Step by Step Love (2024)

=> you have to hang on to continue watching＼(〇_ｏ)／

Series with a great CL and a good plot, but incoherent & illogical storyline and twists. It's poorly done, poorly constructed, deeply annoying!!

PLOT: The FL, granddaughter of a construction group from which her father was excluded, allies with the ML, adopted son of a family running a competing group. The family contexts are complex, even toxic, on each side: FL, commercially aggressive (even illegal) family with a struggle for succession between 2 branches of the family - ML, adopted, has 1 sister with amnesia following an accident, father who committed suicide after bankruptcy.

+++ Good CL, with intense interactions
+ enjoyable OSTs

### incoherent & illogical storyline and twists. It's poorly done, poorly constructed, deeply annoying!! The FL, who is at times naive and even not very smart, comes back the next moment super informed (how???) and super smart... ??
### I don't know if it's because of the subtittles, but the dialogues are lousy, flat, even offbeat.

=> you have to hang on to continue watching＼(〇_ｏ)／
***********************************************************************
Série avec un great CL et un bon plot, mais storyline et twists incohérents & illogiques. C'est mal amené, mal construit, profondément énervant !!

PLOT : La FL, petite-fille d'un groupe de BTP dont son père a été écarté, s'allie avec le ML, fils adoptif d'une famille dirigeant un groupe concurrent. Les contextes familiaux sont complexes voire toxiques, de chaque côté : FL, famille commercialement agressive (voire illégal) avec lutte pr la succession entre 2 branches de la famille - ML, adopté, a 1 sœur amnésique à la suite d'1 accident, père qui s'est suicidé après faillite.

+++ Bon CL, avec interactions intenses
+ OST agréables

### storyline et twists incohérents & illogiques. C'est mal amené, mal construit, profondément énervant !! La FL, qui est par moments naïve et même peu futée, revient l'instant d'après super informée (comment ???) et super intelligente ... ??
### je ne sais pas si c'est en raison des subtittles, mais les dialogues sont nuls, plats, voire décalés.

=> il faut s'accrocher pour continuer à regarder ＼(〇_ｏ)／

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All cliches mushed into one show

I LOVED the main couple's chemistry!! ML was actually pinning for the FL and would protect her from everything and everyone.
Why was there no one besides the main couple that had any sense of loyalty tho? Like everyone was backstabbing everyone all the time: the supposed best friend sabotaged the project that the FL work so had on, the 'step sister' had weird love feelings for her brother and sabotaged the FL and unconsciously the ML at every turn. If one backstabbing was solved another was already in the making. I'll give credit where credit is due, all the backstabbing did make an entertaining watch.
The ending did feel a bit rushed, in the span of one episode of 40 minutes everyone forgave everyone for all their past wrongdoings, I would have loved a bit of extra time for each of their redemption arcs.

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Step to Love, but Lacking

This series started off with the family issues and power trip takeover tropes. Nevertheless, the unlikely pair had very good chemistry. The friends and family element of contempt and manipulation seemed like an overreach at times. The pace was good and filled with a couple of twists that kept interest. Yet, the assistant/sister element turned sinister was an arc that felt redundant after a while. The ML and FL were both strong in their own right which made the flow to see them 'make it' to the end endearing, yet their communication seemed off a lot of times. However, the FL's parents brought a refreshing warmth and balance to the drama. This is a solid drama with romance but missed the mark a bit.

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Note to self: Add episodes 17 & 19 to my rewatch list - You're Welcome

Okay, so, I came into this show after reading a TON of bad comments/rants about it so I didn't have high expectations.

The first couple episodes, I was like "okay, that was spicy, this seems like it'll be better than I thought." But then the spice just died right out for the next 15 episodes. I was dozing off, fast-forwarding, eyes rolling into the back of my head.

Then episode 17 came out of nowhere and I was like 'DAYUMMM, okerrr, I see you, we're getting somewhere."

Then 18 came along and I was like "okay what kind of shit is going to fk it up and ruin the whole happy atmosphere, then 19 came back and was like "haha you thought BAM DAMN WHAT DID I JUST WATCH HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOME. Glad I stuck through this."

Then I read in the comments here NOT to watch 20-28 because it's boring and lame and bla bla silly trope flying in, but I'm not gonna lie, I enjoyed those episodes more than the 3-16 lol. Like I actually stayed awake and didn't have the urge to fast-forward so I'm glad I didn't. But I love drama and get bored with silly fluff.

The ending was how I HOPED it would go, but still felt like it fell short somewhere. Idk where, but it just did. I actually enjoyed it overall and giving it a 9/10.

I also don't get the complaints about her hair, but 'beach waves' is the style where I live so I love that rugged wavy style lol.

ML is super hot as ever imo. Chemistry was lit, so I was overall glad I didn't skip out and watched this one all the way until the end.

