Kanousei

They're a map of his kingdom, basically. That he sculpted XD

(Posted this first in the season 2 comment section, and decided to post it here too)

Hi everyone, so I just found out there's going to be a season 2 and am just as excited! I started reading the novel that season 1 was based on just yesterday and I discovered something that might interest everyone regarding season 1 and 2.

These are details I gathered from reading and viewing things from official websites, announcements, and discussion forums on Chinese websites. I do know how to speak and read Chinese, so I do have some credibility hahaha.

1. The Imperial Coroner 1 is adapted from the novel of the same name 御赐小仵作. It's also previously known as 仵作娘子.

2. Season 2 is said to be adapted from the related novel, 名捕夫人.

3. Here's the interesting part I found out - 名捕夫人 novel is actually the PREQUEL to The Imperial Coroner novel. The main characters are actually the 2ml and 2fl of The Imperial Coroner. Chu Chu, our fl in the drama, doesn’t even exist in the prequel! [Edit: after reading a bit more, it's very clear that The Imperial Coroner is a continuation of the prequel. What i mean by that is, there are many characters and events, and even things that happened to the ml is related heavily to the prequel. There were some parts that were slightly confusing because it heavily referenced the other book, but I mostly understood it. This really is one where the drama is much better than the novel.]

HOWEVER, seeing how all the actors are back based on pretty much every source I came across, with even videos of the bts and all, it's clear Chu Chu will definitely appear in season 2. Now I can't be certain, but I think the ml and fl will still remain the same - with Little Goldfish (the Chinese community basically unanimously call him that 😂) and Chu Chu. My guess is, although it's adapted from 名捕夫人, it'll be a loose adaptation.

In fact, after reading almost half of The Imperial Coroner novel, I can understand why many people say the novel is the draft and the drama is the edited and improved finalised version since the author worked on the drama too, and will also work on season 2. There's definitely an improvement to the characters... but they REALLY cut down on the intimate scenes... *ahem*. I mean nothing explicit... but no wonder they cut those out... (I can make a list of differences related to the characters if you want in another comment lol. But I do need to refresh my memory so I do plan on rewatching the drama after finishing the novel.)

I can't remember the cases in the drama anymore either but I do believe the crimes in the novel are pretty different to the drama and many details changed too. (So far I remember giving the drama 9.8-10/10 but for the novel, I can only barely push it to perhaps 7.8 for now imo. I do know for sure I'll never reread it)

So anyways, it will hardly be surprising if season 2 changes a lot of the crimes and details.

So far that's all I find out. I'll edit this if I find out more.

(BTW there's only 2 chapters translated, and the translator dropped it too. I'm reading it raw.)

[EDIT: Ok, I finished reading ages ago, at least a month, almost two, not long after posting this original comment. But for an update... NEVER READ THE NOVEL. I can't stress that enough. It is 100% not worth it. The ML is physically weak as. Like sickly, constant bed-ridden ill and needs a wheelchair. Nothing wrong with a disabled ML, but dude...... I have absolutely no idea how he managed to sire 4 children (lol, but hope the drama somehow gives us one child at least, HAHAHA). More like, I genuinely don't know how he's still alive by the end of it except because he's the ML, plot armour, duh. Not even, just character armour. Anyways, can't believe I finished it. They made EXTENSIVE changes to it, and THANK THE UNIVERSE they did. Over all mystery plots have also been changed, and damn were there many, *ahem* minor vague 'bedtime' details that certainly couldn't be filmed lol. In fact, they replaced said 'bedtime' details with them acting it out in the daytime instead (I actually like the detail in the drama where Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu act out the scene of the crime hahaha). Hmmm, either way, it could seriously just be an entirely other book, although the mystery of Xiao Jin Yu's dad remains, BUT even that's been changed actually.

As for Season 2, I have absolutely no idea if they'll follow the plot of 名捕夫人, but I highly doubt they will. Nonetheless, even if they do, at most they might borrow mysteries from the prequel but adapt it so that (obviously) Chu Chu and Little Goldfish are in it. I will absolutely never read 名捕夫人, sorry, but no. No amount of love for this drama will make me read the prequel. Since it's the prequel, it means it's written first. I highly doubt the writing skills would've imrpoved that much. Even if I do like the character of Jing Yi in the drama, and 100% wouldn't mind watching a drama where he's the main character with Leng Yue, I really don't want to read this prequel about them lol.

