This review may contain spoilers
Romance done right!
With a lot of heart and humour and without the usual drawn out misunderstandings.The ML steals the show for me as he shows much more range in this role and pulled it off all beautifully! FL was good but her long fingernails were a bit of a distraction for me.
Instead of the common 1 person transmigrating into a book, we have a few this time and it creates for some unique touches to the storyline.*
I love it when a story can give me few little extras that I haven’t seen before, like the second FL, doctor and little mute girl.
So glad to have a nice happy ending that did not seem too abrupt.
Note: The OST reminds me of Love Between Fairy & Devil - both the singer and the way the music crescendoes dramatically in a nice way.
* spoiler: can you imagine growing into an adult trapped in a different world? So so sad when this was revealed.
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Chaotic fun with intensely beautiful visuals
One of the most unique and fun dramas I've ever watched! Intense visuals, chaotic plot lines, and absurd humor.The leads' partnership is such a beautiful thing to witness. They truly treat each other as equals and in a entirely strange new world, they only have each other. It's easy to see how their relationship developed into love especially with the ML's tender eyes. Zhang San truly carried the drama with his duality as the mad tyrant and silly jokester.
Honestly, I felt no butterflies with their romance which was weird because I love the he fell first AND harder trope. The chemistry was there but it felt underdeveloped. I didn't swoon or cry. Their love just wasn't the focal point of the story. It was a fight for survival and going against the script, not romance.
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How Dare You be funny and emotional and heartbreaking and hilarious all at once?!?!
As the headline suggests, this drama has it all.We have the almost Mary Sue-esque heroine who is smart, kind, beautiful, cunning, strategic, funny, brave and reckless.
We have the hero who seems a fool in the beginning but turns out to be a lot of different things, as well as a fool soemtimes.
We have the main couple chemistry, which is so good, they play off each other so well, they are very compatible and it can be seen and heard and felt.
We have the merry band of characters, found family trope done beautifully (though not without pain or heartbreak).
We have villains who have their own reasons and motives and are often smart and powerful and obviously evil.
We have sacrifices for the plot, the cause, the story. We have badass moments by both hero and heroine. We have several comedic scenes, tragic scenes, melodramatic scenes, annoying scenes.
All in all, we have a lot of the best things one looks for in a drama. Then what went wrong, why not a full 10?
The can-do-no-wrong heroine, the confusing way plot setting was shown/discussed which made me seek out explanations on various sites, the insufficient amount of Cheng Lei gone crazy scenes, all contribute to it.
The worst however is the ending.
A show like this needed more than just a 3 second meetup in the public transportation system. It required seeing Zhang San come back to a 15year old's body having lived a lifetime as the abused child/mad tyrant/ benevolent king, having to reconcile with it all while no one understood him and what he went through, having to wait a decade until he could meet her again!!!! I'm not even going in details of all that I wanted to see here (might do it on a tumblr rant), but tl;dr the writers dropped the ball
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This review may contain spoilers
absolutely worth it.
watching this drama made me Patient. I usually watch already aired dramas but this time I had to endure the suffering... it was worth it.plot: nothing groundbreaking. we saw this plot a million time. modern girl ends up as the character of a novel... and here comes the plot twist.. she in not the only one!
right here we have evidence that you can play with the same old trope but enrich it with some spice.
what should I say?
characters: absolutely adorable.
the main couple has a strong chemistry and their characters make sense. they are also funny and played by exceptional actors.
some honoble mentions: secondary characters were fantastic. I absolutely adored Mr bei the martial art master.
yong'er: girl I despised you as much as I liked you.
the mean prince: the actor did such an amazing job. you really end up hating him.
the cast was stellar overall.
soundtrack: loved it. already added some songs into my playlist.
complaints: I don't have strong ones but I feel something was missing plot wise.
I didn't read the novel so I am basing this analysis entirely on the drama.
some parts where not clear to me.
Yong'er: I don't know where she is from. when talking about their normal life the FL mentions Beijing and yong'er is clearly confused. I deduce she is not from "our world".
