2017 Mainland Chinese Dramas
Once again, I am back with a 2017 edition of Mainland Chinese dramas.
I will update the list as the year goes by so please check this post every once in a while.
I will update the list as the year goes by so please check this post every once in a while.
She Was Pretty/Pretty Li Hui Zhen
Episodes: 36
Synopsis:
Li Hui Zhen (Dilmurat Dilraba) was perfect and beautiful as a little girl but after her family's bankruptcy, she started to lose her beautiful looks and excellence. Her hair turned wavy and her face became full of freckles. As an adult, her poor looks gets her bullied everywhere she goes. She ends up working as an assistant at Immortal magazines. To her surprise, her childhood friend, Bai Hao Yu (Sheng Yi Lun), a once ordinary, chubby looking guy who is now a handsome, successful man, is now her boss. When he asks to meet up, Hui Zhen, not wanting to destroy the pretty image of her in his memory, asks her beautiful best friend, Xia Qiao (Sierra Li), to pretend to be her. As time goes on, Xia Qiao develops feelings for Hao Yu; while, Hao Yu is confused about which Hui Zhen he actually likes. At the same time, Lin Yi Mu (Zhang Bing Bing), a reporter and fellow co-worker, develops an interest in Hui Zhen. rn the truth and finally be with the real Hui Zhen?
Comments:
This is the Chinese remake of the popular Korean drama, She Was Pretty. I have never watched the Korean version but from what I have seen through trailers and videos on Youtube, the Korean version seems to be more comedic than the Chinese version. For example, Siwon's portrayal of the second male lead is way funnier compared to Lin Yi Mu. Nonetheless, I do not mind the change. Though I love Siwon's humor from the many clips I have seen on Youtube, Yi Mu's smile and his love for Hui Zhen won me over. I prefer him over Hao Yu. To be real, I did not see much chemistry between Hao Yu and Hui Zhen. Hao Yu, for the most part, is very cold and expressionless. Yi Mi, on the other hand, is more caring and loving towards Hui Zhen. His playful personality also compliments Hui Zhen. But sadly he is the second male lead so he will almost never get the girl. Also, shout out to this mydramalist user who described Zhang Bin Bin in the best way possible, "I love this guy, he is really talented and definitely has the most expressive eyes, he literally talks with them without any need for opening his mouth" (DragonAlien). This drama is making me more in love with Dilmurat Dilraba. If you like her and are interested in her other dramas, give Diamond Lover a try. Her character in Diamond Lover is the opposite of this drama, and she did a spectacular job.
Riding off of my love for Dilmurat Dilraba and Zhang Bin Bin, I decided to watch Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Mile Of Peach Blossoms.
Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Mile Of Peach Blossoms
Episodes: 58
Synopsis:
A nine-tailed fox, Bai Qian (Yang Mi), pretends to be a boy to become a disciple under Mo Yan, a great warrior. During a war with the Ghost Tribe, Mo Yan (Mark Chao) sacrifices himself to seal the Ghost Lord for 70,000 years. Before the seal breaks, Bai Qian tries to re-seal the Ghost Lord. During her battle with the Ghost Lord, the Ghost Lord casts a spell on Bai Qian causing her to fall into the mortal world and lose all of her memories and becomes a mortal named Su Su. She meets Ye Hua, the future ruler of the Sky Tribe. Despite knowing that he cannot marry a mortal, they fall in love and get married. When his relationship with Su Su is discovered, Su Su is brought to the skies. Su Jing (Huang Meng Ying), who has had a crush on Ye Hua since they were children, becomes jealous and constantly gets Su Su in trouble. Su Su ends up misunderstanding Ye Hua and commits suicide, only to return to her original identity. Not wanting to remember this sad past, she drinks a potion to forget about Ye Hua. Three hundred years later, the two meet again but this time Bai Qian is betrothed to Ye Hua and they once had a kid together.
