#even go princess go and romance of tiger and rose

[carlyleandco]

okay my fellow Cdrama fanatics, I’m in need of some recs as someone who is still fairly new to the scene…

Historical Cdramas I’ve enjoyed

Story of Minglan ~ this show is my Roman Empire…like I don’t go more than a couple of days without thinking about it. Love how much depth there was to the characters and their relationships. I got so much satisfaction from watching Minglan run circles around every one else using her intelligence and wits. Every time Gu Tingye popped up in the background as her backup support I lost it! Talk about power couple.

Love Like the Galaxy ~ first historical Cdrama I have watched and apart from Minglan, I think it has ruined the rest for me. This drama has so many layers. Niao Niao is an intelligent, and opportunistic female lead. She is unabashedly herself, and the story is not afraid to depict her as unlikeable at first instance. I deeply appreciated the focus on female relationships and family. And Ling Buyi has ruined all other antiheroes for me lmao

Destined ~ I thought this one would be on par with Minglan at first, but it did lose its way in the latter half. I felt the female lead was relegated to the background, which was frustrating as they built her up to be this shrewd businesswoman and then we never get to see her in action. I did appreciate how wholesome and untoxic Jiu Si was as a romantic lead. I thought her relationship with the SML could have been drawn out more, however.

Romance of Tiger and Rose ~ I don’t think this drama is anywhere on par with the above three, but I still enjoyed it. Definitely a fun and unserious romp. Zhou Lu Si is just so likeable in all her roles.

Xianxia I’ve enjoyed:

Love and Redemption ~ I literally fell down a hole with this drama. I could not stop watching. Even though the female leads starts with that token immaturity Cdramas are known for, it’s explained in-world and she goes through a noticeable growth/stepping into adulthood arc. I also LOVED how powerful she was and how often she got to use her powers. Also the romance? Sifeng?!!? Yeah I was a mess. However, one thing that irritated me was the lack of agency Xuan Ji had toward the end of the show.

Eternal Love ~ it’s a classic for a reason. I loved Bai Qian’s resolve, steadfastness, and maturity. Her relationship with Ye Hau blossomed naturally, and they had different obstacles to face as a couple as opposed to what I have seen so far.

Love Between Fairy and Devil ~ speaks for itself, and I love enemies to lovers.

Extra: points if the female lead is powerful, or is on a journey to realising her power. Whether that’s through her intelligence, empathy, or in the case of xianxia, actual mystical power. Bonus points if she’s a character like Xuan Ji who can go supernova and destroy everyone lol

Historical dramas I have not enjoyed:

The Sword and the Brocade ~ I didn’t even finish this one. My overall impression was, having already finished Minglan prior, eating cardboard after having been to a 5 star Michelin restaurant. Everything was so bland and dull, even down to the cinematography.

Princess Silver ~ I dragged myself to the finish line with this one. The plot just became so utterly ludicrous and relied on the audience being invested in the main leads without actually letting them spend screen time together. I also hated that we had glimpses of the female leads power but that she never got to fully realise this. Just overly contrived and trite.

Xianxia I did not enjoy

Ashes of Love ~ this was the first xianxia I ever watched some years back. Given I was new to the genre, I think I found some of the characteristic features a bit jarring and I stopped watching Cdramas as a result. If I watched it again now I may be able to make it through. Ultimately, I just could not stomach how naive the main female character. I understand this is typical, but it was another level of nauseating that I have not found an equal to since.

[a-fantasy-lover-surfing-the-net]

Costume Cdramas I watched in 2023

This was my first year in Dramaland (both Chinese and Korean). And I have to say that for the most part I have enjoyed my journey in discovering the dramas. This list includes dramas that were released before 2023 as well.

7. Starry Love

It is a story of twin sisters - the gentle and kind Liguang Qing Kui and the smart and cunning Liguang Ye Tan. Qing Kui is betrothed to the heveanly prince and Ye Tan is betrothed to the demon prince however mistakenly they switch places and have to navigate the heavenly realm and demon realm alone relying on their wits. For me the strongest aspect of the drama was the bond between the sisters. It focuses more on the romance of Ye Tan and Xuan Shang and the heavenly realm which I was not much interested in so I skipped through a lot of it. However, I did enjoy the romance of Qing Kui and Chao Feng and the demon realm story which was unfortunately not given enough screen time. As the heavenly realm part of the drama failed to get me invested in both its characters and story, I didn't enjoy this drama a lot.

6. Love you Seven Times

Xiang Yun, a fairy working in the marriage pavilion and Chu Kong, the God of War are accidentally entangled by the red thread of fate and go through love tribulations. I enjoyed their romance and the story was also good. However, I feel it would have turned out better if the drama had more episodes so that the tribulations could be more immersive and impactful. Also, it had less action than I expected from a Xianxia. It was still a fun watch for me.

5. Ancient Love Poetry

This is an epic story of gods and love spanning thousands of years. I will not even attempt to give a primer for its story. The romance, story, action everything is great and it also has really good secondary romances and friendships are also good. The problem I had with this drama is that I enjoyed the first God realm arc a lot however in the second arc I couldn't get fully invested in Houchi and Qing Mu. Also, as a novice to xianxias I had some trouble following the story from the second arc onwards which meant I couldn't enjoy it as much. I still consider it a must watch for xianxia fans but its not for newbies that's for sure.

P.S.- I was devastated with Yue Mi's death so I'm happy that we'll be getting the continuation of her story with Moonlight Mystique.

4. Love between Fairy and Devil

It is a drama about Orchid, a low ranking fairy and Dongfang Qing Cang, the Moon Supreme of the Moon Tribe who are enemies of the immortal fairies, and their forbidden romance. The romance (of both the main and second couple) is really good, the story is compelling and the dynamic between the main and secondary cast is enjoyable. I found the action somewhat lacking. This is a really enjoyable drama especially for those getting into xianxias as the story while not simple, is easy to follow.

3. Romance between Tiger and Rose

In this drama, Chen Xiao Qian, a screenwriter transported into her own story, becoming the Third Princess Chen Qian Qian, a side character. Armed with the knowledge of her own script in which her character is soon to be killed in the third episode by Prince Han Shuo, the male lead, Xiao Qian is determined to stay alive and return to her own world. It is an excellent romcom with great chemistry and fun bickering between the main leads. While the story is straight forward for the most part, it does offer some commentary on gender discrimination and gender norms. It is a really fun and a must watch and has great rewatch value.

2. Story of Kunning Palace

Jiang Xuening is the selfish and ambitious daughter of a court official who ruthlessly uses her charm and cunning for becoming empress. Her schemes lead to the downfall of the royal family and the ruin of both her childhood sweetheart Yan Lin and the once incorruptible Zhang Zhe. Desperate and full of regret, she pleads to exchange her life for the freedom of Zhang Zhe. She awakens in her 18-year old self, who has yet to enter the palace with a chance to do better this time. Even though she vows to steer clear of the palace and its court intrigues, she becomes entangled in them anyways. Apart from Jiang Xue Ning the main cast includes : Xie Wei - JXN's teacher and a ruthless political mastermind, Zhang Zhe - an upright and dedicated officer in the Ministry of Justice, Yan Lin - loyal heir of the Yan family who is in love with JXN, Shen Zhi Yi - the optimistic and resilient princess. It’s so rare for a drama to combine so many great things - a competent and smart female lead, gripping script, top tier looks, chemistry (with the male lead and the secondary leads), steady pace, no childishness, very happy ending. All the actors did an amazing job, in particular Bai Lu who embodied JXN and depicted her thoughts and feelings in a way that the audience could connect with JXN and root for her. The character arcs for the entire main cast were satisfying and done beautifully. I only wished that they showed the past life in one go and with some more scenes for JXN's character growth to be more impactful and that they removed the bright spotlight aimed directly at the camera which took me out of those scenes. This is definitely a must watch for costumed cdrama lovers.

1. Till the end of the moon

Li Susu, an immortal time travels 500 years into the past to prevent the ascension of the Devil god, who goes on to destroy the world in the future. It's a story of love and hate, good and evil, redemption and damnation. The characters are very well conceptualized and depicted beautifully by talented actors, stunning costumes, really good hair and makeup, and great cinematography. The amazing production and set design along with impressive visual effects and CGI really immerse the audience in the world of TTEOTM. Their romance is my ultimate enemies to lovers pairing. It has just the right amount of fighting, messiness, animosity and angst for me. Their visuals, their chemistry, their acting and the story everything was so great. Who else has three epic weddings in one drama? For the most part the story was gripping, progressed at a good pace and conveyed many themes that become apparent on rewatches. While some were disappointed by the ending to me it was clear that they reunite once again and live happily. I am still not able to move on from this couple and drama.

Full Review of Till the end of the moon here.

You can also check out my modern cdrama rankings.

As I'm still a newbie to cdramas, I welcome your recommendations.

[hipsterteller]

Cafeteria

for @rose-tea-and-strawberries @sanyu-thewitch05 @rubylonewolf @adrianasunderworld @married-to-google-translater @the-tiger-with-a-computer happy new year guys

Yuu had told the Disney princess about the situation on Aeryn, luckily she, the Disney princess, and the rest of NRC guide her around. Aeryn is thankful that someone is guiding her and even chatting with someone who is in the same situation as she is.

Right now, Aeryn is walking to find a vacant seat with a tray of food in her hand. She searches for anyone she recognize...luckily she heard a voice calling for her.

"Aeryn! Over here!"

She turn around and sees Yuu with Disney Princesses, Aeryn smile in relief and about to approach when someone approach her.

"Excuse me, your Aeryn correct?"

The auburn-haired girl met a red-haired male with sideburns, Aeryn recall something from Anna...

Hans.

"Um...can I help you?" Aeryn took a small back and keep her distance away from him, Hans notice this and approach her.

"I was wondering if you have time?"

"Sorry, but most of my schedule is booked." Please stay away from me.

Hans notice her behavior and decided to speak "but I insist..."

"Please...I need to go."

The moment she pass by him, Hans grab her by the arm. This caught a few attention and Yuu along Disney princess. Hans lean in as he whisper to her ear.

"I know fear when I see one."

"L-Let me go!" Aeryn tries not to make a mess, but to her struggle...someone approaches them.

"Let her go Hans." The two turn to see Vil..his eyes were glaring at him as Hans lessen his grip and Vil grab her and protect her.

"You okay?"

Aeryn can't take her eyes off as she nodded, Vil turn to Hans as he spoke.

"That was barbarian...when the lady says no, she means it." Vil said as Hans scoffed.

"And why would you know?"

Vil smirk "cause at least I treat each girl like properly, no wonder why Anna punch you."

Hans glare at him as he could hear a few NRC boys snicker, Vil lead her to his seat with Rook and Epel. The girls watch as Aeryn thanked Vil as he smile.

"Ooh~ I smell romance~" Rapunzel spoke as Belle shake her head.

"Rapunzel, take some time. The two would might get to know each other."

Yuu smile seeing how Aeryn gets flustered to him.

"I'm glad that Vil might like her."

Mulan look at her "how do you know that?"

"The moment she came to class, Vil would take a look at her whenever professor Trein is not looking..."

