Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25


I really shouldn't have picked this drama to watch now, as I am trying to adapt to the reality that my son is leaving the nest and going off to college. “I Belonged to Your World” is not making it easy for me when the central storyline is about a devastated adult son who travels back to the past to prevent his mother from marrying his dad. Instead, he wants his mother to marry another classmate who he thinks is the ‘destined’ one and can change his mother’s life for the better.

It’s not really hard to follow the logic of this time-travel drama and imagine how this story is going to unfold and end. The best part and the saddest part of this drama is the fun, touching and crazy mother/son bond. Liu Yi Tong, who plays the future son, Qi Shuo, is excellent in this drama. I’ve never seen him in anything, but he plays the role of cupid and a loving son convincingly. He’s the brightest star and the glue of this show. Qi Yan Di (as Qi Yue) and Jerron Wu (as Lu Xiao) aren’t bad either.

When the mother/son bond is so well-written, the romance pales in comparison. I was initially expecting a cute and fluffy romance, but I don’t think I got a great one. It was fun to see how Qi Yue bulldozed into Lu Xiao’s life with the help of Qi Shuo. However, in a way, it was also very pushy and stalkerish. The chemistry between Qi Yue and Lu Xiao isn’t bad, but also not super convincing. There are times when I thought to myself that Qi Yue doesn’t really like Lu Xiao all that much. She’s more in love with her son, and wants a son more than a boyfriend/husband. I do enjoy watching Lu Xiao slowly falling in love and also feel bad for him in the last couple episodes when he doesn’t seem important at all even at his own wedding.

But if I look past the romance and focus more on the main plot and the reason for the time-traveling, I really enjoy the scenes of Qi Yue, Qi Shuo and Lu Xiao. They really do have great chemistry together as a trio and as a family. The last few episodes brought tears to my eyes.

The rest of the supporting cast is fine. I don’t find anyone too annoying but the roommates don’t really play any important roles. This is a lower budget drama with some editing issues and plot holes. I would have liked to see more scenes of the future, not only of the mother/son duo, but also of Lu Xiao.

All in all, I had a good time watching it. First and foremost, this is a drama about the strong bond between a mother and a son. Their fun banter, care and love for each other makes “I Belonged To Your World” worth watching. If you are looking for romance only, I will not recommend this. This is indeed a heartbreaking yet happy drama.


Completed: 8/25/2024 - Review #476