Only for Love (2023)

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME WATCHING THIS SERIES

If red flags were leads that would be both the male and female lead and second male lead and second female lead. Nothing made sense, not the story, not the dragging plot, not the music, not the camera angle, not the editing, nothing about this series makes sense. The only reason there is one star given by me is for the third male and female lead story - niece and professor yu's story. Rest everything was rubbish.

Bai lu i know can act. I have seen her act and i usually love her acting. But in this series it was like i was watching some new actress trying acting, not bailu. The female lead to be appeared - desperate, spineless, lying, coward, a little gold diggerish, honestly appeared so so desperate for male lead's attention. Male lead was just so bland, had no personality. Only personality he had was being silent. The second and third male lead seem to had more character nuances than the main male lead. The progression of love made no sense. The placement of repeated phone calls to interrupt kisses - which happened like more than like 20 times in series - was so so annoying. The editing was very pathetic. What's with the camera man going for close up ajd far away shots for same scene?? That one kiss scene where male lead kissed fl while rescuing from her ex had a pink tinted background and fl make-up looking like she has not eaten for 20 days, - the make up, coloring of picture, the camera crew, the editing, the story line everything so so sucked.

Don't even get me started on the playboy playgirl second lead. They tested my patience.

The only thing worth about the series is the third main leads - ml's niece and professor yu. They were the only good thing in this disaterous drama.

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I consider this a fantasy drama not a contemporary drama.

"Only for Love," has the talented duo of Dylan Wang as Shi Yan and Bai Lu as Zheng Shuyi. As a fan of their previous works, I eagerly anticipated their collaboration in this fantasy-like story that attempts to bridge the gap between reality and imagination. I cannot call this contemporary - hence the use of the term fantasy. If you go into this with that thought then you will ignore all the inconsistencies to how the real world works.

I really like Dylan Wang and Bai Lu in their previous dramas, however "Only for Love" falls short in certain aspects. Particularly in its character development. The characters, particularly Shi Yan and Zheng Shuyi, seem poorly written, lacking the depth and complexity that would have allowed the actors to showcase their full range of talents.

One noticeable aspect is the delivery of lines, where maybe the actors could have benefited from better voice coaching? The delivery often fell short of expectations. This broke the emotional connection between the characters and the audience. This improvement would have elevated the overall viewing experience and allowed for a more immersive engagement with the storyline.

The costuming choices in the drama were not my favourite. The cheesy aesthetics, though like I said, i consider this fantasy... struggled to find a balance between sincerity and satire. Yes, I am calling out Bai Lu in those knee-high boots!!! The drama might have fared better if it fully embraced a more satirical tone, allowing the audience to appreciate the intentional exaggeration rather than perceiving it as a drawback. I am thinking about King the Land and Business Proposal... they seem to have done this balance better.

There have been criticisms regarding the alleged objectification of women in the drama. While some viewers may hold this perspective, I feel that that "Only for Love" is a work of art, not obligated to reflect societal norms or promote any specific agenda. Art has the freedom to explore various themes and perspectives, and in this case, the creators chose to weave a fantasy narrative that might not align with everyone's expectations.

Despite its shortcomings, "Only for Love" has its merits. If you are a fan of Dylan Wang and Bai Lu and enjoy their on-screen chemistry, the drama provides a visually appealing experience. The fantasy-like setting, though struggling to portray itself as real life, offers a unique escape for those who appreciate the actors' previous works.

"Only for Love" is a drama that caters to a specific audience – those who are drawn to the charm of Dylan Wang and Bai Lu and are willing to overlook certain narrative and stylistic flaws. It is as a testament to the unpredictable nature of art, where personal preferences play a significant role in determining one's enjoyment of the overall viewing experience.

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Only For Bai Lu

The story is nothing new same cold CEO & bubbly FL. The drama became popular because of Leads. I wouldn't have watched it if it wasn't for Bai Lu. I honestly skipped a lot of scenes.

Zheng Shu Yi is a beautiful financial journalist. She is talented, smart & confident. Liked how she used to flirt with Shi Yan

Shi Yan is the CEO of Yunchuang Capital. He left his family business & started his own business. He is a cold, reserved & private person. He values talent over private relationships. He being jealous every now & then was unnecessary.

Bai Lu as always did her best. In the trailer I find Dylan Wang acting bland, but after watching the drama, he did well.

I liked Qin Shi Yue. & also Tang Yi I also need a supporting boss like her.

I liked the way Zheng Shu Yi said to Shi Yun that she will pursue him. It was cute.

Business aspect of the drama was unimportant, not like Rising With the Wind. I mean why would an investment company give so much importance to a bankrupt company which isn't doing well even if they have potential.

Ost was good.

