Cute and fluffy but overcrowded with annoying elements
I would like to thank We-Tv for giving me the possibility to watch this in double speed as anything else would not have made completing this drama possible.I will start with the mostly good
Dr Gu/ Xiao Zhan starts off as sweet icicle, and is the sweetest male lead ever about 80% of the time, the rest are some pretty big red flags and lack of something but the rest is just dreamy... kind, helpful, adorable, caring... With a smile that will melt any other icicle in to a puddle of sugary gu...
His acting skills spao on, his charm is just overwhelming... Almost making me forget that he is actually kind of controlling, childish and jealous in a not so great way... And way, way to conservative slightly misogynist kind of dude... but d*** those dimples and the way he acts the rest of the time can easy confuse anyone to think he is mr. Perfect, but it also reminded me of all the good non misogynist male leads that have been in c-drama lately that may have spoiled me.
His Chemistry with Yang Zi/Lin Zhi Xiao was over the top great, their kissing scenes fluff scenes, and about 70% of their interactions are just amazing, fluffy and everything nice... the other 30 is her not listening ,not letting him talk and misunderstanding him + being very, very, very annoying.
She Is otherwise mostly smart, fun and a pretty ok character, especially when she is interacting with her mom, and not misunderstanding Dr. Gu... She is not to timid and does seam to actually have a brain... If only she was less annoying that would have been great.
All their friends are highly annoying, Though the girls mom has some sweet scenes the rest are just so annoying. Especially the dad... from start to finish the way he acted, talked did stuff jus made my blood boil...
So on a scale of 1-10
Bingabilaty- 3
Annoying elements- 9999
Fluff- 11
Values- -9
Chemistry- 9
So to sum it up.. A lot of fluff but mostly highly annoying
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I just love this masterpiece ... ?
At first, I thought story is different from novel. But later on, I love this drama version. It's a combination of humourous and emotional feelings. The cast is perfect for their roles.Xiao Zhan is such a gentleman and Yang Zi is like a cute and funny girl as well as kind hearted. Their interaction makes me fall in love with them. Just some rational talking is making them very romantic.
Everyone contributed their 100% in this drama. In just a few episodes, I'm laughing 😂 and crying 😭 with them. Personally I don't like melo and overboard romantic drama stories which is beyond the real life stories.
This story made me feel close to real life.
I felt their saying some romantic words and doing some extra things is not necessary for falling in love. Just staying loyal and sincere to someone for the rest of their is enough.
Highly recommend.
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Watching this becoz of Yang Zi
Have recently become a fan of Yang Zi after watching Yang Zi's dramas marathon i.e Ashes of Love & Go Go Squid, so I'm watching this drama becoz of her. Loving this drama so far. It is interesting, never a dull moment. Love Yang Zi character who has a bright and sunny personality, positive and highly motivated. It is entertaining to watch her character slowly worming her way into Dr Gu's heart who at times shocked at her unrestrained antics, getting physically close to him & touching him with child like innocence. Cant' wait for episode 7 .... Finished watching, love their wedding vows! Hoping to see Yang Zi & Xiao Zhan act together again in another drama ....Was this review helpful to you?
bland/immature
What makes me upset about this drama is that it was commercialized as being a melo drama and it is so far from being that in the end. Melodramas are supposed to have a deep emotional impact and this show does not really have that. It plays its generic goofball soundtrack far too many times to be called a melo drama.Story: There is so much you could do with the plot given so I am excited to see what they do with it. However, this drama has been kind of corny so far. I wish it were more emotional. They spend most of their time in the hospital, so the world does not seem fully fleshed out. I wish that the characters would get out of the hospital and explore the world beyond just Xiao Zhan's doctor's office. Yang Zi is a musician in the show, but so far we barely get to see her play or practice, it is disappointing. There is a lot you could do with the characters and their backgrounds. You could get very deep and emotional with the music and medical aspect of the show and I hope that the show uses that and delivers in that sense. So far, it has explored the emotions a bit, but the more emotional scenes have tended to be very short, which is upsetting because the acting in them is so good.
