so sweet and easy to watch, the story requires patience but its amazing romcom.
Both leads and supporting roles have played their character so well. Its the little nuisances that fill the details of characters. Shi Yan is not a big sharer, actor plays the character well through his eyes and movement of his fingers to express emotions. Where on other hand, shuyi is inexperienced in behavior for relationship, and keeps us engaged at times frustrated with her nuisances but a very smart character she is just more career focused. The story takes leaps n bounds jump in emotional development and character development of the leads relationship after they patch up. So patience is the key, but the end of story is completely satisfying. Especially the extra episode of their wedding!!!Was this review helpful to you?
Love the actors, but…ugh
Others have covered this so I’ll just add: I adore both actors. Who in the world would waste the chemistry, charm and comedic chops these two have with such a poorly done drama. I love a stupid romance - I can’t tell you how many are in my favorites list. I don’t hate the cold CEO stereotype. I love the “girl reporter” characters in ridiculous old American movies. With those elements and these two actors, this could have been a really fun watch. For me, it was not. So watch if you love one or both actors, ignore the story and just zoom about staring at their gorgeousness!Was this review helpful to you?
Wang Hedi look great. Bai Lu was so pretty
It was becoz of these two I binge watch for 3 days and almost got headache. Eventhough there are a few illogical moment between ML and FL, this series really make me swoon and felt giddy² inside. And also let just not start discussing about all then hot scenes... #OmyheartWink*Truely amaze how the other couples made me rooting for them and want them to have a happy closure too. And just For that, this series deserve overall 8 star from me.
The house was a full studio set. How can that be? It so artistic and realistic. I bet the office is a studio set too. No wonder the lighting was spot on in every angle.
Am I going to watch the full series again? No
Am I going to just watch click bait /tt video scene of Shu Yi and Shi Yan? Oh definitly . You bet on in..
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Great chemistry between couples
Many people criticize Only For Love because of the constant miscommunication between Zheng Shuyi (Bailu) and Shi Yan (Dylan Wang). In my honest opinion, however, that doesn't really matter, because the storyline itself is great!While there are many times when I felt second-hand embarrassment (especially with FL), I really enjoyed this drama. The chemistry between ML and FL was amazing. Sure, the FL might be a bit proactive, but it builds up the story. The ML may be bossy, but we all have to admit that he played his role well.
The second couple (Qin Shiyue and Yu You) was also very sweet. Like the FL, Qin Shiyue may be a bit too proactive, and Yu You was fairly hesitant to be with her at first, but when the two do get together, the result is beautiful love. In order to see that, though, you'll have to dive deeper into the drama, and go through all the times that Yu You felt uncomfortable with Shiyue, but I'd say its fairly worth it.
Overall, IMO, this drama is great, flaws and all. Some people will hate it, others will love it, it's up to you to decide.
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Great characters and disappointing writing
The characters in this are really enjoyable; vibrant and expressively portrayed, I really found myself caring about so many of them. We get something like 4+ romances so we get an assortment of types of couples. Unfortunately the writing and pacing are just really rough and the vast majority of time is spent avoiding real plot and just circling misunderstandings and lying and hiding from each other.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
bullet point notes app thought dump
- everyone’s face cards saved this from being dropped- niece and professor (who looks like Chinese Vernon from seventeen) ate I understand age gap hype now
- third act conflict was too long
- every side pairing was she’s Barbie and he’s just Ken. outstanding work.
