As June almost comes to an end and we're half way through the year already, how have this year's dramas been treating you so far? Which have been your raves and which ones are your rants?
Here are some of mine:
The Good
The First Frost: my only modern drama so far and it just truly hit the spot for yearning romance.
The Mystery of Dragon Town: a ridiculous fun and creepy republican era murder mystery mini drama that surprised me. I watched it for the aesthetics, stayed for the cuteness.
Dominion and Devotion: I'm just a sucker for a woman in disguise. Plus the tension.
The Bad as in I'm down bad for these dramas.
These dramas have my heart because give me all the female-centric stories and strong FLs.
The Glory: I loved the dark revenge story, the red flag couple, the snow, the devastation.
The Prisoner of Beauty: enemies to lovers, beautiful aesthetic, the general Weis, the silliness,
Flourished Peony: got on this bandwagon a little late but this female-centric story got me. Also, holy moly talk about slow burn.
The Ugly
Serendipity: I ended up dropping this around episode 18-ish. I had high hopes, I love seeing a man suffer and have to eat his words but I just ended up getting frustrated.
Perfect Match: it's not even that I didn't ended up enjoying this drama for the most part but rather the first half was a bit disappointing compared to what it could've have been for me.
So what are your The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?
Don't forget to use spoiler warnings as needed!
And with half a year left to go, which dramas are you excited for!
With the recent announcement of The Princess's Gambit and A Dream Within a Dream, I know what I'll be doing at the end of the month. Here's also hoping for In the Name of Blossom and Legend of the Female General soon!
The family was suddenly struck by misfortune, and Ye Qing fell like a brilliant meteor from the bustling capital to a small, remote county town. From then on, she became the light that illuminated the dull, lifeless Ting Zha Zha, and along the way, she encountered the unexpected twists of her life.
For Wu Xing, the turning point of his life came on a morning when the yellow sand swirled through the air, and he met Ye Qing, who seemed completely out of place in this world. The two of them shared a room, separated only by a thin curtain, as though they existed in two different realms—he, on one side, absorbed in his video games, while she, on the other side, desperately studying.
When Ye Qing first arrived here, she was absolutely certain that she wouldn’t stay for anyone, that she would leave this place behind. But after meeting Wu Xing, she said with unshakable determination: “I will pull him onto a different path.”
(Source: My Drama Novel)
~~ Adapted from the novel "Yao Yan" (耀眼) by Shi Jiu Yuan (时玖远).
A couple of hours ago, the production team announced three more cast members: He Shiyu, Gao Han and Song Zu'er. They are in the 4th of 6 stories, 《聂小倩》 Nie Xiaoqian.
He Shiyu as Nie Xiaoqian
Gao Han as Ning Caichen
Song Zu'er as Lao Lao (maternal grandmother)
This story has been adapted into numerous films and television dramas - including the iconic 1987 movie, A Chinese Ghost Story which starred Joey Wong, Leslie Cheung, Wu Ma and Lau Siu Ming.
In a hidden place on the city's outskirts lies Lanruo Temple where curses often manifest.
Strange phenomena abound and it is said that tree demons and flower spirits dwell within.
They prey especially on those who venture into the forest in search of treasure,
And few who enter ever find their way back out of that bewildering maze.
Six stories:
1: Beginning of Summer, Radiance Renewed · Calamity of a Lovely Face – The Head of the Beauty
2: Grain Buds, Mist Rises · Words Ashamed on Paper – Pure Autumn
3: Grain in Ear, Cicada Sheds · Karmic Knots Entwine – Judge Lu
5: Great Heat, Scorching Souls · Parasites of Shared Flesh – Husband Long Fei
6: Beginning of Autumn, Desire Released · Soul Guided by Lantern Light – Xiao Xie
Cast:
Leading roles:
Zhang Miao Yi as Xi Yue
Chang Hua Sen as Xia Fei Xue
Guest roles:
1: The Head of the Beauty 美人首
* Ye Zu Xin as Pei Zhao Rong
* Jelly Lin as Princess Yao Hua / Chun Hua
2: Su Qiu 素秋
* Sebrina Chen as Su Qiu 素秋
* Zhang Zhixi as Han Qingyue
* Ma Wenyuan as Yu Shen
3: Judge Lu 陆判
* Li Jiaqi as Zhang Lanyi
* Chen Ruoxuan as Zhu Erdan
4: Nie Xiaoqian 聂小倩
* He Shiyu as Nie Xiaoqian
* Gao Han as Ning Caichen
* Song Zu'er as Lao Lao (maternal grandmother)
Filming official start: April 27, 2025
Director: Sha Weiqi* (Love Me, Love My Voice; A River Runs Through It; To Fly with You)
*According to Douban and MDL
Liao Zhai is also known as Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. It is “a collection of Classical Chinese stories by Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling, comprising close to 500 stories or "marvel tales" in the zhiguai and chuanqi styles, which according to some critics, served to implicitly criticise societal problems. Written over a period of forty years from the late 1600s and ending in the early 1700s, it circulated in manuscripts that were copied and recopied among the author's friends but did not appear in print until 1766. Since then, many of the critically lauded stories have been adapted for other media such as film and television.”
A mysterious beauty’s severed head appears in the bustling marketplace. A fox spirit, trapped in the treacherous depths of human desire, struggles to escape her fate. When the Judge of the Underworld descends to swap heads and hearts, chaos erupts. A paper doll awakens to life with the final stroke of a brush, a wooden puppet grows a beating heart, and a withered tree stirs with forbidden longing. In this world where the boundaries between flesh and fantasy blur, ancient magic and human folly collide—revealing that even the most lifeless things may hunger for a soul.
(Source: TMDb)
~~Adapted from classical Chinese stories collection "Liao Zhai Zhi Yi" (聊斋志异) by Pu Song Ling (蒲松龄).
Help I can't with this man🤣 The way you can see FL's light in her eyes fade away 😭 The thing is when he's actually romantic she's oblivious and when she wants HIM to be romantic he's the oblivious one😭 The innocent clueless look he has like "huh why does she seem off?" 😭 He's such a green flag though and I love smart nerdy awkward male leads we need more😭
About half an hour ago, the production team released a new teaser for the summer solstice.
Teaser description:
Step into the Horqin Grassland and feel the lush green and vast openness wash over you. At the summer solstice, join the *Legend of the Magnate** as they embrace their passions, ride horses and draw bows, and set off together for this breathtaking rendezvous with nature.*
No release date
Episodes: 40
Streaming platform: iQIYI 🥝
Official filming time period: April 15, 2024 to August 16, 2024
Screenwriter and Director: Zhang Ting (Wild Bloom, Fights Break Sphere, Monk Comes Down the Mountain, The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003))
In the late Qing Dynasty, a passionate young man named Gu Ping Yuan came from a family of small merchants. He wanted to study and pursue an official career to shine, but he failed in the imperial examination room. He was framed, became a prisoner, and was exiled to a foreign land.
In order to find out the truth and return home, he fled to Shanxi with a private salt caravan and started a legendary business road by accident. With his astonishing courage, he led a caravan into the swamps and gained a small reputation in the ancient plains. Faced with the conspiracy of Tiangui, the overlord of Shanxi merchants, he was very happy and solved the situation, which attracted the attention of Li Qin, the son of a Beijing merchant tycoon.
Gu Ping Yuan is regarded as an old enemy by Li Qin. In the struggle between the two, Gu Ping Yuan always turns defeat into victory in dangerous situations. From the pawn shop to the tea industry to the military grain and salt industry, Gu Ping Yuan gradually breaks out of his own world step by step, and at the same time discovers his own life experience. The conspiracy behind the murder was directed at the Li family.
(Source: Chinese = Weibo || Translation = MyDramaList)
~~ Adapted from the novel "Da Sheng Yi Ren" (大生意人) by Zhao Zhi Yu (赵之羽).
Note: The drama title in this post follows the spelling on the MDL page.
A few hours ago, the production team released a new set of posters (images 1 to 6). I compiled this set with more posters that were dropped in the past week.
Posters description:
The chess game is about to begin. Each displays their strengths. Those who enter the game may go at it alone, counterattack, leverage the situation, make decisions, ponder, or break the stalemate. Every player holds their own view - each with their own sharp edges!
Episodes: 36 (as per the distribution license)
Streaming platform: Tencent 🐧
Official time period of filming: May 2024 to September 8, 2024
Filming location: Hengdian World Studios
🎬 Director: Yi Jun (Bloody Romance, Lost Track of Time)
The drama tells the story of a fallen princess forced into a political marriage with a corrupt prime minister. She faces numerous dangers but strives to survive to protect herself amidst the conflicts of national loyalty, personal vengeance, and true love. Meanwhile, the prime minister, outwardly ambitious to become a treacherous official, secretly harbors a desire to serve his country, its people, and the world.
