Reviews

chill out guys, it's only february.

First of all i must say that my expectations for this drama were very high. Cuz i started watching this donghua vers. before i knew a drama was coming out and even though i only watched a few episodes i really liked it. Then to avoid any more spoilers i stopped watching the anime and waited for the drama for about 1-1.5 years. So yes, you can understand why my expectations were so high.
And thank God, it didn't disappoint me in the slightest. Except for the ending it was a breathtaking feast from beginning to end. I don't even need to go into the chemistry between Leizi and Ranran; they're both good actors and did justice to their roles. Plus they're both usually actors who play serious roles so it was a pleasure to see them in such a half silly fox role. My only issue was that they didn't do their own dubbing cuz at times you can clearly feel the dubbing in those scenes which ruins the whole viewing experience.
One of the best things about the series was how incredibly intelligent and cunning both sides were. I hate the "everyone's stupid except us" trope and in this series we saw a true battle of wits. Both sides used their power wisely. For example Prince Duan and the Empress were extremely intelligent but what led to their defeat was their excessive arrogance. (note: and all the villains had satisfying endings)
Also i had my doubts about whether the drama would be independent of the novel, but they followed almost the same plot as the novel. So, if you liked the novel, I'm sure you'll like the drama too.
As i said at the beginning, apart from the final scenes and some scenes that sounded strange due to the dubbing, there's nothing I disliked about the series. The plot, characters, acting, locations, CGI etc. were all very good. I knew they couldn't make the ending exactly like the novel due to the ban, but that still makes it a disappointing. However on the other hand i liked that Dan didn't die from the poison like in the novel and that they had a double happy ending. How he survived the poisoning also made sense, they didn't gloss over such an important scene.
Okey so if you like dramas that have romance, comedy, action, and intrigue all in one, you should definitely start watching this one. I mean i don't know guys, if they gave us such a good dramas even in february i wonder how they'll meet our expectations in the next 10 months.

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ReReReReReloved!

Sometimes story ideas come along that are so dumb and so mind-numbingly bad, you wonder how you sat through it without completely losing your own sense of reality. Honestly, this is one of the dumbest ideas for a plot I have seen and even adding adorably cute kids to the mix could not salvage this mess. You know you are also in trouble when throughout the series, flashbacks while the protagonists were in college 5 years previously looking the same as they do now. When a series that relies so heavily on days-gone-by without considering that they might have changed in 5 years, you know you have a weak story, and this is one of the most mediocre BLs I have ever seen. Regrettably, this is yet another saga of miscommunication—this time, at its very worst. The story carried this cross to such an extreme that I wanted to jump into the story personally and just scream in the very first episode, will the two of you simply sit down and talk to each other as adults! Sanely. Rationally. And stop with the artificial drama. If they had done so, the story then perhaps would have been forced to have a theme worth exploring. Instead, it droned on and on and on about missed windows of opportunities. All because basic, and I do mean simple basic questions from the beginning were not ASKED.

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A surprisingly angsty yet refreshing transmigration drama

I went into How Dare You!? without having read the novel or watched the live-action or donghua adaptations, and this drama alone already makes me want to check them out. This drama delivered just the right amount of romance, comedy, and angst.

MAJOR SPOILERS [At first, I thought I was getting a light-hearted rom-com, but it turned out to be far more angsty than expected. What surprised me the most was how layered Xiahou Dan was. His early brutal actions, felt confusing at first, especially since he was also from the modern world. But once it was revealed that he transmigrated as a child, suffered countless hardships and survived alone in that world without knowing the novel's plot, his personality made much more sense. It explained why he became the so-called “incapable tyrant,” why he wasn't afraid to cross moral lines and acted so detached. His backstory genuinely broke my heart and I really did not expect this sub-plot. So, I will not tolerate any Zhang San slander (fight me) 😤]
Even though the transmigration-into-a-novel trope is very common, this drama still felt like a breath of fresh air to me. It didn’t reinvent the trope, but the execution made it deeply engaging. So even though I was familiar with the usual structure of this type of story, I still found myself completely immersed while other similar shows didn't manage to catch my attention the same way.
Also, I actually really enjoyed the comedy. It genuinely felt like two 21st-century people trapped inside historical novel characters’ bodies, and their humor reflected that perfectly. Their jokes, their bickering, and modern mindset in a palace setting were very entertaining, especially scenes like them eating hotpot together or casually bickering like actual friends. This is what I'm going to miss most about the drama 💕
I also liked that the setting leaned more toward a palace drama, which felt refreshing since most transmigration dramas I’ve watched focus on nobles or commoners rather than palace life. So the consorts’ constant bickering added even more fun on top of that.
I also usually don’t go for the friends-to-lovers trope, but here it felt very natural. Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin genuinely came across as best friends first, and their relationship slowly developing into romance felt natural rather than forced. Cheng Lei and Wang Churan's chemistry was off the charts!!

