To Be a Brave One (2022)

I liked it, but not for the story.

The story could've been 24 eps or less. The plot was very dragged out, and the whole thing with Mr Lin bored me to tears on top of the ex husband plot. For a lawyer that lady had some serious issues regarding the law. Though she didn't start out doing anything wrong she dove head first into crazy, and made some awful choices.
What I disliked:
I was not a fan of how long the story dragged, how they wouldn't let the stupid app go and kept trying to shoehorn it into the story. I wasn't a fan of the grieving mother of the coma kid, or the glasses coworker who was into her seemingly because she replied on the app. Like her personality was grief and rage, and she had nothing going for her. How that dude kept his job is beyond me too. The antagonists whole reason for revenge is pathetic as well. A traumatic childhood doesn't grant you permission to behave this way. MLs younger days sucked, but you don't see him framing people for fraud and sending his wife to prison for literally no reason. Like he had absolutely zero reason to involve her, or send her to jail. He specifically chose to do that to the mother of his child and then got an attack on conscience later. What a terrible person. I would've let him jump.
What I liked:
I adored FL and her friend, they were always there for eachother and were so supportive and kind to eachother and to others.
I also loved the ML and his best friend. It's rare to see a ML (never mind two) so open, emotionally vulnerable, and the opposite of the usual toxic hardman CEO trope. I've seen a few reviews saying the ML wasn't believable in a hetero romance, like he was too soft, and they could only see him playing in a BL. But I think that says a lot about the toxicity of the industry, and misogynistic gender norms, and the fact that people can't see a secure, emotionally available, kind man as a love interest to a woman. He was wonderful. A bit childlike (not childish), totally supportive, kind, hard working, and successful as well. He was a walking green flag, and exactly what FL needed after everything she'd been through. Many would've walked away from someone dealing with serious past relationship trauma, but he just comforted her in any way he could, and waited until she was ready and felt safe.
I swear when the main four were having breakfast and his bestie was crying at the table, that broke me a little. Bestie knew everything they were going through and he was so happy for them and it's just such a lovely little scene.
Even the part at the bar when FL is telling ML about the coworkers son and she's having a cry and he's just crying quietly beside her. All those wonderful little vulnerable moments just kept me invested when the main story itself wasn't particularly engaging.
Oh, and FLs laugh can solve world hunger. It's gorgeous.

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Ridicule's Unrealistic

This drama was disappointing. The story about the prince charming ( who never really arrives) and the girl who gets out of jail and her world up-side down. Her father is dead, her child was taken by her ex-husband and she has nothing because he also stole her fathers business. What, confuse me is that she never suspected her ex-husband after remembering all the paper work he had her sign and that he was the only one that did not go to jail. I also can't believe that all the people who were around her and her family no one suspected her ex-husband until the the last few episode. There was so much that was ridicules unrealistic. The lead female comes out of jail and she come out naïve and does not want to hurt no one, please! has the writer been in jail. When you leave especially after you did not commit anything Illegal you come out angry. Wanting to prove your innocence's. The drama was to long. The relationship was cold to warm in chemistry. The 2nd couple had more chemistry then the leads had. In some episode I think they were afraid to touch each other. I believe that the actors did their best performance but the writer and director let them down.

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Not the typical fluff

I really love it when I get to watch a drama that offers more than fluff.

Maybe some would find the first few episodes to be a little slow and the FL to be a little depressing character but it will all be understandable as the story unfolds and viewers see how hard life has treated her. Deng Jiajia is giving a very good performance as the FL. She emits different feelings for the different stages in her life. Before the hardships, her eyes looked carefree even when she was beginning to worry. During her saddest phase, her eyes looked dull and defeated. And in the current timeline of the drama, her eyes looked fearful but determined.

Darren Chen as the ML is a case of kind to the FL but cold to others. But unlike the usual overbearing CEO trope, he was already kind to the FL even from the start of the drama. Also unlike the usual trope of unapproachable boss, he looks gentle and bubbly to his coworkers. He is kind to people who are kind to the FL but straightforward and a little ruthless to those who are not. He is a silent guardian type who would be happy if she is happy. He is exactly the type of person the FL needs in order to move forward and grow.

I am liking their interactions so far. I liked that the ML can draw out smiles from the FL, that she is comfortable with him and slightly guarded to others. I also like that they seem to be able to understand and heal each other's traumas.

The second CP also seems to be cute and uncomplicated so far. I immediately felt that they truly like each other and that this might be an ideal coupling.

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