Love Is Science? (2021)

Romantic and Meaningful

Love is Science? (戀愛是科學) is an 18 episode romance drama that revolves around 2 couples, Yan Fei - Wang Hsuan Yu and Ou Wen and Mark. Love is Science? is a slow but very heartwarming series. No antagonist, the characters are just sweet and natural. Though the plot is it’s rather cliche but it has a sweet atmosphere that makes you invested in it!! Plus, All of them have good chemistry, little misunderstanding.

Love is Science? the premise revolves around two couples, one bxg couple (Yan Fei and Wang Hsuan Yu) and one bxb couple (Ou Wen and Mark). The first couple's storyline is really sweet, it focuses more on how Wang Hsuan Yu unrequited love is finally being reciprocated, and how Yan Fei comes to realization that Hsuan Yu has been by her side this whole time. Watching the first couple, you will feel butterflies in your stomach (but slow butterflies), Yan Fei feelings realization towards Hsuan Yu comes rather slow. Therefore, all their sweetness is around the last episode. But while watching the earlier episodes, you won't feel bored because you don't see their sweet moments. Rather, the earlier episodes and every extra scene (Hsuan Yu's and Yan Fei's childhood scene) make their romance buildup more interesting and meaningful.

On the other hand, OuWen and Mark couple focuses more on character development and how they grow together, as a couple and as an individual. Mark started off as a playboy and a homophobic (Mark expressed his disgust towards OuWen when OuWen touches him and more). But over time, Mark started to open his heart and realize his feelings for OuWen. Their love story is really heartwarming, that it makes you go "aww". However, Mark and OuWen's story does not only revolve around them. Their love story also revolves around Qiao Anna (Yan Fei's best friend) who once hooked up with Mark, then to find out that she's pregnant. (The second couple story does overshadow the main couple, but I don't mind since I find the second couple story actually more interesting than the first one and yes, they deserve a separate drama for the second couple)
Each character is also designed very well done and 3-dimensional. Personally, I love OuWen as a character, he’s honest and confident but also vulnerable. One of my favorite dialogues from him is, "why a gay man cannot be manlier than you?". He might be confident about being gay, but he also takes into consideration people around him. Love is Science? storyline doesn't all focus on romance and love, but it also provides glimpses into slice-of-life, how each individual how they grow, family, friendships, and more.

In terms of production quality, technical execution, Love is Science may not be perfect, but it is satisfactory. The drama uses soft filters and vibrant color palettes that provide a generally pleasant and vivid viewing experience. In addition, it also has decent camerawork. The cinematography and color palette makes this drama an enjoyable watch. There are also several setbacks in this drama, but the only major setback I can think of is the male lead comes off to be rather awkward.

Overall, Love is Science? is a good watch if you're looking for something romantic but meaningful as well.

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Awesome m/m couple 10/10 - need their own series!

Overall: I'll divide this up into three couples but keep things general to not spoil things. I didn't like the commercial breaks (without the commercials) in Viki and wish they would have edited those out. On the plus side, the styling was on point especially with Mark. And I liked that differences such as ages and income were addressed.

Content warnings: homophobia, fat shaming, bullying scene in a flashback, a few slaps, non con/dub con in one scene were a romantic partner is avoiding/said he did not want a kiss and the other person continued

M/M Couple - Best Boys (note: this official video is just their scenes ep 1-10 https://youtu.be/lIdngsUoa1M, but if you watch just the official cuts after that you'll miss out on important context/characterization, so watch the whole thing and fast forward parts you aren't interested in)
- character growth!!! Mark has some major character growth as he starts out as homophobic. He is impulsive but wears his heart on his sleeve.
- communication, it was great how especially Mark sought communication to resolve issues
- for the other half of this couple, loved defying stereotypes with the rescuing Mark scene and you can see the reason why he is really nervous/doubting their relationship
- favorite line "even though I like guys, I still have my standards"
- for the bad, this hovered very close to the "gay for you" trope
- their relationship was very rushed/not enough screen time (need their own series)

Older M/F Couple
- two sweeties, was a bit sad we didn't see any of them in the final episode other than a picture on the wall at the very end

Main M/F Couple
- started off really sweet and I was enjoying their story but then two unnecessary love triangles popped in and I became bored. Also the flashbacks weren't my thing. The age gap with the one set of flashbacks also disturbed me a bit as he was 10 and she was 18, granted she was thinking platonically, but he was thinking romantically. I disliked the overall fat shaming vibe. At one point the extremely thin FL steps on the scale and screams about too much bubble tea. Also the nickname little piggy when he is an adult seemed very condescending. Random pet peeve but I cringed every time I saw that self portrait.