Directing: The camera angles are not the best. I personally am not a fan of the super up-close camera shots. The transitions are choppy and scenes get cut off in odd places at times.
Music: The main theme is very good. The other music sounds like it is royalty-free music off of Amazon. I prefer when they play no music in the backgrounds of scenes or keep the music at a down low. The music played in the club has been horrendous.
Characters: Xiao Zhan is really good, he is very handsome and will make your heart flutter in every scene he is in. Yang Zi's character is very cute, she is a bit of a goofball, but so far I do not dislike her.
Edit: Yang Zi's character is beginning to become very insufferable and sooo immature. No adult would act the way she is acting.
The only character I like is Dr. Gu. The thing I don't like about him is how he doesn't stand up for himself. If there is an issue he just blames himself and caves. He apologizes. He changes for her. I cannot see in reality how a guy like him would actually be okay with dating someone super immature, nosey, and cringe.
Acting: The actors have so much potential. The emotional scenes so far have been very brief; I wish that they would lengthen them and that those scenes would have more depth because the actors are so talented
Edit: Potential is not reached, the script is so bad.
So far the show seems a bit bland, but it is not too boring. After about episode 6 or 7 the plot becomes very cliche. I still want to keep watching it, nothing has made me upset to the point where I can't watch it. It is no 10/10 amazing, perfect show, but I think it is good for a casual watch. It is not the worst show I have seen, but I feel like it has lost potential thus far; hopefully, I will be proven wrong on this.
Edit: The script is so bad. Xiao Xiao is so unlikeable and immature. It is very unrealistic. In reality, Dr. Gu would not like her, like her character is just too much. The conflicts are boring and very bland. She creates a conflict and he has to solve it although he did nothing wrong. I am just so disappointed with these. People waited for years for this show to come out and this is what you get? A very mediocre romcom type drama? So much wasted potential, seriously. On 19 episodes now and they just keep getting worse and worse. Skip through the side characters plots, they are just as dumb as Xiao Xiao.
This review is not finished... this is all my opinion
update : very cringe , very awkward and embarrassing
final update: the last 2 episodes were ok, I would skip the junk in the middle cuz all it is is them having childish fights about miscommunications and what not, doesn't mean much to the story at all. Last 2 episodes they get married and it's cute, wedding is cute, stuff happens with the dad and Yang Zi gets to display her acting abilities a bit. Xiao Zhan not so much. Tbh its just very disappointing that you have two incredible actors, but give them the worst script. Wasted potential, :=
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What actually saves this drama is the lead actors and Lin Zhixiao's family. Xiao Zhan is, like always, amazing and actually is the only reason I finished this. Also. Yang Zi was really really good. Her role wasn't so well written but she did an amazing job with what she was given. Also the Lin family was really great, Xia Zhiqing and Sunny Hao was great in their roles. These four was the only memorable and interesting characters with complete stories that you wanted to watch.
Maybe I am a ting bit dissapointed ( I waited for almost 3 years) but all in all it was a good experience.
(P.S.: Amazing OST, both their voices are amazing)
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This review may contain spoilers
Dropped twice. Disappointment from start to finish, cringed the entire time
Way too much crying and immature acting of the fl in nearly every ep. I get it, sick dying father is sad, a person cries when they're sad, angry, happy and all but it's not necessary to always cry! Whenever I saw her crying at the slightest and throwing a fit like children, I was like, dear god not again... LZX is an extremely irritating, immature and spoiled char or that's how yang zi potrayed her. Personally till the end, I saw no character development. A college student, any age above 20, isn't THAT immature. Not only she looked too old, she acted too childish for the character's age.She claimed gu wei was a bad bf at one point when GW have been so nice to her. She was always inconsiderate and annoying. Irl no one would tolerate someone like lzx. I was so mad at the ep where she lashed at gu wei, when he was having a hard time mentally, bc of the medical case and cyber bullying, all he wanted was some space, some time to clear his mind but she was all shouting, kicking, calling him bad bf not trying to understand anything. I hate this type of inconsiderate people even in drama. Then she also kept ignoring him when he apologised like?? Bc he told her to go to Germany alone, she didn't even try to understand why he said that or let him tell her the reason. Just being impatient, crying, throwing tantrum. Let's not start with her wanting to move her father on advice of someone she knows instead the doctor because she saw him drinking.. her wearing wrong size heels for god knows what reason, so many plot holes and cringy scenes.
