A do-over done right

The first few episodes hint at nothing other than a typical office romance with the usual difficult boss (ML) and a suffering female assistant (FL). There is more hate than love and they are very combative. The FL was in a bad place both in her career as well as relationship fronts. Nothing cute nor sweet. Fairly standard stuff so far.

I’m glad that I hang in there until she has the accident and ended up in a coma. When she woke up, she is 18 again and back in law school with all the old classmates including the ML. Henceforth, the tone and feel of the show changed completely. It is now a fun, sweet rom-com and really uplifting. That change surprised me in a good way. Do-overs can get good but often it is just a one trick pony aka the ML wins the FL, again.

To the contrary, it is the FL who took charge of her “new” life and set about righting wrongs and starts to see things from a different perspective. In so doing, she archived a lot of growth, closures and changed the lives of those around her for the better.

Her (do-over) romance with the true ML was so sweet! The ML was the nicest guy and supported her 100% from the start but she misunderstood him in the real past and picked the wrong guy.

Of course, there are angsts and setbacks, but the writer handled them with a deft hand and gave each dark cloud a silver lining. Events are cross-referenced between the two realities. She could influence some key events but not all. Overall, her time in the dream-world is the most engaging and coherent do-over plot I have seen for a long time so kudos to our writer.

After she woke up from the coma, the show is still good, but the shady business subplot started to turn nasty. In fact, how that plotline is concluded is a bit contrived and overly dramatic. The scenes with the luxury cruiser and cars felt tagged on. It is a misstep in an otherwise coherent and well written script.

In terms of acting, there are the odd misfires amongst the big cast but the actors in key roles are all solid. I’m particularly impressed by the FL. She usually plays a bubbly/feisty girl, but it can get samey. She is still in a familiar role, but her acting seems better, more nuanced. There is no doubt that she is the main lead here. I also like the FL’s father. He really embodied a father’s love for his family. The ML did well but played second fiddle for a change. The 2OTP is a cute couple but interestingly, their love line in the dream-world was more organic and relatable than their real-world counterpart.

I started watching this show expecting very little, but I am pleasantly surprised. I’d have score it higher except for a few odd plot issues towards the end. I’ll have no problem re-watching most of it. BTW, don’t miss the epilogue after the final credit. It is sooo sweet! :) Enjoy!

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Is that a damsel in distress?! No, it is Super Damsel™!!

I started watching this show quite by accident and it was an "interesting" experience. ;)
Surprisingly, the Show’s timeline was not the usual “sometime during Joseon” but is pinpointed quite precisely. It was set several years after the end of the Qing Korean War which is dated to1636. However, a good deal of the show is subversive of the ideals of the day and this is not your typical sageuk.
The cornerstone of the show is the character played by the FL. She may be small in stature, but she gives off a big aura with her personality and attitude, she is definitely a force to be reckon with. To compliment her is a noble scholar that is about as righteous as you can get but he is not cold and heartless. In fact, his heart was quickly captured by the unique qualities of the FL. I’m quite happy with this pairing, not only because of their nice chemistry but also it allows them to be partners and not just the usual ditzy FL clinging onto the strong arm of the ML. The intelligence of the FL does come to the fore and gives the ML a run for his money. In fact, this show is quite female centric with strong female characters forming the nucleus of several subplots.
In terms of acting, it is good from most quarters. Some roles are a bit over-the-top, but the actors put in the efforts, and it shows. I’m particularly pleased with Kim Hye Yoon. She is a dynamo with an infectious smile. It was also good to see Ok Taec Yeon in a nice, good guy role where he can do some comedy as well as playing it straight. One surprise is the “illegitimate” son of the main antagonist. This character seemed straightforward at the beginning but grew more complex as the show progressed. Lee Jae Kyoon portraited him well and gave the character depth.
Now we must address the elephant in the room, historical accuracy. If you are a sageuk aficionado, then give this show a miss. This show is all over the place when it comes to history and its interpretations. The core premise might be based on an actual historical event, but the Show just ran hard and fast with a lot of plot ideas, and it can border on irreverent at times.
Another issue is the tone of the show. It really can turn on a dime. One minute we are watching slapstick comedy and then without much preamble we are in the midst of tortures and murders. It can be disconcerting when you are not really sure if the Show wants to be a light-hearted romcom or a serious drama.
There is also more than a passing nod to spaghetti western movies with both its OST and some set pieces. I dare say to really enjoy this show you must firmly affix the rose-coloured glasses and stop worrying about plot holes and questionable storylines. Yes, it is a hot mess of storytelling at times but you cannot deny that it is also swoon-y, cheeky and entertaining so caveat emptor.

