New drama featuring Chen Xue Dong as the main lead? Well, regardless of storyline, I’m definitely watching this drama. Alongside him, Ouyang Nana who was on the reality show, Up Idol, will star as the female lead. While I’m a bit doubtful of Ouyang Nana’s age and acting, I know I’ll sit through anything for Chen Xuedong!

This show is currently airing, here’s the synopsis from one of the best site around, mydramalist:

In order to find out the truth about his mother’s death, the heir of Feng Shang Group Shang Bo Ran joins a fashion magazine publisher while hiding his identity. There he meets his rival at work, the naive and optimistic Lu Xiao Kui. Due to a strange combination of circumstances, the two bickering colleagues end up living together and gradually fall in love with each other.

With only 2 episodes every week, this show actually seems manageable. Here’s a basic rundown:

Title: Yes! Mr Fashion
Native Title: 是！尚先生
Country of Origin: China
Airing date: 2 June 2016 – 22 July 2016
Episodes: 28
Channel: Hunan TV
Airing Days: Wednesday, Thursday

Cast: Chen Xuedong as Shang Bo Ran/Zhen Guan Jun, Ouyang Nana as Lu Xiao Kui, Ren Yankai as Gao Min, Peng Xinchen as Angela, Zhang Keyun (Xiao Tian Tian) as Xue Zhenni, Wang Duo as Wang Xingren (Xiao Wang Wang), Vivian Wu Jun Mei as Leng Shan, Yung Yvonne as Shang Yunxi

And with that, I’m going to leap into this drama! Surprised to see Guo Jingming is the director, didn’t know he did directing for television too. Then again, with Chen Xuedong headlining this drama, I guess it make sense that Guo Jingming is the director.

Look! Isn’t this the Lu Shao image from Tiny Times 3?

There’s a beach, the sea and impressive moves pulled off by no one other than our cool main lead who is obviously a rich and probably spoilt chaebol.

Cue our cute little sidekick: xiao wang wang. Turns out Xiao Wang Wang is Shang Bo Ran’s lawyer and probably buddy even though his name implies he’s a little pet dog.

Bo Ran here has a little bit of OCD as he arranges the bowl of fruit on the coffee table so that it will be centralised.

Xiao Wang Wang breaks the news to Bo Ran that his father has passed away due to a heart attack. There was no reaction on Bo Ran’s part except asking for the will. He seemed heartless & completely unemotional, even lawyer Xiao Wang Wang was more agitated at his lack of response. In order to appease Xiao Wang Wang, Bo Ran had to use eye drops secretly and pretended to be upset. This scene was done really well, with just the correct dosage of comedy. If this continues, I’ll be liking this show a lot.

The will is announced and instead of being puzzled about the 10% of his father’s shares that were unaccounted, Bo Ran is more upset to hear that the company is in the hands of ‘the other woman’ for the time being and decides to fly back to fight for his inheritance immediately.

Meanwhile, we get teleported to another scene. Here, Zhenni is lying about some important relative’s birthday celebration she has to attend so that the female lead, Lu Xiao Kui, can help her cover an event. She tempts Xiao Kui into helping her by gushing about how Xiao Kui’s idol will be there too. After Xiao Kui agrees and go off, Zhenni talks on the phone about a movie date… with no one other than our cute sidekick, Xiao Wang Wang!

Just then, Xiao Kui walks back into the room and the audience is left thinking that the cat has been let out of the bag! But no, Xiao Kui was ignorant and only came back for the camera bag she left behind. The comedic relief was also done very well in this scene. I approve!

Next thing we know, Bo Ran is back to China and he has had a complete makeover. Now he’s looking like Zhou Chongguang from Tiny Times! Adorkable, just the way I like it.

Chairman Shang Yunxi, Bo Ran’s aunt, shares a bit of backstory about how Bo Ran has been sent overseas since young and didn’t have a good relationship with his father.

At the same time, we are introduced to Leng Shan, the main editor of <Pretty> magazine. It’s not blatantly stated but she is probably the mistress of Bo Ran’s dad.

With them is Han Feng, the main editor of <Mister> magazine. None of them managed to find Bo Ran back to attend his dad’s funeral. In fact, ever since Bo Ran went overseas at the age of 15, they haven’t seen him.

Meanwhile, Bo Ran arrives at the funeral venue. He saw Lu Xiao Kui snapping photos away at a corner and offered to bring her into the funeral as long as she borrowed him her reporter pass for a while. Xiao Kui stupidly agreed and was very grateful for his ‘kindness’ when in reality, Bo Ran was the one who managed to sneak in as a ‘reporter’ using her pass. I guess it make sense that Xiao Kui can be so clueless since she is afterall not a real reporter and just helping her friend out.

Once inside, Bo Ran disappears. Xiao Kui was puzzled but shrugged it off and continued to take photos.

