I didn’t plan on watching A Beautiful Lie (你的谎言也动听) but the low ratings surprised me. So, I decided to give it a go to see why viewers have rated this drama as such especially when the leads aren’t exactly new faces and do have their fan base. Now that I have completed it, I can understand the reason for the not so flattering reviews. In fact, it took me quite some time to finish it as it was a chore to sit through all the 36 episodes. I will elaborate on my thoughts in my review of A Beautiful Lie below.
My rating: 6/10
Episodes: 36
Type: Romance
Aired: October 2024
Images credit: Douban Movie
The Cast Of A Beautiful Lie
- Oliver Chen Xing Xu as Xing Zhi Zhi
- Zhang Yu Xi as Qin Fei
- Wang Sen as Liu Yan Ze
- Chen Hao Lan as Luo Xiao Xiao
- Lin Xin Yi as Ke Fei Fei
- Yang Bing Zhuo as Yu Zhe Cheng
- Zhao Xiao Su as Ren Si Qi
- Zhu Jia Qi as Chen Shen
- Rong Rong as Qin Fei’s mother
- Ai Rui as Xi Xi
Main Characters
Xing Zhi Zhi
Zhi Zhi was a thoracic surgeon turned rehabilitation doctor. He is a caring doctor who is good at what he does. Zhi Zhi has a crush on Qin Fei and has been quietly following her news for a number of years. He also has an elder sister, Xing Zhi Zu, and a nephew.
Qin Fei
Qin Fei is an actress. She was a dancer but switched to acting after an injury. Qin Fei is sassy but has a warm heart. She would stand up for herself when bullied and is often misunderstood by the public due to negative publicity. Qin Fei has a poor relationship with her mother while she lost her father to an accident when she was a girl.
Supporting Characters
Liu Yan Ze
Yan Ze is Zhi Zhi’s friend. He was a special military officer in the past and is now a rescue officer and security consultant. He is a sentimental person but also practical. Yan Ze can be stubborn once he has made up his mind.
Luo Xiao Xiao
Xiao Xiao is an award-winning actress and a popular celebrity. But she is a down-to-earth and amicable person. Yan Ze is her ex and she still carries a torch for him after so many years.
Ke Fei Fei
Fei Fei is Qin Fei’s personal assistant. She genuinely cares about Qin Fei and serves her loyally. Fei Fei knows that Qin Fei is a good person with a kind heart unlike what is reported in the press.
Yu Zhe Cheng
Zhe Cheng is a thoracic specialist. He is also Zhi Zhi’s colleague and good friend.
Ren Si Qi
Ren Si Qi is QIn Fei’s manager. While he wants her to accept programs that she doesn’t like at times, he genuinely cares about her progress and well-being.
Chen Shen
Chen Shen is a rich man and the owner of an artiste management company. Xiao Xiao is under his management and Chen Shen has secret feelings for her.
Qin Fei’s Mother
Qin Fei and her mother have a poor relationship and they often quarrel. Her mother has since remarried after her father’s death and has a son with her current husband.
Xi Xi
Xi Xi is a young girl who has injured her leg following a landslide. She is a runner in school and idolizes Qin Fei’s rival.
Synopsis
Qin Fei was a dancer who had her career cut short by injuries suffered during a terrorist attack. She was saved by Zhi Zhi who is a doctor but she couldn’t recall that he was her savior during those critical moments.
Qin Fei and Zhi Zhi meet again 5 years later. She is now an actress while he has been quietly following her news and developing feelings for her. He gets her to appear in a medical volunteering program with him and this helps her to get to know him better. As he pursues her, her heart begins to melt but her past unhappy experience makes her wary of a long-term commitment. Hence, she has always has a flippant attitude towards love and relationship.
At the same time, Zhi Zhi is also afraid of telling Qin Fei that he was the one who saved her in the past. This is because she’d rather die than be saved if she had known that she couldn’t dance again back then. She was a talented dancer and dancing was her life. While fate brought them together, would they be able to overcome all the obstacles for their relationship to flourish?
