Vertical Drama List (Short Descriptions + Reviews)

She’s on a quest for vengeance, but she gets entangled in the desire of her fiancé’s uncle, who wants to rob his nephew’s fiancée for himself.

The first vertical drama I've ever watched. He Wants to Rob was fun and hot and filled with lots of passionate kisses between the leads. Zhang Jin Yi and Du Ya Fei had a lot of chemistry together, and I also loved that the female lead was very smart and knew how to carry out her own revenge without the male lead's help.

[Great Chemistry + Passionate Kisses = Loved It!]

He falls in love with her after she helps him, but though she has a boyfriend that she wants to marry, he steals her for himself.

I wanted to like Sheng Sheng Xiang Xu because the mafia boss trope used here is always fun to watch. But the female lead really annoyed me. I could understand her wariness of the male lead, considering who he was and the bad things he had done. But the way she ignored all of the questionable things the second male lead did was very annoying. I think you'll enjoy it more than I did if you can get past that, but I couldn't.

[Fun Story + Slightly Annoying Female Lead = Mixed Bag!]

He wants to teach the young, naïve girl a lesson, so she won’t try to sell her eggs for money again, but he becomes entrapped in his desire for her.

A Night Deeply Drunk on the Spring Breeze was a very hot, spicy drama. There were a lot of steamy, passionate kisses here, and I loved the chemistry between Du Ya Fei and Yang Shu Yu. Also, Du Ya Fei just really does a good job of displaying insatiable desire. Practically in every scene, the male lead could not keep his hands off the female lead.

[Spicy Story + Steamy Kisses = Loved It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Addicted to Her (Starring Huang Bo and Fan Di Yu)

In the past, she sold her virginity to a rich man to help pay her sister’s medical expenses, and a year later, she meets him again, and he will only give her the medicine that her sister needs if she sells her body to him.

I wanted to like Jin Yu Da Lao Ta Lun Xian Le, but the male lead was a little too mean for my taste, to the point that I didn't even understand how the female lead fell in love with him when he spent most of his time humiliating her as if it were his hobby. The female lead has it pretty tough here and never really catches a break. If she's not getting bullied by the male lead, she's getting bullied by his fiancée and her ex. If you can get past that, you'll probably enjoy it more than I did. The leads did have chemistry, though, and the story wasn't bad.

[Extreme Abuse + Mean Male Lead = Didn't Like It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Ai Mei Shi Wen (Starring Yao Guan Yu and Yang Luo Qian)

She loves him, but he's her stepbrother.

The Nineteenth Year is a good, spicy forbidden romance that kept me hooked from beginning to end. Du Ya Fei is starting to become one of my favorite male vertical actors. He really does a good job at delivering passion with his female costars. I also really liked Meng Na here too.

[Spicy Forbidden Romance + Great Chemistry = Loved It!]

She returns home after being exiled by her family for loving her 'brother', but when she returns, she makes an unexpected connection with her brother's friend. 

I really enjoyed Tai Zi Ye Ta Guo Fen Ye. It was a lot of fun, and I was invested in the romance between the leads. I loved how the female lead fell for the male lead, who was played by Zheng Hui, who gave a very charming performance. I could totally see why she fell for him! Deng Ling Shu was also very good here! By the way, the second male lead isn't actually her brother. They are not blood-related or related through marriage. He just adopts her.

[Great Chemistry + Good Story = Loved It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Lian Nian Bu Wang (Starring Cao Tian Kai and Zhang Shan)
• Affectionate Acacia (Starring Zhang Yun Tao and Fang Lei)

She is left for dead and decides to take revenge by stealing her sister's husband.

Bloom in the Shadows was a very sexy revenge drama. You could practically feel the heat whenever Zheng Hui and Han Yu Tong were on the screen together. It also had a very entertaining plotline overall that kept me invested from beginning to end. The revenge was satisfying, and the affair between the leads was hot. 

[Entertaining Revenge Story + Hot Chemistry = Loved It!]

After being mistreated and hidden away by her boyfriend for years, she meets her fiancé’s 'uncle', who pushes her to achieve her goals and grow.

Stealing Beauty brought Zheng Hui and Han Yu Tong together again,  and it was very good. If you can get past some of the frustrating choices the female lead makes, you'll be able to enjoy seeing her take back her life from those who were undeserving, while the male lead helps her and steals kisses along the way. There were also a lot of steamy scenes here, and their love affair was hot.

[Good Chemistry + Hot Affair = Liked It!]

He falls in love with her, but though she is unwilling, he still takes her as his wife.

I really enjoyed No One But You, and the kisses were great! I thought Liu Lan Bo and Zheng Chen Yu both did really good jobs in their performances.  I also thought they did a good job of showcasing why the female lead fell for the male lead despite being reluctant at first. I also liked that the female lead was no pushover, and she gave back just as good as she was given. I do wish it had been a bit longer, though.

[Fun Story + Hot Kisses = Loved It!]

He gets drunk and has a one-night stand, but accidentally dates the wrong girl, not knowing that his new secretary is the one-night stand he was looking for.

Li Zong, Ni Zhao Cuo Fu Ren Le requires a bit of suspension of disbelief because of the setup. But it still was a funny office romance, the romance between the leads was very cute, and of course, the chemistry between Zheng Hui and Han Tong Yu was good here. It was cute how much the male lead was enamored with the female lead, whether he realized it or not.

[Fun Story + Cute Romance = Good!]

The 'good girl' takes revenge and uses her one-night stand as a tool for revenge. 

I really enjoyed Save Myself, and I thought that Yu Yin and Ke Chun were both really good here. They both shine here with their roles, and they have a lot of chemistry together. It was a great romance, but an equally great revenge story. I also loved how strong and resolute the female lead was here in her vengeance. It led to some great scenes between her and the male lead. Ke Chun also got me with his tears and his charm.

[Great Female Lead + Great Male Lead = Liked It!]

 To save her brother, she plays a dangerous game with her fiancé's brother, who is a notoriously feared man.

I feel like I would have liked Lost in the Midnight more if I had found it with better subtitles. But because the subtitles were so awful, it was hard for me to connect with the couple in the way I wanted to. Still, both Chen Si and Yu Yin put up really good performances here, especially Chen Si, who really shined and sold the Lou Xiao character. He really added something to this role that other actors wouldn't have been able to do. The romance gets dark here, and it's a rollercoaster ride, but in a good way.

[Great Male Lead + Dark Romance = Good!]

The uncle mistakenly thinks his nephew's fiancée is his own. 

You have to suspend some disbelief with this one, but if you can, the leads were cute together, and the male lead's passion was fun to watch as he thwarted his nephew's advances at every turn. This was a very entertaining forbidden romance.

[Fun Story + Good Chemistry = Good!]

She’s a rich, carefree girl who wants her stoic bodyguard, not knowing he may have ulterior motives for protecting her.

Rose Seige of the City sees another pairing between Du Ya Fei and Zhang Jin Yi, but I liked them better together in He Wants to Rob. I did enjoy the relationship between the leads here, though. I also liked how forward the female lead was with her desire for her bodyguard. It was fun seeing the trope flipped on its head here. But I did find myself losing interest at times, though.

[Fun Female Lead + Mediocre Storyline = Just Okay!]

He falls in love with her after she saves him, and though she is supposed to be someone else’s bride, that doesn’t stop him from snatching the bride for himself.

Shan Hun Hou Wo Cheng Le Da Lao  De Zhang Zhong Zhi Wu is another 'mafia boss steals the bride' story, which seems to be a common trope in vertical dramas. But I thought they did a really good job of portraying it here, especially with Ma Xiao Yu as the male lead. He did a great job and really shined here. While I was very invested in their story and overall liked their romance, I didn't like how they rushed the female lead falling in love with the male lead.  I definitely think they could have done a better job of fleshing that out, but nonetheless, the steamy kisses were undeniable.

[Fun Story + Steamy Kisses = Liked It!]

After she is left at the altar, she has a one-night stand with a hot, young guy, whom she takes in as her kept boy, not knowing that his status might be higher than what she thinks.

Define Your Style is a fun, sexy drama. I wish I had enjoyed it more, but I didn't really find myself connecting to it in the way I wanted to. It's still a fun watch overall, and the leads have chemistry together. There are also a lot of steamy scenes, and it was cute seeing the male lead have puppy eyes whenever he looked at the female lead.

[Steamy Kisses + *Personal Disconnection = Bored!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Fated to Love You (Starring Zhong Zheng and Xia Jing Ran)

She's crazy about him, but she is his adopted 'play sibling', and their love is forbidden.

