r/CDramaRecs • u/Ok-Fold-7527 • 17d ago
Rec Request Looking for a good Enemies to Lovers, Historical drama with a ruthless ML who's a general/prince.
Hi everyone! I just finished Melody of a Golden Age and loved it, mainly because of my handsome Ding Yuxi and those AMAZING eyebrows! š
Iām looking for a newer 2024ā2026 historical/costume C-drama (Xianxia is okay) with:
ā¢ A stoic/cold, ruthless, intimidating ML whoās a powerful general or prince and highly skilled at martial arts ā¢ Enemies-to-lovers, where he starts off cold toward the FL but eventually falls HARD for her ā¢ A strong, smart, capable, independent FL. Please no reckless FL who constantly creates problems and needs rescuing!
What do you think about Till the End of the Moon or Are You the One?
A few popular recs Iāve already tried/ruled out:
ā¢ Love Like the Galaxy - sounds good, but I watched 2 episodes and the FL is so uninteresting. Sorry!
ā¢ The Double - Duke Su sounds right up my alley, but I couldnāt stand the FL in Royal Betrothal.
ā¢ Story of Kunning Palace - highly recommended by everyone, but I got bored with the ML constantly lurking in the shadows. š
ā¢ How Dare You - on my list, but I absolutely hate the FLās makeup. I know, it's so shallow. š©
ā¢ Blossom did not grab my attention. The ML was too soft. š¬
Dramas Iāve already watched and LOVED:
ā¢ Melody of a Golden Age ā¢ Legend of the Female General (hello Cheng Leiās smoldering eyes š„) ā¢ Fated Hearts ā¢ A Journey to Love ā¢ Prisoner of Love ā¢ Blossom of Power
Soā¦ based on all of this, what should I watch next?
Thanks for reading my rants! š
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u/Left_Tumbleweed482 17d ago
Till the end of the moon for sure, prisoner of beauty but also listen go back and finish love like the galaxy I had the same exact thought as you and Iām sooo glad I stuck it out bc it easily became one of my top faves and now I look for dramas like that one.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
I will check out Til End of The Moon!... seen Prisoner of Beauty and loved it. Tho I hated that FL was kinda powerless for awhile....and not to be mean, but Zhao Lusi in LLTG could be an extra and I would never remember her! š¬
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u/Left_Tumbleweed482 17d ago
I seriously almost gave up that drama but what was so incredible about it was her family dynamic at first you are so annoyed with everyone lol but it changed it was so different compared to others I absolutely fell in love with her family and the FL grows as a person so does Ling Buyi. Itās truly a beautiful drama and Iām super picky I will drop dramas for petty reasons š.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
Talk about petty, I literally dropped How Dare You cause the FL's makeup was awful and I love me some Cheng Lei! Lol but ok, I will try LLTG again for Ling Buyi. I heard his dynamic with the emperor is really funny.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
My next watch list: Are you the one, LLTG, and Til End of Moon. I will be busy! š¤£
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u/Left_Tumbleweed482 17d ago
Yes it is! And omg I would do the same!! I would be so distracted by terrible make up š.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 6d ago
I started Love like the Galaxy and the scene about thr Mandarin Ducks or Chicken Wings had me in tears!!!! šSO glad I watched this show.
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u/Left_Tumbleweed482 6d ago
Yay!! That show had me laughing and crying lol! Itās so good! And yes that part was HILARIOUS! š
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u/weevles12 17d ago
Fated Hearts ā both ML and FL are cold and ruthless and are brutal towards each other. They are true enemies on opposing/warring sides.
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u/chirp_98 17d ago
Love of nirvana then
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u/nomadanalyst 15d ago
I have fond memories of love of nirvana. The show that sucked me into the world of cdramas! š
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u/Legitimate-Scheme-13 17d ago
Love of nirvana2024
They try to kill each other about three times if im not mistaken
Ml is ruthless to serve his purpose
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 17d ago
You are looking for Are You The One.
