Reviews

Kind of Put Off by the Force-full-ness

I went into this drama with great and high expectations because JBR.

I really like this actor so much! He's so manly, so handsome, so tall, so strong ... I loved him in "Road Home" and was looking forward to watching him again in "The Early Spring".

I do not really know the female lead but I saw her briefly in "Islands" for the first time and she made quite a positive impression on me. I found her charismatic and she seemed to have the elusive X-factor.

Having watched just a few episodes of "The Early Spring", I was quite torn. On the one hand, I wanted to see JBR on my TV screen. On the other hand, I was quite shocked by the manner in which this drama started off. It was "in your face" and "forceful" and even "rude"... JBR's character was a biting monster and the FL was this meek and subservient puppy. I kind of understood that this drama was about growth - how she grew up and glowed up and how he grew up and matured as a person who knew how to love better (?) But, I could not understand why a 20+ year old would behave like this even as a newbie in the workforce. Also, why would a mentor be so biting and scathing? It seemed uncalled for to treat a newbie in this harsh manner. I truly think that there are such detestable people in real life for sure. However, watching their forceful "push pull" made me quite confused and uncomfortable. It felt very different from POJ's etc... vibes which I much preferred. (Of course, I am not saying that this is POJ and should be POJ. They are vastly different.)

However, I was rather taken aback by the first three episodes and I did not have the motivation to continue watching "The Early Spring" . I have put it on hold because I am not sure if I want to drop it or not, simply because of JBR. Let's see... However, the motivation is low.

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super ganda ng story

ang ganda umpisa pa lng ang ganda na..super star..my baby maimai 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

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This is truly a slow-burn drama that I absolutely love!

The 47 episodes didn't feel long at all, the show keeps the audience constantly intrigued and is crafted with meticulous detail and polish. The story follows Shen Jialan, a young woman from an aristocratic family, the kind everyone dreams of educated and deeply loving. However, her family is suddenly accused of treason, leading to their collective punishment. Shen Jialan survives through a twist of fate, rescued by the family of a servant she and her mother had once helped. She assumes the identity of Xu Lanxiang and gradually embraces this new life, starting over from scratch. Lanxiang or Jialan is incredibly intelligent, astute, and kind.. she hardly seems like someone from a servant's background, as she truly stands out. This is especially evident when she enters the Lin household as a maid, her cleverness makes her shine, and Lin Jinqi eventually falls for her. Their relationship slowly evolved into a marriage.. well, actually, it wasn't slow.. it happened quite suddenly because Jinqi requested an imperial decree to make Lanxiang his wife, HAHAHA! They went from being strangers with Jinqi often getting scolded or ignored to Lanxiang finally accepting him, and they eventually became a happy family with their children. Beyond the main couple, the drama also does a fantastic job of fleshing out the supporting characters like Lanxiang’s maid-friend and Lin Jinqi’s younger siblings, all their storylines are thoroughly explored and explained beautifully. Having shared the broad strokes of the story, I hope you can appreciate the quality of this drama, as I find it absolutely perfect in every aspect. The narrative is crafted with such precision. The acting is beyond reproach, Tan Songyun and Liu Xueyi are a perfect match for the roles of Lanxiang and Jinqi. Even as a married couple, they are wonderfully balanced matching each other in wit and courage making them an ideal pair. Plus, they are the same age in real life, omg, I absolutely adore this couple! The supporting cast also deserves high praise for their performances. What I love most is the cinematography, it is truly stunning and highly commendable. There are so many soundtrack, yet I love every single one of them because they are just that good. I feel like I could rewatch this drama endlessly without ever getting bored, it’s just that amazing.. I simply can't stop singing its praises! I really love the side stories involving the couples Nanke & Xiaolian and Xie Zhao & Xiuwan, they are just so incredibly adorable. Xie Zhao and Xiuwan, in particular they only get together toward the very end, yet they are clearly meant for each other. Their story is a true example of destiny, they were initially supposed to have an arranged marriage that fell through, but they met naturally later on and eventually united. It’s the perfect definition of “what’s meant for you won’t pass you by.” It’s similar to the situation with Jialan (or Lanxiang) and Jinqi they were engaged, the engagement was called off, yet they still ended up as husband and wife. This drama really shows that if two people are destined to be together, nothing can keep them apart they will find their way back to one another as fate intended, and we can see the characters slowly becoming more mature than before. Anyway, I absolutely love this drama. I wasn't particularly excited or anticipating it at first, but once it aired and I gave it a try, I discovered just how amazing it is seriously, you won't regret watching it, so go check it out!

