Good article! Historical cdramas are pretty much my main genre (though I lean towards romantic comedy ones). I used to fear 40+ episodes too but now I think it makes sense for a lot of historical dramas with complex plots and obstacles. :)
For mainland China's recs, I wouldn't recommend Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion--it has pretty actors and has pretty aesthetics but its cinematography and writing levels aren't quite as high-tier as something like Goodbye My Princess. Instead, I recommend Story of Yanxi Palace.
For Republican Era (China), I recommend Arsenal Military Academy for a good mix of romance and patriotism.
I am usually the first to decry the piling on of a female lead whilst the male lead gets excessive praise, but…
She is just trying to NOT die. That's her entire motive. That's literally what happened in episode 3 and why she came back. She got out but Ashuang threatened her and her family, so she went back. That's not stupidity. That's trying to survive an impossible situation.
And there are several things to indicate that she's NOT stupid--having a photographic memory, using her art and pseudonym as Happy Fairy to make money, carrying sleeping powder to use in desperate situations (like when Song Zhi tried to harm her)--she's clever in some ways--but sure, she's just a moron. Okay, lol.
I can honestly say that I love them more in this drama specifically because Zhang Zhehan is actually allowed to have more expressions and they are able to be cute a lot more like bickering lol.
Wasn't really feeling Richard Wang as the ML but getting used to it and he's so hilarious lmao.
Eng subs on YouTube from episode 9 and on is very bad right now. :/ Might have to drop it as it's getting near incomprehensible which is unfortunate because this drama is strange but I'm still interested. The FL and ML are very refreshing and unique, but it's hard to keep watching with terrible English subs. It's a shame that international fans won't be able to enjoy this.
Started watching this because of Camille and although I like it so far (on ep 7), it is super confusing probably because Feng Ping's character so far is super mysterious! Also, I'm not sure what the serious plot is going to be other than something related to AI...
I wasn't too sure when the announcement was dropped earlier this year about this drama, but the trailer looks good! And I adore most of the actors so far. They look their age and seem to have natural chemistry and good acting. Although I'm worried about some of the darker aspects and how it will translate in 2020 (compared to how it was when the story came out over 20 years ago), I hope the Thai director/writer/producers will handle it well. So happy to see Bright and Win! The other two of F4 looks really cool too so I'm excited. I haven't seen Tu in a drama before, so I look forward to her performance! <3
Ten episodes in...looks like this time around, the main couple's romance will be a slow burn as it's taking quite…
Honestly, a big part of what's keeping me going is the OST lol. I love Ju Jingyi's singing for "Ancient Painting" and have been listening to it for weeks.
Everyone complaining about her voice: that's her real voice, you know. You all complain about characters being dubbed all the time and want actual voices of the actors, but when it does happen like this one, you all complain still. Seriously? I like her voice because it's unique and specific to her, not like one of the typical FL dubbed voice.
I adore this drama so far although I fell off of watching it while I was waiting for English subs. Will return to it soon, but gotta say, Camille's role as the adorable and cute Li Xia is so perfect. I think the only casting problem I have is with the ML, with Alan as Yang Mo, unfortunately. It was hard for me to get into the drama because of his acting and his character. It gets a bit better (so far as I've seen) but it can definitely be better.
I really adore this drama so far (on ep11). The characters feel natural and real where their reactions are normal rather than dramatic and overdoing it. (ex: from the start, the ML was not a complete asshole. He has a gentler side too, but just misunderstands her so he's a bit prejudiced). Also, Ma Meng Wei as Fang Yan was such a good choice because she's so good!! I laughed at so many scenes. I really hope the latter half of the drama won't let me down. I am enjoying it so far.
I'm like eight episodes in and so many characters and sub-plots have been introduced...When will it focus on the…
Ten episodes in...looks like this time around, the main couple's romance will be a slow burn as it's taking quite a while for them to develop deep feelings. Also, gotta be honest, it's been hard keeping track of all the political things and all the side characters involved with that. I also don't really care for the 2nd ML who's in love with her. :/
I'm like eight episodes in and so many characters and sub-plots have been introduced...When will it focus on the main couple? lol. Or focus on her "foreseeing dreams"? Hmmmm.
The way I'm a bit more invested in the secondary couples! lmao. Like, I'll always adore Zhang Zhehan & Ju Jingyi's pretty faces together in dramas, but currently in the beginning episodes, their scenes are pretty short and average (I hope it picks up soon!) whereas I am loving the tension between Fu Xuan and Wu Bai Qi.
