Couple of Mirrors

Sunshine meets grumpy

It was a perfect series to binge on a long journey - charmingly fun, intriguing and visually appealing with strong, lovable characters, including a finicky cat sidekick.

Set in 1930s Shanghai, the story focuses on an accomplished authoress's emotional journey from a comfortable life beside her husband, through betrayal, grief and some murders, to a comfortable life beside her photographer friend Weiwei …or, in other words, from a relationship with one unhinged person to another (slightly less) unhinged one;) Youyi is that ‘ray of sunshine’ person who radiates positivity and warmth. Nothing gets her down for long. I’ve always been drawn to people like that in my life, so I wasn't surprised Weiwei fell under her charm so quickly. Weiwei, in the classic opposites attract way, is mysterious, reserved, suspicious and constantly on the defensive. There's unmistakable chemistry between the pair and their acting was very natural, but the quality of writing and editing dragged everything down.

My main complaint about this series is that while the plot was engaging, it was way too shallow to stay in my memory for long. There was more focus on delivering cute and funny scenes of the girls together, skimping on emotional depth. Too many important moments between them (like the big confession about Zhang Wan) happened off screen which felt disappointing. Instead, we got served long emotional scenes with Youyi's ex. I was completely uninterested in the one-man pity party that was Yifan. No idea what the writers wanted me to feel for this character besides annoyance. Story would've been much better if they cut him out. I don't want to nitpick or spoil anything, but believe me there was some truly lazy writing. How many car accidents can you cram into one story before it starts feeling like a bad parody?

All in all, it's a good pick-me-up series if too lightweight and predictable for my taste. In any case, I still have high hopes for season 2 if/when it happens, because it looks like the focus will switch to Weiwei’s dangerous past. Btw the series ends on a happy, domestic note. A new conflict gets introduced in the last few minutes as a preview of S2, but the story of S1 gets resolved with a happy ending.

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Couple of mirrors the best C-drama !

So far the cdrama i already watched this year really so so, but after i watch 'COUPLE OF MIRRORS' Dangggg !!! It was really the best cdrama for me in this year. The acting of main role really absolutely AMAZING! Every characters on this drama really stunning me so much. They play the role really on the point. Don't freaking skip the story, if y'all skip, u will don't know how the story are going .. Firstly, I love how the main role play their acting, eventhough they censor and almost no skin ship but still make me smiling like crazy ! this is the best c-drama i've ever seen in this year ! hoping for Season 2 and more screen time of main role #YiWei. Yall better watch this drama ! REALLY RECOMMENDED !

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they're really doing it for the wlws huh!!!!!

wow when i first started watching this show the bar was literally on the ground!!! like literally nothing could convince me that this was republican era... the costuming, the sets, the technology, the language??? all felt incredibly modern, like youyi literally was wearing a modern prom dress in like ep 1?? i was ready for this to be absolute garbage w terrible senseless writing and barely any romance.

but actually... once the plot gets going, the setting and costuming is no longer a distraction and im able to be fully immersed in the show! is the writing the best i've ever seen? certainly not, especially not for the fraught w political tension/societal upheaval republican era dramas, but it's at least compelling enough to get me invested in the story and the characters.

i really do like both of our girls, yan wei is absolutely a hot girl for us sapphics and i really appreciated that, they just delivered on a lot of things - little character moments, relationship dynamics, super cute chemistry etc. that really sold them and their relationship. it all just made me very happy, and it was all things i wanted to see. sure there isnt nearly much money in gl as there is in all the bl dramas that have come out the past several years (where they can basically push censorship laws as far as possible because they know they can count on the fujo coin) but!!! anyway!!! it still made me very happy!!!! of course i wish it couldve been pushed a little more, or we could get a nice long series where the feelings develop slowly over time, but oh well. hoping that if this did well then there will be more gl adaptations to come.

generally character stuff is fine and nice. youyi is a very fun main character and it's a joy to see her many sides, the parts that are more sly and manipulative, as well as her pouty 撒娇 and teasing side that only come out around yan wei. like they just made it work and it was convincing that this is the only person who gets to see this side of her!! similarly w yan wei's coldness... all her little smiles when it comes to youyi.... just gets me.................

i liked zhou heng as a villain too! he was well written enough to be a compelling villain who was also fun to watch. i didn't really care for detective jiang who's only character trait is being a good cop but i am also allergic to any positive portrayal of cops in any media.

the plot absolutely goes off the rails by the end and stops making sense and it's one crazy thing after funny cutesy moment after crazy moment while not giving us time to process anything (although still not as bad as word of honor) but like whatever, it was always fun, even if not well written or not believable. and as i understand they are setting up for another season so??

anyway they show is cool and for the gays.

