This review may contain spoilers
Compelling story that makes fun of typical tropes!
Watch it, watch it, watch it. I'll few tropes that this drama has in case anyone is wondering - and it kinda is a spoiler so you've been warned!There is no love triangle, there is the stereotypical memory loss at the end which is expected but the way they went about it was so well executed that you can't really complain and yes it's an happy ending, you might get second lead syndrome for a bit (I personally still rooted for the main couple though ehehe).
Many complain that the fl behaves at the beginning is awful but the whole point of the drama is that she goes against those stereotypes so imo I dont mind but take that as you will 🤷♀️
Like everyone else says you might want to push yourself to continue based on the first episodes but is WORTH IT!
The acting in my opinion was great, it felt natural. The music was also really spot on, hence why i put 10.
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If Dreams were only this Good...
Some have criticized the tropes in this drama, but I think they are missing the point—there are tropes for a reason: it serves the storyline, which is about a trope filled romance that the heroine falls into! Duh! I think it was very nicely done how they tied in stereotypes that we see in other romantic dramas, Kdramas of note, and then they would turn some of the tropes on their head. For instance the heroine of this drama had to be a second female lead before she could work her way up to the main female/lead. She even had to overcome the stereotype villainess role. And I did see growth with the main male lead. He was a product of the stereotype in the beginning, by loving someone without really even knowing why or even questioning what his role was. But throughout this drama I think we learned more about his character and some of his motivations and how he could fall in love with our female lead. Some may question if he just fell in love with her because it was part of the storyline that was dictated to him. And I think in the beginning that was why he did it, because she changed from second female lead to main female lead. But I think Her personality is what won him over and he really loved her for herself. But I also liked about this drama is they weren’t squeamish about showing kisses and showing the physical interaction between our two leads. Taiwanese dramas do this the best, they are not prudish like Korean dramas and Chinese dramas. But I have to say that this one surpassed any other Taiwanese dramas I have seen before. It wasn’t graphic, by any means! But it was nice to see them kiss and show genuine affection to each other that usually you don’t get to see an Asian dramas. I really loved everything about this drama. It’s not perfect, no drama is. I don’t think I’ve ever given a Drama 10 out of 10. But this one is a very solid 9 in my books. No pun intended ;)Was this review helpful to you?
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Will be rewatching it at least once a year
WOW!!!!!I've dropped every "i became a character in a novel" rom com because they were so stupid. This one is crazy good. If you only work and sleep, and ignore your family for a few days, you can get it done in 2 days. I did it in 3, because I'm not completely irresponsible.
I stumbled into this one while waiting anxiously for the next weekly installment of "Wedding Impossible." By the second episode, I'd forgotten all about WI and really couldn't care less about it anymore. I'll probably just watch this one over again.
What I LOVED:
FL - every adjective would not do her justice., but to name a few: spunky, entertaining, delightful, able to convey silly, adorable, funny as heck and heartbreak. Actress hit it out of the park. Her comedic timing is amazing.
ML - I want to be as respectful as I can about Marcus Chung and not treat him like an object here. He's probably one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. And he is soo good in this role. ML he plays is standoffish but with an electric gaze and sensual vibes sparking off his skin. But he conveys loneliness, heart break and fear beautifully.
ML/FL chemistry: off the charts. Real love scenes here. Not pecks on the cheek and lip kisses the don't even move after they've made contact. In the one scene I felt like I was intruding and should quit being a voyeur. It's that steamy.
Story: Refreshing, well done, beautiful. For the most part GREAT story. and bonus, we get two chances to see them meet and fall hard for each other - once in the novel and once in real life. It doesn't feel repetitive.
2M: I rooted for him and adored him. The twist in the middle was out of the blue.
2FL: gooooood. She made for some amazing jealous scenes.
The pacing: 20 episodes was perfect, and the story moved along nicely.
What I didn't like:
agree with everyone who said the "real life" parts involving the family characters are out and out boring and tedious. I got the gist of things by episode 3 and started fast forwarding about half the scenes they were in. I liked every one of the other side characters.
The villains were way too cookie cutter and one dimensional. And, dang! the evil things they did were brutal. I guess I've seen that in other dramas too, pretty graphically, and these aren't graphic. But the hatred they exude requires a little more basis for me. As in, (you find this out in the first episode) my dad cheated on my mom with your mom and now I want to kill you. Really? This happens to plenty of people and they don't resort to attempted murder. The sister has so much hate. The mother is so terrible to her daughter. Why? Just not believable. Really lazy writing. That said the actors and actresses playing those roles did very well given the one-dimensional characters they had to work with. The actress playing the sister was great. Again, the character, not believable.
