Lost Romance (2020)

Une excellente romance, drôle et intelligente

Je suis tombée sur cette romance un peu par hasard, parmi une liste de séries taïwanaises sur Viki. Il faut reconnaître que les Taïwanais ont l’avantage de nous offrir des dramas souvent originaux, modernes et au jeu d’acteur relativement spontané si on le compare à plusieurs de leurs voisins. Et je ne regrette pas un instant d’avoir découvert cette pépite qui joue avec les codes de la romance tout en présentant plusieurs niveaux d’analyse, à la manière d’un millefeuille vraiment sympathique et savoureux.

Zhen Xiao En est une jeune femme travaillant dans une petite maison d’édition spécialisée dans les romances très stéréotypées, mettant en scène le cliché du « PDG autoritaire » à toutes les sauces. Pour se détendre, elle fantasme elle-même sur He Tian Xing, le beau PDG pas si autoritaire de l’immeuble en face. Coincé au cœur d’une lutte de pouvoir au sein de l’entreprise familiale, ce dernier tombe (ou est poussé ?) du toit de l’immeuble. Bien qu’il soit gravement blessé et dans le coma, il touche le poignet de la jeune femme qui le croise pendant qu’on déplace sa civière lors d’un transfert. Xiao En tombe à son tour dans le coma et se trouve transportée dans l’univers d’un roman où le PDG autoritaire appelé Si Tu Ao Ran possède les traits de Tian Xing, et où elle se rend compte que l’héroïne de l’histoire est l'une de ses collègues, une pure et naïve jeune fille destinée à vivre la romance écrite par l’auteur, tandis qu’elle-même doit incarner une antagoniste. Connaissant par cœur les ressorts de ces histoires stéréotypées, Xiao En est bien décidée à en changer le cours et à vivre sa romance avec le beau PDG. En filigrane, les complots et les coups bas continuent à se produire dans la réalité.

J’ai adoré cette histoire, non seulement parce qu’elle ne cesse de jouer avec les codes et de s’en moquer, mais également parce que chaque épisode (ou presque) a réussi à me surprendre. Que ce soit par un dialogue intelligent, la tournure de certaines scènes, une réponse de l’héroïne qu’on n’attendait pas forcément, ou encore le niveau d’analyse sur les clichés des romans d’amour et des dramas, la série révèle une profondeur qui nous fait réfléchir, non sans tendresse et humour au passage, sur ces romances qui font vibrer notre cœur. Ajoutez à ça des acteurs efficaces (et tout particulièrement le héros drôle et sexy en diable), une héroïne forte et indépendante, des personnages loin d’être unidimensionnels et même une « méchante » dans le monde réel à qui on épargne des dialogues simplistes et qui parvient à émouvoir, et vous obtenez un drama qui vaut sans conteste le détour.

L’héroïne est attachante, déterminée, intelligente, et surtout elle ne se laisse pas faire. Si au début elle rêve du beau PDG d’en face comme nous le ferions toutes, l’occasion de vivre cette romance avec un ersatz de celui-ci dans une réalité parallèle puis de devoir interagir avec le « vrai » après son réveil permet aussi d’aborder de façon intelligente la question des frontières entre réalité et fantasme, d’autant que les deux hommes n’ont pas du tout la même personnalité. Quand la copie est devenue réelle, le seul amour de sa vie, tandis que le modèle est devenue la copie, on vit avec elle la douleur de sa perte et de son deuil une fois revenue dans le monde réel. De quoi nous torturer les méninges, et de nous faire réfléchir au jeu des apparences et à ce qui sépare un homme "idéal" et un être de chair et de sang. L'acteur jouant le PDG s'en sort d'ailleurs très bien en incarnant deux personnalités différentes, tour à tour amusant et émouvant, sexy et strict, mais attachant dans tous les cas, et l'on comprend aisément que l'héroïne ait craqué sur lui pour autre chose que sa belle figure.

L’ami du beau PDG dans le monde du roman est aussi particulièrement touchant. Incarnant le « 2nd lead » condamné à tomber amoureux de l’héroïne de façon unilatérale, et devoir sans cesse donner sa bénédiction aux tourtereaux sans jamais voir de fin heureuse à sa propre histoire, il va se révéler plus intéressant et surprenant qu’on ne s’y attendait. L’occasion d’évoquer au passage le processus d’écriture et de nous interroger sur ce que deviennent les personnages une fois que le livre est refermé. Je pense sincèrement que les scénaristes disposaient de l'espace et du contexte idéal pour prendre davantage de risques le concernant, dommage qu'ils n'aient pas été jusqu'au bout de l'idée, malgré tout ça ne m'a pas empêchée d'apprécier l'histoire et la fin satisfaisante qui lui est réservée.

