Modern Cdrama Watchlist part 1
The Best Thing - ⭐⭐⭐ - doctor/patient -A very sweet romance with an enjoyable romantic journey and one of the greenest-flag ML’s. I especially loved Zhang Linghe's portrayal of a patient, caring, and protective hero. Xu Ruohan's role was objectively more challenging, and while I enjoyed parts of her performance, I wasn't a huge fan overall. In particular, I felt there was some awkwardness between the leads that rested on her shoulders. Outside of the romance, the plot is fairly average and occasionally drags, though as a Westerner, I found the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) scenes interesting. The ending is also a bit rushed, with the central conflicts resolving in a somewhat underwhelming manner.
Hidden Love - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - brother's best friend - I adored this C-drama. It's my favorite one so far. It's a shame, though understandable, that so many people hesitate to watch it because of the age gap between the main characters. However, I think the drama does a perfect job of portraying the evolution of their relationship. Before Sang Zhi comes of age, her feelings are entirely one-sided, while Duan Jiaxu's affection remains purely protective and platonic. Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi both deliver incredibly nuanced performances, subtly evolving their characters and chemistry as the story progresses. What begins as an innocent first crush and older-brother-like affection naturally develops into a mature, believable romance. Zhao Lusi beautifully captures Sang Zhi's growth while remaining true to the same kind-hearted girl we meet at the beginning of the story, and Chen Zheyuan makes every stage of Duan Jiaxu's feelings feel authentic. I truly hope they get the opportunity to work together again. It also helps that Duan Jiaxu is one of the greenest-flag male characters I've ever encountered in any form of media, so at no point does his relationship with Sang Zhi feel inappropriate or as though he's taking advantage of her. Likewise, Sang Zhi is just as much of a green flag. I adored both characters and found myself rooting for them from beginning to end. They're exceptionally well written, and it's clear they understand and complement each other perfectly. Sang Zhi gives Duan Jiaxu, who was forced to grow up too quickly and spent most of his life without the love and support of his family, the space to let go of his responsibilities and simply be himself, while offering him unwavering love and devotion. In return, Duan Jiaxu gives Sang Zhi, the youngest and only daughter in a loving family who has always been the one cared for, the opportunity to become someone he can lean on, while continuing to provide her with the love, protection, and security she's always known. Beyond the main couple, the drama excels at developing its supporting cast and its antagonists. Each character receives meaningful growth that adds depth to the story. Victor Ma is a particular standout as Sang Yan, perfectly balancing the roles of an annoying yet fiercely protective older brother and a loyal best friend. The acting, script, dialogue, and pacing are all exceptional. At no point does the drama feel like it's dragging or rushing, and every interaction makes the characters and their relationships feel authentic and deeply lived-in. Simply put, Hidden Love is everything I look for in a romance. It has exceptional acting, believable character growth, heartfelt relationships, and one of the healthiest, most satisfying love stories I've ever watched. I can't recommend it enough.
Go Back Lover - ⭐⭐.5 - second chance - This C-drama is genuinely funny and features a beautiful, talented cast. However, its messy plot and overly corny dialogue keep it from reaching its full potential, making it ultimately forgettable. Too many dramatic moments feel forced for the sake of shock value rather than serving the story, which is a shame because the cast has incredible chemistry. Both the lead and supporting actors deliver strong performances, and there are plenty of exciting scenes that build anticipation. Unfortunately, much of that potential is wasted, as many of those moments either lead nowhere or are resolved in an underwhelming way.
Love Is Sweet - ⭐⭐ - childhood friend, enemies to lovers, boss/employee - The saving grace of this C-drama is its comedy. Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu have excellent comedic timing and had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, that's where most of my praise ends. While there are a few genuinely good romantic moments, the script never fully capitalizes on the leads' chemistry. The second couple's romance is both dull and frustrating, the antagonist's predictable descent into obsession feels unrealistic and repetitive, and the workplace storyline is painfully boring.
When I Fly Towards You - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 - friends to lovers - Such an incredibly sweet and innocent coming-of-age story. The progression from strangers to friends to lovers is beautifully executed. Zhang Miaoyi and Zhou Yiran deliver outstanding performances. Not only is their chemistry undeniable, but they also excel at portraying the individuality of their characters and their personal growth. I also adored the supporting cast, especially the rest of the friend group, who add so much warmth and make the world feel genuinely lived-in. My only complaint is that the story feels rushed after the characters graduate from high school. The creators clearly did their best to adapt the remaining story within the time they had, but the conclusion still feels disappointing compared to the beautifully developed and well-paced journey that came before it. It's a shame the drama wasn't given a few more episodes to do the full story justice.
