From the synopsis alone it's easy to dismiss the story as a long-winded drama about a women that just could not see that the perfect guy was right beside her all along. And yes it is that, but the drama does a good job at not making it feel too dragged on and boring. To begin the premise begins with the two leads making a bet that before the age of 35 (in 5 years), the person that gets married first receives a red pocket of $20,000 ($700 USD). Thus begins the race!
On a little more serious note , the core theme of the drama is really relatable to many young females' minds and hearts about their biological clock. The urgency of having to find their other half because people around are already in a relationship or married with kids. I was watching this when I was in the 11th grade, no relationship whatsoever, but felt strong resonance with the female lead. The struggles and worries of not finding somebody able to accept our weird strange beings is, s o, r e a l.
At the same time, the drama also looks at the beautiful Unrequited-Love-King! LI DA REN! This character really reinvented the wheel for unrequited love as well as introduced a new type of male lead. Li Da Ren becomes the face of passive, sensitive, smart, calm, and collected male lead. It's quite a refreshing break from the usual alpha male leads. And do not worry about it being too melo or sad. Yes, it definitely has those moments, but with downs there are always ups! And this I mean the comedy. The drama does a good job in not being too crazy and exaggerative with their comedy (which can go overboard easily in Taiwan dramas). In addition to the much appreciated comedic reliefs, the place setting of the drama is shot in a many variety of places which gave the drama a bit more individuality compared to the other usual Taiwanese Dramas or C-Dramas.
The casting was perfect. I absolutely LOVE Ariel. She's a goddess. She is so pretty in this drama~ And Bolin Chen is just perfect for this character. I'm not a huge fan of his and I've not seen him in many things but I do feel his personality and acting was logical fit to play Li Da Ren. I am really glad too, that Bolin was our Li Da Ren. In retrospect, I can't imagine another actor playing this very beloved character.
And if all that does not entice you to watch the drama you should just watch it for the OST. It's quite amazing. It really complimented the drama. There's definitely gave a healthy amount of what I like to call "brooding moments" when the main leads need to be sad and brood. I really appreciated these moments for times of good reflection for us.
Overall, this drama is not just a great drama in my books. It's definitely a drama that I have and would come back to rewatch all over again.
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but even though you can find unique parts within the story that just make it worthwhile and truely enjoyable, fore me those parts were most of the story.
the drama is realistic(in a good way), fun and romantic.the soundtrack is more than amazing.the acting is perfect (In my opinion)and the combination of ariel-lin and chen-bolin is great.Its definitely a good one and you shuld watch it.There is without a doubt
something special about this drama! =]
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The romance (or the story) between Da Ren and You Quing started 15 years before the drama started. And the thing is that we obviously wouldn't want to watch those 15 years of story because it would've been really dreadful, but one could've at least expected that the part of the story that we DID get to watch, didn't drag for so long.
There is no story, the whole drama is just about Da Ren being hopelessly in love with You Quing and you Quing treating him like crap and saying "why can nobody love me?? I'm so OLD and I can't find anybody!!". I wouldn't have minded that if it were a movie, but a drama only about that??? You could've watched the first episode and the last 2 and still would love the story, because that's all there is to it.
As for the love part, I love the idea of friends becoming something else, but in here it was just really pathetic and not romantic. If the story had been backwards with You Quing chasing Da Ren all over the place, a lot of people would say "ugghh, this is so sexist, how can they show this? Girls need to have self-respect and love themselves before loving anyone else". But seeing as it's the guy chasing the girl, people say "oh, how romantic". But well, that's sexist too. Guys should love themselves,too. A love relationship should be equal, not one chasing the other until the other accepts, no matter their gender.
The chemistry between Berlin Cheng and Ariel Lin was splendid, they definitely got in touch with their characters and portrayed them perfectly, and I loved how Ariel portrayed You Quing. You Ching is like the anti-heroine in all aspects. She's strong, selfish, not innocent, has had a lot of boyfriends and sometimes she acts like a total b....bad person. Still, the way in which Ariel portayed her made me love her with all her quirks and defects. Berlin Cheng also did a great job portraying Da Ren, but the isuue I had with him was that he sometimes crossed that thin line between in love and pathetic.
I'm not saying that the drama was bad, not at all, it had many strong points, and it was overall enjoyable, but really frustrating at the same time, and sometimes for the sake of being realistic and connecting with the audience, it kind of pushed the romance part aside. The music was not great, but it fit the scenes accordingly.
So, if you like the kind of stories where the guy falls for the girl first and need to do everything to conquer her, or if you are looking for a drama full of awesome friendship and cute moments, this is the drama for you.
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The actors were great. Really loved Chen Bolin and his character in this one! Although he was a bit passive. Ariel Lin's character kind of got on my nerves and I felt like she was not really worth Da Ren's love :( Really didn't like the supporting characters either. However, the main couple do have a lot of chemistry, and you can tell they were more than friends from the beginning.
