Perfect Match

Fun drama with touching moments of family and sisterhood, and hilarious bros-in-law alliance

“Perfect Match” aired during Lunar New Year of the Snake. With a Chinese title 五福臨門, loosely translated to ‘Five Blessings have descended upon the house”, it’s not hard to guess how the drama is going to end. It has got to be full of positivity and laughter.

This is a comedic drama about a loving family, led by matriarch Madam Li, and her 5 daughters and 1 goddaughter/daughter-in-law-to-be. Despite many comedic moments, there is a surprising amount of touching moments as well. I might have shed some tears while watching, especially stories about Sis #1 and Sis #3. The best part of the show is the tight bond of the Li family. They love each other, support each other, argue and cry, but never leave anyone behind. The sisterhood is awesome and touching, and the brothers-in-law alliance is hilarious and refreshing.

Lu Yu Xiao (Sis #3) and Wang Xing Yue are the main reasons for me to watch this drama, and probably attracted most viewers as well. Not only do I like them as actors, I am particularly interested in seeing them play happier and sillier roles that are more of their age. They definitely did not disappoint and have great chemistry.

The show might have started off with a not-so-interesting couple in Sis #2 and her ‘useless’ husband. Many viewers might have dropped the show because of them. They were given the least screen time and the worst script out of the 5 pairs. Having them start the show could be a risky move, but luckily the introduction of the #3 couple and the most popular pair follows right away.

Despite finding their story a tiny, tiny bit too long, they are the most fun to watch. Two smart and scheming individuals trying to outsmart each other, is always fun to watch no matter what it is. The pair looks so good together visually and have great chemistry and comedic timing. Emotional scenes are believable, but I like their cunning selves and cute scenes more.

Big Sis’ story is surprisingly touching as well. I was unsure about this pair at first, but as the story goes, I am sucked into their marriage and love story. This is definitely a little more slow burn, but I think the progression of how they come to open up to each other and realizing their love for each other, is the most satisfying of the couple. I also quite like to see a jealous and petty smart scholar who is not afraid to show his affection for his more mature wife.

Sis #4 has a cute but more predictable romance. They are adorable together but the romance lacks the depth that #1 and #3 have. I think the focus on the court cases might have taken their story away from them a tiny bit. The husband changes his mind quite quickly after only a few scenes of resistance. A little more time could have been dedicated to their romance.

I am most disappointed in the plot of #5’s story. She and her husband have the most fun and explosive personality. Yet, the plot itself revolving around the husband’s family is quite boring. I wish there’s more creativity in showing how they initially hate each other, then slowly fall in love, and give them a plot with more substance.

It’s interesting to see how the husbands are introduced and connected to one another. Husbands #’s 1, 3 and 4 have their own professions, and their stories are tied to what they do. Therefore, I find them the most interesting. Husbands #2 and 5 are just rich kids with nothing better to do, thus, I find their stories not as interesting.

“Perfect Match” is definitely not a perfect drama and you might have seen a similar drama like this before. But it works for my mood and what I am looking for. I had a fabulous time watching this and binge watched the whole drama pretty quickly. I am also a little surprised at the amount of old Chinese, idioms and poems spoken in this comedy. I would recommend this if you are looking for a fun family drama with some touching moments. It’s an easy watch with many likable characters and good-looking people.



Completed: 2/19/2025 - Review #546

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Enjoyed it a lot.

The story is so beautifully presented & executed. One thing I love about it is that each sister gets the important screen time of their love story, but they didn't explore the 2nd sister's marriage in depth. They did touch on it, but there were only a few scenes or episodes. Many may not like it that the ML  & FL didn't get much screen time. But it a story of 5 sisters & their journey of finding love.

1st sister/ Shou Hua is calm, sincere, mature, calculative. She is good at strategy. What I liked is that Liu Xie Ning played the totally opposite character to what she played in Story of Kunning Place & Double.

2nd sister/Fu Hui is jealous. I can't think of much else, as they didn't explore her character well. I'm surprised that Wu Xuan Yi agreed to play this role, given that her character's storyline is almost nonexistent.

