They Will Stay With Me Forever

Watched in 2021

Edit: Rewatching it rn in 2025 and the magic is still same, dare I say I love it even more. Now this sits tied with SOOD on 1st position. 

I know that when looked at logically, there are a few not so well done aspects and plotholes, but what really made this drama so good for me was the lead pairing. I love them both to death. I rarely get dramas with this kind of pairing, and I think this is the only drama with this kind of ML & FL. I can't explain in words how much I love XX & GYZ, and I wish so badly to see another drama with leads similar to them. The day I discover a show that has leads like them, I'll probably die of happiness. As they say these days, they are my roman empire (more like my tang empire or my Maurya empire)

Also amazing was how their romance played out. The drama is less romance focused, and many romantic scenes were edited out due to censorship, but they still managed to capture my heart. Romance not being the main focus helped a lot here since there was no stupid angst and misunderstandings which I hate. In fact, I feel that it was due to these restrictions and limited time for romantic scenes that they were able to make this that good. I feel that they could've destroyed it if they changed anything. This is perfect the way it is. I cannot ask more from this.

If anyone has the same taste as me for their lead romance story, where they prefer a playful, mischievous, and eccentric yet loving and devoted ML chasing the calm, smart, & strong yet uncaring towards ML's attention type of a FL, this is a must must must watch.   

Also, words cannot explain how happy I was to watch QMT. She is the SFL we need. I loved that woman so much that even though I ship XX & YZ to death and beyond, I cried for this woman. SFL ho toh aisi ho warna naa hi ho.

Watched in 2022

When I was planning to watch this during my vacations, I already knew about it's greatness through comments. I thought "Just how good this might be? Should I rather watch something else? What if it did not impress me that much?" In the end, this turned out a rare binge watch occasion. And immediately afterwards, I rewatched it and dragged my sister to watch it with me too. I binged it again. I still keep rewatching this over and over and over. I feel like this is THE best drama I have seen that has mixed the genres so well. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me feel all the complicated emotions that I have never felt while watching a show. I don't think this show will ever be replaced with another in my heart. I have a very special place for this show. It respects the intelligence of the audience. Not just in logical aspects, it makes you think on emotional & psychological aspects as well.

The acting is top notch, rarely seen. This show has destroyed time-travel, body swap/dual role and romantic shows for me forever. Whenever I see another drama with dual role, I start pointing out mistakes and overacting/underacting. All thanks to KJY & XGH. 

Also the first time I fell for the entirety of an OST of a show. It is usually me liking 1 or 2 osts a lot and not the rest of them. But here, I listen to all the songs used in this show over and over again. This show is just perfect and I love it

Although not watched yet, but I went to check out a single episode but checking out a large amount of this show. After what I saw, I can say for a fact that it will be too hard, and I mean it, too hard for me to ever get over it. This is an masterpiece that is rightfully so popular and high rated in China. The international audience is truly a fool to miss out on this gem in favor of whatever trash they love to make so popular and high rated *side eyes the overrated kdramas*

Checked it out as it released. Not watched yet, saving it till I have free time. However, I checked out almost all of it since it was sooo good.

This is what therapy feels like. Nothing can exceed this for me. The most wholesome slice of life drama. It makes you feel a lot of emotions, wholesomeness the most. 

Watched in 2024

One of the best Korean show out there. I never knew this was going to be this good, but douban 9.0 rating had me keep faith in this. It's MDL rating is too low. I was told that it was a sad drama and I'll cry at the end. I did not believe at first, but once I reached there I cried my eyes out. Also, the comedic parts are really funny in this too. The romance has that sad melancholic vibe that touched my heart. I loved each cast so much, especially Kim Hye Ja ma'am. This show touched on subjects that only few Korean shows dare to. These kinds of kdramas are rare, but I feel very happy when I encounter them. I am usually seen ranting about how kdramas are overrated due to a lot of average and bad shows getting such high viewership and ratings internationally, but kdramas like these always restore my faith that Koreans still make such great and unique shows once in a while. Also, I rewatched this with my sister immediately after watching it myself and she cried too. It's her favorite too. This show deserves more internationally, but at least it was popular in Korea. 

