Crush (2021) 原来我很爱你
Directed by Yu Cuihua, starring Lin Yanjun / Evan Lin as Su Nianqin / 'Yi Jin' and Wan Peng as Sang Wuyan.
Watched 13 May 2026 - ? — 24 episodes (KISSKH) — ON HOLD AFTER EPISODE 5!
*My elder sister really likes this series and gave it a high rating on MDL. Most of the time we're on the same page when it concerns romantic dramas. I thought the story premise was okay, and I don't mind a slow pace (because it is slow!) but I wasn't immediately sold and was a little bored. The main couple doesn't hold that much appeal for me, but I figured that can grow. Actually, it isn't so much the male lead Lin Yanjun as Su Nianqin, it's the female lead character Sang Wuyan who is plain annoying. And I don't like how she is pursuing Su Nianqin. (By the way, Wuyan wears some ugly earrings, and I don't like her hairstyle, but that's not why I'm putting the drama on hold, lol.)
*The show has high ratings and good reviews online and I read some. I also read a couple of unfavourable reviews saying that the second half of the series gets worse and goes downhill. Reviewers mostly love the first half and not many seem to have an issue with the female lead. So even if I would force myself to get through these episodes to reach the middle part, what good would that do me if it's going to get worse?
*My sister liked the last part of the series best. She says Wuyan is a bit weird because she has some mental issues, which they will reveal later on. But why make the heroine so annoying and not let the viewer know anything about her mental state earlier so we can sympathise with her? I really didn't like her in the scene at the end of episode 3, when in front of other people she pretends Su Nianqin is her husband, saying he cheated on her with her best friend while being pregnant with his child. What was that all about???!!
*Early on, I put this drama on hold, after 5 episodes. Not officially on MDL, but just left it pending in my currently watching list. But, when yesterday I needed to pick a new series to watch, I thought, why not try Crush again? So I picked it up at episode 6. I struggled and couldn't even make it through the episode, only watched the beginning. I still didn't like Wuyan, and the second couple is just really unappealing.
*So ..... I am not dropping the show but putting it on hold, officially. Maybe I will get back to it much later and try again.
*For what it's worth .... the OST is really nice.
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With Asian dramas, I mostly like what I watch. I try to choose wisely, relying on online reviews, recommendations on blogs I follow, the show's reputation, a sister's opinion, or just because the show's story premise and cast appeal to me. Often the series doesn't instantly deliver but in many cases they improve as they progress. Depending on my level of commitment, I persevere and end up loving the drama. The fact that there has been only a handful of unfinished dramas, indicates how well my choices are or how persistent I am in following through till the end. Apart from Crush, the following shows haven't seen the finish line with me:
ON HOLD:
Descendants of the Sun (2016)
Watched 14 June 2022 - ? — 19 episodes (DRAMACOOL) — ON HOLD AFTER EPISODE 3!
Forever Love (2020)
Watched 27 July 2024 - ? — 28 episodes (VIKI PASS) — ON HOLD AFTER EPISODE 12!
DROPPED:
A Poem a Day (2018)
Watched 4 January 2026 - ? — 2/16 episodes (KISSKH) — DROPPED AFTER EPISODE 2!
There is only one drama that I had put on hold and picked up again after a long time: Once Upon a Small Town. Which shows that second chances are worth it because eventually I enjoyed it and finished it. So maybe, in some unforeseeable future, I'll continue these on-hold dramas or even try the dropped drama again. But with my huge drama backlist and a constant stream of new dramas, I won't get my hopes up too much for that ever happening. It is more likely they all end up on the dropped list.