Divine Aria

...I think your memory of this drama is a little fuzzy, or maybe you're mixing it up with another drama? I don't recall that there was anything in the drama where the female lead character wanted to be a general. And, yes, Leo's character(Hongshuo) is in love with her, but she eventually admits feelings for him too.

It's not true that the female lead shies away from any romantic interactions. Her shyness was mostly at first and during super intimate moments(like bed scenes)...but I saw her initiating kisses and hugs too. Heck, there was at least one scene where LYY was working on his laptop and she got him to leave his work and hop into bed with her. I dunno what more you want. As far as PDA goes, there's def a cultural difference involved. I'm not sure what culture you come from, but you might be seeing things from your own culture's perspective rather than from that of the Chinese. Also, I don't know how you can say that this FL character was cringey but not the FL character in Hidden Love. The one in HL was way more cringey...her mumbling, fake baby voice and overacting in trying too hard to be cute made me drop the drama. She doesn't even act or speak like her age...so, more realistic, how?

Yeah...disagree. Hidden Love...yuck. First Love, haven't seen, but I wasn't all that impressed with Wang Xingyue's acting in this drama so I'm not sure how I'd feel about him. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

His definition of poor prob isn't what you're thinking. He has enough money to lend to others, to buy a pool hall, and when he actually showed her his accounts, he had more money than she does. Aside from that, he has a ton of connections and is also quite resourceful in earning money with various side jobs(like teaching and giving bus tours) and winning pool games. I think he views himself as poor because his feels that his life is empty and without meaning....no direction, no real future, no home, no ties with anyone that's truly meaning(since he has cut off ties with those from his past). Also note that he doesn't like to spend money on himself, only on others.

Ashile Sun is awesome, for sure. And no prob about the recs. I hope you're able to find something to watch that will interest and move you. Thanks a ton for the DM!

I love all of Wu Lei's roles...but my favorite has to be Ashile Sun. I fell in love with his character design, and much like LYY, he's a total green flag. Dude has a good head, a good heart, good skills, and good looks. He's practically flawless, haha.

As for recommendations, it looks like you've already seen a lot of his more well-known/bigger budgeted dramas and films, but you can also try "Crossfire"(if you don't mind e-sports/gaming). I liked LeiLei's acting in there...and the series has plenty of action(and a little bit of some romance too, of course) for those who enjoy it. Or if you're looking for costume dramas, you can try "Guardians of the Ancient Oath". That one, although it has a lot going on, might feel a little slow at times due to dialogue, and does have an ending that, while fitting, is rather tragic. If you don't mind slow pacing and sad endings, I think Wu Lei has pretty good chemistry with Song Zuer in there. It's a series that didn't have a lot of budget behind it or great script-writers(heard it was basically a school project for the Beijing Film Academy students) so it received really mixed reviews, but I personally still enjoyed it. You can also try "Fights Break Sphere" if you're into fantasy costume dramas.

As for films, if you don't mind sad outcomes, try "My Country, My parents". It's a film with multiple stories about one's love for one's country and achieving one's dreams. I recommend at least watching Wu Lei's story. He stars alongside Jacky Wu in the very first story as son and father, and they're soldiers trying to protect their country from the Japanese invasion. It's short and simple enough to watch, and can be seen on Amazon Prime. Another film along the same lines is "Faith Makes Great(2021)". Again, it's multiple short stories, but watch Wu Lei's segment. In his story, he's a war photographer who has first-hand witnessing the tragedies of war. You can watch it on youtube under the "I am Xiaofang" episode.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you watch "All Ears"? I've been wanting to see that but am not aware of any places where I can currently watch it.

Let me drool all over Wu Lei with you. Ashile Sun is still my favorite only because I favor costume dramas...but Lin Yiyang is def gorgeous as far as modern dramas go. Both are also such green flags, my two favorite male lead characters!

