Legally Romance (2022)

Little things left unnoticed may mean very much to you

I've been looking forward to this drama since I heard about it because of its star-studded cast and the victory of the original novel, "Don't Fall in Love With the Boss" (才不要和老板谈恋爱) by Ye Fei Ran (叶斐然), which I haven't read.

This drama is told from the perspective of Qian Wei (Song Zu Er), a twenty-eight-year-old woman who was unable to write the exam to become a qualified lawyer for some reason. She now works as an assistant to Lu Xun (Hunag Zi Tao, aka Z. Tao), a former law school classmate. She saw him as an enemy, a rival who made her life as uncomfortable and difficult as possible, even back in college, when he used to beat her in everything she did. She also had an ex, Li Chong Wen, who was her law school senior.

She is involved in an accident that puts her in a coma one day. During this time, she fantasises about returning to her adolescent self, where she knows exactly what will happen. She seizes this opportunity to change her life. She plans her life to be exactly how she wants it to be. She works even harder to reclaim the things she lost to Lu Xun and swears she will never date her ex again. But something went wrong with her plan, and she fell in love with her very rival's younger self, Lu Xun, without realising it.

She awakens from her coma one day, torn between her perfect life in her dream world and the reality. Most importantly, she has lost her lover, Lu Xun, and is unsure whether he is still in love with her. However, she learns from her doctor that what happened in her dreams could be true because her subconcious brain may develop stories that people tell her while she is in coma. She then embarks on her quest to discover whether Lu Xun is truly in love with her.

I expected the typical office romance based on the title, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story's twists and turns. It was both strangely satisfying and entertaining. With their outstanding acting, the cast also contributed significantly to the success of this drama.

Song Zu Er, who plays the female lead, Qian Wei, performed admirably and convincingly in her role. Her acting is natural and adorable, and she can perfectly capture and execute each and every emotion of the character she is given.

When it came to Z.Tao, he was as charming as ever. Please do not avoid this drama because of his hair! He is, without a doubt, one of the best Chinese actors I've seen in a long time. Anyway, I think he looks better with his hair down.

The chemistry between the leads was fantastic! Much of the drama's great praise was directed at its two leads, who proved in this romantic comedy that they were more than just pretty faces.

One thing that I liked about this drama is that all the characters have their own stories to say and are independent of the main leads. They all have their own struggles to deal with and their own lives to live. Even though there was a love triangle in this drama, it was not chaotic or complicated, which improved my opinion of it.

The depiction of love, both romantic and the kind we feel for our family and friends, was excellent! I was moved to tears at times because it touched my heart.

What I liked:
# Unique plot line and its execution
# Good cast and their acting
# Well developed characters
# Independent side characters
# Uncomplicated love triangle
# Effortlessly humorous

What I disliked:
I have nothing to say except for Lu Xun's hair.

Final Thoughts

This is a fantastic college/office rom-com that has raised the bar for similar dramas. This is a fluffy romance show that is perfect for people looking for drama with a unique story line and an amazing cast. I would recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted drama that will make them laugh and cry at the same time.

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Cute, Sweet, Precious, Inspiring, Touching

I consider a drama good when it captures my emotions - it makes me laugh as well as it makes me cry - it touches and relates to me. Unlike those crappy dramas that I cannot wait to jump to the final episodes to watch the conclusions, with good dramas, I carefully watch every minute of every episode and relish every moment without wanting it to finish; I want more of the story. Legally Romance is a story like this - a captivatingly good story with amazing acting and memorable characters.

I picked up this series randomly in between releases of new episodes for Royal Feast and Dine with Love. The title, in both Chinese 才不要和老板谈恋爱 (literally means don’t want to date the boss) and in English Legally Romance, sounds cliché. Initially I thought it was an office romance in a law firm. Turns out, for two-thirds of the drama, it's a youth romance of law school students. I am taken by surprise how enjoyable this drama is. This is another version of the Michael Fox’s Back to the Future movie (1985) whereby in both productions, the main leads go back to their youth and try to change their choices, hopefully getting a different and better outcome.

Qian Wei (Song Zuer) is a feisty, struggling but upstanding and smart paralegal assistant for Lu Xun (Huang Zitao aka Z.Tao) who is a partner of a renowned law firm. Lu Xun is wise, mature and intelligent. He was also Qian Wei’s classmate from law school. She attributes all her current hardship in life to Lu Xun being always on top of her throughout her college years, from academic grades, to winning all competitions in debates, student council etc.

