Exactly what I needed

This light romcom was the perfect palate cleanser after watching more complex and heavy shows. Especially after watching a very heavy and angsty melo that ripped my heart to shreds over and over again for entire second half of it, I really needed the simple joy of a first love/college coming of age story.

If you're looking for something to be able to just relax and enjoy the flow, this is the show for you. This drama is equal parts adorable and squee with just a tiny amount of frustration that was very rarely needed to push the plot along.

I could have done without the GA character but her interferences did fuel greater efforts on the part of RC to win WW, so I'll give the writers a pass on her inclusion in the storyline. I've gotten used to having much more frustrating and annoying secondary females around Cdrama MLs so GA's attempts were almost comical in how ineffective they were and didn't detract too much from my viewing pleasure.

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Not as good as it could have been

I don't understand why this drama has glowing reviews. There was a serious lack of romance, after a soft kind of breakup between the leads, he never really explains or asks forgiveness and somehow they just forget and forgive and are magically back together in the last bit of the last episode.

The toxic people barely get punished. An attempted sexual assault is pretty much glossed over, that bad guy doesn't go to jail, he just disappears from the show. The jealous and manipulative Qiao Xin who destroys the FL's life and work multiple times, suddenly has a change of heart after getting caught and just decides to be a better person. wtf? Barely any consequences for the bad people, but the good people suffered HUGE losses, financially, career wise, as well as personally.

Over all I found myself losing interest in the last 1/3 of the series and had to force myself to keep going to just see if it got any better. I wouldn't give this show any higher than a 6.5 maybe a 7 and I definitely won't be rewatching this. There are a lot better shows in this same genre.

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Need to kill time?

Considering the short length of the series, I won't go into too much detail or I'll give the entire plot away.

The ML did a decent job with acting though his character wasn't fleshed out very well. He seemed to be in deeply in love with the FL but still had his other concubines, so there's that. It is a palace based drama so it is what it is.

Unlike most timeslip/novel transfer dramas, this FL wasn't written to be a prude or all virginal. When it was her turn to be with the Emperor, she didn't hesitate and sealed the deal without being all shy about it, most of which is left to the imagination of course.

I do have to say though the actress they had to play the FL was miscast or the character was just written poorly in my opinion. The actress's acting, facial expressions, and even her character's choices, all painted her as not really a heroine but more of a mild villain who just happened to be the main character. She wasn't evil but she did do some questionable things along the way.

The ending was about 30 seconds of wtf'er and I'm not exactly sure what happened. but I think it's supposed to leave it open for a second season.

Anyway, I give this show about a 7 and it's a quick little time killer. It doesn't stand out but it's not horrible.

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Missed this when first released, glad I came around to it now

I really enjoyed this drama, there's a ton of other reviews and loads of people have already said why it's such an amazing drama so I'll just take this opportunity to say there were a few problematic issues but they really didn't overshadow the good vibe that was the overall tone of the story.
Things I wish were different:

The FL actress lacked kissing experience and it showed, her kisses never got any better. Her first kiss looked like a real first kiss, but by the third or fourth one she should have been responding and moving her lips too or at least puckering them a little ffs.

There were WAY too many mentions of weight, eating too much, being fat ect. NONE of the characters had a spare ounce on their bodies.

The overwhelming attention paid to people's physical beauty. Our FL and ML both had good personalities that would have made them wonderful partners even if they looked average or unattractive, but somehow because they were both the MOST beautiful people in the world apparently, everyone would stop to tell them how good looking they were. That's a little weird.

Several times various characters would belittle someone for not being pretty "enough" though who gets to determine that is random consensus?

There were several problematic mean girl characters who never really faced any consequences for their behavior, they were promptly ignored and forgotten by the leads (as they should be) but they also should have paid the price for their bad behaviors and they never really got called to account for that.

Despite these 4-5 things, EVERYTHING else was amazing about this drama. Relationship free of drama, best friends that stick through thick and thin, intelligent and fun? Check, check, check, and CHECK! Amazing show. Absolutely watch it if you haven't yet.

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I can't believe I've never seen this one, it's worth the 36 episodes!

