You Are My Glory (2021)

This show was great. This is probably at the limit of what a cdrama romcom can be today. The leads had great chemistry & they looked adorable together and it's great that focus has been so much on them, there is not much side tracking during the 32 episodes. The production quality is extremely high, the audiovisuals are up there with the best Asian dramas that I've seen. I may have enjoyed watching the GoGo Squids, but this is my first cdrama, where the gaming aspect truly works and they made a great job at making that exciting. The aerospace parts were also relatively interesting and kind of novel too I guess. Ultimately the story is not all that revolutionary or anything, but it's just so wholesome and the drama kind of made me relive the feeling of watching Asian dramas for the first time. My need for fluff & sugar has been also completely satisfied. It's so refreshing that the main couple is not opposed by anyone, there are only supporting voices and yet the drama is still funny & interesting enough. The complete lack of a love triangle is always a giant plus as well.

It's great that the FL is an artiste, but none of the usual annoying tropes are used. In this drama even the paparazzi are kind of cute. Supportive netizens appear the be becoming a trend in modern cramas, that's always something I'm happy to see. Personally I love it, when in a drama a normal person is dating a celebrity and we get scenes describing situations where people meet their friend's significant celebrity other for the first time. Trope-ish or not, that just never gets old for me and in You Are My Glory we had a lot of that..

I already mentioned how I found the production quality to be excellent. The OST deserves further elaboration. Individually the songs are not that great, I've heard way better in a cdrama (hello there Perfect and Casual), but the mixing is really outstanding, music is used perfectly to help set various moods, I never felt it being detrimental.

Sexuality in cdramas & especially in kdramas is often portrayed very strangely. Like 35 year old FLs are almost never ready to have premarital sex. I understand that many people like it how sex is not a major plot point in these shows, unlike in Hollywood productions, but in my opinion the opposite can be even more annoying. Not in this drama though, this is how I think all drama couples should approach this matter. (implying sex in a realistic time frame, without bringing it into major focus)

Obviously nothing is perfect. The single biggest problem I found with this drama is the main driving force of conflict, what little conflict we've had, namely ML's low wages as an aerospace engineer. This is extremely unrealistic, in China a state employed aerospace engineer will never have problems affording medicare for his parents. So the entire plot about ML wanting to switch carriers due to low compensation feels wrong. Frankly it surprised me that the censors let this go, though perhaps having hundreds of Chinese flags everywhere made them happy enough to ignore this not so minor detail.

I'm sure a rewatch will happen eventually, 10/10!

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O My, this is so cute !!!

Both main characters are older (30) and felt much more mature in their approach to life and romance, which really resonated with me as someone also in her 30s.

** Warning: Spoilers Ahead **

I loved the main female lead, Qiao Jing Jing. She's a strong and witty character who has an independent personality and isn't defined solely by the romance. Even though she had a crush on Yu Tu in high school and part of college, she moved on and had other relationships; it wasn't like she was pining after him for the last 10 years. She's also very smart. She saw right through her ex when he attempted to try and get back together with her, and she did great job of coming up with their team's strategy in the Honor of Kings exhibit match.

The main male lead, Yu Tu, experiences some character development as well. When we first meet him, he's at a crossroads in his life where he has to decide whether to pursue his passion or to switch careers and make big bucks doing something he doesn't enjoy. Most of the people around him are telling him he's making the right choice by moving into investment banking, but Jing Jing comes into his life and makes him question his decisions.

Because they're both 30, they don't rush into the relationship, and I love that. When Jing Jing first asks Yu Tu out (yay for the girl making the first move!), his response is to say no because their worlds are too different. I thought that was a completely reasonable response, and exactly the same type of doubt I'd have if I were in his shoes. And then when he realizes it's not that important and actively starts pursuing Jing Jing again, she doesn't immediately say yes either. She holds out because she wants to make him suffer a little bit. How sneaky.....

Even the exes are fleshed out slightly. We get insight into why both Jing Jing and Yu Tu's previous relationships fail and it's for very realistic reasons, which again gives this drama a more mature feel.

My only (minor) complaint about this story is that it does spend a lot of time on the Honor of Kings game. I was glad when the gaming bits stopped after few episodes of the way through and the rest of the story was focused on real life and their relationship.

I will definitely be re-watch this drama again :)

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Light-hearted, not many overused clichés.

I was a bit skeptical watching this drama because I've only seen one drama of both of the ML & FL. So I wasn't sure about how the acting will be here.
I enjoyed it. It was a nice break for me because I've been seeing a lot of dramas with the same events repeating for a couple (such as breakups, misunderstandings, damsel in distress situations, parents causing problems in relationships, jealous exes trying to sabotage the relationship, etc.)

