This review may contain spoilers
Far more enjoyable than I thought
First off, this drama really doesn't have much of a story, which I found is common in a lot of these Chinese rom-com drama. It's driven entirely by its character and the couple's romance. In fact, as I was typing this review, I am struggling to even remember what the story is about. I only remember that they're one of the best couples I've seen recently. LOL You really only want it to see cute fluffy moment between the main couple and how they act in weird uncomfortable situation smiling and laughing at what goes on screen.The drama is mainly about two people in an arranged marriage, a hot doctor and hot actress. Drama start with them both bailing their engagement dinner with family. FL got into an accident and ended up in the ML's hospital. Upon treating her, he found out she's his fiancee. FL's dazely kiss the ML but eventually also find out he her fiance. When she find out he bailed on their engagement, she felt jilted. She try to get "revenge" by seducing him...LOL. And their relationship start from there. As he gets to know her, he actually find out she's a very good and kind woman. He slowly fell for her but he naturally has a rather cold and distant personality so a lot of awkward moment between the couple.
Pros
- Great chemistry between the ML and FL
- Lots of cute funny moment
Cons
- Not much of a story
- No real conflict
This drama is surprising for how much I enjoy it despite having so little story. The real is that because of the lack of story, you'll think it'll be boring but it's actually not.
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Intense Love isn't that intense
Intense Love is a strangely entertaining drama. I have mixed feelings about it.Okay so although some parts, especially in the first couple episodes, were a little boring to me, the good parts make up for it.
Unpopular opinion incoming...but... I don't really think the chemistry between the main couple in this drama is as strong as most people say it is. The kiss scenes were hot I'll give you that. But in their other romance scenes, when they're together, I just can't sense that they truly understand each other or have that emotional bond. Having their engagement arranged already, it's funny how their love for each other seemed to have emerged out of nowhere. Though a doctor-actress pair is pretty unconventional, which makes for an interesting watch.
Whenever Jinbei tries to act cute towards Dr. Zhou, I cringe a little on the inside. I get it's her way of displaying affection, but she sometimes sounds like a spoiled, whiny five-year old who is trying to manipulate others into doing things she wants them to do. She does it to her manager too and her manager can do nothing but give in to her requests even when she's fed up already. Idk maybe I'm just not used to that behavior.
I don't hate Jinbei's other qualities though. In fact, I love that she's truly kind-hearted, moral, and hard-working. It's just her dramatic fake acting with her bf that I don't like and kind of ruined their relationship for me.
Also I know Dr. Zhou is a doctor and doctor's are usually serious, cold and rational but I thought Ryan's acting could be a little less stiff. He warms up to her later on which is nice, but it wasn't like a believable, slow development in personality.
Enough about the things I don't like. There are many positive things I'd like to mention as well.
1. Dr. Xiao!! He was my favorite character in this drama. His crazy hilarious antics made this drama worth watching. If he weren't in this drama, it would just be all drama, romance and kissing devoid of funny moments. The addition of his character was a breath of fresh air.
2. The music!! I don't know why people have been giving low ratings for the music because I think the tracks they chose to go with the scenes fit the mood well, not to mention the intro and ending song are both sweet and calming.
3. Xu Jia wei - Ying ying relationship!! A bit unrealistic but cute af! I SHIP. Ying Ying is truly living every fangirl's dreams! Lucky girl. But also, I'm relieved Jiawei finally found a girl who actually gets him you know.
Overall, this was a really light and easy-to-watch drama. :) It's also my first time reviewing a Chinese drama, so do keep in mind these opinions are from someone who's a C-drama newbie. I've only had experience with K-dramas so perhaps I'm reviewing this through a K-drama lens. But I definitely plan on watching more C-dramas in the future so if anyone has recommendations, please do share.
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The FL and ML ooze chemistry with a refreshing take on who is in control of the romance. The ML is a wealthy and shy introvert very much caught up in his work dedicated to family. Where as the FL also comes from a affluent family is totally outgoing not afraid of a challenge. Both of their characters are totally likable and adorable the chemistry is great balancing "Yin and Yang" if you will.
The story line is simple and sweet. If you want a emotional waive of feelings this is not for you. I just found myself smiling most of the time at how cute their romance was so I took the drama for what is was. I would say that originally this may have been over 48 episodes because the editing is cut a little too deep. You will never really know who Mrs. Fang was just that everyone loved her. So don't try to take this seriously it is what it is.
One last point OST, it was hard to get with it because there were no subtitles but it was pretty on point with key moments.
