Love Is Sweet

Love is Boring and Makes No Sense.

I don’t know if the FL gets better or not but for someone that’s supposedly smart, she is anything but. I can’t believe how many times the ML had to save her because of what she did. She is incredibly reckless and rash. She gets herself hired at a high stress job when she KNOWS she’s deathly allergic to tears, which makes no sense at all. ALSO, WHY DOESN’T SHE CARRY AN EPI PEN!.

I don’t get the hype of Bai Lu. There’s just something about her acting that screams - acting. I can never get into the story because it’s like she’s reading lines.

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Chemistry Made-up

If you have watched the main actress in All her dramas like I do then you will understand she is a pro like the main guy who also starred in Ashes of Love. The chemistry pales in comparison with the kissing and chemistry in the The Legends (same actress). Their kissing is generic although better than most Chinese drama. It’s very clean and romantic. Overall, it’s a cute live story, but if you have watched many Koreans and Taiwanese drama, then the plot is not really a sizzler.

Pro:
- great acting but same old expressions from their old drama. Not bad although the main guy looks really lame. He looked okey in his other drama and he’s ok. Alright.
- some original plot but nothing unusual. Korean dramas also have the bathroom thrill, office love, etc.

Cons
- chemistry is so-so. Same old acting
-repetitive location.

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Fun office rom-com, not as light as it seems on the surface.

This drama is really good so far. The casting is incredible. The leads have great chemistry and you can really feel the history there. The music fits well, although it does repeat the same songs fairly frequently.

One thing to note is there is a plotline involving sexual assault which took me by surprise. It is a plotline being handled very well at the point I am at, but I know some of the description in episode 8 may be problematic for some viewers. That said, I maintain my high rating and do recommend it as a fun romcom drama that goes a little deeper than most.

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Chemistry and Economics.

I'm writing this review solely as a reminder for myself about why I dropped this drama in the very first place. Don't worry. It will not affect the rating system as I have not seen enough episodes for it to get counted.
I tried giving it a second chance, but I just couldn't move forward past the first five minutes of EP4.
Now... lets get down to business.
If Chemistry along could drive a drama, then this one should be it. Both Leo Luo and Bai Lu are talented actors and they pulled off their roles beautifully. Their premise was good. But... the plot.
When it comes to the plot, in the first three episodes, we see Jiang Jun pull a few strings and get into Yuan Shuai's company much to his displeasure. Then we have about 50% of the conversations revolving around why she was not fit to do the job. Then the next 50% with him tasking her with something hard and she going about trying to desperately prove herself. The sweet stuff is scattered throughout in between. Its even funny at times. Even that was not enough for me to stick to the drama. Had I watched it completely I'd have skipped 80% of the episodes to just fast forward to scenes that I actually wanted to watch... which would be pretty much half of the drama.
I know nothing about Investment Banking and half of their conversations bored me so much that I stopped watching the episode in between or outright skipped to the fun parts. I did not care about Xu Lei and Xiao Chuan's romance. It seemed childish and might have been intentionally inserted to appease viewers' tastes. But, I simply skipped all their scenes.
In short, the overall backstory or the main plot made zero sense to me, due to my little knowledge about the business world. The romance was good. But, that alone couldn't make me stick to the plot.
If you are a fan of the leads and find their scenes sweet - please do watch it! But, if you want some actual basic plot that leads to their romance... you might understand and tolerate it better than me for sure.

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Paternalistic propaganda

First, an important disclaimer: I am a middle-aged male, and as a glance through my watchlist will show, I'm a hard-core Brony. I love me a good romcom. I don't mind the usual clichés and tropes if well-executed with clever writing and good acting, and can put up with a lot for the sake of credible chemistry and a sweet story. Which is why I tried hard to like this drama, because so many people raved about the beautiful chemistry. I didn't see any in the six episodes I survived.

What I saw was the sort of chauvinist propaganda that is very common in current PRC romcoms. It was clear after six episodes that the ML was deceiving and manipulating the FL because he knew best, and was doing it for her good. Barf! This toxic trope is one that I cannot stomach. It is possible to have sweet, even clichéd OTPs where the two are in fact equal. There are dramas in which the two are not equal but in which the male lead still avoids treating the female lead with condescension or manipulation. Two of my favourite examples would be Queen In Hyun's Man and Le Coup de Foudre.. Dramas like those show that it is possible to set up formulaic "cute" OTPs without paternalistic posturing. The smug assumption of superiority by every male character in this drama was just too much.

