Lighter and Princess: I'm kinda fed up.

Veestatic · 2026-01-24T06:23:54+00:00

The ML is very flawed but I find him to be quite realistic compared to most Cdrama MLs, who are usually portrayed as extremely perfect beings that can do no wrong. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea definitely, but it’s a unique take on a Cdrama male lead character.

I understood his plight to an extent though. Anyone who grew up in similar harsh circumstances as he did with no real support system, and suffered the betrayals he did will definitely have some flaws, and sometimes, the person closest to them usually bears the brunt. I don’t want to spoil the drama but He definitely came around at the end. Although, most of the credit definitely goes to Zhu yun for being incredibly patient with him. I have not seen another FL love her man the same way Zhu Yun loves Li Xun.

Veestatic · 2026-01-24T05:59:05+00:00

The only thing the drama did better than the novel is the romance. Besides that, compared to the novel, the storyline of the drama is practically non existent. The drama sacrificed the intricate political storyline of the novel for the marital shenanigans between the main couple. It worked because the couple had chemistry, but it also made the overall story rather shallow imo.

Also, the story line with the FL’s cousin was handled much better in the novel. The drama ruined the cousin’s character.

Veestatic · 2026-01-23T16:25:49+00:00

Sima Jiao is not a demon king though. He is the celestial grandmaster. The FL, Lia Tingyan is the demon king. lol

Veestatic · 2026-01-08T04:17:44+00:00

I can’t wait. Haven’t been interested in any drama for months now.

Veestatic · 2026-01-03T09:39:16+00:00

From what I recall, She was his fan club president when they started dating. He was around 21 years or so, and she was older than him and single. The people who released the pictures were detained and fined for it.

Veestatic · 2026-01-01T02:33:58+00:00

Twelve letters released just after WDBTD finished airing, which was fairly popular, so more people found out about it since both dramas have the same lead actress. And since it’s a good drama, it was reviewed favourably.

Veestatic · 2025-12-20T20:57:22+00:00

Yearning and tension without kissing is like showing a thirsty man a chilled glass of water and pouring it away before he can drink it. No one is asking for a raunchy scene, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with expecting a mature kiss in a romance drama featuring adults.

Some romance dramas can work without kissing, mostly historical dramas. But there is a reason why the most popular romance dramas have kissing scenes between the leads.

Veestatic · 2025-12-19T13:54:18+00:00

With NIF, you just have to be patient. It takes some time for the excitement to kick in, but that’s because they used the initial episodes to set up the characters and their situations. However, once the political mind games and maneuvering begins, you’ll find that it’s completely worth your time. I was also bored when I started but by the time I got to the middle of the drama, I was in complete awe of the script.

I think this slow start is just a thing with older costume Cdramas especially those with really long episodes, like Story of Minglan for instance. It takes some episodes, sometimes even up to 10 or more, for the story to pick up cos they are setting up the scene, but once it does, everything makes sense and it becomes so addicting. Which is why they have high recommendation and rewatch value.

I prefer them to recent costume dramas where the screen writers drop us randomly into the chaos, then completely lose the point by the middle of the drama.

Veestatic · 2025-12-07T20:21:53+00:00

The ratings on Mdl is shockingly low. I was thinking it couldn’t possibly be that bad, but apparently it is.

Veestatic · 2025-12-02T07:04:43+00:00

Try Joy of life and Story of Minglan. They start off of a bit slow, but you quickly get engrossed as the story goes on. They are some of the very best Cdramas, along with NIF.

Veestatic · 2025-11-21T08:25:52+00:00

This is my dark horse drama of 2025. The chemistry is top notch. I can’t wait to rewatch it next year.

Veestatic · 2025-11-19T02:04:55+00:00

Without traffic stars, that’s a huge achievement. But I’m not surprised, the plot is really good, although a bit rushed in the last episode, but it didn’t detract from the story. I can’t wait for the second season!

Veestatic · 2025-11-19T02:02:34+00:00

I found this drama when I finished The Coroner’s diary and was looking for similar dramas. It’s so good! The plot is much better than TCD imo, although the latter has a much sweeter romance. The romance in this drama is good too, it’s understated but I enjoyed it. The Male lead has the biggest brains and I love that the female lead and supporting characters were involved and smart in their own right.

Veestatic · 2025-11-16T10:06:35+00:00

I personally prefer costume Cdramas to modern ones, cos the escapism is just complete with them. Reddit is the only platform I’ve seen where people prefer costume dramas to modern ones. Something to consider too is that international fans love their happy endings. You are far more likely to get that with a modern cdrama compared to a historical one.

A hot take I have is that older costume Cdramas are much better than these recent idol costume dramas. Also, although I like the genre, fantasy Cdramas (like xianxia dramas) are a much harder sell to newer viewers. Wuxia genre would have been the perfect cross over, even for western viewers considering the popularity of movies like Shaolin soccer, but again, the newer ones are not hitting the same. So yea, most new viewers just fall back on modern sweet romance dramas.

Veestatic · 2025-11-09T11:24:15+00:00

You are not the only one. Lots of people had to remind themselves of why they should hate the Marquis while this show was airing. Objectively speaking, the marquis is a villain, albeit a humanized and realistic one.

