Crush (2021)

Amazing cast with mediocre plot

This is my first ever review so bear with me. When i first started watching this series, i was rather intrigued and engrossed as the ML is blind which is quite rare. The first few episodes had a great premise and it showed the difficulties and trauma experienced by the ML and how the FL slowly brought color and life into his life. It also portrayed the ML as a mysterious and cold guy while the FL was a outgoing and bright girl. After they first got together, they had alot of sweet moments together which made me envious HAHA. The plot kind of went downhill after episode 12 or so when they broke up. I felt like the later half of the show had some missing links and plot holes which were left unaddressed which made me abit upset. They mentioned about how the FL was hallucinating about her best friend who died 3 years ago in an accident due to her heart disease and claustrophobia but never mentioned about how she managed to overcome it or if anything happened afterwards due to it. Also, regarding the fact that something happened to the FL at the end but never really touched on what happened after her surgery but just fast forwarded to them bringing their child to the park and ending the show there. Ngl, that ending was pretty abrupt and uncalled for. Honestly, if not for the plot holes and missing links, this show would be one of the best romance dramas ive watched this year. It touched on certain topics like physical disabilities and mental illnesses and how it impacts themselves and the people around them. It really portrayed the difficulties these people face and how they slowly overcome it and grow as a person as a result of love as cliche as it sounds. Evan Lin and Wan Peng did a phenomenal job with their role as well as the supporting casts. The OSTs were also great! In conclusion, if u are someone looking for a mellow romance drama with a fresh take to it and do not mind the above mentioned plot holes, definitely give this show a try, you would not regret it !

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Got smacked REAL HARD in my FEELS !!!

I don't know when was the last time I saw a show that was so typical yet so distinctive at the same time. There is something so refreshing and stand apart about Crush, that it compelled me to write this review. As someone who usually prefers Kdramas/Jdramas over Cdramas, I was definitely up for a surprise. Following are my views on this show :)

AWE-WORTHY TRAITS

1) The Wow Factor
The first half of this show (1-15/16 eps) is stellar. Even if there are flaws I refuse to analyse it because the feel good factor is off the charts. Watching these episodes you'll feel as if you're transported inside an innocent world, devoid of any malice and toxicity. One of my biggest criticism of c-drama romantic shows is that they all seem very trope based and synthetic without any original characters. The stories seem recycled and the world in which these stories reside tend to be repetitive (ofourse same can be said about kdramas or jdramas but their treatment of story/characters is somewhat better #according to me). However, this was not the case with Crush. Even if visual impairment has been portrayed in many Asian dramas in the past, I was pleasantly surprised to see the sincerity with which this aspect of the story was executed. What was even more beautiful to witness, was the honesty of the relationship that shined through so brightly from the first episode itself.

2) Unexpected Cast
Did I know Evan Lin before this show? NOPE. Will I remember him after watching this show? Heck Ya! For drama addicts like me, Evan Lin is the big reward we are left with after our drama treasure hunt. Why? Because I know that from now on whatever this man is going to be featured in I will check it out for sure. He......was......incredible. Not to mention that this is his debut show, he reminded me of Japanese actor Okada Kenshi for surprising the world with his unexpected acting prowess. Evan Lin was subtle yet effective, conscious yet effortless and brooding yet charming. As an actor he commands the attention of the audience, without overpowering his co-actor or the story. On the other hand, I'd seen past few shows of Wan Peng but it was only in this show that I realized how capable she is as an actor. If Evan was the canvas for the story, then she was the landscape painted on it. I cannot wait to see what her next project will be.

3) Overall Aesthetics
This is probably one of the first modern cdrams (excluding wuxia shows) I felt where they got the music right down to the scratch. I felt every song sat well with the narration and added more layers to the story. The cinematic aesthetic was also breathtaking. There was a poignant way of story telling in every frame. The stillness and awkwardness of the characters was captured beautifully by various camera angles. The lighting was soft yet abundant and the production value was definitely above average.

