A Wholesome Drama But Nothing Happens?

Quick Overall Summary
Run On is a drama that does well to be wholesome and fluffy, but nothing really happens with the story and characters. This slice of life drama is good for light watching and not thinking too much about the plot or story. The drama is great for sessions where you simply switch off and just watch, but it has its shares of good and bad. Excellent OSTs though!

Quick Story/Plot
The Male Lead just recently lost his job as a national athlete and is wondering what to do with life. The Female Lead just happens to come into the Male Lead's life? The CEO is the boss of a sports agency (ex-agency of the ML) and likes her brand and people not to waste her time. The art student is just a go-happy dude. Then a whole bunch of talking about life... (I have watched to the end and still don't even know what the plot is about. Like is the ML trying a new job and all the other characters are there to support him?)

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- Not sure why the ML is portrayed/written this way, but he is often awkward and says stuff that don't match the situation. A conversation could be like, Q:"Hey, were you waiting for me?", A: "I can run 9 seconds". I don't understand the writer's direction for the ML.
- The Female Lead is a movie translator who loves guns, alcohol and movies. Honestly, we the audience knows more about her likes and as a character than any other character in the drama. She loves her work as a movie translator.
- The CEO is a straightforward person who says things exactly on her mind and doesn't reflect back on what she said (She is sensitive to what others think about her). She is not a bad person, but often agitates people with what she says. Soo Young played the character well.
- The art student. I honestly, don't understand and get this character. I am unable to explain why he is even in this story. The CEO and art student couple makes no sense to me (how are they even a couple in this story???), but they are cute in how they bicker with each other.
- Have to mention the Assembleyman father. He is emotionally abusive and two-faced. On the outside he is the 'family man', but he is emotionally manipulative towards his family members.

Music/OSTs
Great music and OSTs in this drama. All great to listen to and unique. One reason I stuck with the drama to the end is the music. Music makes alot of the scenes much better.

Rewatch Value
A single walkthrough is enough.

Why my current rating (7.5)
Drama is great to watch after a long day and watching the interactions of the main couple. The joy of watching them trying to be happy and building upon their relationship is fun to watch. However often, I have question marks pinging with the side couple story and the plot of the story, where I am constantly saying; where is this taking me/ why is this happening? The drama frequently jumps to different locations just for the sake of it and shows off its production value (I guess). Also the abusive father and rest of the family, I don't get their purpose. There is a lot of product placement.

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Playing Games with someone you are comfortable with

1st Week Review + Final.

Quick Overall Summary
If you liked Love O2O, you will like this drama. The drama is great for a relaxing night binge where the story and characters are fluffy and wholesome to watch. There is no dramatic or overly annoying characters or plot, but more focused on the enjoyment of playing games, spending time with someone you are comfortable with and juggling between work/life balance. Indeed, the drama heavily focuses on playing games and game terminology, but there are other elements that are talked about like the ML's dreams and life choices. One last crucial point is that the drama being a CDrama, flows and generally makes sense (there are no cliche overtop encounter/scenes that challenges the audiences' intellect, very rare these days).

Final: 1st half of the drama is about gaming and getting to know each other again. 2nd half of the drama is more about the relationship between the ML and FL and completion of the deep space rocket project.

Quick Story/Plot (9 > 8.5)
The FL is a famous actress and is the brand face for a popular mobile game (Chinese Mobile LoL). One night, she was recorded by an anonymous friend/spectator on how bad she was at the game. This was leaked and blew up quickly where part of the online community criticised her being the brand face of the game and being terrible at the game. The Manager and Game Company played it off well and very sensibly (I applaud) where she released a statement saying was only trying out the new character and to show that she does not suck at the game, there will be a charity match in 1 month's time to celebrate the end of the gaming season. In comes the ML, While the FL is on a 1 month break and practicing to be better at the game, she was mistakenly invited by the ML to his lobby who is an old high school classmate of hers. After joining the match and playing a few rounds, the FL realised how good the ML was at the game. At this point, the FL knows who the ML is, but the ML does not know the FL since she was using an alternate side account. Wanting to meet the ML again and also looking to improve at the game, the FL tries her luck and asks the ML to be her instructor and teach her more about the game.

Final: The story is definitely on the slower side with the 2nd half of the drama dragged on just a little too long. With 30 mins each episode, you can feel the production team taking their time with each scene and camera pan.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- ML: Yang Yang has always played roles of the handsome boyfriend who doesnt say much, but is always caring and casually will be by your side. Yu Tu is an Aerospace Designer/Engineer and is very smart, graduating with double degree in Aerospace/Finance. However, he is at crossroads in his life, choosing either a higher paying finance job or continue with his dream job in Aerospace + starting to get to know the FL all over again. There is alot he is going through at the moment.
-FL: Qiao Jing Jing is a famous actress who is in high demand. She is caring and gives the ML a lot of personal space and breathing room. She does not overstep her bounds and knows that currently she is a friend only. E.g. like when the ML needs to leave or go out, she understands and farewells him. She does not guilt trip him to force him to stay or make him uncomfortable for leaving her.
- Special shoutout to Jing Jing's Manager who is very understanding and also encourages the FL to go on dates :)

Music/OSTs
- Music is great where it comes in exactly at the right point in time during the scene to elevate the entire mood/emotions. The Start/Ending OSTs and playlists are great too.

Rewatch Value
Would rewatch some notable and beautiful scenes.

Why my current rating (10)
Although the story is very slow paced, I watch it for the interaction between the characters. How they support and bicker between each other while understanding the boundaries set between them. No one oversteps the line just because they are the ML or FL. Furthermore, I liked Love O2O and games, so this is right up my alley. There are many horribly made Gaming Genre Dramas done poorly, but this is one of the exceptions. This also includes light-hearted stories, where the ML and FL are getting to know each other again and flirting with their honest heart. You know it, this drama has those one-liner swooners...

Final: I retain my final rating of 10 as the drama overall was enjoyable to watch. Although later half of the drama did drag out to my disliking, I overlooked it due to the fluffy and very pretty scenes/set. The drama is not entirely about gaming where the story transitions to successfully launching the deep space rocket. The drama's final score is more like a lower 10 - 9.7 rating.

