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barananduen-blog · 7 months

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New drama "Bell Ringing" 《你的岛屿已抵达》 Info Post

Genre: modern pastoral island romance, with ancient costume part Format: short length; twelve 20-25min episodes Starring: Li Daikun 李岱昆, Amber Song Fangyuan 宋芳园, Miao Weilun 苗维伦, Yu Yilei 余逸蕾, Russell Zhuang Yuan 庄源 Platform: Mango TV Booting ceremony: 2023-10-13 [Source] Wrapping ceremony: 2023-11-01 Premiere: 2024-02-22 Filming location: Changde Peach Blossom Spring, Hunan Province [Img Source]

Drama info (plot, characters, location photos) + more pics (including booting and wrap ceremonies) under the cut.

Updated 2024-02-24

Booting Ceremony

October 13, 2023

[Source] No, I do not know why they're wearing those plushies on their jackets.😂

Sources: [-1-] [-2-] [-3-]

Drama Information

[Source] Google-translated into English on the left, and the original Mandarin on the right

Note! I don't know Mandarin, so please take this with a grain of salt, but what I gather, summarizing and piecing the parts together (and doing this as an attempted service to anyone else who is interested but also doesn't understand the language), is this:

Plot & Character Summary Five hundred years ago, Chi Ye 迟野 (played by Li Daikun) was a ruthless, cold-blooded killer, but his life changed when he met and fell in love with Shen Qi 沈七 (Song Fangyuan), an unassuming orphan. However, a tribal war broke out, and, to end it, she died by his sword. The two are reunited in the current timeline, in which Chi Ye is the immortal guardian of the rural Silver Bell Island, and Shen Qi has been reincarnated and lives a carefree life, until others pressure her into getting married. Qi Yang 齐杨 (Miao Weilun), a humorous guy, is a veterinarian and the only doctor on the island (Note: So he treats humans, too). He treasures love above all, and his life is disrupted by the arrival of a woman. Luo Fei 罗菲 (Yu Yilei) is a citywoman who goes to the island on vacation/sick leave. She becomes Shen Qi's confidant and advisor - based on dramas they watch. Due to an incident where she destroys Qi Yang's medicinal herb garden, she's forced to work again to pay off the damage. Xiao Cai (Zhuang Yuan) is Chi Ye's personal assistant, and knows the secret he keeps.

If any Mandarin speakers are willing to correct/amend, please do! Thanks in advance!

Note: Edited to fix some details post- drama premiere.

Li Daikun: "Modern drama! But there are also costumes!😱" [Source]

Filming Location

常德桃花源 - Changde Peach Blossom Spring Changde Prefecture, Taoyuan County, Hunan Province

According to [wikipedia], Changde's Taohuayuan, or Peach Blossom Spring, is a famous tourist location, known for its beautiful scenery and its peach blossoms (which we're in the wrong season for, sadly).

The name comes from a fable written by Tao Yuanming in the year 421, and the phrase has come to mean "an idealistic place of beauty and repose, although it is sometimes used to refer to an unrealistic dream" [Source], which feels fitting for this drama's plot and mood.

Miao Weilun and Zhuang Yuan have posted some photos of it:

Sources: [-1-] [2 & 3]

They took boats to the filming location every day. Source: [Miao Weilun comment] on [this post]

Other Official Promo Images

[Source]

More Photos

Uploaded by Miao Weilun, who we thank for posting so many pictures. [Source]

Wrapping Ceremony

November 1st, 2023

More at [Source] I've reached the per-post limit

All the best wishes for the cast and crew! Looking forward to the drama!

Follow-up Post

Includes trailers and more photos

#Will the 100yrs Ago part include a shirtless warrior Li Daikun? Who knows. He's been working out. It's a good view. We can hope.#Bell Ringing #cdrama #chinese drama #Li Daikun #Song Fangyuan #Miao Weilun #Yu Yilei #Zhuang Yuan #你的岛屿已抵达 #screencaps #original post #B text post

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movielosophy · 2 years

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A Romance of The Little Forest ~ I can only marry you.

#hahaha #you wish #a romance of the little forest #两个人的小森 #cdrama #esther yu #yu shu xin #character: yu mei ren #vin zhang #zhang bin bin #character: zhuang yu

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heymeowmao · 2 years

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两个人的小森林 | A Romance of the Little Forest E10 🌿 Please, let it be a clear night. So we can see the stars.

