The Day of Becoming You

You have got to be kidding me!

Warning: Don’t watch it while eating or drinking, you might get choked by laughing.

Curious about the heading of review? Let's discuss it later.

Very cliche story with many tropes, no brainer as you just have to turn off your brain and not use logic, there are many moments I was having second-hand embarrassment, and drama failed miserably in the portrayal of the lead’s professionalism. But at the end of the day, it is just a rom-com that only focuses on the romantic relationship between leads. It doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining coz it’s super fun and extremely hilarious. I guarantee that you won't get bored even for a single episode.

The acting is the best thing, it's phenomenal. Steven Zhang and Liang Je nailed it, I mean it feels so real that body swap happened, as change is visible.. from facial expression, body language, the way of talking, and even very small gestures. Here Steven Zhang stands out as his character after the body swap is more colorful, energetic. But Liang Je did great too. It's not easy to play a stone-faced, aloof character. Plus leads have great chemistry, not just that, they look very good as a pair it's easy to imagine them as a couple as their visuals match with each other very well.

With being so funny, it's written very well and not draggy. Another thing I would like to point out as the whole story only revolves around leads they don't even try to focus on anything other. Especially like the story execution and its development that feels so natural. How leads start with bickering but with time they find trust, found comfort, and start to like each other... It is realistic and pleasing to see, not an abrupt change in the whole process, with lots of little details.

Not in just story-execution-acting vise, it's good, technically too! It has really good cinematography, particularly liked the choice of the color palette. It's not super bright but good for the eyes haha, definitely it's a good quality production. It's my first time giving re-watch this much score, but let me tell you it's a rewatchable drama lol.. perfect when you are feeling down to refresh the mood... Actually, I've already re-watched some initial episodes with my mom coz I wanted her to watch the drama :')

Soundtrack and effects
It's a rare thing for me to mention sound effects in review, but it is so necessary here because they have a really big role. I mean without all those sound effects I couldn't have enjoyed it this much, for some, they might be annoying but for me the reason to laugh more. So there's one scene where we think it's going to be a confession so kinda romantic BGM starts to play.. but that seemed to be a confession that turns out to be different and how they literally made it off tune and it's sooo funny, I died laughing there. It has many wonderful OSTs. They are refreshing, and soothing at the same time.

Fun fact: Two OSTs are sung by our Liang Je (Whisper) and Steven Zhang (My Soul), to be honest, I had no idea they can sing very well. So it was a pleasant surprise to me.

Now here comes the conclusion of the title, WHAT? they did, the story was consistently good. I mean let us live in the fantasy, I don't want something real to happen. They messed up so hard.. initially, it was the best rating possible from me 9.5 but as you can see it's not anymore. I wish the writer didn't try to become super creative in the end and let us have what we really wanted.

Though one thing really bothered me, I can of course let it slide by the fun I had with watching it I'm being so generous about the rating (that rarely happens). So watch it and have a good laugh ;D

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A near perfect drama

I can barely put into words how much I love this drama. It got me hooked from the beginning and I immediately fell in love with the characters. There is an amazing blend of comedy and romance as well as character development. I love how our main protagonists went from enemies to friends to lovers, nothing felt too rushed and viewers can't help but root for them all the way through. Their relationship was so healthy and it was so clear that Sheng Sheng and Jiang Yi are made for each other. The hilarious moments are so random and make me think the two leads have one brain cell split between them haha (walnut cracking scene, doing bizarre physical activity to try to switch back). The side characters were also purposeful and well-developed. Jia Shu and Tong Hua's side story was super interesting yet unexpected, while Shen Qing offered the "I feel bad for him but I don't want him with the girl" character lol. The family storylines were well done and I definitely shed more than a few tears. There is almost nothing to complain about tbh. Except, unfortunately, as with any drama, there are flaws that made this a 9.5 rather than a 10.

Their breakup was justified. 100% I'll give them that. I bawled my eyes out during the whole of episode 24, which I think just showed how attached I became to their relationship. Seeing Sheng Sheng go through so much hurt within such a short period of time, and Jiang Yi feeling helpless tore me apart. They so badly wanted to be there for each other but couldn't figure out a way that would work for them. Also I really didn't expect this but I was also bawling during the whole Little Galaxy disbanding bit. Even though Little Galaxy was never a huge part of the drama, there was something about saying goodbye and all the fans thanking them for their childhood that hit so close to home.

