This review may contain spoilers
<< Plot : 7.5/10 >>From the first few episodes, it appeared to be the typical clumsy damsel in distress who falls into misfortune and a smart, stoic yet charming prince charming waltzes into her life and coolly fixes all her issues. While the male lead, Han Che, does do a lot for the female lead, Nuan Nuan, Nuan Nuan actually grows a lot independently and a lot of credit to her growth should be given to her and pleasantly not the male lead.
It's quite refreshing to see the klutzy female lead have a storyline that allows her to grow and mature (because quite often, these cliche dramas leave it to the charming male lead to fix everything). Plot wise other than Nuan Nuan's growth in the fashion industry is pretty typical. Nuan Nuan loses her final chance at debuting as an idol due to Han Che misinterpreting his savior as Nuan Nuan's groupmate, Lin Jia Yi. He soon finds out that he repaid the favor to the wrong person and is determined to pay it back to Nuan Nuan by assisting her when she decides to pursue her fashion passion. As expected, Nuan Nuan and Han Che become close as they spend more and more time together and they eventually fall for each other, but the truth about Han Che causing Nuan Nuan to not debut comes out and it puts a roadblock to their relationship. Like the stereotypical romance line goes, Nuan Nuan forgives Han Che and they get back together.
** On the side note, biggest thing that I'm not a fan of the two are probably the kissing scenes. Reminds me of a truck ramming into a wall during some scenes.
Aside from Nuan Nuan and Han Che, there is some plot focus on some side characters including Nuan Nuan's best friend (who is also Han Che's older sister), Han Xue and Gu Li, who happens to be Han Che's subordinate and a long time "di-di" friend of Han Che's. Drama "villain" Lin Jia Yi gets some attention as well, and also Han Chen who has long harbored romantic feelings for Nuan Nuan.
Overall, the plot is cheesy and predictable, but that's what I signed up to watch. Brownie points awarded to the development story of Nuan Nuan.
<< Acting: 8/10 >>
I haven't watched much of Eleanor Lee, but she's quite natural and adorable. I wish she had a better hairstyle and makeup throughout this series because the hot pink lipstick definitely was not a good pick. But style wise aside, she executed Nuan Nuan quite flawlessly -- the clumsiness, quirkiness, happiness, and cuteness were all done so in a non-cringey way. When she was upset, it felt realistic as well.
I watched the Meteor Garden remake and got used to Leon Leong as the smiley sunshine boy, so the stoic genius role of Han Che took some time to adjust to. Regrettably, I must say that LL is probably the weakest of the acting bunch and it's quite lucky his character is stiff...to match with his acting. Still, he isn't a seasoned actor and his portrayal of Han Che wasn't terrible, so I still look forward to seeing him grow in the future.
From the secondary cast, Li Min Jun's portrayal of the adorable Gu Li was my favorite. He's actually my favorite character in the drama and I thought he conveyed his puppy-like character quite well. His chemistry with the actress who played Han Xue was quite believable as well. Xiong Yu Ting reminds me of another idol/actress who I can't remember right now, but I definitely liked her spunky and bold character. Her friendship and loyalty to Nuan Nuan was sweet and I love the BFFs together -- especially in the beginning when they crashed Lin Jia Yu's birthday party.
Lin Jia Yi and Han Cheng served their roles as the "villains" or "obstacles" to the main leads quite well, though I have to argue that LJY was a lot more annoying than Han Cheng. For a while I actually quite pitied her losing her friends for the chance to pursue her dreams, but after her learning that Han Che and Nuan Nuan were an item and still trying to interfere made me realize that her selfish character hasn't grown at all. As for Han Cheng, I feel like he's more of an obstacle as a villain; I feel bad for him and his feelings for Nuan Nuan that aren't reciprocated. The respective actor and actress played their role decently well, a bit stiff at times, but not bad.
