Legally Romance (2022)

Cute, Sweet, Precious, Inspiring, Touching

I consider a drama good when it captures my emotions - it makes me laugh as well as it makes me cry - it touches and relates to me. Unlike those crappy dramas that I cannot wait to jump to the final episodes to watch the conclusions, with good dramas, I carefully watch every minute of every episode and relish every moment without wanting it to finish; I want more of the story. Legally Romance is a story like this - a captivatingly good story with amazing acting and memorable characters.

I picked up this series randomly in between releases of new episodes for Royal Feast and Dine with Love. The title, in both Chinese 才不要和老板谈恋爱 (literally means don’t want to date the boss) and in English Legally Romance, sounds cliché. Initially I thought it was an office romance in a law firm. Turns out, for two-thirds of the drama, it's a youth romance of law school students. I am taken by surprise how enjoyable this drama is. This is another version of the Michael Fox’s Back to the Future movie (1985) whereby in both productions, the main leads go back to their youth and try to change their choices, hopefully getting a different and better outcome.

Qian Wei (Song Zuer) is a feisty, struggling but upstanding and smart paralegal assistant for Lu Xun (Huang Zitao aka Z.Tao) who is a partner of a renowned law firm. Lu Xun is wise, mature and intelligent. He was also Qian Wei’s classmate from law school. She attributes all her current hardship in life to Lu Xun being always on top of her throughout her college years, from academic grades, to winning all competitions in debates, student council etc.

On that fateful day, Qian Wei gets into an accident and in her unconsciousness, she dreams she goes back 11 years ago to her first year in law school. The dream is actually her subconscious mind that gives us the backstory. There, back to 11 years ago, she vows to start over in her second life and to work doubly hard to win back everything that she has lost to Lu Xun, and to right every choice she has made before, hoping she can change her fate and have more favorable outcomes in the future. She also meets her ex-boyfriend whom she vows she would never date this time. Most importantly, she wants to help her father so that she can avert his untimely death. However, she hasn’t anticipated something that she has missed all these years: Lu Xun is in love with her. This time, she notices everything Lu Xun does for her, from blood donation to fixing the streetlamps to distributing public notices clarifying her innocence etc, all done without telling her; he has always been there for her, protecting and loving her, quietly.

The drama is inspiring as our main leads strive to help the vulnerable with their pro bono legal services. To them, even when something is deemed legal, it doesn't mean it's ethical or right morally. Though a lawyer's role is to protect his/her plaintiff's interest, it should also be done ethically without unduly harm done to the other innocent parties. This is the stance our main leads are upholding firmly throughout.

Though this drama makes me grin from ear to ear most of the time, there are moments that touch me so hard that make me shed my tears. And here is the most touching letter from a father to a daughter.

Song Zuer is a first-class actor; she is cute, beautiful, natural, real and so convincing. As Qian Wei, she brings out the wittiness as well as the silliness of the character. She makes the character so enjoyable to watch and to relate, at the same time, very heart-felt and touching when it comes to her love for her father.

When I first saw Huang Zitao in Episode 1, like many viewers unfamiliar with the actor, I thought, "What's wrong with his hair?" I believe some viewers even get turned off by his outrageous mullet hairstyle and drop this wonderful gem prematurely. But, oh boy, Huang Zitao is charismatic! After the first episode, I grow to like him and by the end of the drama, I love this gorgeous actor. He is genuine, his acting is natural and very believable. As Lu Xun, I love his dynamics with Qian Wei and their exchanges are so adorable that I don't want to miss a moment of their scenes. I particularly love the moments when he sends her love letters in the form of origami which are mistaken as his sarcasms and are returned in an undignified way – she throws them back at him. Being feisty, Qian Wei tends to push Lu Xun around and he goes along with her all the time. I love how he loves her but always gives her space. Even in tense moments, Qian Wei is still so silly and Lu Xun still so funny. Their interactions are simply adorable and hilarious. If you want to watch Huang Zitao's kissing scenes, this drama is full of them.

The whole cast is amazing, including the actors who play Qian Wei’s good friends and ex-boyfriend, both Qian Wei’s and Lu Xun’s parents, and the second couples. There are also the unethical and greedy antagonists who turn murderous. Bravo to the production team.

The plot starts in Episode 1, temporary stops in the middle of Episode 2 when Qian Wei returns to the past where the backstory explains and the plot builds, and then continues from Episode 23 when she returns from the past. Some viewers lose interest after watching the first episode because they find it boring or confusing. If that is the case, I would suggest to start from the middle of Episode 2 when she goes back to 11 years ago, bringing with her today's experience and wisdom. There's a lot of flashbacks of what she has done then when she was younger and what she would do this time to change the outcome.

