Hilarious and charming, great acting (especially female lead) even with the cliche plot device!

If you read the synopsis, this seems like every other contract-marriage drama but this one does it very well. Although this show might seem like it'll prey on cliche tropes, it actually is one of the most charming cdramas of the year in my opinion.

Characters: First off, you have actually supportive parents. They're not the stereotypical "evil" in-laws. Both parents are good-hearted and want the best for their children and just want them to be happy.

You also have interesting side couples. At first glance, you might think a love-triangle will deter the show, but it really doesn't. At first, you might find the SML as a "bad guy" but you realize that he's actually harmless and caring deep down - it doesn't fall into the pithole of an annoying second male lead. He actually cares for the FL and her wants/desires. The love-triangle essentially stops a bit halfway through and SML starts to focus on the SFL, who is one of the cutest "best-friend-character" of the FL. Even the initially annoying Tang Ping stops her bratty nature relatively quickly and becomes a supportive character instead, Overall, the characters are very enjoyable.

The main female lead is a forceful and strong CEO while the male lead is a caring, quiet, and considerate doctor. It's nice to see more strong female leads. Even though she's assertive, Zhou Yutong is SO funny and adorable as well. So many individual cute moments + cute relationship moments. Simon Gong plays his part great as a foil to the FL. There's great character developments and you begin to see a role reversal in the later episodes which makes everything so much more quirky and entertaining. Honestly, the leads + supporting cast are done so well!

Plot: It's nothing too special but I just wanted to say that it's a very funny drama. It's not really external conflict/plot-driven but more character-driven which I enjoyed a lot. There's actually "laugh out loud" moments. The chemistry between all the characters are great (leads with each other, different combinations of lead with supporting, supporting with supporting). Small misunderstandings are resolved relatively quick so it's a nice watch most of the time. The most important thing to note which might be a SPOILER is that there's actually a time-skip which breaks this show out of the mold of a generic contract-marriage drama. I generally don't like giving a "spoiler" but I feel like this one isn't that "important" to keep hidden but it's still important to mention since potential viewers might want to know. I normally hate a plot device like this, but in Begin Again, it's done very well -- reasons are valid, characters change and grow afterwards.

However, one issue I have with the plot is the business politics side. This is the one part of the drama where it feels forced and unnatural. Character motivations are unbelievable. It's not particularly prevalent but whenever it pops up, it just makes me want to fast-forward [but it's very minimal]. Honestly borderlining unwatchable for me; thank god the romcom aspect is done well to keep me locked in.

Conclusion: Watch this for the adorable characters. Strong female lead, nice male lead, character development, likable supporting cast. Even a show that seems to have many cliches, it actually subverts many obvious ones and is a great watch. It veers away from the melodrama tropes and is fresh and refreshing.

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Great and Sweet but falls into cliche and repetitive pitfalls with its writing

Everyone already saw the raving reviews so I'll keep the good points concise.

Love is Sweet is mostly a generic office-romcom. There's romance, comedy, office politics, multiple couples. The plot is bearable in how dark/edgy it gets (doesn't go overboard to ruin the mood of the drama), majority of characters are realistic and fun(ish). Not mold-breaking but it does this very well for its genre and is enjoyable notwithstanding its flaws. Misunderstandings are resolved quickly (a big plus) so it's not a heavy watch which is great for a slow watch or a quick quarantine binge.

Pros: Great chemistry between main leads (honestly one of the best). Acting was great and I think all the actors conveyed emotions to a great detail. The plot wasn't overly complicated and mind-numbingly confusing (although there are certain parts that will be discussed briefly later). This makes rewatch value very high since you can skip around the parts you don't like (if you don't like the office politics or certain couples/characters). One of the best (and underrated parts) is the COMEDY. It's actually very funny with a good mix of wacky fun, diabetes cringe moments, and great banter -- for contemporary dramas with cliche premises, I think that's very important.

Cons: I'll start with minor cons and move my way up.
1) Music -- lots of English background songs, some of which have pretty bad grammar/pronunciation. Might ruin the mood (whether playful or teary) when it plays the same couple of English songs over and over again, not really a standout OST here.