Cha Cuo was not for me. I wanted to get wrapped up in the forbidden romance, but instead, all I could pay attention to was how mentally unstable the leads were, especially the female lead. They do have some hot kisses, though, and the male lead was just as crazy about her as she was about him, but it was the kind of crazy that had you questioning if they both needed therapists.

[Crazy Leads + Silly Plotline = Didn't Like It!]

To avoid a premature death, he finds a woman to consummate with, even if it puts her life at risk. But after marrying her, he falls for her.

A tearjerker supernatural romance that practically has every common vertical drama trope in it. I watched Xu Ni Yi Chang Bei Huan for Ma Xiao Yu, but the drama was too dramatic for my taste. I also thought it would have benefited from more episodes, considering that there is so much jam-packed within less than two hours. Everything is happening at lightning speed and not necessarily in a good way. It wasn't awful, though, and I think if you like sweet romances, you'll enjoy this. It's especially sweet how much the male lead loves the female lead.

[Sweet Romance + Too Much Dramatics = Didn't Like It!]

She sets out to avenge her father but falls into a dangerous romance with her enemy.

Hook Love is a very dark, sexy romance. This one is not for the faint of heart. The male lead is very unstable because of scars from his past, and some uncomfortable abusive scenes take place.  I nearly dropped it because of the belt scene, but I could not deny that there were some hot scenes and equally hot kisses between the leads. Wang Zi Jia did a great job as the calculating female lead set out on a path of vengeance, while Shen Hao Nan gave an equally great performance as a dark, possessive, unforgiving male lead. His passionate kisses were a plus too! While his character had been very cold, his obsession with the female lead was clear. If you like your romance a bit dark, you'll like this!

[Hot Kisses + Good Leading Performances = Liked It!]

She seduces her fiancé's uncle to get payback for his cheating.

I wanted to like You Wu because the 'hook up with the cheating boyfriend's uncle' trope is my guilty pleasure, but I didn't really enjoy this one. I found that the female lead's reason for insistently staying with her cheating fiancé was dumb. This was also pretty long and would have benefited from a shorter episode count. There were many times when I was bored because of the many redundant scenes of the female lead toying with the uncle, only to say she would still marry his nephew later. I did like that the female lead was strong, though, and Zuo Yi was really good here.

[Annoying Female Lead + Draggy Storyline = Didn't Like It!]

She schemes to get the man she loves to remember her again.

What a fun, sweet romance! I absolutely loved the female lead here! She was a tricky one, but it was fun to watch her scheme to get the male lead's attention. Li Mu Qiao did a great job as a confident badass who wouldn't allow anyone to run over her. So, just for her performance alone, it's worth the watch. But the romance between the leads was done very well here. I loved their chemistry and relationship. It was cute how much the female lead had the male lead wrapped around her finger from the very beginning even when he realized she was a little liar. Zhang Bei Xi does a great job too! I did think the reveal at the end was a tad bit unnecessary, though.

[Awesome Female Lead + Great Chemistry = Loved It!]

She schemes her way into a flash marriage with her fiancé's uncle.

Secretly Like You is actually very similar to another short drama Li Mu Qiao and Zhang Bei Xi starred in together. Both female leads scheme their way into a relationship with their fiancé's uncle. The only difference here is there is no memory loss, and Zhang Bei Xi wears glasses. I will say I preferred them together in Deep Love, but Secretly Like You is cute too. I just didn't enjoy it as much.

[Good Chemistry + Mediocre Storyline = Just Okay!]

After severing ties with her abusive family, in her next life, she gets even and reunites with her adopted uncle.

I actually had a good time with this one. It was satisfying watching her get back at her family who had done her wrong.  I also liked that they didn't have her reconcile with them in the end. No amount of groveling could change her mind, which I was happy for because they had been truly awful to her. I do wish this had focused a little bit more on the romance, though. There was chemistry between the leads, but barely any scenes to help showcase that. I do want to add that the adopted child and uncle relationship here was slightly disturbing, though, because he had known her as a child.

[Fun Revenge + Good Chemistry = Liked It!]

They meet each other at a bar, not knowing they both have ulterior motives.

Fake Love was a very sexy yet sweet romance. The female lead is looking for a kidney transplant candidate for her brother, while the male lead is looking for a rich woman to provide him with money for his sick girlfriend. We have two leads who secretly approach each other for different reasons, but love blossoms between them as their relationship progresses. I liked that the story wasn't bogged down by ridiculous misunderstandings, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads. The production value was also better here compared to most vertical dramas. If you're looking for a jie-jie romance, I definitely recommend this one.

[Sweet Romance + Good Chemistry = Liked It!]

She gets transported inside a novel and becomes the villainous second female lead, and now she must avoid her husband, who wants to kill her.

I thought this was okay. I think it would have benefited from being longer and spending more time on developing the relationship between the leads because, by the time it got to the end, I felt that she had more chemistry with the second male lead. That's not to say the relationship between the leads was awful, but I just didn't care too much for their development. With that being said, there are some hilarious moments here, and Zuo Yi does a good job.

[Fun Story + Mediocre Romance = Just Okay!]

She gets transported into a drama and takes matters into her own hands for the mistreated female lead while falling in love with an unexpected character.

This was a very cute romantic comedy, and I found myself laughing multiple times while watching it. I loved the chemistry between Chen Si and Li Ruo Qi. They both worked so well together and really sold both their comedic scenes and romantic ones too. I definitely recommend this one!

[Great Chemistry + Hilarious Story = Loved It!]

She sells herself to him for freedom, but he becomes obsessed and won't let her go.

This is a very dark romance starring Chen Si and Yang Shu Yu. Initially, I was very excited for this because the poster looked amazing, and I liked both actors, but I found it to be a bit disappointing. This is another dark romance that kind of fails to show why the female lead fell in love with the male lead. It seemed like she was more so beaten down to it and left without any options for escape rather than her genuinely falling for him. Chen Si, as always, does a great job playing a dark, brooding male lead. His expression when he begged the female lead to love him was perfect. However, I found that I didn't really like Yang Shu Yu's performance here, and this role would have been better suited for an actress who could match Chen Si's energy with strong defiance. She was just a little too teary-eyed and blank-faced for me at times.

Overall, I just wish there could have been more scenes in the beginning that would have displayed why the female lead fell for him, rather than them all happening towards the end, where it felt like she genuinely did not have the means to escape so she just had to accept the male lead's love. 

[Great Male Lead Performance + Unbelievable Romance = Mixed Bag!]

They love each other but can't be together because he's her uncle-in-law. 

This was definitely my kind of forbidden romance! I absolutely loved the explosive chemistry between the leads, and the kisses were hot! Yu Long did such a good job showcasing desire, and I really enjoyed Yang Mie Mie's performance too! You could see the longing in both of their eyes for each other. I also liked that this vertical drama was quite short and that we didn't have to see the female lead go through a ridiculous amount of abuse. The male lead's mother and sister were actually quite tame for antagonists, and I liked it that way. Definitely recommend!

[Hot Kisses + Yu Long and Yang Mie Mie = Loved It!]

They once loved each other, but she married his best friend, and now he wants to punish her for it.

I really wanted to like this one, especially since I enjoyed it in the beginning. The intensity and chemistry were there in those first scenes together, but once it was revealed why the female lead married the male lead's best friend, I immediately rolled my eyes. The drama required too much suspension of disbelief, and I just couldn't do it.  I found the plot to be so silly that it was hard to focus on their romance, which had its moments of being really good.

[Silly Storyline + Too Much Suspension of Disbelief = Didn't Like It!]

After being reborn, she wants to divorce her husband, who left her for dead, but now he wants her back.

Usually, in these kinds of stories, the female lead would move on with someone else who would actually be our male lead, but in this case, the male lead is actually her husband. This could have totally gone wrong, but I think the reason their relationship works here is that Sun Yue does a really good job of playing a regretful husband willing to do anything to get his wife back. And Han Yu Tong is just fantastic here as a woman fed up with poor treatment from everyone. Also, Sun Yue and Han Yu Tong had a lot of chemistry and were hilarious together. They were both very natural on camera. While I didn't love everything, I did have a good time with this one.

[Hilarious Storyline + Great Lead Performances = Good!]

After her fiancé cheats on her, she has a flash marriage with his brother for payback.

Moonlight Remains Gentle is a very sweet story. I really liked how smart and strong the female lead was here. She didn't mope for long about her fiancé's infidelity and was firmly on the male lead's side once they got married. I also liked that there weren't many misunderstandings between them and really enjoyed their romance. I will say that Xiao Wenyu needs to work on his expressions a little bit more. He looks quite blank-faced at times, like he's having trouble emoting. Overall, this was a good watch, though, and I recommend it if you enjoy your romances sweet.

