Short, pleasant series, without pretension other than having a good time.
Highly rated isekai (with Joseph Zeng)PLOT: The FL, needing money, agrees to be a beta tester of an immersive VR game. She finds herself in a historical era, in a family of farmers, mistreated by her grandparents and aunts and uncles. She saves the injured ML ( fleeing from officials) but he helps her escape from a "sacrificed widow" marriage. She will do everything to earn money (her game's mission) while the ML tries to foil a conspiracy.
+++ Very well played, lots of complex but endearing characters.
+++ Effective, lively production
+++ Consistent story, quite realistic
+++ Very nice OST.
### More family oriented than romantic, with few OTPs.
=> short, pleasant series, without pretension other than having a good time.
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ICK bien noté (avec Joseph Zeng)
PLOT: La FL, ayant besoin d'argent, accepte d'être bêta testeuse d'1 jeu en VR immersif. Elle se retrouver dans une époque historique, dans une famille de fermiers, malmenée par les gds-parents et oncles & tantes. Elle sauve le ML blessé (qui fuit les officiels) mais l'aide à échappant à 1 mariage de "veuve sacrifiée". Elle va tout faire pr gagner de l'argent (sa mission) pdt que le ML essaie de déjouer une conspiration.
+++ Très bien joué, bcp de personnages complexes mais attachants.
+++ Réalis° efficace, vive.
+++ Story cohérente, assez réaliste
+++ OST très agréables.
### Plus familial que romantique, avec peu d'OTP.
=> série courte, agréable, sans prétention autre que passer 1 bon moment.
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non consistent story
I watch a lot of reincarnation in a other world's story so I am very used to it. there are also a lot of stories about people being trapped in an on line game. there always are some connection, something logical between real life and game story that makes the story captivating and entertaining. this one wasn't.although it kept me hooked because I really wanted to know how she would get herself out of it, I really didn't like the script. I asked myself continuously who would play that game on purpose. certainly not me.
what are the odds that someone lands in a so messed up family? even if you are willing to discover how people lived in the old dynasty's era, things are already difficult as is, you really don't need a family who wants to kill you, exploit you, and leave you to die. I mean, come on! you are playing a game, there is so much interesting things she could have discovered, while having a crush on a character, there was really no need of so much dramas, in a remote countryside place, with a so poor family.
The story also ends in fishtail, we do not know if it is a happy ending or not.
I feel like I wasted my time, and more importantly, I wouldn’t have watched if I knew it was so violent.
when to watch: it's entertaining, so do as you wish.
audience: I'd say not under 18 because there is so much (violent) crazy things in the script it'd be difficult for youngsters to understand. I mean I don't understand how people can be so cruel and selfish and I am more than 18.
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How to outwit your frenemies & enemies and bag yourself a Prince
I choose to watch this drama thinking I was in for a lighthearted rom-com between 2 young actors, working as farmers labouring in some rural province of China. Turns out, it wasn't. The title is rather misleading. Although the setting starts off in a farm (a virtual computer game farm, to be precise), the story is really about how the female protagonist, the underdog stacked with the odds against her, schemes her way in order to survive and thrive. Her male lover is an undercover prince, who takes on the identity of a humble farm boy. He becomes her brainy side-kick and partner-in-crime.The Meta-context
Lian Man Er, portrayed as your average girl-next-door person, is invited to beta-test a company's new computer game that is set in a virtual Farm. Once the game begins, she is parachuted into a rural farming village as a player with a mission to earn 1000 taels of money. Every new character in the computer game is always introduced by their names, and every episode concludes with a total tally of money that Lian Man Er has earned or expended in her account.
Obstacle 1: The Heroine's Toxic Family
The bulk of the drama's storyline quickly becomes engulfed by the petty rivalry and silly squabbles between Lian Man Er's family members. The only saints in her family are her long-suffering parents, her cute little 7 year old brother and a mild-mannered weak cousin. The rest of her biological relatives, from her grandfather grandmother, aunties, uncles and cousins are portrayed as lazy, gluttony, dumb passive useless and scheming personalities who go all lengths to frustrate Lian Man Er's morale and diminish her hard-earned money pool to line their own pockets.
Obstacle 2: The Hero's Undercover Takedown
Shen Nuo, the Male lead of the drama, is an undercover spy sent from the palace sent to find evidence against a marquis, who is secretly accumulating wealth to mine weaponry to wage war against the Emperor. He is picked up by Man Er while on the run, and makes use of her hospitality to claim a resident status on her family's farm in order to keep a low profile and gather more intel about the marquis's secret plans. As an "ordinary plebeian" who makes a sudden appearance in town, he faces difficulty establishing links to the illegal business organisation that is funding the marquis's political rebellion.
