[Chinese Drama] Zhang Linghe! Bravo! Bravo! The drama "Love You" (Japanese title: How to Bloom a Wonderful Love)
Zhang Linghe is a Chinese actor with a unique background.
He was studying at a university of science and engineering, but his extraordinary beauty caught the eye of entertainment industry professionals, and he was a natural talent who landed a lead role in his very first drama. He is one of the "chosen ones" in an entertainment industry where many actors who have majored in acting or dance at arts universities are active.
When his first starring drama "Maiden Holmes" was released in 2020, I was so taken aback by his radiance that I checked his Weibo, and he only had about 100,000 followers. Now, that number is approaching 13 million. He has steadily honed his skills, and with a string of hit historical dramas in which he starred, he has secured his position as a star actor.
Zhang Linghe is starring in a modern drama for the first time in a while!
"Love You" (Japanese title: How to Bloom a Wonderful Love), currently streaming on the iQIYI platform, is, in my opinion, Zhang Linghe's best "perfect role" to date.
[Trailer (Love You)]
The male lead (Zhang Linghe) is a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). He listens to patients' physical concerns and supports their recovery through herbal medicine, acupuncture, and the like.
The female lead (Xu Ruohan) is a woman building a career at a luxury hotel. She suffers from insomnia after being emotionally scarred by an abusive boyfriend she dated for seven years, and she becomes acquainted with the male lead after visiting the TCM clinic.
As the two run into each other outside, the male lead quickly develops feelings for the female lead, and the female lead gradually regains the balance of her mind and body and escapes from the wounds of her past... that is the story.
When I watched the first few episodes, I thought it was just an "eye candy" drama.
But this is Zhang Linghe. He goes beyond being eye candy and exerts the medicinal effects of an "eye herb," which is incredibly healing to watch.
He is kind to both patients and colleagues, but especially gentle with the female lead. He accepts her past wounds, strives to heal them, rides a skateboard like a boy, cooks medicinal meals when she is tired, and is so dedicated to his work that he hasn't been in a relationship—despite being such a magical character, the strength of the script and his acting makes it immersive.
His smile with narrowed eyes behind his mask and glasses, his gaze when he admires plants, and his expressions that only turn into those of a strategist when he is in love mode all seem to harbor his own devoted and modest personality, making it healing to watch at the end of the day.
Furthermore, the contrast between the female lead's ex-boyfriend and the male lead is brilliant.
The female lead's ex-boyfriend, a wealthy heir, has zero interest in the female lead's world, forces things he thinks are good onto others, loves people for his own convenience, and is a character whose "look how much I love you" attitude is blatant (the actor playing the ex-boyfriend is incredibly good).He is like a "strong side-effect chemical" that changes one's constitution..
In contrast, the male lead played by Zhang Linghe listens to the other person's voice, subtly practices not just what the other person wants but what is good for them, never forces anything, and islike "herbal medicine" that draws out one's natural healing power..
The female lead has suffered significant damage in the past and is in a state that requires some time for "heart-quality improvement" rather than just physical constitution improvement.
Repeating two steps forward and one step back,when the darkness of the past tries to swallow the female lead again, the male lead acts as a shield, and the depiction of the moment when the female leadrealizes she has broken free from the past (episode 18) was so wonderful that it wasthe best scene in a romantic comedy for the January-March 2025 period..
In episode 18, I was shouting "Zhang Linghe! Zhang Linghe!" in my heart.
The other day, the official iQIYI Japan account posted photos of the two's wedding, which we haven't seen yet. This is a common spoiler for Chinese drama endings. I think it's a sign that it's probably a happy ending, so please watch with peace of mind.
"Love You" is currently streaming on iQIYI with 1-2 episodes released daily. Currently, 18 out of 28 episodes are available. As of now, there are no Japanese subtitles. I am certain it will be released in Japan as well.
[Episodes 1 and 2 only available on YouTube]