This review may contain spoilers
Unexpected life lessons
It's been about 3 months since I finished watching this & it's still one of the best dramas that I've watched this year. This drama wasn't even on my radar but I ended up being glad that I decided to watch it.There's things that could be nitpicked about the "time traveling" but I personally didn't find it a problem for my viewing. I was more focused on the journey of Qian Wei as she reaffirmed what was truly important in her life. I guess for some she could come off as annoying when she first went back in time & tried pushing Lu Xun to Zi Xin but it was easy to understand why she thought that was the best course of action, even if her actions weren't the best at times. What I liked about her is how she stuck to her convictions even when it would be easier for her life if she turned her back on them.
I'm going to be honest & admit that at the beginning I wasn't fond of Lu Xun's way of grabbing onto Qian Wei (& that's still a no for me) or how he was kind of overbearing in some of his actions to have a part of her life. However, it wasn't anything too bad or unexpected from a cdrama - I've seen worse. As the story goes on, it's clear that he acts the way that he does because he's been carrying an unrequited love for years. I have mixed feelings about waiting for someone for 10 years or so but, in his case, it makes you see how much she means to him & how much he loves her. So, it's impossible not to root for him and their happy ending.
I will say that one of my favorite things about this drama was the messages that came with each episode. They weren't over the top or too cheesy but just right. Without giving too much away, I really liked what they showed us through Qian Wei's interactions with Chong Wen when she returned to the past, and even when she returned to the present. I also really loved what they had to say about love rivals & truly loving someone - it was refreshing to see.
Other things I liked were the family relationships, her friendships, the secondary couple, and the opening song (I still have it stuck in my head). This is a simple story yet it had me wishing it was 40 episodes. I enjoyed every episode.
Was this review helpful to you?
10/10 Full of surprises!
100000/10I am so happy that I watched this drama I was going to ignore it since it was in my watchlist.
I really like how this drama turned out, full of surprises.
My favorite character is ML he's so cool and his lines in the drama are so iconic, he's always fun. Such a good actor Z Tao is❤️
Both leads have such a good chemistry even when they are bickering. Their arguments are so fun and felt so natural.
FL is such a good actress, I love her!!
Her character had the best development. At the start I felt she was somewhat annoying but after some episodes she was so cool and I felt so attached to her character.
And the 2nd fl is so so smart and kind she always respects them and is such a good friend to both of them.
2nd ML had character development and i like how he came to his senses and found himself.
I really like FL brother he is such a cute character and whenever he smiles my hearts goes boom boom??
Overall such a great drama and acting was really good and I became Z Tao's fan?❤️
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Weirdly interesting
This is a different kind of "relive your college years" drama.About the "relive thing":
- I liked the fact of how they mixed fiction with reality about the reason why she " went back", making it kinda logical (but at the same time not).
-I liked best the first half of the drama where she was " reliving" her life, than when she came back.
It really catched me how she was "changing everything" and noticing how the ML actually cared for her. So it started pretty well and that "arc" caught my attention , but when she came back, it was kinda "o-kay...? So how is this going to end now? ". I think it was because I had a different idea of how she was going to "come back".
- The character development of the FL is really good
The ending:
Is kinda good, but it could've been so much better. I felt a little bit dissapointed, but at the same time I understood why it was like that. Plus the last scene kinda made forget my dissapointment tho. ? So it was good, but not AWESOME level.
Drama overall:
-I liked it, but I found it a little bit long. I think 28 eps would've been enough. But is still a good watch. Not that I loved it to the point that I would rewatch it again and again, but is still good.
In my opinion, this is not a masterpiece, just a good piece. One that you can watch while you're waiting for another dramas or you don't what to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Where do I even begin?! It says a lot when I start missing a drama before I’m even close to finishing, but this one was a sweet surprise! It’s heart warming and heartfelt, serious and emotional, and yet comedic and funny all at the same time. The filming was so well done with the cinematography and I loved how time travel was depicted as it weaved in and out of flashbacks to give us a story. I was so impressed by the fluidity of the drama... questions were slowly answered and it’s been a while since I didn’t want to fast forward through a single episode. ML and FL’s chemistry was probably one of the most natural I’ve seen on screen and they didn’t miss a comedic beat. Their banter, wit, and rapid comebacks was so fun to watch, I wondered at times if it was even scripted. ML was charismatic and charming (I do love his hair!!) and FL was adorable and smart. They both brought to life their characters and I was hooked early on. There wasn’t one person I didn’t like in this drama… every supporting character was well written... drama took time to. show us their struggles and flaws and how even the most brilliant and ambitious can fall when faced with the harsh reality of life.
I usually don’t say much about the OST but this one has a few songs that really stood out and brought out the best in this drama (not to mention some tears too). Overall, a really good watch!! I’m going to miss this one!
Was this review helpful to you?
