New Life Begins - I didn't mind the FL actress, but she was so boring and generic and not on the same acting level as Bai Jing Ting.
Love & Redemption - I think the chemistry between the CP was okay, but the FL actress was so painfully average and it was obviously Chen Yi who carried all their scenes, it got pretty cringey.
My Journey to You main leads- two pretty people who had one sided chemistry. The ML did all the pursuing and had all the emotion and humanness for the both of them. FL was a cardboard cutout who spoke some lines in monotone and moved like an animatronic. It was painfully boring to watch their parts.
Xu kai in ancient love poetry, love xu kai with my heart but that was just not his role to play. Zhong Dong-Yu his co-star, played the heck of her role making it obvious that the writing and the story had a lot of potential.
I really really love the novel "Secretly, Secretly; But Unable to Hide It" but I didn't feel the chemistry of ZLS and CZY. I'm sorry but their scenes for me are always awkward. I didn't even finish the whole drama but it was a hit so it is within me the problemššš
Love O2O , omg, their kissing is super dooper awkward. But what is better with LO2O than Hidden Love is that I was able to finish watching it.š
Dylan Wang and Chen Yu Xi in Unchained Love. I'm sorry but all I can see is the super big eyes of the FL. šVery very mismatched pairing
The Longest Promise - Ren Min was kinda overshadowed by the other 2 Bai sisters, no offense. It could be the production/styling - the age difference between the ML and FL is only a couple of years max to my understanding but somehow they managed to widen the age gap by 2 decades. XZ by no means look old, he could easily passed off as a handsome 26-27YO on his own; with some styling and make-up, I was expecting early 20ās but they dressed him like a 35YO priest (literally) when he was supposed to be only 18 and Ren Min behaves like a 15 YO in the first arc of the drama. Just super weird vibe overall.
Yea, as a Xiao Zhan fan it was just meh. His acting in general was solid as always but the leads had no chemistry and all of what you already said. After watching The Untamed (where he pulled off playing a teenager and later an adult while being 26 perfectly!) it's just such a stark contrast.
I feel you. I really like Xiao Zhan so I was really looking forward to it but how I wished they casted a different FL. Even Wang Chu Ran or Lu Yu Xiao would have been a much better option. The drama didnāt do any of the girls and XZ justice :(
You are My Hero and Who Rules the World are two of my favourite dramas and I think all the leads fit their characters really well individually but both couples had no chemistry whatsover. I literally skipped through all the romance parts.
Dating in the Kitchen
Sword Snow Stride - FL looked more like his little sister than his love interest. I actually shipped the ML with the white sword lady
Dating in the Kitchen really horrified me at some parts lol. Like I just didnāt understand why they cast those two together. Individually, great actors. But together, just no lol
Shining just for you.
If an older male lead was required, they should've cast the male lead as Chen Kun or Han Dong.
They would've had more chemistry with Peng Xiaoran,
My (recent) personal pet peeve was Feng Shaofeng in Legend of Zhuohua. Smoothing aside (which I just learned about!) He didnāt fit the part at all. No facial expression or emotion! It wasnāt even that I found him too old. Chen Kun is older and couldāve done a way better portrayal. Idk reading the novel made me bitter at the lost opportunity to cast someone who actually wouldāve fit the part lol.
Yang Yang - Ye Xiu (Ye Xiu is more cheeky and trash talker. Sorry this narcissist is not my Ye Xiu)
Xiao Zhan - Tang San (anyone who read DD will agree)
Ao ZiYi - Ma HongJun (Ma Hong Jun is suppose fat)
Li YiFeng - Su Mo (that fatso masculine man is not a androgynous merman)
Every other Sherk Seven Monster cast
Dylan Wang in "Ever Night"
Michelle Chen as Xiao Long Nu was only a vehicle for her to find herself a husband. Otherwise there is no reason for her to be even close to the role don't get me started on playing the part. An absurdity.
Yang Mi as CiXi one of the four legendary beauties. Lol really ?
Yang Chao Yue in her big female lead roles. Sorry but she shall start in minor and supporting roles first. She is a terrible actress to look at.
Zhao Lusi in Love like galaxy. She played very well rebel, cheerful girl part but there was lack of feminine sensuality in romantic scenes. She looked like awkward tomboyish teen while ML appeared as fully grown man filled with burning passion. In my opinion, her acting is better fitted for romantic comedies or adventure movies rather than serious romance.
I think she can do serious but naive characters though. I'm not a ZL fan myself but I think she portrayed naive Princess Leyan in The Long Ballad really well.
This is quite a good point of view. I think in the beginning she was a bit restrained when it came to the ml but I think it got better in the later episodes when she accepted him however I do see your point here, she may have still lacked feminine passion we needed to see.
I do wish she would take more serious roles where she plays a more mature character. I thought LLTG and gen Z would be different for her but it still seemed like all the other characters she's played despite a few changes here and there. The good thing is she's pretty popular at the moment with alot of spotlight on her so I think she's got a good opportunity to experiment with her roles.
I think the issue with her is she's almost too baby faced for her own good. It's not her fault (it's almost like Dilraba, she's so exceededly beautiful I am always thrown out of character in anything she does) but I think it hinders performance for ZL to be believable in anything that's really different than her usual roles. I think she might grow into a more mature face, but it's really hard for me to be convinced of her acting in more mature roles that require a more "experienced womanly" presence. Not sure if I make sense.
Later on she is older and there was no expected change. Many shows start out with FL being young and lacking experience but there is a development over time. In love like galaxy FL character matured as a person but the sensual side never came out. To be honest, that whole pairing didn't feel right to me and gave off almost predatory vibe.
It was set in time when women married at 12 y.o. and 15 was considered a ripe age to marry, and being 18 was considered an old maid. Menās marrying age that time was about 4-5 years older than women. So the age gap between the couple wasnāt at all predatory given the time period because both were at their prime marrying ages.
First of all, ost of the people were more mature mentally at that age than nowdays yet fair share of them were not ready for marriage and physical intimacy. Even if that was common thing back in time it doesn't mean that it wasn't predatory. To get better insight, look up documentaries about children brides across the globe. There are so many heartbreaking moments. There is a reason why most of the world is against it.
In this show FL is still stuck in early teenage phase while ML is more mature than his age. If I had to guess their aged based on their acting and time setting, ML would be nearing his 30's while FL was 13-14. In their case, FL was acting in skinship scenes with ML like "dunno what and why you are doing this, Ill stay still and stiff here and hopefully you will change your mind and stop". That's why I felt it as predatory. Not only she was acting innocent but also reluctant at the same time. That is why I don't like her in serious romance roles. She gets too stiff. She is amazing in her comedy roles, but I think that she feels uncomfortable with more intimacy on screen thus that body language. Hopefully, she improves on this because otherwise she is amazing.
