I Will Find You a Better Home | Recap and Review

A strong and independent woman learns the beauty of teamwork.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Sun Li: Fang Si Jin
Luo Jin: Xu Wen Chang

Director: 

An Jian

Chinese Title
安家
Safe Home

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Team, Contemporary Romance

Year: 2020
Episodes: 53

First Impression: 2/5

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Mini Recaps

[Ep1-6] Fang Si Jin is a strong and independent career woman. She's a real estate manager sent to Xu Wen Chang's office to improve their sales. She also has a hidden agenda, to find evidence of Xu Wen Chang's incompetence to fire him under orders from a higher up. However, she seems to recognize him but he doesn't. And thus begins her complete restructuring of his office. She's successfully makes everyone hate her. Slowly though, ever so slowly, she’s winning her team over one by one.

[Ep7] Wen Chang's ex-wife comes to haunt him after she has an affair. She's in the wrong but she consistently tries to seduce him back. He moved out and is cohabiting with Si Jin. She casually helps him out by wearing his clothes, looking and acting the part of his new girlfriend.

[Ep8] She makes a contract for cohabitation. She's a clean freak. She calmly warns him to give her a three hour heads up if he were to bring a female home. He asks the same. But she tells him she doesn't have a man.

SJ: Don't worry, I don't have a man.
WC: It's not possible for you to forever not to have a man.
SJ: Don't worry, I don't plan on living with you forever. 

[Ep9] Aw, seeing Lou Shan Guan try so hard to sell his first home makes me smile. It's also funny. The team is ecstatic for him. Meanwhile Si Jin's gangster friend comes to visit her, heh.

[Ep10] Wen Chang after the marathon, lol vs. Si Jin breezing through.

Si Jin needs two portions of food every morning. I was curious about it but now everything makes sense. She grew up from a poor family. Her mother never let her finish school because she needed to save money for her youngest son. Si Jin ran for her life from her mother, she ran for her entire life hence why she was able to breeze through the marathon. Her incredible appetite can probably be traced back to her childhood too. Wen Chang learns to give her two portions now (he likes seeing her eat his food even if she's slurping it so loudly). But even then she still lines up at the food stand to buy two portions of breakfast. I think she just wants to support their business. She gives the breakfast to her apprentice and Wen Chang.

[Ep11] WC hurts his back. He's such a chicken and she's so brutal with his injury. It's so funny. She's not one bit embarrassed helping him potty and change but he is, he even cries for his mommy. That morning she finally "joins" in on her team's morning anthem singalong. It's beautiful to watch.

[Ep12] So he's the one who helped her when she first moved to Shanghai. He inspired her to become a real estate agent, not just any agent but a heartwarming one. He also tells her he knows her true motive is to find a way to remove him as manager. But WC is such a good sport about it and jokingly accepts her as his disciple.

[Ep19] I had no idea real estate agents had to solve domestic problems as well....(they don't but the drama does). WC has to cure someone's dyssomnia and a child's lack of musical talent in order to stop these two women from hollering at each other.
[Ep22] Wang Ji Zian and Zhu Shan Shan are cute. He gives in so much for her, lol. He spent his own money to renovate the apartment but she goes and sells it at a super low cost. He willingly sacrifices for her happiness.

WC is so dramatic about his dog, it's funny. I really like his character. So smart, so heartwarming, and such a nagging cry baby.

[Ep23] I bet we all saw this coming from a mile.The old couple who bought their condo and added their daughter-in-law's name to the condo betrays them. The daughter-in-law brings her own mother to live in the house the old couple bought with their hard earned money. Now the couple has to rent a small room outside. Another bad news: SJ's shameless mom stalks her to her office and even at home.

[Ep28] Interesting case this time. Love the comeback from SJ and WC from a shameless rich client. This client scammed an old couple of their home, which is a nice foil to the earlier case where an old woman tried to scam a rich guy from his house. There's good and bad people on either side.

[Ep29] I love love love the exchange between SJ and WC when they talk about how to split their earnings. At first they lost everything and so she said they should have split it by 7:3 (3 to her) that way she wouldn't feel as bad losing that much money. However, now that they've gotten twofold of their original profit, she's in denial of that split, asking him for physical proof. LOL. He can't win her.