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Excellent series !

When Shen Jalan and the first lady Shen met the Xu , their act of kindness to help the Xu and give them money so their child Xu lanxiang can get treatment and when Shen Jalan gave one of her extra clothing to the real Xu Lanxiang while she's on hers father's back. Jalan and the real lanxiang looks at each other. And that act's of kindness leads to good karma . The Xu took good care of Jalan and became Lanxiang. They loved her as their own. Xiuru's character development is amazing she's no longer the timid girl she once was but developed into strong woman and fight what is rightfully hers and for her children. Also what she believes in . What an amazing series. The cast delivers every emotion, Pain and suffering powerfully. I enjoyed watching this series every night. The cinematography, story, ost , acors , etc . are amazing.
Tan Songyun and Liu Xueyi their chemistry are amazing.
Congratulations to the cast crew 👏 this is now
Part of my top dramas ❤️ alongside Swords into Plowshares. A gem that i cannot forget for along time.
I highly recommend this drama series.

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First, You Need a Beating

#Halloween Watches

Disclaimer: I started watching in 2023 when it first aired. I was delighted to see Lee Rang (Kim Bum) again, and his interactions with Lee Yeon (Lee Dong Wook) were the very definition of a rollicking good time. As I got further into the episodes, I didn't want the story to end, so I took a break. With Halloween around the corner, it was a good time to pick up where I left off with the ghosts, gumihos, gods, and demons.

The Good:
• The cast was spectacular. The drama was like a big family reunion with all your favorite cousins (and a few of the problematic ones). The main members had chemistry galore. Lee Dong Wook was the very embodiment of a nine-tailed fox—effortlessly charming and dangerous (those suits and coats!). Kim Bum's character took a great leap forward in development (ditto the sharp-dressed man theme). He had been the perfect foil to Lee Yeon, but he came into his own in season 2. Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum need to work on more projects together. I need them to work on more projects together!
• The ratio of action/comedy/drama was spot on.
• The 1938 timeline added to the drama.
• The story was tighter than the first season. I realize there wasn't the need to introduce everyone and set things in place: the grunt work had been done in the first season. That allowed the second season to be more entertaining and the friendships more enjoyable.
• Ryu Hong Ju (Kim So Yeon) demanded attention when she was on screen and I happily gave it to her. Her fight scenes were sensational (as was her wardrobe).
• It amused me how often the group greeted one another or others with fisticuffs. No "hello," just "first, you need a beating."
• The OST enhanced the scenes.
• The ending gave hope for a third season. Some creative writer needs to find a way to get the Lee brothers back together. And the mountain god trio. And the Old Man and Old Hag.

The Bad:
• A thousand loose ends were left fraying in the breeze.
• There is no season 3 or even mention of one. Lee Dong Wook has moved on and said he felt the story was complete. I can't see a third season without him. It would be easier to accept season 2 was the end if some of the plot lines had been completed and the writer hadn't introduced a new villain and left things open ended!

Is this a masterpiece? Probably not, but it depends on how you view it. The visuals were great, the story was good, and the actors were perfection in their roles. Most of all, it made me feel. It was a great deal of fun with lots of heart and admirable characters. It didn't take itself seriously, and a good time was had by all.

I added a full star because I thoroughly relished the time I spent with the characters. I fell in love with them and hated to see the drama end. That's worth more to me than a tight plot, esoteric messages, or pushing artistic boundaries.

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Hero's Journey without the Hero's Reward

TLDR:
ATC is not an idol drama and is moreso a serious historical drama (with some fictional aspects). There are no face slapping moments or vindication or revenge, only a series of trials. There is drama and chemistry, but no sweet love story (imo). Its sober theme of resilience and tight plot distinguish it from its peers but also may discourage those who want a lighter rom-com. Rewatch value is low on this one for me because of how depressed it made me.
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If anyone's watched "To Live" (1994), they would find echoes of the same themes in Against the Current. While the goal is not to compare the two, both have similar answers in the face of adversity: to live and carry on.