I like how this drama tried to be as realistic as possible. We have a smart ML but he has some flaws as well. They may not be the best flaws (but it's still different than Yang Yang's flawless character with no struggles in Love O2O by the same writer). They spent a decent amount of time to show his struggles and how hard it was for him to make important decisions for his life. I think that was enough to show that he's not entirely perfect. They also tried to throw in some scenes to show that he's not the only smartest character in there. They obviously didn't focus on the other smart characters because they're not the main focus of the story so I think it's understandable.

I also like how the FL's character is written. She's endearing, has a high EQ, and most importantly not obnoxious for the age depicted. I cannot watch FL characters who are shown to be in their late 20's or early 30's and they act like someone who just turned 12. Jing Jing may be playful, but she's not one of those typical childish/dumb FL. (Those childish FL's who have a crush on the ML and start to cling on them right from the start in such a cringe way. Or they use childish tricks to try to make the ML fall for them. Oh, and those FL's who fall for the man immediately when he leans against her while teaching her or they had some sort of physical contact.) Jing Jing somewhat pursues him by making him her coach but she wasn't all over him and following him everywhere.

Now for the romance. It does take awhile for our couple to get together. (I think halfway through the drama they're finally together). So for some the development of the romance will be slow. I think the pace was fine. Our leads were high school classmates, but they didn't have much interaction then. It was necessary for them to get to know one another in the beginning of this drama. Then you can see them slowly fall for each other. The main problem they faced was before their relationship started, so I'm glad about that. They were very understanding of each other. I like how both of them respected each other and they supported each other. They were also both able to pursue their dreams and have a successful career. Their chemistry was amazing! Once they got together, there were some moments where you couldn't stop smiling or getting embarrassed from watching them.

This drama mainly focused on our main leads. There wasn't much story added to secondary characters which I found okay. They didn't need a secondary couple to drive the story forward, the main couple was perfect enough. However, I just found it a tiny bit annoying, that they added some characters in there and they just suddenly disappeared or became irrelevant (like Yu Tu's friends that he played the game with.)

I'd rewatch it but I'd probably skip some parts.
Also, some people might be deterred because there is a lot of aerospace terminology and won't understand what's going on in the scientific aspect. I probably wouldn't focus too much on understanding those scenes and let it hinder the overall watching experience. There is also some gaming in the start of the show, but it's not something you have to understand much either. The gaming aspect isn't the main focus of the show.

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The gem is in the details

This show caught me by surprise. When I first watched it, I did my usual skip a few mins scenes every here and there because the relationship build-up is slow. But this show is one of those kinds that creeps up to you slowly, and by the time you are aware of it, you have fallen - like how the Yu Tu falls for Jing Jing, slowly and unexpectedly. Thus, when I rewatched YAMG properly the 2nd time, without skipping any scenes, that's when I truly appreciated the relationship journey, the love story, and the chemistry of our main characters.

The backdrop of this show is reunion of 2 high school friends 10 years later under a coincidental incident - our male lead, Yu Tu who is on a short term career break (and fork road), agrees to be the e-game coach for our female lead, Qiao Jing Jing who needs to compete at a friendly e-game match to protect her reputation as the endorser of the e-game. This is not quite like the other professional e-game series - e-game is only a catalyst for Yu Tu and Jing Jing to reunite. What YAMG explores more, especially in the later and sweeter part, is the dynamics of 2 mature individuals on building a healthy relationship, while supporting each other's career aspirations such that they become each other's glory.

There are familiar troupes in the show, executed in non-cliché ways, making the scenes refreshing to watch - e.g. the exes who want to get back together with our leads again, the chase and relationship tension moments between our main characters, the sweet moments after they become official couple. These are the scenes where if you are paying close attention, you would get another level of understanding of the characters' thoughts, motivation, and why they eventually make the choices they make. Kudos to all the actors and actresses who portray them well. Indeed, there are a lot of details in the production, script and acting that makes YAMG's rewatch value high.

Another thing great about YAMG is how the show really centers more on Yu Tu and Jing Jing's relationship and their respective career journey. The supporting characters do have their personalities too, but they rarely have scenes without either of our main character around. For a 32-episode series that focuses so much (if not entirely) on our 2 main characters, and yet, not have fillers (at least I don't see them as fillers), it's rather amazing.

All in all, YAMG is a love story of 2 adults navigating their relationship and taking accountability of their choices. In fact, there isn't anything glamorous about our main leads persona and journey, although Jing Jing's career as an actress in the show does make her look glam. There isn't any unnecessary drama - the tension points between them are actual considerations many of us as working adults would have, thus relatable.

