2022 Mainland Chinese Dramas

 I am back with a list of all the 2022 Mainland Chinese Dramas that I have watched. If you are interested in my past lists, please refer to the links below. Also, this post will constantly be updated so be sure to check back in every once in a while!

2015/2016/2017/2018/2019/2020/2021

Under the Skin

Episodes: 20

Synopsis:

Shen Yi (Tan Jianci) is a talented, popular artist who also possesses a rare skill, the ability to draw age progressions. One day, he is approached by a mysterious lady who hands him a photo of a child and requests him to draw the man when he is 35 years old. Not thinking much about it, Shen Yi quickly produces the age progression portrait. Little does he know, the photo later results in the death of an excellent police officer. When brought into interrogation and asked to draw the mysterious lady's face, Shen Yi who can draw anything and anyone, could not draw the lady's face. The officer in charge of the case, as well as, the late officer's protege, Du Cheng (Jin Shijia), blames Shen Yi for the death of his mentor and tells him, "you should stop drawing, your art only harms others" which has a lasting impact on Shen Yi. After the incident, Shen Yi burns all of his art and disappears from the art world.

Seven years later, Shen Yi joins Du Cheng's team as a forensic artist determined to use his abilities to catch criminals instead. Du Cheng, still holding a grudge against Shen Yi, refuses to accept him into their team. But as the two work more closely together, Du Cheng sees the irreplaceable value Shen Yi brings to the team.

Comments:

This is not a perfect drama. I would only give it an 8/10 due to wasted potential. If you are a fan of crime-solving dramas, you might not like this drama. The cases are very short, usually only lasting 0.5 to 1.5 episodes. The cases are relatively easy to solve for the most part; many of the clues are pretty obvious and there aren't many plot twists. After the case is solved, you essentially never hear of these characters ever again so it is hard to form a bond with them.

With all that being said... I love it. Though this drama has obvious flaws and shortcomings, I couldn't help but enjoy the drama. Usually, for dramas with these flaws, I would complain about the lack of care of the scriptwriter, but not here. I see a lot of care and effort to do the best they could. Though the cases are pretty easy to solve, for the most part, I love the various social issues it comments on. Sexual assault, domestic abuse, deepfake, gender identity, human trafficking, pretty privilege, and much more. The topic of forensic artists and age progression portraits are also uncommon topics, and I liked that it brought attention to these talented officers and the work they do. Not only do they solve crimes, but they also help reunite lost families and much more.

A Dream of Splendor

Episodes: 40

Synopsis:

Set during a time when social hierarchy determined a person's future, three women from the bottom of the hierarchy attempt to hold fate in their own hands. Zhao Paner (Liu Yifei), the daughter of an official was demoted to one of the lowest social ranks, a performer (they dance or play instruments to entertain others) after her father was wrongfully convicted of a crime. After ten years, she finally rose to the rank of a businesswoman (still very low on the social hierarchy). She works night and day as a teahouse owner to support her fiance, Ouyang Xu (Xu Haiqiao), who has been preparing for the civil service exams for three years now. Her two best friends are Sun Sanniang (Liu Yan), an ex-pig killer and currently a pastry maker at her teahouse, and Song Yinzhang (Lin Yun), the best pipa player in their region.

One after another, the three friends are betrayed by the men in their life. Sanniang's husband divorces her and marries a wealthy widow, and her son also chooses to live with his father and his new wife. Yinzhang marries a wealthy, gentle merchant, only to learn that he is actually a gambling addict and domestic abuser. Paner's fiance calls off their marriage to marry the daughter of a powerful official in the Capital. Unwilling to believe that Ouyang Xu would do this to her, Paner decides to go to the Capital to question him. Hopeless and wanting to escape from this sorrowful place, Sanniang and Yinzhang decide to follow Paner on her trip. On their way there, they cross paths with Gu Qianfan (Chen Xiao), a commander in the emperor's elite detective organization who holds the nickname of the "Living Devil". He is on a secret mission to find a painting that leads to a deadly secret, and the owner of this painting happens to be Paner.

After arriving in the capital, the three girls are met with countless hurdles but with their talents and wits, the three girls grow to become the owners of the biggest restaurant in the capital and break social norms for women during that time period.

Comments:

This drama is currently one of the most controversial dramas in China. To preface, I think this drama is not bad for a historical idol drama, but sadly, it claims to be much more, which does not sit well with netizens.

First, let's talk pros. The first half of the drama was quite nice. The acting was decent; the actors are gorgeous, especially Liu Yifei, Paner did seem to be a real independent woman (a breath of fresh air in the world of idol dramas); and the interactions between the leads were subtle but full of chemistry, which is another breath of fresh air amongst all these idol dramas that try to shove sweet scenes down your throat.

However, as the drama progresses, the drama becomes no different from any other idol drama in the market. The female lead consistently needs the male lead's help; whenever things did not go their way, the girls opted for violence; the female lead is a walking encyclopedia and somehow knows everything to the point where it feels unrealistic; and more. The second half of the plot also went downhill and started to become less logical. 

