So sweet~ QWQ Underrated, must-watch C-drama!

This drama's really good!! Oh my goddd!! Wish more people can know about it.

Synopsis: A year after the prestigious QingMeng University basketball team was dissolved after the passing of its head coach, the coach's daughter takes on the challenge of reviving the team to carry on her dad's legacy and fulfill her ultimate dream as basketball is one of her biggest passions. In the process of re-assembling this team, she encounters many struggles with the recruited players and ends up meeting one mysterious, godly guy named Jun Ye. At first reluctant to join, she ends up successfully convincing Jun ye to join and as a team, she coaches the players, training them to defeat their biggest rival, ShenHua, through team-building activities. Eventually, she starts to spend more time with Jun Ye and he develops feelings for her and together they tackle the challenges that come their way.

The best thing in my viewing experience was seeing the characters' friendship and teamwork blossom into something powerful. I really loved each and every single relationship in this show, both romantic and platonic. The care and love they have for each other were genuine and heart-warming. The actors and actresses must have had such a fun time filming this drama because the cast's chemistry was amazing! I just can't get enough of them. Furthermore, I especially loved how every member of the basketball team had their own personalities and quirks, which allows you to connect to every character as a unique individual rather than forgettable, supporting characters of the main characters. The female lead, Su Nuanxia, has a great personality and is the person I want to be. Being a female head of a team of guys, it's easy for people to look down on her yet she remains independent, self-aware , and stands her ground. Among the players, we also have the handsome star player, his rambunctious roommate, the hard-working part timer, the intelligent doctor, and the shy brawny romantic. It's easy to envision how this was based on a manga/manhwa. The most exciting scenes of this drama were the basketball games, where we see the team work together and compete against their rival, their friendly competition. The actions shots during the games were so cool, intense and kept me on the edge of my seat as I root for Qingmeng's victory.

The story had a solid number of side characters with interesting enough back stories to not make me bored too. Oftentimes, the story in dramas would revolve too much around the romance of the male and female lead that I get bored of their romance. In this drama, I have never once gotten tired of watching the main couple interact. The teasing in conversations flow so fluidly and the way Jun Ye looks at Nuan Xia makes my heart melt every time. Their relationship dynamic is so wholesome and sweet. I think Aaron Deng's eyes are so attractive that I am starting to fall head over heels for him too. ;~;

At the end of every episode, there would always be a bonus scene that presents a hypothetical scenario targeted for the viewers' enjoyment. The corner on dating advice for straight men has got to be my favorite since it makes me laugh myself stupid. The main show was also hilarious bc at some points I laughed so hard my stomach started to hurt. This drama is comedic gold, I'm telling you. It's a lot funnier than most other Chinese dramas I've watched of the same archetype.

This drama is a really light, fluffy watch and the only bad part I can think is it might be too "sweet" for some viewer's taste, perhaps. I can say this show is intended for a younger audience for sure. but I'm in my early 20s and can still relate to it a lot perhaps bc I've had experience leading a club and love sports shows that promote healthy teamwork, motivation and spirit (like Haikyuu!!). The only other rather annoying thing is it's difficult to find English subtitles. I started watching it on YouTube, but it's barely translated on there so I transitioned to streaming it on the MangoTV app because it had more episodes subbed. The subtitles on the app, however, are atrociously broken and inaccurate, but my proficiency in Chinese came through an helped me tons in getting through untranslated parts. Episodes 21-24 aren't available for regular members, so I have yet to watch them, but will likely add an edit once I complete the entire drama!

Edit: Just finished watching the whole thing. Although the resolution was more focused on basketball than the couple's love life, I was pretty satisfied!

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Killer performances from underrated boy groups!

+10 stars because I started the show stanning only Pentagon, Golcha and The Boyz, and by the end, I was stanning Oneus, ONF, Verivery, and TOO too. The stages were all end-of-the-year award show level productions that I wish there could've been a live audience to hype up the groups. My favorite thing to come out of this was Pentagon x ONF's friendship and brotherhood.

-0.5 star because of Msnake. We all know survival shows are rigged unfortunately just some parts of the competition were blatantly unfair. Oh well. I am happy with the final outcome and the winner of the program.

