Perfect and Casual: A Hidden Gem

JUST A TEASER, NOT A SPOILER The drama opens with the wedding scene, and a brief intro to the bride.  She stated that she and her husband met and became a couple in three days, and got married in a month.  She quickly added that it was not a hoax, but rather a complicated issue.  Then she gave him a hearty kiss.  His shocked expression was priceless. And when you watch this drama you will know why.

WARNING: MILD SPOILERS! But they are not the main plot 
and do not take away the enjoyment watching the drama. 
The article can also be read in Dark Mode.

INTRODUCTION

The Chinese drama Perfect and Casual (native title: 完美先生和差不多小姐, translated as Mr. Perfect and Miss Almost) is an adaptation of a novel under the same title written by Wan Zhi (婉之).		The Novel
Genres: Romance, School, Drama Distinctive tags: Cohabitation, Contract Marriage, Student/Teacher Relationship, Age Gap, Cold Man/Warm Woman, Nice Male Lead, Calm Male Lead, Innocent Female Lead, Calm Female Lead	Episodes: 24 Duration: 45 minutes Aired: Sep 28, 2020 - Oct 20, 2020 Where to watch: MangoTV official Youtube channel.

With hundreds of Chinese dramas being released in 2020 alone, and possibly about half of them are romance, this drama can easily fall under the radar. In addition, the rather short and simple MDL synopsis does not suggest a unique or compelling story that intrigues watchers to pick it up eagerly. Instead, the  story screams of an overused old drama trope: contract relationship. Lastly, there are no big name actors/actresses in the list. So, why has it gotten good ratings on MDL and many, many positive reviews? 

LET'S CHECK IT OUT!

STORY

In short, this is a love story between Zhang Si Nian, a statistics professor at a university, and Yun Shu, a student majoring in statistics, nearing her graduation. Through a series of coincidental encounters, the two agree to engage in a one-year contractual marriage. As time goes on, the feelings between them grow.

So how is it that such a simple story is so endearing, forever intriguing, and may keep people continuously watching it? Below are my opinions, though they may contain mild spoilers. If you want to be surprised, please skip the rest of the Story section and go to the Cast section. Just watch the drama to see what surprises are waiting to be discovered!

The novel plays a big role in captivating its readers as well as drama watchers, successfully delivers  an enjoyable main story as well as captivating side stories. I couldn't find out whether or not the original author was involved in writing the script for the drama. I have not found the English translation of the novel so I can't mention my thoughts on it. I assume the novel's storyline is delightful, since there were many dramatic romance novels published in China, and yet this story was the one that was chosen to be adapted into a drama. 

For the scene details, I think the directing, editing, script-writing, and acting were all well executed to bring about a good flow of events. The director Li Shuang has also acted in several dramas and movies before, so I assume that the director's acting skills and experiences are a big contributions in filming this drama? Since this is not a show that's based on dramatic actions (for example: fighting scenes), therefore dialogue, actors' facial expressions and body language are crucial. They were all directed and edited well. The viewers were convinced that the characters indeed have gone through their personal growths as well as relationship growths. The main OTP chemistry was off the charts and natural in every stage of romance development.

The main diet of romantic dramas usually consist of misunderstanding, jealousy, and love triangles among others. Perfect and Casual also presented them as individual issues as well as relationship issues, but they are hardly frustrating to viewers. Each problem does not drag and are resolved well in just a few episodes. Si Nian and Yun Shu's relationship, albeit under a fake marriage, is based on attentiveness, mutual respect, and open communication. Naturally, they were also helped by the supporting characters, whom advised the couple on finding their first love in each other. Favorably, the supporting characters own side stories and romance also do not conflict with the main story. 

Although there are many tropes used, this drama also used some old clichés in new ways, though to mention them would be a bit of a spoiler.  It also poked some fun at clichés in romantic dramas. One example being the domineering CEO's idea for Yun Shu's comic project. Sometimes, the characters were aware that they were on  a drama. For example, below is the couple's dialogues parodying actors who fall in love with each other during filming project:

CAST 

MALE LEAD

Zhang Si Nian (Miles Wei or Wei Zhe Ming) A genius statistics professor and a devoted academic researcher in his early thirties. Comes from an intellectual family, with Grandpa Zhang as his only family member. A perfectionist who goes by the rules, calm, unemotional, and uninterested in love and marriage. His only goal is to win  a Fields Medal before he turns 35 (Fields Medal is the highest international award given to mathematicians under the age of 40). The first time I watched Miles Wei was a year ago in Fall in Love (2019), in which he played a supporting role as the Male Lead's disabled brother in a wheelchair. He was melancholic and ambiguous. Viewers will not know if he is a good or a bad guy until far in the drama. He acted his somber role really well, especially when his character reaches his breaking point. Watching his convincing acting in that drama, I thought he would be an excellent male lead in other dramas! The second time I saw him was as another supporting character in in 2020's Find Yourself. But I think his role there was nothing special. So I'm glad he is the main lead in this drama, and I hope to see him again acting in more main roles in the future.