Anyways, I am actually REALLY looking forward to this drama sequal because (imo) there are rarely any cdramas where they give us a sequel AFTER a happy marriage ending. Like if anything, when there's romance in these historical mystery cdramas, it's either open ended or MIGHT give us a very short happy ending to tie it up, or just no conclusiveness to the romance. And just speaking broader, it's seriously rare to have a story just... have a happily married couple that isn't revolved around the marriage being a fake marriage or them gradually falling in love with each other in an arranged/forced marriage etc. Not to mention even rarer for them to give us a 2nd season after a (obviously) happy, closed ending in Season 1.

And also, I'M PRAYING, the marriage and romance isn't the focus in the 2nd season, and the focus is on the overall mystery and plot (that has nothing much to do with whether they're married or not). I really liked the minimal romance in season 1, (although yes, I wouldn't mind just a tad more), but the main part is that there weren't that many romantic conflicts that affected their PROFESSIONALISM. No one became dumb because they had troubles in love. I'm hoping they use this marriage as simply a narrative device to show their strong bond and them forever having each other's back no matter what happens. I really don't want any dramatic conflicts in the romance please... But seeing the promo vid (on their Weibo, I'm keeping myself updated on there lol), it seems they're very much in love forever. Hoping it's the same case for our 2ml and 2fl! Really looking forward to when this comes out.]

Hi everyone, so I just found out there's going to be a season 2 and am just as excited! I started reading the novel that season 1 was based on just yesterday and I discovered something that might interest everyone regarding season 1 and 2.

These are details I gathered from reading and viewing things from official websites, announcements, and discussion forums on Chinese websites. I do know how to speak and read Chinese, so I do have some credibility hahaha.

1. The Imperial Coroner 1 is adapted from the novel of the same name 御赐小仵作. It's also previously known as 仵作娘子.

2. Season 2 is said to be adapted from the related novel, 名捕夫人.

3. Here's the interesting part I found out - 名捕夫人 novel is actually the PREQUEL to The Imperial Coroner novel. The main characters are actually the 2ml and 2fl of The Imperial Coroner. Chu Chu, our fl in the drama, doesn’t even exist in the prequel! [Edit: after reading a bit more, it's very clear that The Imperial Coroner is a continuation of the prequel. What i mean by that is, there are many characters and events, and even things that happened to the ml is related heavily to the prequel. There were some parts that were slightly confusing because it heavily referenced the other book, but I mostly understood it. This really is one where the drama is much better than the novel.]

HOWEVER, seeing how all the actors are back based on pretty much every source I came across, with even videos of the bts and all, it's clear Chu Chu will definitely appear in season 2. Now I can't be certain, but I think the ml and fl will still remain the same - with Little Goldfish (the Chinese community basically unanimously call him that 😂) and Chu Chu. My guess is, although it's adapted from 名捕夫人, it'll be a loose adaptation.

In fact, after reading almost half of The Imperial Coroner novel, I can understand why many people say the novel is the draft and the drama is the edited and improved finalised version since the author worked on the drama too, and will also work on season 2. There's definitely an improvement to the characters... but they REALLY cut down on the intimate scenes... *ahem*. I mean nothing explicit... but no wonder they cut those out... (I can make a list of differences related to the characters if you want in another comment lol. But I do need to refresh my memory so I do plan on rewatching the drama after finishing the novel.)

I can't remember the cases in the drama anymore either but I do believe the crimes in the novel are pretty different to the drama and many details changed too. (So far I remember giving the drama 9.8-10/10 but for the novel, I can only barely push it to perhaps 7.8 for now imo. I do know for sure I'll never reread it)

So anyways, it will hardly be surprising if season 2 changes a lot of the crimes and details.

So far that's all I find out. I'll edit this if I find out more.

(BTW there's only 2 chapters translated, and the translator dropped it too. I'm reading it raw.)

