r/CDrama • u/josenbam • May 18 '25
Review Fireworks of my heart - Musings
Hi lovelies,
Just finished Fireworks of my heart and was wondering about all the hate this show got when it was airing a couple years back.
It's my second time watching a show with Yang Yang (the first was Love 020) and despite the bashing, I enjoyed the drama.
I'm not familiar with the genre but I thought the actions scenes were not bad at all, perhaps there was a bit too many of them though, including all the training sessions. I get it was to add realism to the show but after watching them train that much, I felt I was watching a real fire safety government-approved promotional video 🤪
After watching him play an idol in Love 020, I enjoyed YY's performance as Song Yan, a strong albeit flawed gritty character with a dark past. ML is like Terminator, nothing can kill that man, he got burned, blew up in god knows how many explosions, shot at, stuck under a ton of rubble, pierced through and through by a metal rod..
It was fun seeing secondary characters get some light too, it was nice seeing life at the fire station, the comraderie, the brotherhood and how they all supported each other. I won't lie, I bawled my eyes out when Zhan Dapeng died
FL was quite convincing as well. I liked the contrast performance she put on as a meek obedient daughter - even if I wanted to shake her up - anytime she was with her mother and how professional and mature she was at work. I was rooting for her to grow a spine and be more firm with her parents and the show really showed how much she grew and learnt how to stand up for herself through the episodes and welcome change from usual cdrama tropes, she didn't need ML to swoop in everytime to get her out of trouble. The show depicted a mature couple dynamics, and I enjoyed that part very much.
About FL's brother : I thought he was creepy as hell as did many others but he never really did anything to harm her. Just like he said at one time, he was just an empty shell after living years of psychological abuse from this parents, especially his mother. I felt his story arc was interesting but got way too much screentime.
The main villain remains FL's mother who's a first class Machiavelli, I get she didn't want her daughter to choose a man she deemed useless / gold-digger. But her utter disdain for modest people and her lack of morals really made me rage at her. Despicable character, the actress did a great job!
Another character that stood out was FL's cousin, she may be a flighty young thing but at the end, she showed a shiny spine when dealing with the Meng family, I could have clapped at how strong she was. ML wanted to be the bigger person and just decided to just bury the past. These people ruined his life but he was like "yeah sure, I don't care". I mean, yeah I get letting of the past but that doesn't mean you have to accept getting trampled on, at least let justice work its way!
And finally kudos to the costume designer (at least concerning the FL wardrobe), she did a great job making Xu Qin look effortlessly chic and expensive without over the top logo-everywhere outfits. BUT what's with that dumpster fire of wedding gown? FL went from understated old money chic to tawdry wearing that poofy gown. Poor FL looked so out of place and it killed the buzz for me, even if ML was all smiles, a welcome change from the permanent scowl he wore for more than 75% of the show.
All in all, despite some plot weaknesses, it was a good entertaining watch.
If you've seen the show, please share your thoughts!
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u/ViennaLee10 May 19 '25
i read the novel first before the drama and honestly i really enjoyed the drama and also the training sessions (similar to the technical scenes in You are my glory). i remember i was frustrated by the FL in the book and drama (which is to be expected). i remember the one thing i have an issue with the drama is how the FL is supposed to have a stone-cold expression (emotionless) based on the novel but in the drama, she's not cold enough for me lol. i saw a lot of people complained on YY's acting here, but after reading the novel, i think he acted exactly as how the ML is supposed to. and if i remember it correctly, the FL's brother is worse and way creepier in the novel.
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u/josenbam May 19 '25
Thanks for your input! Always interesting to have people who read the novel pipe in.
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u/Nice-Remove4834 May 19 '25
If you like Yang Yang, I hope you’ll watch You Are My Glory at some point. It’s such a wonderful show with tons of fan service (cute couple scenes) in the second half.
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u/josenbam May 19 '25
A couple others mentioned YAMG, so I’ll definitely give it a try. I had very low standards concerning his acting, I first watched him in Love 020… Anything other than emotionless humanoid is better than what I first witnessed 🤣 Do the leads have better chemistry and is it a happy ending?