[Sweet Romance + Lack of Drama = Good!]

He finds a woman to pretend to be his deceased older sister but falls for her.

This was definitely a weird watch. I had a hard time getting past the fact that the male lead was falling in love with someone who looked exactly like his sister, and it didn't help that his feelings for his sister were also questionable. He was a little too dependent on her, and I get that they pointed out his abusive upbringing, but it was still a bit awkward to watch. With that being said, although their romance was a bit dark and strange, Zuo Yi and Ma Xiao Yu had chemistry together, and at times, I enjoyed their relationship.

[Good Chemistry + Weird Plotline = Mixed Bag!]

After she is reborn, she takes revenge on her boyfriend who mistreated her, and finds new love.

This is the typical "reborn and takes revenge story," but it was still fun to watch. I find that with stories like these, the more evil the boyfriend or husband is, the more enjoyable it is to watch the female lead get even when they're reborn again, and the female lead definitely gets more than even here. As always, Zhang Jin Yi was fun to watch, and the romance between the leads was sweet too. Also, her mom was the MVP here! I loved how fearlessly she protected her daughter.

[Awesome Female Lead + Sweet Romance = Liked It!]

They have a one-night stand but don't know they're already married.

I really loved this one a lot! I just enjoyed the cute chemistry between the leads, and the misunderstandings were hilarious. I liked how the male lead first came off as pretentious, but as it progressed, he became more clingy with the female lead. No matter how many misunderstandings cropped up, it was so obvious that he liked her and was ready to divorce 'his wife' to be with her. The grandfather was the MVP here!

[Great Chemistry + Hilarious Storyline = Loved It!]

She divorces him to be with a rich man, and even several years later, after she returns, he still can't stop loving her.

This was my first time watching a vertical drama with Wang Yi Ran, and I really liked him in this. I liked his performance as a heartbroken male lead, struggling to deal with his pain and love for the female lead. With a story like this, I expected the male lead to be hateful for most of it, but he wasn't. His hatred and need for revenge quickly faded, and he was unable to hide his feelings for his ex-wife and wanted to be with her without even knowing the real reason why she divorced him. I think that's what I enjoyed the most; that, plus the steamy kisses they had whenever they kissed. Bai Yan was good too, and I enjoyed her chemistry with Wang Yi Ran. I think the only thing I didn't like was the father plotline, which I didn't really think was necessary to the story.

[Great Male Lead + Great Chemistry = Liked It!]

Desperate for money, she made a call to sell her eggs, and on the other end of that call was her savior.

I have already seen an adaptation of this with Du Ya Fei and Yang Shu Yu, and I think if I had seen this version with Huang Bo and Fan Di Yu first, I would have appreciated it better. I did try to avoid comparing them too much, and actually, it was quite easy to do because while they are extremely similar, they are also very different. This version was very dark, mostly because of the criminal activities the antagonists were engaging in. It's also not as spicy as the Du Ya Fei version. Their first encounter there leads to sex, while here, the progression of their relationship was much slower, but also, I think they did a better job of showcasing that the male lead was in love with her, rather than him being obsessed because he was insatiable. Addicted to Her feels like it's asking the question- what if we took this story more seriously? And, at times, it works very well because of that, but at other times, it feels like it's missing the fun and shrouding us with too many dark topics.

[Too Dark Storyline + Good Leading Male Performance = Mixed Bag!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• A Night Deeply Drunk on the Spring Breeze (Starring Du Ya Fei and Yang Shu Yu)

Years ago, they loved each other, but when his sister died because of her brother's involvement, she fled and returned several years later to his hatred.

A second chance romance with a secret child. This is my second drama Yu Long drama, and I really like him. He just oozes masculinity and is a great kisser.  I enjoyed his performance and Song Yu Jia's performance too. Overall, I thought this was an okay watch, though. It wasn't bad in the slightest, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this for the leads' chemistry, but this just didn't leave that much of an impression on me.

[Good Leading Performances + *Personal Disconnection = Just Okay!]

After getting into a car accident, she is transported to the seventies, where she finds herself with a new husband and child.

I always enjoy an 'I was being mistreated and now I'm moving on' story, and the Second Child Story does a good job of it. The female lead was strong and witty, and of course, had super progressive views for that time period. It was hilarious watching her think about how they would split their assets after divorce. In this one, I will say that the poor treatment the original wife received from her husband was warranted, and also, he had no idea she had a child because he was in the military. He also had no idea how poorly his family had treated her, so the male lead was not a scumbag. Wang Kai Mu does a good job here, but Wang Yun Yun is really the star of the show. I loved how she refused to take shit from anyone, and she decided to make the most of her second chance at life. This was definitely an enjoyable watch, even with the male lead's annoying family.

[Awesome Female Lead + Hilarious Storyline = Good!]

She has deeply loved and chased after her husband since high school, but after a few years of marriage, she realizes that her feelings aren't reciprocated. She gets a second chance when she gets hit by a car and is reborn in her senior year of high school. This time, she decides not to pursue her husband, but to her surprise, he now chases after her.

This is another 'I was reborn, and I'm moving on from my scumbag husband' story, but with a twist; a good twist, I might add. I really loved this story a lot. It is less about the female lead getting even with her husband, and more so about her choosing to take a different path in life. So, there aren't scenes of her trying to destroy his life, but scenes of her trying to change her own. I was actually very emotionally invested in her story and didn't even realize it until I had tears in my eyes towards the end. Both Zhang Xin Yi and Li Ming Yuan were both really good in their roles. I enjoyed their romance too, and definitely recommend this!

[Good Story + Sweet Romance = Loved It!]

She loses her memory and can't remember loving her scumbag husband, so she wants a divorce.

I think the only reason I somewhat enjoyed this was because of Chen Si. While Chen Si always does a good job at playing dark roles, he also does a really good job at playing comedic roles. He had me laughing so much, especially whenever he and his secretary would run around trying to figure out what the female lead was doing. But besides that and the banter between the leads, everything else wasn't really all that good. I think if Chen Si hadn't starred in this, my rating would be below a five. They didn't do a very good job in the romance department, whether it was the lack of chemistry between the leads, the annoying fake kisses, or the rushed ending. By the end of it, even knowing how their relationship started and that the male lead had been pretending to be a playboy, I still didn't want them to be together. If you like Chen Si, I suggest watching it for him alone.

[Great Male Lead Performance + Lackluster Romance = Mixed Bag!]

She returns home after being exiled by her family for loving her 'brother', but after her return, she makes an unexpected connection with her brother's friend. 

This is another version of Tai Zi Ye Ta Guo Fen Ye. This version is very similar, but also very different. I came into this not trying to compare much, and thankfully, Lian Nian Bu Wang handled the story in a way that I didn't have to compare much at all. They both have different tones, and Lian Nian Bu Wang was much slower-paced in terms of the development of the lead's relationship. They also had fewer villainous characters, which also meant fewer slaps. But it worked here and was refreshing. I loved the chemistry between Cao Tian Kai and Zhang Shan. I loved their banter, their steamy kisses, and natural chemistry. I loved their relationship here just as much as I loved the relationship between Zeng Hui and Deng Ling Shu in the other version. I can't pick which one I loved more because I enjoyed how both stories were told. I would definitely like to see Cao Tian Kai and Zhang Shan paired up together again, and I definitely recommend this!

[Great Story + Great Chemistry = Loved It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Tai Zi Ye Ta Guo Fen Ye (Starring Zeng Hui and Deng Ling Shu)
• Affectionate Acacia (Starring Zhang Yun Tao and Fang Lei)

Years ago, she was sent undercover and pretended to be in love with a dangerous criminal, and now she comes face to face with him again, a man who is supposed to be dead.

Lie Ai definitely requires the viewer to suspend some disbelief, but if they can, it's quite an enjoyable watch. I had a good time with this, and I really liked Ma Xiao Yu and Bai Xue Ru's performances here. They had a lot of chemistry and steamy, hot kisses. Of course, at times, the plot was a bit silly. It also annoyed me that the female lead was supposed to be a special secret agent, yet whenever she was in a bind, she could never get herself free or fight off her captors. But I think if you just focus on their romantic relationship, Lie Ai is very enjoyable.

[Great Chemistry + Good Leading Performances = Loved It!]

She meets her boyfriend's friends for the first time, but to her surprise, not only does one of them want her, but he's in her dreams.