I took off 1 1/2 stars for these reasons, but the fact that it still got an 8.5 shows you how much I loved the story and the fl/ml together.
OST, good songs, but two played constantly. It got boring. Some really good ones only played once. A variety and more even play time among the songs would have been better.. Also didn't know ML Actor Marcus Chang sang and wrote the theme song. Dang. I just can't with this guy. Is he even human?
Watch it.
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JUST GO WATCH IT! You won't be disappointed!
WOW! This drama absolutely took me by surprise - I came in with no idea of what the storyline was, who the actors were and what to expect. AND DAMN I was hooked! It was interesting without being too complex, freaking hilarious, light hearted and a heart string puller. It seriously has a special place in my heart and it deserves it. You'll enjoy this drama if you're the type of person who rolls their eyes and groans at every trope and cliché that appears in dramas or books.I'm a sucker for anything with alternate universes and when our female lead fell into her own novel I was like... OMG YAS! What I liked out of this the most was the fact that our main FL is a romance publisher and therefore she knows all the romance tropes. So when she falls into the novel, she makes fun of a lot of stupid, silly tropes and questions a lot of things that happen the characters. It was super entertaining watching her make fun of things I also point out and groan at and roll my eyes at when I watch dramas, like the female lead falling for no freaking reason and the male lead always catching her every single time! The FL also references a lot of k-dramas and even re-enacts some classic k-drama scenes. Another interesting aspect was that the characters in the novel themselves begin to question their lives and why some things are pre-set for them - almost breaking that fourth wall.
NOW let's talk about the chemistry. Diggity damn... the chemistry between our leads was HOT! Marcus and Vivian match each other so well and they really did a fantastic job portraying the characters. Marcus was exceptional especially since he was playing two different characters and he did such a good job at playing each - giving each character their own distinct differences and personalities. Plus, Marcus has a way of looking so alluring yet gentle and hell, it's hot (you'll know what I mean when you see it). Vivian did a perfect job of portraying her character who l thought was such a great female lead character - she was smart, freaking hilarious, witty, fierce and got shit done. And she didn't let her side antagonist role in the novel deter her from becoming the main female lead. Also, if you've finished this drama and need some more Marcus and Vivian, go watch their behind the scene clips and check out Vivian Sung's YouTube channel - she has an episode where she goes on a date with Marcus and their friendship is super cute and funny (they're like an old married couple)! She also has an episode with Simon too!
Other things I liked where: this drama did a fantastic job of creating an alternative universe and unexpectedly delves into the livelihoods of novel characters after the novel has completed which was a concept I found really interesting. It's also one of those dramas where the characters who you think aren't the bad guys turn out to to be the bad guys at the end. Also the drama is very well paced and there wasn't a moment that was boring or meaningless. Every character was very consistent and everything they did had a reason and explanation which a lot of dramas unfortunately don't stick to.
Overall, I can't recommend this drama enough! If you're looking for something that isn't too complex yet still on the interesting side so it's not boring, light hearted and comedic, I highly recommend this! It has romance, action, comedy, family and business politics and an alternative novel universe!
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A Parody of Cliches, That is Full of Overused Tropes
I finally got around to watching The Lost Romance after hearing it hyped as one of the best Taiwanese dramas, especially since I’m a sucker for transmigration into a novel stories. And… I have so many mixed thoughts.On paper the premise is brilliant: a meta drama that parodies cheesy romance tropes, pokes fun at cold CEOs, second male leads who never win, and evil “perfect” heroines. It seems like it’s going to be self-aware and subversive. But here’s the thing: while it laughs at clichés… it also indulges in every single one of them.
The show calls out how Situ Ao Ran (ML) and Qing Feng (SML) both being in love with Chu Chu (the “novel FL”) is just writer convenience — but then makes Xiao En (our actual FL) fall for Ao Ran in exactly the same way. Honestly, their romance feels forced. There’s no reason they’re in love besides because the script says so.
Qing Feng + Xiao En pairing would’ve made far more sense. Qing Feng’s feelings were natural, his growth believable, and his interactions with her felt grounded. Instead, we got Ao Ran: a cold, personality-less CEO who magically softens once he “loves” her. It doesn’t read as romance, more like obsession.
For a drama that mocked the “evil SFL” trope, it was disappointing to see Chu Chu become the villain by the end. The satire collapses when it falls back into the exact mold it was mocking.