For any new people wondering about whether to watch this show or not, I just want to clarify for you all that this drama is really sweet and the leads have great chemistry, but the EDITING IS TERRIBLE when it comes to showing the couple's past. The editing is not always choppy but for some reason, it really is bad when it comes to flashbacks and things like that. That has turn away a lot of people from this drama. (Apparently, fans of the book could follow along but people who have never read the book--like me--had a difficult time piecing it together.)
I recommend, after you watch it, to come back to read the reviews that explain more about the timeline of their history.
Great points and actors/actresses! I really second the fact that everyone should watch Love Destiny.
One thing to add: I forgot what the term is, but when a couple is a golden standard couple (like Yaya and Nadech), people use that term to talk about them. And also, Thai dramas are generally pretty good at using same actors in another drama together if their previous drama is really popular. :) (ex: Love Destiny's Bella and Pope being in the new 2020 drama together!)
Also, for the actors lol I would add Nadech Kugimiya and James Jirayu!
I have alternative drama suggestions for some of the categories.
For Contemporary, I don't have another suggestion but a warning about Husband In Law--it was adapted from a novel and the drama does a terrible job with editing; apparently, fans of the book totally understood the timeline of the drama, but for new people just watching the show for the first time, you'll be quite confused about the couple's history. I recommend that, after you watch it, you come back to Husband In Law's kisskh and read the explanations! That helped me understand the story SO MUCH BETTER.
For Cohabitation, Full House ft. Aom and Mike is such a endearing one and my favorite one (out of all the Full House dramas).
For LGBTQ+, instead of SOTUS (which I personally had a hard time watching due to the hazing and extreme actions of some of the characters & ultimately ended up dropping), I recommend "2gether: the series" where the romantic comedy vibe is a lot more prominent and has a great soundtrack as well. https://kisskh.at/39563-2gether-the-series
For slap/kiss, Waves of Life is great and I would also recommend "Prom Pissawat" (Boom and Pim have incredible chemistry!) https://kisskh.at/34176-prom-pissawat
--
How did your Thai drama journey start? I've watched lakorns for years but it was always hard to find English subtitles for lakorns so I eventually stopped probably in 2012. Fortunately, thanks to Waves of Life in 2017 and then Love Destiny exploding in 2018 across the world, I've returned to Thai dramas occasionally.
Do you have any tips for the newcomers? -If you're watching slap/kiss dramas, they might remind of you of telenovelas (Spanish soap operas) where it's super intense with the fighting and screaming (typically between the women). Don't let that get to you too much! That's part of the fun in a slap/kiss drama is all the gossip, arguing, and fighting!
-Historical Thai dramas typically don't get English subbed a lot due to language. Subbers would need to be fluent or at least aware of specific idioms, styles, etc. and that can be hard to do compared to a modern thai drama. (Love Destiny was almost dropped in subbing back in the day, but fortunately they were able to find people who could helped them translate it accurately.)
-Back in the day, kissing on the mouth was rare and/or faked between the couple (I think due to the conservativeness of Thai media & probably censorship) and so don't let that stop you from watching. Thai dramas can be very romantic and moving even without specific physical contact. (It's about the yearning and pining!) I think in more recent dramas and with younger actors, the kissing actually happens and is shown more clearly.
-This is a bit hard to talk about, but there are domestic r*pe scenes in Thai dramas (mostly in modern slap/kiss genre). It used to be a more frequent trope in older dramas but in remakes or original dramas, Thai media has steered more away from it. However, it's important to note that it does happen. The reason for that is because of the trope of the pure FL lead who doesn't have sexual desires (because having sexual desire would put her more toward a promiscuous type) and so any sexual intimacy would have to be initiated from the ML. It generally happens in a fit of passionate anger when the couple is arguing and is almost always that the couple is married already. The FL is expected to resist. Anyway, this is a reminder that these dramas are fictional with a storytelling aspect. In the real world, domestic r*pe happens and shouldn't be condone.
Are there any questions for us to settle any of your enquiries? Nope. Thanks for this article!
Do you predominantly watch Thailand’s BLs or Lakorns? It's about equal and so it's more like the genre/mood of what I'll watch. I'm too scared of the horror genre, so I never watch any of those (though Thai's horror is very good). I lean towards romantic comedy fantasy (and the occasional slap kiss) genres.
For mainland China's recs, I wouldn't recommend Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion--it has pretty actors and has pretty aesthetics but its cinematography and writing levels aren't quite as high-tier as something like Goodbye My Princess. Instead, I recommend Story of Yanxi Palace.