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A wuxia drama that ticked all the boxes

Obviously, a bold statement like that comes with caveats. This drama works because it is so short. In total length, it is the equivalent of an extra long movie or a very short drama series. It is chopped up into bite sized pieces for easy consumption. While some short form web dramas stick to a fixed episode duration, this show is more flexible and is designed to finish each episode logically and sometimes even with a mini cliff-hanger. Similarly, such short dramas tend to be cheaply and quickly made for obvious reasons. However, this show didn’t feel overly cheap. It used a lot of existing assets so that it can still look lush without having a huge overhead. Its short run helps when you can literally shoot the same house/streetscape from different angles and time of day to make it look like a much larger set has been used without being repetitive. That takes clever planning, cinematography and direction.

The story is straight out of the classic Book of Plots. It is as tropey as any wuxia drama can be, but the Show distilled it down to the bits that people love about this genre, but do away with the excess baggage. There is nothing new about the plot nor the characterisation, but they are done well.

Being a wuxia romance, I can’t fault their take on the two key elements. There are some decent fight scenes that are cinematic and well choreographed. The two main leads have great chemistry and there is a decent amount of skinship including several passionate kisses. The 2OTP was a little contrived but they are a cute and innocent couple. It was a pleasure to see the push-pull of the 1OTP over and done with in 5 minutes instead of being dragged out for hours. Huzzah!

Another aspect that surprised me was the amount of comedy in the show. There are actual laugh out loud moments. Yes, they are clichés, but they ain’t forced nor laboured. I also appreciate that the plot is logical (within the realms of a wuxia playbook) and it flowed smoothly. Just when you expected something to happen with the plot, it happens. They even have time for some sweet CP moments which gave nuance to their relationship which can be lacking in dramas that are much longer. Like I said, this drama really know how to tick all the boxes.

In terms of acting, the cast did well. There are no big-name actors on the roster but there was energy and commitment from the cast. The 2 main leads were particularly well suited to their roles, and they have their moments. By keeping the cast small, there is time for some the support roles to shine as well.

From my perspective, there are two things that can be improved. Firstly, the ending was nice but lacked impact. I would have like to see the two leads fight as a team to take down the antagonist. The ending is also a bit wishy-washy as if the Show wanted to leave it open for a sequel (yes, please!). Secondly, the English sub was bad. At times it read like auto generated dross (which it probably is). Occasionally, it is completely out of sync.

There is no point in comparing this show to a classic wuxia drama from the "golden era" but it certainly held its own against some turnkey productions. For a quick wuxia fix, you can do worse.

OST was nice and appropriate. I can certainly rewatch this show without hesitation.

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A good, tight rom-com that wears its heart on its sleeve

The central plot of the show is the usual beautiful but feisty lady being drawn into a contract marriage with the handsome ML. No surprises that the CP fell in love and the tale as old as time gets another retelling. It helps that the chemistry between the leads is very good.

The ML is not a heartless ice god but a true gentleman. He tried his best to be respectful to the FL and did not play any demeaning tricks on her. How refreshing! On the other hand, the FL was just a ball of energy, and she is a sweet, kind soul that will go out of her way to help others even though she has little to give. Her heart is big and full of love. It is this love that the ML needed as he was brought up feeling abandoned. Everyone she touches is affected by her.

To be honest, it is just as well that this show has a lot of hearts because it is tropey and derivative, but you want to cut it some slack. It is sweet without being too artificial. You can't expect harsh reality in a show like this but It doesn't sugar coat everything. Life is tough but there is always hope if you have a big heart.

While the show started as a rom-com that was big on comedy. It did changed style as the show progressed (don't forget this show is only 8 x 45 mins long). It lean towards melodrama for a stretch and then romance became the focus. This means the pacing is quite fast and plots are deftly handled without the usual long strolls down garden paths. Some emotional subplots were dealt with firmly rather than left to fester as a result. This, in general, is a good thing but there are times when you wish some plots were explored a bit more. The same goes for the ending. there was no surprise there (hint, hint) but it felt underdone.

