Only for Love

Give it a chance!

Was Only For Love a masterpiece? Absolutely not. Was it an original story? No. But was it entertaining? Yes! This is the first chinese drama that I've completed in a while, and I'm happy that I was not intimidated by the reviews/comments. I think the key to enjoying this drama is to come into it with low expectations.

There were significant pacing issues and loose ends in my opinion but Bai Lu's performance was captivating. I am no Bai Lu stan, I had only seen her in Love is Sweet (which I did not enjoy); but she really carries this drama on her back with her comedic timing, in what would otherwise be a bland show.

I think this show suffers from trying to do too much. However, if you are looking for a sweet and fluffy drama where you can turn your brain off, give Only for Love a try.

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A Love Need Second Chance

A romance, workplace, drama. Following a man who's a CEO met a woman who work as journalist of bussiness tabloid. That woman was intend to get closer to him for the sake of revenge to his niece who has had stole her boyfriend. A wrong relationship turns into a real love.

This drama has heavy on workplace, not only romance stuff. But, for me, honestly a bit boring. They just serving the very template workplace bussiness, which is meeting for thousand times, reviewing the bunch of documents, also typing on computer. Just like that, there's no in-depth discussion regarding the bussiness topic.

Also, the progress of romance relationship was sluggish, it's the slowest slow burn. Too much filler honestly. The way they solving their misperception need twenty six episode, like are you fooking real? I can't stand by the plot pace.

Aside, the romance was so good. The skinship that nothing exaggerate, nor cringe. Instead giving butterfly effect when I watch it. Their chemistry was solid and cute. I love the way Dylan Wang and Bai Lu portraying the couple, oh like they're born to be with each other.

A bit miss, the CGI of every drive scene felt ugly. But the camera movement, was banger. The cinematography was okay. Also the soundtrack was easy listening, eargasm.

All in all, for me this is a decent drama. Just typically workplace romance drama. They made highlight of 3 couples at the same time. So, if you craving for cute and lovey dovey young-adult romance, you might love this one. The conflict wasn't tough. Just give it a try!

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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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overall cute but misundertsandings are annoying

The FL annoyed me a lot with how she handled why she persued the ML. She kept listening to her bff Shanshan who at that time was in a bad situationship. She should've just listened to her own feelings and thoughts but dragged the whole thing until it was too late. Shanshan's advices sometimes really made me wanna scream but i do understand where her thought process came from.

The Episodes after the break up annoyed me a little because shiyu didn't even apologize properly at first okay she tried to get in contact with him but only after she found out that the special topic about his company will be cancelled. She was only ever thinking about her career. The only thing he wanted to hear was that she loves him he gave her many possibilities to just explain herself and she never did. Only after like 4 eps she realized her mistake and apologized.

So i think the plot with all these mistundertsandings was a bit annoying sometimes.

I really loved the relationship of yu you and qin shiyue. Eventhough he was rejecting her at first she persued him very maturely. She was the youngest overall but her advices were the best and she handled her own relationship very well.

Overall i loved the acting of the cast would love to see bai lu and dylan wang act in a different series with a better plot together again. Their dynamic was very playful and cute. Also i really loved how shi yan threw the phone away in ep 34 really those phone calls ruining intimate moments really was making me go crazyyyyy.

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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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A Drama About Love, Lies, and Lost Brain Cells

When this drama was announced, it instantly went on my most anticipated list for 2023 🌟 — and that’s rare, because I hardly ever get hyped for modern dramas! The cast was just too good to ignore 😍 — the FL, ML, and even the supporting roles were played by actors I genuinely love.

So, when it finally aired, I was ready for a great ride 🎬✨ …but what I got instead was one confusing, cringe-filled mess 😭.

🚫 What Went Wrong

🌀 A Chaotic, Nonsensical Plot
The FL’s boyfriend breaks up with her because he finds a niece of a wealthy CEO — and what does she do? She suddenly decides to chase that CEO out of revenge or pride. Like… girl, what? 😭 The logic of her decisions is so bizarre. In her job, she’s portrayed as a professional, respected woman 👩‍💻 — but in her personal life, she acts like a character from a low-budget revenge web drama 💅.

🤯 Misunderstandings Everywhere
This drama is literally built on misunderstanding, misleading, and misinformation. Half the time, I had no clue what was happening. It’s like the writers just threw random conflicts to keep the story moving. Every few episodes, I was like, “What the hell is going on now??” 😩

💔 The Chemistry That Never Caught Fire
With this cast, I expected sizzling chemistry 🔥, but the romance felt forced and awkward. The ML was charming but too bland 😶, and the FL’s emotional reactions were all over the place. The secondary couple even had more genuine sparks than the leads 😬.

😵‍💫 Tonal Confusion
It tries to be everything — workplace drama, revenge romance, modern fairy tale, emotional healing story — but ends up doing none of them well. The pacing jumps between chaotic office politics and cheesy love tropes with no flow 🥴.

