Romance of a Twin Flower (2023)

Seconda metà infinita e esasperante

Sono approdata a questo titolo con mille aspettative, perché adoro Ding Yu Xi. Mi piace come attore e, naturalmente, anche come aspetto. Certo, non tutte le parti sono nelle sue corde, ma la commedia romantica con qualche risvolto drammatico non molto pesante gli si addice molto. Anche Peng Xiao Ran, che interpretava la FL, ha lavorato molto bene.

Inizialmente il drama mi aveva preso moltissimo: era molto gradevole, con la giusta dose di mistero, suspense, fraintendimenti, ingiustizie. Quando la coppia principale ha cominciato a intendersi, le cose sono migliorate ulteriormente: i loro scambi di battute mi hanno intrattenuta parecchio. Sul fronte dei personaggi di spalla, se il “fratello Yuan” di Yi Da Qian lasciava parecchio a desiderare, per fortuna la guardia del corpo Gu Bai, magistralmente interpretata da He Chang Xi, ha interagito con tutti con la sua peculiare forma di umorismo. Le sue occhiate parlanti non le dimenticherò facilmente!

Quella che invece vorrei dimenticare in fretta è la delusione che è via via montata a partire dalla seconda metà della serie in avanti, per diventare irritazione ed esasperazione man mano che ci si avvicinava alla conclusione. Gli episodi dal trentesimo circa in avanti li ho affrontati con stoicismo, col solo intento di arrivare alla fine ma, a metà del trentaquattresimo, ho dovuto gettare la spugna a pochi metri dal traguardo, per così dire.

38 episodi sono veramente troppi per questo titolo. L’hanno tirata troppo per le lunghe, inventandosi ostacoli apparentemente insormontabili per la coppia principale e un lunghissimo e inutile torneo per diventare fornitori di corte, stiracchiando oltre ogni limite l’equivoco dell’identità della FL, un segreto di pulcinella praticamente gridato ai quattro venti, ma che viene tradito dalla persona più improbabile per la motivazione più stupida. Proprio questo tradimento assurdo mi ha convinta ad abbandonare la visione sulla dirittura d’arrivo. Ho perso qualsivoglia motivazione per continuare, mi basta sapere che alla fine tutti i santi finiranno in gloria e i cattivi saranno puniti, e lo so perché fa parte del genere.

Se, mentre stai finendo un titolo, invece di guardarlo vai a cercarne altri da vedere, c’è qualcosa, molto, che non va. Sono veramente sconfortata: aspettavo questo drama da mesi e vederlo affondare così mi ha davvero delusa. Immagino che molti non saranno d’accordo, ma il mondo è bello perché vario. In questo caso, però, è avariato. Peccato.

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Find a spouse with same value

So here a bit review on each character, please be noted the drama version is bit different from novel. The drama ver is for fans of Ding Yuxi the actor to gain more fans. Haha.

1. Ning Yuxuan NYX:
Outside: a cold, heartless man
Inside: a puppy heart
A good govt officer, has 2 wives but touch no one. Haha.

2. Nie Sangyu NSY:
Outside and inside: heartless woman
Spoiled since a little, loved to torture maids. Even until last breath still not instrospect her wrongdoings. She created her own bad karma. What a stupid evil lady.

3. Ji Man JM:
Outside: business maker, money lover
Inside: pursue everlasting love
NSY separated since baby, twin sister. She treated everyone either as potential customers, shareholders, or professional employees. Kind, funny.

4. Gui Bai GB:
Inside outside is just like his master NYX. Even copy his master when pursuing a girl and take an oath to love her one and only forever. Lol.

5. Wen Wan WW:
Outside: kind and soft
Inside: evil
Fooled NYX as if she was abducted and raped, so when NYX found her he got no choice but to take her as concubine. WW is evil but too stupid so we can relax.
Later she worked together with enemy against NYX but was betrayed and executed, so she kinda too late to realize her mistakes.

6. Ling Xingjian LXJ:
Outside: coward and evil
Inside: just want to surpass his childhood buddy NYX
Well at least he realized his mistakes and corrects them, so his head is safe from execution.

