This review may contain spoilers
How to be "Passionlessly" out of love!
This show was on my radar before it aired. Both leads look compatible visually and close in age with an interesting romance drama titled "passionate in love" and implies two young lovers in a full-blown passionate affair. Oh boy, what can go wrong?Character wise, I cannot even hide my disappointment in the lack of storyline, it felt like ML was chasing after FL the whole time. FL has a borderline narcissistic personality which she describes as overconfidence. She is inconsiderate about everyone else until someone is upfront with her. ML acts like FL is his whole life which you can interpret as "romantic" but its not. Many times, FL is playing around cause she enjoys the chase and excitement. This is exacerbated by the fact that actress herself cannot perform intimate scenes and brought on a whole controversy that is more heated than the non-existent plot in this show. The FL just appears to keep dodging at the thought of a potential kiss. The FL in the novel is bold, confident and - let's be real - not at all shy when it comes to kissing since she initiates most of them. FL in drama is complete opposite, to say she is a miscast for whatever reasons is an understatement. The whole production team trying to sell a product that doesn't resonate with what the audience expects, play with teasers and build up the anticipation only to ruin it, you bet there will be a backlash. It feels like one paid for premium but ended getting scammed with an inferior product, cannot shake off that feeling like being ripped off cause they cheap out with fake camera angles and borrowed kisses. They are being downright disrespectful to the viewers and they're not even trying to hide that fact.
Many times it feels like ML is trying to salvage the remaining pieces, but FL has a low EQ and has a problem with reciprocating love. Most of the time the actress herself spaces out without an ounce of this "passion" for acting. When the scene requires intimacy, ML is giving passionate gazes and shooting cupid arrows at her, FL just tenses up and becomes a frozen cube. As a viewer, that discomfort transfers over to me once I realized she is truly intimated by intimacies so all those romantic scenes looks forced and unnatural. It truly was hard to watch! The only thing that had it going was the good OST. I still managed to finish the show barely getting through it with FF button.
Editing wise, there were so many choppy parts where they were doing one scene and it skipped over to something else so they ruined the whole flow of the story. The leads' relationship felt tumultuous and downright unhealthy and it felt like they were both in this sort of complicated loop that they can't climb out of. Sure they manage to get a happy ending but it fell short and didn't seem to address the issues that kept popping out throughout the entirety of the show. You can say they sort of breezed through it. Towards the end they continue to drag on unnecessary filler scenes and the focus started shifting towards the supporting couple. It almost felt like the actress and/or director sabotaged her character but she isn't entirely at fault since her agency should have not accepted a script if she's downright uncomfortable doing these roles. The director is still mostly at fault for casting an actress who cannot deliver along with the poor directing/editing so there's a whole set of problems that spiraled into what it is. Quite disappointed since it was high on my anticipated list of shows to watch but floundered as it progressed on. This has got to be one of the worst romance dramas I've seen, I'm just not vibing with the flaws in this.
Is it worth the watch?
Yes, if you didn't read the novel and have little to no expectations. Visually it's top notch and the leads look great together, the acting is not atrocious, only subpar and flat at times but still somewhat bearable.
No, if you loved the novel and have standard expectations as you bet you're going to be very frustrated as there doesn't seem to be much of a plot and feels messy at times.
Was this review helpful to you?
SHOULD I WATCH BE PASSIONATELY IN LOVE?
Should I Watch be Passionately in Love?Be Passionately in Love is easily one of the most heartwarming Asian romances you will ever watch. But it tends to leave it’s audience with a diverse misunderstanding of how the relationship of the main couple is supposed to be portrayed. Causing it’s viewers to express that it ultimately lacked the “passionate love” despite being written in the title. Overall resulting in a misunderstood version of the novel-based love story. While some claim it to be misleading and hold a boring dialogue, I am able to give you two conclusions of why this a must watch romance adaption!
