The Love You Give Me

So many thoughts! Some spoilers~

I really, really enjoyed this drama and I would definitely rewatch! I even thought the music was beautiful and catchy; I hardly ever skipped the intro. I was so surprised by the chemistry between the main couple/family, and I am happy to have found out that Wang Yuwen and Wang Ziqi have worked together previously — their other drama is definitely going in my queue! I *adored* Cui Yixin as Quanquan. This little boy did such a fantastic job playing the son; his character was smart and quick-witted and often scolding the adults around him, but he got to play and whine and act like a child as well. The writing and the actor himself did such a great job balancing that. He was so cute and the glue of the Min-Xin family.

As far as his parents go, I really enjoyed the character arcs they endured. Both characters are very strong and even stubborn, but Xin Qi quickly falling deeply in love with Min Hui was a great choice. While Min Hui fell in love, she was more cautious and quick to set boundaries. I appreciated that through his growth, he had to learn to differentiate between infatuation/possessiveness and true love, and learned how to show up for MH as she needed him. MH also learned how to soften and open herself up to real love after healing from traumatic events, and went through a journey of forgiveness (for XQ and Lin Xiyue) and justice (Cheng Qirang, Ding Yifang, getting her work recognized).

As for the other characters:

I love her best friends Zhou Ruji and Cao Mu. I enjoyed Hardy but I also feel like he was underutilized; same with Cindy. I wish she introduced to the series earlier, and I also wish we could’ve seen her become friends with Cao Mu.

I didn’t love the romance between Cao Mu and Chen Jiajun. I think they were cute at times and I feel like there’s always that one side couple that moves faster and shows more affection than the main couple — they were that for this drama. But I felt like Cao Mu deserved better and we could’ve explored her backstory a little more, especially her reasoning for being against marriage. I often fast-forwarded through their scenes so, admittedly, I may have missed some interesting moments, but I look forward to seeing these actors in other projects for sure.

On the flip side, I enjoyed Zhou Ruji’s character a lot! At times I felt annoyed and burdened by his pining for MH, but I think that really drove the point home of feeling possessive and longing for someone out of habit. (I also enjoyed how they showed how much he was really there for MH and especially Quanquan, and learned how to care for them.) ZR, XQ, and Cheng Qirang are different sides of the same coin and each have their respective lessons to learn. Ruji needed to learn that liking someone out of habit and doing kind things to quietly persuade someone’s feelings is not how you get someone to love you beyond platonic feelings. He could never be straightforward to her; however, I appreciate how he confessed despite his feelings changing. That was such a wholesome moment that you don’t often get to see in shows. He got his closure after spending so much effort on his one-sided crush for years, MH had the opportunity to address it directly as well since I’m sure she realized his feelings, and they got to maintain their friendship. I really enjoyed his relationship with Yao Zhizhu. She was actually a really sweet and fantastic addition to the side characters and storylines. I could also see her being great friends with Min Hui and Cao Mu. While she did kind things and looked out for ZR, she was more honest and direct about her feelings and steadfast in her approach to trying to win his favor. Likewise, she never disparaged and even admired/rooted for MH, despite her being the object of Ruji’s affection. I like, also, that when Ruji realized his new feelings, that she set her own boundaries and made him work for her affection/their relationship. I enjoyed that she wasn’t easily won over when he had his realization! They ended up being such a cute and pure couple. I liked how Ruji became a golden retriever for her and I loved how much they doted on Quanquan as uncle and auntie figures in his life.

Overall, I very much appreciated the themes of this story. All the women were strong in different ways and were amazing at declaring their boundaries and moral values. Even Zheng Yiting, who had purely a business mindset and **tempuous** relationship with her husband, was strong against her husband and uncompromising for the most part, and in the end joined the right side to save her family’s legacy. Lin Xiyue, though she was manipulated into the wrong side for most of the series, she also was smart, cunning and tactical on her own. In the end, she sought forgiveness from Min Hui and regretted most how her wrongdoings hurt a former friend and other women in general.

Min Hui — all that she went through and displayed throughout the series was wonderful. A strong, independent, single mother in STEM and entrepreneurship, who stood up to toxic masculinity and corruption without fear, and often in alliance with other women. I *adored* her as the female lead, and I would even consider her the main lead of the series above Xin Qi. Wang Yuwen did an amazing job portraying her and she was the core of the success of this story!