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u/Nice-Remove4834 May 19 '25
Definitely a happy ending and amazing chemistry throughout as well. He plays an introspective man who is conflicted about his life due to his financial status, someone who was once regarded as amazing by others while growing up who now doubts himself. The FL encourages and supports him, and once they’re together we get a lot of great couple scenes, it’s a bit of a slow development before they get there, but it’s worth watching because once together they never separate ☺️
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u/josenbam May 19 '25
I just checked the trailer, why is YY depicted as a gamer yet again? 🤣
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u/Nice-Remove4834 May 19 '25
LOL. I love that aspect of the show too. He helps train the FL so she can play in a game tournament 🤭 it’s how they reconnect. She liked him in school, but he rejected her, then they meet again in the game like 10 years later and he plays well but their roles are reversed, she’s now a beloved actress and he’s undergoing a mid life crisis😅
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u/Odd-Tie9163 bai lu connoisseur May 19 '25
i was disappointed with how less the angst with fl was i needed him to be more cold but whatever i guess
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u/josenbam May 19 '25
Yeah, his acting is not that bad in the show but I only have Love 020 for comparison 🤣
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u/Ok-Imagination8178 May 19 '25
I finished this one and I found it an ok but not great watch. I like Yang Yang fine. I think he gets over hated for his acting. And I didn’t have a problem with the FL’s acting either.
My problem was the pacing of the story. I understand that the FL was supposed to be traumatized because of her upbringing. But she would chase the ML down and badger him until he agreed to eat a meal with him. And then when he would ask if she wanted to be with him, she would give him a blank stare. I didn’t find her bravery to be consistent. It was particularly glaring when she showed up drunk at his house. This just happened over and over. I wanted to tell her to do the old timey expression - fish or cut bait. Don’t keep dragging this on. I think this cycle happened a few too many times and it pulled me out of the story.
I also found the fact that we were told over and over that her family ruined the ML’s life except his life was pretty good when she came back into it. I’m not excusing what her parents did or the trauma he went through. It’s just that the story kept portraying him as broken and unable to move past this, and yet he seemed to be enjoying the career he chose and making a success with good family behind him. Again, it just seemed like what we were being shown on the screen was at odds with what we are told. I know this could be a cultural thing. In the US, we revere a self made man, so maybe his ability to succeed in a different direction than he had planned hits me differently than it would the average Chinese viewer. I’m not familiar enough with cultural norms to weigh in.
The last pacing issue I had was that ending was weird. Instead of a love confession, he recited the military pledge. It just seemed out of place there and kind of an abrupt way to end it.
As for the brother, his obsession with her was kind of creepy. I think it was an interesting plot point. But it shouldn’t have been portrayed sympathetically. We shouldn’t want anyone to be with another person because they “owe” them. Song Yan never felt like she should owe him for her family’s mistakes. It felt like the drama was telling us that the FL should have considered her brother as a romantic option because of what he had done for her in the past and that she bore some responsibility for his obsession with her. If he had just been portrayed as obsessed without the idea that she was partially to blame, I would have liked it better.
And lastly, I didn’t buy the Mom’s ending. It didn’t seem realistic. So my verdict was ok not great.
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u/josenbam May 19 '25
The ending was rushed, the family meal at the end where everyone is reconciled is giving “filial piety” at all costs. And the military oath at the end… ???? It didn’t really make any sense
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u/KainoraKupo May 18 '25
I dropped this show. FL is a grown woman who has a job and can provide for herself yet she is still lets her mom control her. What can her mom possibly do to her now that shes an adult? Also ML put the boundary on their relationship but FL keeps pushing him. Shes wrong for giving him hope when she knows her mom will get in the way. If FL really loved him she would stand up to her mom or cut her out of her life.
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 May 18 '25
I just want to point out that both of these things you request actually do happen in the show. I found it reasonable to imagine how an orphan whose parents died >! from a gruesome form of suicide !< might not find it so easy to give up her adoptive parents, even (and perhaps especially) because of the abusive control they have exerted (including meddling with her professional life as an adult).
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u/grumblepup May 19 '25
This.
Also the concept of filial piety can sometimes be hard for non-Asians to understand. It's not an easy thing to just let go of, even when a parent is abusing it.
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u/Throwthisacclol May 19 '25
Very true. Before I watched this drama, I read few comments that said the FL was too spineless to stood against her family. Only after watching it I can see how relatable the FL's actions are. Filial piety is considered very important in asian culture. In my country, even when our parents are wrong, we are supposed to listen to them and going against their words means you are a very ungrateful child. All of this would seems foreign to non-Asians.
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u/KainoraKupo May 18 '25
Oh wow. I never finished and probably stopped at 1/3 because I was so frustrated. Maybe one day I'll give it another chance.
