Intense Love (2020)

I loved the cast and storyline. Its about a couple who mom were best friends and they were betrothal as kids. They knew each other and separated after his mom died. Many yrs later his a top notch surgeon and she is a well established actress. There is a formal engagement dinner between families. She didnt go as was in a drama, and he didnt go because had a surgery. So his big brother decided that the engagement is on and her family wss so excited. They are annoyed after hearing this and both forget about the other. She gets into a car accident and is taken to his hosp. and he operates on her, not knowing who she was. A few days later they each find out in secret and the story goes upon them finding out about the other lives. It bring jealousy, betrayal friendship relationship love rumors and backstabbing and backlash by her company. It a sweet romance that didnt go overboard.

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So I came here after watching Ryan in The Romance of Tiger and Rose. I think if I had seen this first, I might have rated it higher, but in comparison to his performance/role in the other drama, I'm rating it a bit lower. Simply because I think he is such a talented actor and this drama didn't really use him to his full potential.

That being said, here is how I would break my rating down. Plot wise, I think this drama is pretty typical and a bit cliche. I didn't like the characters particularly because they are a bit superficial and wishywashy. I love Ryan and Julio and have watched their dramas before. The other cast members were a bit lacking. I personally didn't feel that much chemistry between the main leads (or at least as much as there should be), but sparks were flying with supporting role romances. I found the FL a bit annoying, but it could just be the character. Music was neither here nor there. But I would rewatch just for Ryan's face when she tells him she's pregnant.

TLDR; watch before The Romance of Tiger and Rose?

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Okayish.........

Okay so I started this for my watch challenge and I even had it my PTW.
Now about the drama, it was really an okay one. I didn't like their acting that much as it felt too unreal. At one point I literally thought that "Yeah, Zhang YuXi said her dialogue" it didn't feel like Su Jinbei was the one speaking it.

The first 10eps were really good as they were a little funny to watch. But, we know that gradually a drama has to get better & better but this just took the other path and gradually became bitter & bitter.
There were a lot of cringey scenes like ML holding the FL up in his hands, then the one in which they spill the coffee and lot more.

I didn't like the filmography that much as well. When Ryan Ding was shown playing tennis & Zhang YuXi was shown exercising for the competition, it felt unreal.

There was not much need to add up a villainess kind of a thing, it could've worked better without it.

The relationship of Wudi & Yuansong was much better than the leads as there were no cringe moments in their relationship.
There wasn't any need to show Suying as an evil sister at first. I even liked Xu Jiawei & Suying's time together.
They were much better than the leads.

Overall 8/10 is fair enough because I usually rate them according to my enjoyment & for me Wudi & Yuansong saved this one.
I don't think I'll ever rewatch it again as I am not even having withdrawal symptoms as I had with my favorite dramas.

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For the first time, I am stumped about what to write in this review. I enjoyed the relationship between the two mains Bei Bei and Dr Zhou, and was sucked into the story and drama from the beginning. Both characters were genuinely good people who found one another, fell in love, and shared their love with one another and the world. Dr Zhou reminded me a lot of Zhao Nai from Love020, while Bei Bei reminded me of every role I've ever seen the main actress in, except for this time Bei Bei was a bit naive and overly dramatic but had one of the biggest hearts. She always saw the good in people, even when there was always someone trying to tear her and her career down. It was refreshing knowing that the only thing I didn't like about Bei Bei was how she just viewed life as a romance drama, and whenever there was a situation, she would react with a lot of flare. But it made it very enjoyable to watch as Dr Zhou loved Bei Bei's dramatics and never thought she was overreacting, even when the viewer did, and vice versa with Bei Bei loving the normalness of Dr Zhou. They loved one another for who they were, craziness and all.

This leads me to my least favorite couple, Dr Xiao & Di Di. I thought that they were very opposite of the mains. I loved Dr Xiao and thought he was very much a guy version of Bei Bei, as they had very similar dramatics and were very passionate people and I believe that Dr Zhou def has a type that he likes to surround himself with (dramatic, passionate, big-hearted people). This is why I couldn't get behind his relationship with Di Di. Di Di is a very strong-minded person, who after a failed engagement, is very set in her ways (which isn't a bad thing whatsoever), but when she finally opened her heart to Dr Xiao, she had this mindset where she liked him but would love him more if he changed his habits. And it was weird as a viewer seeing this relationship between Dr Zhou and Bei Bei form with total love of one another, and then seeing Di Di always needing something more from her partner. Given, Dr Xiao would do anything and change anything in order for Di Di to reciprocate his feelings, so he is also to blame for my dislike for them. And I know that every relationship is different and not easy, but I felt like there was always something with them two, and it got old quickly. It got to a point where I wanted to fast forward through their scenes but decided against it cause I loved Dr Xiao's character.