7. Yuan Lang YL:
Outside: kind hearted bandit
Inside: also a puppy heart
Together with JM and NYX bring down enemy and decided to let go hatred of their parents, as long as they could work together for people.

8. Emperor:
Inside and outside: a god of matchmaker, treated NYX dearly.
You know, just like King Wendy in drama Love Like The Galaxy, he supported 100% NYX and become a matchmaker for our female and male lead.

Conclusions:
1. Sweet moments NYX and JM, ladies, just imagine yourself is JM. Happy watching.
2. Remember to find a spouse with same value, same morality kindness, so you will be willingly share each other burdens.

That's all,
I will be more than happy to watch the drama repeatedly.
Loveeee~

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An Unexpected Spring Treat

True love is not possession but fulfilment


Plot
The plot is simple. This drama is a light romantic comedy with a heavy focus on the romance and comedy so adjust expectations accordingly.

What doesn’t work:
Some viewers might not like the simplicity of the plot. Some may not like the slow down to focus on romance and plot after the rush of comedy in the first third of the show.

What works:
Expecting heavy plot and intrigue will lead to disappointment, however, even though the plot is simple, it gets the story from A to B in a coherent and logical manner.
This does not mean the story is without charm though. It’s cleverness lies in its delivery, clear sense of character growth, and setup.
To be honest it’s delivery is a bit of a surprise in that the story unfolds like a mystery rather than a romance. It leaves the viewer with questions and those questions rope the viewer in because they want answers. It’s a brilliant and daring move because some viewers may disregard the story thinking it’s full of plot-holes but the story surprises viewers again as those same plot holes in the front of the story are explained slowly throughout the drama in a way that ties up everything neatly by the story’s end.
To achieve this, the drama is full of foreshadowing, details, and setup. In fact, despite being a light romantic comedy, it has some of the best foreshadowing and setup that I have seen in years. It has foreshadowing that gets paid off dozens of episodes later. Chechov’s guns are a constant and tiny things that do not seem to matter become massive a-ha moments later on, which makes the story fun and raises its rewatch value as viewers find themselves wanting to go back and follow the clues. The setup doesn’t lose to the foreshadowing either. It effect often delivers what would be illogical and unbelievable cliche moments believable and innovative ways. A great example is the kitchen fire scene. In an ordinary drama, Ji man might just trip on thin air trying to escape and fall on Ning Yuxuan but instead, the momentum of her trying to use a beam to break the door just as it opens sets the moment up in a more logical and believable way. This works with the characters as well. The setup of some characters early in the drama leads to a great twist in the last stretch of the drama. The details are also fun. Some like calla lilies being poisonous or horse dung containing antibacterial fungi are weird bits of trivia that are used in a hilarious way. The callbacks are also great with one leading up to an amazing gut punch later on in the story. Plus, the end will make you bald to make up for all the setup.


Story:
This show was adapted from a novel titled, Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir. However, in order to pass censorship and entice viewers, the show made some deep changes. For book fans, it’s better to think of this show as very loose adaptation or as a different work entirely because a lot events and characters have been dropped or changed.

What doesn’t work:
The complexity of the house-fighting and politics is gone. The villains are flatter(this is a censorship issue though). The tension of Ji Man losing her life if she makes a mistake is also greatly reduced. If you like Ning Yuxuan as a scumbag, his scumbag very is pretty much annihilated (also a censorship issue).

What works:
The drama keeps the essence of the story and characters. There’s still an essence of growing up and growing together as a couple for Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan. Ji Man keeps her tenacious spirit (She’s almost feral in the first part to hilarious effect). Ning Yuxuan still transforms into a love sick husband but retains his sense of conflict between honour and love with 95% less scumbag. The house fighting is replaced with a sisterhood storyline and the ableism issues regarding one of the main villains are also gone. This makes the story more palatable to viewers.


Acting/Cast
The show’s cast is drastically cut down from the book. Neither of the leads, Ding Yuxi or Peng Xiao Ran, are traffic stars and most of the rest of the cast are either non traffic, newcomers, or old drama bones.