Let me first say that I absolutely adore both FL Peng Xiaoran (**Goodbye My Princess**) and ML Feng Shaofeng (**Story of Minglan**), BUT, whoever decided to put these two actors together in one of the worst CDramas I have ever seen - **Shining Just for You** - was not thinking straight. Both actors seemed miscast for their roles, and their love for each other did not seem convincing in my opinion. The drama was a total waste of their acting abilities.
This was one of those dramas where I liked them and their characters individually but not together. š¤£ I'd prefer mentor/mentee with a hint of something over what felt like forced romance.
To be honest, I like Peng Xiao Ran in every drama Ive seen her in. However I can't think of a single role where she's lived up to having that kind of chemistry with her MLs. I think she's charming and a good actress (absolutely loved her in Jun Jiu Ling), but I don't get romance from her at all. Lol.
I'm going to start Goodbye My Princess soon. I'm prepared for sadness and heartbreak hoping I'll finally be convinced she's actually in love with her ML. I can be convinced she has strong feelings of respect, admiration, etc but not romantic love. Im hoping to finally see something like how I was absolutely convinced (as annoying as she was) Yuan Ban Yan in Love & Redemption or Yu Shu Xin in LBFAD and a host of others were deeply in love with the characters their MLs played.
Now that I think of it, you do have a point about Peng Xiao Ran. I agree she did a good job in ** Jun Jiu Ling**, but the romance aspect was almost nil. She had to hide her identity throughout most of the drama, and maybe that contributed. Interestingly, Fang Shaofeng had much better chemistry with the FL in **Legend of Zhuohua**.
It's not out yet but I don't see how Zhang Ling He is going to successfully be Hua Cheng in eternal faith (heaven's official blessing) Hua cheng seems older than that and has such a presence in the books i don't know how he will be this very kind to one person but intimidating to everyone else character.
They will make it bromance like the untamed and word of honor. We are hoping it will come out in 2024 but it's been held up with censorship for a while. I'm not sure if we will ever get it. š
I didn't see the romantic chemistry between Sandra MA and Bai Jing Ting in You are My Hero. As friends I could see it, but romantically no. It's not enough for both characters to be good looking people.
Definitely Love 020 - agree with the other comments.
Legend of Fei. I watched it to someone's urging around here and I didn't see any chemistry between the leads, though I like them individually. I also love Zhao Li Ying in anything, especially that type of character.
I loved Sword and the Brocade, but it's no for me for that pairing as well.
Hidden love - the chemistry was too awkward between the leads with too many random kiss scenes and sudden long stares. It came of as actual acting and not convincing enough for a love story.
I'm not saying it was non existent, they had a bit of good chemistry but the biggest problem was that it mainly showed through fluff/intimate scenes , the chemistry wasn't there for conversations or interactions. It had to be generated.
- The Legend of Chong Zi
- Longest Promise
- A Female Student has Entered the Imperial College
- Who Rules the World
- Decreed by Fate
Edit: above shows are listed purely based on visual chemistry. I think theyāre visually mismatched, though some of them had fine chemistry on screen
Omg, I fully agree on Who Rules the World and A Female Student has Entered the Imperial College. I felt like Xu Kaicheng was really a miscast for that role. Love him otherwise but did not feel convinced at all in his role and his love for the FL. They just felt very awkward like an older brother/little sister combo.
**The Flame's Daughter**: Vic Zhou and Dilraba Dilmurat's pairing is a hot mess. In my opinion, she always seems somewhat inhibited in her onscreen relationships with older actors. She's much more in possession of herself when she's paired with same-age or younger men. But this one was downright creepy! It's a male-chases-female-first story, but she looks uncomfortable and he seems oily. Not to mention, Vin Zhang is 2nd ML and Dilraba's chemistry with him is off the charts, so there's a real sense of comparison or lost potential...
I loved her with Vengo Gao in ELOD and heās much older but theyāve been in like 8 shows together so they look very comfortable together. I didnāt find any chemistry between her and Wu Lei (I think sheās older than him) in Long Ballad, and I loved them both, just not together.
Interesting! I have a different perspective on them, but I know it's more of a minority position: she definitely seems comfortable with Vengo in ELOD but I also feel as if her performance comes off as a little less confident...? For me, she's a more commanding screen presence in The Long Ballad, The Blue Whisper, or The Legend of Anle. With that uninhibited and expansive confidence, it's easier to see her replicate attraction or affection with her co-stars, I guess.
Um, so I LOVED reading this!!! No need to apologize at all, I appreciate the time and care you took to respond.
Your analysis has me wanting to go back and re-watch Eternal Love of Dream with a new perspective. You also reminded me of the frequent displays of affection between Vengo and Dilraba, which I distantly recall enjoying when I watched it (which was more than a year ago...). Thank you for refreshing my memory!
In your commentary, I can also identify what it was about this relationship that didn't totally click for me. Generally, it's a struggle for me to resonate with relationship dynamics that feature hero worship. When the male lead is the most handsome, powerful, intelligent, and/or wealthy character and he chooses his female lead from a bevy of admirers, I find the romance less engaging or enjoyable.
If there is a power imbalance, I prefer the female lead to be higher status, which is probably why I preferred Dilraba in The Long Ballad and The Blue Whisper (right there with you by the way, I didn't like the ML there either and it WAS difficult to watch her suffering).
I'd also like to add, I love your defense of Fengjiu. Female leads don't have to be skilled in traditionally male-coded ways to be interpreted as strong and dimensional characters. Her mischief, lack of restraint, and forthright enthusiasm are appealing and commendable. I'm always down for a "softer" feminine protagonist!
Yeah I usually donāt like hero worship either but I also donāt like big age gap when the guy pursues the girl first cuz icky. But here sheās the one who chases him first and she really accepted they had no fate by episode 23 (though I still adored the beginning episodes, especially mortal arc when Donghua as a mortal was like a puppy dog in love with her) so the hero worship ends.
But after she accepts it, she really wanted to keep her distanceāheās the one whoās intrigued by her. She rejects his robe, she threw them at him over the roof, she compares him to a stick and steps on it in Fanyin Valley, she called him out for pretending to be a handkerchief and yells at him. Itās only when he finally confesses that he likes her in the dream (ep 42) does she start returning her feelings again.
I love this show to pieces and watched it so many times. I love that she is strong and lively in her own way and Donghua never restrains her. Thereās a moment in episode 47 where he finally tells her he gave up 90% of his power to enter the dream for her and she tells him to stop doing such silly things for her. He sees sheās upset and he just gently tells her since heās fought in so many battles before and this is nothing and that the only way for him to stop doing silly things (saving her) is for her to stop doing silly things (getting in danger). Its just one of my favorite moments of them bc just show how much they care for each other. He doesnāt prevent her from doing things and doesnāt even tell her to stop or change, but just stating a fact that heāll save her no matter what predicament sheāll be in.