[EDIT: Ok, I finished reading ages ago, at least a month, almost two, not long after posting this original comment. But for an update... NEVER READ THE NOVEL. I can't stress that enough. It is 100% not worth it. The ML is physically weak as. Like sickly, constant bed-ridden ill and needs a wheelchair. Nothing wrong with a disabled ML, but dude...... I have absolutely no idea how he managed to sire 4 children (lol, but hope the drama somehow gives us one child at least, HAHAHA). More like, I genuinely don't know how he's still alive by the end of it except because he's the ML, plot armour, duh. Not even, just character armour. Anyways, can't believe I finished it. They made EXTENSIVE changes to it, and THANK THE UNIVERSE they did. Over all mystery plots have also been changed, and damn were there many, *ahem* minor vague 'bedtime' details that certainly couldn't be filmed lol. In fact, they replaced said 'bedtime' details with them acting it out in the daytime instead (I actually like the detail in the drama where Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu act out the scene of the crime hahaha). Hmmm, either way, it could seriously just be an entirely other book, although the mystery of Xiao Jin Yu's dad remains, BUT even that's been changed actually.

As for Season 2, I have absolutely no idea if they'll follow the plot of 名捕夫人, but I highly doubt they will. Nonetheless, even if they do, at most they might borrow mysteries from the prequel but adapt it so that (obviously) Chu Chu and Little Goldfish are in it. I will absolutely never read 名捕夫人, sorry, but no. No amount of love for this drama will make me read the prequel. Since it's the prequel, it means it's written first. I highly doubt the writing skills would've imrpoved that much. Even if I do like the character of Jing Yi in the drama, and 100% wouldn't mind watching a drama where he's the main character with Leng Yue, I really don't want to read this prequel about them lol.

Anyways, I am actually REALLY looking forward to this drama sequal because (imo) there are rarely any cdramas where they give us a sequel AFTER a happy marriage ending. Like if anything, when there's romance in these historical mystery cdramas, it's either open ended or MIGHT give us a very short happy ending to tie it up, or just no conclusiveness to the romance. And just speaking broader, it's seriously rare to have a story just... have a happily married couple that isn't revolved around the marriage being a fake marriage or them gradually falling in love with each other in an arranged/forced marriage etc. Not to mention even rarer for them to give us a 2nd season after a (obviously) happy, closed ending in Season 1.

And also, I'M PRAYING, the marriage and romance isn't the focus in the 2nd season, and the focus is on the overall mystery and plot (that has nothing much to do with whether they're married or not). I really liked the minimal romance in season 1, (although yes, I wouldn't mind just a tad more), but the main part is that there weren't that many romantic conflicts that affected their PROFESSIONALISM. No one became dumb because they had troubles in love. I'm hoping they use this marriage as simply a narrative device to show their strong bond and them forever having each other's back no matter what happens. I really don't want any dramatic conflicts in the romance please... But seeing the promo vid (on their Weibo, I'm keeping myself updated on there lol), it seems they're very much in love forever. Hoping it's the same case for our 2ml and 2fl! Really looking forward to when this comes out.]

I spot some Chinese dramas on both lists, I thought it was k-drama only XD. If we can even add Chinese dramas then I have a few with definite green-flag FLs and MLs HAHA But this is a nice list.

I'm only on ep 2, almost ep 3, but I'm loving it so far (and OMG WTH, he's so adorable at the end of ep 2 HAHA! AHHHH). Then I was just reading the comments here and although I can definitely understand why to some it might be slow and therefore not your cup of tea, but I'm genuinely surprised by some of the dislike/hate comments about the ML and the actor playing the ML. I'm not sure how he's a bad actor, and is a green-flag ML a boring ML now? (well, I guess to some it is, but I prefer a green-flag (boring) ML to red-flag MLs more. Of course, green-flags can be interesting, and I find him to be interesting).

And yes, I can see how he's different to the other MLs. He does seem to be kind of on the spectrum since he seems to not be able to understand social cues, plus in the way he behaves. He's a rather unique male lead, but his entire personality is actually why I really love this character. In fact, he's so open in communication right now that I prefer this ML over any of the other MLs (or FLs) that don't communicate and end up causing misunderstandings (which I really hate). I also find him adorable in the way he's so straightforward and how he doesn't react the way other characters expect him to react, or how 'normal' people react.

Same with the FL, I'm only on ep 3 and I like the FL too and how she's also very honest and open in communication. Sure, the fact that she buckled to people of higher status because they abused their power to take away an opportunity of hers after she offended them was a little hard to watch, but I completely understand her position and her desperation. But she's not a weak character either, and I definitely won't consider her a damsel-in-distress (so far). And I especially love how she knows what she's feeling (so far, that's what it seems).

I love the banter going on between the two and thier uniqueness, it's so cute.

I'll see how it goes for now since I'm only 2 eps in. As much as I understand how it can be boring for some, but this is genuinely a breath of fresh air. Each to their own, but some negative comments did seem excessive.

