#the message cdrama

[sandalwoodbox]

Gu Xiaomeng / Li Ningyu - birthday flirting. The Message (2020) episode 28.

[michyeosseo]

Do you know why she is honored as goddess? Bedridden for a long time due to her incomplete celestial roots... a deity everyone thought could not be saved... Lord Xingzhi came to take to the Extranatural Heaven. And cured her. Therefore, the Divine Realm's Heavenly Lord gave her a title: Luotian Goddess – blessings from the sky. The girl blessed by the [ancient] gods.

Li Jia Qi as YOULAN

THE LEGEND OF SHEN LI (2024) 1.17-1.19

[xiakeponz]

the shenanigans in our cdrama disc. ft. @llonkrebboj and co

tag urself im czgws lmao

additional contribution from @lu-luna-lunatic

[noona-is-afk]

spoilery thoughts under the cut on The Double cuz I’m obsessed

When Li gave Tong the house and gifts, I was like immediately “oh no this girl defs gonna die I’m not ready”

but even knowing it was happening, you best believe I still cried my goddamn heart out

I love how this show’s whole thing is like the tragedy of the female experience, but man is it such a gut punch every time another one of my fave girlies meets a tragic end

imma need some fanfiction writers to do the world a service and write happy endings for all these amazing women okay thank you

[kaserolly]

🩵💙💜 Lewis Hamilton X Stay Close by Bawo 💜💙🩵

Keep it a hundred and not one less

Woke up in a mess, that don't mean that the love can rest

Bro got dreams, let's flee this nest

All for the team, it's really a quest

[x][x][x][x]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICO @captainson 🩵

[lostinadrama]

𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 / 𝐙𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐧 (2024)

[ohmuqueen]

You could try watching general and i, the protagonists are on two opposite sides of a war, happy ending after many separations and reunions

Thank you kind anon! I looked it up and I will definitely give it a try! I’ve never watched a historical cdrama, this looks like a great one for me to start with ~ I’m excited, thank you! ^^

[lurkingshan]

Fangs of Fortune: Hell Yeah, You Should Watch it

I am not going to write a long and detailed review of this drama that many people on here have already so lovingly documented and analyzed before I managed to get to it, but I will say this: it's easily my favorite cdrama of the year, and if you're on the fence about it, you should absolutely watch and have a great time.

Does it have flaws? Yes, definitely. I can't say that I was ever more than 70% sure what was going on with the plot, the overuse of macguffins and deus ex machinas got comically ridiculous by the end, and the female lead is one of the weakest I have seen in a minute. But I barely cared about any of that, because of a few things:

It's absolutely gorgeous, 11/10 visual feast for the eyes at all times.

The characters were almost uniformly excellent, and most of them had fantastic arcs that felt true to where they started and where they needed to go.

The relationship dynamics (with the exception of the awkwardly shoehorned in het romance) were fascinating and very well executed, with lots of depth and nuance to explore.

Despite the plot writing being an entire mess, the thematic work was on point and I loved the overarching messages of the drama.

It's queer as hell, and the subtext is really quite plainly text by the end. The censors got fully bamboozled on this one.

I advise you to just turn it on, enjoy the visual splendor, and let the story wash over you, and you will have such a fun and fantastic time.

[dangermousie]

The explanation for his nickname for her! But also, he doesn't know the background so to him she dumped him and was awful to him for no reason and his first thought is still...my heart!!!

And then he tries to call her but she's changed her number so he keeps getting "not in service" message.

And so he dumps his phone into a box (which is so teen dramatic - getting a new cell and number over this - but it feels so relatable) and that box has all those train tickets when he used to ride god knows how long to meet her in Beiyu MY HEARTTTT

(the telling thing is he doesn't really throw it away, he just puts it in a keepsake box.)

And then he says to the empty air...

You know, watching this makes me realize how not wired I am to be a cdrama protag. Because if someone I was in love with dumped me for no reason (or even a good reason), I'd weep for a week and then move on. If I later found out their reason was a good reason, it would not bring back my feelings except a slight relief or pieces kicking into place. My first bf in high school dumped me out of the blue after being super ideal and I was so madly in love with him - I remember going to some movie and bawling my eyes out in the back of the theater the whole duration and remember thinking "but even if I fall in love again it won't be with HIM and so it won't be the same." I was distraught for a chunk of that summer. And that was about it.

