I was going to give this  Chinese romcom, Love O2O, three stars, in celebration of Lunar New Year tonight.

It definitely checks all the right boxes for me. It’s a light-hearted romcom about a contract marriage (or “in-game marriage” as Netflix subbers called it) between two role-playing gamers. The lead characters are two college kids who are not only eye candies but paragons of virtue as well. I don’t feel like strangling the heroine every 10 minutes (eyeing you Dani of “Romance is a Bonus Book” and Yoorim of “Where Stars Land/Fox Bride Star”). The story is plot-driven rather than character-driven so there’s no angst-ridden introspection. Each episode is coherent and builds up the next.

What you see is what you get. Those are my reasons for liking Love O2O.

But for my blog-readers who are avid fans of Pride and Prejudice (paging @agdr03), I’m going to write a more detailed recommendation to encourage y’all to give this romcom a second look. It’s fun to watch when you’re over-worked and stressed-out like me.

I’ll give you three big reasons. (Warning: spoilers. But just read the spoilers so you’ll know what to expect.)

First, online gaming = ballroom dances

As I said in “Memories of the Alhambra,” my gaming experience is limited to a feisty purple dragon named Spyro who hunts for dragon eggs and head-butts nasty orcs. To go from playing Spyro the Dragon to watching lead characters roleplay personas with long hair and flowing robes was a big leap for me.

The only way I could sit through numerous fight scenes of Weiwei and Xiao Nai was to view their encounters as ballroom dances. 

The way I see it, the fictional university in Love O2O is as segregated as the nineteenth century England of Jane Austen. Girls dorm with girls; boys dorm with boys. Unless they’re part of a couple, the students mingled with people of their own gender in and after classes, during lunch and sporting events, on weekends and schooldays.

No wonder the online game “A Chinese Ghost Story” was popular among students! 🙂 It’s the largest venue available to students where they can interact freely with the opposite sex. Gaming doubles as a dating service for the college students.

I had to smirk when in Episode 2, the game announced that the lead characters’ marriage was the 158,999th marriage on that server alone.

The anonymity of the popular game allows the students to meet others and match up with a partner without the hassles of real-life dating, e.g., vetting the other person, spending money to go on dates, surviving the dreaded introduction to their friends, and escaping a boring date.

Logging onto the game was the 21st century version of going to a ballroom dance. For instance, allies in duels are chosen like a dance partner. There are no strings attached and partners can change for the next round. Also, there are rules of interaction in the game, just as there are etiquette guidelines to courtly behavior in a ballroom. How the gamers comport themselves online — not only in battle, but in the chatgroups — reveal much about their personalities. But most importantly, partnering with someone in the game, like choosing a dance partner in a ballroom, allows the couple ample time to converse (or “chat”) and FLIRT with each other.

That’s the main reason the ex-husband dumped our heroine Weiwei (game handle: Luwei Weiwei). She didn’t FLIRT with him. Even though she was highly-ranked fighter and a formidable partner, he divorced her after six-months of “in-game marriage” because a) she declined to call him a more affectionate term like “husband” and b) she didn’t answer his request to send a photo of herself. He suspected her then of having a reason to hide her appearance, like perhaps she was ugly in real life or was only pretending to be a girl.

As it turned out, the divorce was the ex’s loss, and Xiao Nai’s gain (his game handle: Yuxiao Naihe). On the day, the ex remarried an acclaimed beauty, Yuxiao Naihe appeared to propose marriage to Luwei Weiwei at the Red Sparrow Bridge (I just love the quaint name!).

She was so startled by his proposal that she asked him the equivalent of “Are you nuts?!” in gaming lingo:

YN: What do you think of the wedding?
WW: (wondering whether he came to gossip about her divorce, too) It’s grand.
YN: Would you like an even grander wedding? Form an in-game marriage with me.
WW: Did your account get hacked?

😂

She didn’t know that he saw her playing the game at his uncle’s internet café and was smitten by skills.

He approached to observe her because he was mesmerized by her mad gaming skills; her fingers flew on the keyboard and she was thrashing her online enemy. Her back had been turned to him, and he only caught a glimpse of her face as she stood up to leave. But her face wasn’t that important to him as her avatar on the game.

When she stood up to leave, he remained standing and gazing at her EMPTY SPOT. But when he passed her again on his way out, he didn’t spare HER a second glance.

