Since this month, I’ve been watching more Chinese dramas than usual, I was curious to see how my tastes in cdramas compare with other viewers. I went to “Marcus Here” on Youtube to find out the “Top 10 Chinese Dramas” of the past week.
According to Marcus, this popularity survey is based on views on Youku, IQiYi, and Tencents, as well as social media discussions and Baidu (a Chinese search engine).
Lo and behold, three of my dramas are in the top 10.
Coming in #10 is “The Unexpected Marriage.”
In #5 is “Snow Fall.”
In #2 is “Are You the One.”
“The Princess Royal” isn’t on the list because its run ended a few weeks ago. But another Zhang LingHe drama, “Love’s Rebellion,” is in #4.
Zhang LingHe seems to be the “flavor of the month.” I’ll make a mental note to skim this cdrama later when it’s out on Viki. At the moment, I can only find it in dramacool.
I meant to write a “To Watch or Not to Watch” thread on “The Unexpected Marriage” but after surviving the first 10 episodes, I decided to spare you the bother. The Prince is definitely a green flag here, but the Princess is a bit tiresome.
In a way, she’s like Jane Austen’s “Emma” but more annoying. In Jane Austen’s novel, Emma is a do-gooder. She thinks highly of herself because from an early age, she’s run her family’s household very capably. In this cdrama, the Princess also thinks she’s a brilliant manager and independent problem-solver. She’s the one the servants run to when there’s trouble in the residence.
But her shenanigans invariably lead to one of two things: either she’s saved from falling by the Prince or she’s being fed some medicine by the Prince. lol. Just look at the screenshot from “Marcus Here.” She sports a fake moustache and she’s in the Prince’s arms.
True, there’s some unpredictability in her actions that viewers might find charming, but I keep thinking “What’s the point here”?
Overall, I think the plot is unnecessarily convoluted. It’s only 24 episodes, but if some side stories were trimmed out and the focus remained on the two main leads, the show would have been better off with just 16 episodes.
It’s a pity on The Unexpected Marriage, I like the ML there. I watched him on another cdrama before.
It’s good to have an abundance of cdramas, always. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Which drama, @agdr03?
I admit I felt sympathy for him.
She’s such a handful and he just patiently watches from the sidelines and copes with any situation she stirs up.
He can read her like a book.
Their marriage was pre-arranged to foster a diplomatic relationship between their two countries. He went to her country, pretending to be the envoy instead of her fiancé. He knew she was going to do anything to get out of the marriage, e.g., show how unsuitable she was to become princess, behave recklessly to turn him off, display her suitors so he won’t pick her as consort.
But he praised, complimented and defended anything that she did.
She was pretty much chagrined in the first 8? 10? episodes that her plans didn’t work. Instead, the “envoy” thought her to be the perfect match because of her creativity, independence and pluck.
It’s a modern cdrama called Time And Him Are Just Right. It was an ok drama. I enjoyed it.
I feel for him already base on what you said. 😄
I have been on a cdrama streak lately.
1. The Princess Royal (rewatch)
2. Love’s Rebellion (I’m only at the beginning stages and enjoying it so far. It is a different kind of Immortal setting story which i usually am not a fan of but this caught my eye)
3. The Double (this is the one that is rather exciting and I would have binged if it wasn’t a family watcu) Will you be checking this out @pm3?
4. A Tale of Rose (struggling to finish this..at last episode)
The only kdrama I’m watching is the recent Love Next Door.
Btw…what was no.1?
#1 was Strange Tales of TD2: To the West (source: “Marcus Here” ep 874 on YT)
No, I don’t have time for “The Double” right now. 🙂 I’m having trouble completing “Princess Royal” and “Are You the One” as it is. Things will start gearing up after Labor Day holiday (next Monday) here so I won’t be able to keep up with my one-blog-post-a-day routine.
I envy @GB, actually. She was able to power through 20 episodes in just a couple of days. 🙂
You should give “No Gain, No Love” a try. The humor may not be appropriate for young ones, but if they’re innocent enough, they won’t (shouldn’t!) get the jokes.
Like,
She was curling her lashes and she observed that they looked rather “limp.” She then blamed her pack of Slim cigarettes for their limp-ness because it said right on the packaging “May cause erectile dysfunction”. 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️😂😂 Eyelashes are to women what p*nises are to men. The longer the better.
Hahahahah! I missed that joke @pkml3! My subs must have been too polite!!!
I work flexi hours ie I work when there’s work otherwise, I just am on standby. I was having a respite from urgent projects and was able to watch while on standby. I was also on MC on and off so that helped!
