RouteVenus
This review may contain spoilers
Great chemistry between the OTP but inconsistent plot and formulaic characters
Is The Love by Hypnotic for you?
If you need to fill your spare time with some good chemistry and kisses between the two leads AND you don't mind the lack of substance in plot and character departments, go for it! Prepare to spam the fast forward button though!
THE BAD: AKA WHAT AM I EVEN WATCHING?
- The overall mood of the drama constantly oscillates between lighthearted romance and serious melodrama. The issue is that for romantic comedy, this drama is simply not funny enough, and for serious DRAMATIC drama, its plot and characters are just too ridiculous.
- The plot is nearly non-existent and what is there, doesn't make much sense. Most of the seriously meant scenes come out unintentionally as nearly parodic and not even efforts of the cast can salvage them.
Just to list all the inconsistencies would take forever, so let's just say that most of the plot devices, be it ML's mom's death or even the titular hypnosis, are only brought up when it's convenient for the writers and then they get forgotten again by all characters for X episodes. Some plotlines don't even get resolved at all, like the love fate of the female musician who helps the FL in several episodes.
IS IT A CHARACTER-DRIVEN DRAMA THEN?
- I wish! All characters are EXTREMELY generic and lack depth. I fast forwarded through most of the villains' scenes because they were just repeating the generic bad guys lines that we heard hundred times before in other dramas.
(poor Zhou Zi Xin is playing a jealous/homicidal SFL yet AGAIN)
- It's nice to see that there is a group of friends around the OTP, so our leads can talk about sex, I mean love, with them, but again, these sympathetic characters have barely any substance and the side romances (FL's maid Tanli + ML's bodyguard Diwu...Princess Kangle + ML's friend Jinyu) are just hinted at.
- The FL is frequently described as "wild" during the drama. But while her love for fighting and hunting is mentioned several times at the beginning, it's quickly forgotten and her being "wild" then becomes...being messy, liking to sleep and eat and being bad at reading/studying. In other words, she suddenly becomes a stereotypical shoujo heroine She didn't seem annoying or unlikeable to me, just bland.
- The ML is harder to like, especially in the first 10 or so episodes. While he accepts his arranged marriage, he is unnecessarily mean to his wife, for no good reason. Yes, he saves her from time to time but usually he then proceeds to be super cold to her again and blaming her for...getting nearly assassinated. I didn't even mind when the FL hypnotized him without his permission because he was such an ass to her all the time!
Fortunately, he comes to his senses, and after he gets together with the FL, he is ride or die for her. His adoration of the FL salvaged the character for me, although he won't rank among my favorite heroes.
THE GOOD: THE OTP'S CHEMISTRY AND KISSING SCENES
- That's what you signed for, right? And The Love by Hypnotic delivers! Despite all my criticism, it's a show that features a solid OTP with pretty great chemistry and lots of skinship and kissing scenes between them. Once they get together (episode 18), they finally start a real relationship that is sweet and genuine. And while their bond still feels somewhat superficial (I would appreciate more meaningful dialogues between them), at least you can actually see them trying to work out their differences and work towards a common goal. (the scene in which they pretend to be on the verge of divorce is *chef's kiss*)
- The show also mostly avoids big misunderstandings and noble idiocy and what is there gets resolved within one episode or so. There is no break-up arc either, which is a relief.
- I cannot forget to praise the actors in the main roles: Alen Fang and Ling Mei Shi, they truly squeezed the maximum from their respective formulaic roles. I can't believe this drama was Ling Mei Shi's debut because she carried most of its first half on her shoulders and did such a good job at it!
- The music was surprisingly decent too and the opening theme was very well done, although it might suit a more serious drama better.
Overall, I wish I could go higher with my rating, but the truth is, that this drama left no deep impression on me and I have no motivation to rewatch it; aside from some cute OTP scenes.
If you need to fill your spare time with some good chemistry and kisses between the two leads AND you don't mind the lack of substance in plot and character departments, go for it! Prepare to spam the fast forward button though!
THE BAD: AKA WHAT AM I EVEN WATCHING?
- The overall mood of the drama constantly oscillates between lighthearted romance and serious melodrama. The issue is that for romantic comedy, this drama is simply not funny enough, and for serious DRAMATIC drama, its plot and characters are just too ridiculous.
- The plot is nearly non-existent and what is there, doesn't make much sense. Most of the seriously meant scenes come out unintentionally as nearly parodic and not even efforts of the cast can salvage them.
Just to list all the inconsistencies would take forever, so let's just say that most of the plot devices, be it ML's mom's death or even the titular hypnosis, are only brought up when it's convenient for the writers and then they get forgotten again by all characters for X episodes. Some plotlines don't even get resolved at all, like the love fate of the female musician who helps the FL in several episodes.
IS IT A CHARACTER-DRIVEN DRAMA THEN?
- I wish! All characters are EXTREMELY generic and lack depth. I fast forwarded through most of the villains' scenes because they were just repeating the generic bad guys lines that we heard hundred times before in other dramas.
(poor Zhou Zi Xin is playing a jealous/homicidal SFL yet AGAIN)
- It's nice to see that there is a group of friends around the OTP, so our leads can talk about sex, I mean love, with them, but again, these sympathetic characters have barely any substance and the side romances (FL's maid Tanli + ML's bodyguard Diwu...Princess Kangle + ML's friend Jinyu) are just hinted at.
- The FL is frequently described as "wild" during the drama. But while her love for fighting and hunting is mentioned several times at the beginning, it's quickly forgotten and her being "wild" then becomes...being messy, liking to sleep and eat and being bad at reading/studying. In other words, she suddenly becomes a stereotypical shoujo heroine She didn't seem annoying or unlikeable to me, just bland.
- The ML is harder to like, especially in the first 10 or so episodes. While he accepts his arranged marriage, he is unnecessarily mean to his wife, for no good reason. Yes, he saves her from time to time but usually he then proceeds to be super cold to her again and blaming her for...getting nearly assassinated. I didn't even mind when the FL hypnotized him without his permission because he was such an ass to her all the time!
Fortunately, he comes to his senses, and after he gets together with the FL, he is ride or die for her. His adoration of the FL salvaged the character for me, although he won't rank among my favorite heroes.
THE GOOD: THE OTP'S CHEMISTRY AND KISSING SCENES
- That's what you signed for, right? And The Love by Hypnotic delivers! Despite all my criticism, it's a show that features a solid OTP with pretty great chemistry and lots of skinship and kissing scenes between them. Once they get together (episode 18), they finally start a real relationship that is sweet and genuine. And while their bond still feels somewhat superficial (I would appreciate more meaningful dialogues between them), at least you can actually see them trying to work out their differences and work towards a common goal. (the scene in which they pretend to be on the verge of divorce is *chef's kiss*)
- The show also mostly avoids big misunderstandings and noble idiocy and what is there gets resolved within one episode or so. There is no break-up arc either, which is a relief.
- I cannot forget to praise the actors in the main roles: Alen Fang and Ling Mei Shi, they truly squeezed the maximum from their respective formulaic roles. I can't believe this drama was Ling Mei Shi's debut because she carried most of its first half on her shoulders and did such a good job at it!
- The music was surprisingly decent too and the opening theme was very well done, although it might suit a more serious drama better.
Overall, I wish I could go higher with my rating, but the truth is, that this drama left no deep impression on me and I have no motivation to rewatch it; aside from some cute OTP scenes.
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