What doesn’t work:
Sometimes the acting does not work. The expressions are too extreme or the acting is too hard but I believe this an issue with the Chief Director having seen the director’s other works. Xie Ze is prone to directing his actor to exaggerate for some strange reason, maybe to maximise the comedic/soap opera effect or offset the smoothing factor of filters. Some viewers might not like the agile style acting of Peng Xiao Ran, which is made strange sometimes by Xie Ze’s lens.

What works:
Xie Ze pretty much always chooses a cast that can act and these actors carry the show. The leads, Peng Xiao Ran and Ding Yuxi, are great. Peng Xiao Ran is beautiful despite plain styling. Ding Yuxi is handsome and boyish. They are not afraid of making big or weird expressions. Best of all is that they can both act- there are no scenes where one partner drops the acting ball and ruins the scene; and their characters, Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan respectively , both have a clear sense of growth by the end. Their chemistry is also amazing. Strong, sweet, and most importantly believable-Jinyumantang is really on top and the pair have moments that can be rewatched several times over without the sweetness ever turning sour.
Another highlight is that all of the main characters undergo growth or transformation giving them a sense of three dimensionality. Ji Man and Ning Yuxuan go from enemies to lovers, but in a way that really feels like a young couple fumbling their way into a serious and mature relationship where they support and love each other. Gui Bai overcomes his hesitations to fall in love. Miss Shui leaves the past behind and Qian Xue develops the confidence to become businesswoman. Even Muxu and Sang Shen, transform a bit - going from squabbling pettiness against each other to occasionally working together for the benefit of Jiman.


Costumes

What doesn’t work:
The women’s costumes are plain. Their makeup also looks very plain, which sometimes reveals facial flaws. This could be due to filters as it looks fine in the tidbits or it could also be due to Xie Ze’s way of shooting which is not friendly to actresses. The lack of eye makeup is the most detrimental as it makes it harder to see the actresses’s eye skills, especially if they have a thick filter.
After seeing the makeup video, it’s strange that the stylist didn’t go with Peng Xiao Ran’s original look.


What does work:
The lack of women’s makeup strangely makes the actresses stand out more because their individual characteristics haven’t been standardised or covered up with makeup. It also makes the viewer focus more on their acting because the viewer isn’t being distracted by fancy costumes or a great red lip.
The men’s costumes are okay. They may not be innovative but all the main young male stars all look handsome and attractive, which is the basic requirement for an idol drama.
The biggest complaints come from Peng Xiao Ran’s styling but she has a pretty enough face to support the look and when she is shot well, her clothing takes on a fairy and flowing effect that gives her a fairy like or xianxia appearance. In fact, the effect is so good, that the choice of mostly gauzy outfits seems wonderful in those moments.


Direction:

What doesn’t work:
Xie Ze. It’s better than Jun Jiu Ling and Fuyao so he’s learning but sometimes watching the show and comparing tidbits, I’m not sure why he still has a job. His vision ruins some key scenes that under other directors would have positively gone out of the circle.

What works:
Xie Zie. He has impeccable pacing and as much as I complain about him, his dramas are also the only ones I finish without skipping😂. The complaints about the pacing of this show fall a bit flat considering there are highly rated shows where 10+ episodes or entire arcs can be missed without touching the story. In fact, with this show, if you skip, you might miss out on a detail which could lead to confusion later.
There are also some amazing shots. The water play is gorgeous. Some of Peng Xiao Ran’s running scenes are very pretty. And, the boat raid scene with Ding Yuxi is really fast paced and cool. The only caveat is I’m not sure they were taken by Xie Ze because the lens language is different and I’ve never seen such camerawork in his previous dramas. Episode 9, 15, 16, and 30 seems to be shot by some one completely different but the styling and atmosphere are also best in those episodes. 16 is especially a highlight.


