Coroner's Diary

and we cheered for mystery case solving dramas

So the premise is that our leading actress li landi plays Shen Wan, who is a young prodigy that has the excellent skills of a physician and a coroner. After her father is wrongfully accused of corruption, both her father and mother are killed by assassins, and while attempting to help Shen Wan escape, their friend Qin Liang also dies at the hand of these assassins, leaving only Shen Wan alive. She takes on the identity of Qin Liang's daughter, an old patient of hers, Qin Wan, who actually already passed a year ago, but news of her death had not yet reached her family. She returns as Qin Wan, and quickly forms good connections with noble families with her physician skills. After a murder case occurs, she is eventually able to showcase her coroner skills as well, that were taught to her by her father. Hoping to make a name for herself as a coroner, her goal is to eventually travel to the capital to investigate her father's case and restore his title as an upright official. She continues using her forensic + coroner skills to solve multiple murder cases that happen in her town. I'm seeing some people say that FL is too OP at the moment and how everything's going the way she needs it to. Well, idk what to say people, sorry she's intelligent and skilled, and maybe I don't want to see her trying to prove her identity for 10+ episodes like in the Double—we're saving time for the murders and eventual romance!

One of her connections include mr. ao rui peng who plays Yan Chi, nephew to the emperor, one of the youngest generals to lead Shunxi army, good at martial arts and also good at detective work, etc. you get the idea. This is my first time watching him and while I didn't find him very handsome in moonlight mystique, I think he looks great here! Someone said something about a fan perpetually facing towards him and they're not wrong - somehow faint wind is blowing on him in almost every scene, even indoors (hilarious). I quite like his acting so far, and I especially love li landi's acting. I thought she was great in our starry love but couldn't finish that because of the story + male lead. She's so pretty in this drama, I absolutely love her outfits and she looks stunning in purple + her line delivery is as natural as usual. She carries herself with a calm demeanour, but that doesn't cover up her fierceness within.

Regarding the romance (YEA IK MOST OF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROMANCE) it was kind of love at first sight for Yan Chi. In the early episodes, they have many moments where you can see him falling for her deeper, it's very endearing. I've been watching mostly slowburn and enemies to lovers dramas like the princess's gambit, so this was kind of a breath of fresh air? It's not like their romance is given that much time to develop that early though cause they're too busy kicking ass and taking names. It's looking like possibly 6 episodes ish per murder case? So nothing is going too fast, you just see these small cute moments they share! Hes probably held her wrist in almost every episode so far and that little moment of contact always makes me smile. Shes proven herself as a smart and upright individual who cares a lot about bringing justice to the dead and the wronged, you can't blame the guy (and lowkey a lot of other dudes) for falling for her that quick. He respects her, protects her, and supports her—and is one of the only people around that can stomach autopsies (guys he already wiped her sweat in episode 2 during an autopsy, are they moving too fast?). He's also one of the only people that are suspicious about her identity, and he's also hoping to investigate her father's case as it involves someone who was close to him. I don't think Shen Wan will accept him that quickly since he still doesn't know her true identity until who knows when, but until then, we're just gonna see her stuck with him regardless while they solve cases alongside each other. Now, upon finishing this drama, even though they do get together a little earlier than expected, their interactions aren't cringy or too much, nor do they take away from the serious plot lines. Their support for one another helps them grow as individuals (as if getting even more good is possible for these two) and them being together just MAKES SENSE.

About the cases, they're actually pretty interesting. I don't find the murders/autopsies gory or gross or anything, but maybe that's just me. Everything's kinda fake enough for me to not care. I like the way they find clues along the way and actually manage to piece everything together. They are truly doing detective work—there are calculations, logic, they take the right steps to figure out the motives and intent of everyone involved. You're kind of aware and also kind of not on who to suspect, (first case was obvious, the next one.. not so much), so it's like you're solving cases with them. It lowkey reminded me of Scooby doo and the mystery gang (and I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!!). But also this is my first time watching a case solving drama so I can't compare it to anything. Editing of the scenes is a little weird at times, they seem to like tilting shots at certain serious scenes, but I don't pay that much attention to it. Overall, I really like the costumes, settings, and plot so far. edit: YUPPP THE ROMANCE IS ROMANCING. Also, be prepared for the last mystery case as that was genuinely the biggest mystery of all! Trust me, you'll want to go into it blind.

finale edit: absolutely loved the way they tied up this drama. now THIS is how a drama should end. no loose ends, no plot holes, no unnecessary deaths, (albeit quite a few necessary ones), and yes, if it wasn't obvious enough, its a beautifully well done HAPPY ENDING!!!

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Perfect balance in plot and chemistry.

Interesting plot, Amazing cast with good chemistry. The story has a perfect balance in all areas. The cases could be heavy sometimes but there are good humor and small funny moments to lighten the moods too. The mystery keep you engaging and are fast paced and don't get boring. The story dance around the idea of revenge or justice.
The cast did a very good job. both leads have an amazing chemistry with each other. A smart couple who can communicate and trust each other. The side couples are cute and interesting too.
Overall it's a very good watch for a mystery and murder solving drama with romance and good characters.

