2025: The Year of the Hidden Gems

Did you hear? Apparently, Chinese entertainment is dying.

If you listen to CDrama pundits or spend enough time on Chinese social media, the narrative for 2025 is pretty bleak: the Chinese entertainment industry is “devolving”, production numbers are down (we’re looking at just over 200 dramas this year, with fewer on the horizon for 2026), and quality is supposedly in the gutter.

All of this might be true. But honestly? I had a blast this year.

True, I’ve always been that annoying “glass half full” person. But while everyone else is mourning the “golden age” or lamenting that it had been a sucky year CDrama selection-wise, I’m over here struggling to keep up with the deluge.

Maybe it’s because I’m a slow watcher, or maybe it’s because my tastes are broad enough to find joy in everything from high-prestige shows to “propaganda” dramas to idol fluff.

But I think it’s also because this year I uncovered so many underrated, hidden gems thanks to heavier involvement in Chinese social media. If you know where to look, you can really find great gems!

For most international viewers, shows like Love’s Ambition, A Dream Within a Dream, The Legend of the Female General, and Love in the Clouds were favourites.

But, as per my usual tastes, these international crowd pleasures just didn’t click for me. (Though Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty III, while not super popular in the international side, is wildly popular in China, and I got on that train hard.)

The hidden gems of 2025

Instead, I gravitated towards dramas that not many in international circles hear about, and which is why I want to shout about them in this piece.

• What a Wonderful World: An experimental masterpiece about mental states and perception. It lacks mass appeal and can be frustrating, but the storytelling is incredibly unique.
• Why is He Single?: I watched this at a time when I desperately needed a laugh after a hospital thing. It’s a delightful, cute comedy that delivered “humour is the best medicine”. Wallace Huo is the perfect fit as the eccentric bachelor and main character of this drama.
• Fated Hearts: This was the drama that could. It wasn’t a “S-tier” budget production, but it won over many viewers through its (mostly) stellar performances and mostly coherent storytelling. The best enemies-to-lovers CDrama ever.
• The Wanted Detective: An original script with a fantastic ensemble cast. This mystery-solving drama os flawed, but it has so much jeart that I didn’t care about its plot holes.
• Triple Echo of Time: Such a gem, but so, so difficult to access for most people. Right now it’s available on Youtube with English subtitles, but I have no idea if it’ll be accessible to all regions. It’s a drama about a middle-aged man who goes back to the past to convince his teenage self to change his life trajectory. But his 61-year-old self also travels back into the past to stop him from succeeding. An original script, solidly told – this production team is known for creating heartfelt dramas under a tight budget, so I hope they get more chances to create great shows.
• The Company: another time-travelling drama, this time about a supposed antique shop owner who travels through time collecting artefacts that have unusual supernatural properties.

My crown jewel: A Moment but Forever

I have mentioned this show approximately 10,000 times, and I’m about to make it 10,001. This is quite possibly the most profound xianxia I’ve seen in years.

Chinese viewers are calling A Moment But Forever a “return to classic xianxia,” and they’re right, but it’s a little difficult to explain to those who have not watched CDramas for decades like I did.

Basically, xianxia had been dominated by romance and young adult tropes and themes in the last few years.

“Classic” xianxia, or rather those that aired over ten years ago, often focus on the responsibilities of being a deity to mankind, and tend to be more focused on spirituality and morality.

The “popular” surprise: Feud

Although I said I’m the person who just doesn’t jive with internationally popular dramas, Feud was a rare exception.

It’s xianxia, yes, but I’d actually describe it as a “Marriage and Divorce Drama with Xianxia Characteristics.”

The first few episodes were a bit of a “troll”—they threw every annoying xianxia trope at me, almost convincing me that it was the “same old, same old”.

But after the “reveal” of the true plot, it became one of the most heart-wrenching, deeply moving, surprisingly philosophical CDramas I’ve watched.

The drama, however, was uneven in terms of storytelling, or not it would’ve been elevated to “treasure” for me.

The Okay-lahs

Okay, this is Malaysian-speak for “it’s good but not memorable”. To be honest, there are so many in this category for me this year it’ll probably be impossible to list them all, but the most notables ones would be Blood River, which I found serviceable but not emotionally impactful due to being hamstrung by mediocre acting and fighting scenes, and uneven pacing.

Endless Protection, had the reverse problem: it is a great production, had awesome acting and storytelling-wise, but not emotionally impactful to me. ;P This is probably due to the fact of having seen so many crime dramas from the West. Endless Protection is a very typical procedural crime drama to me.

The hall of disappointments

Well, okay, I can’t be optimistic about everything. There were a few heavy hitters that swung and missed for me:

And to my surprise, while I enjoyed Cheng Yi’s Mysterious Lotus Casebook immensely (it literally was the CDrama that made me start this blog), I had zero interest in watching all of his dramas this year: Journey of the Legend Sword and Beloved, and Vendetta of An.

Personally, I think he’s currently stuck in “I’m an idol and I need to produce shows that please the fans” phase. Not to mention being signed to a rather controlling agency, so I doubt he can wriggle his way out of his obligations and film what he likes. Still, I hope he can elevate his acting skills and shine in future roles, because those three dramas did not showcase them enough and well, he’s still being criticised for his line delivery, and for good reasons, unfortunately.

I do like Cheng Yi, and I think he has massive potential, so I hope he can get rid of his idol baggage and rise beyond that one day.

Final Verdict: There are still CDrama gems to savour

Yes, the industry is slowing down. Yes, we are seeing fewer shows. But if you have a wide palate and the ability to sniff out CDramas that are quality but barely talked about, 2025 can be a great year.

In fact, compared to last year, there were far more dramas that I’m interested in watching!

My “Plan to Watch” list is overflowing (even more than before) and I have decision fatigue trying to decide which one to watch first:

China’s commemoration of 80th anniversary of its fight against Japan’s WWII surrender may have been politically charged and uncomfortable for some international folks, but it brought many great CDrama gems, many of which is now on my “plan to watch” list:

• Man’s Inhumanity to Man
• The Long Way Back
• Nanjing Photo Studio

I also watched a non-CDrama, a documentary, that is set in this period: The Sinking of Lisbon Maru, which moved me to tears. Unfortunately, my attempt at watching its film version, Dongji Island, was not successful.

They romanticised the event too much; the fishermen were tanned, muscular, barely-clad younglings led by Wu Lei. After watching such a respectful documentary retelling of such a tragic event, I could not take this movie seriously.

Others, not World War II related, include Silent Honor, In the Name of Justice and more.

So, while the doomsday clocks are ticking for C-dramas, I’ll be over here with my “hidden gems,” perfectly happy.

#CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Fantasy #TV

Gemini (金昭玉醉) short Cdrama review

Gemini (金昭玉醉) is unabashedly aware of what it is, and it’s not apologisin’

This 28-episode short drama (each episode at around 15 minutes), has a The Double-ish premise — the usual revenge/reborn thing.

Princess Lu Zhao suffers at the hands of her husband, who covets her wealth. So, she throws herself off the mansion in despair. And as she lay dying, she wishes vengeance on the evil people and somehow attracts the spirit of the just deceased chief of a notorious sect that serves as the emperor’s secret police. This ruthless femme fatale, Xiao Jin Yu, died about the same time.

Her “twin brother” Xiao Ren (not biological, promise) tries to bring Jin Yu back through a dark ritual, but the magic gets complicated, and she ends up in the princess’s body and resurrects.

In her new body, Jin Yu no longer has the memories of her former sect leader life. So, with her newfound ruthlessness, the resurrected Lu Zhao toys with her former tormentors like a cat with her prey, wrecking vengeance.

And Xiao Ren decides that since she has no memories, it’s time to get close to her. So he protects her while wooing and flirting with her.

My thoughts about the drama

I had finished an intense work period and needed something light (aka brainless), so I thought to myself, hey why not just have a look — it’s only 15 minutes. .

