Are You the One

One of the best power couples

I never thought I'd come across another couple as memorable as the one in The Story of Minglan... until now. The development between the FL/ML was superbly done and both leads were cast perfectly. They did incredibly well in the hard and soft characteristics for their roles - which led to great chemistry between the two. Something they did even better with this particular series is that the relationship developments between the secondary couples were almost equally as good (the empress was amazing). This is not a vain "love at first sight" type of romance but a very real type of growth with all the ups and downs relationships bring.

The plot was smooth and the pacing was on point. I really appreciate the time put into the growth development of the couple in the beginning and how their backstories kept you on your toes for quite a few episodes. While this is a romance-heavy series, it's not a sappy one and there are more than enough badass moments to keep it intriguing. Kudos to the entire cast for doing such a good job in their respective roles.

Negatives? Can't really find any other than wanting to have had more backstories on the rest of the cast and for the ending to have shown some more follow-ups. And although it might be a little slow moving in the beginning for some viewers, this isn't one that relies on heavy dramatization of events but rather one that is progressively thoughtful. For anyone who enjoyed The Story of Minglan, I'm almost certain you'll enjoy this one equally if not more. It's one of the series that made me sad towards the end, knowing there were only so many episodes left to go.

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Characters that are hard to leave behind. Kudos for the magic CL

PLOT: The ML, Prince, pretends to be the FL's husband, amnesiac concubine of a famous bandit, to capturing him. Over the course of events (surrender of the "bandit", murder attempts, war, etc.) they fall in love. But the lies come out and the FL's memoryies ends up returning.

+++ A magic CL (Zhang Wan Yi & Wang Chu Ran), beautiful, talented, subtle. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) Some scenes are prodigious. I would love to see this couple again in other dramas.
+++ Many excellent actors, interpreting their characters with finesse. (Doctor and his lover, Empress, ...)
+++ High budget production, effective, addictive, with superb fight scenes. All, sets, costumes, lighting, framing, ... at the TOP.
+++ Very suited OST.
+++ Coherent, realistic story (for this type of drama);

### The infantile, crazy behavior of the Great Villain (who has been planning his coup for years) when he fails, is not credible.
### The ending is a bit abrupt. I would have liked it to extend a little...

=> An EXCELLENT series, very addictive (devoured in 2 days :) with an awesome CL (ღ˘⌣˘ღ). Series i'll watch again in a while :)
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PLOT: Le ML, Prince, fait semblant d'être le mari de la FL, concubine amnésique d'un célèbre bandit, pour réussir à capturer celui-ci. Au fil des évènements (reddition du "bandit", tentatives de meurtre,guerre, ...) ils tombent amoureux. Mais les mensonges éclatent et la mémoire de la FL finit par revenir.

+++ Un Très great CL (Zhang Wan Yi & Wang Chu Ran), beaux, talentueux, subtiles. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) Certaines scènes sont prodigieuses. J'adorerais revoir ce couple dans d'autres dramas.
+++ De nombreux excellents acteurs, interprétant leur personnage avec finesse. (Docteur et sa lover, Empress, ...)
+++ Réalis° haut budget, efficace, addictive, avec de superbes scènes de fight, des décors, costumes, lumières, cadrages, ... au TOP.
+++ OST très adaptées.
+++ Story cohérente, réaliste ( pour ce genre de drama);

### Le comportement infantile, fou du Great Villain (qui planifie son coup depuis des années) lorsqu'il échoue, n'est pas crédible.
### La ending est un peu brusque. J'aurai aimé qu'elle se prolonge un peu...

=> Une EXCELLENTE série, très addictive (dévorée en 2 jours :) avec un CL génial (ღ˘⌣˘ღ). A revoir dans quelques temps :)

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Best drama of 2024

Are You The One is a must watch for fans of historical and cunning, independent and smart characters, playing mind games against their enemies. If you liked cdramas like Story of Minglan and Wonderland Of Love, this might be for you.

This was a perfect drama. I have no notes. It delivered on everything that promised from beginning to end and properly developed the troupes of fake marriage and enemies to lovers in a fresh and entertaining way.

The court politics were fascinating to watch, giving the viewers all kind of strategies, taking down enemies one by one, making friends and even breaking down emotional walls for our lead characters. It was a treat to watch every single scheming they put on.

The development of each arc, with its respective main conflict, was entertaining. I am incredible happy with how the scriptwriter of this drama handled every storyline. All the characters consistently grow through this journey and have their moments in the spotlight. The resolution really well done, cohesive, grounded and coherent to each character’ respective personalities and wishes.

The cast director really outdid themselves in this drama, each actor is the perfect choice for the character they are playing. My hat off to them for giving Zhang Wanyi such an incredible well written character as Lord Huaiyang, whom delivers some of the best moments of this drama from his war tactics, home life woes and comedic timing. Watching him grovel to win back his loved one was a never ending source of entertainment.

