This is my first romcom cdrama and I'm afraid the bar has been set too high, I've been making my way through some of the other recommendations but nothing quite comes close!

Initially I thought that 32 eps is way too long for a drama (I'm very used to kdrama romcoms) and when the characters get together around the halfway mark, I was wondering what more of the story they could possibly show and whether it would get draggy. But after completing all episodes with multiple rewatches I can honestly say it was not long enough!! I've come to appreciate being able to soak in that happy ever after (kdramas always compress this into the last ep) over multiple episodes (including a wedding and multiple time-jumps) - it is truly a luxury.

I initially came to this drama because of my interest in esports. There is gaming and it plays a large role in the plot especially in the first 10 episodes, but it's more of a plot device to let the leads re-acquaint themselves with each other and get together. I did find the 2 competition episodes quite realistic and very exciting.

On the cast, this was my first Yang Yang drama and I'm now a forever fangirl. I thought that he was perfect for the role, his character says the most ridiculously romantic things in a very serious and intense way. Actually, everything Yu Tu does is generally quite stoic and intense, and when he decides to pursue Jing Jing he naturally becomes this intense and serious romantic dude as well lol. Yang Yang just has oodles of charisma and the way he carries himself with such confidence really works for these type of 'da shen' roles. He's nailed the art of deadpan hum-bragging and subtle arrogance that never quite crosses the line into cockiness. His chemistry with Reba was off the charts, and honestly was one of the main reasons why this drama is imho now one of my favs and so rewatchable. I know that a lot of this is also down to Reba herself and how she made Jing Jing's character so natural. Their interactions and all those small moments were very nicely done.

Another thing this drama does excellently was really the dialogue. All the dialogue between the leads was very well done, engaging, witty and funny. I found myself smiling at my screen stupidly throughout entire episodes. There are numerous instances where they banter, tease and joke which was very well written and consistently good throughout the drama. It is probably because the author of the novel also happens to be the screenwriter, but the quality of the script was really very very good. I must confess however that I did fast-forward through some of the aerospace testing parts (summary: Yu Tu spends entire episodes on some desert base brooding about Jing Jing and being depressed while doing scienc-y stuff) but I liked how the show ended with the launch of Yu Tu's space... probe? thingy (sorry! It was not an area of interest). It really drove home the culmination of his dreams, which he held on to, and Jing Jing's unwavering support for him. A romantic concept for a romantic profession.