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awkward camera angles and unrealistic relationship? yet good chemistry

The chemistry between dylan wang and bailu in this drama was there. Only disappointments were definitely the very terrible camera angles and unrealistic relationship between the couple. Honestly i don't get the part why she said she wanted to pursue him (like was it because of revenge or what?) but i just watched through the show ignoring the flaws because their chemistry was already there. Their acting was quite decent. OST was good esp the theme song and others too. Honestly, i only watched this since I'm a fan of both bailu and wang hedi. I found it weird how the last episode just presented the marriage of the side characters and not the main leads. Eventually the main leads marriage were thrown into special ep instead. Honestly speaking, some people might miss out on it so I just wished production team could've chosen to insert the main leads marriage in the end of ep 36 instead of side couple. This drama is definitely cringy but honestly no regrets watching all 36 eps.

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it's was confusing

i like both the actresses and actors. I like the 4 couple ship but they had barely any communication going in the relationship department. Also, they overuse the phone calls cause it always interrupt the romantic moments. I like Bai Lu and Dylan Wang but this drama was a horror show. It also stretched the plot to 36 eps the whole thing could have been done in half. The whole 36 eps were so long and hellish i couldn't enjoy the drama i had to skip here and there because i wanted to know how the drama would end. I like the ending but not the drama just one ep i liked out of all the eps and that was the ending.

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makes for great edits BUT…

romantic parts are swooney
liked MCs chemistry
great for making edits
independent fl
BUT
too many missunderstandings
poor comunication skill (unrealistic for an investor and reporter)
dialogue and actions didnt make sense sometimes (overexplanation when not needed and no explanation when desperately needed)
best friend gives worst advice
somewhat immature
too long
niece is way to persistent, no means no girl
how prideful can you be? just say sorry!

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Drama Doesn't Suit Both Main Leads

Please beware of spoilers....

I'm a fan of both Bai Lu and Dylan Wang but there's just something missing in this drama. Both characters seems lacking. The writing and plot are just so-so. There isnt any real emotions coming from either actors because the storyline and writing is limited. The problem I think with Dylan and Bai Lu is that when we see them in other historical/costume dramas, including ones that either have the fantasy genre, wuxia or martial arts, these actors have action scenes and CGI to fall back on. Things like special effects and CGI, mystical powers, brillant costumes, cable wiring and martial art scenes all give the actors that extra flair. But take that all out and put Dylan or Bai Lu in a modern day drama, well, there's not much but their own acting to fall back on. And of course, shoddy writing is a killer too.

Major spoilers:
First, when the FL's bf cheats on her, you don't get feel any emotion from her character. And she even allows herself to get shoved aside by the "mistress" and then she goes out and pouts like a little girl. Even when another colleague steals her interview, again, no real reaction from the FL. We're supposed to take her seriously as a reporter but at the same time, we see her crushing hard on the ML. For someone who was betrayed, the FL has no problem quickly trying to target a rich person. I expect highschoolers to act the way she does but she's supposed to be a professional, grown, mature woman. We have to repeatedly watch her stare at the ML and in slo-mo too. Her staring-while-awkwardly-smiling scenes are so much that it's giving off cringey, stalkery vibes. Also, too much dead space when she just stands there uncomfortably smiling and making no eye contact. Her inner dialogues are often immature and overdramatic. We don't need to hear everything she's thinking if it's just going to be about dumb assumptions. All annoying. It's doesn't make the FL look any better and doesn't complement nor highlight Bai Lu's acting skills at all. Also, her hair and makeup is all the same. Very bland.

As for Dylan Wang, he plays this no-nonsense CEO but he has his doubts. Instead of playing to that emotion, he just seems like he's boringly competitive and jealous. Like how do you make jealousy boring? Apparently the lack of compelling writing and direction can. I'm not sure who the stylist is but some of his suits and jackets don't look properly fitted to him. He sometimes looks like a kid in big clothes. Don't even get me started on his glasses. It's like instead of making him look "dashing" and model-like, his clothes look baggy and often makes him look "aged". He has a good physique so it's disappointing to see him in ill-fitting clothing. The only time he looked really good was when he wore riding clothes. Also, what's with all the camera angles always panning from under Dylan's chin when he make some kind of grand entrance? Not exactly flattering. There's always that low panning of the camera angle on Dylan and then a higher camera on Bai Lu. And is his character supposed to have some kind of "super hearing"? As for his acting, he's the typical Dylan Wang and his character is pretty basic.

I really don't understand the purpose of Dylan's niece. She's just another woman being made to play a dumbed down and immature character. Why do cdramas make women like this? Enough already. And even the FL's best friend just seems like she likes rich dudes too.

Anyways, I'm hoping that the storyline improves. It's a bit draggy. I'll update this later if necessary. (Ep 10.)

Updated:
I just realized I dropped this drama after Ep14.

Every time the two leads were in the car, the car trips are a waste of time. The FL is always avoiding eye contact but then she smiles and giggles when texting and their texts are even boring. So much texting because afterall, they can't have grown up, decent conversations. And then in one scene, the FL runs away and hides from her cheating ex. Why? Because it was the same restaurant they went to? Like who cares? She was sitting with a way better dude. And let's talk about her running away from the ML half the time especially after the FL kissed him... which was... meh.

