Love Actually (2012)

This story revolves around a young lady struggling to survive on her own while caring for her young nephew. It started out very interesting and realistic, with the hardships she had to encounter to survive.

Now to the nitty gritty.
Acting: I felt the acting in this was good, for the most part the characters emoted realistic feelings. The more stone-faced character by Joe Cheng was portrayed correctly, but I was disappointed to see him type-caste in the same melancholy persona as ISWAK. It made this drama at times frustrating, because they used his uncommunicative and passive character to create unnecessary drama, while at other times he was extremely decisive and outspoken. I've seen him in The Rose, and know he can do so much more. Lee Da Hae did a great job as a protagonist, especially if you like those type who are almost TOO good and self-sacrificing to be true.

As a warning, voices ARE dubbed over (a Korean is playing a Chinese role), so if that annoys you, this drama is NOT for you.

Storyline: Moved along smoothly from 1 crisis to the next. Having seen my fair share of dramas, it is safe to say this drama included everything from jealous, maneuvering ex-girlfriends, past family feuds, hostile business take-overs, fake pregnancies, debt collectors, love-triangles, and annoying side-characters. There is, as any 34 episode drama would have it, too much dialogue about food and life towards the end of the series, but the positive side is they allowed character development to progress more naturally.

Overall, I'd rate this drama at a 6, to low 7, mainly because this wasn't a "new" plot or storyline, and in order to keep my attention and interest, you'd have to have "outstanding" acting to balance that out.

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Its okay, but don't expect too much.

The female lead, Qiao Zhixia, should have wings and a halo. No actual human can come close to that much forgiveness and self-sacrifice. She should have cut her brother out of her life and told her nephew that she was his mother. The brother abandoned his son and didn't even know what he looked like. She allowed him to take her money so that she and her nephew would have to sleep on the street?!?!
The male lead, Chen Haofeng, was dumped 10 years prior and his ex-girlfriend then disappeared (because her father basically kidnapped her). QZ heals CH and they fall in love. When the ex shows up, QZ decides that CH should get back together with his ex, just because their love had been interrupted. Once again....What?
The way she treated the ex-girlfriend was surreal. You faked a pregnancy to destroy my relationship? That is okay, I'll still be your best friend because you must have been in so much pain.
QZ was cute, spunky, loyal, and did what she had to do to raise her nephew. As the drama went on, QZ was a doormat. I almost wanted her to start dating the brother, he at least showed loyalty to QZ.
I loved the father of the three boys. He actually behaved as a loving father.

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