Reviews

Best Chinese Drama so far in 2026

Pursuit of Jade is a kind of drama that captivates you from the beginning. I will write the parts of my liking and disliking.

Story/Script: Great script. There are many stories that put characters in just for the sake of it, but this show puts each of them on purpose. Every character has some kind of activity and part in the script. The way FL TXW's character is written without any cliches requires a mention. The transition from a butcher girl to a female general is commendable. Also, the ML character arc is something we don't usually see in Chinese dramas. The QianQian and QiMin storyline is also nicely written. The climax is satisfactory.

Acting—Very good performances from the ML and FL. In my opinion the FL overshadowed everyone, and it is her story in the first 12-13 episodes. Her transition and character arc were very beautifully portrayed by TXW. I have watched her in this drama only, and she nailed it. Fight scenes were also good. The ML did his job quite well as Marquis of Waan and a matrilocal husband. Showed his range of emotions and depth. The character QiMin was also very good. Toxic, abusive, and obsessive—all traits were meticulously portrayed. Side characters also did their job pretty well.

Overall in my opinion, it's a very good drama that will be remembered by me. Barring a few usual tropes, this was a fun, interesting watch. A solid 8.5/10 from me.

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“Hey, you wanna talk to cats?”

“Not really.” “Khao will be your lover and give you sexy eyes the entire time.” “Say less.” - The Director and First Lmao

This was a cute show, with some dark undertones because it's FirstKhao. It is a little bit boring, but First and Khao and their chemistry will carry you through. Okay, I would give it an 8.4 (8.5) out of 10. I am going to say what I liked, what I didn't, and then an episode overview, and then yay.

FIRST AND KHAO CAME THROUGH WITH THIS. I always say that Khao looks like a cat, and he embraced it for this. I think that their chemistry in this was genuinely phenomenal, and I feel like it always is, but they really delivered for this one, my god. They did a really good job with bringing the mood, even if they had a couple of kisses sprinkled and 2 implied sex scenes, just a great job overall. THE CATS. They are beyond cute, and I, too, am allergic to cats, and have had cats my whole life, but sadly never grew out of my allergy lmao. The cats looking at the camera were the cutest thing ever, I'M DEAD. Love at first sight trope, which I love to see, also these two had phenomenal communication, which was so nice to see. First made it clear he was pursuing him, and Khao just wanted to be sure, and he voiced everything to First, who listened and cared. God, that was beautiful communication between the two of them, so mature. I love to see it. FIRST ACTUALLY BEING IN LOVE WITH HIM. Like, I hate when dramas do love at first sight, and then they look at them awkwardly, no FIRST'S CHARACTER WANTED TO EAT HIM, MY LORD (probably the voices in his head or whatevera). He delivered, and it was so nice to see. And also my daddy Great was in this, love him. Also, RIP Satang and Winny, but they were also in this, and it made me miss them lmao, but nice final horrah. Khao's eyes are gorgeous. Okay, we know I hate romance building in shows because it is always bad, but I tolerated this one. I thought it was good, slow but good. They had dates, they communicated, the whole 9 yards. I think they could have done it better, but they did well for what it was. LYNX HAD EVERY RIGHT TO BE RESENTFUL OF HIS MOM. She literally neglected him his whole life for some damn cats. And Lynx didn't owe her shit, but he stepped up, and that just shows good character development. I thought that was good with the ending and forgiving her, even after all of that; that was nice to see. I think a reason I somewhat enjoyed this show was that it's not a lot of brain power, and it was a really easy watch. The sad part of the final episode was good and made me "unfathomably sad for literally no reason." I also loved the connection with the diary to his mom. And yeah, that's it for the stuff I liked.

The plot is fucking bullshit lmao. Like, he is a debt collector (which they forget about halfway through the first episode because First is so in love with Khao lmao), and Ja Meow or whatever her name was dies, and her final words were meow, and suddenly he can hear cats talking, like what the fuck does that even mean? Someone chatgpted this, or they wrote it when they were WASTED, because there is actually no fucking way. There were a lot of moments where I was genuinely having to look away because this shit was so cringe, oh my lord. Also, I hate First's haircut in this. The wispy parts in the front make it look like he is balding, like we need a haircut that shapes his face better. I still have pretty mixed feelings about this show because I think it's really random and I feel like they dragged their feet the entire time, but also didn't. A lot of the episodes were full of filler, because we didn't have enough shit to begin with. I wish they had added a little more relevant lore. I think that would have helped the drag plot vibe I was feeling towards the end. OMG, okay, I loved the cats, but holy fucking shit, why are they getting more screen time than our couples? WHY DID THE CAT COUPLE GET MORE SCREENTIME THAN FIRSTKHAO, LIKE BE FUCKING FR? First and Khao can't run lmao. Random debt collectors after satang, that they didn't go into more, and they really should have, I think that would have helped with the filler content that they had. Also, why was Satang a ho in this? bro be for real, you are pissing me off. I wish we had fleshed out some of the kissing and NC scenes a little more. I don't need full on, but they felt very abrupt and random at times, and I think a little more writing them out would have helped with that. I can't lie. The dad part was good, but it felt really irrelevant for some reason. Like, I think they should have alluded more to it throughout the start, and the same with Lynx having a half-brother, because that all felt very random. It was well done, but just felt very VERY random. It felt like it was just dumped in the show to just drag the plot along, and I didn't like that. I wish they had written more into it, and also didn't just fade it out as soon as it was done. Some of the episodes, specifically episode 8, felt so fucking random, and I think they could have used those episodes better. The ending that wasn't the sad part was mid and felt rushed. I don't know. I feel like they could have written that out better, but it's whatever, okay, that's it.

