Wonderland of Love (2023)

THE 1ST CHINESE COLOSSAL DRAMA THAT I’M FOND OF

Very good storyline, the plot is really unexpected and surprising yet it is very well organized.

Typical chinese colossal drama is actually not my cup of tea. I have watched several CN colossal drama yet i felt really bored w the storyline, it felt so ancient. when I 1st watch ep 1&2, I have no interest to watch it further; i started playing w my phone while the drama is still playing on my ipad. however, starting from ep3 is really what got me here.

the plot is very well organized, unexpected conflicts, unexpected result, & very good acting! a lot of scheming which remind me to my fave west TV show (GossipGirl!?)

DEF RECOMMENDED <3

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Hop on to a journey of Love and Loyalty amidst a land of chaos.

First, I would just like to say how beautiful the leads look together.
The chemistry between Xu Kai and Jing Tian itself will make you fall in love with drama.
This is one of the few dramas that has ticked every possible box a viewer expects while watching a drama.
There was action(that too equally by both the leads) and romance and a perfect storyline to fit it all.
For me this was a drama that shouldn't be missed.

I would like to talk about how great Xu Kai is in all his dramas be it modern or costume dramas. He showed how experienced he is in this field and the way he is in portraying the emotions of the character. I literally cried when he cried and seeing his character in struggling moments made me feel sad for him and seeing him happy brought me joy. His visuals and acting are just to good and his commitment to the scene is commendable.

I first saw Jing Tian in the drama 'Rattan' and loved how she brought life to that character and even though one might wonder she acted a bit stiff in the drama but honestly, I felt that it was how that character had to be played to show her being different from humans. In this drama she played her so gracefully that one might fall in love with Cui Lin. A character who is funny, strong, pretty, just, smart and what not. Having so many traits in a single character and for an artist to show all those sides and bringing the character to life is not easy but Jing Tian accomplished it.

Gao Han did a great job in playing a person obsessed with Cui Lin and the different sides of his character her were shown really well. He played a really good role of an antagonist creating problems for the leads in the drama. I really liked the effort he put into playing such a role. I pitied him at times and felt angry on his actions in the next second.

Tao Zi was such a great character in the show. A perfect subordinate to a general. She was smart, joyous and lovable. Seeing the actress play her character made me want to be friends with her in real life. Such a loving personality was written for Tao Zi.

Xie Chang was also a great subordinate to Li Ni. He too was an adorable character. Showing him dumb when it came to love was really adorable. Seeing him besides Xu Kai was a delight.

I would really like to compliment Zeng Li on her role in the drama. She is such an exceptional actress. Even though she plays mostly support roles in recent times but her experience just glows in her acting. Every drama she works in, she brings a different spark to it. Her emotions can be felt by everyone.

All characters played a great role in this drama. No one seemed to have fallen short in any way. Even the negative roles were played brilliantly to the way that one might actually feel unhappy by their actions.

