We Started Dating From Marriage (2020)

Watchable

Begin Again actually reminds me of another Chinese drama called Intense Love. This is because the starting is pretty similar with the female lead relentlessly pursuing the male lead. The motivation is different though and so is the remainder of the plot but it gives me the same vibes for the first few episodes. Personally, I find 35 episodes to be a bit too long for this drama. So, do expect some boring stretches in between. The confusion and denial of the couple’s feelings for each other just seem to drag on a bit longer than necessary. It is tolerable to me though as I find the story picks back up before it gets to a point where I really have to skip scenes.

Chemistry Between The Leads
What makes this drama largely watchable is the chemistry between the leads. Just like Perfect And Casual, the plot is nothing great and it is the interactions between the leads that sustain the drama. Credit has to be given to Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong for a job well done. They have made Fang Ning and Ling Rui look like a real couple on-screen. Compared to his partner in The Love Equations, Simon Gong shines better with Zhou Yu Tong in Begin Again with their better compatibility and natural affinity for each other.

There are quite a few scenes in the drama whereby the couple is required to be loving, teasing, and playful. So, without the right chemistry, the drama wouldn’t be able to have the same effect on viewers. Add in the young Ha Ni to complete the picture and Begin Again manages to rise up a notch despite the less than inspiring plot.

As for the acting, Zhou Yu Tong really did justice to Fang Ning’s character. She exhibits the required maturity and aura to play a domineering executive and can effortlessly switch to an uncertain and embarrassed lover when the situation changes. She has that flexibility that is comfortable to watch. Simon Gong is stiffer in his acting compared to Zhou Yu Tong to me. I suppose he needs to portray a more rational character as Ling Rui is a doctor. But if he eases up a little, I think he will be able to convey some emotions better for the emotional scenes.

Questionable Plot (Spoilers Alert!)
Begin Again is really not the type of drama that is strongly grounded in reality. I would say just treat it as a typical romance drama whereby you just try to feel all the sweetness and fluff. The cliches and coincidences are aplenty throughout the story. They happened to know each other when they were kids, the guy’s aunt happened to owe the girl’s brother money, the girl happened to need a husband, and… you get the drift.

Furthermore, the business side of things in the drama is glossed over to give the romance all the spotlight. Well, I guess it is not a business drama like Perfect Partner after all and hence, the commercial details will be downplayed. So, for those who prefer a bit more variety and excitement in the plot than just pure romance, you may find Begin Again somewhat lacking.

Finally, the fact that the girl left the guy without notice for 6 years even after she found out that she was pregnant may be hard to stomach for some viewers when it comes to the plot. It is a selfish thing to do even if her reason of not wanting to hold him back from his dreams seems altruistic. While the plot is not as bizarre as the one in Well Intended Love, I think one would still need to overlook the way the story is written and the time jump to be able to enjoy the drama all the way to the end.

My Verdict
Begin Again is not too bad for a romance drama if you don’t mind a simple plot. Apart from the great chemistry, it does have a few other things going for it. Among them is the character growth that is evident in the drama for the female lead. At least, she learns how to love someone and how to put aside her feelings to let go. So, it is satisfying that she doesn’t carry on to be a selfish and imposing character all the way. There is also none of the annoying disapproving parents plot that is common in romance dramas. There is a bit jealousy involving a third party but it isn’t overplayed and remains just a small part of the overall story.

However, the plot isn’t inspiring as mentioned. The kisses lack passion when they are supposedly to be deeply in love and married. The couple in Love Is Sweet as well as Love Designer certainly did better with the smooches. I also find the characters seem rather different in the last 9 episodes compared to the beginning of the drama. They are like totally different people 6 years later especially the second male lead. Personally, I find it kind of weird although one can rationalize that people change over time due to circumstances.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend a watch for this Love Begin review with a score of 7/10. Watch it for the chemistry between the leads and the cute little boy who will melt your heart. He is adorable here as well as in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. It may get a little boring in the middle but the boy will spice things up again when he appears. There are touching moments and there is anticipation to the main couple’s story which helps to add to the overall watchability.

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A nice twist to the 'Overbearing CEO' trope

Love, love the female lead! Not only was she smart, confident, sassy, and influential, Lu Fang Ning was also attractive, and I lusted over her outfits. Her character was the first to draw me in and kept me vested in the show, and the presence of Ling Rui, the male lead, enhanced my watching experience. Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong have great chemistry, and they look so good together. This is the first time I watched Zhou Yu Tong, and she has the air of a female lead. Simon Gong has improved a lot since his role in the Love Equations. He emoted well and portrayed the brilliant, calm, reserved but charismatic Ling Rui perfectly. The two leads complemented each other so well, and it was endearing to see their consideration and care for each other as their love deepened.