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Let's get this straight first, Under the Power is a RomCom focused on the characters rather than story. There are more negatives than positives, but the drama was alright to the end. I have re-edit my review having completed the series, so check out my thoughts below!

Story/Plot
Story is about Lu Yi and Yuan Jin Xia solving crime/mystery cases with friends in a case by case arc format. In summary, everything before the Japanese Pirate Arc was good as the drama seemed like it was following a storyboard. Once the Japanese Pirate Arc/ Poison Plant Arc started, I suggest letting go any sort of expectation of a story (Literally watch the drama with a grain of salt). The story was a mess; obvious missing scenes which causes the audience to literally guess "something here" happened, scene jumps and cliche chinese 'drama' ideas (e.g. villian will take the characters away rather than killing them where the characters will just easily escape by untieing their ropes)

Completion Evaluation: No coherent story all the way to the end. Everything 'just happens' on the spot. *Shakes head*

Acting/Cast/Characters
- Lu Yi is the Oppa.
- Jin Xia is the cheeky girl who everyone loves and gets away with anything with her smooth talks & detective skills.
- Yan Shi Fan is the big hidden villian/ antagonist that everyone knows. Usually, his underlings start the problem for each arc and everything eventually relates back to him. He is evil because he has fetishes and is greedy, so very cliche.
- Shangguan Xi and Yang Yue are very frustrating to watch. Shangguan Xi at least has more depth to her character where the audience can empathise with her suffering and feelings. Yang Yue falls in love with Shangguan Xi at first sight so he must protect and love her at all cost now at the cost of his life??? (Very Cliche)
- Nothing against the actor Ethan Yao, but the character Xie Xiao is a brain-dead kid. If you are reading my review right now, IGNORE THIS CHARACTER, pretend he does not exist, this will save you brain cells and a million eye rolls.

Music
Due to the drama still airing, many scenes where the OST should be playing have been muted (maybe due to copyright reasons). This is not the drama/ production fault. So I went back and listened to the OST/ music individually and they were not bad.

Completion Evaluation: A few of the OSTs were out of place for a few of the scenes, had to lower score.

Rewatch Value
I won't bother watching the drama again apart from some memorable clips. As stated in the plot section, the story is a mess half way through so don't go through the pain again.

Why I gave the drama my current rating? (8 -> 7)
The max I could give this drama is a 7, however I still enjoy the drama for the Lu Yi and Yuan Jin Xia interaction. Since this is a RomCom, of course we watch for the cute relationship between the two main leads which is still very engaging and fun. We watch for the bickering, the caring, the protecting of one another and the cheeky one liners that get all of us swooning. However the major downside of this drama IMO is the story which ruined this IP. At the end everything was rushed, made no sense and was just boring to watch. The last episode was a total joke just to create a happy ending bahahaha.

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The Reasons to Drink

What are the reasons for a drink? Maybe when you are happy, sad, with friends, colleagues, tired, stressed or simply for fun. Work Later Drink now, captures all those special moments between the three female leads and their lives. Now I do want to mention that the show is rated 18+ and more for the mature audience because there is sooooooo much alcohol and profanity that goes around the show. There was a profanity/curse scene in the show that went on for like 2 minutes straight that even I was shocked at what was said and how long it went. There is also mentions of s*x here and there, but only quick 1 second scenes and touchy subjects around Korean Society. The reason this show was such a great watch for me was because it was very similar to 'Be Melodramatic'. The show was not just about alcohol, but about the deep friendship/sismance between the three female leads and how much they care for each other while having different personalities, upbringings and goals. They continue to support each other in time of need and at times what is the best way (?)... coming together and drinking until sunrise.

Quick Story/Plot
The plot is around the lives of the three female leads. Each episode is on the shorter side about 35-40 minutes long and the story interwines between each character where when something is happening to one of the leads, the second or third will come into the picture later on. There are individual story streams for each lead and also a broader ongoing plot for the cast. The show is somewhat slice of life, but on the other side of the spectrum using alcohol and profanity to solve the problems.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- ASH is a writer for a variety show. She is the link/bridge in the sismance, holding the other two together. She previously had to deal with an unfair workplace environment and now she needs to deal with the odd PD KBG and her relationship with him.
- HJY is a yoga instructor. She is definitely the odd one in the trio, saying/acting in weird ways that often depicts her as 'empty headed'. But she is actually the most attentive out of everyone and is covering it up by the way she acts and speaks. She has the most open relationships.
- KJG is an origami youtuber. She is the strong girl-crush with the way she speaks and dresses, but the most introverted. She is the protector out of the friends, where she will run/support the other two at times of need. The silent guardian. There is a reason why she became an origami youtuber which is explained second half of the show. Her relationships are often closed.
-- All in all, it's a show about three alcoholic women drinking all the time, having mukbang and sometimes doing crazy things while drunk :D

Music/OSTs
The OST album was okay. Unfortunately, not too memorable because I was so absorbed in the story and interaction. Only music I can remember playing is either at the start or at the end of the episodes.

Rewatch Value
This show is definitely for light watching at night where you switch off and watch for fun. There is no serious epic plot going on and how the show is played/shot also shows that. Quick 30 minute stories and then moving onto the next. Would definitely rewatch again when I need something to fill for a night.

Why my current rating (10)
Overall, the drama was a good watch for light mature fun viewing at night. There were so many unexpected and emotional scenes that drew me in even more. At times I would be laughing in one scene and then later on, holding my breath anticipating what would happen next. Props to the writer team in capturing the range of emotions in the short 30 minutes. Also because the show is rated 18+, the writers could freely talk about touchy subjects which was also great to see. The casts were also perfect match where they could freely act out their character's individuality and traits. In the end, I did not anticipate how much I loved the show, was really a surprised how much a gem this was and would most definitely watch Season 2!

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'Military Slice of Life?' to 'Fated to Not Be Together'

First Week + Final Review

One and Only is a difficult piece to write a review for. It has all the elements of military, romance, political, hidden strife...but also doesn't really. If I were to summarize the plot, it is more a slow paced slice of life drama with dabbles of romance/cp set in historical military/wuxia. All the wars, palace political strife, marriage, backstabbing plots are all happening in the background and doesn't really concern the MCs much. Furthermore, the drama being a 'quiet' slow paced drama is an understatement. For most scenes, it would be 5 - 8 mins of beautiful scenery where the characters are simply strolling, not talking much and the soothing background music playing to fill the void. It is more a drama set showcase as there isn't really anything else happening from point A to B. Even writing this right now, you can place all these tags to the drama since it has been used, but there isn't enough depth to actually explore those genres to the full potential. Right now, I am ignoring all the additional etc genres and just primarily watching it for the interaction of the FL, ML and the 5 main followers.