A Beautiful Lie Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
A Beautiful Lie tries to end the story in a vague manner but the implied conclusion is Zhi Zhi has died in a remote country. He has gone there to look for Xiao Jia in order to heal from his past trauma. Qin Fei has cooked up the narrative that XIao Jia is still alive to help Zhi Zhi to face up to his past and recover from his mental illness. Although Zhi Zhi did recover while he is there, he ends up being abducted by some crooks for his money and goes missing before he could meet Qin Fei who has flown over to meet him.
We are not told what exactly happened to Zhi Zhi but he remains missing after a year. Qin Fei tries to put on a brave front but keeps lying to herself that Zhi Zhi is still alive. She seems to be suffering the same hallucination that Zhi Zhi did and is seeing his psychologist who advises her to let go. At the end of the drama, Qin Fei got drunk due to her misery and dreamt that Zhi Zhi has returned. She goes to look for him after awakening and finds him. They are seen hugging as the drama ends but the implied understanding is it is Qin Fei’s dream or hallucination.
Fei Fei and Zhe Cheng are getting married. She doesn’t want to get married when Zhe Cheng proposes to her in Episode 33 but changes her mind after witnessing what happened to Qing Fei and Zhi Zhi.
When Did The Leads Get Together?
Zhi Zhi’s never-ending love and concern towards Qin Fei despite her non-serious attitude towards love slowly melts her heart. She kisses him in Episode 11 but feels awkward over it the following day. So, she tells him not to waste his time on her in Episode 12 but he insists that he doesn’t mind and that it is his choice to make. Qin Fei says the same again in Episode 13 and just wants to be friends. She has a fear of loss as she had lost her beloved father at a young age. To her, love can change and become a burden or forgotten. While Zhi Zhi likes her a lot, he respects her decision and stops pestering her.
Qin Fei then has a change of heart and starts pursuing Zhi Zhi for a change in Episode 15. He doesn’t like her frivolous attitude but still loves her and cares about her just the same. He arranges a confession dinner for her in Episode 16 and she is willing to slowly open up her heart to him. They officially become a couple in Episode 19 after Zhi Zhi shielded her from a falling fire extinguisher. His sister also advises her not to overthink about her relationship with Zhi Zhi.
Qin Fei recalls that it was Zhi Zhi who saved her 5 years ago in Episode 20 after a traumatic moment with a stalker and Zhi Zhi came to protect her just in time. She feels that it is fated that they are entangled with each other.
Mental Illness
All along, Zhi Zhi has a psychological problem that he hides from Qin Fei. In Episode 24, it is revealed that Xiao Jia is Zhi Zhi’s hallucination and the root of his mental illness. He deceives Qin Fei that he is on secondment to Australia while he hides in Xi Xi’s hometown to try to get better in Episode 25.
Qin Fei finds out Zhi Zhi’s real location at the end of Episode 26 through her brother’s intelligent deduction. She goes to look for him in Episode 27 but he is unwilling to share his illness with her initially which makes her angry. Zhi Zhi finally opens up in Episode 29. He met Xiao Jia and his mother while being a volunteer intern in a third world country called Suman. Xiao Jia’s mother shielded Zhi Zhi during a rebel attack. Before she died, she pleaded with Zhi Zhi to save Xiao Jia who was also shot. Zhi Zhi operated on Xiao Jia but lost him on the operating table when rebels continued to attack. Xiao Jia’s death has haunted him ever since.
Qin Fei assures Zhi Zhi that she won’t leave him even if he can’t overcome his mental condition after he shared his story with her. She also wants him to propose to her once he recovers in Episode 30.
Is There Any Breakup?
Zhi Zhi decides to break up with Qin Fei in Episode 33. This is because his medication for his mental illness is making him emotionally wooden. His inability to feel means it would be unfair for Qin Fei to have to put up with him. He also fears that he can’t get better and love her as he should. However, Qin Fei refuses to give up on him.
