Why do people like this drama so much?

This drama is highly talked about and recommended so I thought checked it out and wow...

Beware of Rant.

Worst Romantic-Gaming drama I have ever seen:
1st - The FL is a stalker. Let's just put it out there. She is. She follows the ML around & sends him weird spam-like messages from a fake internet cafe account & follows him places. How he doesn't block, ghost her and file a restraining order I really don't know.

2nd - The FL is famous on her own but for some reason, she's still incredibly stalker-like & timid. She has her own fan base but has 0 confidence. I can't tell you how many times I was cringing at her behavior towards the ML.

3rd - The ML's reason for leaving his old team... I was waiting for this big reason why he left his old team. The captain must have done something pretty terrible for the ML to cry & whine so much about his old captain choosing to leave the team right? Wrong! Turns out the ML is crying & whining over the captain leaving FOR HIS CHILD!! The captain chose to take care of his child over the team. In what world does a grown man guilt someone else over taking care of their child??

4th - If you love dramas with gaming this is not the drama for you. The "gaming" is poorly portrayed. "Here's a black screen with boxes and code, & OH we won!" It's just poorly poorly done.

5th - The Chinese nationalism. Nationalism is fine but this was way overboard.

Honestly, I had such a hard time getting through it. The only saving grace is how absolutely handsome the ML & his cousin are. It does get better after episode 30 or so but I do not understand the hype of this drama. At times its absolutely painful to get through.

Would not recommend.
Would never re-watch.

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Cupid's Skippable Kitchen

**Spoilers are at the bottom**

This is a Food drama with a pinch of comedy and a very little sprinkle of romance. If you are looking for food then this is the right drama for you. If you’re looking for romance then look elsewhere. This just isn’t it.

For The Good, For the Bad…

For the Good:
1. Colorful Cutscenes - They only did a few of these non-food-related colorful cutscenes but they were absolutely beautiful. I was really hoping to see more of them but we only got 2 of these and nothing more.
2. High-Quality Food Cutscenes - There are a lot of these and although I enjoyed them, they didn’t feel as satisfying as the ones in Dating In The Kitchen. They felt sort of lacking even though they were high-quality and beautifully shot.
3. The Leads - Both are really good actors. I really enjoyed watching them. If not for them I’m not sure I would have watched all 40 episodes.
4. The OST is very nice and different from most other modern c-dramas.

For The Bad:
1. Slow-paced - It's very slow-paced and the side stories make it even slower. Other than the first 5 and the last 5 episodes, I found this drama pretty boring.
2. Huge Lack of Heart-Flutters - Where’s the intimacy? I’m not even talking about kisses. Just moments that make you feel like the leads are falling in love. I certainly felt that they cared for each other but there seemed to be a huge lack of romance.
3. Boring side-stories - Honestly, I wound up skipping through most of the side stories because they were just so boring, and other than the character knowing the leads, their stories really didn’t affect them or the plot in any real way.
5. Evil/Bad Character overload - Honestly who isn’t a bad character other than the leads and a few others. However, none of them were as bad as the 2FL who clearly needs mental help. The method she used to try to stay with the ML is one of the most psychotic I’ve ever seen. She’s a basket case and the worst part is that she’s surrounded by enablers. (More on her in the spoilers below)
6. The 2FL’s Dubbing - Everyone else in the drama is fine but for some reason, her dubbing is not only obvious but it doesn’t match her mouth movement at all. For all the beautiful production they have in this drama, they very obviously dropped the ball on her dubbing.



***Spoilers Below***




I really disliked the way the ML took out his frustrations on the FL. I know he is going through something pretty rough but why did he need to yell at her the way he did and more than once. I know he’s devastated over losing his sense of taste but that’s not the FL’s fault.

In fact, it’s the 2FL’s fault and for some reason instead of thoroughly investigating her, even when she’s suspiciously asking him if he could forgive the person who poisoned him, he completely overlooks her. The ML even fires his longtime live-in cleaning lady, someone who was like family to him, but he keeps the creepy 2FL around. Furthermore, when he does find out it was her, he completely lets her off the hook!! Like what?!!!

Another thing that really annoyed me was the ML’s doctor friend who not only hides the fact that the 2FL poisoned the ML into losing his tastebuds and at risk of losing the rest of his senses, but he also enabled her and helped her hide it from being exposed. He deserves to lose his license to practice medicine and go to jail along with the 2FL. I have no sympathy for him no matter how much he likes the 2FL.