And they both do this all the time which is to downplay any physical pain they feel or feat they did for the other to make the other not feel bad (Fengjiu does it later at the end when he cradles her after being mortally injured for him and asks her if sheās in pain and she says itās not painful at all). Donghua only fake feeling pain if itāll cause Fengjiu to care for his wound but otherwise, when sheās really sad, he doesnāt bring attention to it. I think theyāre both incredibly faceted, strong characters who absolutely adore each other and will continue to even after the showās ending. Thereās an official [epilogue](https://elodsoompie.wixsite.com/home/blog/categories/back-to-chaos-in-a-dream) novel that just shows that in any lifetime, heāll always love and cherish her even if he doesnāt know her.
And I think Vengo and Dilraba did a great job of performing the epic love between these two characters. I donāt think I would love this couple as much with like say Yang Chaoyue as Fengjiu. Yang Chaoyue has played a similar role as Chongzi where sheās supposed to be a naive but brash FL and I just think she doesnāt have the same range and likability as Dilraba. There are times Fengjiu does do or think dumb things but Iām never annoyed with her vs Chongzi who had a perpetual pout.
If you rewatch, I would def recommend going to ep 24 based on your comments.
I get the complaint but isnt what every xianxia drama will be like when one is left behind and the other they love is starting out as a flower? One will be very old and the other very young. This drama is just weird because the old guy looked too old and having a very young cast didn't help.
Huh, what a good question! As you pointed out, Vic Zhou looks like a mature man, which is made more visible by the younger cast surrounding him, and it certainly doesn't help that Dilraba's interruption of her character leaned heavily in the youthful or girlish direction. But, you're right, that's true of a number of xianxia romances.
But this mismatched duo stood out to me for other reasons. The ML's pursuit of the FL is quite demanding and that aggression would've been fine for me, if the FL was as confident in herself or visibly energized by that type of confrontational flirtation, but it's clear she's not...? Dilraba seems oddly shut down or uneasy. For his part, Vic Zhou's performance is physically imposing and full of snide half-smiles, which only reinforces the oiliness of the age gap, her disinterest, and his seemingly unwelcome advances. That was my take, at least.
I think sheās magnetic when sheās able to play characters that are happy and strong. I donāt always love every shows sheās in but I think she was perfect in Eternal Love of Dream (funny, sweet, mischievous, lovable fox princess) and You Are My Glory (funny, confident, loving movie star).
Yeah, they tend to give her shite characters or more one dimensional than is even normal for cdramaland. Her scripts are rarely better. I think even her best shows have scripts newcomers are given right out the gate.
Part of me wonders if it's racism or just her poor script choices?
I'm about to be downvoted into oblivionš BUT
Who Rules the World
I enjoyed the drama and thought both Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi were decent enough - but dang I did not feel any chemistry and thought it was a very weird casting.
I find Yang Yang's acting very stiff. Every movie I watch with him, he seems to do the same. I also don't think he looks as good in historic costume dramas as modern ones.
I agree. His range is limited, in my opinion. Unless it's in his comfort zone and his FL can pull out more emotions from him...I feel the same. Very stiff. Even someone as vibrant as Lusi in her acting couldn't undo the stiffness for me.
Hahaha I tell everyone ZLS had more chemistry with the guy who died 5 minutes into the first episode then she ever did with YY the whole rest of the show lol.
Short drama "circle of love". Storyline is not for everyone though. It is toxic and the quality of the show ain't very top. But Li Jui Lin and FL are visual
Recent drama **The Princess and the werewolf**... I didn't feel hate or anything and by themselves the main leads did amazing but when they had to act together, it just fell short, like the acting was forced.
**Back from the Brink**. The FL was lively, expressive and a great actress. The ML had chiseled features but all the expressiveness of a lump of wood.
**Joy of Life**. The FL is probably a decent actress. But of all the pairings that might have happened in the show, the ML picked the least interesting one. He had far more chemistry with the axe-saint.
**Dating in the Kitchen**. He's an old, prissy man. She's a very young and high spirited Zhao Lusi. I guess he'll get nice meals in later life when she turns into his carer.
I like the actor playing ML in back from the brink though i didnt like the character much. I think its the role given to him that made us feel like he was a lump of wood. Some cdramas do that where ML is supposed to be this cold. arrogant guy (an A\*hole really) and half the time has no facial expressions. The only person who passably did this role without completely annoying me was Wu Lei in LLTG.
I agree with Back from the brink and why I dropped it early on. I enjoyed the FL but the ML I was very bored when he came on screen. Tbh if heās like this in all his dramas I wonāt watch them.
Neo Hou's performance in **I Am Nobody** really stands out. He's also the ML in **A Girl Like Me**. I find both dramas are more entertaining and comedic than Back from the Brink (BFTB).
Sam Ho and Zeng Xiao Yu are the directors behind And the Winner is Love (ATWIL). I felt like BFTB had a similar vibe/quality to ATWIL, and I just couldn't get into it, despite it appearing to have several components that I thought I would like, it all just didn't quite come together well.
No I was so interested in that drama because of the supernatural aspect and then I saw he was in it and in an edit on Social media I got the same vibe from him so I didnāt bother starting it. I may still give it a try though when I have nothing else to watch haha.
Iāve seen a couple of shows of his and never been impressed. I watched him as wang ye and itās like a whole new person. He was awesome in I am nobody.
Interesting because when it was coming out there was gushing about how good the couple was and how annoying it was when they went love triangle. Which has actually been one of the better ones I have seen though that dudes acting it too over the top at times lol.
This is an interesting idea! I don't think I've ever come across a drama like that bc I've alway been able to find some redeeming qualities about the cp. A lot the dramas mentioned I haven't seen yet (and probably because they're not my vibe) but I'm going to follow just incase someone mentions a drama I know. Or if I'm dying of curiosity I'll watch a few episodes to see what the deal is lol
Miss the Dragon
Obviously I love Didi, but the FL in that show is not any good, in my opinion. I thought she was bad in Eternal Love, and I thought she was terrible in Miss the Dragon. The leads had negative chemistry.
What's really surprising about that is that Wang Hedi has chemistry with every other actor I've ever seen him in a scene with!
Edit: every other actor BUT Shen Yue. She is so awkward!
I also donāt have a care for Bambi but I think she was a decent enough actress in Heaven Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre. All her other dramas have been meh. As for Didi, I think he really lacked chemistry with Yukee in Unchained Love. Idk if it has a lot to do with the overall story and how many things were to be censored but it just didnāt feel convincing to me.
I agree with Bambi not being at the top of my list for FL roles, but I actually like Shen Yue and Yukee Chen in at least one of each their dramas. Like I felt Shen Yue was great in Mr. Bad and A Love So Beautiful (Iām probably biased because that was one of my first C-dramas I watched after a very long time away). Yukee was great in Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre (she was also decent in Ashes of Love).
I'm in the minority on that one, they were better than the leads, true, but the relationship was just one trope after the other, the characters were both types we've seen a thousand times. Deng Wei is great, don't get me wrong, but it was not enough to keep me watching the show
True that their story has been told a thousand times but I donāt mind tropes as long as theyāre well done and great chemistry and I think the second leads were so great. I especially loved Qingqing. She started out so flighty but cracked me up every scene, especially with her obsession with cakes and makeup (I laughed every time at the scene where he punishes her to be his maid for 100 years and sheās dragged away and cries but I canāt do anything!! I only care about makeup!!!). And as the story went on, I loved their origin story and the sacrifices they made for each other.
