Dear Mr Hermitage (2023)

When Healing meets Romance and begins Restoration

What a sweet series that allows one to get vested in each character without dragging the pace. The trauma points were not overly done. The push and pull in business dealings were just enough to help understand the dynamics of each character's decision making. The budding romance was humble, communicative and endearing. The OST was okay and overall production was solid. The supporting cast was good at driving home the concept of differences from big city beliefs and smaller community relations and loyalty. This was quite enjoyable and a different pace from most romance dramas. FL and ML chemistry was warm and swoon worthy at times. Very good balance and life evolving and love blooming in the midst. Worth the watch.

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Fun, warm, enjoyable drama with lovely characters and scenery

This is my first time writing a review on MDL but this drama deserves that I make this effort (I say that because english is not my first language, so please excuse the mistakes I’ll make writing this review).

You might see the ratings and think : « Hmm, I’ll pass ». And you’ll miss an opportunity to watch a great drama.

Why ? It’s a charming, enjoyable and fun light rom-com. It was shot somewhere in a place located near the Laos and Thailand’s border, where the Dai people live (from what someone told me). So visually, the drama is stunning : the scenery is very green, luxuriant, the landscapes are beautiful, and so are the houses, streets, buildings. It’s really a beautiful architecture.

The characters, after a rough (and in my opinion, funny) beginning, shine. We have less than ordinary main leads for a rom-com : instead of having a cold CEO and an innocent young FL who freeze every time they touch each other’s hands, we have an ex-CEO who was a playboy who decides to go back to his mother’s village to plant tea and to live a more monk like life.

We have a FL who is a young entrepreneur struggling to get her company off the ground. She ends up being brave, adorable and kind. The kind of lovely FL who is joyful without ending up being a childish Pollyanna. She will end up living the village life to the fullest.

Both ML and FL are affectionate and tactile with each other, which I loved seeing. There are misunderstandings and problems standing in their way but they manage to do something rare : they talk about their problems and solve them quickly.

There are antagonists, down to earth twists (without being a slice of life, too realistic and dreary drama to watch) SML and SFL on the way (but they are more on the funny side, although sometimes annoying) a bit of mystery and most of all, the villagers who are definitely an important part of the drama.

So in the end, it might be on the cheap side, and with less dramatic twists than people are used to but the end result is a charming, warm, lovely drama that certainly doesn’t deserve the 7.8 ratings it has as I’m writing this review.

But then, I started watching this drama before the ratings came in and I’m sad thinking that had I waited a few weeks to watch it, the ratings would have definitely prevented me from watching it. And now I’m wondering how many great dramas I skipped because I trusted the below 8 ratings on MDL.

So if you’re in for a fun, charming, light rom-com with main leads who act their age and solve their problems by talking, then this is the drama for you.

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Warm, gentle, healing slice-of-village-life romance with beautiful scenery, cute secondary couples

This quiet-burn romance is perfect for those who appreciate the bucolic pace of countryside life with the occasional dash of city spice. Filled with warmth, light humour, and a cast of immensely likable characters, Dear Mr. Recluse is an easy watch (just 24 half-hour episodes) for anyone looking for a wholesome and healing drama.

There is a bit of angst, a touch of corporate drama and underhanded backstabbing, no annoying or draggy misunderstandings, no painful breakups, it does not take the entire drama before our OTP to get together, and the ending is relatively unrushed.

Chen Jingke and Tang Ming complement each other very nicely here and they are supported by a great cast of wonderful villagers. For me, this is also a rare show where the 2ML/2FL's pursuit of the FL/ML does not feel aggravating for the most part. Their characters are very cute, but the maturity with which they ultimately handle rejection and maintain close friendships with the main couple serve as a model for all unrequited Dramaland love.

The scenery showcasing traditional wood buildings and gorgeous tea farms (filmed on location in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan) is also lovely and a huge highlight of the series. C-dramas have miles to go in terms of representation and addressing social issues obviously, but within the context and limitations of existing dramas (and politics), etc. it was also nice to see the show highlight the cultural traditions and struggles of an ethnic minority community in small ways.

For me, Dear Mr. Recluse rates somewhere between an 8 and an 8.5, but I am giving it an 8.5 to balance out the overall, initial lower score. I hope to see the ratings climb as more viewers who appreciate gentle slice-of-village-life romances discover this drama.

