About Is Love S2 Review

I watched About Is Love S2 (大约是爱2) simply because I have binged on the first season a couple of years ago. I still can remember bits and pieces of S1. So, it is more of curiosity on how the story would develop that I chose to give the sequel a go rather than any real interest. After all, the prequel is a pretty average drama to me. To be honest, I was not expecting S2 to be any better when I started and I think I’m proven right. Hence, be forewarned if you are about to binge on this. My About Is Love S2 review below will detail my frustrations with this Chinese romance drama.

My rating: 6/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Romance
Aired: March 2022
Images Credit: WeTV Twitter

The Cast Of About Is Love S2

• Yan Xi as Wei Qing
• Xu Xiao Nuo as Zhou Shi
• Cai Yi Jia as Ning Fei / Xue Ning
• Yang Xin Ying as Lin Fei Fei
• Li Xin Bo as Bi Qiu Jing
• Hu Wen Zhe as Li Ming Cheng
• Xu Fang Zhou as Xue Le
• Gong Si Le as Wei An
• Zhang Qing Qing as Wu Zheng

Main Characters

Wei Qing

Wei Qing is the Chairman of Yunma Group. He is a well-known businessman with many fans. He comes across as dashing and confident but with a streak of arrogance at times especially towards his rivals. But he is a lovelorn man in private as he pines for his long-distance girlfriend.

Zhou Shi

Zhou Shi is an art student studying abroad. She is a talented artist and has secured an internship to work under a renowned painter. Zhou Shi is brash, resourceful, and smart. Wei Qing is her long distance boyfriend and they have been dating for some time.

Supporting Characters

Ning Fei / Xue Ning

Ning Fei is a very talented artist and his works are worth a fortune and much sought after. But he prefers to remain under the radar and little is known about him publicly. Ning Fei is in love with the older Fei Fei but faces objection from his family. He is being watched over by his elder foster sister, Xue Zi.

Lin Fei Fei

Fei Fei is a cafe owner-turned-actress and Zhou Shi’s close friend. She is dating Ning Fei who is much younger than her.

Bi Qiu Jing

Qiu Jing is a university lecturer and researcher. She is also a close friend of Zhou Shi and Fei Fei. Qiu Jing is a brainiac with a very rational and academic view of things around her. Everything can be a research subject to her including her own husband.

Li Ming Cheng

Ming Cheng used to be Wei Qing’s love rival. But he is now happily married to Qiu Jing and works for Wei Qing as his Investment Manager. Ming Cheng is also a very intelligent guy who can understand Qiu Jing’s line of thinking.

Xue Le

Xue Le is one of the sons of the Snow family. He is the creator of the Shangjue jewelry brand name which has contracted Fei Fei to be its endorser. He appears as a gentleman and an understanding man.

Wei An

Wei An is Wei Qing’s personal assistant. He understands Wei Qing well and knows how to act accordingly especially when it comes to his boss’ relationship with Zhou Shi.

Wu Zheng

Wu Zheng is a renowned artist. He has worked with Wei Qing for some commercial projects but is generally picky on collaboration partners.

Synopsis

Wei Qing and Zhou Shi were in a long distance relationship. She had just returned from her studies abroad to celebrate his birthday. But they ended up quarreling after Wei Qing intervened to stop Zhou Shi’s overseas internship offer that will prolong their long distance relationship. During their cold war, Zhou Shi was forced to break up with Wei Qing due to some unforeseen circumstances. She also cut off all contact with him and her friends.

2 years later, Zhou Shi reappears in the country as an assistant to Wei Qing’s rival. They meet again and Zhou Shi is now required to get close to Wei Qing due to a business project. While they still have feelings for each other, Zhou Shi is hesitant due to her boss’ rivalry with her ex. On the other hand, Wei Qing is still sore over her unilateral decision to break up with him without any clue as to why. As the couple spend more time together, how will they resolve their past misunderstanding?

About Is Love S2 Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

About Is Love S2 has a happy ending. There is a time jump of 6 months after Wei Qing sprung a surprise proposal on Zhou Shi. Both of them are extremely busy with work but took time off to get their marriage certificate. Fei Fei and Ning Fei also decided to register their marriage on the same day and the 2 couples end up holding a joint wedding ceremony. Qiu Jing is also pregnant to add to the happiness.

After the wedding, Zhou Shi has her own art exhibition with features paintings of the 6 of them. She has regained her ability to paint after undergoing treatment.

When Did Zhou Shi And Wei Qing Get Together?

The drama starts with Zhou Shi and Wei Qing being a long distance couple. But they broke up shortly after due to Xue Zi’s threats and Zhou Shi’s own guilt towards Ning Fei. Xue Zi threatened Zhou Shi to work with her or she will harm Wei Qing. At the same time, Zhou Shi felt responsible towards Ning Fei who has lost his memory when he tried to save her from an attack by a thug while they were abroad.

