Sorry, I didn't have the same reaction to this as I saw others.

So much of it I found cringy. It didn't help that it felt like every 15 minutes someone was giving a patronizing speech about some online issue, and much of the fan stuff was overdramatized and unrealistic. Inept managers, coaches, and sponsors that made me wonder how they are even remotely successful with all this going on. The focus was more about fandoms than playing the game. Like, ultimately, who cares?

I wasn't really a fan of the OTP and didn't find them persuasive. I actually enjoyed JinYang & Ai Jia's relationship a lot better, and felt they had better chemistry and were a more realistically portrayed couple. SiCheng treated TY like a 3 year old, and after the situation with her ex-b/f her accepting being treated like that seemed weird, especially when they're making it out to be male/female equality.

In the end, I thought the best character development and growth, although not given much screen time, was Jian Yang. For all the hate he was getting in each episodes comments, he ended up being the one who respected everyone the most. So, frankly, this drama was extremely disappointing to me, but still enough there to warrant a mid-tier rating.

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THIS REVIEW IS ONLY BASED ON THIS MOVIE, NOT THAT OF THE ORIGINAL WORK.

***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***
[If you haven't read the novel, watched the TV drama version, and know nothing of the plot and do not want it spoiled for you, then read no further... if that's not you OR you don't care, read on....]

I'm not gonna break my review down by sections. My review is a juxtaposition of the others and how I felt it compared:

The consolidation of scenes, characters, and information in the movie version was interesting. Not horrible, but definitely not 100% true to the original story. Zhen Shao Xiang's personality being consolidated into a combo of him and Cao Guang was kind of abrupt for me. Or KO being the manager of the internet cafe?? Wasn't expecting that. ..putting Hao Mei and KO's story as filler while rolling the credits was kind of dumb. Without "context" you missed the significance of that and it just became some kind of embarrassing moment for Hao Mei. ..frankly, I think they came at this project with the idea that everyone had either read the novel or watched the TV version. There's so much missing that without knowing anything, this movie would feel incomplete.

This Wei Wei is more outgoing than she's supposed to be. That's the aspect of her character that's really important in her connection with Xiao Nai. She's pure, innocent, shy, humble, and doesn't like to draw attention to herself. In this version, she's really not that way at all. She's much more extrovert and dominant, no where near passive. If you like her better this way, it's simply personal preference, but it's not the true character of her as written in the novel. And just as this Wei Wei is more extroverted, and not so shy, this Xiao Nai is a bit more emo and less hard-to-read, badass, cutthroat who was always 2 steps ahead of everyone else.

...and bottom line, what I really want to say, the BROMANCE and the relationship between him and his "brothers" and Wei Wei was really, really, REALLY, really lacking for me int this movie version. For me, that was as important if not MORE important than the romance between Xiao Nai and Wei Wei. I loved the whole "family" feel and it just enhanced their romance all the more. In this version, I just felt wanting; I felt lacking; I was waiting for there to be more of a close feeling with Wei Wei and the "brothers" but, more than half way through they barely had anything to say to each other. It was sad.

The ending was beyond rushed. Not only did they really let us down with anytime with the "brothers" but the whole 2nd part about their company and Wei Wei and Xiao Nai becoming closer to the point of marriage was basically completely skipped over. Not fulfilling for me at all.

My Best Fangirl Moment:
~At 1:32:00, when the Chinese League of Legends team, Invictus Gaming [IG] gets interviewed by Panda TV about the "Young" company of Xiao Nai. Rookie introduces himself and the team. Rookie is one of those South Korean players that the Chinese spent loads of money to transfer to China to play. Then, from left to right, you have Zzitai[top], Kitties[support], Rain[ADC] and another South Korean player, ending with Kid [jgl]... that means obviously that Rookie is IG's midlaner.... I just simply loved this little moment in time!!

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100% Crime/Investigation Thriller, Little to No Romance

If you're watching this for the romance, please note that this is the slowest of slow-burn romances, not just for the OTP, but for all the secondary pairings as well. There is very little skinship whatsoever, and where there is skinship, it's very demure and chaste.

The romance, in this drama, is in stark contrast juxtaposed to the topic, that can be a trigger warning, of underage human trafficking for sexual purposes, the language sometimes used when dealing with any villain, and all the underlying topics that go with it.

