This review may contain spoilers
Perfect comeback!!!
Wow, Wow, Wow....Ok so this is my first Taiwanese Drama since 2010. Yupzzz after kdrama coming to my life, I haven’t watch any taiwanese dramas 😢. But this drama was gold! Perfect for my first taiwanese drama after decade. I almost forgot how good are Taiwanese Dramas.
Story : similar with W, and extraordinary you, actually i dropped those two kdrama after almost last episode 😆. But this one i got hooke from first episode until the end. The story was hilarious and not boring, similar with the romance between rose and tiger, hillarious!
Acting : all the cast did great Job potraying their characters.
Marcus Chang! I’m in love with him, especially when he saying something little bit in English it was sound so sexy 💕 his facial expressions for Vivian in this drama just perfect.
Vivian Sung! Love her acting here, she was funny 😆
And of course the chemistry between Marcus and Vivian was on the Top, you can tell from their steamy kisses start from episode 12. Beside the kisses i just love their interactions, didn’t have any boring scenes, always looking forward for scenes only two of them.
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This review may contain spoilers
'In the storm, you have to be like an adult. In beautiful weather, you have to be like a child.'
I was very excited to begin watching this drama because its plot paralleled that of the Romance of Tiger and Rose (which I absolutely loved!). Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I thought I would. The first two episodes were boring, but it picks up momentum between episodes 5 and 12, and after that...mediocre at best.The Good:
The cast is very likeable, particularly the three main leads and Chuntian. I'd only seen Vivian Sung in Our Times before and had no idea she was such a big deal in Taiwan because I don't watch many Taiwanese shows (I should have known better, she's an amazing actress who deserves every bit of recognition!). Despite her character's tragic backstory, her personality was so vibrant and endearing that she carried the show on her back. She was a hard worker who pursued love despite the fact that the odds were stacked against her. Our male lead, Hu Tianxing, portrayed Marcus Chang, was a fascinating character. Marcus's ability to portray two distinct (yet eerily similar) characters was flawless, and you could tell he's a seasoned pro actor. I must admit, however, that I was not particularly interested in his character because he was simply a conventionally written ML. Qingfeng, played by the stunning Simon Lian, was the show stealer for me; I adored his character and am grateful that this show introduced me to him. I rarely have SLS because the FL rarely gets adequate screen time with the second ML; thankfully, this was not the case in Lost Romance, but it made Qingfeng's character so difficult to watch because he was so palpably and deeply in love with our FL. It broke my heart when his backstory was revealed, and it broke my heart after when he and Xiao En could not be together. Chun Tian, Xiao En's best friend, was especially entertaining. It was heartwarming to see her stick by the FL through thick and thin.
The plot's concept was unique. I liked how we got snippets of the characters impersonating characters from popular South Korean dramas like Goblin and DOTS; it was hilarious how they got those bits in. At times, Xiao en's random use of Korean was very relatable, reminding me of my own life as a kdrama fan :p
I really appreciate the messages that the show was attempting to convey. Throughout the 20 episodes, there are numerous encouraging messages about life and oneself.
If you just look at it from the main characters' points of view, the ending is quite satisfying because they all got a happy ending. I expected the last few episodes to be rushed as our two leads reunited in reality, but the transition into their relationship actually made sense and was quite smooth.
(Very steamy scenes between the two leads, enjoyable if you're a fan of those stuff ahaha ;))
The OST is quite catchy, might have to relisten soon!
The Bad:
Oh well...I have a lot to say. First, I know the plot of the book was exaggerated and cliche on purpose but I was just bothered by a lot of tropes and dialogue. I think the writers had a solid concept at the beginning but lost their way in the middle lol. I did not enjoy the plot that was happening in the real world setting either because it was just so 'makjang' (for the lack of a better word) for me. It was a very generic plot and rather boring because it's something I have watched too often. I skipped a few episodes and even watched on 1.5x speed because I got annoyed by the plot.
