No Pain No Gain

2026 Most creative Drama

Refreshing story line meets perfect casting = me binging through 18 episodes in 2 days.

This drama is the perfect way to "decompress from the real world" especially if you've ever lived through a 9‑9‑6 type of grind.

The characters are all great, even the minor ones, each with their own distinct personality.
Beyond the quirky humor, the show delivers real emotional depth and sheds light on the everyday struggles of modern salaried workers.

Casting is perfect. There are so many seasoned comedic actors.

I can't say the ending was truly satisfying. I wished for more happiness but overall a great watch!

Mikah's song "Shadows Dancing" as ending song is just icing on the cake!

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Beyond my Daily Dose of Laughter

What a fun drama! Each day, I look forward to it’s airing episode.

The plot is simple - Pei is a game programmer who loses his job at a typical exploitive company who slaves their employees away b/c he wrote a document to help employees advocate for themselves. It reminds me of Jerry Maquire (1996 film). Penniless, unemployed, discouraged, he is approached by a tycoon who offers him a job - to start his own company. The goal is to lose $$. If his company makes $, he only get paid a low base salary. This leads to some very fun, outrageous scenerios and makes for excellent comedy.

Acting:
The cast is fantastic - everyone from main actors to even side characters, like the twin receptionists. You can’t help but notice them. Everyone character is quirky and funny in their own unique way. No sure how they manage that but it’s just so funny. And each of them carry their character so well. Even the lackey of the baddie. They all work together so well to make you laugh, sometimes a chuckle and other times RFTL.

Music and sounds:
Perfectly complements the story. I do enjoy the pop songs.

Directing / storytelling:
The set up for the comedy is so well done you just can’t help but laugh. However, what’s great is that the story is deeper than just laughs. Characters are developed and we care for them. The pacing never drags. We are left always wanting to know what’s going to happen next. What is Pei going to come up next? How is this failure idea possibly going to turn around? It also pokes fun at the various industries - entertainment industry, gaming industry, and more. It even stimulates our intellect with word play, riddles, poetry, puns, etc. It’s lighthearted with an underlaying theme that looks at the value of a human being. Very touching. I even shed some tears. So, many layers to enjoy and absorb this drama.

So, is this a romantic drama? NO, but there are a few hints of romance. Is it good? DEFINITELY. It is so worth my time compared to so many other dramas I’ve watched over the years.

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How to turn a biting satire into a farcical pipe dream

Edit: Upon reflection I realise I got more and more snarky as I wrote this. You have been warned. ;)

Paraphrasing Mel Brooks, "satire must walk a fine line and take risk". This drama took that to heart in the first half.

It was packed with absurd moments that genuinely made me LoL. I binged a dozen eps in 2 days. Then the rest happened.

The initial setup was simple and delicious. An angel investor will provide the ML with funds to go into business. The twist is that he will only earn a stipend if he makes a profit, but he can take home a portion of the loss as bonus.

So he came up with a bunch of silly loss making ideas and go hard. What he didn't take into account is his anti-trend products started new trends. People love his generous, loss making deals rather than the usual money grabbing ones.

His collection of seemingly hapless, "unemployable" staff are talented and they repay his kindness and trust with an undying loyalty.

So far so good. The first half is deliciously anti-establishment and sets a cracking pace. The whole 996, nay, crunch work culture is laid bare. His cohort of goofballs are more creative and productive in a 40 hours week than those salaried slaves. Huzzah!

The wheels start to fall off when the original and whacky projects start to run dry. The show shifts focus onto the ML and his personal challenges in the second half.

It is obvious from the start that he is not a business wunderkind. He is earnest and hardworking. He has a heart of gold and he put fairness above all else. This means he is a lamb to the slaughter in the cutthroat business world. By focusing on him for several eps, it really pops the bubble that he has the Midas touch.

This also brought the high flying plot back down to Earth. We crash lands with a thud in midst of mundane stuff like making ends meet and paying off a big mortgage. The satire has lost its edge and became a blunt instrument.

Is this some kind of hidden chapter in the playbook? We are talking about an industry that gave us xianxia and wuxia dramas! What is this obsession with RL and the daily grind?