4) Memorable Romance
The journey we take as an audience with our main couple is nothing short of an adventure. The evolution of their relationship, the blossoming of their characters and their melt worthy interactions is everything we can ask for. Cold man-chirpy woman trope has been used and reused in gazillion Asian shows. I was under the impression that there's nothing that can surprise me about this trope anymore, and then Crush happened. The man is cold but not too cold akin to heartlessness (A Love so Beautiful I'm talking to you) and the girl is bright but not make you annoyed with her stupidity bright. Their interactions did not seem forced, their conversations were not rigid, their skinship did not seem weird and their emotions did not seem half baked. All in all I was very pleased with the pacing and progress of their relationship. It seemed not only believable but most importantly enjoyable. Their chemistry, biology, physics, geography everything was on-point. This ship sails the best of seas and makes waves in our hearts for all the right reasons.

NOT SO AWE-WORTHY TRAITS

My only criticism of this show has to be about some aspects of the second half.

1) I was disappointed to see that the wondrous character of Su Nian Qin/Ye Jin is dragged around by the overpowering CEO trope in the later episodes. The charm of the show is the sensitive, cold, closed-off yet honest and caring Su Nian Qin. It almost seemed like he becomes a completely different character by the end of the show. It was only because of Evan Lin's performance that sustained me till the 24th ep.

2) Also, his career change was not only difficult to believe and slightly ridiculous but also sad to witness. This story choice signaled to the world that this is the only way one can be viewed as successful, rest all career choices and lifestyle are not worthy of society's attention.

3) Apart from this, Cheng Yin twist was madly uncomfortable to watch. I found it absolutely unnecessary as it served no purpose for the story or our main characters. Rather it was just a story arc that was left without any proper closure.

4) The second leads were bland as boiled potatoes without any seasoning. They were astonishingly stiff characters without any substance to them. Simply put, a poorly sketched relationship. They were used as fillers which sometimes dragged the story.

All in all this series started at 9.5 for me but ended up being 8.5 because of the second half. However, it was a great show which I know I will revisit again in few months. Romance drama lovers cannot miss this one whatsoever.

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Watch it NOW!

I have been in a drama desert where I was interested in dramas but just didn't actually feel like watching it. This is the first drama this year that made me stop everything I was doing to finish it.

The story, the acting and the MUSIC is just astounding.
The premises already would make most of you desire to watch it.
- A handsome, black bellied, cold-hearted blind male protagonist.
- A persistent, strong and caring female protagonist.
- A second chance romance.
Although the synopsis drew me into watching it. I stayed for their story/acting which was made even better by the OTP acting. I cannot believe that this is Evan Lin's first drama - he is phenomenal and I cannot wait to watch him in new dramas. Wan Peng has consistently delivered good projects so her acting in here is a given.

The OST of this drama is on a level of its own, there is honestly no bad song and what makes it better is Evan Lin sings it. Makes the viewing of this drama much more pleasant but songs do constantly get overplayed (but that is okay because they are beautiful to listen to).

The only reason why it is 8/10 and not 10/10 is the way the drama dealt with disability could be much better. For example, I think it would have been a much better drama if Su Nian Qin remained blind, showing that disability is not an inability. But that is just personal opinion and seeing him enjoy life being able to see was a joy to watch too. Also there was some storylines/plot devices that started and we never receive closure for.

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I LOVED IT!!!!!

I love the main leads there chemistry was incredible! The story itself is very beautiful as well and I really like how it evolved... It was very heart touching and I really enjoyed the OST's of this show as well! As to Acting this was the first show of Evan Lin, and playing a character who is blind is quite tough! However he nailed it! I also really liked Wang Peng's acting as well as she potrayed the emotions of her character very well, which made the plor easier to understand but also feel along with the characters. I didn't really like the 2nd lead couple, because their story was quite simple and irrelevant to the plot, I believe if they were given more time throughout the show then their story would have also cause sparks in the audiences eyes! If you are up for a light hearted romantic show then this is surely a great one to try! SPOILERS: the only 2 parts unclear and I didn't really like was how did wan pang overcome her friends death as she was dilusional about her still being alive, along with that it was never clear as to why she was afraid of the dark. I personally believe if these 2 parts were defined in the show it would have gained a better understanding from the audience, yet this show was very beautiful and pleasant to watch! Would highly recommend it to others!