Took me some time to work through all the episodes...but I'm glad I watched it. One of the better older melodramas and except for "That Person" coming back (and her portion of the missing 10 years) the rest felt very true to life. I liked the FL more than most did because I can step back a bit and think about the drama's background and setting. Based on their culture's 2,500 years of confucian roots FL's behaviors make a lot of sense in ways that a young country like mine couldn't easily understand.

We don't have traditions spanning thousands of years that are ingrained and very hard to overcome ie. that of obedience to those in power, but they do...it's buried in their culture, their nation, their history, everything/everyone around them tells them that they should follow and obey those who are "higher" than them, be it by age, gender, social status, wealth, or power.

If you have that understanding built into the cultural background of the childhood of the FL, it makes it a LOT easier to understand her and why she behaves they way she does. It frustrates us to no end because we are used to standing up for ourselves and fighting back, but she isn't because she's used to being powerless, a single mother, and poor AF, basically the lowest person on the totem pole of status in their country. Put all that together with her natural tendencies to want to be a peacemaker and to us looking in she seems to be a doormat...but in reality I think it makes her a stronger person, one who despite all her disadvantages kept struggling, kept going, avoided the pitfalls of hate and came out the other side better. But that's just my perspective and part of why I could enjoy her and the show in a way that maybe others might not be able to.

I also appreciated the friendship between the FL and her group of ride or die friends, I wish more dramas had characters that were as well rounded and fleshed out as they were. I went back and forth on liking and disliking the SML, but in the end he proved to have a lot of growth throughout the series too. Even Shadow went from my most loathed character to one that I was willing to let go and see her go on with her life without spitting nails at the screen anymore, though tbf it took way too long of a time for her fake white rabbit storyline to play out before she became herself again.

I do recommend giving this one a try and I'll more than likely rewatch this even if it is an older drama.

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A short format drama that's actually adorable

I watched this series in the all episodes meshed in one video format which made it a little over 3 hours viewing time. With a break for a snack and to stretch, I was able to watch it like a long movie and all in one morning. It makes a difference in the viewing experience in my opinion so please do search for it in that format to make it easier than endlessly clicking on next video next video, ect.

The height difference between the leads is a LOT so if you find that adorable, this one is for you!

The acting was actually not too horrible considering that this isn't a normal length drama and that the FL was not a seasoned actress, she actually ended up doing a pretty bang up job. The ML actor has been acting for a few years now but could still use a little bit more help, though it might be his character rather than his acting as I haven't seen any of his other work so I can't comment too much on that.

Now for review of the actual story part:

The SFL actually ends up being a pretty nice person later on in the show, which is rather unusual in these dramas as the writers tend to make them annoying and unbearable for waaaay too long, this writer managed to have her do her bad girl part in the early portion and then redeem and change for the better in the second half.

There is no love rival/triangle for the FL, though the ML thinks there is.

There is a childhood link between the leads but they fall for each other way before that's revealed.

The mother of the ML is an absolute GEM of a mom! The dad is so/so after his introduction...then makes a HUGE mis-step that made me hate him for a bit, before coming around in the final stretch and closes out the drama on a high note.

There's a third female love interest for the ML that is not ever even on his radar, he doesn't even recognise her on the first time seeing her after she is introduced to the audience. Don't worry, she doesn't have much of an impact or screentime before she's gone!

There is a lot to love about this series, it's not the most insanely great show I've ever seen...but it's actually a pretty good one for the genre of short format webseries. The story is sweet, short, and funny. Absolutely worth the three hours viewing time if you're interested in these types.

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So ridiculous that it actually ends up being funny

Fair warning, the first episode has waaaay too much crammed into 7 minutes to make much sense. Basically the first episode is the setup one, so first they have 1 scene with the modern times, 1 scene in the overworld, and then a smash dash scene to set up the historical world....it's a whirlwind of stuff in just a blink of an eye.
However, once you get past that first episode the other episodes actually make some sort of sense and it's stupid silly entertainment.
The main protagonist somehow constantly fails his missions but then somehow wins them in the next heartbeat, he gets fired,rehired, and promoted many many times in the course of the 24 episodes.
I laughed a lot and only got confused on plot points once or twice when it was an explanation heavy dialogue reliant episode, the rest of the time it was easy to process what was happening and who you were supposed to root for.
Overall a super easy watch, funny as long as you don't take any of it seriously. This is not meant to be anything more than entertainment.
Don't look for the quality of a top 10 when you're watching a 5, although honestly I'd give this a 6.5 because I had fun.

