Begin Again Chinese Drama Review

Begin Again (从结婚开始恋爱) is a little different from the usual romance drama with a domineering male lead. Here, the role is reversed with a more aggressive female character instead. I decided to watch this not so much because of the story though. It is more for the adorable little boy that has definitely stolen many peoples’ hearts with his cuteness overload. As for the watchability of the drama itself and what I think of it, you can find out in my Begin Again review below.

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 35
Type: Romance
Aired: October 2020
Images Credit: MGTV

The Cast Of Begin Again

• Zhou Yu Tong as Lu Fang Ning
• Simon Gong Jun as Ling Rui
• Garvey Jin as Lu Yi Yao / Simon
• Wu Man Si as Cai Si Yu
• Li Si Qi as Tang Ping
• Liu Wei Long as Peng Bo
• Shawn Zhang Shu Lun as Gao Er Fan
• Ha Ni as Lu You You
• Ma Wei Jiang as Boss Lu / Lu Wen Bin
• Xiao Ran as Lu Fang Yu
• Lucas Yao Wang as Shen Zhuo
• Bella Du as Lu Yue
• Fan Ming as Yu Shi Yi

Main Characters

Lu Fang Ning

Fang Ning is the General Manager of Lu Ming Group. She is a go-getter and domineering woman who doesn’t hesitate to cut down others to size. Fang Ning is also independent-minded. She may appear cold on the outside but has a caring heart for those dear to her.

Ling Rui

Ling Rui is a general surgeon and a capable doctor. He is a very warm-hearted and helpful man. His father died of pancreatic cancer when he was a kid. He lives with his mother and 2 aunts.

Lu Yi Yao / Simon

Yi Yao is Fang Ning’s adoptive uncle. He has just returned from abroad after 10 years away and helps out Fang Ning at Lu Ming Group. Yi Yao is reserved with a lot on his mind but cares a lot for Fang Ning.

Cai Si Yu

Si Yu is an entertainment news reporter but doesn’t like to publish gossips. She has her principles and is a loyal friend. Si Yu admires Fang Ning for her confidence and aura. She also falls in love with Yi Yao after joining Lu Ming Group.

Tang Ping

Tang Ping is a v-logger. She is willful and childish. Her father is a director at Lu Ming Group. Tang Ping and Fang Ning know each other since young but they don’t get along. She likes to compete with Fang Ning over everything.

Supporting Characters

Peng Bo

Peng Bo is a doctor and Ling Rui’s colleague. They are also good friends. Peng Bo is an amiable type pf guy.

Gao Er Fan

Er Fan is Fang Ning’s personal assistant. He appears professional and can put up with Fang Ning’s high standards and eccentricities.

Lu You You

You You is Fang Ning’s young son. He is a smart and adorable kid who is loved by many.

Boss Lu / Lu Wen Bin

Boss Lu is the Chairman of Lu Ming Group of which the Lu family is the majority shareholder. He is an authoritative man and a controlling father. Only Fang Ning dares to openly defy him. His wife is Yang Yi.

Lu Fang Yu

Fang Yu is Fang Ning’s younger half-brother. He works at Lu Ming’s department store but also has a strong passion for ballet. He is friends with Ling Rui’s youngest aunt, Ya Zhi.

Shen Zhuo

Shen Zhuo is a designer. He is also Fang Ning’s ex-classmate and business partner as well as You You’s godfather. Fang Ning dominates over him and he will get an earful from her at times.

Lu Yue

Lu Yue is Fang Ning’s late elder sister.

Yu Shi Yi

Shi Yi is Ling Rui’s ex-classmate at university and fellow researcher. They were rumored to be a couple then.

Synopsis

Fang Ning is the General Manager of Lu Ming Group and wants the board to approve her Infinity project. Infinity will be Lu Ming’s own home furnishing brand. But others doubt she can develop Infinity when she is an unmarried woman who doesn’t understand what a home means. Her father also pressures her to get married and have a kid within a year if she wants his support.

