Roy Chiu
Meng-Cheng Chang
Overview
A debt collector strikes a deal with a debt-ridden woman struggling to care for her ailing father: he will take care of her bills if she agrees to date him.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readWanting, without a name for it
I've seen enough debt-collection dramas to know the drill. A man in a cheap suit knocks on a door. He wraps a threat in bureaucratic jargon.
He leaves with cash or a broken nose. Man in Love, directed by Yin Chen-hao in 2021, starts there. Roy Chiu's Ah Jian is that man, a low-level enforcer for a loan shark. The film refuses to stay in the groove.
It cares less about the paperwork of debt than about the quiet violence of wanting something you cannot name, and the quieter violence of being wanted back.
The premise is almost a transaction. Ah Jian offers to clear the debts of Hao Ting, played by Hsu Wei-ning, a woman drowning in medical bills for her ailing father, if she will pretend to be his girlfriend. No fine print.
Both of them are trading in desperation. The film's real move is how it complicates that simplicity. This is not a con artist's gambit.
It is not a fairy tale where love rinses the morally compromised clean. Two people do not so much fall for each other as recognize each other, like mirrors held up to their own loneliness.
The first act moves like a machine that already knows its job. Ah Jian's world arrives in sharp, almost clinical scenes. He is not a brute.
There is a methodical calm to the way he repossesses a scooter or negotiates with a delinquent borrower, like a man who stopped questioning the work a long time ago. Chiu plays him with a restraint that borders on opacity. His face is polite indifference.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.2/10
"A heartfelt romance with strong performances but a storyline that struggles to stand out."
The chemistry between the leads and their emotional performances are frequently praised, making the romantic drama engaging despite its familiar plot. latestnetflix.com's take is that however, some find the story predictable and the pacing uneven, leaving it feeling less memorable than it could have been.
What viewers praise
- Strong lead performances Roy Chiu and Hsu Wei-ning deliver compelling performances that draw viewers into their characters' emotional journeys.
- Emotional depth The film’s exploration of love and personal struggles resonates with many, creating a touching and relatable experience.
- Engaging chemistry The on-screen connection between the leads is a highlight, adding authenticity to their romantic relationship.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The storyline follows well-worn romantic drama tropes, making it feel unoriginal to some viewers.
- Uneven pacing Parts of the film drag, while others feel rushed, disrupting the flow of the narrative.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles lack depth, leaving the story feeling somewhat one-dimensional.
Recommended for
Romantic drama enthusiasts Fans of Taiwanese cinema Viewers who enjoy character-driven stories
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Man in Love (2021): A Taiwanese Remake with Heart and Grit
Man in Love (2021), directed by Yin Chen-hao, is a Taiwanese romance-drama that breathes new life into the 2014 South Korean film of the same name. Starring Roy Chiu and Hsu Wei-ning (often credited as Ann Hsu), the movie blends crime, romance, and emotional depth, but what went on behind the scenes? latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what we know about the making of this remake.
A Remake with Taiwanese Flavor
Unlike the original Korean film, Man in Love (2021) transplants the story to Taiwan, giving it a local twist. The plot follows A Cheng, a debt collector with a hidden soft side, who strikes an unusual deal with Hao Ting, a woman drowning in debt while caring for her ailing father. He offers to erase her bills—if she agrees to date him. The film retains the core premise of the 2014 version but adapts it to Taiwanese culture, from the setting to the dialogue 
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The screenplay was penned by Chih-Chung Chien and Lyra Fu, who worked to balance the gritty crime elements with the film’s romantic heart. The result is a story that feels both familiar and fresh, appealing to fans of the original while standing on its own .
Casting Choices and On-Screen Chemistry
Roy Chiu and Hsu Wei-ning lead the cast, bringing charisma and emotional weight to their roles. Chiu, known for his versatility in Taiwanese dramas and films, plays A Cheng, a character who straddles the line between tough debt collector and hopeless romantic. Hsu, meanwhile, portrays Hao Ting, a woman hardened by life’s struggles but still capable of love. Their chemistry is central to the film’s success, and early reactions suggest they delivered 
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Supporting roles include Tsai Chen-nan, Chung Hsin-ling, and Lan Wei-hua, who add depth to the story’s crime and family dynamics. The cast also features Peace Yang, LULU Huang, Bai Xiao-Ying, Tan Ching-pu, and Xavier Lin, rounding out the ensemble with a mix of drama and lighthearted moments .
Production and Release: A Quick Turnaround
Man in Love had a relatively short production cycle, with filming wrapping in time for a March 2021 launch in Taiwan. The film premiered in limited screenings from March 26 to 28 before its official release on April 1, 2021 . This tight schedule suggests a focused production, though details about on-set challenges or behind-the-scenes drama remain scarce.
The film’s runtime is 115 minutes, and it carries a 15+ rating due to themes of violence, debt collection, and emotional intensity. Critics and audiences have given it mixed but generally positive reviews, with a 6.3/10 rating on SensCritique based on 61 votes . Rotten Tomatoes lists Tiffany Hsu (likely a miscredit for Hsu Wei-ning) as part of the cast, but this appears to be an error—Hsu Wei-ning is the confirmed female lead .
Netflix and International Appeal
After its theatrical run, Man in Love found a second life on Netflix, where it was released on August 20, 2021. The streaming platform’s global reach helped introduce the film to a wider audience, particularly fans of Asian romance and crime dramas. The Netflix Wiki entry notes that the film’s blend of genres—romance, crime, and drama—made it a standout in the platform’s catalog .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udr78TOy-Kg
The official trailer, available on YouTube, teases the film’s emotional highs and lows, from tearjerker moments to the male lead’s relentless pursuit of love. It’s a snapshot of the film’s tone, which balances grit with tenderness .
Rumors and Unconfirmed Details
While the evidence provides a solid overview of the film’s production, some details remain unverified. For example:
- There’s no confirmation of on-set conflicts or behind-the-scenes tensions between cast and crew.
- The film’s budget and box office performance aren’t mentioned in the available snippets.
- Rumors about sequels or spin-offs are nonexistent in the retrieved evidence.
Without additional sources, these aspects remain speculative.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.