Why should you watch this drama despite it’s mid ratings? You cannot and will not go wrong with this drama. From the original sound track, to the character development, family friendly aesthetic, and so on. That is if it’s viewed the way that the story was originally illustrated on screen.
With a total of 24 episodes, this novel-based drama starts off with a girl named Xu Zhi and a boy named Lu Zhou. They meet as young adults and the female lead pursues the male lead’s friendship after the intentions of trying to meeting his mother. However, the boy starts to convey strong feelings for her. Not yet acknowledging any feelings towards him, she also eventually see’s in a romantic aspect. Leading to the two developing a small but passionate first relationship. Unfortunately not long after their relationship forms the boy ends up leaving their home town to attend college abroad. Causing them to part ways and end their relationship. In conclusion he ends up returning and enrolls into her college in pursuit of her.
THE DRAMA IS NOT ACCURATE TO THE TITLE..
You may be thinking, “This sounds like a passionate and intimate drama!” It most certainly is, if you’re a patient viewer. We don’t get to see the main characters fully embrace one another until towards the end of the Asian series. From them starting off as young and “crushing” on one another, to the show ending with the leads older and united passionately in love. Even though the two reunite when they’re of older age they once again are able to reconnect the playful, innocent, relationship they had previously left off with. Forming another purpose in which some viewers deny the drama to be accurate to the title. The audience wasn’t expecting the type of passionate love that was displayed on TV. Which brings me to my first basis.
The 2025 Chinese drama faces some backlash due to it’s portrayal of staged kissing scenes. According to the media the lead actress of this drama, Liu Hao Cun is known in china for keeping a family friendly image. To the point of having a none kissing contract. Affecting her roles on the big screen. Despite this being in the drama over time the so called staged kisses between the actors become replaced by hugs and cuddles. Exceeding a playful relationship of affection towards one another. This twist in the drama has caused some viewers to immediately drop the novel adaption upon the discovery of the female leads contract. Because of the opposed contract audiences complain that the show Isn’t actually accurate. Where as I solemnly would disagree. Although the novel contains intense kissing scenes the drama shifts towards a more family friendly environment. It also shows us that lovers can absolutely show affection towards one another without there necessarily being a need for kissing.
THE ACTORS LACKED CHEMISTRY..
This is another frequent complain that’s fully displayed amongst the observers of this drama. Once again I will have to disagree, and here is why. The dynamic relationship of the couple in this Viki series can be seen as distinctively different from relationships in other dramas. It’s not your average, “Insecure girl chases after the cold shoulder cool boy” love story. This brings me to my second and final conclusion of why this drama is so misunderstood. The “lack of chemistry” people seem to often point out is actually the result of character/relationship development. In another sense the characters have to first grow individually before they can embrace their relationship amongst each other passionately. Resulting in a full dedicated love for one another.
In the novel the male lead returns to China in hope of resuming the spark him and the female lead had previously blew out. Even to the point of trying to enroll in her college. However, in the novel Lu Zhou (the male lead, also known as Lucy) is described to have a rough exterior due to past family trauma but portrays a soft poetic side to Xu Zhi. Whereas, Xu Zhi is interpreted to be resilient and witty. (Often being followed with the nickname, president Zhi) As the story continues with Lucy trying to pursue her again president Zhi is continually seen through the novel to suppress her emotions around Lucy and others. This leads viewers of the live action adaption to assert to the claim that the actors/characters were missing chemistry. But I can assure you this is not the case. The reason behind this common misinterpretation is due to the fact that in the novel President Zhi was yet to fully embrace her love to Lucy. We learn that it was unfortunately due to her experience with family trauma at a young age. Lu Zhou is able to relate and acknowledge this. Upon this matter she later in the show is able to convey stronger emotions towards him and her family. Meanwhile Zu Xhi also continues to show her full support to Lu Zhou as he deals with his family ordeals. In the end they both end up overcoming their traumas. Thus almost bringing my last conclusion to an end, which tells us that it’s not that the actors who lacked chemistry. In fact they were able to do such a phenomenal job at portraying these characters. Having us convinced at the beginning that there was something “missing”. Only to give us an ending to their love story we typically never would’ve imagined. They never once lacked chemistry, it was all part of a beautiful process. In the end I could actually feel the passionate love for one another. A passionate unconditional kind of love.
