The Love You Give Me

A drama that will surely give you a smile in your heart

For sure your eyes have met quite a number of good reviews about this drama and I am doing one too to spread the same sentiments. It was not explicitly said that this one was a continuation of the Wang-Wang couple’s first drama together in “Once We Get Married” but somehow I can’t help but think because that time I wished them of having a child and it was made possible in this drama.

So much has been said about how ideal the chemistry of the leads, the child actor that overwhelmed us all with his cuteness and undeniable acting skills, a story that was not too glossy but has its own luster because of its execution, the whole cast that showed decent acting, and the well-matched song choices (I personally like the English one played at the start of each episode) that lifted the mood of romance even more.

In addition, I’d like to mention other things that I deemed pride of this drama too.

One, the creative design of the introductory part was eye-catching. It was made playful using a mix of realistic cartoon styles that prematurely soothed my feelings for a good impression of this drama.

Next, the male lead and the kid actor’s small facial expressions and orchestrated mannerisms that I can’t resist but acknowledge their power to make me smile in certain scenes where both exhibited it. Their interactions as father and son materialized a sight of what a wonderful experience to have a child of your own.

Then, the character of Hardy and Cindy, who played the role of a loyal and ever-supportive assistant and an adoptive older sister to the male lead respectively, ironically bit roles in terms of screen exposure but big in providing support and convenience to the life of the ML. They were the cool jesters in this drama who naturally acted it out.

Finally, it was admirable for the creator to include narrative scenes of women experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace commonly by those of higher authority as perpetrators. Their cause was not entirely for the entertainment value of the show alone but did a conscious effort in carrying out a socio-civic responsibility for the viewers. It was reiterated that silence was not an option for any victims to ensure self-protection and dignity preservation but rather a form of tolerance that may result in a repeat misdemeanor.

This drama centered on a young couple’s life with a son and how they successfully formed their family again. I thought of giving it a 9.5 rate at first but I have a change of heart after the final episode and then recalled everything I watched. The main couple has the most wholesome kisses (expect a lot here) yet looked passionately daring. There was never a scene where they were not emotionally connected. I felt the love they have for each other as if they were couples in real life. I felt the sadness in FL's weeping scenes and I acknowledged. that Wang Yu Wen is one actress gifted with natural acting skills. This drama totally captured my heart, and so yeah, it was a 10 for me.

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Cute Romance, Terrible Pacing

The Love You Give Me started off great and had a lot of promise to be a fun, sweet romcom and it might have stayed that way, if this show had been 20 episodes or less. There was not enough story for them to make this show so long and it felt like the writers were making up for this by throwing in annoying conflicts to keep this couple apart and prolong the story.

The lead actors had great chemistry and I kept watching because they were very cute together. The child actor who plays their son was adorable and their little family was very sweet to watch. The dynamic between the dad and the little boy was a highlight of the show.

The enemies/exes to lovers trope was really good and the two actors had great chemistry with each other, but the pacing felt so off with the execution. The tension of them being enemies was over very quickly, he found out about their son so early on, and they moved into co-parenting and being friends within a few episodes! It left very little plot for the rest of the show.

The final third of the show was very irritating to watch. It felt like this couple would take one step forward and two steps back. The other two side couples in this show were very uninteresting and had way too much screen time, especially at the end. I didn’t buy that either of those couples would be together. There was far too much time given to the company storylines that weren’t very interesting to start off with.

The flashbacks to the couple’s past at the end of each episode were really cute but the rest of the backstory was an absolute mess. When they did the full reveal as to what had happened, that was around the time I lost almost all interest in the show. I ended up fastforwarding through the majority of the last few episodes.

If they had significantly shortened this show to focus on the romance and take out some of the contrived conflicts, I would have liked it a lot better. There are great elements - the chemistry of the main couple, the adorable kid playing their son, strong characterization of both lead characters - but it wasn’t enough to combat a lot of the really boring filler.

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don’t read this review if you liked the show or plan to watch it

can someone please explain to me why the child was more mature most times than the male lead. lol like how is your child more mature and serious than you? 😭the male lead’s personality gave me whiplash. honestly the storyline in the beginning was confusing but entertaining but then it will downhill from there. i did skip some episodes because i couldn’t do it anymore. if you like childish men then you might like this drama 😍the only good thing about this drama was the female lead and the son. i liked how independent and protective she was of her son even from the dad as a mother should. but also i liked she made him grovel for the mistakes he made and owned up to her mistakes and basically didn’t take anybody’s crap.

