Amazing chemistry & original storyline makes this one stand out

The storyline:
The storyline is very original and refreshing. I’ve never seen a drama that had one of the main leads be obsessed with an idol and make that one of the focal points of the drama. But this drama does it and it does it really well. The female leads whole family has OCD but their obsessions are how they deal with a past trauma. So the story is much deeper than it looks like from reading the synopsis. It’s a light feel good drama that touches on some deeper subjects like child abandonment, loss of a child/sibling and OCD without getting too deep and angsty. It delves into those subjects enough to peak your interest and make you want to watch more but it doesn’t make you too sad or upset. It also delves into the world of art and museums as the main leads work together at a museum. So I liked that they gave us a very unique work setting that I hadn’t seen before which was enjoyable.

The acting:
There’s some really good acting here. You can’t help but love the female leads quirky best friend and their crazy relationship. The idol in the drama is just too adorable and pulls off the cute little puppy look perfectly. I wasn’t crazy about the owner of the museum, her acting didn’t impress me. But the main leads steal the show with their acting skills. Overall I’d say the acting in this drama is way above average.

The romance:
The chemistry is on point with this one. If you liked “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim” then you’ll love this drama. It has the same female lead and this girl knows how to do an onscreen kiss right. She sizzles here as does the male lead. It has lots of real kisses and skinship too. There is a slight love triangle. I say slight because it’s one sided for the second male lead. But fortunately, the main leads only see each other.

What really makes this drama shine is how it could touch on some deeper sadder subjects then pull us out of the sad moments and right into something that would make us smile or laugh so seamlessly. I like that the comedy and touching romantic moments were interwoven throughout the angst ridden moments so that things didn’t get too anxious or upsetting. It’s definitely a sweet romcom but it goes deeper than expected and touches your heart. This drama has everything. It’s funny, very romantic, sad, thought provoking, sexy, and cute. It takes you through a range of emotions but leaves you feeling happy and satisfied. I liked learning about idol fans and seeing things through their eyes. I also liked the unique work setting and learned a lot about art and museums. But what I liked best is how this drama touches your heart and makes you want to go back and watch it all over again.

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Short sweet and refreshing

This is one of those dramas that has every cliche that’s ever been in a drama. The male lead is a cold 30 year old rich CEO and the female lead is a very shy insecure virginal college student. All of the women want to be with the male lead. And of course all of the men want the female lead. So why am I giving it such a high rating? Why do I like it so much? It’s just so sweet fluffy and romantic. And I’ve never seen an Asian drama show so much skin in a drama. I mean it’s like a toned down version of “50 Shades of Grey.” I’m a sucker for a really romantic drama that has the romance heat up quickly. It’s just so rare and it’s soooo sweet. Very little angst and lots of sweet moments. I like how she’s always sitting on the floor curled up at his feet. And I like how he always runs up and gives her back hugs all the time. This is my go to drama after watching a really heavy angsty drama. It’s light sweet tone is really refreshing. And with only 10 episodes it’s a quick easy watch. It’s definitely not for everyone. But it’s my guilty pleasure.

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Very deep and touching

After reading the mixed reviews saying it was either terrible or the best drama ever, I really didn’t know what to expect. But I figured with only 10 episodes I didn’t have much to lose. I was pleasantly surprised at how really good this drama is. But looking at a lot of the comments I suspect many people rated it low and even dropped it because the female lead didn’t choose the guy they wanted her to. Too many dramas nowadays choose a super handsome actor to play the second male lead and then make his character unbelievably perfect. Then the dramas ratings suffer because of it. But don’t fall into that trap. This drama is really good. And even though the romance is great, there’s much more to it than the love triangle (which really isn’t a true love triangle since the FL never shows any romantic interest in the SML).

This show has great comedy, sweet romance, tremendous character growth, and delves into some pretty deep subjects. It deals with forgiving a parents past betrayal, the hardships of dealing with a mentally ill parent, the pain of divorce, and the devastating effect infertility can have on a relationship. It teaches us that even though you can be surrounded by people you can still be very lonely. And that happiness isn’t something that you chase after because it’s already in you. You just have to find and nurture it.

The premise of this drama is that there are several men and women living together in a co-living house where they have their own separate apartments but share all meals together in the shared kitchen/dining area. They also share a laundry room, living room and library. So there’s lots of shared living spaces to interact with one another. The story follows their lives. They are all emotionally damaged. Some were hurt by failed marriages. Some were hurt by their parents or family members. But their friendships with one another are what heals them.

They realize that eating with each other isn’t just about filling hunger. It’s about sharing warmth with another person and filling the lonely void within themselves. And when the male lead said he put the smiley face sticker on his door and looked at it every morning in order to practice smiling at everyone, it really touched me. He had moved into the shared home to learn how to interact with others and to try to be happy. So when he tells the female lead that he doesn’t have to practice smiling anymore since he met her because now it comes naturally, I just melted.

The other thing that really stood out in this drama is the bromance. The two male leads were just too cute together. They bonded over their mutual crush on the female lead. This isn’t your typical love triangle where the two men hate each other and do sneaky underhanded things to each other. In fact, their bromance was so good I got boy love vibes from them. Their little chases around the room and late night chat sessions in bed were adorable. (They end up rooming together for a while.)