I liked Si Yi Wang Wei, and I liked the chemistry between Qian Zhe and Wang Yi Yang. They were very sweet together, and there were some hot moments too. I also liked that the female lead was strong in her own way. Once she realized the relationship with her boyfriend wasn't working, she moved on, didn't look back, and wouldn't allow herself to be persuaded by nonsense. I also liked the ending.

[Good Chemistry + Good Story = Liked It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Hidden Treasures (Starring Yao Guan Yu and Sun Lu Lu)

After being reborn, she decides to pursue her nominal uncle.

This was a very sweet forbidden romance of a girl reborn again at eighteen, who decides to pursue her nominal uncle, who, of course, is not blood-related to her in any way.  Wang Yi Ran, My King of Tears! I really liked his performance here, and I liked Shi Tong's performance too. They had good chemistry, and their story was very sweet. It kind of reminded me of Hidden Love, except that the female lead here didn't hide her love for the male lead at all. She was very resolute in her pursuit of the male lead. I actually loved how bold and determined she was, and how much the male lead struggled with his feelings for her. Definitely recommend this one!

[Sweet Romance + Wang Yi Ran = Liked It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Jie Geng Sheng Kai Shi (Starring Zhai Yi Ying and Li Quan Cheng)

After being reborn again, two sisters swap husbands, changing their romantic fates.

I liked the idea of this, and it was entertaining at times, but I wish I had enjoyed the romance more. A little bit more chemistry between the leads would have worked wonders here, but their chemistry was only okay. I liked Yang Luo Qian's performance, and I really liked her character. I liked how she chose to make the best out of her rebirth and only focused on putting herself on the best possible path despite having a new husband who made it clear that he didn't want her. I didn't like the male lead that much, though. I didn't have a problem with Gao Ming's performance, but the character was kind of an asshole in the beginning. He makes a big turn, though, but I felt that even in their first lifetime, despite the sister being the way she was, he should have been more respectful in their marriage.

[Mediocre Chemistry + Good Female Lead Performance = Just Okay!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Pian Pian Li Hua Luo Wan Feng (Starring Quan Rui and Chen Yu An)

After getting hit by a car, she is reborn again and decides to divorce her husband, who is now intrigued by the new her.

I didn't hate this, and maybe if it were one of the first rebirth vertical dramas I watched, I would have enjoyed it more. But I've already seen quite a few of them, and this doesn't really add anything new. I liked Wang Yi Yang in this and enjoyed her performance. I also liked that they didn't make her husband a complete asshole like they do in other vertical dramas like these. Sometimes, they make the husbands so awful that you don't want them to reconcile in the second life. But here, there weren't too many flashbacks that made the male lead seem irredeemable. Of course, I liked the chemistry between Wang Yi Yang and Qian Zhe, but ultimately, I was bored at times.

[Good Chemistry + *Personal Disconnection = Bored!]

She sleeps with him to get back at her cheating fiancé, not knowing that she'll be entangled in his desire.

Their chemistry was on fire! I loved their flirting and banter! I loved the cat-and-mouse game the leads played with one another, and I loved the progression of their relationship. She was steadily trying to protect her own heart and career, but the male lead would not let up and continued to pursue her relentlessly. I loved how he chased after her, and of course, Yao Guan Yu has so much charm, especially when he's playing an arrogant rich guy. I also really loved the female lead here, and Zhang Yi Lin did great. She did such a good job playing a serious, competent, career-driven woman, and I liked that she was genuinely smart and strong. She never relied on anyone else to save her from her problems, and she was always willing to face them head-on without relying on the male lead. She truly was a girl boss ready to take on any enemy and foe, and the male lead was willing to help her every step of the way, even when he wasn't needed.

[Great Chemistry + Great Leading Performances + Awesome Female Lead = Loved It!]

When she realizes he will never marry her, she wants to break up, but he won't let her go.

My first Yao Guan Yu short drama, and the start of my obsession with watching his works! This is definitely a story that I think will either be a hit or miss for most viewers, mostly because it doesn't follow a traditional love story, and the male lead isn't really a good guy. You later learn his reason for avoiding marriage with the female lead, but it's easy to dislike him in the beginning. With that being said, Yao Guan Yu does such a good job at playing a brash, arrogant, possessive asshole. His exaggerated walk, cunning smirks, and explosive outbursts all had me hooked to the screen. He had great chemistry with Li Shengnan, and I really loved their complicated, messy relationship. They had some hot, dramatic scenes here too. But while there was a lot to praise, the ending did fall flat. They could have done a better job of fleshing out the issues in their relationship, rather than having the male lead suddenly change his mind. But for me, the chemistry between the leads and Yao Guan Yu's performance outshines those issues. I also appreciated that they didn't go the villain route with the second male lead. If anything, you might think the female lead would have been better off with the second male lead.

[Great Chemistry + Yao Guan Yu = Loved It!]

After she becomes blind from saving an elderly woman, the elderly woman has her grandson take her in so she can live with them.

This was a good watch. There are a few misunderstandings, but they don't last for very long. And once the misunderstandings are out of the way, the male lead becomes very committed to the female lead. It was sweet how much he loved her and doted on her. He spends a lot of time trying to convince her that he isn't a rich CEO, so it was hilarious at times, watching him and his secretary trying to trick her.

[Sweet Romance + Good Chemistry = Good!]

For two years, she was his lover, but now, she's marrying his nephew.

The female lead and male lead's love was definitely very passionate! We have a pair of lovers who don't have a defined relationship because of a misunderstanding that occurred when they first slept together. But no matter how much the male lead denied his and her feelings, their passion, especially his, could not be denied. Zhen Zi Qi was very good as a domineering male lead, and his deep voice was mesmerizing. I also liked how he could not stop wanting to possess the female lead. He definitely had no intention of allowing her to be with his nephew. Quan Rui was also good, but I did become a bit frustrated when the female lead chose to believe the nephew so easily, though. The female lead's best friend was the MVP here, and I loved how much of a good friend she was. Definitely recommend this for those who like darker romances.

[Steamy Romance + Good Leading Performances = Good!]

Three years ago, she broke up with him, but now he has returned from abroad, and he won't be denied.

Chemistry, chemistry, chemistry! That's the only thought that crossed my mind while watching this. I also loved how the male lead always called the female lead baby! It was so cute! I loved their banter, their teasing, and how determined the male lead was. He would not be denied, and he pursued the female lead with everything he had and wouldn't let other suitors or his family get in the way. It was also really refreshing to see a male lead who wouldn't even allow his own family to disrespect the female lead. He was ready to go to war for her, literally. Han Jia Hui, as always, was very good. I also really liked Zhao Zhen Dong, who really shone here, and I definitely plan on checking out some of his other works. This was a fun second-chance romance, and I definitely recommend this!

[Great Chemistry + Great Male Lead = Loved It!]

She travels back to the 80s into the body of a girl getting married to an older divorced man with two children.

Hi Mom was a delight and absolutely hilarious! There were so many times when I was dying of laughter. So many hilarious scenes! I loved the female lead and how badass she was. She wouldn't let anyone bully her or her family. And I loved how kind and responsible the male lead was. It was refreshing to watch. He went to work, provided for his family, and protected his wife. He was perfect! The relationship between the leads was adorable, and it was so sweet how they fell in love. There are a lot of annoying characters, but the reward is watching our leads deal with them. I definitely recommend this for those who love a sweet romance and comedy!

[Awesome Female Lead + Sweet Romance + Great Male Lead = Loved It!]

After learning she has cancer, she wants to live her last few months for herself, and that starts with letting go of her husband.

I didn't think I would like this drama as much as I did, but I really loved Guo Yu Xin's performance here. From her very first scene, I thought she did a really good job playing a woman tired of performing her duties as the perfect wife and daughter. Wang Kai Mu was really good too, and I loved his chemistry with Guo Yu Xin. It was also a plus that his character wasn't an asshole. He was just aloof because he was suspicious of her because of how their marriage was arranged. This definitely got a couple of tears out of me, and I really loved the progress of their relationship here. It had a nice ending too.

[Great Female Lead Performance + Good Story = Liked It!]

She is a doctor who finds herself traveling back to the eighties, where she snags herself a husband.

I saw Wang Yi Ran on the poster, so I had to watch it, and I definitely don't regret it. Ba Ling Xiao Jiao Qi was a hoot, and I definitely found myself amused by the leads. The female lead was hilarious and super forward. It's always refreshing to see the female leads be the ones to take charge of sexual matters, and the female lead definitely did here, which led to some hilarious scenes. I also liked how much the male lead liked the female lead. It was hilarious seeing him go from "I'm-just-taking-responsibility" to being full-blown enamored with the female lead. It was definitely a good rom-com, and I enjoyed both Wang Yi Ran and Zhang Chu Xuan's performances.

