Party A Who Lives Beside Me (2021)

Inspiring for Entry Level Career/Business, but Lost in Translation

I picked this one as my first drama of the 2022, purely out of expectation. It has a less than 8.0 rating, so I was ready to drop it even before started watching it, lol. However, I finished Episode 1, and ended up keep watching one episode following by another. My guess why it has a low rating for such a pretty good romcom, is: one, poor translation from MangoTV, which is the main issue; two, misleading synopsis; three, no popular cast; and four, Chinese romcom drama watchers have had toothaches from all sweet Cdramas being released last year. Let me address the main issue first, the second issue in the Character section.

MangoTV produced quite some good Chinese romcoms, unfortunately many are machine translated, including this drama. This is very unfortunate, since business term and Chinese idioms/slang get mistranslated or even no translation (especially for notes, emails, text messages, etc). Luckily, if you watch in their official YouTube channel, there are kindhearted people who translated the non-dialogue part. As I put in the title, this drama is especially inspiring for audiences who are at their entry level of career of business, since there is a lot of uplifting advice given to motivate people in their career development. Unfortunately, the inspiring life lessons are watered down with inadequate translation. So, unless you understand modern spoken Chinese, or can read between the lines of bad sub, probably don’t bother to watch this drama.

STORY: In my opinion, there are two plots that run side-by-side: the romance and the work/business plot, both intertwine harmoniously between Party A and Party B (hence this drama title). Party A/Party B is a legal term when two entities get involved in business.

The main couple’s plot starts from both ML and FL being bickering strangers (short term), to being landlord-tenant, neighbors, two business-related company representatives , friends, best friends, lovers, to being engaged (short term). It’s a slow burn romance, they don’t get together until the ¾ quarter of the drama! However, their friendship and teamwork development are amazing to watch. Even before they get together, they’re so comfortable with each other, like an old married couple. The second couple plot actually has more sparks as their romance develops faster, so it’s quite interesting. Their romance starts about half of the drama. The third couple romance is a filler, in my opinion, since it’s quite short. There is also a married couple.

I actually am more interested in the work/business plot, unexpectedly since I don’t like business drama. I think because of its advice given to working adults. ML and FL both go thru work problems each encounter, from insider sabotage to sexual harassment. They work together to solve those problems. Misunderstandings don’t get prolonged in their relationship, they clear up their issues pretty fast. There is also the main theme of chasing dreams of most characters: people leaving stable jobs to start business, moving to big city to pursue career, changes job to a different company, working on your dream job instead of just-a-job, saving and investment, life priority, etc.

PRODUCTION: The scriptwriting is pretty good. The writer, which at this time I don’t know their name, managed to write a flowing transition on the main couple’s love story and the Female Lead’s prowess development. There are witty dialogues too, that make the plot development and the characters’ growth enjoyable.

CHARACTER: The scriptwriter also did a good job in creating likable main characters and some key supporting characters. The FL, Ye Xuan (weirdly in the end is translated into Michelle Ye), freshly graduated, comes from a smaller city to metro Shanghai. She’s hopeful and energetic, but faces the reality of the workplace. She is lucky enough to land her first job at 88Ed, what I called a dream company. Although it’s small and has problems, it ends up to be the ideal company in dramaland. Her other luck is ML, Li Ze Nan, who is not only her landlord/neighbor. The company where he works, Aoke, is also 88Ed’s major client.

Now this is where I want to correct the misleading synopsis I read at this moment. It says that Li Ze Nan is “the domineering Party A” but he’s not. He has been in the big city and has worked longer than Ye Xuan, so he gives her work advice but he’s not domineering. In fact, when they become a couple, I see sometimes Ye Xuan is bossy towards Li Ze Nan. Starting their relationship as a landlord-tenant, he’s actually has been supportive to Ye Xuan all along. He also comes from a poor background and works hard his way up at his workplace. He is not an ML who “has been making things difficult” to FL, since he makes her grow and become stronger as a working adult. For example, when he knows she has worked hard on a business proposal for his company but her company doesn’t credit her, as a client he has a power to fix the mistake but he doesn't. Instead, when he finds her crying in disappointment, he gives her a cotton candy and later tells her to be strong and try harder. Another misled term is that the couple’s relationship starts with “endless bickering” but I see they just tease and playful with each other, and actually the second couple starts with “endless bickering”.

