Watch All The Way
The one character I have enjoy thru this drama is Mo Fei. She has been a strong, positive, smart, and determine to get her dream. I love how thru all the ups and down she was not made weak, She kept her position on who she was. I like that Tang Ming Xuan supported her dream and who she was. The actors did a fantastic job in their performance. Hong Yao, You make us dislike you at the beginning but I have seen you in other dramas ( I loved "Art In Love") and have always like you is time to see you in a leading role. Yang Guang you were my favorite character and a very good and cute actor. I hope we can see more of you soon. I loved all the interesting information about embroidery, dyeing, Material making and the culture and history in China of clothes of the past. As I did not agree with the writers in many episodes and thought many episodes could have been better written but I do have to give it to the writers. I have enjoy the last 10 episodes of this drama. Thank You for not waiting to the last episode in the last few minutes to make this drama complete. Thank You for showing us what happen to all the characters in the drama, even does in the supporting small roles. I always enjoy a good ending and especially when the last several episodes were very good and gave the drama a completion and satisfying ending.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful love story
I loved this drama! Generally speaking, I am much prefer Kdramas to any other foreign shows I watch. This is only my opinion 2+ years into switching from American shows to foreign but I have found that C dramas can sometimes border on less realistic acting and storyline less appealing. This is not one of those! The love story between ML & FL was so beautiful throughout the entire show and his treatment of her was something every girl dreams about.Pros:
Great acting by everyone. I have seen ML before and was not surprised that was the case for him but remaining cast were all new to me.
No long breakup between ML & FL which is so typical of many shows like this. A few bumps that were quickly resolved w communication and love.
Every storyline or relationship in this drama was played out and wrapped up nicely.
Interesting learning about fashion and historical aspect of China. Helped me to see a different / fascinating China than what most Americans typically think of China
Gorgeous fashion shows w models as well as clothes worn by cast. ML wore some beautiful clothes that American men would be “afraid” to wear.
Yes, it was long (45 episodes) but every episode I found was interesting.
Con:
I could only find one that was A bit irritating when ML kept FL in the dark about a childhood one sided love that occurred and caused some problems & did not fest up until forced to do so when FL accidentally discovered it and was really hurt. He did admit to his wrong but he still should have known better and handled it completely different. But hey the writers had to have some type issue to spice up the story I guess. ?
All in all - I am going to list this as one of my favorite shows out of 100+ I have watched of foreign dramas in the last couple of years. Some of the criticism of other reviews I could not understand & thought were unwarranted. Don’t miss out on watching this great love story if you like that type of genre you won’t regret it.
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I wanted to love it
I love the main actor and was excited over this drama. Unfortunately a third into it I found myself wanting it to end. The females in this drama are hysterical, and immature. The female lead drove me nuts with her baby talk once she was in a relationship with the male lead. I fast forwarded a lot, something I rarely do. I guess I lucked out with the previous 2 C-dramas where the FL actually were consistently smart. Don’t get me wrong, the story itself was beautiful and the reason I gave it an 8, but this drama was too drawn out and couldn’t have easily been cut to 20 episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
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Rewatching for the 4th time
This has become one of my favorite romance dramas.. it’s a real romance… the ML and FL are both strong characters… they don’t let anyone come between their love once they start officially dating.. it’s apparent the ML was attracted to the FL early on and teased her a lot.. even was jealous and protective of her…The ML and FL are great actors with beautiful chemistry… great couple… not too many angst in this drama… the rivalry wasn’t threatening because FL and ML knew where their heart belongs so 2nd leads had no chance in breaking them apart… I love that they was fated to be together and find out later how… I love the development of their relationship and the independence of the FL.. their romance is so beautiful and affectionate… great kisses , etc … I also like the way FL dress style and appearance become even more beautiful as their relationship and her career progresses…
this is my go to drama that makes me smile…. Truly underrated… would love to see leads work together again in another romance drama
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This is a good drama, with a strong female and man lead.
I see some reviews saying that the show is cliché, and using old things. I never understood people that disregard a whole show, just because it's used ideas that other shows have used in the past, like anything is really original anymore.Xu Lu is beautiful, and she plays a strong, honest, and focused woman, trying to improve her skills in making clothes. Love Scenery is the only other show I've seen her in, and she is great in it. I just love her personality, and mannerisms.
