Perfect Match (2025) Perfectly Matched or Better Writing?

The arc dealing with the fourth sister Li Haode and her newly acquired husband Shen Huizhao ended today. Many will undoubtedly be sorry to see the conclusion of their contracted marital union. It’s not difficult to see why its been the most popular once their story kicks into gear. In comparison to the other stories, it’s a triumph of sanity over the absurd — bearing the strongest resemblance to normality as much as a C drama of this kind can be considered “normal”. It’s almost as if we’re watching an entirely different show. A parallel universe where people marry and then go about their business cooperatively and put their heads together to solve problems. No hijinks. No mind games. No escalating tit for tat. And no No 11th hour switcheroos as well. I note that the high-strung Mother Li barely makes an appearance to hurl spanners in the works. Or heighten the histrionics of earlier events.

The success of this particular loveline it seems to me is about the writing itself. Some would call it good writing. I would just call it text book writing. It’s common sense stuff. The script does everything it should without resorting to plot contrivances. Or an overabundance of tropes. Certainly the cases which are largely about domestic disputes adds sufficient colour to the palette to provide all the tension that’s needed. Two strangers marry each other become partners in crime and gradually fall in love through Haode’s sincere good deeds. More important than anything else there is substantive character developments like any half decent story.

Shen Huizhao is a character modelled after the great Northern Song justice, Bao Zheng or Bao Gong (as he’s more commonly known as). The legendary judge presided over the court in Kaifeng and was famous for his fearless (and fierce) application of the law even with members of the aristocracy. Tales of his exploits have inspired generations of writers. With that in mind, it’s not difficult to see why the Shen Huizhao character has been accorded far more respect than any other in this show. In a show about marriage, a fascinating proposition emerges: What kind of husband would the ruthlessly impartial judge be? As the chroniclers of Chinese history missed an opportunity to satisfy the curiosity of inquiring minds so it’s up to the modern day screenwriter to fill in the gaps for posterity.

All joking aside, this modern revisionist picture of the impartial judge is also a healing story. Shen Huizhao learned the wrong lesson from his sister’s murder and his mother’s subsequent suicide. It isn’t that his life is fraught with danger that disqualifies him from matrimony. By that logic, no one holding high office or in law enforcement should ever establish a family or hold anyone dear. In truth his flaw was his lack of flexibility. The law is made for people, not the other way around. It’s a case of the spirit of the law vs. the letter of the law.

Also it seems to me that what makes this arc more palatable perhaps is the attitude of the two people in this marriage. They like each other and aren’t shy about it. Of course there’s always the danger of Shen Huizhao taking his wife for granted so making him sweat for a few days isn’t necessarily a bad thing for either. No one can convince him that what he has with Haode is good and beautiful enough to overcome every misgiving, he has to come to that conclusion on his own. Can he really live without her? Probably. But he would be wallowing in abject misery for the rest of his short life. It’s what his brother-in-law Du Yuanming came to realise after playing the noble idiot. Which is why he (Yuan Ming) grovelled hard, bowed the knee and flashed his puppy eyes in desperate abandon. To be so close and out-of-reach must be a painful way to live.

Throughout this experience Haode reflects on what it means to be a wife. She knows herself and succumbs to the murmurs of her heart. She can’t play those mind games and definitely not with a straight arrow who is trying so hard. But her experience is probably good counsel in general: Communicate clearly and be prepared to be vulnerable. Tricks are best left to card players, magicians and April Fool’s day.

The director for this arc doesn’t get enough credit, it seems to me for the way the interactions between this pairing are framed, shot and staged. I’ve come to realise how important directors are after watching douyin dramas for over 14 months now. The actors do well enough Liang Yongqi especially but without the deft touch of a creative force behind the camera, the results might not be as compelling.