And despite the different career industry, Yu Tu (an aerospace engineer) and Jing Jing (an actress) are each other's equal - none requires another's saving, only as each other's reminder, pacer, and support. Isn't that what any of us want in a relationship?

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Amazing romance, great chemistry and beautiful story

When I started this drama, my expectations was very high, but then I was nervous that it might not be what I expected, so I went into neutral and continue watching this. I'm soo pleased with this drama so many things you can find it it, definitely lives up to the hype for sure.

Romance: The romance in this drama i would say is more mature, there's no foolishness, it's two adult who shared a common interested, then became friends, then lovers. I loved the romance in this so much, because of how they grew to just love each other unconditionally, I love how much they cared and supported each other as well, each others dreams, beliefs and everything. The chemistry between yang yang and Reba was amazing, just simple amazing, they looked great together and worked so well together in this show.

Story: The story was pretty great, I loved it so much, the way things were done, the way how you got them together and then there was so much more episodes, I was nervous, but then after I was so surprised to get soo much after the couple got together, they really did a great job the way the drama was set up. Another thing I love was how the ML was in the beginning, such a broken man, but then the FL shine her bright light in his life, she really became his glory as much as he was hers, just beautiful. No unnecessary drama or plot holes, no plot twist, no nonsense.. Just love and life

Acting: everyone did a great job, the show really focused on our main leads, there wasn't any foolish plot holes and annoying characters that would drive you up a wall. There were basically just cameos. Yang Yang did a great job in this role, man in the first couple of episodes his acting was so good i felt depressed with him lool.. but then we had Reba with all the sugar, she did such a great job with this role as well, even later in the drama when they got together and you know not depress anymore Yang Yang 's character personality it just all felt too real too me.

I definitely would recommend this drama, there is no nonsense, no foolish plot twist nonsense, just two people becoming each other's glory, falling into a deep love and fulfilling there dreams at each others side... without being boring at all. TBH the reason i give the story 9.5 was that the aerospace stuff was a little bit boring to me at one point because I personally didn't understand so i skipped some of those parts in the middle of the drama. other than that i loved the story, acting, and the romance soo much. This drama is going into my favorites, and it's coming from a neutral fan of both leads, so please take my word for it lool *enjoy - smiles*

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A sweet story supported by sublime acting.

“You are my Glory,” is one of the best dramas I have seen. It is a wonderful, successful adaptation of a novel by the same. There are three main contributing factors to it’s success.

First, the story (novel). itself was very exceptional. It was not messy, convoluted, or overly complicated. It did not frustrate or made your head hurt, Instead it made you laugh out-loud and smile at the sweet scenes before you. The lead characters were both a bit of an oxymoron. Each perfect, yet flawed, therefore very real. You admired Qiao Jing Jing’s beauty, hard-work, kindness, and bravery. Yu Tu was handsome, intelligent, hard-working, and focused. However, his concerns were very real, and while slightly annoyed at his hesitation you could completely understand him.

Second, the author of the novel was one of the scriptwriters. This led to a very accurate adaptation. This ran the risk of causing the show do be boring since if you read the novel you have would be aware of the plot, but it this was not the case at all. The scriptwriters managed to create an engaging show while retaining direct quotes from the novel. This also speaks volumes of how clever of a writer, Ms. Gu Man can be. She really came up with funny quotes. One of which is, “随处可见的乔晶晶,” or “the Qiao Jing Jing that can be seen anywhere.” The scriptwriters also greatly expanded on Yu Tu’s work life. This was very nice to see because you were able to better understand why Yu Tu makes the decisions he does.

Third, the actors were able to accurately portray the characters’ personalities such that when I watched the drama I did not see Dilireba and Yang Yang, but Qiao Jing Jing and Yu Tu. They truly became the characters. Dilireba was able to showcase a playful, confident, kind, brave, and extremely supportive Qiao Jing Jing. While Yang Yang effectively portray an intelligent, serious Yu Tu, that could have a mischievous streak. I think both leads showed a good range of emotions. Their, smiles were infectious. However, when you saw them cry (or suppressing their tears), you felt like hugging them and telling them everything would be alright. The supporting actors also did a wonderful job in helping the story come to life. Thinking back they all played an important job in the drama whether it was supporting our CP or helping them grow as individuals.

