The first half of Episode 2 was packed with memorable quotes.
But the second half? It was a barrage of emotionally charged, blood-pressure-spiking highlight scenes.
Even if Nagao Kanji wasn't wrong in what he said, he came to realize—he had crossed a line.
What right did he have to criticize Rika's relationship with her boss? What gave him the moral high ground to pass judgment?
And yet, even though Rika was mad at him the next day, she still helped him handle the parts of his work he didn't understand.
It was then that Nagao chose to apologize to her.
"Don't worry about me. Just focus on Satomi." Rika said, pretending to be angry.
"I can't do that. I said something so hurtful to you—I have to apologize."
"So you do care about me?"
"Of course I do!"
"Seems like you really mean it."
"Of course I mean it!"
The rapid-fire exchange was dizzying—Li Xuan hadn't even fully processed what was happening when—
That beautiful, confident, lively girl smiled.
Her fury had struck like lightning, stunning the audience.
But when it dissipated, it faded like the tide—silent and complete.
"You're in love. You like me!"
Rika's lips curled into a smile, her eyes crescent-shaped like the moon.
In that moment, maybe Nagao Kanji himself didn't realize he was in love.
But Li Xuan knew—he was already long gone.
His fists clenched. He nearly shouted at the sky but held it in.
["Su Yan, you Sadist, don't pull any cheap tricks with this series. Akana Rika is the female lead, right? So her love, her hopes—they're going to be answered, right?!"]
At that moment, Li Xuan completely let go of his usual views on relationships.
Sure, Akana Rika's way of thinking might seem bold, even radical.
Some people might find the plot unrealistic—where in the world is there really a girl like this?
But that's exactly what TV dramas are for—portraying people and stories that don't exist in real life.
If everything mirrored reality, why would anyone watch dramas at all?
Just live your own life!
Li Xuan took a deep breath.
He had originally expected this show to be another party-war drama like 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners', with characters like Lucy and Rebecca triggering endless fan debates.
But by now, countless viewers in Xia Nation had already pledged blind allegiance to Rika.
Sorry, Gu Qingyuan, but that Satomi character? What roadside character is that? Besides her looks, which might rival Rika's, what else does she have?
Depth? Personality? Everything else?
She's no match for Rika!
And just as Li Xuan firmly cemented this stance in his heart—
The plot hit him like a brain aneurysm.
To show his sincerity in apologizing, Rika asked Kanji to meet her at 7 p.m. at a restaurant after she finished work—his treat.
Kanji agreed.
But then, Satomi called Kanji, asking him to go out for a gathering—she had something to tell him.
After all, she already knew Kanji liked her.
Even though she'd kissed Kenichi during that late-night incident—
They'd had a falling-out afterward, so Satomi decided it was time to respond to Kanji's feelings.
She decided to go out with him.
...?
Li Xuan couldn't take it anymore.
"Are the relationships in this show really this casual?!"
Satomi had liked Kenichi Mikami before. He thought it was some passionate, unwavering love.
Oh, but a few disagreements later, and she drops Kenichi like a hot potato, running back to Kanji, the backup?
Save me. How can someone this fickle act like some emotional victim?
You never had a firm resolve to begin with, so wasn't it normal for Kenichi to argue with you?
Gu Qingyuan, I really do like you, but could you please get your character Satomi off the show ASAP?
Li Xuan was ready to curse out loud.
But of course, the male lead Kanji was just as indecisive as ever.
Even though he already had a dinner date with Rika...
He still chose to meet Satomi.
He left only a note at Rika's desk, telling her that their dinner would have to be rescheduled, and rushed to Satomi.
Li Xuan took a deep breath. Now it wasn't just Satomi—he had a bone to pick with Kanji too.
What trash behavior is this?
Su Yan, you old troll, don't you feel sick playing this character yourself?
At that moment, a wave of viewer rage surged toward Su Yan.
And the result?
Rika, busy at work, accidentally covered the note Kanji had left on her desk with a cardboard box—she didn't see it.
Though she was late, she still rushed to their agreed-upon spot.
While Satomi and Kanji were eating at one restaurant, Rika showed up at the one they had planned to meet at.
["Wait a second, something feels off."] Li Xuan felt a knot forming in his stomach.
Old sadist, what is this setup supposed to mean?
Rika was thirty minutes late.
When she saw that Kanji wasn't there yet, she felt genuinely guilty.
She thought it was her fault for being late—that Kanji had gotten mad and left.
Even so, she still held on to hope.
She sat in a corner of the restaurant, waiting for him to show up.
She believed—Kanji would come.
Rika looked out at the heavy rain falling outside.
Her smiling face reflected in the glass, as radiant as always.
[Looks like... she's crying.]
Li Xuan's fingers trembled slightly.
Rage is building up.
Half an hour.
An hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
Kanji's dinner with Satomi ended—but this time, he rejected Satomi's confession.
He couldn't forget that kiss between her and Kenichi.
He knew that Satomi's true feelings were for Kenichi.
Or rather, her deepest feelings had always belonged to Kenichi. Not him.
And then came the most ridiculous twist.
After parting ways with Kanji, Satomi ran into Kenichi on the street.
