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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

#TheLamentOfAutumn is filmed in a rather B-movie style (with gaudy lighting & dated cinematography), but the central casting of Cheng Lei & Xu Ruohan makes for riveting viewing 🙂 His (for now) selfish entitlement is set against her humanity & dignity - it’s a fascinating contrast! #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Or from his wonderful historical romance & action drama #WonderlandOfLove (where he is well cast opposite Jing Tian)

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Yes! - it reminds me of that cartoon: “Now that we've fallen in love, I have a confession. I'm not a giraffe, I'm fifty-eight weasels in a trenchcoat” 😂😂😂

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Aww 🥰, episode 10 of #Irreplaceable was so cute! We got some lovely friendship moments, & a breakthrough for a certain magic elf 😅 #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I’m 5 eps in & very much enjoying it! Though not an exact comparison - the FL is young & starting out - it’s a bit like #TheEpochOfMiyu, but set in a consultancy firm rather than a hotel 🙂 Zhao Jinmai is very believable as a brilliant rookie, with Wei Daxun as her mentor #Irreplaceable #cdrama

Zhao Jinmai as Xu Chi & Wei Daxun as Ye Xinzhi

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Turning MaeMae’s question in a slightly different geographical direction: if you had a friend completely new to cdramas, which accessible but genuinely good #cdrama would you recommend as a starting point? 🤔 Eg #PursuitOfJade, #Reset, #WhenIFlyTowardsYou & #LoveOfTheDivineTree?

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

By the way, what do we think of the recent update on the flower-seller lady? (I’m adding @ciele.bsky.social to this, because she posted about recently) In the recent episode we saw her selling lotus seeds, but she has a red rash or marking on her neck… what’s that about I wonder?

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

1 thing I find fascinating is how Jinqi vs scholar Han has become a Rorschach test for viewers 🙂 Some see Han as offering Jialan freedom, kindness & a more equal life; others see him as a safe, conventional alternative to Jinqi - decent, but less of an intellectual match #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🚨 Mild spoilers for episode 27 - look away if you’re not caught up! 🚨 Oops 😬🫣 - not exactly the ideal start to a lifetime of married bliss! Jinqi has a *lot* of work to do if he hopes Jialan will accept him… But at least she found some solace with her old friends 🥹 #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Jinqi & Jialan during their marriage ceremony, following an awkward moment 👀

Portrait of Jinqi looking serious & determined

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Oh yes, I remember now! That makes your frustration even more understandable! - Joo-ran had finally earned a substantial role, & she and Yeong-seo were both doing so well - only for Jeong-nyeon’s envy/excitement to make her sabotage their moment 😔

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I know some have expressed anxiety (not without reason) about how Jialan will fare back in the Lin family, but this group gives me hope that she’ll find warmth & support there too 🙂 #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Younger members of the Lin family gathered around Jinqi in his bedroom, talking & laughing together

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Here he is with white hair in a photo from that drama:

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

If you don’t love me at my #AncientLovePoetry, then you don’t deserve me at my #AgainstTheCurrent ☺️ (Only kidding 😅 - I loved him in #AncientLovePoetry too) #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Just some contextless but delightful screenshots to show my ongoing appreciation for this beautiful drama ☺️ #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

A trio sitting on a candlelit boat at night drinking tea

A boat sailing down a river as dawn slowly breaks in the distance

A married couple dressed in beautiful red and green costume in front of red drapes

An red themed outdoor gathering showing a banquet and theatre platform

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

We did get that scene though, symbolically 🙂 - when the camera rests on the orchid & the rock She is the orchid sharing its fragrance unseen by night, & he is the rock who will look to protect her from dangers 🙂

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Because anything I share from recent episodes could be a spoiler for someone, here are some lovely screenshots from episode 20 that made me feel content ☺️ #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Cosy candle lit interior at night, showing Jialan with her adoptive mother

Cosy candle lit interior at night, showing Jialan with her adoptive parents

Jinqi in his study, looking pensively at a plant on his desk

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

🚨 Ep 18 mild spoilers 🚨 I ❤️ the scene where Jialan is sweetly, unobtrusively drunk - sitting beside Jinqi as he confides how guilty he feels about what happened to the Du siblings… & she, forgetting she’s a maid, says: “Well, our forebears told us to be gentlemen” 🥹😅 #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Jialan & Jinqi sitting on garden steps together at night

Jialan resting on a boulder, looking at Jinqi

A fragrant night orchid blooming near where they were sitting

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🚨 Slight spoilers for episode 16 🚨 This episode was a series of missed opportunities to communicate danger, with crucial information repeatedly failing to reach the right people - at least until one important intervention… #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

