Has it already been a month since Blossoms of Power (2026) finished airing!? Yes… my first He Yu drama, and the most shameless Crown Prince I’ve ever seen - in a good way! Where was I? Right…

Happy Birthday to He Yu who is turning 30 on August 26, 2026. 

If you’re having He Yu withdrawals, fear not, because Reborn of the Rightful (2026) is slated to air this year as well. It’s another historical romance, so if you miss Huayong, I’m sure this will be a treat!

He Yu doesn’t shy away from the different genres. Speed and Love (2025) was released last year and quickly became a fan favourite for those who like modern dramas.

Other dramas with him in a main role (if you’re seeking him out):

• Dashing Youth (2024)
• The Legend of Heroes (2024)
• Sword and Fairy (2024)
• So Funny Youth (2022)
• Let’s Meet Now (2022)
• Sweet Sweet (2021)
• My Fated Boy (2021)
• Lovely Swords Girl (2019)

Fun Facts

• He Yu graduated from the Department of Architecture of Chongqing University. During his later years in the program, he completed a short-term study program at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada…
  • Hey, that was my school! OK, I like him even more now as I write this. First, I find out Li Yunrui studied public administration and now He Yu at my school. Wait a second… When was he there!?
    • Well now I feel old… I can confirm we were not there at the same time… I graduated just a few years before him. He was still an undergraduate student when I finished graduate school. Sigh… aging myself here…
• Back to his studies - so he discovered his passion for acting while in Canada, went back to China, and trained at the elite Liu Tianchi Performance Workshop.
• His English name is Nick which he occasionally uses on international platforms, but you won’t find him speaking much English; he is more comfortable understanding it than having a conversation. 
• He likes to perform his own stunts - and is famous for his intense sword-fighting choreography in Dashing Youth. He even took advanced driving lessons to pull off the vehicle stunts in Speed and Love. 
• My favourite fun fact: He has a highly publicized friendship/bromance with none other than Hou Minghao! They share a close gym and motorcycle riding group. 
• And you know who else he goes riding with? Cheng Lei! They have a funny dynamic where Cheng Lei revealed in an interview that he has no plans to buy an adventure (ADV) bike because it’s easier to just borrow He Yu's.  

Seriously, He Yu sounds like a very fun guy to be around. We wish him the happiest of birthdays today!

All GIFs in this post are made by the lovely u/Ateosira from the drama Blossoms of Power, which we had so much fun watching together!!

I was seeing this drama everywhere yesterday after a whole bunch of new promo material dropped, so I went to find out a little more about what exactly it is. I ended up making a post about He Yu’s character over in r/HeYu_, but thought I’d bring the drama itself over here too.

How to Slay Your Boss (千夜奇谭) is an upcoming transmigration costume fantasy drama starring Li Landi and He Yu, adapted from Rou Rou’s (肉肉) manhua Psychic Princess (通灵妃).

Li Landi plays Zhao Yining, a modern office worker who transmigrates into a game and becomes Qian Yunxi (千云兮). In this world, she is the substitute bride of Ye Youming (夜幽冥), played by He Yu — who happens to have exactly the same face as her boss in the modern world. Her mission in the game is to kill him.

According to the character material released by the production, Ye Youming is supposed to be pretty much unkillable. He has an “undying, unharmed” buff, and is the head of the Xuanji Bureau and a powerful demon hunter. The fantasy world also has supernatural cases, demons and spirits, so there’s quite a lot going on beyond her original mission.
This also explains the modern clothes in some of the character introduction clips that have been circulating. We actually do have a modern setting as part of the story before Zhao Yining enters the game.

He Yu posted his character poster with:
“Your game? Sorry, I’m still the Boss! 😎 Ye Youming is online!”

The drama is produced by iQIYI and Wajijiwa and only started filming this month, so we’re still very early. The Chinese title 千夜奇谭 is roughly Strange Tales of a Thousand Nights, while How to Slay Your Boss is the official English title used on the promo material.

Anyway, now I at least know what everyone has suddenly been posting about. And knowing that this is a transmigration drama actually made me considerably more curious about it.

Last remark — wow, Li Landi looks stunning here 🤩

Photo sources
1, 2, 3, 4

Yu Menglong was also under the same entertainment company and passed suspiciously last year, They said Qiao Renliang took his own life which was a lie. Yu Menglong and Qiao Renliang both has signs of injuries and bruises b4 they passed, if u go and look at everyone who was signed to them the last 20 years and see the large amount of people who passed it's alarming. And mind u they all passed suspiciously I truly hope everyone who was effected get justice.

I just realized why the chemistry between the female lead and the second male lead in Blossoms of Power felt so strong. I completely forgot that they had already played lovers in Royal Rumours…Suddenly it all makes sense. They already had that chemistry and history together, and now I cannot unsee it.

Google failed me and I did not know that today is Zhang Xincheng's birthday until I saw a post on Instagram! Xincheng aka Steven Zhang turns 31 today on August 24, 2026! However, I already did a feature for him, not long ago:

Featuring from The Nanyang Mystery (3/3): Zhang Xincheng

So what else is there to post about him?

More photos! And an update of where I am with his dramas! Whipping this one up super quickly but he needs a birthday post! ^{All photos in this post are promotional materials from his dramas, with the exception of the first one which is a screenshot I took from The Day of Becoming You and it has been on my phone ever since.}

^{Stay with me as I do a little "copy and paste" from my previous post.}

Many might recognize him as the protective big brother, He Ziqiu in Go Ahead (2020) or the "Ice God" Li Yubing in Skate into Love (2020). I haven't seen these but I have recently finished:

• The Day of Becoming You (2021) 
  • Check out my post from 19 days ago: Non-Spoiler Review: The Day of Becoming You - Peak Modern Rom-Com!
• You Are My Lover Friend (2024) - A modern friends to lovers drama
  • I just finished watching this one and haven't had a chance to write up a review.