However, the most controversial aspect of the drama is its comment on sex. Yes, you heard right, sex, a topic rarely discussed in Chinese idol dramas. Of the three girls, Paner and Yinzhang both were performers at one point in time. The whole drama places a lot of emphasis on the discrimination they face due to their social rank. People view performers as lesser beings and that no "proper" family would accept a performer into their family. The drama shows the girls constantly "fighting" this social norm. They work hard to run their teahouse to prove that despite their social rank, they are just as capable as anyone else. They also learn to embrace their social rank and utilize the skills they learned as a performer to differentiate their restaurant from other restaurants in the Capital. However, the drama does a very surface-level job of this and the message they spread is truly ironic. The whole idea is that everyone, regardless of their social rank, should be treated the same; however, the drama condemns prostitutes to uplift performers. In one scene, another fellow performer explains to Yinzhang that being a performer is not shameless because, unlike prostitutes who sell their bodies, performers make a living by perfecting their craft and do not need to please anyone for money. This is completely opposite of the message they want to convey. Prostitution during that time period in China was not usually by choice, but rather an occupation based off of desperation. Girls were often sold into prostitution by their own parents to help earn money for the household. Like everyone else, prostitutes are merely working hard to make ends meet and do not deserve to be viewed as lesser beings just because of their occupation and social rank. 

The drama also has an obsession with virginity. Paner repeatedly emphasizes that she never entertained anyone and definitely never had sex with any man, despite having been a performer for ten years. Qianfan, despite being a 30-year-old official, also claims to be a virgin. Both of which are very unlikely. In China, there are some performers who only sell their talent and do not offer sexual services, but most of these performers are usually the best of the best while many other performers during that time period were often expected to serve customers with more than just their talent. On the other hand, men, especially officials, frequented brothels during that time. Why are viewers so angered by this? This emphasis on their virginity spreads a message that only virgins deserve love and happiness. This conservative, unrealistic message does not sit well with viewers, resulting in much hate towards this drama.

To make matters worse, fans of this drama are calling it the best drama ever; the drama has an 8.3/10 rating on Douban (for reference Three Miles Peach Blossom has a 6.5/10 rating, The Untamed has a 7.7/10 rating, and Ashes of Love has a rating of 7.8/10) which is pretty high for an idol drama (at its peak it had over an 8.8/10 rating). Fans of the drama refuse to acknowledge any criticism of the drama and claim the drama is forward-thinking, creative, fresh, and perfect. The extreme divide in opinions resulted in multiple online wars.

Personally, my stance is that this drama does not deserve an 8.3/10 rating. I would give it a 7/10 instead. Why is the rating so high? I think fans of the drama are so obsessed with the drama not because of how good this drama actually is, but because of how terrible other dramas are. When compared to other idol dramas out there, the first 15 episodes were definitely a breath of fresh air. While other dramas had either expressionless and robotic acting or overly dramatic acting, the actors in this drama had decent acting. While other dramas had highly illogical plot lines that literally burn your brain cells as you try to figure out what is going on, the plot line in this drama was logical for the most part (only the first half). While other female leads had to be saved by the male lead in every episode, Paner saves Qianfan multiple times in this drama. While other dramas try to pack as many kiss scenes and intimate scenes in an episode as possible, during the first half of this drama, the lead's interactions were subtle but one could still feel the sparks between them. Thus, I really understand why this drama got such a high score. However, I still don't think this justifies its high score, especially with its double-standard commentary on social rank and its conservative message. The latter half of the drama also becomes more and more similar to other basic idol dramas so it got boring for me. 

Song of Life

Episodes: 13

Synopsis:

After suffering countless rejections from her dream jobs, Zhao Sanyue (Zhao Yiran), a new grad, has lost all hope in life. She spends her day scrolling mindlessly through her phone and hating everything and everyone around her. The last straw is an argument with her mother. Wanting to end it all, she attempts to jump off a bridge but is stopped by her aunt who offers her a job. Sanyue takes up the offer only to learn that this job is a mortuary makeup artist! Without any better options and in an effort to piss off her mother, Sanyue takes the job. Sanyue quickly becomes one of the most skilled mortuary artists but still fails to transition from an intern to a full-time employee because she lacks respect for the deceased and her job. Slowly, through her interactions with her coworkers and the deceased and their family and friends, Sanyue's outlook on life changes.

Comments:

If you like slice-of-life Jdramas, I think you'll enjoy this drama. This drama reminds me a lot of the Japanese drama Unnatural. While Unnatural has more of a mystery/crime-solving element to it, Song of Life is very warm and comforting to watch. However, do have a new box of tissues prepared next to you, because you will be alternating between crying tears of sadness and tears of joy.

