My Dear Guardian (2021)

Er Miao ❤❤

I am not sure how I feel about the drama ….there were times when I felt things could be done logically but the writers chose not to and at times I felt like I was enjoying too much to the point that everything could be ignored ….military medical combo has always been something I really look forward to and this drama kept me invested ….
Do I recommend you to watch it ….if you are looking for a military medical setup or if you have a soft spot for the leads you can give it a try ….but then for a 40 ep thing I really won’t say much cuz it’s a huge number …!!

Now moving to things I liked and disliked …..

Could have been shorter ….I always feel like long dramas have too much of not so necessary stuff …..
The show lacks logic at times, sometimes the FL outshines experienced doctors (I don’t mean to say that it isn’t possible but you know….. ) and at times she behaves too irrationally ….like I seriously wanted to tell her- go find the brain you were using a min ago ….
ML was most of the time likeable ….and no major issues with his character
Mi gu the most stupid character I have ever come across recently…. She was so damn annoying that I had to kick her out of my screen in order to keep my sanity ...( I entirely ignored her existence even then she managed to annoy me ....)
The cat Er Miao, officially my fav pet ......until I find someone I love more than her …. Too bad she did not get much screen time in the later half ….
The side stories of FL’s teacher ( sorry I am bad at remembering names ) and ML’s cousin were some of the things done right ….!! I enjoyed both the stories
The show started off well for me, the first few eps were really engaging….I liked the cohabitation part and some pinch of hate to love along with it, was really enjoyable ....
The ending, quite predictable ….no surprise element as such ….in fact I felt like some things were forced to fit and did not make too much sense ….(talking about zhao ran thing…..)

To sum up ….first half was really enjoyable and the second half could have been way better …..I would say that you should try it if you enjoy the genre …it might feel a bit draggy in the middle but I think if you can bear till the end ...it’s a decent watch !!

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Hit or miss

This is one of those shows where you either enjoy the drama and it's your cup of tea or you loathe it. The first 2-3 episodes of the drams is the part that determined that. I admit that the 1st episode was so odd but I feel that moment you look past that, it is a drama you can thoroughly enjoy it.

A lot of people had high hopes for the drama but some ended up being let down. I consider this a shame because of the main cast they had but the plot was quite cliche and overused. There were parts that were "new" to see and that was hopeful for the drama. The mains were beyond childish towards each other and I occasionally found myself smiling during those moments. For once the lead actually talk about their feelings. It is a mature relationship which is refreshing to watch.

I like the main leads but the second leads were beyond questionable, especially Mi Gu. She is ready to ruin her friend for some guy knowing qell what Zhao Ran and Xiao Chu's history is like.  What a character and a horrible friend, she needs her priorities checked. If I was Xia Chu I would have dropped her long time ago but then the story wouldn't have a plot to explore. Xia Chu is also too navie to just believe Mi Gu. Another thing that irritated me was the amount of screen time the second leads got!!! Atleast Mi Gu got a brain at the end. I personally ship Xia Chu's mentor and the mom a lot, they were cute. The boy is as well, I love his acting, mate is truly going places.

I felt that the professional portrayal was meh but the military part had more accuracy than the medical part. At least with my limited knowledge. As it got towards the end it became rushed. Ugh!!!

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good story bones but poorly developed

The storyline of the drama is good but the rest is just a huge flope. The only saving grace , whom by God tried to save the drama is the male lead. The worst bit is the female main lead who was annoying all through the drama. I just wish the storyline can be picked by someone with more affinity of researching characters before using them in plots for the drama otherwise if there was more character research, better script writing and actor sourcing the drama would have been a very huge hit. I am just saddened by the fact that in spite of all the cost of production and the efforts of all the actors and staff, this drama just failed to deliver.

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Less Is More

My issue with some dramas is that they can't figure out how to set the scene for the story and what they want to show us. In this show, all eleven main and supporting characters have a decent screen time. Apart from our two leads, we have to see a backstory to each of the supporting characters, and some are longer than others. So, we get these weird chunks being awkwardly combined to tie it back to the original story because it's looping into its own side story now. This meant that we see less of our two main character's relationship develop and a messy plot trying to be coherent. It is okay to have all of that in one drama if you blend it well together to make it smooth. Writers have to understand that less is more.

