Reviews

The title says it all 'the best thing' to watch!

Loved it! I did not expected to like it this much I only started it because of Zhang linghe and the subject of Chinese medicine being in this drama. When I started I was afraid I would be only watching for Zhang linghe but after the 1st episode I loved the vibe of the female lead she is so cute, fashionable and normal! No weird drama in their relationship and both leads liked each other equally. I watched all episodes giggling to myself and almost feeling ashamed to like it this much because of the cute romance which was also very grown up. This story sets the perfect vibe, like a soft ballad playing in your ears when laying in bath.

What I liked: the romance of the main leads, female leads family, learning about chinese medicine, the atmosphere and visuals.

What I did not like: nothing

Side note: watched it already twice!

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Compelling leads and story!

Started it because it was on my mainpage, did not know the actors Ding Yuxi and Deng Enxi. From the moment the drama started it had such a beautiful intro with all those effects of flowy chinese patterns and characters. It was easy to get into and the introduction of every character was perfectly paced which makes it easy to understand it also did not hurt that the mainleads were very beautiful both seperate but even more beautiful together. From the beginning till the end everything was captivating and all characters development was logical and compelling.

What I liked: all characters and their development, clothes and makeup, logical story, interesting story and the honesty in the relationship between the two main leads.

What I did not like: only sometimes the relationship between the emperor and Zhao ling.

Side note: definitely a must watch!

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A promising drama, yet too dry emotionally and too much lecturing

Against the Current starts with a strong title and themes. The premise is promising, and the story sets a clear direction as a career drama, a social commentary, and a story of women’s empowerment. ATC could have become China’s Jewel in the Palace (2003) or Oshin (1983) if only it had stayed true to its promise instead of going off track. Unfortunately, after episode 20, everything starts to fall apart. Calling ATC a masterpiece would be an overstatement, given how much it still has to learn about telling a meaningful story about women.

Admittedly, there are aspects of this drama that deserve appreciation. First and foremost is its impressive production quality. It reflects a significant leap in Chinese drama production, showcasing the producers’ growing technical ability to create something aesthetically pleasing and elegant that still feels modern and contemporary rather than dated. And what I love most about ATC is how it manages to capture the beautiful side of humanity despite the dystopian world it portrays, where slavery exists, and women are treated as property, denied the same rights as men. Even in a society shaped by oppression and inequality, there is still room for kindness, compassion, and human connection. Moreover, ATC realistically portrays ordinary people and family life. It gives its community real substance. The city is not merely a backdrop for the characters’ stories or a temporary stop along their journeys. It feels like a living, breathing place where people build relationships and find support. It is somewhere they can return to, call home, and feel safe.

However, the drama has serious flaws that steer it away from its intended direction and ultimately undermine its aims.

First, all viewers know the central question posed in the very first episode: “Why do some people become slaves?” The question comes from a young noblewoman, and the story unfolds as she herself becomes a slave and comes to see the world from the bottom up. However, the story that follows offers little reflection on this social issue. Instead, it shifts toward a feminist narrative in which women are portrayed as victims of a tyrannical society who must be liberated, even though men suffer under the same system of oppression. This imbalance is genuinely frustrating and makes the story feel contrived. When the FL finally rises to become a high-ranking lady herself, we don't even get something as simple as her helping the poor escape the grip of poverty, giving alms to low-ranking servants, or showing kindness to their families. By this point, the protagonist should have learned the answer to the very question that started her journey in the first place.

Second, ATC focuses on women's achievements as they become more empowered and gain greater freedom. Strangely, it barely shows how they learn or what they go through in the process of learning. This entire aspect is missing, and its absence feels particularly jarring in a drama that aspires to tell a story of women's empowerment. There are no scenes showing the FL learning anything new, as if she had already become a perfect woman under her grandfather’s guidance back when her noble family was still thriving. Nor do we see her friends making an effort to learn to read or develop skills beyond domestic work. In this drama, people seem to become accomplished overnight.

This is where ATC differs so profoundly from the legendary Jewel in the Palace, for example. The learning process is at the very heart of Dae Jang-geum’s story: we follow her journey from a low-ranking palace cook to a physician serving ordinary people and eventually a royal physician. Even by the end of the series, she never stops learning, exploring, and discovering new things. Her achievements feel earned because we get to witness the struggles, grit, curiosity, and continuous learning that make them possible. Everything feels super rewarding, and viewers get the chance to celebrate every milestone of her journey from zero to hero.

