye-pleasing visual as a result of a good cinematography, the plot fell flat on the second half. it felt like grasping at straws at best.

though i have to admit, they had their way of vying for the audience's attention instead of urging me / the audience to abandon it right away. gotta give credit where it's due 🤷‍♀️

at least, the chemistry helped. though, frankly, with no offense to Ju Jing Yi, i felt quite saddened that i only got to see Zheng He Hui Zi for only a split second.

is it good? meh. depends. but i do enjoy it. even if i learned very early on that i shouldn't hope for much. is it recommended? well yeah, of course. is it rewatchable? unfortunately, not really. though again, don't just take my words, watch it yourself and only you can judge whether it's worth rewatching or not.

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A play on stereotypes

This drama is a play on stereotypes. The older nerdy guy with glasses versus a younger frilly charmer guy on a motorcycle. The audience automatically stereotypes these two guys, regardless of what they ACTUALLY show on the screen.

FL strings both guys and acts very confused, flippant and silly - too prude towards ML and too open and without boundaries to SML. FL is unaware and irresponsible, flakey.....
The main issue is that FL is unaware of how she is driven by her hormones and unwilling to accept it - she denies that part of herself... So... the end result is that she strings two guys. SML for just attention and ML as a genuine like.

FL uses SML as a frill pill and hangs out with him without any intention to officially date, and likes ML, kisses him, and promises to go on dates with ML but stays out of getting too close - and keeps the company of SML without any obligation.

ML has never done anything unless FL was open to it - which often caused a stallmate when she pulls back - and he does not dare to call her to the carpet - and she pretends that her hormones and thoughts of marriage do not exist -
and SML barges into her space and pokes her, totally oblivious to her liking the ML and totally confident based on his long standing success as a charmer for women.

It is already ep 5 and the character flaws of all 3 are still glaring and playing out. FL is playing the SML because she still has not figured out what she wants.

There is nothing wrong with using SML for a hot and steamy SHORT relationship *** if *** the FL wanted that. But the problem is, she is not really interested in that, and already deeply likes ML So, instead of going on hot steamy dates within a LONG relationship within a stable marriage, she choses to stay confused and use the SML for attention.

The FL plays both guys. The guys are emotionally incapacitated, cannot talk things through, and do not call her to the carpet. So she keeps stringing both of them.
THE PLOT IS UNREALISTIC. In real life, both men would be gone by ep 4.

ML: a rather stiff and reserved older guy with glasses and in baggy "college student / IT guy / CEO" sports-and-outdoors clothes, the "nerd" type who owns a successful home wood furniture business; who already seriosly loved and dated for years a very glam cold woman who dumped him. he still feels pain from that relationship but seems to be on the way to 100% recovering. He is the kind of guy who falls in love deep and he does not want to sleep around. His goal is marriage,
VERSUS
the younger frilly guy has fashionable "young stud" casual clothes and a flippant attitude that a kiss means nothing and does not bind you to a person. He claims he kissed 500 people in his young life. He drives a motorcycle and is super popular with women, as he is openly a charmer. He is an actor and does bar, cafe and restaurant jobs to pay the bills, and barely succeeds. In short, a guy who seems to be living in the experimentation phase of his life, forever. We do not know much about his past or past loves yet but we have some inclinations. There is ONE mysterious woman that he still has painful feelings for and she is trying to get into his life - os it an ex, a sister, an ex-colleague actor?

So the fun part is how the audience reacts. They call ML's clothes "homeless man." The serious guy with glasses is proclaimed ugly and ppl wrote comments they dropped the drama bc ML is ugly. There are lots of comments how he is boring, stiff, has no adventure, no emotional ability / does not express, etc. How there is no chemistry or passion between him and FL, etc
And how SML is caring, there is chemistry, how he pulls out the best from FL, etc.

And what ACTUALLY happened?

ML already **LIVES** love, partnership, care and committment in his daily life. He and his best friends are business partners, and the friend is a single father with a young daughter who is very present in their lives. ML volunteers to walk dogs.

ML is good with kids, dogs, and his best friend/business partner, and he runs a successful company and has good relations with lots of customers and employees. He is a *healthy* person. Sure with some faults but that is why we need 12 episodes and FL lol for him to expand his circle of love
ML is very stable and reliable and caring person.
ML is indeed stiff and reserved, hurt by his ex, but he has potential and, when given a green light, tries in proper ways. ML never barges uninvited, and he is also assertive.

ML was honest and clearly expressed himself and his feelings to FL, attempted to kiss her twice and succeeded once, there were PLENTY hot steamy moments between them that HE initiated, he already very gently and naturally broke into her personal space and BY HER WILLING CONSENT has spent time kissing and cuddling, he volunteered to ride a train ride home with her and sleep on her shoulder, he volunteered to work with her to get closer and keeps calling her on dates.

