Beanie level: Chaebol’s poor doppelganger

I started watching the JDrama Eye Love You on Netflix (because of Chae Jong-hyeop, of course), only to realise that the missing 5 episodes won’t be available until mid-April. I wish I’d known that earlier.

By the way, I’m proud of myself for understanding most of Tae-oh’s thoughts, even though there are deliberately no subtitles.

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Things I would never have expected: Didi Hallervorden in a KDrama (Queen of Tears)

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    Interesting. Correct me if I am wrong. Were the QUEEN OF TEARS German scenes a mash up of Berlin and Frankfurt designed to look like our twosome was in one city.

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      Most of the shots were probably taken in Potsdam, possibly also a few in Berlin, as the two cities are next to each other and connected by a bridge.
      Frankfurt was probably only mentioned because the flight went from Seoul to Frankfurt (it probably went on from there to Berlin by plane), where most international flights land.

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        The reason I asked is that
        1. There was a scene from their hotel where out the window you could see the top of the famous Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which is in the old West Berlin. I have seen pics from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Berlin where you can see that church from the rooms; and
        2. The scenes on the bridge of locks and the final scene where Hyun-woo walks down the stairs and waits to cross the street over to Hae-in I am certain were filmed at the Eisener Steg bridge in Frankfurt which crosses the Main River. I could also see the Frankfurt skyline in the back. I have crossed that bridge many times and waited to cross the street exactly where Hyun-woo waited.

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    *inhales* Ahahahaha!!! Oh, which episode must I watch to see this, please? 🤣
    Is he a kdrama fan? Is his management? Do I need to start reading gossip magazines to find out? *immediately books next hairdresser‘s appointment*

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MARRY MY HUSBAND

Up to the finale, I thought that the character Yu-ra was the biggest disappointment. Until I saw what happened for Yang Ju-ran and Lee Suk-joon. I\’m miffed at the writers. 😈

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I only watched the last few episodes of A GOOD DAY TO BE A DOG out of habit, but I was increasingly distracted. Today was no exception. When I looked at the screen and saw this scene, I was convinced that the Mountain God had been turned into a dog as punishment. The colour of his fur somehow matched his hairstyle perfectly and it would have been a just punishment.

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The Matchmakers, episode 13: Park So-hyun is one of the most impressive and intriguing villainesses.

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    💯 I don’t know if I want to applaud her or shriek at her. So very well written, indeed.

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      In fact, I was cheering her on from the moment I realised she was ordering a last meal for her brother.

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        It was very interesting to see though, that she didn’t do it in cold blood. You really got the feeling she was hoping to the very last minute it wouldn’t have to be done. Alas… *shudders*
        How calculating, that she included Soondeok into all this, too.

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          And she made the consort and her maid the accomplices in murdering her husband. (Granted part of that might have been because access to the prison is tightly regulated.) But still, she makes sure they can’t plead innocence through ignorance. Only her daughter and grandson are sheltered from her machinations.

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    Park Ji Young has been rocking villain roles since 1995. She is the original “Jang Nok-su.”

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Challenge accepted!

Completed (or soon to be completed) 2023 K-Dramas

Dramas I was obsessed with (for whatever reason)
My Dearest Part 1+2
Not Others
Our Blooming Youth
Castaway Diva

Dramas that I loved
Crash Course in Romance
Revenant
Moving
Love to Hate You
Call It Love
Behind Your Touch
My Perfect Stranger
The Kidnapping Day
Twinkling Watermelon
King The Land (first half)
Missing The Other Side S2
A Time Called You
My Lovely Boxed
The Good Bad Mother
Bora! Deborah

Dramas that I liked
The Glory Part 1+2
Doctor Cha
Lies Hidden In My Garden
King The Land (second half)
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Destined With You
The Worst Of Evil
Race
Trolley
The Forbidden Marriage

Dramas that were okay
Celebrity
Mask Girl
Numbers
See You In My 19th Life
The Interest Of Love

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    Dropped Dramas
    Delightfully Deceitful
    Heartbeat
    My Lovely Liar
    Island
    The Heavenly Idol
    Stealer: The Treasure Keeper
    Joseon Attorney
    The Secret Romantic Guesthouse
    The Real Has Come
    Moon In The Day
    Oh! Young-shim
    Strangers Again

    Ongoing Dramas
    My Demon
    The Matchmakers
    The Story Of Park’s Marriage Contract
    A Good Day To Be A Dog

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You know when one drama absorbs you so much that all the others you\’re currently watching pale in comparison and become uninteresting? You don\’t even have the time or energy to hang around on this site? That\’s what happened to me with the Chinese drama LEGALLY ROMANCE. But after watching it twice in a row, I\’m now back and open to new (old) dramas.