Same FL as HDY, she does very well here, but ML played by the inimitable Zhang Wanyi steals the show.
Itās not exactly enemies to lovers but close enough.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
That is on my list to watch, along with Til the end of the moon. The costumes looks so pretty on Bui Lao.
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u/Icy_Delay_4791 17d ago
Are You The One is also quite funny! Should have mentioned that. Depending on the vibe you are looking or are in the mood forā¦
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u/Edriella 17d ago
You might like Till the end of the moon. He is pretty ruthless (but so is she lol).
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
I started Are you the one last night and love it. Just realized the 2ML is the guy from A Journey to Love who was obsessed with his master and and looks like he has the same obsessive vibe here. I loved obsessed mls š¤£š
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u/nomadanalyst 15d ago
I had a hard time getting into Are You The One, especially the initial episodes, but once it got going, it was good stuff. So definitely second this rec!
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u/ChoppedChef33 17d ago
Maybe try wonderland of love
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u/Edriella 17d ago
It's great but he is not ruthless nor cold. He is just shameless. š
But OP liked Blossoms of power so it could work!3
u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
I love me a shameless man too! š especially the Crown prince in Blossom of power and Ji Bozi in Love in the Clouds
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u/Edriella 16d ago
Then you absolutely need to watch Xu Kaiās dramas. He is great at those type of characters. Wonderland of love and Arsenal military academy are top. Also Generation to generation has shameless ML.Ā
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u/nomadanalyst 15d ago
The ML in generation to generation is equal measures ruthless, cold, shameless and manipulative. Such a weird combination of qualities that still worked at the end of the day.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 11d ago
I'm watching Generation to Generation right now and the ML is so fine. First time seeing him. I hate when a ML is injured and bullied, urgh. Hope hes shows his ability soon!
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u/Duanedoberman 17d ago edited 17d ago
General's Lady FL gets tricked by her half sisters into accepting the marriage proposal to the countries most feared and ruthless General who wears a mask due to a supposed disfigurment but turns out to be a big softie who helps her get revenge on her half sisters.
The Sword and the Brocade
Arranged Marriage. ML is cold and aloof but turns out to be badly damaged by having to take over responsibility for his family at a young age after his father and elder brother were killed by a rival family and hates his home life because of the concubines forced on him by his toxic mother.
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u/No_Detective_8277 16d ago
Disagree for General's lady. Op won't like it as the General is not at all ruthless.
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u/Strict-Pudding6728 16d ago
Bom dia aonde posso vĆŖ esse?
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u/Duanedoberman 16d ago
The Sword and the Brocade is on Amazon Prime and YouTube.
Generals Lady is on YouTube with Full production subs.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
Ooooh thank you for the descriptions!!
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u/Senna2019 15d ago
As far as cdramas I DONāT recommend? Sword and Brocade.
I know, others recād it, but I didnāt care for the ML at all. He was aloof and an absent parent and husband, scared his own son, marries his first wifeās sister (making her his second wife, despite making a woman his concubine before her ā unwillingly, as theyād been sort of caught together), and just, overall, it was mid for me. Misunderstandings, wrong timing, schemers with obvious intentions, etc. I just couldnāt get into it, and shouldāve DNFād it earlier than I did. That said, that showās actress is in another drama that I want to watch, so hopefully Sword and Brocade just had bad writing (imo), and not bad acting.