[mejomonster]

I think part of my problem with like... a decent portion of romance dramas is... I don't do well if they don't give off bi vibes? (Amongst several other things that are dealbreakers for me being common like fucking fluff tropes and lack of action scenes)

Like. I loved The Secret of the Three Kingdoms. And? You could easily read 50%+ of the cast as bi, for 2 characters there's actually a running side plot about them seeming to date. With Once Upon a Time on Lingjian Mountain the lead is as Bi as cdrama guys CAN be. Ancient Detective? Bi vibes trio. Heroes? Bi vibes for some leads. Bureau of Transformers? Explicitly bi leads (its very explicitly it's Torchwood levels). Love and Redemption? Xuanji is nonbinary and sifeng is bi, not even counting vibes of side characters. Bromance Taiwan drama? Gender fuckery and bi romantic lead. The Romance of Tiger and Hong? Gender fuckery and ignoring Gender norms and pirates (which inherently add a flair). Also any show subverting or breaking mold for some point has enough Interesting stuff going on I can do it - like Romance of Tiger and Rose had women in the men's period drama roles, a man as a musician courtesan charmer character, etc. Ice Fantasy? Li Luo IS Zhao Yunlan I don't have much else to say, Wang Duo is IN it, the Fire Princess hits me in particular as crush worthy, the magician man, even if I can't point to gay shit directly its got a Plethora of appealing vibes. Hell even Eternql Love, which I hate watched partly but DID finish? Had an explicitly bi demon prince and demon Princess and gay fox and Phoenix uncles!!

[hear-the-ocean]

Fireheart Tiger book review

Very long and Spoiler-y review of Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

Summary (pulled from goodreads) :

Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard returns with a powerful romantic fantasy that reads like The Goblin Emperor meets Howl’s Moving Castle in a pre-colonial Vietnamese-esque world.

Fire burns bright and has a long memory….

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother’s imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

Thanh’s new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won’t take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate—and her own?

Review:

When we first open with the story, I thought it would be interesting. We start it right in the middle of a scene with the first sentence "they were coming." It set the tone and gave me this urgency. Add the little confusing flashback scene of a burning palace and random objects catching fire, I thought wow things are tense, action packed and dire already! Only to be met with exposition, politics, a meeting, and a romance that had been established outside the pages. It abruptly cut off the feelings I had reading the start of the story.

There's too much exposition without any kind of set up or foundation. We don't have a ground and we are being told the details of tree leaves and flowers. There’s also too much repetition. The same little bit of that burning palace and the servant girl got repeated like 3 times in the first 20 pages (I'm reading the ebook so first 20 pages of the ebook) and the Eldris and her blue eyes bringing a single rose to her was repeated twice which obviously isn't that much but when the story has barely begun, we have very little info other than the political stuff, it's very noticeable. But even as we go on, the repetition doesn't stop and it gets exasperating. It just made me think that the story needed another round of editing.

The difficulty with short stories and novellas, especially fantasy ones, is that you have so little time to set everything, worldbuild, introduce and develop characters, stories, and arcs. Making the reader care about the characters and their problems is going to be difficult because you just don't have the space. With Fireheart Tiger, I had a hard time, after the initial beginning, to care at all about the characters. Part of me wanted to know about this mysterious fire but I also just didn't care. The repetition, instead of building anticipation like I assume it was trying to do, was instead just frustrating. The characters overall just felt flat and not real. The type of characters you would see in children’s stories each with 1 trait and black and white morality.

I didn't care for the romance and felt frustrated with Thanh's focus on it and lack of focus on her position and responsibility. There's a lot of self-pity and self-hate with her. She doesn't feel like she can achieve much and has fallen in her sisters' shadows. She lives her life confused and in fear. This isn't bad though. It's totally understandable given she was essentially a political hostage for years. There was no way for her to learn the skills needed for her position and with the fire that she barely survived, of course she will be traumatized. Doesn't mean it's not frustrating though.

That being said, literally the 2nd scene of this novella proved that wrong, gave us what I thought to be a key character trait; Thanh being skilled in politics and negotiation. People aren’t usually born with those skills so I have to assume she learned it but that means she should have other skills royals need for their positions but the decisions she makes really challenge that established characteristic lol. Like I don’t know much about royal rules but I’m pretty sure that as a Princess you would consult with the Empress about potential political alliances with other nations against one specific nation and then have a scribe or someone or maybe yourself write the letters to those nations. But? Thanh? Just? Suddenly makes the decision for alliances, writes the letters on her own and then just sends them. Hello? She gets reprimanded of course but ultimately her decision is shown as being the right one.

Over and over she makes bad decisions and gets upset when her mother is rightfully upset/angry at her. She never discusses things with her mother, they never work together and in any other story that took its politics seriously, it would be a sign of a coup. The Empress and the Princess that do what they want regardless of the other weakens the monarchy and throws everything in chaos. Worse is that the narrative keeps painting the mother as stupid and Thanh as the chess genuis who can spin a story to her favour like she did in the end.

Also I didn’t appreciate Thanh being rude to her mom. Not once did we get these 2 to sit down and talk and work through their issues and work together. It felt like Thanh was running around making bad decisions, her mom being upset and trying to figure out what happened so she can do damage control but Thanh doing whatever she wants to “fix” her mistake cuz her mom “just doesn’t understand” and thereby undermining the literal Empress?? And getting upset at her mom being upset. Absolutely wild.

It’s supposed to be a royal court but it feels so empty? Like it feels like it’s literally just Thanh and her mom running everything.

It’s annoying that Thanh talks about filial piety yet hasn’t done anything? She’s rash! Despite what we are told, her decisions show us that she IS rash and doesn’t think things through. She doesn’t understand what it means to be in charge of a nation and gets upset when her mom puts her responsibility to her people above her. Unfortunately, the life of a royal is that of a pawn. The power royals have is sometimes nothing but shadow; you can see it but can’t touch. The real power is usually held by multiple people along with the empress. At least that’s how I understand it.

By far the biggest stupid decision was her having an affair with the princess of the nation that’s trying to slowly take over her land? Of having sex out in broad daylight in the gardens and then being shocked that they were later discovered. And when she gets blackmailed about this, she accepts the terms instead of coming out clean to her mother!! Someone who is essentially her enemy and is actively negotiating with her, blackmails Thanh into giving her a favour…. Because Thanh is more scared about her mom seeing her as weak. This one decision put her entire nation at risk.

There’s a strong theme of being filial but honestly I never actually saw anyone be filial.

I don’t know why but I couldn’t connect with Thanh and at a certain point I was almost disliking her. It came to a point where any scene with her justifiably feeling scared or confused, her wanting more for herself and wanting to be seen and loved, would still annoy me. I could step away and agree that it makes sense for her to have those feelings but with the earlier frustrations with her and her stupidity, it stopped me from caring, which makes me sound so rude lmao. But honestly the contradictory actions and the self-pity was too much.

The romance was not great. Because it happened off page, I didn't care and was instead annoyed every time Thanh missed or wanted Eldris. And like I get it. Her and Eldris aren’t really the true romance but we don’t know that till the end so I count it. Plus the romance between Thanh and Giang was insta-love too. So I’m just gonna ignore the romance. To be honest, I don’t see this being about romance. To me it felt more like hey here are some different types of relationships! Thanh and Eldris have a romance going on but it's manipulative and abusive? And it does a great job of showing how Eldris manipulated Thanh, of Thanh’s feelings and reactions as a victim. To me Fireheart Tiger isn’t a romance novella. And I have to believe that because the romance between Thanh and Eldris isn’t a good one and isn’t healthy of course and the real couple get together at the end and their love had no development anyways so I’m not sure romance in general had any kind of purpose here.

The ending felt rushed and honestly the entire story felt like 5 or 10 chapters taken right from the middle of a 500 page novel. Basically it felt like we didn't get a proper beginning or ending, just a random middle. Even the conflicts that were setup didn’t get developed let alone get resolved; we just got a “we will have to deal with that in the future but we can do it!” vibe.

I said it already but truly if this story was expanded into a full novel, where everything from world building to characters was given the space to be properly set and developed (and with a healthy amount of editing) Fireheart Tiger would have been much more enjoyable for me and probably a favourite. In the end it is all preference, there are more people who have enjoyed this than not and unfortunately i was in the latter.

[kuronekonerochan]

Hi...how are you? If you don't mind me asking what are your top 5 favorite danmei novels (until now)? And why? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....

Hi, sorry for being slow at answering!

In no particular order:

Ok, so I liked the 3 from MXTX:

 - Grandmaster of Diabolic Cultivation/ Mo Dao Zu Shi 

This one I loved but it has a particular style that ppl might not like in that it feels jumpy, confusing and with information gaps while reading, even though eventually everything that matters does end up being explained...in other works this would probably be just lazy writing, but here it is clearly an intentional choice bc 1) she doesn’t do this in her other novels 2) this is in WWX’s pov and dude has heavy ptsd and adhd, plus he tends to pretend to take everything lightly as a coping mechanisms...all this put together and it’s easy to understand why the story has such an unreliable narrator that even the other characters constantly point it out. I ended up loving this extra layer of storytelling.

 - Heaven Official’s Blessings/ Tian Guan Ci Fu

If you’re in the mood for a saga type long ass novel with a ton of interesting side stories and side characters with a main character who is a true cinnamon bun in sweet romance with a side dish of sweet sweet aaaangst.

- Scum Villains Self Saving System

The most entertaining out of all of them. It manages to be a parody of two genres, both danmeis and wuia/jianghu harem het novels (fighter of destiny style) with OP leads, while also being its own cute and funny story with a heart to it.

From other authors:

 - Meatbun’s 2ha/ Dumb Husky and his White Cat Shizun 

What if someone took a look at the parody that is SVSSS and said...”no, you know what? This really deserves to be an epic, long ass, and I mean, topping old classics’ length novel packed with angst, filled with pain and topped with despair...and then we’re sprinkling some funfetti on top to fool y’all”...and you know what? that’s some good cake. (If you’re into cdramas SVSSS is to 2ha what The Romance of Tiger and Rose is to Goodbye My Princess).

- Priest’s Sha Po Lang:

Steampunk China plus creepy voodoo tribal ritual magic, involved in internal and external wars over petrol (with a different name) and with our leads in Iron Man suits, fighting, among other enemies hot young(er) hands on, on the field, western troop General, the Pope, that I can only visualize in my head as Jude Law. I tell you all of this nonsense just to say that instead of the ridiculous fun this should be, it ends up being a very compelling romance with lots of scheming and heavy plot and some heartbreaking scenes.

- The Golden Stage:

This is a court drama type novel with friends-to-rivals-to-lovers that is just the right length and compelling with not too many plot twists but two main characters who are really great both individually and together and this is the one out of all in the list I feel like re reading the most. It really is a solid read and I feel like I’m selling it short, bc it really is good. It is similar to Sha Po Lang and To Rule in a Turbulent World, a simpler version of those but not worse for it.

(Since you said top 5 and I’ve said 6, I regretfully cut down Heaven Official’s Blessing bc even though I love it, unlike MDZS or SVSSS, it didn’t feel like a standalone novel because some of the several storylines of the side characters that I loved were left open ended (although the main characters had a complete story arc), as if this book was supposed to be the first of a series and those characters would have their own spinoff books where I’d know where their story took them...except this really is a standalone, and so the lack of resolution bothers me).