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Don't get your hopes up

This show was marketed (?) as a GL drama but in my opinion it is anything but this. The 2 leads are easy on the eyes but I do not feel even a sliver of anything more than a normal friendship between them. Censorship probably resulted in having to tone down many elements so I cannot really blame the director/writers. But censorship is not an excuse for plot holes, subpar acting and strange plot developments (they kept forcing interactions between the lead and her ex bf. like why?!) Ironically, the leads have more chemistry outside of the show and their behind the scenes/interview interactions seem more like a GL drama than their on screen personas lol.
On a side note, the show creator Yu Zheng has said that a second season will only happen if the show has a rating of x on douban, which honestly doesn't sit well with me since its forcing viewers to write fake reviews. So who knows if a season 2 will actually happen.

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Really heartwarming

I rated it this low because they completely fked up in the last episode but from what i can see a season 2 was agreed thats why they did that for a set up.

I really loved the background the republican era exciting and lovely i also loved the cast they all did a great job especially the female leads very rare to ses that kind of level of good acting in a chinese drama.

Even tho it's a censored GL they left us enough room to interpret what their relationship might be like which was good. And the story and murder mysteries were really played out well especially in the first half. Hopefully season 2 can give them more rooom for improvements.

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"Life Treats Men Better Than Women"

This was honestly such a great watch. I really enjoyed the script, the cinematography, the acting, and especially the relationship between You Yi and Yan Wei.

The story follows You Yi, a famous writer whose world falls apart when she’s betrayed by both her husband and her best friend. On top of that, she becomes entangled in a murder case. Amid the chaos, she meets Yan Wei, a cold and emotionally guarded woman who works in a photography shop. Slowly, the two grow close.

You Yi is portrayed as sweet and innocent, a little naive at times, but also deeply self-aware. I really admired how strong she was when facing betrayal. Despite her husband’s manipulative apologies and even discovering she’s pregnant, she chooses to leave him. She knows her worth and understands that a baby doesn’t fix a broken relationship. That was such a powerful moment, and I was proud of her.

Yan Wei, on the other hand, is hardened by a past where she was taught to survive alone. Emotions and trust were foreign to her until she stepped into a “normal life” that involved relationships and vulnerability.

Their dynamic was incredibly compelling, like sunshine and her protector. While this was marketed as a “sismance,” there were so many romantic undertones that I couldn’t help but read between the lines, and absolutely loved every second of it. Yan Wei, usually emotionless, would soften whenever You Yi called her “Wei Wei” or gently touched her hair. Her quiet blushes said it all. She protected You Yi at any cost, even risking her own safety and identity.

When You Yi was pregnant, Yan Wei cared for her as if she were her wife. There’s even a moment where Yan Wei says she could be the father of the child, and they took couple photos together while You Yi was expecting. Every scene with them made me smile. Their bond was deep, tender, and so genuine. As far as I’m concerned, they were wives. They raised a child together. No one can convince me otherwise.

But given the setting (Republic-era China) I suppose I should’ve expected that a happily-ever-after wasn’t in the cards, especially for two women. The ending felt more open than outright sad, but it definitely seemed like it was building toward a second season before getting canceled. Still, the ending didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all. Life is messy, and their story reflected that.

As for the male characters… none of them really stood out to me. The detective was probably the most tolerable, but I wasn’t impressed. The husband? He can rot. Honestly, I didn’t care about any of the men. I just wanted more screentime for these two beautiful women in love! (Yes, I know the men served plot purposes—but still.)

Cinematography-wise, the series looked beautiful, and the music choices were spot-on. I do wish there had been a bit more variety in the wardrobe, especially for You Yi as a wealthy woman. Still, what they wore was elegant and suited their characters.

Overall, I loved this series. Whether for the plot or the nuanced relationship between You Yi and Yan Wei,or both. I highly recommend watching it. An easy 9/10.