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Everything was good until…

The breakup.

Everything turned into your CEO tropey after the breakup. The ML became way more immature than he was and the FL play push and pull with the relationship frustrates me. Im glad they ended the conflicts quickly but at the same time i dislike how they resolved that, considering this drama had a really good starts from ep 1-18 T.T the little to non-existent character development for both leads sadden me a lot lol not gonna lie i really miss the lead before the breakup.
However it gets better on last two episodes. Im glad i pushed it through.

The 2nd couple is a skip for me, im sorry.

Ive always love Wan peng, she no doubt a really good actress but id like to applause for Evan Lin cause he really did a great job here. Im surprised that this is his first drama and he’s started off his career as a singer.

The OSTs is totally my style so kudos to the masterpieces.

With the good and bad regardless this is really an enjoyable show and I’ll totally rewatch this for the leads chemistry, clinginess and backhugsss ?

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Excellent first half, but 2nd half, not so much

I can't believe that this was the ML's first drama, he was really good in portraying a blind person. I have seen the FL in other dramas and I think she's an actress that's able to have chemistry no matter who her partner is. The focus of the series is not just romance but also the needs of differently abled persons.

The first half is a sweet, slow burn romance that makes you want to believe in the love conquers all kind of love. I wish they did not have that violin player who was practicing by the lake when the FL just put on her earphones and sang out of tune during their meet cute, it made her look kinda rude, unless the violin player was supposed to be imaginary (I choose to believe he's imaginary haha). FL is a girl who just go all out for love and ML is a reticent guy whose coldness is melted by the FL's love. I could not help my silly smile because of their interactions during the FL's graduation.

Then the second half happened and they both seemed to have undergone personality surgeries. ML became unreasonable then guilty, FL became unforgiving then cowardly. I really don't understand the separation trope because IRL, if reconciliation takes a long time, feelings change and another romance may slip in. Maybe I am just not a fan of any kind of stalkery behavior in the name of romance, so I felt uncomfortable that the ML kept tabs on the FL. I also only like stolen kisses when both are being playful and both are conscious. It was a good thing that the ML has a boyish charm, otherwise when they met again he would have been was too overbearing while the FL was too submissive. I also felt that the resolution of the plot twist with the FL's friend was too rushed and the future of the boy with autism had no resolution at all. BUT since it's a happy ending, I would still recommend this series.

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It's a good Drama but....

...this drama got into my skin!
The story is good, the acting was great, the music was a nice bonus.
The story has two parts that are marked with their break up. In the first part in full of new couple love, really sweet. Loved Evan Lin's acting, serious, damaged and, in my opinion, a realistic blind acting. I fell in love with Sang Wu Yan's (Wan Peng) positively and she went all the way to win Su Nian Qin's (Evan Lin) heart! (Go Girl!)
The second part is a little bit more serious, time pass, and their hurt heart is the main reason for them don't be together.
Now the bad parts: after they started dating his was many times a a** ! His insecurity, their bad communication, the lack of sympathy just made me really angry. Even thinking that they as a couple was great, I can't understand why all the time they fought was for a ridiculous reason or lack of communication!
And can anyone tell me what happened with her mental illness? Did he discover and she was magically cured? Why didn't show more about their process in her getting better?
And I think Cheng Yin (Mei Yi Chen) deserved a better end, she was a really good friend and the only "Fada Sensata" in the whole drama!
This drama has a warm place in my heart, but when I re-watch I skip many parts...

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THE CHEMISTRY!!

Read the headline LOL. jk.