Almost everything was right for me here. The chemistry between the two main actors, the humour and a clever script. Even on my second viewing, I still discovered scenes with parallels between the past and the present, with clever little changes.

I almost didn\’t get past the first episode, the ML\’s hairstyle was too strange, especially in combination with the glasses and the ugly brown shirt he was wearing.

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    I really enjoyed Legally romance when I watched it, though I ff most of the 2nd couple…
    The best is that it introduced me to Z Tao music. I’m very queen on his other dramas, but I really like his music.

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I was in a bit of a drama slump recently, all the new dramas I started couldn\’t keep me hooked. So I tried LIGHTER & PRINCESS and watched it to the end within a few days.

Collage romance dramas aren\’t usually my thing, but Lighter & Princess is more. I especially liked the second half, which is about revenge. For me, it was just the right mix of angst and romance.
How slowly more develops between FL and ML is well portrayed. From enemies to friends to lovers.

In real life I would probably not want to have contact with many of the characters in this drama, but as fictional characters they are interesting, complex and their motivations are surprisingly easy to understand.
I found FL a little tiring in the first few episodes, but that quickly subsided.
ML is arrogant and doesn\’t care what others think, which I actually quite like. His plus point is that he\’s not malicious, he just has no interest in the people around him. If they leave him alone, then there are no problems. He\’s certainly not an easy person, but sometimes I could understand him very well.

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    I really liked the character development in Lighter and Princess, and the way the show didn’t gloss over the hard work involved in the business part of things. Also, I felt like despite the FL’s princess nickname, she was more like a knight for the ML in the second act — becoming his champion when the rest of the world had turned its back.

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      You beautifully express her role.
      What I like in this drama is the physical relation: they are not shy and when they are in love they are often hugging or cuddling. Way more realistic than most dramas where the couple “in love” stand 2m appart.

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MY DEAREST 2, episode 3

That’s why Gil-chae is such a great character. Strong, with an unrestrained will to live, never giving up.

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    Ahn Eun Jin is fantastic, even when her role sometimes seems repetitive.

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In search of an antidote to My DEAREST’s delicious heartbreak, I landed on HI, VENUS. This cdrama is definitely pretty stress-free, but obviously it’s too chill for me. Although it offers all the things I actually like: a mature couple, communcation and few misunderstandings.
I know I’m pretty much in the minority with this opinion. It just didn’t click.

It’s probably because I saw THE DAY OF BECOMING YOU shortly before, which has become one of my favourites. I’ll just watch this drama again now, especially the confession scene, which is one of the most heartwarming I’ve seen.

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    The Day of Becoming You is in it’s own category of great. I’ve seen it a few times and just love the body switching and all it entails….
    Hi Venus is on my watch list after Hidden Love (which I’m LOVING!)…

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    I agree, in the sense that if or when a drama is TOO smooth sailing for the characters, it’s also quite easy for me to tune out and not care. Because nothing is at stake, there is nothing to work together towards since things are already working out… Maybe this is why I don’t mind pain and angst in my dramas, and the Cdrama I am currently watching is giving me ALL the angst and pain and I’m quite invested lol

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      Yes, a little angst is always okay. Sometimes I even enjoy it when there is a lot of angst and pain, see My Dearest. It always depends on my mood.
      But it’s important to me that it doesn’t go too smoothly, I have to be able to sympathise and root for it.

      Which Cdrama are you currently watching?