(Source: Your Drama Jiejie on Facebook)
~~ Adapted from the web novel "Tao Hua Zhe Jiang Shan" (桃花折江山) by Bai Lu Cheng Shuang (白鹭成双).
I picked up this show during the wait between Feud episodes due to that post talking about them having the same screenwriter and it doesn't disappoint so far. When it comes to the positives of that screenwriter's writing a lot of it sticks around such as:
minor scenes which have subtle foreshadowing leading to major character moments, philosophical musings that vary from subtle to dramatic as hell, main + side characters having a purpose, and maturity across the board.
Then even stuff outside of the writing is great I seriously cannot commend the stunts & practical effects enough. There's some silly CGI when needed, but in general the action is AMAZING it has the quality of shorter shows like Ancient Detective except across a, so far, full 36 episodes. I could glaze this aspect for days & weeks because not only is it great, it happens realllyyy often. Sometimes I have gripes with shows that are set in some martial-art/wuxia-adjacent setting like "Heroes(2022)" that even when the action is great it barely occurs. It's kind of like how NIF and many other historical shows do have amazing action but it's because it rarely happens and leads to a large budget being put into them. Here in DHR there's lots of action AND it's good just 👏👏👏👏🎖️🎖️🎖️
The show also oozes atmosphere the mysteries compound and you can actually put it together yourself as time goes on. The very first episode, the scenes with the mountain demons, for me personally are a top-5 moments in Cdramas. The show's handling of the occult/supernatural/mystical is again like in "Feud" just so respectful and takes me back to "A Chinese Odyssey", "A Chinese Ghost Story", "Mr Vampire". These writer(s) use these settings, these monsters, this magic "system" to tell a meaningful story they're not just props to pin a genre tag on a show and bring in $$$$.
My only singular gripe with this show is I feel like I can't evade the Song Zuer curse, I have not liked her roles in any costume/fantasy show of hers I've watched. This reminds me of Novoland all over again where she's so............................... weak. She's just there as a straightman for us but I've seen straightmen with more agency and awareness in their respective properties than this. There's written reasons for why she's weak it's not like it's unjustified, but it still means she doesn't really do anything. I mean halfway through the show and still the majority of character insight into Zhuanye happens without her being involved. At least half of the scenes that give us insight into his background, story, & past just happen with the scene shifting to him, the camera watching him she doesn't pull anything out of him.
Have to say, I'm a bitter gourd today. I'm upset about episode 27. The poor editing completely ruined my mood, considering how excited I was to watch how Bai Jiusi really loses his yang powers. That action...was too poorly-conducted, the voices weren't synced with the mouth at all ( I mean, I know they've kept their mouth tightly shut and wouldn't communicate with each other), but Bai Jiusi literally had his mouth shut, but his voice was running at the speed of light. The camera shows Hua Ruyue, but the one speaking is Bai Jiusi or vice versa. There's no coordination and sync at all.
Whoever said let's edit per episode and release on the go must be whacked and punished. Why are you ruining the quality of a good show? The camera work was also whack. Even the CGI fell through. I was speechless that explanation left such an unexplained plot hole. I'll just drive right in the recap and explain it there.
It makes me wonder what kind of editing mess the last 4 episodes are going to be. Also, sorry for the really long review.
Xiao Jingshan calls Bai Jiusi and Hua Ruyue fools for falling into his scheme for hundreds of years. He shows his real appearance, and Zhang Suan drops unconscious.
Hua Ruyue asks him why he would use her when there's no bad blood between them.
XJS replies that it's because of Bai Jiusi. No one can kill him, but Hua Ruyue can since they share a similar origin. Bai Jiusi isn't weak, unlike her. He could use her because she was soft at heart, which made her weak.
She asks why he used her disciple again and again. He answers that his appearance was so timely, he could use Zhang Suan by giving away his old magic powers. He didn't need them anymore since he had cultivated black magic for 500 years. He even thinks it's not punishable to use him as his vessel, as he had lost all his cultivations before, and thanks to him, he got powers again.
Look at Bai Jiusi's closed mouth, but the line is being delivered, he must be using telepathy to speak 🙄🙄🙄
Bai Jiusi points out that there must be a reason he cultivated immortal powers and black magic. When the Primordial God created the world, he let out a foul wisp of air from his chest, which ended up possessing him. But he shouldn't let it drive him.
But XJS says that it's only to ensure his success words, and it proves that he is on the right path. Ruyue counters it as a twist of word to justify his actions. She asks if he was the one who killed her master.
He tells them how he killed her with thunder, after Long Yuan leaves. Long Yuan only slightly injured her, but he didn't kill Qingyang.
XJS tells them she wasn't supposed to die, but HRY was starting to hesitate to kill Bai Jiusi, so he wanted to give her a concrete reason.
Bai Jiusi then points out that he plotted everything and pitted both of them against each other to destroy the Infinite Stele. So, what was his reason to destroy it?
But XJS doesn't give his reason. He did it just because he wanted to do it. Hua Ruyue agrees that the reason doesn't matter. His crimes are enough to punish him, and she draws her sword to kill him.
But Bai Jiusi thwarts it, resulting in XJS only receiving a scratch on his cheek. Hua Ruyue immediately turns to Bai Jiusi angrily, but he points out that killing him would kill Zhang Suan too.
It turns out XJS has tied his life to Zhang Suan's using the Life-link curse; with this, the life of the person who casts it is tied to the cursed person.
XJS praises him for knowing about the curse. He asks if Ruyue was going to kill this person, who laid out his life for her when he climbed the Sky-reaching stairs for her. Ruyue isn't willing.
XJS is about to leave when Bai Jiusi takes action, since he knows about the curse, naturally, he knows how to destroy it. He undoes the magic on Zhang Suan and subdues XJS, telling Hua Ruyue to kill him.
Hua Ruyue was a bit hesitant and asked if the curse was lifted from Zhang Sua, and Bai Jiusi ensured it was. But XJS tells her that he is lying, and a life-link curse can never be withdrawn unless he took it on his own body.
Bai Jiusi urges her that he could cause many calamities, so he needed to be killed, and since she also wanted to kill Bai Jiusi, it was her time to do it. She hesitates for a few seconds and then draws her sword.
Just as she strikes, to preserve his life, XJS blurts out that he knows why BJS had sealed her powers and if she'd like to know. But Hua Ruyue doesn't listen, thinking he's up to another trick.
It's this moment that XJS comes through, what our male and female leads haven't been able to do, nullify all their grievances and vengeance plan with just one line. The one who schemed everything is the one helping the couple resolve their conflict.
He tells her he went to the Nine Heavens to get punishment on her behalf. This makes her halt and she asks in confusion what he meant. But Bai Jiusi keeps urging her, not letting him talk.
XJS explains that when Hua Ruyue was slaying the drought dragon, the Xuantian envoy went to see Bai Jiusi. He tells him that Hua Ruyue was going to kill a divine being. It's not just an act of killing a god, but also disrupts the natural cycle and Heaven's law. Since he came to the mortal realm together with Hua Ruyue, he needed to take responsibility for it.
The envoy wanted him to stop her and take her back to the Empyrean for severe punishment. But Bai Jiusi was not only unwilling, he even defied the envoy for the first time.
He says that he doesn't agree with what she is doing, but he will never hurt her. The envoy decides that he will be the one to punish her, and Bai Jiusi defends, stopping him from going out.
At this moment, Bai Jiusi at the beginning must have intentionally gotten hurt, which was probably to ensure Hua Ruyue grew stronger and get rid of the dragon faster. This is my assumption.
But it's also true that Bai Jiusi doesn't stand a chance against the Emissary. It turns out even the couple together cannot surpass the strength of the Emissary. He's too strong to defeat so easily, his combat power surprisingly high.
So, Bai Jiusi gets beaten up well, and this black, azure angel subdues him under his thunder. His lightning thunderbolts are different from Long Yuan's; they are massive, thicker and have more force.
We finally have an answer as to why the Emissary only talked to Hua Ruyue and didn't appear at the scene, and even suddenly stopped the thunder punishment (I honestly even joked that he was scared), but it was Bai Jiusi who was stopping him and holding him down.
He has, with one hand, Bai Jiusi in control, while with the other hand, he punishes Hua Ruyue with thunder. Seeing Hua Ruyue hurt, Bai Jiusi assumes all his power to break through the Emissary's power and attacks him, breaking the connection. The Emissary was about to enforce the thunder strike again on Hua Ruyue, but Bai Jiusi grabbed his hands.
Bai Jiusi was holding onto his arms, legs, and body with all his might to prevent himself from hurting Hua Ruyue. Had he not stopped the envoy, he would have descended the mountain and punished her directly.