In an odd way, I’m relieved that it wasn’t her physical looks but her avatar that attracted him to her. She didn’t want people to be judged for their outward appearances but for their inner beauty. And her avatar is how she chose to embody herself, her values and her principles in the game. For instance, her avatar is dressed modestly and she refused to accept gifts from ex-husband.

It was only after she and Xiao Nai married and played together as partners did he discover her true identity. In Episode 3, he spotted her again by chance, and this time, his friend was at his side to enlighten him of her real name and her moniker as the “Department Belle.”

Friend: What a lucky day. First (we met) the campus belle. Now, the department belle.
XN: Department belle?
Friend: That’s right. The one in the ponytail. Her name is Bei Weiwei. Last year, we had a campus beauty contest. She did well for our computer department. It proved once and for all that the computer department has pretty girls, too, although the result wasn’t ideal and she only got second place. No campus belle title. But department belle is good, too.

Xiao Nai turns to look at her back and smiles.

Friend: What are you smiling at?
Xiao Nai: Bei Weiwei? The name fits her.

He figured out that her avatar Luwei Weiwei was a play on her real name Bei Weiwei. (🤪 An aside: I don’t know what’s up with these names, but I’m having a hard time keeping up with those double words like Weiwei, Yangyang, and Yaoyao, and the words beginning with the letters X, Y, and Z.🤦‍♀️)

Friend: Whoaaa. I should buy a lottery ticket today. First, I’m lucky enough to see two gorgeous girls in one day, then I heard you utter a girl’s name out loud. My life is complete.

XN continues to smile at friend then looks at Weiwei. She’s sipping water a mug that matched his earlier. (I don’t know the significance but I guess I’ll find out later.)

Xiao Nai: Department belle is good. Over the top is superfluous.

lol. Doesn’t that remark remind anyone of a ballroom scene in Pride and Prejudice when Colin Firth…err… Mr. Darcy complimented Elizabeth Bennet for her fine eyes? He told Miss Bingley, “I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.” Miss Bingley pounced and asked who he was referring to, and he answered, to her dismay, “Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Both scenes showed the guy admiring the girl and paying her a compliment without her knowledge. In this scene, however, Xiao Nai meant that there was no need to state the obvious. It was enough to admit Weiwei’s beauty, but excessive praise was unnecessary. What’s more, her inner beauty is more captivating to him.

As his partner in the online game, he’s come to like her enough to get to know the girl in person (or in real life). The online game succeeded in making him curious enough about her to get to know her offline. Hence the title, Love O2O. That means progressing and/or developing love from online to offline.

Second, online texts = his courtship

It didn’t occur to me till the end of Episode 5 that, up until then, the interactions of Weiwei and Xiao Nai had occurred only in virtual reality or Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MORPG). 🤦‍♀️ There were 30 episodes in total but the couple began speaking to each other face-to-face in Episode 5. Their first conversation was suspenseful (sarcasm alert):

Nai: Is this seat taken?
Weiwei: No.

After the end of the lecture–

Weiwei: (clears throat)
Nai: You want to get out?
Weiwei: (nods head)
She stands up and stops to express her thanks but she chokes (figuratively speaking) on the word and scurries away.

🤦‍♀️Had this been a 16-episode kdrama, it would have outrageous to wait three episodes for the lovers’ first meeting, only to hear the couple exchange 10 words! But the reason it worked here in Love O2O was that Weiwei and Xiao Nai had been constantly texting each other online.

For instance, after he approached her at the Red Sparrow Bridge and proposed, she agreed to marry him after considering the advantages of the match. Of course, she had the false impression that he only wanted a partner for the upcoming game championship. No, he actually wanted her as a partner for much longer than that… 🙂 I thought it was romantic that he wanted to prepare for the wedding.

WW: I’ll do it. Let’s go the Rock of Lives.
YN: Wait. I need to prepare for it. Eight o’clock, three days from now.
WW: Prepare for what?
YN: The wedding banquet.
WW: A registration will do. It’s just a battle championship. Why make a big fuss?
YN: I’m Yuxiao Naihe. My wedding can’t be haphazard. (he walks away)

Then as soon as he got her to agree to an in-game marriage, he logged out of the game with this satisfied smile on his face.

When his buddies started talking about getting dates by fixing a girl’s computer, he promptly — and smugly — told them he already got an in-game spouse. He declared, “That means I’m a married man now. I shouldn’t fix another girl’s computer. If you’re interested, you should go.”

🤪 That’s cute, and NOT cute at the same time. What’s next? Married female surgeons shouldn’t operate on men??!! So prudish.

