I Once Loved You, Thinking of You Makes My Heart Ache (Wo Ceng Ai Guo Ni, Xiang Qi Jiu Xin Suan) 曾爱过你，想起就心酸 is a 30-episode TV series adapted from a novel of the same name written by Zi You Ji Guang 自由极光. South Korean star Jang Dong Gun and Chinese actress Tina Tang Yixin work the 18-year gap to their advantage for the older-guy younger woman trope as they play an established businessman and a college student who fall into a romance.
This unassuming drama caught my eye because it stars freaking Jang Dong Gun! He’s an A-list actor, a top endorsor and the list goes on. It felt like the most random thing to see him in a Chinese drama, but considering the number of K-actors going to China to do dramas these days, it’s actually the new trend. I’m glad that Tina Tang Yixin who drew attention as the hateful villain in Female Prime Minister aka Legend of Lu Zhen, is moving up the ranks to become a leading lady, but honestly, my first thoughts on their OTP is that it’s odd and second, that it might actually work.
For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 best Chinese TV series.
