Bie Dui Wo Dong Xin (2024)

A unique show with characters that shape the story into a compelling watch

The tension, romance, and comedy set in a multitude of different environments created the authenticity of the binge-worthy romantic comedy 'Everyone Loves Me'. The mix of home, school, and office-life seamlessly balanced out into an engaging and very pleasing watch. Putting the leads through so many dissimilar circumstances gave them the opportunity to put forward new faces of theirs all while exploring different sides of their lives. This approach at presenting the characters and their motives enabled viewers to align themselves with the plot that frequently moves into new territory–comedy, romance, and youth. In all, the crafting of the show revolves around workplace conflicts. The problems they faced in their office environment counterbalanced their interpersonal struggles, making the problem solving seem effortless as it seamlessly wove together both aspects within the series. This harmonization between these is what enabled the show to come to a perfect resolution in a gradual and not unnecessarily-prolonged way.

On top of reconciliation between characters, the struggles faced at work shone light on the characters’ true intents and personalities. For example, the various work conflicts are solely what allowed us to dive into Gu Xun’s past. This was necessary to gain an understanding of his reasoning behind certain choices. The revealing of the journey he took to get to his current position gave him a side of vulnerability as well as a certain authenticity to the decisions he put forward. As for what the work environment taught us about Qian Ling; her dedication in thriving at whatever she does without backing down mimics how she’s someone who knows her worth and what she wishes to pursue.

The characters all serve a purpose, with each one of their personalities seemingly meticulously created in the goal of enforcing the series’ strong point of deliverance. To elaborate, every one of its aspects build on an atmosphere that makes it easy to learn about the main leads despite the ever-changing story settings. Qian Ling’s relationship with Gu Xun in particular depicts how she knows her worth and values staying true to herself above anything else. In fact, a particular staple that sets ‘Everyone Loves Me’ apart from other series of the romance genre is how independent Qian Ling proves to be throughout the 24 episodes. Furthermore, she’s not blinded by romance, nor does she easily let herself be swayed by others. A specific situation that attests to this claim is when she is presented with the opportunity to switch to Gu Xun’s department at work. Despite being offered a better pay and the chance to work alongside her boyfriend as well as others whom she knows will value her efficiency, she decides to wait until she is confident switching is really the best choice for her.

As for the side characters, they pushed the story forward by providing the main leads with a chance to showcase their growth as individuals. Through Jian Hung Nan’s backstory of his friendship with Gu Xun, viewers got to see how caring and selfless the latter has always been. Jian Hung Nan looks up to him as a role model, his expression of love and admiration for Gu Xun enabling viewers to see him from a new perspective. Su Zheng brought on a new side to the main lead and enabled him to realize the lengths he’s willing to go to win over Qian Ling’s heart. As for Jiang Yishi, he provided a history to Gu Xun’s career in game production. This showcased Gu Xun’s dedication to his career and unveiled to what extent he strives to chase his dreams.

The good acting allowed for strong chemistry between the numerous characters whose lives are explored throughout the series. Qian Ling and Gu Xun set the example of a healthy relationship where each partner presents to one another their true selves. Despite both having personalities that might make them seem closed off to the outerworld, neither of them hold back from showing their love through acts of kindness, sweet words, and kisses. There are a lot of heartfelt moments that exhibit their vulnerability. That, combined with the hint of comedy incorporated into the ironicness of the too-perfect coincidences, helped bring them closer together. Throughout the show, Gu Xun strives to prove his respect for Qian Ling. This is one of their many interactions that show how they both truly cherish their love for each other and prioritize their special bond over all else.

Contrary to what seems to be the majority's belief, I wish that Gu Xun and Qian Ling’s online friendship, with Gu Xun secretly knowing about her identity as Dough Twist, had been more prolonged. I loved seeing Gu Xun slowly develop into someone capable of loving another for a change instead of pushing everyone away like he usually does. It was new and refreshing to watch the male lead become accepting of his feelings for his crush and embrace them to their fullest in order to get the determination he needed to make progress in their relationship. The contrast between Gu Xun's real-life self and online persona added a realistic touch to his personality. I enjoyed watching the thrill of Gu Xun juggling both his feelings for Qian Ling and the need to keep his gamer identity a secret from her while he transitioned between his different roles in her life. I think that the storyline's development would have benefited from more scenes showing these struggles of his.

Since the clash between their online personas and true selves is what adds depth to their characters, eliminating the fun dynamic between the leads being teammates while video gaming was an impractical choice. Not only would it have reinforced the gaming trope within the series, but it also would've been interesting to see the portrayal of their newfound connection in the real world through the online video games. Placing scenes of the leads video-gaming together later on in their relationship would parallel their first moments together. This link to their past would clearly show their realistic growth as well as the stark contrast between their relationship at the beginning and the end. Staying consistent and not cutting off what connected them with one another in the first place would have provided a closure without neglecting any aspects of their relationship.

Gu Xun and Qian Ling both have layers to their personalities that unravel through their relationship; causing not only a bond, but a sort of connection between the main leads and the viewers as there is room for interpretation and discovery of the characters.

In all, the series’ execution was flawless, with the eye-catching sets and the actors’ outstanding performances enabling the show to carry its numerous tropes into the memorable drama ‘Everyone Loves Me’ deems to be.

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