At first, ML was official, formal and polite, and blurted stuff about marriage so FL rejected him. Then she coincidentally showed up and acted in some suspicious behaviors which triggered his ex trauma, so he rejected her. Then he decided to overcome that, and took steps, and they kissed, so now he is actively trying with her. He picked a work project with her and keeps calling her on dates.

ML is too stiff and slow, which is partially his character flaw and partially his considerate nature, as *** ML follows what FL asked for **** He never barges into her life. FL keeps rejecting him and he keeps catching her hanging out with SML - essentially going on dates with the SML.
So far, since FL is not his, ML tolerates seeing FL hanging out with SML but it pains him. FL is super flippant about OPENLY stringing two guys.

FL has a huge issue of unwillingness to talk about things openly. They kissed and FL did not want to talk about it. ML tried, but was too coward to push forward when FL acts so clueless.

In short, ML is too shy in openly DIRECTLY discussing matters of emotional closeness **if the other person seems clueless, unaware, unwilling and/or upset**. That is his main character flaw. If the other person seems somewhat agreeable and on the same page and willing to discus, he has no problems expressing himself.

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FL, god bless her, is hanging on the last thread of her hormones and barely holding herself back from jumping on ANYONE who comes close enough LOL

Someone in the audience wrote that FL is a 30 yr old woman trying to have it all before she hits the menopause ... and that totally describes her. She wasnts a fling but she wants a husband.

FL is not promiscuous nor super prude. She is an ordinary person. But she is super confused and UNABLE TO ADMIT TO HERSELF THAT HER DESIRE FOR PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH A MAN IS CONTROLLING HER LIFE BC SHE PRETENDS TO NOT HAVE THAT DESIRE.

FL is a confused snowflake who is stringing two guys. She SAYS she likes ML and she consents to going on dates with him - but - she keeps hanging out very closely with the SML, bc SML just barges into her space and she keeps easily consenting to it. And she already admitted to herself once that lust is the only thing she feels for SML. But SML keeps pushing, poking, teasing, barging into her space, and she never sets boundaries. He keeps coming into her physical space, hanging out with her, giving her motorcycle rides, etc. He is hoping to bag her, but she is using him for attention and flirting.

Meanwhile, FL also flirts - but in a deep serious way and all the way to kissing - with ML and now keeps consenting to going on dates with him - but she still keeps hanging with SML in a way that is too familiar - basically using him as a frill pill

AND THAT IS DISGUSTINGLY TOXIC - the flirting between SML and FL is so toxic - he is trying to bag her and she keeps using him as a frill pill, without any intentions to date him, while she consents to go on dates with ML when he invites her

SML consenting to that is toxic to HIMSELF, he clearly does not treat himself with respect
SML needs to grow up asap and truly value himself
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SML keeps teasing FL and poking her with a clear intent to bag her. SML is not honest, he never says how he feels. The most he revealed of himself is to give her tickets to his performance. He gets her drunk and tries to bag her; he takes a job in the only cafe nearby so that he can be close to her and insert himself into her daily life. It is his IMPOSING UPONG FL, WITHOUT HER CONSENT. He is just using her weak moments to sneak into her life. That is not how love should be in 21st century... In 21st century, he invites her to do things with him, and she consents.

What the audience calls "passionate" is a controlling and manipulative immature person, looking for new experiences. What is called "chemistry" is just lust and flirting - as the FL so astutely noticed. His job at the near cafe is actually stalking. His trying to bag a drunk person while he is 100% sober is actually an attempt at s.x without real consent. His bragging about kissing 500 women without any feeling of responsibility is a glaring admittance of having no emotional connections. In short he is a woman-eater of sorts. He is not as bad as could be, but he is not relationship material for sure.

SML has no circle of love, he is alone, he even leaves his job on a whim and gets fired, he has no sense of responsibility commitment and hard work, and he does not know how to love YET. And it's gonna take a while for him to learn it :) First, he has to want it. He does not yet :)

I do not have anything against SML as a person, he is a good person, but as a MAN, he is not a long term relationship material. SML is perfect for a fling :)
SML is ***perfect*** as a dance partner. You can fly all over the dance floor with him and flirt as much as you want. But then when the dance is over, the prince Charming will be gone too :) SML is too ... confused to be a stable long term partner.

MLis still too stiff and unexpressive to be a long term partner too. His cold ex really left impact, he is still hurting and suspicious. Also, he is weak, he has no courage to conront things that make it seem he will ail, emotionally... he cannot talk about sticky subjects... But as he opens more and investigates, ... let us see.

