I haven't watched Princess agents and I don't wanna watch it too cuz of so many eps so I wanna confirm here that…
As to whether you need to watch "Princess Agents" to enjoy this drama, here's a summary including a link to an article in mandarin, which should help you decide whether you feel and see the need to watch "Princess Agents" before this drama:
Dang do I really have to watch Princess Agents before this? I tried watching it last year but got bored and dropped…
This drama looks more like a remake than a sequel. Someone below said the current 5 episodes is at least 80% true to the novel.
Another viewer Owlcritic provided a summary, including pointing out that the production team for "Princess Agents" had to change names and more due to not buying copyrights to the novel, plus "Princess Agents" also had to change scenes to try to avoid plagiarism issues with the novel since the production team didn't have the copyright.
As to primary plagiarism issue, this is due to the author of the novel and not the production team:
"Rebirth" is by a different production team, the author is on board this drama unlike "Princess Agents", and this drama supposedly covers the whole novel while "Princess Agents" only covered half the novel:
I've watched two episodes and for me, given the contents and execution of storyline this far, I don't feel the need to watch "Princess Agents" to enjoy it or emphatise with the characters because the first episode really cuts the heart where it matters. For a sequel, what I have watched comes across more strongly to me as a remake.
ETA to add: This is supposed to be a sequel but what matters is how and what is covered.
https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20260407A06T9I00 -> This lengthier article explains differences between both dramas, while lauding this new drama for restoring the essence of the original novel, labelling this drama as an epic about redemption, personal growth and country. Considering the themes of kindness, love, betrayal and redemption and what the article is describing about various characters, romance doesn't seem to be a focal point of this drama.
"Dream of Golden Years" is well-executed, for more than 95% of the drama. Why this drama stands out is…
I have my tastes and moods, so I never safely give recs unless I know I am objective during that moment XD
Neo Hou did a good job in FoF as Zhao Yuanzhou (Director GJM didn't even know what he wanted his ML to be). But I prefer less filters, and his role in "Glory" gave him a lot of space to demonstrate his range.
I usually prefer non-romance dramas, unless something makes me squee like "Dream of Golden Years" or "Love and Destiny". "Egg and Stone" as a wuxia parody gave me a stomachache. Storyline always comes first, with certain standards in screenwriting and editing for me. "Rebirth" is now airing, first 5 episodes have dropped on IQiyi. It's a remake, not a prequel or a sequel. The production team for "Princess Agents" only covered half the novel and didn't buy the rights, so they had to change a lot of names. This production team has no such issues, so everyone has original names.
Lol one joker already rated this drama before air 😂
There's another joker who has supposedly watched 40 of 40 episodes and also written a review about how the drama should be done in a totally different way. It's only possible to have watched all 5 episodes out by this point. Wow, this drama is scoring a lot of detractors here. What did the production team do, to deserve this?
Wow, the first episode really packs everything in! To see what builds and fractures in relationships between the three leads is electrifying and heart-rending. Basic facts laid out in a stimulating but not overwhelming pace. Mystery and pieces unfold in an engaging storyline I can get behind.
Second episode continues to be as vividly intriguing 14 minutes in, while the plot progresses smoothly. Looks like I won't be needing to watch Princess Agents to enjoy this drama.
Not sure if I can finish 5 episodes today. What a great start!
These two links should be very helpful for anyone who wants to understand the folklore and mythology in VoS and most importantly, specific names related to the four leads that influences the subplots and history and impending future.
Bronze Bell River on reddit made a fairly helpful post, for those who want to understand how word magic works, and more. I quote a small portion:
[ Veil of Shadows 《月麟綺纪》 isn’t making much sense to many folks who are unfamiliar with Chinese mythology and folklore. Instead of detailed episode recaps, I thought I’d rather ‘unveil’ some mystery behind the characters and their mythological roots.
The drama uses the concept of Painted Skin literally, as characters like Wu Shiguang use masks to change their faces, and the fox demons can assume human forms. The drama takes the classic premise and expands it, asking: Who is wearing a mask? Who is the real monster? Can a monster's love be genuine? ]
~*~*~*~*~
In episode one, the four leads enter this drama with specific names. Those names might contain a certain extent and details of foreshadowing, if you understand what each name means. I do not want any of these names for myself or anyone I value.
ETA, as requested by one of my MDL friends: This link contains unavoidable spoilers also pertaining to unaired episodes ie episode 15 onwards, in order to grasp the entirety of each name. Read this entire link only if you are fine with this.
"Dream of Golden Years" is well-executed, for more than 95% of the drama. Why this drama stands out is…
There's nothing wrong with picking what you want to watch, based on whatever criteria you use. Over time, please enjoy what you watch, and also broaden horizons in whatever you like and don't like. There is always something to learn about life.
Some of us have advantages, such as being natives in a language foreign to others, possibly understanding media backgrounds more easily, etc.
One of my friends told me recently about a drama I recced, which she happened to watch after a recently-aired drama that she was curious about had just finished.
She took apart the main plot, plot-holes, poorly-conveyed politics, settings, social class system, lack of realism in storylines of both leads, acting etc for the recently-aired drama and at the end, she said that if it wasn't for ML's facecard, she wouldn't have finished. But the lack of realism was perfect for her at that point to get through what she needed to, and then when she watched what I had recced, she said my rec was so much better in all aspects by comparison.
If you want to share your thoughts on your hypothesis by DMs, do so.
I did not rec "Dream of Golden Years" to her because I know retro drama isn't her cup of tea. I have also recced a specific Neo Hou drama for her, and I hope she'll like it :)
You supposedly watched 38 episodes of "Fated Hearts", and then claimed: [ And on top of that, the story…
You definitely need to improve your reading comprehension, before starting a disagreement. If I insisted that everyone have the same opinion as me, I'd be too busy online to have a life.
