As Beautiful As You Review

As Beautiful As You (你比星光美丽) is another career woman drama that fans of Tan Song Yun should be familiar with by now. This is not to say that this drama is bad but more in the line of being predictable. Her partnership with Xu Kai also offers viewers a big incentive to give this a try as many would be curious how much chemistry that they will be able to generate as a couple. After all, this is a modern romance drama and chemistry matters. My thoughts on this drama in spelt out in my As Beautiful As You review below.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Romance
Aired: July 2024
Images credit: WeTV Facebook

The Cast Of As Beautiful As You

• Tan Song Yun as Ji Xing
• Xu Kai as Han Ting
• He Rui Xian as Li Li
• Gao Han as Shao Yi Chen
• Tang Zhen Chao as Su Zhi Zhou
• Wang Yi Lan as Tu Xiao Meng
• Zhou Da Wei as Lu Lin Jia / Mr. Lu
• Luo Ze Kai as Xiao Yi Xiao
• Wu Shi Le as Wei Qiu Zi
• Kira Shi as Zeng Di
• Li Ya Nan as Chang He
• Liu Hai Lan as Han Yuan

Main Characters

Ji Xing

Ji Xing is a talented AI design engineer who is working in Guanghua Medical. Her duty involves designing robotic medical diagnostic equipment for the company. She is a very driven person who can withstand tough situations and not one to be bullied. Ji Xing has her pride and can be stubborn, but she also has a kind heart with a passion to contribute to the medical field.

Han Ting

Han Ting is the CEO of Dongyang Medical which is his family’s public listed vehicle. He is a sharp investor with a keen business sense. Han Ting is not someone who is easy to get along with on the surface and tends to do things behind the scenes. He can be decisive and cold in his business dealings. Tang Song is his personal assistant.

Supporting Characters

Li Li

Li Li is Ji Xing’s best friend. She works in the medical equipment industry as a marketeer. Li Li is good at networking given her profession and has an open mind when it comes to relationships due to her reluctance to rely on a man.

Shao Yi Chen

Yi Chen is an orthopedic surgeon and Ji Xing’s boyfriend of 4 years. He is a passive man who prefers a simple and quiet life.

Su Zhi Zhou

Zhi Zhou was Ji Xing’s junior in college. He is a motivated young man who wants to start his own business in 3D medical printing.

Tu Xiao Meng

Xiao Meng is a livestreamer and Ji Xing’s housemate as well as good friend. She is a nice girl but can be direct towards those she considers as jerks.

Lu Lin Jia / Mr. Lu

Mr. Lu is Lin Jia’s profile name for his social media accounts. He is Han Ting’s uncle but they are actually around the same age. Mr. Lu is a playful guy and his dream is to open a bar.

Xiao Yi Xiao

Yi Xiao is Han Ting’s good friend and frontman for his investments. He is a quiet and unassuming man.

Wei Qiu Zi

Qiu Zi is part of Ji Xing’s group of friends that include Li Li and Xiao Meng. She is a quiet girl who is secretly in love with Yi Chen.

Zeng Di

Zeng Di is the founder and CEO of Guanghua Medical. She is Han Ting’s old friend as they were fellow students in Germany and their grandfathers know each other. Han Ting is also Guanghua Medical’s investor. Zeng Di has feelings for Han Ting which is unreciprocated which makes her a jealous and petty woman.

Chang He

Chang He is in the medical industry business which makes it a rival of Dongyang Medical. He has a thing for Zeng Di who is stringing him along for business purposes.

Han Yuan

Han Yuan is Han Ting’s cousin sister and rival for the CEO position of Dongyang Group.

Synopsis

Ji Xing has been dating Yi Chen for 4 years. She is working hard to earn money to buy an apartment in preparation for the future with Yi Chen. She is a robotics design engineer with a passion in the medical field. However, she decides to quit her job when she didn’t get the promotion and bonus she deserves to start a business venture with her junior.

This leads to a breakup with Yi Chen who doesn’t share her passion and drive to succeed. Ji Xing has to struggle to get her business off the ground and eventually strikes a deal with Han Ting to be her company’s investor. Han Ting is her senior at college and has fallen for her back then. But they lost touch after he left for Germany for further studies.

Ji Xing faces numerous obstacles along the way in her new venture as a jealous love rival piles on the pressure. Han Ting quietly supports Ji Xing in his own way by offering advice and at times, harsh words to make her learn and push forward. He pursues her and she eventually falls for him. But their rivals are secretly planning for their downfall and Han Ting’s hidden business strategy becomes their weapon to break up the pair.