It annoys me that no one got in any sort of real trouble for their bad behavior. Everything is sunshine and rainbows at the end.

The cutest thing in this romance drama is probably the husky puppy in the last episode…

Would Not Recommend
Would Not Re-Watch

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“Can people eat cat food?”

I've been waiting for this drama for a long time and I was worried it wouldn't hold up to my own hype. Well, I worried for nothing because this drama is delivering on so many levels. It was a mistake to watch this while it's still airing because I simply could not get enough.

The story isn't necessarily original, warm FL & domineering CEO ML, but the chemistry between the cast is perfect. Each character plays their part perfectly as if written for them personally. The main couple is so good that when they're apart it's almost painful waiting for them to share the screen again.


What I Love:

- Heart Flutters! This drama is delivering on all the heart flutters you want out of a rom-com. The chemistry is off the charts. It's as if the 2 leads are magnets! I can't get enough of them being together. Not only is the romantic chemistry there but the comedy between them is there too. I'm having so much fun watching their relationship and characters develop. (Also, they kiss quite a bit. Lots of steam here)

- The ML seems cold but you find out pretty earlier on that he's actually pretty silly. Unlike a lot of dramas, it's not the FL that brings this out in him, he's already silly on his own just in private. We see this early on when he's with his uncle/best friend. He's serious and cold about his business but not in his personal life. It's more that he's a bit shy and protective of himself when it comes to his personal life.

- The FL is very sweet and warm but don't let that fool you. She is smart, capable, and often the hero. Even though she's quiet, that doesn't mean she's at all stupid. Bullying her doesn't work. But because she's warm and sweet as a viewer I keep worrying for her, as if someone is going to tear her down and break her spirit but she proves over and over that she's not that type of FL. I find myself constantly cheering her on.

- The FL's best friend is the friend we all deserve and more. I love how supportive and fierce she is about the FL. She will literally fight someone's mom for her friend and I love to see it.

- The ML's best friend/uncle is also a favorable character. He protects and loves his nephew dearly. Everything about their bromance is fun and supportive and I enjoy watching them interact.


What I Don't Love:

- There are 2 semi-annoying characters who don't want the leads to be together but they're not unrealistically evil. I think this is good because it shows them as real people. They are jealous like real people are but not devilishly jealous. They try to gain favor the way real people would but they don't go around trying to ruin lives to get what they want. I do feel like they use these two as fillers towards the backend of this drama which did impact my rating slightly. It's just frustrating to watch the SML not getting the hint that Ke Lan just isn't into him. He's quite dense when it comes to women. Even though I find these 2 characters annoying I don't have hate for them. More of an annoyance with them than anything else.

- There's something that happens with the main couple that I really dislike because the FL's reason is frustrating and frankly so is her mom for letting her daughter make the decision she did. These episodes really upset my feelings for this drama. When the leads are together there's so much magic. When they are apart this drama feels quite slow and sad but that's because the leads are just so so good together.

- There are a few slower episodes. Some are "build" episodes and I don't mind these but there are a couple of episodes towards the end where I would have preferred seeing more of the MC together. Although what happens between the MC is necessary for them to be together long-term (mostly on the ML's side of things), I wish the issue didn't take up so much time. I wish we would have seen the main couple together more in the end, after everything was resolved.


Note-worthy:

There's also the ML's ex who obviously wants to get Yu Hao back but she's also not an evil character, just a regretful ex trying to win him back. There's really nothing outlandish about her actions other than trying to separate the MC. The MC handles her really well. As a couple, they are mature about her. Also, the way Yu Hao goes about dealing with his ex is mature, compassionate, and respectful of the relationship they once had.



Would Recommend
Would Re-watch (with some skipping)

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This drama is so sweet it’ll give you a toothache.

Just a giant ball of enjoyable fluffiness and I’m here for it.

Not only is this drama full of cutesy love but it's also just fun. The dynamic of this cast is so well done. The friendships are believable and give you the feeling that they actually love and care for each other. Even though I picked this drama for the romance I really enjoyed watching them hang out as friends and doing what real life friends do. Terry Liu is awesome in this. I want his character (Deng Hao Ran) to be my male best friend or brother. Then there's Liu Yu Cheng (played by Zhai Xiao Wen) who is quite possibly the best wingman I've seen in a long time.