In terms of acting, the leads are good looking, solid actors. The support cast are fine, some are veteran actors and their experience showed. The younger set has room to improve but they played their roles with gusto. OST is nice, romantic and not overused. Rewatch is there as a quick filler while you wait for the next blockbuster. 8 episodes is an easy binge.

In the end, Hello, Heart is a good, solid show that will make you smile and feel a bit sentimental at times. It will warm the cockles of your heart. There are some angst, but nothing that will cause you to facepalm. Plots are logical (mostly), progress and resolutions are usually an episode away. It has the quality of a show twice as long. I can recommend this show to any romantic at heart.

P.S. I did it! I mentioned "heart" 8 times to match its score. :D

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I wish my brain cells are that cute

Yumi's Cells tells a fairly typical modern romance of two people from different walks of life. They met by chance, fell in love, experienced all aspects of a serious relationship, reach a critical juncture and had to make the tough decision to either push through or allow their love to wane. The inclusion of the animated cells added a new facet to the story telling and gave it a multi-dimensional aspect beyond the typical inner monologue. Without the dramas within the cell villages, the story would be engaging but hardly original.

Lucky for us, the complete package was a refreshing take of the old chestnut and the emotional ups and downs were amplified and bought to a sharp focus by the cells' dialogue and machinations. It was really funny to see how the writer-nim translated the characters' thought process into 'anime-action' of the various cells and their interactions. However, whilst this type of segue was a fun and welcome diversion in the early part of the show, later on when some serious decisions had to be made, the cut to the cells can feel jarring and break the tension. It is hard to relate the urgency of the decision to a cutscene full of cute toons even though they were agonising over the same point. This is particularly true for Woong's thought process. The cold AI overlay subsumed the more human side of his character which was much more prevalent earlier on. The mechanical deliberation also made his thought process seemed slow and ponderous. Quite unlike the impulsive Woong we loved. Let's face it, who can forget the out of control Naughtysaurus!

Having said that, it was interesting that in the last episode, the show introduced the face card motif whereby everyone is walking around with an imaginary game card on their forehead which showed their motivation or intention at any given moment. Of course, that also made possible the direct translation of phases like 'keeping your card close to your chest' or 'lay down your card'. It allowed a glimpse into other peoples desire and motivations but it is not as innovative as the animated cell village. Is that a cost cutting move or just exploring options for S2?

As I mentioned before, the core relationship of the OTP was not overly dramatic. It followed a fairly well worn path. When they arrived at the critical juncture, the ML stumbled (there were warning signs) and it started the downward spiral. It could have been saved but several opportunities were missed or mishandled. Both Woong's pride and Yumi's insecurities played key roles in putting pressure on their relationship. Coupled with Woong's stress over his failing start-up, it was hard to see a happy ending. It might be salvageable if both parties opened up and talk through the issues but they became more withdrawn and compounded their problems. It led to a sad outcome but it is not an unrealistic portrayal of a modern relationship. Everyday pressures have to be dealt with. Dancing around issues will not magic them away.

I suppose we have been conditioned to expect rom-coms to have a happy ending but in this case, writer-nim gave us a dose of reality and I respect and appreciate that. Bring on Season 2. I will not take a smooth ride for granted ever again, at least for this show.

In terms of acting, I can't fault the main casts. They drew us into their world and shared their lives with us. It was heartbreaking when they were in despair but equally joyful when they were basking in glorious bliss. Support cast did their job well but most were one dimensional.

OST was good and had a broad range from happy tunes to soulful ballads.

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Soak up the atmosphere and breath

It is a lovely, well made drama but it has issues. The mood is generally mellow, slow and contemplative. The acting all round is good and some stands out more than others. While the OTP is lovely together and Park Min Young can just stand still and be beautiful anytime and I won't complain, it is a slow burn. There was almost more chemistry with the 2nd OTP and they certainly had more fun with them. ML's sister is a scene stealer. I do wish they let her develop a bit more. Now on to the elephant in the room . . . Like so many k-dramas, they have to add a dark twist or two. Unfortunately, it was telegraphed very early in the show but the writer insisted on recounting the events again and again but with a slight change of angle or a bit more voice over or an added scene. I suppose the idea is to reveal the "true" event over time as you get deeper into the story but there are no surprises so the recounts just feels draggy. I'm glad that they did wrap up the story nicely so you do feel satisfied. It is well worth the watch but you have to be in the right mood.

