Loving Strangers (2026) review I had always wanted to watch _My Mister_ , but I never seemed to find the time to do it. Then, Lee Sun-kyun sadly passed away. The drama is already heavy to begin with, and the tragic way the actor passed away … seeing him play a depressed character just felt like I’m watching Lee Sun-kyun suffering for real. So, that’s why I kept putting it off again and again. When I heard that _Loving Strangers_ was being made, I thought it was really daring that they were even trying to adapt it. Because, how do you top Lee Sun-kyun’s award-winning performance? But I thought if anyone can at least match Lee Sun-kyun, it’ll be Mark Chao. * * * ## The Story This is a tale of two people so worn down by life, they just exist. The first few episodes won’t appeal immediately to people — everything is grey. Our characters wear black and grey clothes, no colour in their wardrobe or surroundings. They don’t smile. Basically, they’re very gloomy and depressed. The drama could have been incredibly depressing, if not for the fact that they added some thriller elements to it. I find that rather refreshing. Yu’an is a fascinating character. She may be down and out, but she’s incredibly, incredibly smart — like, so smart she should be working for the intelligence agency of China or something, because she knows how to spy on and manipulate people! She would be quite a villainess if she plied her skills towards evil, but like Jiaqi says to her at one point, “You’re a good person.” The cold exterior is just years of calluses grown over years of abuse — both from a loan shark, from society’s shunning of her, and also from self-flagellation for something that happened when she was a child. And then we have the dour and gloomy Jiaqi. His work life sucks; he’s actively being undermined by his corrupt boss, Gu Chen. His family life sucks just as badly — the fire has not only gone out of his marriage, it’s ice-cold. By all measures, Jiaqi is the husband any woman would love: responsible, level-headed, calm, cool-headed. He is stability and comfort. Yet, that is not enough for his wife. Somehow, these two people at the very bottom of their lives find each other. What begins as mutual suspicion evolves into something more complex and unexpected. * * * ## The Characters **Zhou Yu’an** : She juggles multiple gigs to care for her ailing grandmother. **Jiang Jiaqi** (Mark Chao): A principled but exhausted mid-level pharma manager exhausted by life. **Gu Chen** : Jiaqi’s corrupt boss and the central villain. **Yi Jun** is Jiaqi’s wife. Yi Jun is an alpha woman feeling confined in an “average” marriage. She has an affair with Gu Chen. **Pang Jian** is Jiaqi’s only champion at the company. * * * ## What I Liked The most satisfying thing about this show is seeing Jiaqi grow from a quiet, doormat-ish man in his marriage and workplace, to someone assertive. Like, _super_ assertive. This probably happened because he finally realised that being withdrawn and agreeable isn’t the answer to his problems. I also love that we’re seeing Yu’an’s more human side. I like that they didn’t force a romantic story between Jiaqi and Yu’an. That would’ve ruined the story, massively. * * * ## What I Didn’t Like The only thing I don’t like about this drama is the fact that sometimes it segues to the story of Jiaqi’s uncle and his brother. Both are also down and out, but unlike Jiaqi, they are far more cheerful and more hopeful. Even though they bring necessary comic relief and lightness to the drama — or else it would be incredibly heavy and too depressing — I get impatient when the drama switches to their story. I wouldn’t mind them cutting them out completely. The drama isn’t perfect, of course. It was excruciatingly draggy at some parts and I honestly wished they had trimmed down the show further. Was Jialu and Uncle’s story necessary? I don’t know. Sure, they exist to show the kind of family Jiaqi wanted and couldn’t achieve with Yi Jun. But beyond that — too much air time was given to them, and I never understood how their storylines benefited the main one. * * * ## Thoughts about the ending What a lovely ending. Jiaqi and Yu’an’s friendship and unique connection is beyond romance, in my opinion. It’s the understanding of two mutual souls who had been in very desperate situations. They _saved each other_ — Jiaqi, with his empathy and kindness; Yu’an with her sleuthing, intelligence, and yes, kindness. Two souls that had started out suspicious and wary of each other formed a connection that transcends romantic love — that’s how I see it. On the whole, I really loved _Loving Strangers_. A quiet, moving drama with solid performances from our leads. ## Final Thoughts If you’re hesitating to watch this drama because it won’t top _My Mister_ — it probably won’t — I encourage you to still watch it. I can understand why you hesitate, because it’s a very tall order for _Loving Strangers_ to even match it. Watching this Chinese adaptation is actually a good idea, especially if you have not watched the K-Drama. Treat it like its own show, and you may enjoy it. Rating: 3.5 out of 5 ### Share this: * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * More * * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram * Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Like Loading... ### _Related_

How did the Chinese adaptation of South Korea's My Mister fare?

