even appeared and I stopped watching. The first 15 minutes were slow, If I had known that I was a little bit more patient or gave this drama an actual chance then I would find myself falling in love just a few minutes after dropping. Why? Chen Berlin who is known as Li Da Ren in this gem of a drama appeared and he just lit the whole drama up.
I finished the first episode and I was already falling for this drama truly, madly and deeply. I found Ariel lovable! and Chen Berlin dashing!I would slap myself silly for not continuing after those 15 minutes. If only I gave the drama a real go then it would have been in my life longer. We all make silly mistakes and I should really watch 3-5 episodes before thinking about dropping.
So this drama is about two best friends who have known each other for about 10-15 years and one thing is certain from the very start.
Li Da Ren loves and has always loved Cheng You Qing. It is also obvisous that You Qing feels the same but she's a woman and she's naive and I guess you could say she's scared about losing Da Ren. Li Da Ren starts to date a girl called Maggie who is very annoying and If I ever come across a girl like Maggie I will run for the hills. The thing about Maggie is she plans and she plots. Maggie wants the perfect boyfriend/husband and this girl has a list of qualities her perfect man has to have and it just so happens Li Da Ren ticks all of her boxes (He would tick mine too) so this begins the love triangle. Even though I said "I would run for the hills" I would say she did help You Qing wake up a bit but You Qing is very complicated especially in her love life. This is when her ex-boyfriend comes back and they had/have a very intense relationship. You know the type one minute they are arguing and the next they are sucking each others faces off.
Throughout the whole drama we are rooting for Li Da Ren to win his girl! We want Cheng You Qing to wake up and realise that Li Da Ren has always and will always be there for her. He is her soulmate. This is the type of drama where you watch one episode and you don't go "I might watch episode 2 tomorrow" no...you say "Next episode NOW!" and you keep on saying that until you realise 13 hours of your life have passed and the drama is over. The couple is no more and you
won't see anymore Li Da Ren and Cheng You Qing scenes. You will find yourself depressed and it will probably take you about 1-3 weeks to find another drama. However those 1-3 weeks of depression are worth those beautiful 13 hours.
P.S:. If you think Ariel and Joe Cheng are IT then think again. It's all about Chen Berlin and Ariel!
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Story. Well, the storyline of this drama may not be the most original one - the concept of two old friends falling for each other is used frequently so it's kind of hard to squeeze something new from this idea. This drama couldn't avoid some of cliches - jealousy, the return of cheating ex-boyfriend, crying in the rain, ignoring your own feelings etc., but even if those things did appear, they didn't spoil the fun of watching. Everything was happening at the right moment - nothing seemed rushed or too slow, every episode had its own charm and I didn't feel like fast forwarding even once, I enjoyed every minute of the drama. It was a bit painful watching the sufferings of poor Li Da Ren but this had its purpose and made the story more realistic.
Acting. Well, here I have to admit that I completely changed my mind about Taiwanese actors. In those few dramas I've seen up to now the acting was a bit bad - it seemed fake, exaggerated and naive but in ITWY it was the exact opposite. Every single actor played his/her part natural, like they were real characters and not just the actors. Now I can't imagine Chen Berlin playing the guy who is, let's say, cheating ex-boyfriend - he was so natural playing a sensitive, supporting best friend that I really believed he has to be like that in his pirvate life too. The same can be said about Lin Ariel - she was really convincing in her role of a strong and independent woman who knows what she wants and aims for that.
Music. I have to say that music was the first thing I noticed about this drama - it's really fitting. And the song that Da Ren wrote for You Qing? Yeah, it was perfect!
Rewatch value. That is a hard one - I loved the drama, it was really good and all, but like somebody said before, I don't know if I would bear seeing the sufferings of Li Da Ren once again. But, on the other side, the last episode was so awesomely epic that it redeemed it all; finally, we saw some of the hapily ever after and not just the happy ending!
Overall, I gave it an 8 because this was the best written, acted and executed Taiwanese drama I've ever seen and finally I saw a a female lead who was worth my liking - not some whiny, wimpy girl, but a true woman.
And a cherry on top: nearly all the clothes (and especially shoes!) of You Qing were to die for!
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This review may contain spoilers
-Note: contains minor spoilers, read at your own discretion.-I was a little disappointed with this drama mainly because it started out very promising. The beginning episodes were perfect in every aspect possible, but unfortunately, the story just dragged on. We had the same premise for 12 episodes: boy and girl have been best friends for years, boy is secretly in love with girl, girl is in a relationship with someone else... nothing more. While I was ok with this premise, I did not expect it to be the ONLY aspect of the entire story, which is how it turned out to be. But this is my biggest complaint about this drama (granted it is a very large issue).