Just their eyes alone when they look at each other...it feels like they have entire conversations with them. Who needs words when their eyes say everything? Seriously though, they only need to say what's important. Their eyes do the rest. I'm not sure why people feel the need to complain that they don't talk enough in this drama.

Yes

It's actually Zhao Lusi's real voice in Hidden Love. I enjoy her characters and her dramas so much more when she is dubbed(e.g., The Long Ballad and Who Rules the World). Her real voice is, sadly, just really fake and cringey at times. It makes her acting come off as "trying too hard".

I've loved Wu Lei's acting ability and projects long before AASOL, haha. Nice to see you!

They're slowly building a relationship. That's something, not nothing. If you're looking for love triangles, people who scheme and stab each other in the back, and all kinds of chaos, this isn't that drama. For the first third of the drama, it's about them getting together. After that, the male lead character will have to face his past, reconnect with family/re-establish old friends/re-enter the world of billiards/find meaning in his life again.

If it's not for you then it's not for you. We don't all like the same things. If you're that bored by it, prob watch something else that would actually interest you.

The relationship IS the plot(aside from the male lead facing his past). If you don't like the relationship and aren't invested in it, you won't like the drama. They have to build their relationship first before the main lead character becomes motivated enough to go back and face his past. Also, male lead character isn't rich, but his description of poor isn't what you think. He has money that he lends out to people, which they do pay back, and he's also really resourceful in working various side jobs and playing pool games for money when he needs it. He was in the middle of buying a pool hall when he met the female lead character. There's a scene where he shows her his bank accounts, and he actually has more money in his accounts than she does in hers. IMO, when he keeps saying that he's poor...I think it's more so because he feels empty, like he has no direction and nothing meaningful in life...no car, no true home, no family because he has cut off his past, and nothing to tie him down to any particular place.

She's not supposed to be as good as Yiyang, but she's one of the best players in the world too, yes. She's described as a player who is rising to the top of her games and making a name for herself. For example, in the first world championship tournament, she didn't win it, but came in 2nd.

The pacing stays consistent throughout the drama. After EP1, it should be pretty obvious what the pacing is like. Whether that's perfect or too slow, I guess, will depend on if you're enjoying the drama and the CP or not. I personally didn't find it slow because I loved the chemistry between the leads as well as the relationship between the various characters, and enjoyed savoring every moment.

If I'm not mistaken, at EP16, they'd only been together for a short period of time...maybe a few months? And not everyone is completely comfortable with PDA or intimate acts either, not even after being together for a while. One reason is culture. Like, two people holding hands is about as far as people in my culture can go, in public, without getting criticized by parents/elders who are more conservative. Even snuggling in public would be a bit too much. It's also a personality thing. Heck, I don't even feel all that comfortable getting undressed in front of my sisters and my mom, for example, although I've known them all my life. I don't understand how people can't see that people's experiences and reactions to intimacy can be different. Being an introvert, I personally can relate to Yin Guo. It would probably take me a long time to be comfortable with intimacy too.

I tried watching it and dropped it, actually. Not really a fan of the ML actor in terms of looks(looks like a little boy to me) or acting(kind of bland), and female lead's mumbling, fake baby voice and her trying too hard to be cute drove me nuts. Chemistry was only so-so for me, and not really worth enduring the other stuff for. Sorry :(

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because, to me, the ML is way more gorgeous. He's more masculine-looking with more striking features(chiseled cheekbones, intense eyes, cleft on his chin, etc). In fact, I think his eyes, alone, are more gorgeous than all the others put together. And you claiming that there's no chemistry between them...guess I dunno what to say. For me, they ooze chemistry just sharing space alone in a room together. It's some of the most intense chemistry I've seen.

I'm still waiting to watch Dwelling by the West Lake, and I feel like I've been waiting forever. I really do hope we'll be able to watch it somewhere. Wu Lei isn't just your typical idol actor, and it's his films that really show off how versatile of an actor he is.