Don't need to have the romance
Every young entrepreneur should watch this drama. It's excellent "teaching" for all young start-upsThere's also lots of life lessons from the second and third couples which is realistic,well written and mature
I actually prefer the second and third couples more. The main leads seems a bit mismatched, both acted very well but just mismatched with zero chemistry.
The stylist/dresser is extremely poor especially for the FL. Shorts and short skirt don't suit her, just have the skirt 2 inches longer and adding black lycra tights will totally transform her from ugly short legs to posh classy elongated legs (don't understand why Chinese and Korean like this look, no European designers go bare legs and up to the groin, it's fit for evening not work) and that Zeng Di wearing evening dress with huge pearl earrings for breakfast in Germany? Hello? Having said that,the menswear are all very good including the flamboyant Mr.Lu
Anyway I enjoyed the drama thoroughly but I needed to edit out the romance or lack of for the main couple. Other than that it's a good drama and I learned a lot about start up and investment
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Romance and Business
I enjoyed this series I found it randomly on Viki. I enjoyed the characters although I wasn't sure about the ML and FL initially with their chemistry. I enjoyed the series with all the other characters. Often times I find in these C and K dramas they always have one or two characters over act which takes away from the series. Loved the story and just wish the last episode not the Epilogue showed the whole group together as a couple - I know it ends with the suggestion everyone coupled off but would have loved to see them all together. I did enjoy the epilogue but do find that some of these series just abruptly ends and that's how I felt for the end of the series and the epilogue - you are enjoying the last few minutes and are in the moment and in the middle of it - it just ends. Maybe it's a cultural thing but drives me crazy. But. Overall I really enjoyed it.Was this review helpful to you?
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The drama had too many parrallel stories but Han Ting and Ji Xing were perfect
I think this series could have wound down to 32 episodes if they hadn't added so many side stories. I think the problem with chinese drama in general is that they always like to have 3 - 4 parallel love stories. In fact, when they do not - like Hidden Love, the series is more likely to become a huge hit. This is the one thing I hated about this show - I hated the relationship of all of Ji Xing's friends, which I found completely unnecessary and a waste of time. The only other relationships that should have been covered were Zeng Di and her running to Tong Ke and her ex-boyfriend's eventual nuptials. Eventhough I loved LiLi, her entire love story was such a waste of time. And I understand the Xiao Meng's love story is a feel good addition, but again, completely unneccesary. In fact, I skipped a lot of those scenes because it just made me so frustrated.Apart from what I hated, I feel like the core story line is super interesting - it brought to light the difficulty of starting a business, and how companies are able to grow in an emerging sector. Of course, the love story between Han Ting and Ji Xing was also incredible.
Instead of wasting time of pointless love stories of Ji Xing's best friend, I think it would have been great to focus on the aftermath of those people who wronged Ji Xing. I think this is something revenge Kdramas do very well. I wanted to see what happened to Ji Xing's colleague who turned against her (apart from just Han Ting mentioning that she would never find a job in the industry again), the poor woman recovering from her surgery and being able to take care of her daughter, and Zeng Di's situation and arrest, rather than just them reading a text message about them being questioned by the police.
I also wished they set up the scene for Zeng Di's story and how her grandfather would have reacted when she left Dong Yi and moved to Tong Ke, knowing that her grandfather was good friends with Han Ting's grandfather.
Anyway, I am just happy the end of the drama, apart from the shit show that is LiLi's relationship, and the annoying and ugly Su Zhi Zhou, it was super feel good.
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AN EPITOME OF TRUE LOVE
The character of Han Ting was what made me watch the drama. It usually revolves around how Han Ting fell in love with Ji Xing during his college days and then finally meets her as colleagues but his love for her never really changed. From the beginning till the end, even if Ji Xing had a boyfriend, Han Ting waited for her, never forced her and slowly and steadily went from being friends to lovers. The transition was truly beautiful. The 40 episodes were not much required and at the end a breakup kind of thing was unnecessary. Nevertheless, if one wants a slow and steady love story then should definitely try it out.Was this review helpful to you?
