We have a new fake relationship Chinese drama airing and I just had to check it out. Come discover if this is a perfect summer binging drama as I share my first impressions of I Hear You.
Synopsis: A matchmaking game brings together a bubbly voice actor and a taciturn violin maker. Will they turn their fake romance into a real one?
Plot
Some of you may know that my absolute favorite drama trope is fake relationship/forced cohabitation. I love when the couple is forced by fate to live together. Bei Er Duo and Ye Shu Wei don’t have the best first meeting, but they are thrown together as contestants on a matchmaking program. In order to prove they are a “real
Characters
Bei Er Duo – I like that she’s bubbly but not dumb. She’s working hard to make her place in the acting industry as a voice actress. Instead of being a total ditz, she’s trying to improve skills by taking Japanese classes. While she still has a lot of childlike qualities, it’s more because she lives her life to the fullest.
Ye Shu Wei-His character is more complex. He’s quieter and reserved, but he’s loyal and I like that. At first, I had a hard time with this actor because he never smiled. Then I saw him smile and his dimple came out and oh my goodness! Now I know why they made him look so serious, his whole face transforms when he smiles.
Should You Watch?
I’m still in the early part of the show, at episode 6, but I find it charming. I’m curious how many shenanigans these two can get into. The actors have good chemistry and I’m enjoying the storyline. The honesty of the characters is refreshing and I’m also enjoying the relationship between Bei Er Duo’s friend and her coworker.
Let me know in the comments if you have this show on your list or if you’ve watched it.
Until the next new find,
Clkytta
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi
Between this one and “Well-Intended Romance,” I pick this one hands down. There are a lot of things to like (beyond his dimples), the best of which is the dedication she has to trying to make her own way in her career, and his generally not playing the sugar daddy (oh, here, let me help you…). I liked the secondary characters quite a bit too. When contrasted with the “trope-athon” of WIR, this is much more logically played out, but charming all the same. I did a write up on both, so I’ll be curious to see your take on IHY and WIR if you watch them both!
I will have a WIR post soon!
I’ll be curious to see how you found it and compare it to my impressions: https://wp.me/p8pnHF-Sc Also, I called it Well-Intended Romance but it was a typo… it’s Well-Intended Love (my bad!)
I think Well-Intended Love was trying to subvert some of those tropes and critique the “control equals love” narrative that many dramas have, but they weren’t bold enough with it for it to be obvious. It is there, though, in the fact that his efforts to control her were the cause of their separation plot point, and his efforts to become less manipulative and more trusting were the key to winning her back.
The problem was all the miscellaneous plot drama that confused the central character growth. They either needed to make him less horrible in his misguided intentions, or pull back on the hypnosis/memory loss/kidnapping drama and tie the side stories into the “good intentions aren’t enough” theme.
It kept reminding me of the saying you’ll hear in Asian dramas and see in manga along the lines of “If sorry was enough there would be no need for police…” or alternatively “for hell.” While it put a spin on the control trope, especially with the reveal so far in, there was absolutely no need for it because he was an attractive, rich guy who could be decent enough to actually woo a woman without the manipulations (but then there would be no plot). It was not really appealing when you boil it down to purest actions/motivations. And I felt that there was no real reason for that manipulation.
But, as you said, his attempts to apologize and earn her trust were not so dislikable and the actor was appealing. (Yes, I’m shallow, but so was she!)
The real problem for me was that there were sooooo many other cliches written into the story! Maybe the point was to pad it out so it could fit X number of episodes, but it got tedious and they added little value with their poorer execution.
Everything you just said is totally correct
I, too, enjoy fake relationships and forced cohabitation dramas. I’ve been slowly mucking through Well-Intended Love, but it’s not really appealing to me like I thought it would initially. I actually have I Hear You on my list of dramas to watch. Maybe I’ll put Well-Intended Love on hold and give this one a try. Thanks for your first impressions. 🙂
I pushed through on Well Intended Love and it was pretty good. I always struggle in the middle when the drama gets bogged down and I’m hoping I Hear You holds my interest.
I’m on episode 4 now, and really liking the lighthearted tone and (so far) good pacing.
I started it on your recommendation. And am really having fun with it. I was watching a show yesterday of a show that was pretty emotionally intense so this is relaxing.
I haven’t finished it, but I like it.
Twosetviolin did a review of the violin making and playing and it is hilarious! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l0iagwQzaM
I liked the show except for the ridiculous violin stuff. That was hilarious!