Isinuyasha

Have you read the novel the show is based on (Mo Dao Zu Shi)? It's really smutty.
If you already have, try archiveofourown.org, they have a lot of wangxian fanfics.

I'm glad to hear it and will give it a go when it has finished airing. Their storyline in TMOPB always had lot of potential to me but felt wasted in that show. I'm glad they're trying to do them justice this time. Thanks for the answer.

True, those two are definitely my favourites among them all! Although in my case it's probably because both have Gong Hyo-Jin and I feel like she can turn dramas around for me :)

Ah alright, thank you for your answer!

I'm thinking about watching this but can someone explain how it fits into the TMOPB-universe? I can see from the description that it differs from the show since it's based on the novel but how does it relate to Ten Miles? Is it a continuation (only with focus on Dong Hua and Feng Jiu) or basically a retelling of parts of their storyline we saw in TMOPB? What are the differences between FengJius&DongHuas story in TMOPB and here?

While I can appreciate that their ideas are very unique and special, the Hong sisters just don't know how to end stories to my satisfaction. None of their above shows, as well as "You're Beautiful", "My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox", "The Greatest Love" (which is a shame because I absolutely LOVE Gong Hyo-Jin) or the trainwreck that was "Big" where shows that had any re-watch value for me.

For me, the Hong sisters are a bit like the Kim Eun-sook&Lee Eung-bok duo ("Mr. Sunshine", "Descendants of the Sun", "Goblin") in that they make great stories of extremely high production value but the endings usually seem lackluster to me.

Maybe having "meh" endings is just the price people have to pay for wanting to tell grand stories.... I dunno.

Thanks, I added a spoiler warning. Sadly I can't put only a part of it under a spoiler but hopefully that's enough :)

I rarely give a show 10/10 points on this site but...I have to give 10/10 points for this masterpiece. I've seen so many great dramas but I cannot describe why this drama has been on my mind even two weeks after finishing it. I still go back and listen to the OST or watch scenes from the show. I can't believe such a pure and wonderful thing like this exists... with such wonderful characters like Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. My heart is so full after watching this. Admittedly, at the beginning I was sceptical because it was so highly praised but it was absolutely deserved. This show. My heart can't take it, it's just too full of happiness.


POSSIBLE MILD SPOILERS BELOW!


To all of those asking about the Boys Love (BL) part of this show:

There is no blatant BL in this show, meaning, there are no kisses etc. But the love between the main leads is definitely there and it is not queerbaiting. If you're not aware, this show is based on a novel called Mo Dao Zu Shi. The novel itself is 100% BL, the main leads are together, have sex and all that stuff. The problem with China is that they have really strict censorship laws and homosexuality is very much taboo in Chinese mainstream media. It's so taboo that even the novel was written under a pseudonym to protect the identity of the author. When they decided to turn this into a drama, they had to change the more "obvious" BL parts for it to make it past the censorship but they kept it just "gay" enough for it to be obvious that these two are in love. I'm really thankful to the whole cast/crew for trying to keep so much of their interactions in this series and for trying to push some of it past the censorship. Basically there's lots of yearning glances, (like at one point they stare into each others eyes for over a whole minute... just like bros do you know), lots of touching, piggyback rides and drunk shenanigans. Oh and they have a love song together that their actors actually sang together. Like bros do! ;)

Imo, it's very good, I recommend it but ultimately it depends on what you enjoy. It's not the typical overdramatic scheming/political court drama since it's not a palace drama. It's more about family bonds/feuds and subtle scheming with some romance. The beginning was actually a bit slow for my taste (since it explains the back stories of the characters) but I'm glad I stuck around, since I think it picks up after 15 eps or so (which may sound a lot but with 73 eps in total, 15-20 eps are nothing)

Wow, just wow. I finished this yesterday and I can't tell you how many sleepness nights I had because I couldn't stop watching this. I was literally falling asleep at work because I was up too late the night before!

First of all, if you're thinking about watching this drama: Do it! You will not regret it.
I will be honest, I had trouble in the beginning. The first 15 Eps or so were a bit slow for my taste and spend a lot of time on the early life of our protagonists - which is important of course! - but if you don't know what to expect, this might be offputting for some. So, if you're like me, and the first 10 EPs didn't really convince you: Keep watching! I promise you, it will get better and more wonderful with every episode.