3rd sister/Kang Ning, is all about brains. She has all kinds of tricks, including calculation and scheming. Knows how to make someone do their work with intelligence. 

4th/Hao De sister, is naive, soft-hearted, calm, kind, straightforward, and smart. She is not like her other sisters, who are scheming and calculative, but as her story progresses, she becomes responsible, smart, and calculative.

5th sister/Le Shan, is short-tempered. She will beat up anyone who upsets her or her family. She also becomes responsible and sincere. I love how she punishes everyone. 

Yuan Ming is talented, stubborn, scheming, and impatient. Love how cute and easily he gets jealous. The way he pouts his mouth is so cute. Love how he calls his wife "姊姊". It's so cute.

Fan Liang Han is both a flirt and a fool. He knows his wife doesn't like it when he flirts with other women, yet he still does it. Didn't like him much.
 
Chai An is the number one schemer, just like his wife.  They're perfect for each other.

Shen Hui Zhao is a strict judge who abides by the law. He is a fair person who punishes anyone who is wrong.

Yang Xian is a spoiled rich brat who shows nice character growth by the end. Laughed at how Le Shan punished him in the first episode by taking his clothes.

Fun fact both Wang Xing Yue & Chen He Yi were love rivals of Zhang Ling He in "Story of Kunning Palace" & "The Princess Royal", respectively. Here, they're brother-in-laws, best friends. How can we forget that Liang Yong Qi was also a love rival of Wang Xing Yue in "The Double", where they were ready to kill each other. Here, it's the opposite—they are family.

The way Fan Liang Han clings to Chai An for help, hugging his leg, is quite funny. And Chai An keeps on kicking him. Also, the way he calls Chai An '哥哥' is just like how girls call their brothers.

Kang Ning used Chai An's trick on himself and loved it.

Laughed at how the 4th & 5th cried along with their mother upon seeing Kang Ning return home safely.

Laughed at how Fan Liang Han kidnapped Chai An to get married. 

It served Yuan Ming right to get the same treatment he deserved.

Laughed hard when 4 brothers-in-law teased & beat Yang Xian.

I enjoyed it. I would've finished it within 3 to 4 days, but because of my work, I finished it in 5 days, which was frustrating.

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What an unforgettable journey!

I started this drama because of Winwin and Wang Xingyue, but I had no hope because the reviews about the drama were so harsh. But after starting the drama and ignoring the hate comments, I realized the hate came from nowhere because the drama was getting better in every episode, especially after episode 20. This drama became so addictive. The first couple's story started very strong, but after the first half, it became so tiring to follow their story. If their story was more interesting in the second half, this drama could be close to perfect for me. Also, the second sister having no separate episodes for herself is so sad. I would love to see how she married her husband; I bet her mother just married her because that guy is rich, so she suffered with her husband.


The third sister story felt so bland; they got most episodes, but still, their story didn't build very well. I wish they had made it more interesting; if the actors were different, no one would care about the third couple story. Wang Xingyue and Lu Yuxiao really carried the characters on their shoulders.

The fourth sister story was the most well balanced story in the drama; it had a lot of material and was done very well, and the chemistry between actors made it extra good. They are definitely my favorite couple.

The fifth couple story was fun, but in the second half they suffered Yang Xian for no reason. He already had his character development; I would like to see him bonding with his sister or seeing more cute moments between him and Mama Li and his son in a low alliance. Leshan scolded him, but her family was the ones who sent him. Make it make sense. Yang Xian and Haode, for me, were the most well-built characters of the drama. Winwin might be my favorite Chinese idol who turned actor after this performance; he played an opposite character very well.


Madam Li also wasn't annoying; she was aggressive, but that was the only way to live in a man-dominated era; she was just protecting her daughters. I wish she treated Fuhui better and not ignored her, but she is a human and has flaws, so I can ignore this.

It was a perfect journey. I will miss all of them so much.