The three things I look for in a drama are story, acting and directing. I have discussed my issues with the story, but there are also praises to be given. There were many deep messages and metaphors hidden in this drama were very well though out. I was enjoying these but they started to become scarce as the story progressed.
The acting was exceptional. Ariel Lin never disappoints, and while I have never seen any other work Berlin Chen has done, he was very well suited for the part of Li Da Ren. While Ariel and Berlin had great chemistry when they were just friends, that chemistry didn't extend to when they were a couple. It may have been due to their being friends for nearly 13 episodes, but I just couldn't see them in a romantic relationship.
Now for the directing... The directing in this drama was beyond brilliant for the first 5 or so episodes, and again, it began to get a little lazy, though never bad. I loved the whole clocks appearing everywhere for a woman who is obsessed with time and aging. The dream sequences were also filmed nicely, but my favorite part of the directing was the phone calls. I absolutely adored how the director portrayed Da Ren and You Qing's close relationship by having them appear to be so near each other, when they were actually cities, or even countries, apart.
My final evaluation of In Time With You is that it is a very enjoyable drama. While not perfect, I do not regret watching it nor do I think anyone will. If I were to review this drama based on the first half of the series, this would be a very different review, but due to the laziness of the second half, these were my overall thoughts.
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There are two HUGE reasons why this drama stood out so much in my mind:
1. The script - I don't mean the storyline, but rather the things that they say and the meaning behind WHAT they say. Personally, I jot down quotes of lines I like while I watch my dramas and I am 100% sure that "In Time with You" will be holding the record of Most-"Memorable Quotes" for a very, VERY long time.
2. The character setup (I'm not sure what it's actually supposed to be called, or if there is even a name for it.) - Out of all the dramas I've seen (not that I can be a fair judge of them all because I have not watched all the dramas in the world), not once do I ever remember seeing the lead-male act almost like the second-lead-male. Partway through, I started to really doubt whether Chen Bo Lin/Li Da Ren really WAS the lead-male, or if he was just some sort of secondary character. In all the other dramas that I've watched/can think of, the lead-female always ends up with the lead-male, and we (I) pretty much expect it to happen. But if she ends up with the second-lead-male instead, then it's almost considered a "sad ending".
So in my opinion, kudos to the actors and actresses for making the second-lead-male stand out so much that I just didn't know HOW it was going to end until it finally ended.
First off, the storyline. I would have to describe it as an in-depth look at a (seemingly) classic situation. Friends-turned-lovers, nothing special, right? But somehow, I felt that the way their whole relationship was portrayed was just simply...perfect.
While some might say that their "just friends" relationship dragged on for far too long, I actually felt that they were "practically lovers" to begin with. They had their “break-up” and “get-together” moments too, even if they were “just friends”. Seeing so much of their "friendship" for so long, I also feel like I got a taste of what it felt like to be Cheng You Qing - I'd always expect Li Da Ren to be there for her no matter what, being the "best friend" that he is.
So for me, even though I was hoping for change while watching from a third-person point of view (the way their friends and family members felt), their friendship was so solid that even I was convinced that there really WAS the possibility that nothing would ever change (the way Cheng You Qing and Li Da Ren felt).
In addition to their own 'big issue', there was just enough everyone-else-drama so that the whole drama wasn't "just about them", but also about work, family, etc.
As for the Acting/Cast - I was actually really REALLY impressed. For starters, the cast included newbie actors/actresses to play the roles of Ding Li Wei and Maggie, which were pretty big roles. Despite it being their first drama, their characters were portrayed very solidly and never once did I think "oh, they're just acting." I never got the impression that this was just another one of those “fake, jokester dramas”. Nope, this one was serious- serious all the way. Nothing, their words nor actions, were out of character, and I probably would've believed you if you'd told me that they've actually been acting for years. I think credit also goes to the director - from watching the "behind the scenes", I feel like he played a big part in getting their characters to come out as well.
There is one actress in particular that I must praise as well, and that is Ariel Lin. I must confess that I was never a real fan of Ariel Lin. Watching her in ISWAK, Love Contract, and Tokyo Juliet, I continuously got the impression that her characters were all the same - just simply, dumb when in love. While I'm sure it's not her fault because that's just how the script was written, I had always been under the impression that she was simply just suited for "childish roles", and I told myself that I wouldn't be too surprised if she turned out to be a childish character in this drama as well. Sure, she had her cool and composed "I don't need love" moments in Love Contract, and her serious work-focused moments in Tokyo Juliet, but once she 'fell for the guy', all of that was kicked aside and tossed down the drain, and all the serious-attitude that she’d worked to build up before was just…gone. She'd just be in silly “lovey-dovey mode” for the rest of the drama. Up until I watched "In Time with You", that was my impression of Ariel Lin. (I don't mean to offend any Ariel Lin fans or anyone who is a fan of those dramas.) I was just so shocked, impressed, and GLAD all at the same time that I finally got to see her play a "mature" role. I loved being able to watch her act as an ALWAYS-work-focused, consistently hard-working, "I'll take on work and play all at the same time" kind of character. I'm glad that I got to see this "different side" of her - a mature side that was able to control her feelings all the time, regardless of whether she was with her boyfriend or not (minus the few zone-out moments she occasionally had, but come now, we all have SOME moments). Despite her previous dramas, she wasn't too-cute, too-dumb, or too-air-headed; she was mature and sophisticated the majority of the time, "broken down" when she needed to be, and just naturally relaxing during her chill-time with Li Da Ren. For anyone that may have had the same impression of Ariel Lin as I did before I watched this drama - I would recommend giving this drama a shot to see if your opinion of her might change.