2) Pacing -- first half of the drama was paced very well. Got more and more draggy in the later half.

3) Second Couple -- one of the least interesting second couples I've ever seen. Extremely one-dimensional and took up a lot of screentime. Definitely didn't pay off for how much screentime they took up and there wasn't any strong attachment to them. Felt like more of an afterthought. They tried to be the comedy-relief but shifted towards unneeded angst to keep the "suspense" going which was very arbitrary -- I didn't even mind the shift since I just didn't care for them. Even fast-forwarded some of their scenes and it's a definite skip on potential rewatches.

4) SML -- Won't go too indepth with this since people complained about this a bunch already. Just know that this character is written very poorly and feels unrelatable, almost a caricature of some sort. Last couple of episodes definitely ruin this character even more.

5) Poorer writing of main leads as series continued. This issue, other people haven't really talked too much about. The beginning, you have the "overprotective ML" that is standard in CEO dramas -- started off one-dimensional. Felt his character came off a bit strong initially but not to an excessive degree. Female lead started off extremely interesting -- although somewhat of a "damsel" since she's new to the company, you quickly see her perseverance and strength. Male lead also tones down his actions gradually and really shifts to become the focal point of the drama, however, this is to the detriment of the female lead. Female lead loses substance as the drama continues and starts becoming less and less interesting; becoming both unrelatable and even frustrating at times (which is something that really doesn't happen in the first half). I think in the later episodes, the romance feels more lopsided (male lead cares more for female lead [grand and small gestures, apologies, sacrifices]; female lead shows more aloofness [going at her pace]). Everything wrapped up satisfactorily but with respect to character development (primarily FL), the second half is lacking.

Conclusion:
Yes, I pointed out many cons that might deter you from the drama but note that I still rated it 8.5/10. It's a fun watch. Yes, it has its shortcomings but compared to other dramas in this genre, this one is definitely a standout still! Just don't think too hard about its plot/repetitive and enjoy it. Very fun nonetheless.

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Electrifying leads, with similar plot to You Are My Glory

As other comments pointed out, the plot has many similarities to You Are My Glory. You have an established FL with a cold-at-first ML that's aiming to become a scientist/researcher. The plot is a bit underwhelming but don't let this deter you - it's rare to have a high-budget modern drama with great leads, amazing chemistry and an easy to digest plot without a billion cliches and angsty moments.

I'll start with the pros, and why you should watch it.
1) Characters. The leads are amazing. It's rare to find such great chemistry, good-looking leads and such a healthy relationship. There really isn't any notable love triangles, the characters start devoted to one another and remain devoted throughout the whole drama. One minor "break" in their relationship close to end (approximately 1 ep in length) but really not a big deal. Kisses are intense. Janice and Vin fit perfectly in their roles. Janice's character was so endearing and character growth was really well-written. Side characters are good too, although the second couple was really an afterthought, with no real development - whatever, I'm not here for them haha. Main couple didn't have too much drama - was healthy overall and they always talked whenever they were upset so issues were promptly discussed.

2) Plot. The plot is solid. Nothing to write home about but for a modern drama, it's well worth watching. No angsty moments, no cancer scares and no mindmelting love triangle.

3) OST is solid. A couple nice songs (notably the ballads).

4) Good budget. You get the real voices from the actors (very limited dubbing) and you get to see the cities of Shanghai and Xi'an. As a modern drama, I think it's so important to get the vibe of the city right.

Cons. There aren't really any notable cons, but I'll point out some things that could've been done better.
1) Needs some more "high" and "low" moments. Since the main couples were well-written, there really weren't many highs or lows in the drama. I never found myself thinking: "wow this is so swoonworthy". No tears either. There was a lot of missed opportunities during some pivotal moments where the writers could have had the main characters show a bit more emotion (so the viewers can empathize).

2) Plot starts off exciting but plateaus. The latter half of the drama was noticeably weaker once the couples got together. Since they have such a healthy relationship, I guess there really wasn't much to write about so they made the main couple do long distance, so was a bit underwhelming. The last few episodes were also extremely rushed with choppy editing (what even happened?!?!)