Now to the show in general, there's so much that I loved about it, but my favourite thing has to be this: What a freaking Power Couple! I literally can't remember a drama where the main couple had such an admirable dynamic. There was so much love and trust between those two that, no matter what was happening outside and no matter who wanted to harm those two, you could be 100% sure that this couple will be there for each other, no matter the odds. How rare is that? Usually there's the typical tropes that end up dividing the main couple but nah, not here.

Ming Lan has to be one of my favourite female protagonists ever. She is smart, SO SMART, intelligent and kind but also fierce about those she loves. She is so so strong. There are so many people against her but she's true to herself and she never fails to amaze the viewer with her cleverness and her hidden confidence. I love her so much, she knows her self worth and she let's no one walk all over her... but at the same time she's not impulsive and she always thinks before acting. Such an admirable trait, I wish more characters were like her.

And omg, Tingye. What a lovely man! He is 100% devoted to his wife and he would do literally everything for her. Usually in dramas, men with his qualities, like trustworthy, kind, devoted, often end up as the second-lead. When the second-lead wavered, Tingye actually told him to chase Ming Lan, to give his all for love and not think about the consequences. That was the moment I know that Tingye was 100% the right man for MingLan. MingLan would always end up having a difficult time in any family, what with being an illegitimate daughter, so the perfect husband didn't need to have a perfect family. The perfect husband needed to be there for her even when it gets tough. And Tingye 100% delivered in that regard.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this show. The plotting and scheming in this is well thought out but not overbearing or overly dramatic (Nothing like the scheming in "Empresses in the Palace" for example). So there's no farfetched tropes like using-hyperrealistic-facemasks-to-disguise-yourself-as-a-doppelganger-to-commit-murder (*cough* "The Princess Weiyoung" *cough*). There is scheming and plots but it's not really the dark sinister type, it's more about gossip, reputation etc. and MingLan is no impulsive character so the viewer never feels frustrated by our protagonists.

TL:DR: If you like historical dramas with intelligent protagonists who love each other, a bit of scheming and wonderful characters, you should give this one a go.

I'm with you on the therapy thing, dramas that are too tragic/sad are my nemesis...

For something lighthearted/funny I can recommend these:
-Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
-Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung
- What's Wrong With Secretary Kim
- Queen InHyun's Man
- Coffee Prince (Oldie but Goldie)
-I've heard good stuff about "Welcome to Waikiki" humor-wise but haven't seen it myself

There are some dramas whose first half I find hilarious like "Kill Me, Heal me" or "Rooftop Prince" but they get emotional real quick so I dunno.

For pretty, you might wanna move away from Korean shows because I feel (except maybe for stuff by the Hong Sisters like Master's Sun, Hotel Del Luna or Korean Odyssey) Koreans don't put too much emphasis on "pretty visuals". C-Dramas often do, though, like Legend of Fu Yao or The Untamed?

PS: I enjoyed "Touch Your Heart" a lot, I feel like it got better with time, though.

Sorry that it wouldn't be met with approval by your parents but I agree, for her to act like that, knowing what response she would get... she's really strong, I admire that about her character!

I absolutey adored this drama. It's full of real people, with real problems and struggles. The main couple was lovely, the attraction and love that kept pulling them together despite all the shit that was happening around them was beautiful to witness. I can't even name everything that I loved, the ending was great, the bond between the sisters was brilliant, the mother and Ji-Hos parents, colleagues and of course Eun-U where wonderful. I loved how mature everyone was (except for the Ex, the fathers and the brother-in-law of course), communication really was key here.
(Slight spoiler ahead, skip to TL;DR for non spoilery summary)
To be fair, I sometimes felt like this drama really drove home how different Korean culture is to my own. While in normal dramas one can usually tune out the differences, this really showed me that I'm so unbelievably happy that, where I'm from, no one usually blinks an eye at a single parent. Dating someone with a child is also not noteworthy, at least two of my friends do, even within my family people have brought home their gf or bf who already has a child. If my husband were abusive, my family would throw his sorry arse out the door, whether I'm pregnant or not. My parents have always put my happines above any wish or expectation they had for me. When I wanted to major in an obscure class in university, they supported me and now I have a wonderful job. When I told my parents that I don't want to marry (I've been in a long term relationship - almost 10 years now - but I'm not a fan of marriage) and that I don't want children, they were totally okay with that.
This drama really made me appreciate what I have and that they put so much importance on my happiness and that it literally never crossed my parents mind whether it'simportant what other people think... because ultimately it isn't important what other people think, it is your life and your happiness. No one but you yourself has to live your life and deal with your decisions, so someone else making them for you seems ridiculous to me.

