First contemporary CDrama, really enjoyed it

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

Was the story perfect or grounded in reality? No. No, it was not. Not at all. Maybe not even a little.
Were some the situations and dialogue cringe? Yes. Certainly.
Was it also a lot of fun to watch? Yes. Yes, it absolutely was.

Listen, this was unserious fun. I watched it for Dylan Wang who seems to have chemistry with walls, cars, all humans, and oftentimes plastic bags. He's amazing. I haven't seen Meteor Garden yet, but it's up next and I'm excited. I hope it's more unserious fun where Dylan Wang demonstrates how to have fantastic chemistry with inanimate and animate objects. I hope he never stops making shows.

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Romance was 7.5, Bromance was a 10

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 65%
Romance - 20%
Misc comedy - 15%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

The romance was pretty good. The ML and FL had solid chemistry, but the ML's tragic story and his portrayal of it carried most of the show and took over / overwhelmed the romance.
However, the real star of this drama was the bromance between the two male leads. Their friendship and their scenes (and their friendship chemistry) stole the show. I ended up fast forwarding all scenes just to get to the friendship side story.
Of note, the overall plot is a little convoluted, but-- like I said-- the friendship plot completely charmed and made up for (mostly) the other deficiencies. Not that you asked, but I didn't care about or have a favorite of the two potential love interests for the friend male lead and, other than enriching his character, that part fell flat (for me).

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Difficult to rate

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 45%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Fine

First, the ML and FL and their chemistry were pretty good. The rest of the cast did a good job with what they were given. But the story was uneven, funny moments felt super forced, and the dialogue was often stilted.

I love a good fantasy / sci-fi romance, and in a fantasy/fictional setting, I'm open to the idea of a robot / human love story, otherwise I wouldn't have watched this kdrama. But this drama never fully committed to the idea, and thus it suffered. I wonder if it was the director or the script writer who had a problem with the concept. It felt like the story kept apologizing for the idea which undercut the concept and left the end ultimately unsatisfying.
I want to compare this one to 'I am not a robot,' but don't want to give any spoilers. Basically, the difference between the two is that this one seemed embarrassed by its own premise and that one fully committed to the idea.

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Overall worth a watch

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 45%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 15%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

I haven't seen the original, nor did I know this was based on a different drama until after I watched it.
This drama was binged over the course of two days and I have no regrets. Previously, I'd enjoyed the ML in Business Proposal and Dr. Romantic, and I'd loved the FL in Vincenzio, so I had high hopes.
I will say, the FL did just okay in this drama. Maybe if I hadn't watched Vincenzio I would've enjoyed this one more, but the scenes where she really shined in this story were moments where her character was similar to her previous role.
The ML was great in almost every scene and really sold the story.
I do have to note, however, that it seemed like the two lead actors never quite reached a level of physical comfort with each other because the affectionate scenes didn't come across well. I know both the ML and FL can do better, so this lack of chemistry between them (in this romantic drama) knocked off a full star.

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The problems are the script and direction

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Bad
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Fine

The actors did their best, I'm convinced the ML actor would have chemistry with a turnip, and the premise for the story is pretty good (and had the potential to be great if given to the right team) but the script and direction were just plain bad.

The pacing was off and the script didn't make any sense. Maybe writer was trying to maintain an air of mystery by being purposefully confusing, but it just came across as a jumbled mess, nothing made sense. People had reactions that were unrealistic, too much or too little given what was happening on screen (I blame the director for this disconnect, he/she are responsible for translating the emotions in the script for the audience, the actors only do what they're told by the director in terms of reaction.)

Perhaps this drama could have been saved if either the direction or the script had been halfway decent. Unfortunately, two wrongs don't make a right. It's such a shame! I really like the actors and was looking forward to this one.
:-(

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I guess I'm one of those people who need someone to root for

This incredible cast was wasted. I'm so disappointed. I had high hopes. That first episode with Kim Soo Hyun being drunk and crying about being cute, I thought, "This show is going to be so good!!" The first episode didn't hook me, but I thought for sure it was just a slow start and would get better.