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Jaw-droppingly GOOD! A show about survival.

Ok so one night I was on the Netflix front page and impulsively clicked on this drama because of Kim Donghee's face in the preview; seeing it pop up was a pleasant surprise! Since I really enjoyed his portrayal of Hamin in A-Teen, I had high hopes and was super excited to watch him act in another high school drama. Turns out his new role as Jisoo, like Hamin, fits that straight-A model student trope, so clearly he excels at these types of characters.

In the many directions this drama could've gone, I gotta say I never expected this drama to turn out this way. Don't be fooled by the label of "high school drama". If you think this is going to be your typical high school rom-com with conflicts related to academic pressure, social belonging, people drama, and filial expectations, you're in a for a big surprise because this drama takes all of these to the next level.

*Just how far are you willing to go to ensure a good, stable future?*
This drama raises the question of the moral integrity of criminals. Are crimes crimes regardless of who is doing it and what they do, or are they forgivable under special circumstances? Are they always driven by greed? What if they were necessary for survival and weren't hurting anyone? Those were the questions floating in my mind as I watched.

Our male protagonist, Jisoo, is this hard-working, ordinary high school student who normally keeps to himself and lives a pretty mundane life. Except the one thing people around him don't know is that he anonymously works as the head honcho of a prostitution, or as he likes to put it, "protection service" app that pairs buyers (prostitutes/gigolos) with sellers (clients). If the participant is confronted with a dangerous situation, one middle-aged man named Lee Wang Cheol's job is to step up and protect them. So he ends up doing most of the dirty work, while Jisoo organizes everything behind the scenes.

In the beginning, we learn that Jisoo lives alone. Both his parents abandoned him years earlier, leaving him to fend for himself. That's why he needs this high-paying job and uses the money he makes from this job to pay for all his tuition, fees, and bills. As viewers watch scenes displaying his work ethics at school while doing his job at the same time all for the sake of achieving his dreams to graduate, we find ourselves admiring his level of conscientiousness and can't help but empathize with him, even though deep down we understand what he is doing is wrong. At least in my case, I was rooting for him the whole time. It didn't seem right to not want a good kid like him to succeed in life, so I kept praying that he wouldn't get caught. haha

Then a girl named Bae Gyuri, a member of the same club Jisoo is in, comes along and that moment was when everything changed. She eventually found out about Jisoo's secret part-time job through snooping through his stuff. Eager to escape her constricting life, she told Jisoo that she wanted in. Although Jisoo was reluctant at first, after multiple blackmail threats of exposure and destruction from Gyuri, the two agreed to join forces, becoming partners-in-crime. Their relationship dynamic and vibes reminded me a lot of the main characters in another Netflix show I love called The End of the F***ing World.

Soon after the two got caught up in dangerous situations they never thought they'd be in. People who were against the app sought out their identities and wanted revenge on them. Jisoo's plans of staying safe through distancing himself backfires and things turn into a matter of life and death. The two start lying, fleeing, and doing everything they can to save their source of income. I had to sit and watch as Jisoo's life started falling apart little by little and the worst part is there was nothing I could do about it. I guess the thing that shocked me most was how far he was willing to go to keep his job a secret. Of course, if caught, he would get sent to jail but curiously, in his mind, not graduating and having a stable career was worse than getting arrested. The frustration felt as if taking one step forward was two steps back. Every attempt at concealing themselves only made matters worse.

By the end, the character I became extremely attached to was Mr. Wang Cheol. Him acting as a (grand)father figure to Minhee made my heart ache. Hats off to Choi Minsoo for his realistic, melancholic portrayal. You can tell he is wise, really cares for Minhee and would do anything to protect her despite her protests. That's why I was so affected by his death. Although I saw it coming, I still bawled my eyes out during the final battle scene between him and the karaoke house owner. The coolest thing about this Ahjussi, though, was how tanky he was. haha I mean he was able to withstand damage from a mob's attack AND getting a f*cking axe in his back, started walking not long after he woke up after being unconscious, went back to fighting a larger mob, suffered repeated punches, kicks and stabs, and still ended up having the strength to beat the shit of psycho karaoke house owner. What an absolute legend!!! I respect his commitment and sense of duty to the job.

