Romance drama? That's a ques mark
Ok so let me get the fact straight here with no lemgthy reviews just a quick peek a poo.The storyline is good with great potential like amy other chinese romance drama. So, you are gusessing why the rating is low. Then probable coz of cast. The FL is robot given his character the expression is null. Though they have good face cards that's the only bonus they got viewers but coz of FL mute expressions.
Romance scenes: yes they have romance scenelike holding hands, hugs, quality time the most teenagers desire. 0 kissing scene coz teh actress didn't want to have 1.
Waste of the potential of a good writing
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character interactions are its strong suit, story--not so much
First impressions: the trauma dump on the first ep is craazy. imo the synopsis is a bit misleading and maybe a bit spoilery bc the part where he goes abroad doesn't happen until like half of the show (ep 13). It starts with a "misunderstanding", which usually I would be kinda eh abt it, but since we don't really know the characters that well, I'm not particularly mad abt it.TLDR; Character interactions are better than the story tbh. You can tell this was adapted from somewhere--some parts were cut off or added on after the fact (a lot of flashback scenes). It's not that coherent imo. I love the besties-to-lovers plot though! And the second love interests aren't overly clingy or stubborn. The general messages of the story are really nice (not romance-related but still very good nonetheless). I think what I love the most about this show is the small things the couples do for each other. Acting is normal; not much in particular stands out. Music is nice to listen to, and the lyrics are beautiful. The ending left a bittersweet impression that happens when you enjoy the character interactions and don't want the show to end (I'm a sucker for the moments where all the actors get together and send off the viewers 😭). Rewatch value isn't too high imo just because the story doesn't flow completely.
Story: I love how they don't push the study abroad thing at the end. It literally is in the first ep before they even meet each other. I also love how the the ml's other love interest and the fl actually respect each other. The couples are so supportive of each other, and do sweet things when their partner isn't watching. The comedy is pretty funny, though. The second couple is also incredibly adorable. We love a functional family.. There's a lot of accountability in this story, which I really do appreciate. The proposal is quite unique, actually.
Acting/Cast: Acting didn't stand out to me too much, but it wasn't terrible either. Xu Zhi is a very forward person and a bit cheeky towards Chen Luzhou. I love the side banters they have--very funny. I also love her outfits as well as her bestie's too. Her hairstyle is also really cute and unique. The joking between the leads flows so well. They actually hug more than they kiss, which is fine by me, and tbh I might prefer that more just because it happens during sentimental moments. And everyone likes hugs, right?
Music: The singer reminds me of the one who sang the song in Meeting You, but the melody reminds me of the songs in The Glory.
Rewatch value: Although it's a short show compared to other ones I've watched, idk.. it's not incentive enough to rewatch something I already know the plot to.
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The "passionately" part of the title is a bit of a misnomer
Review8.5/10 is my rating. This is a solid, typical modern Chinese romance. I would recommend it to romance fans and would be willing to watch it again if it was on. It is predictable except for the main female character. She is very strong and autonomous. He is considered so handsome he literally has his pick of women. She is also very beautiful and has many admirers. And he hasn't shown much interest in romance until he runs into this woman who seems more interested in getting closer to his mother than to him. They are both so alike and so different at the same time it is easy to see how it works. He is more of the emotional one and she is the take it or leave it more carefree seeming type.
Some reviewers have criticized that there are not very good kissing scenes. While you don't get the close up of them actually kissing and it more often cuts away or shows it from an angle where it could easily be faked, I found that they had great chemistry, and they showed enough it was obvious they were kissing. But if you want zoom in details then you might be disappointed. I don't think the actress or actor had some kind of no kiss policy as several have speculated. I just don't think they saw the need to zero in to that degree. Which was fine by me but others that like the more intimate scenes might find it lacking.
Spoilers
A criticism many have of the series is, despite the title (passionately in love) the scenes where they are physically close either cut away or fall short of any display of passion. It is hinted at. They might even talk about "the kiss" after but there are no true kiss scenes. Which makes it hard to convey the passionately part. I thought it was a good romance and there was enough for me in that regard but if you are going to title something "passionately" then it really should show some passion. So, I get why other reviewers had that perspective.