Yessssss I 100% agree!!!!!! Ahh we need more dramas like that!

Sure! So I'm writing this after watching 28 episodes of 36 episodes. I'd say the fl in Chef Hua is much smarter and not as gullible, like how she notices things about a person quickly (like how she gave the benefit of the doubt to Guan Rong at first, but she didn't trust her completely either). While Chef Hua's fl is slightly more gullible (as shown by how she trusted a female character that's basically another version of Guan Rong), but the good thing is her husband, the ml, isn't gullible and is smart (but he's a total goofball and his characterisation isn't the typical cold and cool type for sure loool) and she listens to him because she trusts his judgement (99% of the time). Speaking of the male lead, he might actually take some time getting used to (the way he walks, his fringe lol, but his personality's actually not that bad. It's just the way he walks and that hairdo I had to get used to hahaha)

Also, Chef Fang really focuses on the progression of the ml way more than the progression of the fl. It mostly revolves around him and how the fl helps him become a better person and find himself, in a sense. Which is fine and all, I actually don't mind it that much, but there's not as much independence as the fl in Chef Hua in terms of chasing her own dreams. The fl in both is still strong and independent in their own ways, and the one in Chef Fang even knows some martial arts (though rarely seen).

Overall, the fl's life does actually revolve around the ml, and yet I don't exactly dislike it either. In both, fl and ml are supportive of each other regardless of their endevours and are independent yet also co-dependent in a positive way. You can also check out the comments and spoilers on Chef Fang's mydramalist page where most of the comments summarise my feelings about it.

If Chef Hua is a 10/10 for me, hmmmmm Chef Fang might be... 9/10? 8.5/10? Any lower and it'd be unfair for it, after all, there are so many other dramas with SOOO much angst and annoying developments that are getting very high ratings, yet this one barely had any angst and had great romance, and a fairly interesting plot, so, subjectively speaking, and not gonna lie, I might be a bit biased, I wouldn't give it any lower than 8.5. I can maybe go 8, but not any lower. It's not 10, however, especially after watching Chef Hua hahaha.

It is somewhat different to Chef Hua though, because Chef Fang has crime and mysteries and some political intrigue but the political intrigue is also pretty much angst-less so far. If you watch for the crime, I'd say it's not worth it, I've seen much better crime and mystery dramas with romance (like The Imperial Coroner). Having said that, the crime and mysteries are actually rather unique, it just wasn't executed the best, I think, but it isn't meant to be a crime drama to bbegin with, so it's fine. If you're in for the romance, comedy, and fooooood, then I do recommend it. But even the food aspect of it is done better in Chef Hua, I'd say hahaha. Still, it's still pretty good.

Edit: Omg forgot to say, the OST!!! I wished Chef Fang's OST was for Chef Hua. Like the song with the food metaphors or whatever, it was SOOOO suiting for a food drama. It would've truly perfected Chef Hua if it had Chef Fang's OST

ooohhh I didn't notice that detail, but there were other minor details I did notice which made it a beautiful romance (I just can't remember what they were right now hahaha). They were really such a cute couple, before and after marriage. Chef Fang is good, still prefer Chef Hua though, especially the female protag of Chef Hua is better written, but Chef Fang is also mostly angst-less too. They were directed by the same person, and I guess you could kinda tell, quality aside, which one was first released and which one was next because Chef Hua felt better overall. Oh yeah! Many actors in Chef Hua appeared in Chef Fang too! XD That was nice to see familiar faces. And no worries, go ahead and click hahaha. I'll be updating that list as I watch and will probably put Chef Fang on it too from the looks of it.

I realised I wrote so much! HAHAHAHA. Sure. You can click on my profile and then click on 'lists' and you'll see I created a list of shows I highly recommend. They are pretty much angst-less. Though I think not all have romance, but most do on that list. But they're of different genres. I just remembered I need to add this drama on there too because I think I haven't hahaha. Currently watching Chef Fang and while it's different and I think Chef Hua is better, it's still pretty good with angst-less romance and drama. But yeah, maybe check out that list. :)

Haven't finished the drama yet, but wanted to write my thoughts on it before I forget (at ep 12 right now).