I honestly would not recognize the guy now if I walked by him on the street. I still don't fully know why he dumped me out of the blue (tho have some ideas) and I have long ceased to care. I wish him well in an abstract, detached sort of way because he gave me some lovely memories back way when and that's about it.

Sang Yan is clearly built different.

[romchat]

Favorite Visual Storytelling of 2024: Cdrama Edition

Although I spent the better part of 2024 complaining about the state of Chinese dramas, one thing I did appreciate seeing in this year's lineup was all the lovely cinematography and production design on display. Not only did these visuals look great, but they were meaningful to the story.

In no particular order, here are my top picks of the year...

Favorite Use of Color: The Double

Evocative and theatrical, The Double's cinematography definitely caught people's attention, splitting viewers into those who liked it and those who thought it was too much.

But what always struck me as refreshingly unique about the drama was its careful use of color . Check out how the following scenes have a completely different feeling because of their color palettes:

Whether it's the fairytale romanticism of a white blossom forest or the queasy yellow and pink of a brothel, the show's colors always give us a sense of mood (and character) without needing much exposition. Really efficient storytelling!

Favorite Production Design #1: Fangs of Fortune

If I included screenshots of all my favorite sets and costumes from my next pick, we'd be here all day.

I've always loved the energy and symbolism of Director Guo Jingming's visual storytelling, but his production design team in Fangs of Fortune really outdid themselves. The scale, shapes, and most importantly texture of each set gives the show a sweepingly escapist quality that we rarely seen in Cdramas. It is true high fantasy come to life, asking us to reflect on what it means to be human through the eyes of those who are otherworldly.

Favorite Use of Production Design #2: To the Wonder

I was uncomfortable with the tacit political messaging of To the Wonder but the amount of care and detail that went into its production design is undeniable. People seem to mostly praise the drama for its idyllic on-location shots but I think it's the prop design and interiors that really sing because they provide insight into lives we rarely see represented on screen.

Favorite Use of Light: Love in a Dream

When I see dramas like Love in a Dream, it makes me wish the industry would just throw money at all the talented and creative visual directors in the short drama circuit. A masterclass in contrast, this drama is absolutely gorgeous, and its dramatic use of chiaroscuro lighting makes it look like a cross between a Renaissance painting and shadow puppet show.

Was I always able to follow the plot? No, but who cares when every other scene looks like art.

Favorite Use of Camera Language #1: Tender Light

Tender Light is a great example of using cinematography to establish the right tone for a story.

The story follows a woman being accused of murdering her abusive husband and the camera language actually mimics the social fallout of his death. Look at how it uses dirty framing, overhead shots, tracking, etc. to give the story a voyeuristic and surveillant feeling. It's like we (the audience) are being forced to invade the privacy of these characters, and in doing so, the show implicates us in the nasty gossip that surrounds our FL as much as the local townspeople spreading it.

Favorite Use of Camera Language #2: Regeneration

From the opening shot of Regeneration , we learn that this is a world where it's difficult to distinguish reality from its equally compelling reflection. The drama is all about the stories people weave and the show plays with subjective cinematography to make us question what we perceive as the truth.

Runners-Up

I dropped Blossom before I could get a sense of its visual storytelling, but the drama has Director Zeng Qingjie's signature dreamy, romantic visuals . Bonus: Li Yunrui looking hot in his gray wig.

Riverside Code at Qingming Festival didn't quite work for me as a case-breaking story but the amount of research they put in the costuming and prop design is incredible. I hope Director Yang Fan gets more opportunities to direct big budget period dramas because his attention to detail is immaculate .

--

And that's a wrap!

What was everyone else's favorite Cdrama visuals of 2024?

[sandalwoodbox]

Gu Xiaomeng / Li Ningyu & beds

The Message (2020) eps 3-27

[harocat]

Like okay yeah this is idealized. Women CAN do this, but they do encounter outside pressure not to do so. However it was still nice to see an ML in a Cdrama talk like this.

Because there is a lot of ‘one true love’ and ‘finding a perfect match is my priority ’ and very heteronormative messaging in some dramas, so seeing an ML be like ‘hey you don’t have to find anyone in my world, and you can even just live with your friends forever’ is refreshing. It’s not unusual to have an ML that drinks respect women juice in a drama (in fact one thing I like about dramas is that they usually do), but it’s nice to have the mouthpiece of the series in a costume drama give this monologue.

