Love is True (2021)

Do not miss this if you enjoy this type of drama: Friends, Family, Career, Romance

This drama is so so so so so bingeable. The whole cast is perfect, the acting, the storyline. I adore Tamia Liu since Nirvana in Fire, and she really does not disappoint here. Strong female lead as usual. I usually watch period pieces but gave it a shot because of Tamia Liu. From the beginning, I could not wait to see the next one. It shows the prejudice in the workplace, the pressures of society, the depths of depression, and how each struggle to survive in their life. I find it highly inspirational and hope more and more people watch this gem. It is an adult drama, not the high school love type (which I enjoy as well) but as an adult in the workplace, and those of my friends who are new mothers, it is highly relatable, sometimes infuriating, and always interesting.

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Excellent Character Driven Story - Career, Marriage, Family?

If you are a woman, you will appreciate this show. Here's a show that tells your life story whether you are already a mother or a single woman contemplating marriage and motherhood or one that cherishes freedom from neither. If you are a man, you will come away with a better appreciation of the choices women have to make and the sacrifices and trade-offs they are faced with. Career, children, family - which one gives? Through the lens of Xiao Yan, Chen Jiao Rui and You Ya, we experience these life choices.

Ultimately, this is a show about character development. There's no perfect heroine or villain. Everyone goes through his or her evolution of change, some more subtle than others. The romance is low key and serves more as a backdrop.

The plots are not new but unlike many 40+ episodes cdramas, this show succeeded in not dragging out the cliff hangers and give viewers quick conclusion to each plot within a few episodes whether it is redemption for the characters or providing them with stepping stones to a future resolution.

Whether you are rooting for the stubborn but strong work ethics Xiao Yan, happy-go-lucky but naive You Ya or the conflicted and manipulative Chen Jiao Rui, you will appreciate the choices and decisions these women have to make in their daily lives as they navigate corporate politics, traditions and self-beliefs to achieve their dreams.

The entire cast are perfect for their roles but a shout out to Tamia Liu. She did not disappoint. Happy to report that this show does not suffer from cringe-worthy, over the top acting. So there you have it. If you enjoy slice of life dramas such as Ode to Joy or Nothing But Thirty where women are the centrepiece, this will be worth every minute of your time.

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Slice of life that was at times quite draggy.

I was drawn to this drama because of Liu Tao and because of the good reviews that I had read.

I watched the whole drama and I must say that I was at first impressed and intrigued but as the drama progressed, I felt quite disappointed that a show which had much potential turned out rather ‘meh’ towards the end.

What I liked:
- The actors and actresses are skilled and honed in their craft. They acted excellently.
- The show is a slice of life drama and many parts of the show are relatable and enable viewers to discuss about both real life and reel life. For instance, the part where Chen Jiao Rui suffered from postnatal depression was very raw and real. Her hatred towards her husband, who wanted a child but didn’t support her much in terms of childcare and her personal needs, touched a raw nerve.
- The characters were very human and very complex. No one is perfect just like in real life. The characters also learn and grow as the drama progresses.
- I like the strong female characters.
- It’s an adult show — in that youngsters may not fully get the issues raised in the drama.

What I didn’t like:
- The drama became draggy after one-third of it was done.
- The characters are very flawed and thus, are very frustrating. Dr Mo Ming was certainly 莫名其妙. He did many questionable things as a doctor and I wondered if he was kind of incompetent and crazy as both a husband and a doctor.
- The young adult called Yan Zhi was super frustrating. He was so immature!
- The ending was a fairly happy one but it was a quick ending. Episode 40 tried to tie up loose ends but… it did not have enough time to do a very good job at providing closure. Perhaps, drama is trying to reflect life — closures do not always happen in real life.

For me, I look at at least an 8/10 to determine if I’d watch a drama. For this, I’d only give 7.5 / 10 at the most. I would not highly recommend it.

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Overly didactic. but a step in the right direction for women's rights in chinese society

Modern show that highlights women's struggles in the workplace in china. Liu's character tries to subvert expectations of what a woman should be but can come across as overly didactic at times. The third female lead had barely any screentime and I didnt even know she was a lead if she was not on the poster lol. Liu's character was also so overly kind-hearted it was unbelievable. An improvement in modern chinese dramas which are usually filled with cringey romance scenes and toxic relationships. Cinematography and music is good too, was surprised at the quality of this drama. Rewatch value is not high because some scenes are really realistic (if you are asian) so might hit a bit tooo close to home.

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