I stumbled into this drama by accident. I meant I saw it at first but wasn’t interested. Mostly, it was because I didn’t recognize Chen Xing Xu at first. I last watched him in LOCH, so that was awhile back, lol. But that was ancient, so yeah. Later, I saw it trending on iQiYi’s main page, so I thought I would give it a try. In some ways, it was worth it. In other ways, it was very choking. I’ll go into details later.
Main Cast:
- Chen Xing Xu (陈星旭) as Xing Zhi Zhi (行知止). A doctor. He was initial a gifted surgeon yet switched to help recovering patients go through therapy sessions. The truth was he failed a surgery in the past , so he could no longer do surgeries with the kid haunting him (literally as we found out later on). It was actually more like a psychological block. The majority of the time, he seemed fine and was always passionate with helping his patients. I enjoyed this role of Chen Xing Xu so much and felt he fitted the role perfectly. His willingness to help others made him a great doctor and his courage helped him a likable character. Not to mention how he could so mischievous at times among friends. It created a layered character.
- Zheng Yi (郑壹) as Childhood Xing Zhi Zhi (小行知止).
- Zhang Yu Xi (张予曦) as Qin Fei (秦翡) aka Qin Xiao Fei (秦小翡). A former dancer turned actress turned talent agent. She was seen so vain and put up this air at the beginning. Or so it led on. However, beyond that, she was actually had a very kind heart. It was just that she was straightforward hence the public hated that. Sure, they could say they like honestly and all but they loved to eat up all the fake sincerity. It was one of the reasons why Qin Fei clashed so much with the industry standard. Not to mention how her so-called friends within the industry took full advantage of her bad public image to pin some random stuff on her thus damaging her reputation even more. I liked that she fought back and stayed strong and proved herself before deciding to step back. Sure, she could give up and I wouldn’t blame her. But I thought it took gut to push back like that. This was my first time watching her and I really liked her. She had charm and sophistication that brought out the role well.
- Zhang Shi Qi (张诗婍) as Childhood Qin Fei (小秦翡).
- Wang Sen (王森) as Liu Yan Ze (刘衍泽). A bodyguard. Aside from working for a bodyguard agency, he volunteered to be a rescuer for different missions. It was a very dangerous gig on top of his job. Yet he loved helping others and wanted to do his part. I understood how frustrated he was when he was forced to take on a role of a ‘cousin’ in relation to Xiao Xiao previously. Yet I didn’t agree with how he took it out on her and left like that. So, I was glad it was brought up later and resolved before he was let back in. Yes, He indeed loved her and cared for her very much, but he needed to work on his ego.
- Chen Hao Lan (陈昊蓝) as Luo Xiao Xiao (洛筱筱). A famous celebrity. At first, I was skeptic about her, considering how Qin Fei had already fallen after trusting a certain celebrity friend. Yes, unfair to her yet it was hard not to suspect everyone’s motives going onward. Yet she turned out to be a kind and nice person below the surface of those glamorous moments. She actually chose to support a newbie because she could relate to her past self, also struggling before she could find her own ground and establish herself within the industry. The fact that she didn’t put on air at all made her even more likable. I haven’t watched her her since Love Me, Love My Voice and I was so glad she turned out to be a very nice person. Because I really liked her in the other one and wanted to catch her in something else where she had more screen time. This role didn’t disappoint at all.
- Lin Xin Yi (林昕宜) as Ke Fei Fei (柯菲菲) aka Coffee (咖啡). Qin Fei’s assistant at the beginning, then later was promoted to be a manager. She was so funny and bubbly at times. Others? She was somewhat mischievous, which was all right since it fitted in with Qin Fei, whom she treated like her older sister. I was also glad she was supportive of Qin Fei regardless of situations. Even if she did make random comments at times, like Qin Fei’s bad ideas or her singing skills, but she never wavered when it mattered.
- Yang Bing Zhuo (阳兵卓) as Yu Zhe Cheng (郁哲城). A doctor. At first, I didn’t know what to make of him. He seemed like he was up to no good. I don’t know, maybe it was the whole crazy industry that had affected by views of other characters as well. But he turned out all right. He was really supportive as Xing Zhi Zhi’s friend and often backed the latter up in different situations.