- what’s the age gap between shi yan and his sister for her to have a 22 year old daughter while he’s 27
- fourth act reunion freaky stuff needed more episodes
- #BRINGBACKBITING
- second FL my avoidant attachment sister in arms
TLDR: was very mid,, tuned in after seeing a clip on tiktok of wang hedi throwing her phone across the room
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a delicious watch of two ppl try to court and counter-court each other in their own way
I actually didn’t watch this because of the bad reviews, so I waited until now to start watching. going in dislike WHD’s acting (miss the dragon really damage him in my eyes, but I like him enough as a celebrity), and one short video really gives me butterflies and I kept rewatching it, so I finally decided to start from the beginning! and oh boy, I finished the whole series within 2-3 days, so much lack of sleep but I was loving it. I love it so much I rewatched the whole thing, from beginning to end, didn’t even skip a part, even for the 2nd and 3rd couple! back to back 100% rewatch is not a done thing for me ever. and I rewatch it for the third time in parts (also I noticed how unhealthy this is, so I’m like I better stop 😅).What I love about it? I love how the FL tries to court the ML, it might be embarrassing (for other ppl), but it’s just cutie overload for me. it’s the feeling of first love, chasing what you like, and while it’s embarrassing, it makes you happy so who cares?!! it’s the cat and mouse game, where ML tries to catch FL’s mistakes, revealing her secrets, but couldn’t help falling for her, along the way, help her courting him, in the end, hopelessly in love with each other. what not enchanting, not cute about it?! Dylan Wang acted so well as ShiYan, I have no complaints. this series actually changed my opinions of him and I started checking out his other dramas lol. BL as ShuYi is cute, delicate, but at time, outrageously thick skin when it comes to court her man 🤣
it might be one of those dramas that might hit you when it’s the right time for you. you have to be in the mood for it/love/something different, otherwise, it might not work for you. but when it does, it’s an explosion! 🥰I’m glad I watch it properly, because it’s now one of those romcom that I can always go back and watch. it stays away from the usual cdrama plot: past lovers got separated and return to each other. it’s a drama that convey its message loud and clear: if you like something, go for it, and treasure your relationship from the beginning, don’t hastily and easily said goodbye/breakup, what important is how you feel about each other, not about how it starts nor how it should end.
it’s a drama I would always recommend. ALWAYS!
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A bold journalist meets a cold CEO.
Only for Love is a C-drama that beautifully blends modern romance with career ambition, delivering a story that’s both addictive and heartwarming. With elegant visuals, witty dialogue, and amazing chemistry between the leads, this drama pulls you in from the very first episode.The story follows Zheng Shuyi, a confident financial journalist who knows what she wants, and Shi Yan, a cold and brilliant CEO who keeps his distance from others. At first, their worlds seem miles apart—but slowly, their differences spark something undeniable.
One of the strongest points of the drama is the chemistry between the main leads. Bai Lu plays a charming, fearless, and relatable female lead, while Dylan Wang (Wang Hedi) once again proves his talent at portraying emotionally complex characters. Watching their relationship evolve feels natural, mature, and deeply satisfying.
Beyond the romance, Only for Love offers a fun and engaging look into the world of business, journalism, and modern relationships. There are intense moments, but also plenty of humor, heart, and tenderness.
If you love stories where romance grows through mutual respect, trust, and undeniable attraction, this one’s for you. And if you’re a Dylan Wang fan—you won’t be disappointed.
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Dylan Wang is just soooooo swoony!
If for no other reason, everyone should watch this so that they can swoon over Dylan Wang every second he is on screen. OMG I just love love love love him so much. But there are other good reasons too.I actually really enjoyed this show, I don't get why it gets so much hate. Yes, there is a lot of business talk (you can just skip) and some plotlines or characters personality traits and decisions are questionable, but that's part of the show's charm. I loved the three couples, I loved the friendship and family relationships, it was refreshing to see a rich family be so close-knit and so welcoming of the love interests of their young members, instead of the usual shananigans.
Above all, i really really really loved how much Shi Yan was devoted to his woman, he is exactly everything I love about a ML.
I also like FL a lot, she was intelligent, hard-working, had good core values. She could be a little spoiled, she definetly could have been more honest, but it all adds to that characters' arch.
The only character i didn't really care much for was the magazine boss who was very indecisive towards her boyfriend, but even that i can sort of get.
The OST was nice, the kiss scenes were crazy hot, I could rewatch those a thousand times. Andddd... bonus... horses! If there are scenes with horses, it's perfect because it's my favourite animal.
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This review may contain spoilers
Takes the cold executive trope too far for too long
8.5/10 is my rating.This is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama with 36, 45 minute episodes.First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
As a reporter Zheng Shu Yi (Bai Lui) has a specialized and unique writing angle as a writer for a financial news publication. She is highly capable and career driven and her goal is to get enough headline articles that she can pursue digital platforming the publications to pull her magazine into the modern era. When the opportunity arises to land an exclusive with a young CEO who is rising in the financial investment world, it is the perfect chance to get a headline. Everyone is curious to know more about the cold but exceptional Shi-Yan (Dylan Wang). In fact Shu Yi’s arch rival, who is equally ambitious, is so determined to land the interview she even cheats in an attempt to get the exclusive. But Shi-Yan was more intrigued by Shu-Yi’s outline than her rivals so she still lands the interview. Once in his realm, Shu Yi decides she likes the handsome Shi Yan for more than just an interview subject, Can the determined journalist melt the heart of the cold young CEO?
