Fake It Till You Make It

Fake It Till You Make It – A Slice of Life Served Hot and Honest

Just wrapped up my second watch (yes, second — no regrets) of Fake It Till You Make It, including the bonus episodes, and I genuinely feel like tracking down the writer just to give her a standing ovation... and maybe a fruit basket. What an absolute gem of a script. It's rare to find storytelling this sharp without being pretentious, emotional without being sappy, and funny without trying too hard.

Despite already knowing how things would unfold, it somehow still felt brand new. From episode one to the final special, I had a smile stuck on my face like it was paying rent. I honestly don't know how they pulled it off — it's like comfort food for the soul, but with better dialogue.

Elvis Han as Xu Zi Quan? Effortlessly magnetic. He doesn’t just act — he flows. Every gesture, every smirk, every emotionally constipated moment — spot on. And pairing him with Elvira Cai as Tang Ying? Inspired. I wasn’t familiar with her before, but this performance made it clear she’s not here to play — unless it’s psychological chess. Their chemistry wasn’t your usual fairytale fluff either; it had depth, sass, and the kind of banter you’d expect from two people who actually know how to push each other’s buttons. And still do it after getting together, like seasoned pros in love and low-key roasting.

What made this drama stand out for me wasn’t just the romance — it was how real everything felt. These weren’t cookie-cutter characters or plotlines dipped in syrup. Xu Zi Quan’s transformation from certified playboy to committed fiancé wasn’t some overnight glow-up. And Tang Ying’s journey from career-obsessed to someone learning to just live? Relatable. Painfully, beautifully relatable.

This show doesn't shy away from the ugly bits of adulting — the stress, the ego, the miscommunication, the tiny wins that feel like trophies. It’s not about dramatic plot twists or evil mothers-in-law. It’s about everyday battles — the kind we don’t even realize we’re fighting until someone on screen mirrors it back at us.

Also, let’s talk about the OST. Who curated that playlist and where can I send my appreciation letter? Ninety percent of it was in English, ranging from ballads to — wait for it — country music. And it worked. It so worked. For the first time in my long and occasionally questionable history of binge-watching, I downloaded the entire album. That says something.

If business talk and lawyering mambo jambo,re not your cup of tea you can fast-foward and be happy for the rest of the show.

All in all, Fake It Till You Make It isn’t just a drama — it’s a little life lesson wrapped in witty lines and unforgettable performances. I’m definitely planning a third round sometime next year. Some stories you just don’t want to let fade.

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Slow burn. Amazing chemistry.

This is a well-written drama on relatable struggles at the workplace and in our personal lives. I particularly loved the development around ML and FL without the usual drama tropes, how they both had to learn how trust is fragile and how much you have to work for it.

I dunno why I waited this long to watch this drama. The main couple truly sizzled and were so beautiful together that I didn't mind her annoying sister's storyline anymore lol. The other subplots were good as they showed what other people go through, stupid decisions you make, and maybe find love or what you're looking for if you're lucky.

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Wonderful from beginning to end.

This is the type of drama that I consider to be on a league of their own because they cannot be compared to other stories going around on streaming sites and cable tv. It was wonderful from beginning to end, with a cohesive narrative and characters whose development actual made sense when you take in consideration past decisions and present time dilemmas.

One of the things I loved the most about Fake It Till You Make It is that every supportive character that shows up in, doesn't only exist in order to push the story forward for our leads but each of them have a life of their own and we actually get to see it. We experience their lives as much as we experience what the leads are going through. That's honestly incredible to watch because it makes the world building infinite and the houses, work places, cafés and bars, feel lived in. Each of these people are the lead of their own life.

Because of this aspect, I had to take the show slower than I usually binge watch such a short drama. That's because the experiences and situations the characters find themselves in, personal or professional, felt at times incredibly real. Too real as I have been in those spaces before so I could fully understand the frustrations of a personal relationship not working out, being look over by superiors at work or feeling like you are going nowhere in life, inevitably comparing yourself to others. Learning that to live freely means understanding each person has a different journey that cannot be compared with yours it's a difficult task. What works for you, may not be the right choice for others and viceversa. The diversity of paths life can take you can be confusing and I think Fake It Till You Make It managed to portrayed perfectly.