Overall:
I think outside of the acting and main couple, the best part of this drama is it’s themes. It’s hard not to fall in love with the message of self improvement and fulfilment it carries throughout the whole story. The leads may be in love but they also focus on their career and it’s extremely touching to see them using their talents to support and help other. Ji nyumantang are worthy of the emperor’s praise. The way they insist on communicating with each other, respecting boundaries, and trying to understand each other make them such a sweet pair. Best of all they don’t start out perfect at it, it’s a gradual and warm hearted development.
I also have to say that I love the way the drama handles women. Ji Man is flesh and blood. She has depth, duality, and complexity. Many viewers might write her off as just another cutesy FML but she’s an astute businesswoman, supports her friends into gainful employment, and eventually breaks out to start achieving things with her own strength. What’s not wonderful about that? Add to it her scaredy cat personality and her desire to be babied by Ning Yuxuan and there is a refreshing sense for those who are tired of the trope of strong women needing to be fortresses 24/7 without any vulnerability or softness at all. There are many ways to be a strong woman and I’m glad RoaTF showcases this with its message of sisterhood, self improvement, positive love, and having your own career and achievements-even the villainess,Wen Wan, embarks on a career. I love it and I think it’s a great message paired with Ji Man and Ning Yuxan’s journeys of becoming the best version of themselves before they get together.



Rewatch Value
It’s high. The details make you want to rewatch. The a-ha moments make you want to rewatch. Most of all the sweetness of Jinyumantang makes makes you want to come back again and again.

Not recommended for:
- Those looking for deep plot and intrigue
- Those who do not understand what a romantic comedy entails
- Those who carry preconceived notions of what an actor should act in or those carrying heavy filters from other shows

Recommended for:
- Fans of Peng Xiao Ran and Ding Yuxi who love to see them branching out
- Those who looking for something lighthearted or soapy to relax to without too much plot
- Those who love quirky, goofy girls like Sailor Moon and and Bea from Bea from Bea and Puppy-cat
- Those who love sweet romances

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A masterful disappointment

I started this off with high hopes because I am a huge fan of both the main leads. The problem lies within the script , it’s like the writer couldn’t make up his mind of what direction he wanted the characters to go . A story that is so simple is played out for no reason. One minute he writes the characters as having common sense the next it’s like they are completely clueless. Female lead making stupid decision like jumping off a cliff again like her twin sister did for no damn reason. The side characters might as well not have been in the show cause they have no chemistry at all they’re just there to be there and take up time. The writer tried so hard to make the main leads look like star crossed lovers throwing in these ridiculous simple ass problems trying to make them seem like it’s a big deal when it is not . The female villain just ridiculous .. the second male lead handsome as he is just was just there to be there. The drama tried to bring mystery and romance to the drama but all we get is a few awkward smiles and shy hand holding with music playing in the background , it came off cringy and annoying instead of romantic cause soon as that happen here come another stupid excuse why they can’t be together, oh and don’t get me started on the lackluster “ I’m leaving and never gonna see you again “ scenes and yes I said scenes cause there is a ridiculous amount of that only for them to surprisingly didn’t leave cause they love each other so much … okay I’m done I’m sorry but all the waiting and the time I spent on this drama has made me vexed !

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Tropey but Enjoyable, Great Acting

The storyline of Romance of a Twin Flower sounds tropey – fall off cliff, switch identity, amnesia, an egregious antagonist, an admirer turns deadly, and more – but the execution of it is excellent with intact scriptwriting, directing and acting. The setting is authentic, the costumes are nicely done and beautiful, the dialogs are as expected, and the logic is sound. Most of all, the chemistry of the main couple is good and believable.

The drama opens with Nie Sangyu (Peng Xiaoran) falling off a cliff. She is then rescued but has totally lost her memory. Nie Sangyu is a cruel and despicable person, but the rescued Nie Sangyu is a kind and very lovable person. Turns out the rescued Nie Sangyu is not the original Nie Sangyu, but no one suspects that she's not the real one because they look exactly the same except different in temperament and character.

Nie Sangyu is married to Marquis Ning Yuxuan (Ding Yuxi) who is forced to marry her, but he dislikes her because the original Nie Sangyu is not likable. After going through all the life and death experiences together, both the fake Nie Sangyu and Ning Yuxuan fall in love with each other. When he finds out Nie Sangyu’s real identity as Ji Man, Ning Yuxuan wants to marry her, but this must be done privately because her real identity cannot be revealed to others just yet. Their wedding is disrupted unexpectedly as the events unfold.

Both Peng Xiaoran and Ding Yuxi have given a wonderful performance here. Their characters are believable and lovable. I have loved Peng Xiaoran since Goodbye My Princess. Here, she is beautiful and natural. Ding Yuxi may not be everyone’s pretty boy and he’s not tall in stature, but he’s a wonderful actor. I have enjoyed all his dramas.

