A capable girl and her picky boss.
Chinese Title
当天真遇见爱情
当天真遇见爱情
When Tian Zhen Met Love
[Recaps]
Cast
Crew
(Updated as of May 2022)
Director: Qi Xiao Hui
♠ Du Yun Theatre (2022)
♠ Consummation (2020)
♠ A Little Thing Called First Love (2019)
♠ Colourful Bone (2017)
Genres
Reviews
Five (5/5)
Such a fulfilling drama! What this does exceptionally well: dialogue, character development, and story development. It starts off as a regular office drama with a bickering couple full of hate and love. The jabs they take at each other are like strikes at high speed. That is already enough for me to stay invested but I hadn’t thought this drama would have so much fuel left in the latter half. The drama expanded, condensed, and solidified into a meaningful story of growth for our quartet. For an office-romance, this is one of those rare times a drama filled 40 episodes so equally and so effectively.
[Characters] The casting should be updated to four leads instead of two. Lu Yi Ming and Qiao Ke are way to vital to be listed as supporting roles. Anyways, here are the four actors who lived and breathed in their characters:
Wu Shi Le as Li Tian Zhen. Li Tian Zhen has spunk. If she hates she hates. If she loves she loves. She’s talented in architecture and has a burning passion for it. I love her cheekiness and her confidence. It’s my first time seeing this actress so I don’t know if her character is all acted or it’s her own mannerism. If it’s all acted, that’s ingenious because it’s such a fresh approach. If it’s her own mannerism, I like her.
Zhong Dan Ni as Qiao Ke. I really, really, really like Qiao Ke because she’s not an angel. I sympathize with Qiao Ke. She reminds me a little devil exists in me too. How can a regular person not be jealous with a sunny Li Tian Zhen around? She’s rich, smart, and beautiful yet modest. Her presence reminds Qiao Ke just how inferior she is and yet she loves this sun. It’s such a contradicting set of emotions that Qiao Ke can’t reconcile on her own that further spirals into more complication until her negativity consumes her. She did do one thing wrong and fortunately that helped our leads fall in love. That doesn’t right the wrong but I was proud of her when she was genuinely happy for our main CP. No matter how upset she was, she never voluntarily dumped it on Li Tian Zhen. She just needed to learn what she could potentially lose to realize what truly mattered to her.
Zhu Jia Qi as Lu Yi Ming. I love this guy! He has chemistry with everyone and, surprisingly, the most with Meng Yan, our male lead. I can watch the boys argue all day. It's impossible to not fall in love with this ball of charm. He’s packed with protein too. Allow me to promote him a bit – just a bit:
Wei Qian Xiang as Meng Yan. Meng Yan is a prick – but such a fun prick. He's impossible to satisfy unless you’re a Li Tian Zhen or a Lu Yi Ming. His character is profoundly flawed to the point that it can turn people off. He's manipulative and crafty but so witty. If Wei Qian Xiang wasn't this seasoned of an actor, I don't think I could love his dark character. [Spoiler (Ep8)] I started this drama not knowing this is a revenge story and I think it's better going in blind. It unfolds in an atypical fashion. Unlike Qiao Ke, Meng Yan grew up losing his loved ones. After he got his first taste of love he didn’t realize how precious that was and single-handedly destroyed it. Following the revenge, the rest of the drama is his retribution: he needs to exhaust two-fold of his energy to win back her love and trust. [/Spoiler]
Random Recommendation: Get Married or Not also has witty dialogues.
There is another genre to this office-romance but I think it’s better left unspoiled (~Ep8) to enjoy this drama to its fullest.
[Characters] The casting should be updated to four leads instead of two. Lu Yi Ming and Qiao Ke are way to vital to be listed as supporting roles. Anyways, here are the four actors who lived and breathed in their characters:
Wu Shi Le as Li Tian Zhen. Li Tian Zhen has spunk. If she hates she hates. If she loves she loves. She’s talented in architecture and has a burning passion for it. I love her cheekiness and her confidence. It’s my first time seeing this actress so I don’t know if her character is all acted or it’s her own mannerism. If it’s all acted, that’s ingenious because it’s such a fresh approach. If it’s her own mannerism, I like her.
Zhong Dan Ni as Qiao Ke. I really, really, really like Qiao Ke because she’s not an angel. I sympathize with Qiao Ke. She reminds me a little devil exists in me too. How can a regular person not be jealous with a sunny Li Tian Zhen around? She’s rich, smart, and beautiful yet modest. Her presence reminds Qiao Ke just how inferior she is and yet she loves this sun. It’s such a contradicting set of emotions that Qiao Ke can’t reconcile on her own that further spirals into more complication until her negativity consumes her. She did do one thing wrong and fortunately that helped our leads fall in love. That doesn’t right the wrong but I was proud of her when she was genuinely happy for our main CP. No matter how upset she was, she never voluntarily dumped it on Li Tian Zhen. She just needed to learn what she could potentially lose to realize what truly mattered to her.
