Just when I was starting to get bored from the kdrama tropes and had switched to watching mainly cdramas, Extraordinary You came out.

It was a pleasant surprise to see these young actors who don't have much experience as leads under their belts - yet they carried the story so effortlessly. So much so that I completely bought the story about life in the world of comic books.

The main characters' side swipes at the overused tropes of romantic dramas were what got me hooked in the beginning, but it was the heartfelt acting - especially from our two leads, that kept me going.

I felt every smile, every tear, every fear that went through their faces. And I prayed as hard as they did to writer-nim to please make this a happy ending.

Yes, it's not perfect, there were some threads left hanging and some sub-plots that were too conveniently solved. But it didn't ruin the story for me.

Most of all, I like the overarching message in the drama - that we have the power over our own lives, we just have to have the courage to take control.

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I love this drama so much I don't even know where to start!

I guess with the leads first. After watching them in The Legends I put them both on my watchlist because their chemistry is through the roof! Xu Kai expresses so much emotions through his eyes alone that I felt what he feels in scenes even when he's not saying anything.

Kudos to Bai Lu also for carrying her weight in this drama. It didn't feel like a woman pretending to be a man as it happens in most gender bender dramas. She really moved and acted like a man, with swagger and all that.

I loved the supporting cast as well, from the classmates to the faculty, and their friends outside the academy. Even the side stories and their missions were interesting!

The weakest link for me was the female antagonist. I felt her character portrayal a bit canned and 2 dimensional, no depth or layers to her personality. I didn't buy into her motivations for being the way she is.

Special mention to the styling - I loved the dresses, and especially loved the trench coats of both the males and females. Xu Kai's trench coats are to die for!

Lastly I would like to give a special mention to the opening OST. Most of the time when I watch dramas I skip the opening song and get straight to the drama, but here I find myself letting the song finish because I loved the beat so much.

A really enjoyable, well thought out production! Much recommended!

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I am writing this while a smile is still plastered on my face as I just finished the last episode.

This drama is very light and fluffy, personal conflicts are quickly resolved and even business issues are not presented as too dark or overwhelming.

I loved how the male lead was totally devoted to his woman from start to finish. And the kisses - oh my lord, they're sizzling! I can feel how Xia Ke was actually trying to restrain himself from showing too much passion but couldn't help it because he loved her too much. Their chemistry was through the roof!

I must admit that I didn't like the actor's other drama, Eternal Love, so I was hesitant to watch this at first. But I loved Bai Lu and decided to give this a chance. Never regretted it! I was hooked from episode 1.

Storywise, it's not a very complicated plot and really just focused on the romance. I particularly liked how they made the characters experience different types of love and dating, and allowed them to realize what it means to really love someone - selflessly and unconditionally.

Much love and gratitude to the cast and crew for doing a great job!

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First off let me just say that I don't watch many action/conspiracy dramas so my experience in this genre is not so extensive. And maybe that's the reason why I was able to enjoy it this much.

I liked the flow of the story and how it kept me guessing, the unpredictable twists and turns, and the emotionally-loaded decisions the main characters had to make.

LSG once again proved his chops as an action star, the stunts were thrilling and tension filled. It was also nice to see Shin Shung Rok as a good guy this time.

I didn't like the actress who played Jessica that much but it was something I could live with.

All in all I found this to be a great drama. The lack of romance didn't bother me at all.

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I rarely cry with teen dramas because I feel like most of the problems portrayed are either exaggerated or too shallow.

BUT this one is different. The story is quite deep yet realistic, the problems each character encounters and they way they react to it make sense and quite close to how real people deal with problems, both the teens and the adults.

I especially love the acting, Kris Fan most of all. I feel all his emotions, his conflicts, his struggles with his choices, and how he is humbled when he realizes his faults.

Loved this drama and plan to rewatch soon!

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Roller coaster ride but the story made sense to me. There were moments it felt unrealistic to have two alphas practically destroying their careers for a woman, that's why I rated the plot as 8, but I'm willing to make concessions bec this is a drama. I get it, some exaggerations may be called for to get emotions across.

But overall, I like how the characters stayed consistent to their "character" despite going thru several subplots of office conflicts.

*spoilers ahead*
WeiWei was someone who takes time before making decisions, but once she does she sticks to it. No going back. And she stayed that way til the very end

Haoyi was always a selfish person, even during their most loving moments. He only ever saw his dreams, his plans. And even during the breakup, he only saw his pain. To some viewers I guess it looked his a convenient excuse for the plot development, but I disagree bec I know there really are people who are like this.

