Intense Love (2020)

Great looking casts, super sweet, but felt a bit draggy and rushed at the same time.

I definitely don't regret watching this drama, and I can see why it enjoyed such high ratings on MDL- the casts are GORGEOUS, kiss scenes (super important) were great, and there was side character development.

However, my main sticking point with this story was how abruptly the main leads' romance developed-it felt like one moment the ML wasn't into her and suddenly he was, and this is alongside some other random plot introductions that didn't really make sense to me and was just there for the sake of it. And yet, this is a 24-ep drama, that I felt could be trimmed to something like 20 if the editing and sequencing made a bit more sense, and if there was more intense buildup of the main's romance. THAT is my core issue - Intense Love did not feel intense enough.

Major plot points (usually antagonistic) also felt like they were shoehorned into it, and I didn't like that because it felt like they added it in for the sake of the story.

That being said, overall, worth a watch, Zhang Yuxi and Ding Yuxi reprised their roles very well and they look so good on camera. Not the best C-drama I've watched, but definitely better than most. A solid 7 from me!

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A Very Different Rom-Com

Frankly speaking, I really don’t know what to make out of Intense Love after watching the whole drama. It doesn’t resonate with me in the beginning but it gets better as the drama progresses. I got used to the way it was being projected to the viewers. Hence, I could finish watching all the 24 episodes. I think this rom-com is very different from the usual fare and that is why I would term it as a love it or hate it drama. It is either you can accept the unique way the characters and story have been projected or you would find it absolutely cheesy and cringey.

Why This Rom-Com Is Unique
Intense Love is a pure escapism type of rom-com to me. It is not grounded in reality and doesn’t even try to be. The main characters are unreal. Dr. Zhou is already a senior doctor and professor at less than 30 years old. Jin Bei is an actress who tries to seduce Dr. Zhou by being cutesy and intimate. Some viewers would definitely find her acts over the top and they are because nobody would behave that way in real life!

Even in Love The Way You Are whereby the female lead has a disease that is out of this world, the rest of the story is very much anchored in reality. But in Intense Love, they have let the female character to be as outrageously beguiling as possible and the romance to be incredibly perfect. Thus, the rom-com is unique because it doesn’t aim to relate it to real life one bit but to give you an avenue to escape to fantasyland and dream of perfect love.

Acting And Chemistry
What pulls me in when I look at Ryan Ding’s acting is his eyes. They are expressive and conveys the emotions he wants viewers to see. With Dr. Zhou being a cold and rational character, Ryan Ding doesn’t have the luxury of using much facial expressions and body movements to convey his feelings and love for Jin Bei. Instead, we will be left heady with all the looks and stares that he gives the female lead. Zhang Yu Xi also has very beautiful eyes and a pretty face which are exploited to the full in the close-ups during the intimate scenes. Her acting is a little exaggerated at times but I would blame it more on the character that she has to play than her acting ability.

Overall, I think there is good chemistry between the 2 leads and they do look good together. There is no awkwardness in the kissing scenes although you can’t expect them to be as steamy as those found in K-dramas either. Kissing scenes that are considered mild by Western standards do get censored in C-dramas as can be noticed in series such as Love Of Thousand Years and Here To Heart. Generally, the intimate scenes in Intense Love look natural which is important to give the right feel in a romance drama.

The second couple is also cute to watch although I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect pairing. Somehow, Yuan Song reminds me of a similar character which is also portrayed by the same actor in The Love Equations.

My Verdict – Watch It For The Fluff
My recommendation to watch Intense Love comes with a big warning sign – not everyone will be able to stand it! If you are looking for something that has a great plot, then you should definitely give this a miss. This rom-com is just about 2 people falling in love and then dating with minor misunderstandings thrown in to make up 24 episodes. There is little angst and negative emotions in the main couple’s love story. There is no break up to protect the girl kind of cliche which is found in Girlfriend. It is merely an overload of fluff and sweetness which is akin to Love 020. Hence, if you like Love 020, then Intense Love might well be your cup of tea.

Don’t Overthink
The story is simple. The female character is unreal. The whole setting is superficial. So, if you want to watch it, you have to do it without thinking too much. It is pure drama-land to help you escape from the realities of life. It is littered with cuddles and a satisfactory amount of kisses although I think The Love By Hypnotic is still the champion in terms of the number of kisses in a rom-com.

However, it takes a few episodes to get into this drama and that is why I will only give it a 6.5/10 rating for this Intense Love review. It is very tempting to drop this after the first 2 episodes because it does seem over-exaggerated. As I have mentioned, you have to get used to the very different style of presentation of the story compared to the usual rom-coms. My suggestion is to watch 4 to 5 episodes before you decide if you should drop it. If you do, I can’t say that you will miss much either. But if you don’t, you will be treated to an avalanche of sweetness.

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Funny and wholesome!

I love the gender-role reversal!! The female chasing after the male instead. Very cute and wholesome. Many romantic and sweet scenes that makes me smile each episode! The story is quite simple, but the cast does a great job bringing the story to life. Emotions, acting, chemistry--all SO good. I think I rewatched this show 3x already!! Probably will rewatch again because it's just that good.

I originally started to drama because of the actress (Zhang Yu Xi) who is SO pretty and talented. She does a great job with her facial features and portraying her emotions. I'm glad to discover Ding Yu Xi through this drama as well--so handsome and also great at acting!

