K-Drama 
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Don’t judge until you watch
Chemistry is more than just kiss scenes. Anyu is one my favorite MLs. His acting is always on point. I’m watching this FL for the first time, and she has done a good job too. Yes, I agree there are no kiss scenes. but, that doesn’t mean that there is no chemistry. I can feel the tension, love and emotions just by watching it. It definitely is that cute bubbly kind of romcom. Maybe people have gotten used to watching those steamy kisses and romance in every drama. But, I have been watching Cdramas even before those existed. so maybe that’s why I don’t feel like this series is lackingWas this review helpful to you?
It's good drama ,soft drama❤️? Edited this little bit off sometimes
At first I seen negative comments but of course they have their opinions but if your only saying only watching 2 or 3 episode then it's not fair it's actually so good when it comes in 8 th episode,I was like when is next episode? Iam really hooked with it.Next about story ,the story is about a two 19 yr old leads male lead is chen luozhou he is like a bit cold outside but soft inside character,he have good skill in photography,basketball and female lead is xu zhi she is not like other leads who act cute if she is already cute in her face but she is a brave girl,who is good at studying they meet unexpected and become friends ,he will fall for her at first sight eventually she will too there are second leads they are a fun ones. More i will describe when I watch full
Male lead is one of my favourites Wang anyu ,I liked him in forever love and fly with you,he is actually an fun chilling guy ,and handsome too.
Actress is liu haocan , actually i didn't watched any other drama because of the story line ,i watched a movie of her with song weilong it's good ,she is effortlessly beautiful i realised in this drama ,she has an cute charm ,feels like she will act only like cute clinging characters but she acted majority of her dramas like a brave girl ,in this drama also ,she can ride motorcycle that's really cool.
Now iam here again watching full episodes,i completely liked the story ,of course iam also here for Wang anyu like others he did his best ,he didn't had any problem in this drama,now fl iam not taking anything away above off her I like her personally bcoz of her beauty ,but still she didn't have to choose this drama if she can't do kissing scenes i feeled like this drama will be a bit and this drama make Wang anyu more famous ,but unfortunately the kissing scenes issue really made a lot impact in this because of fl ,she can act in thriller crime things not romance ,the ml who act with her in romance drama will not getting appreciation with that , that's a problem, I hope she will see our comments and don't act in romance or act with kissing scenes but it her choice ,I just said what we wanted to see in an romantic drama that's it.
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I really love it regardless of everything
If you have ever met any distant personality person in your life, you will get Xu Zhi. That's all I can say.When I watched it, it was airing and there wasn't that much review online, So I gave it a try and I don't regret it.
l had these kind of distant reserved friend who were so emotionally private. I can tell that they are not what they seem like. So many people said that Xu Zhi is rude and too distant. But she was very much secure in herself and held her ground and I admire that so much. In terms of romance, not every love has to feel intimate. Yes it said "passionately" but passion doesn't lie on kiss and intimate moments. Passion can be felt by actions and efforts which Xu Zhi and Chen Luzhou both gave. 8 just don't get the hate. I will love it always and those who are contemplating, give it a try, you may like it.
*English is not my first language so ignore my mistakes<3*
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This review may contain spoilers
'Sometimes, healing begins with being truly seen.'
Watching this drama reminded me that as long as your love is genuine, things find a way to work out.Xuzhi’s relationship with her father touched me deeply. A single father who raised her with everything he had — not in grand gestures, but in daily effort and quiet devotion. She never forgot her mother either, still dreaming of her, still seeing her as a guiding figure in her heart. That kind of emotional memory… it doesn’t fade with time, it deepens.
And then there’s Chen Luzhou — perhaps the most sensible male lead I’ve seen in a drama. His restraint, his patience, his quiet strength... only some may truly understand the fury he hides. He never let himself cry in front of his parents, but he broke down in front of Xuzhi. That wasn’t weakness — that was trust. He finally let himself be vulnerable with someone who truly saw him for who he is.
His struggle to give love, when he never really received it, was one of the most emotional parts for me. He kept moving homes, not out of restlessness, but because none of those places felt like home.
" Xuzhi wanted to love. Luzhou was yearning for someone’s love. "
This drama doesn’t rush its emotions. It allows space for silences, for misunderstandings, for healing. It’s tender and real. And long after the final episode, I think it’s going to stay with me.