[SPOILER] Final: Going to say this now, all the previews, MVs, trailers and all the foreshadowing in the drama all hint at the sad and bad ending. So it is really not a spoiler when everyone saw it coming and all the preview images advertising the drama showcased it. So One and Only will end in a bad ending where as the sequel Forever and Ever will hopefully be all sweet and happy. (Pray sequel be good)

Quick Story/Plot
One and Only is set in historical times where the emperor recently passed away and the 6 year old son is succeeding the throne. The story talks about the emperor's brother (ML) who swore an oath in the past to forever guard the Western border and to never succeed the throne. To further his conviction, he swore to never marry or have any children. One of the ministers also proposed to send his niece to become a student of the ML. The ("background main") story revolves around the political tension of the royal + influential families and the other actual story is the ML/FL and his followers livelihood on the Western Front. Since the story also includes frequent wars, alot of the plot are fast forwarded/skipped which brings the characters older in time.

Final: The ending was rushed and many plot holes appeared. I think the production team wanted to close out the drama so they didn't really care if the story/plot made sense and essentially fast forwarded the timeline. Story was only OK at best until the last few episodes where it was essentially disappointing and the audience is just waiting for the big sad finale. From rating of 8 > 7.5 for me.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- The FL is from an influential family where at the age of 10 she lost her voice due to a political strife relating to her father. Her uncle (minister of the court) proposed that she becomes a student of the ML and follows his teachings. At a young age, she is sent to the Western province and becomes the 11th student/disciple of the ML.
- The ML is from the royal family who has given up his right to the throne at a young age. He swore an oath to guard the Western border and to never enter the central palace, marry nor have children. He is a natural leader having never been defeated in battle and amassed 10 followers who are more family than disciples. ML is easy going and doesn't really care too much about customs and rules.
- Shoutout to the followers where 5 of them appear more than the others and the FL's brother who is in for the ride.

Final: Literally the ML made the FL speak again. The ending with the characters was disappointing. Not much thought was put closing out the characters and didn't do the characters any justice. A lot of time and effort was put in for the entire drama to build up the characters and to have it ended like it did was beyond shocking and unsatisfying. Characters acting near the end was slightly off too as some scenes couldn't fit.

Music/OSTs
Music and OST are of great importance for this drama. The entire playlist is sooo good. Being a slow-paced/chill drama, the background songs fills up the scenes where the characters aren't talking much to warm/soothe the audience's heart. There are many aspects still lacking for the drama, but the music is definitely on point.

Final: Music all the way to the end was superb. An unforgetable OST Playlist when the songs start playing again, instantly reminded of the scenes.

Rewatch Value
Would go back to watch some memorable selective scenes.

Why my final rating (9.5)
Right now I reserve my initial rating of (9.5). It is still very early in the drama and still alot of stones unturned such as the marriage, the royal family and the MC's relationship. The current score is for the nice set, beautiful music, great costumes, excellet choreographed fight sequences and just the slower paced story telling. I heard rumors + saw trailers that the ending is going to be sad and filled with alot of heartbreak/pain and I can already see that incoming due to all the foreshadowing + plot devices told early on, but pray the drama will do the characters justice.

Final: One and Only is definitely a good drama with high production value, great OSTs and star-studded cast however this drama also falls into the trap of closing out too fast without much meaning and effort. Honestly the story should have ended around ep.21 with the actual ending brought forward. For most of the show it was a 10 in my heart until the very end which made me drop back down to a 9.5. A lot of people are comparing this to 'Good Bye, My Princess' and I don't think the ending is as sad and comparable because it is preparing the characters and story for the sequel Forever and Ever. So hopefully all the feelings and emotions from this drama can be taken across to the next season!

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My Heroic Entrepreneur Husband

My Heroic Husband I would say is a spin-off story from Joy of Life (JoL) in a different universe with Guo Qi Lin/Ning Yi and Song Yi/Su Tan Er as the main leads as they were so loved in JoL. (Many casts from JoL are also in this drama!) The story has a fresh take on the MC/ML teleported into ancient society/story where he brings with him the wealth of knowledge from modern society. The drama is half RomCom/ half Polictical where both sides are weaved together very nicely to fulfil the ML's ambition, to be the Greatest Businessman and Richest Person! The first half of the drama is mostly comedy and business empire building through the ML's modern knowledge and quick wits, while the second half is more political and relationship with the 2nd FL.

Quick Story/Plot
There wasn't much explanation/reason how the story begins and not needed honestly, but it starts with the ML writing a modern novel/story where he decided to start afresh and write a brand new story set in Chinese historical times. The ML (or other story's character) conscience is teleported to his new character set in ancient times. The ML starts to adapt to his new world and the first task is to survive his upcoming marriage! Being married into the FL's family as a Matrilocal husband, the ML helps run the FL's family business from an operations side and uses his wits to resolve impending problems. Using modern techniques like franchising, batch processing and lottery prizes, the first half the drama is the battle of businesses/merchants. The second half of the story begins with the ML/FL going on a honeymoon and is then kidnapped by bandits during a civil unrest where the ML meets the 2nd FL.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- Ning Yi (ML) has a modern conscience transferred into him where he utilises modern techniques and commericial strategies with the sole goal to become the wealthiest businessman. He uses his expanded knowledge and quick wits to get around obstacles and recruit people to his cause. It is also due to this that he is acknowledged by powerful people in the political sphere and wish to recruit him. Relationship wise, the ML is the inferior one and would also do everything in his power to support and assist his wife.
- Su Tan Er (FL) is a daughter from a well-respected fabric/clothes family business which she is currently managing. Under her management, she frequently gets hit with multiple problems due to people trying to sabotage and take advantage of her business. Relationship wise, She is the boss where the ML would always listen to the FL.
- Liu Xi Gua (2nd FL) comes in 2nd half of the story as the captain of a band of bandits. I am going to say it... Liu Xi Gua is the definitely the 2nd wife and the ending with the ML was very emotional...Being the brute and tomboy character, she does her best to get on the good side of the ML and was really entertaining to watch. Olivia Jiang played her character very well and made me an instant fan of hers.
- Special shoutout to Lu Hong Ti, the 3rd wife/ship :P

Music/OSTs
The Music and OSTs are excellent and extrordinary. If you like Gu-Feng (古風) you will most definitely like the whole playlist and sound tracks. It weaves into the scenes very well and gives off the whole ancient chinese society vibe.

