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Wallace Huo saved this from being rated lower by me
I would have given the first half more than 10 stars, if possible. Wow, was it ever good! So well-written, with smart dialogue, excellent acting, mystery and tension throughout. The music was very successful in addition to the tension.Their voices were good and not screech-y (why do most C-dramas insist upon dubbing?). This was my first time of seeing Wallace Huo in anything, and I was impressed. his character, Simon Bo, was a criminal profiler and seemed able to pull the answers to clues out of thin air (suspend disbelief here). The developing relationship between the male and female leads was a pleasure to watch, and so amusing, since he had no people skills whatsoever. I didn't feel that them sleeping together that first date made any sense, since she could barely even kiss him on the cheek. However, her describing to him how he kisses? That was hot! The writers would have been better served to extend that "will they/won't they" tension, because the couple got boring after that. I loved that they were working on new crimes every couple of episodes, which kept it fresh. I also really enjoyed Andrew Yin as Simon's assistant/secretary. He and Simon had a wonderful bromance relationship going on and a lot of his lines were very amusing. I had to downgrade my rating because of the second half of the story when they were in America. Really bad American actors, and they kept changing the female lead's name. And the Chinese actors spoke in only Chinese, but everyone was able to understand one another? However, I'll definitely be watching the first half of this again sometime soon.
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Cheers to Wallace Huo!! He is so handsome. Couldn't take my eyes off him.
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This is by far my favourite and most memorable Chinese drama and it definitely in my top 10 dramas ever. It will have you hooked from the first 10 minutes i promise.
Enjoy!
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First: there is Wallace as Simon making white button downs look Amazing. His face is a joy to watch in this show, he makes the best expressions, especially later in the show when he's gotten comfortable around her.
Secondly: Simon has the BEST friends:
1. A talking car that likes to play mood music to match the conversation until chastised and it sometimes follows Simon around like a big puppy.
2. A turtle that apparently shares his bed.
3. A wealthy, ultra smart tech guru of a best friend who supposedly has a job because we see his office suite, but really seems to just play laser tag, help Simon with his housing issues, give Simon all the best tech toys (like the car), and work with Simon when the case requires a computer guy. And be sweet and charming and supportive at all times.
Plenty of mind games and creepy psychos too, but all the great supporting characters and the charming romance keeps it from getting too dark.
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There is just so much I could talk about in this drama, but I will not get start instead i recommend this drama to anyone interested in criminal investigation viewed from the criminal behavioral psychologist. Anyone who love a good thriller without the whole intense horror associated with the genre. Anyone who loves not just a good mystery, but a great one that just keeps you guess till the very end.- What, Why, When, Where and Who - the five 'W'..
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The story is pulling you in...right away! It makes you use your brain...lol...it makes you think while you watch it... about what's happening, what is going to happen. Your brain is full of questions and you want answers! There is romance, crime and everything else you would want in a drama.
At some point 24 episodes were too much for me, i think it would have been better with 16 or 19 at most, instead of streeching the story to get more money. Anyway, the acting soo on point. You cant say that they are not good actors, perfect for the roles.The music is perfection it goes well with the story and it sets the mood. I would watch it again and you would too. Overall its the perfect drama to get you into chinesse drama's if you aren't already! ;)
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The story plot was epic, the first time I read the summary I was hooked but I did not watch right away due to me being judgemental because it was Chinese. I regret not watching it sooner, because as soon as the first episode was over I could not stop myself. The plot did not revolved around the romance as much as people would think, there was a perfect balance of romance and the actual plot. Unlike some other modern dramas this had a lot of suspense, and the action in this movie was not gangster like, it was quite sophisticated, and let's be honest with a hot actor like Wallace Huo anything looks sophisticated. Sometimes I did feel like some puzzles did not fit, like how the two main serial killers were related. There were obvious connections on how they were related, but it still felt like something was missing, which is why I gave the story a rating of 9.5. Also there was not the usual love triangle, there were two love interest, but one of them coolly decided to let the main lead girl go. For the first few episodes there were different cases and different killers, but eventually everything came together and you realize that it was all connected. I must say that the ending was a big BOOM!!!
The reason why I don't like to watch Chinese dramas as much, is because for some reason the acting looks awkward to me, but recently over the years, it has not felt that way, it is actually nice to watch chinese dramas now. Love Me if You Dare definitely had one of the best acting in Chinese dramas in my opinion. Each actor portrayed their character very well, and it just seemed so natural. Throughout the drama not even once did I think they should change the main leads like i have with some other dramas. There was not any big character development other than the usual "cold-hearted guy is actually warm-hearted and opens up to the world type of thing," like I said not very much character development. Even though there was not a lot of character development, each character was very interesting and had their own unique story with nightmares to overcome, which is why I did not mind that there was no big character change. In overall I gave this category a 10 because I did not find anything lacking.
