Besides looking too modern it could be for other reasons but they just seem to break the immersion for you in historical or costume dramas.

Heavy modern makeup trends, like Douyin makeup, is just terrible for these settings or the acting that doesn’t feel convincing because the actor can’t fully immerse themselves in the role or adopt the mannerisms needed. It's like you watching the modern version of them cosplaying a character.

The last time I really noticed a pairing with a more subtle height difference was Love Is Sweet with Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi. They were close enough in height that their interactions felt really natural, and they could easily meet each other’s gaze without the height difference becoming such a noticeable part of their dynamic. After that, though, it felt like I kept seeing couples with increasingly huge height differences.

So, seeing the early Spring couple with such a relatively small height gap reminded me of this. Jing Boran and Sun Qian have a really nice, natural difference in height that isn’t exaggerated at all, and I love how balanced they look together.

I think taller male leads tend to be considered more attractive, both individually and in romantic pairings, and I have absolutely no issue with that. But some C-drama couples have REALLY dramatic height differences, whether it’s because the ML is exceptionally tall or the FL is particularly shorter. Obviously, neither actor has anything to do with that. Height is height.

Actors like Zhang Linghe, Ao Ruipeng, Zhou Keyu are naturally so tall that they’re almost always going to tower over their female leads. And even male leads who aren’t exceptionally tall can look much taller when they’re paired with a shorter actress.

Then you have the rarer pairings where the FL is actually quite tall herself. Wang Churan and Dilraba are probably two of the most obvious examples. Wang Churan especially stood out to me when she was paired with Zhang Linghe in overdo she looked much closer to his height compared to his other fls (even though he was still tall).

I also know that in some dramas in general, they sometimes use a step stool or platform to help bridge the height difference during certain scenes so the framing doesn’t look awkward. I’m pretty sure I remember seeing this in Prisoner of Beauty, where Liu Yuning had to lift Song Zuer and she was standing on a little platform or box for the scene.

Again, I have nothing against huge height gaps. I completely understand why people love them.

But after seeing so many pairings with that very pronounced difference, it’s genuinely nice to see couples who are a little closer in height too.

There’s something really visually satisfying about a pairing where the height difference is noticeable, but isn’t practically a third character in the relationship.

So, I went on a short quest to try to find some couples that don't have a significant height difference.

I also wanted to know if there is anyone who finds huge height gaps kind of distracting? Or don't you mind if the acting is good?

Can’t wait until the official materials drop for this! I’ve been seeing so many videos of her on my feed, and can I just say, the aura Tian Xiwei has, especially in the way she carries herself in these outfits, is amazing! She looks SO good.

Not sure of the dramas name, can't seem to find MDL info on it, but it's a modern dramas she's currently filming with Wei Daxun!

I'm actually not big on rewatching dramas, but sometimes it's hard to find another cdrama that lives up to one you really loved. For example, I absolutely loved The Story of Minglan!

I'm curious though, for those of you who rewatch dramas multiple times, what keeps you from getting bored? What makes you love doing a rewatch of it?

And what is your most rewatched cdrama?

And for those who don't rewatch C-dramas, do you avoid rewatches altogether or do you sometimes go back and rewatch certain scenes of the dramas you loved?

I totally understand when a drama is mid and people have valid criticisms, frustrations or disappointments with it. That's completely fair. We don't all have to enjoy the same things.

But what I don't understand is attacking someone simply because they did enjoy it. If someone genuinely had a great time watching a drama, then that's their experience. You can disagree with their opinion without acting like they're wrong for having it or making them feel like they have no taste.

Recently, I've seen so many people getting bashed online for actually enjoying the drama Overdo to the point where I think overdo has become overhated.

Some of us grew up watching soap operas, Indian TV serials and other ridiculously dramatic shows, so we're already desensitized to a certain level of melodrama. We're used to the drama. The crazier it gets, the more entertained we are.

And honestly, sometimes people aren't looking for a perfectly written, critically acclaimed masterpiece. They just want something entertaining to watch after a long or stressful day. They want to switch their brain off and enjoy whatever chaos is happening on screen.

And let's be real, some of Overdo's hilarious blunders was entertainment 😭

If someone thinks it's a masterpiece, that's fine too. That's their opinion. You can respectfully disagree, explain why you didn't like it and move on. There's really no need to look down on people for enjoying something you didn't.

There is a difference between criticizing a drama and criticizing someone for enjoying it.