Loved the theme song! But that's the only music I remember...
Definitely won't be rewatching the entire thing but those last two episodes were amazing. Other writers should take notes on how to end a drama. So many natural kisses, I loved it.
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My review when I watched in Oct 2016:
Finished watching this amazing Taiwanese drama yesterday. It was a 13 episode drama but it is about 1 hour and 30 mins long per episode. I think its broken down differently in different sites. Just check it out.
Anyway, my verdict is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It is not a perfect show but it definitely captured my emotions. I was definitely entertained. Its a good mix of emotions such as comedy, drama, heartbreaking, warmth and comfy. It was a great drama. The lead actors are a delight to watch as well. Don't know where to start praising this drama. I heard that it won a lot of awards in Taiwan. And the very fact that it was remade in Korea as "The Time that we were not In Love" means that it has a good story plot for another country to remake it.
First off, the lead actor, Bolin Chen and the lead actress, Ariel Lin, did a great performance to convince you that they are indeed bestfriends who are hiding secret longing from one another. It was very heartbreaking to watch up until episode 12 I think. It makes you think like "Are they ever gonna be together?". But of course, we know on the onset that they will be. So just be patient.
The one thing I just did not like was the very first episode or atleast half of it, its kinda boring, with the monkey or gorilla something that was being chased by Cheng You Ching (Ariel Lin) at the beginning. I know this signifies "time" because she was problematic as hell for being 30 and mature. But it was kinda off putting for me. Like, you can be happy at any age please. Like there is a saying that "life begins at 40" right. Just look at Li DaRen's (Bolin Chen) mom, who got married who know how old she was to Uncle Bai (the bestfriend of Li DaRen's mom). Anyway, maybe the gorilla thing just pissed me off. Haha. Just my two cents. But I promise you, just get pass that, you will enjoy the whole drama.
As for Li DaRen, I like how he is so gentle and kind. A perfect match for our arrogant Cheng You Ching. He is always there for her, even if he has a girlfriend. And never outsteps his boundaries as a male friend, especially when You Ching had a boyfriend/fiancee in Ding Li Wei.
As for Ding Li Wei, I am not sure. I think that he was really an ass before when him and You Ching broke up 5 years ago, but this time, he really has changed. But he was kinda "caught in the act" that night with his assistant coming out of the shower in a towel. I feel that he was kinda set up by his assistant. It was not really explained further. Since Li Wei had a history of cheating with You Ching, so its unforgivable to even see a woman, much more, a barely dressed woman in a towel in his apartment. So that is that. You Ching was about to break off her engagement to him anyway. So it just gave her all the more reason to break up.
As for the "lessons" that You Ching kept on imparting per episode, the lessons for the "mature woman", it is nice and left a mark. They are all true. Any female could learn from them.
And finally, the part where they are about to become a "couple", at the IKEA showroom, on You Ching's birthday, it was so cute. Like You Ching knows that DaRen is courting her, so she then calls and consults her "bestfriend" over the phone with is DaRen also...Then after that, things just went into their "proper places" as it should be. Like being with each other even if flying back and forth between Singapore and Taiwan just to see each other for 2 hours at the least. The marriage proposal after deciding to finally be together in Taiwan after a coin toss between choosing from Singapore and Taiwan to settle. The wedding, of course. The awkward way that they kiss at first. The acceptance of the mom of DaRen with You Ching as official part of the family. The ties created between You Ching's family and DaRen's family, that they can visit each other anytime. And finally, the awkward honeymoon in Singapore. Then the perfect ending that points out that all relationships are not perfect after all. How DaRen persuades pissed of You Ching to go home after coming back to her parent's house with a luggage since they fought.
Soundtrack is pretty good. Matched the cozy and warm feeling while watching this show.
Obviously, I liked this drama a lot. Will repeat it again sometime soon. Or watch the remake (The time we were not in love), which I am not sure will measure up to this.
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The story of "In Time With You" is so simple and you can even say overused because it's the typical I'm-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-I-can't-because-it-would-ruin-our-friendship. Yup, that kind of story and nope, I didn't spoil you. It is because the drama was not trying hard to be anything else but show the reality. I didn't know much about Ariel Lin and Bolin Chen's acting skills before coming into this drama but while watching this, I could totally understand how they were able to win the best actress and best actor award, respectively. The roles that they played as Cheng You Qing and Li Da Ren would make you feel like you were actually in their scenes because they would make you feel that it was all real. Many people frowned upon the arrogance and obliviousness of You Qing and also Da Ren's role as a doormat and punching bag but I felt that their characters were still perfectly developed and necessary to the story. Unlike most of the other TW-dramas that I've watched, this one did not have annoying or unnecessary side stories because everything just helped in moving the story well and also the fact that the supporting characters played their roles well.