The good point about this drama is the Crime Thriller aspect coupled with the fantasy imagery. It's an interesting story. However, it's gutted by the poor and choppy editing, and a script that finds the most outlandish ways to constantly let people "get-away" from law enforcement. Often in a scene, the characters will act completely moronic, and when that doesn't work, in the editing, you'll find you'll ask yourself frequently, "...she was just right there, how did she get over here? Teleport???..." especially, in the fact, that this isn't THAT kind of "fantasy" drama.

If you can set aside your desire for steamy romance, and having to have everything fit in a realistic manner, this drama is still a bit entertaining. Trying to figure out from all the "clues" given in the imagery can peak your interest enough to stick with watching it, just to know what was done, who did what to who, and what was the end result.

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Okay, so I had previously written below, in the comment section, how I just couldn't get into this drama. In fact, I put it on hold for a month at ep. 17. I didn't do that because it was bad, just that the pacing was affecting my ability to really get into this thing.

So, I finally went back to watching it. Still found it difficult, then around the mid-30ish episodes all hell started to break lose. I don't think it was necessarily that the pace picked up as much as it was just so much intricate stuff unfolding over and over you started to be curious how all of it was gonna play out...

AND the BROMANCE really started getting heated up. In vary ways, not just with one single pairing of dudes but MULTIPLE pairs of dudes did I start getting an underlying BL feel but in a very "beautiful and undirty" way. You're not ashamed to "ship" these guys being "BROS". You actually truly appreciate the loyalty and commitments everyone has for each other. Not to discount that there are some very strong females, but, YES, it is a FACT that in this series, pretty much most of the woman are secondary, except for how they can be "used" in a "positive" way to meet the objectives. But, you really do get excited for the bromances overall.

In the end, as I had stated, I never truly felt like I was invested in any one particular person. It's not like the outcome was anything that couldn't be easily predicted. It can, AND it should be predictable. The thing that ended up being unpredictable and surprising to me was MY actual REACTION to the end. I in no way felt like this show was making me emotional. Intrigued, curious, yes; emotion, no. YET, when it came to the last 1/2 of the LAST episode I found myself 100% in utter tears, a sobbing mess, that I couldn't even contain myself and started literally crying out loud, saying, "WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF!?! I HATE THE CHINESE!" ...and I mean that with all deference attached to it...

I've watched a number of Asian dramas in the last 8 years and the fair share of them had heart-wrenching endings... BUT THERE ARE THE HANDFUL THAT ACTUALLY GOT ME TO LITERALLY SOB OUT LOUD! I've cried, but I'm not an easily emotional woman. I don't take to sobbing my heart out... and well, YES, that's exactly what this series pulled out of me, as much as I tried to remain unattached and emotionless through all 54 episodes... it still managed to squeeze that shit out of me against, what I felt, was my will. ...That's some powerful stuff right there.

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I might have rated it higher, but the ending was a bit unsatisfying and somewhat rushed.

It's been a while since I watched a C-Drama that I didn't feel like fast forwarding through much of the drama. The length is good, but, people might be surprised to hear, I would have like a few more episodes to fully completed the story.

What I liked about this drama?:
*Sismance is awesome
*Friendships are epic
*Cold ML & his mom are still understandable and likable
*No evil people and messed up people are handled appropriately
*Triangles are bearable and not distracting
*OTP's chemistry is lit
*Secondary characters are fun to watch
*Mystery doesn't head into melodrama

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Good Skinship Alone Shouldn't Justify a High Rating!

Fang Zhi You's character was wasted on the crowd he was surrounded by, except his little sister. If you've read it once, you've read it five or six times. His little sister, legit, was this drama's best part and stole the show in every one of her scenes.

Yuren was a psycho chick until the end, as was Li Zhe, Yuwen's dad, Yiren's family, and Zhi You's dad. These cast members part of the story was tediously boring to say the least.

I'm sorry but, I'm not buying into the last minute redemption arch they tried to shove at me. Vast numbers of the supporting cast were so unreasonable and stubborn for so long, there wasn't even one thing major that should have forced an instant change of heart except the drama ran out of script and episodes after recycling the same problems 20x.

