Embracing the darkness to appreciate the light (TW before watching)

First and foremost, I would advise those who watch this series to make sure you know it does cover some VERY violent topics and mental health concerns. Even with knowing this myself, I had to take a few breaks due to feeling overwhelmed since it really shows some raw emotions and encapsulates the journey many must take when facing their pasts.

I normally go into series that portray characters with labeled mental health issues with an expectation that they may not represent them correctly or even create new ones that have no real science to back it up. Watching this series I was taken back by how seamlessly they constructed the storyline, it did a good job of balancing the romance with real life scenarios and mental health issues. They didn't make the issues into a gimmicks to progress the story forward but truly delved into what it means to have these diagnosis but also showed how they are not death sentences. That they could not be easily solved with the power of love but showed that with some you must choose to place your mental health first on a daily basis and learn to love yourself, flaws and all, before taking the step to love others.


I don't want to spoil this series all too much since I loved how they slowly peeled away the layers of the characters, leading the viewer to really fall in love with each character before learning about the scars and painful pasts they each have. I will say if you are anything like me, you will be crying on and off watching it.

One thing I really want to highlight is that this series is one of the most complex love stories I have ever watched. So if you aren't afraid to have your heart break a few times before having it cobbled back together stronger in the end, then definitely give this series a chance.

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When your first love leads to a forever love

From the start, I loved the leads of this series. Though I can admit the male lead was a bit stiff at some points but it can be justified with him being awkward and inexperienced. Still the way he treats Wan Wan is just adorably sweet, which hooks the viewer from the start since he truly goes out of his way to help her as she is hurting with the loss of her first love.

They have good chemistry so its believable to watch as their love grows through the show. Also Ren Chu does start showing a less stiff side about half way through as he really works to woo Wan Wan.

The comedy in this show is top notch, but it doesn't take away from the glimpse of the pain that comes with losing the innocence of your first love. Also you get a great arch for Wan Wan who really gains confidence in herself and a new drive for following her dreams.

One con, I will say I am a bit sad that we didn't get any real substantial goal that was reach by either of the main leads. They both are striving for academic and career goals but we don't see a glimpse of them reaching them truly.

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Intense but sweet

First and foremost, I will admit this series isn't for everyone. For me, I am a huge manga fan and so I will fill in the blanks normally if the story is lacking slightly which i will admit this one mainly focused on a quick development of the relationship of the main leads. It does lean heavily on the "dominant CEO, take control of the room once he walks in" persona for the male lead which is how the character is depicted in the source material so if you aren't into that, then I suggest finding a different show to watch.

Still , for me, sweet lore.... this show was all sorts of steamy.. though what can you expect from a jdrama based on manga? They really do them justice by really taking the scenes and bringing them life as closely as possible. Still I am always taken back by the amount of heart stopping, giggle inducing intensity that come with these series and this one definitely did not disappoint.

I will recommend that if you do watch this series, watch it with the intentions of a quick fun journey and just enjoy the ride instead of getting caught up on wanting all the small details of the characters backstories. But if you do want the juicy backstories, make sure to read the manga this series is based on since it is a good read.

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Amazing story but that ending.

I was glued to the screen watching this show, I love Ireine Song and have found all the previous series I watched her in to be amazing. So I knew I would find this series to be sweet and fun, and I wasn't disappointed. The main lead was the epitome of smart CEO but also showed a vulnerability that isn't always seen with these characters as he was a naive when it came to relationships and so we could see both leads slowly learning together on how to build a strong relationship.

Unlike other shows, you don't really get any real " other love interest/conflicts" that make the leads question the other persons loyalty or sincerity. Instead you see them face and conquer their own obstacles to achieve their dreams, while leaning on each other for support and even sometimes "tough love" to push each other. I loved seeing the main female lead's confidence growing and her finally standing up for what she wants. Also to see a male lead being so doting but also giving her space to stand up on her own was refreshing when compared to other shows male leads who essentially white knight and solve all the female leads problems.

The side relationships were good but not really all that substantial in that they progressed the main couples storylines or really went off on their own storylines. I would have honestly been happy to not have as much time given to them if it meant we had more air time for the main couples storylines to progress.

Which this leads to the only real thing I can say I disliked on this show was the ending which I know I'm not alone in. When the show ended I honestly thought an error occurred where the episode ended accidently or there was supposed to be another episode but it truly was just an open ended, no real climax ending.

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Weird but sweet.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this series as much as I did since the trailer and storyline did not give me high hopes but it was actually a pretty well put together crime show that keeps you guessing who the killer is.
It starts off intense, then slows a bit while building the characters backgrounds etc but it picks up a few episodes in and keeps you interested. The female leads powers aren't to mystical to make it seem fake so the plot line was believable and that made the scary parts even more intense.

The love story between the main leads did not take over the plot all to much, even though the moments you did see were extremely sweet and the chemistry between them is undeniable, so it doesn't distract to much from the crime storyline.

The only things I am a bit confused over the females need to become a comedian, (she doesn't seem very funny or I possibly don't understand the humor?) and the random job changes in the last two episodes which seem to not stay changed? Otherwise the series was super cute.

