3 Reasons To Watch Cute Romance C-Drama "As Beautiful As You"

Ji Xing (Tan Song Yun) is a hardworking and intelligent tech expert in an IT firm. She is one of the key participants in the development of a robot which would help the medical sector. Her colleagues, jealous of her success and aptitude, try to diminish her brightness. Though she perseveres diligently, the cutthroat ecosystem gets the better of her, and she quits. She launches her own startup, but little does she realize that being talented is one thing and being a shrewd business woman is another.

Han Ting (Xu Kai) is one of the top bosses at Dongyang Medical. Back from Germany after a decade, he is not only locked in an inheritance battle with his ambitious sister, but he is also regarded as a rookie by the elders in the firms. The enterprising Han Ting has several aces up his innovative sleeve and also decides to invest in Ji Xing’s firm, but could this just be a strictly business venture or there are personal feelings involved? Xu Ting and Ji Xing were one-time university batch-mates, but in the professional space they are just senior and subordinate. When the rational and practical Xu Ting and the resilient yet naive Ji Xing meet, there is sizzling chemistry and taut tension that’s waiting to explode.

“As Beautiful as You” is a cute love story, the kind that immerses you in the life of its characters. Here are three reasons why you should watch the drama.

A charming and practical male lead

Han Ting is a man who thinks rationally and can even preempt situations. This makes him astute when it comes to business dealings, and he does not let his emotions get the better of him. Back home after a decade in Germany, he has never forgotten his classmate Ji Xing from college, whose caring and spirited nature had him fall for her. Though she had refused to keep contact with him, he wonders if they would ever meet again. But they do, and the circumstances are different. Even though he offers Ji Xing a position to work in his company, she is adamant to start on her own. When Han Ting invests in her company, he makes it clear and says, “I don’t invest in useless things, and my emotions don’t dictate my decisions,” when he is chided for putting himself on the line with a risky investment.

Han Ting is well aware that Ji Xing does not have the business acumen, and even though Ji Xing does not play heed to his warnings, he has his own ways to shield and encourage her, ever doubting her abilities. He is also a sensitive man, and despite being unable to express his feelings, his gestures speak louder than words. He helps Ji Xing to cope with her heartbreak even though he is jealous, and he also pushes her to toughen herself, even though in her excitement and naivety she does things that could cost her dearly in the future.

Xu Kai excels as Han Ting in all aspects and plays the part with sincerity. There is an endearing quality to Han Ting, who, though lonely and craving warmth, is empathetic toward others. His love for Xi Jing is pure, but when he realizes that his own need to protect her might stifle the relationship, he takes cognizance. And apart from looking dapper in formal suits, Xu Kai plays the part well as Han Ting is a man who expresses and speaks in equal measure.

A resilient and spirited female lead

Tan Song Yun’s Ji Xing is a vivacious person. She loves what she does and is good at it. However, Ji Xing’s innocence and non-confrontational attitude are unduly taken advantage of by her colleagues and people at work. But she has a spark and a strong sense of self-worth which she won’t compromise on. As she starts her own startup and has no prior experience in business, she is confident she will succeed and surmount the many challenges. She is determined to succeed to help others, in this case, design technology to help people get access to healthcare. Her generosity extends to her own colleagues, and she aspires to create a happy work space.

When her boyfriend of four years decides to break off their relationship as he feels her ambitions and dreams don’t include him, she is distraught and willing to forsake her dreams for their future. The moment lasts briefly and gives an insight into her vulnerability as she thinks it was her fault the relationship suffered. But she is brought back on her feet by the supportive Han Ting, who pushes her with a sarcastic, “I hear you are ready to give up on your business.” It’s his way of reminding her of the path she carved out for herself.

She learns to stands up for herself as well, and it is her conviction which had impressed and continues to impress Han Ting. Ji Xing has a sense of purpose which drives her, and even though she has several odds stacked against her, including her former boss Zeng Di (Kira Shi), who sets her to fail, Ji Xing perseveres. She makes it clear that she does not want Han Ting to promote her beyond his capacity of an investor and that it is for her to show him the returns. Ji Xing is also a woman who empowers other women, and there is a stark contrast between her as a boss and her former boss Zeng Di.

Tan Song Yun is vibrant in this role and fits perfectly as Ji Xing. The actor is a natural when it comes to emoting on screen—she laughs, cries, and shows the emotional graph of Ji Xing realistically and comes across as a very relatable character.

A relationship between equals

“Women these days have become very ambitious” is a remark casually made by one of the elders in the show toward Ji Xing. Very often women who aspire to lead and win at work are seen as disruptors and criticized for their choices. Ji Xing, who was happy at her place of work, was pushed against the wall by her seniors as well as her boss Zeng Di, a woman whom she admired. Her decision to go independent is seen as a whim, and her boyfriend Yi Chen (Gao Han) says, “I am only indulging this harebrained idea of hers, since she is bound to see that she is not cutout for business.” Though Han Ting believes in her, he is aware her inexperience in business could set her up to fail.

But there is a difference between the two men. Yi Chen feels he has become part of the backdrop in Ji Xing’s life, and it is his own insecurity and inability to embrace Ji Xing’s dreams which are too big for him to handle. Yi Chen yearns for a simple life and is unable to cope with the present not adhering to the future he had planned. On the other hand, Han Ting respects Ji Xing’s talent, and even though she refuses to work for him, he invests in her company seeing the potential. He is a shrewd businessman and knows how to keep emotions at bay in the boardroom, and he wants to make Xi Jing understand the same. He encourages and protects her, and in his own way makes her understand that running a business requires more than idealism. He acknowledges her streak of independence and trusts her when many, including Zeng Di, warn him that investing in Ji Xing will be his greatest folly. Han Ting is also willing to bask in her glory, and as she succeeds, he is man with a strong sense of self.

The chemistry between Xu Kai and Tan Song Yun is cute as it is hot. Han Ting’s adoration is obvious, and he sweetly responds to Ji Xing that he has never had time for love, and that it is apparent no one else came close to her. Ji Xing, as she comes to terms with her heartbreak, is not one to get cynical and does not begrudge her former boyfriend. She realizes that Han Ting is a partner in every sense of the word. Both the actors complement each other and are perfectly in sync in articulating their characters.

“As Beautiful as You” is a sweet and delightful love story, even though the side stories of some supporting characters feels a tad too stretched at times. Ji Xing’s friend Li Li (He Rui Xian) is a strong character, but her track gets lost in the ensemble cast. The show comes with plenty of drama, humor, as well as misunderstandings that our characters have to endure before the happily ever after. If you’re in the mood to binge a romance C-drama, then this might be the one for you!

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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yang Yang and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.

Currently watching: “Nothing But You“