Cleaning Elves (2021)

Use For My Talent; Sweet, But Unremarkable ...

Let’s be honest for a and disregard the " Korean vs. Chinese version" argument by openly confessing that neither version will ever be a " masterpiece". Of course, this is not to say that both versions of the show were "unwatchable". Both cast and production values in the dramas are good . However, the screenwriting? Well, that’s another issue entirely.

For those unaware, the Chinese version follows the same basic premise as its predecessor; successful male lead and owner of a cleaning company Gu Ren Qi ( Jasper Liu) suffers from Mysophobia as a result of trauma. Through a series of strange events, he ends up meeting and employing female lead Shi Shuang Jiao ( Shen Yue), however, she is his polar opposite by her unkempt and blasé nature towards dirt . Ultimately this leads to a complicated rocky road as Ren Qi discovers himself falling in love with our female lead.

Cultural changes aside, there are a couple of things which did work well in this version ; the male lead seem a bit more paved out as a character with his backstory, and he did not have the same accentuated reactions ( as his Korean counterpart) to a piece of dirt. However, ultimately Ren Qi did suffer the same fate as a" staid male lead". His backstory (rather than being used for development), is played upon the " tragic trope” card with few defining reactions or emotions outside of chasing the female lead Shi Shuang Jiao.

Shi Shuang Jiao was also your archetypical " prosaic heroine". There was nothing inherently wrong per say with Shuang Jiao as a female lead. She was sweet and a kind-hearted person,however, if you could put an evident sticky label on Shuang Jiao, then it would certainly read; the ‘“quirky and cutesy” female lead who is" stuck in the middle" between Ren Qi and the " boy next door" Lu Xian’( Dai Yun Fan). After all, Shen Qiao only truly existed in the series as the " love interest" rather than an individual in her own right.

Of course, then there’s the pairing between Shuang Jiao and Ren Qi. Admittedly, whilst there is certainly emphasis in the Chinese version of Ren Qi and Shuang Jiao sharing "mutual ground", this is also where the series hits a bit of a rut also. This is because whilst it is implied over their shared " traumatic pasts" helping their relationships to develop, it is hard to truly define what either Ren Qi or Shuang Jiao truly saw in one another ( apart from this) in the first place.

The side characters of the series were a little forgettable . Second main lead Lu Xian did have the potential to be intriguing , however, his ineffable desire to " chase after the female lead" and not truly having a life outside of wanting to win her affections put any possible character development down the drain . The other two pairings of the show between Zhu Yan ( Su Meng Di), Shi Jun Jie ( Yanan), Li Dong Xian ( Charles Lin) and Wang Qian Qian ( Huang Si Rui) were arguably more entertaining at times than our main leads, though they were certainly nothing to write home about either with cliche setups.

So, what’s left to say about " Use For My Talent" and is it worth watching ?The Chinese adaptation wasn’t inherently "bad" per say. It did have a really good cast and an incredibly sweet pairings. For fans of cutesy romantic dramas then this is right up your street, however, just don’t expect great character development either.

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So close to becoming my favorite.

The show is about the male lead having a phobia and the female lead (at first) being the main trigger to his phobia. Over time they grow closer and y'know. I feel like other than that, there's nothing else.

I personally find this show pretty light to watch, meaning that you could either watch to past time or just to watch while doing something in the background. Not something to get really attached to. I RARELY see any dramas about germ phobias at all! As this was my first one. And I haven't watched the Korean version of this but I could say that the story was pretty good!
I personally think the last two Episodes were boring, I won't spoil but their were boring to the point where I looked off my computer screen for some time to do other things.

I also have to point out the second lead, a lot of people state that he's annoying and they hate him but it's eh for me really. I do agree he was annoying at times but he wasn't that bad.
(Edit 7/23/21: Nevermind, I remember me skipping/looking away whenever I saw him on screen 85% of the time)

The relationship between Renqi and Shaung was so cute! Loved them! I do find their relationship kind of draggy though.

The acting was amazing to me! I think Jasper played his role really well, especially in Episode 20, their was a scene where I really LOVED Jasper's acting at that moment.

The music was AMAZING!! I loved it so much! Pretty light and catchy!

Am I rewatching?
It's an 8 since I would re watch but not ALL episodes, some episodes were really useless to me.

In total, would've been my favorite BUT some episodes were meaningless and the last two episodes got me bored. I have to add about the side couples, they were okay. At first, didn't care for either as I thought they were annoying but I like both of them! The more you watch this the more the plot is predictable at this point, will miss this show though! Been watching since it aired :)
Give this is a try if you're looking for a light rom com! Nothing with action or gore much. Though you probably will find yourself bored of it episodes later.

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My favorite Mr Gu drama

So far this is my favorite Mr Gu drama there is. I did watch 3 out of the 4 Mr Gu dramas and one is dropped and the other one is on hold (Miss crow and mr lizard). This drama is very simple in terms of story line but both main leads acting is amazing. Shen Yue has improved so much on her acting since Meteor Garden and Jasper is very sweet and caring so the chemistry for me is amazing.