3) A bit too much advertising. So much advertising... and it culminates in being a giant advertisement for China's Beidou (GPS) navigating system. Almost like the show's whole theme is dedicating yourself to being a government researcher. This really took precedence over anything else (family, relationship, even the FL's hundred-million dollar company).

Overall, worth watching for the leads alone. The main leads are just eye-candy. With the solid budget, viewers get a real taste of Shanghai/Xi'an. For a modern drama, plot isn't anything revolutionary but solid, backed by generally down to earth characters.

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Seems like a generic plot but is filled with hilarious acting and adorable characters

If you read the synopsis, it seems like one of the most generic plots. Body-switching... again??? But this show does it right. During the body switches, the leads and their acting is incredible to watch. When they body switch, it is almost TOO realistic that it feels weird to watch - I had to remind myself that the two didn't actually switch bodies! That's how realistic it felt. The acting and chemistry are the highlights. It's a light-hearted watch with mostly character-driven plot devices, such as reconciling with family, balancing work and relationship, and the obvious body switching. One of the standouts is the comedy aspect. The romance is obviously done incredibly realistically and well with solid pacing -- the comedy aspect always follows closely behind reminding viewers the absurdity of the situation and injecting goofy yet entertaining scenes every episode.

Pacing: It's a relatively short cdrama which I am all for, only 26 episodes. 2021's higher ranked modern dramas has brought on a welcoming trend of shorter series with You are my glory (32 eps), Sweet Teeth (22 eps), My Little Happiness (28 eps), and this one. One of the common complaints I have had with cdramas was the drag, especially in the second half of dramas where the plot starts becoming unrealistic and new and evil characters start getting introduced. Thankfully, in the dramas that I have listed, none of that really happens just because of the shorter series length. Breath of fresh air! The Day of Becoming You has one of the better pacing I have seen in a Chinese drama, and I would even recommend it based solely on pacing - it's short enough to give it a try. Episode 1 starts off weird and slow, but it really enters its groove in the next couple of episodes.

Characters: Refer to first paragraph -- acting is amazing and most characters are realistic and supportive. Definitely a standout, especially if you're looking for a light-hearted and character-driven romcom.

Plot: Fun plot. I'll point out that the final "arc" is a bit harder to watch (last 2 episodes). You knew that this issue would be coming eventually (celebrity dating a non-celebrity) so I would have liked it if they handled it earlier or if they just removed it altogether. The predictability killed off some of its fun, especially since the body-switching aspect became less of a factor in the last third of the drama. If they resolved this particular issue earlier, I believe the plot could have been more interesting to watch. This is just a minor complaint.

The ending: is wack. Read some of the comments on the drama page. It's a ?????????????? type of ending. I won't spoil it and the drama LITERALLY works if you omit the final 20 minutes of the final episode. But its there and it's a weird one. Not a deal-breaker by any means and is generally inconsequential, but still confuses me greatly.

Conclusion: Don't be put off by the generic synopsis. The charming leads and their playful and hilarious acting skills make this worth watching. Liang Jie and Steven Zhang are hilarious and their chemistry is great. It is primarily a character-driven plot, which is what I personally enjoy because that means you know the drama won't fall into the typical drama trope pitfalls like angsty second leads, disapproving parents, or evil villain seeking revenge on the leads. It's a short watch so give it a chance!

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Unexpectedly Good (with a wide range of feels) but Acting and Plot Pacing is Lacking

The Moon Brightens for You was unexpectedly good. At first glance, this show might seem like one of those goofy romcoms, with a cold-stern MC + naive innocent FL and their hijinks together. In a way, it is, but it's also more than that. The plot gets surprisingly serious with sad parts too but the comedy and light-hearted aspects continue to be present from beginning to end.

The first half of the drama has a stronger focus on the SML, and although parts are relatively light-hearted, there's still moments that are serious and captivating. I slowly watched the first half; it was good to watch an episode or two once in a while, and it was an easy, light-hearted watch but nothing too exceptional. The second half, I binged and I was hooked. There was a shift to more serious issues but romcom elements did not disappear which was great to see -- the tone of the show didn't change without reason to make it seem like a new show.

