Wonderland of Love (2023)

Memorable performance by Xu Kai

This show would be as legendary for Xu Kai as Falling into your smile, or Arsenal Military Academy. His character, costumes, action scenes, and demeanour were simply perfect! He played a guy who was brave, considerate, loyal, super romantic and responsible, displaying every characteristic one ever wants to see in a male lead. As for Jing Tian, she looked super pretty and her acting was true to her character, appearing hot and cold, competitive, even with her love interest, but remaining loyal to him always. I read some comments saying the female lead appeared cold, and uncaring for the ML, but it could be justified seeing her background. She grew up without a mother, dressed up as a man, and trained as a soldier, trying to always hide her true identity, and was pitched against the ML several times due to his being from a rival camp. Even though I understand the character and that she did complete justice to it, one would have loved to see her warmer towards the ML. The second leads were super cute and adorable, though I found it irritating that the second FL almost always made the FL angrier with the ML. The devotion of the second ML towards his girlfriend was amazing and so likeable. Overall, it was a very watchable show with characters who were human at the end of the day.

Leggi di Più

I liked last 5 episodes after he married to her.

Starting was good . Then middle part of drama was boring . All the time chasing ,chasing and chasing . Then was trying to disband the Cui's army and the reason was not satisfactory . Why the king wanted this ? The Cui's army was always work for the welfare of people and never been hindrance in the work of king . The prince and the daughter of Cui family were having same target and when everything was happening good then suddenly prince father kept the condition to marry with her . She was not agreed at first only because of her father she accepted the proposal.
I liked the episodes after their marriage scenes .

Leggi di Più

Heartfelt historical romance with a bickering couple and a storyline full of righteousness and valor

I hope everyone can find their Wonderland of Love <3

I saw this recommended on a TikTok with "strong FLs in C-dramas" and it definitely did not disappoint! This was also my first drama with the ever-popular Xu Kai and I think they really highlighted his acting skills (especially the grief/crying scenes). If you like very romantic historical dramas, you're in for a treat. There's a lot of scenes between the main leads (LOTS of kissing too hehe) while they deal with an unstable court regime, a missing crown grandson, and invaders along the border. I thought that the opening music matched the couple's energy: heroic and righteous from beginning to end.

The storyline starts with both leads having a playful back-and-forth with their armies on the line during a time of rebellion and turmoil, as the emperor's family is almost all annihilated and a general took control. Midway through, the environment shifts from the battlefield and war to court intrigue and tricky politics. I do think the war strategies were at the forefront of the conflict in the show compared to any palace drama, which was refreshing and fun.

PROS:
❀ Main couple with stellar chemistry and dialogue
I loved the scenes between A'Ying and Li Ni, from the very beginning where they were after the same thing (provisions for their respective armies) to the end where they worked together as a couple to squash rebels. Their chemistry was fire from the very beginning and the flirting never stopped from there, lol. The couple dynamics were giving stubborn general's daughter x playful nobleman. Neither of them were invested in the fight for court power but were thrown into the game due to the incompotent people around them, such as Li Ni's cowardly father and brothers. I love how they were on the same frequency for most of the drama, knowing what the other thought and going along with their plans. They both respected each other's wit and characters immensely, and the dialogue always emphasized that. In terms of an equal relationship, this one takes the cake. ALSO, I'm very happy with their ending as a couple and how the show took time to reach that conclusion.
As individuals, I thought their characterizations stayed true throughout the story. Even though Li Ni didn't want to crown prince role and favored a simple lifestyle on the border, he recognized what he needed to do after the huge betrayal scene. Even still, he remained stalwart and upstanding even in the midst of scheming ministers. A'Ying is like the rest of her family - tsundere at heart. She may seem quite cold at times, but she actually has a soft heart. Together, they get along best when they fight/bicker (lol). Shout out to the choreography of them fighting/battling together, because that was always a feast for the eyes.