Other characters that I enjoyed were the independent Joanna, the mom (who grew on me as she wanted the best for her daughter), Ou Wen's colleague Yan Wu Chun Feng and the married couple/daughter.

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Bland main plot, great side plot

When society treats LGBTQ+ people as side characters and second class citizens so will the mainstream dramas... you get the story of a spineless dreamy hairdresser with magical hands and kissable lips bumps in to the goddess of his childhood, only to discover that his goddess is actually human in a not so thrilling but pretty decent display of clichés. Pleasing the normative eye and showing the viewers how mediocre mainstream stories that fit the normative eye will get more space than the truly interesting and good stories of those outside the norm..

There are few dramas that show this relation as well as this drama, as society often takes the hetero for granted and is willing to both invest more money and give better spots to the norm. Reflecting perfectly the way society values the stories of the norm vs the outside the norm. is this pretty mediocre story a cover for the much better and way more interesting side story, in an attempt to get the story told without being labelled a BL, a type of drama with a great fan bace here and there but let´s face it much lower budgets and seldom given equal opportunities and space in mainstream media... Or at least that would explain how this otherwise pretty a decent but kind of bland main story was completely outshined by the side story and second couple romance. A story that was in no way perfect but caught my attention a lot more than the main plot. A story making me wish for more and hoping for a spin off, or extra scenes.

The Side Couple:
Slightly homophobic player falls in love with loyal, strong and forward guy... As we get to see this typical enemies to lovers type plot it takes time for this couple to pick off but once they do we get all the right clichés. done right... ok not all right as there is a forced kiss that is actually cheered on by a crowed... but other than that the story is interesting. The couple is fun to watch , their interactions make way for some pretty decent humour and they seem both relatable and human in a way...

The Best Friend
Is su much fun, she is bubbly, forward, scared, relatable and says what most of the audience is thinking. Her interactions with both couples are priceless.

The ML
Sweeter than sweet but in a way that it hurts people, however he is kind, he may not have a spine but he is pretty cam and sturdy. The type not to get intimidated by strong woman and the type who will stay loyal in to absurdity.

The FL
Smart, vulnerable yet strong and seems to have some pretty decent values and good lines here and there.

The Mom
Not they typical mom but needs to learn about boundaries...

The Second FL
Needs to get a clue, a life and has more red flags than may day in china.

The Second ML
Very bland...

The colleagues:
These people rock, I love them and want them to be in the spin off, there is a lesbian side character that I would love to see more of.

Bingeablity: high

To be completely honest this drama has some pretty progressive scenes here and there but also a bunch that are so backward they need to be sent back to the 50's and stay there... Making me often at conflict with myself... However I do think this drama has more good than bad to offer and I would recommend it both for the side story (it starts getting good about episode 7 or 8) and for the lovely display of family and friendship.

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A diverse exploration of love that is easy to fall in love with.

A gorgeous exploration of relationships that we don't see often, especially in Asian dramas. We have a divorced career woman in an age gap friends-to-lovers couple. A new elderly and wage gap relationship between a farmer and bank executive. And a relationship between a relatable gay man and a womanizing bisexual. We also see some other great dynamics with a jilted lesbian best friend, a nontraditional family dynamic, and a potentially aromatic character (my interpretation).

Ultimately the show explores love, in all the different forms it may come in - ending with absolutely adorable, mature, and healthy relationships all around. But it also explores goals and boundaries - which is especially important in relationships. A great show with great messages - and annoyances (of which there are quite a few, especially with the mains) that don't overstay their welcome quite as long as in other dramas.

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Moral of the show, Love is not science and Covid sucks

So I decided not to judge this series more harshly based on the fact that Covid kind of ruined it alittle. In Taiwan (where it was created) their covid numbers went up and it stalled production for awhile. Like TOO long, so most forgot about it. I didn't because I was invested, but I could see how people would. This also meant that storylines had to be changed and shortened due to lack of time, so the show lost its way completely by the end. Which totally sucks because it was solid. Moving on.