Refreshing
I really enjoyed the drama. The ML here is my personal favourite type of men. Not the arrogant one but the cute and easygoing one. I really love his personality. The story is refreshing and very likable. From the comedy elements to the dipressing ones, everything was neatly put out. I loved the family and the friends dynamics. Personally the college moments is my fav. A flawed SML whom I just wanted to kick out of the screen many times. Though the story has many flaws. And felt the need to tie up some endings properly/ why it happened in the first place. There was lack of explanation or motive. But both the ML and FL makes up for those parts with there characters.Was this review helpful to you?
2 episodes are enough to get hooked. Try it.
This is my first review. (*A drama able to motivate me enough to post a review simply means that it was just excellent)It took me a long time before deciding to watch it.
The synopsis in itself did not attract me very much. I saw the word "coma" and i was already expecting some kind of memory loss, being dragging and annoying. Also, i was expecting the traditional office romance macho boss/ fragile dumb assistant.
It was therefore such a surprise.
This drama is a little gem! This is a Feel Good drama.
From the story, the chemistry between the main leads , even the second leads and support role who acted wonderfully, to the OST, everything was perfect.
Cdrama tends to have a lot of episodes ( another reason why i hesitated to start it) and though we sometimes feel the urge to skip some of the scenes, at times full episodes , this drama will exactly be like your favorite dessert that you will be savoring.
Special note on the dialogues (added to the excellent acting). These were so well written that i was pausing the drama from time to time to enjoy them and appreciate it fully. (Note there that i do not speak Chinese and had it subtitled in English) My guess is that for those understanding Chinese, the puns must surely be way more enjoyable.
Therefore, to those having the drama on their watchlist, hesitating to start it, i will not add anymore to this review but simply tell you to start the first 2 episodes (which will be more than enough to get you hooked) and to get ready for some wonderful sleepless nights.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I am not much of a fan of time splits, time travel or variation of the sort, but the premise of this drama sounded promising. In the beginning, I enjoyed the banter between the leads. Z. Tao carries enough pizzazz as the domineering boss whose mission in life is to torment his employee/former classmate/ex-rival/secret crush. Song Zu Er, on the other hand, was inconsistent. Sometimes, her portrayal of Qian Wei can come off as whiney and unlikeable, but I wasn’t sure if that’s the way her character was written, or if the acting wasn’t up to par.Adding to my initial annoyance is this self-proclaimed hero, Li Chong Wen. As far as Second lead goes, he’s not exactly a formidable contender, except perhaps that the ML should learn from his persistence. Probably if we mix Chong Wen and Lu Xun’s personalities, we would find ourselves somebody more balanced. But it is what it is, and despite saying that, he’s not the worst SML in the history of SMLs.
The rest of the characters were not very memorable for me, and through no fault of the cast. They were mostly fillers in the drama whose roles were only to propel the plot of the protagonists’ forward. The only saving grace here really is Lu Xun’s character. His quiet, and yet unwavering support of Qian Wei over the years, was equally sweet and heartbreaking to watch. Although he’s prickly and seems indifferent sometimes, he actually cares a lot about Qian Wei.
The story progressed naturally until Qian Wei wakes up from the coma. From here, you can see all the efforts she tried to get Lu Xun to confess his feelings. But instead of confronting him outright, she employed some sneaky tactics to achieve her goal. I temporarily lost interest at this point. Instead of trying to confirm his feelings for her, I think she should show more reciprocity to do things for him as he did for her all these years. Although she attempted to do so, work-wise, helping him with the case; outside of this, there’s very little else to show that she indeed fell in love with him out of her own accord, and not because of him being nice to her.
After finishing this drama, I felt it somehow anticlimactic. While the drama was in the coma state, I couldn’t wait for Qian Wei to wake up. But once she did, I couldn’t wait for them to go back to that dream state. Although this drama isn’t bad, you will have to suspend your disbelief and just go with the flow in order to make sense of it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Having a bad day? Watch this drama.
Love the chemistry of the leads! I think that's what this drama has got in spades. They seriously make you laugh and cry with them as they face their challenges. Their acting is so natural that it's so easy to get caught up in their world and end up rooting for them time and time again.I also liked the side stories within the drama: how individuals make decisions in life, what motivates them, how families are so different... the list goes on. Suffice it to say that it's not boring. Oh and they are so generous with the kissing! Love love love!
My only beef is Lu Xun's hair. I wish it didn't stay the same :))))
Imma rewatch this soon!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Satisfyingly good
This is a must watch. Fluffy, funny and sweet. FL is cute and cheeky while ML is subtly sexy and loyal (arggh, those hidden smiles). If you are expecting an intense legal drama then this might not be for you. Laws were only cited like part of everyday life. I was prepared to suspend my disbelief but the 'time travel' actually made sense.The leads' chemistry was through the roof. They had ways to express ILY without saying ILY. I particularly liked the 3 time hand squeeze. I felt like I watched 2 love stories in one, college romance and workplace romance. Both of which did not fail to give the flutters.