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Started off good but then it kind of flop in the middle and ended with a happy ending

To start off, I only watched this for Wang Xing Yue. He is my biased and I do enjoy his shows. But, I was hooked. The Li family was chaotic and but loving. They only wanted what was best for each other and Madam Li only wanted the best for her daughters. Of course, as a mother during that time, securing a loving and rich husband for your daughters was uncommon so I feel that it was realistic. What did disappoint me was how the storyline played out. I did like that they focused on one sister at a time, but what I didn't like was how they kind of become background characters and nonexistent after their storyline.

Like I said on the headline, it started off good and then it flopped and got boring towards the middle, but it did end with a happy ending and I am all for that.

Everyone is ranking their favorite sisters' love story, so I will touch base on that as well.

Shou Hua and Du Yang Xi -
With these two, I feel like their relationship was forced. She didn't like him from the very beginning, or at least I didn't get the impression that she had any sort of feelings for him at all. And then she just fell in love with him? There as no progress or what he did to make her fall in love with him. When it comes to him, he was very honest about his displeasure with the situation and over time, he started to fall for her when he realized how great of a person she was. I feel that if they did the same with her, it would make them a stronger couple. Also, I really do feel that she was almost always standoffish. Like she's sitting on a high horse or something. I know that she has a tragic past, but she needs to let loose a little. She wasn't my favorite sister, but I did enjoy the change of feelings towards her from Du Yang Xi.

Fu Hui and Fan Liang Han -
These two are pretty funny. I enjoy her scheming against him and he tries to scheme against her but is always outwitted by her, or should I say, Kang Ning. However, they didn't really explore this relationship. I wish we are able to see how they got married and feel in love. They mentioned it once and that was it. Nothing else. One thing I didn't like about this relationship was how she all of a sudden got pregnant. I didn't even know that they were in that kind of relationship since he was a playboy so it was shocking that she suddenly got pregnant. I really did wish they went into more depth with these two.

Kang Ning and Chai An -
These two have one of the most explored love story. From the very beginning, their relationship was honed in and everything. The scheming against each other that eventually turned into love. The break up that eventually leads to their marriage. It was all fun and games for these two. However, as biased that I am towards Wang Xing Yue, they kind of disappeared into the background once they got married. We barely saw them and when we did, we only saw Kang Ning. I wish we were able to see more of their marriage life. I mean, at the end they had kids and we didn't get any inkling that she was ever pregnant. At least with Fu Hui, we saw her pregnancy or at least they showed part of her pregnancy. I also love that they can outwit each other which was the foundation of their love.

Hao De and Shen Hui Zhao -
This is BY far my favorite love story. I wished all of the other couples' stories were shown the way this one was shown. There was no scheming against each other. She knows that he doesn't like her and that he was tricked to marry her when he was away, but then she never gave up. She fell in love with him at second sight and stood her ground. She didn't force him or beat him. She just loved him the way she wanted to be love and I loved that about this couple. When he lost his memories, she did lie to him, but it was for his own good and through it all, he learned to love her. They have one of the best communications too. They treated each other with respect and worked side by side. I really wished the other couples' were written the same way this one was written. You can definitely see the growth in their relationship, especially Shen Hui Zhao. He only wanted to protect her and she wanted to protect him.

Le Shan and Yang Xian -
I had hopes for this couple when they first came on screen together-- yes, I am taking about the time she stripped him. I wished that they would have build on from that to grow their relationship instead of him abusing his power to get Kang Ning. I feel that it was a miss opportunity from the writer. They could have explored their relationship that way and it would have been a great one. I just feel like she was only married into his family to beat them into sense and destroy their holier than you persona. Honestly, I didn't even feel her love for him. We can clearly see that he had fallen for her but there was no sign that she had fallen for him. I hated how they made her so chaotic as a character too. If I was to rate the sisters, she would probably be the second to last on my list. I feel that she needed to tone down a little bit. I get it, she's headstrong, but for her to beat her husband majority of the time was too much for me. I do not condone the violence that she betrayed. I know that Yang Xian was the favorite son in law, but at the end the family screwed him over and I hated that for him too. They did a 360 on him when he only wanted to be part of the family. I get it, Madam Li wanted Le Shan to have a stable life, but didn't she want someone to marry into the Li family? This was her chance to have him marry into the family. But no, they destroyed him.