My verdict

This is a delightful and sweet youth drama with unexpectedly well storytelling and plotline. The story is cute, the characters are lovable, the romance is sweet, and the acting is commendable. Don't be deceived by Huang Zitao’s wild haircut. Once you get through the initial shock, you'll start to love his mullet hairstyle. I do. As both Lu Xun and Qian Wei are excellent speakers and they are very eloquent in debates, therefore they speak very fast especially when they fight. Non-native Mandarin speakers may find it hard to keep up with what they are saying. Huang Zitao is also a singer and he sings the ending song You are the Rest of My Life which is very good. The other OSTs are equally good and unforgettable.

The story reminds me of the song, I See the Light, from Tangled, a Disney production, when the lyric sings ".... suddenly I see ... Now that I see you". For more than 10 years, Qian Wei doesn’t see Lu Xun while he is around her, quietly watching her, loving and caring for her. Now she notices all the things, big and small, that he has done and are still doing for her; she sees him.

If you get a second chance to live your life again, would you want to change anything for a different outcome? If so, what would it be?

This is a MUST WATCH! If you love to laugh, you'll love this drama. Don’t miss this great story.

TWO THUMBS UP!


P/S Don't miss the epilogue at the end of the final episode after the end credits. It is life after a few years later ....

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There and Back Again... A Lawyer's Hopeful Journey of Life, Family, Friendship and Love.

What would you do if you were given a chance to erase your regrets and cherish the ones whom you missed out on? Does life really give you second chances?

Well, 28-year-old Qian Wei successfully managed to get this golden opportunity and from here starts our journey.

First and foremost, this is no regular rom-com if you are seeking pure fluff. It is a moving and heartfelt tale of life, family, justice, perseverance, love and about finding yourself.

It has elements of slice-of-life and sometimes deals with heavy emotional themes such as grief and loss. And I request you to forget about the hedgehog hair for a while, if you happened to stumble across it. In short, it is one of those rare gems that gets overlooked for various reasons.

As someone who stayed away from CDramas this year, thanks to the disappointing storylines and pacing, Legally Romance was the unexpected 'it' drama for me. This is a CDrama, so my hopes were low, but for a regular drama, this has exceeded itself in several departments and is definitely much better than the deluge of fluffy rom-coms that are released every day or so.

Despite having had her future planned ahead since college, 28-year-old Qian Wei never got to fulfill her wishes. Stuck as a paralegal assistant to her former classmate and valedictorian Lu Xun for the past ten years, she bears a grudge against her draconian boss for having stolen her 1st position during their youth. (And now stealing her leisure time by overworking her.) When her boyfriend is revealed to be working for the opposite party and she accidentally misplaced evidence, her life reaches a bleak point. However, an unexpected tumble down a manhole while has her waking up as her 18-year-old self. Taking a leaf out of Lu Xun's book (or a whole new book out of his dreams) Qian Wei decides to change her fate through the years of experience she had acquired for the better... or is it for the worse?

The drama isn't an original work and is based on a web novel with a tacky title "Don't Want To Fall in Love With The Boss". I've not read the novel, but from hearsay, the changes made to the script so far have been more advantageous to the story. After browsing through several chapters, I have to say, the scriptwriters managed to inject a lively and fresh ambience to the drama.

I was admittedly a bit sceptical while beginning this as the trope of redoing life has been repeated multiple times and has almost nothing new to be explored. The flowery poster did not help (the Youtube thumbnail is much more enticing), neither did any earlier information about the drama, which gave me the impression of a regular idol romance with a fantasy twist. Keeping aside the latter half, I'll get to what makes me feel that this drama is worth a chance.

☆ Legally Romance is not a complete romantic comedy. Yes, romance plays a major role. But, it focuses more on Qian Wei's growth. Or rather how much life has tested Qian Wei and explores her regrets and mistakes. When she is given an opportunity to experience her youth, even if it isn't real, she discovers herself once again through this. She rebuilds her vision from scratch (almost) an attempts to vanquish the possibility of any terrible event that she knew she would experience. Including major oned such as saving her father from death...

Qian Wei is no idiot -- she ranked 2nd for a reason. Trenchant about her dream to be a lawyer, we see how dedicated she is to her job further along her journey. I loved her resilience and passion.