My favourite thing about the drama was how the leads showed moments of growth in every single episode. Sometimes at a slower pace than in other moments, at one point one of them is growing faster than the other and there's a moment of decision to grow together or let go. I loved it.

This is honestly a perfect drama that I can't recommend enough.

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Sweet, Realistic, and Mature

This drama felt so much different than the bubbly, passive dramas that often come of out China. The FL wasn't flat, and was a mature adult who was able to make her own decisions. She was strong, but laid-back when she wanted to be. I also love the FL's sister, and her story. She was able to overcome things herself. The only thing I didn't like much was the inclusion of things that felt unnecessary. Some side plots felt useless, and didn't build much character (however, they were still interesting to watch!) All in all, it was a great drama with pretty good directing, acting, and dialouge. It was natural, intimate, and sweet.

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Mature love story with big-city ambitions

"Fake It Till You Make It" is series about corporate people, who try to find balance between work and personal life. Realistic work backround make me feel like I was watching normal people in their daily life.

Main thread is romance between main leads, who are ambitious and hard-working, but lonely people. Their story is slow and uncontrived (it could happen in real life). They are resonable and don't act like children. They know their values and don't manipulate each other. Tang Ying is strong and independent woman, she wouldn't drop out her real-life accomplishements for a man. It'so cool, I hope in the future we would see more FL like her.

It is mature story with slow pace, it's stable and doesn't jump to conclusions. Every character have backstory and reasons for their bahaviour and action. This procedure shows viewesr that we don't know what other person is going throw and our judgement may be wrong.

Great script and directing. Good acting from whole cast. Enjoyable music. On point number of episodes, they don't drag out or rush too fast. Story not for everyone (slow and mature romance, lack of childish behaviour). I like this drama and recommend it, if you're looking for plot like this.

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An excellent series, realistic, romantic, modern (with a very hot CL :)

PLOT: the storyline tfollows the professional and emotional journey (50-50) of 2 senior executives, hard workers each in their field, 1 lawyer & 1 banker investment . They meet by chance on a plane, then find themselves working on the same cases.

PROS:
+ 2 great actors (Elvis Han in ML -- a pure eye-candy ---- & Elvira Cai in FL) with a chemistry that sparks. This duo, which becomes later a couple, is adorable, mature, super endearing.
+ the view of employees in Beijing is fairly realistic, pessimistic even, even if they are executives, graduates and hard workers (ultra competition, overtime, weight of the hierarchy, various harassments,...).
+ This is an intelligent series, where the protagonists question their lives in depth: meaning of life, place of love, work/life balance, analysis of interpersonal relationships, ... in an almost philosophical way.
+ Very pleasant OST, perfectly adapted to the atmosphere of each scene.
+ Search for the ideal husband by the little sister is quite funny : a so-called "super beautiful", to whom no man can resist, (undoubtedly she has the cute side which fits with Asian beauty standards?) , but for me, she is less attractive than the FL .
+ The description and evolution of a toxic relationship is coherent (with a narcissistic pervert in hyper control)... We can feel the experience from the screenwriters :)

CONS:
- Lots of legal or financial jargon.

=> Really not many flaws for this drama, almost perfect in its genre! To watch and rewatch with great pleasure.
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Excellente série, réaliste, romantique, actuelle

PLOT : la storyline retrace le parcours professionnel et sentimental (50-50) de 2 cadres supérieurs, travailleurs acharnés chacun dans son domaine, 1 avocate & 1 conseiller en investissement. Ils se rencontrent par hasard dans un avion, puis se retrouvent ensuite à travailler sur les mêmes affaires.