Xiao zhan's acting was fine, though not a fan of cold ml who are only warm to fl, and dumb fl storylines.
The little theatre idea was interesting and creative. I feel like it could be so much of a better drama.
Side characters are very nosy. lzx father was also annoying and wrong many times.
Didn't watch with a bias towards it like the fans. I've noticed that, high rating, all 10 reviews doesn't always mean it's good drama and acting.
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A wildly different adaptation
A much anticipated release. Did it live up to the hype? I'm not so sure.For me, as someone who's read the translated novel, I found it wildly different from the source material. Some of the choices were good but some of the others fell into the same trap as other run of the mill c-dramas: drama for the sake of drama.
First things first, terrifying fans of the actors and fights in the comments section aside, the acting was top notch which lifted the drama significantly. I'm not hugely familiar with the lead actors but I thought they did very well. The emotional beats resonated with me. I've only watched Yang Zi in Go Squid. I don't think it's her fault but I found both the story and her character pretty tropey and uninspired. However, as Lin Zhi Xiao she was by turns winsome, charming, resilient, and a fighter. No candy character here for the ML to walk over. Similarly, Xiao Zhan as Gu Wei was good too. He portrayed the emotionally closed-off yet vulnerable and steadfast ML well. Their chemistry sparkled. Their interactions and physical comfort were such a pleasant change from the incredibly stilted and choreographed intimacy we see across our screen every day. While some of the direction choices were problematic, more on that later, it was nice to see a couple that who actually talk about (most) things. They discuss things that are both mundane and serious (occasionally ass-kicking is required!) and don't brush off their problems or concerns. A well adjusted adult relationship - after You Are My Glory -- this was a solid follow-up.
The ensemble cast was also stellar especially Mrs. and Mr. Lin. The FL's character arc is very well done. He goes from. being infuriating (making me want to punch him in the nuts. Repeatedly.) to sympathetic over the course of the drama. Once we finally get an insight into his emotional landscape that is. The chemistry between the Lin family was lovely. From heartbreaking showdowns between a disappointed parent and child (and vice versa) to moments of sweetness and vulnerability and humour the Lin family showed it all. And while I didn't enjoy the change in characters from their portrayal in the novel at the start of the drama I came around to it. A lot of that is down to the actors and their performances. Meanwhile Dr. Gu's family were placeholders entirely devoid of substance. I found this a shame since the whole trope of disapproving and controlling parents is so old-school and was manifestly chosen to create unnecessary drama. I feel like that bit of the drama could easily have been left out. More moments of sweetness between our leads please!
The opening and closing credits (with sweet little theatre moments) and the OSTs were charming. And in keeping with the theme of the drama and our main leads.
I could have done without the second leads -- boring and unnuanced, again drama for the sake of drama --- and the awful flat characterisations of the FL's besties. Nothing good there beyond repetitive scenes of passive aggressiveness, terrible dating advice, and unwanted interference in the lives of our leads. Again, that comes down to poor decisions when adapting the novel to the drama.
All in all, a drama that was held up by the main leads and some members of the ensemble cast. Would I watch it again? Probably not. But it was definitely head and shoulders above its peers in the same genre.
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ADULT, REAL, WARM LOVE STORY IN A REAL WORLD
For me, this is the best drama of 2022 and 2023 hands down. It's not only a love story, there's a whole world around it.Adult realistic world, with flaws, good and bad, happiness and sorrow.
A story about everyday life, about family, friends, neighbors. The story is very fluent, the relationships have ups and downs but their development is very natural. The main leads, Yang Zi as Lin Zhi Xiao and Xiao Zhan as Gu Wei have amazing on-screen and off-screen chemistry.
One of the important topics of the drama is the age gap between the leads ( 10 years in the drama, 6 in the novel) but in my opinion the perfect word to describe The Oath of Love is communication.