I have previously encouraged people to drop this drama because they made it seem so unbearable to watch, given their comments. You're barking up the wrong tree.
The person I chose to address plastered another drama page with multiple comments about how extremely bad they think the drama is, after supposedly wasting their time on all 38 episodes of a longform drama. I simply shared one of those comments.
Once upon a time, I naively believed people on an MDL page sincerely agree and disagree, honestly post about what they like and don't like, and wouldn't attempt to dissuade others from watching a drama because they have another drama or actor or actress they want to succeed at the expense of another drama (this final point from some fans who are keen on fandoms is quite stupid because frankly, variety is the spice of life, so why do stupid things like that?).
After having seen so many trolls in so many different variations on MDL (there's one troll lower-down in the comments on this page who goes around to different C-Ent actress pages insulting them, bullying other MDL users, and leaving racist anti-chinese comments, hence I replied to that one upon another's request elsewhere until the cowardly troll couldn't take my heat in the exchange and blocked me), what I believed was simply me being wrong about the goodness of taking everything at face value.
Turns out people here are just like other forums. And like other forums, I'll be careful of who I choose to listen to.
[You are weird to think everyone should like everything the same as you.] - Wow. This is you completely projecting your assumptions on me and getting it all wrong. You are aware that the world offline is not a popularity contest? I seriously hope you're more emotionally intelligent offline than what I'm seeing online here, because you'll cross the wrong people when you least intend it and if they are petty unlike me, they aren't going to shrug off your asinine observations.
Given how hard everyone has worked for this, a lot of wuxia fans are excited! I'm looking forward to the action…
Hope you are enjoying DOGY! It's a great drama. I finished all of it quite easily, and the comment section is peppered with several of us expressing different details of appreciation for the drama (while fending off trolls).
Meanwhile, BoTG has become the highest-grossing wuxia film of all time as of 1 April, as Trinity CineAsia prepares for the launch of BoTG in cinemas of UK, Ireland and Malta from 17 April and 22 April onwards:
Blades of the Guardians was written in 2015, while Pegasus was in 2019. Wuxia genre are already made to death…
Sockpuppet accounts plague this website because MDL doesn't have certain rules in place. If there were, there would be at least five less accounts tied to one troll account here that also once pretended to be a fan of an actor for more than two years (while actually stanning for another actress), only for them to out themselves on an MDL page during the airing of a drama by attacking the drama in various ways (their actress idol didn't get a romantic pairing as per the producers announcing it is a heroism-focused drama). That troll account has earned permanent ire of international fans plus domestic fans of that C-Ent actor, after the many ways they spammed the MDL drama page.
I've shared a link above, as an example of what I am referring to.
That C-Ent actor doesn't need hot searches or magazine covers. The lucrative earnings felt in tourism and other sectors for years as per the 2025 Datawin paper says it all.
~*~*~*~*~
After Wu Jing and Nicholas Tse, I hope the likes of Ci Sha and Yosh will take up the mantle. Li Yunxiao and Chen Lijun are actresses I would like to see more of, considering their Yue opera backgrounds and how well they have fared in this film. Wu Jing and Zhang Jin made quite an impact in this movie, as did Jet Li. This is the one film where only Wu Jing could be Dao Ma.
[ ...When Wu Jing starred in the 1998 TV series The Tai Chi Master for his debut, one of the directors was Yuen Woo Ping. Director Yuen has also collaborated significantly with Jet Li, such as personally directing the 1993 classic kungfu movie Tai Chi Master, which has aired countless times on television. Master Z: Yip Man Legacy, starring Zhang Jin, was also directed by him. Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen will not be further mentioned here, since they did not participate in this film.
News about the recent death of Hong Kong action star Bruce Leung Siu Lung has made people realise that collaborations between action stars and filmmakers of all generations are incredibly rare. Leung Siu Lung is a few years younger than action star and martial artist Ti Lung. Both action stars are recognised as part of the "Four Dragons of Chinese Cinema" alongside Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and Ti Lung is almost the same age as Yuen Woo Ping.
The number of action filmmakers from this generation who can continue to make films is decreasing. Several generations of action stars rubbing more than shoulders in this big-budget wuxia movie is slated to be a masterpiece of this era.... ]
[Fans of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Beat Takeshi and Kurosawa Akira will enjoy this blockbuster deserving of the best cinematic screens. Iconic Samurai films in Japan and Wild West films in USA are akin to Wuxia films in China and HK: They are quintessential classics able to incorporate partial modern adaptations but solidly traditional in many aspects. What are pros and cons of condensing multiple volumes (equivalent to 15 episodes of a well-received animated series) into 126 minutes?
... Li Yunxiao as Yanzi-niang is perfect. Her Yue Opera background with speciality focus on Huadan role enables a wily charming female sharing Wu dialect in a unique manner with a cadence reminiscent of Suzhou pingtan, utilising flirtation as a weapon, as distinctive as Maggie Cheung portraying saucy calculating multi-faceted Jin Xiang Yu in “New Dragon Gate Inn”. Her performance is so vividly arresting that Xu Xianzhe intends to significantly expand on Yanzi-niang in his manhua...
...Chen Lijun has 20 years of experience in Yue Opera since age 13, domestically popular with Li Yunxiao in Yue Opera performances which always sell-out. Her training in various roles (specifically as xiaosheng, which includes martial arts training) enables her to express and flexibly adapt to physical demands and emotional extremes of Ayuya becoming a leader...
...In an ever-changing world regardless of circumstances, love and loyalty are steadfast to define justice in chivalry ie 有情有义有侠义! Etymology of "镖" in the movie title enables one to understand the history, core of the film and crucial keypoint of the plot plus characters...
...Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, and Chen Lijun use actual weapons while incorporating wrestling styles from Northwest China alongside dance movements of Dolan Uyghurs from Xinjiang within their combat movements. Yuen Woo-ping also narrates individual stories through each character’s martial arts style evolution or stagnation. Dao Ma has several different styles and able to switch between at least 7 different weapons. Di Ting uses double bamboo-section whips, but his style remains fixed.
This film is packed with trivia and cultural references. I recommend bridges. I am slower to recommend a quintessentially traditional classic film or drama. Not understanding history, culture plus language will easily lead to missing out between 40% to 60% of the context... ]
In preparation for the launch of "Blades of The Guardians" in cinemas of UK, Ireland and Malta, five days ago Trinity CineAsia officially announced on 1 April from London that BoTG is the highest-grossing wuxia film globally (surpassing "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"):
Leicester Square last week on Tuesday night saw a gathering of at least 160 people including film critics, martial arts enthusiasts, new fans, and industry professionals to share their excitement and passion for wuxia and this film:
Where did I see that compilation of Yosh practising and showing off his sword techniques alongside pyrotechnics? I'll find it for a future post :D
If love is about receiving literal forceful affection, Chen Lijun being paired with CiSha really made for more than one painful take (and CiSha's consolation wasn't helping XD): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273123389966367
Many of the younger cast members at the commencement of the CMG Film Festival in Beijing celebrating 120 years of Chinese cinema, with Wu Jing and Tony Leung Ka-fai: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5278613718958409
In February 2026 when BoTG had racked up more than 900 million RMB within 9 days, the top ten wuxia films of China for the past 30 years as of 25 February are: https://m.weibo.cn/status/5270276023780833
Wuxia films in general haven't done well at the China box office, with a majority of films usually not grossing more than 100 million RMB, especially since Covid. As of 25 February, #2 for wuxia films in domestic box office history took more than 80 days to reach that final box office figure in 2025, only to be easily surpassed by BoTG within 6 days and flattened by BoTG.
Be it USA or Malaysia, BoTG launching in those countries on 17 February also relied primarily on word of mouth with little to no pre-promotions. BoTG has grossed more than 1.43 billion RMB domestically and is a tremendous exception for a wuxia film, and the results are not finished!
The domestic box office run ends in ten days on 16 April, to be continued internationally from 17 April onwards. Xu Xianzhe is probably now sketching a lot of Shu for the sequel XD
No, She really had 22 lovers, but none know that she is the Ghost Queen.
In the novel, He Si Mu doesn't truly feel love until Duan Xu, who helps her to understand love and feel love for him also because of the sequence in which he lends her his senses while interacting with her. It will be the same for this drama.
It is interesting in how he gradually thaws her with the first two exchanges, and then it gets really interesting, once the third exchange is initiated.
It’s a common thing in C-dramas to humiliate the MLs and show that FLs don’t care about the ML’s feelings.…
I have watched C-Ent for more than 30 years. I don't need subtitles to understand what I am watching. I definitely don't rely on MDL ratings to decide whether to watch a drama. I don't always watch idol dramas, which I understand constitutes the greatest popularity with non-mandarin-speakers for drama pages on MDL.
If your rant is based primarily on idol dramas set in ancient times, I can understand. Note that if a production is a drama set in ancient times, emotional intelligence and equality usually isn't going to apply because of the era.
If you're ranting about modern-era idol C-dramas ie after 1990s... I'm curious: What is your understanding of beliefs and approaches in interactive communication within Chinese culture, which varies depending on the generation?
If you're going to ask me about equality in C-dramas and quality productions in C-Ent, I say making dramas primarily to focus on traffic actors and actresses looking good plus platforms pushing the wrong dramas is why longform dramas have been dying in terms of viewership, and C-net also mocks what appears to be obvious data inflation through multiple ways.
Whether one likes the drama or not (and the leads put in a lot of effort, which is also why I wince on their behalf), the following idol dramas are all not healthy for ML in a relationship: TUS, LITC, PoJ, UJ, Glory, etc
In "Dream of Golden Years", I appreciate the screenwriters and directors doing their best to put together a well-executed production while respecting the cast as much as possible.
In C-Ent once upon a time, kisses in a drama were not the norm. What I have experienced on MDL are inexperienced viewers presuming to lecture some of us just because someone watched dramas after 2010, hence they think they know everything about C-Ent. The best comedy I have encountered are the ones that presume to lecture me about C-Ent based on their need to rely on subtitles.
I have also met lovely people on MDL, where our exchanges are enjoyable and educational and silly with each other XD
If you want a healthy drama, "Dream of Golden Years" also recalls HK dramas of the 90s that some of us would know. Directors are actually paying attention to when kisses are not appropriate, instead of going overboard with fanservice: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25516638
Here is a whole bunch of older more-experienced viewers on this page finally fed up with people going on about kisses, as if this drama's worth and quality was only dependent on having kisses or not: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25511216
I wrote in one of my replies: [ These comments are from someone who clearly understands C-Ent for more than 30 years:
And if people want to drop this drama because the kisses didn't manifest fast enough due to old-school realism ie I expected any kisses to happen only in the 90s, I strongly encourage them to do so alongside a dose of how the 80s for PDA and affection in China worked: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25510706
If you wish to rant further about C-Ent, DMs is good but this page might not be the avenue for it. I will not be derailing the page further, so this is my final comment about C-Ent for this thread.
Perhaps you should reconsider C-dramas for future watching, if they are primarily idol dramas. You can always ask for recs.