This is a very very light drama that explores ordinary lives and keeps me at peace - without the palace intrigue, emperors, princes, high-up nobles, lost identities etc. (I like those too, don't get me wrong, but this just isn't one of them). It's a slice-of-life focusing on a chef, who's our female lead, and how she slowly builds her chef business in the small village she moved to, and our male lead who's just a worker in a bodyguard/escort company and not even some manager or owner (edit: this changes later on, but it does so naturally). This is just an every day story focusing on every day events, except set in ancient China. And for me, I was in a period cdrama slump after watching The Imperial Coroner (mainly for the simplistic romance and it being set in historical times). There's just something about it set in ancient China that makes it different to dramas set in modern day despite the same genre, and I'm glad I found this one. Especially the romance, so far, it's not too dramatic and it's not entirely focused on it, but it's there, it's simplistic and SO CUTE. It's very refreshing.

Yes, it can be boring for some. It is, after all, very simplistic and focuses on food and the female lead's business. But that's just the type of drama it is and for a drama of its genre, it's been made really well. But it's not so boring that it's all just different camera angles of food. It has an overarching plot and issues that pop up every now and then (specifically romance related so far, but there are other issues too. Edit: more issues unrelated to romance pop up eventually, specifically to do with the male lead's bodyguard business and the female lead's restaurant and some other MINOR stuff), but these issues aren't angst-inducing at all. Because this is a rather peaceful drama. It explores the small things in life and there aren't exceptionally high stakes (well, the bodyguard/escort business is rather dangerous, but nothing too dramatic). Having an overarching plot, instead of it being very episodic where each episode almost has nothing to do with the previous or the next, definitely makes it more interesting.

For me, I was looking for something simplistic that's set in ancient China. And I found this. And I sure am glad. I love The Imperial Coroner with his fast-paced, tight-detailed, high-stakes plot as much as I love this. They're VERY different, but there is one commonality - not much angst, and the simplistic romance. I don't always go looking for romance dramas, I can do without, but I was in the mood recently for romance dramas set in ancient China times. And let me tell you, for those romance lovers, if you don't mind a slightly slow romance progression that isn't necessarily the focus but it's DEFINITELY THERE, then this (and The Imperial Coroner) might be for you, albeit the plot of this one might be slow for you. (This has faster romance, I think, compared to The Imperial Coroner). But I'm very VERY picky on romance. I simply cannot stand the angst in most dramas even when romance is only a sub-plot. No matter how good the plot is, if the romance is angst-inducing, full of misunderstandings, 'inevitable' partings, and just a whole bunch of UNNECESSARY drama, I will NOT watch it (hence why I haven't watched many super famous dramas everyone recommends). I also refuse to watch tragedies lol.

Ultimately the focus is on food and our female character's chef career. Man, the angles and shots of the food... *drool* But the scenery and backdrop of the set is absolutely stunning. The cinematography is just *chefs kiss* XD Edit: I do miss the greenery in the last part of the drama ever since they moved, but still wonderful.

Will update and edit this review when I think of more or how better to word this. Give it a try to see. So far, I give it a 8 or 9/10

Edit: Awww the ending's so cute! Happy ending for main leads btw hahahaha. With, however, some unresolved plot, BUT that's NOT a downside. Instead, it's a plus - such is life. Unlike other drama where I might complain about unresolved side-plots, I feel it is HIGHLY suitable for this drama to have side-plots unresolved. Such as what happened to the 'love-triangle' between the female lead's apprentice and the two men, or the extra added drama with Chef Wang's poisoned hand towards the last couple of episodes, whether Scholar Wen will stay at the place as an accountant or try for the exams again etc. But it's not melodramatic or shown to be something to be HEAVILY concerned about (though I really really hope Chef Wang's hands will be cured, and I'll just imagine it eventually does HAHA). These small, unresolved elements are really suitable to this slice-of-life drama where, honestly, I'm willing to watch an episode of their daily lives everyday until they grow old together. But being limited by a specific number of episodes, it's suitable that they left these small things unresolved. It's not angst-inducing at all to leave these small elements unresolved as practically 99% of the drama is just full of smiles. Of course, not in a silly way. It's just light-hearted and teaches many life lessons - right, I almost forgot that! They teach life lessons through food and I like how the male lead progresses in terms of his relationship with his mother. The mother-in-law of the female lead is so CUTE! Love the female lead's elder sister too. Every character is there for a reason, but not all characters appear again very often, but again, such is life. (Side note: All the husbands and males in this drama are so loving! Yikes, unrealistic expectations much LOL. But sweet and caring and not too unrealistic.)