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A story about your own UNIQUE love.

Before you watch this series, I will say it is unique and can push boundaries. Which shouldn't be a surprise if you are at all familiar with Japanese films/series since they are known to have shows like that.

Once you get past the sweat focus, its honestly such a sweet love story about two people who are a building their own happy, loving relationship which may not conform to the norm. I will say the series is fast paced and cuts out A LOT of the background information/characters that you get from the manga (hint hint: read the manga!)

So, the female lead is a shy, anxious woman who was incessantly bullied due to her sweating as a kid - which as we all know when your stress, you only seem to sweat more -. She is intelligent, working as an accountant at a soap company but you can tell from the start she is unsure about her own body and what her value is as a partner/woman. Still she works hard to communicate to the male lead and doesn't rely on the stereotype that "he will guess the problem".
The male lead oversteps social boundaries but it can be overlooked somewhat due to him being a bit eccentric and utilizes his sense of smell to create new scents for soap. I would describe his personality as being similar to an odd painter who sees a new muse and begs for them to sit and model for them so they can create a new piece of art. He is very compassionate and hardworking, he shows his love to the female lead in all the ways he can and even shows his own vulnerability when he is scared he may be losing her.

All in all they work together to build each other up, overcoming insecurities and embracing each others uniqueness. I love the message of "I know I couldn't be there to have shield you from the pain you suffered, but I can be here now to share the painful memory of it and help you learn to heal".

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Mashup of all the storylines

If you watched the anime, then you will be able to see how they took pieces of all the best parts of the anime and seemed to mash them all together. I felt like there was no build up to any real "climax"

you don't get any of the build up from yusuke training with genkai, they dont build a relationship and so you dont feel sad learning about toguro and her history, etc etc. AND then randomly she gives up the spirit wave/orb/ power after 20ish days of training I believe... and if you seen the anime you know what happens after that.... but you cant feel sad since no real character connection

the dark artifacts are there and while they followed that storyline the most, it was a let down since even though yusuke met heie and kurama, he still doesnt build a relationship with them through the smaller missions before the big dark tournament.

The "dark tournament" was a fast pace battle, and even though the fights somewhat followed the anime with the final competition, it honestly gave no satisfaction to watch since there was NO BUILDUP. toguro and yusuke never fought before then and it was just "oh.... hes dead"

It was ok if you just want to see a live action recap of some good points in the anime.

Maybe they will make a season two that is longer, and maybe an actual tournament?

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Real Gamers don't fit a stereotype

I absolutely loved this series because it didn't stereotype the gamers, the female gamer was both girlie but a badass. They made sure to showcase her strengths but also showed her integrating into the team where they both learned from her and taught her new tricks. Each of the gamers were unique, with different strengths and they made sure to show that none of them were the "unstoppable, god gamer". They each had to rely on each other.
I thought it was soo good to see the main male lead be the one who had the "emotional" break that lead to the group surrounding him to show support. They also showed a strong female who was the one who was rich and she stood up for her love.
Each storyline of the supporting characters were cute and I felt like each one contributed to the story, instead of just being filler.

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A bumpy first romance

Is this a fun series? Yes, it has all the cute scenes you expect from one of these rom coms, the guy trying to act cool but melting for his love interest. The main female lead is just adorable and she really embodies the "new to dating" awkwardness. You see Yuan Xian grow from a shy, unsure partner to being confident to tell Ling Wei, girl who likes Qin Shin, that they are dating even after the she used every opportunity to guilt Yuan from "gifting" her a job to using depression to keep them apart.

Now for the negative, I was a bit shaky on the romance between the main character since up until they started dating, I felt more chemistry in them tentatively showing their feelings. Then after they were openly dating there didn't seem to be any "chemistry" other than a very cute scene with him giving her a necklace and him barking >.< When you watch it, you will see what I mean.. just "ahh?"

Also I was a bit frustrated with how he seemed to punish her for quite some time, and it was seen as ok? I get him being upset for a bit but it seemed to be over a span of a long time.

All in all it was a cute series that took place over the span of freshman year for majority of the episodes and then a peak at them at graduation.

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Puppy love is so cute to watch.

Ok was this show a bit odd... yes. But it was super cute as well.
I was giggling and smiling the whole time watching it. Its definitely one that really goes fast and leaves you with a smile at the end.
I swear if they did more of the training cuteness at the end I would have been so happy. That was adorable.
I couldnt handle the cuteness when "bannng! *dead*".... my heart just exploded
I only have one question.... when they have lil minions... will they also be lil husky babies? I want to see Mr husky all happy and cuddling her tummy, then cuddling the babies. Teaching them to play frisbee!! Teaching them how to be gentle with the kitties, "kitties are friends, you got to be soft with them... no no no bark"
Anyways, it was a cute little show that really just leaves you happy without too much drama like an evil love rival or anything like that.

