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A Koala's Playground

I'll talk about dramas if I want to

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iQiyi to Schedule Period Drama Shadow Love with Song Yi and Cheng Lei for This Month End of August 2025

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 18, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 18, 2025
Couple in traditional attire, dramatic text overlay.

It’s a busy month of August for Cheng Lei, starting it off with the premiere of Legend of the Female General with Zhou Ye and likely ending the month with the premiere of Shadow Love with Song Yi. The two dramas won’t overlap for him but he will stay buzzy thanks to being on the small screen in two different … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Cheng Lei, Shadow Love, Song Yi | 9 Replies

Wu Jin Yan and Chen Zhe Yuan Kick Off Filming on Equal Billing for Period C-drama Jiang Shan Wei Ping

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 18, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 17, 2025
Woman in red robe with calligraphy background.

So this drama is already on the second title and will likely get a different English title later, but filming has indeed started for Jiang Shan Wei Pin (A Kingdom as Dowry). The leads are Wu Jin Yan and Chen Zhe Yuan in equal top billing, which honestly should be fine for both fandoms but really sucked a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Chen Zhe Yuan, Jiang Shan Wei Pin, Wu Jin Yan | 11 Replies

Legend of the Female Lead with Zhou Ye and Cheng Lei Opens with Low 5.5 Douban Ratings Reflecting Viewer Disappointment with the Drama

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 17, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 17, 2025
Epic romance drama promotional poster with text.

The C-drama Legend of the Female General, adapted from the popular and very fun novel Rebirth of a Star General, is my biggest C-drama disappointment of 2025 so far. It’s not as bad as some other C-dramas but since it came with such high expectation due to my love for the source novel it makes the wholly mediocre drama version … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Cheng Lei, Legend of the Female General, Zhou Ye

Producer Yu Zheng Confirms and Blasts the Director of Genius Girlfriend for Replacing Supporting Actress Zhao Jia Min Abruptly Two Days into Filming

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 17, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 16, 2025
Two women smiling, holding items, wearing black shirts.

Well this is another glimpse at the cutthroat and dirty world of entertainment, though the one speaking one has probably done the same if not worse himself. Producer Yu Zheng has gone public to confirm and blast the director and production of recently started filming modern C-drama Genius Girlfriend. His agency actress Zhao Jia Min, who played a memorable good … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Genius Girlfriend, Hu Yi Tian, Tian Xi Wei, Zhao Jia Min

Prestige C-drama This Thriving Land with Yang Mi and Ou Hao Premieres to Rapturous Reviews and is the Fastest iQiyi Drama to Hit 10,000 Heat Index and Also Breaks 3% Ratings on CCTV

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 16, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 16, 2025
Group in wheat field and reading scenes.

Well this drama is gunning for not just best C-drama of 2025 but also the most heat and views. Right now I would put Legend of Zang Hai as the frontrunner but that aired in the first half of the year and there was always going to be contenders that come in the second half. Prestige and period C-drama This … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Ou Hao, This Thriving Land, Yang Mi

Investigation and Revenge C-drama The Wanted Detective with Wang Xing Yue and Xiang Han Zhi Ends Placid Run with an Oddly Addictive How-Dun-It Element

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 16, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 16, 2025
Period drama characters in elaborate traditional attire.

This week iQiyi wrapped the run for The Wanted Detective, by all measure of heat and viewership metrics on the platform and beyond a total dud. This wasn’t a big budget or big name drama so being underwhelming won’t garner any articles about it, but I want to write about it because it’s the only drama I’ve finished from start … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged The Wanted Detective, Wang Xing Yue, Xiang Han Zhi

PD Shin Won Ho to Produce 10th Year Anniversary Special for Answer Me 1988 with Entire Cast Returning Except for Ryu Jun Yeol Due to Scheduling Conflict

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 15, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 16, 2025
Group of people posing in a courtyard.

The beauty of the Answer Me/Reply series of three K-dramas was the family, the romance, the nostalgia, and the evoking of memories in the passage of time. So looking back it’s wild that 2012-2015 may have been THE heyday for K-dramas in terms of sheer quality when PD Shin Won Ho went back-to-back-to-back with Answer Me 1997, then Answer Me … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Answer Me 1988, Hyeri, Park Bo Gum, Reply 1988, Ryu jun Yeol

Supernatural Investigation and Romance C-drama Moonlit Reunion with Xu Kai and Tian Xi Wei Premieres on Tencent August 18th

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 15, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 14, 2025
Fantasy drama series poster with characters and symbols.

Oh I am so seated for this! It’s been a rather underwhelming August 2025 so far with C-dramas, I’m watching a few but nothing is as good as I hoped. After the middle of the month comes When Destiny Brings the Demon which I have zero expectations for and the highly anticipated Moonlit Reunion. The drama is confirmed to premiere … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Moonlit Reunion, Tian Xi Wei, Xu Kai

Zhao Lu Si Deletes Her Weibo and Also Incites Fanwar by Allegedly Alluding to Rival Yu Shu Xin’s Former Bad Driving Scandal

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 14, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 15, 2025
Two women smiling in different settings.