One of the Lin sisters with crucial information

The Lin physician with crucial information

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

That’s an interesting difference. I wonder why that is? The owl 🦉 has been a staple in western literature, but rarely as a symbol of foolishness; though I remember the character ‘Owl’ in AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books being a slightly pretentious character who pretends to be wise but can’t spell

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This was such a wonderful scene - look at Jinqi’s face! 😅 He’s totally enraptured by Jialan ☺️ So well acted by Liu Xueyi 👏👏 #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Liu Xueyi as Lin Jinqi, listening attentively

Tan Songyun as Jialan, performing with words

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Buddhist nerds may be interested to hear that at one point the FL in #cdrama #SpringOfTheBlade quotes the Ksitigarbha Sutra (a Mahayana Buddhist text focused on filial piety): “All living beings not liberated have unfixed natures & minds. Doing good or evil depends on their circumstances”

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It’s great to see Xu Kai back in a historical drama ☺️, playing someone strategic & morally grey While Zhou Ye plays an equally grey, focussed & determined daughter seeking answers about her mother’s misfortune #SpringOfTheBlade #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Liu Xueyi & Tan Songyun are *exquisite* in #AgainstTheCurrent - every scene they’re in seems to come vividly to life 🤩 Especially Seven at the moment I feel a little frisson every time her Jialan reveals a flash of brilliance - especially when Jinqi catches a glimpse of it too 🙂 #cdrama

Tan Songyun as Shen Jialan (now Xu Lanxiang)

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

For Jialan it’s different: survival & adaptation come first, as in #TheStoryOfMinglan But as she gains agency, I suspect her family’s unresolved injustice becomes more important - especially given her relationship with the Lins & their role in what happened; #BlossomsInAdversity also comes to mind

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Reflecting on #AgainstTheCurrent, I want to distinguish sharply between ‘revenge’ & ‘reclamation’ 🙂 A short #cdrama 🧵: Revenge dramas, for me, have the original injustice as a central driving force from the start: the protagonist consciously sets out to punish those responsible (eg, #TheDouble)

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I don’t know if you’ve mentioned it already, but the same child actress who plays the younger sister in #LesBelles plays the younger sister in episode 1 🥲

Jialan’s younger sister in happier times

Jialan’s younger sister in darker times 🥲

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I always love these types of warm scenes of seasonal celebration in Asian dramas ☺️🥳 #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Maid servants enjoying flat-bread & celebratory snack food indoors at night

Maid servants lighting sparklers outside at night

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Much as I love the potential in Jang-geum’s character, after seeing how powerless & passive she & Lady Han have been in #JewelInThePalace (aka #DaeJangGeum), despite every wickedness they’ve endured, I can see why I’m missing some of Wei Yingluo’s ruthlessness & shameless scheming 😅 #cdrama #kdrama

Wu Jinyan as We Yingluo, posing in a photoshoot for Story Of Yanxi Palace

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I’m enjoying #JewelInThePalace, but sometimes it feels like the heavens themselves are on the Choi family payroll 😠 Every possible coincidence falls their way, while Jang-geum & Lady Han are ALWAYS 3 steps behind trying to work out what on earth is happening 😭😅 Use your brain cells, guys! #kdrama

Yang Mi-kyung as Lady Han & Lee Young-ae as Jang-geum

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Our girl keeping herself & her friends out of trouble, despite dangers all around & Jinqi’s suspicions… #AgainstTheCurrent #cdrama

Li Meng as Zhao Xingtang, looking scornful

Liu Xueyi as Lin Jinqi, looking suspiciously at someone 👀

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

People are watching #AgainstTheCurrent on different platforms & at different paces, but I think everyone knows that these two are their adult characters 🙂 It’s a tough story so far, with gender & class hierarchies causing plenty of pain - but Jialan is keeping her promise to ‘live’ #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

“Their love survived the bitter winter, & finally welcomed #TheEarlySpring” What a lovely end to the drama ☺️ I may not be the obvious target audience for it, but I found myself absorbed by their messy adult relationship, through which they both had to grow to find a healthier balance #cdrama

Zhitao accepting Luan’s proposal in front of his beloved fish-tank 🐠

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I felt like a change of drama scene this evening, so put on #DoctorX:SurgeonMichikoDaimon, which Netflix thought I might like - and it’s great fun 🤩 It’s like House meets Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name meets Villanelle from Killing Eve 😂 #jdrama

Ryoko Yonekura as Daimon Michiko (aka Doctor X)