What's more? She is definitely a flawed character. She helped her twin Qian Chuan steal Lu Xun's supposed girlfriend after she realized that they had trouble going on their side. She makes a plan to outsmart Lu Xun with her prior knowledge and foresight about what was going to happen. Frankly, I did not understand why she loathed Lu Xun in college when all he seemed to have done was study well. Yes, he was her study rival, but her past self was very deluded with the idea that his sole purpose was to defeat her that she failed to see that he was a good friend and boss, something that her own friend Shi Yun tells her in the second episode.
I loved seeing the events through Qian Wei's eyes. But, this also piqued my curiosity about how things turned out the way it did for her. What we see is her manipulated version of the past. So, what exactly happened during the times that Lu Xun did not intervene in the past?

☆ Another aspect? ALL the characters are well written. I can't find a single annoying character. This includes the second male lead, Li Chong Wen, whose backstory is well fleshed out. I couldn't blame him for his actions; it was completely realistic.
Nobody is good or bad. No one is 100% the ace of the club. The little imperfections in this drama is what makes it perfect. And the life lessons that we are given on the journey along with Qian Wei were heartfelt. I could feel that the writers really sat down and spent their energy into making sure that no character is pushed aside in their pursuit of goals.

☆ Now, the romance... the highlight of the drama. The very wacky title that screamed at the audience to run the other way doesn't do justice. This is literally a story of how the invisible second lead finally managed to get the girl.

Lu Xun is definitely not hailed as the all perfect star hero student of the college. He is known for his talent. The ideal male lead would've been someone like Li Chong Wen —- everyone has their eyes on him at campus. I loved how they didn't overdo or glorify Lu Xun as unbeatable. The 18-year-old never held a grudge towards anyone, even Qian Wei for stealing his 1st position.
What's admirable about his character was how he gave Qian Wei space when she needed it. He was a villainous shadow in Qian Wei's past.
Seeing the tables get turned unintentionally by Qian Wei after she attempts to change her past and instead gets further entwined with Lu Xun was funny, yet heartwarming to watch.
Also, yes, he has a roastworthy hair that he himself is aware of. (I laughed both during EP3 and EP5 when he is described.) Do Not let that detter you from observing the story. Lu Xun is really innocent and worth your time!

Both Song Zuer and Z. Tao had a natural chemistry. The relationship between Lu Xun and Qian Wei was innocent and romantic without ever being cringey. Yes, there were cringey moments, but it was humorous at the same time. This was one romance that is worth your time and there is none who knows this better than Qian Wei.



☆ The show is effortlessly comic without even trying hard. All the characters have a sense of humour, including Qian Wei and even Li Chong Wen (her ex-boyfriend).
Qian Wei and Lu Xun's colleagues at work were particularly funny. I loved that despite the heavy issues that the drama deals with, the touch of humour is never lost even once.

☆ The side characters have distinct personalities. Mo Zi Xin, the quiet-almost-rival to Qian Wei was a highlight. Their best friend Liu Shi Yun; her bickering with Qian Chuan, their talks and care for each other were well portrayed. Everyone has unique or different dreams and passions they pursue. Including Qian Wei and Lu Xun.
Qian Chuan and Shi Yun, the second leads, grew on me episode by episode. I usually do not care about side characters, but this one is an exception. Even Li Chong Wen is a character completely worth your time.

The parental relationships are well portrayed. I adord every scene between Qian Wei and her dad. By the episodes after 20, it really hit the nail right on the head.

☆ I'm now convinced that being a lawyer is more dangerous and risky than people realize.

I'm not a fan of prosecution dramas. (The very reason I've not watched Miss Hammurabi. ) Legally Romance has "Law" as its very backbone, if you are curious. Despite all that, I'm happy as it gave me an insight of how lawyers and cases work though I do not know how close to the truth the drama is. (Watching thrillers helped me get accustomed to it too.)
There are plenty of legal jargons and rules thrown around casually as all the characters are Law School students who are actively involved in the field. It did pique my curiosity, though. The show begins to focus on certain legal cases and have them discussed in depth.

☆ The cast and the production team might be the reason why this drama stood out for me. Song Zu Er and Z.Tao nailed their roles to tee. ( I began this as I was already familiar with Tao's Brightest Star in the Sky.) Song Zuer is a seasoned and lauded actress from what I've heard. I can see why after watching a few clips of her other works. I can distinguish her mature 28-year-old self from her younger version during pivotal moments in the drama. (Particularly EP11 for me.)

Huang Zitao, despite being a certified idol, seems to choose characters whom he thinks he might be able to act comfortably as without forcing himself. A wise choice since I can feel that he put in effort to portray both the resilient workaholic and naughty side of Lu Xun.