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10/10 for the OTP and nothing for the pitiful brother

Oh, what a Jackal and Hyde of a show. I loved the developing love story of the OTP. It is one of the sweetest and most adorable love story of older characters I have seen in c-dramas. It was refreshing to see both leads being highly skilled and highly paid individuals, no power play here, thank you very much. I would ship them any day and once they confessed (swoon!), it is just so satisfying to watch them being loving, steadfast and understanding. Their support for each other should be a model for any relationships.
On the other hand, the family drama was just too much (maybe it was realistic but it was very tiring). We are talking about 2.5 dysfunctional families and it made merry hell with the lives of the two main leads. The antagonist was the FL's younger brother. When I was thinking of words to describe him, I came up with useless, needy, pitiful, bully, scheming, douchebag and many more. I think you get the idea. The problem then spread to the 2OTP which was the brother and his girlfriend. If he wasn't such an annoying character, that romance would have been quite sweet too. Unfortunately, his actions and behaviours just tainted everything he touched. The 2FL actually had the insights to call him out on several occasions but his father and the 2FL's father both enabled him and it went on for far too long.
This leisurely pacing was problematic. The show is 44 (or 46) episodes long and some of the main plots went on for many episodes. The annoying brother subplot started in ep.1 and lasted over 36 episodes. I ended up doing my own director's cut by skipping a lot of the scene involving him. It would have been ok if the subplots were more original. Alas, we had the whole cliché collection, meddling mother, stubborn/unthinking father, femme fatale, get-rich-quick schemes, love triangles and more. They were all standard tropes with their intentions telegraphed well in advance. The show wasn't exactly draggy but it just weave all these plots around each other and strolled down several garden paths.
There was little doubt that we will get happy endings, this is a morality tale after all. The last few episodes were largely fan service and tied everything up (mostly with pink bows). Lots of resolutions, reflections, apologies, tears and hugs. Here I didn't mind the slower pacing and I gave the show extra marks for that. The last half of the final episode was very jingoistic and your mileage will differ depending on your personal view on that.
Acting was superb on most fronts. They have to act well for you to really dislike their characters and they did just that. It was no picnic watching those scenes and there were many inward groans but you have to give credits where they are due. There were lots of character growth as well. A little scripted at times but growth nevertheless.
OST was fine. Quite like the end credit song. Rewatch value is good but I would do my own cut again.

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Cookie cutter college rom-com that set a low bar

