September 12, 2025

Close to You | Recap and Review

Close to You
A delinquent-type ML and your "average" girl. 
Notable Actors/Actresses
Liu Xiao BeiJiang Bo Han
Zhu Lin YuYu Ming Xi
Chinese Title
偏愛靠近你
Exclusive Love Approaching You
Year: 2025
Episodes: 31 (Mini)
Recap Grade: D
First ImpressionN/A

Jump to Remarks | Recs | Comments

Recaps: [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] [31]

Cast


Liu Xiao Bei:
Jiang Bo Han
Zhu Lin Yu:
Yu Ming Xi
Li Ruo Tian:
You Jing Chu
(2ML)

Hu Xiao Long:
Chen Su Jie
(2CP)
Chen Si Yu:
Wang Chu Nian
(2CP)
Wu Bo Wei:
Yan Zheng Wen
("Stepbrother")
Chen Jia Ning:
Qin Si Yao
(2FL)
Lu Yi Hao:
He Shu Hao
Liu Hao Yuan:
Lin Shao Yan

Mini Recaps


[Ep1[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Pink Subway Rescue. A poor girl drags a delinquent rich boy out of a mess and they escape on a pink train. Next stop: love.
[Ep2[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

To squelch the bullies, Jiang Bo Han declares, "Her? Listen carefully. She's my girlfriend."
 Swoon.
(But she doesn't like you, bro!)

[Ep3[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Her: "My lips are strawberry-flavoured, do you want to have a taste?" Him? He says he hates strawberries. Sure you do ~ 
[Ep4[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Since the whole school read her confession – he confesses back louder and on stage "Truth to be told, I really hate strawberry flavour, but from today onwards, I like it." The school and me combusts over strawberries.
[Ep5[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

She asks for distance because of his popularity; he obliges, but fate keeps her orbiting around him.
2CP comes with their own fan

[Ep6[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Jiang Bo Han blurts, "Because I like you!" Sir. I have already combusted once. What is this devastatingly rugged charm.
Obsessive 2FL has a forbidden romance with her..."stepbrother"?

[Ep7[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Boys in this drama think sucking lollipops is cool. If you're Jiang Bo Han – yes. If not, please stop.
[Ep8[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

She hides in his room, while he's changing. (Omona, why is it not more scandalous.)
[Ep9[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Dreamy bike rides.
[Ep10[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Dreamy hair drying moment. (Her hair's a little too short for this, lol)
[Ep11[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Does he want to bite the steak or does he want to bite her? (Actually, it's a boring ep. Not much to say.)
[Ep12[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

The Love Triangle.
[Ep13[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Cohabitation! But with the 2ML nobody asked for.
2CP. I like this main-bun guy!

[Ep14[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Two Jealousies. But lovely ending.
[Ep15[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Two Lovelies. But one BIG misunderstanding.

[Ep16[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Wet boys. Pool fight. All for our girl.

[Ep17[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

A trio-date! And therapy... She's scared of water because her father drowned saving someone, so ML fakes drown to cure her. It works.
[Ep18[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Sob story swap: ML'has a brother – had a brother. While FL has father – had a father. Trauma-bonding, check. 
[Ep19[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

2ML Melodrama. He becomes a human punching bag to buy FL glass slippers for the ball. Insert melodramatic OST. 🎻
[Ep20[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

High School Ball. What do you mean your school doesn't have a ball? Get a new school. 
[Ep21[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

[Ep20] [Ep21] Bros bond! ML, so sweet, cares about 2ML because FL cars about him. Awwww – except ML's jealous again -_-
[Ep22[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Finally, she shouts it loud and clear: “Jiang Bo Han, I like you.” (What was she doing for 21 episodes!)
[Ep23[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Birthday cake at the start, heartbreak at the end.
2CP confesses

[Ep24[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

"FL Noble Idiocy" has entered, and she brought her best friend: Mr. Abroad. ( ー̀εー́ )
Fattening him up with sugar before the slaughter 🐽

[Ep25[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Loansharks record FL showering. That's too low even for the villains of the show (2FL and her stepbrother). But 2FL still uses it to "threaten" FL...... 2FL relax. FL's leaving him anyway.

[Ep26[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

My MVP man-bun dude injuries his leg mid-game

[Ep27[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

ML discovers the lie. Dun dun DUN. She flees on the pink subway. 
[Ep28[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

"Stepbro" is murdered =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇) By the hidden-cam guys.
 Aw man, just when this "forbidden" romance and happiness was within reach for them.
[Ep29[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Jiang Bo Han goes abroad.

[Ep30[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

FOUR. YEARS. LATER. ML keeps in contact with only –– 2ML...? But he's back ~ suited up (for what though? xD)
[Ep31[Jump to: Top | CastComments]

Four years ago: The boys (ML&2ML) confronted 2FL about the hidden camera. In the struggle with 2ML, 2FL fell, breaking her leg and ending her ballerina dreams. She didn’t blame them, but her mother did. To protect 2ML, ML took the blame and agreed to leave abroad with 2FL, cutting all ties with FL for 4 years. 

Present day: FL swears she won’t forgive ML, but her actions say otherwise.

FL: Do you still like grilled sausage and soybean milk?
ML: Do you still like me?
FL: Sorry. (WHAT?!) I should be apologizing to you. (Oh. Okay then. And yes, you should)

They laugh about how much she owes him, and he says it started from when he saved her from thugs. She corrects him that it began when she was hit by a basketball (Ep2). Jiang Bo Han's confused because he didn’t hit her. “Correct,” Yu Ming Xi says. “But you did say you’d take responsibility.” Awwwwww.
The end! 


Remarks



[First Impression] Have you seen Boys Over Flowers? That's the Pro Max level of drama in high school drama. This is the SE – smaller, lighter, and way less dramatic. 

[Cast&Crew] I pressed play for the ML Liu Xiao Bei. I saw him once in The Spirealm, carved out a little space for him in my head, and when I spotted him on this poster – click. He has this relaxed command, unforced charisma. And his voice. Not super deep, but thick and smooth, like a creamy low tone with a boyish timbre. Don’t ask me to explain voice textures, lol – halp. Or better yet, just listen for yourself. 

As for the FL, if you’ve seen An Ancient Love Song, you’ll recognize her immediately. She's like the only other girl in that show

[Ending] Happy.

[A Highlight] In Ep4 when ML says he likes strawberries – sold.

[Review & Rating]
Good: The first half. The clichés! The classic high school romance with a "delinquent" ML. It's familiar, sweet, and easy to love. It’s Boys Over Flowers all over again, only softer and easier to digest. The OST and English soundtracks are keepers – they really elevated the drama experience for me. The visuals are a treat too. Though for some reason the mid-range shots are weirdly fuzzy. Still, quality aesthetics for my senses. And it's the kind of cliché sweetness that just can’t go wrong.

Bad: It goes wrong. And this is why they don't make these much anymore. Aiya, lol. We can’t just have a nice, simple high school romance drama. Nope. They tossed in 2ML triangle, 2FL jealousy, noble idiocy, loansharks, and someone’s broken leg. It just felt like the drama was too long for its own good. Stopping at Ep18 would’ve been perfect... but Ep28 was pretty shocking.

Overall: A short drama that feels a little too long, but its best parts are a sweet, familiar, aesthetically pleasing kind of cliché. (Also, I've taken a liking to Liu Xiao Be~)

Rating: 2/5 


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