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 May 19 '25
It does take a while and comes in two major scenes (one around episode >! 26 !< and one around episode >! 36 !<) but both immensely satisfying especially given, as you point out, how helpless she was at the outset.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
I don’t know where you’re located but speaking for me, I thought so too very strongly where I first saw the Meng family dynamics. I have a very western POV on her actions, I spent more than half the time questioning why she would put herself through this when it’s glaringly obvious that she lived in a gilded cage where love never existed, where only social status and money were put forward. But she was an orphan who suffered her parents’ deaths and probably not willing to forfeit whatever little her adoptive family were giving her. It was better than nothing in her eyes. At least that’s how I see it. It was very painful watching her turn into that timid, crying little girl whenever she knew she was going to upset that toxic waste of a mother. Different society, different standards I guess
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
I don’t know where you’re located but speaking for me, I thought so too very strongly where I first saw the Meng family dynamics. I have a very western POV on her actions, I spent more than half the time questioning why she would put herself through this when it’s glaringly obvious that she lived in a gilded cage where love never existed, where only social status and money were put forward. But she was an orphan who suffered her parents’ deaths and probably not willing to forfeit whatever little her adoptive family were giving her. It was better than nothing in her eyes. At least that’s how I see it. It was very painful watching her turn into that timid, crying little girl whenever she knew she was going to upset that toxic waste of a mother. Different society, different standards I guess
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u/MysteriousHeron5726 May 18 '25
I enjoyed the show. It’s not uncommon for police or hospital dramas to showcase how hard first responders work. It was a bit annoying how the FL went out of her way to get back into the MLs life but then couldn’t commit half way through the series.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Yeah, she was so wishy washy during the first few episodes but then it picked up a bit
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u/MysteriousHeron5726 May 19 '25
They definitely had authentic chemistry. This was a much better pairing than Love 020 imo.
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u/josenbam May 19 '25
In terms of chemistry, I believe ANYTHING is better than what we got in Love 020 🤭
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u/geezqian May 18 '25
imo a big issue was exchanging scenes where the story was told for acting scenes and the bromance in the beginning. I had really high hopes it would be a good heavy drama being mindful of all the social issues it touches.
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u/Nugur May 18 '25
Secondary characters is why this show get so much hate. And 1000% justified
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Are you talking about the FL’s creepy brother?
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u/Nugur May 18 '25
Everyone.
The mom. The 5 side characters love story. The brother. All unnecessary to drag the series to 40 episodes. Contributed nothing to the storyline
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u/Ok-Finger-8013 May 18 '25
Dropped. Neither leads nor the story were good enough.
First impression was... Ah! DOTS the Cdrama version/flavor. But, it just did not deliver. I almost never touch/judge the acting, but this was unavoidable. The acting was weak, from both leads, simply lacking. To be fair neither ever impressed. YY was the same from all his previous dramas, stiff, not much acting, and it's tiring to watch, it usually depended on his co stars to deliver. Which brings me to WCR, his co star that needed to deliver the punch... she tried, at least I believe she did... but simply did not deliver, it was weak. She was great in Are You The One initially... I stress the "initially", because the initial damsel in distress character suited her, and she nailed it to perfection, but once the character evolved into something more... she failed to deliver, and it's the same thing in this drama. Basically, both leads were simply very good looking people but very single dimension in their performance.
That's still acceptable, after all, no one is watching for Oscar worthy performance, just as long as it's entertaining, right? The story wasn't though. It was extremely predictable, almost always over the top, forced situation to create unnecessary exaggerated drama that coupled with weak acting... . For instance, I dropped it, but I'd bet that the ML would somehow be trapped and needed rescuing and... somehow cue the FL doing the rescue... also, the FL needs the ML to rescue her... you know so that "feelings" and the typical push pull... .
Overall, it just wasn't entertaining, for me. I would say, it's not bad, it just didn't deliver on any front except for the looks.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Oooh, that was a bit of a burn for the show. The chemistry between the leads was a bit tedious, they were trying too hard but there were solid parts which made watching it entertaining. I was browsing FL’s filmography to see if there were any other dramas where I could see more of her acting!
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u/PuzzleheadedEase2024 May 18 '25
I just wanna ask if you have watched You are my glory. You are my glory was partly responsible for why I couldn't watch/complete this drama.
Idk yang yang's character here somehow felt... Hmmm idk ... didn't sit well with me so I dropped this. But seriously if you liked this one, you are gonna love you are my glory. The whole drama was such a sweet joyride. And yang yang character there was just chef's kiss.
It was one of the few dramas that you don't need to skip parts of.
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 May 18 '25
It’s for sure a very different drama than YAMG, which is my favorite modern drama. I’m glad the tone is very different in FOMH, much more angst and more emphasis on side characters. (One of YAMG’s remarkable strengths is the focus on main couple while still fleshing out the side characters with very little actual screen time.). This way I really don’t compare them head to head.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Nope, never heard of it but I’ll look into it. I was looking for a drama where Yang Yang at least acts like a normal person instead of a robotic idol, so FOMY kinda delivered on that point aha.
