Love Actually (2017)

Initially, I made it through episode 9 before I abandoned this drama but later I decided to finish it. I've enjoyed Joe Chen's dramas in the past, but 2016's Stay With Me was one of the worst dramas I've ever watched (and I only watched the entire series because I love Wang Kai - but what was he thinking???). I found the personalities of the lead characters to be way too overwhelming, too loud if that makes sense. I also didn't want to watch the male lead Ding Ren Jian's life unravel.

Well, this month I couldn't find anything else I wanted to watch so I decided to give the series another try, and I decided to start at episode 14. I finished the series in 10 days and let me tell you why: Wang Yi Bo. I found his character Zhi Wei to be funny and endearing and despite how spoiled he initially is, he grows up a lot throughout the series and he treats An Qing Huan (Joe Chen) sincerely. I also really liked Gavin Xie as An Qing Huan's best friend. I always appreciate loyal friends in Chinese dramas because there's frequently so much scheming and backstabbing. The villainous character was played very well though.

Aside from Wang Yi Bo, what I liked is that the romance in this drama wasn't some love at first sight, destined to be together storyline. It felt realistic, developed over time, so even if I didn't like the characters I could appreciate their relationship. EXCEPT I hated Ding Ren Jian in the end. He was so inconsiderate and he didn't even realize it. It felt realistic and true to his character, but it was a pain to watch. Also, I did appreciate the drama's emphasis on working hard, not giving up, being brave enough to keep trying.

In conclusion: if you're bored or really like any of the cast members, give this a try. Be prepared to skip/skim. Would I recommend it to a friend? No. Was it the worst drama I've seen? No.

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