Rewatch Value
Would rewatch to experience the story all over again.

Why my rating (9.5)
I took half a point away from perfect 10 because there were a few times where the big reveal/explanation of the master plan took time to be explained much later, which may confuse the audience initially. Also the story was split into 2 different FLs with the wife as primary focus in the first half and then disappearing for most of the 2nd half of the drama making room for the 2nd FL story. One small dissappointment, there weren't any intimate scenes, maybe occassional hand holding and hugging. The story also does well incorporating the military/political aspect which mostly makes sense and the emotional scenes were really moving. Intense scenes and death of characters were really heart-wrenching and pulled on heart strings. This was a good one-time spin-off story to watch.

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New meets Old. Modern meets Traditional.

One and Only = 9.5 Rating.
Forever and Ever = 8.5 Rating.

Forever and Ever is the follow-up story from One and Only, where the MCs are essentially reincarnated to modern times. You will need to watch One and Only first to understand quite a few references in this sequel and why certain parts are specifically emotional and why the drama team put alot of emphasis in some scenes. I had major redemption hopes for this series which we did get, BUT the story was once again lackluster. The audience got the ZSC and SY ship that everyone wanted but everyone else were the problem. From very early on, I would say most of the characters had a red flag associated with them in which I firmly believe down the line, they will come back to affect the MCs in some small or big way. This made me quite annoyed as in the back of my mind, I would always be reminded, oh this person is likely going to come back 4 episodes later and maybe hurt our MCs in this way...Also the MCs story was mediocre at best too which made the entire drama OK to the end. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching the entire series, but could have been so so much more.

Quick Story/Plot
The story is mainly about the FL and ML meeting each other again in modern times and falling in love in which they couldn't do in their past life. As mentioned earlier, it is best to watch One and Only first to fully understand Forever and Ever. The characters also frequently reference the historical context and story which was another driving force in pushing them together. In the prequel, it was all about protecting the family, but in this life, the ML faces multiple drama with his immediate family trying to hurt him. The story can get quite slow at certain times and whats odd with the story telling is that during major family dramas, the audience and the FL are kept in the dark and does not know what is exactly happening. It is as if this big thing is happening behind close doors and the audience can only know about it when side characters are literally telling us in some random gossip conversation. This way of story telling I did not like at all as they literally showed nothing about that side story and to cover the plot hole they quickly explained in 5 lines or so this big thing happened and like multiples familes were involved, police came in and doctors are running around and we the audience weren't told a thing. Very poor story telling imo.

Also the drama does a really cool job in showcasing modern people living in traditional homes and setings. All the furniture are mostly made out of wood and bamboo with lanterns and vases all over the place. Contemporary ideas with traditional settings.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- The FL is a voice actor/dubber with a strong affection for traditional art and history. After meeting the ML on that fated day, she became allured to him. She is mainly the proactive one in the relationship because the ML is just very dull. She has to learn how to deal with the ML's complicated family while also being with the ML.
- The ML is a chemistry professor with a big family background and very wealthy. His family owns multiple traditional businesses and he needs to learn to deal with the various people in his family. One downside is Allen Ren's dubbing voice is soo weird/off which makes him always sound out of place. That said ZSC character is quite dull and nothing spectacular as a person, not sure why anyone would fall in love with him other than the FL due to fate.

Won't go over the other characters as it will be spoiler for the show, but the ML's siblings, mother and best friend are critical characters. On the FL's side the best friend is always there to support her. There is alot of individuality with the characters which makes the audiences attached.

Music/OSTs
Once again the music and OSTs were superb to listen to and fills up the scenes with the additional level of emotion. High quality mix of traditional sounding tunes to contemporary love songs.

Rewatch Value
Would not rewatch. 1 watch-through is enough.

Why my final rating (8.5)
Closing out, I don't think you will miss out alot if you watched One and Only and NOT Forever and Ever. I think everyone wanted to watch this sequel because of the redemption love story we all wanted to see from O&O. The MCs story and how they became a couple was definitely odd and out of the ordinary. Their affection for each other was real, but their relationship and everything else was illogical. Would not remember them as best couple, but more like a happy ending to them. The early episodes were great, then the middle was ehhh/so-so and then the ending was real slow burn.

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Doraemon Never Forgets

I started this drama due to all the highly rated reviews. First off, let me say that I enjoyed watching the drama and it was a solid drama until the end in which I was pleased to watch. The show had a good foundation and great cast but it could have been so much more, hence why I also want to provide my score to the mix. It was unfortunate the drama did not steer away from the usual cliches and character writing and if the drama did take its own stance from the norm, it would have been a great drama. See quick review below:

Quick Story/Plot
Similar to the summary on the MDL Page, the story talks about the FL/ML going through 3 stages of their lives having met in their final year of high school. The FL was the smartest student and the ML was the troublemarker and it is here that opposites attract. Just before the Gao Kao Test, the ML disappears due to reasons and reappears before the FL starting university. Now insert the university romance sequence and eventually to the final years to graduation. The drama does have overly used cliche tropes/events/ideas to simulate contention which made me sigh. One thing I don't agree with the Drama's MDL Page is the second half where the MCs 'find themselves on different paths and are their feelings strong enough to last a thousand life times(?)' is totally incorrect...