Review
If you like the cold chief executive officer (CEO) trope then this is definitely a solid addition to that category. Overall I liked it. I recommend it for anyone that is fans of either lead or supporting actors as they all act their roles very well. If you like cold executives, romance and/or want a slice of the financial reporting or technological investment realms, you would find this interesting. There were some aspects that were not really interesting to me and some frustrating slow spots. It is not one I would rewatch in the immediate future, with so many choices available. I found the length of time he was “cold” and the parts about financial investments, tedious.
Spoilers
I think they take the cold executive trope a bit too far in this one. He is not just cold to her but I think his behavior borders on abusive. When she is trying to connect with him, if she doesn’t say exactly what he wants her to say, when and how he wants her to say it, he walks away or kicks her out. He says he does not like to talk business on his personal time and will shut her down even if she is doing it as a common interest to carry the conversation. And that would be one thing, but he seems to break the “do not mix business and personal” any time he feels like it. He doesn’t even say what she did that he didn’t like, he just shuts her out emotionally and often literally. His friends and family even find him difficult to deal with.
Usually by three fourths of the way through the series, the ice cube CEO has thawed and is now all warm and fuzzy, at least to the main girl. In his case, other than the briefest thaw before getting break up mad at her, he remained cold until the last few episodes. Which, to me, was entirely too long.
Okay so she approached him originally to get the story. So what? She is a reporter it is what she does. But she was using him to get back at the cheaters? I felt like they decided to twist it that way later because that was not a motivation she revealed in any of her abundant internal dialogues early on. But still, he should not have been so hung up on why she approached him originally, but where they went from there. I thought the level of cold shoulder she got from that was over the top. Then several commented later that he let her off easy. She was so heart broken she landed in the hospital multiple times, that is not letting anyone off easy. And I dd nit think she did anything so horrible to him to deserve his cold shoulder, yet again, anyway. Supposedly he still loved her but had no problem seeing how he was completely devastating her emotionally.
The second guy in this I thought was her perfect match. He noticed when she was sad and did everything to cheer her up. He let her talk work whenever, and even helped her find new opportunities. Through his actions and words he indicated how wonderful he thought she was. He was smart, handsome, successful and extremely kind to the main girl. She was happy and laughed a lot when she was with 2nd guy, so of course she liked the absolute opposite guy. I was disappointed he did not at least get someone else wonderful.
Other reviewers said her best friend gave her terrible advice and, early on, I disagreed. She gave great advice on how to catch his interest. But I found they were right later when she was advising on how to save her relationship. Continue to lie and deceive him until he is so in love with you he easily forgives? Main girl should have known better. In the book on being petty and holding a grudge (pretending such thing exists) there would be a picture of him. They never explained what made him so he assumed the worst in relationships but that definitely characterizes his reactions. Deceiving him was absolutely the worst thing with him and anyone that knew him well would know that. So the friend’s advice was so far from right with him. It was frustrating she kept following the friend’s advice and kept hiding things. Main girl should have known him well enough by then to know he would not forgive being deceived easily.
I found all of the “business talk” boring. Financial investment in technological companies just was not that intriguing. Reporting was more interesting but all the investment speak was a yawn fest. And it just made the main guy look less capable.
The side couples’ romances were all super heart warming and they spent just the right amount of time on them. I thought the triple wedding idea was great.
I know people love when the couples spend seconds to minutes just gazing at each other but it is not my favorite. I have never seen anyone do that in real life.
#OnlyForLove
#DylanWang
#BaiLiu
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Great acting and chemistry
I recommend giving this drama a chance despite its flaws. I gave it a nine because yes it's not perfect, but I had a really nice time watching it.The chemistry between the lead was really amazing and left me hoping for more collabs between Wang Hedi and Bai Lu! The characters and couples were really cute. (Except maybe the couple formed by the best friend and the cousin, they didn't do anything for me, they were quite meh...)
If you're looking for a fast paced narrative, this is not for you as some subplots get dragged sometimes, I'm not sure I like the way this was directed 100% but the actors make it worth it cause they're real good. And apart from amazing chemistry they're also quite funny. Also, it's really worth watching if you're looking for fluff and sparkles ! You just have to make it past the (ok I admit - kinda boring) angsty bit in the middle and then you good !
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