Very good interview. I like Wan Peng since watching the " My Girlfriend is an alien" funny dramas, but had not gone as far as looking deeper into her profile. This interview does tempt me to do so. She looks quite grounded and professional, and I like her spontaneity both here and in the dramas : she is an artist who I will be pleased to sample other work from when I have time.
The plot is an adaptation of Zhang Yue Ran's web novel, which was also used to film a drama centered on family…
The novel was not used to film a drama but a movie, previously. The name of the actress is not Zhao Luzi.
Reading that uncut brick of a paragraph criticism shows that writer is heavily influenced by the cyberbullying unkind rumors and is siding with the haters, putting the weight of health trouble directly on the shoulders of the sufferer. Where did the vitamin B12 suddenly pop up as an exhibit ? Is writer privy to doctors assessment, how can a medical staff come out to criticize a patient?
There are no totally novel plots since ancient legends. It is very lame to use lack of novelty as a prime argument to criticize. Predictability? Well, since this is a novel and the commentator acknowledged it, one would assume the story was easy enough to predict since there are summaries and synopsis...
It is funny how some critics on the one hand don't find it contradictory to criticize dramas for poor investment and on the other hand shoot dramas down for high investment and care for polished images and cinematography. (Even then, there were some glitches, but i'm not dwelling on these, although a couple, unrelated to each other, have really become hurtful for this particular drama as a business venture in which both the agency, and the actress herself put in money investment). It is also strange to brandish this as a reason to criticize when it has been public news that this drama was almost prevented from airing, deprived of proper and usual advertisements. But shot to first place immediately for the quality of first episodes, and the excellent cast.
It is not the role of cast to "help other women suffering from bullying" : who would wish them to just up and cancel their career and stand on a sandbox to address crowds like lunatics on a street corner. They can convey their feelings sometimes, but are also bound by scripts which they can't totally ignore, and which should not be confused with real life, as much as some want dramas to be "close to reality"; IT IS ART, not "fooling" audiences: such insulting words are really showing a contempt of artists that makes one wonder what fandom and leveling abuse at others is really at the core of the paragraph that can't even follow standard writing practice?
The added value of "moral weight" is funny. It is ALWAYS a consideration in Chinese dramas to the point that some, not always untruthfully, are criticized for being propaganda... (Some are explicitly and unashamedly so, and very patriotic. Love's Ambition does conform to a set of promoted moral ideas although not always heavy handed slapped onto plot: the value of work and family, the promotion of better appreciation of women's place despite a still prejudiced society, the value of children even if "illegitimate"... these are ongoing debates also in recent forums in Beijing. From a very patriarchal system only a few decades back, the official moral compass has shifted with aspiration towards equality. Such as in this drama, which makes audiences expect women, even if flawed and snobbish at first sight, to reform and become strong, independent, and harmonious partners in work and family.
That the moral direction is not conforming with the commentator's not clearly stated personal cultural values just shows how narrow minded that one is despite pretending to the contrary in her profile which claims six months of watching with MDL previous to joining on October 6, 2025 and which offers a very shrill exposé on her viewing most fellow users as "fanatics", from the point of view of a person who wants to appear "high and above all".
To me such moral stance is in itself rather dubious, despite the list of dramas "watched" on the profile is in my mind quite a good sample. The ratings attached to "completed" ones is even more lenient and high as my own, making me very surprised, although wait.... The "sample list" of 28 titles did not include other than "entertainment value" ones, contrary to the stance of looking for "proximity to reality". Also, all the dramas listed show a surprising timeline of posting. They appear to have been rated and completed 6 days ago (for 9 out of 28 titles). It is of course possible to go back and complete dramas after a while, and long after joining, but it still looks bizarre to see those titles there all pretending to be completed on same day!
So, I strongly suspect the profile to have aligned a number of "dramas watched" in a hurry, for the purpose of shooting down Zhao Lusi's drama with a 1. And I would also believe the commentator is precisely a fanatical anti-fan intent on ranting against the actress. The use of deformed first name is often a dead give away from the ungodly members of that clique from "water army" masquerading as real drama audience.
There's apparently another one featuring Chen Chuhuan & Liu Zhuoqing but no more info than YouTube upload "title" /description : Illegitimate girl was sold to gang boss who was pitiless, but her sweet body fragrance made him fall.
Beyond the title, it is a story of suspected murder and revenge, the female protagonist is convinced that the gang boss is the killer of her father and approaches him to find evidence. She uses her stepbrother's pushing her into his arms to get money for the company left interim to him, although in fact he is gambling it all away and always eager to use his despised stepsister to sell her. It is a very violent drama, lots of abuse, beatings... but it still gets a happy end once the mystery is solved and the protagonists find that they still fell in love after all the "misunderstandings". (probably not everyone's cup of tea, although no fault from ML who acts as the role wants it)
They usually are deleted after a short while. Perhaps it it better to put links to Youtube uploads in spoilers, although I am not sure it helps much, if AI tools are scrubbing the Net from what is deemed should not be available too freely.... Even if getting a taste may lure some people to sign up on Dramabox to watch complete short & vertical dramas -- full of so many ads in addition to strange subtitling, that many give up, apparently.
