My True Friend (2019)

Deng Lun is a Gem

I must say, I have enjoyed watching this drama. Not for its great plot nor fancy actors, but for something closer – home, what it takes to make a place we can call home. It takes a lot of love and sacrifices. It takes courage and patience.

Deng Lun’s acting is simply 10 out of 10; he is natural, funny and lovable. The character he plays as Shao Peng Chen, grows from an arrogant spoiled brat to a considerate and compassionate leader. His wits, kindness and empathy help him win many hearts, including the love of his life.

Another notable acting is by Li Xin Yi who plays the wily Hao Mei Li. She grows from someone who always undercuts her friends and co-workers to a reliable trusted friend whom everyone loves. Li Xin Yi pins the character to the spot. I really love watching her, though in the beginning I must admit I did roll my eyes whenever she appeared and talked.

There are no real bad characters from start to finish in this drama. The whole drama basically portrays a very real issue faced by many young people living in big cities in China, in particular, Shanghai, where property prices are beyond the reach of many families. As it is a tradition that most Chinese families demand ownership of properties, it has become a constant stress for the growing number of young people working in the cities. The pressure from both sides of the families for a young married couple to own a property is simply unimaginable.

Shao Peng Chen in this drama comes up with a solution in solving the pressing housing issue. It follows a popular affordable rent-to-own model, which has been trending in western countries with the decline of home ownership. His conviction and determination in achieving his goals play out as he picks up the pieces when he fails, and forever optimistic and hopeful, never letting his failures overshadow his judgement.

This drama brings love, friendship, family, trust, compassion, and hope. It is heart-warming and it leaves one with a feel-good sense. It is worthy of our viewing if even just for Deng Lun’s performance. I guarantee you, he would make you fall head-over-toe for him, if he hasn’t already.

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I watched it because of Deng Lun.....LOL

hmm..i just finished this drama 3 days ago and i just have a time to give my review about this drama...

From the story , I think this drama has an okay storyline, there are some lessons that we can take from this story, where home and family are the most important for us, home provides a sense of harmony for a family, and vice versa in harmony a new family can create a comfortable home. So far I am quite fond and satisfied with the storyline ... the one that makes me feel less satisfied is probably the lack of time and allotment for SPC and ZZ in establishing their love, where they are just dating from episode 44 and this drama ends in episode to 48 so that their romantic time is only in the last 4 episodes ... so short ...
I like the courtship of SPC and CZZ, SPC is really very funny and adorable ... I think he will be the most desirable character of the husband, besides being very handsome, he is also kind, honest, attentive and very adorable. besides a good boyfriend, I also feel he is a boss and a good, wise and fair director of his employees ...
for that, if SPC and CZZ were invented in the middle of the story, I think I would be very happy to see more of their romantic and adorable love stories ... lol ....

From acting i give 10 poin, because i think all cast already give their best acting performance for this drama... and of course especially Deng Lun, i already watch many of his drama, and i must admit he has a very good and excellent acting ..he is best actor for me...
besides him, i think angelababy, zhu yi long, and who are as aunt bai, xiao ning, hao mei li , xi shan, manager zheng have a good performance too for this drama..

this drama have a nice ost too, but maybe form all i just like the ost by BII " zui hao de gu shi " , This ost was played when SPC was sad because his father was arrested at the hospital and he went to find zhen zhen, and found zhen zhen also looked for him, then he was sad and cried in zhenzhen's arms, he was afraid of losing his father ...i like that ost....

i give the rewatch value 8 poin, because i think maybe someday I will rewatch this drama again, but maybe just for SPC parts only ... because he is so adorable for me...lol

overall i give 8.5 poin for this drama....and see you again " MY TRUE FRIEND"
thanks for producer, director, all cast, writer, and crew who has made, written and helped this drama...
THANK YOU ALL.....

