The Love Equations (2020)

By the same producers as Put your head on my shoulders and A love so beautiful.
The atmosphere of the drama is nice and probably truer to reality than the majority of high school coming -of-age dramas,
For instance, the shared bedrooms at the university don’t look like straight from a design magazine, we are also shown the military training at the start of the season for new univ students… we see tai chi being practiced outdoors… we can hear the noises of the city and traffic, which is normally polished in these dramas.
Another plus is that we can enjoy the actual and non dubbed voices of the actors on the contrary to what is common in the majority of c dramas for the main leads, famous or not… thus no silly baby voice for the actress, and not the same male voice for the main leads as in so many c-dramas… (on the contrary to a Yang Yang for instance. In that regard, xu Kai recently disclosed that it was the first time we could hear his real voice for his latest drama, “she and her perfect husband).
About the story itself, the main romance is really lovely, it is the first time I see such a cute but intense as well as heart-fluttering pursuit of his crush by a male lead (best being ep. 12 and 13). We really see how he wins her over by his attitude and it is great to watch and quite unique. He falls in love at their first chance encounter, and is understandably mesmerized by her bubbly, true kind and positive personality, when his family background has made a solitary of him (his parents have been frequently fighting since early childhood and it is discovered in present time that his mother has bipolar disorder - explaining for her mood swings).
Spoiler : As in every drama, there will be a temporary breakup, this time in the last part of the drama, not out of love or a stupid misunderstanding , but this one - however frustrating - makes sense given the ML absence of model of what a loving, caring and stable relationship really means.for fear of ending like his parents and having the same disorder as his mother, (bc. His nasty jealous childhood friend changes his genetic test results …) even if he truly loves her, he decides to break up, thinking that he will avoid future trauma. But he ends up more miserable than before meeting her, because she truly means everything for him, as he realizes. Good thing he knows how to make amend, and she.s a smart and caring person….
All in all, a great romance comedy drama- even though the female lead is not the best actress, the story itself is so endearing you don’t mind… and gong Jun is perfect.

Read More

This is a really nice coming of age drama that follows a group of friends through their university years and their interpersonal relationships. The drama has some cliche conflicts, usual misunderstandings, some over the top acting, and a cute and steadfast light romance for the leading couple. Although the drama offers entertainment, and the leading couple has a nice chemistry, their romantic scenes lack zest, maybe because it is a PG-13 drama, but they could've done better and keep it at the rating level. Still, it is a good watch while waiting for a great one to come.

Read More

Have been re-watched countless times!!!

Simon gong...i saw him in unique lady and wanted to see him more. His acting is very versatile, and full of many expressions that there was never dull moments! I wa glued to him, and i think so will you!
The FL took time to warm up to, but after watching towards half episodes she really suits the role. She is.fun to watch and you kinda want to be her as well.
The story revolves around young campus love. So sweet.
Both the lead has good character that grows together as a couple, and the male lead is not stupid with other girl. The FL also doesn't take bully from others. So cool.
The supporting characters are very fun to watch as well!
Happy ending very entertaining! I have been watching this series countless times!! So give it a try!

Read More

I was surprised with how much I loved this! I went into this thinking it would be similar to A Love So Beautiful and in the end it was and it wasn't. They have the same premise, a bubbly girl and a stoic and cold guy who fall for each other, but the execution was totally different and while they only have similar premises I liked this better that I liked ALSB. I think that while both dramas were well made this one just fit my preferences for a drama better. I'm always a sucker for a male lead who is a puppy around the female lead. ?

STORY(Spoilers):

I really liked the fact that it broke the trope of the cute and naïve girl going after the smart and cold guy first and him giving in to her pursuit. The way from almost the first moment he saw her he was interests in her. You can see him being drawn to this girl that is so different from him in almost every way and as the drama goes on you see him opening himself up to other people before they even get together. I also like the fact that they didn't make him aggressive his pursuit of her like constantly grabbing her and stopping her from leaving i think that only happened in two scenes and it is a major improvement from other dramas I've watched.

Another part I really liked was the fact that she didn't beg him to stay with her or immediately forgive him even after they got back together. When he breaks up with her we know the reason why he did it (I'm not going to say whether I think he made the right decision or not) but she doesn't, in her view she was blindsided after they spent a nice day together they didn't even have a fight, but after when he wouldn't answer when she asked him why she gave up and showed with her actions that she knows her self-worth and wouldn't throw it away even for him. I was so impressed with her in that scene.

Even when he apologizes and tells her the reason for the break up she doesn't immediately get back with him in her opinion they were over she didn't use their time apart pining over him she used that time focusing on herself and her dreams. In almost all dramas after the main leads get back together after a break up they are exactly how the were before the break up. In drama I've always thought that was a little jarring because the main couples had sometimes spent years apart and had gotten used to who they were without the other person but as soon as they get back together they just revert back to who they were when they were together and that never really made sense to me. But with this drama you see how he just wants to pretend that the year apart never happened but she doesn't let him. She still loves him so she got back together with him but she knows still needs time to forgive him and learn to trust him again. I love how strong she is and how much respect she has for herself that she will not throw away her dignity for anyone. You usually never see that with this type of character (the optimistic cheerful girl) its usually only portrayed by the cold beauties. I love a FL that knows herself and what she deserves from a relationship. You won't see this girl following a guy around and begging for his love and tis is one of the things that the ML appreciates and loves her for.