I’ve seen some opinions saying they didn’t like how all the women ended up in relationships and it contrasted their feminist design… While I get where they’re coming from and I don’t seek to invalidate anyone’s opinions, I do want to explain how I saw it. Firstly, feminist and empowered women deserve love too; they don’t have to remain independent to represent feminist values. It was established that Min Hui was always in love with Xin Qi and despite their conflicts, she never forgot her first love. She showed herself to be efficient and capable and chose to never pursue love as she raised Quanquan on her own but didn’t deny herself of the option of love when Xin Qi came back into the picture. Of course, their relationship took a lot of work too and she didn’t just settle right away either. XQ had to learn what Min Hui really needed in order to be in her life — she always refused his overt affection, his money, his help, and etc. It wasn’t until she heard him talk about how he simply needed to be by her side, to go through life with her, and appreciate her strengths and her abilities to work things out, that she truly allowed him in. He finally realized the kind of love she wanted. Think about Cheng Qirang: he did everything in his power to force MH to be with him and he was never going to understand that *any* woman doesn’t want to be undermined or thought of as an object. XQ, in his own way, needed to learn the same exact lesson, but the difference is he was willing to listen and grow!

Zhou Ruji and even Chen Jiajun were allowed to be with Zhizhu and Cao Mu, respectively, because of their willingness to rid themselves of toxic masculinity and stand by these women in the way that they requested and deserved. There were two scenes towards the end, in the aftermath of the convictions of Ding Yifang and Cheng Qirang, that drilled the core themes of the show home for me. After MH and ZQ take care of Zhong Meimei, he is so angry about the hypocrisies and the systemic nature in which women are harmed — that no matter what women do, there are toxic men that figure out how to get away with hurting women. He says something like, “I’ve known ridicule and violence but not to the degree that women have.” But then he trails off because he knows he does not need to explain any of this Min Hui, and his rage at this point is futile. More good men can’t just be mad and silent, they need to put in the work to call out and shame this behavior rather than putting the burden on victims to be brave on their own. Likewise, in another scene, the Be Agile staff are voicing their disgust at the situations and one girl responds, “men can be harassed too.” While this topic wasn’t brought up directly throughout the show, this is a good point too. Though none of the men in the show were sexually harassed, how many of them were hit or bulled by CQ and DY? They never could speak up either. He Haixiang, the manager, even protected DY and only sided with the women when it was convenient for his business matters. Men need feminism as well, and they need better systems in place to defend *all* people who become victims of oppression, harassment, and violence that too often gets swept under the rug.

All in all, this was interesting and different take on a romantic comedy/drama, and I clearly loved it. I could expand further on my thoughts, but I’ll leave it here. ^_^;

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Cute but fell short

This could've been a really entertaining and nice drama, but there were some episodes which bored me and I found myself skipping the parts of ZhuZhu pursuing Dr. Zhou. Really, they were just filler episodes to be honest. Also, your head will spin with how fast the characters change their minds and their stance regarding issues they're facing. The only consistent characters were Qirang and his wife. But the main star of this drama is really QuanQuan! He is so cute and smart for a kid his age. I actually loved the kid's chemistry with his dad more than the main couple haha! Another adorable character is Hardy =) Not the usual boring assistant at all.

All in all, it's your typical romantic comedy with all the cliches, but the sudden cute and witty moments made up for some of the boring and frustrating ones.

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Don't we all love Wang-Wang couple?

I watched for the pair. Like many of you here, I watched Once We Get Married and was ecstatic to find that they were paired up in another romcom.
I'm not looking for mindblowing plot or award winning series, I'm in for the good feeling and romance. Call me shallow and get in the line.
Our main leads are very natural that a tiny bit of me wishes that they were a real life couple.
There is no ridiculous angst. The (somewhat) SML is respectable, triggering some jealousy in our ML but not for long because we know he is not a serious contender. Quanquan is a witty kid, I wonder how they brief the young actor to deliver the character because he doesn't even seem like he's acting. Very well done.
The other couples are entertaining, I appreciate Cao Mu and her good looking younger boyfriend, but my favourite is the doctor and the ballerina. Once the dynamic changes between them it's just precious how doc is now desperately trying to convince Zhuzhu that hey! He likes her too, so much!
This drama is not petty in skinship either. They kiss like normal couples do. Good morning kiss, happy kiss, random kiss, thank you kiss, sexy kiss, you name it they do it. I hate it when a drama is so lacking in romantic gestures that a couple doesn't even kiss on their wedding day! *Cough* Road Home *cough*

Overall, it is worth binging on a weekend.

