This review may contain spoilers
What If – When One Timeline Makes Sense and the Other Feels Like a Fever Dream
What If is a Chinese drama built on an intriguing “what could’ve been” premise: a single woman, two choices, and two parallel timelines. In one, she stays in her hometown with her childhood sweetheart. In the other, she leaves for Shanghai to pursue her career. On paper, this sounds like a brilliant emotional exploration of fate, love, and ambition. In execution? It’s a tale of one timeline with heart and meaning, and another that makes you question if the lead lost all her common sense (and emotional depth) the second she packed her bags.
Let’s start with the hometown timeline. It’s the version that actually respects its characters and audience. Here, the female lead (FL) chooses to build a life with the man who’s stood by her side since they were kids. They face struggles, sure, but there’s growth, emotional payoff, and a satisfying arc where she ends up with love, a job, and a family. It’s realistic, mature, and emotionally grounded. You believe in her choices—and more importantly, you respect her.
Then comes the Shanghai timeline, which feels like someone threw logic and emotional continuity out the window. In this version, FL leaves her 20-year relationship behind for a career—and proceeds to emotionally cheat on her loyal boyfriend. Worse, she doesn’t even take responsibility. She blames him for her own choices, which is honestly mind-blowing.
But what truly breaks the story is how she emotionally detaches from two decades of love with the flip of a switch. One fight, and suddenly she’s sleeping with her new love interest the next day? Like the man she grew up with never even existed? And just when you think it can’t get more unhinged, she clings to this new guy—even after he discards her like she’s nothing. And yes, she reconciles with him, forgetting her childhood love completely. That wasn’t love. That was delusion.
And then—oh yes—let’s talk about that scene. After a fight with her boyfriend in the Shanghai timeline, she returns home, only to find her boss had been hiding outside her house the whole time. Literally lurking like a creep, waiting for the boyfriend to leave. Then, once the coast is clear, he slides in to hug her like some cowardly scavenger. Who wrote that? How did anyone think that was romantic or meaningful? It was absurd. Stalker-level behavior passed off as love.
By the end of the drama, the hometown timeline gives FL everything: love, purpose, growth, and peace. The Shanghai timeline leaves her with some cash and a boyfriend who’s already proven he can leave her at any moment. It’s insane the drama tries to present this as the “more independent” or “empowered” version when she’s emotionally hollow and constantly chasing people who treat her poorly.
Final Thoughts:
What If had potential, but its second timeline feels like a complete character assassination. What could’ve been a nuanced look at life’s difficult choices turns into a frustrating mess of emotional inconsistency and downright bizarre writing. Watch it for the hometown timeline. Skip the Shanghai one unless you want to watch a trainwreck in slow motion.
Let’s start with the hometown timeline. It’s the version that actually respects its characters and audience. Here, the female lead (FL) chooses to build a life with the man who’s stood by her side since they were kids. They face struggles, sure, but there’s growth, emotional payoff, and a satisfying arc where she ends up with love, a job, and a family. It’s realistic, mature, and emotionally grounded. You believe in her choices—and more importantly, you respect her.
Then comes the Shanghai timeline, which feels like someone threw logic and emotional continuity out the window. In this version, FL leaves her 20-year relationship behind for a career—and proceeds to emotionally cheat on her loyal boyfriend. Worse, she doesn’t even take responsibility. She blames him for her own choices, which is honestly mind-blowing.
But what truly breaks the story is how she emotionally detaches from two decades of love with the flip of a switch. One fight, and suddenly she’s sleeping with her new love interest the next day? Like the man she grew up with never even existed? And just when you think it can’t get more unhinged, she clings to this new guy—even after he discards her like she’s nothing. And yes, she reconciles with him, forgetting her childhood love completely. That wasn’t love. That was delusion.
And then—oh yes—let’s talk about that scene. After a fight with her boyfriend in the Shanghai timeline, she returns home, only to find her boss had been hiding outside her house the whole time. Literally lurking like a creep, waiting for the boyfriend to leave. Then, once the coast is clear, he slides in to hug her like some cowardly scavenger. Who wrote that? How did anyone think that was romantic or meaningful? It was absurd. Stalker-level behavior passed off as love.
By the end of the drama, the hometown timeline gives FL everything: love, purpose, growth, and peace. The Shanghai timeline leaves her with some cash and a boyfriend who’s already proven he can leave her at any moment. It’s insane the drama tries to present this as the “more independent” or “empowered” version when she’s emotionally hollow and constantly chasing people who treat her poorly.
Final Thoughts:
What If had potential, but its second timeline feels like a complete character assassination. What could’ve been a nuanced look at life’s difficult choices turns into a frustrating mess of emotional inconsistency and downright bizarre writing. Watch it for the hometown timeline. Skip the Shanghai one unless you want to watch a trainwreck in slow motion.
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