I thoroughly enjoyed how fascinated he was with her for the simple fact that she did not fall all over herself for him. He was so unused to that, the anomaly alone had him hooked. But, I did get the sense she blew hot and cold as did he at times. They had the volatile temperament that only very young lovers might have. It could be frustrating at times, as one or the other drifted for no meaningful reason, but it was more real that way.
I mean what teenage boy is not going to be interested in a girl that calls a guy out talking smack about you, challenges him to a race, and wins. Forces him to apologize for saying all kinds of mean boy things. She races a motorcycle. That has to be some teenage boy's fantasy. But, beyond that, she provided the emotional security and sense of home he so desperately needed.
I was disappointed he did not ever reconcile with his biological father. His dad was wrong to turn his mother away, but he had spent a lifetime making up for it and regretting. He was very humble, took all the blame, and apologetic. He didn't know what had happened to his son and he was in an accident after all. I have seen characters forgive a parent for much more egregious behavior. So, that was a little disappointing that storyline did not play out to a more satisfactory conclusion.
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Synopsis
This is a 2025 Chinese Romance drama with 24, 45-minute episodes
Chen Lu Zhou (Anyu Wang) was adopted by a wealthy family and feels like he can never say no. He strives to be the perfect son and never disappoint his adopted parents, particularly his mother. There has not been many occasions when he has wanted anything from himself. Exceptionally handsome, girls have always chased him but he has never found anyone that had attributes that held his interest. That is until he met Xu Zhi (Liu Haocun) who is beautiful, smart and does not seem particularly interested in him. Xu Zhi meets Lu Zhou knowing he is soon to go abroad so does not take the relationship seriously. But as the two continue to interact and Lu Zhou realizes that not only is the girl smart, she is one of the top scorers. Her beauty and brains are very attractive to him but it is also her uniqueness. Not only is she unlike any other girl he has known, she races motorcycles. The two must navigate their promising futures, elders expectations, and their own hesitancy on a winding path of love.
#BePassionatelyInLove #LiuHaocun #AnyuWang
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Fall Into Our Passion is a heartfelt gem ?—a beautiful C-drama full of pure emotion and charm.
(Be Passionately in Love) is an absolute delight 🌸—a beautiful C-drama that sweeps you up in pure, heartfelt emotion.Let’s start with the cast: impeccable. Every single actor nailed their role, but it’s the leads who steal the show. FL is nothing short of a queen 👑—graceful, strong, and captivating. She radiates warmth and depth, making every scene she’s in utterly mesmerizing. ML? Handsome, charming, and oh-so-talented—seriously, he’s acting “chef’s kiss” 👨🍳😘. Their chemistry is sweet without being over-the-top, and the subtlety of their romance makes it all the more genuine.
Yes, some viewers fussed over the blurred kiss scenes, but honestly—who cares? The romance is already beautifully conveyed through stolen glances, tender moments, and emotional depth. Sometimes a little modesty adds layers of meaning. It’s not about fireworks—it’s about the quiet, soul-stirring love that feels so real you can almost touch it ✨.
All supporting characters bring energy and sincerity, rounding out a story that’s engaging from start to finish. The drama strikes a perfect balance: heartfelt, emotive, and refreshingly modest in a world that often goes too far.
In short: Be Passionately in Love is a stunning jewel of a C-drama—beautifully acted, beautifully written, and beautifully felt. If you want a romance that’s pure, sweet, and emotionally honest, this is your gem 💎❤️.
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SHOULD I WATCH BE PASSIONATELY IN LOVE?
Should I Watch be Passionately in Love?Be Passionately in Love is easily one of the most heartwarming Asian romances you will ever watch. But it tends to leave it’s audience with a diverse misunderstanding of how the relationship of the main couple is supposed to be portrayed. Causing it’s viewers to express that it ultimately lacked the “passionate love” despite being written in the title. Overall resulting in a misunderstood version of the novel-based love story. While some claim it to be misleading and hold a boring dialogue, I am able to give you two conclusions of why this a must watch romance adaption!