Nine episodes later, and there are already poisons, dark magic, drownings, assassinations, black magic, mistresses, adultery, falls off cliffs, kisses, aphrodisiacs, and sibling-not-really romance — plus the removal of clothes. To Xiao Wei’s credit, despite Lu Zhao being doused with a love potion at one point, he doesn’t take advantage.

It’s deliciously trashy, and I am seated. 🤣

And you know what? The quality of this drama — the camera work and acting — is better than a lot of long dramas these days. It makes me wonder just why this is so.

Since A Familiar Stranger, I’ve been looking for short Cdramas just as good. Unfortunately, after the format became popular, there was a gold rush of sorts and quality dropped as cheap rush jobs became the norm. After a while, many short dramas earned the reputation of being low-budget, salacious dramas with unbearably choppy editing.

Fortunately, Gemini feels pretty smooth and is as good as A Familiar Stranger.

Although the drama’s plot and acting isn’t particularly unique, I think our main actors Zhao Jun Wei (Xiao Wei) and Zhu Li Lian (Lu Zhao) did well. The story, although melodramatic at times, doesn’t veer too far into ridiculousness. It is fun and engaging enough for me to continue watching episode to episode.

If you’ve not tried short dramas before, this is a good one to try!

Final rating: 3.5
Deliciously trashy, surprisingly well-made, and way too easy to binge.

#35Stars #cdrama #cdramas #chineseDrama #costumedDrama #tv

Spill the Tea #2: Whispers of Fate, Blood River, and so much more

November was a bit of a struggle, personally and drama-wise. Personally, I ended up dealing with a medical issue. Drama-wise, I’m still recovering from the masterpiece that was Fated Hearts, and finding a drama to fill that void has been tougher than expected. But I did attempt a few shows, as you can see below!

This month is the battle of the male-led dramas: Blood River, Whispers of Fate, Fight for Love and Sword and Beloved. Who will come out tops?

PS: Each time I do these issues, I realise that I watch a hella lot of CDramas a month. How do I do it? That’s a mystery!

The Four Big Boys

Whispers of Fate

I’ll be the first to admit I can be shallow, but the styling in this drama is just… a lot. I find myself completely fixated on the male actors’ hairstyles, all the bits and bobs hanging off their robes, the dangly pieces in their hair, the gauzy clothes that flutter as they move. It all feels very pretentious and self-aware.

It’s not that the story is bad. In fact, the more I learn about the story, the more intrigued I am by the plot’s potential. But the over-the-top storytelling and directing style make it incredibly difficult for me to buy into this universe. My brain just keeps wondering how many hours they must spend in the makeup chair!

I’m also a bit wary of the central conflict. The entire drama seems to hinge on a single misunderstanding that could be solved if they were just locked in a room and forced to talk. (Though, to be fair, I’ve heard the other person wasn’t willing to listen.) I’m not a huge fan of plots driven solely by a lack of communication.

In the end, after following the plot via social media posts and recaps, I realized it just wasn’t for me.

Read why I dropped Whispers of Fate after 8 episodes.

Fight for Love

With the limited time I have, it was impossible to catch all the “big boys”. Interestingly, while I found Fight For Love had the best potential story of the lot, it seemed to have fared the poorest, with Douban releasing its scores three days early (!) at a dismal 5.3!

How does a Cdrama get scored when it had barely started its run? Something weird is going on here.

Like I said, I found the premise the most interesting of the “male lead dramas” I watched this month, but I just do not have the time (nor the mood) to watch a drama that is about devastating wars, betrayals, political battles and such. However, I will most certainly make the time for it in the future, as I found some of the side stories rather sweet and interesting.

Sword and Beloved

This is another C-drama that didn’t even entice me to watch, however it seems to be fairly popular. When it comes to xianxia, I need something that breaks the mould to really capture my attention. Sword and the Beloved feels like a very typical xianxia/xuanhuan: a powerful, ice-cold male lead meets a bubbly, pixie female lead who brings light to his dark world. I was bored just reading the summary. I’m sure it will captivate some viewers, but for me, it was just too generic.

The third in the big-budget trilogy which began with Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact, word is this drama started out very well but derailed significantly midway to the point of no return. Alas, what a sad state of affairs for a drama so hyped up and highly anticipated.

Verdict: Didn’t start

Blood River

This was my attempt to move on from Fated Hearts. While it’s interesting enough to keep me watching, Blood River doesn’t come close to the rich, sweeping storytelling of my previous obsession.

The first six episodes were overwhelming, throwing a slew of battles and a dozen characters at me in quick succession. I nearly gave up! There was one episode where almost 20 characters appeared, and I was completely lost. Fortunately, it improved a lot after episode 9, and I ended up smoothly watching up to episode 30.

What drew me in was the character of Su Mu Yu, the assassin with the 18-blade umbrella (this is a prequel/spin-off of The Blood of Youth). The main actor, Gong Jun, was a concern at first. He was a bit stiff, but since his character is meant to be stoic, he grew on me after episode eight or so. He’s not terrible, and when he doesn’t express emotions, you can still feel it.

Blood River ended up being the most well-regarded of the male-led dramas of November, scoring a 7.2 at Douban to date.

Just aired…

Blemish Flaw

Started watching this because youtuber Avenue X mentioned that this was the same team behind the highly-praised Heroes. Watched up to six episodes, and I can say that it’s a thrilling psychological twister of a drama. Lots of potential with this one, because you’re just not sure whose version of the story is the correct one.

Why Is He Still Single?

You will know the answer to this question after 10 minutes of watching the show!

Ah, Wallace Huo! My crush from a decade ago! This time he returns as the cantankerous Mr. Yu who gives the impression that he’d much rather deal with the AI versions of his clients and the people around him. I found myself laughing out loud at some scenes, which is what I totally needed in November.

Catching up with…

Dramas that aired a while back…

Love in the Clouds

I was initially curious about this one because it had a solid Douban score of 7, which usually signals a good watch. However, I couldn’t even get past the first episode. The female lead’s peppy, zesty personality was a bit grating for me, and it didn’t align with the narrative that she’s a seven-time tournament-winning warrior.

There’s an intriguing enemies-to-lovers storyline somewhere beneath the surface, but the comedy didn’t land for me at all. In the end, I looked up what happens in future episodes, and I’m kind of glad I dropped it. It seems to be full of “noble idiocy,” back-and-forth, and miscommunication—a classic Xianxia trope that I find very tedious. It might be your cup of tea, but it just wasn’t for me.

Verdict: Dropped after 2 episodes 😛

When Destiny Meets the Demon

Who knew that I’d end up watching 15 episodes of a saccharine, transmigration drama? Is it the magnetic aura of Arthur Chen or his many kisses? To be honest, I found the story pretty typical and not extraordinary, but I’m still watching for some reason. The most annoying thing about this drama are the one-dimensional villains (sect leaders, as usual!).

Controversy Derails Lady Liberty

The career-defining drama for Tangyan was unexpectedly derailed by a scandal! This is such a bummer as I’ve been waiting forever to watch Lady Liberty. Who would’ve thought that it would end up being derailed by its scriptwriter, who supposedly bribed someone to make the police release her after an offence?

This is such a messy affair, and as this involves a major crime by China’s standards, there are huge doubts that it’ll ever air. I’m absolutely heartbroken—for Tangyan, and for the hardworking folks behind the drama.

#CDrama #CDramas #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Fantasy #TV

Whispers of Fate review

The Story

The drama is technically xuanhuan with some wuxia-ish elements thrown in: it’s both genre-bending and experimental. At its core, it revolved around Tang Lici (Luo Yunxi) and Liu Yan (Alen Fang), two characters with a complicated history involving a misunderstanding over what Liu Yan thought Tang Lici did to someone they both loved. Due to this, Liu Yan decided to kill hordes of people just to frame Tang Lici for revenge.