Voir un héros ou une héroïne transporté(e) dans un monde parallèle n’est pas nouveau dans les séries, mais la manière dont le sujet a été traité rend l’histoire originale et sympathique. Tant l’humour que l’émotion sont au RDV. Toutefois, le drama n’est pas exempt de défauts, même s'ils ne gênent en rien le plaisir que j’ai eu à le voir (et la note que je lui ai attribué, parce que vraiment, ça le mérite). Par exemple, l’histoire commence à perdre un peu de son rythme vers son troisième tiers, une fois que les personnages sont réveillés. A ce moment l’intrigue prend un autre virage, il ne s’agit plus de vivre uniquement une jolie romance pailletée dans un monde idéal, l’histoire d’amour n’est plus la même dans la réalité et surtout, les conflits internes à l’entreprise et les luttes de pouvoir reviennent sur le devant de la scène. Sachant que chaque épisode dure 1h11, et qu’ils sont au nombre de 20, il est normal au bout d’un moment que l’on soit pressé d’arriver à la fin. Ensuite, j’ai trouvé les incessants interludes particulièrement énervants. A chaque moment « crucial » se présentant environ toutes les dix minutes, l’image se fige, on nous balance la petite musique et les images de titre, venant couper notre élan, puis on reprend l'histoire avec un bout de dialogue qu’on avait déjà vu avant, ce qui gênait souvent mon immersion et m’obligeait à avancer de 10 ou 20 secondes pour rester dans l’ambiance. Si l’on ajoute le fait que certains spectateurs sur Viki n’ont pas le Pass (abonnement payant) et qu'en plus des interludes il y a également des coupures pub toutes les 10 minutes, pour cette partie de l’audience je devine que ça devient vraiment chiant de le visionner pépère sans faire des bonds d’agacement après les énièmes interruptions. Enfin, sans remettre un seul instant en question le physique de l’actrice principale, je trouve vraiment dommage qu’on l’ait affublée d’une des garde-robes les plus pourraves qui soient. Où avaient-ils la tête ? Sachant que la plupart des acteurs de la série sont très bien sapés, ou ont au moins des fringues qui ressemblent à quelque chose, pourquoi fallait-il donner à l’héroïne une tenue informe et terne dans chaque scène ? D’où leur vient l’idée que pour qu’un spectateur lambda s’identifie au personnage principal, il faut lui donner l’air le plus moche et passe-partout possible ? Personnellement, sans m’habiller de façon très originale, j’évite au moins de porter des serpillières donc non, je n’ai pas besoin d’avoir un perso mal fringué pour me sentir proche de lui, désolée. Quant à la coupe idiote qu'on lui colle dans toute la partie où elle est plongée dans le roman, elle la fait ressembler à un télétubbies et ne lui rend vraiment pas justice. On a bien compris que si le héros s'intéresse à elle, c'est pour ses qualités intérieures et non pas pour son apparence, mais il n'y avait nul besoin de forcer le trait à ce point car cela en devient presque gênant pour elle, surtout à côté de ses collègues élégantes. Mais passons.

Mis à part ces quelques bémols, parce qu’il en faut bien quelques-uns, je ne peux que conseiller à 100% cette romance géniale et intelligente. Méta-analyse du sujet qu’elle présente, amusante, avec des acteurs drôles et sexy au jeu assez naturel et des personnages attachants, elle est plus profonde que le résumé nous l’indique au premier abord. Si, une fois revenus dans la "vraie vie", le côté thriller est un peu moins passionnant et qu’on regrette parfois le monde un peu plus "coloré" de la réalité alternative dès lors qu'on s’approche de la fin, l’histoire reste très plaisante à suivre et cerise sur le gâteau, on nous offre de belles scène romantiques et sexy à souhait (le fameux « steamy kiss » des tags de MDL). Moi qui fait rarement attention à l’alchimie entre deux acteurs parce que c'est logique pour des professionnels censés jouer leur rôle correctement, pour le coup cette alchimie est évidente à l’écran. En bref, si l’on recherche une romance à la fois originale, bien fichue, contenant plusieurs niveaux de lecture et souvent surprenante, ce drama est idéal. Une très chouette découverte.

