Jiao Cang (2024)

A refreshing look at WuXia costume drama focused on loved story rather than politics and fighting.

Are You the One is a historical wuxia drama about the love story of Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou when she suffered from amnesia and afterward. This is a cute love story and a non-traditional costume drama. Less of fighting and political scenes, which is refreshing.

Synopsis: The clever and decisive Liu Mian Tang, as the first lord of Yang Shan, led the people of Yang Shan to punish the wicked, promote goodness, and uphold justice. However, she suffered serious injuries under the attack of various evil forces. Cui Xing Zhou, the Prince of Huai Yang, rescued her. When Liu Mian Tang woke up, she had no memory of Yang Shan, mistaking Cui Xing Zhou for her husband, Cui Jiu. If their identities were finally exposed, could they face all that honestly while enduring hardships?

My Reviews:
1. It is not a typical Wuxia drama; instead, it is focused on politics, fighting between kingdoms, or internal kingdom conflict. It also focuses on the relationship of the main CP.
2. It is a love story between Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xing Zhou during and post-amnesia.
3. The plot is slow and draggy, and not much excitement after she recovers from her amnesia.
4. Wang Chu Ran's acting ability is mediocre, but Zhang Wan Yi's acting is much better. However, their on-screen chemistry is good.
5. I don't care about the 2nd and 3rd CP, especially the reigning emperor and empress (3rd CP). Their lives are depressing, but they comfort each other and eventually show love and care for each other.
6. However, I must warn you that the plot loses its charm and becomes tedious after the amnesia recovery.

Overall, it is a watchable, refreshing look at costume drama. I enjoy it and give it a 7.5 rating.

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Fate, comedy, and conflict

“Are You the One?” captivates with a compelling premise: two rivals that become a fated couple whose love is threatened by a great lie. This setup immediately hooked me, as it’s clear from the outset that obstacles will stand in the way of their happiness. While a promising concept doesn’t automatically make for a great drama, I found that AYTO successfully delivered a satisfying viewing experience.

The drama excels with its engaging storyline, well-developed characters, talented cast, and a conclusion that manages to be pleasing. However, it does have its flaws.

Let’s start with the standout elements, beginning with the cast. I would like to start off by saying that the magic of great actors in comedic roles is undeniable. Having seen Zhang Wanyi in Lost You Forever, I was already aware of his impressive skills, but his performance in AYTO elevated my admiration. His portrayal of Cui Xingzhou diverges sharply from his previous role, yet he handles it with remarkable finesse. His comedic timing, whether through subtle facial expressions or his delivery, was spot-on. His tendency to speak in a whisper — which is something he did quite oftenly —, however, bothered me greatly at times, as it felt unrealistic that other characters could hear him when he spoke so softly.

Wang Churan, by contrast, had a less comedic role, though her early scenes were filled with humor that she executed brilliantly, forming a delightful duo with Zhang Wanyi. Her character undergoes significant shifts throughout the drama — arguably too drastic, though that’s more a writing issue than an acting one — but she consistently maintained a strong performance from start to finish.

Regarding the plot, a key topic of debate among viewers was the separation of Xingzhou and Miantang. Some felt Miantang forgave Xingzhou too quickly, while others thought she should have taken even longer or maybe not forgiven him at all. Personally, I appreciated the narrative choices here; their time apart felt justified, and their gradual reconciliation was coherent and believable. The pacing of their relationship was neither rushed nor dragged out, striking a balance that complemented the growth of both characters, who were well-crafted with relatable desires, fears, and distinct personalities.

One aspect I regretted was the waning romance between Xingzhou and Miantang after they officially got together. In the final episodes, their dynamic shifted from passionate lovers to more of a friendly rapport, which felt at odds given how recently they had married. Nonetheless, they remained the highlight of the drama.

