Taiwanese title: 海派甜心
14 episodes
Aired on CTS / GTV
From 2009 Nov to 2010 Jan
Main cast:
Notes:
Hi, third Wheel dude from My Lucky star!
The drama starts in Hangzhou; its sights look interesting.
Review: +/-
Title: Sounds generic but the use of "sweetheart" has a significance in this drama so pass.
Girl: I think I usually start the reviews with Boy but Girl makes the drama. She's badass, she's loyal and Rainie Yang portrays her perfectly. The character is too good for this drama and for this Boy.
Boy: As I said, he doesn't deserve Girl. The potential to be refreshingly different was there with a meek Boy, whose appealing traits were not his wealth nor his coolness nor his good looks but his good heart.
Other Boy: The take-a-hint guy, the perma friend. Not a fan of him.
Other girl: Girls are the most interesting in this drama.
Plot/ Relationship: My opinion: bad pacing killed this drama by emphasising the wrong sides of Boy. I liked the beginning. It's very important to establish the connection between the couple and I wish the part after they got together has been more developed so as to deepen their relationship. But then, so much time is spent on unfunny shenanigans that show Boy as a stalker committing moral harassment, using his position as a boss. Girl says no. And I say with her: no, no, no. Just stop. But he won't stop. I still believe in their connection, but that's thanks to the commitment of the actors.
Another issue I have with the plot: over-reliance on clichés to advance the plot. I don't mind near-death experiences in my drama but not when it's used as a cheap trick to get oneself out of a narrative corner.
Other characters: Boy's family is really prominent. I didn't really connect with his sisters. His friends from uni are quite funny. But friendship is not this drama's strong suit. I actually mind that Girl has no friends after uni except for Other boy. I don't see why she wouldn't have been able to make friends.
Music: I like it, especially the closing theme song.
Funny factor? Mixed. At first, yes, due to Boy's cluelessness and his friends. And the Pink Panther, where does it come from? Hahaha. Then, no due to Boy's harassing not being as funny as the drama thinks it is.
Clichés: Rich person pretending to be poor + Near-death experience. Spoilerish: (like in My Lucky star but less effective) + Revenge makeover + Spoiler (and please retire this one): Amnesia.
Yeah, there are a lot.
What the...? : Again, drama writers seem to not care at all about a somewhat realistic depiction of running a company. I don't ask for 100% accurate but I'm not running a company and I haven't studied business. Still, I can tell some stuff is stupid.
Yeah, there are a lot.
What the...? : Again, drama writers seem to not care at all about a somewhat realistic depiction of running a company. I don't ask for 100% accurate but I'm not running a company and I haven't studied business. Still, I can tell some stuff is stupid.
Bottom line: I will need to vent in the spoiler space after the jump because: waste of potential.
- Girl is great, never compromised
- An awkward Boy who is not as off-putting as in The Accidental couple.
- at some points it seems that the drama was trying to say something interesting with this Relationship But: whatever unconventional point it may have had, it didn't come through to me, with added malus of overused twists.
Rainie Yang and Show Lo's performances are the only things I'll remember. -/+
- Girl is great, never compromised
- An awkward Boy who is not as off-putting as in The Accidental couple.
- at some points it seems that the drama was trying to say something interesting with this Relationship But: whatever unconventional point it may have had, it didn't come through to me, with added malus of overused twists.
Rainie Yang and Show Lo's performances are the only things I'll remember. -/+
After the jump, *Spoiler* *Spoiler* *Spoiler* *Spoiler*
