emberzmars

Bad romance & draggy Chinese Republican era drama

I enjoyed Yang Yu Bin's costume drama which he co-starred with Wang Zi Jia. I found out that Yang Yu Bin acted in Chinese Republican era drama so I was excited. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this drama.

What I liked:
1. Yang Yu Bin - He was captivating on screen. I liked his acting even though I didn't have strong feelings for his character.
2. Styling - I must say Yang Yu Bin looked damn fine in Chinese Republican era military uniform. I also liked his black trench coat.

What I disliked:
1. Romance - It was a bad romance. There were sweet gestures and spicy moments. However there was no trust between FL & ML even until the end. A lot of assumptions made because no honesty between them.
2. FL characterisation - I didn't like her character at all. She was always suspicious of ML so she lied to him all the time. She's a blind follower, just following instructions without feeling the need to follow her instincts and investigate the truth.
3. Duration - This drama was 2.5 hour long and I found it draggy.
4. Transmigration - I felt this wasn't required since FL just followed the course set for the original character that she inhabited.

Favourite scene
When FL celebrated ML's birthday

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Interesting premise ruined by frequent ads

I got curious about this series when a reddit user requested a link to the drama. Since it's less than 40 minutes, I decided to watch it. I have mixed feelings.

What I liked:
1. Plot - I liked that both FL & ML worked at a matchmaking agency. This is a body swap story so it was amusing to see them coping being in the other people's body.
2. Supporting characters - I liked the photographer & painter couple. Very short screen time but their story spoke volume.
3 Tone - It's very light hearted.
4. Duration - Less than 40 minutes.

What I disliked:
1. Product placement - I get it that JD.com invested in this drama but the ads were excessive and overshadowing the whole story.
2. Writing - Because of the constant ads, the story of main couple is heavily affected. I couldn't connect with them.

Favourite scene
At the art gallery

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Second chance romance with sexy ML & wise daughter

I watched this drama because a reddit user requested for a link to the drama. I thought Wei Fan Shu resembled Gina Jin in the poster. I had watched her drama with Huang Bo just a few days ago and enjoyed her acting. I had not seen any Nie Bo Xuan drama so I got curious. I enjoyed this drama immensely.

What I liked:
1. ML characterisation - He was a sweetheart. He was dumped by FL but his love ran deep. Instead of enacting revenge, he supported FL by the sideline. I liked that he listened to her and was respectful of her decisions even though he didn't necessarily agree with them.
2 FL characterisation - Overall I liked FL despite her not being truthful. It was a defense mechanism. Anyway my favourite moment of her character is when she questioned Vice President's announcement of best employee award winner. In other dramas, someone else raised concern, never FL.
3. Romance - This is a second chance romance and the reconciliation did take time. I liked ML's subtle moves especially when they stayed over at his grandma's house. I loved that ML wanted to talk about their relationship. That scene of them playing pool was emotional and sensual.
4. Acting - I was impressed by Nie Bo Xuan's acting & aura in this drama. The child actress who played their daughter was awesome.
5. Styling - I liked the clothes worn by the cast. Wei Fan Shu was very pretty in this drama.
6. Supporting characters - I really liked the daughter, ML's assistant (his inner monologues were too funny) and ML's grandma.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - SML was manipulative and envious. Hated her for wanting to harm a child.
2. FL's action - I didn't like that she kept her daughter's identity from ML for too long especially after ML had proven that he's on her side.

Favourite scene
When ML spoke French to FL and then FL responded to the crowd

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Gullible FL who kept getting bullied by relatives

I watched this drama because I was in the mood for Huang Bo's dramas. Sadly this drama didn't meet my expectations. I don't recommend watching this drama.

What I liked:
1. Supporting characters - I liked ML's grandma and subordinate.
2. Grief - I think this scene was done well thanks to the actress who played FL.

What I disliked:
1. FL characterisation - She was gullible and easily fooled by her uncle & cousin. She was a damsel in distress that required saving by ML.
2. Romance - There was no romantic relationship between them. ML might liked FL thus caref for her but FL seemed indifferent to their romantic relationship. She never made any effort to be his wife - she's convinced that they only married because of the baby.
3. Bullying - There was too much bullying in this drama and most are outrageous & violent.
4. Antagonists - Uncle & cousin were atrocious & materialistic.