[Hilarious Storyline + Good Romance = Good!]

She is transported into her novel and becomes the wife of a pig farmer with two kids.

This drama feels like a sequel to Hi Mom, just set in an alternative universe. Most of the same actors from Hi Mom play in this, in very similar roles, except for the female lead and child actors. Even the storyline was somewhat similar, but of course, this was set up in the nineties, and it doesn't have the fake daughter storyline. Crossing the 90s was definitely funny, and it got into the same hijinks that we saw in Hi Mom. It was hilarious how hard the female lead tried to get her husband to sleep with her. She was also a badass who wouldn't allow anyone to bully her or her family. The male lead was also super kind here, much like he was in Hi Mom. Their relationship was cute, but I did feel that the romance was lacking here, though. I wish I liked their relationship more, but something was missing. 

[Hilarious Storyline + Mediocre Romance = Just Okay!]

After several years, her  'brother' returns, and she is engaged to another man, but when she is drugged one night, she accidentally sleeps with him.

A sweet melodrama with the typical ‘I was drugged, slept with you, and now I’m pregnant’ storyline. But in this case, she sleeps with her brother (not blood-related, she was adopted into his family), whom she has secretly had a crush on since she was a teenager. I thought this was simply okay, though, and found it to be slightly boring.

[Mediocre Romance + *Personal Disconnection = Bored!]

After recovering her hearing, she learns her boyfriend is cheating on her, and so she decides to accept her arranged marriage.

This is a typical ‘I moved on from my scumbag boyfriend and found love with a new rich man, and now he regrets it’ story. It doesn’t really add anything new to the genre, and while I like both Meng Na and Zhang Bei Xi, I wanted more chemistry from them together. This isn’t awful. It’s a nice watch, especially if you like these kinds of stories. But I did feel like something was missing.

[Average Chemistry + Average Storyline = Just Okay!]

He takes care of her in her father's place and becomes her uncle, but an unexpected surprise occurs when she is drugged and has sex with him.

I watched this solely because of Cao Tian Kai, but he was not enough to make me like this. This was an awkward watch. The plot was just too silly for me to like it, and it felt like it was written by a teenage girl.  Now, to be honest, a lot of vertical dramas feel like they are written by teenagers, but this one definitely felt that way in a bad way. I think if you can get past the silliness, you'll enjoy it, but for me, I didn't like it.

[Childish Writing + Silly Storyline = Didn't Like It!]

Other Versions I’ve Watched Before

• The Chaste Uncle's Surrender (Starring Tian Miao Miao and Li Hao)

She returns home after being exiled by her family for loving her 'brother', but when she returns, she makes an unexpected connection with her brother's friend.

This is the 7th version of 'Prince Too Wild', and the third one I've seen. I've already watched the versions with Zeng Hui and Cao Tian Kai, which I loved both. I was hoping I would enjoy Affectionate Acacia too, but I only thought it was okay. I felt that the chemistry between the leads was lacking here, and both actors didn't really have a presence on the screen. Affectionate Acacia pretty much felt bland compared to the spiciness of the Zeng Hui version and the steamy, slow burn of the Cao Tian Kai version. At times, I just felt bored. So, I definitely recommend those versions over this one, which wasn't bad at all. It just felt bland.

I do want to add that since I've already seen two versions of this, it definitely had an effect on my rating. I probably would have rated this higher had I not seen the Cao Tian Kai version first, which is more similar to Affectionate Acacia than the Zeng Hui version. Personally, I think someone's level of enjoyment with each edition is going to be based on the order in which they watched it. So, don't let my review hinder you from watching this one because you might love it.

[Bland Chemistry + *Personal Disconnection = Bored!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Lian Nian Bu Wang (Starring Cao Tian Kai and Zhang Shan)
• Tai Zi Ye Ta Guo Fen Ye (Starring Zeng Hui and Deng Ling Shu)

She is transported into a book, and to avoid her character's fate, she seeks out the book's villain.

Love Brain had its moments of being hilarious, and I thought it was funny how the female lead kept tricking her husband about her relationship with the male lead. I didn't like everything, but this is enjoyable if you like transmigration stories.

[Hilarious Female Lead + Mediocre Storyline = Mixed Bag!]

After getting kicked out by her family, she is homeless until she meets an older man who becomes her new family.

This is my third drama with the Yu Long and Yang Mie Mie pairing, and I enjoyed this. They have really good chemistry with each other. The female gets kicked out by her horrible family, and by chance, she meets the male lead, who is also dealing with loneliness. It's a sweet romance, and I liked how they became each other's family. It was also hilarious how much the male lead could not keep his hands off the female lead.

[Good Chemistry + Yu Long = Good!]

Her martial arts master tells her that to become stronger, she must get married and 'sleep' with her husband daily.

Shan Hun Hou Fu Ren Bu An Chang Li Chu Pai is a funny story about a girl who gets tricked by her master into getting married, and because she is quite innocent, she takes him literally. The male lead is blind and gets help from the female lead, who actually has magical abilities. It's definitely a goofy story and requires you to suspend some disbelief, but if you can, you'll probably enjoy it. I didn't love everything about it, but it was funny at times.

[Hilarious Characters + Silly Storyline = Mixed Bag!]

To protect her younger stepbrother, she enters a dangerous relationship with her stepbrother's adopted brother.

I was excited about Head Over Heels because I love Yao Guan Yu, and I liked Yu Yin in the works I saw her in before. The story wasn't bad, and their chemistry wasn't bad either, but something was missing. I can't put a finger on it, but I wasn't as engaged in the story as I hoped I would be. I do think other people will enjoy this more than I did because the story isn't bad.

[Good Chemistry + *Personal Disconnection = Just Okay!]

She dreams about the boy she likes and sees an awful future of heartache, but she also sees that her childhood friend might be her new destiny.

I'm going to start this off by saying that Friends-to-Lovers is not one of my favorite tropes. I usually avoid them, but surprisingly, I actually thought this was very good. The leads had good chemistry, and their story was very sweet. I liked how protective the male lead was of the female lead, and I liked Li Sheng Jie's performance. I did think the second male lead was very melodramatic, not in a good way either. They kind of ran his storyline into the ground, but overall, this was a very good watch.

[Sweet Story + Good Chemistry = Good!]

She has a one-night stand with a younger man, not knowing he’ll soon be her client.

I absolutely loved I Just Want You! I loved the story and the chemistry between the leads. I loved their hot interactions, and though the male lead was younger, he was just as smart and mature as our female lead, whom I loved. She didn’t easily let things ruffle her, and she always properly handled situations without letting her emotions get the best of her. The story could have easily been bogged down by the noble idiocy trope that appeared toward the end, but I’m glad she was too smart for that. I was also surprised by how well produced this was, and how good the acting was from everyone. I definitely recommend this one, especially for those who like jie-jie romances.

[Great Leading Performances + Great Story = Loved It!]

After rebirth, she decides to leave her trash boyfriend, and she immediately runs into the arms of the man who was her enemy in her past life.

Best kisses ever! Imagine my surprise when I saw tongue during their kisses! Reborn in Your Embrace was an absolute joy to watch. I loved how forward the female lead was. She wasted no time going after the man she wanted, literally. I also really loved Liu Lan Bo in this. It was so sweet how the male lead was unsure if the female lead's feelings were true, but he did not let that stop him from having her. Their chemistry was great, and I really enjoyed their romance. The only thing I didn’t like was the focus on the secondary relationship. I just felt like it took up time and was kind of boring, and it was the only reason I didn’t rate this higher. Still, I definitely recommend this one!

[Steamy Kisses + Great Chemistry = Liked It!]

After rebirth, she seduces the emperor, using him as a tool in her vengeance against her enemies. 

I mostly watched this for Han Yu Tong, and as expected, she was really good in this. I felt like this was the perfect role for her. It was a good revenge story, and if you’re into these kinds of period dramas, you’ll like it. But because I have seen many dramas like this before and done way better, Ben Gong Jia Dao wasn't really able to leave much of an impression on me. On top of that, I didn’t really care for the romance here, and I didn’t really like the male lead. Because of the time period, which meant he was an emperor with a harem of women, it was hard to believe in their love, especially when he had strong feelings for another woman, even if they were because of a misunderstanding. If you like Han Yu Tong and revenge stories, you’ll enjoy this. But I thought it was pretty average.

[Han Yu Tong + Mediocre Romance = Just Okay!]

After divorcing her husband, she seeks out a man so she can have a child, but she has no idea that this man is someone she already knows and that he desperately wants her.

