Hola! Happy Eid! Eid Mubarak!
On this Muslim’s holy day, I should be posting apologetic writing and sharing the festivities, yet here I am sharing some of my favorite Chinese dramas! So, well, apologies for that too, but also sorry but not sorry, ’cause, who knows you need this as reference, right? You can watch them while waiting for your guests, for instance? Anyway, I wish you a happy Idul Fitri with your loved ones. May your heart be filled with peace and contentment and surrounded with people who do not annoy you negatively. Aameen.
Ok, now back to “business”: My short/mini Chinese drama addiction! LoL
As I’ve stated in my previous post, my watch list has expanded to the modern-themed ones, so now I am not limiting myself to the ancient dramas only. However, for modern dramas, currently I’m still limiting myself to the short/mini/vertical – not horizontal full-screen – ones only. But, gosh, the stories are pure fiction. LoL But maybe that’s why I love it? I mean, it kinda keeps me in check with reality. Some are too evil, some are too good to be true, some are too coincidental, some are too crazy, some are too nonsensical, etc. They kinda exaggerate everything but maybe that’s what makes it interesting. And don’t get me wrong; even if I said some were ridiculous with lousy acting and such, it’s actually a compliment. I love them, and I think they’re doing a good job – in entertaining the viewers, in hooking us onto their work, in making us addicted. That’s not easy, so gotta give credit where it’s due!
Anyway, I have watched countless dramas, of the same actors, actresses, and pairs with different stories, or same themes, even exactly same stories or plots but with different actors and actresses, and yet I stay. One thing that I can’t really comprehend about these modern Chinese dramas are: copyright! How do they manage it? Like when they have exactly the same plots and stories? They also throw in popular songs, not just Chinese songs, but also Korean songs (such as those famous soundtracks of popular Korean dramas like ost of Secret Garden, Goblin, etc.), and even Japanese songs. Initially I thought perhaps the ones who shared them on YouTube added those songs to avoid copyright issues, but I guess that’s not the case, ’cause recently they even made the characters in the drama dance to Rosé & Bruno Mars’s song “APT.” and Super Junior “Sorry, Sorry.” Do they even have legal permissions to use such songs in their movies or dramas? 🙈😅 And don’t ask me which movies or dramas, ’cause I don’t remember. And I’m not judging either. This is pure curiosity. When it comes to copyright in these dramas, I guess I have no right to comment since I myself watch them for free either on YouTube or Dailymotion. I even joined subreddits or reddit communities to keep myself updated with these dramas (and their links). So yeah, I’m just curious.
Alright, let me share some of my favorites – ones that I remember. LoL Clues: I love the ones in which the husbands are doting, loving, caring, and respectful towards their wife. And I love the ones in which the female leads are strong and can stand up for themselves. And I hate the ones in which the characters are easily swayed by evil third-parties. Like, can’t you use some of your brain cells? Jeez. But ok, no judging. I can say this only because as a viewer, I can see each character from a whole point of view, I can even know what they actually feel and think in their head. In reality, we might not be able to see the wicked sides as these evil characters can hide their hideous plans really well. May God have mercy and put us far away from such black-hearted people! 🤲🤲🤲
Ok, here are my favs and the whys. Note that the titles might not be right as they love to go with different names. Especially the ones posted on YouTube, sometimes the titles are simply for click-baits, so “obscene and provoking.” LoL
1. Love Moves in Mysterious Ways. Other sources name it “Love Comes Quietly,” MDL calls it “Love Quietly Arrives.” Not sure which title is the right one, but the actors are Sun Yue and Ma Qian Qian. I don’t like that the male lead smokes occasionally, but other than that, man, he’s so cool! There’s hardly any violence in this one, except when he punished the evils, but evil people deserve it, so let’s not discuss it. Anyway, I love that he let his wife think she’s actually using him and playing with him when in actuality, he’s been in love with her, playing along with her, secretly protecting her behind the screen, and helping her with her causes – not because he wanted some credit – but because he genuinely wanted to make the girl that he loved happy – and safe. Well, many men are crazy about domination, being heroes, saviors and all, but you see, true men do not really need such a validation ’cause they’re cool no matter what. I love that he treated his wife kindly, gently, lovingly. He’s so patient T_T Well, he yelled nearing the end but only because he’s frustrated trying to get her to stay. LoL And I love that the wife was not too selfish and not violent as well. In short, I love it. I don’t mind rewatching it, really.
