Love Is Panacea (2023)

Acting is the saving grace

I initially tuned into this show solely for Luo Yunxi, without much expectation due to past experiences with modern Chinese dramas. However, the trailer intrigued me, and I hoped it might surpass my expectations. While it wasn't bad, it also didn't stand out significantly.

Pros:
The acting stands out as the strongest aspect of the show. Each actor delivered their role excellently without going overboard.
As a fan of "Till the end of the moon," I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between GYZ and FMF. The main leads also had good chemistry, with many scenes feeling natural.
Luo Yunxi's performance deserves special mention, as he consistently elevates his acting in each role. This is arguably his best modern drama performance to date.
ZRN shows potential as one of the standout actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry, especially in emotional scenes.
Even the side characters portrayed their roles convincingly.

I appreciated the music of the drama, especially a violin instrumental piece that became an instant favorite.

Cons:
The plot and execution fell short. While there were enjoyable scenes and episodes, the overall story lacked coherence and direction.
The portrayal of kissing scenes was a letdown. While I didn't expect passion, I hoped for better expressions from ZRN during these moments.
As a medical drama addressing diseases like Huntington's, I wished for more exploration of the struggles faced by HD patients and their families. The focus on family and love drama detracted from the potential emotional depth of the show.
Overall, I'd recommend watching it once if you're a fan of Luo Yunxi or enjoy modern medical dramas in general.

Read More

Excellent....

Going into this drama, honestly was kinda 60/40 but glad I did tune into it....
Luo Yunxi for me has been an actor very hit and miss....
Zhang Rounan, never understood why she has got such a big push....

Wow, did my perception of both these actors change just watching this drama.... Seriously what have I learnt?....
Luo Yunxi is indeed very good, some reason never really liked him alongside Bai Lu however with Zhang Rounan has been exceptional, she has really got the best out of Luo Yunxi for me, funny me saying this as he is a veteran actor....

Zhang Rounan, Ok right now I am watching dramas which feature Bai Lu, Wu Xuanyi, Jian Tian however with confidence can say Zhang Rounan is MVP.... She is the best actress right now.... Honestly this is a very basic script, if it was anyone else acting in it i think would have dropped this drama but Zhang Rounan has captivated me with her performance..... I have said it, actors like Xu Kai, Zhang Ling He & Wang Hedi need to seriously do everything they can to secure a drama with her, she is to perfect.... One they shouldn't let slip!....

Where to now?....

Luo Yunxi reminds me of guys like Jasper Lui & Gao Hanyu.... guys that can still turn on the charms.... just need really focus now at this point of their careers just sticking to their strengths and not get sucked into bad scripts....
Jasper and Luo Yunxi seem to know this and watching both latest dramas are doing this.... Hopefully Luo Yunxi replicates this, finds a Female Lead which growing momentum that can excite the viewers along with a script that keep us engaged and again, another success....

Zhang Rounan, simple keep doing what you are doing, Xu Kai & Wang Hedi agency will be calling soon....
Please dont do a rubbish script like Only for Love, think Wang Hedi has learnt his lesson there and will find nice script for both of you....

Read More

Morally opinionated and emotional story with huge pacing issues

When it comes to the effects of terminal illnesses on patients and modern-day medical research, I haven't seen a lot of C-dramas exploring them in depth. Love is Panacea is a drama that attempts to bring attention to these niche topics by framing them around our main character's story. It tells us the importance of persistence and ethics in medical research and gives hope for the future with a realistic the process of "curing the incurable".

To give an introduction for Huntington's disease, it is a real-life rare neurodegenerative disease with no cure worldwide. People with HD develop uncontrollable "dancelike" body movements and may form problems with behavior, emotion, thinking, and personality. As of 2023, there are multiple promising research efforts into CRISPER, a technique to target disrupted genes, to develop a cure.

At the beginning of the drama, Su Wei An was an aspiring doctor when she found out she had Huntington's. She lost purpose in her life, started to live recklessly with low regard for her wellbeing, and developed a penchant for running away from her problems. We see how meeting Gu Yu Zheng slowly changes her: from persuading her to be in a relationship with him, to encouraging her to become a medial research assistant, to bravely facing the future side-by-side while developing a cure for Huntington's.

Su Wei An's feeling of hopelessness is extremely understandable: she lives with daily disappointment . That's why Gu Yun Zheng is even more impactful: he is persistent, sometimes even overly so, in pursuing what he wants. He was insistent on finding Su Wei An and asking about the reason for her disappearance. His willingness to give up academic prestige and change the direction from glioma, a well-funded and supported topic, to Huntington's, a little-known and difficult topic, is not something anyone is willing to do. His character relays an important message: no matter what struggles we face, never give up hope.

This extends into the way he approaches medical research, which is systematic and thorough, a direct contrast to people such as Du Yun Cheng, Wen Ran, or He Xiao Guang, who are willing to take shortcuts. We see them taking credit for other people's work and conducting careless medical trials leading to issues further down the road, such as table deaths.