Acting: Definitely the worst part of the show. Fair Xing (FL) plays a mostly bubbly and cheerful girl but it was a bit too much. Lots of smiling... too much smiling... and if you've seen Put Your Head on My Shoulder, you should know she's a good actress, but this was a bit too much. With so much "forced" smiling, it became a bit awkward to watch, and often, she didn't smile with her eyes so it was just seeing a lot of =D face from her. She performed very well during the serious/sad moments so overall, was okay. Alan Yu (ML) did a poor job. His face was too stiff, his emotions seemed unnatural, and Chinese netizens complained about his "chicken mouth" which made him seem a bit odd at times, rather than a "number one attractive playboy that his character was. His acting gets better during moments where he has to show more emotions but still not very good. SML did well. Princess was okay (but annoying). The other supporting cast were very good, every single one of them: the assistant, maid, general, SML's sister. Villains were okay, nothing to write home about.

Plot: What makes the show stand out is the plot. Starting off relatively cliche and light, it moves to more serious tones as it progresses. It's extremely unique since the show spends a long long long time with FL+SML (which makes sense plot-wise and character-development-wise) so it makes the ML's unrequited love a particularly unique plot point. However, this really made the FL+ML's relationship suffer in terms of development. As a viewer, you will be able to see how and understand why everything is happening (relationship-wise), but you might not FEEL it. This was the main issue in pacing since the FL+ML's relationship might feel relatively rushed and viewer's will be reluctant to feel attached. SLS isn't really here since the love-triangle is handled pretty well and reasonably. I thought character decisions were pretty logical (which is surprisingly rare in these type of more budget costume dramas) and there wasn't a reliance on cliches (unreasonable self-sacrifice, annoying in-laws, overly annoying misunderstandings, etc).

So should you watch this?

Conclusion: I won't talk much about the other aspects since they're not really relevant to the overall enjoyment. Watch this if you want unrequited love to be an important plot point. Surprisingly deep and emotional plot for a "romantic" and "funny" show so it's not just all fluff which might get boring. Just be wary of the acting (mostly from ML... it was sooo awkward at times) and the pacing. I enjoyed it but wouldn't be a show I'd re-watch.

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Just watch it - electrifying chemistry and mesmerizing moments

This will be my shortest review: just watch this. The leads are incredible. The plot is logical and is extremely fun. All the characters are supportive and fascinating, allowing this drama to be a light-hearted watch, but at the same time, you become invested in the leads themselves.

My one area of complaint is that it focuses a tad too much on gaming or aerospace engineering. The first 14~ eps go very into detail of a mobile game (perhaps even more than some "gaming dramas") and just as you're getting used to the gaming aspect, it essentially gets completely dropped in the second half! If it was kept more consistent, would've been better. The latter half is really dominated by aerospace engineering, with lots of exposition - the exposition doesn't bring too much value to the story but really slows it down and is pretty inconsequential. The weakest part of the drama by far is the final 2 episodes. It wraps up relatively nicely/happily/realistically but the final two episodes essentially have the leads be apart for 90% of the scenes. It took away the best part of the drama so the final scenes felt underwhelming to be the conclusion of such a great drama. There were so many iconic, passionate, heart-warming moments but for me, the LAST scene didn't do it. Small complaint, but just know that it's there. If the drama was shortened to ~28episodes (fixed pacing regarding gaming/engineering and a better final two episodes), it would have been even more perfect.

Still - just watch it.

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Starts strong but gets messy; Cast and "old-cdrama" vibe should be only reasons to watch

This won't be a very detailed or comprehensive review - more of just thoughts after finishing the drama and hopefully it can help someone decide whether or not to start it.

The production quality is what you would expect from a 2012 drama. It was fine for the time but watching it now, you'll realize that it feels a bit dated. Office cdramas are becoming more and more common and China especially churns them out in bulk. If you want the "best" use of your time based on 2020 quality standards, this isn't it. Although new office dramas often are "brain-numbing" with their use of tropes and drag (especially ones to try and make them 40+ eps), unfortunately, this one is in the same vein. You'll find your common tropes: love triangle, detestable family members, naive female lead, SML that some people love while others hate, and office-politics (control over company, etc).

So what should be the reason to actually watch this instead of the more recent office dramas that have 8.0 and higher scores on MDL?