TLDR: If you're looking for a cliche romance drama that has a relatively strong female lead then this is the drama for you. Nuan Nuan's storyline has you rooting for her from the get go and I don't remember a time when I stopped rooting for her. Second lead's Han Xue and Gu Li's romance is also quite cute and you'll most likely also be rooting for Gu Li to get the girl. Overall, probably will not rewatch but this drama put Eleanor Lee and Li Min Jun on my to-look-out-for actor/actress list.
Was this review helpful to you?
I like this drama.I laughed a lot and cried.I don't like long dramas,but now I would welcome even more episodes.
Nuan Nuan and Han Che was completely in tune.I like their emotional scenes.
Even the songs would be absolutely great.Even the music itself gave the scenes an atmosphere.
The second couple also had chemistry between them. Well-crafted drama.There weren't annoying scenes for which you were set up and you want to skip them to the part that interests you.The story shows when you want something. Go for it!As you hesitate, you don't have to get another chance.
I will definitely look at the drama again?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
When I first started watching this drama, I thought I would end up leaving a lukewarm review, but after completing the series, I can say that I enjoyed it. What I liked outweighed what I disliked about the show. The plot is nothing new - young helpless female lead (FL), Nuan Nuan who ended up with a tall, charming, intelligent male lead (ML), Han Che, who started out as an emotionless machine but ended up discovering his human side as he fell in love with the FL. It was interesting though how the FL ended up in her unfortunate state in the first place. The story progression was a bit off for me since there were not a lot of interactions between the ML and FL, or even between the FL and secondary ML, Fang Han Chen. The first ten episodes focused so much on the relationship of the secondary couple instead, and that was somewhat off-putting for me. However, once the ML realized that he had feelings for the FL, the relationship moved rather quickly. There was the typical drama like avoidable misunderstandings that could have saved the two leads some heartache if they would only talk to each other.
I am glad that I stuck to completing the series since I am ultimately a hopeless romantic who wants to see the leads have a happy ending.
I liked watching the personal development of the characters. The FL did grow and mature into an independent, confident career woman who knew what she wanted ultimately, plus she could proudly say that she did it mostly on her own. I also like that she did not give in easily and was willing to give the ML a hard time when he deserved it. The ML increased his EQ, and learned how to speak to the FL tactfully. Of course, he was always there for the FL; quietly and loudly supported her all the way! I LOVE his proposal - so heartfelt and the visual impact was a great touch! The secondary couple, Gu Li and Han Xue, both also grew into their own rather nicely.
There was quite a bit of skinship. A lot of kissing after the main couple got together when compared to other C-dramas. There were a lot of cute moments, and the chemistry between Nuan and Han Che was great. I love how well they interacted, and the cliche 'tall ML versus petite FL' always makes my heart flutter - haha! While it was not the best kissing that I have seen, there's potential for improvement, particularly Leon Lai :D. FYI - I liked him as Feng Mei Zuo in Meteor Garden 2018, and it was his bio who led me to this drama, 'My Love, Enlighten Me'.
Acting-wise, the cast did a good job - the romance and comedy bits were well-delivered. There was just a touch of cringey overacting but not enough to make me skip through those moments. The show was packed with eye candy. Leon Lai and Tim Pei are both very appealing in their own ways. Li Min Jung, as Gu Li, did an awesome job as Han Che's right-hand man, and goodness, his dimples are just plain adorable! Eleanor Lee is attractive in a cute, quirky way, but I wish that the c-dramas would do better when it comes to styling their female leads. What's up with the short hairstyle with bangs, with the half up in a bun, half-down look that almost every female lead sports if they are in their 20s? Just look at this show, Go Go Squid, The Love Equations, Put Your Head On My Shoulder, and so many more. Also, the outfits - Nuan Nuan was always wearing oversize tops or cardigans, with shorts. Sometimes she wore some really ugly suits and OMG, why on earth did she have to wear caps so much?!! I found Xiong Yu Ting as Han Xue more attractive, and at least they styled her character rather nicely. Honestly, for most of the c-dramas, I think the stylist budget must be spent mostly on the male leads since they always end up with the enviable wardrobe, looking handsome, sleek, and fashionable.
