Mysterious Love Review

Mysterious Love (他在逆光中告白) is such a short drama which is a departure from the usual long-winded productions from mainland China. With only 16 episodes of half an hour each, you could easily complete it within a day or two. It is also the main reason why I decided to watch it. I think the leads’ hot and passionate scenes are also highly noticeable on YouTube for those who follow Chinese dramas. It is certainly a big help to boost viewership. But is the drama any good? Check out my Mysterious Love review below for more details.

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 16
Type: Romance, Action
Aired: April 2021
Images Credit: Tencent

The Cast Of Mysterious Love

• Tsao Yu Ning as Li Teng / Lee
• Yilia Yu Yue as Ruan Nian Chu
• Wu Hao Ze as Jiang Hao
• Leslie Ma Xin Mo as Qiao Yu Fei
• Sky Li Qing Tian as Chen Guo Zhi / Director Chen
• Wu Xing Jian as Tuo Li
• Carmen Tong Ka Man as Wa Sha
• Fu Jia as Nian Chu’s father
• Mary Ma as Nian Chu’s mother
• Xu Duo Duo as Xia Xing Xing

Main Characters

Li Teng / Lee

Li Teng runs a security company that provides bodyguard and security services for people and events. He is a smart and tactical man who rarely lets down his guard due to the nature of his work. Li Teng can be possessive and domineering as a boyfriend. Lee is his alternate persona during a secret mission 5 years ago.

Ruan Nian Chu

Nian Chu is a stage actress. She is serious about her work and not easily cowed by bigger names in the industry. She knows how to think for herself and demand answers. Nian Chu has a history with Lee whom she still pines for 5 years later.

Supporting Characters

Jiang Hao

Jiang Hao is Li Teng’s good friend and deputy of his security company. He is a more amicable and soft-hearted compared to Li Teng. Jiang Hao is a single father with a young daughter named Xing Xing.

Qiao Yu Fei

Yu Fei is a novelist and Nian Chu’s best friend. She comes from a rich family and is more open-minded when it comes to dating compared to Nian Chu. She also has a crush on Jiang Hao.

Chen Guo Zhi / Director Chen

Director Chen is Nian Chu’s senior and an acting director. He shows interest in Nian Chu and seems intent on pursuing her.

Tuo Li

Tuo Li is a male nurse at the city hospital. He seems to be a responsible and caring young man. He also has deep feelings for Nian Chu since he was a teenager.

Wa Sha

Wa Sha is part of a syndicate who got to know Lee and fell in love with him. She is a ruthless woman whose only aim is to eliminate her love rival.

Nian Chu’s Parents

They are loving but anxious parents who worry about Nian Chu’s lack of love life.

Jiang Xing Xing

Xing Xing is Jiang Hao’s daughter. She is a possessive little girl who would scare away her father’s suitors.

Synopsis

5 years ago, Nian Chu accidentally stumbled upon an illegal syndicate and was taken hostage. She got to know Lee who was on a secret mission to bring down the syndicate. Nian Chu didn’t know much about Lee but he protected her during her ordeal from the rest of the gang members. Lee helped her to escape only for her to witness an explosion that could have taken his life.

5 years later, Nian Chu still thinks of Lee and wonders if he is still alive. When they meet again by chance, Lee denies he is the person she is looking for. He is now Li Teng, an owner of a security company. However, things change when Li Teng starts wooing Nian Chu. Just when Nian Chu thinks everything is going well for both of then, she learns that Li Teng has an agenda in approaching her.

Mysterious Love Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Mysterious Love has a happy ending. Li Teng proposes to Nian Chu in Episode 15 and they get married at the end of the drama. The last scene in Episode 16 is of them kissing just before their wedding ceremony. Jiang Hao and Yu Fei also end up as a couple as the latter gradually wins over Xing Xing to accept her as a stepmother.

Why Did Li Teng Approach Nian Chu?

Li Teng has been keeping his distance from Nian Chu since they separated because he doesn’t want to endanger her. After the explosion onboard a boat 5 years ago, Li Teng was in a coma for 3 years. When he awakened, he pushed himself to recover as he wanted to meet Nian Chu. But the syndicate found out that he is still alive and he decided it is best to leave Nian Chu alone.

However, when a chip that belongs to the syndicate is activated by Nian Chu’s troupe leader, a signal is sent. Li Teng approached her then with the intention to get it back. His initial plan is to get back the chip and then leave her but he couldn’t resist his love for her either.

The chip is actually hidden in a coin. It was stolen by Wa Sha 5 years ago which scuttled a deal for the syndicate. Her intention was to frame Nian Chu because she saw her as a love rival for Li Teng’s affections. Wa Sha hid the chip in a potted plant which Nian Chu brought back with her when she was saved. 5 years later, Nian Chu’s troupe leader broke the pot while taking care of the plant and found the chip.

Did Li Teng And Nian Chu Break Up?

Li Teng and Nian Chu’s first kiss is in Episode 5. They got together for a short while before breaking up in Episode 7 when Nian Chu finds out that Li Teng approached her to get his hands on the chip. They reconcile in Episode 11 when Li Teng confesses his feelings for her and slept together in Episode 12.