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Aww. The Chemistry is bomb. (A possible breakup on the horizon (Just a guess))

I'm definitely in this to watch these two light up the screen with their passion. They have had about 3 accidental weird kisses when they weren't in a relationship. First two when she drank the drugged wine for him, which was some sort of ecstasy. The third one when he fell on top of her as fainted due to low blood sugar. However, the first kiss they had when sober and aware was kinda a miss for me. The ML was good at it the FL not so much. But that's just a one time thing, she later made up for it and more so and I'm never doubting her skills.

The 2ML is pretty decent. Hope he doesn't end up too heartbroken.

The story seems to be progressing like normal Cdramas, so, I'm sure we are in for a breakup somewhere down the road, especially with so many people out to get the FL & ML.

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Why would someone want to produce and direct this drama? So bad in many levels.

Step By Step Love is a RomCom drama starting with Zhao Zhi Wei and Lu Yang Yang. I wonder why someone would want to direct and produce this drama. The story is so stupid, and the entire cast's acting was horrible, especially the FL actress. She cannot act and only has a one-face expression when mad, furious, and confused.

Her character is clueless and annoying. After 10 episodes, I can no longer watch it. 2024 has been disappointing for rom-coms, costume XianXia, and Wuxia dramas. They are all boring and unbearable to watch.

Synopsis: It tells the story of the cold company President Lu Chen Yang, who is a cruel revenge machine full of calculations to make his opponent pay the price. He finally meets his opponent, the daughter of a desperate rich family, Qianjin Bu Ran. When a hunter falls in love with his prey, all the hatred in his heart turns soft.

My Reviews:
1. The FL is annoying and can't act.
2. The ML acting is mediocre.
3. The story needs to be revised. I may drop it when better dramas are airing.
4. The grandma was mean, and all she did was yell at everyone.

I am dropping it and giving it a 4.0 rating for bad script and acting.

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Loved the OST, the toxicity not so much

Pros:
• Kisses/Chemistry of Leads
• 2ML for 98% of the time
• OST - wish I knew the name of that main song
• FL parents are so green flag

Cons
• Script - it gets beyond childish the further progresses
• Everyone in the except the 5 mentioned above
• Toxic plot of adopted siblings in delulu one sided romance with other sibling. Raised together as siblings. Thats GROSS. China, do better.
• Adult actors being forced to act like 6 yrs olds, with tantrums, manipulation and unending drama
• Plot repeats itself multiple times, same plan by baddies. Clearly the writers had nothing fresh
• Starts out tropey but fun and plenty of hope for a nice sweet cdrama journey, but quickly takes a massive nosedive in last 10 episodes
• Typical ideology of “parents did me wrong so by default its all the inocent childs fault” = you owe me everything you have
• Proceeds to take it
• “I like you/known you longest, so it is my right that you will love me” mindset with second leads - it shows up in most cdramas, I’ve started to wonder is that how people hook up in China?!?!
• ML becomes a total doormat
• FL sacrifices everything when she should just hold her ground
• Only viable business competitors are less interested in doing actual business and are petty and ridiculous the whole way through
• Slapping granny
• Drinking culture yet again being pushed as ok. No, forcing someone who chooses to not drink for whatever reason, to drink by a superior at work is harassment, disgusting and shameful. Cultural or not, stop it.

As you can see, the cons far outweigh the pros of this show, and full disclosure I watched to the end because of the leads and their chemistry. They carry the show. But this sadly takes a nose dive, beyond the typhcal tropey cdrama I show up for all the time, to take me into “time to skip” land, as the plot and the acting by the supporting cast goes into you’ve got to be kidding me, why????!!

Still overall the things I did like are the reason I gave this a 7. But when there are times this late in the drama you start wishing the FL will walk away from the toxic mess of what was going on with ml and 2fl sub plot. and that she will run away with 2ml, you have problems.

Casting was great, this show had some real potential but oh boy was that wasted. Sadly.

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De inicío engraçado se tornou cansativo e repetitivo.

O drama, por ser um romance, consegue ter um início bom, com uma história interessante e engraçada. Esse clichê de Enemies to Lovers é algo que eu gosto e que normalmente funciona em dramas de romance com comédia. No entanto, com o passar dos episódios, a história se torna repetitiva e sem grandes emoções.
Assim, o drama acaba tendo como base apenas as tentativas da família da Bu Ran em acabar com a empresa do Lu Chen Yang. A história da irmã do protagonista é mal estruturada, confusa e desnecessária. Acredito que a personagem Lu Si Qi poderia ter tido outro tipo de foco que não fosse essa obsessão pelo protagonista.
Por fim, acho que o drama deixou a desejar, pois chega uma parte da história em que todos os personagens são vilões e apenas os protagonistas e os pais da Bu Ran não conspiraram contra o casal.
Além da química dos protagonistas que, apesar dos problemas na história, é ótima. A OST é maravilhosa.

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