A timely commentary about human behaviour

Short review:
Why this is not rated 10/10:
Flawed story with lots of holes, dialogue lacking, acting not perfect, ideas and themes not entirely new.

Why it has a 9/10: Romance intertwined in a relevant message and some pretty scenes with a happy ending.

It is a show that left me thinking about serious issues in the world today. There is a comment in the end about revenge being a never ending cycle. The helplessness in this moment about having to move forward is what I feel that much of the shows message is about .

The show brings awareness of different viewpoints of discrimination through the concepts of racism and ethnic cleansing but there is a side story on patriarchal behaviours. The intolerance and discriminatory behaviours exist because of a fight between two clans who. It is mentioned at one point that the reason to enslave the other is that if they are left alone with their real power, they will in turn enslave the other clan. It becomes a fight for supremacy of one over the other. We see intolerance in another form through a son being valued over daughter who suppresses her true nature simply to exist.

But most of all the show is a romance. The messaging brings heartfelt awareness of hopelessness that exists in the world, but it also creates the situation for a great romance story.

There are two MLs who are wonderful characters. The first half of the show builds a romance with one lead and the FL and the second half builds a romance with the other. At some point, I thought "will this show be brave enough to have her end up with both?" :) . The 1st ML appears to be a roguish prince character and his development was rushed at the end, but he had to suffer so much and he loved so hard that one can't help but be on his side. The 2nd ML is definitely the strong, strategic, kind, hero. He is smart and sees the big picture and will sacrifice for the cause. But what could be missed is that the 1st ML is all that as well. His messed up upbringing has him suppressing all his heroic qualities but we see that in every situation where he has to make the righteous choice he never fails.
It is hard to navigate the FL because of the character. Once you understand the role, it is a tough one pull off; she did a credible job of conveying the idea that even love sometimes cannot help someone overcome intolerance that is indoctrinated and taught to her from childhood.
So, go ahead, jump right in and enjoy the romance.....

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Make sure your lens is set to fantasy mode

There is not my much along story and music and scripting to praise in this show. But somehow it manages to take you along for the silly ride. The sum of the parts is way better than the parts themselves.

So keep in mind that it is not rooted in reality and you are all set.

Skip the silly parts and spend some time on the parts that try to convey some life lessons and other tidbits. Watch the end for the fortune cookie monuments.

The show manages to showcase some level of female empowerment and the ML is a different kind of cold CEO. It is formulaic romcom material.

2nd ML lead syndrome alert (Sui An is a great character)
Pleasing colour palettes and sets.
Good looking cast

If you just accept that anything goes in drama land you can relax and kill time with a perfectly forgettable show.

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I can't believe I made it through to the end...

But it took fast forwarding (even when I was watching at 2x speed!).

The main couple in this drama is so cute together and they have an adorable chemistry. Starting from Episode 20 of 44!, I was jumping to there scenes. There were so many unnecessary scenes with supporting characters and it felt like every 5 minutes of the 45 minutes there was a 3 minute flashback to scenes we already saw!

I am giving this a seven entirely and only for the underlying storyline of the main couple. I like that arc of friends and partners who went through struggles together and found their own way to survive in the world in their little piece of happiness.

That's it, that is what was good about it. The business and the other relationships were not interesting and so hard to find a lens through which I could view it with any enjoyment.

If you have a list of "plan to watch" shows, don't give up your time for this one. If you are in a lull, sure , go ahead, make use of the fastforward button and kill some time....

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I consider this a fantasy drama not a contemporary drama.

"Only for Love," has the talented duo of Dylan Wang as Shi Yan and Bai Lu as Zheng Shuyi. As a fan of their previous works, I eagerly anticipated their collaboration in this fantasy-like story that attempts to bridge the gap between reality and imagination. I cannot call this contemporary - hence the use of the term fantasy. If you go into this with that thought then you will ignore all the inconsistencies to how the real world works.

I really like Dylan Wang and Bai Lu in their previous dramas, however "Only for Love" falls short in certain aspects. Particularly in its character development. The characters, particularly Shi Yan and Zheng Shuyi, seem poorly written, lacking the depth and complexity that would have allowed the actors to showcase their full range of talents.

One noticeable aspect is the delivery of lines, where maybe the actors could have benefited from better voice coaching? The delivery often fell short of expectations. This broke the emotional connection between the characters and the audience. This improvement would have elevated the overall viewing experience and allowed for a more immersive engagement with the storyline.