However, the CDrama also covered an expansive world where immortal beings were trying to manipulate and control humans for their own purposes. Tang Lici and Liu Yan’s conflict was just a side effect of this.

What I Liked

I was intrigued by Luo Yunxi and Fang Yilun’s characters, Tang Lici and Liu Yan, and I definitely liked the twisted dynamic between the two. I appreciated the philosophical concepts that the drama wove through the story (when I wasn’t distracted by the shiny headgear). I just felt that its best qualities were fogged up by the frippery and fluff.

The martial arts and special effects were dazzling. I get what people mean by Luo Yunxi looking really good when executing the martial arts moves. It was enjoyable to watch, though I’m more of a Cao Jun real-life martial arts moves kind of person. Still, it was very pleasing to watch.

The experimentation was fun. I also liked that it was trying to be out-of-the-box, genre-wise. It was both wuxia-ish and xuanhuan-ish. I love this kind of creativity, and that’s partly why I started watching.

It was just a pity that I had to go through … a lot to get to the parts I enjoyed.

What I Didn’t Like

The Costumes
I was actually looking forward to Whispers of Fate despite my deep reservations about the styling. It reminded me too much of Till the End of the Moon, and I was majorly turned off by the styling there.

Unfortunately, as predicted, the styling and character designs were off-putting to me.

I cringed each time Liu Yan appeared with his over-the-top costume.

You see, I have an easily distracted brain. Instead of focusing on what Liu Yan was saying, my brain – which has the attention span of a toddler – was immediately fixated on the bazillion baubles shining and twinkling in his hair. And then my brain went down a rabbit hole of wondering how Liu Yan put those baubles in his hair every day.

Then, I realized I hadn’t been listening, but then another character appeared with lots of blinky-winky things on his robes and my brain was again mesmerized by the baubles.

So, okay, this is probably a me problem, but seriously, Alen Fang and Luo Yunxi are gorgeous so they really don’t need to overdo things with them, ya know? I’m not sure why the production team thought it was a good idea, but perhaps it was all to bank on the Till the End of the Moon signature look… my theory anyway.

Purple Filming

You know the term “purple prose,” when writing is (to quote Google): “excessively elaborate, ornate, or flowery”? Generally considered bad writing.

Well, the storytelling, directing, and filming style of Whispers of Fate is what I call Purple Filming.

Characters posed after pausing for a few minutes to make a profound (presumably) statement. There were many slow-motion shots where the camera lovingly lingered on the chiseled contours of our hero’s face.

This was far more apparent in the first two episodes, by the way. The show seemed to tone it down by the fifth episode, except during battles, where you could be sure they would Strike A Pose.

The Acting Quality Was Not Great
And it didn’t help that some characters overacted or couldn’t act. Sigh. The less said the better (lest their fandoms come after me), but at least Luo Yunxi performed decently, though I wished Fang Yilun wasn’t so over-the-top with the moustache-twirling evilness. (I really don’t think he can do villain roles very well.)

The Core of the Story Was… Annoying

One of the tactics I use when I’m lukewarm about a drama is to spoil myself. Yup! I did that with Feud and ended up thoroughly enjoying it… only because I realized that beyond the abysmally slow start, there was a story I could root for.

I thought I could do the same for Whispers of Fate, but the more I found out about the story, the more I was like… are you for real?

Essentially, it’s the tale of two besties who had a falling out, and who should be locked in a room so they can finally talk it out.

Yes, I’m sure the “why” would be revealed eventually, but for those not in love with circles of miscommunication, it could be an excruciating wait for clarity.

Bloated Storytelling

I feel like I shouldn’t over-explain this, but the show took too long to get to the point. I was also mystified by why some characters were even there – I didn’t know what our female characters’ roles were, for one. There were also a few side characters who popped in when our hero was doing the mystery-solving bits, whom I promptly forgot about once they exited.

The Fandom Interactions Disgusted Me

The social media discourse around this drama (especially on Chinese platforms) was awful. Fans attacked anyone who dared to say anything negative about the drama. The comments had a curiously single narrative: If you don’t appreciate Whispers, it’s because you can only watch brainless stuff – aka, you’re too stupid to appreciate it. (Did they huddle together to come up with this excuse?)

Even fans of the drama complained about being silenced for saying anything negative, noting that they couldn’t even comment that the dubbing seemed off as it didn’t sync with the actors’ lips.

As a person who loved What a Wonderful World and Three-Body, I think I have a solid 🧠 in my noggin’. My taste is just different. However, the behaviour of the fandom was so bad that I’ve placed Luo Yunxi dramas in the “do not watch” category to spare myself from reading their interactions ever again. Petty? Yes. But I’d like to spare myself the mental pain.

However, not all Chinese fans are that unhinged. There were some who actually loved the drama and were less fandom-driven, who gave their honest thoughts, such as in this post below:

“Are we starting with the senseless angst trope? Shui Long Yin, you’d better hang in there!

Finished watching 31 episodes of the main story + 34 episode previews, and I’m a bit disappointed.

I don’t understand why the director made Tang Lici under the Bronze Tree look so miserable and so full of stares that it made me uncomfortable. This scene should have been about evoking empathy, not emphasizing shattered beauty.

Thinking about it, Tang Lici is always miserable. His throat has been cut, he’s been stabbed (more than once), he’s coughed up blood countless times, and this time he’s literally skewered like a kebab. He’s basically the ‘Final Destination’ of the Chinese entertainment industry.

I’ve held back my opinions on this, but today I just can’t. On one side, you have Tang Lici being brutally tortured and unable to wake up, while on the other, Liu Yan is completely unharmed and wreaking havoc on Haoyun Mountain.

Every time Tang Lici and Liu Yan go head-to-head, only Tang Lici gets hurt. Liu Yan is the perfect Heavenly Body; he’s never weakened or damaged, always has his full combat power, and can freeze Shao Yanping in a second or break the protective mountain formation of the Central Plains Sword Assembly with a single song.

I can understand that Tang Lici’s self-healing is affected by the heart crystal, but you can’t emphasize that he’s the closest to a perfect Saint Body while constantly showing his broken body! Isn’t that a contradiction?

A character like Liu Yan, who’s completely insane, makes me feel he’s used too many Gu insects and they’ve eaten his brain. He admires Zhou Fang so much, has he never woken up in the middle of the night and remembered Zhou Fang’s teachings?

This character has started to feel like a plot device. For the sake of the story, Liu Yan needs to be a complete psycho. But this so-called ‘perfect’ Heavenly Body, Tang Lici, is nearly killed by this psycho.

In the 34th episode preview, Gui Mudan is going to turn against the others, and I’m worried about how the plot will unfold from here.

After all this buildup—philosophical debates, subtle foreshadowing, and such a complex world setting—to have it all boil down to a single verse of Yin and Yang wanting to be resurrected… if that’s the case, I can only describe it as anticlimactic.

Such a simple motive can’t support the massive buildup that came before.

The writers love leaving suspense and planting foreshadowing; intricate plots are a good thing. But don’t overcorrect and turn it into just showing off skills. Any narrative technique must serve the story itself. Being obsessed with ‘plot twists’ but forgetting the story’s origin and ending, where the form surpasses the content, is ultimately not worth it.”
Source: http://xhslink.com/o/46GGH437C2W

I felt validated when the reviewer said how the complex plots, culture, and philosophical debates were just garnishing for a weak plot.

Unlike most international viewers, I’m not impressed by these things. I could see how the drama tried waaaay too hard to be profound. A good story doesn’t need all these philosophical debates and cultural bling-bling to be truly deep. Look at A Moment But Forever, whose style is very simple and whose culture is reflected in the actions of the characters, not in long-winded debates about fate.

So, I wasn’t imagining things – my review was spot on! I felt like a genius for having concluded this by episode 8.