❀ Interesting side characters that added a lot of depth
From the torn Crown Princess (what a heartbreaking character!) to the brother-in-arms from Loulan Pass (my favorite comic relief), I really appreciated the extra characters. The only ones I didn't like were the second leads, lol. More on that in the con section. Oh also, Taozi and Erduo were the cutest :)

❀ Giving Art of War energy
I enjoyed the heavy emphasis on military strategy over any palace intrigue. A lot of the plans talked about knowing when to attack and when to retreat, which people to use as your allies, when to ambush the enemy, etc. I thought it kept the storyline exciting and the action non-stop.

❀ Them costumes though...
Flashy and gorgeous. Especially Li Ni's outfits... that man looks fine in everything. Also loved his hairdo as well lol. They did an amazing job with making A'Ying look heroic in her military gear too! It created a great juxtaposition when she dressed up as a noble lady.

CONS:
✕ Second leads were kinda weird
I forgot their names so I'm just going to label them as 2ML and 2FL. Both had odd characterizations that were reductive and trite. Also both of them started out decent but ended up getting super obsessed over our main leads which made for lazy writing. Both stand no chance in the romance game.
The 2ML was A'Ying's adoptive brother who wanted to get together with him, but she only saw as an older brother. I thought their separation would allow him to come back even more heroic and helpful in the Cui Army cause, but he just fell into the dark side.
The 2FL was a court lady that Li Ni randomly saved and she got obsessed with him ever since, going back to her father to scheme him into marrying her. At first I was like, "ooh she's kind of smart despite being a court lady that was kicked out of her home," but instead of leveraging that plotline to create character depth, her development stunted at falling in love with Li Ni who never ever gave her hints.
This wouldn't even be a con if it weren't for their obsessive scheming getting into the way of the leads. Like let them be!!

✕ A'Ying could get pretty stubborn at times
This is part of her character, but she could give a good sulk like no other. Thankfully, Li Ni is 10/10 at apologizing and I love a good grovel when I see one (even if it's sometimes not needed LOL). This didn't hinder my enjoyment but sometimes I was like, girl can you just let it go :,)) Thankfully their make-up scenes were 20/10!!

✕ Misunderstandings: 3/10
Nothing major that I can think of. It was more like minor understandings in the beginning when they were both figuring out each other's identities and character. Any break-ups and arguments were short-lived between them and they made up pretty often. I loveeeed their romantic dates in the midst of the war and fights breaking out lol.

OVERALL
If you're looking for a valiant couple who work together for the sake of bringing peace to the people, this show is for you. There's plenty of action, and even more romance, to enjoy. The male lead is protective and sweet, the female lead is headstrong and gallant. Both of them stand brave in the midst of chaotic times and strive to protect the ones they love. While the show was 40 episodes, I never felt bored and the satisfying ending made my heart all warm. The symbolism of Le You Yuan (Wonderland) will leave viewers hopeful about their own wonderland of love.

Leggi di Più

Drama with clever FL and ML characters.

What I like the most is the character of the two main characters and also their costumes. HAHAHA.

so first of all, I initially had no intention of watching this drama until it was quite popular in cdrama. The reason for not wanting to watch? I dont know. I just didn't intend to because I didn't have attention to watch Xukai dramas and I didn't really know the actress (until I finally realize that her acting and visuals at the age of 35 were really good).

So, this is a 40-episode historical drama. The setting is an empire being rebelled by a general named Sujing. There are two teams that want to protect empire, the Lini form western border team (which turns out to be one of those who has an imperial lineage that has been massacred) and Cui Li (Who has a daughter Cui Lin but keeps it a secret, so her daughter is disguised as an adjutant).

Cui Lin and Li Ni both want to save the empire, but neither of them trusts each other. So, they have their own way of saving until they have to work together to overcome various dramas and obstacles.

What I like is that Cui and Li are very smart in scouting and war, Where's Miss Cui's fashion, she's really pretty when she's about to attract, oh my God >_<

In short, Lini managed to save his father from Sujing's captivity, kill Sujing, and appoint his father as temporary emperor assisted by Prime Minister Gu and his daughter. But unfortunately, Lini is the kind of child that the emperor doesn't like so the emperor listens to her 2 stupid older brothers.