Review:
The drama is still airing but from the 30 episodes that I have watched so far, it is pretty good. I wouldn't say that this is anything super special, but it is still a nice production. Bai Qian and Ye Hua's son is so cute. I came to see more of Bin Bin and Dilmurat but they are only supporting characters and they aren't a couple, which is disappointing. Also, this is Mark Chao's first Mainland Chinese drama so please support him. I think he looks way better in modern dramas like Black and White, but as the drama goes on, he becomes more and more handsome.
Because Of You
Episodes: 56
Synopsis:
Zhang Guo Guo (Sun Yi) is the second daughter of a wonton shop owner. She is actually the long lost daughter of a top art professor and a top embroider. After a tragic accident that revolves around her mother and her aunt's competition to become the next head embroider, Zhang Yi Bei (Guo Guo's real name) loses her memory and is found by Wang Ai Yu and her spoiled daughter, Zhang Yu Xin (Wu You). Yu Xin hates her poor life and her embarrassing family and decides to lie to the world saying she is an orphan. She shares some similarities with Yi Bei, so the Jin family, or Yi Bei's parents, financially support her and treat her as their own child. Years pass and Zhang Yu Xin is now a college graduate whose eyes are focused only on money and becoming the Jin family's daughter for real. She learns of Guo Guo's talents in embroidery and decides to stop her from being a threat to her one day. She later learns that Guo Guo is Yi Bei, so she pressures her mother to hide this secret for her. Will Yi Bei ever be able to reunite with her family?
Review:
One of my favorite Mainland Chinese dramas of all times is definitely Fifteen Years Waiting For Migratory Bird. Sun Yi plays the female lead while Deng Lun, the male lead of this drama, plays the second female lead. Though I did really like the male lead, I had the second male lead syndrome and I wanted to see more of this pairing. Then this drama came along. Finally, a drama to satisfy my dreams.
This is the Chinese version of the Korean drama, Come! Jang Bo Ri, which was very popular during its run and I watched most of it. The Korean version is a lot more intense like I was literally on the edge of my seat begging to the dear gods that the drama would end already. This drama just made me really mad that the second female lead is so evil and everyone is so stupid to fall for her tricks. Nonetheless, this drama was alright, and I absolutely love Sun Yi here.
Across the Ocean To See You
Episodes: 44
Synopsis:
Su Mang (Wang Li Kun) seems to have it all. She is married to a rich man and they reside in Europe. However, when her mother-in-law learns that her son is infertile, she begs Su Mang to get artificial insemination. When her husband learns of this, they get a divorce. Su Mang returns to China and becomes the manager of a tourism company. Here, she meets her subordinate, the kind, Zheng Chu (Zhu Ya Wen). They coincidentally become neighbors. Zheng Chu becomes her nanny/butler and helps care for her as she is pregnant. However, people start to gossip about their relationship.
Comments:
I really like this drama. I think it is a breath of fresh air because all of the other dramas on the list are very stereotypical. They are packed with romance and cliches. Though this drama has those moments, the relationship between the two main leads is a lot more mature. The female character is a strong, independent woman that don't need no man. She is blunt and unapologetic. The male lead has a different kind of charisma. Honestly speaking, he isn't the most good looking actor out there, but he is so kind and caring and funny that you can't help to fall in love with him. Have you ever seen another drama about a female lead with shopping problems so the male lead has to confiscate all of her money and credit cards? Have you ever seen another drama where the male lead has to learn to cook 100 new dishes for a pregnant woman? Only he is so kind and willing. They have cute interactions and I hope they can be together in the end.
Legend of the Dragon Pearl: The Indistinguishable Road
Episodes: 90
Synopsis:
Before the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Imperial Doctor Fan switches the Empress' daughter with the son of Li Ding Guo, a Prince or a Lord. He knew that it was crucial for the Ming to have a male heir in a crisis. After the fall of the Ming, loyal followers of the Ming escape to secret destinations, with one being Ming Zhu Gu. There, Li Yi Huan (Yang Zi), the last princess of the Ming, and Zhu Ci Xuan (Mao Zi Jun), the fake heir, are brought up by the most talented teachers, in hopes of taking back the throne. Yi Huan and Ci Xuan will one day become wife and husband, though Yi Huan has no romantic feelings for Ci Xuan. One day, Yi Huan escapes from Ming Zhu Gu to explore the capital. There she meets Long San (Qin Jun Jie), a naive, mysterious man. Yi Huan's carefree, quirky personality captures the attention of Long San. The two soon become best friends and become blood brothers, as Yi Huan pretends to be a man to conceal her identity. One thing leads to another and Yi Huan ends up entering the palace as a candidate of the emperor's potential wife. Turns out, Long San is the emperor, Kang Xi. Slowly, love blossoms between the two, but their love cannot be because Yi Huan has a fiance and Long San's ancestors killed her parents.
