Chinese Drama 2020
Midsummer is Full of Love (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
Midsummer is Full of Hearts poster
- Genre: Romance, Music, Celebrity, Co-habitation, Contract Marriage, Comedy, Youth
- Release Date: 28 August 2020
- Origin: China; Loosely based on the Kdrama: Full House
- Cdrama: 24 Episodes
Cast:
- Timmy Xu as Jin Ze Yi
- Yang Chao Yue as Luo Tian Ran
- Li Jia Ming as Yun Shu
- JIang Zi Xin as Jin Xiao Qin/Ferret Girl
- Kira Shi as Tiffany
- Tiffany Zhong as Meng Meng
This drama is based on the Kdrama, Full House, which starred Song Hye Kho and Rain. It is worth a watch if you had not seen it. There is also a Thai version.
The story is about a orphan young lady who inherited her house from her deceased parents.
Unfortunately, she was conned by her best friend who sold her house from under her to a celebrity.
She was determined to get her house back and in the meantime she forced the celebrity to share living arrangement with her.
Episode 1
Tianran is an ambitious but inexperienced singer/songwriter, who is tone-deaf but still believed in herself and wanted to enter the music industry as a singer.
One day her ferret friend, Xiaoqin, told her that she had left her a ticket to see her idol Zhang Muzhi, who is a renowned composer.
Tianran was beyond ecstatic and went to the venue. When she got there there was no concert, instead a popular idol was having a photoshoot.
She was frogmarched by security guards as she was in the way while the photoshoot was taking place.
Tianran was walking in the garden when she heard the sound of the crickets. She took out her pen-recorder and busily tried to capture the different insects when Ze Yi, the idol, grabbed her recorder thinking that she was listening in to his call.
These two seemed to be fated to bump into each other time and again.
Episode 2
Compared to the original Kdrama, this Chinese version is anodyne and sanitised.
Mind you the leads are on par in the good look department and have good strong chemistry, it is actually credible that the characters would fall for each other immediately, therefore this drama is still enjoyable in itself, though you have to suspend disbelief to thoroughly get into its groove. LOL
Xiaoqin, Tianran’s ferret friend sold her house to Ze Yi through his agent, Tiffany.
Xiaoqin is Tianran’s best friend who looks like a ferret, with a sharp, pointed face. She is untrustworthy as her face.
Xiaoqin was asked by her family to help pay the gambling debts of her brother so she plied drinks on the naive Tianran and made her sign a power of attorney to her house.
Before Tianran is fully sober, her house and lot were sold to Ze Yi.
And the most stupid thing is that despite what her friend did to her, selling the house his dead father had built in honour of her mother and making her homeless, she forgave her friend as if nothing had happened.
Now Ze Yi is living in her house and she was mad at him and yet she was not blaming her friend.
Episode 3
Ze Yi’s management threw an inauguration party for his new record.
The party was attended by everyone including Zhang Mushi, the famous composer.
Ze Yi’s parents were also invited and a doctor, Yun Shu, a protege of Ze Yi’s father was also at the party.
Meng Meng, the daughter of his father’s business partner also turned up.
Tianran was desperate to attend the party to see Zhang Muzhi. She gatecrashed the party and was later helped by Yun Shu as his plus one, his date for the party.
Ze Yi was feeling pressured by the intrusion of the press as well as his parents match-making him to Meng Meng.
He had an idea…
Episode 4
He dragged Tianran to the stage and announced that she was his fiancee. He then snogged her for the longest time.
Ze Yi told his manager, Tiffany, that he was going to marry Tianran as soon as possible.
To convince Tianran to agree to contract marriage, he told her that she will get her house back after a year of marriage as a divorce settlement.
Tianran was asked by Ze Yi’s family to go see them. Ze Yi got to hear of it and raced to his family house to get Tianran.
Tianran and Ze Yi had a disagreement in the car. Ze Yi was so annoyed he told her to get out of the car.
Episode 5
He then noticed that she left her purse and phone. He felt guilty but he can’t find her when returned to the spot where he left her.
He started to get scared when he was watching the news were cases of girls being slained or raped in some remote places in the city.