Okay, here are some of my thoughts during the episodes lmao. "Whoever came up with this idea used chatgpt bc i aint no fucking way. This shit is so random, but the cats are cute, and we are getting some slow romance in there, which is good. My cats LOVE plastic bags lmao. “Hey, you wanna talk to cats?” “Not really.” “Khao will be your lover and give you sexy eyes the entire time.” “Say less.” -the director and First probs." Me with the final bit of episode 3: "And that final scene is the start to a questionable porn video, but that's okay." "SMELLING HIM OUT LIKE A HOUND DOG IS INSANE. WAIT, THIS IS CUTE. DATEEEEE. CUTEEE The romance building in this is pretty good." "ZERO SHAME FROM LEO OH MY LORD. GREAT IS SO FUCKING SEXY, MY LORD, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. Satang has chem with everyone, I fear. rip winnysatang tho. Sorry that summer ended terribly, and same with y'all." "Also, we are dragging the plot rn, there is not much else we need to do, stop packing these episodes with nothing at the end."

Uh, would I recommend this show? I don't really know, it was okay? Watch it for FirstKhao and the cute cats. Okay bye!

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Sammy's children day -- A sweet & Emotional BL worth watching ?

Sammy’s Children’s Day is a soft, heartwarming Chinese BL that focuses more on emotions and character growth rather than heavy drama. The story feels simple at first, but it slowly builds a meaningful connection between the characters that makes you genuinely care about them.

One of the best things about this drama is its gentle storytelling. It doesn’t rush the relationship, which makes every small moment feel special and realistic. The chemistry between the leads is natural and comforting, even without overly dramatic scenes.

Visually, the drama has a calm and warm vibe that matches its theme perfectly. The background music also adds to the emotional tone without being overwhelming.

However, if you’re expecting intense romance or bold storytelling, this might feel a bit slow. It’s more about subtle feelings, innocence, and emotional bonding.

Overall:
A soft, emotional, and wholesome BL that’s perfect if you enjoy slow-burn stories with pure vibes.

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MOVE ON!

if u couldn’t stand being married enough to the point u had to fake cheating get caught make her divorce you and u pay her monthly from ur paycheck because of the divorce to the point u barely had money fr mind u u did allllll of that to get away from her couldn’t stand being married to her why would u fold and take her back???? and she needs to learn self respect and self love i dont like how he js listened to her agian and took her back. like she should’ve learnt self love and moved on (mind u she’s the only one who hasn’t moved on whole time he thought she did cause in his eyes he “cheated” on her and they were divorced so like she had to move on right? but NO she didn’t) instead of the ending being them together agian she should’ve learnt to grow up and move tf on!

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I did not expect this to be animated.

Seoul Station might be the one and only movie set in the Train to Busan universe that I didn't love. I still enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, and the fact that it was animated was a bonus, but I didn't connect with the characters or the storyline.

All the characters are problematic in their own way. I think the only character I sort of liked was the old man with Hye-Sun.

As for a prequel (I think I saw this was supposed to be a prequel of sorts, but I could be wrong), it didn't explain anything about what the virus was, how it started. The movie just starts on the first day of the infection in South Korea.

Overall, Seoul Station isn't my favorite movie, but it is the first animated zombie movie I've seen. So it gets points for that and the absolutely beautiful animation.

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Heartwarming for those who waited 10 years for these two

I wanna explain why I rated 10. I have created this account just to share my opinion as a BL fan who has been following the industry news for more than 10 years. My BL journey started before Addicted, but this BL made me become a translator nowadays.
I've been in love with the main couple since Addicted, and I've seen lots of fake promises of their comeback. China has been pretty cruel towards BLs, and when I realised that, 10 years ago, it made my heart ache.
The actors don't deserve such hate. I kept seeing how much they love each other and how much they waited for each other in their eyes. Seeing them mature and grown up made me feel old as well lol.
People may have been complaining about the story being bad or not well written, but IMO, it's heartwarming for those who have seen their ups and downs in the industry.
The last episodes were very intense for me. I could picture and imagine how painful it was when they had to be cut out of the entertainment industry, so when I saw Yoki crying for telling people he is gay, it felt personal! When they reunited at the end, I could see how much they love each other and how hard it was to overcome everything.
IMO Love after Addiction is even more meaningful for those who saw everything and followed all the news from back then with Addicted.
I'm extremely happy and proud of them. I cried a river, and I won't deny.
Watch it, I know it's not perfect, but keep their past in mind, and I hope you can feel what I felt.