As for what I could have been better, there were some inconsistencies in the writing. I often felt like certain pieces of information were missing, and as someone who hasn’t read the novel, I needed quite a few spoilers to fully understand the story. Because of that, I couldn’t rate it a full 10. However, since this drama wasn’t originally on my radar and I didn't go in with high expectations, I ended up enjoying it much more than anticipated. The “Zhang San’s diary” clips at the end of the episodes also clarified a lot, so I’m not too bothered by this issue.
Another tiny downside that upset me was the number of unnecessary deaths. So many precious characters were killed off in ways that felt more like plot devices than meaningful narrative choices, and I feel like some of them really didn't have to die in order for the plot to progress, like they do in other dramas 💔
The ending itself was beautiful and well-done, but the reunion of the main leads in the real world didn’t feel as impactful as it could have been. It follows the familiar open-ending-style reunion in most transmigration dramas, where they simply look at each other and smile (like ADWAD or WDBTD). Even though I understand the narrative limitations these kind of dramas have because of censorship and I didn't expect much more, the final emotional payoff still felt a little bit lackluster despite the ending being satisfying.

Overall, despite a few flaws, this drama still surprised me in the best way and ended up being a very heartfelt and memorable watch! Realistically a 9/10, but my enjoyment makes it a 9.5 :)

Edit: Thanks for the award, fyra! ❤️

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I really enjoyed this drama. Even though it might not be a 'top-tier' masterpiece, it’s a solid, high-quality production. The slow-burn romance is perfect—there are no cliché plots where an ex-girlfriend returns to stir up trouble. In fact, the ex-girlfriend is mature and sincere, which is so rare! The chemistry between the leads is great, even without constant physical contact or eye contact. Honestly, I might have loved the brother’s romance even more—it was adorable. It’s a feel-good, re watchable show where every female character is portrayed in a positive light. "One downside is that the brother's romance, which I found adorable, lacked a clear resolution in the final episode. Despite having limited screen time, their chemistry was so sweet that it deserved a more complete ending."

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FORBIDDEN GAY PANIC, FRENCH ACCENTS, AND ME LOSING MY MIND AT 3AM

GIRLIEEEEEEEEEE 😭😭😭

First of all, I genuinely forgot how BEAUTIFUL Inn is until he appeared on screen and I just—

PAUSE.
REWIND.
SQUINT.

“Why is he glowing like that??? Who authorized this face card???”

GAH DAMN.

And can we talk about GMMTV lately??? WHY ARE THE SERIES GOOD??? HELLO??? I used to sit there judging and now I’m like… was I the problem? Was I tasteless? Was I blind??? Because this series almost.. ALMOST had me SOBBING. And I do not cry over series.

I watch people die in dramas like 🙂. But this one??? It tugged. It poked. It whispered, “feel something.” And I hated that I liked it. Anyway, let’s break this down before I spiral.

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a) Plot - FORBIDDEN LOVE BUT MAKE IT STRESSFUL

So the story revolves around Rati and Thee being in love during a time when society said “no ❤️” to anything outside hetero tradition. Watching this series felt like I was holding my breath every episode. Every time Thee grabbed Rati’s hand in PUBLIC I was screaming internally like:

“WHY ARE YALL HOLDING HANDS IN PUBLIC???”
“THEE PLEASE LOOK AROUND.”
“YOU ARE FROM A NOBLE FAMILY. PEOPLE HAVE EYES.”

