The Oath of Love (2022)

Just Beautiful and Natural.

The Oath of Love is a much-anticipated drama that literally went to hell and back, leaving fans in an awkward situation. The Oath of Love, which was supposed to premiere in September 2019, was repeatedly postponed due to "Operation Qing Lang," which targeted celebrities with large, often chaotic fan bases. The drama was thought to have been postponed solely to put fans on their best behaviour. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the first episode of The Oath of Love after the very long two-year wait. And now I understand why the things we desire are usually the things that bring us the most joy.


The Oath of Love is based on Bo Lin Shi Jiang's(柏林石匠) novel "Entrust the Rest of My Life to You" (余生，请多指教). Because of the success of the novel, The Oath of Love already has a large fan base, and as proof of the cast's star power, the drama surpassed 700 million views in three days.


This drama centres on an uplifting romance between a doctor and a cellist. To be honest, the story isn't particularly unique. It's just a typical rom-com like we see in c-dramas. Except for the medical aspect of the drama, there is nothing unusual about it. But it's the characters and, of course, the cast and their acting is what makes this drama so endearing.


I was expecting a typical, ice-cold, and serious-looking male lead and a confused and senseless female lead based on the synopsis. But I'm really impressed by the character arcs and portrayal in this case.


Lin Zhi Xiao (Yang Zi), the female lead, is a third-year university student majoring in cello. She is energetic, positive, and kind but, sometimes acts on impulse. She is determined to achieve her objectives and does not give up easily. Although she is a little inexperienced and slow when it comes to relationships, once she is certain of her feelings and intentions, she will move forward boldly.

The love from family is irreplaceable in a person's life. This is an important life lesson that this drama teaches us. Difficult situations can make us more mature in all aspects of life. This is what one should learn from Lin Zhi Xiao.

Gu Wei (Xiao Zhan), the male lead, is the chief surgeon at a gastroenterology unit. He is a very capable doctor, but he takes failures and setbacks far too seriously, which led to psychological issues. Finally, after meeting Lin Zhi Xiao, he learns to look past the setbacks and learn from them. They transform into each other's suns and shine brightly.

One should not take setbacks to heart and stumble there, unable to rise. One should learn to learn from them and make their life more colourful with love. This is what one should learn from Gu Wei.

Gu Wei has a cold and aloof personality, but he is actually very warm and caring towards the people he should be. Lin Zhi Xiao, on the other hand, is equally warm and caring, in this case, to everyone. Lin Zhi Xiao's character development is one if the best I have seen to date. When in comes to Gu Wei, he is already and adult and naturally, there won't be any more development for him. But, his personality is so endearing that you would wonder if such a person would ever exist in this world. Their distinct personalities is one thing that makes this drama really cute and charming. You will know it when you watch the drama. The supporting characters in this drama are good, but their relationship advice can get really annoying at times.


I must say that the romance in this drama is both healthy and consensual. Nobody forces themselves on the other, and no one intentionally hurts the other's feelings. Despite the characters' 9-year age difference, the plot's romantic development felt very natural. Even I, who is not really a fan of age gap, which can become really creepy if not excecuted well, liked this drama very much. This is all due to the cast's efforts in bringing the characters to life.


Speaking of the cast, this drama has a star-studded cast that will compel you to watch it no matter what. Actually, I came to see this drama solely for the cast, as they are my favourite actor and actress. If you've seen at least one drama with them in it, you'll understand their allure. Both Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi deliver excellent performances, particularly in serious and emotional scenes. They have serious acting skills that only a few people have or can have. Their chemistry was on fire, and their interactions were adorable to watch, which, combined with the naturalness of their development, made one wonder if it was all real.


Special appreciation to the cast:
I'm really happy at the fact that Yang Zi can portray a character, who is much younger that her, flawlessly but, I think she should broaden her horizon and take up more serious roles.
Xiao Zhan's glamour is growing year by year and so is his acting skills. But, I think and hope he should take up more roles like Wei Wu Xian form The Untamed.


If a drama features Xiao Zhan or Yang Zi, the OSTs in that drama are bound to be fantastic. This drama's OSTs and BGMs too were fascinating and were amazingly in sync with the mood of the story. Here is a list of OSTs:

"The Oath of Love (余生，请多指教)" (Theme song) by Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi (This felt incredible because of the combination of their voices, and it is my personal favourite.)

"The Greatest Fortune (最幸福的幸运）" by Xiao Zhan

"Somebody Liking Someone （一个人喜欢一个人）" by Yang Zi


Even though it has its flaws, this is a fantastic show in general. This has become one of my favourite modern c-drama rom-coms that can make your heart skip a beat. This drama is not overly depressing and contains numerous comedic scenes. Of course, not everyone will enjoy it, but if you're looking for a light and fluffy drama with an amazing cast and lead chemistry, this is the show for you.

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As unending as an oath, this drama drags on forever...

This drama is truly a test of love and patience. Your love and patience that is.

After YAMG, I thought we would get another sensible modern drama since, the novel this show is based on received immense praise but sadly, I live to be disappointed.

Yang Zi’s Zhi Xiao is immature and annoying. Her only saving grace is her good choice in a partner, Dr. Gu. The side couples are two-dimensional characters whose life's purpose is to get on your nerves. This drama is a struggle to finish from beginning to end. I had to hug the thighs of the fast-forward button to skip a lot of senseless scenes but Zhi Xiao still managed to annoy me.

The first four episodes were ridiculous but did get better until we were confronted with a father that likes to torture his family. He is a victim of circumstance and ‘woe is he’ but for some reason I could generate no sympathy for his plight.
We are introduced to the second male lead and female leads who try to get in between our main couple’s awfully sluggish love story. Misunderstandings abound and their resolutions like the story take forever while leaving an unsatisfactory aftertaste.

By episode 20 I stopped caring about the storyline and the side characters. The male lead and my unending patience were the only things keeping me watching this travesty. There is a minor rise in interest when the male lead suffers a setback. I was pleasantly surprised with how the female lead stuck to her guns and at the same time supported the male lead. This was probably the only sub-plot where I found her behaviour admirable.

While the plot in romcoms has always been a foregone conclusion, as viewers we watch it for the cast, subplots, setting and dialogues. Unfortunately in The Oath of Love the plot is thin, the pacing highly inconsistent, most conflicts un-engaging, with forgettable dialogues. The female lead was annoying 8 times out of 10 and the narrative became repetitive in the middle phase. I am just glad this wasn’t 40 episodes as my corpse would have to review this drama then.

The only positives in this drama for me were the cinematography, the background music, the lure of a happy ending, the little theatre at the end of each episode and the eye-candy, Xiao Zhan. Unfortunately none of these positives were strong enough to overcome the tragedy that was the drama.

It’s possible that some will like this drama for all the same reasons that I did not. But would I recommend anyone to watch this? No. Unless you are a staunch fan of YZ or XZ and gifted with boundless patience, this drama is not for you. For a middling fan lacking in patience this drama cannot score more than 5.5/10.

You've been warned. Watch at your own risk.

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