Best Time (2013)

"Best Time" is a drama with many good points that deserved my score of 9, but some downsides that refrained me to give it a perfect score 10.
The storyline I think, was wisely drew on a mixture of a workplace setting with a very complicated and melodramatic romance that keep you hooked in your seat despite of the 47 episodes length. At the contrary of other business related dramas this one never was boring neither disappointing but catches your interest and make you enjoy of the competition and challenges that comes up. In reference to the romance has something really good and that is the unexpected outcomes. It seems for a moment that the plot is so evident and is leading you to believe that the female lead would tilted to love a one person in particular but later you realise that maybe you were wrong. So you keep waiting for what would happen next. I must say that this drama is based on the novel "The most beautiful time" by Tong Hua.
The acting was generally good. Although, I didn't like much the character of Su Man's best friend. I was so please to see Chang Janine here (who has a main role in the new Chinese drama "You light up my star", starring with Cheng Joe). I think she is very good at melodramatic roles. Plus she has a good chemistry with Chung Wallace in this drama.
I liked the music, about all the opening song that repeats throughout the drama.
I gave a reasonable rewatch value because there are some episodes really touching that you wouldn't mind to watch again although maybe 47 episodes would be more difficult to digest twice.
I don't like to disclose the ending but I think there is something that has to be said as it is important to understand for what the sequel " Best Time Special" stand for. At the same time, is a fact already known by fans who have read articles about this drama, so it cannot be considered as a spoiler itself, neither rest any attractiveness to watch the drama...
...This drama has an open ending, this means that there are some loose ends. I believe the intention was to leave the viewers to get their own conclusions about how the romance should ends. So when you finish to watch the last episode you are given the chance to conclude the story there or if you feel disappointed or are really willing to see what happens next, then you might opt to watch the sequel, a 2 episodes specials in which you get a recollection of the whole story with two different endings.

This extension with alternative endings I think was a fans service for those who were hooked with the emotions and heartbreaking fates of the characters and unhappy with not knowing what happened to them. However, I particularly found this ambiguous conclusion and added endings quite a negative downside. My reasons are that the drama does not give you all what you want when they already spent 47 episodes for that; in addition, the special doesn't get under your skin as it did the whole story, maybe because it felt to forced or just as a thriller that in its more tense scene takes a break for some adds and then ruins the suspense. I would rather preferred they finished the story in one or other way at once without need to make the specials,

Anyway, I enjoyed much of this drama and I definitely recommend to watch it if you like romantic stories. The good think is that you can choose what ending you prefer and even see what would could happened otherwise.

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