Go Where You Are was a pleasant surprise for me. I didn't go in watching it with any expectations because I wasn't familiar with either of the leads. But I quickly found myself enjoying the steamy chemistry between the leads and the good performances by Wang Dao Tie and Zhao Jia, who both did great in their roles. The female lead was smart and straightforward, and I loved how she handled her delusional ex-husband. I also loved how smart the male lead was and how he quickly handled any obstacles that came their way. This was definitely a fun watch that I recommend.

[Hot Chemistry + Fun Story = Liked It!]

She is transported into a novel as the evil second female lead, and now she must bring the leads together to change her character's disastrous fate.

This was a very cute transmigration drama with a twist! Wang Yun Yun was hilarious, and the leads had a very sweet relationship. I liked the twist here, and it was refreshing to see a different take on the transmigration trope. I also really liked Huang Jing Zhuo's performance and thought he did a great job too. I definitely recommend this one!

[Fun Story + Sweet Romance = Liked It!]

She sleeps with her long-time crush for money to help her brother, who is in a vegetative state, not knowing that her crush will become addicted to her body and unwilling to let her go.

From the poster, I thought this would be a story without much substance, but surprisingly, there was more to Yao Qing Li than just steamy kisses. We have a female lead stuck between her desire to be with the male lead, whom she had a crush on since high school, and her need to protect herself from him, whom she believes only wants her body. Their relationship was very complicated, and I was surprisingly invested, especially as we watched the male lead's feelings change over time. He went from an insatiable, possessive man to a man who wanted to protect the female lead the most. I enjoyed this a lot, and I liked Ma Qiu Yuan's performance. Gu Heng was also good, and I loved the scene where he told her, “You can hit me. You can slap me. But you can’t hate me.” I definitely recommend this for those who like their romances a little bit more darker and complex.

[Hot Chemistry + Good Story = Liked It!]

After overhearing her boyfriend’s friends say she’s only a stand-in for his ex-girlfriend, she decides to move on.

This was a very short drama and didn't follow the typical structure of a romance story. In fact, to me, this was less about romance and more about the female lead simply moving on from a person who didn't deserve her. I literally wanted to jump through the screen and slap the male lead. He was an awful, arrogant prick. So, I was actually very satisfied with how the drama ended. I will say that I wish this drama had been longer, and I wish they had given more time to the second male lead. The story definitely felt a bit uncooked and half-baked. While I did not love everything about this, I didn't think it was a bad watch either. If you have an hour to spare, it'll be somewhat entertaining. But if you're solely watching vertical dramas for fairytale happy endings, this is definitely a skip.

[Rushed Story + Satisfying Revenge = Mixed Bag!]

She meets her boyfriend's friends for the first time, but to her surprise, not only does one of them want her, but he's in her dreams.

I was excited for this because of my love for Yao Guan Yu, and to my surprise, it was another version of Si Yi Wang Wei with Wang Yi Yang and Qian Zhe. I was actually excited about that because I really enjoyed Si Yi Wang Wei, so I hoped for the same enjoyment with Hidden Treasures, but I thought it was only just good. Hidden Treasures is not bad at all. I really liked the chemistry between Yao Guan Yu and Sun Lu Lu, and I loved the first half. Yao Guan Yu just has a certain infectious charm that makes me always like watching him, and he has the same charm here as he blatantly chases after the female lead, despite her being his friend's girlfriend. They had a lot of hot scenes together, and he couldn't keep his hands off her. I think where this started to lose me a little bit, though, was the annoying misunderstandings that happened in the second half. I also didn't like that the female lead was constantly being influenced by others, especially when her character was so much smarter in Si Yi Wang Wei. I didn't hate Hidden Treasures, and I really enjoyed the first half, especially for the hot chemistry between the leads. But if I had to recommend a version to watch, I would definitely pick Si Yi Wang Wei.

[Good Chemistry + Yao Guan Yu  = Good!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Si Yi Wang Wei (Starring Wang Yi Yang and Qian Zhe)

Her husband returns with a mistress, so she seeks a divorce and finds new love again.

This is a Republic Era short drama that has a lot of women empowerment themes. Literally, the female lead is the first woman to do so many things here. It was fun watching her get revenge on her ex-husband and his mistress. And I loved the romance between her and the male lead. Their banter was very sweet, and it was cute how much the male lead chased after her. Yao Guan Yu and Zhang Chu Xuan had good chemistry here. 

[Awesome Female Lead + Good Chemistry = Liked It!]

She saves the life of her high school crush and marries him, hoping that by the time he gets his memory back, he’ll fall in love with her, not knowing, he never lost his memory.

The male lead pretends to lose his memory to be with the female lead, and she pretends not to recognize him when he appears in her hospital, though he’s the crush she had for thirteen years. Their relationship was cute, and Bai Yan and Wang Yi Ran display their good chemistry again like they did in I Miss You. I like them both, and I thought they both did well in their performances here, but the misunderstandings were kind of annoying. At one point, I rolled my eyes, especially when that annoying trope popped up in the third act. I think if you can get past the misunderstandings, you'll enjoy it more than I did. Still, there were things I liked here. Their kisses were hot, and their chemistry was good. I also loved how supportive the male lead's family was. It's always refreshing to see parents who are actually welcoming. The only thing that really bothered me was the misunderstandings that made the run time feel longer than it needed to be.

[Too Many Misunderstandings + Good Chemistry = Mixed Bag!]

After rebirth, she takes revenge on her scumbag boyfriend and finds new love again.

I'm not sure, but I do believe this is another version of Ti Kuan Ji Bu Dang Le, Xiao Cao Quan Jia Ji Feng Le with Zhang Jin Yi and Min Jie. The only difference is that the female lead isn't a high school student, but an adult, and the male lead isn't her classmate, but the man she was engaged to. In her first life, she canceled the engagement because she was in love with her scumbag boyfriend, who is the son of her family's driver. Shi Tong and Li Sheng Jie were both good here, and their chemistry was good too. Shi Tong's character was fun and sassy, and while I usually find it satisfying to see the female lead get even with those who treated them horribly, I didn't enjoy it as much here. I just felt that we could have spent less time on the revenge and more time on developing the relationship between the leads. We spent a lot of time here with the male lead questioning the female lead's feelings, and I couldn't really blame him for that since she spent more time coming up with plans to get back at her ex, and whenever she did do something for the male lead, it was still a ploy to get back at her ex. I think this storyline worked better in the version with Zhang Jin Yi because they are young high school students. But here, it just came off childish. Also, they had this great kiss in the beginning, and their relationship just kind of petered out from there.

[Shi Tong + Childish Revenge = Mixed Bag!]

After losing her memory from a car accident, she mistakenly thinks her fiancé’s uncle-in-law is her fiancé, so she proposes marriage, and he accepts.

This was very cute! I liked the performances of both leads, especially the female lead, Deng Yanni, who I thought did a good job. I liked the leads' relationship, and it was sweet how much the female lead loved the male lead, even without her having any memory of a relationship between them. She just instinctively knew that he was better than that piece of trash that had been her fiancé. This wasn't too drama-filled, and there weren't many misunderstandings, which was refreshing. I definitely recommend this one.

[Cute Story + Sweet Romance = Liked It!]

After rebirth, two sisters swap husbands, changing their romantic fates.

There are several versions of the ‘Two Sisters Swapped Husbands' story, but this was by far the best one I’ve seen. One of my gripes with the other versions, like the one with Yang Luo Qian, was that the male lead came off like an ass. There was no denying that the female lead's sister was an awful person, considering that she murdered her sister in their first life out of jealousy because she mistakenly assumed her sister was happy with her husband. But it still didn't change the fact that the sister was bullied so badly by her original husband and his so-called 'friend' that she wound up in a mental hospital. I also thought the male lead was an idiot and didn't necessarily like him for the female lead. But here, it was completely different.

The male lead wasn't stupid here nor was he an ass. He was actually quite smart and fair, and he never fell for any tricks or schemes against the female lead. Also, the friendship between the male lead and the female lead was the best part. It was cute watching them become partners-in-crime as they handled their family problems together. The drama was also hilarious. There were so many times when I burst out laughing. I also liked that the female lead was smart, and when she rebirthed, she was less focused on revenge and more focused on living a good life the second time around. She did get back at her sister whenever she could, but we didn't spend much time on the sister and her original husband like we do in some other versions. As a matter of fact, one of the more enjoyable things was that we didn’t have annoying antagonists who kept popping up like whack-a-mole. Once they were handled, that was the last you saw of them. I definitely recommend this one! I also want to note that I call this couple the destroyers of marriage, and if you watch it, you'll know why!