Why should you watch this drama despite it’s mid ratings? You cannot and will not go wrong with this drama. From the original sound track, to the character development, family friendly aesthetic, and so on. That is if it’s viewed the way that the story was originally illustrated on screen.
With a total of 24 episodes, this novel-based drama starts off with a girl named Xu Zhi and a boy named Lu Zhou. They meet as young adults and the female lead pursues the male lead’s friendship after the intentions of trying to meeting his mother. However, the boy starts to convey strong feelings for her. Not yet acknowledging any feelings towards him, she also eventually see’s in a romantic aspect. Leading to the two developing a small but passionate first relationship. Unfortunately not long after their relationship forms the boy ends up leaving their home town to attend college abroad. Causing them to part ways and end their relationship. In conclusion he ends up returning and enrolls into her college in pursuit of her.
THE DRAMA IS NOT ACCURATE TO THE TITLE..
You may be thinking, “This sounds like a passionate and intimate drama!” It most certainly is, if you’re a patient viewer. We don’t get to see the main characters fully embrace one another until towards the end of the Asian series. From them starting off as young and “crushing” on one another, to the show ending with the leads older and united passionately in love. Even though the two reunite when they’re of older age they once again are able to reconnect the playful, innocent, relationship they had previously left off with. Forming another purpose in which some viewers deny the drama to be accurate to the title. The audience wasn’t expecting the type of passionate love that was displayed on TV. Which brings me to my first basis.
The 2025 Chinese drama faces some backlash due to it’s portrayal of staged kissing scenes. According to the media the lead actress of this drama, Liu Hao Cun is known in china for keeping a family friendly image. To the point of having a none kissing contract. Affecting her roles on the big screen. Despite this being in the drama over time the so called staged kisses between the actors become replaced by hugs and cuddles. Exceeding a playful relationship of affection towards one another. This twist in the drama has caused some viewers to immediately drop the novel adaption upon the discovery of the female leads contract. Because of the opposed contract audiences complain that the show Isn’t actually accurate. Where as I solemnly would disagree. Although the novel contains intense kissing scenes the drama shifts towards a more family friendly environment. It also shows us that lovers can absolutely show affection towards one another without there necessarily being a need for kissing.
THE ACTORS LACKED CHEMISTRY..
This is another frequent complain that’s fully displayed amongst the observers of this drama. Once again I will have to disagree, and here is why. The dynamic relationship of the couple in this Viki series can be seen as distinctively different from relationships in other dramas. It’s not your average, “Insecure girl chases after the cold shoulder cool boy” love story. This brings me to my second and final conclusion of why this drama is so misunderstood. The “lack of chemistry” people seem to often point out is actually the result of character/relationship development. In another sense the characters have to first grow individually before they can embrace their relationship amongst each other passionately. Resulting in a full dedicated love for one another.
In the novel the male lead returns to China in hope of resuming the spark him and the female lead had previously blew out. Even to the point of trying to enroll in her college. However, in the novel Lu Zhou (the male lead, also known as Lucy) is described to have a rough exterior due to past family trauma but portrays a soft poetic side to Xu Zhi. Whereas, Xu Zhi is interpreted to be resilient and witty. (Often being followed with the nickname, president Zhi) As the story continues with Lucy trying to pursue her again president Zhi is continually seen through the novel to suppress her emotions around Lucy and others. This leads viewers of the live action adaption to assert to the claim that the actors/characters were missing chemistry. But I can assure you this is not the case. The reason behind this common misinterpretation is due to the fact that in the novel President Zhi was yet to fully embrace her love to Lucy. We learn that it was unfortunately due to her experience with family trauma at a young age. Lu Zhou is able to relate and acknowledge this. Upon this matter she later in the show is able to convey stronger emotions towards him and her family. Meanwhile Zu Xhi also continues to show her full support to Lu Zhou as he deals with his family ordeals. In the end they both end up overcoming their traumas. Thus almost bringing my last conclusion to an end, which tells us that it’s not that the actors who lacked chemistry. In fact they were able to do such a phenomenal job at portraying these characters. Having us convinced at the beginning that there was something “missing”. Only to give us an ending to their love story we typically never would’ve imagined. They never once lacked chemistry, it was all part of a beautiful process. In the end I could actually feel the passionate love for one another. A passionate unconditional kind of love.