Kitae was the character I didn't know how to feel about at the end. I detested the way he bullied the kids for no reason. Just seeing his smug face made my blood boil. However the last few episodes somewhat humanized him as it depicted his heroism. I think they were supposed to be his redemption episodes since he stood up for Minhee. But don't hate me if I say I can't forgive him for being a d*ck and a heartless boyfriend to her. But now that I think about it, the question again is is he truly worse than Jisoo? Or Gyuri?

The final thing I want to mention was the creativity in the host of symbols and metaphors scattered throughout the drama. Scenes like the one of Gyuri imagining bullets through her parent's head represented the true feelings towards her parents. The hermit crab represented Jisoo tendency to retreat into his shell and when his dad stepped on it, he was crushed as well. The self-burial dream scene represented his own (metaphoric?) death and the loss of hope for his future. Every scene was incredibly well shot and delivered. The actors performances were mind-blowingly intense and raw. When they sobbed, screamed, and cursed, I was able to feel their mental distress and insanity through the screen. These actors will definitely go far in the future.

As for whether I would recommend this drama, as much as I love this show, I can't say it's for everyone. If you like fast-paced, dark shows and can handle seeing lots of blood on screen, I'd check it out. They should have put a trigger warning because there are some R-rated scenes. The violence can be pretty shocking. I'm glad I gave this a shot though. This might be my favorite drama this year thus far!

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Laugh, cry, repeat.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
This drama couldn't have popped up on my Netflix homepage at a more perfect time in my life. As someone who just entered her 20s, this drama served as a wonderful guide to the realities of adulting. By following closely the lives of three 30-year-old women, it explores the commonly-held belief that "money is happiness", the distinction between love and marriage, traditional gender roles at home, gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and people's various, thus conflicting, goals and aspirations for the one life they're living.

Perhaps because it is my first time watching a slice-of-life drama intended for an older audience, I felt as if this drama was well thought-out and unlike any I've watched before. The storyline was clear and easy to follow yet not overly predictable. I especially loved how it incorporated a good balance of logic and emotion, concrete and abstract ideas, neither one dominating over the other.

The logic part can be seen from the unique personality of the male protagonist, who intrigued me so much at the start. Sehee was shown as this orderly, guarded, and languid cat-loving guy who appeared uninterested in the idea of love or marriage for a reason possibly related to past regrets. The cold, detached behaviors, rigid rules he'd set for his tenants and his sole reliance on data in decision-making was so absurd to me that it made me think..."Wow.. who hurt you boy" to the extent that you would lose trust in your heart altogether. I began to wonder whether he would ever be capable of true affection later in the story and my sincere hope for his character development was the driving force that kept my eyes glued to the screen.

At the same time, though, the emotional scenes in the drama were quite believable and compelling due to quality writing as well as the cast's phenomenal acting skills. Every once in a while, I found myself jotting down lines from the drama that spoke to me, a lot of metaphors and observations of ordinary life that demonstrated wisdom and introspection. More sides of Sehee shined through his interactions with Jiho. Although their interactions were for the most part reserved and polite in the apartment, you can't deny their special chemistry when they get those sudden realizations of understanding of one another. My heart melts simply by watching those precious moments of them drinking beer while watching soccer, calling each other from separate bedrooms, and caring for the kitty together. And the moments where they shared personal thoughts on life through their favorite literature (like that scene by the ocean at sunset!! ahhh!!!) were some of the most endearing ones of all.

