Serendipity (榜上佳婿) Chinese drama review

Lu Chang and Jian Mingshu grew up together, and seemed destined for each other. But when her father tricks Lu Chang into marrying her, Lu Chang rejects Mingshu in a fit of rage.

A heart-broken Mingshu releases him. But a few days later, tragedy befalls her when her family is killed by assailants.

Jian Mingshu survives the slaughter after falling off a cliff. However, she loses her memory. Lu Chang finds her and spirits her away. Knowing that she is being hunted, he tells her that he’s her brother to protect her. He later finds out that her father is accused of a crime.

With this new identity, they travel to the capital where Lu Chang has to take the imperial exam. Lu Chang vows to find out what happens to Mingshu’s family and gets entangled by the schemes of the court as a result.

Thoughts

The story started with so much potential—I was looking forward to how Lu Chang would eventually fall in love with Ming Shu, but by that time they’re so deep into sibling forbidden territory—how would they get out of that?

Then there was the second couple’s romance: Prince Rui and Lady Yin was rather delicious. (Love after arranged marriage is a lovely trope if executed well.)

But the problem with the show was that the main couple’s plot was boring, and they had very, very little chemistry.

Lu Chang is a bland and emotionally undemonstrative character, so we don’t feel the romance between Lu Chang and Ming Shu.

Perhaps actor Wang Ziqi lacks the charisma necessary to create the “sexual tension” or chemistry with Lu Yuxiao.

Perhaps it is the writing: Song Qing Zhao (the second male lead, played by Wang Hong Yi) had more romantic moments with Ming Shu than Lu Chang! I hardly ever have “second lead” syndrome, but I sure had it with Serendipity. It felt like the writers were more interested in developing their relationship than with main relationship.

It’s also unfortunate that Lu Chang and Ming Shu’s plot line is making them behave so much like siblings for so long that you don’t feel a jot of their chemistry. I think they need to be placed in more situations where they can be more affectionate or are in, er, sexually charged situations, so we don’t get this BIG sibling vibe with them.

Their mystery-solving activities is boring too, and I employed the fast-forward button a lot in this, and honestly, I didn’t miss much!

Honestly, I tried. I really tried, but I was bored to tears after episode 13. I thought I was bored with Brocade Odyssey. This one literally fossilized my brain! Alas, even the dishy royal couple could not entice me to stay. And I confess, I super sped through everything else just to see their bits!

I was mildly intrigued with the relationship between the villainous Prince Yu and Lady Su who was actually scheming against him while pretending to work for him.

Yu, unexpectedly fell for her, and that was slightly mildly interesting to me … until it wasn’t. Such an intriguing plot and character line, but they still managed to make it all very dull.

As for our main couple, alas, I thought it could improve but it was absolutely snoozeville even until the last half. They just spent far too long to establish their romantic relationship. Ming Shu spending a lion’s share of the drama thinking that Lu Chang is her brother just doesn’t encourage any romantic vibes.

In the end, Serendipity received a sad 5.1 on China’s Douban, which, for once, I 100% agreed with.