1) The actors and actresses. Zhang Han and Joe Chen are really the saving graces. They're both popular and acted their roles well. Godfrey Gao was very stiff. His looks are plainly one of the main reasons he was in this drama. His character is supposed to follow a redemption arc / growth arc but I don't think his performance was compelling enough. As a result, the love triangle from a viewers perspective was very one-sided. Other than his appearance, there wasn't much going for it and Zhang Han's character was obviously the better choice to root for. One neutral comment I have is that I liked that this wasn't dubbed for the leads, made the show seem more immersive. However, it's a mix of Taiwan and China actors/actresses so the accents differ and this might throw you off if you watched many c-dramas.

2) If you want to watch a show with that "feel" of an earlier c-drama. Although different premises, I want to compare this to Beijing Love Story (2008). It has that "early-stage c-drama" vibe which heavily relies on typical (and often frustrating tropes). Both were immensely popular with Chinese audiences when they aired so they definitely have something going for them (at least back then), but as for whether they're worth watching now, there are present-day choices.

3) The plot? Maybe you read the synopsis and thought it was very intriguing or the trope was something you wanted to see more of. For me personally, other than the cast, I thought it was going to be interesting to see the romance of a "hidden" best friend and how he protects her but then later on, FL flips the situation and helps him out. Unfortunately, this aspect was very underwhelming. The romance was average and as the show progressed, more of the cliche and frustrating tropes appeared. The romance and relationships take a backseat to the business politics. The show continues with the love triangle for way too long that it loses its freshness and interest. Lastly, the relationship of the FL and ML becomes messier and weaker (might be because of presence of SML, maybe the stubbornness of primarily the FL). The relationship feels driven by the ML while the FL, who was supposed to become a stronger character with a more active role did not seem to achieve that goal. In my eyes, the ML had the short-end of the stick (imbalance in the relationship) while the FL remains pretty naive.

Conclusion: I wouldn't recommend watching this show unless you want to watch for one of the 3 previous points (or you completely ran out of things to watch). It's watchable so I guess I can consider it aging well enough, but even modern day cdramas have very typical issues so older cdramas that aren't exceptional fall deeper with respect to these issues too (cliche, draggy, unrelatable characters, tropes, frustrating). Even with all these "flaws" I mentioned, it's by no means a bad drama, but consider alternatives if you're looking for an office cdrama.

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Cute, light-hearted drama with great lead chemistry -- just a smidge off amazing

If you're looking for something that's cute and sweet without much angst/separation/betrayals, this is the show for you. Throughout the whole show, it keeps up its lighthearted atmosphere. All the leads are likeable and the "villains" in the story aren't too bad - they're generally more annoying and disruptive rather than evil and sinister.

1) Pros:

Great acting and characters. Ryan Ding and Esther Yu both were amazing in their roles. Although this isn't totally out of their comfort levels, it was still a good display. Ryan Ding was able to play a more bratty/successful male lead while Esther Yu played the foil of being the naive/air-headed female lead, although there are moments where she was able to show off her range of emotions. Second Male Lead and Male Lead have a good relationship; although there is a love-triangle involving them, it never felt angsty or upsetting, but rather more akin to friendly competition. The male leads are friends from beginning to end and its great to see their friendship. Second Female Lead is solid too and had a good performance, but I didn't find her character too much of a stand-out.

Solid plot. The plot isn't anything too special if you read the synopsis but the execution is great if you're looking for something light-hearted. Most of the conflicts are character-driven rather than external villains acting 'evil'. This allows the major strength of the show (the characters) to really shine through since the viewers are able to see their growth. Ryan Ding's character moves from a bratty/self-centered person to a caring and considerate one. Esther's character starts off air-headed and a pushover but really starts to stand-up for things and people she cares about. It's great to see. As it's an easy to digest plot, marathoning this show was very easy and there's a solid rewatch value.

2) Minor Quips:
There really isn't any major cons so I'll only go over some minor things I had issue with.

Last arc was disappointing. Around episodes 28-34, I felt the plot really started to drag. Many cdramas have this issue of having underwhelming final arcs and I felt this one was a bit forced. I felt like it moved away from what made the previous episodes enjoyable and started moving towards "evil villain" and forced-drama vibes (especially with the introduction of another certain character....).