The show has an interesting prospect of a divorced woman working in relationship work. Meaning she owns a company that helps aid people who want to find their "perfect match". So she's clearly still mourning her past relationship not working. Which I get until I found out not only does she continue to cling to said dead relationship and the ring. But its been 9 YEARS after the fact. He did basically leave her in the dust, with no real way to support herself (what a di**) and left the divorce papers on the table. But then there's this love triangle going on that doesn't make sense to me with the boy-next-door and ex husband. He's an ex for a reason, there problem solved lol I don't believe in getting back together especially if divorce is involved. Let alone all the other awful things that happened like mentioned.The main guy (Hsuan Yu) is also very cute and calming the watch. Dude also cuts homeless people's hair so he's a literal angel. She just had to get past the "but I grew up with him and he's like my brother!" thing. Something I did not like though was the fact that Hsuan Yu was dating someone while literally thirsting after our main girly! His girlfriend was also hella unlikable, who dumps someone literally in the airport after flights have been purchased and plans have been made?! Trash. Anyways, Yan Fei and Hsuan Yu's ending was sweet and I liked seeing him get his salon.

Now for the diversity, YAYYYY! We got not only a gay couple in this, but a lesbian as well! Whom technically doesn't end up with someone by the end. But it's okay, she's worker on herself! We'll of course talk mostly about Ou Wen and Mark, but that does not mean I don't appreciate our gay queen! So I started pushing for Ou Wen and Mark almost immediately. I wish it wasn't until episode 6 we had to wait to see stuff develop. Especially since their relationship was rushed due to the pandemic the most I think. Either way, I loved them. The chemistry (so cute and then so steamy!), the contrasting personalities that worked so well, the fashion choices! So good! Many people only watched for them, I get it I liked them too but the rest of the story was solid too. Some things that I did not like about their plot points were A) bi-erasure of Marks character, we will never stan that. As an openly pan/bi girl, that shi** toxic. B) Mark's homophobic parents, we didn't need it and it was rushed HEAVILY. I get Ou-Wen trying to diffuse the situation, but it semi came off as were supposed to sympathize that his father hit him and neither of his parents accepting him. No. C) A pregnancy plotline shoved in there for good measure that was handled poorly. Like let the lady choose what to do with her own body! As well as just let the gay couple be a gay couple yknow? Stop handfisting in ways to make them more "relatable" to the straights lol. Or at least that's what it felt like.

Lastly, I quite liked Nai Hui and her boo! Though her intent was whack, wanting to find a hubby before her ex got married? Like my lord girl sit down. They ended up being very sweet, albeit super toned down. Also sidenote, I like that the cast is older. Everyone's either late 20's, 30s or past that. Felt more real. Overall, damn you covid. You literally ruin EVERYTHING! Watch this still, but expect the decline towards the end. Also....likeeee why is Wayne a cameo in EVERYTHING!!! XD Love him but dude keeps jumpscaring me

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Fun and romantic drama

Love Is Science is a romantic drama that explores whether scientific data can help us find the person we should be with. The show follows two couples: Finley and Piggy, and Mark and Owen. A third couple is also introduced later in the series, a farmer and a financial advisor. Three drastically different relationships, with different sets of intricacies and challenges, all of which would not have been matched by the scientific formula. This show is lighthearted, with some humor peppered throughout, but no real shocks or revelations. It pulls your heart strings from time to time, but everything falls into place as we anticipate it to be. I watched this show with my two children - their first Asian drama and they enjoyed it as well. My favorite character is Joanna - a pretty, independent boss lady who loves to have fun and get a little crazy at times. All of the characters are very good looking, but my personal favorite is Owen, whose timidity makes me smile every time. I recommend this drama.

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A tale of many beautiful lives/loves.

Sorry this has some spoiler: I love this storyline and its adaptation to each relationship as we watch them grow and develop thru the good, bad, ugly lol.
1) It start with the young Hsuan yu (little piggy) having a crush on teenager Yan fei and have always been friends. He finally going to tell her he likes her, but instead she tells him she getting married and moving away?. After a few years he has become a hair stylist at Voodoo and she returns divorced and open *Love is science" A place single people go to date in hope of marriage. 2) Nai Hui & Wu You Fu there relationship from start to marriage was so cute for an older couple trying to find love. She from the city and he from countryside and they make us see love differently thru there ups/downs, right/wrong rich/poor =? Then we have mark who's trying to get joanne ph# from ou wen, but then see her in the bar and they have drunk sex then it **oops* the next day and they remain somewhat friends.
3)While working out at the gym ou wen runs into his ex-bf who start to pick on him and mark steps in as the new BF and kisses ou wen. Slowly mark starts to?? himself as he gets jealous and his imagination goes wild when he over heard ou wen mention a meeting & hotel. He chase after the taxi and once it stopped mark kisses him next upon entering the bedroom ou wen says are you sure mark reply "i guess im bisexual for you" XXX. (Couldn't get a better line/pair) I love how the writers made Mark & Ou wen relationship so real on many levels and how they handled the next surprise
3a) joanne finds out she pregnant & decides not to keep it and will have surgery. She ask ou wen to bring her to hosp for surgery she says appendix. Until the nurse say 7 week pregnant and she goes inside and then he figures out its mark baby and runs into OR and say i wont let you do. Ou wen tells her he'll always be her family there for her/baby/mark oh yeah we have to tell mark. At first he was scared just like joanne then realized that they are a famility together 1 baby 3 parents. Now mark has to tells his parents that he's not gay he bisexual and is only attracted to Ou wen who he wishes to marry & that they gonna be grandparents.
There is so much more going on in this drama that you must watch. Its truly worth it