Yiren's best friend and her secondary coupling story was uninteresting to me. Her friend was just spoiled and difficult.

I swear that, while Zhi You suffered from the inability to lie, Yiren suffered from mythomania. It's the only thing that can justify her need to lie about even the smallest matter with no real valid reason or benefit to herself or others past simply wanting to lie first and figure things out afterward in every situation.

All the romantic interactions, and nice skinship, that would have made me likely swoon in any other drama, didn't make up for everything I disliked about the FL and the supporting cast of characters and their stories.

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This drama was surprisingly so good.

How the story unfolded kept you in suspense but didn't make you feel annoyed as if it was being dragged out. The reveals were purposeful and linear so that each preceding mystery to unravel felt appropriate.

Let's just say that this cast and the acting was definitely topnotch. Some of the best K-Drama acting you could find.

When new characters were added to the mix, they played a key role but not meant to distract or cause chaos to generate false intensity. The intensity always stayed on the core plot and didn't divert into any secondary stories, or triangles, or just plain stupid people doing stupid things, that you see in lazy writing. This writer had a story they wanted to tell and they told it well.

For a story about people lacking in emotions, there were far more emotions than you get in drama plots meant to be tearjerkers.

Lastly, the writer really did want to give a statement on the state of humanity with its gossip, quick judgments, misconceptions, and the influence of social media with its group think, and cancel culture tactics. How good people are driven to do certain things because they know this dynamic and want to avoid it at all costs. Topping this aura out with the mistrust and maltreatment of people who have mental health issues based in circumstances and genetics completely outside their own control and the unfairness of it all.

I really truly appreciate that the writer made these cases in the drama without wielding a heavy hammer in doing so. They were blunt yet sophisticated in their subtlety as well that you could choose to take this drama at face value or open the message within in it. This way, you attract the respect of more viewers with differing POVs. Well done by the writer. I'm certainly impressed.

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A Very Authentic BL Drama

1) This was some of the best acting I've ever seen in a BL drama. I felt every emotion in my gut. The aura they conveyed was genuine. That's not an easy task for any actor to do. This was The Untamed level of emoting, ngl.

2) Regardless of my personal feelings towards the choices each character made, the character directions were authentic, and the reasonings were valid.

3) The plot was intriguing and engaging. The dialogue was deeper than any Thai BL drama I've watched in a while. I think that the only comparable one would be OG S1 SOTUS, but the difference here is that this drama is focused solely on the OTP with supporting characters being just that, supporting. There are no secondary or tertiary stories within the base plot. I actually appreciated that, because, the script had enough engaging ideas about the OTP to drive the story forward without having to invest in other things in order to keep it from being boring and engaging to the viewers. That's the confidence of a good script.

I am truly happy there is going to be a Season 2 because a script like this deserves it, and I'm excited to see the character development between this OTP.

This drama shows what a BL could be if only a script writer, production staff, and actors invest in the quality. Count me impressed.

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STORY: 2.5/10
I usually fast forward past the theme song introduction as well as the ending of Chinese dramas since they are 98% about showing you *spoiler* clips before you've even started the drama. Even so, it's hard to fast forward perfectly that you don't find yourself catching a glimpse here and there that causes you to start into some scenes knowing exactly what will happen. This drama was the exact opposite.

I thought I had an idea how this drama would play out. At the time, the genre tags only listed "romance" & "drama". Boy, was I in for a surprise when those theme song *spoiler* scenes ended up being so different than I anticipated. Oddly enough though, this drama is filled with every type of melodrama trope you've ever come across sans amnesia. In almost every scene it was utterly predictable how things would play out. Halfway through you could start predicting scenes 10 minutes before it happened it was so obvious.

What I thought would be a nice rom-com that taught me a thing or two about the Tea Arts quickly turned into full makjang melodrama. By episode 10, the only thing about tea you found was some life or death competition with everyone betting everything they had on a stupid outcome time and time again. I never knew there could be such intrigue and terror surrounding a Tea House. Halfway through it devolved into characters that become actually quite scary. This verged on hitting Thai lakorn levels of melodrama. So, everything that I wanted to like about this drama faded into nothing, and although I continued to watch episode after sad episode hoping that there would be light at the end of the tunnel and we could come back to just a nice OTP doing nice Tea Art, it never happened. The melodrama was taken to the very end. It doesn't matter whether there was a sad or happy ending, because the predictability left the ending flat.