[Hilarious Story + Sweet Romance = Loved It!]

She meets the boy she had a crush on in high school again, and they become acquainted in college.

I want to start off by saying that I'm not the biggest fan of fluffy romances, especially fluffy romances that don't have much to them besides fluff. I think if you do enjoy them, you will definitely rate Yu Cha Re Lian higher than I did. Zhang Jin Yi and Lu Huan Yu had good chemistry together and did well in their roles. Their relationship was sweet, and the story was handled well. But personally, I did find myself bored a lot because I'm not into these kinds of stories. But if you are into fluff that doesn't have much drama in it, I would recommend this, especially for Zhang Jin Yi and Lu Huan Yu's chemistry together.

[Good Chemistry + *Personal Disconnection = Boring!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• You Are My Sun (Starring Chen Yun Ting and Wang Xiao Yi)

After being diagnosed with cancer, she decides to end her marriage and drop her good girl image, but now her husband is intrigued.

Sweet Love definitely had its humorous moments, especially because of Zhang Qi Xuan, who did a really good job playing a female lead who was fed up with the abuse she faced from the male lead's family. It was hilarious watching her adopt an 'I-don't-give-a-f*ck' attitude as she started to live her final days for herself. Their romance also had its moments of being cute too. Overall, it was an okay watch.

[Good Female Lead + Average Story = Just Okay!]

After divorcing her husband, she hires a younger male model to get her pregnant, but little does she know that this male model already knows her and desperately wants to be with her.

Jie Jie Wen Wo was a fun, sexy jie jie romance! I loved the hot chemistry between the leads, and their romance was very cute. I liked how much the male lead chased after her, and the female lead couldn't help but fall for him. Shen Hao Nan was hot as the younger male lead, and he is definitely one of the best kissers in the industry. So many kisses! I also really enjoyed Wen Mo Yan's performance, and I thought she did a great job here. I definitely recommend this one! Also, the grandmother was the MVP here!

[Great Chemistry + Hot Kisses = Loved It!]

She accidentally overworks herself to death and is transported to the past into a concubine's body, so she decides to treat it as a professional job, seeking benefits, days off, and more, all the while seducing the marquis. 

Three words: Zhang Yi Lin! She was great here and really stole the show! I loved how smart, calculating, and lazy the female lead was. It was hilarious watching as she treated her role as a concubine as a job and tried to evade any responsibilities that would make her work harder. I also loved the chemistry and romance between her and the male lead. She seduced the marquis, and he pretty much only ever had eyes for her that very moment going forward. It was very obvious that he favored her above all. I also liked that we avoided having the evil wife storyline that usually happens in stories like these. It was refreshing to see the wife and concubine work together rather than be enemies. And this was also just downright hilarious. I laughed so many times because of the female lead's hijinks, especially the letters she would send the marquis. I definitely recommend this one, and Zhang Yi Lin is definitely rising up as one of my favorite vertical drama actresses. 

[Awesome Female Lead + Fun Romance = Loved It!]

She meets her boyfriend’s uncle for the first time, who is completely rude to her, and is later transported five years into the future, where he is her husband.

It felt nice to watch something with a different setup.  After watching a handful of vertical dramas, you'll quickly realize that a lot of them are the same. But this story has a fun setup with the female lead waking up in the future to see that her boyfriend isn't her husband, but her boyfriend's uncle is. The idea was cute, and the leads had some cute moments together, but I felt like their relationship was missing a bit of a spark. The drama isn’t bad though, and there are some enjoyable things about it, like the humor.

[Fun Story + Average Chemistry = Just Okay!]

Her half-sister forces her to sleep with her fiancé while she recovers from a disease, and she plans to switch places with her once she recovers, but what her half-sister doesn't know is that she has ulterior motives of her own.

Mei Ren Ti Shen has a fun, sexy setup. The sisters don't share the same mother, but they look identical, and both sisters use that to their advantage to seduce the male lead, though only the female lead's seduction techniques worked on him. The revenge was fun and satisfying, and I thought the leads' romance was cute. I definitely recommend it for the chemistry between the leads and their hot kisses.

[Hot Kisses + Good Chemistry = Good!]

After rebirth, she dumps her boyfriend and accepts her intended fiancé with plans to protect him, not knowing the little puppy is a trickster who doesn't need protection.

I thought the relationship between the leads was cute, and it was very sweet how much the female lead wanted to protect the male lead after she was reborn. Overall, though, the story was pretty average, but it was still a sweet, enjoyable romance where both leads get payback against those who treated them poorly. I also really liked the male lead, who was a young gamer.

[Cute Romance + Average Story = Just Okay!]

She is forced to marry a sick man from a rich family, who is only pretending to be sick, and with their own motives, they team up to take down their enemies.

This was actually surprisingly fun. I watched it for Cao Tian Kai and his abs, but I enjoyed the female lead's performance too. She came into the marriage, knowing exactly how to manage all of the evil family members out to get her husband. I also loved her dynamic with the male lead, and it was hilarious seeing the role reversal in their relationship with her being the dominant one. I had a few laughs, and I thought the leads were cute together.

[Fun Story + Awesome Female Lead = Good!]

She is transported into a novel and relies on the male protagonist’s uncle to change her supporting character’s fate. She secretly marries the uncle, and they have an affair behind his nephew's back.

What a hot affair! I liked Ma Qian Huan in this as the insatiable uncle who couldn't keep his hands off his nephew's wife (a technicality). It was fun and satisfying watching them have an affair behind the nephew's back, who was a complete jerk. Zhang Zi Lin was also good in this, and I would recommend this if you like the 'I'm leaving my scumbag fiancé and marrying his uncle' stories.

[Hot Kisses + Good Chemistry = Good!]

After she is left at the altar, she has a one-night stand with a hot, young guy, whom she takes in as her kept boy, not knowing that his status might be higher than what she thinks.

Ten minutes into this, I quickly realized that this was another version of Define Your Style with Meng Na and Liang Si Wei. So, I was worried that I wasn't going to like this because, personally, I wasn't really invested in Define Your Style and only passively watched it. But surprisingly, with Fated to Love You, I actually really enjoyed it. I think it might have been because of Zhong Zheng's performance. His version of the young Prince of Beijing was extra sneaky and charming, and it was fun watching the numerous hijinks he gets caught up in trying to do everything to win his jie jie's heart. I also really liked their chemistry together, and I really enjoyed Xia Jing Ran's performance too.

[Awesome Male Lead + Good Chemistry = Liked It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Define Your Style (Starring Meng Na and Liang Si Wei)

After rebirth, she decides to pursue her nominal uncle.

A sweet forbidden romance about a girl who is reborn at eighteen and decides to pursue her nominal uncle. While I really enjoyed the version of this with Wang Yi Ran and Shi Tong, I actually enjoyed this version better. Li Quan Cheng, the male lead, plays the role a little more seriously here, and he comes off more like a real uncle because of it, but it works. It added another layer to the dynamic between the leads that I really enjoyed. I also really enjoyed Zhai Yi Yang's performance here and how she chose to play the character. Overall, the story is played out similarly in both versions, but I enjoyed the chemistry and the leads' dynamic here better. Still, I recommend both versions because the story is cute no matter who the leads are.

[Good Chemistry + Cute Story = Liked It!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Ta De Xiao Jie Geng (Starring Wang Yi Ran and Shi Tong)

She is a princess reborn into a novel as a villainous supporting character, but she won’t accept the supporting role or help the hero and heroine fall in love.

This was a refreshing watch! I loved that our female lead wasn’t perfect. Usually, in stories like these, the female lead tries to be extra nice, and that's how the male lead falls in love with her, but I liked that the female lead wasn't like that. She was bratty with a princess-like attitude that had remained with her from her previous life. Even when the system told her that her only option to get out of the story was by helping the female and male protagonists get together, she still didn't listen. I loved how she just lived her life the way she wanted to, without any regard for other people getting in her way, including her husband. I loved the chemistry between the leads, and I loved how much the male lead liked her princess-like attitude. My only gripe is that the reborn storyline and past lives storyline get a little convoluted in the end. But I still loved their relationship, and that was enough for me.

[Awesome Female Lead + Cute Romance = Loved It!]

After being transported into a novel, she becomes the evil second female character tasked by her father to seduce the prince, but she wants to live and avoid the character's disastrous fate, so she uses her skills as a doctor to heal the poisoned prince instead and garner money so she can escape.