Apparently the FL lead has no idea about relationships because she keeps calling her bestie for advice who gives the worst advice. She even gave advice when there was a guy in the room who actually knows the ML. Like every woman knows that's just ain't something women do. The bestie can't even get her own sh*t together either.

Then we have to watch the young niece pursuing one of her uncle's friends and she had the audacity to ask him if he was gay when they barely know each other. She's basically stalking him. Actually, everyone is stalking each other! Lol!

And lastly when we finally see the two leads holding hands, it bothered the hell outta me that her jacket belt was undone. Sounds ridiculous, but I telly ya', it was distracting.

Overall, the whole push and pull theme is just boring and unoriginal. There's only so much awkward smiling I can take from the FL.

I read some comments and everyone is complaining about the pace. I don't care how long it takes for the leads to get together, so long as the build up to get there is interesting. I understand that others are also saying that it does or doesn't mirror the book but a show should be able to stand on its own and make you want to read the book afterwards. That's just my opinion.

I'm passing on this for now and if I do pick it up again, I'll be fast-forwarding to only the leads' scenes together. Lowered my rating from a 6 to a 4.

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Fill in type of drama

I had toxic relationship with this drama. Entire tme, there was voice in my head telling me to drop it, but like with my toxic ex I wanted to stick around. I should had listen to voices in my head.
This drama was adapted from the novel, but just because it worked in writing world, it doesn't mean it's gonna work in TV world. Not every book deserves movie/drama. I didn't read a book, but I don't doubt it was good. But this topic as drama isn't good. At least writing of the script.
Drama had 36 episodes, but based on what was in those episodes, it should last 12 episodes max. Most of the time didn't have dialog, no communication beetween leads. To be honest, most od the time I was asking myself what was foundation of their love. Everything happend on whatsapp or wechat, it's like some of those communication apps is sponsor of the drama. So, no dialog or something that make viewers see or feel how the love happend. Also, wierd edditing happening here. First 2 kiss scene had sudden interruption and if we look BTS of the same scene, they clearly made those kiss much longer. I don't know why director wanted to edited it that way that the kiss scene that needed to make viewers more drown in drama lasted 2 seconds and viewers left hanging. Also, most of the episodes, leads were only in the same frame for about 2 minutes. Like I said, everything happend via phone. Too much bussines or phone massages to little together in the frame.
Long story short: writing, directing, editing was bad.
Now, when it comes to acting, that was the only thing that was good in this. Obviously, the actores didn't have that much to work with but what they had, the were good at it. Leads are big name in the industry so I didn't except anything less then good acting. Dylan was good, nothing special but he didn't had anything to work with. I watched his other work, and sometimes he is amazing in his role, sometimes he lack expression. He is good here, but obviously he will have to work on his acting a lot. But I think that he can be amazing actor not just pretty face. Bai Lu, I feel so sorry for my girl in this drama. Her acting is always on point especially micro expressions. I wish they put less filter on her couse she can act with her face but with heavy filter we can't always see her expression. But one day, she will be big name in Chinese dramaland and not only by those idol dramas that demand pretty face but in those heavy movies and dramas that actually demand acting. Miles, he has standard in his acting and he never goes under that standard no matter how bad the script is and here is the same. Definitly big name in future dramaland. The rest of the crew was also good.
At the end, I fill this drama was cash grab for someone. They used these big name actores for nothing. Also, you can't unsee all those sponsors and they product.

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Disappointing Plot, Frustrating Storyline

What a wasted potential. The acting from actors were great but the frustration I had in the middle of the plot was so serious that I just had to go here to give it a rating to vent it out. I can't believe they wasted so many earlier good episodes only for me to witness the crap of the 20+ episodes.

No proper communication, FL doesn't know how to apologize and she's dragging the issue for way too long, it's deeply frustrating. To think the characters are all working professionals here. FL is mature & great at work, it's not even her first relationship. She came from a 5+ years relationship yet that doesn't show in the story. The BFF is also stupid & overconfident, can't understand why FL listen to her when she doesn't even know how to keep a long-term relationship. So many unnecessary misunderstandings & miscommunications and the introduction of ML's childhood friend to the later story is also unnecessary.

I came here hoping I would learn how to effectively flirt, only to find out later it's showing communication red flags. Only the acting of the actors are carrying the whole show.

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Cast is Not convincing at all

We are supposed to watch a drama where the FL lead who is a young professional falls In love with a serious and accomplished CEO. The chosen ML is not convincing at all. The male lead looks and acts like a young boy who does not know what to do or how to express himself with words. How are we supposed to believe that this scared boy is a successful entrepreneur?

17 episodes in and I do not see any chemistry between the FL and ML. Some moments I even cringe because I see an experienced woman who knows what she wants approaching the scared and inexperienced boy.

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