As Beautiful As You Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

As Beautiful As You has a happy ending. Han Ting recovers from his back surgery and Ji Xing is by his side all the way. She also turns around a crisis into an opportunity when Zeng Di and Chang He slander Xingchen’s products as harmful. Han Ting’s grandfather approves of Ji Xing and wants Han Ting to quickly marry her. Han Ting then proposes to Ji Xing and they have their wedding in Germany. Li Li ends up with Zhi Zhou while Xiao Meng is dating Mr. Lu.

Zeng Di and Chang He are taken for investigation into the slander. Chang He realizes too late that Han Ting has never treated them as enemies but has a bigger aim of developing the whole industry. He also advises Zeng Di to get over her obsession for Han Ting which she can’t seem to do when he is the one who has always been there for her.

Han Yuan’s relationship with Han Ting improves with Ji Xing’s tactfulness to bridge the gap between them. She also learns from their grandfather that Han Ting has never spoken ill of her and that blood is thicker than water. As such, she shouldn’t be colluding with outsiders to harm her own family members.

In the extra episode, it shows the married life of Ji Xing and Han Ting until they die of old age. They have 2 sons together.

When Did Ji Xing Break Up With Yi Chen?

Yi Chen actually proposes to Ji Xing in Episode 7 but she rejects him as she has just started her business venture then. She feels that it is unfair to him as it will seem as though she is getting herself a backup plan in case the venture fails. Ji Xing is prepared to marry Yi Chen in Episode 8 after finalizing a deal with Han Ting to be her company’s investor. But Yi Chen asks for a breakup after learning that she is preparing to propose to him in Episode 9.

This is because Yi Chen feels that he can’t contribute anything to Ji Xing’s career and he will only be in the background. He wants to have a simple life while she has dreams to fulfill which puts them on different life paths.

When Did The Leads Get Together?

Han Ting and Ji Xing slept together in Episode 22 after she lost a playful bet with him. However, Ji Xing feels awkward to face him thereafter. She also thinks that their relationship is going too fast and tries to avoid him. But this avoidance doesn’t last long. Han Ting asks Ji Xing to be his girlfriend and she agrees to his request in Episode 24. She moves in with him in Episode 27.

Is There Any Love Triangle?

Zeng Di has loved Han Ting for a long time and becomes jealous of Ji Xing when he shows interest in the latter. Zeng Di’s little tricks and schemings do not impress Han Ting one bit. He makes it clear to her that they can only be friends and business partners in Episode 21 as she has never been in his consideration for a girlfriend. In Episode 25, Han Ting tells Zeng Di that he is already in a relationship after another one of her little schemes to get him to give up Ji Xing. He also wants to divest his stake in Zeng Di’s company.

Han Ting reaffirms his rejection of Zeng Di and his decision to let go her company’s shares in Episode 26. Zeng Di is miserable with the rejection and becomes vengeful. Chang He agrees to help her to get her revenge then.

Did The Leads Break Up?

Yes, they did. Ji Xing learns that Han Ting also owns her much bigger business rival, Hanhai, through Zeng Di in Episode 30. Zeng Di is just being vengeful and wants to break Ji Xing and Han Ting up. She tells Ji Xing that Han Ting’s investment in her company, Xingchen, is just a smokescreen to hide his stake in the more valuable Hanhai. Hence, Ji Xing is merely a pawn in Han Ting’s game plan.

In Episode 31, Ji Xing finds a proposal to merge Xingchen and Hanhai in Han Ting’s safe. His maneuverings to ensure Xingchen remains in his control makes Ji Xing feels that Han Ting is a hypocrite and liar and feels deceived by his mercenary business tactics. So, she breaks up with Han Ting and moves out from his place in Episode 32. She also resigns from Xingchen after the merger and goes to Germany to gain further knowledge in the industry in Episode 33. Han Ting is miserable but is advised to give Ji Xing time and space to come around.

In Episode 34, Han Ting bumps into Ji Xing when he goes to Germany to recruit a researcher. He asks Ji Xing to return to the merged Xingchen to help him realize an ambitious plan to develop talent for the industry. She agrees as she could now see the bigger picture why Han Ting wants to merge Xingchen with Hanhai. Han Ting then uses his speech at a forum to ask Ji Xing for forgiveness and another chance in Episode 36. They reconcile after he risked his life to save her from a kidnapper.

Side Couples

Xiao Meng & Mr. Lu

Xiao Meng first met Mr. Lu in Episode 6 as he is Qiu Zi’s blind date arranged by their mothers. She recognizes him as the bully during her livestreaming sessions and they end up constantly bickering. In Episode 12, Mr. Lu finds out that Xiao Meng is his mother’s new signing teacher. His mother is fond of Xiao Meng although they couple is more like enemies.

