Only for Love (2023)

Slow delicious burning love drama

"Only for Love" is a captivating Chinese drama that held my attention effortlessly. The actors were outstanding. There were some tropes/ cliches such as three couples with the typical relationships viz. one sprightly independent innocent woman, another very young pretty young girl just on the cusp of womanhood and another player / seasoned woman and their respective others who match them perfectly. Yet, originality is not necessary when a tale oft told is told with flow, grace and beauty.

The main leads have this wonderful chemistry that is palpable, adding a layer of believability to the unfolding love story. They manage to hold the tension all through till the end. The push and pull between them, the situational humour and witty dialogues, (though I suspect I only caught some of the nuance in the translations) made for delightful viewing. More importantly I loved the gender dynamics between the leads. At no point was either subservient to the other, there was respect and love and friendship among them as they progressed in their relationship over time. And each would always support the other when needed. Goals!

The other two couples have less screen time but still manage to hold my attention. There was beautiful progression in the relationships. The character development in the drama is commendable, as each protagonist is carefully crafted with depth and complexity. The actors deliver stellar performances, capturing the essence of their roles with authenticity.

Even the backdrop of hi tech industry, the lead's focus on technology than production in his long term strategy and forward thinking were subtle ways to explain his superiority over fellow beings. The narrative unfolds with a delicate balance of romance, humour and cultural nuances, creating a compelling viewing experience.

The storyline, while centered around love, delves into societal and familial dynamics, offering viewers a glimpse into the complexities of modern relationships in a Chinese context. The pacing of the drama is well-executed, keeping the audience engaged throughout the episodes.

Visually, "Only for Love" is a feast for the eyes. The cinematography beautifully captures the vibrant cityscapes, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the show. The costume and set design are meticulous, transporting viewers into the world of the characters. The fashion and style of all the characters are art ! Every costume is beautiful and fits the personality.

There is heat in their kisses, their glances, body language and the love making scenes are tasteful and sweet. There is tenderness and a sweet mellowness in the build up of each relationship - and none of the scenes are ever offensive. The couples are well matched.

Some viewers may find certain plot twists predictable, and at times, the pacing may seem a bit slow. However, for me, these were not flaws - as I do not expect original storylines for every book or drama or movie.

It is good story telling that I am interested in and that was delivered in spades. And for me the pacing was just right. At 36.5 episodes (don't miss the bonus episode with their wedding), with the medium pace, and well drawn out characters, a slow burn love affair, the drama was a well designed feast for the senses. The music was good and has actually grown on me over time... that probably happens if you watch a drama a thousand times on repeat.. lol.

I noticed a few themes in people who disliked this drama ... they did not enjoy the business talk and they found the FL unbelievable. I found the strategy being the business aspect of this drama fascinating and interesting. Shi Yan came across as strong, courageous, visionary and selfless. And the FL Shu Yi made perfect sense to me. She is someone who is incredibly bright at work but has zero interpersonal skills or ability to understand men. I have seen a few people like that so to me she was believable and rather endearing. I can see why some people would be annoyed though - this kind of character is rare in real life so many might have not come across such people.

Overall, it is a must-watch for those who appreciate a thoughtful and visually appealing portrayal of love in a contemporary Chinese setting. Most importantly if you do decide to watch, I recommend you do not multi task. The pace is just right and each scene brings something important to your overall enjoyment so sit back and relax and enjoy every moment of this perfect romance.

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BaiLu is a great actress who has so many great talents

BaiLu and Dylan wang both are great actors and good looking which makes drama more interesting to watch.Story base drama is good because it’s has love, ambition, passion about work,handling problems with their own judgements,so yes it was pretty good.. BaiLu’s acting skills always makes me impressed..all the characters doing well and perfectly executed whole drama. I like most when BaiLu and wang Heidi romantic scenes,they looks so natural , it’s feel they made for each others I love their chemistry so much. It’s easy to watch them because they portrayed every role very clearly.. Hopefully we can see them as an ancient drama, wuxia, because I think they are perfect. Both had historical successful drama and they are looked so good together

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Best C. Drama in 2023

I want to write a review but am too lazy to write a review so please understand me...sorry Bai Lu and Dylan Wang...love you too


Zheng Shu Yi is a hard-working reporter for one of China’s leading financial newspapers. She’s determined to land a front-page story, so she is pulling out all the stops to land an interview with one of the most talked-about young CEOs in the land – Shi Yan. For his part, the businessman is looking to make a series of investments in promising startup firms as a way of giving back to the community.