I tend to skip through a lot of 2nd/3rd storylines but I did very minimal skipping here. I found all the couples likable and enjoyable to watch.

**Small Spoiler**

There’s no evil evil characters. Even the short lived love triangle is adorable and served its purpose without the theatrics.

Also, it's only 22 episodes so it's not full of dead storylines just to pass the time. The romance of the 3 couples and the friendships throughout the group of 6 really filled in the time well.

Would Recommend.
Would Re-watch.

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“No need to massacre the ducks”

This drama is about chasing your dreams. The female lead starts out in a job she never wanted but accepted in the hopes it would lead her to her dream career. While she eventually reaches her ultimate career goal and then some, her road to achievement is not a smooth one.

What I expected from this drama was the age-old story of a cold CEO and his secretary and their love-hate relationship love story. However, romance really isn’t a major theme here. Yes, there is a romantic tension that slowly builds between the FL and ML but if you’re looking for a tried and true romance, I doubt this will scratch that itch.

With that being said, I was surprised at how captivated I was by Ning Meng’s (FL) build to success. She is smart and capable. In this story, she is the hero. It was refreshing to watch a FL be completely capable of holding her own. Yes, Lu Ming (ML) did provide guidance but Ning Meng's capabilities go beyond what the ML could do for her and her clients.

Lu Ming is a sour patch. One minute he was sour and the next minute he was sweet. There were times I really felt he needed to be slapped. However, his character gets a face full of humble pie. On top of that, Ning Meng proves him wrong time and again. His character, in the end, is almost unrecognizable from the arrogant CEO at the beginning of this story.

One person that cannot go without being mentioned is the 2ML, Su Wei Ran. Su Wei Ran starts out as a kind familiar face from Ning Meng’s college years but as the story progresses we start to see that he is not the charming Senior Ning Ming once idolized. Self-diagnosed as damaged by his last relationship where his college sweetheart cheated on him and ultimately left him for a wealthy man, Su Wei Ran is protective of his relationship with Ning Meng and jealous of her ex-boss Lu Ming. What I appreciated about his character and how he was portrayed is that he wasn’t immediately abusive. There was a steady development in his abuse. He showered Ning Meng was flowers and kind words but you could see him steadily getting more and more agitated with Ning Meng’s closeness to Lu Ming.

What bothered me about this relationship was how easy it was for Ning Meng to get out of it. She simply broke up with him after things escalated to the point of getting physical. Furthermore, he simply let her walk away from him. For how emotionally unstable he had shown to be, I was surprised at how uneventful the breakup was. I feel that his character at that time would have been much more desperate to hold onto her. He kept saying how important she was to him feeling like his old self and he was determined to “win” and be better than Lu Ming. I don’t feel that an abuser like him would have been able to let her go that easily.

Overall, very good. Again, as someone who prefers romantic dramas, I was surprised that a drama like this with almost no romance and a lot of business held my interest. I think that goes to show how interesting the story is and how well the actors portrayed their roles.


Would Recommend
Probably Will Not Rewatch

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A Youth Drama with a Twist

This is a youth love story with a pinch of mystery and a whole lot of heartache. Initially, I was interested in this drama because not only did I keep hearing about it but also because it has been compared to Someday or One Day which is one of my top favorite dramas.

For me, comparing this drama to Someday or One Day was setting the bar a bit high. While Shining For One Thing shares similar themes of youth, mystery, and a deep love between the main couple. Someday or One Day’s focused more on the fantasy and mystery aspect while Shining For One Thing focuses much more on the youth aspect.

Things I Loved:
- Lin Bei Xing (FL) is smart, capable, and brave. I loved those moments when she wasn’t afraid to give her opinions openly and without caution.
- Zhang Wan Sen (ML) is incredibly sweet and though he’s very smart, he’s not cold, just a bit shy. I don’t think he has a mean bone in his body and loves fiercely, albeit quietly.
- Mai Zi, everything about him is pretty much wonderful and anyone should be so lucky to have him as their friend. He is friendship goals.
- There are some absolutely heart-wrenching scenes as well as some really beautiful happy scenes.
- The cinematography was done very well. There are many beautiful and memorable scenes throughout this drama.
- The OST is fitting and complimented the story and scenery very well. (I’ll be adding a few songs to my OST playlist for sure.)


