I'll just start off by saying I am NOT a fan of deception in a relationship as I believe it establishes an unequal relationship dynamic that makes it uncomfortable to watch. I am also not a huge fan of amnesia plots because it opens the door to lots of miscommunication, frustration (to the characters AND viewers), and feels like drama for the sake of drama.

SO. How did I end up liking ARE YOU THE ONE so much despite the deception and amnesia? I think it's because you get:
- amazing character growth from the ML (from using the FL as a pawn to treating her like the badass, independent woman she is)
- a quiet, but strong-minded FL who holds her ground (she made him work to get back into her good graces but doesn't draw out the process. We stan a woman who knows what she wants!!)
- a dynamic duo couple who complements each other well (physically, mentally, romantically via chemistry, you name it)
- interesting writing that focuses less on angst and more on the logical flow of a relationship progression, mostly since the characters are down-to-earth, like-minded, and decisive.

If you're on the fence about watching this because you've been burned bad by amnesia tropes, I would say give this one a try! The ML's grovel is gooood and the romantic scenes are super sweet.

PROS
❀ We love a good grovel
I thought the ML Xing Zhou was a bit of a punk in the beginning. He was okay with his arranged marriage while playing house with the amnesiac FL Liu Mian Tang in order to sus out his enemy, Lu Wen. He even thought about keeping the FL as a concubine for a hot sec. Talk about a bombastic side eye!!! BUT, the ML recognizes his feelings early on (I would say around ep 12) and starts to go against his family's wishes with the arranged marriage. And after falling in love, he pretty much only has eyes for the FL.
On the FL's side, I love how the drama showed her brilliant mind and capable demeanor from the get-go. Even though she had amnesia, she was determined to make the best of her life with her fake husband, who came off as a dandy who played Go all the time. Even then, she was still suspicious of his lies. She regains her memories around ep 17 and keeps up the act because she wants to use the ML for her own gain. She cuts ties with the ML after their business is done. If you like a good ML chasing FL/grovel session, this drama delivers. I love how the ML not only loves her, but also respects her. His dialogue constantly mentions how he could even gift her the moon, but he knows that if she wanted it, she could get it herself. And that's on feminism!!

❀ Quieter depictions of female independence
I am a huge fan of these types of shows that highlight women characters' strengths without being super in your face with "rah rah girl power!!" scenes. Those are good too! But quieter depictions hit harder. I feel like most of the (main) female characters were written with consideration, and their growth really shone in different ways.
- Miantang: she was smart and strong-willed from the beginning and remained so until the end. She constantly reminded her grandpa that marrying wasn't her main goal. When she set her mind on something, she made it happen (whether it's a porcelain business, escort business, or figuring out the villain via a tea party lol). Honestly she was almost OP (overpowered) to an extent, but I still love her for it.
- He Zhen: her journey was establishing her own independent porcelain venture without the oppression of her silly dad and brother. I feel like this actress has a propensity for independent, business-minded female characters lol (I remember her from New Life Begins), and she delivers yet again. Of course, the help from ML's physician cousin Zhao Quan is also welcome. I thought their interactions were both sweet and hilarious.
- Xue Ji: tbh she annoyed me the most in the beginning because of her meek and mild manners but that just makes her development even more impactful. She's used to being in the background but still analyzes things with wit and speed. And when she finally stands up for herself - SO satisfying! Her and the emperor/Ziyu ended up being a great match and I enjoyed their slower, softer romance throughout the series.
- Even side characters like the ML's mom and his ex-fiance Bing Lan have their own moments of clarity and growth.

❀ Simplifying a lot of intricate relationships
To be honest, I like how the show didn't draw out misunderstandings or angst. The plot certainly set up the characters for a LOT of angst. Like think about it: the FL liked this dude and then gets amnesia and has a husband, the ML, who ends up falling for her, but the ML not only has a fiance but also some girl who wants to be his concubine. And the dude the FL liked actually likes her back but ended up "betraying" her with a girl who's obsessed with him and also he gets engaged too, to another girl. Like bruh.
Worry not, because I promise the show neatly de-tangles all these entanglements and we get three solid couples by ep 30ish. Instead of focusing on worrisome angst, I like how the show highlighted the cute and endearing scenes between each couple. The entire opening theme is the main couple being lovey-dovey with each other, which gives you a clue on how much screen time is devoted to them lol.

CONS
✕ Executing of the political schemes could have been better
Miss 10 minutes and you'll miss an entire plot - LOL. A lottt of things happen and the writing glosses over them. This includes wars, rebellions that get quelled, an emperor getting deposed, evil ministers with their nasty plots... honestly a lot of plotting that gets told and not shown. This starts from the beginning as well: we're given the backstory of Lu Wen vs. Lord Huaiyang (ML) but their battles, plots, and "betrayal" gets told via a couple lines of dialogue. Despite it being a huge foundation on the main couple's relationship. So I feel like we as watchers miss out on critical moments that pertain to the political intrigue part of the plot. And I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to keep your interest when plot points get bulldozed through with dialogue. I didn't find the main villain intriguing either and after the reveal of the main characters' identities (ep 20ish), nothing about the plot surprised me anymore. I honestly kept watching to see the main couple kick butt.

✕ Give the people what they want!!!
What we (or maybe it's just me) wanted that they teased us with:
- Moreee action! Especially the FL + ML combo. We got one INCREDIBLE scene with them together and I wanted more.
- More secondary couple development!! Why was the He Zhen/Zhao Quan couple's main storyline focused on making freaking porcelain??? Lol, I get that it was important for her dream/goal. But I'm sure they could have fit a couple of romantic scenes.
- More FL emotion: looking back, I do recognize our FL was OP and that kind of stunts her emotional range. Or maybe it's the actress's range herself. But honestly her two modes were: 1) hard-working and loyal woman who goes after what she wants, and 2) mad at ML for lying to her. I'm not mad at this, I just feel like her character could have been elevated with a bit more range.

✕ Misunderstanding level: 5/10
This is hard to rate because the amnesia storyline is inherently a misunderstanding, which is why I gave it high marks. BUT, the cats are outta the bag by ep 20ish and there are no more deception from there on out. Just our ML and FL standing on a united front against their enemies.

OVERALL
These are new to me actors and I'm a fan!! The ML actor looks like he could be a 2ML (lol) but his presence is good. The FL actress delivered but hoping her future roles allow her to explore more emotions. For a drama I wasn't too sure about, and jumped in almost blind (as I started watching it right as they were airing the last episodes), I'm impressed. And honestly, my favorite execution of the amnesia trope to date.