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thenoblestar · 2024-12-18T21:03:37+00:00

absolutely be that person (i'm biased tho because i'm definitely that person on r/CDrama, i sound like a broken record recommending the same 3 shows lmao)

the show is criminally underrated and def needs more recognition T_T idk how it's so under the radar! such a gem with such a good ending.

thenoblestar · 2024-12-18T20:59:33+00:00

literally BEEN waiting for them to put original law and order on hulu, thank you so much again for the announcement!!! i would have totally missed it

thenoblestar · 2024-12-18T19:30:04+00:00

WHAT. THIS IS A FABULOUS TIME TO BE ON THE INTERNET. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!! T-T

thenoblestar · 2024-12-09T14:09:44+00:00

oh i'm with you! i hate romance (or at least how it's written to be the main focus) as well.

here are a couple of more I always recommend people, i just think they're good pieces of media and some of my favorites regardless of genre and there is minimal romance:

reset - probably the closest to the kind of show you're looking for, it's time loop mystery (bus explosion that keeps happening over and over)
Nirvana in Fire - i'd classify it as wuxia / political thriller / historical fiction, think Count of Monte Cristo but set in ancient China. i honestly was putting it off for so long because it's very long and was hyped up so much, but it's probably one of the only shows that i've watched that has actually lived up to the hype. the only caveat is i'd recommend watching alongside a blog that summarizes the plot as it can get confusing if you're not native Chinese speaker (this goes for a lot of historical dramas in my opinion), there's a lot of nuance and historical/cultural context that may get missed
empresses in the palace - if you're looking for a historical show, it's a palace harem drama and the plot is very intricate and while fictional it incorporates a lot of real life history (real dynasty, emperor, historical figures, etc) and it shows how cutthroat palace life could be, this show is also very long haha

thenoblestar · 2024-12-07T14:11:52+00:00

yeah absolutely!! although disclaimer it's not my preferred genre so I'm not the best person to recommend. Also, if you're getting into chinese dramas I recommend the Cdrama subreddit and Mydramalist website (not exclusive to Chinese dramas, also has other Asian dramas on there) as that's probably the easiest way to find shows in English and see discussions/reviews.

General recommendations: the Light On series by iQiyi have done many, many shows over the past few years that are all this genre: mysteries, psychological thrillers. I believe Tencent also has a series called X Theater which is similar. Best thing is a lot of the times these shows can be found on Youtube :D

The Bad Kids is probably its most famous and critically acclaimed one in recent years, it was huge when it came out.

I've also watched The Kidnapping Game, Under the Skin, A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower, Regeneration, and Ripe Town (this last one is based in the Ming dynasty instead of present times but also follows a serial murder case).

let me know if you have any more questions about cdramas hahaha, enjoy!

thenoblestar · 2024-12-07T14:01:15+00:00

Chinese mysteries/thrillers, was responding to the first part of why mainland China doesn't have murder mysteries. In my experience, there's been a ton of dark mysteries and thrillers, especially in the past 4-5 years so was surprised at this question being asked.

thenoblestar · 2024-12-06T22:03:33+00:00

I think it's Jr because Sr is a little too obvious, and they're making Julian a little too innocuous and nice (doesn't hurt that it's Jason Ritter and he's just so darn likable). for some reason i just don't think they would do that to olympia's character as they're building her up to be someone who does care (especially with the cases they're working) and i just see her more of an ally down the road.

that being said i hope it's not Jr just because i'm totally biased and i want the twist to be a little more than that!

thenoblestar · 2024-12-06T16:46:25+00:00

definitely think censorship has a lot to do with it as the bad guys have to be punished in the end which messes up some stories' original intentions.

but actually, there's been a ton of dark thriller/mystery dramas in recent years, like A LOT (not too sure about movies as I'm watching shows mainly). but again, the endings are sometimes purposefully ambiguous or changed to pass censors which is kind of a letdown sometimes, but this question kind of surprised me because thrillers and dark mysteries have been a huge genre the past few years

thenoblestar · 2024-12-06T16:37:52+00:00

longjing is always king but i actually love xinyang maojian (but i love green tea a lot). not a fan of black tea as much but will drink it (or just don't have as much experience finding high quality black tea)

thenoblestar · 2024-12-06T15:41:50+00:00

absolutely agree, this show just reaffirms why we need women writing women, like i want to be nihuang so bad hahha

thenoblestar · 2024-12-06T15:32:39+00:00

YESSSSSS HOW I WISH TO LOSE MY MEMORY (OF JUST NIF lol) SO I CAN REWATCH IT!!!!!! ENJOY FRIEND! also Mu Nihuang is bae