Watched in 2023

We will never see such a beautiful depiction of female friendship ever again. I laughed and then I cried. The eternal friendship.

Watched in 2025

coming soon

Watched in 2024

I believe that I have watched the best period-modern mix time travel drama after watching this. This was brilliant and everyone needs to see this. One of the most amusing thing is that this can be watched backwards too. I'd recommend to watch it in the order it is intended to be watched first. 

One of the best FL I have seen. Also this one has FL that is physically very strong and ML cannot fight at all. She saves him a lot. My needs were fulfilled. I want this kind of trope to keep happening. Oh btw, I love to see people crying in the comments because ML is not like some almighty that is perfect and because FL is so strong that she needs no saving. People have somehow managed to make it sound like this is a very annoying trope and that it needs to go because it has been happening since centuries *rolls eyes* Yeah dude, such an overrated trope. We need more weak women and powerful men already *SIGH* Keep crying for your nonexistent issues while I enjoy this dynamic being followed more and more.

Their story is very beautiful. The songs are mesmerizing. The end is perfect. Everything is well done. That all with a low budget. Proves that with skills alone, one can move mountains. 

Watched in 2025

The cinematography is fantastic, and the worldbuilding is creatively brilliant! The creators of this actually cared a lot about this drama and it shows. They wanted to tell a good story, and they did. I won't say a lot to spoil things, but I need Korea to focus on making stories like these more. Please stop with those rom-coms, you can barely do them right. But then again, not everyone is Kang Full. 

It feels good to have a great Korean show once in a while amid the sea of trashes that they churn out each year.

Watched in 2022

The best xianxia I have watched till now, and it will always be a favorite. This one is so satisfying to watch because after FL suffers so much in the mortal trial as a weak lady, she comes back as the strongest and unparalleled goddess who takes her revenge. One of the strongest FL ever. 

The lead chemistry is fantastic. They give you tingles even when he is a golden flower spirit that FL can't see and knows nothing about the ML since he hasn't been born yet, and ML does not know much about FL and thinks that she is a man. When their eyes first met, she has not even seen him; yet I could feel the explosive chemistry between them. This is one of those dramas that keeps getting better and better as episodes progress. 

Also, I love the music in this so much, the ost as well as the bgm. Especially, 'Liang Liang' is an all time favorite track.  The production quality was superb for 2017. Although the CGI is not the best ever, but for it's time they did well. Cinematography is perfect. 

Watched from 2022-2024

A long but worth it journey. My first asadora and definitely not my last. This show ended up giving me strength during my lowest phase of life, and I'd never forget it. Glad that I listened to my inner voice and started watching it back when I used to put importance on MDL ratings and popularity. I have come a long way since then as now MDL ratings and popularity has no influence on my PTW. 

Watched in 2025

This became an unexpected favourite. I went in with low expectations. I came out impressed and in awe. All their stories were amazing! Also, certain stories have a deeper meaning if looked at and analyzed closely and doubaners have discussed these stories at length in their reviews. Thank you Douban for recommending this one!

Watching now in 2025

I am on episode 12, and I am already dreading that this will get over one day. How the hell am I supposed to get over this? Does anyone have any guidebook? 

Zhou Xun is perfect like always. Not only her, all the other actors have done a great job in giving life to their characters. This, Yanxi Palace, Zhen Huan and War and Beauty are the only palace harem shows and I'll cherish four of them forever. In case of this and Yanxi, I feel glad that they both were made the way they were. Although these are not fully accurate accounts of Qianglong's harem, but I love it when 2 different shows with opposite pov are made. The antagonists here become protagonists there and vice versa. Furthermore, the differing tone of the 2 shows are so suitable for both of them.