Now, onto the elements that didn’t quite work for me:

A significant political event pivotal to the second half of the drama was glossed over with a simple time skip. This was a missed opportunity, as the event’s importance to the story warranted more on-screen exploration rather than being summarized off-screen. Though I do believe it shouldn’t be too dragged out, it would’ve been appreciated to see at least a little bit of those events.

As for the supporting characters, Shi Xueji emerged as a pleasant surprise, bringing kindness and warmth that resonated with viewers. However, her romance felt rushed towards the end, lacking depth. It did have a big potential, as we got to see Ziyu and her start to have feeling for each other and deeply care for one another. Ziyu, however, only let go of Liu Miantang in the very ending of this drama and at a point where I believe more time was needed for a good romance to be fully developed between him and Xueji.

He Zhen and Zhao Quan were engaging on their own, and their romance was charming when it aligned with the main plot. However, as their storyline diverged, it began to feel disconnected and unnecessary, leaving me questioning why so much screen time was dedicated to them when it no longer served the main narrative in a harmonious way.

My final verdict is that “Are you The One?” was able to leave a good impression and will probably stick with me for a while, as it was one of my favorite 2024 Dramas so far. It has its problems, some that could’ve been easily fixed, others not so much. In the end, however, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who’s thinking of giving it a go.

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best drama i ever seen in 2024

i love this drama sooo much, I watch a lot of dramas because I like all dramas, but.. this drama is very different from the usual, this is the best drama I've ever seen in 2024...

I really like the storyline which is not long but short and simple, and I also like the visual make-up of the artists which is very interesting, I just want to say thank you to the drama, and thank you too to Wang Churan as Liu Miantang your acting your performance so amazing your soo gorgeous and Zhang Wanyi thank u Because he accepted Churan during his difficult time during filming at that time.

FR FOR SUREE BEST DRAMA 2024😍🥹⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Really good!

==Breakdown==
Background plot / palace intrigue - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good

Overall thoughts: This is my first drama with Zhang Wan Yi and my second with Wang Chu Ran. I *really* enjoyed Wang Chu Ran in Fireworks (with Yang Yang) and was excited to see her in a historical Cdrama. Zhang Wan Yi impressed me! He has such an interesting voice, I'm so glad he did his own dubbing as I think his inflections added a lot to the overall story.

Highly recommend for: Romance focused watchers in search of great chemistry paired with decent production values in a historical Cdrama.

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O drama Are You the One trouxe uma premissa que achei particularmente interessante. Um verdadeiro "de inimigos a amantes".

Tudo começa com um enigmático ataque do bandido Lu Wen ao duque HuaiYang e depois o duque encontrando uma jovem ferida e sem memória que o confunde como marido. O duque resolve então continuar a farsa para usá-la como isca e capturar o bandido Lu Wen, que ele acredita ser o esposo de Miangtang. Porém, conforme a convivência com Miangtang vai se estreitando, o duque começa a se apaixonar por ela.

Os primeiros quinze episódios do drama podem ser considerados mais lentos em termos do desenrolar da história política, pois é mais focado na convivência doméstica de Miangtang com o duque, com muitas cenas engraçadas com ele tentando fingir ser um homem comum que depende financeiramente de sua querida esposa. E ao mesmo tempo que vamos nos apaixonado pelo casal fofo também há um certo incômodo pelo fato dele estar enganando ela sobre o casamento, embora ele a respeite e nunca tenha ultrapassado o limite enquanto ela não lembra do passado.

Depois da fase de "lua de mel", por volta do episódio dezoito, Miangtang começa a recuperar as memórias e algumas outras revelações importantes acerca do enredo político começam a ser desveladas e também começa a era "gato e rato" entre Miangtang e o Duque, que agora tentam fingir que não estão cientes da verdadeira identidade um do outro.

Logo depois acompanhamos a saga do Duque em tentar provar seu amor de todas as formas mais humilhantes possíveis e o elemento da comédia volta para aliviar as tensões da drama política com o novo imperador, recém coroado, tentando garantir sua frágil posição como líder político em um ambiente cheio de corruptos.