Um, I was very invested in this drama & got iQiyi VIP. The story was great first half but after the angst, ML's forceful actions towards the FL got me a tad annoyed and FL's personality was kinda eh too (like when she asked for a bigger bouquet of flowers or a bigger sized ring, maybe she was joking and all but I found that awks/not appealing) but I did not mind because they were cute. The kisses could have been better because the FL was a bit stiff-- still better than love020 kiss tho LOL. Amazing cast, especially the ML being his first drama! I look forward to his future projects. The music was great, most are in my playlist now. Overall, watch it for the chemistry! Next up's The Oath of Love, see ya'll there!!

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Most satisfying drama ever !!!

I will just say that there's everything in this drama. No doubt that it's sweet, on top of that I'll say that this drama is satisfying. I mean, very satisfying. The chemistry, acting, the feeling they wanted to portray was absolutely fabulous. This drama sweet, aesthetic and gorgeous in its own way. Oh, and the OSTs should definitely be mentioned. I found my new favourite songs from this drama. So captivating. I loved it. I finished it just a few hours ago and seriously I'm missing it. DON'T HESITATE TO WATCH THIS ONE. IT'S WORTH WATCHING IT !!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Heartwarming with Flaws

I love how this drama started out. It was heartwarming to watch how Nian Qin slowly opened up to Wu Yan. The romance was a slow burn as Nian Qin struggled to allow himself to love and be loved. Wu Yan was such a likeable character. Her patience and understanding made me love her more. However, this drama has some flawed parts [SPOILER AHEAD, SKIP IF YOU WANT TO]:

- Nian Qin had Wu Yan followed after they broke up. I get that he loves her and he even tried to make life easy for her by using his influence to help her out without her knowing. But having her followed is just creepy.

- The drama used a mental health issue merely as a plot device to bring Nian Qin and Wu Yan closer. Later in the drama, it was revealed that Wu Yan suffered from trauma after her friend died. She then started to imagine that her friend was still alive to cope up with the loss. Nian Qin used this as a chance to ask her to go with him to Xiamen (although he was also concerned about her well-being). The drama just went on, glossing over this conflict that came out of nowhere and it was "resolved" with Nian Qin always sticking to Wu Yan.

- I enjoyed the slower-than-usual-cdramas pace of this drama so I was a bit disappointed how the last 2 episodes suddenly felt a bit cramped. There was too much happening when the last 2 episodes should have been more of a conclusion. The previous flaw I mentioned (Wu Yan having trauma) is a conflict that was only revealed on the second to the last ep.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable drama if you're willing to overlook some of the flaws.

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Can't understand the hype

While the first half was still rather decent the second half was a complete let down. The FL and the OST kind of saved this from being an absolute wreck, however about everything else was subpar at best.

The male lead actor didn't do a particularly good job. He only ever had one expression on his face - no nuances whatsoever. The character felt completely flat and boring, I got no emotional response whether he was supposedly sad or happy or angry. As for the character, it was about as badly written as it was acted. It wasn't clear in any way why the FL fell in love with him in the first place (apart from a pretty face he had nothing going for him). He started out as an arrogant jerk with trust issues and ended up as a creepy stalker. To whoever thought this is a type women should be attracted to I would recommend some counseling. The only interest the FL should have had in him would have been as a patient. As a psychology major his dire need for therapy should have hit her in the face. Instead she went off to date him, you got to love drama logic.

The secondary couple (?) had about as much impact on the story as had the FL's friend - none. In general the support cast didn't leave much of an impression on me. The only exception might have been Xiao Lu, however her only role seemed to be acting as a messenger between Nian Qin and Wu Yan, making the FL aware of all the ML's 'great qualities', the 'good intentions' he supposedly had as well as telling her about his tragic past.

The drama's only saving grace was it's above average soundtrack as well as some very well-written poetic quotes, however this wasn't enough for me to feel like my time watching this was well spent. I expected a lot more, especially if I consider the high ratings.

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