Overall I would highly recommend this drama. It’s both deep and touching yet refreshing at the same time. It should definitely be rated much higher. Ignore the mixed reviews and watch it. You won’t regrets it.

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I’ve included a review of the English subs available

Chinese romance dramas used to always be either melodramas full of angst and sorrow or they would be over the top silly comedies. But lately they’ve been putting out some really good romantic comedies that are just the right combination of romance, comedy, and intrigue. This drama falls into that category. It’s not perfect but it’s a pretty decent drama.

Acting: It’s a rarity for me but I have no complaints about any of the actors in this drama. They all did a good job. But the main leads did a much better than average job. Let me explain.

The male lead:
When it starts out he reminds me a lot of a typical second male lead. He’s very sweet, kind, and charming. I like how, as the drama progresses, the male lead draws us in by slowly revealing everything his character has had to endure and why he’s so grateful for the little things in life. And as his character grows and matures into a much more confident and forceful person, you can’t help being touched.

The female lead:
The female leads portrayal of a cold and arrogant CEO is spot on. But when she gradually shows glimpses of the soft heart she hides beneath that tough cold exterior, that’s when you really start to understand and connect with her character. You can’t help but feel for her as she slowly reveals how tortured she is over her past. I liked how well she portrayed her characters immense growth and maturity too.

Cinematography and set design:
There was no weird camera angles or choppy editing. It flowed smoothly and seamlessly. I was never confused about what was happening. The set design was really nice and for once I have no complaints about the wardrobe (Chinese dramas tend to put really baggy or weird clothes on the female leads in modern romcoms). The music was perfect for each occasion never taking away from the scenes or getting too loud and drowning out the actors voices.

Storyline:
Taking the typical drama plot and reversing it by having a cold rich female CEO chase after the male lead was a refreshing take on an old cliche. The comedy was perfectly timed and the characters were entertaining. But after a while you get tired of seeing the female lead continually chasing after the male lead only to get coldly rejected every time. I started to feel embarrassed for her. And the silly goofy over the top antics her “frenemy” resorted to when pursuing the male lead was not only annoying but it didn’t sit well with me since he was married. These things go on for almost 16 straight episodes which was just too long. It was cute and funny in the beginning but after a while it became repetitive and predictable. I found myself hoping for something different or more interesting to happen. Fortunately the chasing ends and the annoying “frenemy” has lots of character growth and I even started liking her. Then they even put in some intriguing plot twists midway through the drama, breathing fresh life into it. But one of the plot twists didn’t make sense and hurt rather than helped the drama. It’s never a good idea when a drama makes the audience angry at one of the leads for doing something stupid and hurtful. There’s lots of ways of making a drama more interesting without making one of the main leads hurt the other one even if it’s with noble intentions. Nothing irritates me more than noble idiocy. It’s one drama trope that’s been way over used lately. If they hadn’t dragged things out for so long in the beginning and if they hadn’t made a main character do the noble idiocy thing, it would have been a perfect drama.

For those watching it with English subs:
There aren’t a lot of good English subs out there for this drama. The best I could find were on Daily Motion by Carmon Eng Sub, but be forewarned that they aren’t perfect. The subs would be pretty good for a while then there would be short periods where the conjugation and sentence structure would be way off. During these periods the basic thoughts are there but you have to reconstruct the sentences in your head for it to make sense, which got tiresome. The depth of emotion and deeper essence of what’s being conveyed is missing during these periods. I’m still not 100% sure what exactly happened with some of the business aspects of the drama because of this. These subs are much better than the google translate subs, they're the best out there for this drama, and they’re definitely worth watching. And I really do appreciate this nice subbers hard work. But just be prepared for brief periods where the subs aren’t conjugated properly requiring you to pause everything so you can figure it out.

Overall thoughts:
Does this drama have flaws? Yes. Was I irritated at times? Yes. But I have to say that the main leads chemistry and romance really stood out in this drama. They have great kissing scenes, lots of hugs, piggyback rides, cuddles, etc. And the secondary couple are pretty cute too. There are a lot of lovable characters in this drama that you will root for. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty darn sweet and memorable.

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Very funny with a sweet romance

If you watch this, watch it for the great comedy and sweet romance. Don’t expect much from the storyline or the characters and you’ll enjoy it more. The plot isn’t very realistic so you have to shut off your brain and just enjoy it for what it’s worth and not over analyze things.

Storyline
The basic premise of the drama is cute and interesting. It could have been such a great drama if it had been executed properly. But there are three mistakes they made that lowered my rating. First, the main leads don’t know each other’s true identities which is cute and funny. But they decided to take this plot line and drag it out way too long which was both annoying and unrealistic. One characters true identity is revealed halfway through the drama. The other characters true identity isn’t revealed until almost the end (episode 20). No one with even half a brain is going to believe that. It just wasn’t believable at all.
Second, they introduce too many characters and subplots. Not only was it confusing trying to remember each new character and their problems, but it made it feel like the drama had lost its focus and didn’t know where it was going. There was the twin sister and older brother and their issues. Then there was the ex girlfriend and all her problems. Then there was the FL’s parents and their backstory of divorcing and raising the twins separately. Then there was the grandpa and all of the flashbacks of him manipulating the family. Then there was the FL’s guy friend that was in love with her sister and causing all types of problems for everyone. Then they threw in another romance between the main leads best friends. There was just too much going on which diluted the story.
Third, there were just way too many cliche drama tropes used. There was the jealous ex causing problems, an overbearing disapproving parent, lots of accidental kisses, twins switching places, forced cohabitation, etc. There wasn’t much that was exciting or new or different about this drama.

