Taking into account when it was made, it's phenomenal and ahead of its time

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 30%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 30%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value - Good (for the time)

ADVICE: If you can step back and put yourself in 2007, this Drama was a big deal for the time and is quite beautiful. I only watched it for the first time this last year, but I made sure to not judge the script and story based on today's values. That said, watching it through the lens of today, I can understand why some people have a big problem with the premise and the female main character's actions. In a time when being gay almost anywhere in the world wasn't only dangerous but also stigmatized and perhaps even classified as a mental illness, the journey of the ML is a fascinating one, and an important one. I think, for me, it allowed me to understand why so many non-straight people really struggle with their sexuality.

But, obviously, the FML isn't a man, thus the story's direction and conflict change direction and become about her duplicity, which is fine / makes sense, but it splits the drama into two different shows. For me, this change without real resolution for Choi Han Gyul's first / internal conflict felt like a bit of a letdown, if I'm honest. Looking at the show through the lens of today, I wished the show would've explored Choi Han Gyul's realization that romantic love (for him) isn't limited by gender. He fell in love with the person first, not their gender. Admittedly, the show draws this conclusion without stating it explicitly, but I think it moved on too fast. Which is fine, I guess. But I wanted the ML and FL to have the conversation, "I fell in love with you. And I would love you if you were a man or a woman or non-binary, because it's you." That would've been a powerful message for people to see and hear and be exposed to.

I also have to call out Gong Yoo and the way he *looks at* his FML in his dramas once the character is in love with them. Cheese and crackers, this guy and his looks. I don't know how he does it, but it's like something within him flips a switch and, when he gazes at the FML's character, it's all heat and desire. How does he do that?

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Great for what it is, but the story / dialogue :-\

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 25%
Romance - 65%
Misc comedy - 10%

Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - pretty bad

What you need to know about my rating: the dialogue is frequently SUPER cheesy. The storyline is fine. Not good, but fine. Sometimes it's nonsensical in order to set the main characters up for maximum dramatic and tropey situations. The villains and main characters are cartoonish, but that's to be expected with a short format story.

If you can accept that the dialogue is silly and the storyline is nonsensical then you will enjoy the chemistry between the two leads, which is the main draw. Given the script, I was really impressed with their performances. They honestly didn't have much to work with.

Also, it should be noted that the OST is really good. I'm not usually a fan of the OSTs in CDramas (Love Between Fairy and Devil being the exception) but this one was really good.

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This is my favorite Yang Yang drama (so far)

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 45%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Really good

I tried to watch O2O and . . . no. For a lot of reasons, no. But mostly because the two main characters were the most boring main characters I've ever had the displeasure of attempting to watch. Then I watched 'You Are My Glory' which was okay for a while but then it was very *meh*

But this one was SO GOOD! I loved the story. I did not find the main female lead / character at all wishy-washy. Her perspective and actions made sense to me, as did the unfolding of their story together. Unlike most modern CDrama where things tend to drag in the middle episodes, this one did not.

And their chemistry was top notch. You could tell the actors were really comfortable with each other. This is the best chemistry I've seen (so far) anyone have with Yang Yang.

Also the side-plots were also quite good. I loved the supporting cast.

But watch it for the chemistry between the two leads. SO GOOD

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Honestly, this was just boring.

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 50%
Romance - 25%
Misc comedy - 25%

Background plot - Boring
Romantic chemistry - Mid
Misc comedy - Okay
Production value - Fine

The KK team was the best part.
As with most CDramas, they broke up, and got back together, and broke up again, and got back together, and yada yada yada. I generally liked the FL, but she was a complete doormat with the boring hero, and not because she was "young." I didn't think she was "too young," I thought she was spineless and lacking in self-worth with the hero, which didn't make any sense because she came from a loving home, was brilliant and kind, and seemed to know her worth in all circumstances that didn't involve the ML. Also, it was never clear what she found attractive about him other than his looks.
Sadly, the worst part of this drama was the ML, who was straight up boring. I think he was supposed to be one of those cold / aloof male heroes-- which I usually have no problem at all with-- but he wasn't aloof, he was a snoozefest.

I did like his younger cousin, though. He was interesting, and I might give the spinoff a chance because of that character.

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Ending was rushed, but otherwise great!

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 50%
Romance - 45%
Misc comedy - 5%

Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good, not great

The last 15 minutes felt incredibly rushed, and that made me sad because up to that point this movie was SOOOO GOOOOOOD!!! This would've been best as a 4 part miniseries rather than a 1.5 hour movie. Also, the ML and his smoldering eyes were everything.
Overall, the world building and the story were fantastic and the chemistry between the two leads was lovely.
I do want to note that the script/dialogue was pretty good, but there weren't many words spoken. Most of the movie was comprised of acting without words. Lots of action, longing stares, and inner monologue. If inner monologue and a very abused heroine are a turn off for you, this one might be hard to watch.