She Cong (Fan) and Qiong Nu -
Okay, I wish they explore this relationship more. I know that they were childhood sweetheart and that he "died" but when he returned, they should have gone on to write them a love story as old as time. They definitely rushed this pairing. We did not know She Cong (Fan) that well and then he just showed up and he still loves her. They should have made him fall in love with her again because she is definitely worth having someone to love her. I also hated how Madam Li treated her from time to time. She was supposed to be your daughter in law, but she treated her like a slave? Come on, Madam Li, you are not even that great of a person yourself. Smh. This pairing was definitely a last ditch effort to give Qiong Nu a husband.

Madam Li -
What can I saw about her. She's not my favorite parent in dramaland, but she's also not the worse. I understand where she was coming from since she had to fend for herself and her daughters after the Li family took everything from her. But her tactic was not right. She was materialistic half the time and she thought greatly of her daughters. Yes, I get that they are beautiful and talented, but they are also not the nicest people in the world. They scheme against others and they don't really treat their husband right either, I mean, when one sister is mad at her husband, the others throws their husband out just because...that makes no sense to me. I also hate how she talks so highly of herself too.

The sons in law alliance -
This was a funny group and I am glad that they had each other to rely on. I do wish they wouldn't beat up Yang Xian when they "initiated" him into the family. But I wish to see more of them too. I wish that they would show all five of them together protecting the Li daughters, but that was a miss opportunity not the writer's part too. They were funny, chaotic, and truly love their wives.

The Li sisters -
I can say that they have a really strong bond and I love that they rely on each other. But, I also feel that they are chaotic and sometimes toxic. I mean, why is it that the first thing they do is scheme against others, especially their spouses to be. But overall, I enjoy watching their sisterly bond.

I rate this as a 8 out of 10 because I laughed and cried, but the middle just got boring with useless plot lines. I mean, what happened to the maid's death case? They talked about it, the parents ran off and that was it. Nothing else was said about it. Yang Xian's brother in law and sisters horrible attitude where just blah. I mean, they were mean, but they couldn't even hold up on their meanness. The plotting against her and Yang Xian, for what? The family money? But then he goes and sue them so now they have nothing. And what was the point of that? Even though, I was glad that the brother is alive, I feel that was unwarranted. I mean, they didn't have to add that to the story line. It was kind of pointless since they didn't even go more into details. They just ended it like that. If they had more episodes, then yes, go ahead and throw that into the mix, but they didn't and it was super last minute. I did enjoy the happy ending so I gave one point back or else, it would have been a 7.

AND YES, THIS IS MY HONEST OPINION OF THIS SHOW. I know that there are a lot of good reviews or "9" and "10" reviews, but I feel that those reviews are sort of misleading because this was not a 10.

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enjoyable historical romcom-ish ❤️

perfect match is a charming drama with a fresh take on historical matchmaking, but it’s not without its flaws. the storytelling is engaging, and the strong female leads bring a modern twist to the traditional setting. however, some character arcs feel a bit rushed, and a few romantic pairings lack depth. while the humor and family dynamics shine, certain plot points could have been explored more thoughtfully. despite these minor drawbacks, the drama remains an enjoyable watch for those who love historical rom-coms with heartwarming moments. i loved yang xian's character development most, i wish his arc was longer.

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Perfect Match is Perfect for my Cdrama Cravings!!!

First of all, the top main character here should be Madam Li. I like her very much despite some of her major and questionable faulty traits (watch it and you'll know what I'm referring to). But everything she did and the way she did and think of things- I understand it. As someone who received just as much if not more of this love, I know and understand her (Madam Li) thought process. People might say she's a villain at times, but to her daughters she needs and has to be. Their family's difficult backstory was toned down a lot by only showing it briefly but it's enough to fill in the blanks on how Madam Li's personality was created.