I can not detect anything off about their performances, even the supporting cast. [I hope that the entire cast stays safe and alert during these times.]

☆ The pacing is for once, completely suitable for the drama and the themes portrayed. We do not spend a huge amount of time dwelling in Qian Wei's dream, neither do we spend time on useless romance. Both Qian Wei and Lu Xun were intelligent enough to know the value of time.

☆ The soundtrack is beautiful. I have had Destiny by HAPPY and You Are The Rest of My Life by Z. Tao on repeat since the first time I heard them. No particular BGMs have struck me as memorable yet, as many of them are meant to have a comic effect. But, there were various instrumental renditions of all the songs that were so memorable. Honestly, each track that played were so appropriate for the scene and invoked emotions.

☆ This also happens to be my first contemporary Chinese drama that I've followed while on air. Completely unnecessary, but it made me happy to see that there were no VIP schedules and that we international fans could enjoy it at the same time as Mainland fans. And that too for free! (Atleast on Youtube.)

☆ The ENDING ... was perfect in every sense and no loose ends were left untied. It was as if the writers racked their brains about how to give everyone what they deserved and simultaneously give us viewers who stayed with the characters a truly satisfying conclusion. (There is a post credits scene that completes the wheel of time.)
My only complaint was that I did not get to see a certain character onscreen.

I'll wrap this up with a 9 on 10. Yes, the basic storyline is overused and might be cliché, but it held on long enough with a solid storyline that is not injected with unnecessary emotional drama and has a talented cast with a unique charm. (I am also aware that it's getting roasted on Douban for the same reasons I praised it for, unfortunately.)

Ultimately, Legally Romance is more of a didactic comfort show that not only gives us the butterflies, but instills a spark of hope. There are many of us out there who can relate to Qian Wei's regrets, but seeing her really start to live her life even if it was ten years late was heartwarming and hopeful. Following this journey along with Qian Wei was absolutely fantastic and an experience that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. And I wish her, Lu Xun and their loved ones the very best for the future.

Dated - March 22, 2022. (Updated - 5th, April.)

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Little things left unnoticed may mean very much to you

I've been looking forward to this drama since I heard about it because of its star-studded cast and the victory of the original novel, "Don't Fall in Love With the Boss" (才不要和老板谈恋爱) by Ye Fei Ran (叶斐然), which I haven't read.

This drama is told from the perspective of Qian Wei (Song Zu Er), a twenty-eight-year-old woman who was unable to write the exam to become a qualified lawyer for some reason. She now works as an assistant to Lu Xun (Hunag Zi Tao, aka Z. Tao), a former law school classmate. She saw him as an enemy, a rival who made her life as uncomfortable and difficult as possible, even back in college, when he used to beat her in everything she did. She also had an ex, Li Chong Wen, who was her law school senior.

She is involved in an accident that puts her in a coma one day. During this time, she fantasises about returning to her adolescent self, where she knows exactly what will happen. She seizes this opportunity to change her life. She plans her life to be exactly how she wants it to be. She works even harder to reclaim the things she lost to Lu Xun and swears she will never date her ex again. But something went wrong with her plan, and she fell in love with her very rival's younger self, Lu Xun, without realising it.

She awakens from her coma one day, torn between her perfect life in her dream world and the reality. Most importantly, she has lost her lover, Lu Xun, and is unsure whether he is still in love with her. However, she learns from her doctor that what happened in her dreams could be true because her subconcious brain may develop stories that people tell her while she is in coma. She then embarks on her quest to discover whether Lu Xun is truly in love with her.

I expected the typical office romance based on the title, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story's twists and turns. It was both strangely satisfying and entertaining. With their outstanding acting, the cast also contributed significantly to the success of this drama.

Song Zu Er, who plays the female lead, Qian Wei, performed admirably and convincingly in her role. Her acting is natural and adorable, and she can perfectly capture and execute each and every emotion of the character she is given.

When it came to Z.Tao, he was as charming as ever. Please do not avoid this drama because of his hair! He is, without a doubt, one of the best Chinese actors I've seen in a long time. Anyway, I think he looks better with his hair down.

The chemistry between the leads was fantastic! Much of the drama's great praise was directed at its two leads, who proved in this romantic comedy that they were more than just pretty faces.

One thing that I liked about this drama is that all the characters have their own stories to say and are independent of the main leads. They all have their own struggles to deal with and their own lives to live. Even though there was a love triangle in this drama, it was not chaotic or complicated, which improved my opinion of it.

The depiction of love, both romantic and the kind we feel for our family and friends, was excellent! I was moved to tears at times because it touched my heart.