💫 What I Actually Liked

🌸 The Visuals & Styling
Okay, I’ll give credit where it’s due — the drama looks beautiful. The outfits, the cinematography, and the color palette were really polished 🎨✨. If only the plot matched the aesthetics!

🎭 The Cast Tried Their Best
Even with the messy script, the leads put in effort. You can tell they wanted to make the story work 🥺. And a few emotional moments — especially the quieter scenes — almost saved it.

🎬 Final Verdict

Only for Love had all the right ingredients 💔 — an amazing cast, gorgeous visuals, and a promising setup. But the story fell apart under poor writing, weird logic, and paper-thin emotional development 😩.

If you’re just here for pretty faces, nice outfits, and surface-level romance 👗💄💞 — it’s watchable. But if you expect a meaningful, coherent love story… this one’s a total letdown 🚫🥀.

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Missed opportunity

I was so hopeful but I can’t say I loved this one and I’m a fan of both of the leads. I like the idea of a smart career woman being dedicated and good at what she does. I love a man that follows his path as well. That being said our two leads were academically and business smart but had the social/relationship competency of 12 year olds (not cute or entertaining).


The cons: misunderstandings lasted until episode 31; direct communication was very poor, they talked more in their head than directly to each other. They texted more than they talked. I’ve never seen so much screen time on screen. It lasted until the end. The relationship remained undefined for so long and then when it was, it was a break in it.
I ML was suppose to be domineering business man but it didn’t seem to fit or maybe it was just that he never lightens up. Usually you see a change, it kept it going.

I so wonder what it would have been like, it they spoke a quarter of their internal thoughts that the viewers heard. It could have made it much better.

I can accept a misunderstanding but I hate when it’s dragged out and poor communication. Although we’d all love a smooth sailing romance, I don’t think I could say there were any swoon worthy moments. I think I got whiplash.

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Some of my frustrations are listed below...

It took me 2 whole months before I decided to watch this. I admit, I read reviews and summary reviews on series that I plan to watch. But do not get me wrong, I am never swayed by bad reviews of low rate, I will still watch the series as long as I like the main couple and the ending is a happy one. I cannot just watch sad endings even if the main couples are my favorites.

Now, the 7.0 overall rate is still high but I will give this score because I like the main leads, especially FL BUT I do not like them as a couple. I mean, I do not get excited when they are on screen and I do not long for them to be on screen together.

I felt that there were so many plot holes and I do not think there was much development on the FL character, the ML character development (if you can call it) was weird because it was so abrupt. Almost half or even more than half of the series, they do not know who they were talking about! I mean, is that even possible? When my friends or colleagues talk about their crush, we always want to know their names and I mean, sometimes they will not give their names but eventually, especially, if they are always together, we can create the conclusion that he/she was the one she/he was talking about! All characters are all professionals here, and we are led to presume that they are all smart! But no, they are not. and that is one of the most frustrating things about this series.

Another frustration, is the FL is perceived to be "good with words and expressing the feelings of the person she is interviewing to the public" but, OMG, why was it so hard to tell the ML about the "part" of the reason why she approached him? And why was it so hard to apologize especially when she knew that she needed to say it and that is what the ML was waiting for (and of course her explanation)? Speaking of explanation, why did she not properly explain her side? I mean, we all just assume, that since the ML is worried about her, then everything is ok!

Do not get me started with the FLs best friend and ML best friend as a couple. My frustration with them is their mouths and their beautiful brains are for display only. They do not use it to talk about the things they want to say to each other or to analyze the situation they saw or heard. They use their mouth to throw hurtful things at each other and their brain draws conclusions based on the small amount of time they see or hear.

Now the MLs niece and MLs other bestfriend. I do not have a frustration about them only how their characters are written and also the lines. I can say that they are almost the most normal couple in the drama.

Another frustration, there is no climax at all. I mean, the story was a steady line then go down then neutral again then down again.

So, you can watch this but do not expect to be excited throughout the drama or to feel any tension like what I felt in episodes 10 and 11 in the Destined series.

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This drama has nothing but Bailu's pretty face

Like honestly, I was down to see some romance but this drama doesn't know where it's going. The motivations of the main character are terribly explained and for many times I was confused if she knew certain plot points or not. The secondary couples also do not make this more enjoyable, except maybe Bi Roushan and the wealthy man she has on and offs again and again. I just watched it to see more of my girl's beautiful face and to quench my curiosity over Dylan's actual voice for the first time. But it's a whole lot of nothing plotwise and dragged out for no reason at all.