I would also like to mention a few other things. The director did a wonderful job helping this story come to life. From the behind the scenes clips you can appreciate what a good relationship he had with our actors. He seemed to listen to what they had to say, even when they were just joking. The set and lighting designers did an amazing job bringing the scenes to life. Whether it was in the lightning, a stuffed animal in Qiao Jing Jing’s home, or the environment at Yu Tu’s workplaces, you could appreciate the attention to detail given to every scene. The music was well selected and extremely well placed in the drama. There are 5 songs 3 of which left a huge impression; all are very fitting to the drama. It should also be mentioned that the way the video game was integrated into the drama was amazing. The CGI was extremely well done. Unlike, in other dramas where it here is either a game scene or a scene with the actors, the editing department did a fantastic job integrating both types of scenes by split-screens or taking objects and characters from the game and merging them into the “real world”. Lastly, I would like to say the title of the drama “You are my Glory,” is quite meaningful because it is not only related to the video game the leads play, but depicts how the main leads feel about each other.

If you are looking for a relaxing drama that will put a smile on your face, I recommend you watch this drama. Whether you are a fan of the novel, author, actors, or game, I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

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To be honest I do have high hopes for this drama because…

It’s from Gu Man’s novel  – and Gu Man is (at least according to this drama’s mydramalist page) is the screenwriter for the drama. 

This is my favorite among all Gu Man’s drama?
Yes, it was definitely much better than A Love O2O/My sunshine/Boss & Me. It’s a more relatable one for me at least – except for the Main Character (Jing Jing) being an actress. I do like my MCs mature, diligent, hardworking and smart.  To be honest, this unnie is not really a fan of Mary Sue characters. 

It doesn’t have the rich CEO trope in dramas?
Yes, though rich CEOs are ok (I guess), but recently I’ve been tired withs dramas having this trope. Though, yes our male lead is still a smart guy – but I can live with that.

Yang Yang  + Diliraba – 2 very beautiful people?
Yep Raba is really QJJ! ahaha Just like how I imagined it – I know some might disagree but I kinda like her as QJJ!
Did I mention Yang Yang??? Goodness this unnie’s heart melts every time I see him in anything. This kid is too handsome for his own good! 

Yang Yang is super handsome here. I like that the color palette they used in editing didn’t make it dreamy and stayed as real as possible – at least from my point of view. Also, though I haven’t really seen a lot of Yang Yang’s work recently, but compared to Love O2O (drama) and Once upon a time movie, I think his acting here is better and has more depth compared to both characters he played before. It might also be because of the struggles Yu Tu has gone through – well played so far.

I do hope that Yang Yang and Dilraba meet another drama as a MC. 

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Delight and fantastic

Apparently I read the novel in 2019 and forgot all about it until I saw the news that the last few episodes of its drama caused Tencent’s servers to crash when netizens rushed to watch it. I was like "What is this drama?" and then "Hey, then I watch the drama."

Qiao Jing Jing (乔晶晶) is a famous celebrity who stands to lose her endorsement deal with popular mobile game 王者荣耀 (Honor of Kings) and her carefully constructed image as the game's ambassador when footage of her poor gaming skills were leaked online. To salvage the situation, the game company proposed to host a friendly match with Qiao Jing Jing playing. Spending all her free time training for the competition, a chance meeting ingame reunites her with a former classmate and old crush, Yu Tu (于途). An aerospace engineer, expert gamer, former school legend, and also the guy who rejected her in high school, Yu Tu gets roped in to become Jing Jing’s gaming coach.

Like Gu Man’s previous drama, this drama is quite little on gaming and I speed watch through some of the gaming parts because game terminologies in Chinese are hard to grasp.

This drama highlights some of the difficulties celebrities face, especially when netizens don’t respect their privacy and leak their pictures and/videos online. And how everything has to be carefully worded or you might land in hot soup. It’s really important to be kind.

The romance. In a genre commonly populated with male protagonists who are overbearing, rich and powerful, it was refreshing to see a guy who struggles between his dreams of being an (underpaid) aerospace engineer and providing for his parents with better earnings in the financial sector. And when faced with a female protagonist who holds her own, Yu Tu also struggles in thinking what exactly is it that he can provide for her?

I was initially quite annoyed with Yu Tu for reasons I shall not expound on because, spoilers. But after some episodes, I kinda understood why he behaved the way he did. And afterwards, the romance just became sickeningly sweet.

Overall, the drama is delight and fantastic.

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She is his star and he is her glory!