The costuming choices in the drama were not my favourite. The cheesy aesthetics, though like I said, i consider this fantasy... struggled to find a balance between sincerity and satire. Yes, I am calling out Bai Lu in those knee-high boots!!! The drama might have fared better if it fully embraced a more satirical tone, allowing the audience to appreciate the intentional exaggeration rather than perceiving it as a drawback. I am thinking about King the Land and Business Proposal... they seem to have done this balance better.

There have been criticisms regarding the alleged objectification of women in the drama. While some viewers may hold this perspective, I feel that that "Only for Love" is a work of art, not obligated to reflect societal norms or promote any specific agenda. Art has the freedom to explore various themes and perspectives, and in this case, the creators chose to weave a fantasy narrative that might not align with everyone's expectations.

Despite its shortcomings, "Only for Love" has its merits. If you are a fan of Dylan Wang and Bai Lu and enjoy their on-screen chemistry, the drama provides a visually appealing experience. The fantasy-like setting, though struggling to portray itself as real life, offers a unique escape for those who appreciate the actors' previous works.

"Only for Love" is a drama that caters to a specific audience – those who are drawn to the charm of Dylan Wang and Bai Lu and are willing to overlook certain narrative and stylistic flaws. It is as a testament to the unpredictable nature of art, where personal preferences play a significant role in determining one's enjoyment of the overall viewing experience.

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Romcom with leads that have chemistry and a happy ending.

Watch this drama. It is a rom com so don’t go looking for avant- guarde scripting or tightly woven entirely plausible stories. Take a Smart FL. Loyal ML. Decent couple communication and trust. All wrapped up with a happy ending.
Actress who plays the FL character fits the rambunctious take charge heroine character well.
Her character was thrusted into a fake role and jumped right in and saved everyone and helped the ML become someone who could take his place I. Society. At this point In time I am watching three new dramas with the actor who plays the ML Zhao Yi Qin. I can’t say there is range in the acting but he suits the role well. Doting lover seems to be easy for him to play and this enhances the chemistry with the FL lead. The glances to his spouse to seek approval for being good or just to give a look that “we did good” is very organic. The theme is catchy and a bit of an ear worm. Expect drag towards the end and nothing too earth shattering in the finale. Just nice happy thoughts.

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I would rewatch this drama

Probably the best way to express me feelings about this drama is that I would rewatch this drama.
It is the kind of tropey rom com I like my Kdramas to be.
1. The story had enough Consistency for me to create a world and live in the drama for a bit
2. A mature handling of a growing relationship. No silly games just straight forward expression of feelings.
3. Strong serious male lead. The ML‘s aloofness and reason for being the way he well handled. Same with the 2nd ML - perfectly handled why he was so childish. (Best character/acting in the drama).
4. Relatable comedy. The comedic characters and villains were over the top but in a good way. In a way that you knew the drama was doing it intentionally and you got the point and chuckled over it.
5. Emotions. Enough crying, men and women, just enough meddling mums and chaebol issues and supportive friendships, bromance (best part ). Etc
6.low on the angst. Where there was some and you are half expecting some silly decision to amp up the angst, the writers quickly resolved it.
8. A clear message . This is about sexual harassment in the workplace. Also a message that when we turn a blind eye we are part of the problems. We need to make a moral stand.
7. Perfect cliche happy ending.

I would rewatch to just see all the times they poke fun at the cliches in Kdramas while they go right ahead and do the same. Quite witty and lots of fun.

I think if you watch a few rom com Kdramas first to understand the tropes and the distinct cultural flavour you find find this is simply a little gem of a drama.

Has the feel of 1% of something .

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A bit of fluff to while away some hours. If you can ignore the pop psychology and a story that did not keep the integrity of the characters throughout... you can just enjoy the lighthearted nature of the romcom with a happy ending.

If you don't like noona romances, this would be a difficult one for you to watch. The ML lead looks like a little boy compared to the FL. I looked it up they age gap in the show is their age gap in real. I really had to get past his teenager looks to enjoy the romance.
I have no trouble with the age gap, but with his looks, the script needed to be better at portraying a maturity level that suited the relationship and it failed in this. I think the show recognized this because a few times, the dialogue has the ML mentioning that he is young a few times.
There are also instances where the characters are not consistent with the story and this takes away from the enjoyment.
Overall, while nothing stopped me from sitting through the episodes, it did not leave me with any big takeway ideas its..... okay but quite forgettable.

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If I had to write the synopsis for this show I would write this:
This story is about two girlfriends who are strong independent women, balancing their parents’ cultural norms with their own need to live life on their own terms; pursuing their own dreams. It is about how they find love customized to them and supporting each other along the way.

