Lighter & Princess (2022)

HYX tomorrow plz

I wanted to like this drama. I came in with a very open mind. There is potential in this story, but it is missed. The script ruins the show. It is not horrible, it is just getting very boring and irritating.

Story: The story is focused on a girl, Zhu Yun, and a guy, Li Xun, who clearly have a rough history and both are computer programmers. It shows them and their past, and then how their relationship is in the future.

Characters: Li Xun, played by Chen Feiyu, is a stuck-up, very arrogant, programmer. Zhu Yun, played by Zhang Jingye, is also an aspiring programmer, she is headstrong and not afraid to stand up to Li Xun.

- and gosh is Li Xun so arrogant? Even in one of the later episodes (episode 18 I think), his cousin explains that he has been arrogant ever since he was a kid, which totally diminishes his whole backstory with his mom. And I hate how they try to justify Li Xun's awful attitude. The show slaps like 2 minutes of his backstory into an episode and calls it good. It is so cheap, just a cheap way to get us to sympathize with the guy. It is a shame because his character is so interesting. It would've made sense to go into his backstory more and give Li Xun more scenes of him being alone reminiscing about his past and thinking about his current actions, but there is none of that. Now that I think about it, none of the characters ever really have screen time alone to contemplate their life. These sorts of scenes are essential in getting the audience more engaged and empathetic towards the characters, but there is none of that. You just see the characters interact and get confused as to why they are acting the way they are acting. Seriously who in their right mind would be friends or even date Li Xun. His actions are irredeemable and not justifiable in the slightest. I love Chen Feiyu, but Li Xun is just the worst guy I have seen in a show in a while.

Chemistry: The chemistry between the FL and ML is okay. Some moments are cute. They clearly are comfortable around each other and it does not seem like they are being forced to act like they are in a relationship. At the beginning of the story when they hate each other it is believable.

When Li Xun and Zhu Yun get together there is a time jump right afterward which makes no sense. I mean, there is 36 episodes, they could have dedicated at least one to show their relationship right after they get together, but they chose to skip 5 years and show us them starting a company together which also makes no sense and you will find yourself not caring in the slightest because there is no payoff. There is no payoff for anything that happens in this drama. You never see the characters work hard towards their goal or struggle to get what they want. For example, Li Xun is amazing at programming, but you never see why, they just tell you why. Zhu Yun and Li Xun just get together without really any build-up. You could say that the build-up is what happens before their relationship, but honestly, she just started liking him one episode, kind of out of the blue. He didn't really do much or have any kind gesture for her to like him.

It is a mystery as to why Zhu Yun fell for Li Xun She saw him publicly humiliate her friend and colleagues on more than one occasion. He does not do much for her, only if it is for his own good. His teasing towards her is straight-up bullying. They share one cute moment at New Year and then the rest of it is just hard to watch honestly. His actions towards her are not cute. He barely talks to her when she asks him for help. He treats everyone around him like they are under him. Li Xun is seriously so narcissistic and then he has the audacity to call Zhu Yun narcissistic. This man is seriously so unaware it hurts. Zhu Yun is treated like Li Xun's little pet, what he does for her only benefits himself. He has not done one thing for her own good yet. And spoiler alert, there is no confession scene, because as you know, Li Xun will not talk, he hates talking, he just kisses her and then they skip like 5 years. You always hear Zhu Yun saying "oh I would do anything for Li Xun, I would die for him, blahblahblah" but you never hear Li Xun do or say anything like that.

"Lighter and Princess" really just misses the mark with the whole bad boy trope. This trope is done better in other shows. If you want to watch a show that shows a cold, arrogant, bad guy, but there is actual development, and the development is not cheap and you actually get to understand why the character acts the way they do then I suggest you go watch "Love Between Fairy and Devil", "Touch Your Heart", etc. In those shows, you actually get to see the "bad boys" develop and turn into nicer, more caring individuals due to love. You also get to see why they act the way they do in more than just 1/4 of an episode backstory, and their backstory actually ties in with the story and who they are, unlike in this show where you could honestly throw out Li Xun's backstory because it is handled so poorly and he was a jerk to begin with as a child anyways.