For Republican Era (China), I recommend Arsenal Military Academy for a good mix of romance and patriotism.
And there are several things to indicate that she's NOT stupid--having a photographic memory, using her art and pseudonym as Happy Fairy to make money, carrying sleeping powder to use in desperate situations (like when Song Zhi tried to harm her)--she's clever in some ways--but sure, she's just a moron. Okay, lol.
So happy to see Bright and Win! The other two of F4 looks really cool too so I'm excited. I haven't seen Tu in a drama before, so I look forward to her performance! <3
I really hope the latter half of the drama won't let me down. I am enjoying it so far.
Also, gotta be honest, it's been hard keeping track of all the political things and all the side characters involved with that. I also don't really care for the 2nd ML who's in love with her. :/
I recommend, after you watch it, to come back to read the reviews that explain more about the timeline of their history.
One thing to add: I forgot what the term is, but when a couple is a golden standard couple (like Yaya and Nadech), people use that term to talk about them. And also, Thai dramas are generally pretty good at using same actors in another drama together if their previous drama is really popular. :) (ex: Love Destiny's Bella and Pope being in the new 2020 drama together!)
Also, for the actors lol I would add Nadech Kugimiya and James Jirayu!
I have alternative drama suggestions for some of the categories.
For Contemporary, I don't have another suggestion but a warning about Husband In Law--it was adapted from a novel and the drama does a terrible job with editing; apparently, fans of the book totally understood the timeline of the drama, but for new people just watching the show for the first time, you'll be quite confused about the couple's history. I recommend that, after you watch it, you come back to Husband In Law's kisskh and read the explanations! That helped me understand the story SO MUCH BETTER.
For Cohabitation, Full House ft. Aom and Mike is such a endearing one and my favorite one (out of all the Full House dramas).
For LGBTQ+, instead of SOTUS (which I personally had a hard time watching due to the hazing and extreme actions of some of the characters & ultimately ended up dropping), I recommend "2gether: the series" where the romantic comedy vibe is a lot more prominent and has a great soundtrack as well. https://kisskh.at/39563-2gether-the-series
For slap/kiss, Waves of Life is great and I would also recommend "Prom Pissawat" (Boom and Pim have incredible chemistry!) https://kisskh.at/34176-prom-pissawat
--
How did your Thai drama journey start?
I've watched lakorns for years but it was always hard to find English subtitles for lakorns so I eventually stopped probably in 2012. Fortunately, thanks to Waves of Life in 2017 and then Love Destiny exploding in 2018 across the world, I've returned to Thai dramas occasionally.
Do you have any tips for the newcomers?
-If you're watching slap/kiss dramas, they might remind of you of telenovelas (Spanish soap operas) where it's super intense with the fighting and screaming (typically between the women). Don't let that get to you too much! That's part of the fun in a slap/kiss drama is all the gossip, arguing, and fighting!
-Historical Thai dramas typically don't get English subbed a lot due to language. Subbers would need to be fluent or at least aware of specific idioms, styles, etc. and that can be hard to do compared to a modern thai drama. (Love Destiny was almost dropped in subbing back in the day, but fortunately they were able to find people who could helped them translate it accurately.)
-Back in the day, kissing on the mouth was rare and/or faked between the couple (I think due to the conservativeness of Thai media & probably censorship) and so don't let that stop you from watching. Thai dramas can be very romantic and moving even without specific physical contact. (It's about the yearning and pining!) I think in more recent dramas and with younger actors, the kissing actually happens and is shown more clearly.
-This is a bit hard to talk about, but there are domestic r*pe scenes in Thai dramas (mostly in modern slap/kiss genre). It used to be a more frequent trope in older dramas but in remakes or original dramas, Thai media has steered more away from it. However, it's important to note that it does happen. The reason for that is because of the trope of the pure FL lead who doesn't have sexual desires (because having sexual desire would put her more toward a promiscuous type) and so any sexual intimacy would have to be initiated from the ML. It generally happens in a fit of passionate anger when the couple is arguing and is almost always that the couple is married already. The FL is expected to resist.
Anyway, this is a reminder that these dramas are fictional with a storytelling aspect. In the real world, domestic r*pe happens and shouldn't be condone.
Are there any questions for us to settle any of your enquiries?
Nope. Thanks for this article!
Do you predominantly watch Thailand’s BLs or Lakorns?
It's about equal and so it's more like the genre/mood of what I'll watch. I'm too scared of the horror genre, so I never watch any of those (though Thai's horror is very good). I lean towards romantic comedy fantasy (and the occasional slap kiss) genres.