[SPOILERS]: The FL/ML got together really early in their university days and they became a couple supporting each other all the way to when the ML created a start-up company. They have been caring, supporting, sacrificing for each other since the beginning, so it is not ambiguous as described on the main page and therefore misleading.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
The show had a great cast and the acting was good, however the characters were a let down as they were tropey. There is the 'unrequited one', the 'I became vice-student-council president because I like the president one', the 'best wingman', the 'arrogant one', 'the secret admirer who wants to steal the MCs', etc. etc. With the previous, you can already have a general idea in how the characters will play out. The main crew:
- The FL is the smartest brightest student in the region and is always number 1. Being class president for the final year in HS, she comes to meet the ML who is a recent transfer student and a troublemarker. Eventually, she comes to learn about the ML's situation, what he is doing outside of school and got to know him better. From there, she fell for him.
- The ML is a troublemaker for the school and is last place in the class. However, he is often misunderstood/misrepresented and is actually quite smart in Mathematics and Programming. Since the Gao Kao does not test any CompScience subjects, often he is referred to as being dumb. That is until he enters university and becomes the top student.
- Chen Yi Chuan is the cousin of the FL and is often arrogant. He always places 2nd after the FL and has a very competitve spirit. He is like the friend that is always there to shake up the situation.
- Gu Xiao Man is the FL's best friend and has been secretly admiring CYC since the beginning. The whole world knows this, just not CYC.
- Zhang Huai Wu - best supporting character to fill the void.
- Qin Yue is the family friend who has been secretly admiring the FL for a long time. You know it, he is the one that will fight over the FL.
- Duan Ning - best wingman, not for the ML, but for GXM actually.

Music/OSTs
There is this 1 notable song/background track that I liked. I don't remember the OSTs actually being played alot during the show.

Rewatch Value
Only watch for some parts. Many of the scenes can be skipped as it did not provide much.

Why my rating (7)
My personal rating for the show was 7.5, but honestly it is hovering around a 7.2 . The show was enjoyable and I looked forward to knowing what would occur next, however the problematic events, relationship issues and how the situations were handled made me drop points. I saw other articles and comments saying the MCs relationship was not toxic/mature in which I totally agree, however the problems they had to deal with made no sense and was toxic. I am very glad that the MCs understand, support and care for each other and work together maturely to resolve the issues when they are only in their early 20s. They don't suspect each other and will open up when they feel the timing is appropriate. BUT it is the misc. side characters that make me question the writer team's intentions. You made such a great couple and friend group only to be surrounded by id*t villian side characters which made the whole situation out of place. (E.g. During the leak scandal, the company shut out the ML and the student newspaper gang came to have a mouth off after jumping on the hate train and then starts slandering the FL...I mean what??) That said, if you can overlook the cliche events and side characters, the drama was definitely a worth-while watch. I think alot of people rated the drama highly for the MC Ship, which I totally agree, but the plot/story was definitely lacking to the point where I cannot overlook for my rating. Show will not be on my top 10, but would definitely recommend giving it a try.

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Love-Love Beam

Shanai Marriage Honey is a Marry First-Date Second RomCom drama. Not only do the MCs look good together but they have great chemistry. A few cute scenes here, one-line swooners there and fluffy moments around the corner, all add to the entertainment of the show. Although there is no primary plot, the audience mainly watch it for the interaction and progression of the couple from getting to know each other as strangers to starting to develop feelings. Being 7 episodes only and 25mins each episode, there are no filler parts and get straight into the scenes. Also there are alot of 'intimate'/flirty scenes, you have been warned.

Quick Story/Plot
Similar to the summary on the MDL Page, the ML and FL decided to do a shotgun marriage due to their own reasons. I don't believe they are under a contract marriage, but after moving in together they started developing feelings for each other and found out that they work at the same company. Then comes the comedy and fluffyness in trying to hide their relationship in the office and getting to know each other better as a married couple off-work. What was also great about the story was that their progression was realistic and often the worries and concerns of the FL are expressed and not drowned out until it's all too late. Communication is key in a relationship and she picks out times to bring out mature topics to discuss for a better married life.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- The FL recently broke up with her boyfriend after finding out he has been cheating on her and decided to marry the ML after a dating app alert. The FL is very friendly and sociable which often makes a lot of the men misunderstand. After marrying, she decided to make the ML fall in love with her.
- The ML is the top salesman in the business and is highly popular. On the day of the wedding, it was love at first 'moment' and later he tries to hide how much he loves the FL. The ML trys to halt the advances of the FL, but everytime, he breaks down to her cuteness when he leaves the room.

Music/OSTs
The OST Playlist is so great and literally a bop when it starts playing during the cute fluffy scenes. Also the starting OST dance was cute too.

Rewatch Value
Would definitely rewatch for the sweet scenes, it is a very short drama and can be binged in 1 night.

Why my rating (10)
Although other reviews say the drama is very conventional and not much depth, the enjoyment I believe is the interaction and progression of the couple. They discuss their feelings and concerns and work together as a married couple to overcome the challenges. Sure, the drama is more on the mature and flirty side, but that is an added bonus ontop. Please give this drama a try as it is really short and well produced. There are candy scenes in every episode and the one-line swooners that make everyone giggle with a grin. It is the only JDrama that I have given a 10 and had me constantly coming back wanting more from the couple.

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Love what YOU want to wear

Kikazaru Koi ni wa Riyuu ga Atte, imo is a contemporary art piece in its own right. The slice of life drama does a great job in depicting the issues around the current digital society and clearly states the messages it wants to say, while also allowing some lines to be blurred as life and relationships are never clear cut. This drama talks about dreams, being honest and comfortable with oneself and alright to lose yourself to nature once in a while. I recommend this feel good drama to anyone looking for a Romance, Self-Empowerment, Slice of Life and/or Food show to watch at night.

Quick Story/Plot
The show revolves around characters living in a sharehouse with each having their own goals, ambitions, lifestyles. The members learn to accept each other's individuality and bond together through their differences. That said, the story is mainly focused on the FL and ML.

The FL and ML are polar opposites. One is a influencer for an interior furniture design company where she has strict times where she needs to make social media posts about the company and her life. The other is a minimalist where he does the bare minimal to retain the current lifestyle he is having and does not force aything. Upon meeting each other one day and later as sharehouse-mates, they begin to bond through their differences and fill each other's gaps.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- The FL is a PR influencer for her company, where she makes regular updates on social media at 3 separate times in the day. Being an influencer, she has set expectations in needing to wear fashionable clothes, make interesting posts and constantly be active online. She had a 7 year unrequited love for her CEO where that feeling/ goal shaped her to what she is today.
- The ML is a laid-back genius chef who runs his own food truck. He sets his own business hours and lifestyle and does the bare minimal to get by and does not force anything.
- SK is the mother of the house, where she wants to start part 2 of her life after divorcing at 50 and wishes to study/travel abroad.
- TH is the cousin of the ML and a 24/7 online counsellor. His role in the show is more the emotional support where characters come to him to talk about their concerns and feelings.
- HA is an artist with a 'sensitive' personality where she tried for 10 years to win a competition or be recognised. People often misunderstand her due to her cold shoulder, but it is just how she thinks or interprets the situation.
- HS is the CEO of the interior furniture design company where he travels the world to collect unique items that can be sold at his company. He is essentially the FL's life and professional mentor.