The story flew like a river flowing into the sea. It started very well and the first encounter of the leads just stole my heart. Their interactions from then were so enjoyable. Both planned against each other and kept falling in each others trap. Even their fights showed us how great their chemistry was. The understanding between them without talking a lot just gives the viewers goals as to how a relationship should be. Even though being from different armies their love did not need to be compromised. They stayed true to each other and did not favor even a single time.
The first 10 episodes were a great build up as to how the leads build their relationship with various encounters on different occasions. Both help each other get through difficulties and get to know each other. There were many fun moments in this span which made the start of the drama more enjoyable and the cuteness in their interactions was on another level. There was planning and plotting going on between the two armies to take down certain cities and both wanted to be better than the other.
The next 10 episodes are also similar except some grieving for the FL and also because of it she distances herself a bit from the ML but it was always clear that their love would not waver. The ML's side brothers face pressure because of the ML's success in wars and his capability and their father also fears the same so they try creating problems for him. The ML meets the FL's father and things start getting interesting here. One interesting character introduce here is Prime Minister Gu's daughter, she is a well written smart and cunning character.
In 20-30 episodes there is a lot happening, the antagonist returns and plots with the ML's enemies since he wants revenge and wants FL by his side. The ML and FL's father get to know each other and new bonds form. The second leads also develop a great relationship by now. The antagonist does play dirty tricks to get back at ML some of which one wouldn't imagine. There is one part in this arc though that would make viewers feel that the ML lost trust in the FL which also may be justified by his actions but I felt he had his reasons which some might agree to. Here the ML's brothers start plotting against each other that too in a harsher way. Even people in the ML's court join the enemies. In this part Prime Minister Gu's daughter also starts playing her tricks.
In the final 10 episodes there is a rollercoaster of emotions waiting. So much is happening that you wouldn't want to stop watching. There is an incident with the ML's close group of soldiers which will leave the ML in shatters where the FL is always by his side. Then comes an incident with the FL and a great plot twist. In this while the people with evil intentions will be revealed. Coming out of it becomes a question for viewers and the ending episodes reveals things that one would expect yet not believe in that expectation.

The OST was also very good especially the songs are written beautifully. I myself wanted to read Chinese poems because of this cause they have such beautiful lines. The song of the brothers(the ML and his close group of soldiers) was also a great addition to the music of the drama.

The production was very goof. All costumes and sets were beautiful. It was visible that this was a drama where the heart of the people was poured into.

I honestly write some negatives/improvements I feel in the drama towards the end but this one just has my heart and I have no such comments this time. It was a great journey of two people shown such beautifully that one might wonder if they could have been in that place.

P.S. Feel free to tag me or message me if you want spoilers as I tend to avoid giving spoilers in my reviews.

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Finally a drama and role for a more mature and experienced Xu Kai

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“Wonderland of Love” features two intelligent leads who always try to outsmart each other. That should be a pretty attractive premise to attract a wide audience. However, it doesn’t seem to be as popular as “The Story of Kunning Palace” which was broadcasted at about the same time. I guess a vampire gege is more attractive than a war hero Mr. Green flag. LOL There are many things I liked about this drama, but I do agree with many reviewers that the last arc wasn’t quite as exciting.


What I Like:

1. Xu Kai - I’m so glad I finally get to see Xu Kai in another drama worthy of his popularity and star power. His last few projects have been duds. I have liked him best as the more animated lead in “Arsenal Military Academy” and also his more subtle emotional acting in “Ancient Love Poetry”. But here in “Wonderland of Love”, I see the best of both worlds. I am thankful that he’s not another emotionless cold-on-the-outside character, but one that is mature and gives him the ability to showcase his acting range. If you are a Xu Kai fan, this is a must-watch.

2. Li Ni (ML) - Li Ni is a historical Mr. Green flag. He’s loyal, respectful, communicative, honest, courageous, selfless, can fight, can scheme (but not wicked and cunning). He’s a good son, a good brother, a good comrade, a good lover. He’s almost Mr. Perfect. His one flaw (if you can call it a flaw), is that he’s so in love with A Ying (FL) that it might have clouded his judgment and conceding to A Ying. He just can’t say No. But, as a romance-lover, he’s the perfect boyfriend.

3. Cui Lin/A Ying (FL) - On paper as a female character in a historical war and political drama, it’s nice to see a smart female lead who can fight and can think. She is as smart as Li Ni, and sometimes actually outsmarts him. She is independent, stubborn, and loyal to the Cui Army. She also has strong beliefs in bringing peace to all.

4. Fight and Battle Choreography - First of all, I am going to criticize the occasional slow-motion fights, and spinning/twirling to create a romantic effect. Having said that, “Wonderland of Love” has some of the more impressive fight choreography for close-combat fight and war/battle scenes. The drama started off with the leads fighting each other. There are a few sword fighting scenes throughout the drama that are pretty good, especially when this is a historical, political drama, and not a wuxia/xianxia drama. As other reviewers mentioned, the battle in episode 30 was well shot and hardcore. It was a bloody battle and many died in different ways. When the Laolan song is played, it breaks my heart. There are only a few other dramas (e.g. The Rebel Princess and Love Like the Galaxy) that I can think of with similar impressive battle scenes.