Now, after he introduced Weiwei to the guys, the guys naturally became curious about her ex-husband. To me, she was all set to type a clarification that she and Xiao Nai were only in-game spouses for the upcoming championship, pretty much like she and her ex were only in-game spouses to achieve a quest. But Xiao Nai jumped in and answered for her. He texted the group, “Yes, she put her trust in the wrong guy. Don’t give her a hard time.”

She covered her face in second-hand embarrassment.

“She put her trust in the wrong guy.” 🙄 😂 To her, their partnership was job-oriented or “professional.” They were partnering to win the championship game. But he turned it into a PERSONAL relationship. He was telling them all that, unlike her ex, he was somebody she could trust never to leave her side.

Well… he didn’t need to say this since their union was IN NAME ONLY. She had no reservation telling them about her divorce because she had kept that partnership on a strictly impersonal level and they separated without animosity. She also expected this relationship between her avatar Luwei Weiwei and Yuxiao Naihe to end after the championship.

Do you see that? Her view of the in-game marriage differs from his view.

Also, if viewers were to pay attention to details of his marriage proposal. they’d realize that he pre-planned that they would marry at 8pm on the 8th day of the 8th month because 888 is an auspicious number.

She had been willing to reschedule but he refused.

WW: Are you busy that day? We can reschedule.
XN: No, the day after tomorrow is auspicious. It’s good for weddings.

😂 This guy really makes me laugh!

Offline, his friend teased him. “Dude, you amaze me. You picked an auspicious day for your VIRTUAL wedding?” (Yeahhh, my sentiments exactly!)

Xiao Nai simply stood up, ignoring them.

To me, it was very clear that he was taking this “marriage” much more seriously than he should.

Sure enough, at their wedding, Weiwei was surprised to discover that he invited many guests. Since these guests were expecting the groom to hand out the customary “red envelopes” filled with money, her mind boggled at the expense he was willing to incur just so his wedding wouldn’t look “haphazard.”

Remember, SHE had been satisfied with the online game version of a civil union in a registry office. He was really making a big fuss!

When she refused his betrothal gift (because it goes against her principles to ask and accept gifts from male gamers), he pointed out that the sword was for battle. Only then did she take it.

In exchange, she handed him a ring, saying, “This is my dowry. It’s not much. I’ll make it up to you later.” He took the ring but he told her “You don’t have to give me anything. Having you here is enough.”

The sub in Netflix said, “You’re all I need.” 

Either way, I thought that’s the kind of declaration which, if spoken in real life, would easily be misunderstood as premature and audacious. They’ve only met a couple of times, for pete’s sake, why was he going overboard with it?

To me, he was over-doing his role in this role-playing game. There were clear boundaries between fake and real, and between familiarity and formality, but he was blurring it.

There’s also another incident in Episode 7, when Weiwie deliberately PRETENDED to be despondent because of the flak she got from winning a game. She was feigning hurt feelings.

She texted, “I’ve never said much. I always thought, a clean hand wants no washing. But I suddenly feel very discouraged, after getting universally condemned.” The guys laughed at her because they could see through her act.

But suddenly, Yuxiao Naihe posted in a public chat room:

YN: I’m offering high prices for diamond. (meaning, he’s buying diamonds for anybody willing to sell theirs)

His buddies were surprised that he posted in the public forum and other gamers wanted his autograph and picture. He was asked if he wanted diamonds to enhance his weapons.

YN: Nope
Gamer: Then why are you buying diamonds?
YN: So my wife can play with them.

🤦‍♀️🤣He meant that he wanted to cheer up his sad and unfairly maligned wife, so he was going to buy her diamonds. Money was no object.

Again, he went overboard.

Within the game setting, comments like that and the previous ones, “She put her trust in the wrong guy” and “You’re all I need” could be dismissed as a joke. He could tease her with cheesy lines, which he normally wouldn’t do in real life, because he could pass them off as “couple bantering” or love talk.

And that’s why, despite our couple not encountering each other face-to-face until Episode 5, I got the impression that they were already a “couple.” Long BEFORE they actually met in person, he treated her online as he would treat his girlfriend offline. He blurred the lines.

She didn’t know it yet, but he had begun COURTING her in earnest from the second he approached her on that Red Sparrow Bridge and ask her to marry him.

Last, Xiao Nai = Mr. Darcy

Hahahahahaha. Yes, he was.

I’m floored that nobody saw the similarities. If you love Mr. Darcy, you’ll love this guy.

More later… got to work.

But go ahead and watch the show. You’ll see what I mean. 😍