Working in the medical field is not easy and we can see it in the characters of Gu Wei and Gao Xi, similar but with different point of views. An important element is growth and dealing with parents, and in cases with mortal deseases. Age gap, personality difference, insecurities are well highlighted.Being able to compromise and understand each other, is how a couple can develop true love.
It's slow burn romance but not that slow, and the topic of healing is well developed. The relationship between the leads is cute but not cliché. They complete each other, he is mature and has calm personality, but with a gentle and warm heart inside. Lin Zhixiao has a bright and positive energy. They totally match.
Another special thing of the drama are the OSTs.
- "The Oath of Love (余生，请多指教)), opening theme song by Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi shows the perfect combination of their voices
- "Somebody Liking Someone "（一个人喜欢一个人） by Yang Zi is the first ending
- "The Luckiest Fortune" (最幸福的幸运） by Xiao Zhan is the second ending
I really recommend this drama to everyone wants an adult, real and warm love story.
LAO LIIIIIIIIN ç_ç
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DEFINITELY worth the wait and a must watch!
This series definitely started my 2022 right. I didn't expect to binge-watch all available episodes in one go, but here we are, at five in the morning, writing a review because this series has left me feeling all giddy and fuzzy all over.While the series feels light-hearted, there are a lot of serious topics that it takes on; what makes it perfect, for me, is how the execution was done- how it is relatable and understandable. It also helps that the chemistry between the main leads is totally electrifying.
To add, I also appreciate how the show was able to decently portray how relationships undergo different kinds of hurdles through all stages, especially at the beginning, such as; age gap, personality differences, insecurities, etc. Being able to compromise and understand each other, is how a couple would be able to thrive; and I'm glad that in this series, they showed both Gu Wei and LZX growing and withstanding the trials that they faced. They're not perfect characters and that was clearly shown in the series, but how they handled and grew because of unforeseen and unfortunate events, made me appreciate and love this series so much.
In this series, expect to appreciate life more. You'll definitely laugh, cry, and feel giddy all over.
The Oath of Love is without a single doubt, worth the wait. Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi gave so much life to their characters that you won't be able to stop rooting for them.
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On the bench
I’m a huge fan of XZ and I love the ML and FL interaction (IRL). I was looking forward to OOL for 2 years+ but I’m mildly disappointed with the series. The only saving grace of the show is the good looking cast, particularly XZ. Im so conflicted because I love XZ but I hateeee Gu Wei’s character. He’s so bloody controlling and annoying to the point i had to fast forward more than half the time. LXZ’s character has so much potential to be something epic but again, character development was very poor - the character doesn’t give YZ justice honestly. Why does she has to be a docile, weak, timid yes girl? I raged at the scene where she was ridiculed by the other female doctor during a formal dinner event and she just apologized and walk off? REALLY?!! I wish they do more justice to both leads. I was expecting at least an arc/ some sort of climax towards the end but yeah, nothing. End of my rant. TqWas this review helpful to you?
I normally rattle endlessly to describe dramas, but I’ll attempt keeping this as simple as possible because this story, too, is simply a love story. The English title they chose is so befitting. The meaning behind taking the oath of love with someone and persevering through life’s ups and downs … there’s no gimmick. No plot twist, no mystery, no unexpected. It’s truly just a story about love. If you're into stories driven by actionable plot, this may not be for you, and that's okay! The story is very everyday, very ordinary, very slice of life, but it brings so much joy with each moment we spend with Lin Zhi Xiao and Gu Wei.
I’m not going to lie that it was a slow burn for me. It took me a few episodes to really get it, just like gradually falling in love. I fell a little harder with each episode. When all the pieces clicked, I was hooked, and now I’ll never be the same person because I’ll always be missing this couple. Every episode outdid itself. I couldn’t believe there was more room to love this drama up until the very last ending sequence.
The chemistry is top tier. Yang Zi and Xiao Zhan put so much heart into bringing Lin Zhi Xiao and Gu Wei to life as naturally as possible. The subtle actions and micro expressions are insane! For the first time, I felt like a Chinese drama (known for extending episodes for viewership) was far too short. I need more time with them! Like, the rest of my life!
