This review may contain spoilers
Friends to lovers at its best
You Are My Lover FriendGenre: Romance
Episodes: 30
Streamed on: Viki
Plot Summary:
This is a slow burn friends to lovers romance drama. There’s a subplot that involves someone’s death buried deep in there, but really this is a slice of life drama about 3 pairs coming together.
Characters & Cast:
Main Characters: Ships.
Couple 1
- Zhang Xin Cheng ⇒ Jiang Shi Yan
- Wang Yu Wen ⇒ Tang Yang
Couple 2
- Wu Jun Ting ⇒ Cheng Hui
- Luo Qin Yun ⇒ Sheng Ni Na
Couple 3
- Guan Yue ⇒ Jiang Yan An
- Guo Yun Qi ⇒ Feng Wei Ran
Villains:
It’s complicated. There are a few bad people, but I can’t decide on the big bad.
Best Of OST:
Twinkle Twinkle little star… lol
https://youtu.be/NxRtM15-Zj4?si=BvlxGCSHGpWg4K1F
There’s even a track the whole team got in on.
https://youtu.be/_BM59rLFZp8?si=_qnzbDgqaP-M1q3z
https://youtu.be/0wNPP8C-oJ4?si=nIfTHHDuqEQb49Fw
Gripes:
The always interrupted kisses LOL. No but really, this was a fun ride the entire way through. I even enjoyed the work part of the drama.
Re-watch:
**Would I watch it again?**
Yes. Regularly even. If I need a pick me Cdrama I can think of this and maybe one other that I wouldn’t mind rewatching once or twice a year.
**Would I watch it with my brother?**
This is one that I’d want to force my brother to watch, but I know it just isn’t his bag.
**Would I watch it with my kid?**
As she snoozes on the lounge I’m thinking of ways to convince her to watch it. I think yes for sure.
Final Thoughts:
The happiest, fluffiest, most wholesome healing drama of 2024. With all of the sad endings of the 2024 Cdrama’s this drama stands at the peak of good endings. Plus, this drama was the one that finally got me into Cdrama.
Rating:
9.2/10
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A league of its own
I can't recommend this drama enough.Different personalities create a fun group of friends and business partners, that always work through any problem by maintaining an open communication, because there’s trust among them. They are the greenest of flags.
There's simply something different about well written characters and story development, it puts the entire cdrama in a league of its own.
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This is a slow burn romantic drama but it is not a slow burn relationship. Their friendship was strong, reliable, trustful, fun, and adventurous; so, it is very clear that they will have some apprehension moving forward into a romantic entanglement that could jeopardize their friendship; but even so, after careful consideration, it was precisely that strong connection that allow them to recognize that, in order not to lose being able to be together in the future, it was much better to move forward with their feelings and love each other without reservations.
Not been a fan of slow burn romances, this one was an enjoyable one to watch. The supporting cast also did a fantastic job bringing their characters to life; their friendship with the leading couple was a riot and their bond is genuine and steadfast; also a pleasure to watch was the leading couple’s parents. Overall, this drama is well written and it has great performances from both main and supporting cast members. Enjoy it!
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A Soft Yet Powerful Love Story
After first noticing Zhang Xin Cheng in Justice in the Dark and then completely falling for his performance in The Day I Became You, I knew I had to explore more of his work. That’s how I discovered You Are My Lover Friend — and it turned out to be a beautifully emotional experience that exceeded my expectations in every way.🔹 Acting – Zhang Xin Cheng’s Subtle Brilliance
One of the most impressive aspects of this series is Zhang’s ability to embody different characters with such ease and depth. Having now seen him in three very different roles, I can confidently say he has incredible range. In You Are My Lover Friend, his performance is mature, understated, and deeply moving. He doesn’t rely on dramatics — instead, he conveys emotion through small gestures, thoughtful silences, and incredibly expressive eyes. The chemistry between him and the female lead feels natural and unforced, giving the romance a quiet, genuine intensity.
🔹 Story – Romantic, Tender, and Engaging
While the series doesn’t feature many kisses or overly dramatic love scenes, it still manages to be incredibly romantic. The emotional tension, the slow-building relationship, the mutual respect and connection between the leads — all of it made the love story feel real and deeply touching. I was fully immersed in their emotional journey. It’s the kind of romance that stays with you, not through grand declarations, but through quiet moments that speak volumes.
