This review may contain spoilers
This drama is an absolute 10!
I watched this with iQIYI-VIP. Paying for VIP for this 24-episode drama alone is worth it!
There will be spoilers in my review, and I think no one should see spoilers about this drama prior to watching it, so read at your own risk. I have many thoughts, so bullet points w/ explanations are probably the easiest way to get all of my thoughts out.
Things I don't like:
--The fact that you can see spoilers in the opening credits
--The second lead couple
--Wu Yan's toxic mother
--The way every episode just kinda stopped.
--The lack of communication
Things I do like:
--Knowing there was a happy ending coming due to spoilers in the opening credits
--The second lead couple (They got better)
--Wu Yan's toxic mother's character growth
--The fact that I binged this, so the episodes coming to a sudden stop didn't affect me too much.
--The resolution of the lack of communication
Things I love:
--The OST. All of it, but especially "Forever Shine For Me."
--Nian Qin. I don't like to judge people based on looks, but Evan Lin's visuals are perfect in my opinion, and I was happy to see him on screen. And I thought his acting was on point with the character. His distance from others, his loneliness, his enmity towards his family, his empathy towards children, his desperation towards Wu Yan, his romantic and protective attitude...they were all manifested in Nian Qin's face, eyes, and actions.
--Wu Yan. She was annoying at first, but not too much. She was stubborn, but thankfully not as stubborn as Nian Qin. She knew her mind and was willing to stand up for herself against her mother. Although she was a student of Psychology, she wasn't a perfect person and, in my opinion, intentionally kept Cheng Yin around to help herself deal with things. She also allowed herself to rely on her friends, and especially Xiao Lu, for help with understanding Nian Qin.
--Xiao Lu--best, most devoted aunt/friend/helper ever.
--Wu Yan's father. Best. Father. Ever.
--The reality of life, death, relationships, personal growth, families, friendships
--The fantasy of being able to save yourself but having a rich and devoted boyfriend/husband to protect you. Lets's face it, money doesn't solve all problems, but it does eliminate some of the bigger ones.
--The production and visual effects
--The forced kiss in the alley. Although many people will hate this, and hate me for saying it, it was a dose of reality. It proved Nian Qin's desperation. I don't condone anything being non-con, but without that scene and others (such as dragging Wu Yan to the cocktail party with him) Wu Yan would not have been forced to face her own feelings towards him.
I could go on and on. I really loved this drama, and I'm still going back and rewatching scenes. I don't usually rewatch dramas, even when I say I'm going to, but there is a good chance that I will rewatch this in it's entirety.
I hope everyone can enjoy this as much as I did.
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