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a sweet watch

Cute but a bit dry. Sweet storyline but wish the ML broke out of his shell a bit more. He was inside sweet and did somewhat break out of his shell but I wanted the female lead to see a new side of him. Even see him smile a bit more. I wanted to see him melt for her and be cuddly maybe. Wake up and snuggle with her, or be staring at her and look away a bit shy... I also wanted the female lead to be a bit more confident by the end, to stand up and demand the love she deserves.
I'm also a bit partial to her childhood crush who stood by her side, who gave her comfort when she felt uneasy, who fought for her, and worried over her when people were causing issues.

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I gave it a real try but couldn't get through it

I really love Ireine Song so even though this series had a low score, I tried to watch it with an open mind.

Starting out Jerry Yan, Shi Lian Sen, looked like an annoyed toad for the first 5 episodes but once he started smiling he wasn't as scary looking. Still the acting in this is a bit gimmicky, not the high scale I normally get with the Ireine Song.

Next few episodes have some of funniest scenes, him attempting to be close to her while she slept and she kicks him TWICE, like straight laid him out on the floor. Then an attempted kiss by him while she was sleeping which is met with her sneezing on him....

One thing I am liking about this series is that the female rival isn't "EVIL" , she doesn't set out to hurt or slander the female lead or anything. she is actually quite sweet and simply liked the male lead for most of her life. still after a few dragging scenes between her and the awkward second male lead, I had to start fast forwarding on them since I got really annoyed with repetition of it all.

The dramatics in this series can be a bit overwhelming, like how he just pops up on a busy street!! ahahahha I get that we have to have the magic scenes but it was a bit much. Also the mid series replay of their shenanigans up till that point. then the sad record playing (not even just a faint background music, he actually goes through the process and plays it). I'm dying with cringe. Also the over acting when drunk, is done a bit too much to fill in story gaps.

The competition company is manned by a character of a bad guy with a fat cigar in his mouth and an evil laugh.
Also I'm in love with the leads parents. they are all so supportive, not one seems to really be against the relationship. Although there was some resistance at the start from the male leads father, he seemed to come around quickly.

Once I reached 16, it got to repetitive, I got way to bored and I just couldn't keep watching

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I'm dying from the absolute cuteness in this show

I love love loveeeeeed the main couple, they had the most amazing chemistry and their story was really sweet to watch unfold, especially learning about their childhood together.

They had one of the most realistic and healthy relationships I've seen in one of these shows before. They challenged each other, argued but also loved each other when frustrated with each other. One of the most sweetest scenes was when Yuan Shuai made dinner and pretended to leave so that Jiang Jun could "sneakily" eat her fill of dinner when they were in a middle of a fight. He really just embraced her independence but also gave her support and help when she needed it.

There wasn't really an evil woman who had her sights on Yuan Shuai so you don't see any real cat fights so you never doubted Yuan Shuai's love for her. But the second male lead Du Lei had a pretty great character growth but it was lost for no real apparent reason in the last few episodes when he turned somewhat evil again. I really found that disappointing since I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character and wished they had someone else as the "final boss" for the storyline.

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Honestly perfection

I'm normally not one to say a show is perfection, but I truly I felt this show hit all the sweet spots and did not leave you unsatisfied by the end. It never slowed down and there wasn’t any messy outside stories or drama that left you bored between scenes.

There have been so many cliche damsels in need of saving series that I was unsure on watching this one at first. But I am so glad I gave it a chance. I'll keep this as short and sweet as i can, since so many others have probably said the same with this being such a popular drama but I honestly had to write a review of one of my new favorites or I would burst!

While the main focus of this series was more about overcoming traumatic events both main leads went through in childhood and as adults, the love story between the main leads was still very sweet and to watch as they both started to find their sanctuary/home where they could both finally feel at peace with each other was beautiful to watch. They honestly grew together, and the male lead was amazing in how he cared for her. He is the epitome of what a partner should do and be when faced with someone they love who has gone through trauma.

First of all, the women in this series are the POWERHOUSES which I Ioved:
The female lead was nothing short of a woman learning to take control of her own life. Yes the male lead helped her but she was not a wilting flower when she discovered her own strength to fight. She didn't wait around for the male lead to solve all the problems, while yes she did lean on him when she needed to and he did the same, she was at the forefront of unraveling the web of deceit and hate her stepmother wrapped around her family before serving revenge on all of those who hurt them.

The Stepmother and stepsister were the epitome of villains, they did not pull any punches or rely on the men on the side lines to fight for them UNLESS it was part of their plan to use them. The stepmother was honestly amazing since there was zero overarching redemption arc for her, she was evil through and through which made her even better as a character. The step-daughter was more so spoilt than evil but she was still given her just desserts just like her mother.

The in-law women (mother, grandmother, sister, cousin - in -laws) were all strong, take no guff business driven individuals who took matters into their own hands when faced with obstacles. With the matriarch of the family being the grandmother who was the founder of the company, she worked as a carpenter first and grew from there, and never let others define what she could do which you can see mirrored in the the other women of this family who fight tooth and nail to protect those who they deemed family.

While the husbands and the evil brother were key with having the storyline progress, they were less dominant characters compared to the women in most respects. Although the evil brother does play a huge role in the finale, he's in between spoilt brat and evil demon level of the step mom and step sister of the female lead.

All in all I encourage you ALL to watch it so that viki can make more amazing originals like this one.

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