Lastly but certainly not least. The way the actors were able to articulate Zhi’s and Zhou’s developing relationship from the novel and bring it to life was outstanding to watch. By the end of the series, I could feel the joy that president Zhi and Lucy felt even when just glancing at one another. They were finally able to express their passionate love. Now to give a final conclusion towards my thesis about this romance drama. Yes, Be Passionately in Love is a misunderstood must watch gem. Are you willing to set aside it’s negative feedback and review the romantic Chinese adaption for yourself?
Was this review helpful to you?
Sweetest and most natural romance between two people
If you don't mind the fact that there is no real kissing in this, then I would say this would be one of the best romance drama I have seen.I was mislead by a lot of reviews here and I thought that this was going to be another series where the ML puts in all the effort while the FL just received his love. Most of the reviews here have been critizing the female lead, but for me she was one of the main reasons I loved this drama, of course along with the ML (Most reviews already talk about how good he is so I'm not delving into that here).
There is such natural progression and genuinly fun bickering between the leads that the romance progression feels soo natural. The FL may seem to be a bit oblivious to feelings and not take things seriously at first, but she naturally starts caring for the male lead and shows this in her own way how much she does. The show itself addresses the character and behavior if the FL and why she is how she is and shows her growth as well. Don't get me wrong it was visibly obvious to me how she started falling and there was no doubt about how much she loved him as well.
I was expecting a series where ML does all these grand gestures for the FL, but in this show it actually goes both ways. Although the ML might have more gestures shown, she trusts him completely and relies on him. That something I rarely see in dramas, where usually the FL only talks about her inner issue with friends or other SML. But in this, for her the ML is the first one she thinks of in times if trouble and fortune.
I hope with his more people can watch this drama inspite of some of the negative reviews. Sure if you don't know that there won't be actually kisses shown it may be frustrating for a drama of this genre, but for me going into it knowing how it's going to be , I really enjoyed each and every episode and could not skip any parts of it .
Was this review helpful to you?
Romance drama? That's a ques mark
Ok so let me get the fact straight here with no lemgthy reviews just a quick peek a poo.The storyline is good with great potential like amy other chinese romance drama. So, you are gusessing why the rating is low. Then probable coz of cast. The FL is robot given his character the expression is null. Though they have good face cards that's the only bonus they got viewers but coz of FL mute expressions.
Romance scenes: yes they have romance scenelike holding hands, hugs, quality time the most teenagers desire. 0 kissing scene coz teh actress didn't want to have 1.
Waste of the potential of a good writing
Was this review helpful to you?
character interactions are its strong suit, story--not so much
First impressions: the trauma dump on the first ep is craazy. imo the synopsis is a bit misleading and maybe a bit spoilery bc the part where he goes abroad doesn't happen until like half of the show (ep 13). It starts with a "misunderstanding", which usually I would be kinda eh abt it, but since we don't really know the characters that well, I'm not particularly mad abt it.TLDR; Character interactions are better than the story tbh. You can tell this was adapted from somewhere--some parts were cut off or added on after the fact (a lot of flashback scenes). It's not that coherent imo. I love the besties-to-lovers plot though! And the second love interests aren't overly clingy or stubborn. The general messages of the story are really nice (not romance-related but still very good nonetheless). I think what I love the most about this show is the small things the couples do for each other. Acting is normal; not much in particular stands out. Music is nice to listen to, and the lyrics are beautiful. The ending left a bittersweet impression that happens when you enjoy the character interactions and don't want the show to end (I'm a sucker for the moments where all the actors get together and send off the viewers 😭). Rewatch value isn't too high imo just because the story doesn't flow completely.