Script/Writing: The faults in this drama all go down to a cheap script. The pacing is off, and there seems to be a merry-go-round effect on the plot. Li Xun is treating everyone like sh*t, and Zhu Yun toys to get him to be a team player. He teases her. He does something "cute" and "nice" for her. and repeats it. There are many plot points that could be skipped, especially with the side characters. This drama really does not need to be 36 episodes. They could get the story done in probably about 12 if they were to focus on what is really important to the characters and the plot, but there seems to be a bunch of filler at this point. Much of what happens in the show does not make any sense if you really were to think about it. There is clearly potential with the source material and this show just fumbled the ball. It really shows you what not to do when you are handling a complex character like Li Xun. You should give your complex characters: a proper backstory, proper build-up to them changing as a character, proper character development, proper display of their relationships, likable qualities, more dialogue and screen time alone, plot lines that relate to the character, etc.

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Created a MDL account just for this drama

I’ve been watching c-dramas my entire life, and my taste and standards for them have grown exponentially over the years. I had a phase where I strictly only watched k-dramas because c-drama actors and plot are usually slightly lacking and cringey. But as I began to gravitate back to c-dramas, I spend hours browsing new releases just to pick out the few that are worth watching and actually memorable.

I’ve been using MyDramaList for years now, and I contemplated writing reviews for all the top dramas I’ve seen but I always felt too lazy to make an account. Before watching this drama, my top c-drama was without a doubt “Where The Lost Ones Go”. I’ve rewatched it about three times now and the chokehold it had on me still didn’t push me to create an account and write a review, but this drama did. The plot and timeline is very similar for both dramas, so I’d highly recommend you give that drama a watch if you liked this one. Definitely less lighthearted, but the unconditional love really goes a long way.

I think partly why I love this drama so much is because I relate to ZhuYun when it comes to love and relationships. She acts in a way that I would or would hope to, having both pride yet also ambition, and her love for LiXun is unquestionable. The chemistry of the two young actors on and off screen is probably what ultimately pushes this drama to #1 in my c-drama list.

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70% relationship, 30% revenge, 100% great.

I absolutely adored this drama. I’m a sucker for a badboy/girl drama, and this one ticks every box and more. Yes it does have some faults, and I will discuss them, but don’t expect me to mark it down because of them. I’m just going to be blatantly biased…

At heart, this is a story about relationships that are entangled with a competition/revenge plot. But it’s 70% relationship and 30% revenge. And it examines not only the relationship of the central couple, but beautifully realises a whole raft of other connections and gives all of them depth and time to progress and change. So, if you are someone who moans about pacing being slow, forget it and move on elsewhere. The pace slows down to accommodate the depth and it’s an intelligent and perceptive depth at that.

The drama sets up and defines the attitudes that can deliver success in the cutthroat world of IT, where survival demands not only ruthlessness but also the ability to engage with, or accept that immorality is a necessary component. It requires you to be willing to employ the tactics that will destroy any competition particularly if it is superior to your own offering. That this is a reflection of the real world is backed up by the history of IT. In the 1980s-90s Bill Gates foisted onto the world a mediocre operating system (Windows) with a substandard suite of office software (MS Office). He did not create his original operating system (MS-DOS) on which Windows was built, but reputedly purchased it for $75,000. Other operating systems and office software with superior performance were thrown to the wall in the marketing hype. This is the world of the story, and it examines how characters are crushed, survive or thrive in this environment and the personality traits and abilities which inevitably seal their fate.

One of the really attractive aspects of this drama is that there are no clear lines that mark good and bad, right and wrong. All the characters have flaws and reasons for them, and virtues that define their core. So this is not a simplistic revenge plot where a notional good triumphs over a notional evil. It is an unfolding of the damage that revenge and competition wreak on individuals and an examination of what they are willing to sacrifice and learn in order to survive. As a consequence it has a high believability rating. There are some moments in which credibility was lost for me, but overall it mesmerised me and carried me through those times with ease. This is not a drama for those looking for wish fulfilment, it’s full of flawed people and the flawed relationships that they have. But they are viewed through a compassionate lens.