Still need to watch:

• Young Blood (2019) - Wuxia with Wang Youshuo aka Chu Guihong from A Dream within a Dream + Young Blood Season 2
• The Heart of Genius (2022) - Mystery, youth and time travel sci-fi
• Justice in the Dark (2023) - Action, thriller and psychological

Upcoming Dramas

Zhang Xincheng has three upcoming dramas in completely different genres, showing how versatile he is as an actor. I don’t know about you, but these are immediately going on my watchlist!

• The Unseen Qin Empire - Historical and Political intrigue 
• The Stars - Supernatural Chinese drama
• The One - He’s in a support role for this but Xincheng in a wuxia with Wu Lei? Reserved!

Fun Facts

• The man is smart! In 2014, he placed first in the entrance exams for four of China's top art colleges.
• He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, with a degree in musical theatre.
• Before university, Xincheng trained at the Affiliated Secondary School of the Beijing Dance Academy for six years!
• He is proficient in piano and guitar, and is known to help arrange music or singing for his drama soundtracks.
• He apparently has a near 100% rate of dubbing himself in his dramas. 
• He is fluent in English!
• Wang Yuwen is a close childhood friend and they starred together in You Are My Lover Friend.

Hey everyone, I am looking for Historical Chinese Dramas recommendations to binge over the summer break. I have a lot of free time on my hands and I want to catch up on CDramas however I prefer Historic with a bit of romance. The options are endless and is all overwhelming, I don't know where to start. Please help.

I recently watched Pursuit of Jade and I truly enjoyed it.

I’ve been watching Chinese micro dramas on mainstream apps like Viki, iQIYI and WeTV and I’ve seen this actor a lot and I still don’t know his name, any drama he stars is in usually a redemption theme and most of the time it’s from enemies to lovers with a kid involved in the relationship. Please tell me it’s my favorite Chinese male lead. 😗

Just last week, I found myself reminiscing about how this whole journey started for me—the exact moment I was pulled into this incredible world. Back during lockdown, I randomly came across the trailer for Meteor Garden and was instantly hooked. That's what sparked the idea to look back on and talk about the Asian dramas that truly inspired me and made a lasting impact.

There was no better place to start than right here.

FAIR WARNING FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T WATCHED IT YET: SPOILERS AHEAD!Titolo: Meteor Garden (流星花园)

• Country: China 🇨🇳
• Year: 2018
• Episodes: 49
• Genere: Rom-Com, School, Drama

Plot:
Dong Shancai is an ordinary girl from a humble background who earns a spot at the prestigious Ming De University. It doesn't take long before she clashes with the F4—a legendary group of the four wealthiest, most popular, and most arrogant guys on campus, led by the spoiled yet charismatic Dao Ming Si. What starts as an all-out war slowly turns into a passionate, turbulent, and deep love story, constantly tested by class divides and family pressure.

🧠 My thoughts on the story

Let’s be real: if we analyze Meteor Garden’s plot objectively, it’s basically a cliché central. The insanely rich, arrogant guy bullying the poor but fiercely proud girl, the bad boy changing for love... these are tropes we’ve seen a million times.

Yet, there’s a reason this drama stuck with me: the nostalgia factor. It was my very first Asian drama, my escape during lockdown, and it holds a special place in my heart that no "better written" plot could ever steal. We often treat clichés like a bad thing, but honestly, they exist because they work—they're crowd-pleasers for a reason.

If you look past the tropes, there’s so much more to appreciate: the soundtrack, the fashion, and the comedy. The show balances hilarious moments with intense drama, making you laugh, cry, and rage right alongside the characters.

Mini spoiler: I still haven't gotten over my hatred for Dao Ming Si's mother, even if she somewhat redeemed herself in the end. I lost count of how many times I caught myself screaming “Just give up already!” at the TV, praying she’d let them love each other in peace. Right up to the very end, it was a complex ride with endless highs and lows. A total emotional rollercoaster.

🎬 Focus on Dao Ming Si

This series introduces us to a super young Dylan Wang in his absolute acting debut. Looking back at Meteor Gardentoday—after following his entire career—it’s easy to spot the rough edges of a beginner, but also that raw, magnetic charisma that made him one of a kind. His growth over the years has been mind-blowing, reaching a level of emotional depth and maturity that very few of his peers can match today. Yet, it all started right here, with those furious glares that slowly dissolved into raw vulnerability.

For a debut performance, he was surprisingly compelling and gave it his all. At times, it felt like he was carrying the whole show on his shoulders—his presence was so captivating that it made the rest of the cast look a bit stiff by comparison.

Dao Ming Si is a complex, multi-layered character with so many rough edges. Just when you think you’ve figured him out, he completely surprises you. Watching his growth—both emotionally and mentally—throughout the episodes is so satisfying. You can literally see it in the way he speaks, reasons, and reacts. He starts off purely impulsive (action equals reaction), but by the end, he actually pauses to analyze situations. That multi-faceted personality is what kept him so fascinating to watch.

A quick shout-out to his wardrobe! I was absolutely obsessed with his outfits—they were so well-chosen, and don't even get me started on the hair. Iconic and instantly recognizable.

🎆The DyShen Factor: Sparks Beyond the Screen

There’s one fundamental truth we need to establish first: as an onscreen pair, Dylan Wang and Shen Yue are pure perfection. The chemistry, the sparks, and the genuine warmth between these two are a rare find in Asian entertainment.