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So, yes, this drama had some of the stereotypical elements: the spoiled, rich and arrogant ML with a tragic backstory; the hard-working, virtuous FL; the love triangle with ML, 2ML & FL as well as another with ML, FL and 2FL; the scheming underhanded business competitor; a scheming co-worker fixated on the good FL success, the extreme scenarios (kidnapping, complete business failure, massive neurological disease with hospitalization, etc.). But the character and relationship development, dialogue and overarching structure allowed for a richer storyline with complex situations. How so?

character development: several characters underwent transformations over the course of the show. Many moved beyond their selfish viewpoints to acknowledge multiple perspectives and focus on the good things around them. While the transformations sometimes stretched believability, I loved the way kindness could catalyze the smallest hearts to grow. From a slandering colleague to a relentlessly selfish 2FL and co-worker prioritizing ambition over his girlfriend, each became a better, more open-minded, generous and sensitive person.

Deng Lun was a big draw for me to start watching this, but I found myself impressed with each of the actors who played in roles that stretched across the series. Director Mu (Tan Kevin) and Hui Men (Li Xiao Feng) were surprise favorites. Zhu Yi Long as the 2ML gave a richly multi-faceted performance. And even Mei Mei (Li Xin Yi) and Zuh-er Luo (Xu Has) were scintillating by the end.

relationship development: the writers are fairly transparent as they show even the most idealized or long-term relationship might develop tension between people with very different life dreams. We observe the tensions as each longs for their intended lifestyle with their loved one. Characters are not villainized when their expectations don't align with reality of the other person. For some compromise is possible and for others, they sadly part ways. And unlike other dramas, this story shows how people can go on together after that parting. Even the executive of 20 years who abandons his company during a crisis finds a way to reconcile with the CEO. And the overbearing parent acknowledges their contributions to relational rifts. We get to see more substantively founded relationships where forgiveness can occur. This is between parents and children, spouses, in-laws, bosses, colleagues and subordinates as well as boyfriends and girlfriends.

dialogue: one of my favorite lines was when the FL asked the 2ML to stop trying to manipulate her with love. I could look back on my own relationships and think about times when I acquiesced to that sort of machination, when I let the other person's dreams take precedence over my own. I also appreciated the FL's parents who came and observed. Without denigrating anyone or trying to make choices for their daughter, they shared thoughtful words of caution. Then later, there is great talk laced throughout the movie to explore what it means to have a home rather than a building to live in.

overarching structure: with a realtor shop as the context, viewers get to watch other people's stories as they seek a new home. Very little is obscured. We see the overly-expectant pushy parents with a young child; a family of 6 adults (spouses, maternal parents, paternal parents) that wants a home in Shanghai; a couple attempting to defraud potential buyers out of an intentional contract; a relative afraid of ghosts who seeks a full refund and many more. Inevitably tensions emerge as resources and timelines do not always align.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed watching this. It was both more edifying and more emotionally multi-faceted than the standard drama. Without moralizing or being preachy, My True Friend facilitated reflection on my previous relationships and even made me want to be a better person.

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The story is very natural.

The drama is quite entertaining. The start is the same stereotype of an arrogant rich brat and a simple girl, but the way the story evolves gives such deep emotion. The emotion of attraction at first sight and then it turned into love. Angela's character of Cheng Zhen Zhen chasing her idol and then realizing it is not worth sacrificing her likes and passion for just marriage was something that we all need to know about love. The value of knowing how not to sacrifice your passions just for love is portrayed beautifully. The character of Shao Peng Cheng (Allen Deng) will make you fall in love with him. And tbh it made me too...This is the first drama I have seen of his and tbh it was worth it. When I went through other reviews they said it wasn't that good but I found it quite wonderful.

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They needed to focus on main storyline too, ZLY and DL combo is Rare and underused here.

