why do I even watch Chinese dramas?

That's what you'll always get from their historical/fantasy dramas

Quote from Lulu_Key

I like Asian historical dramas more

But everything is just so sad

Which one have you watched recently? For historical, I only prefer Chinese dramas

Quote from Lulu_Key

I watched 10 miles of each blossoms

I skipped the red fox and the grand emperors part I was only interested in the main couple

Princess agent was also sad but I was rooting for Yanshun, I was kinda glad the other dude died

Now I started ashes of love and I watched the opening and the ending so I already know they will die........

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I haven't watched 10 miles ending yet, did they die?

I was rooting for Yanshun in PA as well, I didn't like its lead character at all actually

No, they won't, Ashes of Love has happy ending

Quote from Lulu_Key

10 miles ended up with a happy ending, I think the book wasn't like that

Yanshun>>> whatever yuenye was

Really?????? OK good cause my heart is already hurting

Yup, that's what I heard as well

True that, his character was so stiff in comparison to the other leads

Yup, I have watched this drama thrice already

Quote from Lulu_Key

And I watched goodbye my princess and she like tried to commit suicide like 3 times

Both dudes literally tortured her

My fav ever was rise of phoneixes but there wasn't alot of romance there

I dropped Goodbye My Princess for the same reason, it was just too sad and unfair for the female lead

Rise of Phoenixes was great indeed but I wish its ending was different

Quote from Lulu_Key

Oh man you watch alot of Chinese drama too

I confess I watch them bits by bits with my mom

She just summarizes the episodes she watched alone for me lol

I wanna watch untamed next

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I do, I get addicted by them once in a while

Oh cool, my mom has watched Nirvana in Fire, Princess Agents and Rebel (kdrama) with me as well

Untamed is good except its CGI, hope you like it

fyi in terms of chinese dramas

xianxia - are the spiritual ones with gods and spirits and demons and devils and multiple life times and eternal love etc etc

period or costume dramas - non fantasy dramas and can be comedies or action based (but will always have a romance involved)

historical dramas - and here I will make the distinction that chinese historical dramas are based on real life events in Chinese history like Romance of the Three Kingdoms or stories about various emperors etc these tend to be "based on a true story" type dramas so slightly different from period dramas

Selfmate has shared correctly and I add as a long time C-drama watcher.

Wuxia - is also historical, fantasy but focuses on cultivation of powers/kung-fu ability - an example of this would be Ever Night (I recommend part 1).

I just finished watching Love Like The Galaxy, which is a pure historical drama. Not Xian Xia or Wuxia. It's a coming of age story that mixes dysfunctional family relationships, complicated OTP, and some political schemes. Very good - the best C-drama I've seen this year.

My top 5 C-drama:

1. Nirvana in Fire

2. Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (Xian Xia)

3. Love Like the Galaxy = Joy of Life (Wuxia)

4. Tientsin Mystic (both seasons - this one is a blend genre that I've not seen before - comedy, horror, mystery, historical)

5. Legend of Fuyao = Sword Snow Stride

Quote from Yinye

Selfmate has shared correctly and I add as a long time C-drama watcher.

Wuxia - is also historical, fantasy but focuses on cultivation of powers/kung-fu ability - an example of this would be Ever Night (I recommend part 1).

I just finished watching Love Like The Galaxy, which is a pure historical drama. Not Xian Xia or Wuxia. It's a coming of age story that mixes dysfunctional family relationships, complicated OTP, and some political schemes. Very good - the best C-drama I've seen this year.

