There are plenty of college romance dramas to choose from and The Love Equations (致我们甜甜的小美满) is just one of them. Personally, I think that this theme is overdone and one really needs something extra to make such a drama into a hit among viewers. Otherwise, it is always rehashing old plots that everything becomes highly predictable and hence, boring. I have written up The Love Equations review below that includes the synopsis and overall feel of the drama to arrive at my own verdict of whether it is worth a watch. So, do read on!
My rating: 6.5/10
Episodes: 27 + Extra Story
Type: Romance
Aired: April 2020
Images Credit: Tencent
The Cast Of The Love Equations
- Simon Gong Jun as Zhao Fan Zhou
- Liu Ren Yu as Zhou Xiao
- Li Ge Yang as Cai Ya Si
- Julio Wan Yan Luo Rong as Xie Yi Xing
- Gao Qiu Zi as Tao Ling
- An Yong Chang as Zhu Lu
- Jessica Li Jin Qiu as Luo Wei
- Adson Liao Yan Long as Chen Yu
- Zhu Yun Hui as Jia Yi Chun
- Ma Rui as Shen Meng Jun
- Yang Xin Ming as Professor Hu
Introduction To The Main Characters
Zhou Fan Zhou
Fan Zhou is a second year forensic science student in Nanfang University. He is also the Chairman of the Student Union and a part-time librarian. He is intelligent and very good in his studies which earns the admiration from Professor Hu. They share a special student-teacher relationship. However, Fan Zhou also has a cold and aloof personality. He has an unhappy childhood as his parents are constantly quarreling. His mother, Shen Meng Jun, is clingy and emotionally insecure but they do share a close bond.
Fan Zhou’s dorm mate is Xie Yi Xing who is a badminton star with a self-inflated ego and has romantic interest in Zhu Lu. Jia Yi Chun is Fan Zhou’s childhood friend and is in love with him.
Zhou Xiao
Zhou Xiao is a first year Chinese literature student in Nanfang University. She loves to write detective stories and is a huge fan of Detective Conan. Zhou Xiao is a bubbly and cheerful girl who makes friends easily. She comes from a loving family with a possessive father who dotes on her.
Zhou Xiao shares a dorm room with 3 good friends – Tao Ling, Luo Wei, and Zhu Lu. Tao Ling likes to sleep and eat. Her boyfriend is Fang Wei. Luo Wei is studious and quiet. Zhu Lu is an Arts student and badminton player who has interest in Chen Yu.
Cai Ya Si is Zhou Xiao’s good friend from high school. He is a computer science student with a talent in programming. Zhou Xiao treats him like a buddy and they tend to banter with each other all the time.
Synopsis
Fan Zhou is waiting to receive new Nanfang University students at the train station as head of the Student Union. But Zhou Xiao is an hour late which annoys him. There are a few other incidents along the way which irritates him while Zhuo Xiao sees him as cold and unfriendly. But as their interactions increase while in university, Fan Zhou begins to fall in love with Zhou Xiao. He is attracted to her bright and warm personality.
While Fan Zhou pursues Zhou Xiao, Ya Si also realizes that he has feelings for her. Yi Chun is also jealous of Zhou Xiao as she has feelings for Fan Zhou since high school. As Fan Zhou and Zhou Xiao begin dating, they seem to be like any other loving couple. But will their relationship last? Given Fan Zhou’s deep love for Zhou Xiao, what would compel him to break up with her? Will Ya Si stand a chance then?
The Love Equations Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
The Love Equations ends at Episode 27 but there is an Extra Story thereafter to tie things up neatly. Think of it as a bonus to fans to witness the sweet moments of the main couple. Fan Zhou and Zhou Xiao end up together in the last episode. They manage to reconcile after the painful break up due to Fan Zhou’s mother’s effort to set them up again. She locks the couple in the house which forces Fan Zhou and Zhou Xiao to face each other.
Even after the reconciliation, Zhou Xiao still feels insecure because she fears Fan Zhou will abandon her again. So, he suggests that they register their marriage to reassure her of his commitment. Fan Zhou’s mother is again the helping hand when Zhou Xiao’s father is against the reconciliation. He has seen how hurt her daughter was after Fan Zhou broke up with her. So, Fan Zhou’s mother requests a meeting with Zhou Xiao’s parents to explain why they broke up. Fan Zhou thought he has a high chance of having a hereditary mental disorder due to Yi Chun’s tampering of his genetic test result.
In the Extra Story, we get to see the wedding of Fan Zhou and Zhuo Xiao. There is a flashback of all their kisses throughout the drama during the wedding ceremony when the groom kisses the bride. Both sets of parents also have a warm relationship. You can check out The Love Equations episode summary that I have written up if you want a full recap of the whole drama.
Yi Xing And Zhu Lu
Yi Xing and Zhu Lu is another sweet couple. He has been eyeing her from the time she is after Chen Yu early on in the drama. Chen Yu turns out to be a two-timer and Yi Xing is there to support her. Yi Xing proposes during their graduation ceremony in Episode 27 which turns out to be pretty comical. Zhu Lu accepts his proposal. However, in the Extra Story, both of them are still not married after 2 years although they are still together. Yi Xing is impatient to marry Zhu Lu but she is still thinking of the right time to settle down.
Tao Ling And Fang Wei
Tao Ling breaks up with Fang Wei. They are always quarreling due to Fang Wei’s busy schedule and lack of time for Tao Ling. So, she suggests that they break up in a fit of anger. Fang Wei also feels that they are both tired from trying to fulfill each other’s expectations. Thus, it is better that they break up since they are incompatible. Tao Ling is miserable but eventually gets over it. By the time they graduate, she has completely gotten over the relationship and has a more matured perspective of her experience. Hence, she feels relaxed when she bumps into Fang Wei again.
Luo Wei, Ya Si, And Yi Chun
Both Luo Wei and Ya Si remain single throughout the drama. Luo Wei has always been studious and is never really interested in pursuing love. In the Extra Story, she ends up with bouquet thrown by the bride but isn’t keen at all to have it.
Ya Si never confessed his feelings for Zhuo Xiao. He loves her but he also knows she only sees him as a best buddy as her heart lies with Fan Zhou. Confessing would mean that their friendship could turn awkward. It is a pity because he is always there for her when she is down and he has never taken advantage of his best friend status to break her up with Fan Zhou. He remains the perfect gentleman all the way to the end.
Lastly, Yi Chun is bluntly rejected by Fan Zhou although he has broken up with Zhou Xiao by then. She tampered with his genetic test result to make sure he breaks up with Zhou Xiao. By the time Fan Zhou finds out, it is already more than a year.
Rather than telling him the truth, she sends him his real test result through the mail. It is Yi Chun’s way of exacting revenge because if Fan Zhou hates her, he wouldn’t be bothered to open the mail that she sent and the truth will remain hidden to him. As it turns out, it is Fan Zhou’s father who opens the mail. Fan Zhou vows that he never wants to see her again after calling her about the test result. In the Extra Story, Yi Chun is seen smiling and quietly observing Fan Zhou and Zhuo Xiao’s wedding while hidden from view.
The Love Equations Review – The Usual Rom-Com
Personally, I find The Love Equations to be nothing special. It is good that they kept it at less than 30 episodes and even then, I find certain parts to be pretty boring. The story of a smart and cold guy falling for a lively and warm girl is really nothing new. Splitting up because of some minor misunderstanding or to protect the girl is also nothing groundbreaking. Throw in a best friend of the opposite sex suddenly falling for the same girl and you get an overall predictable plot. Hence, if you are looking for something more refreshing, I’m afraid The Love Equations won’t satisfy your taste.
Why You Should Watch The Love Equations
Having said that, I also have to be fair to say that there are redeeming qualities in this drama. The lead actor, Simon Gong, is a pretty cool guy and he portrays the aloof Fan Zhou pretty well. While not everyone may agree, but at the very least, he has the looks to delight many female viewers. Furthermore, the chemistry between Simon Gong and the young Liu Ren Yu is highly watchable. I would’t say that their acting is great and their chemistry is off-the-charts but they are able to project the innocence needed for the first love experience. For really great chemistry, you do need more seasoned actors and actresses such as Zhang Han and Janine Chang in Here To Heart.
The other reason to give this a go is a change from the stereotypical disapproving mother of the male lead to a woman who goes all out to set up his son with the girl he loves. To be honest, I have got quite sick of the disapproving parents storyline in many rom-coms. So, a change is certainly welcomed on my part. Girlfriend is another rom-com with a supportive future mother-in-law if you prefer a more positive vibe to your dramas.
Finally, I would say the Extra Story is a nice addition to make the drama more complete. Viewers are normally left thirsting for more sweet moments for the main couple after the last episode in many romance dramas. The Love Equations would be able to satisfy that need for more sweetness if that is important to you.
My Verdict – Skippable
Just like Put Your Head On My Shoulder, The Love Equations is really meant for the younger viewers. If you are into first love romance dramas that involve embarrassment and shyness with a bit of youthful immaturity, then you might find this relatable and sweet. But if you like more depth to your stories, then I think The Love Equations might be disappointing. It lacks character growth unlike, say, Skate Into Love whereby some of the characters actually mature as an individual as they strive for their dream. In terms of sweetness level, I think neither can it beat Love 020 where college romance dramas are concerned.
So, all in all, for The Love Equations review, I would give it a rating of 6.5/10. The drama is skippable to me because it is the usual fare as far as rom-coms go. There are sweet moments but there are also boring stretches. In fact, the excitement only goes up a notch after Episode 20 when they are about to break up. I would say watch it only if you like first love romance stories and it is the only focus of the drama. Otherwise, there are plenty of other options out there.
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Long comment because I cant help but comparing the three of ALSB, PYHOMS, and TLE because their themes are similar and they are based on the novels with the same writer. Sometimes i feel like TLE is sooo much better than ALSB. But ALSB also has its own charm of its highschool stories. PYHOMS? I did skip some scenes so I put it in the bottom of my list so : 1st rank : TLE, 2nd : ALSB, 3rd :PYHOMS
I like all leads on The Love Equation, especially Zhou Xiao, she’s cute, kind, lively but she also knows the boundaries of being kind, has pride, and is independent. Like when they broke up, and Fanzhou explaining himself to her, her reaction was matured and natural. “So what? When you got into difficulties, I was the first person you gave up” omg say it louder sis. As for Fanzhou, i like that he got a bit of Jiang Chen’s coldness, but not as much as Jiang Chen. The only thing i didnt like is his breakup drama towards the end hahaha.
ALSB, I cant really relate to highschool Chen Xiaoxi since all she did was chasing Jiang Chen. She had no determination in life but maybe it’s just because she’s a highschooler. Jiang Chen’s character makes me upset and giggling in the whole series. He rarely express his love. Glad he realized that feelings should be mutual and he couldnt be the only one whose being chased all his life.
As for PYHOMS, Situ Mo is a very likeable character. She’s so down to earth. But her lines are easily forgettable, at least for me. She’s a good match with the weird scientist Gu Wei Yi. Gu Wei Yi’s character is fresh and he’s my favourite male lead between three series. I like this scene where he scolded Wang Shan for making him affected by her so called sacrifice. I like that there was never a big drama in PYHOMS unlike the other two. But the Germany (?) scene when Gu Wei Yi rejected a random white girl is coming out of nowhere and it’s so damn cringey .
And the second couple, I dont fully watch PYHOMS because of Fu Pei and Wang Shan. I cant bear to watch them two on screen and tend to skip their scenes. Xie Yixing-Lu Yang is very similar in term of silliness. And we also got the same smart and feisty vibes from Lin JingXiao-Zhu Lu. But I feel like ALSB gave more depth for its second couple and the character’s friendship.
Second male lead? Fu Pei sucks, Wu Bosong and Cai Yasi, can’t you both just look for other women? My heart hurts for you two.
P.S : why didnt TLE have extra (or post credit?)scene in each ep?
I haven’t watched ALSB. Hence, I can’t compare them. But I do agree with you that TLE is better than PYHOMS which I found to be boring. I know many people absolutely love PYHOMS though because of the cute couple. But somehow, it’s just not my cup of tea.
You should watch ALSB. I don’t really like both leads’ characters. But the story is better, especially if you’re into highschool series. And the soundtrack of ALSB is the best
I like the love story between yi xing and zhu lu but I don’t like the fact that cai yasi was lonely till the end
If its a romance drama, it should emphasize one the love story of all the main actor, not only one or two.
Its very heartbreaking that cai yasi ended up like that
Please next time you are making a romance drama, let it be something better than just one or two people main characters finding love
Cai yasi was honest and true to the end so at least he should have had a happy ending as well