Obstacle 3: The Couple's neverending obstacles and challenges
In order to earn money to fulfil her game mission, Lian Man Er has to constantly hatch multiple businesses, from selling roasted peanuts, then to selling fresh leafy greens, then to selling grape wine brandy and then setting up a restaurant in the city. Every one of her successful business plans is always met by competitor saboteurs and internal espionage, but Man Er and Shen Nuo have a very winsome way of working together to outwit their rivals and dissenters while achieving their own goals and bottomline. Their like-minded thinking and easy-going partnership is what builds their chemistry, and eventually the bud of romance.
The Romance
Lian Man Er meets her prince-charming in a forest when he is severely injured and on the run. Out of compassion or perhaps his sheer good looks, she takes him (a complete stranger) in and allows him to stay on the farm when he agrees to help her breakaway from an arranged marriage. Shen Nuo continues to hang around the farm to help Man Er & her family, contributing more of his brains than actual hard work. Their budding romance experiences a short disruption when Shen Nuo abruptly disappears from the village without a proper farewell because he is unable to disclose his mission to Man Er and her family. When he abruptly reappears back on the farm and finally reveals his true identity and agenda, Man Er accepts him without much resistance and readily assists him in his undercover mission. The only rival for Man Er's affections is her goody-two-shoes kind-hearted neighbour, Youheng, who silently yearns for Man Er from afar, as most wallflowers are scripted to do. Thankfully, there is no other toxic romantic-rival to make the story defocused from its existing sub-plots.
The (Virtual) Happy Ending
An abducted family member gets rescued by Man Er, the mastermind enabling the illegal ore-mining scheme gets nabbed by Shen Nuo, the villagers get to return to their homeland and Lian Man Er's toxic family members magically morph into angelic souls who forgive each other's past transgressions over a heartwarming family reunion dinner. Shen Nuo disappears to return back to the Capital and returns years later to reunite with Man Er on the farm, promising a more committed relationship in the near distant future. But why not now, we wonder? All seems well.
The Reality
Man Er is brought back to reality once she completes her game mission and is sad to leave behind the virtual farm village world. The last scene is intentionally left ambiguous and open-ended: Will Man Er ever meet her prince-charming Shen Nuo in real life? I am left feeling utterly unsatisfied with such an incomplete ending.
The Bad Parts
The biggest weakness of this drama is it's setting. Most of the story revolves around how a Heroine meets her Hero and how they overcome their struggles and outwit their enemies together. But their relationship and romance (as the Title suggests) has no closure. Instead, we find out from the bonus special episode that Shen Nuo is actually the CEO heading the gaming company. Does this mean that he controlled the game settings all this while he was also a player in the game? What was the whole point of the game challenge? Will they ever continue to build their romance and live happily ever after after the computer game ends? The ending was so ambiguous and unsatisfactory because it did not answer these key questions, it makes the computer game meta-context feel pointless and irrelevant for me. This drama could have just focused on the Farm instead of trying to add a computer meta-context setting to make the story feel different.
The second issue with the drama is that I found many of Lian Man Er's family members scripted to be so unbearably toxic and grew tired of their petty politicking and fast-forwarded many of those scenes. I wish this drama could cut back on the toxic family squabbles and give more screen time to the key plot.
Which is the 3rd issue I have with the drama. The illegal ore mining scheme is stuffed across the last few episodes and the actual mastermind villain behind the supposed political rebellion does not even make an appearance in the show. Instead all we see are his cronies, the leader heading a powerful network of businessmen, deploying their wealth and resources to execute the illegal ore-mining business.
The Good Parts
This drama is a mini-masterclass about politicking your way out of sticky situations, whether it be a toxic family or unfavorable business and living conditions. The female protagonist does this very successfully with her smarts, sass and big sunny smile. Personally for me, Man Er and Shen Nuo's couple chemistry whenever they had level-headed strategic discussions on how to deal with different challenges were the real gems of this show. They would make fantastic MBA professors. So perhaps the title of this drama could have been Slaying it on a farm, albeit a virtual gaming one.
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Rollercoaster Family Relations on the Farm
The beginning episodes made me wonder if there was any love in this family but still I was entertained with this drama through all the plotting, selfishness and blatant favouritism.I liked the FL’s cheerful personality and her never- give-up attitude despite being plotted against so many times. Her character was well written to be someone smart with a heart of gold and she played it beautifully. Her chemistry with the ML was a joy to watch and the way they looked at each other made my heart melt more than the few kisses that they shared.