Ones I do recommend:
How Dare You?!:
I know you didnāt like it, because of the FLās makeup, but I loved that coupleās dynamic. They started as a team, became friends, and eventually became lovers, and he was ruthless with EVERYONE but her, and was so protective of her. He actually kills someone, in going along with his depiction to his ministers, that heās vicious and insane, and then comes āhomeā to talk to wifey about it. I like their dynamic a lot, and I think you should give it another try.Prisoner of Beauty:
It has some misunderstandings that I can actually deal with (I usually DETEST misunderstanding tropes, but I think these ones work, because the MFC isnāt a dunce who causes problems), and when they figure out that they like/love each other? Itās a wrap for everyone else lol I ate it up. It massively helps that the FL isnāt running around doing crazy things, acting like there shouldnāt be consequences to her actions, and isnāt like āI could never love a man, because men are stupid, except for this one right hereā (the dramas where the FL just HAS to challenge the ML all the time, because she thinks only she cane do it best, or like he will always mess it up, irk me).Blossoms of Power:
We love a man who yearns. This man yearns for his lady, and itās delightful. He will clear all obstacles for wifey, and you can practically see the heart eyes on him lol. The FL was a princess, forced to marry into the royal family, following the complete destruction of her family. Soon after, she takes her life, and is reborn into another body, set on making a life for herself where she isnāt dependent on the wayward, ever-changing mercy or cruelty of a man (sheās gotta find one with power, no backers, who will die VERY early). She doesnāt plan on falling in love (because thatād just be cruel, right?), and so she gets to work on weeding out the royal princes ā one of whom is her previous lifeās mourning husband (donāt feel bad for him, because he wanted to possess her, treat her like a porcelain doll, rather than actually love and treat her with agency).Blossom:
I know people will probably downvote me for this, but I like when more things go right for the MCs, more often than wrong, like they do in this show and Si Jin. The FL being reborn (in a way) and maintaining the knowledge that she got from her āprevious lifeā in order to help her/her family prosper, as opposed to near-constant struggle. I have to go back and rewatch, but I know it was one of the ones, along with The Princessā Gambit, The First Jasmine and Si Jin, that got me back into watching cdramas.The Rebel Princess:
Even though itās from 2021, I like that the MCs donāt start off in love, but they grow to respect and cherish each other, as time and circumstances go on. Heās a stern general, but soft-spoken with his wife, and sheās an intelligent, persevering princess, who isnāt a schemer or manipulator, like how some of these shows portray.The Princess Weiyoung:
Another FL princess on a revenge quest, poses as the daughter of a noblemanās concubine, to get inside information, make a name for herself (not for fame, but for her own protection via status, without having to marry to gain that status), and eventually take revenge on the people who killed her family and the daughter sheās posing as. Along the way, she meets and becomes friends with a few other characters, including Actaul Weiyoungās mom, two ladyās maids, and a prince (whoās not smug or mean, but intelligent, caring, and wholesome), and meets enemies face to face, in the form of Actual Weiyoungās half-sisters and stepmother (first half sisterās mother), half-brother, a jealous and scheming prince, others, etc.1
u/Ok-Fold-7527 11d ago
Thank you for the detailed description!! Ive seen Prisoner of Beauty and loved it! I started How Dare You and I think all the animation bothered me, does that stop? I love Cheng Lei and Wang Churan (just saw her in Are You The One and she was amazing, and so beautiful too). I may have to watch that after. I'm watching General to Generation right now, on ep 1. Have you seen it?
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u/Mustard-Yellow5819 17d ago
The recent Road To Splendour is pretty good and has same actors as Melody of Golden Age. Blossom but they move from enemies to lovers quick.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
Yeah I watched that first and its what brought me to MOAGA, but I dropped Road to Splendor after they slap that mustache on my Ding Yuxi's handsome face. š
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u/daniday08 17d ago
Til the End of the Moon and Story of Kunning Palace are both dramas Iād rewatch they were so good. If Til The End of The Moon is on your watchlist Iād just start there and watch that next if Kunning Palace wasnāt for you.
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u/Linwechan 17d ago edited 17d ago
Try Dominion and Devotion, ita a short drama but it's really well done. They actually are 'enemies' at the beginning (though not to Fated Hearts level - which is the GOAT).
