I absolutely adored this drama. I’m a sucker for a badboy/girl drama, and this one ticks every box and more. Yes it does have some faults, and I will discuss them, but don’t expect me to mark it down because of them. I’m just going to be blatantly biased…

At heart, this is a story about relationships that are entangled with a competition/revenge plot. But it’s 70% relationship and 30% revenge. And it examines not only the relationship of the central couple, but beautifully realises a whole raft of other connections and gives all of them depth and time to progress and change. So, if you are someone who moans about pacing being slow, forget it and move on elsewhere. The pace slows down to accommodate the depth and it’s an intelligent and perceptive depth at that.

The drama sets up and defines the attitudes that can deliver success in the cutthroat world of IT, where survival demands not only ruthlessness but also the ability to engage with, or accept that immorality is a necessary component. It requires you to be willing to employ the tactics that will destroy any competition particularly if it is superior to your own offering. That this is a reflection of the real world is backed up by the history of IT. In the 1980s-90s Bill Gates foisted onto the world a mediocre operating system (Windows) with a substandard suite of office software (MS Office). He did not create his original operating system (MS-DOS) on which Windows was built, but reputedly purchased it for $75,000. Other operating systems and office software with superior performance were thrown to the wall in the marketing hype. This is the world of the story, and it examines how characters are crushed, survive or thrive in this environment and the personality traits and abilities which inevitably seal their fate.

One of the really attractive aspects of this drama is that there are no clear lines that mark good and bad, right and wrong. All the characters have flaws and reasons for them, and virtues that define their core. So this is not a simplistic revenge plot where a notional good triumphs over a notional evil. It is an unfolding of the damage that revenge and competition wreak on individuals and an examination of what they are willing to sacrifice and learn in order to survive. As a consequence it has a high believability rating. There are some moments in which credibility was lost for me, but overall it mesmerised me and carried me through those times with ease. This is not a drama for those looking for wish fulfilment, it’s full of flawed people and the flawed relationships that they have. But they are viewed through a compassionate lens.

Structurally, the story falls into three distinct phases. Each phase has its own vibe and focus and this helps to a large extent to refresh the drama and keep the viewer interested across the 36, 35 minute episodes. The drama opens in the present (2019), then flashes back to 2012 and works through sequentially. I’m not sure why the director chose this cut and it does, to some extent, take away the element of surprise later on. One possible explanation is that they wanted to establish this as a serious drama from the off, and not just a University romance. And I must admit, that the start hooked me right in there and I was not as entranced by the next few instalments. But stay with it, it is necessary to watch the whole development of the characters from start to finish to really appreciate the story.

This was a dramatisation of two novels. I’m not sure how closely they were followed and where the credit for the dialogue and characterisation should go, but the script in this drama was beautiful. It was subtle, nuanced, multi-layered and deep and often left me feeling I wanted to stop the action to mine the meaning of some of the lines. There is so much in here that a second time through can only improve your understanding and enjoyment.

In so many ways, space and time were taken by the director, actors and cinematographer. No-one was afraid to linger, whether over a pause before a line delivery or a close-up on a facial expression. It really gave the viewer time to appreciate the layered meanings hidden within the dialogue. Could it have been improved by editing? Yes, I think it could have benefitted from some pruning, especially in the middle section where things did seem to be visited repeatedly. But overall, it meant time to savour, rather than gulping things down and rushing on to the next course.

The beating heart of the drama is the relationship between Zhu Yun (Zhang Jing Yi) and Li Xun (Chen Fei Yu) and it is superbly realised. There are tensions, arguments, heartache, loyalty, love and chemistry by the bucketload but also the most beautifully improvised playful moments for which we can thank the director Lui Jun Ji for having faith in his cast. I can only imagine that these two actors get along together. Their interactions were so credible and powerful that you often feel you are a fly on the wall. Chen had the more complex part and he rose to it, providing a real sense of the inner vulnerability of the character. Zhang was less impressive earlier on, but as the character development demanded more of her, she brought it to the table.

I was a little disappointed in the performance by Zhao Zhi Wei as Gao Jian Hong. I thought he performed brilliantly in the first half of the drama, but failed, for me, to really show me the subtlety of his motivations and inner feelings in the second half. I don’t think that it was entirely his fault. The script was thinner than previously for the character and maybe the director failed to bring out more nuance.

The director really captured the abundant humour. Nothing was overstated or obvious, but with the co-operation of the actors and cinematographer, a wry smile or a sidelong glance never went to waste. This is not laugh-out-loud stuff, but the sort of appreciation that time spent observing people can bring. It really added so much to the characterisations.

The cinematography was clean and crisp, with some well thought out angles that supported and reflected the action. I think its real value lay in the way it captured emotional responses. I wouldn’t say it was brilliant, but it was definitely good enough to contribute to the high quality of the overall production. The music was used to help the viewer appreciate the current state of feelings of the leads. The lyrics, large chunks of which were in English, were really a series of spoken thoughts. I didn’t find the music itself exceptional.

When a drama can force you to binge watch and make you regretful that you are nearing its end, then you know it’s a special one. My last comment is for the drama poster — REDO IT!!

What my rating means: 9+   A drama I totally fell in love with and is endlessly re-watchable. It ticked all the boxes and had some serious wow factor. It would go on my personally recommended list.