There is a weak love triangle when Wa Sha comes into the picture. But Li Teng has absolutely no interest in her while Nian Chu is smart enough to know Wa Sha’s intentions. Similarly, Nian Chu has no romantic feelings for Tuo Li whom she regards as nothing more than a little brother.

Who Is The Bad Guy?

The bad guy in the drama is Tuo Li who had a bitter childhood. His father is a big boss of the underworld but he was sent to a rival gang to toughen him up. He ended up as a hostage there and got to know Li Teng and Nian Chu. He was a teenager then and had a crush on Nian Chu whom he saw as someone who cared about him. 5 years later, Tuo Li is still crazy about her and schemes to get hold of her.

Tuo Li enlists Wa Sha and Duan Kun to kidnap Nian Chu. They manage to do so but in the process, Wa Sha and Duan Kun are captured while Jiang Hao was knifed. Li Teng makes use of Jiang Hao’s injury to fake the latter’s death. Tuo Li is tricked which enables Li Teng to spring a surprise to save Nian Chu. After a fight, Tuo Li is defeated and arrested.

Xing Xing’s Background

Xing Xing is actually Jiang Hao’s adopted daughter although they try to hide the fact from her. Her biological father is Jiang Hao’s mentor and Li Teng’s team leader. He died during the secret mission and his wife became mentally unsound. Xing Xing was only a baby then. Jiang Hao signed marriage papers with his mentor’s widow to gain legal custody of Xing Xing.

Mysterious Love Review – Good For Brevity

If you are looking for something brief rather than a long-winded saga, Mysterious Love will probably fit the bill. The episodes are short at 30 minutes each and 16 episodes will pass by quickly as you follow the story. It has fast pacing which is necessary given the limited screen time. This means there is less room for boredom to set in and you won’t feel the story being dragged out unnecessarily compared to dramas with over 30 episodes such as You Are My Hero and One Boat, One World.

Romance With Action

I think it is a welcome change to have some action in a romance drama rather than recycling the cold but dashing CEO trope as can be seen in The Trick Of Life and Love and Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling. Mysterious Love has a bit of intrigue in it with the way the story is told through occasional flashbacks. It does entice you to chase after the story to find out more about the main couple’s past history.

Having said that, Mysterious Love is far from being an action-packed drama. So, it is not something that you would want to watch for really good choreographed car chasing or fighting scenes. It is a romance drama in essence but with a little action and suspense thrown in due to the male lead’s job nature.

Surprisingly Good Chemistry

There are no big stars in Mysterious Love and I don’t expect it to be a big hit. But the chemistry between the leads is still surprisingly good. Tsao Yu Ning’s acting is not always on point and honestly speaking, I find some of his expressions to be a little creepy. But he certainly knows how to be seductive which is what is required for his role. He also has that masculinity needed to project an aggressive and domineering personality.

Yilia Yu is more natural in her role as Nian Chu. The character is likable with her independence and she is not a weakling when faced with the domineering Li Teng. They are more like equals which spices up the relationship. Their sizzling chemistry helps to lift the drama and they are on fire with the passionate scenes. This fits the nature of their relationship which has 5 years of pent-up yearning. It has a very different tone from say, college romances like Forever Love and My Unicorn Girl which have a more innocent feel to them.

The Downside To The Short Length

While short means faster pacing and being less draggy, there are also downsides to contend with. Being short, the story for Mysterious Love and its characters are not really well-developed. Yes, you can understand the story being told but you cannot expect details. Events will push the story along but there are no depths to these happenings. For instance, there are scant details about the syndicate and Li Teng’s mission. As a result, the story becomes superficial at times.

Similarly, there is also no time for character growth in the drama unlike longer productions like Something Just Like This and Begin Again. So, I think it is harder to feel truly invested in the characters although the overall story may be exciting.

My Verdict – Worth It For The Time Spent

Mysterious Love is clearly a low budget production. The action scenes are limited and the ending is rushed. To me, it is actually too short for meaningful development of the romance and characters. The occasional flashbacks do lure you into the story but at the same time, they make the drama seems disjointed. Hence, the story development doesn’t feel smooth at times. I guess the piecemeal flashbacks are done to fit everything within 16 episodes rather than allow for the story to unfold naturally which will take a longer time.

As a result, the romance isn’t going to be deeply satisfying and moving. You will root for the couple but it won’t leave a deep impression on you either. I think if they had taken the time to set a stronger foundation for the love to grow in the early episodes, the drama would be a more fulfilling watch. As it is, the flashbacks are merely snippets of what happened in the past rather than a long, coherent story that could really touched viewers when it comes to the couple’s romance.

Nevertheless, I would still give a score of 7/10 for this Mysterious Love review. It is worth watching for the relatively short time investment. It has quite a few flaws as mentioned above but the story still makes sense and interesting enough to give it a go. Just like The Day Of Becoming You, at the very least, the storyline is a little different from the usual. The chemistry helps and so does the hot kisses which you wouldn’t want to miss!