Here We Meet Again Drama Review

• Title: Here We Meet Again
• Also Known As: 三分野, San Fen Ye
• Director: Huang Tian Ren
• Casts: Wu Qian, Vin Zhang, Huang De Yi, Nita Xia
• Screenwriter: Wu Yao, Liu Yi Fei, Mei Qiong Yu,
• Dong Ming Jian
• Genres: Romance, comedy
• Country: China
• Type: Drama
• Episodes: 32
• Date of Release: 22 May 2023
• Original Network: Tencent Video
• Where To Watch: WeTV, Viki, Tencent Video
• Adapted from the novel “Here We Meet Again” by Er Dong Tu Zi

Dear readers, finally Vin Zhang’s new modern romance drama, Here We Meet Again! I was excited to write this Here We Meet Again drama review. It was one of the Modern Romance Chinese Dramas You Shouldn’t Miss in 2023. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go! Happy reading!

Here We Meet Again Synopsis

Xiang Yuan, a smart, modern, open-minded, and cheerful girl was the granddaughter of Situ Ming Tian, the chairman of Donghe Group. As a free-spirited person, the only thing that weighed her mind was her grandfather’s demand for her to get married. The old man had tried many ways to introduce many eligible bachelors for her. Yet, she also refused in any way possible.

To break the status quo, Xiang Yuan and Situ Ming Tian made a bet. If Xiang Yuan was able to increase the sales of Velin by 10 %, then Situ Ming Tian would stop urging her to get married. Velin was one of Donghe’s subsidiary companies which were on the verge of bankruptcy. Xiang Yuan happily agreed to the bet. She went to Xi’an City to save Velin and gain her freedom. When she left her home, Xiang Yuan never thought that her journey would change her life.

Xu Yan Shi was the Team Leader of Velin’s Tech Department. He was a tall and handsome man with an incredible talent for technology. However, his career was a flop and stagnant. He was stuck as a B-level employee in Velin. Xu Yan Shi was Xiang Yuan’s school crush. Yet, for some unknown reason, Xu Yan Shi quit school abruptly and moved to another city. Xiang Yuan was heartbroken and stuck with sad memories of him for years.

Fate brought Xiang Yuan and Xu Yan Shi together at Velin. They worked together in the same tech department. Xiang Yuan learned how to solve the company’s problem and at the same time get to know Xu Yan Shi once again. While Xu Yan Shi learned to embrace his passion and end his apathetic sentiment. When the present brought you the past, would you cling to it or moved on?

Here We Meet Again Drama Review

It was a coincidence that I found this drama on my WeTV app. I watched the first episode and then I stopped. I rewatch it again when the episode had reached almost 30 episodes. Some drama was worth to be waiting for because binge-watching gave me more satisfaction.

I have two reasons to do this, the first one was that I dislike waiting for the next episode, especially if I have to wait more than two days. And the second one was Cdrama had suffered from bad episode cutting. You could see it on She And Her Perfect Husband drama as an example. The ending of an episode was usually abrupt and it was such a nuisance for me. So, I rather wait a little bit longer before I could watch it in one go.

Honestly, one of the reasons why I watched Chinese drama was because of the actors. I love to see handsome and pretty faces on screen. It was like a gift that I gave to myself after a long day of hard work. However, their acting was important too, otherwise, I would stop watching their dramas much less write the reviews.

And Vin Zhang obviously had been listed on my watchlist.😍

Have I ever told you that I always love Vin Zhang in costume dramas such as Eternal Love, The King’s Woman, or The Flame’s Daughter? Yet, I found him more good-looking in a modern romance costume with a long coat and gold-rimmed eyeglasses such as in A Romance of The Little Forest drama. You could read the review and see how much I adore Vin Zhang’s appearance. He never failed to make me blush.

If you compare him with another actor, there would be someone more handsome than him. Yet… every time the camera shoot Vin Zhang in close range and he looked at the female lead with a little bit of naughty, inviting, or flirty stare. My face would redden And my heart skip a beat.

Back to the drama!

Here We Meet Again was a light rom-com drama. The comedy was enough to balance the heavy background of navigation system technology. But don’t worry, they did not put too many technical terms. So there was no need to google it. There was no troupe such as an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend with lingering feelings, or an evil 3rd party.