Zhu Jia Qi as Lu Yi Ming. I love this guy! He has chemistry with everyone and, surprisingly, the most with Meng Yan, our male lead. I can watch the boys argue all day. It's impossible to not fall in love with this ball of charm. He’s packed with protein too. Allow me to promote him a bit – just a bit:
- He’s the sweetest boy in an unrequited love who asks for nothing in return.
- He’s a caring brother any girl would want.
- He’s also a brother a man never knew he needed.
- He’s incredibly cheap but rich with emotions.
- Last but not least, he has the perfect butt for dancing.
Wei Qian Xiang as Meng Yan. Meng Yan is a prick – but such a fun prick. He's impossible to satisfy unless you’re a Li Tian Zhen or a Lu Yi Ming. His character is profoundly flawed to the point that it can turn people off. He's manipulative and crafty but so witty. If Wei Qian Xiang wasn't this seasoned of an actor, I don't think I could love his dark character. [Spoiler (Ep8)] I started this drama not knowing this is a revenge story and I think it's better going in blind. It unfolds in an atypical fashion. Unlike Qiao Ke, Meng Yan grew up losing his loved ones. After he got his first taste of love he didn’t realize how precious that was and single-handedly destroyed it. Following the revenge, the rest of the drama is his retribution: he needs to exhaust two-fold of his energy to win back her love and trust. [/Spoiler]
Three (3/5)
What an awkward English title. I hate it. 😆 The auto generated English subs are killing me, too. It's a shame that I'm missing some good dialogue in this one, too.
Meng Yan is the biggest sneakiest rat turd. It's a rollercoaster with this one. Wei Qian Xiang is so good at this role - his eyes are the best. He is totally into Li Tian Zhen - even if he's got an ulterior motive. He gets too clingy, possessive and childish though. His rejection of Qiao Ke is one of the calmest, most direct and coldest ones I've seen - and poor Lu Yi Ming had to hear that from Meng Yan. Around E26 is when I wanted to stop watching because Meng Yan was revealed as a monster and became so cruel to Li Tian Zhen. If it was enough to just harm her father to satisfy his revenge, why not just come clean about that instead being cruel to Li Tian Zhen (by breaking off their engagement without a proper explanation; refusing to let her help him in the aftermath, etc.).
I liked Li Tian Zhen in the beginning. Free-spirited, clever, thinks outside the box and funny. She can so kind and thoughtful. But she throws a fit like a child, and kind of speaks like a child to Meng Yan. I'm not a fan of the fact that she ends up with a man like her father.
The two of them were so entertaining to watch - bickering to bantering to sweet in the beginning. The sneers. 😆🤣😂 They became more childish around each other. Their relationship became conflicting for me - he wants revenge on her father and he ends up falling in love with her (typical romance story). If it were me, I don't know if I could ever trust him again knowing that his original was revenge. Even though her father approves of him, after the fact (the fallout), trust is one of biggest foundations for an intimate relationship, and he broke it. He refused to do anything about it until she refused to acknowledge him anymore.
Qiao Ke bothers me. She's got so much baggage. She is best friends with Li Tian Zhen but resents her, and feels that Meng Yan belongs to her for some reason. I also dislike her manipulative side. Two-faced. She sabotages her best friend's career and still acts like she had no part in it. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." I understand why she feels that she can behave this way but it's not right. Lu Yi Ming and her - so complicated.
Lu Yi Ming - why is he so pure?! So happy-go-lucky. He waits for Qiao Ke after work, he cooks for her, buys her a car, and is just the sweetest and most dedicated almostboyfriend. Qiao Ke doesn't deserve him! (I was surprised and sad when I saw that the Cao Mom knew how he felt about Qiao Ke.) On one hand, I don't want him to end up with her because she was too selfish and insecure. And on the other hand, I know if she doesn't end up with him, he'll truly be heartbroken forever. I also like his relationships with Li Tian Zhen and Lu Yi Ming. He's a natural mediator. His kindness is always at the forefront. He's truly my favorite character. 😍
E7, when the three of them go to lunch... Meng Yan is so jealous of Lu Yi Ming's closeness with Li Tian Zhen - and then stuffs her salmon into his mouth. Lu Yi Ming is the best: "The smell of rejection." 🤣 Lu Yi Ming and Meng Yu have a unique relationship. E15, when MY was injured and LYM made food--when asked to pick between Qiao Ke and Li Tian Zhen, LYM likened it choosing between your right and left eye, which one could you choose over the other. E35, their dancing scene cracked me up - even I want to ship them together. 🤣
Ding Yan Ming annoyed me. He cheats on his wife with a colleague, then has the gall to feel slighted when she moves on after their divorce. Guo Yuan Yuan is pretty but very calculating. They deserve each other and the fallout was expected. (I'm never going to support a cheater ever.) But the way he showed up to get fired. 🤣 I respected him when he knew to leave GYY. I was actually relieved for him when they ended things.
