Are You the One

A mix of slice of life, romance, mystery and some political intrigue

I finished "Are You the One" more than two months ago, so it's still somewhat fresh in my mind. Thankfully, I wrote down my comments and episode recaps, so I have references to refresh my memory as I write this.

This drama tells how fate and circumstances brought two strong, determined and principled characters from opposing sides together, and how they worked through their problems and challenges, and emerged with a better understanding of each other.

The story has two major arcs. The first arc is when Liu Mian Tang had amnesia and there were many unknowns, and the second one is when she fully recovered her memory and the ensuing events that happened. What I like about the first part, among other things, are the mystery, the unknown details, and anticipating when the truth will be found out. The comedy also helps. I like Cui Xing Zhou and Liu Mian Tang's getting-to-know each other phase, the slice of life moments and how they are reviving their porcelain business. For me, this part is best watched without knowing major spoilers. I accidentally read one, which dampened some of my excitement, but at least, I was a few episodes away and was near to guessing it.

Episodes 20 to 23 contain some of the major turning points in the story. I think the transitions are well done. The second part's focus is on their growth and reconciliation, as well as the palace intrigue. It's more serious compared to the first arc, but still has sprinklings of humor. The politics is not heavy here, so don't expect heart-pounding scenes. One thing I wish they had shown (instead of just mentioning it) would be some scenes or flashbacks of CXZ and LMT as forces on opposing sides, fighting for their beliefs. Not sure in what part of the drama they could insert these, but just a thought anyway. The drama's ending wrapped things up nicely, although I have a question or two, but it's not a big deal.

Now on to the main cast. Zhang Wan Yi did a good job portraying Cui Xing Zhou. He was able to show the serious, in-love, torn, heart-broken, and funny sides of CXZ. And I like his voice!  Wang Chu Ran gave a convincing portrayal as Liu Mian Tang, especially in the first arc, where she showed innocence, savviness, trust and vulnerability. Plus, I find her pretty and elegant. In addition, Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Chu Ran have great chemistry. The interactions between CXZ and LMT come out naturally and are believable.

As for Chang Hua Sen, I first saw him as Li Tong Guang in "A Journey to Love", and his performance left a good impression on me. Here, his character, Zi Yu, is multi-layered, with mysteries that were eventually revealed. His portrayal is good, though I think Zi Yu's character could have been developed further. Shi Xue Ji, played by Yuan Yu Xuan, is a very likeable character. She's the dark horse in the family, someone you would root for and would want to succeed. Her growth is played out well.

Zhang Chi as Marquis Zhennan is the proverbial best friend, who's supportive and also comical at times. Liu Ling Zi as He Zhen is average for me. I've seen her play a similar character - strong, smart, but initially not appreciated by those around her.

The soundtrack is nice. The songs are well chosen and suit the drama.

Final Verdict: The romance and slice of life aspects are good, and despite some touching moments, politics, and fight scenes, it's generally a fun, entertaining and light watch. So if these are what you're looking for, then go watch this drama.

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To Catch a Thief

Cui Xingzhou, the mighty Prince Huaiyang has been trying to catch a thief, the slippery bandit Lu Wen for some time. He stumbles upon a comatose Liu Mintang and like all princes, he simply cannot let sleeping beauties lie. Convinced she must be the beloved mistress of his nemesis, he rescues her intending to use her as bait. Conveniently, she has amnesia and mistakes him for her husband ! Thus this cold and formidable fief lord awkwardly assumes the persona of an indolent and not terribly successful merchant who dotes on his wife. Miantang's true colors emerge as a determined and capable business woman with an scary knack for turning hairpins into lethal weapons. It seems Xingzhou may have bitten off more than he can chew as it becomes clear Miantang has secrets and hidden depths that she herself barely remembers. Meanwhile his elaborate charade and lies keep snowballing until eventually half the town is complicit. What ensues is the kind of comedy of errors that arises when hero syndrome meets analysis paralysis. Complicating matters, her memory and past life catches up with them just as they both become invested in their fake domestic bliss and fall for each other. How will they to resolve their past grievances and make a life together as their true selves?