There are many plotholes by this stage, but the whole subplot about the ML working in a rival company is plain stupid. How can this work? Non-disclosure? Trade secrets? It might have worked if they frame it as a clever subterfuge, but alas, the ML is really trying to work there and earn a honest wage. It would be like Elon showing up as an intern at Toyota. Inconceivable!

For me, this series truly jumped the shark when it parachuted the 4 Sima brothers into the plot. Ye gods! That is so cringey and largely pointless. The show is now an aimless farce. Not a particularly funny one either. Just give me a psycho stalker, tyvm.

To seal the deal, the show totally stuffed up the OTP's romance.

The two female screenwriters made it clear who is the OTP from the start. They have been set up many times. Their coworkers are shipping them. Web novel has been written about their "office romance". Yet it all comes to nought.

Seriously, I would have forgiven half of this show's sins if there is even a spark. Why bother if we don't even get one confession. One hug? NOTHING.

As if to rub salt into the wound, people were teasing the FL in a staff meeting towards the end. She said "if I'm the female lead then who is the male lead?" The ML walks in on cue . . of course. I wish you can hear my teeth gnashing.

Do you know what really got my goat? There is more chemistry between two female co-workers than the OTP! I'll let you guess the pairing.

The HEA ending happened right on time. It is totally expected, yet nonsensical. How did the ML come up with enough funding to restart a whole business empire by selling just ONE unrenovated flat with a substantial mortgage. Does the writers not understand the concept of discharging a loan?

Then the business went ballistic while he is on an extended holiday? I missed the memo telling us the how and the why (or maybe I don't care anymore).

Normally, this is where I would use my "ask no questions, chingu" catchphrase, but I'm sick of not asking questions while watching this series. I want answers, dammit!

The final scenes are like a glossy real estate sales brochure and has about as much substance. It really is like a pipe dream. I don't know whether I'm angry, sad, confused or just numb.

Balanced against that are decent performances from the large ensemble. They are mostly second tier actors. Sadly, most of the roles are one dimensional. They played hard, but in a small sandbox.

The ML has the world on his shoulders and it shows. He was a live wire early on, but he just got more and more despondent as the show progressed.

We know his growth must be a pillar of this drama, yet it feels inconsistent. He shuffles back and fore. He stays true to his better qualities, but did he becomes better where it counts?

Production value is A tier. OST is inoffensive.

In the end, I'm torn about this show. This series is watchable. The show can be very funny at times and it has merits. It can be sharp as a pin and give you paper cuts. Then it settles into a hyperbolic business drama and ends on an artificial sweetener high.

I am disappointed that it couldn't sustain its initial trajectory to the end. Maybe 26 eps is a bridge too far. Mayhaps 16 eps will keep it tight and focused. Alas, that answer awaits in an alternate universe. Peace.

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THAT DRAMA THAT EVERYONE SHOULD MUST WATCH ✨

10000000000000000000000000000000000/10
This was the first drama I reviewed while I was still watching it (and I was only on episode 4) and now I've finished it and WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DRAMA, I BEG YOU TO WATCH IT IF YOU LIKE TO SMILE A LOT. 🫶
It's incredible from beginning to end, there isn't a bad episode, on the contrary, it only gets better with each episode, you smile until your stomach hurts (in my case 🤣) it's that comfort drama and now that I've finished it I'm so devastated, I think I'll have to watch it again in a while.
More than 200 dramas watched and I can say with certainty that this was the best I've ever watched (it sounds like an exaggeration, but it's really very good).

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Its a must watch!

As I watched the first few episodes and the storyline, I found the idea of losing money in a business to earn bonuses really ridiculous and interesting at the same time. Since it was unsual and healthy to see the employees treated well, I found solace and comfort by seeing them doing well. Though it was all happened in the virtual reality than in real life. It felt good.
I really like the story premise. Instead of focusing on profits and earning salary for each month, if we could find a way to inspire employees to do what they want and bring out best results without worrying about budget costs, then the real world would be a better place to live.
I also found the line very comforting when Pei Qian says to Mr Ma that in Tengda, we fullfill everyone’s dreams and help them achieving it through financial means.
It was a really good line because so many people give up on their dreams mostly because of money and financial support.
If they had someone they could rely on, so many people would have bring out something beautiful and great onto the table.
I wish Tengda was a real company. I really liked this series. The story's purpose and message has been engraved in my heart. I will never forget such a wonderful story made me feel alive after such a long time.
Thanks to the author who created this masterpiece and the screenwriter/director as well to bring out it in live action version.
God bless them all. It was a great fulfilling time for me.