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

What a beautifully moving & tragic first episode of #AgainstTheCurrent It immediately announces itself as a serious drama, with lush cinematography, political injustice, doomed family ties, & an incipient underdog story with many trials ahead #cdrama

The young Shen Jialan, sitting next to her mother while holding a protective charm

The same protective charm with with “live” written in blood

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

She finally split up with Luan - it was both brutal & moving 🥲 It’s such a good drama - don’t write it off simply because Luan can be a jerk & has severe communication issues. His intentions & feelings are clear to us as viewers, even when he expresses them terribly #TheEarlySpring #cdrama

Zhitao telling Luan *exactly* what she thinks of the relationship 😭

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

If you see this, I IMPLORE you to post a picture from whatever device you're using without explanation

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Politics aside, ep 19 was refreshingly lighter in feel. Her northwest project & their trip allowed for a space & lightness that hadn’t been there for some time It’s clear Luan cares deeply about Zhitao, though whether that’s enough to turn things around remains to be seen… #TheEarlySpring #cdrama

Zhitao & Luan sharing a gentle moment together

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Hmm, ep 18 is a toxic feast after the momentary good vibes that closed the previous episode 😔 Luan’s jealousy puts him in sabotage mode, & it’s clear he doesn’t understand Zhitao’s situation or frame of mind. Being a douchebag has consequences, even if he’s slowly evolving #TheEarlySpring #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Haha, there’s a mix-up with the birthday cakes in #BlossomThroughTheCloud 😂 The one he gives her comes with a note saying: “Dear Captain Ruan, if the road ahead is long may it be lined with flowers 🌷, & if not we’ll be there right beside you. Be a proud princess. Love you forever 💕” 😂😂😂 #cdrama

Poster showing Wei Zheming as Fu Mingyu & Liu Xiening as Ruan Sixian

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

After the recent film challenge I got an itch to rewatch some 1930s/40s Hollywood classics, & watched - among others - Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), The Big Sleep (1946) & Notorious (1946) There’s something vicariously nostalgic & addictive about this era! ☺️

Katherine Hepburn & Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Cary Grant & Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)

Cary Grant & Ingrid Bergman in Notorious (1946)

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Woah, that escalated quickly 😮 First Zhitao takes extreme risks to deal with a sleazebag, without mentioning it to Luan; & then Luan takes extreme measures against his company for trying to cover for the same sleazebag I’m glad they could make up in spite of all this 🥹 #TheEarlySpring #cdrama

Jing Boran as Luan Nian, outside walking ‘Luke’ (a dog 🐕)

Sun Qian as Shang Zhitao, at a meal looking pensive

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

And a slightly more flattering photo of Lu Yuxiao 🙂

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Oh haha, that’s funny 🤣 Here’s the dragon prince in his normal attire btw I should say they are very different dramas, so there’s no comparison on that level - but both are very effective in what they do 🙂

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

If you don’t take it too seriously, #PullStrings is such feel-good fun 🤩 In a recent escapade, 3 characters are stranded on an island, where they can’t use magic One, a dragon prince, disguises himself as a girl - & is it just me, or does he slightly resemble Lu Yuxiao’s Shaoyao? 😅 #cdrama

So Ziyi as Second (dragon) Prince of East Sea

Lu Yuxiao as Shaoyao, in Blossoms In Adversity

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I seem to be a little more invested in Luan Nian & Zhitao’s relationship than some 😅, but I thought today’s #TheEarlySpring did a good job of showing how messy this relationship has become without reducing either character to simply being “the problem” 🧵 #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The scene in #BlossomThroughTheCloud where she’s forced to sit uncomfortably in his lap during flight turbulence, having just been *completely* misunderstood & slapped down for supposedly flirting with him 😂 #cdrama

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

She’s such a talented actress! It’s a shame she hasn’t done more TV dramas, but I will always remember her moving & iconic portrayal of Shanggu in #AncientLovePoetry

Zhou Dongyu as Shanggu in Ancient Love Poetry

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Oh, is this #BetterDays (with Zhou Dongyu & Jackson Yee)? I haven’t seen it, but I saw you posted about it recently, & the premise sounds similar

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James @jamesdramac.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

It’s good to see them spending quality time together for a change, but I felt sorry for our girl from #LoveStoryinthe1970s (where she was 2nd FL, but had her own positive love line) 🥹 #TheEarlySpring #cdrama

An intimate moment between Luan Nian & Shang Zhitao

A tearful Guo Xiaoting as Zang Yao (Luke’s childhood friend)

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