Supporting:
- Zhu Jia Qi (朱嘉琦) as Chen Sen (陈深). Luo Xiao Xiao’s agent. He liked Xiao Xiao but couldn’t muster the courage up to confess to her. When he finally did, he broke up with her because he didn’t want to force it through. Although he tried to walk back that one, she thought it was the best they tried to be honest with one another that it wasn’t going to work out. I was a bit skeptic of him at first. Maybe it was because of the deception bit Qin Fei went through. I thought he was going to make more trouble for her as well. Yet he turned out to be the most honest about his intentions. He didn’t like her initially but at least he was honest about that bit, unlike some people. It became a funny bit with them meeting up and discussing about life in general. And I so didn’t realize he was in Under The Skin until I was preparing to watch season 2, although I swore he looked familiar. It was strange to find him out of the other one and being involved some character in the e-circle. But this one gave him more space for his acting. Because the other one was mostly case-based, which was completely fine with me and that was why I watched it in the first place.
- Zhao Xiao Su (赵晓苏) as Ren Si Qi (任思齐). Qin Fei’s agent and then later co-agent. I didn’t like how fussy he was at first. But I began feeling really bad for him later. Because he had to do damage control so much. It wasn’t completely Qin Fei’s fault but it was more like he had to adapt to the industry all the time with all the things the rumor mill cooked up. I know, he did choose the career himself. Yet, how could he predicted all the stuff the anti-fans cooked up?
- Li Mo Zhi (李墨之) as Ge Wu (格雾). A psychiatrist. She was the doctor who helped Xi Xi get over her past trauma. It was later revealed that she was Ren Si Qi’s wife, but they were in the process of getting a divorce. Yet, somehow, later, they ended up working things out. It might have had something to do with their son (doggie, lol) passing away. But also because of what happened to Qin Fei, they learned from it.
Others:
- Ryan Zhao (赵让) as Hao Jun (郝俊). The male lead of that one drama Qin Fei participated in. He was hostile toward her at first but later changed his mind because he saw how hard she worked in trying to improve. He was an asshole regardless of reasons for me. Why? He was a hypocrite at best. He was mad that his junior didn’t get the role yet Qin Fei got it. Whatever the reason, if his junior got it, wouldn’t that be through his connection too? It was his bias that his junior was better than Qin Fei because she came from an acting school. But that also meant he supported the people he knew as well. How was it different? So yeah, I didn’t care one way or another for his role. It was another unnecessary story arc in the grand scheme of things.
- Xu Zi Yin (徐紫茵) as Jin Wei Wei (靳维维). A celebrity who relied on gossip and rumors to stay relevant. Although we know celebs often posed to be in the limelight yet she took it to another level.
- Xu Xiao Nuo (许晓诺) as Jin Na (金娜).
- Wang Ce (王策) as Li Chang Jiang (李长江).
- Cui Yi (崔奕) as Xi Xi’s aunt (西西舅妈).
- Li Yu (李彧) as Xi Xi’s uncle (西西舅舅).
- Rong Rong (荣蓉) as Qin Fei’s mother (秦母). I tried to sympathize and looked from her point of perspective, but it was really hard so I stopped trying. I reminded myself she was also coping as best as she could after her husband’s passing, etc. I didn’t care if she remarried or moved on later. That was her life, her choice. However, what pushed past my patience was how she forced Qin Fei to accept everything just like that. Then, later in life, she acted like nothing was wrong, and the plot aided her greatly because of the ongoing message of always worshipping your parents and that they could do no wrong. Even stated that Qin Fei was like her mother (aka their stubbornness), so it was all right for whatever her mother did.
- Gao Hong Liang (高宏亮) as Lu Da Wei (陆大伟).
- Chen Yi Sha (陈依莎) as Xing Zhi Zhi’s mother (行母). I was scared she would be the mother-in-law from hell, considering how perfect Xing Zhi Zhi seemed in others’ eyes. It made sense to want the best for her son, etc. However, she was so down to earth and considerate. I was so glad. Because Qin Fei already had to face her mother’s tantrums. It would be too much to have her face the difficult mother-in-law too.