The T4 arc sprinkles itself sporadically throughout the show and helps drive it into being an action-crime drama. Because this was our biggest conflict in the drama, it was tiring waiting for it to happen while we got filler scenes. We didn't get much suspense or that "big bang" from the sequence of events in the drama. It was not as engaging as an action drama should be.

The foreshadowing in the drama isn't subtle, and when the foreshadowing occurs, it's a dead giveaway that something soon will happen. Whether it's through words of caution from one character to another, items that get handed off, or actions that get taken, it's quite predictable.


ACTING/CAST/CHARACTERS
Johnny Huang isn't new to the world of action-military-crime-drama films or shows. We've seen him in Operation Red Sea (2018) and The Thunder (2019), and he has several future works within the realm of action. With his manly looks, figure, and acting skills, Johnny Huang can easily pass as Liang Mu Ze, the captain of the Thunder Commandos. Unfortunately, Liang Mu Ze's role in the show is to be Xia Chu's love interest. This makes his character dynamics fall quite flat, as there's not much going, except being a supporting figure to Xia Chu and fighting for his country.

"I hope you could win. I hope the past won't hurt you." While Liang Mu Ze's character is an emotional support system for Xia Chu, he does it perfectly. He will sit and listen to her rants and rambles about her problems. In some cases, he's present to listen to her problems. Other times, he would actively try to help her solve her problems. When he sees that she wants to make an impulse decision that she may regret, he deters her away from it and decides for her, knowing that it's what's in her heart and one where she won't regret. This reduces the number of external misunderstandings between the two of them.

Li Qin is known for her historical costume roles, and this time plays in a modern setting as a resident surgeon at a military hospital. I found that the drama mainly focused on Xia Chu and her journey. Similar to Liang Mu Ze, she didn't have any big character arc or goals. So, watching countless scenes of Xia Chu in the hospital felt meaningless as it did not do much to help move the plot or character forward. Some scenes should have helped add depth to Xia Chu's character but often fails to present it well. My favorite characteristic of Xia Chu is how she stays true to herself and her views. Xia Chu's actions and words justify itself to match her character.

"It's not because of him per se, but it's because of the memories." Our female lead, Xia Chu, draws a clear line of how she feels about Zhou Ran and is mature about it. She doesn't give off wishy-washy feelings based on her past. Nor does she throw shade at Mi Gu for having feelings towards Zhou Ran.

OVERALL
There were not many overarching themes in the drama. However, two that I found most prominent were dedication to one's career and love and sacrifice. When it came to dedication to one's career, it sometimes didn't feel like passion. There were several moments where the characters lacked the conviction to make use that they feel passionate about their career. The drama gave them to us through words instead of their actions. It wasn't until later on, when we would start to see the lengths that these characters would go through to help their patients or fight for their country, that I felt these characters were passionate about the career paths that they have chosen.

Love and sacrifice are one of the bigger themes in the drama. We would see the two leads often feel like they need to make sacrifices for their love to make it work or that they would have to give up their love life to pursue their career. Many scenes made it seem like you have to choose one or the other when you fall in love. It's either your career or your love life. For example, in one of Xia Chu's conversations with Xiao Xiao about love and sacrificing one's career, Xiao Xiao said, "Why am I the one to switch jobs? Why can't he?" I applauded Xiao Xiao for this answer, as women are often the ones who have to sacrifice their careers to make a relationship work.

Did I love it? Not really. Do I hate it? Not really. For me, the last 10 episodes were where the show really starts to pick up, probably to close up all the loose strings.

This drama is for you if you like:
-Military and doctor trope dramas
-Johnny Huang or Li Qin
-Slow burn romance

This drama isn't for you if you dislike:
-Clingy second male leads
-Best friend of female lead that isn't so smart
-A lot of focus on side stories of supporting casts

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ML and FL did great.