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Worth the binge

i absolutely loved this drama! it was so cute and it had me giggling, and hiding under the covers all night. the main male lead annoyed me in the beginning bc he was acting rude with the main female lead due to their past, but i love how the plot ended up making him actually realize what he did wrong and realize that he needed to make up for it. he showed great character development in my opinion. and for the main lead, i love the fact that she stood her ground, in her love life and her daily life. the show also adds the silliness of their son quanquan, and the assistant hardy. absolutely recommend this drama. everyone be sleeping on cdramas, but they live up to the romance hype that everyone wants!!!

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BEST C-DRAMA !

This is my first time watching a C-drama but probably not the last time thanks to this amazing drama !

I first watched it because of some clip I've seen on Tik Tok, but I never thought it would be THAT good.
Now, I'm all excited about each episode and I can't wait for the episodes to resume.

Concerning the series itself, I really like the story and how you can't predict what will happen next. This point is very important because this is what made me keep watching, I was so intrigued that I religiously wait every day for the next episodes.
Then, the acting is super nice ! The actors are really good at it and it's helping the watching to be nice and comfortable.

The characters are lovable ( minus the villains ) and funny, even though there are some sad scenes you'll always have a good laugh and fall in love with the characters. ( PS : QuanQuan will highlight your day )

If it's your first time or not watching a Chinese Drama, then you should give The Love You Give Me a try cause it's totally worthy !!

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Temporary Review

First of all, I'll apologize in advance if my English is a little messy, because I'm not a native speaker.
this is also my first time writing a review.
this review is only temporary, considering that the drama is also not over.

but as far as I've watched so far, nothing has disappointed me and I'm still curious about how it'll end.

What I love about this story , Xin qi found out in the beginning of story that he had a child.
not like other dramas where it was only discovered in the middle of the series.

And don't forget the wang couple chemistry! There's no doubt about their chemistry!, I've liked them since the drama Once We Get Married!

I hope that this drama will maintain its plot and not create a climax with disappointing ending, like other dramas that start out good but end up disappointing.


hopefully!

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Cute story!

I watch this drama because I like this couple in Once We Get Married. Because I love that drama, so I trust this couple. And yes, they never disappoint me.

Instead of good acting of the ML and FL, the supporting also are good. And I love how the story grow. I love how they recall the past. Everything in this drama, I just feel cute. Everyday I'm waiting for the new episode.

So far, no character annoy me yet. All are helpful. I just hope that this drama will end nicely. My rate? 10/10! And I started to fall for this ML already.

For those who loves simple drama, rom-com, i suggest you watch this. And you will go to sleep with sleeping. Enjoy watching!

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It was entertaining to watch. While this is tagged as a romantic comedy, I think it would be safe to safe the romance part is absent. To be fair, the series was okay. I really enjoyed the scenes with th e child in it. He was cute, smart and funny. The scenes with him and his dad were even more cute. I love the natural feel of their relationship. What I liked most was the awareness the child possessed and how he expressed himself. I also really enjoyed the ML assistant. He was smart, definitely attentive and absolutely comical. You’ll enjoy the laughs.

What I disliked was the FL character for half of the series. We spend the majority of the series with her pushing the male lead away, asking him to disappear and etc. although you get a few scenes with her being less difficult. To ellaborate, she told a lie and didn’t explain when others found out. I simply dislike her disregarding the child’s father like he was insignificant to the child life. Although things got better this was a major downside for me. This is the second series I’ve watched with the 2 leads and sadly, he was pursuing her in the other one too. Again, she was initially argumentative, often unreasonable and difficult.

I loved the family dynamic of the series. The child gave the series life. He was cute, smart and funny. The ML character was funny and caring. The father and son together gave me giggles I want expecting. I have to say, out of all the love child drama this has to be one of the better ones. There were no overly dramatic issues. There was a good blend of romance, comedy, cuteness, drama and karma with a good ending, Definitely enjoyable.
.

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Please do another drama with the same leads. The best child actor ever.