Things I Didn’t Love:
- A lot of scenes were repetitive, (mostly flashbacks). While this is to be expected in any sort of time-loop/time-jump/universe jumping genre, they flashback to the same scenes over and over and over. If I saw the fire scene one more time I swear…
- They spent a lot of time on the youth and school stuff which I wasn’t really expecting. I understand this is to show the relationship building between the mains but there is this huge mystery looming in the background and there were several episodes where it had very little focus if at all.
- I could have completely done without the 2nd couple. Even now, having just finished the drama yesterday, I can’t remember anything interesting about them.
- Although there are wonderful and thrilling scenes, for me, it felt very “hurry up and wait”. What I mean by this is that I often felt like I was waiting for an exciting scene to happen but when they finally happened, to me they felt a bit rushed. Something about the pace of this drama just felt a bit choppy.
- “Why is no one calling the police?!?!” <- I must have said this to myself at least a half dozen times. There are so many times when the police should have been called which likely would have prevented the very event Lin Bei Xing was trying to avoid.
- A lot of things about the universe jumping weren’t explained. In a drama like this where you’re trying to piece together the mystery yourself, I find it frustrating when you’re left with too many hows and whys. In that aspect, the drama feels incomplete.


Overall, I’m happy I watched it. It was mostly very enjoyable and I think people who like the youth genre will love this drama. However, for me, because it was compared to Someday or One Day my expectations were different and I think that may have hurt my opinion of Shining For One Thing. This is not a bad drama by any means, it just didn’t hit me as hard as I was expecting it would.


Would Recommend
Will Not Rewatch - (However I will watch the movie when that is released)

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Hey that’s my button!

Very, very good. If you're debating watching, don't even read my review, just go watch it.

This story is incredibly captivating! Honestly, I’m not sure I need to write a review on this one because there are so many already but I do have a few thoughts on some things that I am a little confused about. None of these are drama-ruining, just thoughts.

1. White's Dad. What happened to that dude? White was like "I'm out!" and his Dad was just like, "Yeah okay *shrug* Have a nice life without me.” We literally never heard anything about him after White left. I guess both parents are just really uninterested in being parents.

2. I don't fully understand who took the picture of the van and how there came to be a full-on protest that intercepted the van...

3. Todd - Why so wishy-washy? Are we trying to kill Black or nah? Why did Todd let Black go after almost drowning him when he almost had him killed before? Later he says that he can't kill him because they're friends but then why beat Black within an inch of his life before that? If all he wanted to do was lure White to help him, why not kidnap Black and tell White he needs to go undercover to find out who took him?

While there are some spots when this drama feels a tad slow with the side stories, looking at you Eugene, and other times where production seems to have messed up what time of day it is, it’s morning in one place and midday in another. At one point it was an entirely different day in one scene but still the day before in another. DESPITE those production errors, the main story is really compelling. Sean and White are adorable and watching their relationship unfold was really a ride. This drama really delivers angst without being terribly uncomfortable. It's just the right amount to keep you on the edge of your seat unable to stop yourself from needing to see what happens next.

Don’t hesitate on this drama. It’s worth the watch.


Would 100% Recommend
Would 100% Re-Watch

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Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus.

The beginning of this drama is perfectly paced for the time loop theme. Not too fast, not too slow but just right in how they ease you into the wild ride you're about to take. But don't get it twisted, this is an edge-of-your-seat drama. You really don't know what is going to happen next.

For how heavy this drama really is they found small ways to slip in a bit of comedy in an otherwise dark drama (I'm thinking of a specific episode). As the story progresses the pace slows at times leaving you with a craving for the next loop however the next loop always delivers and puts you right back on the edge.

Both the FL and ML are smart and capable. I didn’t feel that one outshined the other in terms of intelligence. In fact, I enjoyed that the FL had a bit of an upper hand in the beginning and is really the main character of this drama.
Both actors are so good in their roles. Perfectly cast and wonderful to watch.

The Romance Aspect:
As someone who mostly watches romance dramas, I didn’t mind that the romance here wasn’t the main theme. At one point, it even seemed like the ML got a tiny bit jealous when the FL thought someone else had entered the loop with them. As though he was sort of happy it was just the 2 of them but other than that there really wasn't much of a romance theme at all. Instead, you get to see the bond between the leads building, and in a way, it was really quite satisfying to watch. They naturally and at the same time come to love each other. Honestly though how could you not bond when you’re stuck in a time loop with someone for almost a month?