[Ep30] WC's lawyer friend figures out he likes SJ and WC admits it. However, his buddy tells him he's better off with his ex than SJ because he'll only have to care for two people (ex + baby) instead of SJ's sleuth of leeching family members. That mom of hers is toxic. WC is offended his buddy compared SJ to his ex. WC hasn't thought about her background because his isn't any better. He's got a fear of marriage (from the failure of his and his parents) and no money (after being scammed of his house by his ex).

[Ep32] I wanted to say this for a long time now. I love Zhu Shan Shan. I don't know how she's survived on her brain for all these years but her cheerfulness and innocence makes me want to cheer for her. She's stuck in between a fence and calls Wang Zi for help but he's too busy pursuing a girl who doesn't love him one bit.

Awww I'm feeling bad for WC. He made a whole table of food for SJ's birthday but she already had dinner with that other man. He should feel a bit happy though because when that man asked her who she valued more, him or WC, she avoided answering him. Unfortunate that WC doesn't know any of this, he's simply upset and jealous right now.

[Ep33] SJ makes him feel at ease that she's not going anywhere else. To surprise her, he brings out a birthday cake and sings her Happy Birthday. So sweeet. He asks her what her wish is but she refuses to tell him to ensure her wish comes true. So he guesses she must be like other girls and wished for a prince charming. She tells him she doesn't have the merits for dating. He feels her because he doesn't think he's qualified either.

I was afraid the lady from earlier will come back for revenge after realizing she was scammed by them but luckily her son does well in school and she's ever so grateful. Initially Xie Ting Feng dodges the flame by pushing all the responsibility to WC but once he realizes she's here to thank them he makes sure to take credit where he thinks credit is due.

[Ep35] The team goes for a round of blind dates. SJ and WC are invited to go. He purposely dresses down. He's only going to check up on SJ. Under Shan Shan's guidance, SJ is looking horrible. I thought WC was overwhelmed by her beauty but he sighs in relief that she'll be safe (and boyfriend-less) after the meeting purely from her makeup. It's hilarious how many women are aggressively moving towards him but all he cares about is SJ. He even has to claim how he's inept with sexual postures with his bad hip to scare away the women.

WC tells SJ to think about her image as she inhales her food. He's staring at her incredulously, probably wondering how he could love such a woman.

I want to applaud the director for the scene cut here. Wang Zi is taking his clients to see a condo but the condo owner is busy inside cleaning blood. Not human blood, chicken blood. A whole lot of chicken blood. Then we get a scene cut back to the blind date of SJ and his discipline gobbling down the chicken drumsticks. My poor appetite.

Anyways, it's time for the last event: giving a rose to the person you like the most. All the other guys give it to Shan Shan but WC gives is to SJ (after a looooot of hesitation). His entire team joins in on teasing him. Love it. I'm surprised so many guys gave it to SJ...

The next day, WC cannot bear to see her fixing and gluing her old poor shoe. However, WC buying her shoes is like torturing her, ha. The man even takes off her shoes and helps her try them on. Awwwwwwwwww.
[Ep36] But SJ returns him the money because gifting shoes means telling the person to leave. She doesn't want to leave. 

A woman from the love event comes to bother him and SJ feels jealously itch up her sleeve. That night she mulls to him there must be something wrong with her brain to believe in the words he said (that as long as she returns home on time, there will always be dinner waiting for her). I want that kind of man too.

[Ep37: Romantic Turning Point] SJ is mad that WC is dating (not) and reverts to her happy self when she finds out he broke up. He grumpily tells her to hide those smiling teeth of hers, lol. She still rambles on about his breakup and so he hooks her into his arms to shut her up. Woah. She's probably feeling butterflies. It gets even juicier when he confronts her.

WC: If there was suddenly a man who is willing to help you take care of your family, are you willing to entrust your life with him?

SJ thinks he's joking and looks around the room for this spectacular man. WC stands right there, silently waiting for her to look at him. The truth finally settles in on her. SJ needs some water to calm her soul but she's too nervous and spits it right out.