The antagonists are made known from the beginning. Ma Ke plays Ling Jianxing as Ning Yuxuan’s nemesis. Throughout Ning Yuxuan’s career, Ling Jianxing has always been there to create stumbling blocks for him, many times deadly, but each time, Ning Yuxuan is a step ahead of Ling Jianxing.

Ning Yuxuan also has a concubine whom he marries for a reason. Wen Wan (Jia Nai) is the most hated character in the story. Hypocritical, jealous, murderous, Wen Wan wants Nie Sangyu dead, and sabotages her repeatedly. Again and again Nie Sangyu dodges death through her quick wit and help from Ning Yuxuan.

Luckily, we have an intelligent and benevolent emperor here that makes the story very pleasant. The two maids that follow Nie Sangyu/Ji Man around are sweet, and her friends are trusty and dependable. Ning Yuxuan’s loyal bodyguard, Gui Bai (He Changxi), is also an interesting and lovable character. There are some very lovely side couples with their respective sweet romance. Too bad a secret admirer whom I have come to like, becomes a deadly antagonist.

My Verdict
Despite all the tropes and cliché, and some plot holes here and there (eg. how Ji man loses her memory), this is a very enjoyable drama. For romance buffs, this is not smooth sailing for the couple; they are separated for one year (for an acceptable reason) before getting back together again. Great acting, lovely story, and good directing.

Enjoyable watch! Don’t miss it!

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Bad Storyline

Poor storyline when twin switch identity by fall to the river from cliff in same time and place, fall in love with who that main reason for her twin sister dead , loss memories when fall in river, one of twin is evil person although rise from good family condition,main male characters describe to perfect person although he failure to keep his own wife safe and decide to marry concubine with silly reason that not like smart guy and other storyline that too god to be true. I stop watch about in episode 18 or 20 and continue watch by skip because to boring that writer just make drama more longer. By this storyline became to 38 episode are to waste time.

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I'm surprise that the rate is not higher

I truly enjoyed this drama. I'd say first 15 episodes and last 8 episodes were very well written. I got bit bored in the middle but I didn't skip any episodes. I don't think this is super great like some other drama with 9-10 rating but it was pretty entertaining and main CP did great job performing and 3 other CP did good job while many dramas usually have boring stories for second and third couples.

The last 8 episode had unexpected twist and turn and ML made me cry at Ep 37. He is quite a good actor.

I recommend to watch this drama if you like couple story how they develop love from love & hate relationship in the beginning and solve mysteries round these couples.

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As average as it gets

A typical tropey drama with a mix of good and bad moments.

The drama started off nicely and I enjoyed seeing them fall in love. The main couple acted well and looked good together although their chemistry was a bit lacking. There were plot holes throughout and while I managed to ignore some, others were too incredulous and I started getting disconnected from the drama.

I appreciate that the ending was not the typical rushed type and there was a sweet albeit predictable twist to tug at your heart strings.

Some plot holes towards the end of this drama that made me laugh:
1. During a confrontation on an open area, the ML and his soldiers managed to suddenly surround the bad guys in a blink of an eye without the bad guys seeing them coming… it was an open area…
2. The FL fell off a cliff and got washed to shore and looked like she hurt her leg. Next scene shows her running like she doesn’t have any injuries…
3. FL’s foster father was on a ship at sea and wondering if the FL lead survived the fall from the cliff and in walks the FL much to his joy and my confusion… the ship was at sea… how did she come on board without anyone noticing? Nope, she didn’t swim as she was not wet.
4. The ML‘s cousin is heavily pregnant and is supported by her husband when she walks but in the next moment, she joins her husband and the others in jumping and prancing around the main couple throwing petals in the air to celebrate their union :D

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Good chemistry, non toxic romance

Watched mainly because of Ding Yuxi and was also keen to see Peng Xiao Ran again (as the only drama I watched with her was Goodbye my princess)! Plot was nothing special, both female and male leads are likable. Absolutely loved DYX and his puppy eyes, PXR also did well as the bubbly "Nie Sang Yun". I felt like everything was very well balanced in this show, in terms of the MAIN plot being the leads and their story and all the others like supporting characters' love line and also villian's scene weren't too much to watch. I usually dislike shows where the villians is everywhere like in your face and also those supporting characters story having too much screen time.. but this show is ok, we still get a lot of scenes from both leads!

