This review may contain spoilers
A Comfort Watch Disguised as a Crime Drama
This drama was an unexpected delight — not because it broke new ground plot-wise, but because it delivered familiar elements with a kind of sincerity that’s hard to resist. We get a mix of mystery, revenge, a splash of courtroom politics, and — to my complete joy — one of the most solid romantic pairings I’ve seen in a long time.The premise is a classic one: the female lead, whose entire family has been unjustly annihilated, reinvents herself to seek justice and clear her family’s name. Thanks to her sharp medical and forensic skills, she gains the trust of powerful allies who help her inch closer to the truth. The early crime-solving arcs were genuinely engaging — and while I can’t vouch for their forensic accuracy (I’m no CSI aficionado), I was happily entertained.
As the episodes roll on, the investigative element gently bows out, making space for the romance and palace intrigue to take center stage. And here’s where it gets personal: while the court politics occasionally felt like a slow crawl (read: 75% snooze fest for me), the romance more than made up for it. No angst, no toxic twists — just two people who admire, support, and truly *see* each other. The greenest of flags, if I’ve ever seen one.
The chemistry between the leads was tender and believable, and the fact that we’re gifted a happy ending felt like a reward in itself. This isn’t a pulse-pounding thriller — it’s a warm blanket of a show, perfect for decompressing after a chaotic day. The kind of drama where the comfort comes not just from plot, but from the steady presence of characters who genuinely care for one another… while occasionally dissecting corpses, of course.
It may not have kept me on the edge of my seat, but it certainly carved a soft spot in my watchlist.
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Boring
To be brief this is an incredibly boring and deeply predictable show with little substance to any of its characters or proper thought towards the overall plot.To be less brief, Coroners Diary clearly went in with good intent but failed to reach anything that I think it aspired to. The acting was fine but the characters were bland and one note. Even though they tried to give Shen Wan depth and make her seem like there was layers the writing did not reflect that. Slowly giving her more emotions would work if they did it in parts but the made her a serious mary sue and then all of a sudden were like whoops need her to smile some more. Yan Chi was fun but again boring and deeply deeply unrealistic, they made him a mary sue too. I also have the maybe controversial opinion that Li Landi and Ao Ruipeng had absolutely no chemistry as Shen Wan and Yan Chi, like I did not believe them in love for even a second. For a show that is primarily a romance that's severely disappointing!!
As for the plot, I decided to drop the show because I got to ep 23 and there was absolutely no progress in the original mystery/goal of the show. As much as I love an episodal mystery there should be better tie-ins to the original intention, otherwise it makes it look like the writers just forgot it. And the mysteries were not great either unfortunately. They were either too predictable and handed the answer to the audience wayy too early on or were completely nonsensical and left you in the complete dark until the mc magically discovered the answer. This lack of balance made it hard to want to invest in the mysteries.
The directing was also very distracting. The director was clearly trying to establish a pattern with his shots with the focus switches to different plants/objects but it was really distracting and not well done. None of the other shots that were set up to be interesting quite hit the mark either but the editing kept it coherent.
I wish there had been more thought to the balance of the episodes and the way the characters develop. The acting was fine, visually it was okay, some of the villains were interesting. Unfortunately nothing can save a romance without chemistry or a mystery that never comes to full fruition.
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Love it!
What a great ending for one of the best dramas in 2025! This drama has been consistently great from the very first episode to the last episode, and it managed to capture my attention 💯 Gripping plot with many twists and turns, amazing cast and the chemistry between leads is just beautiful to watch. Highly recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Fine drama with brilliant plot ...... but with so-so acting
The drama 'Coroner's Diary ' is very interesting in the concepts of plot and story but truth to be told ... Here are some of my suggestion points :1. Drama is excellent in plots and how does the story takes each turn
2. ML and FL confessed there feelings too early .
3. Supporting characters are more interesting.
4. According to plot of the drama ML should be cunning but his cunningness is of 0% .
5.2nd ML have more interesting past .