What I totally dislike about the storyline was how quickly everyone forgave Lin Jia Yi for her betrayal. She chose her own career over her supposed best friends, over four years of working, training, and growing together to debut as a group. Yet, they forgave her so easily. I cannot even accept the reason why they chose to forgive her!!! She was one selfish, self-absorbed character. Even after she found out that Han Che had no interest in her and was interested in Nuan Nuan, one of her best friends, she still tried to get Han Che for herself. There was no villain, per se, other than Jia Yi who was more annoying than evil. Fang Han Chen, the second male lead was just the right character to invoke jealousy and cause angst for Han Che. I did feel bad for Fang Han Chen though; had he just made his move earlier instead of hesitating, he would have likely won Nuan Nuan's heart.
Music-wise, I like the intro song but I don't remember much of the playlist. So nothing memorable there.
Overall, I thought this drama was great and would recommend it. Most would enjoy it if they are willing to take some small leaps of faith and don't question how certain things just fall neatly in place.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cuteness masking underlying toxic and unhealthy relationship
I wasn’t going to waste writing a review for this, but the more I thought about it, the more I needed to get this out there. I thought the female lead was done well, liked her growth and watching her find her own way after a massive setback in her career. But if you ask me what a toxic relationship looks like, this one would be it. The male lead was overprotective, highly possessive, had anger management issues, cold yet clingy and so dependent.STORY
The story moved fast enough and 24 episodes was well enough. The climax around episode 18 was entirely underwhelming and uncalled for. It became super overly melodramatic toward the end and that made it cringey and laughable to watch.
I have to say though I really liked watching Nuan Nuan find her own new career, reigniting passion and pursuing and excelling at something she has natural talent. Her ideals of hardwork, effort and kindness were really nice to see. She was surrounded by calculating and manipulative evil characters, but she managed to hold her ground. Their relationship on the other hand is another story that the more I watched, the more I disliked. It started off well in terms of them living together, learning and supporting each other in tough times, the banter and light disagreements. But then the back and forth of them being together and then not got boring after a while. And made me lose interest in the two and their relationship.
ACTING/CAST
Characterisation was confusing at times. Both male and female lead acting was average and subpar, nothing memorable. I thoroughly disliked our male lead and thought his acting was so rigid and flat. He was so overly protective and possessive it was unhealthy. Our female lead would talk to another guy and he’d get so worked up and throw a temper tantrum. Han Che would get so clingy, like he wouldn't be able to live in this world without her. This was by far a drama with a whole of lot of hugging, kissing, handholding etc. But it also felt super forced and urgent and trying to instil a sense of ownership, rather than something sweet and loving.
Our side characters were also subpar. I didn’t like Han Xue and Gu Li’s relationship, I thought she was a spoiled princess and their relationship was built on a servant/king relationship that now I think about is also so unhealthy. He would drop everything and run to her at her call and wait on her hand and foot. I thought Fang Han Chen and Lin Jia Yi were additional and uninteresting characters that added no value but to fill episodes.
Music, nothing memorable and quite repetitive. Rewatch value, no thanks.
Overall, I just felt the sweetness of their love masked the underlying toxicity of co-dependency. The drama romanticised possessiveness and clinginess. I just felt like Nuan Nuan was stuck in an unhealthy relationship with Han Che, and was so in love with him that there was no way she would ever be able to leave, a bit like Stockholm Syndrome. Especially prominent when he kept on saying, I’ll never let you go and you can never leave me. And when she tried to, he came following her and demanding her back. Even though they share sweet moments with each other and I can see they do like each other, I just feel like this unhealthy reliance on each other should be checked rather than let loose. I’d definitely be interested in how you perceive their relationship. Keen to hear your thoughts!! xx
Was this review helpful to you?
I loved everything about this.
To say this show is good, is such an understatement in my opinion because it was just much more than that. I honestly think this may be the show of 2020 to me because it was different, the same and just overall unique in a whole.The show starts out with a really misunderstood and complicated male lead and one of the most wonderful female leads I've probably ever come across in my world of dramas, she's definitely top 10. Our ML can't really express but only really knows how to do and so he does a "favor" for someone because feels as though he owes this person but who would've know the misunderstanding had nothing to do with that person. But now, he's learned he got the whole situation wrong and he's officially fallen for the person that he's done something terribly wrong to.
