Started out great but downhill after :(

This drama had so much promise from the beginning! I absolutely loved it from episode 1. Reaching Ep 5, the FL was getting on my nerves, and after ep16 I started FF a lot. I then skipped to Ep 23 & 24 just to see the ending.

The basic plot is the time space and travel, both of them meeting each other in the apartment. He is from 2022, and she is from 2021, exactly 4 months difference, so it’s not that much. At first both are freaked out, then they realised what was going on, but hated each other. Eventually they start falling for each other. They try to change the future and save their friend and their marriage, but in the process one gets into an accident, and at the end another one dies.

I thought the storyline with the time space and travel was very well done. I especially liked how the front door leads to 2022, and the back door leads to 2021! That was a brilliant idea! So they could enjoy dates in both timelines. Majority of it made sense, and you have to pay attention quite a bit to the timeline. In terms of production, it was very well done too. Acting was top notch by our leads, but I didn’t like our FL’s character. She came across too naive, act before thinking, and quite irrational and self righteous. Our ML had to act two different roles from 2022 and 2021- and he pulled it off flawlessly.

The romance and chemistry was uhmmm not great. The kissing scenes looked quite forced and not natural ;);) They seemed more like good friends than lovers. The storylines with Jirong, husband Jiang Shengyao and the brother Anwen was so annoying. Jirong’s character was just dumb. No brain, cannot think for herself. Her bro Anwen was very manipulative, a gambler and used her to try to pay off his debt. To be honest, I thought the writers gave him too much screen time. It is because of their divorce, scandal and what not that caused to rip in the time space.

After Ep 16, things seemed to repeat itself, just with different sub plots and it got boring. Didn’t have the patience to watch anymore so just FF and skipped to last two episodes. The final twist at the end again was super interesting and I thought was well crafted. But unfortunately the in between just didn’t cut it for me.

Do give this one a try, it’s better than most of the Cdramas out there. Oh and the best part- the OST is super nice. About 3 to 4 songs which were very memorable and emotional ;)

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Cute.. but skipped A LOT! ;)

First thing you shld know- the ML Ren Chu is very good looking ;) Lol..

The storyline starts off cute and quirky. Lu Wanwan is cute and bubbly, but lacks self confidence. She has liked her boy best friend for 5 years, who has secretly been dating her girl best friend for the past two years!! She obviously gets hurt and angry after learning this, and meets our ML. He’s the uni’s Straight As student who is the smartest and the most popular, but not the most sociable nor kindest. He’s cold and good looking! Haha, typical.

So they start off with rumours that they’re dating, they form an agreement to dispel those rumours, he then starts falling for her and we have a kiss in Epi 5! I then had hopes that this could be a good drama, but unfortunately .. the remaining episodes became a beat around the bush, repetitive and just dragging it out. She was unsure about his feelings, and didn’t want history to repeat itself.

Finally around Epi 18, there is a somewhat confession and after some (unnecessary) misunderstandings they get together as a couple. Love rivals yes, misunderstandings lots of it, side couples yes- but I honestly skipped most of it. The romance is rather innocent and cute- so don’t expect anything steamy lol.

To summarise- started off cute but became draggy and dull. Some episodes were interesting but most were just bearable.

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Better than expected ;)

Actually I had no expectations starting this drama. After the first episode, I seriously wanted to drop it, but decided to just give another few episodes a try. I’m glad I did, because it started getting wayyy better after episode 3.

The storyline became more engaging, more intriguing, more mysterious and more anxiousness to solve the mystery!! Don’t have to worry about nasty love triangles here, but it steered more towards scheming, betrayal and conspiracy theories to get to the throne! The chemistry between both leads were mediocre I would say, I was actually rooting for SML ;);)

Kim Young Dae acted the same way he did for Shooting Stars, there wasn’t much variety in his mannerisms or skill. Park Ju Hyun was good playing the quirky / funny side of her character, but I felt she didn’t pull off the serious/ emotional side. I liked Captain Lee shin-won!! Who is the 2ML (spoiler: and am kinda sad he didn’t get the girl)

I skipped most of the scenes with the two funny guys who were protesting the marriage ban, and the scenes with the author/ painter and the shop assistant. Didn’t feel it added anything to the entire plot or storyline. The last few episodes were quite exciting and it’s a good thing this drama is only 12 episodes.

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Chic and sophisticated

An easy watch. Some overacting, some cliches, some slapstick humour… but overall quite a good watch.