I saw some comments mention that she is actually from another book.. I don't know.
the crown prince: he should be the emperor son.. but the timelines don't ally. the drama used the same actor to indicate that the crown prince and the emperor look alike at the same age, but if the crown prince is also fifteen like Zhang San was, he cannot be his son.
Qiang state: we never see this rival state mentioned until the empress dowager dies. weird. tu' Er is the prince of another nation, why not bring the Qiang state into the picture. I don't know.
the final scene: I don't quite get if that was a "what if" scenario or if they really came back.
Zhang er: in the early episodes he mentioned that he was waiting for someone but that someone wasn't our FL. who was it then?
maybe I was too distracted.
overall this "plot holes" are not that important in order to enjoy the story.
the drama is a good mix of romance, comedy and political intrigue.
no filler episodes.
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Jumanji Cdrama Style
Wang Cui Ha is an average editor working for a company that produces drama. She is tasked to edit a novel for an adaptation, and while reading through the novel, she somehow woke up as Yu Wanyin, a supporting character who is the emperor’s consort, that met her demise quite early in the story. To her surprise, when the emperor summoned her to his chamber for the first time, she found out that he too was a transmigrator when he managed to communicate with her in english. As both characters, The emperor and concubine Yu were secondary characters that would die very soon in the novel, Yu Wanyin decided to ally with the emperor to change the course of the story into their favour.I started this series with a low bar for a romcom. Actually i did not look at the tagged genre, i just assumed it was romcom due to the opening theme and the early scenes of the series. And because most of novel transmigration series that ive seen rarely manage to hold my attention span (other than A Dream Within a Dream, that one was good!), i did not have much expectation on this, despite it having one of notable actor Ryan Cheng. Boy was I wrong. Other than the FL who was written so perfectly well, i really love the twisty unexpected plots too. And i was so not ready for the emotional turmoil they had in store in the last 10 episodes. The cast managed to induce enough emotion that i could really feel through the screen. Why did i mention Jumanji although there was no wildlife coming to life from the book into the real world? It was the Emperor, Xiahou Dan. He was trapped inside the novel for more than 10 years, basically growing up inside the book, which reminds me of the character in Jumanji who was trapped for almost 20 years inside a game. Such a sad life. So sad that he had to guard against others while growing up, getting poisoned by the Empress Dowager in order to drive him into madness.
Although both ML and FL were transmigrators, i could really feel the bonds they developed for the 2D characters they met in the novel. They did not look or feel fake like how i felt with other novel transmigration series that I’ve seen. I noticed that the main reason I don’t quite like novel transmigration stories is because the transmigrator’s relationship with other novel characters look fake (as they are a real person from a real world while the others are just creation of the author). Amazingly it was not the case in How Dare You! For this one, I’ll have to commend the screenwriter and the cast for making it look and feel real.
And although both main characters do not know any martial art, viewers can still feast on good action choreograph executed by those around the mainleads, their shadow guards, and Mr Bei.
I am actually impressed with Ryan Cheng. I’ve seen quite a lot of his works starting from My Journey To You, and I must say he managed to develop chemistry with all his co-stars that I’ve seen so far. That is talent, on his part and his co-lead of course, but I can only comment on his performance since I’ve seen many of his works and not quite as many of his co-stars. It also worths to note that this is also the first of Ryan’s work that I saw he not donning the general’s mantel or wielding any weapon with exceptional martial skill. Oh he didnt go bare-chested too 😂😆 it’s a fresh take to see him in a different type of character with a whole different emotional range and skillset.
I am especially smitten by the wonderful themesongs, notably Blazing Light by Curley Gao. The first time i heard it, i quickly told myself this must be curley gao and when i searched for the song on youtube, yup it was her indeed.
All in all, this series went waaaaay beyond my expectation that i feel it deserves a high rating. Kudos to the cast and production team!
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Besties to Lovers
Yu Wan Yin and Xiahou Dan are so chaotic 😅 I have watched a lot of transmigration series and I loved this one because they didn't pretend like they weren't from the future. I like that they were both smart about their actions too.You will like alot of characters in this drama.