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I blame the script

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 40%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 30%

Background plot - Bad
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Fine

The acting was great. The direction was fine. The script was a hot mess. I didn't like the premise (first of all) and then the dialogue was stilted and--honestly--dumb. Such a shame because I love both these main actors and had high hopes. If you love the actors (like me) go to Youtube and look for a highlights video of their scenes; though the dialogue is terrible, they do have a few cute scenes where there's less talking. Those are worth watching, but don't waste time on episodes of this drama (these are hours you can't get back, people!!)
For the ML, check out Business Proposal, A Time Called You, and Dr. Romantic.
For Park Bo Young, check out Strong Girl Bong Soon, Doom At Your Service, and her newest Daily Dose of Sunshine.

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Nothing special

==Breakdown==
Background plot / palace intrigue - 65%
Romance - 25%
Random comedy - 10%

Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Pretty good
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Really good. The set for the palace was the best I've seen.

I've now watched enough Cdramas to know when a drama is recycled and just another retelling of the same story. This one was very similar to so many others. After episode 20, I fast forwarded most of the episodes looking for something interesting. Episodes 29-31 are quite good. The rest were sluggish / meh.

Xu Kai was fantastic as usual. He's an AMAZING actor. His group of friends were great and fun. This show made me realize he's a great crier and his performance makes me forget I'm watching a TV show. It really choked me up this time.

Jing Tian was very likable in her role when she was bantering or joking. The only issue is she's not a believable crier and that reduced the watchability of her more emotional scenes, making them quite boring. For example, the resolution with her father lacked any impact due to her subpar skills during the scene. I'm not sure I would've noticed if Xu Kai's performance hadn't been so much better in comparison.

Overall, it's a fine watch to pass the time, especially if you're a Xu Kai fan.

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Really good!

==Breakdown==
Background plot / palace intrigue - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good

Overall thoughts: This is my first drama with Zhang Wan Yi and my second with Wang Chu Ran. I *really* enjoyed Wang Chu Ran in Fireworks (with Yang Yang) and was excited to see her in a historical Cdrama. Zhang Wan Yi impressed me! He has such an interesting voice, I'm so glad he did his own dubbing as I think his inflections added a lot to the overall story.

Highly recommend for: Romance focused watchers in search of great chemistry paired with decent production values in a historical Cdrama.

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If you want to be entertained, it's entertaining

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 45%
Romance - 45%
Misc comedy - 10%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Not the best

Here's what you need to know:
1. The story is ridiculous with lots of plot holes and silly deus ex machina resolutions, but also keeps you guessing. It follows tropes and then subverts those tropes. If you don't mind non-sensical plot points, then this might be for you. I gave the story a generous 7 star rating because the characters' choices surprised me several times (in a good way)
2. The best part of the show is the ML. He gets progressively better with each episode and the drama is honestly worth watching just for him. Like other reviewers have said, he's consistent for the whole show.
3. The FMC will frustrate you, but she's not terrible. The actress did the best job possible with the script. That said, she was a bit of a doormat which made me sad. I didn't need her to be badass or whatever, but early on it would've been good for her to have a better reason for falling for the MMC and some self-awareness around how problematic he is. Like, fall for him, sure. But have her question how bonkers it is to fall for a guy like him.
4. You can FastForward all the scenes with the FMC's best friend, they are filler and mind-numbingly boring.

Overall, very entertaining.

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If you like cold, brilliant boy falling for earnest / kind girl, this is the drama for you

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 45%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 15%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

If you're looking for a drama where the boy (eventually a man) is cold and brilliant and secretly smitten with the upright, good girl (eventually a woman) then this is the one for you. It's *almost* the best in genre (that I've seen so far) and the chemistry between the main couple is chemistrying 100% of the time. Both the ML and the FML were masterful in their scenes together and the romance that takes place on screen felt authentic.

The problem was the story. Or rather, the story is problematic. Usually (interestingly enough) I can easily disassociate and watch a problematic story with no issue. But I felt like the writers took extreme measures (from the middle to the end) to have the ML mistreat the FML to such an extent, I couldn't root for them to be together in the end. I actually wanted her to walk away and leave him in the dust. All I needed was one begging scene, one scene where he crawls for her, something like in 'A Love So Beautiful' when Jiang Chen begs Chen Xiao Xi to give him one more chance, and then he's openly smitten from that point forward.