Structurally, the story falls into three distinct phases. Each phase has its own vibe and focus and this helps to a large extent to refresh the drama and keep the viewer interested across the 36, 35 minute episodes. The drama opens in the present (2019), then flashes back to 2012 and works through sequentially. I’m not sure why the director chose this cut and it does, to some extent, take away the element of surprise later on. One possible explanation is that they wanted to establish this as a serious drama from the off, and not just a University romance. And I must admit, that the start hooked me right in there and I was not as entranced by the next few instalments. But stay with it, it is necessary to watch the whole development of the characters from start to finish to really appreciate the story.

This was a dramatisation of two novels. I’m not sure how closely they were followed and where the credit for the dialogue and characterisation should go, but the script in this drama was beautiful. It was subtle, nuanced, multi-layered and deep and often left me feeling I wanted to stop the action to mine the meaning of some of the lines. There is so much in here that a second time through can only improve your understanding and enjoyment.

In so many ways, space and time were taken by the director, actors and cinematographer. No-one was afraid to linger, whether over a pause before a line delivery or a close-up on a facial expression. It really gave the viewer time to appreciate the layered meanings hidden within the dialogue. Could it have been improved by editing? Yes, I think it could have benefitted from some pruning, especially in the middle section where things did seem to be visited repeatedly. But overall, it meant time to savour, rather than gulping things down and rushing on to the next course.

The beating heart of the drama is the relationship between Zhu Yun (Zhang Jing Yi) and Li Xun (Chen Fei Yu) and it is superbly realised. There are tensions, arguments, heartache, loyalty, love and chemistry by the bucketload but also the most beautifully improvised playful moments for which we can thank the director Lui Jun Ji for having faith in his cast. I can only imagine that these two actors get along together. Their interactions were so credible and powerful that you often feel you are a fly on the wall. Chen had the more complex part and he rose to it, providing a real sense of the inner vulnerability of the character. Zhang was less impressive earlier on, but as the character development demanded more of her, she brought it to the table.

I was a little disappointed in the performance by Zhao Zhi Wei as Gao Jian Hong. I thought he performed brilliantly in the first half of the drama, but failed, for me, to really show me the subtlety of his motivations and inner feelings in the second half. I don’t think that it was entirely his fault. The script was thinner than previously for the character and maybe the director failed to bring out more nuance.

The director really captured the abundant humour. Nothing was overstated or obvious, but with the co-operation of the actors and cinematographer, a wry smile or a sidelong glance never went to waste. This is not laugh-out-loud stuff, but the sort of appreciation that time spent observing people can bring. It really added so much to the characterisations.

The cinematography was clean and crisp, with some well thought out angles that supported and reflected the action. I think its real value lay in the way it captured emotional responses. I wouldn’t say it was brilliant, but it was definitely good enough to contribute to the high quality of the overall production. The music was used to help the viewer appreciate the current state of feelings of the leads. The lyrics, large chunks of which were in English, were really a series of spoken thoughts. I didn’t find the music itself exceptional.

When a drama can force you to binge watch and make you regretful that you are nearing its end, then you know it’s a special one. My last comment is for the drama poster — REDO IT!!

What my rating means: 9+   A drama I totally fell in love with and is endlessly re-watchable. It ticked all the boxes and had some serious wow factor. It would go on my personally recommended list.

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Typical Start

It starts as a typical Chinese Drama: Strong, so called "Bad Boy" dominating a weak minded female.

Why in the world do all these Chinese/Korean romantic Dramas start the same way? I am tired of writers starting with a so called bad boy and mindless weak acting females. The man always treats the female like a pet, yanking on them, telling them where to go and what to do. They get all in their faces and the women take it and doesn't say a thing. In the middle or towards the end, the bad boy repents says he is sorry; so she falls for him. In whose world does that work in? Why can't they ever start and end with a strong minded female? Strong doesn't mean. It means if a male gets in her face, she doesn't allow it. If a male yanks her arm, she pulls away and scolds him. No wonder in some cultures men figure they can dominate females and the females dare to say anything. This Series appears starting the same way . I hope it gets better.