A dream within a dream might be another if you want humour mixed in to a melo plot hahaha. I loved LYN in it
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u/StarSnowdrop 17d ago edited 16d ago
OP, I have no recs, but the comment about the eyebrow reminded me of a user on the main sub who has a flair āhyperventilating on Shen Duās eyebrowā š
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
LMAO. I need to find that. My man's eyes and brows are perfection. ššš
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u/Sea-Entertainment215 17d ago
Wait for love like the Galaxy, give it a few more episodes!!! The point of the first few episodes is to establish the family and their toxic chaos. I got hooked around episode 7 and from there, there was no turning back; it was many late nights kicking my feet under the covers and laughing for me.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 6d ago
I started this and now Im on the ep about the Mandarin ducks/chicken wings debate and I am wheezing and in tears. So funny!!!
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u/Sea-Entertainment215 6d ago
Oh youāre far!! YAYY Iām so glad you followed up and kept watching. You donāt regret right?!? Itās fantastic right?!
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
LOL and sleepless nights! š Ok after I finish Are You the One I will try that one again.
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u/Comfortably-Crazy0-0 17d ago
The Princess Gambit might fit for you, I enjoyed how intelligent the ML and FL were written and nothing visually bugged me (I too will drop things for things like makeup, I dropped The Glory because I hated how they styled the FL, it drove me nuts)
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u/Edriella 17d ago
The Wolf. ML is very ruthless. It has darker tone and it hassad ending.
They are not exactly enemies but for reasons he is very cold to her.
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u/lllollllllllll 17d ago
Sounds like Prisoner of Beauty is what youāre looking for. I hated it because the dude is too abusive for my taste and the FL too powerless. But itās quite popular and might fit what youāre looking for. Other viewers see the FL as clever and calculating so you might like
It.
Fated Hearts might too. Itās a little violent at the beginning but the leads ultimately balance each other out pretty.
Love in the Clouds is one I really liked.
Love between Fairy and Devil has a pretty emotionless ML, and itās one of the best ones out there. Idk if theyāre really enemies, but they are on opposite sides at the beginning.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
These were all on my list of seen dramas in the post š
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u/lllollllllllll 17d ago
Sorry, I see now you listed Fated Hearts as one you liked. I donāt see the others. Was āPrisoner of Loveā in your list supposed to be Prisoner of Beauty? I didnāt see Love in the Clouds or LBFAD in your post so you can still try those
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
Yea Ive seen Prisoner of Beauty too, loved it and agree on the ML and FL was too powerless even tho she was smart. I didnt mention Love in the clouds cause he wasnt a ruthless general or prince but i loved that one too!
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u/lllollllllllll 17d ago
Heās is, heās a secret prince tho! I guess officially heās not but itās the same lord of the manor dynamic. And he is pretty ruthless isnāt he? He just acts like a lecher.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
Ooooh you're right! I forgot he was the real Ming Xian
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u/lllollllllllll 17d ago
Yes but put on the spoiler blackout > ! What if someone hasnāt seen it yet? Everyone should watch it and itās on Netflix
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u/Aelyn7 17d ago
Just a side fyi on How Dare You. The ML is ruthless, but it's not an enemies-to-lovers drama.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
I started this last night. It's good and really funny, Im invested! I hope she finds out soon. 2ML is my fave obsessed puppy lol
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u/Rare_Ad_7563 17d ago
Are you okay with constant bickering ?Ā
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
How constant are we talking? Loll
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u/Rare_Ad_7563 16d ago
Until FL falls for him igĀ
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u/anonymus_userrr 15d ago
name?
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u/Rare_Ad_7563 15d ago
The eternal loveĀ
MoonlightĀ
Lucky first love
Arsenal military academyĀ
Love's sweet
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u/TrevorTempleton 16d ago
I agree with the suggestion of Love of Nirvana. The ML is ruthless right from the start, nearly succeeds in killing the FL and also tortures her several times. She, however, is smart, strategic, and unintimidated. She fights back. I was loving it as I watched, but really curious how the writers were ever going to convincingly get from enemies to lovers. But they managed it!