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Absolutely recommended

Absolutely recommended. The cast are visually amazing, their chemistry as well is undeniable. I love the whole story but the progress of it is very slow but its not stressful, its a slow pacing relaxing drama. I love everything about it, congratulations to Dylan Wang and Bai Lu for their amazing acting that captivated everyone as well as the other cast who is absolutely doing their best to portray their character as well. Big thank you for all the people behind this drama who made this into reality more power to you guys, the crew, the production and the writer. I've been watching kdrama for a long time and just started watching chinese drama last year, I realized Chinese dramas are more relaxing and family oriented and I will choose this over a very stressful drama, life in reality is stressful already . I wish to visit China even once to experience the beauty the country offers as well as to experience its culture. Thank you for this amazing drama that made us experience your culture and made us realized your beauty. Cheers to more Chinese drama and I hope more project for Dylan and Bai Lu in the future,

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Slow But Lovely Series!

Update Below...
@6 episodes in...here are the positives: I am invested in the story and I want to know where it is going. I love the cast..some of which should have a lead role themselves and in some cases do. I also adore both leads...and they are terrific together. The mild tension between them is interesting..and I am betting that will heat up as the love story is developed. I am also enjoying the side characters and backstories.

However....if you have read any of my reviews you know .....I can get pretty amped over the series I like. Lol. So why am I not over the moon with this one? I feel as if I should be...it is Dylan Wang, right? But the plot is perhaps the weak link, it is lacking something that would make it utterly captivating.

It could also be that Didi has set the bar pretty high with his convincing performances in period/costume series. The fantasy/historical character roles are in his wheelhouse..and he seems most comfortable in that setting. This is the first modern romance that I have seen him in (thanks to you who have read this review and have recommended The Rational Life) but I confess in this one...I am missing his smile and swagger. This is purposefully done at the directors request..as he is making the point that this is a very serious guy. Notice the glasses, grrr. Lol. And I can't deny that watching a stoic CEO fall to pieces over a girl is lovely .....still they have given him very little range so far. I am hopeful this will change as the story moves along. Fingers are crossed...but full disclosure here...the rating may go up or down. For now it is a recommend.

@14...This series has developed so slowly that some have given up...and I do think some of the nuance in the dialog has been lost in translation. I appreciate the hard work of subtitling ..but it is an imprecise process that requires fine tuning. There was a scene with him ordering her a cake at dinner, after her texting that had a lot of meaning..but no one knew..it was obscured by the translation. So expect that. Also, despite my earlier remarks about the plot, remember this is a veteran screenwriter who deserves props for past successes, so taking a chance that she will surprise us again. Plus even without Didi and Bai Lu...the rest of the cast are so fabulous that there are sweets to savor along the way. ❤️

@17...This ep was my favorite so far. The leads are getting closer and there are tantalizing hints of more to come. I also am enjoying the cast... I like his niece and her potential love interest. Some think her too young at 22 but nah..she is old enough. She is adorable ..but in my view so dang oblivious. She pursues him so relentlessly that I wince with each rejection....but when she finally hesitates he is so disconcerted that he goes looking for her..so go figure...lol.
I also like her best friend, some do not. It is true, she has hard edges and she drinks too much, and despite being the life of the party..she isn't happy. She knows about dating...but nothing about love. She hates feeling vulnerable, so she hides her real self from him, but he is figuring her out anyway. Lol. Ahh have I mentioned how fine he is yet? Wait until you see him in this one...

@28 As expected..this series has had its critics. We could summarize the complaints by a lack of progress..and too much repetition. Those things bother ppl. If a phone call interrupts a private moment once..we say "oh, my" but if it is still happening by the 26th ep..we are saying "you have got to be kidding me" right? So some complaints are valid hence my rating.

@30 Wow, their relationship has long left the rather dry and fake segments we saw early on. Currently their feelings are deep and painful but because they are..that tell us more accurately the true state of their hearts. Often when ppl find it hard to express themselves..it takes a volcanic shake up...to open up. My guess is that the anguish we have seen in 30 was a prelude to a much needed heart to heart. It is coming...I can feel it.

@33-34 Some folks say she is behaving childishly, and I agree, it looks dang childish..from the outside in....but actually it is pretty natural. Shuyi playing, her demand for attention...this is common to lovers. Because when the love is new, emotionally there is a huge swing...so the need to test each other is real. The rush of emotions..causes both lovers to act out of character. Love can turn reasonable ppl into mush!
When he feeds her...(he knows she can feed herself) but he is reassuring her that she is important enough to be babied. Her insistence on attention...is not really the issue...deep down..she is saying...do you love me...really? And when he fixes her hair...he is saying...yes....I really love you! So some very intuitive scriptwriting.

In conclusion: Slower...means gratification is delayed, but it will come. So in a minority here...but I am feeling cocky anyway. Confident that those of us who wait for the final will be satisfied. So let's wait for it and have a party ...
If you have the patience..I think you will enjoy.

@36 Final: Wow..what a wrap up! It was so good. Please be sure to watch the Bonus Episode!

Happy Watching!

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