Music is always important to me, especially in dramas because it helps me set the mood, and of course it makes the scenes more dramatic. Music is hard for me to review, because all the styles and different genres can make something beautiful, so I usually give this category a high ranking, the lowest I remember was probably an 8.5, but this drama definitely gets a 10. I believe there are 12 soundtracks total, including songs and background music. The songs were beautiful and sad, especially if you watch the ending and opening they always give me goosebumps. The music definitely made me feel the suspense of the most intense scenes, and that's something that I don't feel a lot of times. I always feel the warm sweet feelings with music, but I don't usually feel the drama and the edge on my seat feeling when it comes to action dramas, but Love Me if You Dare has accomplished this difficult task.
I would 100% rewatch Love Me if You Dare. I could never get tired of the thrill that comes to figuring out the murders, also the love scenes are always so cute, especially since Wallace Huo's character is this narcissistic person but he is always trying to win the main lead over, which adds a comedy feeling to things. The reason why I gave this category a 9 instead of a 10 was because in my personal taste I usually don't rewatch dramas, because it is difficult to experience those special moments all over again, but Love Me if You Dare made me rethink my way of thinking. I just did not want it to end.
This frustrating feeling that I can't get rid of is all because of this 24 episode journey. I will definitely treasure this drama in my heart and in my memories of love.
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The drama is really one of the best when it comes to depicting the serious content. It never felt like it was trying too hard to make me feel. It was simple but effective.
I liked that other characters had strong deductive reasoning as well. It's not all about the god-like Professor Bo.
The plot has a twist! How I love twists. The lead up to the ending is really thrilling. Oh so good.
Jin Yan
“Are you using Li Xun Ran's life to gamble with me?”
“Analysing the mind of a perverted madman is my job, not a gamble.”
I think this is the first time I was convinced that the hero wasn't necessarily trying to be mean, he was just speaking his mind. Jin Yan is very direct. He is not good with people. I like that he's not picky about cleanliness or order. Most of the time, characters with his type of personality will be meticulous and OCD, but that's not really his thing.
Jin Yan's straight face is actually quite comical. The actor makes use of body language to give his character a lot of personality. His forwardness means he can ask questions that progress the relationship along quicker but as the viewer you're not really sure what it means that he's asked.
He also has a bit of a naughty side that he delivers so deadpan I can't help but laugh.
“You kissed the President?”
“Yes. During the climax of catching the criminal, I went out of my way to kiss my own sister. Are you thinking that I left my IQ and morality behind?”
Jin Yan is such a great character. It's hard to describe him. He is stiff, but never boring. He cares but is never kind. He's blunt and a little mean but not rude. He is open to learning more about “normal people” but on his terms. His progression into a human is really subtle and fabulous. I loved the unraveling of his personality. He smiles a lot to himself which makes him more accessible. He's not a diva.
I think the interesting thing about him, is that most Korean heroes have the two sides to them, but for Jin Yan, even when he is acting cute, he is still intimidating and even when he's humbly following instructions.
I like that he doesn't think he's a monster. That he knows full well who that title goes to. And the drama also emphasises how he doesn't identify with the murderers. That even though he understands them it's because of talent not because of some sinister connection or that there's something wrong with him.
Romance
This is probably my first time that I swooned over the heroine's romantic lines rather than the hero's. But Yao Yao's beautiful delivery was really touching.
Jin Yan is pretty much always respectful towards Yao Yao which is something you can't say of many heroes. And I like that he appreciates her intelligence and seeks out her input on the cases.
The pair have a very functional relationship right from the beginning. Their dynamic is really enjoyable.
I liked the flirty undertones and how Jin Yan really conveys his admiration for Jian Yao. I love that in a hero. He trusts her.
As the drama goes on, he becomes more relaxed and funny.
However, when he really starts to pursue her, I found the romantic activities a little jarring. It was almost like he had no heart in it, but rather was using formula as a means to an end.
However, once they get together, the drama moves away from focusing on their relationship. I was glad for that because romantic Jin Yan is kind of creepy.
Zi Yu
Zi Yu at first seems like the stereotypical sidekick. He's a good sidekick. He knows Jin Yan's quirks well. I love the little conversation he had with Yao about his best friend.
“His emotional intelligence is basically zero.”
He has some really awesome moments when he's got Jin Yan's back.
Jian Yao
This heroine is amazing. She's very firm right from the start. Unafraid to be a little rude but isn't bratty at all. She doesn't fall for any of Jin Yan's games (not that he plays a lot) and she can give him a fine and sophisticated setdown.
As one of the characters says, Jian Yao is both book smart and street smart which is refreshing in a heroine.
Despite considerable desensitisation to serial killer plots, I was terrified right along with Jian Yao.
I felt Jian Yao's horror towards Jin Yan but similar to her, also felt the curiosity of the mystery and the intrigue of the hunt.
She's efficient and capable.
Towards the second half of the drama, her character sort of withers away. She doesn't become annoying, she just becomes very unimportant to the plot.
It's been a while see a drama really gripped me. I was looking for a drama that would cheer me up and was trying for all the comedies, but nothing worked like the satisfaction of a good drama regardless of genre.
P.S. The book that this drama is based on is really good. You can read how Fu Zi Yu and Jin Yan become friends. It's awesome.
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