The last episode gave me so many mixed emotions. First off, ONE WHOLE YEAR LATER. bruh. I was expected six months later max but damn okay writers. Anyway, I just felt like everything was so rushed. Jiang Yi coming back, deciding he doesn't wanna hide himself in public, then announcing that the body switching problem has been solved. I completely understood why Sheng Sheng was feeling to overwhelmed and didn't immediately say yes to Jiang Yi's offer. Something just felt off to me idk. Them getting back together was very very cute though, especially the mountain scene. BUT THEN. We realize it's a novel plot that real-life, non-fictional Sheng Sheng is writing and the beginning break up scene at the start of episode 1 suddenly made sense. While I get that having the body switching idea makes sense in a novel, I would rather have it be for real anyday. I know the novel is based off the actual relationship, but they are different from the Jiang Yi and Sheng Sheng all the viewers fell in love with. There was no need for those last 8 minutes and I kinda wished I just paused at that point.

Anyway, I will be re-watching cute scenes and BTS of this drama and missing all the characters v much.

Please, please watch this!! It deserves all the love in the world.

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The Body-Swapping Trope Done Right…

The body-swap trope can often be a slippery slope for quality screenwriting in dramas .However whilst " The Day of Becoming You" doesn’t exactly stray far from its " body-swapping” predecessors as a concept, screenwriter Wang Xiong Cheng surprisingly uses the tiresome trope well in order to explore character growth and the relationship between the main leads .

Steven Zhang ( playing seemingly cold idol Jiang Yi) and Liang Jie ( playing bubbly entertainment reporter Yu Sheng Sheng) were brilliant as our main leads. The duo had dynamic chemistry onscreen throughout and were perfectly able to mimic the mannerisms of one another during the " body-swap” scenes. Respectfully whilst Vian Wang ( playing Sheng Sheng’s editor and best friend Tong Hua), Shen Po Qing ( playing Sheng Sheng’s close doctor friend and her second love interest) and Jiang Yi’s fellow band members of ” Little Galaxy” faded more into the background than the main leads, their performances were equally good.

On a more critical note ” The Day of Becoming You" isn’t entirely the more ” realistic" imagining of the ”body-swap” scenario either . The jobs of main leads respectfully as a journalist ( Liang Jie) and an idol ( Jiang Yi) were often taken for granted by inconsistent timing schedules or evident responsibilities with their jobs often dismissed easily. ( The irony not lost that Liang Jie trying to make up for loss time by working late at night could come in early the next day to work, looking fresh as a daisy without bags under her eyes.) However, these points are more nuanced and as the show only uses these settings really for exposition , they can be overlooked .

Arguably what made our main leads and their pairing refreshing was the gradual process of development . It would be easy to have established Liang Ji merely as the “ significant other” in the drama without exploring further interactions, however, the series provides surprisingly heartwarming insights into her character’s sentience by her familial life as well as her friendship with Tong Hua.

This was perfectly contrasted by Jiang Yi and his “ complicated" family scenario with his father Jiang Dong Ha ( Zhang Lei) and his estranged younger sister Jiang Mo ( Cong Shang).Admittedly whilst it wasn’t the focalised subject of the series, it would have been intriguing to have explored more about Jiang Yi and his father’s reconciliation, than some of the earlier trivial scenes dedicated to his " secret crush” on superstar and close friend Xu Shu Yi ( Zhao Yao Ke). ( Only really provided to add " angst” and an ” obstacle” to the main romantic pairing.)

However, the drama arguably did allow time for Jiang Yi to heal some of his emotional wounds through his gradual alliance to friendship to affectionate relationship with Shengsheng. There were times this relationship did feel a little disconcerted by the sudden reversal of Jiang Yi’s " feelings" for Jiang Yi being dismissed so readily. ( Although Shengsheng’s feelings for Doctor Shen were slightly more drawn out, they suffered a similar fate of being disregarded when the storyline called for it.) Importantly but the relationship between Jiang Yi and Shengsheng was healthily built upon learning to trust and rely on one another by being ( literally) in one another’s shoes. The ending certainly offered an unseen twist which will likely surprise viewers, however, nonetheless does help to tie-off the more far-fetched moments of the storyline.