And this OST. THIS OST?! Every song will play at my wedding, judge me all you want. Every song is a love letter from the characters' perspectives, and it's just so beautiful c':
No production is without flaws. This one was in the supporting characters and their lack of presence. But listen….. for the love that I have for Xiao Xiao and Dr. Gu? I didn’t mind that the supporting characters lacked some development in favor of more time with the leads. As much as I love characters who stand on their own, this is just not enough to budge my rating. I love the leads that much. So grateful to have seen this. <3
Who’s starting the petition to cast Yang Zi and Xiao Zhan in another drama ASAP, and where do I sign my life for it? Help a girl out.
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Worth the all the hype
First of all, I must caveat this review by stating that I watched the original (web) version and not the TV version so my thoughts about the airing schedule at the end may be irrelevant to some.Despite having to wait an extra half a year to begin watching TOOL, my anticipation for this drama did not wane at all and having now finished it, the drama was well worth the hype. Yang Zi ("YZ") and Xiao Zhan ("XZ") have historically done a beautiful job in their previous dramas and this was no exception. As someone that typically watches dramas at 1.5x to 2x speed and in one go after all the episodes are released, this was one of the few dramas I found myself actually savoring each episode and watching at normal speed in real-time with the airing schedule (at least for the Tencent app).
Music - any soundtrack with YZ and XZ is amazing , this one doubly so because they both had solos and a duet together. The other songs were great too; though only the main theme (their duet) is on Spotify, I found myself searching for the other songs on Youtube to listen to. Even the instrumentals were amazing; the orchestral scenes were well filmed and seemed realistic (other than Lin Zhi Xiao's ("LZX") individual scenes - from what I understand YZ tried to learn the basics of the cello, but it's not exactly an instrument you can pick up in a couple of months). On a scale of how much I loved the soundtrack, I would buy a physical CD if I could.
Acting - YZ and ZX had amazing microexpressions throughout the series. I loved how you could see them fighting to hold back tears or hiding smiles in certain scenes. The actors made me laugh and cry with them because I felt like I too was their friend witnessing their story. The supporting cast were also great - though I didn't like the side couples as much (especially Gu Xiao and San San - they were both a bit annoying together), I loved how supportive their friends were. You could also feel the love the parents had for LZX from their acting.
Plot - Overall, the plot felt realistic for a modern drama. Nothing was too cheesy (maybe some of the medical diagnosis, but I'm not a doctor and most of it seemed like it was within the realm of possibility). The love story between Gu Wei ("GW") and LZX was at a moderate pace: not rushed, but also not so slow that the whole drama was about them falling in love. Even in their misunderstandings, they came from very real human emotions of not wanting to be too vulnerable in front of the person you love, especially in the early stages (in terms of length of time) you're dating. Both YZ and SZ did an amazing job of showing their characters' growth from the beginning of the drama until the end. In addition, while the overall plot was about romantic love, there was also plenty of familial and friendship love - LZX's friends may not always have the best advice, but you can tell that they truly care about her as a friend. Even GW's coworkers/ friends (including Dr. Yan who was anti-GW at the beginning of the film) was supportive of him as a doctor. The familial relationships were also realistic - from Teacher Lin pushing LZX to be better to the support Mrs. Lin shows to LZX to how the parents treat their daughter's boyfriend (in terms of wanting the best for their daughter but also respecting her choices) to how Mrs. Lin as a housewife cares and loves her husband. Despite not caring as much about the other side characters, I do wish the ending didn't rush over their stories and they resolved them rather than just glossing over them.
Book vs series: if you enjoyed the book, this differed quite a bit from it; not that it's a bad thing, just different. Other than the character names and LZX meeting GW due to her dad's diagnosis, there isn't a whole lot in common (eg - movie is mostly getting to the fall in love state while much of the book is about them after they start dating).
The only thing I found extremely annoying about this show was how difficult it was to figure out the airing schedule (one weekend it was one episode per day and another weekend it was two episodes on Saturday and one on Sunday). I did appreciate getting two episodes a day during the week though - it was nice being able to watch more episodes together than having to wait a month for the full drama to finish!
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