An Easy Drama to Watch with girl-power vibes

New Life Begins wasn’t what I expected it to be. It was a very easy drama to watch. Very light on angst and heavy on girl-power vibes.

The things I liked:

Light on angst – there wasn’t any misunderstandings between the main leads nor was there any secrets or hidden agendas. I really liked the friendship vibe they had. From the very moment the leads met, they had a very nice relationship (very innocent and very C drama style).

All the side stories – the cast is very big, I think there are 4-5 side couples? Each one is different and each one has has their advantages and disadvantages.

I prefer the more comical couples that were there to help me laugh out loud and add some comical relief for the moments the drama can be a little intense.

I didn’t care for the abusive couple, but they were there for balance and I appreciated the storyline even though I did start the fast forward their scenes towards the end, it just got a little repetitive.

Girl power storylines – There are several storylines about sisterhood and women lifting each other up. I can see why the drama got high ratings. How nice is to be friends with the person who married your husband. I mean, that storyline was the most refreshing. I liked how the women came together during their struggles instead of tearing each other apart.

The things I didn’t like:

I really didn’t like the costumes. - I found the outfits very dated and a little too colorful in my opinion. After watching Love like Galaxy, I really like the muted colors. To me, it just looks better on camera.

As much as I loved the casting, especially Bai Jing Ting from Reset and You are my Hero. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two leads. - They were both very pretty to look at and I liked the way they delivered their lines, but I never felt like they were over-the-moon in love each other. To me, their emotions felt all very surface level and at best they acted really well as best friends.

40 episodes is really long – As much as I appreciate the low angst, at times the drama became a little slow and boring. I just felt like there wasn’t enough story arcs and they really dragged out some of the arcs. I think the drama could have been cut down to 30 episodes.

Overall, it’s a very mellow, happy romantic historical piece drama. It’s worth watching just because of the female empowerment.

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A very easy, low angst historical drama rom-com.

I only picked up this drama because of Zhao Lu Si, she’s one of my top favorite C drama actresses, she’s best in A love Like Galaxy and Who Rules the world. I really love her bubbly personality and how she truly eats on camera (it makes a difference!).

The ML, Xu Kai was really good in Novoland, Pearl Eclipse and Well Intended Love 2, but for some reason, I thought he was just okay in A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College. I do like that the ML was comical and had array of emotions (not the typical stoic cold face) but I didn’t feel any chemistry between him and the FL.

I thought the drama was very easy to watch. The angst was low and it’s 100% comical from start to finish. Usually I’m not too fond of funny historical dramas, but this one really puts a smile on your face. I didn’t binge watch the series though because at times I did find the pacing a little slow or I didn’t care for the storyline.

I liked the first portion of the drama best, where the FL was attending school and she was getting into school antics. Eventually they do graduate and the plot is focused more on the main storyline, which to be honest, I wasn’t truly interested in.

Towards the end, in very C drama fashion, it gets a little over-the-top and crazy, but it did pump up the angst if you were looking for that.

Overall, if you like historical drama rom-coms or love the actors, then this one is an easy one to watch.

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OMG, the BRACES!!!!

This was a no muss, no fuss kind of rom-com. The best part of the show were the BRACES! Seeing the FL wear braces and act and dub (with the sound effects of braces) was just too adorable and cute. I had to google if there are prop / fake braces because it looked so real, I thought she got braces in real life for the show (Yes, there are prop brace, just FYI).

The premise of the series is cute. He’s a dentist and she works at the library in school. The actors were new for me. I really liked the FL lead, she’s older at 27 and I thought she was pretty cute. I noticed she is in Douluo Continent, so I have to check that one out too.

As for the ML, he’s very handsome, but he sure has a baby face! At 25, it’s hard to believe he’s a dentist. I’m not sure what kind of schooling they go through, but in America you are in your late twenties before you can work at your own practice. BUT I get it, you want pretty young actors.