Romance
The romance was perfect. The main leads had tons of chemistry. The numerous kisses and skinship made the romance sizzle. I especially liked how the ML tossed the FL over his shoulder and carried her off numerous times. She’s so tiny it seemed like she weighed nothing to him. I don’t know why but I find stuff like that very romantic. I also liked how they fought to stay together and made compromises when needed. It was nice to see the main leads together as a couple throughout a good deal of the drama. There were so many romantic moments with them cuddling on the couch, snuggling together in bed, holding hands, etc. If you’re looking for a drama with lots of romance and skinship then this is the drama for you.

Comedy
The comedy in this drama was absolutely hilarious. I was constantly laughing out loud while watching it. In the beginning it’s almost pure comedy with one laugh after another. I wished the comedy had kept on nonstop throughout the drama. But midway through the drama the angst and melodrama sets in and the comedy is there but it’s not a constant thing anymore. It’s present but it’s not the central focus like it was in the beginning. But overall I give this drama a high score for its comedy.

Final thoughts
I give high scores to the acting, comedy, and romance in this drama. If they had just stuck to the romance and comedy it would have been so much better. But lately, Chinese dramas have been starting out as fluffy romcoms then they turn into full melodramas increasing the angst the further you get into the drama. Im not a fan of this trend of switching genres from romcom to melodrama midway through the drama. I’m not saying this is overly melodramatic or angsty. Most problems get resolved fairly quickly. But there was just too much going on and most of it was unnecessary and didn’t enhance the storyline. So I deducted stars because of the unrealistic storyline that dragged out the hidden identities for way too long, because there were too many side plots that did nothing to enhance the storyline, and because it wasn’t original and had way too many cliche drama tropes. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy and you love a good laugh and a sweet romance then you should like this drama. It’s nothing amazing but it’s still pretty cute. I won’t be watching it again but it made me laugh a lot and sigh over the sweetness of the romance so I’m glad I watched it.

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Love makes us do crazy things but without it we are nothing

In the beginning we are introduced to a male lead that isn’t very likable. He harshly criticizes every mistake the people around him makes. He’s always pushing his employees really hard then yelling and losing his temper when they don’t live up to his expectations. But upon finding out about his upbringing and what transpired later when he was an adult we begin to understand him a little better. When he was a toddler his parents died in a tragic accident and his grandmother raised him by herself. Then she died when he was in grade school making him an orphan. Since he was orphaned at a young age, he lived in poverty and had to make his own way by himself living a very harsh life. But he’s a mathematical genius and his talents take him from being a janitor to being the CEO of his own huge company. But along the way he’s badly hurt again when his girlfriend abandons him and marries another man. Having been abandoned by every person he’s ever loved, he shuts down all emotions and becomes very cold and unfeeling. When the people around him fail to meet his expectations he immediately cuts them from his life. There is never any kindness or forgiveness , just harsh consequences.

Fortunately, when circumstances force him and the female lead to be together all the time, he slowly begins to be touched by her kindness. Going to her hometown reminds him of his home growing up. Simple things like being offered a freshly peeled apple or potato straight from the garden brought back warm childhood memories of his beloved grandmother. The female leads family are very warm and loving people that genuinely like him and welcome him. He slowly starts to regain his humanity and genuinely care about people and show kindness.

The character growth of the male lead was done wonderfully and is some of the best I’ve seen. There’s lots of character growth all around for the entire cast which makes it a really enjoyable drama. And the acting is way above average too. I’m not one to notice music in a drama and rarely address it. But the music in this drama was very good and fit every mood perfectly.

The female lead is a very likable character. She’s kind, forgiving, and an overall very sweet person. She’s strong minded, confident, and hardworking too. Her biggest flaw though, is her mindset regarding work. She puts up with a lot of harassment and mistreatment at work believing that if she just perseveres things will get better. Her father raised her to believe that you have to endure a lot of hardship in order to further your career. But what she goes through at work is awful and hard to watch. She’s mistreated badly. Fortunately it doesn’t last long and she finally stands up for herself and gets some backbone. Seeing her learn to navigate the workplace and excel in her career was fun to watch. She had great character growth too.

The storyline was a bit cliché but the acting was flawless. This drama balanced the mystery, romance, and melodrama quite well. Usually a drama will fixate on the romance so much that the mystery and workplace drama suffers. Or it will focus so much on the mystery and workplace stuff that the romance is lacking. This drama balanced it all very well. I liked that all of the characters were well developed and the storyline had a lot of depth and was very interesting. But the romance was really sweet too.

