One of the best C dramas that I've watched
This is truly a gem of a drama.There are few or none of the usual tropes.
I urge you to watch this precious series.
The ML's (Li Xian) job is to take care of the dead before they are buried
The FL (Zhou Li Tong) got into an accident in her high school years and lost part of her leg and because of that, she wants to be a top sales person.
However, both these somewhat negative issues makes the couple meld together in the most lovable way and passionate way.
The best parts:
1) love between the ML and FL is outstanding, passionate and rewarding- any parting between them is just temporary
2) acting is very natural - no unusual sobbing, crying, FL's family sticks together well in spite of some turmoil.
3) ML is perfect for the part - handsome in a manly way (no usual cutesy here)
4) believable script
5) no tired tropes
One prevailing issue:
The ML and FL live far apart - that is a struggle between them until it gets solved.
This is a rewatch for me - definitely.
I would compare its watchability to Hidden Love, Fireworks of my Heart, Amidst a Storm of Love and Road Home all Chinese dramas!
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Realistic Drama
This is one of those dramas that are close to reality. Good job for tackling on a difficult subject about death and the honorable job of morticians who are often shied away by people just because of the nature of their work.The drama also features scenic views of Nanping (I am not sure if this is a real place in China or just fiction) that I am tempted to visit the place.
It is an excellent drama but unfortunately not my genre, the reason for my 8/10 rating.
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The first reason to watch this drama is Zhou Yutong the second reason is his long hair.
The last drama I saw her in was Begin Again , nothing but you she looked cute when her hair was short in that drama and now she has grown her hair in the drama now she looks absolutely gorgeous.
I haven't had the chance to watch her other dramas after Begin Again, nothing but you
But now I am very excited to watch the new drama. Let's see what happened to next in this drama.
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The emotional roller-coaster is well worth the ride
This drama is fresh and so different from the masses of cookie cutter C-dramas. This ML character is admirable but cautious and vulnerable (less cliche). The FL is spot on; beautifully broken and magnetic. Both are stubborn, passionate (at times) and overall just feel more real than most in Cdrama-land.Paced slower than average but never dull. Family, friendships, and romantic love are all touched on beautifully through various characters. The emotional roller-coaster is well worth the ride in this incredible drama. It has a realistic rise of tension from building connections in real time and flashback clues, warm moments of hope, then a misunderstanding, then a recovery, then devastating heartbreak then hope...keeping you wanting more, learning more, feeling more.
I found many moments that mirrored my own experiences. Some memories of regrets, some of love, new friendships, unexpected career choices, facing doubt and disappointment, arguments with my family, dealing with death, self doubt and fear, the feeling of living in autopilot, the paralysis when facing conflicting goals, I could go on.
Romantic pace is almost perfect. I say almost because there are a couple situations where I slightly question if the way it played out was inline with the characters and what they had gone thru. I understood and appreciated the characters and their journeys (speaking about main ones mostly here) but I also hated them when I saw them hold themselves or their relationships back. A second is all it takes for one regretful word, look or action to result in alot of pain.
The cast is spot in. I laughed and cried with these people. I don't do this often. If you're up for it, watch this. Facing death, separation and pain are consistent themes. It hits too hard for a friend of mine but it was perfect for me.
Ps. I found the setting, pace and main characters similar to Li Xians' other drama "Meet yourself". This drama is leaps and bounds better. Almost incomparable other than the overarching items above. I found the other drama dull and predictable. Liu Yi Fei was not interesting and too nice for a person who was also supposed to be dealing with a painful crossroad in her life. The main cp chemistry was also meh. (This one is 🔥.)
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This review may contain spoilers
Sensitive exploration of trauma, disability and death
Will Love in Spring got me thinking of a book called Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity by Erving Goffman, which analyzes the situation of people who are unable to conform to standards that society calls normal and as a result are disqualified from full social acceptance.Zhuang Jie & Chen Maidong are both unfairly stigmatized by disability and death. As a result, they are constantly struggling to deal with the perceptions others have of them. Even though they're attractive, intelligent and respected, the people around them are also frightened, uncomfortable and even disgusted by them: Zhuang Jie because of her amputation and Chen Maidong because he works with dead bodies. As a result, they have come up with very different strategies for managing their stigmatized identities.
Zhuang Jie left her hometown to move to Shanghai where she is surrounded by people who don't know her well. She has created a persona that is loud, outgoing, and extroverted (very different from who she was in high school after her accident). She's successful in her career but still considered damaged goods when it comes to romantic relationships. Her ex-boyfriend's family refused to accept her because of her disability. As a result she fears being physically intimate with a man and at heart she's deeply lonely despite having dozens of acquaintances.