You supposedly watched 38 episodes of "Fated Hearts", and then claimed: [ And on top of that, the story…
Not everyone has to like a drama. People drop dramas for various reasons. But it's abnormally odd that someone would sit through all 38 episodes of a drama (it's not a mini-drama), just to tell people not to waste their time on said drama while slamming it in the strongest possible manner. I won't be surprised if and when you do the same thing to "Dream of Golden Years".
Your comment is much-appreciated, so I could share it and people can see what you intend with entire context. Thank you :D
So whole drama was just fl's dream? Whats the point then?? 🙄(I didn't watch it, just saw comments about this)
You supposedly watched 38 episodes of "Fated Hearts", and then claimed:
[ And on top of that, the story is bad. Fl acting is bad. Main leads have no chemistry. Their love story was nothing special felt very closeted like no one cares kind of. Anybody who wants to start...DON'T! WASTE OF TIME!! ]
It’s a common thing in C-dramas to humiliate the MLs and show that FLs don’t care about the ML’s feelings.…
Your comments don't apply to this drama.
Have you watched this drama? If so, have you watched until episode 26?
I completely disagree with you and the OP.
Since the OP decided to post an opinion that can be classified as a spoiler for what Xia Xiaolan decides to do with Du Zhaohui in episode 22 but also adds an interpretation of their own for the basis of her decision, here's what I share about episodes 22 to 26 for fundamental context influencing Xia Xiaolan's decision. The contents below are apparent to someone who watches all these episodes without FFWding or skipping parts of episodes.
The OP should consider rewatching episodes 22 and 26.
We are no longer in the era where the woman obeys the man because the man says so without a discussion and on the assumption that his word is final, which this drama overturns and continues to do so until the final episode. Zhou Cheng and Xiaolan's willingness to civilly and maturely agree, disagree and withhold hasty judgement across countless episodes is refreshing. That's a healthy relationship.
How can Xiaolan abuse Zhou Cheng or disregard him, when they are communicating frankly but withholding primary doubts and fears of self from each other since episode 22 until episode 26?
(those who decide to read the OP's comment can scroll down to read this too, but if you don't want to read spoilers for episode 22 to 26, avoid the rest of my comment):
. > > > > > > > >
Episode 22 -> Xia Xiaolan is obviously very unsettled about herself. From the start of this episode, she learns Jiang Yan's mother wants Zhou Cheng for Jiang Yan. At 7:30 when Du Zhaohui calls, Xia Xiaolan didn't hide the taking of the call or who he is from Zhou Cheng. Xia Xiaolan's discussion with Du Zhaohui requires him to sell certain material things important to him. Xia Xiaolan's bargain agreement with Du Zhaohui to help Du Zhaohui beat his half-brother isn't one of trust, but business. She questions Du Zhaohui, and reveals the contents of the previous meeting with Zhou Cheng in the hospital. Du Zhaohui alludes to this discussion at 17:52 that he will have no way out if he goes ahead with her plan.
Xia Xiaolan also reveals who Vivi actually is. Zhou Cheng requests Xia Xiaolan to stay away from Du Zhaohui, and after she hears his explanation, she adds her own viewpoint. As the conversation between Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng continues, she realises Zhou Cheng is influenced by the same doubts she has: Whether his actions of continuing to investigate the smuggling case will harm others, since Shi Kai died and Jiang Yan is injured with burns. Xiaolan asks him honestly if Zhou Cheng will still be himself, if he gives up this case and allow Shi Kai's death to be what it is. Zhou Cheng doesn't answer. Xia Xiaolan then assures Zhou Cheng she will protect herself.
At 18:00 (this is an important point), after talking to Du Zhaohui on the phone, Xiaolan alludes to the fact that she has forgotten so many things. She can't remember numbers that no longer have meaning in her diary. She doesn't know how much or how little time she has left in this timeline. She wants to have the matter of the smugglers and Xia Ziyu resolved. At this point, Zhou Cheng still doesn't know about her deepest fears and her origins.
Jiang Yan's mother is very insistent in this episode to push Jiang Yan and Zhou Cheng together, but Zhou Cheng publicly rebuts Jiang Yan's mother at 23:19. At 32:00 onwards, Kang Wei assures Zhou Cheng while adding his own perspective. Xiaolan assures Zhou Cheng that she trusts him. She also tells him not to worry. Her self-doubts return at 25:30, as to whether she is the actual cause of all these accidents and Zhou Cheng faces dangers because of her existence. Should she push him away? How long more does she have in this timeline? She has questions but no answers. Episode 22 emphasises her self-doubts and plight of memories, which she is hiding from everyone.
Across the next few episodes until episode 26, Xiaolan shares her different views and what happens with Zhou Cheng about different matters. Episode 23 about her thoughts regarding land and houses is shared with Zhou Cheng.
In episode 26, Jiang Yan, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng have a frank conversation. Jiang Yan is refreshingly frank, and Xiaolan appreciates it. In Xiaolan's mind, she is thinking of Jiang Yan and Zhou Cheng's current situation. Zhou Cheng has been aware that something is bothering Xiaolan across these episodes, but he cannot put his finger on it.
At 23:13, Zhou Cheng has seen her diary in her flashback, and that pivotal rooftop conversation happens between Zhou Cheng and Xiaolan. She confesses what she is, clearly afraid she will lose him. But it doesn't turn out as she expected. By 29:36, Zhou Cheng shares his realisation about why she was behaving so strangely, in rushing everything because her memories were messed up.
He even asks Xiaolan if she wanted to push him towards Jiang Yan, when she saw them seated together and didn't interrupt. She frankly answers that yes, she considered it but immediately regretted the thought. After hearing why, Zhou Cheng assures her that love is not a burden, and neither is her existence in this timeline. By 33:11, Zhou Cheng shares his thoughts and assures her not to be worried and afraid.