When Zhi Zhi receives news from his friend in Suman that Xiao Jia might still be alive, he decides to return to the country to look for the boy. However, it is revealed in Episode 35 that the news is a deception concocted by Qin Fei and Zhi Zhi’s psychologist as a last resort to get Zhi Zhi to face up to his past. Zhi Zhi gets better while in Suman and returns to his normal self. He calls Qin Fei to share the good news and tells her that he can feel his love for her again.
Xiao Xiao And Yan Ze
Xiao Xiao and Yan Ze are revealed to be past lovers in Episode 11. Both of them have not moved on although 5 years have passed. In Episode 14, Xiao Xiao tells Yan Ze that she can’t accept being dumped by him in the past. She wants a reconciliation since both of them are still single. However, Yan Ze rejects her proposal and insists that they are not suitable for each other. He broke up with her back then because he had been assigned to go on a dangerous mission. Her rising success also made him hesitant.
Xiao Xiao refuses to give up and makes Yan Ze an offer to be her bodyguard. He rejects her offer initially but takes it up after discovering that a stalker is secretly hounding her in Episode 15. Xiao Xiao knows Yan Ze still has feelings for him in Episode 17 and asks him to reconsider their relationship. She also learns from his ex-teammate that he broke up with her because of his dangerous mission. However, Yan Ze insists that he has moved on and quits being her bodyguard after the stalker has been caught in Episode 19.
Third Parties
With Chen Shen pursuing her, Xiao Xiao decides to give it a try in Episode 20 after Yan Ze’s continued rejection. But they break up in Episode 22 as Xiao Xiao knows she still has feelings for Yan Ze and it won’t be fair on Chen Shen as a result. Chen Shen agrees to give her more time to get over Yan Ze and is willing to wait until she is ready. At the same time, friends also try to set Yan Ze up with a nurse who asks him to consider getting together in Episode 23. But it also didn’t work out as Yan Ze still has Xiao Xiao in his heart.
Yan Ze also thought Xiao Xiao has hooked up with Chen Shen until the 2 men bump into each other in Episode 28. Yan Ze realizes that Xiao Xiao has been suffering because of him through Chen Shen. This makes Yan Ze pursue Xiao Xiao again. He apologizes to Xiao Xiao and asks for a reconciliation. Xiao Xiao is unwilling to give him another chance unless he is honest with her about the reason for their breakup in Episode 29. Thus, Yan Ze has to admit that he broke up with her because he felt inferior to her with her success as an actress. But now their different status doesn’t bother him anymore as she is what matters. They reconcile after the frank exchange.
Yan Ze proposes to Xiao Xiao in Episode 30 and she accepts. She goes public with their relationship in Episode 31 and falls pregnant in Episode 34.
A Beautiful Lie Review – A Hard To Swallow Ending
Personally, I find that there is nothing beautiful about A Beautiful Lie. After having watched it, I can completely understand why there are so many negative reviews on this drama. The main problem to me is that the drama takes a serious topic of mental illness and tries to produce a sweet romance out of it. It takes a really good script to make this kind of story work because sombre issues and fluffy romance just don’t go well together unless you turn it into a serious melodrama such as Will Love In Spring and South Wind Knows.
However, A Beautiful Lie tries to be lighthearted and comedic at times especially in the first half. By the time the serious issues come in, I had lost interest and just wanted to get it over and done with. This is because I find there is nothing romantic about hiding one’s mental illness from the person they love. Basically, the guy pursued the girl and got together with her without telling her that he has this particular mental issue. It may be under control but he hasn’t totally recovered either. This is where it gets iffy for me and the romance is no longer enticing.
Furthermore, It is a bit of a drag as well to watch the progress of the various couples’ relationship. Filler scenes are put in to lengthen the drama and I think this could have been better with fewer episodes. There is no urge to binge and it took me a long time to complete the whole drama. The ending is another level of nastiness for viewers which I suspect is the main reason for the brickbats.