On the contrary, in ATC, after the FL is freed from slavery, she works at a shop, but the drama never shows how she actually runs it as an entrepreneur. She just somehow manages to bring in huge profits. Later, she becomes an opera singer, but we never see her explore the art form or learn to sing. She just happens to have a beautiful voice. Eventually, she becomes a playwright, yet the drama never shows her learning the craft or going through the creative process. She simply becomes successful. In the end, the only answer the audience is left with is, “Because she used to be Shen Jialan.” Even when she was still a slave, there was barely any trace of who she used to be as a learning person. There was no sign of her secretly learning new things, being curious, or trying to better herself.

Third, the FL’s perfection is another problem that makes the drama increasingly boring. There is simply no character development. She reacts to changes in her surroundings, but she herself never really changes. Her worldview, thinking, skills, and personality remain just as perfect as ever. As the story’s moral anchor, she is too righteous, too self-righteous, and too preachy toward the people around her. Yet she never seems to learn from them or allow herself to be challenged or corrected. She comes across more like a goddess or a saint who comments on everything happening in the story rather than someone who is actually part of it. Meanwhile, the other characters keep singing her praises, leaving the audience wondering exactly what makes her so deserving of all that admiration, since we never get to see the process by which she becomes the person they claim she is.

Fourth, ATC underappreciates the ML and has far too many antagonists. Moreover, the ML and antagonists are poorly characterized. While ATC glorifies its perfect FL, it fails to give the other characters much depth or explore their more positive sides.

The ML, a highly capable military man, is reduced to a man hopelessly in love with the FL, spending years pining for her while being stripped of his broader social role until he ends up doing little more than staying at home. Personally, I don't need a woman-empowerment story if it ends up perpetuating a subtler form of injustice toward men, portraying them as foolish, blind, and incapable of living up to their full potential. What makes the ML’s fate even more tragic is that he keeps professing his love for the FL until the very end of his life, without ever receiving so much as a single word of reciprocation or even a thank-you for loving her. Was this intentional on the writers’ part? Why is the FL so reluctant—or downright stingy—when it comes to expressing her feelings or reflecting on what love means to her while her man is still alive? Even in her old age, she seems to have no fond memories of the life she shared with the ML to look back on. That is why the romance in ATC is so poor, bland, and dry emotionally.

Meanwhile, the antagonists are portrayed as one-dimensionally evil, irrational, crazy, and stupid, with little effort to explore their humanity or what drives them to act the way they do. The antagonists have no stories of their own and seem to exist solely to highlight the FL’s righteousness and moral superiority, lecturing the audience on what a person is supposed to look like. Another thing I don't understand is why none of the antagonists gets a chance at redemption. They all meet tragic ends, paying for their wrongdoings with their lives. One dies after being raped and severely injured, another takes her own life by slitting her throat, and yet another dies in a fire. They are women, too, so why does the story show them so little compassion? Where is the gentleness and humanity that the drama seems so eager to celebrate in other parts of the story?

Fifth, I'm not entirely sold on Tan Songyun's casting as the adult Shen Jialan. She does a good job with the role, but her facial features look noticeably different from those of the actress playing the younger Shen Jialan. The resemblance is weak enough to make it harder for me to buy them as the same person. Perhaps the production team could have found a younger actress who looked more like Tan Songyun, or an adult actress who more closely resembled the younger version.

Ultimately, what disappoints me most about ATC is not that it fails to become another Jewel in the Palace or Oshin, but that it comes so close to becoming something truly meaningful, only to squander its own potential. It has the production quality, the premise, and the world-building to tell a compelling story about social injustice, human growth, and women's empowerment. Yet, somewhere along the way, it seems to lose sight of what should have made this story worth telling in the first place. Instead of letting its characters grow, struggle, learn, and earn their achievements, it takes shortcuts, glorifies an almost infallible FL, and leaves the rest of its characters emotionally and morally underdeveloped. What a waste of such a promising story. I went into ATC hoping to watch a woman rise against the current, only to find a drama that doesn't quite understands what it takes to make that journey worth rooting for.

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Healing but slow paced

its a slow paced drama right at the beginning you already know its about healing and finding your place in life. Sometimes you get lost in life and it is all about finding joy and a meaning in life. I realised when watching this drama I do not have to watch everything with much attention to know what is going on. The only parts were the parts with the main leads which was interesting to me.

What i like: all the main characters, scenery and the slow paced romance which is very believable.

What I did not like: slow paced, music, too many side characters which did not bring anything to the series.