I have read the others’ criticisms of this drama and before you decide to embark on this journey known as “You Are My Glory”, please be cautioned of the following:

• This is not a gaming drama! The leads are not game experts or wannabe professional players in the e-sports stratosphere. The mobile game serves as a channel for the two leads to meet again, be reacquainted and fall in love. There are many scenes of the leads discussing real life issues outside of the gaming sessions and the gaming focus dwindles to bare mentions after episode 15.
• This is not an antsy romantic drama. There are no back and forth between our main couple, no love triangles, no meddling in-laws and no unnecessary misunderstandings. “You Are My Glory” is a simple, sweet and mature love story about an actress and an aerospace engineer as they navigate their relationship to find balance and inspiration in each other and pursuing their dreams together.
• The romance is a slow burn and can take up to 10 episodes for you to feel invested in the two main leads’ motivations and struggles before you can appreciate their romance or relationship dynamic. Having read the novel, I am familiar with the story and have patience for what is to come and encourage viewers to keep an open mind - their emotional journey is worth the wait (epitomized in episode 21).
• The last 11 episodes of the drama are saccharine (no joke, and I mean cavity inducing) and conflict free as the male lead pursues his passion with the support of the lead female character. If you’re searching for something more profound or climatic for an ending (beyond the romantic sweetness and a realized dream), then this drama might not be for you.

STORY: Qiao Jing Jing (Dilreba Dilmurat) is a celebrity actress who is an ambassador of a popular mobile game but is later exposed for being a poor player. To salvage the game endorsement, she decides to train (in secret) for a competition to demonstrate her skills. One night while playing, she is accidentally invited to a group battle by her high school classmate, Yu Tu (Yang Yang), whom she had a crush on 10 years ago and who happens to be an excellent player. Realizing that her game play can be improved dramatically with an in-person coach, Qiao Jing Jing initially tricks Yu Tu to meet in person but quickly fesses up to Yu Tu that she wants his help in teaching her until the day of the competition. Yu Tu agrees as he is on vacation to ponder his career path whether to continue as an aerospace engineer or pursue a new career in investment banking. And so their love story begins as the drama details their interactions before and after game training as they bond and share confidences. The game itself only serves as a means for them to reconnect but the heart and soul of the drama is about Yu Tu’s internal struggle over his career and feeling worthy of having a relationship with someone who is successful, confident and brilliant - everything he currently isn’t. As the story progresses, one can see Yu Tu achieving everything he wants with the support of a woman who has always understood him and admired his desire for reaching for the stars.

First, I want to preface that I am a fan of the novel and wishes to thank and praise the author (and screenwriter) Gu Man for this wonderful adaptation. This drama follows the novel faithfully but Gu Man has also written additional scenes in the drama that really tie the entire story together. I find this couple’s love and interactions to be one of the healthiest and most realistic romances in all modern Chinese drama. The story itself is rather simple one but the message the drama has delivered are so very heart-felt and moving. I empathize very much with Yu Tu’s character and his inner conflict. Pursuing a dream can require sacrifices and Yu Tu is willing to accept the financial shortcomings of his job to follow his dream but when his mother faced a medical scare, he realizes that he is not financially capable of caring for his parents should a crisis occurs and feels guilt that he is not doing more to provide for them. The dilemma that Yu Tu encounters hit close to home for so many of us and is quite relatable. How many people in this world have relinquished doing what they love in face of the harsh realities of life? Most have experienced this crossroad or at least made compromises to improve their lives financially.

I love how the female lead, Qiao Jing Jing (QJJ), believes in and understands Yu Tu unequivocally despite having no interaction with him for 10 years. Even in high school, she has long respected his passion for aerospace and as they reconnect, she quietly supports him in his continuous pursuit of it. She never tries to sway him to choose one career over the other but just silently encourages him or offers words of comfort when he needs them, especially with this famous line, “You’re the rabbit who has seen the most stars”. Aptly poignant words to console him that regardless of what he chooses to do, his past efforts and accomplishments are still visible and that he has at least strived for his dream. Amazing that she can grasp him so well, even more so than his ex-girlfriend of many years who fails to recognize (or care) where his heart lies. Jing Jing is truly his soulmate.

ACTING: I have followed Reba’s career for few years now and she has been incredible this year with her acting performances in both “The Long Ballad” and “You Are My Glory”. Two completely different characters and two distinct genres but her portrayals have left me so very satisfied as a viewer. She has shown leaping improvements in her acting and I honestly feel going forward that she will continue to surprise us as she tackles different drama roles.