About the couples, I personally like Shouhua x Yanxi pair. While their story might seem a little more on the bland side in comparison to the others, again, it is understandable if you look into their characters' personalities. Shouhua was the eldest and had the responsibility as heavy as their widowed mother. Her every words and how she handle things carries an air of maturity and stability and she does it in a calm, pleasing and soothing way. I personally like her character among the sisters. As for why Yanxi is Shouhua's perfect match- their personalities, hobbies and traits align well, and I don't know why but it just feel like their love story's little blandness suits my taste more that it could even enable me to picture out what their future would look like: old couple having a calm and serene conversation over a painting or poem.

Okay I still want to say something about the others but I'm not really a patient one so this is it. Just to clarify things, I like everyone's stories but my personality and thought process aligns more with Shouhua x Yanxi's.

The OST is also good and suitable to the drama.

It's fast-paced and short with each story spanning only around 5-8 episodes which means no useless drama and fillers. And misunderstandings and problems are solved in a few episodes. This is a feel good drama and if your tired of tragedies and dog-blooded ones, then this could cure your heart and well-being.

Definitely recommended!

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Strange format, but still fun!

OVERALL
This series is basically five rom-coms in one. Watch it if you're craving something light that you can watch while turning off your mind, 2) you're looking for 60% romance, 40% comedy/other stuff. If you 1) want well-developed stories, 2) are looking for steamy romances, consider skipping. I doubt you'd like this show.

THE STORY
I came into this drama expecting a conventional format, in which we'd see all five sisters finding love in parallel love stories that would happen AT THE SAME TIME, with one or two stories (with the main and second leads) taking a bit more space. It's not at all what happens. Perfect Match essentially gives you ONE love story at the time. It focuses on one sister for about 7 eps then moves on to another and you then barely see the previous sister and her love interest ever again. It's such a weird format; it feels very jarring, you get attached to characters for 7 eps then suddenly have them disappear and have to start over. Plus, the drama makes it feel like there's no story to be had once a romance is "over" and misses out on the opportunity to show what happens next. Also, by having only 7 eps by couple, the love stories are significantly under-developed. It's just a terrible format, imo.

That being said, I don't think it completely ruined the show. The biggest strength of the drama is that the romances are all quite different (despite the fact that the sisters are basically the same person, in different levels of intensity). I felt pleasantly surprised whenever a new sister's story started because I was not expecting to enjoy it. I had a soft spot for eldest daughter's love line (Shouhua), but I think they all had memorable moments. Another plus is the relationship between the men in the show, which is the type of comic relief I LOVE. It was both hilarious and wholesome. Oh, and there were occasional mysteries, which were all interesting.

Bottom Line: A fun drama to watch, but honestly not the best one out there.

THE ACTING
Well...here's the thing. I've seen many of the actors from this drama elsewhere, and I didn't particularly mind their acting. Individually, I also didn't mind their acting here. But I personally didn't feel much chemistry between the leads - in ANY of the couples haha Chemistry is not just acting, though, it's also directing and writing. Whatever the reason, the chemistry was not giving in this drama.

THE MUSIC
No comment.

REWATCH VALUE
Might rewatch some scenes, I doubt I'd rewatch the whole thing. But who knows? It's not terrible!

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Okay hear me out… I know 7.5 feels low…

“Perfect Match” had a whole lot of potential, and in many ways, it lived up to it. However, in many ways it didn’t. I experienced a plethora of emotions and opinions throughout the course of this show. Was it perfect? Not by any means. Did I enjoy it still? Definitely.