Unfortunately, the writers never gave it to us, Lighter barely apologizes to Princess, and thus I ultimately felt unsatisfied.

But if you don't need a groveling scene in these kinds of scenarios, you'll likely love this drama. It might become your favorite.

For the record, 'A Love so Beautiful' remains my favorite cold guy falling for kind girl show. If you have any other recs, please let me know!!

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The best part of this show was the female lead

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 25%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 25%

Background plot - Boring
Romantic chemistry - She was great, he was terrible
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Not great

This show was frustrating to watch, mostly because I loved the FL-- the character and the actress-- but watching the ML behave so entirely tepid for the entirety of the show was incredibly frustrating. I completely understood why the ML would've fallen for her as the storyline dictated. At first, I felt their chemistry and waited in anticipation for him to show *some* emotion. But ultimately, by the end of the show, the acting (and directing) choices for the ML's character were so bad. I believed her feelings for him; I did not believe he had any feelings for her.

The story was fine. Very typical and predictable. Production values were also fine. Secondary storyline was extremely boring.

I hope Jiang Zhi Nan gets a better acting partner in her new show. I'll keep an eye out for her future projects.

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Middle episodes are the best

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

This show suffered from being too long. It should've been 16 episodes instead of 24.
The first 5 are repetitive and somewhat boring.
6-12 are REALLY GOOD. The ML does a really good job pining for the FL. His acting during these episodes made them super enjoyable.
13-end are repetitive again. There are a few fun moments sprinkled throughout, but nothing memorable.

Acting was fine. Story was fine, nothing special. I might re-watch 6-12. Then again, I might not.

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Worth it for Ryan Cheng's bombastic side-eye

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 60%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 5%

Background plot - Excellent in some parts, rushed and sloppy in others
Romantic chemistry - Excellent for second leads, tepid for main leads
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Ranging from good to excellent

Ryan Cheng stole this one. Except a few crumbs stolen by Lester Lin, Ryan Cheng staged a heist and legit burgled the whole dang show.
THINGS I LOVED:
1) Every scene with Ryan Cheng (or Lester Lin) was captivating.
2) The fight scenes were awesome.
3) Cinematography and set design
4) Costumes
5) Background of story and set up of story

THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
1) I love Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He, but the script was not great and many of the scenes were waaaaaaaay to slow. By all accounts, Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He had good chemistry, but weren't given the scenes or the dialogue to demonstrate it. Their interactions were boring after a while (because of the pace and script), which was a shame because you could tell (with their expressions and eye contact) that they gave it their all.
2) Someone said in the comments that every scene was overly dramatic. I co-sign this statement. The panning to everyone's face to see their facial expressions and reactions would've been fine if it had been used as a device for one or two scenes, but it was waaay over used.
3) Not only was it slow, but the show had a huge amount of repetition, showing the same scenes over and over.
4) Also, this was weird: the show did this thing where they'd show a character once and then kill them (someone I'd never seen before or hadn't seen much of) and then do a flashback with that character for 20 minutes where we were apparently supposed to get to know them via a summary of their past and then feel sad about their current death. This never worked. I just fast forwarded these flashbacks after the 4th time this happened.
5) The second to last episode was absolutely nothing but exposition wherein the bad guy spent 45minutes telling us how he did it. That's just lazy storytelling.

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First contemporary CDrama, really enjoyed it

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

Was the story perfect or grounded in reality? No. No, it was not. Not at all. Maybe not even a little.
Were some the situations and dialogue cringe? Yes. Certainly.
Was it also a lot of fun to watch? Yes. Yes, it absolutely was.

Listen, this was unserious fun. I watched it for Dylan Wang who seems to have chemistry with walls, cars, all humans, and oftentimes plastic bags. He's amazing. I haven't seen Meteor Garden yet, but it's up next and I'm excited. I hope it's more unserious fun where Dylan Wang demonstrates how to have fantastic chemistry with inanimate and animate objects. I hope he never stops making shows.

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Romance was 7.5, Bromance was a 10

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 65%
Romance - 20%
Misc comedy - 15%

Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Good

The romance was pretty good. The ML and FL had solid chemistry, but the ML's tragic story and his portrayal of it carried most of the show and took over / overwhelmed the romance.
However, the real star of this drama was the bromance between the two male leads. Their friendship and their scenes (and their friendship chemistry) stole the show. I ended up fast forwarding all scenes just to get to the friendship side story.
Of note, the overall plot is a little convoluted, but-- like I said-- the friendship plot completely charmed and made up for (mostly) the other deficiencies. Not that you asked, but I didn't care about or have a favorite of the two potential love interests for the friend male lead and, other than enriching his character, that part fell flat (for me).

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