I really wanted to like this drama. It has two of my favourite Taiwanese drama people: Winnie Chu (director) and Ray Chang (actor). However, no matter how much I enjoy watching the works of these people, this show falls a bit flat.
The script tries to stuff a lot of plot points into a 20-episode TV drama. Considering it tries to cover two main couples and a couple of other side couples, there just isn't enough space for all of these characters and their respective side plots to fully develop for the audience to enjoy. Instead, story arcs that should run naturally two episodes or more are stuffed into one episode only. For example, did we really need the entire arc of Zhi He's parents and their relationship with her and Da Shu? Not really. Her father didn't need to die either. And even if he did, they should've at least extended this show to a couple more episodes so other characters have breathing room for their own stories. Instead, they crammed his death into two episodes. It made his death insignificant, especially considering how much time they put into fleshing out the parents' relationship with Zhi He and Da Shu.
Acting from all the actors are fine, but Sonia Sui knocks it out of the park in several episodes. Her acting is incredibly nuanced. It doesn't require much for her to display her character's internal emotions. The music and cinematography in this show also help lift this show a lot too; they help distract you from the alcohol product placement that happens in some scenes. Another standout feature is some of the outfits these characters wear. There were so many times where I was distracted by what Sonia Sui or Gillian Chung were wearing. (Those earrings! That top! That hair!)
All in all, this show garners a solid 70% rating for me. It's the plot-heavy script that drags this down.
Review by ArianneVIP 9BlockedParent2020-08-25T09:09:51Z
I really wanted to like this drama. It has two of my favourite Taiwanese drama people: Winnie Chu (director) and Ray Chang (actor). However, no matter how much I enjoy watching the works of these people, this show falls a bit flat.
The script tries to stuff a lot of plot points into a 20-episode TV drama. Considering it tries to cover two main couples and a couple of other side couples, there just isn't enough space for all of these characters and their respective side plots to fully develop for the audience to enjoy. Instead, story arcs that should run naturally two episodes or more are stuffed into one episode only. For example, did we really need the entire arc of Zhi He's parents and their relationship with her and Da Shu? Not really. Her father didn't need to die either. And even if he did, they should've at least extended this show to a couple more episodes so other characters have breathing room for their own stories. Instead, they crammed his death into two episodes. It made his death insignificant, especially considering how much time they put into fleshing out the parents' relationship with Zhi He and Da Shu.
Acting from all the actors are fine, but Sonia Sui knocks it out of the park in several episodes. Her acting is incredibly nuanced. It doesn't require much for her to display her character's internal emotions. The music and cinematography in this show also help lift this show a lot too; they help distract you from the alcohol product placement that happens in some scenes. Another standout feature is some of the outfits these characters wear. There were so many times where I was distracted by what Sonia Sui or Gillian Chung were wearing. (Those earrings! That top! That hair!)
All in all, this show garners a solid 70% rating for me. It's the plot-heavy script that drags this down.