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A Clever Premise, a Lovely Slow-Burn Romance, and a Slightly Flat Finish
Updated review:
I really loved Connecting to You for most of its run. It has a genuinely interesting supernatural premise, a sweet and very natural romance, enough story outside the romance to keep things moving, and two leads whose relationship develops so gradually that at some point I realized they had basically become a couple before either of them had actually said so.
Lin Chia Kai has been able to see colored threads connecting people for most of his life. Different colors represent different relationships—love, friendship, family, hostility—but although he can see everyone else’s connections, he has never had a thread of his own. Then he meets police officer Wu Dawei and suddenly, for the first time, there is one.
What I especially liked is that the thread concept is much more than a cute romantic gimmick. Chia Kai’s ability becomes useful in the different situations he encounters through Dawei’s police work, but it also has limitations. Seeing a connection between people does not mean Chia Kai understands everything about them, and his tendency to jump in and help people sometimes gets him into trouble. The series keeps adding new dimensions to the supernatural element without letting it overwhelm the human stories.
The romance was easily my favorite part. Chia Kai and Dawei start out on very bad footing, then gradually become friends, coworkers, roommates, and something much more intimate long before either one is prepared to name it. Their relationship grows through ordinary things: cooking, watching movies, waiting for one another after work, going out together, worrying about each other, arguing about things couples argue about, and quietly becoming part of one another’s daily lives. It never felt like the drama was screaming, “LOOK! ROMANCE!” at me. It just happened.
I also thought the acting and characterization were very good, particularly the physical characterization of Chia Kai. His awkward posture, strange little walk, unfortunate bangs, and tendency to make himself physically smaller all fit someone who has spent his life feeling disconnected from everyone around him. That made his gradual sense of belonging with Dawei feel even more meaningful.
Where the drama lost some momentum for me was in the final two episodes. The material itself was important, especially as we finally learned much more about Dawei and his family history, and I appreciated that the series gave him the opportunity to confront something that had affected him since childhood. But trying to introduce and resolve so much of his history in roughly forty minutes made the ending feel rushed and oddly flat. I actually found myself pausing episode 11 to do something else, which had not happened once during the earlier episodes.
There is nothing wrong with the ending. It is emotionally positive, the major relationship questions are resolved, and I was happy with where Chia Kai and Dawei ended up. It simply did not have quite the same energy, charm, or emotional pull that the earlier episodes had for me.
Even with that weaker finish, I really enjoyed this drama. It is warm, funny, sweet, occasionally touching, and built around a supernatural idea that actually contributes something to the story. Most importantly, Chia Kai and Dawei’s relationship felt earned.
Rating: 8/10, possibly 8.5 depending on what the special episode gives us.
Review after episode 8:
After eight episodes, Connecting to You has become one of my favorite currently airing dramas.
The premise is immediately interesting: Lin Chia Kai can see colored threads connecting people, with each color representing a different kind of relationship—love, friendship, family, hostility. The one thing he has never been able to understand is why everyone around him has these connections while he has none of his own. Then he meets police officer Wu Dawei, and for the first time in his life, a thread appears.
What makes the series work so well for me, though, is that the supernatural premise is not simply a gimmick used to create a romance. Chia Kai’s ability becomes part of a larger story involving police cases, people in difficult situations, questions about trust and motive, and the consequences of getting involved in other people’s lives. His ability gives him information, but it does not make him all-knowing, and some of the most interesting moments come when what he sees and what he assumes are not quite the same thing.
The romance develops just as naturally. Chia Kai and Dawei go from mutual irritation to working together, living together, and gradually settling into an unexpectedly domestic relationship. There is no sudden declaration that they are in love. Instead, the intimacy accumulates almost quietly—shared meals, waiting for each other after work, watching movies, worrying about one another, small acts of care—until you realize they are behaving very much like a couple even though neither has named it yet.
That slow progression is probably my favorite part. Dawei seems to understand his feelings earlier, while Chia Kai takes longer to recognize what is happening, and the supernatural thread between them evolves alongside the relationship rather than simply dictating it.
The show is lighter than some of the dramas I usually rate most highly, but “lighter” does not mean empty. It is funny, warm, occasionally touching, and has enough story beyond the romance to keep me genuinely interested in what happens next.
Eight episodes in, I absolutely love it—and now I have the unfortunate problem of having binged every available episode and having to wait for more.