#两个人的小森林 #a romance of the little forest #cdrama #Zhang BinBin #Yu Shuxin #character: zhuang yu #character: yu meiren #tree says no stars - only fireflies #meowmao gifs

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kdram-chjh · 1 year

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Cdrama: Miss Chun Is a Litigator (2023)

Gifs of Intro of cdrama “Miss Chun Is a Litigator”

《春家小姐是讼师》Miss Chun is A Litigator | 第01集：军府千金为父伸冤，与高冷刺客初相遇！

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I9Ig2QEHlw

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huaenrose · 1 year

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it is not very surprising that he zhao,

the one who left warmth wherever he went,

have fallen in love with xie yu,

the one who carried the winter with him.

when his body was on fire,

only the cold hands of his old xie could offer any relief.

#wei zhuang xue zha #fake slackers #zhaoyu #xie yu #he zhao #mu gua huang #mgh #poemas

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5water-kohaku · 1 year

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Since I just made a lyrics video for future karaoke with family, I made this short video for "9 Songs of the Moving Heavens" too, but with its anniversary videos. XD

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thehandbox · 1 year

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My Mysterious Girl//I Don't Want To Be Friends With You

A high school student time travels 20 years earlier to meet her mother in her younger days. Li Jinbu and her mom have always leaned on each other. A magical journey brings Li Jinbu 20 years earlier where she meets her mother Li Qingtong and they become fast friends. Coming from different generations and having different personalities, they run into funny situations. Through their time together, Li Jinbu gets to know her mother's forbearance and bravery.

#Sabrina Zhuang #Chen Hao Yu #Zhou Yan Chen #Kido Ma #I Don't Want To Be Friends With You #doramas #kdramas

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accio-victuuri · 5 months

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wait.. i’m literally on here or weibo almost 24/7 ( as you can tell lol ) but I feel like i missed something. i’m seeing clowning related to xz’s photos and how it looks like he is a groom and it’s a wedding photoshoot. the place is also famous for wedding shoots ( allegedly, idk. i’m not from there ) so turtles are imagining again. lol. freakin coincidence that wyb’s GRA photoshoot was done at a wedding shop. plus the “wedding outfits” for weibo night. which is all clowning and galaxy braining.🌌

now, we’re joking around, like where’s yibo? he should be taking photos with his partner.

then i see comments that there is this one song WYB recently listened to. meaning, as recent as when XZ flew to singapore which is called 超人不会飞 (superman can’t fly) by Jay Chou. i know WYB and everyone else is a big fan of Jay Chou but the clowning comes from the timing of when he listened to it. let me get to that first.

here is the song if you wanna listen to it. 🎶

youtube

turtles are interpreting it as WYB longing to “fly” to where XZ is and be with him but he can’t because of all his work commitments. he wants to take a breather. thinking about what his life is and the constraints, and at times like this, when they spent days in Beijing, but now they have to be apart, it affects him even more.

however when i read the lyrics, it could also be because he can relate to what jay chou is singing about. here’s the english translation i found here. i have bolded the ones i felt like WYB relates too. literally no need for explanation. just read it. It fits with his status in life so much that it’s almost scary.

妈妈说很多事别太计较

ma ma shuo heng duo shi bie tai ji jiao

Mum said one should not be too fussy over most matters

只是使命感找到了我我睡不着

zhi shi shi ming gan zhao dao le wo wo shui bu zhao

But my sense of mission found me and i can't sleep over it

如果说骂人要有点技巧

ru guo shuo ma ren yao you diao ji qiao

If scolding someone requires some skills

我会加点旋律你会觉得超屌

wo hui jia diao xuan lu ni hui jue de chao diao

I will add a tune and you will feel it's very cool (diao)

我的枪不会装弹药（弹药）

wo de qiang bu hui zhuang dan yao (dan yao)

My gun is not loaded with ammunition

所以放心不会有人倒（人倒）

suo yi fang xin bu hui you ren dao (ren dao)

So don't worry, nobody will collapse

我拍青蜂侠不需要替身因为自信是我绘画的颜料

wo pai qing feng xia bu xu yao ti sheng yin wei zi xin shi wo hui hua de yan liao

I don't need a double for The Green Hornet because confidence is the coloring for my painting