I got mixed up with Yu Wan Yin met Xiahou Po at the SOS flower garden. But I guess that was because the emperor and Xiahou Po looked exactly alike when he was a child.
Anyways LOVED Yu Wan Yin and Xiahou Dan their chemistry!
For the ending, I usually get disappointed because they dont do much other than meeting each other in real like and the end.
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Just another in-book universe
I must be honest, Cheng Lei is what pulled me to this drama. I usually don't end up liking the "travel inside a book universe". Why don't I stop watching them? Because they almost always include my favorite actors in their cast.Which was the case for this drama too.
I must also admit that I liked this drama, very much (YAY) but I do have some issues with it.
We follow Cui Ha as she has to complete a novel for work but while reading it she finds herself transmigrated into the story itself as Yu Wanyin, the demonic consort. With vague memories of a story she skimmed through, she plots to better her character's storyline but in order to do this she must change her entire character. Thankfully, she discovers she's not the only outworlder in this book. The emperor (Xiahou Dan), whom her character is destined to assassinate, appears to be a transmigrater too and together they set out to change their narritives and hope for a better outcome.
The show is funny, quirky and uses an otherwise dark script to make viewers feel everything. I didn't expect to be so immersed but I found myself ugly sobbing when one of the major characters died but found myself laughing at something the characters did only moments after. It's a perfect emotional rollercoaster like that. I ended up feeling for characters I initially didn't like, hated characters I initially liked and was really into the series. The characters are fun, well-written and layered.
What I truly liked about this drama is:
- I loved the friendship between Wanyin and Xie Yong. I was relieved to see Xie Yong wasn't used as a comic relief character after the girls became friends.
- The difference in character of Xiahou Dan. He's so goofy and kind when he's with Wanyin but he's this all powerful tyrant whenever he has to play the emperor. The amount of aura Cheng Lei can build in characters like these is beyond words.
- I loved how strong Wanyin was throughout the story. She doesn't take bullshit for an answer and, even without any real power, she makes sure she reaches her goals.
- Characters I thought would be boring additions to the inner circle became very interesting.
- I knew Tang Xiao Tian from "Story of Pearl Girl" and didn't believe that the cutie from that drama could produce a convincing villain but DAYUM did he prove me wrong.
The issues I have with this drama are (mostly due to lost subtext/context during chinese to english translations, I think) that some of it really didn't make any sense.
The inclusion of the "Zhang San Diaries" as an extra story didn't make any sense because (I believe) we didn't know that was Xiahuo Dan's real world name and the actor playing him as a child is the same actor who plays his son in the main timeline. I thought it was about the crown prince and the first two episode only confused me more. I skipped the third only to find out in the fourth that it was about young Xiahou Dan.
The ending didn't make sense because how can someone, who's been inside a book universe for over a decade, funtion normally within the real world? Or is it like a subconciousness thing? That a part of him in inside the book? It just leaves me with a lot of questions.
A lot of stuff in the last couple of episodes happened off screen which turned some situations random. They were explained later on but it made it seem rushed and haphazardly put together.
Another major issue I had was the end credits. Without warning they plopped up and spoilerd in a big way. It literally shows one of the last scenes of the last episode and tells you how the series will end. Scenes that should have put me on the edge of my seat didn't anymore because I knew it would turn out some type of way.
I kind of wished they would've made it into a story without using the pretense of a book universe. Wanyin hardly knew anything about the major plotlines because she skimmed through the book and Xiahou Dan was already integrated into the story so much he had forgotten most of his previous life. I know it was a bigger theme within the story, that both of them came from the real world but I believe the story could have stood on its own.
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Hilarious comedy
Wang CuiHua transmigrates into a drama she was tasked to improve, only to find herself cast as the villain in a Xia kingdom palace. Worse still, her character does not have a happy ending. Deeply in love with Prince Duan, she is instead offered to the emperor by her ambitious father, who hopes to climb the ranks through her.The emperor is known to be a ruthless tyrant who does not hesitate to kill his consorts. Brought before him to serve, CuiHua is nearly cast aside and buried until she begs for her life. To her surprise, she discovers that he is also a transmigrator.