What disappointed me even more was the characterization throughout the show. I didn't like how all of the women around Tian Xing were shown to be in love with him and to be 'mean girls' to each other in order to win his heart; this is a horrible trope that should be left in the past. I dislike seeing women portrayed in this way. In my humble opinion, they also did ChuChu's character a disservice because some of her actions towards our FL just seem out of character for me at times, even though I understand that's how cliche romance books are and the writers were probably merely mocking them. But, in reality too, they didn't do much with ChuChu's character other than make her a damsel in distress madly in love with the hot CEO. I had similar criticisms with other secondary characters like QingFeng and Chun Tian. To be honest, I enjoyed QingFeng's backstory more than the leads', and I believe an entire drama could be based solely on his backstory. So it was disappointing that we didn't get a deeper glimpse into his story and that he was sidelined (his ending was fine though, could have been longer but I understand why it was done the way it was). Chun Tian deserved a backstory as well; I'd like to know how she and our FL became so close. Perhaps a romance for her would have been nice as well. That being said, there was a lot of potential for a romance between the evil (turned less evil) sister and her secretary (?), and I kinda wish they went down that road. Don't we need more hot chairwoman x secretary/ bodyguard romance in shows? let's change things up a bit people! I've already mentioned it, but I didn't like how they made every woman around Tian Xing fall in love with him (I mean, he's a hot CEO, everyone should be in love with him, but eh), including Shanna. They could have simply implied that she regarded the CEO as a friend and kept it at that. Of course, I understand that giving each character a proper backstory would have been difficult, but a lot of time was wasted on unnecessary flashbacks, so...
To summarize, Lost Romance's plot is quite cliche in many ways, but it has a very pleasant cast and leads who make you want to stick around for the entire drama. The plot's overall concept is novel, but it suffers from poor execution. I'd recommend it if you're looking for a lighthearted romance with delightful main characters.
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Loved it
Even though I thought the ending could have been a little better for one of the side character, I loved this drama !!It breaks stereotypes and it was exactly what I was looking for !!! If you want to watch a good drama that LITERALLY breaks clichés then GO FOR IT !!! Do not hesitate bc I'd 100% rewatch it
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Nice romance drama, like it, I love the leads
Nice drama, I like it, love the leads, tagal nga lng nila bumalik sa real world nila- bagay c TianXIng at Xiao En, ganda ng mga kissing scene nila at sweetness😱🥰
- tagal nila bumalik sa real world naiinip ako
- I like XIao En parang strong minsan na di sya clumsy gaya ng ibang female lead din. Ganda ng ugali nya matulungin kahit sa love rival nya
- I like XIao EN she knows how to protect herself most of the time.
- Ang caring ni XIao En kay TIanXIng :)
-Iba pala c Tianxing in real world kesa sa time na nasa novel inside sila pero sya parin
- Ganun parin c ChuCHu mapa inside sa novel or real world nakakainis haha
-I like the drama really pero nakulangan lang ako sa scenes ng real world mas madami kase scene ng inside the novel 🙂
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Peak isekai romance
Such a fun and romantic show from start to finish! I think this is probably one of the best “person goes into a novel” stories that I’ve seen, from the rules of the world-building to how they extended the leads’ love story in the real world. I would’ve loved a bit more time just to see everyone’s reaction to our leads getting together, but I think the romantic development was impeccable overall.The FL is loud and crazy but never gets too annoying, and while the ML sounds like your typical “cold CEO,” he never came off as rude and heartless. There’s a down-to-earthness in all the dialogue and actions of our leads, despite the plot getting REALLY unserious and outlandish sometimes.
The only thing that actually was kind of frustrating and irritating were the ML’s family and your typical corporate battle plot. Especially in the first half when the romance was so endearing, cutting to the sister character constantly yelling just brought the pacing to a screeching halt. I even reached a point where I felt like she was beyond redemption because none of her scenes were enjoyable. While I understand why we have this subplot, I wonder if the pacing could’ve been faster and she could’ve been portrayed as a more layered character early on.
Still, a fun watch and I loved the way the show played on tropes. A great watch and I wish Taiwan would come out with more shows like this.
