Intense Love (韫色过浓) is another one of those love it or hate it rom-com for C-drama viewers. I started watching it with very little knowledge of what it is all about. I only read a simple synopsis but didn’t watch the trailer. So, I was hoping for a nice surprise and yet, at the same time, prepared to drop it if it turns out to be a big bore. Well, I can tell you now that I did watch all the 24 episodes. Does it mean that it is an enjoyable rom-com then? Yes and no. The Intense Love review below will reveal more of my thoughts on this drama.
My rating: 6.5/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Romance
Aired: May 2020
Images Credit: MGTV
The Cast Of Intense Love
- Zhang Yu Xi as Su Jin Bei
- Ryan Ding Yu Xi as Dr. Zhou Shi Yun
- Julio Wan Yan Luo Rong as Dr. Xiao Yuan Song
- Wu Yang as Wu Di
- Lin Xin Yi as Zhou Su Ying
- Shi Ming Ze as Xu Jia Wei
- Zhang Yao as Gao Zi Tong
- Huang Shi Chao as Zhou Zheng Xian
Introduction To The Main Characters
Su Jin Bei
Jin Bei is a popular and very pretty actress. She is very friendly and kind despite her popularity. Her parents dote on her but can be busybodies when it comes to her love life. Jin Bei is adept at using her charm on her fiancee and manager in a cute and lovable manner.
Wu Di is her manager as well as good friend. She has a more matured and business-minded outlook compared to Jin Bei. Gao Zi Tong is a fellow actress who is jealous of Jin Bei because the man she loves is in love with Jin Bei instead. This man is Xu Jia Wei who is also an actor and singer.
Dr. Zhou Shi Yun
Dr. Zhou is a young surgeon and professor who is very talented in his field. While he is good-looking, he has a cold and introverted personality. His good friend is Dr. Xiao Yuan Song who has a completely different character. Yuan Song is playful and unashamedly direct with his feelings.
Dr. Zhou comes from a rich and traditional family. His mother died when he was still young. He has a grandmother and an elder brother, Zhou Zheng Xian, whom he respects and listens to. Dr. Zhou also has a younger sister, Zhou Su Ying, who is a big fan of Jia Wei.
Synopsis
Dr. Zhou’s mother and Jin Bei’s mother were old friends. When Dr. Zhou and Jin Bei were still kids, their mothers already agreed to have an arranged marriage between them. However, both Dr. Zhou and Jin Bei are not keen now that they are adults. Not only they have not met each other for years, they even refuse to attend the engagement meal celebration arranged for them by their families.
As fate would have it, Jin Bei is involved in a car accident and admitted to hospital. Her attending physician is Dr. Zhou. When Jin Bei finds out who he is, she feels slighted that he couldn’t care less about her and their engagement. Thus, she begins her quest of trying to seduce and make him fall in love with her since she doesn’t believe that he is totally unaffected by her beauty.
Intense Love Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
Intense Love has a happy ending that sees Dr. Zhou and Jin Bei being a married couple. Earlier, Dr. Zhou thought that Jin Bei is in ho hurry to get married after they find out that her pregnancy is a false alarm. They misunderstand each other’s intention and hence, the marriage topic is not aggressively pursued until the death of Dr. Zhou’s patient who is his superior’s wife. This makes them realize that they should appreciate being together and not waste any more time.
While viewers are not treated to a wedding scene, the couple is shown running out of the hospital to register their marriage. Dr. Zhou and Jin Bei vow to love and cherish each other after the registration. The last scene shows them calling each other Mr. and Mrs. Zhou. You can check out my Intense Love drama recap if you are looking for a complete summary from start to finish.
Yuan Song And Wu Di
Yuan Song wants to propose to Wu Di but is afraid that she may still be carrying psychological baggage from her past relationship. When Wu Di overhears Yuan Song’s concerns, she decides to seize the initiative as she knows he is having a difficult time opening his mouth because of the fear of rejection. Hence, she tells him that they should just skip the proposing part and jump straight to the marriage registration instead.
Jia Wei And Su Ying
Jia Wei finally realizes that his online game partner who has also helped him to pay off the termination fees of his agency contract is Su Ying. Once Jia Wei gets over his feelings for Jin Bei completely, he begins to appreciate and miss the way Su Ying had taken care of him as his assistant. They end up together in the end with Jia Wei giving her a 50-year contract to tie himself to her.