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Better finish the novel

The 1st half was really enjoyable than the 2nd half of the drama. It has comedy in it but halfway through it lost its main theme. Specially the last few episodes, THOSE EPISODES, I just didn't get the meaning behind adding all those plots.
It might be because i finished the novel first but the way they changed the main core of the plot, it was a bit la-cking? Maybe i was expecting a bit too much. Still, overall the drama was good.
I loved the mc in the 1st half more.
Talking about acting. It is 10!! I loved all the actors acting specially the actor who played Ma Yang.

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Just Cutting a Check

‒Review‒

No Pain No Gain is a show with the absurd premise of an investor paying Pei Qian (homonym of losing money), our ML, to start money losing ventures. And whatever the loss will be PQ's take-home pay. With such a setup, the ML starts all sorts of businesses operating in ways completely contrary to conventional logic. Moreover, PQ implemented corporate culture and rules that are lavish benefits on employees, and recruited castaway professionals downsized for their incompetence. Consequently, the show ends up as a wishcasting device for customers and workers alike, which is all of us. Yet, despite the ML's utmost efforts to sabotage his companies, his ragtag team or sheer luck ends up saving a day‒leaving the companies profitable, the employees happy and well compensated, but the ML in undisclosed torment as he remains the only person relegated to poverty. Eventually, the ML must make a key decision choosing between the wellbeing of his employees and his own rewards.

The show definitely seems to have resonated and received high marks on Douban and decent ratings here on MDL despite the lack of eye candies or romance. Unfortunately for me, the show felt like a star talent straitjacketed by corporate bureaucracy. NPNG had the excellent opportunity to lampoon the ordeals and absurdities of the modern workplace while crafting touching stories about the dreams and tribulations of modern professionals. Yet despite the boundless free material available, the show failed to Zuckerberg into a workplace satire that ruthlessly exploits the viewers for laughs. Instead, we get the Zuckerberg AI Edition, where despite the massive potential from mountains of user data, we get a string of mediocre AI releases that are usable but also mogged by LLMs from Meituan (a company that does food delivery).

What I liked

✅ The topic potential. Everyone hates the rat race, everyone hates the corporate ritualism, and everyone wants to fantasize about mysterious moneybag investors that will toss you briefcases of money not just on a whim, but on the explicit condition that you fail. Such a massive addressable market, such untapped potential.
✅ The demo potential. Finally, a more male-oriented story in an ocean of female-centric dramas. This is differentiation.
✅ The casting potential. Peng Yuchang is a terrific actor that effortlessly dual-wields comedy and dramatic acting. He's a great fit to play the forgotten and underestimated every-man. Chang Long, Jelly Lin, and the rest of the cast are also plenty suitable.

What I didn’t like

❌ The script performance. So much potential wasted. It was as if the writers were just going through the motions ... fire up the Zuckerberg LLM, copy-paste the setup, prompt for a complete script, no mistakes.
❌ The comedic performance. The idea was there, the execution wasn't. It was as if the jokes were written by Sam from HR and delivered by Dario from IT. The edginess, the subversiveness, and the zippy timing just wasn't there.
❌ The acting performance. Having seen Peng Yuchang in I Am Nobody, I know he can deliver a hilarious and compelling character. But everything felt low-energy. Jelly Lin seems to be trying, and I don't have an issue with her performance, but the script is not giving much material to work with.
❌ The ABSENCE of romance. This might be the only occasion where I'm calling for more romance. The setup was there, it wouldn't have been obtrusive, yet it was just abandoned.

Maybe I'm being too harsh, or maybe NPNG just needed to rebrand for the AI era. So here's the setup for comeback sequel: the rules have been updated so that you must simultaneously lose money, lay off workers, and ravage society. With such a sadistic trifecta, Pei Qian forms OpenAnthro, racks up billions of annual losses, pirates then gatekeeps all the knowledge in human history, and threatens 90% of humanity with job loss and permanent serfdom.

