I think this is my first review because while I watch a lot of dramas, I almost never finish them or feel the need to talk about them. But this drama, for a relatively small production with no big-name actors, REALLY surprised me in how much I loved it and kept me glued to the screen, and I want to recommend it to anyone who is looking for a sugar-filled, funny and heartwarming drama that is not too demanding.

The story

The contract marriage trope is nothing new, and a lot of drama clichés are all there too, but this drama manages to do them in a way that is never cringey or too forced. It never takes itself too seriously, and it’s like the writers know exactly what they want to do with the story and the characters and what they have to do to elicit a certain reaction from the audience– which they always succeed in, at least in my case. This drama is funny where it wants to be funny, and dramatic where it wants to be dramatic. It's never too tragic nor it reaches any emotional peaks, but it does its basic job well.

*SPOILERS*
My only complaint is that I think the last two/three episodes, including the "will Yun Shu go abroad" plotline, were a bit unnecessary and they could have ended the story with Yun Shu's graduation and them getting officially together no longer bound by the contract. Because at that point, the story had passed its climax and resolution, and anything that came later felt superfluous to me.
*/END OF SPOILERS*

The characters/acting

The chemistry between the main leads is off the charts and the main reason I was hooked. They complement each other so perfectly and you always want them on screen together. The other couples are not that interesting, just average, and I admit fast-forwarding through many of their scenes. But when the main couple is so good, you can overlook the others.
The side characters themselves are pretty average (except the grandpa who I loved) but none of them really displeased me, and the offer a nice contour to the main couple’s relationship.

I’ve seen too many times the ML’s role – the icy genius with a hidden soft/broken core – being played like a caricature and ultimately coming off as pretentious or just boring. But Wei Zheming plays him with a softness that had me in awe the entire time. I had seen this actor only once before, in Find Yourself, and even there the secondary couple he was part of interested me more than the main couple, so I believe he’s really that good.
On the other hand, the FL’s performance just feels so natural and real you wouldn’t even say she’s acting, and is so cute in an effortless and never cringey way.

So, yeah, if you need your dose of sugar, giggles and cute moments do watch Perfect and Casual.