To Love 最初的相遇，最后的别离 [2020]

[abs-oluteM]

I am up to eps 25. This drama certainly is relentless with its pacing & development. YJ had barely got round to convincing Xiao Ou's mum to let XO marry him when Liu Wei comes back for revenge & to get Xiao MR out of jail. That whole bomb thing he set up was quite intense , though I knew it would end up with him dying. But the silver lining of this entire fiasco was that XO's mum gave her blessings. 

 

However, the drama is not gonna make things easy is it ? Why  did YJ lie about the girl in the photo? If it was really his ex-gf , he could have been honest with it. Something is fishy as he said it was his dead's friend's gf. I saw the pain in XO's face at the parents lunch. She was putting up a good front but it bugged her so. I wish she had confronted him. Also it is making me nervous that the cop, Zhao Ting Hui is still not convinced that YJ did not kill Zhan Yu. 

 

 

[Yana]

Its pissed me off....why I never found this thread earlier!!!!! love this drama so much....still stuck at ep 7...busy with worked till late night. 

[40somethingahjumma]

1 hour ago, Yana said:

Its pissed me off....why I never found this thread earlier!!!!! love this drama so much....still stuck at ep 7...busy with worked till late night. 

 

Welcome! It's not too late because the subs are coming out at snail's pace anyway. 

Love to hear your thoughts.

[abs-oluteM]

3 hours ago, Yana said:

Its pissed me off....why I never found this thread earlier!!!!! love this drama so much....still stuck at ep 7...busy with worked till late night. 

Yay , you’re watching this too . I really love this show a lot .  Am very keen to know your impressions of YJ . He’s a very unusual male lead &  I wonder if we can trust him . 
Do you think he should have pursued XO , gjven his mission? 

[40somethingahjumma]

Ji Xiao'ou is one of the most level headed female leads I've ever come across. 

 

 

Perhaps it's just me. 

But lately I've been watching a whole lot of dramas (both C and K) that have these really over-the-top nutty female leads who feel like they have something to prove. I'm sure it's some people idea of a badass female lead but for me... Xiao'ou is someone I consider badass. She's no action hero and yet she has quiet strength, intelligence and a good heart. 

 

For her sake (and ours) I hope that our faith in YJ is justified.

 

Preview for Episode 25 -- YJ diffuses a bomb

 

 

Yan Jin impresses the future mother-in-law with his culinary know-how

 

This show does a really good job of combining romance and crime in a way I don't remembering seeing.

Edited December 10, 2020 by 40somethingahjumma

[abs-oluteM]

46 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

ut lately I've been watching a whole lot of dramas (both C and K) that have these really over-the-top nutty female leads who feel like they have something to prove. I'm sure it's some people idea of a badass female lead but for me... Xiao'ou is someone I consider badass. She's no action hero and yet she has quiet strength, intelligence and a good heart. 

Cannot agree more!  I am so annoyed with the young female cop of Awaken for example. 

Xiao Ou's inner strength is quite something. I stopped at eps 25. I didn't start on eps 26 as I am waiting for more episodes. 

[40somethingahjumma]

@abs-oluteM

Spoiler

 

I am going to wait until all the episodes are out and find out if YJ is really a baddie before watching the rest. I too have watched up to Episode 25. 

I am wimping out. But who knows... I might pick up the courage to continue or skip. 

 

 

Edit: Update...

 

Spoiler

Oooh... from the looks of Ep. 34 seems like someone else is responsible for Er Zi's death. A cop apparently.

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by 40somethingahjumma

[Yana]

On 12/9/2020 at 8:33 PM, abs-oluteM said:

Yay , you’re watching this too . I really love this show a lot .  Am very keen to know your impressions of YJ . He’s a very unusual male lead &  I wonder if we can trust him . 
Do you think he should have pursued XO , gjven his mission? 

I want to trust him but i am scared since i am still at ep 7. all of you guys very fast watching almost to current eps. 

 

Btw, i just finished watching taiwan drama lost romance...if anyone of you havent watch..plss go watch it. love ML and FL...marcus *chef kiss*

Edited December 10, 2020 by Yana

[abs-oluteM]

5 minutes ago, Yana said:

I want to trust him but i am scared since i am still at ep 7. all of you guys very fast watching almost to current eps. 

It was too addictive ...but my mandarin is not too good - I understand only like maybe 50% - so more or less got the jisc. I really find YJ a fascinating male lead. He's so different from say someone like Xu Jin type character in Ruyi. YJ is like a smooth talker who could easily be seen as a con . Yet at the same time , he tends to draw you in to believe in him. But I have no doubt of his feelings for XO. Just that I think he has a lot of secrets to hide.