Yun Shu found Tianran tired and with sore feet. She asked him to take her to her house so she could pack and leave.
She went to her ferret friend where she drunk too much.
The next day was her wedding.
Tifanny was going spare as the bride was missing.
The guests are getting curious about the non-appearance of the bride and the delay to the wedding.
Zi Ye was just about to announce the cancellation of the wedding when the bride and ferret face, staggered into the wedding venue.
They got married; although Tianran had been drinking, she still made a beautiful bride.
Tianran was told by Zi Ye that part of their contract marriage was her support to all his celebrity life and that includes doing commercials during their honeymoon.
The two spent the days quietly niggling each other which comes out as rather romantic on film.
They were packing up the expensive jewelries they were advertising when Tianran noticed missing a ring.
Episode 6
Tianran eventually found the ring, which cost an arm and a leg (100,000RMB) but in order not to worry Tianran, Zi Ye told her that it was only for 1,000 RMB. He then ended up giving her the ring, though she still did not know how much it really cost.
She and Zi Ye are getting along fine.
Zi Ye even asked Tianran for a random date but suddenly Tiffany started to come between them.
Episode 7
Zi Ye staggered home drunk from his drink up with Tiffany celebrating their 7 years together.
Tianran was obviously upset because she waited for Zi Ye till gone midnight for their own date but he did not even call to cancel it.
She started nagging Zi Ye who told her that it was for work and stop being such a fishwife when they are not even in a real relationship.
This upset Tianran.
The next morning she gave him a revised schedule where they share the same house but they would have minimal time together.
Tianran was in a music store when she met Yun Shu who was grabbing the same record as she was.
Yun Shu said she can have the record, which actually already reserved for him.
Tianran was so grateful because the record is hard to find. She invited him to lunch.
Unbeknown to Tianran, the restaurant they went into was owned by Zi Ye and he was there. He immediately made a bee-line for their table and ordered their food and all the time holding Tianran’s hand to make Yun Shu know that Tianran is Zi Ye’s.
Tianran delivered the take-out food to ZiYe’s studio. Ziye told her to stop embarrassing him.
Episode 8
Xiaoqin was arranging a surprise birthday for Tianran but Zi Ye insisted that instead of going out she should prepare him a delicious dinner because he did not know that it was her birthday.
Zi Ye felt guilty when he found out that it was Tianran’s birthday.
To make up for sabotaging her birthday surprise, he went home early to take her out but she was not at home because she got a call from Yun Shu telling her that he was going to introduce her to a music producer.
Nothing knowing about this, poor Zi Ye went everywhere to look for her including to a fairground where Xiaoqin told him Tianran would likely to be at. Ziye had to try several disguises to evade his fans but his fans just knew immediately that he was Zi Ye.
When he got home tired and weary, Tianran was also coming back. Zi Ye not wanting not to celebrate her birthday took her ice-skating.
Episode 9
Zi Ye is behaving more like a husband towards Tianran.
They spent the day with Grandma, who tried to make Tianran behave more with decorum but it was a losing battle as Grandma ended up singing Red Elephant with Tianran when she was confined to the hospital. Grandma had a bone stuck to her throat from the fish casserole cooked by Tianran.
Anyway, Grandma developed a rapport with Tianran and started telling her how to be a more suitable wife to Zi and how she can help and support him in his career.
Meanwhile, Yunshu saw Tianran in the hospital. He realised that he was really falling for Tianran because she reminds him so much of a girl who used to defend him from bullies when he was much younger.
Episode 10
Yun Shu was having a hard time telling whether the girl who was kind to him once upon a time was Tianran or not.
Anyway, Tiffany found Tianran and Ziye having a fun time learning to ride a bicycle. She immediately separated them and pretended to kiss and hug Ziye.
Tianran got a little upset and lost control of the bike. She fell and knocked herself out from some stone in the yard.
Zi Ye raced her to the hospital. He was so worried, he would not leave her side but when she came to she had selective amnesia. She can remember her two friends but not Zi Ye which frustrated him.
He was so frustrated he would engage her in a rather aggressive pillow-fight. Too much I think to put through someone who was concussed and now suffering from amnesia. Strangely, Zi Ye has a medical background. Hmmm
The leads though have a lot of chemistry.