Here’s my breakdown:

Pros:

1. What a fresh idea! Never before have I seen (among over a hundred dramas) any drama like this where it tackles four stories in one and yet makes it one cohesive story! I truly hope we see more of this in the future. It was especially cool to get to follow the couple’s lives on past their stories since they all remain active in the plot.
2. This is family writing done masterfully! This family of women is tremendous. You will fall in love with them. Even their eccentric, over-the-top mother had my heart in the end. They managed to walk the very fine line between becoming a family drama instead of romance. Instead, it was both, and I loved it.
3. The first and third story arcs were beautifully done. Both couples (Li Kangning/Chai An and Li Haode/Shen Huizhao) had tremendous chemistry. Like seriously! Their kiss scenes were on point and their love felt real. Plus these storylines were the best fleshed out. I expected the third arc to be my least favorite but it ended up being my favorite.
4. The Rom-Com balance is excellent. There is a healthy blend of comedy—you will literally laugh out loud—and romance in this drama. You will laugh and cry as you journey with these women though their funny moments and their deep despair and ultimately their forever love.
5. The Son-in-Law Alliance!!! This was the freaking best. I loved this, iykyk

Cons:
1. The repetition in the stories... They had so much opportunity for these arcs to be profoundly different each time. But they really weren’t. They typically follow this pattern: 1. They hate each other. 2. One falls hard first (typically the ML). 3. One pulls away and keeps the other guessing (typically the FL). 4. They break up and are miserable for a couple episodes. 5. Happy ending… This really hurt the show. It meant I began to lose interest at some point in each arc. The thing that kept me watching was knowing it would change to a new couple soon.
2. The fourth coupling was atrocious. Oh my goodness, where the heck do I start? Li Leshan is hardly the likable sister in the first three quarters of the drama, but in her own story she is worse. She is physically abusive (and I mean this literally) and spoiled and unkind. Yang Xian is no better. He is awful. He is selfish, also unkind, and so manipulative. I made it three episodes into their story before giving up and skipping to the last half of the last episode because I could NOT handle them or their storyline at all. Luckily, you can do this and not miss anything because it’s its own story.
3. At least two of our female leads drove me crazy with the way they made their men work their butts off to earn their love (Kangning and Shouhua), but Shouhua’s was truly disappointing. I’m a huge Liu Xie Ning fan so I was PUMPED for her arc. But the “will they or won’t they” and “will he ever earn her love” things really are tiresome to me. And goodness what was that kiss scene? I know LXN can nail a kiss scene (ie. “Night of Love with You”)… so um what? Her arc was still fine though.

Overall, it has enough good that you will enjoy it despite its flaws. The final arc does significant damage to the overall rating but still. (This drama would have been a 8.5 if the last arc had been as good as the first three.) The acting, the OST, the overarching plot’s writing, and the freshness of the story carry it through despite its shortcomings.

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A light and fun drama with multiple leads, if you don’t take things too seriously

“Perfect Math” is a light and fun Cdrama with multiple characters that take turn to be the leads. Each of them is the perfect match for their partner. I love all of them, and my most favorite couple is the fourth lady and her husband. They are just so adorable! I also think they are the only healthy couple and can make sense in real life, while the others are too exaggerating and illogical. 🤣

My least favorite couple is the fifth lady and her husband, as compared to others, their story doesn’t make sense the most, and it’s the most dramatic one. They are still fun to watch and have good chemistry, although they don’t really have any physical intimacy scenes together.

Don’t take anything too seriously when watching this series. I don’t think this is about women's empowerment or any serious label you want to call it. For me it’s just a pure lighthearted comedy and romance with great chemistry!

I also love the loving relationship between the sisters and their mother. It’s not common in a Cdrama to see this kind of family bonding. I enjoyed watching the son-in-law alliance too. It’s really fun and unique. I haven’t seen any historical drama with this kind of alliance!

I wish there would be more scenes to dig deeper into the relationship between the adopted sister and her husband. The ending feels a little bit rushed that makes me a little confused. I would like to see more scenes of the couples, and I wish to see their kids, not just mentioned.

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A Perfectly Matched Couple

I like this series very much. The plot is light, humorous, and really enjoyable to follow while it is still ongoing. Among the five couples, my favorite is the first daughter and her husband. I think they give off a mature couple vibe. They are educated, polite, and calm. They fit each other perfectly. The wife nurtures her 'childish' husband, but at the same time, she can also lean entirely on him. The actor and actress portray their characters perfectly—I really like their on-screen chemistry.

Actually, I really like the son-in-law alliance scene, but unfortunately, there are too few of those scenes in this series 😁😁😁

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