At the end of the day, a drama doesn't have to be objectively great for you to have a great time watching it. Sometimes you just like what you like. 😭

So, what drama was objectively questionable but subjectively EVERYTHING to you?

This one in Overdo for sure. Zhang Linghe and Wang Churan are both known for delivering great kiss scenes, which is why this one felt like such a missed opportunity. I could not believe this was the same Zhang Linghe whose known for serving some of the best kiss scenes with so much passion.

I honestly think the directing, the odd background music, and one of the biggest enemies of kiss scenes these days...those blinding flashing lights completely killed the moment.

We've seen how incredible kiss scenes can be when they're directed well. The kiss scene in Prisoner of Beauty is a perfect example. It was beautifully directed and shot which allowed the actors to do their job convincingly.

The excessive beauty filters and makeup styling in historical dramas are honestly starting to ruin the watching experience for me. From modern Douyin-inspired makeup to looks that make absolutely no sense for the time period, everything ends up looking so polished that the characters stop feeling like actual people. Instead, they look like they're posing for a beauty campaign. It also makes so many actors look stiff or like they can't emote properly, when in reality it's the filters erasing half their facial expressions.

It's one of the biggest reasons I struggle to connect with or care about the characters. If I can't even see someone's face move properly, how am I supposed to feel what they're feeling?

And let's be honest, even if it's an idol drama, it doesn't mean the only thing should be everyone looking pretty and polished. There are plenty of idol dramas with amazing actors and stories.

Fated Hearts was one of the worst offenders. The male lead is supposed to be this brilliant, fearless general/figure yet he looked like he spent more time perfecting his eyeliner and putting on powder than planning battle strategies. General of the Makeup Regiment. Commander of the Eyeliner Brigade. Slaying one enemy at a time with a perfectly sharpened eyeliner pencil. I don't mind light makeup at all, but there has to be a limit. Compare that to Zhang Linghe in Pursuit of Jade. He obviously had makeup on too, but at least he didn't look overdone, just a pretty general.

Then there was Li Qin. The beauty filter was so aggressive that I could barely see her facial muscles move. I genuinely couldn't believe it. It flattened so much of her performance and made her look like a bad actress.

What's funny is whenever you see these actors in dramas with minimal makeup and no filters they look completely fine. Better, actually. You can see their real skin, their expressions, and suddenly their performances feel so much more alive.

Love for You with Zhang Jingyi and Song Weilong looked like actual human beings with skin texture instead of porcelain dolls. The First Jasmine was the same. You could tell they were wearing makeup, but you could still see real skin underneath. I also loved that Legend of Zang Hai didn't try to airbrush everyone into oblivion. Even the villains had visible skin texture, which somehow made them feel more intimidating. Xiao Zhan and Zhang Jingyi both had natural looking makeup, and you could actually watch them emote instead of watching a filter. Even song zuer and Allen Ren in a demom hunters romance didn't have that annoying filter.

Male leads in idol dramas are constantly caked in pale foundation until they start looking slightly ghostly. I get that it's part of the idol aesthetic, but does it always have to be that extreme? They'd still look attractive without the crazy filters. Hou Minghao is one actor they keep doing this to, and it honestly makes his acting look stiff. And Meng Ziyi is so locked into the exact same makeup style that every character starts feeling copy and pasted. At some point the styling should serve the character, not the other way around.

This has to be one of the most anticipated dramas of the year, mainly because of Wang Churan and Zhang Linghe. Individually they have insane visuals, and together they are such a good looking pairing. So Iam kind of surprised and not surprised by how negative most of the reactions have been after just the first episode.

So far a few things stood out to me. Firstly, the AI intro was such a weird and unnecessary choice. Secondly, the opening just did not have that emotional hook. The pacing felt off and the plot was a bit confusing to follow at first.

I do not mind over the top dramas. Sometimes I am literally just here for gorgeous people, beautiful cinematography, and a plot that is entertaining enough. But at some point, the story has to make viewers care about what is happening beyond the visuals.

If I compare it to Pursuit of Jade which is obviously a completely different drama but also stars Zhang Linghe, that drama also focused a lot on its visuals. Even so, it managed to pull people in right from the start. It gave viewers a reason to get invested, even if it was not perfect.

Right now, the thing keeping me watching is surprisingly the push and pull between Wang Churan and Zhang Linghe. I have already seen quite a few people saying they have zero chemistry, but honestly I feel differently.

