Zogitt
Australia
This review may contain spoilers
Love is a many-splendored thing. This show is not.
Our OTP first worked together in Once We Get Married and it is a very good pairing. The romance was sweet, and their chemistry was undeniable. I was really looking forward to this show to see if we can recapture some of that magic.
Let’s be frank, the plot of this show is paper thin. Our OTP met and fell in love 5 years ago and broke up due to some misunderstanding. She was pregnant, but she kept it a secret from him. They met up in the present and things develops from there. The obvious question is whether they will get back together. The writer has the same idea and within the first dozen episodes the show already has the HEA ending in sight. However, the writer threw a curve ball and the relationship hit the rocks in ep.13. The plot then went around the mulberry bush several times before hitting another roadblock a few episodes later. This reset all the relationships including the 2CP’s. We then moped around some unproductive side plots that padded out the episode count.
The OTP are back on track by ep.23 but we have gone through many silly dating tropes that would have been amusing if it was done at the start of the show. It just feels tiresome when it pops up at ep.20. It goes to show that they added so many fillers between ep.13-22.
Stretching a thin plot is nothing new to c-drama when episode count can reach 40+ but you still need a solid foundation to support the flimsy subplots. Unfortunately, this show is structured somewhat back to front. The initial spark of a new romance happened 5 years ago. We only see glimpses of it in flashbacks at the end of each episode. Otherwise, the OTP behaves more like bickering parents that is stuck in limbo between reconciliation and divorce. There are precious few resolutions but repeated setbacks.
In terms of characterisations, the ML is supposed to be some kind of investment wunderkind, but we hardly ever see him do a day’s work and he ended up being an immature proto-dad and a pest to the FL. On the other hand, the FL is hardworking and pulls double duty as a tech visionary and a super mum. However, she is one confused lady when it comes to the ML. She alternates between pushing him away (unconvincingly) and pulling him in (irresistibly). I hate to say this but the plots involving the leads are insipid and their characters are tropey and beige.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the role of providing titillations falls on the shoulders of the 2CP. They certainly give that a good go but the pairing of a beautiful sexy noona with a naïve inexperience hunk is a no-brainer. If the 2nd side couple lacks originality, the third is definitely the odd couple but not in a good way. The young 3FL is all gung-ho with the love at first sight trope but then she decided to be a martyr to his unrequited love of the FL. It was not helped by the 3ML being totally insensitive to her feelings until it is too late. Of course, this means their relationship bounces around with all kinds of exaggerated set pieces and tropey dating mishaps. Honestly, it is as if the show is overcompensating for the lack lustre central plot and double down on the side couples so that they can generate the heat and craziness that is MIA from the OTP for the first 2/3 of the show.
BTW, I don’t get to say this often, but this show is redeemed by the young child actor. He is so cute, and wise beyond his age. Time and again, he is voicing our thoughts/frustrations about the futile antics of his parents. For this, we give thanks. He does get in the way of their romantic pursuits once in a while but that’s a small price to pay.
As I mentioned before, the last few episodes are pure fan service and lead us directly to the HEA ending we have to have. The strong chemistry of our leads made this watchable. The show knows this and dials up the skinship and swoon-y moments. I can’t complain even if they are shoehorned in at every opportunity. While this is going on, the screen time of the child actor is greatly reduced. No siree, none of that mood killing third wheel, tyvm. This is a shame.
The show also tries to build up some tension with shenanigans from the antagonists. Unfortunately, most of this is quite transparent and are used to set up the eventual downfall of the antagonists rather than to threaten the leads.
I still ship our OTP unreservedly but this is also why I'm disappointed with the show. It has the right actors and it ticked all the boxes, but it also feels insipid and lazy. The extra fan service and sugar hits towards the end, while appreciated, is not a substitute for quality. Dare I call it a cynical exercise to milk the popular pairing of the leads and maximise return on investment? Peace out.
Let’s be frank, the plot of this show is paper thin. Our OTP met and fell in love 5 years ago and broke up due to some misunderstanding. She was pregnant, but she kept it a secret from him. They met up in the present and things develops from there. The obvious question is whether they will get back together. The writer has the same idea and within the first dozen episodes the show already has the HEA ending in sight. However, the writer threw a curve ball and the relationship hit the rocks in ep.13. The plot then went around the mulberry bush several times before hitting another roadblock a few episodes later. This reset all the relationships including the 2CP’s. We then moped around some unproductive side plots that padded out the episode count.
The OTP are back on track by ep.23 but we have gone through many silly dating tropes that would have been amusing if it was done at the start of the show. It just feels tiresome when it pops up at ep.20. It goes to show that they added so many fillers between ep.13-22.
Stretching a thin plot is nothing new to c-drama when episode count can reach 40+ but you still need a solid foundation to support the flimsy subplots. Unfortunately, this show is structured somewhat back to front. The initial spark of a new romance happened 5 years ago. We only see glimpses of it in flashbacks at the end of each episode. Otherwise, the OTP behaves more like bickering parents that is stuck in limbo between reconciliation and divorce. There are precious few resolutions but repeated setbacks.
In terms of characterisations, the ML is supposed to be some kind of investment wunderkind, but we hardly ever see him do a day’s work and he ended up being an immature proto-dad and a pest to the FL. On the other hand, the FL is hardworking and pulls double duty as a tech visionary and a super mum. However, she is one confused lady when it comes to the ML. She alternates between pushing him away (unconvincingly) and pulling him in (irresistibly). I hate to say this but the plots involving the leads are insipid and their characters are tropey and beige.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the role of providing titillations falls on the shoulders of the 2CP. They certainly give that a good go but the pairing of a beautiful sexy noona with a naïve inexperience hunk is a no-brainer. If the 2nd side couple lacks originality, the third is definitely the odd couple but not in a good way. The young 3FL is all gung-ho with the love at first sight trope but then she decided to be a martyr to his unrequited love of the FL. It was not helped by the 3ML being totally insensitive to her feelings until it is too late. Of course, this means their relationship bounces around with all kinds of exaggerated set pieces and tropey dating mishaps. Honestly, it is as if the show is overcompensating for the lack lustre central plot and double down on the side couples so that they can generate the heat and craziness that is MIA from the OTP for the first 2/3 of the show.
BTW, I don’t get to say this often, but this show is redeemed by the young child actor. He is so cute, and wise beyond his age. Time and again, he is voicing our thoughts/frustrations about the futile antics of his parents. For this, we give thanks. He does get in the way of their romantic pursuits once in a while but that’s a small price to pay.
As I mentioned before, the last few episodes are pure fan service and lead us directly to the HEA ending we have to have. The strong chemistry of our leads made this watchable. The show knows this and dials up the skinship and swoon-y moments. I can’t complain even if they are shoehorned in at every opportunity. While this is going on, the screen time of the child actor is greatly reduced. No siree, none of that mood killing third wheel, tyvm. This is a shame.
The show also tries to build up some tension with shenanigans from the antagonists. Unfortunately, most of this is quite transparent and are used to set up the eventual downfall of the antagonists rather than to threaten the leads.
I still ship our OTP unreservedly but this is also why I'm disappointed with the show. It has the right actors and it ticked all the boxes, but it also feels insipid and lazy. The extra fan service and sugar hits towards the end, while appreciated, is not a substitute for quality. Dare I call it a cynical exercise to milk the popular pairing of the leads and maximise return on investment? Peace out.
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