So, is “ The Day of Becoming You” worth watching? Whilst the show offers a more sugarcoated version of the respected industries and romance, there is something which is undeniably well-written about the body-swap scenario in order to allow the characters to grow, a main pairing who gradually developed an an unforeseen ending which surprisingly works. Definitely worth a watch if you’re looking for something easygoing and fluffy but with good screenwriting and acting on top.

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Amazing drama

This is my first time watching Steven Zhang and Liang Jie and I'm already loving it so far. They are such great actors that they could act both their own characters and each other's so well. Jiang Yi (male lead) and Yu Sheng Sheng (female lead) are quite the polar opposite when it comes to their personalities. So, for Steven Zhang and Liang Jie to switch between characters so well is honestly great to watch.

Also, the drama is so funny, there are so many scenes where I would tear up, laughing. Those sound effects and background music definitely amplify the humour of those scenes.

Steven Zhang and Liang Jie are so adorable to watch, the drama has become really addictive.

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One of the Best Drama in 2021

it is rare for me to write a review for each drama that i watched so i'm gonna write a review for this one. first of all, let's talk about the acting and oh boys prob to Liang Jie and Steven Zhang for their phenomenal acting, they can portrayed each other's character out so well, even to the smallest detailed. the chemistry between the lead was amazing despite both of the actors are working together for the first time and i can feel "Couple Feel" from them and their kissing scene was intense as well.

the story: the story is really great, it's about each of the character growth and they're portrayed it so well, i like how Jiang Yi come to term with his mother and finally embrace his mother again and i loved how Yu Sheng Sheng grow in this drama as well, and able to stay by Jiang Yi side and help Jiang Yi through his difficulty including his reconciliation with his mother. i'm a guy and that's scene nearly brought me to tear tbh.

Overall, i enjoyed this drama and i would rewatched it over and over again because that's how good it is. I hope that Liang Jie and Steven Zhang would get another project together again as a main lead, they're really good together.

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The production team's best drama to date!

This drama starts off really promising, with Zhang Xin Cheng's amazing body-switch acting (okay Liang Jie lacked a little at the beginning but gets better) and a very upbeat funny script
and superb comedic timing when it comes to the background music (waiter! please give the BGM teacher one extra chicken leg!)
but as with the two previous dramas by this production team (Go Ahead and Find Yourself), I was worried that the scriptwriter would also give up on the earlier successes and like, disappoint us in the end
so I was hesitant to recommend this until I had watched all of it.

By episode 24, I was like, wow this is really keeping up
and by episode 26, I thought this was probably one of the best Chinese dramas I've seen this year.

The strengths of Find Yourself -- ridiculously funny character settings + breaking the 4th wall humor (oh my god that *one* scene hahahaha)
and the strengths of Go Ahead -- family love and reconciliation
minus the weaknesses of the two earlier dramas -- draggy plot, irrational character decisions, single-faceted villain characters

In this drama, not only all the main characters are lovable, but even the side slightly-bad villain characters get their redeeming moments
and I guess the 26-episode shortness kind of helped keep things contained and to the point
so we got the comedy and the fun and the romance without the draggy plot

I've already mentioned Zhang Xin Cheng's acting, but I got to mention it again.
Best female lead of 2021.
When he plays the female lead's soul, his attention to small details... 100% resemblance holymoly.
Would recommend even if you're not into rom coms and are just into enjoying good acting, music, and cinematography.
And even more recommended if you love a good rom com too. Cus this one is pretty great.

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my thoughts on this serotonin pill

When the narrative is great every second matters. It’s the first thing that I can talk about “The Day Of Becoming You”. Serious, the way my time seems smaller cause every scene make me SO SO happy that I needed to re-watch one or two times. Like is it a depression pill? Why do I feel my serotonin increasing just because Liang Jie and Steven Zhang are in a scene together.
The drama went beyond my expectations I felt interested in every single episode. At first, I was afraid that they could be stuck in a single plot for a lot of episodes, which could be boring, but that didn’t happen. Even they made to swap bodies a lot of times every single time It was so fun to watch and they didn’t make the thing repetitive.
The development of their relationship was very good, the way Sheng Sheng got into Jiang Yi life, become his happy pill made me really relief and I got so glad that in the end he could be in good papers with his mom.
About the ending: I don’t think that was necessary and didn’t make the narrative better but to me didn’t make it worse either. It was something that I thought that could happen since the first scene and that I was more sure when I saw the date of Sheng Sheng comment about their kiss (If you don’t remember that comment was made in 2019)
But talking more about the ending plot: make their love story into a book was great but I didn’t felt empathy to Sheng Sheng author's because I didn’t get to know the REAL story, like I know the real story is what we watched but without the body swap plot but IT’S NOT the same. To me that kinda of plot was very dangerous: I wish they did develop more but at the same time If they did that the end could be terrible but glad that didn't happen.
My 9 days experience with “The Day Of Becoming You” was very great. I did laugh, get stressed and emotional with these 26 episodes. Now I think I can name it as my favorite drama from 2021. But I can’t lie...I felt SO empty!!!! It’s like I finished watching an entire life on a casual Sunday night.