I have to say though, that the photo of her on this site is bad. It's like a Glamour shot, and really does her a injustice.
Zhang Han was very good, and his smile really changes his appearance and personality. I saw him in Boss and Me, and he did great there as well.
There are many beautiful girls in this show, all with interesting personalities.
I'm still rather new to Asian Dramas. I've been watching anime for over 35 years. I really love how different asian shows are compared to American ones.
I watched Sunshine of My Life in about 3 days time. It never got boring to me. 45 episodes went by so fast.
I love how relationships were handled, and how they deal with love and unrequited love. Jealousy was a big issue, and motivated a lot of actions. Was interesting how people took what they saw, and twisted it to think the worse of someone who was actually very innocent.
This show is deeper than some people seem to understand. It explains why some people disliked it so much, and just thought it was boring. If your only skim through the surface of the content, and not put yourself into the shoes of the characters, and not think of it from their pov, you're missing the important part of the story.
So watch the show with a open mind, and look past the surface, and see between the lines. There is plenty to see there.
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Long Drama with no misunderstanding and breakup
To be frank I didn't like to watch this drama based on some negative reviews.Guys it's one of the long drama without break up.They have portrayed mofei(xulu) character very well unlike other characters she is very bold and understanding very strong in pursuing her dream and male lead mingxuan (Zheng han )also very supportive for her dream.This drama tells us the lesson happening in our real life too.And to mention fl bro and ml cousin where really too cute in their relationship.And mofeis frnd duoduo and chengyang also had cute relationship .And the secretary of ml is really good and other characters like fangxiau xueling qianqian baixaoman and shenjiaxi all done well.Guys don't avoid this drama since it has 45 epi then u will miss a wonderful drama.Worth watching go for it.Was this review helpful to you?
The storyline was ok, the actors and actresses that carried this story. They all did great! It did take me 10 episodes before I became focused. I think if it wasn't for Zhang Han, I would've passed it up. It may not be bad for others to watch.
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A hot mess
This is the first drama that I have dropped and so far along in the series. I just couldn't do it; it was a total disappointment because I like Zhang Han and loved his performance in "Boss & Me" with ZLY. He typecast himself into this CEO role and this storyline was just unrealistic and impossible to deal with. I'm not sure the director and screenwriter were sober when filming. Literally every single cliche and trope of a stereotypical Asian drama got hit. Love triangle that turned into a pentagon eventually, toxicity towards the FL from every side imaginable, a stalker SML, jealousy, unrealistic expectations. Just no! The only reason it is even getting a 5 instead of something lower is for the very few sweet moments of the leads, the few decent characters like ML's assistant, and their overall acting. Absolutely nothing could save this mess for me. And it's very sad. Many people like these roller coaster shows, but if you're going to call yourself a modern drama, it's got to be realistic. None of this was. I wish them all luck in their careers and better roles. Do NOT recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
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I wanted to watch this drama in its entirety because I really, really liked the leads and their romance. FL was independent, behaved maturely and was a sincere character. I liked ML's quiet, business-like attitude. Loved when he wore the glasses - he looked so scholarly. I also actually learned something about traditional Chinese fashion and embroidery. I like dramas that educate as well as entertain. HOWEVER, I made the decision to not finish this drama because of all the old, worn out tropes that were pulled out of the scriptwriter's back pocket and applied in order to drag this drama out to 40+ episodes.Soon we had the typical meddlesome love rivals and the control freak parents start to cause trouble. I'm SO done with this formula!!! I want to watch a romance, not a soap opera, ok? First of all, it's really pathetic when the female love rival has to bypass ML and go to FL to try to scare/guilt her into dumping him. So, basically, the only way you're going to get this guy is to clear the field of any other competition? Pathetic. And all the boo-hooing about how she gave up this and that for ML, which somehow entitles her to his love. News flash, honey, you can't force someone to love you, and if you truly loved him, you wouldn't be expecting anything in return. He never asked you to give up this and that; it was your decision. You had how many years with him? If he hasn't married you by now, then he ain't interested. As Dirty Harry says: a man's (woman's) got to know his (her) limitations.
As for male love rival, I just wanted this arrogant, pushy brat with ugly clothes to go away! For a fashion designer, his own attire was terrible. Made my eyes want to bleed at times. His costume girl/guy needed to be fired from this drama.