11 episodes in: You tell me that Li can knock a person cell phone out of his of his hand, on purpose and nothing happens to him! In whose world is that in. He should of gotten his butt beat. So far this series is going as I expected to go. In the real world when you show up uninvited to see a girl or male, is called stalking. Li is getting on my nerve the bruiting look is wearing thin. He needs a good beat down and everyone is afraid of him. Enters his sister explaining why is the way he is, in an attempt to redeem his as a good misunderstood person.

Li is a stalker. He goes to her home uninvited. He gets an one bedroom Hotel room and she doesn't know what he is up to? Really!? How gullible can she be? Now she gets paid for services rendered. Why couldn't he wait until school was back in? I have to ask and I don't mean bad about this: Are Chinese women this gullible and mindless?

Li say says fetch, Zhu fetches. LI acts like a little spoil brat. Zhu is a codependent.

How in the world can folks give this Romance/Drama a 10!?😤

I don't know how anyone can give this Series a 10. I hope they have a second season. Zhu needs to be seen as having a backbone and a mind of her own. Zhu is a servant of Li. Whatever he says or do (being rude, demeaning, arrogant and a brat) she will support.

I use to feel sorry for Zhu, I don't any longer. She keep going back to Li to be abused some more. Prison didn't change him one bit, he is still the self hating, arrogant, demeaning, every body are afraid of and spoiled person.

It is easy to know the ending. to sum it up: self hating, arrogant, demeaning toward women, spoiled repenting at the end, get the girl. The girl, suffering from low esteem, sub servant and like being abuse gets the arrogant guy.

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Chen Fei Yu’s face now triggers my fight or flight response (pros: chemistry, cons: writing)

I love how this drama gave us the fattest load of potential I’ve seen from cdramas in awhile only for it to sadly explode in our faces. I was (rightly) excited for Lighter & Princess because of Chen Fei Yu, but the writing definitely does not match up to the talents of the cast.

STORY
This drama can best be described as a mix between your classic college rom com and a business revenge drama. I didn’t have much of a problem with the plot, but if you’re looking for a masterpiece, you should stop thinking about this drama, period. It has all the markings of your classic annoying cdrama—uselessly over-the-top events, dumb misunderstandings, toxicity, and a neat ending that doesn’t make sense at all.

What I really took issue with was how the characters were written. I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to make the leads (and the side characters) some of the most insufferable, selfish, unaware people I’ve ever seen. I personally think I’m someone who easily forgives the plot, but a horribly cliche story paired with the most annoying characters known to man is not a good combo.

Li Xun is your usual cold, unemotional genius, but he’s also incredibly rude, overly arrogant, possesses an insane superiority complex, and never changes. Zhu Yun is basically his puppy-eyed sidekick who cannot seem to think for herself. I think this drama would’ve been 300% more enjoyable if these two actually realized they weren’t the center of this world.

ACTING
And what pains me even more is that the acting was actually pretty good. Chen Fei Yu actually brings emotionally subtlety to his cold ML character, a trope that is usually rife with stiff and personality-less acting. I liked the aloof, seemingly-apathetic nature Chen Fei Yu gave Li Xun. It was so natural that it felt like he was the character, so much so that his face now triggers my fight or flight response (hence the review title) since my brain equates Chen Fei Yu to Li Xun and I have come to despise Li Xun xD.

Zhang Jing Yi as Zhu Yun wasn’t half bad either. She captured pretty well Zhu Yun’s childlike innocence and stubborn determination. But I felt like she could have been far more emotive, and also it seems as though she has no idea what to do with her body while acting. She stands still with her arms hanging by her sides 97% of the time.

The chemistry between Chen Fei Yu and Zhang Jing Yi was the sparks-flying type, though. Great bantering, cute scenes, and some nice cuddling scenes. I enjoyed it thoroughly before the drama went down the drain.

MUSIC
I loved the soundtrack to this show. From Zhou Shen’s dramatic and heartfelt ballad to punk rock and band covers—the music in this drama were honestly all bops, especially the songs Ren Di’s band covered. Plus the Pu Shu songs they included? Chef’s kiss. Really managed to capture the hopeful, young sadness that this drama was going for that the writing didn’t succeed in conveying.

REWATCH VALUE
BYE, there’s no way I’m putting myself through this pain again. Maybe the first half, though. Maybe.

