Good acting makes the not so-original story worth it
The story is not very original, quite the contrary – it contains a lot of well-used tropes. They are just scripted and executed without going "over the top", or kept at a more realistic level. And I would say the strong cast helps a lot too.So: All in all this is worth watching if you like workplace romance dramas.
The "successful CEO helps woman in her career" story also felt quite familiar, but I can't quite pinpoint the drama it reminds me of.
The cast:
Tan Song Yun as the FL Ji Xing is good as expected. I find that she always brings great energy to her characters, and delivers strong and convincing performances.
Xu Cai is quite fitting as the ML Han Ting, except I sometimes thinks he looks a bit too young, lol. I kind of wish he could bring a little bit more personality to his character, though – he sometimes felt a little bit "flat", but that could also be how the character of Han Ting was interpreted.
Most of the supporting cast was also good in my eyes.
I liked how the characters developed and grew, and even though there were some predictable elements, it wasn't annoyingly so.
Thanks to me coming across a post about free viewing on Viki for a limited time, I binged this over a period of 2,5 days!
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Don't need to have the romance
Every young entrepreneur should watch this drama. It's excellent "teaching" for all young start-upsThere's also lots of life lessons from the second and third couples which is realistic,well written and mature
I actually prefer the second and third couples more. The main leads seems a bit mismatched, both acted very well but just mismatched with zero chemistry.
The stylist/dresser is extremely poor especially for the FL. Shorts and short skirt don't suit her, just have the skirt 2 inches longer and adding black lycra tights will totally transform her from ugly short legs to posh classy elongated legs (don't understand why Chinese and Korean like this look, no European designers go bare legs and up to the groin, it's fit for evening not work) and that Zeng Di wearing evening dress with huge pearl earrings for breakfast in Germany? Hello? Having said that,the menswear are all very good including the flamboyant Mr.Lu
Anyway I enjoyed the drama thoroughly but I needed to edit out the romance or lack of for the main couple. Other than that it's a good drama and I learned a lot about start up and investment
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This review may contain spoilers
Romance and Business
I enjoyed this series I found it randomly on Viki. I enjoyed the characters although I wasn't sure about the ML and FL initially with their chemistry. I enjoyed the series with all the other characters. Often times I find in these C and K dramas they always have one or two characters over act which takes away from the series. Loved the story and just wish the last episode not the Epilogue showed the whole group together as a couple - I know it ends with the suggestion everyone coupled off but would have loved to see them all together. I did enjoy the epilogue but do find that some of these series just abruptly ends and that's how I felt for the end of the series and the epilogue - you are enjoying the last few minutes and are in the moment and in the middle of it - it just ends. Maybe it's a cultural thing but drives me crazy. But. Overall I really enjoyed it.Was this review helpful to you?
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Too many episodes, too much business talk
I’ve had this on my list to watch for a long time. I kept putting it off, thinking one of two things would happen: 1) either I’d love it and not be able to move on; or 2) I’d be disappointed. Unfortunately, it was the latter, for so many reasons. I know that almost everyone waxed poetic over this show, but for me it had many issues. Just my personal opinion, people. This is long and if you don't want to waste your time reading, I'd still say give the show a try. I'm one of the few that didn't like it. Actually, I probably would have rated this even lower, but I loved the leads, and we actually got a wedding and life after the wedding. I'm one of the few that didn't like it. Spoilers below.Let’s start with what I liked:
1) The lead actors. I’ve really liked them in other projects. I’ve also seen a bunch of scenes with them and it looked like their chemistry would be off the hook.
2) I really liked how he’d liked her for a long time.
3) Good ending.
4) The FL’s parents.
5) The friendships.
6) The young uncle and his mom. They were so cute!
7) I love me a man that can cook!
Not so much:
1) 41 episodes, really? Unnecessarily long show due to…
2) Multiple couples. Why couldn’t they focus on one?
3) I really disliked that she was involved with someone else at the beginning. For me, that takes away from the love story. I know, it’s not realistic, but I watch romances for the once-in-a-lifetime love.
4) They did not even become a couple until after episode 20! And once they did, I couldn’t buy that they were a couple, because all they ever talked about was work.
5) Speaking of which, 90% of all the talk was about work. Enough about business.
6) The story was implausible. She had no clue how to run a business. She leaves her job and starts a business with a friend, and they didn’t seem to have a plan at all. Then suddenly, they have a huge, beautiful office with quite a few employees.
7) All the companies were inter-related and all I could think about was the conflict of interest.
8) There’s the cliché of the cold businessman. Not only was he cold, but even though he liked her, he talked to her terribly.
9) Her ex-fiance married one of her best friends. That didn’t sit right with me.
10) Each of the couples seemed to have a hard time deciding who they wanted to be with.
11) Her carrying her phone in her hand at all times. She had a purse, and multiple pockets in every outfit she wore, but yet carried it. It was big and clunky, especially after she added the beaded thing. Then, when someone needed to get in touch with her, the phone was dead! But then quickly charged.
