Even better than the movie!!

As a fan of the movie and BNK48, I was really excited for this remake (the lead actress is from a Thai idol group, BNK48). There are two main reasons why remakes fail; either it's too simple or it told a completely different story.

Bad Genius (2020) was able to retell the story that we love without being redundant. That's what makes it so good.

I personally think the series was able to give justice to the characters more compared to the movie. The movie had a lot of elements which were jam-packed into the limited movie runtime. The series was able to expound on those elements which I really appreciate. The characters were given more time to develop and it's not simply an exam cheating story; it's a story about friendship, family, betrayal and many more.

There are many unexpected twists and turns which keeps me interested. The intensity of this drama is on another level. I would say, the ending broke me. I was mad, but a part of me feels like I don't have the right to get mad. I was also happy. I don't really know how to explain since I don't want to spoil the story.

This series is a must-watch! Actors are really great, Plearnpichaya Komalarajun (Lin) and Sawanya Paisarnpayak (Grace) really stood out. Great cast, great story, great series. I will definitely rewatch this someday!

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An extremely painful story you will never forget

I don’t know where to begin; there’s so much to say. My friend recommended this drama to me; she said, “this drama made me not want to get married.” I thought she was exaggerating a little but it made me curious so I gave it a shot. She’s not wrong.

My initial thoughts were, “oh it’s about a man cheating, of course,” but it’s so much more than that. There were so many unexpected turns and I couldn’t keep still while watching. This drama made me very emotional. It’s an extremely dramatic story which really pierced my heart. There were really beautiful scenes but most of them hurt. I love the female lead but there were a couple of instances wherein I questioned her actions because she was just way too kind. Sometimes I want to get up and do it for her, whack whoever needs to be whacked, you know what I mean.

I am not yet in that marriage phase in my life but this story really hit me hard. It’s the shortest but most dramatic Chinese drama I’ve ever watched. I don’t think I will watch it again because it’s just way too sad. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great drama; the writers and actors did well. I just don’t think I have the energy to put up with such intensity all over again.

This drama taught me a lot of things. It made me think a lot and I feel like I might actually start doubting people because of the betrayal this story portrayed. Sometimes trust isn’t enough. Overall, it’s a great drama, but expect a rollercoaster ride! I’m pretty satisfied with the ending. Great drama!

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short, straight to the point, and exciting!

I appreciate this drama because of 3 things: it's straight to the point (not a lot of filler scenes), realistic, and kinda sexy (which we don't always get in Asian dramas)

This is my type of drama. I love heavy dramas that break my heart but teach me so many things at the same time. There were a lot of painful and difficult things in this drama that felt so realistic because it's part of life (couples splitting after a long time, sacrifices, etc).

Regarding the sexy scenes, it's not graphic at all, but there are hot moments and a few kisses here and there. Much appreciated tho, some couples in long dramas (40+ eps) can't even hold hands/look at each other HAHA

Also, can I just say how beautiful the OST is??

I'm not even 20 but this show feels so nostalgic for some reason, I don't know, I felt like I was in a different life/timeframe because of how much I felt like I was part of the show. Loved it!

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fun and light, definitely a feel-good, will make you smile drama

I love older woman-younger man dramas. I find it really cute and it makes me soft. The leads have amazing chemistry which kept me excited and entertained, but overall, this drama isn't anything special. But if you want to watch something light and fun, this drama may be for you.

The story is very basic; they're just in the office. Nothing heavy or crazy. The plot revolves around the two leads getting together. It did take a while, but it didn't feel long or draggy, so that's a plus.

The worst thing in this drama are the OSTs. OSTs are very important to me because it adds so much emotions and the impact of the drama feels stronger when the OST gets stuck in your head. The OSTs are terrible, not even going to sugarcoat it. The songs are very happy with subpar vocals. I know that's not the main point of the drama but I really did not like it.

The ending is quite anti-climactic and cliche, not gonna lie, but probably because I saw so many trailers in douyin before seeing the finale. The entire plot is pretty cliche so don't expect too much, but the chemistry saved it. Not the best drama out there, but I did have fun. I doubt I'll watch it again.

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Growing up scares me but this drama gave me a little bit of strength.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t feel like watching this drama when someone told me about it, mainly because the story has a very similar concept with my all-time favorite drama, Ode To Joy. Ode To Joy is the drama that made me obsessed with Chinese dramas and I didn’t want a similar show that might change the way I see the story. Nothing But Thirty is NOT a remake of Ode To Joy but if you’ve watched Ode To Joy, you will understand what I mean by “similar”.

Although it has similar concepts with Ode To Joy, Nothing But Thirty has its own elements that sets it apart from other dramas. The storyline was different enough to keep me hooked and I enjoyed most of it. Although I am not nearing my thirties (yet haha), I was able to relate to the characters and understand their struggles.

I’ll share a little bit about the three ladies. First we have Wang Manni. She’s a simple woman who’s struggling in a big city. (She is very similar with Fan Shengmei of Ode To Joy). Even if her life is tough, she continues to work hard in hopes of a better life in Shanghai. It’s an accurate representation of women who have to work endlessly and can’t settle down even if it’s about time. Her life isn’t the worst but it’s quite tough. I admire her strength; I think that quality really stood out.

