How Dare You!?

A Power Duo That Carried the Drama Beautifully

I started this drama because the trailer looked fun, chaotic, and visually beautiful. I thought it would just be a light comedy to pass the time, but it ended up being so much more. I am really glad they chose Cheng Lei and Wang Churan as the leads. They are both incredibly gorgeous, but more importantly, they truly brought their characters to life with their acting.

The drama begins with exaggerated humor and chaotic energy, and it honestly caught me off guard in a good way. It feels very comedic at first, but as the story progresses, it slowly reveals deeper political and emotional layers. What seems like a simple transmigration story turns into something much more complex and meaningful. The foreshadowing is done very well, and many small details from early episodes become important later, which makes the story very satisfying.

The relationship between the main leads is one of the best parts of the drama. They communicate, trust each other, and work together instead of constantly misunderstanding each other. Their romance feels mature and natural. They support each other as equals, and their chemistry grows gradually. It does not rely on forced drama, and that makes their connection feel real and refreshing.

Wang Churan gave an amazing performance. She handled every emotional shift perfectly, from chaotic and funny moments to emotional and serious scenes. Cheng Lei was equally impressive. He expressed so much emotion through subtle expressions, and his character felt layered and believable. Together, they made every scene feel alive.

The supporting cast was also strong. Every character had their own story and purpose, and even the villains had depth. The second female lead was especially memorable, and the second male lead also delivered a solid performance. Some tragic moments hit really hard emotionally.

Visually, the drama is beautiful. The costumes, cinematography, and overall production quality are excellent. Some scenes genuinely feel cinematic. The OST fits perfectly and enhances the emotional moments without overpowering them. I also really loved the animated explanations in the early episodes. They were creative and fun, and I wish they had continued using them later.

The pacing is very good overall. With 32 episodes, it never felt dragged out. Every episode had purpose, and nothing felt like filler. The balance between comedy, romance, political tension, and emotional moments was handled very well. The ending did feel slightly rushed, especially how quickly the leads reunited, but it was still satisfying.

Overall, this drama is a complete package. Great acting, strong chemistry, beautiful visuals, and a well written story. It keeps you engaged from beginning to end. It made me laugh, emotional, and fully invested in the characters. I will genuinely miss them.

Who Should Watch

Fans of transmigration, historical romance, and political plots
Viewers who like mature leads with trust and strong communication
People who enjoy slow build chemistry and emotional depth
Fans of Cheng Lei and Wang Churan
Viewers who appreciate beautiful visuals and strong acting

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Excellent drama! Wang Churan and Cheng Lei are sensational! If they don't act in another drama together it will be a crime! Everyone in the cast was great! I only have a few things that keep this from being a 10/10 story.

About half way through, I was worried the story was going to fall flat, because I just wasn't as engaged with what was happened on screen. The forth wall breaks from the first few episodes was a breath of fresh air, and felt like a commentary on c-dramas in general. When they stopped and the typical tropes c-dramas fall into started frequently happening, I thought I might have to drop this one. But the story quickly picked back up and I was eagerly anticipating each episode drop!

My gripe with the music is more just with c-drama music in general. The overuse of songs bores me. I get it, more songs is more money spent, but I get tired of hearing the same motifs over and over again. This music in this drama is fine. I just got bored with it.

Overall, a very enjoyable drama! Kudos to Wang Churan and Cheng Lei! They truly were wonderfully cast! Their chemistry was electric! Wanyin and Dan were such lovely characters, and they brought them to life perfectly!

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A META-GAME OF SURVIVAL

The story follows Wang Cuihua, a modern-day corporate worker who transmigrated into a novel as the 'evil consort' Yu Wanyin. She quickly realizes the 'tyrant emperor', Xianhou Dan, is actually another transmigrator named Zhang San. Instead of fighting each other, they realize that to survive the original tragic ending, they must team up. They use their modern knowledge, ranging from strategic management to drought-resistant crops, to outsmart the 'original' protagonists, who are actually quite ruthless.

