phoenixfrost

Getting ready for the start of his new drama Light To The Night? It also stars Shan Shan. I understand she plays Dylan's character's girlfriend

Happy to know you watched and liked it despite the prevalence of negative comments here. There was some effort to counter the negativity but many viewers still got swayed by the smear campaign lobbied at this drama in Chinese social media, MDL, Youtube and other sites. The score alone is a testament to the negativity that this drama does not deserve.

The couples I know have reached their golden anniversaries and still going strong 🥰 The most importand elements in a marriage are love and commitment to be faithful to each other. And I believe both Shi Yan and Shu Yi have those 🥰

Fake news has become so endemic in social media, people don't even feel shame when they are caught lying online, they even try to defend themselves. It's disgusting and distressing.

I guess this is why i love OFL. It's realistic. The drama doesn't miraculously make Shu Yi fully mature, though she becomes less self-centered. At the end of the drama, he still dotes on her. It's just the nature of their relationship. Shi Yan is a natural parent. And she's gonna be an ever naughty but sweet child. I know relationships like this in real life. And they work beautifully.

Well said! I love dramas that keep me guessing about protaganists' reactions and the way these two kept going against the grain kept me engrossed

Same with me. When i find myself skipping scenes, I drop the drama altogether. I really wonder at this "lack of communication" scenario insisted on by fault finders. When did this happen? IMO, there was no unwarranted "lack of communication" scenario in the drama. Was it during their unofficial break-up? If so, it fit in appropriately with the story. Shi Yan and Shu Yi both need time to sort out their feelings. It would have looked unrealistic, inconsistent with Shi Yan's nature and audience-pandering if they made up right away.

their relationship is so parent-child. it works because they both relish their roles in that relationship. Shi Yan, as the parent loves doting on Shu Yi. He only wants her to love him and him only. Shu Yi loves to be doted on by Shi Yan and she does love him and him only.

Here's a good guide to understanding why Shu Yi is Shi Yan's match: https://kisskh.at/discussions/cuo-liao/121097-choosing-a-partner-like-a-venture-capitalist-with-shi-yan-long-analysis

Tips for enjoying this drama:
1. Don't skip scenes
2. Don't be too quick to find fault
3. Get the campy humor

Sadly true! How I wish fans can just focus on their favorites instead of letting envy get the better of them and downrating the dramas of other actors 🤬 Dylan's dramas are generally rated lower than they deserve. Fans of other actors feel so threatened of his success they don't think twice about slandering him and downrating his dramas. His fans, however, tend to be like him - all friendly and nice and just minding his own business - so they don't generally go around downrating other dramas. I can only hope for karma or the wheels of justice to overturn whatever unfair treatment he is getting.

Excellent analysis. This emphasis on expectations truly puts dramas subservient to viewers' wants. Heaven forbid! That would put an end to art and novelty in dramas. I'm afraid a lot of dramas are like that, though. Cookie-cutter - FL is sensible and can do nothing wrong, CEO does not exhibit petty behavior, story is all sweetness and does not require thinking caps. Ugh, spare my brain from stagnation!

Exactly. Anybody who is inflexible and love putting dramas and characters in boxes of their own making is very welcome to wallow in stagnation 😂

Definitely better her than me 😂 I actually love how Shi Yan accepts Shu Yi's eccentricities. I can almost hear his brain cells whirring, "what now?", bemused, like a parent, when a normally hyperactive toddler becomes reticent 😂

he he, the scene where Shu Yi was imagining Shi Yan kissing her reminded me of the shameless FL in Bridget Jones' Diary 😂 That the MLs in both OFL and BJD did not get turned off by the FLs' shameless behavior shows how much they accept and love the FLs, shamelessness, quirks and all

I agree 100%. I'm incredulous reading reviews criticizing the FL and ML for not being what they're expected to be! Isn't it obvious that that is what the drama is about, having FL and ML who are atypical? If these reviewers want the story and characters to be as in other dramas, they should just rewatch those dramas and wallow in stagnation.