And then we have Lin’an realizing that she does like Xu Qi’an romantically, but even more than that, she wants to strike out on her own. So she listens to him and leaves him and her kingdom behind to do her own thing, just like he says is an option in his world.

I’m not sure how their story will end. My hope is it stays unconventional though; that she isn’t dragged back and conveniently granted a marriage with Xu Qi’an by her father or something.

(Being a transmigration story, I assume we’ll end up with Xu Qi’an back in the present day at the end. With this speech in mind and how she reacted to it, I wonder if she might be there as well.)

Caps snagged from here

[tavina-writes]

Hello! So I watched Xiao Zhan's Legend of the Condor Heroes movie today and immediately fell in love with Huang Rong. Also a bit with the Mongolian princess too. And I was wondering which adaptation would be the best to watch for either of these characters. And I thought "who do I know who likes loch and women" and so here I am messaging you lol

Hi hi!

So I think the thing is - most LOCH adaptations are good about their women! Especially Huang Rong, given that she's the main character's love interest. (And honestly, in pretty much every adaptation worth its salt, Rong'er shines FAR brighter than Jing'er and that's...kind of how it's supposed to be taken in universe as well? Huang Rong is brilliant and funny and beautiful and she's so extremely charming and lovely, and Guo Jing is down to earth and steady and good in a way that's rare, but it's hardly ever flashy and he agrees that Rong'er SHOULD steal the show, and part of the wonder of their relationship is just how much they both think the other person is the best thing they've ever seen.)

FWIW here's a scene from CH 26 of LOCH "New Allies, Old Arrangements" that explains what I mean:

On the one side, Guo Jing was telling his teachers about the ins and outs of the situation; on the other side, Huang Yaoshi was leading his daughter by the hand and listening to her giggly chatter, her narrative punctuated with laughter. At first, the Freaks followed what Guo Jing was saying. But he was a dull talker, struggling to convey what he meant in words. Huang Rong, however, not only had a clear, crisp voice, but also a splendid turn of phrase; and when she got to the thrilling bits, her depictions scintillated with a hundred extra tones and colours. One by one, the Six involuntarily went over to listen; Guo Jing, too, finally shut up, turning from a speaker to a listener. Huang Rong did almost an hour’s worth of talking. With her expressions taking full flight – now grave, now comic – everybody listened enraptured to her pearls of wit, as if savouring a charming vintage wine.

So truthfully almost any LOCH will give you these things. (Their treatment of Huazheng...less equal imo lolsob. For Best Huazheng, your best bet is probably LOCH 2003, which also has a FANTASTIC JingRong and other nice perks but...also a pacing problem. It's cdrama, I've never met one without pacing problems lolsob). Anyway, I have seen...all the major TV show adaptations of LOCH since the 1980s (I have yet to locate any footage of any earlier LOCH TV shows alas) so here's my rundown.

Some of my favorite LOCHes include:

LOCH 2017: the most easily accessible as far as plotlines and a "modern" look. Huang Rong is slightly less problematic morally in this one because her dad told her no on more than one occasion before she turned 16 whole years old, but this is overall a very solid and beautiful adaptation! find it on iQIYI.

LOCH 2003: very very solid for a good amount of time, best Mongolia plotlines I have e'er before seen and have since, excellent Huang Rong, excellent JingRong, made, at the time, as the LOCH adaptation to end all LOCH adaptations - it was very high budget. not...really a starter LOCH watch if you don't know any plotlines because this thing is DENSE. It's So Fucking Dense. Find it on Youtube for free.

LOCH 2024: the most modern LOCH show there is! the shots and fight scenes in this are peak beautiful and the clothing and design choices! My favorite Guo Jing and perhaps the best Guo Jing of all time. Unfortunately, EXTREMELY hostile to those who have not already seen LOCH or know the plotlines to LOCH, we're in China by like, ep 1 which means we cut a ton of Guo Jing's childhood. Find it on Youtube for free.

LOCH 1983: my childhood favorite. My beloveds. Perhaps not as charming without nostalgia? and also without English subs so I can't exactly recommend that you see it unless you speak either Mandarin or Cantonese and love 80s Hong Kong TVB special effects...but it IS on Youtube for free.

LOCH 2008: I never really got super into LOCH 08 since it made...some character adaptation choices that I'm not super fond of, and I think without the hindsight of nostalgia some of the special effects here don't hold up as well as more recent adaptations (this can be said for 83, 03, and 94 as well.) I am not sure Huazheng is really in this one, and we spend a lot of time on Yang Kang and Mu Nianci whom I don't think are? in the movie? I think this one is also on Youtube.