This rooftop conversation is pivotal and full of details that my comment can't cover. It puts context to everything in episodes 22 to 26 from Xia Xiaolan's POV, plus it also enables Zhou Cheng to understand why she seemed distant at times from him. However, in all other matters, Xia Xiaolan didn't hide anything from Zhou Cheng.. They reinforce their couplehood after that pivotal rooftop conversation.
From episodes 22 to 26, this is what issues look like and are thankfully resolved.
2 
7 
1 
3 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
https://kisskh.at/766289-frozen-awakening#comment-25713352
Another viewer Owlcritic provided a summary, including pointing out that the production team for "Princess Agents" had to change names and more due to not buying copyrights to the novel, plus "Princess Agents" also had to change scenes to try to avoid plagiarism issues with the novel since the production team didn't have the copyright.
As to primary plagiarism issue, this is due to the author of the novel and not the production team:
https://dramapanda.com/2020/06/novoland-pearl-eclipse-author-xiao-ruse.html
https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/plagiarism-scandal-plagues-princess-agents-producers-listed-affiliates
"Rebirth" is by a different production team, the author is on board this drama unlike "Princess Agents", and this drama supposedly covers the whole novel while "Princess Agents" only covered half the novel:
https://kisskh.at/766289-frozen-awakening#comment-25705098
I've watched two episodes and for me, given the contents and execution of storyline this far, I don't feel the need to watch "Princess Agents" to enjoy it or emphatise with the characters because the first episode really cuts the heart where it matters. For a sequel, what I have watched comes across more strongly to me as a remake.
ETA to add: This is supposed to be a sequel but what matters is how and what is covered.
https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20260407A06T9I00 -> This lengthier article explains differences between both dramas, while lauding this new drama for restoring the essence of the original novel, labelling this drama as an epic about redemption, personal growth and country. Considering the themes of kindness, love, betrayal and redemption and what the article is describing about various characters, romance doesn't seem to be a focal point of this drama.
Neo Hou did a good job in FoF as Zhao Yuanzhou (Director GJM didn't even know what he wanted his ML to be). But I prefer less filters, and his role in "Glory" gave him a lot of space to demonstrate his range.
I usually prefer non-romance dramas, unless something makes me squee like "Dream of Golden Years" or "Love and Destiny". "Egg and Stone" as a wuxia parody gave me a stomachache. Storyline always comes first, with certain standards in screenwriting and editing for me. "Rebirth" is now airing, first 5 episodes have dropped on IQiyi. It's a remake, not a prequel or a sequel. The production team for "Princess Agents" only covered half the novel and didn't buy the rights, so they had to change a lot of names. This production team has no such issues, so everyone has original names.
For more about this drama: https://kisskh.at/766289-frozen-awakening#comment-25705098
Second episode continues to be as vividly intriguing 14 minutes in, while the plot progresses smoothly. Looks like I won't be needing to watch Princess Agents to enjoy this drama.
Not sure if I can finish 5 episodes today. What a great start!
https://www.reddit.com/r/cdramasfans/comments/1sd8efa/veil_of_shadows_mythological_roots_folklore_a/
Bronze Bell River on reddit made a fairly helpful post, for those who want to understand how word magic works, and more. I quote a small portion:
[ Veil of Shadows 《月麟綺纪》 isn’t making much sense to many folks who are unfamiliar with Chinese mythology and folklore. Instead of detailed episode recaps, I thought I’d rather ‘unveil’ some mystery behind the characters and their mythological roots.
The drama uses the concept of Painted Skin literally, as characters like Wu Shiguang use masks to change their faces, and the fox demons can assume human forms. The drama takes the classic premise and expands it, asking: Who is wearing a mask? Who is the real monster? Can a monster's love be genuine? ]
~*~*~*~*~
In episode one, the four leads enter this drama with specific names. Those names might contain a certain extent and details of foreshadowing, if you understand what each name means. I do not want any of these names for myself or anyone I value.
ETA, as requested by one of my MDL friends: This link contains unavoidable spoilers also pertaining to unaired episodes ie episode 15 onwards, in order to grasp the entirety of each name. Read this entire link only if you are fine with this.
This is a link explaining four of those names, where Google translate can capture the details sufficiently: https://ent.sina.cn/2026-04-04/detail-inhthnkm3286331.d.html
1) 陆无一 (Lu Wuyi) -> Ju Jingyi
2) 纪灵 (Ji Ling)-> Tian Jiarui
3) 雾妄言 (Wu Wang Yan) -> Chen Duling
4) 伍拾光 (Wu Shiguang) -> Joseph Zeng
Some of us have advantages, such as being natives in a language foreign to others, possibly understanding media backgrounds more easily, etc.
One of my friends told me recently about a drama I recced, which she happened to watch after a recently-aired drama that she was curious about had just finished.
She took apart the main plot, plot-holes, poorly-conveyed politics, settings, social class system, lack of realism in storylines of both leads, acting etc for the recently-aired drama and at the end, she said that if it wasn't for ML's facecard, she wouldn't have finished. But the lack of realism was perfect for her at that point to get through what she needed to, and then when she watched what I had recced, she said my rec was so much better in all aspects by comparison.
If you want to share your thoughts on your hypothesis by DMs, do so.
I did not rec "Dream of Golden Years" to her because I know retro drama isn't her cup of tea. I have also recced a specific Neo Hou drama for her, and I hope she'll like it :)
I have previously encouraged people to drop this drama because they made it seem so unbearable to watch, given their comments. You're barking up the wrong tree.
The person I chose to address plastered another drama page with multiple comments about how extremely bad they think the drama is, after supposedly wasting their time on all 38 episodes of a longform drama. I simply shared one of those comments.
