Olá, Sr. Gu (2021)

Very Cliche

I have watched a good amount of Chinese romance dramas and I always find that the ones who have some cliche but still bring something new to the table are the best. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this drama had all the cliche without bringing anything super new to the table:

- contract relationship
- Second male lead giving up on his feelings and helping the main ML
- main couple knew each other as kids
- female rival that uses dirty tricks to get ML
- break up that could have been avoided with simple communication
- etc

One thing that was different in that the female love rival ends up hurting the ML more than the FL, she ends up hurting his company just for attention which was new because usually, they hurt the FL and her reputation.

Overall it was a decent drama, I wish the cliches were at least executed better and in a fresh way.

Leia Mais

Despite being very awkward, the first half or so of the story is still fun to watch., and the main reason that I kept watching it. Its the same old cliché story of a controlling male and a hard working put poor female lead coming into a contract relationship to pay off the FL's family debt. And then there is the evil second lead trying to come in-between the couple and cause misunderstanding between the two. Finally there is a second lead couple who r cute and fluffy with a healthy relationship. Oh forgot to mention the sad, puppy like second male lead who is of course 'f-r-i-e-n-d-z-o-n-e-d"........

I'm a sucker for contract marriage/relationships dramas, probably that's why I could stomach this for 30 episodes. So to sum it all up the story is out right lame, with cliché plotlines and the acting is really awkward ( r they rookie actors ??) .

Leia Mais

A Spiral downfall—It was promising but the plot ruined it. Lack of Competent 2nd ML~!!

This drama went from extremely good to gradually going bland and plain.

I honestly started this drama by reading a lot of reviews from people and I've contemplated a lot (more than 10 times) before I give it a go. I even told myself to completely break that 'common-cliche-story' feeeback but I never expected myself going that path as well.

I'm a sucker of Cliche Love Stories so much but this drama is either overflowing or insufficient of something or more. It is imbalanced overall and as much as I wanna give it a higher feedback out of consideration, I can only give it a 'So-So Rating' (See my bio to find out how I rate things) after all my contemplation and sincere consideration.

This drama could've been magnificent only IF they didn't overly played the characters and purposely added so much twists and turns that eventually ruined and made the story go astray from it's main plot. The story seemed to be all over the place and some of the 'supposedly' main plot were left hanging in the air and magically got resolved/conquered without proper explanation and presentation.

Anyways, I don't wanna keep it that long cause I don't wanna slander it that much but lemme just give some of the favorite stuff I like about this drama before I completely move on.

First, is the cinematography and lighting. Everything is so vibrant and sweet looking and it truly complements the actors and actresses. Second, The OST and the BGMs. I learned to love them so much throughout the show and wanna give a big thumbs up to people handling the editing; since they did great with sound placements & accompaniments and lastly, for keeping the story a little more mature in contrast to how immature the characters are.

P.S. I felt like I was watching a Teenage Love Story than a Young Adult ones and that bothered me a lot.

Story - 7.5, A Passsing Grade. Like what I mentioned above. The story went downhill as early as Episode 10 and from that point moving forward I've felt like a slump was placed within the veins in my heart. It made my mood a little off and even causes me heartache at some point. Not to mention the characters, specially the ML who is more Young-Minded/immature several times and how bothered I was on how we're lacking a more competent 2nd ML.

Cast/Artist - 8.5, Overall they're good but I feel like they could've done better. Most of the time I was seeing them as an Actor themselves more than the characters they're playing. I know that I shouldn't be too hard on them and should give consideration on how the character is written and portrayed to be that way but I can honestly see through their innerselves trying to squeeze the emotions in just to deliver some of their lines out.

Music - 10, The only Exception. I really wanna commend the Sound Team who made most of the scenes a lot more interesting and fun to watch. I love all of the songs and I'm ready to add them to my playlist.

Rewatch Value - 7.5, I don't want to give them a savagely low grade since I still enjoy this drama halfway but I would never watch this drama the 2nd time around. But I can always recommend it to some people who are interested with the same genre.