I have seen almost 4 shows of Denglun, He has never looked Better than this , also I think SPC is by far his Best Acted out Role Yet. Upto 10 episodes , this Show is lighter and fun but does have a Lot of Similarities of Fangurling CZZ on her Idol JR to SweetDreams. I am amazed at SPC and For the first Time ever I found the Softy Brat character more Enduring than Dreamy Broody Guy played by ZhuYilong , the contrast between his JR and Denglun's SPC is amazing, they both keep the show intresting. I found Angela Baby suitable for her character , she does a good job of what is expected of her character. Some situations are Overdramamtized when it comes to JR's mom but again what is a C drama without unnecessary episodes and melodrama.For DL fans a must watch, he doesn't make you cry with depression but with Laughter here.

Review: Its a Slice of Life Drama!!

Ep1-16:Legit Confused as to who is the Male Lead here, SPC is a precious Gem and his Scenes with His Father are Pure Gold.Best DL yet. I somehow found uptil now CZZ and JR a better match , JR has this kind of subtle Attraction for which CZZ actually reacts for, she could care more about SPC , so that is why I think SPC needs a Better Match for him than CZZ.I dont want SPC to cry but CZZ isnt the right one for him.SPC-CZZ are better as Friends.

Ep17-35:JR and CZZ are still a better match Romantically but their Age/Experiences are world apart, JR down the line became too domineering in his thoights and literally Overstepped and Unheard all CZZ pleas to let her work in Peace.He wanted a Trophy wife more so because his Mom insisted and She wanted to Work.Had his Mom not liked CZZ and had he not known she is his fangirl He wouldnt even have Fallen in love with Her, and Aunt Bai at last did say right to CZZ, JR was always beyond her approach but Luck happened.CZZ's idol fantasy and reality clashed leading to their relationship gone kaput.Makers have to be credited to show some very real Asian thought processes and how the culture works That being said Aunt BAI WAS NOT A VILLIAN, Asian parents do have a Whole Lot involvement than in West.And she became what normal MIL do there, want the DIL to be devoyed as a free maid to their household and nothing else.That does make her obsolete but she had her reasons, Her husband died young so she cherished ths time left BUT IN A WRONG MANNER.Had Aunt Bai not been in equation I do Think JR would have understood CZZ more intellectually instead of just wanting to marry and have a family, he did have the capacity but for him His Mom always came first.

I still wanted a Different Lady for SPC because CZZ only sees him as a Friend nothing else and Practically Ignores Him and His feelings even when he almost ends up getting killed due to Her.She is too too into her Idol Land when she comes out still SPC is there for her, but who is there for Him? Luo Zuer if She was Not Annoying to SPC would have been Far better IMO, she is smart and Transparent BUT A princess pending money and annoying at a whole lot times.CZZ and SPC together Are not done.SPC deserves Better.

DL as SPC has not really got a Whole lot to work with in terms of storyline TBH but when he does HE Eats the rest 2 actors.ZYL and DLs micro body languages are Legit the Best in cbiz.SPC as a person grew a lot in understanding Humans and His fathers prespective, him and Papa Shao are best when together.PAPA Shao and CZZ parents are one of the best one sees in Asian Drama.

But in terms of stretching the story , there are Too TOO many Micro dramas, When do Real Estate People do Free Counselling??, I mean SPC and CZZ do that more than selling Houses.And everyone has their own Subset of Dramas.This is the most Unrealistic Part they Show.

Ep 36-48:I think the writer should have Introduced JR to be a double ceritified in Architecture and Interior Designer, his Professional Line seemed a Bit Blurry. The last story of Grandpa and Granma was the most Romantic One.And thank God Last 10 episodes gave us a Whole Lot of Papa Shao and XiaoShao they are Pure Gold and best father Son in Asian Drama.JR and Aunt Bai finally understood their shortcomings, I believe had this Show gotten a S2 JR CZZ and SPC working together & The Actual Love triangle would have beeb visible, It could have been that good but it was a Lost cause courtesy Slice of Life Genre which this show is not a RomCom Idol Drama.I for one did not understand how did CZZ suddenly fall in love with SPC ? I get why she should have but the Script writing moments lost me there.The Moment these 2 actually started having romantic feelings it was episode 46, what a shame.I would have loved a proper Love triangle though.It was One main story that could have been done in 16 stretched to 20 extended to 48 due to Storylines(they were excellent but again is this what we signed for?).I still stan with my opinion SPC deserved better and JR/CZZ had a better romantic aura.

