Are You the One (2024)

Rambling Thoughts & Nit Pickings on Are You the One?

Here’s my essay review on the drama. Grab a cup of tea or coffee, because it’s long and full of spoilers if you venture into the later parts of this essay.

To briefly give a synopsis of the drama, Lu Wen, a bandit leader who upholds justice and helps the poor has been at odds against Cui Xingzhou, also known as Prince Huaiyang (think a feudal lord) for quite some time. The two are equal in combat skills, cunning wit, and strategies, running laps around each other. The bandit leader fights to help the poor, and the prince fights to protect his lands and people. But one day, at the base of a mountain called Mount Yang, Cui Xingzhou (Prince Huaiyang) and his soldiers find an unconscious woman named Liu Miantang, on death’s door with her tendons severed, floating in a pool of her own blood. Believing her to be the beloved concubine of Lu Wen, his rival, Prince Huaiyang does everything to save Liu Miantang’s life to lure out Lu Wen. However when Miantang wakes from her coma, having suffered from her injuries, she has lost 3 years worth of memories and mistakens Xingzhou as her husband. Miantang affectionately calls him Cui Jiu, believing this to be the man she married 3 years ago. Cui Xingzhou (Prince Huaiyang) seizes the opportunity to assume the identity of “Cui Jiu” and plays husband to the amnesic Miantang hoping to catch Lu Wen once and for all. The deeper Xingzhou plays into this fake marriage, the more he begins to fall for Miantang. As Miantang regains her memory, and Xingzhou’s feelings grow, can their love prevail against the betrayal and deception?

This is my short review, which is spoiler-free:
After watching 40 episodes of this drama, I would rate this an 8.5/10. If you’re a fan of the classic movie, Overboard starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, you probably will enjoy this drama. The 8.5 score from me stems from really enjoying the fake marriage trope and chemistry between our leads, and Zhang Wanyi nailing his performance. However, there were several missed opportunities in the drama that could have made this a much stronger story.

The drama makes it a point to let us know that Cui Xingzhou/Prince Huaiyang has a rivalry with Lu Wen. Once Lu Wen’s identity is revealed, they failed to show how these two opponents are of equal footing, and I felt they forgot about this story. At the same time, the female lead, Liu Miantang, who was found injured and lost her memory, had made it a point to seek revenge for what had happened to her, amongst other things. But then the drama also seemed to forget this arc and she became a supporting player in her role in exacting her revenge. She was relegated to helping the 2nd male lead instead.
Overall, I enjoyed the drama, but I lament how much better this could have been with tighter storytelling. There are times when I felt the drama struggled with what vibe they were going for: slow pace, serious, comedic, deeper impact on storytelling? There were moments throughout the drama that felt like it dragged, which they could have utilized the pacing better to show a proper reconciliation between Miantang, our female lead, and Xingzhou, the male lead. Then have the two actually work together in a revenge arc.

If you’ve not watched the drama and don’t want spoilers, please stop reading here. Otherwise, you can find the rest of my lengthy review here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v5qDdwFiLcxvOmpbqx05gF4wOdSh8O3CRJXgu2fzdos/edit

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Pleasantly Surprised

Started this drama with zero expectations and I'm quite surprised that I finished it and didn't skip any scenes. I tend to drop dramas that don't hold my interest, especially at the half way point when the plot tends to go down the drain. For some reason, the plot kept me interested as I wanted to find out how the ML and FL will end up back together considering he really messed up in the beginning. Once she recovered her memories, it was the ultimate betrayal for her. This man who she thought she loved, kept her like a caged bird for a whole year "playing house" while her real personality is a care free adventurer. The moment when the ML got drunk back at his home after realizing he lost her as his "wife" really resonated how he fudged it up with her. There was definitely some groveling for him to do in order to win her back. The first half of the drama was the set up and the funny scenes and home life and the second half was him trying to win her back along with royal politics at play. I also liked that there were subtle moments of female empowerment weaved into the drama between all the female characters, from the FL to her friend, He Zhen, the empress and even to ML's sister. These ladies wanted to control their own destinies the best way they knew how in a world where they had no say over their own lives compared to their male counterpart. I thought it was interesting as well that the second ML had other love interests. It made it seem more realistic, especially when having multiple wives back then, was the norm. Didn't think I was going to enjoy this drama as well as watching all 40 episodes.