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Giggles all the way

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🫢
It seems to be a lighthearted drama, so far i like the pace
I have only started watching this after the hype... and it is really funny ... like tummy pain laughing funny

The cast is spot on.
Her imagination is wild.
Kim hyangs facial expressions , and reactions 👌 she really is pulling off the akward teenage phase . And the red extreme glasses , no actually the props in general 🤣🤣🤣
Can not wait to see how the story progress, i will definitely update as i watch

I can totally relate with the mathematic situation... and you do not have to be good in everything, every one is good in something.
However the ML made me love and hate him at the same time.
FL reaching for A list , she really caried her role like a champ... i am so impressed with her .

The story has a good progression, it flows well, no major plot twists , and the chemistry between all the characters are well explored and kept

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The Legend Who Wanted Nothing More

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD, BECAUSE I HAVE THOUGHTS… 😮‍💨😂

I really enjoyed this drama overall. I liked how the story moved from one case to another without ever feeling too difficult to follow, and it was fun seeing all those smaller mysteries slowly come together into something much bigger.

It’s just that this kind of drama isn’t really my personal taste. I much prefer dramas with a happy or at least neutral ending, so the ending was definitely not what I usually look for. Maybe I should blame my curiosity for seeing this one through… 😏

Li Lian Hua is such a bittersweet character. Ten years ago, he was Li Xiang Yi—the brilliant swordsman who stood at the very top of the martial world, confident enough to believe he could handle everything himself. Ten years later, it’s hard to reconcile him with the legendary Li Xiang Yi everyone remembers. He’s much quieter now and seems to have little interest in returning to the life he once knew. Instead of trying to reclaim his old glory, all he seems to want is a quiet, ordinary life, away from the world he once belonged to and everything that happened in the past.

I loved how casually he could lie his way out of almost anything. He always seemed to have another excuse ready, especially whenever someone got too close to the truth. At first, some of his behaviour is just funny, but as the story progresses, you start to understand that there are real reasons behind the way he behaves.

He doesn't seem interested in getting his old reputation back. If anything, he looks much more comfortable being underestimated. There's something strangely endearing about watching this incredibly capable person deliberately make himself look completely harmless.

But despite wanting to leave that world behind, Li Lian Hua couldn't completely walk away from it. He still had to step back into the martial world to uncover the truth behind his senior's death and find out where his body was. It was unfinished business he couldn't simply leave behind.

At the same time, he isn't nearly as detached as he pretends to be. He keeps insisting that he doesn't need anyone, but somehow he ends up surrounded by people who become important to him. He'll complain, lie, disappear, and try to avoid responsibility—and then turn around and help someone anyway.

Di Fei Sheng was another character I really enjoyed. I especially liked that their relationship doesn't feel like a straightforward good-guy/bad-guy rivalry. There is so much history between them, and Di Fei Sheng has a very different understanding of Li Lian Hua because of that history. He knows exactly how ridiculous Li Xiang Yi could be, but he also recognises his abilities and understands him in a way that many of the other characters don't.

Fang Duo Bing was probably the character I struggled with the most. I appreciate his enthusiasm and how genuinely he believes in what he's doing. He's also one of the few people who refuses to give up on Li Lian Hua, no matter how many times Li Lian Hua tries to get rid of him. But I sometimes found him exhausting. His constant questions, suspicions, and determination could be funny, but there were also moments when I just wanted Li Lian Hua to have five minutes of peace. 😂

By episode 30, after finally learning all the secrets he'd been so curious about, he seemed to become much more settled. But, sigh... that also meant his character only really had the last 10 episodes to show that growth. I couldn't help wishing we'd gotten to see more of this version of him earlier.

I also found him quite immature when it came to separating facts from emotions—especially as the truth slowly started coming to light. His emotions and assumptions would sometimes get in the way of looking at things objectively, and I often wished he would simply take a step back before reacting. I understand that this is part of his character and that he's still learning, but it could definitely be frustrating to watch.

Still, I enjoyed the three of them together. Fang Duo Bing is constantly trying to figure out what Li Lian Hua is hiding, Li Lian Hua is constantly trying to talk his way out of being questioned, and Di Fei Sheng is basically watching both of them like this is the most entertaining thing he's seen all day. 😂

And then there's Xiao Zi Jin. His character was probably one of the most frustrating parts of the story for me. What really bothered me was how his actions seemed to come from this gradual chain of insecurity → jealousy of Li Xiang Yi → need for control → resentment, which eventually led him to make some seriously questionable moral choices.

In a way, Xiao Zi Jin feels like a very different answer to the same world that produced Li Xiang Yi. Li Xiang Yi eventually reaches a point where he wants to let go of fame, status, and expectations, while Xiao Zi Jin becomes increasingly trapped by his need for recognition and control.