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Missed the essential : The romance part

WHAT I LIKED:
- The chemistry between the two leads; Granted Angelababy is not a great actress but in this drama, she had a really good chemistry with Deng Lun. I found they were physically very compatible i.e. they looked very cute together, I thought their interactions were very natual and sincere. It created a genuine relationship of love feelings hidden behind a solid friendship and professional camaraderie.

- Shao Peng Cheng: I liked Deng Lun in this role. The character starts a useless brat punished by his father to go work as a simple employee and he meets someone he falls in love with but he must restrain himself and keep his feelings hidden and at the same time, develop himself and change into a good coworker, a good son and a great professional in his fieldwork. I thought his sincerity towards everyone even his rival in love was touching and he was also fun and honest despite his misery. I was so sorry for him and his dramatic one sided love.

- The secondary romances: To compensate the lack of romance between the leads, the drama developped love stories between secondary leads. I thought these were well presented and the characters were endearing. It helped me keep following the drama.

- The adventures they lived: As fellow coworkers, they live together a series of adventures that are sometime funny, sometime emotional, sometime scary... it was like watching a fun serie.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE;
- The main issue in this drama is that the writer spent too much time on the love that Cheng Zhen Zhen has for the architect. It is clear from the beginning that it is a love born from admiration. Zhen Zhen and Peng Cheg had a great first encounter but she became a couple with the architect. Almost for the whole drama, it is about when she will come to her senses and see that they are not made for each other. The drama spins this for so long with the biggest clichés like the mother who absolutely wants Zhen Zhen as her daughter in Law or Peng Cheng who knows so much about her when the architect can't understand her at all. The situation becomes frustrating and annoying to the point it is prejudiciable to the drama. Until ep 44 there is no romance between Peng Cheng and Zhen Zhen and then everything accelerate and rushed within 4 episodes. What a waste.

MUSIC: The song "I know You know" from Aarif Rahman is one of my favourite Drama OST from last year.

REWATCH VALUE: To rewatch the drama is to go throught the frustration again. I would not inflict this to myself. But I have to say I watched again the cute scenes of the last eps between Zhen Zhen and Peng Cheng on the bridge or the bed scene which was so cute and funny.

OVERALL; The drama had a great cast with good and handsome actors and a cute actress who was pretty decent here. Anyway, it failed to be really good and entertaining because of too many frustrations as they spinned the wrong relationship and the slow burn friendship turning into love for way too long. I physically felt pain for poor Peng Cheng until he wins the race, fetches the cup and kisses the girl. Because of this I would not recommend to watch this drama unless you are a Deng Lun fan like me.

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If you're watching this drama without expecting romance too much, I think you're going to enjoy it as much as I did. I have watched it from an impartial perspective cuz it was my first time watching the key actors. Angelababy has amazing chemistry with both Deng Lun and Zhu Liyong. If she isn't married, I'll be shipping her with Deng Lun. hehehehehe They look adorable together!!

The downsides of this drama besides the less focus on the romance aspect; its dragginess, are too much focus on the subplots (I esp. hated the sets of hellish parents in this drama!!); the tiring and annoying lover's quarrels between Fu Xiaoning and Xi Shan; and . . .the shameless product placements!! harhar

On the positive, I liked how the growth and transformation of the characters have been shown. I liked the enthusiastic and fresh portrayal of the budding real estate biz in Shanghai. Also, I liked how the drama correctly portrayed 1) the real estate concerns of people from all walks of life and 2) the operation of the toxic patriarchy esp. in the family dynamics. Most of all, I liked the lessons taught in the drama such as:

a) Optimism, faith in one's self, patience, and hard work are essential to success.
b) Love can't be rushed or forced. And it grows specially beautiful if it's nurtured by friendship and trust.
c) ''To err is human, to forgive, divine'' (per Shao Peng Cheng's words). and
d) The application of the principles of business ethics.