I just all in all really enjoyed the chemistry that Leon had with Eleanor, the way he looked at her, would've stolen my heart. Lol. I think I have fallen for these two as characters and it's LOVE O2O for me all over again. The kisses were great and steamy, the relationship really had no huge understandings or complications between anyone else, just between the two of them and they solved it in the end, they did what they could to be together and be there and also be apart through situations and there was just no complications to me really, they grew as people and as a couple. I really didn't mind the secondary characters or couples, they made the show with the friendships between everyone and they solved those quick and were really understanding. I even felt for the assistant/best friend, he was the man though. I also liked that the writer decided that a twist was pointless and said eh. I just liked the two together overall, they made my heart swoon. I felt the hurt when there was let downs and disappointments and hard times and felt great with the good times.
I loved the OST, the team and musicians were all talented and it was just very fitting.
I would rewatch this in a heart beat, in fact, I just finished this show and I want to rewatch it right now because I did not want it to end. If I could watch them for the rest of my life I would, not even just clips of them, the whole show as a whole. I didn't fast forward, I was patient, I took my time and it was sweet and reward-able.
Overall, this show is amazing. I really really thoroughly enjoyed it and liked it at all cost. I can not explain how much I loved the chemistry between our main characters and how much I want to protect them at all cost. This show was amazing. 100/100 for the chemistry, the kisses, the friendships, the relationship, the family and the story.
Was this review helpful to you?
The major highlight of the series is Liu Nuan Nuan, the female lead. She isn't a typical "dumb naive" character. Instead, she has her own personal growth journey. She faces several obstacles but is able to overcome them not only with the help of male lead Han Che but also by her own strength which is admirable. The actress does a terrific job in portraying this character, and is very similar to Fair Xing. She brings so much life and joy to it, it makes you glued to the screen. I've seen a lot comment on the "stiff/woody" acting of Connor Leong as Han Che, but I disagree. His character in the first place is stoic so it makes sense why he simply adjusted to that. Although I do admit, at first, his acting genuinely seems underwhelming and stiff, as the drama goes on, you see that it's all part of the character's development. Slowly, the cold Han Che becomes more warm and expressive as he falls deeper in love with Nuan Nuan. The only problem with his character is that the story doesn't allow us to know his character the way we know Nuan Nuan. Her development is so much more fleshed out and it would've been nice for Han Che to get the same treatment. Overall, Connor is a great actor, and I recommend his dramas Another Me and Project 17: Side by Side. Eleanor Lee is fantastic as well, and I recommend her dramas the Big Boss and Fake Princess.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This drama is one of the best feel good dramas out there. "My Love, Enlighten Me" is defintely good redemption to "Love Equations" which was shown before on Tencent Platforms. This drama is also great following to "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" which was loved by both Chinese public as well as international public.The strongest point of this drama is definitely Eleanor Lee who is portraying Liu Nuan Nuan. I think I can confidently write that she is the essence of this drama. Her acting is fantastic. As someone who has seen her previous works like "The Big Boss" it was widely known that her comedic acting was already good, but this drama really showed how much her acting skills have developed. Despite that her emotional scenes were exquisite as well. I could relate to Nuan Nuan and her struggle to find something she was good and passionate about. What I like about her character tho is that she knows that her dreams were sabotaged by her friend and Han Che (which she is yet to realize) and because of that she doesn't blindly forgive her friend. Eleanor brought that character to life and brought her own unique colors into this drama.
Ok, moving on to Han Che, who is played by Liang Jing Kang. This character is much more reserved and strict in a sense. Which is a good contrast to Nuan Nuan, who is very overly energetic and expressive. At first he is very reserved to Nuan Nuan, but once he realizes that it was actually her who took care of him, He starts to realize that Nuan Nuan is a kind hearted person. Later on we actually learn why he became so reserved, which helps us realize that he himself had some traumas to overcome. But one big flow of this character is JUMPING INTO CONCLUSIONS... This boy just loves to leave everything unfinished and start acting indifferent to Nuan Nuan. I think I can actually say that Jing Kang is doing a good job, playing the character, his acting still has some room for improvement, but I think this is his best role yet.