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My fav of 2021 so far

If I have to rate it according to how much joy I felt watching this it would be a 100/10. But like everything else there are flaws but I won't be focusing on that because it is very little.
I thought at first this was gonna be a remake of a Korean drama named secret garden, and I loved Hyun bin in that so I just wanted to check out how Zhang xincheng will topped it despite body swapping being one of my least favorite trope.
And this drama is so much more enjoyable than secret garden and this is definitely not a remake.
I absolutely love the story.
First, the cast is perfect. Liang jie and Zhang xincheng absolutely nailed it. And the chemistry is top notch. I knew they were both good actors but I never expected them to be this good together.. And how natural they are with each other. The romance and the chemistry wasn't right to your face, it was very natural. It almost seems like they are not acting. I guess that only shows how good of an actors they are.
Second thing I love about this drama is how healthy the relationship between the main characters. And I actually find myself envying it the most.
Third, the comedy. I had to pause many times so I can actually laugh. No other drama has made me laugh like this. From the first episode this drama made me very happy. I think the scriptwriter did an amazing job
Fourth, the lack of villains. I love how it doesn't have any.
Fifth, it did get a lil heavy towards the end It was necessary for the story so I am fine with that.
And the real ending was a bit underwhelming and leaves me wanting more because the vibe and energy doesn't really match the entire drama. But I guess they purposely made it that way.
Overall I Don't have much complain.
I enjoyed it very much. This made me very very happy. My face hurts from laughing and smiling so much.
And highly recommend it to anyone wanting to have a lil more happiness through drama in their life. Or if they want something light and funny when they are going through a tough stressful week.

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Watch and come back to write the review. You are welcome!

This drama made me break my no writing slump.

The day of becoming you has this fairly popular but not overused story of interchanging each others souls into bodies.
I love this troupe. Its like quickest way to become close to a person in the shortest of time. And the dynamics of an idol and a not so quite a fan. The story has its own clichés but they are so fun. The First half was excellent in humor and fun and second half becomes enjoyably sentimental. The story did not drag or have any fillers. It an obvious aloof guy falls for bubbly girl but in a refreshing take of it.

The leads dominated the screen and I love them to bits and pieces. You'll too.

The acting was wonderful. I'm a big fan of Steven zhang right from skate into love. He does a wonderful job of differentiating the souls of cold, aloof Jiang Yi and the hyper fan girl Yu sheng Sheng. Liang jie is pretty as ever, and her acting is wonderful. The dynamics between the leads is just crackling. Your cheeks are gonna hurt from all the smiling. The little galaxy members, Tong hua, Liang Jie's family all of them are such feel good characters, you cant not love them. Special mention to Yu sheng sheng's clothes. They were chef's kiss.

The soundtrack was pleasant and not jarring. I even loved to listen to the intro song every episode.

Final thoughts:
I mean ,I have watched over lots of cliched, dumb dramas just for the plot. The plot was a 10,the acting was a 10, the chemistry was a 10 in mind. So go watch!!!

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Best Chinese Rom-Com of all time for me!! Extremely funny! A Must watch!

This show just made me so happy! It's extremely rare to see such a gem in this genre, considering how mediocre most of the rom-com dramas in modern settings are. They took such a classic trope of body swapping and made it into such a funny, mature, and entertaining drama. Hats off to the entire production team for such a masterpiece!

What I loved:
The story - It's extremely funny, so many laugh-out-loud situations, and so many embarrassing moments with the body-swapping trope. Their reactions to the body swap are so realistic and logical and not over the top in any way that you immediately relate to their situation. The writing is intelligent. Characters are logical, and the dialogue and flow are very reasonable and rational.

