This review may contain spoilers
A Romance That Surprised Me in the Best Way
Okay, so Are You the One?? I loved it. Not perfect, but honestly, who cares? The plot wasn’t the most exciting thing just by reading the summary, but the execution? That is where this drama shines. The relationship between Cui Xing Zhou (Zhang Wan Yi) and Liu Mian Tang (Wang Chu Ran)?? SO GOOD. And honestly, making this a comedy was a genius move because without it, the story would’ve felt way more generic.
Right from the start, Mian Tang loses her memory, forgetting that she was once the first lord of Mount Yang Shan—aka Liu Wen. And suddenly, she’s just this sweet, innocent girl with no recollection of her past, paired with scheming but hilarious Xing Zhou. Their dynamic?? Gold. I love how even in her amnesiac state, Mian Tang had business skills and stood her ground. When she started a porcelain business to help Cui Jiu, she refused to back down, even when people dismissed her because she was a woman. RESPECT. She wanted to help, because Xing Zhou had saved her, and honestly? That’s the kind of female lead I appreciate.
Xing Zhou himself?? Cunning. Ruthless. When Mian Tang woke up, the one memory snippet she did have was being set to marry a lord in Zhengzhou. And when she mistakenly assumes Xing Zhou is her husband?? Ohhh, he runs with it. His scheming brain activated because this was his chance to catch Liu Wen—so he pretends to be her husband, Cui Jiu. And honestly? I was kinda mad at his character at first (because Wan Yi portrayed him too well), but watching his gradual softening was so satisfying. You could see him starting to genuinely care for her because, well… he fell for her.
Now, the revenge arc??? YES. When Mian Tang starts regaining her memories and figures out that everyone lied to her, her innocence fades, and suddenly, she is terrifying. That final confrontation between her and Xing Zhou?? The way she stabs him in the chest with her hair pin??? ICONIC. And what really got me was the fact that Xing Zhou just lets her. He doesn’t resist, doesn’t fight back—because he regrets everything. Like, Wan Yi’s portrayal here was insane. The facial expressions, the silent pain, the sheer angst—you feel it.
Now, the second and third leads?? Love them. Zi Yu (Chang Hua Sen) and Shi Xue Ji (Yuan Yu Xuan) were such a great pair. Xue Ji’s simplicity and humility were exactly what Zi Yu needed as emperor. And honestly? Zi Yu’s whole arc was compelling. The son of the former crown prince, sent away for safety after his father was killed?? Of course he allied with villains to claw his way back. Like, yeah, he was kind of a dick, but I get it. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. And now that he’s emperor, he actually committed to fixing things, and choosing Xue Ji as his empress? Perfect choice. She’s not greedy—she just loves to eat. Relatable.
Zhao Quan (Zhang Chi) and He Zhen (Liu Ling Zi) were another standout pair. Quan was a happy-go-lucky noble, now matched with a businesswoman (which is honestly iconic in these misogynistic times). Their dynamic? Entertaining.
I also loved the growing relationship between Xing Zhou’s mother and Mian Tang. At first, she wasn’t thrilled because Mian Tang lacked noble status, but once she saw her intelligence and kindness, she got it. She understood why her son loved her.
The wedding scene? VIBRANT. COLORFUL. It was so sweet, and I actually giggled watching it. (Kilig is the perfect word, but explaining it in English feels impossible.)
Even the way they handled Zi Yu moving on was well done. No weird obsession, no dragging the second-lead-syndrome into crazy territory—just genuine, heartwarming closure.
Oh, and the fighting scenes?? When Mian Tang and Xing Zhou worked as a duo?? Amazing.
I also appreciated the lack of excessive CGI. It actually felt like a real set—tangible, unlike certain fantasy dramas that drown everything in visual effects.
And finally—we need a Zhang Wan Yi voice fan club. OMG. Every time I hear him say furen??? KILIG. And I don’t even speak Mandarin! But you can hear the desperation, the acting, the sheer emotion in his voice—it matches his facial expressions perfectly. Truly academy trained. I mean, he did graduate from Beijing Film Academy, so yeah, makes sense.
Now for the dislikes:
- Not enough fighting scenes. Mian Tang and Xing Zhou were established as equal both in brains and fighting—so why did we barely see that until the later episodes??
- The dubbing. Even though Zhang Wan Yi dubbed himself here (bless), Wang Chu Ran should’ve done the same.
- Xing Zhou’s styling. He looks exactly like his Lost You Forever role. I wish they switched it up a little.
- The ending should’ve been the wedding. After episode 38, catching the villain felt like a chore. I was so ready for it to wrap up with the wedding instead of dragging it further.