Story: I love how they don't push the study abroad thing at the end. It literally is in the first ep before they even meet each other. I also love how the the ml's other love interest and the fl actually respect each other. The couples are so supportive of each other, and do sweet things when their partner isn't watching. The comedy is pretty funny, though. The second couple is also incredibly adorable. We love a functional family.. There's a lot of accountability in this story, which I really do appreciate. The proposal is quite unique, actually.
Acting/Cast: Acting didn't stand out to me too much, but it wasn't terrible either. Xu Zhi is a very forward person and a bit cheeky towards Chen Luzhou. I love the side banters they have--very funny. I also love her outfits as well as her bestie's too. Her hairstyle is also really cute and unique. The joking between the leads flows so well. They actually hug more than they kiss, which is fine by me, and tbh I might prefer that more just because it happens during sentimental moments. And everyone likes hugs, right?
Music: The singer reminds me of the one who sang the song in Meeting You, but the melody reminds me of the songs in The Glory.
Rewatch value: Although it's a short show compared to other ones I've watched, idk.. it's not incentive enough to rewatch something I already know the plot to.
Was this review helpful to you?
CLZ
被无条件地爱着是需要点运气的
― 陈路周
(to be loved unconditionally requires a bit of luck.)
I became his fan because of this drama, and will be forever. This is my first-ever comfort drama that I’ll never get tired of rewatching.
I have nothing left to say, and I don't care what others say. I just love every scene of Wang Anyu acting as Chen Luzhou. The relationship between him and Xu Zhi is the kind of love I long for.
从天而降的亿万颗星 'Billions of Sky Falling Stars' sung by Wang Anyu is so beautiful. From the depth of my heart, my favorite part is his soft and mellow voice in this OST. No one and nothing can replace this.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The "passionately" part of the title is a bit of a misnomer
Review8.5/10 is my rating. This is a solid, typical modern Chinese romance. I would recommend it to romance fans and would be willing to watch it again if it was on. It is predictable except for the main female character. She is very strong and autonomous. He is considered so handsome he literally has his pick of women. She is also very beautiful and has many admirers. And he hasn't shown much interest in romance until he runs into this woman who seems more interested in getting closer to his mother than to him. They are both so alike and so different at the same time it is easy to see how it works. He is more of the emotional one and she is the take it or leave it more carefree seeming type.
Some reviewers have criticized that there are not very good kissing scenes. While you don't get the close up of them actually kissing and it more often cuts away or shows it from an angle where it could easily be faked, I found that they had great chemistry, and they showed enough it was obvious they were kissing. But if you want zoom in details then you might be disappointed. I don't think the actress or actor had some kind of no kiss policy as several have speculated. I just don't think they saw the need to zero in to that degree. Which was fine by me but others that like the more intimate scenes might find it lacking.
Spoilers
A criticism many have of the series is, despite the title (passionately in love) the scenes where they are physically close either cut away or fall short of any display of passion. It is hinted at. They might even talk about "the kiss" after but there are no true kiss scenes. Which makes it hard to convey the passionately part. I thought it was a good romance and there was enough for me in that regard but if you are going to title something "passionately" then it really should show some passion. So, I get why other reviewers had that perspective.
I thoroughly enjoyed how fascinated he was with her for the simple fact that she did not fall all over herself for him. He was so unused to that, the anomaly alone had him hooked. But, I did get the sense she blew hot and cold as did he at times. They had the volatile temperament that only very young lovers might have. It could be frustrating at times, as one or the other drifted for no meaningful reason, but it was more real that way.
I mean what teenage boy is not going to be interested in a girl that calls a guy out talking smack about you, challenges him to a race, and wins. Forces him to apologize for saying all kinds of mean boy things. She races a motorcycle. That has to be some teenage boy's fantasy. But, beyond that, she provided the emotional security and sense of home he so desperately needed.