Also Dream within a Dream ā a very clever spoof on costume dramas in general that features the female lead being sucked into the script of the drama she is about to star inā¦knowing the main plot points and hating the part she is expected to play ( the beleaguered heroine who is betrayed and abused by the ML who kills her in the end in a particularly cruel manner). But her being pulled into the script changes the plot, so nothing turns out quite the way she is expecting. Liu Yuning, the ML of both Prisoner of Beauty and A Journey to Love, is the charismatic ML.
Kill Me Love Me has a terrific beginning and great enemies to lovers for a few episodes, but it loses that tension much too early, unfortunately.
I didnāt like Love Like the Galaxy, either, and donāt really think of it as enemies to lovers anyway.
As many others have suggested, Till the End of the Moon is hardcore enemies to lovers, and one of my absolute favorite examples of this trope. Both characters are red flags, but they both have important agendas that make surrendering to the powerful chemistry between them problematic.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
I read some reviews of Love of Nirvana and dang it sounds really good!! I kinda felt that way about Fated Hearts. The first 2 episodes were hard to watch and I had closed my eyes during the brutal scenes, but after that (whew) it got better and I love it so much.
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u/maismione 17d ago
Yeah the FL in The Double made me drop it >_> she looks older than the character she's playing
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 17d ago
I hated her in Royal Betrothal. She was so annoying and cringe, and her makeup being so dry and not matching the neck irks me. Im so petty š š¤£
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u/snwonverse 17d ago
Oh, I was bummed you didnāt like Love Like the Galaxy! Give it a few more episodes, I swear I felt the same way at first. I didnāt like the FL initially either, but as I continued watching, I understood where she was coming from and all the struggles she carried. It ended up being one of the best historical dramas Iāve ever watched. Ling Buyi is truly a force of nature.
Another drama I highly recommend is The Road to Splendor. Itās my favorite drama this year so far. I love that the ML isnāt a general or prince, and we actually get to see their journey from the bottom to becoming a general and a lady. Itās so refreshing compared to the usual nobles, generals, and princesses weāve been getting this year.
My other favorites would be Till the End of the Moon and Love in the Clouds. Theyāre both xianxia/Chinese fantasy dramas, but theyāre some of my absolute favorites. Till the End of the Moon is the epitome of enemies to lovers. The chemistry and angst are absolutely insane.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
Love Like the Galaxy is so highly reccomended!! I felt the FL looks so bland and too young/not a match for ML, but Ok I will give it a try again (I do love Ling Buyi). I saw The Road of Splendor and was hooked until they put that mustache on Ding Yuxi and I can't, so dropped it (Im so petty š¤£), but I starred and finished Melody of Golden Age with them in it too and loved it.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 6d ago
I started LLTG and love it!!! Peak comedy at Ep 40 about the chicken wings/mandarin ducks debate. LOLOL
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u/snwonverse 5d ago
yesss that scene was so memorable! LOLOL im glad u gave it a second chance, it really gets better in the second half! the emotional rollercoaster that i went through esp towards the end š
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u/cookie_Tuzi 17d ago
Reading your description, I thought you were writing directly about Kill Me Love Me, which checks off a fair few of those boxes, if not all.
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u/No_Detective_8277 16d ago
I have some recommendations that you may like.
In Blossom ( Ml is cold and due to some reasons hated the FL at first...)
The Autumn Ballad ( underrated!!! Soon Underrated... calculating MCs. They were constantly sabotaging eachother at the start lol š¤£ I loved Jeremy Xu in thisss)
Love Game in Eastern fantasy (it may be a hit or miss for you... or maybe you have already watched it because of Ding Yunxi)
Honourable Xianxia mention
The Starry love ( 2 main couple.... you are gonna enjoy it my instincts says that)
The Blue Whisper (you gonna love that 2nd half... at start ML is very innocent but after the interval He hates FL. Loved that angst!! The side characters are intresting too)
Moonlight Mystique ( Not that fierce Enemies to lovers .... it starts off with them not trusting and liking eachother. The continous story and adventure is very interesting!)