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Bravery of Female, same sex adaptation, capturing

Highly recommended Drama😍 this is one of my favorite Drama so far. The way reveal all of those detailed things in episode 3 is so cool and shocking as well. I truly admire yan wei being so cool, but what captured me the most is how she protected the female author You yi, but I'm a lol bit hanged by the ending, since I was really expecting that the 2 female characters would live together happily. It's understandable because althroughout the movie in the past of Yan Wei his friend told her that she can't live a normal life. But still, I did expect that she would because she met You yi. This movie is rewatchable, this kind of movie gives women a kind of bravery, strong, and intelligence. It also brings me into a realization that we women is independent enough and strong enough to handle things on our own, we don't need a man to live, all we need someone who has sincere heart to accept all our flaws and protects us no matter what.

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Great Sismance

Firstly this drama is based on shoujo- ai manga, but cause of china being homophobic they censored it and made relationship between two female leads into soulmate friends. Which aint bad at all I liked their bond in this drama.

Drama is practically all about female lead being in bad life situation and consistent danger. Meanwhile second female lead being her bodyguard.

All happens around year 1920-1930 probably.

Ending is quite punchy with unclear end for female lead relationship.
But if you check manga ending it will help you up. They did just small changes to it in drama.

__*plot*__ - FL is well known writer and wife of husband from prominent family. But one day she finds out her husband having affair with her best friend. Broken and without direction she finds solace in young female photographer[FL2] and with her help she gets back on her feet and starts to set up her life anew. Sadly for her she is in middle of deadly intrigues and het new friend got mysterious past too.

__*genre*__ - thriller, historical, mystery

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12 episodes is just too little

Well I just finished watching 12 episodes and here I am commenting about what I like and dislike about this drama.

Story

Lets start with the story plot.The story plot itself is very interesting and cannot say like there is never been a drama like this but this theme(friendship between 2 female lead) is still not a common theme right now, So the plot itself is fresh and not boring.

Presentation
As we know beside story, the way the director present a drama also can be very important. Sometimes the plot can be the same but the presentation can be different.For this drama,I really like the presentation too.The director manage to present this drama in a mysterious way making this drama very attractive.

Acting skills
For the acting skills,Xu youyi's acting skills cannot say like extremely well or shines but its still passable considering the difficulty of this character is not low and the actor itself is not a very experienced actor. For yanwei, I really like this character but ya the difficulty for the character is slightly lower compare to xu youyi.

Music
I really love the songs in this drama including the ost and the other side songs.The songs are all very nice and fit to the mysterious theme of this drama.

Anything to improve?

First dislike is obviously the length of this drama,12 episodes is definitely not enough considering a lot of mysteries has not been solved.For example,yan wei"s background.And next is the you can feel that a lot of important scenes is cut off.I guess because this drama only 12 episodes so they cutted off a lot major scenes making you feel like did you just miss a few episodes?Really hope there will be a season 2 and the director can lengthen the drama a bit so that we won feel like scenes getting cut again.

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I LOVED this drama

Couple of Mirrors is a beautifully rendered period piece, though what period exactly is a bit ambiguous to me - I'm guessing the mid Republican era, probably before WWII. I know less than diddly about 20th century China, so this is a SWAG based on political/social references to Japan and some Chinese Civil War-ish looking battle scenes in the backstory of one of the leads. Drama Wiki says early Republican era, but the clothes and automobiles seem at least mid to late 1930s to me.

The cinematography, editing, wardrobe, and set design/dressing alone are worth the watch. Fortunately, the series has much more going for it. The main characters are sharply drawn, perfectly cast - especially the leads (more on that later), and flawlessly acted. The relationships develop or crumble organically and naturally, with nothing seeming forced or rushed. The script weaves together themes of love lost and found: infidelity, betrayal, grief, passion, violence, deception, murder, courage & cowardice, female friendship / burgeoning romance, growing trust, and emotional resilience. The supporting characters, and even the side characters, are intricately woven in a story that is charming and delightfully witty, complex in scope, yet always feels intimate in nature. There is pervasive moral ambiguity that adds intrigue and tension, and it's surprising how quickly the absolutism of conventional morality morphs to a circumstantial relativism of good bad-guys, bad good-guys, bad bad-guys, and good good-guys whose inflexibility steers inexorably to an outcome that is righteous, but not just.

