Are You the One

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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BEST CDRAMA OF 2024

Trust me when I say this: I’ve dropped a lot of C-dramas this year. And I almost dropped this one, too. But something made me hold on, dig deeper… and I’m so glad I did. What unfolded was one of the most amazing storylines I’ve seen in a while.

Let’s start with the obvious: Wang Churan. Her beauty left me speechless, not just outwardly, but in the depth and grace she brought to the character. And the male lead? I had no idea he was Erqiang in The Bond until much later, but wow, what a performance. I wasn’t disappointed for a second.

This series gave me warm fuzzies in my belly. Yes, that kind of love. I’m not easily impressed. But this? This was beautifully plotted and expertly executed. It checked all the boxes —strong leads, believable character arcs, stunning visuals, and an emotional payoff that made every episode worth it.

The landscape, oh, the landscape! Chinese historical dramas are visual poetry, and this one made me promise myself to visit China one day. And by God's grace, I will, very soon.

I almost forgot to leave this review because I watched it weeks ago, but the memory just came flooding back and I couldn’t stay silent. Even the side characters shone in their roles, and that final episode? Perfectly done.

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Loved this from start to finish.

This is the first c-drama I've been invested in enough to pay for the final episodes, and it was completely worth it.

If you’re not into slice of life or the premise of ML deceiving FL for political gain, you probably won't get past the first relationship arc on this drama. For me, the gradual changes in the ML from implacable enemy to ardent admirer were very well done, with just enough resistance and denial on his part!

Her shift from implacable enemy to lover was the second relationship arc and again I enjoyed the slowness of it, her frustrations and justifiable anger. The 'Mr and Mrs Smith' segment in the middle was hilarious when both are out to get the other.

And the final relationship arc, their trust, togetherness, cleverness in dealing with their various enemies and troubles, well I watched and loved it all with a smile on my face.

For a change, I didn't mind either of the secondary pairings but the emperor and empress was by far the sweetest.

Things I didn't like; the Lian matriarch's obsessiveness and vindictiveness as well as the actress's scene-chewing. A badly written one-dimensional character and either poor acting or direction resulting in scenes I just wanted to get away from. And they returned to that plot point over and over again. 😞 Prince Sui and Consort Xian also got to overact horribly in the last couple of episodes so I suspect it's a direction issue.

The political plots got quite silly at the end and the resolution by the main couple was highly improbable, but no more so than most cdramas! We did get a lovely fight sequence with added bickering from the lead pair which was fun and amusing to see.

All in all, I didn't fast forward at any point and I will definitely be adding this to my rewatch list!

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The best Chinese drama in 2024

I initially aborted watching the drama as I was not familiar with the actor - Zhang Wan Yi. But I enjoyed his acting in another drama - The Rise of Ning. I decided to return and watch this series again. It was really entertaining seeing the chemistry between 2 leads and comical camaraderie between Zhang Chi (Marquis) and Zhang Wan Yi.

The alluring beauty and acting skills of Wang Chu Ran certainly help maintain my interest. She has acted with many leading man in numerous romance dramas, but I very seldom completed an entire drama with her as lead. It is not because she can't act but rather because many of her dramas usually had weak storylines.

Having watched The Rise of Ning, this drama is far more enjoyable and better scripted.

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