So why didn’t I give it a perfect 10? This is billed as a romcom but I was a bit disappointed with the romance aspect of it. Its not that it didn’t have romance in it, it had a sweet romance along with some great comedy. There were several nice kisses, lots of back hugs, and cuddles too. But the romance gave off the sweet cute vibes of a youthful couple rather than the more passionate vibes of a mature couple. For a number of years now asian dramas with mature couples have been showing a lot more passion, skinship and steamy kisses. So I felt letdown. I’m not against sweet cute fluffy romcoms by any means. I’ve watched lots of them and I really enjoyed them too. But in the past few years we’ve been seeing that the sweet cute romances are usually in college or school dramas with young actors. But in the mature dramas with older actors (that are experienced in dating) the trend has been to show a more realistic relationship that is more passionate and intimate. And I’ve really embraced this trend because it’s much more true to life and realistic. So there’s sort of an expectation nowadays in regards to the more mature dramas that the romance will be more appropriate to their age. So when this drama had the fluffy sweet youthful romance I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Seeing mature actors acting all sweet, innocent and shy around one another felt very unrealistic, (especially since they had previously dated other people and weren’t innocent in the dating arena). It just didn’t reflect the progress asian dramas have made in the last few years in terms of physical affection.

Overall I’d say this is a really good drama that I’ll probably rewatch at some point. The comedy is very good, the acting is superb, the mystery is fun to figure out, and the actors have a sweet romance. If you go into it not minding that some of the storyline is cliche and that even though the actors are mature the romance is a bit young sweet and fluffy, you’ll love it. It wasn’t perfect but it was one of those rare dramas I didn’t fast forward through and instead binge watched. I liked the message it’s trying to get across and how it makes us analyze love. Every person in the drama did crazy things for love. Some did it for romantic love, some did it for sibling love, some did it for parental love but they all did crazy things for love. Love makes us so crazy we might want to give up on it and all other emotions like the male lead did. But without love are we really even human? Is there even any quality to life without it? I love the wonderful journey this drama takes us on to answer these questions.

For Clarification:
I am aware that Asian dramas are known for being chaste and pure and I personally love that about them. When I watched my first drama, Boys Over Flowers 13 years ago, there was zero physical affection and the kisses were mere pecks and I absolutely adored the drama. But the industry has had tremendous growth since then and I’m loving it. Yes the youth dramas are still innocent and sweet. But the mature dramas are having a lot more physical affection, skinship, and steamy kisses. In my opinion this makes the drama much more realistic and easier to relate to. With dramas like Oh My Venus (2015), Another Miss Oh (2017), and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2019), we’ve seen a a lot of progress in this area. Kisses aren’t little pecks or fish lips anymore and there’s lots more bedroom scenes. And I like that it’s not vulgar sexually like western dramas and is done very tastefully. So when I say I was disappointed in the innocent youthful type of romance this drama had, I’m not saying I don’t like the sweet pure romances Asian dramas depict or that I’m unaware of how these dramas are romance wise. I’m just saying that in this particular drama with mature leads in their 30’s that have admitted to having dated and been in previous relationships, their romance seemed a bit too innocent, shy and pure. Now if they had no dating or relationship experience despite their age I would have been okay with the shy sweet innocent romance because it would have been realistic. But considering their dating past their relationship just wasn’t realistic to me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved their romance, it was super sweet. But any drama that doesn’t keep up with the progress the industry has made and in doing so portrays things in an unrealistic manner, that effects how I feel about the drama and I’m going to say something. Hopefully you will understand where I’m coming from in my critique of this dramas romance.

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One of the funniest dramas I’ve ever watched!

So many people give this drama low ratings because it focuses too much on comedy and romance and not enough on story depth or action. Well let me tell you something guys, that’s what a true romantic comedy is supposed to do. Romcoms are supposed to be focused on romance and comedy. The backstory, underlying meaning of things, character growth, and plot always takes second place to the romance and comedy in a romcom. That’s not to say the drama doesn’t have any depth or good plot lines, it does. It’s just that it’s not the main focus of the drama.

I like that this romcom stays a romcom throughout and never gets too melodramatic or angsty as most dramas do. Yes there are sad parts where I cried, and there was some angst towards the end. But you need a little of that to pull you in and get you invested in the drama. But it never gets too angsty and the comedy is sprinkled throughout the drama to lighten the mood.

One thing about the comedy is that it’s very physical with lots of bathroom humor. It’s not a subtle type of comedy but rather a very silly slapstick style comedy which is not everyone’s cup of tea. You either love it or hate it. I personally found it to be one of the funniest dramas I’ve ever seen. And I’ve watched hundreds of dramas.

I also loved the female leads relationship with her brothers. Her protective big brothers touched my heart and how they all looked out for each other and put each other first was heart warming. But be warned the female lead stands up for herself and is very physical with the people that mess with her. I personally loved her sassiness which she pulled off brilliantly. But some people may not like her strong physical personality.

The male lead is aggressive and tough one minute then a silly little puppy the next minute. Not many actors can play such a diverse character but this guy does it flawlessly.

There is a gay storyline and it’s done very tastefully. I like that neither of the men were portrayed as the typical silly effeminate gay character you see in most dramas. They were very normal everyday guys that were trying to cope with their circumstances. None of the scenes made me feel uncomfortable or awkward. Other dramas could learn a lesson from them. I loved the gay storyline. It was original, sweet, very normal and believable.