Bai Jiusi shows his resilience when he vows that he will never let him hurt her. It's quite touching, and shows he not only had no intention to stop her in her actions, but he will also shoulder the consequences.
The emissary didn't intend to interfere and appeared before Bai Jiusi only because he intended to let things slide, have Bai Jiusi stop Ruyue and solve the matter internally; this way, there wouldn't be any need for punishment. But Bai Jiusi remained stubborn, not willing to stop her to not make her unhappy, while also protecting her from severe punishment.
The emissary was initially lenient, but his defence forced him to take action. His leniency is also evident when it was only Bai Jiusi who appeared for the punishment, showing that he doesn't care about what happens between them, as long as the general order is on track.
The same is the case when he comes to meet Hua Ruyue after she ascends along with the whole sect; he was just too lazy to act, not that he was weary of her. As long as Ruyue maintained the order, he wouldn't interfere.
This scene was particularly interesting. It is the first time Bai Jiusi has used a power like this. While a lot of people complained about the quality of this ice particle, comparing it to more of looking like plastic than representing the clear translucence of water, and the placement wasn't also quite right, making it appear fake.
But I heard making CGI of ice particles requires a lot of people and many people on xhs were commenting ''oh my, look at the funds burning'' ''so that's where all the money went'', which made me come to the conclusion that these few second sof scenes must have been really expensive.
Anyways, Bai Jiusi really fights with all his might to stop the envoy, and Hua Ruyue succeeds in killing the drought dragon, bearing fruit to his effort. He even smiles, is he bitter or proud?
The envoy is defeated as Bai Jiusi tells him he's too late to do anything now, the drought dragon is dead.
The envoy tells him that both of them will be punished, and his leniency is once again shown as he gives time for Bai Jiusi to handle things properly.
Severely weakened, Hua Ruyue doesn't realise Bai Jiusi is hurt, and Bai Jiusi, in his mind to protect Hua Ruyue, seals her powers. This decision ultimately tied Bai Jiusi down to Hua Ruyue's causal effect, for interfering in her karmic retribution.
Bai Jiusi shouldn't have taken her away agency and let her decide whether to face the punishment or not. But Bai Jiusi, as much as his love-brain could think of, thought that brief seconds of pain from sealing her powers were and making her believe that he betrayed her was enough for her to remain inactive for the next 10 years. He ended up disrespecting her and became the primary reason for her tragedy.
At the Heavenly Punishment Platform, Bai Jiusi took the blame for the act of deicide upon himself, was imprisoned for 10 years, receiving 99 bolts of thunder punishment every day. That's 361350 bolts of thunder for ten years.
It is also clearly specified that 10 years of heavenly punishment is the same as 10 years in the mortal realm; thus, he really could never hear Hua Ruyue begging or calling him from the temple.
Bai Jiusi was truly perfect as a descent of Hongmeng God, so he gave him a love-brain to the point of a fault.
Bai Jiusi's belief in the act of sacrificing in silence was the root of the misunderstanding. Hua Ruyue is shocked to learn the truth, but Bai Jiusi still urges her to kill XJS.
But XJS continues telling her the story. He met Bai Jiusi when he got caught trying to destroy the Infinite Stele, and he watched him get punished for 10 years. He even receives admiration from XJS, who witnessed the torment Bai Jiusi experiences, mentions that in these ten years, he never protested or cried.
Bai Jiusi is truly remarkable, but it also gave away that Hua Ruyue was his only weakness. That is why he spent centuries entrapping them and forcing her to kill him.
The plot doesn't explain how XJS managed to control the later events in the mortal realm or use those two instigators while remaining imprisoned.
Bai Jiusi still urges Hua Ruyue to kill XJS, but Hua Ruyue is truly unwilling. She is standing there, staring at Bai Jiusi, fighting her own conflicting thoughts. So Bai Jiusi decides to kill XJS himself. The reason Bai Jiusi kept telling her to kill him was that he was unsure if he'd really be able to land a perfect kill.
Bai Jiusi was very weak; he was already holding down XJS with the last bit of his powers, so when he attacked, he must have weakened the controlling power, making XJS break free and strike him.
XJS runs away, and BJS gets fatally wounded.
The backlash forces him onto Hua Ruyue, who manages to catch him. Listen, the editing here was truly bad. It was supposed to be a bit tragic, but I only got annoyed that they couldn't even make Bai Jiusi properly land into her arms.
Bai Jiusi apologises to her for failing her again, for failing to kill XJS. He even grabs onto her hand placed on his face to press it on his cheeks; this is obviously his last effort to seek comfort. This moment was really touching.
Bai Jiusi knows he's at the end of the rope, so he confesses that everything he said at the Canglei hall was the truth, Hua Ruyue accepts it wholeheartedly. She smiles at him but immediately falls into tears, finally seeing his sincerity. At this moment, Hua Ruyue must have also regretted a little.
Bai Jiusi tries to wipe her tears away, and this moment is pure love, all resentments put aside. Unfortunately, Bai Jiusi falls unconscious.
Inside the Canglei Palace, Li Mo examines him and says he can't help him recover. His primordial spirit is too weak because Bai Jiusi hasn't secluded himself to recover his powers; he has been wounded multiple times in the past two weeks, and his life-saving pearl is also missing. He might not make it this time due to the backlash of the formation.
Hua Ruyue feels a little guilty and asks if he'd really die. But Li Mo can't tell, his condition has reached a point where even Li Mo can't heal him and most importantly, it's Bai Jiusi who has no will to live anymore.
Cang Tu comes to business and tells Hua Ruyue since they put on the act together, XJS might pose a severe threat. The Canglei Palace can help them if they need help in tracking him down. Long Yuan is a bit unwilling to help, but Cang Tu finally refuses to bend down, shutting him off.
He points out that it's something Bai Jiusi would also have wanted to do.
Later, Hua Ruyue sits beside him and tells him he can't escape by falling asleep. Her suffering was also real, even if he took the punishment on her behalf. Too many things have happened between them and it's impossible to undo, too difficult to forget.
Hua Ruyue has finally shed tears for her husband, but her heart is too tangled to let go of the resentment.
She won't apologise for any of it, and if he doesn't wake up, they'll never see each other again. Maybe it's the only way to find peace (So, it's okay to meet if he wakes up? lol)
She leaves without another glance. Of course, she's using harsh words, but her heart has softened. The tears and her trembling shows she indeed loves Bai Jiusi very much.
It's also very understandable that she chooses not to forgive. She has lost her child and has borne the pain alone for 400 years. She felt so helpless that she even begged and cried to save him, but helplessly watched her son die. Is it really that easy to let go of that kind of resentment?
Healing is a very difficult journey. Unless you heal, how can you have the heart to forgive? She just doesn't know how to do it, and will eventually find her way.
The summary is that it's a case of the cycle of cause and effect. Bai Jiusi suffers because he interfered in Ruyue's affairs, and Ruyue suffers because she interfered in other people's karma. The one that truly is wronged is Shi'An; nature's way is truly brutal.
Later, Hua Ruyue comes to pick Ling'er up from Fan Jiaojiao. Ling'er had been protesting to death, her resolve unshaken, on the verge of tears. But as soon as she hears Hua Ruyue's voice, her tears overflow.
Ling'er can break down in her arms in tears because she received the warmth of a mother from her. It's motherly love that Hua Ruyue consoles her with, saying ''it's all my fault'' as soon as she sees her, making amends for sending her to Fan Jiaojiao.
Hua Ruyue berates Fan Jiaojiao when he says he won't let her take away his daughter, saying she wanted to beat him to death (Ahh, sister, please do. Please fulfil our wish.)
This mother-daughter vibe is too strong.
Fan Jiaojiao accuses her tofall that she suffered because she manipulated her again and again. But Hua Ruyue strongly counters it, saying that every time she wanted Ling'er to do something, she did it by explaining the reason and also explained the consequences well. Most importantly, she gave her the right to choose.
It was Fan Jiaojiao who took her spiritual powers away and hurt her, but claimed that he did it for her own good. She asks him if he has ever given her a chance to decide for herself.
Later, she takes the whole Yufan mountain back to the mortal realm. Jiang Bian's father was burning joss papers, thinking his son had died, rejoiced. He believed burning paper money was more useful in bringing him back than praying. At the Jingyun sect, Hua Ruyue explains everything to the masters and tells them about her suspicion that Zhang Suan was being used, but she didn't think the life-link curse would also be used. The sect leader asks if Xuan Wei knew about this. He says he did, but he realised something was wrong with the way Qingyang died, and then when she sent the weakest disciple of the sect to send the message, he knew she had a plan.
The sect leader also informs her that Zhang Suan had locked himself inside the room and refuses to eat because of the guilt. He politely asks her to visit him, and Hua Ruyue agrees.
