Eleison

This is interesting, I wasn't familiar with the idol vs. serious drama reputation with Cdramas.

That's why it's in a spoiler tag. 😉 So you don't have to read it if you don't want to, and so it doesn't clutter the thread.

So, I wrote a lot, be warned! 😅

I have watched more Cdramas of late than Kdramas because the Kdramas are hit and miss if you've caught up with all the good ones and don't want to risk trying a currently airing drama. There are so many Cdramas I have yet to see, and many of them seem to stick the landing more consistently than Kdramas (particularly of late).

I'll start with the cons.

Some of my gripes about Cdrama is they're impossible to binge (WAY too long) so you have to find a way to get through them in pieces but also not have huge gaps between viewings because then it's hard to keep track of the plot (if it's a period Cdrama, in particular, as they have a lot of moving parts, characters, politics and scheming, usually). Some of them are also a little less progressive or healthy in the way they portray relationships (sometimes they feel more like Kdramas from the early 2010s with the toxic male leads), but this really depends on the drama, as some dramas are very progressive and healthy in the way they portray relationships (I would say it's more common in xianxia to get dark, toxic relationships, and at times wuxia, but the costume/pseudo historical romance dramas that focus more on stories around the imperial court or nobles close to the emperor tend to have very progressive female/male lead dynamics to the point where it feels anachronistic often (in a way I don't mind!).

Wuxia are largely pseudo-historical storylines that have a lot of martial arts featured; Joy of Life, Blood of Youth, and Nirvana in Fire (ish--this is also a costume drama and more realistic than most period Cdramas in some ways) and dramas like this are wuxia, and everyone featured in the story is usually exclusively human/mortal and about students of a particularly martial arts sect studying under masters of their sect and cultivating their unique and/or high levels of kung fu, while xianxia (which I have struggled to get into), leans more heavily into the fantastical and mythological, featuring mortals, immortals, demons (not really in the Western sense), monsters, spirits, etc. and different realms where mortals, immortals and demons dwell; xianxia has a lot more CGI, pain and suffering of the leads (but especially the ML), and often features reincarnation of some sort. They are more of an acquired taste, and can feel a little over-the-top for me. I watched Legend of Shen Li (quite good, actually) and Starry Love (kind of a parody of the xianxia genre), and I enjoyed them both a lot; they gave me hope I can like xianxia if I can curate which ones I watch. This drama I believe is technically xianxia-ish (since it has the FL as a spirit in the demon realm, essentially). I'd say xianxia is a tough "first watch" Cdrama.

Another gripe is there is an even greater emphasis on/glorifying of overwork (present in Kdramas, but much more obvious in Cdramas), and the government is almost never portrayed negatively (if you think Kdramas are censored, Cdramas take the cake for a high level of censorship). Sometimes I don't mind since it's nice to not always sees stories about corrupt leadership, but I just have to keep in mind that this element is most likely fantastical. Humans (the government) are just not that good-willed when they hold power, so any portrayal of that kind is largely unrealistic.

Those are my main gripes. The positives are that some stories are beautifully told, and highly enjoyable and consistent from start to finish. Because of censorship they are also very "clean," largely, like many Kdramas, and the acting is often very good with high production value. They write epic, immersive pseudo historical costume dramas that are just on a scale you never get in a Kdrama. I tend to like more of the costume dramas (that are not fully wuxia, nor xianxia, but which feel vaguely "historical"). Some of the modern romance dramas feel too pristine and perfect or everyone overworks or the guys are too aggressive for me. Those are my main gripes with them.

My top recs off the top of my head to try:
-Reset (a 15 episode drama, which is very rare in being so short. This is modern and a suspenseful mystery/sci-fi-esque drama; very light on romance; Mobius is similar, but not QUITE as well done; still a good watch; Under The Skin is also good and kind of similar in vibe but more of a buddy cop drama, with a twist)
-Nirvana in Fire 1 and 2 (wuxia/costume drama; these are maybe not a good first watch, but they are BEAUTIFULLY written; the first season takes some patience, but it's the closest thing to a masterpiece I've seen in drama form, and season 2 is also just rich, poignant and powerful)
-Joy Of Life (1 and 2) (wuxia/costume--very popular due to it's great martial arts and twisty, well-acted plot); some similar wuxia dramas that are pretty good: Guardians Of The Dafeng, and Ever Night (great score, AMAZING fights scenes, controversial romance))
-Costume romance dramas that have strong female leads and somewhat anachronistic relationships as well as some wuxia elements: A Dream of Splendor, Who Rules The World, New Life Begins, The Double (kind of soapy), Love Like The Galaxy, Flourished Peony (and its second season, In The Name Of Blossom), and Blossom, to name a few. All highly recommended!
-Meet Yourself (romance, slice of life; cozy, adorable, and will make you want to travel to Yunnan Province 😅)
-Modern romance which are super popular but for me just okay (not my all-time favs since modern romance Cdramas I sometimes have issues with (gripes specific to each drama 😅)): Hidden Love, First Frost, You Are My Glory, Go Ahead, When I Fly Towards You, and Love Me Love My Voice, The Love You Give Me (Love Between Lines--I actually really liked this one).