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A Lighter Click and A Piggy's Dream

Watching the trailers for Lighter and Princess, I was deeply hopeful that it was going to be as good as it looked. Neither the synopsis or trailers gave a great idea of the true story, but I was very intrigued by what I read and saw. It surpassed my hopes and expectations completely. Once I started it, I couldn't stop. It drew me in and refused to let me go until the end. No drama is truly perfect, but despite its few flaws and imperfections, the impressions it left me with and the way it mesmerized me from the first scene to the last, it earned that 10 completely.

I love the story. I love the depth of it, how everything connects, how there is a reason for everything. Something you don't think much about comes back around and is explained and does mean something. It is such a beautiful puzzle and I adored seeing it come together. The pacing was nearly perfect. That is nearly always an issue for me in dramas, but here they did such a good job of keeping the pacing on track and moving at a consistent pace. There wasn't a slump after those emotional high moments and no matter what was going on, it kept me engaged.

The acting was phenomenal on all fronts. I wasn't familiar with anyone and they blew me out of the water, particularly our leads, Chen Fei Yu and Zhang Jing Yi. Both together and separately they were so good. Their chemistry together was absolutely electric. They played off of each other perfectly and they were completely believable. Chen Fei Yu has the most amazing intensity with his eyes, regardless of what emotion he's portraying. He also made good use of microexpressions and his body language to convey his emotions and intentions. Zhang Jing Yi was equally good. She struck that perfect balance of being innocent but not naïve. She brought such a strength to her character and I really loved that. I also really appreciated that I felt like there was a very clear cut difference between how she acted as college age Zhu Yun and adult Zhu Yun. It fit the character perfectly. Like Chen Fei Yu, she could convey some really great intensity with her eyes alone in certain scenes that was fantastic to see. The supporting cast was equally amazing. I really enjoyed all of their performances as well, but these two just really stood out the most to me.

The characters were such an interesting and diverse group, I really enjoyed getting to know all of them and I appreciated that we were given the opportunity to actually get to know them. Obviously some characters got more screen time than others, but no one really felt neglected, even with the time jumps. Those who didn't make appearances again were still briefly mentioned with where they were in life so they weren't forgotten which I really liked since a lot of dramas and shows do tend to just forget characters when that happens.
-Li Xun and Zhu Yun are obviously our main characters and main couple. I loved their romance, the slow burn of it. I know the hate to love trope is overused, but when well done like it was here its quite enjoyable to watch. They're a prime case of opposites attract. Li Xun is a genius, but cold and detached, arrogant and condescending and completely independent. He doesn't need or want anyone. Zhu Yun isn't a genius, but she's smart and unlike Li Xun, she's warm and friendly, helpful and supportive, and her life is being controlled by her mother. In Zhu Yun, Li Xun finds the warmth he's lacking, someone to draw him out his shell, who will stand by him no matter what and love him unconditionally. And in Li Xun, Zhu Yun finds her independence, the strength to begin to stand on her own, something outside herself that's worth fighting for. In essence, they complete each other. My biggest qualm is that I do feel Li Xun could have had a little more character growth although I do feel like that's part of the point and Zhu Yun does make a point of saying that she thinks he'll continue to soften, it just would have been nice to see a little more of that.
- Gao Jian Hong was such a complex character that I'm left not entirely certain how to feel about him. He's not fully villain, but also not fully a good guy either. I do like where they left him, with hope for the future. I honestly find him to be a bit of a tragic character. So much potential to be wasted. And I think he is a prime example that we have to live with the choices we make. The flashbacks to his times with Li Xun and Zhu Yun were hard to watch because they did have so much potential together and it was sad to think of all that was lost. I was really not expecting things to turn out the way that they did with the three of them. I do think overall though, his character was well-developed. My only slight complaint is that his emotions seemed a little all over the place there in the last episode or two, but that could also be attributed to the brain tumor, so I can't complain too much.
- Xu Li Na started off as a character I was not a fan of at all and ended as a character that I came to respect. When she was initially introduced, I thought she was going to turn out to be far smarter than she acted and was going to try to steal their app. When that didn't turn out to be the case, it became obvious she was going to be another woman in love with Li Xun. I felt bad for Jian Hong because he obviously really liked her and it kind of felt like she was leading him on. When she rejected him, I thought that was the end of it. But with the time jump, I was surprised to see that they were married and as events unfolded I wasn't sure who was more pathetic in that marriage: the man who married a woman he knew didn't love him or the woman who married a man she didn't love. Either way, neither of them came off looking good. I was proud of her though, when she finally let go of Li Xun and seemed ready to free of herself of Jian Hong. Until she finds out about his tumor and has a change of heart which leads to some very sweet moments between the two of them. I liked her ending and the idea that she and Jian Hong can actually find love together and start over. I didn't like her at the beginning but she had some really great character growth and by the end, I was absolutely rooting for her.
- I really enjoyed the other side characters as well. Ren Di was such a bad ass, but I loved that she was also willing to always listen to her friends and be there for them. Even with gaining fame and fortune, her character remained relatively unchanged which I thought was awesome. Fang Shu Miao was so funny and cute. I really enjoyed their friendship both in college and as adults. I also appreciated the realism of their friendship, that it wasn't always sunshine and daisies, that there was the occasional conflict and then they figured it out and moved on. Fang Zhi Jing made for an interesting, well-rounded villain but also in a realistic manner. He wasn't a villain in that he was plotting against everyone or coming up with evil schemes, he was a villain in that he was simply a selfish, cruel, greedy man.