However, i do take some points away as i find the ending abit rushed and it could also be better!! i start to FF a lot ep 32 or so onwards.. the villians are all punished in like half an episode. The reunion between both leads after a year was also not as dramatic as I thought it would since the ML thought FL died.

In conclusion, it's a watchable a fluffy show - good if u hate those shows with stupid leads/people. Does get abit draggy towards the end but about 2/3 of it was worth the watch!!

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It's worth watching

Overall it was a really cute romance. Unfortunately like most dramas they start out really strong and rope you in, then it lags on for no reason and the ending Falls a little flat. The ML and FL are both really cute together and he is a sweet protective husband. I really enjoyed the love story of Gui Bai and Miss shui. That was a cute little added love story that helped me enjoy this drama. I feel like it's worth watching once but it is definitely not something I would rewatch. I am however glad that it was not a super sad ending. I hate how love stories tend to end sadly and it makes you regret watching the drama.

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Pretty solid romance, light on plot

I really liked this drama. I didn't like the previous drama I saw Ryan Ding/Ding Yu Xi in (The Romance of Tiger and Rose - which, to be fair, was less to do with his acting and more to do with his character and the whole non-consent threat they wrote in at one point, and also because I am one of those people who happen to find Zhao Lusi annoying in most things I see her in), so it was really nice to wholeheartedly like him in something this time. I thought he did very well here and this has happily replaced my impression of him from the last abovementioned drama, and I'll be interested to see what he might be in next.

I don't think I'd seen Peng Xiao Ran in anything before, but I thought she did fine in this drama. You could tell Nie Sangyu from Ji Man very well, and she was very earnest in this role. The costuming choice for her was interesting because this was the first female lead I noticed as pretty pared-down in that aspect - at a look, her dresses aren't very fancy, and her hair is also relatively simple compared to most other female leads, with just the one decorative headband or headpiece on a low half-updo, and no earrings. I later realised that this single crown-piece on half-loose hair/no earrings combo is also how Qing Kui is styled in The Starry Love, but which I honestly didn't notice at all there in that drama; but was very aware of here as it came across to me as a little plain. It likely has something to do with the lower height of the overall up-do combined with the usually open-work headpiece, which honestly looks like/is a decorative open metal headband with chains added onto the side corners, or sometimes even no headpiece at all in lieu of a few small decorative elements on what looks like a braid headband.

The leads play very well off each other, and I really enjoyed watching them together. I also genuinely cared about them as a couple and Ding Yuxi's acting as Ning Yu Xuan particularly shines in the sad and emotional scenes. The supporting roles and cast were all very good across the board and I have nothing to say other than thumbs up for the solid acting from all. Of the supporting characters, Gui Bai was my personal favourite, along with Miss Shui/Shui Niang Zi (whom I thought was stunning here) and their relationship, and getting to watch him smile for the first time was a treat. Ji Man's two maids, Mu Xu and Sang Ren, also get special mention for being very good in their roles.

The story was fine, with no major plot holes. It was simple and frankly not particularly memorable, but mainly serves as a vehicle for the romance, which it does well at. I liked the Emperor in this as a wise and steady emperor, which is what I remember most about the story, and I also liked Ji Man's father. The story drops off somewhat at the end, though not to the point of ruining things, but doesn't recover to the quality before. The ending likewise loses some points from me as it fell a little flat for me/in my opinion, and felt slightly anti-climactic - think the long tail of a graph, which sums up the ending/last couple of episodes.

The music was good and emotionally-hooking, and was used well to add emotionality to scenes. (Will give the OST a listen again later and possibly come back with an update.)

It's not a particularly short watch at 38 episodes clocking in at 45 minutes each, but it's not a terribly long drama, either. Pretty rewatchable, especially if you like Ding Yuxi, or just for the romance itself.

If you're looking for a light-watch romance and aren't too bothered about plot, this drama will serve you well. All in all, it is and does what it says on the tin.

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