Use For My Talent Review

I watched Use For My Talent (我亲爱的小洁癖) mainly because it is short and I expected it to be stress-free. I think many people are watching this because of Shen Yue who also starred in the popular A Love So Beautiful with Hu Yi Tian. However, I didn’t watch that drama and hence, I can’t claim to be a fan of hers. Neither did I watch the Korean version of this story. So, I started this rom-com on a clean slate with no expectations whatsoever. How did it fare then? Well, check out Use For My Talent review below for my verdict.

My rating: 6.5/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Romance
Aired: May 2021
Images Credit: MGTV

The Cast Of Use For My Talent

• Jasper Liu Yi Hao as Gu Ren Qi
• Shen Yue as Shi Shuang Jiao
• Dai Yun Fan as Lu Xian
• Charles Lin Bai Rui as Li Dong Xian
• Yanan as Shi Jun Jie
• Su Meng Di as Zhu Yan
• Huang Si Rui as Wang Qian Qian

Main Characters

Gu Ren Qi

Ren Qi is the founder and President of a cleaning company called Clean First. He suffers from mysophobia which is a psychological disorder that causes him to have an extreme fear of dirt and contamination. Hence, he can’t get close to others easily as he sees contamination everywhere. Ren Qi also cannot get along with his grandfather and they have a very strained relationship.

Shi Shuang Jiao

Shuang Jiao is a fresh graduate but works as a cleaner. She takes on the job due to the higher pay as she wants to support her poor family. However, Shuang Jiao is an optimistic and tough worker with a bright smile. She has a good father while her mother has died more than a year ago due to an accident.

Supporting Characters

Lu Xian

Lu Xian is a psychologist and Shuang Jiao’s new neighbor. He becomes close to her family and is always helpful towards them. Lu Xian is also very protective of Shuang Jiao as he falls for her.

Li Dong Xian

Dong Xian is Ren Qi’s personal assistant. He is loyal and grateful towards Ren Qi. Both of them are trusting of each other and are also good friends.

Shi Jun Jie

Jun Jie is Shuang Jiao’s younger brother. He is still playful and a little immature although he is about to enter university. Jun Jie cares for his sister and knows she is working hard for the family.

Zhu Yan

Zhu Yan is Shuang Jiao’s best friend since schooldays. She hangs around Shuang Jiao’s home at times due to their close relationship. Zhu Yan is an office worker.

Wang Qian Qian

Qian Qian is a popular live streamer and influencer. She has been friends with Ren Qi for a long time and has interest to get closer to him especially with his mother’s encouragement.

Synopsis

Ren Qi keeps bumping into Shuang Jiao and gets annoyed especially with his mysophobia disorder. He has an irrational fear of dirt and germs and will panic when others get too close. Ren Qi also begins to think Shuang Jiao has a sinister motive for trying to get close to him with all the coincidental meetings. After all, he comes from a rich family and has his own cleaning company.

However, Shuang Jiao ends up getting employed as a cleaner in Ren Qi’s company. As they meet each other more often, he realizes that she doesn’t trigger his disorder like others would. Gradually, he falls for her but the shareholders then voted to close down her department when the company fails to obtain a big contract which forces her to leave.

When Ren Qi’s mother finds out that Shuang Jiao has a positive effect on her son, she employs Shuang Jiao to be Ren Qi’s live-in housekeeper. But problems arise when Shuang Jiao’s neighbor, Lu Xian, is also interested in her and he happens to be Ren Qi’s psychologist.

Use For My Talent Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Use For My Talent has a happy ending. Ren Qi proposes to Shuang Jiao for the second time while they are in a hot air balloon. She accepts and the drama ends with them kissing. It is a sweet conclusion after 24 episodes. Ren Qi has also gotten much better in terms of his mysophobia disorder after repairing his strained relationship with his grandfather with Shuang Jiao’s encouragement.

The Cause Of Ren Qi’s Mysophobia

Ren Qi’s mysophobia is the result of a traumatic childhood. His rich maternal grandfather disallowed his parents’ relationship and broke them up. But then his mother was already pregnant and insisted on giving birth to him. His grandfather saw it as a stain on the family’s reputation. He didn’t want Ren Qi to repeat his mother’s mistake and became very strict with him. Ren Qi is expected to live up to his grandfather’s high standards and even a small failure will result in him getting scolded as dirty and useless.

As a result, Ren Qi developed mysophobia. Deep down, Ren Qi only wanted his grandfather’s love and approval. While his grandfather cared about him, he doesn’t express it as he thought being strict will make him succeed. Eventually, his grandfather loosened up after Shuang Jiao and Ren Qi’s mother make him realized his mistake and that he has to do it for Ren Qi’s well-being.

Is There A Breakup?

Yes, Ren Qi and Shuang Jiao broke up in Episode 20 following a marriage proposal. She was about to accept Ren Qi’s proposal when his enemy turned up to accuse Ren Qi’s grandfather of killing Shuang Jiao’s mother in a car accident. Ren Qi’s grandfather’s driver was sent to jail instead. The driver’s son accused Ren Qi’s grandfather of paying off his father to take the blame.

The couple reconciled in Episode 22 after Ren Qi managed to track down the driver’s wife for the true story. It was the driver who knocked down Shuang Jiao’s mother and Ren Qi’s grandfather offered the driver money as a gesture of kindness during hard times for the family. Ren Qi went to see the driver’s wife in a dirty landfill despite his mysophobia.

Side Couples

Dong Xian and Qian Qian end up together. Although there was a period in which Dong Xian felt he wasn’t good enough for Qian Qian, she didn’t let go of him. She slept with him instead and then made him pursue her in return. At the end of the drama, they have announced their relationship to the media since she is a public personality. Dong Xian also decides to leave Ren Qi’s company to chart his own path with Ren Qi’s blessings.

Jun Jie and Zhu Yan also become a couple although she is older than him. She encouraged him to go abroad as an exchange student and chase his own dream while he assured her that he will be back for her after his studies.

Only Lu Xian ends up alone. He decided to return to the US and parted with Shuang Jiao as friends. He never did confess his feelings but told Shuang Jiao that his doors will always remain open for her if she needs help.

Use For My Talent Review – Corny!

Frankly speaking, I’m not really a fan of this rom-com. I know my opinion might run contrary to the majority but I just find the drama corny. Everything is very predictable and follows the usual pattern of initial annoyance before falling in love and embarking on an office romance. Then comes the breakup before a sweet reconciliation and proposal draws the drama to a close.

While there is nothing wrong to use recycled plots for a short rom-com, the storytelling and execution must be properly done. The change from being annoyed with each other to falling in love is a rapid switch to me as there is no strong foundation or push for intense feelings to develop between the leads unlike more well-planned stories such as You Are My Hero. Even the romance in Miss Crow With Mr. Lizard starts off as admiration before the love develops which gives the romance a more solid feel. Thus, it is hard for me to feel truly invested in the main couple in Use For My Talent that the drama becomes boring at times especially with the predictable plot.

It’s A Short Drama

Because this is only a 24-episode drama, there is no strong character development as they have to share the screen time with 2 other side couples and Lu Xian. It feels like the characters are there just to make up the story rather than giving viewers a deeper glimpse into their personality and experiences. For instance, Lu Xian’s character is simply put there as a third party and nothing more. There is little information about his life beyond that role.

I guess this is not something that you would watch for well-developed roles and character growth unlike longer dramas such as Begin Again and Go Ahead. You watch it because it is supposed to be light and warm. If you have this mindset, then Use For My Talent may not be a disappointment. But if you expect something more sober and fulfilling, this would not be a good choice indeed.

The Leads’ Chemistry

The chemistry between Jasper Liu and Shen Yue is good and they display enough of it to pull the romance through. Otherwise, I think this would be a really mediocre production. While the age gap is obvious which is consistent with the story, they still look matching as lovers. They did their part during the lovey-dovey scenes and the intimacy appears natural and pleasing to the eyes.

I also feel that the leads’ acting is spot on for the roles that they depict. Shen Yue appears as cute and innocent but tough when needed. While it is nice to watch, I also wonder whether the drama might be more interesting if they have made her character to be bolder like the female lead in Dating In The Kitchen. At least, they could then spice up the scenes. As it is, Use For My Talent is rather boring at times. As for Jasper Liu, he is a veteran by now and the role of Ren Qi is not really a big challenge for him. He played his role as a mysophobic pretty well with his expression of discomfort when needed.

My Verdict – If You Have Lots Of Spare Time…

I regard Use For My Talent as a kind of filler drama that you indulge in when you have lots of free time. It is not my cup of tea but you might love it if you really like the main couple’s interactions and chemistry. There is the standard accidental kiss which starts off the romance followed by a few other smooches throughout the drama. They are not the hot and passionate kind like the kisses in Love Designer and Love Is Sweet but more gentle and sweet which is consistent with the couple’s relationship dynamics.

A mysophobic male character is also something unique. However, the way his disorder is resolved is equally simplistic although it is central to the story. Use For My Talent is not pure fluff like My Little Happiness as there is actually a psychological disorder that the couple needs to work through. I guess if you are watching this just to enjoy the romance, then the rest doesn’t really matter as long as everything is nicely tied up in the end. So, it is satisfactory in that sense when the drama draws to a close. Just don’t expect a compelling storyline throughout though to avoid disappointment.

6.5/10 would be my score for this Use For My Talent review. As I have mentioned, I don’t find it particularly good despite the chemistry between the leads because the storytelling is a letdown. The main couple’s romance just seems boring at times. You can give it a try if you don’t mind so much the poor story execution and lack of character growth. If the leads’ interactions resonate with you, then you might enjoy it despite the flaws. Otherwise, it is a forgettable drama overall.