@BubbleNSqueak is right. If you don't get the campy sense of humor, you might not be able to appreciate this as much. The characters, especially the FL, are unpredictable, making the drama unpredictable. This is my type of rom-com, one that does not only make me laugh and feel giddy but makes me think too, so I love it.

ML is definitely more mature than FL. He, actually, has a high EQ. So, he is the one keeping this relationship intact. And this is realistic. Relationships seldom involve 50% effort on each side. There is usually a side that puts in more effort. But it does not mean that Shi Yan is getting the short end of the stick. In fact, the one who loves more is the one who is happier because just being with the loved one is already a source of happiness.

One thing I like about this drama is that it shows Shu Yi’s growth organically, no cheesy miraculous and bombastic transformation here.

She obviously did not love her ex-boyfriend. She probably accepted his pursuit because of his perseverance for 5 years. Or maybe it was to stop her mom from pestering her about having a boyfriend. In any case, she was a horrible girlfriend, choosing to chase an interview rather than celebrate her ex-bf’s birthday. When they broke up, it was her pride that was hurt, not her heart. She did not mourn their break-up as much as she mourned the probable break-up of her and Shi Yan’s relationship.

She was true to Shi Yan, despite other very eligible suitors, Yu You and Yi Yang, whom she treated as mere friends. She is obviously not as high-spirited when she is with these two compared to her sweetness and playfulness when she is with Shi Yan.

Pampered by her parents who are happy to cook for her, she tried to cook for Shi Yan.

When Shi Yan’s company got into trouble because of two shareholders, her first thought was how he would be affected. Had this happened when she was in her old emotional state, she would have thought first of how her project would have been affected.

She respected what she deemed to be Shi Yan’s decision not to communicate with her by accepting the black-out of communication resignedly, not forcing herself on him as what a spoiled girl would have done. Instead, she kept things to herself, obviously guilty of having hurt him, suffering in silence to such extent that she got seriously ill.

I half-agree. "Split personality" is indeed an apt description for the FL 😄 She is spoiled, so, is rather lacking in EQ. And yeah, she can be flaky. However, there is a spark of nobility in her that makes you root for her growth, such as her dream of allowing more people access to financial knowledge through an online version of Financial Introduce. Her passion towards her work, like the issue of the faulty car batteries, is also commendable. Another thing I admire about her is how she can't be bribed. This discussion topic has a great analysis of why Shi Yan fell for her https://kisskh.at/discussions/cuo-liao/121097-choosing-a-partner-like-a-venture-capitalist-with-shi-yan-long-analysis

I agree with your analysis of the other reason for the negative reviews - some viewers expected the drama to be fluffy through and through and got turned off when the characters developed more than one dimension and the story gained substance. Amazing, isn't it, the very reason I love the drama - that it engaged the brain cells - is the very reason other viewers didn't like it.

It's intriguing that you mentioned the title twice. I agree it is too generic and does suggest a fluffy drama that would focus on romance. I was actually disappointed when the title changed from "Love As Camp" which, at least, would have given a clue to the campy humor, as well as prod viewers to analyze a double meaning of "camp" that Shu Yi mentioned once or twice, as in "camp under the stars" or something like that.

Shu Yi's unusual personality for a female lead is what makes the drama intriguing. But for all her quirkiness, she is good hearted which makes viewers root for her emotional growth. One evidence of her good heart is her patience with the conniving Yu Ling who is due a comeuppance.

I like your observation about being pretty being seemingly a bad thing now. Not just for Shu Yi's green-eyed, malicious officemates. Some viewers also bear a grudge against her for accepting others' admiration of her beauty. Isn't it ridiculous? How is it Shu Yi's fault that she is pretty and that others tell her so? It just shows that when people want to find fault, due to envy or other nonsensical reasons, they will see imaginary faults.