You Are My Lover Friend | Open Thread

A pair of "bros" turn into lovers after ten years.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Zhang Xin Cheng: Jiang Shi Yan

Wang Yu Wen: Tang Yang

Director

Zhang Tong

Chinese Title

捨不得星星

Missing the Stars

Genres: Contemporary, Romcom, ~School, CEO, Contemporary Romcom

Network: Tencent Video

Year: 2024
Episodes: 30

Jump to Remarks | Recs | Comments

Cast

Zhang Xin Cheng: Jiang Shi Yan	Wang Yu Wen: Tang Yang
Wu Jun Ting: Cheng Hui	Luo Qiu Yun: Sheng Ni Na
Guo Yun Qi: Feng Wei Ran	Guan Le: Jiang Ya Nan
Yang Kun: Yi Fang Ping	Wu Hao Chen: Zhou Mo
Huang Man: Wei Zhang Qiu	Lin Peng: Zhou Zi Xing
Zhong Qi: Li Ya	Rong Rong: Zhou Jing Yu
Qin Bo Kun: Gan Yi Ming

Romcom/Romance Checklist

How much of the plot is angst/romance?

0 / 1 /  2 /  3 / 4 / 5

The ML: 

Cold–Lukewarm–Warm–Timid / Tsundere / Falls in Love First  / Noble Idiot / CEO / General 

The FL: 

Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better Than ML / Noble Idiot 

Describe the Relationship (the tropes):

Annoying Love (F/M) Rival+++ / Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Friends to Lovers / Harem / Hidden Identity / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / School to Adulthood / Star-Crossed Lovers 

Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):

Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 

# of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Ending:

Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / Bad / Rushed+++

Remarks

[Drama Info] 

• Zhang Tong is the director of You Are My Hero and Our Interpreter.... (day and night). 
• Ep1 has Young Blood cameos from all of Qizhai for Zhang Xin Cheng: Zhou Yu Tong, Wang You Shuo, Su Xiao Tong, Zheng Wei, and Fu Wei Lun. (Btw, these guys also have a variety show together. If you want a "watch along" feeling, check out the comment section of Young Blood 2.
• Zhang Xin Cheng and Wang Yu Wen are real childhood friends. They were asked about kissing each other for their roles and admitted it was so awkward, but they are professionals. 

Reviews

Submit Your Review | Rating Guide

Five (5/5)

Four (4/5)

Three (3/5)

Two (2/5)

Reviewer: FanFanX

Date: October 2024

Hearts: ♥♥

Mixed feelings on this one. 

This is nearly a buddy series poorly / barely disguised as a romcom. It’s a relatively easy watch, albeit a bit slow / boring* at times. The friendships are more realistic here with less coddling and more real talk / advice. Even though the romance is dull, I may have stayed for Zhang Xin Cheng and Wang Yu Wen, and all the friendships. 

CPs don't have any chemistry – except for the already married 3CP. But even their conflict is a bit contrived. 

Main CP. There are so many almost-kisses, which is funny and works with Zhang Xin Cheng and Wang Yu Wen (who are real-life childhood friends) –  but not for the story! I love how resilient and compassionate Tang Yang (FL) can be, and how truly supportive main CP are of each other without being cloying and without making concessions – it’s a truly beautiful friendship... with headlocks. (Even their moms have a great relationship.) Jiang Shi Yan is one of the kindest CEOs I've seen in c/kdramaland. 

 

2CP. Wu Jun Ting as Cheng Hui (2ML) is terrible in romance. I’ve only ever liked him in Time and Him Are Just Right. But I think Lu Yu Xiao carried him there, just as Luo Qiu Yun as Sheng Ni Na (2FL) does here. It would have been better if they had let him remain a snarky programmer, and let her thrive on her own without his knight-behind-a-screen. 

3CP. Guo Yun Qi as Feng Wei Ran (3ML) is the real scene-stealer – whether it’s being sweet to his wife, trying to be stern with ML, garnering a reaction from 2ML, sticking his foot in it, or [unknowingly] helping ML be a pesky third wheel. (I am still chuckling at that bench scene.) I kind of enjoy the fact that only Guan Yu as Jiang Yan An (3FL) finds her husband to be so funny, charming and clever. Perhaps the real romance is with these two? Ha. 

*Revenge subplot with a secondary character takes a while to be revealed. Spoiler: Good guys win.

Here for romance or romcom? Skip this as it’s actually quite flat in that department. If you’re here for something in the background, and want to follow some deep conversations or hilarious pettiness between friends – then by all means, press play. Series could’ve been cut down to about 20 eps for the same results.   

Random Recommendation: Nothing But You (2023) Friends-to-lovers trope done better.

One (1/5)

Recommendations

Genre List: 

CEO Romances / Contemporary Romance Central

"Bros"	Friends to <3	Friends to <3