LIKES:
- This drama had me laughing one minute and crying another. Really hit me dead center in the feels.
- The humor and comedic twists. I used to dislike office scenes in rom-com dramas mostly when I'm not drawn to the characters there, however, the antics of "Don't marry, date" employees, CEO Ma, Wonseok, Bomi, et al made every moment, every dialogue so precious and entertaining. (Also, I'm a huge Pink Panda, so casting Bomi was like the best decision the directors made. Her nerdy female engineer energy was on point and fun to watch.)
- Realistic portrayal of life events
- Diverse personalities of characters that fit well into the narrative's framework

DISLIKES:
- Noticed less humor and cornier jokes in the second half of the drama. Maybe since they had to start tying together loose ends of all the relationship problems.
- Just me or did the relationship dynamic between Sehee and Jiho change a little too quickly in the last episode? In front of Sehee, she switched from being demure to spunky in a single episode, which felt so ooc to me. The change should have been more gradual.
- The ending. Didn't expect writers to conclude with the message of true love conquers all after they spent 15 episodes portraying a thousand different interpretations of love and life
- Obvious coincidences and too good to be true timing...but inevitable in K-dramaland

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I avoided reading other reviews so that my opinion is unaffected. This review is 100% original thoughts. It took me only three days to finish this drama. And afterwards, I thought about how the me four years ago (still in high school) probably wouldn't have enjoyed this drama as much. She probably wouldn't have appreciated all the mini life lessons and would have skipped certain scenes just to get a kick of the dramatic parts. She would have overlooked the beauty. As for rewatch value, I can see myself rewatching this drama again in my mid 20s and once more when I'm 30 to see if my opinions change. It might be even more relatable then. I went into this drama without any expectations so I can safely say this drama exceeded it and made it onto my list of Top 5 Favorite K-dramas. Definitely go watch it! :D

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A Thrilling Modern-Day Apocalyptic Drama with Emotional Compelling Scenes

This is a drama centering not simply around humans vs. zombies, but themes of team work, love and friendship as well in the face of a modern-day zombie-like virus outbreak that spreads across a high school in the city of Hyosan. It follows a group of high school students as they attempt to communicate with outside rescue authorities and fight for survival. What would you do if you wound up trapped inside your high school rife with flesh-eating monsters roaming the halls, classrooms, gym, cafeteria and field left and right? Among them are your homeroom teacher, that kid who sat next to you in math, and even your best friend of ten years, looking bloody and repulsive, driven by a primal desire to eat you and your human friends up for dinner, making the person you once knew no longer recognizable. A team of courageous and smart teens joined forces. Together they stave off and combat these zombies, along with a number of emotional challenges tied to loss, betrayal, sacrifice and longing. And in the midst of it all, they must put up a fight because the only way out is through.

The gameplan? First, find a temporary base safe and isolated from the hordes of zombies. Next, plan and strategize by considering all accessible and useful tools in the vicinity. Employ logic to skillfully weigh the risks of every move. Finally, at the right moment, execute, and pray for the best, doing all their bodies could withstand to adapt to the unforeseen obstacles standing in the way that could rock the boat.

I thoroughly enjoyed the thoughtful communication style and interactions of the characters. I fully immersed myself in both their playful banter as well as vulnerable heart-to-hearts. Showed that it’s in times of crises such as these that a solid support system and boosts of morale serve as providers of hope. A meaningful reminder that bad moments are plenty but life must go on, so never lose hope. My favorite character absolutely has to be Nam-ra, the class president. Beneath her quiet and standoffish demeanor is a warm and affectionate girl with a level-headedness and quick thinking skills that truly came in clutch and saved the team multiple times in critical, sticky situations.

If you’re one to catch plot holes like a hawk, it’s been made known to me, judging by other reviews I’ve read, that you might as well not start watching since all you’re going to feel is frustration as you attempt to wrap your head around certain scenarios. I, for one, felt like none of the characters had acted out-of-character or anything at any point during the series. I found myself easily able to empathize and shed tears of joy and sorrow with every character. They’re so young, yet strong. If you are like me and are just looking for good, exciting entertainment to get your cardiovascular game on on a calm evening, this is the show for you! Have a snack in hand to indulge in because this drama will keep your eyes glued to the screen for a while. Although a lot of the show does picture grotesque, gorey zombies digging into human insides and (surprisingly well-shot) action scenes, it was certainly not without its share of heart-fluttering sweet romantic moments between the leads, comedic reliefs, and genuine, raw emotions.

I encourage all to give this a shot. It is captivating and binge-worthy.