For all the evil plotting that the FL’s cousin did to her, it was a bit of a let down to not have her realisations fleshed out better and for her to give a meaningful apology to the FL.
One of the best moments for me was when the FL knew she would be exiting the game and she went around silently saying her farewells to everyone. Lovely music that made her expressions even more touching.
I’m a little bit lost at the very end. The FL exited the game as she and the ML were approaching each other. She was shown to be back in the real world but then, the scene cuts to being back in the game where both of them talking and having a sweet moment together as if she didn’t exit the game… if the drama had provided some explanation of how this happened, it would have given me better happy ending vibes.
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At the end of the day family always matters.?❤️
*** Spoiler Alert (PERSONAL FEEDBACK)Title : Romance On The Farm - 2023 (Complete 26 Episode)
Personal Rating : 8/10
At the end of the day family always matters.?❤️
“Maybe this is what home is. There’s sorrow, there’s happiness, there’s good and the bad. The meaning of family is for people not to be lonely in this world.” – Maner
Romance on the Farm" is a costume farming light-hearted drama in the gaming world.
Lian Maner (played by Tian Xiwei), a modern girl with a broken family, applied as the first beta tester for a new game because of her lack of funds. She needs to do the missions and collect 1000 taels for her to end the game and received an additional bonus.
After entering the game, she finds herself in an ancient rural village where she encounters the eccentric Lian family, who are her relatives which have farms. She also meets the enigmatic and "tsundere" male lead, Shen Nuo (played by Joseph Zeng). Shen Nuo is non-player character (NPC) with a hidden identity in the game.
Together, they confront troublesome relatives, engage in farming and business ventures. As they go through various hilarious and chaotic situations, their relationship deepens, and they promise to accompany each other through life.
ROTF focuses on family matters – the drama, chaos, favoritisms, and pressure of being renowned or making the family rich which most of the big-extended families have. You will hate the GRANDMOTHER on this drama. ??
Joseph Zeng & Tian Xi Wei have good chemistry. They are so cute together. Maybe in another drama or scenario their chemistry/couple will be one of the best.
Honestly, I am confused if Shen Nuo is playing same time as Lian Maner.? There is a special preview (after she finish the game) where they showed the ML leads name & picture on the organizational chart of the company, he called her name MANER and give her an animal leaf which Shen Nuo gave her inside the game but didn't show his face.?
Overall, it is okay for me, not great but okay. The lead couple’s romance is light, and they have few romantic scenes since the FL focuses on her family matter and the ML is focused on his mission too. Let me remind you, the story starts and ends inside the game only so after the game there is no other story.
GENRE – Costume, Comedy, Romance, Life, Family
CAST – Joseph Zeng , Tian Xi Wei
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Where's the ROMANCE??
This is the first time I've watched a drama that doesn't represent the title.Yes, the two main characters develop feelings for each other as the episodes progress, they have sparks of love BUT the producers or writers who make this drama, hardly provide romantic scenes. On a scale of 1-10, I would give you a 7.
Do you know what scenes and stories appear more often in this drama? Yes, Lian Man'er's family matters. I was even annoyed because Shen Nuo's background wasn't explored further, the audience was only given hints that Shen Nuo secretly had a political mission. So I think the title really doesn't match the storyline in the drama!
Talking about acting, I really appreciate the entire cast. They are able to deepen every character they play, especially the senior actors. If you ask me how Zeng Shunxi's acting is, I dare to give him a score of 9 out of 10. He's good at acting in martial arts and is good at horse riding. He's also good at playing with expressions, his intonation also depicts Shen Nuo's intelligent and mysterious character. What about Tian Xi Wei? oh, she's also a good actress. She's an actress who really fits the role of Lian Man'er who is cheerful, optimistic and full of hope. Her round eyes and cute face really matched Lian Man'er's character.
Production-wise, i think this drama has good cinematography, and I really love how they didn't dub the entire cast. The storyline is also easy to understand, so at least there is still something to be proud of from this drama production. Oh, and this drama doesn't seem like a low-budget drama. The director is also good at directing scenes so I didn't feel like there were any scenes that made me cringe when watching it. Ah but there's something else that's bothering me. Why isn't the soundtrack memorable?
In conclusion if you ask me whether this drama is worth watching or not, then my answer is yes. Overall the drama is good, it's just that the title doesn't match the storyline which is quite disappointing for me.
