This review may contain spoilers
The cuteeee ML FL
I absolutely love this show! The chemistry between the main leads is cuteee. While the plot is a bit mediocre and the episodes are quite long, the leads kept me engaged enough to watch all 40 episodes because I was curious about how their love story would going. Can't wait for Wang Churan new drama with Ling He and Cheng Lei. Omg trough this drama, I realized Wang Churan really good at potraying FL that cute but have a lot of secretsWas this review helpful to you?
Unique, Extraordinary, Cherished
My Top Points:1. The relationship arc and chemistry between the leads are amazing.
2. Wang Churan's emotionally intelligent acting is Extraordinary.
3. The writing has surprising depth and literary qualities.
4. If you're into very emotionally-charged storyline and psychological depth, the payoff can be powerful, ecstatic.
5. New government show length regulation forced the show to cut some non-critical scenes, leading to a few editing challengesm rough edges/dangling references.
This is an unusual and very emotionally intelligent show. It’s a deep study of trust, love, and redemption, best appreciated for its mature, psychological, artistic, and literary qualities. The setting is Song Dynasty China. The genre is primarily Chinese Historical Drama, blending elements of psychological depth, romantic comedy, and touches of warfare, martial arts, and Wuxia.
The casual viewer can enjoy its many light moments, but it rewards attentive viewing. There are layers of meaning, symmetries, symbolism, cross-episode references, and deeply human truths woven throughout. The character development, conflicts, and craftsmanship combine the best of Chinese dramatic tradition with a universality reminiscent of Shakespeare.
Don’t be quick to judge the morality, actions, or words of the main characters. This is a long-view story, paced according to real-time relationship psychology. The leads often understand far more than they express. Lies and truth, true love and circumstantial hate coexist — and the story shows how one can reclaim the good while rejecting the bad. The male lead is driven by guilt and undying love; the female lead, by fear and that same undying love.
Aside from the gorgeous lead actors, the visuals are interesting and highly stylized, particularly in regard to lighting and color palette choices. For example, they sometimes use a golden light filter during positive emotionally-charged scenes. Much of the interior design style is seems a trendy eclectic blend of Song Dynasty, Japanese Soji, and American Mission styles, which works for me. However, sometimes the use of fluorescent backlighting is arguably a bit much, and the number of candles can get comical. The original song and musical motifs/themes are very beautiful and touching.
Note: the scenes in the intro and outro montages — they’re out of sequence for thematic reasons, and there are meaningful patterns to notice. Also, several scenes were cut due to new government length regulation that necessitated pruning. This leads to some interesting ambiguities about timing and possible hidden connections, which I enjoy thinking about.
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Delightful romance with minimal palace politics
I hate when a show starts off as a romance and then gets bogged down in palace politics. Thankfully this drama gets it. There is some political backstory, but the main focus is on the couple...and they consistently bring the chemistry. There is awesome initial tension as the leads are (rightly) wary of one another, but their progression to love and appreciation for one another is a very natural and perfectly paced. This show is enjoyable on first watch for the suspense, but almost more enjoyable on rewatch when you can skip the boring second couple and just delight in the chemistry of our leads. Zhang Wan Yi as the ML is just as amazing or more so than he was in Lost You Forever, and the FL was excellently nuanced as well. It's a no-brainer--just watch it and enjoy.Was this review helpful to you?
Appreciation for this drama that turns out to be my best c-drama of 2024.
IMO the best drama of 2024. Used to be annoyed at Wang Churan's previous drama (becos of her indecisive character with Yang Yang) and didn't have any hope at her next project (i admitted by being bias becos impacted of the previous character). But i waited for the drama to end so i can binged watch, and it turns out as a great drama. Not the typical damsel in distress kind of Female character, know what she wants, know when she's wrong, although she's a dominant personality but know how to step back so that her man can step up and being pampered. Also able to stand beside her man whether in strategically planning or mere fighting is trully rare. Of course supported with the Male Lead character that are both funny and serious at the same time, thanks to ZWY new interpretation of the character. I read the translated novel and couldn't finished it becos of how red flagged the male character was. Despite being annoyed at some of the side character (ex. the aunt) but my sole focus are the main character (both female and male).Also despite the hate that WCR receive at the time they filmed this. She gave her best for this project that turns out great.
Thanks to this drama, I am now waiting for WCR and ZWY next project. I'm giving all the appreciation that this drama should have receive.
