Your average C-drama
Plot: 6/10The plot of this drama is actually very shallow, it barely even scratch the surface. Ever since the first episode I could see that the drama didn't really take themselves seriously. They have fun with this silly plot and go along with it. I was entertained with it in the beginning, before the doomed break-up happened. But even before then, when Yi Yang started to come into the picture, this balance of pure comedy and silliness that the drama has, suddenly come into a halt. It felt like someone else demanded that this Yi Yang character needs to be there, and the script has to be rewritten. Because even though the plot was so silly it's borderline crazy, but it was really fun. I have fun refreshing my Viu page to see whether it has been updated with the next episode. Since Yi Yang came, it felt like the fun, the silly, the laughter the drama showed in the beginning just gone.
Then the break-up that went on for far too long, wasting a lot of plot and the screentime of our main couple so much. It felt like it had to be dragged in order to fit Yi Yang in there, even though he didn't even matter. He had little significance to the story, and yet he's there. It made me felt uncomfortable watching him in the drama, it felt like he's just so out of place. Why put him there if he didn't even needed?
Other than Yi Yang, I also felt that this drama suffered from having too many couples at the same time. The most useless would be Bi Ruoshan and Guanji. I don't even understand why they need to be there. Sometimes, they took too much screentime supposedly for our leads, and it caused the story to go stagnant for a while as well. I can still forgive Qin Shiyue and Yu You, as they don't take that much screentime. But still, with this many couple, the time spent for the two main leads also had to be cut down.
This showed started episode 35-36, where everything felt so rushed and so fast. There are times when the editing felt so weird. AND WHERE IS MY WEDDING.
Acting: 6/10
I didn't see any bad performances, but this means there's no one who stand out either. Bai Lu was okay, but most of the time she act like a child, so it didn't matter. The others are okay as supporting character. I might have the biggest problem with Wang Hedi. It's not that he's bad, but it felt like he's not progressing either in his acting. And when I first started the drama I mentioned it to my friend that he looked like a child trying hard to be a CEO. And when he speaks, it shattered my reality of the cold and dominant CEO. He doesn't sound like one. I felt conflicted saying this, but I'd rather him get dubbed.
Production value: 5/10
I don't even know what to say. There are times when I thought the camera angle totally unnecessary, and there are times when I thought it's just too much. The lighting felt off at times, and I kinda feel some discomfort watching some parts because the light is too strong.
Overall, the drama is 6/10. I enjoy the first 14 episodes of the drama, then the last 6 episodes. I like my drama fluffy and fun.
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Cringy script barely saved by a likeable cast
I really enjoyed Love is Sweet and LBFAD, Perfect and Casual, etc. but I really wasn't sure about this one, given some friends were enjoying it, other friends couldn't get past the first couple of episodes, and reviews overall were quite mixed.But curiosity got the better of me -- plus I'm a reporter that covered fintech and has written about batteries -- so I decided to check it out. And eeek. Whatever people think of Douban in general, I get the score for this one. It feels a bit like a modern mini-drama script. If it wasn't for the cast and the fact that I set aside all my expectations, this would be a slog.
When it comes to the romance, the dialogue is cringy. Massive journalistic conflict of interest and ethical issues aside, the FL is an intrepid and good reporter, but she spouts the corniest flattery and pick-up lines and her expressions of interest feel off; I can't tell if she's being serious or just trying to be cute, flirty, or teasing. Meanwhile, 90 pct of the ML's dialogue when it's not about business is "Mm." "No." "Yes." Make the characters make sense! And let's not get into the endless push and pull from the side couples either.
It all screams "frustrating watch", especially the romance, and yet! I'm surprisingly not as frustrated as I should be. I really don't know if it's because the cast helps -- or worse, because I do not feel invested in these characters at all. As much as I've enjoyed their other dramas and likability factor on variety shows, the acting and pairing don't really work for me here -- I'm not feeling the chemistry.
This is the first time I've written a review before finishing, but I wanted to sort out my thoughts a little. Everyone seems happy with the last half dozen episodes though, so hopefully this perseverance will be rewarded.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unimpressive despite expectations!