Wei Qing saw Zhou Shi again in Episode 6 following her return to handle an exhibition 2 years after their breakup. She is working for Xue Zi’s Snow Group now. Wei Qing found out that Zhou Shi was attacked and lost her ability to paint from Ning Fei in Episode 9. He decided to woo her back but his deception and controlling way irked her in Episode 13. The couple got back together in Episode 14 after Wei Qing was tipped off that Zhou Shi was obviously in love with him.

Marriage Proposals

In Episode 16, Wei Qing publicly proposed to Zhou Shi and gave her a large chunk of Yunma Group’s shares. This was a set-up that they have arranged to bait Xue Zi to regard Zhou Shi as a valuable pawn and hence, makes it easier for her to know Xue Zi’s action plans. to Zhou Shi, the proposal was merely a necessary pretense.

Zhou Shi proposed to Wei Qing in Episode 19 when she thought he was feeling lost and demotivated after losing control of Yunma Group to Xue Le. But he turned her down as he felt the timing wasn’t right. But it was all a pretense in preparation to wrest back control of Yunma Group. When Wei Qing wanted to propose after doing so in Episode 21, it was Zhou Shi’s turn to reject him as she felt he had failed to be honest with her with his pretense.

Zhou Shi gave Wei Qing a taste of his own medicine in Episode 22 by quietly making plans with Ning Fei to neutralize Xue Zi’s evil plans to gain control of Yunma Group. After settling the matter in Episode 24, the couple agreed to discuss things together in the future. Wei Qing proposed to a surprised Zhou Shi and they got married 6 months later.

When Did Ning Fei Regain His Memory?

Ning Fei got back his memory in Episode 20 after coming down with alcohol poisoning. Fei Fei wanted him to remember the past and thought Ning Fei could do so through alcohol. Hence, she coerced him to drink although she regretted her actions thereafter.

After recovering his memory, Ning Fei pretended otherwise to get close to Xue Zi. He wanted to take back his father’s diary which was in Xue Zi’s possession. Ning Fei’s biological father was the late Shan He who was a famous artist. Shan He had entrusted the copyright of his paintings to Wei Qing’s father before he died. His diary detailed their relationship. There was a misunderstanding at first but it was eventually resolved and that was written in the later parts of his diary. However, Xue Zi used the unsavory bits to accuse Wei Qing’s father of having stolen the copyright to Shan He’s works. As a result, Yunma Group’s reputation suffered.

Hence, Ning Fei had to put on a show together with Zhou Shi and Fei Fei in Episode 22 to convince Xue Zi that he was still having amnesia and hated them. He needed the opportunity to steal back his father’s diary and managed to do so in Episode 23. With the diary, Wei Qing and Zhou Shi could force Xue Zi to issue an apology and retract her allegations.

Ning Fei And Fei Fei

Fei Fei bumped into Ning Fei in Episode 6 and found out that he was suffering from amnesia in Episode 7. Ning Fei didn’t particularly like Fei Fei at first. He also hated the pressure for him to regain his memory and revert to his old self. Hence, Ning Fei was a rebellious guy because of his memory loss. It was a form of escapism as he saw himself as being too weak. He tried to save Zhou Shi from a thug. But when the thug attacked him in return, Zhou Shi had to save him instead and ended up injuring her hand and losing the ability to paint.

But as Ning Fei spent more time with Fei Fei, fragments of their past would appear in his consciousness. He claimed to be her boyfriend in Episode 16 when she was being pestered by Xue Le. In Episode 19, Ning Fei confessed his feelings to Fei Fei and they kissed while both of them were drunk. They got back together in Episode 21 after he regained his memory. They got married in Episode 24.

Ming Cheng And Qiu Jing

Qiu Jing was happily married to Ming Cheng until Episode 11 when she began to have her doubts of her worth. She found out that his secretary, Rachel, shares the same name and birthday as her. Rachel had even met Ming Cheng earlier than her when he was still a youthful band boy. Hence, Qiu Jing felt that she was merely Rachel’s replacement.

Fei Fei advised Qiu Jing to be more seductive to spice up her marriage. Ming Cheng was surprised by the change and didn’t feel too comfortable. After a while, they talked it over and Ming Cheng reassured Qiu Jing that he only loved the real her and not someone she is not. She had pregnancy symptoms in Episode 19 but it was a false alarm. She announced her pregnancy in Episode 24 and this time, it is for real.

About Is Love S2 Review – Maybe For Fans

After watching 2 better quality romance dramas in a row namely, Dine With Love and The Oath Of Love, About Is Love S2 just seems rather lame. The temptation to quit watching halfway through is pretty strong with this one. The short episodes helped me persevere to the end. With only half an hour screen time for most episodes plus the fast forward button, I managed to complete this somehow. The fact that there are 3 couples in the drama might have lessen the boredom as well.