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There is no romance on the farm
"Players of the video game take on roles and complete tasks assigned to them. One such character is Li Man Er, played by the female lead, whose task was to collect 1000 taels of gold. To achieve this, she worked on a farm, made and sold wine, and roasted and sold groundnuts. Throughout her journey, she faced numerous hurdles and conspiracies. Her parents, brother, friend, and lover provided significant support.As Li Man Er and her lover were about to reunite, she completed her task and returned to the real world. The question remains: did she meet her lover, who was also a player? The answer is ambiguous. The drama hinted at her lover's presence, seen only by her, leaving the audience to speculate about a possible second season to complete their love story.
I hope there will be a season 2, potentially related to the drama 'Boss and Me' in a different version.Despite the title 'Romance on the Farm,' there was little romance, and not many romantic scenes were included.
The first three episodes were comedic, but the drama became boring after that.I wish for a season 2 that truly explores the romantic elements hinted at in the first season."
Background song was good.
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A Cluttered Transmigrating Story
To be honest, I'm not sure where to start with this story. It begins with our main character, Lian Man'Er, entering a VR gaming world as a beta tester and gets stuck in the system. The only way out is to complete only one task, which takes an entire series. Another character, the male lead, Shen Nou, appears, hinting that he's in a game, but as the story progresses, it isn't clear. Its obvious he's from the real world.What I appreciate about the story is the family relationships, which is the heart of the story. It explores favoritism, selfishness, healing and learning to get along with one another.
However, I dislike the story itself. It's unclear what the story wants to convey. I would have preferred the story as a period drama leaving out the random VR video game.
Joseph Zhang is a great actor, and I enjoyed his performances in other dramas like Fighter of Destiny, Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre, and Take My Brother Away. However, I the character he portrays as Shen Nou is his worst yet. I mainly watched this drama for him, but unfortunately, he was cast in such a disorganized story. This is my first time watching Tian Xi Wei's performance, and it's not bad. While the actresses and actors protraying the Lian family felt genuinely real, Man'Er and Shen Nou felt more like live action anime, webtoon characters.
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This drama is like a warm hug.
Most of the dramas I've watched become my favorite when I go in with no expectations, and because of that, I have been able to enjoy Romance on the Farm to the fullest. If you do plan on watching this, keep this review in mind with a grain of salt, and also try to keep any expectations as bay.I initially started watching because I mistook Joseph Zeng for another actor lol (Song Wei Long...I know. I've mainly been a K-drama watcher who is gradually re-exploring C-dramas). I just planned to have it streaming in the background as I worked. However, I did not expect to get this attached to it.
The cast is stellar, as in EVERYONE truly embodies their characters' personalities - from the main leads, to the screaming aunties, the homeless-turned-Robin Hoods, the jovial best friend of the main lead, and the scheming cousin (who, despite her dislike for the FL, still has just a tiny bit of heart in her).
The music, sound effects, etc. is perfect! It perfectly fits the scope of this tiny little cozy drama.
As for the series itself: it is a weird mix of genres and elements that just so happens to hit all the marks for me personally, and evokes a certain sense of nostalgia (as someone else mentioned!) which I still can't quite make out: it is my Gilded Chopsticks, my Hometown Cha Cha Cha, my Pride & Prejudice, my Tamako Market, my Harvest Moon, my Ragnarok Online. Very heartwarming, yet not too tragic, it is more of a slice of life with a slight hint of mystery that isn't too deeply seated in a tangled web like Alchemy of Souls or The Rise of Phoenixes due to the nature of it being a game. And unlike Gilded Chopsticks which totally swindled me in the first half with its humorous tones, then tragedy after tragedy, here, you just KNOW everything will be okay here.
I know people have found the "game" aspect to be pointless, but it serves the drama well as I haven't read the novel: although the character's values and motives for her actions seem very modern-day, you forget that as you continue watching and engage yourself in whatever kind of historically inaccurate, but super warm storyline is going on.
Regarding the toxic family: by modern-day standards, absolutely toxic. 100% would drop them. Had to fast forward the first few because I couldn't stand the grandma (who is justifiably nuts considering what she went through). However, it slightly demonstrates how hard it is to be of a certain standing, and the complex nature of relationships when all you have is each other - whether or not in the bigger picture you'd be better off without them. It's not something I agree with, but I can empathize with! When you have so little, yet everything to lose, it's much harder to want to lose anything or cut ties.
