Be prepared to develop a selective memory; remember the good parts and forget the rest.

***

REVIEW WITH IMPLIED SPOILERS:

***

This show doesn't know its identity. It has a lot of good elements, but its storylines are a jumbled mess, and meaningful characterization is thrown out of the window every chance the drama can give a shock value in the form of a despicable villainess and a typical white knight who is "trying to scare his loved one away for her own sake".

The first part had its problems, but it was entertaining to watch, somewhat. The second part actually made me depressed and disgusted with certain characters and actions. Even the suspension of disbelief wasn't enough to keep watching it for me, becuase I hated it THAT much. I kept going because I wanted Nan Qiao to have a happy ending (even if it was with a coward who didn't really deserve her) and see the villainess from hell suffer satisfactorily. It is rare for me to be disgusted by fictional characters (partially because I drop dramas if it seems like people are too accommodating to these types of people), but she is definitely going into my top 10 most hated characters ever. Wow.

Love is not a joke. People's feelings aren't a joke. Scars on relationship dynamics (romantic as well as friendship) won't heal suddenly. You can't just undo many, many unjustified attacks because you feel sorry about them.

And that is without even mentioning the many, many, many, many, many, MANY flashbacks. I am not against flashbacks, but this drama had no idea how to utilize them. And more ridiculously, they showed these flashbacks over and over and over again, occasionally adding a few seconds to give "new info about the past". If that was an artistic choice, it was an epic fail. When you cut the garbage time and random meaningless looks into the sky (that usually led to having a flashback, sometimes even to the events that happened in the very same episode), you would have 20 episodes or less. I am not joking.

The writers, the directors, the editors, the stylists... I can't help but feel like they had a good (if a bit basic, but still charming and relatable) concept yet failed the audience and the acting. I can't believe they wasted William Chan and Li Xian's screen presence like this, and I especially can't believe how underutilized Bai Bai He was in the first half of the drama. Since she was especially good in the second half (when they gave her more to work with), you can't help but think of reasons why her character wasn't as dynamic in the first half.

I can ignore budget-related issues like obviously fake car scenes, but I can't forgive bad-faith direction.

In short, I don't recommend this drama to the people who read the synopsis and are REALLY intrigued. If you are a fan of the lead actors, you can watch it, there are great materials for you to be satisfied. But you might also combust in anger over the wasted potential. The FL's character progression is fine, but that alone can't be a reason to watch this.

And if you are going to watch this no matter what, be prepared to fast-forward many, many, many, MANY scenes, whether they are repetitive flashbacks or unnecessary nastiness.

***

MY RATING:

***

I still give it 7 out of 10, because for a drama I hated, it had a lot of elements I enjoyed. I know this is a bit contradictory to what I wrote above, but, well, I calmed down a bit as I was writing this review. I still hate a lot about the drama but I guess it is a decent time waster if you can utilize the fast-forward feature liberally.

I liked the character progression of the FL, especially after the first quarter of the drama. I liked William Chen's character when he wasn't influenced by his toxic slave owner; he had a mischievous side with a charming smile. (Indeed, he was very easy to like until the Cdrama cliches kicked in.) The drones were interesting, if a bit basic concept. Even though the storylines got jumbled at points, I liked the FL's attitude regarding this, her hardworking attitude and her willingness to realize her goals.

The acting wasn't outstanding, maybe excluding a few scenes. If you have seen these actors in other dramas, you probably have seen their highs already. And the drama relied heavily on William Chen to sell us on the lead couple's chemistry in the first 10 episodes or so, and I fully blame the directors and editors for this. Bai Bai He is fine, you can see it in their cute scenes in the middle and last parts of the drama. Especially the very last episodes fed me well. I even forgot about my anger for a second, the lead couple was being that cute. But anyone with an eye can see that the post-production of this drama was a mess.

OST was well enough but the ending song was LOUD.


***

SMALL RANT WITH IMPORTANT SPOILERS:

***

I will never forgive a drama for making its main lead sinister to the romantic interest in order to protect them. I actually won't forgive. Because the writers have the nerve to act like these things didn't happen, as if all toxic behavior of a lead character is good as long as they have good intentions.

Some things are irredeemable. Even if they are to be forgiven despite that, they are definitely unforgettable.

There are many instances in which I was disgusted by Shi Yue and An Ning's relationship. Besides the unbelievable amount of screen time this ridiculous (and disturbing) storyline had, one thing that stuck in my mind was how soft-spoken Shi Yue was to An Ning even when he *hated* her. I cannot believe the writers and director made him so sinister towards Nan Qiao while making him do these kinds of scenes with his "owner", yet expect us to believe this is a well-done romance drama. What a joke. What an unfunny, disgusting, disturbing joke.

I truly do not understand how the writers thought it was a good idea to make Shi Yue so soft and compassionate to An Ning, even to the last second, right in front of his girlfriend and right after AN tried to kill his girlfriend. It is so, so frustrating to see him being like that in front of his girlfriend. I know I am repeating myself, but that is because of the anger and frustration I feel about this. Li Xian's character was an annoying antagonist too, but at least he wasn't the walking red flag An Ning was, and the show didn't try to redeem him by making Shi Yue subservient to him to the end, like they did with An Ning and Shi Yue. (I should stop, because I feel like I could write an essay with thousands of words about my disgust and anger about this.)

For my sanity, I am choosing to ignore everything related to An Ning and try to remember this drama by its best qualities, which are the incredibly cute scenes at the back-half of the drama.

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