[Ep38] WC goes out of his way to help SJ find a buyer. She's so ecstatic she's jumping up and down and even lifts him up. She forgot he sees her as a woman. Xie Ting Feng walks in on them and they're still chummy. SJ is sincerely happy about it but I can tell WC is just playing it cool xD.

Meanwhile the clients this time are pitiful. What terrible relatives the lady has. If the relatives are looking at this only from a financial standpoint, can't they see that caring for the lady has more merits. She doesn't have any children, her only relatives are them. When she dies her money has to go somewhere. Well now it's definitely not going in their pockets.
[Ep39] The old lady's inheritance video made me cry. At the end she thanks her relatives for organizing her funeral. They did shit. When they come fuming at SJ, WC stands in front of her like a man and punches them in the face. How dare they hurt his woman.
[Ep40] Except he's removed as manager and suspended for three months. When SJ chose to stand by WC, the regional manager (nasty old man) exposes SJ's fake university degree. Oof. Wasn't expecting that. I am patiently waiting for a viral video to depict how terrible that family was and prove WC's heroism.

[Ep41] WC’s ex-wife's son isn't his and their ties snap instantly. Thank you, show. The ex-wife was such an incredulous character that I just found her scenes amusing but she makes me feel bad for her here. The father of her son is an irresponsible jerk. WC, the amazing man that he is, remembers to give her a thick red envelope to congratulate the birth. He goes home and teases SJ by pretending the son was his just to check her reaction. And he gets exactly what he wants. He shouldn't lie to her like this, but I can't help but smile really wide here, AWW. He tells her his ex-wife is planning to dump their child to him to raise alone so SJ should move out.

SJ: I'm not leaving.
WC: Why - mouth twitches as he's looking hopeful -   

SJ: Have you raised a child before? You don't know anything! And then you'll need my help, I can already imagine it now, the pitiful face you'll have - SJ is all smiles now -
WC: How come you know everything? - sounding worried (she might have a hidden child) -
SJ: I've babysat before.
WC sighs: Don't be silly. You have your happiness to pursue.
SJ smirks: What kind of happiness would I have. It's okay Gu Gu, cheer up! Us two ill-fated individuals can help each other out. Really! Think about it. If you can't raise him alone, we can raise him together. It's set. You are responsible for groceries and cooking. As for me, I'll raise the child and the dog. Really.
WC stares at her: You really are willing to help me? You're still a maiden (a beautiful woman). I'm a second-hand man with a dog and a child. Won't you think we'll drag you down?
SJ says a saying that when there's too many debts, it doesn't matter anymore.
WC: Then from now on we aren't (just) coworkers anymore, we're a family. WC, when are you letting this lie go! - SJ stares at him - Will you be able to treat my son as if he was yours?
SJ: I will. Your dog, I treat him like he's my son too.
WC: You said this yourself, from now we'll live together. You can't be irresponsible (like last time, ahem.)
SJ smiles and nods. WC hugs her and she hugs him back.

When he FINALLY tells her the truth, she quickly pushes him away and runs to her room.

Meanwhile Wang Ji stalks Shan Shan to the movie theater with her new boyfriend who fell in love with her at first sight. He even steals their popcorn like it was his. Wang Zi is like a hoarder, just sitting on that toilet and not pooing type of hoarder. Does he like Shan Shan or he just wants to protect her out of brotherly love? 
[Ep42] Wang Zi isn't a simple stalker, he's a rich one. He bought ALL the possible seats next to couple seats (I don't really know what that means just that he spent aloooooooot of money buying alooooooot of tickets. No wonder it was so empty).

What a romanticist WC is, he's talking about thawing raw meat and their expiry date and suddenly talks about love (to his fans and SJ who's among the audience). 

WC: When you walked into my heart, I realized that my love for you will never end. It's more meaningful, I just can't translate it, ugh. 

And here I thought it couldn't be any sweeter, he calls out to her (full name) in front of everyone! He's dedicating a song to her. Why is he soooo sweeeeet. And the crowd cheers. I love his singing and was smiling through it all then when he hits the chorus, I was going to join in but the team hollers their way in. LOL.