我做很多事背后的意义远比你们想象

wo zuo heng duo shi bei hou de yi yi yuan bi ni men xiang xiang

The meaning behind the things I did is far beyond your imagination

拍个电视剧为了友情与十年前的梦想

pai le dian shi ju wei le you qing yu shi nian qian de meng xiang

Filming a tv drama is for friendship and a dream 10 years ago

收视率再高也难抗衡我的伟大理想

shou shi lv zai gao ye nan kang heng wo de wei da li xiang

No matter how high the rating is, it can't match my noble ideal

因为我的人生无需再多一笔那奖项

yin wei wo de ren sheng wo xu zai duo yi bi na jiang xiang

Because my life do not need another award

我不知道何时变成了社会的那榜样

wo bu zhi dao he shi bian cheng le se hui de na bang yang

I don't know when I have become a society's role model

被狗仔拍不能比中指要大器的模样（怎样）

bei gou zai pai bu neng bi zhong zhi yao da qi de mo yang (zen yang)

Can't show the paparazzi the finger and have to put on a magnanimous front

我唱的歌词要有点文化

wo chang de ge ci yao you dian wen hua

The lyrics I sing must have some degree of literacy

因为随时会被当教材

yin wei sui shi hui bei dan jiao cai

Because it might become teaching material anytime

CNN能不能等英文好一点再访

CNN neng bu neng deng ying wen hao yi dian zai fang

Can CNN interview me when my English gets a little better

时代杂志封面能不能重拍

shi dai za zhi feng mian neng bu neng chong pai

Can i reshoot the Time magazine cover

随时随地注意形象

sui shi sui di zhu yi xin xiang

I must take care of my image at all times

要控制饮食不然就跟杜莎夫人蜡像的我不像（本来就不像）

yao kong zhi yin shi bu ran jiu gen du sha fu ren la xiang de wo bu xiang (ben lai jiu bu xiang)

I must control my diet or i won't look like the "me" in Madame Tussauds (it doesn't look like me in the first place)

好莱坞的中国戏院地上有很多手印脚印

hao lai wu de zhong guo xi yuan di shang you heng duo shou yin jiao yin

There are many handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre

何时才能看见我的掌

he shi cai neng kan jian wo de zhang

When will mine be seen there?

如果超人会飞那就让我在空中停一停歇

ru guo chao ren hui fei na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累虽然有些疲惫但我还是会

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

唱歌要拿最佳男歌手

chang ge yao na zui jia nan ge shou

(You) must get best male singer award as a singer

拍电影也不能只拿个最佳新人

pai dian yin ye bu neng zhi na ge zui jia xin ren

A newcomer award is not enough if you act

你不参加颁奖典礼就是没礼貌

ni bu can jia ban jiang dian li jiu shi mei li mao

Not attending award ceremonies is considered rude

你去参加就是代表你很在乎

ni qu can jia jiu shi dai biao ni heng zai hu

And if you do, it means you are over-concerned about it

得奖时你感动落泪（落泪）人家就会觉得你夸张做作（做作）

de jia shi ni gan dong luo lei (luo lei) ren jia jiu hui jue de ni kuang zhang zuo zuo

When you won an award and teared, people will think you are fake and exaggerating

你没表情别人就会说太嚣张

ni mei biao qing bie ren jiu hui shuo tai xiao zhang

When you have no expression, others will say you are too arrogant

如果你天生这个表情那些人甚至会怪你妈妈（妈妈）

ru guo ni tian sheng zhe ge biao qing na xie ren sheng zhi hui guai ni ma ma (ma ma)

And if you are born with that expression, they will even blame your mum

结果最后是别人在得奖你也要给予充分的掌声与微笑

jie guo zui hou shi bie ren zai de jiang ni ye yao ge yu chong fen de zhang sheng yu wei xiao

In the end someone else gets the award, you also have to give ample applause and smile

开的车不能太好住的楼不能太高

kai de che bu neng tai hao zhu de lou bu neng tai gao

The car you drive can't be too luxurious nor can you live too high up

我到底是一个创作歌手还是好人好事代表

wo dao di shi yi ge chuang zuo ge shou hai shi hao ren hao shi dai biao

Am I a singer-songwriter or a representative of good men and good deeds?

专辑一出就必须是冠军

zhuan ji yi chu jiu bi xu shi guan jun

My album must be ranked top once released

拍了电影就必须要大卖

pai le dian yin jiu bi xu yao da mai

My movie must sell well

只能说当超人真的好难

zhi neng shuo dan chao ren zhen de hao nan

I can only say, being a Superman is difficult

如果超人会飞（超人会飞）那就让我在空中停一停歇（停一停歇）

ru guo chao ren hui fei (chao ren hui fei) na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie (ti yi ti xie)

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累（地球好累）虽然有些疲惫但我还是会（我还是会）

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei (di qiu hao lei) sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui (wo hai shi hui)

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

=====

I don’t think there is anything wrong with how cpfs are relating this to cpn cause that’s just how it is. But sometimes, there are other reasons why they do what they do.