The OST is gorgeous. There isn't a single song that I dislike and I felt like they were all used well. They worked well to heighten the mood of certain scenes. I enjoyed the opening song in particular, but honestly you can't go wrong with any one of them.

The cinematography is equally gorgeous. This was clearly a very well thought out production and it shows. The aesthetics are nearly perfect, everything is in its place, well-proportioned. The lighting is very well done, particularly since there are a number of scenes in darkened rooms, I was impressed that they were able to give that impression without obscuring the actors' faces at all.

It seems a good way to start out 2023 with a drama that is so nearly perfect. I truly cannot recommend it enough. I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved the story from the romance to the friendships to the characters and everything in between. This is one drama that I will be coming back to again and again I'm sure.

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One of the best cdrama I've ever watched!

I first saw clips of this drama on TikTok and started watching mainly for the enemies to lovers relationship of the main leads but I quickly discovered that this drama is a whole package. It is the perfect mix of romance, revenge, thrill, comedy, angst, fluff, found family. I found myself always looking forward to the next episode and there was not one part of the show where I was ever bored at all, the pacing of the show was perfect.

The story actually starts in the present and then flashbacks to the past where we see how the main leads got to this point and I think that was a very good attention grabber because it makes you wonder what happened that lead them to this point and keeps you interested. One of the main focus of the drama is computer programming where we often see the leads coding and creating programs and this focus on computer programming was new as I had not seen in this any other drama so it seemed fresh. The characters in the show felt real, where I could understand why they were feeling that type of way, they weren't shown to be extraordinarily tough and strong, they were shown to be sensitive, to holding on to all they had, they were human they had that fighting spirit all of us have during our youth and it felt real and relatable cause we got to see their sensitive and vulnerable sides as well.

Zhu Yun (Zhang Jing Yi) was a character that really had so many layers at first she really did seem like a princess, not having any worries and getting what she wants but then we see how in reality she was controlled by her mom basically being forced to follow the decisions her mom makes for her. She is very passionate when she decides she wants to do something and very caring and understanding of the people she loves. Zhang Jing Yi did a really good job portraying Zhu Yun she felt very natural in that role like she truly was the character of Zhu Yun.


Li Xun (Chen Fei Yu) on the other hand is shown to be a arrogant, cold, rude and selfish male lead who believes that everyone is inferior to him in computer programming. However, that's really not the case he really is just a practical guy who because of his knowledge know's what's better in the field of computer programming. Over the course of the drama we see his character develop and we see him really start to care about the people around him. He starts to show remorse and learned to be apologetic for the things he has done. Though his habit of keeping his feelings to himself never really changes it is something that is relatable to all of us where we tend to keep our feelings to ourselves in order to not burden the people around us. His behaviour towards Zhu Yun was super fun and sweet to watch you can tell that even though he pretended like he didn't like her deep down he always cared about her from day one. Chen Fei Yu did an amazing job as Li Xun where a lot of the acting was done by his eyes and that was really mesmerizing.