The First Frost - ⭐⭐ - second chance - I don't think it’s a terrible drama. The foundation is strong, the central romance has potential, and there's nothing offensively bad about it. Still, almost every aspect of it, from the writing and directing to the performances and character development, feels underwhelming. It's an average drama, which probably wouldn't have been nearly as disappointing if I hadn't watched it after Hidden Love. I don't know whether it’s because of the different creative teams or if the novels are that different (I've only read Hidden Love), but this adaptation lacks almost everything that made its predecessor so special. My biggest issue is that the characters feel flat. I never felt like I truly knew their personalities. The only thing I learned about Wen Yifan was her traumatic past, and about Sang Yan that he's heartbroken and hopelessly devoted to her. The drama focuses so heavily on each character's defining trait that it never allows them to develop into layered, complex people. Zhang Ruonan and Bai Jingting also lacked chemistry. Their performances remain emotionally restrained from beginning to end, making it difficult to feel any meaningful growth in their relationship. The supporting cast is equally underdeveloped. Unlike Hidden Love, where every side character helped create a rich, lived-in world, the characters here feel like an afterthought, leaving the world strangely empty. This is especially noticeable with Sang Zhi, Duan Jiaxu, and Sang Yan's parents. Rather than feeling like real characters, they come across as little more than Easter eggs for viewers of Hidden Love. Their scenes were very distracting because much of their dialogue feels awkward and overly on-the-nose, serving the plot more than the characters. The supporting cast's performances were also underwhelming, though I mainly attribute that to the script and direction rather than the actors themselves. I know Zhang Miaoyi is capable of delivering spectacular performances, yet both she and Edward Chen felt strangely out of place in the story. The pacing is another major issue. The story repeats the same emotional beats over and over, and there simply isn't enough happening to justify the runtime. By the end, it felt like the drama was stretching a relatively thin story across far too many episodes. I don't think the problem is the story itself. The foundation is strong, and the central romance has a lot of potential. For me, the execution just never matched that potential. I think there's a genuinely great adaptation to be made from this source material. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the directing, acting, or script in this version.
Love's Ambition - ⭐.5 - second chance - I started this C-drama for Zhao Lusi... and that ended up being all I got out of it. She delivers a strong performance with the material she was given, and she’s the only thing preventing the drama from being completely unwatchable. Unfortunately, the script, plot, and most of the other performances were incredibly weak. William Chan, in particular, failed to make any aspect of his character believable, whether as the cold, calculating businessman or the remorseful husband fighting for a second chance. Even worse, his awkward comedic timing often undercut scenes that were meant to be emotionally impactful, leaving them flat and making his character even more frustrating. Ironically, the secondary couple had better chemistry than the leads, but their storyline was just as poorly written, wasting any potential they had. The only plotline I genuinely enjoyed was the relationship between Xu Yan and Shen Hao Chen, whose journey from strangers to mother and son was very heartfelt. Every other storyline felt either dull or unnecessarily over-the-top, making it one of the most disappointing C-dramas I've watched.
Please Be My Family - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - marriage of convenience - I love the found family trope, and this drama executes it beautifully. The beginning constantly subverted my expectations, particularly with the male lead's surprisingly unconventional decisions, which made the story a lot of fun. The relationship between the two leads and their children is easily the heart of the story. Every member of the little family is well developed, and I genuinely believed how deeply they loved and cared for one another. The romance is equally well done, with the leads sharing fantastic chemistry. The supporting cast is also excellent, and I especially appreciated how the female characters were written. More often than not, second female love interests are reduced to cartoonishly evil villains with no conscience, so it was refreshing to see them portrayed with nuance and depth. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the second male love interest, who eventually devolves into a stereotypical, one-dimensional villain. While I loved everything involving the family, I wasn't nearly as invested in the separated-at-birth storyline. It starts off intriguing, but gradually descends into soap-opera absurdity, culminating in an overly dramatic, underwhelming, and unrealistic conclusion.
The Love You Give Me - ⭐⭐.5 - second chance - This drama starts off cute and intriguing, but quickly becomes boring and forgettable. Before the male lead discovers he's the father of the female lead's son, the story has enough mystery and emotional tension to keep things engaging. Unfortunately, after that revelation, his character devolves into comic relief, often undermining the drama's more emotional moments. His constant intrusion into the female lead's life was frustrating, and the story relies far too heavily on contrived misunderstandings that could have been resolved with a single conversation. Even the romance couldn't save the drama. The leads' chemistry is only average and is weakened by the awkward tonal shifts between comedy and drama, while the business storyline is dull and forgettable. That said, the comedy is genuinely funny and often kept me entertained despite the increasingly frustrating plot. I also ended up enjoying the second female lead far more than I expected. By the end, I was much more invested in her romance with the second male lead than in the main couple's relationship. Honestly, I wish the drama had focused on them instead.
Never Ending Summer - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 - forbidden, second chance - The chemistry between Bao Shang'en and Zhou Keyu is absolutely off the charts. They're one of the few on-screen pairings that genuinely made me question whether they were dating in real life. Beyond their incredible chemistry, they both deliver outstanding individual performances, making it impossible not to fall in love with both their relationship and their characters. Honestly, they could star in the worst-written drama imaginable, and I'd still watch it just to see them together. Thankfully, that's not the case here. Alongside its exceptional leads, the drama features a lovable supporting cast, a compelling story, and beautiful cinematography. While the plot occasionally veers into melodramatic, soap-opera territory, I never found it distracting. The cast and creative team do an excellent job grounding even the most outrageous twists, making them feel emotionally believable and surprisingly natural. My only real complaint is the length after the high school arc. I wish we'd had more time to explore the leads' reconciliation, as it deserved a little more room to breathe. If anything, I would have removed the secondary couple's post–high school storyline altogether. Not only was it underdeveloped, but since they weren't a canon couple in the source material, that screen time would have been better spent giving the main couple's relationship the extra attention it deserved.
>>Costume C-dramas Watchlist part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/story-addict/821496216710971392/c-dramas-watchlist?source=share