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started of fun but soon got boring
i started watching this drama with a lot of excitement, because i loved the drama's: ''love you seven times'', and ''romance of a tiger and rose'' in which ding yu xi is the main lead like this one. but i stopped watching after about 20 episodes. the reason for this is because it got boring for me, they got together pretty soon and after that there wasnt happening much so for me that was the reason to stop watching it. ofc, i dont know what happend in the next episode's but i was pretty disapointed.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I REALLY TRIED
I REALLY REALLY TRIEDI really tried to be honest. I can tolerate Zhang Yuxi's acting in the beginning. Acting like a brat and all chasing the ML but omg I managed to watch up to ep11 but srsly I cannot take it any longer. I am not enjoying it anymore as the episodes progress. I ended up skipping ALOOOOT. The second couple has also aloooooot of unnecessary screentime that I also skip bc I want to watch more of the story of the Main Leads but they got MORE scenes than the main couple. How is it okay???? Lol.
Zhou Shiyun's younger sister too. SO F****** ANNOYING TO BITS. I cannot tolerate it anymore. Yes she's young but NOT THAT YOUNG ANYMORE. She's already an adult so I don't get why the writer keeps on making her look more like a bratty childish.
OVERALL. This drama DISAPPOINTED me so much. Too bad bc I like Zhang Yuxi and Ding Yuxi *sighs*
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Sweet romance, great for falling asleep
I really tried to enjoy this drama, but I gave up after 15 episodes. The cast is beautiful, the story is cute, but it’s too childish and quite boring. Very little character development and the FL and ML’s sister are act in an exaggerated and cringey manner that is not cute. I can enjoy cutesy acting when it seems somewhat genuine, which wasn’t the case in this drama. The male characters were better written. I also did not feel the chemistry between the main leads, so I watched this series to fall asleep on a few occasions,Was this review helpful to you?
It's just the female lead
I really felt the urge to comment on this one. I discovered this drama through YouTube and got interested. So I started watching. Well, how shall I put this, the female lead is incredibly cringy. I cannot think of another word for her behavior. She acts childish like a little girl with her insane high voice (which is synced) and not to mention her makeup. The female lead wears much makeup which makes her looking like a doll. If you go fine with her weird behavior (which makes me feel uncomfortable) the drama could work for you. I belong to that sort people who value some beautiful kissing scenes. This need is satisfied immediately in the first episode between the FL (an actress) and the ML (a doctor). I quite liked that one. But a warning from me: if you do not go well along with a cringe type of female lead, then this is not the right drama for you.Was this review helpful to you?
Great looking casts, super sweet, but felt a bit draggy and rushed at the same time.
I definitely don't regret watching this drama, and I can see why it enjoyed such high ratings on MDL- the casts are GORGEOUS, kiss scenes (super important) were great, and there was side character development.However, my main sticking point with this story was how abruptly the main leads' romance developed-it felt like one moment the ML wasn't into her and suddenly he was, and this is alongside some other random plot introductions that didn't really make sense to me and was just there for the sake of it. And yet, this is a 24-ep drama, that I felt could be trimmed to something like 20 if the editing and sequencing made a bit more sense, and if there was more intense buildup of the main's romance. THAT is my core issue - Intense Love did not feel intense enough.
Major plot points (usually antagonistic) also felt like they were shoehorned into it, and I didn't like that because it felt like they added it in for the sake of the story.
That being said, overall, worth a watch, Zhang Yuxi and Ding Yuxi reprised their roles very well and they look so good on camera. Not the best C-drama I've watched, but definitely better than most. A solid 7 from me!
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A Very Different Rom-Com
Frankly speaking, I really don’t know what to make out of Intense Love after watching the whole drama. It doesn’t resonate with me in the beginning but it gets better as the drama progresses. I got used to the way it was being projected to the viewers. Hence, I could finish watching all the 24 episodes. I think this rom-com is very different from the usual fare and that is why I would term it as a love it or hate it drama. It is either you can accept the unique way the characters and story have been projected or you would find it absolutely cheesy and cringey.Why This Rom-Com Is Unique
Intense Love is a pure escapism type of rom-com to me. It is not grounded in reality and doesn’t even try to be. The main characters are unreal. Dr. Zhou is already a senior doctor and professor at less than 30 years old. Jin Bei is an actress who tries to seduce Dr. Zhou by being cutesy and intimate. Some viewers would definitely find her acts over the top and they are because nobody would behave that way in real life!