>> Honorable Mentions:

- To Rule in a Turbulent World

This one doesn’t go in the top 5 list yet bc it’s not fully translated, last time I checked (tho it’s very near the end). As an ongoing novel, I adore it. If the ending isn’t terrible it might be in my top 3. It’s similar to the two above in plotlines but it has a quality to it that it takes care to make every character in it multidimensional. There are no good and bad characters, even the ones on the opposite side are given something that makes them relatable and human. Plus, the characters all change throughout the novel, most of all the protagonists and the novel gives itself breathing time between events where you just chill with the characters and learn about random things like agricultural practices. 

- The Wife Is First

This one is just that light fluff feel good one that is great to pick up from time to time since it’s on going. Dumb Jock husband did everything wrong in his first life, gets a re-do and from then on it’s adorable respect the spouse juice and awe of said spouse smarts. Cute. Also, there’s a baby pet tiger.

>> Others I did like, just not in the top 5:

 -Faraway Wanderers and Lord Seventh/Qi Ye by Priest:

Qi Ye is similar to To Rule in A Turbulent World/The Golden Stage/Sha Po Lang. I really liked it still, just a tiny bit less than these. Since it’s the same author as SPL and I think it was written earlier, I have to say, the writing only got better.

Faraway Wanderers is a short read, but you’re only gonna like it if you’re ok with amoral main characters (I guess that is true for many on this list but it’s more obvious in this one bc the novel and the characters are unapologetic about it).

- YuWu by Meatbun - Still reading it, but is isn’t grabbing me like 2ha did.

>> I assumed you only wanted danmeis as in period fantasy bl novels, but if we go modern, fantasy or not:

 - Silent Readings by Priest:

I love crime fiction novels (love Ding Mo’s novels) and this is that type of conspiracy, murder novel with smart criminals and smart investigators. Little romance, but still there.

 - Guardian by Priest: 

Priest is hilarious and except the last part that gets a bit heavy on the lore this is just a joy to read. Also pretty short.

- Advance Bravely:

I read it a long time ago and it’s okayish, with some cute and some weird, problematic characters. 

- Addicted/ Heroin:

Also read it (this is 2 books) ages ago...and this one is NOT cute. It starts out as a pretty normal, but kind of toxic very typical oldschool drama/manga romance right down to the step brothers’ trope....and then it keeps escalating to new levels of WTF am I reading?!! All I have to say for this one is, that while I cannot recommend it per se, nor say it’s good, the title really is fitting, bc it is addictive as f.

[lordmomohismomoness]

As of late, I have been obsessed with Webtoons. So I figured it was time to make a rec list of my favorites! Though, I couldn't narrow it down to 10, so here are my top 29! In no particular order:

Kind of Confidential by Vivian Darlin

Romance/Superhero updates weekly

-a superhero loses his powers and is saved by a supervillain on the run. Zen and Rena are my OTP and Batcat is adorable

The Witch and the Bull by Moonsia

Romance/Fantasy/Adventure updates weekly

-an a-hole who hates witches gets cursed as a bull, whose only hope is the witch whose career he just ruined

Ghost Wife by Sejung

Romance/Horror completed

-she is constantly followed by ghosts. But she does have a powerful but unsocialized demon to protect her. Bonus! This one has a sequel that just premiered!

I Love Yoo by Quimchee

Drama updates weekly

-she is a loner and down on her luck. When she meets two brothers who are complete opposites, her luck gets even worse. But at least she's not alone

The Kiss Bet by Ingrid Ochoa

Romance/Drama on hiatus

-all she wants is a special first kiss, but a little bet and some new transfer students make it really complicated

The Red Archer by IsabelleRanson

Romance/Adventure/Historical updates weekly

-a mashup of history and adventure, it's Maid Marian's turn to be a badass

The Makeup Remover by Lee Yone

Drama/Romance updates twice weekly

-after becoming a model in a make up competition, she shakes things up with some social commentary

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

Romance/Fantasy updates weekly

-Hades and Persephone just want to be happy. But their family is less "The Tanners" and more "Jerry Springer'

Like Wind on a Dry Branch by Dalsaeowl/Hwaeum

Drama/Romance updates weekly

-after losing everything to a plague, she starts her life over as a mage in the prince's harem. Heartwarming friendships and ugly crying included

Let's Play Mongie

Romance/Drama updates weekly

-the person that ruined her career is her new neighbor, and her love life just went from 0 to complicated

Future You by Kumokayaa

Romance/Fantasy updates once a month

-she's a time traveling assassin with no way back home, and he is a cop investigating her company. What could go wrong?

Cape of Spirits by Kris Nguyen

Fantasy/Adventure completed

-an ex prince joins his kidnappers in order to stop the spirits from destroying the world

Subzero by Junepurr

Romance/Fantasy updates weekly

-the princess and last of the azure dragons agrees to marry the prince of the crimson dragons as part of a peace treaty to end the war. But there is a lot more going on in the kingdom than meets the eye, and she has secrets of her own

Tower of God by SIU

Fantasy/Adventure updates weekly

-he climbs the tower to find a girl, but his very existence threatens the hierarchy within. This one is really long, but also AMAZING and addictive

Lumine by Emma Krogell

Fantasy updates weekly

-an orphaned werewolf is hired as a bodyguard to a standoffish witch. What they both really need is friendship

Nice to Meet You by Wishroomness

Romance/Drama updates weekly

-what starts off as an innocent prank turns into a wild romance

Little Mizzi Muffett and the Spider King by Catfish

Horror updates once a month

-something dark and evil is stirring, and she is the only one that can stop it. With the help of the spider king who has decided to make her his bride

Freaking Romance by Snailords

Romance/Sci Fi completed

-an interdimensional bisexual love triangle. Need I say more?

The Rose Prince by Samuraiflame

Romance updates twice a month

-after her twin brother's death, she takes his name and persona so that the kingdom can still pass on to her. However, the neighboring king sees right through her disguise

Siren's Lament by instantmiso

Romance/Fantasy completed

-she is stuck, half siren and half human. Now she must find a way to break the curse before she loses everything and everyone she loves

My Magical Maid by J_hp

Fantasy/Romance updates twice a month

-a witch lives in secret as the physician of the king...who hates witches

Shadow Bride by Sae In Lee/Soo Bean Lim

Romance/Fantasy updates weekly

-this one just started, but it is off to a great start: a beautiful thief who is barely getting by catches the attention of an awkward prince who is the true heir to the throne

Villain to Kill by Fupin/Enuji

Action updates weekly

-another new one. A hero gets reborn... as a villain. Now he is is trying to take down those that killed him, without losing his mind or bringing the apocalypse first

A Good Day to be a Dog by Lee Hey

Romance complete

-the only way to break her curse of turning into a dog is to get a kiss while transformed. Which would be a lot easier if the person she needs to kiss wasn't terrified of dogs

The Spectrum of Us by Sen-Chan

Drama/Romance updates weekly

-a cat in love with a wolf is complicated enough without throwing the cops, the mafia, and a tiger in the mix. Also keep an eye out for her other work Cat vs Dog which will premiere on originals soon!

My Roommate is a Gumiho by NA

Romance updates twice weekly

-after accidentally swallowing his bead, a college student moves in with a strict 900 year old fox so they can find a way to safely remove it. Hijinks ensue

That Awkward Magic by SomeBunny

Romance updates three times a month

-the jock and the loner agree to fake a relationship, and it takes the school by storm. But also, yer a wizard harry

Or: two dorks in love, but one is having a gay crisis and one is having a witch crisis

Eleceed by Jeho Son/ZHENA

Action updates weekly

-a secret agent gets stuck in the body of a fat cat and decides to mentor an optimistic kid with super speed. Wholesome, action packed, and hilarious

Act Like You Love Me! by XUANN

Romance updates weekly

-three people know each other but don't know that they know each other. It's gonna be fun when they figure it out

Great, my OCD says I'm not allowed to have 29 recs and must make it 30. But there are five I am torn between adding. We'll go with:

My Grim Romance by Gears of Rain

Romance updates every two weeks

-instead of dying, she gets a new roommate - in the form of a dramatic grim reaper who lost his powers

[gizkasparadise]

This might be a stretch, but can you think of any dramas where the second lead gets the girl?

my favorite! im gonna say "second" lead in quotes, since that's the role or vibe they fill even if they might have top billing

dramas where the "second" lead is endgame:

the king loves/the king in love (kdrama)

reply 1988 (kdrama)

empress ki (kdrama)

sound of the desert, depending on how you define second lead (cdrama)

chuno (kdrama)

how to be thirty (kdrama-- implied?? but tbh this drama was an absolute shitshow and i don't recommend it)

dramas where the second lead + female lead have a relationship at some point in the drama, even though it doesn't work out in the end:

discovery of love (honestly whoever's the first male lead can be totally up for debate, since the female lead has equal screen time with both) (kdrama)

in need of romance 2/in need of romance 2012 (kdrama)

que sera, sera (kdrama)

my first first love (kdrama)

empress ki (kdrama)

general and i (cdrama) *kind of, on the relationship part. it's complicated, but he plans to marry her so i count it

secret (kdrama)

reply 1997, kind of (kdrama)

monarch industry/the rebel princess (cdrama)

one spring night (kdrama, he sucks though)

find yourself (cdrama)

more than friends (kdrama, i think??? i can't remember if they were actually dating or if he just showed up to her house constantly and had all their baby names picked out, oops)

in time with you and its adaptations: i don't love you yet, the time we were not in love (twdrama/cdrama/kdrama)

the king's woman (cdrama)

dramas where the female lead has feelings for the second lead at some point, but they never get into a relationship, OR the second lead is an ex-boyfriend/husband/lover

wait, my youth (cdrama)

goodbye, my princess (cdrama)

dali and the cocky prince (kdrama--he sucks though lol)

go ho's starry night (kdrama)

legally romance (cdrama)

siege in fog (cdrama)

moon lovers: scarlet heart ryeo (kdrama, she actually goes on to marry the THIRD lead, but it's loveless on her end so i didn't include it in the previous section)

into the ring (kdrama, minor)

hotel del luna (kdrama)

oh my venus (kdrama)

i am not a robot (kdrama)

brightest star in the sky (cdrama, they might have dated for a little bit? but i can't remember off the top of my head)

a girl and three sweethearts (jdrama)

dramas where the female lead has out-of-body experiences that involve transmigrating into a fictional world and the second male lead is the original, intended love interest

extraordinary you (kdrama)

the romance of tiger and rose (cdrama)

legally romance (cdrama)

[dangermousie]

2020 End of Year Post - cdrama edition

This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2020; if I had to make a post about all the cdramas I watched this year, I would still be doing it in three months...

Overall it’s been a fairly decent cdrama year (certainly better than the very lacklustre kdrama year.) It’s no miracle that 2019 was (so many excellent dramas!) but overall pretty solid.

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

44 The Legend of Jing Yan - the worst cdrama I have seen this year, and possibly the worst drama of 2020, period. The hero and heroine were both uncharismatic, incapable of acting and saddled with such shrilly moronic characters, the only suspense was how they haven’t both perished long since from forgetting to breathe. Nor was anyone in the rest of the cast much better; the screenplay was written by a lower mammal and the cinematography was the best a third-rate wedding cinematographer could offer. Stay the HELL away from this one.

43 Unicorn Girl - the only unicorn about this bland yet irritating piece of pap was the fact that I was supposed to believe the leads are hockey players.

42 Autumn Cicada - I like spy stories, Allen Ren, and Republican Era settings. I can tune out Communist propaganda with the best of them. Yet, the propaganda ate the story to such a degree that there was nothing left; pre magic change Pinocchio was less wooden then this narrative.