Favourite scene
When FL & ML had a conversation about their child

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Sizzling chemistry made this family dispute drama enjoyable

I watched this drama early 2025 when I just got into vertical dramas. I was already a fan of Zhang Chu Xuan and have watched Xie Yu Wang in another drama. I enjoyed this drama.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Zhang Chu Xuan and Xie Yu Wang's off-the-charts chemistry made their characters' romance believable. Good balance of push & pull dynamics. There were good kisses, sweet gestures & cute banters.
2. Main characters - Both main characters were likeable. There was vulnerable side to FL's character.
3. Supporting characters - I liked ML's grandma & brother (by now June 2025, I have seen him in many supporting roles I need to get his name). I also liked FL's accomplice Ye Qi & master.
4. Antagonist - I liked the mysterious antagonist trying to bring down ML.
5. Hidden identity - I actually enjoy the way hidden identity was employed in this drama.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - This drama was released in 2023 so the plot is typical of that year. FL's family waa terrible. Gosh it was nice to see Wang Yun Yun playing SFL green tea because my first drama of hers she was already playing FL. Her character in this drama was mean.

Favourite scene
Secret weapon

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Heartfelt Chinese BL with thought provoking dialogue & fiery chemistry

I saw this poster on MDL's newly added dramas search results. I don't watch many BL but this caught my attention again when I noticed MDL user Jelena Petrovic's rave comments on my feed. I enjoyed this short drama immensely.

What I liked:
1. Qin Jialin - Wow his acting impressed me very much. His micro expressions were on point that I had empathy for his character from the start of the drama. Gosh, Qin Jialin was damn sexy not just the physique but also in the way he spoke. At times Qin Jialin resembled Korean actor-idol Park Hyung Sik.
2. Chen Xi characterisation - I knew he was a troubled soul from the first moment Hao Yu threatened him. He was nonchalant about life after being abandoned by former lover.
3. Hao Yu characterisation - He seemed tough but he was a softie & green when it came to life experiences.
4. Romance - There was sexual tension between the two men right from the start - well maybe that shower scene at the very beginning prompted us the audience. The first intimate scene was 🔥 even though Hao Yu was resistant.
5. Writing - This story had heart, genuine affection. There was a chat about the meaning of life. I liked it that way because most BL dramas that been marketed on streaming platforms heavily emphasised on lust.

What I disliked:
1. Ending - I felt like it was abrupt. In addition to their growing relationship, I also want to know about their individual growth after they got together. It seems like hope will drive them to get out of the funk that they're experiencing.

Favourite scene
When Hao Yu found Chen Xi at the beach contemplating life

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FL was reborn but remained unlikeable till the end

I am determined to watch as many Huang Bo dramas as I can for my next assignment. I chose this drama because it was less than 100 minutes and uses reborn trope. I have mixed feelings about this drama.

What I liked:
1. Reborn - I liked that both ML & FL were reborn and took separate paths from their past lives.
2. Makeup - Kudos to the makeup artist for creating a realistic aged look for FL. She looked haggard with wrinkles, dark circles & pigmentation as the harmful medication took a toll on her.
3. FL characterisation - I'd say she's anti-hero instead of villain here because this drama is from her perspective. I liked that she is an unlikeable character but with pitiful moments. The actress who played FL did very well with her role.
4. Ending - I was surprised by how SML & his wife's story was wrapped up.
5. Supporting characters - It's great to see SML being the bigger devil than FL. I was also surprised by his staff supported him in his quest to dupe FL.

What I disliked:
1. Screentime - It's a shame that Huang Bo got little screentime despite the top billing. Wish we could see more of ML's life journey because I don't watch many ML reborn stories.
2. FL's actions - FL was so materialistic that she did not care about her responsibilities as a company president. Such a silly girl!

Favourite scene
When FL realised she had been duped by SML

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Writer & director were too indulgent on FL - ML chemistry that they forgot how to tell a good story

I wanted to watch something on Youku so I picked this drama because of mini drama format and jiejie romance trope.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wang Jun Hao and Feng Xi Yao gave good performances and had sizzling acting chemistry.
2. Romance - There was so much sexual tension at the start. I could sense desire felt by them. It was great when they finally got together. Nice kisses though I wish there were more kisses once misunderstanding cleared.
3. Styling - Beautiful outfits for both FL & ML. Their visual chemistry was off the charts too.
4. Supporting characters - I liked Tuan, ML's colleague and FL's bestie.