Thee really said “idgaf.” And I was like "WELL I DO. I CARE. I AM SCARED FOR YOU.” The tension?? Delicious. Anxiety-inducing. Historic gay panic at its finest. Then the grandmother enters the chat. Grandma said: “Homosexuality? Not in this bloodline.” And of course she blames Rati. Because clearly the adopted French boy is the villain in her narrative. Speaking of which, Rati being adopted by a French man during political tension with France??? Working as a translator during France’s visit??? And then openly saying he considers himself French???

Oh grandma’s blood pressure was doing Muay Thai. The layers. The politics. The identity crisis. I was like okay… this is kind of eating. So now he’s:
• Gay
• French-adjacent
• Educated
• Close to Thee

Also, can we talk about the scene where Thee’s shirt got torn after chasing a thief and Rati just stood there looking at his chest??? THAT WAS HIS GAY AWAKENING AND YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE 😭 You could SEE the “oh.” on his face.

“Why is my heart… racing?”
“Why am I staring?”
“Oh no.”

The concept of this series is basically forbidden love but make it double illegal. Moving to side pairing, we have Mek and Dech. Mek is a rickshaw carrier and Muay fighter. Dech is a literal noble baronet. So being gay is already one problem. Being gay with a servant??? Might as well hand him a knife and say “go ahead.” 😂

Their first meeting??? ICONIC. Blindfolded Muay fight. Dech fighting by listening to footsteps but then Mek wins so Dech becomes obsessed but DOESN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE. It’s giving enemies-to-lovers but make it a little bit sensual. Their relationship building from there? Chef’s kiss. BUT IF IT WERE ME??? I would’ve added a scene where they practice blindfold fighting together and Dech accidentally bumps into Mek’s chest and suddenly it’s breathing heavy, hands lingering, tension rising. Picture this:

Dech practicing blindfolded again. Accidentally bumps into Mek’s chest. Pauses. Hands linger too long.

Mek: “…are you okay?”
Dech: “Yes.”
Me: NOT OKAY.

HELLO??? WHY WAS THAT NOT WRITTEN??? Also the scene where Lord Ruj beats Mek and Mek cries??? I ALMOST LOST IT. The way he looked so hurt but still trying to be strong??? NO. I CANNOT DO THIS.

I actually love the memoir element. Rati writing down his feelings fits the title perfectly.

BUT.

Imagine if Thee found the memoir first. Didn’t know who wrote it. Fell in love with the words. Started searching for the writer. Only to find out it’s RATI??? THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

Also I wanted more angst.
I wanted them caught.
I wanted public scandal.
I wanted consequences.
I wanted drama.

The farewell scene between Thee and his grandmother almost got me. ALMOST. It was sad… but I wanted it to stab me deeper. I am an angst addict. I admit it. Also why are they obsessed with French but struggling to speak it 😭
Just use English babes. It’s less stressful for everyone.
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b) Characters - WHY IS EVERYONE SERVING??

✧ Rati played by Inn Sarin ✧

First of all... INN IS INSANELY BEAUTIFUL. Not only hot but can ACT. His French pronunciation started a bit stiff, I’m not gonna lie. It was giving Duolingo lesson 1. But it got better near the end and I was like SIR THAT’S TOO LATE I ALREADY JUDGED YOU.

Rati as a character though??? KING. He is not the typical “misunderstanding bottom who cries in the rain.” He’s rational. Firm. Gentle but strong. He trusts Thee. He doesn’t spiral over imaginary rivals. He knows who he is.

AND I LOVE THAT ❤️

Also he 100% knew he was gay before Thee did. There was no “what is this feeling towards a man.” No babe. He knew. He just fumbled because feelings are scary. Bottom coded but dignified. We love to see it.


✧ Thee played by Great Sapol ✧

THIS MAN GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK EVERY EPISODE. Why is he so touchy in PUBLIC??? SIR THIS IS OLD TIMES. PEOPLE ARE NOT PROGRESSIVE. But I respect that once he realized he loved Rati he was like “yeah I’m not marrying a woman. Try me.” His conflict with his grandmother? Pride vs love. Ego vs heart.

Also why did his French sound more natural to me??? And when he said “disrespectful” in English??? SIR YOU CAN DISRESPECT ME ANYTIME 😭


✧ Mek played by Aou Thanaboon ✧

Mek is adorable.