Episode 11
Thinking that she will feel lost without a family, Ze Yi made Tianran believe that they have a loving relationship. And that they share a marital bed. He then hid each of their copy of the fake marriage contracts but tiffany got hold of them and gave it back to Tianran.
She was confused and wanted to speak to Zeyi.
Episode 12
Ferret girl went to the Full House and started searching Tianran’s room where she found a copy of the marriage contract. She uses it to blackmail Ze Yi.
Episode 13
Ferret Girl set out her blackmail demands with Tianran and Zeyi. She wanted Zeyi to help her with her business and also not to pay the money she fraudulent taken from Tianran.
Tianran was finally awake how her friend is the most untrustworthy person ever but Zeyi doesn’t want any scandal so he told ferret girl that she could work in his company instead.
While the talks was ongoing, Yunshu who was about to knock on the door overheard the year-long contract marriage.
Contract marriage may it be to begin with but Zeyi is really falling fro Tianran so much so that instead of attending a meeting with Director Guan for a lucrative meeting regarding a movie role, he opted to go to the movies with Tianran.
But he was penalised for it by Tifanny who sort of suspended him by canceling all of his new commercials and concerts indefinitely.
Episode14
Being on ‘holiday’ from work Zeyi took Tianran skiing.
Tianran ended up upset with Zeyi being their skiing activity trended in weibo and she thought that it was for publicity rather than Zeyi wanting to give her a treat.
Episode 15
Tiaran hurt her ankle while working the dog. She was upset that no one was there to be concerned for her.
Then Ze Yi did not come home but found him in the morning in the kitchen cooking porridge for Tiffany who had been take to the hospital for gastric hemorrhage due to over fatigue.
Tianran asked him if he would cook porridge for her is she got sick.
Ze Yi said that she was as strong as a cow and she doesn’t like porridge anyway.
Tianran asked to go with Ze Yi to the hospital to visit Tiffany.
When they got there she felt like a third wheel between Ze Yi and Tiffany.
She had never seen Ze Yi so carrying with someone, refusing for Tifanny to feed herself. He insisted to do it for her.
Tianran later asked him how close he was with Tiffany.
ZeYi said that an artist and his agent are so closed but less that lovers and an outsider, meaning Tianran, would not understand.
Tianran felt upset being branded an outsider but Ze Yi meant that outsiders are those not in the business.
He finally noticed that she was limping but still made light of it.
She said that she was going and accidentally met Yun Shu was going off duty. He treated her ankle and they spent the rest of the day which went into the night.
Ze Yi was annoyed when she came home drunk. They had words about Tianran spending too much time with another man.
Tianran said he could talk when he was spending that much time with Tiffany himself.
They started fighting but agreed to mind their own respective business from then on.
Tianran move out again to go visit her friends.
Ze Yi was missing her and was about to apologise to her but found her gone.
Episode 16
Tianran broached the idea of divorce to Ziye. She reasoned that prolonging their marriage might cause her not to let go easily.
Ze Yi told her that he was not going to agree to a divorce.
But then he saw photos of her and Yun Shu and they looked so happy together. So the next time he saw her he told her that he agrees to a divorce afterall.
He told her that despite not adhering to their contract, after their divorce she would still get the house.
Tianran was very upset about especially when they had to go to Ze Yi’s family to celebrate mid-autumn festival.
Ze Yi’s mother gave Tianran a generational jade bracelet as she had now been fully accepted as the daughter in law of the family. They told her that she was their lucky star because it has been ages since the family enjoyed a family get together looking up the star above.
Tianran felt so guilty she ran off.
Episode 17
Yunshu had told Tianran that he can’t feel pain. It is a congenital condition and when he was a boy he got bullied for it. The only other child who protected him from the bullies was a little girl and the girl reminded him so much of Tianran.
After finding out that a divorce would more or less finish Ze Yi’s acting career, Tianran agreed to stay married to Ze Yi.
Ze Yi was very about it thinking that perhaps Tianran really likes him.
His elation did not last long because he saw photos of Tianran and Yunshu on a date at the music shop and they looks very happy together.