Overall, I enjoyed how this drama was a good balance of easy watching as well as being super dramatic where everything either ended up in best-case scenarios or worst. Such as at one point (SPOILER) Bei Bei got sick and thought she was pregnant and then told everyone...even though her and Dr Zhao had never been "intimate" that the viewer was aware of, especially when they have a talent of always getting disturbed while they are about to kiss. It turned out that her body just didn't react well to her intense dieting, and I am sitting here like...this is the theme of this drama. The obvious first reaction is never thought about until the very end when someone else had to tell the mains...yo...what?

Given, I did enjoy this drama as the dramatics were easy to laugh at and the mains would eventually get to the right place...eventually. But I do think this drama would have been better if there was less Di Di. Also, I would have been more interested in more Jiawei and him building his relationships. He was a very enjoyable character and thought his store moved a little too quickly for the few minutes he had at the end.

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A collection of stereotypes combined into one drama

Firstly, I wanted to explain why I titled the review as such. After watching the entire series, I felt that the writers wrote the characters based off of gender stereotypes. Female characters portrayed as somebody who acts based on emotions, and Male characters who uses brain. Generally, I do not think much watching dramas like this, but it just came across that way to me, and I can't un-think it.

To explain, most of the female characters were portrayed as weak individuals, who do whatever emotions tell them to do no matter the stake. A great example of this scenario is how they portrayed Gao Zi Tong. I know that she's supposed to be an evil character, but her actions does not make any sense - which brings me to think that the only possible explanation is because of her emotions. Another example is how Zhou Su Ying (ML's sister) chose to act immaturely when she found out FL dates her brother - and have a scandal with her idol.

While all the ladies portrayed that way, the males were portrayed logically. ML has good character, very put together, and smart. The drama writer chose a classic "god-like" ML, where he's an introvert, who acts cold, and all the females are drooling over him.

*To break down the characters throughout the drama:
- My first impression of the FL was rather distasteful. At the beginning of the drama, the FL seems to act bratty and spoiled, despite her age, which is 27 years old. The scene where she asks her manager to fetch her best clothes to seduce ML leaves a bad taste. More example of this behaviour is how FL woke up from anaesthesia, and the first thing she said was if she injured her face. She should've asked if there were people who got hurt by accident, but instead, her narcissistic behaviour popped out. Thus to conclude this FL's behaviour in the beginning of the drama, her character would fit more into the annoying 2nd FL in a love triangle.
Moreover, many tend to downplay how severe careless driving is. Based on the drama, FL drove carelessly, which caused an accident. Many tend to overlook that incident, and the drama turned me off at the beginning. Thus I skipped the accident scene right away.
However, after progressing through the drama, I saw character development thankfully. She became a nice person and also well composed, unlike her character before she met ML. Too bad that the writers made her too forgiving for her own good.

- The first impression of the ML, too, was not good. What irks me is when ML tried to ask FL to leave right after a sasaeng attacked FL. I understand his intention to discharge FL because FL is too immature and disturbs ML's work; however, I feel like ML has no sympathy. It's unmannered to evict someone who was just attacked and not ask them if they were okay first.
After watching the drama, he too had a major character development. I'm not sure if it's a character development or it's his true nature all along, but I'm happy with his character at the mid-to-end episodes when he gets warmer.

The side characters:
- I feel like it's necessary to discuss the CEO, who I think is the biggest villain in the story. I don't get why such CEO still stands and not getting canceled after doing such inexcusable and unprofessional business strategy. Clearly, after Xu Jia Wei confessed his side of the story during his Live, he mentioned that the entire scandal was set up by the CEO, and yet we didn't see the ugly ass in jail.
- As for the second villain in the story, Gao Zi Tong, she's badly written as her entire evil purpose does not make any sense. Sure, her complex and jealousy gets to her, but is it enough to do such stupid things on the internet that could potentially ruin her career altogether?

For the entire story:
I think the story is nothing new or refreshing. It's basically a carbon copy of dramas that existed. I can't say that this drama is a copy of " You Are My Glory" since this novel came out a year before, however, as much as I hate to compare, "You Are My Glory" is the perfect example of "nothing new" drama that have an excellent story writing. However, I am not saying that this drama is the worst of the worst, just average. If you love dramas that feels familiar, maybe this might be enjoyable for you.

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Not very good

Story:
-The story line was ok and it gave a good perview into the lives of chinese actors and how they have to deal with media, popularity, etc.
-Lots of choppy storylines.
-The younger sister was soooo annoying for several episodes and yet overnight grew up even with hair/makeup?