5. OST - There are several songs in the soundtrack and they all sound lovely and complementary to the scenes.

6. Acting - Xu Kai and Jian Tian both acted well and did not disappoint. The veteran supporting cast definitely outshines the younger supporting cast. I don’t think the younger cast is horrible, but no one shines through either.

7. Ending - No rush ending, in a way. The last episode is dedicated to show how everyone’s doing.


What I have Mixed Feelings:

1. Lead Romance - As I mentioned, I like Xu Kai and Jiang Tian’s acting. But for whatever reason, I am not feeling their chemistry as a couple, especially during the cute and fluffy scenes. I can’t get it out of my head that Jiang Tian is 7 years older than Xu Kai. I don’t feel this way when Jiang Tian is paired up with Timmy Xu or Vin Zhan. It’s probably because Xu Kai has somewhat of a baby face. I don’t think this is supposed to be an older sis/younger bro romance either. A Ying is a strong female lead, but not necessarily an easy-to-like female lead in a romance. There are plenty of kisses in the drama, yet none of them seems passionate to me. I also think the directing of the kisses is a little off. But if you look at the romance objectively, it’s a good one. They are both smart, have the same goal in mind, courageous and for the most part when there are issues, they communicate with each other. They might not take the same road to achieve their goals and disagree on principle, but they understand each other’s circumstances. I love their love letter correspondence during war time. All the good elements of a great romance, but I am just not feeling it.

2. Secondary Romance - I don’t particularly like or dislike it. It’s like every other secondary romance in many dramas. They’re cute and all, but don’t add much to the drama itself. I much rather learn more of Consort Xiao and the General love story.

3. Liu Cheng Feng (2ML) - I don’t believe his love and obsession for FL justify his actions. The way he seeks revenge seems way over-the-top when it comes to a country’s safety. I pity him when he was weak and then I just didn't care for him much when he turned to the dark side.

4. Final Arc (last 9 episodes) - I have to agree with others that the last arc of the drama isn’t written well. This part of the drama was draggy and anti-climatic after the big battle in episode 30. All that could be told in half the time. With the initial cold war between the leads, I find it somewhat annoying that our supposedly smart FL hasn’t thought of the consequence of the Cui army when she tried to push ML to be the crown prince. She should have calculated all of that politics, and not been surprised by the king’s decision to disband them. We wasted a couple episodes on this cold war. The villain tried to scheme and set up the general as a traitor. It was brought up without much info, and was resolved without much fanfare either. I thought it would be some elaborate plan but in the end it was just he said she said. The invasion was done half-heartedly. These foreigners were used by others for most of the drama. And when it came down to business, they were taken out easily and anti-climatically.

5. Production Quality - I don’t believe this is a big budget production. The green screen used during the leads’ horseback riding was hilariously fake. The wonderland scenery also seems fake to me. The set design, costumes and props seem OK. I am disappointed that almost everyone is dubbed. I find the dubbed voice for A Ying doesn’t quite match the face of Jiang Tian. And what is up with the pale faces of Xu Kai and Jiang Tian when they are soldiers, living under the sun and dust all the time. I think they could have darkened their skin tone a little. They definitely look too white, clean and pretty to be general/commander.

6. The King - He’s annoying as heck! I know he’s not the smartest cookie, but I can’t believe we need to tolerate his dumbness and ignorance for 40 episodes.


Overall, this is a decent drama to watch. I will recommend this if you are a fan of Xu Kai and Jiang Tan. I am rounding my rating up for Xu Kai, as I think this is his best role yet. I realize my criticisms are very personal and somewhat petty. LOL.