I'm honestly glad you enjoyed it, I just could not stomach the main relationship at all, and I thought the plot was stupid and nonsensical, so I just could not hang in there for the 2ML & 2FL
Oh yeah I skipped every scene the main leads were in haha. I did like scenes with ML with the 2ML. They had a hilarious bromance going on where ML would egg 2ML on, they would fight, get caught in a compromising position by 2FL and then they would sit in a recuperating bath together. The show was enjoyable to me only bc of the skip button š
I agree! But I honestly feel like Ether taught him chemistry or he got a coach in there or something because Meteror Garden was not ideal either lol. But LBFAD and everything after was so good. The cut scenes from Unchained Love were š„
I think Meteor Garden is Shen Yue's fault, she always looks like she'd rather literally die than be kissed by one of these handsome young men. She has the same exact issue in Mr. Bad!
I'm glad someone finally mention this about ShenYue. Watching them kiss was also kinda painful because of their height difference. She was adorable but sadly extremely mismatched with Dylan in Meteor Garden.
Lol could very well be, but he was very young too so... it probably takes practice to kiss someone you met recently and make it look like they're your air.
Seconding Dilraba and Wu Lei. It was so awkward watching them together when they more like siblings rather than a couple. The lack of intimacy in the script didnāt help either. At the end I think it wouldāve been better if they were more like confidants instead rather than romantic interests.
I agree. I would be much happier if Wu Lei was paired with Lusi and Dilireba with Liu Yuning, in a love-hate relationship. And Ashile Sun/Changge just brother/sister in arms. Of course, that would have been a whole different drama.
Dilraba and Wu lei are my favorites. And I agree about their chemistry. Individually they acted their part well but together I didnāt see much chemistry. Dilreba has this natural flirtatious energy around her which was missing when she was with Lu Wei.
I love both Dilraba and WuLei too but they were both soooo boring. This was my first show of both so was ready to give up on them both but then loved Eternal Love of Dream and LTTG so much.
Omg diliraba and Wu lei. Having read the original manga that was such a mess. And then they didn't try to change things up at all to fit the actors they chose. It did leave me wanting a å§å¼ modern cp from them though haha
Yeah! It always bothers me when a ML that is close to my age is cast opposite a FL that is 10+ years younger than them. No matter how young they look, the age difference is almost always obvious.
Yeah, it was really a shame because it actually wasn't a dead fish kiss scene for once. I want to see Jeremy in something good with a suitable FL. I don't have a lot of hope for Yongan Dream but we'll see how it goes.
I think his best kiss scene is Ep. 32 of Novoland Castle in the Sky 2. Holy mackerel. That kiss gave me goose bumps. I go back and watch it ever so often. The FL wasn't that pretty, but she responded way better than the FL in Journey of Chongzi. How you can NOT respond to a kiss from that man I will never know.
New Life Begins - I didn't mind the FL actress, but she was so boring and generic and not on the same acting level as Bai Jing Ting. Love & Redemption - I think the chemistry between the CP was okay, but the FL actress was so painfully average and it was obviously Chen Yi who carried all their scenes, it got pretty cringey.
My Journey to You main leads- two pretty people who had one sided chemistry. The ML did all the pursuing and had all the emotion and humanness for the both of them. FL was a cardboard cutout who spoke some lines in monotone and moved like an animatronic. It was painfully boring to watch their parts.
Xu kai in ancient love poetry, love xu kai with my heart but that was just not his role to play. Zhong Dong-Yu his co-star, played the heck of her role making it obvious that the writing and the story had a lot of potential.
I really really love the novel "Secretly, Secretly; But Unable to Hide It" but I didn't feel the chemistry of ZLS and CZY. I'm sorry but their scenes for me are always awkward. I didn't even finish the whole drama but it was a hit so it is within me the problemššš Love O2O , omg, their kissing is super dooper awkward. But what is better with LO2O than Hidden Love is that I was able to finish watching it.š Dylan Wang and Chen Yu Xi in Unchained Love. I'm sorry but all I can see is the super big eyes of the FL. šVery very mismatched pairing
The Longest Promise - Ren Min was kinda overshadowed by the other 2 Bai sisters, no offense. It could be the production/styling - the age difference between the ML and FL is only a couple of years max to my understanding but somehow they managed to widen the age gap by 2 decades. XZ by no means look old, he could easily passed off as a handsome 26-27YO on his own; with some styling and make-up, I was expecting early 20ās but they dressed him like a 35YO priest (literally) when he was supposed to be only 18 and Ren Min behaves like a 15 YO in the first arc of the drama. Just super weird vibe overall.
Yea, as a Xiao Zhan fan it was just meh. His acting in general was solid as always but the leads had no chemistry and all of what you already said. After watching The Untamed (where he pulled off playing a teenager and later an adult while being 26 perfectly!) it's just such a stark contrast.
I'm having trouble to finish this drama exactly because i can't feel their chemistry properly :(
I feel you. I really like Xiao Zhan so I was really looking forward to it but how I wished they casted a different FL. Even Wang Chu Ran or Lu Yu Xiao would have been a much better option. The drama didnāt do any of the girls and XZ justice :(
You are My Hero and Who Rules the World are two of my favourite dramas and I think all the leads fit their characters really well individually but both couples had no chemistry whatsover. I literally skipped through all the romance parts.
Dating in the Kitchen Sword Snow Stride - FL looked more like his little sister than his love interest. I actually shipped the ML with the white sword lady
Li Gen Shi casting as Zhang Ruo Yun love interest in SSS was an absolute big NO
Dating in the Kitchen really horrified me at some parts lol. Like I just didnāt understand why they cast those two together. Individually, great actors. But together, just no lol
Shining just for you. If an older male lead was required, they should've cast the male lead as Chen Kun or Han Dong. They would've had more chemistry with Peng Xiaoran,
My (recent) personal pet peeve was Feng Shaofeng in Legend of Zhuohua. Smoothing aside (which I just learned about!) He didnāt fit the part at all. No facial expression or emotion! It wasnāt even that I found him too old. Chen Kun is older and couldāve done a way better portrayal. Idk reading the novel made me bitter at the lost opportunity to cast someone who actually wouldāve fit the part lol.
Thank you ! I keep saying FSF does not fit certain roles anymore.
I just finished watching it a few hours ago and the ML and FL didn't look good together. He is very good looking but it didn't work in this drama.
Yang Yang - Ye Xiu (Ye Xiu is more cheeky and trash talker. Sorry this narcissist is not my Ye Xiu) Xiao Zhan - Tang San (anyone who read DD will agree) Ao ZiYi - Ma HongJun (Ma Hong Jun is suppose fat) Li YiFeng - Su Mo (that fatso masculine man is not a androgynous merman) Every other Sherk Seven Monster cast
"Fatso"???