At the end of the day, the directors leaned too much on fanservice: making Luo Yunxi look like a “fragile, tragic, broken” character because that’s what his hardcore fans love.

Whispers of Fate is the ultimate hurt/comfort fiction, and most dramas don’t go there like this one did.

Why I Dropped the Drama

All I know is after watching 8-9 episodes, I just couldn’t get into it. The main culprits: I was unable to appreciate the aesthetic and the acting – it was too over-the-top for me.

But the main killer was the ineffective storytelling, and how the drama dragged out the miscommunication between our main characters for so long.

I’m also really not into (okay, I dislike) the tragic, fragile, misunderstood hero who is inches from dying trope. I was okay with Li Lianhua from Mysterious Lotus Casebook, but that was generally a solid wuxia and they didn’t dig into the trope so intensely like this drama does.

I kept up with the drama by reading recaps on xiaohongshu (Chinese social media) until the end. All I can say is that I was right – it’s not a show I could enjoy. A lot of people do, however. But not for me, and my time is too precious.

It’s a pity because reading the plot points of later episodes, the world does sound interesting.

It’s just that the thought of having to slog through this drama’s convoluted storytelling exhausted me.

Some dramas I enjoy like a yummy dessert; some are kinda like soup where you need to hunt for the good bits and fork out the unpleasant bits. I am just not the target audience.

But Maybe You May Like It

There are folks like me who are turned off by the purple filming and the plot revolving around miscommunication, but there are also people swearing up and down that it’s the most profound thing they’ve watched.

I’ve come to conclude: different strokes for different folks.

I think those who appreciate this drama love the emotional intensity it gives them. They get to experience the emotional highs and lows of the characters, and this drama excels at that.

The viewers who don’t, tend to appreciate structure and technical details more and are only swayed by the emotional intensity if this is supported by the writing and characterisation. I belong to this group.

Anyway, despite my sharp words about this drama, I truly wanted to enjoy it. I really did see potential in the story between Liu Yan and Tang Lici. But you can’t disguise a weak story with a convoluted storyline, over-the-top Chinese styling, and call it profound.

Final verdict: Dropped

I found it an overperformative attempt at telling a grand fantasy opus, but it felt flat.

#CDrama #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Dropped #Fantasy

Fated Hearts Cdrama review

The Story

During the Battle of Pingling, Jinxiu Kingdom’s red-clad female archer, Fu Yixiao, struck the eldest prince of Susha, Feng Suige. Seriously injured, the Susha army was forced to withdraw.

However, shortly after the battle, Fu Yixiao falls off a cliff. When she comes to, she has lost her memories and is pursued by assassins. She is rescued by a healer, who patches her up, but Yixiao later encounters her old enemy, Feng Suige, who is also seeking treatment at the same medical clinic.

Seeing Fu Yixiao in this state, Feng Suige believes that there’s something more to the Battle of Pingling. Why is someone trying to kill the hero of Jinxiu? Suige believes that there’s a mastermind underminding the Susha army.

So, he offers Yixiao a “partnership”: work together to uncover the mastermind behind the conspiracy

Thus, the two, sworn enemies a month ago, now rely on each other to get to the bottom of this. And eventually, relianced turned to love.

Characters

Fu Yixiao (played by Li Qin): Fu Yixiao was once a renowned archer and military commander of Jinxiu.

Feng Suige (played by Chen Zheyuan): Feng Suige is the eldest prince of the emperor of Susha Kingdom.

Xia Jingshi (played by Chen Heyi): As a prince and military comnander of the Zhennan Army of theJinxiu Kingdom, Xia Jingshi appears to be gentle and reserved, but in reality he is powerful and ruthless.

Feng Xiyang (played by Xia Meng): The beloved princess of Susha Kingdom fell in love with Xia Jingshi at first sight when she was young.

Murong Yao (played by Zuo Ye): Suige’s best friend is the son of a Marquis who defends the border up north. He spends his days enjoying himself and has a reputation as a useless nobleman and a playboy.

What I Liked

Great pacing, tight plot: I’m not the sort of person to binge a drama, but it captured my attention so thoroughly that I binged 10 episodes in one day. And unlike most dramas, it didn’t have the final arc failure – the story was steady and believable till the end.

Its sophisticated approach to character development and moral complexity: The writing adds genuine nuance to every character, showing how people can be foolishly focused on the wrong priorities, failing to recognize what truly matters right in front of them and falling into evil deeds because of it.

Compelling parallel character journeys, such as that of Suige and Xia Jingshi, both princes of their kingdoms Both characters face similar circumstances. They have unfavored positions in their respective courts with limited support, yet their responses reveal their true natures. Suige builds genuine loyalty and develops real skills through honourable means, while Xia Jingshi manipulates others through false kindness, ready to discard them when convenient. Suige always fights at the front of his army while Jingshi hides behind people whom he has brainwashed to protect him to the death. Even Suige and Yixiao had similar journeys, mishaps and betrayals, which makes them one of the best-matched couples in CDramaland! ;D

The sibling relationships are deeply moving. I have gotten so tired of the murderous royal sibling trope, so this was a breath of fresh air.

It’s probably the best enemies-to-lovers romance I’ve seen: a true partnership where both leads fight side by side. No noble idiocy, “I’ll keep this from her for her own good” situations. Li Qin and Zheyuan have fiery chemistry!

The best female general/warrior of the year: This is the year of female generals, and most have failed. Shadow Love probably had the worst female general I’ve seen. But Li Qin radiates and projects lethal competence without trying to be masculine.

The acting is stellar: The argument between Murong Yao and his father, and the emperor’s soliloquies. There are many standout moments and scenes in this drama.

Story complexity and coherence: I’ve gotten so used to uneven pacing, logic fails, snooze-worthy arcs that to have a drama with such a coherent, well-aced story was an utter miracle. The drama strikes an excellent balance between explicit storytelling and leaving room for audience interpretation.

What I Didn’t Like

Chen Heyi’s (Jingshi) poor acting: No hate for the actor, but let’s name a spade a spade – he cannot act. This made most of Jiangshi’s arc unbearable. He is outacted by everyone, so his weakness is very apparent in this drama.

The cinematography occasionally becomes unintentionally comedic with its excessive use of dramatic lighting where strobe-like spotlight effects during romantic scenes. Amusingly over-the-top, but this director is known for his flares, though he has toned it down a lot in this drama and it doesn’t distract me too much.

Thoughts about the ending

The ending is one of the most satisfying I’ve watched; it had a conclusion that honours the characters and their journeys. The drama excels at building that foundation. They invested significant time making the characters nuanced and complex, clearly establishing their motivations and desires.

For example, when Suige doesn’t immediately claim the throne at the end of the drama, it felt completely right because the groundwork has been thoroughly laid: Being emperor was probably the last thing he wanted for himself and Yixiao.

The “why” of their choices is crystal clear.

While some say the succession question was unrealistic, I actually appreciate how they handled it.

Suige not becoming emperor turns out to be the happiest possible outcome for him. Being trapped on the throne would have meant constantly watching his back, dealing with a court where he lacks widespread support, navigating palace politics filled with duplicitous courtiers, and managing people he fundamentally doesn’t want to deal with. Both he and Yixiao have consistently expressed their desire to live peacefully with the people they love, and the drama delivers exactly that.

The ambiguity around the Chenyang, the second prince’s status works well. He’s spending time away guarding the tomb—whether he’s abdicated or will eventually return remains purposefully unclear.

I feel that Suige understands his younger brother isn’t suited for the ruthless world of court politics. The second prince is too pure, too genuine for a life surrounded by two-faced schemers.

Even if he could develop the necessary skills, as we’ve seen in recent episodes, it would destroy his gentle nature and leave him miserable. He deserves a happy, simple life, and Suige cares too much about his brother to force that burden on him.

