26 February 2013

我租了一個情人 Love Me or Leave Me


Title: 我租了一個情人 Wǒ Zūle Yīgè Qíngrén
English Title: Love Me or Leave Me
Country: Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Language:Mandarin Chinese
Year: 2013
Episode: 16
Cast:
  • 王宥勝 Wáng Yòu Shèng (Chris Wang)
  • 許瑋甯 Xǔ Wěi Níng (Toffany Hsu)
  • 李康宜 Lǐ Kāng Yí
  • 柯有綸 Kē Yǒu Lún (Alan Kuo)
  • 小薰 Xiǎo Xūn (Albee Hwang)
  • 陳德烈 Chén Dé Liè
  • 林舒語 Lín Shū Yǔ (Apple Lin)
  • 萬瑋喬 Wàn Wěi Qiáo (Elaine Wan)
  • 紀亞文 Jì Yà Wén (Edwin Gerard)



SYNOPSIS
Ji Qing is in a serious relationship with Hao Fang Ming for eight years, but she doesn't want to get married and she already informed him of the fact when they first got together. Nonetheless, Fang Ming had already proposed to her at least four times, and she rejects him every single time.

Fang Ming is disappointed that Qing has no confidence in marriage, even if he's the potential husband. He gives her an option to go to a trial marriage with him for one month, or they will break up for real.

Qing agrees to the trial marriage, but she expresses her concerns to her best friend Liao Yi Ren and her assistant Zhuang Xiao Xian. Xiao Xian brings out a book entitled I Rented A Lover, and suggested that Qing could rent someone to test Fang Ming's love and loyalty.



REVIEW
Love Me or Leave Me is about two people who love each other and are willing to be committed to each other, but in very different ways. Ji Qing thinks she and Hao Fang Ming are lifetime lovers but they do not have to get married to each other, whereas Fang Ming believes that marriage is the next step for them in order to become family and that it is necessary for them to have children.

Although I feel sorry for Fang Ming when Qing rejects his public proposals, I can't help thinking it's also his fault for choosing to propose with an audience even though she already informed him when they first got together that she doesn't believe in marriage and she doesn't want to get married ever.

I don't understand why Qing has to be the one to change her position about marriage when she has valid reasons against it; (1) her father cheated on her mother and her mother died while going after her father and begging him not to leave her, and (2) her best friend Liao Yi Ren had to divorce her irresponsible husband even though they have a child together.

It's even more frustrating when she changed her mind and on her wedding day, Fang Ming left her on the altar and broke her heart. Although he is supposed to have broken up with her because he thinks he is dying and he doesn't want her to suffer, I don't like that he didn't inform her properly of the situation and he didn't let her decide for herself what she wants to do.

And don't even get me started on hiring someone to be with your wife and son for at least three years because you have passed on and you can't be with them anymore. The infinitesimal possibility of that particular arrangement happening in real life notwithstanding, it just seems a very atrocious idea. I'm assuming the desired response by the production team is grateful on the part of the viewer, but I'm just completely horrified.



Related:
Love Before


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我租了一個情人 Love Me or Leave Me