PROS:
+ 2 super acteurs (Elvis Han en ML & Elvira Cai en FL) avec une alchimie qui fait des étincelles. Ce duo, qui devient couple, est adorable, mature, super attachant.
+ Vue grise assez réaliste des salariés à Pékin, mm cadres, diplômés et travailleurs acharnés (ultra compétition, heures supplémentaires, poids de la hiérarchie, harcèlements divers,...).
+ Série intelligente, où les protagonistes s'interrogent sur leur vie en profondeur : sens de la vie, place de l'amour, quel équilibre travail / vie perso, analyse des relations interpersonnelles, ... de manière presque philosophique.
+ OST très soignés, parfaitement adaptés à l'ambiance de chaque scène.
+ Recherche du mari idéal par la petite sœur [soit disant "super belle", à laquelle aucun homme ne résiste, sans doute qu'elle a le côté mignon qui colle aux canons de beauté asiatiques ?, mais qui n'est pas plus attirante que la FL] assez drôle.
+ Bonne description et évolution d'une relation toxique (avec un pervers narcissique dans l'hyper contrôle)... On sent le vécu de la part des scénaristes :)

CONS:
- Beaucoup de jargon juridique ou financier.

=> Vraiment pas beaucoup de défauts pour ce drama, quasi parfait dans son genre ! A voir et à revoir avec beaucoup de plaisir.

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Why did i didn’t know this was so good.

Why did i didn’t know this was so good. Chemistry ✅ Highly charged banter ✅ balance of immature naïveté + matured resolution of issues ✅.

Being in the same profession, id say the pressure of competition, absence of work life balance, & the emotional/ mental breakdown is all too real. That scene where the FL’s former senior/ supervising lawyer was crying in the hospital and still trying to work? That happened to me too. I was just so tired. Tired but there’s this nagging guilt that if i don’t do it, no one will... my team will suffer. And this voice in my head saying you cant slack off. Thankfully, iv since learned to value my health & time better. So i guess that relatability is a factor to me immensely enjoying this.

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Not Disappointed

I watched this drama based on a review, and I have to say that I was not disappointed. Aside from being written from a very mature, adult perspective give, the story dealt with a lot of issues in regards to work, health ;physical and mental), and interpersonal relationships with family, friends, colleagues and romance.

There wasn’t a lot of typical drama cheese in the romance story line, it was very well done. The female and male protagonists had equal billing, and they were portrayed beautifully.

There is a lot of business interaction on both sides, and that too was well scripted. This was pivotal for both of the protagonists and it attributed a lot to their outlook on relationships.

This was a refreshing drama, and I will be watching it again.

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Mature, Unique, Well-Written Workplace Drama

Used to be 9.5
Now: 9.75
Reason for change:
This drama changes my ideas about love in such a profound way, that I think about extremely often. I used to believe that I need to find the perfect guy in order for everything to "work". This has made a significant impact on my life in general.

This drama is a vibe. The clothes, interactions, music, romance. Wow. 👏🏽

Had to mention: The theme at the beginning of each episode is so iconic. It makes so much sense as the drama goes on. So does the name for this drama. It represents this drama soooo well.

You know, we've all seen work-place dramas. But this one, is revolutionary. Mature in a way that blows all the stupid ones away. Cough. Cute Programmer. Lucky's First Love. (Maybe) My Boss. My Little Happiness. (Maybe) The Love You Give Me. (Maybe) Hi Venus. Love is Sweet. Only for Love. Step by Step Love. Why Women Love. Here we Meet Again. You are My Secret. Cough. Damn, that's a lot to say in one breath.

Not to say those dramas are horrible (Some of my fav dramas are part of those), just that the workplace aspect wasn't realistic.

Story:
65% Female Lead. 35% Male Lead

-I love so many characters
-every character is *deeply* flawed
-every character makes mistakes
-very well written
-we saw the back stories of so many characters, effectively learning that 知人知面不知心 (Know a person, you know their face, but not their heart). Slowly we learned their face.

