One thing I forgot to mention in my last review is the reverse Cinderella story found in the first episode of the show

Did you notice how in the first episode, especially before MaSung got hit by that truck, some things felt oddly familiar? Like you’ve seen the same scenes before.

All the important elements of the Cinderella fairy tale have been recreated in this drama.

For instance:

• A famous starlet but also much abused and overworked (she lost weight) = Cinderella, the true lady of the house, but abused by her stepmother and stepsisters
• The wicked manager = the wicked stepmother
• The chubby but helpful coordi = the pudgy fairy godmother
• Hainan’s qilou or historic district = the European setting of Cinderella
• Losing her shoe as they ran away from the gang = Cinderella losing her shoe
• The red shoes that he bought and she put on = the glass slippers the Prince puts on Cinderella
• The staircase where they kissed = the staircase in the castle
• Singing and dancing in the middle of a crowd = the ballroom dance with the spectators watching Cinderella dance with Prince
• The white truck of doom = Cinderella’s carriage turning into a pumpkin
• The bell ringing the hour as he gets hit by the truck = the stroke of midnight and the lovely dream ends
• The amnesia = Losing Cinderella

See that?

The first episode had this fairy tale ambiance about it because we were unconsciously remembering scenes from another well-known fairy tale. That’s why the first episode had this surreal feel. Like we’ve seen this story before….