K-Drama 
For me, Tang Ying and Xu Qi Zhuan's relationship journey is the highlight of this series. It's mature, honest, witty and thoughtful. From the start, their chemistry was fireworks. Even when problems and discomforts arise, there was no frustrating misunderstandings because they talk things through and had honest conversations, learning more to love each other for who they are while being together.
Along with the romance, this workplace drama has a lot of office dynamics portraying what lies behind the façade of seemingly high-performing professionals, the lies people tell others and themselves to get through their struggles. I like the message that they try to deliver and that it drives our characters to grow personally and professionally, but I wish the office plot moved bit faster or had more hijinks. Often, I just want to see our the leads flirt together again.
Another highlight is the jazzy & city-pop OST. The music is so calming and get me in the chill mood, it made me feel that everything will be alright. Overall, thanks to the couple I had fun watching it, and it's now on my short list of memorable romcom dramas!^^
April 2024
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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This review may contain spoilers
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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A realistic story about realistic love journey.....
Good story line - quite realistic in current society where the job demands are higher and higher. Two very ambitious people who meet each other in a plane and eventually start relying on each other, becoming friends and eventually reluctantly are in a romantic relationship. They learned to rely on each other and love each other and eventually find what is important in life. You all got to watch his proposal - because the words he says are so realistic and it is what marriage should be about!! Ohh and Elvis Han makes it worth the watch!!Was this review helpful to you?
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.Was this review helpful to you?
a lovely contemporary drama
ok, so i just get this one to watch without any commitment to really like it, but wow this surprised me in such a lovely way, the main couple are so real, the problems they go through are so relatable, and the way their relationship was built is so dynamic, anyway I loved the drama and I recommend you watch it too, kiss kiss (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♥︎Was this review helpful to you?
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Almost made it to 9 stars**
This review is purely based on romance genres.What an absolute hidden gem this was till ep. 9.
After that it becomes the country's marketing appeal to their 1billion plus population to relish life, slow down, find beauty in your passion and be comfortable in your own skin rather than a designer-chosen animal epidermis.
PROS:
*Delightful bickering and slow burn romance.
What a breath of fresh air to see modern, smart, independent women, dressed not in crotch-revealing skirts and bone breaking stilettoes but comfortable/fashionable attire, speaking in adult tones rather than the squeaky, baby whining sexist tones.
*This lead pair has been around for over 10-years, unfortunately I have not seen them before. They are both excellent actors, great chemistry, sizzling retorts and finally, finally they smooch.
*Can't complain about the hot looks of the ML. His character is wonderful - middle management (not an uptight, irritatingly skinny, 20-something CEO), smart, charming, goofy - the goofiness adds to the allure and reality.
* The female lead is confident, although why they make her say she is not beautiful a few times is boggling.
* The supporting females - except for the sister which we will get to, all the supporting females were excellent. Their characters were very well etched and they portrayed it wonderfully
* Story was great the first half and then there is the zen mantra on how to lead your life better than being dragged by corporate madness
* Production / camera / script - nothing was jarring, which means all is good.
CONS:
* The cousin sister : she consumes almost half the entire show and is portrayed as a selfish, shallow princess. Which is not a problem except that she dominates a show that is not about her at all.
* She has 2 romantic interludes, which are both irritating and have no chemistry, plus she is presumably very beautiful so men are crazy about her. This whole concept did not flow well with the rest of the smart, talented female cast.
I actually enjoyed this modern c-drama, especially since the historical ones put me off and it took me deep digging to find this almost-gem.
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Not Just a Romance
Fake It Till You Make It turned out to be one of those rare workplace rom-coms that actually feels grown-up and real. Instead of the usual cheesy tropes, it follows two overworked professionals - Xu Ziquan, an investment banker running on caffeine and stress, and Tang Ying, a junior lawyer barely staying afloat. They meet on a plane, hit it off, become friends, and slowly evolve into something more. Their chemistry is great, but what really stands out is how they communicate like actual adults. They flirt, they banter, they argue, and then they talk it out.The show is basically 50% romance, 50% workplace chaos. The corporate setting isn’t just background noise - there’s a real sense of the pressure, burnout, and office politics that shape who these characters are. It’s surprisingly relatable and sometimes uncomfortably accurate about the whole “rat race” mentality. The side stories, especially Tang Ying’s sister Xinzi’s dating adventures, also feel grounded and add a nice contrast in how different people approach love and relationships.
What makes the drama work is the writing. The conversations are sharp, thoughtful, and honestly just fun to watch. The characters all have layers, flaws, and motivations beyond “be cute for the plot.” Add to that the stylish directing, natural visuals, charismatic acting (Elvis Han’s screen presence is no joke), and a jazzy, memorable OST, and the whole thing ends up feeling really polished.
It starts a bit slow and the business talk can be dense, but if you stick with it, you get a mature, slow-burn romance that actually earns its emotional beats. It’s not a fairy tale - it’s two adults trying to build something real while juggling messy careers and personal baggage. And it’s done so well that you might find yourself thinking about it long after it’s over.
A genuinely refreshing and intelligent workplace romance. Recommended if you want something thoughtful, well written, and full of great chemistry.
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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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