STARTED WITH NO EXPECTATIONS, ENDED WITH A HEAVY HEART FILLED WITH EMOTIONS!
Honestly Cdramas are really slow paced for me and if the acting, directing and story is not interesting enough for me i drop it immediately. ABAY really turned my tables for me. Even though its slow paced, it really kept me going to the next episode and made me comfortable.It portrays a beautiful story which is really captivating and all the characters are amazing. They all have their own story which makes the drama really appealing. I finished the drama filled with emotions and longing for more of their stories. Also the OST here is so pretty like i love it. Production team did its best!
Honestly i liked Xu Kai here more than FIYS. He is more mature here and gives more butterflies😳.
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Extremely well written
When I say I enjoyed this series, I mean it 100% - I genuinely enjoyed every bit of it. I initially picked it up because of Seven Tan, as I'm not a huge fan of Xu Kai. However, this drama has completely won me over. While I still don't think I'll watch him in historical dramas, I'll definitely give his modern dramas a try. Seven Tan did not disappoint, and I knew she wouldn't - she rarely chooses a bad script. She's a talented actress and an adorable one at that. I highly recommend this series to everyone; it's extremely well doneWas this review helpful to you?
The best rom-com of 2024
This drama is one of the best dramas of 2024 till now. Although the story line might look a bit common. However the acting of the leads, the direction, the picturisation made the drama rewatchable and entertaining.The way Ji Xing never gives up and fights for her dream is really commendable. Despite facing so much hardship she finally achieves her dream with a little help from Han Ting. The chemistry between both leads looked realistic.
The drama not only focuses on love but also on business and independency of a hardworking girl. All the actors have done tremendous job in playing their characters. No actor overacted in the drama.
Loved the bond between ji xing and her parents especially her mom. Without any doubts this drama definitely deserves 10/10 and can be watched end number of times.
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Absolutely worth your time!
To say I loved this drama would be an understatement. As Beautiful As You is a truly beautiful piece of work.Yes, it starts a little slow, but given the nature of the plot, I understood. It’s a thoughtful, layered story that beautifully blends romance with business realism. And that’s what sets it apart. Unlike the usual pipe dream where a company goes from idea to instant success, this drama peels back the curtain and shows the gritty reality behind business decisions, startup struggles, and the personal sacrifices that come with it.
I have to say this. Seven Tan is fast becoming my favourite C-drama actress. She plays her roles with such authenticity and emotional precision. And of course, I’ve always loved Xu Kai , from Arsenal Military Academy to Yanxi Palace. While I initially struggled to buy into him as a modern-day CEO (he came off stiff at first), I’m glad to say he grew into the role beautifully. His transformation was subtle and satisfying.
Now, let’s talk about the side characters, oh, how I loved them! Every single one felt real, purposeful, and expertly portrayed. They weren’t just filler; they carried emotional weight and added richness to the narrative.
Honestly, I didn’t expect much when I started this show, especially considering the recent hit-or-miss wave of Chinese dramas. But this one? It surprised me. In the best way. It’s a solid drama, and the best I’ve seen this year.
If you’re someone who struggles to find a truly satisfying Cdrama — the kind that hits like Meet Yourself, The Story of Minglan, The Sword and the Brocade, Nothing But Thirty, or The First Half of My Life — then trust me: this is a must-watch.
It’s a 10 from me. And if you're unsure whether to give it a try, just do. It’ll grow on you, and you won’t regret it.
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Had to drop it. Felt the acting was too forced.
I went into really excited because I like both of the lead actors and their past projects. I honestly thought this was going to be one of those easy binge watches for me. But after giving it a fair chance, I ended up dropping it before finishing all 40 episodes.To be clear, I don’t think the acting itself was bad. The problem is more with the story, pacing, and overall direction. A lot of scenes felt overly structured, and the flow didn’t come across as natural. Because of that, even moments that were supposed to feel emotional ended up feeling forced.