This is your typical rom-com. You have the cute banter between the leads, there is some push and pull. The ML has the upper hand of course. Then you have your secondary and third couples. I wasn’t too interested in the side stories, but they are also pretty and easy to watch as well.

OF course like typical C drama fashion, you always get the thrown in there last minute issues, but other than that, there really isn’t much to complain about.

If you are looking for a typical rom-com C drama, this one will hit the spot. Especially if you like the Dentist troupe! Again, I probably added an extra star in my rating bc I loved the braces so much.

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Best Friends Forever.

A pretty good coming-to-age C drama if you are a fan of the high school best friend troupe.

The best part of the show was the fat suit the ML wore for a few episodes. The make-up on his face was so good. I was trying to find where his skin began and where the fake mask was attached. I really enjoyed the parts where he was struggling with his weight.

I wouldn't call this a romance per say, but more of a slow burn, I-have-feelings-for-my-best-friend romance. The main story of the show is about friendships especially within the main group of kids.

I thought the casting was really good. I liked that the leads were 24 and 25 in real life, so they weren't too young and the acting really shines through. I thought the chemistry is really good and felt like they actually liked each other as friends.

The dialogue and banter was really good and there wasn't too much angst in the show. The kids went through everyday life issues, for I.e. a non-approving parent, or a biased teacher or loving a crush from afar.

I do think the drama was a touch too long. They probably should have stuck to the typical 24 episode length C dramas usually do for rom-coms. The last few episodes where it focuses on the Dad's healthy was just too much.

I do wish it could have been a little more like "A love so Beautiful" where you got some episodes where they were outside of high school and working in the real world, but it's a high school drama, so there you go (and you get one at least).

Overall, it was entertaining, funny and the acting was good.

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Great Casting / Okay Storyline

It was okay. It wasn’t an 9 star drama, but it wasn’t an 8 star drama, so I rounded it up to 9 stars. I 100% watched this drama for Lee Seung Gi. I loved him in Busted (the reality variety show) and Korean Odyssey. I was disappointed when Mouse released because it was such an intense graphic drama, I couldn’t stomach to watch it, so to my surprise, I was really happy when he decided to do a rom-com.

I thought Lee Se Young was amazing in Crowned Clown, The Red Sleeve and adorable in Korean Odyssey, so I was really happy with the casting.

The drama started out really funny and I’m all about the premise. I liked the idea of a Law Café, where you offer lawyer services at a coffee shop, how unique right? To me, I guess I enjoyed the first half more. I liked the lighter tone and I liked the rag-tag cast.

You got the part-time guy workers (great eye candy), the newly parents best friends and the odd ball client here and there. I was interested in the mini-problems the main leads would help solve.

The tension between the main leads was hit or miss for me. Sometimes the comedy was awkward and forced and sometimes it was cute. I wasn’t really sold on the chemistry but there were plenty of screen time between the main leads, so if you are a fan of the actors, there you go.

For me it went downhill towards the second half of the series, where they focused on the inner-core of the story. Maybe I just didn’t really connect with the whole sexual harassment and taking down the dirty old men storyline? It was just so dragged out and I felt like everyone was just yelling over each other.

I don’t speak Korean, but even the cursing was getting too much for me. Everyone was cursing, everyone was resulting into physical violence and just well.. had a temper. I guess it was for TV / comedy sake, but it started to be really repetitive.

I also found some parts very boring and dragged out. I think at some parts I would just play on my phone because there really wasn’t any movement.

Overall, it was an okay show. I would watch it for the casting or if you like the lawyer troupe, other than that, it wasn’t one of my favorites (it was no Korean Odyssey !)

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A must watch After One and Only

I wouldn’t change my rating and review on One and Only, but I will say, Forever and Ever is the missing link to my drama low after watching One and Only.