SO MY CONFUSION COMES FROM HOW THE HELL DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT HE RECENTLY LISTENED TO. I can’t seem to dig up how or maybe it’s something we don’t talk about. I have never experienced this kind of tidbit related to them before so I wanna know the source. Or is this like the gaming cpn where certain people know and they will not divulge the boy’s account for privacy? if anyone knows, feel free to comment. If i find out in the future, I will share.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do

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barananduen-blog · 1 month

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Sights from the drama & filming location, from local tourism office [Source] 🔊Sound on for the drama's cute "walking music"🔊

"BELL RINGING" - REVIEW

This drama performed extremely well, reaching #1 in viewership among currently airing short dramas and remaining in the top 2 spots through its entire run. Due to its good results, it stopped being only a webdrama and was broadcast on Chinese national TV and satellite TV as well! 🎉IMO, these accolades are very well deserved!

Plot Premise: The story takes place in Silver Bell Island, pastoral and peaceful with a hint of magic. Chi Ye, who, near the beginning of the story becomes the island's mayor, harbors a secret that none but his assistant know: he is immortal and has lived for hundreds of years, awaiting the return of his beloved, Shen Qi, for whom he made a sacrifice that not even he fully understands the depths of.

Present-day Shen Qi is a happy and carefree young woman, well loved by the community. She plans events and takes care of everyone, as they took care of her when she first arrived at the island. One day, she meets Chi Ye and falls in love at first sight, but, inexplicably, he always makes himself scarce around her. Thus begins her plan to "chase and capture" the reclusive Chi Ye.

✅Recommend! ✅Beautiful visuals, camerawork, etc. ✅Well-written, good flow and pacing ✅Interesting story ✅Good acting from almost all cast ✅Combination of ancient/modern was fun ✅Good characterization despite short length

❌It would have been nice if the second couple was developed more, but this was probably due to time restraints; it would have required a longer drama.

📺Where to watch: MangoTV website/app or MangoTV's official YouTube channels ("MangoTV Drama" and the language-specific channels)

Review (No Spoilers)

I was very impressed with this drama. It was very well written and the production and direction were excellent. Definitely one of my two favorite shorts/minis.

The writers managed the time restraints really well - I haven't read the novel it's based on, and yet I didn't feel like I missed anything at all for comprehension. I really, really liked how it's written like a long movie instead of a series of short episodes. In this sense, it's like a full-length drama, but shorter. This makes it stand out from among other short dramas: the flow is excellent, the plot and the two main characters have depth to them; so you do not get that feeling of superficiality that you see in most mini dramas.

The visuals also stand out. Despite being a modern drama, it has a magical, fairy-like feeling, with soft colors and lighting, rural and village scenery, lots of flowers (LOTS OF FLOWERS!). The camerawork impressed me, because the panning and zooming made even still scenes (like when the couple is just lying in bed) feel very dynamic, while contributing to mood and ambiance. Lots of people have described the drama's visual ambiance as "refreshing" and "healing," and I feel that's correct. The video above really shows a good sample of the feeling you get while watching the drama.

That said, plotwise, this is a very emotional show, and I think the juxtaposition of the peaceful scenes and the emotional turmoil was performed flawlessly. Life and death and fighting against fate are major themes, and the actors really make you feel for the characters.

The main story is set in the present time, with flashbacks to 500 years ago sprinkled throughout. The switching between the two time periods is done very well, and is neither obtrusive nor confusing. The viewer discovers and peels layers of what happened in tribal times as the characters themselves do. This layering is an integral part of the plot, and was written and executed very well.

Storytelling, camerawork, and post-processing filters come together seamlessly once again to create mood in the scenes leading up toward the end. The ending itself is very well written, too, and manages the viewers' feelings well.

Trivia: I forgot to add that voices are everyone's own and were recorded on-location, while filming the action. Recording studio work was limited to when characters were "thinking" and things like that.

#Bell Ringing #cdrama #Li Daikun #Song Fangyuan #Miao Weilun #Yu Yilei #Zhuang Yuan #chinese drama #drama review #B text post #original post

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movielosophy · 2 years

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- wait for me.