While typing this review, I'm listening to the OST of this drama because all of the songs used were just so beautiful and appropriate for the scenes. "I Still Am" by William Wei as the opening song is probably one of the best opening songs that I've ever heard in a Taiwanese drama. The leads also contributed to the beauty of the soundtrack with Ariel Lin who sang the ending song called "Wings" while Bolin Chen sang "I Probably Won't Love You" as an insert song. There were also two beautiful insert songs entitled "Revolving Door" and "Tiptoe Love" respectively.
I saw how most of the people recommended this TW-drama for those who are not looking for something light. However, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who simply just wants to watch something beautiful in the most realistic way possible. I would also like to praise the director (who also won best director) who used such a simple story into a drama which was artistically and excellently done. I'm generally not a fan of rewatching anything unless it's really really good but this definitely fit the criteria! My tears were just effortlessly flowing while watching this drama and my eyes were literally glued to the screen because I really felt that I was part of the emotional journey of the characters. Overall, I really think that this is a must-watch TW-drama. Having watched a few really great ones (e.g. Autumn's Concerto, Meteor Garden), it made me wonder if I would be able to find another drama that could make me feel overly emotional and amazed with its beauty and "In Time With You" is definitely one of those dramas now.
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This review may contain spoilers
Made me cry like a baby
Damn. I really didn't expect to love this so damn much, because I've had a bad rap with Taiwanese dramas, but this was actually so close to perfect, and it made me SOB.The friends-to-lovers trope is probably my favorite trope ever, and this show did a damn good job of portraying it. As cliche as the "don't want to ruin our friendship" excuse is, it was easy to see how big of a deal it was and why our main characters would choose to keep their mouths shut, even though Da-Ren acted so much like a second lead and broke my heart every single episode. This show is SO good at displaying the little subtleties in their relationship and emotions, especially through the flashbacks. There were definitely some extended flashbacks, but they were paralleled and done so well that I wanted to see more.
The beginning was honestly a little offputting, with the female lead running away from a gorilla looking creature meant to symbolize time. Thankfully this wasn't a long-lasting metaphor, and as the drama progressed, I started to really appreciate the cinematography a lot more, from the (day)dreams that the characters had (which broke my heart too) to the phone calls that brought them closer.
Something about the main female lead, You-Qing, is so damn relatable. She's the sort of everyday badass that stands up for herself, and doesn't need to resort to punches to do so. She can be a little arrogant at times, but that comes with the territory. And even though she's so straightforward and domineering in every aspect of her life, when it came to love, everything became so confusing and scary that she found herself away from it. SO. DAMN. RELATABLE. And when she finally grew from it at the end—it was so refreshing yet heartbreaking that I couldn't help but sob along with her.
That scene where she was apologizing to her parents and didn't want to embarrass them by calling off the wedding, but all they cared about was her happiness...honestly hit me hard, and it exemplified everything I loved about their family. The same could be said for Da-Ren's family, but something about the more subtle way it was shown in You-Qing's family was more effective.
Even though friendship wasn't a HUGE part of the story, I really really loved the high school gang, especially when they were at the bachelorette party and basically collectively knew that Da-Ren had been in love with You-Qing since high school. (Sidenote: Jasper Liu is hella fine)
I also can't remember the last time I cared so much about a side ship. Maybe because it was ALSO friends-to-lovers with one side unrequited, but Ping An and Ling Kai were adorable, and I honestly also love that they played out realistically and it wasn't a random happily ever after.
A few things that I didn't like as much:
1. Something about the time jump in the last episode where we saw You-Qing go traveling was very unsatisfying to me. I'm all about the FINALE where the characters finally reveal everything and are honest with each other, and I never really got to see that. I'm okay with the concept of You-Qing needing time to find herself through traveling, but...What did she say to Da-Ren? What was his reaction when he found out his unrequited love wasn't unrequited? These questions are going to kill me.
2. I kind of wish they didn't make Ding Li-Wei a cheating scumbag at the end. Even though it might be realistic, I liked the idea that he changed his ways and You-Qing had to repent completely for leading on a guy she didn't love. Making him cheat felt like an attempt at justifying You-Qing's actions by basically saying "hey, we both did bad things to each other."
3. A minor last thing: it's true that the drama dragged a little longer than I thought it would because You-Qing didn't speak up, and I hated that especially because I hated Ding Li-Wei that chauvinistic controlling pig with a burning passion, but at the same time—and I'm also saying this for everyone saying that she was horrible for leading him on, crying about being 30, and getting so far as getting engaged—it's easy to see how a thirty-year-old woman in Taiwan would be STRESSED out about still being single at that age, considering how women in their late twenties are already treated like garbage (ex: "leftover women" in China). Add the fact that Ding Li-Wei was an ex who she still had lingering feelings for and it's honestly harder to break up with someone than it sounds...what might've been an annoying character became heartbreakingly realistic and relatable for me.