Review:
I am obsessed with this show. It is airing as I write this and it is a painful wait. Though 12 episodes come out once a week, I am not satisfied. Don't be intimidated by the number of episodes because each episode is around 20-30 minutes long. I can easily watch 3 episodes in an hour. The main leads are an actual couple in real life. They confirmed their relationship while filming this drama.
Though I love Kang Xi a lot, there is no escaping from the second male lead syndrome. Despite shipping Kang Xi and Yi Huan together more, I still feel so bad for Ci Xuan. He loves her and forgives her no matter what she does to himhe's so stupid. Kang Xi is always suspecting Yi Huan, while Ci Xuan treats her right, but she is constantly choosing Kang Xi over him. Comment below and tell me who you ship more.
I legit just finished the drama a second ago and here I am to update this review. The ending is horrible. I'll just say that I am shook. I think this drama should not have been 90 episodes. Honestly, this drama had a lot of potential but then things became so draggy; I thought I was watching Naruto fillers. Their relationship never really advanced. On the contrary, things backtracked and their relationship just got worse and worse. I really enjoyed their relationship at first so the rest of the drama lost its original charm for me. This is a personal preference though because the way their relationship progressed made total sense; it's just not my cup of tea. I just preferred their playful interactions instead of them trying to push each other away. The acting is very good though. I have always been a fan of Jun Jie since Prince of Tennis, and I am proud to say that I am not disappointed in his acting here. This drama has a lot of good and bad suspense. I think at the beginning, it was thrilling but as it went on, I just wanted everything to end. Literally, there are so many spies and everyone has ulterior motives. If this drama was cut 10-20 episodes shorter and had a decent ending, then I would say that this is my favorite drama of 2017 so far.
I heard rumors of a season 2 but NOTHING has been confirmed yet. I will update this if I learn of a season 2.
Eternal Love
Episodes: 24
Synopsis:
Qu Xiao Tan (Liang Jie) mysteriously travels back in time to a place very similar to Ancient China, but not quite. She ends up sharing a body with a rich girl named Qu Tan Er. Yes, I said share, not take over. Their personalities are nothing alike and they switch each time they say a lie. Xiao Tan is loud, daring and has a bit of an attitude, while Tan Er is quiet and timid. Tan Er and the Mo Yi Huai (Wang Rui Chang), the first prince, like each other but Yi Huai ends up marrying Tan Er's sister instead due to his father's orders. Tan Er is then betrothed to the eighth prince, Mo Lian Cheng (Xing Zhao Ling). Lian Cheng is more attracted to Xiao Tan while Tan Er still has feelings for Yi Huai. Xiao Tan does her best to protect the easy target, Tan Er. However, Xiao Tan knows that she has to return to her world one day but she does not want to leave Lian Cheng. To make things worse, Tan Er and Xiao Tan soon learn that they are trapped in a power struggle.
Comments:
This drama is very popular at the moment. Though it got a bit slow after the first 10 episodes, it is still a good drama. This drama has no reason not to be successful. I feel like this drama is a mix of Go Princess Go and Kill Me Heal Me and a Yang Yang lookalike. Both Go Princess Go and Eternal Love are time travel dramas with a low budget and fresh new faces and sprinkles of modern language. They also both have a cute servant, who I adore to death. The music is also good in this drama. Because it is an online drama, the budget is not very high so it lacks the beautiful costumes and architecture that you would usually see in a historical drama, but it's not that bad.
Fun fact, this drama is actually banned from broadcast because all time travel dramas are banned from broadcast.