#CDramas #CDrama #MarkChao #LovingStrangers

dramatea88.wordpress.com/2026/03/26/loving-strang...

February 2026 Wrap-Up

Dramas:
#TheGuilty 8.5/10
#LovingStrangers 8/10
#UnveilJadewind 8/10
#HowDareYou 7/10
#TheArtOfSarah 6.5/10

Movies:
#ThisIsI 8/10
#Pavane 8/10
#CreationOfTheGodsI: Kingdom of Storms 7.5/10

#cdrama #kdrama

Ya decía yo, capítulo a capítulo conocía esa voz, "Accusefive" inconfundibles
#LovingStrangers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXA...

Aquí sigo, pasito a pasito y disfrutando de una historia que ya conozco pero quizás por eso la disfruto aún más
#LovingStrangers

Gostaria de deixar registrado aqui que terminei #LovingStrangers e até agora é o dorama que eu mais gostei esse ano

Em #LovingStrangers o Steven Zhang tá interpretando um vilão, só que eu gosto bastante do trabalho dele nesse e em outros cdramas, aí ele aparece e eu fico pensando: que bonitinho ele fazendo as coisinhas de agiota dele

Parece que a justiça vai ser feita em #LovingStrangers mas quem disse que eu quero justiça? Quero meus golpistas passando impunes

#LovingStrangersEp26

With all the being said, I would recommend #LovingStrangers if you've already seen #MyMister and want a slightly different take on that material. All of the performances are as good as the original, which may be a controversial take given how many fans there are of Lee Sun-Kyun and IU.

Finished all 28 episodes of #LovingStrangers. Overall, I can't recommend this over #MyMister, primarily because you get the same story in the latter in half the time as the former. In that respect, I was disappointed in how similar #LovingStrangers was to its source.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man and a woman sitting at a bar in front of a window drinking beer. It's dark but the woman is wearing dark sunglasses inside and the man is looking at her.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man and a woman standing on a street with a cityscape behind them. It is nighttime. They are facing each other but with some distance between them.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man and a woman sitting in a restaurant drinking beer together. They are sitting across from each other but there faces aren't clear because the window they are sitting next to is fogged up from the cold.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man giving a much needed hug to a young woman after she walked him home.

"A bond like this is precious."
"See you tomorrow."

And we have now reached the end of #LovingStrangers. Tears were shed again but now things don't look so dark. A worthy adaptation imo. No regrets. #cdrama #MarkChao #ZhangZiFeng

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. Close up of a handshake.

#LovingStrangers In the end, I really did quite love this remake. I thought the cast was excellent (and, for Mark Chao especially, the shoes to fill were extremely big 😔), and I really liked both the direction and the writing. The original holds a special place in my heart, but this was just SOLID.

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. A medium full shot with lots of negative space of a dark-haired fortysomething man (Mark Chao) hugging a twentysomething brunette woman (Zhang Zi Feng). It's night and they are surrounded by greenery and illuminated by a street lamp.

Same as previous, but it's a wide shot and the two are smack in the middle of it, in the middle of a road. It's a very intimate and quiet moment.

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. Close up of the woman (Zhang Zi Feng) as she's snuggle under the man's chin.

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. Close-up of the man (Mark Chao), whose chin is almost resting on the woman's head. She's very tiny.

#LovingStrangers "See you tomorrow."

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. Close-up of a dark-haired fortysomething man (Mark Chao). He's wearing a knit gray sweater over a button down. There's a smile on his face as he looks at a young woman off frame. The closed captions read: "Thank you for saving me."

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. Close-up of a twentysomething brunette woman with her slightly wavy hair in a messy low bun. She's wearing a jacket over a hoodie. There's something just a bit cheeky about her expression as she asks: "Is my mission complete?"

Same as the first image. The man, with a smile on his face, answers: "Yeah."

Same as the second image, but the girl now looks content.

#LovingStrangers Every single one of their scenes!

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. A young brunette woman (Zhang Zi Feng) wearing mourning clothes is speaking with her gaze cast down. The closed captions read: "I will repay everyone."