Well, after 6 episodes, it was a complete slog. I tried. I really, really did. It took me 5 days to finish episode 6, I kept finding reasons to do other things. Not even Kim Soo Hyun could keep me engaged, and that makes me so sad. This was his first drama in YEARS. I feel cheated.

The issue was the story, I think...
Actually, I'm not sure. The overall story was interesting. I'll probably look up a spoiler review to find out what happens.

You know what I think the problem was? I had no one to root for. I didn't *like* anyone except the villain (and I only liked the villain because his scenes didn't put me to sleep). I didn't care what happened to any of the other main characters, they were so boring. I probably would've ended up rooting for the bad guy if I'd continued (because at least he was entertaining to watch).
Oh well.

I hope Kim Soo Hyun's next drama is better. :-\

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It was fine

I'm coming to realize that most Cdramas have a lot of filler scenes (and this ultimately keeps them from being highly rated--in general-- by me).
The main couple had AMAZING chemistry and were BY FAR the best part of the show. Unfortunately, they just didn't have many scenes together.

The primary focus of the show is the heroine's family and their never ending drama / dynamics. I wasn't super interested in this storyline, but parts were okay / enjoyable. If the romance / main couple had been given as much screen time as the family, I think I would've rate this drama much higher.

Anyway, it's not really a romance. And it was fine for what it was.

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Premise and set up are great, chemistry (early on) is phenomenal. Doesn't quite stick the landing

Other reviews cover the storyline and what you can expect from the script, production values, etc. So I'm just going to give you my overall thoughts.

The problem with setting up an addictive, shocking premise in a story is how to stick the landing. When the stakes are so high, viewers tune in to find out (how in the world) everything could possibly work out for these characters in the end. Sometimes, like Flower of Evil, everything builds beautifully until the very end. The problems are solved too easily and with too little ramifications for the main characters, which ultimately feels like a letdown because you realized the stakes were never actually that high. However, this show leading up to the end was so good, I cut the ending some slack.

Lee Joon Gi was phenomenal the whole show, start to finish.
Moon Chae Won was also great, but her performance started to feel a little too wide-eyed and naive toward the end. I needed something more from her, a bigger, more adult reaction. She didn't quite deliver.

The chemistry between the ML and FL was great 90% of the time, but-- again-- toward the end it faltered, and their scenes lacked the earlier crackling electricity. It's almost like, when they got to the heavy stuff, they felt less comfortable acting together.

Overall, I really, really liked it.

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Loved some parts, disappointed by the lack of certain (closure) scenes

As I mentioned in my review of part 1: First, I have to mention the cast. This cast makes me want to go back to my previous reviews and reduce the star rating I've given to other dramas' casting. The casting in the drama is SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!! I wish there were a once-in-a-decade "11 stars" option. Every single role was cast perfectly and the actors were perfection in their roles. Seriously, I have never watched a better cast drama than this. And a special shout out to the dude who played the emperor. He was an absolutely delight and perfect in his role.

Some parts of this drama were OUTSTANDING, and some were bitterly disappointing. I agree with other reviewers who said sections were extremely draggy. I'd say 40% of this second season was unnecessary slow-motion scenes and reaction shots. This I might've forgiven if the ending didn't feel rushed / unfinished. I was so disappointed in the ending-- especially since so much time was given to pointless side-stories-- that I knocked off 3 stars.

Worse, the ending makes me not want to re-watch any part of this drama again, it'll only remind me of what scenes weren't included (ultimately).