ACTING: 6.5/10
Zhu Peer was the best part of this drama. He acted his heart out. Great comedic timing and effort to give all to having good chemistry with his leading lady. He made melodrama actually look normal and natural. Acting beside some of the other cast made them look like they were reading a badly written speech, while he was playing along. At times it almost felt ad lib with him.

Pan Zhi Lin did her best to act her part. She maintained great chemistry with her leading man, but when apart from him, she struggled to pull off anything special in her character. She often came across as giving trite monologues clearly written for her to sound like some sort of sage of tea that often didn't go with the situation. She is made in to be this super powerful person who changes people with her tea, but there just wasn't enough invested in that aspect of it to warrant believability. She came here be taught but I don't recall her being taught very much at all. Those relationships and aspects were just glossed over in favor of all the quadrangle romances and scheming. It was a detriment to her character where they gave her so much drama her acting got drowned out by it.

The most confusing acting came from Dai Xiang Yu. If I'm being honest with myself, he did an excellent job in his part for what this drama was asking, but I struggled with watching his character. He has two sides of him and I can't put my finger on it actually other than to come to the conclusion that this guy, irl, is such a good guy that it comes through regardless of the situation. I think because of that, everything else had to be over-the-top to compensate. I'm not sure how to think about his acting because of it.

MUSIC: 6.0/10
The music was fairly cute. Nothing super catchy that I'd download any of the songs, but appropriate to whatever scene was happening. It wasn't overbearing or annoying and there were maybe 1 or 2 songs that could stick in your head later on.

REWATCH: 0/10 <= I gave it a 1 cause I had to give it something
NOPE, ain't gonna happen. Once was definitely enough. Not enough cuteness to even warrant fast forwarding a second watch.

OVERALL: 4.5/10
Honestly, I cannot believe I watched this whole thing all the way through without dropping it. I'll say that it was because of the two lead males that I did. One, because I liked Zheng Hao as a character and, two, because I was hoping for something wonderfully special from Cheng Feng that ultimately never happened. If the acting from them hadn't been so interesting, I'd have scraped watching this story. It was so not worth the price of admission.

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I don't grade shows very low if I can stand to watch them, BUT I also don't hand out 10s on a whim either. 10 is only for those really exceptional things that keep lingering in your mind hours, even days or weeks later. I'll start by saying, this is one of those kinds of movies.

STORY: The era and plot of this movie is perfect. The idea and message that is conveyed through it is moving. There is a clear path and a clear point and it is made with dramatic scenery, wonderful cinematography, and excellent martial arts sequences. Frankly, the best part about this is the martial arts and the concept of killing versus not killing. However, if you're looking for a true romance movie, you're in the wrong place. If you're in it for great acting and romantic subtlety, you'll get it in spades. If you love subtlety, then you'll understand when I say that the ending was epic.

The fact that this was produced by Time-Warner is a plus. Not to be biased, just staying factual, unless a Japanese movie is being produced by the likes of Sony Corp, the production value tends to be a tier or 2 down from the Mega-Movie producers in the USA. Those places just have instilled longtime quality personnel, longtime experience, and lots of money to spare to put value into a movie they produce. This movie is no exception to that rule.

ACTING: Straight up, you couldn't have cast people better for each role. They all fit their characters well. I have to say that Sato Takeru absolutely nails his character. Sato has the most perfect stances for each scene that shows his expertise and understanding of various jutsu. I was enthralled by it and his moves are so seemless. I haven't seen a movie so good for swordfighting in so long, it was amazing to me. His ability to subtlely use his eyes and mouth to express emotions that delineate the distance or closeness to his relationships or deeper meaning is powerful. I was able to see how much he values the concept of innocence by his shy reaction to it when he comes across it and his desire to protect the concept. Just beautiful and moving. Even though Samurai X was produced in 2012, it brought back to me essences of Liar And His Lover [2013] in that first kiss scene when she says "why are you crying" when he isn't and then the tears flow easily. I see how he perfected that by watching this movie. He is definitely a talented actor and I'm fascinated by how good he is with his marital arts at such a young age. Just mesmerizing.