What I liked:
# Unique plot line and its execution
# Good cast and their acting
# Well developed characters
# Independent side characters
# Uncomplicated love triangle
# Effortlessly humorous

What I disliked:
I have nothing to say except for Lu Xun's hair.

Final Thoughts

This is a fantastic college/office rom-com that has raised the bar for similar dramas. This is a fluffy romance show that is perfect for people looking for drama with a unique story line and an amazing cast. I would recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted drama that will make them laugh and cry at the same time.

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LR: Raised the Bar of Modern Cdramas

This is the first Cdrama I wished have more than 33 episodes. Each scene is done beautifully - visually and metaphorically - & makes you realize how other dramas pale in comparison.

The first few minutes on the show already draws you in. The opening credits are spoiler-free as the show takes you to a montage of easter egg hunts you’d soon discover as you watch on. The title episode screen with a quick shot of a scene in the episode is a visual delight.

From the cinematography, quick witted dialogues, acting, and OST — this show truly captured a great dynamic of both leads (and ALL supporting characters.)

What I honestly love about this show is how wholesome this is. It’s a rom com with healthy relationships. Misunderstandings are resolved without dragging on too much. The devotion each leads have on each other is outstanding. The SLs actually SUPPORTING the main characters.

The chemistry with the leads are so electric and natural that it almost feels like they’re not acting at all.

You will laugh, you will cry, and you will also shed happy tears as you cheer them on.

LR is at the top of the board across all the other C/K/J dramas I’ve watched (including all the other hyped up shows)

If you’re hesitating, please give it a go. I urge you to give this a chance (past the ML’s hairdo, which apparently irks people), you’ll find that your standard for dramas are raised higher because of this show.

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Enjoyable, but perhaps a wee bit overrated. (and the Love Triangle is fairly strong)

I've been had. I've read in the comment section that the love triangle is not an issue & so I started watching this with no reservations, unfortunately that is definitely not he case. The triangle is - at least from my perspective - pretty bad, not only is it present throughout most of the drama, but also the plot devices used to keep it going were not great. Okay, it's objectively not horrible compared to some of the worst offenders, like it's nowhere near Jealousy Incarnate bad. Yes, the FL never hesitates about whom she wants, but her rejections were most of the time half-hearted & she got teary eyed due to the second ML way too many times. I couldn't even FF button his scenes, because the second ML is just too integral to the plot.
I'm guessing that people that like this trope would love this though..

Okay with that out of the way, I think the second biggest problem with the drama is that it's quite draggy at times, the same misunderstanding is recycled over and over to make it far longer than it should've been. Also the plot is not very polished or coherent, there are some really weird shifts in the story. For example how we transition from e27's cliffhanger to e28 makes less than zero sense to me. The corporate embezzlement/laundering case in the final episodes was quite bad as customary, but I've seen worse.

So why is it still 7.5? Well, the things that everyone else is saying are true. Both couples had great chemistry, the acting is great, the comedy is on point as well. Also the macro plot is pretty amazing. Annoyances aside it's fantastic how they handled the dream situation. Before watching this I was totally prepared to talk about how cdrama time travel shows always have to be dreams, novels, or just imaginations due to recent changes in Chinese censorship guidelines, but they've really killed it here. The way how the dream ended is just about perfect. The way we transitioned back to real life & how they kept the fantasy going was also pretty great. (I mean While You Were Sleeping is a hundred times better, but for a contemporary Chinese drama this is really pushing the limits of what's possible to be shown on TV) I've recently complained about how in Business Proposal they've cut out my favorite part of the webtoon and the Asian drama gods have heard my plea, because that exact plot is here in this drama. (It's about the FL wanting to turn fake into real & pursuing the ML real hard) The second couple was pretty fun, though their story is 1:1 Toradora.

The OST is not bad, at least as a completely separate entity from the drama. However I think the tracks often did not fit the drama's mood & the mixing is just strange.

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Love Me for Me , Not for What I Have Done for You

There are already many reviews, but I felt compelled to add mine so that it can show up on people's radar again and hopefully get more viewers to watch this gem of a show. So here's my short review highlighting why this show deserves some notice.

1) Great acting all around - kudos to the casting director since everyone truly delivered!
Our lead actors, Zi Tao as Lu Xun and Song Zu Er as Qian Wei, have such great chemistry. They paired off so well and comfortably as our main couple that most of the time, I felt that they were not even following a script, and instead they were ad-libbing. TBH, I was not expecting much from either one, and with Zi Tao being a singer, I thought it would be more of an idol drama. However, these two completely surprised me with their talent. They pulled off the more emotional scenes well and can also do comedy.