Aside from loving the story and the characters relationships and growth, the fashion was fabulous. it was like…
Agree. And now time to move on, alas - wishing all who read the comments to have been as satisfied as I was by this drama! Happy c-drama watching (or re-watching) to all!
This drama had a really strong start, but it would've been so much better if they toned down the business and…
We all have different individual feelings.... I totally agreed with the storyline as is. It was fine by me. Not sappy romance. The friends of Haoming's mom and even the Sino-Russian couple had no business hogging up more time than they did. The Jiang brother and sister were not called on to "save the situation" and the solution found was better than clinging to already well used past "investors". The couple emerged as strong, independent and victorious: just what we hoped for! No sappy romance except the swiftly discarded from mind windmill and prairie bit for the sis and tall doctor! But the toes emerging from under bedcover could make one dream of happy family life to be photographed in future for the album (I only was a bit puzzled by the "instant camera": I thought this was already "past century technology"!)
This was such an amazing watch, but the last episode was pretty disappointing in comparison. They crammed way…
Yes the Fang Lei arc was rather unnecessary for me too. Haochen went back to school, so it was implied that he moved back to his familiar room with former "parents" now "grandparents" since old CEO got out in good shape from hospital. It was not necessary to dwell on that. The lawyers and accountant and villains got expedited, and if I too find the windmill and prairie love of Xu Yan's sister a bit tacky there, what I liked was the exchange of the business contracts showing the couple on equal footing at the top! So I won't begrudge the drama any point, I stayed on till end, happy with many details, with acting, might even come back to re-watch someday, if not too busy with else!
My gosh Zhao Lu Si ... just looks gorgeous..❤️( currently on Episode 2 )(No need to mention her amazing acting…
Yes, I saw a couple or more dramas with William Chan, but was not so happy about him either then (Novoland Pearl Eclipse, A Date With the Future...) but this CEO role was a good fit for him. Don't really imagine who could have been better in this role.
I love this creative edits. I would have love to have seen this in a special episode...https://x.com/M_ommyBear/status/1977708268630761796
such possibility did cross my mind after watching the naked foot emerge from the bed covers :) it would be nice for Haochen to get a baby sister on top of a pair of steadfast parents whom he'll never have to doubt because culture is stronger than nature!
yes, endings, even good ones, always leave some bittersweet feeling... Love's Ambition still earned over 600 points (good week) last week, according to Marcus' Sunday report.
well, there are a load of other dramas airing now or soon, although for new ones from Rosy, we'll have to re-watch until the truncated or finished version of Almost Lover might surface... I am optimistic that she will not totally bury her chosen career. In between, perhaps she'll be singing: her voice, guzheng playing, and dancing are rather pleasant, and she could do music shows together with Liu Yuning again, perhaps ? I'm sure she will continue to wow us!
Synopsis: From a young age, Gan Tang's father used her as an exhibit for the amusement of the four great families' patriarchs. Fed up with being trapped in a display, she jumped from the windowsill, and unexpectedly became entangled with a man whom she first thought was her sister's fiancé Liang Ze. Seeking revenge against the Gan family, who had tortured her and her mother, Gan Tang used herself as bait, using Liang Hanzheng, the young master of Xiangshan'ao, to achieve her goals. He played along, after finding that she was the kid 'Piano Lady' whom had vanished from his world with no explanation. Liang Hanzheng's unwavering obedience and loyalty gradually made Gan Tang fall in love with him.
2 
4 
1 
The name of the actress is not Zhao Luzi.
Reading that uncut brick of a paragraph criticism shows that writer is heavily influenced by the cyberbullying unkind rumors and is siding with the haters, putting the weight of health trouble directly on the shoulders of the sufferer. Where did the vitamin B12 suddenly pop up as an exhibit ? Is writer privy to doctors assessment, how can a medical staff come out to criticize a patient?
There are no totally novel plots since ancient legends. It is very lame to use lack of novelty as a prime argument to criticize. Predictability? Well, since this is a novel and the commentator acknowledged it, one would assume the story was easy enough to predict since there are summaries and synopsis...
