phoenixfrost

Definitely better her than me 😂 I actually love how Shi Yan accepts Shu Yi's eccentricities. I can almost hear his brain cells whirring, "what now?", bemused, like a parent, when a normally hyperactive toddler becomes reticent 😂

he he, the scene where Shu Yi was imagining Shi Yan kissing her reminded me of the shameless FL in Bridget Jones' Diary 😂 That the MLs in both OFL and BJD did not get turned off by the FLs' shameless behavior shows how much they accept and love the FLs, shamelessness, quirks and all

I agree 100%. I'm incredulous reading reviews criticizing the FL and ML for not being what they're expected to be! Isn't it obvious that that is what the drama is about, having FL and ML who are atypical? If these reviewers want the story and characters to be as in other dramas, they should just rewatch those dramas and wallow in stagnation.

@BubbleNSqueak is right. If you don't get the campy sense of humor, you might not be able to appreciate this as much. The characters, especially the FL, are unpredictable, making the drama unpredictable. This is my type of rom-com, one that does not only make me laugh and feel giddy but makes me think too, so I love it.

ML is definitely more mature than FL. He, actually, has a high EQ. So, he is the one keeping this relationship intact. And this is realistic. Relationships seldom involve 50% effort on each side. There is usually a side that puts in more effort. But it does not mean that Shi Yan is getting the short end of the stick. In fact, the one who loves more is the one who is happier because just being with the loved one is already a source of happiness.

One thing I like about this drama is that it shows Shu Yi’s growth organically, no cheesy miraculous and bombastic transformation here.

She obviously did not love her ex-boyfriend. She probably accepted his pursuit because of his perseverance for 5 years. Or maybe it was to stop her mom from pestering her about having a boyfriend. In any case, she was a horrible girlfriend, choosing to chase an interview rather than celebrate her ex-bf’s birthday. When they broke up, it was her pride that was hurt, not her heart. She did not mourn their break-up as much as she mourned the probable break-up of her and Shi Yan’s relationship.

She was true to Shi Yan, despite other very eligible suitors, Yu You and Yi Yang, whom she treated as mere friends. She is obviously not as high-spirited when she is with these two compared to her sweetness and playfulness when she is with Shi Yan.

Pampered by her parents who are happy to cook for her, she tried to cook for Shi Yan.

When Shi Yan’s company got into trouble because of two shareholders, her first thought was how he would be affected. Had this happened when she was in her old emotional state, she would have thought first of how her project would have been affected.

She respected what she deemed to be Shi Yan’s decision not to communicate with her by accepting the black-out of communication resignedly, not forcing herself on him as what a spoiled girl would have done. Instead, she kept things to herself, obviously guilty of having hurt him, suffering in silence to such extent that she got seriously ill.

I half-agree. "Split personality" is indeed an apt description for the FL 😄 She is spoiled, so, is rather lacking in EQ. And yeah, she can be flaky. However, there is a spark of nobility in her that makes you root for her growth, such as her dream of allowing more people access to financial knowledge through an online version of Financial Introduce. Her passion towards her work, like the issue of the faulty car batteries, is also commendable. Another thing I admire about her is how she can't be bribed. This discussion topic has a great analysis of why Shi Yan fell for her https://mydramalist.com/discussions/cuo-liao/121097-choosing-a-partner-like-a-venture-capitalist-with-shi-yan-long-analysis

I agree with your analysis of the other reason for the negative reviews - some viewers expected the drama to be fluffy through and through and got turned off when the characters developed more than one dimension and the story gained substance. Amazing, isn't it, the very reason I love the drama - that it engaged the brain cells - is the very reason other viewers didn't like it.

It's intriguing that you mentioned the title twice. I agree it is too generic and does suggest a fluffy drama that would focus on romance. I was actually disappointed when the title changed from "Love As Camp" which, at least, would have given a clue to the campy humor, as well as prod viewers to analyze a double meaning of "camp" that Shu Yi mentioned once or twice, as in "camp under the stars" or something like that.