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A Captivating Blend of Humor and Emotion
The storyline of Are You the One? is both engaging and captivating. With a perfect blend of humor, it ensures that viewers remain entertained throughout. The comedic elements are well-timed, providing moments of genuine laughter, while the emotional scenes evoke feelings of sadness, joy, and a rollercoaster of mixed emotions, making it a truly immersive experience.The male lead deserves immense praise for his performance. His portrayal of the character is fantastic and executed with exceptional skill. He masterfully conveys emotions through his expressions and voice, which is both soothing and captivating. His nuanced acting makes the character come alive, and his performance is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the drama.
The female lead, on the other hand, is nothing short of breathtaking. Her beauty is unparalleled, and her screen presence feels like witnessing a stunning view in real life. Beyond her appearance, her acting skills are equally commendable. She brings depth and authenticity to her character, making her a joy to watch.
The chemistry between the leads, Wang Ye and Wang Fei, is mesmerizing and adds to the charm of the drama. Their performances were so impactful that I found myself missing them deeply after the drama ended. The entire cast and crew did an incredible job, delivering a show that leaves a lasting impression.
If you're looking for a drama that combines humor, emotion, and outstanding performances, Are You the One? is a must-watch. It's a journey you won't regret taking, and it will leave you wishing for more even after the final episode.
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Very Refreshing Drama
This show was light and absolutely beautiful. The second and third couples didn't dominate or take away from the ML and FL love story! The story did not drag out. The chemistry for all couples were totally in sync. I loved how they used the Empress' foodie habits as part of her character. I also didn't expect Zhang Wanyi to be so funny 🤣. After watching him in Lost You Forever, he was so serious but in this show he plays an entirely different character and does it so well. Wang Churan has grown on me... she's beautiful and talented. This is one of the best dramas for 2024. I saw people compared it to the Double. While I loved the double, it didn't really have alot of chemistry between the ML and FL. In this show the emotions between the ML and FL is on point.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Romance That Surprised Me in the Best Way
Okay, so Are You the One?? I loved it. Not perfect, but honestly, who cares? The plot wasn’t the most exciting thing just by reading the summary, but the execution? That is where this drama shines. The relationship between Cui Xing Zhou (Zhang Wan Yi) and Liu Mian Tang (Wang Chu Ran)?? SO GOOD. And honestly, making this a comedy was a genius move because without it, the story would’ve felt way more generic.Right from the start, Mian Tang loses her memory, forgetting that she was once the first lord of Mount Yang Shan—aka Liu Wen. And suddenly, she’s just this sweet, innocent girl with no recollection of her past, paired with scheming but hilarious Xing Zhou. Their dynamic?? Gold. I love how even in her amnesiac state, Mian Tang had business skills and stood her ground. When she started a porcelain business to help Cui Jiu, she refused to back down, even when people dismissed her because she was a woman. RESPECT. She wanted to help, because Xing Zhou had saved her, and honestly? That’s the kind of female lead I appreciate.
Xing Zhou himself?? Cunning. Ruthless. When Mian Tang woke up, the one memory snippet she did have was being set to marry a lord in Zhengzhou. And when she mistakenly assumes Xing Zhou is her husband?? Ohhh, he runs with it. His scheming brain activated because this was his chance to catch Liu Wen—so he pretends to be her husband, Cui Jiu. And honestly? I was kinda mad at his character at first (because Wan Yi portrayed him too well), but watching his gradual softening was so satisfying. You could see him starting to genuinely care for her because, well… he fell for her.
Now, the revenge arc??? YES. When Mian Tang starts regaining her memories and figures out that everyone lied to her, her innocence fades, and suddenly, she is terrifying. That final confrontation between her and Xing Zhou?? The way she stabs him in the chest with her hair pin??? ICONIC. And what really got me was the fact that Xing Zhou just lets her. He doesn’t resist, doesn’t fight back—because he regrets everything. Like, Wan Yi’s portrayal here was insane. The facial expressions, the silent pain, the sheer angst—you feel it.
Now, the second and third leads?? Love them. Zi Yu (Chang Hua Sen) and Shi Xue Ji (Yuan Yu Xuan) were such a great pair. Xue Ji’s simplicity and humility were exactly what Zi Yu needed as emperor. And honestly? Zi Yu’s whole arc was compelling. The son of the former crown prince, sent away for safety after his father was killed?? Of course he allied with villains to claw his way back. Like, yeah, he was kind of a dick, but I get it. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. And now that he’s emperor, he actually committed to fixing things, and choosing Xue Ji as his empress? Perfect choice. She’s not greedy—she just loves to eat. Relatable.