As for Xiyang, with Suige serving as regent, she’ll receive proper training for leadership. As he told her many episodes ago, he will be the first to defend her and fight for her rights.

So, in the end, Suige is Regent, living peacefully with his beloved Yixiao, whom he now calls “fu ren” (wife). They have married and I’m pretty sure am on the way to having many kids.

The revenge arc also provides deeply satisfying closure, with each villain receiving consequences that fit their crimes—from Murong Yao’s death at Suige’s hands to the poetic justice of various other antagonists meeting their ends.

Personally, although the Alliance arc slowed down the pace, I felt that the lull served a crucial narrative purposes. Suige had always idealized his mother and viewed the Alliance through rose-tinted glasses. Part of his rejection of his father’s edict stemmed from wanting to live his mother’s life. He needed to discover that even in a supposed utopia, life is difficult because people remain flawed. Despite his mother being a founder, it meant nothing—no privileges, and the sect had become toxic despite her ambitions.

Suige also needed to understand the value of imperial power. Being reduced to his weakest state through severe injuries taught him how powerlessness impacts not just himself but everyone around him. Being forbidden to leave represented another form of helplessness.

His romantic ideals about life away from the palace needed that reality check. Eventually, he realizes that without power, he cannot protect his people. This arc is where his character embraces power, though I’m confident he won’t become as Machiavellian as his father—he’ll avoid repeating his parents’ mistakes while living the life he wants and using his authority responsibly.

I really appreciated that they showed the true costs of his injuries. He didn’t bounce back with a magical cure; he had to claw his way back to health and lucidity. This makes the eventual vengeance feel even more justified, and we as the audience can fully enjoy it with him. He didn’t know how good he had it until he lost everything, including his mind—a very necessary character arc.

Anyway, I enjoyed this drama so, so much. Probably the most satisfying costumed romance drama this year for me.

Conclusion

Story: The narrative exceeded expectations for an idol drama, delivering surprising depth and complexity. The character arcs feel authentic, with protagonists who are genuinely flawed yet entirely believable in their motivations and growth.

Acting: Except for Heyi (Jingshi), the actors’ performances were all strong, with standout moments. Of particular note was the veteran actor who played the emperor – he had several soliloquys that made me just stare in amazement. I didn’t know Chen Zheyuan at all before Fated Hearts, but he really delivered Suige’s ruthlessness and his battle scenes were really well down: He was athletic, filled with brutal punches, kicks and sword swipes.

Costumes and Sets: Gorgeous costumes, but I wish they didn’t make Suige so beautiful and pale. He is a battle-hardened general, after all! Oh, but “I ate well”, as us Chinese would say.

Camerawork: Okay, in general but the excessive dramatic lighting effects during romantic moments ended up being funny.

Rewatchability: High

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When a drama can make this binge-reluctant viewer to abandon all restraint and devour multiple episodes in one sitting, that’s the mark of genuinely captivating television.

#45Stars #CDrama #cdramaReview #CDramas #CostumedDrama

Rose Finch (short CDrama review)

IQIYI is calling it “Rose Finch”, WETV is calling it “Rosefinch”. That side of me that demands uniformity is annoyed.

Short dramas have long been the domain for lesser-known talent to make their mark. And this is where the director of Blossom, Zeng Qing Jie, made his name with short dramas such as Provoke, A Familiar Stranger and Butterflied Lovers.

However, short dramas have a reputation where racier scenes can be shot. After dramas such as Provoke and such, this type of quality became rarer. Familiar, tropey dramas with subpar acting were pumped out like crazy. There was the understanding that quality doesn’t matter—people want the juicy bits.

Well, until Rose Finch.

This article suggests that:

• Quality actors are moving in to film short dramas
• Rose Finch sets a new benchmark in terms of quality for the drama format

Executive producer Yang Xiaoming stated, “Zhuque Tang is an exploratory step toward premium content. We aim to shift the industry from ‘fast and shallow’ to ‘short, refined, and excellent’ through high investment and top-tier production.”

A Sina article says that investment was around $40mil as opposed to the usual single-digit investment:

“Many people say that the production of our short drama is a dimensionality reduction attack on the industry. I think it is more like a transfer of advantages, which makes use of our years of accumulation in the field of long dramas,” said Yang Xiaoming.

So, Rosefinch is claiming that it is setting a new standard for quality storytelling for short dramas. Well, has it?

First, if you’ve not watched this 15-minute-per-episode drama, can I entice you to do so with cutie pie Da Huang?

Probably tastes like chicken

I mean, ignore the severed limb, but she’s a cutie, no?

Ok, if that’s not working then, maybe stay around for the qipaos.

As someone who doesn’t have the figure for this demanding dress, I can only live vicariously through these women.

Here’s what I think of the drama so far.

The mystery

So we have a killer who killed one of Gao Ying’s girls in a brutal, ritualistic way. Look, I used to eat lunch/dinner while watching that old criminal drama, Bones. But yewouch the violence in this one made my eyes weep a bit. I have no idea how it passed censorship but hooboy, don’t watch this before bed, guys.

Our detective duo

One’s a straight-laced, by the book, idealistic detective – Zhao Xuan. (The kind who will get tossed into a river for, er, trying to solve riddles he isn’t supposed to, and well, yes, he did get tossed in said river.) And wait, why is he a supporting role? Er, does that mean what I think it means?

Anyway, his partner is a medical student who now is his coroner, and who could be, well, crazy.

On account of talking to his dead wife. I mean, so what if he has entire conversations with a dead person? Good talent is just so hard to come by during those times, you know?

And Xia Mo is extremely talented indeed, being able to see details most people miss, and having zero gumptions about dead bodies.

“I see dead people”. Like, sometimes on the coroner’s table, sometimes at my lunch table.

The acting is stellar

I mean with actors like Qin Jun Jie (Heroes, The First Shot) and Wan Qian (loved her as the empress in Secret of Three Kingdoms), you will get it in spades.

Wan Qian is especially good as the intimidating lady triad boss Gao Ying.

What I like about her is that you suspect she has some kind of gentleness or kindness in her, but then she does something brutal like stick a knife into her brother.

You got sibling problems? Don’t share DNA with the Gaos.

I mean I suppose if you have a father like your scary dad, who is the string puller of the entire town (or maybe nation), you’d behave like this too.

Daddy problems = guaranteed with this guy

Thoughts about the ending

Despite the gore, I loved how uplifting it was.

In the end, it was the women who saved themselves—uniting to defeat the mobsters and their accomplices, led by the formidable Gao Ying.

My verdict

I watched this on a short flight back from holiday-land, and it held my attention. I loved the old Shanghai vibes, though I’ll admit the violence shocked me.

Not for the squeamish!

For a short drama, this is impressively high quality. I love the sets, the costumes, and most of all, the acting. The storytelling isn’t bad, though it may test the patience of some viewers, and it leans heavily on shock value for now. I hope it gains more depth later—and that they improve the editing, which currently feels a bit jumpy.

I also found the occasional humour jarring. The show should lean harder into its gloomy, film noir tone. The comedy just doesn’t quite land—but to be fair, I’m notoriously hard to amuse. I once found a film beloved in mainland China for its comedy seriously unfunny, so your mileage may vary.

I’m mostly enjoying Wan Qian’s performance as Gao Ying, and I’m curious about where the story’s heading. The twist of Gao Ying becoming part of the sleuthing duo was very surprising—and something I didn’t expect at all.

Final verdict: 3.5 out of 5

A pulpy, dark short drama about women’s rivalry and eventual unity. The lead is fantastically strong, though the odd attempts at humour sometimes clash with the tone.

#35Stars #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Republican #TV

Moonlit Reunion (子夜归) review

The story

In Chang’an, a fragile peace is maintained between the human world and the hidden realm of demons.

Wu Zhen, a socialite and sister of the Empress by day and half-human, half-demon Cat Lord by night, keeps the chaotic forces of the Demon Market in check.

