This review may contain spoilers
First of all im guessing that more than 75% of the story is about eating, and i love it. I love the way shan shan interact with lishu after lishu kiss feng teng, i can feel shan shan. I like how the story focused on the 3 couples. This is a really good drama tho... i can re watch this for more than 3 times. The gesture details is so legit, especially the part after shan shan move to feng teng's apartment. One thing that kinda dissapoint me is the resolution story for feng teng and shan shan, it is a little bit weak at the very end where she bought the ring using feng teng's card. Thats it overall i really love it. Was this review helpful to you?
"You need to let everyone know this fishpond is now under your ownership" ( Feng Teng)
This drama is based on the book Come and Eat Shan Shan by Gu Man and is mostly a faithful adaptation of the story of Shan Shan a junior level employee at Feng Teng a large family Corporation headed by Feng Teng the big boss.The love story between Feng Teng and Shan Shan is conveyed in a witty and entertaining way, with the highlight being Shan Shan's hilarious internal monologue and Feng Teng's dry humour. There's a prodigious amount of eating by our lead couple, showcasing some cute moments and also moments of meaningful conversation between the two. Shan Shan loves to eat, as referenced by the original book title.
This drama appears cutesy on the surface but it deals with realistic relationship issues faced by the lead couple such as the workplace complications of a low level employee dating the big big boss; the social and financial disparities that exist between the two are also highlighted and worked through by the couple. I especially liked the message conveyed by Feng Teng where he says that when he looks at a potential girlfriend he doesn't look at her social status or financial worth or how much education she has, he just considers how he feels and lets things happen naturally, I loved that about Feng Teng, he's mature, very caring, responsible and considerate of the people around him; he's the perfect foil for the bubbly Shan Shan.
The character of Shan Shan also goes through a credible and satisfying growth trajectory, in the sense that by the end of the drama Shan Shan has become the very best version of herself, and this is amazing to watch.
The other cast members are very good with fleshed out stories that round off the main storyline. This is a story that's straightforward with a lot of life lessons and insight into male and female relationships; it's definitely worth a watch.
Music is great and well applied, the opening theme is sung by male lead Zhang Han.
overall 9 out of 10. I've rewatched this a few times as it's so straightforward and cute with a wonderful well earned happy ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
> It is not a hard-hitting drama. Quite easy to watch. Endearingly warm and plays out very well. There’s some real sense of humour, a lot of adorable moments that would make you squeal, I sure have.> FL is filled with cuteness, but seriously dense at times. Shan Shan definitely had a hard time understanding ML introverted personality. Since she’s so naïve, naturally, it would be difficult for her to read an atmosphere. Let me just add: Shan Sha alcohol tolerance is off the chart.
> Love ML! I especially love the way he gets FL to summit by threating her with pay-cuts and bounce reductions, and Shan Shan ain’t having that (girl would agree with anything if it meant her money won’t get affected) Hahahaha!
Both Leads dialogues are good, and it was great to watch their interactions.
SUPPORTING CAST:
> Huang You Ming played Wu Tong in Love and Redemption, but he looked especially beautiful in this series. His acting isn’t bad either. I could easily see him fit into the ML role.
I missed Zheng Qi and Shan Shan interactions. As the story progress, it became less and less. What a shame! Both are the most relax when they’re interacting (I don’t mean that in a romantic kind of way) Perhaps that’s why their interactions looked natural and fun to watch.
> ML Secretary. Her name starts with “M”. I like her. Usually, they’re in love with ML, but not here. Secretary face is always pleasant when dealing with FL.
> ML Childhood Friend. What a snake! (Hahahah!) It's been what, 10-12 yrs? If he didn't show interest during that time, even without her confession, he will never be interested. So annoying!
> Shan Shan's Aunt is crazy asf! The writers should have made her mute! Seriously.
Never thought I would watch till the end —since I tend to get bored real fast when it comes to dramas like Boss & Me (Historical with & without romance… Martial Arts… Wuxia… Adventure—are my favourite) However, I binge watched this drama and it was totally worth it!
Though the story is nothing original, everyone / thing was enjoyable in Boss and Me.
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To be honest, i haven't listened to the music as i watch english subs but still reading the lyrics made me feel its nice. Actually i think all the chinese musics are light and soothing, especially the traditional instruments.
short and precise is best 'cause not many people have time to read all those lengthy reviews.
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Story: 8.0
With the overall story, I thought it was very well perceived. A young woman freshly out of college gets a job at a very famous company. She finds out she got in because of her blood type this “panda” blood. The CEO, the brother of the women she helped save, falls for her innocence and naive personality, while later stays in love when he realizes how strong she is underneath it all. They break up, or “on a break” get back together, happy ending. It's a typical romantic comedy. With some exceptions, in the end you are happy for the female rival, and happy that they become good friends. The male lead goes after her instead of the other way around. And the family dynamic that is present in a lot of rich boy, poor girl, is missing.