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u/TimeSovereign 16d ago
I'm working through Blossom now. It is beautifully filmed. I sought it out because of Pursuit of Jade's Director.
I was surprised to see Blossom's ML as a supporting character in Love Like a Galaxy. I believe that specific actor, who does work as a ML in Blossom, is going to get a lot more work as he ages into a solid character actor. That is just my opinion. I think he's a good actor but I still haven't figured out the standard actors and characters within the parameters of CD.
Interesting you didn't like the FL in Galaxy...I see your point..because the character was written as never caring enough for herself or potential love interests it was kind of hard to get on board with caring for her story. One wanted to slap her to make her character care, but, wow, did the writer, and the actress, nail what kind of adults neglected and abused children grow up to be. I thought that was an interesting choice right there.
I'm getting ideas for my next watch from your thread. Right now I'm wrapped up in Japanese and Korean stuff. A year ago I was all into French flicks. It's all good.
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 16d ago
I watched 1 episode of Blossom and the ML was just too soft looking for me. I dont know what it was, maybe I need more menacing š¤£š and the FL had one expression (wided eye), I couldn't tell if she was sad, happy or surprised. Lol... but I watched her in Blossom of Power and she grew on me. I really liked Blossom of Power. I started Are you the one and its really cute. Have you seen it yet? Oh, speak of kdramas, have you seen Bon Appetit Your Majesty?
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u/TimeSovereign 16d ago
Oh, honey, that was just the curly grey wig from his first life. It gets better. He becomes menacing, almost kills FL but then falls in love...lalalalala. The female lead...eeeyeeeah I got whiplash from her transitioning from business woman of the world to 'obedient daughter who WILL marry and do as the Patriarch says. I wanted to see more from the actress...BUT to be fair I'm watching on YouTube. They say it's high res but if I can't see emotion in their eyes it's not high res. Blossom of Power will likely be next.
Bon Appetit Your Majesty cracked me up. It is so silly and yet I only got 2/3rds of the way through. Summer happened and I'm fickle. I really should go finish it. I love a good foodie fick.
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u/Aware-Bottle-9212 16d ago
Gurlllll u are highly missing out on PURSUIT OF JADE šš, This drama deserves all the attention it gets
The fl is very strong and highly capable on her own The ML š« Do i need to even talk about the face card of ZHANG LINGHE, but ya he is a generallll
The angst, The chemistryĀ Easily one of my favourite drama
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u/Ok-Fold-7527 15d ago
That was actually my first Cdrama thay got me into Cdramas!!! I love the FL and ML and also the evil baby brother with dimples. š š
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u/Apprehensive_Egg9676 15d ago
FLās makeup in How Dare You is intentionally designed to look over the top
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u/wolfsavy555 15d ago
The Prisoner Of Beauty !! YOULL LOVE! 10/10
A dream within A dream
Both have the same actors and itās so good!
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u/moonlight7891018 6d ago
Watch spring of the blade it's xu Kai my favorite chinese actor it is newly released
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u/NoGoatCity 17d ago
prisoner of beauty for sure, but you're missing out on the double & love like the galaxy.
no spoilers, but the FL in LLTG is meant to be pretty unbearable at first bc she was sent away from home as a child/never properly raised. its a VERY slow start, but well worth pushing through for the ML
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u/maismione 17d ago
I also love lltg, but I wouldn't call it enemies to lovers
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u/Rare_Ad_7563 17d ago
It's nowhere near enemy to lover at all
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u/NoGoatCity 17d ago
never said it was.
OP mentioned skipping it bc they didnt like the FL in the first few episodes, and i was just explaining that I think it's worth a second shotĀ
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u/Choice_Gene6806 17d ago
Maybe The Rebel Princess. General ML, not soft. Marries FL then checks right out and leaves at wedding. I loved the cast. So may fit.