Overall i can say this drama is not re-watchable and i don't basically like Yan Chi 's character he plays to be clever but he actually dumb also he is distracting FL from her goal . Everyone in the Imperial court knows shen yi is a criminal but ML is praising him in front of his enemy just to make FL happy praising shen yi is already suspicious and also shows ML is never cautious . Also ML is very annoying knowing that disclosing his relationship in front yuanwu princesses can endanger Qin Wan 's life then also he started to be lovey - dovey in front of princess . When Qin Wan stops Yan Chi from holding her hand in front of others as to not invite troubles than also yan chi can not just control himself even a bit and tries to be intimate with Qin Wan in front of outsiders . Also Ao rui peng 's acting needs a lot of improvement but landy's acting is amazing.Let me just say i 'm watching drama only because of 2nd ML and FL they are very intresting if they were not in this drama , this drama won't be watchable.
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Probably need S2.
This will be my 3rd review of a series in this site... this CSI historical drama is one of the best, with many different crimes and plot-twist in the end. Anyway, i believe this drama should be at least 40 eps, but (must be the C.G's doing) its only 38, and they just wrap and be done with it... ahhh, i wish they would make a S2 of this.Was this review helpful to you?
combines different genres and offers a healthy entertainment experience
The Chinese drama "Chao Xue Lu," known in the West as "The Coroner's Diary," was released for release in July 2025.The drama is a mystery and investigation story starring actress Landy Li as the lead.
The series developed well until the middle and slowed down a bit after that. However, because I usually binge-watch episodes, this didn't interfere with my decision to stay engaged until the end.
This change in narrative pace may discourage some viewers who watch "à la carte."
Although some aspects of the series are somewhat predictable, I remained engaged as the story unfolds because the overall plot is quite engaging.
The story of a young forensic scientist who teams up with a prince to solve a crime that implicated her father struck me as quite interesting and far removed from the current Asian drama industry's approach of relying on clichés to keep the audience engaged.
This tactic of using clichés, often used in some dramas that also resort to unusual marketing strategies, goes beyond the use of a successful formula. It masks poor scripts that had high budgets and need to return the investment, despite leaving the viewer feeling like they wasted their time choosing entertainment.
I run from this type of production! It's dishonest and represents nothing more than a waste of time that offers no moral or additional insight for our personal growth.
Actress Landy Li's performance as the lead in this drama further revealed her potential strength and delivery, capable of taking on the roles of characters in complex dramas that blend different genres.
The combination of investigation, suspense, revenge, and romance made the drama quite compelling.
At times in the drama, the performance of lead actor Ao Rui Peng, who played the prince, may seem unconvincing because the actress who took on the lead role excels, leading the viewer to expect the same level of delivery from the protagonist. However, this detail doesn't detract from the brilliance of the actor's work or the couple's.
I recommend this drama because it combines different genres and offers a healthy entertainment experience. It's not a drama about toxic relationships or encouraging the normalization of lies and unethical relationships.
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One of the best cdramas I've ever watched!!!! JUST GORGEOUS
This might be one of the best cdramas I've ever seen. My favorite cdramas to date have been love o2o, love between fairy and devil, lighter & princess, the double and the first frost. I didn't think any dramas would top them, but Coroner's Diary soared to at least top 3. It had EVERYTHING I've been looking for in a drama. Beautiful characters, gorgeous costumes, plot twists, and a romance that was slow burn and yearning with mutual respect!!!!!! It was just so addicting. The different cases throughout the drama, the connections between one event and the next, and the tension!!! I loved how the fml wasn't a fighter, but she had her own wits and skills in solving cases while the ml was mutually aiding her and cheering her on! It kind of reminded me of the feels I had while watching the double. It was just so INTERESTING!!!!!I've never seen a li landi and ARP drama before, but I love them both SO SO SO MUCH now!!!!!! She's so pretty and he's incredibly handsome. Also, can I say how amazing their acting was? I was caught off guard with their micro expressions, tone and eyes! INCREDIBLE ACTING.
