Begin Again (2020)

kinda disappointed.. but not too much tho

I started watching this drama because of Simon Gong, and he was the one keeping me through it.
I have read brilliant reviews on this, so I had high expectations, but at the end, I was a bit disappointed..

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* I kinda missed the develepoment of their feelings. FL kept chasing ML all along, who didn't bother at all, but suddenly he got jealous and falls in love with her too? Or did I miss out anything important?
* The cliche-like thing turned around too fast for me.. lol. Her family told her to marry, so she did (in a kinda unusual way but that's the story:)), and suddenly she's the one who demands s*x all along, and I was like okay? Really entertaining to watch tho, but cringy as well sometimes.
* I've been wondering all along what's with the father of the ML. He said he only wants kids if it's true love (...), but what's with his own father? I understand he wasn't part of the story, but there actually could have been an interesting background story based on that.. well, maybe that's just unnecessary thoughts but don't mind me lol
* Their previous story (how they've basically already known each other since they were kids) seemed sooo unnecessary to me. Yes, it's common in such cdramas, but it felt so forced and didn't contribute anything at all to the actual story :(

+
* But fast forward to the things I relly enjoyed! First at all: No cringy side couple(s)! Literally one of the first dramas I really enjoyed the story of the second lead couple, sometimes even more than the first lead couple, oops. Their acting was also on point, loved Garvey Jin's (Simon) amusing performances and how naturally Wu ManSi (Cai SiYu) portrayed her character.
* Though I know there's different opinions on that, I really enjoyed the last few Ep's, after the timeskip. I even found them way better then the Ep's before. Needless to talk about the child actor, everyone fell for him.. :)
* Not much business talk, more focus on character developement.
* The chemistry was so good! Both looked so well together, I'd love to see them in another cast together.

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Feels like Fated to Love You

I really love this story, it's mature and grown up. I like how this is not the usual domineering male lead and weak female lead. Instead, it's reversed! The female lead is a domineering CEO and the male lead is a down-to-earth doctor. However the female lead is not annoying, she kind of grows on you and becomes so likeable. The male lead is an eye candy, he looks boy-next-door and is very charming. The kid who played their son is smart and adorable. I would recommend this to anybody looking for a mature drama that talks about marriage, divorce, co-parenting, and a reconciliation that's so sweet!

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Begin Again features an interesting romance, plays around with the typical tropes and in the end, it ends up just slightly above average. So let's break it down.

As most series in this genre, the first few episodes could be easily passed as sci-fi. Things happen quickly, it does not make a lot of sense, yet somehow everyone is cool with it. What I found interesting about Begin Again, though, was that the middle episodes of the drama are very rewarding and that rarely happens (most dramas save the best for the beginning and for the end). The characters really worked on their relationship, and the side characters presented interesting developments as well. And then it... just somehow sabotages itself and to be honest, the last few episodes are quite a challenge to finish. So, the main issue for me was the tempo and the sheer length of the series.

The plot is quite interesting, mostly because it evolves around a strong female character and she's quite ruthless when following her dreams. The story makes her character develop as well, and the male lead provides a lot of inputs that she takes to heart. It was truly a joy to watch Zhou Yu Tong here. Her chemistry with Simon Gong was very pleasant too, yet he lacked a bit when compared to her acting.

The second lead couple is very interesting and I enjoyed them both a lot. It was very amusing to see the play on flipped roles in the relationship in this setting and I had a lot of fun with that. They also provided a good balance to the main couple, there was always something going on.

The other characters are hit and miss. You will find your favourites and the ones, that are just meh.

I liked the overall atmosphere of the drama. The sets and wardrobe really give off the feeling that you are following heroes from a high class setting. The humour was a pleasant surprise as well, I laughed a lot. Other than that, I found it just slightly more enjoyable than an average drama.

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Lovely Mr. Cinderella and Princess Charming

It’s a contract-marriage drama no doubt with a slight dose of (Mr.) Cinderella element, but it’s also absolutely adorable and refreshing with its own flavor. What originally started out from mere curiosity unexpectedly turned to lighthearted enjoyment that had me cracking every other episodes.

The two leads had interesting dynamics from the get-go. Lu Fang Ning, though strong and charming, has many adorable moments. Ling Rui, though caring and warm, has an unyielding side. While Fang Ning initiated a lot of the lovey dovey moments, especially in the beginning part of the drama, Ling Rui was the one who “sealed the deal”, and in my opinion, progressed the relationship. The leads, Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong were casted well indeed – I feel that not many actors and actresses would be able to draw out these multi-facets within the characters and nuanced dynamics between the two as smoothly as the two did.

Both characters matured throughout the series, and so did their relationship. Once their kid was thrown into the mix in later part of the drama, it was heartwarming watching their family time and interactions with each other – and of course, the lovey dovey moments. The side characters were great too – each were well fleshed out such that they did not feel one dimensional within a rom com.

