Akuma to Love Song (2021): A Review
*Please note that this piece might contain some spoilers (although spoilers that you might like)*
The Story: Negotiator, set in New York City, Shanghai and Hawaii, is about how Tong Wei, a brilliant Chinese negotiator and the heir of an American-Chinese conglomerate and Xie Xiaofei come together at the negotiation table, falling in love after the initial argumentative foreplay. Their love, however, is short-lived when Tong Wei finds out that Xiaofei’s family was involved in her parents' deaths. Years later both Tong Wei and Xiaofei meet up again at opposing ends of the negotiation table.
Thoughts so far: Interesting plot with a great cast, but why do the characters need to be so annoying 99% of the time? Is there logic in that? Also, where is the advertised connection to Les Interprètes? In the non-existent translations or in Yang Mi’s performing the main female role? But hey, she also played the female lead in Eternal Love. Hold on, Negotiator is set in current times!
Zitao as Xie Xiao Fei
The character: Obnoxious do-gooder American born Chinese kid with a purpose: protect his comatose mother, challenge his father every step of the way and build an eco-resort in the middle of nowhere, hoping his wealthy dad will back him up! He falls in love with Tong Wei and pursues her, seeing in her the Yin to his Yang. Poetic yet...accurate!
Thoughts: Do you have any common sense? Why do you keep biting the hand that feeds you? Playing the rebellious card only works due to your family’s affluence! Try to live an ordinary life without your Ferrari and grow up! You’re too old for a babysitter to change your diapers and clean your mess despite your good nature! Hell is after all full of good intentions!
The idol actor: Zitao is amazing to watch on screen! Amazing with those EXO vibes, with that idol style that he effortlessly pulls off. Granted, sometimes Xie Xiao Fei looks like Zitao but hey it’s baffling in a giggling kind of way and so utterly entertaining to watch! He makes the chic bad-ass boy a decent human being. Is that even real, one wonders…in total utter awe. |  |
Yang Mi as Tong Wei
The character: Analytical negotiating genius! She lives with her aunt, uncle and cousin, who’s jealous of her, so jealous that she's a textbook copy-paste immature Shanghai Jenny Humphrey version without the fashion style or the connections to grant her entry into New York Fashion Week. Don't you just miss Serena, Blair and Chuck? Well, you're not getting any of that! Tong Wei is calm and rational and…so bland, it's like eating food without salt! She hates Xiao Fei until she realizes how kind he is as a man and falls in love with him.
Thoughts: Why don’t you tell Tian Yu that you don’t love him and ask him to give you some space, and why above all don’t you see that he’s using you? For someone so smart, you’re rather dumb! Also, it might be plausible to choose the job over love if you can’t have both, but you can always have both if you’re willing to be patient, trust yourself and the man you love, and have the courage not to give up on either!
 | The actress: Yang Mi is flat. After epic mind-blowing Eternal Love where she showed compelling acting skills, here they’re uncompelling. It’s like watching a movie in colour and then suddenly having to watch one in black and white. |
Dylan Kuo as Qin Tian Yu
The character: A successful lawyer that loves Tong Wei and is what he is due to her help in key negotiations.
Thoughts: Two things: one, if you can’t do your job well, either go back to basics and learn or do yourself a favour and change jobs! Hey, you might be happier to do what you love without depending on anyone to save the day as obviously, you’re struggling to do it yourself or too afraid to fail if you can't? Two, that psycho-love for Tong Wei whom you profess to love by putting your arms around her whenever you see competition and taking her out to drink is so 1950’s. Do you not get that we’re in the 21st century? Need a reminder? We’re in 2018, check your calendar kiss-ass upstart wannabe.
Wolves can pretend to be sheep and act accordingly, but long term, the call of the wild is stronger and their nature is revealed. Meaning: better an enemy that you know rather than an enemy posing as a friend to get to you!
 | The actor: Dylan is spot on as a foe pretending to be a friend with his constant poker facial features and his mono-cordic voice, but unfortunately his character is one befitting the wolf in The Three Little Pigs Disney movie rated PG13 reflecting his mew acting. |
The underdog kickass team...of new recruits
They might look like greenhouse flowers but they're definitely not that...despite appearances!
Jiang Ke is...smart and cute and funny!
Qi Qi is a naive girl whose mother overprotects her. She's kind and genuine and will have a key role in a negotiation involving...cats!
Don't underestimate them! "The tiger and the lion might be stronger, but the wolf doesn't perform in the circus." This means that while they are considered the weakest team in the CAEA, like a wolf, compared to a lion or tiger, the strongest team may be occupied with fighting for more power, whereas the wolf is more intelligent, strategic and sly in the accomplishment of its goals, giving itself the upper hand. One word: witty!
Watch it or not? Watch it!
Zitao steals the show every single time!!!
...when he offers his first class seat to a 60-year-old lady who's not feeling well on the plane... |  |
 | ... and stops his car for a kitten... |
...you fall in love and when you realize it, you’re so deep into the drama you won't want to let go! My advice is: don’t!
Watch it or not? Don't bother!
Yang Mi & Dylan Kuo are like expensive shirts after being dry-cleaned and ironed: |  | valuable, beautiful and flat; always the same without a consistent improvement over time! Sad and pointless! |
If you're still unsure though, take a look at the trailer: Trailer Here
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