However, there was some love rival in this drama mainly for Xu Yan Shi because Xiang Yuan was pretty popular. Of course, there was some jealousy on Xiang Yuan’s side, but it was easily cleared out by Xu Yan Shi. There were some misunderstandings between Xu Yan Shi and Xiang Yuan. It was because of some gossip that spread among their small circle.

The story was quite slow. The romance between Xu Yan Shi and Xiang Yuan was built in the first half of the drama. The latter part was more about their career and the drastic change in the working environment. You could find some betrayal and heartbreak in this part as well as swoon-worthy romantic scenes.

Just like in his previous drama, Vin Zhang acts as a smart scientist. In the A Romance of The Little Forest, he was a renowned botanist and university professor. This time he was an idealist engineer. There were some common characteristics that could be found in his characters. Vin Zhang still acts as a cold and indifferent person.

However, in this drama, Xu Yan Shi was more active in pursuing Xiang Yuan compared with Zhuang Yu toward Yu Meiren. He was more easygoing and more flirty in this drama. There was a scene when Xu Yan Shi wanted to tease Xiang Yuan. Xu Yan Shi saw an incoming video call from Xiang Yuan’s phone, so he immediately unbuttoned the upper part of his shirt to show a part of his chest.

Yet, then the one who make the call was not Xiang Yuan, but his former colleagues in Velin. The stunned and embarrassed expression on his face was priceless. Every time I watch this scene, it never failed to make me laugh. 🤣

Here We Meet Again was Wu Qian’s second drama in 2023. She used to play Chen Nan Xin, one of the supporting roles in Meet Yourself. Chen Nan Xing was the deceased friend of Xu Hong Dou (Liu Yifei). Her appearance in the drama was not much, but it was quite memorable.

I clearly remembered another character she played in Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace as Princess Rong and as Zhan Yan in Light Chaser Rescue. Wu Qian could pull out a spoiled character as well as a strong-willed and independent woman.

This drama was Huang De Yi’s first main role. I used to watch one of his dramas, Ruyi’s Royal Love in The Palace as one of the princes. Nonetheless, I could not recall his character at all. In Here We Meet Again, Huang De Yi acted as the carefree and hot-tempered Gao Leng. His character was someone who was annoying because he was too meddlesome, stubborn, and childish. I dislike his character, but it showed that Huang De Yi had acted really well as Gao Leng.

However, compared to Vin Zhang, his aura was not strong enough. It seemed every time they act in the same scene, his presence almost disappeared behind Vin Zhang’s powerful aura.

The same thing happened with Nita Xia. This Paraguayan descent actress stunned me. She was gorgeous and I was so envious of her wavy hair. But it was too bad, that her aura also could not be compared to Wu Qian.

The chemistry between Vin Zhang and Wu Qian was strong that you could sense it since the first episode. The microexpression and the gesture were natural. They fit perfectly as a pair of lovers. But I was a bit disappointed in Nita Xia and Huang De Yi’s chemistry. They are supposed to be lovers. Yet, I could not sense any feelings between them.

There was not much impression of their roles as lovers. However, I could sense the strong chemistry between Xu Yan Shi and Gao Leng. They act as friends very well. Meanwhile, there was not much chemistry between Xiang Yuan and Chen Shu. They seemed to be only a workplace best friend. It means a friend who was very close to you on weekdays but their presence would be gone on the weekend.

One thing that I admired about this drama was the character development because it was very well written. Xiang Yuan’s transformation from a spoiled princess into a witty working woman and eventually a strong lady boss was perfect. Although there were changes in her character, we still could recognize her as the same courageous little lady from the beginning to the end. It was all the same with Xu Yan Shi.

He used to be indifferent to his role as a team leader. He went to work just to fulfill his duty. He seemed to forget about his talent nor about his position. Moreover, he did not care that Velin was slowly collapsing. But then, Xiang Yuan and her energetic spirit wake him up. She made him realize being apathetic was only jeopardizing his life because he would slowly forget his dream and become a robot who went to work only to fulfill his obligations to the company.

Therefore, after Xiang Yuan entered his life for the second time, Xu Yan Shi made peace with his life. He regained his confidence and went on to strive for his dream. So, in my opinion, the essence of Here We Meet Again is not only a romance story when long lost lovers reunite, but to acquire oneself.

