Love in Between: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
- Jul 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Title: | Love in Between (2020) 少年游之一寸相思 |
Platform: | WeTV, Youtube (free) |
MDL Rating: | |
Genre: | Wuxia/ Romance |
Episode Count: | 43 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: Fade to black scene, Violence, much spitting of blood |
Staring: | Gala Zhang (Blossoms of Power) Zhang Ya Qin (Flourished Peony) Zou Ting Wei (Ashes of Love) Deng Yu Li (My Little Happiness) Sean Zheng (The Sword and the Brocade) Shi Yung Peng (Love Story in the 1970's) |
RBTS Rating: | 3.3/5 Stars (A brilliant and authentic Wuxia weakened by angsty romance and poor pacing. Prepare for some serious yearning).  |
Synopsis:
Zuo Qing Ci, a Marquis's son posing as a physician, seeks the elusive Mountain River Painting scroll for the Imperial Courts. He encounters Fei Kou Er, a mysterious bandit with a hidden identity as Su Yun Luo, the Zhengyang Palace's young miss. When her true status is exposed, they become targets, and Zuo Qing Ci bravely defends her. Framed by Wei Ning Hou, they delve into national intrigue, unearthing an old secret. Together, they journey as lovers and comrades, fighting to restore justice and overthrow their foes, carrying the weight of the nation on their shoulders. @MDL
Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Love in Between is a deeply flawed, but good intentioned Wuxia that does its best work when it focuses on the martial world, but struggles when the plot bleeds into romance. The angst was real.
The drama starts off as a puzzle pieced together slowly, and the first 20 or so episodes were the best of the bunch. The world building was logical and immersive, and Zuo Qing Ci and Wen Si Yuan made for solid Nirvana in Fire-esque masterminds.
The characters as individuals were fascinating, and watching their motivations and allegiances shift kept me on my toes. Zhang Ya Qin was especially good (as usual) as Su Yun Luo, but I wish her romance hadn't been so melodramatic. Shen Man Qing's romance came as somewhat of a surprise, and it was actually my favorite pairing of the show.
The production of Love in Between felt authentic to the period, and had that gritty traditional Wuxia vibe. The production team used almost all natural light, and had hundreds of candles for nighttime scenes. Fight sequences were done with practical effects and there was no heinous beauty filter, thank the heavens. The OST was also fantastic. I would replay the opening title just to hear the song again. The song title, "Yearning", alludes to the phrase: "One Inch of Yearning". It's apt as the characters face one inch between life and death, as well as one inch between love. The leads grapple with being so close to their loved one, without being able to close the gap. Yearning at it's finest.. or not, because it became a muddled melodrama. The characters are also in constant mortal danger as martial artists and as humans who face sickness, so death is never far way.
Love in Between built a sturdy foundation for an epic Wuxia with depth, but it wasn't able to flesh it out. The plot quickly became entangled in complicated romance, which gave birth to just so much angst. I couldn't root for the (toxic) lead couple, and I was also confused about where the story was heading.The plot also had to move quickly in the latter half, as I believe it was originally intended that the drama would have more episodes, but the production company ran out of funding for the project. The price of candles these days, man. They'll really bankrupt you.
Critiques aside, I do still recommend Love in Between. The acting was great, the production quality and fight scenes were excellent, and if you like a Wuxia, it has all the elements you need. Just be prepared for angst and for it to drag towards the end.
Story=3.5 (Passable), Acting=4, Production Quality=4.25, Rewatch Value=2, Ending=3 (didn't quite make sense), Enjoyability= 2.5 (1/2 dragged)
Trailer:
Director: Mao Kun Yu (Beloved)
Screenwriter: Wu Tong (Stand By Me)
Comments