I really loved Connecting to You for most of its run. It has a genuinely interesting supernatural premise, a sweet and very natural romance, enough story outside the romance to keep things moving, and two leads whose relationship develops so gradually that at some point I realized they had basically become a couple before either of them had actually said so.
Lin Chia Kai has been able to see colored threads connecting people for most of his life. Different colors represent different relationships—love, friendship, family, hostility—but although he can see everyone else’s connections, he has never had a thread of his own. Then he meets police officer Wu Dawei and suddenly, for the first time, there is one.
What I especially liked is that the thread concept is much more than a cute romantic gimmick. Chia Kai’s ability becomes useful in the different situations he encounters through Dawei’s police work, but it also has limitations. Seeing a connection between people does not mean Chia Kai understands everything about them, and his tendency to jump in and help people sometimes gets him into trouble. The series keeps adding new dimensions to the supernatural element without letting it overwhelm the human stories.
The romance was easily my favorite part. Chia Kai and Dawei start out on very bad footing, then gradually become friends, coworkers, roommates, and something much more intimate long before either one is prepared to name it. Their relationship grows through ordinary things: cooking, watching movies, waiting for one another after work, going out together, worrying about each other, arguing about things couples argue about, and quietly becoming part of one another’s daily lives. It never felt like the drama was screaming, “LOOK! ROMANCE!” at me. It just happened.
I also thought the acting and characterization were very good, particularly the physical characterization of Chia Kai. His awkward posture, strange little walk, unfortunate bangs, and tendency to make himself physically smaller all fit someone who has spent his life feeling disconnected from everyone around him. That made his gradual sense of belonging with Dawei feel even more meaningful.
Where the drama lost some momentum for me was in the final two episodes. The material itself was important, especially as we finally learned much more about Dawei and his family history, and I appreciated that the series gave him the opportunity to confront something that had affected him since childhood. But trying to introduce and resolve so much of his history in roughly forty minutes made the ending feel rushed and oddly flat. I actually found myself pausing episode 11 to do something else, which had not happened once during the earlier episodes.
There is nothing wrong with the ending. It is emotionally positive, the major relationship questions are resolved, and I was happy with where Chia Kai and Dawei ended up. It simply did not have quite the same energy, charm, or emotional pull that the earlier episodes had for me.
Even with that weaker finish, I really enjoyed this drama. It is warm, funny, sweet, occasionally touching, and built around a supernatural idea that actually contributes something to the story. Most importantly, Chia Kai and Dawei’s relationship felt earned.
Rating: 8/10, possibly 8.5 depending on what the special episode gives us.
Review after episode 8:
After eight episodes, Connecting to You has become one of my favorite currently airing dramas.
The premise is immediately interesting: Lin Chia Kai can see colored threads connecting people, with each color representing a different kind of relationship—love, friendship, family, hostility. The one thing he has never been able to understand is why everyone around him has these connections while he has none of his own. Then he meets police officer Wu Dawei, and for the first time in his life, a thread appears.
What makes the series work so well for me, though, is that the supernatural premise is not simply a gimmick used to create a romance. Chia Kai’s ability becomes part of a larger story involving police cases, people in difficult situations, questions about trust and motive, and the consequences of getting involved in other people’s lives. His ability gives him information, but it does not make him all-knowing, and some of the most interesting moments come when what he sees and what he assumes are not quite the same thing.
The romance develops just as naturally. Chia Kai and Dawei go from mutual irritation to working together, living together, and gradually settling into an unexpectedly domestic relationship. There is no sudden declaration that they are in love. Instead, the intimacy accumulates almost quietly—shared meals, waiting for each other after work, watching movies, worrying about one another, small acts of care—until you realize they are behaving very much like a couple even though neither has named it yet.
That slow progression is probably my favorite part. Dawei seems to understand his feelings earlier, while Chia Kai takes longer to recognize what is happening, and the supernatural thread between them evolves alongside the relationship rather than simply dictating it.
The show is lighter than some of the dramas I usually rate most highly, but “lighter” does not mean empty. It is funny, warm, occasionally touching, and has enough story beyond the romance to keep me genuinely interested in what happens next.
Eight episodes in, I absolutely love it—and now I have the unfortunate problem of having binged every available episode and having to wait for more.
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