And Kehuan, persistent and goal oriented in life, I understand how it would nsturally translate to his love life. It was more unnatural to me actually that he stuck to a dead relationship for a long time. I would have thought with his personality he would be one to move on swiftly and "cut losses".

I also like how WeiWei gave herself - and Kehuan too - time to heal and move on and grow before getting in a new relationship, despite acknowledging their mutual attraction.

****end of spoilers****

Loved this drama and am planning to rewatch soon. There are many lessons here, especially for those in long term relationships to not take your partner for granted and to listen closely to whatever they tell you. Maybe they are already telling you they are unhappy but you just don't hear it.

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FL character growth

Just watched this for the 3rd time after a 2yr hiatus from dramas overall and fell in love with the characters all over again!

Yes, the plot seems cliche - cold, overbearing CEO falls for innocent, bubbly poor girl - but I like the way ML lets FL think for herself. Despite the huge difference in status, he respects her intellect and trusts her to make the right decisions for herself and their relationship, sometimes with a little prodding from him.

*Spoilers ahead*
I especially love the scene where he asks her if he's the one who goes bankrupt and gets buried in debt, would she leave him? Because she was wavering and wanted to back out from their wedding because her family owed him 10 million. Then he didnt just waive the debt, because he knew shr wont feel comfortable with it, but instead pushed and encouraged her to rise to the challenge and solve the problem herself.

** end of spoilers**

I must say that the ML is a huge part of FLs growth - without him, she would have been content to just coast along and stay in her comfortable yet mediocre space despite having the skills and opportunity to be and do better because nobody expected her to, until she met ML.

I also love her parents, esp her dad, for putting the family's pride and honor above all. Though he might have gone overboard in some of his decisions, as a parent, I understand where he is coming from : his child is more valuable than any material possession in the world and he only wants the best for her.

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First of all, props to Song Weilong and Victoria Song! They have a real 10+ years age gap, but I felt the chemistry. *hot* So much so that I wanted to skip all the epiaodes in the 2nd half that they weren't in. Lol.

But the side stories carried their iwn weight, too. I loved how this show portrayed friendships, loyalty, family values, and that life is not all black and white - there are lots of gray areas, and that it's okay.

Finally, it showed what love is like - selfish yet selfless, mindless yet mindful, all-consuming yet liberating. It is not planned, cannot be dictated, sometimes painful and always confusing - but then we wouldn't want it any other way.

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I think this drama deserves a higher rating than what it got here on MDL.

It's not perfect, and I found the male lead's acting to be over the top especially when he's trying to portray immaturity, he looks childish instead.

But I admire the writer for the story premise - it is grounded in reality where life doesn't end after the couple kisses, where not all endings are happy, and that people are not just black or white: there is always gray in all of us.

I also like how they threw shade at drama tropes, particularly the over used plot of a candy girl loving the rich man with absolutely no interest in his wealth.

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I'm writing this review as I re-watch this drama for the 4th (or 5th?) time. I guess that's enough to show how much I loved this.

This drama made me laugh, cry, think, and most of all, it made me FEEL. I cared for the lives of the characters and the decisions they made.

First of all, I loved how they flipped the roles here - with the FL being the brawns and the ML the brains in their relationship. They complement and bounce off each other's strengths and weaknesses, helping them both grow in the process. It was refreshing to see the ML, despite his status, not afraid or ashamed to lean on the FL - and show everybody how much in awe he was of her. That is not to say he didn't have his flaws, esp at the beginning, but he was quick to admit to his mistakes and tries to make up for them the best way he knows how.

And the FL was not afraid to voice out her opinions either, not letting the difference in their status make her feel inferior. She entered the relationship as an equal, and she made it clear everytime.

Even the side stories were very interesting and held me captive throughout each episode, each character drawing me into their own stories.

Aside from the main pair, I especially loved the king, and the relationship between the brothers. No intrigue or envy between them, which is unusual for a plot involving royalty. The royal family as a whole was very loving and supportive of each other.

I also loved Hang Ah's father - his love and care and the eat he protects her yet lets her make her own decisions hits me in all the right spots.

It's not perfect, and if you nitpick I'm sure you'll find something to complain about. Mine was the foreign actors playing minor roles, they could have had better. But the main cast carried the show well enough on their own.

Very refreshing, thrilling, romantic ride with bursts of comedy and melancholy from time to time.

Must watch!

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