*All characters have great chemistry with each other. Fitting casts for the show.

Music/OSTs
Although there wasn't many OSTs or music tracks, Fushigi OST was quite memorable.

Rewatch Value
One watch-through would be enough, but quite memorable. Maybe short clips in the future.

Why my final rating (9.5)
The show was a 10 rating, but once again this Japanese drama fell victim of an ending that could have been way better or clearer. If more time was spent on shaping the final message and wrap up, this show would have been a top 10 list for me. Overall, the show was a great watch watching the characters develop overtime, leave behind the expectations set upon them by society or themselves and come to understand that sometimes good food with close ones is all you need! If you like a show where the FL/ML couple understand and support each other unconditionally, this will be right up your alley.

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Headline is an Easter Egg for the show.

My Little Happiness is the best 'First-Love' drama that I have watched to date. The 2nd Main Leads also have so much story and interaction behind them that also has the audience's ship. Honestly, if we put the doctor and lawyer stories to the side and only focused on the couples stories, I would have definitely rated this drama 10/10. Though first half of the show and plot did get slightly tiresome where it was mostly the ML's one-sided pushy crush who knew what was going on and just won't confess. HOWEVER, after the big reveal + one of the best confessions, BOOM, sparks start flying and it becomes one of the best romantic couple stories to the end. Give this drama a try as I keep coming back to watch the fluffy clips over and over again and now writing this review when I originally finished this series when it was still airing. It has been 9 months...and I am back again.

Quick Story/Plot
The ML is a great doctor and the FL is a righteous lawyer. The two are actually childhood sweet-hearts and due to reasons, the FL moved away during a school vacation. Promising the ML she will return shortly after and meet him under the old tree, the ML has since been waiting at the start of every school term for the FL. Now years have passed and the FL forgotten about the original promise, went to see her new supervisor (the ML) and happens to meet under the promised tree. From there, the ML becomes a flamboyant supervisor/usual hidden 'unofficial boyfriend' trying to be in every part of the FL's life. The first half of the show was a 8.5 rating, but 2nd half sky rocketed for me to 9.5 (Couldn't give the show a 10 because of the frustration I had to go through at the beginning).

That said the background doctor and lawyer plots are so-so and character-to-character interactions got frustrating at times as the story is just there as a means to drive the relationship of the main couple. If you don't take the plot to heart, I would not blame you if you skipped to the cute fluffy scenes as we are watching a romance drama, not some fancy medical/lawyer case drama.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- The ML is a surgeon and has been loyally waiting for the FL for years at the promised location. Upon finally meeting her, he becomes the endearing boyfriend that is cautiously caring and protecting the FL. It was frustrating to me that the ML did not confess/reveal early on, but when the ML/FL become a couple, they had so much CP going on between them that I thought they were a real-life couple. They did not shy away from kiss scenes from that point onwards.
- The FL is a lawyer with a strong sense of justice and righteousness to protect the vulnerable. She is strong, independent and goal-driven to become a lawyer. To the FL, the ML comes off as a random guy she just met, trying to hit on her which I can understand she is being cautious, but after the reveal, she throws her entire heart into the relationship.
- Wen Rang is the uncle of the ML but not that much older. He was hurt badly by his ex-girlfriend and is reluctant to love again and taking his time to heal his heart by running a book store and writing novels.
- ZCC is the best friend of the FL and is a wealthy girl running a skewer restaurant who is quite pure. She fell in love at first sight with WR and starts chasing him. The interaction between ZCC and WR are quite cute which made the audience ship ZCC alot wishing her to succeed in finally getting WR.

Music/OSTs
The OSTs and music perfectly fit with the drama and quite memorable where I still remember which drama the song was from after listening to it again recently. The songs also show great depiction of the cute fluffy relationships the MCs are going through.

Rewatch Value
I have rewatched this drama many times and always keep coming back for the fluffy/hot scenes. There is a reason why clips of the notable scenes are always floating around and attracting so many views, because it is still great!

Why my final rating (9.5)
As mentioned above, I would give the show a 10 if it wasn't for a few downsides at the beginning that impacted the overall story telling and romance progression of the MCs. The MCs relationships are quite romantic and the 2nd half of the show had me swooning all the way to the end with all the kiss scenes. There is reason why the MDL rating is a 8.6 and most of the other reviews are quite high for this drama. If you do not like the wishy-washy start and want to go straight into the romantic relationship part, I believe episode 10 is when it begins. When you are up to my Easter Egg headline part, remember to smile :)

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Should We Continue As Best Friends?

For most of the show I was really happy that I found myself a hidden gem and was so positive how the some-relationship-in-denial was written. I enjoyed the first few episodes greatly, where there were many traces of candy dotted around in the MCs relationship. Then I noticed out of the corner of my eye on the MDL page, a 'heartbreak' tag...hmmm, not sure why a tag like that is there...*few episodes later*...oh no...I can hear my heart shatterring. In all seriousness, for the first half of the drama I was applauding how good the writing and character interaction was and prepared to jump at the 10 rating. But then, they had to bring back the ex-boyfriend. Originally, I thought they were going to use him for a few episodes to test the relationship of the ML and FL, but he is actually a major plot for the rest of the show. I was so gutted and frustrated between the ML, FL and ex-boyfriend that I had to take a walk a couple of times to vent my frustration. Too bad that the later half of the drama turned out this way and with many filler scenes 'testing' the MCs. IMO the writers should have just done the testing and realisation of their feelings in the middle and the last few episodes are the MCs doing lovey dovey couple things because that is what the audience want in a Romance Drama. Overall, the drama was a great drama that really pushes the audience's emotions/feelings, but I believe it could have been better.