The Cinematography

Here We Meet Again was a feast for my eyes. Not only because of the cast but also because of the visuals. The set was meticulously arranged. The office and the apartments have one thing in common, giant windows! I like Xiang Yuan’s apartment in Xi’an because it looked very cozy and homey. On the contrary, Xu Yan Shi’s home was situated in a small alley and was decorated like an old shabby house.

The office was arranged like a regular office with a cubicle and so on. Xu Yan Shi’s office and Xiang Yuan’s office were more like blank canvas. I preferred this kind of arrangement because it felt more realistic to me. If you watch Sweet and Cold drama, the background story was almost the same: tech company. Yet, Leng Si Ming’s office feels too futuristic that it felt too much.

I like the costume in this drama. Vin Zhang looked like he was stepping out of the fashion magazine. The turtle neck top seemed to be his trademark. He uses it a lot in many of his dramas. My favorite was when he use a brown coat. He looked totally hot! Wu Qian’s costume was cute but not too much. The style was simple and the color was soft. She looked very comfortable in it. However, I wish she did not arrange her hair in half a ponytail. I thought it was too childish.

One thing that I noticed in this drama was the product’s placement. Nobody would miss it because it seemed everywhere. From sparkling water, healthy drinks, cold medicine, and many more.

I had to make a comment about the makeup since I noticed that Vin Zhang’s lip’s hue was too red. Well, I wished he would use more neutral lip colors. But after a quick research on the internet, it seemed like his natural hue was already pink. So, probably commenting about this red hue was useless. And how about Wu Qian’s makeup? There’s nothing to complain about it, she was cute in any turn. 👍

The Story

The story of Xiang Yuan and Xu Yan Shi started in Shanghai, in 2018. They accidentally meet at the airport garden before they flew to Xi’an City. However, at that time, they haven’t realized each other presence. However, Xiang Yuan made an interaction with Xu Chengli, Xu Yan Shi’s baby brother who was as stubborn and indifferent as Xu Yan Shi.

It was Gao Leng who reveal her identity because he call her name after he asked for Xiang Yuan’s WeChat number. When Xu Yan Shi heard her name, he stared at her for a while. The disguise was completely shattered when Xiang Yuan connected her phone to the taxi dashboard. At the moment, Xiang Yuan thought that Xu Yan Shi was working as a car seller.

She sent a message to her best friend, Xu Yuan, and urged her to buy a car from Xu Yan Shi to help his business. Xu Yuan sent her a voice message as a reply. Xu Yuan’s gossipy message could be heard through the taxi speakers. Xu Yan Shi calmly said “Long time no see, Xiang Yuan”. If it was me, I would rather jump out of the car. This scene was hilarious!

However, according to Gao Leng, he guessed that Xu Yan Shi recognize Xiang Yuan from the beginning. It seemed that Xu Yan Shi recognized Xiang Yuan from her bracelet. It was the same bracelet that she wore in high school. So from the early episode, we could see that Xu Yan Shi had Xiang Yuan in his heart for a very long time.

When Xiang Yuan started her day in Velin, she met Ling Qing Qing who talk about the parachute. A parachute was a term used for someone who entered the company through some connection. After a quick Google search, I found out that according to Collins English Dictionary, If a person parachutes into an organization or if they are parachuted into it, they are brought in suddenly in order to help it.

But the term parachute could also use as a derogatory term for someone who enters a company through cronyism. Well, dramaland sometimes would teach you something new…😁

Xiang Yuan entered Velin as an employee sent by the headquarters. Velin was a small subsidiary company of the Donghe Group. So it was understandable that Velin GM, Li Yong Biao, thought that she must have connections to some important person in Donghe. To make up for her lies, Xiang Yuan said she was the only ordinary employee that post her resume online to Donghe and got selected. Li Yong Biao was a simple-minded person and he had to accept the answer.

However, when you saw how Xiang Yuan acted in Li Yong Biao’s office on her first day, you must realize that she was clearly not a nobody. Xiang Yuan dare to play with his golf club and sat on his chair, while Li Yong Biao acted like he was her assistant.