However, back to YAMG…Dilreba is Qiao Jing Jing personified! When I read the novel, I have imagined Reba as the female lead but her acting here magnifies the loveliness of this character and yes, QJJ is one of my favorite female characters in a Chinese novel. QJJ is not a weak-minded character who carries a torch for the male lead for the entire 10 years they are apart; on the contrary, once she has learned of Yu Tu’s dating in college, she moved on. She establishes her own career, has dated and is financially independent. When she encounters Yu Tu again, all the qualities that she has once admired reignites the past feelings she had for him and she falls in love with the current Yu Tu, vulnerabilities and all. When she is rejected again, there is no groveling on her end and if Yu Tu did not pursue her, the present QJJ would have gotten over him as she had done in the past. Her strong mindset and resolve will not allow her to short-change her own happiness. She is resilient in that she will ensure that she still lives a good life, even without Yu Tu in it. Critics argue that Reba is playing herself (29-year old famous actress) and true to an extent, I view Reba as very spirited and lively individual like QJJ but seeing such character on screen can get old real fast or be quite annoying after so many episodes. But Reba has characterized QJJ with such charm and exuberance that I cannot help but be moved by her in the drama adaptation. Her expressions, her mannerisms and the vivacious aura appear so effortlessly and she sparkles like the stars. Reba expresses the right balance of being a glamorous celebrity, playful and cute gamer, attentive and caring friend/girlfriend towards YuTu’s struggle and dream and also exhibiting maturity, bravery and self-respect when faced with heartbreak and rejection.

Now for the other half of our glory couple, Yang Yang’s Yu Tu. This is the first drama I have seen of Yang Yang and he has given a worthy showing and justice to our male lead character. Admittedly, he wears a stoic expression in the beginning of the drama but it’s very in character to the novel’s description. Yu Tu is an introvert, very logical, a deep thinker and a complete opposite of our female lead. He’s naturally not expressive so the lack of emotions is expected. Yang Yang really nails the nuances required of the character, especially with his emotive eyes. His gestures and emotions such as the lingering gazes and attraction towards QJJ, the little smiles when he is in her presence, the pain and conflict in his eyes when he speaks of leaving aerospace are so beautifully done. In the beginning, it is a subtly credible performance given by Yang Yang but when they become a couple and he recommits to his craft, the transformation is captivating. Yu Tu is a completely different character - more self-assured, utterly cheeky and undoubtedly charming! Yu Tu smiles widely, jokingly laughs, sexily flirts with Jing Jing and is witty as hell! I appreciate the different layers of Yu Tu that Yang Yang is able to bring to life and after seeing him in YAMG, I must say Yang Yang is a natural romantic male lead. I can understand why Gu Man preferred him as Yu Tu even though he already starred as the leading man in another one of her adaptations (Love 020).

The chemistry between Yang Yang and Reba is palpable, explosive, teasingly sweet, thoughtful and wonderful to witness. I can’t stress enough that if their chemistry is lacking, this drama will fail dismally because the last half of the drama simply describes their daily lives with loads of humor and the progression of their romance with many sprinkles of teasing banter and affection towards each other. I enjoy how physically demonstrative they are with each other, from their passionate kisses, flirty exchanges, sweet gestures like forehead and cheek kisses, hugs, cuddles, sitting on his lap and holding hands while he’s driving. The attention to details on how a real couple acts and the displays of affection towards one another is everything a romantic pair should be. Kudos to Yang Yang, Reba and the YAMG team! If you’re a romantic at heart, the latter episodes will make you melt in a sugary puddle!

The supporting cast is truly that, supporting in the background and allowing the focus to be on Yu Tu and QJJ’s romance and I’m thankful for it considering this is a short drama. All the side characters are great as they are encouraging of Yu Tu and Jing Jing’s relationship. Special shout out to the actress who stars as Sister Ling (QJJ’s manager) who provides plenty of laughs in trying to recruit Yu Tu as her artist. It’s so rare to see an entertainment agent/manager who is supportive of her artist’s love life and is excited to expose her own artist to dating rumors with plenty of contingency plans.

Another aspect I enjoy is the exposure to Chinese aerospace, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are many technical elements that were initially lost to me (I did rewind a couple of times in trying to understand the rover and testing being done). It might not be the most riveting thing to watch but I personally find the subject refreshing as the aerospace industry has never been covered in a C-drama. Yu Tu’s career is the basis of the titled drama, “You Are My Glory”. QJJ wants to bask in Yu Tu’s glory so the focus on his profession is integral to the drama.

The cinematography is amazingly well done and the audience can sense the high production quality from the first episode. The shots of the Shanghai nightlife and the romantic scenes (especially the hometown snow scenes) are splendid. They are definitely swoon-worthy and made this romantic drama even more romantic, if that is possible.