The Ending:
Happy ending for the leads. There was even a little hint at marriage.

My Wishes:
1. I wish they would have used the ringtone a bit more. It gave me that triggering feeling that you want this type of drama. There was often the bomb detonated without the ringtone (the cord was pulled instead) but I wish it would have gone off more with the ringtone than without it. I guess I just feel like more could have been done with it.
2. I wish they would have done more with the main police officer. The FL knew a good bit about him and could have used that at some point to try and prove they were in a loop. She did this in the very beginning a little bit but as she learned more about him I thought it would come up again but it never really did.

Would Recommend
Would Maybe Re-watch

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Not What I Was Expecting

Based on the trailer, I expected this to focus mostly on the main couple with the obligatory 2nd couple. However, this drama actually has 1 main couple and 3 other side couples. This is really a story about a woman and her 3 best friends and their individual paths to finding love. It focused on their careers as well but I wouldn't say that career growth was a major storyline even though they are often at work and talking about work.

Although I really enjoyed the first and last quarters of this drama, I was a bit let down by what I thought it would be and also what it could have been. Since it wasn't what I was expecting, a romance with 1 main couple, and instead had 4 female friends, I was thinking it would focus a bit more on their friendships but this just didn't happen. The friendships felt forced and other than the 1 female who joins the company of the other 2, we don't know much about how they met or how long they've known each other.

Also, there is so much that feels unresolved about what happened in the past. Why did someone leave someone else? Who is the other person involved in a certain little scandal? I have questions and never got the answers.

Honestly, I think I would have dropped this if not for the ML (Lin Yu Shen) but I really love Yu Shen so I stuck with it. To be fair through, sticking it and watching the whole drama I really enjoyed the FL's (Elvira Cai) acting and would be happy to watch her in other dramas. Lin Yu Shen and Elvira Cai were pretty entertaining to watch but the rest unfortunately just fell flat.

Would not recommend
Would not re-watch

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Not Bad But Not Great. Lots of yelling.

(Side note: I have seen all the other 4 live adaptions. [Tw, J, K, C] and the anime)

The pace starts off really fast. I enjoyed the first episode but then the pace sort of stays fast with little reprieve. Normally I would like this but here they seemed to jump from one pivotal moment to the next, introducing new characters and situations without proper ebb and flow. I wish they would have slowed it down a bit because it felt so choppy and rushed, making it a bit hard to connect to the characters.

One thing I like is how the bullying is portrayed in this version. I love the setup of the old stadium and how they included social media. The stadium provides an excellent visual while the social media bits gave the story an updated feel. This may be one of my favorite things they did with this version that felt superior in comparison to other adaptions.

As for the ML, perhaps they felt they couldn't get away with some of the original material because this version of the ML’s character is really watered down as far as his arrogance and almost devilish superiority complex. While I feel Thyme is certainly emotionally damaged by his mother, one big problem for me is that the FL doesn’t really hate the ML in this version. That strong intolerance for his behavior is an important element of their relationship arch. Even though the bullying is more present here than in the Chinese version, at least in that version the ML did some cruel things to the FL that made her hate him specifically, not so much F4 as a whole (forced kiss, hitting her in the face with the box of food...) Even the bullying Gorya received as directed by Thyme isn’t all that harsh in comparison to other adaptions.

For me, this lack of dislike from the FL to the ML is actually a big flaw in this version because it’s a major reason that despite his character’s constant efforts to show the FL that he likes her, she continues to fight her feelings for the ML even when the 2ML is already out of the picture and it’s abundantly clear that she does actually like him. I just didn’t feel that level of dislike from Gorya that would cause her so much apprehension towards Thyme.

However, instead, there are things he does mid-relationship that were quite aggressive. Perhaps these things would have fit better with his character at the beginning of the story but mid and later in the story just made me feel like their relationship could be an abusive one. Maybe it was Bright's acting that left me feeling that way but I don't remember feeling that way in the other versions.

As for the rest of the F4. I like them. I didn’t find anything not to like exactly but I would have liked to have seen more character development for their characters. Kavin had some development but it felt a bit unfinished. I’m confused why they had him admit to Mona that he liked her, then she wants to show him something (to also confess) and when he doesn’t show up she never went back to talk to him even though he had already admitted his feelings for her. I just find this version of his character’s storyline strange.