🔹 Production – Elegant and Emotionally Grounded
The production quality is excellent. The cinematography is warm and intimate, perfectly complementing the emotional tone of the story. The direction and editing are smooth and polished, while the soundtrack adds just the right amount of emotional weight without overpowering the scenes. Everything feels cohesive and thoughtfully crafted.
🔹 Final Thoughts
You Are My Lover Friend is a must-watch for fans of sincere, character-driven romance dramas. It doesn’t rely on clichés or superficial drama. Instead, it offers a meaningful story brought to life through strong performances, beautiful visuals, and genuine emotional depth. And Zhang Xin Cheng truly shines in a role that showcases his quiet charisma and remarkable versatility.
⭐ My personal rating: 10/1
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The acting in "You Are My Lover Friend" was amazing! Every character brought something special, but the male lead was definitely a standout. The story was so well done too—usually, when the main characters finally get together, things start to slow down, but here it actually got even better. If you’re looking for a good friends-to-lovers romance that’s mature, not cringy, and set in the workplace, I’d highly recommend this show.
There were a few moments where the wait for the leads to get together felt a tiny bit slow, but honestly, after they did, the whole show reached a new level. Another thing I loved was that they don’t drag out any issues or throw in unnecessary misunderstandings.
Overall, this is a great drama if you want something refreshing, with characters who feel real and a story that keeps you hooked!
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This is a very good “friends to lovers” romcom.
Good actors – great chemistry between FL & MLThis is a very good “friends to lovers” romcom.
I was impressed of how well FL & ML acted and the chemistry between them. Also, the second leads were very good. FL is a “towering” presence between Chinese top actresses (factual, she is 1.72 m tall, and most of other actresses are around 1.60 and 1.65 m). Joke aside, Wang Yu Wen(FL) is beautiful, elegant, excellent acting and good comedic sense. She has an advantage in the romcom genre (so she should try to have at least one successful romcom per year to keep her popularity up), but she has to be more selective on the kind of dramas in which she acts. In YAMLF, she has great chemistry with the ML, which also acts very well, so there are expectations to see them in another romcom. The second leads had a nice and low-key love story, also with nice chemistry. They are so good that you want to see more of them (or maybe to move as main leads in another drama). The SML (played by Wu Jun Ting) is a really good and promising young actor, I fully expect to see him as ML in a lot of dramas.
I looked at comments from other viewers and almost 90% of comments noticed the good acting and chemistry of main leads, and maybe 50% liked and wanted to see more of the second leads.
I checked the original novel. The screenwriters significantly changed and improved the story, so good for them. On the other hand, they repeated some tricks too many times, it was really boring. The interrupted kiss (10 times??), Feng Wei Ran aggressive negation of any romantic connections between main leads, and extensive and exhausting use of “brother Yang”. Maybe here the director has a more significant responsibility, he is supposed to edit and control the drama. Finally, the English name of the drama is rather unfortunate.
Somebody mentioned that YAMLF was unlucky to be scheduled in the same time with the Korean drama Love Next Door (it has a similar “friends to lovers” topic). I think Love Next Door is really unlucky. After a couple of episodes, I renounced to follow the Korean drama, while I saw YAMLF twice.
To conclude, this is a slow moving romcom, where main leads transition (slowly) from friends to lovers. Main leads, very good acting and chemistry, second leads, low-key and attractive, in general good acting for secondary actors as well. Nice and fun to watch, check the first 5-6 episodes to see if it is too slow for you.
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strong and smart female lead and loving male lead
this drama is so refreshing❕️❕️✨️first the female lead!! I'm so used to see in cdramas always that dumb girl who can't defend herself, BUT TANG! she is so smart at handling things, YET although the male lead knows this He helps her and is willing and loving.
The ml is so cute! although he is a CEO he is NOT dominant or cold!
THE TRANSITION between being friends and now a couple IS NOT AWKWARD AT ALL is so subtle and so magical.