But she's still resisting him, trying her best to lock him out of her heart. She's got too many baggage of her own. Ahhh I get it now. She was more than willing to help WC when she thought he had to raise his child on his own because then that will bring him down to her level. But now that he's a free man, she doesn't have the right to hold him down.

SJ's mom wants money again because grandpa is hospitalized. Without an extra word, everyone is willing to lend SJ money, of course that includes WC but she returns his money, telling him she can't owe him anymore.

WC angrily tells her: If you don't owe me, who do you plan on owing? 

Last thing I want to add to this episode: SJ's mom makes me sick to the stomach. 

[Ep43] I want to take this moment to applaud this actress: Hai Qing. She's suffocating under the stress of being a working mom raising two children under domineering parent-in-laws and a careless husband. She's no longer able to control her long subdued distress. Her voice quietly trembles but her message resonates deeply. Brilliant delivery.

Luo Jin as Wen Chang is also so perfect or perhaps its just Luo Jin acting as Luo Jin. When his friend questions him what exactly he likes about Fan Si Jin, he stays perfectly still like a beautiful statue (insert a dramatic pause) and answers matter-of-factly: "I just like her". Simple as that.

[Ep44] How can such an atrocious mother exist.

They can climb on roofs like that o.o

WC: Grandpa's not here, but I am. I will care for you.
SJ: Why are you so nice to me?
WC pauses: Because I love you - kisses her forehead - 

[Ep45] WC and SJ officially make it official. They're cute.
[Ep47] Xie Ting Feng is in a pickle. His son* is sick and he scammed his clients of their deposit. The moment WC learns of this, he lends him money (100 000 RMB) immediately. WC is a saint. However, that's not XTF's son... he's got a "woman" outside who's a single mom. Apparently, her husband saved his life and he's digging up all his fortune to save her son. How can any wife or son accept their husband or father take all their money to save another family? Not even a relative but a single mom who he may have feelings for? Obviously the wife can't. She ferociously comes to his office and attacks everyone. I kind of really like how SJ never backs off from a physical fight (except when it comes to her clients). WC is an excellent mediator as always.
[Ep48] A good guy isn't always a good husband.
[Ep49] SJ is scammed by a client she treats as friend. Her trusty disciple, Lou Shan Guan, got her back and gets revenge for her. 
[Ep50] Except LSG gets blacklisted by his company for his threatening actions. There’s no “good” justice, eh.

[Ep51] Zhu Shan Shan and Wang Ji’s respective partners both look down on the career they feel proud of. Why are these two looking elsewhere for love when it’s right in front of them? I also want to know why that girl has returned to WJ.

I almost forgot about the divorcing clients. They’re kind of cute? Bickering about their next would-be-lovers. He’s finally realized how important she is in his life. It’s like he’s falling in love with his wife again.

[Ep52]WC invests his all into a new startup company. He recruits the divorcing client (who’s drunk) as an investor who clinches onto another rich investor. WC also recruits his entire team to join his new business. Everyone immediately agrees, except 985. It’s a business that rents condos at an affordable price to youngsters. The idea was inspired by none other than our Zhu Shan Shan.

The company “An Jia” sends in a new manager and it’s a real restructuring. Everyone’s wearing black suits and doing a stupid chant in the morning hahaha, 985 included.

Meanwhile Xu Gu Gu's crew dance has me smiling from ear to ear. They’re celebrating their grand opening.There’s also something else to celebrate: Wang Ji is proposing. I’m so confused why he’s still proposing when the girl basically throws a tantrum at him for selling his home to invest in a business. She’s clearly into him just for his house. The team cheers for him and his soon to be fiancée “Shan Shan” which happens to be the same spelling for Zhu “Shan Shan” just with a different intonation. Except the team keeps pronouncing it wrong and everyone hears the intonation for Zhu Shan Shan instead.

[Ep53] Poor Zhu Shan Shan just  (literally just) realizes she likes Wang Zi but it's too late. SJ takes matters in her own hands and calls up WJ to tell him Shan Shan likes him. It is not too late. Memories of her flood in and he takes a U-turn to return to her side because he just realized he loves her too. I guess the team did the cheer right all along?

