#Sebrina Chen

[cnladies]

CHEN YAO 陈瑶 | New Year 2025

Chen Yao: more photos here New Year 2025: more photos here

[dramagifs]

Maiden Holmes | 2020

[sonderwrit]

I love it when c-ent dresses up actresses in gorgeous fits and have them dance and sing~

Featuring: Zhu Xudan, Chen Yao, Ren Min, and Hanikezi

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Shui Long Yin (2025)

042724 罗云熙领衔主演玄侠电视剧 《水龙吟》一秒江湖宣传片: Fantasy wuxia Shui Long Yin starring Luo Yunxi as Tang Lici

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALpE5kJ32Zs

[danmeigirl]

[ajaxbell]

Maiden Holmes: the jianghu Scooby Gang is on the case!

I picked this cdrama up simply because of Zhang Linghe's face and because I saw a gifset of the kisses. But what an unexpected delight!

The premise is essentially a woman, Su Ci, disguised as a man to become a cop with a secret agenda to investigate the false charges that killed her family. While investigating a case she teams up with war traumatized Prince Qi who has his own problems at court. But in a mistaken identity romp she doesn't recognize him (while she's also carrying around comics of his adventures lol). They are joined by young woman doctor/poisoner/coroner/forensic pathologist, and by the world's greatest himbo. Together they form a jianghu Scooby Gang and solve a bunch of seemingly unrelated cases that start to connect to each other, and conveniently connect to both Su Ci's ultimate goal and Prince Qi's problems at court.

The villain is obvious and over the top. The plot is wobbly at best. But the cast really saves this show. Zhang Linghe is way better than he has any business being in his first drama, just fresh out of engineering college. He outshines all the more established actors in the cast. But over all the cast has chemistry and the story hits the right notes of found family, of a team of experts competently doing their respective jobs, and manages the comedy they are given well (the more dramatic and intense emotional beats are as wobbly as the plot).

These characters are a group of kind, interested people who seem to do their best for the victims they encounter. But they also each go through their own emotional moments in realistic ways, shutting out their friends, and isolating. But every time the friends show up, offer true support, and receive apologies for not being initially trusted or let in. There's an ongoing theme of being both accepted for who you truly are and of being loved for it whether platonically or romantically. And this is really the core of what makes this show better than it should be.

There's something just very sweet and good-natured about their friendships and how they treat each other and everyone in need they encounter. It makes this show a joy to watch and honestly a bit uplifting. Like at the end of rough day sitting down to see these friends be nice and helpful and concerned just really felt like a balm. And while the rougher emotional points didn't always hit, a lot of them did, due entirely to this cast and how well they made me feel they were really friends. Most the comedy beats are right and truly funny, but also the comedy never hits a mean or punching down note either. Which for me ends up being part of what actually made this show great for me: it's actually really subversive.

Is it subversive on purpose or accidentally? I'll never know but it was really enjoyable. The first half watches like a good bl. Yes it's based on the misunderstanding of Prince Qi believing Su Ci is a man. But that does not stop Prince Qi from standing too close and looking sick with longing. It doesn't stop the classic cdrama underwater 'kiss' to share breath. Zhang Linghe plays this without any indication that it might be weird or uncomfortable for Prince Qi to be attracted to a man. While the show plays it for comedy, the comedy is Su Ci being really confused about what is happening, and in their friends' response to (perceived male) Su Ci and Prince Qi as a couple.

Even more subversive, while it's played (joyfully) for comedy, all the friends' responses are uniformly welcoming and supportive of these two 'men' becoming involved. Particularly the world's most delightful himbo character making an impassioned speech about his support of them. (Truly not just for this scene, but this himbo character is maybe one of my all time favorite TV characters? Just incredible work by the script and the actor.)