Lire davantage

Une romance décevante

Je ne ferais pas partie des fans de ce drama. Il n'est pas mauvais. Mais il n'est pas bon non plus. Je dirais moyen. Pas une seule fois mon coeur n'aura eu des fluctuations avec leur couple. J'étais ravie de trouver un autre drama de ce style après " the romance of Tiger and Rose " et "Extraordinary you". Mais là où "the romance of tiger and rose" transcende le genre et nous fait éclater de rire du début à la fin, où "Extraordinary you" nous emmène dans un grand huit magique avec des personnages de BD secondaire (et non des être humains transportés dans un manga), je trouve que "Lost Romance" n'arrive pas à décoller. L'héroïne est ennuyeuse. Elle a bien sur les qualités d'une héroïne, droite, intègre, qui se doit donc de se démarquer de la fausse héroïne. Mais je n'arrive vraiment pas à la trouver pétillante, "jolie" (car la beauté est subjective) ou même drôle. Il m'est alors difficile de comprendre comment les deux "Lead masculin" puissent avoir des sentiments pour elle. C'est bien sur, un avis personnel qui n'engage que mes goûts et ma perception des choses. Mais elle n'est typiquement pas le genre d'héroïne qui me fait sourire. Je la trouve au contraire frustrante et un chouia " lourde" ([spoil]cette façon qu'elle a de poursuivre Marcus est un peu lourd[/spoil]).
Marcus Chang est diablement séduisant, cela ne fait aucun doute dans mon esprit. Mais je ne le trouve pas attachant, plutôt froid et avec peu d'émotion sur ses expressions. peut-être -suis-je influencée par "love is sweet" que je regardais en même temps et qui ont des personnages attachants, drôles, dont le couple a une alchimie incroyable. "Lost romance" parait alors bien fade. Même leur scène de baiser (pourtant passionné et qui plaira à ceux qui trouve que les scènes de baiser ressemblent habituellement plus des smacks) et de "lit" n'arrive pas du tout à faire battre mon coeur. Je trouve que cela va trop vite, et que leur relation a pris une tournure trop rapide et dénuée de romantisme.
J'aime beaucoup Simon Liang et j'étais ravie de le retrouver ici après "Youth"...Mais quelle déception. Ils lui ont donné un rôle presque inutile. Un rôle de faire-valoir. Il n'y a aucune étincelle d'amitié, de bromance entre lui et Marcus, pas de peps, rien, si ce n'est des dialogues insipides...
Les histoires d'amitiés entre les personnages féminins n'ont pas de consistance non plus. Les amies de Xiao En ne sont là non plus que pour ajouter de la popularité au Lead Féminin, du soutien.
J'ai donc été plutôt déçue.

Lire davantage

If you're sick of the typical tropes in Taiwanese romance novels or in Taiwanese/Korean/Japanese romance dramas, then this one is for you.
Kind of like Extraordinary You and W: Two Worlds in that main characters travel between a fictional literary world and a "real world," but more focused on the love line and hilarious references to other works in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

The leads are all eye candy and the dialogue is friggin' hilarious. If you have been watching Korean drama in recent years you would understand some of the references a little more -- they paid homage to Crash Landing On You, Secret Garden, Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, and more. The way the main characters describe drama tropes is A+ and if you regularly consume rom coms you'd understand -- "oh, shower scene again?!" "how do people kiss in the morning? did they even brush their teeth?"

Unfortunately, while the story spends so much effort making fun of tropes, it later on becomes tropey in itself and thus slightly hypocritical, with a nasty second female lead and unexplained attraction between male and female leads. It's almost as if the leads are in love because "the writer wants them to be," so that was disappointing :( (especially since the female lead is a regular consumer of romance novels and would understand the power of warm second male leads! Why she falls in love with the first male lead is ???? to me, though I see why it's necessary for plot development LOL.

I would also appreciate it more if Qing Feng could make a greater comeback in later episodes -- as the real world writer, for example.

Still would recommend for the comedy factor, and if you like to ship leads -- the second male lead here is superb. I love his character so much and the script didn't do him enough justice :(
The rewatch value goes to the many joke scenes, like the certain kdrama remakes :0)

Lire davantage

Iconic romantic drama!