Lastly but certainly not least. The way the actors were able to articulate Zhi’s and Zhou’s developing relationship from the novel and bring it to life was outstanding to watch. By the end of the series, I could feel the joy that president Zhi and Lucy felt even when just glancing at one another. They were finally able to express their passionate love. Now to give a final conclusion towards my thesis about this romance drama. Yes, Be Passionately in Love is a misunderstood must watch gem. Are you willing to set aside it’s negative feedback and review the romantic Chinese adaption for yourself?
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Wasted potential.
In my very unbiased and honest opinion, this had the potential to be my next comfort drama after TBT, but the casting director and the scriptwriter fumbled so hard. The storyline was simple, fun, and lighthearted—right up my alley—but the execution is where it fell flat. What could’ve been a nice watch ended up feeling more like a typical drama. I wouldn’t say I disliked it because I did watch it until the end (which is pretty rare for me these days), but it definitely could’ve been a lot better.The first seven episodes set the mood for a fun and exciting ride, but soon it lost its charm. The pace was fine, except for a few abruptly edited scenes. The leads, in the beginning, were cute, and their interactions were fun. But I think there were a lot of inconsistencies in the main characters—especially the FML. Her character was a bit odd at times. I failed to understand why she kept rejecting the idea of dating him while actively flirting with him. She didn’t seem to care about any of the people around her—be it her dad, BFF, or Chen Louzuo.
I get that she was supposed to be closed off, but there was no character development.
On the other hand, WAY nailed Chen Louzuo. The character itself was a green flag. I loved the way he looked at her—you could tell this man saw her as the love of his life, unlike her. Their relationship was basically 80% and 20%.
If we talk about the romance part (which is pretty much the whole concept of the drama), it was more cute than passionate—as the title suggested it would be. I didn’t mind that, except the badly edited fake kissing scenes made me cringe, and all the talk about their “passionate love” gave me secondhand embarrassment. I get the frustration of people who enjoy watching intimate scenes, but even as someone who really enjoys hugs and gentle love, they failed in that aspect too.
That said, the chemistry was swoon-worthy—though the lack of skinship drove me nuts.
The blame os entirely on the casting director for choosing an actress who doesn't intimate scenes for a drama that 1only required that. I love LHC, but this role should've been given to someone else. WAY carried the drama on his back.
The proposal was so cute, but I wish they had shown their wedding instead of that low-budget photoshoot.
I really liked Zhou Yanqi’s character. I wish we had seen more of him and Cai Yinying. They robbed us of their romance—I was waiting for a confession, but it never happened.
The ending wasn’t satisfying enough.
The OSTs were the best part of the drama.
Overall, it seems like I criticised this drama a lot—but I didn’t dislike it, and I’d still recommend it if you’re in the mood for a non-toxic drama without any evil characters.
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A bit disappointment the way there's no actual kissing scene
I love the story and how they act the drama to the end , it's just that it's feel a bit off as there's no actual intimate contact the leads at all. There is but not to the point of passionate love at all, I love the FL act but I think she doesn't show enough emotion for her role and wang anyu acting is really good it may not be the best but alteast on top. He was really good expressing his emotions that the one who is watching him got really affected, the way he smiles, and cry. But overall it was good I enjoyed the way wang anyu leads the drama ☺️Was this review helpful to you?
The good things is this is one of drama that I like almost all of the OST. Wang Anyu eyes is speaking to me. Liu Haochun potray Xu Zhi character so good. To people that said FL is rude than I can guess what drama you usually watch. Xu Zhi is not your usually FL in romance Cdrama. Xu zhi is not love brainsick FL. She is focus to her goal. Her career, but she is not denying her feeling too. To her, relationship is progressing development together. I do feel sad too though in the basketball scene when CLZ get angry because TX come to see FL. But its ok, its not because she is cheating or purposely hurting CLZ. She doesn't realize how insecure actually CLZ despite how relaxed he is look. It's the flaw of the character and it's make her human. Character need flaw to make it feel real
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Passionately in Love Limited... :(
Cute introduction to our cast.Interesting plot so far...into episode 4.