Aliás, com relação ao imperador, minha parte favorita era sua relação com Xueji. Uma personagem oprimida pela família que ascendeu a imperatriz através da reviravolta política e que apesar de sua aparência modesta se mostra ser uma parceira inteligente e desempenha um importante papel na batalha pela permanência do imperador no trono. Com certeza uma das personagens mais legais do drama. Inclusive, nos episódios finais na cena do envenenamento eu fiquei muito triste a princípio, mas no fim tudo termina bem.

O final é satisfatório e feliz para os protagonistas e também para os casais secundários. Mas apesar de ter gostado bastante do drama, senti que algumas coisas poderiam ter sido abreviadas. Um drama de 30 episódio ou menos talvez conseguisse manter a integridade da história sem cenas desnecessárias. Apesar disso, um bom drama com uma história legal e um casal fofo com química.

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Sweet Turning Angsty

The first arch of the drama is to show how sweet FL is an an amnesia victim. Her loving support to her fake husband won her his genuine affection. I was so worried when the time was getting close for ML to have his wedding to his cousin. I thought, no way FL is going to be a concubine, and plus I really don't want this drama to turn into a harem story!

The second arch is when she regained her full memory. We can see how FL suddenly changed her demeanor from sweet and head over heels in love with her husband, into this angry woman who found out that everything has been a lie. Her smile is just not the same anymore. She kept up pretending to still have the amnesia for a bit, and this is where it differs from the novel, where she left him without a second thought!

I'm up to ep 22 now. ML just found out the real identity of FL, which I think he's not totally sad about, because all along he thought of Lu Wen as his match.

I've been a fan of Zhang Wan Yi. I'm glad I get to watch him again not long after Lost You Forever 2. He does have a rather peculiar stare, which some people might say that he's too stiff. But not me, I like it, it's his trademark of some sort! I never watched Wang Chu Ran in any drama before (only heard about high criticism of her drama with Yang2) but boy she's so beautiful, and acting wise she's matching so well with Zhang Wan Yi.

Can't wait to see what ML will have to do to win her again. To be fair to him, it wasn't his plan to fake their marriage in the first place. FL called him "husband" and as a General Commander, he seized that opportunity and just played along with it. Otherwise the whole drama wouldn't exist haha.

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Hidden Gem of 2024

Gave it a 10 to boost the ratings quite more for it deserves it.

This is a drama that wasnt even in my radar for dramas this year and only saw it here in mdl as well. Genuinely I could not express how much this type of dramas are heartwarming of the way they portray romance. This drama is definitely equal slight close in terms of maturity and romance themes alongside Love Like the Galaxy, one of the few chinese costume dramas that still holds up till this day.

If you appreciate great and coherent storytelling where the scriptwriter definitely took time to craft the events, this is the show for you. Story and character arcs did not feel rushed because of this. Speaking of characters, despite the show having 6 notable characters, 3 couples, the drama made sure to give audience an idea and set individuality to each so the romance between couples and their conclusion did not feel forced unlike most costume dramas I've seen this and past years. I appreciate this. Surprising favorite character i've had in this show is the Empress, a really interesting empress/character I've seen in a while in cdramas.

Only downside is that it ended actually damn. Amazing drama and might've saved costume dramas in 2024 as of right now.

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When a fairy fallen from the sky meets the God of War

Are You The One is the TV adaptation of the chinese novel The Possession of My Beloved. It tells the story of Liu Mian Tang, a gorgeous woman who has lost the memory of the last three years of her life and Ciu Xing Zhou, a Prince unrelated to the Imperial Family who poses as her fake husband, the destitute merchant Cui Jiu.

Both make for an attractive pair, though the neighbors of North Street think the young is a good-for-nothing man.


THE STORY

The director managed to do a 40-episode drama from a 143-chapters novel by keeping some of the key points, but while needing to remove and twist around some of the source material.

