Love Keeps Going


Reviewed by: sukting

September 17, 2011

Rating: two

Foreword
This is a story on a baker, Mei Le who meets 3 men and how they influence her life. Who will she end up with in the end?

Story/Introduction on characters

1. Zha Mei Le - Wang Xin Ling
Her parents divorce when she is young and she fights hard to please one of her mother when both are unwilling to take care of her. She ends up being with her mother and becomes a baker to fulfill Yi Feng's dream of owning a bakery. They open a shop but their happy days do not last when Xuan Xuan becomes the third party. Yi Feng ditches her on their wedding day and she is badly affected.

Yi Lie brings her to a makeover to change her life. Yi Feng finally gets attracted to her again but he knows that he will not be accepted again since he has hurt her before. Mei Le learns of Yi Lie's injury and firmly stays beside him to have their son out of wedlock.

I have seen Wang Xin Ling in person and she isn't as naïve as in many dramas as she acts it. Thus, she can't buy me over easily. Moreover, I don't see any major change in her makeover appearance. She still looks pretty in dark rimmed glasses and her hair tied up. Her emotional scenes are passable but doesn't strike a chord in me.

2. Han Yi Lie - He Jun Xiang
He is an accomplished song composer who is very particular about everything, including food due to his allergy. He is a perfectionist at work and at home. That is why he has bad blood with his mother as she grumbles on how she brings him up painfully to spend so much money on him. He is weird and is very overbearing. His inspiration in writing music only comes after eating Mei Le's bread. She has to make trips to his home often.

Yi Lie has a sad past and soon Mei Le feels sorry for him. Knowing that Yi Feng betrays Mei Le, Yi Lie shields Mei Le and becomes her boyfriend. Initially, this is not for real and Mrs Han condemns him even more. But soon, they become a real item to everyone's dismay. Everything is fine till he has head injuries after a car accident. He begins to lose his memory over daily life and is afraid of implicating Mei Le.

Mei Le is now pregnant and he finally agrees to undergo the risky surgery. He survives and both get married. The ending has his family rushing to watch his performance. That shows that he is alive. He looks good but acting wise can be boring in this melodramatic role.

3. Han Yi Feng - Shi Yi Nan
Unlike Yi Lie, he is gentle and polite. He finds Mei Le a good assistant but soon he discovers that he isn't really in love with her. Xuan Xuan seduces him and they end up having one night stand. Feeling responsible for this, he breaks up with Xuan Xuan. Later, he discovers Xuan Xuan to be a scheming woman to harm Mei Le. He breaks up with her and she has to leave the shop. Upon seeing her in a sorry state as a bar dancer, he accepts her again. no breakthrough in this role as well.

4. Han Yi Fei - Huang Jing Yi
She is very pampered as the youngest sister. She is too naïve and gets pregnant out of wedlock. Her boyfriend disappears and later confirms that he ditches her. She later gives birth to a son and Yu Cheng helps her to give birth. When Mei Le breaks up with Yi Feng, Yi Fei has to be responsible for herself and helps out at the bakery too. Yu Cheng starts to fall for her and both get married.

5. Zha Yu Cheng - Zhang Shan Wei
He is Mei Le's elder brother but often gets himself into trouble. Mei Le often has to settle his debts for him. He later wants to be a useful person and works in the bakery. He improves the interior design of the shop and knowing that the Hans want the shop, he is determined to hold the forte for Mei Le. He is happy when Yi Lie applied for copyright so the Hans can't overwrite it easily.

However, Mei Le gives the shop to them to have an entire break with the Hans. She prefers to be the silent woman behind Yi Lie. Yu Cheng still stays in the shop when both families become in-laws.

6. He Yan Shao - Zhang Lun Shuo
He is the chairman of a big baking organization. He befriends Mei Le through a baking competition. Mei Le nearly faints at the carpark due to a fever and he holds her. Her face has a striking resemblance to Yan Qin and this sends glitters to him. She refuses to back out and continues so he admires her efforts. Mei Le does not get the top prize but gets a special award.

He wants Mei Le to join his organization but she refuses. So he sets up a rival shop opposite her shop. Her business turns poor when he keeps having sales promotion. Knowing that she is at the losing end, Yi Lie gets Lollipop band to go there and wins her customers back.

Yan Shao begs Mei Le to pretend to be Yan Qin to continue to keep his mother in the dark. It doesn't work but his mother requests him to keep Mei Le by their side. Both miss Yan Qin and he decides to woo her at all costs. That includes pretending to be her boyfriend to please Mrs Zha. He wants to chase everyone away so that he can possess her. This character has a lot of room for development but I don't understand why he only appears a few episodes at the beginning and right at the end as Yi Lie's love rival. What a waste!

7. Guo Xuan Xuan - Zhang Jia Ning
Her parents die young so she is being put up at different homes of relatives. Thus, since young, she has learned to fend for herself in order to survive. On the exterior, she is a sweet girl. Thus, Mei Le is tricked of hiring her to work in the bakery to improve the business. In reality, she is very cunning. She sets her eyes on Yi Feng and manages to win his sympathy at first and later his love.

She is successful to drive Mei Le away. She tries to bake like Mei Le after chasing her away but fails miserably. What goes wrong even though she uses the same method? The reason is she fails to use her heart to bake. Mei Le teaches her and she is grateful to her. She later reconciles with Yi Feng after he forgives her for what she has done to become a better person.