Stray thoughts:
- Look for the doggy and stroller in the background of the influencers awards show ?
- The exchange between the rival influencer and the couple with 30 million followers gave me life!
- For anyone distracted by XZ's "stained" shirt in Sunshine in My Life, there are no less than three shirts worn by the ML here that look like 1) a bleach stain on a black shirt 2) someone stepped on the shoulders of his white shirt and 3) a black shirt covered in chalk dust ?
- Otherwise, I actually really loved the simple, monkish "hermit" outfits worn by the ML. Some of the shirts especially were truly beautiful

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Decent acting and great leads chemistry, but lost steam in the 2nd half.

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

I don’t remember how I came across “Dear Mr Hermitage” as it’s definitely not a popular one and the leads are not played by idol actors. I think we can classify this drama as a romantic comedy with a side of business.

I actually really liked the first half of the drama and thought I might rate this an 8.0.. The acting is pretty good for a cast full of experienced but not super popular actors. Tang Min plays the female lead, Su Shi Yu. I’ve seen her previously in “Chef Hua” (I really like) and “General’s Lady” (I dropped this one). Her acting here is pretty good as a go-getter, straightforward, kind and independent woman. I didn’t quite like her shenanigans in the first couple episodes, but she grew on me. Apparently, I’ve seen Chen Jing Ke, playing the male lead Lin Wei, recently in “Amidst a Snowstorm of Love” but I don’t remember or recognize him. Maybe it’s the short hair. I have to say, I am quite impressed in his portrayal of the cool, calm and monk-like Lin Wei. I wasn’t sure if he would pull it off and just looks emotionless and bland. However, he actually was quite expressive with his eyes and micro-expressions.

Because both Tang Min and Chen Jing Ke did pretty well and have great chemistry, their romance is the favorite part of the drama. They started as strangers, with FL annoying ML to no end, then becoming frenemies, friends and lovers. The pacing of their romantic journey is good, and both characters are mature, honest and communicative. That makes it easy to root for their success, despite a couple of admirers.

Unfortunately, the secondary and tertiary romances are a little lacking. I am glad that the secondary leads are not annoying but pretty good people. So, no need to worry about evil characters trying to sabotage the main romance. But their romance is not developed very well. Bai Ruan’s romance is even more lacking. I think her story could have been interesting as she has an interesting dynamic with her man,, but not enough time is given. Instead too much focus is on the business side of things.

In the first half of the show, I was fine with the tea business and Lin Wei’s determination to grow this special tea. The villagers are decent people and not too irritating (annoying villagers and towns folks are my pet peeves). In fact, they are kinda cute in a way, meddling in the leads business but also very supportive.

However, in the second half, the business plotlines become boring. The tea business was forgotten for a while, and then picked back up in the end to integrate with FL’s vlogging. It really doesn’t seem very realistic for FL to move her business to the small town. There are some minor plotholes that don’t necessarily affect the big scheme of things, but they just seem unrealistic and too easy to create ‘drama’. The downfall of ML due to the villain's evil plan seems too easy and not written well. The family animosity was so secretive for too long. I would have liked to know why ML’s uncle is so angry and putting the blame on ML. Once that was revealed, the resolution came too quickly and easily.

Ultimately, the drama lost its steam in the second half after a pretty good start. I don’t think I will recommend this drama unless you are fans of the actors. It is an easy watch and I do like the main romance quite a bit, and it’s essential to the whole drama. But don’t watch this for the business part of the plot.


Completed: 6/12/2024 - Review #451

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A Masterpiece not to be missed!! A really feel good series ( ｡◕‿◕｡ )

PLOT: a young heir (the ML), unhappy, with trauma, decides to leave everything to become a hermit on the mountain. The FL, head of a start-up and streamer, joins him at the request of ML's father, to convince him to come back to town (and to his family company).
Then, Love triangles, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, healing romance, rural life

PROS:
+ a great CL with Chen Jing Ke as ML (very handsome with short hair) and Tang Min as FL, who show a really great chemistry (and lots of kisses and skinship, like couples who are truly in love do :). I would love to see them together on screen again (^_^)
+ An excellent cast, with very endearing 2ary characters. Life in the village, with solidarity, rumours, the proximity of everyone,... is well highlighted.
+ No “super CEO” or Mary Sue, the characters are human, with their happiness, their sorrows, their difficulties. Psychologically, the storyline is solid and realistic.
+ the production is dynamic, without length. Everything is said in 24 episodes, just the perfect length.
+ the OSTs are nice, not memorable but well suited.

CONS:
None.