All finished. Overall, I watched it. Probbably will not rewatch.
I enjoyed Wang AnYu charater developments. It really brought out the challenges he faced and a lost child trying to understand what to do between parental respect and self respect.
As for Lui HoaCun i still feel her charater was strategacally portrayed to be a withdrawn reserved female to reflect the challenges of her charater, However, the character arc remained hit and miss. Just when i felt her charater was maturing she would revert to the early charaterization. *Not so great for story arc and CP chemsitry credibility.
Others mentioned the lack of credible chemistry or lack of kisses for the CP. Apparently there was new C-drama reguations for "underage charaters" but even the intimate emotional connections seemed to be carried by the ML. Less portrayal of mutual love or trust between the CP's.
Yes, there is a happy ending in the very last episode. but ends up rushing to explain how they fullfill staying together and move into next stage of their life.
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'THERE IS NO REAL DESPAIR, ONLY PRISONERS OF THEIR THOUGHTS' :O)
Be Passionately in Love is a gorgeously shot, expertly acted drama that suffers from a major identity crisis. It's like being invited to a five-course gourmet meal, only to find out the main course is a beautifully plated picture of a steak. Firstly, the title vs. the execution. For a show called Be Passionately in Love, there is a staggering lack of physical intimacy. Due to the lead actress's reported 'no-kissing' clause, the drama relies on 'fade-to-blacks', forehead touches, and camera angles that do a lot of heavy lifting. It creates a strange tension where the characters say they are burning for each other, but the screen remains polite and lukewarm.Secondly, if there's a reason to watch this, it's Wang Anyu. Playing Chen Luzhou, he manages to convey a level of longing and smitten desperation that feels 100% autthentic. He's doing the work of two people to convince the audience that this relationship is high-stakes. Whether he's bickering or pining, his performance is the anchor that keeps the story from drifting into 'just friends' territory. Xu Zhi is not your typical bubbly C-drama heroine. She's cold, nonchalant, and hyper-focued on her architecture goals ( she wakes up at 4AM, the true horror of the show). Some viewers find her 'robotic', but I see it as a realistic depiction of a guarded girl with a complex family past. The problem is that when you pair a 'cold' character with a 'no-kissing' rule, the romance can feel one-side, like the male lead is chasing a beautiful statue.
Moreover, despite the 'plataonic' passion, the show is actually a very soothing, high-quality watch. It captures that specific feeling of young, pure love where a simple hairband or a shared umbrella feels like the world. It's a 'slow-burn' that eventually just...stays slow.
In conclusion, watch it if you want a 'healing' drama with a magnetic male lead and stunning visuals. Skip it if you need the 'passion' in the title to actually be on the screen.
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A Wonderful Blend of Old and New Generation Concept.
I believe this makes the story more interesting: the CP explicitly reduces the romance aspect to help young viewers understand that, even when dating and filled with passion, the best way to approach a relationship is to keep it simple and a bit grounded. While the novel may contain steamy scenes, the focus of the series is on personal growth. The steamy elements are toned down to make the story more suitable for today's youth, allowing teenagers to learn valuable lessons in a time when many topics are more open and less taboo. Personally, I would prefer to share stories like this with my younger siblings.Was this review helpful to you?
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Passionately in love what now? Not at all
I dropped this after multiple kiss scenes that were zero kissing.Please China stop casting girls who refuse to kiss in your romance dramas. Like minimal kissing is ok when the story is written well, but cutting away when a kiss is about to start and giving us the sky or a tree and then expecting us to feel and chemistry or sizzle, um no, it died a sudden death.
The story isn’t even strong. It’s been a struggle to even watch up to this point, I don’t want to even waste my time any more because thats what this feels like. I total waste of time. Even the ML can’t salvage this one. Disaster drama.
Dropped.
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