redshoe1000

first, let me say that I did not hate About Love even though this review may seem quite negative. in fact, I enjoyed substantial portions of it, particularly the character of Lao Gong and Gao Weiguang's performance with all its peculiarities, along with the underlying theme of the drama (if not its actualisation).

to set a baseline, here's the list of all the characters I detested, in order most to least:
- Da Sen
- An Miu
- Yu's mother
- Xiu
- Lun
- Mingming
- Guan-jie
- Yu
- Bei
- Zhen
- Luanluan
- Li Xiaoxi
- almost every other person who came onscreen

those I liked: Lao Gong and Yingtao's didi (probably because they had a quality the others almost entirely lacked, straightforwardness and mostly honest communication)

therein lies the crux of the problem. there is a lot to dislike. the characters are mostly devastatingly unsympathetic, and each one should go completely no-contact with all the others. the toxicity multiplier effect is off the charts.

the music is gently offbeat but enjoyable. the cinematography, on the other hand, is not gentle but brash in its desire to be different, and occasionally feels like the beginning of a migraine. while I understand the vibe the director was aiming for and have praised other dramas for a similar expressionist-inspired tone, the underlying narrative and characters simply weren't strong enough to withstand this treatment and it ended up feeling try-hard rather than suave.

let me take a brief moment to trash the hairstyles because that is where the real headache makes itself felt. I have a most-hated ranking for these too but will leave you to choose your own fighter.

the acting was overall really decent, as you'd expect from the cast list. Gao Weiguang was a standout, and Wang Ziwen managed to make Li Xiaoxi far more rounded and less dislikeable than she had any business being. Liu Yuning's Bei, however, was an interesting study in how not to write a male lead. there have been plenty of complaints about his lack of screentime but this actually does him a favour because this character is just blandly slippery and has absolutely no points of interest to grab on to. more than once I wished he'd just pack up and move back to the UK.

the ending was a bit of a wash but amusingly meta in its failure to commit, given that none of the characters knew how to commit or end things properly either.

overall, an entertaining enough watch but will undoubtedly continue to irritate those who dislike messy melodramatic adult themes with cheating partners, as well as fans of romances and of Liu Yuning.