- Cai Gang (蔡纲) as Xing Zhi Zhi’s father (行父).
- Shen Wei (沈唯) as Xing Zhi Zu (行知足). Xing Zhi Zhi’s older sister. The last I saw of her was in Only for Love, so this role was different because she got to be a little obnoxious yet harmless. Because she was the older sister, she could tease her little brother all she wanted. It was a little fun to see the back and forth between her and her brother. Not to mention how I fear she would cause problems for Qin Fei too. But she was teasing mostly and ended up getting up along with Qin Fei later.
Relationships: family, friendships, romances, etc.
- Chen Xing Xu/ Xing Zhi Zhi and Zhang Yu Xi/ Qin Fei. I saw their chemistry the moment she got into his car and he drove a distance before they had that confrontation. It was a funny misunderstanding yet so cute. Although I was feeling a bit weird how obsessed he was with her, having all her fan club stuff and all. Considering how he was a famous doctor and all. Okay, okay, so I was sort of bias regarding how doctors should act but it seemed so over with his fangirling. But it was later explained why and how, etc. They were actually childhood friends and he was glad to run into her again so many years later and ended up supporting her. They could be so childish toward one another at times but they did learn and grow past that. Like how she went dark and pushed him away yet tried to win him back again episodes later. It was indeed weird. Then there were times when he used stuff to blackmail her into caving yet he did try to communicate better with her later on, helping her, etc. What was more? He often sang to her an often made her different treats that she could have. It was cute and heartwarming. That was also why I was so frustrated with the ending. They deserved a lot more, considering all the things they managed to overcome already. The majority of the drama had hinted at a happy ending. So why the dark mood? It went completely in the other direction.
- Wang Sen/ Liu Yan Ze and Chen Hao Lan/ Luo Xiao Xiao. They could be considered the mature couple among the leads because they had an unresolved past. Yet that didn’t mean they weren’t cute when they were finally reunited again. I wanted to repeat here again that I was so glad they managed to pull everything up and resolve it in a way that was satisfying. Because I was afraid things would be brushed under the carpet with the excuse of leaving things in the past, etc. But because they wanted it to work this time so all things were brought into the open and discussed before they accepted each other again.
- Zhu Jia Qi/ Chen Sen and Chen Hao Lan/ Luo Xiao Xiao. They started out with being agent and star and then ended back right there. He liked her and supported her throughout. Well, he was her agent after all, so he had to keep her best interest in mind. Yet they became friends and it was revealed through different conversations that he fell in love with her along the way and did a lot of things to help and support her, even beyond that of his duties. But that didn’t mean he would hold it against her later. Yes, he did try to win her heart but he did learn to let go later on, seeing how things were hopeless. He did try to take it back that one time when he initiated the breakup but didn’t go dark and bitter and bring her down or anything. There were already so much betrayals within the industry and that was one of the possibilities. I was glad they didn’t pile more onto the drama. Because all parties needed a break. And somehow, there should be a sense of hope that not everyone was the same and was just out for themselves. So, I was glad they remained friends later and he continued to be her agent, looking out for her. He didn’t have to but it was a sign that he could move on, etc.
- Lin Xin Yi/ Ke Fei Fei and and Yang Bing Zhuo/ Yu Zhe Cheng. They were funny. It started kind of rough at first because they kept having misunderstandings. Yet they got along later and ended up dating. What I was worried at first was him forcing her to accept things so he could go home and get married, etc. He was going to do it anyway. But when he finally understood the matter, he paused and focused on her. It was indeed different than some other dramas that just wanted to brush it off and have that happy ending, not addressing some core issues. He indeed backed off and gave her the space she needed. She did come around in the end but it was within her own terms. Even if they mostly got married because she wanted to fulfill Qin Fei’s wish yet I felt they had already gone through enough that they understood and respect one another. The comment about her wanting to fulfill Qin Fei’s wish was just to reassure Qin Fei and renew Qin Fei’s hope about the other matter.