Other Random Observations:
1. The band of brothers are fun but way too loud.
2. I love the scene of the grass dragonflies when ML was sad.
3. I am glad Gu Wang Niang is not the typical evil 2FL. She technically didn’t do anything too evil, but this actress portrayed the character so well that I really dislike her! She gives off this cunning aura, without doing anything evil. Is it good acting?


Completed: 12/17/2023 - Review #383

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An idol drama that punches above its weight

First, this is an excerpt from my long-ass post about Wonderland of Love, which includes and episode watch log: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2023/12/02/wonderland-of-love-review/

To read my FULL thoughts on it, head to the blog. Here's my short review:

What I liked

- Great chemistry between Jing Tian and Xu Kai and I really enjoyed how evenly matched they were in terms of power dynamics, especially in the first few episodes.
- The brotherhood story took a while to build up, but when it did, the impact of the angsty episodes really hit hard!
- I like that every episode moved the story forward. There were hardly any filters.
- Episode 30 and 31 really elevated the drama to fascinating heights. On the one hand, it was a very typical idol historical romance drama, and those episodes had Ripe Town vibes.
- It has a wonderfully long happy ending. I'm a softie for those and we have precious few dramas that end so happily these days.

What I didn't like

- While Ah-Ying is written as a kickass female heroine, and she was in the first few episodes, she needed to be rescued way too much, which undermines her kickass status.
- The pathetic villains with poor motivation. Young Master and Lady Gu are not that much of an antagonistic challenge to our leads and are mere annoyances. I found Sun Jing a more effective bad guy but when he left the stage, our new antogonists could not pick up the slack. It didn't help that the acting was not fantastic either. I found our two Li princes a little better in the villain department but they were also not very bright villains and never felt like a real threat either.
- Episodes 30 and 31 showed that the writers and production could elevate the drama to become something so much more, so it's a pity they never went there completely or reached those heights again.
- The political intrigue/palace drama bits were not, er, sophisticated. It was silly and simplistic at times and probably would not fly in the real world.
- I really wished they had made Xu Kai and Jing Tian less pretty in the drama. For goodness sakes, at least tan Xu Kai a bit so that I could believe that he spent a decade in a deserted border outpost. In a sea of scruffy and dusty soldiers, Shiqi and Ah-Ying's unreal beauty and polished looks stood out like a sore thumb. For the first few episodes, I couldn't stop wondering if someone had slapped crazy filters on Xu Kai because he looked an anime character.
- The drama had a "too clean" look. The sets were too polished and so obviously shot at Hengdian it took me out of the show sometimes. The streets were too clean, the soldiers' uniform was looked too new, bright and shiny ... I felt that this drama needed a liberal layer of dirt so that I could buy that it is real.

Seeing how long the "What I didn't like" list is, you are probably wondering, oh noes, she doesn't like this drama! Bu no, I really enjoyed the heck out of it. It's the rare drama that I will rewatch on a moody day when I need cheering up. There are precious few of them.

I mean, it is certainly no Ripe Town or even Dream of Splendor, so lower your expectations. It is a typical idol drama with many spinning, hair-and-cloak-flying shots of our couple looking gorgeous as they stare into each other's eyes.

However, it was very entertaining, fluffy, feel-good and romantic. And yet, it had surprising moments of depth that took me by surprise. It is just a pity that it wasn't sustained throughout its 40-episode run, but I enjoyed Show for what it was: Pure entertainment.

The pathetic villains, plot holes, convenient solutions definitely diminished what could've been a really, really good show. But I laughed, teared up with this couple and it cheered me up immensely at a time when I needed it. ? When I watched the show, I just had my first bout of COVID after avoiding it the entire pandemic, my sense of taste and smell was gone and I was miserable. On top of that I was dealing with adulting issues. I desperately wanted something happy to watch and Wonderland was what I needed.

Whether you will enjoy Wonderland of Love depends on how far you can ignore its flaws and go along with the story. It is also best for people who like the drama's tropes: brotherhood and star-crossed lovers.