Begin Again did well in doesn’t taking itself too seriously for an overuse common marriage contract plot. It has been awhile since I am able to watch a rom com from start to end. I thoroughly enjoyed Begin Again and hope to see the leads together in another drama, maybe an ancient one. In the meantime, I’d surely Begin the drama Again whenever I want a light watch – …okay that’s a bad pun, time to wrap up my review here.

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It's good as long as you turn your brain off

I'm a huge sucker for contract marriage dramas, so I was really excited to watch this one. I didn't care for the first few episodes (everything felt contrived and it was all very predictable), but things got a little better as the drama went on. I'd even say the last ten episodes or so were a lot better than than the first 25, a rarity in Chinese dramas.

PROS:
--The leads have really really great chemistry. Their interactions feel very natural and believable
--The soundtrack is really cute
--I liked how the English title actually had something to do with the drama itself-- we all know how Cdrama titles usually go, but iQiyi seems to do a better job than other channels.
--The leads' story is really sweet.
--The main leads' acting outshone the writing and storyline. They've both got bright futures ahead of them-- particularly Gong Jun.
--Gong Jun was a pro by himself. He crushed it in this drama. Honestly, I couldn't have made it through if it weren't for him.
--Hot man who's good with kids in the last ten episodes. My heart was melting the entire time XD Gong Jun's interactions with Lu YouYou were very natural and freaking adorable.
--THE FINALE WASN'T RUSHED. That's almost unheard of for a Chinese drama. The final episodes' pacing was actually perfect. They had enough time to wrap up everything they needed to.

CONS (aka my rant and major spoilers ahead):
--I had so many issues with the plot devices used in the show. Near the beginning, they give the ML aphrodisiacs without his knowledge so he'll have sex with the FL. That's literally rape. Even if it's the woman doing it to the man, it still counts as rape to drug someone into having sex with you. So I didn't like that. Not to mention that marriage is NOT consent. Ling Rui refused to have sex with Lu Fangning (once he found out that's what she wanted), and she should have respected that. It is totally possible to rape your spouse. I didn't like that either.
Then there was the whole fiasco of Lu Fangning keeping Lu Youyou a secret from Ling Rui for the first six years of his life. BRO. You need to give your ex-HUSBAND the opportunity to be a part of his child's life. There are very few reasons that a child should be kept from his/her other parent, and "I didn't know how to tell him" or "I didn't want to disrupt his life" IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I just couldn't forgive Lu Fangning for it, even if Ling Rui did. There's being stupid, then there's what she did. I only made it through the rest of the drama by turning my brain off and trying not to think about it.
--The drama couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to be. Did it want to be self-aware of how cliched it was? Did it want to be a dramatic drama or a light, cutesy drama? It never quite made up its mind. Though a lot of the dramatic scenes were well-done, they felt jarring in contrast to the light, cutesy feel of everything else.
--The drama was a little too long. I think they could've cut it back a few episodes and it would've been perfect. They spent too much time on the second leads, though I fully acknowledge that I almost always skip through the second leads' scenes anyway. A good indicator of whether a drama has been stretched out too long is when the old villain comes back to wreak more havoc, which happened here.
--Lu Fangning was *almost* likeable, but then she kept doing really stupid things (like trying to rape Ling Rui and not telling him about Lu Youyou, making decisions for everyone else by herself, etc.). I started wishing that Ling Rui would find someone he could actually trust, since Lu Fangning showed many times that she was not trustworthy. I was so angry at her for running away from Ling Rui without explanation. She could've, you know... just talked to him about Germany and worked something out? That was never her decision to make in the first place. And yeah, he should've told her about it before he rejected the study abroad, but what she did was way worse than that. I don't know how Ling Rui was able to trust her at all when he saw her again. If it were me, I would've been completely done with her.

I know I expected too much of this drama. It really is an ok watch as long as you don't think about it too hard. The last part was particularly well-done. I'm excited to see Gong Jun in more complex roles in the future, since he really made this drama for me.

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It hits different

I rarely write reviews for dramas since it takes me so much time to do so but this one is just too good to miss out on. I swear this one is my favorite chinese drama of all time and I have seen a lot. I’ve rewatched it four times and the emotions are still there every single time.

This drama may not be for everyone because of its tropes, but most of them are my top tropes so this drama is really for me. Although I get really bored easily, I never got bored of Begin Again. I also really really love the main couple, their chemistry and everything about them.

You should give this one a try.

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Six years and one child

I really didn't like this drama and for it was only good until episode 3 or 4, after the wedding I started to dislike it a bit. And with each episode I liked it less.

I don't think they ever establish a trusting relationship like a couple should have. It really made me tired. But the worst thing was the female protagonist leaving and still hiding a son. If I had known this before watching, I wouldn't have started. And the male lead to accept her back almost as if nothing.