Either way, over all, it was rather enjoyable and it remained the same as I mentioned above throughout. I do have ONE complaint - the OST... Hmmm, how do I say this. The music/melody/tune or whatver is great, I love it, it matches the atmosphere, I think, though it could be a bit merrier. Which brings me to the lyrics. Why are the lyrics so sad and melodramatic??? It's such a pure, simple drama with such simple, loving, adorable romance! Nothing like the romance full of twists and turns. The leads had their issues as any married couple, but nothing dramatic, had wonderful communication and their love was apparent. So what's with the lyrics of the song that's so depressing and dramatic? Maybe they wanted to add at least one thing that was really heartbreaking to it. I would've loved lyrics that matched, though. The OST from The Imperial Coroner 'This Life is Not Over' would've suited wonderfully with this drama, in both lyrics AND melody. Or maybe even Zhou Shen's 'Be Together' OST from The Sword and the Brocade (I haven't watched that one and probably won't because it has many situations I don't quite enjoy in it, but I love this OST and its lyrics. Such beautiful meanings). I don't like to listen to sad romance lyrics in songs. I like the happy ones, the ones that show deep love but isn't tragic, and is instead, happy. Anyways, that's besides the point. The OST just didn't suit it. If it suited, I wouldn't have minded the sad lyrics, but it just didn't quite suit. That's really my only complaint lol.

Everything else, I just can't stress how simple and yet interesting it was to watch them live out thier daily lives, with an overarching plot and the romance - oh the ROMANCE!!! Love it. I haven't seen such angst-less romance in so many of the dramas I've watched before. They even openly talk about having babies and they get married half way through, WILLINGLY and their relationship is so smooth-sailing even after marriage, just like a couple living out their daily lives. Of course nothing's explicit and most things are implied, but I love it! Ok, seriously though, if I say anymore there'll be way too many spoilers.

Once again it can be boring to some as there are MANY scenes with cooking and showing how the food is cooked, but I loved it. I will give it 10/10. Nothing's perfect, that's why logically speaking, it might only be a 9/10 or 8/10 but it's a 10/10 for me because this drama, for its genre, I think it deserves a 10. I will ignore the 7/10 I am giving to the OST lol. A lot of people are giving it 9/10 or 10/10. I agree, the melody really is suitable. But to me, the lyrics really just ruins it for me. Maybe I'm taking the lyrics too seriously, but the lyrics really just... I only bumped it up from a 6 because the melody was definitely suiting and worthy of a 9/10 or 10/10 that other people give it, but I just can't get over the unsuitable lyrics, so it's a 7 for me HAHA. These things are all subjective anyways, so give it a try to see if it suits your taste.

Time to watch Chef Fang now LOL. Btw Chef Fang, Chef Hua and Maiden Holmes have the same director! I wrote a spoiler about Maiden Holmes on that page, so won't go into detail, but I did enjoy it overall too. Ok Chef Fang! Since it was made in 2017, I won't expect it to be like Chef Hua, and I'll lower my expectations. I've read some spoilers and apparently it's quite good, but keeping my expectations low. Let's see how it goes.

Maybe spoiler, idk. But 100% this one! I actually didn't like Maiden Holmes as much as this one. Maiden Holmes is more romance-focused though, so if you want more romance, then Maiden Holmes it is, but this one has a very satisfying ending too in terms of romance too. It's not the focus, but it's definitely still there. The most notable factor of The Imperial Coroner is its tight plot, very detailed mysteries and to answer your question on the main leads which is a very important factor for me when I watch dramas with romance too - NOPE. None of that. They both respect each other and their jobs and are professional when they need to be. No toxicity, neither are annoyingly stupid (and in fact, the female actually DOES HER JOB as the coroner. Ain't that something? The male lead is also a very smart detective) and definitely no noble idiots. The female lead and male lead are actually both not that good with fighting or weaponry, but she's a pro at her job and he's pro at his job. But again, if you want more romance, Maiden Holmes might be better for you because there aren't a lot of intimate scenes in this drama, but I personally like the balance of romance, mystery, crime, humour etc in this one more, while the crimes and mystery is looser in Maiden Holmes and I felt that a lot of the evidence presented in Maiden Holmes could be considered 'circumstantial evidence'. I enjoyed both, but this one much more.