Cdramas also do a lot of bromance and borderline censored danmei (same-sex) romance so if you're not into that check the comments and tags and that can help you curate which are just friendship dramas and which are closet BLs. 😉 (Untamed, for instance, is widely popular, but a censored BL, essentially. I hear it's not present enough to pass censorship, but definitely enough for viewers to sense and enjoy for those that are into that; it's really common, just fyi. BLs are deeply frowned upon as acceptable forms of media in China, but many creatives writing Cdramas seem to manage to get some version of them past censorship to many people's extreme delight; there seems to be a significant viewer demand for it).

Those are my extensive thoughts on Cdrama! 😅

Arthur Chen does have a kind of solid presence as a convincing military figure. He doesn't just look pretty (though I admit his poofy wig on top is a little too poofy for me and could come down in height an inch or so 😅), he convinces as someone athletic and agile. I felt the same about his role in Ever Night, which made him a tough act to follow in Season 2 when Dylan Wang tried. After I got used to his way of acting he really embodied the character and I was sold. I also like that he's got some of that same confident, playful, cheekiness as in Ever Night as he does it well.

And they're both listed as guest roles. 😬

I felt like there was a lot of CG in POJ as well. Shots were beautiful, but very little (imo) looked "real." It was really obvious what was a set/CG and what wasn't.

My worry is Chen Ying in the cast list is a guest role, and there's a teenage actor for him as well. There must be a time skip? So far his part seems larger than a guest role, though.

I would not use the word coherent to describe POJ. Well-acted and gorgeous, I will admit.

Yes, that's true, though in England, if William and Charles passed while George was a child, he would have a regent "rule" mostly for him until he was 18. Maybe they have something like that here, too (his mom?), they just haven't shown that person?

I just feel like it's also kind of a missed opportunity for the story, since having a brother as king who's an adult provides lots of fodder for a story (loved the dynamic between the brothers in King 2 Hearts). But hey, maybe it will end up being really cute and sweet this way? 🤷‍♀️

Of course, but in the modern era it feels weird, since very few people anymore see any relevance to preserving "bloodlines," or believe in the connection between bloodlines and the right to authority. We know that the ability to "rule" a country is not a genetic trait that gets passed down. 😉

"... even though for once she is the rich girl!" 😅

I second this! Skip him until he becomes relevant to the plot, which is the last 1/3.

Define "terrible" in this case. 😅

I loved it; though, if you mean by it terrible, that it's a flawed drama, then I agree with you. But all these old Kdramas had issues (like BOFs or Princess Hours!), and yet I just loved them. There's something cozy about them that allowed me to look past their flaws to enjoy them.

The first 1/3 is rough to get past, but it is where we see bits of growth begin and groundwork laid. I also ended up really liking the FL after getting used to her portrayal. I am a sucker for character arcs, so I ended up loving the ML's arc. I also love alternate universe Korean monarchy dramas, so... I ended up enjoying more than I anticipated.

I just mostly skipped the villain's scenes (I also found the ML's sister a little tiresome) until he became important to the plot. His scenes are so cringey, over-the-top weird.

Most portrayals I've seen of Americans or the U.S. in Kdramas are not very flattering to the U.S. I figure the portrayal of the U.S. (government) probably deserves it (and more)? Though, to be fair, Koreans are also REALLY hard on their politicians/government, too.

Interesting that the king is a child. I suppose it doesn't REALLY matter here since the monarchy doesn't hold much power in a modern setup like this?

I guess we'll see if it's any good, but the filming locations look SO fun and everything looks so visually interesting.

Hmm, maybe I'll wait to see if it's any good, and then bat it out in a weekend with a free trial! 😉

"... a girl who wants to shout, 'Dobby is free!'" 😅 The narrator of the premiere was so... dramatic!

So, there are no legal platforms that are streaming this in the U.S.?

It's the trend in East Asia to have eyes like that right now. I think they get that effect through face work, like injections and plastic surgery and such. I mean, the actress playing Qian Qian, her nose has obviously had significant work done on it, so I think it's probably partly filters/editing on the director's part, and then plastic surgery and such on the actors' parts.

I don't believe so!