Acting:
-Good acting but the FL role was a little too much...too sassy and narcisstic in some scenes and yet she was very forgiving which I appreciated and had integrity in a tough industry.
-ML was good looking but a bit stiff and maybe a little too much even for the role
-Side kick roles were funny but not as funny as other RomComs

Overall: Didn't like it and it could have been done in less time. Will not rewatch

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Sweet, predictable, but sometimes too annoying.

The acting was good. The main leads had decent chemistry and the story was funny and cute. Fairly predictable, but that doesn't really put me off. The OST was okay, I liked one song in particular. The second and third couples were good as well. The main couple, an actress and a doctor, it was all good minus one thing. The actress is supposed to be this cute and playful girl who is kind and sweet overall, but honestly, she could more likely be described as cunning and flirty as well as airheaded. While it didn't bother me in the long view, some times it was hard to believe a normal man who was smart and warmhearted wouldn't be frustrated that she's mature and kind one minute and childish and petty the next.
The second couple, the actress's manager and the doctor's best friend who is also a doctor. To me, this one was more annoying. They had okay chemistry but a lot of dramas have this habit of having the man chase after a woman that doesn't like him and go so far that he could be called a stalker, but we're supposed to cheer when she falls in love with him anyway? Don't they realize that most of the time, when a girl says no she actually means no? Stop writing the story with a girl who seems to really dislike the man but eventually falls in love with him even though he makes her so uncomfortable that she literally would rather move out of her apartment than live near him.
Third couple, this one was cute and had a reasonable amount of development considering how little screen time they had. They are the main doctor's little sister and the actress's friend who is a famous musician. I was happy to see them get together because I actually liked the musician and wanted him to be happy. Although, honestly in the first part of the show, the sister is the most annoying little brat I have ever seen. How she goes from childish, petty, scheming, and a screetching banshee of a crybaby to a cute and agreeable girl with a mature and caring attitude, I just can't figure out. To be honest, the only parts of the show I fast forwarded were the parts in the beginning when she talked or did her screetching cry. I wanted to smack her and tell her to shut up because she was hurting my ears. She overacted it to the point of being a nuisance.
The rewatch factor is pretty high if you like a simple story with a cute and happy ending. Just skip past the annoying sister until midway through the season and you'll be fine. Overall, a really enjoyable show with happy endings all around.

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Honestly? Zzzzz

I watched this solely for Ryan Ding and though I liked his performance well enough, I was pretty much bored with this drama. Maybe it was just the mood I was in but this was like a little scheme here, a little misunderstanding there, then throw in a lot of cliches and viola you have a 24 episodes romcom.

Maybe the leads as a star actress and a successful surgeon were too perfect to be relatable. From an engaged couple who were like total strangers to serious lovers, their relationship growth felt forced and artificial. Though the kisses looked real, I didn't feel their chemistry. The second couple (ML's doctor friend and FL's agent) was no better. I did not understand their on and off relationship. They kept having petty reasons to not be together. The third CP (ML's sister and FL's former suitor) had the only believable romance and chemistry. Too bad they had very little screentime. All of the 3 CP storylines seemed disjointed with each other so I felt like I was watching a mashed up 3 romance stories.

I probably won't rewatch since anything this drama offers can be seen in others.

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a fluffy, somewhat plotless filler drama

Intense Love was a drama that didn't give off a lasting, meaningful impression, but it was a great watch regardless. Though the story did not resonate that deeply with me and will likely be forgotten in a matter of days, it helped me pass the time and get my mind off of things, and I do not regret clicking it when it appeared on my Youtube recommendations.

Note: I wish MDL gave more settings for whether or not there were spoilers in the review. In my opinion, there are no big spoilers ahead. It confirms things that people who are watching should already be anticipating, but it shouldn't be a problem and doesn't reveal anything that should come as a huge surprise.

Story 7/10
In terms of plot, the drama was not all that special. It's a typical celebrity/non celebrity love story where the female lead (Su Jinbei) starts out hating the aloof, seemingly cold hearted male lead (Zhou Shiyun) but slowly starts to fall for him. I watched the entire thing at 2x speed and felt that if I skipped 15 minutes of the drama, I would most likely miss nothing important. There were a lot of little things about the plot that annoyed me, and I especially hated how they used the second doctor, Xiao Yuansong, as a plot device. It was also super confusing to distinguish when Su Jinbei hated Zhou Shiyun to when she changed her mind. I could not tell when she was disgusted with him from when she loved him. That made it super confusing and unconvincing for me, but that could be because I abused the skip button a little too much. Even though the plot wasn't that deep, it is possible to extract meaning from it. I loved their emphasis on the media and fame and how they were able to portray it as both positive and negative. Su Jinbei used her fame as a way to connect with others and promote important projects while Gao Zitong used it as a way to slander others for her own benefit. Zhou Shiyun's sister was influenced by her idol so much that she wanted to hurt Su Jinbei's relationship with her brother, but she later became a better person through knowing her idol on a personal level.

