On paper, this show seems to tick all the cliché boxes. Contract marriage, cold, smart ML, a naïve, bubbly bumbling FL, etc. So if you are expecting a walk down the well trodden path then you will be pleasantly surprised.
Yes, it started with the contract marriage but instead of the usual scheming/blackmail/scandal setup, the marriage was to placate a sweet dying old man. The motivation was not greed, what a surprise!
Yes, the ML has a cold exterior, poor EQ and super smart but he was also a real gentleman and had this innocent aura about him. When he fell in love (for the first time), it is just so cute and adorable. The FL is kind of typical for that genre but at least she is not annoying and is kind and caring. You do need someone like that to play off the ML, it is dramaland, after all.
What you don't expect is when you thought the show will have the ML bully the FL or put her down, the ML actually showed the FL the error of her way (indirectly most of the time) and help her to correct her mistakes. Where the problem is too big for the FL to handle, he will quietly work behind her back to resolve her problems and then take no credit for it. Awww.
BTW, their chemistry is off the chart. It felt organic as they dance around each other at first and then try to make their blossoming love life work. To be fair, the FL does have a crush on the ML (with a dose of love-hate in the beginning) and the ML tried to keep things business like but fell for her over time. It was fun watching them trying to keep their "relationship" purely platonic but failing miserably. When they did confess their love for each other, it was so cute and swoon worthy. Their love is strong and with every challenge, it grew more unshakable. Any potential love triangles are quickly dealt with with some straight talking between the parties.
It was super cute how the ML analysed how much he loves the FL and come up with statistical chart. In the same vein, we also see real growth in the FL as the ML supported her career decisions and nurtured her. Honestly, if you ask me if their love will last forever, I would say yes without hesitation.
The final cliché breaker was the old chestnut, the 1/2/3 years overseas posting/training/job separation plot. The story line was all set up, they said their goodbyes at the airport and we were sobbing quietly while cursing the writer and then the FL did something unexpected in this type of drama.
Support cast is generally good to excellent. The grandfather was a gem. Wise, kind and understanding. He was a real scene stealer. The FL's sister and ML's best friend were good as well. They were another odd couple but they made their relationship work but their journey was a lot more bumpy. It provides a counterpoint to the sweet love story of the OTP. The weaker link was the pairing of the FL's best friends. Their pairing was not convincing and served only to occupy some screen time and move the plot along.
I know some reviews are calling this light, sugary fluff and I can see their point of view but I enjoyed this very much because how it did not follow the cliché leaden path and turn it into a melodrama or a farce. It will bring a smile to your face and you will swoon from time to time. These are not bad things, we can dream sometimes too, right?