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Basically perfect

This is my first high fantasy Kdrama and I demand to know why there aren't more in this genre. Everything about this was perfect: the production values, script/story/dialogue, acting of the whole cast and chemistry between the leads, direction-- everything. I loved the deep world building and it truly felt like a deep, immersive experience.
The FMC was such a complicated character, which is rare to find in any TV show (anywhere in the world). Likewise, the MMC was complicated and imperfect, but that just made him feel more realistic and relatable. Loved them both as characters and will really miss them.
This is my first Drama with the ML and I sought out more of his work after watching this one, which is why I can say definitively that this is by far his best work. He was funny, vulnerable, stubborn, irritating, and wonderful.
I've seen the FL in other shows and she's legit fantastic in everything. Even if I didn't like a drama she starred in, she was still amazing and made it somewhat worth watching. I will watch everything she's in.
The chemistry between these two was insane.
WATCH IT!! Or save it for when you need a "sure thing."

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Ding Yu Xi's back must hurt from carrying this drama

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 30%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Fantastic
Romantic chemistry - So incredibly disappointing
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Really good

So, here's the thing. I liked Yang Chao Yue in The Double and Fireworks of My Heart, but she was really bad in this one. The chemistry in Love You Seven Times felt one-side (all Ding Yu Xi', none Yang Chao Yue). He tried really hard. Some of his longing looks mid-way through the drama got me in my feels. But Yang Chao Yue gave him nothing. She was the romantic chemistry equivalent of a brick.

The story here was quite good! And the production values were excellent. The romance aspect-- which was the main storyline-- fell flat because of the FL, and it was such a shame. :-(

I still like Yang Chao Yue and will look forward to her dramas, but maybe she's not capable of being a lead in a romantic drama.

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Lovely and surprisingly spicy youth to college romcom/dramady

I really love Zhang Miao Yi. She's adorable without coming across cringy or baby-like. That's rare in Cdramas (I've found). That said, she always seems to play exactly the same character. And, you know what? that's okay because she always plays that character REALLY well.
The chemistry between the leads (actors on screen) was quite good during critical (romantic) scenes, but the ML's voice (dubbing?) sounded flat and lacked emotion even during the critical scenes. So, interestingly, the on-screen acting was good; the voice acting wasn't so good.
Also... I have to talk about the spicy scenes. I am not used to kissing scenes being this realistic in CDramas, so this caught me off guard. I closed my laptop at one point and stared at the floor, wondering what I'd just watched, before finishing the scene with a new mindset. I don't mind spicy scenes at all, but I wasn't prepared, you know? I mean, this felt more like a JDrama level of spicy.

In summary, it was quite good, funny, with great chemistry, well-paced (for the most part) with reliable tropes and solid acting. The story is a predictable one, but that's fine. You'll get what you expect.

EXCEPT THE SURPRISINGLY SPICY SCENES / KISSES. O.o

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A great first part but ultimately incomplete

First I have to mention the cast. This cast makes me want to go back to my previous reviews and reduce the star rating I've given to other dramas' casting. The casting in the drama is SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!! I wish there were a once-in-a-decade "11 stars" option. Every single role was cast perfectly and the actors were perfection in their roles. Seriously, I have never watched a better cast drama than this. And a special shout out to the dude who played the emperor. He was an absolutely delight and perfect in his role.
I'm writing this review after watching part 1 and 2. If I'd written this before watching part 2, this would've been a 10/10 drama. As it is, and after watching the second part, I now see the flaws in the story of this show and it is no longer a 10/10. More details in my review of part 2.

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100% worth watching if you enjoy romance

The male leads (both the teen and the adult) were just absolutely phenomenal in this show. The teenage girl and the adult woman FL didn't look much alike and that was honestly distracting.
Some of the camera shots looked like paintings, especially at the beginning of each episode where they'd show the title. The still shot with the title was always absolutely beautiful.
It's not comedy, but-- like life-- there were some funny parts.
It's mostly sad, with a bit of hopeful and happy. I do have to say, I didn't understand the hero's reasoning in episode 8, it make no sense to me. Nor did the heroine's choices right after. It would've been good if they'd talked to someone to spell it out for the audience.

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