The body-swap trope can often be a slippery slope for quality screenwriting in dramas .However whilst " The Day of Becoming You" doesn’t exactly stray far from its " body-swapping” predecessors as a concept, screenwriter Wang Xiong Cheng surprisingly uses the tiresome trope well in order to explore character growth and the relationship between the main leads .

Steven Zhang ( playing seemingly cold idol Jiang Yi) and Liang Jie ( playing bubbly entertainment reporter Yu Sheng Sheng) were brilliant as our main leads. The duo had dynamic chemistry onscreen throughout and were perfectly able to mimic the mannerisms of one another during the " body-swap” scenes. Respectfully whilst Vian Wang ( playing Sheng Sheng’s editor and best friend Tong Hua), Shen Po Qing ( playing Sheng Sheng’s close doctor friend and her second love interest) and Jiang Yi’s fellow band members of ” Little Galaxy” faded more into the background than the main leads, their performances were equally good.

On a more critical note ” The Day of Becoming You" isn’t entirely the more ” realistic" imagining of the ”body-swap” scenario either . The jobs of main leads respectfully as a journalist ( Liang Jie) and an idol ( Jiang Yi) were often taken for granted by inconsistent timing schedules or evident responsibilities with their jobs often dismissed easily. ( The irony not lost that Liang Jie trying to make up for loss time by working late at night could come in early the next day to work, looking fresh as a daisy without bags under her eyes.) However, these points are more nuanced and as the show only uses these settings really for exposition , they can be overlooked .

Arguably what made our main leads and their pairing refreshing was the gradual process of development . It would be easy to have established Liang Ji merely as the “ significant other” in the drama without exploring further interactions, however, the series provides surprisingly heartwarming insights into her character’s sentience by her familial life as well as her friendship with Tong Hua.

This was perfectly contrasted by Jiang Yi and his “ complicated" family scenario with his father Jiang Dong Ha ( Zhang Lei) and his estranged younger sister Jiang Mo ( Cong Shang).Admittedly whilst it wasn’t the focalised subject of the series, it would have been intriguing to have explored more about Jiang Yi and his father’s reconciliation, than some of the earlier trivial scenes dedicated to his " secret crush” on superstar and close friend Xu Shu Yi ( Zhao Yao Ke). ( Only really provided to add " angst” and an ” obstacle” to the main romantic pairing.)

However, the drama arguably did allow time for Jiang Yi to heal some of his emotional wounds through his gradual alliance to friendship to affectionate relationship with Shengsheng. There were times this relationship did feel a little disconcerted by the sudden reversal of Jiang Yi’s " feelings" for Jiang Yi being dismissed so readily. ( Although Shengsheng’s feelings for Doctor Shen were slightly more drawn out, they suffered a similar fate of being disregarded when the storyline called for it.) Importantly but the relationship between Jiang Yi and Shengsheng was healthily built upon learning to trust and rely on one another by being ( literally) in one another’s shoes. The ending certainly offered an unseen twist which will likely surprise viewers, however, nonetheless does help to tie-off the more far-fetched moments of the storyline.

So, is “ The Day of Becoming You” worth watching? Whilst the show offers a more sugarcoated version of the respected industries and romance, there is something which is undeniably well-written about the body-swap scenario in order to allow the characters to grow, a main pairing who gradually developed an an unforeseen ending which surprisingly works. Definitely worth a watch if you’re looking for something easygoing and fluffy but with good screenwriting and acting on top.