The Gold behind the Stone (2025)

THE GOLD BEHIND THE STORY

If you’re a fan of Chinese short dramas, especially ones where the male lead is overpowered and attracts all the ladies, then this drama is for you!

Story

The plot follows the typical pattern of Chinese short dramas these days:
A poor boy with no money → Gains an incredible secret power → A rich lady takes an interest in him → Falls in love with him → Everyone insults him → Gradually, all the women start falling for him → He becomes rich → Defeats all the villains → Still doesn’t choose a single lover because he wants them all together.
(PS: Even a boy falls for him!)

Music

This is the main reason I’m watching this drama! The OST and BGM are simply outstanding. Every fight scene is amplified by the background music, making it 100 times better. Believe me, each track will slowly capture your heart. The opening and ending themes are also top-tier!

Screenplay

There are moments where the screenplay lags, but since each episode is only 10-12 minutes long, it's still bearable. To be honest, the story doesn’t go anywhere, but the short runtime creates the illusion that there’s always something more to come. It keeps you hooked, proving that screenplay controls the story.

Cinematography

The camera work is fantastic! Every fight scene is captured brilliantly, and the camera movements elevate the action sequences. Even though the story has little to offer, the dynamic shots, tight screenplay, and epic BGM make it worth watching again and again. Some special camera techniques were likely used for specific scenes, making them even more engaging.

Locations

This is one of the weaker aspects. The entire drama is filmed in just 2-3 locations—his shop, a basement, a street, and someone's house. It would have been better if they had chosen more visually stunning locations for the fight and romance scenes. However, the Waner and Wei beach scene was a definite highlight.

VFX

Surprisingly, the VFX is far better than most Chinese short dramas these days! The ninja fight scene and the battle with Fifth Realm Mr. Gu were particularly well-executed. You can tell the budget was low, limiting the number of locations and fights, but even within these constraints, the effects were impressive. When it comes to animation, China is proving to be on par with, if not better than, Japan.

Direction

Director Lin Quin is truly a master of short-form storytelling. After watching her previous works, Forever Love and Maid’s Revenge, this is my third time experiencing her magic. She proves that you don’t need 45-minute episodes with 40 episodes to tell a compelling story—you can do it in 10-minute episodes across 30 episodes!

Costumes & Makeup

This is where the drama falls short. The costumes and makeup feel out of place, as if the actors are in a stage play or a cosplay event rather than a drama. Even though it's a fantasy series, the characters could have been given a more natural, human-like appearance instead of looking like webtoon characters. The male lead wears just 2-3 shirts throughout the entire series, and the female characters also have limited outfits.

Acting

The acting was top-notch, especially from Krystal Zhang—even though she was the third female lead, she completely stole the show! Every time she appeared on screen, she delivered flawlessly, with perfect dialogue timing and expressions. I’ve officially become a fan and would love to get her autograph if she ever reads this review! The other leads, Lu Yun Feng, Liu Rui Qiao, and Zhao Qi Yue, did a good job too, avoiding the overacting that’s common in such dramas.

Conclusion

If you love harem dramas or Chinese short dramas where the male lead is overpowered and gets all the ladies, then this is a must-watch for you! Along with superb action, it even has 2-3 breathtaking kissing scenes.

This is a hidden gem that deserves to be seen—so take it out and enjoy, harem lovers!

My Rating 8/10

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