Whether it be losing a loved one to just having a bad day, everyone can relate to this drama. Sometimes, we all need that little reminder that though life is hard, it is still something to look forward to. Time is scarce and no one knows what will happen in the future, so we need to learn to appreciate and cherish what we have right now. Tell your loved ones you love them or spend more time doing activities you enjoy. I recognize that this drama's message is very idealistic because sometimes life really is just a mess and there seems to be nothing that we can do about it. However, I still hope this drama gives you a moment of solace. 

The major theme of this drama is death, which is still taboo in China. Going to graveyards, working at mortuaries, and even saying the word death is frowned upon. Chinese people just sweep conversations about death under the rug and avoid them at all possible costs. This results in discrimination against people who work in this field who are viewed as unlucky. I'm glad this drama is starting conversations about death and showing that death is not a scary, unlucky thing. It is a part of a natural process and though sad, it deserves respect and care. Mortuary workers are not bad luck. On the contrary, they are caretakers of the deceased who help them move on in peace and with dignity.

Love Like The Galaxy

Episodes:  56

Synopsis:

On the day Cheng Shaoshang (Zhao Lusi) was born, her parents left her behind to go to war. Growing up constantly bullied by her scheming aunt and negligent grandmother, Shaoshang learned to fend for herself from a young age, resulting in her resilient, bold, and vengeful personality which often comes off as unruly and audacious. When her parents finally return from war after 15 years, their reunion is not as pleasant as she had hoped. Uneducated and unruly, she is far from her mother's vision of a perfect daughter, which results in many conflicts and misunderstandings. Thankfully, Shaoshang also meets many people who appreciate and admire her unique personality. The first being Ling Buyi (Wu Lei), the foster son of the Emperor and a talented general who was captivated by Shaoshang’s decisive, bold, and fearless personality. The second is Lou Yao (Yu Chengen), the soft-tempered, innocent son of a prominent aristocratic family. And finally, Yuan Shanjian (Li Yunrui), a reputable scholar who becomes enamored with Shaoshang after she easily solves his riddle but as a sharp-tongued, misogamist, does not start off on the right foot with Shaoshang. 

Comments:

Plot

This drama has a lot of characters and takes a long time to explain the relationships between all the characters, so if you are looking for something fast-paced and jam-packed with cute love scenes or action, this might not be for you. The first ten episodes mainly focus on Shaoshang's familial relationships and barely cover any of the romance or political plotlines. Thus, it reflects many real issues that families face and might feel dull for some. But once you get to episode 23, the drama begins to pick up speed and becomes pretty addicting.

This drama is well-praised for its excellent writing and though I think it is a bit overhyped in this aspect, I agree that the drama has a competent script. One of the major plot lines is Ling Buyi’s investigation of an old case that involves the massacre of his maternal clan, the Huo clan. This plot line bears resemblance to Nirvana In Fire as in both dramas they begin with one small case that brings out a string of events and the truth is slowly revealed. However, this drama is executed nowhere near as well as NIF but nonetheless there were no major loopholes and everything was very logical, which sadly is quite rare in C-dramas nowadays. 

The main plot line of the drama is the relationship between Shaoshang and Buyi and I think this plot line was executed pretty well. Unlike most dramas, the two did not start off mutually having feelings for each other, nor is this an enemies-to-lovers story. Instead, we slowly see the characters slowly fall in love and sort out their misunderstandings and differences.  

Characters

I watched the drama mainly for the characters. There are a ton of lovable characters, especially amongst the older generation. Everyone’s favorite character is probably the emperor. All he cares about is the peace of the nation, Buyi’s health, his empress, Buyi’s safety, Concubine Yue, and Buyi’s happiness. Literally, the most adorable character ever. 

Shaoshang is also a multifaceted character and her character brings up a rarely discussed topic in C-dramas, childhood trauma. Being “abandoned” at home, growing up away from the protection of her parents, and constantly being bullied by those around her, she developed a prickly personality. She doesn’t take BS from anyone, always takes revenge, refuses to conform to society’s standards, yearns for freedom, and is highly pessimistic. She never received love growing up so she doesn’t know how to give or accept love. She doesn’t open up easily, is extremely protective of herself, and pushes many people away due to her unfamiliarity with love, but in reality, she needs love, care, and patience, more than anyone. I like that the drama goes to great lengths to show the influence childhood trauma has on Shaoshang because it shows the importance of childhood development. A lot of parents, especially Asian parents, dismiss the importance of healthy childhood development, then proceed to not understand why their children feel distant from them. Hopefully, the drama can help start conversations about the importance of childhood development. Also, there’s a lot more to a person than what we see, so we should not quickly make judgments about someone without knowing their full story and experiences. 

Cinematography 

The drama is stunning. The drama places a lot of emphasis on the night sky, wide landscape shots, and beautiful, intimate scenes. 

Overall, beautiful cinematography, nice romance, lovable characters, good acting, and a well-executed script. A solid 7.5-8/10 from me. Points are mainly taken off for pacing.