Once We Get Married Review

Once We Get Married (只是结婚的关系) is a typical contract marriage drama. It actually reminds me of those trashy love stories that one could find in many Mills And Boons romance books. While we may snigger over these stories, the reality is many of us are also suckers for this kind of fairy tale romances. Otherwise, how else could we explain the huge market for this kind of books and dramas? But if you are still skeptical, then my Once We Get Married review below will give you more insights into this rom-com.

My rating: 6.5/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Romance
Aired: October 2021
Images Credit: Tencent

The Cast Of Once We Are Married

• Wang Yu Wen as Gu Xi Xi
• Wang Zi Qi as Yin Si Chen
• Ian Yi Bai Chen as Mo Zi Xin
• Zhong Li Li as Ran Xi Wei
• Yang Yue as Mu Ruo Na
• Li Jun Chen as Shang Ke
• Chen Xun as Chen Fei Ang
• Chen Yi Xin as Lin Xiao Ya

Main Characters

Gu Xi Xi

Xi Xi is a rookie fashion designer and fashion buyer for an online platform. She is 24 years old with a big dream of having her own label. Xi Xi is independent and quick-witted. She has a loving mother who runs a launderette but a toxic and greedy father and grandmother. She is also a big fan of a comic book series written by Nian Xi and sees the author as her idol.

Yin Si Chen

Si Chen is the founder and CEO of Why Mall which is a large online fashion retailer. He is a handsome man but cold and domineering. He is smart and plays to win. Si Chen comes from a rich family and has a strict mother.

Mo Zi Xin / Senior Mo

Mo Zi Xin is the CEO of Wen Ye Group which is Why Mall’s competitor. He is also a reclusive comic book artist called Nian Xi. Mo Zi Xin and Xi Xi are childhood friends as they come from the same hometown but lost touch when he moved overseas. He was her senior at school and they both love to draw. Mo Zi Xin is courteous and helpful.

Supporting Characters

Ran Xi Wei

Xi Wei is a rich girl who runs her own fashion media company. She is Si Chen’s childhood friend together with Shang Ke. Xi Wei has been in love with Si Chen for a long time. But she is also a jealous and toxic person who thinks she should be the one for him.

Mu Ruo Na

Ruo Na is Si Chen’s friend. She is recommended by him to be the General Manager at Shang Ke’s company. Ruo Na is highly professional and capable. She is also aggressive and direct.

Shang Ke

Shang Ke is a rich playboy who is never serious in his work. He is Si Chen’s good friend from childhood.

Chen Fei Ang

Fei Ang is Si Chen’s personal assistant.

Lin Xiao Ya

Xiao Ya is a 3rd tier model and Xi Xi’s best friend. They also run an online shop together.

Synopsis

Si Chen runs an online platform in fashion retailing called Why Mall. He wants to work with a well-known designer named Alex. One of Alex’s fashion lines is his very exclusive wedding dress design label called Marry Me. These dresses are not available on the open market. To attract Alex’s interest, Si Chen tries to source for Marry Me wedding dresses. At the same time, he mistakenly enlisted Xi Xi online to source for one as she has a fashion buyer account with Why Mall.

As a result, Si Chen and Xi Xi got entangled with each other as both of them are after the same dress. A series of events then lead them into a contract marriage arrangement in order to secure Alex’s trust and gain the selling rights to Marry Me. Xi Xi has to move in with Si Chen and they start off disliking each other. But as time passes, they begin to fall in love with each other.

However, both Si Chen and Xi Xi have their own admirer who loves them deeply. This creates jealousy and misunderstandings. Xi Xi also becomes a target of attack as her love rival tries to sabotage her relationship with Si Chen.

Once We Get Married Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Once We Get Married has a happy ending. At the end of the fashion show of her very own brand name, Xi Xi appears in a wedding dress and walks towards Si Chen. She asks him if he is willing to spend his life with her. In actual fact, Si Chen has already planned to propose to Xi Xi at the same time. He immediately takes out the wedding ring that he has prepared and the drama ends with them kissing under the spotlight.

What Happened To The Love Rivals?

There is a love triangle in the drama with Xi Wei being obsessed over Si Chen and Mo Zi Xin being in love with Xi Xi. Xi Wei is the toxic one who tries various ways to drive Xi Xi away from Si Chen. But her plans never succeeded and Si Chen also kept rejecting her advances. Her bitterness led her to leak the news of Si Chen and Xi Xi’s fake marriage when she saw the contract in his office in Episode 22. This angered Alex as they have deceived him in the beginning when he signed on the Marry Me wedding dress line to them.

But the couple managed to turn things around when Xi Xi convinced Alex of her sincerity and love for Si Chen through her wedding dress design. Hence, Alex supported Si Chen to remain as CEO of Why Mall and in turn, put the matter of the fake marriage to rest. Xi Wei’s evil plan failed and she decided to leave the country in Episode 24. Before she left, she talked to Xi Xi. She is not sorry but resigned to her fate.

As for Mo Zi Xin, he faded into the background by the end of the drama. He has been rejected by Xi Xi and could see that he doesn’t stand a chance against Si Chen. But he still cares about her and they remain as friends.

When Did Si Chen And Xi Xi Get Together?

Si Chen and Xi Xi started to slowly develop feelings for each other as early as Episode 7. He admitted to himself and Fei Ang that he likes Xi Xi in Episode 11. Si Chen wanted to confess his feelings in Episode 14 but mistaken Xi Xi for Xi Wei during a masquerade party. Xi Xi then thought he has no interest in her and felt dejected. They cleared up their misunderstanding in Episode 15.

Si Chen confessed his love to Xi Xi during a ferris wheel ride in Episode 16. She accepted his love in Episode 17 and they became a real couple from then on. They also consummated their relationship. There is no breakup after they got together. In fact, they faced everything together as a loving couple.

For the second couple, Shang Ke confessed his feelings to Ruo Na in Episode 5 but got rejected. They slept together in Episode 8 while high on alcohol but she pretended nothing happened between them. Ruo Na then changed her mind in Episode 10 and they embarked on a trial relationship. She doesn’t believe in marriage due to her parents’ bitter experience. She felt pressured by his mother in Episode 19 and rejected Shang Ke’s proposal. But they reconciled a short time later and agreed that they don’t necessarily need to marry to be together.

When Did Xi Xi Find Out About Mo Zi Xin’s Feelings?

Xi Xi learned that Mo Zi Xin has feelings for her in Episode 16 when he confessed his love. He also told her that he is Nian Xi then. He asked her to give him an answer on her birthday. Xi Xi rejected his love in Episode 17 at the birthday celebration venue he had prepared for her. They agreed to remain as friends.

When Did The Fake Marriage Get Exposed?

Mo Zi Xin found out about the Xi Xi’s contract marriage in Episode 10 through a drunk Xiao Ya. But he never used it against her as he genuinely loves Xi Xi.

Xi Wei saw the fake marriage contract under some files in Si Chen’s office after a quarrel in Episode 22. She leaked the information to the media and it became public knowledge then.

Once We Get Married Review – Saved By The Chemistry

Once you learned that this is a contract marriage rom-com, I’m sure you have a pretty good idea what you are getting into. If you love this kind of storyline and a fairy tale romance, Once We Get Married would be a gem. But if you are tired of cliches and stale plots, you would end up questioning its value or even hating it altogether. So, do not be surprised if you see vast differences in ratings for this drama. It is really a love it or hate it kind of production.

The other point to note is that this is really a low budget flick. So, you will see choppy editing and poor cinematography at times. The costumes also suck which is made obvious because the male lead is supposed to be super rich while the female lead is a fashion designer. Compared to You Are My Glory with its beautiful gowns, Once We Get Married is like a poor relation. Thus, you will see the leads wearing the same clothes and accessories for different scenes with some of them being pretty plain which is inconsistent with the characters’ background.

Same Old Plot

Basically, the producers for Once We Get Married are merely rehashing an overused theme that is tried and tested. They don’t even attempt to inject any freshness or twists to the plot. Just stick to what has been successful in the past and simply produce another one with a different cast. So, the result is this drama that sticks to the usual of a couple being forced to marry for mutual benefits for an agreed period and then falling in love. Bring in a jealous second female lead that is hell bent on wreaking havoc and a second male lead who is always there for the girl and you end up with another contract marriage drama.

Some people may not like how the story begins though because there is an element of manipulation in getting the female lead to sign the marriage contract. But the trickery is not bizarre or cruel like in Well Intended Love. Both parties know what they are getting into. Due to the old plot, everything is predictable from start to finish. But the good thing is there is no disapproving parents to throw a spanner in the works for the couple unlike Forever And Ever. The other glaring selling point for the drama is the blazing chemistry between the leads.

Undeniable Chemistry

This is what saves the drama from being relegated to the unwatchable list. With a stale plot and typical scenes that include accidental slips and kisses, you really need vivid chemistry to make viewers hooked. Without it, those romantic moments and sweet filler scenes will be bland and boring just like in Fall In Love With A Scientist. Luckily, Wang Yu Wen and Wang Zi Qi seem very comfortable with each other so much so that their interactions are naturally captivating as an on-screen couple.

Their chemistry is what you would be hanging on to once you begin watching and will carry you all the way to the end. Their visuals and height are ideally matched. So, chances are you will love this couple as they are easy on the eyes and very natural in their sweetness towards each other.

Wang Yu Wen plays the role of Xi Xi in a convincing manner. She gives the character some toughness and mischievousness that matches up to Si Chen. This is also my second time watching Wang Zi Qi after The Imperial Coroner. He has the required charisma to make Si Chen appear attractive despite the character’s cold personality. Essentially, the casting was done right and the resultant chemistry is the key in saving this drama from mediocrity.

A Word Of Warning About The Characters

Before you decide if you should watch Once You Are Married, perhaps it is good the know a little bit more about the 2 main characters. As far as the male lead is concerned, you really need to have a thing for cold and domineering CEOs. Not everybody sees them as heroes especially one who is fond of advancing towards the female character until his face is right in front of hers. In the real world, this would be tantamount to harassment! But in the drama, it would be seen as romantic and flirty. So, you will get those scenes which may not go down well for a feminist and may be seen as sexist.

For the female lead, some viewers might see her as dumb and annoying. This is because she is close to the second male lead and seems clueless that he has feelings for her. She still has frequent contact with him even after she got together with the male lead. It is not a dealbreaker for me but her behavior might put off those who want to see more wisdom and intelligence from a female lead.

As for the second couple, they are a waste of time. I can’t understand why the screenwriters even bother with them. The second female lead is a jealous and toxic character. The second male lead isn’t evil but is annoyingly persistent. He will keep appearing in front of the female lead as he tries to gain a foothold into her life. Therefore, be prepared for not very likable supporting characters if you watch.

My Verdict – Just For Contract Marriage Fans

Well, if you like contract marriage dramas, then you would most likely enjoy Once You Are Married. But there is nothing new here that could capture a broader fan base. It is a drama that thrives on romantic chemistry and nothing more. It is for the viewers to feel good and experience all the fluff and sweetness. The drama certainly succeeded in this aspect for those who can feel the leads’ chemistry and just want a simple love story that is close to a fairy tale rather than real life.

There are a lot of near kisses in the drama especially in the beginning of the couple’s relationship. I guess they got that right to heighten the anticipation of a real kiss and those scenes will feel a lot like flirting. It helps to light up the sparks too which makes viewers crave for more from this couple. There are also a lot of kisses once love developed between them. But they are not as steamy as those in My Little Happiness.

In conclusion, there is no reason to watch this except for the chemistry. If you want a more matured romance drama with a fashion design theme, you would be better off watching Sunshine Of My Life and Love Designer. So, for this Once We Get Married review, I can only give it a 6.5/10 score. But for this type of drama, the rating doesn’t really matter. It is whether you are a sucker for this type of romance that is the key once it is clear there is sizzling chemistry between the couple.