After Bo Ran failed into getting VIP room due to not having a pass, he decides to make use of Xiao Kui to stir up some trouble by pretending to be giving her tips as a senior reporter. Of course, the simple minded Xiao Kui fell for it.

While the security guards all rush off to deal with the disturbance caused by Xiao Kui, Bo Ran manages to plant a hearing bug in Leng Shan’s coat. He then stakes a hideout in a cab on the street.

It is official. The female lead is crazy. Xiao Kui was thrown out (literally) by the guards and she broke Zhenni’s camera in the process. She was really worried for one moment and then did a 180 degree change and gave herself a pep talk… out loud the next moment before thanking the security guards for their hard work and skipped off, humming. I am as puzzled as the guards. Bo Ran saw the scene from his cab and is probably as puzzled as me.

From the hearing bug, Bo Ran hears that Leng Shan is looking for a new personal assistant and he looks thoughtful for a moment.

Xiao Kui is being simplistic, talkative and bordering on annoying as she keeps on talking to the repairman who was repairing the broken camera.

A rabid fangirl of Han Feng, Xiao Kui is preparing for her interview as a personal assistant for him. While she goes on and on about her crush, Zhenni falls asleep while listening.

Xiao Wang Wang is puzzled why Bo Ran is returning to China with a false identity. Bo Ran answers that, “As the heir of Shang Feng Corporations…” only to be interrupted by Xiao Wang Wang saying, “Feng Shang Corporations, not Shang Feng Corporations.” Bo Ran looks offended and adds, “It’s my company, I can call it whatever I want.” A really short and funny conversation that shows a lot of backstory. How detached must he be from his father to be able to get his company name wrong? That’s what I love about this drama. A lot of showing and not telling in funny ways. Plus, the bromance between this two is to die for.

Turns out Bo Ran is returning to China not because he wants to inherit the company, he just wants to destroy Leng Shan and get revenge for his mother. He does not care about being a common CEO because ‘he is a great artist’. Xiao Wang Wang doesn’t understand but helps Bo Ran prepare a set of fake documents anyway.

In order to not expose his new false identity as Zhen Guan Jun (direct translation: Real Champion), Bo Ran will be staying at Xiao Wang Wang’s place which already host 2 other person.

The next day, Bo Ran meets Xiao Kui at the office building while on his way to the interview. He pretends not to know her but instead of blaming him, she thanks him for teaching her to take photos that actually made the headline. Bo Ran introduces himself as Zhen Guan Jun.

At the office, a The Devil Wears Prada scene happens as Leng Shan comes into the office.

At the waiting room, there are a bunch of gossipy and bitchy girls judging Xiao Kui for her fashion sense (or lack thereof). Xiao Kui talks to Bo Ran (who will be addressed as Guan Jun from now on) while he just gets her to shush. Seems like this will be a recurring theme for this drama.

Editor Han Feng asks for a favour from Leng Shan, their magazine <Mister> would like to interview a fashion designer  and he wants Leng Shan to help set it up.

Victoria, Leng Shan’s primary assistant sends in the tea and is tasked by Leng Shan to personally supervise the interview of assistants as the past 3 assistants sent by the Human Resource department were all horrible. Victoria is extremely picky and rejected candidates based on reasons like ‘shoes with 5cm heels are not heels’ and ‘your false eyelashes are dropping, are you blind?’

Outside in the waiting room, Xiao Kui is extremely nervous while Guan Jun is leisurely playing with his phone.

Finally, it’s Guan Jun’s turn. He answers the interviewer’s question with a story about his mum and the light fades out to bring us to a flashback…. of him and Xiao Wang Wang sitting together discussing about the methods of acing the interview. By the time he finishes the story, the interviewers seem to be completely sold too.

And with that, we end the first episode.

First Impression:

I think this show is pretty decent. The visuals are clear, bright, modern and pretty. The vibes it is giving off is exactly what I like – a clean and chic office-oriented drama. The main selling point of this drama is the funny it hides. It’s not laugh-out-loud comedy, but there are many pleasant surprises hidden which brings a smile to you when you least expect it. Just like that last moment, you would expect the flashback to be about Bo Ran and his mother, but it turn out to be a bunch of funny interactions with Xiao Wang Wang. 

The best thing about this drama hence far? The bromance between Bo Ran/Guan Jun and Xiao Wang Wang. I didn’t recap their scenes in detail but there are a couple of running inside jokes between them and it’s really funny and enjoyable. I think their interaction will be my main motivation for this drama. I hope they don’t lessen it. Like I repeatedly mention, the comedic relief in this show is done very well and to my liking.

The only drawback currently is the female lead. She is so simple and positive. There is a fine line between annoyingly naive and innocently cute. I’m hoping she will fall into the later category eventually but fingers crossed for now.