Gao Jian Hong (Zhao Zhi Wei) was a character that to be very honest was unlikable from the beginning. He is portrayed to be super competitive and insecure of Li Xun. He always seemed fake and I was always surprised by how he and li xun always made up but I honestly could tell he was not someone to be trusted and as much as my heart loved the idea of the 'eternal trio' it just wouldn't work out. Zhao Zhi Wei did an amazing job playing the role of Gao Jian Hong he really made us hate the character and honestly you have to watch the show to know what im saying.

Honourable mention to Ren Di (Jenny Zhang) she is the friend we all need, she was not a part of the main storyline per say but she was always there for the main leads and Jenny Zhang's acting as Ren di seemed so natural and fantastic

Special Shoutout to the My flying heart gang cause they were so much fun to watch and the way they accepted li xun and Zhu yun and they all slowly became a big family had my heart. All the scenes with the squad always left me in laughter and genuinely enjoyed their presence and friendship

However, the thing that really sold the drama for me was the acting and the chemistry of the leads. From the very first episode it was fun to see their love-hate relationship, their banter and bickering and their subtle care towards each other as they got closer. They were always there to support each other no matter what and their relationship flowed so naturally, it was never awkward and though we do not get to see the beginning of their official relationship, even three years later their bond remained the same their fun banter included. The chemistry seemed so natural that at times you'd think that they are a real couple so the acting from both their parts was incredible!

The music is something that came as a surprise for me, I did not expect it to be so good tbh I don't like a lot of the cdrama ost nor do I pay much attention to them. But in this drama the music was used so well in the right scenes and its so catchy that it had been stuck in my head for days. The cinematography was absolutely beautiful, the settings are so beautiful specially the ones where they got together.

My only complaint from this show is that they cut li xun's hair, I wish it came back he looked so good with his longer hair

Overall a 10/10 drama with the perfect balance of romance, fluff, angst, comedy, revenge, computer programming, found family, friendship.

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For Romance lovers who like Flawed characters making Flawed decisions in Love.

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.5 (because I am obsessed with Arthur Chen)

I can see why this drama is rated so high, especially for romance lovers. I can also see why others think the main romance is toxic and the drama is not sending a positive message to young adults. Personally, I really like the romance - the longing, loving gazes, side glances, flirting, angst and heartbreaks. I am not in the tech field and know nothing about coding. So, I can’t comment on how accurate the codes are or if the tech parts make sense or not.

The chemistry is sizzling. Arthur Chen really shines in his role as Li Xun and practically carries the show on his back. My eyes can’t stop following him around and his eyes are speaking to me, showing all his emotions. I am embarrassed to say that I am crushing on him big time, especially during the college days when his hair was dyed back brown (the blonde hair wasn’t working for me). I’ve enjoyed his role in “Ever Night” but he’s so charismatic in this drama that no wonder Zhu Yun (FL) couldn’t stop following him around.

I can totally understand Zhu Yun’s adoration and admiration of him for so many years. The slow burn romance keeps me guessing and wanting them to be a couple. Yet on the other hand, I love the push-and-pull, will-they-won’t-they dynamics so much that I want the flirting and stolen glances to continue as long as possible. Zhang Jing Yi, though not quite at the same level as Arthur Chen in terms of acting, I do think she does a pretty good job as the female lead. I last saw her in “Fall in Love” but her role here is quite different. Zhu Yun might not be the smartest cookie in love, but I appreciate a smart female lead who can pull her weight and contribute professionally. As much as I admire her undeniable trust in Li Xun’s ability to change the world, I do think their romance can be interpreted as very unhealthy especially after they reunite. Li Xun rejects and breaks Zhu Yun’s heart so many times with verbal insults and embarrassment and giving her mixed signals for most of the second half of the drama. It’s really not healthy but I can’t help but love every single minute of it.