This drama is not without (minor) flaws. The gaming scenes are more than I wish, although I do want to say they are less than what have been described in the novel. I didn’t mind them as much as I thought but I can see why other viewers who are not into gaming would find them tiresome. However, the game competition episodes are excellent and very engaging. The soundtracks for the drama can also be better. I like the opening score sang by Liu Yuning but find the rest of the songs to be unremarkable. Very trivial grievances that in no shape deter from the beauty of this drama and the beautiful love story of Yu Tu and Qiao Jing Jing.

All in all, I have mad love for this romantic tale and my heart wants to rate this drama a perfect 10 but my rational mind prevails at a glorious 9.5 stars. Please note, I rarely rate 10s for a drama because I only reserve perfect scores for masterpieces that surprise me with intricate plot and execution. “You Are My Glory” is lovely in many ways and I absolutely recommend it if you want a light-hearted, mature romantic drama; its narrative is relatively simple but nevertheless touches the heart.

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Wonderful slow-burn romance! Sizzling chemistry from the most beautiful on-screen couple I've seen!

This show was such a pleasant surprise for me. Initially, I wasn’t planning on watching this as I am not a fan of either actor and thought their performances would be like what I am used to seeing in their other modern dramas. This show, however, proved me very wrong, and I have to say this is Dilraba and YangYang’s best performance to date for me.

The story was simple, the supporting characters warm, and the main leads charming.

Their relationship was the definition of relationship goals. Adding to Dilraba and Yangyang’s god-tier visuals, they were really impressive in their roles. Dilraba is such a natural at playing the smart, mischievous, bubbly superstar. I loved her Qiao JingJing. I felt that in the first few episodes, YangYang’s acting was a little stiff. Still, as the episodes progressed, he loosened up, and I could see the subtlety in his acting. Both of them did a great job in this, and their romance felt so natural and organic.

The characters also were so winsome and endearing. Qiao JingJing was such an interesting but flawed female lead. I loved her character - she knew her self-worth but was never even slightly prideful. She was also slightly vain and materialistic, liking clothes, shoes, and other material things. She also took both his rejections so well and did not hold anything over him later. I also liked how she tried so hard to be part of his world and supported his dreams.

Yu Tu also was such a likable character. I like that despite being very intelligent and having great prospects in school and university, he ends up kind of lost in his early 30’s - doing a job he loves but not financially well off. His high school rejection of JingJing was also understandable considering his age and experiences at that time.

Their romance is a slow burn, mature, and Dilraba and YangYang have sizzling chemistry together. The comedy is also tasteful, and I love their fun and witty banter throughout the show. It seems that JingJing brings out the best in Yu Tu, and I loved their cheeky, back and forth teasing throughout the show. Throughout the drama, there are multiple details - from longing glances to free touches that make it so believable that they are in a relationship.

I could go on and on, but ultimately this is a must-watch for lovers of modern romances. It is visually appealing, has the most gorgeous cast in YangYang and Dilraba, has great natural acting, very suitable OSTs, and a good build to the finale episodes.

I will definitely be rewatching this sometime soon. It’s easily going to be one of my comfort dramas.

9/10 - Highly highly recommended.

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Awesome!

Just finished this 5 mins ago and decided to review it while it’s fresh in my mind.

Decided to give this a chance now after falling in love with YY after watching Who Rules the World. Cant get enough of his good looks and acting, i now can start giving this drama a chance. Previously didnt start this even though reba was one of my fav actress due to the e-sports theme that the drama actively promote it as. Im not a gamer, and the idea of watching an e-sport themed drama drags my legs (in this case, my eyes) down. Not until now that i have both my FL and ML as an excuse to start braving the theme. And i am soo very glad to watch this! YY and reba’s chemistry are top-notched in this, i was squealing like a mad fangirl, especially once they got together! Lol


Ok. Let’s talk about it one by one. First, the ML. Of course, now that YY has rapidly climbed my ladder of one of my most favourite actors in Chinese entertainment alongside XZ, i guess, i’ll be digging his previous works and anticipating his future works. His character as Yu Tu here initially was broody, melancholic man who are in a midlife crisis (lol, if you take an average life span of 60years) between dreams and financial reality/supporting family. And YY plays broody serious character sooo well (of course his face helps that too lol! You can just sit there, be all serious and mean, and people will still thank you for just existing. Haha). Now i know why he plays Feng Lanxi so well. Haha.