Having read the novel, I think he was successful in his endeavor. The drama was both well-directed and written, which made for an enthralling watch. It's ascertained by the high ratings this drama got on multiple platforms


THE CHARACTERS

The characters had to be rewritten to fit a more visual medium and thus be accessible to a wider public.

Liu Mian Tang (LMT) is described as a beautiful creature descended from the sky who makes every head turn. She's presented as having been the favorite concubine of a famous bandit, but as she has amnesia, she is just the wife of a merchant who spent a great chunk of his fortune to heal her. This makes her grateful to her husband and leads her to handle household affairs but also becomes a shrewd businesswoman whose sole objective is to have her husband enjoy his life and hobbies without worries.
She's played by Wang Chu Ran, an up-and-coming actress who embodies the role and can be as sweet as honey or as cold as ice when it's needed.

Ciu Xing Zhou (CXZ) is a duc who rules over his fiefdom and having to fight with a spectacular opponent, Lu Wen. He's lucky enough to stumble upon the amnesiac favorite concubine of the latter. He acts as her doting husband to try and lure out Lu Wen.
It's Zhang Wan Yi, a young actor who is also an up-and-coming actor that some people might have seen in Lost You Forever.
I felt he really nailed his part here. As Cui Jiu, he was absurd, but as CXZ, he was more imposing.

The supporting roles were well-casted and interesting to watch. They didn't weigh down on the story. On the contrary, they brought different flavors. He Zhen and Marquis Zhennan were more of a opposite attracts while Miss Shi and Zi Yu were more of a couple whose love would go from a relationship of mutual trust and friendship.


This drama is an easy watch with high rewatch value. One isn't bored when they watch it. Though it starts slow because as an audience, we get to witness in real-time the love growing between the couple, its remains engaging. I eagerly waited each day for new episodes to release.

The drama is bright and not a stressful affair.

In fact, Are You The One is one of the three costume dramas that really kept me engaged in since the beginning of the year. The other two dramas are The Legend of Shenli and The Double.

I recommend this drama to those who love inner court dramas like The Story of Ming Lan and The Sword and The Brocade ;
smart heroines like the two precited dramas, The Story of Yanxi Palace and The Court Lady ; Love Like The Galaxy ;

As a novel reader, I'm really happy with this drama adaptation given the restrictions. It was first slated as a two-parts drama but to be able to release it in one shot, they had to cut it down about 10 to 15 episodes.

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Very overrated tv series drama of custom history !

I've finished watching it.... I'm disappointed, throughout 40 eps, the story is only to discuss fake marriage and how the main male hero must win back the heart of the main female.

Yes, even though it was successful & finally officially married towards the end of the story, but the socio-political intrigues & wars within the empire were cut completely.

There is also a very crucial 3-month time skip in the middle of the story, maybe because it was censored, banned because there were elements of a political & military coup against the legitimate ruler.

The ending is happy.

But the last 10 eps, seemed very rushed, especially the last 5 eps.

Too many characters appeared & were wasted throughout the story, because the total eps were only 40.

Moreover, the female protagonist, it is unclear why at the end of the story suddenly becomes a tough martial artist like her husband who is a famous warlord.

WTF.... Total score value is only 7 out of 10. Got a score of 7 more because the female protagonist is very beautiful, bro.

If she wasn't there, I would give a total score of only 5 out of 10.

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Lord Huaiyang

It was a series that I liked and watched. I was curious. I waited for the episodes. That's why I can say it's a good series. It attracted me with its plot and story. The actors were very good. In fact, what makes you watch the series are the story and the people who portray it. There was a good CAST. They were compatible. Apart from the leading roles, our supporting roles are also of high quality and did a very good job. They made it watchable. There were minor mistakes. I got bored in some episodes. Because it was too long. Trivial events were squeezed in to fill the gaps. They seemed to be smirking. But when you look at it in general, it is a series that is watched with pleasure with a good story, good acting and good management and plot. I recommend it to everyone.

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