A Love So Beautiful
Episodes: 23
Synopsis:
Chen Xiao Xi's (Shen Yue) high school years revolved around her cute neighbor and classmate, Jiang Chen (Hu Yi Tian). Chen Xiao Xi is a bright, petite girl with poor grades but a talent for art. Jiang Chen is a tall, handsome fella with great grades and a cold personality. With completely opposing personalities and qualities, no one thinks of them as a possible pair. Despite that, Xiao Xi does not give up and continues to pursue him. Together, they spend their high school years, college years, and adulthood together along with their classmates: the cool Lin Jing Xiao; the funny Lu Yuan; and the professional swimmer who also develops a crush on Xiao Xi, Wu Bo Song.
Comment:
This is a great drama to end the year off with. Probably one of the cutest dramas of this year, and possibly of all time. I do not usually squeal over anything, but every episode of this drama made me squeal from the cuteness and smile from ear to ear. Hu Yi Tian is crazy handsome. Both Jiang Chen and Wu Bo Song are great guys making it torturous to chose between the two. The friend group is also insanely cute. Lin Jing Xiao and Wu Bo Song always got Xiao Xi's back and won't let anyone hurt her. This drama has pretty slow plot development but I don't mind it.
This drama shares a similar plot to Itazura na Kiss, but I prefer this more.
Riding off of my love for Dilmurat Dilraba and Zhang Bin Bin, I decided to watch Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Mile Of Peach Blossoms.
Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Mile Of Peach Blossoms
Episodes: 58
Synopsis:
A nine-tailed fox, Bai Qian (Yang Mi), pretends to be a boy to become a disciple under Mo Yan, a great warrior. During a war with the Ghost Tribe, Mo Yan (Mark Chao) sacrifices himself to seal the Ghost Lord for 70,000 years. Before the seal breaks, Bai Qian tries to re-seal the Ghost Lord. During her battle with the Ghost Lord, the Ghost Lord casts a spell on Bai Qian causing her to fall into the mortal world and lose all of her memories and becomes a mortal named Su Su. She meets Ye Hua, the future ruler of the Sky Tribe. Despite knowing that he cannot marry a mortal, they fall in love and get married. When his relationship with Su Su is discovered, Su Su is brought to the skies. Su Jing (Huang Meng Ying), who has had a crush on Ye Hua since they were children, becomes jealous and constantly gets Su Su in trouble. Su Su ends up misunderstanding Ye Hua and commits suicide, only to return to her original identity. Not wanting to remember this sad past, she drinks a potion to forget about Ye Hua. Three hundred years later, the two meet again but this time Bai Qian is betrothed to Ye Hua and they once had a kid together.
Review:
The drama is still airing but from the 30 episodes that I have watched so far, it is pretty good. I wouldn't say that this is anything super special, but it is still a nice production. Bai Qian and Ye Hua's son is so cute. I came to see more of Bin Bin and Dilmurat but they are only supporting characters and they aren't a couple, which is disappointing. Also, this is Mark Chao's first Mainland Chinese drama so please support him. I think he looks way better in modern dramas like Black and White, but as the drama goes on, he becomes more and more handsome.
Because Of You
Episodes: 56
Synopsis:
Zhang Guo Guo (Sun Yi) is the second daughter of a wonton shop owner. She is actually the long lost daughter of a top art professor and a top embroider. After a tragic accident that revolves around her mother and her aunt's competition to become the next head embroider, Zhang Yi Bei (Guo Guo's real name) loses her memory and is found by Wang Ai Yu and her spoiled daughter, Zhang Yu Xin (Wu You). Yu Xin hates her poor life and her embarrassing family and decides to lie to the world saying she is an orphan. She shares some similarities with Yi Bei, so the Jin family, or Yi Bei's parents, financially support her and treat her as their own child. Years pass and Zhang Yu Xin is now a college graduate whose eyes are focused only on money and becoming the Jin family's daughter for real. She learns of Guo Guo's talents in embroidery and decides to stop her from being a threat to her one day. She later learns that Guo Guo is Yi Bei, so she pressures her mother to hide this secret for her. Will Yi Bei ever be able to reunite with her family?
