Every month we get at least 20 new Chinese dramas across different platforms (Netflix, iQIYI, WeTV, etc) and depending on the budget, some dramas get the most marketing.

This isn’t necessarily annoying, but it can be a little disappointing to see all the hype about a drama and then be grossly disappointed when you square up to check them out (I have felt this a million times). 

And myself and these Reddit users had a lot to say about several Chinese dramas released in the past decade. 

1. Love O2O

This romantic Chinese drama about two gamers might have succeeded in getting a whole lot of fans across the globe, but clearly, not everyone is a convert. 

Chelseaang: It’s so shallow it’s like a show for 12-year-olds. He liked her for her gaming skills? Might as well dm the best female gamer in the game. Seriously damn lame. Trying to be so politically correct he pretends the FL isn’t gorgeous as hell.

And literally, the only drama they have is irrelevant people insulting her. Like who gives a shit. And the way he courts her and all is damn cringe !!! Plus the FL is supposed to be all intelligent and unique but whenever there is trouble he comes to her aid anyway. Like what’s the point?

No scene showing her prowess or being so capable that they tackle issues together. He outshined her and completely took away her only good point other than her beauty ( and I guess pro gaming skills).

Personally, this isn’t a fave and I couldn’t in all honesty recommend it to anyone. That’s not to say it’s bad, but I found it a little silly and lacking in self-development. 

2. Love And Redemption

I like to argue that xianxia dramas are objectively good since there’s a whole lot of money going into production, but I absolutely agree with this Redditor. 

MingYingHua: I can’t fathom why this drama is adored by so many. The FL is unbearable regardless of the poor excuse that it’s because of her lack of senses. The ML is also pitiful.

Chasing after a girl who rejected him over and over again. The acting is ok (the only great actors in this were Cheng Yi and Liu Xue Yi). The silly and annoying misunderstandings made no sense either.

What rankles me is that this is usually put forward as a gateway drama to anyone who’s keen on starting Chinese dramas and to that, I’d say a big, enthusiastic No. 

3. Go Go Squid

I started and dropped Go Go Squid a couple of times before finally giving it a chance and I 100% understand what this Redditor means.

If you ask me, you’re better off taking it at face value because it’s actually fluff through and through, although I know this could be the worst thing for romance haters. 

Lisafancypants: I could never get past how immature the FL was for a supposed genius. She was literally a stalker. The way she followed the ML around was so ridiculous, it was almost cartoonish.

The minute she said something like, “tell me what you want me to wear and I’ll do it,” I was out. Have some self-respect! I read so many reviews trying to find out what I missed and why so many people love it. 😀

Here’s what another Redditor said: 

Xbeedeex: I could never get into the romance – the FL was too naive and silly and the ML way too stiff and emotionally stunted for someone his age. I felt zero chemistry between them and ended up skipping their scenes for the other storylines.

The chemistry was a big one NGL, but I’ve seen his other work and he was stunning there, so perhaps this is a one-off? Meet Yourself and Tientsin Mystic are personal favorites I’ll always recommend. 

Also See: 13 Love-Soaked, Fluffy Chinese Rom-Com Dramas To Swoon Over!

4. Ashes of Love

Funny enough, Ashes of Love was the second Chinese drama I ever watched (the first was Tribulations of the Mu Clan) and it was dubbed and on Television, so I gave it a chance. 

While I didn’t absolutely hate it, one thing I’ll say though is that there was little progression in the storyline because I would skip episodes/days of watching and when I got back, it would feel as if they haven’t made any progress. 

em_ily10536: For me the story dragged and it seemed like everyone was kind of a jerk? I liked Deng Lun’s character but I ended up hating Yang Zi’s character Jin mi.

She acted really dumb and she was supposed to be SUPER special and also a regular grape spirit??? The music I liked a lot but the story to me felt super forced and all the mystery and secrets felt so unnecessary. 

5. The Untamed 

I also feel this drama is overrated because just like this first Redditor, I’ve tried to get into it a couple of times but it’s practically impossible. 

In my experience with Chinese dramas, I’ve learned that we’re better off giving it a few episodes to develop but even that age-old trick didn’t work with The Untamed. 

Red_Cardinal_Red: I feel like The Untamed is overrated..I have not been able to finish this drama despite trying multiple times I just can’t get into it, it’s slow and boring and I cannot muster the energy to care about anyone I have been told that it gets better but I don’t want to wait for a quarter of a show to be done before I get interested in it

And this other Redditor definitely makes a good point.

Mr_Conductor_USA: Agree that Untamed is certainly overrated, but it has a fandom who are desperate to see this sort of story on film. I would call it a very uneven production, with a lot of good points but overall rather disappointing (and NOT because of the censorship, although that didn’t exactly help). The Donghua is really good though and everyone ought to check it out. It wrapped up in the fall.