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Funny at first, then becomes more sincere and romantic
The beginning of this drama is so cheesy, I almost dropped it. The female lead falls into a romance novel and tries to break up the male lead and the girlfriend written for him in the story. This part was interesting on a "meta" level, playing with the tropes around the sweet, helpless romantic female lead and our aggressive protagonist's attempts to sabotage their relationship and take the ML for herself. But knowing it was a fictional world, her actions were over-the-top and often cringey and ridiculous. However the drama began to change for the better (in my opinion) as her relationship deepened with the ML and become more genuine. I'm not going to give details here because I want this review to remain spoiler-free, but there's a major plot twist between the fictional world and the real world, and it gives both the FL and ML the opportunity to act differently (and with more sincerity) as their relationship progresses. So even if you're a little wary at the beginning, I recommend sticking with this drama, it gets significantly better as it progresses and winds up as a genuinely entertaining and sweet romance.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I Fell Into a Novel, Became the Villain, and Still Got the Guy
📝 Review(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)
This drama works because it fully commits to its premise and then gleefully makes it everyone’s problem.
Instead of treating the “trapped in a novel” setup as a gimmick, Lost Romance weaponizes tropes, self-awareness, and narrative cruelty in equal measure.
Clichés are not bugs here—they’re the point.
The result is chaotic, emotionally aggressive fun that somehow still sticks the landing.
I started Lost Romance on a whim. Full boredom mode. One of those “let me just put something on” decisions that spirals into emotional involvement against my will.
First off: the synopsis lied to me a little. The way it’s written makes it sound like the FL and ML are romantically aware of each other from across a hallway or something. No. They are across and down the street, and she is out here using a drone. A drone. I was confused. Concerned. Mildly impressed. That whole opening stretch had me squinting until—oh. Novel world. Got it.
Once we enter the novel, things click. Yes, it’s cliché. That’s literally the point. Xiao En spends her real life complaining about how lazy romance novels are, only to get shoved into one that hits every trope she hates. Irony doing backflips.
The twist? She’s not the heroine. She’s the villain.
And when she meets the ML, she’s convinced he’s the same guy she loves in real life (he is—she just doesn’t know it yet). Cue confusion, hostility, and aggressively committed misunderstandings. Because in this world, he’s programmed to love that girl. You know the type. Soft-spoken. Apologetic. Always looks like she’s about to cry over soup.
She annoyed me. Deeply. But that’s a genre issue, not a personal one.
Watching Xiao En actively fight the narrative—trying to brute-force her way into a happy ending while the story resists her—was honestly delightful. Enemies-to-lovers done with self-awareness and spite? Yes, please.
And then—because this drama enjoys pain—she disappears back into the real world on their wedding day. Of course she does.
Let’s talk about the second male lead for a second because WOW. Absolute emotional war crime. He doesn’t even belong in this story. He’s from an unfinished novel. His world literally vanished, so he ran into another one to survive. Sir. That is devastating. He deserved his own completed book and a soft ending. Justice for him.
Back in the real world, both leads wake up. Except—plot twist—the ML remembers nothing. No novel. No love. No shared history. Just vibes and narrative cruelty. So yes, we get a full reset romance while dodging actual villains (which, not gonna lie, took me a bit to identify correctly).
The structure is chaotic: real world → novel world → real world again. If you blink, you’ll miss something. I rewound more than once. But somehow, it still works. It’s a whirlwind, but an intentional one.
By the end, I was satisfied. Tired. Emotionally jostled. But satisfied.
💭 Final Mood
“Confused, entertained, slightly drained, but absolutely not mad about it.”