Best Taiwanese drama ever! Great storyline, music, visuals and graphics.
As for the storyline I really liked how the FL managed to break the stereotypes of FL despite of being shy,emotional,pity character the FL was brave, independent smart and quirky and fought for her love until the end. Marcus chang really portrayed two characters well, from changing into an overbearing, arrogant CEO to calm ,composed CEO. The switching of roles were portrayed really well. Second ML was also very good in terms of acting. I really liked how ML chased the FL until the end despite of getting rejected again and again. The chemistry between the leads was great and full of sweet moments. If you are looking for an iconic, fantasy, emotional romantic drama it's highly recommended. Don't jump into conclusions early the plot is outstanding . Overall it's 10/10 drama for me.
Kudos to screenwriters,cast,crew and dramasettv channel for bringing this drama. I really wish that lost romance drama gets recognised in international platforms and become a major hit series in other countries also. Thanks to all people who bought this amazing drama to viewers in times of pandemic where people are so sad and depressed. These type of dramas really lighten mood in free time.
Note: Watch this drama it's highly recommended for viewers who are looking for an iconic rom-com drama..

Lire davantage

So freaking worth the hype!

OMG I just finished this drama and I'm so in love. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a love story.

It's quite rare to find so many good things in a drama, but this one is truly a gem. They did a great job not only turnig a "complicate/confusing" plot into an interesting one, but also wrapping all the loose ends with a pretty cute bow.

The main leads have OUT OF THIS WORLD chemistry, I mean, the PDA was heavy and they were on FIRE. It was honestly one of the most risqué scenes I've seen in a asian dramas. It also had a great amount of skinship to satisfy your romantic naughty heart (it does feel like you are reading those books with "weirdly" enticing covers of half naked man).

So we have an amazing cast and I was not disappointed by them, either the main or the secondary leads.
Vivian Sung did a great job with the Female Lead. She was independent, so funny and had an awesome guilty pleasure (I mean, who has never fantasized about a domineering, handsome CEO? ;) ) and her friendship with her BFF was so relatable that I missed hanging out with mine in this quarantine. I have not seen any other work from her, but now I sure will.

I'm overly suspicious to talk about Marcus Chang (I'm a fan, the man can act, sing, dance...), but he was so good doing both characters!! He was a classic domineering sexy beast of a CEO, with a soft heart and in dire need of the right one (oh be still my heart).

Well nothing is perfect, so the drama did have some flaws. We do get annoying characters, I mean He Tianxing had the worst family in "real" life, and he doesn't have a normal reaction to them (I mean they treat him horribly and he kind of let it all go, and I'm like: - Dude, get a spine and kick the toxic people out of your life!"). And the "real life" part of the drama was the boring part, BUT I promise you, all the other parts are so worthy!

All in all it was a beautiful romance and definitely a great watch (specially now that you don't have to wait a whole week for the next episode).

Lire davantage

Decent Cross World Love Story Filled with Chemistry

Usually, while I watch dramas, I would take notes on what stood out to me as ridiculous, well done, etc. However, it's draining to feel like I'm tearing dramas apart instead of enjoying them for what they are. For this drama, I decided to just watch it for what it was. So, this review may sound like it's quite choppy.

Some warning notes for the drama:
- CHEMISTRY ALERT
- kisses overload in last half
- second lead syndrome

ACTING/CAST/CHARACTERS (contains some spoilers)
Marcus Chang's dramas have been on my to-watch list for the longest time. This was the first of his works for me and it was quite a delightful first peek of his acting. I think apart from the earring on Aoran and no earring on Tianxing, Marcus did great at depicting these two characters (or at least I felt the distinction between the two). Tianxing felt colder and closed off, while Aoran was more open.

This is my second time watching Vivian Sung. It's been a couple of years since Our Times and her acting doesn't disappoint. If I'm being honest, her character/Xiao En isn't quite likable in the first third of the drama. I can get past the whole drone stalking aspect, but Xiao En's response and actions in the novel weren't my cup of tea. I do enjoy that she's not a white lotus or a green tea one. That slap, MAD respect for Xiao En for doing that.

Simon Lian made me question where he's been during all of my drama binge-watch moments. Give this guy more lead roles! He's bound to steal more hearts! Qingfeng was so well written, except for that one moment towards the end of the novel. For a moment there, I thought he was selfish as in wanting someone to suffer with him and was going to turn evil. It was just me reading it wrong for a bit there, but the writers making him come off that way didn't vibe well with me. I do know that he is just trying for the sake of his own happiness, but it contradicts his character whom most of us have come to love.

MUSIC
I think the lyrics match the storyline of the drama. It may be a Taiwanese drama thing, or I'm just paying more attention to lyrics in dramas now. There were some scenes where the music was quite too loud for my liking, especially when there's a serious dialogue going on. If the music doesn't add to the dialogue or pauses of the speech, it would sound noisy, even if it matches the scene's mood. I do really enjoy the slow motions and certain scenes where the music gets inserted in at the perfect timing. That aspect kind of gave me "The Wolf" vibes, even one of the instrumental reminded me of it. Again, this could be Taiwanese-style editing.