Her carefully balanced life is upended when she meets Mei Zhuyu, an upright and low-ranking official of the Arcane Appraisal Bureau, the city’s largely ineffective supernatural investigation arm.

To the public, they are a noble lady and her current suitor, engaged in a playful daytime romance. However, Wu Zhen and Zhuyu end up solving supernatural crimes together.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhuyu also possesses his own hidden talents and is secretly investigating a dark conspiracy tied to a tragic event from the past.

Characters

Mei Zhuyu (played by Xu Kai): A powerful member of the secretive Changxi Palace, Zhuyu is on a mission to find out what happened to his family.

Wu Zhen (played by Tian Xiwei): The Duke of Yu’s spirited second daughter and sister to the Empress, Wu Zhen is famous in Chang’an as a carefree socialite. But she’s the “Cat Lord,” ruler of the Demon Market.

Liu Taizhen (played by Wang Jiayi): Known as the “Snake Lord,” Liu Taizhen is one of the two guardians of the Demon Market.

Wuzi Shu (played by Wu Junting): Wuzi Shu is Wu Zhen’s trusted deputy. His true form is an ancient tome containing the world’s hidden secrets, granting him wisdom and mystery beyond human reach.

Mei Si (played by Yi Daqian): Mei Zhuyu’s cousin.

Huzhu (played by Fan Shiran): Huzhu is a fox spirit and close ally of Wu Zhen.

Shuangjiang (played by Shan Jingyao): Zhuyu’s junior of the same sect.

Pei Jiyaa (played by Zhu Zhengting): An aloof young lord whose proud nature masks the complexity of his double life.

Elder Hui (played by Zhang Shi): A member of the elder council.

What I liked

• This is the most gorgeous, colourful xuanhuan or zhuōyāo (demon hunting) drama I’ve seen. I thought Feud was beautiful. I thought Immortal Ascension was breathtaking (only to dump us into uninspiring sets after the scenery). Well, I have to say Moonlit Reunion just takes it even further. Goodbye pastels, cheap gold armour, and washed-out lighting. This show embraces colour.
• Tian Xiwei is eating up this role as a notorious “playgirl” socialite. I love her character’s playful, haughty, who-cares-about-the-rules attitude. We don’t get enough characters like these, especially female ones. Demon king by night, glamorous socialite by day—I love her superhero persona.
• I also really love the actress who plays Lady Liu. She truly embodies the cold Serpent Lord in both attitude and looks.

What I didn’t like

• Info dump. The first episode drops us into the middle of the story with zero foundational groundwork. Why are you introducing all these characters to me? Why should we care about them? What are they doing? Speaking of which—what kind of world are we in?
• Weak world-building. I wish we were given a better idea of how the world worked. I wish we got to see what Zhuyu does beyond staring stoically as he goes about his business. I wish we understood more about the nature of demons.
• I felt zero chemistry between Wu Zhen and Zhuyu. I think this is due to Zhuyu being so, well, stoic about everything and not doing much beyond reacting to Wu Zhen’s antics. He seemed bland beside her.
• The main theme or storyline seems disjointed, barely built upon, barely there. As a result, I still don’t feel anchored in the story. It just feels like a disparate number of short mysteries swirling together.
• It’s… boring. Many episodes were slow-paced, and it took me a while to get through them.

Thoughts about the ending

Before the ending, there was amnesia.

All I can say is that if it takes a mind wipe to “solve” a couple’s problems… maybe they shouldn’t be a couple in the first place? It’s a cop-out, and it doesn’t help that amnesiac Wu Zhen is like a Stepford dream wife—totally in love and childlike. There’s just something… weird and empty about it.

If it takes a memory wipe to make your relationship work, I’d be seriously worried.

Wu Zhen’s body is being consumed by the Undecaying Bone’s energy. With time running out, Zhuyu decides to use a forbidden time-reversal technique to find a way to save her, despite the risk of annihilation.

This arc was so rushed that towards the end, we still do not know how Zhuyu survived this—or why he is now a cat demon.

Conclusion

So, you’re probably wondering, do I like the drama? For the first 10 episodes, I enjoyed it for what it is: a fun, light romp. It’s very easy to digest and perfect after a very heavy day at work (or while watching very heavy shows).

But after episode 10, with the pace and the storytelling not improving, the main storyline being so weakly fleshed out, and the acting being so wooden… I lost interest.

Alas, I have a hard time cheerleading a show written as haphazardly and badly as this.

Here’s the rundown:

Story: I think the story’s shallow and lacks connective tissue. Sure, sometimes we need saccharine, but we also need substance. There isn’t much of it here.

Acting: Xu Kai can definitely have chemistry with his co-stars (he had oodles of it with Jing Tian in Wonderland of Love), so I’m not sure why he seems so wooden here.

Costumes and sets: The show is absolutely freaking gorgeous.

Camerawork: I think the only reason why I like Moonlit Reunion so much is that I get to see well-shot pretty things flit past on my screen.

Final rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I’m pretty forgiving by nature, but Moonlit Reunion was, to put it bluntly, pretty boring.

#2Stars #CDrama #CDramas #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Fantasy

The Wanted Detective Cdrama review

The story

Xiao Beiming, the top detective of Daqi, was framed for murdering his foster father on his wedding day and forced to flee. Three years later, he returns to the capital to clear his name and join forces with his ex-bride, Xueman.

The problem is, she is also his foster father’s daughter and doesn’t believe that he is innocent.

However, Xueman and Beiming soon discover that the real culprit is more wily and devious than they expected.

Characters

Xiao Beiming (played by Wang Xingyue): The top detective of Daqi, an orphan who was raised by the “King of Constables”, Zhong Yunchi.

Zhong Xueman (played by Xiang Hanzhi): The only female detective in the Divine Constable Battalion. She is also Xiao Beiming’s junior apprentice and fiancée. They grew up together and fell in love.

Zhuge Kongyun (played by Deng Kai): The son of the chief of the Daqi Secret Investigation Team. He grew up with Xiao Beiming and Zhong Xueman. He is proud and arrogant, and a bit of a peacock.

Feng Qingzhuo (played by Chen Youwei): Master of medicine and poison, and also a coroner.

Tong Shuang (played by He Luoluo): An ordinary constable in the Divine Constable Camp who is not very ordinary.

Huo Dairong (played by Zhang Nan): General Huo’s daughter, who gets embroiled in a conspiracy involving our team.

What I liked

• I love that The Wanted Detective is an original script. So, there are no expectations or hullabaloo about it straying from “the original novel”, which is great. The twists and turns kept me guessing all the way.
• Wang Xingyue delivers a compelling performance as Xiao Beiming. (He does his own voice acting and it’s pretty good.) I am all about the character arcs, and I adore the “fall from grace” storyline. In the first two episodes, we see how his arrogance and overconfidence end up being his downfall. I was annoyed with Wang Xingyue in The Double and Perfect Match, but I thought he was a great fit as Xiao Beiming.
• The Fugitive-esque premise hooked me: a detective chased by another equally smart detective (Zhuge), with his ex-fiancée as an enemy. I really enjoyed the idea of a team ensemble solving crimes while redeeming our hero’s reputation.
• Tight writing. The mystery feels layered and well executed, and the crime, wuxia-ish vibe of the drama was great.
• The team dynamics! I love ensemble team dramas like these. We don’t get them enough.

What I didn’t like

• The drama lost a few good opportunities to be a higher-rated show, namely due to some illogical twists.
• The drama failed to establish the romance between our leads; this would have heightened the tension between them even further.
• (This is spoilerish.) Our hero gets nerfed in the silliest way possible. For a complex crime drama, that was a low-brow, dumb reason to get our male lead poisoned. Fortunately, it was a minor flaw that didn’t diminish my enjoyment.
• Xueman doesn’t seem to be a very good detective. I don’t get why her character jumped to conclusions so quickly, which resulted in quite a bad situation for Beiming. Some detective she is.