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Fairly predictable and not in a good way

Managed to finish episode 4 and decided I'll drop it there. This drama is pretty trope filled and looks to be very predictable.

ML is obsessively possessive and controlling even before any romantic connection is established. I wouldn't want him as a friend let alone as a partner for life.
SML is pathetically and relentlessly pursuing FL despite her repeatedly telling him they are just friends and will never be anything more. Neither of the men in this drama respect boundaries.
This particular drama seems to be following the script of the man with a trauma that magically is cured by the sunshine girl's appearance in his life. It's a trope that's way overdone and I wish more characters suffering mental health issues would instead head to therapy.
I try to give dramas a fair shot before I drop them, but I don't want to waste my time with this one as it seems too predictable and not engaging enough.

Updated: I did come back and finish the show after it's completed airing and my rating did improve for the show from a 3.5 to a 6.5
I swear it's like they switched writers half way through the series, it finally starts to pick up steam and when the leads FINALLY get close and then do get together, it starts to be funny, have cute moments and I end up laughing a lot. I wish they had that level of energy for the whole series, it really would have elevated it.

I think a lot of people probably dropped the drama well before it had a chance to redeem itself. If I hadn't committed myself to finishing this I would have dropped it again and missed out on some of the funniest things I've ever seen in a modern c-drama. I just wish the amazing scenes weren't so few and very far between.

This drama is one of those that is perfect if you want to watch clips of it on youtube, it will make you laugh but you don't have to wade through the endless hours it took to get to that one or two funny scenes.

ps. When the ML finally starts smiling, he has really cute dimples and his entire character changes for the better like a light switch, the difference was like night and day. I think this was a mis-step by the writer and if it had been a little more gradual and more noticeable it would have made the series MUCH more enjoyable for the audience.

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7 minutes of whatever that was

This is a series that is 7 minutes per episode, 4 episodes total.
There is a second season for some reason and I won't be watching it.

Each episode is 3 minutes or so of office politics and the rest is yummy looking food at very clean, tidy, fantastic, but not busy restaurants.

I'm not from S. Korea so I'm not sure if any of these places are real or not, but honestly it seems like these episodes are created as advertisement for the food cause she spends half the episode eating in a very gratuitous manner making it obvious how awful her job is but how amazing this food is and how that makes life liveable because of how delicious this meal is.

They make you leave a star, but honestly I'd give it -1 star for rewatch. There is some sort of story, so it does get some effort for acting and storytelling but for music ( I never noticed any) and for rewatching...that's a solid NO for me.

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Started out average only to get worse

The writer hinted at for a few episodes and then eventually brought in the clingy, super obsessed, pathetic, delusional, third wheel who was never in a relationship but chased after ML who had zero interest in her. In my opinion it killed the fluffy romcom vibe that this drama had going with it and tried to make it suddenly into a cut throat business drama with super low lead-in on that.

There were a few moments spread throughout the first 20 episodes that kind of hinted there would be a big sabotage moment for the company that ML owned but honestly it just took over the entire narrative and became the focal point and the reason behind the ML and FL breaking up, which went from cuddly "let's never break up" to crying hysterically while misunderstanding everything in one 24 hour period. FLs misunderstandings didn't even feel like the writer remembered the character he created, it felt very out of left field for her to react like that.

With only 4 episodes left you after the big drama in the company happens you don't even have to watch it to know how it will play out. First everything falls apart, then ML or FL will solve the crisis, then they overtake the villain and trap them in their own evil doing, then company is saved, main couple get back together, side couples reconcile and get together, parental relationship is mended due to an illness, weakness. or something and then happy ever after. Probably. End of the drama. Roll credits.

The problem is not that it's super predictable at this point, because some very predictable dramas are still entertaining, the problem is that there is a severe lack of fire and passion in the kisses between literally every single couple. I could say it was an actors problem if it was one or two actors, but this has 3 couples and ALL their kisses are statue kisses...this is a director making a bad decision problem.

