Rhea
Malaysia
Sweet It Is!
I guess the title says it all – Love Is Sweet is indeed a sweet love story. The plot is simple and the tears allergy seems odd but the execution is well-done. 36 episodes do seem a tad too long for a rom-com as many tend to end up with boring stretches but not this one. The combination of the romance with some business cases help with the overall pacing of the drama. The business side of things is unlike Perfect Partner though as it is not the focus but merely paves the way for the couple to cooperate and get to know one another better.
Where It Differs From The Usual
Many rom-coms start off with the main couple hating one another such as Midsummer Is Full Of Love and Mr. Honesty. But Love Is Sweet is a bit different because the guy’s interest in the girl is established very early on. They know each other from childhood and he has been carrying a torch for her for years. So, the phase of the male character having to discover his feelings for her is not needed in this drama. Yuan Shuai just loves Jiang Jun secretly and all his actions are geared towards wooing and protecting her right from the beginning although she sees it differently.
The other refreshing change is viewers get to see the couple living together for about half of the story. Normally, we will only get this in a contract marriage drama like You Are My Destiny. Other rom-coms would typically see the couple getting together at the end after a series of misunderstandings. But in Love Is Sweet, Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun are already lovers midway through and viewers will witness a lot of sweet moments as they live under one roof. I think this adds to the satisfaction for the viewers to be able to see a minutiae of their interactions as a cohabiting couple.
The Plot (Spoilers Alert!)
To cut to the chase, Love Is Sweet is basically an office romance drama. The plot development is predictable as the drama unfolds. You will know who will the characters end up with eventually. It is the journey of getting there and the aftermath that will draw your attention due to the couple’s chemistry. There is the usual jealous third party but fortunately, it doesn’t really affect the main couple as there is trust between them and they are firm in their love for each other. So, this story line is nipped in the bud throughout the drama except for a very short stretch as it inches towards the end.
Personally, I think the drama could have ended at Episode 30 but somehow, it was stretched by another 6 episodes. The transformation of Du Lei from bad to good flows well with the story. But the last few episodes whereby he transforms back to being bad is a little forced as that part of the character development is not well explained. It is not that the last 6 episodes are boring but merely unnecessary to lengthen Du Lei’s story. Perhaps an extra 2 episodes would have suffice to tie up all the loose ends with a proposal thrown in.
Acting And Chemistry
The cast definitely did well in Love Is Sweet. Leo Luo fits the role to a tee with his good looks as a suave and confident Yuan Shuai. It is really a change to watch him in this romance drama compared to his melancholic roles in Princess Silver and Ashes Of Love. He made full use of his smiles and smirks to project a charming and also domineering man.
Bai Lu is known for her versatility as an actress as she can appear at ease in different roles. In this rom-com, she gave Jiang Jun a very down-to-earth feel. Bai Lu convincingly projected an adorable and a tender Jiang Jun during those loving moments with her softened expressions. For more serious scenes, her demeanor will change with a more steely expression that is portrayed very naturally.
It is obvious that Leo Luo and Bai Lu are very comfortable with each other from their behind-the-scenes clips. Hence, it is not surprising that the high comfort level will translate to a sizzling chemistry on-screen just like the couple in Love Designer. Leo Luo and Bai Lu seem to have a natural couple vibe that makes viewers ask for more. The compatibility is obvious and the sweet story simply takes the sparks up a notch.
I think the difference is plain to see if we were to compare the chemistry in Love Is Sweet with the lackluster Leo Luo and Yukee Chen pairing in And The Winner Is Love. It will also be interesting to check out Bai Lu and Lai Yi’s performance in Overlord.
My Verdict
If you like romance dramas, you can’t miss Love Is Sweet. The relationship is more mature unlike college romances like My Unicorn Girl. So, I like it that there is none of those juvenile antics that are typical of first love rom-coms. It is not entirely free of cliches but they are kept at an acceptable level and done right to help minimize the cheesy feeling. So, there is no escaping those accidental hugs and kisses that are so common in these dramas.
Although the plot is not top notch, the overall pacing is good. There are no unbearable boring stretches and the main couple’s story development follows a well-paced sequence of events. Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun share a very trusting and supportive relationship which is satisfying to me as a viewer. It is sweet to see how Yuan Shuai indulges and pampers Jiang Jun and can’t get angry with her for long. His defenses simply crumble with his love for her.
The second couple’s story lacks spice to me but I’m still fine with it as they don’t take up that much of time in the drama. Furthermore, Riley Wang does have his fair share of fans and he is cute to watch. Xu Li can be an annoying character with her infatuation over Xiao Chuan in the beginning but the good thing is you can skip their story and will still be able to enjoy the drama without missing much.
Forget The Details
If you want to enjoy Love Is Sweet, don’t take it too seriously though. The details are not grounded in reality and you will have to overlook them for better enjoyment. For instance, the protagonists are too young to assume such senior roles in the investment banking field. Jiang Jun’s tears allergy is also such a strange condition to have. Thus, just watch it for the romance and chemistry of the main couple and not let the details bother you too much.
For this Love Is Sweet review, I would give it a rating of 9/10. I like it that the producers have taken a simple office romance plot and made it enjoyable with a talented cast, sizzling chemistry, and smooth pacing to keep the chain of events going. Therefore, it is easy to get hooked to the story and the main couple as the romance develops with an overload of sweetness. The bonus are the kisses which are aplenty in the drama from passionate smooches to loving pecks on the forehead. A few comical moments will make you laugh while the interruptions to their intimate moments will probably cause you to squirm.
Overall, I would recommend a watch for Love Is Sweet unless you really can’t feel the chemistry between the leads. If that is the case, then a big chunk of the drama’s attraction will be missing and it might well be a big bore. But personally, this is definitely one of the better romance dramas for me for 2020.
Where It Differs From The Usual
Many rom-coms start off with the main couple hating one another such as Midsummer Is Full Of Love and Mr. Honesty. But Love Is Sweet is a bit different because the guy’s interest in the girl is established very early on. They know each other from childhood and he has been carrying a torch for her for years. So, the phase of the male character having to discover his feelings for her is not needed in this drama. Yuan Shuai just loves Jiang Jun secretly and all his actions are geared towards wooing and protecting her right from the beginning although she sees it differently.
The other refreshing change is viewers get to see the couple living together for about half of the story. Normally, we will only get this in a contract marriage drama like You Are My Destiny. Other rom-coms would typically see the couple getting together at the end after a series of misunderstandings. But in Love Is Sweet, Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun are already lovers midway through and viewers will witness a lot of sweet moments as they live under one roof. I think this adds to the satisfaction for the viewers to be able to see a minutiae of their interactions as a cohabiting couple.
The Plot (Spoilers Alert!)
To cut to the chase, Love Is Sweet is basically an office romance drama. The plot development is predictable as the drama unfolds. You will know who will the characters end up with eventually. It is the journey of getting there and the aftermath that will draw your attention due to the couple’s chemistry. There is the usual jealous third party but fortunately, it doesn’t really affect the main couple as there is trust between them and they are firm in their love for each other. So, this story line is nipped in the bud throughout the drama except for a very short stretch as it inches towards the end.
Personally, I think the drama could have ended at Episode 30 but somehow, it was stretched by another 6 episodes. The transformation of Du Lei from bad to good flows well with the story. But the last few episodes whereby he transforms back to being bad is a little forced as that part of the character development is not well explained. It is not that the last 6 episodes are boring but merely unnecessary to lengthen Du Lei’s story. Perhaps an extra 2 episodes would have suffice to tie up all the loose ends with a proposal thrown in.
Acting And Chemistry
The cast definitely did well in Love Is Sweet. Leo Luo fits the role to a tee with his good looks as a suave and confident Yuan Shuai. It is really a change to watch him in this romance drama compared to his melancholic roles in Princess Silver and Ashes Of Love. He made full use of his smiles and smirks to project a charming and also domineering man.
Bai Lu is known for her versatility as an actress as she can appear at ease in different roles. In this rom-com, she gave Jiang Jun a very down-to-earth feel. Bai Lu convincingly projected an adorable and a tender Jiang Jun during those loving moments with her softened expressions. For more serious scenes, her demeanor will change with a more steely expression that is portrayed very naturally.
It is obvious that Leo Luo and Bai Lu are very comfortable with each other from their behind-the-scenes clips. Hence, it is not surprising that the high comfort level will translate to a sizzling chemistry on-screen just like the couple in Love Designer. Leo Luo and Bai Lu seem to have a natural couple vibe that makes viewers ask for more. The compatibility is obvious and the sweet story simply takes the sparks up a notch.
I think the difference is plain to see if we were to compare the chemistry in Love Is Sweet with the lackluster Leo Luo and Yukee Chen pairing in And The Winner Is Love. It will also be interesting to check out Bai Lu and Lai Yi’s performance in Overlord.
My Verdict
If you like romance dramas, you can’t miss Love Is Sweet. The relationship is more mature unlike college romances like My Unicorn Girl. So, I like it that there is none of those juvenile antics that are typical of first love rom-coms. It is not entirely free of cliches but they are kept at an acceptable level and done right to help minimize the cheesy feeling. So, there is no escaping those accidental hugs and kisses that are so common in these dramas.
Although the plot is not top notch, the overall pacing is good. There are no unbearable boring stretches and the main couple’s story development follows a well-paced sequence of events. Yuan Shuai and Jiang Jun share a very trusting and supportive relationship which is satisfying to me as a viewer. It is sweet to see how Yuan Shuai indulges and pampers Jiang Jun and can’t get angry with her for long. His defenses simply crumble with his love for her.
The second couple’s story lacks spice to me but I’m still fine with it as they don’t take up that much of time in the drama. Furthermore, Riley Wang does have his fair share of fans and he is cute to watch. Xu Li can be an annoying character with her infatuation over Xiao Chuan in the beginning but the good thing is you can skip their story and will still be able to enjoy the drama without missing much.
Forget The Details
If you want to enjoy Love Is Sweet, don’t take it too seriously though. The details are not grounded in reality and you will have to overlook them for better enjoyment. For instance, the protagonists are too young to assume such senior roles in the investment banking field. Jiang Jun’s tears allergy is also such a strange condition to have. Thus, just watch it for the romance and chemistry of the main couple and not let the details bother you too much.
For this Love Is Sweet review, I would give it a rating of 9/10. I like it that the producers have taken a simple office romance plot and made it enjoyable with a talented cast, sizzling chemistry, and smooth pacing to keep the chain of events going. Therefore, it is easy to get hooked to the story and the main couple as the romance develops with an overload of sweetness. The bonus are the kisses which are aplenty in the drama from passionate smooches to loving pecks on the forehead. A few comical moments will make you laugh while the interruptions to their intimate moments will probably cause you to squirm.
Overall, I would recommend a watch for Love Is Sweet unless you really can’t feel the chemistry between the leads. If that is the case, then a big chunk of the drama’s attraction will be missing and it might well be a big bore. But personally, this is definitely one of the better romance dramas for me for 2020.
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