Thoughts about the ending

When I finished The Wanted Detective, I couldn’t get the final episode out of my mind.

A quick warning: if you haven’t watched this drama yet, do yourself a favour and skip reading this section. Seriously. This is one of those stories where spoilers can genuinely ruin the experience, so tread carefully.

Okay, ready? Let’s proceed.

At first, I wasn’t fully convinced that Tong Shuang was the villain. It felt a little too convenient. But the more I thought about it, the more his strategy made sense. What better way to keep an eye on your enemies than by pretending to be one of them?

I have to give major credit to the actor, though. He completely nailed both roles! He felt like two entirely different people as Tong Shuang and Yeshua—and can we talk about how stunning and menacing he looked in those hanfus as Yeshua? This actor is definitely one to watch.

What I really appreciated about the villain’s writing was how understandable his motivations were, even if his reasoning was flawed. He believed he was justified because life had been cruel to him. But as Beiming pointed out, a difficult past doesn’t give you the right to ruin countless lives. He could have chosen a different path, like that poor Haiya orphan who was the first Yeshua candidate and decided to pretend to be an idiot rather than keep killing.

I truly think Tong Shuang cared for Beiming and even his Haiya followers. You could see the pain in his eyes each time one of them died. In his mind, they were all soldiers on a battlefield, united in their mission for revenge against the Qi Kingdom. And it was clear his subordinates were fiercely loyal—they saw him not just as a leader, but as someone worth following.

I also believe he genuinely cared about the sleuthing team, especially Beiming. In those quiet moments when they were alone, his concern felt real, especially when Beiming was suffering from the poison.

One of my favourite parts of the final episode was the flashback showing Tong Shuang watching the team grieve at his graveside.

He probably did care, like I said—but he was too deep in his plans, too consumed by the first Yeshua’s influence, to imagine another way to live.

It was so poignant when he told Beiming in the end: If there is another life, it’s better that we do not meet again.

I have to admit, I felt a little bitter that the sleuthing group seemed to move on from his death so quickly. But then again, how do you mourn someone who betrayed you like that? Maybe it’s easier to just let go.

This is exactly how a villain should be written: so layered and compelling that even when he meets his end, you can’t help but wish he’d had a chance at a better life.

I really wish more villains were written this well!

Conclusion

If you approach this drama as a romance, you’ll be sorely disappointed because it treats romance mostly as an afterthought. The romance isn’t the focus (Wang Xingyue and Hanzhi have more sibling chemistry), but that’s fine by me—I’m here for the mysteries and Beiming’s character journey!

What The Wanted Detective excels at is being a team/brotherhood drama. If you liked Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty, you’ll probably like this one, though it is not of the same calibre or standard.

Story: The drama isn’t what you’d call super addictive or extraordinary, but it’s good enough to entertain me, and it has a coherent storyline—more than I can say for so many C-dramas these days.

Acting: Pretty good on the whole, especially Wang Xingyue and He Luoluo.

Camerawork: Okay cinematography, nothing too lazy.

Rewatchability: High.

Final rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Wanted Detective scored 7.0 on Douban initially. I would say this is a solidly above-average drama.

#35Stars #CDrama #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Detective

Back from the Brink review

The ancient dragon Tian Yao had the worst wedding day ever. The woman he loved and was about to marry betrayed him by dismembering him, stripping him of his dragon scales and then sealing his body parts in five places. Fortunately, his soul manages to escape and he reborns, but with hardly any power. He encounters Yan Hui, a Taoist woman disowned by her sect, who happens to possess his heart protection scale. Tian Yao uses Yan Hui to retrieve his stolen body parts, but eventually they grow fond of one another and set on an epic journey to recover his body and restore balance to the world.

Characters

Tian Yao

An ancient dragon who was far too naïve for his own good, he learned the hard way not to trust humans — especially the Taoists who hunt down spirits like prey.

Yan Hui

A Taoist disowned by her sect, she is a free-spirited adventurer who believes spirits are equal to human beings.

Bai Xiao Sheng

A mysterious man who practices “dark arts”, he has an agenda that involves Tian Yao and Yan Hui.

Su Ying

Honestly, she’s the big bad for me, the one who caused Tian Yao the most pain. A stern, cold-hearted Taoist master, she has only one goal in mind: To use Tian Yao’s body to keep her lover alive.

You can also watch the review here:

https://youtu.be/rCy2U3Mhzo8

Or have a listen to the episode on Spotify.

What I like

The dynamite premise

Seriously, wasn’t that story that grabbed your heart? A once mighty dragon falling down to low depths, betrayed by the woman he loved. That was what attracted me to the show.

Neo Huo as Tian Yao

He was really good. Congrats to his stylist! He sure did a good job because Tian Yao looked really good.

Sympathetic villains

What I found pleasantly surprising was how three-dimensional the bad guys were. They have good, almost relatable reasons to be bad. Well, except for the big bad. He was just nasty.

But for some of them, even the loathsome Su Ying, I find myself sympathetic to their grievances and hope somehow that they can getter a better life in the next life.

Interesting romance side plots

There were other couples in this drama whose romance I enjoyed. Some ended well, some tragically, and I felt for all of them.

What I didn’t like

Uneven tone

Is it a comedy or a tragedy? When the cutesy Pokemon-like spirits drifted into view, I just got thrown out of the moment. Was I supposed to think about it as a cute fantasy or an epic, dark fantasy? It veers from both themes wildly throughout the series.

The bad CGI

I have seen worse, but couldn’t they have stuck to the tragic tones of the story and do away with Pokemon visuals? I found it jarring.

Nosedive in script quality midway

I dropped this drama at episode 15 when the story took a turn for worse.

The tiresome love triangle

Bai Xiao Sheng (pic above), whom I really thought was unique and different, morphed into a stereotypical jealous second male lead. He deserves way more than that sad role. (Fortunately, they dropped this nonsense later.)

And then, Tian Yao did something mind boggling that didn’t make sense.

To add oil to the fire, the three of them ended up wandering around this alternate dimension, the love triangle dynamics in full force. And then there was something about pixie kids…

It took me about a month to brave this drama again.

But this time, I skipped the annoying episodes and started at episode 20.

To my surprise, I binged the episode in a few days. The storytelling improved a lot and the storu got decidedly more interesting and ironically, it wasn’t the main couple that pulled me back in but the story of the King of Qinqui and his twin brother.
Wow, the actor played both roles amazingly.

Conclusion

It will take a very patient viewer to stick with Back from the Brink and appreciate it.

Show is something that makes me sigh in sadness. It could have been soooo good.

If only the plot didn’t take a nose dive at episode 15.
If only the cutesy CGI was done away with.
If only they could be consistent with the tone of the show.

While the two leads were not mind-blowingly great actors or have awesome chemistry, they were good enough. But they were hobbled by the subpar script.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

#25Stars #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #Fantasy #Xianxia

Summer 2025 CDramas – the hits and the misses

Summer Cdrama season this year was flooded with dramas. Unfortunately, it also coincided with a very busy time in my life, so I wasn’t able to watch a lot. Yet, I was so amazed I saw this much.

Let’s start with the good stuff. These are the dramas that lifted me out of a very busy and not-so-well period.

The pleasant surprises

Feud
Genre: Xianxia
Two powerful, immortal enemies, bound by a fate that prevents them from killing each other, navigate a complex love-hate relationship while confronting deep misunderstandings and a threat to the world.

Read the review: Feud

I generally don’t like xianxia dramas these days because they can be clichéd, but Feud, together with A Moment But Forever (which was more of a spring drama), really brought something new to the table. The first 10 episodes of the drama were actually quite a slog to get through, and if you didn’t know the twist was coming, you probably would have given up.