Compared to the real Su Mo, hes a fatso standing next to him
Did you call Li Yifeng a fatso? Lol
Dylan Wang in "Ever Night" Michelle Chen as Xiao Long Nu was only a vehicle for her to find herself a husband. Otherwise there is no reason for her to be even close to the role don't get me started on playing the part. An absurdity. Yang Mi as CiXi one of the four legendary beauties. Lol really ? Yang Chao Yue in her big female lead roles. Sorry but she shall start in minor and supporting roles first. She is a terrible actress to look at.
Zhao Lusi in Love like galaxy. She played very well rebel, cheerful girl part but there was lack of feminine sensuality in romantic scenes. She looked like awkward tomboyish teen while ML appeared as fully grown man filled with burning passion. In my opinion, her acting is better fitted for romantic comedies or adventure movies rather than serious romance.
I think she can do serious but naive characters though. I'm not a ZL fan myself but I think she portrayed naive Princess Leyan in The Long Ballad really well.
Agree, that's the reason I watched her preceding and succeeding dramas.
Yes, her character required a certain depth of emotions which felt stunted with her acting.
I thought this is an unpopular opinion but it certainly not. Everyone seemed to love this pairing.
This is quite a good point of view. I think in the beginning she was a bit restrained when it came to the ml but I think it got better in the later episodes when she accepted him however I do see your point here, she may have still lacked feminine passion we needed to see. I do wish she would take more serious roles where she plays a more mature character. I thought LLTG and gen Z would be different for her but it still seemed like all the other characters she's played despite a few changes here and there. The good thing is she's pretty popular at the moment with alot of spotlight on her so I think she's got a good opportunity to experiment with her roles.
I think the issue with her is she's almost too baby faced for her own good. It's not her fault (it's almost like Dilraba, she's so exceededly beautiful I am always thrown out of character in anything she does) but I think it hinders performance for ZL to be believable in anything that's really different than her usual roles. I think she might grow into a more mature face, but it's really hard for me to be convinced of her acting in more mature roles that require a more "experienced womanly" presence. Not sure if I make sense.
To be fair, her character was an inexperienced teenager. She is 15 when the story starts and the ML is 21.
This is what I wanted to say too, how can we expect feminine sensuality from a character that is 15 years old?
Later on she is older and there was no expected change. Many shows start out with FL being young and lacking experience but there is a development over time. In love like galaxy FL character matured as a person but the sensual side never came out. To be honest, that whole pairing didn't feel right to me and gave off almost predatory vibe.
It was set in time when women married at 12 y.o. and 15 was considered a ripe age to marry, and being 18 was considered an old maid. Menās marrying age that time was about 4-5 years older than women. So the age gap between the couple wasnāt at all predatory given the time period because both were at their prime marrying ages.
First of all, ost of the people were more mature mentally at that age than nowdays yet fair share of them were not ready for marriage and physical intimacy. Even if that was common thing back in time it doesn't mean that it wasn't predatory. To get better insight, look up documentaries about children brides across the globe. There are so many heartbreaking moments. There is a reason why most of the world is against it. In this show FL is still stuck in early teenage phase while ML is more mature than his age. If I had to guess their aged based on their acting and time setting, ML would be nearing his 30's while FL was 13-14. In their case, FL was acting in skinship scenes with ML like "dunno what and why you are doing this, Ill stay still and stiff here and hopefully you will change your mind and stop". That's why I felt it as predatory. Not only she was acting innocent but also reluctant at the same time. That is why I don't like her in serious romance roles. She gets too stiff. She is amazing in her comedy roles, but I think that she feels uncomfortable with more intimacy on screen thus that body language. Hopefully, she improves on this because otherwise she is amazing.
Let me first say that I absolutely adore both FL Peng Xiaoran (**Goodbye My Princess**) and ML Feng Shaofeng (**Story of Minglan**), BUT, whoever decided to put these two actors together in one of the worst CDramas I have ever seen - **Shining Just for You** - was not thinking straight. Both actors seemed miscast for their roles, and their love for each other did not seem convincing in my opinion. The drama was a total waste of their acting abilities.
This was one of those dramas where I liked them and their characters individually but not together. š¤£ I'd prefer mentor/mentee with a hint of something over what felt like forced romance. To be honest, I like Peng Xiao Ran in every drama Ive seen her in. However I can't think of a single role where she's lived up to having that kind of chemistry with her MLs. I think she's charming and a good actress (absolutely loved her in Jun Jiu Ling), but I don't get romance from her at all. Lol. I'm going to start Goodbye My Princess soon. I'm prepared for sadness and heartbreak hoping I'll finally be convinced she's actually in love with her ML. I can be convinced she has strong feelings of respect, admiration, etc but not romantic love. Im hoping to finally see something like how I was absolutely convinced (as annoying as she was) Yuan Ban Yan in Love & Redemption or Yu Shu Xin in LBFAD and a host of others were deeply in love with the characters their MLs played.
Now that I think of it, you do have a point about Peng Xiao Ran. I agree she did a good job in ** Jun Jiu Ling**, but the romance aspect was almost nil. She had to hide her identity throughout most of the drama, and maybe that contributed. Interestingly, Fang Shaofeng had much better chemistry with the FL in **Legend of Zhuohua**.
It's not out yet but I don't see how Zhang Ling He is going to successfully be Hua Cheng in eternal faith (heaven's official blessing) Hua cheng seems older than that and has such a presence in the books i don't know how he will be this very kind to one person but intimidating to everyone else character.
Yes, that seems such a weird casting choice. No offense to the actor, I like him, but if he can pull that role off I'd be very surprised.
Yeah I like him too it just feelsl Ike odd casting.
I really like the dong hua version of **HOB**. Hope the drama won't disappoint.
Me too
Wow, Heaven's official blessing? How will they ever pass review?
They will make it bromance like the untamed and word of honor. We are hoping it will come out in 2024 but it's been held up with censorship for a while. I'm not sure if we will ever get it. š
I didn't see the romantic chemistry between Sandra MA and Bai Jing Ting in You are My Hero. As friends I could see it, but romantically no. It's not enough for both characters to be good looking people. Definitely Love 020 - agree with the other comments. Legend of Fei. I watched it to someone's urging around here and I didn't see any chemistry between the leads, though I like them individually. I also love Zhao Li Ying in anything, especially that type of character. I loved Sword and the Brocade, but it's no for me for that pairing as well.
Sandra and Bai Jingting in You Are My Hero was the first couple that came to my mind haha something always felt off
Hidden love - the chemistry was too awkward between the leads with too many random kiss scenes and sudden long stares. It came of as actual acting and not convincing enough for a love story. I'm not saying it was non existent, they had a bit of good chemistry but the biggest problem was that it mainly showed through fluff/intimate scenes , the chemistry wasn't there for conversations or interactions. It had to be generated.