RE-WATCH VALUE
This drama has a good re-watch value due to how entertaining it is. Personally, I probably wouldn't re-watch this again. While it was entertaining, there were quite some scenes where I wouldn't sit through again. This may have to do with personal preference and that I'm still not quite used to Taiwanese-style dramas.

STORY/OVERALL (contains spoilers)
There were some loopholes and aspects where it doesn't make sense. It was easy for me to overlook this because the bulk of the plot took place in the novel world. With that, I let most things slide. If you have read translated novels, it feels exactly like how they depicted the novel world in this drama, making it feel like a parody for me. You can tell that the writers thought it through connecting the two lifes/worlds to make sense. I've seen many plots where scriptwriters will write things and expect us to believe it/ignore the massive gap.

For me, this story only started to pick up at episode 9 when Qingfeng starts realizing his feelings for Xiao En. There were a lot of boring scenes and scenes I could have done without. For example, the real-life parts where we see He Tianxing's half-brother and sister plotting against one another was quite anti-climactic. I had to fast forward and sometimes skip all these parts to get back to the novel storyline.

To be honest, Situ Aoran's character is complete crap, and I was surprised that he is supposed to be the better half. I wouldn't fall for this guy and wouldn't even try to get him if I was in Xiao En's position. If it weren't for the fact that he looked like Tianxing, she probably wouldn't give him the time of day (at least I'm assuming she wouldn't have). Aoran only started to get on my good books after Xiao En got locked up in the bathroom.

The plot took on a crazy loop to finish the novel and continue to the real-life world. There was a lot of cringe-fest going on, on my end of the screen. I think the best part about this drama is the chemistry between the two leads. It was so good that I eventually stopped feeling sad for Qingfeng for being the second male lead. And it was so good that I forgot how much I disliked Situ Aoran at the beginning of the drama.

I can surely say that this is the first time in a long time that I've experienced a huge second lead syndrome. I can't really recall when the last time I had a second lead syndrome. However, not in a way that I wished Xiao En ended up with Qingfeng. I just purely enjoyed Qingfeng's character and rooted for his happiness in general. I am happy that he finally got his happy ending and is not wandering anymore. Would actually really love to see him in his own leading roles and will follow more of his works.

I enjoyed Chuntain and Xiao En's friendship with one another. When Chuntian told Xiao En, "I love you", I got teary at this line as well. We clearly saw and felt their strong bond through it all, even when we didn't see much of Chuntian. Even when the same actress was playing Qiutain, it wasn't the same bond and feelings.

Also, just a little note, if you watch the opening scene and the short intermission scenes, it spoils the plotline.

Lire davantage

The best Taiwanese drama of 2020

At first I started watching this drama, because some aspects of the story reminded me of W: Two Worlds and Extraordinary You.

I found the first episode a little tedious, but the following episodes stuck me in the story and since then I was looking forward to the next episodes.

I admit that I liked the story better when it happened in the book, because the plot in the real world, for me, was a little tedious

About the characters, I loved the female lead and the way she made fun of the romantic cliché stories. This role was made for Vivian Sung and I loved her in this role.
The first lead irritated me at times and until halfway through the drama I shipped the protagonist with the second lead.

Speaking of the second lead, he was one of the best characters in this drama, I loved his attitudes and I loved the ending that the story gave him.

Now for sure the character that I hated the most in this drama was Chuchu, at first she was very annoying and then when she started to become friends with the female lead I even started to like her, but I hated the way that the story turned her into a villain, I think it would be much better to leave her as a friend of the principal, without creating an unnecessary female rivalry.

In summary, this is a very cute and romantic drama that will surely bring you some good laughs and you will be addicted to the story and hope that the couple will be together soon.

The ost of this drama is also perfect and for sure many songs will stay in your head and you will probably want to put them in your playlist