LOCH 1994: the sad forgotten stepchild of the major LOCH adaptations, LOCH 94 was TVB's 90s revival of the 1983 cult classic (which, if you talk to any LOCH fan older than say 40, LOCH 83 is THE classic classic version that everyone should see and the new ones don't compare yadayadayada). I'm not entirely certain I like 94. I think at some points I really didn't enjoy LOCH 94. In any case it's inaccessible and without Eng Subs also but it IS on Youtube if you speak Mandarin or Cantonese...

But yeah, uhhh largely LOCH gets an adaptation (and one or several movies) every decade since it started coming out as a book in the 1950s, and while I AM a novel main I've seen pretty much every major TV show adaptation. (I'm not much of a movies girlie and LOCH is like 950k words long so it doesn't quite...gel well in a movie format imo, so I have not seen any of the major LOCH movies.) My prediction is that in 2030 they'll be making a NEW NEW NEW Legend of the Condor Heroes which may or may not be good once again to the delight and dismay of the LOCH fanbase, who all have spines the integrity of a cooked pasta noodle and therefore will go "omg take my money" and watch it anyway.

As I reflect on this, my take is that 1: the novel really is lovely and 2: any one adaptation does not comprehensively do it justice but they're a lot of fun! and 3: holy hell we are so incredibly lucky that there's been so many adaptations over the years.

:D thanks for the ask! Sorry it took so long for me to get to it <3

[lasenbyphoenix]

A Moment But Forever (2025)

(An informal and very LXY biased recap series)

Episode 5

Yuanzhong kicks Tanyin out of his bedroom and stays up all night in case she tries to sneak in again, which Zi Fei finds hilarious the next morning.

Determined to relax, he takes a soak in his Very Extra Bathtub - specially designed for those who want the luxury of bathing in a natural hot spring but without being beset by bugs or possible onlookers. Order yours today!

However, Tanyin never got that message and sends her dragonfly in to get a closer look at the lock, but gets distracted by his abs. (Really can't blame her.) Yuanzhong demands an explanation, and is bemused to learn that, peep show aside, she really is just obsessed with wanting to unlock his Immortal Tracking Necklace.

So as punishment for creeping on him, he lets her play with his hair. The one being punished is me,why cant I have that job 😩 to which she thanks him by insulting his face. To his face.

THEMS FIGHTING WORDS LADY, I DONT CARE IF YOU'RE A GOD.

Luckily Yuanzhong likes subordinates who talk back to him (see: Zi Fei), so she gets away with it for now. A bit of Master/Subordinate bonding time later, Yuanzhong gets to laugh that the birds are cursing Tanyin for stealing their cherries, and Tanyin gets to vaguely reminisce about the fox that stole her jade piece and started worshipping her with it.

Who turned out to be baby faced Yuanzhong.

Because the Headmaster forgot about Yuanzhong's detention/spirit refinement this week, the Liujiao Palace trio decide to skip their lessons and skive off down the mountain instead. Sadly, the necklace tattles on them for leaving school grounds and the Grand Elder sends in the cavalry to round them up, but everyone gets sidetracked when Tanghua turns to the Dark Side.

While the Elders tie up Tanghua for an exorcism, Yuanzhong and Tanyin return to Yuquan Peak to find it snowing.

--------------------

Zi Fei is HERE for the gossip. Fuck I love him.

Aww young Yuanzhong is so full of hope. And of course he's the fox she's looking for, that's a given in Cdramas. But I do like how it makes her promise to protect him and be by his side for life to be more than just her wanting the Divine Hand (and them eventually falling in love because of course that will happen too) but also as a Goddess looking after the only mortal who worships her.

Ok my theory is that Tanghua is behind the possessions, helping force the hand of the Elders to unleash Yuanzhong to deal with the supposed War Demon threat.

