To Be a Better Man (2016)

I started -To Be a Better Man- totally unexpectedly and wow it was such a pleasant and unique experience, this is one of those rare dramas that made me go through various feelings as one minute it can be so funny and the next minute so heartwarming (touching). The strength of TBaBM definitely lies in its main characters (Lu Yuan, Jiang Lai and a few others) and its unique storytelling using flashbacks to narrate us Lu Yuan's past stories and the way he lived back then with his friend(s) and girlfriend , I have to admit they were very efficient and for once I didn't find them boring or redundant. This is really a charming drama.  I don't know how to describe it, it's way more than a drama, it's realistic, it's 100% Hilarious, actually I giggled from the beginning to the end, totally didn't imagine a Chinese drama could make me laugh that much and bring me so much entertainment, Lu Yuan's madness is really something to not miss, I saw a man who only wanted to make his relatives happy and for that he used the most unpredictable ways, I'm sure he didn't even realise he was being crazy and daring while doing all those things; also it's never overly dramatic so it was way easier for me to watch it, especially during the hard times I had these past few months. lastly I feel the need to say it's not a drama about food although our main protagonist is a (world) renowned chef, so in that aspect I was very pleased too as I'm not fond of this genre.
When I say this drama is crazy it's not an overstatement, Truly undefinable.


As I said above I didn't really expect anything from this drama indeed I did find the beginning a bit slow, the first 10 eps were good but something was missing for me to fully enjoy it, I was still curious about Lu Yuan and Jiang Lai and wanted to continue for them as I loved their interactions and their chemistry and found them so intriguing. Also I was very fascinated by the Ost, the colours and the cinematography : the reason why I continued and we can clearly see it's a high budget drama and they did so much effort which are very noticeable if we pay a close attention to every little detail. And slowly I fell in love with Lu Yuan and I think it's around ep 11 when Lu Yuan ordered a Wellington Steak in a restaurant that I realised I was already under his spell and I then I told myself '' this man has clearly nothing to lose, he is special and he has something that no other male leads have, he is strange, full of tricks, fearless and hilarious'' this instant I knew this drama had an offbeat feel and that it would suit my current mood.

This is a story about a man, Lu Yuan who lost everything in the United States and decides to come back to his motherland with his friend's ashes, he is then his friend's daughter guardian and has the duty to take care of her until she becomes an adult. We will follow each and every of his adventure in China, his reunion with his past friends (mostly his ex girlfriend) and his meeting with one enigmatic and fickle woman, Jiang Lai. It looks simple reading it like that but that's all what transported me for 42 eps.
Undeniably Lu Yuan was the highlight of the show and he was truly the only shining star for me though I loved Jiang Lai and Lau Tai Tai (Da Hai's mother) a lot. Lu Yuan is not a character he is more than that, simply too real and too charismatic to be unreal (in my world), that's how much I love and admire this man, we all need a Lu Yuan in our life to illuminate our days.
Of course I need to mention the gorgeous Jian Shu Ying, who completely stole my heart here with her beautiful smile, her mannerisms, capricious and lovely personality, simply I fell in love with her charisma, I think she has a peculiar beauty but all those traits make her so elegant and lovely. She made a great pair with our main actor Sun HongLei and I love every one of their scene together. Da Hai's mother was the sweetest and loveliest character in the drama, so caring, she's also the only one who made me cry here, some of her scenes are too powerful. Of course I loved the little cutie Xiao Cai who truly loves and admires Lu Yuan for who he is, never judging him and accepting him the way he is, without conditions. They both made me smile so much. I did like the other characters, Jia He could be very adorable and understanding but I didn't like how she always wanted to control Lu Yuan's life, she could easily become irritating at times. Don't have much to say about Jiang Haokun and Gan Jing, they clearly don't inspire me!

There are 42 eps but I can tell you that when I was already at the end I wish there were more waiting for me. ><


Now the Ost, I immediately fell in love with this music, I mean the first thing that attracted me in this drama is the opening so enchanting and beautiful, both musically and visually and it's the best I ever heard/seen. The songs and pieces of music here fitted perfectly with the atmosphere of the drama and were well chosen for certain scenes. I love the ending song "Lu Yuan" so so so much, aww.

I think this drama is definitely not for everyone, though it's very special to me and it means a lot as it brought me so many laughter and enjoyment. I'd recommend it more to people who are looking for mature, delirious, not typical and realistic stories though it has a bit of fantasy* (EDIT: eventhough* it felt weird and inappropriate at times it didn't bother me too much hence I change my 9.5 into a 10).
THIS DRAMA IS TERRIBLY UNDERRATED, hope it eventually gets the attention it deserves.

Last but not least I love this quote : "True love is actually very simple and plain, whenever I sit next to him just by the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice I feel strongly that we could both read each other's minds. Some people might never come across such a feeling." Lu Yuan truly deserves to be loved.

Read More

After reading the synopsis i was expecting it to be culinary/cooking centered, but it's actually more of slice-of-life type of drama

Story was about self growth of the ML, his past love, and people around him.
The loveline wasn't necessarily the focus but it makes a big impact.

Like the other review said, one minute it can be so funny and the next minute so heartwarming.
Watching this feels like watching everyone grow in front of my eyes, their imperfections was relatable. The mental health part doesn't have a good closure which is realistic. Because even in real life not many people put care and actually look for treatment.

Everyone did great with their roles. But I'm really impressed with Guan Xiaotong, her portrayal of Peng Jia He was amazing.

I wish they did better with ML's look in the flashbacks scenes, instead making him look young they ended up making him look older.

i really like the outro song, I'd definitely listen to it from time to time

Overall whole story was pretty light, it kinda gets a bit slow and boring in the middle.
It's not really my favorite and not really the one that I'd rewatch. However I'm thoroughly enjoying watching it.

Read More