A woman in a coma discovers the man who has loved her in the past and present.
Chinese Title
Cast
Huang Zi Tao: Lu Xun
Song Zu Er: Qian Wei
Jin Ze: Li Chong Wen
Zhong Li Li: Mo Zi Xin
Yan An: Qian Chuan
Li Bai Hui: Liu Shi Yun
Crew
(Updated as of May 2022)
Producer: Zhang Meng
♠ 聽說你喜歡我 Have a Crush on You [Peng Guan Ying, Wang Chu Ran]
♠ Lover or Stranger (2021)
Reviews
Five (5/5)
Four (4/5)
I really liked and enjoyed this drama, but if I'm being truthful, there are some glaring issues. First, where are the court scenes? While we are at it, where even is there any relevance to their jobs? Being a lawyer just feels like... a random job that is tangential to the storyline. I guess there is some ethics exploration (with Li Chong Wen), but still, I would have like there to be more "law" stuff. Along the same lines, I didn't really understand the whole big conspiracy plot? Maybe it's because it was quite boring and involved lots of telling, but even then it didn't make sense to me? Apparently the charity that AES runs is being used for money laundering, and they do so by supplying cheaper equipment than they promised? But isn't that just embezzlement/stealing money? How is this a way to launder money??? Based on my admittedly limited legal knowledge, the whole conspiracy doesn't make sense. Also, what the heck was that ending? Why did Qian Wei need to go to the meeting? They already had enough evidence, and the footage she got is irrelevant, since the driver can just deny all ties to Lan He??? Also, how does Lu Xun's car flip when it's like so much heavier (and loaded with stuff) compared to the bad guy's car?????? Oh, and how the heck does Li Chong Wen survive being stabbed and thrown into the sea? Even if he doesn't drown, he would have bled out long ago because a submerged wound can't clot.... Not to mention issues like hypothermia or sharks...
Ok, now that the bad stuff is out of the way...
I think that drama does a great job as a romance story, with a dash of ethics/morality issues. The romance between Lu Xun and Qian Wei is amazing, the way that he has always been there for her throughout the ten years. The way that he was willing to be the villain to push her along. I also enjoyed all the repeated tokens throughout the show, and also how show tied every little thing together. I always felt like Lu Xun's obsession with origami was weird, and so did Qian Wei, but it was only when she stumbled onto the book did everything click in place! I'm surprised that Qian Wei didn't have a bigger reaction in the show, but perhaps drama wanted to leave it as a quiet easter egg. Also, it's funny how they use pigs to represent themselves, and then in the ending, Qian Wei freaks out about having too many kids.
There's also one additional theme of their love: Lights. Lu Xun will always be Qian Wei's guiding light in the darkness, even more apt because of her night-blindness. He guides her out of the dark ghost house, he lights the path in front of her as she returns home after sending her dad to the hospital. His dream confession revolves around lighting up her path and giving her a model of the ferris wheel, which brightens up the dark night sky. In real life, he buys a place that has a view of the ferris wheel, so that her nights will never be dark. And for his proposal, he made the houses light up their lights in a heart shape!!!!
I also enjoyed the examination of ethics/morality in the story with Li Chong Wen. It explores the question of nature vs nurture, but also reminds us that everyone deserves a second chance. I like how even in the present time, even after all the nonsense that Li Chong Wen pulled, Qian Wei and Lu Xun were willing to give him a chance to do the right thing and turn himself in.
Mo Zi Xin was another excellent secondary character. I loved her in both dreamworld and reality. In both timelines, she was the best friend that Qian Wei could ask for. Even though they fell for the same person, Mo Zi Xin never snatched, never pulled any bitchy/sneaky tricks, and probably never even resented Qian Wei for it. The scene where she scalded herself with hot water and is more worried about how Qian Wei feels was truly touching, a true friend indeed. And I think this friendship is well-deserved, Qian Wei showed similar care and love for Mo Zi Xin, being upfront about how she and Lu Xun got together, and also being willing to bear all the false accusations to protect Mo Zi Xin's reputation.