Lire davantage

An okey drama but nothing special

My expectations were quite high for the drama and I did enjoy some parts of it but frankly speaking it is not as good as its rating suggests.
Mainly because the real world part of the plot is quite lame and poorly thought out. The whole ML's siblings' struggle for control over the corporation is downright ridiculous and feels like a third rate soap opera. Almost all the characters of the real world are either unsympathetic or unremarkable.
The part where the FL finds herself in a novel is actually much better. It has some really funny moments and heart-warming scenes. The only weak point of the novel part of the plot is the cringe worhty episode about FL and ML abduction by an evil character that came out of the blue and totally ruined the famous sex scene that happened immediately after.
I must say the love story both in real world and the novel did not impress me much. It was mildly amusing at best. By the end of the drama I was more interested whether the ML sister and her assistant would be together or not. The issue is that in the novel the FL is in love with the ML almost instantly. It feels quite unrealistic and shallow. That's why her and Qing Feng gradually growing sympathy is more believable and makes more sense.
The drama definately has a good cast. I liked all the main and almost all the support actors and actresses. Especially gorgeous Marcus Chang who portrays two different persons here with such an ease. My favourite here though is Simon Lian. I think his acting and charisma made Qing Feng the most likable character in the drama. The Qing Feng true story would make a great plot for a drama actually.
On the whole I do not regret watching the drama but I definintely won't rewatch it.

Lire davantage

This is stay-up-all-night drama for me!

I have recently been in a slump, where I get bored after the first-kiss in dramas, but this one keeps the interest up throughout. There is no slump in the middle or end, and even the surrounding side-plot is relevant and interesting enough that I barely skipped ahead, where I skipped I did only because I needed to know what the FL and ML were going to do next. Also the chemistry is great and the acting is really good.
At it's heart, it is a story about personal growth and integration of suppressed personality traits.
Watch this for the heart fluttering and thrill:
.
Entering Spoiler territory:
.
.
.
.
.
.
The setting is interesting and for people who watch and read a lot of romance-plots there are so many hilarious moments, with a very self-aware FL. She is intelligent and witty throughout, even when all the people around her are cookie-cutter romance novel characters (which is so well done, like none of them have background stories, families or lives of their own) and I love how both the FL and ML are so different and more realistic in the "Real World" part of the story, because in the "Book World" the FL often acts outrageous, because she knows nothing can really happen to her, its a novel after all, nobody really gets fired or killed there, especially if you are the FL and ML is your overbearing, never-smiling CEO, who is only nice to the FL. Their actions are well-explained, which I always find important. FL acts crazy, because once in her life she can. ML acts rude, because we only see his "dark side".
But all of this makes sense in the end, because the ML, at death's door and having lived all his life to get recognition from his father, finally needed to face all of the things he had stuffed down in his psyche and FL also needed a playground to be fierce, crazy and brave in, living her life as timid corporate slave before, constantly needing to escape via romance novels. Afterwards both are changed and "whole", in themselves and together.

If for nothing else, watch it for Marcus Cheng playing He Tianxin as he melts away. Trust me, it's really good.

Lire davantage

How many times needs this series to change its form to finally work and be fun?

I have noticed while ago that Marcus Chang is GEORGEOUS. I watched three of his previous dramas in a row (all the titles starting with letter 'B') which I might else not finish to the end, just to keep looking at his face (okay I dropped the 3rd one, LOL). Had he starred in something really thrilling (romantically or otherwise) I think I would probably explode:) Instead, I slowly like, fell asleep in my admiration. The 'Lost Romance' received pretty promising ratings but from reading about it, I got the impression this shall be morelike a mocking of romantic genre than a strong piece of it itself. Still, I tried watching.

First episode was boring for me and I kept watching only to not drop this before it begins. It indeed only begins in episode 2. The heroine finds herself INSIDE her favorite romance novel. The leading guy looks exactly like the guy across the street she's got a huge crush on (because he looks like Marcus Chang:) else he is just like the book character (ridiculous name, gay looking shirt, ridiculous behavior towards women), the real world guy probably acted differently but we barely got to know him, so who cares. The romance book line is indeed (mockingly) over the top, but then again so it's the "real" one (characters DO have typical drama behavior even there, also there's the evil step-sister capable of murder and everything). So the only difference is one line of the series takes itself seriously. It's the one I wanted to drop in episode 1.

So, was I only watching the "inside-the-book" line from then on? More or less. In the other line, both the lead male & female kept lying unconscious in the hospital and there were mostly scenes with the side-characters only. So, I did continue to skip it.

The dreamy guy wearing Marcus Chang's face has someone else (both the book and the off-book version). There's a couple of clear 'Hana Yori Dango' references - or clear to me, as I am such fan I see it in everything - so our main heroine, despite not being the saint-like romance lead, can surely catch the main guy's eye with her antics. After all, not all the romance heroines were the angelic type, right? But then, she quickly falls into being a vile side-character, bullying the angelic girl. And the romantic hero sees her that way! What now?