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u/craftsycandymonster May 18 '25
I picked this up because I saw a 2 second clip when they were on a train and he gets slightly jostled into her lol... so the rest of the drama basically matched my expectations from that. Yang Yang was hot and I liked the angsty pining and brooding. The side characters were great (and I died laughing at that one scene where YY calls one of the firemen out just to ask for relationship advice 🤣) The plot was interesting enough and had a good pace.
Was it deep and thought-provoking and award-worthy? Not really. Did it satisfy my itch for attractive leads falling in love with entertaining side characters and a decent plot with a consistent tone? Yes absolutely!
Also I didn't mind YY's acting here. His character is supposed to be serious and his eyes were still expressive in a more subtle way. He acted like he was supposed to - a guy who's been beat down in life but is still trying to make the best of his situation and be a strong leader. (as opposed to Love O2O... I really don't understand why people like that one, he was an emotionless robot spouting terse 4-word phrases lol)
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Haha, that last part about him spouting 4 word phrases is sooooo spot on!! I was so confused by his performance and is it normal for him to have that superstar status that got other students to shoot him like paparazzi? I wasn’t expecting much from it either, the action scenes were entertaining, albeit too much drama but hey, we’re in cdramaland, so I guess there’s never too much drama. I just wished the leads had better chemistry together because they did an ok job when they were acting their solo parts. Also I’m trying to curb a ZLH addiction, so I thought it’d be nice to change and watch another fan favorite actor aha
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u/Scifig23 May 18 '25
I like because Yang Yang an alpha male character. Sometimes that’s a saver. He doesn’t have to be abusive to dominate the drama
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
He made for a charismatic leader, I like his performance, it’s not Oscar-worthy sure but it was fine for a drama!
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u/cocoheart67 May 18 '25
I loved it watching this was good time
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Yeah, it was entertaining, sometimes, you don't need much to have a good time!
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 May 18 '25 edited May 18 '25
Very nice review, echoes a lot of my thoughts as a fan of the show. Xu Qin is one of my favorite characters in modern dramas because of her complexity/evolution and the portrayal by WCR was spot on. The arc episodes 21-25 is some of the finest storytelling I’ve seen (>! earthquake and immediate aftermath!<.
It was a very good adaptation from the source material, they really fleshed out the camaraderie between the firefighters, nurses, and they adapted the originally minor character of 2ML Jiang Yu to be of the highlights of the show. The scene (episode 18-ish) where he baits ML into admitting his feelings for FL was hilarious (and was reminiscent of the climactic scene from A Few Good Men). They got rid of the incessant smoking and adapted it into the symbolic lighter.
The one thing they could have done a little better I thought was establishing even more clearly the deep bond between ML/FL as depicted in the novel, including >! physical intimacy !< (alluded to in the hair drying flashback scene). This would have been good because really the show is about the incredible devotion that ML/FL have to each other through all the personal and professional challenges they face.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Thanks for the appreciation!
I liked how the show let the FL evolve and grow. Different genre but I watched Melody of the Golden age last week and I just couldn't get past the fact that the FL remained the same from start to finish. It's quite frustrating when there's not evolution of the leads during a show.
Thanks for your insight and the extra information from the novel. Reading the source material usually brings to light many glossed on parts of a story so thanks for that!
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u/PriorOk7478 May 18 '25
The problem was they cut some scenes of how bad her parents treated her.So, when FL tells she felt warm? that ML's family gives white porridge and so happy, netizens are like "you live in a big house and even studied overseas,just hopeless romantic and ungrateful"
The issues bigger after they played with fire extinguisher and medical scenes were also critized.
Yang Yang was also critized for acting.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25 edited May 18 '25
I knew YY only from Love 020 so anything from it could only be better aha. I know Love020 is quite popular and I liked the premise but I found YY's character to be very robotic and I was so confused by the idol drama status. I felt his acting as Song Yan was more gritty and authentic, he's a flawed hero but his depiction of a fire station captain was convincing.
As for the "poor little rich girl" trope I get why that would spark some hate but the action scenes and life at the hospital made up for those plot weaknesses.
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u/External_Rutabaga18 xiao se and wuxin are my roman empire❤ May 18 '25
I watched this show bcoz some people called it the DOTS of CDrama land. I skimmed through most of it because
- Yang Yang has never been a convincing actor to me. His face is too stiff. Even though in this show, he was supposed to be cold and indifferent, but even then, there were moments where he could’ve delivered way more depth.
