A Date With The Future (照亮你) is a romance drama that spans across 2 professions and a time period of 10 years. That is where the future comes about – a promise to meet again in a decade. So, for those who like romances with a link to the past, this is for you. However, there may be some things that might put you off as well depending on your personal taste. I will elaborate further in A Date With The Future review below. Overall, it has its own kind of sweetness with some actions in between the love story.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 36
Type: Romance
Aired: June 2023
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook
The Cast Of A Date With The Future
- William Chan Wai Ting as Jin Shi Chuan / Captain Jin
- Zhang Ruo Nan as Xu Lai
- Ci Sha as Huo Yan Zong / Lao Huo
- Ren Hao as Lu Fang Qi
- Luo Qiu Yun as Zang Qiu
- Wang Zi Rui as Fang Huai
- Jia Nai as Yu Shi Shi
- Anson Qiu Shi Jie as Han Fang
- Zheng Xiao Ning as Wen Qing Guo
- Zhou Shuai as Liu Xu
- Yuan Ming Ze as Zhang Yang
- Li Jian Yi as Grandpa Jin
- Jiang Hong Bo as Lin Quan
- Huo Qing as Xu Cheng Yun
- Rimiko Li Jun Hao as Xiao Zhou
- Mao Xue Wen as Jiang Xin
- Dai Xiang Yu as Qin Ye
Main Characters
Jin Shi Chuan / Captain Jin
Captain Jin is a firefighter and brigade commander. He is a very capable and fit firefighter who takes his job seriously. He is reserved and impassive with no interest to date and start a family. Captain Jin is respected and revered by his subordinates. But he is also a man who is carrying deep scars from the past.
Xu Lai
Xu Lai is a reporter at the local TV station. She has just returned from the station’s overseas branch. Xu Lai is very good at her job and committed to reporting the truth despite the risks. She is a gutsy and tomboyish young lady. She can also be very direct and will retaliate when bullied.
Supporting Characters
Huo Yan Zong / Lao Huo
Lao Huo is Xu Lai’s best friend from their schooldays. Lao Huo is a wealthy entrepreneur and runs Yunkai Group which has various investments in its portfolio. He has a deep love for Xu Lai for a long time but dares not express his feelings.
Lu Fang Qi
Lu Fang Qi is a firefighter and Captain Jin’s subordinate. He is a cheerful young man who is warm and sincere. His love interest is Zang Qiu.
Zang Qiu
Zang Qiu is a general surgeon and doctor at the local hospital. She is a workaholic and appears as cold and stern. But she has a kind heart and hides a painful past.
Fang Huai
Fang Huai was a firefighter and Captain Jin’s best friend who died while on duty.
Yu Shi Shi
Shi Shi is a celebrity actress. She appears as high class and shallow.
Han Fang
Han Fang is Xu Lai’s and Lao Huo’s good friend from their childhood days. The 3 of them grew up together. Han Fang is a playboy and works for Lao Huo at Yunkai Group.
Wen Qing Guo / Commissioner Wen
Commissioner Wen is Captain Jin’s superior at the fire station. He cares for Captain Jin and hopes to see him settle down. He used to work under Captain Jin’s grandfather.
Liu Xu
Liu Xu is the squad leader of a firefighting team and Captain Jin’s subordinate.
Zhang Yang
Zhang Yang is a rookie firefighter who is the top performer during training. Hence, he is arrogant with an over-inflated self-confidence.
Grandpa Jin
Grandpa Jin is Captain Jin’s grandfather. He is a retired firefighter who is keen to see his grandson settle down.
Lin Quan & Xu Cheng Yun
Both of them are Xu Lai’s parents. They are divorced but still staying under the same roof. Lin Quan used to be a nurse while Xu Cheng Yun was a military personnel. They are always quarreling which Xu Lai finds frustrating.
Xiao Zhou
Xiao Zhou is an intern at the TV station and works under Xu Lai.
Jiang Xin
Jiang Xin is Xu Lai’s senior at the TV station. She is an evil-minded woman who is jealous of Xu Lai’s capability and recognition at work.
Qin Ye
Qin Ye is the Chief Editor and Xu Lai’s and Jiang Xin’s immediate boss at the TV station. He is supportive of Xu Lai and recognizes her talent as a reporter.
Synopsis
10 years ago, Xu Lai was trapped under the rubble following an earthquake. She was saved by Captain Jin but was traumatized by the experience. Captain Jin used his own way to help her to get over her trauma. Xu Lai saw him as her light in her moments of darkness. Before Captain Jin left the area, Xu Lai made him agree that they would meet again in 10 years’ time.