Now whatever she does, her hero ends up in romantic moments with the angelic girl. It's practically annoying:) To be fair, Vivian Sung isn't that much of a looker and the angelic girl IS prettier than her... There is one plus guy also pining for the angelic girl, of course. He is not acting so exalted as the main one, just cute, rather. Resulting in him being actually more likeable: it's clear he represents the "second lead syndrome", here. Everyone shall gradually like him more than the lead... And so, poor Marcus Chang once again landed the role that despite his attractive looks, turned out to be not that attractive.

But! Then she moves into his house as his housemaid (big LOL:) and finally the proper fun setting starts. See, the viewer like me would not be satisfied with romance mockings only, usually I would wish for some of it really working (the scene where he rescued her from the icing truck looked the best, so far). But then, this series heroine knows she's actually just lying there in hospital. So, she can enjoy certain liberties no other romance heroine can:) To watch her behaving with such anarchy was kinda fun of its own:) I started enjoying since episode 4. Episode 5, my fun got even greater. Almost whole runtime got filled with their interactions. Though it's kinda pitty Marcus Chang never seems to have a leading lady who would match him in looks, his romantic hero obviously never enjoyed himself better than with this naughty "heroine":) And I enjoyed watching this couple's antics. But! It ended soon.

Yeah, pitty they changed things back in episode 7... She's back working at his office. That is just not so funny like when she was his housekeeper! Typical weak script, going back and forth. She's back interacting with the SECOND male most of the screentime... And he IS likeable. Very. So it's like you really start to like certain pairing, and when you're enjoying them the most, they tell you: "Sorry, a little change!" And then you really start to like the different pairing, LOL. It suddenly feels like that the first guy is practically forgotten. There is even a scene where she bumps into him not looking, doesn't even stop to notice him and just leaves. Kind of symbolical. Still, the 3 "housemaid episodes" featured just fun in concentrated form. Now it seems all the usual fillers are back in play. After all, we have TWENTY episodes to fill here...

The heroine who was to enjoy herself in her favorite romance genre now doesn't actually know whom should she romance sooner, as she works so well with both the guys. AND they both seem interested in her now, neither of them seems to care about the angelic girl anymore (only the office female side-characters seem to "care" about her). Vivian Sung's hairstyle and make-up in this series often looks so deliberately unflattering like she TRIES to look ugly. So it must be the bubbly personality? That does wonders. As the guys, both the first and second male, in truth, seem like they are BORED more than anything else (well, there isn't really any "drama", or anything happening). Still, the book story we were supposed to be inside of probably no longer works, if the angelic girl got out of the picture so easily. She IS after all the resident cinderella the both guys are supposed to like NO MATTER WHAT.

Now, the lead guy (or let's say the first guy? 'cause both the guys are actually the leads) suddenly keeps having flashes and dreams about the other, "reality" line. Which would mean the concept was shifted to some kind or 'Life On Mars' experience (another series I am a huge fan of to see it in everything:)

To expand the heroine's reversed-harem experience even further, third guy is introduced into her circle (of course he is also related/befriended with the first one). He might be a latecomer but he has bleached hair to stand out. He is called Moran so he has the best name, too. Just replace the 'a' with an 'o'. At the main girl's place, I'd date all 3 alternately. I'd put them on schedule:) It's not like that a single romance line here is consistent to enjoy, anyways.

Then, it looks like the screenwriter really started to run the guys like on schedule:) So, first they put some romantic scenes with the first guy back into the program. Hmm... Their kiss after 10 episodes of waiting is not a very good one. Ookay... turn for the second guy, again?;) And not forgetting the third one later:) Because it's better to move from that. (Still, I wonder who possibly could kiss the heroine on her hospital bed as it was emphasized so much that each TOUCH is interconnected with the other reality.) Then, she gets the romantic position in situations instead of the angelic girl (and she like, immediatelly jumps into the unocuppied seat of a villain girl... no longer angelic). Then, she gets scenes getting closer with the second guy, again... It's like a merry-go-round.

Btw, all this is 1/2 of the series. It feels long already as it didn't really run in one steady flow. Speaking of which, such is my experience with several romance dramas of late. It's like simple, good romance is something scriptwriters can no longer write. Maybe that's why 'Lost Romance'.

After it's shown that both his former girlfriend, the former angelic girl & his bleached-haired brother are capable of things they should not be capable of, the first guy declares love to our heroine (with the second guy firmly friend-zoned). So, after they rescue each other from these psychos, our couple is happily in his house again (she no longer a housekeeper though, lol) sharing a hot kiss & hot bed scene that is not short. But... there are still 8 episodes remaining. Good to finally know whose lovestory this is, but what do they intend to do with it now?