Luckily, the story will have a happy ending. Pei Qian will dump his loss-making startup on society in a trillion-dollar IPO🔥; the company will be bailed out 🔥🔥by central bank money printing that further exacerbates runaway inflation; and PQ will be honored by the President with his likeness on Mount iRushmore, alongside Dario, Sam, Elon and Mark🔥🔥🔥.

--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 6.5 ⇒ 7 MDL
- Plot - 6.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 6
- Acting - 7
- Visuals - 7
- Audio / Music - 7
- Rewatch - 6
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 8
- Subtitle quality - 8

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Such an underrated gem of a show!

I wish this show was longer than 26 episodes. The humour was golden and tastefully used everytime. Nothing ever got old! I never thought I'd laugh so hard at a scene about an old man getting rolled into hospital (ep 25), but there is a first for everything, I guess. 😂

The actor that played Pei Qian did phenomenal job at developing his character throughout the show, from becoming a hopeless one-dimensionally thinking character to a benevolent and thoughtful one. He brought out the potential in all his previously misunderstood colleagues and rooted out toxic work practice. Everyone watching this show definitely had this thought cross their minds at least once; "I wish I worked at Tengda!" How nice it would be to work in such a carefree environment with such amazing benefits. 🥲

An unexpected surprise was also the amazing OSTs, I didn't expect to like them so much but they were great. All in all, a 10/10 show from me and one that I will definitely miss! ☺️

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"Think more, feel more, and produce less."

I really underestimated No Pain No Gain. Watching it puts me in such a good mood. It’s a refreshing and funny office drama about a video game company, filled with quirky and lovable characters. I can’t stop grinning and laughing.

The plot:
Pei Qian is given startup capital to launch projects and run a company. However, the payment structure is reversed: if the project makes a profit, he only receives a small base salary. But if the project loses money, the amount of the loss becomes his bonus. Pei Qian decides to deliberately try to lose money in order to earn more. But his employees are unaware of this. And things are not going according to his plans at all... Meaning: the company keeps achieving unexpected success. The employees are overjoyed and celebrate, while Pei Qian secretly goes off to cry.

Pei Qian is a great boss. Let me briefly introduce a few rules and benefits that employees of his company have:
- There is no probation period for new employees.
- No long or unnecessary speeches from leaders.
- Meetings are relaxed and informal. Gossiping and small talk are encouraged.
- Employees must use the company's own gym and entertainment facilities for at least four hours per week.
- Flexible start time after weekends or holidays.
- Overtime is strictly forbidden.
- Public holidays that fall on weekends are moved to weekdays.

What a dream, right!? I'm submitting my application immediately.

The characters:
First place in terms of my favorite characters definitely goes to Pei Qian. He's such a silly, creative, ambitious, generous, and witty cutie patootie.
His mission began with him vehemently trying to lose money with his company. In doing so, he spoiled all his employees immensely, ensuring they had a really good working life. They were able to show what they were truly capable of without overworking themselves or being treated unfairly in any other way. At first, this meant that Pei Qian himself was significantly worse off financially. But he didn't give up most of the time. And he has undergone such a positive development!!!

What's more, the others quickly realised how lucky they were to have Pei Qian as their boss. They really loved him and wanted to help him... And well... Pei Qian has slowly taken everyone into his heart. All in all, the whole of Tengda became one big family.

Secondly, I really like Li Shi. At first, I thought he might become a new annoying rival, but omg, was I wrong! That kind-hearted, milk-drinking smiley face! He became Pei Qian's biggest fan and surprisingly supported him so many times when things got dicey. Thank you, darling!

Thirdly, Xin Hailu is simply wonderful. At the beginning, she seemed to be just an observer, emotionally rather detached from the company. But more and more, she saw how much good Pei Qian actually does and how happy it makes everyone. She clearly admired him for this and ultimately became a supportive force for him.

Of course, I also took all the other key employees at Tengda into my heart. It couldn't have been any other way!