Shu Yi's unusual personality for a female lead is what makes the drama intriguing. But for all her quirkiness, she is good hearted which makes viewers root for her emotional growth. One evidence of her good heart is her patience with the conniving Yu Ling who is due a comeuppance.

I like your observation about being pretty being seemingly a bad thing now. Not just for Shu Yi's green-eyed, malicious officemates. Some viewers also bear a grudge against her for accepting others' admiration of her beauty. Isn't it ridiculous? How is it Shu Yi's fault that she is pretty and that others tell her so? It just shows that when people want to find fault, due to envy or other nonsensical reasons, they will see imaginary faults.

Exactly, that is what it boils down to - people think free speech means freedom to be illogical, nonsensical, nasty and untruthful. With every right comes responsibility. But people have forgotten the responsibility portion of free speech. Thus, abuse of free speech has given rise to such evil as YXH (netizens paid to defame celebrities and dramas). To make matters worse, instead of condeming these YXH accounts, other netizens are emulating them in abusing free speech.

I did notice other dramas being plugged and I suspected that was one reason for the negativity. To make whatever drama they wish to promote more attractive, fans of those dramas criticize OFL. Why criticize other dramas/actors just to lift a favorite up? A drama or actor that can only be lifted up by putting other dramas/actors down is simply pathetic.

Something personal would be best kept to oneself then, right? Talking about "policing", an unfair, malicious or lie-infested comment/review is a much worse form of policing than a comment that merely points out logic.

Regarding lies, is this how social media is, now - just letting lies be? This is exactly why fake news is proliferating. When lies are left unchecked, not only do they spread, the liars get empowered and will lie even more. Now, it may just be about dramas, tomorrow, it will be about politics and other more substantial matters. Truth and justice should be served always, in small and big matters and it's up to us, citizens of the world, to help each other stay decent and reasonable.

Though I disagree that the misunderstanding dragged too long (it fits just right with the story and the growth arcs of characters), I agree with your assessment of the FL's inconsistent behavior and the ML being an introvert but true to his feelings. The FL's quirkiness is, in fact, what gives the story an edge. Otherwise, it would be just another CEO-falls-in-love-with-a-working-girl drama. The FL is not the typical sensible-working-girl character. She is brilliant at work but clueless outside of it thus dependent on her equally clueless friend for advice. It's actually quite funny, the blind-leading-the-blind relationship of the best friends. But it's quite heartwarming too. Though Shanshan gave the stupidest advice that could have condemned the leads' romance, Shu Yi never blamed her, taking all the blame on herself when things went south. And that speaks of her good heart. She might be spoiled and have low EQ, but she is naturally good hearted. Her patience with Yu Ling is almost saintly. Thus, her emotional growth is intriguing to watch.

More good news for Only For Love. Three months after the finale aired, the drama and its leads are still in the lists of Top 10 Chinese Dramas and Artists in the global markets.

Top 10 Chinese dramas in global markets:
#3 - Only For Love

Top 10 Chinese drama artists in global markets:
#1 - Dylan Wang
#8 - Bai Lu

Details here:
https://twitter.com/aicunzainureyes/status/1760982758065906081/

I understand your frustration at the proliferation of fake news in social media as well as not being able to discuss dramas in a sensible manner. I, too, long to have drama discussions like in book reviews that enhance the drama experience. In fact. that's the main reason I joined this site. To discuss dramas in depth, not deal with comments that are obviously intended to just smear the drama. For the life of me, I don't understand why people would bother to blacken a celebrity or a drama. If one doesn't like a drama, how hard is it to simply drop it quietly? The world would be a much better place if everyone does this simple act of courtesy. But it seems courtesy is one of the things that disappeared in social media.

Having said that, I don't mind negative reviews as long as they make sense. What I hate are made up or blown up flaws intended to smear a celebrity or drama.

