Men In Love (请和这样的我恋爱吧) is my second Hu Yi Tian drama within a month. I was curious how his partnership with Liang Jie would work out and dove into this with an expectation of a great romance. After all, the title does suggest an emphasis on love and relationship. But the number of episodes did make me wonder if this would be another one of those dramas stuffed with fillers and unnecessary subplots to lengthen the story. Well, the answer to that and further comment is in my Men In Love review below.
My rating: 6/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Romance
Aired: May 2024
Images Credit: Douban Movie
The Cast Of Men In Love
- Hu Yi Tian as Ye Han
- Liang Jie as Li Xiao Xiao
- Dai Xu as Xu Jia Cheng
- Liu Chang as Xu Yan
- Li Dian Zun as Lu Zheng
- Zhang Yao as Guo Sheng Yun
- Sun Jia Ling as Tong Yi Wen
- Wu Qian Ying as Xu Jia Lin
Main Characters
Ye Han
Ye Han is the Chief Editor of a fashion magazine. He is a charming guy but can be arrogant with a quick retort when faced with rivals. He is smart and proactive in pursuing the girl he loves. Ye Han is 33 years old and has 3 best friends from this schooldays, namely Jia Cheng, Xu Yan, and Lu Zheng.
Li Xiao Xiao
Xiao Xiao is a college P.E. teacher as well as a coach for a basketball club. She is 29 years old and has a one-sided crush on Jia Cheng. Xiao Xiao is someone who would think twice before acting on her feelings. She is cautious and fears the awkwardness of a rejection.
Supporting Characters
Xu Jia Cheng
Jia Cheng is one of Ye Han’s best friends together with Xu Yan and Lu Zheng. He is also Ye Han’s business partner and publisher of the magazine that they are managing. Jia Cheng is expressive and friendly. He has dated but has no intention of settling down anytime soon. He is good friends with Xiao Xiao who is his basketball coach at the club. Jia Cheng also comes from a very wealthy family who owns a chain of hotels.
Xu Yan
Xu Yan is a lawyer with his own firm. His wife has died a few years earlier and he is still hanging on to the memories of her. He is the most serious one out of the 4 friends.
Lu Zheng
Lu Zheng runs a cafe and is a married man. However, he still likes to behave as though he is single. He is fearful of his wife but will still risk her wrath for a night of partying and getting to know girls.
Guo Sheng Yun
Sheng Yun is Lu Zheng’s wife. She is a rich woman and is Ye Han, Jia Cheng, and Xu Yan’s landlady for their office premises. Sheng Yun is a domineering woman who invokes fear in the men.
Tong Yi Wen
Yi Wen is Xiao Xiao’s best friend and flatmate. She was a top model who is now past her prime. Hence, she has few job offers and does live streaming instead. Xiao Xiao is a practical woman who just wants a stable life rather than a passionate love affair that ends nowhere.
Xu Jia Lin
Jia Lin is Jia Cheng’s younger sister. She has just returned from her studies abroad. Jia Lin has been in love with Xu Yan for a long time but nobody takes her seriously due to her young age. She openly pursues Xu Yan although he only sees her as a sister.
Synopsis
Ye Han, Jia Cheng, Xu Yan, and Lu Zheng are 4 good friends since their schooldays. Now, they are approaching 33 years old with each having their own relationship issues. Ye Han is a Chief Editor of a magazine and falls in love with Xiao Xiao who is a 29-year-old PE teacher. However, Xiao Xiao has secret feelings for Jia Cheng and has been hiding it for a few years. Just when she summons up her courage to confess her feelings, she sees Jia Cheng and her best friend, Yi Wen, together. This causes her to retreat and suffer in silence.
However, Jia Cheng and Yi Wen have their own relationship issues while Ye Han keeps pursuing Xiao Xiao. This results in much confusion and a big mess for Xiao Xiao to settle. The 4 of them have to work through their problems to attain the kind of love that they want. At the same time, Xu Yan also has his own emotional baggage to deal with while being relentlessly pursued by Jia Cheng’s younger sister. Lu Zheng is the only married man among the 4 friends but still wants to enjoy life like a single guy while constantly being monitored by his wife.