MUSIC: One OK Rock - The Beginning for the closing song! Enough said! But seriously, the music is very good. It's got a classical feel to it and reminds me of the soundtrack to the anime Sword Of The Stranger yet, nothing will ever quite compare to that epic anime. I say it "feels" like it but it's no where close to the downloadable quality. What I mean is that the music doesn't distract and is impactful and plays well with the scenes being portrayed.

REWATCH VALUE: This is one movie that I will come back to time and time again. The battles scenes are just so good that I don't think I'd ever get bored of watching them. Where do you find a scene with a samurai beating up a bunch of thugs and, if you watch closely, see him take the seconds to show his respect by taking off his shoes and bowing. It's just meaningful stuff like that which you may not catch the first go around that begs for this movie to be watched multiple times.

OVERALL: Just one of those lovely badass films that's worth sinking your teeth into time and time again.

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I just saw two kids grow up and become adults and with it became full-fledged actors. For all the negative comments Suzy gets about her acting, it wouldn't be warranted here.

This is a melo. If you know that, then you know what you're getting into from the start. Stop pretending you don't get it. It's all about the over-the-top concepts and dramatics. You're meant to get frustrated, cry, and get angry... ...a lot...

That being said, one of the most recent melos I watched was I Have A Lover, and I actually enjoyed it. With that in mind, this melo, UF, was much better than that by far. It wasn't overly frustrating. I cried just enough. It kind of felt cathartic because, from the start I knew the end, and I did enjoy knowing, so I could savor and cherish every bit of well-done acting by Woo Bin, who utterly impressed me with himself, for the 1st time I might add. If you haven't watched and are curious, this statement about Woo Bin should be enough to make you take the leap, I should think. I've never been on the Woo Bin hype train. I never found him overly attractive, and actually the first time I saw him in a show it was awkward watching him because I felt like he had a lazy eye and it would distract me from his acting [what he was saying or doing]. I never found him to be a "lacking" actor, just, you know, the typical model turned actor, playing the idol figure in the high school dramas. But this, this show right here is where he surpassed my expectations. I felt his emotions... it felt real to me.. he neither overly acted sick or cool. He had the right amount of everything at every turn....

...and not to discount Suzy, because her role was dark, but not as "meaty" as Woo Bin's role, she still played the shameless idiot who got screwed over all her life and took it in the rear, yet, somehow managed to show a immense amount of dignity caring for her love, Joon Young [Woo Bin]. I was pretty happy with it all for what a melo has to offer. ;)

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When I watched this I had no idea Nichkhun was in it. Shocked but not so shocked about the Noona Syndrome that played out. This is starting to become a really, really common theme nowadays. I could write a novel as to why I think it's so and how it goes hand in hand with the growing popularity of watching Asian dramas in the West... but I won't bore you. This last storyline is probably the most poignant in the movie since it's got a bit of a twist on the theme.

I didn't particularly like the 1st segment with the teenagers. Ironically, having 2 teenage boys of my own, it doesn't matter what country you are from, when it comes to social media, it does have a lot of impact and consequences my generation never dealt with before and we're parents and just as new at as they are.... so it's like the blind leading the blind. You cannot give away something you don't have so, the kids nowadays probably do tend to get lost when parents are just as moronic with the media as the kids are at it. It's a topic worth bringing up.

The 2nd segment just has good actors that I like to watch. Standard lost romance stuff, but still nice story arc to it.

OVERALL: It's not too emotionally investing and it has some food for thought. Definitely a nice relaxing entertaining diversion. Worth 2 hours on a rainy day with a cup of chamomile tea. lol....

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I'm not gonna do a drawn out review. If you read all the other comments and reviews there are many elements in which I agree....

I did like the development of the majority of characters. The acting was pretty good for this standard of drama.

I was okay with the paperbag and her acceptance of it for up to episode 10-11.... and I actually enjoyed her perspective and caring. In this regard, the message behind the story was well received.....