A note on the title: I’ve seen some viewers say they felt misled because there are no ‘proper’ kiss scenes, despite the title Be Passionately in Love. But to me, the passion in this story was never about physical intimacy — it was about the emotional depth, the silent sacrifices, and the intense longing both characters held. You can feel their love in a glance, in a pause, in every moment they choose to stay — and that, too, is passion.
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This review may contain spoilers
just a heads up, this is my personal take!
started watching: june 2this drama is so painfully realistic, i was literally bawling the moment they said goodbye, like why didn’t they just try to make it work? why didn’t they fight harder? why didn’t they say, “let’s at least try”? and yet… i know EXACTLY WHY. i hate that i understand. i hate that their reasons make sense, cause sometimes love alone isn’t enough. sometimes letting go is the only way to protect what you had. there were these moments when one of them would glance at the other when they weren’t looking, just to memorize them one last time or when they tried to smile even when everything inside them was crumbling.
today is june 7 and i just finished watching it last night (june 6) but i couldn’t bring myself to review it right away. i still feel so empty. it’s like i left a piece of myself in that drama.
as much as i loved WIFTY (my top 1), Be Passionately in Love hit me on an entirely different level. yes, WIFTY was perfect, comforting, beautifully written but Be Passionately in Love was imperfect in the most human way. and maybe that’s exactly why i loved it even more. it wasn’t trying to be flawless. it was messy, it was complicated, it was emotional. it showed love in its rawest, most vulnerable form.
a lot of people online were saying the female lead ruined the drama by not allowing kissing scenes but honestly? that didn’t bother me at all. not one bit. because the chemistry was still so alive. the tension. the yearning. the way they looked at each other like the world had stopped moving. the flirting. the way their eyes said everything their lips never had to. THAT did it for me. especially Wang Anyu’s eyes, the way he stares, like he’s holding back lifetimes of pain and love all at once… tore me up fr.
what i appreciated most was how the story didn’t drag their pain forever, it resolved their traumas. it was so intentionally paced, healing happened at the right moments, not too early, not too late. everything fell into place like it was meant to.
i didn’t even realize i was crying at first. deep down, i recognized that kind of ache. that fear of letting love in, only to possibly lose it again... hits a little too close.
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Their story makes me want to fall-in-love
"Love is not all about reckless impulse and romance. Love should also make people brave and strong."A coming-of-the-age film.
Being a critic of book vs its live drama production, it cannot be denied that there would always be contrast and distinction, not only on visual presentation and imaging art or with the way the drama tells its story but specifically how it was portrayed.
The selected actors have done it under their own interpretation which I like. You cannot see these type of acting nowadays since some of youth drama are into cutesy. But them, they made it more into an emotionally charged youth drama (like the way of throwing their lines). On this drama, their lines were said like how we could hear the words on daily life - so heartfelt, genuine and real.
It's the camera works/directing that disappoint me. Sure, some important scenes be sweet and lovey-dovey but why would they shot/cut in that position. Fortunately, I am not swayed with those since it bounce back to the way they act. The chemistry is surely chemistrying.
Overall, I would like to rewatch the series to rekindle the visual portrayal of XuZhi and ChenLuZhou. Have a happy watching.
Their story makes me want to fall-in-love.
"Love is not all about reckless impulse and romance. Love should also make people brave and strong."
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Wang Anyu was the most perfect ml casted in this. I don't believe that anybody else would have done as much justice to the character had it not been him. First time discovering him and WOW, I'm blown away by his acting. Sadly, it was stifled by the fl actor. I feel so bad for him- he really carried the show on his shoulders, his emotions were felt through the screen before he even delivered his lines. I've never seen anything like it.
Now, onto the not so good parts. The show is called "Be passionately in love" but that passion was very much one-sided. Throughout the show, you could see Chen Luzhou's character develop and become open and vulnerable with his feelings, which in turn matched his words and actions. The fl however, stayed the same. No growth. No understanding or consideration for him, even though she expected those things from him. Her "feelings" for him, didn't match with her actions. Also, she's frustratingly selfish throughout their relationship. For instance, Chen Luzhou experienced a traumatic event and the first thing that comes out the fl's mouth is, "do you miss me?" Girl, be so freaking for real?!? 😤
The guy compromised so much of himself throughout the course of their relationship and she literally stayed the same, if not worse. I don't understand why anyone would put any effort to be with someone like the fl's character.