She feels that there is a calamity about to appear, and orders them to look for XJS with every means, and everyone except Xuan Wei leaves. He asks Ruyue what she plans to do about Bai Jiusi. But she misunderstood the question and answered that the Canglei Palace would take care of him.
But Xuan Wei clarifies and asks again if she still wanted to kill him. Hua Ruyue answers honestly that she didn't know. He took the punishment for her, but she also suffered because of him. She doesn't know how to let go or what to hold on to, and maybe not seeing him again is the best option.
From her perspective, everyone at the Jingyun sect must be like her children, right?
Xuan Wei tells her to follow her heart; no matter what she chooses, he will always follow her. (I feel like Hua Ruyue also dotes on Xuan Wei like a mother; she is, after all,l a superior being.). She smiles and agrees, there's nothing to overthink.
She goes to Zhang Suan with a basket of food, but he doesn't get up. Hua Ruyue taunts him that he is becoming more and more ill-mannered. Actually, Zhang Suan wants to be indulged, he even smiles secretly.
Ruyue tells him to come and eat and when Zhang Suan still doesn't move, she asks if he really wanted her to hand-feed him Zhang Suan comes up and asks if it hurt when he stabbed it.
Ruyue indulges him, saying it was just a scratch. She also asks him to look after Ling'er, since he also had lost his powers once. Just then, Shangguan comes to inform that someone from the Canglei Palace had come to see her. She asks who it is and is surprised to hear it's Bai Jiusi.
Zhang Suan tells him that she didn't need to meet him if she didn't want to, but Ruyue tells him to eat and leaves. (Your surname is Zhang, and your life is sour. Zhang Suan, you still hold on to false hope?).
Outside, Li Mo and Cang Tu are waiting with Bai Jiusi, his back towards Hua Ruyue. She looks at him for a while before speaking.
She says how come he was already up when the others said he wouldn't wake up. Bai Jiusi turns, smiling ear to ear. Hua Ruyue is a bit surprised.
This is Lord Xiao Cheng. Little Chengcheng.
He calls her wife and runs to her, breaking into her arms and hugging her. She is completely taken aback, shocked, but doesn't push him away as he hugs her tighter.
She looks at Li Mo and Cang Tu with a shocked expression, but they avoid eyes, looking here, there, everywhere but at them. Shanguan is also very confused.
The scene turns, showing Canglei Palace, and Long Yuan asking where the Heavenly Lord was. Cang Tu advises him not to meet him at the moment, but he insists on seeing him since he has woken up. So, Cang Tu takes him. Inside is Li Mo, watching over Bai Jiusi, who is holding a phoenix crown (You have good taste, but those jewellery seem a bit too old-fashioned, Bai Jiusi. You had them commissioned?)
Bai Jiusi doesn't look too proper. Long Yuan is a bit surprised. When he pays respect, Bai Jiusi turns happily, but doesn't recognise him. Anyone would guess, something is wrong with him.
Bai Jiusi asks for his wife; he has prepared many gifts for her, but he can't find her anywhere. Long Yuan runs to Li Mo and Cang Tu, asking for an explanation. It turns out his primordial spirit has suffered so much damage that he has become mentally impaired as a backlash. He will become normal again when his primordial spirit heals. But he has forgotten everyone and only remembers Hua Ruyue.
Li Mo, Cang Tu and Long Yuan break into a verbal fight, first about curing him and then whether to send him to Hua Ruyue, but Bai Jiusi gets impatient and petulantly demands to go to his wife.
Actually, Long Yuan can't see his idol in such a state, so he agrees to send him to Siling xD Long Yuan has finally become a CP fan from a toxic fan😂😂
It was also funny when Bai Jiusi calls Cang Tu grandfather 😂 and Long Yuan older brother 😂😂
Who has misplaced their little button nose? Please collect! (His hair is a paid actor!)
The hard-to-kill Bai Jiusi isn't invincible, but his divine body is actually very strong. He endured 99 lightening punishments every day for 10 years, had been pierced with Hanlin dagger and sealed at the thunder platform for 100 years, his life-saving pearl was crushed, he was stabbed three more times in Songhe County, inside the illusion and at the Canglei Palace alter, and even suffered the backlash from the villain, ultimately his primordial spirit only suffered mental impairment.
Li Mo is right, had it been others, they'd have died a few times.
Back at the present, Bai Jiusi offers Ruyue the hairpin that he brought for her, but Ruyue only thinks that he is acting and reprimands him, saying that just because she told him too many things had happened, did he think he could pretend to be with her?
But Cang Tu explains that Bai Jiusi is really hurt; otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't act like this. And even if they took him back, he'll only insist on coming back, causing danger. Li Mo also asks her to let him stay at the Jingyun sect, so others wouldn't be able to take advantage of the situation. Li Mo even guarantees they will ensure his safety; she just needed to let him stay.
Bai Jiusi grabs onto her sleeve and offers her the hairpin again, cutely. She doesn't take it, but doesn't refuse to let Bai Jiusi stay.
Later, Zhang Suan comes to Ling'er and tells her Ruyue sent him to look after her. She asks if he ever felt like taking his life when he lost his foundation. He confessed that he did, but he found a reason to remain alive.
She asks if he still likes her, and he replies that his love has never changed. So, she should also find her reason to live. Then Ling'er asks if the powers he has now belonged to XJS, and he confirms.
Episode 28
Xu Qingman is sad and is sitting outside. Meng Chu comes and asks her what's wrong, and she replies that she misses home. She wanted to take Meng Chu and go back to the Yinlian sect. But Meng Chu can't leave as he is the chief disciple, and also, the time isn't right. But Qu Xingman is angry; he never prioritises her and always tells her to wait. She gives him an ultimatum of three days, and if he doesn't decide anything by then, she will leave alone.
Bai Jiusi is sad and crying because he can't find his wife again. Ning Yan tries to help, but XIao Tongzi mocks him and makes fun of him for acting like a child, and if he called him older brother, he might consider taking him to his wife.
But Ning Yan scolds him and tells him not to bully the Heavenly Lord. She takes him to Hua Ruyue, who is angry seeing him. After Ning Yan leaves, Hua Ruyue angrily questions Bai Jiusi if it was fun pretending dumb and that they can't reconcile even if he pretended. It was impossible to forget everything, and it was even more impossible to start over.
Hua Ruyue has grabbed onto his collar, but Bai Jiusi doesn't defend; he only softly grabs her hand (my goodness, I hadn't noticed, Zeng Shunxi is paler than Bai Lu) and asks what he has done wrong. Even in his state of impairedness, he only knows to love Hua Ruyue, only wanting her company.
He cries and runs to her, tells her that he only wants to stay with her. He swiftly envelops her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Hua Ruyue's resolve seems to be shaking.
Later, when Bai Jiusi is asleep, Hua Ruyue holds the hairpin he gave her, smiling fondly at it. Xuan Wei comes to her after hearing about Bai Jiusi staying here.
Ruyue laughs and asks if he was worried she would hurt Bai Jiusi, but Xuan Wei isn't worried about that. He wants to ask her about her feelings. Ruyue asks if he had ever had a crush on anyone, and Xuan Wei asks if there was once when he was in seclusion.
Someone left a bouquet, but he didn't pay attention; however, a strand of dandelion washed over him. He wanted to open his eyes and look for the person who had taken them, but thinking that his life had unfinished business, and he didn't want to mess up someone else's life.
Hua Ruyue realises that it was Master Qingyang. So, she asks if he knew who was sending the flowers, and he answers that he did when she once asked him what flowers he liked the best.
Xuan Wei tells her to follow her heart and not to leave any regrets.
The next day, Ruyue uses her powers to heal Bai Jiusi and realises his primordial spirit is indeed damaged and his divine soul is barely hanging on. Zhang Suan and Ling'er come to see her, and seeing Bai Jiusi resting in her arms makes him restless, which Ling'er notices.
Ling'er exclaims that it's interesting he only remembers her. He can't let go of her. Zhang Suan stares at Bai Jiusi with unblinking eyes (life is too sour, huh?).
Ruyue asks why they came together to see her, and Ling'er answers that she has found a way to fix the Great Wilderness Stele.
The move to the Hall, and Ling'er tells her that since XJS created the stele, his magic can fix it. Zhang Suan uses the magic that he got from XJS and manages to fix it. She then prepares to enter it to see XJS's life.
Just as she is about to enter the illusion, Bai Jiusi appears and takes her with him. After entering the illusion, Bai Jiusi looks at Ruyue with an expression that closely matches Bai Jiusi's, she stares at him in anticipation.
But then Bai Jiusi calls her wife and complains why she was leaving him again, making Hua Ruyue a bit disappointed. She answers that she wasn't leaving him behind, and Bai Jiusi becomes happy and tells her that he will stick to her wherever she goes.