2. Unexpectedly Falling In Love with You. The actor is Li Hao. I love this one because, of course, the husband was doting, caring, protective, and all. But perhaps I especially love this one because, unlike those dramas with CEOS hiding their identity because they suspected their wives were gold-diggers, in this one, the male lead wasn’t really hiding his rich identity. He’s just going along with his wife’s assumption who thinks he’s just an ordinary guy, but in the end he let her know. Also, I love that the wife didn’t really problematize it. After all, mutual understanding is important in a relationship, no? I hate it when in other dramas, the wives get upset when finding out that their husbands are actually rich and hiding it from them, and then they act irrationally creating more if not endless misunderstandings and conflicts, so exhausting. I get that it’s valid to be angry when lied to, but I guess no need to drag it on for too long? I mean, as long as they regret and prove their love to you, after they come clean confessing and apologizing for hiding the truth and all, then you can start anew? I mean, why would you be upset to find that a rich handsome guy genuinely falls head over heels for you and can finally trust you? I can never understand… T_T And that’s why I love this one. Conflicts are quick to resolve^^
3. Love, Like a Rose. The actor is Wang Bo. I love this one because it’s “funny.” At first the male lead hides his identity because he’s worried that his wife might marry him only for money. But then he falls for her and gets scared that she’d leave him if she knew he’s rich – ’cause she always says she loves living an ordinary life. In the end he told her that he’s actually a CEO and I love that she readily accepted it, no need for unnecessary wrath, grudges, and such. Really really adorable. They also treated each other tenderly with care. Simple life, slow-paced, fluffy, yet making us feel content 🙂
4. Secret Love at 30000 feet. I really really love this one. It’s about a pilot and a traffic controller. They first agreed to get married due to familial pressure, but the female lead actually has had a crush on the male lead since high school. She even became a traffic controller because she accidentally heard that the male lead wanted to be a pilot and would marry a traffic controller. What I love the most about this one is how they steadily built on and nurtured their love, how they mutually respected and trusted each other instead of listening to a third-party’s slanders. Whenever someone tried to drive some wedge or sow some discord between them, they came together, communicated, and cleared up anything that might cause a misunderstanding-completely giving no chance to homewreckers. Totally love it, and I believe that’s how a healthy relationship should be like. As I’ve said before, in a relationship, the couple should not fight against each other, they should fight together against evils and anyone who tries to break them apart.
5. I don’t know the right title, but here it is. Oh my God, I love this one. It’s so sweet and satisfying. After leaving her ex-bf scumbag, the girl married the guy who has actually loved her for years. She learned to love him and did not waver even when her ex-bf tried to win her back. The guy was so loving, gentle, and sweet. He gave her time and slowly won her over. He respected her wishes and became her greatest ally. Gosh, give me one like this please! I love how she gradually fell for him, seeing how much he loved her. And it’s satisfying to see how much the ex regretted his actions in the past – but it’s too late, bro, it’s your fault for taking her for granted, not appreciating her love! Anyway, I really love this one. The family is supportive as well 😉
6. This one. I don’t actually plan to list one about rebirth/reborn dramas ’cause I’ve watched too many of them (from those whose minds can be heard by the family after being reborn to those adopted or original daughters being reborn and finally retaliated, etc). But this one is a bit different; it’s actually amusing. After reborn, the girl acted shameless trying her best to shower her husband with love – teaching him to express his love for her – to show her how much he loved her – ’cause in her previous life, the evil character successfully manipulated her and got her into thinking that her husband did not love her because he did not know how to convey his feelings. She only found out upon her death that her husband had loved her greatly all along, that’s why she was determined to shower him with love after being reborn. And instead of resenting the fact that her husband doubted her upon seeing the change, she just focused on and kept trying to atone for her mistakes in her previous life (as she should!) before finally convincing him that she indeed loved him. In her previous life, she thought her husband didn’t love her and her husband thought she didn’t love him. Jeez, what a misunderstanding! LoL
Well, actually I have some more, but I guess the post has been too long, and my blog has been acting up as well, so let’s just make do with 6 movies or dramas here. Well, if you noticed, you can tell that in these movies and dramas, the husbands mostly give their wife some kind of freedom, even if initially they’re restricting because they loved her so much. They let their wife shine and tried their best to support them without stealing the spotlights from them (wait, have I already used these phrases in the previous post? So not creative! LoL). They treated their wife with love, care, respect, trust, and understanding. The family are also loving and supportive as well, not violent or abusive. And like I said, the wives are also strong; they stand up for themselves. I guess these dramas made me really realize – not just the kind of guys I am attracted to – but also the kind of people I like and dislike in general. I know I don’t like the good but weak ones, ’cause they can be easily manipulated by the evil ones, eventually causing troubles for other good people.
