What If (2024)

Choice A or Choice B, live life without regrets

This is not your typical rom-com. The drama’s concept of “what if” is that the female lead is at a crossroad and has to choose between two paths. The drama shows us how these two choices play out at the same time in a parallel sort of way (think the USA movie Sliding Doors). In episode 3, the drama splits in two. Timeline 1, the female lead gets off the bus and stays at her small town with her loving boyfriend. Timeline 2, the female lead stays on the bus and moves to the big city for work. Both timelines are real.

Note, this is a female centric drama so the whole story focuses on Zhong Chu Xi two characters. There are two male leads Liu Xue Yi (small town boyfriend) and Lin Yu Shen (boss in the big city) which I felt shared almost equal screen time.

“Live life without regrets” is the message of the drama that the writers executed perfectly. The best thing about this drama is that it doesn’t sugar coat anything. It shows us the realistic and very human side of life. Relationships are not perfect, they are messy, filled with miscommunication, confusion but also love and warmth. Life is not perfect either and we should cherish the happiness we have, even if sometimes it’s only a little bliss. No choice is wrong or right, we just have to take it all in and navigate through the ups and downs of life.

POSITIVE:
- Realistic story about flawed characters with relatable and real life issues.
- No sugar coating. The drama always keeps it real to make sure we remember that sometimes real life does not work like a cute rom-com.
- Unique plot with deeper meaning about life behind it.
- Real life problems. The drama shows us raw and flawed communication between people that might not be considered healthy but it’s very much authentic to real life.
- Cute romantic scenes.
- No fillers or side stories. Almost all scenes show the main lead’s story (the female lead and her two male leads).
- No cheating. Even though there are two male leads in the story, the female lead doesn’t cheat and there are no love triangles.
- Realistic portrayal of life's highs and lows.
- Blend between daily mundane life in a small time vs a lavishing lifestyle in the big city.
- A mix of very sad and very heartwarming moments.

NEGATIVE:
- Melodrama vibe. The characters were constantly going through many challenges which made the drama very stressful to watch at times.
- Third party vibes. There is no cheating and no love triangles however the female lead does end up dating another man in one of the timelines so for some people that might be difficult to watch.
- Transitions between the two timelines are not always clear and sometimes it takes a few moments to realise we are watching the other timeline. You really have to pay close attention to not confuse the two timelines. It would have been better if the two timelines were more distinguishable, whether with different colours or the female lead’s appearance.
- Female lead being the scapegoat. The writers wanted to create more engaging drama for the viewers but at the cost of their female lead. Unfortunately, a lot of the times I felt all the problems and conflicts steamed from the female lead.
- Happy ending for both timelines however it also felt a bit open. I wish the drama showed us a few years into the future in each of the timelines.

OVERALL:
If you want a melodrama vibe, with a realistic story about flawed characters and the raw portrayal of messy relationships, watch this drama.

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
“We should cherish the happiness we have, even if it’s a little bliss”
“Whatever road you may choose, you may regret. But once you decide, you have to go on. It will end well”

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In two timelines: how to find that something less common in life ?

Two timelines run at the same time. In the third episode, when the female lead gets on the bus, the second timeline begins. In the first line the story continues with her in the small town, continuing her interaction with her childhood sweetheart: Yu Jian. In the second timeline, it's Xia Guo who didn't give up on going to Shanghai and now she will have another story with another man in her life, her boss: Xue Yu Ming.
The two male protagonists (Yu Jian and Xue Ming) have completely different profiles. But, the one who has the most screen time is Yu Jian (Liu Xue Yi) who crosses both timelines, and will have to make choices in both timelines.
What will be most extraordinary about Xia Guo's choice that we will know at the end of the drama? The choice she makes in each timeline is to get to know that something more extraordinary, less ordinary in life.
________‾_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Observation:

I think the third boyfriend in the story won't be as important in the plot. The two men in her life: Yu Jian and boss Xue Yu Ming. (but there are two stories happening at the same time).The First Xia Guo chooses to stay in the small city and continue her love story with Yu Jian. The other Xia Guo gets on the bus and chooses to go to the big city and gets a great job. And at a certain point she gives up on Yu Jian completely and starts a love story with boss Xue Yu Ming.
What I want to say is: some say that the male lead is Xue Yu Ming. But in reality it's as if there were two male leads (who win the heroine) each in a different timeline. These male leads (Yu Jian and Xue Yiu Ming) are completely different, they are like water and wine. So: whoever prefers the charming boss, says that the male lead is Xue Yu Ming. Those who prefer the naive, honest and loyal male lead, attached to their family and their dreams of starting a family and never giving up on taking care of their parents, those who prefer this profile more (will say: Yu Jian is the male lead).
However: what happens is that the one who has the most screen time is Yu Jian. He crosses both timelines, he will have in both timelines also make diametrically opposite choices.
But in practice: There are two dramas in one drama, with their respective heroes. But they are two distinct genres of drama (forming a single TV show).

