Are You the One (2024)

A Captivating Love Story of Fate, Loss, and Reunion

"You Are the One" isn’t just another historical romance—it’s an emotional rollercoaster filled with passion, heartbreak, and resilience. Liu Mian Tang is a fearless village leader who loses her memory after a brutal attack, only to be saved by the mysterious and duty-bound Lord Cui Xing Zhou. Mistaking him for her husband, she builds a new life, but just when happiness seems within reach, destiny pulls them apart. Xing Zhou leaves her behind with nothing but a farewell letter, but Mian Tang refuses to be a damsel in distress—she fights for her love and follows him, proving that true love defies all obstacles. The sizzling chemistry between Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Chu Ran makes every glance, every touch, and every confrontation electrifying. With breathtaking cinematography, intense battle sequences, and heart-wrenching romance, this drama will keep you hooked from start to finish.

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Tell a lie and you need a hundred to cover it

This drama is an absolute delight—full of laughter, intrigue, and unexpected twists! While there were three major plot twists that caught me off guard, the storytelling was so well-crafted that I could sense the revelations coming just before they unfolded. The production was visually stunning, featuring a talented cast, breathtaking costumes, and an enchanting backdrop. Not to mention, the theme songs were beautiful, perfectly complementing the excellent acting.

The three leading couples had fantastic chemistry, making their romances a joy to watch. Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Chu Ran, the lead actors were playful and affectionate, teasing each other in a way that felt natural and heartwarming. Zhang Wan Yi delivered an outstanding performance, surpassing even his role in Lost You Forever. As for Wang Chu Ran, she was truly stunning—often in dramas, a character was hyped as a great beauty, only to fall short of expectations. But in her case, she genuinely lived up to the hype.

The second lead couple, Chang Hua Sen and Yuan Yu Xuan brought depth to their roles—their relationship was more serious, with Hua Sen deeply devoted (unfortunately to another) while Yu Xuan supported him willingly in spite of knowing that. Yuan Yu Xuan’s performance was particularly impressive, showcasing her strong acting skills beyond her previous role as Cheng Yu in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. The third couple, Liu Ling Zi and Zhang Chi, had a bit of an imbalance—Liu Ling Zi was slightly stiff, but Zhang Chi shone as the mischievous Marquis who brought a lot of laughter.

The story kicked off when Prince Cui XingZhou discovered Liu MianTang badly injured by the river. She had lost her memory and mistakenly believed he was her husband. Rumors swirled that she was the concubine of a fearsome bandit leader. Seeing an opportunity to capture the bandit, XingZhou played along, pretending to be her husband, hoping to lure the bandit into a trap. Naturally, this deception led to plenty of comedic moments as he and his men scrambled to maintain the lie. But when MianTang’s memory returns, she was furious and determined to get even with him.

As the story unfolded, danger loomed. The scheming Empress Dowager plotted against XingZhou. Her wickedness however led to a sudden palace revolt when the rightful heir returned to reclaim the throne. Yet, the heir's uncle, Prince Sui, had ambitions of his own and sought the throne for himself. To complicate matters further, the heir saw XingZhou as a romantic rival. With loyalties tested and power struggles brewing, the question remained—whose side would XingZhou take?

The one aspect that did not sit well with me was how Prince Cui pursued Liu MianTang after she uncovered his deception. While his love for her was undeniable, and the situation had its moments of both heartbreak and humor, there was a moral gray area that felt uncomfortable. When someone repeatedly says they want space, it should be respected—otherwise, it veers into harassment rather than romance. The drama would have been stronger if it had made it clearer that Prince Cui respected her wishes, stepped back, and let her make her own choice. The same issue arose with Marquis ZhenNan’s pursuit of He Zhen. Sometimes, persistence in love is portrayed in dramas as romantic but they should also emphasize the importance of respect and consent.

This drama is an absolute must-watch! It delivers romance, humor, political intrigue, and outstanding performances. Highly recommended!

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Lord Huaiyang

It was a series that I liked and watched. I was curious. I waited for the episodes. That's why I can say it's a good series. It attracted me with its plot and story. The actors were very good. In fact, what makes you watch the series are the story and the people who portray it. There was a good CAST. They were compatible. Apart from the leading roles, our supporting roles are also of high quality and did a very good job. They made it watchable. There were minor mistakes. I got bored in some episodes. Because it was too long. Trivial events were squeezed in to fill the gaps. They seemed to be smirking. But when you look at it in general, it is a series that is watched with pleasure with a good story, good acting and good management and plot. I recommend it to everyone.