-They dealt with the issue 内卷 (rat race) in the workplace soooo well
-themes were well shown
-shows how life in unexpected

The relationship between Tang Ying and Lin Xin Zi (cousins) was so precious. Venting to each other about their *failing* love life just felt so real and relatable.
The relationship between Tang Ying and Wang Yu Su (boss-employee) was so supportive. Taught Tang Ying so many lessons. So healthy and inspiring.

Romance:
Tang Ying and Xu Zi Quan (main leads)
-gets healthier by each episode, love the communication
-the banter is crazy. The best I've seen (and I've watched You Are My Glory and Lighter and Princess sooo)
-both have baggage
-dealt with love rivals in such an amusing way
-I liked how they only did the cohabitation trope AFTER they got together (so it isn't stupid)
-I also appreciate that they couldn't just drop work to hang out. To add to that, although the ML was richer, that didn't mean he didn't have higher ups. He was also struggling in 内卷. That was so awesome. Them not being able to meet because of work is so real. Love this.
-They had difficulties that real life couples have. Love their communication.

Just btw, the romance gets 40% of the screen time, so if you're looking for 100% romance, then go elsewhere. The first few ep has a lot of work things, which was slight slow...

Lin Xin Zi and others
-loved how they showed a toxic relationship (yay for no romanization of red flags)
-genuinely scary and realistic
-learned that the person who you're looking for may not be the one

-loved how she ended up with a green flag
-I'm so happy for her.

Note~ Lots of people (on viki) said they didn't like her. If you are a woman hater, don't watch 🤷🏽‍♀️

Just wished we saw her and her green flag for a little longer.
Wish this whole drama was longer. Don't mind me, I don't want this drama to end 😭😭😭


Note after reading reviews:
Some people felt that the workplace aspect was boring. I acknowledge that we didn’t go too deep in the work itself. But we learned how it’s possible to basically sell bits of your souls to your work where you’re just a husk of who you once were. All the pressure isn’t healthy. Workplaces intrigue can be real if you have toxic colleagues. If you don’t find that interesting, maybe save this for a different time.

Acting:
-great chemistry between leads (kisses, intimacy. banter, the look in their eyes. All were great)
-I've seen Dai Yun Fan in so many roles. He slayed this one.

-clothes were so mature. They fit this genre and the vibe so well. So does the makeup. Love her lipstick. Her hair is meh.
-the cinematography. Was something alright. Really swoopy and not still. At first I found it weird, but I soon got used to it. It gets wiggly whenever something stressful happens or exciting. Yeah, that part was weird…

Music:
-so unique
-old, jazzy feeling (in a good way where it felt nostalgic)
-timings of the songs are of the same tier as When I Fly Towards You and Lighter and Princess

Favorites (but I liked all) were: 每天 and Us and Moment of Peace

Rewatch:
-totally would

Overall, Sooooo good. If you want something:
-slow burn
-great story telling
-important themes
-great chemistry
-intellectual
Watch!!!

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A Solid Romance Bogged Down by Business

The leads were attracted to one another but very cautious: he'd been hurt by a bad relationship, and she'd discounted him as a playboy (which he was). Watching them overcome their initial resistance was as rewarding as their sarcastic banter with one another.

The Good:
• The leads were both mature, sophisticated, and accomplished adults.
• The relationship was amazingly devoid of many drama tropes. There were love triangles, but neither allowed them to impede their love story. It was refreshing to see two adults acting like adults, trusting one another, and not allowing a wedge to be placed between them.
• I appreciated greatly that the FL gave the ML the benefit of the doubt once she was all in, and I loved that the ML trusted her to handle his infatuated admirer.
• The flirting was delightful.

The Bad:
• Investment banking and law aren't exactly riveting; there was a great deal of business in the drama that didn't interest me.
• The OST off-putting. It wasn't cohesive. The songs ranged from country/western to pop to Las Vegas lounge music.
• I expected the story to have a destination. The overriding theme was that the ML and FL worked themselves to death and neither was especially fulfilled with their jobs. I anticipated them finding new directions to take with their lives, and that didn't happen.

I added a half star for the chemistry between the couple.

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