The World of Love (2015)

underrated

I think it's a shame that this is only available on iQiyi with frankly, not great subtitling. If you've watched enough of these types of dramas then you can follow along pretty well but it does make some aspects confusing- the names are often literally translated which can sometimes also be really funny since the crown prince ends up being referred to as 'poodle'.

The title is fairly accurate. This drama is about the different types of love- familial, puppy love vs nurtured affection, and the risks and sacrifices we make for the sake of those we love. These choices are not always moral or ethical, and sometimes they are selfish. This story does deal with some darker themes which may be potentially triggering for some viewers, such as miscarriage.

I think this show particularly benefited from having a cast of older actors who were able to bring real nuance to their roles, especially the male lead Gavin Gao. You could really see the guilt in his eyes and he played the complex emotions wonderfully. I also really liked the sibling dynamics between the female lead and her brother. The only character I didn't quite get was the brother's love interest- every time she was on screen I just heard Boulevard of Broken Dreams in my head. The story also moves quite quickly, which I prefer- I hate when story arcs get dragged out. The music is quite nice as well, especially the ending song. While there is the oft dreaded love triangle, it doesn't play out the usual way which made it much more interesting to watch and develop. I will admit to some Second Lead Syndrome here.

All in all, if you enjoy politically driven dramas with complex relationship dynamics and don't mind rough subtitling, I would strongly recommend this.

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