Cheng Huan Ji (2024)

FL's mother is the only main character, everyone else is a support character

This drama is just FL's mother messing everything up and every other spineless character compensating for it.

1- 17 episodes the tension builds up where FL's mother keeps messing up
18 - 37 we expect either FL's mom to change or FL to grow up. Nothing happens

FL grows only a little bit and that's it. By episode 30 everything is same and everyone forgives FL's mother even though she hasn't changed. I don't know if the writer wants to convey that "we should forgive our parents even though they keep interfering in our personal/professional lives". FL's mother is still annoying. The only reason this deserves a 6 is just because the leads were awesome. There were a few good love/romance scenes but they were very less compared to the screen time given for FL's mother.

This drama would have been better if a) FL and ML got more screen time
b) FL grows up more
c) FL's mother becomes a good person at the end.

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Save yourself from this mother-daughter melodrama

This drama was way more mother-centric than romance, so anyone here for romance mainly will be disappointed. I don’t mind if it’s a family drama but the decisions made by the mother from start to finish will rile you up. Not to mention that there are constantly annoying, good-for-nothing characters with no redeeming qualities popping in one after the next. There are some good moments but the ratio of melodrama to fun moments tips the scale too much. I only stuck around for the main couple, their relationship was good to watch. Otherwise, definitely wouldn’t recommend this - it’s too stressful and brings a lot of unnecessary negative emotions and melodramatic moments.

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Maybe not the best choice, but definitely a good choice

Truth be said, I watched it solely for Xu Kai. I've always loved his works, and this being a modern setting drama, I just couldn't miss this.

Story : It will test your patience, and reward you for having it . Lemme give a background: ITS NOT A ROMCOM. If you're here for romance, you might be disappointed. But, if you wanna watch a family drama , THIS IS IT. (You would relate to the story much more, if you happen to be Asian (specially south/east))

Initially, first couple of episodes went by really fine . FL's ex seemed so fine to me that i thought why would she ever break up with him , but as the story unfolded it became crystal clear , why? The mom seemed too selfish, intrusive and nagging towards her children , for about half of the drama. But, once you get to know about her past , you just understand her character better. I personally really hated FL's mom for initial half of the drama, but once that mother-daughter scene came around , everything became clear, like the sky clears down after a thunderstorm.

Its an FL centric drama, where the world revolves around her family (read: mother) and her work . On work front , she's a brilliant person who outshines when given the opportunities. She had ample amount of hurdles along her path , but they only made her stronger and unstoppable. In the family , she's a daughter, elder sister and a granddaughter. She is a person with strong character, maturity and sense of responsibility. She's the kind of daughter every parent would wish to have (especially south east asian).
In the first half , there is mostly lots of politics going on in the workfront, and nagging at home for the FL, also her ex is all over the place. I felt the second half of the drama was much more balanced , as we could see the characters for who they truely were, for example, FL's mom became a lot more tolerable (for me), we get to know Zhiming wasn't really a cunning, selfish boss, his past was unfolded in later episodes, FL's workplace became more stable & we could see her hardwork coming to fruition.

Acting : I absolutely loved Kai and Yang zi. All of the cast for that matter have done a really good job. It was my first time watching Yang Zi. Be it the mother daughter confrontation scene , or her grandma's funeral, her performance was so pure and soulful.
Xu Kai's just been amazing like always. Be it being tacky, getting emotional, crying , teasing ,laughing or whatsoever, his expressions are always on the mark. It was great seeing him in a modern drama.

What I feel they missed: Huan and Zhiming's wedding. I wish they could have included that .

Summary :
If you're up for a family drama, with just enough romance to make you smile time to time , you should definitely give this a go. Its beautiful in terms of filial love, paternal love & sibiling's affection portrayed in this drama. I feel it touches upon almost every relatonship one encounters in their life time . Its simply satisfying.
A good watch.

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Most fav family drama ...

The first thing i want to clear is that many international fans are watching this drama for romantic scenes , but i want to clarify that it is not a romcom drama . it is a family drama and mainly female centric plot ... so the screentime is also divided with family members of FL ...

The main theme of a drama is on how dominating asian moms wants to control their children all the time ... the drama wants to tell us that even if child has to be respectful but he should also raise his voice against their parents wrong behaviour and parents should always try to understand their child 's point of view...