Furthermore, the chemistry between Cheng Lei and Wang Churan is electric. Unlike dramas where the leads are at odds for 30 episodes, these two establish a 'mischievous bestie' energy early on. Their mutual trust is refreshing; they communicate quickly to nip misunderstandings in the bud before they become plot points. The show is packed with meta-commentary. Since both leads know they are in a book, they often critique the 'bad writing' of the original author or anticipate 'scripted' events. This adds a layer of dark comedy, making the political intrigue feel lighter and more engaging. Watching the 'evil' consort and the 'tyrant' emperor actually be the most competent and sane people in the room is deeply satisfying. The drama flips the script by making the traditional 'hero and heroine' of the book into the primary antagonists.

Moreover, Cheng Lei delivers a masterclass in the 'Mad Tyrant' trope. His ability to switch between a terrifying, unhinged emperor and the vulnerable, modern 'Zhang San' is the heart of the show. His 'eye-smolder' has become a viral meme for a reason: it's magnetic. For Wang Churan, this is arguably her best performance to date. She sheds the 'ice beauty' image to play a quick-thinking, slightly cynical corporate survivor. Her comedic timing during the 'English Language Test' scene in early episodes set the tone for the series. The production is cinematic, utilizing a darker, more 'moody' color palette than the bright, saturated looks of previous years. The costumes, especially Wanyin's consort robes, are intricate and historically grounded, even while the plot is fantastical.

However, mid-episode pacing felt a little bit dragged. The leads occasionally drift into the background to make room for the political schemes of Prince Duan. While necessary for the plot, the loss of the leads' mischievous bestie energy during these episodes makes the show feel like a standard, slightly drier historical drama. Also, fans of the Donghua and novel were polarized by the changes to the character Uncle Bei. The Live-Action took a slightly more 'realistic' route with his arc, which stripped away some of the campy humor that made the character a cult favorite in other versions.

In conclusion, How Dare You!? succeeds because it is self-aware. It knows it's a story about stories. It balances dark political stakes with the absurdity of two modern people trying to navigate a 'buggy' historical novel. And I feel like the ending makes a lot of sense to me. The leads entered a book and began solving court cases while also trying to survive. They have gone through a lot of setbacks, and still fell in love along the way. Both main leads uprooted evil and gave the Great Xia the peace they longed for, and had a happy ending. That's the end of the book, so it makes absolute sense that they travel back into the real world. Although it was a happy ending, I wish to see them interact in the real world and the life of Zhang San in this dimension.

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Some dramas are meant to be enjoyable without moving you to death

It was a good drama : the acting was on top, the costumes were exquisite (might be the best I’ve seen in c-dramas), the chemistry between the main lead was great.
I really had fun at first, the main leads' relationship was like partners in crime, I loved their meetings around hot pot to prepare the next move.

But the more the story progressed the more it became heavy, more than I’ve thought. It added depth to the characters so it’s a good thing in itself but I won’t lie I liked the beginning more than the rest of the drama.

Those Zhang San’s Diaries were quite heartbreaking. Those scholars’ fates was also very unfortunate. At the end so many characters lost their lives which I found sad but sometimes not necessary honestly : too much sacrifice kills the sacrifice.

Overall the story was good but I can’t lie I was also bothered by some few things

- Sometimes it became a little bit « dramatic » and the pace was not the worst but maybe was the reason why I found myself having trouble to connect with the drama at some point.

- I didn’t like the fact the little Crown Prince was neglected like that. I mean Dan & Wanyin were so moved by the fate of all these 2D characters but they couldn’t care less about him.
Of course giving the way he was conceived, it would be complicated for Dan to care about him. But letting the CP’s in the Empress Dowager’s clutch felt like a nonsense for me. Even if he can’t really care for his son, he can relate exactly to this feeling of being under the Empress’ control, is it really logical for him to abandon his son to this witch ? Even Wanyin, who showed real emotions for the 2D characters, never bothered about him.
I just mean his fate was also sad so I would’ve preferred the show addressing this issue properly instead of acting like he wasn’t even there, it makes all this talks and emotions about the 2D characters somehow shallow and a little bit hypocritical imo

- My other issue is less important, just a question of preference. I find obsessive men repulsive and Dan showed some big signs of it, he was so stubborn about Wanyin at some point I was annoyed honestly. But I guess I will put this on his maniac episodes and the feeling of finally finding the one who saved him from his sad existence.