Quick Story/Plot
The ML and FL are highschool friends later becoming best friends where they swore not to fall in love with each other. Being best friends for over 10 years, they spent most of their time together from highschool to university to now 30 years old. Everyone around them from friends to family all encouraged them to date, but they keep denying their relationship. After placing the marriage bet, the ML and FL start looking for potential partners for marriage. Eventually the ex-boyfriend returns to Japan and the true test between the ML and FL begins.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- The FL is a hardworking and strong chief at a shoe company. She has only dated bad guys and has become depressed thinking no one will marry her. Fortunately her best friend is always there and they would talk/call every day. The FL's acting was superb in how she expresses helplessness and confusion with her feelings towards the ML at times in the drama.
- The ML is a department chief at a housing development business. His past relationships don't last long because all his ex-girlfriends say that his best friend is always in the way. The ML has always been the guardian angel of the FL; being with her since highschool, going out on frequent dinner dates together, rushing to her side when she is sad, but he just won't confess.
- The ex-boyfriend is now the CEO of a start-up company where 5 years ago he disappeared from the FL's life after being depressed his trusted business parter ran away with all their money. Now returning as a successful businessman, he tries to rekindle with the FL.
- Special shoutout to the young side characters for the FL/ML, they became the beacon of light.

Music/OSTs
When 'Koikinabyebye - indigo la End' starts playing, we jamming.

Rewatch Value
Only watch a few sweet notable clips.

Why my rating (9)
Following my intro, the return and use of the ex-boyfriend was unexpected. For most of the later half of the drama, the FL's feelings, interactions and decisions with the ex-boyfriend did not really make sense to me. Alot of things just happened on the whim, which was questionable. Having read other reviews and videos saying 'I Don't Love You Yet' is the best J Romance Drama...I agree the setup had so much potential, but the writing team went down the heart-break/you don't realise until its gone route and dragged on the ex-boyfriend story for too long. This drama is more Romance than RomCom and the audience want to see the ML and FL falling for each other and not the ex-boyfriend getting in the way.

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Heartbreak Three

Be Melodramatic is a drama that really challenges the status quo on Korean society and standard story telling. Having no primary plot, it tells the story of 3 FLs and their hardships, experiences and encounters in their daily lives. Each FL has had a sad or unfortunate circumstance and they are trying their best to continue on with their lives. Personally, I would include Lee So Min as the 4th FL since she also has so much backstory and her second lead ship is one of the cutest and well written past I have ever seen. (I was introducted to this drama because of the 2nd lead Lee So Min/Lee Min Joon ship that made me want to watch the entire drama) This drama literally has everything in it, from emotional trauma, heart wrenching pasts, funny and comedic duos, close friendship, feeling powerless, touchy subjects and honest love. There is so much well thought out backstory and personality behind each character that this IP could have went on for many seasons. Last note, this drama for me has the single most memorable line for years to come; "I need a hug...I am talking to you guys..." when you finally understand the meaning and reason behind this single line, five boxes of tissues won't save you.

Quick Story/Plot
Be Melodramatic does not have a primary plot but instead tells stories and events that are occuring with the 3 FLs. The plot also does not shy aware from touchy subjects that are much less talked about in Korean society. If I were to give a general flow of the story, the first half the drama is about the unfortunate and sad events that have occurred and the later half is the healing and becoming honest with oneself. Also not having a standard story telling format was a great benefit to the overall story as it made the audience curious and anticipating the transition of the characters and where it would bring them.

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
There is so much backstory and personality for each character that it would be difficult to go through each one + I would recommend learning the cast yourself to really have that deeper emotional connection. Nevertheless, here is a short summary:
- Im Jin Joo is an unfortunate script writer met with unfortunate events. She eventually leaves the toxic environment and learns to cope with the people from her past and meets new people in her life.
- Lee Eun Jung is a documentary director experiencing life's cruel fate. Without much spoiling, she is now trying to cope and accept her mental trauma and move on.
- Hwang Han Joo is a single mum that has worked hard to reach the position of head of marketing team for a drama production company. She lost most of her youth getting to this position while taking care of her son and would like to experience love again.
- Lee So Min is a rising actress that does not have a painful backstory, but she is oblivious as to how important Lee Min Joon, her manager, was to her until he was scouted by another company.
- Son Beom Soo is a drama director with a quirky personality and different way of thinking. He becomes involved with Jin Joo and tries to persuade her to become his writer.
- Choo Jae Hoon is a staff under Hwang Han Joo's team and is dealing with a toxic girlfriend. Jae Hoon then starts a younger man/older woman "relationship" while working with Han Joo.
- Special shout-out to my boy Lee Min Joon, manager of Lee So Min. Due to a promise made back in high school, he now supports So Min as a primary goal in his life.
- Rest of the cast also have a wealth of backstory with them.

Music/OSTs
The music and OSTs are a banger which not only elevates the scenes but also brings out an extra layer of emotions to improve what would have just been a normal scene. The popular OST song " Your Shampoo Scent In the Flowers" covered and loved by many people is from this drama.

Rewatch Value
Would definitely rewatch and experience the emotional, heartbreak, funny and empowering scenes all over again. Sometimes I would go back to watch clips of notable scenes or listen to the soothing playlist.

Why my current rating (10)
All in all, this drama is a healing story for the 3 FLs. Learning to look past the painful experiences and forward to a better future. Since the setting is set in modern real life Korea with real examples, the plot can be taken in any direction and continued on as a series. (I am deeply saddened there is no follow-up seasons) What made this drama so compelling and eventually becoming my No.1 Drama is how well each character was written and weaved with other characters + backstories. It was like having 5 main stories all told in parallel with 7 side stories being told by most of the side casts. Each character had a role and had purpose in the story. I would definitely recommend giving this drama a go if you like RomCom, Slice of Life, Friendship dramas and remember to have boxes of tissues next to you, you have been warned...

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All For Kid

Quick Overall Summary
Unforgettable Love is a Cliche Trope Bingo. The RomCom drama at best is a B- rating, but has me coming back to find out what happens next. The writer team for this drama, literally went; "OK, let's use all the cliche tropes in CDrama...add all 20 Years of cliche tropes and see what we get. This resulted in all the scenes becoming which trope will be inserted next. I think there is a 5 page list of all the tropes used and to my inner conflict of saying NO to cliche, has me back for more (I think I am at Bingo#73). The drama is not a good drama, BUT was enjoyable to watch. Disregard the medical/doctor/hospital scenes as they made no sense in drama/real life and the CEO would usually tell medical advice to the FL who is a doctor/psychologist.