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Amidst some of really bad reviews here, I actually really enjoyed this drama, so much that I finished the whole 20 episodes in one weekend. I and very rarely finish watching a drama, due to story dragging on, chemistry fizzled out, or merely just distracted with busy life. But this drama is able to hold my interest until the end.

The FL is not always likeable but she is a human afterall. There are 2 ML in this drama, one is when she stayed in her hometown, and the other one is when she decided to leave to Shanghai. I like both of them equally. Personally I think Xue Yu Ming is the one that matches more with her personality. Yu Jian is the perfect guy: handsome, very talented and very understanding of FL, accepting all of her flaws. But he wants a simple life, while FL wants to go out to sea (so to speak). One of their conversation which I found so sweet was when FL said that the opportunity to go to Shanghai is rare. Which Yu Jian replied that having meals with a Xia Guo (FL) is also a rare opportunity.

I was afraid of the ending. I'm happy to report that it has a satisfying ending. I would prefer a slightly different ending, but the ending depicted in this drama really fits with the character development of Xia Guo.

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Could have been better with more episodes

First of all: this drama had a great premise, however, it ended up sounding superficial - to me - due to the lack of space for development.

Although I didn't like FL's relationship with her first love, I still think that their story is much more solid and has many more elements than the FL's romance with the CEO. In fact, the boss is much more mature and interesting, while Yu Jian is a mama's boy who wants his girlfriend to drop everything for him. It is for this reason that, despite everything I will mention in this review, I did not supported Yu Jian at any time.

Speaking of the FL, since the series is about her, I think that, despite being very independent and ambitious, she can also be immature - I still can't accept how she acted towards the CEO's daughter - and dependent. That's why I thought it was really good when Xue Yu Ming left for Singapore. This helped her becoming more mature and make a solid foundation for herself.

Talking about Xue Yu Ming, he is a at least, sane, character indeed, but he also didn't know how to communicate and sounded manipulative to me. Anyone who says that he didn't take advantage of the FL's moment of fragility - the breakup - to seduce her, will be lying!

And speaking of Xue Yu Ming and Xia Guo's relationship, the chemistry was is undeniable between the actors - chemistry, this, which doesn't exist with the other male protagonist - but their story didn't convince me. It was all too fast, too superficial and extremely based on their work. Even the dialogues were about work. At least we had good kisses. lol .

That's why more episodes would be needed to reach the level of depth that the first couple had - which, in fact, doesn't necessarily mean that the two were good together, just that they had more history.

Finally, I found the drama touching in several ways. I felt bad about what Guo Guo went through on the first path; and I don't think Yu Jian deserved her. In my opinion, they both wanted different things and did not want to abandon their own lives; They loved each other indeed, but not enough.

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Very FL centric drama with multiple men suitors and more like LXY filler low budget drama

Overall it's a parallel world drama where it mainly focused on FL experiencing a family life in a small town vs a career life in a big city. The story is annoying and full of red flag characters except Yu Jian played by LXY. He's the only charming sweetheart and loveable character in the whole show. The plot and editing look like they don't put serious effort to write the script and edit the transitions.

It's more uncomfortable when the drama revolves around FL but FL character and acting has no charm or likeable points in both Leshan and Shanghai line. I only manage to like her performance a bit when she's being heartwarming to Yu Jian. Other times, no. It's no wonder the actress is often said to have zero chemistry with her costars in her past projects.

LXY is handsome, sweet, charming and the best actor here for Yu Jian. However the drama is annoying with illogical characters who got the most exaggerated illogical stories so for LXY fans who accidentally come for him, just treat this drama as filler, he got much better and bigger costume dramas coming soon with better plots and casts(AMBF and KMLM)

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The Road Not Taken

I am surprised to see the low ratings on myDramalist as I thought the premise of the drama was interesting and not your usual run-of-the-mill romance. The 'what if' of the road-not -taken is something that many people would have thought about sometime or other. This drama portrays the 2 different routes taken by Xiao Guo, the FL. Both routes are valid in their own light although I would say that Xiao Guo came to life in her Shanghai life. The story tells of how life seemed to result from missed opportunities and the opening up of new possibilities. A poignant moment is in Episode 19 when Xiao Guo and Yu Jian reconnects and each remembers the events that caused them to part.
Interestingly the actress Elaine Zhong seemed to have taken on roles of a strong and independent woman in her other dramas such as Born To Run and Rising With The Wind. I enjoyed watching her in these dramas as she characterises the modern woman carving a path for herself. In What If, she is able to portray the difference between the Xiao Guo of Leshan and Xiao Guo of Shanghai. This drama shows the issues that face women as they try to balance their career, motherhood, being in a relationship.
Altogether it was a good drama although I felt that 20 episodes could have been extended a bit more.

