12 episodes, each one running 70-90 minutes, and yet when you actually break down what’s happening story wise, there’s really not much to it. Duang goes after Qin, Qin plays it cold for a good chunk of the show while clearly being curious underneath it, and then the rest is just the slow process of them falling for each other. That’s basically the whole show in a nutshell. I still can’t figure out why they felt the need to stretch this into such long, drawn out episodes. Sure, there’s a side romance or two running parallel, but even with that, the main story gets pulled way past the point where it’s still enjoyable. On the plus side the show stays pretty upbeat, no unnecessary drama thrown in for the sake of it, but there’s only so many times you can watch the same attempt play out again and again. Honestly this thing overstays its welcome by close to half its runtime.
It opens with Duang, an art student, watching Qin perform at a university festival as a music student, and Duang, who’s wildly optimistic, impulsive, and just relentlessly positive by nature, decides right then and there that Qin is going to be the love of his life. Turns out that’s a lot easier said than done, because Qin, despite being good looking, comes off as reserved, kind of stuck up, and a bit cold. Duang throws everything he’s got at winning him over, from just trying to strike up conversation, to giving him gifts, to basically every trick he can think of. Eventually the two get paired up for a festival project that needs a song and dance routine, and that’s what actually starts bringing them closer together. Along the way we also learn what’s behind Qin’s frosty exterior, turns out there’s childhood trauma tied up in it along with some unresolved stuff with his parents. Duang’s selfless devotion ends up being what helps them push past all of it, and as they grow closer, Duang even ends up helping mend things so Qin’s family can come back together as a unit.
Honestly, that’s pretty much the entire plot. There’s an episode or two dedicated to an ex who chased after Qin back in school, someone Qin actually fell hard for before getting dumped out of nowhere, and now this guy comes back trying to win him over again, but Duang doesn’t let that happen. I’m pretty sure that storyline, along with the childhood trauma stuff, exists mainly to give some backstory for why Qin built up such a thick wall around himself. The real standout of the whole show, hands down, is the actor playing Duang. This feels like the role of his career and he absolutely delivers on it. He captures Duang’s chaotic energy effortlessly, the over the top gestures, the lively personality, all of it feels completely natural. Even in moments where Duang’s hurting or upset, he still puts Qin’s needs ahead of his own every time, which keeps the character likable throughout. His excited outbursts, big reactions, and playful high pitched tone never feel like they’re being forced, they just work. Qin’s arc and how he slowly changes over the course of the show is genuinely worth watching too. The show doesn’t try too hard to push a romance that feels manufactured, instead it just lets you sink into something lighthearted that still manages to hit some real emotional notes when it needs to. But like I said, the episode lengths really do wear on your patience after a while. With some tighter editing, this could’ve easily been one of my go to lighthearted comedy picks. It had all the right pieces in place. It’s definitely not a bad show by any means, I just wish the people behind it knew when to wrap things up. (7.5/10)