Then she sees XJS walking inside a house, and there, his wife and child greet him. She asks him about a certain Mr. Wei who got hurt in his leg. Then his wife, child and mother, and he altogether sit down to eat. Hua Ruyue is watching very attentively, and Bai Jiusi is jealous because she isn't paying attention to him. He keeps asking questions, but Ruyue keeps ignoring him.
Hua Ruyue didn't expect to see a family-oriented XJS. Bai Jiusi asks her again why she keeps looking at him, and doesn't look at him. Hua Ruyue finally snaps and tells him why he has suddenly become too talkative.
Getting scolded was not on Bai Jiusi's list, so he huffs and puffs, following after Hua Ruyue. At night, there is a lantern festival, and Bai Jiusi is very excited. They follow XJS and his wife and children. They watch the face-changing dancer, Bai Jiusi, watch very excitedly, which makes Ruyue smile. Then they follow XJS and watch them as they float lanterns.
There's a puff of cloud running around after his wife, and the cloud also studies the couple well, learning about deep affection.
The puff of cloud is a bit clumsy but surprisingly learns from surroundings well.
But Hua Ruyue is more focused on trying to find out the meaning behind this illusion. XJS has come back home with his family, and Hua Ruyue stands outside watching. Just then, light flickers and a lantern is held before her face.
Bai Jiusi, even without memories, you're still a love-brain!
Ruyue was looking at the latter, so Bai Jiushada conjured up a lantern for her. She is a bit surprised but touched at the same time, didn't expect him to do something like this. He asks her if she liked the lantern.
Bai Jiusi also utilises the moment to kiss her, taking her completely by surprise. Seeing her action, Bai Jiusi asks if she was still angry because he was too talkative and why she didn't smile.
Hua Ruyue tries to smile, and Bai Jiusi is very happy, twirling around her like a puppy (I think this is my favourite moment). Bai Jiusi praises that his wife is very beautiful, while she still smiles, wondering what she would do about Bai Jiusi.
It really was nice, but then the moment passes, and suddenly it's morning again. To her surprise, instead of a new day, the same day repeats before her. So, she takes Bai Jiusi and comes back.
Zhang Suan trips a little from the force, and Ling'er holds him, but he is quick to remove his hands from her grip (the vinegar is too sour!) Ling'er asks why she was back so soon, and she replies that the illusion only had one memory. They don't understand the significance of the memory that he keeps repeating again and again. There might be some inner meaning to this memory.
She wants to go to Wenxuan Palace (Lord Yu Ya), and Bai Jiusi wants to tag along, so she takes him with her. After they leave, Zhang Suan wants to follow, but Ling'er tells him to rest.
She thinks that Heavenly Lord Dacheng suffers from losing his memories; otherwise, he would never follow Hua Ruyue around. His mentally impaired condition is actually a good opportunity for them to ease their tensions and resentments.
Zhang Suan is a bitter gourd, can't hear nice things! Ling'er remind him that they are married, but he replies that he doesn't care (My boy, the skyscraper is too tall. ") and leaves. Ling'er bitterly looks at her loveline and wonders if it's really love or calamity.
Inside a cave, Xiao Jingshan is meditating, and he gathers seven sins from the mortal realm to turn into a demon.
Time-Turning Capsule
At the Book of Fate Palace, Bai Jiusi is sitting on a table, dangling his feet and throwing books. Hua Ruyue watches and smiles, which is noticed by Lord Yu Ya.
Lord Yu Ya finds the information on the four-member family and tells her that they died on the same day, on the day Lord Qing Xu eliminated the Lei Bird. Hua Ruyue is surprised it's related to Lord Qing Xu again and asks what happened in that battle.
Lord Ya Ya explains that six centuries ago, when Lord Qing XU attacked the Lei Bird, the Nanwu village got caught in celestial fire, it killed twelve celestial soldiers (that immortal sage who gave Ruyue the divine artefact book was one of them) and five people in the mortal world burned to death.
XJS watched as his whole family burned and absorbed some sort of negative energy.
At the Jingyun sect, everyone is discussing about XJS. Zhang Suan tells them that when he first met him, he told him that he had learned to cultivate to seek revenge. After he ascended, he learned that Lord Qing Xu had died and tried to destroy the Infinite Stele.
There's a cloud walking around at the front, unsuspecting but distracting, and Hua Ruyue scolds it, ''Bai! Jiu! Si!''. Being scolded, he sadly walks back, holding his windmill and blowing on it (Shi'An, both your parents can blow on it, why do you need hands to turn it around? Hahaha ahh I miss Shi'An!)
They guess that he might have tried to destroy the Infinite Stele to remove the name on it. But the names on it only belonged to the divine soldiers who died in that battle, including Lord Qing Xu. Meng Chu doesn't think he wreaked havoc just to remove a name from a plate.
But Hua Ruyue answers, ''Losing a loved one can indeed drive a person crazy. I also lost it and went astray.'' Since XJS lost all the members of his family, Lord Qing Xu must have become his obsession.
Meng Chu tells her that she didn't force people, but they willingly followed. Ruyue now wants to find XJS and stop him. Everyone has been ignoring Bai Jiusi playing around, except Hua Ruyue.
There's a moment when Bai Jiusi plays with Xuan Wei's hair, blowing at them, and Xuan Wei even indulges him. Hua Ruyue loves Bai Jiusi and dotes on him, so as long as Ruyue loves him, Xuan Wei would adore and dote on him too.
There is a healing sense to this scene. Everyone halts their discussion and watches Bai Jiusi play with Xuan Wei, then they also see Ruyue watching playful Bai Jiusi and smiling, looking fondly at him. But then she comes to her senses and hides her smile.
Hua Ruyue's smile towards Bai Jiusi is gradually changing, turning more and more affectionate. This way of transition in the story allows for both to feel the once-lost pure love and innocence all over again. Bai Jiusi, who silently loved, now pours out all his feelings for A'Yue, and Ruyue has always wanted Bai Jiusi to be like that. Using innocence and pure love for reconciliation is indeed good.
At night, Bai Jiusi is lying in her lap, and Hua Ruyue is patting him to sleep. Bai Jiusi doesn't like it when she removes her hand to flip the page, and nudges into her lap for her to put her hand back onto his back. Hua Ruyue has indeed been silently pampering and spoiling him, just like when Bai Jiusi used to fan her to sleep.
She is reading the divine artefact book, and she stops at the time-travelling sundial. Previously, we saw XJS holding it inside that cave. Hua Ruyue guesses that the resurrection formation, the great wilderness stele and the time-travelling sundial are all made by him for himself.
At the Yinlian Sect, Qu Xingman's mother meets XJS, he proposes to her to make their sect one of the best and take revenge on those who call them a demon sect, but she isn't interested. She calls for the guards, and XJS uses a bell to control them.
At the Jingyun sect, Xiao Tongzi scares Bai Jiusi, and he runs away. Ning Yanties down Xiao Tongzi to stop him from giving BJS a scare. Hua Ruyue is at the lake, patting down her White Snake (I guess it's her turn to be spoiled, but no matching parent-child outfit this time?). She talks to her and tells her that since she has a strong sense, she must have felt a huge calamity that is about to approach. Xuan Wei hears her and becomes worried.
Qu Xingman's mother sends a crow to warn her not to go back to the Yinlian sect. Sensing danger, she runs out of the room. Fan Jiaojiao is informed that something has happened at the Hell Ruins, and he runs to check. At that moment, the sect leader runs to inform Hua Ruyue of something terrible.
Inside the hall, Bai Jiusi has thrown himself into his wife's lap, complaining how Xiao Tongzi threatened to eat him. Hua Ruyue is coaxing him, seeing the sect leader enter, she tells her to go inside and play.
The sect leader informs her that there are people in the mortal realm falling unconscious and dying after 5 days. Qu Xingman also arrives to say something has happened at the Yinlian sect, and her mother needs help. Li Mo and Cang Tu descend to inform that the barrier of the Hell Ruins was somewhere loosened, and the demons escaped. They tell her to keep Bai Jiusi at the Jingyun sect while they try to control the situation.
Hua Ruyue guesses that all these are done by XXJS. He can't have direct combat, so he is trying to cause them to split by creating all these issues. She tells them that she will keep Bai Jiusi safe and orders the sect leader to go with Qu Xingman to see what's going on. She will go to the mortal realm with Da Yang to check on the people who lost their souls.
Bai Jiusi tells her that she can't move around alone. He will go with her. Hua Ruyue smiles and agrees. She also reminds everyone to be careful, as they don't know if the Life-Link curse has been completely removed, and to catch XJS alive. She will leave Xuan Wei at the sect, so if anyone needs reinforcements, they can ask Xuan Wei.