The director is making a grave mistake of dampening down the ML. The actor seems bored.... ML is portrayed as someone who is not very active in his moving around and speech and expression, and that gives an impression of an old and boring person. I really want to see the actor have more FUN with his role. There are so many shades of ML and I want to see them all. That actor is able of expressing complexity. So let him.
But the script... is ... need of fixing lol ML is made too lifeless to make sure the audience starts thinking about this conflict - a stable boring man versus the passionate exciting man -

the truth is, the stable man is NOT boring and is quite passionate, and the passionate man is like a match, he quickly lights and then goes dim.

So I want to see the not-boring side of the stable man. We already had hints - his taking care of dogs, camping trips and hanging at home with bf and his daughter, his interest in making art furniture, etc his active and genuine attempts and successes in kissing FL.... ML is too skinny and stooped over, so he needs to move a little more gracefully and have more muscle.

SML gives an impression of excitement because he runs and jumps and drives a motorcycle, and bc he is outgoing and keeps poking FL and barging into her personal space. But when you look into what he has to offer ... ? it is a few exciting days and some exciting s.x, something that will last a short time while he is having fun with his new and interesting toy, and will fall apart fast as soon as thre is some problem, esp with committment, and/or when he finds something / someone else new and interesting.


This drama exposes severe societal prejudices.
As time immemorial, a shy quiet guy is automatically written off :)
The shortage of eligible single men is severe in the USA and perhaps other places and women consent to all kinds of guys. African American guys are severely in short supply, then white, then Asians.
Also, it is fascinating to see what the culture of 11 million monthly users on Tinder has produced in terms of what ppl call "normal" relationships,
There are all kinds of relationship coaches online and in person in the USA, many specializing in dating men, and most such coaches are men :) There are some that imo give very bad advice, like Matt teaches playing hard to get, and some that are very legitimate, common sense, good guy coaches, like Stephan Speaks. I highly recommend Stephan Speaks free videos on youtube.

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An Enemies to Lovers story, a political slice of life drama.

This Cdrama is part of the influx of well-made dramas within recent years. And truly, when I say that this script and these actors coming together feel like fate, so much so that when I finished it the first time, I had to take some time to think about what about it affected me so much.

As someone in this day and age, I managed to sit through each episode at a time WITHOUT skipping.

The main characters feel real to me in a way, although it is a concept that has been done many times in the past and will continue to do so in the future: a general and a lady. But the way their stories are told, their history, motivations, aspirations and their promises feel real. Experiencing the events unfold with them, the raw emotions, reading facial expressions and body language, and even the way they spoke left me intrigued; almost like every single word and its meaning mattered, and somehow I understood who these individuals are on a fundamental level within the first few episodes.

Of course, that didn't mean I could predict what would happen. Just that it pulled me in slowly; it made me feel like I was experiencing the life they were living with them. They are emotionally complicated, but incredibly smart and capable, like real people. They can feel many emotions and still be wholly logical or irrational, depending on who they are. Both of the main leads are strong/weak in their own ways, but they also balance each other out.

Of course, I am not saying that this show is perfection; some clichés and tropes exist purely because it is a historical drama, but the script's way of handling these clichés is admirable, and in turn, so is the way the two main characters handle it, and the rest of the character are loveable and some... lets just say that this shouldn't be considered a story with a villain and that every chatacter that disagrees with our main leads are stupid and 'evil', sometimes even foolish (but foolish people also exist in reality too), but since it is a historical cdrama with a general and lady there has to be some conflict, the characters and their stories are truly something to witness.

This story is definitely something I have come back to over and over again because it is a comfort show, a slice of life, growing in love.

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I am FL defender on this drama.

I had watched this on the day this drama was released and found so many boy-moms scold FL character and pitied ML. But I am here as FL defender. She always stated she didn't want to pursue romance and only need physical relationship. ML knows what he is doing and should know the consequence. I need more of this kind of drama in duanju.

An excellent contemporary romance drama, ML and FL go from initial attraction to genuine affection, a truly captivating physical attraction. It's been a long time since we've seen them kiss so much on screen. I quite like the intimate scene between Jinzi and Zhong Zheng, it feels like Zhong Zheng devours her. The entire drama revolves around the main couple's relationship; the chemistry is strong, the acting is excellent, and Jinzi and Zhong Zheng surprisingly have great chemistry. This type of role is also perfect for them, making it a powerful combination. The viewing experience is quite comfortable because there's absolutely no element of female-centric suffering; it's all about the ML who suffering because of HIS OWN CHOICE. There is other men wants to pursue our FL and FL is stern as stone while ML burn with undisputed jealousy.

Jinzi has always been well-suited for roles of independent, wealthy heiresses, and this character perfectly embodies that. The female lead is independent and clear-headed throughout, clearly defining her relationship with the male lead. ML also consciously falls into despair, and after realizing he has feelings for someone else, he tries his best to win her back. However, FL is really hard to win over and i suspected she is Aro woman while in drama her psychologist saying she lacks emotional attachment which is perfectly embodied in this drama. Those who like to watch ML abuse will enjoy it.

