Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Falls in Love First / Noble Idiot / CEO / General /
The FL:
Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better than ML / Noble Idiot /
Describe the Relationship (the tropes):
Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / School to Adulthood / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Secretly in Love (ML) / Star-Crossed Lovers /
Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):
If only this was a 12-ep drama, I’d rate this 4 ⁄ 5, easy. It was simple, and that’s all this show really aimed to be (imo): lots of kisses, lots of intimacy; lots of PDA, lots of watching others watch PDA. I was happy watching them bussing too. I smiled and groaned at all the modes of transportation. They're only eating and texting and I wasn't fast-forwarding any of it.
Then it completely ran out of steam at the end. Romance got boring, and that’s all the show had. Although I have to say the fact that I hung on to this till the end when they got together as early as Ep7 is a miracle. It’s the first Wu Lei romance where I thought he actually had chemistry with his FL. (Yeah, yeah, yeah).
I’m mystified by how plotless this show was, and yet there was barely time for the boys. They were so lovable, all of them, and Show gave little to nothing about their lives. I need more Meng Xiao Dong – with anyone. Him leading the sibling/cousin was my second favourite relationship. I want more Wu Wei, and Jiang Yang too. Show doesn’t even have official group photos with the different gangs. This is tragic.
Cast and Crew:
Mo Bao Fei Bao. My expectations have died. If I’m ever into her dramas again, it’s because of the cast and the chemistry. Plot – how do I talk about this if it doesn’t exist. Female characters. Oof. It’s thanks to Zhou Ye’s (sorry) portrayal that I’m seeing how MBFB writes them. These FLs have no personality. Shy is not a personality, it is a state of emotion. She uses the same formula, the same romantic fantasies. Maybe it’s also a case of bad choices and bad luck that this drama is following LMLMV, which followed Road Home, all known for no plot. O&O + F&E felt pretty empty as well, which I thought was a directing/adapting problem. I’m not so sure about that anymore. This lady must be pretty with her words. She can't not be.
Zhao Jin Mai. I don’t know if I’d stick around if she wasn’t the one acting this FL. Watching her reaction to the ML is the drama for me, lol.
Wu Lei. I want everyone to hear it with me. It’s really noticeable that he talks in his exhale. At the end of his line, you will hear the end of his breath. Hear it once, hear it always.
ETA: A clarification on my MBFB take
I just don't like MBFB at this moment in time that I’m lumping my feelings in that one paragraph about her. For shy FLs, I only meant to complain about the times she had written shy characters.
But I do I have a problem with all her character-type and story-type in general. There’s a consistency in her FLs to be pure. They’re well-tempered, perfect and yet average, elite and yet understated.
MLs are elite too of course (that’s the whole point) but they’re usually hailed. They’re like the superstars of their fields. Somehow the girls get the lesser treatment, but they’re not necessarily lesser. MBFB stories magnify the ML and mitigate the FL when specs are good for both. If there are flaws in the main characters, it’s with the ML. The FL is the light. No need to change. She will be good and pure throughout. (Having flaws and magnifying the ML isn't contradictory. They go hand in hand.)
Setting up the character's (usually ML) reputation is half her plot. The main difference in her plots are from the jobs she chooses for her MLs. FL is a puzzle piece MBFB has to figure out how to fit into this ML story.
I recognize however that this is definitely because of an over-exposure to her formulas because these are shared themes across dramas. Just from her, I’ve had enough.
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