How to Date a Single Mom with a Child
I didn’t start watching this drama when it began airing because I couldn’t get over the image I have of Liu Xueyi as Hao Chen in “Love and Redemption”. But one episode in, I was completely drawn in by the acting, the storyline and the humor. It's exhilarating and funny, at the same time, rather serious, dark and oxymoronic, with a hidden super villain, mysteries, conspiracies, murders and plenty of hot kisses. This drama beats many other dramas which are concurrently airing.Yu Qingluo (Wang Ziwei), a single mom with a 6-year old boy, Nan Nan (Zhang Zihan), is trying to find a father for her child. Time and time again her dates are being sabotaged by the little boy until she falls in love with Ye Xiudu (Liu Xueyi). Strangely Nan Nan also takes a liking to her lover, as if they have some sort of an invisible bond. Indeed Nan Nan has earlier made Ye Xiudu his disciple who has to pay with the price of unlimited supply of crispy fried chickens.
Yu Qingluo is a brilliant so-called “ghost” doctor (“guiyi”) as opposed to an “angel” doctor (“shenyi”) because she uses poisons to heal. She is strong, calm, unpretentious and fearless. She is always flanked by 4 very young, good looking and formidable leaders of prominent organizations/sects as protectors who vowed to protect her and her son with their lives because she has saved all of them under different circumstances. Though kind and vows to save lives, she also kills as a tit-for-tat. She pays back anyone who has come to harm her or her child. This quality really thrills the viewers (well, at least me).
Wang Ziwei is beautiful and mature, and her acting is top notched as a young single mother. She makes motherhood look excruciatingly fun with her super intelligent 6 years old son. And what an adorable bundle Nan Nan is. I am so impressed by the child actor Zhang Zihan’s acting. He brings to life the little Nan Nan’s character, adding a lot of joy to the drama, making the viewers love not just the little boy himself, but all the characters around him, in particular Ye Xiudu (Liu Xueyi). Nan Nan’s favorite food is crispy fried chickens and there is no lack of chicken dishes in almost all Nan Nan’s scenes, that would certainly make many viewers salivating (I feel hungry watching the crispy fried chickens, KFC is of no match). I adore the mother/child relationship here. Their dynamics are heart warming and really funny; ear twisting, face squeezing and pony tail pulling are norms. Throughout the drama until he finds out who his birth father is, Nan Nan has been sabotaging his mother's relationship with any men whom he finds overly intimate with his mother.
A fearsome general and a royalty, Ye Xiudu has unbeatable martial art skills. On the surface, he is serious and upstanding, but at the flip side, he is quirky: he has vasovagal syncope and faints with the sight of blood (imagine that for a general who kills in battles, also reminds me of husbands who faint at their wives' childbirths. That's why he has to blindfold himself when he fights because he cannot look at blood), and he is narcissistic and bombastic. All these traits make the Ye Xiudu character hilarious, laughable and very lovable too. Calling his romance with Yu Qingluo super funny is an understatement. There is a pattern for the OTP: they meet, fall in love, lose memory, meet again, fall in love again, lose memory again, multiple times. I have been prejudiced by associating Liu Xueyi as an antagonist. But here I come to really like him. His acting is superb, capturing all the quirkiness there is of his character. He is a wonderful actor.
There are many very lovable and funny side characters and the acting by the whole cast is authentic and fabulous. At the most tensed and dangerous moments, conflicts are resolved in the nick of time; the hero always appears at the very last and crucial moments.
My Verdict
This is an amazing drama with a hilarious storyline. It is action packed, fast paced but balanced by the romantic moments. With only 24 episodes, it wastes no time with fillers. Having said that, the pace slows down a lot towards the last 2 episodes. There is a lot of kissing scenes, intentional or accidental, in almost every episode. Everything is crazy and over exaggerated, including the romance. The whole drama is like a mash-up that mixes “Butterfly Lovers” to the giant flying mushroom, to the blind wuxia fighter of Gu Long's Hua Manlou, with tropes like multiple memory losses and multiple falling-off-cliff-and-survive scenes. Random uses of random music and jingles add on the light-heartedness. Imagine hearing a Christmas song in a Chinese historical drama (at the end of Episode 10, the tune “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” is played, cheekily, to create a cute mood). Animal sounds, such as a cockerel's crow or a goat’s bleat, are played to signify a blunder made. And modern vibes are inserted here and there brilliantly. It is as if the writers try to make the whole thing as preposterous and as outrageous as possible to poke the viewers for fun.
Despite the fun and non-seriousness, the writing is pretty tight and the editing is quite good, even the CGIs are rather well done. I’m particularly impressed by Yu Qingluo’s pet scorpion which is also her weapon. This doesn't seem like a run-of-the-mill production.
I give this drama a very high rating because it makes me laugh out loud so hard. We know it's a dumb story as it constantly reminds us that this is a crazy drama with a lot of silly stuff. A viewer puts it succinctly, "It's not the comedy nor the music, but the whole thing so lame that makes it laughable." I agree. So one mustn't take it seriously. The whole thing is like a cartoon, with comical music to egg it on. So folks, lighten up! We all need it.
A great watch for the family and to fight off the pandemic lockdown blues. A delightful show you don't want to miss!
BRAVO!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
If you’re looking for a light hearted romance drama with a bit of a storyline, this is ok
This drama takes you on journey to seek out the true father of Yu Qing Luo’s son who she has no memory of. She was drowned by her ex husband as she was found to be pregnant with another man’s child, but was fortunately saved by a lady (Jin Liu Li) who is now her confidant.My verdict: it’s an okay drama to watch to kill time / if you’re looking for a light hearted drama.
The plot is not overly complicated just imho, rather lame. Just when you find yourself invested in the fact that Yu Qing Luo & Ye Xiu Du are finally going to get married after resolving their differences and genuinely liking each other, the FL gets kidnapped by the bad guys and then the ML goes out to save her alone and they get cornered and jumped into their “deaths” to escape from them. Except, they didn’t die and the ML goes missing and when found, has no memory of him ever loving the FL.
A bit of and back and forth thing for romance between the FL & ML but it is a happy ending in the end. Also thought the addition of a son kept their romance rather cute (the banters between nan nan and ML is cute).
The fighting scenes were okay in the show but nothing spectacular to shout about. OST is almost non existent.
The acting of the actors are not too bad.
In all, I don’t hate this drama at all and was light hearted enough to watch. Just that if you’re expecting a deep storyline or plot, this is not for you.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Watch it when you are down and are alone.
WATCH IT COMPLETELY BEFORE COMMING TO ANY CONCLUSION TO SOON. AND IF YOU ARE FUN LOVING AND YOUNG AT HEART'.And if you are a long drama person who likes dramas with lots crying, heart breaks, back stabs, cheating, nonsense, arguments humiliation etc..
Non is there.
It's a modren story, just change in the era and costumes.
Kudos to the writer for taking the concept of a WOMAN WITH A CHILD WITH UNKNOWN FATHER.
A story line which the producers directors take back to experiment with.
Story.
A female in search of father her naughty bubbly kid.
The plus point is it's short and fun to watch.
There were no major heartbreaks, sinister plots , no crying of rivers, drama, shouting, backstabs.etc.
Yes there was double amnesia.
Which was annoying but cute.
Comming to things that were strong which made to watch till END
1) Strong female leads.
The confident and unnerving doctor ..our female lead. Who was relentless in her pursuit.
She knew to believe and how to support her counter lead
The friend..the enterpreneur..she is BFF.
Staying by the side supporting, protecting, advising..
And then female body gaurd
Quick and stealthy...
Neither of the females hit on the other men, unlike other dramas.
All three were BADASS.
and THE CUTE CHILD had enough time.
All male leads were handsome and charming smart, but FEMALE LEADS were better.
This made me
LAUGH out LOUD many times while watching
Some Things that were silly, like...
Falling from cliff un hurt.
Not dealing with bullying incident.
To name a few..
FINALLY LETS PRAY ??TO ALL THE SOULS OF THE MANY CHICKEN ...
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
disapointed in story
if your looking for a great story keep looking .if u need both ML and FL to loose there memory to be able to fill 24 eps but leave out so many other details like how they meet in the first place you know not alot of thought has gone in to this .the jokes are good and the son makes you giggle that is what saves this show........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Was this review helpful to you?
Watch it because you want to see Liu Xue Yi (ML)
8/19/2021I watched this drama primarily because I liked Liu Xue Yi (ML) in "Love & Redemption" and would love to see him in a more favorable role, to wipe off the bitter taste of his character in L&R. He looks so handsome in "Qing Luo" and has a very different role. It's great to see him showing his acting range in comedic moments and heroic moments. I love seeing him in the different costumes here. I also enjoy seeing another strong and smart FL in C-dramas. However, I only find her acting OK. The child actor is cute and smart and did a fantastic job.
This is not a drama to be taken seriously as it's mainly a comedy with some political stories. The drama is also very tropey, esp. with those spinning-in-your-arms romantic moments that I don't enjoy. I was hoping to see the big fight scene of the final contest, but was disappointed. So if you are looking for something light, then this is it. But don't expect a serious historical/political/wuxia drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Totally worth it.
For those of you who watched 'Love and Redemption', read on. For those who haven't, skip this next paragraph. *Spoilers for L&R*Firstly - I'd like to say, "I forgive you, Hao Chen (Liu Xue Yi)". Secondly - While watching L&R, I liked LXY's character up until he turned out to be a crazy and deluded person. After I found out what he did to Xuanji/Star of Mosha, I put him on my 'Actors I'll never be able to enjoy watching in other roles' list..... Then I saw that he has an upcoming drama with Yuan Bingyan (Chu Xuanji) and he's the male lead...... I love her but I hate him (his character)...... What....to....do....? I I started watching Qing Luo
Qing Luo is the cute Chinese costume drama I've been searching for for the first half of 2021. I don't even remember if I watched any costume C-Dramas this year. However I'll definitely remember this one. It may not be one of the best or the most original for some, but it's good enough for me (and probably others too).
The only actors I know are Daisy Dai (from Eternal Love/TMOPB) and Liu Xue Yi (from Love and Redemption). The rest of the cast are new to me and some of them are new in the industry. From the 5 episodes I've seen so far, Hu Wei (Li Zi Fan) and Wang Zi Wei (Qing Long) are new faces who are playing their roles very well.
HW has such earnest expressions and adorably soulful eyes. Although WZW may be your typical skilled doctor that can cure and create all sorts of poisons (queue in Married Doctress and Legend of Yunxi), her character also being a strong, single mother with a bratty kid takes her to another level. She has more going for her. And I'm genuinely interested in knowing why she has amnesia and who the kids father is (although, I might be able to guess).
Also, if Qing Long could just borrow her harem to me for a few days, that would be great. They are such a breath of fresh air. So cute! The kid is my favourite character.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Unique theme with overused tropes
Story: This drama was very amusing and entertaining with a very rare theme for a historical cdrama, a single mother looking for her child's dad. However unique this plot is, the story used up all other available cdrama tropes- amnesia overuse, predictable evil masked man, love triangle, suitor turns evil, evil ex, predictable hidden characters, etc. Nevertheless it was very entertaining. It made me laugh quite a lot and especially those animal sounds. The romance was cute for both the couples. The story was otherwise average. There was no laughable scene in the last 4 eps because that's where all the serious plot was concentrated in. Else all other eps gave a good laugh. And their wedding night was...... I'll leave that for you to judge.Characters: The 2nd couple was just as funny as the main couple. Jin Liuli was my favourite, she was so funny. The FL was a strong, smart, loyal but funny character which is rare for a cdrama, and i liked that, but she looked hideous with the bangs, thank goodness that they removed them and after that she looked so pretty. The child was ultra annoying in the first 5 eps, but later on he became very funny and cute. All the main characters were comical. None of them were complex or deep. The main villain was predictable but the reason for him being so was so bland. But i must say that lover turned villain was deeper and more evil. And liu xueyi finally in a main role instead of a villain was the main reason i started watching it. I must say that i like him more in serious roles than in comical characters. Here i liked him more before he had amnesia. Well i like him either way.
Music and production: nothing special to mention about these, average but okay.
This was a good romcom with a little serious side plot. It was a feel good watch and never bored me, so I'd recommend watching it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Unexpectedly enjoyable.
I started out pretty skeptical with this one, the reviews were mixed, but I had liked Liu Xue Yi in a couple of other dramas so I wanted to see one where his character finally got the girl.Do not go into this one expecting (a) anything like historical accuracy, (b) medical accuracy, or (c) anything else remotely related to real life in ancient China, but if you go into it with the idea of just enjoying yourself, I think you'll like it. Liu Xue Yi was brilliant and was clearly having fun with the role. I also liked the way Wang Zi Wei played her character. I personally enjoyed their chemistry and thought it quite believable.
There are mixed reviews about the little kid, but I thought he seemed like any too-intelligent kid--bratty at times but manageable. His mother did not let him run rampant and she did hold him accountable. I liked his developing relationship with Liu Xue Yi--and while I at times I thought her obsession with finding and marrying her 'baby daddy' was a bit too dramatic, each time someone tried to take advantage of the fact, she never fell for it--or had a good reason for playing along.
The supporting characters were cute and even though there was a jealous woman for awhile, she ended up making better decisions in the end and finding her own reciprocated love for herself.
I wish they had provided a few more details about how the FL got pregnant in the first place, I mean, I get what happened, but its so disjointed that you have to put the pieces together yourself.
If you don't want to think too hard, want to enjoy a handsome couple falling in love, and a happy ending, this is the show for you. If you have super-high standards for accuracy and realism, then this is not the show for you. Personally, I find reality harsh enough that I enjoy the escape into an alternate one. :D
Was this review helpful to you?
Who's the Baby's Daddy?!