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        I’m currently watching season 1 of the costume drama “Lost You Forever”. I’ve been marathoning it as much as I can these last 2-ish weeks, and I’m almost at the end but I don’t wanna let go and can’t wait for Season 2 🥹🥹 The plot is okay, the pain and angst actually makes sense—it’s not just pain and angst drama for the sake of the drama—but what’s got the most grasp on me is the characters. Each and every character has their own complexities even though they may seem very standard and stock at first. Good thing it’s the weekend and I don’t have much time for drama watching, or else I’d be done the drama before the weekend is over and then I’d be stuck stewing and missing the characters throughout the work week 😅

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    DOBY and Hi Venus are by the same team of writer and director that I absolutely love. I too agree that DOBY had a meatier story but Hi Venus was exactly what I needed at the time I watched it, a low stakes fun show with very good mother-son dynamic. Too bad these two aren’t on any projects yet, I really hope they work again. I love the communication and humor in their romcoms.

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      Even if I hadn’t known it before, I would have noticed it at the latest thanks to the sound effects. The director also seems to have a preference for opera.

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    It was too slow for me as well. Maybe I should check out TDOBY.

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The Kidnapping Day

Love this duo, now trio.

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That’s how easy it is to fool yourself. You think you are well prepared for all kinds of pain, you get through the first episode and most of the second episode of MY DEAREST Part 2 quite well, only to suddenly have a big lump in your throat during the last scene.

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    is this series really that good? i started ep 1..was really bored in first 10 min

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      For me, it’s the best drama of the year, but that’s a matter of taste, of course.
      I was hooked from the beginning, others had to watch the third and fourth episodes before they were convinced it was worth watching.

      But you have to be aware that the two main characters are flawed and strong-willed, they often make the viewer want to pull their hair out. Gil-chae is one of my favourite FL.

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      A simple answer to your question. You will like My Dearest if you like Gone With The Wind. I hated that movie when I was young but love it as I grew older (or more mature). A love story about flawed people in turbulent times.

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Just finished episode 1 of My Dearest 2. Gil-chae’s life has turned out differently than I expected over the last two years, but I’m glad she made the best of her opportunities and the living conditions at the time.
I am curious to see how the makers will solve this “problem”, especially after reading the outcry on the net.

In the meantime, I’ll try to post scenes again with parallels from episode 1 part 1 and episode 1 part 2.

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    Thank you @claire2009 your tech response is 👍

    Really really appreciate your guidance on posting pictures, inserting text and gifs.

    👏 👏 👏

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    Ha,ha, I am also curious how she (the writer) will get out of it. She is bold, I will give her that at least. I played out different scenarios during the pause, I dreeded this one so much, but I have come to accept it. I am still waiting for what was promised (per NKM)…

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      So … you think we should have Cha Eun-woo’s character in A Good Day To Be A Dog recommend some escape room strategies!

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      I wouldn’t have thought it originally, but the break between the two parts was just right for me. In the last few weeks I was able to prepare myself better for the worst.
      In the meanwhile, I would be happy if the writer continued to follow GWTW closely. I’ve already come that far. Still, the ending is guaranteed to kill me, what am I kidding myself here.

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        So glad you’re enjoying it. After all as Shelly said –

        We look before and after,
        And pine for what is not:
        Our sincerest laughter
        With some pain is fraught;
        Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought.

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        Agreed, the break was my mourning period for whatever will happen. I am into the accepting anything phase now. Well, almost anything…there are still some scenarios going forward from here that I will never accept and I will not be staying in the time-out corner! 🤣

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        I will say one thing and hope I don’t spoil too much…I kept thinking about that red string pulling her towards him at the end of the episode. I don’t know if it was done on purpose, but I could see it.

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          I am sure they will come together. Only when and for how long? Here I have scaled my expectations very far down.

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How do I actually manage to post more than one picture at a time on my Fan Wall? As soon as I want to add a second photo, my post is automatically published.
So far, I have managed by combining several pictures into one file, but this is definitely not the ideal solution, as I have no idea about image editing.

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I love the parallels between these two scenes from My Dearest 1, episode 1, and My Dearest, episode 2. While Jang-hyun faces the fight in the beach scene from part 1, he doesn’t have the strength or desire to fight in part 2.

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Finished THE DAY OF BECOMING YOU (Cdrama). I think it\’s a very good recommendation for anyone looking for a rom-com with little angst.
Fortunately, I wasn\’t put off by the first episode. I kept watching because this drama was recommended to me. And I didn\’t regret it.