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Imposter

Qin Wan, the Qin family’s Ninth Lady, returns to Jingzhou after years in the Valley of the Medicine King—now a gifted healer with a most unladylike interest in forensics. The Qins greet her with frosty disdain, but Qin Wan has more important things on her mind to be fazed by it. For she is an imposter and not the kind that is trying to live someone else's best life. Her true mission? Reopening the Prince Jin case that destroyed her real father’s name. A macabre headless bride case throws her into the orbit of Yan Chi, the emperor’s shrewd nephew. He’s fascinated by her forensic brilliance but suspects she’s hiding more than corpses. Still, her skills prove too useful to ignore, and soon they’re entangled in high-profile cases—and a shared agenda to expose a conspiracy at the heart of imperial power.

Make no mistake, this is a romance first, elevated by Li Landi and Ao Ruipeng’s electric chemistry. Yan Chi’s unwavering support and smoldering gazes melt Qin Wan’s defenses with delicious speed, forging a partnership that’s refreshingly free of miscommunication or love triangles. Their connection simmers in glances and quiet gestures—mature, supportive, and almost too perfectly harmonious. The lack of real obstacles or tests to their bond leaves it feeling more like a fairytale than a romance mystery drama.

Between swoons, Qin Wan tackles eight suspenseful cases (including the finale’s melodramatic conspiracy). The whodunits are predictable, but the why delivers poignant social critique—exposing how women are crushed by inequity, corruption, and imperial privilege. The how, though? Pure forensic fantasy. Qin Wan’s deductions often defy logic, leaning on exaggerated techniques and leaps in reasoning. Yet Li Landi sells it with such poised conviction that my skepticism crumbles every time. Still, mystery purists will groan at the plot holes, coincidences, and Qin Wan’s Teflon-grade plot armor—Yan Chi always arrives just in time to save her from any real consequence for her actions.

Li Landi shines with her radiant and hypnotic portrayal of quiet competence, though her roles in The Starry Love and Love of Nirvana offered more nuance. Ao Ruipeng nails the green-flag hero archetype, but Yan Chi’s righteousness lacks layers. Thankfully, side characters—Yan Li, Yue Ning, and Yan Chi’s formidable grandmothers (the Grand Princess and Empress Dowager)—inject needed complexity and humour. Yan Chi’s relationship with his father Prince Rui is undercooked and should have been better explored.

The final arcs pivot to palace intrigue, trading forensic puzzles for murderous princes, scheming women and a dog's blood stab-happy finale. The end twist is clever but collapses under scrutiny—riddled with contrivances and a villain who is aided and abetted by all of the women’s inexplicable silence. This dulls the story’s initial feminist edge into a parade of bloodthirsty and wicked harpies, betraying its own ethos. And Qin Wan’s victory rings hollow: she solves her father’s case but fails to truly clear his name. If the message was “No man is above the law, and no one below it,” it lands with a thud.

Verdict? A bingeable, romance-driven romp with enough charm to gloss over its flaws. 8.0/10.0—generous, but deserved for sheer entertainment.

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The cases are twisted, but the love is sweet.

After watching Coroner's Diary, I can't decide whether to rate it 8.5 or 9 out of 10, but I do understand why this drama is so popular. Not only is it a nice blend of romance, crime, and mystery, but it also doesn't shy away from exposing the darker side of humanity, delving into the uncomfortable truths and hidden secrets that society tends to turn a blind eye to. While the themes can be heavy and depressing at times, the writers are able to consistently and effectively lighten the mood with a balanced amount of warmth, sweetness, and humor.

What I liked:
• Strong protagonists: Shen Wan and Yan Chi are both genuinely good people. They are also mature, intelligent, and supportive of each other, and there is no angst or misunderstandings between them. They have so much trust and respect for each other that not once do either one of them question the other person's capability or character. I am usually not a fan of love at first sight or instalove, but I make an exception for them. They are the greenest of green flags when it comes to couples in cdramas.
• Engaging side characters: They are charming, loyal, and fun to watch — a much needed and stark contrast to the seriousness of the crimes in the drama. The story will not be what it is without them.
• High production value: I love the attention to detail the production put into the costumes, sets, and props. I'm not sure what the budget is for this drama, but everything appears lavish and meticulously crafted. The cinematography in this drama is also aesthetically pleasing. Every scene is like a painting.
• Ethical storytelling: Although the horrors committed against these victims are some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, Shen Wan always treats the victims with dignity and respect. She gives a voice to the voiceless. To her, the pursuit of justice is more important than the chase for prestige. This prevents the cases from being overly sensationalized, which I really appreciate as a viewer.