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A show that made me mad and happy at the same time

I'll be honest, I dropped this show three times while watching. It took me more than 3 months to finish this show even though I'm on a career break and have lots of free time. All this because it gets too annoying and trope-y for me at points to just ignore and power through.

Having said that, there are some things that I like.
- First, the child actor and Cindy. Some really great acting by both their characters that had me wishing for more screen time constantly. They make you grow fond of the characters which are simply fun and easy going. It's characters like these that make the show an easy watch.
- I also enjoyed the way they handled the topic of sexual harassment at workplace. By their initial ignorance to the issue from Min Hui's perspective, I was mad. It was just another East Asian show where this was going to be a given and nobody does anything about it. But they way she pivots when here junior is affected, take actions, counsels her and makes sure the perpetrator suffers for her makes me so proud and so happy. They have aptly covered all aspects of this issue - how the survivor is conflicted, how they feel, how they can overcome it, their options, and the best the support provided when they voice out their story. Absolutely proud that this was handled so sensitively and nicely. Though a little trigger warning before the episode with her junior would've been nice considering how it was depicted in detail.
- As a Li Chuan fan, might I add that I loved his character and acting. I think he was the one with the most character development and I'm all for it. The way he improved as a person/lover for Zi Zhu is amazing. Though it still blows my mind how easily they've shown him recover from a love of four years. I do not believe in bullshit like you can't unlove someone so easily. People fall out of love just like that. There are all kinds of people. But some story development would've been nice to make it seem more realistic to many people.
- Lastly, both the leads were fantastic in their acting. I just have so many problems with their characters that I can't just overlook that and appreciate the actors more. Plus their chemistry did not seem natural to me at all and seemed very forced for the most part. Like, I can't believe I was skipping kissing scenes. Come on, I live for those!

Now the things I absolutely hate:
- Lack of consent, privacy and the glorification of stalking. The male lead quite literally did not take no for an answer when Min Hui told him she's not interested in taking whatever they have forward. It's like the same argument harassers give that she did not mean it. No one cares if she meant it or not, it's for her to decide whether she meant it or not. Not for you to test it out. He literally acts like a stalker by crashing her dates, using their son and also lying to get her attention. This blatant ignorance of consent has made me very very angry.
- Min hui dragging out the entire denial for so long. After a point it just feels useless and just a torture for the ML which she seems to be enjoying quite clearly. Like, you love him, just admit. Why make him suffer unnecessarily? It's not always cute acting too hard to get. You have a kid together, you're not some 16 year old teenager to pull off nonsense like this. It makes me so angry at the unnecessary plot.
- The drag that this show is. This show did not need 28 episodes. It could have been very nicely wrapped up under 20. Just every little plot/trope was so dragged out in this story with lots of filler content. Like the last two episodes are literally so extra.
- The unrealistic expectation of majority people here to demonise Min Hui for not telling him about his kid, Just donating your sperm (in a way, just giving an analogy) does not make you a father. The guy literally was angry with her (I'm not saying that his anger was not justified but at the end of the day he was beyond pissed), refused to talk to her or hear her out and then vanished. The woman learns of her pregnancy. What do you expect? She should travel 7 continents to find him? What load of crap! She gave birth to the child alone, faced the pregnancy alone and was taking care of a sick child alone. She deserves the right to decide if she then wants to involve the father in his life or not. It is very easy to sit on the other side and say she should've told him but do you even realise how difficult it is to do so? She was scared he would take away her only family, the child was already sick and was clearly very dependant on her as his mother - she had to consider everything before she simply revealed to him who the child is once they met again.

All in all, the good overshadowed the bad for me. I went through the entire show more for the secondary couples than our lead couple here because that just got way too boring for me. Also, the business storyline in itself was pretty addictive for me to just ignore. If you can overlook some red flags, the show is an easy watch with lots of cute moments between different couples and an intriguing business plot. Would recommend watching this with your brain kept aside to not question every single thing. Happy watching!

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If you like heart warming romance with a happy ending this is it

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Chinese modern romantic drama with 28, 45 minute episodes.