[luyi]

so xinhua news agency just released a summary of the best and most memorable film, tv, theatre, and music works in china in the past 10 years. when i click on the 2023 list, i was so confident about three body being mentioned first, and here it is, the first thing you see on the long image for 2023 is three body!!!

i know this show is not for everyone, but it's undeniable that it's going to be one of the most influential tv shows in cdrama history.

also i got this lovely message from a lovely user the other day (i hope it's ok for me to post it here, if not please let me know). you really have no idea how much i appreciate this kind of message. even though we have a tiny fandom here, it makes it all worth it.

i love that people can see my passion, and i also love to see how much people love this show and the cast. i admit sometimes i rant too much about the lack of interest on tumblr, but i'm always grateful for those who stick with my blog and stay in the fandom <3...

i recently came to a conclusion that i just love this show and its cast too much to care about the fandom size anymore, and it's impossible for me to love anything else as much as three body. so if i quit posting about them, i'd really have nothing else to post on here lol. so yep, i'm hoping i can present you with a less "ranty" and more positive kun in the new year <3...

[moononmyfloor]

My Year End C-drama Review (2023)

Last year, I did two Cdrama Wrapped posts for each half of the year. This year, I watched so much stuff right away I got arrogant and was about to do a January-February summary. And then life happened and handed me my entire ass, so here we are right back on the ground zero.

Well, not exactly. I watched lots of dramas I liked this year and would like to give nods to as many as possible, and before I start forgetting details I thought I better go ahead with the entrees that I'm sure of the answers.

My initial Cdrama reviews were inspired by anniedelavoye's this post 2 years ago, I've extrapolated a lot from there but some entrees remain same.

Part 2

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1. First drama I finished in 2023

Hi Venus. Modern workplace romcom isn't my go-to-genre, least of all if the ML is a CEO. If not for the unusual-for-the-genre setup of initial few eps and the strong recommendations of my friends, I might not have pressed play at all. And I'm so glad I did because it turned out to be one of the most refreshing takes of the genre, it was funny, the pacing nor the dialogues were ever draggy, the characters were intelligent and pleasant, and down to earth. It never leaned to the tropes of helpless/badass FL or tsundere/beta ML extremes, there was no dramatic villain arcs, down to the supporting characters everyone were so reasonable and mature and simply had the nicest time ever together. Now I put it like that, it sounds boring but trust me, it wasn't. Do give it a try. Your time won't be wasted.

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2. An actor who took my breath away

Jing Boran as Lan Jue/Peizhi from The League of Nobleman

I mean

Look at him. Instant KO.

I remember watching this scene (and every scene that followed after, especially when he had his hair down) and being in disbelief about how he's real. He's literally glowing out the screen! His performance as a model scholarly minister, the way he conducted his glance, his steps, his speech and temperament were nothing but enchanting and... look, I can write poetry about him for ages lol.

And then I watched every single work I could find of him and ended up even more in love, because his resume was nothing but diverse. A measured scholar, a bubbling-out-of-his-skin social butterfly, a ballerina in a tutu, a man pregnant with the cutest radish monster ever, there's nothing he cannot play. I'm definitely going to check out every single work of him that'll be coming out in the future as well. Even if the plot fails, his character will surely be interesting.

(Also, I was FINALLY lured into DMBJ fandom thanks to going down his profile as well, and now I'm here to stay🤭)

.

3. Most relatable character

Bai Moxi from Gone With the Rain

She was street-smart and sassy, but never foolhardy. She wasn't a damsel nor was overly clever. She had her moments of daydreaming, but she knew what was and wasn't reasonable. She had a high sense of self-worth, she also knew when to make herself scarce. Despite being the most outgoing and energetic personality in the room, she didn't make everything to be about herself. In fact, she couldn't have been happier to be a background supporting character of the story, quietly minding her own business in her corner. In summary, she just felt very real, and exactly like how I love my FLs. Every decision she took felt like what I'd also have done in her situation. (Btw I hope noone messages me about loving Moxi but hating her sister because I don't. I think her character also made a lot of sense based on her circumstances even though she was bit more difficult to love than Moxi.)

Most of all, she was played to a tee by Zhang Nan, the young actress was allowed to shine to her true potential in this role, as she used to be quite stereotyped in either bubbly or petty mean girl roles. The drama horribly fell apart in the latter quarter (I'd like to pretend it all ended before that Great Seperation Scene), but I'm going to remember her charaacter for a long time to come.

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4. Most inspiring character

Li Lianhua from Mysterious Lotus Casebook

The tumblr tag for MLC is already filled with Grade A+ poetry, prose and analysis dedicated to him and I'm not capable of wording it any better than them. All I can say is he really touched a vulnerable corner of my heart, and gave it strength. He's just so very admirable and represents all I ever want to be, and his entire character design and all its metaphors and philosophy especially resonate with me as a Buddhist. Like Cheng Yi said at the end of MLC concert, "At the end of the day, if you have a lotus flower in your heart that you can call your own, that's what matters."