Jiao Li Qiao was another character I really disliked. She is honestly one of the most delulu characters I have ever watched, especially when it came to her obsession with Di Fei Sheng. There was just something about her mannerisms—the way she spoke, her little hand movements, and those subtle facial expressions—that made me uncomfortable whenever she appeared. Her perception of Di Fei Sheng and their relationship felt completely detached from reality, which only made her more unsettling to watch.

But ultimately, what stayed with me most about the drama was how much of it revolves around identity and the question of what remains after someone loses the life they once had.

Li Lian Hua has been through so much, and you can feel how tired he is of carrying the past. Yet despite all his efforts to stay uninvolved, he keeps finding himself pulled into other people's problems—and, more importantly, he keeps finding people he cares about.

And seriously... I was waiting for everyone to finally realise what Li Lian Hua meant to them, only for them to find out he was gone through his farewell letter in the VERY LAST EPISODE. I wanted to see their remorse, their regret, and everything they never got to say to him. Instead, they only realised it all after he was already gone. Like... seriously, what did I just watch?! 😭

But then again, Li Lian Hua never really gave them the chance either. He had already made peace with everything and chosen to move on. Maybe that was exactly what he wanted—to leave without making anyone responsible for bringing him back.

I already knew the ending would be bittersweet because I knew what was coming, but the open ending in the special episode still gave me a little hope that he’s actually still alive somewhere, just hiding away for good.

Maybe after everything, Li Lian Hua finally managed to disappear from the martial world on his own terms and live the quiet life he had wanted all along. No more Li Xiang Yi, no more expectations, no more burdens—just Li Lian Hua, somewhere out there, finally at peace.

One last thought, though... 🥹

The cruelty of it is that the circumstances that forced him to use that strength rarely gave him the chance to choose otherwise. He was constantly put in situations where he had no time to consider what it would cost him, and everyone around him naturally looked to Li Xiang Yi—the person they knew could handle everything. So even when they were genuinely worried about him and never meant to hurt him, they were still asking Li Lian Hua to give more when he barely had anything left to give.

And maybe that's what hurts the most. He had so little left, yet he still kept giving.

Personally, I can't help but feel that there was something painfully selfish about that.

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K-rom com with some action

I went in to this with really low expectations afraid it would affect my love for Jung Hae In and be that last drop to knock him off the top of my crushes and stars.

However once I started watching it, it was actually not bad, not bad at all. Fine there are annoying elements and some over the top comedy, but name a k-rom com who doesn't have those at some point. I cant think of any. The action is done okay, blod, kicks, explosions, car chases with some twists. Nothing wow but I guess it works. Our gangster ale lead shuts off all emotion when he goes in to the role of gangster making a strong contrast towards his otherwise, cute, innocent, puppy like guy who actually seems to be respectful towards women. Not much unlike all those other gangsters in shows that are supposedly bad ass out there but once they are with their girlfriends or kids they melt in to milkshakes. So even if it isnt perfect it didn´t bother me.

The female lead is assertive, she has her strange moments but does the amnesia pretty well, the only part that felt off with her character was when she was disappointed with the appearance of Jung Hae In. Fine his jump suit want so good looking, but the guy still looked like Jung Hae In...

The plot is mostly predictable, if you are looking for a nail biting thriller or anything that will keep you ón your toes this is not the right place for it but has some moments I was not fully prepared for so all in all an easy binge with some cute moments. Definitely a lot better than I expected.

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If you like the funny, then 98% chance you'll like it

‒Review‒

For those looking for fast-paced, light-hearted comedy-comedy, this one is a treat. Based off of novel and donghua, This show is Xianxia parody with a clever twist. The ML is overpowered as usual, but rather than going through the vomit-blood-obliterate-enemy cycles, he uses strategy, ploys, and enchantments to achieve his goals in the safest way possible, while keeping a low profile. It's an impressive combination of actuarial skills and a giant, giant bag of tricks. Remember, it's a comedic parody and donghua-derived, so don't be bewildered by the whimsical elements. The first episode can feel like a bunch of people talking a lot and talking fast; I recommend giving it 3-4 episodes for the gags to drop and to see if the humor, characters, and vibes work for you.