It is funny how some critics on the one hand don't find it contradictory to criticize dramas for poor investment and on the other hand shoot dramas down for high investment and care for polished images and cinematography. (Even then, there were some glitches, but i'm not dwelling on these, although a couple, unrelated to each other, have really become hurtful for this particular drama as a business venture in which both the agency, and the actress herself put in money investment). It is also strange to brandish this as a reason to criticize when it has been public news that this drama was almost prevented from airing, deprived of proper and usual advertisements. But shot to first place immediately for the quality of first episodes, and the excellent cast.
It is not the role of cast to "help other women suffering from bullying" : who would wish them to just up and cancel their career and stand on a sandbox to address crowds like lunatics on a street corner. They can convey their feelings sometimes, but are also bound by scripts which they can't totally ignore, and which should not be confused with real life, as much as some want dramas to be "close to reality"; IT IS ART, not "fooling" audiences: such insulting words are really showing a contempt of artists that makes one wonder what fandom and leveling abuse at others is really at the core of the paragraph that can't even follow standard writing practice?
The added value of "moral weight" is funny. It is ALWAYS a consideration in Chinese dramas to the point that some, not always untruthfully, are criticized for being propaganda... (Some are explicitly and unashamedly so, and very patriotic. Love's Ambition does conform to a set of promoted moral ideas although not always heavy handed slapped onto plot: the value of work and family, the promotion of better appreciation of women's place despite a still prejudiced society, the value of children even if "illegitimate"... these are ongoing debates also in recent forums in Beijing. From a very patriarchal system only a few decades back, the official moral compass has shifted with aspiration towards equality. Such as in this drama, which makes audiences expect women, even if flawed and snobbish at first sight, to reform and become strong, independent, and harmonious partners in work and family.
That the moral direction is not conforming with the commentator's not clearly stated personal cultural values just shows how narrow minded that one is despite pretending to the contrary in her profile which claims six months of watching with MDL previous to joining on October 6, 2025 and which offers a very shrill exposé on her viewing most fellow users as "fanatics", from the point of view of a person who wants to appear "high and above all".
To me such moral stance is in itself rather dubious, despite the list of dramas "watched" on the profile is in my mind quite a good sample. The ratings attached to "completed" ones is even more lenient and high as my own, making me very surprised, although wait.... The "sample list" of 28 titles did not include other than "entertainment value" ones, contrary to the stance of looking for "proximity to reality". Also, all the dramas listed show a surprising timeline of posting. They appear to have been rated and completed 6 days ago (for 9 out of 28 titles). It is of course possible to go back and complete dramas after a while, and long after joining, but it still looks bizarre to see those titles there all pretending to be completed on same day!
So, I strongly suspect the profile to have aligned a number of "dramas watched" in a hurry, for the purpose of shooting down Zhao Lusi's drama with a 1. And I would also believe the commentator is precisely a fanatical anti-fan intent on ranting against the actress. The use of deformed first name is often a dead give away from the ungodly members of that clique from "water army" masquerading as real drama audience.
Beyond the title, it is a story of suspected murder and revenge, the female protagonist is convinced that the gang boss is the killer of her father and approaches him to find evidence. She uses her stepbrother's pushing her into his arms to get money for the company left interim to him, although in fact he is gambling it all away and always eager to use his despised stepsister to sell her.
It is a very violent drama, lots of abuse, beatings... but it still gets a happy end once the mystery is solved and the protagonists find that they still fell in love after all the "misunderstandings".
(probably not everyone's cup of tea, although no fault from ML who acts as the role wants it)
The couple emerged as strong, independent and victorious: just what we hoped for! No sappy romance except the swiftly discarded from mind windmill and prairie bit for the sis and tall doctor!
But the toes emerging from under bedcover could make one dream of happy family life to be photographed in future for the album (I only was a bit puzzled by the "instant camera": I thought this was already "past century technology"!)
The lawyers and accountant and villains got expedited, and if I too find the windmill and prairie love of Xu Yan's sister a bit tacky there, what I liked was the exchange of the business contracts showing the couple on equal footing at the top!
So I won't begrudge the drama any point, I stayed on till end, happy with many details, with acting, might even come back to re-watch someday, if not too busy with else!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnX7vNuoXDw
ML: Du Peiyuan / 杜培源
FL: Yu Jialin / 喻嘉琳
Released: 01/09/2025
Episodes: 72
Synopsis: From a young age, Gan Tang's father used her as an exhibit for the amusement of the four great families' patriarchs. Fed up with being trapped in a display, she jumped from the windowsill, and unexpectedly became entangled with a man whom she first thought was her sister's fiancé Liang Ze. Seeking revenge against the Gan family, who had tortured her and her mother, Gan Tang used herself as bait, using Liang Hanzheng, the young master of Xiangshan'ao, to achieve her goals. He played along, after finding that she was the kid 'Piano Lady' whom had vanished from his world with no explanation. Liang Hanzheng's unwavering obedience and loyalty gradually made Gan Tang fall in love with him.