A mixup occurs between the two, and their paths cross again. But as they (inadvertently) get to know one another, they start to realize their destinies may be intertwined. Shi Yan discovers that Zheng Shu Yi’s extensive reporting career means very few people know more about local startups. He agrees to let her write a series of stories about his company, causing them to meet again and again. But could this blossoming working relationship also lead them on the path to love?

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Only for fun and entertainment

If you want watch this drama with a mind set of fun and entertaining base then it will be totally fun for you from the starting to end you will always smile,giggle with second hand embarrassment... This drama didn't have any major plot just simple cold CEO and flirty reporter fall in love that's it...

I'm bailu fan after she pick this project I read this novel and love it and read it so many times maybet this is also reason for me love this drama....
Both lulu and didi portrayed their role very well ????
Whatever but from ep 31 -36 I'm totally satisfied ??❤❤❤ I'm doubt about lulu and didi chemistry bcs those who watch KR will know how funny person this two but they exclude my doubt ....lulu and didi chemistry on fire ???both of them WOW???
And I'm totally enjoyed this drama... Yess they dragged a little but i love it too bcs I'm also novel reader they indeed follow the novel but in middle part the screenwriter mess up the FL character but they make up for the ending...
And they cut so many kiss scenes bcs of this drama airing on satellite TV so they have to cut hot kiss scenes ??

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Typical Workplace Drama

I am fond of modern Chinese dramas and I felt this is actually good to some extent.

Dylan Wang as Shi Yan gave major CEO/ Boss vibes. He actually managed to look like an investor. His expressions added the cherry to the cake. His aloofness and cute jealous moments made me laugh hard. However, certain aspects of his character don't seem to gel well with the plot. His sense of aesthetics really amazed me. I am happy with the makers for not turning Shi Yan into a rude, toxic hero but rather a cute, responsible hero.

Bai Lu as Zheng Shuyi felt the same as Jiang Jun from Love Is Sweet. But the only modification here is, that her initiatives felt cringe. I understand that Shi Yan is the youngest top CEO, but she is also a journalist for Finance Magazine. Her work revolves around Finance and Entrepreneur Leaders, yet she was fangirling him like some school girl which truly felt weird considering the fact that she is a professional. It felt like the script was forcing the scenes of Financial Introduce and emphasizing repeatedly that she is a pro financial journalist, we were considering her to be a stalker fangirl!!

Miles Wei and Shen Yu Jie really surprised me with their chemistry. I am glad to finally see Miles Wei having a very satisfying chemistry with a female costar after so long. Shen Yu Jie had her cute moments and in one line, SHE NAILED IT!!!! Her character transformation was undoubtedly one of the most satisfying parts of the show. They deserve their own drama as a lead couple.

Liu Dong Qin and Jiang Pei Yao's Guan Ji and Bi Ruo Shan started as mature characters, but their perspectives on each other and relationships in general really made me concerned. It felt like their characters were kinda forced to be together by scriptwriters not because they were in love, but rather because they were best friends of the main couple. So the only thing they could do to the storyline was to drink with the main couple when they were upset and be together. That's it!

As far as chemistry is concerned, this drama is 95% extra content and only 5% chemistry which to be honest feels like those old Chinese dramas. No strings and emotions whatsoever attached. By chemistry, I don't only mean the couples but also the characters sharing relationships with each other. The story starts after Episode 31. So in my humble opinion, start straight from Episode 31, but then again not practical.

PROS
# The settings and set of the drama. The visuals were captivating.
# Side characters had their significant scenes where they just nailed it.
# Yu Yao and Qin Shi Yue's story
# Mutual Understanding between Shi Yan and Zheng Shu Yi.

CONS
# The storyline's pace was absolutely not justified at all. Better start from Episode 31.
# Lack of chemistry between all characters. Never felt like these characters knew each other from the beginning.
# Not the kinda modern drama you expect with veterans like Wang Hedi, Bai Lu and Miles Wei. Only the characters look good.
# Could have made Bai Lu look more professional. She looked like she could toss her career out for Shi Yan, if not for her repeated statement, "Career is career, Life is life."

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Beautiful acting and no one can deny that.

There aren't any major spoliers !!

Starting with the story first, yes, it was not the best storyline for such a huge star cast. BUT I have to give it up to the acting of all the characters. Not one character an their acting felt wasted.

The story was like the cliche normal C-dramas. They fell in love, there was some misunderstanding, and they got back together with a happy ending. Thats it. That was the whole story.

But to me, what stands out is their acting. Its how the main characters really did their best. The emotion portrayed by the characters, especially Shu Yi and Shi Yan. I don't really cry too much in emotional scenes, but Bai Lu was so much in character that I couldn't help but cry during the emotional scene. The cold, ruthless CEO has a soft spot for his loved one, and on the other hand, she is usually a very smart top journalist but is helpless when things go wrong.

Everything other than the story is really good about this drama. This drama can really be seen as something to binge-watch when you have nothing to watch. Take it as a light watch, and don't expect major twists and turns. Well, not every C-drama should have major stories. Some should be lighthearted and okay too.

Anyway, it was a good watch for me. I really hope someday both of these actors are chosen once again to act in a new cdrama with a nicer storyline.

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2015 female lead in a 2023 drama.

Why are we still writing unprofessional, inappropriate and cringy female leads? I understand if this is a youth drama but FL is in her 20s and a working professional.

The story is like any other tropey workplace drama with an evil coworker, long, endless boring work discussions, a serious CEO and a female lead that’s all over the place.

Perhaps it’s due to the age difference but the chemistry between the leads are of an older sis/younger brother. Even though she acts immature and he tries his hardest to act mature. No amount of filters can fix this.

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Enjoyable with its flaws

I would say this was an enjoyable watch that has its own issues. Mind you, I came in damn well knowing what kind of trope this is and have read the novel. So, I was able to set my expectations right on the line of watching for enjoyment and the actors. The acting of the various actors are great and they acted their roles well. I would say the last 6 episodes plus the special episode were my favorite to watch. They are such a sweet couple mixed with a bit of jealous moments, makes me squeal. The beginning right up until the misunderstanding is enjoyable, nothing too extravagant or amazing.

I've seen other negative reviews, and I get what they are saying. However, I went in with a different mindset than them and lowered my expectations knowing damn well what type of trope this is. That helped a lot with my enjoyment of this drama. Also, I watched it mostly for Bai Lu and Wang He Di, so I may be a little biased there. However, I do recommend giving it a try, or at least the last 6 episodes.

My score is a little inflated as I can not let this dramas rating go below an 8. I would rate this drama an 8, enjoyable but not great.

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Just watch it for the feels

There will always be this drama were we either hate it or love it, or just watching it for the feels. This drama for me is the latter. I stayed for the feels. Let’s be honest, this drama really doesn’t have any complicated plot. Both characters are already strong from the very beginning so character development was not necessary, in my opinion. I think the second couple had the most character development more that the leads tbh. Also Miles Wei and Dylan in one frame, holy smokes! You guys don’t understand! ? FYI Miles does really good kissing scenes! Shish!

But then again, a drama with little to no plot, did I hate it? No. Like I said i’m here for the feels and damn well, can’t deny Bailu and Hedi have that strong chemistry. They are both very known actors and they also carried this drama really well.

If you guys watched Hedi’s drama before, you can really tell the growth of his acting and how much his tone and facial expressions have changed and they are all for the better. If you still question if he is a good actor, watch LOVE BETWEEN FAIRY AND DEVIL, trust me, it’s really good and then watch Meteor Garden, then see the difference. ? Bailu on the other hand, i just love her. I’m maybe biased but i really like her acting.

There are quite a lot of couples in here, and i’m not gonna deny, some of the scenes bore me a little, but that did not stop me from watching. Guys, you can skip a few seconds and you still wont get lost in the story.

If you’re gonna asked, whatever episode is this and that,

Episode 19- they got together

Episode 27- break up but not really

Episode 31- they solved their issues

Third party? Absolutely no chance
Happy Ending? VERY MUCH there’s a special episode, mangotv on YouTube already have it.

Rewatched value? Some of my favorite scenes.

Kissing scenes? YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT.

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You will either love or hate this drama

As the title goes, you will either love or hate this drama. I guess the fact that I listed love before hate is a clue that I liked the drama. Admitedly it isn't the best drama but at the same time I don't consider it a bad one. For me this also isn't the best Bai Lu or Dylan Wang starrer, but one of the things I really liked about the drama is their very strong chemistry.

Bai Lu is Bai Lu what more can I say. She was perfectly cast to play Zheng Shuyi. Honestly I've never seen her look bad in any style of dress she wears in her dramas and she does look good in red and also black for that matter. I appreciate the way she can shift from being jolly one moment then sad the next. When she cries I feel sad too. Without being sexist IMHO Zheng Shuyi has the bigger share of the blame between the two. If I put it into numbers, I would say 55 vs 45. She was already told for the professor that the way she apologized to Shi Yan wasn't appropriate because she kept on using her work as the excuse instead of apologizing as proper boyfriend and girlfriend. She simply has too much pride that it is getting in the way of her love. The only thing that I didn't like about her character was she kept on accomodating the advances of the younger suitor. If she loves Shi Yan as she keeps on saying then simply tell the other guy sorry and be done with it.

Dylan's being cast as Shi Yan was also good because he looks the part of an aloof CEO. Between the two leads Dylan's character has less emotional range because he hasn't really let go of his emotions. Shuyi has cried a lot but Shi Yan tries to drown everything with alcohol. I said above that both are at fault for their break up, and the only reason why he had the smaller blame was due to the fact that Shuyi approached her with ulterior motive. But what he did after wasn't really good. He also has too much pride and regardless if Shuyi kept on mentioning the colloboration between their companies, instead of banging his phone on the table, he should have just kept his emotions in check. The straw that broke Shuyi's back was his double edged statement with the reporter's of talking things out instead of walking away. It was already too late when he tried to message Shuyi only to find out they are no longer friends in WeChat. Well he did do it first to Shuyi.

I guess the Chinese writers are taking notes from South Korean writers now. They are getting good in annoying the viewers by dragging out the suffering of the two lovebirds. I guess a polite way of saying this is too much filler episodes. Can't be helped though with a total of five pair of lovebirds in the story. Regarding the other lovebirds I prefer the niece and the professor over the reporter and the muscle car driving rich guy.

I know this is a happy ending because there is a wedding in the opening credits, so I will soldier on with the last 6 episodes. I just hope there is less scenes involving the annoying suitor and please please please don't reconcile on episode 36. Give the viewers a few episodes of happiness by reconciling in episode 34 or 35 at the latest. Depending on what happens in the last 6 episodes my rating of this drama will either go up or down.

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7 couples and phones, but still sweet

I came for Bai Lu, and despite the sometimes infuriating story with constant phone interruptions leading progression back to square one, and the plethora of couples to keep track of (almost like south American latin soap operas!) there were many nice moments, and a very sweet ending to this drama, especially for those who got to 36.5 to have the leads wedding ceremony and not only one of less colorful couples' one.

The story has no less than 7 couples :
1/ Shi Yan and Shuyi, of course (Wang Hedi and Bai Lu manage to make their contradictory characters keep interesting, even though detractors will have a ball that a successful capitalist is so little outspoken, and the successful reporter is so flirty, childish, and unable to escape the snares of her own deceptions. Before the satisfying owning up and getting to last episodes, with hearts, flowers, and everything romance audience wish for.) ;
2/ Yu You and Qin Shiyue (Miles Wei Zheming and Shen Yu Jie, very young woman and an older university professor, reluctant to accept her forthright requests);
3/ Guan Ji and Bi Ruoshan (Liu Dongqin and Jiang Peiyao ; one of the "three musketeers" of the company, wealthy heir, but profligate, and seemingly butterflying best friend of Shuyi despite working in a different news agency) ;
4/ Yue Xingzhou and Qin Lezhi (from the start, they are despicable and represent the worst of yuppies who rely on schemes and corruption to hide their lack of trustworthiness, of filial attitude, and of work ethics.)
5/ Guan XiangCheng and Tang Yi (Nie Yuan and Zeng Li, the father of Guan Ji and the editor of the financial news company, who have a hidden affair) ;
6/ Chen Sheng and "Nan Nan" Kong Nan (Liu Ming Hao and Vian Wang; Shi Yi's assistant and Shuyi's tablemate in the office, who strike up a sweet acquaintance in the first half of the drama, but don't hog much time) ;
7/ Shi Wenguang and "Song Le Lan" (Kou Zhenhai and Zhou Xuan who has sung a couple of well-received songs in the past, but is not really that well known a pop singer, more known as actress in support roles ; they play Shi Yan's dad and his idol singer mother, who are so discreet that Shuyi does not get to,know their identity until last episodes.)
To these 7 couples, we might add the mother of Shuyi who wants her to get married asap, perhaps wanting more security for her daughter Shuyi, who also has a stepdad (played by Shi Yu) This couple is not much shown together.
Yu You's dad and mom are also not much shown.