If you’re looking for a good romantic comedy then look no further. This is one of the best out there. If you’re usually very focused on depth of plot, action, and want lots of twists and turns then this is not the drama for you.

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Not as good as season 1 but it’s worth the watch

How much you like this drama will largely depend on whether or not you watched season one. If you watched Go Go Squid season one then you probably won’t like this season as much as you did the first one. The storyline is identical so it’s a bit too predictable. But if you never saw the first season then you will probably fall in love with this drama since it will all be new to you. Let me explain.

This is not a continuation of season one nor is it a spinoff of the original drama. It follows the same exact storyline as season one except it comes from the viewpoint of different characters. Everything is seen through DT and Appledog’s eyes this time. We see what they experienced professionally and personally during season one which mainly focused on Gun and Tong Nian’s experiences. On paper it sounds good, but in reality it ends up lacking the originality and uniqueness that set the original Go Go Squid apart from the rest. It’s hard to stay focused and interested when you already know what’s going to happen.

When it started out with flashbacks alluding to what happened to the original team Solo I thought we were just being given a brief bit of background info on what happened in the original drama so we would know what was going on in this one. But the team Solo flashbacks kept going on. Then lots of scenes of Solo arguing with his ex over custody of their child pops up. Then Appledog shows an interest in being an announcer. Then Xiao Mi starts having trouble at SP and decides to retire. So by the time Xiao Mi gets hired on at K&K I finally realized that season two would not have its own original storyline. It shows a bit of what happened both before and after season one, but the majority of the drama focuses on all of the events in season one. It basically re-enacts a lot of the scenes from season one but with different actors and from a different perspective. The storyline became a bit too predictable for me. I felt like I was watching season one all over again except a lot of familiar faces were missing. Be prepared to watch over 30 episodes before the storyline picks up where season one left off and they go to the world championships.

What saved this drama was the romance between DT and Appledog. They have great chemistry and a sweet romance. Their relationship was both realistic and touching. If you like romcoms with real kisses and skinship then you’ll love seeing them together. It’s worth watching just to see their romance.

Even though I was a bit disappointed with the storyline, there were some things I really liked. Like when they explained why the club was named K&K. The reason the club was given that name is so sweet. And they also explained why Wubai chose the name DT. When you find out his reasons for his nickname you’re going to melt. I also loved seeing the Grandpa again. He’s just too cute in this drama. Seeing the story behind Appledog’s decision to be a commentator was nice. I also loved the multiple appearances by Gun and Tong Nian. It was nice to see them again. I really appreciate being able to see the end of their story too. And finally getting to see them compete in the world championships was so exciting!

I deducted 3 stars for three reasons. First, because a lot of the storyline is the same as season one. It’s not unique and lacks originality. Second, because the switch from CTF to robots took away from the story. Each guy on the CTF team had a specific role they personally played in each match. Watching them fight together as a team at the competitions was so touching. But with robots only 1 or 2 players can compete in a match. So it lacked the warmth and camaraderie that the CTF matches had when they competed together. Third, The inconsistencies in the two storylines bothered me. If you’re going to have the exact same storyline but have it seen from someone else’s perspective, then keep the storyline the same. Don’t change it. In season 1 Gun personally managed and lead the team to victory. But in season 2 they had DT do it. In season 1 Solo had been living in the original teams training facility for quite a few years. But in season 2 he buys the empty training facility hoping it will help him get back with Appledog. And in season 2 Xiao Mi’s adorable girlfriend (&Tong Nian’s best friend) doesn’t exist. In season one grandpa lives in Norway and occasionally visits them in China. In this one he lives full time in China. I really dislike inconsistencies and plot holes.

Even though I originally planned on deducting 3 stars, I added back half a star because of the ending. The ending just takes everything and wraps it up in a big bow. It was very touching to see everyone together again. It was one of the more satisfying endings to a drama.

Overall, this isn’t near as good as season one. Be prepared to be bored at times as you have to watch the same exact storyline be re-enacted. And the inconsistencies between the two seasons may bother you as they did me. But the great acting and amazing romance saves this drama. That along with a touching reunion with some of season one’s characters makes it worth the watch.

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Short, racy, & super sweet

This is not for everyone. If you compared dramas to food this would probably be in the junk food category. Junk food has no nutritional value and there are better choices out there, but you can’t help but gobble it up because it’s so tasty. And this drama is just like that. It has no value in that the story isn’t very deep, and there’s certainly a lot of higher rated dramas out there. But you can’t help watching this whole drama in one evening because it’s so sweet and endearing. It’s basically a very toned down version of “50 Shades of Gray.” There’s lots of kissing, skinship, and racy bedroom scenes. It reminds me a lot of “Coffee and Vanilla.”

This drama is a straight forward slice of life story about two people that, because of some unusual circumstances, end up getting married without even knowing each other. There’s not a lot of angst, the reasons for their suddenly deciding to marry a stranger wasn’t very believable, and there’s not a lot to the story. So why is it getting such good ratings? Because after watching so many dramas where you have to watch three fourths of the drama before the couple confesses or gets together, you can’t help but get excited when a drama jumps right into some pretty intense skinship on the very first episode. It’s kind of refreshing to see a drama that boldly shows the affection between a couple right away without teasing us for dozens of episodes.