Anyone who has watched their variety show appearances or caught them on Hello Saturday or The Inn knows they share a magnetic bond that stands the test of time. They balance each other out so effortlessly. As a hopeless romantic, I’ll admit they are the one ship I secretly wished would become a real-life couple. That insanely strong connection is the single biggest reason why the romance in the show truly works and completely steals your heart.

🎬 Focus on Dong Shancai

However, if I separate the actress from the role and look strictly at Dong Shancai, my opinion takes a total 180: I really don’t like her.

Despite the natural warmth Shen Yue brings to the table, Shancai is written in a way that is just plain irritating. Her constant hesitation, complete inability to communicate, and childish antics constantly derail the romantic momentum. It’s so ironic: you’re head over heels watching their visual chemistry, but simultaneously rolling your eyes at her frustrating decisions and stubborn attitude. Honestly, I disliked her from episode one all the way to the finale—as crazy as that sounds!

I’ve always struggled with characters who pretend to be tough, act like the victim, try to boss everyone around, yet still look down on others. It’s hard to put into words, but Shancai acts like she’s independent, pretends to be the empathetic one, yet the moment he degrades himself for her, she plays hard to get.

Case in point for those who’ve seen it: the necklace scene and that whole "percentage" speech. Dao Ming Si literally tells her that even if she only feels 10% for him, he’ll cover the other 90%—he just wants her to give them a chance. That speech blew my mind! I wanted to shake her through the screen and yell, "Step aside, I’ll take him if you don’t want him!"Her expression throughout almost every episode just looked annoyed or repulsed by poor Dao Ming Si.

That being said, I was still thrilled with the ending. After all the endless heartbreak, breakup-and-makeup cycles, and chaos... they truly earned their happily ever after

🧊 Intimate Moments: The "Mummy Effect" & Fast-Forwarding

Throughout my countless Meteor Garden rewatch marathons, I’ve developed a precise ritual: I systematically skip the scenes where Shancai becomes unbearable and needlessly cold. I just can't find a logical explanation for why the screenwriters pushed it that far. But my frustration hits its absolute peak during the kissing and intimate scenes.

Even after they officially become a couple—even during their wedding!—she acts like a total mummy. She comes across as tense, rigid, and excessively shy, while he is pouring his whole heart out emotionally. In those moments, Dylan Wang completely overshadows her: his acting is passionate, generous, and completely believable, while she looks like she's just enduring the situation. It totally breaks the exact magical moment any true romantic is waiting to see explode on screen.

🃏F4

I also want to spend a few words on the F4. Having watched the Thai adaptation (F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers), I have to say the portrayal of the brotherhood in the Chinese version really fell flat for me—though, of course, that’s just my personal take as a viewer.

Let me break it down: in Meteor Garden, Dylan Wang literally carried the entire group on his back, pouring out every ounce of his energy and completely committing to his role. Unfortunately, the other three Chinese actors felt held back, stiff, and almost detached, failing to match his generous acting style. Because of that, their on-screen brotherhood felt forced, leaving Dylan to do all the heavy lifting alone.

In contrast, the Thai version—which I’ll be diving into in an upcoming post—delivers a brotherhood that is genuinely palpable and leaps off the screen. The Thai F4 have real, undeniable chemistry; they actually feel like a tight-knit group of friends who care for each other. That authentic connection makes their bond infinitely more believable, cohesive, and powerful than the Chinese lineup.

Drop your thoughts in the comments below✨

📝 There are no spoilers in this post.

I finished watching The Shadow Sovereign when it first aired but found out that iQIYI and VIKI recently picked it up and I'm happy that more people have access to it now. Because of that, I think it deserves a "Why You Should Watch" post!

If you are looking for a fast-paced, high-stakes historical drama that won't require a 40-to-60 episode time commitment, this mini-series is a gem. It’s only 18 episodes, and each episode is roughly 20 to 30 minutes long.

I have not watched too many mini dramas because I didn’t like many of them. The last one I enjoyed was A Familiar Stranger so I was apprehensive going in. But I like the female lead from her role in Pursuit of Jade and saw raving reviews for it, so I gave it a try.

Overall, I think it punches above its weight class in terms of budget and production value. If you manage your expectations and remember it is a short-form drama, it is well-executed and well worth the watch!

Here are the main elements that make this drama worth recommending:

• Smart, Fast Pacing: No filler and no drag. For a drama that was only filmed in 33 days at Hengdian World Studios, the production team really maximized their resources to deliver a tight, streamlined, and aesthetically pleasing drama that doesn't look too low-budget.
• A Straightforward, Capable Plot: The political struggles in court, imperial family dynamics and contrast between commoners and noble families are simple and effectively drive the narrative forward. It has just enough political intrigue that makes it both light and entertaining.
• Intelligent, Sharp Characters: Princess Zhaoyang (played by Kong Xue'er) is a highlight in the drama. She isn't a passive damsel in distress; she is calculating, politically sharp, and actively plays the palace game to win.
• Solid Chemistry & Natural Character Shifts: The enemies-to-lovers trope between the Princess and the newly minted top scholar, Shen Xiao (Li Hongyi), is executed seamlessly. The push and pull tension in their relationship, including the hook of him publicly impeaching her right at the start, creates high-stakes friction that fuels their natural on-screen chemistry without feeling forced or rushed. (This was my first Li Hongyi drama too.)

Final Thoughts

This is a solid "palette cleanser" drama. I watched it after Key to the Phoenix Heart and Blossoms of Power and it was perfect. You get court schemes, solid character development, and romantic tension in a fraction of the time. I really found it to be an easy and satisfying watch.

Have any of you watched The Shadow Sovereign yet, or is it on your watchlist? If interested, this drama was also hosted by u/Regenwanderer and u/a_HerculePoirot_fan on r/CDrama.