Aw thanks. With your suggestion, I have now done just that, and I've added a few more notes at the end :)

I jumped straight from The Imperial Coroner to Maiden Holmes, and I've got to say, the kisses are waayyyyy more steamy in Maiden Holmes. But I think I still liked The Imperial Coroner better in terms of plot development, mystery, and the romance was simpler in that one too (which I generally like because when romance becomes a focus in dramas, it tends to go down poorly written cliche routes). It's like, the less angsty and dramatic the romance, the less steamy it is for some reason. That's what I noticed in a lot of the shows lol. Or is it just my imagination? Either way, this one had a lot of cliches - good/fun ones and somewhat bad ones. The bad cliches are resolved fairly well, and because it's resolved quickly, and the romance was actually good in terms of the male lead respecting the female lead and female lead being useful and NOT annoying, and IS strong and independent, I gave it a chance, otherwise I might've not watched it with all the cliches.

Maybe it's because I've seen a lot of mystery, but the cases weren't anything surprising or unique, but the plot twist at the very end had me - honestly didn't see that one coming. But most of the rest, I've seen them elsewhere before. In terms of the mystery and cases, The Imperial Coroner is definitely superior.

So for a lot of the cases, if not all I've seen so far, in Maiden Holmes used more circumstantial evidence than direct evidence - I can think of many holes for the 'evidence' they present. Not that I focus on the details that much, and it is rather romance focused, so I ignored the holes in the evidence. If you prefer good romance, I would recommend it, but if you want good crimes and mystery, The Imperial Coroner is superior.

A random note: this might be an unpopular opinion, but a lot of people are saying how they can't believe it's the the lead actor's first acting role because it's so good... In my opinion, his acting's good, he has expressions spot on in some scenes, but in a lot of the scenes, his expression looks a little... how do I explain it? I wouldn't say it was stiff, but it was very monotone and hardly considered expressive. It's cute though, but it's not really the most suitable expression in the scenes he's portraying. It didn't match the emotions in his dubbed voice either, but that makese because when I hear his own voice in the extra scenes when the ending song comes up, it is rather deep and nice, but sometimes there's hardly any enunciation in his words and it sounds more like mumbles and... very monotone... and it makes me think, luckily it's dubbed... Like if you just compare the enunciation of all the other characters to the male lead, there's a clear difference. Other than that, he's pretty handsome and cute and I love his character. But I can totally believe it if you tell me it's his first drama, and because it's his first, it's fine, and I'm sure he'll improve. He's only a year older than myself after all hahahha, still young~ :p Maybe I notice it more because I can understand Chinese? Hope to see him improve though :)

Hmmm, overall, I might give it an 8/10. It's generally not one I would usually watch due to the couple of episodes of misunderstandings, but I did finish because it was resolved pretty quickly and all the characters acted mature and independent, which I appreciated, especially the female lead who continued to be strong and intelligent and independent, and the male lead wasn't overbearing or rude because that's not romantic. The ending was a happy one too, so that's a bonus~

Mystery and romance wise, I still like The Imperial Coroner compared to this one, but this still worthy a watch.

Some say the ending is rather rushed, and while I agree somewhat, I think it's still a great ending. The balance between mystery, suspense, humour and romance was great. I can't say it was excellent, but I'd give it a 9/10 for this show. Kudos to the scriptwriters because the script and plot were amazing! (I mean, I heard apparently one of the scriptwriters was the writer of the novel this was based on. But the drama is actually better than the novel, and you can consider the novel as a draft and the drama as something that was based on that draft. That's what I heard anyways).

I love all the characters and it doesn't follow the bad cliches, honestly it's a hidden gem. They resolved everything, tied everything up, mysteries and details were consistent and made sense, no annoying cliches between females, honestly didn't drag at all, and it had a very happy ending. The romance definitely wasn't the focus, but it was definitely there, and I say it's GOOD romance. Respectful male lead and mature female lead with a cute face (and personality), but ACTUALLY USEFUL and NOT annoying. The mystery is all linked together and it's interesting until the end, at least in my opinion.

Honestly, for those who are looking for something with a bit of everything, but most importantly, wonderful characterisations, no cringy humour, great side-plot romance (for those who avoid romance because it's usually bad, well, there is absolutely NO NEED to worry about that here AT ALL!) with a focus on mystery, then this would be your cup of tea. I personally like stories with romance, but I will avoid anything that has bad romance. This had a great plot and a great mystery, but if it had bad romance, I wouldn't watch it. If it had no romance, then I can consider it - in short, I avoid any drama with typical, annoying depictions of romance.

