Are You the One (2024) - Cdrama Review

This drama is a long-awaited one by many fans due to its excellent cast and the fact that it is a novel adaptation. The story revolves around a woman, Liu Mian Tang, who has amnesia and mistakes a powerful prince for her husband. The rouse is kept up by the prince, Cui Xing Zhou, to extract information about his mysterious enemy, Lu Wen, from the woman as they live together. Romance is at the forefront of the drama as the political schemes take a smaller role.

PROS:

The drama was captivating to watch, especially in the beginning, when two leads were attempting to figure out their life as a married couple. The reserved character of Cui Xing Zhou slowly opens up throughout the length of the drama, becoming more carefree and humorous. Liu Mian Tang develops their relationship, her own business, and slowly her memory begins to return. The chemistry between the actors is great and evolves through the length of the drama.

I loved the main couple, but the relationships of the side characters to our main leads as excellent. Mian Tang and Xing Zhou develop, and so do their relationships with other characters and their trust in their friends and family members. The side characters are unique, but their backstory is limited to give more screen time to the main leads.

The progression of the plot line is well-done. The closeness with the novel helped the drama's storyline and consistently left me wanting to watch the next episodes. I enjoyed the second half of the drama, which is rare for historical Cdramas as they tend to drag on towards the end. The political part of the drama was not enjoyed by all viewers, but I felt that it was well executed. In only a few episodes they wrapped up the political turmoil and gave a hint to the futures of the characters' lives.

Lastly, the aesthetic of the drama is not overly controlled. Many Cdramas have a focus on aesthetics, which I generally love, but the visuals of a drama cannot compensate for a poor plot and characters. In my opinion, the limited attention to aesthetics indicated confidence in the drama and a focus on the characters and plot.

CONS:

Overall, this was an excellent drama and closely followed the novel. I would have liked to see some more acting range from the female lead actress. Her acting is good, but she lacks range in acting negative emotions like anger and sadness.

I also feel that viewers expected more from the ending of the drama. After the political plotline was completed the story ended quite quickly. I love seeing the happy future moments in historical dramas. It gives a sense of completion and reward for having to see the turmoil that the characters experienced.

CONCLUSION AND RECS:

This drama's quality, plot, and overall acting left it to be one of the best historical Cdramas of the last few years. It had some of the best pacing and character depth, which were drawn from the novel it is based on. I would give it 8.7/10.

My recommendations if you enjoyed this drama would be:

The Double (2024) - One of the most popular historical fiction Cdramas of the last year. It is known for its great plotline, incredible acting and chemistry, and picture-esque production. I was so impressed by the acting in this drama and the villans of the drama were truly unique. (8.9/10)

Blossoms in Adversity (2024) - Another amazing historical fiction Cdrama, one which is more light-hearted than the recommendation above. It stands out in the brilliance of the female lead and the relationship of the leads as equals. The appeal of this drama lay in the female character, her brilliance, interactions with other characters, and ultimately her growth. (8.6/10)

Other recommendations that are AMAZING:

Story of Kunning Palace (2020) - (8.7/10)

Love Like the Galaxy (2022) - (8.8/10)

My Journey to You (2023) - (8.7/10)