It was only a matter of time before Zhao Lu Si livestreaming her frustration at her agency and whatever else topic she wants to gab about would extend to rankling the fandoms of other stars. This week Zhao Lu Si criticized social media platform Weibo for being a “toilet” in terms of crap commentary and that all the hot searches … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Yu Shu Xin, Zhao Lu Si

Zhao Jin Mai and Wei Da Xun Kick Off Filming for Youku Modern C-drama Irreplaceable

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 14, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 13, 2025
Smiling couple standing back to back.

Well these two look unexpectedly good together on camera, nice! Filming has commenced for modern work and romance C-drama Irreplaceable with Zhao Jin Mai and Wei Da Xun, with her top billed and him reportedly getting a special billing that is above second billed. It’s hilarious how C-productions have to get creative to deal with the billing jostling between leads. … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Irreplaceable, Wei Da Xun, Zhao Jin Mai

Youku Confirms August 16th Premiere of Xianxia C-drama When Destiny Brings the Demon with Chen Fei Yu and Wang Ying Lu

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 14, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 13, 2025
Fantasy couple embracing amidst colorful swirls.

I’ll be surprised if this C-drama does blockbuster ratings but it does have a strong IP source material and the issue viewers may have are the leads. Youku will release xianxia C-drama When Destiny Brings the Demon starring Chen Fei Yu and Wang Ying Lu this Saturday August 16th. It’s based on the novel Offering Salted Fish to Master and … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Chen Fei Yu, Wang Ying Lu, When Destiny Brings the Demon

Youku Xianxia C-drama The Immortal Ascension with Yang Yang and Jin Chen Ends Successful Run and Opens with High 7.5 Douban Ratings

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 13, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 13, 2025
Chinese drama poster with fantasy elements.

It’s a sigh of relief for Youku and male lead Yang Yang and their big budget high profile xianxia C-drama The Immortal Ascension ended up a hit. The drama finished its 30-episode run this week with high ratings and solid reviews for the most part, and even better opened with a high for the xianxia genre ratings of 7.5 on … Continue reading →

Posted in TW & C dramas | Tagged Jin Chen, The Immortal Ascension, Yang Yang

jTBC Legal Drama Beyond the Bar with Lee Jin Wook and Jung Chae Yeon Hits 8% Ratings by 4th Episode

A Koala's Playground Posted on August 13, 2025 by ockoalaAugust 12, 2025
Four professionals sitting and discussing document.

We have the first hit of the summer 2025 season for K-dramas and it’s not the legal drama that most thought would do better. There is the tvN drama Law and the City with Lee Jong Seok and Moon Ga Young which is doing decent numbers up to 7.705% in the last episode as it just ended. But it’s jTBC … Continue reading →

Posted in K-dramas | Tagged Beyond the Bar, Jung Chae Yeon, Lee Jin Wook

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Recent Posts

  • Chae Soo Bin and Kim Young Kwang Kick Off Filming for Rom-com K-drama Take Care of My Heart
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  • Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre
  • iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Tiffany of Girl’s Generation and Actor Byun Yo Han Confirm Dating with an Eye Towards Marriage
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  • Production of The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage Makes Dylan Wang and Meng Zi Yi Joint Top Billing as Filming Slated for Q1 of 2026
  • First Poster for iQiyi Modern Romance C-drama My Queen, My Rules with Ao Rui Peng and Shen Yu Jie Gives off Sleek Sexy Vibes
  • TW-tabloids Go Wild with News that F4 is Reuniting at Concert this December in Shanghai But Without Member Ken Chu and Adding Top TW-singers Jay Chou and Ashin of Mayday as Special Guests




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  • Sirey on Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre
  • Somebody on Top J-pop Star Ayumi Hamasaki’s Shanghai Concert Abruptly Cancelled Last Minute as China-Japan Political Spat Worsens
  • Kristina on Kim Hye Yoon and Park Solomon Embark on Their Own Nine-Tailed Fox and Human Rom-Com in SBS K-drama Human From Today
  • Mandy on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Somebody on Top J-pop Star Ayumi Hamasaki’s Shanghai Concert Abruptly Cancelled Last Minute as China-Japan Political Spat Worsens
  • Somebody on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Somebody on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • Somebody on Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre
  • HL on Modern Sci-Fi Romance C-drama Love on the Turquoise Land with Dilraba Dilmurat and Chen Xing Xu Wrap Uneventful Run and Nets a Relatively Low 6.2 Douban Ratings
  • HL on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • HL on iQiyi Airdrops Speed and Love with Yu Shu Xin and He Yu This Week as Expected Delivering an Old School Idol Romance Tableau
  • HL on Modern C-drama Sniper Butterfly with Michelle Chen and Zhou Ke Yu Reportedly Doing Very Well in the Older Woman-Younger Man Romance Genre

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