So do people really feel no pull from the first or couple of eps or are they willing to stick around for a few more?

Most of these dramas focus more on the acting and storytelling rather than just romance. They're genuinely excellent, and I really hope newer C-drama viewers give them a chance at least once.

Not every drama is a 10/10 though. For example, Rise of Phoenixes lost the plot after around 40 episodes because of the writing. Even so, it's still a one of a kind historical epic with incredible performances from the leads and the entire cast.

For me, Nirvana in Fire, Empresses in the Palace, The Bad Kids, and Joy of Life Season 1 are all absolute 10/10s. I'd love to experience watching them for the first time again.

So which ones have you watched? What was your impression of them, and are there any dramas of similar quality you would add to this list?

We often talk about our first C-drama, but do you remember the first cdrama actor or actress you had a crush on because you were just so impressed by how good they were?

For me it's Xiao Zhan. His role in The Untamed was my introduction to him, and his charisma and the way he brought that character to life completely won me over. I've been following his career ever since, and he just keeps on getting better and more handsome!

Never say never, but sometimes time just goes by, and you kind of know you are not going to be watching it.

Mines is Eternal Love. I feel the plot might be outdated for my taste. If I started this when I was a new watcher, maybe I would have liked it. Prisoner of Beauty - I feel like I've been over exposed to this with so many edits that I don't have the motivation to start it, I'm also not so intrigued by what I saw. Hidden Love- another drama that I feel I saw too much about online. I also saw a lot of romance clips, and tbh, I was not impressed...so this one is maybe a never. I'm also not a fan of the brothers bestie dating his sister who he knew as a child.

Best for me is the Story of Yanxi Palace and worst is fated hearts.

We talk a lot about visuals and how they can be what draws us into starting a drama, but there are so many actors I wasn’t interested in at first or didn’t think had much charisma until I actually watched them. Their acting and screen presence completely won me over, they just left such a strong impression with their talent and aura.

Yes, these actors are already beautiful, but you know what they say: competence is attractive.Talent and charisma can make an average looking actor very attractive!

Ive seen plenty of gorgeous actors with amazing visuals who became meh to me because their performances didn’t stand out.

My picks: Cheng Lei, Bai Lu, Lu Yuxiao, and my favourite Xiao Zhan. I wasn’t really interested in him until The Untamed completely changed my mind. His performance made me realise how talented he is, and since then he has only continued to impress me with his acting. He is honestly the full package: talent, charisma, and his handsome.

Also want to mention Wang Xingyue and Dilraba, they have gorgeous facecards and are so attractive but it was their performances that impressed me.

I don’t think it suits everyone and it definitely depends how good the wig is BUT I think a good 8/10 times some actors with the white or silver hair character has looked so gorgeous!

My favorites are Li Yunrui (from blossom), Hou Minghao in Love in clouds and fangs of fortune, he looked stunning! Cheng Yi (Vendetta of An and just in general he always seems to rock the white hair, he has got so many dramas with it). Deng Kai (in Pursuit of jade), he just looked marvelous.

So who are some of your favorites, the ones that had you crushing on them!

For me, it’s Lu Yuxiao in my Journey to You. They didn’t even need kiss scenes to sell their chemistry . It was honestly a 10/10. The tension between them through just their eye contact, the way they looked at each other, and even the smallest interactions was so good.

That bathtub scene is a perfect example because there wasn’t even a lot of physical contact despite them being in the water together, but somehow it was still such a memorable steamy scene because their chemistry carried it. They just had this natural connection and matched each other’s energy so well. Even their chemistry during offscreen promos was really fun to watch, which is probably why so many people want to see them in a modern drama together.

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I ask because it seems like the majority really loved her, and I've read mostly positive reviews. I thought she was good but I will admit I was not completely blown away by her performance which is okay because me not being blown away does not mean it was bad. so I would say 7.5/10. I think Tian Xiwei, in general, is a good actress with a lot of potential. I think Fan Changyu is going to be one of her most loved characters.

Poj - Pursuit of Jade

I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but after watching a lot of C-dramas, I’ve noticed certain words and phrases just start living rent free in my head 😂 Especially the ones you hear over and over again in dramas. The same happens with kdramas as well.

Some of my favorites are:

Wèishénme!! wèishénme!! (Why why) 😭😂

Wǒ ài nǐ ❤️ (I love you)

Wǒ yào shā le nǐ ( I will kill you....!)☠️

Wǒ míngbái le (I understand) 👌

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