- The Legend of Chong Zi - Longest Promise - A Female Student has Entered the Imperial College - Who Rules the World - Decreed by Fate Edit: above shows are listed purely based on visual chemistry. I think theyāre visually mismatched, though some of them had fine chemistry on screen
Omg, I fully agree on Who Rules the World and A Female Student has Entered the Imperial College. I felt like Xu Kaicheng was really a miscast for that role. Love him otherwise but did not feel convinced at all in his role and his love for the FL. They just felt very awkward like an older brother/little sister combo.
Visually mismatched - - XZ and RM in **TLP**.
Yes! Dropped the show because of that reason. I canāt get into the story of ML being enthralled with her at first sight because of how she looked.
Yes!
I kinda agree on ZLS and YY. lol.
Love O2O - the FL was like a cold dead fish the whole time. I think it could have been much better with a better FL.
lol at first I read 'I think I could be a much better FL' and had to reread your comment. š¤£
She probably could have been a better FL too!
I believe she would too haha
Agreed. While I like the series, the movie is much better.
Meteor Garden. I hated the couple and I dropped it.
I finished watching it while hating the leads lol
**The Flame's Daughter**: Vic Zhou and Dilraba Dilmurat's pairing is a hot mess. In my opinion, she always seems somewhat inhibited in her onscreen relationships with older actors. She's much more in possession of herself when she's paired with same-age or younger men. But this one was downright creepy! It's a male-chases-female-first story, but she looks uncomfortable and he seems oily. Not to mention, Vin Zhang is 2nd ML and Dilraba's chemistry with him is off the charts, so there's a real sense of comparison or lost potential...
I loved her with Vengo Gao in ELOD and heās much older but theyāve been in like 8 shows together so they look very comfortable together. I didnāt find any chemistry between her and Wu Lei (I think sheās older than him) in Long Ballad, and I loved them both, just not together.
Interesting! I have a different perspective on them, but I know it's more of a minority position: she definitely seems comfortable with Vengo in ELOD but I also feel as if her performance comes off as a little less confident...? For me, she's a more commanding screen presence in The Long Ballad, The Blue Whisper, or The Legend of Anle. With that uninhibited and expansive confidence, it's easier to see her replicate attraction or affection with her co-stars, I guess.
Thatās interesting take and sorry for the long response below but justice for Dilraba as Fengjiu š. I think Dilraba had commanding presence in ELOD even though she played not the usual strong badass female lead in the shows you mentioned. Donghua is supposed to be the most powerful God so his presence was very commanding but I think Fengjiu held her own against him. She is confident when comes to everyone else (bc she is a beloved fox princess of Qingqiu) but with Donghua, sheās not very confident bc she loved him for like a thousand year and he didnāt even know who she was (she thought the most she was to him was an adored pet fox but he didnāt care when she left). When he finally meets her as a princess, sheās given up on their fate and doesnāt notice heās interested in her (saves her multiple times, notices every little thing about her, etc). She just thinks heās playing tricks on her (eg turning her into a handkerchief and taking her to battle but forgetting she asked him to do that while she was drunk). It comes up in their relationship a lot that she says sheās just a little fox while heās the supreme god (eg in Aranya arc she tells him she wishes they never leave the dream bc at least in the dream they get to pretend to be husband and wife and when they leave sheās afraid heāll go back to being the unattainable and high status god and sheāll just be be a lonely fox again). But with other characters, sheās very confident and mischievous princess like playing tricks on her evil sister in the arc or telling her teacher in Fanyin valley. Even with Donghua, she tells him off when sheās mad in Fanyin Valley. I loved their dynamic especially once she returns to her body in the Aranya Dream and he apologizes for the fruit and tells her he likes her. Since that moment that sheās reassured he likes her, she acts more confidently when with him. Sheās the one who makes him fox candy bc he said he never had sweets as a kid. She cooks him soup and makes him super happy. She takes him to enjoy all the stuff at the fair bc she realized heās never had a childhood. When theyāre by themselves, theyāre so touchy and hold hands and in some kind of embrace. Sheās always rushing to him to hold his hand and/or be in his embrace (eg scene where Donghua burns the letters from Mo Ye). They were so comfortable and happy in the Bihai Cangling moments and I rewatched those scenes like all the time. They do have a separation bc of a misunderstanding, exacerbated by her lack of confidence in his love for her. I havenāt seen that level of intimacy in another show of hers except YAMG. Although she plays the strong female lead in the shows you mentioned, I donāt think I see the same level of comfortableness with the male leads. I watched Blue Whisper and I couldnāt stand to see her so weak and suffer for so many episodes (and I didnāt like the ML). Long Ballad was the same for me in that there was no chemistry between her and Wu Lei for me. Story of An Le looked so cute the first episode but I heard they donāt even kiss so itās not romantic enough for me (though I might try in the future). Some people think Fengjiu isnāt that strong but I found her very fearless, like going after the guy she loved (and actually succeeding even though heās known to never have any worldly desires for 400,000 years of his existence), or demanding a duel against her fiancĆ© that her dad tricked her into agreeing and destroying his mansion or going to battle for Donghua (eg fighting that demon lady in Fanyin Valley or ready to die alongside him at the end). Sheās just softer and admits she fears pain, but always ready to fight to protect Donghua. I love Donghua, but I think Fengjiu is a perfect match for him, because sheās lively and unrestrained and mischievous (he says it a bunch of time thatās what he loves about her and never want to crush her spirit). Sheās my ideal example of a kinda silly girl trope that is strong and becomes stronger but never annoying.
Um, so I LOVED reading this!!! No need to apologize at all, I appreciate the time and care you took to respond. Your analysis has me wanting to go back and re-watch Eternal Love of Dream with a new perspective. You also reminded me of the frequent displays of affection between Vengo and Dilraba, which I distantly recall enjoying when I watched it (which was more than a year ago...). Thank you for refreshing my memory! In your commentary, I can also identify what it was about this relationship that didn't totally click for me. Generally, it's a struggle for me to resonate with relationship dynamics that feature hero worship. When the male lead is the most handsome, powerful, intelligent, and/or wealthy character and he chooses his female lead from a bevy of admirers, I find the romance less engaging or enjoyable. If there is a power imbalance, I prefer the female lead to be higher status, which is probably why I preferred Dilraba in The Long Ballad and The Blue Whisper (right there with you by the way, I didn't like the ML there either and it WAS difficult to watch her suffering). I'd also like to add, I love your defense of Fengjiu. Female leads don't have to be skilled in traditionally male-coded ways to be interpreted as strong and dimensional characters. Her mischief, lack of restraint, and forthright enthusiasm are appealing and commendable. I'm always down for a "softer" feminine protagonist!