ML is a rich and hansome guy who got abondoned in his childhood and in result of that he loves money over family relations ...
He is a successful businessman who can do good or bad things for his own profit , because only money gives him a sense of security ...
FL is a cheerful lady who got decieved in her past relationship ... now she only wants to focus on her carear ...Her main focus is never to become a rich person , but to see his family smiling all the time ,

Both the ML and FL are mature and understands how this world works ... For example , in starting when Ml used the FL for his own profit , she also understands his point of view and never complained with him on this topic and on other side she just got cautious with him , because she understands that Ml is a smart businessman who can use anyone for his profit ...

This drama has the best confession scene , without any third party involved and all his words comes from his heart and his eyes is the proof of his sincerity ...
Kiss scene between ML and FL is also full of desires ... it is both cute and hot ...

The last time i watched such a great chemistry is in Hidden love but this drama surpasses that in terms of chemistry and cuteness , i can't even tell how much i smile whenever i saw our leads together on a screen whether they are bickering , eating or having conversation all are filled with sweetness ...

Here we get the cutest and lovely grandma who wants his grandson to become gentle and for that she knows that only FL can do that ... Grandma perfectly divides her inheritance so that they can keep interacting in future , because grandma knew that they will make a great couple in future ...

One of my most loved character is ML 's assistant , whenever he comes humour always comes with him ... he is more like a friend to ML ...

FL 's bestie always gives the best advice for FL , which makes her character more special ...

FL 's brother is also a responsible guy , who did not have job but he always wants to fulfil his responsibility as a son to their family and also to ease the burden on FL ... and for that he do a part time job .

Their clothing is very suitable according to their characters ... OST 's of this drama gives us a peaceful mind .

Now let me talk about some bad things in the future ...

- FL 's ex family is a whole scum ... Her ex has no backbone and is an irresponsible guy and his family always looks down on FL 's family and always humiliates them which is the main reason of their breakup ...

- FL 's father who never opposes his wife 's wrong action ... He failed his duty as a senior of the house ...

- Fl 's mother who loves money more than her children and for that she is both annoying and shameful character ... she keeps humilating her family in front of FL 's ex family for their money , and after that she tried her best to take full inheritance of grandma ...

.................................

This drama keeps getting better and better with each episode with a good pace of story ... although there are some annoying character in this drama but this drama is more cute and funny with warmthness of a faimly ...

MY fav quote of the drama - '' Eating alone is surviving , and eating with someone is living ''
'' Nobody can avoid the temptation of power ... ''

i never liked a love at first sight drama and always loves slow paced romance ...
A 10 / 10 drama for me ... because it has everything i loves watching

....

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A reel featuring Yang Zi & Xu Kai got me here. It is nice but a bit boring.

I usually tend to avoid Xu Kai's dramas not because I think he isn't a good actor but because Ancient Love Poetry did me in. I hated his character in it. But I also loved him in "Falling Into Your Smile" in which his character was so damn sweet, so although I'm a bit wary about his dramas, I still didn't hesitate to watch this one, especially because he has been paired with Yang Zi, the cutest adorable sprite. Now, that I saw them together, the chemistry is good. They are both stunning and can light up the screen for me.

This is going to be a slow burn and I'm going to enjoy it. Like one another review said that they liked FL's bf initially, I had the same thought that he was adorable. Only to have had my eyes opened to the lies. The FL is a pretty independent woman who wants to earn things herself, knowing this the guy still couldn't muster up the courage to fess up. Even if he had to be forgiven because FL is a nice person, he couldn't even say no the blind date when he already had a gf. Damn it, I understand that is hard to untangle from relationships that you have invested years in but the guy doesn't learn. He'll continue to lie about things and they are bound to break up. The bf had very little presence in ep 7 & 8, it was focused mostly on the parents and grandma.

The ML is clearly trying to some business espionage, his goals are still unclear but doesn't seem that far gone to harm people. I don't think he'll be able to harm the lovely grandma or her step granddaughter. So, the whole truth is out in the open and the ML did frame FL, leading to her demotion. This was when she asked for a transfer to a place far from him and he agreed, only to show up in that place again.

The FL's mother is so damn irritating. Why on the earth does she not care about her daughter's happiness, she decided to forgive the guy because she found out that he has money. She is not getting any better even in the newer episodes. I'll be skipping most of the scenes with her in it and continue watching it for the leads.