I like this drama because of the emotional depths it went to; it was very, very moving for me. I thought everyone did brilliantly, including Bai Lu and Joseph Zheng. It’s an original script, so nobody knew what was coming, and I found the live discussions very fun. A good drama.

The Wanted Detective
Genre: Detective mystery, costumed drama
An elite constable, framed for murder on his wedding day, returns years later to clear his name and uncover a sinister conspiracy with the help of his allies.

This is another one that surprised me. I didn’t think much of it at first because, I’m getting tired of detective dramas set in ancient times; it’s getting overdone. But I really like this drama because it was a good ensemble piece; they developed the friendship between the characters a lot.

I also found the author wrote the villains in a compelling way. Towards the end, I couldn’t help but rewatch the final episode again and again because the villain’s arc was so moving. That’s the sign of well-done character writing. If you’re into that, you will really like The Wanted Detective.

Granted, it has a lot of flaws—flaws that could derail some people from enjoying it—but it didn’t bother me because I’ll put up with a lot more. In the end, it’s a drama that actually improved episode by episode; the last episode was one of the most thrilling and moving.

Read the review: Wanted Detective

Rose Finch
Genre: Detective mystery
In 1929 Shanghai, a string of brutal murders targeting showgirls uncovers a dark conspiracy tied to a powerful underground network. A forensic doctor, a sharp-witted detective, and the owner of a lavish dance hall form an unlikely alliance to expose the truth, risking everything to shine a light on the city’s darkest secret.

This short drama caught me by surprise. I really enjoyed it because it was very pulpy, the performances were so good, and I loved how the story ended. At first, you think, “Oh, women are again being abused,” but the theme is really about how women tend to battle and hurt each other just to stay on top, and that’s been the case for ages. The beginning of the show felt like that: women are victims because they are not united. But towards the end, it’s their unity that makes the difference.

I adore Gao Ying, the tough adopted daughter of the local mob boss. This is how strong characters should be written. The fun part is you don’t really know where she stands for the first 10 episodes. The only thing I don’t really like is its strange sense of humor, which took me some time to get used to. It threw me off a few times; I felt like they should just stick more to the dark tone of the drama.

Read the review: Rosefinch

Dramas I enjoyed but is just average

Duel on Mount Hua: Nine Yin True Sutra
Genre: Wuxia
This is prequel to Legend of the Condor Heroes centers around Mei Ruo Hua, a woman hell bent on revenge. By fate, she becomes a disciple of Taohua Island, renaming herself Mei Chao Feng.

I really like the story. Zhao Yiwei, of course, does his work so well and I have no complaints there. But I hate to say this: Meng Ziyi just cannot act. She really could not carry the show, and neither could her partner; she didn’t have any chemistry with him. So both of them really brought down the show.

But on the whole, I thought the story was very good. I’m generally very forgiving of wuxia because we get so little of it these days, so I enjoyed the heck out of it even though it was not exactly well-made.

The big disappointments

The Princess’s Gambit
Genre: Costumed romance
A princess enters a political marriage to gain freedom but soon finds herself entangled in dangerous court intrigues, forming an uneasy alliance with her cunning and ruthless husband to survive.

Read the review: The Princess’s Gambit

I’m the type that tries not to expect too much from the CDramas I watch, but when I saw The Princess’ Gambit’s trailer months and months ago, I felt it in my bones that this drama was going to be good. I thought: “Wow, what can actually go wrong?”

But I forgot this is Cdrama land, and things just go wrong.

It started so well. The first 10 episodes were thrilling. Liu Xueyi was magnetic as usual. Although I found Meng Ziyi lacking in the acting department, she was at least fit for the role.

But the drama fell off a cliff when her character literally fell off a cliff—which is kind of funny, actually.

The thing about Chinese dramas is that actors rarely get the full script when they choose a project. I just pity Liu Xueyi so much because I think he’s been hoodwinked so many times. The show starts well, and then they use it to promote their minor actors. (A common modus operandi in idol dramas.)

The show suffers because new actors get too much screen time, and their acting and storylines are usually bad. This is what happened to The Princess’s Gambit—poor Liu Xueyi suffered the same fate in Kill Me Love Me.

Moonlit Reunion
Genre: Costumed fantasy romance
The daughter of a duke, who hides her ability to see spirits and her role maintaining order in a hidden Demon City, forms an unlikely partnership with a Taoist exorcist.

It looked like utter perfection. The first few episodes were actually quite sickening by how beautiful everything was. I’m shameless enough to say that I stayed because everyone looked so beautiful: the sets, the makeup, everything. But the scriptwriter was either on vacation or an AI.

For one, this story had so many random plot threads and characters. I can’t help but think this is yet another drama promoting new actors.

We got a lot of pointless stories that don’t go anywhere, and the main plot line was so sketchy and rarely visited. The drama ended extremely hastily with so many unanswered questions.

The inexplicable part is that Xu Kai, who played the main lead, Zhuyu, was so wooden. I don’t know what happened to him; it’s as if he decided to take a light day at work. I know he’s capable of better, seeing his work in a Wonderland of Love. He’s just better at roles where he’s a playful, a bit of a rebel. Maybe he just doesn’t suit playing stoic characters. There’s an art to playing them compellingly. Unfortunately, Xu Kai can be stoic, but not boring … but he was both stoic and boring.

I dropped it at episode 33 because I realized I just couldn’t go on anymore and had no interest at all in seeing how it wrapped up.

Shockingly, Moonlit Reunion got a 6.6 score on Douban, which I think is way too high for a drama that was so badly written and acted.

Read the review: Moonlit Reunion

First Impressions, not completed

Shadow Love
Genre: Fantasy costumed romance
A female general rescues an amnesiac man, and as they fall in love, they must face the challenges that arise when his forgotten identity as a prince from an enemy state is revealed.

I just started Shadow of Love; I watched the first episode and don’t mind it. It is extremely campy, though, and they should take every opportunity to ensure that Cheng Lei goes shirtless—which I highly appreciate!

It’s a drama that knows where its worth is (on Cheng Lei’s muscles, if that’s not clear enough), so that really shows you how “deep” this drama is.

To be honest, I have a very hard time believing Song Yi as a general. It’s not about physicality; you can be thin and wiry and still exude that commanding aura.

I think the person who did a female general very well was Zhao Liying in The Legend of Shen Li. She also worked out for months, eventhough we don’t get to see her muscles, we certainly saw the way she carried herself with that spear. When she walked into a room, you knew you weren’t supposed to mess with her. Yet, at the same time, she was very feminine.

You don’t command the respect of thousands of men if you are not authoritative. And Song Yi simply doesn’t project that aura.

But okay, fine. I’ll suspend my disbelief with Shadow Love. This is a fantasy drama where the male lead literally shrinks into a child in the first episode—so realism isn’t that important here.

Shadow Love did open with a very low Douban score in China, however. In general, I agree with Douban scores, but this one feels more like a 5.5 than a 4.8.

I think everyone was still pissed off from Legend of the Female General and its unrealistic depiction, so they saw another drama badly depicting a female general and decided to punish Shadow Love for it.

The production quality is below average, nowhere near Moonlit Reunion, so it deserves some deductions. But acting-wise, it’s okay. Fluff is fluff, but this is not godawful fluff, just average fluff 😛 So, it deserves at least a 5.3.

In the end, Shadow Love is campy fluff that knows its worth: Cheng Lei being shirtless as often as possible.

Read the review: Shadow Love

Immortal Ascension
Genre: Xianxia
An ordinary young man leaves his village with a mission to cultivate to become an immortal.

It’s beautiful … but a little formulaic with the “let’s see if he can upgrade his power in this story arc”. But this kind of stories have a huge following and audiences are starved for some male-centric adventure dramas so I’m not surprised it blew up. But for me? It was rather bored lol. Sorries! I may pick it up again …when I’m in the mood again.

#CDrama #CDramas #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama