The Best Thing

The Best Thing – A Drama That Lives Up to Its Name!

The best thing I’ve done in the first quarter of 2025 is watching The Best Thing! This drama made me feel everything—from butterflies to laughter to pure joy. Every episode had me kicking and giggling, and honestly, every episode is THE BEST THING.

This drama also made me realize how versatile Zhang Linghe is as an actor. I absolutely loved him as Xie Wei in Kunning Palace, but I never expected to love him just as much in a modern drama! His portrayal of He Suye is completely different from his historical roles, yet he nailed it. Now, I just need more modern dramas with him!

Xu Ruohan, the female lead, also deserves praise. I’ve adored her since Perfect and Casual, and she did an amazing job in this drama too. Her eyes are so expressive, and her acting is effortlessly charming. I’d love to see her in a historical drama next—I know she’d shine in that genre as well!

As for the chemistry between Zhang Linghe and Xu Ruohan—WOW! Their pairing and chemistry was ON TOP. They complemented each other so well that I need to see them together in another drama.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted drama with no frustrating misunderstandings, The Best Thing is for you. Life is stressful enough—this drama is like a breath of fresh air. Watch it, and thank me later!

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personal take only!!

OKAY FIRST OFF! ZHANG LINGHE IN MODERN DRAMAS WAS CHEFS KISSSS!! he was just perfect. he healed me in ways i didn’t even know i needed. he’s the kind of guy every eldest daughter would dream of!! patient, understanding, reliable, and someone who makes you feel completely safe and cared for. the drama was so calming, like the kind of show you’d watch on a rainy day with a hot cup of chocolate.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “love never fails.” this sums up the drama so well !! it shows how love endures through all the challenges ❤️‍🩹

also, since i studied Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) during my second year in pharmacy school, it was so fun hearing all the TCM references. it made the show feel even more relatable and unique.

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A Very Special Drama

What can I say except I am crying because this drama is over. My all time favorite drama, Hidden Love, has ALMOST and POSSIBLY been replaced with the super sweet drama. Wow, I really loved each and every episode. The "best thing" about this drama is that this kind of love is possible. It is quite rare because people don't appreciate the person they are with and love themselves enough to brave understanding their partner. It felt like their love was more equal than say the second leads where the girl's needs seemed to be first priority in her eyes. That kind of love is probably more realistic, but not what most would want after watching this drama. Sigh.......thank you for making such a heartwarming drama that I looked forward to watching each day. I will certainly watch it several more times.

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Boriiiing

I really wanted to like this drama. Was waiting for it to air and watched all the teasers and trailers every time IQIYi posted them. I started watching it right after the release and even downloaded the app to have regular updates about it.
Well, I am really disappointed. I like Zhang Linghe, there is no doubt that he is really handsome, but his acting here is not it. Xu Ruohan was better, but the fact that she is dubbed and doesn’t use her real voice made every dialogue she has in this drama kind of awkward and superficial. The chemistry between the two actors was not there for me. They had so many kissing scenes and everything, but they looked forced and superficial. maybe because the storyline was so rushed and poor in logic.
That said, the story was really boring, so much that I had to drop the show around the 20th episode. Otherwise I would have wasted so much time watching something with no value whatsoever. Even til the 20th episode, I tried to skip all the boring and unnecessary parts which left me with like 10 minutes on every episode that were actually interesting and worth watching.
Overall not the best drama in this genre. Everyone in the comments is saying that the drama is relaxing, but I think that’s because it puts you to sleep every time you try to watch it. There was nothing realistic about their relationship, everything was just so perfect and amazing and just so boooooring.

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Healing, fluff romance has overdosed on sweetness

Move over, oppas. Geges are here to take over the world 🌏 This is only my third Cdrama yet I'm convinced Chinese actors have a different kind of rizz no one can ever top. It must be because of the hairline shadow powder and hair extensions of the male leads 😹

Dr. He Su Ye's face card. That's it. That's the tweet. That's my entire review haha. His lethal face card can bewitch anyone, body and soul.

Zhang Ling He plays the role of Dr. He, a traditional chinese medicine (TCM) doctor. Due to insomnia, Shen Xi Fan (Xu Ruo Han) is convinced by her parents to have an appointment in the TCM clinic.

Zhang Ling He is more than an eye candy. He actually looks and moves like a TCM doctor, feeling the pulse of each patient with confidence and focus. The dramatic reveal of his face card after he finally removed his face mask was worth it. He looks like he came straight out of a video game. His eyes are so expressive. The way he subtly lift his gaze over his doll-like eyelashes is so alluring and captivating. He's also a master of micro-expressions which is a fun to watch especially when the intern gets on his nerves. He treats sick people, cooks nutritious foods, showers you with affection, and even helps you write your cover letter. What else can you ask for? 🤤🤤 He's the ultimate gege although the only con is he's not in good terms with his father which is always the case in any Cdrama 😹 He also constantly invites his crush over to his place which Asian parents will vehemently disapprove of and is a yellow flag sign for me 😹

Xu Ruo Han's beauty is the epitome of spring season embodying qualities like grace, radiance and breath of fresh hair. Her dark brown copper hair also makes her appear friendly and approachable which complements her job as a front desk manager. Although at the start of the story, we met her while she is in a bad place—navigating her a failing, toxic relationship with her long-time boyfriend. Her self-loathing and questioning herself if she's worthy of love resonates to me the most. It's not easy to heal from a toxic relationship especially when you've done nothing wrong and didn't deserve it in the first place. This theme was mostly tackled in the first half of the show and after her ex finally left her alone there was nothing the story could offer but cute and sweet moments with Dr. He. It was a delight to watch both of them finally be together but I still think it would be better off if this was 20 episodes only.

