We Started Dating From Marriage (2020)

definitely worth the watch!!!

The cast is great, FL (Zhou Yutong) has got to be one of the most alluring actresses I have ever seen. She is superb at her job and I think she single-handedly carried the show. 2nd FL is also very cute and charming, wish there were more scenes of her. ML's acting is slightly more rigid but I gotta say it's a big improvement from his previous drama 'love equations' or maybe this role suits him much more. The couple has very good chemistry which made their scenes extra cute but fair warning it does get overly cringey at times. Also, the child actor is so talented and soooo cute!!! I don't like children but his scenes with his parents made me coo so hard.

SPOILER !!!!!!!!!

The only reason why I didn't give a 10 is because of the plot. I get it, it's the cliche contractual marriage, fall in love with each other and the most cliche of all, silently sacrifice for one another cos of miscommunication. I am okay with all that but once we get to the post-divorce episodes, the plot became an unconnected ridiculous mess. They don't show us the character development at all. Suddenly the cold hotshot 2nd ML becomes a gooey mess and chases the 2nd FL. How does this just happen?? I was rooting for this couple until it gets so overly cringey. The poor dude had a crush for 10 years and suddenly his cold shell just broke overnight?? 2nd FL was not shocked at all to see him at the doorstep after not talking for 6 years?? This is just not realistic and I could tell the writer probably didn't bother to tie these loose ends and just wanna dive right into saving the main couple. I really liked the 2nd couple but I dropped them here when the dude got a personality transformation. However, I'm contented at the way the main couple patched things up with love gestures and communication. The ending was satisfying and there was closure for all issues but they really could try harder for the antagonist. He just suddenly has an epiphany and all is forgiven?? He stole a company for god sake but ok lol this is a romcom so I'll just ignore it.

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Looking for strong and well writen, played female roles? Pick this one!!!

classic Bossy CEO X Ordinary counterpart plot story.

This piece is good in 3 things it do.
1. Bossy CEO here is female very cool and badass one probably main perk of this drama
2. story aint as dumb as usual cdramas have. Its quite believable
3. vibe of story is nice and side characters ... mainly female ones are well written. Their interesting character points are often their weakness.

plot - female CEO wants push through stockholder board with little dangerous project. But to get it through she needs get married. She finds nice looking surgeon with mild temperament and push him through contract marriage.

genre - romance

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A very fluffy, wholesome and refreshing drama!

If you're looking for a simple drama that isn't filled with intense plotlines and characters with tragic-ass backstories, I highly recommend this drama! It's filled with fluff and is super wholesome! Storyline is simple and easy to follow - nothing too complicated and for people like me who just enjoy a simple story with good characters, this is for you! Best thing was seeing the switch in gender roles with the dominating FL and the kind and gentle ML! I'm so goddamn sick of seeing the cold, icy prince ML trope so it was very refreshing seeing Simon Gong's character - plus he's so damn cute so that was a giant plus! Zhou Yu Tong was fantastic to watch, she does a great job of shamelessly flirting and seducing the ML which was very funny to watch!

The chemistry between Ling Rui and Fang Ning is sooo freaking cute! Their chemistry is just a whole bunch of fluff and it's just the kind that makes you warm and fuzzy inside! The last couple of eps were very sweet to watch especially with the baby who is ADORABLE AF! I would rewatch the drama again just for that baby! HE SO CUTE! The interactions between the baby, Ling Rui and Fang Ning are absolutely heart melting! I teared up at the end and I never tear up over love scenes but it was so goddamn beautiful!

Only downside of the drama was that it had a slow and draggy beginning and I actually skipped a lot of scenes (and I never ever skip scenes when I watch dramas). It focused unnecessarily on other characters too much and it was diverting away from the lead couple's storyline which made me lose interest. I almost dropped the drama but it wasn't until halfway that I got hooked. So if you're thinking of dropping this drama, I understand but SERIOUSLY stick it through! The ending is very rewarding to watch!

