Fang Yang Ba! Lao Ban (2025)

Breath of Fresh Air

This just went straight to the top of my list of best short vertical dramas. It’s a sweet story with a younger man / older woman romance, minimal misunderstandings or conflict, and a fresh plot. Yang Peng Cheng and Wang Gege are well cast as a sincere young rancher and a career-driven wedding planner whose relationship progresses from bickering to flirting to a business partnership and more.

It’s also beautifully filmed, mostly outdoors in a scenic grasslands setting. (Watch for the horseback riding scene early on that looks like it could be in a Hollywood Western.) A precocious kid and cute animals (baby sheep and cows, puppies, horses) add to the to feel-good vibes.

This one stands out as a breath of fresh air among all the repetitive, trope-y short dramas out there and shouldn’t be missed!

P.S. For viewers looking for more like this, “The Crush” (2025), also starring Yang Peng Cheng, is another heartwarming story with lovely locations and cinematography that’s worth watching.

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