The only idol-like part was perhaps Zi Tao's hairstyles - not sure how I feel about it, LOL

Overall, the dynamics among all the cast members were terrific, and their interactions were so organic that I could feel the love, warmth, and camaraderie among the different characters. Watching Qian Wei's family and Lu Xun's parents was time well spent, and their colleagues, especially Lao Tao, the boss at their law firm, were hilarious. Qian Wei's sismance with Liu Shi Yun and Mo Zi Xin was heart-warming, and I love that Qian Wei and Zi Xin did not let any boy get in the way of their friendship.

No SLS for me but I did feel for Li Chong Wen, the SML - his backstory was touching and his actions while condemnable, were also understandable. Garvey Jin was a little stiff at times, but he did a good job portraying our suffering SML who tried to regain his true dream and self in the end.

2) Well-written script - This show was comedy, romance, and drama done well. The show swung from romantic to dramatic to funny quickly and smoothly, keeping the entertainment level high throughout. It was lovely but not too light, fun but not too fluffy with poignant and emotional parts dealing with love and loss that touched my heart and made me tear up. From Lu Xun's and Qian Wei's points of view, inspiring messages were delivered throughout the show.

For a story that was partly based on a college romance, there were little silly childish drama and filler scenes. Without the unnecessary drama, the show is a great stress-less option when you just want to relax and enjoy the sweetness of a non-cringey romance with some legal cases and action thrown. There were times I wanted to shake Lu Xun for being so obstinate about his "concept of love" - doing so much for Qian Wei because he was in love with her but not wanting her to love him for all that he had done. However, I admire his wanting for a visceral love, for Qian Wei to love him just because of him, not because of his actions. Isn't that what dramaland true love should be about?

Perhaps some side stories like the one about the SML and antagonists were watered down, but the resolution or outcomes were still realistic and nicely played out. Not only that, the dialogue was witty, and the comedy was on point.

3) Enjoyable music - seriously, the soundtrack is delightful! Each piece fit the scene and added to the mood or emotion appropriately. For posterity, I have included the soundtrack below.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama. Do give it a try!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5IAxJacwUM
Fate 命中注定 - Wu Yonghuan 巫咏欢
Fragments 碎片 - Gao Jialang 高嘉朗
Hear the Inner Voice 听见内心的声音 - Zhang Muxi 张沐溪
It’s You for the Rest of My Life 余生都是你 - Huang Zitao 黄子韬
We Are Not Together 我们没有在一起 - Liu Ruoying 刘若英

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One of the best 2022 dramas

Amazing drama. Ive seen the female lead in Fly With You last year and thought she was really cute in it. But in this drama, she protrayed both a college student and a modern working female. She pulled off both roles amazingly. I laughed when she was weird and quirky and cried with her when she was sad. She did amazing. Tao was also super amazing in this drama too. I knew him back in his EXO days. And watched him in Brightest Star in The Sky and Negotiator. But i love him in this drama the most. He pulled off the young college student and cold boss really well. His emotions in the drama and the unrequited love for 10 years was really well protrayed. This drama is one of my favorites because it has so many different tropes that i love in it. For example: Time travel, College life to Working life , Been friends for a long time, Unrequited love, Healthy relationship, Amazing chemistry between leads, Cute relationship, Guy likes girl first, 2ml gets girl first, Good family relations, Good side characters, Smart fl and ml, Clever fl, No huge misunderstanding, Good ost, Supporting parents and Growth in characters. I never got bored watching this drama. I usually have to skip around cause there is a lot of fillers but this drama was not the case.
And the ost. Omg. I love Tao's song. Makes me so happy ever time it comes on. It was repeat for me for so long. Just amazing drama all around. Totally recommend. Going to rewatch this drama again because it has ended and now i feel a void in my heart.

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Sweet, fun, fluffy...

This drama is like a great mix of most of my favourite tropes done well , not great but pretty good a highly addictive very bingeable and with pretty lovable characters and pretty cinematography. As they mix Go Back Couple, with The Brightest Star in The sky threw in While. You Were Sleeping and added maybe just a dash of What Is Wrong With Secretary Kim. And may just may make you want to fall down a well...

This drama excelled in use of umbrellas ad they were probably present in every episode and used for all from flirting, slo mo romance but best of all they were even used as weapons! The budget for confetti and cleaning up confetti in this drama must have been huge almost as big as the budget for umbrellas and hoodies.