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#intense_interesting_and_relevant_8.5_out_of_10

Overall Impression:

If you want to watch a K-drama on Netflix with a unique and solid plotline and great acting, look no further. Originally from the first episode, I thought this drama was just going to be nonstop catfights and petty beef for lighthearted entertainment. Happy to say I was wrong. This drama is so much more, and just got deeper and better after each episode.

The beginning of the drama gives us a peek into the lives of a group of Korean Instagram influencers called the Gabin Society. As the show progresses, we discover what truths lie behind the feeds of these gorgeous girls, showcasing a life filled with luxury, happiness and fine aesthetic pleasures, where they seemingly have it all. Our main protagonist, Seo Ari, finds herself becoming involved in this world of glitz and glamour after an encounter with an old friend (Minhye) who’s a part of this society. One thing leads to another, and Ari decides to join in on this web celeb lifestyle as she believes it’ll improve her current social and economic status, but later embroils herself in unwanted situations that threatens to wreck her stability and sanity.

Things I thought were done well/likes:
- Time Jumps. These were the main plot device. Scenes within each episodes jump back and forth from the time of a present-day livestreaming Ari, thought to be deceased by her circle, to the time the events she's narrating in the livestream take place. It usually starts with Ari suggesting something cryptic, but she leaves the viewers hanging by only stating the conclusion, giving us time to make our own predictions about what happened. The secrets aren’t exposed until they play out in the past timeline, and this does a great job at keeping curious viewers engaged.
- Eye-catching and Interesting Characters. Ari was calm, intelligent, strong with an emotionally mature way of thinking, and super cute, with her lil bob hair nicely framing her face, but also not the in-your-face type of cute, making her the perfect underdog influencer protagonist to support. And then there were also the Gabin Society girls, each with their own backstory that kept me interested in them, and their husbands, who also had their own idiosyncrasies. Only stereotypical character was Joonhyuk, but he is the handsome cutie of the cast and that more than compensates for his lack of personality…hehe
- Modern-Day Relevancy. The toxicity and performative nature of social media. Followers, likes, etc. as the main form of social currency. Transactional friendships formed on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation. The destructive power of potential gaslighting and deception by anonymous users like @_bbbfamous (oh the irony…). Though it’s obvious the vast majority of this story is a dramatized depiction, this drama still touches on things that are too real and relevant to the year 2023. I think this drama would be interesting to revisit a couple years down the line.

Things I thought could be improved/dislikes:
- The romance. Granted, this drama isn’t centered around romantic love. The relationship between Ari and Joonkyung isn’t at all the point. But it’s odd how their attraction to one another seemed to have developed out of nowhere. It would’ve been much better if the writers had just squeezed in a few emotional and intimate moments between the two to build the chemistry first, rather than make it seem like she reciprocated his affection only because he was always around to support and protect her. Makes me think the romance was added simply to force the plot in a specific direction, but I guess it worked so it’s fine.
- Ending. Justice was served! I just wish they made it more impactful somehow. There were so many opportunities to add in a pithy message that speaks to problems with the internet and its devastating effects today that would’ve resonated with people and be quoted again and again missed.

Overall an 8.5/10. Definitely recommend adding this drama to your watchlist! :)

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Like Instant Ravioli: Fast, stuffed and satisfying but could cut down on the cheese

A Business Proposal is a fast-paced, comfort drama. A quick, easy and shut-off-your-brain type of watch! If it were a comfort food, it'd be like instant ravioli. Stuffed and fulfilling, but maybe could cut down slightly on the cheese.

Packed with a series of humorous challenges, it follows the main character, Shin Hari, as she finds herself wound up in surprising encounters with the CEO of her company, Kang Taemoo, after going as a replacement for her friend on a blind date with him. Right from episode 1, I was drawn to the show's refreshing portrayal of old school tropes and those butterfly-in-stomach generating moments, the key nutrient that many recent dramas have been deficient in.

It's like the creators sat down and said, "It's 2022, let's create a K-drama that crams in every popular cliche that's ever existed into one show filled with good-looking actors and actresses!" We got the: the chaebol guy-poor girl relationship, blind dates gone wrong, fake relationship bound contractually for mutual benefit, the angsty love triangle and, imo the most cliche of them all, love at first sight (and more!). Sounds a bit formulaic, right? Yeah sure, but can't deny that it DELIVERED on the substance and presentation! The humor was well-executed in a funny, over-the-top way that many scenes got a good laugh out of me again and again. It's the ultimate chef's kiss!