12) She had no time for her boyfriend/fiancé, yet when they broke up, she was a complete mess.
13) When FL ask ML if he loved her, he asked what that meant and talked about suitability. Was it a translation problem? I hated that!
14) Didn’t get enough of her business partner and her friend (because for most of the show she was involved with someone else). She was so wishy washy and we got one hug and a phone call once he went to Germany.
15) Minor thing. Once they got married, she never wore that gorgeous ring he gave her. I had a problem with this in Crash Landing on You, but there it was a continuity issue because the end scenes were filmed first, but here, he wore a wedding ring, but she didn’t.
16) The scene of her shaving him in the bathtub. They were cute together, but there is no way he could have climbed into that tub with his back injury!
17) At the end of the show, in the epilogue episode, they were STILL mostly talking about work!
With a good editor, this show would have benefitted from being half the length that it was.
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The drama had too many parrallel stories but Han Ting and Ji Xing were perfect
I think this series could have wound down to 32 episodes if they hadn't added so many side stories. I think the problem with chinese drama in general is that they always like to have 3 - 4 parallel love stories. In fact, when they do not - like Hidden Love, the series is more likely to become a huge hit. This is the one thing I hated about this show - I hated the relationship of all of Ji Xing's friends, which I found completely unnecessary and a waste of time. The only other relationships that should have been covered were Zeng Di and her running to Tong Ke and her ex-boyfriend's eventual nuptials. Eventhough I loved LiLi, her entire love story was such a waste of time. And I understand the Xiao Meng's love story is a feel good addition, but again, completely unneccesary. In fact, I skipped a lot of those scenes because it just made me so frustrated.Apart from what I hated, I feel like the core story line is super interesting - it brought to light the difficulty of starting a business, and how companies are able to grow in an emerging sector. Of course, the love story between Han Ting and Ji Xing was also incredible.
Instead of wasting time of pointless love stories of Ji Xing's best friend, I think it would have been great to focus on the aftermath of those people who wronged Ji Xing. I think this is something revenge Kdramas do very well. I wanted to see what happened to Ji Xing's colleague who turned against her (apart from just Han Ting mentioning that she would never find a job in the industry again), the poor woman recovering from her surgery and being able to take care of her daughter, and Zeng Di's situation and arrest, rather than just them reading a text message about them being questioned by the police.
I also wished they set up the scene for Zeng Di's story and how her grandfather would have reacted when she left Dong Yi and moved to Tong Ke, knowing that her grandfather was good friends with Han Ting's grandfather.
Anyway, I am just happy the end of the drama, apart from the shit show that is LiLi's relationship, and the annoying and ugly Su Zhi Zhou, it was super feel good.
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AN EPITOME OF TRUE LOVE
The character of Han Ting was what made me watch the drama. It usually revolves around how Han Ting fell in love with Ji Xing during his college days and then finally meets her as colleagues but his love for her never really changed. From the beginning till the end, even if Ji Xing had a boyfriend, Han Ting waited for her, never forced her and slowly and steadily went from being friends to lovers. The transition was truly beautiful. The 40 episodes were not much required and at the end a breakup kind of thing was unnecessary. Nevertheless, if one wants a slow and steady love story then should definitely try it out.Was this review helpful to you?
STARTED WITH NO EXPECTATIONS, ENDED WITH A HEAVY HEART FILLED WITH EMOTIONS!
Honestly Cdramas are really slow paced for me and if the acting, directing and story is not interesting enough for me i drop it immediately. ABAY really turned my tables for me. Even though its slow paced, it really kept me going to the next episode and made me comfortable.It portrays a beautiful story which is really captivating and all the characters are amazing. They all have their own story which makes the drama really appealing. I finished the drama filled with emotions and longing for more of their stories. Also the OST here is so pretty like i love it. Production team did its best!
Honestly i liked Xu Kai here more than FIYS. He is more mature here and gives more butterflies😳.
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Extremely well written
When I say I enjoyed this series, I mean it 100% - I genuinely enjoyed every bit of it. I initially picked it up because of Seven Tan, as I'm not a huge fan of Xu Kai. However, this drama has completely won me over. While I still don't think I'll watch him in historical dramas, I'll definitely give his modern dramas a try. Seven Tan did not disappoint, and I knew she wouldn't - she rarely chooses a bad script. She's a talented actress and an adorable one at that. I highly recommend this series to everyone; it's extremely well doneWas this review helpful to you?
The best rom-com of 2024
This drama is one of the best dramas of 2024 till now. Although the story line might look a bit common. However the acting of the leads, the direction, the picturisation made the drama rewatchable and entertaining.The way Ji Xing never gives up and fights for her dream is really commendable. Despite facing so much hardship she finally achieves her dream with a little help from Han Ting. The chemistry between both leads looked realistic.