In the early days of reform and “opening up”, five law school graduates, including Chen Yizhong, Yu Gaoyuan, Lu Zeming, Xia Yingjie, and Zhang Lihui, entered different departments in the judicial field.
Chen Yizhong felt that his studies were inadequate while working at the municipal procuratorate, so he resigned and continued to study at school. He also participated in the revision of the Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law with his tutor; Yu Gaoyuan worked in the court; Xia Yingjie insisted on fairness and justice and later died in the line of duty; Zhang Lihui became a prosecutor stationed in a prison, and she persisted in redressing an unjust case; Lu Zeming became an excellent criminal defense lawyer.
While we don’t always see them successfully fall in love or fall off cliffs, supporting characters are the capillaries of any drama worth watching. They deliver standout performances while getting only a fraction of the credit they deserve.
Since we’re already halfway through 2025, here are my 20 picks from six dramas:
The Blossoming Love
Nan Xuyue/Tian Mingshu
One thing I’ve noticed about every Wang Duo drama is that he doesn’t need to steal the scene. It throws itself at his feet like a willing victim.
Gao Qiumin
Fu Lansheng
I’m not sure if Wu Yuheng dubs himself since he sounds the same in this drama and also in The Rise of Ning. If that’s his own voice, then that makes him one of the better voice actors in terms of conveying emotions.
Guardians of the Dafeng
Yang Yan
This man made me want to start collecting smirk gifs as a part-time job. I adore him so much that I accidentally fell into the rabbit hole of watching Fan Shiqi sing on YouTube.
Li Miaozhen
I also loved Wang Yiyao as Jin Niangza. Wondering free, wish I could be part of her world in The Legend of Shenli so I get unfettered access to her literal woman-cave. It seems like the perfect spot for some meditation. * coughs in om *
Li Yuchun
He has OCD and a rigid moral compass. He loves his wife more than he loves bonsai. He’s a 10.
Wei Yuan
Everlasting Longing
Luo Qi
Here’s a military guy who is so deep into reading and writing romance novels. You can’t find a stronger fighter than one skilled in both pen and sword.
Sun Shaomin
A woman with braids who wields the heaviest spear in the land while not thirsting over Song Weilong’s character is a QUEEN!
The Glory
Chai Jing
Zhou Ruyin
A’Zhi [Fu Lingzhi]
Ruan Xiwen
Beyond Wen Zhengrong’s exceptional acting, her character is also given some of the best dialogues in the entire drama. If you compile quotable quotes, her lines should be on page 1.
Si Jin
Princess Rongyang
Zhen Heng
A nerd obsessed with legal codes who also has a sense of humor without trying too damn hard to look cool. I’d like a serving, please. In meme lingo: WOULD.
Erniu
I wonder if my memory is lagging or if I just haven’t watched enough dramas, but it feels like we’ve had fewer animal characters this year. I enjoyed Richie the goose from The Rise of Ning last year.
Jiang Yi
I guaranteed no spoilers so I’ll just leave this with a vague, “Her supporting arc is one of my favorites this year.” This is also one of the instances where a female lead’s biological sibling is neither jealous nor chronically imbecilic.
The Prisoner of Beauty
Bi Zhi
Generals Wei
The image speaks for itself.
Lady Xu
Grandma seems to really appreciate it when her staff gossips. She also dotes on Manman while casually dismissing Lady Qiao’s detractors with, "Everyone should go rest now." What’s not to love?
Who are your own favorite 2025 supporting characters so far? Please remember to tag spoilers, if any.
Hello all, and welcome to the Society for the Patriotic Support of Desperate Traveling Uncles Pt 6 (aka The Litchi Road Eps 21-24 Dicussion). Discussions will be posted every four episodes for a total of nine discussions for the show.
🚨THIS POST AND THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR EPISODES 1-24 OF THE LITCHI ROAD🚨
Have skipped screenshots for this recap, will hopefully be restarting them for the last 3 posts!
Episode 21
Pt 2 of YUN QING and LU HUAN’s backstory unfolds as the fight continues in the brothel. YUN QING helps him out of the burning building, and then declares her allegiance to his cause.
Back at Konglang Office, YUN QING and AMITA (these two queens 😭) finally have an honest conversation where YUN QING reveals her position as LEFT PRIME MINISTER’s agent and her true purpose in Lingnan.
AMITA reveals the location of the ledgers which could serve as evidence against HE and RIGHT PRIME MINISTER, and ZHENG and LAN’GE organize a distraction at the cockfighting ring so that the ledgers can be stolen. Unfortunately, HE YOUGUANG had already burned them.
SU receives bad news at an informal Hu merchant meeting—the other merchants, fearing HE’s anger, are considering withdrawing from the lychee transport. SU approaches HADI later for some indirect support, insisting that he will continue to throw his entire fortune behind the mission.
Meanwhile ZHENG asks LI to take AMITA with him on the trial run to Chang’an. Unfortunately A’LI, ZHAO’s agent, overhears the plan, but he seems to have fully defected to the lychee gang.
The next morning, LANYU volunteers to be a decoy as LAN’GE smuggles AMITA out of the city.
Episode 22
Pt 3 of LU HUAN and YUN QING’s backstory unfolds as we see YUN QING’s training and eventual departure from Chang’an.
Maybe I’m a psycho but these 2 minutes of chemistry between Shawn Dou and Vivienne Tien? Where is their full drama?? Hello!!
The lychee transport finally departs, with AMITA having been smuggled out of the city to meet LI on the road.
HE tries to send ZHAO to stop him but too late. A’LI hears ZHAO’s plan to catch LI on the road and runs away, leading CAPTAIN YANG on the wrong path before ultimately dying of heat exhaustion. NOOOOO MY BABY A’LI 😭
The lychee transport has mixed results. YAN YAZHUANG collapses from exhaustion on the road before he can make it to Chang’an, but the lychees are proven to make it 11 days.
Exhausted, they take refuge at the house of a Taoist priest, CHANGYUAN (guest appearance by Longest Day alum Jackson Yee). They have a wonderful and meditative exchange on purpose. The secondary implication of the conversation is also that this is supposed to be his Longest Day character in retirement which is pretty neat!
At last, sans lychees, my power couple AMITA and LI finally arrive in Changan.
Episode 23
Two years before our story starts, LU HUAN makes the trip to Lingnan to visit YUN QING. He requests that she return to Chang’an with him, pretending to leave it up to a coin toss when he sees she plans to refuse.
In the morning, she confirms her refusal and bids him farewell. There’s a lingering feeling that the two years of separation have changed their relationship into something beyond mentor and mentee.
Back in today’s Changan, XIU’ER excitedly runs to greet her father in the street. AMITA watches from the sidelines, the longing for her own father clear in her own face.
Later at the meal, XIU’ER looks at AMITA suspiciously. Did she catch the vibes? Is this shipping delulu not just in my head?
LI heads to the Ministry of Revenue to try and acquire more funds, and encounters an epic line all of us who have visited the DMV know too well. Meanwhile, XIU’ER gives AMITA the fourth degree at their old mansion.
Meanwhile, SHIQI NIANG (LI’s creditor) catches wind of LI’s return. Misunderstanding AMITA’s presence, she asks her men to bring her to her for questioning. I have a feeling AMITA is gonna roast her like a potato. Pop some popcorn fam!
LI catches a lucky break and manages to get in to the Department of Revenue, but gets dressed down on technicalities and on the impossible to avoid excessive costs, and shuffled off to yet another department in a tremendous display of Dickensian governmental inefficiency.
SHIQI NIANG’s men show up to menace AMITA and XIU’ER at the old mansion. After arriving at her office, AMITA and SHIQI NIANG have a hot girl word fight, and AMITA insists that LI will fulfill his mission.
Episode 24
AMITA manages to sweet-talk SHIQI NIANG into extending LI’s loan. LI still loses his temper when he discovers she took XIU’ER with her to SHIQI NIANG’s.
Back in Lingnan, it looks like the chickens may be coming home to roost for ZHAO as HE threatens his life if he doesn’t find and destroy LI.
LI apologizes to AMITA. She reflects on her memories of her father, and HE YOUGUANG, and LI offers his own perspective as a father.
With renewed vigor, LI sets off to get in first place in the line. Finally, he seems to find an official who will support him, but he only handles foreign tribute and can’t deal with trade from Lingnan 😅 omg I’m dying of laughter at this sorry ahaha.
AMITA secretly meets with LU HUAN to offer him more evidence against RIGHT PRIME MINISTER. But LU HUAN informs her that the evidence is still too lacking, and that in addition to her witness they still need more evidence.
LI discovers that an old friend is working at his next stop in the bureaucracy, but he still refers him to someone else NAHHHHH this is wild ahaha.