The Real-World Subplot was easily the weakest part. Tian Xing’s sibling rivalry and chaebol family politics were so boring I ended up skipping them. The “real world” added little, except showing that Xiao En is basically a stalker, she literally spies on her crush via cameras, sees him get thrown off a building, and doesn’t call the police. Make it make sense.
So in short..
ML (Ao Ran / Tian Xing): Bland. Never really developed.
SML (Qing Feng): The MVP of the entire show. His feelings made sense, his sincerity stood out, and honestly, he deserved the better. But I would've liked him to be better in the second half.
Xiao En (FL): Equal parts frustrating and entertaining. Embarrassing at times, but I couldn’t stop watching her antics.
Qiutian & the Lilies girls: Absolute gems. Their friendship with Xiao En was heartwarming and way more “romantic” than the actual romance. The comedy relief duo where actually fun.
The Ending is predictable, tropey, and unearned. The “happily ever after” felt like the drama ticking off boxes instead of giving us closure that made sense.
Overall
Despite all the plot holes, hypocrisy, and tropes it mocked but also embraced, The Lost Romance is still fun. The novel-world hijinks were the highlight, the friendships were delightful, and even the frustrating characters were entertaining. It’s one of those dramas you’ll rant about non-stop, and yet still keep watching.
Worth watching if you like meta set-ups, don’t mind cliché overload, and enjoy ranting while being entertained.
Rating: 7.5/10
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In "real life" in this drama more like makjang drama, so many overdramatic scenes and the acting also hmm too dramatic. The "novel life" in this drama is more entertaining. Eventho I don't like many characters there, like the SFL. Damn I hate her character. Yes I know it's based on the "novel" but yeah I'm sorry for being subjective. Ngl I love the SML so much, QianFeng. His character is great, the acting as well, he's so handsome, and I wanna see him in other dramas. I love SML more than the ML. I think SML's acting is better and natural than the ML.
Also I don't like the style of ML in this drama. It's too exaggerated. His style as CEO going to office feels like he went to a formal party with a tuxedo.
Some part of this drama is entertaining. Ah the kiss scenes are top notch lol, I like it.
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One of the Best Taiwanese Dramas Out There
First, the cast is perfect. The music is phenomenal (and not just because of ML, Marcus Chang...okay...it's because of Marcus Chang). The story line is original, and the romance value is a 10+. I LOVED everything about this series.I do admit I did have a little bit of the SML syndrome, but just because he's absolutely adorable in this series. As a writer, I appreciated the "editor" and "author" roles and the characters who portrayed them. What I found profound was how one of the characters gets stuck inside the "books" because the author neglected to finish his story. It made me feel sorry for all the characters I've created, hanging out there in limbo, waiting for me to give them their ending.
An overall wonderful, romantic, well-written drama.
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Amazing. Certainly worth a rewatch.
Funny, romantic and has a satisfying ending too. Watch this if you want a self-aware drama that makes fun of itself and have a fresh take on romance tropes. Other popular dramas especially kdramas were referenced and spoofed a lot too. The kiss scenes and level of skinship were the stuff of fantasies.Episode 1 was just a background setup to show how impossible it is for the leads to meet in the real world. It was only in Episode 2 that the fun really started, when XiaoEn meets Situ Aoran in the novel world.
Not to be too spoilery, the story started like this: XiaoEn, a romance novel editor dreams to have her own romance and secretly admires He Tianxing, an inspiring CEO from a neighboring office. One day after waking up from a fever, she ran into HT, who now seems to be more overbearing and was told his name was Situ Aoran. Realizing that she was in the novel that she was editing, and that she was a bad character who bullies Chuchu, the FL in the novel, she decided to change her fate and instead become the novel's FL by preventing situations that can develop the Chuchu-SA relationship.
The storytelling goes back and forth between the real world where both HT and XE were in coma and the novel world where SA and XE were falling in love. I liked that the novel world have that reddish, vibrant hue (maybe to tell us us that fantasies are usually seen through rose colored glasses, hahaha) and the real world had grayish tones (does this mean reality sucks?). Things that are happening to HT became SA's dreams. Though I didn't really like that there are many scenes on power struggle for the Tiangling Group, it showed how toxic the real world was for HT. I particularly did not like it when when a sweet love scene in the novel is immediately followed by a suspense scene in the real world.
The pacing of the series was just right at 20 episodes, half of which were devoted to XE and SA falling in love, 1/4 growing their relationship, 1/4 being in the real world.
Actually, I was quite concerned that this would be messy like other parallel world dramas but it wasn't. Though 5 characters (SA, Chuchu, Moran, Susan and Quitian) in the novel world are played by the same actor in the real world, their personalities and backgrounds were different, so they may be treated as distinct from their counterparts. Characters did not go back and forth again and again from one world to another which might have resulted to story inconsistencies. Instead, there was a clear timeline, both leads are in the real world, then they both fell into comas and XE went in the novel, then they both woke up.
