This post includes a brief plot summary and a review of the 2020 Chinese drama “Love is Sweet”. Beware of spoilers.
Directed by Yu Chung Chung and Wu Chian Hsin, the romantic comedy stars Bai Lu as Jiang Jun and Luo Yunxi as Yuan Shuai.
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Work
If you’ve been watching Chinese dramas for a while, there are a couple of faces that maybe you’re already familiar with. Personally, I wasn’t acquainted with Luo Yunxi’s work, but I had previously watched Bai Lu’s acting in “Arsenal Military Academy”, and I quite enjoyed it.
Although I’m not a big rom-com type of gal, sometimes I do let one slip into my watchlist. Just like a midnight snack that you know is bad for you, but you eat it anyway. And that’s how I feel about “Love is Sweet”.
Short Review: “Love is Sweet” is an entertaining show to watch, but do not expect depth from it. Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi have good chemistry together, which will make even the most averse rom-com viewers stick until the end of the show.
“Love is Sweet” tells the story of a young woman who is trying to get her foot in the competitive world of finance.
Jiang Jun is our protagonist. She is sharp and ambitious but suffers from a severe allergic reaction to tears. Yes, you read that right—our girl cannot cry; otherwise, she’ll end up in the ER. At the moment, her goal is to get a spot at MH, a top investment firm. However, to her surprise, her new boss is also her former high school bully, Yuan Shuai.
Getting a spot at MH is not easy, but Jiang Jun has her methods. In the process, Jiang Jun meets Du Lei, Yuan Shuai’s rival, who becomes her mentor and friend. When it comes to the love department, our girl is busier than she thinks.
Turns out, our male lead, Yuan Shuai, has had a long-time crush on Jiang Jun, but the man is terrible when it comes to expressing his true feelings. Meanwhile, Du Lei is also developing strong feelings for Jiang Jun. However, his sister is not willing to let him go; she wants him.
As the story progresses, Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai clear up some misunderstandings from their past and become lovers. But they do meet some sinister forces along the way. Some people don’t want to be together, while others are trying to keep some secrets buried.
The pacing and the chemistry between Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu are what make the show watchable.
Let’s talk about the good stuff. The pacing of the show makes it less painful to watch. There’s always something going on, and the plot actually unravels in a fast manner.
One of the most talked-about points about “Love is Sweet” is the chemistry between Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu. Now that I’ve seen it with my own eyes, I concur. And that shows in their later collaboration in “Till The End Of The Moon”. If I had to put it simply, there is enough tension, yet a sense of familiarity, that conveys the idea of “couple vibes”.
Another thing that I appreciate about the show is that it doesn’t try to pretend to be what it is not. So, the story of “Love is Sweet” is very cliché, full of tropes. However, it’s honest about its true nature.
Something that I really loathe while watching a Chinese drama or a film is when the director is trying to make it more “serious” than it needs to be to pull the viewers’ heartstrings. Not only do I find it unnecessary, but also a misplaced use of “emotions”.
Thankfully, “Love is Sweet” does not reach those lows, except for one scene, where I thought the actor who plays Du Lei, Gao Han Yu, was “overacting”.
The drama “Love is Sweet” fails in the department of logic and common sense.
Now, let’s talk about the icky parts of the show. For dramas like “Love is Sweet”, you need to let go of something called “logic” or common sense. Otherwise, as a viewer, you won’t be able to immerse yourself in the story.
One of the things that really irks me about the leads is that they have no dating history. So, you’re telling me that these fully grown adults never dated anyone? Like ever? Sorry, but I’m not buying that. Maybe it’s understandable for Jiang Jun, because she has that tear allergy. But Yuan Shuai? He cannot be that successful, good-looking and single. Not possible.
Also, the second lead couple makes no sense. Why pair up someone like Xiao Chuan and Xu Li together? Not only do the actors that play them have no chemistry, but even if these characters existed in real life, they would not be into each other. They are too different to make it happen.
By the way, there is also another couple that forms at the very end of the show that I think shouldn’t even have existed in the script. I’m talking about Qiao Na and her “young man”. Come on. Seriously? I’m aware that these types of shows have an obsession with pairing everyone with someone at the end, but sometimes, it’s just too much.
“Love is Sweet” has no characters that viewers will actually care about.
What I’m about to say might sound conflicting, but bear with me. As mentioned before, I think Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu have good chemistry. However, as for their characters, I don’t really care about them. No love or hate, just indifference.
I’m not convinced that Jiang Jun is that “girl”, the successful boss type. Everything feels forced. If “Love is Sweet” weren’t tagged as a rom-com, Yuan Shuai would be considered an obnoxious human being in real life. As viewers, we sort of cut him some slack because he is the male lead.
By the way, the second leads, Xiao Chuan and Xu Li, are pointless characters, a waste of screentime. Their storyline doesn’t add anything relevant to the story. Harsh words? Maybe, but that’s how I really feel about them.
Don’t get me started with the villain of this story. He is also an unnecessary character. In my opinion, villains serve mainly two different purposes: making us like the protagonist more and making the story more interesting. A good villain is morally ambiguous; they are supposed to make us question our morals. However, the villain of “Love is Sweet” is none of the above.
The show is far from the spectrum of realism and leans more towards romantic escapism.
“Love is Sweet” is not trying to mirror real-life relationships or workplace dynamics. The show is filtered through a rose-coloured lens that makes everything look like a glossy magazine spread. It’s all about the fantasy of success, romance, and effortless beauty.
Let’s be honest, the show is targeting a very specific type of audience, and they probably love it. There is a reason why these types of dramas are so popular; someone is watching them. Even I, who am not really a big fan of the genre, watched it. Although I did it for review purposes, at the end of the day, I did finish it, and that must mean something.
The finance and business aspect of the show is mostly decorative.
On paper, the show presents itself as a workplace romance set in the finance world, but the latter works merely as a filler for the background. After all, our leads need to “work”. They cannot have mega-successful careers without an industry.
There are some business cases here and there, but the show never goes deep into them. And I believe that was the right call, because the focus should be on the romance. There are shows that tried to balance the two and failed miserably. At the moment, I’m thinking about “Only for Love”; the romance part was disastrous, and the business part was even more boring.
Final Thoughts
Overall, “Love is Sweet” is a watchable rom-com. At the end of the day, you’ll feel entertained, but do not expect to feel enlightened or inspired. This is not that type of show. “Love is Sweet” serves a very specific purpose, which is to amuse.
“Love is Sweet” is meant to be easy to “digest”. In other words, you won’t need many brain cells to watch it. And if you’re looking for that kind of brainrot, then this is the perfect type of content for you.
In order to truly enjoy the show, you’ll need to throw away “logic”. Otherwise, how are you supposed to watch two characters (adults) who are supposed to be competent and capable behaving like teenagers navigating feelings for the first time? Sometimes, I felt like I was watching a train wreck, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I guess that is the definition of a guilty pleasure.
Final Rating: 🍏+ (Watchable)