A decade later, Xu Lai is now a reporter with the local TV station. She meets Captain Jin again but he cannot remember that she is the girl he once saved. On the other hand, it has always been Xu Lai’s dream to get close to Captain Jin. She goes all out to pursue him but he has no interest in girls and dating. But her persistence eventually melts his heart.
Apart from romance, both of them are also committed to their jobs and all the dangers that they entail. When Captain Jin suffers a serious injury to his leg which may leave him disabled, their relationship is put to the test. This is complicated by Xu Lai’s good friend who also has a deep love for her.
If you want to know more, you can check out A Date With The Future summary for the complete story.
A Date With The Future Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
A Date With The Future has a happy ending after a tragic event. Liu Xu dies in Episode 33 in a fire at an oil refinery while Captain Jin ends up in a coma when he wants to bring Liu Xu out. Captain Jin wakes up in Episode 35 after dreaming of a crying Xu Lai and couldn’t bear seeing her alone and suffering.
After everyone has got over the tragedy, Captain Jin surprises Xu Lai with a marriage proposal. She is also planning to propose to him but he beats her to it. While trying on wedding gowns in preparation for the wedding, Xu Lai’s parents also decide to remarry. Lao Huo attends the wedding on Captain Jin’s invitation. The happy couple has their wedding ceremony in Episode 36. But the wedding celebration is cut short after they have exchanged vows as duty calls for the firefighters due to a major incident.
One year later, Captain Jin and Xu Lai are enjoying their married life. Xu Lai is not ready to have a baby yet due to their work commitments and she wants to further enjoy life alone with Captain Jin. They have a happy relationship and lighting up each other’s life. Lu Fang Qi and Zang Qiu are having an exciting dating life with an understanding that they will be dating a lifetime. Shi Shi decides to return home after a year abroad and is received by Lao Huo at the airport. She has figured out what she wants in life during the time away.
When Did The Leads Get Together?
Xu Lai chases Captain Jin right from the start. She asks him whether he wants to date her as early Episode 3 and confesses her love in Episode 4. But he keeps rejecting her. He even tells her that he can’t give anyone a promise and a future due to the dangerous nature of his work in Episode 6. When he says that he has no feelings for her, Xu Lai starts drinking and then kisses him on an impulse.
After another rejection and the kiss, Xu Lai changes tactic and acts cold towards Captain Jin for a change in Episode 7. In Episode 8, Captain Jin begins to develop a feeling of jealousy towards Lao Huo who is Xu Lai’s close friend but pretends not to care. Xu Lai seriously confesses her feelings to Captain Jin again in Episode 9. When she gives him a peck in Episode 10, he kisses her back this time. By then, they have spent one month together in a training camp and it is time for Xu Lai to leave.
Just when Captain Jin has decided to confess to Xu Lai, he hears that Lao Huo is known to be her fiancee among her colleagues in Episode 11. His anger only dissipates when Xu Lai explains that Lao Huo is only a friend in Episode 12. They become close again and officially starts dating in Episode 13 when Captain Jin asks her to be together with him after a dangerous life-saving mission.
Is There Any Breakup?
Yes, Captain Jin wants to break up with Xu Lai in Episode 18 when his knee injury is more serious than anticipated and might result in permanent disability. The injury is a result of old and new wounds. So, he pushes Xu Lai away without letting her know the reason. Captain Jin doesn’t want to be a burden to her and feels that he would not be able to protect her. He also makes an agreement with Lao Huo to withdraw from Xu Lai’s life before telling her that he wants a breakup.
When a bad guy kidnaps Xu Lai in Episode 20 due to her reporting and also to get back at Lao Huo for helping her, Captain Jin goes to save her which further damages his knee. An immediate surgery is required and Xu Lai only realizes then why Captain Jin broke up with her. She asks him not to push her away in Episode 21 and he agrees to a reconciliation. His leg also fully recovers following the risky surgery.
Is There Any Love Triangle?
Lao Huo has loved Xu Lai for a long time but is always hesitant to confess as they are best friends. So, when he sees Xu Lai is getting closer and closer to Captain Jin, he is hurt and disappointed. Lao Huo finally confesses to Xu Lai after getting drunk in Episode 12. Xu Lai is shocked and asks him to leave.
Later on, she apologizes to Lao Huo for not realizing his feelings earlier but clearly draws a line between them. She wants him to sort out his feelings first before they meet again as she doesn’t want to hurt him further. As a result, Lao Huo pretends to date Shi Shi in Episode 14 so that Xu Lai will be comfortable being friends with him again.
Lao Huo is not able to let go of Xu Lai and continues helping her on the quiet in her work despite knowing that she is in love with Captain Jin. Shi Shi couldn’t stand it anymore and tells Xu Lai that her relationship with Lao Huo is fake in Episode 22. Xu Lai is angry at Lao Huo for the lies which leaves him feeling miserable.