Zhao Quan (Zhang Chi) and He Zhen (Liu Ling Zi) were another standout pair. Quan was a happy-go-lucky noble, now matched with a businesswoman (which is honestly iconic in these misogynistic times). Their dynamic? Entertaining.
I also loved the growing relationship between Xing Zhou’s mother and Mian Tang. At first, she wasn’t thrilled because Mian Tang lacked noble status, but once she saw her intelligence and kindness, she got it. She understood why her son loved her.
The wedding scene? VIBRANT. COLORFUL. It was so sweet, and I actually giggled watching it. (Kilig is the perfect word, but explaining it in English feels impossible.)
Even the way they handled Zi Yu moving on was well done. No weird obsession, no dragging the second-lead-syndrome into crazy territory—just genuine, heartwarming closure.
Oh, and the fighting scenes?? When Mian Tang and Xing Zhou worked as a duo?? Amazing.
I also appreciated the lack of excessive CGI. It actually felt like a real set—tangible, unlike certain fantasy dramas that drown everything in visual effects.
And finally—we need a Zhang Wan Yi voice fan club. OMG. Every time I hear him say furen??? KILIG. And I don’t even speak Mandarin! But you can hear the desperation, the acting, the sheer emotion in his voice—it matches his facial expressions perfectly. Truly academy trained. I mean, he did graduate from Beijing Film Academy, so yeah, makes sense.
Now for the dislikes:
- Not enough fighting scenes. Mian Tang and Xing Zhou were established as equal both in brains and fighting—so why did we barely see that until the later episodes??
- The dubbing. Even though Zhang Wan Yi dubbed himself here (bless), Wang Chu Ran should’ve done the same.
- Xing Zhou’s styling. He looks exactly like his Lost You Forever role. I wish they switched it up a little.
- The ending should’ve been the wedding. After episode 38, catching the villain felt like a chore. I was so ready for it to wrap up with the wedding instead of dragging it further.
Final verdict? Loved the execution, loved the leads, loved the comedy, cried over the angst. Would I rewatch? Absolutely. Would I complain about the ending pacing? Also yes.
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THE BEST COSTUME DRAMA EVER! (10000/10 OMG)
THIS DRAMA IS PURE GOLD!!! From all the costume dramas I’ve watched (and trust me, it’s A LOT), "Are You The One?" is officially THE BEST. Like, no competition. I’m giving it a 10000/10 rating because it DESERVES. Lemme tell you why:First of all, Zhang Wanyi as Cui Jiu (a.k.a. Wangye) OMG. This man is not your typical cold, stoic, "I’m-too-cool-for-you" prince. Nope. This Wangye is the KING OF TANTRUMS and honestly, the most dramatic character ever. HE. IS. HILARIOUS. The way he’s always yelling or being petty?? ICONIC. I felt so bad for his assistant Moru, though poor guy just can’t catch a break from all the nagging. 😂
And Wang Churan as Miantang?? GIRL CRUSH ALERT. She is AMAZING. Strong, smart, and so supportive wife of Wangye. Every time she saves the day, I was just like, “YES, QUEEN, SLAY!” And don’t even get me started on her chemistry with Wangye. They literally invented flirting while fighting. The ending scene where they argue? Perfection. Their love language is just chef’s kiss.
This drama is FUNNY. Like, I legit laughed in almost every episode. The first few episodes were okay, but after episode 20? BOOM. It’s just next-level AMAZING. And don’t worry about the romance. it’s there, it’s beautiful, and even though there aren’t that many kissing scenes, you still feel ALL THE FEELS.
Not gonna lie, I usually don’t review dramas, but this one? I’ve already rewatched it THREE TIMES. THREE. TIMES. That’s how much I love it. I’m actually heartbroken it’s over and PRAYING for a season 2. Please, drama gods, make it happen!!