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Excellent show

At first I wasn't sure about this show. For me it started off quite slow and I was thinking about dropping it but I am a fan of Deng Lun so I decided to keep watching. I am really glad I did. The drama got so much better and I couldn't stop watching. I admit I did skip some scenes but the majority I did watch and I loved it.

For the cast, I think everyone who participated in this drama deserve high praise. Each and every one of them were fantastic. I want to give extra praise to Deng Lun as Shao Peng Cheng, Angelababy as Cheng Zhen Zhen, Zhang Wan Yi as Fu Xiao Ning, Li Xin Yi as Hao Mei Li and Tian Xi Wei as Xi Shan. The five of them really excelled for me. Towards the end when it was just the five of them in the company and they were working really hard together, for me they were they best scenes. I loved seeing the five of them work so well together. That is why I want to give them all very high praise.

I would happily watch the show again down the line especially the scenes I mentioned above.

If you are debating whether or not to watch this drama, I definitely recommend that you should. Just have a little patience and hang in there at the start as it does get so much better and well worth watching.

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Watched this drama because deng lung and angela baby played as couple. Wonder how they act together.

This drama actually classic plot where the female lead too good to be a person. The plot circle about Zhen Zhen (ZZ) make a difference with the people around her. Shao Peng Cheng (PC) change from arogant brat into better person because he want to be better man for ZZ. Hao Mei Li change from a woman that only care for herself into better person who care about her co-worker. And also some of her client that ZZ 'interfere' with their live.

What i like about this drama:
+ They show us sometimes when reality hits us, no such thing as first love or love at the first sight can always fit with us. ZZ & Jing Ran (JR) is the example. ZZ is alrealy long time fall in love with JR, but when she became couple with JR & all the problem rise to surface she not hanging to that feeling but she can choose to let go.
+ Every problem of the family quite relatable with us.
+ every character grow into mature or better person
+ love rival not so crazy

What i don't too like:
- the plot a little boring. I pause this drama for several times too.
- ZZ sometimes too good to be a person. With her personality in the big cities... Hm...

Overall: this is a good drama, but i don't know does this drama have to put into your list or not.... Re-watch...? Nah, don't think so.

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*don't know if mentioning their characters is spoiler, Lol*
First of all, I watched this because of my NAN SHEN (男神), DENGLUN. And paired up with Angela Baby, which is also my fav actress. WOOHOOO! xD
But but but, I think this drama is good as well! the story, their personal development can be seen. I love how the Main Leads grow even better towards the end of the drama. ANDDD! I personally love Denglun's character here, he is kind of a fuckboiii XD, love to flirt, easily get jealous*, and the kind of always looking calm/relax no matter what problems come to him. THESE ARE WHY I LOVE SHAO PENG CHENG.
And Angela baby too! her character here is the BEST, almost looks flawless* (except being gullible, Hahaha), pretty, solve problems like a pro, kind hearted.
Seriously these two, are one of the best couple. May not show any sweet moment, but we can feel their love. lol

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I am so Lucky to find this drama

Nowadays, there are so many Asian dramas produced... Yet, not many of them are well crafted out. My True Friend is one of them.

The story is heart warming (not too hot, not too much), realistically reflects the metropolitan lifestyle. Every characters (kids, gen y, gen x, bb boomers, elderlies) are well-acted, dialogues, body languange, human interactions of age gap all seems very natural, creates very believable chemistry between actors in every scenes. The product placement ads were good, too. "Cheesy moments" in comedy and romance still makes me laugh, sob and awwweee...

I can't believe, after watching so many other "recommended" Asian dramas prior to this one, I did not fast forward this drama, watching all 48 episodes attentively (I usually fast forwarding scenes, to minimize time spent on "Me Time").

I think this drama is underrated.
I am lucky to get entertained by this drama, despite the lesser points/stars compare to other popular dramas.

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