I especially liked the mature couple communicating with each other. They have great chemistry. There were no silly misunderstandings, disagreements were quickly resolved. The secondary characters were not caricatures either, but mostly warm and supportive.
Not only do the two main characters behave like adults when communicating, even when they become a couple, they don\’t turn into inexperienced teenagers who are suddenly afraid of physical contact. The kisses are definitely not dead fish kisses.

I was forewarned not to watch the last 10 minutes. Apparently the censorship of the Chinese state strikes here, having problems with the fantasy elements (body swap). The last 10 minutes probably won\’t ruin it entirely, but this ending is probably not as satisfying as the earlier ending.

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    Ahh!! A favorite of mine 🥺

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      To add, yes when I first watched it I was disappointed by that fake out ending (I wasn’t expecting it)…on my second watch I completely avoided it and was much happier in the end ahah!! The drama works fine anyway.

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    Thanks for sharing your summary and reactions! I’ve been on the fence about this one, but now I think I’ll give it a try!

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    💙💙
    So glad you enjoyed it. Such a fine romcom isn’t it??!! I fell in love with Steven all over again (after ‘Skate into love’). The body swap hijinks had me in splits. Both the leads were so good in acting.
    Time for rewatch! Till date I laugh when I see a walnut 😂😂😂.

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      The walnuts will never fail to make me laugh 😂😂😂😂

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      Yes, it was definitely a good recommendation. If you have any other recommendations, I’m always open to them. With Chinese dramas, I find it difficult to find a reliable source. I can’t rely on the ratings on MDL as most of the audience is more into youth dramas. Reddit I find too confusing.

      I had to laugh the loudest at a scene between the co-worker and Jiang Yi in Yu Sheng Sheng’s body when the co-worker asks if there is food in the bag and the dry reply came, no, it’s clothes with blood.

      I looked into SKATE INTO LOVE yesterday, but quickly realised it wasn’t my thing. Too many contrived misunderstandings and annoying competitors. Too bad, it actually sounded quite good.

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        Yeah Skate into love had a bit of a lull and distraction with second leads towards the end but the leads are totally worth it. I quite liked their misunderstanding intially and it was hilarious watching a guy failing to bully and falling for Master Tang. I would still say give it a shot. By Ep 4 you should be hooked. (If my memory is right).

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          I think I already told you about ‘Find yourself’.
          A lot of beanies loved ‘Hi Venus’. Same FL as DOBY. A zero angst drama with leads who communicate. No unnecessary drama.
          Another drama I loved is ‘You are my hero’. Bai Jing Ting and Sandra Ma were awesome. It does have some angst and some action but still well done.
          For a good slice of life with a fantastic romance watch ‘Meet yourself’! It’s a slow pensive drama. So watch it when you are in the right mood. It’s almost like a travel show at time but the show has so much heart.

          I look forward to seeing your cdrama journey! I don’t watch costumes so may be other beanies can you give you recommendations for those.

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            Thank you for the additional tips.
            I had already stumbled across MEET YOURSELF elsewhere, as it was highly praised. Like the other recommendations, I have put it on my watch list.

            A little angst is perfectly okay (sometimes even desirable) as long as it doesn’t turn into melodrama.

            Costume dramas aren’t usually my thing either, so we’re totally on the same page here.

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    The ending definitely didn’t ruin the entire experience, but it was a little underwhelming indeed

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I took advantage of the rainy holiday and finished watching HIDDEN LOVE. On the whole I liked it, but a few points bugged me.

For example, I would have liked Duan Jiaxu to have hesitated longer before deciding to woo Sang Zhi and to have been less overconfident. Not because I had a problem with the age difference, but because everything happened a bit too quickly on his part and therefore lacked the emotional effect.
I also found it a bit irritating that they talked about marriage so quickly when they weren\’t even a real couple at that point. Especially when you consider that Sang Zhi\’s parents still treated their daughter like a child, made daily check calls and there was practically a curfew for her (I wonder if it was the same for her brother at the same age, but doubt it), even though she is already considered an adult in terms of age.

If Sang Yan would get his own drama, I would watch it immediately.

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    One of my biggest gripe was that the entire wooing-confession-dating-moving in-marriage proposal happened in such a short time frame. Here is one drama I would have used a time skip.

    Even though she was a mature and thoughtful person and I don’t question their relationship it was kind of rushed.