I think your mileage with this drama will depend a great deal on how high a bar you set. I can understand that a college romance drama is unlikely to push many boundaries but sometimes you need more than just having the OTP being good looking to get a pass mark.
If there is a god for this genre then she must be smiling upon them as this show was so heavy with tropes and clichés that it will be a chore to keep score. Yes, both ML and FL were right for their roles and they looked good but they were not asked to do much. The cold, aloof ML persona was on full display from start to near finish. There was a bit of softening up by the end but there was not a lot of character development (except for some negative aspect which I shall discuss later). The cutesy, clumsy FL was also straight out of the genre's playbook. It was honestly a bit overused as time and time again, the FL managed to trip, slip, fall, etc onto the ML's chest, his arms or just ended up in the classic dip pose. If all that egregious set up didn't scream OTP I don't know what will. The odd thing for me was that if I look beyond the tells and manipulations, I'm not 100% sure why the ML fell for the FL. There was chemistry and sweet moments but was it as simple as the knight and the damsel?
This bring on the topic of the 2FL and 2ML. I have to say that I really feel bad for them, not that they did a bad job but their roles were just so meh. The 2FL was literally being rejected on a daily basis by the ML (not sure why he disliked her so much) yet she just kept coming back for more. The 2ML didn't stand much of a chance with the FL but at least the FL was a bit ambiguous about their relationship for a while (they even played the fate card) but in the end, they were just pitiful. It is nice to play good and even good to be bad but the no-man's land in the middle is death for an actor.
The rest of the story was cliché filled with little dramatic development. There were hints of family dramas but barely explored. Just a couple of phone calls and vague comments about disapprovals or "family troubles". The ML's grandmother would have been a lovely diversion but she only popped up once or twice and had little to do. What was left were typical petty college shenanigans built upon the venerable tropes of rivalries, bullying and jealousy but they had little dramatic impact. Wrongs were righted before the episode was over and the angst meter barely moved. I suppose it is better than having the ill feelings and misunderstanding fester for multiple episodes as per the standard trope. The problem here was that you just don't feel invested. A lot were caused by lies told constantly by OTP to cover their budding/secret relationship. It just got a bit old.
The support cast was standard fare. The FL's roommates was the classic set, one tough girl, one shy one and the chubby BFF. The ML's roommates were straight out of central casting and forgettable. The more mature cast members had very little to do. Their professor was meant to be their guiding light and he was a nice man but I can't sense the burning passion when his role demanded it.
Now for the things that really bothered me. For the first half of the show, the ML was nice and sweet while chasing the FL. Sure, the cold exterior melted over time and when he smiles, the sun did shine brighter. However, once they became a couple, he became possessive and was a green-eyed monster. That type of behaviour is not new to dramaland but it felt jarring with his earlier persona. Coupled this with his manhandling of the FL, made me felt uncomfortable with their relationship. Hence, the real elephant in the room, the FL (Ireine Song) is a popular actor and she knows her craft but I fear that she is being type casted whenever she pops up in this type of drama. I'm sure she could have sleep walked through this drama. Often it is just a variation of the archetype. Dial up the cuteness, tone down the street smart or be more clumsy. She is almost always paired with a tall ML. In this case, she is barely up to his shoulder (and half his width). Some finds this pairing attractive but when it was played out more like a dominant (D/S) relationship then I feel the positive note is muted. I sincerely hope that she will find projects in the future that will allow her to break out of these roles.
Ultimately, is this a bad show, not quite. It was a mostly harmless (once only) binge but that was a low bar to pass.

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Interesting but meandering love story that could be a lot tighter

I really enjoyed this series. The acting was good, there was nice growth in the characters, the music played a key role and the story line fresh. However, I did get annoyed with the show towards the end. It is not like they killed one of the main characters or forced the OTP to breakup but it was how they dragged on and muffed up the OTP romance line that had me baffled and annoyed.
Let's face it, the bulk of the plot is the romance of the OTP. They are cute together and their dynamics are great. BUT that went on and on for 40 episodes and they don't even hold hands! Even though both are totally into each other and there is constant flirting and teasing (and no small amount of prompting by the ML). When you considered that each of them have separately told everyone who would listen that the other half of the OTP is their one and only. They even told the rival love interests so that there is absolutely no chance of a love triangle. Yet the OTP still live in this bubble where they don't seemed to believe that the other half are in love with them. OMG, are they deaf and blind? It is so obvious to everyone else that they are in love.
Fine, drag it out if you must but why when the ML finally confesses in Ep 42 (out of 44), the FL rejects him, calling it a joke. OMG! Why? She even stated again and again in other episodes that she hope he loves her as much as she loves him. I wished I can reach inside the screen and slap some sense into her! LOL Luckily, the writers saw the errors in their way and she accepted him at the beginning of Ep 43. The down side to this meandering plot is that all the skinship was crammed into the last 2 episodes. So much time was wasted. When you consider this show suffers from the usual mid show drag, they could have done so much more with their love story. Converting a lot of that cute but ambiguous "we are just friends" moments mid show into sweet couple time would be real fan service and I would gladly give it an extra point.