She even cried and told him—
That she'd been "dumped by Kanji."
[666.]
Meanwhile—
On his way back, Kanji learned from a coworker that Rika had likely gone to their original dinner spot.
Only then did he realize—
Rika had never seen his note.
The background music kicked in.
Rain is pouring down.
Rika stood outside the now-closed restaurant, umbrella in hand, gazing at passersby with hopeful eyes.
Still waiting for that person to arrive.
That scene—
Li Xuan's eyes turned red.
When Rika saw Kanji running toward her through the rain, the smile that bloomed on her face shattered Li Xuan's self-control.
Could there really be a girl like this?
She probably wanted to cry, but still greeted him with a smile.
The guy was four hours late—and she'd been waiting for him in the rain the whole time!
Rika leaned her head against Kanji's chest.
"Thank you for coming. I'm so happy. Really... I'm so happy. But I don't know why it turned out like this."
After saying that, Rika's expression turned sad as she walked away.
Kanji said nothing—but she already knew.
He never showed up from the start, not because she was thirty minutes late, but because he left.
And she probably guessed it too—he ditched her because of Satomi.
Because in this drama, that's exactly how Rika was written.
When it came to Kanji's feelings, one look was all it took for her to understand what was bothering him.
This show doesn't spell everything out—but viewers can taste the details for themselves.
As the ending theme played, Li Xuan looked pained.
What the heck was that?
This male lead—can you just grow a spine?
Why the hell are you still dealing with someone like Satomi?
Are you blind?!
Okay, fine—Satomi is pretty. But don't let your heart go blind!
Honestly, this entire episode defied Li Xuan's expectations—but he didn't feel uncomfortable with it.
This was precisely why Su Yan didn't set the story in mainland Xia.
On Sakura Island, these types of stories could be told more boldly.
Even characters like Rika—with their unconventional worldviews—could be embraced by the audience.
The characters in the show wouldn't obsess over these things either.
Cultural norms differ, so it's only natural for ideas of love to vary, too.
If these characters were placed in a mainland Xia drama, they'd get torn to shreds by the audience.
After Episode 2 aired, everyone had basically formed their opinions about the characters.
This wasn't a love triangle.
This wasn't a "pick one of two" story.
This drama had only one true female lead.
Akana Rika.
She was the story's focus. As for the male lead?
[Ha. He'd better not stay indecisive.]
If he doesn't like Rika, then leave her immediately.
If he does like her, then he'd better—not under any circumstance—let her down.
Online, after Episode 2 ended, Rika's popularity soared. On all major Xia Nation websites, she ranked first in viewer support among new season dramas—crushing the competition.
As for Satomi—even with Gu Qingyuan's massive fanbase backing her—there was nothing they could do.
She was clearly two-timing. Liked Kenichi, argued with him, then suddenly turned to Kanji. When rejected by Kanji, she still told Kenichi, "I got dumped."
Just one episode, and fans had already labeled her:
Top-tier green tea.
Sorry, Gu Qingyuan.
But when it came to Satomi, Xia Nation viewers had a clear answer.
["This might be the first villain role Gu Qingyuan's ever played!"]
["Absolutely. She's not even a tragic loser—Satomi is the textbook definition of green tea."]
["Why?! Why did Kanji go meet Satomi when he already had plans with Rika?!"]
["Okay, maybe we can't blame Kanji completely—he's had a crush on her for years. But at least he held the line. When Satomi confessed, he turned her down. If he hadn't, I would've lost all respect for him."]
["Exactly. Satomi's so two-faced. She likes Kenichi, but can't stand his Playboy side. If she hadn't argued with Kenichi, would she ever have gone to Kanji? The best part of this episode was Kanji turning her down, realizing Rika never saw his note, and rushing to find her."]
["This show is nothing like Su Yan's previous dramas. These characters are so mature, in terms of how they think and act. The writing is seriously good."]
["I was completely done for the moment Rika waited for Kanji in the rain."]
["A girl like her... meeting someone like that is a once-in-a-lifetime miracle."]
["Kanji, forget Satomi. Go comfort Rika."]
["In Episode 3, I need to see Rika and Kanji dating. Not joking."]
["Honestly, even that Playboy Kenichi feels more likable. Satomi? No thanks."]
["What did Kenichi do wrong? He's a player, yeah—but he never pretended to be a pure-hearted nice guy. All the girls around him know who he is. It's Satomi who liked his Playboy charm but couldn't stand him being flirty with other girls. Double standards."]
["Dude, you just made me see the light."]
["A green tea that looks down on a Playboy? No wonder I found her so annoying."]
With Episode 2 of 'Tokyo Love Story' now aired, the audience had formed their impressions of the main cast.
Just like in Su Yan's previous life—
Rika's popularity was unmatched.
The male lead Kanji got mixed reviews, since it was still early in the story.
Surprisingly, Kenichi—despite being a supporting character—had a better reputation than Kanji.
He was a playboy, sure. But in real life, that's common enough. As long as he didn't intentionally manipulate anyone's feelings, so what?
But Satomi...
Her manipulative behavior and that one line—"I got dumped by Kanji"—had utterly tanked her reputation.