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5. Best Couple of the Year

Lu Zhaoxi and Ye Shilan (Zeng Shunxi and Liang Jie) in Hi Venus, Zhao Jian and Yuan Zhongxin (Zhou Yutong and Zhang Xincheng) in Young Blood 2

Here are two couples who were each others' equal match in every big, small and miscellaneous ways possible. Where their roles in their partnership did not have anything to do with society-determined gender or power dynamics, not about conforming to them nor about beating them. Everything about their relationships simply had to do with what they meant to each other their admiration, respect and love towards the other person, from beginning to end. In Hi Venus, it was never uncomfortable to watch Shilan being Zhaoxi's subordinate, for he always treated her like any good superior should in any healthy professional relationship. In Young Blood 2, Zhongxin would fully trust Zhao Jian with everyone else's and his own life, not because his head was in wishful romantic clouds but because he was 100% confident in her capabilities and would never disrespect her with "girls should be protected, you stay back and let me take the sword for you" nonsense.

I may check out like 50 dramas per year and may never come by such Het pairing dynamics in some years, yknow? I do not hate on any other kind of dynamic (plus I'd have next to nothing to watch in that case lol) but, THIS... this is so rare -for me to not be icked out by not even a single second of a fictional het couple's screentime lol- hence the gushing! (Though I know I'm not doing the greatest job of phrasing what I feel😆).

Following that note, though not a couple, honorable mentions to Chufeng (Bi Wenjun) and Robin (Zhu Zhengting) from Silence of the Monster who took Sui Yi (Sun Yihan) into their home not because they thought it'd be chivalrous to help a girl, but because it's the nice thing to do as a fellow human. For continuing onto integrating her into their world with ease and enthusiasm not because any of them had feelings for her but because they simply found her a good friend to hang out with.

Suffice to say I DIG ANY relationship where gender does not come into play, like, at all (or barely, if you must).

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6. Best harem of the year

Orchid and Lotus harems (from League of Nobleman and Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

(Only sharing the pics of Orchid Harem because it was from the earlier quarter of this year, whereas pics of Lotus Harem will be everywhere in the Cdrama scene for quite a while to come lol)

The support group of devout puppies, zhijis, friends-with-benefits and all sorts of other polycule postions, all centered around one precious babygirl enigma of a man is just my jam, and I love it when it happens because it brings forth the fandom's most unhinged high-art. 😌😌😌

(ALSO ME AND WHO WHEN!😭)

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7. Best ensemble of the year

Young Blood 2, I Am Nobody

For me a perfect ensemble is where the supporting characters are just or almost nearly as engaging and thoroughly written as the main leads, you'd love every second spent on any character just as much as you love that of any other. The ultimate relaxing experience where your brain doesn't have to pick favorites and you don't have to speed watch or fast forward or be antsy about who's going to appear next because you know it's gonna be enjoyable no matter whom.

And this year, it's Young Blood 2- with its Class 7 members who were all so different but all so compelling and equally contributing to the plot, complimented by the Class 8 and the unnervingly captivating villains.

And I Am Nobody- with its extensive spread of young and old heroes/antiheroes alike, all with dramatic backstories and individual charisma that were not second to another.

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8. Favorite posters/promos of the year

Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Young Blood 2, Sunshine By My Side

Really liked what MLC did with positioning the characters on various spots of the titular Lianhua Lou, the wind-sway choices for the wisps of hair and the skirts... idk the exact angles of it all were just right for each character and their vibes and appealed to me a lot.

The blending-into-painting style poster of Young Blood was so pretty too, plus these Suoyi raincoat posters.

The comic strip posters for Sunshine were also super cute, unique and perfect for the drama's themes.

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9. Best opening credit sequence

Love You Seven Times

The drama itself was a hot mess but the opening sequence was entirely worthy of being a parallelish-universe story to Love Between Fairy and Devil without a debate. IF ONLY they put the same effort to the story itself.

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10. Favorite Prop/Set designs

A League of Nobleman- Lan Jue's Tea Pavilion, Mysterious Lotus Casebook- Lotus House

I wish I could install a fixture in my home where me and my imaginary homies can chat over tea while being seductively separated by an active stream of freshwater, while my not so elegant period-style caravan is waiting outside in the yard for more cozily cramped get-together times. 🤧

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11. Favorite lighting/color grading of the year

The Forbidden Flower, My Journey to You

The former, a kaleidoscopic explosion of colors, a celebration of fleeting life, youth, summer and nostalgia. It was a daring drama on so many fronts and nailed each of them as well, and the use of colors represented its bold soul perfectly.