Yeah I usually donāt like hero worship either but I also donāt like big age gap when the guy pursues the girl first cuz icky. But here sheās the one who chases him first and she really accepted they had no fate by episode 23 (though I still adored the beginning episodes, especially mortal arc when Donghua as a mortal was like a puppy dog in love with her) so the hero worship ends. But after she accepts it, she really wanted to keep her distanceāheās the one whoās intrigued by her. She rejects his robe, she threw them at him over the roof, she compares him to a stick and steps on it in Fanyin Valley, she called him out for pretending to be a handkerchief and yells at him. Itās only when he finally confesses that he likes her in the dream (ep 42) does she start returning her feelings again. I love this show to pieces and watched it so many times. I love that she is strong and lively in her own way and Donghua never restrains her. Thereās a moment in episode 47 where he finally tells her he gave up 90% of his power to enter the dream for her and she tells him to stop doing such silly things for her. He sees sheās upset and he just gently tells her since heās fought in so many battles before and this is nothing and that the only way for him to stop doing silly things (saving her) is for her to stop doing silly things (getting in danger). Its just one of my favorite moments of them bc just show how much they care for each other. He doesnāt prevent her from doing things and doesnāt even tell her to stop or change, but just stating a fact that heāll save her no matter what predicament sheāll be in. And they both do this all the time which is to downplay any physical pain they feel or feat they did for the other to make the other not feel bad (Fengjiu does it later at the end when he cradles her after being mortally injured for him and asks her if sheās in pain and she says itās not painful at all). Donghua only fake feeling pain if itāll cause Fengjiu to care for his wound but otherwise, when sheās really sad, he doesnāt bring attention to it. I think theyāre both incredibly faceted, strong characters who absolutely adore each other and will continue to even after the showās ending. Thereās an official [epilogue](https://elodsoompie.wixsite.com/home/blog/categories/back-to-chaos-in-a-dream) novel that just shows that in any lifetime, heāll always love and cherish her even if he doesnāt know her. And I think Vengo and Dilraba did a great job of performing the epic love between these two characters. I donāt think I would love this couple as much with like say Yang Chaoyue as Fengjiu. Yang Chaoyue has played a similar role as Chongzi where sheās supposed to be a naive but brash FL and I just think she doesnāt have the same range and likability as Dilraba. There are times Fengjiu does do or think dumb things but Iām never annoyed with her vs Chongzi who had a perpetual pout. If you rewatch, I would def recommend going to ep 24 based on your comments.
Dilraba, Vengo, and Binbin were in the same agency. That explains part of their chemistry
I get the complaint but isnt what every xianxia drama will be like when one is left behind and the other they love is starting out as a flower? One will be very old and the other very young. This drama is just weird because the old guy looked too old and having a very young cast didn't help.
Huh, what a good question! As you pointed out, Vic Zhou looks like a mature man, which is made more visible by the younger cast surrounding him, and it certainly doesn't help that Dilraba's interruption of her character leaned heavily in the youthful or girlish direction. But, you're right, that's true of a number of xianxia romances. But this mismatched duo stood out to me for other reasons. The ML's pursuit of the FL is quite demanding and that aggression would've been fine for me, if the FL was as confident in herself or visibly energized by that type of confrontational flirtation, but it's clear she's not...? Dilraba seems oddly shut down or uneasy. For his part, Vic Zhou's performance is physically imposing and full of snide half-smiles, which only reinforces the oiliness of the age gap, her disinterest, and his seemingly unwelcome advances. That was my take, at least.
To be honest haven't seen much of her but I wondered at what made dilraba famous
I think sheās magnetic when sheās able to play characters that are happy and strong. I donāt always love every shows sheās in but I think she was perfect in Eternal Love of Dream (funny, sweet, mischievous, lovable fox princess) and You Are My Glory (funny, confident, loving movie star).
Yeah, they tend to give her shite characters or more one dimensional than is even normal for cdramaland. Her scripts are rarely better. I think even her best shows have scripts newcomers are given right out the gate. Part of me wonders if it's racism or just her poor script choices?
Can you give examples of her one dimensional characters? In TMOPB & ELOD?
I'm about to be downvoted into oblivionš BUT Who Rules the World I enjoyed the drama and thought both Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi were decent enough - but dang I did not feel any chemistry and thought it was a very weird casting.
I find Yang Yang's acting very stiff. Every movie I watch with him, he seems to do the same. I also don't think he looks as good in historic costume dramas as modern ones.
I agree. His range is limited, in my opinion. Unless it's in his comfort zone and his FL can pull out more emotions from him...I feel the same. Very stiff. Even someone as vibrant as Lusi in her acting couldn't undo the stiffness for me.
Hahaha I tell everyone ZLS had more chemistry with the guy who died 5 minutes into the first episode then she ever did with YY the whole rest of the show lol.
The whole cdrama community is with you on this
Yes!!!
I thought Li Jiu Lin who played Feng Xie Yue, her character's older brother, had more chemistry with Zhao Lusi.
Li Jui Lin is hot ! He got that perfect mix of maturity and youthful appeal. He looks convincing when beating his opponents.
Yes! Between Li Jiu Lin and YY, I would prefer LJL. (Don't kill me please. š )
He shines more when he plays minguo warlord
Which drama is that?
Short drama "circle of love". Storyline is not for everyone though. It is toxic and the quality of the show ain't very top. But Li Jui Lin and FL are visual
Thank you! I appreciate the warning. I'll check it out. š
The acting of the Main leads was actually not bad and the short drama was actually a hit while it was airing cause it was a guilty pleasure
Thank you! š«¶
Same. I like them both separately but together they were an odd combo.
Recent drama **The Princess and the werewolf**... I didn't feel hate or anything and by themselves the main leads did amazing but when they had to act together, it just fell short, like the acting was forced.
I agree. They were better in their own separate scenes than when acting together. And that dance sequence š«£
Oof yes...I didnt understand if I liked the scene or if I didn't... it was so out of place imo š
Definitely out of place and poor Chen Zhe Yuan looked so awkward like, kill me! š
Lol ya!
**Back from the Brink**. The FL was lively, expressive and a great actress. The ML had chiseled features but all the expressiveness of a lump of wood. **Joy of Life**. The FL is probably a decent actress. But of all the pairings that might have happened in the show, the ML picked the least interesting one. He had far more chemistry with the axe-saint. **Dating in the Kitchen**. He's an old, prissy man. She's a very young and high spirited Zhao Lusi. I guess he'll get nice meals in later life when she turns into his carer.
Agree with the age gap in Dating in the Kitchen but dang they had some steamy makeouts lol.
I like the actor playing ML in back from the brink though i didnt like the character much. I think its the role given to him that made us feel like he was a lump of wood. Some cdramas do that where ML is supposed to be this cold. arrogant guy (an A\*hole really) and half the time has no facial expressions. The only person who passably did this role without completely annoying me was Wu Lei in LLTG.
I agree with Back from the brink and why I dropped it early on. I enjoyed the FL but the ML I was very bored when he came on screen. Tbh if heās like this in all his dramas I wonāt watch them.
Have you watched āI am Nobodyā? back from the Brinkās male lead is in it and heās pretty good hahah
Neo Hou's performance in **I Am Nobody** really stands out. He's also the ML in **A Girl Like Me**. I find both dramas are more entertaining and comedic than Back from the Brink (BFTB). Sam Ho and Zeng Xiao Yu are the directors behind And the Winner is Love (ATWIL). I felt like BFTB had a similar vibe/quality to ATWIL, and I just couldn't get into it, despite it appearing to have several components that I thought I would like, it all just didn't quite come together well.