41 You Complete Me - no you do not.

40 Skate into Love - the only positive thing I can say about this is that at least it’s better than Unicorn Girl, if for no other reason that only one of them is supposed to be a hockey player.

39 Irreplaceable Love - how do you make a story about fake siblings with a mad mother falling for each other boring? I don’t know, ask the makers of this.

38 Eternal Love Rain - I hate to rain on their parade, but these two actors cannot act, have about as much chemistry as a piece of bread, and are trapped in a story perfect for entertaining the mental abilities of the leads of Jin Yan.

37 For Married Doctoress - ummmm, you could do worse I guess. It only made me break out in mild hives. The sadistic ending did make me laugh though.

36 Dance of the Sky Empire - why you get Xu Kai and waste him in this insipid mess of a story is beyond me.

35 Love Designer - it’s inoffensive except to my sense of entertainment. There is nothing wrong with it but oh God is it bland.

34 Love a Lifetime - It felt like a lifetime watching this, but I didn’t love it. The story is incoherent, the actors have no chemistry and it’s all an epic waste of time.

33 Love is Sweet - so sweet it gave me diabetes. I like Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu, but there is literally no plot. I don’t need to sink into a plotless morass to watch pretty people engage in PG-rated make-outs. I am an adult with access to stronger stuff if I am thus inclined, though to be fair they could get x-rated and I still wouldn’t be able to sit through so many episodes of plotlessness for that.

32 Fake Princess - I love Zhao Yi Qin, but the guy needs to pick better projects. The female lead in this one has the voice and personality that can strip paint but the story is also doing nobody any favors.

31 The Changan Youth - I lost my brain checking this out. I had to go and read a dense treatise on medieval coinage or Mayan farming to try to recover it.

30 My Dear Destiny - kinda cheesy fun. It honestly shouldn’t be as low except it really feels like community theater.

29 Handsome Siblings - why is the Nic Tse version so good and this one so bad? True mystery for the ages. Chen Zhe Yuan is the sole reason this isn’t lower, because that kid tries SO HARD to make this drama bearable and almost succeeds. I can’t wait to see him in Sha Po Lang which actually will give him something to do.

28 In a Class of Her Own - see my comment on The Changan Youth. But at least Song Weilong is gorgeous to look at.

27 General’s Lady - inoffensive, pretty and so utterly pointless.

26 The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion - those two leading actors are a no go to me but at least they considerately acted with each other instead of ruining two dramas for me. It’s very pretty though.

25 Jiu Liu Overlord - it’s a mess and I bailed, but I placed it this high merely due to the fact that Lai Yi finally gets a leading role and he’s sexy as fuck and I am shallow. Whoever styled Bai Lu should never work again except at a circus, however.

24 Cross Fire - not my genre and Luhan will always look too much like my cousin for comfort, but it’s a surprisingly gripping and dark drama. I liked it!

23 God of Lost Fantasy - if you want to watch a mediocre wuxia/xianxia, this is not a bad choice. Probably better than Legend of Fei actually, because at least it doesn’t have an A-list cast to waste and gives us Sheng Yilun himbo and shirtless.

22 Renascence - the insane cuts (it went from 70 eps to 36!!!) made a fairly cheesy story into a total mess. But I had a good time until I finally bailed mainly because of the male lead (Chen Zhe Yuan yet again carrying a not-good 2020 drama on his shoulders; the guy should be nicknamed Atlas) and the insane but in a fun way story. The female lead (both the character and the actress) were not up to par but oh well.

21 Legend of Fei - only this high because objectively there is nothing I disliked it. But there is nothing I liked either. The most uninspired drama on the list. If you could eat cardboard, this is what it would taste like.

20 Ever Night 2 - compared to EN1, it’s a waste of film. On its own merits, it’s not very good (the cast replacements are uniformly inferior and Dylan Wang is so wrong for Ning Que I cannot even put it into words; the script is useless.) But it had some parts I loved so very VERY much (all the shippy stuff was perfection) so I don’t feel too bitter.

19 Castle in the Sky 2 - a lovely if not too complex fairy tale. It is inferior to its prequel because it doesn’t have Zhang Ruo Yun who elevated it, but it’s still a solid bit of fun.

18 The Great Ruler - it’s very high fantasy, very pretty, and surprisingly involving.

17 (tie) Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos - the secondary couple steals the show but the rest is not too bad if not too involving.

17 Legend of Awakening - a solid bit of fun with a seriously BDSM streak (theme this year apparently - but come on, the lead’s powers only activate when he’s in extreme pain!) It’s a bit generic and the costuming is done by a blind person, not to mention the OTP is a NOTP, but the rest of relationships (romantic and platonic) are wonderful (I live for the found siblings story in this one) and I like most of the characters.

16 Consummation - a rare modern cdrama I liked; a sweet coming of age story (and love story) even if wrapped in a pretty weird virtual reality concept.

15 Oops the King is in Love - this is how you do a low budget, sweet, silly piece of fluff. Our heroine pretends to be a eunuch and crosses paths with a powerless young king and they are adorable, even more so than the drama.

14 Song of Glory - pretty solid, though draggy and I didn’t love the toothpaste filter. But A+ cast, excellent leading couple chemistry, Li Qin being a BAMF and a leading man (Qin Hao) who is actually an adult.

13 And the Winner is love - objectively kind of a mess (and the heroine has the brainpower of a gnat), but the OTP chemistry is excellent and Luo Yunxi fighting and flirting with a fan as finally a leading man is worth the price of admission.

12 Miss S - snazzy and snappy and stylish and whatever else starts with S.

11 Eternal Love of Dream - I don’t know if it would work for you as well if you weren’t a hardcore shipper for this OTP in Three Lives but I was and this was such a darling, wonderful, shippy delight; plus I love this type of high fantasy.

10 (tie) Maiden Holmes - solid and sweet and a wonderful OTP. Proves that functional doesn’t have to mean boring. If you watch one cross-dressing drama this year make it this one.

10 Qin Dynasty Epic - srs bsns history epic. I am not far into it but it’s so good and smart and visually stunning (if you love battles, this one is for you.)

9 Love Lasts Two Minds - I adored this so much more than I should objectively have, but it’s so beautiful (and no I am not just referring to Alan Yu’s face) and the OTP has wonderful chemistry and the story is solid, and the whole trope of her memory being wiped but falling for him all over again while he’s constantly and utterly devoted is a fave; plus he’s in pain and semi-dyng for most of it so sluuuurp (happy ending, don’t worry)

8 To Love - yes, a modern drama is this high! But it involves intensity, tragedy, genuine adults and sexiness that is Lin Gengxin. And there is an actual plot and darkness OMG!

7 Legend of Xiao Chuo - so beautiful, so fun, so full of gorgeousness of Shawn Dou. Plus, Liao is a rare setting for a cdrama and there are a lot of characters and stories I liked a LOT. Less ship content than I wanted but more than I expected.

6 The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so so delightful. I was literally laughing out loud. I have no idea if it will work as well if one isn’t a seasoned watcher of period cdrama/reader of web novels, with bonus for watching/reading Goodbye My Princess, but it was a complete delight for me (and yes, I shipped for real, as well. Best of both worlds.)

5 Twisted Fate of Love - Jin Han gets a leading period drama role! And he’s enjoying it to the hilt, excellent as a smart, twisty bastard who is also charming and so madly in love with heroine. Sun Yi is beautiful and tough and her chemistry with JH is on fire, the story never drags, and it’s so twisty and fun and just awesome.

4 Love In Between - the most underrated drama on this list. It has no big names or big budget, but it’s wuxia that’s clever, driven, tragic, hopeful and so beautifully shot. Three separate (amazing) OTPs, a leading man who is so not typical (a doctor who cannot fight and who never acquires this ability) and who is intense and smart and damaged, a heroine who puts her quest ahead of her emotions, an unhealthy degree of involvement by yours truly. This is a drama Fei should have been.

3 Love and Redemption - such a lovely, addictive, utterly romantic fairy tale. I was obsessed with it for a reason. All the tropes you love and some you didn’t know you did, a star-crossed OTP to the nth power (and a secondary OTP I hardcore love), a twisty yet coherent plot, some insane chemistry and so much whump and hurt/comfort they must have bought blood packets in bulk.

2 Go Ahead - yes, I can’t believe it either. A contemporary slice of life cdrama made it this high on my list. But the way it feels so real, the found family perfection, the characters I love and loathe, the perfect cherry of a wonderful OTP that hits my narrative kinks on top, and just a perfect storm of loveliness all around with this one.

1 The Wolf - is that any surprise to anyone who’s checked out this tumblr for the last couple of months? Tragic, intense and gorgeous; so romantic and angsty and passionate it made me lose my mind (though some of it was gone the moment the camera panned to Darren Wang) - all my favorite tropes and then some; this is a drama that may not be perfect but it is 100% and then beyond perfect for ME.

FAVORITE DRAMA

The Wolf - I have seen objectively better cdramas; even this year. But it has been literal years since I have been this hardcore obsessed, this utterly pleased, this emotionally catered to and devastated at once. A beautiful dark fairy tale that manages to own me despite the storytelling gaps due to censorship, it took me for one of the biggest emotional roller coaster rides of my drama watching career. Visually gorgeous, poetic, intense, and so romantic it took my breath away, this is not just my favorite cdrama of 2020, it’s my favorite drama this year period, and the one cdrama this year to make it into my permanent Top 10 cdramas list.

WORST DRAMA

Legend of Jin Yan - see my write up for it for why as I refuse to waste more time on this stupid mess.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Wolfie, The Wolf - he is such a haunted, tormented, complex, dark mess; loving and violent, severely damaged and with a hidden yearning softness, longing and aloof. And the amount of charisma and sheer masculine sex appeal Darren Wang brings to the role is insane and not something I see much of in a cdrama. Plus, that character arc with its rapid fall and slow painful redemption is A++++

Runner Up:  Sifeng, Love and Redemption - has a male lead ever loved more utterly and selflessly, suffered more thoroughly and beautifully, and managed to have such chemistry with both his leading lady and his leading man (that his leading lady temporarily turned into) at once? The answer is no.

Almost made the cut - Feng Xi, Twisted Fate of Love, Han Shuo, The Romance of Tiger and Rose, Qing Ci, Love in Between.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Xiao Qian, The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so funny, so much the reason this drama was such a delight. I adore her beyond words.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Murder Daddy, The Wolf - I am sad the censors robbed us of seeing him die on screen. He was fully human but nonetheless managed to be the worst monster in a drama full of literal ones.

Ling Xiao’s Mom, Go Ahead - I hate her so much I don’t want to look up her name. She abused the kid, the disappeared and came back to abuse him some more. I mean she literally gave her child mental health issues. She is the WORST.

FAVORITE SHIP

Xing’er x Wolfie, The Wolf - are you kidding me? Who else could it ever be for me? They destroyed each other and saved each other, sworn enemies and childhood lovers, soulmates and epic messes, they couldn’t live with or without each other. The longing, the passion, the intensity, the angst, the epicness. LIKE THERE ARE NO WORDS!!!!

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Si Yuan, Shen Manqing, Love in Between - I loved them as much and often more than the main OTP. So much angst and passion and a happy ending! She is a seeming sect darling (except the sect is horrible and also sexist so her only worth is as a marriage candidate) and he’s an information broker who is actually one of the members of a destroyed sect that’s blamed for the massacre of her family. That chemistry and yearning is insane. The scene where she touches his face when he’s unconscious was in serious running for my favorite scene of 2020.