The cons is how comes she suddenly have change of mind on the last of 2 episodes. It feels so abrupt.

I still recommended this since this kind of drama was RARE to be found on duanju.

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It was entertaining enough

I really liked the storyline of the AI boyfriend concept but I think they could have done more with it if they were a little braver. I am not talking about sex but they could have explored a bigger variety of boyfriend types rather than the stereotypical kdrama boyfriend/date.

The main lead actor did a fabulous job of his character, showing a man who was introverted and not quite the normal, to me with all those little habits he was screaming autism at me. If you know you know.

I did like that no one was being followed by a serial killer for a change. No big dramas but misunderstanding because of lack of communication. It is understandable with him, but the female lead had already significant relationship experience yet she had no idea how to communicate? So it made any misunderstanding too cliche and well I really thought the lead actress was too cliche given that. Not like she is a young woman with no idea. And I didn't think the lead actress did a great job of being that character, the acting was a little dull for me.Her crying acting was very poor to me.

The 2nd lead actress did a great job of a interesting character. She expressed the emotions of the character really well and made her pretty classy and funny as well without being slapstick.

It had a lot of good acting in it, and some fun scenes but It isn't on my rewatch list unfortunately.

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Not Bad, Not Amazing

I tried watching this again several times and even fast-forwarded through a lot of parts. First, I’m not really a fan of the whole virtual world concept, although I can’t deny that I loved all the amazing actors who made cameos in the drama. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it didn’t seem to encourage the use of AI and instead explored its psychological effects. But of course, the tone of the drama is more comedic and seems to cater to single and lonely women.

Second, about Jisoo’s acting. I’m not hating on her or on BP, but she still has a lot to improve, and I believe she could really nail it in her future projects. Her acting isn’t bad, but sometimes it feels like she gives off more of a supporting-role vibe. Her performance can come across as a bit flat, and at times she has the same expressions. Her chemistry with Seo In Guk also feels a bit lacking. However, this might also be a problem with the plot, since she dates several different men in the story. It’s difficult to maintain strong chemistry with the main couple while also building chemistry with the other characters.

Overall, this could still be a great drama if you don’t mind the things I mentioned and are just looking for something fun to watch, especially if you’re here for all the oppas. And if you’re single, feeling lonely, and work is stressing the hell out of you, you might actually enjoy this.

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set the standards for me!!!!

smart FL x smart ML? YES PLEASE!

it was my second cdrama, after In Blossom, so i have my expectations set on low and decided to just enjoy the ride instead of setting a certain standard. and boy oh boy, did it DELIVERED!!! i was not disappointed and i'm sure i have never devoured all 34 episodes so quickly before—it's just that addicting!!

as a plot-centered girlie, i can say that i am truly satisfied. yes, it can get overwhelming at times, but that's the advantage of watching it on a streaming platform, no? i can always rewind to catch myself up. but. then again. i didn't do that often—most of the time, the plot itself flowed smoothly like a river. there's no obvious 'scene-chopping' that i could notice, and so i believe that everything had been carefully and meticulously planned so that every single arc could be told without losing the audience's attention.

the romance tho? UGH. don't even get me started!!!! even on the first episode, the chemistry between ML and FL, despite being strangers, had already shone through—it captivated and amazed me at the same time, because HOW?! you were strangers, guys, how did you pack up SO. MUCH. emotion into a single scene??! it took me a while to realize that this was one of those type of dramas in which the romance was a slow-burn so i was crossing my fingers (some dramas just don't do the slow-burn trope justice), but to my relief, it was done so beautifully, infused with so much yearning, with that depth of emotions that hit just right, and so many moments that practically screams "oh my gosh, they're soulmates!". so yeah, needless to say that by the time they finally got together, i erupted a loud cheer that my mom scolded me for (but worth it!)

song mo was basically an enabler and i love to see him cater to every single one of his wife's plan and strategy. that man was down bad! only to have his feelings returned tenfold by dou zhao? soulmatism i say! no, but, seriously, in this second life, even without the reminder of their past lives, they made a very powerful couple, a healthy one at that too! with clear communication, unconditional trust, and all-encompassing love. ugh, I love to see romance done right!!

that aside, i don't know the budget but the vibes told me that it's probably a handsome amount—the production had that elegant, lavish kind of vibe. the VFX was done beautifully too. the acting was impressive, needless to say. though, some missed their marks, it didn't stain on the rest. the cinematography? well, they didn't show it that often, but when they did, it was beautiful that some scenes are practically engraved to your brain (example being that infamous kissing / departing scene, song mo on the horse with dou zhao on the ground?! GAH THAT WAS EPIC!!!!).

so yeah. a balanced amount of good plots and slow burn romance, with the gritty scenes of action and the fluffiest of slowburn romance—what more could convince you to watch this masterpiece?!

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