I was disappointed he did not ever reconcile with his biological father. His dad was wrong to turn his mother away, but he had spent a lifetime making up for it and regretting. He was very humble, took all the blame, and apologetic. He didn't know what had happened to his son and he was in an accident after all. I have seen characters forgive a parent for much more egregious behavior. So, that was a little disappointing that storyline did not play out to a more satisfactory conclusion.
Scroll down for a unique synopsis
Synopsis
This is a 2025 Chinese Romance drama with 24, 45-minute episodes
Chen Lu Zhou (Anyu Wang) was adopted by a wealthy family and feels like he can never say no. He strives to be the perfect son and never disappoint his adopted parents, particularly his mother. There has not been many occasions when he has wanted anything from himself. Exceptionally handsome, girls have always chased him but he has never found anyone that had attributes that held his interest. That is until he met Xu Zhi (Liu Haocun) who is beautiful, smart and does not seem particularly interested in him. Xu Zhi meets Lu Zhou knowing he is soon to go abroad so does not take the relationship seriously. But as the two continue to interact and Lu Zhou realizes that not only is the girl smart, she is one of the top scorers. Her beauty and brains are very attractive to him but it is also her uniqueness. Not only is she unlike any other girl he has known, she races motorcycles. The two must navigate their promising futures, elders expectations, and their own hesitancy on a winding path of love.
#BePassionatelyInLove #LiuHaocun #AnyuWang
Was this review helpful to you?
Fall Into Our Passion is a heartfelt gem ?—a beautiful C-drama full of pure emotion and charm.
(Be Passionately in Love) is an absolute delight 🌸—a beautiful C-drama that sweeps you up in pure, heartfelt emotion.Let’s start with the cast: impeccable. Every single actor nailed their role, but it’s the leads who steal the show. FL is nothing short of a queen 👑—graceful, strong, and captivating. She radiates warmth and depth, making every scene she’s in utterly mesmerizing. ML? Handsome, charming, and oh-so-talented—seriously, he’s acting “chef’s kiss” 👨🍳😘. Their chemistry is sweet without being over-the-top, and the subtlety of their romance makes it all the more genuine.
Yes, some viewers fussed over the blurred kiss scenes, but honestly—who cares? The romance is already beautifully conveyed through stolen glances, tender moments, and emotional depth. Sometimes a little modesty adds layers of meaning. It’s not about fireworks—it’s about the quiet, soul-stirring love that feels so real you can almost touch it ✨.
All supporting characters bring energy and sincerity, rounding out a story that’s engaging from start to finish. The drama strikes a perfect balance: heartfelt, emotive, and refreshingly modest in a world that often goes too far.
In short: Be Passionately in Love is a stunning jewel of a C-drama—beautifully acted, beautifully written, and beautifully felt. If you want a romance that’s pure, sweet, and emotionally honest, this is your gem 💎❤️.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Wasted potential.
In my very unbiased and honest opinion, this had the potential to be my next comfort drama after TBT, but the casting director and the scriptwriter fumbled so hard. The storyline was simple, fun, and lighthearted—right up my alley—but the execution is where it fell flat. What could’ve been a nice watch ended up feeling more like a typical drama. I wouldn’t say I disliked it because I did watch it until the end (which is pretty rare for me these days), but it definitely could’ve been a lot better.The first seven episodes set the mood for a fun and exciting ride, but soon it lost its charm. The pace was fine, except for a few abruptly edited scenes. The leads, in the beginning, were cute, and their interactions were fun. But I think there were a lot of inconsistencies in the main characters—especially the FML. Her character was a bit odd at times. I failed to understand why she kept rejecting the idea of dating him while actively flirting with him. She didn’t seem to care about any of the people around her—be it her dad, BFF, or Chen Louzuo.