First I write a synopsis and then review

Synopsis

Xin Qi (Wang Zi Ki) was once a romantic young man with a heart condition who dreamed of making good on a promise he had with a girl who grew up in the same orphanage. A series of errors leads to him mistaking Min Hui (Wang Yu Wen) as that childhood love. They fall in love and Min Hui tells Xin Qi the truth. He does not take it well and vows to never forgive her then lands in the hospital clinging to life. Min Hui stays long enough to see him through surgery and on the road to recovery before disappearing while pregnant with the child she kept secret. Years later, Min Hui and Xin Qi reunited when their professions bring them together through work. Min Hui is a brilliant medical software programmer and Xin Qi is the CEO of a company that holds many investments in medical technologies. They did not part on good terms and Xin Qi is not ready to give up on the resentment he harbors toward the woman he thinks betrayed his trust even as he grows curious about the age and similarities to himself of her young son, Min Quanquan (Cui Yi Xin). Could he be the father? Did he really want Min Hui out if his life forever?

Review

I loved this show and my only sadness was when it was over. The female lead is smart, strong and courageous. She does not allow the male chauvinists in her work and beyond to get away with sexually harassing her or anyone else on her watch and gets them back in the most delightful ways. Yet she is not an over the top woke feminist she just wants mutual respect. She also does not let the men in her life treat her poorly. The male lead is just the right combination of serious and very capable businessman and charming and engaging human being. I disagree with others that thought the side romances were annoying. There was one side character, the ballerina, who started out a bit whiny and clingy but she underwent great character development and turned out to be a character I was rooting for. I looked up what it is like in modern China because these shows make me curious if it is only the elite that has this type of lifestyle but there is actually a growing middle class in China. So the characters may not only represent the elite. I loved the little boy character as he was so smart, cute and funny. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes heart warming romance. As someone who hates sad or nebulous endings I can attest that this has a very happy ending and the story line is well wrapped up.

Spoilers*
My greatest concern was that either the dad or the little boy would die or suffer very ill effects from their heart conditions but they both live and have their heart issues managed through surgery and seem as if they will live healthy lives. I loved that when main guy treated the female lead poorly because he had doubts about her from the past she was basically like I don’t need you and he had to work to prove to her that he would stand by her and trust her moral character. When the female lead character thought he was trying to take her son from her she gave him no quarter. I think you let people in your life know how you are willing to be treated and she was really clear that she wanted him to love her for her and not just as the mother of his son. She made it clear she would not let anyone, even him, come in between her relationship with her son. I liked how he so quickly accepted he was a father and his initial surprise turned to delight at the thought. The interplay between the father and son and the son and the mother was so delightful. Dressing him up in matching outfits and playing super hero with him are things that a father who truly loved their child would do. But he was a perfect partner for the female lead too, when he found out she was sexually assaulted his response was absolutely perfect. He supported her, empathized, and helped ensure the man who assaulted her was punished. I loved his assistant too. I loved how much he cared for his boss/friend and the relationship his assistant developed with the little boy. Even the second guy in this one had a happy ending. It is a rare case where you feel the second guy has a great outcome but in this case he did. The persistent ballerina was probably the only one who could have won him away from his pursuit of lead girl. And it all ended perfectly for me. I love happily ever after so seeing the wedding was a very happy moment. I liked that we even saw the little family two years later and that they had another child. It was just enough without being too much.

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Don’t watch it.

You want a good C-Drama? Don’t watch this. The story is rewinding itself so much and up to 18~19 is where it goes more downhill than it is. Honestly I don’t know how people like this. Too repetitive, no story that actually works and the only sane person there is Quanquan. Min is the most dislikable character there and my poor boy Zin can’t say one thing before she says something outrageous and doesn’t let him explain. She may come off as a powerful fl that doesn’t need a ml but she literally does, her character redemption happens every other episode and Zin has to chase after her every time while having mistakenly every conversation be cut off so he looks like the bad guy. Let my bro free man 😭 Min is a bitch, Zin needs somebody who actually will trust him, and quanquan needs to shut Min up entirely. I HATE HER SO MUCHHH RAHHH (don’t recommend for ppl who have low patience)

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My first modern cdrama

For almost 4 months of being hooked to cdrama, my rule consists of watching historical drama-- for now. But when I finally remembered how I like to watch this drama due to some YT clips, I didn't hesitate to break the sigma ahahaha and try some modern drama. AND IT WAS WORTH IT!

It was rare to have a plot like this. It's like a craving that sometimes I want to see and this drama satisfied it greatly. What was great about this was the unexpected message it brought. I was here to see FL's development yet this story succeeded in putting trivial but necessary attention to gender discrimination in the workplace and how, not only women but also another gender, are mistreated by any damn means.

I like FL's behavior. I admit that I got annoyed during their bickering season but I realized that it was her maternal instinct to be protective and defensive. It may not be similar to my family situation but I guess, this made me realize why my mother towards my biological father was kinda of odd and much more defensive than her usual attitude Anyways, I like how FL stands on her own even when they are together. She was brave and decisive indeed!