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secret identities ?!

"Are You the One" centers on a love story between a clever and beautiful woman, Liu Mian Tang, who suffers from amnesia and a royal, morally grey but secretly soft-hearted man, Cui Xing Zhou. The twist is that the male lead pretends to be her loser husband to help him in his schemes to capture a bandit.

The drama kicks off with a lot of promise. The first half is solid, giving us a good balance of romance, humor, and character development. You really feel the cute "hubby and wifey" vibes, and there’s a nice blend of everyday moments mixed with tension from their hidden motives. But, as the plot progresses, especially in the second half, things start to drag. The pacing slows down, and the excitement from the earlier episodes fizzles out.

But overall, I think I would recommend this. If you’re someone who enjoys light romance with a touch of mystery, you'll find it enjoyable. I really loved the wedding scene haha <3

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My feedback

I watched this completely.

ML: Like the acting of ML. He was good in Lost you forever also..

FL: First time I watched FL. She looks good but need to improve her acting skill. I felt like she is acting artificially, I mean doesn't seem natural when she gets close to male lead. There is a scene when she hugs him. Typically in a hug your hands go inwards but her hands were outwards and felt like she doesn't want to hug at all. She can improve over the time if she puts some effort in assimilating the character she is playing.

Other characters worth to mention

Empress Shi: I like her a lot. She is so good in her acting. She did really well. Wish to see her more in dramas.
ML friend: He is good too.

Story: Liked it. Worth to watch at least one time.

Costumes/Sets: Well balanced.

Music: No Comments. The BG scores were good.

If you want to pass your time during a long weekend just watch this. I would recommend it.

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Great OTP chemistry and intriguing secondary couples/characters

This was an enjoyable period drama with a great OTP and intriguing secondary characters and couples. Execution and casting helped elevate an otherwise standard battle for the throne palace intrigue.

The chemistry between Zhang Wanyi and Wang Churan was great and their Mr & Mrs Smith dynamics were fun to watch. The romance could have been even swoonier and more passionate, however, had they not tried to inject as much romcom throughout.

CASTING THOUGHTS:
Wang Churan was ethereal when her character had amnesia and was not burdened by difficult memories, but also strong and formidable when Liu Miantang finally remembered those missing years. She was great as both types of characters but struggled a bit reconciling the two personalities into one.

While I enjoyed Zhang Wanyi's overall portrayal and acting, I found his rather distinctive voice and delivery very reminiscent of Luo Jin's style, which was somewhat distracting throughout.

I kept waiting for Shi Xueji to suddenly reveal herself as a scheming villainess and was thankfully proven wrong. Yuan Yuxuan and the writers did a lovely job with her character despite her relatively limited screen time. Some of my favourite scenes were the ones where she found such joy and delight in eating; and for a character with an uncomplicated mind and personality, she showed wisdom that was fitting for an Empress and partner to Zuyi -- who was a solid emperor, yet not quite worthy enough for Shi Xueji as a husband, in my view.

----

I'd heard this was originally meant to be a two-parter like Lost You Forever, but the powers that be changed their minds given the requisite extended pause between Part 1 and 2. If more than a dozen episodes worth of material were indeed filmed and then cut, they did a pretty decent editing job with the overall story flow and importantly, they actually stuck the landing with a satisfying conclusion. (We've all seen how these things can be butchered, and even the most solid dramas have flailed at the ending.)

My overall 9/10 rating is perhaps somewhat inflated -- I would rate it higher than 8.5 but lower than 9 if I could, so for now, I have rounded up instead.

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Fun storyline that occasionally strugged with pacing

STORY
Rather than the storylines, I think I enjoyed the characters and interactions the most. Thinking back, it's mainly the negatives that pop up in my head but the story was overall pretty good though, I liked the vibe in the beginning in Lingquan Town especially.

When it comes to the storytelling, the main gripe I had was the fact that the pacing was always a bit off; it felt like a lot of time was spent building up an arc, just for it to resolve quite quickly which made the payoff quite unsatisfactory. The show had quite a lot of things going on simultaneously, and while 40 episodes would have been good to flesh things out properly, there were times when it felt too much was happening and times when it felt like hardly anything was happening at all.