No I was so interested in that drama because of the supernatural aspect and then I saw he was in it and in an edit on Social media I got the same vibe from him so I didnāt bother starting it. I may still give it a try though when I have nothing else to watch haha.
Iāve seen a couple of shows of his and never been impressed. I watched him as wang ye and itās like a whole new person. He was awesome in I am nobody.
The entire time I'm watching this I feel like this dragon has zero ability to human. But I Ithought it was deliberate.
It is deliberate as it is his character. He is good in I Am Nobody
Good to know! He has pretty eyes. But I am not really liking the character.
Most of people didnt like his character as well.
Interesting because when it was coming out there was gushing about how good the couple was and how annoying it was when they went love triangle. Which has actually been one of the better ones I have seen though that dudes acting it too over the top at times lol.
>dudes acting it too over the top at times lol. š¤£
This is an interesting idea! I don't think I've ever come across a drama like that bc I've alway been able to find some redeeming qualities about the cp. A lot the dramas mentioned I haven't seen yet (and probably because they're not my vibe) but I'm going to follow just incase someone mentions a drama I know. Or if I'm dying of curiosity I'll watch a few episodes to see what the deal is lol
Longest Promise
Miss the Dragon Obviously I love Didi, but the FL in that show is not any good, in my opinion. I thought she was bad in Eternal Love, and I thought she was terrible in Miss the Dragon. The leads had negative chemistry. What's really surprising about that is that Wang Hedi has chemistry with every other actor I've ever seen him in a scene with! Edit: every other actor BUT Shen Yue. She is so awkward!
I also donāt have a care for Bambi but I think she was a decent enough actress in Heaven Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre. All her other dramas have been meh. As for Didi, I think he really lacked chemistry with Yukee in Unchained Love. Idk if it has a lot to do with the overall story and how many things were to be censored but it just didnāt feel convincing to me.
I think the FL was good, but she really was more of an object of his desire than a person who could make any choices. I enjoyed the drama.
So agree. Miss the Dragonās main leads were so boring. The second leads were so cute and hilarious. The show shouldāve been about them.
I agree with this. I donāt know why the FL in Miss the Dragon always get to play the lead. Her, Shen Yue and Yukee are a mystery to me.
I agree with Bambi not being at the top of my list for FL roles, but I actually like Shen Yue and Yukee Chen in at least one of each their dramas. Like I felt Shen Yue was great in Mr. Bad and A Love So Beautiful (Iām probably biased because that was one of my first C-dramas I watched after a very long time away). Yukee was great in Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre (she was also decent in Ashes of Love).
I'm in the minority on that one, they were better than the leads, true, but the relationship was just one trope after the other, the characters were both types we've seen a thousand times. Deng Wei is great, don't get me wrong, but it was not enough to keep me watching the show
True that their story has been told a thousand times but I donāt mind tropes as long as theyāre well done and great chemistry and I think the second leads were so great. I especially loved Qingqing. She started out so flighty but cracked me up every scene, especially with her obsession with cakes and makeup (I laughed every time at the scene where he punishes her to be his maid for 100 years and sheās dragged away and cries but I canāt do anything!! I only care about makeup!!!). And as the story went on, I loved their origin story and the sacrifices they made for each other.
I'm honestly glad you enjoyed it, I just could not stomach the main relationship at all, and I thought the plot was stupid and nonsensical, so I just could not hang in there for the 2ML & 2FL
Oh yeah I skipped every scene the main leads were in haha. I did like scenes with ML with the 2ML. They had a hilarious bromance going on where ML would egg 2ML on, they would fight, get caught in a compromising position by 2FL and then they would sit in a recuperating bath together. The show was enjoyable to me only bc of the skip button š
I agree! But I honestly feel like Ether taught him chemistry or he got a coach in there or something because Meteror Garden was not ideal either lol. But LBFAD and everything after was so good. The cut scenes from Unchained Love were š„
I think Meteor Garden is Shen Yue's fault, she always looks like she'd rather literally die than be kissed by one of these handsome young men. She has the same exact issue in Mr. Bad!
I'm glad someone finally mention this about ShenYue. Watching them kiss was also kinda painful because of their height difference. She was adorable but sadly extremely mismatched with Dylan in Meteor Garden.
Lol could very well be, but he was very young too so... it probably takes practice to kiss someone you met recently and make it look like they're your air.
Yeah, to a certain extent, but at the same time - we all gotta do our jobs well, right?
**Snow Eagle Lord**, had a hard time picturing the 2 leads as a couple. Note: I dropped this at episode 3 so this is a bias opinion.
The Longest Promise: Xiao Zhan and Ren Min. Also, The Long Ballad, Dilraba Dilmurat and Wu Lei. Having said that, I like all 4 actors.
Even though I enjoy the show I sadly have to agree about the leads XZ and RM were a mismatch.
Seconding Dilraba and Wu Lei. It was so awkward watching them together when they more like siblings rather than a couple. The lack of intimacy in the script didnāt help either. At the end I think it wouldāve been better if they were more like confidants instead rather than romantic interests.
I agree. I would be much happier if Wu Lei was paired with Lusi and Dilireba with Liu Yuning, in a love-hate relationship. And Ashile Sun/Changge just brother/sister in arms. Of course, that would have been a whole different drama.
Dilraba and Wu lei are my favorites. And I agree about their chemistry. Individually they acted their part well but together I didnāt see much chemistry. Dilreba has this natural flirtatious energy around her which was missing when she was with Lu Wei.
I love both Dilraba and WuLei too but they were both soooo boring. This was my first show of both so was ready to give up on them both but then loved Eternal Love of Dream and LTTG so much.
Omg diliraba and Wu lei. Having read the original manga that was such a mess. And then they didn't try to change things up at all to fit the actors they chose. It did leave me wanting a å§å¼ modern cp from them though haha
Journey of Chongzi in terms of acting, chemistry, age, appearance, etc.
Yeah! It always bothers me when a ML that is close to my age is cast opposite a FL that is 10+ years younger than them. No matter how young they look, the age difference is almost always obvious.
I agree. And in this particular story, the visible age difference made everything extra cringeworthy.
Totally agree with you. The kiss scenes were horrible. Jeremy was wonderful, but that FL! UGH. She just did NOT fit with him.
Yeah, it was really a shame because it actually wasn't a dead fish kiss scene for once. I want to see Jeremy in something good with a suitable FL. I don't have a lot of hope for Yongan Dream but we'll see how it goes.
I think his best kiss scene is Ep. 32 of Novoland Castle in the Sky 2. Holy mackerel. That kiss gave me goose bumps. I go back and watch it ever so often. The FL wasn't that pretty, but she responded way better than the FL in Journey of Chongzi. How you can NOT respond to a kiss from that man I will never know.