The FL breaks up with her boyfriend in episode 11 and it is a sad. It was a hard decision for her to make, but they just weren't right and she so clearly brought up all the points that didn't work in their favor. The bf didn't really have anything to say and didn't try hard to get her to change her mind. Thankfully, her mama was a bit understanding about it and not her usual self. Her brother and father are both such green flags. Now, we finally get some scenes with FL and ML focused on each other and they have started with bickering.

Despite the breakup and the dynamics between the family, the drama is pretty light hearted and lacks depth. Not that I mind, I like it well enough. It was just different from most of Yang Zi's dramas that are very emotionally charged. Yang Zi's character has more depth compared to Xu Kai's character, I hope that changes in the future to keep things interesting.

Ep 15 & 16: Wow, the mom wins the mug for the most self centered mom in the world. She pushes her daughter so hard to marry a guy just because his family has money. She is not even willing to think about how he would make her daughter miserable by continuing the same cycle they were stuck in. As a daughter of an Asian mother, Mai Chen Huan's words to her mother were so resonating. You put on put foot out of the line and you get labeled a disobedient daughter who deserves to be cut off. The entire family enables that woman, even her son saying you are not to blame. Come on people, if she hadn't tried to take the bait set by the Jia Liang's family, all this mess wouldn't have happened. She can't just let her daughter be.

Ep 19 & Ep 20: Wasn't expecting that! Will miss the adorable grandma for sure. I initially thought that she would leave the hotel to both Chen Huan and Zhi Ming. It is hard to guess what's going on in Zhi Ming's head, he is probably thinking how to get the hotel without affecting Chen Huan in any way. Here's to hoping they work together instead of fighting against each other.

Ep 21 & 22: So far so good. They are working together and Zhi Ming has pretty much shared everything he planned to do with Chen Huan, let's hope there isn't anything he has left out. I wonder though if he might have to leave the country once they start to get along.

Ep 22 to Ep 30: They got together and things are going smoothly with just a little hitches. The mom is the same, I'm surprised the Yao Zhi Ming gets along with her so well. It is a nice to watch, but even with two such powerful actors it might not have much of rewatch value. Xu Kai's "Falling into your smile" is a much better watch.

Ep 31 to 37: Skipped a lot of scenes, and watched the final episode without subtitles. (Just curious as to how it ended). The ending seems fine but it failed to evoke any feelings out of me. It was not a drama that you can be immersed into.

I'm a teensy bit disappointed with the drama, especially because it has such a good cast. I hope we see them all in better projects in the future, where all of their acting skills would be appreciated.

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Updated Loving Best Choice Ever This is a great Family Drama!!!!

This is my updated review on Best Choice Ever . I have now watched all episodes and I really enjoyed it . Yes , it probably over exaggerates “Mom” and her reactions but I can let you into a secret a lot of mothers of that generation could be what I call reactionary. LOL

I am not from a Chinese background but watching this so far has made me smile, laugh and even a little tear or two. It started to make me think of my own family who live in an another country and I don’t get to see them on a daily basis This drama so far has made me feel so many different emotions. To me this is a sign of a great drama.

I mean who can’t relate to Mom telling you why you aren’t married at 30 especially since this is set in 1990. LOL Honestly for me some of the scenes with grandma , mother and daughter made me pick up the phone call my own mother and let her know that I miss her very much.

Obviously it is focusing on Chinese family values but my own family is from Europe and the similarities that my own older sister went through are exactly the same. The boyfriend who lies through his teeth LOL I honestly couldn’t stop laughing in certain parts. There isn’t anything IMO that you can hate about the drama so far .

Yang Zi can really act well and could probably carry any role. IMO she is really one of the best actors in China right now Next let’s talk about XuKai I love how Xu Kai ‘s character started off being a little cold, mysterious and is now evolving into possibly a white knight BTW full transparency I am a big XuKai fan 100% and I can’t wait to see more of him in these types of dramas going forward.

If you want to watch something with the overall feel good vibe and think about experiences you might have had so far in life this is well worth watching.
This is a great family drama !

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this was really a family drama..only

to be honest the drama is not bad. Just that its highly based on family and work issues. Huan Huan and her mother find it really hard to get along with each other but it makes sense cause its almost impossible to get along with the mother. The drama is highly focused on the mother but she doesnt really have any character development.

On the other hand however, Huan Huan's character is really good. She is confident and out spoken and is willing to fight for her loved ones. I did not feel frustrated watching her and her scenes was actually quite refreshing. The male lead also YZM is a very big green flag. Their romance is mature and very natural with no issues.