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LOVED IT
The camera quality, camera angles, everything was simply BEAUTIFUL! The plot was also very engaging, i watched this in 2 days. But, like other reviews say, there is very little romance despite the name of this drama. I wish they developed the ending of the real world a bit more and gave the couple more romantic screen time.side notes:
Song Hailong (Hua Er's husband the illegitimate 4th young master) is my dream husband, the way he supported his wife but also righted her wrongs and stood by her even at her worst is so admirable. Xiao qi (seven, Man Er's brother) IS SO ADORABLEEEEEEEE. I hate her family idk how she forgave them but oh well. The last 2.5 eps had me sobbing thinking shen yi died and thats why he didnt visit her. I thought she lost her memory about him dying so everyone was lying to her that hes just at work. that rat took YEARS to come back to her, i was hating on him so muchhhh.
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Why does this show exist?
I liked the leads from their other starrers, but this show have me scratching my head and in need of a stiff drink.The premise of this show is that the FL is a game tester for a new “farming” game set in a generic ancient China. The technology side is very vague.
She enters the game Fortnite style, and we know it is a game because big bold computer-generated graphics will pop up from time to time. She also talks about NPC, internet and her cell phone while she is in character. As a play tester, she never takes notes nor critique the gameplay. I hope she is not pay by the hour.
Dramas have used computer games/e-sport as backdrop for some time. A lot of them are based on wuxia games or contemporary shooters like CrossFire. Usually, the drama is firmly rooted in RL and only use recreated game segments to add some spice. However, this show is almost completely set in game except for the first few minutes where the FL was seen in the company's modern office. Oddly enough, there is very little CGI used.
Initially I was attracted to the concept but I end up finding the show very problematic. The biggest issue is the script and the setting. The FL was given a game winning goal which is a tough ask. She can’t exit the game until she reach that goal. This is an odd concept for a commercial game. What is the correlation between game time and real time? There has better be a health warning on the box.
This is not helped by the “world” being very confusing and, to be honest, sloppy. Sometimes it behaves like a game where anything goes and logic be damned. At other times, it is just like a normal world with rules and consequences. There is no clear boundary. We are left guessing if the show is going to play nice or jump the shark on the weakest pretence. This is further complicated by the ML running a more serious plot parallel to the “gaming” one. The player has no control over him, yet his actions/reactions are far more intriguing.
By the end of ep.6, the show has evolved into a tropey feudal family melodrama. Are we still watching a "game" or got bait-and-switched? I am so confused. The FL has little influence on what is happening around her but it doesn't faze her at all. There are no further hints that this is still a computer simulation. That's taking role playing and immersion to the next level.
I know this is a very circular way of asking my original question. Why does this show exist? It is disjointed, confusing and farcical. There are so many "NPCs" but most of them are awkwardly portrayed. A game can get away with it by design but not a proper drama. The show seems to have taken a shortcut to parachute the FL into the plot but then it becomes a completely different beast. The plot is lazy and self-serving. It flips from a farce to a tragedy without stopping for breath. What happened to cause and effect?
BTW, production value is questionable. Acting is definitely hammy and patchy. OST is adequate.
Maybe it will git gud later or the plot will actually make sense. How long are you prepared to wait for that to happen? It is exhausting to watch for me and I'm done. I still like the leads but I'm dropping this show on principle.
Caveat Emptor, my dear dramaland friends.
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A beautiful drama
Living on a farm nestled far away from the hectic pace of modern life is a dream cherished by many. However, the reality of farm life, particularly in a JOINT HOUSEHOLD setting, brings forth its own set of challenges and complexities. 'Romance On The Farm ' portrays authentic farm life set in a game world.It has a rich storyline of love, family value, and forgiveness. The exceptional performance by the actors is so impressive.However, romance has a diverse perception. Some prefer grand gestures or lavis displays of affection while others seek solace in the subtleties of daily existence. It's a remainder that love is not always about the big moments but about the small everyday acts of kindness, compassion, and affection that we show to one another. The way Shen Nuo and Man Er selflessly lend a helping hand and stand by each other's side through thick and thin serves as a shining example of what it means to truly love and cherish someone.
Another worth mentioning character, Song Hai Long, who always protects, supports, and helps his wife [Lian Hua Er] till the end regardless of all her misdeeds is truly appreciating.
Every OST in the drama is so beautiful. One of my favorite"You, me" 你啊,我啊 by Song Yuning, which is also covered by the actor Joseph Zeng. Both of their voices are balm to the ear.
So, if you're looking for a heartfelt story set in an idyllic rural setting and want to get a beautiful cinematic experience, 'Romance On The Farm' is a must watch.
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