Our main character, on the other hand, approaches problems without being underhanded. Both he and Su Wei An are extremely ethical scientists who stress the importance of following a process for research and development and ensuring public safety when treading unknown waters. I personally thought a strong characteristic of this drama, besides its expressive cast, was its portrayal of scientific development and the researchers' roles in progressing it forward. It provides a realistic depiction of the amount of time, effort, and dedication required to prove a small amount of progress (for example, Su Wei An proving that HDQ39 was not suitable for patients with hypertension). The cure developed by our two leads took more than 6 years of research and experimentation. These are seemingly small results in the sense that they yield very little return for the researchers.

Despite strong thematical messages and a compelling performance by most of the characters (Luo Yun Xi especially), this drama has its fair share of problems. The first few episodes in Lacaya were difficult to take seriously because of the poorly-done overdubbing and the ridiculous medical cases, to the point that I considered dropping the drama. Later, some of the villains were a bit too over-the-top and the portrayal of medical parts (surgical operations, medical equipment) were unrealistic and glossed over. Despite these issues, things progressed a lot smoother when they returned to China. There was more candy than sour grapes and I became more invested in the characters, so it became a more addictive watch.

The side characters, especially Su Wei An's mother (played by Cui Yi) and the second lead couple had great backstories, each providing a unique perspective on their lives without overshadowing the main couple or the main discussion topic. They provided the facets of people with their own concerns: medical assistant with a fear of surgical operations due to a table death, a girl who doesn't have a goal in life, and a mom who always smiles to provide stability for her family. These small stories touched my heart, especially the mom's.

The ending was exactly what we'd dreaded but ended on a realistic note with the hope that the researchers' long years of work could finally bear fruit and treat thousands of people in the future. As such, I am happy to give this an 8.5. Despite the issues, the actors' performances and the drama's high-level ideas struck a chord, and the drama itself brings attention to the researchers around the world working hard to develop cures against all odds. If someone told that "love is panacea" within the context of this story, I would believe it.

Read More

Luo Yunxi's yet another medical drama

I was interested in this drama mainly because of Luo Yunxi. He is unarguably one of my favorite Chinese Actors. Well unpopular opinion, I am comparing this drama of his to Children's Hospital Pediatrician, where he played the lead role of Dr. Shen He. Gu Yun Zheng was portrayed as a mature, sensible, and professional doctor but his love story with the Female Lead, Su Wei An felt shallow. It was not clear why he fell for his student. Unlike Shen He who even though might not be as mature as Gu Yun Zheng's character at least showed a thread for his relationship with Female Lead. So even though I am a hardcore LYX fan. I couldn't understand his character dynamics and felt it was way too typical.

This was my first Zheng Ruonan drama, and I had a very lukewarm reaction. Her chemistry with LYX falls flat thanks to the weird cold face she carried throughout the episodes. At first, her character looked interesting in Lacaya. but when she left GYZ alone and went to China, her character just got unpredictable. \\ LYX's sunny smile was completely splashed by ZRN's constant cold expressions. Even though her character arc was slightly better. I still feel it was not justified. However, I still felt that she gave life to Su Wei'an and did not confine her character to just a terminally ill patient.

Merits:-
1. Medical terms used in research and surgery were accurate and felt authentic.
2. The survival stories in Lacaya were very inspiring and brought tears to my eyes.
3. Huntington's Disease and various other rare diseases were explained beautifully. Patients' dismay, the emotional quotient of families, and the lack of funds for research on these medicines were depicted accurately.
4. The medical camp in Lacaya even though felt like a cliched medical drama still managed to strike a chord of intrigue.
5. The story felt realistic and I am glad the makers did not make it a perfect life drama.

Demerits:-
1. Shallow storyline and dialogues. The interactions of the MC especially in romantic scenes felt so weird.
2. The weird doctors and pharmaceutical company Jiehui believed in money more than patient welfare.
3. Du family's shallow characters apart from Grandfather. It felt like any other drama you can see. Also, Wen Ran's scenes were skippable.
4. Lack of chemistry between all characters. Not just talking about couples. In general, the relationships shared by the characters felt fake which obviously gave no emotional attachment.

Watch Only If-
1. You are interested in watching a research-based medical drama. The scientific terms were so authentic.
2. You admire Luo Yunxi. Despite the odds, he managed to add life and soul to his mediocrely written character.
3. You are curious about the medical camps, aids given to research, and gene-based diseases.

Read More

A great love story. Gives lessons in life.

First I really like the story. You need to understand what is the feeling of someone who is sick and no cure. Your dreams are all vanished. Zhang Ruonan portrayed it very well, even though she is criticized by some biased fans, but I think she does pretty well and hope she got a good projects that her acting skills enhanced more. LouYunxi is a good actor, his eyes and facial expressions are very good. He really deserved to be Gu Yuncheng. Because this is a melodrama I think, the sweetness from the lead are warmth and typically realistic, they really have chemistry. The ending is bittersweet and I salute how they ended it beautifully but I sobbing really.