The music itself was not necessarily "amazing" or "simply grand" in any way, but it was still nice. The most important part was that suitable songs were played in suitable situations. I also really liked the addition of Chen Bo Lin/Li Da Ren's own song - it really gave certain scenes a deeper "feel" at those critical moments.
While this drama seems really typical, I think...there's just something about it that can't really be described by just "words". It incorporates a lot of different aspects of just "life", namely friendship, work, love, marriage, family, justification of self, and probably others as well. But in a sense, it’s a story that just kind of shows “Life” – it might not be your life or my life exactly, but for me, it was still close enough to hit home.
-Please keep in mind that this review was all based on personal opinion.-
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The story is quite simple and slow actually. A couple of friends who swear to never get romantically involved. Da Ren is the sweetest and the most considerate drama character (male) I have come across. Seriously, all the guys of the world should watch this and take notes on how to treat a girl. You Qing is amazing. She is an awesome person and most of the time she doesn't even realize this. She sees herself as cold and bitchy when she's actually very caring. And as for Wei (Sunny Wang) I don't know about you guys but for me, the guy's a creep and a perv. Seriously, even when he's being all serious and sincere I can't contain myself from rolling my eyes. And those tattoos are no joke! Scared the hell out of me when I first saw them. But overall, great acting by everyone. No wonder they bagged so any awards this year. Highly deserved.
Coming to the music - I love it. Especially the song that Da Ren wrote :)) I'm definitely going re-watch this. Especially all the funny moments and the cute moments. Might skip all the stiff with Ding Li Wei though :P
Ok, I've changed my mind. I would recommend it to everyone. If you're in a dilemma over this drama I'd say - GO FOR IT! And if you're in a dilemma whether you should continue watching this drama, I'd say DON'T GIVE UP! Really, the ending would be worth it. After all, all's well that ends well, right? ;)
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The plot line sounds pretty average.Friends realising that at the end of the day they love each other.The drama is full of those cliches.Ex-boyfriends and Girlfriends..and other sub plots revolving around ageing and marriage but i utterly loved this drama
Berlin Chen as Li Da Ren is very handsome.He's the type of friend that any girl whould love to have.To share a can of beer over a broken heart.To be in his embrace over betrayal and to chat with him all day long and never getting bored of it.He's someone who's like a pillar of strength and that's what makes him oh so adorable
Ariel Lin is very pretty and more so here since i love her in dresses.she is not the typical dramaland heroine.She has a bad temper,is unbearable to handle and so whimsical at the same time.But she's also a workaholic who doesnt look at the time at all which is passing by.She's a career driven woman who's finally realising that life needs much more than a career and weekends spent with parents.She's feeling tht grey hairs are not to far and thats how our story follows.Frankly i wouldn't be able to handle or bear a person like her but Li Da Ren does evrything he can for this girl.They've been best friends and it shows as we follow them.They are so comfortable with each other that the heroine has taken him for granted almost
The chemitsry between the leads is good but this drama is more about friendship than love according to me.The music fits every frame and was very pleasant on the ears..:)
This drama does have its problems though.Through the first few episodes we see that Cheng You Qing needs Li Da Ren much more than he does.She's always,always asking him to be there for her while she's hardly ever there for him.Lot of time was wasted in her attraction towards her ex bf rather than focusing on the frendship.I also was too much frustrated with You Qing in the last episodes as i became to hate her there.I had hoped the writer would have given them more screen time as a couple but we kept on goin in circles and no together time was shown which is a shame since the leads look so good together.
watch it for the friedship where you'l wish you had a LI Da Ren in your life and i think the best kind of love is in friends turning to lovers so thts why i highly recommend this
cute,romantic and shows how badly we need a friend..:D
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ITWY shows a lot about not just romantic love, but also family/friendship love. It's a drama about life and how life affects us. That said, the story is slow paced, and the romance develops even slower. It is not draggy, but the developing romance is slow because of the problems of daily life.