You can watching One and Only and Forever and Ever independently, but it will do you better to watch both dramas together. Because of China’s censorship, they can’t say that the characters from Forever and Ever are the reincarnation of the characters from One and Only, since one is a period piece (based on true facts) and one is a modern piece, BUT you have to make major inferences that is what it is.

Suffice it to say, I do watch Forever and Ever, believing the characters are the reincarnation of the characters from One and Only. I can’t really say much about Forever and Ever, other than that, if you were left feeling a little unease or unhappy after watching One and Only, you will feel much better after watching Forever and Ever.

I know that casting was spot on with Allen and Bai Lu, it was just a matter of finding a storyline I could follow and love. I do like Forever and Ever a lot more, but just note the pacing is the same. It’s very slow-pace (despite the quick relationship forming).

I can’t say much happens, but you do have some drama. The ML’s family isn’t very snobby, the FL is very unsure, but the awkwardness between the leads kind of make the drama entertaining to watch. It’s kind of like watching a modern day matchmaking, like finding your husband / wife first and then getting to know them better later.

I was even okay with the single kiss with slightly odd camera angle (was it CGI?) regardless, I’ll take it! We are making baby-steps Allen!.

Overall, I liked the drama much more than One and Only. I thought Forever and Ever had it’s cute and good points. I liked the styling and chemistry between the leads, but still a very slow pace drama with lots of family tension.

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Pretty cute! Does the job and Love the Little Guy.

This was an EASY super rom-com romance. If you want all of the typical troupe minus the silly misunderstandings and just a bunch of cuteness, then this is the perfect drama.

At 16 episodes and 30 minutes each, it's a very fast and easy drama to watch. I even liked that they threw in there a secondary and minor 3rd couple. So you know there isn't much angst with the main couple. I picked up the drama because I love the little kid from Unforgettable Love and I loved that they got a child dubber (instead of an adult female, trying to be a kid), it truly makes a difference in watching.

The drama is about the main leads taking care of a 5-6 year old together, temporary. And of course, they have to live together! The drama, as I said before is pretty cute. He makes deserts and she's a blogger. I'm a big foodie, so it was fun to watch them eat all the pretty confections.

At times the drama can be a little over the top and slightly slow, like the ML being scared of the dark (it has been done before) or the female lead gets drunk and accidentally fall kiss on the ML. But I feel like that's what C dramas are all about. Be ready for the all typical troupes and you will be good.

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Secret Story line.. what could go wrong?

I actually liked the first half the series. I found it very cute and very typical rom-com C drama. I’m okay with cheesy story lines and typical troupes, that’s the reason why I watch C dramas.

I had a problem with the secret storyline that is basically the issue throughout the show. So, this is your typical engagement contract storyline because the ML doesn’t want to hurt his grandma’s feelings. He’s a rich CEO and she’s the desperate, pretty poor girl that needs money for her sick mom.

BUT, he thinks she is her evil twin sister! Why would that even be a storyline? The ML doesn’t have any relationship with the evil twin, but because he thinks it’s her, the FL can’t tell him the truth. This has to be the most far-fetched plot device I have seen in a C drama. This basically killed it for me for the second half of the drama.

The angst, drama and misunderstandings where ALL thrown at you. You got the crazy ex that comes back into the ML life, you got the second male lead that added fun tension for a hot min. I did sort of liked the second couple, but I couldn’t connect with them as much as I wanted.

I do like that the leads were very pretty, but Lin Xin Yi is a baby at 23 and has a baby face, it was hard to see her make out with the ML because she just looks like a child to me. I do appreciate that they try to make her grown up with her costume, it was a little more mature and actually tasteful. I didn’t mind when she had to reuse her outfits.

Luo Zheng is very nice eye candy and you can’t help but be captivated by his presence on screen. I do hope he picks more than just rom-coms because I haven’t seen him in a serious role. I want to see his acting range a little wider. At 26, he also has a baby-face too. Maybe this drama is just to be baby-faces? I expected a more mature cast for the office troupe. But that’s me.

