The Pursuit of Happiness (2013)

I think a lot of times we find ourselves looking for drama that is 'different'. Well, here's one for you. This drama manages to be cute and fresh without any makjang, birth secrets, evil relatives, amnesia, tragedy, abuse, crime or unbearable second leads. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

Not to say that this is a story wholly deprived of cliches. Of course, it does have a love triangle/square and some romantic conflicts between the main leads. Refreshingly, for a change the conflict between the leads comes from within themselves and not any external sources (which I usually hate).

What I liked was that the characters seemed realistic and relatable on a certain level. They are both very, very normal people trying to juggle their love lives and careers- like most of us do. So this drama has its relatable aspects to it like career, life, aging and love. But don't worry. It's not a boring drama and there are enough laughs and light moments to keep one entertained. :D

Anyway, it takes a long time for the characters to fall in love. So if you're like me who prefers a build-up before love, you'll definitely like this drama. It is nice to watch these two people become strangers to friends and then friends to lovers. After all, cohabitation between two people of the opposite gender has to lead somewhere, right? This IS dramaland we are talking about here. :D

The story on the whole seemed to me like a mixture of My Best Friend's Wedding and the Taiwanese drama In Time With You (I read somewhere that both shows have the same producers). At times, this story seemed to me like an alternative universe to In Time With You. There's even a reference to that drama in the first episode!

I have to say that I liked all the subplots in this drama. There are many sub-romances also which were all likable. The friends of Ji An Lei were hilarious (Tiffany!) and supportive. He Wei Ting was also a sweetheart for the majority of the show. I did have problems with the female lead's character at times but she grows later on so she kind of redeems herself. I also had doubts about the main pairing but they managed to have good chemistry throughout the show. Also, there is an age difference between them but it isn't so apparent.

I also liked the ending of the drama. Being a Taiwanese drama, it dragged more than required but it didn't get unbearable. Watch this drama if you're bored with usual cliches and are looking for a good story.

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before i go any further with this review, please let me say here that i have only watched a handful of Taiwanese dramas. BUT among those few, this could very well be the best i've seen.
the OTP's chemistry is totally off the charts! their acting, spot-on! i can feel their pain, their frustrations, their happiness, their emotions.
the only reason i put an 8 for rewatch value instead of a 9 or 10 is because i rarely rewatch dramas that i've seen. but i wouldn't be surprised if i catch myself taking another peek at an episode or a scene from this drama in the foreseeable future.

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