Anyway, I'm going to be lazy and not bother with character or actor names until such point as I actually watch more of it because I have, like, ten minutes to type this up before it is movie and pizza night.
So...lead actress is supposed to be a very intelligent (like graduated uni early smart) but kinda rebellious rich girl. Her grandfather wants to marry her off to some young rich dude. She doesn't want to get married for connections. She wants to marry for love, like her parents did (mom obviously being dead, not sure about the dad). It's the day of her engagement party...though she's in a full on wedding dress and there's an aisle and, like, a priest, so not sure what is up with that. Is it the actual marriage ceremony or what?
Doesn't matter. She convinces a friend to take her place under the veil and makes a run for it...though not very well, since they spot her and chase after her before she's even made it out the gate. But she manages to make it to some other town (where her parents met?) and register for school (which I'm confused about, as grandfather was bragging that she already graduated from uni?), though it takes all her money...and her bag gets accidentally swapped with some other guy's bag...and she gets begging lessons from a weird guru beggar (?? wot?).
Anyway, she's in the middle of some open air Idol dude concert that she wandered into (?) when her grandfather's goons find her again. Oh...I forgot to mention...she was classically "beautiful" in the beginning, with long dark hair, etc. but she's frumped herself up with glasses, dotted on freckles and a slightly unfortunate wig (sigh...though, honestly, I'm not sure which version is the wig...maybe I should call it "unfortunate hair" though I actually think she looks cuter in the frumpy version than in the "beautiful" version...though the hair is...well...unfortunate). So, she runs.
Coincidentally, at the same time, the leader/singer of the Idol band, who, to be honest, really doesn't look like an Idol or that comfortable on stage, is also making a run for it in disguise (as a girl?) because his father's goons are there to drag him to his wedding (the father's, apparently, not Idol Dude). They run into each other. They do the classic "pretend to kiss" so the goons run by us thing. O, woe, my first kiss was stolen thing.
Did something else happen after that? I can't even remember.
So...it looks cliche as all heck. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But it was also kinda awkward. Not in a comedic way but just in a slightly off way? It's a 2018 though, so...there's hope. I'll give it another couple of episodes and see if there's any chemistry at least. It may just be the Chinese vs. Korean style thing. But we'll see.
Edit: watched the second episode at the gym today. Still seems okay, not amazing. Kinda ridiculous (even more so) plot -- now he's made her pretend to be his fiancé to stop his dad's wedding (?). Guy is more annoying than anything but at least the girl has a spine. The guy's best friend actually seems nicer. Has the standard Evil Wanna Be Girlfriend girl. So...we'll see. I am not over enthused at this point but it's okay.
Edit: have watched a couple/few more while at the gym. Do like the 30 minute time per episode...that makes it convenient. As for story...well, ML is still pretty much an ass. Still don't feel like he was the best casting choice for superstar Idol material (maybe it could have gone to the 3rd lead dude who's supposed to be the bad ass). He just doesn't have the look or the presence of an Idol. I mean, he's cute. But in this kind of dorky way. Which, hey, I like.
FL makes ridiculous choices/decisions and it seems like all of the "let's move the plot forward" conveniences are all due to her being stupid. They're trying to play it off like it is all because she was so sheltered growing up but then she'll show moments of savvy and, eh, I dunno. At least she sticks up for herself (mostly in stupid ways) and is nice to those she considers her friends (even poor lovely Second Lead dude). I guess I'd still hold with "it's okay." Mostly I think I'll finish it because I want to finish at least some Chinese language ones.
Edit: Yeah, still plodding through this one. I think my problem is that I still find either of the second lead guys (the "tough" one and the "nice" one) to be more attractive and a better fit for the FL.
Edit, after episode 8: Wow, didn't realise this one has been on my list of "currently watching" since August and it's now October. Anyway, this last episode was utter ridiculousness with some weirdly awkward acting. I mean, honestly, pretty bad. It was kinda weird. Like, I wouldn't say the acting up until this episode was amazing or anything, but it was okay. But this one had some more action-y (ridiculous, but action-y) scenes where the "bad" (Third Lead) guy kidnaps Qingqing (FL) so he can threaten Situ Feng the Idol dude (I honestly was also a bit like, eh, why'd he show up to save her? He's always going on and on about how he can't stand her) because someone they obviously both knew died some time ago and he blames Idol Dude for it. The acting was so over the top cheesy it was painful. Though, to be fair, rather than making me want to turn it off like would often happen, I found myself watching with a bemused expression wondering just how bad it could get.