Review:
One of my favorite Mainland Chinese dramas of all times is definitely Fifteen Years Waiting For Migratory Bird. Sun Yi plays the female lead while Deng Lun, the male lead of this drama, plays the second female lead. Though I did really like the male lead, I had the second male lead syndrome and I wanted to see more of this pairing. Then this drama came along. Finally, a drama to satisfy my dreams.
This is the Chinese version of the Korean drama, Come! Jang Bo Ri, which was very popular during its run and I watched most of it. The Korean version is a lot more intense like I was literally on the edge of my seat begging to the dear gods that the drama would end already. This drama just made me really mad that the second female lead is so evil and everyone is so stupid to fall for her tricks. Nonetheless, this drama was alright, and I absolutely love Sun Yi here.
Across the Ocean To See You
Episodes: 44
Synopsis:
Su Mang (Wang Li Kun) seems to have it all. She is married to a rich man and they reside in Europe. However, when her mother-in-law learns that her son is infertile, she begs Su Mang to get artificial insemination. When her husband learns of this, they get a divorce. Su Mang returns to China and becomes the manager of a tourism company. Here, she meets her subordinate, the kind, Zheng Chu (Zhu Ya Wen). They coincidentally become neighbors. Zheng Chu becomes her nanny/butler and helps care for her as she is pregnant. However, people start to gossip about their relationship.
Comments:
I really like this drama. I think it is a breath of fresh air because all of the other dramas on the list are very stereotypical. They are packed with romance and cliches. Though this drama has those moments, the relationship between the two main leads is a lot more mature. The female character is a strong, independent woman that don't need no man. She is blunt and unapologetic. The male lead has a different kind of charisma. Honestly speaking, he isn't the most good looking actor out there, but he is so kind and caring and funny that you can't help to fall in love with him. Have you ever seen another drama about a female lead with shopping problems so the male lead has to confiscate all of her money and credit cards? Have you ever seen another drama where the male lead has to learn to cook 100 new dishes for a pregnant woman? Only he is so kind and willing. They have cute interactions and I hope they can be together in the end.
Legend of the Dragon Pearl: The Indistinguishable Road
Episodes: 90
Synopsis:
Before the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Imperial Doctor Fan switches the Empress' daughter with the son of Li Ding Guo, a Prince or a Lord. He knew that it was crucial for the Ming to have a male heir in a crisis. After the fall of the Ming, loyal followers of the Ming escape to secret destinations, with one being Ming Zhu Gu. There, Li Yi Huan (Yang Zi), the last princess of the Ming, and Zhu Ci Xuan (Mao Zi Jun), the fake heir, are brought up by the most talented teachers, in hopes of taking back the throne. Yi Huan and Ci Xuan will one day become wife and husband, though Yi Huan has no romantic feelings for Ci Xuan. One day, Yi Huan escapes from Ming Zhu Gu to explore the capital. There she meets Long San (Qin Jun Jie), a naive, mysterious man. Yi Huan's carefree, quirky personality captures the attention of Long San. The two soon become best friends and become blood brothers, as Yi Huan pretends to be a man to conceal her identity. One thing leads to another and Yi Huan ends up entering the palace as a candidate of the emperor's potential wife. Turns out, Long San is the emperor, Kang Xi. Slowly, love blossoms between the two, but their love cannot be because Yi Huan has a fiance and Long San's ancestors killed her parents.
Review:
I am obsessed with this show. It is airing as I write this and it is a painful wait. Though 12 episodes come out once a week, I am not satisfied. Don't be intimidated by the number of episodes because each episode is around 20-30 minutes long. I can easily watch 3 episodes in an hour. The main leads are an actual couple in real life. They confirmed their relationship while filming this drama.
