The Rules of Love (Chinese: 人鱼恋爱法则) also known as The Mermaid Love Law is a 2019 Chinese romantic fantasy series.
Merperson Yang Luo Tian has always gone as a boy for most of his life. That is until he saved Lie Heng Yu from drowning. When a merperson first falls in love, the equivalent of puberty hits and their body begins to take on one gender. Yang Luo Tian finds his body and mind slowly turning female.
To avoid scrutiny over her sudden changes, she switches colleges, only to still pose as a man after being recognized by her childhood friend. She soon ends up roommates with Lie Heng Yu. As if it’s not hard enough hiding her gender from him, she also has to hide the fact that she cries pearls and her scales flare up when her skin touches the water.
In the second season, Yang Luo Tian and Lie Heng Yu finally began to face each other's feelings, and Song Hao Han finally found that he had fallen in love with this simple and kind girl after using the fall. The emotional entanglement of the three people was friendship...rising to love. At the same time, Mu Shishi and Qiao Yingzai learned about the identity of Yang Luo Tian (as a girl). Song Hui also found that the identity of the fall celebration was very unusual, so she launched an investigation... Can Yang Luo Tian continue to be in Seng Wa as a boy? How will this fascinating mermaid love develop?
The 24 episodes are split into two seasons of the series. The first season aired in March 20th, 2019 and the second season aired in April 4th, 2019.
This show provides examples of:
- All Love Is Unrequited:
- Song Hao Han fell in love with Yang Luo Tian, but she doesn't feel the same way and she only has eyes on Lie Heng Yu.
- Song Hui has romantic feelings for Lie Heng Yu for many years, but he doesn't love her.
- Accidental Kiss: In episode 3, When Yang Luo Tian tries to kiss Lie Heng Yu if she can change back into a guy, but Lie Heng Yu turn around in her direction and unintentionally kiss her awhile he's asleep.
- Back for the Finale: Most of the characters from the previous season return in the finale series.
- Beta Couple: In season 2 episode 2, Qiao Ying Zai and Mu Shi Shi enters a romantic relationship after he confessed his love to her.
- Big Bad: Song Hui along with her cousin are the main antagonist in the second season who is willing to expose Yang Luo Tian's secret and she wants to get together with Lie Heng Yu even though he doesn't love her.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Yang Luo Tian and Lie Heng Yu in the series finale.
- Bifauxnen: Yang Luo Tian looks like guy even though she was originally a guy most of her life until she fell in love with Lie Heng Yu. Most of the characters except Song Hao Han couldn't tell Luo Tian was a woman dressed in men's clothing.
- Bittersweet Ending: Although Song Hao Han patch things up with his half-brother, Lie Heng Yu and in good terms with Yang Luo Tian, but he and his mother are forced to move back to England and never to be seen again after his father divorced his mother. In the end, Yang Luo Tian and Lie Heng Yu are in a happy romantic relationship and they are now engaged.
- Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: Yang Luo Tian and Lie Heng Yu's relationship sometimes often happen as misunderstanding and heartbreaking at sometimes. However, they relationship fall apart after Song Hui and her cousin kidnapped them and they exposed Yang Luo Tian's secret as a mermaid. She is forced to move back to her homeland and she thinks Heng Yu hates her after her secret was exposed and Lie Heng Yu falls into deep depression for not saving her from drowning and regrets his poor reaction for Yang Luo Tian as a mermaid. In season 2 episode 9, they realizes can't live without each other and still hold romantic feelings with each other. Lie Heng Yu is willing to search for her and gives her a proper apologize for his reaction. Afterwards, they make up and Lie Heng Yu accept her for who she is.
- Cliffhanger: The first season ends with Mu Shi Shi discover that Yang Luo Tian is a woman.
- Crossdresser: After Yang Luo Tian transform into a woman, she has to dressed like a man since she doesn't want people from her old collage and keep her identity a secret.
- First Law of Gender Bending: When a Merperson falls in love with a human by the same sex, their body turns into the opposite sex.
- Love at First Sight: When a a Merperson have to stick with the first person they fall in love with in the lifetime and they cannot fall with another person.
- Love Triangle:
- Lie Heng Yu, Song Hao Han and Yang Luo Tian.
- Yang Luo Tian, Song Hui, and Lie Heng Yu.
- Mistaken for Gay: Downplayed. Qiao Ying Zai and Mu Shi Shi mistaken thinks Yang Luo Tian and Lie Heng Yu are making out just because they are both guys, but in reality, Luo Tian is actually blowing something inside Heng Yu's right eye and Luo Tian is woman.
- Our Mermaids Are Different: When Merperson exposed to water, their skin turned to fish scales, they cried pearls, and has sonic screech that makes humans render unconscious and temporarily loses their memories.
- Relationship Upgrade: In season 2 episode 1, Yang Luo Tian and Lie Heng Yu enter a romantic relationship in secret and enters a proper boyfriend-girlfriend relationship in season 2 episode 9.
- The Reveal: In episode 8, Lie Heng Yu, Song Hao Han are actually half-brothers who share the same father, but not the same mothers.
- Shout-Out: Multiple:
- In the first episode, Yang Luo Tian can be seen watching the original 1990 anime, Sailor Moon at home.
- In the series finale, an Ariel birthday candle from The Little Mermaid can be seen on a birthday cake.