What I Liked
✅ Humor and parody setup - mocking the usual tropes; punchlines and gags are fast and unexpected enough to keep things interesting. ARP and the cast has good comedic timing and delivery
✅ Jedi mind tricks - Overpowered ML is boring, but one that bamboozles his opponents by combining tricks and clever ploys is
✅ Character dynamics - with Junior-sis (Aimi), high-god on vacation, Junior Dragon-lord, and several others; there is romance w/ the FL, but it's definitely not the focus
✅ Visuals - Mostly decent and not cheap plastic looking. And what is cheap plastic looking can just be excused as parody.
✅ The story, gasp - It's a comedy-comedy, so not subject to the same demands on the story. Yet, its plot, character, and worldbuilding is actually more consistent than the average Xianxia, which is consistently awful. Also plenty of twists and turns that are not obvious.
✅ Happy ending - ||Big twist in the final arc, and a happy ending that is genuinely surprising and meaningful. Some call it an open-ending, just because it's not fully played out. Sure, while it leaves open the possibility of a second season, it's still a self-contained story with closure. ||

What I didn't like
❌ Sun Zhenni's acting - She's good in evil or grayish roles, but not as goodie characters. For the whole show, she was doing Multiple-Choice-Acting‒in that she turns every scene into a random selection of the same expressions A-B-or-C. Forget about nuance, you'd think she has at least a 33% probability to produce a directionally correct facial expression. But noooo, the answer is always D-none of the above. Her rendition of the zillion year Holy Saintess is just so hollow, so jarring. Only when she got demon-possessed later, did she connect with me. And then I figured it out, Zhenni is just born with that *yao-energy, and that's what she needs to cultivate. [yao is demon/demoness, but not so abhorrently and irredeemably evil as in the Western context.] So when you stuff her into these holy-goodie roles, it's like the whole Xianxia thing of cleansing her spirit and lifeforce, leaving her an sterilized, imprisoned shell. I know it's a better career move for actresses to choose the light, or freely trans-realm between good and evil. And I'm not yao-shaming her, but just saying...

❌ ARP's acting when serious - he's good in comedic roles, I mean he's basically playing himself. But when it comes to emotionally complex or powerful scenes, you get the same problem as Sun Zhenni. Except ARP's face is not as blank and more contortionary, as he's cycling through different expressions to hopefully land on the right answer. But the mad circling often results in selecting both 'D-none of the above' AND 'E-all of the above', and you end up with a facial paradox. When it comes to ARP, only the fake crying is authentic crying.

That said, the acting issues didn't bother too much as they were fleeting and ameliorated with the action and comedy. It's not JoL1 level funny or nearly as deep. But I would put it in the same category as Guardians of Dafeng, and slightly better in some respects. While not as expansive in characters and world as GoTD, Pull Strings deliver a more consistent pacing and humor, and a more manageable number of plot lines. Come with the right expectations, and this can be an enjoyable surprise.

--Category Ratings--
- Overall - 7.5 --> 8.0 MDL
- Plot - 7.5
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 8
- Acting - 7.0
- Visuals - 7.5
- Audio / Music - 7.5
- Rewatch - 7.5
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8.5

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Hilarious, Heartfelt, and Refreshingly Real ( The Alpaca ^^)

What stands out most about this drama is how much I laughed at its hilarious, absurd comedy, ranging from physical slapstick to quick-witted humor. Comedy is truly its core strength, but the fun romance and well-timed emotional moments give the story real depth.
​I also have to applaud Tan Jian Ci, who literally carried the show for me as Tang Qi. He created such a unique character, an utterly genius textbook nerd with a delightfully clumsy personality who constantly equates simple everyday things to scientific theories to understand them better. Seeing him put his brilliant brain to work like that was both impressive and hilarious. He is so good at comedy, bringing the show to life with his funny expressions and gestures, and he never hesitates to break his image just to make the audience laugh. Tang Qi will always be remembered! Li Landi was also great as Su Chengcheng, and props to the actors playing her filter personas (Su Miao, Fang Jin, and Quan Shengtang), who brilliantly captured her core personality while still making each persona feel distinct. They were Su Chengcheng in personality, but also not Su Chengcheng, if you know what I mean.
​Beneath all the laughs lies a meaningful message: accept and love yourself as you are. It was refreshing that they didn't sweep makeup under the rug or preach "accept your true self" while hypocritically caking the actors in it. Instead, they kept makeup as an object of self-love, something used to boost confidence or enhance one's natural beauty. The photo editing and filter aspects were handled just as thoughtfully, recognizing how front cameras, lighting, and angles can change how you look. Any technology is good when used for its intended purpose; the key is not overusing it or becoming dependent on it.
​Ultimately, it shifted my perspective on how we handle insecurities, showing that they can only be overcome once we accept them. Beauty standards constantly shift, but you will always be you. So learn to love yourself, stop comparing yourself to others, and remember, you are your own rare kind of person!
ALSO, WE CANNOT EVER FORGET THE ALPACA, IT WAS THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER(and the best one of all) OF THIS DRAMA.

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