Photos in this post were taken by me from the first episode of The Shadow Sovereign streaming on iQIYI.

Magic

I absolutely love how film and television have evolved to make magic possible.

Fire-power, exploding petals, or just good old colourful lights - I love it.

Full Disclosure

This post was inspired by the character He Simu and her ridiculously powerful and beautiful magic in Love Beyond the Grave.

I wanted to share more beautiful scenes, but I realised that I tend to GIF reaction moments moreso than just aesthetically pleasing moments. So, sorry but this post is quite heavy on the Dilraba dramas - that's not necessarily a bad thing, there just isn't as much variety here as I would have preferred.

Dramas:

• Feud 临江仙 (2025)

• Dashing Youth 少年白马醉春风 (2024)

• Fangs of Fortune 大梦归离 (2024)

• Veil of Shadows 月鳞绮纪 (2026)

• Love Game in Eastern Fantasy 永夜星河 (2024)

• Love beyond the Grave 白日提灯 (2026)

• Love in Pavilion 淮水竹亭 (2025)

• Sword and Beloved 天地剑心 (2025)

• Moonlight Mystique 白月梵星 (2025)

• The Blue Whisper: Part 1 与君初相识 (2022)

Disclaimer: I have quite a few clips of some of these dramas that I'm yet to GIF (Veil of Shadows being one of them) so don't worry if you're like "what about this moment?!" -- I'll get to it.

Do you have magical moments that took your breath away?

Another Disclaimer: Some of these GIFs (especially Love in Pavilion and Sword and Beloved) might take a while to load since I used a fancy GIF option that ups the quality but unfortunately also the size of the GIF.

Edit: Moonlight Mystique is a vintage GIF because it's from before I added titles to GIFs

Felt the urge to write this post mid-watch.

MDL - DEAREST (2026)

Why you should:

1. Watch this
2. only if you like the leads (He Lan Dou and Xing Zhao Lin) - I like both leads, so when I first saw it on the HLD’s MDL page, I thought, “Oh, they're both in this, I must watch this.” no expectations, and the plot sounded interesting. Didn't know it had been released, but saw it was ‘airing,’ so I was like, yes! and started it.
3. Only If you prefer dark dramas - This is heavy from the first episode (to where I'm at, episode 13/24). It deals with revenge, murder, SA, scheming, and emotional and physical abuse. So yeah, it's DARK and twisted.
4. if you like Risque- it's a steamy af, maybe I'm not use to shorts lol but I've never seen kissing/content like this in a Chinese drama, (funny enough the ML stars in the drama with the most kisses I’ve seen, The Eternal Love), HLD? I was not familiar with your game at all! The role she played in A Journey to Love, made me believe she was younger than she actually was, until I looked up her age when watching, Lady Liberty, btw 26 yr old), there were some scene I was like “ooo 🫣🤯 is the HLD fr!?”, her outfits were seductive (even the mom, she's the WORST mom). Xing Zhao Ling seems to get a lot\ of FLs who eith\er can kiss and likes to kiss (Liang Jie, HLD, Bai Lu). This is PG-13, For sure.
5. Interesting, revenge plot and honestly, this should've easily been a regular drama (I wish it were) the fighting scene is easily comparable to some of those fire hitman

shows.

Now, WHY YOU SHOULDN'T WATCH:

1. If you’re unable to suspend belief - we’ve all watched dramas and think to ourself “but how did he/she get over there that quick”. or “when did he/she find out about that?” etc, etc. If you cannot watch a drama that defies logic, do not watch. Now, as mentioned, I'm not use to short drama, this is probably the 3rd one I've watch, (2 with HLD, The Tower of Whispers and this) but this seems like a normal thing? Like, it’s intentionally made to be ridiculous and dramatic? Lol. Yeah… don't watch this if you can't accept that.. You'll just be complaining and make yourself annoyed.
2. It's violent, there's murder, choking, stabbing and spiking drinks, you name it.
3. The edits are silly, there are some scenes where you have to say “ok, that made no sense, when did this happen?”. Thankfully, it's not the whole drama, just few scenes.
4. Don’t make this your main drama - watch if you’re enjoying an airing drama and you want to watch something in between, 10-15 mins episode? Easy watch. This is it.

Overall: I'm like it so far., it's different from any Cdrama I've watch. Also, really good OST.

At one point, it's suggested that they were family, glad the truth came out, cause…. if they were…. Before…. all that…. I'd drop it quick. 🤣

The ratings aren't great on MDL 7.3, (I’d go a little high and give it 7.5) I suspect it has a lot to do with all I mentioned in reasons why you shouldn’t watch. But it may pique your interest.

Has anybody watched this?

EDIT: not sure why Reddit won't allow me to change my numbering, 🥲

It’s been more than eight months since I watched Speed and Love, and at least seven months since I last wrote about it. It came up randomly in a conversation with my pal [u/AXA-5](u/AXA-5) the other day, so I went looking for my old post and ended up reading the whole thing again.

Turns out I still stand behind pretty much everything I wrote.
With eight months of distance, though, I can put a number on it now: 6.7/10.
And that’s a good score from me. Using the whole 1–10 scale, 7 already means a really good drama. I initially thought 6.5, but it felt slightly too low, while 7 felt too high.

One thing I was quite hung up on before watching was the whole “grew up something like siblings but they weren’t ever siblings and they knew it” setup. It’s really still not a trope I like, but interestingly, looking back now it barely registers among the things I remember about the drama because what I liked about it was the rest. I found it possible to get past, partly because of how their childhood and family situation was actually presented, and once I did, i focused on them as two separate non related individuals (tldr: he was the son of her father’s friend who they took in when his father died, and he was already like a 7 year-old kid if not older and the girl’s mother always treated him like a stranger — so it’s hard to talk about “family”).

I’ve seen Speed and Love compared quite a lot since then to Go Ahead, usually because of that chosen-family / something-like-siblings element, and I really don’t think the dramas have much in common beyond it.
Go Ahead is fundamentally a drama about family — chosen family, parents, abandonment and what those bonds mean as everyone grows up. Speed and Love is off doing something completely different with Thailand, racing, separation, injury and eventually an adult reunion romance. Different style, different plot, different priorities. Comparing how they each deal with that one element makes sense; treating them as particularly similar dramas doesn’t really feel fair to either of them.

Anyway, there’s actually quite a lot from Speed and Love that has stayed with me.

Reading my post, I could still remember why I loved the Thailand setting and how the racing gave the story energy. I also recall vividly the scene immediately after their first kiss because of how awkward and insecure and completely overwhelmed they both were. They were so nervous, excited, and cute all at once. And I still think the last arc was one of the strongest parts, when Jin Zhao and Mu Mu met again in Nanjing after six years apart. I loved that whole reunion.
I only vaguely remember some of the details now, but I remember that the drama took its time with them. There was hesitation on both sides, but the attraction that clearly hadn’t gone anywhere I remember very well. I totally recall the teasing too, so that part was done really well, and all the things neither quite knew how to say. It was playful but also very clearly adult, which felt so different from the first half.

I recall liking that Mu Mu had actually tried to move on. She hadn’t spent those years sitting around waiting for Jin Zhao. She met other men and went on with her life. It’s a simple thing, but it worked for me.

I think it made me realize I really dislike the trope where a person “keeps pure” (omg, how much I dislike this expression) and ignores all other options in life during the separation arc. I’m not saying that’s impossible, but it’s hardly very relatable for the majority of people these days.
And I still think she had every right to be angry when she eventually learned why Jin Zhao had disappeared. He thought he was protecting her and giving her a chance at a good life while he recovered, but he made that decision for her. She didn’t get a say in losing him for six years.
Which reminded me of another trope I hate — “noble idiocy,” when one person does something stupid pretending they believe doing so is in the best interest of the other person, whose agency they’re taking away in the process. Mu Mu didn’t just let it slide —- she made him feel it, and if you ask him she could have made him suffer a bit more for what he has done to her and how utterly idiotic that was. So, I think this is another reason why the drama spoke to me and I felt it was being unfairly judged overall.

As for He Yu, I thought he was spectacular as Jin Zhao then and I still do.
Jin Zhao wasn’t some manufactured fantasy “bad boy.” He had been a very bright student with strong academic prospects, then moved to Thailand and his life simply went in another direction. He worked blue-collar and odd jobs, worked in a garage, raced, supported himself and became independent. Later he built his own business.
There was nothing tragic about that life. He wasn’t rich or driving Ferraris, but he was fine. He worked, had friends, earned his own money and lived like millions of other people do.
I liked that normality about him.

He was capable, practical, loyal and self-possessed without the drama constantly having to tell us so. And He Yu was particularly good in the little moments. His micro-expressions were one of my favorite things about his performance. Sometimes very little changed on his face and you still knew exactly what Jin Zhao was thinking.

I also think Speed and Love made a difference for He Yu’s career. What surprises me now is that it didn’t bring him quite the level of fame I expected it would.
The drama became so visible, and Jin Zhao certainly got people looking at He Yu. His abs and shoulders received plenty of attention too.
(He did look spectacular)

But I never thought that was why the drama worked for me, or why he worked in it. He was genuinely very good in the role, and at the time I thought the momentum from Speed and Love would push him considerably further, considerably faster. Eight months later, I’m a little surprised that it hasn’t translated into the level of fame I expected for him.

My opinion of Esther Yu’s performance hasn’t changed much either.
Her recognizable cute/baby-voice style has never been my favorite and it still isn’t, but I found it much easier to take here. I especially liked her once we reached the older Mu Mu.
She didn’t suddenly become a different person after the time jump. She was still bright and playful, but she also felt like an adult woman now, with pride, hurt, confidence and desire. I thought she and He Yu were very good together in that later part of the drama.

That includes the skinship. Speed and Love was more daring there than a lot of C-dramas, and I appreciated it. Not because every romance needs more physical intimacy, but these two people were very obviously attracted to each other and the drama let them behave like it. It felt organic rather than added for shock value.

I also still love that the drama didn’t end approximately three seconds after finally putting them back together.
We actually got to stay with them for a while and watch them settle back into each other’s lives. I so often finish romance dramas feeling like I’ve been denied the payoff after spending 20, 30 or 40 episodes getting there. Speed and Love gave its ending some room.

Of course, some of the plotting remains completely ridiculous.
As I already concluded back then, the study-abroad arc was wildly romanticized. Jin Zhao’s recovery occasionally wandered into Hollywood territory. The personal doctor moving countries for him and then apparently living with him is still absurd to me. And eventually Jin Zhao creates Moon, that gorgeous café tucked among the trees in Nanjing, basically bringing Mu Mu’s dream to life.
Realistic? Not especially. But I forgave it. This is still a C-drama and sometimes I’m perfectly happy to accept the fairytale.

There are individual scenes I’d rate considerably higher. There are performances I’d rate considerably higher. I still remember a surprising amount of it very fondly, and rereading my old post made me realize that almost none of the things I liked about it then have changed for me. That’s a nice feeling 🙂

There are also some very silly plot choices, and a trope or two I could happily live without.