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kinda disappointed.. but not too much tho

I started watching this drama because of Simon Gong, and he was the one keeping me through it.
I have read brilliant reviews on this, so I had high expectations, but at the end, I was a bit disappointed..

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* I kinda missed the develepoment of their feelings. FL kept chasing ML all along, who didn't bother at all, but suddenly he got jealous and falls in love with her too? Or did I miss out anything important?
* The cliche-like thing turned around too fast for me.. lol. Her family told her to marry, so she did (in a kinda unusual way but that's the story:)), and suddenly she's the one who demands s*x all along, and I was like okay? Really entertaining to watch tho, but cringy as well sometimes.
* I've been wondering all along what's with the father of the ML. He said he only wants kids if it's true love (...), but what's with his own father? I understand he wasn't part of the story, but there actually could have been an interesting background story based on that.. well, maybe that's just unnecessary thoughts but don't mind me lol
* Their previous story (how they've basically already known each other since they were kids) seemed sooo unnecessary to me. Yes, it's common in such cdramas, but it felt so forced and didn't contribute anything at all to the actual story :(

+
* But fast forward to the things I relly enjoyed! First at all: No cringy side couple(s)! Literally one of the first dramas I really enjoyed the story of the second lead couple, sometimes even more than the first lead couple, oops. Their acting was also on point, loved Garvey Jin's (Simon) amusing performances and how naturally Wu ManSi (Cai SiYu) portrayed her character.
* Though I know there's different opinions on that, I really enjoyed the last few Ep's, after the timeskip. I even found them way better then the Ep's before. Needless to talk about the child actor, everyone fell for him.. :)
* Not much business talk, more focus on character developement.
* The chemistry was so good! Both looked so well together, I'd love to see them in another cast together.

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Feels like Fated to Love You

I really love this story, it's mature and grown up. I like how this is not the usual domineering male lead and weak female lead. Instead, it's reversed! The female lead is a domineering CEO and the male lead is a down-to-earth doctor. However the female lead is not annoying, she kind of grows on you and becomes so likeable. The male lead is an eye candy, he looks boy-next-door and is very charming. The kid who played their son is smart and adorable. I would recommend this to anybody looking for a mature drama that talks about marriage, divorce, co-parenting, and a reconciliation that's so sweet!

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Begin Again features an interesting romance, plays around with the typical tropes and in the end, it ends up just slightly above average. So let's break it down.

As most series in this genre, the first few episodes could be easily passed as sci-fi. Things happen quickly, it does not make a lot of sense, yet somehow everyone is cool with it. What I found interesting about Begin Again, though, was that the middle episodes of the drama are very rewarding and that rarely happens (most dramas save the best for the beginning and for the end). The characters really worked on their relationship, and the side characters presented interesting developments as well. And then it... just somehow sabotages itself and to be honest, the last few episodes are quite a challenge to finish. So, the main issue for me was the tempo and the sheer length of the series.

The plot is quite interesting, mostly because it evolves around a strong female character and she's quite ruthless when following her dreams. The story makes her character develop as well, and the male lead provides a lot of inputs that she takes to heart. It was truly a joy to watch Zhou Yu Tong here. Her chemistry with Simon Gong was very pleasant too, yet he lacked a bit when compared to her acting.

The second lead couple is very interesting and I enjoyed them both a lot. It was very amusing to see the play on flipped roles in the relationship in this setting and I had a lot of fun with that. They also provided a good balance to the main couple, there was always something going on.

The other characters are hit and miss. You will find your favourites and the ones, that are just meh.

I liked the overall atmosphere of the drama. The sets and wardrobe really give off the feeling that you are following heroes from a high class setting. The humour was a pleasant surprise as well, I laughed a lot. Other than that, I found it just slightly more enjoyable than an average drama.