- Last issue : the villains and specially the Empress were under developed. We knew she hated the emperor but the reason wasn’t clear enough. It would’ve been cool if they explained, it would’ve added some depth to her instead of giving her a one-sided personality

I was waiting for this one for quite a while and I was not disappointed overall. I still recommend it, even if it’s flawed.

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Really fun rom-com drama! Rushed ending.

Allow me to say what I've been wanting to tell everyone first. Because this was such a good drama and I really liked the osts, I decided one day to watch the ending credit scene ( you know the one that plays after every episode ). I don't usually watch the opening and ending credit scenes but since I really liked this and wanted more, I started to watch it and OMG ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME. THERE ARE SPOILERS AT THE ENDING CREDIT SCENES OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCENES OF THIS DRAMA, LIKE IM TALKING ABOUT WHO WILL DIE IN THE FUTURE. I don't know why they did it this way but it was really maddening that I just got spoiled like that.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed this one, just from the trailer alone I already knew it was gonna be a banger. When I started the drama I got even more hooked and really liked the plot and the rom com aspect of it. Honestly this was such a fun watch that I can recommend it to mostly everyone. The Osts, the script, the characters, a lot of it are really good. Although I would say the Young King and Crown prince really threw me off coz I don't know if its a back story or simply just happening now. It took me a while to get the hang of it.

The only other problem I had with this drama is that after the mausoleum arc, it kinda started to go down. I think it was a little rush near the end and the drama could have done better had it gotten more episodes to it to expand more on the story. But overall a really good and fun cdrama to watch. But the spoiler containing ending credit scenes and the rushed ending and badly executed ending really threw me off this. Overall 9.0. I would've given this a 10 as well only if not for the things i mentioned.

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A Beautiful Pairing in a Flawed but Interesting Series

I was genuinely excited to watch this series because of this particular pairing. I’m not usually a big fan of transmigration plots, but the strong chemistry between the leads and the powerhouse cast convinced me to give it a try.

Overall, the story has a unique concept and could have been incredibly engaging — but unfortunately, the execution fell short. The editing felt uneven, and the pacing of how the story unfolded made it hard to stay fully invested. I struggled through several parts and often felt tempted to skip scenes. The prologue of Zang Shan, which I know is meant to be important, was difficult to follow and connect with since it appeared only in scattered episodes. There were also many conflicts, villains, and side characters introduced throughout the story, to the point that I forgot some of them by the time the ending came.

There were moments when I found myself browsing on my phone while watching, which to me is a sign that some scenes could definitely have been trimmed or tightened.

But despite its weaknesses, the casting is truly the saving grace of this series. Every actor — even the supporting ones — delivered credible and compelling performances.
* The actor who played Prince Duan was outstanding: charming on the surface yet convincingly villainous.
* The actress for Xie Yong Er also did a wonderful job.
* And both actors who portrayed the male and female versions of Bei Shu were an absolute delight to watch.

The Main Leads
The biggest joy of this drama is undeniably the main couple. Their chemistry feels natural, warm, and deeply comfortable — like they fully understand their characters and each other. Some of the early comedic scenes felt a bit awkward, but as many great actors say, comedy is one of the hardest genres to master, so that’s understandable.

I’ve always been a fan of Wang Chu Ran — beyond her stunning beauty, she consistently chooses roles that showcase her strengths. I genuinely don’t understand why she receives so much hate simply for being beautiful; if anything, she continues to prove her talent and versatility with every role.

Cheng Lei, however, was the biggest surprise for me. I had only seen him before in The Legend of Female General, where he didn’t stand out as much. But in this series, he delivered a real breakthrough performance. His role required him to portray a wide range of personas — cheeky, flirty, authoritative, vulnerable, furious — and he transitioned between them effortlessly.
One moment he’s a playful, lovestruck CEO Dan; the next, he becomes a terrifying emperor capable of commanding fear. His emotional control in the scene where Wan Yin goes missing — shifting from a desperate man begging Mr. Bei to save the woman he loves, to an intimidating ruler — was particularly memorable.

And his chemistry with Wang Chu Ran? Off the charts.
WCR has played flirty, vixen-type roles before, but here she truly embodied the character of You Wan Yin — both demonic and angelic, regal yet deeply human. Together, they felt like a genuine married couple, not just romantic leads.

Final Thoughts
Despite the messy execution of the plot, the performances of Cheng Lei and Wang Chu Ran — alongside the strong supporting cast — made the series worth watching. I would love to see these two reunited in another project, preferably one with stronger writing and direction that can fully showcase their incredible acting range.

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Enjoyable But Could Have Been Better

I quite enjoyed the series overall though I wouldn't call it a favourite in the transmigration genre. But there is a lot to love about it.

Firstly, the leads are incredible! The FL is stunning and she is a strong, graceful, charming woman with a good head on her shoulders. She is the brains behind the collaboration of the leads. ML is the executioner. He is strong yet gentle, brave and understanding and trusts the FL which is what makes their dynamic work so well. He trusts her even before she trusts him. More than their romance, I enjoyed their chemistry and banter.

Secondly, the other characters. I loved the SFL and Mr Bai the most. The scholars were nice too. It's always great when secondary and supporting characters bring life to the drama. I also liked the physician but sadly his role was small.

Third, the plot. No drama can succeed on acting alone. If the plot is weak, it all falls apart. The story of How Dare You has a good flow and never gets boring. There is also mystery about certain characters which helped kept me interested in the story. Fortunately we don't really have a misunderstanding and breakup trope or at least not really. Whatever happens is resolved almost immediately.

Fourth, I got emotional in certain parts and I feel the ML conveyed them really well.

I enjoyed the drama OST too. It suited the scenes a lot.

Where it failed to hit the mark:
I expected this to be more comedic than it is. The title also makes you think it will be more funny than serious. It starts off funny but gets a bit more dramatic and serious 7 - 10 episodes in. There is light comedy here and there to make you smile but no laughs from my end.

The action sequences. Usually the leads are involved in the fighting and action scenes as much as the side characters but that's not the case in this drama. Though I didn't mind the leads not fighting at alll, I felt the action scenes itself were kind of average or overly dramatic. And I'm a sucker for a good action sequence so this mattered to me.

The SML was okay. I don't feel much for him which isn't a good thing.

The ending. It was quite abrupt and tbh I didn't understand what happened at all until I read some explanations. I don't really like when directors expect you to fall back on the source to fill in your gaps. But I also understand why they did it that way. Since it involves censorship, I can't call it bad storytelling. Still... they could have compensated in other ways so it was disappoiinting.

Introducing a character late and then the twist. I'm not sure the twist was needed.

Romance. Though the leads' chemistry is great, the romance is okay. You won't find much of it since there is a lot of planning and scheming going on. Since everything was good, I didn't care too much so I'm mentioning this last. As romance can be huge for some viewers, I thought I would point this out.

To sum up, How Dare You is quite enjoyable but it also leaves you wanting a bit more.

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Enjoyable escapism

This drama is good cotton candy. If you are in for the plot, you'll be disappointed. There are some plot holes and loose ends nothing major and the drama makes up for it in bunches thanks to its great acting, comedy and visuals. Chu Ran was made for this role where she can be silly and showcase her comedic talent. She was giving off some young Julia Robert vibes. On top of that she looked so beautiful in those dresses. As the lead couple, Chu Ran and Ryan cannot be more photogenic. Their chemistry and banter is what also keeps you in the drama. I particularly enjoyed their lines where as transmigrators, they talked about pop culture and how to identify if someone is from the modern era or just a character who only exists in the book.