Song Zu Er does an absolutely wonderful job in this drama, she showcased so many different facets of Qian Wei, from the funny and hilarious, to the serious and emotional, and everything in between. And her asides to the camera were way too good. I absolutely adore her as an actress and this drama perfectly showcases why. She truly brings Qian Wei to life, and makes me want to laugh and cry alongside her.
I think Huang Zi Tao was a perfect casting choice for Lu Xun. The sort of stiff upper lip guy who secretly cares so much and so deeply for the girl, and yet refuses to admit anything to protect his "face". He did an excellent job portraying Lu Xun, but I don't think his range got showcased as much as Song Zu Er. So I agree that if he continues on the acting path, versatility might be a concern. Oh also, I absolutely love how they kept poking fun at his hairstyle (Iron chicken) LOL....
All in all, I think drama did an excellent job in achieving its aims. The legal components could do with a bit better fleshing out and the ending need not have been so dramatized, but these are all minor compared to their grand love story.
Three (3/5)
I really love the beginning (Ep1-13): vibrant comedy; fluttery romance.
After that, I did lose focus when the drama drifted away from the romance, but I like its effort in trying to be more, like exploring the characters’ morals, especially Li Chong Wen’s. I also appreciate the friendship between the love rivals.
The dramatic ending, though, left me unimpressed. There’s a flying car for pete’s sake! But then I melted at the three palm squeezes, so I guess I got my compensation, ha.
Like others, I felt cheated with the cafe confession. Too simple! But that’s just a minor complaint for an overall entertaining romcom.
While I’m at it, just one more tiny complaint: for a law drama, what happened to the court scenes? The one where Qian Wei and Lu Xun hug with the wall falling down does not count……
I’m very impressed with Song Zu Er and Jin Ze who showed off their acting chops. As for Huang Zi Tao, he showed off himself. Ha. I think for his next project, he needs to prove he can be versatile and different, or the harsh criticisms of his acting will follow him forever. Anyway, let’s not have the criticisms on him overshadow Song Zu Er. She was spectacular. Her asides were entertaining and lively. Her emotional scenes were heart-wrenching. She commands the drama. Jin Ze could handle comedy excellently too (e.g. chicken moments).
The repeated tokens I like throughout the show:
- The Ferris wheel (more in two separate comments: first and second)
- The origami book. I almost missed this one if not for the comments. The 250 RMB book that Qian Wei thought she got a huge deal out of was actually 50 RMB and it wasn’t even about law. She gave it to him twice, which is why she got an origami love letter twice! He’s so crafty (I mean arts-and-craft crafty)
- The three palm squeezes. The first time he did it to her, I squealed. The last time she did it for him, I melted.
- The rain and snow moments. I like that rain and snow holds special meanings to them (rain = kisses and .. ;) snow means marriage proposals). It’s a nice way of saying that in any bad weather they have each other.
- The piggies!
- Lastly, the boss who never knows where his own office is.
I started this series with a very limited understanding of its premise. The trailer caught my attention but didn’t really give me much to go with. But I still watched and was seriously hooked by Ep3. So what is this series? Campus romance? Office romance? Time travel? Well, it’s a weird combination of all of it, but it’s not entirely straightforward in any of those categories. It’s a puzzle that you want to keep watching as Qian Wei continues trying to figure out what happened in her past and how Lu Xun has been beside her the entire time, even though he’s become her infuriating boss.
Before I continue, let me preface with this fact - if you don’t like Huang Zi Tao, then stay far, far away, because he is definitely himself for this role. I had never seen him in anything else prior to this, so it (yes, his hair is loud) didn’t really bother me.
