Counterpoint: I'm not quite Falling Into Your Smile

I wasn’t planning on writing anything about Falling Into Your Smile, but the particularly high rating it’s gotten on MyDramaList and Rakuten Viki by a statistically significant enough number viewers compelled me to offer a counterpoint.

Read More
Wait, My Youth, infused with the bittersweet ache of nostalgia (Updated with A River Runs Through It)

This drama left a bittersweet ache in my heart other campus dramas never managed to pull off. Infused with a sense of nostalgia for the early 2000s where much of the story takes place, the drama centres around a group of five (later six) friends and their trials and tribulations from youth to adulthood over the course of a decade.

Read More
Everything you need to know about The Untamed soundtrack

If you love the soundtrack as much as I do, and also love going down mini rabbit holes and getting nerdy about behind-the-scenes production details, my friend Wuulongcha’s latest blog post is for you. I loved the post because it’s exactly the kind of informative deeper dive into C-drama pop culture that is not always accessible to non-Chinese readers, making it a unique and valuable bridge for international fans who want to learn more.

Read More
Guys with Kids, a checklist of annoying tropes, frustrating characters

Have you ever watched a show so terrible you were compelled to actually write about it? This was that show for me. Guys with Kids was relentlessly, unmittigatingly, thoroughly frustrating from the get-go. The urge to share how ghastly it was, was so strong that I actually created a MyDramaList account just to pen this review.

Read More
Revisiting Mulan: How Disney bungled a $200 million blockbuster

I had a few friends ask for my thoughts on the film and the criticisms around it, so I thought I would compile some of the conversations and articles around Mulan I came across which resonated or which I found illuminating.

Read More
Reflections, Part II: Xiao Zhan one year after the AO3 incident

Xiao Zhan shared a lengthy and deeply personal message exactly one year after the “AO3 227” incident that nearly killed his career. It’s heartfelt reflection on what happened a year ago and the fallout that followed. But why would he even draw attention back to the event at a time when his career appeared to finally be recovering?

Read More
Reflections, Part I: Xiao Zhan, AO3, toxic fandoms, and China's idol economy

Chinese actor Xiao Zhan penned a very personal open letter about what happened to him a year ago in the AO3 227 incident and what followed. It is a case study in toxic fan culture, China’s idol economy, and the rise and fall — and rise again, of a star.

Read More
Luo Jin and Sun Li Will Find You A Better Home 安家 (卖房子的人)

I Will Find You A Better Home made it pretty high on my top 10 list. It turned out to be a surprising gem that I’m not sure will necessarily get much attention from viewers outside of China. If that’s the case, I am here to give it my whole-hearted endorsement.

Read More