Secretary Wen - when he smiles! I like his expressions and enjoyed his smart exchanges with Li Tian Zhen and Meng Yan. He's very zen-like. He deserves to run Kuan Di. 👏
I wish the show was about 5-8 eps shorter because it started dragging a bit. I really enjoyed the dialogue and the depth of main characters. Again, once Meng Yu revealed his revenge plan in E25, I really stopped caring if they got back together. I stayed to watch for Lu Yi Ming actually.
And yes, billing should be all four leads and not just two!
I'll probably never rewatch this series. I had to take time to think about why I was so bothered by this series, which I initially enjoyed so much. I just couldn't get over Meng Yan's story arc - revenge, and then him humbling himself and seeking forgiveness wasn't enough for me.
Meng Yan is the biggest sneakiest rat turd. It's a rollercoaster with this one. Wei Qian Xiang is so good at this role - his eyes are the best. He is totally into Li Tian Zhen - even if he's got an ulterior motive. He gets too clingy, possessive and childish though. His rejection of Qiao Ke is one of the calmest, most direct and coldest ones I've seen - and poor Lu Yi Ming had to hear that from Meng Yan. Around E26 is when I wanted to stop watching because Meng Yan was revealed as a monster and became so cruel to Li Tian Zhen. If it was enough to just harm her father to satisfy his revenge, why not just come clean about that instead being cruel to Li Tian Zhen (by breaking off their engagement without a proper explanation; refusing to let her help him in the aftermath, etc.).
I liked Li Tian Zhen in the beginning. Free-spirited, clever, thinks outside the box and funny. She can so kind and thoughtful. But she throws a fit like a child, and kind of speaks like a child to Meng Yan. I'm not a fan of the fact that she ends up with a man like her father.
The two of them were so entertaining to watch - bickering to bantering to sweet in the beginning. The sneers. 😆🤣😂 They became more childish around each other. Their relationship became conflicting for me - he wants revenge on her father and he ends up falling in love with her (typical romance story). If it were me, I don't know if I could ever trust him again knowing that his original was revenge. Even though her father approves of him, after the fact (the fallout), trust is one of biggest foundations for an intimate relationship, and he broke it. He refused to do anything about it until she refused to acknowledge him anymore.
Qiao Ke bothers me. She's got so much baggage. She is best friends with Li Tian Zhen but resents her, and feels that Meng Yan belongs to her for some reason. I also dislike her manipulative side. Two-faced. She sabotages her best friend's career and still acts like she had no part in it. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." I understand why she feels that she can behave this way but it's not right. Lu Yi Ming and her - so complicated.
Lu Yi Ming - why is he so pure?! So happy-go-lucky. He waits for Qiao Ke after work, he cooks for her, buys her a car, and is just the sweetest and most dedicated almostboyfriend. Qiao Ke doesn't deserve him! (I was surprised and sad when I saw that the Cao Mom knew how he felt about Qiao Ke.) On one hand, I don't want him to end up with her because she was too selfish and insecure. And on the other hand, I know if she doesn't end up with him, he'll truly be heartbroken forever. I also like his relationships with Li Tian Zhen and Lu Yi Ming. He's a natural mediator. His kindness is always at the forefront. He's truly my favorite character. 😍
E7, when the three of them go to lunch... Meng Yan is so jealous of Lu Yi Ming's closeness with Li Tian Zhen - and then stuffs her salmon into his mouth. Lu Yi Ming is the best: "The smell of rejection." 🤣 Lu Yi Ming and Meng Yu have a unique relationship. E15, when MY was injured and LYM made food--when asked to pick between Qiao Ke and Li Tian Zhen, LYM likened it choosing between your right and left eye, which one could you choose over the other. E35, their dancing scene cracked me up - even I want to ship them together. 🤣
Ding Yan Ming annoyed me. He cheats on his wife with a colleague, then has the gall to feel slighted when she moves on after their divorce. Guo Yuan Yuan is pretty but very calculating. They deserve each other and the fallout was expected. (I'm never going to support a cheater ever.) But the way he showed up to get fired. 🤣 I respected him when he knew to leave GYY. I was actually relieved for him when they ended things.
Secretary Wen - when he smiles! I like his expressions and enjoyed his smart exchanges with Li Tian Zhen and Meng Yan. He's very zen-like. He deserves to run Kuan Di. 👏
I wish the show was about 5-8 eps shorter because it started dragging a bit. I really enjoyed the dialogue and the depth of main characters. Again, once Meng Yu revealed his revenge plan in E25, I really stopped caring if they got back together. I stayed to watch for Lu Yi Ming actually.
And yes, billing should be all four leads and not just two!
I'll probably never rewatch this series. I had to take time to think about why I was so bothered by this series, which I initially enjoyed so much. I just couldn't get over Meng Yan's story arc - revenge, and then him humbling himself and seeking forgiveness wasn't enough for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment