DurianLover

I agree with you

Honestly, I've never really relied on MDL ratings. This site is mainly used by international viewers, and they tend to prefer "idol dramas". As a result, popular romance dramas often receive very high ratings here and can sometimes be a bit overrated.

As for realistic and high-quality dramas (what we usually call "mainstream dramas" in mainland China), international viewers tend to be less interested in them, so they often receive lower ratings on MDL.

It's actually quite common to see award-winning dramas and even masterpieces in mainland China getting surprisingly low scores on MDL. So yeah, MDL ratings can be fun to look at, but I wouldn't use them as the ultimate benchmark for a drama's quality.

Just a friendly reminder: try not to use MDL ratings as the ultimate measure of a drama's quality 😅 This site (MDL) is mainly used by international viewers, and naturally, they tend to be more familiar with and enjoy "idol dramas".

Many high-quality dramas in mainland China (what we usually call "mainstream dramas") often receive relatively low ratings from international viewers. Some of them are considered masterpieces in China and have even won prestigious awards, yet their MDL ratings can be surprisingly low.

Note:
- Mainstream drama = prioritizing storytelling, complex plots, and strong acting.
- Idol drama = focusing more on romance, visuals, and popular celebrities who attract strong fan engagement.

Please, don’t compare Nirvana in Fire and Pursuit of Jade. They’re on completely different levels 😄

Nirvana in Fire is widely considered a masterpiece and one of the best dramas ever made in mainland China. The storytelling is top-notch, the acting is phenomenal, and it’s honestly hard to find any major flaws. It even won the Outstanding Television Drama Award at the Flying Apsaras Awards (Feitian Awards), the highest government honor and one of the most prestigious awards in the Chinese TV industry.

As for Pursuit of Jade, it’s an idol drama with popular actors, so naturally their fans are very active in promoting and supporting it. It also gets a lot more exposure among international audiences, which helps generate plenty of online buzz.

But when it comes to quality, I personally think there’s a huge gap between the two. Whether it’s the writing, acting, or overall production, Pursuit of Jade simply isn’t on the same level as Nirvana in Fire. Even its ratings in mainland China has been fairly average.

So yeah, both dramas have their own audience, but I don’t think they belong in the same conversation when it comes to overall quality.

P.S. Don’t be surprised that PoJ has a high rating here. MDL is a site mainly used by international audiences, and they tend to give higher ratings (sometimes even overrated ones) to idol dramas that are popular in the international market 😄

I watched it on iQIYI platform with English subtitles

Don’t worry 😄 These ratings are from international viewers. On this site, "mainstream dramas" usually get lower scores, while "idol dramas" tend to get overrated because they’re more popular with international fans.

But FYI, this drama was actually very well received in mainland China, and the ratings are also really high.

Note:
- Mainstream drama = more focused on realistic stories, complex plots, and strong acting
- Idol drama = more focused on romance, visuals, and popular attractive actors to attract fandom attention

I like this drama so much. It gives us the complexity and dynamics of life; love, friendship, family matters, careers, neighborhood issues, etc.

P.S. Wanghe (played by Ou Hao) looked even more charming in the adult era. His hairstyle and glasses made him look so mature, fresh, and... sexy 😄

The rating score given by international netizens on this site is indeed quite overrated. Maybe it’s because this is an idol drama, and many international fans tend to favor the idol and romance genres, especially when their favorite actors are involved hence the high score. That usually happens, but over time, the score will slowly go down, just like what happened with many other dramas. But FYI, in mainland China, the rating for this drama is actually considered just so-so, only 6.4 out of 10. Overall, the drama is generally considered average in quality.

There is romance in this drama, but it’s not the main focus. The story is more about the lives and dynamics of people living around the world heritage canal area. Trust me, the story is way deeper and more emotional than you might expect, it's full of ups and downs like a roller coaster. Every character has their own growth and journey.

And about the romance, yes, it’s a happy ending 😄 The ML & FL get married and end up happy, and the other characters also get good endings. The romance feels natural and sweet, not forced at all. Honestly, the friendship between the main characters is one of the best things about this drama.

Just give it a try, you probably won’t regret it.

The rating score given by international netizens on this site is indeed quite overrated. Maybe it’s because this is an idol drama and it’s currently very popular. That usually happens, but over time, the score will slowly go down, just like what happened with many other dramas. But FYI, in mainland China, the rating for this drama actually isn’t that good, only 6.4 out of 10. This drama is generally considered average in quality.

The rating score given by international netizens on this site is indeed quite overrated. Maybe it’s because this is an idol drama and it’s currently very popular. That usually happens, but over time, the score will slowly go down, just like what happened with many other dramas. But FYI, in mainland China, the rating for this drama actually isn’t that good, only 6.2 out of 10. The drama is generally considered average in quality.

It’s okay, that’s pretty normal. This site (MDL) is mostly used by international viewers, and their taste usually leans more toward idol dramas (more visuals, less focus on the story). Meanwhile, more serious dramas like Wild Bloom don’t really appeal as much to international audiences. But in mainland China, it was actually very successful. It even got nominated at the Magnolia Awards, and Zhao Liying was nominated for Best Actress too.

I agree with you. I think Pursuit of Jade is good, but not a masterpiece. For me, true masterpieces are dramas like Empresses in the Palace (2012), Nirvana in Fire (2015), Joy of Life S1 (2019), and Joy of Life S2 (2024).

The Chinese drama masterpiece, Nirvana in Fire (2015) consistently held the highest rating of 9.1 on MDL for many years. However, only in the past few months has the score slightly dropped to 9.0 as the number of viewers increased and some of them gave lower ratings.

During its airing, Hidden Love (2023) also reached a score of 9.1. But over time, it dropped to 9.0. So far, Hidden Love is still the Chinese drama with the most viewers and voters on MDL. As more people continue to rate it, the score gradually becomes more representative of the overall audience opinion.

Right now, Pursuit of Jade is holding a 9.1 rating during its airing, probably because it’s currently hyped. But it still has only a few episodes released, and the number of voters isn’t very representative yet. So just wait and see, the score will likely go up and down as time passes.

The Chinese drama masterpiece, Nirvana in Fire (2015) consistently held the highest rating of 9.1 on MDL for many years. However, only in the past few months has the score slightly dropped to 9.0 as the number of viewers increased and some of them gave lower ratings.

During its airing, Hidden Love (2023) also reached a score of 9.1. But over time, it dropped to 9.0. So far, Hidden Love is still the Chinese drama with the most viewers and voters on MDL. As more people continue to rate it, the score gradually becomes more representative of the overall audience opinion.

Right now, Pursuit of Jade is holding a 9.1 rating during its airing, probably because it’s currently hyped. But it still has only a few episodes released, and the number of voters isn’t very representative yet. So just wait and see, the score will likely go up and down as time passes.

The story is pretty light and fun with a mix of 50% comedy and 50% angst.

Sorry, but Fluorished Peony is still much better than those dramas you mentioned 😊 (in terms of total viewerships, rating score, and awards).

This is totally normal. The more votes there are, the more accurate the score gets. Ratings going up and down is completely normal and happens all the time.

This is totally normal. The more votes there are, the more accurate the score gets. Ratings going up and down is completely normal and happens all the time.

Very easy for me 😄

1. Lusi is getting older and becoming more mature.

2. The makeup style is adjusted to fit the drama’s character. FYI, Lusi did her own makeup for this drama.

3. Lusi has never had any surgery or anything like that. She has repeatedly emphasized that she’s never had any facial surgery