Ma Yang is truly Pei Qian's best bro. He even became jealous when Pei Qian seemed to have a better bro relationship with someone else. He can be a bit (or a lot) silly and hot-heated, but has a big heart and really enjoys helping others to realise their dreams.

Huang Sibo is such a hard-working, kind soul. He is prone to falling into stressful downward spirals that cause him great despair, but he nevertheless remains energetic and motivated. No one can stop this man. He just keeps going and going.

Lin Wan is attentive, composed and strong. While almost no one notices what Pei Qian is actually struggling with, she has a certain sense that something is not quite right. Developing games is her passion, and she does everything she can to achieve her goals. Above all: making players happy. She is also good at motivating others.

Lv Mingliang wants to keep as low a profile as possible. He doesn't want to draw too much attention with all his talents, because he is afraid of being taken advantage of. At the same time, he is always there for his team and is quickly persuaded to use his talents - and that clearly gives him happiness.

Tengda has many other great employees. I will miss them all. It was wonderful to spend time with them and see what great things Tengda will achieve.

The OST:
I still listen to the OST very often after I finished watching this drama. I'm not used to hearing so many pop/EDM songs sung in English in a Chinese drama. I really like it. It suits the vibe. My favorite songs are New Born by Dong You Lin, and Shadows Dancing by Mi Ka.

Favorite funny scene: When Pei Qian accidentally ended up being the designated driver for the drunk Li Shi and Zhou Muyan and didn’t want them to recognize him, so he put on some kind of bank robber mask. Brilliant idea. Of course, it made him look extremelyyyy trustworthy! And how cute it was that Li Shi and Zhou Muyan were practically cuddling in the back seat. Zhou Muyan was suspicious about the mask the whole time, and Li Shi was completely relaxed. Then suddenly the near accident, where Pei Qian’s driving skills were insanely impressive. Then the foot chase and Zhou Muyan’s diving tackle on Pei Qian. And finally, all three of them at the police station. Every single part of it was just delightful.

Final thoughts:
I decided to give the drama a 9.5 rating. I enjoyed it throughout and love the creativity in every episode. The business ideas are fantastic, unusual and innovative. That, combined with all the charming and quirky characters, made for really good and truly funny entertainment.

But the drama can feel repetitive here and there, and they used so much AI art, which is sad and just ugly. Both weren't a biiig problem for me, I could ignore it most of the time, but I still deducted 0.5 points.

This drama thrives on its unusual plot and all the multifaceted, lovable dorks!

Thank you, No Pain No Gain and especially Pei Qian, for making my evenings so delightful and for always putting a smile on my face.

[finished watching on 21 February 2026]

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MUST WATCH DRAMA

No Pain No Gain is such a wonderful drama to start the year with. I really enjoyed it. It’s the kind of comedy I’d love to rewatch as a comfort drama. The humor feels fresh and genuinely entertaining.
The story also makes us question which side we should take — Pei Qian, who deliberately tries to make the company lose money for his own benefit, or the employees, who pour their hearts into their work and unintentionally help the company earn more profit, which goes against Pei Qian’s goal.
For the last episodes, I feel like some scenes were a bit dragging, while others felt rushed. Or maybe it’s just my feeling? I’m not sure. It seems like something was missing, but I can’t quite explain what it was.
ANW THIS IS DEFINITELY MUST WATCH DRAMA!!!

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A relatable comedy, great plot and story, perfect cast, a hard tap for general company

1. Story : A n interesting inital plot with great exwecution of production and deliverey every episode, a relatable comedy, even for me an international fans, laughing my ass of everytime.
2. Acting/Cast : One of the best cast selection and act. Especially the Ml, he is level above everyone else here.
3. Music : Good Ost, none of the scene feeel empty, suitable ost on every scene
4. Rewatch : Yes, pertty enjoyable and rewatchable, a great comedy through episode (expect the last couple ep)
5. Note : A Big Questionmark of an ending, it has a good ending but forcing it to be open ending, a lot of questionable things, an unsatisfied ending for ML, a long holiday (what for), what happen to sumi (the real boss), and so on. And the one that bugging me the most was the fact that all of his sacrifice got to be unknown until the end, a real pain in my heart.

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