I'm not sure why I keep watching this one. It's not like it's particularly adorable and it's got way too many episodes (30 freaking episodes, which I did not know going in...though, technically I guess it's kinda like the normal 15 as the episodes are only 30 minutes-ish...so I probably shouldn't complain) and the acting and plot aren't particularly great. I guess I want to see if the cuteness will be worth it. It just might take me another six months to get to the end at this rate.
On the one plus side, it's the first show I've seen where the character's disguise vs. real life looks actually are convincing. Usually, I'm like, come on, how does no one figure this out? It's the same person, you idiots! But the FL actually looks and acts completely different in her two different versions (ie "beautiful girl" vs. "frumpy glasses girl with funky hair and fake freckles").
Edit, up to episode 14: I decided to keep going with this one because a) it's low stress partly because I'm not terribly invested in the characters, b) I thought I'd let a bunch of episodes built up of The World Owes Me a First Love since I hate being caught up and c) it's the least stressful and most silly of the ones I'm currently watching. Revenge Note is good, but it's about to go into what's probably the angsty-ist bit based on the previews for the next episode. And I...I'm just stressed out, yo. So Accidentally in Love it is.
Okay, so at the half way point...and the main lead's relationship is finally progressing along reasonable lines and is reasonably charming. They're actually the two best actors in this drama and their scenes flow the best, especially when they let loose character-wise and aren't trying to one-up each other. The scenes with the third lead dude (the bad boy) and the best friend of Qingqing (Fangfang?) are the cringiest as far as acting goes, though they are also kinda sweet. Whenever they actually hit a scene and get through it without making me groan, I'm all, yay! You got this! You can do it!
The second male lead is okay, acting-wise. You know he's got no hope of anything other than being support, but hey. He's a puppy. Hell, they're all puppies.
At least he's figured out that the two versions of her are the same person. Situ Feng hasn't; in fact, he was telling pretty girl version how he should introduce her to "ugly" girl version because "ugly" girl is his best friend and could use some comportment lessons. Ha. Gu Nanxi (the 2nd lead dude) had a crush on pretty girl version, but now that he's figured out who she really is, he seems like he's given up because he realises (even if Idol dude doesn't) that Situ Feng likes her. He's too nice.
Yeah, so anyway, it's okay. Reasonably charming, sometimes cludgy, but okay.
Edit, up to episode 19: OMG such incredibly hokey special effects...literally, they are so bad that I find myself wondering if they're doing it on purpose. The car, like a toy car, spinning off a cliff. The plastic spider dangling on a string. They just can't be serious. Actually, so much silliness. The bit with the grandpa testing Situ Feng by taking him farming is just so bizarre and funny.
But we're about to enter into the latter half arc that I know I'm going to hate -- when she has to face up to the fact that she's been lying to him this whole time about who she is (and the shenanigans with the grandpa should, I imagine, make it worse, when he's pretending they are dirt poor when they are in fact filthy rich). But this show obviously doesn't take itself too seriously, so I can't imagine it will go too far off the deep end into agony.
Edit: Finally finished it. There were some bits I wanted to burn with fire and SO so much of it made no sense (the never-aging kitten, why she had to keep "uglifying"...ugh, I'm not even going to list it all.) and the whole latter arc with the suicidal tendencies of the manipulatively evil bitchy mean girl...
Anyway. I finished it.
There were some cute moments. The two leads managed to pull it off. The faults the show had didn't lie with them. They even managed to build a believable romance out of it and the best moments of the show were when they were together.
I won't talk about the plot elements that were just dropped with no explanation (grandpa's illness, never really showing Situ Feng that she's super rich or what the effect of that would be, the jilted ex-fiancé who briefly pops up with a last minute plot machination that nothing comes of, Idol dude's dad's marriage...there's more, but I'm gonna stop there)...I think, to sum up, that I'd have to say that this one "is what it is" and you have to just take it or lump it. It's not one that I would re-watch and I wouldn't watch it with little dude (quite frankly, if you feel like you should be cheering for someone to be successful in their manipulative bids to commit suicide, it's just not right...but that Xinya character had absolutely no redemptive qualities at all...I mean...it was sorta played for comedic effect but NOT at the same time and...meh.).
Am I glad I watched it? Eh, I'll give it a 70% on that, I suppose. I wanted a bit more feel-good from the ending too, to be honest. At least they didn't kiss like they weren't allowed to move their lips. That's something. Mostly, I feel relief that I can scratch something off my watching list. Maybe I'll feel more kindly upon further reflection. It did have it's moments.
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