Six years and a child, how can he so easily accept? There were no reasonable excuses for her.

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GREAT CHEMISTRY

The chemistry is good

Gong Jung is really handsome, Yutong is also beautiful...
I hope they both play in the drama again together, very slick and the acting of the two leads is also good, the intimacy looks natural, the scenes that delulu from each other's minds are also very funny.

although there are some story spots that could have been better, but at least they explain why this and that, so it's not too confusing ...

It's a sweet and funny love story... worth watching.
For sure we will be showered by Gong Jun's extraordinary handsomeness.

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Watchable

Begin Again actually reminds me of another Chinese drama called Intense Love. This is because the starting is pretty similar with the female lead relentlessly pursuing the male lead. The motivation is different though and so is the remainder of the plot but it gives me the same vibes for the first few episodes. Personally, I find 35 episodes to be a bit too long for this drama. So, do expect some boring stretches in between. The confusion and denial of the couple’s feelings for each other just seem to drag on a bit longer than necessary. It is tolerable to me though as I find the story picks back up before it gets to a point where I really have to skip scenes.

Chemistry Between The Leads
What makes this drama largely watchable is the chemistry between the leads. Just like Perfect And Casual, the plot is nothing great and it is the interactions between the leads that sustain the drama. Credit has to be given to Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong for a job well done. They have made Fang Ning and Ling Rui look like a real couple on-screen. Compared to his partner in The Love Equations, Simon Gong shines better with Zhou Yu Tong in Begin Again with their better compatibility and natural affinity for each other.

There are quite a few scenes in the drama whereby the couple is required to be loving, teasing, and playful. So, without the right chemistry, the drama wouldn’t be able to have the same effect on viewers. Add in the young Ha Ni to complete the picture and Begin Again manages to rise up a notch despite the less than inspiring plot.

As for the acting, Zhou Yu Tong really did justice to Fang Ning’s character. She exhibits the required maturity and aura to play a domineering executive and can effortlessly switch to an uncertain and embarrassed lover when the situation changes. She has that flexibility that is comfortable to watch. Simon Gong is stiffer in his acting compared to Zhou Yu Tong to me. I suppose he needs to portray a more rational character as Ling Rui is a doctor. But if he eases up a little, I think he will be able to convey some emotions better for the emotional scenes.

Questionable Plot (Spoilers Alert!)
Begin Again is really not the type of drama that is strongly grounded in reality. I would say just treat it as a typical romance drama whereby you just try to feel all the sweetness and fluff. The cliches and coincidences are aplenty throughout the story. They happened to know each other when they were kids, the guy’s aunt happened to owe the girl’s brother money, the girl happened to need a husband, and… you get the drift.

Furthermore, the business side of things in the drama is glossed over to give the romance all the spotlight. Well, I guess it is not a business drama like Perfect Partner after all and hence, the commercial details will be downplayed. So, for those who prefer a bit more variety and excitement in the plot than just pure romance, you may find Begin Again somewhat lacking.

Finally, the fact that the girl left the guy without notice for 6 years even after she found out that she was pregnant may be hard to stomach for some viewers when it comes to the plot. It is a selfish thing to do even if her reason of not wanting to hold him back from his dreams seems altruistic. While the plot is not as bizarre as the one in Well Intended Love, I think one would still need to overlook the way the story is written and the time jump to be able to enjoy the drama all the way to the end.

My Verdict
Begin Again is not too bad for a romance drama if you don’t mind a simple plot. Apart from the great chemistry, it does have a few other things going for it. Among them is the character growth that is evident in the drama for the female lead. At least, she learns how to love someone and how to put aside her feelings to let go. So, it is satisfying that she doesn’t carry on to be a selfish and imposing character all the way. There is also none of the annoying disapproving parents plot that is common in romance dramas. There is a bit jealousy involving a third party but it isn’t overplayed and remains just a small part of the overall story.

However, the plot isn’t inspiring as mentioned. The kisses lack passion when they are supposedly to be deeply in love and married. The couple in Love Is Sweet as well as Love Designer certainly did better with the smooches. I also find the characters seem rather different in the last 9 episodes compared to the beginning of the drama. They are like totally different people 6 years later especially the second male lead. Personally, I find it kind of weird although one can rationalize that people change over time due to circumstances.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend a watch for this Love Begin review with a score of 7/10. Watch it for the chemistry between the leads and the cute little boy who will melt your heart. He is adorable here as well as in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. It may get a little boring in the middle but the boy will spice things up again when he appears. There are touching moments and there is anticipation to the main couple’s story which helps to add to the overall watchability.