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MY DEAREST, PART 2
Let the heartbreak continue.

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    Looks like she got married or she’s pulling an Aun-ae with her hair up.

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      I hope it’s the latter because in the trailer you posted she had her hair down. They are really playing with us, I remember they showed us her with the hair up in the ep.10 preview but actually she was showing the gisaengs how to use the hair pin.

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      Both is possible.
      It is also possible that she only put her hair up because a married woman is treated differently in captivity than an unmarried one. Which is, of course, just a wild theory of mine.

      In any case, misunderstandings and heartbreak are inevitable.

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        It would be nice if she’s pretending to be Jang Hyun’s wife.
        Your theory makes sense!

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          The idea that she could pretend to be JH’s wife didn’t even occur to me. But that would explain why they are staying in the same building.

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    I read some translations at Soomi.

    “It’s strange, isn’t it?” says Lee Jang Hyun. “On days like these where the moon shines bright, I’m always with you [in my mind]…”

    The star-crossed lovers then sit down on opposite sides of the unopened door, and Yoo Gil Chae sheds tears as she listens to the rest of what Lee Jang Hyun has to say.

    “I’m not sure at what point things started to go wrong,” he continues. “If, that time, I shouldn’t have left you behind and gone to Namhansanseong. Or if, that time, I shouldn’t have left you behind and come to Shenyang.” Choked up with emotion, he breaks off as he goes on, “Or if, that time, when you cast me aside…”

    https://www.soompi.com/article/1617070wpp/watch-namgoong-min-and-ahn-eun-jin-share-a-heartbreaking-reunion-in-part-2-of-my-dearest

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Finished YOU ARE MY GLORY. One of the few dramas that did not become boring after the two main characters became a couple. In fact, I liked the dynamics of them as a couple even better than during their flirting phase.

@mayhemf Thanks for the short nights and lack of sleep 😉

Would love to hear any other recommendations. Ideally with a mature couple, a little angst is okay too.

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    😂😂😂
    I am so glad you enjoyed this drama!! yeah, their relationship felt real even after they got together.

    Recently many of us loved ‘Fake it till you make it’. It’s a mature romance and handles some serious topics too. It is beautifully directed, acted and OST is top notch. It is not a light drama because the work life in the initial two episodes is intense and feels too real. But it settles down and things get much better. The leads have explosive chemistry.

    For a lighter drama I recommend – The Day of becoming you. Leads are mature and the plot is fun. Just skip the last 15 min of the drama (it was done to pass censorship).

    Find Yourself – Another drama I loved. It’s on Netflix US. It’s not by any means great. But overall it worked for me. It explores the complexities in dating someone younger than you. It goes by swiftly too.

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After three previous attempts, I have now for the first time found a Chinese drama that I did not drop after the first episodes, but watched to the end.

The plot of FIREWORKS OF MY HEART reminds me a bit of Jane Austen\’s Persuasion.
I skipped some scenes, especially at the beginning and end (a lot of pathos in the firefighters\’ missions), but I liked how comprehensibly the struggle and development of the two main characters was portrayed. Some might call FL weak at the beginning, but like Anne Elliot, she outgrows herself over time.

I was surprised at how steamy the drama was compared to many Korean series.

Yang Yang may not be the best actor, but he looks damn good.

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    Yay! Welcome.
    My first cdrama was also Yang Yang’s!! Lol. He does look damn fine.
    I liked FOMH and had similar opinion as yours. The show did great in showing the leads work on their own problems and make an effort to be better for each other. The chemistry was great. By the end I was convinced they were good for each other and truly will make themselves be happy.

    If you want another YY romcom reco I suggest ‘You are my glory’. He and Dilreba were great. Towards the end you might have to FF a bit when there is too much of space mission stuff.

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      I ‘second’ that recommendation to watch YAMG and I’ll also suggest The Day of Becoming You – I’ve rewatched both dramas twice.

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      Thanks, I’ve put it on my watchlist.

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    Welcome to C-Dramalandia!!! 😁
    I’m glad you’re finally able to find a Cdrama that has grasped you.

    I’m terms of Yang Yang, I always like wha to see of him in variety shows, but it’s been a struggle for me to find a drama of his that I stick to. Maybe I should try this one 🤔

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