#cang lan jue #love between fairy and devil #a romance of the little forest #cdrama #esther yu #yu shu xin #character: xiao lan hua #character: yu mei ren #dylan wang #wang he di #character: dong fang qing cang #vin zhang #zhang bin bin #character: zhuang yu

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mostlyfate · 1 day

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ZHOU YU TONG as ZHUANG JIE WILL LOVE IN SPRING 春色寄情人 (2024)

#will love in spring #春色寄情人 #cdramaedit #cdrama #cdramasource #dailyasiandramas #cinemu #samblr #there's a lover in my hometown #zhou yutong #willloveinspringedit #wlisedit #wlis: 1.01 #.gif #she!

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heymeowmao · 2 years

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两个人的小森林 | A Romance of the Little Forest E2 🌿 So what he means is that even though somniferum and rhoeas come from the same family and genus, they’re still different species. Professor Zhuang, that’s cold!

#两个人的小森林 #a romance of the little forest #cdrama #Zhang BinBin #Yu Shuxin #character: zhuang yu #character: yu meiren #so... he's calling her a common poppy #?#meowmao gifs

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kdram-chjh · 1 year

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Cdrama: Love Script (2020)

Gifs of Intro of cdrama “Love Script”

【MULTI SUB】《她和他的恋爱剧本 Love Script》第1集螺旋CP初见就袭胸？【芒果TV青春剧场】

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ParsmKvH1s

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a-fantasy-lover-surfing-the-net · 3 months

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Modern Cdramas I watched in 2023

This was my first year in Dramaland (both Chinese and Korean). And I have to say that for the most part I have enjoyed my journey in discovering the dramas. This list includes dramas that were released before 2023 as well.

9. Love of Replica

This one of those dramas with lookalikes where the female lead impersonates her lookalike and solves the mystery about her backstory. Also, it's a bodyguard romance so I definitely expected some things going in. It's full of cliches and tropes some enjoyable and some irritating. I have to praise Yu Yue (actress portraying the female lead), she really made me believe that lookalikes were two completely different people. The chemistry between the main couple is fire. I did not enjoy the secondary characters' romance. However the overall squad energy and their team dynamic was great. I kinda guessed the twist but was surprised by how dark the drama went. Overall, I liked most of it and I was disappointed how some of the characters ended up. If you want a bodyguard romance with kinda obvious twists with very good cast chemistry then you'll probably like it.

8. Parallel Love

This is a time travel drama (you'll see more of these in this list) where Lin Miao, the female lead travels from 2020 to 2010 and she must help Jiao Yang, who is the Vice President of Hong Yu, become the president of the company within 3 months otherwise she will disappear forever. What I liked most about is that Lin Miao is very competant and smart, even if she is not experienced for the task she will still try her best and give it her all. I enjoyed the romance and the dynamic of the main leads. It definitely has plot holes regarding time travel and the rules were not properly explained. They also did not really focus much on the time travel part and did use the potential things that they could do with time travel. However, the interaction between the present and the future Lin Miao was very well done and something that many people would be able to relate to. The business plot was medium and not very interesting. The main leads' personalities and character arcs was the reason why I enjoyed the drama. However, they left the ending ambiguous so if you don't mind open endings then you'll enjoy this time travel/corporate romance drama.

7. Love under the Full Moon

Another time travel drama with a twist that Lei Chu Xia (female lead), who has time travelled 10 years into the future can't leave Xu Xiao Dong side beyond a certain distance. Together they work to recover her memory to unravel the mysteries of the past decade. This drama has great romance, unique time travel premises further in the series, good character development for the main and secondary cast, an antagonist that seems like a real person which makes it seem like we could meet someone like them in real life and a plot with unexpected paths. However, it does have a bittersweet open ending which could make some people hate the drama. Despite that I really liked the drama.

6. Mr. Bad

One day, Nan Xing, an online novel writer makes a wish for an "unforgettable love" in a wishing pool. Then, Xiao Wu Di, the villain of her story, suddenly appears before her! She tries to avoid him, but Xiao Wu Di finds her and threatens her into taking care of him. Unfortunately for him, Nan Xing's wish comes with a special power: whenever she needs help, Xiao Wu Di teleports next to her to fulfill her wish. It's fun, fluffy and sweet with not much angst. The romance is cute and the dynamic with the secondary cast is enjoyable. The ending frustrated me but I assume they did it to pass the censors so I just pretend the last 7 mins don't exist. This is one of those shows you can watch when you just want to turn your brain off and watch a sweet story.