This was a much awaited show, since I am a fan of both Bai Lu and Dylan Wang, with Miles Wei in this show as well, the anticipation was even higher. I generally wait for a show to complete airing before I binge watch it, but I started watching when about 26 episodes were aired. Episode after episode, my confusion kept growing as to what was the deal with the leads, with the ML clearly interested in the FL but always giving her a tough time, then helping her covertly. As for the FL, she is shown as a rising star in financial journalism, with many noteworthy articles under her belt, but as soon as the ML comes into the picture, she sees him as the only ladder she needs to climb professionally, the character sketch of the FL couldn’t have been more skewed. She flirts with a business contact openly, is unsure whether she actually has feelings for him, but sees nothing wrong in using him for her professional gain. I was expecting a great onscreen chemistry between the leads, but it was lacklustre and mediocre at best. What was really appalling were the unnecessary scenes of horse riding that felt so out of place and context! For the second leads, they looked good together, had chemistry too, but I didn’t get why their relationship had to be an on-and-off kind of situation, with no rhyme or reason for unnecessary conflict or coldness. The third couple, with Miles Wei was my favourite, and one of the reasons I continued watching. That said, even this cute pair couldn’t compel me to watch beyond episode 24. I really like Bai Lu and Dylan Wang, and sincerely hope they get better stories and characters in future. Bai Lu has shown such great on-screen chemistry with Ren Jialun, Xu Kai and Luo Yunxi, I expected more from her here, but she can only do what she is directed to, with the character that’s written for her. As for Dylan Wang, I loved him in Love between Fairy and Devil, but I just couldn’t feel the same for him in this show.Was this review helpful to you?
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,Was this review helpful to you?
I didn’t enjoy this drama, I suffered it
I'll start by saying that it's not a bad show. In fact, it keeps you hooked to see what comes next. And I loved the chemistry between the three couples.But I have so many things to say about this, so let me start with a question: is this about a journalist who doesn't understand the importance of good communication? Really?
Isn't discernment (the ability to evaluate what is good, and what is bad) one of the essential skills of a journalist? However, the female lead blindly followed the awful advice she got from her best friend. Did she really believe that starting a relationship with lies and pretending was going to have positive results in the future? I think that's what bothered me the most about this series.
And I really hated the friend. With so many tricks, secrets and lies in her relationships, she didn't deserve a happy ending.
Another thing that annoyed me was that sometimes the FL was very bold and when he responded, she ran away like a scolded puppy.
Now, let's talk about the second female lead. She was so cute and persistent. I understand that the idea was to fight for what you want, but to what extent do you have to “beg for love”? To what extent do you give up your dignity to try to attract someone who is not interested in you, even pretending to be something you are not? Was the idea to pursue him until he accepted out of exhaustion? In any case, I liked the evolution of her character, going from a shallow girl to a woman with interests and goals.
On the other hand, there are the three male characters, which I thought were good, and I loved how they looked together in one of the scenes in the lasts chapters.
The ML was pretty deadpan, but I guess that's how the character was written. The teacher was my favorite, with his serenity. The third, who carried a certain sadness within him, matured as the plot progressed.
Another issue that bothered me about the series has to do with journalism. I don't know what it's like in China, but as a journalist, you don't give the interviewee the draft of the interview to approve, unless it's an advertorial. You're also not afraid to interview someone because you might suddenly fall in love if you get to know him better. This is just a professional interview, not a date.
In any case, it is better not to analyze these professional issues too much and enjoy the drama.
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Much ado about nothing
What a disappointment....I had high expectations from this drama, because of casting Bai LU and Dylan Wang...
In beginning; it was lit bit interesting, but FL character was a let down.She is a smart,talented new generation journalist. What she is doing,l lying, acting like a dumb taking all the wrong suggestion from a friend .Who herself is confused about her relationship.
Story is slow and boring; scenes were repetitive.Onscreen chemistry is not there between main characters; felt more like shooting formalities. Three ML does look powerful onscreen; especially Dylan as CEO walking making a grand entry..don't feel his power as CEO. Basically,everyone fro0m FL boss to FL to FL so called idiotic best friend relationship is mess ...
24 episodes ; everything is still dragging... Felt boreed
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Why Dylan Wang's Acting is Actually Good in Only for Love?
Overall, Only for Love is a well-made and enjoyable C-drama. It is a romantic comedy with a lot of heart, and it is sure to leave you feeling happy and satisfied.Here are some specific things that I liked about the drama:
The chemistry between Bai Lu and Dylan Wang is undeniable. They have great rapport together, and their scenes together are always electric.
The drama is well-paced and there are no unnecessary filler episodes.
The drama does a good job of balancing comedy and romance. There are plenty of funny moments, but the drama also has a lot of heart.
The drama explores some interesting themes, such as the importance of following your dreams and the challenges of balancing work and love.
The first 8 episodes got me kicking and giggling and gave me goosebumps, I don't why the hate on this series?