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Spare us the schadenfreude

Let me be clear in the outset, if I were to give this show a score based on when I think the show should logically end then it would have scored a 9-9.5 but the tail end really disappointed me and I can only give it a borderline 8.
I was really enjoying this show from the start because the acting of the ML was superb. He made the younger, cooler actors look like they OD'ed on Botox. The FL was pretty good too, cute but feisty. Their chemistry was great and felt organic. The ensemble cast was above average with the bromance between the ML and his BFF a real highlight. The night market crew were real characters.
I also liked the fact that there are no psycho plot twists and the "villains" were not really evil but more meddling and driven by petty greed. Pretty harmless by dramaland standard and they even generated the occasional laughs.
Refreshingly, the 2FL was actually quite sensible and pragmatic. She lost to the FL and just moved on and even cheered the FL on. I do pity the 2ML, he was just a sad puppy for most of the show and he knew that he didn't stand a chance against the ML but he just kept needling away regardless. I know he acted his heart out but his love sick scenes were wearing thin.
As a rom-com with a cliché storyline, it was actually going nicely and there was no mid show drag so typical of t-dramas. If anything, the middle episodes were actually the highlight of the show (ones I would re-watch). I can see why some reviews wanted the show to stop at episode 17 as the story sort of peaked then. However, I think the next couple of episodes were ok. The 2OTP love story was kind of cute and it was worth the screen time. Sure, the plot about saving the night market was standard trope but it wasn't a waste of time.
Oh, before I go on to detail the big negative for me, I want to highlight the odd way time was handled by the show. The initial promise of the show was based on the FL achieving something in 7 days to win a bet. No issue with that, however, by episode 7 or 8, I was getting weird temporal vibes. Let me explain, the structure of the show meant that we were watching events happening on consecutive days but what we saw felt temporally disconnected. A case in point, quite early on, the OTP went to a swanky party, got drunk and shared a bed (no hanky-panky, thank you). They just showed up to work the next day. More major events happened. A day or two later, they ended up camping overnight in the middle of a work week, does that happen in real life? What we saw felt like it should logically spanned weeks. But the show kept telling us it was only 7 consecutive days. My brain hurts if I stop and think about it.
So .... what got me really annoyed was when the ML played the Noble Idiot card just after they saved the night market. It was so unnecessary. The OTP was riding high and totally in love. Good place to end the show on a high, right? No such luck! We ended up with 2 episodes (over 1 year in show time) of the OTP walking around in misery and longing for each other after the breakup. While the acting was fine, the plot was just convoluted and unrealistic. The FL more or less morphed into a female version of the ML and assumed his mannerism and roles. The ML became a love sick stalker, nice. I would be ok with the breakup if they get back together quickly so that we can get more happy couple time in the last episode but it just dragged on and on.
If they really must keep going after ep 20, the simple fix would be for the OTP to have a nice heart-to-heart talk at the beginning of episode 21, resolve all their misunderstandings (and it was just a misunderstanding). They then formed a partnership and conquer the corporate as well as culinary world. Job done, high five all round!
Instead we got the longest, most pointless detour to an ultimate happy ending in the literal dying minute of the show. Please, writers, stop Noble Idiocy now. Yes, a bit of emotional rollercoaster is mandated but the quota was full by episode 20. Why tack on a poorly scripted extension? Maybe the writers like a bit of schadenfreude. Just spare us.

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Promising start but very uneven writing

I was going to review this show without spoilers but there are problems with the story telling that won't make sense if I don't make specific references so you have been warned. Spoilers ahead!
The show started well and in general, when the writing is good, it works well and a decent watch. It does not shy away from challenging topics and there is no shortage of skinship and sex scenes (low level). The problem is that the promise of three strong women challenging the business world didn't held for long. Within a few episodes, we are really down to 1.5 strong women. If you want to watch really strong FL's then please watch "Search: WWW". Much, much better in that regard. What made it even more complicated is the writers decided to throw lots of societal issues into the story lines and it became a hot mess.
Several messy relationships and conflicting point of views of love, sex and age gaps. Several plot lines went nowhere and others ended up being wishy-washy and lost focus. The ending wrapped most things up with a pink bow and suppose to give everyone a happy ending but some poor writing really distracted.
Two big no-no for me, one is the whole mistress sharing house with the wife situation was an interesting twist. They could have done so much with it and make the wife character stronger as the story unfolded but she was just pitiful and didn't breakout until the very end. The last straw was when the wife found out that the mistress was carrying someone else's baby and did nothing, that is just weird. You can call it revenge (no hint of that in her character before) but it just didn't gel with me.
Another one is when the ML found out the FL is pregnant and without any resistance agreed to go overseas to study for over a year. The show implied that he was absence for most of the pregnancy and even missed the birth of his son?! This is poor writing. During the whole show he was shown to be super sweet and caring but when his GF is pregnant, he just decided to go away willingly?! Missing his son's birth is just wrong. There are compassionate leave and airfare is not that expensive. The whole setup was unnecessary with little gain. Why writers and writer-nims still insist that once someone goes overseas to study/work, they are locked away in a different universe for the whole duration is beyond comprehension.
Yet another promising start but ended with a thud.