Likes:
- The chemistry between the main couple. They were so cute and the light humor at times pushed the story along. Sure, they both had dark past and inner demons to fight but they learned and grew together throughout. And because of what happened with that ending, I wanted another project with them together. Seems rare but honestly, I felt robbed.
- The other couples were equally fun to watch. Yes, they had their own stories and I was glad the focus wasn’t on one or two couples. It moved around and created a variety of relationships.
- Music. The songs were so addicting to listen to and one of the reasons why I loved watching this so much.
Dislikes:
- The concept of fat in here. Yes, it was glaringly obvious that I found it hard to ignore. I know the industry’s standards with keeping everyone stick thin wasn’t anything new. But I swear they had to try harder. This was the shortcoming on the production team’s part and not the cast’s since they had to follow the script, etc. But that didn’t make it less annoying. What in the world am I talking about? Considering how the guy was nicknamed by the main girl as “Little Chubby Fellow” since little, it was important. How in the world was that kid considered fat? Seriously. He was normal. Everyone thinking it was okay to let it slide must think the viewers are blind. (Or maybe they are because some complaints recently regarding some actors are so ridiculously I have to believe so. If you think I’m mean for attacking viewers, try reading the toxic comments directed at the stars directly on Weibo–as if wanting those stars to commit suicide or something. One of the top reasons I abandoned it for the longest time. I only returned recently to just focus on news of different series and trying to ignore the dramas.) Anyway, another instance was the part where Xiao Xiao told Qin Fei about the supporting role of a new drama that she wanted Qin Fei to try auditioning for. She said that the character was a poor country girl, so Qin Fei only had to diet a little, and it should be good. You mean Qin Fei wasn’t already stick skinny? Again, this wasn’t the actresses’ fault, they were just delivering the lines. But who was the production team trying to fool?
- The way the leader of the theater troupe criticized Qin Fei for being cold-hearted. It was the part where they used her image to promote their place and her agent had to go after them. It wasn’t just because of money but it was matter of ethics. I actually agreed with Luo Si Qi on that one. Just because they were going through tough times, it was all right to use Qin Fei like that? When confronted, she acted pitiful. Where were they when Qin Fei suffered through the back injuries and had to give up her dreams? Then all the things she went through afterward? Finally standing up to take on another job. Then somehow got recruited to become a star. She also suffered a lot because she was too honest and couldn’t adapt to the industry, hence being attacked from all sides. It was ridiculous. But did they try helping her then? They only cared for themselves. When she finally managed to stand on her feet and established some type of path, they latched onto her popularity. So, I thought Qin Fei was already lenient and forgiving with how she handled the whole situation. She didn’t want to sue or make trouble for them either. Her agent insisted because they needed to protect their interest. Yet they assumed and attacked her.
- The ending. I can’t believe I would say it, but it was so choking, it wasn’t even funny. How could they waste time on some unnecessary dramas within the industry, knowing she was going to leave it anyway, yet spent so little time to develop the psychological part of the major characters and then leaving it hanging like that? Not to mention the biggest slap was that the ending was supposed to be happy in the novel. I didn’t read the whole thing but skimmed the ending, and he didn’t die. It was a bed scene, so of course, it would be hard to include with getting it through. But I didn’t expect them to include it. I don’t care, unlike the majority out there who love bed scenes. But they could have included the initial parts where they talk about it, and he would be getting the help he needed through therapy and much more.
Discussions:
- Qin Fei (秦翡) vs Qian Fei (錢菲). Okay, I know, different stories and adaptations as well. But somehow, I kept mixing them up while I watching. Because it was indeed somewhat similar. It was just funny to me, that was all. And for those of you confused, Qian Fei was the female lead from We Live Together (我们住在一起) by Hong Jiu.
Recommended? Depends. Because it was an open ending in some ways if you wanted to reserve some point of hope that he might return some day. But if you apply the obvious reality, it was really tragic. And it didn’t match at all with the rest of the light-hearted theme. I think you could watch for the chemistry of the cast–all cast members actually. But don’t think too much about how the ending ruined it–if you could ignore it. It was a shame, too, because everything else was so refreshing and addicting in its own way.