I also disliked that we had a 3-year time leap where Ziyu became the emperor because it felt like it was too important to have been completely left out like that. The Wu child emperor and the Empress Dowager characters were quite established, but it felt so abrupt that they completely disappeared from the story over a black screen with text.

CHARACTERS

Liu Miantang:
I disagree with most of the reviews saying that she was being overly harsh on Ciu Xingzhou. Thinking about how much he lied about, I found her reaction to be quite realistic and I'm glad that the writers didn't make her immediately give up on her anger the second that Xingzhou apologised to her. I agree that her character was quite inconsistent at times, especially after she got her memories back. I also wished that she was able to play a more active role in Prince Sui's downfall/death because one of her main goals was to avenge her brothers in Xuizhou.
Wang Churan was the perfect actress for the role and I really enjoyed her acting throughout the entire show. She did well in both the action sequences and the emotional scenes (like when she confirmed how much Xingzhou was lying about)

Cui Xingzhou:
Didn't really like him in the beginning but I think the writers did a good job of redeeming his character after all the lies.
Zhang Wanyi did well in the comedic scenes but I found him slightly wooden in the more dramatic scenes. I believe a lot of them might be an issue with the directing but he generally did an okay job for the role.

Zi Yu / Xue Ji:
Ziyu was okay I guess. I felt like he was too hung up on Miantang towards the end and I wasn't a fan of the acting at a few points but an overall okay character. Xue Ji on the other hand was easily my favourite character in the show. I adored her from start to finish, she was well-written and developed so beautifully throughout the show. The actress did a brilliant job portraying her, especially in the scene where she finally stood up to General Shi.

Zhao Quan / He Zhen:
I didn't like their pairing at all and I found Zhao Quan quite annoying in most of his scenes. Even as Xingzhou's friend, I liked his other friend from the capital much more. It's quite a shame because I enjoyed He Zhen's character quite a lot in the beginning and I feel like it would have been more effective having her not marry anyone and just become a successful porcelain business woman instead

Other characters:
I wouldn't particularly say everyone was well-written but I think it was more of a pacing issue than anything else. I liked the ending they gave for Binglan despite how annoying she was. Miantang's grandfather was incredibly annoying at certain points but I found him painfully realistic as well. One of the biggest wasted characters was easily Yun'er, she was a strong character in the beginning but after she became a consort, she turned quite petty and weak. I still liked some of the characters like Mo Ru, Miantang's uncle and Lin Si Yue though.


REWATCH VALUE:
I'm not sure how well it would hold up in a rewatch. I think some of the scenes, particularly the court politics scenes might age well but the slow burn beginning where Miantang has amnesia might not be as enjoyable on a rewatch. Too early for me to say but I might return to give it a watch in a couple of years.


CONCLUSION:
If you're in the mood for a rather slow-moving show, this would be a good pick. I find it to be a decent idol drama, and despite all the issues, I had a really fun time watching it. As someone who's been struggling to get through dramas recently, I managed to finish this off within a week. If you want to watch a light-hearted idol costume drama, I recommend this to you!

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DRAMA FOR WOMEN

Perfect wife: Liu Ming Tang, couldn't be wrong! Besides she forgot about her past, she's the perfect dream wife for any men. Demure, smart, beautiful, docile, obedience, kind, loving, devoted, and all the wifey attributes. Wang Chu Ran as Liu Ming Tang is a beautiful woman but, man, she's boring!!! There's no passion in her eyes, no ingenuity! She would like "Husband, don't worry about anything, just go have fun, I'll take care the house the business the money and everything else." and then she'd say 'why don't you take concubine?" Wtf?? A bad example. All about love....sweet love...too much for me!!! While Zhang Wan Yi was good in his character, he's great in commanding personality as man in-charge (bits like his character in Lost You Forever), his posture and costume were perfect. He has better chemistry with his cousin physician Zhang Chi (Zhao Quan) than his wife. I would see them together more than any other scenes. Not to mention character Zi Yu / Lu Wen (Chang Hua Sen: this guy took in a similar character from Journey to Love) just too bad he picked same script as an obsessed man to a woman in his past.