Armed with only a skimpy knowledge of the drama—having rushed through the script—she must now not only save herself, but also the emperor, who was assassinated in the original story. They begin to suspect that there may be other transmigrators as well. It is a precarious situation: both of them were villains in the original plot, surrounded by enemies. If others know the story, they would likely try to eliminate them. Worse still, as they plot their course, the story begins to change and deviate from the original, leaving them uncertain about what lies ahead.
This drama appears to be a remake of a similar 2025 production, which was rated much lower at 7.5 on MyDramaList. I nearly skipped it on iQIYI, as I usually avoid dramas rated below 8. Fortunately, a second search led me to this newer, better-rated version. Having not watched the earlier one, I cannot make a comparison. Also, the trope of being drawn into a play and becoming a character is all too familiar—another reason I almost passed on this drama. As it turns out, it is well worth watching.
The drama is both hilarious and comical, yet at the same time intense. At its core is a three-way power struggle among Prince Duan, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor. The Emperor begins as the underdog. Transmigrated at a young age, he was raised by the Dowager as a puppet, with no real authority or military backing. In contrast, Prince Duan controls the military, while the Dowager dominates the court. The arrival of CuiHua, however, shifts the balance. With a capable strategist by his side, the Emperor finds himself in a more advantageous position. How it all unfolds keeps the tension high.
Wang Chu Ran's and Ryan Cheng's on-screen chemistry is excellent and carries the story effectively. While the second leads also perform well, Una Jingru You, a support lead, deserves special mention for convincingly portraying both male and female personas. She plays in one of the most heart-rending moments - the death of a comrade, who, longing to see better days for the kingdom, succumbs to illness on a snowy winter day before that hope can be realised.
The music, however, feels somewhat monotonous. Many tracks share the same sweet, sentimental tone and are not particularly memorable, though a couple do stand out does stand out a little more.
Overall, this is a well-produced drama—with lovely costumes especially for the main leads, realistic CGI, excellent acting, and an engaging power struggle. It is certainly worth the time: entertaining, intense, and filled with moments of genuine laughter.
I debated between an 8.5 and a 9, but ultimately decided on a 9.
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Great cast with a decent plot
Although the drama has been primarily promoted as a comedy, and while I didn't dislike it in that aspect, I feel its strongest moments are undoubtedly the most serious. The conflicts and obstacles are quite simple and predictable; the tension never quite explodes, and the stakes don't feel entirely convincing.However, its greatest strength lies in the casting and character development. Both the main and supporting characters are very well-developed, which makes a script without too many surprising elements stand out more than one might expect within its genre.
Up until episode 10, I was enjoying it, but it didn't strike me as anything exceptional; I kept watching mainly because of the performances of the main cast. From then on, I started to connect more with the story, although not all parts interested me equally, and it never completely captivated me. And since that's important to me, it's the reason I only give it a 7.5/10: as much as the characters and their performances fascinated me, they don't quite compensate for a plot I consider somewhat weak.
I want to especially highlight Wang Churan, the only member of the main cast I hadn't seen before, and who completely captivated me; every time she appeared on screen, my attention was drawn to her. In contrast, the Empress as the antagonist struck me as unconvincing, almost cartoonish, while Prince Duan seemed a much more complete and better-developed character.
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Interesting storyline with suspense and a little funny.
This has a transmigration-into-a-novel storyline, which I’m not particularly fond of. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did enjoy the leads. I thought it was good—it held my attention and moved along at a nice pace. The novel they entered could have been stronger. The cast was solid, and the side stories drew me in, though they could have been developed more. There’s court politics between princes and palace harem infighting, with well-acted drama that also includes some funny moments. Amid the leads trying to figure out how to survive the novel’s plot, there’s a bit of romance, which for me always makes a drama more enjoyable.With this drama being fantasy it did blur the lines between what could be believable or not.
That being said the drama was carefree viewing. There were some hard choice tragic moments that will break your heart, but you move on quickly.
One thing that is unclear to me is how the antagonists knew so much about what the leads were dong.
All in all liked the leads and the drama and gave it a fair score.