The drama also has some of dreamlands sweetest parents, friendships and shows lovely ways of handling some popular drama cliches. However the part of the main plot that is not romance, is kind of draggy and feels pretty unnecessary, it is as if it is only there to add some seemingly never ending propaganda monologs, fire and action all things that are not nearly as interesting as the chemistry, dynamics, family relations, and romance in the rest of the drama and is what brings down the score from a 10 to a 9, but if you skip past those parts you will se that the rest is a lot of fun as this drama has it all bickering siblings, bickering couples (yes I like bickering), caring, snow, slow or glass, slow mo rain... a smart and mature female lead who can actually stand up for herself , a swim team, boxing and even a puppy...

Also! There is a scene were a guy actually asks a girl if he can kiss her??? In a C-drama? What are the odds?

In numbers:
Bingeabilaty: 10
Main Couple: 10
Side characters: 8
Annoying elements: very few
Umbrellas: 10
Fluff: 10
Frustration: 9

Definitely one of the better C-dramas out there.

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80% Perfect.

Most of this drama is fantastic. I was worried 33 episodes would be too long for the story but I found this drama mostly really entertaining. I laughed out loud many times. The ML and FL had me cracking up at their bickering rivalry. Everything was really fun and interesting until the writers couldn't figure out how to wrap up the story.

The Story:

Qian Wei is working at a law firm for her once college rival Lu Xun who is now her relentless boss. After an accident, she is transported to the past where she is back in college fighting for the top spot over Lu Xun. She decides to take this as an opportunity to change the outcome of her life and finally beat her rival. Qian Wei soon comes to find out that Lu Xun has been silently supporting her throughout her college career. Love ensues.

The Cast:

The FL: I've seen Song Zu Er in other dramas and I must say she is really fun to watch. Everything about her acting is a joy to watch. I especially like her comedic timing. To me, her comedic performance really shined here. As for her portrayal of Qian Wei, she delivered everything I wanted. Nothing about her was annoying other than her blindness to the ML's affections for her which is a major theme in the drama so we can't really fault her for that.

The ML: Everything except his haircut is perfect. I love the chemistry he had with the FL. He truly loves the FL and proves in numerous times. Unexpectedly, there are 2 pretty big arguments between the leads and what I appreciated about them is that the ML actually seemed angry. This may sound strange but I felt that he was genuinely pissed off/upset. Sometimes in dramas, you can feel the false anger because after all, it is acting... but here I really felt Lu Xun's anger and disappointment towards the FL.

The 2ML: A great guy with very bad luck. There were times I really felt bad for this poor guy. Li Chong Wen was trying so hard to make the right choices but no matter what he did, he always seem to lose. As annoying as his persistence for the FL was, it was also clear that he was a good person. He just kept focusing on the wrong things and went down the wrong path without realizing his mistakes. In a way, his career mistakes are incredibly relatable. He was a poor boy, doing everything he could to change his lot in life without any understanding of the cost.

80% of the story is really great, but the last 20% of the drama was a bit bland in comparison to the rest of the drama and it left me with a few questions. Once the FL came out of the coma she decides to see if the ML is really in love with her. He's a bit put off by this because, for the past 10 years, she's never shown any romantic interest in him. Lu Xun refuses to admit to all the things he did for her in the past because he doesn't want her to be with him out of pity or gratitude. I was onboard with this argument as it made a lot of sense. He really wanted her to like him for him, not because of the things he did for her in the past. Qian Wei decides to try to force him to confess his feelings to her by going on blind dates and it works! Which is great but it also lacks luster. He never confirmed why she actually likes him back. They never went over everything that happened in the dream. The FL lead never explained her feeling for him. He didn't even seem surprised that she all of the sudden liked him even though he had no knowledge of what happened in her dream state.

Then the writers decided to add a handful of dangerous scenarios for the Qian Wei and Lu Xun to go through. I feel like these were supposed to show their love for each other but really all I wanted to see was them reflect on the past events together and discuss what happened in her dream. Maybe he would even put on the ring and gain the memories of them..? Something like that would have been appreciated because once she woke up from the coma, the memories of the dram sort of fell off the radar, becoming merely a memory for Qian Wei. It would have been nice if the preset Lu Xun could have gained access to those memories somehow and shared all those sweet moments with her.

I would still recommend this drama as there were moments that were really funny and sweet. I definitely wasn't bored. I just wanted the dream world to have a little bit more of a presence in the story after she woke up. Also, a better love confession from the ML and FL.

Would Recommend
Maybe Re-watch

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Very value to watch!!!