For the plot you have to be more forgiving, although it does have some twists and character reveals that were not telegraphed so it was not all completely predictable. The side characters, in particular the ML's bodyguard, were also fun to watch. With regard to the secondary leads, Yi Xuan from Unforgettable Love (2021) is lovely and radiant as always (I never get tired of her beaming smile) while Xiao Tian from My Little Happiness (2021) always does a great job even though the script didn't offer him much to chew on. The same goes for the Empress who was another antagonist that could have used more of a backstory to give her depth. Nevertheless, the shortcomings are not too significant when considering the drama for its visuals, the chemistry between the leads and its bright and colorful cinematography.

The ending is great, full of positive vibes, and it was beautifully shot. In sum, while the plot and character development are not top-notch (I did fast forward here and there), the selling point here is the beautiful and charming Chu Ran, along with the great casting, comedy and the visuals. These alone make the drama a good watch for carefree and enjoyable escapism.

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A breath of fresh air

I just finished watching the 10th episode. I have to say that this show is honestly a breath of fresh air. I feel like most Chinese historical dramas these days always focus on the revenge plot line or just a super serious plot, and while I do like those storylines as well, it does get old. For instance, the drama that is currently airing alongside this one is called Jade wind. And that one seems to follow along the same type of plot that we have just seen over and over so I'm not really very into that show much even though I do love the actors. However, this show is very fresh and fun. I know the whole (falling into the book)has been done before, but somehow this is being done in a fresh way and I love how the leads were together from literally the first episode and we didn't have to build up to it. There's just a mutual trust between them which I think is beautiful. It's not too heavy and depressing like a lot of the Chinese dramas these days. There's humor in there. It's kept very light-hearted, most of the time, and I don't know there's just something about it that is really fresh. Not to mention the costumes are beautiful.Especially the female leads costumes.They are 10 out of 10 for me.You can tell this was a big budget drama and I am loving it. The male lead I have seen in many other dramas and always loved him. But I really think that after my journey to you, this is his next best performance. I love how he is basically playing 2 characters. The serious king and then the goofy partner of the female lead, he switches up so well and I love that. Yeah, I just really have nothing bad to say about this drama at all. Every episode has me hooked and Honestly, it's rare for me to feel happy when watching a Chinese drama because like I said, usually they are more revenge plot based, so I'm like so invested in the characters getting their revenge and killing the bad guys, etc. So I wouldn't say that I feel happy while watching those dramas while I do love them, but with this one i feel happy while watching and then waiting for the next episode. The last show that mademe feel like that was "yummy yummy yummy" that was my comfort drama while it aired lol But yeah , this drama just feels lighthearted, fun and fresh , and I can already tell this will be one of my top favorite dramas of all time. 😊

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Huge Thank you for How dare you! this drama

First of all i would like to say i started to like Cheng lei’s acting skills so much, he is really cute when he is acting little bit playful and also he is good for playing role of Emperor and shouting etc. This is my first impression seeing Wang churan acting, i love her too, her beauty, acting skills too. Second of all i haven’t watching Hu yixuan acting in dramas for quiet long time which i saw her playing in “unforgettable love” and “river runs through it” and this time i felt like she become skinnier than i remember and became prettier. I just love seeing her cute smiles. Xie yong’er this role fits her so well, her makeup style was stunning too. Also i want to say Tang xiaotian acting skills making me surprised because i only saw him playing kind support roles before, this time i can feel that he literally proved that he can act really well. Applause for acting the villian Xiahou Bo. Finally my main point is that this drama healed me from “my page in 90s” because even tho its ending was relieving but still left a huge trauma of transmigrating dramas, but then right after watching MPI90s, HWDY! drama was released and today i finished it, i am fully satisfied by the ending, i want to thank the screenwriter, director👍👍👍

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