What I did not like:
• Conveniently placed clues and easy cases: Not all, but some of the cases require us as viewers to overlook the convenient placement of the clues and the ease with which the cases are solved. They are still enjoyable, but predictable.
• Pacing: A few of the episodes in the fourth quarter are quite slow and uninteresting, but thankfully the final episodes are exciting and fulfilling, giving us a satisfying ending.
• Comical villains: Towards the end, the villains become theatrical. They even have scenes where they perform exaggerated evil monologues, topped off with their own manic laughter. This makes them seem more comical than threatening, which I find disappointing.

Even with its flaws though, Coroner's Diary is still a great watch. Not every drama needs to be a critically acclaimed and flawless masterpiece in order for it to be enjoyable. Sometimes we watch dramas simply because we like the endearing characters in the stories and we want an entertaining escape from reality — and that is okay. Coroner's Diary checks those boxes for me. It is fun, intriguing, and an overall positive experience.

Coroner's Diary can be described as a cross between Apothecary Diaries and Bones. Viewers who desire a little crime and mystery in their romance will find this drama to be compelling. However, those who are sensitive to graphic content — such as gore, corpses / human remains, human trafficking, mass graves, domestic violence, SA against women and children, and necrophilia — should approach this drama with caution, as many of the cases in this drama involve such crimes against humanity.

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Should be Called "The Coroner & Her Team".

Really was the dark horse drama people are mentioning because like everyone else, I expected a decent watch but this show had a lot more for me. First added this to see ARP in a series ML role that didn't paint him as a goofball. I know LL from other dramas and felt that this couple would be a good team. Both second leads and some of the support were familiar though not all. I felt that this should have been called "the Coroner & her Team".

Pros: The whole point of the story was to solve cases; 7 smaller ones and the last was the reason they were there. Some of the cases tied back to the last one. There was no miscommunication or misunderstandings between our couples at all. I saw some reviews calling the FL a "Mary Sue" that she was perfect but she was far from it. She constantly put herself in dangerous situations sometimes before she even knew she couldn't handle them to help or save someone. As a doctor/coroner, that's what they do even in real life. If they can help, they'll go and do it. The ML was a strategist of the highest order who was a martial arts master who could wield almost any weapon. Growing up in the barracks being taught from a young age helped with that. Both ML and FL had people they wanted to vindicate and get revenge for and very quickly learned they were on the same side. He fell first and hard,she was a bit slower, but once she got there, she was determined to be with him till death did them part. Though I know this was not a romantic series, they did do romance well for the leads; as well as were cute for the other two couples. Though she took on a different name and hid in a house full of vultures, he figured out fairly quickly who she was. He fell for her intelligence and caring first and then everything else. 2nd and 3rd couple were also good and extremely helpful. ARP definitely proved himself in this role. He could go from intense happiness and joy to total shock and heartbreak in seconds.

The pacing was well done; all of the cases though we as the audience knew who the perps were from nearly the get go, were carefully thought out and explained. Loved the fighting scenes, all of them. We started figuring out that the mastermind behind the entire thing of killing FL's parents and hordes of other people was the emperor himself and he wasn't even the real Emperor toward the second half of the series. There were a little hints here and there, but not until the second half, and those cases, did the leads, and we have the audience started putting pieces together. The original two sons of the real emperor was in a way of a smoke screen because the fake emperor wanted to kill them anyways, but not by his own hand. He was the twin of the real emperor that because of one fateful decision made by the Empress Dowager re-shaped everyone's lives and caused many unnecessary deaths. How, you may ask? You'll have to see for yourselves. Comedy was small but natural.

Other great characters both on the protagonist and antagonist sides were the people involved in the cases be they bad or good, and how they played them as well as the two grandmothers, all the cousins even dad of ML and both wives of the fake emperor and the official leader of the flower cult who also had a bone to pick with the fake emperor and finally caused his death. What was very good was that every single character exited out properly. There were no loose ends. there were no well where did he go suddenly? There was no rush to the finish line. That was something I was a bit afraid of, but they solved all eight cases and everyone got what they deserved. Plus the right person was put on the throne at the end. Another huge positive was that it literally ended the way it started just with a lot more hands. If before being a coroner was a nasty profession that only men could handle and women were completely looked down on, and it was never advertised then by the end, she had students of both sexes learning how to perform autopsies, and there was a reform in the law based on all of the cases that they had solved. And now they were again working together to solve yet another case. It wasn't them sailing off into the sunset together with a kiss, but exactly how it started; with a case.

It was obvious that this was a cheaper production because all of the outside and natural forests and woods and things were fake, but you didn't really pay attention to that too much as there were so many things going on at the time. OST's landed, costumes and sets were good. Solid script with solid acting; people stayed for as long as they were needed in the story. I also knew that I was not watching a documentary on anatomy so I did not expect there to be accurate organs or anything of that nature when she performed the autopsy. I was just there to watch a story and see her go from point A to point B. I know there were a bunch of people in the comments that had forensic experience and that's great but in order for them to be that accurate in everything forensics, it would not be able to pass censorship.