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Watchable

Positive aspects of this drama:
- All the leads are interesting and well written, the scenes of the secondary leads don't feel like they're taking time away from the main couple
- The two main leads are really good looking
- Overall, this drama has pretty good pacing for 40 episodes (they're definitely too many though, but that's cdramas for you).
- The story starts from a VERY interesting premise: she's lost her memory and he pretends to be her husband. Seeing this kind of dynamic unravel is so good. There is also a cool plot twist along the way, and REALLY funny moments especially around eps 25-29.
- Finally, the main reason I never dropped this drama: Xueji's story. She was my favorite character and I wanted to watch her storyline until the end. Even when I stopped caring about the other leads towards the end, I was still sticking to this drama for Xueji and wanted to see how her story with her love interest progressed.

Negative aspects:
- The skin smoothing. Omg. I've never seen so much skin smoothing in a drama in recent years. The combo skin smoothing + heavy makeup makes Zhang Wanyi look like a corpse, and he doesn't need any of that?? He'd look so much hotter with less of the damn filter and a little bit of melanin showing.
- Abrupt cuts in the plot that left me a bit confused. There's a time-skip at one point where you're left wondering "how the f did this happen??" about a certain plot point.
- There are many technical aspects that are due to budget that don't really make this drama look high-quality: recycled Hengdian sets, no money to show actual battles and armies, very standard and bland cinematography for the most part. Costumes are also just okay looking.
- I didn't love the ML's acting in sad and tragic scenes. He's much better in comedic scenes though.
- [MILD SPOILER] In the second half of the drama, the main plot point around which the FL and ML's story revolved is no more, and a hundred very boring and predictable typical drama plots start (jealous love rivals, court schemes...), so the drama becomes just a very bland and standard one.

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A refreshing look at WuXia costume drama focused on loved story rather than politics and fighting.

Are You the One is a historical wuxia drama about the love story of Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou when she suffered from amnesia and afterward. This is a cute love story and a non-traditional costume drama. Less of fighting and political scenes, which is refreshing.

Synopsis: The clever and decisive Liu Mian Tang, as the first lord of Yang Shan, led the people of Yang Shan to punish the wicked, promote goodness, and uphold justice. However, she suffered serious injuries under the attack of various evil forces. Cui Xing Zhou, the Prince of Huai Yang, rescued her. When Liu Mian Tang woke up, she had no memory of Yang Shan, mistaking Cui Xing Zhou for her husband, Cui Jiu. If their identities were finally exposed, could they face all that honestly while enduring hardships?

My Reviews:
1. It is not a typical Wuxia drama; instead, it is focused on politics, fighting between kingdoms, or internal kingdom conflict. It also focuses on the relationship of the main CP.
2. It is a love story between Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou during and post-amnesia.
3. The plot is slow and draggy, and not much excitement after she recovers from her amnesia.
4. Wang Chu Ran's acting ability is mediocre, but Zhang Wan Yi's acting is much better. However, their on-screen chemistry is good.
5. I don't care about the 2nd and 3rd CP, especially the reigning emperor and empress (3rd CP). Their lives are depressing, but they comfort each other and eventually show love and care for each other.
6. However, I must warn you that the plot loses its charm and becomes tedious after the amnesia recovery.

Overall, it is a watchable, refreshing look at costume drama. I enjoy it and give it a 7.5 rating.

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If you watched this then you should definitely read the novel. And if you haven't watched this yet, read the novel first and then maybe don't watch all of this.

I'm going to be honest, I really wanted to like this, not only because of the novel but also because of ZWY who I think is doing fantastically well. But sadly, I was left a bit underwhelmed.

The show on it's own sits okay, and hits all the right spots. It has your boss lady lead and her simpy boyfriend. Which is fine and I watch a lot of and love. But the drama watered down some of my favorite character traits of the leads.

The novel itself is fantastic so maybe I shouldn't have watched the show right after reading it. It made the ML much softer, which is a shame because I think ZWY would have done an amazing job portraying how intimidating and powerful CXZ is in the book. My love for the FL in the novel was how cheerful and over the top her love for her husband was, especially in the beginning. She had heart shaped glasses on the entire time, and I loved it. And both of them were so funny; their internal monologues were so fun to read, that I had hoped they would somehow incorporate it in the show.

The show kept a lot of the humor, but it made ML a lot softer and FL a lot harder. It also got rid of a lot of the periodic aspects that show social cues and rules, hierarchy and power-structures, and how difficult it is to be a woman alone. While they kept the fact that the trade guild wouldn't include women, it removed how difficult and harassing being a single woman is, especially in that time period.

They also changed a lot about FL and ML's relationship as bandit v. prince. I liked that ML thought of LW as his equal and his friend. I think this was one of the more positive changes from the novel, where in the novel LW was portrayed more of a villain causing chaos to help ZY, and they didn't have an understanding with each other. But with this change, they also tried to give FL more power, but at the same time, they stripped some power from ML.