Then we have the harpy, Bai, and her imaginary victimhood. Why do all these guys prefer FL to you? One word - genuineness. I understand the need to leave room for character development but does the starting character have to be so annoying and unlikeable?
Now we get to the worse of the worse - ML's mom & her 'family background' snobbery disguised as 'what makes a good marriage partner'. For some reason, she seems to think ML is too young to chose his own spouse (even though he looks 35+ and can run a corporation in a competent manner) so she needs to do it for him, even though her first choice had disastrous results because he didn't love the girl. So, we have to spend nearly the entire drama with mom pushing her preferred choice at ML and then loudly caterwauling when he resists her efforts. Not only that but then she pouts and declares that she's not going to acknowledge his choice. So immature and yet this woman is supposed to be wise enough to choose the right wife for him? And what does dad do? He let's mom caterwaul rather than telling her to shut the hell up and stop meddling. Why are dads usually portrayed as wishy-washy?
So, although I loved the leads and really wanted to finish watching their romance, for the above reasons, I'm done with this drama. I'm just tired of this formula being used over and over again. Why not reduce the episodes and focus on the leads' relationship and romance instead of throwing the kitchen sink at them? Using the same formula over and over again is lazy and uncreative. Such a cookie cutter method. Really, this is just another frustrating C-Drama romance (soap opera) where the leads are unwllling to be transparent with each other, causing unnecessay misunderstandings.
I gave 7 stars because of the old, worn out formula of meddlesome love rivals and parents. I wouldn't recommend this drama unless you don't mind watching this kind of interference from outside sources. I, personally, didn't want to end up screeching at the TV like Mother Tang, but if you can handle it, go for it - there are romantic moments worth watching. Maybe the best thing to do is watch with your finger on the fast forward button so you can skip to the romance and leave out the angst.
Favorite scene - can't remember which episode but it's close to the beginning: ML is imaginarily dancing with FL as a slow, romantic jazz song is playing. So sweet and utterly romantic!
My objective in writing reviews is to save viewers like me the time and emotional roller coaster rides. With 40+ espisodes, that's a lot of time invested, and you ought to know the good, bad & ugly before going in. I KNOW the Chinese can tell a good story without using all these tropes. Go Ahead, My True Friend, Arsenal Miltary Academy, Be My Hero, Love Script, Coup de Foudre, Under the Power, My Little Happiness are good examples of entertaining plots that don't use love rivals & parents to cause endless angst
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If you liked Boss & Me you’ll love this
Watching this drama brought back so many memories of Boss & Me. It’s like an upgraded modern version of it. I like that the female lead is a lot smarter and more confident in this one. She’s not shy or unsure of herself. And the romance has a lot more spice to it. The male lead is very similar to his character in Boss & Me which is fine with me because I loved him in that drama. It’s very similar in that it had your typical cliche second leads that were obsessed with the main leads and caused a lot of problems. And there was a big gap in the leads ages and social status which caused problems for them. So, just like Boss & Me, the basic setting of the drama isn’t fresh or new. But the dialogue and how they interacted with each other was very touching. I also appreciated that there were no tripping into the male leads arms, no drunk confessions, no noble sacrifice, no unnecessary breakups, and no accidental kisses. There was some angst and tension but it was never overboard or too much. And most conflicts were resolved pretty quickly which I prefer.The romance was refreshing because it grew slowly over time and seemed very realistic. It was surprisingly mature and had a natural feel to it too. There’s lots of steamy kisses and skinship. If you haven’t seen this male lead kiss before you’re in for a treat. He is very passionate and tends to dive right in enthusiastically, especially after she gives him a brief peck on the lips which he always claims isn’t enough. I really liked the romance in this drama. The leads were very comfortable and flirty together and had amazing chemistry.
I loved the female leads character. Not only is she smart, confident, and talented, but she is also a gifted clothing designer. Her clever creations fusing Eastern and Western styles catches the fashion industry’s attention. But her goal of getting Chinese embroidery and fabrics into mainstream fashion throughout Europe is a lofty one most consider unattainable. She has an uphill battle ahead of her in the fashion industry. Unfortunately, at the same time she also has to deal with several jealous females that constantly cause problems for her. One is jealous of her successful career, another is jealous of her boyfriend, and the other is jealous of her popularity. I see a lot of this at my job so I could definitely relate to it. There’s way too many women being jealous of each other instead of empowering each other nowadays. But the way the female lead stands up for herself and shuts down her haters with clever responses made me admire her so much. I really enjoyed watching her character learn and grow.