Once upon a time, I naively believed people on an MDL page sincerely agree and disagree, honestly post about what they like and don't like, and wouldn't attempt to dissuade others from watching a drama because they have another drama or actor or actress they want to succeed at the expense of another drama (this final point from some fans who are keen on fandoms is quite stupid because frankly, variety is the spice of life, so why do stupid things like that?).
After having seen so many trolls in so many different variations on MDL (there's one troll lower-down in the comments on this page who goes around to different C-Ent actress pages insulting them, bullying other MDL users, and leaving racist anti-chinese comments, hence I replied to that one upon another's request elsewhere until the cowardly troll couldn't take my heat in the exchange and blocked me), what I believed was simply me being wrong about the goodness of taking everything at face value.
Turns out people here are just like other forums. And like other forums, I'll be careful of who I choose to listen to.
[You are weird to think everyone should like everything the same as you.] - Wow. This is you completely projecting your assumptions on me and getting it all wrong. You are aware that the world offline is not a popularity contest? I seriously hope you're more emotionally intelligent offline than what I'm seeing online here, because you'll cross the wrong people when you least intend it and if they are petty unlike me, they aren't going to shrug off your asinine observations.
Have a good day :)
Meanwhile, BoTG has become the highest-grossing wuxia film of all time as of 1 April, as Trinity CineAsia prepares for the launch of BoTG in cinemas of UK, Ireland and Malta from 17 April and 22 April onwards:
https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25686376
I've shared a link above, as an example of what I am referring to.
That C-Ent actor doesn't need hot searches or magazine covers. The lucrative earnings felt in tourism and other sectors for years as per the 2025 Datawin paper says it all.
~*~*~*~*~
After Wu Jing and Nicholas Tse, I hope the likes of Ci Sha and Yosh will take up the mantle. Li Yunxiao and Chen Lijun are actresses I would like to see more of, considering their Yue opera backgrounds and how well they have fared in this film. Wu Jing and Zhang Jin made quite an impact in this movie, as did Jet Li. This is the one film where only Wu Jing could be Dao Ma.
I have just happily made an update about BoTG :D: https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25686376
And prior to this movie airing, I put together an article for the movie: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/cinematic-wuxia-epic-blades-of-the-guardians-premieres-on-february-17
[ ...When Wu Jing starred in the 1998 TV series The Tai Chi Master for his debut, one of the directors was Yuen Woo Ping. Director Yuen has also collaborated significantly with Jet Li, such as personally directing the 1993 classic kungfu movie Tai Chi Master, which has aired countless times on television. Master Z: Yip Man Legacy, starring Zhang Jin, was also directed by him. Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen will not be further mentioned here, since they did not participate in this film.
News about the recent death of Hong Kong action star Bruce Leung Siu Lung has made people realise that collaborations between action stars and filmmakers of all generations are incredibly rare. Leung Siu Lung is a few years younger than action star and martial artist Ti Lung. Both action stars are recognised as part of the "Four Dragons of Chinese Cinema" alongside Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and Ti Lung is almost the same age as Yuen Woo Ping.
The number of action filmmakers from this generation who can continue to make films is decreasing. Several generations of action stars rubbing more than shoulders in this big-budget wuxia movie is slated to be a masterpiece of this era.... ]
After I finished watching BoTG on 22 February, also wrote a review (below is a small quoted portion from spoiler-free sections): https://kisskh.at/profile/Xiang83/review/545026
[Fans of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Beat Takeshi and Kurosawa Akira will enjoy this blockbuster deserving of the best cinematic screens. Iconic Samurai films in Japan and Wild West films in USA are akin to Wuxia films in China and HK: They are quintessential classics able to incorporate partial modern adaptations but solidly traditional in many aspects. What are pros and cons of condensing multiple volumes (equivalent to 15 episodes of a well-received animated series) into 126 minutes?
... Li Yunxiao as Yanzi-niang is perfect. Her Yue Opera background with speciality focus on Huadan role enables a wily charming female sharing Wu dialect in a unique manner with a cadence reminiscent of Suzhou pingtan, utilising flirtation as a weapon, as distinctive as Maggie Cheung portraying saucy calculating multi-faceted Jin Xiang Yu in “New Dragon Gate Inn”. Her performance is so vividly arresting that Xu Xianzhe intends to significantly expand on Yanzi-niang in his manhua...
...Chen Lijun has 20 years of experience in Yue Opera since age 13, domestically popular with Li Yunxiao in Yue Opera performances which always sell-out. Her training in various roles (specifically as xiaosheng, which includes martial arts training) enables her to express and flexibly adapt to physical demands and emotional extremes of Ayuya becoming a leader...
...In an ever-changing world regardless of circumstances, love and loyalty are steadfast to define justice in chivalry ie 有情有义有侠义! Etymology of "镖" in the movie title enables one to understand the history, core of the film and crucial keypoint of the plot plus characters...
...Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, and Chen Lijun use actual weapons while incorporating wrestling styles from Northwest China alongside dance movements of Dolan Uyghurs from Xinjiang within their combat movements. Yuen Woo-ping also narrates individual stories through each character’s martial arts style evolution or stagnation. Dao Ma has several different styles and able to switch between at least 7 different weapons. Di Ting uses double bamboo-section whips, but his style remains fixed.