However, I could not comprehend, why it took so long to reveal that Xiang Yuan was the chairman’s granddaughter. Yes, they have a different surnames (the reason behind this surname was revealed in the latter episode). However, many people knew the chairman and honestly, their circle was not big enough. It was unbelievable that Yang Ping Shan, the vice president of Donghe Group could not recognize the chairman’s granddaughter. 🤷‍♀️

The romance between Xu Yan Shi and Xiang Yuan went back waaaaayyyy into the past. While Xiang Yuan remembered that they met for the first time at high school, Xu Yan Shi remembered that they were already acquainted since kindergarten. Their meeting was memorable to him, so he keep it in his mind for years.

Childhood sweethearts and Cinderella stories were a common trope in the romance drama, so it was not surprising that this drama use it too. The only difference was it was Xiang Yuan came from a prominent family while Xu Yan Shi came from a complicated family. And Xiang Yuan was able to hide her identity very well. Aside from Xu Yuan, her best friend, nobody seemed to realize her connection with the Donghe Group.

It was such a delight to see the interaction between Xu Yan Shi and Xiang Yuan. They were very comical and although his drama was based on a novel, I felt like it was more from a manga instead. One thing that was quite obvious was the accidental kiss when they gaze upon the stars.

Xu Yan Shi’s background was bewildering. He came from a complicated family and selfish parents. His mother left her husband and Xu Yan Shi to go abroad. Then his father married a new wife. The stepmother took the family’s money and flee. She left her infant son with the father. And then the father left the infant son to Xu Yan Shi, who was a college student at that time. Xu Yan Shi was a good brother. He raise his brother for years, just like a father did. My heart goes to Xu Yan Shi. It was inevitable that he would be a good father in the future.

The problem with Velin and Donghe was they had people who secretly coveted the company. They were those who had an ulterior motive to fill up their bank account with the company’s money. They also use their position to suppress people whose positions were below them.

In Donghe there was Yang Ping Shan who tried to outwit the chairman in every turn. And in Velin there was Li Qin or Durian witch, who was more powerful than the GM. And what was funny was, Li Qin was Yang Ping Shan’s mistress. See? Birds of a feather flock together.

The relationship between Gao Leng and Chen Shu was sweet at the beginning but it getting sourer at the end. To be honest, I don’t think they matched each other. The gap between their characters was too wide. Gao Leng was a person who did not think others’ opinion was important. It seemed like he was eager to fix their relationship in his own way.

I don’t seem to recall him asking for Chen Shu’s preference before he did something for her. It was a good thing to take initiative in a relationship, but you should put for the other party into consideration. What was good for us might have a different effect on others.

And Chen Shu was a strong and independent woman. She demands Gao Leng be less hot-tempered and impulsive. She wanted him to be a mature person. Chen Shu said that she had a hard life. Perhaps, she needed a man whom she could lean on. And this was something that was lacking in Gao Leng’s characteristics. It was undeniable that he was a good person and his feelings for her were sincere, but did it really enough?

Just as predicted, Here We Meet Again ended with a happy ending for everyone. The conflict intensified in several episodes before the end. However, it was quite satisfactory for me. It was all about you reap what you sow, if you were a good person then good things would come to you. And if you were bad, then just wait for the retribution.

The Character

Xiang Yuan

Xiang Yuan (played by Wu Qian) was the most laidback protagonist who came from an affluent family. She used to live a spoiled life. Her grandfather was the chairman of Donghe Group, a company that has many subsidiary companies. Branded and luxurious things were her everyday stuff. Yet, she did not put too much attachment to them. When she needed money, she would immediately sell it.

There was no complaining about why life was so unfair or why her grandfather would give her so many hardships. She was positive, optimistic, adaptable, smart, friendly, and brave with a sense of justice. Xiang Yuan looked childish, but she was actually very mature. Yet, she was not a perfect person. She was a hot-tempered person. Her imagination was very rich especially when it comes to Xu Yan Shi.

I lost count of the moment when she interpret Xu Yan Shi’s behavior and make her own conclusion, which was totally different from the truth. And that would make Xu Yan Shi flustered due to her mood swings. However, I can say that Xiang Yuan is one of my favorite female protagonists so far.

This rich little lady left her home in Shanghai and went to Xi’an to gain freedom. She did not like to be urged into blind dates and was tired of her grandfather’s nags about marriage. So Xiang Yuan rather experience hardship in an almost bankrupt company far away from Shanghai’s hustle and bustle.

This decision showed that Xiang Yuan was strong enough to seize her own future. She did not want to depend on others, including her grandfather. Therefore, she was fine with her grandfather’s conditions, which were: no financial support, no important position, and she must hide her identity as the chairman’s grandfather.