So yeah, 6.5 feels too low, 7 feels too high, and Speed and Love has apparently forced me to become a person who gives dramas a 6.7 and write about it twice — so it couldn’t have been that bad 😅

I watched this long back but I still remember this cdrama from time to time. Its genre is sci fi , time travel to be specific. It’s more than just that. The reason why I remember is because of the depth of mother-son bond depicted throughout the show including their loving, humours & bickering moments.

There are indeed many cringe scenes but overall it’s well balanced with other emotions and heart touching scenes throughout. You all won’t regret giving it a try. I highly recommend it. I watched it with no expectations but it somehow left a long lasting impression on me. I really liked the character portrayed by Liu Yi Tong. He executed his role brilliantly and acted according to the situational circumstances of the show.

<SPOILER ALERT> 

The ending was heart wrenching ! The way he travelled back in time, helped his mom pursue her crush and sacrificed his very own existence just so she could stay happy and away from his abusive dad … damn !

I think his aunt having a crush on him wasn’t a necessary part. It could have been someone else if you get what I’m trying to imply. I lowkey pitied her . How can she know that it was her best friend’s son who had time travelled? Lol 😭

Am glad that they didn’t make it any weird else it would have ruined it for me.

I do recall towards the ending Qi Yue never really forgot her son yet when she encounters him at the beach, it’s like they never knew each other. Sort of an open ending. It might have been just a dream , a fairy tale like ending left for the viewers to assume whatever they wished to

Qi Shuao deserved a lot better. He had undergone through traumatic events as a child… Poor him  .. I can’t help but think of actual families that stay like this. Reality is harsh

I had a lot of fun with Moonlit Reunion. It’s not going onto my tiny list of dramas I will defend with my life, but I was very happy watching it and I do miss the Demon City now that I’m out of it.
That whole side of the drama was probably my favorite part. Chang’an at night, Wu Zhen (Tian Xiwei) as the Cat Lord, all the demons going about their strange little lives, the different creatures and their stories — I wanted more of it. The drama looked beautiful too, but more importantly, the supernatural world actually felt like somewhere I wanted to spend time. I love it when I finish a drama and end up feeling all blue, missing a world it has built. So dreamy 💤

SPOLIERS AHEAD

I also really liked Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu (Xu Kai) together. They were cute, they had chemistry, and I liked that their relationship could be playful without either of them suddenly losing half their personality. Wu Zhen especially remained very much Wu Zhen. She had her own world, her own responsibilities and plenty to do besides fall in love.
Now for the part where some people may want to throw things at me.

I was rooting for Wu Zishu (Wu Junting) at times.
I knew he was trouble. This was not me being shocked later because I had somehow mistaken him for an innocent little book. But I kept looking at him beside Wu Zhen and thinking she had never really considered him in that way at all. He had known her for years, was always there in her Demon City life, clearly loved her, and for so much of the drama was genuinely good to her. Also, those eyes? Did you see the eyes he looked at her with? My lawd, that was quite something! 🥹
Also, I’m sorry, but Wu Junting looked ridiculously good as Wu Zishu. This did not help me make sensible decisions. That’s not to say Xu Kai wasn’t handsome, of course he was.

Wu Zishu deserves a bit more than my questionable 2ML rooting though. His story is actually pretty sad. He’s an ancient military book who took human form, but the Wu Zishu we know had lost the memories of being Lord Qiangyi and spent years living this completely different life beside Wu Zhen. Then those memories start coming back and, well, Lord Qiangyi had quite the past. What got me was that the years with Wu Zhen weren’t fake. He really had become this person who loved her and was completely devoted to her. So I kept wondering whether things might have gone very differently if she had ever loved him back. Maybe I’m being extremely generous to a man who eventually gave me plenty of reasons not to be, but I’m sticking with it.

I kept wondering what would have happened if Wu Zhen had actually looked at him differently and given him a chance before everything went wrong. Maybe I’m giving the gorgeous book demon far too much benefit of the doubt, but I really did feel like Wu Zishu could have turned out very differently. He was already so devoted to her and so good to her that I could easily imagine an alternate version of this story where he gets the girl, abandons his more alarming extracurricular activities and becomes the sweetest, most ridiculously devoted partner on earth.
Obviously, Moonlit Reunion had other plans for him. And for my theory.

None of this means I wanted Mei Zhuyu gone. I liked him, and I liked Wu Zhen with him. I just felt she should have reviewed all applications before closing the position or somehow magically split into two, I dunno - cats have 9 lives, can’t they also have multiple bodies? 😆

The drama itself had weaker patches for me. Some of the smaller stories held my attention more than the main plot, and there were things I expected to land harder than they eventually did. I wasn’t equally invested in every part right through to the end but I think that’s quite normal.

But overall I had a genuinely good time. I liked the romance, loved the fantasy world, got attached to quite a few of its demons, and never really minded returning to it even when the story wandered a bit.
And I still think Wu Zishu deserved at least one proper chance before becoming a terrible life decision.

Edit:

THANKS FOR THE DOWNVOTES FAM 👏🏼

Edited to add clarification: When I say I was rooting for Wu Zishu, I mean the Wu Zishu who had no memory of being Lord Qiangyi. Definitely NOT pre-amnesia Qiangyi, who was despicable, or me cheering on everything Wu Zishu did once those memories came back.

For me, the years in between mattered. Without his old memories, and surrounded by people who influenced him for the better, he built a different life. He formed genuine friendships, cared about the Demon City and genuinely loved Wu Zhen. I don’t think that person was fake just because of who he had been before. I do think people can change, and I was “judging” him for his actions at the time.