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A really great humanistic drama

I really liked this drama, quite realistic like most Taiwanese series. The actors are great, in particular Wu Nien Hsuan, but also the 2nd couple who is really very cute.
The story deals with how we grow up, through hardships (divorce, independent life, persistence in our own choices), but also deals with love, tolerance, respect for others ... All of this without caricature or exaggeration.

The words are certainly very humanistic, but it is well written, well done, with contexts rarely mentioned in the dramas (girl who does not want to get married, bi man who falls madly in love with a boy, creation of a couple to 3 to raise the baby).

In short, a great drama, which I cannot recommend highly enough !!!

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Love this series!!

This series contains a lot of lessons from falling in love to making a relationship/marriage works!!! One of the most memorable line from this series is: What is more important when getting paired up with a total stranger when your compatibility result is low ? The journey or the end result of the relationship ? This particular match has a happy ending as the app cannot calculate who can make you happy in real life. The main character in the series as well as all the side relationships are built up slowly and only through time will they understand that despite all the setbacks, there are people who loved you as well. There were funny and sad moments but it makes you anticipates what comes next! Highly recommended!!!

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It's A Good Watch In My Opinion.

I REALLY enjoyed this show. There so much diversity. A hetero age gap relationship. A BL couple where one was openly gay and the other discovered his Bisexuality. And even though she didn't get much screen time for her own story, unfortunately, they included a Lesbian character. I liked pretty much the entire cast of characters and actors. So much of the dialogue was great as well. Very well Spoken and written.
Could certain things have been better? Yes. I wish the queer characters got more screen time. Especially the Lesbian character. She deserved more plot development. But overall the show was a super fun watch that I finished in a day and a half.
My favorite thing about the show was that later in the series Mark, Ou Wen and Joanna ended up representing the concept of a chosen family. I Love that so much. It's beautiful to see, especially since Asian countries Tend to be more conservative and restrictive.

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Love is alchemy, not science - it transmutes people.

A look at expectations vs reality in the relationships of several couples with mostly realistic conflicts, flawed but likable characters trying their best and no OTT stakes or makjang villains. If you're looking for a noona ensemble romance ala Romance is a Bonus Book this is a fairly close match in tone and setup and it's a perfect starter Tdrama if you're coming from exclusively watching Kdramas because the production values, fashion and storytelling are all similar.

FL runs a high-profile match-making company and has to confront the idea that by its algorithm she's undesirable - 35, divorced and still mourning her failed marriage. One day she runs into old neighborhood friend, ML - 27, a small time stylist and nursing a long time crush on her. He thinks she's utterly desirable but married because she maintains the image for her business, she thinks he's the perfect guy but not for her. Cue getting to re-know you friends to lovers noona romance, complicated by an ex-husband, serious girlfriend, nosy relatives and differing life circumstances.

The second couple plays on the same theme. 40+ investment banker SFL wants a high spec marriage to save face after an ex left her for a younger woman. At FL's agency she comes in contact with a very unsuitable partner - 40+ rural farmer SML with some inherited land that he wants to keep in the family. They're a complete mismatch on paper and to society but a perfect match in their values, expectations and temperaments.

Unlike most reviewers the BL couple was the weakest part of the story for me. There's still a good message there about expectation vs reality - TML thinks he's straight and discovers he's bisexual, along with some other surprises down the line - but the presentation of the serious issues brought up left a lot to be desired.

The stories come together to show that sometimes what we think we want in love and life is different from what we actually need. Overall an enjoyable watch if you enjoy low key slice of life romance that isn't trite or fairy floss - there's substance here to appreciate.

And I usually don't comment on skinship because even the best skinship can't save a bad script, but Taiwanese dramas are definitely on a different level compared to Kdramas. If that's a major factor for you, you won't be disappointed - the scene where FL pulls ML into the shower with her is pretty memorable.

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