Overall, the drama past the time and it was easy to watch in the beginning. If you like the cast, then it’s worth watching, but if you are looking for a low angst rom-com, this isn’t it.

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Not as good as the Classics, but does hit the spot

After watching Falling Into Your Smile, Love O2O, Go Go Squid and the King’s Avatar, there are pretty good dramas to compare Gank Your Heart to. Unlike the other dramas, Gank Your Heart doesn’t have the “Game” Experience, I enjoy to watch. In Love O2O, they have the characters dress and act in the game, which I loved. In King’s Avatar or You are my Glory, there are heavy animations to carry out the verbal description. I guess Gank Your Heart didn’t have the budget for that.

I liked the Casting a lot, there were a lot of people I recognized, although I haven’t watched Untamed yet (it’s on my watch list), the ML is fairly decent and very adorable to watch. I was a huge fan of the FL, she’s so pretty and for once, they didn’t frump her up! I love her outfits and hair, she looked like a normal girl.

I felt like the beginning was a little slow and it focused more on the character’s background and interactions, rather than the game play itself, which can be good for some people if that is what they rather focus on.

The second half gets more into the drama and typical romance troupe where you have the ex’s come back and second and 3rd males trying to get the girl. I did enjoy that since it’s more of my C drama formula I am use to.

I wasn’t entirely sold on the ML because his character is some-what dismissive of the FL and his choices is fairly questionable, but overall he does prevail I guess.

I thought the drama was okay. It wasn’t extraordinary, but if you like the gaming genre, it does hit the spot.

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If you have seen 1 and 2, then finish with 3

If you are debating on watching Eternal Love 3, you probably have seen Eternal Love 1 and 2, so you should just finish up the series and watch the last one. I enjoyed 3 more than 2, only because I felt like it was way funnier. I laughed my but off, especially the beginning of the episodes.

I liked in this one, they go back in time and it’s where the gender roles are reversed. So the men are the second class and the women are the ones that rule and have control. It’s really refreshing and heart-warming to see that in a C drama.

The best part of the drama for me is the casting. I loved the FL and ML from the first series and I’m glad they got to do 3 projects together! The chemistry is so good and they are just cute, funny and very pretty to watch.

I wouldn’t say there was anything new in this drama, but if you like the look and feel of the first two drama, then it’s the same thing. I didn’t mind that too much, because that’s what you get with this franchise. Overall, just finish out the series if you have already seen 1 and 2.

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Cute, Funny and Fairly Short and Easy to Watch.

There are a lot of Princess Historical C Dramas and this is one of the cuter and funnier ones. I will admit, I’m not a super fan of the FL chasing after the ML, but she does do it in a very aggressive and adorable way.

The main couple are very pretty and the chemistry is good. The ML does push her away a lot because that is the storyline, so be ready for that. I do love the costumes and hair, especially the ML and that was a mega win for me.

Zheng Ye Cheng was also in The Sleepless Princess too, but I liked him in this role better. Maybe because I liked the styling and storyline more. He’s very tough and masculine in this drama, so if you like that, you won’t be disappointed, just watch the trailer for a skin scene. Yuan Bing Yan is very cute and a very strong FL. She knows what she wants and she is willing to take it.

The drama is fairly short at 22 episodes so it’s easy to watch and binge. I think it’s worth picking up, just for that alone. Overall, funny, cute and with good looking actors.

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Cute little Soap Opera - Family is Everything

This is the first time I picked up a K drama soap opera. I will admit, the 100 episodes is a little intimidating, but I’m a fan of C dramas and the longest drama I’ve watched was 72 episodes so I thought to give it a try.

I’m a fan of K drama soap operas and the reviews on this series is pretty much on point. The BEST part of the drama for me is CASTING and PACING. For 100 episodes, you would think there would be draggy scenes or angsty plots, but it’s actually a really WHOLESOME and cute drama. That was 100% my jam.