When Xu Lai is caught in an earthquake zone in Episode 27, Lao Huo is determined to get to her and bring her out. He meets her in Episode 29 but she refuses to follow him back. She tells him that she has a job to do at the scene and people she wants to protect. Furthermore, his manner of helping her is not what she wants. This makes Lao Huo realize that he has to let go because there is only Captain Jin in Xu Lai’s heart. So, he decides to protect Xu Lai as a friend from then on and wishes her well.
Why Zang Qiu Hates Captain Jin
Zang Qiu’s late husband is Fang Huai who happened to be Captain Jin’s comrade in the same firefighting brigade. The 2 men were the best of friends. Fang Huai was severely injured by a falling beam when he pushed Captain Jin to safety during a firefighting mission. He was badly burnt and died in hospital. Before he breathed his last, he told Captain Jin not to let Zang Qiu to see him in his badly burnt condition. Fang Huai wanted his wife to only have good memories of him.
Hence, when Zang Qiu arrived at the hospital to see her husband for one last time, she was stopped by Captain Jin from doing so. No matter how much she begged Captain Jin to let her in, he refused to budge in order to fulfill Fang Huai’s final request to him. That is why Zang Qiu cannot forgive Captain Jin. Zang Qiu reveals her story to Xu Lai in Episode 14.
Side Couples
Lu Fang Qi & Zang Qiu
Lu Fang Qi first met Zang Qiu when he is ordered by Captain Jin to reject a blind date on his behalf. He gradually becomes attracted to her despite her unfriendliness. Lu Fang Qi realizes that he has really fallen for Fang Qiu in Episode 13 when she rejects his advances and tells him that she is married. He decides not to give up his pursuit when he learns from Captain Jin that Zang Qiu’s husband had died tragically while on duty. He wants to make her happy.
After several rounds of rejections, Lu Fang Qi’s persistence finally pays off when Zang Qiu kisses him after a few drinks. But she brushes it off thereafter. Her heart finally melts after going through Lu Fang Qi’s notes to her. He has left her a notebook before going on a rescue mission to an earthquake zone in Episode 27. Zang Qiu couldn’t wait for him to come back and volunteers to join a medical team to the area in Episode 28. She agrees to be his girlfriend in Episode 30 after feeling jealous and tells him that she loves him for the first time in Episode 32. She is also there for him in Episode 34 when he is suffering psychologically following the death of Liu Xu during a firefighting mission.
Zang Qiu and Lu Fang Qi have a little quarrel in Episode 35 when she mentions that she has no intention to get married again. They reconcile in Episode 36 with an understanding that they will date for a lifetime.
Lao Huo & Shi Shi
Shi Shi meets Lao Huo during a dinner as part of her work commitments as a celebrity. When they were photographed together in Episode 13, Lao Huo takes the opportunity to strike a deal with her to be a fake couple in Episode 14. This is because he wants to make Xu Lai feel comfortable to see him again after she has rejected his love confession earlier. He wants to show that he has gotten over her and they can be close friends again.
However, Shi Shi ends up falling for Lao Huo. She confesses to him in Episode 22 after he becomes angry with her for telling Xu Lai about their fake relationship. While Lao Huo couldn’t forget Xu Lai, Shi Shi couldn’t let go of him either. When she learns that Lao Huo has gone to an earthquake zone to look for Xu Lai, she also becomes a volunteer there in Episode 28. While both of them are looking for Xu Lai, Shi Shi gets injured in an aftershock. After getting help for her, Lao Huo leaves to look for Xu Lai again. Shi Shi is disappointed and decides it is time for her to let go and move on.
However, it is now Lao Huo’s turn to want Shi Shi to stay when she asks for a termination of their contract and fake relationship in Episode 32. He also confesses that he has fallen for her in Episode 36 because she has changed him. But Shi Shi has decided to go abroad to further her studies. She wants to find her life direction after what happened. She returns a year later and Lao Huo is waiting for her at the airport with an open ending between them.
A Date With The Future Review – Poor Start But Gets Better
A Date With The Future can be a big turn off in the beginning. This is a blatant girl chases boy romance and I’m not sure how well that would sit with you as a viewer. Of course, in these modern times, it does not really matter who does the chasing. But the girl is very direct and knows what she wants. Not only that, she has set her sights on him 10 years ago. This is where it feels more like an obsession than love. He had saved her from the rubble after an earthquake. She was a teenager back then and it makes sense for him to leave a deep impression on her.
However, to keep pining for him for 10 years and project that as real love when she hardly knows who he is as a person makes the story start on a flimsy note. And then to have her shamelessly chasing him just feels weird. So, this is where you need to put aside your common sense to be able to continue on with the story. If you can do that, then the drama will get better as there are also other characters and some action to keep you entertained throughout.