After just completing episode 40 yesterday, I felt like the need to write my first ever review. For all the people wondering if they should start this drama, my answer is, YES! Although the story and certain characters were at times, unbearable to watch, the majority of it is well thought out. Yes, some episodes were extremely unnecessary and it did drag on for a bit towards the end, but in my personal opinion, the ML and FL did a great job to bring LMZ and XC to life. Although at times Li Qin's acting was a little overboard, both Johnny Huang and Li Qin nailed their characters and really brought the show to another depth. The show starts a little bit slow but picks up pace, and in my own opinion, the main characters really developed throughout this show. Overall, this show is one of those "hit or miss" kinds of things. You either love it, or you don't. Hope this helped.

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from being obsess with descendants of the sun, crash landing on you, and having the chance to watch you are my hero i could say so far MY DEAR GUARDIAN is the best and exceeded my expectation.
I wonder their are comments here giving low scores when i myself is asking for a season 2 for this drama..
The male lead is the best picture and having best feature of a real capt soldier, compared to capt. Yi shi jin, capt. Ri and capt. Cing ke lei that you wouldnt dare to hurt them cause of their handsomeness, but for capt. Liang Muze his not really that handsome but for me he is the hottest capt. Perfect body, perfect stand of a soldier, perfect flying kick, perfect projection..
For the female lead comparing her to dr. Mika, her acting is far better, and her character is better, she is prettier and looks cleaner than dr. Mika of you are my hero, the way she dress is more acceptable..
But im just sad that the supporting male role died..we'll see with season 2..hoping!!just hope that pandemic will end cause its disturbing my binge watching..directors and artist cant shoot, producers cant invest..hoping and praying that everything will go back to normal so that we could watch MY DEAR GUARDIAN SEASON 2..

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Feel sorry for those people who dropped this.

I read the comments on MDL and honestly, I feel sorry for those people who dropped this. They just missed one good hell of a story.

Story:
There are a lot of lines about sacrifice in this drama. Lovers sacrifice for their other half, family members for their loved ones, soldiers for their country and fellowmen, and doctors for their patients. For me, sacrifice is a really big thing and something that is hard to do and the fact that this drama has shown the different sides of sacrifice, already makes it a good drama. I didn't find it boring at all -- or probably some Mi Gu and Zhou Ran parts (read below). The story was very similar to You Are My Hero. One difference is in MDG, they had one enemy which they need to catch/destroy. In YAMH, there is no constant enemy but the couple meets a lot of danger together. But in terms of loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, love, family, and others, I could see a lot of similarities. And I actually think soldier/police-doctor stories is my thing now. I l loved DOTS, YAMH, and MDG. Hope it trends more.

[SPOILER] I'll talk about the couples now, probably spoilers.
1st couple, as a hopeless romantic, I was a little bit disappointed with the romance 'cause I was expecting more from Johnny Huang since he's had a great chemistry with his female leads. The main leads also had good chemistry, I just wish for more. Oh, and the way he just stares at her sometimes, already was full of meaning, he just needed his little cousin as interpreter 'cause the FL was a little dense.
2nd couple, Mi Gu and Zhou Ran... Personally, I dislike girls who fall head over heels guys and just lose their sanity and sense of reality. I felt so bad for them at the end, but it was something that was bound to happen. They were never going to end up together.
3rd couple, Dr Zhang and Meng Zhen, I loved Dr Zhang! How he was a playboy at first but became serious for Meng Zhen. He was really just searching and waiting for the right one. I also felt bad when they almost didn't end up together but I'm glad he came around, thanks to Xiao Jun, and the gossiping ladies at the canteen. As for the girl, I kind of wasn't convinced how she pushed away Dr. Zhang, comparing him to her first husband. Honestly, there's really no good in comparing things, in all aspects. Of course, they weren't going to be the same! You know, if it's love, it's love.
4th couple, my fave, but the saddest. Tian Yong and Xue, OMG, there are no words to describe them honestly. They were perfect for each other even if I think they have a huge age gap. There also no words other than devastation for this couple. My heart still aches when I think about it. I kind of saw it coming but I still hoped for the best. She actually deserves him, she needed someone as true and naive as he is, but sadly, it wasn't meant to be. It just hurts.