Cons: I don't have a lot to add to this section, but one of the things that got me was the fake emperor's over acting toward the end. I wasn't sure whether that was part of the script or whether the actor was just adding his own feel for it, but he was overdoing it way too much, and it kind of threw the balance of his character off. One could argue that his mental state was slipping because of just how many people he had killed that were related to him. But it was just a bit too much. Also as a fan of YSZ I really wish they would've introduced his character sooner then in nearly the last 10 episodes of the series because he was very important and it felt a little bit like his character was rushed though he did have his purpose considering the heavenly society, a.k.a. Cult was one of the major cases and just things in general in the story. The other thing was couple number two and the way they whined a lot, especially the female, though she could totally kick ass with her sword and maybe even a whip, but sometimes she acted like a 12-year-old and that was something I'm not particularly fond of. I do wish that there weren't as many interruptions from just about everyone and for the leads to have had a little bit more kissing in the show; some people couldn't read the room to save their lives! Or even a situation at hand. That's it I don't have anything else.

Would you recommend it? I absolutely would. This drama came out of nowhere and slayed quite a lot of other dramas that have dropped recently. I think it's a great watch, especially if you like the detective crime solving portion of things with great friends and a partner who always has your back.

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So bad that I felt the need to write a review

A horrendous script that became increasingly nonsensical as the drama progressed. Characters were very 2D. They want to portray the female lead as a near-perfect character who isn't afraid of anything, and the result was watching an actress who knows she has plot armour, and thus, there was no tension or suspense whatsoever.

The case-solving aspects were appalling and had numerous leaps of logic and reasoning that would have given Sherlock a conniption. This poor writing made the leads appear idiotic and incompetent at their job.

Why even bother with the period setting when the characters behaved as if they came from modern times and barely observed any etiquette or conventions of the time? If they want to write about characters that defied conventions, then I need them to bump up against disapproval; instead, it was smooth sailing, and nearly everyone fell into line with the leads. I don't even want to get into praising the female lead to high heaven because she's "not like other girls/women". Urg!!! Can we not with this?

If you mainly focus on the romance, then this may be for you, because the leads were all loved up and flying that green flag romance. I came for the crime-solving with romance thrown in, so this fell off the cliff.

STRONGLY DO NOT RECOMMEND.

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I wish it is more culturally realistic, more mind-provoking, and more dramatic.

There is no doubt that this drama has excellent production quality. The settings, costumes, music, and characters are fitting and captivating. The main and supporting characters have distinctive personalities and are very entertaining. I love to see every interaction between them. I view this drama as successful at combining mystery, romance. and light comedy. However, even after finishing all episodes, there is still a big hole in my heart.

First, I'm not sure which aspects of this drama are real or fictional, especially when it comes to case-solving. This drama is excellent at incorporating elements of law and traditional medicine. It has the potential to be more intellectually engaging, but it is wasted. Repeatedly, during each case investigation and resolution, I compare the plots and storytelling to the legendary Jewel in the Palace (2003), from which I learned so much about Korean culture—its cuisine, medicine, traditional clothes, monarchy, and society. These cultural aspects are so believable, causing me to dig deeper into everything about Korea and the Koreans, and to watch more historical K-dramas.

This issue leads me to conclude that China is still far from creating a Hallyu-like wave despite its historical and cultural richness. I wonder if it is really that difficult for Chinese drama producers to incorporate authentic cultural elements into their works and help audiences become more knowledgeable and appreciative? Are the use of herbs, poison, and legal codes depicted in the drama grounded in reality, or are they merely fabricated to serve the plot? I mean, this drama is not a wuxia or xianxia where people can fly, and I know people cannot fly, so I shut by brain to enjoy it. This drama is somewhat "scientific" to serve the case investigation's believability. But things seem imaginary and heavily fictional.

Second, the cases are mostly felt rather strange to me. It is not about the incidents but how they are resolved. It is good to see how a coroner did forensic work to do an autopsy and collect evidence, and the empire's justice system works pretty well, too. They have a legal book as a reference, sufficient officers, and an investigation and testimony collection procedure. All of them should serve like pieces of a puzzle waiting for arrangement. However, the resolution often stems from mere deduction based on an insignificant, later-found hint or coincidence, throwing the previously collected pieces of information out of the window. After following one or two cases, I found that this show has the habit of spoiling the viewer by revealing the culprit through certain gestures and camera work. It makes the cases highly predictable and not enjoyable.

Third, this drama lacks emotional moments. Everything flows too smoothly, and the main characters are portrayed as perfectly capable, smart, and invincible. They never make a single mistake or show any meaningful weakness or vulnerability—traits that would make them feel more human. There are no moments of setbacks, deadlocks, or desperation, as well as moments of learning and reflecting on things beyond their control. No pivotal moments deserve rewatch. Nothing to worry about, and they bounce back far too easily. Even though people die horribly, they are safe and "protected". It is very atypical considering the world they live in. I mean, there should be a moment where efforts failed, the strong ones are injured, or get sick, and their lives are at stake. The cooperation between the main characters thus feels lacking something profound.