Someone must have mentioned it to Chu De Jian. the director, in the last year or so, because I've seen 6 out of the 7 things he's done up until 2022 and only the very last one that he directed (that was released in 2023) had really good kisses, every single drama before that was statue kisses that barely registered as romance.

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Pretty good for a mini show

If you look around on youtube you can find the entire series compiled into one 2 hour movie length video.
It's actually pretty good for a short format drama even if it isn't a blockbuster, it's still worth the watch.
The plot is a pretty common idea: What if you could go back to a pivotal moment in your life and make completely different choices? Don't we all think about that from time to time?
What I like about this is that our FL decides from the moment she arrives to change things and goes from being meek and put upon, to being strong and fiery AF. She's seen what her future looks like, she doesn't like it, and she's going to make sure it changes for the better!!

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Interesting but confusing

I really like this series, but I have to say it is SUPER confusing after about the 11th episode. I can't keep track of who is related to who, who is from Azureland, who is loyal to who, who is a spy for who, and why on earth there are soooo many plots, counterplots, and why/how Azureland can be hidden and safe but there were so many people from Azureland living in a dangerous county instead??

I must say though, one of the things that keeps me going (despite how nothing makes sense in the series by the midway point) is just how often Luo Zheng smiles in this drama...dang that man can make a heart go pitter patter in 5 seconds flat.

My final thoughts...don't start this drama if you get frustrated by unanswered questions. Frequently there are things that I think the viewers should know that don't get answered until loooong past the normal amount of time. Then there are some things that just never get explained or answered. That can be frustrating. I was entertained and it technically had a HE, but I wasn't fully satisfied at the end of viewing this and I think that's what brought it from a higher rating down to a 7 or 8.

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Twins again...this poor guy seems to be stuck in the twin genre!

We're all adults who've seen more than one c-drama in this genre so we should be going into this knowing it's going to be what it sets out to be, a trope filled, fluff romance with a predictable but enjoyable plotline. I don't know what everyone is expecting but this is a middle of the road rom-com that is exactly what it sounds like it's going to be. Don't expect some artistic masterpiece, this is an enjoyable 24 episode worth of mindless entertainment and nothing more.
Luo Zheng has to have done at least 3 or 4 dramas about twins who swap identities in the last few years, I hope they let him break free soon but I got to say he's great at creating believable chemistry with every FL I've seen him paired with. He gives good skinship and looks either tender or passionate enough to make my heart skip a beat!

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When your boss literally is a pig

There's a difference between Western and Eastern ideas of what it means to call someone a pig. I believe over there it just in general means being lazy and maybe a bit of a glutton, over here well it's a lot meaner an insult.

So the basic premise of the story is that due to a curse on the family, their newborn son becomes a pig every night forever unless he gets a true love's kiss.

The story starts with our FL finding an abandoned tea cup pig in a bathroom and thinks someone was going to take it home and eat it, so she saves it and takes it home. The pov of her giving a bath to the pig and cuddling with it, is show again from the person trapped insides pov and omg that's too funny. The following morning, he returns to human form, in her bed...without clothing....oooops!

Their attempt to break the curse is met with some misunderstandings, but of course they overcome those eventually.

It's really a cute and short drama, easy to watch in an afternoon. It's not too deep because it's 12 little episodes, but I found it funny and enjoyable overall. The plot could have been a little better developed but then the show would have had to been longer format and I'm not sure they could have stretched that long enough for 30 minute episodes.

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If you're looking for a RomCom, this is more comedic than it is romantic

The focus of this drama is not on the romance, it's more about the comics, the aliens, and the adventure. They smooshed in the leads exploring romance literally in the last few episodes just so we'd all be crying at the parting.

The ending was really a what the heck moment . I'm not sorry I watched it. I gave it a generous 7.5 just because I happen to like sci-fi and I don't think there are enough of that in c-dramas. I'd love to see this more fleshed out and to see a second season but I'm not holding my breath.

The music was really what works for this drama and I'm surprised that it got so many touching song moments in one series.

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