This film is packed with trivia and cultural references. I recommend bridges. I am slower to recommend a quintessentially traditional classic film or drama. Not understanding history, culture plus language will easily lead to missing out between 40% to 60% of the context... ]
https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25686376
https://x.com/CineAsiaUK/status/2039350594389885183
Trinity CineAsia has also pinned the official trailer (with their own additions) to the top of their x.com page: https://x.com/CineAsiaUK/status/2038668724077543814
Leicester Square last week on Tuesday night saw a gathering of at least 160 people including film critics, martial arts enthusiasts, new fans, and industry professionals to share their excitement and passion for wuxia and this film:
https://x.com/CineAsiaUK/status/2039734341446561930
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202604/03/WS69cf179ca310d6866eb418f9.html
Special performance Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWkEpM5gCT5/
Special Performance Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fu_3Q4t3R3Y
Hashtags recently trending include #镖人打破武侠片26年的全球票房纪录# and #镖人登顶武侠片全球票房冠军#
If you want to see a bit more than the trailer as per the movie, the 4th video in this link helps: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5283557951673477
There's nothing like sharing passion with fellow enthusiasts!
Chen Lijun's footage on horseback (before editing): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5283968559879922
Gushing write-up about Chen Lijun as Ayuya: https://m.weibo.cn/status/5270676439304501
The amazing sisterhood of Ayuya and A-ni (spoilers from the movie): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5281095735574606
Written take of admiration on CiSha as He Yixuan: https://m.weibo.cn/status/5269074420696832
Evolution of Shu within 27 seconds of the movie: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271719069877996
Where did I see that compilation of Yosh practising and showing off his sword techniques alongside pyrotechnics? I'll find it for a future post :D
If love is about receiving literal forceful affection, Chen Lijun being paired with CiSha really made for more than one painful take (and CiSha's consolation wasn't helping XD): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273123389966367
Many of the younger cast members at the commencement of the CMG Film Festival in Beijing celebrating 120 years of Chinese cinema, with Wu Jing and Tony Leung Ka-fai: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5278613718958409
In February 2026 when BoTG had racked up more than 900 million RMB within 9 days, the top ten wuxia films of China for the past 30 years as of 25 February are: https://m.weibo.cn/status/5270276023780833
Wuxia films in general haven't done well at the China box office, with a majority of films usually not grossing more than 100 million RMB, especially since Covid. As of 25 February, #2 for wuxia films in domestic box office history took more than 80 days to reach that final box office figure in 2025, only to be easily surpassed by BoTG within 6 days and flattened by BoTG.
Be it USA or Malaysia, BoTG launching in those countries on 17 February also relied primarily on word of mouth with little to no pre-promotions. BoTG has grossed more than 1.43 billion RMB domestically and is a tremendous exception for a wuxia film, and the results are not finished!
The domestic box office run ends in ten days on 16 April, to be continued internationally from 17 April onwards. Xu Xianzhe is probably now sketching a lot of Shu for the sequel XD
Sandstorms are real during shooting, and here's an example (Wu Jing, Yosh and Chen Lijun get comfy): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5276747191025736
Very certain the likes of Donnie Yen are wishing they had been in BoTG. But there's always the sequel :D
I'm going to hope this drama will air within 12 months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqA62pbMDKE&list=PLpOa-OrneXm1UHzqY99-PTO7seznpCFho
It is interesting in how he gradually thaws her with the first two exchanges, and then it gets really interesting, once the third exchange is initiated.
If your rant is based primarily on idol dramas set in ancient times, I can understand. Note that if a production is a drama set in ancient times, emotional intelligence and equality usually isn't going to apply because of the era.
If you're ranting about modern-era idol C-dramas ie after 1990s... I'm curious: What is your understanding of beliefs and approaches in interactive communication within Chinese culture, which varies depending on the generation?
If you're going to ask me about equality in C-dramas and quality productions in C-Ent, I say making dramas primarily to focus on traffic actors and actresses looking good plus platforms pushing the wrong dramas is why longform dramas have been dying in terms of viewership, and C-net also mocks what appears to be obvious data inflation through multiple ways.
Whether one likes the drama or not (and the leads put in a lot of effort, which is also why I wince on their behalf), the following idol dramas are all not healthy for ML in a relationship: TUS, LITC, PoJ, UJ, Glory, etc
In "Dream of Golden Years", I appreciate the screenwriters and directors doing their best to put together a well-executed production while respecting the cast as much as possible.
In C-Ent once upon a time, kisses in a drama were not the norm. What I have experienced on MDL are inexperienced viewers presuming to lecture some of us just because someone watched dramas after 2010, hence they think they know everything about C-Ent. The best comedy I have encountered are the ones that presume to lecture me about C-Ent based on their need to rely on subtitles.
I have also met lovely people on MDL, where our exchanges are enjoyable and educational and silly with each other XD
If you want a healthy drama, "Dream of Golden Years" also recalls HK dramas of the 90s that some of us would know. Directors are actually paying attention to when kisses are not appropriate, instead of going overboard with fanservice: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25516638
Here is a whole bunch of older more-experienced viewers on this page finally fed up with people going on about kisses, as if this drama's worth and quality was only dependent on having kisses or not: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25511216
I wrote in one of my replies: [ These comments are from someone who clearly understands C-Ent for more than 30 years:
https://kisskh.at/486-chinese-paladin#comment-16908031
https://kisskh.at/486-chinese-paladin#comment-16973239 ]
And if people want to drop this drama because the kisses didn't manifest fast enough due to old-school realism ie I expected any kisses to happen only in the 90s, I strongly encourage them to do so alongside a dose of how the 80s for PDA and affection in China worked: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25510706
If you wish to rant further about C-Ent, DMs is good but this page might not be the avenue for it. I will not be derailing the page further, so this is my final comment about C-Ent for this thread.
Perhaps you should reconsider C-dramas for future watching, if they are primarily idol dramas. You can always ask for recs.