Fourth, the villains in this drama are disappointingly weak, lacking both intelligence and strategic cunning. The princes (Che and Qi) come across as foolish and impulsive, respectively. As antagonists, they feel too much like shallow tropes rather than compelling, formidable threats. The evil empress and consort are also the same; they are practically doing nothing throughout the episodes. There are no moments of good decision-making, considering pros and cons together, and implementing the plan into action. All of them are bad in character and thus, doomed to fail from the beginning.

This makes me compare them to antagonists in "Princess Gambit" (2025). There, we got antagonists who possess at least one admirable trait, and this makes us "love" them to be on screen. In Coroner's Diary, the problem-solving strategy of the antagonists is just killing, killing, and killing people, and leaving traces to be tracked by our leads. Had they used more political maneuvering by moving factions in court to help them, our main characters (the male lead is a military man and the female lead is a doctor) would be devastated. But it would result in a better challenge that pushes our leads to grow beyond their comfort zone of competence.

Despite its flaws, this drama is still enjoyable. However, I don’t think people would rewatch it often, as it cannot even hold a candle to the expectations of its own genre, “mystery.”

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Perfect blend of mystery, crime and romance

To me Coroner's diary is the perfect blend of mystery, crime and romance.
There are about 7 main cases and an overarching big case with a main villain. I won't lie, the cases may be a bit predictable, not all but some of them. Yet they are all entertaining and intriguing, and will keep you anticipating and looking forward to what comes next. I read the novel myself and knew what to expect, so for people who haven't read the novel, the case and the show, will be even more entertaining as a whole.

One thing I like about this show is it continually keeps you guessing until the end, seasoned cdrama watchers may be able to guess the big bad, but its never too obvious and there is always uncertainty about who is truly evil, right until the end.

One other thing that sets this drama apart, is that it avoids cliches. There is no big misunderstandings, or break ups or noble idiocy that makes your blood boil. The main CP, second cp and third cp are all cute and endearing in their own way. They provide a nice warm break from all the murder cases and scheming. The drama has a fast pace, with not much filler. constantly moving forward.

However, the star of the show is the FL and ML.
The FL is not a weak, damsel in distress. She's smart, tough and independent. She is really unique, she does not care about what others think, does not care about gossip and can take care of herself. She depends on herself and her own skills to solve cases and clear her family name, breaking historical norms.
The ML is the perfect support for the FL. He is supportive, not controlling, a walking green flag. He trusts the FL's capabilities and understands how smart the FL is. The relationship between the ML and FL is as close to a perfect cdrama relationship as possible. All cliches are avoided which I love. No misunderstandings, no break ups, no noble idiocy, no keeping each other guessing or waiting, nothing like that. They communicate openly about what they both want and their goals and future together. They get together relatively early, no messing around. And once they are together, they are so supportive and trusting of each other. They communicate so well, with absolutely no misunderstands or break ups. Not even a single argument. Once they're official, they are fully committed to each other and nothing gets in their way, supporting each other till the end. Both of them are walking green flags, and a damn near prefect cdrama romance. They work together in perfect harmony as they investigate murder cases, while also going on secret dates and secretly flirting with each other.

The second and third CP's provide comic relief and a nice break from the cases and scheming. They are both very cute, but quite normal and expected.
Overall, this drama stays away from normal cdrama cliches. It has an intriguing overarching plot, interesting and thrilling cases, has a nice fast pace, no wasted time at all and a great CP.

For me, and this is just my opinion, it has everything you need in a mystery/romance historical cdrama. It doesn't try to be too clever, doesn't try to include unnecessary angst, it knows what it is and executes it very well.

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An amazing coroner's journey

Wow what a ride! ❤️‍🔥❤️

This was unique drama who was so well done. From the actors, theme effect vibe, amazing OST and BGM. Actors deliver all just as should. This was really interesting experience which was worth the wait.

It was so emotional and wonderful. 💕

Last episodes were so intense and not just roller coaster but plot twist were so good. Even some usual tropes this time was not so predictable and were so good done. Camera angles were actually different but for me really interesting as the viewer. I watched some criminal USA investigation shows longer ago but didn't see this type of showing it in this way... Shoots inside victims or seeing how someone is wounded like it was real. I really didn't care about politics because I don't like it, or how some evidences wasn't logical maybe etc... I really didn't care because it was entertaining to me anyway. We got all in this one. Mystery, romance, emotions, shocking things... Drama was so good wrapped out. They really do good marketing before and after drama. Even lot of special BTS and even Variety Show. This drama is of course definitely on my most favorite costume drama list. I will remember this one for sure. 💘

Can't believe this is over after 5 months of waiting after MM. All comes and goes... ✨

This year AR shining definitely as LYN. This year dramas are so good! 💥

He portrayed his character in best way he know. There is no any wrong part in his acting or LL acting. Even they are tired and all and was hot till filming on screen all was perfect. I become fan of LL definitely with this one. She is such a beautiful girl. Her smile is so wonderful. AR too. Unusual pairing who turn out to be one of my favorites beside other my favs. 😍

Other actors were also amazing. I must point I am glad I saw lot of actors from MM and also seeing some actors I love from mini dramas I must admit I was so happy they got this opportunity even it was so small role. They will got even more recognition. Must point actor Liu Yi Hong who was in role of YQ. He do an amazing job. He was so cute guard Wei Xiao from TPOB. He now showed how versatile he is. And this role will definitely bring him more recognition. He was hideous here but his acting was outstanding. 🤩

Some says too much kisses for costume drama and royal trope. I say NO! This is what we love and want to see. And beside that this LOVE they have is something so rare in cdramas. But this year AR showed in MM and CD that real support, understanding and care can be even more wonderful than anything else.