He proposes; she accepts. They embrace and this feels sooo right. Meanwhile there's another love story: 985 and the bartender/owner tomboy (I don't know her name...). Inspired by Zhu Shan Shan and Wang Zi, she confesses to him and convinces him to join the team. Finally the family is complete. 

Love aside, friendship is put to test when all of WC's friends show utmost support for his new business, so fun to watch. True friends.

The lawyer friend mentions WC’s rich dad and WC can't bear to hear the rest. Although the friends can't heal WC's wound from his father's abandonment, SJ doesn't give up. She hires his dad to be the chef at the grand opening. Do the father and son make up. Yes they do. Now his family is truly completed.

Si Jin is filming everything as the grand opening is impending. The team even creates an impromptu band. Quite impressive I might say.

The end with love, friendship, family, and dreams.  Aw. I actually feel a little teary eyed when nothing sad has happened. Is it the music? I think I'll miss this. I even played this episode until the ending song finished. 

Remarks

[First Impression (Ep1-8)] I really wasn't going to watch this. But then there were two reasons to: same director as Perfect Partner and remake of Japanese drama Ie Uru Onna. I'm casually watching this. It's good. Seasoned actors, endearing team, eccentric characters, subtly romantic. Each case highlights a "realistic" problem in China. Much akin to Jdramas. This drama takes a while to kick in but not bad, not bad at all. 

The Romance: It's there. Subtle start. He would linger on Si Jin a bit longer whenever his ex-wife appears (e.g. when she first dressed in his sweatshirt he practically ogled at her [7], or when his ex-wife joined dinner he'd look at SJ to see if she was upset [20]). And then the drama really indulges in it when SJ's family runs into problems [30]. 

By Episode 28: It's such a breeze to watch. The villains are getting their retribution. The team is coming together. The cases are getting more and more interesting. The romance is picking up speed too. I'm slowly getting addicted.

Perfect Partner Comparisons: Its so unfair having to pit the two against each other when I like them both but I can't help it. They're airing at the same time with regular episode releases with similar casts (!) and have the same overall themes (OTP saving humankind case by case). I find that Perfect Partner prioritizes the character's relationships over the cases (it's a good thing when I like the characters and find the cases boring) meanwhile this drama has the characters grow with the cases, and at times it prioritizes the cases more. The good thing is the cases here are more heartwarming and relatable. It has a tight grasp on my empathy. I also like the male lead here more. Wen Chang is kinder and more of a husband material. Perfect Partner has a grander romance (only in comparison to this drama) but I find the romance here to be sweeter, more mature. It does take a while to develop though so its only for the patient souls. The only fault I see in this drama is the slow warm up.    

JDrama Remake: This will be my only complaint for this drama. I'd say in the beginning the drama tries to be like the Jdrama but with less flare. A lot less flare actually. It's hard to remake Jdrama given how extreme their characterizations can be and then you try to set that character in Cdrama world, it just doesn't fit. However, I accepted this Si Jin. As the drama progresses, that Si Jin is lost. The haughty, boastful, completely confident Si Jin disappears and she starts relying on her team. If it was the original Jdrama version of Si Jin (Sangenya Machi) she'd never lose her essence even if she started developing trust. Let's say I didn't compare it to the remake, her character from the beginning still does feel off from her in the ending. Complaint done.

[Review] What a journey. From a drama that I automatically turned away to one that I fell in love with right to the last episode. I didn't know how much I loved this drama until it ended. Looking back, I actually remember all of the cases, they each had their unique appeal. None of the side characters are good looking (with the one exception in Zhu Shan Shan) but they're endearing. I was expecting Luo Jin's character to be wonderful and amazing and everything beautiful and he delivered exceptionally. No questions about that. I was not expecting to like Sun Li (I know she's a good actress, but she's just not my type of actress) and I don't know when she won me over but she did. Before the last episode I was pretty confident of giving this a 3/5 with a heart to make up for what I think it deserves but when each minute ticked away in the last episode, I felt sad it was ending. I had to give this a 4.

[Verdict] A feel-good drama. If you’re willing to invest, this drama will not disappoint. 

Rating: 4/5