What I disliked:
1. Second half - The drama started going downhill when ML's father told FL that FL & ML were biological siblings. I hated that FL didn't talk about it with ML - instead she demanded a breakup. I watched the second half at 4.0 x the speed to ensure I could mark this drama as complete. Indulgence could have been done in standard 24-episode format.
2. Car accident - I thought FL would focus on car accident that caused her parents' death but nope, this task was put on hold because other things happened.
3. Antagonists - Main antagonist was badly written. Too much screentime given to Qiu Yu & Shasha. Shasha is niece of Aunt Yun but she isn't wealthy nor working. I don't understand the value she brings if she had married ML Her character didn't add value to the story.

Favourite scene
When they first kissed

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Likeable main characters but the romance was underdeveloped

I was going through iQiyi's shorts catalogue and found this drama. The synopsis intrigued me and I am a fan of Zhao Guan Yu.

What I liked:
1. Main characters - Both main characters hid their true identity from one another because they were rich and wanted to avoid gold diggers. Both FL & ML were likeable but I found FL was too nice to allow someone else to use her identity for too long.
2. Humour - Light-hearted comedy.
3. Uncle - niece dynamic - This dynamic was interesting because there were ups and downs. There was a time uncle was competing with FL for company succession / inheritance but they worked together on bringing down impostor.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Too much time given to the impostor. I was surprised she could get away with her fake identity after the exclusive lift scuffle.
2. Romance - Underdeveloped. Hardly any scene of them developing a romantic relationship.

Favourite scene
The starting was hilarious

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Must see romantic suspense drama with great acting and fiery chemistry

I discovered this drama when I was going through Huang Bo's filmography to update his MDL profile. This drama's synopsis intrigued me. I enjoyed this drama a lot and could watch this drama on repeat.

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - She was a drone developer. Great to see a female scientist in vertical dramas. She was smart to use her strength to save herself in difficult situations. Lun Rui Xue impressed me with her acting.
2. Romance - At first the relationship between FL and ML was more physical for survival but it's great to see it transition to love as both trusted and depended on each other to catch the villain and get out of that place. This is one of few dramas in which main couple works together on a common goal. There were hot kisses and sexy seduction.
3. ML characterisation - A complex character wonderfully portrayed by Huang Bo. ML is anti-hero trapped in an undercover mission waiting to finish and get out. I liked that I couldn't read him at first.
4. Antagonists - There are two types of antagonists: FL's family and the people behind human trafficking & drug smuggling. Both types were nicely developed though I wish there was more screentime for the mastermind behind the those big crimes.
5. Legacy - Legacy is one of the themes explored in this drama and I liked how it was written in many ways such as from perseptives of FL, ML and antagonists.
6. Fitness - I have been into keeping myself fit after a health scare. So I appreciate whenever a drama has scenes of physical training & fitness. Appreciated that this was shown as part of main couple's preparation to bring down the mastermind.

What I disliked:
1. Abuse - This story involves human trafficking which for me is hard to watch. Innocent women being duped then abused physically and mentally by heartless people.

Favourite scene
When ML revealed his identity to FL

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Painful to watch because of abuse endured by FL

I managed to watch this drama after Black Swan Strategy was released and before Youtube link got removed. I am a big fan of Wen Mo Yan and I enjoyed Wang Hao Xiang's dramas that I have watched. This drama was painful to watch. Trigger warning: Abuse, Self-harm

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - I liked that she took the opportunity to blow off steam when she wanted to be herself. I'd say she was mentally strong because of the tantrums her mother threw at her frequently.
2. Ending - Loved the ending! Very similar to Black Swan Strategy.
3. Styling - I liked the styling contrast between FL and her twin sister. Wen Mo Yan looked hot in biker chic getup.
4. Acting - Great acting by Wen Mo Yan and the actress who played FL's mother.
5. Relationship - I liked that ML was there for FL / played the role of a friend when she was at her lowest point. There were some kisses but that happened mostly at the start because drama was quite heavy from second act onwards.

What I disliked:
1. Abuse - FL's mother had mental health issues and she was abusive towards FL. It was painful to watch scenes of her hurting and threatening FL.
2. Confrontation - That scene between FL's ex fiancé and FL's mother was tense. Damn he was brutally honest with her mother that I was afraid of what she would do to herself and FL.
3. Chemistry - Unfortunately I didn't sense any romantic chemistry between Wen Mo Yan and Wang Hao Xiang.

