Drama Review: Romance on the Farm

Romance on the Farm (田耕纪)

Main Cast & Synopsis

“Romance on the Farm” is a historical romance drama based on Ruo Yan’s novel. The story revolves around Lian Man Er, a modern-day girl who is testing out a realistic VR game to earn tuition money. Through several unsuccessful attempts to win, Lian Man Er fights hard to survive and achieve the goal of gaining 1,000 taels upon landing in the Lian family in a rural farming village.

Facing being sold off to be a bridge in a ghost marriage, Lian Man Er stumbles upon Shen Nuo, who promises to help her solve the ghost marriage issue if she saves him. Taking a chance upon Shen Nuo, Lian Man Er saves the wounded stranger, and their journey of partnership starts as they grow to confide in each other through each of Lian Man Er’s entrepreneurial journeys to win the game.

Tian Xi Wei, known for her roles in “New Life Begins” and “First Love,” portrays Lian Man Er, a poor student who’s trying to earn tuition money by testing a VR game. She enters a rural farming village and becomes a daughter of the Lian family, who has loving parents but greedy and selfish extended family members. To win the game, Lian Man Er has to navigate the relationships within the Lian family along with the struggles of an entrepreneur.

Zeng Shun Xi, known for his roles in “Mysterious Lotus Casebook” and “Hi Venus,” portrays Shen Yi, an officer from the capital who’s investigating a case that leads him to the Song family in the rural farming village where Lian Man Er lives. As he is wounded and is being chased, he decides to lie low with the Lian family and takes on the name Shen Yi. While sticking around the farm to gather information on the corruption of the Song family and Wu Zhong Lian, Shen Nuo builds his relationship with the Lian family by helping them overcome their struggles and assisting Lian Man Er in making money.

Character Breakdown

Questions and Answers of “Romance on the Farm”

heavy spoilers ahead

What’s the ending of “Romance on the Farm”?

Despite leaving the Lian family in good financial standing and bringing the Lian family together, Lian Man Er has a tough time leaving due to her feelings for Shen Nuo, who has yet to show up after leaving for the capital. While Lian Man Er is about to put the 0.2 taels into the box to finish the game and achieve her 1,000 taels goal, Xiao Qi calls her out to the fields where Shen Nuo shows up. As they walk towards each other with a smile, Lian Man Er wakes up from the game with tears in her eyes as she faces reality. Lian Man Er walks out of the building and sees a framed straw horse that reminds her of what she was weaving while talking with Shen Nuo about their future before leaving the game.

The special 1-minute episode shows Lian Man Er who sees a photo of a modern-day Shen Nuo framed on the wall while walking out of the gaming company. As she realizes that Shen Nuo isn’t just an NPC, her name is called. Despite not seeing Shen Nuo, the camera focuses on the name tag with the name “Shen Yi” written on it while Shen Yi’s hands present her with a woven straw horse. This special episode indicates that their love story will continue in real life, outside of the gaming world.

Drama Review: Romance on the Farm

★★★☆☆ Rating: 3.3/5

“Romance on the Farm” presented an intriguing premise, focusing on life on a farm in historical times. However, as the series unfolded, it became clear that the title, synopsis, and initial setup were misleading. Contrary to the expectations set by its name and iQiyi synopsis, the series diverged significantly from being a romantic historical drama. Instead, it delved into the intricate complexities of living within an extended family, bringing to light issues such as favoritism, selfishness, resentment, lack of communication, and familial pressures.

Amidst the family discord, the only heartwarming element emerged in the form of Lian Man Er’s mother’s unwavering motherly love and devotion. Despite the absence of a romantic angle, the series had the potential to evolve into a heartwarming family drama infused with a touch of romance. A deeper exploration of Lian Man Er’s backstory, her struggles with her real family, and her desperation for entering the game could have established a stronger emotional connection with me. Even though we saw the subtle shift between how she initially treats this game “family” and eventually feeling like a real family with them, I didn’t feel that warmth. A flaw I felt was that we had so little time to process and remember that Lian Man Er didn’t come from a loving family, so now having a loving mother was an adjustment for her.

The plot veered towards political intrigue, family schemes, and personal endeavors, losing its initial charm because Lian Man Er’s feats didn’t align with the game mission. The disconnection between her accomplishments and the game mission made me question the purpose of the game-based premise. This shift diminished the impact of the heroine’s goal, as we couldn’t see each small feat in earning money as a step towards completing a task and getting closer to her mission. Towards the end, the introduction of digital name tags felt like a jarring reminder of the game’s premise that was no longer relevant. While it could be argued that this helps replace the original novel’s transmigration theme, the entire concept could still be discarded, focusing solely on Lian Man Er’s story.

Because the romance was so little and was more of a friendship bond, the shift to make Shen Nuo and Lian Man Er in love felt forced and out of place. The relationship lacked the essential chemistry and subtle nuances of a blossoming romance, making it less convincing. The romance was so lackluster that even when Shen Nuo and Lian Man Er got together, it didn’t add much to the story. They could’ve just been great friends or even family members and the flow of the story would still have made sense. I don’t deny that there could have been great chemistry between the two of these leads, I’m just disappointed, the romance was not to my taste.

In terms of a historical drama focusing on a female lead who is an underdog entrepreneur, “Romance on the Farm” slightly reminds me of “A Dream of Splendor.” Both female protagonists aspire for independence and financial stability, yet the difference is striking. While “Dream of Splendor” successfully integrates politics and romance, “Romance on the Farm” falls short in its execution.

Even Shen Nuo’s mission to uncover corrupt officials, despite attempts to inject intensity into the storyline, lacked that “umph.” Although it shed light on the challenges faced by the villagers due to the corrupt officials, the approach felt contrived and did not align seamlessly with the series’ overall tone.

In the end, “Romance on the Farm” was watchable, but it didn’t leave a lasting impact as I would have hoped. It failed to evoke a daily pursuit to chase the drama or a strong emotional connection with the characters and the storyline after its conclusion.

If you’ve seen “Romance on the Farm” and want to share your thoughts or opinions, please leave a comment! Alternatively, let me know if you enjoyed the article or the drama by using the widgets below. Thank you for visiting!