There are differences of opinion between Li Ni and Cui. Li Ni wants to return peacefully to the border after searching and finding the real crown prince and asking the emperor to abdicate, while Cui feels that Li Ni has the potential to become a wise emperor. Yeah, their romance is full of intrigue there until finally Lini has to become crown prince and marry the person she loves (Cui). But the Cui family has to disband 100,000 of their military troops which also causes her father to go crazy. (Imagine, in order to save yourself, you have to let go of all the troops that have been built from your acestors and his father is crazy, so on the first night, Cui and Li end up fighting, it's funny even though it's tragic).

And let's discuss what I don't like.

1. 39/40 episodes the emperor is stupid. Li Ni's father wasn't stupid in the final episode but only when he handed over the throne.
2. Lini's two older brothers were so stupid that they were taken advantage of by enemies who started a civil war.
3. Cui's former adoptive brother, a boy who was originally called General Cui's son, didn't thank him enough and was a stupid love with Cui, until he worked together with Sujing to attack the empire and killed many people.
4. Mr. Gu's 4th daughter, who was so stupid that she decided to become a concubine and had a lot of drama.

Please, if the protagonist is as smart as Sujing with Mr. Gu, I'm fine with that. This protagonist is so stupid: (makes your blood run high. What makes you stick around watching? Of course, our two main players. Who else? The characters are really fresh. The girls and boys are equally intelligent. The way they learn from those who are good at warfare and then learn to enter politics is told in a subtle way. They are not made to be so smart that they don't make mistakes, but they are made to learn that their intelligence also has limits to power.

My favorite character apart from them? The former crown princess of the dead emperor and the mother of the missing crown prince (searched for by Lini). Mirssss, you are willing to ruin your crown princess title and change into Sujing's empress during the rebellion so you can be an eye, poisoning Sujing with lipstick so that you get poisoned, so you don't arouse suspicion, that's amazing, and so calm, my god, that's crazy!This drama is quite good as a historical drama!!!

Leggi di Più

Did we even watch the same thing?

I am utterly flabbergasted at the high rating for this show. I went into this thinking it would be a light-hearted and fun love story with a side of palace politics and power struggles. What I ended up watching was a show with ridiculous characters and nonsensical plot that circled around the frustrating love story of the two main characters. I am under the impression that Xu Kai fans are what has inflated the rating for this show because the drama itself is not worth watching.

To address Xu Kai; I actually liked him in this drama and thought his acting was done much better than I have seen in many of his other works. He had great chemistry with Jing Tian and the other male cast members in his army. His stage presence is great and he pulls off the carefree soldier that is being forced into his role of royalty. Jing Tian also acted her role well according to how she is written. I did not like the character very much but she was acted well and the chemistry between the two helped tremendously. The character herself was just frustrating and I often times wanted Li NI to just give up because she was not worth it.

But having two great main actors will not make a show great if it is written and directed poorly. And that is exactly what this is. It is so poorly written that it is laughable. Almost all of the characters are cartoonish in their representations of their roles. The main lead's father that becomes the emperor is spineless and ridiculous. He acts and reacts in ways that are childish. His two older brothers are witless and ambitious but just plain dumb. The writer of this show obviously does not have a firm understanding of politics because the way this drama moves in circles with with nonsensical reasoning for their moves and countermoves. Every villain that is introduced, and there are quite a few, are one dimensional characters making decisions based on one specific desire and the people around them just follow along as if that person is not dumb. And these actors were even directed to make the most ridiculous facial expressions that make them cartoony to portray evilness.

I was already struggling to get through this after the main leads father, whom you can not convince me is a person that could have ever held power, became emperor. Even if he was a puppet king he was so ridiculous that I could no longer watch scenes with him in it. Then came the tedious and LONG storyline where the female lead is angry that the Li Ni did not save her useless Young Master. I could have gotten past it and said it was her grief reacting but it went on for soooo long. When they finally find that cute and watchable area where the two are clearly in love you have the intrusion of the love scorned Young Master returning as a villain but in a way that made absolutely no sense. Did no one ask where he had been for months? No one questioned anything and just let him back to lead the army with authority higher than Ying even though she was very close to the general. The forced wedding episode was unbearable to watch for its nonsense. Move on and you have the female lead then forcing the unwilling male lead to become crown prince in order to marry her. It is one ridiculous plot point to another with no connecting strings or firm reasoning for their actions.