Ending Warning (Spoilers Alert!)
My main gripe with the ending is that we are not told what exactly happened to the male lead. He is only presumed dead since he has been abducted and missing for a year. This gives room for the female lead to hallucinate and lie to herself that her beloved is still alive. Now, it is her turn to become depressed and have mental problems like the male lead did before her.
While many other dramas also have one of the leads dying such as Snowfall and Love Is Panacea, they are done in such a way that the ending makes sense and is expected. Viewers are gradually led down that path. In A Beautiful Lie, the death is unexpected and unnecessary to close off the story. This is one of the reasons why the ending leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It is fine to have an unexpected ending but it must be done right. In the drama, the male lead is cut off in a very abrupt way.
So, if you want a happy ending or something that ends with more positivity, avoid A Beautiful Lie. I can bet that it will leave you feeling shortchanged in some way. Furthermore, it is not exactly a great romance to start with. The leads also share screen time with 2 other couples that you may or may not like.
Multi-Couples
The second couple consists of a celebrity actress and a rescue officer. He dumped her 5 years ago but they still have hidden feelings for each other. She wants him back but he says no because of their different status. So, the relationship ding-dongs back and forth since they are still mutually attracted to one another. If you like second chance romances, this couple may resonate more with you than the main couple. However, their chemistry isn’t the best though.
The third couple doesn’t really have that much screen time but they are the cutest. The girl is the female lead’s assistant while the guy is the male lead’s colleague. She has the upper hand in this relationship as he listens to her most of the time. This couple’s romance is largely problem-free and lighthearted in contrast to the numerous problems of the other 2 couples in the drama. To me, they are more like a filler couple to add a few more scenes to the overall story.
Of course, the side couples can’t be overshadowing the main couple. Hence, their stories are not going to be as well-developed as the main pair. At times, I do feel like they are unnecessarily lengthening the drama with 2 extra couples. But I guess if you like multi-couples kind of romance drama, A Beautiful Lie will be able to offer that variety to sustain your interest.
Acting & Chemistry
Both Oliver Chen and Zhang Yu Xi have enough experience behind them to carry out their roles in A Beautiful Lie. Oliver Chen plays a doctor with a mental illness and he could project the change in body language and facial expressions required for his condition as the drama progresses. Zhang Yu Xi plays an actress who is direct and sassy which is nothing new for her. Many of her roles have more or less the same vibes and personality including Guess Who I Am which was aired in the earlier part of 2024.
The 2 leads have enough chemistry between them to keep the drama sufficiently interesting. I don’t find their chemistry to be explosive though. They are sweet and some of their scenes together are heartwarming but that is about it to me. In other words, they are watchable but I doubt most of us would be waiting anxiously for them to be paired together again for another project.
My Verdict – Can Skip
In my opinion, there is really no strong reason to watch A Beautiful Lie. In fact, the ending alone is probably a good enough excuse to give this a miss for many. Personally, I couldn’t care less anymore by the time I reached the second half of the drama. The mental health theme just doesn’t resonate with me with the way the story has been written. I’m not an expert on mental health and hence, I cannot comment on whether the lead’s mental illness has been accurately depicted or otherwise in the drama. However, the romance lost its luster to me when there is intention to hide the illness on one side and a certain level of clinginess on the other.
In the first few episodes, the drama gives me the impression that it would be a light, sweet, and fluffy kind of romance. This kind of vibe just doesn’t jive well with something as serious as mental health issues that arise down the road. The drama ends up trying to straddle 2 contrasting feels and it becomes neither here nor there. It is not that sweet or fluffy and it is also not that melodramatic as it should. Overall, it gives me the feeling that the scriptwriters didn’t really know which direction to take and what they want to achieve with the story.
So, for this review of A Beautiful Lie, I would give it a score of 6/10. Unless you are a diehard fan of the leads, there are bound to be better dramas than this one to spend your time on. But if you do choose to watch, just beware that the ending might not be what you expect.
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