This is a typical story of the female lead being transported into a novel as a cannon fodder character, but I enjoyed it. I liked the female lead and how smart she was. She quickly understood how to navigate her situation and, in turn, gained the prince's favor. It was also very cute how the male lead fell in love with her. Ben Wang takes a stern approach with this character, so watching him go from being suspicious of the female lead to secretly wishing that she understood his deep feelings for her was actually very cute. I also thought the secondary couple was cute here too. I definitely recommend this if you're into transmigration stories.

[Good Female Lead + Cute Romance = Good!]

After she learns that her husband never loved her and only married her to anger his mother, when given a second chance at life after rebirth, she chooses not to love him again and finds new love.

I watched this because of Meng Na, and I must say that I did enjoy the chemistry between her and Yu Lun Hao. I also really liked their relationship here. This isn't one of those stories where the female lead already has in mind who she wants to be with in the next life, so it was cute how her change in behavior led to the male lead pursuing her when he was only just a 'brother' to her in their past life. I also liked that her rebirth happened during high school, giving her the opportunity to really change her future. However, I didn't like that there was so much focus given to the second male lead. He's practically a main character here, and he might even have more scenes than the male lead. While I could tell that the writers didn't just want to make him the typical cartoonishly idiotic second male lead, and they wanted to make him a fully realized character, I still didn't really think it was necessary to give his character so much attention. Luckily, the skip button worked for me just fine, and that was enough to focus on the leading couple.

[Good Chemistry + Too Much Focus On Second Male Lead = Mixed Bag!]

After being betrayed by her fiancé, she has a one-night stand with a masked stranger and gets pregnant, having a set of quadruplets. When she meets the father of her children again, he is now her boss, and she has no idea who he is, but he recognizes her and keeps his identity a secret.

This story has a series of misunderstandings because of some of the lies and secrets both leads tell and keep. Usually, I find misunderstandings to be annoying, but I thought they were cute here. Have Babies is a fun story, and the drama is kept to a minimum, which I liked. I thought the kids were adorable, and I loved how much they helped their mother with her love life. I also liked how supportive the male lead's family was, which is always refreshing whenever I see it. Han Jia Hui and Ke Chun both performed well here, and their chemistry was very good. I also have to mention Ke Chun's deep voice, which I just love because it's so attractive. I would recommend this if you're looking for a cute short romance.

[Cute Kids + Good Chemistry = Good!]

She becomes a heroine in a novel and wants to die so she can return to the real world, but finds herself falling in love with a sick secondary character, who doesn’t want her to die.

The plot is a bit silly, and at times, it doesn't really make that much sense, but it was fun and entertaining. Of course, Yu Long and Yang Mie Mie's chemistry shines beyond the silliness of the plot too. Their kisses together are still hot, and their chemistry is still good. A quick warning, the female lead tries to kill herself multiple times so she can escape the novel, while the male lead, who is dying, tries to constantly stop her from doing that. If you can get past that and the silliness, you'll enjoy it.

By the way, the English title for this is hilarious. Abusive Writing Heroine is crazy.

[Good Chemistry + Yu Long and Yang Mie Mie = Liked It!]

In the past, she sold her virginity to a rich man to help pay her sister’s medical expenses. A year later, she meets him again, and he will only give her the medicine that her sister needs if she sells her body to him again.

This is another adaptation of Celibate Big Shot Falls in Love. I have no clue which one follows the source material more closely because both are quite similar yet very different. I didn’t really enjoy the version with Wang Kai Mu that much because I hated how much humiliation the female lead faced because of his character. It made it a hard watch, but luckily, with this version, the female lead does not suffer as much humiliation. In fact, she’s much stronger and less pitiful in this version. I enjoyed Yang Luo Qian's performance, and I really enjoyed Yao Guan Yu's performance because he always does such a good job at playing assholes. I also really enjoyed this in the first half. Their scenes were hot, and their chemistry was great. It was just that there were some things in the second half that I didn't like, and I think a part of it was that I saw that conflict handled much better in the other version. It felt like they were having characters make stupid choices solely to make plotlines happen, like the ex-girlfriend and medicine plotline, for example. I also didn't like how they wrapped their relationship up in the last scene. But still, I liked this version more than the Wang Kai Mu version because the female lead faces less humiliation and Yao Guan Yu’s performance.

[Hot Chemistry + Stupid Plot Devices = Mixed Bag!]

Other Versions I've Watched

• Celibate Big Shot Falls in Love (Starring Wang Kai Mu and Ma Le Jie)

After witnessing her husband cheating, she starts an affair with a younger man, not knowing that he wants much more from her than just stolen moments.

From the very first scene, Hunting Heart teases an illicit affair between a wife and a younger man. I do wish their kisses had matched the passionate nature of their relationship, but I did like the leads together, and I was really invested in the female lead’s journey. Her husband had been awful to her, so it was nice to see her be able to take control of her life and win in the end. Her kids annoyed me a lot though because it shouldn’t have taken them seeing with their own eyes how much of a scumbag their father was in order to believe their own mother. Overall, it was a good watch.

[Good Chemistry + Good Story = Liked It!]

For love, she retires from her career as an actress and leaves the spotlight, but later witnesses her fiancé cheating on her with an aspiring actress, so she secretly marries his rival.

If you like Wang Yi Yang and Qian Zhe together, I think you’ll definitely like this. They always have chemistry together, and their kisses together were hot and endless. So many steamy kisses! The revenge plot isn’t really anything new, but it was enjoyable for their chemistry. I had a good time with it.

[Hot Kisses + Average Story = Good!]

Fed up with her boyfriend, who is too close to his female best friend, she breaks up with him and starts a marriage of convenience with an old classmate, not knowing he's been in love with her all along.

This was a passable drama. There was nothing to really write home about, but nothing bad to say about it either. I did like that the female lead didn't hesitate to break up with her boyfriend, and she knew where she wasn't wanted. It was also satisfying to see the consequences of her ex-boyfriend's actions. But I do think a little extra chemistry between the leads would have helped make this better, but there wasn't much there.

[Average Story + Average Chemistry = Just Okay!]

When she meets her ex-boyfriend again, she's surprised to learn he's her new boyfriend's uncle. She wants to leave their troubled relationship in the past, but this time, he won't let her go.

This was a pleasant surprise. I came into this expecting a typical uncle steals nephew's girlfriend story, but surprisingly, Ta Pian Yao was a very good second-chance romance, and Yang Han was so great as the leading man. I loved his character despite how aggressive he could be, and I think that was due to Yang Han's performance. He was a ruthless man with everyone but the female lead, and even with her, he wouldn't allow her to passively accept disrespect from anyone, even if he had to make threats. They had a very complicated relationship, but to be honest, I like it sometimes when everything isn't all roses and rainbows. I spent a lot of time praising Yang Han, but Yang Luo Qian was really good too. Her character does make some frustrating choices, and I didn't like how much grace she gave the second male lead, but her character wasn't super annoying like some other characters could be. I really liked the story and loved the chemistry between the leads, and I would definitely recommend this to those who like a little bit of spice and drama in their romance.

[Great Male Lead + Good Chemistry = Liked It!]

On the same night that she breaks up with her scumbag boyfriend, she meets an old high school classmate who proposes a marriage of convenience, which she accepts, not knowing that he's been in love with her all along.

I really enjoyed this and thought the relationship between the leads was very sweet. The male lead really loved the female lead and pulled out all the stops when the opportunity to be with her presented itself. He quickly turned their marriage of convenience into a real marriage, and I was actually glad that we didn't have to wait until the last minute for the leads' relationship to progress. This was also the first time I've seen a second male lead's friend/secretary be honest enough to tell them that it's their fault for losing the female lead. Usually, second male leads are surrounded by a bunch of delusional people who feed more into their delusions that they don't have to move a finger to get the female lead to come running back. It was hilarious watching the secretary try to tell the second male lead the truth. I recommend this for the cute romance and good chemistry between the leads.

[Fun Story + Cute Romance = Good!]

Because her father holds her mother's life in his hands, she must complete his task of seducing a rich, powerful man, but to her surprise, that man overhears her plan. But even that's not enough to deter her as she comes up with countless ways to seduce him to save her mother's life.

This was different, and I really enjoyed it because of that. I liked the cat-and-mouse dynamic the leads had, and how determined the female lead was. Even his overhearing her plan was not enough to stop her. Their chemistry was good, and that hot tub scene was hot! Ben Wang was really good here as the very stern and serious, yet very jealous male lead. And as always, Zhang Yi Lin was very good. I think some people are not going to like her character because she had such a complicated relationship with love because of how her parents' relationship turned out, but I thought her character was written well here. Her father was awful, and even the most love-brained person would be hesitant about love if he were their father. Overall, I thought this was really good, though.

[Good Chemistry + Good Story = Liked It!]