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Story about life choices of being content vs career driven in a fast-paced big city.

What If is a melodrama about life choices that Xia Guo needs to face and accept between being content with her current life in a small town or being a career-oriented woman in a fast-paced society in Shanghai. Does the grass seem greener on the other side?

My Reviews:
1. The plot is okay. It is about life choices, and it does test one's ability to be content or to chase the dream of living a fast-paced life in a big city.
2. The acting is good from the entire cast, especially Elaine Zhong. She is a good actress who can play both emotional and strong-minded girls.
3. It is predictable because, in the end, I know that her character is content to be married to her childhood sweetheart and build a family with her.
4. The bottom line is her character is more family-focused rather than career-oriented focus.

It is a decent drama with good acting. I am giving it a 7.5 rating.

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Difficult to understand

What If" is a complicated drama that delves into the profound impact of choices on one's life. The female lead faces a pivotal decision: remain in her hometown or move to Shanghai to fulfill her dreams. The drama explores the consequences of each choice in a non-linear, multi-timeline narrative.

Synopsis Understanding:Initially, the protagonist decides against going to Shanghai and starts a family. Four years into her marriage, she has a beautiful son and is a homemaker while her husband is the sole breadwinner. One day, she follows her husband and sees him with another woman. This incident makes her wonder what would have happened if she had chosen to pursue her dreams in Shanghai.


Shanghai Scenario:The narrative then shifts to an alternate reality where she moves to Shanghai, starts her career, and maintains a relationship with her boyfriend. However, a tragedy in her boyfriend's family leads to misunderstandings and their eventual breakup. Her boss becomes a significant figure in her life during this time, providing support but also creating complications.

Parallel Timelines:From the 12th episode, the drama splits into two parallel timelines: one where she marries her boyfriend and leaves her job, and another where she continues her relationship with her boss. By the 17th episode, a third scenario is introduced, adding more complexity.


Key Events and Confusion:In the 9th episode, she returns to Shanghai after a breakup and her boss intimate with her . Later, in the 11th episode, she initiates a kiss with him, creating confusion because here her boss said to her you started first means this their first kiss so what was that in the 9th episode . This ambiguity suggests multiple timelines rather than a single linear story.

Themes and Reflection:"What If" highlights the importance of decision-making and its long-lasting impacts. It emphasizes that regrets are inevitable but one must focus on the present. The drama also underscores the necessity of compromise and understanding in relationships. In the married life timeline, the couple's mutual understanding and compromise lead to a happy ending.

Conclusion:In conclusion, "What If" is a thought-provoking drama that illustrates the complexities of life choices and relationships. It shows that while regrets are inevitable, embracing the present and maintaining strong relationships through compromise and understanding can lead to fulfillment.

Final Thoughts:We never get a second chance, so we need to think deeply before making decisions. Regrets will always be there, but we need to forget them and enjoy the present. Compromise and understanding are crucial in any relationship. The protagonist's married life succeeds because she and her husband understand and support each other.

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I really loved this drama , yes people might find it confusing when the second timeline starts. But if you pay close attention to the Female leads monologues it will be easier to understand the switch. I personally liked the second time line , the one where her love interest is her boss. In the first time line although I love the boyfriend, I found his mother very irritating . All the actor did a great job playing their respective roles. The Female lead is not your usual chinese cute Female lead , but ,more matured one, and I really liked this. Overall, the drama was worth the time I spend on it, again this drama is not everyone's cup of tea. I think it has low rating mainly because people is confused about the switch between the two time lines and also few people misunderstood the second time line as the Female lead cheating on her boyfriend, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE. So, yes don't go with the rating on viki and just give it a shot and pay close attention the switch, if you do these two things , you will love the drama like I did. Hope my review was helpful :)

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Good concept, slowly slips.

It’s a very interesting idea! To show two separate lives our FL could have lived based on one initial choice. It was exciting at first, but as the episodes went on her hometown life became quickly boring and repetitive (meanwhile her life in Shanghai maintained interest). I do like Li Xue Yi as an actor and his character here was nice enough at first, but he became very dull. It might be because we start off with him and the FL already together- it’s a little more interesting to watch a relationship develop (like the FL’s relationship with Xue Yu Ming does). But, I lost interest in that as well eventually- unfortunately.

By halfway through I wasn’t really sure what else could come from this. Both realities seemed to reach their peak (proposal & dating), so I didn’t have the desire to continue really. It was enjoyable enough and I am not dropping due to it being bad, I think it just lost it’s charm.

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