Things I adored

1 The child who played the son of the couple. Oh, my God, I never ever fell in love with a child actor as much as with that child. Every scene he was in he shined. I wish him a great career and every happiness in the world because he made me smile and laugh so many times. His chemistry with his "parents" was perfect. Honestly if you hesitate about watching this series please watch it just for him. Adorable, natural, perfect and that comes from someone who avoids series with children usually.

2 The FL. I'm ashamed to say it but I discarded a few series with her at the beginning because I didn't find she had charisma. Then I watched a few episodes of My Page in the 90's after Love Between the Lines and thought she wasn't bad, but I still haven't finished this drama. That led me to My Lover Friend, though, and she was exceptionally good. I fell in love with her natural acting, she can do anything well, and then starting looking for her other series. Now she became one of my favorite actresses and in this series she was great. She nailed every aspect. The friendship scenes, the business scenes, the sad, the happy scenes, but she was the best as a mom and as a lover. Absolutely phenomenal.

3 The ML. At first I thought he wasn't my type. I liked him in Guess Who I am, but the female lead and the ending ruined it for me, so I didn't give him a second chance. But then this series came, and I fell in love with him as much as with the FL. Now I'll check his dramas, and I hope I find another one with the same tone because he excelled in playing the childish grown man, all the while being protective and warm, and his acting is so natural I believe him in every role.

4 The chemistry. I adored the chemistry in the My Lover Friend, but here it was even better. Every scene was perfection. If you told me they are friends or a couple I would have believed you right away. I think this is the best chemistry I've ever seen between a couple and that is the standard now for me about chemistry. Please do another modern drama together.

Things I loved

1 The premise. I love second chance trope and when you add the business component I'm all in. I hesitated though because there was a kid involved, but the pictures convinced me to start it, and once the child appeared I was gone.

2 The friendship between the FL and the 2FL. Business partners, mature women who trust and support each other. I'm there for it.

3 The third ML. At first I wasn't fond of him, you can imagine why. But I ended up loving him and wanted him to be happy. I enjoyed his rivalry with the ML and that they became friends. Not only that but I found him quite handsome. I've seen comments about how the FL led him on, but I didn't see anything like that. She considered him a friend and she never led him on. That he was in love wasn't her fault, and I'm happy they ended that soon enough to enjoy their friendship without that hanging over their head. I also loved that he cared genuinely about the kid.

4 The outfits of both leads. I pay attention to the outfits and in the other series the FL has with the same ML her outfits are horrible. Here they were great. As for the ML he's good in everything he wears, but here he had some great suits.

Things I liked

1 The 2 FL. She is beautiful and I wanted her to be happy. I didn't like her with the 2ML though. Their relationship fell flat and I fast forwarded their scenes after a while. That said, she was a great friend and I loved her relationship with the FL. She was also a great godmother and I loved her scenes with the child.

2 The 3FL. I'm not sure why some people hate her. I liked her from start to finish. She liked him and was honest. Why is that a problem? She didn't do anything to create issues between him and the FL. She was sometimes too insisting but she didn't cause any harm and she bowed out gracefully when she realized he was in love with the FL. To be honest, I was happy to see him groveling after she rejected him. She deserved to be loved by someone who was clear about his feelings. Kudos to her. She was also beautiful and kind and I loved her relationship with the little kid.

Things I disliked

1 The 2ML. Unfortunately he didn't work for me. He is the reason I give a 9.5 and not a 10 to the series when if there was only the main couple it would have been a 20. I don't like the trope older woman younger man in general, and here it wasn't as bad as in other dramas, but I still found him too young. It felt like I was watching an 18 year old with a 35 year old woman. He didn't convince me he was mature enough for a relationship, even though he was a good guy.

Things I hated

1 Well, if I hated them it means they did a good job, but I still want to say how much I hated the characters of the two male villains. I'm happy they paid for their actions and I wish we'd see more of their suffering. Despicable, horrible characters and I'm glad the drama addressed the sexual harassment at work. It could be better, but at least it wasn't glossed over and they spent quite a time on this.

2 The lover of the villain. What a stupid woman who wasted her life on someone like him. I'm happy she came to her senses but a little too late for me. Covering a sexual harassment is never something I can forgive. You must be out of your mind to do that. But I was happy she could change and help the leads get him down.

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