Would've liked to see more of the female lead's thoughts. Although the FL is the "main" character, the story really heavily centers around the point of view of the male-lead. This makes the FL feel like she's in a more passive/static role whereas the ML is one that's in the dynamic role.

A little bit too much focus on second leads. Since the main leads' relationship is relatively smooth-sailing, this put a lot of the drag/boring tropes on the second leads with their back-and-forth. Not too big of a deal.

3) Miscellaneous:

Plot is VERY reminiscent to Love is Sweet. Characters, dog, motivations, cohabitation, etc. Not a con by any means but there's a lot of similarities to be drawn. OST is solid but really only 1 song by Esther Yu that's actually rememberable. Cute FL outfits.

Overall, would definitely recommend.

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Amazing iirst 20 eps, but starts dragging its feet towards the finish line

Short placeholder review for now.

First 20 eps were great. Solid balance of romance and gaming. Although Douban seriously hates this drama (mostly because Chinese viewers don't like how it "disrespects professional gamers"), I thought it was a great and fun watch. The first 20 episodes had great character building and we got to see the amazing supporting characters as well. Strong female lead - although she's the quiet and stern type, she's not shy - great change of pace from all the bubbly/upbeat/naive female leads we normally see.

The episodes definitely start dragging past episode 20. Once the main character gets together, the plot becomes messier, both from their gaming standpoint and real-life standpoint. The first 20 episodes paint their team as the favorite so the plot has to introduce challenges. Sometimes a game takes too long to finish and other times, are way too short. Sometimes, it feels like their team moves backwards as well (unexpectedly suffering from arrogance or extreme sadness from losing a game - very different from the general atmosphere of the drama and a bit out of character). The real-life plot points also follow one cliche after the next - scumbag male lead, fan backlash from revealing their relationship, crazy fans, misunderstandings, etc. It's natural to have challenges for the main couple to face, but some of these plots took away from the strengths of the drama. I would have liked to see more organic plots, perhaps learning more about the side characters or more about the male lead's family and their business.

Nonetheless, still a very enjoyable show. I'd recommend watching this for the female lead herself. Finally a down to earth main character. She's had a relationship so she knows what to expect. She's calm, cool, collected and great at her profession, but isn't a Mary Sue. Finally more nuance in a character rather than being upbeat all the time and blushing at everything the male lead says. The gaming portion is done well and the animation is a step up. Romance is also developed gradually but also has some faults at time. Would recommend.

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Easy watch but nothing ground breaking

Sweet Teeth is one of the easiest/lightest dramas you can watch in 2021. The plot isn't heavy and easy to follow, the characters are all good-spirited (yes, every main character), and the overall vibe leaves a sweet aftertaste, albeit not a particularly impactful one. I'll examine the pros and cons and help whoever reads this decide whether it's something they want to watch.

Pros: 1) Leads. Both main leads are relatively new into the acting scene but I thought they carried their weight well. I especially thought Betty Wu did a great job balancing the cuteness/comedy/romance aspect of her character. Her acting isn't perfect but for an idol drama, definitely passable. I will bring up that I would have liked to see her change up her hairstyle once in a while - she has dyed hair w/ long straight bangs the whole show, a tad on the unfashionable side haha. I thought the male lead did alright as well. We're finally able to see a "cold/cool" main character actually be nice, affectionate, and most importantly, not perfect. He has his insecurities but doesn't bring out any of the stalker vibes like some CEO dramas. Shows off a well-rounded character as opposed to the typical "perfect, quiet, cool" main characters that are plaguing cdramas. Once again, not perfect acting by any means but good enough.

2) Light plot and pacing. Watch this if you don't want to watch anything too heavy. Nothing about revenge or angsty breakups. For the main leads, it's a relatively sweet story. A bit of a love triangle that plagues the middle of the drama but as the whole series is only 22 episodes!!! (LOVING THE SHORT MODERN DRAMA PACING). This eliminates pacing issues that many series struggle with. Lots of shows struggle with plot and character development after the characters get together which is why the final arcs in many of these dramas result to angsty breakups, disapproving parents, or other wacky misunderstandings. As Sweet Teeth is relatively short and the main leads get together relatively late, there's little drag. It's a simple watch although because of the light plot, it might not be something to draw viewers in to binge, but it's a show that you can watch a couple of episodes at a time.