Reba is of course in character. Well played to boot. Her chemistry with YY is chef kiss and their lovey dovey is sooo making me feel all my glory of single-hood. Lol. So beautiful and good in acting, what more can i say about reba

The plot is quite a 180 degree in my opinion. If one were to just watch the first say, 3 episodes, and then skipped forward to watch the last 3 episodes, i’d say they might be asking themselves if it is the same drama. Lol. Basically about first 15 episodes are focused on the gaming and how JJ used the game to built on her relationship with YT and basically assimilated herself into YT’s life while he considers his future course. And the later episodes showed how much YT now able to work and strive towards his dream and goal while being supported by people who actually believe in him while he doubts himself. Alas, it’s true what they said, behind every successful man, there is a woman proudly believing in and sacrificing so many things in the journey. And i love how they showed that a woman can stand tall alongside a man they love without an issue when she is self-assured in herself. JJ showed that she can live her own life, assured to do what she wants without depending on a man to elevate her status, gives her riches or make her popular because she can do it herself. And Yu Tu, being someone who has high social status, intelligent to boot but dragged down by financial constraint that status and dreams come with, able to rise above and overcome it because JJ stands tall like a pillar while he works thru it. This drama literally shows how 2 puzzles pieces actually work together to fit in place, rather than built to fit. I love that there is no lingering third wheel characters/exes as well. Basically JJ and YT know who doesnt fit them and ditched them earlier. Lol. Even though i basically let the gaming’s instructions and elaboration goes into one ear and out another one (same with all the technical terms for aerospace thingy), i still enjoy it a lot, more the aerospace thingy than the gaming since im quite a tech enthusiast. Tbh, i even shed tears during the scene of rocket launch because aside from carrying a national pride with it, the launch also carries years and years of toil and sweats of the people who work hard to built it, and ultimately also carries with it the sacrifice and support of their families. Many relationship/families cant stand such a sacrifice and being a part of an industry that requires similar values, i relate with it sooo well.

Ost: there are a few that stand out and frequently used in scenes, but my most favourite is the opening song. It was such a lulling ballad full of soft love to me.

Things that i have love hate relationship with in this drama:
-JJ and YT’s wedding. It was definitely an original idea to have a group wedding for the ML and FL’s wedding, but arghhhhhhhhh do not rob us of a glorious wedding vow and scenes! Hahaahah. Though they did mellow down the disappointment with inserting solo’s scene in between, but sobsiessss
-tooooo much gaming elaboration! Hahahha. Not my cup of tea
-we want little yu tus and little jing jings!!! Hahaha

In short, totally fall in love with yang yang and reba again thru this drama and hopefully i dont get too long of a withdrawal so that i can enjoy third drama in a streak! Lol

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One of the BEST modern C-drama and also the best acting by YY

I always like Yang Yang because of his looks and voice, not because of his acting. I was simply happy watching him act because he is so handsome. However, I was wrong after watched this drama. What I mean is Yang Yang isn't just good looking any more. He is a great actor after all.

Yang Yang always played "Yang Yang". What I mean is he is so charismatic that he is not playing his drama role, but rather playing an actor named "Yang Yang". I wonder how many of you can understand what I mean. His acting during the "Love O2O" was okay. He did play well but I never fell in love with his character. Drama itself was very successful and many of us loved it. I just loved watching "Love O2O" because he is so visually good looking. That maybe the only reason I was probably satisfied with "Love O2O".

Well, Yang Yang played "Yu Tu" so well in "You are my glory", I was so impressed how much his acting skills improved after "Love O2O". His acting gave me so much pleasure knowing how great Yang Yang played "Yu Tu" . I could feel how "Yu Tu" felt and thought about the relationship with Jing Jing. I could feel his dilemma for making mistake to reject her second time. 'Yu Tu" was so desperate to find out if Jing Jing would take him back. "Yu Tu" felt so uneasy when he didn't get any calls or text msg from her. Yang Yang played well to show us how anxious "Yu Tu" was to get her love back.

On top of Yang Yang's improved acting skills, the chemistry of two leading actors, YY and DD, is other factor that I want to give a perfect 10 score. While watching their love scenes, they should be acting, but their acting made me feel like they were really in love . They acted so realistically, I mistaken them as real couple. YY kissing scenes were so well done, and it always made me wonder how he practices such kissing scene??? With his real GF or with DD? LOL

This drama is a very straight forward love story. There is no plot, no jealousy , no misunderstanding , no mean person to bully them, and there is no secondary couple to interrupt main couple. Story is mainly focused on Yu Tu and Jing Jing's love life and their career life. Two of them mature together thought their relationship and they reached to their happiness for love life and career life. They are indeed soul mate and fated to be together. They respect each other and that is what this title means. I will look into my own married life and I want to be like them.

That's why I think "You are my glory" is one of the best modern drama I watched. ( I am watching them for the third time :) )

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