Fang Ning then happens to meet Ling Rui while visiting someone at the hospital. She earmarks him as a potential husband to fulfill her business goals. She thinks he has good genes being a smart doctor, warm-hearted, and good-looking. When Ling Rui’s aunt lost heavily in an investment and owes Fang Yu a big sum of money, Fang Ning offers Ling Rui a one-year marriage contract to absolve the debt.

Ling Rui rejects Fang Ning’s offer initially until he realizes that they used to know each other as kids. Fang Ning had offered to help him at one point when his father was sick. Ling Rui agrees to the contract marriage then and their lives become entangled from then on as they fall in love.

Begin Again Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Begin Again has a happy ending. Ling Rui proposes to Fang Ning on her birthday in the last episode and she happily accepts. He wants her birthday to be a happy occasion each year rather than be associated with sadness due to her sister’s death. They have their loving moments together and Fang Ning assures Ling Rui that she will be by his side through all the ups and downs of life. The last scene is of the couple cuddling in bed with their son. You can check out my Begin Again episode summary for a full drama recap.

What Happened To Fang Ning’s Sister?

Lu Yue died in a car accident on Fang Ning’s birthday. Lu Yue had left home as she didn’t want to be controlled by her father who expected her to take over Lu Ming Group. Fang Ning pleaded with her sister to celebrate her 18th birthday with her. Lu Yue messaged Fang Ning to tell her where to meet. Fang Ning knew her father had saw the message but kept quiet about it. She selfishly wanted her father to catch Lu Yue and make her return home.

Lu Yue hurried away when their father turned up during the meeting. She got into her car and was hit by a truck while speeding away. Fang Ning felt responsible and guilty over the incident. She tried to fulfill her sister’s ideals from then on which was to create Infinity, get married, and have a kid before the age of 30.

Who Was Lu Yue’s Boyfriend?

Lu Yue’s boyfriend was Er Fan. But nobody in the family knew about his identity. He became Fang Ning’s personal assistant to gain revenge as he blamed her for causing Lu Yue’s death. Er Fan had wanted to propose to Lu Yue but never got the chance when she insisted on celebrating Fang Ning’s birthday before they leave the city.

In the end, Er Fan realized what Lu Yue wanted was a complete family. He finally let go of the past and transferred Lu Ming’s equity back to Fang Ning. He planned to travel the world and decide what he wants to do with his life.

Why Did Fang Ning And Ling Rui Break Up?

Fang Ning left Ling Rui in Episode 24. This is because she found out about Ling Rui’s opportunity to go to Germany for his medical research through his mother. It has always been his dream to find a cure for pancreatic cancer which had afflicted his late father. Fang Ning knew that Ling Rui would not leave her as she had just lost Lu Ming Group to Er Fan. She had her own plans and didn’t want to hold Ling Rui back. So, Fang Ning quietly left him in the middle of the night and left behind a signed divorce agreement. They met again 6 years later in Episode 26.

Is There A Love Triangle?

The love triangle is not obvious because Yi Yao never directly confessed his feelings for Fang Ning. He left his fiancee and cancelled their wedding because he loved Fang Ning but the latter was oblivious to his feelings. Yi Yao knew Fang Ning is someone he can’t have due to the nature of their relationship and he had kept his love well-hidden all along until Ling Rui appeared in her life.

Ling Rui had to warn Yi Yao to keep his feelings in check so as not to embarrass Fang Ning. Eventually, Fang Ning could also guess Yi Yao’s feelings for her and she hinted that they should not change the nature of their relationship. 6 years later, Yi Yao’s attention had shifted to Si Yu. He pursued her while she became cold towards him in contrast to how their relationship started. In the end, Si Yu accepted him back and they ended up together.