No doubt some who are fans of the drama may feel that I didn't give it a fair shot, but at my age, life is too short to waste on bad dramas. It's also too short too waste on bad on dramas that not only don't grab me quickly, but actively repel me - no matter how amazeballs some insist the OTP becomes. I gave this one a decent shot, watching 1/6 of the entire drama, but can't be bothered wading through more of its "men know best" motto.

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I will be the Outlier - I Did not like it

My rating of the two episodes I watched 2/10.

I don't drop many series but I had to drop this one. First, the plot is extremely simple. It is relying very heavily on the trope of the evil boss. Bully childhood friend who actually liked the girl. Frenemies. Destiny. Just a lot of tired tropes. I know sword like eyebrows were a thing not even all that long ago but it was a bit distracting that all the male lead characters had these eyebrows I could not ignore. Being literally allergic to tears is a really hard sell. If they had tied it in as maybe some kind of mixed physical and psychological disease maybe. And the accidental kiss was one of those super ridiculous and unbelievable scenarios where if your lips came together like that it wouldn't be sensual it would hurt. Pancake kiss. That goes on forever. I would have had to get a subscription to watch the latter episodes as it wasn't available on virtually every other platform and I didn't care enough about it in those first two episodes to be willing to pay for it. Too cheesy and just not my cup of tea.

Synopsis:

Love is Sweet (also known as Half Honey Half Hurt) is a 2020 Chinese romantic comedy drama blending workplace rivalry, childhood sweethearts, and heartfelt romance. It has a mix of fluffy romance, steamy chemistry, office politics, and emotional layers—perfect for fans of sweet, enemies-to-lovers vibes with a touch of corporate drama.

Total Episodes: 36

Runtime per Episode: Approximately 45 minutes

Major Characters

Yuan Shuai (Luo Yunxi) — The sharp, undefeated "God of War" in investment banking at MH firm. A seemingly arrogant and teasing boss, he's actually a secretly devoted childhood friend who's harbored a 10-year crush on the female lead. He "bullied" her as kids to toughen her up due to her rare tear allergy, but he's soft and protective underneath—switching from professional wolf to adorable boyfriend mode once feelings surface.

Jiang Jun (played by Bai Lu) — A bright, idealistic young woman with dual master's degrees in economics and psychology. She leaves her philanthropy job to join the cutthroat MH investment firm to honor her late father's wish. Empathetic, resilient, and high-EQ, she navigates office schemes and rivalry with sharp judgment. She's allergic to tears (a unique vulnerability), often seen as soft but proves strong and clever, turning from "rookie" to powerhouse.

Du Lei (played by Gao Hanyu) — Yuan Shuai's intense rival from rival firm GE, excelling in investment banking, car racing, and (initially) romance pursuits. Scarred by a tough past, he's calculating and willing to bend rules for success, but he develops genuine feelings that complicate his schemes.

Xu Li (played by Xiao Yan) — Jiang Jun's loyal, justice-driven best friend who works at a convenience store. She's bubbly, prioritizes love over career, and boldly pursues her crush, bringing light-hearted energy and strong friendship support to the main story.

Li Xiaochuan (played by Riley Wang) — Yuan Shuai's tech-genius cousin and app developer. Serious, hardworking, and hilariously oblivious to romance at first, he slowly warms up thanks to Xu Li's persistence, creating one of the drama's sweetest secondary couples.

Qiao Na (played by Zhao Yuanyuan) — The perfectionist vice president at MH, a "female God of War" who demands excellence. She has unrequited feelings for Yuan Shuai but handles them maturely, adding depth to the workplace dynamics.

Linda (played by An Weiling) — A powerful executive director at GE with her own ambitions and insomnia struggles. She plays a key antagonistic role in the corporate intrigue, often prioritizing self-interest in the high-stakes investment world.

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Beautiful romance with many comedic moments.

Bai lu and Luo Yunxi were outstanding. As in almost all Bai Lu dramas, there was a strong chemistry between her and her costar throughout. Very engaging story with many comedic elements. I watched it three times already. Each time it was worth watching each time.