Even in Love The Way You Are whereby the female lead has a disease that is out of this world, the rest of the story is very much anchored in reality. But in Intense Love, they have let the female character to be as outrageously beguiling as possible and the romance to be incredibly perfect. Thus, the rom-com is unique because it doesn’t aim to relate it to real life one bit but to give you an avenue to escape to fantasyland and dream of perfect love.
Acting And Chemistry
What pulls me in when I look at Ryan Ding’s acting is his eyes. They are expressive and conveys the emotions he wants viewers to see. With Dr. Zhou being a cold and rational character, Ryan Ding doesn’t have the luxury of using much facial expressions and body movements to convey his feelings and love for Jin Bei. Instead, we will be left heady with all the looks and stares that he gives the female lead. Zhang Yu Xi also has very beautiful eyes and a pretty face which are exploited to the full in the close-ups during the intimate scenes. Her acting is a little exaggerated at times but I would blame it more on the character that she has to play than her acting ability.
Overall, I think there is good chemistry between the 2 leads and they do look good together. There is no awkwardness in the kissing scenes although you can’t expect them to be as steamy as those found in K-dramas either. Kissing scenes that are considered mild by Western standards do get censored in C-dramas as can be noticed in series such as Love Of Thousand Years and Here To Heart. Generally, the intimate scenes in Intense Love look natural which is important to give the right feel in a romance drama.
The second couple is also cute to watch although I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect pairing. Somehow, Yuan Song reminds me of a similar character which is also portrayed by the same actor in The Love Equations.
My Verdict – Watch It For The Fluff
My recommendation to watch Intense Love comes with a big warning sign – not everyone will be able to stand it! If you are looking for something that has a great plot, then you should definitely give this a miss. This rom-com is just about 2 people falling in love and then dating with minor misunderstandings thrown in to make up 24 episodes. There is little angst and negative emotions in the main couple’s love story. There is no break up to protect the girl kind of cliche which is found in Girlfriend. It is merely an overload of fluff and sweetness which is akin to Love 020. Hence, if you like Love 020, then Intense Love might well be your cup of tea.
Don’t Overthink
The story is simple. The female character is unreal. The whole setting is superficial. So, if you want to watch it, you have to do it without thinking too much. It is pure drama-land to help you escape from the realities of life. It is littered with cuddles and a satisfactory amount of kisses although I think The Love By Hypnotic is still the champion in terms of the number of kisses in a rom-com.
However, it takes a few episodes to get into this drama and that is why I will only give it a 6.5/10 rating for this Intense Love review. It is very tempting to drop this after the first 2 episodes because it does seem over-exaggerated. As I have mentioned, you have to get used to the very different style of presentation of the story compared to the usual rom-coms. My suggestion is to watch 4 to 5 episodes before you decide if you should drop it. If you do, I can’t say that you will miss much either. But if you don’t, you will be treated to an avalanche of sweetness.
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Funny and wholesome!
I love the gender-role reversal!! The female chasing after the male instead. Very cute and wholesome. Many romantic and sweet scenes that makes me smile each episode! The story is quite simple, but the cast does a great job bringing the story to life. Emotions, acting, chemistry--all SO good. I think I rewatched this show 3x already!! Probably will rewatch again because it's just that good.I originally started to drama because of the actress (Zhang Yu Xi) who is SO pretty and talented. She does a great job with her facial features and portraying her emotions. I'm glad to discover Ding Yu Xi through this drama as well--so handsome and also great at acting!
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Light Hearted Drama
So I was confused to whether watch this drama or not as I saw some people were saying that this drama is little bit overrated and not so good the actress is cringy. But still because of Ding Yu Xi(ML) I gave it a shot.This drama is really good it's like a fairy tale where you'll not believe that this cannot happen irl. There are super cheesy and sweet scenes btw the leads. Their chem is too good
At starting you'll probably not like the FL but as the stry goes after the 3rd ep she changes and you'll start liking her . The second leads stry is so good you are really going to like the male second lead he is too funny and cute.
As I am a fan of Ding Yu Xi I just hoped that his voice should not have been dubbed. Otherwise this is a good drama👍
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Nice at first but dragging after episode 20
I watched the show because of Ding Yuxi. He is really a wonderful actor and handsome, too. I like how he portrays the Medical Doctor role.Good thing also about the female lead, Zhang Yuxi, because she did not do the childish voice like most of Chinese drama employs either to the female lead or supporting actor.
Apart from dragging story after episode 20, the Intense Love Chinese drama is very refreshing and enjoyable to watch. No heavy drama, which I like.
Three love story in one show.
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