Overall - 8, It is BARELY Passing. It is Good but It was also bad and got so tiring and boring 2/3 of it's entire run. Something I wouldn't be tired saying is how they could've have made it better by sticking to their main story plot.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

Leia Mais

Why??? How??

Why?? After watching short episode versions I decided to take the time to watch the full drama. My expectations were neutral as the short episodes left you with a big "maybe"...his rom-com could be a fun experience or like nails sliding across a chalkboard. The chalkboard scenario was the clear winner. The FL was ridiculous whenever she was in a scene. Of the hundreds of high-potential young Chinese actresses to select from, the mystery question is more about the casting director than the actress (who was painful to watch). It leaves you wondering if the scriptwriter has ever met anyone in this highly competitive industry. The poor FL would never make it through the academics . Slap-stick comedy, when positioned for effect can be amazing. Too bad the director didn't seem to grasp this concept. The FL's screeching voice, ultra-poor eating habits, and inability to deliver a performance for 30 episodes were, after episode 9 share torture to watch. Usually, in a rom-com, you don't feel sorry for the ML but it is easy to shift to pity and compassion for him as his role was a support role to the antics of this unskilled, poorly directed, or a combination of both series. His portfolio of work is well done....except for this series.

How?? Once in a while, the decision-making of producers, scriptwriters, directors, and agents of actors comes together to create amazing stories frame after frame. Of course, there is always the potential for a "dark side" to balance the "bright lights" of rewatchable stories. It is difficult to hold actors accountable as their role is to speak words they do not write at the direction of men/women hired to produce a final product that attracts large viewership. I looked at scores for this rom-com on 4 different platforms. It did well on some and tanked on others. A swing this large in viewer ratings when averaged together moves this drama to a 5 maximum final score. It is always sad when there is so much untapped potential left out of a drama.

Leia Mais

Must watch series.

First of all when I read about this drama the first thought came to my mind is it's sane as midsummer full of love. But when I watched the trailer it's really interesting and I've watched 14 episodes and I never regret watching it. It is such a drama which evryone want to watch it🥰.
And coming to the cast Mr. Gu is most handsome and his acting was really good. He is the perfect fit to the character. And I'm now a fan of him❤. Female lead gave her all to the character too. She is too young but she did very well in it. I'm eager to watch this. Do watch this beautiful series and review it 💓.
GU NANZHOU is love. I'm very much impressed by his looks.❤💫

Leia Mais

Trashy, Brainless, Shallow - Don't Watch

I've read so many amazing stories online that could be licensed for cheap but someone pulled this trashy story out of nowhere and thought it'd be a good idea to actually produce. I will try to keep it short.
Your female lead is the cliche, poor, annoying female lead that the production tries to make seem as smart but is actually very dumb. She's entitled, loud, and immature.
Your male lead is arrogant and dumb. Like every other CEO he has a phobia of people. His position as CEO is 100% a nepotistic choice and it's no wonder the board of investors are so concerned about him leading the company.
The problem with two terrible leads is that they have to sack the integrity of all the other roles so you're left with a drama of no substance.
The premise is a contract marriage that doesn't actually have to happen at all which means you don't actually have to have a story. Everything about it is weak. The male lead is too dumb to realize there are many other solutions. I go more in-depth in my blog if you're interested but seriously don't waste your time.

Leia Mais

Goodbye Mr. Gu. Hope we never have to meet again.

normally i love the cliche romance fluffy drama, but this was was not good.

pros:
- enjoyed the ML’s acting
- some nice fluffy romantic moments
- was engaging in the first half
- second couple was cute

cons:
- the FL’s acting. she wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t main lead quality of acting.
- as a result of her acting, i felt there was poor chemistry between the main couple.
- storyline was messy. they got together officially for like 2 eps (and that took 21 eps) and spent the next 4 eps broken up until the last episode.
- on top of the above point, characters lacked depth. i did not feel any attachment to any of the characters.
- i normally overlook the questionable a parts of relationships in dramas because they’re normally minor but the couple was always arguing like kids with no communication.
- skipped heavily from episode 22-30 and i’m glad i did.

overall, 5.5/10. i’m so disappointed because i was waiting for this to be subbed before starting so i could binge watch but it fell flat. there’s nothing wrong with cliches and predictability in dramas, i love them. but it’s when it’s done poorly that i find them annoying. i would not recommend this drama.

that being said, i am interested in the ML’s future dramas though!!