The acting - Wow! I am blown away by the acting of both our leads. They are so good at playing both of their roles; before and after the switch, they never break character. After the switch, I can believe that Steven Zhang is a woman and Liang Jie is a man. Both Steven Zhang and Liang Jie are exceptional here, but I confess I could not take my eyes off of Steven Zhang in any of the scenes he was in. His posture, mannerisms, speech, walk, expressions - everything was so detailed and perfect. Liang Jie was also great, but Steven Zhang shines throughout this drama and is easily the most versatile actor in his age range. I've loved him in everything he's been in so far, but this role really puts the spotlight on him, and he is phenomenal here.

The Chemistry - Oof! These two have such great chemistry when in their own bodies and even when they swap. They look lovely as a couple, so comfortable and so convincing that they love and care for each other. I found the chemistry between the two to be so natural, without pretenses, and extremely believable. To top it off, this drama has a number of passionate kissing scenes and confession scenes that are very well done.

The relationships - Our main leads have such an enviable relationship. Their relationship was such a breath of fresh air. It was the most transparent relationship I have ever seen in any drama so far—no misunderstandings, no doubts, no unnecessary jealousy, just open communication about anything and everything. Any potential issues are immediately resolved by the leads reflecting and resolving the issue by talking to each other almost immediately. I haven't seen such a healthy and mature relationship in a long time in dramaland.
Additionally, the side relationships and supporting cast were also so positive, and there was really no bad guy or villain in this, which is always nice. I also liked that they didn't force a relationship between the supporting leads in the end. It was more realistic this way.

OST and BGM - I really like the OST here; the opening sung by Liang Jie and especially Steven Zhang's ending OST are really nice and are used really well. In addition, this show amplifies the funniest moments with some of the best over-dramatic background sound effects I have seen in shows of this kind. Honestly, the funny background music elevated the comedic situations to a whole new level.

What I didn't like:

One gripe I have with this show would be the too many product placement ads in the show. They really overdid this aspect of the show.
Another gripe I have is with the pacing of the penultimate and final episode. Not sure what exactly it was, but the pacing felt somehow off in the last two episodes.
Also, as was expected with such a story, the later episodes have a more serious feel to them, and it is noticeably less funny than the first half, but that's only because the first half was extremely, extremely funny.
Also, I see people disappointed with the ending, but I believe they delivered the best ending they could, considering body-swapping supernatural stories would not have passed through China's censorship board as it was.

Overall, this is going to be my new go-to rom-com drama. Thoroughly entertaining and worth multiple rewatches! 9.5/10

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The first 11 episodes were way too slow and boring, I would rate them at 6/10 at most. 12 to 23 were fairly enjoyable, reaching 8/10 levels and then we had 2 episodes of predictable, but still arbitrary separation for noble reasons & then we had the usual short happy ending in the last episode, followed by 10 minutes of weirdness aimed at the Chinese censoring body.
With the above in mind a high rating is impossible.

The actors were great. I think despite the comments that I've read, the leads had pretty okay chemistry, they looked adorable together & the rest of the cast were more than fine too. It feels like their efforts were wasted a little. Some of the side characters felt aimless, what's the point of having great actors playing interesting characters if their stories are going nowhere.
The side couple was pretty much all set up, but then it never ended up happening, why bother then?

I think I like the body-swap gender-bender genre. I loved Secret Garden and that drama despite being 11 years old is much better in many ways.(admittedly it has more cliche domineering CEO things) Also I cannot help but recall the movie "Your Name" . Compared to those two, The Day of Becoming You is fairly bland. I understand that Chinese dramas are inherently more relaxed & have less emotional impact, but I just feel that the limits of the genre were not tested in this one, many opportunities for great comedy were missed.
The cuteness and the fluff are the saving grace of the drama, because there is a lot of that!

The love triangle is on the weaker side and it ends early enough, but it still annoyed me. Test dating that guy due to weird reasons & then even agreeing to go to that resort, it was just weird & unnecessary.

I think this drama had the worst OST of any Asian drama i've seen thus far. This is entirely subjective, but I really hated that "I see the light" song and it's overplayed & it has somewhat ruined some of the drama's best scenes for me & that's a first, I can usually just ignore a bad OST..

TLDR: I think the drama could have been funnier, it could've had a much more satisfying ending & there was way too much time wasted early on, before the real story started. 6.5/10

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OTP with CLEAR COMMUNICATION + fantastic writing/dialogue + swoonworthy romance = A++++ Cdrama!