My top 5 C-drama:

1. Nirvana in Fire

2. TMOPC (Xian Xia)

3. Love Like the Galaxy = Joy of Life (Wuxia)

4. Tientsin Mystic (both seasons - this one is a blend genre that I've not seen before - comedy, horror, mystery, historical)

5. Legend of Fuyao = Sword Snow Stride

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I certainly agree with you in regards to no. 1

Nirvana in Fire is really what made me return to watching C-drama after many years of NOT watching lol. It is a masterpiece. For those that my want to check it out - Recommend for you don’t know much going-in. In the beginning it can be confusing but don’t give up.

watch modern day chinese drama

I can't watch historical/fantasy ones cause i cringe at cgis and all the flying stuff

Quote from Lulu_Key

I don't like realistic stuff even for the western side

I'm more of a fantasy, historical and sci-fi gal

for me its only good when its high budget

only wuxia cdrama i have managed to finish was The Untamed

because I genuinely liked the story and main casts, I had to tolerate the poor cgis though

The cgi quality on historical mostly depends on the production company and the story. It has improve greatly since the mid-1990’s and 2000. Tientsin Mystic’s chi production for season 1 surprised me greatly for how innovative and posh it was. I also prefer historical C-drama - that builds off China’s rich culture, mythology, and history.

Obviously, Xx and WX genre will have the most CGI. Historicals, like Love Like The Galaxy and Nirvana in Fire had very little cgi - of course they still use wire work for the Kung fu/fighting scenes.

I also watch some modern C-drama (last one was You’re my Glory and a Taiwanese mystery murder one that I can’t remember the name - will come back to update - edit - The Victim’s Game -8 episodes - pretty good.).

Quote from jinaland

for me its only good when its high budget

only wuxia cdrama i have managed to finish was The Untamed

because I genuinely liked the story and main casts, I had to tolerate the poor cgis though

you really should watch (even if only for the dogdy CGI parts) the no. 1 most popular and famous C-drama of them all

really really dodgy CGI but it was released in 1986 though!!!

Journey to the West 1986 version lol

I watched JTTW 1986 with my Ah Ma when I was little lol. Ditto all the late 80’s classic - RoCH and 90’s - Princess Pearl series. Speaking of oldies, I think the last Cdrama I watched was Romance in the Rain with Vicki Zhao Wei back in 2001?. It has a very good soundtrack.

Quote from Yinye

I also prefer historical C-drama - that builds off China’s rich culture, mythology, and history.

Me too - the "true" Chinese history dramas are the best. The fantasy shows incorporate too many ahistorical modern elements. Since the story isn't real, anyway, the producers apparently feel free to insert plot elements that are trendy today - just like Hollywood does in every single production.

Quote from selfmate

you really should watch (even if only for the dogdy CGI parts) the no. 1 most popular and famous C-drama of them all

really really dodgy CGI but it was released in 1986 though!!!

Journey to the West 1986 version lol

i know the novel but havent read or watched its series, but watched its cartoon when i was kid tho, and watched its movie, back then I didn't know its name but just used to remember it as Sun Wukong lol

now talking about old series, I have watched Pearl Princess tho, that was prolly the first ever chinese series I have watched, it wasn't fantasy if i remember correctly so it was fine and I have watched it when i was kid anyway, I even loved the osts lol

this is what I'm currently watching with my wife

it's a four part series about the rise of the State of Qin into the Qin dynasty

I started with part 4 then went back to 3 then back to 1 and now watching 2 lol

Quote from jinaland

i know the novel but havent read or watched its series, but watched its cartoon when i was kid tho, and watched its movie, back then I didn't know its name but just used to remember it as Sun Wukong lol

now talking about old series, I have watched Pearl Princess tho, that was prolly the first ever chinese series I have watched, it wasn't fantasy if i remember correctly so it was fine and I have watched it when i was kid anyway, I even loved the osts lol

nice nice

there's like a million variations (tv show wise) and a million movies

nothing beats the 86 original though...if you're interested you should have a watch but it's very much (I guess) for children or the nostalgia factor since I'm Chinese and all that...