One of the only issues I have with the storyline would be the girl who chases after the male lead (I wouldn't even call her the second female lead). What she did to the guy who she supposedly loves and grew up with was so disgusting and the fact that until the end she wasn't even sorry about it. In my opinion she should be in jail or getting therapy because i'm pretty sure that she's a sociopath. I absolutely do not think she should be seeing patients of any kind. The fact that nothing really happens to her as punishment after she moves abroad is a major reason I didn't give this drama a higher rating.

ACTING:

Gong Jun: I've been a fan of his for years and for me his acting has always been top notch he has always been able to put emotions into his characters whether its a flirty ghost intent on revenge or a introverted college student who just fell in love for the first time. His puppy dog eyes kill me every time and when he cries its beautiful but you can still feel the emotions.

Reyi Liu: This is the first time I've seen her in anything and her acting blew me away. After i looked her up and saw that this was her first drama and that she is originally a singer i was even more impressed. in my opinion she the way she portrayed her character was amazing. When portraying this type of character its easy to come off as annoying or ditsy and even experienced actresses have made their characters seem forced but she showed that the cheerful and naïve character can have her own dignity. In some scenes she even stole the spotlight from Gong Jun a veteran actor. I really hope she continues to make more dramas.

If anyone has made it to the end of this i would highly recommend this drama to you if you're looking for something that breaks stereotypes and is also light and heartwarming at the same time. ?

Read More

I started watching this Drama because of their Main leads .
It actually gives me the vibes of PUT YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER because the both plot was set of the college or University and the both male lead was the scientist. Then I found that the author of the both Drama was same.

Story- at first I thought it was easy going story but it is not. It was such a cute story and I really liked it . I personally like the love story of Xie Yi Xing and Zhu Lu.

Cast- I really like male lead Zhao Fanzhou (Simon Gong) and his smile was so cute and I don't know why but he gave the vibes of Yan Mo from LE COUP DE FAUDRE . The most entertaining character was Xie Ye Xing. This was time that don't feel sad for the third person I don't know why. All the supporting character was done the superb job.

Read More

things we're kinda slow at the beginning but the end was super fast

before i start the review...
i watched the first 2 episodes and then skipped a bunch because things were just moving so slow i did not feel like watching all the cringey areas. i mainly watched this drama because of gong jun :)

now for the review...

story:
this story is really similar to the drama "put your head on my shoulder". i usually hate modern romance dramas because i'm more of a bl wuxia drama type person, but because of gong jun i watched this through lol. the main male character is a nerd, just like in put your head on my shoulder, and the girl is like playful and clumsy. the last couple of episodes moved so fast, i wanted to see more of their relationship..

SPOILER!!
.. after the breakup. because when they got back together, things felt so different. i prefered their relationship before the breakup :(

acting/cast:
the acting was so good, especially gong jun's facial expressions.
as i said, i mainly watched this because of gong jun haha
the girl got a lot prettier after they got married lol, but that was only during the 30 minute sequel-

music:
the music was kinda repetitive, i never really paid attention to it because i don't really like this type of romance-y music.

rewatch value:
nope i'm not watching this again, i already know what happens, it wasn't that good of a drama, i've seen this storyline before. ex: put your head on my shoulder and skate into love

overall:
if you like romance dramas i recommend, and there's not that much cringey romance in this one which i was really surprised about. also, i realized in some scenes they were literally watching "put your head on my shoulder" on the tv, like the scene where gu wei yi and mo mo kiss with the balloons in the living room lol

Read More

This one is such a high-end love story without having any pathetic negative characters..
Initially I was not expecting so much from this.. But it was from the same writer who has written PYHOMS and ALSB.., so I started watching it and from the very 1st episode I started falling for story..
Male lead is super handsome and female lead is super adorable and cute..
Both the actors have such an amazing chemistry, their acting is just another level..
It is really wonderfully written and this drama is definitely a treat to watch..
The way male lead chases female lead is really adorable..
Also the side characters are really cute and adorable and their story is also not annoying but great..
There are many moments in this drama that gave automatically a wide smile on my face..
I actually enjoyed each and every bit of this drama..
I strongly recommend to watch this drama it's really treat to watch..
A simple,sweet, lightweight and filled with many beautiful and cute moments contained story..
A must watch

Read More

Honestly, Would Recommend

Ok my genuine review is that this show was super cute. Now normally I can't watch C-drama's, only a few have ever peaked my interests but many always seemed longed and dragged out. Usually C-dramas I lose interests in by episode 4 or 5 bc it just doesn't hook me or my eyes go (OoO) whenever I see the amount of episodes which just hint to slow progression for me sometimes, but with this series...I'm glad I gave it a chance bc I never felt bored..I kinda was hooked by episode 2 and the 28 episodes started to not seem like much anymore the more I watched.