Can't explain their cuteness. They give me some energy I cant explain and not in passion way but in a way what love really is about. It was PEACE. Because real true love is that. Peace..

I just LoVe their LOVE! 💗

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Truly the Dark Horse Drama for Summer 2025

One of the dark horse dramas of this year for sure. We have a drama (for once) that does NOT have miscommunication tropes between the main pair (actually, ALL of the pairs in this drama) or if there are any problems, they get resolved within an episode. This alone makes it better than so many other idol romance period dramas for me.

Let's start with the pros:

1) The characters: 

Shen Wan/Qin Wan (FL): She is a wonderful character. On paper, she is a prodigy, calm, and resourceful. She recognizes that she needs to use others to climb up and doesn't remain stubborn in not trying to get those connections out of pride. Despite her calm exterior, she holds a deep respect for her father and his teachings are her moral compass in life. Her passion and empathy for the victims (and even some of the perpetrators) shines through. She has moments of strong intensity that makes her character so much richer.  

Yan Chi (ML): A green flag rarity in these types of dramas. Yan Chi holds enormous military power and to put it simply, he is not an asshole which is a common trope with these types of ML backgrounds. Despite having the type of strict upbringing he had, he is respectful and kind to those who deserve it. Even when he was suspicious of Shen Wan/Qin Wan in the beginning, he was never rude and respected her skills. He is cunning and smart in a rational way and will actually communicate his thought process instead of doing things on his own.    

Our other supporting ally characters are all great. Yue Ning has her highlight moments and her friendship with Qin Wan is a delight. Yan Li seems foolish, but he holds a certain loneliness in his heart due to family secrets. Fu Ling has been there for Qin Wan from the very beginning and is her stability. Bai Feng is to Yan Chi what Fu Ling is to Qin Wan. 

2) The acting: 

Li Landi absolutely elevated Qin Wan. She has been acting since she was 10 years old (and professionally trained) so she is leaps and bounds better than her peers in general. In addition, Li Landi (once again) uses her own voice for the character. Her voice gave Qin Wan such a mature persona that it truly makes you believe Qin Wan knows what she is talking about despite her young age. Qin Wan is a hard character to play as she can easily fall into just a preachy character who yells out slogans about women empowerment and justice. But Li Landi's acting gave Qin Wan such WEIGHT that you feel all her emotions and beliefs. She also added in the sweetness of Qin Wan during the romantic scenes which contrasted so much with the working!Qin Wan that it added another layer to the character.    

Ao Rui Peng did well as Yan Chi. He has that boyish charm and is able to play a young 20 something general character very convincedly. He also added a certain warmth to Yan Chi that makes his character so much more than the typical cold ML. He was able to add that loving energy into the Yan Chi who doesn't hold back his affection for Qin Wan and will show it whenever and wherever. He doesn't withhold his affection nor pull back when he doesn't get his way. He was also able to add in the vulnerability that Yan Chi has that makes his character more human.  

All the actresses/actors in this drama did their part well enough. Some are definitely stronger, but no one was off-putting. 

3) The SHIP: Qin Wan X Yan Chi is one of the best couples in idol period romance dramas. They are supportive, communicative, loving, and have each other's backs like no other. The chemistry between the two characters (and due to the LLD's and ARP's acting) created such good back-and-forth that it was a joy to watch the two fall for each other. Any misunderstanding is resolved right away, and apologies are given when something wasn't done well. The confession scene from Yan Chi to Qin Wan was BEAUTIFUL. 

4) The cinematography: This drama is filmed very beautifully. There are legit moments in this drama when I had to take a pause and rewind just to admire the visuals of the actresses/actors and the background in this drama. The director definitely put work in so just visually, this drama is a beautiful one.  

5) The core message: Though Shen Wan/Qin Wan tries to seek justice for her family through judicial means, we witnessed throughout the cases why some perpetrators murdered (especially the women) when the system has failed them. Qin Wan empathizes and recognizes she has those moments too but continues to persist with the way her father, Shen Yi, would have wanted. This drama doesn't blindly tell you it is okay/not okay to murder, it leaves the viewers thinking why some crimes happened. Some happened because the perpetrators are terrible people, and some happened because the perpetrators didn't have the choice nor the options in a corrupted system. Shen Wan/Qin Wan through these cases have to confront her own wavering belief and not allow herself to fall the same way, because she herself has the skills and obtained the right resources to be able to fight the higher power. 