I wish more children who've been put under pressure and/or manipulated by their parents would realize one thing: No matter what anyone says, you DO NOT owe your parents your life. You had no decision in them bringing you into this life, so you do not owe them yours. What you do owe to them is to live your life to the fullest, to make the best out of the gift they have given you. It's a small distinction but very important I think. Parents can be the most wonderful thing in life, but never think your worth is below theirs. A family means equal worth of everyone.

I've gotten off track now but what I want to say is that I'm glad the protagonists realized that as well, that your own happiness is the ultimate gift to ones parents and that to follow your dreams and happiness should be your highest goall in life. Everything else comes after that. Sorry for the long comment.

TL;DR: Wonderful drama with good dialogue, good chemistry between the leads. If you want a carefree drama, this might not be it, it's basically a couple trying to fight againt all the adversity, like family's expectations, obsessive ex-partners etc. If you enjoy things like that, give it a try. If not, maybe try it nonetheless because the story really makes up for it.

It started out good and cute but began to drag around the middle. Plot didn't really seem to go anywhere and it felt like, near the end, the show was just aimlessly jumping from one plot point to the next. I mean the main couple was cute I guess, but I felt like there wasn't much to it? And the ending was very lackluster. I took points off just because of that ending because I HATE it when protagonists do that "noble shit", you know, the "I know what's good for you, so I'll leave you secretly so you'll be happy". That's bullshit, you don't do that in a real and trusting relationship. It really disappointed me because so far I was very happy about the trust between them. It was, as I said, a cute watch but nothing that will stay with me. 8/10

What a lovely drama, I can't believe I managed to watch two wonderful dramas right after each other (this and 'Romance is a bonus book').
I didn't think I'd ever sit in front of my screen again and squee like a little teenaged girl (which my almost 30 year old self feels quite embarrassed about), but this drama managed exactly that! The chemistry between the two leads was through the roof! I even loved their chemistry before in "Goblin", although I did not enjoy that drama (those two were the only redeeming features of that drama, although I love Gong Yoo).
I've adored Yoo In-Na in every drama I've seen her (especially Queen InHyun's Man) and she did not disappoint in this either. Her acting was very natural, but also bubbly and cute - which would have been cringey in some but it fits her character perfectly. Lee Dong-Wook excelled in his at first very stoic role that slowly warmed up to Oh Jin Shim and transformed into a smitten kitten of a man that truly adores his love interest.
The love, affection, attention and most of all trust these two characters have for each other is praiseworthy and something I find lacking in so many dramas. Since trust is very important to me, my highest rated dramas tend to have couples that are very sincere and have trust in each other, therefore 10/10 for this. Also because it has a high re-watch value for me, which is a must for me to give out 10/10 points.
Apart from the glorious romance that was really to die for (it literally rots your teeth away it's that cute), the side characters were also glorious and funny. The humour in this show pleasantly surprised me, especially because around episode 11/12 I thought it'd go in a darker direction, which, luckily, it did not.
A big applause to the writers and the actors for giving me a feel-good drama that made me feel like a love-sick teenager again, while also portraying a mature couple that loved and trusted each other. And for making all of that funny as well.
I recommend this to everyone who enjoys happy, romantic, feel-good dramas. For those who enjoy more dramatic, tragic or sad shows, this will not be your cup of tea.

What a wonderful drama. I gave this a 10/10 for several reasons: I'm very particular about which shows I give full points to but mostly it boils down to one or two things and that's mostly re-watch value. Whether I'd want to re-watch a drama depends on how much actual drama (as in "shit hits the fan") it contains; the less unnecessary drama, the higher the chances I'd rewatch it.

This was a complete feel-good drama. The protagonists and even secondary characters where all fleshed-out characters with their own quirks, attitudes and, most of all, stories. There was no truly "evil" character, no annoying second love interests that are stripped of their identity for their sole purpose of stealing the main love interest. The second love interests were treated with the utmost respect, even when they were being rejected, and that pleased me to no end.

