By Teri O.
I had the idea to watch a Chinese movie while eating Chinese takeout on the night of Chinese New Year (which was January 29, by the way; 2025 is the Year of the Snake). I couldn’t find anything that struck my fancy, so I was about to give up and just listen to Chinese music instead, when I saw this YouTube video with a sweet description: “Simple Girl Helped a Man, but She Didn’t Expect That He Was a Billionaire, and Love Began!” Hmm, that sounded intriguing!
Happy me, it was in Chinese with English subtitles, so I started watching. And I was totally lucky that it just happened to be the first episode in a whole series of 65 episodes! Because now it’s officially on my list of the best shows I’ve ever seen! But I’d never even heard of it before! It’s funny how some of my favorite things are discovered completely serendipitously.
“To Be With You” (我要和你在一起) is a Chinese drama that aired in 2019. The show stars Chai Bi Yun as Lin Meiya and Sun Shao Long as Ou Yang. It would probably be classified as a chick flick for its romantic and emotional storyline, although it does have plenty of action and mixed martial arts too. I watched the first four 44-minute episodes all in one night, and then I had to go to bed while looking forward to the next one.
The story revolves around Lin Meiya, a nice girl from a poor family who returns home after studying abroad in France, and Ou Yang, a fun-loving but serious and wealthy young man (heir to a cosmetics/fashion company). They meet by chance when their paths happen to cross, and fate keeps bringing them together in unexpected ways.
The first episode starts off in the middle of a chase scene that plays out in front of a fancy French pastry shop. You have no idea what’s going on, are they gangsters or what??? But soon you figure out that the CEO dad sent some men to collect his son who was in Paris goofing off when he was supposed to be working at the company.
Sadly, Lin Meiya’s plans to marry her longtime boyfriend turned out to be false expectations, as she is met with his cold betrayal when she gets back home; but not to worry, her bond with Ou Yang grows beyond their initial misunderstanding, and their friendship gradually blossoms into a heartwarming love story.
At the heart of every good drama is conflict and emotion – two elements that drive the plot forward and engage the viewer, and this one does it very well. I swear, the breakup scene is one of the most intense, gut-wrenching things I’ve ever seen in my life! Fortunately, this long drama also contains a positive message that from heartbreak and difficult times, one can eventually find true happiness and success when you conduct yourself with sincerity and integrity.
The main theme throughout “To Be With You” is the importance of friendship and family. This involves loyalty, taking care of each other, and honest communication. I love how it explores the strong bond of brother-sister love. Additional themes include forgiveness, redemption, and charity (such as being kind to orphans and strangers). Parts of it are like a morality play, showing the right way to conduct oneself by contrasting good vs. bad behaviors, and pointing characters on a path toward either salvation or damnation.
“To Be With You” is a sophisticated production with such impressive cinematography and creative editing that it makes me think the filmmakers must have been trained in Hollywood. The set décor is stunning, the clothing is gorgeous, and the music is on point. The show has a great storyline, pacing, and casting. The actors and actresses are all so talented, they play their roles extremely well, from comical scenes to serious situations.
To me, character development is key to a good story. Each character in “To Be With You” is well-developed with a unique personality and interesting details. They even change over time as a result of their experiences. The characters seem so natural, they become your friends and you truly care about them as you witness their ups and downs as if it was real life.
Besides the male lead and the female lead, there is Lin Meiya’s adoptive father, a restaurateur who specializes in spicy fried crayfish. There is the orphan boy Chen Zhe who grew up with Lin Meiya. Across the street from her dad’s outdoor food stall is an upscale restaurant managed by Uncle Li Dong, who also owns a hotel and a fight club. Uncle Li has a silly sister named Wei Wei. (FYI: He’s not really Lin Meiya’s uncle, but “Uncle” and “Auntie” are honorific terms for older relatives and family friends.)
Li Dong is a friend of Ou Yang, the cosmetics heir; and Ou Yang’s sister secretly knows Lin Meiya’s “boyfriend.” As the story progresses, almost every episode introduces another character and exposes even more interconnected relationships, leading to some pretty tense drama. [I’ve just finished the 8th episode, and now things are getting really complicated!]
The opening and ending title sequences show highlights from the whole series, indicating that there will be a lot more action to come, some of which looks like it gets rather dark. I try not to watch them too closely because they give away too much! I must admit, not everything is what it seems and there are lots of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
All 65 episodes of “To Be With You” are free to watch on YouTube and Amazon Prime. Based on the episodes I’ve seen so far, I’d rate it PG-13. Even though it ranges from lighthearted scenes to more serious themes, overall it’s pretty tame compared to what you find on Netflix. (This coming from someone who prefers PureFlix, ha.)
CAUTIONS: The characters in this series drink a lot of wine and beer. There are two times in the first episode when Lin Meiya drinks too much alcohol and it makes her act stupid. In a later episode, her friends remind her how bad that was and they don’t let her drink any wine, giving her orange juice instead.
“To Be With You” is a perfect series to binge-watch in February if you’re into romance and relationships!
Click here to watch: YouTube Link | Prime Video Link
Leave a comment and let me know how you like it!
The first half of this show was fun to watch, then it took a dark turn and now the good feeling is gone. I sure hope everything works out in the end!