Anyway, it was great until it wasn't. The second leads were enjoyable to watch too. All the other characters like the fathers and the math geek guy were funny.
Loved Wang Anyu's performance in the show. Can't wait to see him in more things.
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"Passionately in love" except lacking the passion
I absolutely love wang anyu even though my only drama I've watched of his before this was the last immortal. I love him so much that I decided to finish watching this entire drama for him, and trust me, he really makes this drama and he seems like the only thing that makes this drama. First of all, he had exceptional chemistry with Zhao lusi whether it was bts, interviews, or in the last immortal and I can not believe that they lowkey ruined this story with ZERO CHEMISTRYY. I swear to god he really really really tried and you could sometimes feel it and then it disappears because of the fl. Don't get me wrong, I love liu haocun, I think she was so cute and great in 'just for meeting you' with song weilong, but I think this is a sign that romance dramas are not for her. lets put aside her no kissing clause in her contracts, there are SO many ways for passion, tension, tender romance to be portrayed through intimate moments WITHOUT kissing. get outta here with those cuts and weird editing of them 'kissing'. I'd rather no kiss be portrayed at all in fact. I didn't know how bad it was that there was no kissing until I watched this. but yk what. idk if kissing could have saved it either. liu haocun is a great actress and I fully believe this, but when it comes to acting out the character of a young girl in love, she just can't do it. YOUR BEAUTIFUL EYES CANT SAVE YOU THIS TIME!! she is truly so cold with the ml, ik we love seeing the guy fall first and harder but it doesn't work if we don't believe the girl likes the guy at all. the acting was just lacking in terms of chemistry and intimacy - you don't really feel those butterflies you're supposed to. I get that she's supposed to always suppress her emotions because of her past with her mom, but even after that whole thing got resolved it's not like she changed much towards the ml. line delivery was also a little stiff on her end, it didn't seem natural. the story was also really lacking to be honest, they break up for like 2 months and then get back together. they made it sound like they reunited after a year or two in the synopsis. she wanted to get to know him for his mom. are u kidding me. on a side note, I loved the second couple. yingying was so lively and cute and the actress for that now has a new fan. final note, Zhu yangqi lowkey looks like wu lei at times. don't watch this if you're used to naturally flowing chemistry, it'll be kind of a hard watchWas this review helpful to you?
Female actor disappointed
This story is telling about the romance between the teenager from high school to university. The romance and relationship bonding on each other. But after the female actor and male actor did not perform this chemistry out. It spoil the drama. No touching point. No feeling sense of touch. Kissing part all being cut. If the female is so sensitive about this. Then she should not have take this role. If male cannot proceed, he also should not have take the role. The whole drama need to produce the romance chemistry from the flow of story, kissing scene and others.Was this review helpful to you?
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A Warm Romance Without the Usual Clichés
Be Passionately in Love is a very heartfelt and soothing university romance that feels a bit more realistic than the usual C-drama romances, with fewer clichés and unnecessary conflicts. It is a sweet, light story about young love, friendship, family, and growing up. There isn't a major love triangle, endless misunderstandings, or characters constantly behaving out of character, and I really appreciated that the characters generally act their age.I really liked both leads. Xu Zhi is a refreshing FL because she isn't clumsy, naïve, overly bubbly, or instantly head-over-heels in love. She feels like a normal girl with her own goals and personality. Chen Luzhou may seem cold and arrogant, but underneath that is a very vulnerable person dealing with abandonment and identity issues. Learning about his childhood and why he works so hard made me feel genuinely sorry for him. I especially loved how he could finally allow himself to be vulnerable around Xu Zhi.
The romance is soft and mostly built around flirting, conversations, small gestures, and slowly developing feelings. I understand why some people were disappointed by the lack of a kissing scene, but personally, it wasn't a major issue for me. Their relationship still felt sweet and affectionate, and I liked watching their casual connection gradually become something deeper.
The family relationships were another highlight, especially Xu Zhi's relationship with her father. I loved how the drama showed parents aging and how the leads slowly learned to understand them with more compassion and forgiveness. Chen Luzhou's family and identity struggles also added more emotional depth without turning the family drama overly toxic.