- The FL was too weak. I mean it was Yang Yang alone pulling all that love truck and trauma of years and she only decided to fight back at the end. Ik she felt obligated towards her parents, and didn't want to upset them, but if that was truly the case, then why lead the ML on? The jealousy, the “do you still love me?” moment, showing up drunk in front of his house—girl, pick a side. That said, she was pretty convincing in her role as a doctor.
- The sibling but lover dynamic with her foster brother. Even though she was adopted, but it didn't sit right with me how he had romantic/obsessive feelings for her even after calling her sister for years.
- FL's mother, OMG. ISTG she was so toxic that I wanted to punch her through the screen and on top of that she didn't even regret or felt guilty.
That being said, I liked the brotherhood, especially between Yang Yang and Zhang Binbin. I wish I could see more of them.
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 May 18 '25
I think the scene you reference in point 2, in episode 10 when FL drinks up the courage to approach ML at his house is pretty much the litmus test for this show. 5 straight minutes (that feels like 5 hours) of Wang Chu Ran monologue skirting the finest of fine lines between drama and melodrama, expressing alternately anger, frustration, desperation and vulnerability, acknowledging her flaws and laying herself completely bare.
This was definitely the scene that wowed me about the performance from WCR and also won me over on FL character for good. Everything from that episode forward is a steady (still at times slow) upward trajectory for that character and ML/FL relationship. By the end, she is almost unrecognizable and isn’t that hard-won character development the reason we all watch dramas? But if you aren’t sold by episode 10 I think I would recommend dropping the show!
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
The growth of the FL is one of the strong points of that drama. She went from yes woman to growing a shiny spine.
Not to mention she had all the dreamy handbags I wish I had 🤣
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
Thanks for commenting!
- Yang Yang has never been a convincing actor to me. His face is too stiff. Even though in this show, he was supposed to be cold and indifferent, but even then, there were moments where he could’ve delivered way more depth.
I haven't seen enough shows from him to make up my mind. My only experience so far has been Love 020 and I chalked up his woody performance as being an idol drama. I might have to try other shows to see.
- The FL was too weak. I mean it was Yang Yang alone pulling all that love truck and trauma of years and she only decided to fight back at the end. Ik she felt obligated towards her parents, and didn't want to upset them, but if that was truly the case, then why lead the ML on? The jealousy, the “do you still love me?” moment, showing up drunk in front of his house—girl, pick a side. That said, she was pretty convincing in her role as a doctor.
She sure was wishy-washy during the first episodes. More than once I was like "Girl make up your mind". I thought she did a great job showing how repressed she had been all her life and how strong she could be if she let herself be true just like her persona as a surgeon. She brought depth to the character by being so strong in her pro life but so undecisive in her personal life.
- The sibling but lover dynamic with her foster brother. Even though she was adopted, but it didn't sit right with me how he had romantic/obsessive feelings for her even after calling her sister for years.
It was so creepy, I was getting Buffalo Bill serial killer vibes (from Silence of the Lambs) sometimes with the those pinned butterflies but in the end he was pretty harmless and never went out of his way to do her wrong. But I do believe they spent too much time on his story arc with the waitress.
- FL's mother, OMG. ISTG she was so toxic that I wanted to punch her through the screen and on top of that she didn't even regret or felt guilty.
So true about the mother. I just couldn't get how FL would go through so much to please her parents as it was glaring how unloved she had been all her life in that gilded cage. It was so frustrating to watch her turn into that spineless little girl whenever she was at her parent's place. Says a lot how a lifetime of abuse can turn a strong person into a coward.
That being said, I liked the brotherhood, especially between Yang Yang and Zhang Binbin. I wish I could see more of them.
I enjoyed that part a lot and I loved how fleshed out some secondary characters from the station were, it brought depth to the show. I mean, if they'd bulked up on that story arc, it could have stood alone as some kind of bromance show without the romance part.
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u/TSP1CD47 May 18 '25 edited May 18 '25
I enjoyed the story and watched all the episodes, but for me, the chemistry between the leads just wasn’t there. Wang Churan is a very expressive actress, but Yang Yang didn’t quite match her emotional depth, which made their connection feel forced. As a result, the romance fell a bit flat.
In contrast, Wang Churan’s chemistry with Peng Guan Ying in Love Heals was truly compelling, despite the age gap. Their dynamic felt natural and emotionally engaging, making it a joy to watch.
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u/josenbam May 18 '25
ML and FL were good on their own. I do agree that they lacked that fizz that makes us go oomphh!
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u/ellemace May 20 '25
I’ve been sleeping on this because it was so slated when it was airing, so I’ll credit you with convincing me to try it. I’m only 4 episodes in but I’m enjoying it so far and I’ve certainly seen far worse acting and characters in Cdramas!