Mr. Lu bumps into Xiao Meng at a cafe while she is livestreaming and asks her to be his consultant for his bar project in Episode 16. He no longer remembers why he hates her initially in Episode 18. He tells Xiao Meng that they are now good friends in Episode 21and starts to get excited to be with her. Mr. Lu also consoles Xiao Meng when she is scolded by netizens in Episode 25.

Mr. Lu confesses to Xiao Meng in Episode 28 but she tells him that they are only friends and at most, siblings. He asks again if he has a chance with her in Episode 29 but she is non-committal. So, his mother pretends to be sick to pair them up in Episode 33. Xiao Meng ends up consoling Mr. Lu for his mother’s “ill-health” and taking care of her often. When the pretense is uncovered in Episode 35, Mr. Lu asks Xiao Meng to give him a chance considering his mother’s efforts. She agrees to let him be her probationary boyfriend before upgrading him to be her real boyfriend in Episode 38.

Li Li & Yi Xiao

Li Li and Yi Xiao have a one night stand after meeting in a club in Episode 7. He is interested in her but she prefers to keep things non-committal in Episode 10 as she doesn’t feel comfortable in being too reliant on one another. This is because Li Li comes from a broken home.

Yi Xiao asks Li Li to be his girlfriend in Episode 19. She agrees and begins to take the relationship seriously. But Yi Xiao seems to have a boundary with her when it comes to his personal life in Episode 21. There are many things that he wouldn’t share with her although he treats her well. Li Li becomes angry at Yi Xiao for his continuous refusal to let her into his world in Episode 24. She wants him to think things over before giving her a reply in Episode 25.

In Episode 26, Yi Xiao tells Li Li that he has a 5-year-old daughter and that his wife died during childbirth. He gives her the option to stay or leave. Li Li decides to meet his daughter and likes her. But Yi Xiao wants Li Li to give him time as he doesn’t want a sudden change to affect his daughter. She breaks up with him in Episode 29 after he told her that he has no plans to get married again and returns all his gifts in Episode 30.

Yi Xiao asks for another try in Episode 31. Zhi Zhou overhears their conversation and gets angry at Yi Xiao for fooling Li Li again and again. He also reminds Li Li that she shouldn’t concede too much to Yi Xiao as that is not who she is. Li Li agrees and put a final end to her relationship with Yi Xiao.

Li Li & Zhi Zhou

Zhi Zhou falls in love with Li Li at first sight although she is a few years older than him. He tries to pursue her but gets rejected in Episode 19. Li Li tells him that he is only a colleague to her and that she already has a boyfriend. Hence, she asks him not to waste his time on her.

Zhi Zhou knows Li Li is not happy with Yi Xiao in Episode 29 and tries to cheer her up but she cancels their movie date to help out a drunk Yi Xiao instead. After Li Li’s breakup with Yi Xiao. Zhi Zhou pretends to be her boyfriend to fool her mother in Episode 32. Zhi Zhou strikes up a good relationship with Li Li’s mother as a result. Li Li also begins to find that Zhi Zhou has matured and becomes steadier compared to previously as he grows with his experience and responsibility in Episode 33.

Zhi Zhou confesses to Li Li again in Episode 38 but she rejects him because she knows he has an offer to go to Germany for 3 years which would significantly advance his career. Li Li doesn’t want to hold him back. Yi Xiao’s advice and Zhi Zhou’s sincerity and love for her makes Li Li change her mind at the last minute. She rushes to see Zhi Zhou at the airport and they end up embarking on a long distance relationship in Episode 40.

Qiu Zi & Yi Chen

After Yi Chen has broken up with Ji Xing for a few months, she confesses to him in Episode 16. She tells him that she wants to be with him forever. But Yi Chen rejects Qiu Zi as he is not ready for a new relationship yet. Qiu Zi didn’t give up but continues to support Yi Chen in his work. They grow closer and are already a couple in Episode 21.

Li Li and Xiao Meng see them together in Episode 22 and quarrel with them. Ji Xing also witnesses the incident. She gives Qiu Zi her blessings although it comes as a shock to her that Qiu Zi is her ex’s new girlfriend. Qiu Zi’s friendship with the 3 girls becomes strained as a result. However, she tells Yi Chen that she has no regrets for choosing to be with him in Episode 26. This prompts Yi Chen to propose that they get married. Qiu Zi agrees to his proposal.

The couple sends out their wedding invitation to Ji Xing in Episode 28. They have their wedding in Episode 29 which Ji Xing happily attends with Han Ting.