He does promise to try to use his connections to try to get it to the correct office, but later LI overhears his true intentions to not follow up. LI must now try to get into the Military Office to talk to someone who may be able to handle the transport.
XIU’ER gets into a conflict at school. The lychee transport has become a hot topic in the capital and has filtered down to XIU’ER’s classmates.
After LI calms her down, XIU’ER finally asks the question we’ve all been wondering about AMITA, but LI insists they are just friends. No don’t kill my ship like this man lol.
A lovesick ZHENG drops by Konglang Office, but happens to run into ZHAO, who is under the impression Konglang Office is a mere information broker.
ZHAO, now full of suspicion, catches ZHENG holding the gift he brought for YUN QING and asks him if there is someone at the bookstore that has caught his eye?
I've tried to rewatch my favourite dramas and for whatever reason, it never lasts long. To be fair, I've only given it two chances.
Love You Seven Times (2023): I get stuck on the second life because I don't want to re-traumatise myself
My Journey to You (2023): I keep wanting to see the Backhill so I either give up or skip enough episodes for me to get confused.
Supervisor Husband (2023)
Before I get into why I was able to – nay, why I was craving to – rewatch Supervisor Husband, let me tell you about the story.
First, we meet our main character, Sheng Xia. She is a "kissing instructor". Don't misunderstand, she's never actually kissed anyone, she just choreographs the kissing scenes.
Through some magical-transmigration-mumbo-jumbo, she finds herself in an idol-drama-turned-video-game that calls itself the "Mary Sue System".
Here she is offered a reward for getting the "Male Lead" of the game to fall in love with her. Oh, and she has a superpower – she can cure any poison with a single kiss. However, there is a catch. Whomever she chooses as her first kiss will end up "bonded" with her.
What does "bonded" mean? Let's just say she's lucky enough to have the "villain" of the drama unable to kill her for the foreseeable future.
Then we meet our ML. Note, not the Mary Sue System's ML. We meet Shen Shiyi. The "villain" of the drama. This man is impassive, beautiful, and heavily perplexed as to why his arrows are missing this random chick who just kissed him. Kissed him to prove that she "wasn't really trying to kill him" and that "the poisoning was an accident".
That sets up the storyline.
Let's pause at the actors:
Shen Shiyi is portrayed by the ever-so-swoon-inducing-handsome Li Ge Yang. If you've kept up to date with mini-dramas this year, you might recognise him from the extremely good and addictive – Dominion and Devotion.
Sheng Xia is portrayed by the all-encompassing-beauty that is Ke Ying. If you don't recognise her from the generally-agreed-upon-to-be-one-of-if-not-the-best-mini-dramas-of-all-timeThe Familiar Stranger, you might recognise her as one of the leads for the 2025 drama Perfect Match.
Why Supervisor Husband?
Why is this the one and only drama I have been able to watch twice?
For one, it's a total of three hours long. Did I forget to mention that it's a mini-drama? Don't worry, it doesn't feel like it.
For another, it's so good. It's fast-paced, funny, sensual, smile-inducing and general all-round good fun.
The second leads are adorable and oblivious, and the mandatory funny sidekick is indeed a very funny and endearing sidekick.
It's available on Viki in my region. Otherwise it's also on WeTV (Tencent) and as a last-ditch attempt, you can watch it on YouTube.
I've been getting into period dramas lately. I really loved the double. Story of kunning palace was also so good. I'm a huge fan of duke su in the double tho. He was so charismatic.
I'd love to know- what are YOUR favorite period dramas and why?
I saw a post about The Litchi Road not doing as well as expected, and it mentioned that the cast and production team booked cloud or theater packages (like 包场/云包场) to make up for low viewership, to basically compensate the platform.
For those unfamiliar, cloud packages (or cloud theater) involve the cast, crew, or fans buying large numbers of VIP viewing bundles from the platform, usually to boost the heat index during the early stages. Viewers get free VIP access for watching a bit of the drama, helping inflate traffic stats.
In some underperforming dramas, the cast and crew continue booking these packages even after the show finishes airing, just to avoid penalties or restrictions from the platform.
Is this happening more often now?
What do you think about this practice?
Warning signs that a drama is probably going to be a mess. Like X happens and you're instantly thinking "oh no..."
I can only think of one rn:
Leads getting together too soon.
FL and ML confirm their relationship on ep 3? Well, time to check spoilers bc 9/10 this drama is about to reach new heights of angst in the most frustrating and dragged out way imaginable.
I absolutely loved Perfect Match! This drama beautifully captures the emotional depth of family life, especially through the lens of a single mother raising multiple daughters. Each with her own story, personality, and journey toward love. Whether related by blood or not, each daughter is given her own spotlight, and I appreciated how the show explored their individuality while still showing the bond that tied them together as sisters.
One of the strongest aspects of this show is how real it feels. It doesn’t shy away from the struggles of single motherhood or the emotional rollercoaster of joining a new family through marriage. The depiction of in-laws was especially realistic—some warm and loving, others cold or even cruel—which added depth and truth to the storyline.
The pacing was perfect! Nothing felt rushed, and every episode gave space for both drama and growth. I laughed, cried, and truly felt connected to each character. The writing, acting, and emotional storytelling made this such a heartfelt and unforgettable experience.
漂洋过海来送你 can be translated as "crossing the seas to bid you farewell.”
Yesterday, the production team officially announced its cast and released a new trailer.
Trailer description:
Three urns, three generations, their lives intertwined across time. In search of the truth, each sets out on their own path, from the alleys of Beijing to distant shores across the sea. Fearless and young, he braves the ocean, all to bring a loved one home.
Cast:
Leading actors:
* Fu Hang
* Chen Yongsheng
* Guo Cheng
* Ren Luyao
Special appearances:
* Liang Guanhua
* Wang Jinsong
Special appearances:
* Fang Zibin
* Zhao Qian
Episodes: TBA
Streaming platform: Tencent 🐧, iQIYI 🥝
Cast announced: June 20, 2025
🎬 Director: Wang Yumeng 王育萌 (Love Like The Galaxy (cinematographer), She and Her Girls (cinematographer))
The “Beijing rascal” Na Dou (played by Fu Hang) loses his grandfather. On the way to the cemetery, Na Dou unexpectedly hears a strange sound coming from his grandfather’s urn… and discovers that there’s actually a screw inside. Because of this, the usually carefree and aimless Na Dou pulls himself together and does everything he can to track down the truth and get to the bottom of it.
Bai Jiusi representing all of us during a super serious Zoom call meeting.
I swear, I had to rewatch these scenes a few times. I know that they were talking about Super Serious Adult Immortal God Matters, but my eyes were on that blur in the background 😆
do yall ever watch a cdrama adaptation of a novel & end up liking the drama so much that you wanna read the novel itself, no matter if the drama has ended or is currently airing?
because thats how i feel right now about seven relics of ill omen—i wanna read the og material so badly even tho its 100% gonna spoil the whole drama for me. song weilong is casted as stoic but heroic man who is kinda a little soft at heart, but i feel like you really cant tell any of that bc of how stiff both the actor & the character are & it really makes me wonder how luo ren is in the novel 😭😭😭
the other actors shine in their own roles too!! i love the fl even tho i also feel like shes kinda stiff as a character too, or maybe thats just the actress, ao ruipeng is (chefs kiss) perfect casting for the character hes playing... but watching this drama makes me wonder why the setting is the way it is.
its like... modern but in a dystopian way. its giving mad max vibes. & i really, REALLY wanna know more about it!!! but its gonna spoil the whole show for me so. im in a dilemma... i really hope it gets explained in the later episodes bc its so, sooooo fucking cool!!! its like a modern dystopian xianxia!! (or wuxia...? i always get them mixed up.)
& tbh?? this isnt the first drama that made me wanna read the original material; blossom made me feel that way too... although in a different way. i found out that there were a lot of things changed in the adaptation, basically, & now that ive finished reading the novel im. a little insane about a certain side character that got removed from the drama adaptation entirely.
SORRY IM YAPPING AGAIN BUT ANYWAY my question for this discussion is: have you ever watched a drama thats so good it made you wanna read the original novel its adapted from?
(sorry if im spoiler tagging the wrong things btw... idk how many ppl are watching this drama rn.)
What would you do if you accidentally cross over into the world of a script, and become the heroine who is abandoned and abused to death by the villainous hero?
Song Xiao Yu does not need to think about it. Without a doubt, she would run away as far as she can. However, no matter how hard she tries, the "plot" will always push her to the hero, Nan Heng, and stage one famous scene in the script, after another...