The last portion mostly consists of cheeky check up, stolen smiles, peak boyfriend-girlfriend behavior, steamy make-out sessions and another unexpected conflict. Twenty-eight episodes were too much for a fluff, light romance but on a brighter side I get to see and drool over Dr. He for 28 episodes so it's still a win for me. The third and last portion of the show was overdosed with sweetness and were too much for my liking. It’s clear the writer is already running out of ideas each episode so he throws every romantic moment he can think of.

The rest of the cast had some growth, if there are any. They are fun to watch and ever supportive of our couple. The story has come full circle when all of the people involved in their love story attended their wedding. Nothing is accidental in this world since we are bound to meet people we need in our lives, one way or another.

I must commend the ex for annoying the hell out of me. Unpredictable, manipulative lovers are the worst. They can mess with your head and try to convince your feelings and memories are only in your head. The hurtful words her ex told her slowly erodes her self-worth and made her stay restless ultimately causing her insomnia.

I also appreciate the episode titles as they are enticing and informative that it got me sold on TCM. The show also emphasizes the pros of traditional medicine and it made me realized this is what people from the past used to treat themselves. Medicinal plants indeed are nature's gift to our well-being.

To sum up, The Best Thing is another feel good romance guaranteed to make you swoon and feel butterflies in your stomach and wish you have a Dr. He in your life 🥹💝The excessive mushy moments and stretched out running time might bore you but just consider it as a fan service and you will make it through. This is romance through and through giving us every bits of romance cliché. This portrays a healing, calm love that even Shen Xi Fan feels too surreal for her like a fever dream. The ultimate highlight of this show is Dr. He’s face card, glasses, face mask and veiny hands checking a pulse—and that’s more than good enough for me.

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Builds almost too slow for my tase, but the latter half of the series is worth it

9/10 is my rating. What I have found with a lot of the more recent Chinese romantic series is there is a slow build. A long period of time where one or the other main characters is frustrating. Where you are like "come on you know you like them." And that was this one for me. It was very good. Once all the initial was past and the viewer was able to understand why one of the characters was being so frustrating. That was me also in First Frost. To provide context. I think they pace is very similar to that. I think that is the difference in reviews. If you want things to start evolving immediately versus a slower evolution of the relationship. I would watch it again some time in the future. I would recommend it to romance fans. And would sit down and watch it if someone had it on. They had a lot of chemistry and there are few pancake kisses in this one. In fact, I think somewhere this one was rated as one where there is a lot of kissing and that is true.


Spoilers


My biggest complaint was simply her absolute insistence on studying abroad. It was never clear how that would be such a huge gain in her life to sacrifice relationships. Her ex was just an absolute jerk. So, him not wanting to go was just for his own selfish reasons. But she was also selfish at times in her laser focus on study abroad.



I think only the main guy would have had patience for her. She blew so hot and cold. I was frustrated when she decided it was for the best they didn't get involved romantically because she was going abroad. One of my least favorite tropes. Doing it for our own good. Made no sense she did it to avoid heart break but completely broke his heart in the process. That is what made it seem so selfish.

If I had known earlier in the series what an absolute nightmare her ex was I would have felt less frustrated with her and her sometimes cold attitude toward main guy. It made more sense once I realized that yes, they had a seemingly good relationship in college but he turned into a selfish, entitled jerk once they were in a relationship. He totally ignored her emotional needs by ghosting her. Then he comes back and wants to get back together? After he did whatever it was he wanted? And she also knew the father-in-law would be a problem. Wisest thing she did was not take him back. Not even consider it. He was a special kind of A*$hole and those kind are best left alone.


For a unique synopsis, please scroll down.



Synopsis

Shen Xi Fan (Xu Rue Han) is a hard working hotel manager who has been in a seven year relationship with her College love, Yan Heng (Caesar Wu), Xi Fan and Yang Heng are engaged but she has found that has he has changed over the years becoming very cold and distant. While she had thoughts of breaking it off, she decided to make her relationship work but then Yan Heng broke it off with her suddenly. The stress of the relationship caused Xi Fan to become insomniac leading her to the Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic where she meets Dr. He (Zhang Ling He) a very handsome TCM doctor. He is over 30 and experiencing great social pressure to find "the one" and get married. While there is no shortage of eligible women, and mothers and fathers alike try to get him to date their daughters, sister and friends Dr. He shows no interest in romance until he falls for Xi Fan almost on sight. While he works with her to alleviate her insomnia, the two grow ever closer. After some time passes, Xi Fan realizes that her fiancé breaking up with her after seven years may not have been the worst thing after all. It may have opened her life up to experiencing the best thing.