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A gilded cage by any other name plus meet-cute

As a whole, this is an entertaining drama with great OTP chemistry and lots of cute moments. However, once again we have a Chinese drama that fagged in the middle third of the show. Don't get me wrong, it is not the usual mid drama drag as the plot was moving along nicely but it was just the story and setting that became a bit stale.
To understand that, we must first discuss what is actually very good about this drama. Within minutes of starting this drama you will be impressed by the cinematography, setting (set design) and lushness of the scenes. It is a rare combination for a Chinese historical drama to nail all three at the same time. This general ambience was carried through the first 1/3 of the show as the relationship of the OTP took shape. It is a good thing that the chemistry between the M/FL are so good as it formed the bed rock that the rest of the show anchored upon. So what is wrong with the middle 1/3 of the show, you asked? The problem is that they must have invested a lot in building the set for the Duke's mansion (or paid a lot to use the already build set) and they just can't leave that place alone. Sure, there were sub plots that is set in the nearby town and a few trips to the "countryside" but again and again, the action comes back to the mansion and it is forever on show (inside and out). The storyline is not helping either as the middle to even the late stage of the show are build around the growing love of the OTP and the vendetta of one scorned lover. There are lots of scheming and backstabbing but we are talking about mostly "storm in a teacup" scale. Sooner or later, you just know that they'd put out one fire and another will be lit somewhere else to make the OTP's life more "interesting".
It is just as well that the later part of the show does move on and take things to a grander scale and some of the action are set off site (hooray!). As I mentioned before, if you have lasted through that middle section, you are fully invested in the OTP's love life and that is why you kept watching. The show does reward us with some skinship and lots of cute moments. The final consummation of their relationship was swoon worthy and it gets better after that but it was a tortured path to get there.
Overall, acting was good but most characters were fairly one dimensional. They played their role well but there are not many twists and turns. This may be a good thing as that dropped some of the potential for angst but they just become tools to move the plot along or inject some romance from another pairing.
One last grumble, why do most villains in Chinese dramas get away with murder (not always figuratively speaking). The main villain of this drama was caught and without a shadow of a doubt of his guilt. He was just packed away to be tried in the capital. IMHO, a duel (to the death) with the ML would have been 100 times more satisfying.
In conclusion, did I enjoyed this show? Yes, on the whole. The skip button was getting a workout in the mid section though. Would I recommend this, yes, with the same caveat.

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A cliché breaking take on an old formula

On paper, this show seems to tick all the cliché boxes. Contract marriage, cold, smart ML, a naïve, bubbly bumbling FL, etc. So if you are expecting a walk down the well trodden path then you will be pleasantly surprised.
Yes, it started with the contract marriage but instead of the usual scheming/blackmail/scandal setup, the marriage was to placate a sweet dying old man. The motivation was not greed, what a surprise!
Yes, the ML has a cold exterior, poor EQ and super smart but he was also a real gentleman and had this innocent aura about him. When he fell in love (for the first time), it is just so cute and adorable. The FL is kind of typical for that genre but at least she is not annoying and is kind and caring. You do need someone like that to play off the ML, it is dramaland, after all.
What you don't expect is when you thought the show will have the ML bully the FL or put her down, the ML actually showed the FL the error of her way (indirectly most of the time) and help her to correct her mistakes. Where the problem is too big for the FL to handle, he will quietly work behind her back to resolve her problems and then take no credit for it. Awww.
BTW, their chemistry is off the chart. It felt organic as they dance around each other at first and then try to make their blossoming love life work. To be fair, the FL does have a crush on the ML (with a dose of love-hate in the beginning) and the ML tried to keep things business like but fell for her over time. It was fun watching them trying to keep their "relationship" purely platonic but failing miserably. When they did confess their love for each other, it was so cute and swoon worthy. Their love is strong and with every challenge, it grew more unshakable. Any potential love triangles are quickly dealt with with some straight talking between the parties.
It was super cute how the ML analysed how much he loves the FL and come up with statistical chart. In the same vein, we also see real growth in the FL as the ML supported her career decisions and nurtured her. Honestly, if you ask me if their love will last forever, I would say yes without hesitation.
The final cliché breaker was the old chestnut, the 1/2/3 years overseas posting/training/job separation plot. The story line was all set up, they said their goodbyes at the airport and we were sobbing quietly while cursing the writer and then the FL did something unexpected in this type of drama.
Support cast is generally good to excellent. The grandfather was a gem. Wise, kind and understanding. He was a real scene stealer. The FL's sister and ML's best friend were good as well. They were another odd couple but they made their relationship work but their journey was a lot more bumpy. It provides a counterpoint to the sweet love story of the OTP. The weaker link was the pairing of the FL's best friends. Their pairing was not convincing and served only to occupy some screen time and move the plot along.
I know some reviews are calling this light, sugary fluff and I can see their point of view but I enjoyed this very much because how it did not follow the cliché leaden path and turn it into a melodrama or a farce. It will bring a smile to your face and you will swoon from time to time. These are not bad things, we can dream sometimes too, right?