He never questioned loving Dech even though society said he should. He knew the class difference. He knew the risks. And he STILL chose him. CAN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT the kiss scene in Mek’s room??? FROM PECK TO FULL KISS??? BROOOOOOOO I WAS KICKING MY FEET. He plays the role so well that I feel Mek the most in the series especially the part when Mek became partially deaf and feared he couldn’t hear anymore but hid it from Dech??? That vulnerability??? Aou ate this role. I did NOT expect this range from him.

Also why does Aou’s French pronunciation sound better than Inn the literal teacher??? I was cackling.


✧ Dech played by Boom Tharatorn ✧

Okay I’ll admit it. I didn’t expect much because he doesn't interest me. But MISS GURLLLLL. Boom changed my mind. He expressed concern for Mek so well. His kisses??? Aggressive but in a good way 👀 Dech starts spoiled and prideful but not evil. That’s important. He’s just… privileged and confused and when his father was beating Mek and he just stood there being held back?? BOY. FIGHT. BITE. SCREAM. DO SOMETHING.

Still, his character development at the end? Soft. Cat-coded. Suddenly clingy and sweet.

I approve.

And the kissing? He did not look awkward. He understood the assignment. His chemistry with Aou also undeniable so that's that.


✧ Jam & Kui played by Best Ronnachat and Win Thanakom ✧

LOYAL SERVANTS OF THE YEAR.

They knew Thee liked Rati and they were worried but not because they were homophobic but because they were scared Rati would get blamed. They helped them meet secretly. Protected him. Stayed loyal until he left for France.

Side characters done RIGHT.


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c) OST

Historical OSTs never miss. Soft. Slightly tragic. Romantic.

I’m adding it to my playlist and pretending I’m yearning in the 1900s.

_____________________________________

d) Overall - The Final Emotional Damage Report

There were at least 5–10 scenes where I was kicking my feet at 3AM like a teenager.

Slow burn? Good.
Pacing? Good.
Acting? Consistent.

I didn’t get bored once. Will I rewatch? No. Not because it’s bad. But because I don’t rewatch series unless they absolutely ruin my life. Once is enough. I have processed the emotions.

Final rating: 9/10

The missing 1 point? I am an angst addict. I wanted MORE pain. MORE societal pressure. MORE emotional devastation. Still a really good watch. And yes, I am still sad that Great and Inn won’t continue pairing.

Life is unfair.

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Quite depressing drama

I watched this on last year when i want to search Wang Ziyi works and it was one of her decent dramas. I only found out Li Yin as ML even i don't watch his previous work, i think he nailed the character especially when he was on hospital.

This drama has depressing vibe and the deserved end since there is no one in here was good person even FL had her own agenda to stay with ML, she never in love with ML since ML took her former lover heart and she only love his heart (literal meaning). The pace was quite fast and packed.

ML never took FL as her priority due his pride and only choose her when SFL are leaving him. I think ML really love SFL even she did him wrong. He is quite inconsistent he angry when FL refused to divorce but when FL agree to divorce him since SFL was betrayed him he still got angry. His ending was quite deserved.

Recommended if you want to get depressing vibe.

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A chaotic yet worthwhile journey!

I'd like to start by writing some words about STORYLINE. The subject is quite appealing and engaging. The series has served the dramatic plot well. The most beautiful aspect is how the writer seamlessly blended the modern and historical eras at the start of the series! Throughout the drama, the story matures. However, at the end, I was disappointed because I expected more screen time for the lead when they returned to the modern era.

In terms of ACTING, each character performs admirably as scripted. Notably, the MAIN LEADS are fantastic; they gave their all to portray the characters accurately. Mainly, actress Wang Chu Ran played every mood—chaotic, funny, and serious—perfectly. Ryan Cheng also delivered an excellent performance as his character. Overall, the CASTING was flawless.

However, the genre of "HOW DARE YOU!" is HISTORIC COURT POLITICS with TIME-TRAVELING elements, which I believe is rather cliché nowadays.

To sum up, the series is fantastic!