Important to mention in romance drama is the secondary characters who potentially ruin the main couple’s relationship. There is none. Second FL is ML’s ex-girlfriend, but they broke up because pursued different dreams. Although when she shows up initially ML and SFL are a bit uncomfortable with each other, there is no hate/love feeling left for both parties. SFL ends up becomes their company’s business client and FL’s friend. Second ML is FL’s co-worker. He and ML have a healthy competition for FL’s attention, but when SML sees that FL, subconsciously, prefers to be with ML he backs off and becomes supportive of their relationship.

A bonus: the director, Sha Wei Qi, also made a guest role appearance as a fake director, lol! The scene with him in it is the most hilarious in the drama! He also directed some decent Chinese romcoms (rating 8.0+) such as Gank Your Heart (2019), A River Runs Through It (2021), and To Fly With You (2021).

VISUAL: The location of metropolitan Shanghai is always a charm. I like the adjoining balconies where ML and FL often seen chatting at night after work. I also like the company setting where FL works though. It’s a renovated warehouse building made of bricks and has a warm and casual feeling.

OST: Nothing stands out.

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Started with 0 expectations but actually started to like it.

I started this drama with absolutely no expectation. But to be Honest i liked this so much. This is exactly the type of romcom drama i look for & i prefer. I wanna remind you this is a romcom. Of course there will be some cliche & unrealistic parts but i personally feel the cliche parts are very less than the other romcom cdrama currently airing right now. I dont find the main leads cringe at all. Infact they are much natural & i like Their chemistry a lot. FL comes to work in a broke advertisement company "88 ED" as intern. While ML is the marketing director in "Aok group". What amazed me is ML isnt a jerk at all. Not a cold distant guy like they show in other dramas. He is actually easygoing & social. Not to mention very funny as well. FL may seem clumsy to you for 1st 2 ep but she is actually a hard worker. She accepts her flaws & tries to improve Herself. & also its not like that she isnt capable. She is actually very very talented & a capable desinger. Coming into big city to work as intern is definately not easy. Not all of us get the big job right at the 1st stage of life. Specially in big city where there is diff of ppl to deal with, high elites to deal with. This is something i could relate to. Not just work even in educational life we face this. This shows Both ML's & FL's work-life, their struggle & how they try to help each other to solve the work crisis they face. ML helps FL to cheer up & give her advice from his personal experience he faced when he also came in shanghai for job as a newcomer. I wouldn't give away much spoiler but u gotta watch the drama to know more about their " party A & party B relationship". Now lets talk about FL's broke company "88 ed". I actually got attached with the every few employees ( 6 actually) working in that company. They are very friendly & liverly. FL's appearance & hard work made em united to improve the company. The CEO really plays a father figure to each & every employees. 88 ed company isnt just a workplace. It became a family. It actually touched my heart when FL & the others gave up their salary of one month to help out the CEO & company from a critical moment. To find out more u gotta watch the drama. i would like to add Male lead's ex gf appears as well but she is super cool & not delusional like they show in some dramas. Everybody actually shares a healthy relationship.Overall I am liked this drama. Fun, romamce, slice of life. One more thing i would like to add there is no break up scene. The ending scene was so freaking good. Omgg the proposal. Literally one of the best. The romance was balanced enough for me to keep my interest till the end.I enjoyed the drama a lot.

About flaws :

The female lead may seem clumsy to u in 1st 3 ep. But trust me she aint dumb. She will grow from her clumsiness. She is just too lost in big city & not able to keep up with the pace.

U might hate the scene of her lying to her mom about li zenan's house being hers. But im telling you there is character development. There is a character development of each corrects. This is a drama where nobody is perfect. Each have their flaws. The best thing is they admit it & sort it out soon.

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