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Why did they ruined a perfectly good rom-com?

Dear gods of dramaland, what have I done to deserve this "bait and switch" of a drama? It was so good for the first 1/3 of the run. It was quirky, funny and sweet. The chemistry of the OTP was great and the 2ML was cute and nice (instead of the usual PITA). It has all the hallmarks of a great rom-com. Easy viewing and brings a smile to your face. There is a low key mystery about a kidnapping many years ago but it was really no mystery at all as the evil doer was well and truly identified very early in the show and his motivation as well. It is really who else is involved that is up for debate. It didn't take much deduction to work out the ML's real identity either.
However, and this is a show breaking however, they changed tone and genre mid way and it never recovered. The problem here is that they tried to turn it into a serious drama and go big on the melodrama but there just wasn't enough substance in the storyline to sustain that. The worse part is that it derailed the romantic storyline. The ML ended up constantly backing off from the FL due to his backstory and the scheming. His personality also did an U turn. The show made it looked like he was hiding some big secret but honestly, it was only a mystery unto himself as viewers would have already worked out the plot long before. The OTP had reconciliations and there would be moments of sweetness (to bait us) and then the wheels would fall off again.
I still don't understand the use of cliché forced separation of the OTP at the end of dramas. Sure, it can work some times but only when there is a net benefit to the plot and character development, in this case, the writer just throw in a 1 year separation with all the angst filled built-up and misunderstandings. Only for the OTP to magically reunite in the twilight minutes of the last episode. The writer-nim even go as far as having the FL confront the ML and shout in his face why he disappeared for a year without even once contacted her. The ML's reply is so lame that it was sad; he was too busy. Really? Too busy to send a txt once a week/month? Or is it the old cliché of "if I hear your voice I would have to rush back to your side"? You went to the US of A, dude, they have internet there too. :P Is this just lazy writing?
On top of that, the villain is more annoying than evil. Suspense is minimal. Lots of meddling from parents and mediocre/generic support cast. The 2FL was wasted. She started off ok but she wasn't given room to do much later on.
As if acknowledging the error of their way, the ending of the show actually had the ML revert back to his original identity and carry on with his old job and his old goofy mannerism. If they had stayed their course and develop the story with the interesting characters they spent so much effort building up in the first 1/3 of the show, they would have a really fun and quirky hit on their hands, we ended up with a mess of clichés that did more harm than good.

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Easy binge when you feel a little blue

To put it simply, this is a sweet, angst light rom-com with a good amount of skinship. There are no evil villains, no nasty love triangle and even the mom is nice (to a degree). My only slight negative is that while there is a lot of hugs and kisses, there don't appear to be a lot of passion. It is more on the nice and sweet spectrum. The 2OTP had a bit more angst and spark but everything worked out just fine. The 3OTP is a bit of a long shot but hey, when you are on a rom-com row, you much as well pair everyone up and get the trifecta. Technically, there is even a 4OTP but who's counting! Being ONLY 16 episodes long kept things moving along nicely and spare us the notorious c-drama mid show drag. It is definitely one to binge when you are feeling a little down and need a warm hug.

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