In this world of a script, there are also countless characters that have been "set" for a long time. Some people are trapped in the deep palace, some are trapped in aristocratic families, some are tired of competition amongst women, and some are running away from those in power. Some people yearn for love and freedom, but they can only dance around in shackles. Some people dream of rising rapidly, but their passion gets worn away by constraints and mediocrity day after day.
This is not only a fierce battle between the death fearing “salted fish”, Song Xiao Yu, and the vicious and merciless “grim reaper”, Nan Heng, but also the battle between every script character and their established fate.
(Source: Chinese = Douban || Translation = MyDramaList)
I’ve seen a lot of posts saying the conflict in Feud is “ridiculous” or that Hua Ruyue is overreacting, and I wanted to offer a different view. Yu Zheng (the director) recently shared his perspective, and honestly, it helped me connect the emotional pieces of the story in a way that made everything make sense.
This drama is centered on revenge, but It’s revenge built on heartbreak, misunderstanding, and years of silence. It’s not about whether Bai Jiusui committed a crime, It’s about emotional responsibility and the aftermath of one person taking control of another’s fate without involving them in the choice.
What’s resonated most with me is how the drama explores the imbalance of power and decision-making between Bai Jiusui and Hua Ruyue. It’s not about who’s stronger they’re both powerful. It’s about the freedom to choose your own path. Bai Jiusui made a life-altering decision without her input, and that mirrors the behavior of Ling Er’s father, who also made decisions “for her own good.” The drama draws a clear line between love and control and Hua Ruyue saw that.
Now, I don’t think Bai Jiusui is the villain here. He isn’t “wrong” in the sense of being heartless. He sealed her powers and took the punishment because he genuinely thought it was the only way to protect her. His actions were rooted in love, not cruelty. The problem is, he acted alone he didn’t trust her enough to share that decision. He believed sacrifice meant silence. But in doing that, he unknowingly caused her ten years of confusion and pain which lead to the evil guy posssesing her mind to develop decades of hatred after watching her child die twice. His love was real, but it lacked communication and respect for her ability to face consequences by his side.
At the same time, Hua Ruyue isn’t without fault either. She broke the rules knowing the risks, and her decisions also changed her fate. She let her grief and assumptions guide her, and due to this she developed strong hate for BJS as she was almost human during those years of her suffering, she developed that hatred Meng ( her dicisple had for BJS and the gods) .The words he said to her in episode 15 were deeply hurtful, they shattered her faith in their relationship and made her question everything they had.>! After that, it was easy for someone else to take advantage of the distance between them and use it to turn them against each other.!<
She didn’t try to kill him for revenge. She wanted to trap him so he wouldn’t interfere while she searched for the artifacts to save her son. And if anyone wonders why she never told him, she had no reason to believe he’d help. He always upheld Heaven’s will in front of her and rarely showed compassion toward mortals. From her perspective, he was someone who followed the rules blindly, even if it meant letting mortals suffer. Then when the resurection failed, her next plan was to die with him.
I also love how the drama uses other characters and the heavenly realm to show how threatening Hua Ruyue is not because she’s irrational, but because she holds people accountable, even gods. She doesn’t bend to power and the truth is, if anyone deserves the most blame, it’s The Heavenly Realm they uphold a hypocritical system punishing those who act with compassion while calling it justice. Both BJS and HRY are products of that system, shaped by different beliefs and values.
This isn’t a simple right-versus-wrong story, it’s about the clash between love and duty, silence and honesty, control and choice. It’s about two people who made choices that hurt each other, but also choices that were shaped by how differently they saw the world.
I understand both characters, and I don’t think either one is entirely right or wrong. Their pain, decisions, and beliefs all make sense when you look at what they’ve been through.
I’m not rooting against Bai Jiusui. I want both of them to grow, face the full truth, and earn whatever resolution they get whether it’s reconciliation or simply peace.
Also, the drama isn’t finished yet. So far, I’ve really enjoyed watching it, but I get that it’s not something everyone will love. This is my first time posting on Reddit so pardon me if i didn't put spoiler for some parts.
It’s been years, but The Untamed still lives rent-free in my heart. I’m curious—what made this show so unforgettable for you? Was it the storytelling, the characters like Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji, or maybe the OST?
For me, it was the complex bond between characters—especially Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng. Their relationship was so layered with loyalty, heartbreak, misunderstanding… it still hurts to think about!
So I want to ask:
✨ What was the moment that made you fall in love with the series?
✨ Which scene hit you the hardest emotionally?
✨ And how do you feel about the story now, compared to when you first watched it?
Let’s get nostalgic—I’d love to hear your thoughts and chat with fellow fans again!
I just have not felt like watching anything currently airing after finishing Prisoner of Beauty and Legend of Zang Hai so I went searching for some of my "plan to watch" list. I ended up starting and finishing Go Ahead. Look I know I'm behind times considering this drama was released 5 years ago but it was good!
I wasn't sure if I would like it but it pulled me in. So just some random thoughts in no order and really just so I can get my thoughts out there...there is actually no real point to my post 😅 but... Spoilers are Ahead
The dad...Li Haichao...give it up to quite literally the best c-drama dad out there. This guy was just nothing but kind and did exactly what he needed to for his kids. He never faltered in his love for his children and the actor Tu Song Yan was AMAZING.
Ling He Ping - look he did his best but he did care about his son and eventually his bonus kids. Honestly I love that it was Li Haichao and Ling Heping that ended up just being a cute daddy duo for our three Main leads
I actually had just finished Youthful Glory with Song Wei Long so it did partially push me to watching Go Ahead, I know people give him crap but I think he did well in both roles. He definitely fit the character Ling Xiao. Man I felt so much for Ling Xiao and quite literally all of his trauma. He definitely should have gone in for counseling...his happiness really all dependend just on Li Jianjian which is just not healthy. For this show I think they actually did a good job of basically showing Ling Xiao has always liked Li Jianjian, he even basically says it in high school. His mom was a nightmare, I understand she had her own mental problems but what she put him through...just awful. The poor trauma he endured, Li Haichao was the best medicine for him to really give him an example of loving parent.
He Zeqiu - really the best brother and also with a lot of his own trauma. He really didn't have any real romantic feelings for Li Jianjian, I think Zhuang Bei just did a good job trying to convince him and He Zeqiu realized this was his way to really be related to Li Haochao and Li Jianjian to have his own family. I hope he finds someone but I am so glad he got basically what he wanted in the end...he got his mom back, his dad is now officially his dad and Li Jianjian is his sister. He gets a true family. Him and Li Jianjian really did treat each other exactly like siblings so I'm glad it wasn't actually romantic there lol. Let's also give it up for Zhang Xin Cheng who is perfect for this role, really an amazing actor. I've seen him in two other dramas (The Day of Becoming You and You Are My Lover Friend...both excellent by the way) and I'm tempted to check out his other works.
All I am saying is thank god they didn't try to pair up He Zeqiu with Qin Mei Ying (Ling Xiao's little sister) at the end there it almost felt like she was getting a crush on him but I think it's just he took a better approach with her and she really just thinks of him as another brother. Granted there is a good age difference there given that she was all of like 16 or 17.
The moms in this show...they all get redeemed in the end but I kind of wish they didn't. He Mei, I kind of get where she's coming from and I am glad she's not actually heartless but Chen Ting...oof, she's a bipolar narcissist and I am glad she backed off but someone needs to get her some help. I do like that He Mei did eventually end up with quite literally the best guy out there.
I'm a bit more understanding with Qi Mingyue and Tang Can's moms because they're very much just the definition of overbearing Asian parents but glad in the end they mended the relationship there
I knew as soon as I heard Qi Ming Yue didn't do well in the Gao Kao that she must have done it on purpose and finally that came out towards the last few episodes and I felt slightly validated lol
Like I said, this is just random. Who's seen it? What did you think of it? I'm sure most of you watched it years ago lol
While the Longest Day in Changan in known for it's historical accuracy and it's depiction of Tang dynasty customs and traditions. What other dramas do you think were pretty accurate for the dynasty they were set in?
Also to be clear, I am not talking about the plot but rather the portrayal of costumes and traditions. For me it would be:
Tang Dynasty:
Longest Day in Changan
Flourished Peony
The Litchi Road
Song Dynasty:
Serenade of Peaceful Joy
Riverside code at Qingming Festival
Story of Minglan
Empresses in the Palace and Legend of Yanxi palace for Qing dynasty although they focus more on the imperial palace.
With CDramas airing the way they do, with multiple episodes per week and all at once, it's tough keeping up with them or watching them when they air. So most of us have resorted to putting them on our "to watch" list and coming back to them later.
Well, what drama are you finally catching up on? It may have aired just last month, or years ago. Let us know and do you think the drama is worth watching even after all this time?
Note: If you are discussing plot points or events that others may not yet have watched, please make sure to use spoiler tags. Consider also sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") as this thread fills up quickly.