I enjoyed the character development for the leads, and interestingly, there was a role reversal towards the end. What I appreciate was that Fang Ning did not lose her spunk. She was calmer and more matured but did not lose her fighting spirit despite having suffered adversities. Ling Rui, on the other hand, charmingly became more overbearing and demanding, motivated by his fear of losing Fang Ning again. I liked how he strategized and anticipated Fang Ning's moves so that he can compel her to stay with him, but he did it so smoothly and in a non-creepy way.

The supporting characters were precisely that, nothing more but to keep the story flowing. Most were likable, though, and the whole cast had a great rapport with each other. It was interesting to see Ling Rui living and surrounded by three female relatives. Fang Ning's family story was heart-breaking but provided an opportunity for a heart-warming ending. I did not suffer the second lead syndrome, but I did sympathize with Lu Yi Yao. He would have been a good match for Fang Ning, and I can picture them as a power couple in the business.

The show was well-written, and the comedy was on point with amusing soliloquies from the leads and the creative scenes when their imaginations ran wild.

Another plus point was the OST - so effectively used in the poignant scenes, and each song evoked the right mood and heightened my watching pleasure.

Why I could not rate it a perfect 10:

1) I detested the second female lead character. In a show that featured a strong female lead, I did not understand why there had to be a character so simpering, self-absorbed, and totally unworldly wise. She was so into romance novels, blinded by the thought of romance instead of acknowledging actual feelings. She did redeem herself a little towards the end, but I fast-forwarded through most of her scenes.
2) There were some plot holes, and some scenes felt "shallow" like there should have been more development of those storylines.
3) Lu Yi Yao's sudden change of affection to the second female lead - I didn't see the chemistry, nor did I see any reason for that transition other than his fear of aging.

Overall, a recommended watch for the amazing leads, good dialogue, well-delivered comedy, and sweet romance.

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Fun, but stupid

The Good:
⌲ The excellent chemistry between the leads (far better than in Love Equations)
⌲ The acting is relatively good across the board.
⌲ The fluff is great & there is A LOT of it.
⌲ The whole pursuing the man thing was a lot of fun most of the time.
⌲ The top tier comedy before the timeskip (It's been consistently funny)
⌲ The love triangle is very tame & fizzles out in time.
⌲ Fun cohabitation
⌲ The contract marriage trope works great in this one.

The Neutral:
⌲ The half brother's ambitions (Seems like due to censorship all that buildup has been for nought, his story has gotten axed & he had only appeared for like a minute after the timeskip)
⌲ The childhood connection (I've seen far worse)
⌲ As cute as their kid was, I've seen better Chinese child actors.
⌲ The side couples

The Bad:
⌲ Episodes 22,23 and 24 are utter garbage.
⌲ The separation due to noble reasons
⌲ The redemption arks are the worst. (father, stepmom, GaoE - neither of these make sense)
⌲ I'm sick and tired of practicing doctor leads needing to go aboard just when they are about to start enjoying life.
⌲ There is not a whole lot of plot, but it's incredibly dumb at times.
⌲ Simon (bad acting, super weird stuff before the timeskip)
⌲ Lu Fang Ning chickening out felt horrible to me. (At one point ML gave up resisting in anger, but..)

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Should have been a 24 episode drama

The drama started out well and if it would have ended on 2/3 of its length - it would have been such a better watch. The story had way too many tropes for sub-plots which it could have easily done without.
The good things were:
FL acted really well and had a great comic timing. She and the kid were the only characters who made the last 1/3 a little bearable.
ML is cute and definitely a treat to look at, but FL stole the show for sure.
The female friendship was a treat to watch. I kept expecting someone to backstab/plot and I was pleasantly surprised.

My issues with the drama:
I have a short attention span and the drama has to be really good to hold my attention. The last 10 episodes I had to see while fast forwarding. There was too much going on, a lot of open ends to be closed and there were some very unnecessary revenges, trauma and redemptions happening. I personally don't think that arc was required. All this unnecessary chaos took time away from showing growth of the characters. Second lead essentially woke up one day to realize he didn't treat the second FL right and got her back after minimal pursuing. There is also a 6 year leap which essentially solved all problems on its own without portraying any actual growth.

My recommendation
It's a decent watch with some fast forwading involved. However, it is definitely not rewatch worthy.