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This review may contain spoilers
Oh my goodness, this drama I think beats the myriad of kdramas I have seen in all my years of watching! It's crazy good!! The presentation and writing was much more convincing and mature than I thought it was going to be after reading the description. The plot seemed interesting enough and I thought, "Oh okay, something similar to W: Two Worlds. I can get into another one of those storylines again." Although it had this slight similarity as W: Two Worlds, the vibe was WAY different once I began watching it. This drama stands on its own, and I dare not compare it to the kdrama. They each were good dramas for what they were. Both are in my top 5.Without giving too much away, let's just say the following reasons why this drama is so high on my list of top favorite dramas are:
1. Loveable, charismatic characters
2. An extremely well-written story
3. Great pacing
4. Talented actors and actresses!! (just discovering the talents of Marcus Chang. The FL was great too!!)
5. The way things happened in the comic versus the real world
6. No fillers, any unnecessary drama (cannot stand it when shows do this just to add a "wow factor" but it adds no purpose to the story).
7. A very satisfying ending (did not leave anything unaddressed or unanswered).
8. The development between the main characters.
9. And my favorite one of all....the passion and chemistry between the main characters! No dead open eyes or robot kissing here, thank you very much!
I am so happy to have discovered this gem. This drama deserves all the recognition it can get! Bravo! Now that all the episodes are out, and I no longer have to wait a week, I will definitely be giving this drama another watch all the way through. That's saying something when I'm willing to give a show another watch. :)
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Worth it! just get past the first 6 episodes!
Really, if you're confused after the first eps, please continue, it does get much better. Trust me, I tried to watch it multiple times cause of great recommendations and just couldn't get through it. I went back to it one more time and I'm glad I stuck with it. An absolutely beautiful story, the confusion at the beginning fades once we get almost fully immersed into the novel. Teared up at the end. Marcus and Vivian's chemistry truly help make the story come to life. The complexity of Xiao En (Vivian's character) comes from her being just as confused as us when her reality is suddenly mixed with a novel and everything she knew is no longer what it seems. Without giving spoilers, when she's misunderstood as trying to sabotage the female lead of the novel, it gets frustrating for us as the audience but also for her as she tries to navigate through her new life. All of this contributes to her eventually moving closer to the male lead and second male lead. We start understanding her frustrations bit by bit. Situ Ao Ran's insecurities/flaws make his charm honestly, he's unabashedly a stereotypical lead on the surface but everything about his character is what helps deepen his relationship with Xiao En. If you're still reading and thinking of watching, do give it chance. 100000/10 recommend!Was this review helpful to you?
An Unexpected Gem
One of my favorites! Measures up to those epic K-dramas. I've already re-watched it 3 times! One of the best I think in quirkiness and its clever plot. The length of the drama is perfect, not too long. The storyline is funny and there are moments where I couldn't stop laughing. The FL is not the a typical nice and gentle woman. She knows all the tricks and love story clichés because of her knowledge in novels and uses them to her advantage in the alternateuniverse. The only thing I didn't like was the jumping back and forth from reality to the alternate universe. I didn't think it was necessary. That ends though close to the end when she's back to reality. What's fun to watch at the end is how the roles have changed and the chasing continues. It feels like I was starting a new drama and kept me hook hoping and wondering what's going to happen next.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A second chance at life - DONE RIGHT!!!
I am so very impressed with the way this drama was executed.usually dramas and manhwas around characters waking up in another life is such a cringe plot, but the cast and production team really made it work. the emotions felt real and not a manufactured script that is being shoved down peoples throats to make them believe.
Marcus and Vivian made such an amazing couple and their chemistry was on point. kiss scenes were so good.
I loved how simon playing qiangfen was breaking the 4th wall within his own world every now and then. in the beginning i could sense that qiangfeng has a weird thing going, and he did. And it was awesome.
overall an amazing drama. I don't know if its something i would watch again because the excitement and intensity of the drama is interesting mostly on a first watch
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I AM LOST
I am lost to Maracus!This drama is Everything!!!! The chemistry fire!!! The actors fire!!! Everything is soo seem less!
This is the first Taiwanese drama for which I am writing a review. I am watching a Taiwanese drama after a decade or so. This drama has to be the most amazing romantic drama I have watched. Kdramas what? They should learn from their kissing scenes!! I died!!!
Only thing I can say is go watch this drama i cant put in words how good it is!!!
Maracus you have my heart forever!
Shutup!! I am ruined for life!
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