ATC is not a true idol drama with fluffy plots and feel-good scenes. While there are tongue-in-cheek moments that act as a break for the audience, it has a very tight plot with plenty of political intrigue and honestly is missing a tragedy tag. Not a moment is lost in the 47 episodes which was a great surprise. Though based on a novel, it doesn't fall prey to being too laggy or having too many extraneous characters and has well defined arcs that the FL and ML go through. ATC is surprisingly female centric and focuses a lot on its female characters. FL is most definitely the MC while ML plays more of an accessory role. The drama follows five main arcs: FL falling to the status of a slave, FL rising as a servant, FL becoming a free woman, FL becoming the Young Madam, and FL as the matriarch. Each arc was well paced in character development and relationship development which gave the drama a sense of authenticity. The scriptwriters (or author) was also very clever in how they used tropes and dramatic irony which gave it a little bit of Shakespearean flair (loosely speaking). FL despises her ex-fiance for breaking the engagement to save his and his family's own skin but ends up as an indentured servant in the family she was to marry into. The fiance she hates is the same person who buries her family and willfully marries her later by imperial decree. For a drama that features plays/operas, the drama itself similarly is structured like a play and carries the audience along with it. The plot is the main character and really does deserve praise for how well adapted it was.

One of my main concerns truthfully were Seven and Liu Xue Yi as the FL and ML. While I don't avoid their dramas, I've started noticing trends in their acting. LXY tends to opt for the cold, ruthless ML characters which uses his sharper features to its advantage. The downside is often times he tends to feel one-dimensional and unable to convey other emotions. To my delight, this was not the case in ATC. LXY successfully portrays a ML who is cunning and ruthless when needed while also conveying loyalty towards good friends and filial piety towards his mother. His scene at his mother's deathbed was quite realistic, not just in the sense that we believe he is mourning his mother but also gives his character realism. As the audience, in this scene, we truly believe LXY/ML as more than just a character. Portraying grief is difficult because it's such a complex emotion. LXY was able to portray finer emotions like reluctance at one's close kin or friends passing which greatly impressed me and was the first time I truly felt that he was fully immersed as a character. This is also the first time I've seen a male character mourn his mother which I think is a healthy depiction of masculinity. When Seven was slotted for the FL, I was concerned because she tends to have a limited range of facial expressions she uses. For a character as complex as FL, I think that it was a little out of Seven's depth because I still noticed the same issue. Like LXY whose sharp features tend to cast him into cold ML roles, Seven has softer features and a girl-next-door vibe which casts her into corresponding roles. Rarely does she play sharp, aloof characters and when she does, it's not very convincing. FL is a walking contradiction. She was raised as a noble lady and should possess the demeanor and grace of one, but having lived as an indentured servant, she needs to be someone capable and flexible. By far, this is Seven's best acting and best drama. But in her portrayal of FL, she makes FL seem like a well learned servant girl rather than a noble lady who turned into a servant girl.

In the grand scheme of things, the acting level across the board was good enough to set the stage for the plot to play out which was to the drama's advantage. The reason why it may lose (in popularity or sensationalism) to other recent historical dramas like POJ is the lack of happiness present. ATC is a series of trials and tribulations brought on by (oftentimes) forces outside of one's control, but the lack of bright spots or happy moments aside from comedic relief brings in almost too much of reality. FL gets engaged and the next day her entire family is dead. FL starts to get back on her feet with her new parents and the next day she is dragged into a new environment where she must fend for herself. FL manages to free herself to live as she wishes and the next day she's set to marry ML. FL gives birth and soon after, ML discovers her identity. FL starts over with ML only for him to be away for extended periods of time or dies. No doubt, it's a result of time skips and cutting down material from the novel, but this edit was definitely an artistic choice by the director or scriptwriter. On the surface, it answers the question of how did ordinary people live under the reign of an emperor and his whims. After all, FL and her family never received exoneration in their lifetime. FL, until her death, had to live as another woman under the identity of an ex-indentured servant and was unable to take revenge or take back her identity. On a deeper level, ATC seemingly tells us that life is tepid and a series of trials. Happiness is rare, even when we fight for it, but what else can we do but live on.

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Women finding the space and freedom to decide how they want to live their own lives.

One of the things I love most about Against the Current is how deeply it portrays its female characters. Every woman here has her own story, choices, wounds, and ways of surviving. They’re strong and independent in their own ways, but they’re never written as perfect characters who always have to be strong just to prove that they’re strong women.

