Love Cross (2021)

Interesting, romantic, sometimes deep, more often funny, with some craziness and action too

I wish I could split my review in half. Because for the first half of the show, I'd give a 10 , it was just beautiful. Beautiful character introduction and development, good world building, beautiful couple developing (especially between the second leads) and very interesting story line (including a crazy villain who was still fun to watch )

And then it just feels like they abandoned it all for the sake of action. Yes there were some pretty surprising plot twists and great action sequences, but I was honestly more drawn in and captivated by the first half, than the second.

It's tricky to write a review without giving away too much. But I really wanted to see how these for 4 boys overcame their individual insecurities and fears and learned how to cope in the real world. There were some hints and then the "summary of where they ended up" at the end but it felt a bit lacklustre.

I started watching this show because of the SML as I was impressed by him in Maiden Holmes. And I wonder if the screenwriters were counting on his popularity to draw viewers into this Idol drama. Because for the first half of the show, the SML (Xu Nian) had so much screen time, and so much time was spent on explaining his character and building of his relationship with the SFL - and both acted this marvelously. They were the main reason I kept watching.

And then the action plot hit and everything else got sidelined (what happened to the SFL's financial and business worries for example??).

Don't get me wrong, this drama is still well worth watching!! It just makes me sad when a good story line doesn't get followed through.

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Absolute boyfriend with a twist, I want a Xu Nian for myself.

Like everyone else who reviewed Love Crossed, this show had a few unexpected twists and turns. It’s not your typical watch and its fast paced. Ignore a few plotholes and you’ll be fine. It reminded me just a tiny bit of a popular Japanese manga, Absolute Boyfriend mixed up with F4.

I enjoyed the show, but I personally think that the pairing of Lu Xiao and Jang Kele should have taken the backseat and the main focus of the show is on Xu Nian and Guan Xianya. I was bored with LX and JK, it is as bland and stale as day old bread.

The story of Guan Qianya and Xu Nian is way more interesting, engaging and could have offered more to the plot and the overall character development of the show. For instance, the one on one virtual encounters between the XN and GQ would have been perfect for a slowburn, lovers then enemies romance. Then the angle where they become known to each other in real life then became enemies would have been so good. Then developing to real lovers. I think these two kept the show going, specially Xu Nian.

I also find quite a disservice to the other two supporting love boys. They seem to be just there and then ended up with girlfriends right at the end. And how the main villain’s ending a bit anticlimactic.

The ending is okay. Everything wrapped up pretty well with a neat bow on top. It did get corny at times, but still enjoyable!

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This drama surprised me!!

Another Zhang Ling He drama down and one thing I will say at the start of this review is I did think it could of been a little shorter but that is only because I didn't get into the character for the FL I found her to be a bit annoying through this, But did like the guy that played Lu Xiao and liked the second couple story more.

Even saying that i still found this drama so enjoyable to watch it had a lot of twists that some people might or might not see I know I didn't predict a lot of them. The beginning is kinda slow getting into it and I found it pretty hard just because I did find the main girl pretty annoying I don't know why they had to have her be that way. I do like the actress that plays the part I do know she can play good characters I just couldn't take her seriously here. I did like the main guy who is coupled with her he does have an interesting story and finding out more about him and why he is the way he is. Even though a lot of people may not like the way he comes off but I found him understandable and he just wanted to be left alone.

What really got me through this in the beginning was the second couple. Guan Qian Ya from the min she came on the show I loved her. She became my fave character in this and of course I really liked Zhang Ling He's character Xu Nian who she was coupled with. I just felt like they had the better love story here. You don't see Qian Ya falling for a love boys virtual character since she is so against the game, and finding out that she is actually talking to the real Xu Nian in the game. I'm glad they kept her smart enough to figure that out instead of dumbing her down which they do a lot. Qian Ya does have a dumb moment toward the end that I will rant about. This couple for me just had the most enjoyable scenes together. I also didn't mind their scenes apart though either just really enjoyed their characters.

A flaw that I did find so annoying and is a spoiler is what went on toward the end that happened with Xu Nian. This group of people that knew each other except for one couldn't tell that Xu Nian was not acting like himself at all. They are looking for a spy and who is giving away their locations when they literally know they had to go looking for Xu Nian for a min. They were separated from him and they find him and he is acting like a different person. They even have them point it out for a min then be like oh maybe we are wrong and its Luo Ke. I couldn't even stand Luo Ke's character in this at all and wish they wouldn't of focused on him so much cause he literally just made me mad every time they showed him, but I felt so bad for him when they turned on him when it was obvious who it was. Luo Ke was never really even away from anyone either but he made the most sense to turn on for being the spy. I just found this so frustrating but loved the way Zhang Ling He pulled it off.

The actors did great even if I didn't like some of the characters. I think toward the ending is still the best part of this drama if you can just make it through the slow beginning. Just making it through and finding out everything you do makes this worth the watch for me.