Though I enjoyed the journey and loved watching it, I found myself slightly disappointed that it gave into some of the typical cliches that dramas tend to do, such as the misunderstood because he hides things from her. The women being nice to her face, but secretly going behind her back on everything. The long drawn out story arc’s that could have been solved in relatively two episodes instead of five.
I liked the last little bump they had to go through in order to get together. I think it should have been a bigger story plot than it was, because it made you happy to see Shan Shan achieve the success she did.
I think what would have improved this for me, is if the cousin’s Liu Liu’s love story started earlier, instead of in the last two episodes. Everyone else's was so drawn out, that hers just seemed to be rushed and unplanned.
Overall the story is interesting and isn’t boring what’s so ever, just a few things I personally didn’t quite care for, but that doesn’t mean it was portrayed badly in any given circumstances.
Acting/Casting: 9.5
I think the thing that makes this story so well done, is the acting. The casting was perfect, though I might have gone for someone different to play Wang Pin Ruo, just because she didn’t really seem fit for me. But it was such a minor character, she served her purpose well that I didn’t think much of it until after the show ended.
The two leads chemistry is what kept me coming back towards the middle where the story started to slow down in pace. The breaking out of the stern rich man character was very well portrayed, while Shan Shan’s innocence was portrayed in a way that gave people hope instead of hating the character. You saw her happiness diminish as she struggled to go through the ups and downs of being connected to such a big power. Overall the acting and casting was very done, which I believe makes this one of the main reasons people recommend this drama.
Music: 9.5
One thing I would change about the music is the use of English lyrics. It's only thing because I found myself slightly distracted by the english lyrics, I found that what they were saying fit with the tone that they were trying to do, but with them speaking over it, it was hard to concentrate. But everything was fantastic. They knew when to play music, when not. When to play dramatic instrumental, the happy moments, the cute moments. It was really a good example of what to do with background music, in my opinion.
Rewatch Value: 8.5
I found this drama not hard to watch and very easy to follow. This is one that you would rewatch while watching something that is overly sad. When you want to have a happy ending and watch someone’s personal growth through work, love, and self-esteem.
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Rewatch value 30/10 because
I watched it already 3 times within one month.
It's an very funny and cute romantic drama, and made me very happy watching it.
Not like other drama's where there are very annoying people in it.
Here is ShanShan an very funny in an normal way.very natural and realistic. Not like other drama's where they make the character funny by turning them in not realistic / childish way , which makes them annoying in the end.
This is one of the reasens I watched it 3 times.
Because after watching " My Lucky Star" where the main characters are very annoying in the beginning , the story not realistic made me very angry so I watched ShanShan for the third time and after one epidode and I could let my angry go and was happy again.
So I recommend this drama to every one for an happy time.
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Really great!
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this drama. No regrets! It was cute and fluffy, with no angst. The male lead was really thoughtful, helping the female lead grow into an independent and successful woman by showering her with wisdom and love. I discovered this while watching "The Story of Minglan," which features the same female lead. Her acting was so good, but I got stuck in a rut, so I looked up her previous works and found this one. I have to say, I felt 33 episodes were not enough. I would have loved to see them have a family of their own and go on a picnic with their little one and the male lead's sister's son as well, the whole family together having fun in the end. What an ending that would have been!Was this review helpful to you?
Lot of Unnecessary Drama
I'm still new to C-dramas, but I've been working through a few recommendations from friends. Boss & Me was recommended via a list for office romances since I like the trope. Unfortunately, the only thing I enjoyed about this drama was the quirky FL. She was cute to watch, but it wasn't much fun watching her act next to the ML. He reminded me of a well-dressed wooden board; though, all props to the wardrobe team because his suit, jacket, and jewelry game was on point in every episode! Still, the lack of chemistry and the addition of all the other couples and sub-plots was just too much. Add to that the excessive monologuing from the FL for nearly every scene, and this drama is like watching a block of ice in winter--BORING. It might have been more bearable if the chemistry between the ML and the FL was entertaining, but there's no spark between them. If you want to kill sometime (32 episodes at 1 hour) then go for it, but I don't recommend it unless you just want to be bored.Edit:
I watched this again recently because I felt like I didn't give it a fair shake the first time around, but it made me realize why I didn't really care for it overall and gave it a six. Both the ML and FL are decent actors and both characters are interesting to watch on screen. Yet, the lack of chemistry between the ML and FL (for me) was because I could not understand what the ML saw in her. She is just a complete airhead for most of it, so I never understood why he was attracted to her in the first place. No matter what type of growth happens for the FL, I'm so stumped I'm never able to buy into the romance from the get go. Then add in the fact the FL is just as confused as to what the ML sees in her and she is so confused (airhead) that as a viewer I am again wondering what he sees in her and vice versa.