As Beautiful As You Review – Predictable Romance

As Beautiful As You is a multi-couple romance drama. This is why it can stretch to 40 episodes long. Basically, it is about a career-minded woman with ideals trying to make it in the cutting edge medical technology field. She needs an investor for her business and the male lead pops up to become her partner. From there, everything is rather typical with the presence of a jealous love rival and the male lead’s predatory business instincts.

The story begins with the female lead already in a relationship for 4 years. You know they are going to break up to pair her up with the male lead which means the plot is predictable from the get-go. It is just a matter of when and how. Personally, I find the man’s excuse for a breakup rather lame. But at least, they didn’t resort to the cliche cheating scenario to cut him off.

There is an anticipation of heavy business rivalry in the first half of the drama but this fizzles out in the second half. So, this is not going to cut it for those who want more interesting and complex business maneuverings. The male lead is always one step ahead of the game compared to his rivals and hence, the excitement of a business rivalry is missing in the story. Instead, more time is spent on the various couples and their love issues.

Multi-Couple Romance

If you like to watch more than one couple in a romance drama, As Beautiful As You would fit the bill. The good thing is all of them are watchable and their stories don’t particularly annoy you much unlike Men In Love. So, it is easy to sit through the drama in that sense. But neither do they really tug at your heartstrings which means it could also be boring for some with a lot of filler scenes in the first 20 episodes or so.

The main couple has a lot of sweet moments and skinship but something also seems to be missing to make their relationship a truly memorable one. Perhaps it lacks depth and heartfelt conversations when they move from business partners to cohabitating lovers in lighting speed. Or the story fails to satisfactorily address the core issue of him lying by omission in their relationship. It also gives me a sense that there is an imbalance in their dynamics as the guy is smarter, richer, and more experienced than the girl.

In short, there is no major turn-off but there are little bits of deficiencies here and there to reduce the couple’s story from being brilliant to your standard fare of a romance drama. But I guess what saves the romance from being utterly mediocre would be the leads’ acting and chemistry.

Strong Chemistry

Xu Kai and Tan Song Yun did their part to get this drama up a notch with their strong chemistry as a couple. I wouldn’t say they are explosive together but the sparks are there to make the romance convincing. Personally, I think Tan Song Yun has better chemistry with her co-stars in Flight To You and Road Home. But she also looks great with Xu Kai and it shows in the drama. If you are interested, you can vote how much you like their chemistry here.

Both put up a satisfactory performance in their roles as a career woman and CEO respectively. After all, such roles are not new to them. Tan Song Yun has played a career woman in a string of dramas apart from As Beautiful As You while Xu Kai’s recent drama with Yang Zi in Best Choice Ever also saw him as a senior executive. Hence, they could bring out the essence of their characters especially Xu Kai in this case. He is commanding as the CEO with a stern look and stare that could put fear in those who lack confidence.

More Romance Than Business

To me, As Beautiful As You could have been a great business drama if there is less focus on the romance and the multi-couples. Somehow, the story of the female lead’s business start-up just doesn’t give you much to be excited about. It is not compelling enough for you to really root for her unlike Rising With The Wind whereby you can feel the female lead’s struggles.

What I also find to be a pity is the lack of a real villain to better spice things up. The jealous love rival, business competitor, and male lead’s cousin are shown to be intent on destroying the protagonists but there is a lack of depth in these subplots. They are shallow and the power struggle for control of the company eventually becomes a mere footnote to the overall story when it starts out with an anticipation of a serious boardroom war.

On the flip side, there is less annoyance with weaker villains that don’t hog the screen time. The toxic third party is always put in her place by the male lead which ensures that your annoyance is kept to a minimum. But she is that typical obsessive third wheeler that you would have seen in many romance dramas.

My Verdict – Watchable But Nothing New

There is nothing refreshing about As Beautiful As You. If you have watched your fair share of Chinese romance dramas with a business theme, this is not going to impress. You can easily foresee what is going to happen down the road. It just a matter of how the plot is executed and whether the characters’ actions make sense to you to fit the expected events. There is not much character growth either and this is not an emotionally moving drama despite having a love story in it.

However, neither is it horrible and deserves a miss. It is still a watchable drama because the story is relatable and the leads have sufficient chemistry to keep things going. The sweetness is there plus plenty of kisses for those who are into the romance. The female lead’s friends have their own love stories which are generally okay but they are part of the reason why we have 40 episodes instead of 30 or less.

For this review of As Beautiful As You, I would rate it 7.5/10. If you are a Xu Kai fan, you might not want to miss this because he carries the role of the CEO well here. The romance is the highlight but the cliches and lack of emotional depth hold it back from being a great love story. I feel that it relies more on sweetness to drive it at times which is good if you like the couple. But if you don’t, then this drama will fall flat with the mediocre business subplots.

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