✨️✨️EVERYBODY IS A GREEN FLAG!! ✨️✨️
i wish to watch more cdramas like this in the future
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This review may contain spoilers
One of my personal favourite
I'm usually not a type of person who likes family drama that much, however, this one was so different and lovable. Firstly, the male and female lead both were sensible, mature and reasonable. it's really hard in cdrama to find mature female lead but wang yuwen always is here for uss! She can be abit annoying at first as due to her past friend to lover relationship went wrong, she now has a fear cause of that cause she doesn't want to lose another great friend therfore she rejects him and all that. However, even the rejections, made you love their bond so much because of how they still try so hard. Next, the second couples, cheng hui and sheng ni na left me speechless even though I adored the fl and ml sometimes I just had to skip their part just to see those both cause their chemistry was on top chefs kiss. The way he treats her and the way she only understands him aaah omg it was so cute I hope they make a drama in the future as main leads. Also don't blame the third couple, they're just genuinely dumb, they don't try to break them two or anything it's just they have been together for so long that they don't realise these two have something more than friends. Definitely recommend, don't be stupid like me and skip business scenes because it actually gets interesting later on and you'll regret it.anyways watch it :)
wang yuwen never disappoints, she picks good dramas e.g. the love you give me, Once We Get Married and now this one?? such queen!! shout out to rest of the crew aswell the acting was fab especially the second couple, third couple and the fl and ml mothers
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no nonsense romance drama
gotta give it to the writer, they know their stuff. the story stay true to itself until the end, never lose sight of what they are and their direction. every time a new plot unfold and i worry theyd fell to the same hole most other drama fell, they just didnt. they know their story and they tell it well.oh and i love the flashback at the end of each eps, it give us background story to the character without distracting us from the main plot.
hands down my favourite romance c-drama ive watched since the rational life
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The story progression is too slow
The story was good, but the progress of the love story was too slow for my liking. The attempts to have the first kiss were too much.The lead actors are two of my favorite Cdrama leads, so I expect more. The acting was ordinary; I felt that something was missing. The chemistry is there, but perhaps the storyline lacked character and conflict. Hence, the acting became lackluster.
I would have preferred that the story progressed from friendship to being together as a boyfriend/girlfriend and then to married life. But obviously, I am not the scriptwriter.
Watch now, watch later when you have time, or skip? I would say to watch it later when you have time.
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Second time watching You Are My Lover Friend and honestly?
Still swooning. Still heart melting. Still giggling like a teenager. And yes, I still pretend I don’t know what’s coming—because the drama deserves the full emotional investment. Again. 😌💕The tension? Deliciously slow-burn.
The glances? Basically illegal.
The hero? Silent, broody, obsessed, ridiculously handsome—and that smile? It should come with a warning label. 🫠
I mean… sir, control yourself. Or don’t. I’m good either way. 😏
Needed a break from the emotionally exhausting dramas with 58 plot twists and 47 misunderstandings. This one? Fluffy, healing, zero breakups, and a 100% guaranteed happy ending. My heart said thank you.
I don’t know if you’ve watched it already—but if you haven’t, go fix that immediately. And if you have? Watch it again. Your emotional support hero is waiting.
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Clear, Simple, and Cute story
Such a heartwarming story that became one of my favorite C-dramas this year. Actually, I didn’t have high expectations on this one because of ‘friends to lovers’ trope and started watching it out of boredom, but as a result I was quite surprised how good was the drama. It didn’t have any unnecessary complications and unbearably crazy exes in the plot😂I liked that it wasn’t just concentrated in the love trope of the main leads, but had really wholesome story of strong friendships. Sometimes people forget the importance of friendships that lasts for decades. I was smiling and laughing with them while watching how those 5 friends were spending time, supporting not only each other but their families as well.
Drama also drives attention to the family values and bonds. Characters connections with their family and love were so natural and pleasant to watch. I love the way how main leads have supportive and cheerful family relations, they are always so positive and joking around with each other. Moreover, friends could rely not only on their own families but also each other’s families as well, which is sooo beautiful, that is true power of friendship!
And of course I have to mention our cute support characters’ couple of Sheng Ni Na and Cheng Hui, their story was so lovely. Omg, Sheng Ni Na(Luo Qiu Yun) is so beautiful, I fell in love with her smile.
At the end I was thinking “I also want this kind of relationship so bad!” and was jealous of the friendship of these 5. Go watch it if you still didn’t, you won’t be disappointed:)
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