At first, I come to see this drama because Z.TAO, but then I found that this drama was great!! The storyline was very good and reasonable. The chemistry between the main characters was perfect. I love when they are together. The story also show the warm relationship in family and gave the proper emotional parts for other characters. Z.TAO and Song Zu’er ‘s acting as boyfriend-girlfriend was very cute and warm that I wanna have a good boyfriend, too. 🥰 (I’m single …)
Z.TAO ‘s acting was very unique, he always be himself. Zu’er ‘s acting was the best as always. When I write this review, the drama didn’t finished yet but I re-watched many times. 😁
This drama was not rated much may be because the airtime was the same with others big drama. But for me, this was very value to watch!!!

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I've watched enough dramas in my life at this point to know that they have a habit of falling apart, and the longer they are, the more chance there is of that happening. It's part of why I've always avoided longer dramas. I can't handle that level of investment if it's all just going to end in disappointment. I was wary going into Legally Romance, as 33 eps is way longer than what I typically am willing to watch. (16 or less is what I tend to stick with.) And at various points while watching, I was unsure how well the writers would be able to handle the story they had created. There are a lot of moving parts to this drama and a lot of elements that have to be done just right for the story to succeed.

And I'm happy to say that not only does Legally Romance succeed, it's also a damn good drama. Consistent from start to finish with absolutely wonderful characters, a use of law that actually makes sense (I mean, I understood the things they said, so that's already a plus), a very moving plotline involving family and loss and grief, two SWOONworthy romances, literally laugh-out-loud comedy, and so much cute I feel like the little girl and her stuffed animal from Despicable Me, I really can't offer up any complaints. I was unsure how they were going to make the transition from Qian Wei's dream world back to her real-life, as we spent a really long time in her dream-world, and if the story were going to fall apart somewhere that would definitely be the place for it to happen. Thankfully, they handled the transition very well, and you don't feel like you're suddenly watching a different drama.

I will admit that once we were brought back into the modern day, non-dream world, I had to make more of a conscious effort to stay invested in the story. The dream-world and the real world have very intentionally different tones, and I LOVED the tone of her dream-world. Qian Wei's dream-world is very colorful and fun and almost straight comedy. There's a lot of cute bickering and romantic development and character development and situational comedy, and it's all just so deliciously pleasant to watch. Her modern-day life, however, is a lot heavier with a lot of focus on law/business machinations, Qian Wei having to reckon with the fact that her dream world was only a dream world and her real-life could use some TLC, and some genuinely emotionally wrought situations. I do prefer Qian Wei's dream-world, but only because it was just so much fun. Both parts of the story are equally compelling and tightly plotted/written, and my preference is just that, a preference.

Speaking of law, it really felt like the laws they referenced and discussed were real laws in China. Whether they are actually followed or enforced is another matter, but they were realistic enough for me think the writers might have consulted with actual Chinese lawyers. I also couldn't help but wonder if the writers were subtly trying to raise Chinese citizens awareness to Chinese law, something I really appreciate if it's true.

And one last note, but I'm very surprised this drama got by the Chinese censors. There were so many references to foreign pop cultures, even a Japanese pop culture reference! I don't know how the writers got away with it, but they were really fun little asides, and I'm glad they put them in.

This is definitely a 10 out of 10 drama, and if you're curious to check it out, I would highly recommend.

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I object...

I object to the casting of the female lead. She was not very likeable (especially for the ML to pine for over a decade) and even her "cute" moments were not that cute. She had word spaghetti (a lot!) and usually those ramblings were skipped over. The actress herself is mediocre (I'm one of the few who is not a fan of her previous work) and most scenes with her fell flat for me. Her kiss scenes were bland and I didn't believe any romantic feelings coming from her. She had a look that was a cross between being constipated and aggravated when she should have been love-y or romantic toward the ML.

The male lead is one of my favorites as an artist over all. His music stays on my play lists (some gems were added from this show) and he has really grown as an actor. There were several scenes where you could just feel the love radiating from his eyes. He's so natural and loveable, his kisses looked on point (he was stuck with a cold fish), and I have been trying to find one of his Young King Young Boss shirts LOL.

The side characters were okay, nothing too glamourous or exciting happening over there.
Some of their scenes dragged far too long for me.

The music was great. The intro was one I watched often, the music and art were very pleasing. There were a few songs of his that played throughout the show. I love seeing his growth as an artist (from all sides).

Overall it was okay, bearable. I would not re-watch this. Going back in time, comas, etc. are usually not a genre I watch and only watched this one b/c of ZTAO.

It was not a 10, 9, or even 8 if I am being completely honest. Those ratings are overly generous.

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