What is so appealing about this drama is the unique storyline that goes somewhat backwards. They start with marriage, then they flirt and fall in love, then they get to know each other, and work through their misunderstandings. It’s very unusual that events are in such a weird order, but it works. It’s also pretty cute how the male lead likes to tease the female lead. Even though he’s crazy about her from the start, he holds back from telling her because he loves it when she acts cute and tries to seduce him. Both leads are very attractive and their chemistry is on fire. This is definitely much racier than your typical Asian drama.

Overall, if you turn off your brain, don’t think too much, and just sit back and enjoy yourself I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s just a very short, light, fluffy slice of life drama that gets pretty racy right away. But, like I said, it’s not for everyone. If you like deep dramas, dramas with a lot of action, or lengthy dramas, this is definitely not your cup of tea. But if you’re looking for a quick cute little drama that’s light and sweet after watching a deep melodrama that tied you up in knots, then this is perfect. And that’s probably what I’ll use it for. It’s nice to have something super sweet, yet short and easy to watch after a really angsty emotionally draining drama.

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Great romcom with political intrigue

The female lead is a sweet but naughty girl that tends to act first then think later which often ends up getting her into trouble. Then the only solution to save herself is to make up clever lies. She’s pure and has a good heart so she’s constantly having to deal with her guilty conscience her lies create. The perfect example of this is when she lied about her pregnancy. The lie was understandable since it was the only way to get her out of her predicament and save her life. But when she confessed to the male lead I couldn’t help but respect her. She refused to marry him and continue living a lie. This took great courage because he could have put her to death for her falsehood. But she would rather face death than lead him on. You just can’t help but admire her courage and kind heart. She’s a little goofy and funny in the beginning. But as time goes by not only does she mature, but you get to see all of her endearing qualities which makes everyone love her so much.

The male lead hates all of the palace intrigue and doesn’t want to inherit his fathers position. He's a very cold man that prefers being in the military until he meets the female lead. He falls really hard for her and does everything in his power to keep her by his side. Even knowing the pregnancy was fake didn’t stop him from binding her to him by threatening to reveal her secret if she didn’t continue with the fake pregnancy. But he gradually softens up and starts to change. His character growth was a joy to watch. He goes from threatening her with the death of her family if she doesn’t marry him to constantly doting on her.

I liked a lot of the side characters, especially the male leads parents. They were so sweet, understanding, and cute. There were several side couples that made things a little more interesting. But the villain and villainess stole the show. They did a great job of making me hate them. I liked that even though there was angst and sadness it never went on for too long or was overdone. This drama definitely has a lighter feel to it. The story has depth and intrigue but it isn’t overly melodramatic.

There wasn’t too much to dislike about this drama. But one thing that was bothersome was how long they kept the fake pregnancy lie going. It got annoying after a while. The female lead is a bit silly in the first few episodes but hang in there because she does get better later on. And even though the male lead is kind of a jerk in the beginning he turns into a sweet puppy that isn’t afraid to show how he feels. Overall the drama continues to get better with each consecutive episode. And for you romance lovers, the kisses and chemistry is really good in this drama. Even though it’s not perfect, it’s a great drama that will make you laugh, feel sad, then get angry. It’s definitely worth watching.

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Weird name good drama

I have no idea where they came up with the name for this drama. There’s no fairy land nor are there any fairies. What I describe below is not a spoiler. You need to understand these things beforehand in order understand the drama. It’s about an alien race whose ship crashes on earth. They are stranded and fragments of their ship is scattered all over earth. These fragments are made of jade and have special powers. If a person has an extreme obsession the jade fragment can give life to that obsession and their spirit can continue living for hundreds of years trying to fulfill that obsession. The aliens (called heavenly soldiers) have the job of getting rid of these obsessed spirits because after a period of time they become very evil. The male lead is an obsessed spirit that is very good and has managed to contain and control his obsession. He was helped by a female heavenly soldier that died to protect him. She gave him her heavenly soldier bracelet that gives the wearer special powers. He becomes a spiritual doctor and cures obsessed spirits of their obsession before they turn evil. Heavenly soldiers (the aliens) and the obsessed spirits are natural born enemies.

The female lead intrigues the male lead because she can do things she’s not supposed be able to do. She’s an ordinary human but relics of the alien race, like its sacred peach tree, responds to her touch. He’s a very cold person but he rents an entire floor in her families large ancestral home because he wants to figure her out. Their story and their past lives were quite interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed unraveling their mystery. They also have a great romance with some nice kissing scenes. I liked that they had both romance and mystery to their story.

There are some nice second and third couples whose stories are well fleshed out. For a good two thirds of the drama they mostly help obsessed spirits and the stories were pretty deep and interesting. Of course along the way romance blooms, couples bicker, there’s lots of comedic relief and then evil plots start forming behind the scenes. The last third of the drama it starts to get angsty and sad. So many things happen so quickly. It goes from cute romcom to melodrama. But this is very typical of Chinese dramas lately so I wasn’t surprised. I would have preferred either a light fluffy romcom or a melodrama but not both combined into one.
But that being said, I still really enjoyed this drama. It has a pretty deep storyline that kept me hooked and a satisfying ending that made sense. There were no loose ends or unanswered questions. It reminded me a lot of The Goblin. Especially when the male lead who is an obsessed spirit, and the second male lead who is a heavenly soldier become good friends. Not only do these sworn enemies have a great bromance, they even cohabitate. In the beginning when they were using their powers to throw objects across the room at each other I had major Goblin vibes. It’s not as good as Goblin but it’s well worth the time invested in watching it.