NOTP

Legend of Awakening - I have never seen a couple that didn’t just have no chemistry but exhibited actual revulsion towards each other before watching Chen Feiyu and Cheng Xiao try to act as lovers in this one. It was almost entertaining to be honest.

FAVORITE SCENE

It’s a tie and both are from The Wolf. One is a sequence where Wolfie marches to the walls alone, seeking death at Xing’er’s hands and the whole sequence with the battle and rescue follows. The other is the intercut between Xing’er going to her wedding and Wolfie going to his execution, and the auto-da-fe being intercut with her wedding.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Wolfie, The Wolf - Ummm have you seen this tumblr lately, it’s basically a drool shrine to the man.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Yelü Yansage, The Legend of Xiao Chuo - I have loved this actor since The Myth and he continued to competently steal every scene he was in.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

To Love - come out of the coma, dammit!!!!!!!

NEEDS A DIRECTOR’S CUT

The Wolf - duh. It started out as 59 eps and got cut to 49. I reaiize some stuff is never gonna get put in due to censorship, but some of the stuff that got cut got for time reasons because they were deluded and hoping to get a TV broadcast so ep count had to be under 50. I mean I doubt the censors would care if they kept scenes of Wolfie building her a swing or whatever. I really really want a director’s cut the way Goodbye My Princess did even if like with GMP it’s only three extra eps. Hell, I will take extra three minutes, as long as those three minutes are Darren Wang shirtless or with a sword. Ahem.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

The Song of Glory - it’s a fairly solid drama but honestly it didn’t need to be as long as it was and kind of got draggy and I got lost interest. (I could have gotten snarky and said all the dramas I didn’t like needed scissors taken to them in their entirety but decided to play nice.)

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

There are a number of dramas I could complain about with regard to this (hi there, darling The Wolf!) but this award goes to Renascence - poor Renascence was never going to be a masterpiece, but it had the potential to be a bit of good cheesy fun until it had its run time cut by more than half and became an incoherent piece of insanity.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Dumb shrill innocent heroine who can’t tie her shoes - see basically all the cdramas I didn’t like this year.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Male lead torture - I mean it’s always open season on that in cdramas, but between Love and Redemption, The Wolf, Love Lasts Two Minds, Love in Between and so on, it was a banner year!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Legend of Fei - what a waste of that cast; what a waste of our finite time on this Earth. What a waste of my intelligence to hope for something better and stick with it for a dozen eps. I have had stale wonderbread that had more personality than this drama.There is absolutely nothing that stands out about this drama in any way,  from half-dimensional characters, to actors who are sleepwalking, to a plot that moves at the speed of an arthritic snail, to uninspired cinematography and direction, to lack of any chemistry between anyone in the cast. If paint-by-numbers was done by a group of particularly linear robots, it might come across the same way as this drama.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

The Wolf - honestly, I did not expect it to come out AT ALL EVER let alone to become my favorite drama of 2020. I was not familiar with the leading man (hahah), I liked Li Qin but wasn’t yet obsessed with her, and Xiao Zhan was excellent in The Untamed but I was hardly going to follow him from drama to drama (and I don’t do SLS any way.) And the trailer was enjoyable but unlike seemingly everyone, I didn’t think it was going to be some epic masterpiece. And then it came out and while it wasn’t objectively an epic masterpiece, it pulled out all the favorite tropes, shippy and narrative kinks from the deepest darkest recesses of my id. And I fell harder than I have in years. 

2020 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

None. Covid Year gave me PLENTY of time

BEST NON-2020 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2020

Novoland Eagle Flag and Joy of Life - they are in my Top 10 dramas from anywhere now. They are quite different except being smart and giving me protagonists to obsess over.

ETA: Also The Untamed because @idlewilds3 pointed out I actually watched it in 2020 even though I didn’t think so because this hellyear has lasted about three decades.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2021

I am gonna limit it to dozen and leaving out ones that aren’t necesarily supposed to air next year (Joy of Life 2, Love in Flames of War, Novoland Princess from Plateau.)

Monarch Industry, Novoland Pearl Eclipse, Silk Washing Stream, Dream of Changan, Sword Snow Stride, Wu Xing Shi Jia, Ancient Love Poetry, Immortality, The Long Ballad, Mirror Twin Cities, The Imperial Age, Fall In Love

[ikeromantic]

More Than Life

A mini-fic for @scruffymctee featuring Shingen and his honeyed tongue (cough) for my 400 Follower Celebration! Approx. 1900 words

May, Shingen, Sweet and (very) Spicy!

Shingen did not love flowers as much as Yoshimoto did, but flowers, as every wise man knew, were one way to please a goddess. He focused on that as Yoshimoto walked him through hanakotoba, pointing out each type of blossom, color variation, even the shape of the leaves and stem . . .

“The perfect bouquet for a woman should indicate your reverence for her beauty, your passion, respect for her wisdom and will, the qualities you love in her, and -”

Shingen stopped, confused as Yoshimoto stopped talking. The Imagawa clan head was staring off into the distance with a sublime smile. He followed Yoshimoto’s gaze to one of the garden paths. There, his goddess walked. Petals fell around her, landing in her hair and shoulders, covering the path beneath her feet. As if the world sought to worship her as he did. His beauty.

After a moment, both men coughed, shuffling their feet. Yoshimoto’s gaze slid to a vining morning glory as if it was that which caught his attention.

“I think I know what flowers I will choose, Yoshimoto. Thank you for helping me with this.” Shingen smiled at his friend.

“Of course. It is the least I can do.” The Imagawa clan leader bowed low.

After Yoshimoto left, Shingen sat on one of the sun-warmed stones. Though he meant to be looking at the flowers, his eyes strayed to her. She’d found a shady spot to watch the koi pond while she worked. A bit of cloth lay in her lap, and thread.

Shingen wondered what she was working on. He loved her creativity. Was there a flower for that? He couldn’t recall if Yoshimoto mentioned it. Something with ‘a’ . . . aster? No.

“Are you watching me?”

He started in surprise, wondering just how long he’d been lost in his thoughts.

“I don’t like being stalked.” His goddess frowned at him, her hands in small fists at her hips.

Shingen thought fast, trying to come up with something smooth. Words to win her back to him. But his mind hit the same refrain he’d been stuck in since their argument. “I - I’m sorry! Please, just talk to me . . .” but she was already turning away. Damn. Shingen’s fist connected with the stone, painful, but not as much as the hole in his chest.

He saw Sasuke approach and take her arm. She leaned on his shoulder as he guided her out of the garden. Shingen wasn’t jealous. He knew Sasuke too well to worry the ninja would try to steal his girl. He was her friend and it was good she had someone to talk to.

Shingen stood and stretched. His hand was throbbing but he ignored it. He had a plan to win his goddess back and it started with a bouquet. Something so beautiful that she would soften her rage and let him apologize.

He heard footsteps and turned, hoping it was Sasuke. A word with the ninja would be good. He might have some insight, afterall. But it was only Yukimura. Yuki was a fine young man, but he knew nothing about women and even less about romance.

The two men scowled at each other in a friendly way.

“You look awful,” Yuki said after a moment. “You’ve got a stain on your collar and leaves in your hem.”

Shingen brushed at his clothes self-consciously. He hadn’t really been thinking much about his clothes the last few days.

“Anyway, Kenshin says to leave you be but I figure he knows less about this than I do. I mean, he hates girls. Not her - but most of ‘em.” Yuki’s frown looked more sad than anything else. “You really messed this up, didn’t you.”

It wasn’t a question. Shingen nodded, feeling another wave of sharp pain in his chest. “I only meant to go drinking and be back by dark,” he sighed.

“Sure.”

“Nothing really happened.”

“Right.”

Shingen sighed. They’d had this conversation a thousand times. Telling Yuki again did him no good. It was his goddess that needed to know. She had to believe him. The girls with their tokkuri, pouring him drink after drink. He’d barely noticed them. It was only his bad luck that one had . . . well, not fallen. Jumped. On him. Right at the moment she’d come through the door.

It looked bad. Shingen couldn’t deny that. But he had eyes only for his goddess. Only wanted to touch her. His princess was the only woman he could see, and if she didn’t want him . . .

“Come on. Don’t make that face or we’ll both end up crying.” Yukimura slapped Shingen’s arm lightly.

Shingen swallowed. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Is there - did something happen?”

It was Yuki’s turn to look uncomfortable. “I, uh, I’m not - I mean, girls are - anyway - I wanted to help you. If you need it. ‘Cause you can’t fight like this.” He shrugged.

“You're a good man, Yukimura.” Shingen tried on a smile. It almost fit. “There is something you can help me with, actually.”

A few minutes later, Yukimura hurried from the garden with his marching orders.

Now to find Sasuke. Or rather, to be found by. The ninja leapt down from a rooftop just as Shingen reached his rooms at Kasugayama.

“She is still angry.” That was what the ninja said, one eyebrow slightly raised for emphasis.

Shingen nodded. “I figured. And I deserve it. I shouldn’t have let those women treat me to a round.” Several rounds, if he was honest but it didn’t bear mentioning right now.

Sasuke nodded. “I am glad you realize that. She said, and I quote, ‘He probably called them all princess,’ and then burst into tears. You are FUBAR.”

“What? Food . . . bar?” Shingen shook his head. Something from the future, he guessed. “But . . . you said she was crying. I - I promised I wouldn’t make her cry.”

“I know.” Sasuke watched him, his expression flat and unreadable.

Shingen thought the ninja might be a little angry with him too. “Did you tell her I said I was sorry?”

“Affirmative, but there was no positive reaction to that statement.” After a moment of silence between them, he added. “I hope you have a better plan in mind.”

“I do.” He pulled the ninja to the side and gave him the general outline.

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. “It might work. So what do you need me to do?”

“Keep her out of her room for the day - preferably outside the castle.”

“I can do that. But fair warning. If this doesn’t work, I didn’t know and I wasn’t involved.”

Shingen gave a pained grin. “It’s on my head. And don’t I know it.” He went back to his rooms and began his part in this plan. A letter. Words to open the heart of a goddess, he hoped.

The next morning, he put his plan into action. Sasuke took his goddess to the town to see a new fabric dye he'd found. Yukimura brought sweets and new wine from a local shop she liked. And Yoshimoto helped Shingen pick the finest flowers. When they were done, her room was covered in blossoms.

There were sakura bunches, the last of the season. Delicate purple sumire, and white anemone. Lilies, roses and camellias. Yoshimoto arranged them in layers of meaning. Apology, remembrance, all of the things he loved about her, and finally, love and passion. The center was a red burst of camellia and rose, the petals lying against each other in a profusion of delicate beauty. And there beside them, his letter, the sweets, and wine.

And just in time too. He could hear her laughter from the gate. And Sasuke’s voice, though he couldn’t make out the words.

“We should go. I don’t want to be here when she first sees it.” Shingen followed his friends out of the room.

Yoshimoto gave him a heartfelt smile. “She will see the truth of your heart, Shingen. Good luck.”

Shingen retired to his room. He tried to read, but couldn’t focus. Then he stood, pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. Waiting was impossible. He had to know if his princess could possibly -

His door slammed open and she stood in the glow of sunset, red light glinting off her skin. His goddess. Her eyes were damp from crying. The curve of her lips trembled with some strong emotion.