They keep you guessing, that's for sure! XDI have to say at first I couldn't see any chemistry between the ML & FL, but an instant connection between the ML, Ye XiuDu (Liu Xue Yi) & child lead, Yu QingNan (Zhang ZiHan). That was undeniably wholesome, tolerant & loving - giving vibes of "this man is good with children." Lol As you continue watching & the story progresses, so do the relationships between the characters & boom, the chemistry I felt was missing appeared. I'm not usually stuck on the MLs, but Liu XueYi's performance was memorable; I fell in love with XiuDu and appreciated how he butted heads with Li ZiFan (Hu Wei). It was pleasing different & ZiFan, though he has love for Yu QingLuo (Wang Zi Wei), is respectful, caring & understanding with none of the hate or spite typical of some male friends who missed their chance. He even respects & supports his rival, XiuDu, while still ready to challenge him. Oh did I forget to mention that there are lots of gorgeous men (Xu HeNi as XiaoGuoZi, Li MingXuan as XiaoHong [he played RongXuan in Word of Honor!!!], Jovi Xu as Qing Heng) in the series too!? They all did pretty well. Even the Emperor's Eunuch was uptight, unbribable & a reassuring presence connected to the emperor.
This series has funny moments too but did play up the memory loss thing too much. Once you get to the end, they tastefully gave you the hope of something more with a perfect wrap up of the story. All in all, it has a 9.5 ;) Bravo everyone! Thanks to everyone, including subbers & Viki folk, involved. I loved it :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Average drama with endearing characters & relationships--and that's mostly it.
What drew me to this drama were two things: 1) Liu Xueyi's handsome face and 2) the interesting premise of a single mother and child. In cdrama land, this is super rare! What kept me watching to the end was the pureness of the relationships and the endearing characters. I grew fond of many of them.Other than that, the drama is average in other departments. It's not great and it's not terrible. It's just fine. The soundtrack is okay but not memorable. The cinematography has no lasting impact but there are sweet and cute scenes. The acting is good enough for what this is: a costume romcom drama.
Overall, this is a sweet and lighthearted drama with typical obstacles in the way of the main couple's love but you watch it because you like the characters and their relationships to one another. It can be boring at times, so again, you have to like the (main) characters and their relationships to be invested and keep watching.
The highlights are Qing Luo and her son Nan'Nan as Qing Luo, though firm on her son, will never let anyone else hurt her child and will go absolutely feral if anyone hurts him. Ye Xiudu and Nan'Nan's relationship is also very adorable as Nan'Nan takes Ye Xiudu as a "pupil" and Ye Xiudu happily indulges him as "Master." And, of course, LiuLi and Haoran's hilarious relationship as Haoran is oblivious to Liuli's obvious affections and Liuli is often exasperated with him and punishes him accordingly (which he deserves because he's hilariously preachy.)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Instant Fatherhood
Most important of note, the sound on this series was CRAP! It was off more than it was on. Fortunately for me, I use English subtitles, so I was able to follow along, but I prefer to have the dialogue going and to be able to hear the sound effects. So, the rating I gave it took a hit because of that.The story was a little weak - I couldn't figure out how the heck the FL got pregnant in the first place... well, I know 'how' - I just wish they had made the explanation a little clearer with a plausible story. That being said, the chemistry between the FL & the ML made up for it. I found her to be more than a little annoying in the beginning, but thankfully she managed to chill by mid-series. The supporting actors and their stories were entertaining too - although I found the second couple quite annoying - she was a shrew, and he was a wimp! And the kid! I tried to like him, but he was more bratty than cute. Loved the 4 'bodyguards' and am glad my favorite one got the girl. Also, I was happy the other official guy found love at last too.
Good weekend watching - and there are some very tender moments throughout which tugged at my heart. If it wasn't for the crappy sound, I would probably have watched this again... but if it's the same cutting out more than in, I would have to be pretty desperate.
Loved the ML, btw. I despised his character in Love & Redemption, but he definitely plays the handsome hero really well. He was just drop dead gorgeous in his military costumes - and I am looking for his other shows just to enjoy the eye candy.
Was this review helpful to you?
If you like lighthearted RomCom, you will love this drama
I am a big fan of ML, Lui Xue Yi, so I must give a perfect score. He is as handsome as ever and great actor.This is a unique Romance Comedy between single Mother who has a small son and the load who fell in love with her. The child actor who plays her son is cute and he added quite a good character for this drama. It is a costume drama, but there were many modern actions/plays were included in the scenes, so it is more like historical / modern love romance. It is very light hearted, easy to watch with many kiss scenes between ML and FL, so if you want to feel heart pumping for romance, this is for you.
It's only 24 ep, so easy to watch unlike typical 50-60 ep. I am sure you will fall in love with two leads actors. Enjoy!
Was this review helpful to you?