Those were also the reasons why I looked forward to every Monday and Tuesday just shutting off my brain and going along for the ride. I was eager to see where each new episode would take me with Hari, desperately trying to keep her GoFood employee identity a secret as if her life depended on it, and Taemoo, falling head over heels over a girl he barely knows but is oddly attracted to. How they plan to resolve this crisis and make it work out is what I had a burning appetite to find out.

Sad to say, somewhere down the line, maybe around episode 8, I couldn't help but sense that the overall quality of the drama tapered off, my final rating suffering a decline from my initial as a result. I felt that many character development opportunities were presented but not taken advantage of, and certain plot points could have been better more deeply explored. You could tell with this drama, breadth was prioritized over depth, with many sudden jumps, cuts and scene changes, which worked initially as they began establishing the narrative and setting. But the coverage remained this way even in the episodes leading to the finale. When we got to episode 11, new conflicts were still being introduced when it would've been an appropriate time to start tying together loose ends so that episode 12 wouldn't feel rushed. For example, we never explicitly saw Taemoo's grandpa's final approval of or interaction with Hari. Could've been a heartwarming wrap-up scene to watch to experience along with him his internal reconciliation of Hari/Geumhee. Also hoped for a more resolute ending for Yoojung (Youngseo's cousin). She just disappeared on us. She was way too interesting a character to just use as a plot device for Youngseo, then abandon right after. And as much as I love Hari's character, the one thing that bothered me at times was her unnecessarily anxious reactions, being placed in a difficult or uncomfortable situation. Her first impulse every time was to run away or hide. You see this on multiple occasions in restaurants, bathrooms, and the elevator. Understandably, this was probably meant to spice up the tension and awkwardness, but sometimes it got to the point where I didn't think it was even worth feeling anxious about. (I'm talking about those two bathroom scenes)

Though the positives of the drama definitely can't go unmentioned. GoFood seemed like the most awesome place to work, can't lie. Much creative freedom, benefits, awards and work-life balance for the food researchers. Absolutely loved the carefree dynamic of Hari with Team 1. Their interactions always put a smile on my face and made me wish I had co-workers just like them. Agree with everyone saying that the second lead couple was super cute and a good match for one another! Really glad it worked out for them in the end. Compared to that couple, Hari and Taemoo's chemistry skewed innocent and sweet, but contained a spicy and passionate hidden flavor viewers were able to get a taste of too. Lastly, just wanted to quickly shout-out Sejeong, whom I've supported since the Produce 101 days. This is the first drama of hers that I've watched and I have to say I was pretty impressed with her acting skills, considering she's an idol-turned-actress with a vocalist background. Can't wait for her to take on more diverse roles in the future.

This is overall a delightful drama that I don't think requires too much commitment going in. Can't guarantee it will be memorable or emotionally life-changing, but you won't want to stop watching it!

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Intense Love isn't that intense

Intense Love is a strangely entertaining drama. I have mixed feelings about it.

Okay so although some parts, especially in the first couple episodes, were a little boring to me, the good parts make up for it.

Unpopular opinion incoming...but... I don't really think the chemistry between the main couple in this drama is as strong as most people say it is. The kiss scenes were hot I'll give you that. But in their other romance scenes, when they're together, I just can't sense that they truly understand each other or have that emotional bond. Having their engagement arranged already, it's funny how their love for each other seemed to have emerged out of nowhere. Though a doctor-actress pair is pretty unconventional, which makes for an interesting watch.

Whenever Jinbei tries to act cute towards Dr. Zhou, I cringe a little on the inside. I get it's her way of displaying affection, but she sometimes sounds like a spoiled, whiny five-year old who is trying to manipulate others into doing things she wants them to do. She does it to her manager too and her manager can do nothing but give in to her requests even when she's fed up already. Idk maybe I'm just not used to that behavior.