He opened his mouth to say something - anything - but his throat closed tight.

“I hate you so much,” she whispered hoarsely, closing the distance between them.

Shingen was ready for a slap. For her to shout. For whatever she wanted from him, whatever it took to earn her forgiveness. He wasn’t prepared for her to throw her arms around him and kiss him.

He could feel every inch of her beneath the thin fabric of her kimono and after days of distance between them, she felt like heaven. Like coming home. Shingen drowned in the taste of her, the way she smelled. He felt like a man dying of thirst, finally granted spring rains.

She pulled back, her eyes studying his face intently. “I should still be mad at you. But I - I just can’t . . .”

“I’m so sorry, princess. I was an idiot. I am an idiot.”

“You are.” She gave a laugh that was half-sob. “I feel like you tore my heart out.”

“And mine with it.” Shingen cradled her like the treasure she was.

She kissed him again, her tongue claiming his mouth with a possessive passion. Her teeth scraped his lower lip lightly as she pulled back. “Mine.”

“Every piece of me,” Shingen agreed.

Her lips traced from his mouth down the line of his jaw, and nipped his neck. “Mine,” she breathed.

Shingen’s voice was hoarse, almost a groan as he agreed. It wasn’t just her kisses. Those wicked hands of hers slid under his clothes, scraping little lines of fire down his sides. His goddess wanted to mark him and he wanted to let her.

She pulled open his kimono, mouth hot on the skin of his chest. She kissed his nipples, her breath making them hard and incredibly sensitive. “Mine,” she growled.

Shingen could only groan agreement as she went lower still. He’d never realized she had such a possessive streak. Nor that it would feel so good to be possessed.

Her fingertips trailed down the tender skin at his hip. Teasing. Drawing little circles that brushed against his most sensitive places.

He was so hard that he ached to be in her. To feel her heat. But he held himself still, letting her lead. And lead she did, pushing the cloth of her kimono back to show how very deliciously naked she was underneath.

His goddess wrapped her legs around him, kissing back up his chest. When she reached his lips she stopped and held his gaze. “God. I missed you so much, Shingen. Don’t you ever, ever, ever do that to me again. Because if you do . . .” her voice shook.

“I am yours, princess. Heart, soul, and body. I never want to be without you.” Shingen held her by the waist, resisting the urge to do more. He could feel how much she wanted him though, with her pressed this close. It was maddening. How could one woman be angel and demon all at once? Filling his heart and driving him mad with desire for her. She was everything.

She smiled. It was a hurt smile, one that said trust would take time to rebuild. But it was a smile nonetheless. “Do you . . . want me?” A question heavy with meaning.

“More than life.”

“Show me.”

Shingen did. He gave her every breath of longing he’d had since their fight, every shred of himself. He worshipped her with his tongue and his hands and his cock. With his eyes and his words of love. And angel that she was, she blessed him with her pleasure until, exhausted, they slept.

[ohmaker]

Favorite Dramas of 2020:

Flower Boy Next Door (2013)

FBND will forever be in my top ten favorite dramas of all time. I love a drama that self awarely uses tropes/conventions to subvert audience expectations and say something - it’s the reason I’m able to rewatch Que Sera, Sera. This was a rewatch for me, and as someone who watched it when it first aired and knows the tropes of dramas at the time this is a fun watch. But even if you aren’t someone who grew up watching Korean dramas, this is a fun drama to watch; it’s a good starting point for people who has never seen a k-drama before but don’t want something too heavy (this and Coffee Prince are real good intros). It follows the main character Go Dok Mi, a traumatized and bitter woman who pushes the world away and isolates herself as a means of protecting herself and her learning how to deal with a world that will inevitably hurt you after meeting her manic pixie dream boy neighbor and immediate best friend, Enrique. This drama has one of the best casts and are career highlights for Park Shin Hye, Yoon Shi Yoon, Park Soo Jin, and Kim Seul Gi. I go into more detail why this drama is one of my favs here.

cw: depictions of bullying, men

A Love to Kill (2005)

Another rewatch and favorite of mine. The complete opposite of FBND, this is a mid 2000s melodrama that does a lot. This marks career highpoints for Rain, who soon after this began to expand his career outside of Korea (notably in Japan and the U.S.) and for a brief period of time reaching mega-star levels of fame, and Shin Min Ah, who is still an acting legend. More importantly to me, this is a career highlight for Kim Sa Rang and the role that made me aware of her. It follows Kang Bok Gu (Rain) who attempts to avenge his brother, who attempted suicide and is in coma, and ruin the life of the woman who jilted him. Unfortunately, Bok Gu finds himself falling for the actress, Cha Eun Suk (Shin Min Ah). How will this forbidden love end? As you can see, this drama is a lot. It also has one of the best soundtracks ever and a unique look to it.

cw: violence, violence against women, attempted rape, sexual assault, just treating women poorly, coerced relationships, poor handling of disability, poor handling of trauma, poor handling of mental illness, on-screen death, not enough Kim Sa-Rang (I go more in depth in here)

Extraordinary You (2019)

This is not only one of my favorite dramas, it may be one of the best dramas ever made. Like, I would have revolted if Kim Hye Yoon did not win an acting award. This was another rewatch for me, I needed to feel something this year. I don’t want to spoil this for anyone, but don’t be fooled by the first few episodes this quickly becomes a plot heavy and emotional drama (though I would argue it never goes dark). This is an absolute banger of a cast, like I even love some of the background supporting characters. Eun Dan Oh is a rich high-school student with a heart condition that will eventually kill her who slowly becomes aware that she is actually a character in a webcomic and that all of her actions and feelings aren’t actually her own, but predetermined by the author. After learning the fate of her character, she decides to change and decide her own destiny.

cw: violence, it gets very existential

The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020)

Finally, something released in 2020. I loved this so much, I watched it twice. This is probably Rosy Zhao’s best drama to date and had stand out performances from Smile Wei and Wu Yi Jia. This is a sort of loving spoof of dramas like Goodbye My Princess, which adds to hilarity if you know what its joking about. It follows screenwriter Chen Xiao Qian who thinks she has written her magnum opus only to be brutally crushed by the lead actor of the production she wrote tells her that her script sucks. Fueled by a need mostly for money but also vengeance, she embarks to write the best script ever with the notes given by the lead actor. However, as soon as she finishes and turns in her new script, she passes out. When she comes to, she realizes that she has transported into her own story as the Third Princess, a character who is quickly killed off. Hijinks ensue as the script keeps going off plot and she tries to get it back on track so she can go back home. I love how drama goes men and women need equality and respect to have healthy relationships (which, like, yeah of course) but also advocates for female supremacy.

cw: violence, attempted sexual assualt, sexism 

The Last Empress (2018)

Not only do I love makjang dramas, but I also believe in Jang Na Ra supremacy. Not only is she is an Actress, she always gives 100% in her projects no matter what, she also always challenging herself in her work. Like, yeah, she chooses some crazy ass things to do but she is never stagnant. I’d also love Shin Sung Rok in this drama, he is unhinged in the best way. This drama is nearly impossible to describe, but just know that you will never guess where it is going, just accept that and relax into this slowly boiling pot of a drama. Set in an alternate universe where Korea is a constitutional monarchy, Oh Sunny (Jang Na Ra) is a musical actress who ends up marrying the emperor. She tries to find true love and happiness while trapped within the power struggle and a series of murders that threatens the existence of the monarchy. I love this drama cause it goes, actually a monarchy is a bad idea idiot, they are so corrupt you can not even fathom it. Also, the crown princess vlogs.

cw: violence, violence against women, on screen death, depictions of murder/attempted murder

Long Vacation (1996)

If any Japanese drama can be called iconic and revolutionary, it would be this one. Not only was it a huge cultural phenomena in Japan (I cannot overstate how big this was, like it created new slang) and is a huge touchstone in Japanese pop culture (so many things are inspired by, try to emulate, and are affected by this drama), it also has one of the hottest casts ever. It gave us the iconic collaboration between Kimura Takuya and Yamaguchi Tomoko. While the nuances of the story may seem cliché and standard now, this was the one that started it all and it holds up very well. This is a character driven drama and one I’d recommend going in blind for.

cw: cheating

30-sai made Dotei Dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii (2020)

I’m often very warry when I get recommended media based off the fact that it’s gay, I got recommended Ossan’s Love that way and that is some of the worst shit I have ever seen. I am, however, glad I gave this drama a chance, it’s one of the best dramas I’ve seen out of Japan in while and one of the best gay dramas. This also invented a new way to talk about fucking without directly talking about fucking. Based off source material of the same name (don’t look for it, it’s real bad. Like, homophobically bad. Trust me, this takes the concept and expands on it and makes it good), this follows Adachi Kiyoshi (Akaso Eiji) who lives a quiet simple life, that is until he turns 30 and gains the magical ability to read other people’s minds by touching them due to his virginity. While at first overwhelmed, he eventually adjusts to his ability. This all changes when touches Kurosawa Yuichi (Machida Keita) and learns that he has romantic feelings for him. This is a light romantic comedy that doesn’t get too heavy; it also has other gay characters and an asexual character which is rare in romance dramas (ace characters are far more common in Japanese media, though they use asexual to mean something more along the lines of aroace unless otherwise specified).

[sifeng]

Review: The Romance of Tiger and Rose

I just finished this show yesterday at 3:00 AM and I have some thoughts. For like a month, I couldn’t find any good Chinese dramas to watch, and so thank god that this drama appeared on my YouTube recommendations one day! (I did rewatch A Little Reunion and Young Blood because they are my favorite dramas of all time).

Plot:

Chen Xiao Qian is an unknown screenwriter who's been single since birth. She's worked really hard and finally finished a grand drama of a heroine, only to have filming delayed because actor Han Ming Xing can't stop questioning the script! She's determined to prove him wrong--until things go topsy turvy and she winds up stuck in the world of her own creation! Now known as the Third Princess, a minor character who was supposed to die in the third episode, Chen Xiao Qian has to not only navigate a plot gone completely out of control, but survive and find a way home.  The problem? Han Shuo, a crown prince of an enemy city--the man her character kidnapped to be her husband. He's got his own agenda, and part of that might mean falling in love with the "wrong" girl.

Cast:

Zhao Lusi (赵露思) as Chen Xiaoqian (陈小千)/Chen Qianqian (陈芊芊)

Ding Yuxi (丁禹兮) as Han Mingxing (韩明星)/Han Shuo (韩烁)

Sheng Yinghao (盛英豪) as Pei Heng (裴恒)

Zhou Zixin (周紫馨) as Chen Chuchu (陈楚楚)

My Opinions:

Plot (My Rating - A-):

I wasn’t expecting the second Nirvana in Fire here, so I don’t think I’m disappointed in any way. The best thing about the plot, and the writing, is the fact that it can nicely mix together comedy and melodrama. If you strip away the comic parts, the way the plot must go down as we see how Qianqian’s arrival into her own script changes the world, is definitely a recipe for tragedy. And yet, it still manages to make people laugh aloud every episode. 

I think the social commentary on whether females or males ought to lead society was very interesting, and it rare to see a Chinese drama try to tackle these topics, so I applaud them for this. I think the pacing was done wonderfully, nothing felt draggy or inexplicably short. 