Men In Love Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Men In Love has a happy ending for all the 4 couples. Ye Han leaves for work in another city for 3 months in Episode 37 after breaking up with Xiao Xiao. When he returns, he goes to look for her again. He tells her that he has kept thinking of her although he was in another city after their breakup. He will also keep waiting for her. In Episode 40, Xiao Xiao realizes how much Ye Han loves her after seeing the notes he left at the florist that used to be their meeting point. He was always there to wait for her although he had made it seem like they were coincidences.
Ye Han suggests to Xiao Xiao that they get married after they have attended Xu Yan and Jia Lin’s wedding. She agrees. Xu Yan and Jia Lin got married after Jia Lin’s father agrees to their relationship but wants them to get hitched straight away. Both Xu Yan and Jia Lin are happy to comply. Despite his mother’s objection, Jia Cheng proposes to Yi Wen which she accepts. Her father’s parting note has given her the confidence that Jia Cheng is the right choice. Lu Zheng is going to be a father and is happy to be with Sheng Yun again.
The 4 guys remain the best of friends despite their constant bickering. They bury another box of time capsules to be opened in 16 years’ time. The drama ends with Ye Han and Xiao Xiao meeting at their usual meetup point for a date.
Ye Han & Xiao Xiao
Ye Han tells a drunk Xiao Xiao that he misses her in Episode 6 although he knows she is in love with Jia Cheng. She remembers his words the day after in Episode 7. Ye Han kisses her during a trip together with the basketball team in Episode 8. But Xiao Xiao gets annoyed when Ye Han questions her about her feelings for Jia Cheng. She claims that the kiss was just an impulse then. In Episode 9, Ye Han asks Xiao Xiao to think about their relationship after she felt awkward due to the kiss.
Ye Han reiterates that he won’t let go of her in Episode 10. But Xiao Xiao rejects him as she needs time to make up her mind and let go of her feelings for Jia Cheng. Ye Han refuses to give up and tells Xiao Xiao that he will love her quietly in Episode 11. But Xiao Xiao rejects Ye Han again in Episode 14 although she is happy to have met him. He respects her decision and avoids her in Episode 15 as he doesn’t want to waste time on a love that is already over. But his neglect pushes Xiao Xiao to rethink her feelings for him.
When Xiao Xiao confronts Ye Han in Episode 17, he replies that he had tried his utmost and should let go. Xiao Xiao feels miserable thereafter and gets drunk which results in a drunken confession and a kiss. She apologizes for her behavior in Episode 18 but is told by Ye Han to show him her true heart to prove her love. They get together in Episode 20 after she made him a card with words from his magazine articles to confess her love for him in Episode 19.
Love Triangle
Xiao Xiao has liked Jia Cheng for a long time but didn’t directly confess her feelings to him. Jia Cheng finds out that Xiao Xiao likes him in Episode 12 due to Jia Lin’s doing. Jia Lin has quietly put a photo of Jia Cheng in Xiao Xiao’s wallet when she is unaware to try to pair them up. When Jia Cheng notices that Xiao Xiao is keeping his photo, he begins to get suspicious and asks his sister about it. Hence, Xiao Xiao’s secret is exposed.
Jia Cheng confronts Xiao Xiao about her feelings for him in Episode 13. He apologizes as he doesn’t want to lose her friendship. He also doesn’t want to pretend that he doesn’t know and lie to her. Xiao Xiao feels that she has messed things up among all of them. She asks Jia Cheng to give her time to get their relationship back to when they were good friends. In Episode 14, Xiao Xiao again asks for time as she still doesn’t know how to face him and Yi Wen. Jia Cheng tells her that he just wants her to be happy and will always have her back.
Xiao Xiao and Jia Cheng agree to put the past behind them and continue their friendship as before in Episode 15. She is happy for him and Yi Wen when they announce their relationship to her in Episode 20.
Ye Han’s Ex
Ye Han still has the fear of being dumped due to his experience with his ex, Jin Ran. He is forced to tell Xiao Xiao his past in Episode 27 when he mistakenly thought she has disappeared like his ex. Ye Han was together with Jin Ran for 5 years before she suddenly left him 6 years ago. By then, she had already accepted his proposal. Xiao Xiao decides not to overthink in Episode 28 although she knows how much Ye Han had loved Jin Ran and the painful heartbreak that followed. She worries whether he would leave her if Jin Ran returns but he assures her that he wouldn’t.