It’s really satisfying to see Lan Xiang’s character development. She goes from being a highly educated noble girl to becoming a third-class servant, and then slowly rises until she becomes the lady of the Lin household. At first, her only goal is to survive and support her adoptive parents. But as her social status changes, so do her ambitions. She doesn’t just want to live a good life anymore, she also wants to help the people around her have a better life.

What I love is that the strength of the women in this drama isn’t only shown through their courage to stand up against others. At the end of the day, they’re women trying to survive and protect their families in a patriarchal society where women are often expected to put their husbands and families before themselves. That’s why their struggles feel so human.

Lan Xiang isn’t fighting the system just for herself. She uses her intelligence and abilities to find a way forward, while also showing that women can help each other and become a “light” for one another. There’s one line of hers that really stayed with me: “One light can only illuminate a few meters. But if I light one lamp and you light another, even the gathered glow of fireflies can illuminate a long road… Let the women walking through the dark night see their way clearly.”

That’s what makes this story feel like more than just a story about one woman trying to change her fate. It’s a story about women fighting injustice, surviving, building families, and supporting each other in a system that was never on their side to begin with.

Even the characters who stand on the opposite side aren’t written as simply good or evil. Some of them weren’t bad people from the beginning. They’re people who got trapped by their circumstances, lost something, or became so consumed by their ambitions that they ended up making the wrong choices. Some of them still have a chance to change and make amends, while others only go further down the wrong path because they choose to get what they want at the expense of others. Like Lan Xiang reminds us, it’s understandable for someone to want a better life, but not at the expense of someone else.

Lan Xiang’s relationship with her adoptive parents is also one of the most touching parts for me. At first, they saved her out of gratitude and to keep the memory of their late daughter alive. But over time, their relationship slowly turns into a family that genuinely loves and cares for each other. They take care of Lan Xiang without expecting anything in return, while Lan Xiang helps them escape poverty and servitude and find a sense of purpose again. Their bond feels warm because it’s built through actions, not just words.

That’s also why I really love the Lin family. In so many dramas, families are often portrayed as places full of rivalry, jealousy, backstabbing, or blaming each other, but the Lin family feels different. Whenever one of them has a problem, the others step in to help and support each other. They don’t waste their time looking for someone to blame or treating each other like competition. There’s such a strong sense of togetherness between them, and honestly, that’s what makes the Lin family so warm and enjoyable to watch.

I also really love the slow-burn chemistry between Lin Jinqi and Xu Lanxiang. Their trust doesn’t appear out of nowhere, but is built little by little until it becomes something really strong. And what I love most about Jin Qi is how genuinely he respects and admires Lan Xiang. His admiration isn’t just about her beauty. He sees her intelligence, kindness, grace, courage, and abilities. He appreciates Lan Xiang for who she is, and that’s exactly what makes their relationship feel more meaningful.

That said, Jinqi isn’t always right when it comes to understanding her feelings or the situations around them. Sometimes, he’s a little too naive when it comes to expressing his affection. His perspective and actions are also sometimes influenced by what he personally thinks is right, so what he sees as care or protection isn’t always what Lan Xiang actually needs. Lan Xiang isn’t perfect in their relationship either. She can be stubborn at times, is used to carrying everything on her own, and tends to make decisions based on her own judgment without always explaining what she’s actually feeling to Jinqi. They both have their flaws and different ways of thinking, so their relationship feels more like a process of learning to understand each other, rather than one where one person always knows what’s best for the other. And honestly, I think that’s what makes their relationship feel more human.

Tan Song Yun and Liu Xue Yi also do a great job bringing the everyday moments between these two characters to life through their subtle expressions and natural chemistry. Their interactions aren’t always overly dramatic, and that’s exactly what makes them feel warm and believable.

What makes this drama even more special to me is its focus on the lives of ordinary people during that time. The story doesn’t only revolve around nobles and wealthy people, but also shows how ordinary people lived, worked, survived, and dealt with the social hierarchy. Almost every episode brings something new, so the story never feels boring.

Aside from the story, I also really love how beautiful and carefully planned the settings and cinematography are. The Lin family courtyard is one of my favorite visual elements in the drama. Every view through the windows feels like a piece of art framed on purpose, with such beautiful composition and balance. What I love is that these views aren’t just there to look pretty. They often seem to carry their own meaning and help reflect the mood and the characters’ journeys. Details like these make the world of the drama feel more alive and make it even more enjoyable to watch.

