The trolls and haters are at it again- they've successfully degraded this show to a 7.8 rating for honestly pretty minuscule reasons. Yet, sitting yourself down and understanding why the characters are the way they are- watching this show for what it was intended to be by the screenwriters- will leave you pretty impressed. Here's a brief rundown of all the things that seem controversial about the show:

1. THE MOM. Got to start with the FL's mom, and honestly, I think some of the viewers misunderstand her role here. If not for her misguided antics, MCH would never have found the incentive to seek her own path and independence. The obstacles that the mom places in front of MCH ultimately help her grow and become her own person, the ENTIRE POINT of this drama. Secondly, the mom sadly does reflect some realities; MCH's family lives in stifling poverty. Mothers in those states will do whatever it takes to 'do the best for their child', often ignoring basic rationality (see Mrs. Bennett from Pride and Prejudice). I Yet, throughout the drama, she's anticipated to grow, and the funeral of the grandmother does foreshadow the learning curve the mom could achieve throughout the show. Also, the actress plays her SO SO well; you feel the annoyance, the anger, and the irrationality, but also the love she clearly has for her family and children.

If you can't get past the mom, that's fine. But for future viewers hesitant because of the skewed rating, I don't think it's too bad at all. Certainly, the mom is much better than Professor Umbridge in Harry Potter and similar to Song Qian in 'A Little Reunion' (also so good; definitely recommend it).

2. XU KAI'S LACK OF SCREEN-TIME. I like Xu Kai like everyone else here, but I truly think his character has appeared where it is needed and not too many other places. Sure, you could argue that YZM needs more appearances, but I think his character development has been fine as well as the fact that other characters such as the grandma and MCH do keep me entertained.
For those watching only for Xu Kai, I understand some disappointment- you don't see too much of him until post episode 16 or so.

3. THE LACK OF ROMANCE. This drama was not intended to be a full-on romance rather than a realistic family story, and I think it accomplishes its goals. Its characters are realistic and portrayed beautifully by the actors and actresses (especially the grandma, mom and MCH- this is Yang Zi's magnum opus). Objectively speaking, I think this drama has been better than the vast majority of romances I've watched in many aspects from realism to character development. It is a truly slow-burn though, so for romance-chasers, this MAY NOT be for you, and that's totally okay.

BUT, why would I write such a long review and urge everyone to watch it regardless?

1. THE CHARACTERS. They are written so, so well, especially MCH (FL character). Unlike other dramas obsessed with adding lines like, "She's so smart and pretty," into the script, this drama SHOWS and doesn't TELL. Mai Chenghuan is the only truly strong female lead I have seen throughout all the shows I have watched that is realistic and mature in her actions. She will get over herself and help others, she stands up for herself, and has her flaws (which she acknowledges and grows from). Truly, she is my FAVORITE female protagonist in any drama I've seen so far. Her character dips more than a toe into the water; the script does a wonderful job. Also, YZM, the ML, isn't just a cold, rich boss. He has a backstory and a development arc- kind of rare in C-dramas.

2. THE ACTING. So, so good. There's literally no need to mention it when you've seen it, but Yang Zi's attempts to hold back tears at the funeral (so realistic) and her flustered-ness arguing with Xu Kai really resemble MCH and build together a cohesive character. Other support characters are wonderful too; I'm not even a super-fan of any of these cast members but this drama has made me look for their other projects.

3. THE LESSONS. This is not just a story. It's a huge master-class on how to live life, especially from Grandma (cool character actually). Beyond the humorous and sad moments and everything in between, the lessons learned by each of the characters do translate to real life and make logical sense to me (doesn't happen a lot in dramas).

Overall, I thought I'd leave this review here. Otherwise, too many people would miss out over 'the mom', 'no Xu Kai,' etc; they would miss out on what's a genuine story- sadly far too rare these days.