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Not the best out there but pretty good
So our main lead Cui Xinzhou is a local lord who is has to capture the bandits. In the process he finds our female lead Liu Miantang who was severely injured. Since he believes she was the lover of the leader of bandits he keeps her to lure the bandit. He then proceeds to lie and pretend to be her husband upto about 17 episodes. This all happens as Miantang suffered from amnesia. So the story is roughly divided into two parts- before she gains her memories and after she gains her memories. This was a summary.To start my review I would rate this drama a 7.2/10.
The plot is somewhat bearable compared to other idol dramas. It is intriguing, has a bit of mystery and comedy elements to it. The main problem was that it had a lot of major skips that was necessary for us viewers to understand the story better. Firstly, we don't know about the leads background properly. Cui's mother is called consort dowager but isn't that a tern used for a king's mother?? And who was his father? How was he involved in the fight for throne. Nothing is explained here. The same goes for female lead. Her family dynamics were not shown when it was relevant to the story as she lived in mount yang for 3 years.
The pacing is somewhat good. But as I said there is a major skip in the middle of the drama. And it was quite important. Left me all flabbergasted. Many plot lines which had a lot of potential was not executed nicely. Miantang was a martial arts expert and quite intelligent but after the first few episodes she did not showcase anything important. And there was no end goal for the drama. Like what is the purpose of our characters? They are not explaining it properly. Plus many characters end is not shown to us. Like what happened to them? How were they defeated? How did they dieee. We want to know.
I'd say Cui Xingzhou was the best character in this show. With all the problems he faced in every episode I am glad he did not turn mad. And you can clearly see the difference when he is with his wife and others. Shows how great of an actor he is.
Overall it was an okay drama. Cute, fluffy with some thrilling scenes. A well written plot is not the drama's strength but nevertheless was pretty enjoyable.
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Subtle comedy, perfect scriptwriter
Watch it in the context of comedy,deceit,politics, female inequality and you will enjoy it. It's not meant to be an epic story or Big twisted plot. The beauty is in the excellent script,the directing and editing.. The main leads were excellent actorsI thoroughly enjoyed the subtle humor. It's funny without the usual screaming whiny females or stupid scenes. This series is all about strong female characters, witty strategy and a bit of power politics
I think it would appeal to global audience rather than the traditional diehard mellow drama fans who expect pitiful crying or overdramatic deep plots. Just relax and enjoy the subtle humor and you will love it
Highly recommended
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Such a fun story!
There’s a lot to love about this one. ML is adorable. He’s a good guy who makes a mistake and just keeps digging himself deeper into trouble, even after he wants to correct it. Zhang’s facial expressions had me laughing- especially when his fake wife made moves on him. He’s usually so calm, but there are times that his face could tell the whole story. He was very fun to watch.I like that the female lead (and the secondary females) are very intelligent and competent while still remaining warm and compassionate. Too often the female leads are either cold or are just not smart. The women in this show are very well rounded and likable. I particularly enjoyed watching the empress grow into her role.
The men in the shadow guard were also fun to watch, trying to get out of the messes that their leader put them in, ha.
While some of it was predictable ,it was entertaining to watch the story unfold. And there were some unexpected twists. There was growth among all of the main characters, and that was heartwarming. It was a happy ending, with most of the loose ends tied up neatly, but not all of them. I enjoyed this one a lot.
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One of the best drama but the ending was so rushed, IMO ?
Honestly, I was totally obsessed with this drama at first! The cast was amazing, the cinematography was stunning, and the soundtrack was everything! The villains delivered impressive performances, making me love to hate them, lol. But around ep 22, things started to drag. I mean, Liu Mian Tang got her memory back and suddenly everything was just so... slow. And don't even get me started on Prince Sui. I was expecting this epic arch-nemesis, but he just ended up being a mama's boy. Like, what even was the point of their revenge plot? They could have easily done off with him from the first episode, duhhhOn the other hand, Marquis Zhennan was EVERYTHING. His humor was on point and kept me going even when I wanted to give up. And can we talk about Xue Ji and He Zhen's character development? I was so here for it! He Zhen went from potential rival to a loyal friend.
But, sadly, the drama just felt so rushed. Like, what happened to Prince Sui in the end? And his adopted daughter, Ms. Sun? And Lord Huaiyang's sister - why didn't she divorce that trash husband? The sudden dethroning of the puppy king and his mother without resistance was also unconvincing.
So many questions left unanswered. I'm giving it 9.5/10, mostly because of the amazing cast (WCR and ZWY, I'm looking at you!). They made the show worth watching, even if the pacing and plot fell short.
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