Of course there are some areas that could be better, but seeing as this show is, at the end of the day, supposed to be a cute romcom type show, I can forgive it for having a few plot holes or odd areas. The explanation for the ending made sense enough for me to believe it (or maybe I just really wanted to believe it). 

Acting (My Rating - B+):

I think both leads did great here! Zhao Lusi is a natural at being funny, charming and likable, and I feel like she is 100% the perfect choice for this role. The only part of her acting I have criticism for are her crying scenes, which don’t feel nearly as natural as the rest of her acting. I had never even heard of Ding Yuxi before this drama (technically I heard about him from Intense Love but that was only like a week earlier), and I was very surprised by how he could change from the murderous plotter to a lovestruck puppy. 

I also think the actor for Zi Rui did really good! He was super funny and very natural at it too, a perfect portrayal for this type of drama. I think Zhou Zixin as Chen Chuchu did good too! I could see she was hiding this type of cruelty and anger from her first few appearances. 

Everybody else was just okay, passable, believable, but could be better in my opinion. 

Characters (My Rating - A-):

I think all the characters (at least the main few) are very three-dimensional and believable. They have motives, beliefs, ideologies, reasons for existing, and reasons for acting as they do. While sometimes I am annoyed at them, I can put myself in their position and understand their actions.

I liked both our leads. When Qianqian sent away Han Shuo because she was afraid he’d die, I was a little angry because she could have told him of her suspicions instead of acting on her own, especially since they literally just made a promise not to do that. But, it made for a really nice reunion a while later, so oh well. I think overall, Qianqian’s actions are understandable in the situation she is in. 

My favorite characters are Zi Rui and Bai Ji because they are both super loyal to their masters, and they also make for excellent comic relief. Their interactions with each other, and with their masters, are actually hilarious. 

While I was annoyed that Pei Heng just wouldn’t give up on Qianqian, his loyalty makes sense and because of the rules instated in Hua Yuan Cheng, his belief that he and Qianqian can still get married isn’t too unreasonable. I mean, yes, he should’ve stopped meddling in their relationship, but as he thought Han Shuo was using Qianqian, it wasn’t exactly unethical.

Also Chuchu, while I was also super annoyed with her stealing the army from Pei Heng, going against Qianqian and her family, and trying to steal Han Shuo, I did understand why she was so angry. I mean she’s never received any words of solidarity from her mother, nothing she does is right, and even when Qianqian does something completely stupid and reckless, she doesn’t get punished. Chuchu wants to prove she’s better than Qianqian, and on that path, she ends up becoming a horrible person. 

Romance & Chemistry (My Rating - A+):

Okay, the romance only deserves an A because it did take a little too long, for my patience, for Qianqian to realize she liked Han Shuo, but the chemistry deserves an A++ so that cancels out. When they are on screen together it just feels very natural and that they are actually in love.

Here are some really cute gifs just because:

Overall Rating: A

Recommend For: people looking for a really cute, but not brainless, time travel drama. People who want to see a reaaaaalyyy cute couple. People who are okay with a little melodrama. 

[lianabrooks]

The Romance Of Tiger And Rose - Early Review

Title: THE ROMANCE OF TIGER AND ROSE Country: China  Genre: RomCom so far... 

Basic Premise: Scrappy script writer Chen Xiao Qian (XQ) (played by Zhao Lu Si) wants to get *paid* (like every writer does) but the production company won’t pay her until the lead actor, Han Ming Xing (played by Ryan Ding), signs off on the script. XQ goes in Ming Xing to discuss the role of Han Shuo (HS), the man XQ envisions as a noble warrior hero who falls in love with the virtuous heroine, Chu Chu (CC), simply because she is noble, beautiful, and kind.

Ming Xing rejects this and pictures a more ruthless HS, one willing to lie and betray people to conquer the neighboring city. 

XQ goes home to rewrite the script, gets sicks, and falls into her script... is it a dream? Is she really there? Can she die? No one knows! And now the fun begins... 

How Much Have I Watched? The first 6 episodes.

Rating: So far this is a 5/5. 

It’s tropey and cracktastic and exactly what I need. It comes across as very silly but it’s an intentional silliness. XQ is constantly editing herself. “Why would I write that?” “The logic here makes no sense. I need to rewrite this?”  

From a writer’s perspective, this is actually very well executed. I appreciate the art and skill that has gone into this script and the acting. 

A lot of the acting looks over-the-top, sometimes too exaggerated to be good. But that’s part of the story itself. XQ is trapped in her own fanfic (several people have compared it to Goodbye My Princess... we hope it gets a happier ending). XQ wrote exaggerated, over-the-top characters because she is a hopeless romantic and dramatic, but only in her own head. She wrote a whole world of people she wanted to be like: loud, brave, strong, popular, beautiful ... but she doesn’t feel she fits in. 

In reality XQ is kind of shy, easily ignored, pushed around by the producer and actors. We see her struggling alone, and being sick with no one to care for her. So it makes sense for her to write a drama where she can feel all these emotions safely. She writes about a loving family of devoted sisters, a mother who would do anything, a city where women are the leaders, and a hero who loves the quiet restraint of a Perfect Woman (CC). 

There’s a lot of meta subtext about what XQ feels a perfect life is, what a perfect romance looks like, and what an ideal woman is verse who she sees herself as and what she wants from life.

I’m excited to see how this goes because it could be really amazing. But... spoilers are below the break.

Representation: The major rep here goes to First Princess who is in a wheelchair. Chen Yuan Yuan (YY)’s legs were damaged/poisoned sometime in childhood and can’t be cured even by magical means. She feels cast off and overlooked because her mother and sister are both warriors. 

As far as rep goes, this is doing okay so far. Yes, YY is being ignored by people, but not by the writers. She’s given her side story, a full personality, goals, and at least one love interest. She’s being given enough screen time that I think she’s going to be a major player by the end of the show. We shall see.  HS also has a medical condition but his entire reason for marrying someone in the city is to get the cure for his condition, and he achieves that goal, so meh. Not everyone gets to be magically cured of their conditions. First Princess is better rep, although the discussion of how people treat HS and how they talk like he’s already dead is well done. 

SPOILERY REVIEW  FOR THE FIRST SIX EPISODES  & PREDICTIONS  BELOW THE BREAK

The Spoiler Filled Breakdown...

In XQ’s original script HS and CC fall in love, but not before HS meets 2nd Princess Chen Qian Qian. In the rewrite the brash, stupid, and wild Qian Qian kidnaps HS and forces a marriage. He poisons her on the wedding night.

XQ wakes up in the fantasy world as Qian Qian with no memories of QQ either than what XQ wrote in the script. It’s the morning of Qian Qian’s wedding (remind me to talk to XQ about cutesy repeating names), but XQ tries to rush everything assuming that dying will wake her up in her world.

But HS decides not to poison his new bride. XQ gets drunk and wakes up still in her fantasy world and very confused. She decides the best thing to do is live to the end and see CC and HS happily married. 

This HS isn’t the perfectly soft boy she originally wanted, he’s the strategist and killer who plans on marrying to steal the ancestral relic, a dragon bone, and betray his princess to conquer the city. He plans this knowing he will likely die, but is comfortable with it because he’s been diagnosed with a heart condition and will likely die. 

HS is used to being written off as dead already. No one is investing in him. They don’t love him. They don’t care about him. Except for XQ who still sees him as this perfect hero she wrote. She wants to keep him alive and get him married to CC... but every plan backfires, and with each misstep HS falls a little more in love with XQ. 

It’s very fun to see XQ struggle between the love she has for these fictional people (she tells the teacher she loves him most) and her warring desire to finish the script the way she originally intended. XQ is desperate to make HS and CC fall in love even when it’s obvious from the early episodes that CC loves the teacher that Third Princess is betrothed too. 

If you aren’t looking for it, you might miss CC’s longing looks, but it’s there. 

Second Princess is not the Queen/City Master’s biological daughter, but she’s a bad*** warrior beauty who is intelligent, kind, strong, and trying to be flawless. She feels overlooked by her mother who so obviously spoils Third Princess. It’s easy to see why XQ wanted to write her as the romantic lead... she is the Ideal Historical Drama Princess. 

It’s equally easy to see why HS doesn’t love her, she’s just like everyone else he knows and she’s quick to dismiss him.

XQ is everything CC is not. She’s awkward, she’s willing to embarrass herself, she thinks of herself as being worthless. It’s a thing that starts small but is building throughout the first six episodes, XQ’s has talked herself into believing she doesn’t have anything special: no martial skills, not a great student, and this whole list of things a Proper Person does. 

And HS falls in love with her for all her other good traits, the things that society tends to ignore: being self-less, being kind, remembering birthdays, making space for people who are otherwise left out. 

The big question that remains is: IS THIS A REAL FANTASY WORLD OR IS THIS A DREAM??? 

Because Han Shuo is played by the same actor as Han Ming Xing and no one wants to see this romance burn down.

Possibilities:  1) This is all a dream... XQ will wake up, write a better script, and see the man she fell in love with romance someone else. It echoes the original script but is my least favorite possibility because it will reinforce XQ’s belief that she is worthless. Even if the show is wildly popular she will be an afterthought. I think this won’t happen because the plot is building to XQ realizing she is amazing and the ending should confirm that.

2) This is a dream but with a twist... XQ will wake up, write the script, and HS as HMX will fall in love with her because she wrote complex characters and all will be well. This feels like a safe option and would be a classic Kdrama twist (surprise! your ancient lover is reborn! or traveled through time! ta-da! They are here!) in the last 3 minutes of the drama. But I would be a bit disappointed with this because it is so predictable.

3) This is reality... the script writing was a dream and XQ is actually Third Princess and will never see tampons again. That’s a horrible thing to wish on anyone so let’s hope not. Do you know what the maternal mortality rate was back then? Way. Too. High. No. Claire Beauchamp had it right, try to get modern medicine for pregnancies. 

4) HS is HMX... this one has gained some traction with the romantics online. The theory is Han Shuo is Han Ming Xing. He started in the fantasy/dream world and came to the real world searching for XQ and the reason he demanded to see the script writer was because he missed her. He’s hoping to goad her into writing the story “correctly” so she will fall in love with him again, and when XQ wakes up with all these memories she’ll recognize HS and understand how he got to the modern world and they will live happily ever after. Honestly, I love this one best. Let everyone have happily ever after. 

5) XQ will need to choose... both worlds are real but she can only live in one of them. She can return to being a lonely scriptwriter, but have a script she knows will be amazing, or she can stay as Third Princess and live with HS. This feels likely... or at least parts of it do. I think she’ll be presented with a way to escape again and be conflicted, making a choice she thinks will sacrifice everything. It sounds like a very solid third plot twist that will leave everyone agreeing she made the right choice but slightly heartbroken over what could have been.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

SHIPS:

Xian Chian x Han Shuo

Second Princes Chu Chu x Teacher

First Princess Yuan Yuan x Su Mu the musician 

[mejomonster]

My romance tastes are kinda niche ;-; anyone got any drama recs with the setup of like: the pair of people are already physically close for plot reasons, the main romance arc is more about trust building than that initial physical intimacy, in fact all the funner if they're already physically intimate but its the sincere genuine love and trust they're unsure of being mutual

Examples:

Secret of the Three Kingdoms: this is SUCH a good one. Anytime you're faking being the dead emperor, pretending to be the husband of the empress, lying to help her scheme to keep the country together - you're gonna get physical closeness and actions by necessity, but build trust much more uncertainly and terrifyingly and its lovely!!!! I want more!!!! More like this!!!! (I tried The Crowned Clown but honestly since the Queen isn't in on the fake king situation it's still distant people physically To lovers, whereas in Sot3K its more what I prefer which is people close already by choice clumsily and unsure of each other falling into loving and truly trusting and caring)

Till Death Tear Us Apart: another EXCELLENT one! These old friends meet up, rich boy immediately moves the teacher into his mansion to romance him, but teacher is a spy too and has motive to stay there and play along to spy. They're close due to their own personal motivations, but uncertain of each other's true hopes or loyalties until trust builds. And it's such a fun emotionally fluffy take on this. With spies and gangs!