The drama focuses more on the friendship between four friends, their ups and downs in their lives and career. Two of them have a complicated relationship - they were exes , then friends, then now he wants to be her bf again. The romance is typical, no butterflies in the stomach moments - but there was one scene where he said he will catch up to her and run full speed. I squealed at that line lol. There was a love triangle, but nothing that would give you angst.

It s good thing the drama is short- only 8 episodes. It’s mainly about fashion, and the quirks behind the scenes. Watch it in between some serious ones and you’ll be fine ;)

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Storyline meh, chemistry great!

First few episodes were a little hard to swallow. It’s the typical Korean shouting, bickering, slapstick humour which I don’t particularly like. I initially didn’t really like it- the typical over-reacting, the bickering and shouting, the humour etc... but it started to grow on me after a few episodes and I found myself more drawn to it. Not your typical law drama, nor your typical romance drama. The FL character is somewhat interesting- she’s loud, VERY outspoken, has no filter and will just tell you exactly what she thinks IN YOUR FACE! ??Some eps are more interesting than others..

Up till around Epi 14 it was quite engaging. The villain however was just too overdone and annoying. Last two episodes was kinda dull.. so in terms of storyline it was a 7, but the chemistry between the leads was a 9. Some nice PDA scenes in Epi 11&12, and it’s a happy ending.

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Watch without too high expectations ;)

Best friends to Bf/ Gf ✔️ Couple- breakup- get back together✔️ New couple ✔️ Love triangle✔️ Manipulative, narcissistic, back-stabbing bi*ch✔️

I enjoyed the second half more, it was more engaging and had more drama going on lol. Didn’t really skip much, so that’s a good sign :) The storyline is quite predictable, and the ending is a happy one. You might feel some angst with the Jimin-Hanuel couple, as there is a female love rival. The male love rival Yi Dam is actually the most matured character amongst all, and I believe he’s the youngest!

It’s only 12 episodes, so it doesn’t drag at all. Have a go at it and enjoy! :)

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Preferred the other two side couples

This drama started off interesting enough... another contract marriage based storyline, but this time it was for an apartment.

After Episode 10, the love story between the main couple Se hee and Ji-Ho started becoming very dull and slow. It picked up when they started holding hands and kissing, but then all of a sudden, she decides to end the contract and leave? Simply could not understand her reasoning. Too many monologues and the pace of their conversations were snail-like. (Ironically she likes snails in the drama!)

What kept me interested was the other two side couples. Soo Ji and Gang Soo were a breath of fresh air! Their relationship development and understanding of one another was very unique and loveable. Their characters were also funny and quirky and you would just grow to love them!
Ho Rang and Woo Seok was also memorable, I could literally feel their pain and heartache, although I didn’t quite like their ending in the last episode. Ummm... I felt it could have been much more meaningful.

Production in 2017, but only watching it now in 2021. Not a bad watch, if you like the ML watch The Beauty Inside- it’s much better :)

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Too good to be true?

Lin Yang (FL) and Lu Zheng An (ML) grew up together as kids, both families were very close. She was 7 years older than him. But one moved away after 6 years. Somehow when LZA was 15, they met again and started liking her. He never had a girlfriend because he was set on her, but she on the other hand had many bfs. He went to study abroad and at 24 yrs old, the moment he came back, he went to look for her to live and work near her.

Their love story was good, and also not good. Good because he was very focused on her and her alone (borderline obsessive). I thought in most instances he was quite mature in his thinking, a little impulsive but sweet and earnest. She only treated him like a little brother at first, cos she couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of dating him. But eventually she realised she had fallen in love with him, but still refused and rejected him. Only with the help of friends then she finally admitted and agreed. There were many sweet moments and PDA so that was nice.

Not good- he directed his whole life based on what she liked- what food she liked, which music star she liked, his whole world revolved around her. She, the lawyer cousin and many others treated him like a kid (cos they were all older than him) which I felt was kinda unfair.

Supporting characters and side stories were not that interesting to me. Unfortunately I skipped quite a lot, and focused mainly on the lead couple and whatever involved them. I also skipped the beginnings of each episode where the scene would flashback to when they were kids with their parents. Found that dull. Sometimes the story was too good to be true, everything worked out perfectly- both parents were so supportive, whatever scandals were dealt with easily and smoothly.

It was a nice easy drama to watch, but don’t expect too much. :)

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Great blend of humour, melodrama and romance

It’s funny, yes the funny parts are super funny, lol kind of funny. The melodrama is cry buckets with lots and lots of tissue. The romance is oh so sweet.

I loved almost every part of this drama. First of all, both FL and SFL are super pretty, and their style and wardrobe attire is TO DIE FOR. Don’t get me started on their shoes!!! Loved loved loved the fashion on this set. I’m very glad to see that the women are not the poor pitiful kind, but successful in their own rights.

It’s a Seo Hyun Jin drama, so you can expect lots of over-the-top whining and crying. I did cry at quite a few scenes, because it was either very sad or heart-breaking. The romance and chemistry between both leads were great, and some good kissing scenes :) I didn’t quite care for the secondary love story between Eun Ho and Kang Sara- in fact I skipped their scenes towards the last few episodes. That’s why my overall dropped to a 8.5. It was kind of dull and no real progress or chemistry

The music background really suited the scenes- whether it was funny, or a In-Your-Face scene ;);) I also like the OST , the songs were well suited and lovely.

All in all, highly recommended to watch. Produced in 2018, but I only watched it now in 2021. No regrets:)

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A taste of Scarlet Heart Ryeo

From enemies to lovers- it was a diplomatic arranged marriage. Li Ming Yue was sent to marry Li Qian, not knowing she was hypnotised by her brother to erase memories of her first love Yunsi. She on the other hand, used hypnotism to help Li Qian to recover his past and lost memories before 9 years old.

Their love story development was quite good, initially hating each other, bickering, bullying and using each other to their own advantage. He unknowingly started liking her but refused to admit it, although his two best friends could easily tell he did. Once they acknowledged they liked each other, from then on their love for each other grew deeper and more meaningful. Yes lots of kisses and hugs in the 2nd half, but not too raunchy lol. Very sweet...

36 episodes was a tad too long for me. It did drag and I skipped quite a lot. The funny parts unfortunately I didn’t find all that hilarious. The funny backing music I also found quite childish and annoying. The dramatic scenes were also a tad TOO dramatic, with lingering cries and regrets, plots of revenge and anger. The fighting scenes were good and not enough! The backing music for the dramatic scenes were good, and the OST was quite memorable as well.

It has a taste of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (Korean drama) , with the revenge, evil plots, abuse of power and struggle and fight for the throne, but just only 1/4 of its intensity. It is a happy ending and although I skipped a lot, I did find it quite engaging and finished it. :)

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Fairly Good... but not great

You have to watch this without bothering about all the loopholes in the storyline. Countless things will not make sense so if you can ignore those, then you can just enjoy the show.

Many, MANY misunderstandings, misinterpretations, lies, secrets and MORE secrets. This one gave me a lot of angst, but the good thing is it quickly gets resolved like the next episode. 1-10 was kinda light and funny, after that it gets a bit angst with blackmail and threats. Like I said, there are so many secrets, right until the last episode the final secret will be revealed!

Chemistry between the two main leads is not bad. Supporting casts were also ok. Good thing is the storyline is not draggy, so it keeps you interested. I did skip a little bit here and there towards the end. There are some life lessons and good moral principles to learn from this drama, which is a great.

Watch this in between serious dramas. Don’t expect too much and just enjoy. It’s a happy ending for all :)

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All Chinese dramas should be like this, so refreshing!

Very refreshing- from the storyline to the production, acting and the music background. All future Chinese dramas should follow its lead, then it can be equivalent to Kdramas :) Very classy and sophisticated drama.

A big shout out to ML Ding Yuxi who played his role REALLY REALLY WELL!! He’s an author who has a hot temper, socially awkward and a coward when it comes to love! ???❤️ His previous dramas were Intense Love (I did not like because I couldn’t stand the actress) and The Romance of Tiger and Rose (which was good but I believe his voice was dubbed). In this one he really shines! ???? He shifted from throwing tantrums, to being in love, to showing sadness and crying all with ease. He had a way of drawing the audience to feel and understand what his character was going through. I especially loved how he dealt with problems and issues he faced, which such class and maturity. The scenes which I particularly loved were when he was facing the ghostwriting issues and wanted to give up- he was holding back his tears in the kitchen; and when he received his award. His facial expressions were so real and deep. I also liked how his character was smart and mature when handling questionable circumstances- e.g asking his friend to accompany him to the hotel room when meeting with Song Xi, and keeping his distance from her and telling her off. Very man!

To me the FL Esther Yu was somewhat less desirable. Some reviewers enjoyed her cuteness and bubbly persona, whereas others found her voice and whining annoying. I am of the opinion of the latter. Yes her voice is very squeaky and high pitched, and she likes to whine- so unfortunately for me I did not enjoy her acting/ character.

The chemistry between both leads was pretty good, kissing scenes were nominal nothing great. I did feel towards the 2nd half it seemed that Zhou Chuan loved her more and was more invested in their relationship. She seemed to brush him off more often and focus on her career. I did enjoy the chemistry and storyline of the 2nd leads, although quite predictable. Their proposal was way better, I mean who goes to walk alone in the streets during New Year’s eve and your boyfriend has to search for you via a tracking app? Just sadddd...

BROMANCE!! This was one of the highlights. :):) The friendship between Zhou Chuan and Jiang Yu Cheng was very admirable, even when they were both chasing the same girl, they didn’t fight or get angry with one another, JYC even confessed in front of ZC! I found that so hilarious and never seen before in any drama! Lol.. love their brotherhood ;)

Music background was also sophisticated and relevant. Songs were alright, nothing really memorable. I did find the story to get draggy towards the middle till the end. They introduced more characters and side storylines, which I skipped. Some plots also became repetitive. I hope that future Chinese dramas could be shorter maybe between 25-30 episodes.

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Karma is a bitch... but the romance is slow burn

Production and acting were very well done. Costume and styles were fantastic- very modern and chic and Qi Lan pulled it off. Dylan Wang- much better than Meteor Garden.

This drama focused more on the strong, independent woman having to deal with manipulative and backstabbing superiors as well as office politics. So it’s catered towards a more matured audience. But in the end, like I said- karma’s a bitch! ;) The romance and chemistry was somewhat lacking for me, their kissing scenes were disappointing too lol.

Best character was Qi Xiao’s mum! That woman was not only supportive, she was SO WISE, and the pearls of wisdom given to her son and thereafter to Shen Ruoxin’s mum was spot on! Kudos to the writers for that gem! I also particularly liked the part where both leads were explaining to Shen Rouxin’s mum why they liked each other. Their words were so poetic and meaningful.

I did however SKIP A LOT! Yes unfortunately, because it was boring and predictable. It got really draggy somewhere between episodes 10-21... then it picked up again. Side characters had depth in their relationships, but I just found it dull. If you’re into romance and chemistry, don’t bother with this one. He only confessed his love in episode 27!! Hahaha.... slow burn romance. After that also not much action lol. :):)

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Top 3 in my Cdrama list! A definite must watch!! :)

I would rate this the top 3 in my C- drama list!! Follow my Instagram acc Cykodramaqueen for snippets.

Storyline is excellent! It was paced well, every episode was interesting. Another reviewer said it was 60% romance, 30% crime solving and 10% political intrigue. I would say the romance and love story is underlying throughout the whole drama. From how they met, finding out each other’s secrets, going through difficulties and falling in love- the development was fantastic, sincere and their chemistry was pretty good! Quite a few kissing scenes and lots of sweet touching moments<3 There are also some funny moments- second couple were cute. It’s Zhang Linghe’s first drama, and his voice was dubbed by another actor, so I would say not bad for his first work. I do like the voice actor’s voice though... it sounded like the same voice for A Girl Like Me :3

The crime solving plots and the political struggle for power are somewhat connected, together with both the leads’ past history. She’s basically like a woman Sherlock Holmes (thus the title) and her friend Rushuang is like a poison specialist, pretty much like CSI :) They will seek evidence and clues to solve the crime and determine who is the culprit.

I thought this was better than The Romance of Tiger and Rose (although I do like the actors in that drama. But the storyline and development in this is way better). All in all, I really enjoyed this, especially the last few episodes which was intense! A definite recommended watch <3<3<3

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NO ROMANCE?

As other reviews have pointed out, there isn’t any romance at all, except for the last episode, which went from 0 to a marriage proposal and a very passionate kiss! ? That’s it though! The storyline did show that XuXu liked Ji Bai but nothing materialised until the end. So the title is very misleading.

What was good were the Kung fu and fighting scenes. It was quite refreshing for me after watching too many Rom-coms with overbearing ceo themes ? The plot is mainly focused on crime solving and police work. It was quite confusing at the beginning cos they introduced a lot of different characters and sub plots. I found it got more interesting between episodes 14-21. I did skip some few scenes which had a lot of talking about I don’t know what?

Watch if you’re interested in CSI/ Criminal Minds type of series. Wang Kai (ML) was yummy to watch ?

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