I can't believe I've been sleeping on this drama until now!!!
Not only was this the first drama I slowed down to actually 1x speed (I usually watch them in 1.25-2x speed), but it made me want to bump down my scores for other contemporary dramas. THIS is the gold standard I've been looking for in cdramaland, with characters that are logical and reasonable, dialogue that's open and consistent, and a VERY WELL-BALANCED romance that was naturally cultivated.
To be honest, I only picked this drama up because of the body-swapping plot. I'm a big fan of stories where the couple swaps bodies (Secret Garden, It's a Boy Girl Thing), and I was only expecting the funny comedy bits. BUT what I actually got was a story with well-developed characters and clever dialogue. Color me impressed!!! I've become a fan of this writer's work and I've seen amazing reviews for his other dramas too.

PROS
❀ I HAVE to start with the main leads, which were perfectly carried out by Steven Zhang and Liang Jie | Liang Jie played the exuberant entertainment reporter Sheng Sheng who's looking for an exclusive interview with Steven Zhang's character, Jiang Yi. The first episode starts off pretty slow, not going to lie, but the moment their body swaps (at the beginning of ep 2), hijinks ensue.
Both actors did a GREAT job in depicting masculine/feminine traits! I have to say though, Steven Zhang was HILARIOUS when he was acting as Sheng Sheng - his facial expressions turn from slightly indifferent to lively and his body language was also perfect. He's definitely made a fan out of me in this drama. Jiang Lie was also great, although acting out the colder Jiang Yi doesn't ask for much since he's pretty withdrawn to begin with. Either way, both characters had laugh out loud moments that had me cackling in bed.
Not everything is happy, though. We get into Jiang Yi's lonely childhood and how he grew up in a broken household. It was wonderful to follow his journey of reconciling with his past and learning to forgive - especially when it came to his relationship with his mom. While Sheng Sheng was there to support him and add her own thoughts to the situation as an outsider, serving as a catalyst, he decides to be pro-active and take the first step of leaving the past. It would have been easy to keep him as a cold idol that has a traumatic past, but the show goes in-depth by making him emotionally complex and more than just a caricature of an idol.
While Sheng Sheng grew up in a loving family (love her parents!!!), she deals with a nice high school friend who has feelings with her. I appreciated the mature way of dealing with him though: give him a chance, see where it goes, make a firm decision at the end of the day. Again, because of body swapping, Jiang Yi is there to support almost every step of the way. While I'm not the biggest fan of the leads dating other people during a drama, this show handled it very maturely as Sheng Sheng is honest about her feelings (or, lack of) from step 1 to 100. So it's not really a love triangle/hurdle.
❀ The individual characters were awesome, but put the couple together and they're FIRE | This couple is by far one of my favorite couples in the cdramas I've watched. They display a perfect balance of a healthy and passionate relationship. Usually for cdramas, it's either one or the other. In this case, we got awesome chemistry between the leads (+1 for steamy kisses) as well as the best dialogue and communication (+1 for almost no misunderstandings). When the characters act out of emotion, they take a step back to sincerely apologize to one another. They handle situations like adults, and even cliche plot points like evil paparazzi weren't drawn out because of the maturity of the characters. They act their age, look their age, and enter relationships befitting people their age. We stan!!
As for the relationship itself, it goes from mild inconvenience/annoyance -> supportive friendship -> endearing love. Body swapping is an amazing trope that makes it so the leads have to spend a LOT of time together to figure out what's happening. That is to say, there's not much plot otherwise. The whole story surrounds the couple, their relationship, and the body-swap issue. So don't go in thinking there's some big baddie that comes into play. Instead, we see loads of screen time with our two main characters and their hilarities, as well as their developing relationship.
❀ This drama isn't afraid to poke fun at its own tropes and surprise watchers | The way the dialogue points out classic drama tropes that it utilizes is super cute - there's a scene where the ML's like "thinking about this situation/script... shouldn't *I* be the ML?" when referencing the minor love triangle between the FL's high school friend and the CP. Some tropes that surprised me:
- Really nice 2ML: they actually delved into his character and past history with the FL (they were high school buds and he's the student of her mom), which adds a level of depth to their relationship. You can really tell the FL's emotions are pure platonic and the lines are clearly drawn. He respects those boundaries.
- Evil 2FL: show said "psyche!!" While I was wary of her at first, the show actually goes into her character and highlights her struggles as well, making her empathetic and three-dimensional. The fact that the writer gave some screentime to a female character that COULD'VE gone down the wayward path (see: evil 2FLs that are illogically obsessed over the ML) is super commendable and sadly not done enough in cdramas. (Are my standards too low? Maybe, maybe not.)
- Cold ML that treats FL badly when they first meet before reluctantly getting along: Nah, that doesn't happen. The ML is wary and apathetic at first meet, maybe, but he's not mean. There's a scene in the first couple eps where she calls him out for not keeping the elevator open for her (typical behavior for mean MLs) but right afterwards the elevator opens up again - lol! Homeboy actually kept the elevator open for her. After their body switch in ep 2, this trope kind of goes down the drain.
- Secondary couples: nada. There is a *tiny* hint of one but otherwise, the show is 100% occupied by the main couple, which was refreshing.
❀ The FL actress sang the opening song and the ML actor sang the ending song | The talent??? Maybe this is a psychological thing, but I always view a show better when I hear the main actors singing an OST. In this case, the soundtrack was already catchy (the songs, while limited, are sweet/melodic without being too sad and ballad-like, which I appreciated), but knowing that the main leads sang really elevates the soundtracks.
❀ PERFECT LENGTH | No drag; tight writing; every second is enjoyable. It's rare for me to find a drama where I won't skip/fast forward a few seconds, but this one fit the bill. In general my stamina is pretty low when it comes to episode count (ex: I couldn't finish Love O2O or You Are My Glory, classic contemporaries, bc they stall around the 20 ep mark, and had to force myself to push through You Are My Hero after ep 30), so this 26 episode show was the sweet spot *chefs kiss*.