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A nice twist to the 'Overbearing CEO' trope

Love, love the female lead! Not only was she smart, confident, sassy, and influential, Lu Fang Ning was also attractive, and I lusted over her outfits. Her character was the first to draw me in and kept me vested in the show, and the presence of Ling Rui, the male lead, enhanced my watching experience. Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong have great chemistry, and they look so good together. This is the first time I watched Zhou Yu Tong, and she has the air of a female lead. Simon Gong has improved a lot since his role in the Love Equations. He emoted well and portrayed the brilliant, calm, reserved but charismatic Ling Rui perfectly. The two leads complemented each other so well, and it was endearing to see their consideration and care for each other as their love deepened.

I enjoyed the character development for the leads, and interestingly, there was a role reversal towards the end. What I appreciate was that Fang Ning did not lose her spunk. She was calmer and more matured but did not lose her fighting spirit despite having suffered adversities. Ling Rui, on the other hand, charmingly became more overbearing and demanding, motivated by his fear of losing Fang Ning again. I liked how he strategized and anticipated Fang Ning's moves so that he can compel her to stay with him, but he did it so smoothly and in a non-creepy way.

The supporting characters were precisely that, nothing more but to keep the story flowing. Most were likable, though, and the whole cast had a great rapport with each other. It was interesting to see Ling Rui living and surrounded by three female relatives. Fang Ning's family story was heart-breaking but provided an opportunity for a heart-warming ending. I did not suffer the second lead syndrome, but I did sympathize with Lu Yi Yao. He would have been a good match for Fang Ning, and I can picture them as a power couple in the business.

The show was well-written, and the comedy was on point with amusing soliloquies from the leads and the creative scenes when their imaginations ran wild.

Another plus point was the OST - so effectively used in the poignant scenes, and each song evoked the right mood and heightened my watching pleasure.

Why I could not rate it a perfect 10:

1) I detested the second female lead character. In a show that featured a strong female lead, I did not understand why there had to be a character so simpering, self-absorbed, and totally unworldly wise. She was so into romance novels, blinded by the thought of romance instead of acknowledging actual feelings. She did redeem herself a little towards the end, but I fast-forwarded through most of her scenes.
2) There were some plot holes, and some scenes felt "shallow" like there should have been more development of those storylines.
3) Lu Yi Yao's sudden change of affection to the second female lead - I didn't see the chemistry, nor did I see any reason for that transition other than his fear of aging.

Overall, a recommended watch for the amazing leads, good dialogue, well-delivered comedy, and sweet romance.

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Fun, but stupid

The Good:
⌲ The excellent chemistry between the leads (far better than in Love Equations)
⌲ The acting is relatively good across the board.
⌲ The fluff is great & there is A LOT of it.
⌲ The whole pursuing the man thing was a lot of fun most of the time.
⌲ The top tier comedy before the timeskip (It's been consistently funny)
⌲ The love triangle is very tame & fizzles out in time.
⌲ Fun cohabitation
⌲ The contract marriage trope works great in this one.

The Neutral:
⌲ The half brother's ambitions (Seems like due to censorship all that buildup has been for nought, his story has gotten axed & he had only appeared for like a minute after the timeskip)
⌲ The childhood connection (I've seen far worse)
⌲ As cute as their kid was, I've seen better Chinese child actors.
⌲ The side couples

The Bad:
⌲ Episodes 22,23 and 24 are utter garbage.
⌲ The separation due to noble reasons
⌲ The redemption arks are the worst. (father, stepmom, GaoE - neither of these make sense)
⌲ I'm sick and tired of practicing doctor leads needing to go aboard just when they are about to start enjoying life.
⌲ There is not a whole lot of plot, but it's incredibly dumb at times.
⌲ Simon (bad acting, super weird stuff before the timeskip)
⌲ Lu Fang Ning chickening out felt horrible to me. (At one point ML gave up resisting in anger, but..)

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Should have been a 24 episode drama

The drama started out well and if it would have ended on 2/3 of its length - it would have been such a better watch. The story had way too many tropes for sub-plots which it could have easily done without.
The good things were:
FL acted really well and had a great comic timing. She and the kid were the only characters who made the last 1/3 a little bearable.
ML is cute and definitely a treat to look at, but FL stole the show for sure.
The female friendship was a treat to watch. I kept expecting someone to backstab/plot and I was pleasantly surprised.

My issues with the drama:
I have a short attention span and the drama has to be really good to hold my attention. The last 10 episodes I had to see while fast forwarding. There was too much going on, a lot of open ends to be closed and there were some very unnecessary revenges, trauma and redemptions happening. I personally don't think that arc was required. All this unnecessary chaos took time away from showing growth of the characters. Second lead essentially woke up one day to realize he didn't treat the second FL right and got her back after minimal pursuing. There is also a 6 year leap which essentially solved all problems on its own without portraying any actual growth.

My recommendation
It's a decent watch with some fast forwading involved. However, it is definitely not rewatch worthy.

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