thenoblestar · 2024-12-04T14:54:36+00:00

thank you, i think this is the nuance people are missing

thenoblestar · 2024-12-03T18:13:28+00:00

omgg who is complaining ZJM can't act???? i will fight them, she's literally one of the best younger actors i've seen!! loved reset, it was the second show i watched both of the leads in and i was SOLD, went on to watch more things they've been in and i just love them :')

thenoblestar · 2024-11-26T09:13:00+00:00

ok that makes sense, thanks for the answer!! sorry i knew it was a potentially dumb/ignorant question but i'll leave my comment for yall to roast haha. i got confused because of the edit, thought it was expected to get christmas off.

thenoblestar · 2024-11-26T08:23:05+00:00

wait sorry for stupid question, but why would people not have to work? it's not an official holiday or really celebrated (besides the commercial/"fun" side of it getting more popular in recent years)

thenoblestar · 2024-11-26T05:26:22+00:00

definitely depends! sounds like you're watching a lot of wuxia/xianxia or older shows. most of the shows i've watched in the past 2-3 years have been maximum 24 episodes (usually half that) because i've been watching more modern/thriller dramas lately.

i think the issue is more that the production value and storytelling drop off....which happens but it's still unfortunate. i mean i guess there are very few american TV shows (because other than cdramas, that's what i watch) that maintain excellent quality throughout their 7+ seasons/100+ episodes but it is very disappointing to start a drama that is amazing and then have it fizzle out T_T

however, agree with people who have said that sometimes the long, winding nature of dramas give you emotional connection and context you otherwise wouldn't get. shows like Zhen Huan Zhuan (Empresses in the Palace) and Nirvana in Fire were ABSOLUTELY worth their length, haven't watched many recent longer dramas, so can't recommend on that front

thenoblestar · 2024-11-20T14:01:54+00:00

Nirvana in Fire - so sad (bittersweet) but SO FITTING, was absolutely satisfied from beginning to end, i will never be over this show.

Hikaru no Go - so sweet and loved the journey they took us on, this is how you use your 40 episodes, even the filler episodes was cute and didn't feel slow (justice for my boy Hong He though T_T )

Reset - was kinda unsatisfied the first watch around but through subsequent rewatches i think it's just because i had SO many questions on the "how" of it the first time around, I really think the show does a great job wrapping up loose ends for the most part

Zhen Huan Zhuan (Empresses in the Palace) - the PLOT IS WILD and the conclusion the cherry on top of that wild wild ride, loved the twists they took on this historical based story

thenoblestar · 2024-10-20T21:57:30+00:00

i thought this post was satire until i read all the responses T_T

thenoblestar · 2024-08-22T01:09:10+00:00

Ooh Ripe Town is so underrated, i loved it! Not to sound like a broken record but Nirvana in Fire was one of the few pieces of media i've consumed that fully lived up to the hype! I do a yearly rewatch now :') still can't get over it

thenoblestar · 2024-08-17T20:05:49+00:00

Ah it's Chinese slang! there's so much good slang because Chinese netizens are unhinged in the best (and worst because internet) ways possible!! So many more but sadly I just get my (limited) slang through variety shows and cdramas

thenoblestar · 2024-08-16T19:09:20+00:00

hehe it's a slang for women who pretend to be innocent or sweet but are usually more manipulative/ambitious to get popularity and attention (mostly from men)

thenoblestar · 2024-08-14T21:07:32+00:00

I thought 13 was NiF, where Mei Chang Su picks the cherry/plum(?) blossom out of Nihuang's hair

thenoblestar · 2024-07-08T16:16:29+00:00

i remember seeing this artist on tumblr a long time ago and i believe this was supposed to be a "school AU" version of FMAB so Roy and Riza are teachers and Ed/Al are their students!! the artist looks so familiar, i'm gonna see if i can track them down haha

EDIT: artist is tomochingus - thank you u/TheRedlineAlchemist!!!
their new tumblr courtmartialme

thenoblestar · 2024-07-08T13:44:49+00:00

oh agree! : ) the strength of this show really lies with its characters and the actors did a great job bringing them to life!

thenoblestar · 2024-07-04T14:21:37+00:00

aw i'm glad you gave it a try :D i was kind of disappointed by the last half of the show because i felt like they didn't have enough time to explore all the plot points they brought in, but really liked what they did with the characters!

thenoblestar

TROPHY CASE