Let me say I love Ren. What a great guy. Learning that this is Dew/Jirawat Sutivanichsak’s first leading had me impressed. However, the way his character was adapted left me a little wanting. The manipulation tactics for his character were diminished to a minimal level which is something that makes his character stand out as opposed to a typical 2ML. In that sense, I think they did his character a bit of a disservice.

Additionally, I would have liked to see F4 together more as a group of friends. Hanging out or going out places or in their lounge. That’s definitely something the other versions have above this one.

Another loose end is Thyme’s sister. They sort of glossed over her as a character as well as Lita’s.

This is a tough one to rate. I think it's a good stand-alone drama overall which is why I rated this an 8.5. It's a very visually appealing drama. I like the direction they took with some of the points of the story (Kaning, Hana, even the amnesia was okay), but there were times were this version left me feeling like it really wasn’t the Hana Yori Dango story. They left out so many storylines and moments between the MC that really deepened their relationship and the story overall. I think it would have been better to make this into 2 seasons and spend more time on character development. Again, it’s not a bad drama but it’s definitely lacking in terms of a Hana Yori Dango adaption.

Stand-alone rating 8.5
HYD Adaptation 6

Would Recommend
Possibly Re-watch

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80% Perfect.

Most of this drama is fantastic. I was worried 33 episodes would be too long for the story but I found this drama mostly really entertaining. I laughed out loud many times. The ML and FL had me cracking up at their bickering rivalry. Everything was really fun and interesting until the writers couldn't figure out how to wrap up the story.

The Story:

Qian Wei is working at a law firm for her once college rival Lu Xun who is now her relentless boss. After an accident, she is transported to the past where she is back in college fighting for the top spot over Lu Xun. She decides to take this as an opportunity to change the outcome of her life and finally beat her rival. Qian Wei soon comes to find out that Lu Xun has been silently supporting her throughout her college career. Love ensues.

The Cast:

The FL: I've seen Song Zu Er in other dramas and I must say she is really fun to watch. Everything about her acting is a joy to watch. I especially like her comedic timing. To me, her comedic performance really shined here. As for her portrayal of Qian Wei, she delivered everything I wanted. Nothing about her was annoying other than her blindness to the ML's affections for her which is a major theme in the drama so we can't really fault her for that.

The ML: Everything except his haircut is perfect. I love the chemistry he had with the FL. He truly loves the FL and proves in numerous times. Unexpectedly, there are 2 pretty big arguments between the leads and what I appreciated about them is that the ML actually seemed angry. This may sound strange but I felt that he was genuinely pissed off/upset. Sometimes in dramas, you can feel the false anger because after all, it is acting... but here I really felt Lu Xun's anger and disappointment towards the FL.

The 2ML: A great guy with very bad luck. There were times I really felt bad for this poor guy. Li Chong Wen was trying so hard to make the right choices but no matter what he did, he always seem to lose. As annoying as his persistence for the FL was, it was also clear that he was a good person. He just kept focusing on the wrong things and went down the wrong path without realizing his mistakes. In a way, his career mistakes are incredibly relatable. He was a poor boy, doing everything he could to change his lot in life without any understanding of the cost.

80% of the story is really great, but the last 20% of the drama was a bit bland in comparison to the rest of the drama and it left me with a few questions. Once the FL came out of the coma she decides to see if the ML is really in love with her. He's a bit put off by this because, for the past 10 years, she's never shown any romantic interest in him. Lu Xun refuses to admit to all the things he did for her in the past because he doesn't want her to be with him out of pity or gratitude. I was onboard with this argument as it made a lot of sense. He really wanted her to like him for him, not because of the things he did for her in the past. Qian Wei decides to try to force him to confess his feelings to her by going on blind dates and it works! Which is great but it also lacks luster. He never confirmed why she actually likes him back. They never went over everything that happened in the dream. The FL lead never explained her feeling for him. He didn't even seem surprised that she all of the sudden liked him even though he had no knowledge of what happened in her dream state.