On that fateful day, Qian Wei gets into an accident and in her unconsciousness, she dreams she goes back 11 years ago to her first year in law school. The dream is actually her subconscious mind that gives us the backstory. There, back to 11 years ago, she vows to start over in her second life and to work doubly hard to win back everything that she has lost to Lu Xun, and to right every choice she has made before, hoping she can change her fate and have more favorable outcomes in the future. She also meets her ex-boyfriend whom she vows she would never date this time. Most importantly, she wants to help her father so that she can avert his untimely death. However, she hasn’t anticipated something that she has missed all these years: Lu Xun is in love with her. This time, she notices everything Lu Xun does for her, from blood donation to fixing the streetlamps to distributing public notices clarifying her innocence etc, all done without telling her; he has always been there for her, protecting and loving her, quietly.

The drama is inspiring as our main leads strive to help the vulnerable with their pro bono legal services. To them, even when something is deemed legal, it doesn't mean it's ethical or right morally. Though a lawyer's role is to protect his/her plaintiff's interest, it should also be done ethically without unduly harm done to the other innocent parties. This is the stance our main leads are upholding firmly throughout.

Though this drama makes me grin from ear to ear most of the time, there are moments that touch me so hard that make me shed my tears. And here is the most touching letter from a father to a daughter.

Song Zuer is a first-class actor; she is cute, beautiful, natural, real and so convincing. As Qian Wei, she brings out the wittiness as well as the silliness of the character. She makes the character so enjoyable to watch and to relate, at the same time, very heart-felt and touching when it comes to her love for her father.

When I first saw Huang Zitao in Episode 1, like many viewers unfamiliar with the actor, I thought, "What's wrong with his hair?" I believe some viewers even get turned off by his outrageous mullet hairstyle and drop this wonderful gem prematurely. But, oh boy, Huang Zitao is charismatic! After the first episode, I grow to like him and by the end of the drama, I love this gorgeous actor. He is genuine, his acting is natural and very believable. As Lu Xun, I love his dynamics with Qian Wei and their exchanges are so adorable that I don't want to miss a moment of their scenes. I particularly love the moments when he sends her love letters in the form of origami which are mistaken as his sarcasms and are returned in an undignified way – she throws them back at him. Being feisty, Qian Wei tends to push Lu Xun around and he goes along with her all the time. I love how he loves her but always gives her space. Even in tense moments, Qian Wei is still so silly and Lu Xun still so funny. Their interactions are simply adorable and hilarious. If you want to watch Huang Zitao's kissing scenes, this drama is full of them.

The whole cast is amazing, including the actors who play Qian Wei’s good friends and ex-boyfriend, both Qian Wei’s and Lu Xun’s parents, and the second couples. There are also the unethical and greedy antagonists who turn murderous. Bravo to the production team.

The plot starts in Episode 1, temporary stops in the middle of Episode 2 when Qian Wei returns to the past where the backstory explains and the plot builds, and then continues from Episode 23 when she returns from the past. Some viewers lose interest after watching the first episode because they find it boring or confusing. If that is the case, I would suggest to start from the middle of Episode 2 when she goes back to 11 years ago, bringing with her today's experience and wisdom. There's a lot of flashbacks of what she has done then when she was younger and what she would do this time to change the outcome.

My verdict

This is a delightful and sweet youth drama with unexpectedly well storytelling and plotline. The story is cute, the characters are lovable, the romance is sweet, and the acting is commendable. Don't be deceived by Huang Zitao’s wild haircut. Once you get through the initial shock, you'll start to love his mullet hairstyle. I do. As both Lu Xun and Qian Wei are excellent speakers and they are very eloquent in debates, therefore they speak very fast especially when they fight. Non-native Mandarin speakers may find it hard to keep up with what they are saying. Huang Zitao is also a singer and he sings the ending song You are the Rest of My Life which is very good. The other OSTs are equally good and unforgettable.

The story reminds me of the song, I See the Light, from Tangled, a Disney production, when the lyric sings ".... suddenly I see ... Now that I see you". For more than 10 years, Qian Wei doesn’t see Lu Xun while he is around her, quietly watching her, loving and caring for her. Now she notices all the things, big and small, that he has done and are still doing for her; she sees him.

If you get a second chance to live your life again, would you want to change anything for a different outcome? If so, what would it be?

This is a MUST WATCH! If you love to laugh, you'll love this drama. Don’t miss this great story.

TWO THUMBS UP!


P/S Don't miss the epilogue at the end of the final episode after the end credits. It is life after a few years later ....

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