All dramas are not without its cons:

1) Some of the cases: The novel has over 500+ chapters and they get really detailed. This drama has a limited amount of episodes so there is no way they can fit in all the details. Some of the cases were done really well and some of the cases ended a bit too abruptly and would be confusing for those who didn't read the novel. If you are looking for a drama where you have to guess who the perpetrator is up until the very end, this is not your drama. Some of the perpetrators are pretty obvious and the intention of this drama is more about the process of examining bodies/finding evidence against the perpetrators. The cases are meant to provoke thoughts about sexism, classism, corruption, etc. and not entirely about guessing who the main culprit is. 

Edit: The last case was done really well, and the ending tied a lot of the previous cases together. Bravo.
  
2) Some of the conflicting dialogues: This is straight up on the scriptwriters. From what I looked into, this drama has at least 3 scriptwriters with both women and men. Majority of the dialogues are very empowering for women but there are incidents here and there with Yan Chi where the scriptwriter (most likely the man) added in dialogues that seemingly compare women to each other. These types of dialogues were not in the novel, so it is straight up on that scriptwriter. I am more sensitive to these things so I notice them, but some viewers might not care or catch onto these dialogues. I would say to just ignore some of these types of lines if you notice them because it is the scriptwriter poking through here, not the actual character.  

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Overall, I enjoyed this drama. It had its peaks and averages, but the cast did so well that I am able to ignore some of the open-endedness of some of the cases. It is also fast paced enough that you won't feel like the time is dragging on. There are no fillers, all the scenes and dialogues happened for a reason. There are breadcrumbs from the very beginning that will be revealed in the final case. The romance didn't overpower the case-solving and instead were sprinkled through. The romantic scenes were extremely sweet. It is a solid drama for the idol drama genre at the end of the day.

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Green Flag Leads and Romance steer us through Coroner's cases and Palace schemes

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“Coroner’s Diary” was hailed to be the dark horse this summer of 2025. Without A-Listers or S-level promotion, this little drama received rave reviews from MDLers. I am a fan of Landy Li and really liked Ao Rui Peng in “Moonlight Mystique”, thus I want to check this one out. I liked it, but don’t love it like many others.

What I Like:

Green Flag leads.
It’s really lovely to see a drama when both the male and female leads are strong, smart and have a good head on their shoulders. They aren’t perfect individuals (but close enough) and will have time when they want to lash out. But throughout the drama, their personalities remain the same. They grow as a couple but individually, they didn’t change to someone I don’t recognize anymore or make decisions where I scratch my head. It seems to be harder and harder for writers to keep the characters consistent throughout the drama but they are able to do that here.

Main Romance.
Their romance is actually quite subtle though present throughout the drama. It was never the sole focus, but was there running side-by-side along the plot and complements it well. I love their romance in the first half when they were interested in each other, yet couldn’t or haven't voiced their feelings yet. I LOVE the confession scene when they’re stranded. It was without fanfare, just simple and honest feelings, which is just like their relationship - always there for each other and always honest and communicative. Nothing fancy but it was heartfelt and super romantic for me. I also like how once they are together, both parties take the initiative to show affection. We don’t have coy or shy FL/ML who acted like teenage virgins. Kisses, hugging and hand holding happen periodically and naturally. Their romance continues to blossom and mature as the drama goes, though definitely reduced in the last quarter. But how they continue to support each other with their own expertise and experience is evident.

Costumes/Sets
Though this is not a big budget production, money is well spent on the costumes and hair accessories. Landy Li looks beautiful in all of her outfits and even her makeup looks good, which is rare sometimes in period drama. And not only is she looking pretty but all the female characters have elaborate and beautiful costumes, as most of them are royals or in high society. Ao Rui Peng also looks dashing in his outfits, but I like him best in darker clothes and hair up. I LOVE the royal blue wedding costumes as well. I also noticed the sets are not always big and grand but they are well decorated with realistic props and accessories. Nothing looks cheap. I would have liked to see more natural lighting with candles, instead of fake bright light. The fight scenes are good when they happen (just a little bit of slow motion) and I want to see more action scenes.


What I have Mixed Feelings:

Cases
I was very interested in the first few cases - the bride, the well, and the sick wife. They are the most interesting ones to me and though they are not always unique or unpredictable, I was engaged and found them interesting. But as the drama goes, I seem to lose interest in the cases starting from the Chinese Opera one (which is about mid-drama). I have to give the drama props for going at it full force and not hesitating to show some ugly truths and graphic scenes. Seeing Landi Li scraping crap off of steamed bones, or holding an organ, is quite a sight. However, some of the corpses look quite fake and the graphics are not always realistic. When the cases have to then steer towards the political plot, it loses its uniqueness as a Coroner’s story, and the tone shifts. It’s hard to balance them as the political cases that require our FL’s attention will not be focused on her skillset anymore but serve as a plot device to move forward the palace schemes. A minor note, isn’t our female lead too perfect? She does not even make one simple error in anything.