Also the chemistry between him and Eleanor is so good. Hopefuly, their relationship will develop more once Han Che will stop acting so immature and learn to communicate properly after episode 14.
I would say that acting of the supporting cast is decent. I think one of the stand outs is definitely Li Ming Jun who is playing the role of Gu Li. Considering the fact that this actor is still a rookie, he is doing fantastic job right now, I will keep my eye on his next dramas for sure. He bought me with the scene where he's baby accessories have been received by him just after he found out that Han Xue's pregnancy turned out to be false.
But one actress whose acting improved since episode 1 till now is Xiong Yu Ting, her acting got much better with every episode and I'm quite interested how Han Xue will turn her life around and get Gu Li back.
Until this moment of me writing my review (which is 14 episode), he is the only current stand out. Other support roles are just out there varying from good and not so good acting.
All OSTs are really good I really enjoyed the title song sang by Li Ren Yu, who acted in previously mentioned by me drama "Love Equations". It's very fitting to the energy of the drama and the bond between Nuan Nuan and Han Che. Eleanor's song is also very beautiful and fitting. Not forgetting ending theme sang by another cast member Liu Yu Ning. Which is also a beautiful ballad, which fits storyline perfectly.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I'll start off by saying that I did not have high expectations for this drama. I saw the synopsis and thought it would be just another "female celebrity who loses her fame and meets a rich guy who turns her life around" type of story. AND I WAS WRONG. I was thoroughly impressed with the FL's character development and overall storyline. I feel like there were life lessons sprinkled throughout the episodes as we saw the FL struggle to figure out what she wanted to do next with her life. Eleanor Lee did an amazing job transitioning from serious to shameless within seconds and I can't imagine Nuan Nuan being played by another actress. Additionally, the chemistry between the FL and ML was amazing, and I think their dynamic is what really hooked the audience in.
My only issue with the show relates to the production/editing of the drama. I think there may have been some scenes cut out because there were a few episodes that did not pick up the scene where the previous episode ended. While this isn't a huge issue to the overall story, I felt like we might have missed something in the relationship progression between the two leads and I still have a question about one of the side characters Lin Jia Yi.
In short, please do yourself a favor and watch this show. It is definitely one of the better cdramas in this genre. It's cute and fluffy with the right amount of slice of life/serious moments to actually add substance to the cheesy story. Oh and the soundtrack is really good too!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
toxic relationship and also unrealistic friend forgiveness
Lets start with the fact that the female lead lost her dream not only because the male lead screwed her over but her friend as well backstabbed her in the back and somehow all is forgiven because ¨she felt lonely and missed her friends¨ . Maybe Im a petty ass but would I forgive someone that betrayed me in order for them to rise ? No. i find it absurd that both friends forgave her so easily and just laughed it off and worst part this friend was so ungrateful that she wanted to split the main couple because she like Han Che like..? This is why you shouldnt forgive and forget people that betray you.I couldnt like the couple and mostyl due to the male lead
I watched Le coup before watching this drama and if you watched it or read the synopsis you would know the male lead is cold and has a different way of expressing himself. So when I saw this ml being "cold" I couldnt match or see the coldness in him. He is just a toxic guy. Every single time the FL doesnt want to do what he asks for he DRAGS HER and forces her to do so and you notice this because she tries to get his hold on her off and idk I dont see it sweet or like awww , in real like I would punch him and tell him to not touch me. Mostly all the kisses they have are so hard and forced because he doesnt kiss her in a romantic way but more as "Ill kiss you because I want to" (not always but most kisses are like this). He gets very jealous when she is with another guy and not only does he feel jealous but he treats the FL very rudely or says things to hurt her which again is very much toxic. I dont ship them at all , I actually at some point shipped her more with her senior because he was mostly more caring and sweet and both personalities match better than the Ml.