Zi Tong
Zi Tong realizes the error of her ways and puts the past behind her with Jin Bei’s encouragement. She is no longer agreeable to using underhanded tactics to get ahead. Zi Tong also chooses to go abroad to study and informs Jia Wei accordingly. She finally learns that real love is about having both partners happy and should not be a one-sided affair.
Intense Love Review – A Very Different Rom-Com
Frankly speaking, I really don’t know what to make out of Intense Love after watching the whole drama. It doesn’t resonate with me in the beginning but it gets better as the drama progresses. I got used to the way it was being projected to the viewers. Hence, I could finish watching all the 24 episodes. I think this rom-com is very different from the usual fare and that is why I would term it as a love it or hate it drama. It is either you can accept the unique way the characters and story have been projected or you would find it absolutely cheesy and cringey.
Why This Rom-Com Is Unique
Intense Love is a pure escapism type of rom-com to me. It is not grounded in reality and doesn’t even try to be. The main characters are unreal. Dr. Zhou is already a senior doctor and professor at less than 30 years old. Jin Bei is an actress who tries to seduce Dr. Zhou by being cutesy and intimate. Some viewers would definitely find her acts over the top and they are because nobody would behave that way in real life!
Even in Love The Way You Are whereby the female lead has a disease that is out of this world, the rest of the story is very much anchored in reality. But in Intense Love, they have let the female character to be as outrageously beguiling as possible and the romance to be incredibly perfect. Thus, the rom-com is unique because it doesn’t aim to relate it to real life one bit but to give you an avenue to escape to fantasyland and dream of perfect love.
Acting And Chemistry
What pulls me in when I look at Ryan Ding’s acting is his eyes. They are expressive and conveys the emotions he wants viewers to see. With Dr. Zhou being a cold and rational character, Ryan Ding doesn’t have the luxury of using much facial expressions and body movements to convey his feelings and love for Jin Bei. Instead, we will be left heady with all the looks and stares that he gives the female lead. Zhang Yu Xi also has very beautiful eyes and a pretty face which are exploited to the full in the close-ups during the intimate scenes. Her acting is a little exaggerated at times but I would blame it more on the character that she has to play than her acting ability.
Overall, I think there is good chemistry between the 2 leads and they do look good together. There is no awkwardness in the kissing scenes although you can’t expect them to be as steamy as those found in K-dramas either. Kissing scenes that are considered mild by Western standards do get censored in C-dramas as can be noticed in series such as Love Of Thousand Years and Here To Heart. Generally, the intimate scenes in Intense Love look natural which is important to give the right feel in a romance drama.
The second couple is also cute to watch although I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect pairing. Somehow, Yuan Song reminds me of a similar character which is also portrayed by the same actor in The Love Equations.
My Verdict – Watch It For The Fluff
My recommendation to watch Intense Love comes with a big warning sign – not everyone will be able to stand it! If you are looking for something that has a great plot, then you should definitely give this a miss. This rom-com is just about 2 people falling in love and then dating with minor misunderstandings thrown in to make up 24 episodes. There is little angst and negative emotions in the main couple’s love story. There is no break up to protect the girl kind of cliche which is found in Girlfriend. It is merely an overload of fluff and sweetness which is akin to Love 020. Hence, if you like Love 020, then Intense Love might well be your cup of tea.
Don’t Overthink
The story is simple. The female character is unreal. The whole setting is superficial. So, if you want to watch it, you have to do it without thinking too much. It is pure drama-land to help you escape from the realities of life. It is littered with cuddles and a satisfactory amount of kisses although I think The Love By Hypnotic is still the champion in terms of the number of kisses in a rom-com.
However, it takes a few episodes to get into this drama and that is why I will only give it a 6.5/10 rating for this Intense Love review. It is very tempting to drop this after the first 2 episodes because it does seem over-exaggerated. As I have mentioned, you have to get used to the very different style of presentation of the story compared to the usual rom-coms. My suggestion is to watch 4 to 5 episodes before you decide if you should drop it. If you do, I can’t say that you will miss much either. But if you don’t, you will be treated to an avalanche of sweetness.
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