If you are looking for fluff then it will be better to watch the romance highlights on youtube. If you like the family genre then u might like this show but the scenes with the mother....u might feel like flipping the table.

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Best Choice Drama is the Worst Chinese Drama In History, No romance!

Best Choice Drama ia the worst Chinese Drama in history.
I got frustrated, stressed watching this drama. As my previous comments,
Is this drama about the romance YZM and Huan or the mother.
Huan's Mother gets so much screen time, she is manipulative, selfish, inconsiderate and lots of us get angry with her bad behaviour, She wants her family to be submissive and treated her as a Queen, worst of all, they are all giving in to her. She planned with Huan's ex boyfriend sister and prepared the Engagement party for her daughter Huan's without her knowledge, when her daughter refused and wants to walk out, she gave her daughter a tight slap and threaten her daughter if she leaves, she will sever ties with her daughter Huan's. She only cares for her own interest and not her daughter happiness.
Luckily her daughter refused to submit to her. What kind of a mother is she to embarrassed her daughter Huan by slapping her in front of public.
Anyway I fast forward when Huan's mother come to the screen.
This drama is mainly about her mother not YZM and Huan. No Romance!
Even the last few episodes is about Huan's mother sickness. Who Cares! After what she done to her daughter, she wants her daughter to marry into rich family. Hated it when Huan's mother always said I don't mind to live in poverty but not my children. Bullshit!!! Huan's already own the hotel given by her grand mother.
After all the tormenting, mental torture and was looking forward for the wedding but no wedding, wasted too much time on this stupid drama. Feel Cheated!!! No Romance only Mental Torture by Huan's Mother.
WASTED MY TIME WITH THIS STUPID DRAMA!!! Bad experience watching Chinese Drama, Very Toxic.

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Unless you can endure melodramas for Xu Kai or Yang Zi, I would advise you leave...

I think this show had potential. Family dramas have the tendency to be a little bit one-dimensional and boring, but I think this could've gone a lot of different places. From insights on filial piety to motherly affection to individualism in today's society, there were so many things that could've been explored in this drama. None of these things were touched, which was disappointing. Even more so...

The part about this drama I can't stand (probably influenced by my implicit biases, but anyway) is the story. The mom by herself didn't bother me like the other viewers were bothered. The mom was an over-attentive, un-empathetic, but ultimately caring person... you know Mrs. Bennett from Pride and Prejudice? Kind of like that. That type of character, while definitely unlikable, doesn't bother me if either A) they end up developing in order to represent/symbolize some sort of message or B) they just don't appear all the much.

This drama does not check off EITHER of those boxes. The mom is the only main lead, as other reviewers have noted, in this drama. She gets more screen time I daresay than Xu Kai, and possibly even more than Yang Zi. Even worse, the drama ends on the note of 'we should all quit our jobs to help our well-intentioned mother (which is fair) because she's ultimately the best for us (untrue as evidenced throughout this drama).' I think filial piety is a common theme among mainland dramas, and one that was expressed both as a prison for the female lead and also... the happy ending? There was no growth or insight that led up to this result either. The mom stayed the mom. The daughter adapted for the mom, no matter how much she was tortured and trapped by the mom's antics. This drama doesn't teach how to be a good son/daughter more than how to get stuck in an unhealthy parent/child relationship. It bothered me... and still does to this day. The saving grace in terms of insight for this drama could be the grandma, but then you'd have to stop watching after the first few episodes.

Beyond that, there's basically no plot or direction to this drama. Many good dramas can be summarized in one overarching statement. Nirvana in Fire describes an exiled general's revenge strategy to reclaim honor for his army. Reset describes two people stranded in a time loop on an inevitably exploding bus. This? It feels like a WebToon. The plot seemed improvised as each episode went on, and ultimately, it didn't really go anywhere. I couldn't summarize it unless I told you everything that happened. And that would be unhelpful.

Finally, although this doesn't really affect my personal rating, do note that if you're a huge celeb-chaser or your idol is in this show you'd probably not see them a lot. Xu Kai doesn't really get screen time until episode 8(?) and Yang Zi gets it but portrays the same scenes over and over again. Not a whole lot of development going on here...

Oh! If you're here for the romance, go find romance dramas. This has about as much of an inkling of romance as Nirvana in Fire does. I guess there's a kiss, but anyway.

Peace out ._.

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