Wang Churan’s Miantang is the perfect match. The growing of her character is perhaps more subtle but incredibly well performed and poignant. She delivered in every scene as a savvy business woman and every scheme at court as Lady Huaiyang.

Lord and Lady Huaiyang’s respective strategies are different but they complement each other in an harmonious way, helping each other, growing together as people and governors. They consider themselves equals and respect each other, which is why I think they are one of the best couples in Dramaland I have seen in a while.

As for the secondary characters, there’s always someone that stands out in a drama and for me, this time, it was Empress Shi, played by Yuan Yu Xuan. She gave us one of the best performances of this year. Her character grows from timid concubine daughter being emotional abused at home to a revered phoenix. When she finally stood her ground, against her own family, it was a wonder to watch. She got a standing ovation from me.

Chang Huasen was a really good choice to play Ziyu, a very stoic character that made sacrifices along the way to power. His growing has a lot to do with trust and I think, at the end of the day, he learns who should never be used as a pawn in the court games.

Marquis Zhennan and Miss He, played respectively by Zhang Chi and Liu Lingzi, were a source of entertaining. Both characters equally smart and filial in different ways that made them complement each other, and help their friends find ways to navigate the art of war.

Even the actors playing the enemies were outstanding, smart as the leads, and keeping them on their toes until the very end.

From a technical point of view, Are You The One also had a beautiful cinematography, the locations and sets were wonderful, the costume design matched each character really well. The use of sound and lack of it, which it’s more important than we actually realize, was perfectly matched on every scene.

The strongest point was the writing and directing. It was clear Directors Liu Guo Nan and Cong Xiao know what they are doing when it comes to visual storytelling. As for screen writer Zhao Tian You, I think they did an outstanding job writing these characters and story.

This is how I like my dramas: smart, coherent, cohesive and fun. I highly recommend it.

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My kind of romance drama. Cold general or some sort of royal guy falling for a commoner smart girl & only wants her. It has a great plot & love story with plenty of comedic relief from the ML & supporting cast.

Lovely chemistry between the two leads. Both had great character developments. Both of their acting skills were superb in this one. U can tell how their personalities evolved once the FL got her memory back & when the ML finally opened up his heart, especially when trying to win her back.

WCR portrayed her character very well thru her eyes & smile. She went from a lost & confused, yet doting & supportive wife to a hurt, betrayed, vengeful woman, & then back to a soften, forgiving, yet still herself BEFORE the memory loss. During her hatred stage, after regaining her memory, u can really feel her anger, pain, disappointment, & resentment towards him for lying to her. When she finally is starts to forgive him, u can see that soften, doting wife slowly come back in her face & eyes. All her crying scenes seem very natural & really brought out the emotions her character is feeling atm.

ZWY's facial expressions were on point, especially in his comedic scenes. He went from a robotic, emotionless person who just wants to fulfill his duties as lord for the sake of his ppl & family (even if it meant having to marry someone he doesn't love) to this doting, baby of a husband with no more weights on his shoulders by end of the drama. Before meeting her, it seems like he only really let loose a bit around his physician best friend. Once he started to fall for her, u can see his character start relaxing with her loving words of support, but still having a bit of a wall up due to the guilt he's feeling. Then after the truth finally came out, he became a person full of emotions once he's determined to win her back.

They've now become one of my top drama couples of all time. Thank u casting director for putting them together!

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Pleasantly Surprised

Started this drama with zero expectations and I'm quite surprised that I finished it and didn't skip any scenes. I tend to drop dramas that don't hold my interest, especially at the half way point when the plot tends to go down the drain. For some reason, the plot kept me interested as I wanted to find out how the ML and FL will end up back together considering he really messed up in the beginning. Once she recovered her memories, it was the ultimate betrayal for her. This man who she thought she loved, kept her like a caged bird for a whole year "playing house" while her real personality is a care free adventurer. The moment when the ML got drunk back at his home after realizing he lost her as his "wife" really resonated how he fudged it up with her. There was definitely some groveling for him to do in order to win her back. The first half of the drama was the set up and the funny scenes and home life and the second half was him trying to win her back along with royal politics at play. I also liked that there were subtle moments of female empowerment weaved into the drama between all the female characters, from the FL to her friend, He Zhen, the empress and even to ML's sister. These ladies wanted to control their own destinies the best way they knew how in a world where they had no say over their own lives compared to their male counterpart. I thought it was interesting as well that the second ML had other love interests. It made it seem more realistic, especially when having multiple wives back then, was the norm. Didn't think I was going to enjoy this drama as well as watching all 40 episodes.

