Sana

Be Passionately in Love is a very heartfelt and soothing university romance that feels a bit more realistic than the usual C-drama romances, with fewer clichés and unnecessary conflicts. It is a sweet, light story about young love, friendship, family, and growing up. There isn't a major love triangle, endless misunderstandings, or characters constantly behaving out of character, and I really appreciated that the characters generally act their age.

I really liked both leads. Xu Zhi is a refreshing FL because she isn't clumsy, naïve, overly bubbly, or instantly head-over-heels in love. She feels like a normal girl with her own goals and personality. Chen Luzhou may seem cold and arrogant, but underneath that is a very vulnerable person dealing with abandonment and identity issues. Learning about his childhood and why he works so hard made me feel genuinely sorry for him. I especially loved how he could finally allow himself to be vulnerable around Xu Zhi.

The romance is soft and mostly built around flirting, conversations, small gestures, and slowly developing feelings. I understand why some people were disappointed by the lack of a kissing scene, but personally, it wasn't a major issue for me. Their relationship still felt sweet and affectionate, and I liked watching their casual connection gradually become something deeper.

The family relationships were another highlight, especially Xu Zhi's relationship with her father. I loved how the drama showed parents aging and how the leads slowly learned to understand them with more compassion and forgiveness. Chen Luzhou's family and identity struggles also added more emotional depth without turning the family drama overly toxic.

I also really loved the filming locations. Everything looked warm, peaceful, and beautiful, and the setting added a lot to the overall comforting atmosphere of the drama. I liked the locations so much that I actually had to check whether Qingyi was a real place. The editing, however, definitely felt lacking at times and could have been much better.

The friendships and second couple were also really cute, and I liked that they added warmth without taking over the main story. My biggest issue was the breakup storyline. We know from the beginning that Chen Luzhou is expected to study abroad, but I felt the separation was unnecessarily complicated. A proper conversation between the leads about long distance could have solved a lot of it, and the storyline wasn't integrated as smoothly as I would have liked. There were also a few plot inconsistencies and situations that ended too quickly before the story moved on.

Overall, it isn't a perfect drama, but it is a warm, charming, beautifully filmed romance with likeable leads, wholesome friendships, meaningful family relationships, and very little unnecessary drama. It might not redefine the genre, but if you're looking for a light and heartfelt university romance, I think it is definitely worth watching.