The female lead is very simple , there are no clumsy scenerios , no jealousy or acts likes shes dumb. Male lead makes his mistakes here and there but they dont become toxic behavior or too much to handle. Both of them make a good couple in the drama and I enjoy that alot. Plus in comparison to the korean version this drama wins by far. The lead is not abusive nor rude to the main lead which was a problem to me in the version. I think all sweet scenes between both leads gave an amazing warmth feeling and made me love them together in the drama.

Second lead couple
I love it , bodyguard/ chofer with love story with a rich not spoiled girl is amazing. The thing with all couples in this drama is that the issues they have are not dragged to 5 episodes but for atleast 1 or 2 which I love. I think the 3 couples in this drama acted well.

Probably the only issue I have is the second male lead which was annoying. I think his character or maybe his actions very unnecessary instead of him making some sort of tension he became very annoying and actually toxic. This drama is not real all scenerarios are pretty impossible but he is another level of crazy. Definetly no second lead syndrome

This drama is not out of this world but is a sweet short drama to watch just to get the feels of a good day.

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Shen Yue you done well...?

i liked the acting of SHEN YUE, she done well. And all the casts as well. Although it is remake but it differ in version. I like the chinese version not because of the Shen Yue, but the story as well. The music, OMG i like their OST "Pure Love" very romantic and its fits very well the concept. I keep on watching it 2x already and still counting because i love the chemistry of Shen Yue and Jasper.kudos UFMT production team. Hope there will be UFMT part 2 with thier kid/s ? Jasper and Shen Yue, hope you have more project again. And what i had observed to Shen Yue, she is improving her acting.

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Beautiful Drama

Perfect visuals, perfect storyline, perfect ost, everything in this drama is perfect, especially Shenyue. i love you Shenyue, i love you jasper, i love you Yanan, i love you da'i yunfan, i love you Charles wk. Btw Shen Yue is a Chinese actress, singer, and model. In 2017, she was discovered when a photographer posted her photo online where she was selected for the reality show "Summer Sweetie", a broadcast by Hunan Broadcasting System. Shen Yue made her acting debut in the Chinese television series "Autumn Harvest Uprising" and proceeded to play a supporting role in the science fiction comedy television series "Let's Shake It". Shen Yue rose to fame with her role as Chen Xiaoxi in the campus romance drama "A Love So Beautiful", based on the novel To Our Pure Little Beauty by Zhao Gangan, catapulting her to fame in China and internationally.

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The Best Remake.

Ain't fan of remakes but because the trailer got me, I decided to give it a try. I didn't expect that I will fall in love with the whole cast, story. Everything about the drama was so good. The chemistry of Shen Yue and Jasper Liu was superb. Can't believe that there's actually an 11 years age gap between the main leads. I also love the side stories. The acting was also good. Shen Yue really did improve in this series. The kissing scenes made me want to jump out of giddy and glee. Indeed, this is my fav. romance comedy drama I have watch this year. I also seen the behind the scenes and even there, the chemistry is overflowing. If possible, I still want this two to have a project together again. Or better yet, they should just date in real life. ? Ugh! I just can't wait for the few next episodes. There is only one thing that I don't want and that is the fact that this series has an ending. Like can you please extend it forever? I badly want to see them together always that it hurts me seeing this drama nearing its ending. All in all, this series is great. So if you are looking to a sign if you should try and watch it, then I am telling you, yes, it is worth watching. ??

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Pleasantly surprised

This is the first time that I've ever considered a Chinese remake just as good if not better than it's Korean counterpart. I liked the MC more than the Korean one. Although the Korean ML was definitely funnier, the Chinese ML was cuter and sweeter, and I thought he had better chemistry with his FL. He was definitely sexier with his 'lean-ins' and shared hotter kisses with his leading lady. FL was likeable without being a typical Chinese cutesy FL. I don't remember seeing any stuffed toys in her room, and she didn't pout, foot stamp or 'hmpf' at ML. She acted like an average working class girl. That being said, there's no comparison as far as comedy - the Korean one was funnier (at least, the first few episodes). But, of course, the Chinese had to add and extend romantic relationships between two other couples, which increase drama to 24 episode rather than 16. Although the other couples were ok, I'm not a big fan of secondary pairings...at least not to the point of giving them a lot of screen time since it distracts from main couple and makes drama too long. Korean dramas have secondary couples, but they limit their screen time greatly, showing the viewers only the essentials. And tell me, why does every Rom-Com have to have a older woman/younger man pairing these days? It seems like Asian dramas are obsessed with them.

Overall, it's worth watching even if you've seen the Korean version. I resisted a long time watching this drama because I'd already watched the Korean one and didn't think the Chinese would do a better job (from experience, they usually don't). However, I was pleasantly surprised. I probably enjoyed it more than the K-drama just because the MC was more likeable, in my opinion.

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What talent?

What a mess .. a professional crew would need a week to clean it up.

The ML is one of my favorites and seems to be a dynamite kisser, but the FL here was not a good match.

I do not care for her and she acts the same in all of her dramas.
Then when her co stars go to kiss her, she sits there like a cold fish.

The second ML was ridiculous in every sense of the word and clearly overstepped numerous professional boundaries.

The story was borderline stupid, from all angles.

I have never seen the Korean version, so I may venture that way soon.

For someone who had such a sense of OCD (or whatever they choose to name it) it was not represented very well and there were often times he magically forgot he had it.

I came for Jasper, I stayed for Jasper,... I will not make that mistake twice.

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