Leia Mais

Everything you could want from a rom com

Leads had amazing chemistry and the entire cast in general had nice comedic timing. Most importantly the acting was good enough for you to enjoy the romcom scenes without feeling cringe!

Pros:
- supportive best friends!! im so glad we didnt see the "Best friends fight over love interest" bcos Susu and and Xiao Chuan were such supportive characters that helped the leads grow/develop! I liked that Susu was always the level headed one to balance out FL's emotions whilst Xiao Chuan helped the ML realise his feelings
- supportive mum! thankfully we did not have to deal with a hateful parent from either side and ML's mum was such a good plot device in terms of pushing the romcom agenda!!
- while the romcom moments are the highlight, i really enjoyed the other parts of the plot too (and i wish they had given more time to develop those other plot lines but more on that later) e.g. chasing your dreams, dealing with trauma because all these other moments in the drama really added to the relationship to make it more than just a "from contract marriage/housemates to lovers" storyline.
- i like that both leads realised their own mistakes/faults in the intial breakdown of their relationship and i like that we saw them (more so ML) change for the other instead of glossing over the arguments with corny i love yous / melodramatic confessions
- the second male lead! I love that Zhang Yin never used his feelings for FL as a reason to sabotage their relationship, and while he did try to woo her he eventually even helped them get back together because he is a true friend. Def love his small character development to the point where he put aside his own feelings and separated love from work!

Cons:
- the starting felt like such a random/forced/kneejerk reaction on the ML's part! I genuinely thought a good part of the starting was one of the leads' imagination but it wasnt lmaoo i guess eventually when you understand the character and context it kind of makes so i'll let it pass?
- Jian Jing Xuan. God that character annoyed me to no end and for no good reason! It made sense for Zhang Yin to dislike the ML bcos from his point of view it looked like his best friend and love interest (the FL) was in an abusive and toxic relationship (the contractual marriage) However, JJX on the other hand literally had no motive other than jealousy. FL never did anything to make outsiders think she is harming ML, but JJX did everything she could to wreck them just because...she liked the ML too? imo JJX as a character just felt so petty and a bad attempt at an "antagonist"
- tbh this drama couldve done w/o an antagonist but if they really wanted one, they should've written out JJX entirely from the script and given that time to flesh out Lu Zi Ming as the antagonist. He had the perfect motive: he watched ML grow up, knows about ML's trauma and doesn't think ML is suitable to be a CEO. Yes it's also an emotional motive but it would taken a way more logical tone as compared to what they did using JJX as a plot device. At the end of the day, all the major plot points/developments they tried to use JJX for wouldve been better executed and nicely achieved with Lu Zi Ming. Since at the end of the day, part of his plan was also to prevent the leads from getting together.
- I also wished they spent more time on the leads backstory growing up together as kids. it feels kinda odd that they never remembered each other until certain moments in the plot required that memory lol some of JJX's screentime could've been better utilised here as well because their childhood backstory would further develop what was already a a good relationship/character development with the leads, and this backstory could've served to highlight how Lu Zi Ming came to be so against the ML (instead of just plonking Lu Zi Ming there as a hateful boomer)

tldr: loved everything about this drama except the character of Jiang Jing Xuan. Drama could've done with more backstory and a better antagonist but for the most part it's a v wholesome, enjoyable and effective romcom!

Leia Mais

Si vous n'attendez rien d'original

Cette critique est saupoudrée de quelques grains de sarcasme. Toutes mes frustrations sur les romances contemporaines sont ressorties ici.