That’s why I don’t think it’s quite right to see this drama as just a romance. This isn’t a story about a female lead who is made strong from the very beginning, only to slowly become dependent on her husband or the male lead to build the romance. Lan Xiang continues to rely on her own skills, knowledge, and abilities without having to put others down or diminish herself.

The drama also doesn’t try to say that women have to be “strong” in one specific way. Instead, it shows different forms of women’s struggles and how social circumstances, family, marriage, and hierarchy shape the choices they make.

There’s one line from Xing Tang that I find especially powerful:
“When will there be a world where women can be like men, go to school to learn, take the imperial examinations, do business and make money, not be bound by their husbands, not be bound by their sons, and simply be themselves?”

That line feels relevant not only to women living in that time, but also to many things we still see today.

In the end, to me, Against the Current is a story about survival, family, hierarchy, sisterhood, and above all, women trying to find the freedom to decide how they want to live their own lives. So I hope people don’t watch this drama only looking for romance and then get disappointed when they realize that the love story isn’t the main focus. The drama already made its direction clear from the very first episode.

That’s exactly why I hope more people will watch it with an open mind. Not just looking for a main couple to ship, but actually paying attention to the characters’ journeys and maybe taking away a lesson or two from the story.

For me, that’s what makes Against the Current so memorable.

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A Fake Marriage That’s Already Complicated

I went into Decoding You expecting a fairly standard fake-marriage setup, but the first episode gave me enough unexpected wrinkles that I’m genuinely curious about where it’s going.

Non has secretly loved Kit for years, while Kit has always understood their relationship through the lens of family. Then circumstances abruptly turn them from adopted brothers into legal husbands—and the interesting part is that the show doesn’t make Kit’s resistance about being married to a man. His concerns are tied to the trouble surrounding him and his desire to keep Non out of it. Meanwhile, Non knows Kit incredibly well, and every supposedly “fake” part of the marriage means something very different to him.

There are also already a few moments that make Kit’s own feelings considerably less straightforward than he seems to believe, which is probably the piece that has me most interested.

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just your average cheesy romcom

TLDR; Story is kinda standard, and all the budget went to the food scenes (aka literally every ep LOL). Acting and music are pretty standard, nothing extraordinary. Definitely not rewatching again bc it's the same copy-paste plot imo.

Story: very spotty. A lot of things would be quickly resolved if not for proper communication, but for plot's sake ig.. Highkey ZX be getting on my nerves, and I'm having a hard time sympathizing with him. There are some scenes where it's just the characters having a 15 min conversation that doesn't rlly matter in the wider plot aka romance. If you want to add it in, at least show, not tell lol. The last 10 eps, I just wanted it to be over lol.

Acting/Cast: ml acting seems exaggerated..but fl's facial expressions are funny. I did get used to their chemistry after a while, and there are some scenes that are kinda cute (but mostly near the end).

Music: some pieces were nice to listen to, but nothing particularly noteworthy.

Rewatch value: definitely only a one-time watch for me. It just got boring after a while.

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When two different people shares the same parallel lives.

This show is the perfect definition of different people living parallel lives. I honestly won't stop talking about how brilliant the writing is. Watching this drama has genuinely changed my perspective.

First off, the parallel between Pi-o Kang and Choi Jeong-yo caught my attention the most, especially with how the story spans two different timelines. A few great examples include Pi-o Kang helping Jeong-yo overcome his stage fright, and later, Jeong-yo helping Pi-o snap out of his slump so he could perform again. There are subtle physical parallels too, like when Pi-o Kang hurts his right pinky finger and Jeong-yo later injures his right arm.

Another touch I loved was how Jeong-yo constantly repeats Pi-o’s lines after they met again. It shows that he didn't just remember Pi-o Kang as a person, but held onto his words and remembered how Pi-o was always by his side. During Jeong-yo’s revenge arc, this highlighted why he tried to hate Pi-o but ultimately couldn't. The writers captured this dynamic perfectly with the metaphor of a "hungry wolf that loves the sheep," portraying his deep struggle between a desire for revenge and his underlying love for Pi-o. And it definitely did not suprise me when the writers had confirm they had more than just a friendly relationship. Song Kang and Jun Young chemistry had really outlined it well.

Overall, this drama easily became one of my favorites; I just love their dynamic so much and am glad they got their happy ending. If I have one critique, it's that Jeong-yo deserved better. Throughout the series, he was constantly sacrificing himself, including risking his arm just to play four-hands with Pi-o Kang one last time. It would have felt much more satisfying if his right arm had fully healed, mirroring how Pi-o Kang’s injury eventually recovered. I would have loved to see the writers do a bit more justice to Jeong-yo's character in the end.