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Lovely Mr. Cinderella and Princess Charming

It’s a contract-marriage drama no doubt with a slight dose of (Mr.) Cinderella element, but it’s also absolutely adorable and refreshing with its own flavor. What originally started out from mere curiosity unexpectedly turned to lighthearted enjoyment that had me cracking every other episodes.

The two leads had interesting dynamics from the get-go. Lu Fang Ning, though strong and charming, has many adorable moments. Ling Rui, though caring and warm, has an unyielding side. While Fang Ning initiated a lot of the lovey dovey moments, especially in the beginning part of the drama, Ling Rui was the one who “sealed the deal”, and in my opinion, progressed the relationship. The leads, Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong were casted well indeed – I feel that not many actors and actresses would be able to draw out these multi-facets within the characters and nuanced dynamics between the two as smoothly as the two did.

Both characters matured throughout the series, and so did their relationship. Once their kid was thrown into the mix in later part of the drama, it was heartwarming watching their family time and interactions with each other – and of course, the lovey dovey moments. The side characters were great too – each were well fleshed out such that they did not feel one dimensional within a rom com.

Begin Again did well in doesn’t taking itself too seriously for an overuse common marriage contract plot. It has been awhile since I am able to watch a rom com from start to end. I thoroughly enjoyed Begin Again and hope to see the leads together in another drama, maybe an ancient one. In the meantime, I’d surely Begin the drama Again whenever I want a light watch – …okay that’s a bad pun, time to wrap up my review here.

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It's good as long as you turn your brain off

I'm a huge sucker for contract marriage dramas, so I was really excited to watch this one. I didn't care for the first few episodes (everything felt contrived and it was all very predictable), but things got a little better as the drama went on. I'd even say the last ten episodes or so were a lot better than than the first 25, a rarity in Chinese dramas.

PROS:
--The leads have really really great chemistry. Their interactions feel very natural and believable
--The soundtrack is really cute
--I liked how the English title actually had something to do with the drama itself-- we all know how Cdrama titles usually go, but iQiyi seems to do a better job than other channels.
--The leads' story is really sweet.
--The main leads' acting outshone the writing and storyline. They've both got bright futures ahead of them-- particularly Gong Jun.
--Gong Jun was a pro by himself. He crushed it in this drama. Honestly, I couldn't have made it through if it weren't for him.
--Hot man who's good with kids in the last ten episodes. My heart was melting the entire time XD Gong Jun's interactions with Lu YouYou were very natural and freaking adorable.
--THE FINALE WASN'T RUSHED. That's almost unheard of for a Chinese drama. The final episodes' pacing was actually perfect. They had enough time to wrap up everything they needed to.

CONS (aka my rant and major spoilers ahead):
--I had so many issues with the plot devices used in the show. Near the beginning, they give the ML aphrodisiacs without his knowledge so he'll have sex with the FL. That's literally rape. Even if it's the woman doing it to the man, it still counts as rape to drug someone into having sex with you. So I didn't like that. Not to mention that marriage is NOT consent. Ling Rui refused to have sex with Lu Fangning (once he found out that's what she wanted), and she should have respected that. It is totally possible to rape your spouse. I didn't like that either.
Then there was the whole fiasco of Lu Fangning keeping Lu Youyou a secret from Ling Rui for the first six years of his life. BRO. You need to give your ex-HUSBAND the opportunity to be a part of his child's life. There are very few reasons that a child should be kept from his/her other parent, and "I didn't know how to tell him" or "I didn't want to disrupt his life" IS NOT ONE OF THEM. I just couldn't forgive Lu Fangning for it, even if Ling Rui did. There's being stupid, then there's what she did. I only made it through the rest of the drama by turning my brain off and trying not to think about it.
--The drama couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to be. Did it want to be self-aware of how cliched it was? Did it want to be a dramatic drama or a light, cutesy drama? It never quite made up its mind. Though a lot of the dramatic scenes were well-done, they felt jarring in contrast to the light, cutesy feel of everything else.
--The drama was a little too long. I think they could've cut it back a few episodes and it would've been perfect. They spent too much time on the second leads, though I fully acknowledge that I almost always skip through the second leads' scenes anyway. A good indicator of whether a drama has been stretched out too long is when the old villain comes back to wreak more havoc, which happened here.
--Lu Fangning was *almost* likeable, but then she kept doing really stupid things (like trying to rape Ling Rui and not telling him about Lu Youyou, making decisions for everyone else by herself, etc.). I started wishing that Ling Rui would find someone he could actually trust, since Lu Fangning showed many times that she was not trustworthy. I was so angry at her for running away from Ling Rui without explanation. She could've, you know... just talked to him about Germany and worked something out? That was never her decision to make in the first place. And yeah, he should've told her about it before he rejected the study abroad, but what she did was way worse than that. I don't know how Ling Rui was able to trust her at all when he saw her again. If it were me, I would've been completely done with her.