We see familiar themes as each “sister” finds her own unique (“Customized Love”) love story:
-Compromise between traditional parental values and modern notions for marriage
-Female empowerment for career and dreams within the context of relationships and marriage
These are not new themes but worth retelling - and the acting and chemistry in this drama makes it worthwhile to sit through and embrace the message again.

I found myself enjoying the relationship between the leads in this show because the characters are written to have mutual respect. Both main couples are honest and open with their feelings and mature in their handling of falling in love. When they become a bit childish there is a best friend to pull them back from the edge.

If all you want is the romance, the tantalizing interactions between the main couple should satisfy this need in spades! I found myself thinking many times, “I wonder if they captured that movement while they were taking a break from filming and decided to use it?”. Their interactions were very organic and natural. I felt the same with the friendship between the female leads. They have great chemistry as well – I wanted a best friend like this.
This was the best part of the show for me. Because I enjoyed the romance and feeling you get from this type of on-screen chemistry, I was able to finish the drama.

However, it was not without the liberal use of the fast forwarding button - the show definitely could have been done in less episodes. I also found there were characters showing up conveniently to move the story (as with all dramas) but in this case it is awkwardly done (abandoned storylines) and this distracts from the quality of the show.
There were also a few points where the script failed the actors (this tells how well they did their job because they were able to shine regardless).

…but the pretty fashion, gorgeous sets and SIZZLING CHEMISTRY makes it worth sticking through to the end.

Side note: There are messages in the drama that resonated with me:
First half: The fashion industry fighting to protect original design in a world market that is overrun with knock-offs due to mass consumption.
Second half: Security of our online data has become an important aspect of business and has the potential to destroy firms.
Throughout: Run your life/business with integrity and be willing to compromise and forgive in love/life.

Finally: did I mention the chemistry, easy banter and skinship of the two main leads? :)

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Exciting and romantic parts but just missed the mark

Having just finished watching the drama, I must say it was a gripping and engaging experience. While I was eager to give it a perfect 10, there were some aspects that held me back from doing so. At the start, the romance between the characters had a tangible feeling of discovery, which added excitement and mystery to their relationship beyond the accident's enigma. However, as the truth behind the accident was revealed, I found the storyline somewhat lacking and unsatisfactory in terms of the forgiveness process. It left me questioning the reasoning behind certain characters being forgiven and how it all unfolded.

Parallel to the main storyline, the concept of the 19th life or reincarnation brought an intriguing dimension to the plot. The initial lack of clarity surrounding the 1st life kept me on the edge of my seat, but when the explanation finally came, it felt underwhelming and too simplistic. Although the idea of growth before breaking the cycle was clear , it didn't quite make sense in execution, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied.

Despite these flaws, the drama managed to keep me hooked throughout. The attempt to create something unique and different was commendable, even if it didn't entirely succeed. The show's overall quality was good enough to warrant a recommendation, but it fell short of being an exceptional masterpiece. Perhaps, watch it and enjoy it without delving into critical discussions.

The acting and music - I have no complaints. Just the miss in the story and how it was delivered overall. Things that bothered me were like the necklace - product placement (PPL). The significance of the necklaces was supposedly so important and then what ?

Anyways, this drama is undoubtedly worth watching and offers an exciting and different storyline. However, a few missed opportunities and unresolved plot points prevent me from giving it a perfect score. It is just a 9.5 out of 10 for me.

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Some parts okay, whole not so much, but worth some time to watch.

In this case the sum of the parts do not make for a great show.

The acting from the couple is really good, their chemistry is delectable and that allowed me to binge this show beginning to end. But the script failed these actors. One such instance is the timeline, not sure why they chose 3 months or why the show needed to say the specific time, but the cracky relationship building moments (which are the shows highlight) lost its shine when you are trying to fit them in the timeline. The actors pulled you into their falling in love moments so well and then the show reminds you of the timing. So while I enjoyed their "moments" I was not able to get into their world and feel the romance. I feel that given a different timing, this could have been a pretty romance.

Another part that is really good is the ML's actual portrayal of his character. There were some scenes where his body language was so eloquent in conveying his insecurities and his fear of failing his father. He clearly communicates to the audience that his egotistical actions are really only a camouflage of his need to feel valuable and worthy. I have seen this actor in other roles and this role shows his talent well.

After watching the whole show though, I am shaking my head saying... wait, that was not good at all... the annoyances were surrounding the inconsistencies in the script. Small changes could have been made to make this a little easier to live in their world and would have made this show an actual 10 even though it was a cliche story.

While I would not re-watch this, if you adjust your mindset and just live in the moments, it is worth watching to enjoy the acting.

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