I think you might like this better if you are a big fan of the first season. But if the prequel is already mediocre to you, S2 is even worse overall. There is no depth to the story. Instead, it is all about bickering for 2 out of the 3 couples. Perhaps bickering couples is not my cup of tea. I just find it overdone and unnecessary. Somehow, the relationship dynamics just aren’t there to project the quarrels as sweet rather than pointless as the couple could have just communicated like adults.

There is also a business aspect to the drama but it doesn’t really have the intensity and excitement to make you feel hooked unlike Lie To Love or even The Lion’s Secret. I guess this is understandable as About Is Love S2 focuses on the romance. Hence, the business side of things is largely simplified with limited screen time.

Another Domineering CEO Trope

Basically, the male protagonist is a controlling CEO who does things behind his girlfriend’s back in the name of love. In the beginning, he did so in order to scuttle her job offer abroad. In the later part of the drama, he did it again to “protect” her. Therefore, the plot will give you these cliches which you would have seen in many other Chinese romance dramas. But the female lead is just as headstrong and that is why you will end up with a bickering couple.

Nevertheless, the 2 of them obviously have feelings for each other and this is where you will get this push and pull factor in the relationship. It is like seeing them blowing hot and cold throughout the drama. One minute, they will seem to be getting closer and the next, they will start another round of argument. There are a few of these cycles and if you find them enjoyable, then this drama would fit your taste. If not, About Is Love S2 can be a chore to watch.

Is It Necessary To Watch S1 First?

I don’t think it is really necessary as there are flashbacks in some scenes to give you some insights into the past. While you might not get a truly complete picture as some relationships could still feel a little vague especially in the beginning, the story is generally easy to follow. I believe you can still understand what is going on in S2 even if you haven’t watched the prequel.

Having said that, I would still recommend you to watch S1 first if you have not done so. The reason is simple. I just think that S1 is a better drama and if you like that, you can then choose to go on to S2. But if you don’t even enjoy the first season, you can forget about the sequel because it isn’t anything better.

3 Couples In One Drama

It is common for romance dramas to have more than one couple. At times, they are annoying and a waste of time. But sometimes, the side couples can be just as entertaining as the main couple like in To Fly With You. In About Is Love S2, I think having multiple couples is actually better for the drama overall. This is because the main couple doesn’t have too much going on between them except for squabbles. Hence, if the attention is always focused on them, the drama would be a drag unless there is more meat to the plot.

So, with 3 couples altogether, the screen time needs to be allocated to all the different characters and this helps to inject more variety into the story. I also doubt the main couple alone has enough appeal on their own to carry the drama to the end. Thus, having a multiple couples format is a strength rather than a weakness with each having their own issues and challenges for viewers to follow.

Acting And Chemistry

I find the chemistry between Yan Xi and Xu Xiao Nuo as merely average. There are worst on-screen couples but there are also plenty of better ones. The leads are not too bland as a pair of lovers but they also fail to emit that special spark to take the romance to another level. So, don’t hope for You Are My Glory or Love Is Sweet kind of special chemistry in the main couple although this is already the second project together for both leads. Neither would you have a strong urge to replay their scenes together including the kissing ones which aren’t exactly heart-fluttering.

Similarly, their acting is nothing great either. In fact, I think the second male lead, Cai Yi Jia, kind of overshadowed Yan Xi a little with the way he portrayed Ning Fei. While Yan Xi has improved a little from the first season, he is still seems a little stiff at times in his expressions. Overall, the acting isn’t disappointing but neither does it stand out to make you sit up and take notice of the leads’ efforts.

My Verdict – No Need To Watch!

In my view, About Is Love S2 is a waste of time. It is fine to have bickering couples but it is not okay to have poor plot execution. The whole drama is a mess with schemings that are not properly explained. While you can catch the gist of it, there are no details of what is actually going on when it comes to the business aspects which have a bearing on the overall story. There are just too many subplots which are being squeezed into a short 24-episode drama that also have multiple couples with their own stories.

The filler scenes in the middle could also have been used to properly develop the story to give it more depth. The meh ending for the villain is another source of frustration that will leave you wondering what were the good and bad guys fighting about in the first place when everything seems to be hunky-dory between them in the end. Basically, the whole drama gives you the feeling that the whole story wasn’t carefully planned and executed.

Therefore, for this About Is Love S2 review, I could only give it a score of 6/10. You can try watching if you are a serious fan of S1. If not, simply forget it. Personally, S2 shouldn’t have been produced at all if this is the quality dished out to the audience. There is no more link to the allergy issue of the male lead which was the foundation of the story in the prequel. This season is reduced to another controlling CEO and bickering couple romance drama which is a dime a dozen out there.

==> About Is Love S2 is available on Amazon Prime (affiliate link)