LAST SIDENOTE: Why does Ding Li-Wei randomly burst into lines of English? Even though his English is good, it still makes me cringe.
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Im glad I did as its quite cute, with lots of romance and fuzzy moments. The cast is good and the story is quite sweet giving you the 9 end 2 vibes.
The cons, tooo long, although I really liked the main couple, their story drags a lots and boyfriends fill in the gaps which is quite annoying and boring.
I loved the end and the fact that it was not abrupt, it makes you saver their cute moments together. So I guess you could say the 1st 10 then the last 2 are the best episodes.
Verdict: if you feel like a cute fuzzy romance go for it, its worth it but be prepared for the long middle episodes.
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Bolin Chen shone in his role as Li Da Ren, the perfect boyfriend and best friend. Sunny Wang, fresh to the entertainment scene, is rather good-looking and charimastic but he is covered in tattoos (which is rather frightening), but he played the role of Ding Li Wei rather well. Sadly to say, Ariel disappointed me (maybe my expectations were too high), she carried her role well in the first few, but turned into a crying mess halfway through the drama. Well, maybe the script writer is to blame for this incident.
Yup, that's it for the review. I must say I love the title in spite of the disappointment I faced! "In Time With You" : isn't it so much better than let's say... Love Keeps Going, Momo Love, Romantic Princess... please don't bash me; I love Cyndi Wang and Wuzun, but I just had to state some examples T_T
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i have seen some posters about this drama awhile back but never paid attention to it since it was a taiwanese drama and never had a good impression in any taiwanese drama except for meteor garden and fated to love you plus the fact that i know taiwanese dramas tend to be very lengthy. then i came accross some sites wherein some users recommended this, then i read the synopsis. it didn't end there since i dont want to waste my time starting a drama and dropping it only after finding its not worth ti (i've been doing that a lot lately). i've explored more and read a couple of comments and reviews on this and then bang!, i said OK, im gonna watch this. i downloaded the 1st 3eps to see. i was smiling and having so many feels on this drama. and i downloaded everything in 1 go. i finished this drama in 1day (1 whole night and 1 day). That's how i feel moved and excited for the feelings of the main characters to evolve.
Li Da Ren's character has become my ideal - guy and friend. really!
the actings of the main character is so real that while watching it, it feels like ts really a true reaction from them, feels like "yes, i would acted that way if it was me", no wonder they have won both the best actor and actress trophy.
the drama is so realistic. you will be touched by the whole story - family bonding, great friendship, career love, forgiveness and moving on.
on the note: this is a taiwanese drama thus its quite lengthy but sure you wont mind it. after awhile, i find a drama worth to keep.
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STORY: I won't lie the "lifetime best friends fall for each other" kinda plot is not what I would call my cup of tea. That's one of the reasons the Kdrama 9 Ends 2 Out didn't strike me as more than average. This is the kind of story that needs to be handled carefully for the viewer to accept that there's more to the friendship that the two friends are willing to admit (and by that I mean a romantic vibe), to understand why they didn't act on their feelings so far and thus to root for them. In Time With You handled it flawlessly. I felt like there were some few holes in the plot, the story seems a bit rushed near the end BUT overall the screenwriter(s)did a pretty brilliant job. The story has a "genuine" touch that makes it even more endearing. You just end up invested in this drama and all the characters. It even gets a bit infuriating at times because you feel like they don't tell you enough about the supporting characters when you just want to know everything. Is that too much to ask dammit! I guess that's the price you have to pay when your drama is only 13-episode long.
ACTING/CAST: Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng's chemistry made you drown in an ocean of feels since It Started With a Kiss and you can't picture her with anyone else? Well, I'm glad to inform you that the day has finally come. Ariel Lin and Chen Bo Lin's chemistry is just undeniable. The acting is just as strong both from the leads and the supporting characters. The actors make you "feel" for their characters and that's what makes this drama so "human".
MUSIC: I personally love it. Simple and soothing, yet also bittersweet, it gives a "mature" kind of vibe that fits the drama like a glove. It's definitely one of those soundtracks you don't get tired of easily.
REWATCH VALUE: Like I said earlier, I feel like the drama was a bit rushed near the end, there was so much more I wanted to see but except for that I loved ITWY to pieces. This tiny issue however will still be there to annoy me even if I watch the drama for 3 or even 100 times...
OVERALL: I'm not usually a big fan of Taiwan dramas but In Time With You has definitely won me over. It's both sophisticated and childish. There's no useless scenes. There's no useless complications. It's just a simple drama about love and understanding. Now please tell me where I can find my very own Li Da Ren.
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