Cons: 1) Low budget. Viewers can tell that the budget for this isn't the greatest. There's definitely inconsistencies in the dubbing which may be distracting. The setting is fine but the outfits are a bit bland (although the director might be going for the bland look for realism) - but the blandness makes it harder to binge.

2) Hard to binge. As mentioned before, it's a sweet watch but hard to binge because some parts are a bit bland, the middle is a bit draggy, and many moments are so cringe that you might need to put it on pause and take a breather. The slow really lacks that magnetic quality that some other shows have, and this might stem from the con #3.

3) Chemistry isn't exactly electric. I thought the main leads were good, but together, I didn't see that spark that some of my other favorite dramas have (Love is Sweet, You are my glory). But to each their own.

4) The damn interruptions. So many inopportune interruptions during key moments. Became way more frustrating than enjoyable/funny after a certain point.

Conclusion:
So should you watch? I think this will depend on whether you want to watch something a bit lighter. The interruptions during confessions or important moments is honestly a bit distracting. This show is unique in that the show establishes the leads like each other very early, but they don't get together until way later - maybe this keeps up the "magic" for you, but maybe these types of relationships are annoying for you. One thing I didn't mention is, there's a lot of focus on the 2nd and 3rd couples. I honestly did not find either of the side couples very entertaining and they do take up a lot of airtime. The main leads are relatively stable characters so some of the randomness/quirkiness/typical cdrama angst are thrown onto the side couples. If you're on the fence, watch a couple of eps and if the side couples are not entertaining, just drop this drama. There is a lot of focus on the side couples, and in my opinion, is a detriment. Overall, I think you should give it a try. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but might be a nice watch for many as well - just don't Shakespeare quality. I know for sure I will check out Betty Wu's future dramas.

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Brings me back to 2000s drama vibes

Here are just some of the tropes you'll see: overbearing CEO, determined and upbeat female lead, business politics/change of control, serious hospital scenes, disapproving parent, light-hearted second couple, misunderstandings and revenge, betrayal, and incredibly annoying/clingy second leads. Combined with the relatively long 45 eps for a modern drama, the dragginess accentuates the full experience of watching a drama that feels like it was written in 2007.

Not a pro nor a con but this drama really does feel like those "stereotypical" Chinese dramas from the 2000s - when a drama is overloaded with tropes. Although the plot is filled with it, it's still enjoyable with great acting, solid chemistry between leads, and an intriguing plot. I wouldn't write home about it but it combines the 2000s drama plot atmosphere with a 2020s polish. I'll start with the pros.

Pros: Acting is on point. The leads were great and very limited dubbing which is great. Although there's very serious parts, the couple's relationship is never really in turmoil which is always refreshing to see (no dumb breakups!!!). OST is solid and I particularly liked the more traditional music influence. The business side is about fashion which is a breath of fresh air as well.

Cons: A bit too typical and predictable. Although it was great that the couple's relationship was healthy for once (in a CEO drama!!), the rest of the plot isn't anything to write home about. Although at times, it hooks viewers to see how the leads are going to pull something off with satisfying gratification moments sprinkled throughout, it's still too draggy. 45 episodes is a tad too long -- cutting 10-15 episodes would have helped.

The biggest complaint (other than being too predictable) are the second leads. The second leads are too madly in love with the leads, and their behavior spans essentially 40 of the 45 episodes. This adds to the predictability, drag, and angst. It makes even less sense considering the main couple is such a healthy one; having such obsessive second leads was hard to bear. The second male lead had it worst - stalkerish, doesn't take no for an answer, stubborn.

The parts of the plot that are more character-driven were great. But the parts with external plot points were bad. The villains and second leads were very disappointing.

Overall, not a bad watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it but it's not without flaws. Too long and tropey are my main concerns, with one dimensional second leads. If you watch it for the main couple, fashion, or if you want a show with a little bit of "every type of plot", you won't be disappointed.

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