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SPICY SWEET ADULT RELATIONSHIP

Begin Again is one of the most adult drama ever watched, ever existed, a true masterpiece. Spicy, charming, passionate, intriguing, true to its heart. Everyone saying a nonsense "lack of logic", i think they are lacking empathy.
Reversed clichè, well- developed clichès, reversed stereotypes and critic about stereotypes and sexism.
Every man should be like Ling Rui, every woman should be like Lu Fangning. They are both strong in their own way.
I liked Lu Yiyao and Cai Siyu story, but i can't stand Yiyao despite the good actor.
The second part of the story, yes, it's true that maybe it can lack logic, but think about it. A woman, or better a human being, can they act rationally when they are attacked and stabbed + backstabbed in their work and emotionally? I don't think so.
Spicy atmosphere and flirting is quite the routine in the drama, together with family dynamic and intrigues.
Every character is well developed throughout the whole drama.
Gong Jun and Zhou Yutong are really fit for the role and they act in a very comfortable and natural way, with a very strong and on-point chemistry.
This drama shows how destiny can wait if it's true love, that true love has no meaning if it's too easy to achieve. That sometimes we can be blinded by desire and will, not to be able to recognise what our cherished people can wish for us.
It's a very mature drama, not easy to understand, you have to use brain and understand it, with all its mature topic.
I suggest Begin Again to every person looking for a passionate love story.
10/10 hands down.

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One of the best in terms of Arranged Marriage Drama.

Yay finally finished this one and what a long ride!!!
Here are the things that made me love this drama:
- The first ep is really catchy.
- Love their chemistry hehe and there's a lot of lovey dovey scenes.
- One of the dramas that made me cry.
- I love how Zhou Yu Tong nails her character as the bossy FL and funny at the same time.
- Simon Gong is handsome ♥
- The side couples are cute hehe.
- The ending was long and lovely.
- Lastly the OST are good (Both Leads also sang one of the OST which i found so lovely)
There are some point in the drama that it was quite slow but still its super worth to watch. If you're a fan of this kind of dramas then this is a must watch for you.
Special mention to my friend who suggested this to me haha i wouldn't discover this drama because of her :D.
Will definitely give it a rewatch hehe so i need to Begin Again xD.

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It started off strong

I really like this drama in the beginning. I really felt that Fangning's character was one of the most likeable characters in all the CDramas I have watched in the past. She will probably always be my favorite now. One thing I don't like about most female leads in CDramas is how weak their character is and how needy and childish. She was never any of that except when it came to get her husband's love. Still didn't mind it though.
I really liked this drama until I was actually bored by episode 18. I was still watching it but not invested any longer. I realized I couldn't stand any of the support character at all. None of their storylines made any sense. Like, PingPing. Why was she still allowed to be so clingy. She had a stalker she was scared of but had did much worse to Dr. Ling. The stalker had only followed her around, she literally tried to sabotage his wedding, his marriage and his job. And their biggest enemy was right there. Why didn't they sue him and charge him with corporate espionage? Why didn't they accuse his company of underhanded tactics to bring them down? It just got to be too stupid by episode 24 because not only did I not understand some of the dumb choices people were making the story was just dragging on by that time.

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A Lovely Slow Burn Romance

I went into this drama not expecting much. A CEO convincing a hot young Dr. to marry her isn't very compelling, but what made this work was the brilliant acting of Zhou Yu Tong and Gong Jun, who managed to show fresh, emotionally vulnerable characters navigating a crazy world. I loved the relationship between Fang Ning and Ling Rui, how it was a slow burn into a deep, understanding romance. There are a few cliché moments, but they're quickly overridden by fun, unexpected dialogue and emotional growth that is rare in dramas these days. I genuinely laughed for the majority their scenes and one argument scene took my breath away at how raw it was. The one major reason to watch: communication!!! I love two adults communicating even if it's not 100%. It gets there eventually!

** Minor Spoilers **

Although the "villain" does come off a little too villainy, and the second half starts out promising a tired trope of separation and return, the second half turned out to be my favorite half with how natural Zhou Yu Tong and Gong Jun were with each other and You You. They convinced me they've been a family the whole time and we're just watching their home videos.
I knocked off stars for the repetitive songs, although I thought they were cute in the beginning. But I would have liked some variety. And also for second-leads who just didn't capture me the same way. This story felt very much like it could have been a solid 15-20 episodes and be super strong, but the second leads stories just dragged the story for me (sorry for any fans! I do enjoy the actors, just not their roles this time). I will definitely be re-watching this in the future.

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How to destroy an initially good idea...