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Will Shan Shan ever get pregnant?
I think that they could have expanded more on if Shan Shan will ever get pregnant. From what I notice, it seems like she won't because Feng Teng says to her that no need to have kids right after marriage because and I quote "she is too young and should enjoy her self". Even when his sister asked about expanding the family after getting married he says that they won't have kids right after marriage because Shan Shan is too young. But when she asked if Shan Shan has healed he didn't answer. Then she asked again, can Shan Shan get pregnant he hesitated before saying yes, then he told his sister not to link his marriage to expanding the family line. He keeps using her age to answer why they won't have kids yet. Also it seems Shan Shan doesn't know anything about how well she is healing. What is the answer to this part of the drama?Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
FL character growth
Just watched this for the 3rd time after a 2yr hiatus from dramas overall and fell in love with the characters all over again!Yes, the plot seems cliche - cold, overbearing CEO falls for innocent, bubbly poor girl - but I like the way ML lets FL think for herself. Despite the huge difference in status, he respects her intellect and trusts her to make the right decisions for herself and their relationship, sometimes with a little prodding from him.
*Spoilers ahead*
I especially love the scene where he asks her if he's the one who goes bankrupt and gets buried in debt, would she leave him? Because she was wavering and wanted to back out from their wedding because her family owed him 10 million. Then he didnt just waive the debt, because he knew shr wont feel comfortable with it, but instead pushed and encouraged her to rise to the challenge and solve the problem herself.
** end of spoilers**
I must say that the ML is a huge part of FLs growth - without him, she would have been content to just coast along and stay in her comfortable yet mediocre space despite having the skills and opportunity to be and do better because nobody expected her to, until she met ML.
I also love her parents, esp her dad, for putting the family's pride and honor above all. Though he might have gone overboard in some of his decisions, as a parent, I understand where he is coming from : his child is more valuable than any material possession in the world and he only wants the best for her.
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Good when watched till the end.
I shall review this series in groups of ten episodes.Episode 1 - 10: I was irritated by the personality of the FL, it’s okay if she was modest and dull, but the way she carried herself was too superficial. I have always liked FLs that are strong, independent and capable. While the FL comes from a small province to Shanghai for work, and was naive and simple minded, although there is nothing wrong with being that, I felt irked by her silly hopping gait and puppet like body language. However, I toiled on to the next set of ten episodes.
Episode 11 - 20: I was happy to see that she got together with the ML, but her self doubt because of the huge intellectual and financial disparity was saddening. I felt touched seeing her face so much gossip and criticism, not only at her workplace, but by her boyfriend’s close people as well. On top of it, I felt angry at the ML for not assuring her and partnering with her in shouldering the pressure on her own, knowing full well she would be suffering because of how far apart they both were, in every way.
Episodes 21-33: Here we see the relationship developing into deep affection, albeit deceit and attempts to harm the relationship, while our FL continues to doubt herself on being a worthy partner for her man. The later episodes show her growing in education and becoming independent, and the ML seeing her grow into a woman he admires, his family seeing her for the woman she is, and wholeheartedly accepting and supporting her. I would have actually given this series only 5 stars had it not been for the later episodes.
Overall, since this series was shot around 2014, it is not as fast paced as the shows today, still it had a charm that kept me going from episode to episode, feeling happy for the couple and how their relationship grew.
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Different Romance, But Interesting
I consider this pretty much a pure romance drama. The female lead was very pretty with a very expressive face. I loved her! Male lead wasn’t permitted to show much emotion, apparently. I felt the personally of the two leads were quite unique to the dramas I have watched so far. The conflict and misunderstanding between the two leads came primarily from their almost total lack of communication. They almost never talked casually. Never talked when something upset them. Never talked when one wanted to know something. There was a lot of inner talk from the female lead. But she didn’t speak out loud. This couple interacted a lot over eating. Eating was important to the story. The ML, being a rich CEO, always seemed to wait for FL to make the first move in the relationship. It was weird. He had no game. Didn’t take her on fun dates. Didn’t give her flowers, jewelry, balloons, nothing to woo her. Anyway I could go on. This relationship was really weird, but also strangely entertaining to watch. There was a lot of growth to the major characters in this drama. One thing I found boring was the long relationship chats between the girl friends. Went on too long. Yawn. This gave you insight to the Chinese way families interacted. The sometimes huge expectations the parents had for their children’s future, and the way the children were expected to follow the rules of their parents, even if it was against their own dreams and wants. In the end, looking back, it was definitely worth watching, but not rewatching.Was this review helpful to you?