This is a 2025 Chinese romance drama with 28, ~42 minute episodes. It is adapted from Sheng Li's novel entitled "Loving You is the Best Thing I Have Done."

#TheBestThing #XuRueHan #CaesarWu #ZhangLingHe

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A gentle, comfort-driven romance drama that knows exactly what it wants to be

I found this drama very comforting and soothing. From the leads to the supporting characters, everyone was portrayed beautifully. First, I want to admit that I might be slightly biased toward the second couple, Xiangya and Senior Lin, but every time He Suye reappeared on screen, he completely took my breath away.

I knew exactly what kind of drama I was getting into, so I wasn’t particularly bored. However, since the scenes weren’t emotionally heavy, I did end up fast-forwarding through quite a few of them. Still, one aspect I genuinely appreciated was the inclusion of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Since TCM is such a widely practiced medical system in China, it was interesting to learn about it, and I found many of its ingredients and concepts surprisingly similar to homeopathy.

That said, I struggled a bit with Shen Xifan’s character, especially in the earlier episodes and sometimes throughout the entire series. She seemed to grieve her toxic relationship far more than necessary. I understand that she loved him unconditionally and dated him for seven years, but if the relationship had already deteriorated to the point where even thinking about him caused pain and triggered her insomnia, then at some point, she needed to stop dwelling on it and focus on the good things already present in her life.

Later in the series, she rejects He Suye after leading him on for quite a long time and without what felt like a solid or convincing reason. That moment, in particular, made me empathize deeply with Feng Ke Xin, more than I expected.

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The Best Thing for Pure Romantics

I realize I'm missing the romance gene, but it still bewilders me that this drama is rated 8.7. I generally need something to accompany the romance, if I'm to enjoy the drama. Pure romance is like bitter medicine to me; I need something sweet like mystery, murder, or mayhem to choke it down.

The Good:
• I was interested in the bits with Traditional Chinese Medicine. I can see where Western medicine would benefit from a partnership with a philosophy that doesn't rely on harsh drugs and surgery.
• This was a pretty drama. The leads were beautiful, the scenery was attractive, and there were flowers galore. Plus, everyone had magnificent bookcases.
• The families were sweet and mostly supportive.
• The dreaded time skip actually made sense in this drama, as it was planned far in advance.

The Bad:
• TBT was slow, glacially slow. I can't even call it a slow-burn romance, because it rarely ignited. I don't think the couple got together until the 20th episode, then it wasn't long before the FL left the country and ML was left to write heartfelt letters to her.
• I don't have patience with people who aren't truthful and/or can't speak up. For heaven's sake, professional people in their 30s who deal with the public on a daily basis should be able to talk.
• The misunderstandings drove me wild, because all it took, in nearly every case, was one simple, short question to clear it all up: "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Are you a father?" That's all it takes. It's not hard, folks.

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Definitely Sweet love / slow burn romance masterpiece but not for everyone

This type of Drama is definitely down my alley.


If you're into burlesque comedy type drama, this isn't for you since it's very slow paced.

Many details, easter eggs are in the scenes, so it has a rewatch value. (I have seen it twice in a month)
not many unrealistic plot twist.
What I have loved
- Very nice believable couple, love the sceneries and background from Hangzhou.
- Photography and artistic direction is pretty good, make very eye candy.
- the TCM background and the alternative healing parallel between aches/sickness and love is very appreciated.
- the supporting cast that makes the whole show very believable
- Moving from a toxic relationship to a healing one is the breadcrumbs
- Many outside shots and scenes made you feel like visiting this part of China in spring.
- Main roles are very fit and both actors where you can feel a chemistry. (they did officially acknowledge exploring dating after the show)

This is so far my favorite sweet love romance CDrama.

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simple and touching

I started this series a month ago, but I keep putting it on hold. I don't really know the real reason, but it kind of makes me hesitate. I was initially attracted to the series because of the main characters, whom I loved. I always remember the female lead from Out with a Bang, which made her seem cute and youthful, while the male lead—I loved him in Sparkle Love.

In this series, I appreciate how they portrayed the importance of family. I love the way the female lead’s parents support and love her. I also love that the male lead is caring, supportive, and understanding. The story was good, but sometimes the pacing made me click the 2x speed button. I love the concept, but it lacks excitement. At first, it was intriguing to see how the male lead could help the female lead and how they became a couple, but after that, it just felt like a simple couple going about their lives.

I guess my expectations weren’t met, and the series needs more excitement. But in the end, it was nice, and I think they emphasized the long-distance relationship between the main leads, which added some spice to the story—showing how they managed their relationship and love.

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