CONS - will have spoilers!! (But tbh this section is mostly pros as well)
✕ Misunderstanding level: 1/10 | Aight, I put a point because the most MINOR misunderstanding happens near the beginning that leads to Sheng Sheng trying out dates with the 2ML Po Qing. BUT the leads quickly recognize the miscommunication AND this whole shebang is neatly straightened out when SS indeed confirms her non-feelings for 2ML. Her intentions are clear cut (we stan FLs that get straight to the point!!) and nothing is overly dragged out. Other than that, like I said, the leads' communication is A+++.
The break-up that happens near the end (tbh a surprising trope that I didn't think this show would use), is VERY well-explained and reasonable. It's not a break-up for the sake of breaking up, but due to an external, legitimate concern that both leads had. The separation period is only a year and the resolution is, while quickly explained, not a bad one. Usually I'm annoyed at these last-minute break-ups (y'all this is why I can't with wuxias where the leads are always breaking up/getting back together...), but this one was necessary as part of wrapping up the story.

--SPOILER W/MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ENDING (I also vaguely talk about other shows' endings lmao)--
It's one that's used in cdramas quite often (for censorship reasons, is my guess) and featured in many well-loved dramas. If you've seen The Romance of Tiger and Rose or General's Lady, it's exactly that kind of energy. But unlike those dramas where the indirect narrative is a small twist that's not even addressed (TROTAR) or acted as an impetus for the leads meeting each other (GL), the way The Day of Becoming You writes it in emphasizes the message of the entire story: to truly understand someone, you should put yourselves in their shoes. You never know what other people are going through, so try to look at the situation from their perspective - by doing so, you can strengthen your relationship. I thought the way this twist was written in was clever and holistic, bringing the drama to a full wrap and tying things together. The big picture is that it fit the overall narrative, which to me is rare in cdramas.

OVERALL
Wow, I can't gush enough about The Day of Becoming You. I feel like when it comes to Chinese dramas, I tend to get annoyed at common cliches that are overutilized and find them conservative. Not in the sense of wanting more raunchy scenes (LOL which sometimes I lowkey want but an Asian drama's charms are its rare skinship moments that make you appreciate it more), but in the sense that storylines like to play it safe and keep the plots rather traditional. No one will bat an eye at a cold CEO ML that's toeing the line of misogyny because he's good-looking and fits Asian drama convention. But a ML that learns to recognize his worth through meaningful conversations with the FL in a non-hyperdependent way? Hard to come by.
The Day of Becoming You's luring point is a playful body-swap premise that'll make you laugh out loud, but I ended up staying for the three dimensional characters and superb writing. I've never given a rewatch value over 5 (because to me, 5 is like maybe and straight in the middle), but this drama inherently deserves a rewatch from me. Highly recommended!

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