Plot/Editing
The second half of the drama became very political with uninteresting cases. The story then focuses on the fight for the throne and the ugly side of the royal family. Some parts seem to be edited out to fit in 38 episodes. When did the 6th sister fall in love (after the initial encounter), get married, and now pregnant? I know she’s not important but if so, do we even need that in the first place? The last episode was jam-packed with events, though I can’t say it’s not exciting. But everything was revealed in succession rapidly and unrealistically, with one of the villains being easily captured within palace walls.

Acting
I think Landy Li and Ao Rui Peng did fine, with Landy Li being the best of the young cast. I liked Ao Rui Peng more in “Moonlight Mystique” and probably because I found him more charismatic and attractive there. Shen Yu Jie (Princess Yong Ning) did fine as well, especially when she plays a very supportive and lovely character. I remember liking her in “Hard to Find”. But I can’t shake off the young face of Yu Cheng En as the naive suitor in “Love Like the Galaxy”. His acting was OK but I can’t believe in his character, and he is probably the weakest of the 4. The rest of the young supporting and guest cast did fine. Of course, the veterans are great. I love the grandmothers and they really show the younger actors how to act and be charismatic at the same time. The Empress and Consort were both great in their fight for affection and their children. I would have loved to say the same about the Emperor, but towards the end, his acting became too cartoonish. Is it the director’s fault or the actor’s? I don’t know.



I might not have loved “Coroner’s Diary” as much as many viewers, but I will still recommend it if you like the genre and the actors. If I remember correctly, I think “The Imperial Coroner” does a better job with the cases tying it back to the big general plot, with an unique way of explaining the cases. But “Coroner’s Diary” shows a more realistic and graphic approach to these cases. Both dramas are lovely to watch, are similar yet different in a good way. “Coroner’s Diary” has a stronger and more mature romance plot that I enjoy more. Despite a slower pace in the middle of the drama, I was quite engaged and had a good time watching this drama.




Completed: 8/3/2025 Review #608

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After watching some failed adaptations, this feels like heaven!

This past year, I have been waiting for quite a few dramas based on books and webnovels to air, and I felt a bit disappointed with a lot of them.

Only Dou Zhao and Song Mo's Blossom has been terrific so far. Shen wan and Yan Chi have been my favorite book character in rebirth trope and I have re-read it at least twice for now. Right now, apart from this, I'm only excited about Legend of the Female General. If you are a fan of this trope and are looking for recommendations drop me a message, I have read so many this past year and shortlisted the ones i think are gold. I'm also open to recommendations from fellow readers.

Episode 1 to 12:
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About the actors:
> Let's begin by saying the cast is lit! Landy Li is so talented! They did such a good job in casting her for this role. I have been a fan ever since I watched Starry Love.
> I also like Ao Rui Peng and think is absolutely adorable, he has so much happy energy that even a grim role becomes a bit comedic. I am of two minds here, on one had i think that sure we don't have to be that strict let the actors make their characters their own, on the other, a part of me wishes he was a little more serious.
> The rest of the cast is also pretty good. I can't wait to meet the Eighth Young Lady, Qin Yan's sister who is in the capital. Although I don't see her name in the cast list.

About the drama:
> I am enjoying it immensely. I love to watch crime and romance, this is such a treat for me.
> The scriptwriter is doing well so far. The pacing is good, it doesn't feel rushed even when it covering so much. Although there were times when the execution seemed a bit abrupt but okay, this is so much better than what I expected.
> The characters are well adapted, i like what they have done even with the negative characters.
> The visuals are good, but i always find the underwater scenes so comedic, because they look very weird. I can't swim, if i tried to swim like that, i would definitely drown. Thankfully that scene was at the very beginning and i will only have watch it again during a rewatch.

Episode 13 to 22:
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> Oh, these two arcs are my least favorite from the book, so I'm glad they don't take up a lot of time. The crazy doctor is done with, next up unveiling the corruption.
> They are both so adorable together. Love how the creators decided to put the onus of discovering Qin Wan's secret on Yan Chi. And it is good to have him uncover it sooner in the story. Yan Chi is definitely a green forest, one of the reason I had to like him so much. (Even in the original rebirth theme, Yan Chi accepted her identity without any drama. His only worry was loosing Qin Wan.)
> Yan Li, I had forgotten all about him. They chose such a good actor, the outfit screams Yan Li.
> Well, there she is, Qin Chao Yu. I am usually not a fan of watching women being pitted against each other, but for some reason this author made it so engrossing that it became one of my favorite part of the story. I wonder how the drama will handle it! From what I have seen so far, it looks promising.
> Oh, Ao Ru Peng seemed a little out of place in episodes 21 and 22 with the scenes in the palace, especially with everyone else having better posture. He did make it up by the end of the episode 22.

Episode 22 to 38:
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> It is like watching the story unfold at 2x speed, you miss some important elements. This drama would have better served having two parts that explored the details a bit more. Because the parts that were omitted fed into the rich storytelling.
> Regardless, it was still a good watch. They got the ending just right.

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