FEMALE LEAD

Yun Shu (Xu Ruo Han) A 21, soon to be 22, year old university student majoring in statistics, nearing graduation. Her only family member is her older sister Yun Lan who always protect her. Ordinary, with no outstanding educational achievements or  marketable skills, and has no specific goals in life besides graduating from her university. Friendly, optimistic, carefree, but naive worldly-wise. Her hobby is recording her joy and sorrow in cartoons drawings. Xu Ruo Han is a newcomer, and she started her career well by acting as one of the main roles in the new Jackie Chan film  Vanguard. I haven't seen this movie, so I cannot comment on her acting. But I think she did well in this drama, either individually as a university student (in which she could relate naturally as she was the same age as the Female Lead), as well as her chemistry romancing Miles Wei's character. I also wish to see her more playing in dramas in the future.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Yun Lan (Ma Yu Ting) Yun Shu's older sister. A hard working and dedicated lawyer. She is cold, skeptical, and has a strong sense of justice. Very protective of Yun Shu.	Lu Yu (Dai Yun Fan) Sin Nian's best friend. A famous idol actor who is confident in his looks, acting skills, and charm. Gives advice to Shi Nian on love and romance.	Zhi Yi (Zhao Luo Ran) Yun Shu's best friend. A graduate student in Sociology focusing on gender relationships. Romantic, emotional, and advocates the power of love.	Lin Nuo (Sheng Gang Shuai) Yun Shu's best friend. A hospital worker and also Zhi Yi's former boyfriend. He is rational and down-to-earth.

Grandpa Zhang (Law Cui)
Si Nian's grandfather. A retired academic professor and the biggest supporter of the couple. He loves using science terms to convince their relationship. One of them is Quantum Entanglement phenomenon, a scientific way to explain fated love.

SUBTITLES

For those of us who watch a lot of C-dramas and don't understand the language, we know that MangoTV (the network that aired this drama) tends to be slow in releasing English subs. Therefore, I would like to acknowledge the initial fan-subber who subbed the drama quicker, by putting their link above. We, who watched it while it was airing or right after it finished airing,  greatly appreciated their effort.

OST

Mandopop singer Hua Zhou (花粥), pictured, composed and sang the theme song of the drama Mr. Perfect and Miss Almost (完美先生和差不多小姐), Five People (五个人), and Night Asked (夜问) in which male version was sung  by singer Liu Shuang (柳爽). Actor/singer Qi Shen Han (祁圣翰) who also played in this drama as lawyer Meng Ran, sang Original Place (原地) during the Yun Shu's birthday. Composer: Alex 夏天. Link to Full Album

CONCLUSION

Nearing the end of my article, I can only say that the drama title (though they literally describes the main characters) resembles the nature of this show. It's a casual drama with a simple love story, nothing over-the-top, neither shocking nor frustrating. Yet, it's perfect when you are looking for a well-executed production, heartwarming story, and well-acted lovable characters. Perfect for de-stressing after tough days or warming up chilly nights especially in this cold winter season. It's also perfect for rewatching, like a hidden gem in a jewelry box only to be retrieved on special occasions to be admired and enjoyed. 

HAPPY WATCHING!

ANOTHER TEASER... What happened to the pocky stick???

I do not own any of the images. All credit goes to their respective owners. Image sources: scene screenshots from official MangoTV network in Youtube, official posters and stills were taken from MDL, bilibili.com, and cunman.com. Gif from soogif.com, k.sina.com.cn, and tumbral.com.

THANKS FOR READING AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: ❤️   If you have not watched this drama, are you thinking of watching it? Why or why not? ❤️   If you watched this drama, what is your opinion? Did you like it or not? ❤️   What do you think about the tropes of contract relationship, age gap (older man/younger woman), and/or cold man/warm woman in a drama? ❤️   Do you think opposites really attract?