Begin Again Review

Begin Again actually reminds me of another Chinese drama called Intense Love. This is because the starting is pretty similar with the female lead relentlessly pursuing the male lead. The motivation is different though and so is the remainder of the plot but it gives me the same vibes for the first few episodes. Personally, I find 35 episodes to be a bit too long for this drama. So, do expect some boring stretches in between. The confusion and denial of the couple’s feelings for each other just seem to drag on a bit longer than necessary. It is tolerable to me though as I find the story picks back up before it gets to a point where I really have to skip scenes.

Chemistry Between The Leads

What makes this drama largely watchable is the chemistry between the leads. Just like Perfect And Casual, the plot is nothing great and it is the interactions between the leads that sustain the drama. Credit has to be given to Zhou Yu Tong and Simon Gong for a job well done. They have made Fang Ning and Ling Rui look like a real couple on-screen. Compared to his partner in The Love Equations, Simon Gong shines better with Zhou Yu Tong in Begin Again with their better compatibility and natural affinity for each other.

There are quite a few scenes in the drama whereby the couple is required to be loving, teasing, and playful. So, without the right chemistry, the drama wouldn’t be able to have the same effect on viewers. Add in the young Ha Ni to complete the picture and Begin Again manages to rise up a notch despite the less than inspiring plot.

As for the acting, Zhou Yu Tong really did justice to Fang Ning’s character. She exhibits the required maturity and aura to play a domineering executive and can effortlessly switch to an uncertain and embarrassed lover when the situation changes. She has that flexibility that is comfortable to watch. Simon Gong is stiffer in his acting compared to Zhou Yu Tong to me. I suppose he needs to portray a more rational character as Ling Rui is a doctor. But if he eases up a little, I think he will be able to convey some emotions better for the emotional scenes.

Questionable Plot (Spoilers Alert!)

Begin Again is really not the type of drama that is strongly grounded in reality. I would say just treat it as a typical romance drama whereby you just try to feel all the sweetness and fluff. The cliches and coincidences are aplenty throughout the story. They happened to know each other when they were kids, the guy’s aunt happened to owe the girl’s brother money, the girl happened to need a husband, and… you get the drift.

Furthermore, the business side of things in the drama is glossed over to give the romance all the spotlight. Well, I guess it is not a business drama like Perfect Partner after all and hence, the commercial details will be downplayed. So, for those who prefer a bit more variety and excitement in the plot than just pure romance, you may find Begin Again somewhat lacking.

Finally, the fact that the girl left the guy without notice for 6 years even after she found out that she was pregnant may be hard to stomach for some viewers when it comes to the plot. It is a selfish thing to do even if her reason of not wanting to hold him back from his dreams seems altruistic. While the plot is not as bizarre as the one in Well Intended Love, I think one would still need to overlook the way the story is written and the time jump to be able to enjoy the drama all the way to the end.

My Verdict

Begin Again is not too bad for a romance drama if you don’t mind a simple plot. Apart from the great chemistry, it does have a few other things going for it. Among them is the character growth that is evident in the drama for the female lead. At least, she learns how to love someone and how to put aside her feelings to let go. So, it is satisfying that she doesn’t carry on to be a selfish and imposing character all the way. There is also none of the annoying disapproving parents plot that is common in romance dramas. There is a bit jealousy involving a third party but it isn’t overplayed and remains just a small part of the overall story.

However, the plot isn’t inspiring as mentioned. The kisses lack passion when they are supposedly to be deeply in love and married. The couple in Love Is Sweet as well as Love Designer certainly did better with the smooches. I also find the characters seem rather different in the last 9 episodes compared to the beginning of the drama. They are like totally different people 6 years later especially the second male lead. Personally, I find it kind of weird although one can rationalize that people change over time due to circumstances.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend a watch for this Love Begin review with a score of 7/10. Watch it for the chemistry between the leads and the cute little boy who will melt your heart. He is adorable here as well as in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. It may get a little boring in the middle but the boy will spice things up again when he appears. There are touching moments and there is anticipation to the main couple’s story which helps to add to the overall watchability.