Jin Ran turns up again in his life when she returns to Shanghai with her young son. Ye Han feels affected by her presence and avoids her. He takes Xiao Xiao away on a trip and they end up sleeping together in Episode 29. But Jin Ran’s continued appearance makes Xiao Xiao insecure in Episode 32.
In Episode 33, Jin Ran tells Ye Han that she left him because she didn’t want him to give up his dream career to fulfill hers. Ye Han had wanted to follow Jin Ran abroad because of her work. Xiao Xiao has had enough of seeing them together and asks for a breakup but Ye Han coaxes her back in Episode 34.
Jin Ran asks Ye Han for another chance in Episode 35. She was with her son’s father because of loneliness after leaving Ye Han. But the relationship was wrong from the start and hence, they separated 2 years later. Now, Jin Ran doesn’t want to live in regret and still has feelings for Ye Han. However, Ye Han tells her that he has neither resentment nor feelings for her any longer.
The Breakup
Xiao Xiao snaps when she notices the wedding ring that Ye Han had bought for Jin Ran on his table in Episode 35. She questions why Jin Ran has to keep appearing in her life. She can’t pretend that nothing has happened between Ye Han and his ex. Xiao Xiao also can’t stand it anymore that he has to keep explaining whenever he is with Jin Ran and wants a breakup in Episode 36. He agrees to it when she tells him that she hates herself for feeling jealous and inferior. She also doesn’t fully trust him.
Jia Cheng & Yi Wen
Jia Cheng confesses to Yi Wen and kisses her during a date in Episode 5. But she breaks up with him in Episode 6 because she knows they have no future together. She doesn’t want to sacrifice her time and future for a love that is based on passion and impulse but could end any time. Jia Cheng says that he is serious and asks Yi Wen to be his girlfriend again in Episode 7. She rejects him.
In Episode 8, Jia Cheng’s mother asks Yi Wen to stay away from her son. She assures her that she has already dumped Jia Cheng. She even blocks Jia Cheng on her phone and insists that they don’t see each other again in Episode 10. The break up has a finality to it in Episode 11 when Jia Cheng couldn’t promise marriage when Yi Wen asks him about it. Although she likes him, she could foresee the pain of an eventual breakup because they have different life goals.
However, they couldn’t let go of their feelings for each other. They reconcile in Episode 19 after Yi Wen’s date brings her to a business dinner which is also attended by Jia Cheng. Jia Cheng is unhappy that Yi Wen is with another man and they quarrel over it. She leaves following the quarrel but regrets it and returns to be with him. they start dating again then.
Did They BreakUp Again?
Jia Cheng’s mother is against their relationship and forces him to go on a blind date who happens to be Yi Wen’s friend in Episode 22. This leads to another disagreement between them in Episode 23 but Jia Cheng apologizes and manages to coax her back in Episode 25. Their relationship turns cold again in Episode 33 when Jia Cheng gets involved with her father whom she hates. This is made worse when Jia Cheng’s mother bumps into Yi Wen in Episode 38 and tells her that she had met her poor and pathetic father. Yi Wen asks for a breakup following this encounter as she can’t see a future for them since they don’t have his parents’ blessings.
In Episode 39, Yi Wen’s father leaves her a note that he will be returning to their hometown and wouldn’t disturb her anymore. He also mentions that Jia Cheng is a good man who is ideal for her and that he didn’t take Jia Cheng’s mother’s money to break them up. He wouldn’t betray his own daughter for money. Yi Wen is touched by her father’s note.
Xu Yan & Jia Lin
Xu Yan’s mother-in-law decides to sell the apartment that they are living in to force Xu Yan to move on in Episode 10. Her daughter had died 4 years ago and she wants Xu Yan to find happiness again. When Jia Lin returns from overseas to pursue Xu Yan, she mistakenly thought he is living with his mother. She pays her a visit only to learn that she is his mother-in-law in Episode 12. Xu Yan is angry with her but she continues to pursue him as she likes him a lot.