I get that she was supposed to be closed off, but there was no character development.
On the other hand, WAY nailed Chen Louzuo. The character itself was a green flag. I loved the way he looked at her—you could tell this man saw her as the love of his life, unlike her. Their relationship was basically 80% and 20%.
If we talk about the romance part (which is pretty much the whole concept of the drama), it was more cute than passionate—as the title suggested it would be. I didn’t mind that, except the badly edited fake kissing scenes made me cringe, and all the talk about their “passionate love” gave me secondhand embarrassment. I get the frustration of people who enjoy watching intimate scenes, but even as someone who really enjoys hugs and gentle love, they failed in that aspect too.
That said, the chemistry was swoon-worthy—though the lack of skinship drove me nuts.
The blame os entirely on the casting director for choosing an actress who doesn't intimate scenes for a drama that 1only required that. I love LHC, but this role should've been given to someone else. WAY carried the drama on his back.
The proposal was so cute, but I wish they had shown their wedding instead of that low-budget photoshoot.
I really liked Zhou Yanqi’s character. I wish we had seen more of him and Cai Yinying. They robbed us of their romance—I was waiting for a confession, but it never happened.
The ending wasn’t satisfying enough.
The OSTs were the best part of the drama.
Overall, it seems like I criticised this drama a lot—but I didn’t dislike it, and I’d still recommend it if you’re in the mood for a non-toxic drama without any evil characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A bit disappointment the way there's no actual kissing scene
I love the story and how they act the drama to the end , it's just that it's feel a bit off as there's no actual intimate contact the leads at all. There is but not to the point of passionate love at all, I love the FL act but I think she doesn't show enough emotion for her role and wang anyu acting is really good it may not be the best but alteast on top. He was really good expressing his emotions that the one who is watching him got really affected, the way he smiles, and cry. But overall it was good I enjoyed the way wang anyu leads the drama ☺️Was this review helpful to you?
their flirting is so sweet ???
This drama perfectly describes "dating concept of modern times". Most time of drama they were either flirting or in a situation-ship. But they are really cute to watch.The ML is so sweet and loving. Though he looks cold and mean to everyone but he cares so much for FL. And when zhu yangqi tells xu zhi about chen lu zhou's childhood and his feeling of insecurity as to why he works so hard, I felt so pity like hugging the poor child 🥺🥺.
Also FL is so cute 😍😍. Though xu zhi does not express her emotions, her actions shows how much she like chen lu zhou.
The only thing I didn’t like about this drama is that the plot seems inconsistent and the situations does not end properly before jumping to next topic.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Overall, I absolutely loved this drama. Wang Anyu and Liu Haocun had such good chemistry together. I really think this drama shows how you never know who will end up being your person and how much a relationship can change one person. Chen Luzhou's whole character, purpose, and meaning of life changed with Xu Zhi. Honestly, I didn't think I would love this as much as I did. I was hooked to every episode and I love how mature CLZ turned out to be. Their relationship really felt like a true, mature relationship that has to deal with the ups and downs in life. CLZ is so thoughtful when it comes to Xu Zhi. All the things he did for her that are connected to her mom (architecture building, letter written to her) shows how deeply he cares about Xu Zhi. Also, that rain scene was probably one of the best made tension filled scenes. The OST playing in the back with Zhou Shen, the rain, and their hands on the glass. I love how CLZ always pulls her against a wall. This drama was lowk kind of shameless too. Some of the comments insinuated are really funny considering this is a Cdrama. The way they say “想得美” (xiǎng de měi) to each other when they would make unfiltered comments was such a nice touch. And when CLZ came back from Europe, that first gaze was so emotion-filled. You could tell none of them forgot about the other. I also love the found family. Xu Zhi’s dad is such a warm, kind presence. He even made Kung Pao Chicken without peanuts for CLZ because of his allergy, which is something CLZ’s own family never even remembered.
Was this review helpful to you?