Some recs are mentioned here: https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25663546
Thank you for sharing your views :)
Your comment is much-appreciated, so I could share it and people can see what you intend with entire context. Thank you :D
[ And on top of that, the story is bad. Fl acting is bad. Main leads have no chemistry. Their love story was nothing special felt very closeted like no one cares kind of.
Anybody who wants to start...DON'T! WASTE OF TIME!! ]
https://kisskh.at/768987-wan-xin-ji#comment-25419356
Nobody has liked that comment of yours yet. That's an interesting comment.
Are you asking about this drama due to curiosity, or are you preparing to slam it the way you gave your view about "Fated Hearts"?
Have you watched this drama? If so, have you watched until episode 26?
I completely disagree with you and the OP.
Since the OP decided to post an opinion that can be classified as a spoiler for what Xia Xiaolan decides to do with Du Zhaohui in episode 22 but also adds an interpretation of their own for the basis of her decision, here's what I share about episodes 22 to 26 for fundamental context influencing Xia Xiaolan's decision. The contents below are apparent to someone who watches all these episodes without FFWding or skipping parts of episodes.
The OP should consider rewatching episodes 22 and 26.
We are no longer in the era where the woman obeys the man because the man says so without a discussion and on the assumption that his word is final, which this drama overturns and continues to do so until the final episode. Zhou Cheng and Xiaolan's willingness to civilly and maturely agree, disagree and withhold hasty judgement across countless episodes is refreshing. That's a healthy relationship.
How can Xiaolan abuse Zhou Cheng or disregard him, when they are communicating frankly but withholding primary doubts and fears of self from each other since episode 22 until episode 26?
(those who decide to read the OP's comment can scroll down to read this too, but if you don't want to read spoilers for episode 22 to 26, avoid the rest of my comment):
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Episode 22 -> Xia Xiaolan is obviously very unsettled about herself. From the start of this episode, she learns Jiang Yan's mother wants Zhou Cheng for Jiang Yan. At 7:30 when Du Zhaohui calls, Xia Xiaolan didn't hide the taking of the call or who he is from Zhou Cheng. Xia Xiaolan's discussion with Du Zhaohui requires him to sell certain material things important to him. Xia Xiaolan's bargain agreement with Du Zhaohui to help Du Zhaohui beat his half-brother isn't one of trust, but business. She questions Du Zhaohui, and reveals the contents of the previous meeting with Zhou Cheng in the hospital. Du Zhaohui alludes to this discussion at 17:52 that he will have no way out if he goes ahead with her plan.
Xia Xiaolan also reveals who Vivi actually is. Zhou Cheng requests Xia Xiaolan to stay away from Du Zhaohui, and after she hears his explanation, she adds her own viewpoint. As the conversation between Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng continues, she realises Zhou Cheng is influenced by the same doubts she has: Whether his actions of continuing to investigate the smuggling case will harm others, since Shi Kai died and Jiang Yan is injured with burns. Xiaolan asks him honestly if Zhou Cheng will still be himself, if he gives up this case and allow Shi Kai's death to be what it is. Zhou Cheng doesn't answer. Xia Xiaolan then assures Zhou Cheng she will protect herself.
At 18:00 (this is an important point), after talking to Du Zhaohui on the phone, Xiaolan alludes to the fact that she has forgotten so many things. She can't remember numbers that no longer have meaning in her diary. She doesn't know how much or how little time she has left in this timeline. She wants to have the matter of the smugglers and Xia Ziyu resolved. At this point, Zhou Cheng still doesn't know about her deepest fears and her origins.
Jiang Yan's mother is very insistent in this episode to push Jiang Yan and Zhou Cheng together, but Zhou Cheng publicly rebuts Jiang Yan's mother at 23:19. At 32:00 onwards, Kang Wei assures Zhou Cheng while adding his own perspective. Xiaolan assures Zhou Cheng that she trusts him. She also tells him not to worry. Her self-doubts return at 25:30, as to whether she is the actual cause of all these accidents and Zhou Cheng faces dangers because of her existence. Should she push him away? How long more does she have in this timeline? She has questions but no answers. Episode 22 emphasises her self-doubts and plight of memories, which she is hiding from everyone.
Across the next few episodes until episode 26, Xiaolan shares her different views and what happens with Zhou Cheng about different matters. Episode 23 about her thoughts regarding land and houses is shared with Zhou Cheng.
In episode 26, Jiang Yan, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng have a frank conversation. Jiang Yan is refreshingly frank, and Xiaolan appreciates it. In Xiaolan's mind, she is thinking of Jiang Yan and Zhou Cheng's current situation. Zhou Cheng has been aware that something is bothering Xiaolan across these episodes, but he cannot put his finger on it.
At 23:13, Zhou Cheng has seen her diary in her flashback, and that pivotal rooftop conversation happens between Zhou Cheng and Xiaolan. She confesses what she is, clearly afraid she will lose him. But it doesn't turn out as she expected. By 29:36, Zhou Cheng shares his realisation about why she was behaving so strangely, in rushing everything because her memories were messed up.
He even asks Xiaolan if she wanted to push him towards Jiang Yan, when she saw them seated together and didn't interrupt. She frankly answers that yes, she considered it but immediately regretted the thought. After hearing why, Zhou Cheng assures her that love is not a burden, and neither is her existence in this timeline. By 33:11, Zhou Cheng shares his thoughts and assures her not to be worried and afraid.
This rooftop conversation is pivotal and full of details that my comment can't cover. It puts context to everything in episodes 22 to 26 from Xia Xiaolan's POV, plus it also enables Zhou Cheng to understand why she seemed distant at times from him. However, in all other matters, Xia Xiaolan didn't hide anything from Zhou Cheng.. They reinforce their couplehood after that pivotal rooftop conversation.
From episodes 22 to 26, this is what issues look like and are thankfully resolved.