=> I don't understand the relatively low rating for this series, because I devoured it in 2 days. I put this drama on the list of series to watch again, without any hesitation.
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Un Masterpiece à ne pas rater !!

PLOT : un jeune héritier (le ML), malheureux avec trauma, décide de tout quitter pour devenir ermite sur la montagne. La FL, à la tête d'une start-up et streameuse, le rejoint à la demande du père du ML, pour le convaincre de revenir en ville (et à l'entreprise).
Love triangles, friendship -> healing romance, rural life

PROS:
+ un super CL avec Chen Jing Ke en ML (très beau avec les cheveux courts) et Tang Min en FL, qui montrent une formidable alchimie (et beaucoup de kisses et de skinship, comme le font les couples réellement amoureux :). J'aimerai beaucoup les voir à nouveau ensemble à l'écran (^_^)
+ Un excellent casting, avec des personnages 2aires très attachants. La vie au village, avec la solidarité, le bouche à oreille, la proximité de tous,... est bien mise en valeur.
+ Pas de "super CEO" ou de Mary Sue, les personnages sont humains, avec leurs bonheurs, leurs peines, leurs difficultés. Psychologiquement, la storyline est solide et réaliste.
+ la réalisation est dynamique, sans longueur. Tout est dit dans les 24 épisodes, juste la durée parfaite.
+ les OST sont sympas, pas mémorables mais bien adaptées.

CONS:
Aucun.

=> Je ne comprends pas la note relativement faible de cette série, car je l'ai dévorée en 2 jours. Je mets ce drama sur la liste des séries à revoir, sans aucune hésitation.

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Story is trash, acting average. Idea was nice, but wasted potential

Dear Mr Recluse -8/10 cdrama

I would say its lover tier for average dramas. actors aint bad, but plot of story is dumb and not really catchy.
Shortly exist alot dumb romcom story dramas. Which are better.

Female lead is for first eps just some kinda clingy girl. And you trully dont know if she is interested in ML or doing all that just for job. Most of nice scenes at start of drama feels weird cause of it.

plot - FL is food blogger which loses job opportunity thanks betrayal of her business partner. She managed obtain new opportunity from MLs dad, but she needs accomplish quest he gives her. quest target is FL have to convince his son[ML] to return from his meditation retreat and take over family business. FL decides to try honey trap.

genre - romance

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a good attempt overshadowed by poor narrative choices

The drama had all the aspects to be light and assertive in terms of romance and life in general - slice of life type -, but it failed in bad and lazy narrative choices. We love cliches, but you have to know how to make a good cliche. Otherwise, it becomes silly and average.

The beginning and even the middle was cool; The characters have a somewhat unusual relationship for dramas - at least the ones I've watched.

While it is obvious that there is a flirting game that makes them much more than just friends, ML's emotional complications and FL's financial difficulties make it very difficult for the two of them to stay together, considering that FL needs to make difficult choices to survive

I liked that they have a few kisses before they officially become a couple; It's more realistic than giving a kiss and automatically starting a relationship.

Still talking about the PROs side, it was cool to see how FL helped ML A LOT to loosen up and get rid of his guilt and his past. In fact, one helped the other and one sacrificed for the other.

But, apart from these aspects, the NEGATIVE points really stood out to me;

1) Very annoying second female: no one can stand anymore the way cdramas still bring in SF or SL plots that have known the protagonists for 10 years and have never managed to win them over and think that by setting up, pranks or female rivalry they will be able to "win" - like it's a competition... tbh, SOOO silly and childish.

2) the best male friend in love with the female friend: I don't even need to talk about how cdramas have these heteronormative things where men and women can't be friends. Lazy. Boring. Updated.

4) The protagonist's mother appeared for 2 episodes to be unbearable: I think the title says everything. She had no use other than to piss off and meddle in the life of her daughter whom she never bothers to visit. The FL is almost in her 30's and the mom wants to decide her relationship. i really can't stand those family's plots anymore, for real.

5) Female rivalry: as I said before: I'm tired of female rivalry, it's almost 2024, c'mon, writers

6) Too passive ML: Okay, this is the last item, I promise. ML really should have been more assertive; make everything clear and clarify your feelings, especially since your best friend has tried several times to disrupt your relationship. Sincerely? I think he secretly enjoyed being "chased" by two women. In my opinion, he could have more attitude.

Other than that, the drama is pretty average. The emotional and relationship part is interesting, but, in my opinion, there wasn't that much plot for 24 episodes, it could easily have been 20.

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