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The Dark Side of the So-Called Virtual Reality Game

Love Crossed is one of a bunch of dramas that I've dropped long ago. After watching 16 episodes, I had no urge to continue and immediately dumped it. Now that I'm in a drama slump, I decide to pick it up again and binge the last 20 episodes by randomly skipping here and there. I'm going to share my thought about this show and whether it's worth to watch or not.

The adjective that might suit for the show's plot is INGENIOUS. Virtual reality game can be considered as a new concept in a rom-com show. There is also an undeniable plot twist which is mixed with mystery, action, and thriller (just like a crime drama). Okay, so the plot centers around an ordinary part-time worker Jiang Kele (FL) and the Love Boys (Lu Xiao, Xu Nian, Su Lie, Luo Ke), a four-member boyband that exists in the virtual reality game. Nobody bothers to know if they existed in the real world or not. It was Jiang Kele who discovers the real ones have been trapped in a dream-like manor by their abductor, Xu Guanghan (the villain who wants to use their popularity to gain more money and fame for himself). Aided by her bestie Guan Qianya and Granny Fushun, Jiang Kele sets out to set the four boys free and makes them realize what the real world looks like.

There are a lot of newbie actors in this show, but everyone has utilized their best acting skills, so kudos for them! I really adore Jiang Kele. She's fiercely independent, self-reliant, and on top of that, she's also witty and has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. I can feel a sizzling chemistry between Dai Luwa and He Luoluo. I think that his portrayal of Lu Xiao is a bit of lacking, but since this is his debut role, I can say he did quite well. Second couple Zhang Linghe and Fan Shuaiqi has a more mature relationship, so naturally things will be predictable, hence I skip most of their scenes. One more thing, they have tiny spark of bromance too and all of their antics are hilarious as well. Similar as Fox Spirit Matchmaker, the villain's intention is also exposed to the audience. From the very start, we've known that he's not going to let them off easily, but he has numerous ways to torture them and make them look up to him. His assistant, Lei Na, is equally scheming too.

Highly recommended for those who want to see a refreshing plot among a bunch of stereotypical shows! Good luck and happy watching!

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Let me just start off by saying I finished 36 episodes in 2 days!!
From the start, it was so interesting and catchy. The concept may be similar to many other dramas but I still really liked it. The virtual Lu Xiao was so gentle and just PERFECT. So sweet!! Then the switch from the virtual character of his to him in real life was also well done. The female lead's acting was super. She was so funny. The two leads were so cute together.
The rest of the characters were also quite amazing. I think the actors did a great job. There were so many twists and turns. I had to stop the drama at some points and let my brain calm down with all the plot twists. I actually thought Xu Nian was bad..likee...!!!!!!! God!!
However, I think the ending was not so good. I mean for people, the virtual characters mean a lot to them and then suddenly they find out that the 4 men are real. It wouldn't be so easy to let go and just have a happy atmosphere. Instead of using the episodes on finding the evidence after they ran away, they could have shown more of their life after they revealed their real selves.
For evil people like the game maker, they deserve to see their stupid ideas go down the drain and suffer more. With simply ending their story isn't right in my opinion. I just wish they spent more time on the ending. Apart from this, everything else was great.

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Oh, this was lovely! A sci-fi romp masquerading as a cutesy VR love story. And featuring Zhang Linghe in one of the main roles. Pleasure!

It took me some time to get into the drama because at first, it rather heavily focused on the main pairing, Lu Xie & Jiang Kele, but once the secondary pairing, Guan Qianya & Xu Nian, met, the drama really took off. Why?

Because the main pairing was the usual funny girl/bad boy pairing just, you know, with VR. But the secondary pairing was what really fascinated me: female CEO/"VR character" ordered by his boss to seduce her. I mean, wow.

And the reveals and twists! Like very sci-fi twists with a matrix-like game and androids and holograms and stuff like that. And all that wrapped up in a love story of a rich and powerful female CEO and a young man who's never left an underground facility and who loved her the way she deserved.

I must say, this drama pushed all my buttons and I couldn't get enough. I gobbled it with a spoon and I watched all 36 episodes in the span of only a few days, I just couldn't stop. Because the story was great, the CGI fantastic - and Zhang Linghe playing Xu Nian simply... *chef's kiss*

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All Ages Can Watch It

LIKES:
Concept of the secret passage way.
The house where the 4 guys lived was a nice set; modern and playful
Chemistry between the 4 guys and the female leads was decent.
Wardrobe was appropriate and some pieces were current street fashion.
FX for the VR and what was used for Xu Nian in the final episode was decent.


DISLIKES:
Writing:
They stole the eye glasses + AI + real guy concept from Holo My Love. Some ideas seem to also come from Cinderella and the Four Knights 2016 (4 guys, one rich house, one girl changes them all).
The “bad guy” was over the top, especially with his punishments, to the point of being ridiculous.
Very childish in terms of the romance, but is suitable for ages 10 and up. Also the “surprising reveal” in Ep. 35, was so predictable right from the start.