Princess Pearl is great - great songs as well

Lulu_Key

if you are interested you should watch the fourth and final part about the rise of Emperor Qin Shi Huang himself - that one has english subs and it's somewhat historically accurate

YT has it under Qin Dynasty Epic - it's 78 episodes so it is long!!! lol

Quote from Lulu_Key

I only heard like a 30 min podcast on the first emperor of china and omg

He lived the most intresting life

the entire series basically covers him, his father, his father's father, his father's father's father, his father's father's father and a little bit of his father's father's father's father's father lol

This is why I enjoy historical C-drama because I also like Chinese history (My undergrad studies was on Chinese history - my attempt to learn about my Chinese heritage and why the family left; I only have one uncle left in Shanghai).

I enjoyed the Tang Dynasty and the Republic era the most.

Thanks for the recommendations selfmate.

Quote from Yinye

This is why I enjoy historical C-drama because I also like Chinese history (My undergrad studies was on Chinese history - my attempt to learn about my Chinese heritage and why the family left; I only have one uncle left in Shanghai).

I enjoyed the Tang Dynasty and the Republic era the most.

Thanks for the recommendations selfmate.

interesting

you should probably start with the first series but the fourth has english subs so that might help if your chinese isn't that great

like for dramas like this and even something like nirvana in fire even I as a native chinese speaker had difficulty understanding the use of "ancient" chinese language

are you chinese my friend?

Quote from selfmate

interesting

you should probably start with the first series but the fourth has english subs so that might help if your chinese isn't that great

like for dramas like this and even something like nirvana in fire even I as a native chinese speaker had difficulty understanding the use of "ancient" chinese language

are you chinese my friend?

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My father’s family is Chinese with the surname 林 but they all moved to Thailand. Chinese grand-parents both have passed though. I am trying to find out more re the family history and when the family left China. My parents divorced so I am not as close to my father since my mom raised me and she moved us to the US.

I will have to sit my father down and ask him the family history to get the timeline straight but I know my grandma side left China before grandfather side.

I am mixed. 50% Chinese - but my mom is half Thai and Indian. My Chinese - Mandarin is terrible. I am taking beginner classes. My dad and the family speaks Teochew and Mandarin though.

Quote from Yinye

My father’s family is Chinese with the surname 林 but they all moved to Thailand. Chinese grand-parents both have passed though. I am trying to find out more re the family history and when the family left China. My parents divorced so I am not as close to my father since my mom raised me and she moved us to the US.

I will have to sit my father down and ask him the family history to get the timeline straight but I know my grandma side left China before grandfather side.

I am mixed. 50% Chinese - but my mom is half Thai and Indian. My Chinese - Mandarin is terrible. I am taking beginner classes. My dad and the family speaks Teochew and Mandarin though.

Lin huh? interesting interesting

chinese thai and indian - very interesting mix there...

I assume you're in US now so keep at the chinese classes and the best thing is just practice practice practice - surround yourself with other chinese people (if you can) since immersion is the best method to learn...

in that case start with series 4 lol

it's the only one with English subs...

Quote from selfmate

Lin huh? interesting interesting

chinese thai and indian - very interesting mix there...

I assume you're in US now so keep at the chinese classes and the best thing is just practice practice practice - surround yourself with other chinese people (if you can) since immersion is the best method to learn...

in that case start with series 4 lol

it's the only one with English subs...

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ok I will give series 4 a try. Ah Grandma side of family is Tang but I need to confirm the character lol.

I am in Thailand now; left the US in 2006 and not going back lol.

I agree re learning via immersion.

Quote from Lulu_Key

I just got to the night immortal and Jinmi's wedding

wtf happened????

she stabbed him

Oh yeah, that happened, there's going to be a lot more happening as well

Imagine watching a 35 episode slow burn romance without a single kiss

Quote from selfmate

the entire series basically covers him, his father, his father's father, his father's father's father, his father's father's father and a little bit of his father's father's father's father's father lol

Quote from Golden_Wishes

Imagine watching a 35 episode slow burn romance without a single kiss

kissing is gross