What I appreciate most about this drama is both Xingzhou and Miantang are grey characters who have agency if not free will. They are well matched in terms of cunning, intellect, ability and ruthlessness. I enjoyed watching them work against each other almost as much as I enjoyed their working together. As someone who loves dark characters, I wish they toned down the comedy and dived into a darker and more passionate exploration of their undeniable chemistry and stunning visuals. While Zhang Wanyi is an exceptional character actor, comedy is not his forte. His expressions and delivery is almost too textbook perfect and his comedic timing lacks spontaneity. He pauses for too long to let the punchline sink in when he should keep going as the audience already got it and is waiting for the next joke. The humor is straightforward and not that sophisticated so it needs to unfold at a fast pace to hold audience interest. To speed things along, I watched most of this drama at 1.25 speed, something I almost never do. The comedy also masks that Xingzhou is quite a dark character that does controversial things to Miantang, manipulating her to the point of gaslighting. Zhang Wanyi could have pulled off a darker portrayal in an absolutely riveting and charismatic way so that is an opportunity missed. Nonetheless, he is compelling as a powerful and complicated fief lord who to his chagrin, falls in love with the enemy; a most unlikely and unsuitable woman.

Wang Churan is a vivid beauty and her comedic timing is more instinctive than Zhang Wanyi's. Her portrayal of the amnesiac Miantang is natural and charming. However, her character transitions after Miantang recovers her memory could be better written and portrayed. Part of the problem is in the novel, Xingzhou crosses some lines that he does not cross in the drama. Thus Miantang's rage and sense of betrayal is disproportionate to what actually happened. The stabbing scene was undeserved and this kind of violence is off-putting and has no place in a story where the couple is not breaking up for good. Beyond that, Miantang is a worldly character, a rebel who was on fairly intimate terms with Ziyu without much regard for her reputation. She played in the same sandbox with the big boys so it was baffling to see her go so full on girl angry at Xingzhou, who was just doing his job. These are mostly writing issues but there is also something lacking in the acting. Wang Churan was not able to reflect the character's evolution and approached it as if Miantang became a different person. There are unspoken ways to convey that at the core, Mianting is still the same Miantang; that the person Xingzhou fell for is still there. A more experienced actress would have used micro-expressions and subtle character traits to achieve this. And then just as inexplicably after the angst drags on long enough, she becomes sweet and forgiving domestic Miantang again! Since Wang Churan is new to lead roles and she is so lovely, I am happy to be forgiving. Nonetheless this diminishes Xingzhou as a character and made him appear no less a foolish, love brain than Ziyu. I am also left with a nagging concern that Miantang may be bipolar!

Even though this drama has some interesting and unique ideas and is refreshing in the way women are portrayed, I found it to be a bland watch overall. Despite some fun and memorable moments, the plot arcs are shallow and rehash well known battle for the throne tropes. Which is fine if the character arcs are well done but while the main characters are complex, they are dumbed down by the comedic focus. Miantang is inconsistently written; she starts out as a strong and independent woman who doesn't need to get married to have a fulfilling life. She abandons Ziyu's cause without a backward glance, abandons her revenge arc after a half-hearted attempt to infiltrate the palace, takes over an escort business before deciding she liked playing house best. At the end, I couldn't figure out what she was about. The character I enjoyed best turned out to be Shi Xueji. She finds so much joy in life's simple pleasures, is resilient and her quiet wisdom and dignity impressed me as much as Miantang's inconsistencies did not. I loved how the actress conveyed a layered character with deep and moving emotions via subtle expressions and a gentle smile that radiates with unbridled happiness. I also quite enjoyed Ziyu's character but the second couple was coma inducing and completely irrelevant to the story.

The drama finishes strongly at the climax in both the conspiracy and character arc but doesn't change the fact that despite its fresh premise it did not have enough substance to support 40 episodes. It would have been a more enjoyable watch at a tight 24 episodes or if they had engaged in a deeper and darker exploration of the characters. Nonetheless if you don't over analyse, it is very entertaining as a light romantic watch with phenomenal acting by Zhang Wanyi. My rating is 8/10 but I can see romance fans rating it a bit higher.

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