Her acting is quite convincing. Xin Ling should act like her - she is wild and demure at different times to show the difference distinctly.

8. Chu Shao Yin - Liu Yan
She is Yi Lie's manager who has been secretly in love with him for long. She often helps to clear the mess that he has created. That includes helping to savage his image when he is regarded the third party into Yi Feng's relationship. She resigns for a while and later returns to him to pretend to have affairs with Yi Lie so that they can trick Mei Le and Yi Lie can seek treatment. She doesn't wish to keep it from his family and knows that he needs their support so she lets them know.

9. Xiao Zhi - Xiao Xiao Bin
He is Xuan Xuan's younger brother. Being cute and obedient, everyone dislikes his sister but can't bring themselves to dislike him.

10. Mr Han - Yi Zheng
He is the siblings' father but forsakes his family after Yi Lie brings Xiao Jun home. Mrs Han blames Yi Lie for this so he moves out. They are together for some years and he suffers from cancer, wanting to see his family for the last time. It is only now that he discovers that Xiao Jun still loves Yi Lie.

11. Mrs Han - Wang Yue
After her divorce, she becomes a bitter woman. She dislikes her second son and both have nothing much to say to each other. She is appalled to know Mei Le's breakup with Yi Feng but insists them to be back together. When this fails, she forces Mei Le to stay in the shop as she knows that she is their main asset. She dislikes Xuan Xuan for being crafty and is never nice to her too. Knowing about Yi Lie's illness, she takes good care of him and both reconcile.

12. Mrs Zha - Liu Rui Qi
Mr Zha also ditches his family because of an affair. He only wants his son but later gives the children's custody to her. She has no choice but to bring them up. She has ignored her in many ways and concentrates on Yu Cheng. After Mei Le's breakup, the mother and daughter become closer as she consoles her. She finds it confusing for Mei Le to like a brother after another but accepts this.

13. Xiao Jun - Lai Lin En
She is Yi Lie's girlfriend that he knows in university. She loves his father later. She begs Yi Lie and his siblings to meet his father the last time before he dies. This causes an argument between Yi Lie and his mother. Yi Lie is so distressed that he suffers head injuries when he can't concentrate on his driving and nearly dies. Later, Mrs Han allows them to see their father for the last time.

14. Xiao Jie - Yu Hao Cheng
A baker at the bakery. He is very direct and shows his displeasure towards Xuan Xuan as he regards her as a third party into Mei Le's relationship.

15. Auntie Wang - Xie Li Jin
A cashier at the bakery. She dislikes Xuan Xuan even more than Xiao Jie. She is very sarcastic towards her.

16. He Yan Qin - Wang Xin Ling
She is Yan Shao's younger sister who is a classical singer. Yan Shuo doesn't like her boyfriends and use money to chase them away. Yan Qin is shattered to know the truth so she jumps off the hospital building. Yan Shao gets Mei Le to impersonate as Yan Qin but Mrs He can tell the difference. Yan Qin doesn't like piercing her ears but Mei Le does. Their ways of holding a glass is also different.

She is shattered over the news when seeing Yan Qin's ex-boyfriend revealing the truth but is touched over Yan Shao's filial piety. She is determined to keep Mei Le beside her but Mei Le changes her mind. She is not her Yan Qin after all and has her own family.

Most favourite character
Yan Shao. No doubt he is possessive and difficult to get along, he still has a kind heart and is very filial. Knowing that Mei Le wants to meet Xuan Xuan at the bar, he waits with her right outside the entrance as he is afraid that she might get harassed by being alone.

Most hated character
Mrs Han, she is not happy with anything and everything. It is so hard to please her.

Songs
The songs 'not crying', 'sticking together' and 'me on the next page' are from Xin Ling. The usual sweetie songs that are easily forgettable. Jun Xiang's 'the garden in the heart' also fails to make an impact.

Interesting facts

Jun Xiang turned up for Xin Ling's album promotion to wish her well. She was sick for some time during filming but he admired her professionalism to persevere. She was very touched but frowned to comment on his singing as she felt that Jun Xiang did not do too well. Jun Xiang was impressed on how she handled the crying scenes.

Jun Xiang had thought that Yi Lie has harsh words to tell contestants like Simon. After reading, he decided that Yi Lie is only being frank. He was touched when the others celebrated his birthday for him. The highest rating was 3.44 for the final episode. They were pleased with the result.

Conclusion

When looking at the title, I had guessed that it is like 'Get Strong, Geum Soon'. It is indeed - Jin Shun is into hairdressing while Mei Le is on baking. But talking about who is being successful, Jin Shun is the winner. My enjoyable moments isn't the romance part but on how Yan Shao tries to transform Mei Le into Yan Qin. He tries to train her to sing like his sister but gives up as she sings off-key.

The story turns into a weepie easily. Why isn't it concentrated on baking but keeps dwelling on Mei Le's love affairs? I don't really like it. The breakups don't like heartbreaking enough. It should have stopped at 10 episodes instead of 13. Only watch it if you are their faithful fans.

Sukting's ratings :

On acting : **1/2 (Scale of 5)

On story : ** (Scale of 5)

On songs : **1/2 (Scale of 5)


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