(There is another comment that explains this too so read it cause indeed this is a very much toxic love and the Ml is just bad )
I wouldnt rewatch this , I enjoyed the FL journey in her career but thats it. Thats all I liked her trying to find her way because ML literarly screws her over and he also lies to her about him being the "king" and then *add pikachu surprised face* he is surprised she is mad because HE THOUGHT she was over it. I swear the more Im writing this the more I dislike it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I wanted to watch a fluffy romance to make up for the lack of chemistry in the drama I watched earlier. I chose “My Love, Enlighten Me” due to its pretty high MDL rating at 8.3 at the time of this review. For a C-drama romantic comedy without any superstars, this is a pretty high rating. I am disappointed to find out that I didn’t like this drama as much as others.
I would recommend this drama for those:
1. Who love a silly, cute, fluffy romance with many hugs and kisses
2. Who enjoy common cliches and tropes in a romantic comedy
3. Who enjoy watching about the fashion and entertainment industries
4. Light-hearted and simple drama
What I Enjoy:
1. Chemistry between the leads is really good. Once the leads get together, they have many sweet and fluffy scenes, full of hugs and kisses. Kisses are more cute/sweet than passionate/steamy. I enjoy their cute bickering. Others might not like it, but I like that they are both petty and get jealous easily.
2. I like the female lead, Nuan Nuan. She is funny, outgoing, smart, stubborn, hardworking and really perseveres to finally achieve her dream. She has great character and career developments in the drama. I don’t think I’ve seen a character with so many different jobs in such a short drama.
3. Eleanor Lee - this my first drama of hers and I am quite impressed with her acting. It’s easy to portray a cute and sassy character. But she also does a great job in emotional scenes. I felt her emotions in all her crying scenes and the argument she had with her mom during mom’s visit.
4. I enjoyed the secondary romance, though the fake dating part lasted a little too long. Han Xue and Gu Li’s romance is kinda cute and I am usually not a fan of noona romance.
What I Don’t Enjoy:
1. Super bright white scenes. The drama has the common rom-com backlighting shots to show a romantic scene. But additionally, there are so many daytime scenes where the whole background is so bright. I am blinded!!
2. Tripping, accidental falls and the overuse of slow motion forced romantic scenes,
3. Wrist grabs - so many of them especially from the male lead.
4. Misunderstandings between the leads because of the Love Square.
5. Fang Han Chen really needs to back off. FL repeatedly told him she’s not interested and he still persists throughout the drama. Even Lin Jia Yi backed off after she had a honest but sad conversation with ML.
Other Observations:
1. The plot is actually quite predictable and nothing surprised me.
2. I am still unsure about the initial setup in the first episode. Did ML contact the management company to promote Lin Jia Yi, or was he hired by the company to do so?
3. I’ve seen Connor Leong in two other dramas (“Be Yourself” and “Definitely Not Today”) and his characters are quite similar - introverted, shy, or cold. I wish to see him in a different role.
4. They are really “creative” with the product placement of Oreo cookies and Wine/wine bottles.
5. There’s no way ML can spot FL climbing up the muddy hill in the pouring rain.
6. Shout outs to “10 Miles Peach Blossoms”
7. Hot Pot! Hot Pot! Hot Pot! They really like hot pot.
8. Connor Leong (ML) is the only one who didn’t use his own voice.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Easy to watch
I like happy dramas and this is one of them. This gave me a surprise ... pleasantly surprise. This drama is on a sweet, fluffy, romantic side. FL is bright and optimistic, sweet, bubbly, kind, forgiving, hard working and ML is a genius with cold personality and has a peculiar kind of illness which gives him great memory. They fall in love and support each other through their Journey. It's a cliche with many sweet moments. Their chemistry is off the charts and other two couple are also good. Sound lead couple too has good chemistry FL is sassy and ML is cute and sweet. I recommend watching this when you just want to feel good and take a break from heavy stuff, well sometimes it can feel overly sweet as well. :)Was this review helpful to you?
