You Are Mine – Series Review & Episode Guide

Shun Yu begins his new job at Tianxia Online Inc., working as an assistant for a business executive. Before being recruited for this role, he used to help at his family's bakery. He has no prior administrative experience. The company had an old policy of only hiring female secretaries, but it changed the rules recently. Shun Yu became the first male assistant in his department.

Shang Zhou is a general manager at Tianxia Online Inc., where his mother owns the company. Known for his stern demeanour, Shang Zhou intimidates the staff. He's hard to please and makes many demands. In the past, none of the secretaries have enjoyed working for him. Shun Yu was hired as the new assistant because of his resilient personality. Despite his lack of credentials, he can endure Shang Zhou's criticisms better than other employees.

Shun Yu begins his first day of work and makes many mistakes, from spilling the coffee to forgetting the schedule. Shang Zhou is annoyed at his assistant's ineptitude and wants to fire him. However, the company's vice president urges Shang Zhou to be patient and focus on the positives. When Shang Zhou gets a headache, he tries to take pain medication. Shun Yu advises against it and offers to give him a massage instead. Shang Zhou discovers massages are one of his assistant's hidden talents.

After a rocky start, Shun Yu improved in his job. He understands his employer's eccentricities and learns to accommodate him. Likewise, Shang Zhou becomes interested in his quirky assistant and wants to know more about his life. The two grow closer, overcoming their awkward start. The other employees also noticed a change in Shang Zhou's behaviour. They think Shun Yu is a positive influence on the surly business executive.

You Are Mine has a cute start. The early episodes thrive on silly plots and lighthearted humour. Yes, the cliché storylines are ridiculously dumb. And yes, the low-brow comedy seems juvenile. Nonetheless, the goofiness amuses me. Some moments can be cringy, but it's the good kind of cringe that feels playful and endearing. This series doesn't take itself too seriously, so you want to laugh along with the shenanigans rather than criticize everything. I enjoy the mischief from You Are Mine, setting a positive first impression.

Initially, the protagonists have a fun relationship dynamic. Shun Yu and Shang Zhou must overcome their drastic differences. The plucky assistant uses his enthusiasm to draw out warmth from his boss. Likewise, the mature manager offers mentorship guidance to the clumsy subordinate. Both characters benefit from each other's influences, revealing new nuances to their personalities. Every bonding scene brings them closer together. There are hints of romance as the series teases the couple's growing attraction. Their promising love story gains a steady momentum.

Unfortunately, You Are Mine goes downhill midway through the series. Each episode worsens in quality, becoming less enjoyable as it proceeds. Any early potential in the romance fades away, overtaken by annoying relationship drama. The writing lacks focus and loses clarity. My interest wanes as the plot turns increasingly incoherent. The characters are difficult to decipher, giving odd reactions or taking convoluted actions. There are also unnecessary conflicts, which can be resolved through communication, yet the couple would rather avoid speaking honestly.

One of the worst issues is the tasteless romantic scenes. Shang Zhou appears too aggressive in his seduction and disrespects boundaries. He physically imposes himself on his nervous subordinate, creating uncomfortable optics. Also, Shun Yu keeps resisting his love interest and doesn't reciprocate the intimacy. Since the flirtation is one-sided, Shang Zhou seems predatory while pushing unwanted sexual advances. In Episode 8, he disturbs me by taking advantage of his drunken assistant. As the boss, his violations have an extra dimension of inappropriateness.

You Are Mine doesn't care that it perpetuates offensive behaviour. Shang Zhou's problematic antics go unchecked for the entire series. No one calls out the sleazy boss for abusing his authority or sexually harassing an employee. Shang Zhou can explicitly command his secretary to sleep in the same bedroom as him without facing consequences. The other coworkers witness the misconduct and don't oppose it. They act as if pleasing the boss is part of the job. The story has an alarmingly skewed view of power dynamics, normalizing an unhealthy workplace culture.

After falling into a miserable slump, You Are Mine rebounds with a surprisingly enjoyable ending. The finale is funny and cheerful, reminding me why I liked the series at first. Despite the charming conclusion, my opinion remains staunchly negative. The dreadful last few episodes have done irreparable damage to the story. I shudder and squirm when thinking about the couple, the surest sign of a failed BL drama. You Are Mine promotes an inappropriate office romance with a predatory protagonist who acts like a creep. This icky relationship does nothing for me.