Bon ! Le topo habituel. Mariage contractuel, patron beau, riche et autoritaire. Jeune femme qui s'habille comme une adolescente et toujours positive, pleine de vie avec un peu de caractère, mais pas trop quand même, qui n'a aucune gêne/manières et est probablement aveugle.

Il s'agit du premier rôle de Yan Zhi Chao et ça se sent. Pas (peu) de charisme à l'écran, bien qu'elle soit capable de mieux s'en sortir que d'autres actrices qui ne savent tout simplement pas jouer. Son personnage est sans saveur et assemble tous les clichés du genre. C'est "la" fille qui va faire une différence, c'est la fille toute gentille qui va de temps en temps donner une tape sur la main. Elle a de grands rêves, mais croule sous les dettes. Ce mariage tombe à pic, mais attendez, elle a une fierté. Ah... Fierté qui semble mise de côté moins de 24h plus tard, ok ! Le personnage est horrible et je pense honnêtement que le manque d'expérience de l'actrice a juste rajouté une couche.
Quant à Cheng Jing Ke, son personnage n'a rien d'attrayant. Ok, c'est un beau mec, mais... Prenez deux/trois c-drama modernes au hasard et faites un mélange des ML et vous aurez une idée du bonhomme.

Côté histoire, c'est pas folichon. Après tout, y'a un beau mec et une jolie jeune femme, ça devrait suffire pour contenter le spectateur non ? En plus y'a un baiser accidentel, c'est parfait. Ce n'est pas comme si cette scène ne frôlait pas l'insulte maintenant... Celà dit l'image est agréable et le générique bien sympa.

Tout dépendra de vos attentes. Si vous êtes amateur/amatrice de ce genre de romances, vous allez adorer. Quant aux autres...

Leia Mais

Better than expected...fun rom-com that is worth watching

This drama is better than expected. It has lots of funny comical moments and the interactions between the two main leads are pretty cute. This plot is nothing new with all its twists and turns, but still fun to watch this drama.

However, it starts to get annoying when the male and female leads still can't seem to communicate at all, and you're more than 25 episodes in. The manipulation of the female colleague, Jiang JingXuan, gets old. One misunderstanding after another and it's just going in circles at this point between the two leads.

Finally finished and it took up to ep 28 to get rid of Jiang JingXuan, the scheming colleague. A few loose ends, like Lu ZiMing, and what happened towards the end with Gu Group. We know that the projects are successful but much is left for the viewer to guess at best. Also, no closing scenes of what punishment, if any, was given to JingXuan, for her betrayal of XingYun the company and to Gu NanZhou.

The female lead, Zhou QingQing, redeems herself, but really I put this on the male lead, Gu Nanzhou. He brought the story back together. Personally, I was a fan of the male lead, played by Chen JingKe. I look forward to his future dramas and acting career.

Leia Mais

I don't like the drama much

It's a contract based marriage drama.
He wanted to get marry with her because his father wanted to do so actually his father was her father's friend her father helped his father a lot in bad times. So his father wanted him to get marry with her so she have never been in pain and in this way he protect her. He forced her to marry but she didn't want . Then something had happened , he didn't want to get marry with her but she wanted because she was in problem. Here I didn't understand the track of the drama , he ready for contract marriage to help her and to show his mother but his mother only told him that he didn't need to get marry her just inorder to protector he can protect her without marry her . So why there was a need to contract marriage . They can started love story as a boss and assistant or boss and an employee relationship. They had misunderstanding regarding her drawing so in that way they can started the story.
Secondly male lead had same type of expressions all the time . This made boring

Leia Mais

Simple and Cheesy

I started this drama while looking for something light and romance filled and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed the cast and characters and the tropely-ness of the drama. My only complaint was that the mental issue mentioned in the summary/tags was not handled the best. The plot and pacing was also lacking. I feel that the show drags in the middle plot wise and things at the end could've been reworked to have a better pay off. This 30 episode truly could've been a 2 hour movie if done looking at major plot points. However I did like the second couple a lot and felt that during the slow middle they could've gotten even more scene time. I do recommend it for anyone with time to kill and wants something to watch and not get too invested.

Leia Mais