3 Things We Loved About C-Drama "The Furthest Distance"

Su Ying (Zhong Chu Xi) is an accomplished spatial designer and a workaholic who is dedicated to her job. She has little time for a relationship, especially after being betrayed by her former boyfriend, until she meets her former client, the reserved Dr. Qin Yun Sheng (Zhang Yun Long). Su Ying had designed an awe-inspiring glass home for Yun Sheng and his girlfriend six years ago, and he now needs some renovations for the house but is unable to find a designer. Su Ying is brought in on the job again, and along with Yun Sheng, the two participate in a reality show on home design.

During filming, Su Ying finds herself getting attracted to Yun Sheng’s calm and easy demeanor but realizes that she is unable to get close to him since he has created walls around him. They develop a strong friendship, and soon Yun Sheng finds himself responding to Su Ying’s effervescent charm. But fate has other things in store, as the past has its way of showing up. Can Yun Sheng find love again or be betrayed by Su Ying’s fate? If you’re looking for more reasons to check out “The Furthest Distance,” keep on reading!

LOVED: A spunky and cool female lead.

Su Ying is a woman who knows what she wants, and she is good at what she does. Impossible is not a word that exists in her vocabulary—she works twice as hard as anyone and takes on whatever challenges come her way cooly. Usually in shows, there is a tendency to show a successful woman as being aggressive or hardened, but Su Ying is anything but that. She dresses well, jokes around, has fun, and is proud of what she does.

When it comes to love, she has no qualms in expressing her true feelings. She does not hide her attraction from Yun Sheng, and she willingly takes the lead in pursuing him. She flirts, makes subtle advances, and as she nurtures and helps him break through his shell, you can’t help but applaud her persistence. Su Ying is a woman who is comfortable in her own skin and also respects herself for who she is. It is refreshing to see a female lead who is not shown as clingy or complex but is rather a confident woman who is relatable on many levels. Zhong Chu Xi is a delightful and sophisticated actress who makes Su Ying very likable. She also notches up the fashion quotient with her stylish wardrobe of straight cut floral dresses, while jumpsuits are very in and flatter her toned frame.

LOVED: An endearing male lead

Though Yun Sheng has devoted himself to fulfilling his dead girlfriend’s wishes, he is neither pitiful nor woebegone, and he moves on in life. As a doctor, he was aware that Mi Su, his deceased girlfriend, didn’t have much time and felt helpless. When he tells Su Ying, “A doctor feels powerless when they cannot save their own,” you can feel his regret. Over the years, he is unable to make room for anyone in his heart or go back to the cardiology department, and instead he prefers to be a general physician, which feels like his coping mechanism. When Su Ying breezes into his life and gives his heart the charge it so needs, he is willing to embrace the happiness he has denied himself.

Yun Sheng is a sensitive man and compassionate man. He wins you over with his cute gestures. His anguish in making up to Su Ying, whom he has upset, is complemented by his sense of humor. And his efforts at flirting are in stark contrast to her more direct ways, which is cute. He is a man who is happy to let his woman take the lead. His confession of love to her is so heartfelt, and the fact that he is someone who understands the woman he loves and is sensitive toward her feelings will have you clapping. Zhang Yun Long has a very likable screen presence, and his smiling open face makes him the perfect Yun Sheng.

LOVED: A story with its heart in the right place

Very often you might not realize that what you need could be actually staring right at you. Yun Sheng is so wrapped in the past and in memories of what was that he is unwilling to give himself or his present a second chance. Even when he is often told by his friends and colleagues to move on, he prefers immersing himself in work and memories of Mi Su. He has devoted himself to fulfilling her wishes until Su Ying tells him those wishes are for him to be happy and to move forward.

Even though he feels the stirrings of affection for Su Ying, he withholds himself. Su Ying, on the other hand, makes her feelings apparent. Understanding that healing is a process, she encourages him to take his life back. “I want him break out of the shackles of the past and be willing to have what he truly wants,” she unabashedly announces on a live broadcast. Yun Sheng’s grief unexpressed often leads to guilt, and he is a man who is scared and hesitant to open his heart. Though he feels he had experienced the love of a lifetime with Mi Su, with Su Ying he experiences a lightness of being, realizing there is no one way to define love. She makes him understand he has beaten himself enough and is deserving of happiness, and it is also a reminder to keep moving forward.

A narrative like this has the probability of becoming heavy. However, the drama is anything but that. It has a feel-good pace, and the romance that unfolds is natural and cute. There is no sweeping melodrama or histrionics but shows two individuals traveling the distance to seek their happiness. The two leads also have electrifying chemistry with each other.

BONUS: The ex-factor

What is a love story without the presence of miscreants? On one hand we have Su Ying and Yun Sheng happy in their newfound relationship and supported by their friends and co-workers. But it’s not a drama without some melodrama, which is unthinkable right? This is where the troublemakers in the form of Su Ying’s ex-boyfriend Zheng Wen (Zhang Tao) and the sister of Yun Sheng’s girlfriend make their appearance. Mi Su’s sister wants Yun Sheng for herself and leaves no stone unturned. And Su Ying’s ex, Zheng Wen, is not too happy with her having found love again and muscles his way back into their lives. The two get together to create some serious trouble which the show could have done away with. Does a relationship really need to survive the eye of the storm in order for love to succeed?

Start watching “The Furthest Distance”:

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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yang Yang and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.

Currently watching: “The Matchmakers“