Xiang Yuan and her brother Xiang Jia Mian lived with their grandparents. The siblings got very close to their grandfather since their grandmother died. Xiang Yuan took the role of the person who took care of her grandfather and brother. The interaction and dynamics of this family were very good. It was such a delight to see them together.

Xiang Yuan’s mother was a scientist who was very busy with her job. Her main research was about satellites. Therefore, Xiang Yuan’s interest in navigation systems was due to her mother’s influence. Xiang Yuan’s talent in this field might not be as strong as Xu Yan Shi’s. She graduated with a broadcasting and hosting major. Yet she was able to become a winner in the Global Navigation Satellite System Knowledge competition. She also had another identity as Ashers, a gamer with 5 million followers and very famous in China.

Xu Yan Shi

Xu Yan Shi (played by Vin Zhang) was a mature young man compared to his peers. It was due to his family situation that he was forced to face the hardship of the world early on. His father was burdened with debt, so their family could not stay in a place for too long. Xu Yan Shi’s mother left him and went abroad to establish her career. Meanwhile, his father married a new wife.

However, his stepmother was not a good person. The couple left their infant son in Xu Yan Shi’s care. He was only a college student, but he had to juggle between studying and being a caretaker. Thankfully, his friend and professor were good people who tried to help him find a way out. Xu Cheng Li’s name was given by Xu Yan Shi. As a brother, Xu Yan Shi had raised his brother to be a good kid. Little Xu Cheng Li was Xu Yan Shi’s carbon copy. He was sensible, smart, and at the same time, indifferent.

Xu Yan Si always had a passion for a navigation systems. Satellites were his obsession. His cleverness showed that Xu Yan Shi was talented enough to be a successful engineer and scientist. Although he was a man with few words, his demeanor was cold, and sometime he could be a cruel boss, Xu Yan Shi was loved by his colleague. He might seem apathetic, but he was protective of his team. Xu Yan Shi’s talent was eyed by another tech company. However, he had to stay at Velin for 5 years because of a debt.

Gao Leng

Gao Leng (played by Huang De Yi) was Xu Yan Shi’s subordinate and team member. Their relationship was closer than the other team member. Gao Leng was the only person in Velin who could read Xu Yan Shi accurately. However, Xu Yan Shi would never admit it.

Gao Leng always pays attention to his boss because he idolizes him. He knew that Xu Yan Shi’s ability was suppressed by the company and his promotion was blocked by Li Qin. Therefore, if there was a fanbase for Xu Yan Shi, I am sure Gao Leng would be the leader.

Gao Leng himself was not the best engineer in Xu Yan Shi’s team. But he was the most energetic and loyal employee. He was kind by nature and very attentive. When it comes to love, he was completely oblivious.

Gao Leng’s feelings for Chen Shu were strong and he was very protective of her. However, Gao Leng could not rein in his temper so he was easy to provoke. When it happened he completely give up the logic and would not care about the consequences of his action.

Chen Shu

Chen Shu (played by Nita Xia) worked at Velin in the marketing department. She was a modern woman with a sophisticated appearance. Calm and composed but was an easygoing person. She immediately becomes close to Xiang Yuan. They helped each other not only in work but also in love.

Xiang Yuan used to be jealous of Chen Shu because he was familiar with Xu Yan Shi. She had a close companionship with the tech department, including Xu Yan Shi. Of course, the main reason was that she was Gao Leng’s girlfriend, but the other team member regarded her as one of them. Chen Shu seemed to be easy to get along with, but in reality, there was nothing much revealed about her life and character. However, Chen Shu admitted that her life was quite hard.

The Conclusion

I was having a great time watching this drama. There were so many things that I want to say about Here We Meet Again, but I was scared that I would spoil the surprise. So I would recommend this drama to every romance junkie who was fond to see a handsome man such as Vin Zhang coupled with a gorgeous young lady such as Wu Qian. The chemistry was great and this drama was totally romantic, funny, and comical.

Here We Meet Again drama was a perfect choice to spend your weekend away from tonnes of work and demanding bosses. If you want to skip to the last episode and find out how this drama end, you can check Here We Meet Again ending explained post. Don’t forget to pile up some junk food and sparkling drinks. You would need them, trust me. So what are you waiting for? Happy watching!