5. My Lethal Man

It's premise is similar to Love of Replica however here Shen Man Ning, an art student takes the place of Zhuang Xin Yan, granddaughter of a business tycoon. Yan Xing Cheng, the mysterious male lead is ruthless in pursuing the mastermind behind the threats and is not really sympathetic to Xin Yan but as they face the difficulties together they fall in love. The romance is so good and their dynamic is very different from typical ones. I found the secondary characters' romance weird and poorly done. The plot was really good and the pace kept moving along nicely. Except for the secondary romance, I had a great time watching it, I really recommend this one if you want a drama that balances mystery/thriller and romance and does a good job at both aspects.

4. Love in Time

A time travel drama again ! This is the last one though. This one is unique because the appartment in which He Zhen Yu has recently moved into merges with it's past one. This is how he meets a rookie reporter Chen Jia Lan who is a former tenant from four months ago, and through some miracle, they are able to see each other. When they attempt to prevent future misfortunes by changing the past together, their romance blossoms. Their romance was so good that I really ended up hardcore rooting for them to get their happy ending. I don't want to give away too much so all I'll say is that the time travel and its consequences were handled very well for the most part and the plot was interesting and took surprising turns. He Zhen Yu's character arc was very well portrayed on the other hand while in the beginning I related to Chen Jia Lan, in the latter part of the drama I was frustrated with her choices and how she didn't have a character growth moment. All the actors did a good job but I have to say that the main leads' acting was very good and made me very immersed in their story. All in all, I had a very good time watching it as the ending brought it all together for me.

3. Lucky's First Love

It's one of those office romances which has a light tone for the most part. Xing Yun is competent and hardworking who was there with Xia Ke when he started the company. They have been working together for years and have deep understanding of each other and work well together. Thankfully, Xia Ke is not one of those CEOs who are jerks and cold hearted. He may be reserved but he is quite caring (not in an overt way) not only towards Xing Yun but also his employees. Xing Yun does go out with someone else in the start but it doesn't last long and love triangle shenanigans are not long drawn out. The main leads' romance is sweet and depicts their daily interactions and they have great kiss scenes. The secondary couples are also great. This drama has character development for main and secondary characters, wholesome workplace and family dynamics, no over the top melodrama, lifelike workplace and relationship issues, slice of life interactions and very little angst. This is a great watch for when you need something short and sweet that's not too heavy.

2. Ordinary Greatness

The show mainly focuses on novice police officers that are starting their one year long mentorship. They soon discover that the grass-roots work is different from what they imagined, and, after some struggles, they're gradually moved by the sense of achievement and honour gained in their work. Throughout the show we explore their characters, their comraderie with each other, with their mentors and with other police officers at their station. We also get to know their mentors and other police officers at the station which immerses the audience in the show deeply. It is a slice of life type drama, where most of the cases are not major crimes. All actors knock it out of the park with their emotional as well as subtle portrayals. This show depicts how even small acts and seemingly tedious and insignificant work really have great impact on people's lives and that the people doing such grassroots work contribute just as much and are just as important to the society if not more as the people doing big acts like taking down criminal gangs. While some situations and cases are specific to China, everyone will be able to relate to majority of them. I must say this is a must watch drama.

1. Arsenal Military Academy

This is a Republican era drama in which Xie Xiang assumes her brother's identity to join the Chinese army and is accepted in the Arsenal Military Academy. While she is the main lead the story also follows Gu Yan Zheng(main lead) - a spoilt quarrelsome rich kid, the gentle and introverted Shen Jun San, Qu Man Ting - a famous actress and singer and secondarily other cadets, their teachers and other locals. It has great comedy, really good romance (including their hilarious bickering), enjoyable action and entertaining dynamic of the cast. All the actors did an excellent job here, the standouts being Bai Lu, for portraying being able to convincingly play the female role and the female disguised as male role all while knocking out her emotional and comedic scenes and Xu Kai, who can forget his electrifying performance as a lovable troublemaker. I have to warn you that the story gets serious in the last 10ish episodes and that the love triangle does drag out a little bit longer than it should but it's resolution is still good. To me the drama didn't seem overly patriotic so I didn't have a problem rooting for the characters and their goals of protecting and improving their country. This ranked first because it's romance, characters and their comraderie won me over completely.

You can also check out my costumed cdrama rankings.

As I'm still a newbie to cdramas and kdramas, I welcome your recommendations.

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