Then the writers decided to add a handful of dangerous scenarios for the Qian Wei and Lu Xun to go through. I feel like these were supposed to show their love for each other but really all I wanted to see was them reflect on the past events together and discuss what happened in her dream. Maybe he would even put on the ring and gain the memories of them..? Something like that would have been appreciated because once she woke up from the coma, the memories of the dram sort of fell off the radar, becoming merely a memory for Qian Wei. It would have been nice if the preset Lu Xun could have gained access to those memories somehow and shared all those sweet moments with her.

I would still recommend this drama as there were moments that were really funny and sweet. I definitely wasn't bored. I just wanted the dream world to have a little bit more of a presence in the story after she woke up. Also, a better love confession from the ML and FL.

Would Recommend
Maybe Re-watch

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Very Light & Fluffy.

Is the story rich and complex? No. Frankly I'm not even sure what he does for work.
BUT! If you don't care about all the details and you just want a really cute story with a fair bit of laughs than this is the story for you. Also, I wasn't bored once they got together. I was really curious how they would be together.

To be honest, the ML did some bold/direct things in this drama. Things I have wished would happen in other dramas but because of his social disorder he doesn't really care what others think (besides the FL obviously) and he just does what he wants to do. I love that he's not at all shy about things. He's very matter of fact. Blushing does not exist for this ML.

I did skip around a little but never the main couple. They were too interesting to watch. The ML was unpredictable. Would he be cold/unemotional (because of his disorder) or would he randomly do something very sweet?

Would Recommend - only for a quick, "I don't know what else to watch" drama
Not Re-Watch Material. The ending left me with too many questions.

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More Than What You Think

First A Warning. This drama contains a fair amount of triggering/sensitive content (other than just the student-teacher relationship.) It can be incredibly cringy at times but if you can get past the cringy-ness then this drama can be quite the entertaining ride. Shocking and cringey but entertaining.

It's a bit difficult to write a review about this drama without giving away any spoilers because the description would have you believe this drama is just about a teacher and her student and their taboo relationship but there’s really a lot more to this drama that is revealed as the story progresses. There's bullying, revenge, scandal, past secrets, deception, and obsession/stalking, and not all from people you would normally suspect.

If you were to drop this drama in the first few episodes you would completely miss out on so much more story. There are many moving parts and storylines that trickle out all the way until the last episode. While the first couple of episodes seem a bit ridiculous in terms of how the ML acts towards the FL and how the FL reacts to him, about halfway through this drama things take a big turn.

I was not expecting so many little twists and turns. At times I was thoroughly shocked but no matter what was happening I could not stop watching and I'm glad I didn't because things really weren't always what they seemed to be. It's been a long time since I've been so surprised and entertained.

The romance was okay. It wasn't x-rated by any means. There were some very satisfying kisses.

As for the acting, I've seen Tiffany Hsu's acting before. She's a good actress and her performance here is very good even though her character had to be quite cold and somewhat stoic. There are reasons she acts the way she does. I didn't quite understand why her character didn't react the way I would think she would but again, there's more to her character's story...

The acting by Edward Chen wound up being very good. I found him so annoying as a teenage spoiled brat. At first, I didn't like him at all, but then I realized that a teen boy can be like that. Annoying, obnoxious, and immature. Sometimes he may have overacted but that was mainly in the beginning and sort of phased out as the story played out.

If you're looking for a story that has some unexpected turns then this is a story for you. There is a cringe factor here but I think it was all worth it. Overall, this drama is quite a wild ride.

I doubt I would rewatch this drama again because the shock value is gone but I definitely enjoy watching.

Would Recommend
Would Not Re-watch

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I wanted to like this but...

Starting out its not great and the ML is a total jerk. Not just like cold jerk but hurtful and overly manipulative. (Strictly talking about the beginning here)

I mean okay the feeding each other bit at his work was pretty funny but there was just so much boredom for me that soldiering through all the dull moments didn't make the cute scenes worth it. Not to mention the 2nd couple is so unbelievably pointless. Eventually I wound up skipping through all their scenes. They had like .5 connection to the main couple. Honestly what was the purpose of them being in the script?

As someone who enjoys the cold CEO trope as well as the contract marriage story line I really wanted to like this and I was sure that I would but I just didn't. There are so many other dramas that do all the cliches in a much more satisfying way.

For me, this just doesn't have it.

Is it original? Not even a little.
Will it scratch that the need for a cute fluffy stereotypical overbearing CEO romance? Perhaps but this wouldn't be my first choice by any means.

Would Not Recommend
Would Not Re-watch

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