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SPOILER ALERT:

However, for all the effort put into it, I was at once stunned at Macchan's slowness to grow up. His reason for wearing the paperbag was now proof that he was always a kindhearted person almost to the point of ignoring himself for the sake of others. So, this mannerism isn't a new behavior pattern because of Yuchan. For everything she did to support him, and yes I know he supported her but in a way that goes with his character not necessarily special, I wanted him to be more willing and eager to give back to her as well.... They never even fully talked about and resolved the fact that Kaori never DID see his face yet Yuchan is left feeling he only cares for her to a point. Her love for him is stronger and she gets that strength from watching Makoto's bravery. Never have I felt a second lead be so slighted for emotional heroism in a plot. He was everything I wanted Macchan to be and never, ever fully was to me. He couldn't run after her, and every "heart-to-heart" talk was provided to him by others efforts.....
... so to not allow me to understand the meaning behind Yuchan's expressions when he finally takes of the bag left me feeling left out of the story. You wanted me to be invested in this, and then you don't even let me understand it fully. Like at one point, Yuchan almost looked disappointed, and it felt awkward because I couldn't make a discernment myself on whether it was because of his "expression [i.e. sad or nervous face] or "attractiveness".... It almost looked like she was disappointed then pulled herself together to show him she'll love him despite being unattractive. ....but that wasn't the point, and I hate being left to feel this way.... the whole point wasn't even "his voice" but the emotions BEHIND the voice. That he was forcing himself to look a certain way to please others even though his emotions didn't match it... THAT WAS THE POINT.... but instead by playing it out this way, for me, it did end up devolving into an issue over good looks versus not so good looks. I just wished they'd shown ONE expression. For me that was the meaning... being able to face the world with your true self and face.

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Best Female/Male Leads of a Campy Rom-Com

The beginning and the middle are loads of fun. The side characters can be on/off fun then irritating. For the most part, they're great additions to the show.

The "investigation" or "palace" part of the plot aren't some in-depth, elaborate plot. It's fairly insubstantial. That was fine by me, because, in this particular drama, that's what makes it great. It's just pure CAMPY fun, and it's meant to be that way.

The ML & FL are truly 100% likeable individuals in every way. There is nothing I can say negative about them. These two legit make me smile, they are adorable and wonderful whether together or apart. I mean, these two have great chemistry and skinship. Some of the best realistic intimate moments I've seen...but *that* is not why I like them so much. That's just the *cherry* on the top. They're both just really **good** people!!

Every character is clearly defined and there isn't any really any time that a character starts to act against their pre-set personal nature. The characters almost nearly stay consistent from beginning to end. In this way though, there aren't necessarily any *big* surprises, although they do manage to weave one in at the end, which was kind of interesting.

Unfortunately, I must sadly state that, the writer started to meander in the plot once the FL didn't have to hide as much, for reasons, and I'm trying to not spoil the show.

I'll say that for me, the ending really didn't do these characters justice. It's not like it was necessarily a 'dud' but the show just wandering off and then ended. I wanted all the bells and whistles of a "completed" story, and all the things that come with a couple being together, but they didn't give it to us.

What they gave us instead was a ML who, from start to finish, 100% respected women. Not only that, but *working* women. Jealousy? *slight* Domineering? *never* so, in that sense, giving her and him the ending they did, in its own way, was true to thier form.

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Focus On More Than 1 Element In This Drama

Focus On More Than 1 Element: Romance, Healing, Mental Health, Novels Within a Novel, Mystery, Non-Traditional Family

The sum of the parts of this drama are just so good that regardless of the lapses of certain elements of the writing, it still deserves tons of praise.

My favorite part of this drama, hands down, was the 3-way relationship of the OTP and brother. The way they evolved had so much preciousness to it, it was unbelievable.

The 1 point deduction is for the part that everyone seems to be stuck on, that doesn't make sense in the *real* world but is fine for *la-la-land*, regarding the mystery. Plausible or not, this does not take away from all of the other parts that were done so well, to me, that I just cannot fathom deducting more than 1 point.

Lastly, you know a drama's story is well told when I bother to go to an online Korean marketplace to purchase the novels within this drama, that are written in Korean, to be sent to me here in the USA during a pandemic. Shelling out $170 for a fantasy author, Moonyoung & illustrator, Sang Tae's REAL work is nothing to sneeze at! I enjoyed them so much I was truly willing to invest.

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