Some third wheels, either over confident or straight antagonists are :
Xu Yuling (played by An YueXi) who is the jealous colleague of Shuyi ;
Fiona (played by Tu Zhiying) a young student returnee who thought her familiarity with Shi Yi would help her romantically and professionally, but had to realize it was her wish thinking ;
Yi Yang (played by Daniel Zhou) a "dark horse" indeed who set his aim too high and ended up, as expected, beaten into toeing the line set by Shi Yi in love and business;
and the relentless phones!

The story was adapted from Qiao Yao 's novel " Wrong Flirting ", supposedly rather true to original. Despite a good start (albeit rather expected story line there in those beginning episodes) it became rather chaotic, even frustrating at times. But it also had some beautiful, cute, exciting, or fun moments : the visit to the temple, the quote of a line of poetry (Du Fu's famous poem 客至 ké zhì, that is attached to the landmark Du Fu thatched cottage in Chengdu, Sichuan), the climbing tree and fairy coaxing, the standing together for inspection of factory; the comforting Shi Yi in his "darkest moment" when Yi Yang snatched the lead in the tech companies ; the last episodes of Shi Yi and Shuyi's relationship, the "Call Me Uncle" quip (that embodied the complicated Chinese family ties hidden in the drama)..... These ending episodes made up for some frustration that could have accumulated on the way. I even found myself going back re-watching some of the cute and sweet moments, looking at the Beijing cityscape of the high tech district, the pictures of the temple (perhaps Zhizhe temple in Jinhua, Zhejiang) and other cityscapes : "jiang Cheng" city could be in Zhejiang, there is a brief glimpse of the Zhejiang water city of Wuzhen, and perhaps another city. Filming took place in Zhejiang according to Baidu, between November 22, 2022, and March 20, 2023, so it was remarkable that it took so little time to air 2023-Nov-03 to 2023-Nov-22, with the 36 episodes scheduled + the 36.5 additional one that shows the wedding of the leads.

The 11 song OST with theme song Passer by (sung by Zhou Shen) and episodes' ending theme song Lemon Soda (cute song, sung by Lai Meiyun) was quite nice. Full OST can be listened to on YouTube, and translation MVs of Only for Love songs lyrics have been posted there by Peachey Blossom. But I am not sure what were the titles of the snippets of songs Dong Xuan sang nicely, when she acted the singer on stage, in episode 10.

In a year when three dramas featuring Bai Lu were aired (Till The End of The Moon earlier, and Story of Kunning Palace, almost simultaneously to Only For Love) this drama of course elicited heated comparisons and even some controversies. To my mind, it is not really fair to compare such very different dramas. In my personal scale of Bai Lu dramas, it may remain among the "lesser ones", because TTEOTM and One and Only, even Arsenal Military Academy and SOKP are going to rank first in costume categories (ancient or Republican era) and OFL will also rank behind Love is Sweet in the modern office drama category, where Luo Yunxi proved a more versatile actor than Dylan Wang Hedi in this one. Nevertheless, although I had a bias about his acting too much with same expressions as his former Daoming Si (MG) and Devil (LBFAD) characters, I still think Wang Hedi did honorably well as Shi Yi in this drama enough that this drama will not be dismissed in his growing filmography.

Do I recommend Only For Love ? Yes, this drama is, despite its quirks and flaws, quite watchable for those who have time, don't mind the quirks mentioned, like either or both leads, and don't go fast forwarding at each secondary couple or phone alarm. But maybe it is not for everybody if the frustration level outweighs the rest. But it does not deserve the venom of a certain Youtuber lady (who never watches till end what she guns down, and is proud to spew what she read elsewhere after having "watched" trailers, or a couple episodes). Since I liked Only For Love nonetheless, I will not be stingy with rating, but it is my own rating for my own list. I totally understand others could disagree, or even rate it higher.

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