Romance
Our love triangle from the get-go: Qian Wei will make you laugh, cry, scream (in frustration) throughout this series. You will love her for all of her imperfections with such a pure heart. I’m a huge fan of Song Zu Er now. Lu Xun’s sweetness will make you cling on for more, and you will fall for him in his quest to gain Qian Wei’s heart. I only wished that Huang Zi Tao was more versatile in the later eps, as he went from sweet Lu Xun to this domineering (idol-like) Lu Xun. Li Chong Wen is Qian Wei’s first love, who you learn to understand and even sympathize (or empathize) with. I’ve been unimpressed with Jin Ze in other series, but I really enjoyed watching his vulnerability warring with his ambition here.
There are also several items/themes throughout the series that one can’t help but notice. I’ll only list a few here: origami, pigs and hand squeezes. My favorite has to be the hand squeezes - what’s yours?
Kinships
One of my favorite characters has to be Qian Chuan, Qian Wei’s very funny and sweet twin brother. He’s the epitome of the brawn-over-brains stereotype but he also has a pure heart like Qian Wei. While he may squabble with his sister, he is also her biggest supporter.
Qian Wei has two best friends: Liu Shi Yun, who is from a rich family but doesn’t really fit the typical “princess” image as she’s quite feisty. Mo Zin Xin, who is from a well-to-do family but has secrets to hide. These three girls have a wonderful bond no matter what life throws at them.
One of the best parts of this series are the parents. Qian Wei’s parents are the parents that TV series need more of. Loving parents who want the best for their children, and don't try to interfere with their dreams - the objective isn’t about winning, and ultimately about being happy.
Lu Xun’s parents are quite obviously workaholics, who give him the best in life. But there’s a bit of loneliness in him because of this. It’s a different type of parenting with a different set of priorities. Is it wrong? No, it’s just another reality for some.
Liu Shi Yun’s parents, mostly her father (limited scenes with her mother), was the typical tough-acting father but quite soft when it came to his daughter. He’s a paper tiger - acts fierce but is a total marshmallow when it comes to his daughter.
Time Travel/Comaverse v. Reality - Don’t read this section (right below), if you don’t want semi-spoilers. Skip to Overview!
Ep1 is the episode that many complain about, and while it seems not very compelling, it’s quite necessary for the setup of Ep2’s events. By Ep2, Qian Wei somehow returns to her college days in 2011, where she and her boss, Lu Xun were classmates and rivals.
On this journey in the past, Qian Wei realizes that what she remembers about those days was not exactly as she saw them, as she missed all the times that Lu Xun actually quietly cared for her. The series tries to convey the passage of time but you have to pay attention to signage, or anything written to understand how much time has passed. Ep2-23 covers her college years from 2011 to 2014. By the end of Ep23, she’s back in 2022, and presented with how to decipher what was real versus just a dream. Back in reality, Qian Wei and Lu Xun are back to working together on various legal cases/issues. However, Qian Wei is now having prophetic dreams with potentially dire consequences.
Bottomline: It’s about a boy’s love for one girl who’s been too oblivious (and stubborn!) to appreciate it. When she’s back in 2022, the chase (and prodding) is on!
Overview
The cast was amazing. I appreciated how the leads and the supporting cast - in total, the six of them had not one role to play but essentially two, as the present version of their character was a bit different from their 2011 counterparts. This series will make you smile, laugh, and melt, but it’ll also make you cry. And you’ll go back to laughing at the end of it.
Minor drag: This series could have done a better job with the conspiracy/legal plot points. The last five eps of this series were bogged down heavily by the AES conflict. This could’ve easily been done in the span of two eps. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the continuing romance during these last five eps, I would’ve probably stopped watching by Ep29.
If anyone’s looking for a legal-setting romance story - this is not it! If anything, this is strictly a romantic comedy which happens to have the leads working in a law office with some hilariously entertaining colleagues, Lao Tao and Lawyer Wu. Treat this like a romcom with a touch of time travel magic and you’ll enjoy the ride, especially the first half/two-thirds of this series. For the final ep, watch past the credits!
I’ve already re-watched this several times. What’s your preference - rain or snow? It’s not snow for me. ;)
Random Recommendation: My Fated Boy A boy who loves an older girl, and a story that is so much more than that!
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