I first came across this show on Netflix and it didn’t give such a synopsis as on this site. There (from what I can remember) is that this basic girl, Bei ErDuo meets this guy, Yu Shuwei who works/plays with violins. She ends up having to live with him and the question then arises: will they fall in love?

First of let me say that all that doesn’t even touch upon the show in its entirety. We are introduced to Bei ErDuo, a young girl who is aspiring to be a professional voice actress. In order to do so however, she wants to study in Japan....but she needs money. Now how can she make money quickly? Simple. Join a TV show about lovey dovey couples! But doesn’t she need a boyfriend for that?

That’s how we are introduced to Yu Shuwei. (At first I thought because of the synopsis Netflix gave me, that he was a violinist :neutral_face:) A violin maker known for being cold to others but great at his craft. He is looped in to being Bei ErDuo’s boyfriend after losing a deal he made with his nephew. Either way together they have to fake being bf/gf for the cameras until the show is over.

But what would a drama be without the drama?

So of course, along with any other drama, I Hear You delivers the drama, the angst, the sweet moments, etc. without going to cringy.

Overall I can say that it is a good show, but do give it some time because it felt a bit slow for me at the beginning. And although I say there is drama, keep in mind that it’s more toned down compared to other dramas.

Pros...
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The soundtrack/OSTs were very pleasing:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
They’re soft, leaning more towards ballads, in nature but it fits with the overall theme/show.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The transitions:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The actors play their characters well :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
I found that I actually liked LiZi more than the main cast. Not to say the others were bad, it’s just she conveyed facial expressions better.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The romantic scenes were more original:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
That’s to say that I felt it focused more on the small gestures than the big glamorous ones we’re use to in dramas. So it’s definitely a nice shift. Plus I found that it makes the scenes more heartwarming.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The funny scenes:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
Some were cliché moments, I will admit to that. However the writers took it a step further by adding on a little more. One specific scene can be found in episode 10. I’ll leave it at that so I won’t spoil it for anyone.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:Side characters:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
For once (or for the better part of my memory)! The side characters are not thrown to the far off shore where the audience then wonders what happened to them. No, thankfully they are continuously brought back to progress the story in a negative or positive way. One, really stretching it, two are allowed character development. While as a whole, all of them are allowed closure.

Cons...
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:First episode:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
I will not lie and say that I was not confused when I was watching it. First of all, you’re thrown in to the pilot of the TV show that is featured in I Hear You. I had no idea who anyone was nor where I was in terms of the story. Second, I found I kept thinking that maybe I’ll get some more information if I keep watching....but any information I wished to learn in the first episode was revealed (sometimes way) later on.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The relationships:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
Obviously we know off the bat that Bei ErDuo and Yu Shuwei will be acting as bf/gf. Also that Yu Sheng(?) is Yu Shuwei’s nephew. Now if you’re wondering about LiZi is actually childhood friends with Bei ErDuo; she’s not related anyway to her family.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:Some of the acting:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
• I get that the characters aimed for an overall shy girl (when it came to love), and the other was a cold guy....and I didn’t know what the director or script told them to do.....but the way they tried to interact affectionally with each other made it more awkward for me to watch than for it trying to be funny.
• In the episode where they meet the detective, Yu Shuwei’s actor coughed after eating some food Bei ErDuo made. I took that as she was bad at cooking, yet later in the show she is suddenly a great cook?
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The audio (regarding when the actors speak:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
This pertains more than anything to Bei ErDuo. It’s more when she starts to whine. Then I found it later occurs when she’s speaking Japanese (along with that stranger) in the last episode. The audio didn’t seem to match up with the picture. It’s not a big con, but it definitely looked weird. Side note, if she was learning to Japanese why didn’t they make her originally speak Japanese in the last episode?
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The last three episodes:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
They felt rushed. Some scenes were confusing to me. Then as the beginning, we were back to not receiving some information that would have put things into better context. Also, and this I find keeps happening in some shows, I can’t tell if it’s the same day or a different day, let alone how much time has passed.
- :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:The ending:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
[spoiler] From what I remember a question that kept popping up was, “what happened to his luggage?” Another, “why is he taking pictures of her? And he’s asking her out?.... Sketchy....” Right after Bei ErDuo gives this big speech on how she loves her boyfriend. Only for Yu Shuwei to appear behind her saying “you are my dream.” She turns around, they share a loving moment....and it ends right there.[/spoiler] If there is going to be a second season I could see how the ending is fitting. If not then it leaves much to be desired after I spent 24 episodes watching.