[CHARACTERS]
- Main FL. A lot of people found her annoying. At first, I also did. But damn, her principles and passion as doctor, really touched me. She could be a coward sometimes but the care she has shown to her patients was really something. I think she was the only doctor in the whole drama who was like that. The other doctors were actually a little bit selfish, and that was even more annoying.
- Tian Yong: I LOVED HIM, definitely one of my faves in this drama. Again, it's just so sad what happened to him, so unfair.
- The other resident doctor: I HATE HER. She was one of those doctors who were super selfish. TBH, most of he doctors in this drama were selfish, but her in particular. I disliked how she went back and forth, enemy then friend to the FL. Even if she explained herself at the end, I still dont like her.
- Dr Zhang's ex: Most selfish doctor. PERIOD.

My review was super long, but it was more like comments than a review. Overall, it's good drama! Just watch it. ;)

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Oh! My Dear ! Let me tell you a story !

IT'S A GOOD STORY ! A story so good, no matter how hard they try to mess it up THEY CAN'T!!!!
STORY: It's another one of them Officer/Medic dramas ! it does honor to the genre (so far!) unique in it's own , different from YAMH and DOTS(not to name them all!) The problem is the production! You can tell the writer was out of their elements trying to fluff it into 40 episodes, trying really hard not to dilute it. Including slice of life and secondary conflicts here and there to make it Lenghty. It would have been so much more amazing if it stayed concise and compact with a banm banm banm chain of events because let me tell you : The Core of the story is AMAZING and it's moving quite nicely! The mind buggling unnecessary adjacent like the forever screaming cousin going through her own awakening, The self-centered heartless wench of a heart-surgeon in need of a good sit-down and so on is tiresome and robs you of the intensity said drama would need!
OH AND THAT FRIEND .... unnecessarily dumb, selfish and imprudent for a successful career woman but they had to give her screen time to make space! Who needs enemies when you have friends like that! i can't wait for the FL to send her packing!
ACTING: NO complains at all !!!! Even said screaming cousin is so good at what she does ! FL is a little on the nose but on brand with the character, she's built to drive him insane but doesn't and that's what fascinates him hence " Da Luv" XD ! ML is played by an actor who has very well lived in a uniform all his life so i'm sure this was a peice of cake for him!
MUSIC: Entirely forgettable so far ! Definitely not an OST you'll add to your playlist later on if you ask me
REWATCH: Meh! it would be a simple and fun rewatch , you'd end up skipping all the adjacent slice of life i guarantee ! straight to love and war because that's what matters and that's what is so good about this drama!

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Its a must watch!

Its totally a my type romance and action drama. I know this has the same plot like few other dramas. Yet i love the way everytime a doctor and military falls in love. Despite being totally devoted towards their career they still stay together till the end. They overcome so many barriers in their path. This drama is not like the other romance dramas that it has too many love triangles and then the second lead's heartbreak etc etc. I feel like a lot of emotions and life lessons and messages is interconnected with this drama which it makes it worth watching. Overall i loved it!

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40 episodes of painful watch

Very very very bad.

STORY
Story uninteresting, shallow and stupid. The plot was awful. Lousy villains and heroes.
ACTING - the characters were not interesting. but I think ML and FL were ok. Only ML Liang Zemu was ok and his friend Tian Yong. FL Xia Chu was a little boring, but she is the saviour of Chinese health system! She discovered new ways of treatment, find cure for diseases and only in her first year an intern!!!
Her best friend Mi Gu was a dumb, stupid, shallow person that helped a man murdering people and hurting her friend!
The villain was very boring, angry with the world.
All is bad, I don't even have the energy to criticize this show.
I may have to go to a brain surgeon to remove some tissue that died with this drama.

MUSIC - do not remember

REWATCH - never. Well, if I want to kill myself by destroying my brain...

OVERALL - a drama that I really want to forget

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