The journey of a strong FL

My thoughts on both Part 1&2 (*minor spoilers*):

This is probably the best written cdramas I have ever watched. Usually no matter the genre (except thrillers maybe) cdramas tend to follow a formula, and that's not bad- it just depends on whether the writer can pull it off or not. But this- this is so different from most other dramas with so much meaning infused into it. It's very character driven but at the same time has an overarching plot and sub plots that grab the viewers.

First of all the FL is intelligent, self reliant and witty. With these 3 traits alone she is written better than most cdrama FLs who are always tripping over themselves. But (and despite being bubbly) she is not an overly positive person- and this is truly what set her apart and also made her so relatable. Even though as an audience member you can see she's overly cynical and very bitter despite things not always being as bad as they seem . But you can still completely relate to her. And then the character development she goes through is so perfectly written you literally see her growing into this graceful intelligent but still wilful lady on screen. And honestly no one could have pulled off so many character traits and still be loveable throughout apart from Lu Si.

And then there's the ML who Leo has played so incredibly well. I mean he just was phenomenal- being both a scary (at times psycho) general to a soft spoken love fool. His character's story arc into becoming a more understanding person was also written very well. I would only complain that the kiss scenes were a little too stiff but the main leads have so much chemistry anyway that it doesn't matter too much.

The rest of the cast was incredible. I both was annoyed with and understood the mom, I could see her pov esp after the bridge incident. When the bridge incident happened even I thought this could have had someone killed all because of her recklessness. Then there was the Emperor and his two Empresses - incredibly written again. I have never seen a relationship like that portrayed between two women married to the same man. Both were so different but strong in their own way. And then the emperor himself being the biggest shipper of the main leads - comedic gold. Even the grandmother developed as a character. That's how well written the side characters were.

I would say most of the villains in the drama were a little one dimensional but there were so many there was understandably little time really to flesh each one out. Plus most of them got swift retribution so it was satisfying to watch nonetheless.

The overall plot was great and I was hooked from the beginning - I never wanted to stop watching. Until the last 5 eps there was not a single frame wasted. It was shot and directed so well. The cinematography was so great. The fights scenes were really well choreographed and actually interesting to watch because they didn't drag on for ages. Everything was so well balanced from the director and editors it was a joy to watch.

But the last 5 episodes did disappoint me and made me drop this from a perfect 10 to a 9. After all that incredible writing, and being so different from the usual drama tropes, it felt like the writers copped out. I actually felt a little betrayed by what happens to the story in the last 5 eps. Which is such a shame because the 5 episodes before that, the previous 5 eps were probably the best episodes in this drama. I wish the writers had gone a different route or just not dragged things on for so long. I went from never wanting the drama to end to skipping parts to let it end. So imo they really messed up the ending.

Overall though- this is still an incredible watch, highly recommend it. It deserves all the praise and high ratings its gotten.

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Cats, books and love. A True Hidden Gem!

So I might be a little biased in this review because this drama contained two of my biggest loves in life, cats and books! Still this is a drama that after a decade on MDL has prompted me to write my first review! This drama is really a hidden gem that I don't think got enough attention. I literally only heard of this drama through a youtube comment. So here are my thoughts on why you should definitely watch it!

Story:
The plot of the drama is really interesting, a cat from another dimension goes to the human world gets stuck and not only finds love but builds strong friendships all whilst protecting the helpless. Fantasy dramas have plot holes we are used to as viewers and this one is no exception. There were times I raised my eyebrows or questioned how certain things happened. But they were so minor it didn't affect the story at all. In most dramas either the plot, acting or the script is what will make you fall in love with it. In this drama - it is the script. The dialogues between the characters are what make this drama shine. Main leads who actually have real deep and meaningful conversations- who discuss their feelings with each other?? Almost unheard of in dramaland right? But the writer really managed to encapsulate what a HEALTHY loving relationship would look like. If you are tired of toxic relationships that glorify abuse- this is the drama for you.

There is enough of a main plot, side plots and arcs to keep you entertained throughout which is usually really hard in Cdramas that tend to have 5-8 episodes too many. This drama doesn't suffer from lack of plot or script, but it does drag in certain places. However overall I FFwd very little in comparison to what I normally do in Cdramas.

Acting:
The ML is a little distant at first, but by no means cold. You can tell from the get go he is warm hearted and gentle but the world has beaten him up enough that he hides himself and his heart. Ren You really brings this balance of being distant but soft to life. He is so natural on screen you wonder if this is him in real life. But the star of the show is the FL, Gia Ge. This is the first drama I have seen of her and not only is she freaking gorgeous she was amazing in her role. This could have so easily been a role where the FL could be OOT cute and annoying, making viewers wonder how she can even function. But not only was she cute, she was elegant, she was brave and she made me believe many times that maybe she is a cat. Her emotional scenes were stellar and her comedic/cute scenes never failed to make me smile (esp the giggle she would do when she did something naughty). Together the main couple are such wonderful compliments to each other, you really can't imagine them with anyone else. And the way they hug and hold each other...you can feel the chemistry oozing from the screen. This is the first drama where I felt so much love through hugs rather than just kisses.

The secondary characters also acted well. Although the best friend was a real creep at the start, the writer turns his character around completely and you start to like him as well. The 2CP of this show were cute but they were given far too much screen time for my liking. They could almost produce their own drama which is where this drama dropped from a 9 to an 8.5. The 2CP scenes were the ones I found dragging, and the editing a little off. It really doesn't detract from the show much but personally I would have really preferred more scenes with the main leads as they were the stars of the show.

Music:
Pretty forgettable. There wasn't much to the OST and I can't even recall even listening to the songs in the drama.

Things I didn't like **MINOR SPOILERS**:
- The second couple getting almost as much screen time in the second half of the drama.
- The last 2-3 episodes were a bit lame due to the terrible acting by the bad guy.
- Not enough time spent on the main couple in the last few episodes.

Rewatch Value:
High, because it's so cute but interesting and you would want to see the FL play the role of a cat-human again. The romance is great and you really feel connected to the main leads. Plus Cats! Books!

Overall:
If you like books, cats, a great script, genuine acting and an actual HEALTHY relationship than this is the drama for you. It will put a smile on your face, make you feel good and hug your little furry companion.

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