The only reason I am giving this a 5 is because the costumes are pretty, the main actors do well, and the OST is nice. But the CGI is horrible, the rest of the acting is bad and the story line is ridiculous.

I really just can't tell you enough to please skip this drama.

Leggi di Più

Mettons les pieds joyeusement dans les plats haha. Ce drama n'est pas forcément mauvais, mais ............ c'est ce gros "mais" qui le fait basculer dans le médiocre....

Les points positifs? Un début léger et frais qui sans mentir promettait beaucoup. Le duel de nos deux protagonistes étaient intéressant et on se prenait facilement au jeu de leur petite escarmouche. Je ne trouvais pas que leur couple soit un couple-incroyable-de-la-mort-qui-tue, mais cela se laissait regarder avec facilité.
Mais encore? ....en fait, c'est tout.

Passons aux points négatifs :
Pour faire court, on n'y croit pas une seule seconde à leur romance. Du moins, je n'y crois pas une seule seconde. Malgré les yeux énamourés de Li Ni, j'ai trouvé horripilant de le voir la suivre partout, courbant l'échine à chaque instant. Sincèrement, les seules fois où il se fâche après elle, et à raison, je n'avais qu'une seule envie, le voir s'éloigner d'elle au plus vite.... J'adore toutes les romances sous toutes ses formes, sous toutes ses relations, mais je déteste les relations qui ne vont que dans un sens... Et bien que la nénette soit amoureuse, permettez moi tout de même d'en douter… Une profonde affection, certes, peut-être de l'amour, mais pas celui auquel j'aimerais assister. Elle le fait tourner en bourrique, le tourne en dérision, s'amuse à tricher en l'embrassant pour gagner, se permet de bouder et de l'envoyer bouler lorsqu'il lui oppose ferment un "non" à devenir le prince héritier, se permettant de s'offusquer lorsque la moitié des hommes de Li Ni périssent lors de la trahison de l'armée de Cui et que Li Ni, de colère froide la rabroue....ou pire se drape dans sa dignité lorsque son père est piégé et l'arme de Cui dissoute tout en battant froid son époux. Mais WTH...elle le force à devenir prince héritier, le pousse, fait du chantage genre "c'est moi et le trône ou rien" ( heu, ce n'est pas ce que j'appelle de l'amour...). Son père pour les beaux yeux de sa fille pousse Li Ni sous les projecteurs. Résultats? le groupe d'amis de Li Ni exterminé en bonne et dû forme, deux frères (pas très jojo certes) s'entretuant à qui mieux mieux.
Alors résumons, elle lui pique ses villes, la nourriture de l'armée, elle ne participe certes pas à la trahison de l'armée Cui mais "cautionne" en restant au côté de celui qui a fomenté cette belle trahison et ne prenant pas la peine de s'excuser auprès de Li Ni pour tous les hommes perdus (alors je sais que c'est la guerre et toussa, mais tout de même, des soldats qui meurent sont des êtres humains...), l'oblige à devenir prince héritier. Une fois devenue une cible, Li Ni perds ses hommes, perds sa nourrice et se voit obligé à devenir le prince héritier par obligation. Et que fait-elle? ah, elle boude encore, refuse d'être son épouse, blabla.... OUI, j'avais envie de lui mettre 2 ou 3 claques "hé ma cocotte, tu l'as un peu cherché, non??".
Bref, une romance lamentable...

Les personnages secondaires ne sont pas intéressants, la romance secondaire est ennuyeuse à souhait, oui oui, car encore une fois, nous avons droit au gars maladroit suivant suit la nana partout. Alors, je suis une nana qui a la réputation d'être un peu bossy, mais sincèrement un gars qui me colle partout en faisant mes 4 volontés me ferait fuir à toute jambe.