I know I expected too much of this drama. It really is an ok watch as long as you don't think about it too hard. The last part was particularly well-done. I'm excited to see Gong Jun in more complex roles in the future, since he really made this drama for me.

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It hits different

I rarely write reviews for dramas since it takes me so much time to do so but this one is just too good to miss out on. I swear this one is my favorite chinese drama of all time and I have seen a lot. I’ve rewatched it four times and the emotions are still there every single time.

This drama may not be for everyone because of its tropes, but most of them are my top tropes so this drama is really for me. Although I get really bored easily, I never got bored of Begin Again. I also really really love the main couple, their chemistry and everything about them.

You should give this one a try.

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Six years and one child

I really didn't like this drama and for it was only good until episode 3 or 4, after the wedding I started to dislike it a bit. And with each episode I liked it less.

I don't think they ever establish a trusting relationship like a couple should have. It really made me tired. But the worst thing was the female protagonist leaving and still hiding a son. If I had known this before watching, I wouldn't have started. And the male lead to accept her back almost as if nothing.

Six years and a child, how can he so easily accept? There were no reasonable excuses for her.

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Perfeito.

Esse é um dos dramas que eu mais esperei, o plot de contrato de casamento com papéis meio invertidos (a protagonista que é a CEO dominadora meio doidinha e o protaginsta sendo o mais calmo e gentil) também me atraiu e o drama não deixou a desejar.

Acho que uma das unicas coisas que não curti foi o secundário com essa paixonite, que nem pensava em como a FangNing se sentiria com isso e acabava magoando também a Cai SIYu, mas logo foi resolvido.

A passagem de tempo que geralmente é algo que acabo não curtindo muito, também foi boa, deu tempo pra eles todos mudarem, e até amadurecerem mais e a criança é a coisa mais fofa que eu já vi.

Os casais secundários foram bem feitos e até mesmo um que só se conceta mais no fim faz com que você se apegue a eles e torça pra ficarem juntos logo. Não há nem o que falar do casal protagonista, foram perfeitos. A química da Zhou Youtong e do Dong Jun foi incrível e você realmente se pega pensando se não eram um casal de verdade de tão bem que atuaram.

No geral esse drama é muito bom, engraçado e com a tristeza na medida certa, tem um romance legal e bem desenvolvido. Não decepcionou em nada daquilo que se propôs a fazer. è sem dúvida um dos melhores cdramas do ano e talvez de todos que eu já vi.

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GREAT CHEMISTRY

The chemistry is good

Gong Jung is really handsome, Yutong is also beautiful...
I hope they both play in the drama again together, very slick and the acting of the two leads is also good, the intimacy looks natural, the scenes that delulu from each other's minds are also very funny.

although there are some story spots that could have been better, but at least they explain why this and that, so it's not too confusing ...

It's a sweet and funny love story... worth watching.
For sure we will be showered by Gong Jun's extraordinary handsomeness.

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