Quick Story/Plot
The whole drama revolves around the kid. The ML and FL are tied together because the kid took a liking to the FL at the beginning and wants her to become his mum. The ML, being the rich boss and father, would give everything for the kid. So he persuaded the FL in entering a marriage contract to support and help the kid under the pretense of the FL being the wife in name. From episode 2 onwards is when the Bingo game begins, the story does not flow anymore, but instead, scenes of which trope to bring out. Even after post production, often scenes would jump to the next and skip to the the next day without any notice (I think the production team did not care if it flowed anymore). E.g. One night they will talk about something important about the kid and then scene jump to the ML's office talking about his business. So don't bother if there is a logical flow of story, there isn't...

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
All Characters are generic tropey, but fun to watch.
- The ML is a rich CEO who is stuck-up, smart, overly confident, demanding, (insert all other generic tropes), etc. but he genuinely cares for the kid. Often he would bring the kid to work or cancel meetings to rush to the kids side. Miles Wei played the character well in not being too overly bearing, but his character does get frustrating at times.
- The FL is a children psychologist who is strong-willed, clumsy and has a kind heart. She entered a marriage contract with the ML due to meeting the kid a few times and only accepted the contract due to peer pressure from the whole world and really wanting to help the kid. Often, I even forget she is a doctor since she does not act like a doctor and often other people tell her medical advises which was odd. Hu Yi Xuan really fits the character as she has this cute and genuine look to her.
- The Kid is a young boy due to a big car accident in the past left him not wanting to speak or interact with anyone. At the beginning he would use cards or a tablet to show his thoughts and eventually overtime, he started to speak again. The role was played well and the kid did a good job expressing his character's emotion without saying any lines. However, I do find the use of the cat noises everytime he wants to express something annoying after some time.
- Yang Ruo Wei and Wen Gu Side Couple are fun to watch.

Music/OSTs
Music is great as the songs really fit the RomCom Genre and that young love feeling.

Rewatch Value
Would not Rewatch.

Why my rating (7.5)
Rating 7.5 is the highest I would give the drama. Often, every 2 episodes I would be swooning and wanted to know what happens next, but every 3 episodes, I would be frustrated at the current story and roll my eyes saying:"Here we go with this trope now...". As mentioned in beginning, this drama is not top tier, but does the theme "Over the Top" well. The most memorable scene to me was the FL needed a crash course on how to dance for a business event and in comes the ML bringing in 6 dance teachers. The drama had six extras just for the scenes where 5 of them were just standing around which was quite funny. The drama literally took 'generic cliche RomCom' and multipled everything by 3 which is why it was so enjoyable to watch. I don't think I will recommend this drama to others, but if you are bored and want light-hearted (kekw) laughs or due to the actors/actresses, give it a go.

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Low Self Esteem 'Pro'-Bachelor

Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu (We Married as a Job) is a solid drama and I do appreciate the effort, but it came to a point in the story for me where I dropped the show out of frustration. At many points in the drama, for every step forward in the main leads relationship, there would be 2 steps back due to the the ML's "Low Self Esteem" Herbivore Nature. At first it was fun and interesting to watch, but when it is repeated multiple times every episode, I did not see any big progression in their relationship after many episodes. Being a RomCom, I wanted to see the couples growing and improving upon each other, but I kept feeling the ML was holding back the FL and being 1 hour episodes (which is on the longer spectrum for JDrama) it became a grind waiting to see what happens next. The point where I decided to call quits was also in agreement when the FL's character said "I'm tired, let's call it quits and return to our tranquil life"...

Quick Story/Plot
Moriyama Mikuri (FL) was recently laid off and needed a new job. She was introduced by her father to Tsuzaki Hiramasa (ML) to assist in cleaning and working as a housekeeper for the ML. Later seeing how good the FL was at cleaning and being a house keeper (house-wife :P ), they engaged in a de facto contract marriage where the FL will get paid as a house-keeper and the ML being the employer. Eventually due to external factors and pressures from family/friends, the couple started to show and wanted more than just an employer/employee relationship. The "Job" relationship between the couple is very embedded in the story and narration, where most of their interaction and lines are business talks rather than a normal conversation. (It was ok at first, but became too much)

Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- Moriyama Mikuri (FL) was recently laid off and needed a new job. She is good at cleaning and makes nice looking food, an ideal house-wive. Later on, it was the FL that took the initiative in wanting to improve her relationship and wanting more than just a standard employee. She did her best in starting to want more show of affection like wanting hug days, but is always "wall-blocked' due to the ML's timid herbivore nature. Aragaki Yui acted the character very well.
- Tsuzaki Hiramasa (ML) is an IT Engineer and needed someone to clean his house as he does not have the time nor motivation to frequently clean his place. Multiple times in the drama, the ML is called out to have "Low Self Esteem", "Herbivore", "Pro-Bachelor" and other names to show that he has little experience in relationships with women. I think part of my frustration and disappointment were due to the fixed names and images set for him, I started to feel frustrated with the writers not wanting the character to change outside of the set parameters.
- The remaining support/side characters are there as factors and pressures for the main leads to improve their relationship and become closer.

Music/OSTs
Music was nice and the ending closing OST with the characters dancing was cute.

Rewatch Value
Would not rewatch, apart from a few notable scenes.

Why my rating (8)
Episode 7 was a good place for me to stop where the main couple are currently in confusion if there is something more going on between them and the lines between employer/employee getting blurred with becoming lovers. This sounds exciting, but the drama has strung me on for too long. Most of the episodes would be first 30 - 40 minutes of build up and holding our breath to see what happens next, 10 minutes of frustration where we thought something good was going to happen, cliff hanger, then final minute of unexpected action that hooks us back in for the next episode. The drama would have been great if we are just shown the notable memorable parts, none of the filler scenes in the office and side characters bar hangout which provided nothing to the main story. My rating of 8 was my appreciation for the drama, but the story and writing was not good. Have I also told you the FL would sometimes narrate her life as a reality TV/Documentation format, which is very funny, but difficult to follow.

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