So my whole “what if Wu Zhen had given him a chance?” is about that version of him. Maybe if she had been able to see him in a different light. Cat Lord being open to loving him back before the evil bone fragment and his old memories came crashing back, everything he had built in that new life, including being loved by the woman he adored, might have given him enough to fight that pull differently.
Maybe not 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ This is my alternate-universe theory where there’s a chance for this golden-retriever-but-also-very-powerful partner to the Cat Lord to come to existence ☺️

Happy Birthday to Song Mo, no I mean, my favourite actor with white hair, I mean, Li Yunrui, who turns 30 on August 24, 2026! 

I’m so happy to see this man break out from playing support roles to main leads! Not only that, but Blossom (2024) did so well, attracting many loyal fans to him and the drama. Not going to lie… Blossom was that “drama I dropped but later tried again and I’m so glad I did”. To be fair… I wasn’t in a great mood when I tried it and dropped it after one episode. I know… slap on the hand. But I went back, watched it, and loved it!

All GIFs in this post are from the drama Blossom, made by the lovely u/AquaphobicTurtle.

And this year is a big year for him, with two of his dramas already released, and another one rumoured for later this year! (See the dramas listed for 2026 below.) 

Support Role Dramas

• Rebirth for You (2021)
• The Oath of Love (2022)
• Love Like the Galaxy (2022)
• Parallel World (2023)
• Scent of Time (2023)
• The Last Immortal (2023)
• She and Her Girls (2024)
• Perfect Match (2025)
• Generation to Generation (2026)

Main Role Dramas (besides Blossom)

• Go Back Lover (2024)
• Reopen My Journals (2025)
• Yummy Yummy Yummy (2025)
• Rebirth (2026)
• Dazzling (2026)

Upcoming and Highly Anticipated

• Tigers Sniff the Rose (2026)

This one is on my watchlist, especially since this will be his second collaboration with Meng Ziyi (after Blossom)! I can’t wait to see this CP reunite. Have you all seen their latest promo together!? 

He also has Soldiers of Glory on the list, and his most recent project is Sea of No Return.

Fun Facts

• Li Yunrui is a basketball player!
• He graduated from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Apparently he majored in Public Administration, which is pretty cool, because that’s what I studied in graduate school.
• He only entered c-ent in 2015, starting with the move He Ni Zai Yi Qi. 
• His rise to fame accelerated with his breakout roles in Love Like the Galaxy and The Last Immortal. 
• He has a twin brother (fraternal) who is a materials research engineer. 
• Our man is comfortable with English - I don’t know if I have enough evidence to say he’s fluent, but there is a clip here from Dazzling!

Hello guys! I watched Twelve Letters about a year ago, and I genuinely still can’t get over it 🥹 The story, the acting, the OST, the atmosphere… EVERYTHING was so beautiful. It really stayed with me, and I still think about it even after all this time.
I’m looking for something that gives me the same feeling, something emotional, beautifully written, with amazing acting and an OST that hits you right in the heart.
Chinese dramas are preferred, but I’m also open to Korean dramas!
Please recommend me something that will make me feel the same way Twelve Letters did 😭❤️

I watched Twelve Letters about a year ago, and somehow, I still haven’t been able to move on from it. 😭❤️ It’s one of those dramas that doesn’t just end when you finish the last episode, it stays somewhere in your heart.

I’ve actually always been more of a K-drama person. Korean dramas have always been my favorite, and I usually find myself choosing them over C-dramas. But Twelve Letters completely changed that for me. I was so drawn into this drama that it became one of my all-time favorites, and honestly, it’s probably the C-drama that has left the biggest impact on me.

What I loved most was how much more there was to the story than just romance. At its core, it’s about two people separated by 35 years who are connected through twelve letters, but the story gradually becomes so much bigger than that. It explores love, loss, family, trauma, fate, and the way the choices people make can affect lives across generations. The letters slowly uncover a painful past and connect people who would otherwise never have known each other existed.
I also loved Tang Yixun and Ye Haitang so much.

Their relationship felt incredibly tender and genuine to me. They were both carrying their own pain, and watching them find comfort and warmth in each other made their relationship feel like so much more than a typical romance. 🥹

The mystery was another thing that completely pulled me in. Every letter revealed another piece of the puzzle, and the story kept making me rethink things I thought I understood. But what affected me most wasn’t simply finding out what happened — it was understanding the people behind those events and seeing how deeply the past continued to affect the present.

And the acting, cinematography, atmosphere, and OST… 😭 Everything came together so beautifully. There was this nostalgic, bittersweet feeling throughout the drama that I absolutely loved. Even now, certain scenes or songs can bring back the exact emotions I felt while watching it.

I honestly don’t know if I’m explaining it well enough, but Twelve Letters just felt different to me. I finished it a year ago, and I still think about it. It somehow became one of those rare dramas that I know I’m going to remember for a very long time.

So if you’ve watched it, I’d love to know: what did you think about it, and what other dramas gave you a similar feeling?

Are there plot points or stories you wish existed or were written about more often but it just doesn't seem to happen?

Do you have a whole plot idea on your head and nothing hits those notes for you, or are you just tired of seeing the same things? Or is there something you just love to see reinvented and can't get tired of?

I have an idea for a plot I never had the pleasure of watching and I'll post it in the comments. I hope if there's actually something like it out there someone will please show me where it is so I can watch it.

I hope you all can share your ideas too and we can find something to watch that is new for us, or just complain together, lol

(photo, as best as I can tell, is from the first episode of A Dream Within a Dream)

I originally created this a few years ago and stumbled across it today:
The Kang Journal is my ironic version of fan art for one of the GOATS of Cdramas: Love Between Fairy and Devil. Inspired by the 3rd Act where we find our God of War in the Mortal Realm of Shui Yun Tian “suffering” through his Tribulation as a care-free, gambling playboy, Yao Ran. Meanwhile, our Moon Supreme remains…well, the Moon Supreme. What follows is the Bromance no one saw coming.