What I like?
** Minimal hairdo or accessories which made them more beautiful/handsome
** Nice setting
There's nothing much I like so decided to drop it. I am not into BS love story...the story is numbing me. I don't know much after ep 18....if you're into love story this drama is for you.

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this drama knows itself

"I dont want you to forget that worry and toil are not what we are after. We should enjoy our lives." - Liu Mian Tang

this drama does not lose identity, it is consistent in tone all throughout, does not get lost in complicated plots that lead to nowhere, does not bother with unimportant characters. it knows the story it wants to tell and took time and care to tell it. the little moments are more important than the big emotional empire encompassing complications.
the female protagonist reminds her male counterpart of this while approaching the political climax of the drama. do not get lost in the trouble, focus on living a happy life. so the drama diverted to a beautiful little date, showing that happiness is found even in dire circumstances. it is a simple but powerful reminder.

needless to say, i love this drama

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A definite gem

This one will definitely keep you on the seat. An absolute must watch. Not sure why the rating dropped below nine but I couldn’t wait for the next episodes. You’ll feel the angst, the frustration, discussed, rage, love, and the need for redemption. Overall, the series offers everything you can for, including the action, chemistry, romance, and one must not forget some of the fighting scenes are amazing.

The relationship between Cui and his friend will leave you laughing so hard. They are both hilarious but they are always on cue to fake it whenever they need to get out of some mess and you’ll want to hit repeat.

If you’re hesitant because of the amnesia troupe, don’t be. Once it’s out in the open, it’s all is fair in love and war. During the beginning you get to see how things got to where they were and also any misunderstandings that exist are also revealed. The later part is beautiful redemption, action and love.

One of the things that I enjoyed most is that the characters stayed true to themselves. In addition we finally got a queen who was deserving, smart, humble, loyal and patient. One could only hope that her home was filled with nothing but beauty.

By the end of the series, you absolutely love the entire household of the CUI.

Absolutely loved the ending. No lose ends.

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A really good drama, but

I waited this drama after lost you forever for Zhang wanyi and also for chu ran who I'm also a big fan of, so I was really excited to watch this

The production is good, the casting and acting especially Zhang wanyi. I really love the way he acts whether it's a serious drama or a comedy he can really carry the whole show. Wang churan also, I love her acting and her sweet softy aura. I watch both of their previous drama before so I'm not worried about the casting or acting of them. The story is also good and the leads has a really strong chemistry and tension which what keeps me watching this drama. But I expected too much which is, I should not do for a 40 episode drama. I actually want to see more of their story like the back story of luwen and how cool she is, also the backstory of ziyu and miantang if they really love each other(?) ziyu's backstory as the late crown prince son is also interesting. And also the angst, I thought this will be angsty especially between the leads, I expected a strong enemies to lovers between them. But yeah they already fell madly to each other (which I also love. I just want to see an angst between them, like being in love but also has to be enemies first). There's a lot of questions leave hanging but this drama focus on lead's love story so that's okay. Afterall the genre is romcom and they give justice to it. The overdramatic husband huaiyang and his iconic expressions lol, and calm pretty wife miantang who always assured and calms her husband. I will not disregard the comedy of another leads the funny zhennan and He zhen their interaction always makes me laugh and also touch. I also love empress xueji how she's really open minded and didn't let her self be on the side of evil even how bad she was treated in her familys, she's unprejudice and so kind. She always understands ziyu and do not felt any jealous to fl, to the point that the Emperor didn't deserve her.

This drama still deserves an almost 10 ratings, as this is one of my favorite comfort drama of the year❤️

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Very interesting drama.

I love when a drama has both leads who are naturally super good looking. the storyline is good. wish there was more lovey dovey scenes between ML and FL though. so far the story has captivated me that I don’t even fast forward. it’s a little bit comedic and very entertaining too. Can’t wait to see the end. The costumes are really good. they should really incorporate more black with red customes. The male lead would look so stunning in it. with a story as good as this I really hoped there would be more episodes. 40 episodes are not enough. I hope to see the leads married life too. It would really be a dream come true for me.

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