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Light Hearted Drama

So I was confused to whether watch this drama or not as I saw some people were saying that this drama is little bit overrated and not so good the actress is cringy. But still because of Ding Yu Xi(ML) I gave it a shot.
This drama is really good it's like a fairy tale where you'll not believe that this cannot happen irl. There are super cheesy and sweet scenes btw the leads. Their chem is too good
At starting you'll probably not like the FL but as the stry goes after the 3rd ep she changes and you'll start liking her . The second leads stry is so good you are really going to like the male second lead he is too funny and cute.
As I am a fan of Ding Yu Xi I just hoped that his voice should not have been dubbed. Otherwise this is a good drama👍

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CP fluff; Paper thin plot

The actors carried the drama. The 2 Yuxis..Ding Yu Xi and Zhang Yu Xi made it possible to stay and finish the drama.

FL fell in love at first sight and you actually feel second hand embarassment for her due to her rather direct confession and pursue of ML. ML somehow falls in love later.. and this is the part where i find the writing rather lazy.. i would have like it to be a more emotional approach rather than a physical one.

The plot is a little anti climatic for most episodes but not exactly slice of life either. We did get some character development for FL and her career. Bonus that the leads only have the hots for each other.

Theres that annoying younger sister that was annoying for many episodes until she stop being one n become kinda cute. There were some sweet scenes and fan service sort of CP moments. Ding Yu Xi has really attractive eyes and good with eye acting. He puts that to very good use here.

But unlike the drama name, it failed in reaching an intense kind of love for me. It was enjoyable, nothing less, nothing more.

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Intense Love is Not Quite So Intense

If you're looking for a sweet romance that won't take up too much of your time, this is the one to see. At only 24 episodes, it's not a deep storyline, but on the surface, the lead actors are capable and adorable. I'm a new fan of (Ryan) Ding Yu Xi, (after watching him and Zhao Lu Si in the cute rom-com The Romance of Tiger and Rose) and he didn't disappoint. He plays cool, calm and collected very well here, except when he's not portraying aloof. His face is quite expressive.(I just love the way he gazes/glares!!) He plays an "intense" genius of a doctor (cardio-thoracic surgeon anyone?) who falls in love with with a pretty actress, played by Zhang Yu Xi. She was silly and over-the-top for me and I found her a bit cloying at first, to be honest. The other side characters were a welcome reprieve from her silliness. Once the pre-determined marriage was remembered by them both, (is this still a thing in China?) the romance began! They do have some chemistry though, and there's plenty of kissing and body language. All in all, a great way to spend a few evenings to binge watch.

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honestly, this drama gave me all the feels! the two main leads have breathtaking chemistry! the acting is flawless! it almost seems like you're watching a real love story but only filmed! (haha!) plus, you can obviously tell that they get along off set as well.

on the other hand, it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to dramas that deal with romance because i do expect a lot from both the leading roles and the way they connect but with this one, i fell in love! i'm truly hooked! i would 100% recommend this to anyone who normally watches romantic dramas. you won't regret it! this is the first time i left a review on here so i hope i can help some of you who isn't sure about watching this!
(ps, the ost that comes from this drama is impressive! :})

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Fluffy and Simple

I was surprised by this drama and how tooth achingly sweet it was. I have watched and enjoyed many projects with the ML actor so I decided to check it out and was very glad I did. The story is very straightforward and simple and what stands out is the chemistry and relationship between the leads. They develop a very good relationship free of a lot of the problematic or down right annoying cliches sometimes seen in dramas. The secondary couple also has very good chemistry and I never skipped their scenes. The reason I made it an 8/10 is only because I felt the plot could've been more interesting and still would've been just as sweet. I recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy and romcom without too much drama or miscommunication.

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SIMPLE, STRAIGHT FORWARD, LIGHT HEARTED

this is a drama where u’ll fall in love with the leads every time even if theyre in disagreement. The girl is cute, she acts flirty but thats just her being humorous & playful. She is kind hearted but not Naive or stupid. She knows what she wants although she can be in denial she’s also uses her heart & goes for it. She has way & charm with people.And Zhou Baobei (lol), even though he knows that BeiBei is tricking him, he just play along with her. This drama is refreshing & relaxing. No poor story, no overbearing in-laws. When i started watching & found out he’s a doctor & she’s an actress, i was celebrating. At least thats one overused plot i dont need to recycle. it started off as the usual arranged marriage but luckily they met on ep 2 & got attracted with each other. That made this drama more realistic for me. Their physical attraction towards each other. No fighting or accidental accidents (lols) just for them to get tangled, just her pursuing him. Then they just dated. Him taking care of her. And so on. Very fast paced. One of the few drama i wished they drag the romance a lil. I started watchin in youtube only to find out its not yet completely subbed so i was kinda forced to buy a vip pass in mgtv. With less than an hour of ep , u can binge watch this in 2-3days. Still have 2 ep to go but yeah.. Drama also shows that a Grand wedding ceremony aint really needed or at least it can wait, as long couples love each other & is happy. How i wish every country can be like china or any east asia that allows just registry of marriage & you'll be fine. No other dandy. Side characters are cool too esp his doctor friend dating her manager & his sister dating her ex admirer. In between, i also watch their bts & id be grinning the whOle time. Rewatching drama series for is a waste of time because there’s a lot out there, but surely this is among the good ones

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