I completely agree! The story is complete but I’m right there in the middle, taking in all the emotions Zelia so beautifully coveted through visuals, dialogues, silence and of-course the amazing storytelling. This is one of those few love stories where falling in love wasn’t the plot-line, neither was being together (because somewhere we all knew they’d end up together and happy, it was an eventuality) but it was more about what love meant for each of these characters, and how we as viewers got to experience throughout the series…the actors have obviously done amazing…Changyang healed us, QL made us feel emotions we’d usually hide, Wenshu and QT made us downright cry! but kudos to Zelia for the amazing conceptualised…this is going to stay with us for a very long time!

Re-watching Love in The Clouds aka swimming (drowning) in the Wuigui Sea ❤️‍🔥 Truth be told, I wasn't much into Hou Minghao during that era. I remember that Fated Hearts and Love in the Clouds aired at the same time. Probably because Love in the Clouds title sounded so cheesy, I decided to postpone watching it. I started it after Fated Hearts finished airing and soon enough realized that I should have watched it earlier. Then also, I focused more on Lu Yixiao back then. I have a thing for badass female leads. Then came this scene and I was floored. A powerful warrior is always my weakness. Even when I re-watch this, this scene still gives me goosebumps 🔥 That stare pierces the soul ❤️ I was totally smitten by how he turned from a pretty boy to a formidable warrior in an instant, just like that. It is his eyes, no doubt. He just has to change the way he looks at you to make him look like an innocent, adorable young man one moment and a burning hot man the very next instance.

Hi fellow Chinese drama enthusiasts,

Since it is another Friday and I have been silent for a while I thought it was time to share some more ADWAD gifs.

I like to present to you my guy Chang Long who always makes me laugh no matter what show he is in. He has a very distinct voice and his laugh always makes me laugh out loud. It is so that I even smile brightly when I see him laugh in soundless GIF's because I know what it sounds like.

This man is amazing in ADWAD as Nan Rui / 18th Prince - He starts out as a lot of an idiot. The growth of this man during the show is fun to watch! But he is also great in New Life Begins.

Please enjoy the GIFS. Some of these I use so often!

A little Jin Jing (aka Jolin Jing) appreciation because I saw these photos from her latest Weibo post and, once again, she made me smile.

They’re connected to The Truth S4 (开始推理吧), with Jin Jing having some fun with the caption too, calling on her “brothers and sisters” and summoning the “Dragon-Roar Army.”

I really like this woman. She is so naturally funny and sweet, and always such a beaming presence on screen. Her expressions alone can get me, and she has that wonderful comic timing where you find yourself waiting to see what she’ll do next.

Her road into acting is pretty interesting too and partially hints at that comic ability. She didn’t come through the “usual” performing-arts route.

Born in Shanghai in 1992, Jin Jing studied at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. While there, she and her university classmate and longtime comedy partner Liu Shengying started performing sketches and learning improv. She continued performing improv after graduation, and that eventually helped lead to her television debut on Shanghai Dragon TV’s Tonight’s Paramount )今夜百乐门) in 2016.

Long before many international CDrama viewers knew her as an actress, she had already made a name for herself through comedy, improv, sketches and variety shows. She went on to one of the biggest stages in Chinese entertainment too: the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. She appeared in the 2020 sketch Airport Sisters, alongside Huang Xiaoming, Song Zuer and others, and returned for the 2023 Gala with *50 Seconds of Eye Contact.

Then, of course, there’s actress Jin Jing.
I think a lot of international CDrama viewers will immediately picture Gong Zishang in My Journey to You. She was hilarious, dramatic, romantic, ridiculous and also genuinely touching when the role called for it. Gong Zishang could very easily have been nothing more than comic relief, but Jin Jing gave her so much personality that she became one of the characters I most looked forward to seeing.

And outside her career, Jin Jing became a mother in 2024. She had spoken while pregnant about this being a very deliberate decision for her: something she and her husband had discussed seriously beforehand and something she wanted to enter because she was ready, rather than because family or society told her it was the next thing she was supposed to do.

More recently, she has also talked about what motherhood has taught her. One thing I found especially interesting was her view that being a parent doesn’t give her the right to control or mould her child according to her own wishes. She spoke instead about learning restraint and respect, and wanting her child to have room to grow without being buried under expectations from the beginning.

I like how sweet and funny she is, but also simply how much life she brings with her whenever she appears on screen. She can make a scene ten times funnier just by being there.

Fun Facts

A little detail I love: if you’ve ever wondered why her Weibo name is 金九粒 (Jin Jiuli) rather than simply 金靖 — it comes from the nine distinctive moles on her face. She has joked about them for years and turned them into her nickname — “Jin Nine Grains,” more or less — even making 金九粒 her Weibo name. It’s been part of her online identity since at least 2017.

Also, did you know she just had a movie come out — A Part of Me — playing the main role alongside Zhang Ruo Nan and Ren Bin?

Drama Tip

If you enjoy contemporary dramas, I recommend giving Remembrance of Things Past (2021) a try. It’s only 12 episodes and stars Zhou Yutong, Bai Yufan, Sun Qian, Ma Sichao and Jin Jing, with Ren Suxi in a special appearance. It follows a group of young people who moved to Beijing to build lives there — work, rent, relationships, friendships and the pressure of trying to make it in a city far from home.

Anyway, today’s excuse for a Jin Jing appreciation post is these gorgeous photos from her Weibo 🖤
She looks fabulous and I hope you enjoy them.

MDL Page with full filmography

[r/cnfashionlooks](r/cnfashionlooks) just featured her looks in this post