Although many reviewers had fun, I thought the second half of the show was bad.

This show is obviously an illustration of the old British saying, "It is said, that a woman's heart is like a needle in the bottom of the sea."

FL is completely out of character. Whoever has such a "loving woman" at his side no longer needs enemies. She has literally blown up the great love and the two families right along with it. Families, are in Asia still much more important, than with us in the west. This woman takes no prisoners.

Why does she destroy her families and ML without need? Yes, why?!

One can hardly believe her reason for separation. In order to relieve the ML she only had to go with him to Germany, her career as a businesswoman was over anyway. Happy holydays in Heidelberg!

Even later, FL has many absurd reasons to maintain the separation and withhold the son from the father, Ling Rui. With poor, pretextual excuses. From this we can conclude: the FL was doing quite well, there was no pressure of suffering that would have motivated her to return. Only her business interest finally causes her to return home.

From episode 25 on, the fun was over! But it was clear that FL and ML had to be brought together again. That's what the writers are there for, they'll do it, even if the rind cracks.

It is clear that the authors would not shy away from any kind of remorse kitsch. This is absolutely necessary to make the unpleasant aftertaste of breaking the infamous FL forgotten. The word "sorry," for example, is now on the index in my book.

I guess any relationship would be over after such experiences and after 6 long nasty years. The injuries caused by FL's lack of character and baseness should damage any trust forever. Who wouldn't break up with her? But then the embracing forgiveness by the authors takes hold.

Still, the mood - at least mine - is gone. The lovey-dovey talk, the professions of love in the rest of the event now seem unbelievable. Really a pity , because the tough business woman of the first half was believable and sympathetic in her straightforwardness.

During the second half, you just wait for FL's lapses, even a Love Afair with the childish Shen Zhuo would be believable for her. And let's keep quiet about the finale with Gao Er Fan, the ghost sister and all the sugar coating and marriage proposal the second. Let's hope she doesn't sneak away again, secretly.

But OK, don't panic, it's just show and a lot was nice too. The actors are much better than the plot of the drama, the second half of which really belongs in the trash bin. And of course: the FL is very attractive! (ML too).

Sorry for the harsh review. English subs could be better!

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a whole meal

This could've easily been a normal 24 episode drama, but no...they extended the timeline and gave it a complete ending. love it. The chemistry and acting is soo on point. Even the casting is on point (I'd believe if FL and her sister are blood related irl..but what are the chances). Also the character development is pretty great as well...nothing exaggerated or unreasonable. I don't know what else to say. I would recommend this to everyone.
Music and production is on point too. The only reason why rewatch isn't as high as the other stars is because I don't rewatch things that often. And like I said before, this could've easily been a 24 episode drama that I'd still recommend, but the last few episodes after the time skip really bring everything together.

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Enjoyable and Worth Watching

This is a nice easy to watch romcom about a contract marriage. I've seen a few Simon Gong dramas to notice that his acting has improved a lot and he has shown versatility in tackling a more mature role as Dr. Ling Rui in this drama. My first time watching the FL, I think she did a good job playing the role of successful domineering CEO Lu Fang Ning. A strong female lead is very encouraging. Another surprise here is Garvey Jin's good comedic performance as Simon. I liked how some of the second leads started as antagonists then ended up as good guys. It was fun to see how Lu Fang Ning and Tang Ping Ping evolved from being enemies to close friends and how straight-faced cold Simon loosened up to pursue Cai Si Yu. The other supporting cast were also likable and who can forget the adorable Lu You You! I admit there were some draggy parts, for me it was somewhere in the middle before leading up to the time skip. I quite enjoyed the rest of the episodes post time skip, they were more light hearted. I liked the cinematography, editing, locations, wardrobes though I deducted some rating points for little things like make up style which I'm not a fan of and few forgivable plot holes. I found this drama refreshing having some unique spin on common storylines and tropes. Overall, enjoyable and worth watching.

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The type of cliche drama that you'd want to rewatch all over again

A 10/10 for me. Some parts were cliche, but they did it so well I can't complain. FL really did a great job in acting. I really love the actress' speaking voice and her acting. ML was a bit lacking in the acting aspect, but I think it's because of the character he's portraying. Plot twist was a bit predictable, but I'm glad everything was resolved. And I so loved episode 26 onwards.

But honestly, the number 1 reason why I stayed and why I loved this so much is because of Gong Jun. Man's handsome as hell. That's also why rewatch value is a 10, but I'd only rewatch from episodes 25 onwards.

Again, eye candy Gong Jun is worth it.

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