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A truly great romcom

If Love o2o and Go Go Squid had a love child it would be called Falling Into Your Smile. This drama reminded me a lot of these two dramas. Just like Love o2o the main leads never doubt each other, they communicate well, and never have any issues in their romance. There are no messy breakups, no noble idiocy, no mean in-laws, and no love triangles. And it doesn’t have a lot of angst or heavy melodrama either. It also reminded me a lot of Go Go Squid with its riveting gaming competitions. I loved how the teams worked and lived together just like a family. The camaraderie and team spirit were quite touching. If you liked Love o2o and Go Go Squid then you’ll love this because they’re quite similar.

Most dramas first few episodes aren’t that interesting as they set up the storyline. Introducing a variety of characters and their backstories may be crucial to the plot but it can be quite tedious and uninteresting. But this drama is quite interesting right from the beginning. It takes us into the world of gaming with a live match right away. Then we get to meet some intriguing characters which will crack you up. This drama has some great comedy. There’s not really any slow moments and I didn’t have to fast forward at all. And it stays a romcom throughout the whole drama which was refreshing.

One thing that I like about this drama is that it’s about more than just romance and gaming. It delves into deeper subjects like how public figures deal with immense pressure from fans, the news media, their managers, and social media. They also have to deal with the disrespectful attitude most people have that e-sports is just a bunch of people sitting around playing games for fun. They don’t see it as a legitimate career worthy of respect. Then there are the gamers parents who want them to quit e-sports and get a ‘real job’. I also appreciated how hard the female lead works to help people see that women can be just as good at gaming as men are.

The gaming aspect of the drama was fun and made it more interesting. I wish that they made it a little easier to follow and understand. There are lots of different characters to choose from during the game and they seem to play a different character every time they compete. So it’s hard to know who is who when they’re playing. Plus, the games rules aren’t explained at all. So expect to get a bit lost and confused during the games.

Chinese dramas tend to have perky, upbeat, outgoing female leads that are often silly and naive but cute. But the female lead in this drama is different. She’s more reserved, serious and focused on her career. And she’s determined to prove to the male dominated gaming world that women can be just as good as men in e-sports. Therefore we don’t see a cute bubbly happy female lead like we usually do in cdramas. Instead we see a more aloof, reserved female lead that’s very focused on her career. Some have complained about her facial expressions, especially because she rarely smiles and her nickname in the gaming world is ‘Smiling’. She chose that name to honor a past gamer she admires, not because she smiles a lot. Her lack of smiles and cute or silly facial expressions is not poor acting, it’s how her character is written. If you understand that she is portraying a more soft spoken laidback type of character then you’ll enjoy her acting like I did.

I took off one star for a couple of reasons. Most of the actors in this drama are new and even though they did a great job, you can still tell the difference between them and the more seasoned veteran actors. The other reason would be because of how confusing the games are. It’s really hard to know what’s going on during the gaming competitions and that’s a big part of the drama. But don’t let those two things hold you back because the games are still fun to watch and they’re acting is still really good, especially for newbies.

I can’t end this without addressing the romance in the drama. The romance had amazing chemistry with lots of steamy kisses. And once they get together he just can’t seem to keep his hands off of her. Expect lots of kiss scenes, back hugs, princess carrying, and cuddling. They did an amazing job on the romance in this drama. There’s also a secondary couple that are fun to watch and added a lot to the drama.

In conclusion, this is one of those rare dramas that is low on angst but is still very interesting, which is hard to do. There are no breakups, no hateful parents, no scheming second leads, and no love triangles. Yet I couldn’t stop binge watching it. And that’s highly unusual for me. It’s not perfect but it’s definitely close. Don’t pass this one up, you’ll regret it.

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Original and funny

Originally I avoided this show because I disliked the storyline. The idea of watching a drama that revolved around a bunch of backstabbing politicians sounded boring. But since the ratings were high and the reviews said it was light and funny I decided to go ahead and watch it. And I’m glad I did. Even though the story does revolve around politics they don’t overdo it with angst or go too crazy. This drama does a great job of getting you all worked up over a situation but then easing the tension with some great comedy. I also liked that nothing was drawn out too long and whatever got you upset gets resolved in a reasonable amount of time. This is a true romantic comedy that stays true to its genre without ever turning into a melodrama.

As for the romance, it’s woven throughout the drama and it’s sweet but it’s never the main focal point of the show. There’s lots of real kisses and skinship and this couple has some amazing chemistry. It’s not a really lovey dovey romantic show though. But since the romance isn’t the main focus there are some great benefits. There are no love triangles, no evil parents opposing the couple, and no breakups.