Favourite scene
The ending

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This drama made me think of external locus of control

I am a massive fan of Guo Yuxin and was excited to watch her historical dramas because I had never done it before.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Solid acting by Guo Yuxin, Ceng Yi Tong, the actress who played SFL and Gu Ming.
2. Plot - This is my second reborn tale involving sisters. It's fascinating to watch how 2 characters, that were given another chance in life, lived their lives. I also enjoyed this drama for exploring the social status of ancient community even though it was brief.
3. Locus of control - Gosh, I learned about locus of control when studying psychology at university 20 years ago. I enjoyed watching the perspective of SFL who always blamed the outcomes of events in her life on external forces i.e. other people.
4. Ending - The last 10 minutes of the drama went from tragic to comedic. I liked how the leading 4 characters were wrapped up. There was a nice move on the 2 supporting characters too.
5. Styling - I love FL's outfits especially the aquamarine & lilac robes.

What I disliked:
1. Romance - Slow burn romance which is understandable because ML was a general. I wish there were more tender moments between FL & ML, not necessarily kisses or sex but more like handholding and playful banter.

Favourite scene
The ending for SFL & SML.

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Republican era reborn-revenge drama with sexy pairing & good acting

I was curious about Xu Jiang Shuai's work after watching She is Noble. Decided to watch this drama since I enjoy Yao Yu Chen's acting & I rarely watch Republican era vertical dramas.

What I liked:
1. Romance - There was chemistry between Yao Yu Chen and Xu Jiang Shuai making their intimate scenes sizzling hot.
2. FL characterisation - I liked that she approached ML to execute her revenge plans. Her revenge on her fiancé's mistress was amusing. Yao Yu Chen was great in this role.
3. ML characterisation - He was protectiveness of her. I liked that he was willing to go along with FL's scheming.
4. Styling - I loved the qipao worn by FL, the mistress and other female characters in this drama. Xu Jiang Shuai also looked dashing in the uniform of Republican era military officer.
5. Antagonists - Gu Jing'An is a villain I love to hate. Such a meaty character that pose threat to FL & ML.

What I disliked:
1. Cruelty - The abuse at the start of the drama was hard to watch.
2. Antagonist - The green tea that appeared in third act was annoying. I don't understand why she got to live in the same house of the couple.

Favourite scene
When villain ambushed ML to tarnish ML's reputation

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Supernatural murder mystery with a touch of romance

I was browsing through my iQiyi app when I found this drama. The synopsis intrigued me as it reminds me of Western supernatural series such as True Calling and Ghost Whisperer. So I clicked play and overall I liked this drama.

What I liked:
1. Supernatural theme - It's refreshing and I really enjoyed it.
2. FL characterisation - She's aloof but smart. I really liked that she's always a step ahead of others. Zhao Fei was excellent in this role.
3. ML characterisation - He's a workaholic but not overbearing. He's smart - I liked that he came out with a plan to convince shareholders.
4. Romance - As expected, there is romance. A sweet one but the chemistry between Zhao Fei and Yang Cheng Han was lacking for a romantic couple. I wish there were more warm moments by the couple so it would feel rewarding when they truly got together.
5. Supporting characters - I really liked ML's mother and FL's male friend. The two junior colleagues of FL were cute.

What I disliked:
1. Conclusion - What is the motive of the masked antagonist for killing FL's family? Was it explained? I want to know so please let me know.

Favourite scene
When FL's male friend fought against masked killer

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Fast paced spy drama that has light touch of Mr and Mrs Smith

I found out about this drama from reddit. Was in the mood for something quick and this fit the bill with the drama being under 90 minutes. This drama has light touch of Hollywood's Mr and Mrs Smith and was enjoyable.

What I liked:
1. Action scenes - I enjoyed the action scenes and appreciated the one on one battles between FL and ML. It's great to see kickass FL and kickass ML. I actually liked that ML acknowledged FL as his equal partner during their action scene.
2. Romance - Since both FL and ML had secret identity, their romance was done in two ways - sweet (when they run their daily lives) and spicy (when they were on missions). I wish there were more emotional pull between them before their secret identities were revealed.
3. Styling - One member said Yer Forger outfit which made me search online as I was unfamiliar. I liked FL's spy outfit.
4. Antagonist - The antagonist character was done well and I could feel that he's almost on par with the main characters unlike other antagonist. I liked how his character was wrapped up.

What I disliked:
1. Last fight - I thought this scene could be done better with a different strategy. Since we had 2 great spies, why work in silo?

Favourite scene
FL and antagonist in hotel room

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