TV series shows love is a battlefield

Liu recalls that around 80 percent of the people who were interviewed before shooting of the series began, most of whom were born between the mid-1980s and 1990s, said falling in love was fine but marriage was another issue altogether.

Gender seemed to define their attitudes. Men were primarily worried about earning enough to support the family. Women, on the other hand, were concerned about relationships with future mothers-in-law and raising children, Liu points out.

"In one sense, it is a social phenomenon that prevails among young people in big cities, especially metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai," says Liu, also chairman of the Beijing-based studio Century Wana Film and Media.

As a veteran producer who has worked in the film and TV industries for over a decade, Liu also says she hopes Still Not Enough will raise public awareness and understanding of young people's reluctance to share commitment.

Liu believes that TV dramas concerning social issues strike a chord with a wider viewership, and says that the studio's forthcoming TV series, such as People's Justice and When Happiness Knocks at the Door, explore topics closely related to social issues.

Real-life stories and situations may sometimes be even more dramatic.

Li Huixin, founder of the Shenzhen-based psychological consultation institution CXKS, recalls that a man, one of her patients, once attempted to commit suicide rather than go through with his wedding ceremony. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder as he had suffered the trauma of seeing his father abandon his mother.

Many of these cases are primarily caused by childhood or teenage experiences, especially seen in those who have endured conflict between parents or have experienced heartbreak, says Li, who also suggests that the public should have more understanding of, and show greater tolerance to, these individuals.