Chen Maidong has chosen to stay in his community and embrace his outsider status. He chose his career because of traumatic experiences when he was abandoned by his parents and lost his best friend to violence. While Chen Maidong is well known and liked in his hometown, people also fear being near him and even refuse to shake his hand for fear it may bring death to themselves or their families. Because he's proud and prickly, he puts on a stoic face to hide his loneliness.
Outwardly Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong seem like very different people but at heart they are very much alike. They both understand what it's like to be stigmatized and they are both incapable of being honest about their grief and loneliness--except with each other.
Chen Maidong can tell Zhuang Jie about the terrible deaths he's witnessed such as a man who was dismembered and a woman whose body was undiscovered in a hot basement for 2 weeks. And Zhuang Jie can allow Chen Maidong to see her amputation and put on her prosthetic (though it takes some time and a lot of grief before she gets there).
Some people struggled with Chen Maidong calling Zhuang Jie's scar ugly. But he was letting her know that he wouldn't pretend the scar was beautiful but he also wouldn't be disgusted or frightened by it. That he could see and embrace all of her.
I've never seen another drama treat stigma so clearly and honestly as Will Love in Spring. Zhuang Jie and Chen Maidong are both difficult, damaged people who often behave in problematic ways and yet together they find true acceptance. That's what I love about this drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Selfish FL and a Subservient Feminized ML
The female lead in this show has to be one of the most selfish, overbearing, bipolar women I've ever seen in a show. You can tell this show was written by feminists because she does whatever she wants and treats Chen Maidong like absolute garbage and he keeps forgiving her throughout the show. There is literally no way most men would put up with the bullshit the FL pulls in this show. There are zero reasons ML should have stayed with the FL, it was such a one sided relationship with her making all the big decisions. It took all my willpower to not drop this trash.Was this review helpful to you?
Flawed, irritating at times, but worthwhile
This Drama had a lot of really good points to it. I had been waiting for it for more than a year, after seeing Zhou Yu Tong's great performance in Begin Again, and it did not disappoint. Her performance her as a very realistic character was impressive. As someone with a congenital disability, I enjoyed watching her character's arc from that perspective. It was also great that there was no trace of maudlin sympathy for her or excusing/grlorifying her personality flaws because of a 'she's disabled, let her off' kind of approach.That lack of maudlin sympathy though was taken to extremes in the many scenes related to death and mourning. The "we're all gonna die, suck it up don't cry" mantra was megaphoned too often for my tastes. Others have accused the writer of doing a sloppy job, and that may be true, but having seen the dead hand (ha!) of SARFT at work for a decade now, my first reaction to such unsubtle preaching is to suspect state-mandate.
The other thing I really, REALLY hated were the constant references to the virtue of being fair-skinned. In a Drama that kept preaching against prejudice, to hear many characters- including the FL - repeatedly spouting THIS prejudice was really irksome
Despite that, there was a lot of very real and relatable human emotion on display. The leads were very flawed and complicated and that was great, as was the delivery of those characters by both leads - they totally nailed it. The show also surprised me with its repeated messages about gender equality - chauvinist misogyny is the norm in moden C Dramas, so this was very refreshing. I was REALLY surprised at what seemed to be a VERY clear "I'm gay" moment for one character. Given the crackdown on BL Dramas either SARFT missed it or they decided to let it pass.
I absolutely LOVED Wan Peng's role as the FL's BFF and the young actor playing her little sister was superb. Given the realistically open ending, the more extreme ending that was teased at the beginning of the final episode would not have been out of place either.
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A lot of chemistry
is a drama that delves deep into themes of disability and death, tackling heavy subject matter with a focus on the complex relationship between the two main characters. As they navigate their personal struggles, including challenges in their respective careers, the story unfolds with emotional intensity.What truly struck me was the palpable chemistry between the protagonists, which draws you in from the very beginning. Their dynamic is captivating, and it’s the heart of the narrative that keeps you invested throughout.
However, despite its compelling nature, this isn't a drama I would rewatch. The subject matter is quite heavy, making it emotionally taxing at times. Additionally, the final episodes left me somewhat underwhelmed, not quite living up to the buildup of the earlier parts of the series.