In the novel, ML was super powerful and intimidating - a prince with his own army that made the court nervous and everyone wanted him on their side during the coup, so much so that he decided a war with a 1% chance of survival was a better option that getting involved in that mess. The only reason, in the novel, he got involved was because they were threatening LMT and his family. Otherwise he liked to keep his cards close to his chest. Only a few other characters stood up to him.

But in show, even the FL's uncle talks back to him (when in the novel he was so terrified they would be imprisoned and killed). They were also very inconsistent about how much power he had - whether it was as a prince or as a lord. It sometimes felt like he was just being walked all over by characters.

My biggest gripe is the FL's character. I loved her in the book, so it was a bit of a let down when she came out so stereotypical and... bland. I think CWR is a good actress, but maybe it was that I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads or that she was just not a fun character compared to her written counterpart.

I hate that I'm bashing this. This was, despite what the above may imply about what I think, a good story. I just wasn't as invested as I was in the novel. As a stand-a-lone, it is good and watchable. As an adaptation, it is lackluster.

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Fate, comedy, and conflict

“Are You the One?” captivates with a compelling premise: two rivals that become a fated couple whose love is threatened by a great lie. This setup immediately hooked me, as it’s clear from the outset that obstacles will stand in the way of their happiness. While a promising concept doesn’t automatically make for a great drama, I found that AYTO successfully delivered a satisfying viewing experience.

The drama excels with its engaging storyline, well-developed characters, talented cast, and a conclusion that manages to be pleasing. However, it does have its flaws.

Let’s start with the standout elements, beginning with the cast. I would like to start off by saying that the magic of great actors in comedic roles is undeniable. Having seen Zhang Wanyi in Lost You Forever, I was already aware of his impressive skills, but his performance in AYTO elevated my admiration. His portrayal of Cui Xingzhou diverges sharply from his previous role, yet he handles it with remarkable finesse. His comedic timing, whether through subtle facial expressions or his delivery, was spot-on. His tendency to speak in a whisper — which is something he did quite oftenly —, however, bothered me greatly at times, as it felt unrealistic that other characters could hear him when he spoke so softly.

Wang Churan, by contrast, had a less comedic role, though her early scenes were filled with humor that she executed brilliantly, forming a delightful duo with Zhang Wanyi. Her character undergoes significant shifts throughout the drama — arguably too drastic, though that’s more a writing issue than an acting one — but she consistently maintained a strong performance from start to finish.

Regarding the plot, a key topic of debate among viewers was the separation of Xingzhou and Miantang. Some felt Miantang forgave Xingzhou too quickly, while others thought she should have taken even longer or maybe not forgiven him at all. Personally, I appreciated the narrative choices here; their time apart felt justified, and their gradual reconciliation was coherent and believable. The pacing of their relationship was neither rushed nor dragged out, striking a balance that complemented the growth of both characters, who were well-crafted with relatable desires, fears, and distinct personalities.

One aspect I regretted was the waning romance between Xingzhou and Miantang after they officially got together. In the final episodes, their dynamic shifted from passionate lovers to more of a friendly rapport, which felt at odds given how recently they had married. Nonetheless, they remained the highlight of the drama.

Now, onto the elements that didn’t quite work for me:

A significant political event pivotal to the second half of the drama was glossed over with a simple time skip. This was a missed opportunity, as the event’s importance to the story warranted more on-screen exploration rather than being summarized off-screen. Though I do believe it shouldn’t be too dragged out, it would’ve been appreciated to see at least a little bit of those events.

As for the supporting characters, Shi Xueji emerged as a pleasant surprise, bringing kindness and warmth that resonated with viewers. However, her romance felt rushed towards the end, lacking depth. It did have a big potential, as we got to see Ziyu and her start to have feeling for each other and deeply care for one another. Ziyu, however, only let go of Liu Miantang in the very ending of this drama and at a point where I believe more time was needed for a good romance to be fully developed between him and Xueji.

He Zhen and Zhao Quan were engaging on their own, and their romance was charming when it aligned with the main plot. However, as their storyline diverged, it began to feel disconnected and unnecessary, leaving me questioning why so much screen time was dedicated to them when it no longer served the main narrative in a harmonious way.

My final verdict is that “Are you The One?” was able to leave a good impression and will probably stick with me for a while, as it was one of my favorite 2024 Dramas so far. It has its problems, some that could’ve been easily fixed, others not so much. In the end, however, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who’s thinking of giving it a go.

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Really good!

==Breakdown==
Background plot / palace intrigue - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good

Overall thoughts: This is my first drama with Zhang Wan Yi and my second with Wang Chu Ran. I *really* enjoyed Wang Chu Ran in Fireworks (with Yang Yang) and was excited to see her in a historical Cdrama. Zhang Wan Yi impressed me! He has such an interesting voice, I'm so glad he did his own dubbing as I think his inflections added a lot to the overall story.

Highly recommend for: Romance focused watchers in search of great chemistry paired with decent production values in a historical Cdrama.

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