From the first episode, you can already see that Luxun does not do things that will charm Quanwei, instead he challenges her to be better but secretly helps her. You can also sense that he likes her but does not cross the boundary of boss and assistant. She did not look at him with romance in her eyes but she admired him and was comfortable with him. It was also very funny that she kept breaking the fourth wall, and I was hooked.
What I really liked is that show makes you feel that you can make your 'what ifs' into your 'what is', that reality is better than dreams and that there is a special someone, who may not be perfect, but this person will fill the void in your heart.
Some scenes were not realistic (well, this is a drama) but the end was still so satisfying. You can feel that after the drama ends, the characters will still argue, make up and fall in love all over again. The OSTs were also wonderful. The montage in the last episode was also like icing on cake, so make sure that you watch it until the very end.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not What I Was Expecting, But So Much More.
Public Service Announcement: THERE IS A SCENE AFTER THE CREDITS OF THE FINAL EPISODE. STICK AROUND UNTIL THE VERY END!Once in a while a drama comes along that grabs you and holds on. I have only experienced this with a handful of C-Dramas, but when they hook me they REALLY don't let go. This show has been added to the very short list of dramas that live in my heart rent-free. It didn't follow the standard "overbearing CEO/overbearing boss" trope despite that being the overall premise of the plot and it kept me emotionally engaged from start to finish.
The acting of the cast impressed me, especially the FL (Song Zu Er) and ML (Z. Tao). I had watched 10 episodes of 'The Brightest Star In The Sky' before I dropped it, partially because I didn't like the acting. Z. Tao has either improved his skills or had better direction in 'Legally Romance' because he seemed much more natural in this role. The supporting cast was also exceptional, especially the FL's brother (Yan An) for being such a new actor. I had previously watched him in 'Love Crossed' and he was so-so in that show. His skills have improved exponentially VERY quickly. The SML (Garvey Jin) had fantastic presence and charisma. His use of facial expressions to convey emotions was seriously remarkable. He also made me fall a little in love with him - both as a fresh-faced university student and a jaded adult.
The cinematography in this show was so gorgeous. It's hard to explain, but sometimes the use of the camera angles and lighting made it seem even more like a fantasy dreamscape. The director is quite young and relatively new, with only 3 dramas under his belt, but this show felt polished and shiny, like a far more experienced director was at the helm. One of my favourite aspects of this show was the brief 4th wall breaks the FL has while she talks directly to the viewers. They're used so well and give a lot of really important information very quickly. It's rare to see a 4th wall break done frequently and done well at the same time.
I'm not much of an OST person, I don't tend to notice songs aside from the mood they create in the scene, but the music in this drama was good enough that I took note of several tracks. One song in particular had me replaying the scene over and over just to listen to the music and going on a mad Shazam/Spotify/YouTube/Google search to find the full length version. Alas, the song eludes me still, much to my frustration.
My only *very minor* dislike in this show is that once in a while it can be confusing when they're discussing some aspects of legalities, contracts, etc. For the most part all the legal jargon was toned down and easy to understand, but in the final 8 episodes I found a few of the discussions about the cases harder to follow. I also found some of the blur between the past, the 'second' past, and the actual current timeline could get a little too ambiguous about what was actually experienced by people that didn't relive the "second" past.
Overall this was an excellent drama with lots of cute scenes between the ML and FL, as well as the secondary couple. There were also a lot of emotional scenes throughout the show that had me shedding a few of my own tears, and even some action-packed moments that made the climax quite intense. Definitely worth the watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
Hidden gem
Just finished this after binge watching it... It's been awhile since I enjoyed a show like this. I think the last time was fall in love, where Zhang Jing yi and Cheng Xing xu as the main characters.From the 1st episode to the last, pulled you in, the pace was great for this drama and there was no dragging nor any weird inconveniences within the show which was great.
The characters had a great chemistry and they were naturally funny and real without even trying and this isn't easy to come by.
For once there were no meddling in-laws and the likes. They were valid in their actions such as liu Shu yin's father which wasn't extreme. The second leads weren't dying to get their non sensical revenge just because they couldn't get the male lead so it was refreshing to watch.
As for the OST , I can't say it was the best I've ever heard like Long Ballard,my little happiness and even go into your heart have amazing OSTS. But Z.Tao's was amazing and some in between. So I'd give it a 7 at least.
The story in itself was great. A balance of both law and romance and everyday life. The father's love for qian Wei was very touching and real. The trauma's that affected the characters are all relatable and understandable without seemingly to be overbearing.
Loved it, but one thing though, z.tao's hair was just funny with the suit but it made sense for his character. Don't judge a book by its cover kinda type of vibe I guess.
If they also added court scenes like maybe going defending would have made it much better and interesting
All in all bingeability is high and the pace great.. I'd recommend it ..
Was this review helpful to you?