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The New Gold Standard for Reverse Harem Vertical Dramas!

Hong Luan Yin's plot is proof that a story doesn't have to be revolutionary. As the saying goes: "There's nothing new under the sun." But if a story's execution is good, then it'll feel that way. And that's exactly what happened with Hong Luan Yin. It felt revolutionary because it was a reverse harem handled with care. Yun Qi was given time to explore her relationships with the men, and production didn't let "propriety" (*GASP* an actress kissing four men in a drama? Whatever will we do???? Will she even be able to marry now?!) limit their artistic vision.

The drama seemed to have a decent budget. It couldn't have been too high because the characters only got one or two costumes, but it wasn't low either because the wigs and sets were good. I wanted to point this out because whatever the budget was, the director (and the rest of the crew) made everything look and feel opulent. Sumptuous, even. The soft, golden lighting, the rich colors, the ornate brocades and jewelry, the heavy velvet, the curtains fluttering in the breeze. It was visually stimulating, and helped immerse me in Yun Qi's scheming, tense, and sensual world.

Hong Luan Yin is not a short vertical, and yet I was locked in for three and a half hours. In fact, when it ended I wanted more. Which is unusual because I tend to avoid verticals that go over two and a half hours because they start dragging.

Now that I've finished waxing poetic about the plot and production, let's talk about the characters:

• Yun Qi (our beloved FL):

Not gonna lie, I was nervous about her portrayal. Logically, it would take a confident, charming, and assertive person to control a harem, but dramas always seem to make female leads in reverse harems endlessly flustered, clueless, boring, and indecisive. The harem of men usually control her more than she controls them, which is why Yun Qi was such a breath of fresh air. She was cunning, charming, assertive, generous, and even funny!

I appreciated that she had a firm grasp on her harem (including the maid LOL. They should've put her on the cover too). This word gets thrown around a lot, but Yun Qi is genuinely iconic, and I don't know if we'll get another FL like her any time soon.

• Yun Jin Chen:

My prince. My baby. My puppy. My kitten. My darling. My peach. My love.

Can you tell he was my favorite love interest? Or was I too subtle?

When I first saw the cover for Hong Luan Yin, my eyes went straight to him. He's wearing plain white and light blue robes. He's not as ornately dressed as the other male leads, but something about his eyes and his posture drew me in.

Yun Qi's scenes with Jin Chen were the best in my opinion. They were the most emotionally intimate and raw. They don't have the explosive, fervent kind of passion audiences seem to prefer in drama couples, but they still have passion and chemistry. It's the slow-moving intense kind that oozes through the scene like syrup. It enveloped me during so many of their scenes, and I wanted more.

• Qi Zhuo:

As the sexy "male entertainer", he was definitely my second favorite. Not only was he gorgeous and had the best clothes, he had fantastic chemistry with Yun Qi. His backstory's a little confusing though, so I'm looking forward to getting clarification if we're blessed with a second season.

I definitely need to see more of his outfits and face jewelry. Dude would be the final boss at the Met Gala.

• Huo Xiao:

Even though he's ranked third on my list, Huo Xiao was a pleasant surprise! He's handsome, but overly calm and serious MLs aren't my jam. I usually find them boring. But I loved how jealous he was whenever Yun Qi got chummy with other men, and how ready he was to break the rules for her. That's what made me warm up to him.

• Xie Lin Yu:

I didn't dislike him as much as I thought I would, but he was still my least favorite male lead because he had the childish, immature hothead thing going on. I'm not knocking whoever has him as #1 on their list, but that male archetype's just not my thing. I appreciated the comedic relief he provided, though.

With all that said, I'm obsessed with Hong Luan Yin, and I will be watching it many more times and praying for a season 2. Yun Qi is awesome, all the male leads have distinct relationships with her, and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes. Just like other popular verticals, I'd be down for a whole bunch of seasons, and Yun Qi ultimately picking all of the men in the end.

Hong Luan Yin is now the gold standard when it comes to reverse harems, so I hope it inspires more intentional, fleshed out dramas like it.

If you read all of that, thanks for indulging me. When I love something, I can't be succinct.

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