The drama not only focuses on love but also on business and independency of a hardworking girl. All the actors have done tremendous job in playing their characters. No actor overacted in the drama.
Loved the bond between ji xing and her parents especially her mom. Without any doubts this drama definitely deserves 10/10 and can be watched end number of times.
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Absolutely worth your time!
To say I loved this drama would be an understatement. As Beautiful As You is a truly beautiful piece of work.Yes, it starts a little slow, but given the nature of the plot, I understood. It’s a thoughtful, layered story that beautifully blends romance with business realism. And that’s what sets it apart. Unlike the usual pipe dream where a company goes from idea to instant success, this drama peels back the curtain and shows the gritty reality behind business decisions, startup struggles, and the personal sacrifices that come with it.
I have to say this. Seven Tan is fast becoming my favourite C-drama actress. She plays her roles with such authenticity and emotional precision. And of course, I’ve always loved Xu Kai , from Arsenal Military Academy to Yanxi Palace. While I initially struggled to buy into him as a modern-day CEO (he came off stiff at first), I’m glad to say he grew into the role beautifully. His transformation was subtle and satisfying.
Now, let’s talk about the side characters, oh, how I loved them! Every single one felt real, purposeful, and expertly portrayed. They weren’t just filler; they carried emotional weight and added richness to the narrative.
Honestly, I didn’t expect much when I started this show, especially considering the recent hit-or-miss wave of Chinese dramas. But this one? It surprised me. In the best way. It’s a solid drama, and the best I’ve seen this year.
If you’re someone who struggles to find a truly satisfying Cdrama — the kind that hits like Meet Yourself, The Story of Minglan, The Sword and the Brocade, Nothing But Thirty, or The First Half of My Life — then trust me: this is a must-watch.
It’s a 10 from me. And if you're unsure whether to give it a try, just do. It’ll grow on you, and you won’t regret it.
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Frequently Made Use of The Skip Button
Usually with dramas if I start using the skip button it is within the next five or so episodes I drop it. With this? I started skipping scenes almost immediately and stuck with it for 24 episodes. Do I regret it? Partially. I fuelled my curiosity, anyway.The romance was boring. The "drama" was boring. Things felt slow. When the romance started around half way through I felt bored. There was nothing to make me root for them. He loves her - yes, it's established and Xu Kai does an excellent job with his acting... but that's it. There's no deep yeaning he is confident he'll get her. Even when she has a boyfriend and he has no chance, he doesn't really seem to mind??? He just stops pursuing her for a while. There's no emotional consequence. The romance is mediocre at best.
NOW the side drama? SO MUCH BETTER!!! But I still found myself using the skip button. I think the best one was the singer best friend's romance. Li Li's ended up stressing me out and I ended up skipping a lot.
FAMILY
Han Ting's great-aunt and uncle (cousin?) are great. I loved the uncle. The rest of his family, though? Only there to make him stressed and restrict him.
ROMANTIC COMPETITION
Oh my- I hated the woman with unrequited love towards Han Ting so much. She was SO full of herself. She had so many things wrong with her INCLUDING almost letting a sexual abuser stay in her company!!!! If it wasn't for Han Ting, I bet she'd've fired the FL instead!!! What makes it worse is that kind of thing happens in real life! The victim is made out to be the bad guy! I HATED IT!!! I also hate the fact that for something so serious, it's forgotten quite quickly.
CONCLUSION
If you want something to play in the background, this is meh. 5/10 stars. I'm so generous because I actually ended up past the half-way point.
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Had to drop it. Felt the acting was too forced.
I went into really excited because I like both of the lead actors and their past projects. I honestly thought this was going to be one of those easy binge watches for me. But after giving it a fair chance, I ended up dropping it before finishing all 40 episodes.To be clear, I don’t think the acting itself was bad. The problem is more with the story, pacing, and overall direction. A lot of scenes felt overly structured, and the flow didn’t come across as natural. Because of that, even moments that were supposed to feel emotional ended up feeling forced.
The biggest disappointment for me was the chemistry between the leads. Not because they’re bad actors, but because the way the story was written didn’t really allow their relationship to develop in a way that felt organic. It ended up feeling like a mismatch on screen, even though I know both actors are capable.
The first half of the drama, especially the first 20 episodes, focused heavily on the AI and medical industry. I understand what they were trying to do, and I can appreciate the effort to add depth, but it felt like too much. I found myself watching more for the industry storyline than the romance, which wasn’t what I came for. Personally, I would have preferred more focus on character development and the relationship itself.
On top of that, the drama felt overcrowded with side characters and multiple couples. There was just too much going on, and instead of adding layers, it made the story feel dragged and unfocused. I even lost track of how many storylines were happening at once.
Overall, this drama had a lot of potential, especially with its cast, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. I came in expecting a strong, natural romance, but the uneven pacing and lack of focus made it hard to stay invested.
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