The two main characters -
Zhang Nan and Sun Yi Han both have a charm and wit that is magnified when they perform together. I can't imagine better casting in terms of their delivery timing, physical humor, and obvious chemistry. After Couple of Mirrors, they were cast together in Hi Producer (2023), IMO a propagandistic paean that would have been nearly unwatchable except for the synergy of their on-screen time together.
• Xu You Yi (Zhang Nan) is the perfectly coifed and dutifully well behaved wife of a powerful, wealthy family's apparent golden boy. It's an image she carries off so precisely and demurely, despite her own successful career, that the strength underlying the façade is surprising to the point of being shocking to those who had believed what they saw was all there was.
• Yan Wei (Sun Yi Han) is pragmatic and decisive, with a personal morality that presents as transactional, but is, in reality, the opposite of impersonal and emotionless. Her internal true north, honed by poverty, deprivation, and the mercenary demands of war, is a "damn to torpedoes" delivery of retribution, tempered with compassion and protectiveness for those she perceives as innocently harmed by the injustice of others. It is her protectiveness that first compels her into Xu You Yi's orbit, but it is the gravity of You Yi's hidden strength and uncomplicated openness that secures Yan Wei to her side.

Supporting characters -
The supporting characters sit on the divides of the class and wealth that binds their natures and defines their ambitions. There are no weak links here, either in the way the characters are drawn or the manner in which they are portrayed by an outstanding cast of actors. Even the most minor characters exhibit a sense of place and mission.

Standouts:
• He Feng Tian as Detective Jiang Bin. Not the brightest bulb in the box, and sometimes so inflexible he gets in his own way, Jiang Bin is a 20th century Eastern hemisphere Dudly Do-Right: he is moralistic and relentless. No matter how many times he gets it wrong, he will not be deterred until he finally gets it right, or - in the case of Yan Wei - somewhere adjacent to right.
• Liu Zhi Yang's Zhou Heng is so well played he almost elicits a wisp of sympathy for this selfish, self-centered, spoiled man-child emotionally crippled by a lifetime of not quite measuring up according to Daddy.
• Zhou Heng's mirror image is Zhang Wan, played by Anna Fang who exuberantly portrays a woman so classically narcissistic that no action is too heinous in her singular pursuit of wealth, status, and social acceptance.
• Zhou Da Wei, cast as Xie Yi Fan, a man who thought he was riding to the fair damsel’s much belated rescue in his own personal redemption arc, but ended up gob smacked and worse for wear, having been made redundant.

Despite Chinese censorship regulations that restrict overt depictions of romantic intimacy between women, the nature of the relationship between You Yi and her "Wei Wei " is clearly more than gal-pals - even if you haven't read the manhwa - unless you want it to be gal-pals, then the coding is subtle enough that you can lean into that if it comforts you in some manner.

There are some loose strings and steering-veering in the second half of the final episode that are clearly, so far, an unsuccessful bid for a second season. I wish it had worked. Since it didn't (yet), I have decided that the story ended happily at the midway mark of the final episode. Even so, Couple of Mirrors is easily a 10/10 series for me. If it had any substantive flaws, I happily missed them.

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The FL's are rivetting

The two FL's in this drama are terrific.
Zhang Nan as Xu You Yi gets most of the screen time which is unfortunate as Annie Sun playing Yan Wei is striking. **Perhaps this will be balanced out if there is a second season - fingers crossed.
For only 12 episodes I felt there was just way too much that the writers tried to cram in and way too much that was not explained **

The GL aspect is there if you want to see it but sadly the cultural censorship restrictions have whitewashed this couple.

Liu Zhi Yang plays You Yi's husband, Zhou Heng and is thoroughly dislikable as the obsessed, treacherous villain who justifies all his evil deeds as being caused by others actions. His father may have influenced him here and his mother has set him up on a pedestal so no blame is ever attached.

Set in the Republican Era, the plot is focussed on Zhou Heng’s infidelity. He is seemingly accountable or involved in all the murder and attempted murder cases that You Yi’s is suspected of.

In the second half of the series when the two women begin cohabiting their is light humour as their two disparate personalities adjust. Yan Wei dotes on You Yi and is willing to provide whatever she perceives will make her life and pregnancy easier.

The colouring and the lighting of the scenes is very beautiful and adds to the romance. Unfortunately the ending is confusing **
Overall would watch again and maybe skip some of the unnecessary parts. bring on season 2 so we can perhaps showcase Yan Wei.

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