Final verdict? Loved the execution, loved the leads, loved the comedy, cried over the angst. Would I rewatch? Absolutely. Would I complain about the ending pacing? Also yes.
Right from the start, Mian Tang loses her memory, forgetting that she was once the first lord of Mount Yang Shan—aka Liu Wen. And suddenly, she’s just this sweet, innocent girl with no recollection of her past, paired with scheming but hilarious Xing Zhou. Their dynamic?? Gold. I love how even in her amnesiac state, Mian Tang had business skills and stood her ground. When she started a porcelain business to help Cui Jiu, she refused to back down, even when people dismissed her because she was a woman. RESPECT. She wanted to help, because Xing Zhou had saved her, and honestly? That’s the kind of female lead I appreciate.
Xing Zhou himself?? Cunning. Ruthless. When Mian Tang woke up, the one memory snippet she did have was being set to marry a lord in Zhengzhou. And when she mistakenly assumes Xing Zhou is her husband?? Ohhh, he runs with it. His scheming brain activated because this was his chance to catch Liu Wen—so he pretends to be her husband, Cui Jiu. And honestly? I was kinda mad at his character at first (because Wan Yi portrayed him too well), but watching his gradual softening was so satisfying. You could see him starting to genuinely care for her because, well… he fell for her.
Now, the revenge arc??? YES. When Mian Tang starts regaining her memories and figures out that everyone lied to her, her innocence fades, and suddenly, she is terrifying. That final confrontation between her and Xing Zhou?? The way she stabs him in the chest with her hair pin??? ICONIC. And what really got me was the fact that Xing Zhou just lets her. He doesn’t resist, doesn’t fight back—because he regrets everything. Like, Wan Yi’s portrayal here was insane. The facial expressions, the silent pain, the sheer angst—you feel it.
Now, the second and third leads?? Love them. Zi Yu (Chang Hua Sen) and Shi Xue Ji (Yuan Yu Xuan) were such a great pair. Xue Ji’s simplicity and humility were exactly what Zi Yu needed as emperor. And honestly? Zi Yu’s whole arc was compelling. The son of the former crown prince, sent away for safety after his father was killed?? Of course he allied with villains to claw his way back. Like, yeah, he was kind of a dick, but I get it. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. And now that he’s emperor, he actually committed to fixing things, and choosing Xue Ji as his empress? Perfect choice. She’s not greedy—she just loves to eat. Relatable.
Zhao Quan (Zhang Chi) and He Zhen (Liu Ling Zi) were another standout pair. Quan was a happy-go-lucky noble, now matched with a businesswoman (which is honestly iconic in these misogynistic times). Their dynamic? Entertaining.
I also loved the growing relationship between Xing Zhou’s mother and Mian Tang. At first, she wasn’t thrilled because Mian Tang lacked noble status, but once she saw her intelligence and kindness, she got it. She understood why her son loved her.
The wedding scene? VIBRANT. COLORFUL. It was so sweet, and I actually giggled watching it. (Kilig is the perfect word, but explaining it in English feels impossible.)
Even the way they handled Zi Yu moving on was well done. No weird obsession, no dragging the second-lead-syndrome into crazy territory—just genuine, heartwarming closure.
Oh, and the fighting scenes?? When Mian Tang and Xing Zhou worked as a duo?? Amazing.
I also appreciated the lack of excessive CGI. It actually felt like a real set—tangible, unlike certain fantasy dramas that drown everything in visual effects.
And finally—we need a Zhang Wan Yi voice fan club. OMG. Every time I hear him say furen??? KILIG. And I don’t even speak Mandarin! But you can hear the desperation, the acting, the sheer emotion in his voice—it matches his facial expressions perfectly. Truly academy trained. I mean, he did graduate from Beijing Film Academy, so yeah, makes sense.
Now for the dislikes:
- Not enough fighting scenes. Mian Tang and Xing Zhou were established as equal both in brains and fighting—so why did we barely see that until the later episodes??
- The dubbing. Even though Zhang Wan Yi dubbed himself here (bless), Wang Chu Ran should’ve done the same.
- Xing Zhou’s styling. He looks exactly like his Lost You Forever role. I wish they switched it up a little.
- The ending should’ve been the wedding. After episode 38, catching the villain felt like a chore. I was so ready for it to wrap up with the wedding instead of dragging it further.
Final verdict? Loved the execution, loved the leads, loved the comedy, cried over the angst. Would I rewatch? Absolutely. Would I complain about the ending pacing? Also yes.
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