Some are questioning XE's hesitancy in the last quarter episodes to start a relationship with HT, but it is quite understandable because in her mind SA is another person, whom she was forcefully separated from. She also did not want to be disrespectful to HT by treating him as substitute. The resolution between SA and HT was logical and reasonable.
One scene mentioned that a wedding ending is irresponsible so this drama ending in a honeymoon felt intentional and satisfying.
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Reviewed solely as a Taiwanese drama
I wanted to watch this since maybe earlier this year, but I could not get over episode one, it was soooooo boring, so I dropped this drama. Somehow I keep coming back to this drama, so I checked out the comment section and honestly, soo many bad comments I changed my mind and decided not too watch anymore, then again I couldn't shake it, I really wanted to know why the rating was so high and the comments so bad, so I went ahead to watch.The drama after the first 2 episode, as someone else mentioned, I watched it with the speed at around 2x, after i got to episode 3 i changed it to 1.25x, I started to enjoy the drama, the whole story of going into the comic and so one was pretty great, the romance was beautiful and the chemistry with the leads was amazing, best I've ever seen for a Taiwanese drama, tbh, it was great chemistry, and then there was episode 12 hahahaha... you got to watch to know, I kept wondering "What am I watching" hahaha, they really have great chemistry in this, it makes up for all the scenes with he power struggle in the real world, you can skip those if you want.
so my rating and review is based solely on the fact that as a Taiwanese drama, it was pretty good, minus the power struggle stuff and how slow the first two episode is. I personally think for those reasons it definitely deserve the rating it got. Truly one of the best Taiwanese romcom out there. I also didn't realize how naturally beautiful the FL was,, even with the ugly clothes, she is soo beautiful, I've only seen her in 2 movies, it's my first drama with her. ML is very handsome and a good actor as well.
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The novel arc and romance portion after returning to the real world has topped my list of favorites. The production quality, cinematography, OST, and acting were all fantastic. There was great chemistry between all the characters, fun lines and interactions with little references to other works. There are a couple one dimensional characters in the novel world but it made sense for the story and was delivered well from the actors. The romance was told well and progressed in a way that felt natural and fun.
I do recommend watching this show but be prepared to skip over large sections of the real world sibling power struggle story line because it was overly dramatic and only detracted from the series. There was also a poorly constructed villian in the novel arc that was used as a plot point to force the main characters to confess.
Also be prepared for the obvious and repetitive product placement in this show.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have tried a few Taiwanese dramas before, but I dropped them all. I found them to be very lakorn like, so I could not force myself to get past episode 1-2. Had I been watching this drama alone by myself I don't think I could have gotten past the first episode either.(I had a companion mesmerized by beauty, who wanted to give episode 2 a go) I could only describe the first episode as absolute trash. Fortunately from the moment we've entered the "overbearing ceo world" things immediately turned for the better. From episode 2 up to episode 14 most of the time is spent in that silly fantasy world and due to the book world's rules all the silliness that happens there kind of makes sense & I found things that would normally bother me in a regular drama very entertaining here. The drama is comedy gold really, the satirization of all the tropes has never been this much fun . Once we return to the real world things started to get a bit draggy for a while, but still it's been much much better than the real world snippets (all fast forwardable) we've had until that point. Although the result ended up being pretty similar to watching an amnesia plot in a normal drama. The show, or at least the romance is nicely wrapped up. As I've said before the real world parts were pretty bad up until the ehm confluence of worlds. I could only describe it as Chaebol makjang at its worst. The family members & the uncle's motivations and actions made 0 sense and the whole thing got resolved in a boring unsuspenseful way. To sum it up all the time spent on these things had been wasted. This is the main reason why I'm only rating it at 8/10. Objectively I'm still being extremely generous here..
The love rectangle has been managed okay. Typically I'm an avid triangle hater, but the setting made these bearable.
I loved the OST. Though there were perhaps too many scenes without musical accompaniment.
I think the casting is pretty good, I liked almost all the acting performances, though I'm not entirely certain about the ML, I found his facial expressions a bit lacking.
I hugely prefer this one to W. W's plot is a jumbled mess, here we might still have an abundance of plot holes, but somehow the writer still managed to finish up the drama coherently. The end result is good enough & I'm not all that interested in the how, the inner workings of the magic is not over explained too much and that is how it should be. (over explaining magic after the original trilogy is what ruined Star Wars for me)
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