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A drama about the fourth love pair or 4th ML and FL
Its a wasted opportunity: great actors in a shallow plot and mediocre drama. Bai Lu is a top notch actress. DW and Zheming Wie are quality actors. The others are good too. But......the plot is nowhere to be found: it is a drama that is worth 10 or less episodes but stretched to 36. Screenplay is bad that for almost all episodes up to 30 (?), both the ML and FL are still not together for good; in fact, both are still distanced or detached from each other. Yet both are top notch in their careers - failing to identify their respective romantic hindrance (this is supposed to be a romance drama).The drama seems to be about the love story of the 4th ML and FL: Guan Xian Chend and the Editor Tang Yi. Not even about the 2nd ML and FL nor the 3rd ML and FL; more so about the ML and FL.
What saves this drama: 1) Bai Lu; no not her acting, she is a quality and charming actress but her acting is desirable -not because she is not good, but because of bad plot and screenplay. It is just the presence or inclusion of Bai Lu that made this drama a magnet to fans. 2) Great production: the producer must have infuse money to get good actors/actresses as well as sets/venues.
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I thought I lost my ability to feel chemistry!!!
Let me get this straight. I gave myself a break after not finding any good drama for a while. A few months ago I read the novel and I dropped it halfway because the STORY was boring. But I knew I had to watch the drama for my favourite C-actress Bailu(not anymore). I read a few reviews here and there about great chemistry and went for it.THAT'S A BIIIIG MISTAKE I MADE THERE
After a few(18 episodes) I was seriously questioning myself if I lost my interest in dramas or smtng. But that was not the case, it is genuinely so poorly done. The script itself is trash. They made great-looking leads to do questionable things. They have so much potential to bring something great but they all gathered and decided to do this and find it okay??? I genuinely hope actors choose better script, and stories like this stop being made into drama.
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So it’s over
And personally I don’t think it was as bad as everyone considered but that’s just a personal opinion. Maybe it’s also because I do my best to not take logic too seriously when it comes to Dramaland (actually, I even tend to throw it out by the window when I do : one of the first rules I’ve learnt to enjoy Dramaland !)
It’s definitely not epic : it’s a cute, lighthearted fluffy romance, just the kind of thing we need when we don’t want anything too serious (and god knows I need that sometimes with my anxiety problems) and that does the job
Unlike many people, I do think that all of the cast did a really good job. The main couple had cute scenes, good skinship and a strange chemistry which somehow still works out. I wouldn’t call them my favorite ship (I’m just too obsessed by Xie Wei and Jiang Xuening right now) but I think they’re definitely cute to follow
I do have a big crush on the niece’s character who starts off as an annoying spoiled imbecile to then grow mature and decisive
Again : it’s definitely not epic, and it’s not the c-drama of the year. For example, it’s sometimes too repetitive, goes around in circles with no real reason. I do think it should have been shortened by at least 10 episodes (especially with the arc where the main couple was having a fight : this took way much time and place, and came way too late)
I so think it’s more of a 6,5 but I’ll go to 7 because I do have a guilty pleasure for this
But in my opinion, it does fulfill the main purpose of a drama, which is make us have a nice time when watching it and that is enough for me
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Cute dumpster fire that I couldn't summarize even if you asked me to
One-dimensional characters, unresolved love triangles, miscommunication break-ups, foolish FL, typical CEO ML, cliche plot done badly, know-it-all BFF who knows nothing, dragging, dragging, dragging plot...If you like this, I don't know what to tell you. If you don't, you probably shouldn't watch this drama unless you're trying to support some of the actors (who honestly did fine, the script was just... unbearable).
I did like Qin Shiyue though, and I liked how Shen Yujie portrayed her. Will keep looking out for this rising actress because she's adorable : )
These dramas make me wish that good actors and actresses could genuinely get good, thought-provoking plots sometimes. You know?
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What a shame
I tortured myself till episode 12 because I didn't want to believe that this drama could get worse and worse. I love Bai Lu, she's a superb actress and she even tried to give some facial expressions to this disappointing role. It's embarrassing to watch her in such a self-depreciating story. What a shame. An actress of her caliber should be able to choose her roles. The main lead Wang Hedi carried the same expression - his Godfather-like mafia boss nothing can touch me face - throughout all episodes trying to sprinkle in a slight movement of half of his lips probably symbolizing a smile, usually when his character had trapped the FL in one of his misogynist plots. In general I can see a slide in the new modern popular C-dramas towards more powerful men, just being rich and vengeful and more and more FL roles giving the impression of being very youn, inexperienced, cuuute, dependent and dumb. Once again what a pity !!!Was this review helpful to you?