I won’t have much time this weekend or next week, so I had to power through or lose steam and I might have dropped TPR. As it is, I’ve practically dropped Joy of Life 2 (which I had really wanted to watch) and Strange Tales of Tang 2. I believe I can keep up with No Gain, No Love. The Rewatches, of course, are a given. 🙂
@pm3 ohh!! Ok that is my next on the list for a family watch but I have to start on the season 1. I have heard rave reviews on it in terms of a solid story line and more.
Ah…yes so many to watch. I started on episode 1 of Are You The One but it was getting me confused with the story of The Double and I have to put it on hold. The setting feels rather similar and characters have a double identity. Are You The One has more double identities with amnesia so my brain was getting a little mixed up.
Lol on No Pain No Love, only in kdramas can you be so open…in a way! Because of the censorship, we won’t find that in a cdrama! You got me interested in No Pain No Love, I will keep it in mind. All the dramas feel like a juggling act…or buffet, gotta choose which episode of a drama to watch first 😛
Hope you are feeling better @GB and that the TPR was a good break for you!
I watch not so critical dramas while I prepare meals (I can listen without paying too much attention). Else it is the wee hours of the night that I steal the time from some sleep to watch. Daytime is full on with so much going on, I usually can’t quite watch in peace.
Thanks for your good wishes @Grace. I’m slowly getting better. It’s one of those debilitating coughs that troubles my sleep. Other than that, I’m able to continue more or less as usual.
I did not intend to start another cdrama, (also a period drama but more about the common people and not in the palace) … but got interested when I saw Tan Jian Ci’s name tied to Go East. I only looked at half of the first episode to check it out.
This one does not have time travel and looks to be with an ensemble cast. The posters make it look like it’s a fun romp. I was amused seeing Tan Jian Ci’s rough-looking character, so different from his role as elegant Xiang Liu in Lost You Forever. It looked somewhat interesting with 1 imposter girl stealing the identity of a bad guy, while TJC’s character works in ‘giving entry permits/town entry control’ and has to figure out what’s going on.
18 episodes out of 37 are out already. I will see if I can squeeze it in.
The MDL synopsis is: “The story of four determined individuals – Yuan Mo, A Shu, Wang Kun Wu, and Yu Chi Hua – who, driven by ideals, bravely embark on a journey for their nation and justice.
During the peaceful years of the Daming Dynasty, Yuan Mo, a commoner from Changle City, stands at the city gates issuing permits to foreign visitors, using the Four Square Pavilion’s seal. Unexpectedly, he encounters A Shu, a refugee from Yanle Kingdom trying to sneak into the city, which leads to an altercation. This results in the newly arrived border general Wang Kun Wu being punished by overseeing duties at the Four Square Pavilion.
As a consequence, Yuan Mo is inadvertently pulled into the affairs of the Four Square Pavilion’s western office, overseen by Yu De Shui. He becomes a minor official handling various international affairs. Through a series of serendipitous events, A Shu becomes Yuan Mo’s “little maidservant,” Wang Kun Wu becomes his superior, and the formidable Yu Chi Hua, a noblewoman with power, joins the mix. Mocked as a “useless” member of the western office, Yuan Mo matures as he navigates through challenging diplomatic matters.”
https://mydramalist.com/739073-square-pavilion
@GB, Ah!! you reminded me of TJC’s drama Go East. I wanted to watch it because it would be interesting to watch him in a more comical role. I’m watching this one for sure, just not in the meantime. I mean he is a really fun participant on variety shows, if you have watched any.
I think by the time I get to that drama all the episodes will be out.
These cdramas drop episodes so fast, unlike kdramas where you pace a 2 episode a week and get to sit on scenes without getting spoilers too fast.
@Grace, I think I’ll watch Go East too. It looks to be a fun romp. I found myself laughing. I like TJC in anything. He’s great in game shows too. I will also watch slowly. I look forward to the episode when all the different characters finally come on to the same page and start working together.
As a new limited TJC fan, I am also interested in watching this one.
@MM,
On Go East
Yes, do watch this Show. I’ve just watched Ep 2 and it’s gotten better in terms of relationship development and plot movement.
It’s got a different vibe from the palace, politics period dramas or mere romances. It has investigations, a bit of sword fighting with people able to jump and almost fly, but mostly it’s fun to watch the characters interact. TJC is good as always, this time supposedly as a youngster who’s observant and highly intelligent. I feel that he does not look young enough, but I can overlook that for the refreshing image he presents.
@GB TY Your response moved the show up in my internal priority list! I meant to say newly minted TJC fan.
I am currently rewatching Shark(2013). I particularly enjoyed Lucifer (2007) from the same revenge trilogy. Would like to watch Resurrection(2005) but was not able to find it last time I looked.
I am not particularly into revenge dramas but these ones have caught my interest.
So glad Kocowa has some of the older kdramas.