The biggest disappointment for me was the chemistry between the leads. Not because they’re bad actors, but because the way the story was written didn’t really allow their relationship to develop in a way that felt organic. It ended up feeling like a mismatch on screen, even though I know both actors are capable.
The first half of the drama, especially the first 20 episodes, focused heavily on the AI and medical industry. I understand what they were trying to do, and I can appreciate the effort to add depth, but it felt like too much. I found myself watching more for the industry storyline than the romance, which wasn’t what I came for. Personally, I would have preferred more focus on character development and the relationship itself.
On top of that, the drama felt overcrowded with side characters and multiple couples. There was just too much going on, and instead of adding layers, it made the story feel dragged and unfocused. I even lost track of how many storylines were happening at once.
Overall, this drama had a lot of potential, especially with its cast, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. I came in expecting a strong, natural romance, but the uneven pacing and lack of focus made it hard to stay invested.
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Slow burn romance with awesome chemistry
ACTING: The first time I watched Tan Song Yun in anything was 'Go Ahead' and I really liked her character in that drama. I also really liked the character she played in this drama. She's a great actress and in both had amazing chemistry with her co-stars. However, this was my fourth attempt to watch a Xu Kai drama and this is the *FIRST TIME* I've seen him display romantic chemistry worth watching with a co-star. Certainly, he's a good actor. But his romances had always fallen flat for me in the past. But with Tan Song Yun, their chemistry together was the reason I actually finished this otherwise somewhat boring drama.ROMANCE STORY: Their slow burn story was worth watching and I loved their conflict / 3rd act breakup. It all made sense.
OVERALL STORY: It was your typical modern CDrama with some intrigue. Nothing new, special, or interesting.
PRODUCTION VALUES: Great
DIRECTION: Fine
WRITING / DIALOGUE: Fine.
MUSIC: Fine.
Overall, definitely worth a watch for the romance storyline (if romance is your thing).
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The romance took a while to start but that’s on par with how almost every CDrama with 40+eps go, so I kinda was not surprised about that, normally I’m against FLs forgiving MLs for lying to them, but I’m ok with how this went and it wasn’t an instant or fast forgiveness, it took time and reflection which I liked.
The reason why I wanted to reduce my rating was cos of the 2nd couple, I won’t even go into the 3rd couple cos I ⏩ all their scenes as I could care less about them, no offense 2 them (BTW I liked his mom), anyways I agree with LiLi not ending up with Xiao but her ending up with that man child (no matter how they tried to dress him up in the later part of the drama to look matured, it just wasn’t working cos he still looked like a kid) IMO is such an insult to her character, first cos she said no several times but apparently no ain’t no, 2ndly there was zero physical chemistry between them but they just made her settle for him cos they were so hell bent on going the nice guy don’t finish last route to make so kind of statement that IMO failed so miserably, I’m so pissed actually about how that storyline ended.
Anyways overall I do recommend.
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As boring as ...
--Positive Disclaimer--If you are usually not impressed by idol and romance dramas, this one certainly isn't the canary in the coalmine that's going to surprise you‒you are better off checking out Fake It Till You Make It. But if you are the preferred audience, you may find this show to be above average in casting a FL that has a checklist of things such as career, independence, nonbitchiness, professional competence, smarts, a supportive boyfriend, non-toxic breakup, rich dude that's not annoying, blah blah blah. It's similar various other Tan Songyun professional dramas such as A Flight to You, Master of My Own, etc. So if you liked her in those, you'll probably like her here. The MDL viewership numbers and even its decent China viewership numbers clearly indicate that this was interesting for some people. Oh one more thing, the screenwriter managed to continue her creative ascent by topping her previous masterpiece 'Only For Love' ... who would have thought. That's all the good things I can possibly say, if want more positivity, stop reading and head elsewhere.