Nonetheless, I do recommend giving it a watch. While it may not be light entertainment, it's a story that challenges and engages, offering a profound exploration of life’s more difficult aspects
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To be human is to be insecure and fragile
That's my take on this drama.I have always been impressed with Zhou Yu Tong's acting prowess and selection of dramas. So, I know her drama will definitely not be typical.
Here, she is portrayed as toxic (in terms of relationships) but honestly, don't we all?
Humans, by their nature, are complex beings with emotions, vulnerabilities, and insecurities. As the eldest daughter and disabled at that, Zhuang Jie felt an intense sense of responsibility for others, having an inclination toward overachieving, struggling with anxiety, people-pleasing, and establishing boundaries in adult relationships.
Being human also encompasses strength, resilience, and the capacity to overcome challenges. This is what I find sweet because she finds her strength from Chen Mai Dong. A man who is non-judgmental but also won't take any shit. This is exactly what Zhuang Jie needed to complete her growth as a human.
The theme of this drama is death - which makes a lot of viewers uncomfortable, but quoting CMD - "death is unavoidable. It's not the end but rather the completion of a process"
Which I find rather true and it's not dark. It's just real.
So if you want a real drama, intense chemistry, character development, and something that makes you ponder on life, go for it
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Will Love in Spring is a gem among the sea of C-dramas.
The realities a relationship can face is portrayed well in this drama. Past traumas, issues with intimacy, hidden insecurity, forcing a smile but hiding pain and the biggest one, will the sacrifice be worth it. The solution to all problems is understanding and our leads learn this lesson together.What I love about the drama:
1)The well-woven story and dialogues (much better than the novel)
2) We finally have a male lead who is understanding and has empathy within him.
3) The FL has her dreams and a life outside of all love and knows the value of it.
4) The grandmother and FL's best friend, siblings are the best supporting characters to the FL.
5) The cinematography and the chemistry between the leads.
I hope whoever starts the drama, keeps an open mind to try and see human emotions of the characters. If you want two perfectly rich leads whose aim is to fall in love and live in a un-realistic fairy tale bubble, this drama is not for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fill with small and big spoiler. So read it at ur own risk!!!
This one of the drama that confuse me, what score should I give it. Many potential this drama has, but dragged down by too many sh*t & calm everyday life & definitely too many episodes.Story about Zhuang Jie (ZJ) & Chen Mai Dong (MD) , high school friends that meet again in their adult life. ZJ back to her home town from Shanghai & meet again with MD. ZJ once had crush with MD in high school, but life throw them apart. And now when ZJ meet MD, just to find out she still can fall for him again. And this time, ZJ feeling not only one side, because MD also show interest to ZJ.
With that note, the struggle of MD & ZJ relationship begin. Why...? Cause even though MD & ZJ decided to start their relationship, ZJ still can't leave her life at Shanghai, just for sake to be with MD. So, how will their relationship be...?
That's to make the story short. But in the long story... This is not only about MD & ZJ relationship. But also about family & friendship. In this drama we also watch the death of 2 people & how their close one deal with it...
Now what I like & don't like.
What I like :
+ The chemistry between Li Xian & Zhou Yu Tong. I can feel MD & ZJ struggle in their relationship
+ The peaceful life in the small town
+ The friendship between Grandma Lin & Granny Chen. When u ask what is soul mate without any other feelings. These 2 old folks show us what is soul mate in friendship mean.
+ The wonderful respect for those who do their job connected with funeral. This sometimes are taboo thing to discuss & definitely not enough respect for those who work in this field.
+ Zhuang Yan & He Niao Niao is two cute little sibling. I like how they interact with ZJ...
What I don't like:
- The relationship feel one side heavy in MD's side. ZJ is one the most selfish FL in the drama world & it feel MD has to always understand her.
- The boring scene between important event. They show us boring everyday life that sometimes make me want to drop the drama, this also one of the reason I give this drama quite low score.
- How family keep interfere with MD & ZJ relationship. First is ZJ's mom & later is MD's grandma.
Overall, once again this drama actually have important meaning to be told, but the implementation make us just boring in some occasions...
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heartbreak and perfection
wow. WOW. i am speechless. I went blind into this drama without looking at the sypnosis or anything and thank god i did. It was so perfect and the ending???? i am devastated it broke me into a million pieces i fear no drama will make me recover from it.I was already familiar with ZYT acting but i have never seen LX so i was excited to see him and I must say he is an excellent actor and I cant wait to see more of him in other dramas/movies. ZYT of course did an amazing job in acting and I fell in love with her acting all over again. I do want to see them both act again in a drama/movie as I felt like they had an amzing chemistry.
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