Michelle Topham

Agree with you. Ju Xing Mao has not directed this as tightly as Bai Shan, and yes, the acting seems far more cartoonish here than in Seasons 1 and 2 where the humor was less over-the-top and more subtle. So much so, so many scenes grate on my nerves as the director has the actor acting TO the camera in this season, which is so amateurish it's annoying.

I stopped at Episode 8 a few weeks ago. Not because I hated it, but because it wasn't grabbing me like Seasons 1 and 2. Am just starting up again as, like you, i will complete it but I'm disappointed with the level of quality difference between Seasons 2 and 3 so far.

Hopefully, with Season 2 just grabbing the Asian Academy Creative Award for Best Drama, any future seasons (after Season 4 which is already filmed apparently) will have Bai Shan directing again. Fingers crossed :)

Fabulous to see To the West winning Best Drama at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, and an exciting announcement considering When Life Gives You Tangerines had scores that were SO close. Loved the looks on Yang Xu Wen and Yang Zhi Gang's faces when the winner was announced too :)

Here's the video, which starts playing right as the award is announced, so you don't have to wade thru the entire 3 hour show :)

https://baozibuns.com/strange-tales-of-tang-dynasty-to-the-west-wins-best-drama-series-at-asian-academy-creative-awards-2025/

Took a break on this, not because I didn't enjoy Ep 1 (I did, immensely) but because I was bogged down with too many dramas to finish.

Just picked it back up again and now 8 eps in and it's so damned good. Funny, smart, very well-written, excellent performances by every cast member, and incredibly pretty cinematography. Loving this so much. Can't wait to see where it goes.

EDIT: Only not so great thing about this so far (now at Episode 11) is there are far too many scenes with the father and son, who are two of the most annoying characters in Cdramas. Would be funny if the scenes were few, but they are often, and go on and on and on for minutes at a time. The actors are superb. The characters? Not so much.

Same. Wish he was the lead.

It wasn't unnecessary though. Xia Xiao was the catalyst that brought Yu Yu and Dr Gu together. Otherwise, they'd both still be circling around each other without admitting their feelings.

I know right. In several scenes in just the first episode of this, I swore I was looking at Cheng Yi. Didn't realize before how similar they sometimes look.

He's dubbing his own voice. All three of them are as far as I know? (also checked all my Chinese sources, and nobody has a voice actor listed for any of them). Could be wrong as I haven't really paid close attention to his voice in previous dramas, but I'm not finding any info on that.

Are you watching it on a dodgy site, as it's completely clear on YOUKU for me? May be your Internet if you are watching YOUKU?

First episode is incredibly fun, nicely written and acted. An excellent main cast too.

Cinematography is also beautifully done, with some quite artistic filming decisions in a couple of scenes (the caesarian scene on the water, the opening scene with the running mouse). Direction is decent too so far.

This isn't at all what I expected, but it looks like it may turn out to be a little gem.

You'll have a happy life if you ignore the ratings on both MDL and IMDB. :) Neither site is reputable anymore when it comes to believable ratings, as both have allowed too many trolls to destroy their reputations. It's a shame, but it is what it is.

Yes. Liu Yu Ning. He has a distinctive voice, doesn't he? Can always tell it's him :) Song is pretty too.

-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcZNiDOm6Ww

Agree with you on the 16 episodes, and I generally like shorter dramas.

But, in this case, I'm still hoping for a Season 2. Now wouldn't that be nice? :)

You're welcome. Hope you love it as much as I did :)

It's normal in several Asian countries. Very normal in Japan for instance, and I knew many Thai couples when I lived in Thailand where the wife handled the finances and the husband was given an allowance. The women in the company I worked at in Bangkok, for instance, talked about doling out money to their husbands, while the others would exclaim "You gave him THAT much" LOL.

And the women there made high salaries, as it was a major international company, and most were upper management or on a career path to that -- so it's not like they were just handling a few dollars a week. Husband, usually in a similarly high-powered job -- still got an allowance :)

And yep, you're correct about the brother-in-law. The wife would have been crazy to allow him to manage their finances. He couldn't even pay back a loan from Yu Yu without immediately asking to borrow the money again LOL.

They end up together, in one of the sweetest, most well-wrapped up scenes I've seen in a LONG time -- including the mystery of those little animals Yu Yu keeps making being such a sweet surprise, and telling a lot about his real personality :)

Everything about the last episode is superb, and Wallace Huo and Zhu Zhu kill it.

Loved this so much, I rarely rewatch dramas, and I'll probably start this again soon. LOL.

Unexpected but, I think, perfect.

After all, she was looking for someone to fall in love with throughout the entire series. Don't forget it starts off with her leaving her boyfriend and dropping the stuffed toy that's saying "I love you, Xiao Man'. A scene that set up the rest of the drama absolutely brilliantly, and that almost came full circle by the end (see my later comment about Xiao Man)

Not just someone to love though, but someone to protect her and to start a family with. And then, when she realized how many times Yu Yu had saved her, she thought it was him.

That side story was also used as the catalyst to push Dr Gu to where she needed to be, and so I think it was all written perfectly.

My only sadness about the entire series is I would have liked to see both her and Lin Sa find someone. Rather than have it end with both of them still looking. They deserved it.

Thanks for the recommendations. Loved everything about the aesthetics of this one -- excited to see others. Added them to my list. Thanks again :)

EDIT: Ooh just saw Dear Missy stars Li Yi Tong -- and brilliant ensemble cast for Ode to Joy -- yep, definite watches for me then :)

Respectfully disagree. :) For the entire series Xiao Man was looking for someone to fall in love with (she even talked about wanting a family and children), and when he saved her, and she realized how many times he had, she thought it was him.

Loved this side story. Especially when she realized why it would never work out. (Final episode)

Don't forget too (once you watch the final episode), she was the catalyst in getting Dr Gu and Yu Yu together -- finally. Without her, they would have taken even longer :)

Ending is perfect in every way. Could not be better. From the writing, to the pacing, to the cinematography, to the "mystery of the little animals in Yu Yu's room" (loved this little bit) -- just perfect.

Absolutely my favorite drama (Cdrama or otherwise) of 2025. Hands down. And a perfect final episode -- could not have been better :)

All in all -- brilliant writing, perfect pacing, very funny, gorgeous cinematography, lovely OST, and with superb performances from a phenomenal ensemble cast. Will be rewatching this. And soon.