Figment of My Imagination
*SPOILERS*
NOTE: A list like this will invariably contain spoilers. Consider yourself forewarned.
Those maddening dramas put the viewer through the wringer with angst, love, sacrifice, and death, only to reveal that it was all a dream. Or it happened in a coma. Or it was just mad scribbling in a book. There nothing quite like experiencing joy and anguish with a character just to realize it never happened. The reveal cheapens everything that went on before: love, betrayal, triumph, and death are instantly made meaningless.
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1. Guess Who I Am
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
I didn't mind this, as the viewer was shown from the start that the characters and story all came from the writer's mind.
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2. Joy of Life
Chinese Drama - 2019, 46 episodes
Joy of Life let the viewers know directly that we were being transported from modern day into a fanciful story. The modern setting was short and only appeared at the beginning and ending of the drama and wasn't overly intrusive. As such, it didn't deceive the watchers, and, due to its fictional premise, the writers had free reign to mix modern with archaic at will, often to amusing and innovative ways.
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3. Joy of Life Season 2
Chinese Drama - 2024, 36 episodes
Joy of Life let the viewers know directly that we were being transported from modern day into a fanciful story. The modern setting was short and only appeared at the beginning and ending of the drama and wasn't overly intrusive. As such, it didn't deceive the watchers, and, due to its fictional premise, the writers had free reign to mix modern with archaic at will, often to amusing and innovative ways.
I love this series. When Season 3 airs, I will revisit the rating. My entertainment factor was 9.5, but that's hard for me to give when I don't know how the story will end. It could, conceivably, reach ten stars. -
4. My Divine Emissary
Chinese Drama - 2024, 24 episodes
A shared dream? A novel?
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5. Present, Is Present
Chinese Drama - 2024, 16 episodes
It was a dream?
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6. Summit of Our Youth
Chinese Drama - 2025, 23 episodes
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7. Supervisor Husband
Chinese Drama - 2023, 22 episodes
The ending was an enigma. I suppose she dreamt it all? I really don't expect much from web series, but this managed to disappoint me with a muddled, disjointed ending.
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8. The Day of Becoming You
Chinese Drama - 2021, 26 episodes
This drama was my first Asian offering that used the "figment of imagination" ending I've come to dislike so very much. As such, it was more jarring because I wasn't accustomed to it. The ending didn't ruin the drama, but it certainly lessened my enjoyment of the overall experience.
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9. The Spirealm
Chinese Drama - 2024, 78 episodes
I'm not a fan of time skips, although I understand some are necessary to the plot. But, dang, fifty years?! And the "figment of imagination" angle here was especially distressing to me.