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Murder, Mystery, and a Dash of Romance – The Coroner's Diary Review
If The Imperial Coroner and The Coroner's Diary were siblings, I'd say the elder sibling (Imperial Coroner) is sharper in intrigue and mystery 🔍, while the younger (Coroner's Diary) is sweeter with more heart-eyes and romantic fluff 💕.I loved The Coroner's Diary! The cast did a great job—solid performances all around. The ML had charm, brains, and just enough puppy energy to make us root for him 🐶. The FL was smart, steady, and not the type to faint at the sight of blood—finally, someone who knows what a coroner is supposed to be! 🙌
That said... The Imperial Coroner still holds the crown when it comes to mystery, plot twists, and pacing 👑. It had a slightly tighter grip on the crime-solving, while The Coroner's Diary sometimes got distracted by its own romantic tension (not complaining, just saying 😏). If you came for the forensics and stayed for the feels, this one delivers both, just with more uwu moments.
Both dramas are worth watching, depending on what you want more of—mystery or mush. Personally, I watched one after the other and had a great time bingeing. Would I watch it again? Probably when I forget who the killer was 🤭.
Final verdict: Fun, romantic, a little less gritty than its predecessor but still full of charm.🧪🕵️♀️💗
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5)
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best drama in this mid year 2025
I never watch coroner drama before, and this drama gave me another new vibe of historical drama. I love how FL is smart and talents most important things she's alway be positive and down to earth person while ML is brave, smart and strategist. Second FL and ML they're both really passed the vibe the way they enjoy theirselves, hobbies and character. Screenwriter in this drama do a great job they don't make the drama feel bored nor complicated storyline. The ost 此爱-敖瑞鹏 & 别叹-黄霄雲 these two songs really soothe my soul. Overall the 22 episodes I have watched so far i can say that this drama, story line ,plots, and OST all surpassed "The Princess's Gambit" and "A Dream within a Dream" in my opinion.I never leave a review before but this drama too good to not leave any comment here. Highly recommend to C-drama fan out there to watch this drama.
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A Good Crime Drama with issues handling multiple romances
This is a review where it sounds like I'm going to be harsher than my score would indicate but honestly let me get this out of the way nowIf you enjoy crime shows that pull no ppunches and will handle subject matter that is DARK...you're good cos you got that this show (even if some of the cases seemed to drag on but we'll talk about that) but if you are someone that wonders
"How do they handle the Main Character and his Sidekick?"
Well in my opinion that is where this show had issues
When the show opens and we see Shen Wan on a boat where the boatsman gets murdered we sort of know this show is going to handle murder pretty brutally...see what happens the second we get into Jingzhou if you don't believe that!
Within the first little bit of the time there we meet the "Black Armor Guard" and the two main members of it: Yan Chi and his Deputy Bai Feng
If you need a good idea of how violent Bai Feng can be all you need to know is he gave an order for everyone to clear out ,a guard refused and well...that was the end of him. Later on he shows his temperment more when he storms down to a prison cell and goes after a prisoner. I will remind you that he's not the lead character but had that kind of energy
Meanwhile there's Yan Chi
I sometimes think the expression
"Stand there and look pretty"
is what we need to say to Main Characters if they aren't supposed to do anything when we first see them because guess what? It's basically how the scene went. Oh and Bai Feng deleting the guard went unnoticed in the scene
The pace of crimes that were shown in the series was actually...not bad but you wondered if there weren't "smaller" cases that could have been used in the show because ,when cases take around 2 to 5 episodes that kind of tells you something with the way they pace out stories in the series and I can tell you I started to wonder what was going on
When it comes to the actual "Romance" stuff I tended to wonder (outside of the one for the main characters that got resolved around episode 30 give or take) what other ones would get focused on
Well we had Yan Li and Princess Yonging so that was cool
...
Oh and there WAS Bai Feng and Fu Ling...although that one is the most confusing of how it was wrote because I love a good "slow burn" arc as much as anyone but my issue was here that...it didn't REALLY feel like they were going to give anyone invested in it the payoff vs. either Yan. Like you could literally watch almost any scene they (Bai Feng and Fu Ling) were in and sort of look at them and go
"Yeah if you ship them you're getting hosed"
Because there were few scenes where I sat there and went
"Eh maybe"
Because it genuinely felt like they didn't have an "Arc" as they did a "rushed romance" (IMHO)
Now one thing I have to say about Cheng Hong Xin is this
Dude can steal scenes
EVEN IF he isn't in a speaking role in a scene he does things that make me crack up laughing...even if its not intentional he does things as Bai Feng that makes me go
"Protect this dude"
There is a scene ,and Lord help me I wish I knew the episode when Bai Feng says and I quote
"My legs are shaking"
I need to find that scene cos...oh boy its lived in my head rent free and will never go away
Basically Xin is a treasure and we need to protect him at all costs...and I put Bai Feng in Cyberpunk 2077 so there's that too!