The drama is about a family and so you have the parents and 4 younger kids. There’s also side characters and with that, there’s a lot of stories to tell.

I feel like this drama cater towards anyone because there is always a character you can relate and follow.

My favorite stories were the two younger sisters. One of them is married and one of them is the youngest. I thought their love adventure and story was the most interesting and fun to watch.

The banter between the entire cast was so organic and authentic, at one point you wanted to know if they actually did date in real life.

I did skip through the story about the parents because I couldn’t find it relatable but when they interacted with the kids, I found those parts interesting.

If you ever wanted to pick up a soap opera and feel like you can’t handle 100 episodes, this is the drama to start with. You can watch as much or as little as you want daily. It’s really light, refreshing and entertaining to watch. After you finish the 100 episodes, you can truly watch any long drama from then on.

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Sweet and Fluffy and that's 100% okay.

I'm glad I didn't look at the reviews prior to picking up this series. I was looking for something new while I was on Netflix and thought why not when I saw the drama finished airing. I'm a sucker for small town dramas. I love Gilmore Girls and Home Town Cha Cha, it's something about a large cast and everyone knowing everyone's business. It's just a really funny set up.

I really enjoyed watching the ML, Choo Young Woo, because I was use to his younger character from School 2021. He's 23 in real life so I was curious to see how he can play a 26 year old as a vet. He took to the role very well and I'm glad he didn't type cast himself as a high school student. I'm very excited to watch of this career and I hope he gets another leading role, but in a longer drama.

One of the reason why I love C dramas is because they have a bunch of cheesy, low angst dramas and you don't really get that in K dramas. I think that is why I enjoyed Once Upon A Small Town so much. It's just totally wholesome, funny, cute and a great drama to watch right before bed. You will sleep with a smile on your face.

The episodes are 30 mins each and there's only 12, so it really does hit all of the plot points quickly without filler scenes. I enjoyed the fast pace and typical troupes. You have the cute banter between the leads, you have the best friend with a crush, you have the ex coming back and so much more. I gobble those kind of troupes up!

Overall, if you want some easy, light and fluffy, this is perfect.

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Typical Rom-Com C drama and that's okay.

Love a Rom-Com C drama? Then you won't be disappointed with Once We Get Married.

As the other reviews have stated, this drama has every troupe you can think of and sometimes that is okay. I love watching Rom-com c dramas to just kind of turn my mind-off and put a smile on my face.

The actors are pretty to watch and you kind of root for them and their careers. I liked Wang Zi Qi from The Imperial Coroner and it was fun to see him in an older boss like role. He looks good with normal hair and period piece hair.

Wang Yu Wen is pretty to watch and I've seen her in other dramas as a support role so it was nice see her in a main lead role.

I thought the main leads were fine and the storyline was fine. You have that typical hate to love relationship storyline and of course contract relationship. You have some people rooting for them, like grandma! Got to love Grandma and then you have that double love triangle.

Sometimes it can frustrating, sometimes you watching them just to communicate and sometimes you smile a lot because of all of the cheesy moments. Don't expect substance, but it will give you all the silly rom-com c drama vibes if you are looking for that.

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A typical Rom-Com J Drama

A typical rom-com J drama. If you are into J dramas and understand about the Japan rom-com drama culture then you won't be disappointed. This has everything you are looking for in a J drama rom-com.

You got the spicy scenes here and there

Pretty actors and great outfits.

Love Triangle and Ex's.

Submissive FL

If you are into C and K dramas and like substance, then I wouldn't try this one. This drama is filled with cheese and I like cheese, but sometimes I need something to hold on to. I didn't get much substance in this drama, but it passed the time and 24 mins are pretty short episodes.

One thing to note, the camera work on this drama is very odd. I felt like I was watching the drama through an instagram filter. Not sure if it's an old camera they are using, but the quality didn't look as sharp as some of my C and K dramas I am use to watching.

Overall, if you like J dramas, this one is good to try.

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