ML was great for letting FL and supporting her. They both have strengths, weaknesses, and talents they don't need to be dependent on each other but the relationship makes them strong and formidable. I never sense inequality in their rs. Like they both have a strong hold on their relationship-- not in dominance but in a fluffy and nice ambiance.

The 2nd character didn't seem to be a 2nd at all (thank g!) I like that he got his own happiness not at the end but same timeframe as MC pursued their rs. That's lit and a win-win!

Actually, this story depicts three relationships and I kinda like the diversity they give.

Overall, this was nice and a must-watch! Don't hesitate and love it the way you like to spend your time on something precious.

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The Love That You Give Me is a fantastic romantic comedy! The cast did a great job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple had a magnificent chemistry, from their antagonizing moments to their rekindled romance, Xin Qi (played by Wang Zi Qi) and Min Hui (played by Wang Yu Wen) delivered a realistic performance of a young couple working to understand each other and growing closer as they learned each other’s struggles ans desires about love, careers, and commitment. This drama has a child character that is a great actor, Cui Yi Xin (played Min Quan Quan, the leading couple’s son). This drama really brings out all sorts of emotions and the characters, especially the leading couple, had significant character growth. Overall, this drama is a great production that truly gives the audience some good comedic moments and a steadfast and heartwarming romance. Enjoy it!

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Before they got married

What I like about this drama is how natural the lead actors including Quan Quan the sweet little boy portrays their characters. It's almost like they're a real family. The thing about sexual harassment at workplace is so bad and made me furious because it should be zero tolerance, I know it happens all the time anywhere in the world. I like how Xin Qi handled it for Min Hui. Applaud to Min Hui for physically defending herself from Qi Rang's attack. All their kissing scenes also the other couple Cao Mu and Jia Jun are swoon worthy. I just loved watching them. So Sweet. Truly a rom/com. I was also satisfied with the ending. So, I gave high praise and rewatch value like Once We Get Married where Wang Yu Wen and Wang Zi Qi first drama I 've seen them together.

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Wang Wang couple come back with another sweet story

I was really happy to see the Wang-Wang couple reunite for another drama and the addition of the cutie little boy made it even better.

The show's story again isn't some out of the box stuff that hasn't been seen before. FL returning with a kid after a few years to get him checked and ML who has no idea he had a kid getting a good shock. Well atleast for a change the second leads aren't annoying but the bad folks do get on your nerves. Also the female lead isn't some cowardly damsel in distress but a strong independent woman who knows who stand up for herself and if necessary even kick some ass.

Just like their previous collab, both the leads showed of on how good they look together on screen. It is a good one time watch.

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Sugary sweet and one happy family.

There are so many things they did right on this rom-com.

(The casting was perfect)

The best part of this drama was the chemistry between the leads and since they were in a previous drama together, Once we get Married, you can see how comfortable they are working together. There are lenty of kissing moments too, YAY for that. The pair simply look very good on camera. They are fairly young as parents, but it’s not a stretch (they could possibly have a 5 year old). I liked they are only two years apart too.

(The little boy was the highlight of the show)

I loved that they casted a child voice-over for the little boy parts. It made the drama very authentic, even though a lot of his lines would never be said by a soon-to-be five year old. But overall, TOO cute and his acting was so good.

(The second and third storylines were fairly cute)

Both of these side relationships had huge age gaps, one with a 10 year gap and one with a 9 year gap (in real life). So that was fairly interesting, you got to see it from both perspective (one older guy and one older gal dating younger people).

I really liked the second male lead and I kind of wanted him to be the male lead, only because he’s in his thirties and looked more dadish too. If only … but the ML was very good, so I can’t complain too much.

(the Styling and wardrobe was modern and easy on the eyes).

I liked that the FL was a strong independent mom. She dressed her age and was very modern and classy. I liked her up-do buns and she didn’t rewear too much of the same outfits. I am SO happy they didn’t make her poor or frumpy. It was a very good take on the FL. China needs to go more in this direction. The sets were pretty awesome too, who doesn’t want a slide in their house?!

(The storyline was too adorable)

The plot of the show is too cute. Single mom and rich baby daddy, that’s a making for a too cute plot. There’s a lot of tension in the beginning, but it’s the cute kind where you just want the baby daddy to find out!

Then it goes more into why they broke up and I was REALLY interested in those parts.

The drama was just really balanced well. It had all the elements of a rom-com you want in a C drama with very little to mild misunderstandings and cheesiness.

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