Of course, you also can’t run away from cliches and there are a few in the protagonists’ romance. For example, you have a childhood link again which really isn’t necessary but is forced down our throat anyway. Some parts of the story is also pretty messed up and surreal like the second earthquake at the same place. However, weaknesses aside, the drama also has a few things going for it.
Gutsy Female Lead
You may cringe over the female lead’s antics in the beginning when she goes after her man but there are also other admirable qualities in her. She is smart enough to know when some things don’t work such as being too persistent. So, she knows when to withdraw and make the guy do the chasing instead. That is why I feel that the drama gradually gets better after about 6 episodes or so.
Apart from that, she is no damsel in distress. She will fight back when bullied and can be direct about it. She also has very clear aims of what she wants and goes after them. Her character will grow on you after the initial bump at the start. It is easy to root for her as the drama progresses and the sweet romance helps as well.
A Sweet Romance
The protagonists’ romance is a pretty sweet one. The guy is icy and serious at the beginning. Thus, what you will be watching will be his gradual transformation into a love-stricken bloke. And when that happens, the romance will feel even sweeter because once his heart melts for her, he can be mushy and romantic in words and actions which is in direct contrast to his serious personality all along.
The romance is largely a positive one except for one not so happy experience along the way. Some parts are also funny like the way he tries to coax her back when she got angry with him. Therefore, I don’t find it boring to follow this couple’s romance. Their time together has been done in a way that is sweet, tender, emotional, playful, and romantic. Basically, there is greater variety in the way the romance is being served to the viewers which cut down on the monotony.
Intense Action
I wasn’t expecting much intense action when I started A Date With The Future since the focus is on the romance. But unlike Light Chaser Rescue with mediocre action scenes, A Date With The Future has much better and realistic depiction of danger. The fire and life-saving scenes are pretty intense and thrilling at times. Of course, it can’t beat big budget productions and movies but I still think they are well executed. At least, some of the scenes will keep you at the edge of your seat.
The friendship and brotherhood among the firefighters in the team are also heartwarming. This is also partly why the drama gets better as it moves along. It successfully brings out the closeness among them as you watch and this will move you emotionally. This is not supposed to be a tearjerker like Go Ahead but be prepared for some tissues at some point.
Acting And Chemistry
To me, everyone in the cast did well with the roles they are given. Perhaps the production team picked all the right people for the roles in the first place. William Chan is no stranger to the Chinese drama world and it is expected that his voice will be dubbed. But that doesn’t take away his great portrayal of the lead character, Captain Jin. He is marvelous in his role and his ability to switch from an all serious firefighter to a goofy romantic is a pleasure to watch.
It has been a while since I watched Zhang Ruo Nan in action. Her last drama that I sat through is Be Yourself. I think she has improved much from the very first time I caught her in Everyone Wants To Meet You. In A Date With The Future, she shines as Xu Lai to me. At the very least, the emotional scenes are on point from her and you can feel her pain when she cries.
The chemistry between both leads is sizzling too. They look very natural together on screen which gives the romance an added boost. The way they touch, gaze, and interact with each other has a couple feel to it. The only flaw is their kisses which are nothing more than pecks. So, if you are looking forward to some steamy scenes in the mould of You Are My Glory or even The Love You Give Me from this drama, you will be sorely disappointed. I’m not sure whether they are just playing it safe with the censorship board since the main character is a man in uniformed services. But whatever it is, the kisses are disappointing in this one.
My Verdict – Let It Grow On You
Some dramas will start off strongly and then degenerate into something mediocre. Others will start off poorly before it slowly picks up and grows on you. A Date With The Future belongs to the second category. To me, this is a drama that you can’t judge just by watching the first few episodes. I actually felt weird watching the female lead’s antics and obsession over the male lead in the beginning. I thought it was going to be a cringey romance with an immature female lead. But I was wrong and I’m glad I stuck with it long enough to make me see the drama’s many strengths.
It has to be made clear that the drama has quite a few flaws. Apart from the above, it has cliches, a persistent third party who should have given up sooner, and superficial kiss scenes. I’m also pretty sure you will be able to spot a few more if you give this a go. But more importantly, I feel that the strengths are able to make up for the flaws so that the drama becomes enjoyable in the end.
Therefore, after taking account of both the good and the bad, I would give this A Date With The Future review a score of 7.5/10. It is not as lighthearted as Here We Meet Again but sweeter and more emotionally-driven. Watch it not just for the leads’ romance, but the action, friendship, sacrifices, and pain of loss. All these will take time to be fleshed out. Hence, if you do decide to give this a go, try to be patient and let the story and characters slowly grow on you. It may well be one of the better romance dramas if you have the patience for it.
==> A Date With The Future is available on Amazon Prime (affiliate link)
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