They started to dig into the connection in between the two realities. Well, what else could they do. Since episode 14 it starts getting really demented (something between badly written sci-fi or an unintended parody) and we can kiss goodbye the show that didn't take itself too seriously. So, the main couple's cute scenes are the only thing that save the whole thingy. Marcus Chang is charming in his role, but in which role he wasn't?;) Episode 15-16 on, we don't have chance seeing him other than just one reality version, though. Which is the version I skipped right from the start. I kinda wished to stick with that:)

I really wasn't interested in the off-book version of his character or the line with his insane sister (like I mentioned early episodes, this "reality" didn't seem like a reality either, it was morelike a typical corny drama). Meanwhile, the main heroine (who is SAME in both realities) spends all her energy to convince others the other reality "wasn't just a dream". But I watched different shows where almost everything happened in the main character's subconscious and it was not treated as an inferior story. Here, we're anxious to find some physical "proof" it all existed (one character produces a book in which it's possible to read about it, etc.), but what was more important for me was the fact I was REALLY bored this time. How many times should this series change its form to finally work and be fun?

By 16th episode this was VERY long (and inconsistent) experience and I couldn't believe it was STILL not the final. I did not understand how much they wanted to drag this dead thing and I did not understand so many praising reviews. HOW were the viewers able to enjoy this? I red a few but I don't get it, my experience is as I described above. Also, it CHANGED like every 3 episodes, therefore I used so many paragraphs, lol.

I'm afraid the quality of this show definitely isn't the scriptwriter, it's Marcus Chang only... The way he can look at a woman. Or if after a long time, there is a sudden smile on that face of his. At least director used this well. But it's not the first time someone did. Marcus Chang was amazing in all his dramas, no matter how dumb those were. When we're all back in the "reality" I was not interested in since the first episode, he only makes it bearable by being there. The only drop of humour in this reality (the only reality now left for watching) was the scene where Marcus Chang's off-book character was reading a girl-audience romance book and was trying to logically understand it, lol. Else it was tedious, or plain unwatchable: any scenes with his "real" family, which all belonged to the prison/pillowed cell, really like from stupid sixpenny paperback crime novel.

To spend THREE more long-runtime episodes in the off-book reality was dubious decision to say the least, just watching the opening credits (those are nice, perhaps better than the series itself:) Because most of the scenes shown in the opening credits are from the other reality, and even the characters (including the famous second lead syndrome) are actually gone from the series, now. It was like the spell was broken. What we were left with? All I can say is the return into "reality" was a disaster. Forget about playful mockings of the romantic genre. This was rather something to mock.

Rewatch quality: To tell the truth, series like this, even if this WAS a good romance, I would still crop the "other reality" intro and outro and used just the middle part for a re-watch. But, the good romance here lasted about 3 episodes, lol. So I won't bother re-watching it.

Overall, WAS this a perfect, "iconic" romance? You be the judge. Just take a look at this series' poster. Does romance have so many people? The poster is crowded, also it's double. I think it answers you best.

Lire davantage

Yan Qing Xiao Shuo within a Yan Qing Xiao Shuo

Lost Romance (LR) was linked to Romance of Tiger and Rose (RoTR) as both were aired about the same time and have similar concepts about main character stuck in a fictional story. However, as one watched on, one would soon realized that these are 2 different dramas.

RoTR is a more predominantly a romantic comedic series, and LR is a 言情小說 "yan qing xiao shuo" (romantic fiction). After the initial fish out of water, comedic moments of Zheng Xiao En getting pulled in and adapting to the fictional world, the drama took a turn to be more melodramatic as it slowly unraveled the past of Si Tu Ao Ran / He Tian Xing, mystery of getting stuck in a fictional story, and the power struggles that comes with being an Overbearing CEO.

Bear no mistakes, I still enjoyed this drama, especially the hilarious moments, funny dialogues (mostly from Xiao En), and *glups* the steamy scenes. However, I suppose it also a realization for myself that I have a higher preference to rom coms compared to melodramas. I also realized I have slightly grown out of the "Rude Male Leads with a past, so please forgive and love him" troupe when I kept rooting for Xiao En to fall for the warmer Second Male Lead, Duanmu Qing Feng in the fictional world. He Tian Xing is great, just that he is not Si Tu Ao Ran. Perhaps this how 言情小說 "yan qing xiao shuo" is.

Watch for the comedic element in the drama. And maybe if you love 言情 Yan Qing, you would personally enjoy it even more.

Lire davantage