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One of the best written and acted on period drama I’ve watched so far.

what a story. The actors are good specially the male lead. He can evoke emotions with a deadpan face while he was talking to the female lead and that is because of his acting together with an exceptional script. The progression of the story was done well and though the sound tracks were not that remarkable, they still contributed to the success of the drama. This is one of the most well done drama I’ve watched specially of the period dramas because though the including the battle scenes too were not so grand, for some reason, every aspect of the drama from the storyline to the acting of the actors, costumes and the sound tracks made this drama a very outstanding drama. I’d give it 11/10 just because of this. 💖💖💖💖💖💖

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Good stuff

Are you the one is honestly surprisingly good.

Although it took me a while to finish this show I can say that I would recommend it and will probably rewatch.

The best part of this show is definitely the humor for me. The show is about a woman with amnesia trying her best to cope with the man PRETENDING to be her husband. There's a lot of absurd humor and it's pretty good. I found myself laughing every episode.

The characters were all pretty great, side characters included. Everyone had meaningful roles and their own stakes in the story. Once the main couple resolved their conflict, I found myself actually loving the side couples.

The costumes were also pretty good, despite the obviously low budget. I liked that no one had overzealous accessories or outfits. Everything looked just fine and I'm okay with that.

So to get into things I don't like.

This show is not LLTG… it doesn't have snappy pacing with a constantly intriguing plot. Characters can be intelligent but the pacing gets bogged up. There was a whole chuck of episodes where I felt nothing really happened. The ML has a moral dilemma and deliberates over it for multiple episodes, BUT THEN the decision is taken out of his hands all together.

I also HATE the “love triangle”.

It was wholly unnecessary to have the triangle go on for as long as it did, and since it was taking its SWEET time getting resolved, I found myself getting more and more irritated about it…

Another weak link was the ultimate villain and how lackluster the resolution was. I think the ending could have been a little stronger.

It's better than The Double (for me) but not as good as The Princess Royal or Wonderland of Love.

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A Heartwarming Drama with Mature Romance and Light Struggles

This Chinese drama became my first 10/10 of 2024, and I absolutely loved it. The story revolves around three couples, each dealing with their own dilemmas and struggles. Despite the challenges, the drama never veers into excessive darkness, maintaining a smooth, butter-like flow. The interactions between the couples, whether as friends or foes, are respectful, and no one ever crosses the line.

One of the standout aspects is how maturely the characters handle their situations. They face life without panic, adding a sense of wisdom to their love banter, which is often filled with insightful moments. However, I did notice some oddities, particularly where events were narrated instead of visualized, which made certain aspects harder to grasp.

I had higher expectations for Liu Mian Tang’s character, especially since she was linked to an escort company. I was hoping for more fight scenes, but she mostly used a bow and arrow, and even then, only shot single arrows at a time. A brief fight scene towards the end was all that was shown, which felt underwhelming.

Despite these minor drawbacks, this drama is a feel-good experience that won’t disappoint. It’s mature, lighthearted, and brimming with moments that will leave you smiling.

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Liked the leads chemistry

Amnesia plot stories are my most hated plot twist. But I liked it in this story. As the amnesia starts at the beginning of the drama & not in the middle. It wasn't too dragging either.

Both leads are strong-minded individuals. Cui Xing Zhou is cunning, smart, scheming, cruel. At first, Liu Mian Tang was naive and innocent, but afterward she also turned out to be cunning, scheming, smart & a very calculative person. She is an excellent businesswomen.

Hate that there was no proper introduction to the characters. I mean, whenever a new face used to appear there was no name or how they were related to the story.

Cui Xing Zhou & Liu Mian Tang had the first awkward conversation & hug. But it was cute.

Laughed when Cui Xing Zhou described himself as a "useless dandy." Also, Zhao Quan said he is sexually disable.

Cui Xing Zhou, out of jealousy refuses to share Liu Mian Tang's handmade food with Zhao Quan. He looked so cute in that scene.

Cui Xing Zhou's expression after being seduced by Liu Mian Tang was priceless.

"What a sin!" is Nanny Li’s favorite line.

Loved the scene where Cui Xing Zhou pulled Liu Mian Tang into the bathtub & she pulled her hairpin near his neck to attack him.

Layghed at Cui Xing Zhou & Zhao Quan acting to prevent him from marrying the princess.

Liu Mian Tang complains about her backyard being ruined & Cui Xing Zhou's army immediately helps her with everything by calling her "Madam". It was funny.

Zi Yu & Shi Xue Ji have a good understanding & communication. The way she helped him at every step, supporting him. Shi Xue Ji is so mature instead of getting jealous of Liu Mian Tang. She makes Zi Yu understand that he can’t force someone to be with him, otherwise she will become a bird in a cage.

Cui Xing Zhou was sooo cute being all nervous & Liu Mian Tang was completely unfazed.

They didn’t mention what happened to Empress Dowager Wu & her son.

Loved how Sun Yun Er was humiliated by Liu Mian Tang & Shi Xue Ji. A very clever move.

I loved Zi Yu & Shi Xue Ji. They are so cute together. I want a sequel of them. Telling their palace life story. How Zi Yu became an Emperor.

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