Engaging drama throughout with virtually no free walk. I especially liked the moment when the leads discovered their love for each other, hilarious parts when leads were visiting Jiang Jun's mother, and the detective process that lead to ouster and incarceration of Lin Taimo and Du Linda...

I strongly recommend watching this drama.

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Quando la chimica salva una trama da manuale...

Risalente al 2020, questo rom-com office-drama punta tutto sulla reunion tra Jiang Jun (Bai Lu) e Yuan Shuai (Luo Yun Xi), due amici d'infanzia diventati rivali da dipendenti nella stessa finanziaria. La chimica tra i due protagonisti è il vero motore dell’opera: elettrica e matura, con un realismo nelle scene romantiche che spazza via anni di baci a stampo visti in molti altri drama dello stesso genere.
Tuttavia, qui finiscono le lodi sperticate. La narrazione, pur partendo bene con una Jiang Jun determinata a farsi strada, si arena rapidamente nella banalità. Il "mondo della finanza" è solo uno sfondo patinato e noioso, popolato da intrighi aziendali risolti con una facilità imbarazzante. La sceneggiatura commette inoltre l’errore imperdonabile di ridurre l’eroina a spettatrice passiva delle gesta del suo uomo: tutto il mistero centrale finisce per essere risolto da Yuan Shuai, togliendo mordente alla carriera della protagonista. L’accenno al triangolo amoroso non funziona, l’inspiegabile insistenza del terzo incomodo appare più come un riempitivo. Bocciata su tutta la linea la coppia secondaria, così piatta e irritante da rendere il tasto "skip" un vero e proprio alleato.
Cast decisamente valido, con una Bai Lu sempre molto brava ed espressiva e un Leo Luo che ho apprezzato forse più che in altri suoi drama. La sintonia di coppia è in definitiva il punto forte di questa serie.
La durata, invece, è decisamente eccessiva per il contenuto proposto – in particolar modo il finale, diluito all’inverosimile negli ultimi cinque episodi, di fatto non necessari – e la piega melodrammatica nella parte finale rovina la leggerezza iniziale, ma gli si può riconoscere che la dolcezza tra i due attori principali è di grande consolazione. Persino l'assurda situazione dell'allergia alle lacrime di lei - condizione esistente, per quanto davvero rara - sembra avere un certo peso nella parte iniziale per poi sfumare davvero nel nulla nell'ultimo quarto di serie, quando si rispolvera la storia del padre di lei, di fatto un rabbocco di trama per una storia che aveva altrimenti esaurito tutti gli argomenti.
In definitiva, “Love is Sweet” è quel classico drama nella media, con qualche pregio ma anche diversi difetti: non lo consiglierei mai a chi cerca una storia profonda e indimenticabile, ma se si ha bisogno di una scarica di endorfine a causa di uno slow burn fatto di sguardi e battibecchi, allora è il titolo giusto. Vale la pena se si apprezzano i due attori principali, ma non escludendo di ritrovarsi a skippare diverse parti.

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Qué bonita, qué bonita!

Me ha encantado, me ha gustado muchísimo. Recomiendo encarecidamente esta serie. Son adorables, achuchables, menuda química la de los protagonistas. Me ha tenido enganchada el amor, la historia, la trama, los antagonistas, ...
En el último capítulo lloré con esa escena tan tan especial!
Pocas cosas en contra, pero si alguna. La segunda pareja no me gustó, poco o nada creíble, me daban un poco de repelús y me aburría bastante su trama. La amiga pasó de ser una chica divertida, ingeniosa, creativa y resuelta a una mema y boba insoportable. Por otro lado, creo que el personaje del "malo", el prof. Du Leí (Gao Han Yu) demasiado tiempo en pantalla. Creo que chupa bastante cámara y en algún momento ya se hace pesado y obsesivo. La relación de hermanos da bastante grima.
A algún capítulo le sobra un poquito de tiempo, como cuando van a casa de la madre de ella por Año Nuevo, se me hizo un poco demasiado.
Por lo demás y quitando estás pequeñas apreciaciones insisto en que es estupenda y volvería a verla, sin duda alguna.
Luo Yunxi está aquí para comérselo y dejar que te coma ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Y qué decir de Bai Lu, ella simplemente me encanta y sale guapa, atractiva, con un papel maravilloso. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Mi recomendación es que no dejéis de verla. Es un amor sano, nada tóxico y muy muy natural.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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