One thing from a plot persopective that I didn't get was this (well okay the "Romance" section)
Explain to me how ,Bai Feng is probably the most level headed of the two with him and Yan Chi when it comes to relationships and HE gets bullied?! No I'm actually curious about this cos if this was supposed to be part of his "romance arc" with Fu Ling they never found a way to convey that...they DID convey that Bai Feng is "Smoother than Yan Chi" so there is that plus for sure
Also there is some confusion (at least for me) with Bai Feng's rank:
Bai Feng was referred to as "General" but ,in listings on here, he is called a "Deputy" so that's confusing but it's fine...just sommething that I thought was odd
Okay so overall why did I give this a 7.5
Story - It's not bad but if you go in expecting evenly fleshed out romances...don't. I can recommend a Thai BL Drama that does a better job of that honestly
Acting - Despite my qualms with the story the Acting is great and Ao Rui Peng does great job of not just being the "Serious General" but can also be funny when he needs to be. I talked about Cheng Hong Xin in his role and even Landy Li (Plot Armor and all) did a great job as Shen Wan. No complaints there
Music - PERFECTO and a big reason is when they had tp do a scene that showed a breakdown of how the crime happened that was awesome AND the opening theme is haunting as hell
Rewatch Value - Honestly...if this didn't have romance in it I would go higher because the cases are fun to watch through but its the "baggage" of having to shoehorn in romance that makes me go
"Ehh..."
Like remove the romance its 10/10 but having romance in crime shows just doesn't work for me as a viewer and reviwer...its NOT what I signed up for
take care
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This review may contain spoilers
Truly a MASTERPIECE ✨️
I mean where do I start , great acting , great chemistry between leads even other couples were great , great plot .from the start to finish everything was great although for me in the middle it dragged little bit , but the ending was great and a big plot twist .
I mean I suspected the emperor had to do something with all the deaths at the end but never understood why would he kill his own sons , turned out to be an imposter 😅
everyone got their happy ending, that's what was great about the ending .
loved that this drama was fast paced and ML was smart enough to know that she was shen Wan not Qin Wan, I would have hated to see you betrayed my trust arc .
so sad that it had to end 😩
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this has romance in spades
A stunningly produced drama with great acting, impressive sets, wonderful choreography, and a well thought out plot. Overall this story really delivered on its level of acting, character development, and plot coherency and progression. If you like detective type dramas that are heavy with the romance then you'll like this story. But what really knocks the rating down for me is how painfully long this felt. I am a binge type of watcher and I can usually get through a drama of this length in 2-3 days, but this show took me a week to get through because I kept pausing.I love the story and the intrigue and was addicted enough to really want to know who did it which is what carried me to the end. But because the culprit was so glaringly obvious most the time I did not find myself guessing or sitting on the edge of my seat. And the obviousness being introduced so early into the case would make the fact that each case was between 3-5 episodes long feel glacial. I get that our protagonists needed to figure everything out and find the clues but the directors choice to also include the antagonists stories and the placement of them took away any suspense the cases could have delivered.
My other large complaint is that they made the protagonists boringly perfect. Both Qin Wan and Yan Chi were amazing at everything without any missteps. Qin Wan is an excellent strategist, doctor, and coroner. She is patient and composed and can predict schemes directed at her to avoid trouble. She is too perfect. I love that she is skilled and independent but realistically she should have some flaws but everything just came easy to her. Same thing with Yan Chi. He is a skilled martial artist, sees clues well, can solve mysteries fluently and quickly, and even is emotionally intelligent. He also has no flaws and the pair never make any mistakes. While good for the story it is also a bit boring.
I do love the romance though. The couples have plenty of chemistry, clear confessions and expressions of affection, and loyalty. While I did like the story as a whole and enjoyed the romance I can only recommend this in pieces. Do not try to watch in one go. But in small bits this was done very well.
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