Eventually Su Ci's gender is revealed and Prince Qi takes it without blinking and goes to work to make this world more feminist and accepting so she can continue do her job as a detective for the court even after her gender is exposed. After this point in the show the script weakens a bit, sacrificing some character development to making people act the way the plots needs rather than totally true to the established characters. But throughout Prince Qi seems to not care about gender, or any outside perception of his relationship regardless of the gender of his partner. And it was just relief a to watch. What a good character he turns out to be. So supportive of anything his partner wants, in a way where he seems to truly enjoy anything she does, and just looks so pleased with how smart she is. He looks pleased for people to think he's in a gay relationship. He looks pleased when she does her job well. He looks pleased when she dresses up for him. And some of this has to be Zhang Linghe's acting work. Especially when he starts bring a level of smolder and longing that seems possibly (and I'm not complaining) overly steamy for the lightweight comedy level of this show.

Anyway I would absolutely call this show queer friendly and accepting in a way crossdressing deception plots often never achieve. That combined with these kind, good-natured friends, and the world's best himbo character really combined to make this a fun, sweet watch. So yes, I'd recommend, but don't go into expecting quality, or consistency, but it is sweet, light, and fun. Just a little treat to balance out the darker things in the world if you need distraction.

[justajacky]

If only my soulmate can come into my life with a bang.

Bonus point: he saved a kitten.

[natstarbuck]

[labseraph]

True love is when you launch a PR campaign for women empowerment and equality in ancient China so that the woman you love can keep being a cop.

[sangwuyan]

[cnladies]

CHEN YAO 陈瑶 in hanfu | 2024 Sohu Video National Style Festival

Chen Yao: more photos here 2024 Sohu Video National Style Festival: more photos here

[dramagifs]

Maiden Holmes | 2020

[sonderwrit]

via 陈瑶Sebrina's weibo:

#瑶有上镜心# 夏有凉风冬落雪，共赴前方江湖路。 ​​​

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Shui Long Yin (2025)

【ENG SUB | Trailer】 罗云熙 《水龙吟》 杀青特辑 肖顺尧谢彬彬开启神州之旅 | Shui Long Yin (Starring Luo Yunxi) | MangoTV Drama

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdhZVlp_1m8

[linggluu]

xiao jie who wants his ba bi ;;

[dangermousie]

I...am honestly excited for this casting!

They are adapting two of my top 3 non-danmeis - this and Wishing You Eternal Happiness (my n1 of all time, Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir was adapted into an utter abomination that is probably my villain origin story; it proves the depths of my fondness for Ding Yuxi that I can still like him after his being the ML of that horror.)

I am NOT excited for the supposed casting of Wishing - I am benignly indifferent to Sebrina Chen but her vibe is all wrong for a stunningly beautiful, quietly desperate, steely but in a fragile way young woman - if Song Zuer wasn't canceled, she'd fit. Or Lu Yuxiao. Or after I loved her in FoF, Chen Duling. Sebrina's vibe is so wrong. But not as wrong as casting Ci Sha for ML. My jaw dropped seeing that. Now, don't get me wrong - Ci Sha is a snack and a half and my brain shortcircuited from hormonal attack watching him ride horses as Guo Jing in the latest Condor Heroes, but he is so utterly wrong for the sickly, clinically depressed, but desperately honorable and so very quiet ML of that one that I cannot put it into words. His whole look, his vibe are just WRONG. I will likely be skipping that drama.

But this casting for Moonlight? Actually is giving me joy! (sorry @aysekira) I liked BSG in Condor Heroes and can see her fit the FL vibe just fine. And WHY is my "totally and utterly changed my mind on him this year" actor for 2024 - I was GONE for him as Yang Kang in Condor Heroes and he owned my heart as the abused fragile deadly mess in Snowy Night. I can totally see him play the ML.

The director is LYF director (ie someone who can get really good performances out of people.) The screenwriter did the horrifically dull Fei but also Rattan which I liked what I saw of, so 50-50. But at least I am not horrified at the thought of this being made with the current cast and crew, unlike Wishing so YAY!