Production:
Green screen very obvious during car driving scenes and hot air balloon moments.
Pacing issues, even though the episodes weren’t too long, certain parts were dragged out for too many episodes.
Zooming in too close (I hate seeing up people’s noses) that the actor/actress head is cut off.

Music:
Sometimes too loud and you couldn’t hear the actor/actress voices (thankfully it has sub titles). Also some songs were terrible and I muted them.

OVERALL:
This was a child friendly sci-fi that really wasn’t a new concept in any way. If you liked this kind of genre watch Holo My Love (2020 S. Korean drama) I would recommend that over this. I won’t watch this again.

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What In the World Happened Here?

This drama has a rather interesting and compelling concept and that's what initially drew me in. It was different and subversive, and I have to applaud the writers for writing a drama where virtual characters are real people trapped by some evil mad scientist. However, that's where my praise starts and stops. I wanted to love this drama SO bad; I really really did! It was interesting and entertaining and I didn't have any issues being swept away by the story, but a major issue began to present itself early on.

My first issue with this drama - why is the lead couple so unlikable? Not just as a couple but as individual characters, as well. I'm not a girl who typically falls prey to the supposed second male lead syndrome, which I don't even think applies in this situation? Mainly because the SML is not really pitted against the ML; he has his own thing and his own lady love. Anyway, I digress. The female lead of this show was annoying; her personality was too much. She was too juvenile in my opinion and not very bright either, if we're being honest. She was slow on the uptake and she immediately exhausted me. The male lead was an outright asshole. I do not like asshole male leads. That's my biggest pet peeve and it's the easiest way to get me to tune out because the world (and CDramaLand) has enough assholes with a heart of gold masquerading as male leads. We don't need more. Give me something different than an awful male lead who is angry at the world and physically/mentally/emotionally takes it out on his supposed love interest. That may be a thing for some fans, but it's not a thing for me. The fact that the female lead allowed the male lead to push her around for a huge chunk of the beginning of this show was enough to leave a nasty taste in my mouth. Like, why? Why must we deal with this nonsense? It's a modern drama; the least they could have done was given her a damn backbone. Alas, they did not.

Now, it seems like all of the makings of a perfect couple were given to the second lead couple. They were absolutely magic! I don't know why or how but those two were far more interesting as individuals and as a couple than the primary leads. It was simply more interesting to watch them than to watch the primary lead couple. So much so that I started skipping all of the primary lead couple's scenes just to get to the second lead couple. Once we had gotten to that point, I realized that it was time to wash my hands of this drama. I tried my hardest to finish this drama, but I couldn't do it. If I have to FFW through the primary lead just to get to a scene where things are interesting and palatable, then it's time for me to take the L and move on with my life. Sidenote: even though the second lead couple were a lot more interesting, things started to get rather stale between them once they became an official couple. I don't know what that was about; they lost their initial spark as a couple. I'm uncertain if that was due to writing/directing choices but becoming a couple was probably the worst thing to happen to them. The star-crossed lovers and Romeo & Juliet thing worked for them.

Also, this drama had entirely too many episodes. This is absolutely a drama that could have been wrapped up in 24-26 episodes. This drama dragged on for longer than it needed to, and that was another huge reason as to why I checked out. After they were defeated by the evil mad scientist, the tone of the drama dropped drastically. It became less interesting and a LOT more depressing; I typically check spoilers to get more info on the length of this weird depressing arc all CDramas seem to have but I couldn't gather up the energy to do so. I was just ready to be done with it.

ANOTHER THING: Fan Shuai Qi was the MVP of this drama. I just found out how young she was but she embodied an older character really well. I couldn't even tell that she was only in her early 20s. She BODIED this role! That's an actress that I'll be on the look out for because she was amazing. I'm going to say something controversial here: she was a better actor than her counterpart. I know everyone loves him, but his acting skills still need some work and I don't doubt that he can get better. It's been a few years since this show aired and I've only seen him in one other thing since this drama aired, but she ran circles around him in terms of acting. She's a MUCH stronger actor than him.

Would I rewatch this show? No. Would I recommend this show? Also, no. Don't waste your time. It's going to start off fun and exciting, but it's not going to stay that way. The excitement will quickly dwindle when you realize the momentum of the primary arc of this show hit and then dipped off. You're going to look up and realize that you still have 12 episodes to watch and nothing is entertaining enough to make you keep watching. If you're bored, watch it. If you're not, I suggest that you pass on this one.

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Kinda creepy…

Dropped this after 10 episodes because to me, the obsession with imaginary boyfriends is a bit creepy. The whole idol obsession culture is a bit disturbing already, but to make them imaginary (at least as far as most people know) takes it into a mental illness. I understand that part of the plot is showing how this whole concept is slowly ruining the economy and society, but the fact that the main female lead was on of these obsessed girls makes it hard to understand her so there is no connection with her character. All in all, just not the drama for me, although others seem to enjoy it.

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