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if you liked the anime, you are going to love this!

i just loved it.
Ryan Cheng and Whang Chu Rang are very good actors. They are both beautiful and talented. in my perspective, acots and actresses must be beautiful and talented😂. I could make one comment of our lead couple; I wished they have more intimacy. other that their chemistry was okay acording to the Novel.
The make up and the clothes were perfect.
I also like all of the side characters including Empress"s father though he had less scenes. I like the hilarious moments in a drama.
In addition, I wish the ending is more extended or let's say extended in real life. the rating of 8.7 is the reality. The OST seems to be the hit of 2026 among the other future Chinese dramas. It is so good that i can't even describe my feelings for the general music of this drama. i literally dont think any other dramas are going to beat it. I would be suprised but let's see if i am wrong. It's like " Till the end of the moon" and Love between fairy and the Devil". Just 11 points out of 10!
Finally, i could say that you wont be dissapointed if you watch it, FOR SURE 😆

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This is truly funnyyy!!! First episode is cracking me up so much! With her repeating every event with her marriage and then dying in every way possible and yet she persistently tries to avoid every death trap there is.

Even the music is up to the humor. It blends with her situation and makes it more relatable. Nice and catchy OST.

And I was even hesitant to start watching this before... But it turned out okay and good.

In Ep. 3 where FL fell into the water? What is this a river/sea or a small pond in the palace??? Why is it so deep?

The Waning River Crescent masters are more handsome than the ML - especially the playboy ShangGuan He (2nd master Ep. 6 8:36 but he squeals like a girl. It's ugly! Hahaha... Ep. 7 35:50) and the aggressive one Po Yun Long (3rd master Ep. 6 6:44).

2ML Chu GuiHong is also beautifully handsome. But not a marriage prospect here. Cause he's more focus on other things other than romance. And why did he become so bad in the end? He's like a crazy maniac killing people without any guilt.

Duan ShanHu (4th master Ep. 6 10:55)

The 3 masters of Waning River Crescent endured so much hardships and torture and they seem to be just fine after... Hoo!

Li ShiLiu (Chief Master Ep. 6 14:49) also ML Nan Heng - the 7th prince.

Just that in the latter part when they were in Waning River Crescent, it's obvious who was protecting FL and yet she didn't even suspect that it was the ML who was there?

Ugh! Frustrating that they made the FL a little stupid especially about explaining about words like script, protagonist, etc. in Episode 12. Can't she just say she's not from that world and that world is a story and all of them are characters and they all have their different roles. 🤷 Simple... Well, if she did maybe the story is finished by now. Why only in Ep. 27 did she manage to say that?

I'm kinda hating the FL Song YiMeng/OG Song XiaoYu for not giving the ML a chance to explain or redeem himself because of the notion that he will harm her as the FL in the end... Heartless! Why did they do that to FL's character??? ML is already making amends and didn't even know about the plot that binds them. Oh this is too frustrating!

Btw, I just noticed she has an accent. Not the typical one though.

It seems the writer really stretched the limit of how long will the patience of one character lasts. But if that were in real life, the ML really doesn't have any reason for him to fall for the FL who really wanted to kill him. So what's the point of all this then? They really made a fool of the leads here..

Wow! It turned dark when the conclusion neared. But at least it ended happily. How the people joined them in their battle touched me and even made me cry...

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So Frustrating I Wanted to Fast-Forward

I found this film to be very poorly written and directed. The pacing was so frustrating that I genuinely felt tempted to fast-forward just to get through it. The story lacked cohesion and emotional depth, and many scenes felt dragged out rather than meaningful.

The acting didn’t help either. Performances were largely flat, making it difficult to connect with the characters. The protagonist, in particular, was especially frustrating. His overly martyr-like nature felt exaggerated and illogical, and many of his decisions didn’t make sense. Instead of coming across as heroic or complex, he often felt inconsistent and emotionally unconvincing, which made it hard to stay invested in his journey.

On top of that, the production quality and special effects were surprisingly lacking. For a film released in 2025, the visuals felt outdated and cheap, almost like something from the early 2000s. The CGI lacked polish, the action sequences felt underwhelming, and the overall production design failed to deliver the scale and immersion that a story like this demands. It’s disappointing to see such a high-concept fantasy treated with what feels like old-fashioned, low-budget execution.

Watching this adaptation honestly made me question whether I should even explore the original source material. However, I’ve heard that the movie significantly altered key plot points and character development from the novel and webtoon, and that it doesn’t accurately represent the depth of the original story. Because of that, I’m still open to giving the webtoon, novel, or anime adaptation a chance.

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