Punch Me Baby

Another Ashley series? Sign me up! There was no way I was missing this one.

This drama has all the classic Vertical ingredients:
✔️ A cheating boyfriend (with the best friend, no less)
✔️ A mean and entitled in-law family
✔️ A flash marriage to a rich CEO (who hides his identity at first)
✔️ A delusional drama queen

But this time, we get a bonus twist: a secret pregnancy with an unknown father.

Mix it all together, and you get Punch Me, Baby—a drama-packed rollercoaster!

Meet Our Main Couple

Daisy – A professional fighter and a rare strong female lead in the Vertical world. We need more of that! However, I was a bit disappointed that her fighting career wasn’t more central to the story. It was a big deal at the beginning, then completely forgotten.

She also felt a bit inconsistent at times. She’s strong and fearless, yet she let her mother-in-law bully her without saying a word? She was the one paying for everything, including her husband’s expenses, yet she never called them out before the breakup? That didn’t fully match her character. But at least she finally stood up for herself in the end!

Rowan – Our rich CEO, who starts off hiding his identity. I loved that, for once, it was Daisy who saved him from thieves, not the other way around! A refreshing twist on the usual “damsel in distress” trope.

Also, unlike other series where the “secret identity” storyline drags on forever, Daisy finds out fairly early, and it doesn’t become the central plot. That was a great decision!

The Villain Squad

Kelvin – Not really a villain, just a weak and selfish man. Cheating on Daisy was already bad enough, but using an unknown donor for her IVF without telling her? WTF?! Yes, infertility is a difficult subject, but lying about something so huge is beyond wrong. Thankfully, after this reveal, he becomes irrelevant—just another cheating loser. Next!

Kelvin’s Mom – A parasite, plain and simple. She lived off Daisy’s money while treating her like trash. If you want money, get a job! But no, she preferred to be a mooching, bitter freeloader instead.

Vanita – The so-called best friend who betrayed Daisy. I will never understand how “best friends” in these stories turn into backstabbers so easily. If she had any real friendship with Daisy, she wouldn’t have slept with her husband—or at least she would have felt some guilt. But nope, she didn’t even pretend to care.

Perla – The wannabe rival. Rowan was never interested in her, yet she still tried to steal him from Daisy. Too bad for her, Rowan was looking for someone sweet—not a manipulative mean girl. She was definitely the biggest threat in the story because, unlike the other villains, she was actually strategic and dangerous.

Villains are stronger in numbers – On their own, each of these antagonists is manageable, but when they team up, things get messy. And that’s exactly what happens here!

A Complicated Grandmother

Rowan’s Grandma – I had mixed feelings about her. At first, she was kind and supportive toward Daisy. But when she found out about the pregnancy, she completely shut Daisy out instead of trying to understand.

I get that the uncertainty of the father was a shock, but instantly rejecting Daisy felt wrong. And of course, once she discovered the baby was Rowan’s, she suddenly changed her tune. Too convenient!

Honestly, I’d love to see more supportive parental figures in Vertical dramas. Even in difficult situations, some family members should try to understand instead of immediately turning into judgmental bullies.

Final Thoughts

This was my first time watching most of this cast, apart from Ashley, and they all did a great job! The plot itself is pretty classic, but the characters are engaging enough to keep your attention.

The secret baby subplot actually worked for once, adding emotional weight to the story instead of just being a random twist. Good job on that!

One last message for the streaming apps: Please add cast credits at the end of your series!

Huge thanks to Ashley for helping me with the names of her co-stars. I was lucky to have someone so nice to help me out, but all actors and crew members deserve proper recognition for their hard work!