Les méchants? heu, grotesques et stupides avec un manque flagrant de jugeote! vous savez les méchants de "City Hunter"? c'est un peu le même principe, sans le "mouahahahaha, je suis le méchant" mais pas loin...
L'obsession de Liu Chenfeng est tellement pitoyable qu'on a du mal à croire qu'elle ait pu le considérer comme un frère. Et punaise, il passe son temps à fomenter des complots pour tuer Li Ni et enlever Cui Yi les trois quart du drama. Il n'a pas une vie sinon?

Et l'intrigue dans tout cela? il n'y en a pas. J'étais venue dans l'idée de trouver un peu de réconfort après "A journey to Love"
( un traumatisme ce drama!), mais tout le drama tourne autour du couple. L'intrigue n'existe que pour mettre en scène le couple principal.

C'est donc un drama que j'ai fini (je ne sais pas comment) mais que je ne recommande pas vraiment. Du moins pas si vous cherchez un couple de ouf, un cerveau machiavélique, des personnages secondaires intelligents et qui ont leur propre histoire, une intrigue haletante...

Leggi di Più

Sizzling chemistry and a storyline that keeps you intrigued

I’m so happy I gave this show a chance! I’ve seen 6 episodes and can’t wait for more. The pacing of the story is fast and I like how they have given the ML and FL a lot of screentime together since the beginning. The acting and chemistry is on point between the leads. I also have no complaints about other characters but the leads definitely run the show (and that’s how it should be). I was very surprised by how much I liked Xu Kai in this. I have seen him in Yangxi Palace (though I haven’t finished it) and didn’t know that he could portray such a character as Li Ni. Also Jing Tian fits the FL’s role perfectly. The cinematography is beautiful and the costumes take my breath away. Extra points for little comedy to lighten up the overall story.

Leggi di Più

A Masterpiece of Romance and Elegance: An Unforgettable Historical Drama!

Top-notch drama! Every aspect of this production is pure perfection. The acting is incredible—Jing Tian and Xu Kai deliver performances that feel so real, it's impossible not to be drawn into their story. Their chemistry is unmatched, making every romantic scene heartfelt and unforgettable.

The script keeps you captivated from start to finish, weaving an emotional journey that's both beautiful and heartbreaking. And the cinematography! Every scene is visually stunning, with breathtaking landscapes, carefully crafted sets, and gorgeous lighting that set the mood perfectly.

The music and OST are spot on, enhancing each moment and lingering in your mind long after the episode ends. Wardrobe choices were flawless, bringing the characters to life with authentic historical detail that only adds to the magic. This drama is definitely one of the best Chinese historical dramas ever made. I’m going to rewatch it a thousand times—it’s that unforgettable!

Leggi di Più

Best Historical Drama of 2023!

This is perfect!
The chemistry is way too strong! Episode 1 started rly good then way up to ep12 and i can't wait for next episodes to air!
Performance: Both main leads are very well suited for their roles. They brought the characters into life. The sword play and fighting scenes were epic!
The roller coaster's of plot definitely brings out mix emotions. They make u laugh, smile, sad, annoyed, angry and cry. Excellent casts not just the ML's but evn supporting characters did well. Kudos to this production!
I dare say that this is the BEST historical drama of 2023!!
Rewatch value- definitely 10!

Leggi di Più

a well combined drama

The drama was well combined with matters of politics, romance , history, comedy, friendship and so on. I am an anti fantasy drama lover. I am so glad this drama was fantastic partially but it was not a typical fantasy drama actually. The female lead's statement ' once I get pregnant I will kill you and let my son ascend to the throne,,,' This apparently confused him first but he later became so happy remembering the romantic night. Her statement is quite unique and unforgettable for me. Also his confusing look was so lovable. The two characters in the sketchbook were really cute. The fighting scene of the first night of their marriage was quite stunning. The male lead usually star in a fantasy drama but I wish he could star in more decent and realistic dramas in the future because he is so versatile. I'd rather love him in traditional costumes.

Leggi di Più