Though I love Kang Xi a lot, there is no escaping from the second male lead syndrome. Despite shipping Kang Xi and Yi Huan together more, I still feel so bad for Ci Xuan. He loves her and forgives her no matter what she does to him
I legit just finished the drama a second ago and here I am to update this review. The ending is horrible. I'll just say that I am shook. I think this drama should not have been 90 episodes. Honestly, this drama had a lot of potential but then things became so draggy; I thought I was watching Naruto fillers. Their relationship never really advanced. On the contrary, things backtracked and their relationship just got worse and worse. I really enjoyed their relationship at first so the rest of the drama lost its original charm for me. This is a personal preference though because the way their relationship progressed made total sense; it's just not my cup of tea. I just preferred their playful interactions instead of them trying to push each other away. The acting is very good though. I have always been a fan of Jun Jie since Prince of Tennis, and I am proud to say that I am not disappointed in his acting here. This drama has a lot of good and bad suspense. I think at the beginning, it was thrilling but as it went on, I just wanted everything to end. Literally, there are so many spies and everyone has ulterior motives. If this drama was cut 10-20 episodes shorter and had a decent ending, then I would say that this is my favorite drama of 2017 so far.
I heard rumors of a season 2 but NOTHING has been confirmed yet. I will update this if I learn of a season 2.
Eternal Love
Episodes: 24
Synopsis:
Qu Xiao Tan (Liang Jie) mysteriously travels back in time to a place very similar to Ancient China, but not quite. She ends up sharing a body with a rich girl named Qu Tan Er. Yes, I said share, not take over. Their personalities are nothing alike and they switch each time they say a lie. Xiao Tan is loud, daring and has a bit of an attitude, while Tan Er is quiet and timid. Tan Er and the Mo Yi Huai (Wang Rui Chang), the first prince, like each other but Yi Huai ends up marrying Tan Er's sister instead due to his father's orders. Tan Er is then betrothed to the eighth prince, Mo Lian Cheng (Xing Zhao Ling). Lian Cheng is more attracted to Xiao Tan while Tan Er still has feelings for Yi Huai. Xiao Tan does her best to protect the easy target, Tan Er. However, Xiao Tan knows that she has to return to her world one day but she does not want to leave Lian Cheng. To make things worse, Tan Er and Xiao Tan soon learn that they are trapped in a power struggle.
Comments:
This drama is very popular at the moment. Though it got a bit slow after the first 10 episodes, it is still a good drama. This drama has no reason not to be successful. I feel like this drama is a mix of Go Princess Go and Kill Me Heal Me and a Yang Yang lookalike. Both Go Princess Go and Eternal Love are time travel dramas with a low budget and fresh new faces and sprinkles of modern language. They also both have a cute servant, who I adore to death. The music is also good in this drama. Because it is an online drama, the budget is not very high so it lacks the beautiful costumes and architecture that you would usually see in a historical drama, but it's not that bad.
Fun fact, this drama is actually banned from broadcast because all time travel dramas are banned from broadcast.
A Love So Beautiful
Episodes: 23
Synopsis:
Chen Xiao Xi's (Shen Yue) high school years revolved around her cute neighbor and classmate, Jiang Chen (Hu Yi Tian). Chen Xiao Xi is a bright, petite girl with poor grades but a talent for art. Jiang Chen is a tall, handsome fella with great grades and a cold personality. With completely opposing personalities and qualities, no one thinks of them as a possible pair. Despite that, Xiao Xi does not give up and continues to pursue him. Together, they spend their high school years, college years, and adulthood together along with their classmates: the cool Lin Jing Xiao; the funny Lu Yuan; and the professional swimmer who also develops a crush on Xiao Xi, Wu Bo Song.
Comment:
This is a great drama to end the year off with. Probably one of the cutest dramas of this year, and possibly of all time. I do not usually squeal over anything, but every episode of this drama made me squeal from the cuteness and smile from ear to ear. Hu Yi Tian is crazy handsome. Both Jiang Chen and Wu Bo Song are great guys making it torturous to chose between the two. The friend group is also insanely cute. Lin Jing Xiao and Wu Bo Song always got Xiao Xi's back and won't let anyone hurt her. This drama has pretty slow plot development but I don't mind it.
This drama shares a similar plot to Itazura na Kiss, but I prefer this more.
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