Ze Yi went home waiting for Tianran to come home.
She found him in darkness in the living room. He then told her that she went back on he promise about staying married when she was actually dating Yunshu.
Tianran got upset with Ze Yi telling him that they have a contract marriage and she can date whoever she wanted.
Ze Yi was so frustrated he forcefully snogged her which made her so angry, she ran away.
Ze Yi went to look for her. Ferret face had also alerted Yunshu that Tianran had ran away again.
Yunshu found Tianran first.
Episode 18
The love story between Tiffany and the ice-cream boy is so random.
Anyway, Tianran continues to hide from Ze Yi in a haven provided by Yunshu.
Seriously this drama is so inconsistent and immature.
Tianran is so sulky, I am losing patience.
Ze Yi is actually quite a nice guy, very straight forward but Tianran is too clueless and spoilt.
Ze Yi is there for the taking. Just jump him. LOL
Episode 19
Tianran found a rin in the garden by the mountain cabin and new that it came from Ze Yi. She decided to go back home which delighted Ze Yi so much.
Episode 20
Ze Yi was giving a concert for a charity. He gave her three tickets to give to Ferret Face and Random Boy.
Tianran found another ticket he tucked in a magazine.
But Tianran gave the tickets to his mom, dad, and gran.
Tianran saw Yun Shu who invited her to be with him. But it was on the night of the concert.
Episode 21
It was the day of the concert. Grandma/Nanna had a tummy ache which ended in her being taken to the hospital.
Tianran immediately went to the hospital to see Nanna and would not leave before she was sure Nanna is out of danger.
Nanna had only a mild acid reflux so she told Tianran to go to the concert while Mom will look after her.
Well, Tianran seemed the most unenthusiastic concert goer because she still found time to drop by at Yunshu’s office and left the cassette recorder of a song they share a long time ago when they were both children.
Well with all her dilly-dallying they encountered traffic and missed going to the concert.
But ferret Face saved the day by climbing on the roof of Random Boy’s van and held the antenna so they could get signal and watch the concert.
She saw the concert and heard him saying that she was the love of his life and was happy to have met her.
Poor Yun Shu was waiting for her.
Zi Ye and his dad reconciled. His dad attended the concert and was overwhelmed with the love of the fans for his son.
Episode 22
Tianran and Zi Ye are really getting well alright. They are so loved up.
Zi Ye tried to make it official and confessed in many ways. The first one was giving her a jigsaw which will tell her that he loves her but the dog ate some of the pieces.
Next he especially created a Christmassy Full House skating rink for the day for her and they both loved it but Meng Meng was up to no good. She gotten hold of the contract marriage certificate of Zi Ye and Tianran.
Episode 23
Meng Meng released the fake marriage contract.
Zi Ye’s family was very upset because they have taken Tianran into their heart.
Zi Ye told his family that it was true that their relationship began as a fake one but they have grown to love each other.
His father told him to marry Tianran. He said that he did not like Tianran at first but he came to know her and she was gentle kind girl.
The management wanted Tianran to make a statement in the press to say that it was all her fault that she hounded Zi Ye to marry her so she could take back the house.
Zi Ye heard this and he went to make the statement instead. He admitted that the marriage was fake. They were not married and it was all his fault and was said to make his love of his life very sad with all this sordid mess.
Meng Meng’s boyfriend reliasied the futility of trying to climb on the back of Zi Ye’s downfall. He dumped Meng Meng in disgust.
Episode 24
Tianran thought that the best thing to do was to run away so Zi Ye could restart his life without the problem of her.
YunShu knew where Tianran went and saw that she truly loved Zi Ye only.
Yun Shu went to Zi Ye and told him where Tianran was and that they had never been any relationship between him and Tianran.
Zi Ye said he knew as Tianran loves him.
He went to Tianran and proposed to her for real with an air-balloon carrying a banner of them together on their first meeting on the step of the concert hall.
They then went to register their marriage and the press was there to see them afterwards. The couple were so young and happy.
They then had a marriage ceremony on the ground of the full house.
I have to say that this drama is nice enough but very underwhelming compared to the Korean version.