Re-posting another gem of a comment I came across in this section:
"LOGICALLY speaking, one shouldn't review a drama she hasn't fully watched (by skippimg scenes or dropping it) and at least tried to understand. Otherwise, it's like a judge who makes a decision without considering all known information about a case. "

Alas, logic seems to be a rare commodity these days. The lies said about this drama are sickening. It speaks of the malaise of our time that people love to talk of things they hardly know about just to have something to say.

'Love it whenever I read reports showing Only For Love prevailing over attempts to sabotage it.

The drama as well as the main leads all made the 2023 Top 10 Douyin charts:

2023 Top 10 Douyin Most Popular Drama
6️⃣ Only For Love

2023 Douyin Top 10 Male Characters
7️⃣ Shi Yan #WangHedi

2023 Douyin Top 10 Female Characters
6️⃣ Zheng Shuyi #BaiLu

More details here:
https://twitter.com/yawyonlyforlove/status/1752865141509824997/

Avenuex lambasted Shu Yi for being complimented for her beauty by other characters. Is it Shu Yi's fault that she has vocal admirers? What does she expect Shu Yi to do after being told she's pretty? Assume fake humility? Shu Yi accepts compliments of her looks graciously, as a proper lady with no fake humility would.

Avenuex didn't understand that elevator scene at all, expressing shock that Shu Yi can flirt with Shi Yan after almost being assaulted. She doesn't understand that Shu Yi didn't have a clue of the danger she was in. Though she accepts others' compliments of her beauty, she does not dwell on it. Shi Yan has to point out to her that she doesn't have a clue how attractive she is. She is like Lois Lane of Superman, having no regard for her safety as long as she gets what she wants, be it a scoop or in this case, food. In fact, I like how Shu Yi dealt with seemingly being left to fend on her own in a strange place. She did not sulk and harbored a grudge against Shi Yan for seemingly abandoning her. She went to look for food. And when they meet again, she did not express a grudge. She teased him. In my book, teasing is a much much much more preferable behavior than sulking, nagging and bearing a grudge.

Wow, well said! Love your analysis of Shu Yi and the symbolism of the rain. I agree about what draws people to cdramas - it's mostly for entertainment. Western shows have recently been tending to get me depressed, so I turn to cdramas to relax. Ironically, I find cdramas' not-too-subtle lectures on love and life refreshing. Not the jaded lessons that western shows grudgingly give. It seems that western shows feel being sunny and bright is cheesy, but I long for sunny and bright in shows I watch. After all, I watch movies/dramas for entertainment after a hard day's work.

After reading Avenuex's review of this drama, I have lost all respect for her and have avoided her posts. A lot of her comments about OFL are not rational but based on spite. She seems to have something against Bai Lu. Till The End of The Moon also made it to her list of worst dramas of 2023. And she's not that impressed with Story of Kunning Palace either. She obviously did not get the campy humor of OFL. In one of her videos, she mentioned she watches dramas to find fault. She usually tears down cdramas due to technicalities like bad lighting and camera angles that actually plague most cdramas. Somebody who watches shows to find fault should not be reviewing dramas like OFL that need to be felt to be understood and appreciated. Watching a drama to find fault hardly puts the viewer in a position to feel it. I pity those who believed her review of OFL. They missed out on a precious gem.

'glad you ploughed on and did not get swayed by the smear campaign directed at this drama. Yes, the sweetness from ep 31 onwards more than makes up for the angst, though for me, the sweetness starts from ep 1 😊

Regarding the angst, I don't understand why drama viewers would mind it. The angst here is lighter than in many dramas. And the campy humor alone more than makes up for it. The romance is cherry on the cake. That's why it's my happy pill.

the main leads form an understanding in ep 19, but for me, the romance started from ep 1. In the wedding episode, 36.5, it will be revealed that the romance started before they officially meet