But seriously, it's a series that shows that a plot can be interesting and captivating without all the useless and stupid relationship drama or other cliches that are sometimes used to drive the plot. With well-packed mysteries and fun dialogue, avoiding most cliches (and leaving the good ones) it's honestly praiseworthy.

Anyways, give it a try at least. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but you never know until you try.

In my opinion, she's one of the better cute female leads. I like mature female leads as much as I like cute female leads, as long as neither are annoying and too naive that they're stupid and unreasonable. And honestly, Chu Chu is actually one of the rare female leads that are actually cute and I don't find stupid (having a male lead fall in love with a seriously stupid and childish female lead is even more unbelievable to me. On that note, the male lead is actually a good person, cold-faced but his actions and words are warm, unlike other male leads that take a jab at the female lead whenever possible that it's close to demeaning the female lead. But he is actually caring and nice here, albeit with a 'cold' exterior).

But anyways, Chu Chu can act responsibily, and while she's not perfect, she is far better than most female actresses that are tasked to act 'cute' but end up stupid and silly and unreasonable. She's reasonable at least and in my opinion, actually cute. Honestly, it's asking for a lot if you even consider this female lead stupid. But of course, everyone has different tastes, and I'm just voicing my opinion.

Got to double check if we're watching the same version because I know sometimes Chinese dramas have two versions, meaning sometimes there's less episodes but each episode is longer etc. Or maybe RAMking got mixed up accidently.

I say that because the version I'm watching is 32 episodes and I'm pretty sure that's the only version. If that's so, I need to correct something because I'm watching it now and I love it and was preparing my heart and soul for EP13 when she confesses and he rejects her but it never happened. Instead it's in EP15, which is what I just watched. Which is far more acceptable to me HAHA. Less episodes of waiting them to get together XD.

Yikes the second male lead is seriously annoying and I hardly comment but yikes. Episode 4 and wow he's basically saying he's wearing a 'green hat' so OBVIOUSLY. (If a man 'wears a green hat' in China, it metaphorically means a person whose wife/gf cheated on them) but they're not even dating and he's pretty much a scum even as a friend. That I was ok with, I mean FL will end up with ML so whatever, but yikes the scene in episode 4 with him 'hinting' at his 'green hat' and all that jealousy oozing out from him.... BUT this is definitely a fluffy drama with a great female lead who's not all squeaky and shy and unreasonable around the ML which is AWESOME!!

First of all, all I did was watch the opening song and it already made me laugh softly at the scenes HAHA I don't know if people share the same humour as me, but it sure makes me want to watch it more XD

I can assure you no one has found out - yet (I speak Chinese and that's what I understand happening in general). It just seems like they're close is all because, essentially, they have met before and they are friends of friends and now they're friends. The only one that knows is still only Yu Chen's roommate. (Though that's just what I understand after finishing episode 13, but as I watch episode 14, there's no sign of them knowing him other than as a uni friend). However, I do agree that the second male lead has a lot of screen time (not that I mind either. The male lead seems to get more screen time now). And I get what you mean by disconnection and jumps, though to me it's more like fast-paced development, since they do jump from one situation to another without enough transition in between.

However, I do like this show, though some of the scenes transitions too fast. Personally I think this show has A LOT to offer and could have been an excellent show with a lot of potential but the way it's executed isn't the best. The gaming genre has been taken by Love O2O so it isn't that fresh, however it is a new take on the gaming genre that gives off a slightly darker feel compared to Love O2O (not that dark, but the game itself isn't as fluffy and beautiful as Love O2O's game). I wouldn't know how the rest of the show fairs, but I do hope it at least stays this way or gets better, not worse. Considering your comment is 15 days ago, maybe you already figured it out yourself haha. Oh well. ^^

Slight spoiler for Love O2O and my opinion of this show.

I can't remember exactly, but I think towards the end of Love O2O, they kind of stop showing them fighting bosses or other people in their in-game selves and focused a lot of the main character building his company, which I don't mind, but I really liked watching them work together in-game. I hope this show can continue showing the main characters' in-game selves, like fighting and beating monsters, as well as other stuff related to games in society, like going professional etc, which I can see this show touching upon, and that I would really like, because it will definitely be different to Love O2O and have its own take on the world of games and game companies etc. I look forward to more! I love both of them though! ^^