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Simple but comfortable Time-Traveling drama with good leads chemistry

“Always Meet Again” was an impromptu watch as I was looking for something light. Well, it turns out not to be as light as I thought, but not too angsty or sad either. The plot is quite simple. Jang Hye Seong traveled back in time and met his first love. At first, he tried to avoid him but ended up actively trying to change the past for him. Was he successful? You will have to find that out yourself. One thing good about non-Chinese time traveling dramas is that there is no censorship. So, you don’t have to worry about the lead waking up from a dream, or it’s a novel within a novel. Those could be so darn frustrating.

Despite this being a very simple plot, I actually quite enjoy it. The acting is better than I thought for a low budget production with not very experienced actors. Lead actors Woo Jin Han and Shin Jeong You previously starred in “A Breeze of Love” together. I find their acting improved from the last drama and the chemistry is good. They look like they are pretty comfortable with each other.

The earlier episodes are OK, but the story gets better towards the latter half. I also find the acting gets better as the story goes as well. The drama doesn’t really have many heart-stopping cute and fluffy scenes, nor heart-wrenching sad scenes. It’s just a really comfortable watch, yet in the end, I did get a little more emotional. I was rooting for ML’s success in changing the past.

Having said that, my biggest complaint probably lies in one not very logical decision. If you’re so desperate trying to change the fate of your loved one, and know that riding a bike could lead to a very bad outcome, why would you go on a trip on a bike? You have already put 4 locks on that bike, why not take the bus or the train? What’s with the introduction of potential color blindness, but with no explanation whatsoever. Why? What’s the connection to time traveling? Is it a barrier to being a painter? What's going on? Another minor complaint is very subjective since I am not a fan of love at first sight. Lee U Jin seems to have fallen for Jang Hye Seong rather quickly, like one or two encounters. But this is a short drama, so I guess that’s ok. Lastly, there’s too much bright light back lighting. I am blinded by several scenes and that’s not romantic to me when I can barely see.

I do truly enjoy the drama for what it is if I don’t think too hard on the plot holes. The chemistry of the leads carries the show. I enjoy watching scenes of them together, and just being together. It feels natural, nice and warm. In the end, I did get the emotional highs and lows that I want in a drama. I would recommend a one-time watch if you like time traveling.



Completed: 3/27/2026 Review #678

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Pretty Privilege and Biggest disappointment

This drama is the perfect example that if you are beautiful or handsome you can get away with anything. What I mean is this drama is getting 10/10 because is Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei if not that it would be at most a 7/10.


I am all for female centric drama only if it’s believable. Fiction does get to a point. Lol they had the butcher girl defeat a season general in 2 strikes . If I had not read the tags would have thought it’s a cultivation deal and she has some mysterious powers.Taht was the first flow

Second is the story line . What was this drama even about . Revenge? War? Politics ?Romance? you couldn’t two because it struggled to grasp one or two concepts and stick to it . It was everywhere and nowhere at once .

Talk about the Feared Marquis of Wuan lmao what a joke. Not even one serious fight scene to show his power but hey the butcher girl is killing everyone 2 weeks after joining the army .


I have a lot to say but in conclusion this a drama that can only be rated 10/10 by a teenager or a fan girl who only cares about looks because that’s all there was to this drama . THUS WHY I SAY PRETTY PRIVILEGE AND BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2026

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The Value of an Individual's Life

Before going into this, I hadn't known that the screenwriter was the same one for An Ancient Love Song , the 10/10 14-episode stunner I watched sometime back. No wonder the plot is just as tightly woven, the layers just as complex.

The story begins with a man in his 40s, 赵左右 (Zhao Zuoyou), who is in a rut. He is struggling to make his mortgage payments and his marriage is in shambles. He blames it all on the moment in high school when he chose to go into science/tech rather than the arts, because in 2033, no one cares about tech anymore. There is instead a nostalgic return to a non digital time.

Zhao decides to travel back in time (utilising a for-profit service) to his younger self to dissuade him from making what he perceives to have been the wrong choice. He takes on the persona of a student, 旬未来 (lit. looking for the future) to meet his younger self in school.

Shortly after his entry into 2008, however, he meets a mysterious 60+ year old man, 赵了 (a hilarious name, as 了 means finished or completed)... who turns out be himself from 2058. 赵爷爷's objective is to stymie his efforts.

The acting in this show was stellar and the story riveting. Besides the central question of whether the two older 赵s would succeed in thwarting fate, there were secondary characters who were as vibrantly portrayed, including the two good male friends, the future wife, and a quasi romantic interest who is a tightly wound type A overachiever. The parents were also lovely, especially the mom, who carried her own hopes and dreams from her youth. There were light-hearted moments that made me cringe and laugh, and moving moments that made me feel all choked up.

Watching this show made me feel compassionate towards my younger self, and made me wonder how much of my life I would want to change at the age of 65 or 70. The show portrayed the prickly and tender dynamics between the 3 men at different stages of their life so well.

Many thanks to the YouTube reviewers 麦驼 and AvenueX who led me to this underrated gem. One of my favourites of 2026 alongside 12 Letters.

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