The male lead reminded me a lot of the character he portrayed in Boss & Me. He’s rich, smart, talented, and a super romantic boyfriend. He is put into a difficult situation by the second female lead. Despite his clear lack of interest in her romantically, she sacrifices everything to be by his side and help him. She gives up her dreams of being an artist and switches to his college to learn business management. Then she becomes a constant and indispensable fixture in both his family’s business and in his families personal lives. Her actions puts tremendous pressure on him to be with her. Everyone, especially his mother, thinks that he is obligated to marry her despite his lack of romantic feelings for her. Since she’s sacrificed so much it seems like the most honorable thing to do. So many look down on him when he rejects the second female lead. He ends up having to fight for his right to choose who he dates and marries. I admired him for never wavering in his firm stance to be with the woman he loved. He made it clear he would marry her or not marry at all. Yet he was still honorable and respectful to his family. You just can’t help but love him.
For the most part this drama was way above average. The acting was phenomenal which is not surprising since the leads are well known veteran actors. And the set design and wardrobe were gorgeous. It was obviously a big budget drama. The biggest negative about it was the very cliche setting of the drama. And there were a lot of annoying jealous females that go a bit too far. The other negative is the female leads hairstyle. Why do Chinese dramas make the young female leads have childish hairstyles? Seeing the female lead run around in braided pigtails or a braided ponytail for the first half of the drama was annoying. Then in the second half she often has the “Apple hair” where a small portion of her hair is pulled up into a small ponytail on top of her head. It isn’t attractive and looks far too childish for a graduating college student in her mid 20’s starting a career as a designer. Fortunately she is very pretty and her wardrobe was gorgeous so the pigtails and Apple hair didn’t look too bad. It’s just sad that we didn’t get to see her long beautiful hair down in a more mature hairstyle very much.
In conclusion, if you can get past the cliche setting of this drama you’ll love it. It’s cliche but cliche done right. I don’t mind a cliche drama if the acting is good, the leads are likable, and the chemistry is on fire. And this drama has all of that and more. These talented actors bring their characters to life and make you love and admire them. I loved all of the characters, even the trouble makers (well except for maybe one of them). There’s also a couple of side romances that were cute and fun to watch too. This is a very sweet light fluffy romance drama with just the right amount of angst and tension. If you’re looking for a riveting action packed thriller or a melodrama with lots of angst then this isn’t for you. But if you like sweet romantic dramas where the leads communicate well, have great chemistry, and have a healthy relationship, then you should watch this drama. Personally I loved it and will definitely watch again in the future.
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Learned lots about Chinese embroidery and cloth
Things I liked:1) Features a lot of Chinese embroidery and fabric. And not just one region's techniques, but various people groups, styles and eras. A lot of these techniques are thousands of years old. It's a bit of a history lesson, but I love it.
2) Leads. I like the actors and I think they portrayed their roles well. I especially liked how they wrote the FL's character. She's confident but not arrogant, stands her ground but is kind. Lovable, and definitely not annoying.
3) Beautiful framing. From scenery to the runway, I thought the shots and framing were beautiful.
4) Music fit the drama. Although nothing stood out, the music was fitting.
Things I didn't like:
1) Pacing. History and fashion lessons aside, the pacing of the whole drama was slow. Very slow. I felt like watching the drama at 1.5 speed was more fitting. A lot of slow walking down the street or staring off into space shots.
2) I thought the "bad guys" could have had more dimension to them. Perhaps more character development? I don't know, they seemed kind of flat.
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If only the amazing chemistry was the focus
The OTP had amazing chemistry! ML really went after FL and tried to fix his shortcomings when she was hesitant and tried to reassure her that they could have a good ship. FL not getting it at first (as usual) was annoying but her hesitation once she understood was realistic. Then comes all the side story and SLs to make a big mess and drag the whole show. The usual jealousy shtick - although warranted this time as SFL and especially SML were obsessive. The antagonists justification were absurd and they really needed therapy for their made up issues with FL. It really could have been 24 eps and an amazing story with a great cast. I’m only giving it 7 because of the chemistry and Zhang Han doing a phenomenal job of showing he really had the hots for his gal.Was this review helpful to you?