Many main couples in romance dramas start off as friends, often even best friends, but rarely do they deserved to be called that. At the earliest sign of trouble, conflict or discord, doubts and mistrust arises. Something that is just not done if you introduce your characters as life-long friends because the basis for friendship is trust. And the main couple has a truckload of trust in each other and it is sooo fullfilling to watch friends actually being friends and moving on to something more without any stupid misunderstandings or noble sacrifices. Especially due to the age difference I was scared of the typical "I'm older than you, we can't be together, I'll cut ties to save you"-kind of bullshit. This did not happen and I can't thank the screenwriters enough for this. The female lead was very mature and realistic about life (and even love/sex) which totally suits her age. The blushing maiden would've been unrealistic.

I'm absolutely in love with this drama and recommend it to everyone who enjoys feel-good dramas that leave you with fuzzy feelings in your stomach. Something to tune out RL for a few hours.
If you enjoy drama, plot twists, scheming or if you have a problem with Noona-Romance, this will not be a drama for you and I'd avoid if I were you.

Of course it's not, and they mention it repeatedly in the show, so what's the problem? They never act as if it's okay or non-problematic. They even mention that she could end up in jail. Also, the actors are both of age, so that's not a problem either.
Murder isn't okay either but there's still movies about it, obviously. Because it's fiction. Have you seen "The Reader"? In which Kate Winslet plays a woman who has an affair with a teenager? Because that movie even won an Oscar. It's fiction, chill.

Was an okay watch. It was cute and I like that the female protagonist learned to stand up for herself. Both leads had good chemistry and were good actors. I have to say, though, that I prefer the Netflix drama "Love and Fortune" (or "Koi no Tsuki") though (it has a similar theme, female is 30, guy is 15) because it actually goes into more depth (Warning though: It's VERY sexual, they actually have full on sex. I know, unusual for a Japanese drama).

(Mild Spoilers, only mild, below)

I mean, I like the depth Chugakusei Nikki had but it is REALLY hard to understand what connected Hijiri and Akira for several years when they shared barely two kisses in the whole show. Like, it's very cute, vanilla and romantic and all but adults will know that a kiss is not worth giving up your career for (several times I may add). They barely know each other and while I can agree that they have good chemistry, it's still hard to fathom why - story wise - they wouldn't just go the easier road. I loved that they didn't, but I, as a viewer, would have loved to see more compelling evidence that they love each other than yearning glances.

As I said, a cute watch, loved that they questioned typical gender roles and I LOVED Haraguchi-san, she's basically my role model. Cool, elegant, independent, sexually aware, knows what she wants and needs. ROLE MODEL I tell you.

I liked this. It's - as many people already said - similar to Chugakusei Nikki but also not. I think I actually prefer this version. CN is basically the vanilla version, what you'd expect from a Japanese TV drama. Highschool-vanilla-love, barely two kisses in the whole thing...but somehow true love that survives for years. Yeah sure, as if.

This is much more real in that it actually shows so much about the protagonists sexuality. Because anyone who's been in relationships, whether long-term or short-term, knows that sex is an important part of a relationship. If the sex isn't fulfilling anymore it's usually a good indicator that something's going on/wrong. Are the people moving apart without noticing it? Are they not spending enough quality time together or not enough talking, is there something on their mind, are they stressed, does your partner still care about YOUR satisfaction etc. Sex is one of the ways in which you can pick up a lot about how the relationship is going and this show managed to show that. For the female protagonist, she notices that she's mostly there for her BFs release, he doesn't really care whether she finishes or not. When she meets the enthusiastic young guy, she finally feels like a real women after a long time, feels desired, feels as if he cares whether she enjoys it or not. Only then does she notice what had been missing before.

I won't go into too much detail but I enjoyed this drama, loved the sexuality and the discussions about it, about what it means to be a woman, that it's more than just marrying and having babies, that women are allowed and SHOULD be sexually satisfied as well. The ending was a bit lackluster to me and for all the emphasis they put on how important an ending is, I'd have hoped for more but oh well. Still an okay watch.

Don't watch it on the commute like I did, though, except if you want shocked elderly people next to you :D

Probably. Maybe it's also because of the (real) age difference. The 20 year gap may be awkward, who knows.