I also really loved the filming locations. Everything looked warm, peaceful, and beautiful, and the setting added a lot to the overall comforting atmosphere of the drama. I liked the locations so much that I actually had to check whether Qingyi was a real place. The editing, however, definitely felt lacking at times and could have been much better.
The friendships and second couple were also really cute, and I liked that they added warmth without taking over the main story. My biggest issue was the breakup storyline. We know from the beginning that Chen Luzhou is expected to study abroad, but I felt the separation was unnecessarily complicated. A proper conversation between the leads about long distance could have solved a lot of it, and the storyline wasn't integrated as smoothly as I would have liked. There were also a few plot inconsistencies and situations that ended too quickly before the story moved on.
Overall, it isn't a perfect drama, but it is a warm, charming, beautifully filmed romance with likeable leads, wholesome friendships, meaningful family relationships, and very little unnecessary drama. It might not redefine the genre, but if you're looking for a light and heartfelt university romance, I think it is definitely worth watching.
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a different FL actress
**My Thoughts on *Be Passionately In Love***First of all, the drama was just okay for me overall. My main concern is with the casting choice for the female lead (FL). Given the title *Be Passionately In Love*, I expected a more emotionally and physically expressive performance—especially when it comes to romantic scenes.
I completely respect the actress’s personal boundaries and principles, particularly regarding kissing scenes. However, I feel that if those limitations are in place, she may not have been the best fit for a drama that clearly aims to deliver intense romantic chemistry. The show has potential, and perhaps with a different FL, it could’ve delivered the passion the title promises.
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Missing passion and boring drama
Waiting for damn express to be over and then I’ll finish this at very high speed, some thoughts for nowThis goes on my disappointing list of 2025. That drama didn’t hook me at all, finding it boring and I am not attached, invested in anything…. Such a lame story. Even for just 24 eps, this is too long.
Everyone talks about it, that topic will never end, but I’ll still give my two cent. A drama without kissing scenes can be okay, even if it’s not my preference (I love a good romance with great skinship and chemistry), if it’s done well and depending of the story. Like exemple, I think it was okay in The demon hunter’s romance. (Even if we got a little peck kiss in that one). It had not passionate kiss, but I pretty much enjoyed the romance either way. At the same time, that drama wasn’t main focus on romance, so we had other things going on
And if the actors can still portray chemistry well and still some kind of intimacy (can be hugs, the eyes speaking, tension, holding hands, cheek or forhead kiss, etc…). We got some of that in here, but for a drama mainly on romance, it was lacking to me, The worst in this drama is not the no kissing scenes policy, it’s that this script was definitely written with intimacy and kissing scenes…. I don’t know who made those choices, but fake weird angle kisses was such an horrible idea. I am not in this to watch a « kids romance ». And then talking about the « passionate kiss, good kisser or whatever » damn weird since we know none of that happened. Just like the hickey…. Such missed opportunity, when you know that atmosphere, scene would have been perfect for a passionate kiss, but we get ML trying, obviously see they aren’t kissing, even looks like his lips are on her nose, her doing absolutely nothing. Ruining the moment. Mistake and miscast were made unfortunately. Maybe that was the less expensive solution, I don’t know, but instead of those fake kiss, couldn’t they modify the script a little and completely getting rid of kissing scenes and having more something else ? But at the same time, would it really had been better, if she’s clearly not comfortable in being close or anything at all 🤷♀️ another possibility someone actually said in the comments, a double for kissing scene 😅 anyway, would another actress really had made this drama better for me, not sure since I don’t even like the plot in general
He’s handsome, but the second guy is completely unnecessary in the story
The leads look good together at least I guess
If we take out the romantic side, I don’t think she’s a bad actress. She just need to find a drama that have 0 romance and mostly 0 contact with male costar if she’s not confortable and can’t act the part. Waiting to see in her next drama starting next week to see how she does
Want An Yu is great. He mostly carried this. It was not my first drama of him (this one is like the fourth ?), even if it was mid, most recent one, I think he gave a great performance in « Such a good love » this year, I knew he would be good here too.
I’ve seen a few comments about it, but I agree the the music wasn’t bad
Directing, editing and all could have been better at time
To be continued…..
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