Word of Honor: not perfectly what I want, but by basically adopting zhang chengling to protect immediately, they're in forced proximity as a team and flirty to the point of useful to it quickly. In a way they become close as family/a team much faster than one would expect, and the bulk of their love story is more about learning to open up to each other as their honest selves and learn they'll still have a partner. The flirting and deciding each other is hot is a bit drawn out but in the scope of things it's maybe only 1/4 of the romance arc, most of its more about already being functionally close and a family unit and working team and needing to learn to trust each other with their real motives, pains, wants, selves.

Romance of Hua Rong: its Not perfectly what I want. But I do Love that the guy falls in love immediately, she marries him just to plan her escape, they're close by proximity and necessity of their own goals at first (her to play him and escape, him to seduce her) then she wins and leaves and he trails after like an earnest puppy. Then they're heroes fighting together, and the fact that initial closeness as people happens right away? Means the actual love story is more about truly getting to know each other and decide to trust each other. It's not about if they have a crush or debate if someone's hot or hope to kiss! They do all that real quick then move on. No the long form romance is about the trust and choosing to care.

Guardian: they don't get close right away, but Shen Wei CARING so much immediately and already in love (since he's been in love 10k years lol) means they skip to extremely teamwork trusting very quickly (within like 1/4 of the show.... oh I'm noticing priest writes to my preference with dynamics lol....) and the bulk of their conflict with each other? They have to be honest, open up emotionally. They both personally care for each other real fast. But being upfront? Willing to open up? Trust each other to be aware of their own fears? Wooh boy is that the struggle for these two. Shen Weis dealing with it basically right through to the finale. And again, as is my preference, they're basically living together and a close team fairly quick (1/4 into it) and then the bulk of their love story is opening up after already close. (I haven't seen kei x yaku yet, but I know they live together and I bet you anything that setup will appeal in this way)

Advance Bravely: oddly enough????? It does fit my preference of immediate closeness then growing trust gradually as the main romance bulk. The premise makes the two extremely close again within like 1/4 of the plot. Since the older brother is screening gong juns character as a potential match for his sister, then they end up working together in the same bodyguard company, all amounting to the older guy basically accompanying gong juns guy daily, and they're already Very Close in life on a daily basis before they're actually falling for each other romantically as far as like trusting each other, wanting to willingly open up and confess feelings, being gentle and vulnerable etc. Like within a few eps the older guys outside gong juns characters window, within eps they're sleeping together, yet it's not til big scenes like going to visit for the holidays that the emotional arc of Dang I've Grown to really genuinely care and treasure You kicks off more.

Rattan: she's a God basically, he's serving her, by necessity they have to live together and be very close. While it's not a physical closeness like a family or team or fake relationship, it allows for them to get bits of intimacy like finding out about each others lives and losses and pains before they fully get the chance to grow to decide to trust each other. So it's this clumsy oh no this other person saw the real me, being navigated over the gradual "maybe I'm okay with that. Maybe I like that I'm not alone. Maybe I like seeing who they really are too." As they fall in love.

So oh yes. I am fond of fake relationship and marriage of convenience and friends to lovers. And the cat/mouse style pursuit that can be enemies to lovers but i prefer as like "partners working together" but investigating each other/untrusting to lovers, that's usually only in Action Romance or Horror (think Killing Eve, Strangers from Hell, Guardian, Death Note, Beyond Evil).

So ah. Any more recs with these kind of romances? Preferably with action romance over fluff romance...

[serpentinred]

Okay, just felt that I should make this a post because I have no self-control and would answer it whenever I see it being addressed in the tags, so ... it’ll be easier for me to copy and paste.

About that one scene in “The Romance of Tiger and Rose” where Han Shuo nearly forces Qian Qian.

Personally, I don’t think it takes away from the original ambition of the series at all -  which is to call out most, if not all, common tropes (especially the shitty ones) in Cdrama. I don’t think they saw it as “right and justifiable” or else why would they have her crying and him hitting the brakes before he committed the act? In a way, I think it’s calling out the TV series/”love stories” that uses non-con as a device to further the “romance” between the leads and driving home the point that even if two people are in love, no means no.

Recall that the show didn't even bother to fade to black, but played out the whole scene with Qian Qian crying and Han Shuo visibly showing that he was ashamed that he'd hurt her and made her afraid. Also recall that Zhi Rui asked Qian Qian immediately after the scene "You missed him so much while he was gone. Why didn't you just give in to him?" This, in and of itself, tells me that the show makers are calling out these tropes and telling the audience "No is no. Even if you love the person, if they force it on you, it's WRONG." And that, to me, is a good thing.

In regards to characterization, Han Shuo was brought up in a patriachal city. In the real world, there are plenty of places where women are raped in marriages and the women can't even sue because people in that country mostly don't believe that rape is possible in marriages. Therefore, it makes sense that he didn't see it as wrong (until that moment, that is).

Furthermore, I think they’re also drawing a contrast to the male lead in “Good-bye, My Princess” (the book version was written by the one of the people on board this drama). In that one, it’s heavily implied that the female lead was raped and the male lead showed no remorse towards it (because the author was going for male lead=scumbag in that story anyway), while in this drama, Han Shuo visibly showed discomfort that he’d gone that far.

And note that he never pushed or forced her again after that, always leaving the decision in her hands, even when he was supposedly “still trying to get revenge on her”.

Disclaimer: I personally felt uncomfortable watching that scene, too. But when I thought about it in retrospect afterwards, I can see why they did it. After all, the original ambition of the series was to call out shitty tropes anyway, and not just to be a regular love story.

[hyeri-yah]

SONGS I ASSOCIATE THE SEVENTEEN MEMBERS WITH

I'll make this into a tag game ksksksks

List songs in your playlist and strictly on your phone playlist which you associate the Seventeen members with! It's up to you if u wanna add an explanation!

Tagging: @serriannah, @shuasvteen, @woozisnoots, @shoshishua + everyone who wants to do it!!

Seungcheol

• Raise Your Flag - Man with a Mission

• Epiphany - Taylor Swift

Seungcheol reminds me of Orga from MSG: Iron Blooded Orphans and Jihoon as Mikazuki (if u watched it ull know), but he's the leader, the one who'll "raise the flag" and sing the battle cry or something . On the other hand, Seungcheol is also soft and vulnerable, which matches well with Epiphany, which talks about moments of dreaming before the battle.

Jeonghan

• Angel of Mine - Monica

• Bad Boy, Good Man - Tape Five

Oh this guy,,, yeah he's an Angel but sometimes...not. Jeonghan is a caring person and a really good listener, which makes him truly an angel. But c'mon let's face it this guy is mischievous 😂 which is why i listed the second song,,, he has this suave, playboy like aura skksks just listen to the second song, you'll get it.

Joshua

• Time Machine - Goosehouse

• La Vie En Rose

Joshua to me is like a calming energy,,, he kinda looks like a really pastel kind of person 😂 that's why i picked "light-toned" songs! And these are quite acoustic songs for our guitar man. No. I wont pick generic Sunday Morning

Jun

• 戀愛ing - 五月天

• Lovely Icecream Princess Sweetie - Egoist

Jun to me is a sweet child 😂 he reminds me of the feeling I have when I watch Kung Fu Hustle or any Stephen Chow movie ksksks that's why I picked the first song bc it's a really funny and cute song!! The second one reminds me that even though he's like a child, he can still be quite sexy and alluring! It's an upbeat song which is actually perfect for dancing!

Soonyoung

• All Star - Smash Mouth

• Sugar Song & Bitter Step - Unison Square Garden

Ahhhh this guy....he makes me laugh so much I have to list songs that make me laugh 😂 the first one i remember hearing on Shrek,, the second song is fantastic (it's an ending song for an anime and the animation for it is such a fun and energetic dance,,, probably one of the best anime endings) I wish I can list Eye of the Tiger but I dont have it on my phone :((

Wonwoo

• Utakata Hanabi - Supercell

• Cardigan - Taylor Swift

After I heard Wonwoo say that he likes IU songs, I just associate him now with ballads or slow songs 😂 These songs are both lovely and soft and dramatic 😂 Wonwoo to me is that kind of person!

Jihoon

• All the Small Things - Blink182

• Saturday Night Waltz - Aaron Copland performed on piano by Anderson & Roe

Alright the first song...it's not alluding to anything ok!! It's rock but has a warm and touching lyrics that matches well with Jihoon's rough exterior but is really soft and sentimental in the inside. Also, I wouldn't let it pass not to add a classical music piece in this list!! And ofc i'll give it to Jihoon bc he's the one who was classically trained in music,,, and this piece is actually beautiful!!

Minghao

• Royals - Lorde

• Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

Hao has this mysterious and dark vibe with him that reminds me of a Fae Prince or something 😂 that's why i picked these two songs where i think reflects his classy taste on things and his rather reflective kind of personality despite the brooding vibe 😂

Mingyu

• Gorgeous - Taylor Swift

• Back For You - One Direction

I mean this guy is idol material,,, gorgeous and cheesy to his fans 😂😂😂 ill let the songs explain themselves

Seokmin

• Defying Gravity - Wicked

• Summer Sunshine - The Corrs

DK to me is literal sunshine!!!! That's why I picked the second song!! It's upbeat , energetic and fun!! I picked the first song bc of how he had already performed in a musical, of how im sure he can perfect this song, and how he has literally defied gravity with his talents and hardwork!!!

Seungkwan

• FLY HIGH!! - Burnout Syndromes

• Mr. Chu - A-Pink

Well....Seungkwan is huge a volleyball fan and I'm pretty sure he had watched Haikyuu in some way or another 😂 but I do think the story of Hinata matches him quite well!! And with Mr. Chu...well he did sing this song,,, and i also heard this song in a clip of idol room 😂😂😂

Vernon

• Waltz of Anomalies (cover) - (Vocaloid) Kamikita Ken

• Daybreak Frontline Rap Cover - (Vocaloid) Fantastic Youth

I picked songs which are sorta niche, and no one used to mainstream music would probably heard of these songs, which reminds me of how Vernon can be quite "niche"... he's different and eccentric sometimes and u dont know what's going on in his head 😂 but if u get to know him, u'll be fascinated and intrigued! Just like these songs!!

Chan

• Dinosaur - AKMU

• Me! - Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie

The first one is a joke i'll admit that lmaoooooo but it's such a nice song by akmu 😂 with the second song, dino often reminds me of my cousin who wants just a little bit of attention, and this song is really perfect like...just with the lyrics "there's no awesome without me"....well....

That's all!! Thank you for coming to my tedtalk sksjhdjshs i mostly had alt rock/anime songs in my phone so there's that 😂😂😂

I really had fun with this tho!!! I hope u guys would try it too!!