 

I am still waiting for subs to catch up so I have not watched further from eps 25.  I can assure you though that the story is pretty intriguing 

 

@40somethingahjumma with regards to your spoiler

Spoiler

thanks goodness....cause on MDL some spoilers I read said that YJ may have killed his buddy . I found out who could be  responsible for ZY's death. Shocked !

 

[Yana]

2 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

It was too addictive ...but my mandarin is not too good - I understand only like maybe 50% - so more or less got the jisc. I really find YJ a fascinating male lead. He's so different from say someone like Xu Jin type character in Ruyi. YJ is like a smooth talker who could easily be seen as a con . Yet at the same time , he tends to draw you in to believe in him. But I have no doubt of his feelings for XO. Just that I think he has a lot of secrets to hide.

 

I am still waiting for subs to catch up so I have not watched further from eps 25.  I can assure you though that the story is pretty intriguing 

To be honest, if i were XO...i will fall deep into YJ..he's such smooth talker. 

[abs-oluteM]

7 minutes ago, Yana said:

To be honest, if i were XO...i will fall deep into YJ..he's such smooth talker. 

IKR...he's indeed the charmer. Quite hard to resist. LQX is pretty hot. 

------------------

Oh more teasers for future episodes that Youku just released.

This one though is a very unexpected development

And I think ( or I hope ) YJ is addressing the girl in the photo he was with.

I love the relationship between the siblings

 

[40somethingahjumma]

BTS and gag reel: Lin Gengxin plays up!

 

 

 

@abs-oluteM About Yan Jin and his buddy

Spoiler

 

I did wonder about that the entire time too -- whether or not Yan Jin killed Er Zi. But according to Episode 34 (Naughty me I took a peek), there's an eye-witness to what happened during the drug bust 6 years earlier. YJ was already down. Both he and Er Zi was injured.

 

But there's still the matter of Zhan Yu -- Zhao Tinghui still thinks it's Yan Jin. 

 

I think I now know who killed Er Zi and probably Zhan Yu. I've always had a suspicion but I couldn't put my finger  on motive. That video you posted of Xiao'ou and Nina trying on wedding gowns provides a vital clue. A certain person's reaction to Xiao'ou is rather telling. It explains why he's been postponing marriage the whole time as well.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by 40somethingahjumma

[40somethingahjumma]

Interview with the leads:

Lin Gengxin and Cass Gai talk about how much slapping went on in the making of the drama.

He remembers 2. 

She says she didn't feel upset slapping him... she rather enjoyed it.

Lin Gengxin at the end talks about a memorable screen slap for a high school drama -- You Who Shared a Desk -- he felt like dying.

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

They wrapped up filming a year ago .

 

From : https://dramapanda.com/2019/09/lin-gengxin-wraps-filming-for-love-and.html

Lin Gengxin Wraps Filming for Crime Drama To Love, His First Project in Two Years

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019ANNE J

 

Spoiler

 

Good news for Lin Gengxin fans because the actor has wrapped his new drama To Love 最初的相遇，最后的别离, formerly Love and Lost, after four months of filming. Also calling it a wrap are his co-stars Liu Mingming and Qin Xiaofei. 

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Different from his previous roles, Lin Gengxin plays Yan Jin (严谨). The name itself means strict and vigilant in English which kind of fits his role as a former anti-narcotics cop turned police informant who then goes undercover to find his friend’s killer. He also has a love line with the character played by actress Ge Yuexi. 

 

Meanwhile, it looks like the running joke between him and his fans is still going strong. Lin Gengxin’s last movie was Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings and his last drama was Princess Agents though he actually filmed Detective Dee in 2017 and Princess Agents the year before. That’s practically two years that the actor has gone without a new project which is why his fans have been constantly urging him to get back to work. 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Now that he’s freed up again, it seems that fans are not having it as they joke that he should jump to his next project right away. His cheeky response, “Please raise me, I don’t want to film.” Others respond that they can’t raise him because dog food is not cheap (Lin’s nickname is Lin dog) while others say that they’d love to.

 

I’d second that though. Would love to see him back in historicals! Still missing Yuwen Yue!

 

[abs-oluteM]

BTS

 

[40somethingahjumma]

@abs-oluteM Oooh... I see you've changed your avatar. Nice! Wow, you really do like this couple.

 

_______________

 

It's becoming increasingly obvious that even though it seemed initially that the crimes revolved around Yan Jin and his past, it really is becoming more about Xiao'ou.

 

I'm not surprised that all these men are still in love with Xiao'ou whether they feature in her past or present. Apart from being incredibly beautiful, she's a warm, kind-hearted human being -- something of a humanitarian. This is one of the few times it makes sense to me why so many men would be ardently in admiration of her. Even Niya has cottoned on to the fact that Feng Weixing has been secretly in love with Xiao'ou all this time. For better or worse, she's a people magnet. I think it's the case that Zhan Yu's murder is fundamentally about her.

 

Clearly Zhao Tinghui is still very much in love with her. At least I don't think he got over the fact that they broke up over the reality not that his parents objected to her but he didn't fight for their relationship. It's fascinating however, that the narrative goes to the trouble of showing us why their relationship broke down because I think ultimately it tells us something about who Xiao'ou is as a woman, a lover and human being. The flashback was suggestive. Zhao TH didn't prioritize her. He was working while on a date and then when he dropped her off he told her that it was important to get parental approval because marriage was about two families. 

 

What did Yan Jin do differently? Even while he was working undercover in Li Chuan and multitasking badly, he set aside time for her, made her feel special and said all the right things. He persisted when he shouldn't have even pursued her but his persistence is part of the reason why he eventually wore down her resistance and won her over. Aside from that he's a larger-than-life, risk-taker. He is bold in his declarations, wearing his heart on his sleeve. Then when Mum objects he does everything he can to clear the path and sweep all doubts away.

 

The important thing is that Xiao'ou herself is a risk-taker... fearless. That's seen in how she helped Zhan Yu and his family. She doesn't do safe.

 

Now I notice that Zhao Tinghui is trying to get close to her as he accumulates more evidence against Yan Jin. Maybe he is really just trying to protect her from the fallout or maybe he has other motives. He's not a bad guy and seems to be a diligent detective but it seems to me all this time the cops have been very narrowly focused on Yan Jin from the first. 

 

So now we know too that Feng Weixing still harbours feelings for Xiao'ou. He was a cop once too. So it wouldn't surprise me if he is somehow connected with 6 years ago. Besides, why is he so slow to want to marry Niya. 

[abs-oluteM]

@40somethingahjumma there's something about this couple that I find quite different compared to those from  some other dramas - they don't do anything half-hearted once their minds are made up.  The proposal scene was memorable because we saw that she had also wanted to propose before that. I still smile at the fact that he went through so much trouble just to set up the proposal.

 

12 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

So now we know too that Feng Weixing still harbours feelings for Xiao'ou. He was a cop once too. So it wouldn't surprise me if he is somehow connected with 6 years ago. Besides, why is he so slow to want to marry Niya. 

I found this weird too because she's already pregnant and he did not seem like an irresponsible man. Also someone mentioned on MDL about how they had gone into so much detail with his alibi on New Year's Eve when ZY was killed . So the show must be hinting at something

[40somethingahjumma]

3 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

@40somethingahjumma there's something about this couple that I find quite different compared to those from  some other dramas - they don't do anything half-hearted once their minds are made up.  The proposal scene was memorable because we saw that she had also wanted to propose before that. I still smile at the fact that he went through so much trouble just to set up the proposal.

 

 

They both knew exactly what they wanted and went for it. In this story it's the external forces rather than the internal ones that are keeping them apart. It is very rare for a C drama couple to have so little push and pull.It's definitely a breath of fresh air considering the torture I was put through in Princess Agents.

 

Spoiler

As for Feng Weixing, he fits the bill re: mole. Ex-cop, sickly son and probably in need of extra cash for his medical bills. He's known Xiao'ou for a really long time, longer than all the other men.

 

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by 40somethingahjumma

[40somethingahjumma]

 

Interview with Lin Gengxin.

 

He introduces himself

 

He is asked to describe how (his character) tries to woo Ji Xiao'ou. He says he pesters/harrasses. 

He says women know that somethings that are said are more over-the-top (not exactly sure what he means here because he uses the characters 海王 which would normally mean Neptune. Lit: Sea King) but women like hearing it.

 

He is asked to give his perspective as a man on how men pursue women -- what's genuine and what's not. He says that women these days aren't silly they know when a man's really sincere or treats them well. Everyone has different wants. Some women have thought carefully -- as long as their material needs are met it doesn't matter if they're loved. Other women don't care about material things as long as they are treated sincerely.

 

He is asked if he's ever had much to do with Cass Gai previously. He wonders what the interviewer is referring to. The interviewer wants to know if they've ever had contact or collaborated previously.

He says he's known Cass Gai very early on. He's known her even before she got into acting, during her modelling days. It's been a number of years. They have many mutual friends.

 

The interviewer makes reference to LGX's reputation on the web for scolding fans.

He says he was mystified. He had just woken up from bed. Wondering WTH was going on. He says he's not good at marketing himself and doesn't have the money to do such unnecessary things.

 

He doesn't spend too much time surfing the web. He's got neck issues as well. In the last couple of days he's been keeping his eye on how the drama is doing and how to spread the word.

[abs-oluteM]

Wow - eps 26 & 27 gave me major trust issues 

There's still a possibility that ZY was killed by YJ , and YJ shot his buddy. And it seems the sister paid someone off to take responsibility in the buddy's case. I am sure there's more to this based on whatever spoilers I read . But the problem is that YJ can be  such a good "salesman ", that you cannot tell when he is lying. At least he came clean with Xiao Ou regarding the relationship he had with that girl in the photo ( or at least I hope he was telling the truth). 

 

Now can we trust Xiao Mei Ren's guard? Is he telling the truth and actually witnessed YJ killing his buddy?   The motive is there though - YJ's first love was that girl but she ended up liking the buddy & dated the latter . However she became a drug addict & died of an overdose. YJ could have actually shot his buddy because he was very emotional during the raid and blames the buddy for her death. 

 

I am scared to watch further....it should have been a happy occasion with all the wedding planning but now there's a dark cloud cast over their upcoming nuptials. 

[NiteWalker]

i like the wedding stills

 

 

Spoiler

 

[40somethingahjumma]

This has been a year full of surprises for me. The dramas with the least amount of hype surrounding them have turned out to be the better ones. To Love is no different. Perhaps for the first time since watching K and C dramas, I've actually had time to trowel through what's on offer.

 

It was never your typical police procedural with its finely tuned balance of crime and romance seen from the perspective of the leads. The surprising thing is how this drama feels surefooted from start to finish. 

 

More than a crime show, this is really a show about  why people do what they do. It is also in part an exploration of why some are fated to meet but not fated to be together. Why do some people connect immediately and they light up with chemistry while others are doomed to suffer unrequited love. 

 

At first the show seemed to be about Yan Jin but I think in reality, it was about Ji Xiao'ou. The woman who was dearly loved. And the kind of men who fell for her.

 

The show has ended and I'd like to say more but I've got to get to bed. 

[abs-oluteM]

@40somethingahjumma  Can't wait to read what you have to say. I finally feel at peace to continue....

 

I kept looking for spoilers  These cuts made me happy\

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

And this ...

Spoiler

 

 

[Yana]

Yeaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....happy ending!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now waiting for the subs.

[40somethingahjumma]

This is one of the best C dramas I've watched this year and it's probably the best one located in the modern context. The police procedural side of things undoubtedly helped make this more appealing and palatable but there's no doubt that the entire narrative was a masterclass in storytelling. For those of us looking for something more serious this was the perfect antidote to all the schmaltzy mass produced C dramas that's been pushed out this year on unsuspecting audiences.

 

Perhaps the thing I like most about this drama is that it is, to a large extent, an old fashioned murder mystery of the best kind. Once upon a time crime fiction was about why ordinary, normally sane human beings would kill. It was seldom about people with mental health abnormalities. People killed because they could see a benefit to them doing so -- whether it's money or power or the cover-up of a secret etc. They prioritized their wants above the right of others to live. People killed in general just because they were crazy but because they crossed a line from which there was no return. The culprit here is just a guy. A friend, a lover, a member of someone's family. Some might have said he was a good man. And he doesn't necessarily kill because he bears a grudge either.

 

At the core of this show is a fascinating reverse harem which is wonderfully played out in a crime story. Ji Xiao'ou is the woman at the heart of it all. This is very much her story -- her life and her loves -- told in flashbacks and through the eyes of people who care greatly about her. At various times in Xiao'ou's life, certain men fell in love with her. She once had a serious relationship with Zhao Tinghui (the head of Criminal Investigation) -- they'd discussed marriage at some point but due to parental objections, they went their separate ways. Through a chance encounter Zhan Yu, a talented violinist by day and the drug-peddler by night became infatuated with her. To her, he was a younger brother, someone she pitied and wanted to give him a leg up to. This encounter with Zhan Yu drew Yan Jin (an undercover agent for the anti-narcotics unit) into her sphere of influence. The attraction between Yan and Xiao'ou happens quickly. Some might say too quickly. But the attraction is mutual and their chemistry explodes on the screen. Yan Jin, a larger-than-life character who knows what he wants is relentless in his pursuit of her. They both fall hard for one another. Long before any of these guys came on the scene, there was Feng Weixing... a single dad with a sickly son who was once a cop himself.  He once saved her and her grandmother from a fire and they'd been friends ever since. What she doesn't know is that he's been a secret admirer of hers for years.

 

And why not? Xiao'ou is kind and good as she is beautiful. It makes sense that she would be so beloved. But when murder is on the menu, it complicates the dynamic that these assortment of men have with each other. For instance while Yan Jin finds out that Zhan Yu is the key to the drug syndicate he is looking for, his job is made more difficult. For Xiao'ou's sake he wants to give the lad a chance to pull himself out of the hell hole he's dug himself into although Zhan Yu doesn't initially return the favour.

 

The purpose of all these men in her life is that through their respective interactions with her we understand more about the woman that is Ji Xiao'ou. The main thing we learn about her in all her interactions is that she is a risk-taker. That's clear in how she's quick to exercise her humanitarian side with Zhan Yu. Plus she makes her mind up about Yan Jin very quickly. She is drawn to danger and doesn't back down from challenges of any kind. That's clear from the speed she takes to Yan Jin and also in her confrontation with Xiao Mei Ren as well as Zhan Yu's killer. It seems foolhardy that she should put herself in jeopardy but it's consistent all throughout. There is a pattern In many ways she and YJ are two peas in a pod. Neither is good at going for the safe option but they are smart and unerringly loyal to the people that they care about.

 

Zhao Tingui turned out to be a much better man than I had initially given him credit for being. It's always hard to disentangle one's emotions from a case where a woman you once dated is involved in. Especially if you still have feelings for her. But we've got to give him his due for being dogged all throughout and honest enough to reassess the facts. I'm glad that he, Cheng Ruimin and Yan Jin became really good friends as a result of the entire fiasco. It was quite possibly the best thing that came out of this lengthy investigation. 

 

 

Mostly about the culprit... with spoilers...

 

Spoiler

 

It is to everyone's credit I think that they struggle with the idea that the paternal and highly responsible Feng ge could be responsible for so many murders. It's not as if he took delight in what he did either. But the moment he stepped into that gambling establishment the first time... it seems his fate was sealed.  HIs tragedy does however makes for a very interesting study in evil.

 

I suppose he found justification for all his wrongdoing with the fact that he was a dad of a child with leukemia. It's bad enough that he killed Zhan Yu... accidentally but then he actively tried to pin it on Yan Jin and then dragged up the case from six years ago to pile it on. 

 

It's never clear to me whether Feng Weixing really loved Niya. I don't think he really did but he was definitely moved by her gestures of love for him and Lele. She was a really good step-mother from start to finish... and to think, she came across as a shallow human being at the start. 

 

There was a darker side to him indeed. He did use his relationships with various people to get  what he wanted. He had qualms using Niya as his alibi and her money to pay for Lele's surgery despite the fact that he had been hoarding the necessary funds from his ill-gotten gains. That's why I have a hard time believing that anything he did for her wasn't tainted on some level to cover his tracks. Everything he does with regards to her seems calculated. Even her pregnancy and the child that was born. When Niya was in premature labour, he even asked if the umbilical cord could be used for treating Lele. 

 

And then when Xiao'ou told him that she didn't really like the prawn dumplings and advised him to give it to Niya who was the one who really liked it, he took it back and threw it into the bin. That indicated to me firstly, that it was a cover for him to spend time with Xiao'ou and secondly, Niya was somebody that didn't feature prominently in his thinking. All the time, he put off marrying her even while she was pregnant with his child points to that as well. Was he thinking that if Yan Jin was convicted for Zhan Yu's murder he would have a second chance? Don't know. He could be deluded enough to believe it though.

 

On hindsight I wonder too if he didn't use his image as a "good" dad as a cover not just a justification. I'm not saying here that he didn't care about Lele. But the heart is deceitful and I don't doubt that he used it to his advantage to misdirect attention elsewhere.

 

It is the banality of evil. Found lurking about in ordinary spaces amongst ordinary people.

 

 

@Yana Well it's kind of a happy ending.