This Is Not What I Expected (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story takes place primarily in Shanghai’s luxury hotel world, featuring the high-stakes environment of the Rosebud hotel. It also includes scenes from Lu Jin’s London office, emphasizing the global nature of his business empire. The urban Shanghai backdrop creates a contrast between public corporate success and private emotional struggles.

• shanghai
• luxury hotel
• rosebud hotel
• setting
• london

The film is set in the present day, reflecting today’s fast-paced city life and modern dining culture. The contemporary setting showcases corporate maneuvering, high-end cuisine, and personal relationships within a global metropolis.

• present day
• contemporary
• modern era
• time period

Food becomes the language that connects Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan. The special dish she prepares marks a turning point where romance and culinary craft intersect with business. Their relationship deepens through shared meals and the vulnerability that great food invites, exploring desire, care, and companionship beyond ambition.

• love
• food
• romance
• cooking
• culinary

Lu Jin’s hotel empire and the buyout pressure drive the narrative, showing how corporate success often requires tough, sometimes ruthless decisions. The manager’s demand for culinary excellence becomes a test of loyalty and control. The story frames ambition against human relationships, questioning what truly constitutes success.

• power
• ambition
• corporate
• hotel
• business
• success

Gu Sheng Nan hides her role as the secret chef, while Lu Jin conceals aspects of his personal life behind his public persona. The tension arises from mistaken beliefs and hidden motives. Trust is built when both characters finally see each other beyond their masks, exploring authentic connection through vulnerability.

• identity
• deception
• trust
• secrets
• hidden identity

Gu Sheng Nan is a 26-year-old sous chef at the Rosebud hotel who uses cooking as a voice to express ambition, resilience, and warmth. She is bold, impulsive, and highly skilled, capable of turning simple dishes into emotional statements. Her growing attraction to Lu Jin is tempered by professional pride and a guarded heart.

• gu sheng nan
• chef
• sous chef
• zhou dongyu

Lu Jin is a powerful hotel magnate portrayed by Takeshi Kaneshiro. His sharp pragmatism rules the business world, but he becomes unexpectedly drawn to Gu Sheng Nan’s culinary artistry. Beneath his commanding exterior lies a capacity for vulnerability, blurring the line between client and confidant.

• lu jin
• hotel magnate
• takeshi kaneshiro
• ceo

Lu Jin’s Personal Chef is portrayed by Lin Chi-Ling, a seasoned professional who sustains him with precise, high-end cooking. She represents his private, domestic world and the discipline behind his public persona. She is calm, expert, and a steady presence in the high-pressure hotel ecosystem.

• personal chef
• lin chi-ling
• chef

The Rosebud hotel’s kitchen serves as both a battleground and a meeting place for the protagonists. The high-stakes culinary competition reflects the film’s themes of ambition and perfectionism, while also serving as the space where Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan’s relationship develops through their shared passion for food.

• kitchen
• culinary
• hotel
• cooking competition

Lu Jin’s London office underscores the global reach of his hotel empire. The international business dimension adds pressure for the Shanghai hotel to perform at the highest standards, creating tension between corporate expectations and the personal relationships developing in the kitchen.

• london
• global business
• international
• corporate