Screenshot from episode 28 of cdrama Loving Strangers. Two middle aged man and a middle aged woman all wearing mourning clothes are looking at the girl from the previous image. The shorter man on the left is speaking: "Repay for what?"

Continues from previous: "Life's all about helping each other out, right?"

#LovingStrangers 😭

Actualmente #LovingStrangers es la mejor de las compañías

A collection of images from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers

Well I pretty much cried through this whole episode of #LovingStrangers. So many moments between characters that hit me straight in the feels. Compassion, empathy, longing, regret, understanding and community. We are stronger together. #cdrama
"I will be happy."

Only #cdrama for this girl. #LovingStrangers and #UnveilJadewind

a netflix ad shows a girl talking to another girl and says sounds like a magic spell for happiness Alt: a girl is talking to another girl and says sounds like a magic spell for happiness

I have 2 new episodes of #UnveilJadewind to watch but I think I'll watch my episode of #LovingStrangers on the bus to work. I'll save my Jadewind episodes for when I get home and can watch them back to back.

Somos contra a violência mas também depende porque que linda a cena do Jiaqi finalmente dando um soco no Gu Chen

#LovingStrangers
#LovingStrangersEp21

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man talking on a cell phone as he sits in a restaurant.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a young woman talking on a phone and shedding a tear.

Welp, this episode of #LovingStrangers made me cry.
#cdrama #MarkChao #ZhangZiFeng

Me trying to figure out when #UnveilJadewind will be up on Netflix today. In the meantime, at least I have a new episode of #LovingStrangers I can watch this morning.

Still no episode of #LovingStrangers to watch. Who is gonna talk to me on my bus ride to work this morning? 😋

He visto el primero de #LovingStrangers no estaba segura si era el momento pero enseguida me sumergí en esas vidas que tocan fondo, a pesar de ser un remake estoy segura que será capaz de sorprenderme, de hecho ya lo hizo con esa pareja de protagonistas que han elegido tan bien.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man in a suit jacket seating in a conference room getting visibly angry as he defends his colleague and friend.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a woman standing on an overpass. She has earbuds in her ears and is crying as she listens to what is being said about her.

"Between people, shouldn't there be at least some basic kindness?"
#LovingStrangers #cdrama #MarkChao #ZhangZiFeng

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing two people walking along a street together. The man is considerably taller than the woman. She is looking up at him as he talks.

A still from the Chinese drama #LovingStrangers showing a man and a woman on an empty subway car. They caught the last train with effort and are laughing in relief. Their poor colleagues weren't so fortunate.

"When I felt like I was about to collapse and not make it through, you told me that I was a good person. You told me to hang in there. You woke me up from a life that felt like a prison. I feel like I can finally see a bit of hope. Thank you for always staying by my side." #LovingStrangers #cdrama

#BaiJingting for Wallpaper China

Good morning. It's Saturday. Gonna have breakfast with the mister when he wakes up. Gonna watch some #LovingStrangers and some more #Bridgerton S2. I need to work on my monthly recaps and I'll probably read the new volume of Firefly Wedding. Sounds like a plan.

Screenshot from episode 22 of cdrama Loving Strangers. A dark-haired fortysomething woman (Jiang Yi Yan) with a sleek bob wearing a beige turtleneck sweater. She's crying. The closed captions read: "But one day, I suddenly realized I had forgotten myself."

Continues from previous: "I forgot who I was."

#LovingStrangers The worst feeling in the world.

("I long for my devotion to be met with the same response." *sighs*)

Screenshot from episode 22 of cdrama Loving Strangers. A dark-haired fortysomething man (Mark Chao) in profile. He's wearing a dark sweater over a button down. He looks exhausted and defeated. The closed captions read: "But you chose to do this."

Continues from previous: "You chose to be with someone like that."

Continues from previous: "You are denying everything about me."

#LovingStrangers "You are denying everything about me" is such a line.

A collection of images of the above mentioned items

Another Friday has arrived so here is another weekly update from me. Hope everyone is hanging in there.
Reading: Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
Watching: #LovingStrangers on Viki
Wearing: #Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint
Listening: 日暮里 - #TheLandlordsCats ( #LoveBetweenLines)

#BookSky 💙📚 #cdrama

A shot of a woman in side profile. A man is talking to her off screen. The caption reads: "Let the past be the past. Move forward." It is a shot from cdrama Loving Strangers.

#LovingStrangers 😩