I don't hate Jinbei's other qualities though. In fact, I love that she's truly kind-hearted, moral, and hard-working. It's just her dramatic fake acting with her bf that I don't like and kind of ruined their relationship for me.

Also I know Dr. Zhou is a doctor and doctor's are usually serious, cold and rational but I thought Ryan's acting could be a little less stiff. He warms up to her later on which is nice, but it wasn't like a believable, slow development in personality.

Enough about the things I don't like. There are many positive things I'd like to mention as well.
1. Dr. Xiao!! He was my favorite character in this drama. His crazy hilarious antics made this drama worth watching. If he weren't in this drama, it would just be all drama, romance and kissing devoid of funny moments. The addition of his character was a breath of fresh air.
2. The music!! I don't know why people have been giving low ratings for the music because I think the tracks they chose to go with the scenes fit the mood well, not to mention the intro and ending song are both sweet and calming.
3. Xu Jia wei - Ying ying relationship!! A bit unrealistic but cute af! I SHIP. Ying Ying is truly living every fangirl's dreams! Lucky girl. But also, I'm relieved Jiawei finally found a girl who actually gets him you know.

Overall, this was a really light and easy-to-watch drama. :) It's also my first time reviewing a Chinese drama, so do keep in mind these opinions are from someone who's a C-drama newbie. I've only had experience with K-dramas so perhaps I'm reviewing this through a K-drama lens. But I definitely plan on watching more C-dramas in the future so if anyone has recommendations, please do share.

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Emotionally Invested and Don't Know Why...

The first half of the show was highly unrealistic, and dare I say it, pretty crappy that it almost made me drop the show, but let me explain why I'm glad I didn't. From the get-go, Jojo's behavior striked me as utterly foolish and illogical beyond belief. Her first slip-up was when she decided to basically cheat on her boyfriend by following a random transfer student she *literally* met twice into a narrow alleyway and agreeing to kiss him because he asked...? The logic here must've been "oh he's hot and popular, hence he must be good, safe, and not a criminal :)" Wait, so you're saying it's normal and not creepy to ask someone you’re interested in to kiss you the very first time you have an actual conversation? Guess it’s only okay when you’re hot and popular like Hwang Sun Oh. :/

Of course when the two kiss, Jojo's jealous "best friend" happened to be there spying on them at that exact moment to snap a photo, and rather than being a sensible person and confronting Jojo about it, she spreads it online. Then...it’s all downhill from there. At school, Jojo gets full-on dragged by other students once they found out she kissed Sun Oh, the hottest hunk of the school. x"D Personally, I didn't think the criticism was completely unwarranted and I felt she sort of deserved it for not only cheating, but also lying to her friends about attending an academy after school. But what's worse is that Jojo couldn't stand up for herself every time she was mistreated by her peers or her cousin and aunt, which made me lose respect for her. Please don’t get me started on Sun Oh and his cheesy flirtatious liners towards Jojo. LOL

However, things changed when episode 5 rolled around. To my pleasant surprise, the show improved when they revealed more of the thoughts and intentions of the characters. Jojo as a character grew on me too after I got a better understanding of her situation. Then suddenly something changed because I became emotionally invested. I think I’m just a sucker for dramas with large time skips and lingering feelings. Sure this drama has all your typical K-drama tropes, from parents dying during childhood to accidents, but it was still moderately entertaining, so I'm glad I stuck around to catch the good moments. Some scenes were tear-jerking, so prepare your tissue box. All that led to me ultimately giving this show an 8.5/10.

All in all, because the story revolves around the app Love Alarm and how it revolutionized the modern day dating culture, I really wish they would've fleshed out how the app works, or at least briefly discussed it from a CS perspective, as in how it detects love and rings another person. The premise of the alarm was rather confusing because would a minor crush ring the same as a long-term lover? One thing I did appreciate was the Love Alarm factual tidbits they interjected throughout the episodes. Those were really interesting. I tried not to question the missing details too much or else it'd take away from the viewing experience. Really, it is cool to think about a society existing where people place more trust in an app to dictate whether they are in love than their own feelings. Very Black Mirror-esque! Looking forward to the second season and dying to know whether a certain character is alive or not! :O

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