Characters and Acting 9/10
The characters are what made this drama so enjoyable for me. That being said, let's start with something negative. I decided to watch Intense Love after being low-key unable to get over Ding Yuxi's other drama, The Romance of Tiger and Rose, and while I know that comparing the two dramas themselves against each other is unfair, I felt that Ding Yuxi's acting in this drama was much less captivating than it was in The Romance of Tiger and Rose. To be fair, that was probably because the character was written to have a lot less depth than The Romance of Tiger and Rose's Han Shuo. I just couldn't really feel his character as much here. Zhou Shiyun was a character that rarely talked or expressed his emotions, and Ding Yuxi's acting seemed to be quite stiff in his role. I wasn't convinced that his character actually cared for Su Jinbei that much. However, the female lead made up for all of the coldness that I felt from his character. Zhang Yuxi played her role of Su Jinbei admirably. The comment section was filled with people saying that they found her character cringeworthy, but I found her to be adorable. She balanced out her character, making it seem like even though Su Jinbei could be overdramatic, people could still relate to her feelings and find her to be funny. Still, I must say that I never really felt much for Su Jinbei and Zhou Shiyun's relationship and preferred the two side couples to them. The side characters were extremely well written and often took the spotlight off of the main characters for me. I absolutely loved the character arc of the ML's sister. It was amazing how she transformed from an annoying, spoiled brat into a mature, considerate adult. The two friends of the leads were also so entertaining. I loved the dynamic of their relationship so much and found myself waiting for their scenes more than that of the leads.

Production (OST, Sound, Sets) 8.5/10
The production was pretty good. The sets were very pretty, and it was cool how all of the houses fit the characters' personalities. I did find some weird errors. There was a really weird hand that showed up in the corner of the screen when the leads were in a house, and I was super confused. The dubbing was quite good. Sometimes it did not keep up with the video, but most of the time it went completely unnoticed, which I am extremely glad for. I do not think that the OST was anything that special. I remember finding it pleasant when it played but did not find it memorable.

Overall 8.5/10
Overall, I thought this drama was very fun to watch while multitasking. I laughed a lot and fell in love with (almost) all of the characters. Even though it was slightly problematic, that can all be forgiven because it's not really meant to be taken seriously. It's not going to impact me heavily or change the way I live my life, but it was quite nice.

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Very annoying starting but better 2nd half / short & light

PLOT: 2 childhood sweethearts (famous actress and cold doctor) meet, then fall in love. 2 cute secondary couples (ML
doctor & manager FL / ML sister and idol).

+++ Very cute CL (Ding YuXi & Zhang Yu Xi) with healthy relationship, great chemistry and lots of sweet scenes.

BUT
### FL not always convincing (especially at the beginning)
### Some characters are VERY annoying, with incredibly childish behavior!
### The bestie is neither credible nor professional for an agent.
### lots of clichés and sometimes simplistic storyline.

=> Cute drama, without too many twists.
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Starting très agaçant mais suite meilleure

PLOT: 2 fiancés d'enfance (actrice célèbre et médecin cold) se rencontrent, puis s'aiment. 2 couples secondaires cutes (ML
médecin & manager FL / ML sister et idol).

+++ CL très cute (Ding YuXi & Zhang Yu Xi) avec healthy relationship, belle alchimie et beaucoup de sweet scenes.

MAIS
### FL pas tjs convaincante (surtout au début)
### Certains personnages sont TRES énervants, avec des comportements d'une puérilité inouïe !
### La bestie n'est ni crédible, ni professionnelle pour un agent.
### bcp de clichés et storyline parfois simpliste.

=> Drama mignon, sans trop de twists.

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lighthearted mostly stressless joyful series

Life is too short for stressful drama. Why spend all that time watching and be stressed? Don’t our lives already provide enough of that?

Summary of the series:
- Light hearted rom/com; series had good flow
- simpatico characters
- there were villains but not too stressful from them, there are some short struggles, calamity and miscommunications to cause more drama and some stress but overwhelmingly
- story was good (mega rich doc falls for a princess actress) , but the ending felt a bit rushed
- for some reason, when I watch this its more of childish love in the beginning and later to question if love or trust is more important in a relationship; FL had to through a tantrum and refuse to listen to extend / lead to an ending... a bit unnecessary


still joyful, mostly stressless series: recommended to watch for sure

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