Read More

Realistic plot tragic yet heartwarming

Thank you for the beautiful story, guess it's same w/ novel? I didnt read it. Realistic, why she rejected him many times but at the same time she love him, she give up her studies & love, but he give her courage the reality slap her again, but Dr.Gu persist, he changed his research direction and restart after 9 yrs studied other illness though that one have good result. The flow never had overdo something, when they fight, have nice pace & reasons, the conflict & outcome. I so agree w/ him never forgive his father, no need to hve so called happy end (I can related bcs not everything we can forgive right?) The villain, she lost everything but she never did real crime so maybe what she got its what she deserve? The man duhhh he lost his mind & jail, dont force your fault bcs of other ppl, other ppl is hurting & thats not right! Spoiler sorry!
SU WEI'AN gone but DR.GU always bring her name as one of the team, she's legendary without phD holder! She's also the one who contribute a lot for this research ?????? and I think he never annnounced her death though ?

Read More

Luo Yunxi is the only reason I am sticking to the end

Luo Yunxi is doing a fantastic job as always. I find I quite like the acting from the second ML (Fang Mingfan) and second FL (Jiang Jiang). However, Zhang Rounan's portrayal of Su Weian is just too monotonous for me. She doesn't quite bring out the character of a smart girl who is actually fighting to help her family. She really should be quite a head strong and capable character, but all Zhang could muster is that confused and helpless looking face in every closeup shot. I don't know if this is the director's or her own interpretation of Su Weian's character but it really makes it frustrating to watch a female character who is a bit meh and washed out. I would prefer to see a Su Weian with some fire inside at least some of the time.

The plot is okayish even though it hasn't got a lot of substance.

Read More

flat-lined performances & writing ruin a potentially good story

Another medical/research drama, with the leads meeting in a fictional French speaking, developing country run by warlords. Su Wei'An is a young woman from China, ekking out a living by buying & selling goods, with the country's military leader as one of her primary customers. When she runs into a visiting Chinese neurosurgeon, Gu YunZheng, at the largest local hospital, their shared past, & her dark secret, is revealed. On return to China, the setting changes from humanitarian work to the cut-throat world of medical research & a race for the cure of a rare disease.

There's a lot of French dialogue in the beginning & the dubbing is absolutely terrible. I can't tell if the actors are mouthing the actual French words or not as many scenes are so obviously out of sync. And as with so many C-dramas involving medical people & hospitals, I learn to ignore bascially all of the details. Just pretend that the single looped surgery scene represents all of the surgeries performed.

Given Luo YunXi's impressive string of hit shows, both modern & costume, this drama is far below the standard he's set for himself (and did he actually lose weight during the filming? he's skeletal thin). Zhang RuoNan is no newcomer but this is my first time seeing her & her performance can't match the strength of Su Wei'An. ZRN's portrayal of a young person facing a life threatening illness is stiff & expressionless, not at all reflective of a character who is passionate about protecting others while personally in despair.

The romance arcs are formulaic, trope heavy, & the story takes a long time to get off the ground. It does pick up by the halfway mark when the leads return to China, but quickly descends into a toxic hell-bucket of backstabbing, cheating, & relentless bullying. Are seasoned medical researchers all stuck at the maturity level of middle schoolers? Maybe some are but who wants to watch that? ZRN's wooden expressions get very annoying & the chemistry of the leads is weak. The 2nd couple's arc is actually more lively but unfortunately gets neglected as the show progresses. I watched to the end only because I was actually curious about the outcome of the character's race to cure her own fatal disease. Thus the story itself was interesting & could have been a deeper exploration of what it means to live in the face of death. But it never got beyond the playground politics to properly prepare for the conclusion. The acting, production, & writing couldn't raise this story to the level it deserved.

Read More

Great love story with lots of life lessons ....

The story line is unlike any other story I have watched. It brings to the forefront a rare and lethal genetic condition for which we currently do not have a cure. It is definitely worth the watch as you see the struggles from the patient perspective and the unrelenting love of the ML. Acting was exceptional for both the ML and the FL.

I was one of those who was not going to finish watching it because ther FL dies. I do not like sad endings but I cannot really say that it was a sad ending. The ending was more of bitter sweet. The FL does die at the end of the story but this is done very tastefully and it just presented in settle way. There is no mentioned of her death anywhere but it is just understood.

This story more than anything shows the great love, devotion of a great man who gave his all for the love of his life and for science as he tried to find the cure of his girlfriend's illness.

It is definitely a must watch!!

Read More

Lots of Problematic People

At first, I started to watch this drama because of Leo Luo and Rou Nan, I kept trying to stick to the story, yet I couldn't control my emotions while watching this! Wei An, who tries to stay firm and neglect her feeling towards YunZheng, is somewhat stubborn at the time YunZheng already know her problem.
Wen ran is a spoiled lady who only has a father who spoiled her and also manipulative af!!! Never watch Chinese drama with that kinda character that really irritating. Well it means Qian Didi success portrays those character, but still GURL!!! In what century do you live!?
Prof Yang who works for Prof Wen also sick, he's a researcher yet he hides all the truth regarding their research for HD’s medicine. Are you trying to sell those develop medicines out there when there's still error in it??? Dude wake up!!! Peoples life is there.
Prof He also such an old competitive doctor who always jealous with YunZheng’s achievement.
Goshhh I wish I can drop this drama but I’ll try to keep watching and skip the annoying casts scenes

Read More