Anyways, Four Hands, Two Sonatas is an incredible drama that is soooo worth the watch.

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Absolute Phenomnal and Poignant Drama!

Against the Current is definitely my favorite drama of 2026 thus far! I didn't expect to enjoy so much, it follows the life of Xu Lan Xiang aka Shen Jia Lan, which gives me a bit of nostalgia from the old cdrama days where we follow the main lead from beginning to end. Albeit there is many of them still around, it is just the feeling of this drama differs from it's competitors. There isn't much romance, but the subtle romance was very cute and sweet.

Instead of your typical revenge plot, this drama went a different route. Lan Xiang is quite intelligent and observant, she prefers to stay quiet and conform to society. She is always 10 steps ahead of her enemies, if not, she would outsmart them regardless. She didn't want luxury from the beginning, she just wants to survive and be free from servitude. Alas, that did not last long and what had happened really ticked me off. I like that she sticks to her political views despite her husband works directly under the king. Tan Song Yun did a wonderful job as Lan Xiang/ Jia Lan, her acting was quite natural in my opinion. Her subtle eye movements expressed a thousand words which matched well with Liu Xue Yi who played her male lead, Lin Jin Qi. Both had amazing chemistry honestly despite the miniscules romantic moments.

Speaking of Lin Jin Qi, siigh. I don't know what to say, because he was fine in the beginning as Lan Xiang's master until he started showing signs of romantic interest in Lan Xiang. It was cute when he kept visiting her house nearly every day just to see her and tried to provide for her subtlely, protect her, and what not. Then came the force marriage and all hell went loose for me. LOL I was so distraught with Jin Qi for doing that, the entire Lin family, Lan Xiang and her whole family were upset by this as well. I thought it couldn't get possibly worse from there, but it did! LOL I forgot what episode it was until I forgave him and Lan Xiang finally accepted him. Nonetheless, I do know he absolutely loves Lan Xiang to death, but also respects her intelligence. He's a really good sword fighter, I realy like his final 1v1 fight against one of the villains probably cause all that power came from anger and grief. Lin Jin Qi as a character wasn't too outstanding, but Liu Xue Yi's acting was amazing as aforementioned the subtle facial expressions! There was one scene when his face went from happy, sad, disappointed, anger, and jealous all within a few seconds. It was so good, I had to rewatch that scene a few times. LOL

In every drama these days, the male lead would always have a trustworthy brother or two who fights alongside him and they're usually men working under him. However, Jin Qi also have another brother of similar status, someone he could trust with his life until the end, not his servant. That's one of the many things I like about this drama. ^^

Another thing I like about this drama is the villains arcs were never truly over from their introduction to the initial ending. They tend to come back later in Lan Xiang's life. Every drama will have one arc with one villain and they're dead right then and there. This drama? They really put the word "drama" to work. Lin Family is full of chaos, especially the male lead, Lin Jinqi. Dude is a villainess magnet, the women he had attracted or were/about to be married to him were insane- except for Lan Xiang. Li Meng is the queen of villainess, girl did a wonderful job as Zhao XingTang, her character was so pitiful in the end. I am glad her ending was somewhat bittersweet, because she met Lan Xiang again. In the end, the one person that showed her even an ounce of care was Lan Xiang.

The second lead was surprisingly not annoying to me as oppose to some viewers. I enjoyed his presence with Lan Xiang and how they connected as friends. Lan Xiang didn't like him romantically, and if it weren't for the force marriage, I wouldn't oppose to Han Liang proposing to Lan Xiang. They were cute together!

Other highlists of this drama is that it also puts a spotlight on all the side characters. The're basically fighting against misogyny and the patriarchial system, ancient Chinese women didn't have a say in their marriage, nor did they inherit family properties and whatnot. I'm glad all the women got what they wanted in the end, even if it weren't, at least they were able to choose what they want for their children.

There were a lot of timeskips, honestly this drama could have gone longer like 60 episodes so it didn't have to skip so much. I would watch it all regardless of how many episodes there were.

I would absolutely reocmmend this drama if you enjoy intelligent and strong willed female leads, but don't mind the slow pace and lack of romance.

If you're looking for a romance-focused drama, Against the Current is not your drama to watch.

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