‒Short Review that ran long‒
As Beautiful As You was a drive-through lobotomy session that materialized when I got the crazy idea to watch airing dramas, even though the only thing airing were the putrid cadaver decompositions in the CDrama wasteland. I also held out the slim hope that Tang Sonyun isn't just going to waste her career making yet another cookie-cutter professional drama, and that this would at least be 'idol-drama good' (aka substandard in all sorts of ways, but with some creativity and redeeming features). Instead I came away as frustrated about her make-believe professional depiction on-screen as her actual career off-screen.
Immediately in the first episode, we are slammed with all sorts of predictable cliches that had my shit-show Geiger Counter going Chernobyl. With every scene, we are given all the telltale elements to predict the next scene, the next plot twist, and pretty much what the ending's going to look like. The plotline is so scandalously see-through that all the viewers should get the 'Angela Baby at a burlesque show' treatment and be permanently deplatformed.
But if you prefer to be selective with your defenestration location, you can take the elevator up to the C-suite penthouse where where a whole boardroom of lazy tropes are stuffed into a Xu Kai you-are-too-skinny-for-that power suit. We have the 8-pack I-can't-believe-he's-virginal uber-rich genius charismatic CEO cum gourmet chef who's socially adept with high EQ, but is completely helpless in expressing his love for his pixie dream girl supersmart competent classmate innocent firstlove interest that slowly realizes they are meant for each other. It's the Chinese-American restaurant menu approach of character writing with the chicken-pork-beef-shrimp-veggie Lo Mein permutations of originality by addition. The only interesting thought that the plot inspired was wondering what glory would follow if the screenwriter instead opened up a school to teach career development and sex ed.
And unlike the value offering from hardworking immigrant restauranteurs, the show delivers little value for its budget or your time investment. The cinematography has all the richness of an Alibaba wholesaler product video. The derivative soundtrack creates the aural experience of being subjected to a discount elevator music playlist while you are trapped and the doors won't open. Even the titles, both English and Chinese, reads like the diary heading of some 12-year-old.
The main leads, being Tan Songyun and Xu Kai are at least serviceable in portraying the ridiculous characters they are given. But this is their comfort zone, where they've done so many similar characters and dramas that they can do it with their eyes closed, or in Xu Kai's case, wearing the same suit from his other CEO drama. We are spared the Wang Hedi CEO stylistic assault, but watching them has all the novelty of watching McDonald's open up another franchise.
And that's the only part that engenders some emotion in me that's not boredom or frustration. I haven't seen Xu Kai enough to care or be disappointed. But I sincerely hope that Tan Songyun showed enough acting chops, unique personality, and potential early on that she can be a stalwart in more interesting CDramas. She garnered pretty positive review from astute observers for her various school and other dramas. In an era where actresses have more surgeries than full-sized meals, she has kept her distinctive look, and not be swayed by the CDrama peanut gallery, whose unmatched ability to call someone ugly has never looked itself in the mirror. And off-screen, from as much one can really guess about a performer's true character, she seems to belong to that precious minority that are still able to prioritize integrity, professionalism, and decency over the trappings of acting fame.
Granted, that hope is born of a selfish desire to see less of Yu Shuxins of the world. But for as much as I mock the parasocial nature of drama fandoms, I can't help but hope for some real kernels of decency, inspiration, and feel-good story for the human beings off-screen. Perhaps she's a one-character wonder. And perhaps she's happy to stay that way. And perhaps success in the entertainment business is even more precarious than in startups where you only strike gold when all the stars align. Whatever the case, I will continue to wish Seven Tan and other similar actors success. If for nothing else than to chirp from the peanut gallery: "see, I always believed she had much greater potential."
--Category Ratings--
- Overall [5] - I give it a 5 for this being a very average show. I typically give popular or slightly different idol dramas that nevertheless inspire seppuku a 5.5. So the 5 rating is more of an indication of how much worse other shows are in dramaland than anything else. Based on subjective reaction or brain cells lost, I'd rate idol dramas even lower.
- Plot - 5
- Theme / Message / Impact - 6
- Acting - 7
- Visuals - 6.5
- Audio - 5
- Rewatch - 5
- Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8
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