Also, actually I found these rich people scary. Like, they can really abuse their power. They can fire people, make someone bankrupt or miserable, and even get them killed just by a snap of the fingers. I get that in these dramas they’re just trying to protect their loved ones and punish the evil characters. But in reality? Gosh, it’s scary. Especially because in these dramas, they tend to be classist, like, the poor should respect and fear the rich because they have money – not because they are truly good, honorable, and laudable.
Indeed, having a lot of money makes everything easier. But, even though I love money, I don’t think I wish to marry a filthy rich ’cause exceptionally rich people usually get their wealth by exploiting nature or people or both. You know, accumulating their fortune by paying their employees so low. Cheap labor? Well, I hope to marry someone who earns enough to live a decent life and send our kids to good schools – and of course with halal money. So no, no need to be filthy rich. Not that they’ll marry me, though. LoL
Oh, in some dramas (not mentioned here), at first I thought it’s weird that in the story the conflicts started because they didn’t recognize the true heir, heiress, or CEO so that someone evil could easily impersonate them and cause some rifts. But then I realize that I myself would not know who the riches in my country are. LoL And there’s a slim chance I’ll meet them too. But I believe I won’t have such problems when encountering one. I mean, we have the internet, no? It should be easier to check, recheck, confirm, and validate some data.
But, well, I guess some conflicts in those dramas wouldn’t have happened if people just treated everyone with respect, like a real human being, regardless of one’s profession, status, wealth, etc. But, well, ok, it’s fiction – though unfortunately also happened in real life, I believe.
Alright, I guess that’s it. If you need more recommendations or have some questions, feel free to comment or reach out. Again, happy Eid! 🙂
PS: Other comments
– Watching these dramas makes me jealous and envious, resenting several things in my own country. For instance, in these dramas, they’ll turn the bad guys to the police so they can rot in jails. In my country? Nah, the bad guys won’t be punished when they have money. What is justice? What is law? Those with power and money are always above the law, unfortunately…
– I don’t get the kinship and “wide-age-gap” obsessions in some of these dramas, like, “falling in love with my ex-boyfriend’s uncle,” or pairing a full-fledged successful adult or CEO with a minor or a high school girl, like, why? I don’t mind age gaps, really, but they should be two consenting adults, no? Pairing a grown-up man with a high school girl somehow seems like normalizing grooming. Sorry, don’t mean to be politically correct, just, you know…
– No judging, but I really don’t get how they can easily have a one-night stand 😅🙏 Though I get that it’s the premise of the story. Still, it seems too casual and normal there, I can never…
– I got to learn new terms watching these dramas: white moonlight (usually referring to someone the guy has had a crush on for a long time, first love, and such), green tea (someone who pretends to be good and gentle but is actually evil), wearing green hat (basically meaning a nice but idiotic guy for having his partner cheating on him), PUA (i.e. to gaslight), etc. Chinese is so rich with such expressions and proverbs 🙂