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A Breath of Fresh Air
Finally writing my review!At first I was not particularly into the drama, but I found it very funny and light, and it ended up being a pleasant surprise.
A rare and healthy romance
I am not a fan of friends-to-lovers romance developments, but here I really loved it. Because I like intense romance, I was not especially obsessed with the couple at the beginning, but when they started showing softness and attraction toward each other it was so cute. And it feels really good to see a healthy relationship like theirs, I think this is so RARE and it feels quite refreshing. Especially in cdramas, where we often see misunderstandings come out of nowhere (like characters are perfectly rational all along, and then out of nowhere they fail to grasp something that would obviously make sense to them), so it was nice that there were none of that here.
The beauty of diverse relationships
What I loved the most is the diversity of relationships shown in this drama: friendship, romantic love, an almost filial bond between Mr. Bei and the little girl, fellowship, respect for an enemy, caring for the people and their opposites. All the characters have a precise role, either as individuals or as a group (like the concubines), and I enjoyed most of them.
Light but not shallow
I liked the fact that it gets heavier at times and then lightens back up. Overall, this is still more of a comedy than anything else. Unlike Yu Wanyin, I also kept in mind throughout that this was all a story and did not get too attached, but I think the fact that the drama shows us this is even more of a testament to what a great story it is, especially when we know the original plot and see how everything ultimately unfolds with the two main characters and Xie Yonger's actions.
A plot that serves its purpose
The plot may be the least interesting element here, I had no particular expectations and was only moderately captivated by the overall story and schemes. But I think this is precisely the intention of the producers, or at least the effect they would naturally provoke in viewers. This is well illustrated through the character of Yu Wanyin, who at first just wants to save the emperor and herself, but whose heart gradually softens through the wonderful people she meets. I also liked the fact that when it comes to her father from the book, she always refuses to see him so that he can remain just a character in a story. I was already a little protective of him because he was so sweet and was being targeted by the court.
Props to the on-screen team
The costumes and makeup, especially Yu Wanyin's and the concubines', were SO beautiful! The acting is very nice too.
Conclusion
Most of all, there was not really anything that upset me. I think most of the drama was smooth and well done. A drama that does not make you absolutely passionate can feel refreshing in its own way, and this one managed to be exactly that.
There is one thing I have been thinking about that I don't think we ever got an answer for: which period of time was Xie Yonger from? Is it an alternative future? I did some research and Beijing has always been fairly well known, so I'm not sure what to make of it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Almost Perfect
I like to give 10/10 for dramas I like. I tend to be generous even if there are flaws. I really want to give this a 10, but can't because of two things.First, what worked really well:
1) Sismance, or enemies to friends. The show is clear about how horrible it is to be in the harem--how the women have no choice but to backstab each other for survival. I love how the FL turns competitive consorts into friends. It was such a breath of fresh air to see women lift each other up, instead of the norm in c-dramas of women backstabbing each other.
2) Relationship between the FL and 2FL. Not only do they go from enemies to best friends, but I thoroughly enjoyed their joint scheming.
3) The FL saves the ML multiple times--whether it's his life, his heart, or his mind in becoming a good leader.
4) Female empowerment. The story always centers around the FL. Of course, the ML is also prominent, but she is the central axis. It was so satisfying to see an empress rule alongside her emperor. I also liked how she started the schools for girls.
5) The other strong female characters--even the ones you loved to hate.
6) A really great twist.
7) The scenery and sets are gorgeous.
8) The costumes are beautiful.
9) Even the villain is eye candy.
Why I couldn't give it a 10:
1) The ML was downright cruel in two separate incidents: when he punishes her by punishing her loved ones (the secret guards); and when he allows her to keep thinking that he is dead. She forgives him way too easily. Also, him drugging her was gross. I'm sick of male characters doing awful things to female characters supposedly because they are trying to protect them. The women shouldn't need protection FROM the men they love. There are ways to be good partners without doing messed-up things.
2) Death of Consort Xie and no mention of her in the present timeline. Did the death in the novel mean a death for her in real life? It would've been great to see her in the end, even briefly as another passenger on the subway.
If the two things above don't make you angry, I'd recommend the show.
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