6. Joy of Life

One of the things that could make me drop a drama so quickly is when the character’s actions don’t align with the time period or setting, so I completely understand this Redditor’s gripe with Joy Of Life. 

Perhaps there really is such a thing as a drama coming to one at the right time because I rated this historical drama a 7/10 when I watched it but after sitting with my thoughts, I can make a longgggggggg list of everything that was off. 

Nithon: I just can’t stand the ML’s character, and it is mostly the way he behaves around people with “higher” standing. Like, if you time travel to a time where you know that there is no real rule of law but you can be killed on the whim of some local ruler, why would you behave extra rude, i just dont understand?

I did drop it after ep 14 so maybe it gets better. I did really like the ML in SSS which just reinforced my view that its the character design in JOL which just isnt for me.

7. The Rise of Phoenixes

Thank heavens I’m not a scriptwriter because I couldn’t imagine abandoning any character halfway, so, at the end of production, we might have a drama with more than 50 hour-long episodes. 

Also See: 10 Chinese Historical Revenge & Betrayal Dramas To Watch ASAP

I also felt it was weird that Shi Zheng’s story sort of faded into the background that way, but I feel the rest of the drama was pretty decent. 

her_twistedmind: The Rise Of Phoenixes – started out great but after the arc of the older brother? went downhill. Went in excited to see the story’s unfolding, left underwhelmed and disappointed

8. The Long Ballad

Talking about the cast for The Long Ballad almost sounds unbelievable because imagine a world where Zhao Lusi, Dilraba Dilmurat, Leo Wu (who you might recognise from Amidst A Snowstorm of Love and Love Like The Galaxy), Liu Yu Ning, and even Alen Fang star in one drama.  

And, I do agree that the writing wasn’t the strongest but it wasn’t the worst either but with this star-studded cast, they should have done what they could to pull out all stops to make it fantastic.  

MsRenay: I’m sorry but The Long Ballad for me was overrated. FL kept making emotional decisions that usually turned out bad after the fact.

But, I was done when they cut to “BIRDS” for a pivotal scene, and For those of you who have seen it know what I’m talking about!

Don’t get me wrong, it has a decent plot but some of the scenes are too far-fetched and drawn out too long. Excellent casting makes up for a lot of the shortcomings.

9. Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms 

I dropped this one a few episodes in so I never really got the main storyline, but this Redditor brings up a lot of valid reasons this drama is overrated.

I’ve been a member of the Asian drama community for more than a decade and one thing I tell my fellow watchers always is that we should make a conscious effort to separate the actor from the role they play.  

Mr_Conductor_USA: personally think Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms is highly overrated. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve watched a lot of laughably bad Xianxia and TMoPB is relatively competent by most measures. It also has some really good acting and some of the scenes and subplots are great.

However, the underlying story/main character and themes are fucking garbage, and the ML is basically a rapist so I don’t give a damn how “”””hot”””” the actor supposedly is.

I actually gave it a rewatch after watching many other series and had to rage quit about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through because there’s no glossing over the sexual violence and I was starting to hate that actor’s face, which is unfair to him, so I just said forget it.

Yes, I do know it’s a deliberate choice to play these problematic roles, but there should be a line in your mind where your adulation ends and your reason picks up. 

Check Out: 7 Must-Watch Chinese Dramas About Mental Health That Stand Out

10. Hidden Love

And finally, I never would have believed that anyone would share my opinions about this drama.

Since this is a safe space, I have to confess that I didn’t like Hidden Love. Till today, I haven’t been able to finish watching it and that’s because it was cringey in the worst way possible. 

I had such high expectations because the edits were fire and everyone kept raving on and on about it, but to say I was disappointed is a big understatement.  

18olderthan: It’s overrated. I watched it and I don’t ever plan to rewatch any of it. I would describe it as good enough to enjoy. It doesn’t help that Zhao Lusi was casted as the main FL, so it was overly hyped.

Personally, Zhao Lusi at best is a good actress (not great) but usually just okay. So when you get an okay actress leading an okay story, you get an okay drama.

I naturally gravitate away from actresses who essentially role-play children in their dramas and Zhao Lusi is one of those and watching her babyish pout and other childish mannerism was off-putting, to say the least. 

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Remember that this is mainly my opinion and the opinions of some other anonymous social media users, so don’t get your panties in a twist – if you loved these dramas, you loved them and that’s all there is to it. 

Don’t forget to check out the related posts for even more Chinese drama posts about everything there is to talk about and I just know you’re going to enjoy them.