It’s just a really cute funny drama that focuses on the little people in this world and shows how they can accomplish so much in their lives if they just put their mind to it and try a little harder. It also exposes the deep corruption in politics and shows just how far some people will go to in order to maintain their powerful positions. But despite the deep message, the drama stays surprisingly light funny and sweet. It’s a definite must watch in my book.

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Short, spicy, and unique

The one thing I like about Jdrama’s is how different they are from all the other Asian dramas out there. I’m getting a little burned out on kdramas because they’re all starting to look the same. I’m so tired of waiting 10 plus episodes for the first kiss, seeing jealous second leads sabotaging the main leads, getting frustrated over silly misunderstandings that would never happen in real life, and enduring unnecessary angst. This drama was the total opposite of that. The main leads kiss on the first episode, and boy was it a kiss! There are no jealous obsessed second leads, no unnecessary angst, and the main couple actually talk to each other about their problems. It was so refreshing!

Kei (the male lead) is called the phantom because he never seems to leave work and can be seen all over the building both during the daytime and nighttime, almost like a ghost. He seems to be drifting through life without much purpose or concern for his health, often forgetting to eat and sleep. He tells Momo (the female lead) that he pushes himself like that because it’s the only way he knows how to keep himself going. He’s very lonely and no one seems to notice or care that he’s not taking care of himself. But Momo’s concern for his welfare touches him. And he’s instantly drawn to her kind sweet personality. He’s a very bold take charge type of guy that becomes very loving and protective of Momo.

Momo is a very simple sweet girl with a heart of gold. She is probably one of the most shy naive characters I've ever seen, especially with the opposite sex. But her genuine concern for others touches everyone around her. She’s hardworking and quite loyal too.

The romance in this drama was done really well. The kissing scenes are quite steamy and numerous. And if you’re easily offended at bed scenes then you should skip this drama because they spend a lot of time kissing, cuddling, and doing other stuff (ahem, cough cough) in the bedroom. He’s very straightforward and aggressive and even though she’s a shy virgin she makes it clear that she’s fallen for him. They are a super sweet couple with amazing chemistry.

The storyline doesn’t have much to it. There’s a mysterious aura about the male lead and his past that I found interesting, but other than that it didn’t really have much depth. But what made me give it such high marks was because it was so unique. Even though the male lead sees the female lead, who is now his girlfriend, embrace another man and even feed him a bite of cake, he doesn’t flip out with jealousy or misunderstand the situation. He actually understands her naive actions and trusts her. And the female lead trusts the male lead too. Imagine that! They actually trust each other without jumping to conclusions and misunderstanding things. It was refreshing to see a drama where the main leads had a healthy relationship.

Okay so let’s talk about what I didn’t like. I took off a full point because most of the other characters were just there to move the story along. There were no other couples and we really didn’t get to know any of the side characters or their stories. The entire dramas focus was on the main leads and no one else. I would have loved to get to know the male leads best friend Fukami a little better. I also took a half point off because we never got to see the female leads backstory. There were no family or friends or info on her past. The only people in her life were her coworkers and they didn’t seem super close to her. It would have been nice if she had a best friend she was super close to that could have filled us in on her past.

Overall I’d say this is one of the better Jdrama’s I’ve watched. It’s short, super sweet, spicy, and refreshingly unique. I loved how a good deal of the drama was filmed in low lighting that set this dark shadowy mysterious mood. It wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but I enjoyed how light sweet and refreshing it was. Don’t miss out on this hidden gem.

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Almost as good as the original

First let’s just review the drama itself without comparing it to the original.
This drama has a very original storyline that’s completely unpredictable. With hundreds of dramas under my belt I’m very good at figuring out what’s going to happen in a drama. But I would never have dreamed the reason why the male lead was seeing his future. So I give top scores for the very original storyline.
The romance is good with real kisses and lots of cuddles and cuteness. There’s a lot of push and pull between the leads in the beginning but it’s for very believable reasons. And the main leads have great chemistry.
This drama has lots of action with no dragging in the middle like some dramas tend to do. It’s well written with great acting and definitely worth the watch.

Now let’s compare it to the original:
(This is only for those that have seen the original drama. If you haven’t seen either version yet be forewarned it may contain spoilers and you might want to skip this part).
It’s rare when a remake is as good as the original but this one comes close. It followed the original almost exactly scene for scene word for word and only skipped a few parts. It’s very good and the acting is great! I have to say that this one may have been even better than the original if it hadn’t left out a few of my favorite scenes from the original Korean version. My favorite scene is where the friend is stuck hiding behind the couch while the main couple are all over each other celebrating their decision to get married. It’s just so funny and their chemistry is on fire. But this drama didn’t have that scene. It also skipped some cute funny scenes between the secondary couple (the male leads sister and the lawyer friend). Like the scene where she stops up the toilet and he saves the day. I missed that scene because it totally cracked me up. And in the original drama the male lead is furious at his friend for getting his sister pregnant which seemed more realistic to me. But in this one he just pats him on the shoulder. I felt that this drama wasn’t as good as the original. It’s still a really good drama. But it left out some of the best scenes that really made the show. And that’s a shame because the actors did a really great job. If you liked the original you’ll like this one too. It’s almost identical with the exception of a few scenes. Overall I’d say it’s a great drama worth watching even if you saw the original one.

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