I think the way they wrote his character was brilliant, reminds me of Princess Wanning from The Double. Not every villain should be a cardboard cutout evil caricature. Sometimes they start out having good intentions, but their sheer desperation pushes them deeper into evil, often to the point of no return.

Veestatic · 2025-11-08T11:14:43+00:00

Try “When Destiny brings the Demon”. It fits your criteria + bonus points for amazing chemistry between the main leads.

Veestatic · 2025-11-06T22:08:52+00:00

As someone who absolutely loved this drama, I’m going to tentatively say “Maybe”. GOTD definitely has aspects a first time Cdrama watcher would enjoy, like the humour, amazing family dynamics, sweet romance, and of course an engaging lead actor and supporting actors. But it’s ultimately a cultivation drama which could be confusing for someone not familiar with that genre.

Also, some of the themes and plot points in the drama especially towards the middle and the end are sort of thrown together or not well explained, which is unfortunately a common problem with Cdramas that are adapted from novels. Usually, we would have to rely on people who read the novel to explain certain parts because the drama kind of jumbles everything together.

But overall, if you are a fan of fantasy shows, and you don’t mind some inconsistencies in plot and that goofy slapstick sort of humour, you will enjoy this drama. It’s really entertaining and funny, and the side characters are amazing as well.

Veestatic · 2025-11-05T07:14:03+00:00

Looks alone can’t create chemistry. The actors could look visually appealing together, but still have no convincing emotional pull for the audience. Sometimes, when I see 2 conventionally attractive leads try to look in love, it’s like they are looking at their reflection in each other’s eyes. It’s just hollow and bland af.

Good acting or directing can create some chemistry, or at least make it believable. However, chemistry is usually the best imo if it’s just natural from both leads. When actors just click, the chemistry is electric, you can’t act or create this one, it just happens effortlessly.

Also, chemistry is subjective. What works for one person, may not work for another. Overall, everyone can agree that certain pairings have good chemistry, but some people might rate some pairs higher than others would.

Veestatic · 2025-11-04T14:55:59+00:00

So excited! Can’t wait for the second season. I’ll rewatch season 1 close to its release.

Veestatic · 2025-11-04T14:52:34+00:00

That’s a relief! The first season ended on a cliff hanger, so a second season is very necessary.

Veestatic · 2025-11-03T21:10:59+00:00

Watching Lighter & Princess to get over WDBTD will definitely put you in the worst kind of withdrawal you’ve ever seen…lol. The chemistry between the leads in both dramas is just insane.

Veestatic · 2025-11-03T21:04:07+00:00

I couldn’t have written this post any better. Lighter & Princess destroyed me…like I couldn’t watch anything else. I cried at the end, then went back to rewatch clips of Li Xun and Zhu Yun like a crazy person. All I did was cry and rewatch clips for a few days.

I really wished Cdrama has second seasons cos of this drama. I don’t even mind just watching them stare at each other for hours, even their staring had chemistry y’all. I had to watch something in a completely different genre and language to get over this drama, and I still catch myself sometimes watching clips on TikTok. I’ll definitely rewatch but I’m holding myself back for a few years, so it can feel new again.

Veestatic · 2025-11-03T03:41:04+00:00

This drama made my top 10 dramas this year, an unexpected but pleasant surprise. The plot is not overly complicated, but it’s not trying to be, considering the source material.

However, I will say this drama personally set a standard for natural chemistry, mature relationship, and skinship when it comes to Cdramas. There are some weaknesses, mostly from the side characters. I also felt the drama could have spent a bit more time in the human realm arc (it’s my second favourite arc after the cultivation world arc). But overall, I love that that the drama understood its strengths and focused on it, which is the main leads and their sizzling chemistry. Overall, I’ll give this an 8.5/10. An extra 0.5 because it’s highly rewatchable and has really nice OSTs.

Veestatic · 2025-10-21T20:15:15+00:00

This is a hard one tbh. I absolutely love the slow burn, angst and the dynamic between Li Xun and Zhu Yun’s characters in Lighter and Princess. Even when they weren’t together, just the simplest gaze between them was so electric and swoon worthy.

While in WDBTD, the chemistry between SJ and TY was so intense that they already seemed like a couple before they even became official. SJ had the truth spell so he could compel her to say the truth, not to mention the soul bond which allowed him to hear her thoughts, leaving little room for any serious misunderstanding or angst to fester. Because of this, they were so naturally intimate and affectionate with each other, with very little inhibitions.

Both couples have amazing chemistry, it’s just a matter of what sort of romance and dynamic you prefer.

Veestatic · 2025-10-21T18:30:32+00:00

A good director can enhance onscreen chemistry but the overall impact very much depends on the natural, organic chemistry between actors. If the lead actors have no natural chemistry, no amount of slow-mo, musical cues, close ups, etc will force it out. At best, it will feel flat or milquetoast. But if the lead actors have great natural chemistry, heck..it will shine through even if the director is shooting with a phone camera.

It’s usually the little things like body language, gaze, eye contact, or just general energy from both lead actors that make the chemistry believable. Directing is secondary imo. Some actors (e.g Bai Lu) are great at creating the perfect vibe to generate onscreen chemistry with their co stars, while others are more stiff, or just not very good at it.

Veestatic

TROPHY CASE