The acting is really good. Ariel Lin fits her role, and Chen Bo Lin is the cutest best guy friend ever. Sunny Yang is also really hot in this drama, if you want some eye candy.
I personally liked the music. The song sang by Chen Bo Lin is super emotional and raw. I never knew he was a singer, and I loved his voice.
I rewatched this drama twice. Once in 2011 and 4 years later in 2015. After rewatching it, I gained a different insight because ITWY really is a drama that makes you think about what you want in life, and your perspective.
Thus, I recommend this drama but not if you want a easygoing no stress drama, rather a drama that makes you think. 9.75/9
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At first, I only wanted to watch because of Bolin Chen. He, my friends, plays Li Da Ren in the series, and is a SERIOUSLY attractive man. But after I got sucked into the story, his looks didn't even matter to me anymore because all the elements in this drama are so exceptional!
I learned so much life lessons from this series, not just from Ariel's list (watch the drama to find out about it!) but from the way she handles herself and her life struggles. Her character truly is an inspirational woman and I'm so glad that I watched something that impacted my life SO MUCH!
I love that the outlying themes were also life changing as well, from competing with the younger generation in the workplace to trying to keep up with the trend of the times as you get older because the main focus of society is mostly on the youth. I LOVE that Ariel's character was a strong symbol of a woman that was capable of handling herself amidst all the social stresses AND the relationship stresses!
Definitely recommended for EVERYBODY! And hopefully when you finish watching it, it'll impact you as much as it did for me!
Negative one percent score on Acting/Cast because sometimes I didn't believe Li Wei's acting sometimes (specifically scenes where he's mad) and minus one on the Music because I'm not a fan of Bolin's singing.. Other than those scenes where Li Wei wasn't mad, everybody was EXCEPTIONAL in acting and portraying their characters in their environment!
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I have to say that's all this drama is about. There's no real story or plot in it apart from their own realization of their feelings. It's only about the two awesome people- Chen You Qing & Li Da Ren's journey till the end. While it may be slow and boring for some, I'd say people in their 20's or 30's can actually relate to a lot in this drama. It has a lot of quotable dialogues and the thoughts of the characters were quite realistic and meaningful. The narrated thoughts of the "mature woman" was such a wonderful concept to appeal to the older viewers. I also have to mention the telephone calls between You Qing & Da Ren. They were perfect and the best parts of the entire drama.
This happens to be the simplest drama that I know of. Things didn't happen in the drama just to make it interesting. The writer seemed to know his characters very well. I especially loved You Qing- she was selfish and at the same time someone you could root for. She was an almost anti-heroine compared to other drama heroines in existence. Li Da Ren was almost perfect to the point he seemed to make this drama seem more like a fairytale. Ironically, he was the most unrealistic thing about this realistic drama. Or so I think. :D
Anyway, I love Ariel Lin and I'm glad she nailed her role. She really put on a spectacular performance, be it acting at times arrogant or being emotional. She was able to convey it all. I think Berlin Chen suited his role but I wish he was able to bring a little more expressions since most of them seemed repetitive. Among the supporting cast I liked Henry in spite of him being the bad guy.
The music of the drama was pretty good too. The only place it is lacking is the inconsistent direction after episode 8 and for being longer than it was necessary. I felt myself very tired during the last few episodes and as much as I was loving it, I couldn't wait for it to end already.
However I am going to remember this drama for a long time. I will watch it again in its entirety once again someday. Maybe. This is very highly recommend.
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It was actually one of my first dramas, but believe me, it made me stay up ALL NIGHT and it was the only thing I could think about when I was not on computer ^^
The story may be a bit long, but I thought it was very realistic, and the characters are really cute. I totally fell for Da Ren, he's my favorite male character in a drama forever !!
In my opinion, the music is also really important, and I wasn't disappointed here. The ost is really beautiful and Da Ren's song is amazing : even now that I finished it a year ago or something, it still makes me cry when I hear it !
Now the actors are also really good, and so cute together. (and Ariel Lin is different from in other dramas, so give it a try :) )
Now I hope you understant something in my review (and I don't know why I had to re-publish the end like five times)
So I hope you'll like it as much as I did !
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This series was all of the amazing. I don't know what magic the director, script writer, actors...hell, even the set dressers and mic operators did an astounding job at making you feel like, "Yep. This is legit happening and these are legit humans with beautiful feels."
Chen Bo Lin and Lin Ariel had beautiful chemistry together, and they are layered in likability and uniqueness in how they bring their respective characters to life.
Oh, and yeah...the nuanced use of special effects (you'll get what I mean when you see the series) had a beautiful way of bringing everyday, otherwise visually boring activities (text messages, phone conversations) to life.
I literally can't quit fangirling over this series, and I just finished it not 10 minutes ago. HELP! I'm stuck in Fangirl Mode and I can't get out!
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