Gao Jian Hong, the second male lead, played by Zhao Zhi Wei, is an interesting and pitiful character. I feel really bad for him and what he went through. For someone who has been #1 for most of his life, meeting a genius like Li Xun and being bested by him every single time, is not something Gao Jian Hong can get past. This grudge never goes away even when they were friends then. The revenge plot takes up quite a lot of time in the second half of the drama. Overall, I think Zhao Zhi Wei did a pretty good job as the second male lead and shares the spotlight with Arthur Chen.

Well, my somewhat high rating is mainly because of how much I enjoy the main romance and Arthur Chen. But there are certain aspects of the plot that I don’t like. The secondary and tertiary romances are not as well-written. I do not understand why Xu Li Na is so in love with Li Xun when she barely knows him or has much interaction with him. Being attracted to Li Xun is understandable, but holding that infatuation for so many years is not logical. On the other hand, the small romance plot between Ren Di and her bandmate boyfriend is not well developed. You can skip that romance and you wouldn’t miss anything.

I am also not a fan of an overbearing and controlling mother. I understand where her concerns are coming from, especially when Zhu Yun was still in college. But when she’s in her mid-20s and late-20s, this type of overprotectiveness is unacceptable. Luckily, there are a few other side characters that are more likable, e.g. Professor Lin, the hacker, and the co-workers. Lastly, I really like the OST. I enjoy almost all the songs esp. Fireworks (焰火) by Zhou Shen and Light Red (轻红) by Cao Yang.

I would recommend this drama if you like slow burn, complicated romances of flawed characters making flawed decisions.


Completed: 3/24/2023

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THE BEST OF 2022! I WISH I COULD WATCH THIS AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

This drama took me by surprise. It was never in my radar, neither do I know any of the actors, or novel. Therefore, rest assured this review does not contain bias.

I've been randomly seeing clips of this from Tiktok and didn't really immediately caught my attention. In fact, I dismissed it as another cringey shoujo type high school romance after seeing those clips of this seeming tsundere blonde haired boy. I was still on the process of browsing shows looking for something that my possibly top Love Between Fairy and Devil.
After dropping so many dramas (Kdrama, Cdrama, Thai) I was really bored, I gave in and and started it when there was probably like 6episodes aired.

Although first 2 episodes are intriguing and totally different from what I expected, it did not really hook me when they started the flashback scene of their college life. I was only half paying attention to it when I stream it. I think it wasn't until episode 7 or 8, AND THEN I'M HOOKED.

SOMETHING IS REALLY SPECIAL SPECIAL WITH THIS SERIES. I try to list down here the things that I like and don't like :

1) This drama is NOT cringey at all. Most modern Cdramas are either boring or super cringe. L&P is unique, the way the script was written is very realistic.

2) The chemistry between the leads is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! I love them, they are so perfect for the role. Their adlibs and how they deliver their scenes is just truly perfect. I tend to cringe easily whenever couples in a series get together, I lose interest and get annoyed by their sweet scenes. But this is different, all their scenes together as a couple will give you butterflies.

3) There are no annoying second couple. This series focuses on the main couple. You will not be forced to watch filler episodes of characters you do not care much about.

4) The way the characters are written is so wonderful and matured. There is no cutesy high pitched voiced FL, but ZhuYun the FL here, is possible the best FL in dramaland. Her unwavering love and support for LiXun is truly beautiful to witness. She is neither a doormat nor a domineering FL. She is a well balanced FL, she strong and capable and yet still always emanates innocence and softness.
LiXun also is an amazing character, another complex ML that you also can't help but care more and more as the story progress. I know it looks like in the beginning of the series that he's a jerk and a red flag. But trust me, HE IS NOT A RED FLAG AT ALL. He's got some issues but he's far from toxic. They are actually wonderful and super strong when together.

5) The soundtrack is amazing!

6) The production is high quality. The set, the outfits (specially the present time ones) are really beautiful.

7) Probably the most important. The story is captivating. You will care so much and root for the characters and always makes you curious what will happen to them. I cannot go into the details of the story without spoiling. But it truly is one that will stay with you for a long time.

8) I know it may sound like the story is super serious and intense, it is indeed intense, but there is always humour within the episodes. Specially around the Feiyang company, their journey is really a feel good story.

The only thing that I didn't like about it is that it has to end. I miss this drama so badly already.

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