Next we have Zhong Xiaoqing. She’s very bubbly and caring. (She is similar with Qiu Yingying of OTJ). I love how positive she is but sometimes I also hate that because people can easily take advantage of her because she’s too kind. Her character development was interesting and I love that she eventually learned how to stand up for herself. I love Xiaoqing’s story. I think her character developed really well and seeing her succeed kinda made me proud.

Lastly, we have Gu Jia. Gu Jia’s character confused me a lot. For the first half of the show I didn’t really understand her but in the end, everything made sense. She’s very insightful and she cares a lot about everybody, including her subordinates. She’s not that stereotypical rich woman and I love her. Gu Jia is very elegant and fancy but she knows how to get things done. She’s the accurate representation of a “strong, independent woman”.

I can’t choose a favorite character; there’s so much to love about the three ladies. It’s a heartwarming story that was written well. I would admit that I did skip some parts mainly because each episode switches from the life of a character to another and some scenes felt unnecessary. The story was a little stretched so there were boring bits here and there but overall, it’s worth a watch. I learned so much from them and their friendship is something everyone would want.

If you’ve watched Ode To Joy, you will surely love this one. If you’ve watched this, I suggest you watch Ode To Joy next!

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I was obsessed with this drama for more than ONE YEAR

I was pretty late with this drama, I watched it in late 2017. I got hooked instantly because the 5 main characters have such unique personalities. It was very light in the beginning, but it did get heavy and it made me emotional many times. There's just something about this drama that took me to a whole new world, and all I could ever think about for an entire year were the characters. I'm not joking; my friends got me Evian water for my birthday because of my obsession.

Speaking of the Evian water, my favorite character is Andi (played by Liu Tao). Liu Tao is such a BEAUTIFUL woman; to this day she's one of the most beautiful actresses in my list. She's been in the entertainment industry since her teenage years and I'm not surprised, because you can really tell that she knows what she's doing. Her character, Andi, was the one I resonated with the most, despite our huge differences. I felt the pain she could feel; it was a very emotional and heartbreaking experience. As a character who experienced a lot of trauma, it was satisfying to watch her character develop, and during that process, a part of me was also fulfilled.

I'd love to tell you everything I love about this drama, but I'll leave that up to you. It's been a few years and I still have not found a drama that made me feel the way this made me feel. They made me laugh, cry, think, smile, and I will always go back to the little world that I was in while watching this drama.

If you've watched this, go and check out Season 2 as well. Although S2 wasn't as engaging as S1, it was still nice to know where the characters were at.

Is it worth watching in 2020? YES. Trust me, you're going to love this drama.

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Probably going to be my new fav kdrama for a while

I haven't watched that many Kdrama titles but the storyline of "Flower of Evil" seemed really interesting so I decided to watch this series. I did consider dropping this series because it revolves around murder and death, and I haven't been too well mentally so some scenes made me a little bit uncomfortable. However, I figured that it wasn't too dark, plus I couldn't really stop watching because the plot was so interesting haha.

I have mixed feelings regarding the ML. He's a character that I want to love, but so many things keep holding me back. I did like how his character developed, but I think there were some inconsistencies here and there, but nothing too major that threw me off.

My favorite character is the FML. I know some people found her annoying because she cried a lot but instead of being annoyed, I pitied her. If I was in her position, I don't think I would've done what she did, not gonna lie. Her love for her husband really touched my heart; sometimes I wonder if people can really love as much as she did.

The storyline was pretty intense and there were a lot of foreshadowing. I was confused for a long time but eventually, things started to fall into place. This drama made me scream and cry a lot hahaha. I am a huge fan of melodrama and I really enjoyed this one.

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my FAVORITE couple ever!!!

The male and female leads are very talented actors. Their natural chemistry is what made this drama stand out. I'm not a huge fan of cliché stories, but the couple made me watch this drama. They're very cute and quirky which made the series so exciting. Some scenes made me cringe but laugh at the same time so I'm not going to complain. I would admit that the second half of the series was anticlimactic, especially after they got together (not really a spoiler because that's already given haha). The story focused more on external factors and less of the couple, but the main couple is why I stayed, so the lack of cute and romantic scenes in the other half made it less interesting. The supporting stories were also predictable, so those scenes weren't really worth watching.

The second couple is the worst drama couple, at least in my opinion. Unlike the main couple, the second couple made me cringe the entire, I mean the ENTIRE time. I couldn't stand them. They had no chemistry and most of their scenes made me cringe really bad; I couldn't even make myself finish those scenes.

The OSTs and soundtracks were pretty good; it helped set the mood and it made the overall experience great.

Generally, it's a good drama. Most of the time I don't watch cute office dramas because they're too cliché and they make me cringe so much but this one is an exception. Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi are such great actors and they were able to give justice to their roles. Would I recommend? If you want a cute couple with great chemistry who will make you laugh (and maybe fall in love), then yes, definitely watch this one.

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