The storyline was super cute with no overused themes like other dramas. Yes there's the typical love square thing but not so typical where each other are trying to dramatically make their love rivals life a living hell to get to win their interest's heart. This was more of a mellow drama compared to the overly dramatic love square/triangle trends most people see nowadays. I like the lighthearted feel-good feeling of the story, it had some sad moments that I did shed a tear or two at but it overall was just such a nice put together. I like the development for some characters of their distance between them and someone else gradually getting closer throughout the series either in friendship or more.

The acting was pretty good also in my opinion, I like the main leads chemistry throughout the show and the male leads shyness portraying in his character was well done... and ofc our 2nd lead syndrome is REAL here as well but instead of choosing the second lead over the main male lead, I choose both lol.

Drama music isn't usually something I keep track of, So I can't really give my opinion on that sadly. I don't really even notice sometimes when I drama is playing music bc I'm too focused on the story and acting so I can't really review that.

OVERALL: I give it 9, for rewatch factor and the feel-good moments. Bookmarking this series to watch again. I definitely recommend at least giving it a try, seeing if it's your cup of tea bc you may enjoy it~

Read More

the drama is amazing

Begin Again is a drama that likes to usurp tropes by using tropes and therefore very trope-y. Lu Fang Ning is the female CEO who takes a wife husband so that she can inherit her father’s business. Ling Rui is like the Cinderella picked up by his Princess Charming. While she’s trying to seduce him to make babies she doesn’t know he’s already in love with her because he remembers their childhood past when she doesn’t.

I don’t buy the chemistry between Lu Fang Ning and Ling Rui. Gong Jun has lost his touch on me. Meanwhile Zhou Yu Tong plays a rather outrageous and unrealistic character that I don’t think she successfully made me believe in her acting. What is there to like about Lu Fang Ning? She uses money to force him to marry her. She tries to spike his soup to make him have sex with her. She disappears for years without an explanation. In my eyes, she’s selfish. Other than helping Tang Ping with her stalker, I don’t know what else she did to deserve so much love.

It was the second couple who kept me entertained. I loved how Cai Si Yu transitioned from being an innocent and naive girl to being independent and overly suspicious (heh). Lu Yi Yao being called an oldie is funny.

Overall, the main couple is a miss for me but I can see why it would be entertaining for others.

Read More

"The Love Equations" is a sweet, light and heart warming love story with the cliches we have already seen in previous college/school dramas but with a touch that makes it more real and relatable, the drama has no ambitions and it's sad cause the story can explore more or different situations related to the leads, their relationship and people around them but it follows the first love relationship story. This drama shares elements of the previous works of its writer (A Love So Beautiful and Put Your Head On My Shoulder) which are very notable but this did not bother me cause I knew what I was gonna get when I started to watch it.

WHAT I LIKE
- Chemistry between the leads and the cast in general.
- The female lead, Zhou Xiao is really a highlight of this drama.
- The male lead, FanZhou faces his familial problems at the same time he tries to be a good boyfriend.
- The love story, I like how we can see the growth of the couple relationship, from their very first met until their wedding.
- The female squad, the four girls were likable and relatable in their own way, there was a space for their stories and their friendship feel natural.
- Mental Health, we could see how FanZhou's mother could overcome her bipolar disorder with the help of her family.
- No second lead syndrome, I like Cai Yasi but FanZhou was always the only one who could gain the heart of the female lead.

WHAT I DISLIKE
- The finale feels rushed, after the one year they were separated their relationship was not the same, they needed more time get back together. Their reconciliation could have been better.
- The recycled annoying girl, Yu Chan.
- The show lost its essence, it started with the detective club but at the middle this stop being relevant for the plot.
- Not enough character development, the characters go for a limited line and show only the necessary feelings for the plot.
- Not balance in the story, the plot with FanZhou's mother would have been better in the middle so we could see more of their relationship at the end too.

ACTING
I think the cast did well during the drama, no actor makes me feel uncomfortable with her/his acting and actually actors make the characters likable. Simon Gong played perfectly the role of Zhao FanZhou with his expressive eyes, you can feel how he is falling in love with the female lead watching his them and most of the time he is the one who starts the romantic moments- including the kisses. Liu Ren Yu did it pretty good for her first lead role, she has a good chemistry with her co-star, and also with her friends which is important cause the drama has a space for female friendship.

PRODUCTION
In general, the drama is too bright to the point I had to low the bight to share scenes of it, the close ups are very exaggerated in some scenes and the edition in the last episodes looks rushed. The soundtrack in the drama goes well with the scenes, I want to highlight the song "Sweet Little Happiness" performed by Reyi (Liu Ren Yu) cause it's the one that reminds me this drama the most, the voice of the female lead is as sweet as the drama.

RE-WATCH VALUE
I will rewatch the cute moments of the couple from the first episodes.

PERSONAL RATE 9/10
The drama stands up in its category cause although it follows a well-known formula the characters were improved, especially the female lead. The plot is enjoyable without any crazy dramatic plot twist at the end. Perfect medicine for a rainy day

Read More