The Love Equations (2020)

This was honestly a lot better than I expected it to be. I'm not a huge fan of the "they break up because of stupid misunderstanding and get back together later" plot and so I had been avoiding this, but I ended up really enjoying this one. I should've known the writer of ALSB and PYHOMS wouldn't let me down!

I'm usually a huge friends-to-lovers trope fan and even though I felt for the second lead in this drama, I actually didn't have SLS and I felt like the main lead was actually really soft and proactive, despite being indifferent to other people, he was always really nice to the female lead from the very start and it was refreshing to see a ML so upfront about his feelings to the FL and SFL.

I also have to say that Zhou Xiao is EXACTLY THE KIND OF FEMALE LEAD THAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, and she's exactly the type of character I relate to — very independent, crazy with her friends, chill about most things, and unassuming when it comes to romance. In so many dramas the female ends up being ditzy when they fall in love and that never happened to ZX. She was super smart when it came to things OTHER than romance and even in a relationship she had so much of her own thinking and independence and focused on friendships.

The big plot point actually didn't bother me at all and I feel like the pacing was done really well. It wasn't blown up into a tragic sob story and was more of a "this is why things are the way they are." The build-up to it was there from the very first episode with his mom's phone calls. Still, I've never been a fan of time jumps and that was no different with this one — I felt like the characters were never the same afterwards.

Also, the sismance was really good! Honestly I could have seen more of it but it was super fun to see how they stood up for each other when romance fell through or when they needed help. It's kind of one reason that I loved the FL so much — she was still there for her friends even after getting in a relationship.

The family aspect was overall pretty good as well. The FL's dad annoyed me a little but ultimately I really liked the little tidbits of humor throughout the drama and how the different family dynamics worked.

I kind of wish that the SML had gotten a better plotline because he could've been a lot more in terms of his own character and not just "the sidekick," and the same could've been said for the studious roommate that never got her own sub-plot. Ultimately though, I really enjoyed this drama and honestly will now watch ANYTHING by this writer!

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I will say I am quite critical on this drama since I watched Put Your Head On My Shoulder and really expected the same quality content. When the cast came out, I was like "ok, this looks decent." And so I was quite excited when it premiered. Sad to say, it didn't totally fulfil my expectations, maybe a 75%? It's still a pretty great drama tho! hating myself now for having too much stupid expectations.

STORY (Major spoiler)
Sweet sweet sweet. AND I LOVED IT. The cold, smart and handsome male leads falls in love with the quirky and cheery female lead. It never grows old. And their interaction was soooooo cute. I love how Zhao Fan Zhou (ZFZ) is always teasing Zhou Xiao (ZX). Those super heart fluttering moments are worth your watch. The side storylines were also well plotted and didnt snatched the attention away from the main couple.
But then... here comes the not-so-good part. They tried to create some crisis for the main couple but it totally killed the story and flow for me. They broke up for 1 entire year and without a reason. I totally could not feel it anymore cause I feel like the details are not there. That 1 year seemed so empty like they didnt missed each other. And that totally destroyed the story for me:(

ACTING/CAST
Can you believe Simon (ZFZ) is a 92 guy? he totally didnt look like he is 28 to me.... his acting was commendable! the way he looks at ZX changes throughout the drama, from a cold stare at beginning slowly to a lovely adorable look. I am also glad that he didnt portray ZFZ as a nerdy guy (I saw some comments who say he was miscast, I beg to differ) Not all smart people are nerdy, sometimes some people have it all hahaha
I got to know Liu Ren Yu through China's Produce 101, she's sweet and quirky like her role should be. And given it's her first time acting (I think), she did a pretty good jobbb. I will definitely look forward to her next role. (but that hairstyle doesnt suit her)

MUSIC
There wasnt a super iconic song for this drama but all the songs were well suited for each scenes. Can I mention that Liu Ren Yu is such a good singer? Her voice is so sweet and she sings really well ....My fav is 心跳的证明. Go watch her performances on China Produce 101 too!

REWATCH
yes probably. but maybe I will be watching those heart fluttering clips instead of the full drama.

It's my fault for having too much expectations but thankfully, it was decent and made my stay-at-home better. Will definitely recommend you to watch, don't be too critical (like me haha) and you will enjoy it. Now go watch it.

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