Xu Yan moves into Jia Cheng’s apartment in Episode 17 following his mother-in-law’s decision. This delights Jia Lin who is also living with Jia Cheng. But she wavers whether she should persist with her one-sided love in Episode 20 when a drunk Xu Yan hugs her and whispers his late wife’s name instead. However, Xu Yan’s concern for her motivates her not to give up although her brother is against it.
Xu Yan tells Jia Lin that it is impossible between them in Episode 21. But her hurt gnaws at his heart as her persistence has made him fall for her. When Jia Cheng scolds her for being rude to Xu Yan’s blind date in Episode 22, Xu Yan is forced to tell Jia Cheng that he has also fallen for Jia Lin. But Xu Yan continues to push Jia Lin away in Episode 24 as she is Jia Cheng’s sister and Jia Cheng trusts him not to cross the line where she is concerned. Jia Cheng is against their relationship because he has seen how deeply Xu Yan loved his late wife.
When Did They Get Together?
Due to the continuous hurt inflicted by Xu Yan’s rejection, Jia Lin decides not to like him anymore in Episode 26. She also tries to put up a show of being close to another guy in Episode 28 and claims he is her new boyfriend in Episode 29 but Xu Yan doesn’t seem to care. Jia Lin’s effort to try to fall out of love with Xu Yan fails when she hears he has gone on a blind date in Episode 30. Xu Yan admits to Jia Lin that he likes her but fears losing both a friend and her if he gives in to his feelings.
Jia Lin could see that Xu Yan is suffering because of his love for her and begins to think she should let go in Episode 32. Xu Yan also feels guilty the more he loves Jia Lin because the love has hurt both of them in Episode 34. Jia Lin decides to return abroad for further studies in Episode 36 when Xu Yan loses his wedding ring that is connected to his late wife and blames her for it. She accuses him of being a prisoner of the past before leaving.
Xu Yan decides he should move on from his late wife and rushes to the airport to chase after Jia Lin. He promises that he won’t give up on them this time and they become a couple. They tell Jia Cheng about their relationship in Episode 37. Jia Cheng is against it initially but gradually comes to terms with it after conversations with Xu Yan. He also supports them in the face of their disapproving mother in Episode 38.
Lu Zheng & Sheng Yun
Sheng Yun threatens divorce when Lu Zheng loses his wedding band again in Episode 7. Lu Zheng sees Sheng Yun as a tigress at home and is always trying to have a good time outside without her knowledge while she will keep tabs on his whereabouts. But they love each other and that is the nature of their relationship.
In Episode 16, Sheng Yun has difficulty conceiving due to her age and decides to try for a test tube baby. But Lu Zheng is concerned about Sheng Yun’s mental well-being should the procedure fails in Episode 19. When her eggs are deemed unsuitable in Episode 23, Lu Zheng hides the results from Sheng Yun who is desperate for a kid and also sees it as a way to tie down her husband.
Sheng Yun finds out the truth in Episode 28 and demands a divorce. She tells him that she is tired of always suspecting and stalking him in Episode 29. Their conversation continues in Episode 30 as Sheng Yun asks Lu Zheng to let her go. Otherwise, she would go crazy leading a life of insecurity and doubt. So, they sign the divorce papers. But both of them got drunk and end up sleeping together in Episode 38. They reconcile in Episode 39 after Sheng Yun falls pregnant after their drunken night together.
Men In Love Review – A Drama Of Messy Love
Frankly speaking, I was very tempted to drop Men In Love after watching about 10 episodes. This is a classic drama of messed up relationships. It is more than a love triangle as it involves 4 parties. It is a case of A loves B who loves C while D loves A. On top of that, they all know each other and the 2 guys and 2 girls are best friends. So, you have the female lead who has one-sided feelings for the male lead’s best friend. For more than a dozen episodes, the male lead is chasing her knowing she has feelings for his friend while she tries to sort out her confused mind.
I guess if you like complicated relationships that involve more than 2 parties in a romance, then this is for you. For me, I simply got tired of watching their messy love life with all its drama. To be fair though, this complication gets resolved after 15 episodes or so. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t get more interesting after the initial bump. There is not much else in the plot besides the love lives of the 4 guys in the story with each having their own different issues. There is nothing wrong with having multi-couples as not all romance dramas are deep and melodramatic like Will Love In Spring.
However, the problem lies in the uninspiring stories of the couples. This is compounded by the lack of chemistry between the actors and actresses who play the different partners.
Badly Written Stories And Characters
Basically, there are 4 different couples in the drama. The main couple starts off with a love triangle. The male lead chases the female while she is in love with his best friend. That is already a turn-off for me. When his ex returns, there is another round of complications we could do without. The female lead keeps walking away from him that I lost interest in their ups and downs. The second couple is no different. The girl is always having problems foreseeing a future together with the guy, thanks to his snobbish mother who is against their relationship. It reminds me of the toxic mother syndrome in Best Choice Ever.
The third couple consists of an immature girl who is 10 years younger than the guy. Her persistence in getting him to fall for her is highly annoying to me. But neither does he deserve her after pushing her away for almost the entire drama. You would wish she has the backbone to drop him in the end. The last couple is a married one but their relationship is weird. The girl is always suspicious of the guy who likes to behave as if he is single and yet, he would bend over backwards to please her all the time. And she thinks having a kid would solve all their problems!
To be honest, I didn’t have the patience for these 4 couples’ stories. As I watched, the situations that develop kept getting more and more annoying and boring. At a certain point, it didn’t bother me anymore if they end up together or otherwise. The ending for the main couple after the female lead got her enlightenment is also shallow.
Lacks Chemistry
I think we have all watched a romance drama with a mediocre script but still enjoyed it due to blazing chemistry between the leads. The plot in Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love is nothing to shout about either but the leads’ chemistry is what makes us glued to the screen. Sadly, Men In Love doesn’t have this same compensating factor to keep viewers’ interest. I can’t sense any chemistry for all the 4 couples in the drama.
Perhaps the main couple has a little of it but certainly not enough to carry the show. He is much taller than her but that height difference doesn’t translate to cuteness and chemistry unlike the couple in My Little Happiness. He is charming when he smiles and looks at her but the magic just isn’t there when she smiles back. The second female lead lacks facial expressions to really light up the romance for the second couple.
The third couple is a mismatch with a much younger woman falling for an older guy who happens to be her brother’s good friend. He is indeed more than 10 years older than her in real life. No chemistry is visible here in case you are expecting fireworks like in Hidden Love. The fourth couple is the opposite with the guy being younger instead. They have the least screen time and hence, it doesn’t really matter whether sparks are flying between them. In any case, I can’t detect any great chemistry either in their interactions.
Bromance To The Rescue
If there is one thing that makes Men In Love watchable, it has to be the bromance among the 4 guys. Their camaraderie is great to watch. Their bickering and goofiness are usually shown at the beginning of each episode as the male lead narrates their experiences throughout their years of friendship which started from high school. They may bicker and quarrel but they are always there for each other through thick and thin. In fact, their part as friends are better than any of the romance to me.
The actors also have great chemistry among themselves which is also why the bromance stands out rather than the romance. They provide the laughs in the drama when everything else starts to grate on your nerves. If not for them, I just might have dropped this halfway through. As viewers will be watching this for the romance, the amazing bond among the men would be the nice surprise that makes up for the lackluster couples instead.
My Verdict – Not Worth The Time
Being 40 episodes long, Men In Love is not worth the time invested. Essentially, it is a mixed of love cliches combined into one drama from a disapproving parent to love triangles. All these cliches are made possible as they are spread out over 4 couples. So, the plot is nothing new when looked from this angle and hence, the drama becomes predictable and boring. Perhaps cutting down on the number of episodes may make it easier for viewers to sustain their interest.
The other major issue is the flawed female characters which are poorly written. At times, they are annoying because of their insecurities, controlling manner or just simply childish. So, when the guys fall for them and bend over backwards for them, the romance fails to touch me. While it is realistic to have flawed characters, there must also be something that stands out to make the men’s love for them worthwhile. I think this is missing in the story and thus, the magical feeling of a romance drama flies out the window.
For this review of Men In Love, I would give it a score of 6/10. I wouldn’t recommend a watch for this one unless you are a huge fan of Hu Yu Tian and Liang Jie. If you really want to give it a try, lower your expectations for the romance but watch it for the bromance instead. The guys have better chemistry among themselves than with the girls in the drama.
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