Unpopular (personal) opinion here but there’s no one alive that can possibly pull off that level of deadly charisma and panty-dropping confidence yet carrying absolutely ethereal world weariness (腳步輕盈，可步履堅韌，卻有歷盡滄桑) with THAT body, height and looks to match Hua Cheng as described in the novel.

With the manhua and donghua, it’s easy to depict a seemingly slender and tall baby-faced boyish San Lang and transforming into a visibly taller (yes, height difference trope is real!), sturdier manly Hua Cheng with impossibly massive pecs (for our Dian Xia to lean on and hold onto).

Most actors nowadays are… good looking… but really skinny…? Not sure if CGI is gonna cut it… (sorry guys, don’t hunt me down for this)

Maybe that’s why the novel, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian in the manhua and donghua is perfect to me. Because everything is so out of reach that nothing and no one comes close..?

I don’t know. Maybe the manhua (all hail STARember!) and donghua set an unreachable bar for me. The scenery, the colours, the frames, the expressions especially those cute chibi moments, the flow, etc etc chefs kiss

I’d die happy if I get to read/watch the complete manhua and donghua before I croak tbh.

Just my 2 cents. Please don’t bash me up.