The latter, a marvelous combination of mountains shrouded by mist, dark-toned wood pavilions and fur-lined robes, pale, dusty makeup with rosy lips and plump cheeks; all combined together on screen to bring a palpable ambience of a secluded glamorous hideout in a dystopian world and its ethereal residents. Seriously, how I especially loved to stare at the bride candidates in their white getups, it was like the light bounced off of the fabric to shine on their faces even more, and the skin and hair looked non-oily and baby soft. And it didn't feel over the top but convincing because the camerawork and editing conjured a believable image of an upcountry with dense and dewy forests, waterfalls and rivers, there's no sun, no heat no sweat, only cold air and pregnant humidity. OF COURSE you are going to look like THAT.

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12. A drama that taught me new things

Hi Producer

The infuriating thing about Yu Zheng's show-off genre of costume dramas is that the story may be a hit-or-miss, the "historical facts" provided in them may need to be taken with a grain of salt, but they almost always provide me with great entry points to do my own research 🥲. Most niche facts that take me by surprise and things I'd never have thought to look up on my own are randomly sprinkled all over the place and I run around like a headless chicken trying to collect them all.

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13. Most exhilarating drama/scene

Three-Body

That scene in ep 5. The entire buildup to it and the resolution. The phenomenal acting bringing forth the exact emotion and exact tension required. The moment you start to understand at least a sliver of why exactly all the characters are making this much of a fuss about what's happening to them.

I cannot spoil, not even a bit. You'd have to see for yourself.

I Am Nobody

(lol Three Body and I Am Nobody. I swear that was an unintentional coincidence!)

The great V-match between certain two characters, I can't elaborate. (See the thing about exhilarating scenes is that you have to see it for yourself what's the big deal is about lol.) I really liked how both their biggest vulnerabilities and yearnings were pulled out mercilessly in public, how they both fought themselves through each other before actualizing the philosophy of what it was all about. It was beautiful to watch visually as well.

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14. A drama location I'd love to visit

Yunnan province

I've seen glimpses of the prosperous and both naturally and culturally diverse Yunnan province through Bite of China Documentaries and Dianxi Xiaoge's vlogs, the beautiful bucolic backdrop of Meet Yourself only heightened the wish to experience it all in person.

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15. A drama that was a pleasant surprise

I Am Nobody

Perfect casting job, earnest effort from everyone involved to bring out the 2D to live action in the bestest way possible, it was like a dream come true to see a genre that was previously limited into written media like comics and fanfics (modern cultivation) as a drama even if it meant labelling all the cultivators as aliens lol

It had a lil bit of a flavor of western coming-of-age/"teen gets powers and goes on an adventure in search of their origins" stories, a bit of Japanese anime presenting style and the chaotic-gaggle-of-youth-and-veterans-with-different-extreme-powers genre vibe. And then they incorporated Chinese wuxia philosophy into it and made it their own thing. I hope to see more of this in future, and definitely a season 2!

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16. An old drama I watched in 2023

Shaolin Wendao (2017)

This is one of the best period dramas I have ever seen, but I don't recommend it unless you have a strong tolerance for angst. Like, worse than Royal Nirvana and Heroes (2022) level of angst.

HOWEVER, unlike those two, Shaolin Wendao will leave you feeling rewarded for your suffering. This drama achieved a number of things that very few other have managed to do, especially for a story with such a heavy and dark premise.

The characters remained true to their selves from beginning to the end. They grew up in various ways, at the same time remained consistent. The story made sure to make all the characters aware of their individual faults and address them.

The characters were put through immense wringer but also provided viewer with the resolution they deserved. It was SO exhilarating at times, I cried. It felt like a detox, sometimes.

They prioritized telling a realistic story about the changing nature of humans. The ending was blissful but not in the idolized, wrapped-in-a-bow-tie way one would imagine. They wanted to tell a story about tribulations and letting go, and did exactly that.

It will ignite the pain but will also make sure to thoroughly quench it. So there's that.

Oh and also, respect to all the actors. All those characters were so layered and had some quite difficult scenes. I do not understand how Guo Xiaoting didn't get any good roles matching of her caliber for years after this. She was magnificent.

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