Drama Rating: 6/10 Neck Score: A+
I thought this was going to be an affair drama when I first started it, and the opening credits definitely seemed to confirm that, as well as the first couple of episodes. But the drama changed a lot as it went. Characters changed a lot as we got to know them and their motivations, but also as they grew and interacted with each other. Example: Chu Ke Huan came off as a douche (and borderline rapey even) in the first, maybe, three to four episodes. Li Hao Yi seemed like a nice guy, if not boring. Han Kefei seemed like an annoying and mean friend. But by the end, Ke Huan is clearly a sweetheart and the most observant and understanding guy, Li Hao Yi is an overbearing idiot, and Han Kefei is an MVP. It quickly showed that it wasn't about an affair, it was about character growth and realizing that just because something isn't wrong, or someone isn't bad, doesn't mean they are the right choice either. It's about self-discovery and getting out of a situation that would be eventually toxic, and maybe a potential affair (or should I just say meeting a person you click with more) can be the catalyst to realizing you need a change and need to change yourself. It also helped that Puff and Jasper have AMAZING chemistry. I loved them in Love Myself or You (aka Pleasantly Surprised), so this pairing was the reason I started in the first place. They did not disappoint in that aspect.So you do have to be patient with everyone, especially the main couple, at the beginning. They are just a bunch of hormones and emotions as they meet, have obvious attraction, and then have to figure out what that means, as they are both in committed(ish) relationships. They disagree what that means as he is open to affairs and she is a faithful soul. You wonder if this is all the show is going to be about. Then the click and soul searching happens, and it turned into a hot mess that you want to come back for, because it's all about them figuring out what they actually want from life and discovering the strength to try to get what they actually want, instead of just going along with what everyone says they should want.
Then you have the other members of the relationships. The second leads, who might be some of the most frustrating people ever. They don't listen, even when they are clearly told what is going on, are treated with respect, and shouldn't be that surprised because they've been talking about it, they just didn't listen. This is probably the worst part. They are so annoying and stupid, and they are hitting that same note over and over and over. The little sister and Kefei become the MVPs because they will say it like it is, from the observer/best interests perspectives, but still not everyone listens to them. Not enough people anyway. Really, everyone should listen to Gao Zi Yuan's little sister. She's the smartest, coolest person in the show.
Because of the stupidity of the second leads, and their stubbornness in refusing to give up, it did get pretty draggy there near the end. Super frustrating, but then again, it wasn't Fall in Love with Me bad, but really it made you scratch your head and wonder why they still thought they had a chance after everything that had gone down, but whatever, and maybe it was because our leads were not quite brave enough to cut off all ties even if they had drawn the line. But since the show was about being brave enough to do what they truly wanted, I guess that makes sense. Anyway, it got frustrating in spots, a lot of spots, in the second half, but that's when the side characters were there for us. So that's winning.
I liked it, the chemistry between the characters was good, especially our leads, and I loved how complicated it got with all the layers of people and seeing who they were deep down, after they went through crap, and had some time to sort priorities. I recommend it to the point of it being a complicated mess with some real steamy chemistry and people who need to be slapped who are of course the ones doing the slapping. Dang it, why is that always the way?