If you can't do both you will probably not enjoy it at all ? I am a sucker for bromance and will watch any drama with that trope.

All in all, Wonderland helped me turn off my brain and have a good time. ? And I love it for that.

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Scriptwriter

The series is finally over. It was one of the most flawed and wrong scripts of the TV series I've watched recently. I mentioned this frequently in my comments. But I watched it until the end. It ended well. It's all over. Those who made mistakes, those who did wrong, and the traitors were punished. Of course, Li Ni became emperor, but since he did not want to be, he left the throne to the son of the previous Crown Princess, even though he was his son. This is not a very common behavior. If I were emperor and I had a son, I would leave the empire to my son. This is normal. However, there was a show of heroism here, an event rarely seen in history, and the throne was left to one of the grandsons of the previous emperor. Let's call this a utopia. It could be. Because empire is not a job that can be done very well. It may be better to stay in a more comfortable area. Li Ni preferred this. In fact, according to the role assigned by the scriptwriter, he became responsible for the security of the border. Sounds like a simple job? Does he sleep until the evening? It's nothing like that. But he was shown as living like a commoner. They are happy. I guess this is what is meant.
The scriptwriter may have made mistakes in editing. He may not have been able to make the desired transitions and mannerisms correctly, but he was successful in love games. He painted a beautiful image of love. Although the sickly stepchild had a lot of love. He also helped in the last moment, but apart from these, the love between Li Ni and Cui Lin was handled well. The love between Taozi and Chang Er was also depicted very humorously and sincerely. In that respect, I congratulate the screenwriter. I think he should write scripts for Romance TV series. He should never engage in TV series that involve such strategic, game, cheating, political, or activation activities. Don't say that my series was watched well or got ratings or anything like that. Not because of him. Let him pray for the actors and the director. The cast was very good. The actors played incredibly well. Let's not violate their rights. Our director was excellent. The scene where Gu Wan Niang wandered around the city and said "I am the Crown Princess" in the last scenes, out of her mind, was very, very good. Our actress, Jia Min, did this beautifully, just as she portrayed the traitor under her pure, innocent beauty. I wouldn't expect it from him. I say well done. I show him as one of the best in the series. I want to see him as the lead. It is announced to the directors.
As for the script, as I said, it was below par. I got very angry while watching it. Although the series should have been rated 8-9, I gave it a lower score for that reason.

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Wonderland Power Couple

Finally a good series for XK. I've watched two misses he was in and knew if only the story was good enough, he could have a better shot at winning. Though far from perfect, the story did carry itself and our leads had wonderful chemistry hence I dubbed them the Wonderland Power Couple.

Pros: I think XK is one of those actors that can have chemistry with a pet rock. Not to take away from JT as she nailed her character as well. But XK has the ability to go from deadly to smoldering gaze in a heartbeat. Their love story was epic because it began from competitors to confidants to lovers and the transitions were nice. I also loved their sidekicks Taozi, Ear, PY, the brothers in arms, her dad, Consort Xiao, the kid, general Han (another immortal that got sent off a cliff harpooned but reappeared to save the day) and even LYN with his guest magician appearance.

The only real villain was Sun Jiang; once his arc ended it was only dumb villains. The ending was overly dramatic but nicely done. I love all of the fight scenes. Fight scenes for me, make a show extra special and this one had plenty. The ultimate "big bad" was nothing to cry home about. But what was done extremely well were the deaths of ML's brothers in arms; that was prolonged agony on the audience as well as the FL's fake death as both sets took at least two episodes. Those two moments in the drama broke your heart and made you cry but they were done exceptionally well and made for the ending that much sweeter. Sets, costumes, and a few OSTs were memorable.

Cons: The father and brothers were dumb villains as well as Ms. Gu and batshit crazy LCF. I ffw'd them as much as possible. I also didn't like how the FL threw tantrums and blamed ML for shit that wasn't his fault even when he came up with solutions to help matters. It made her seem like a child. She and her father pushed him to be CP; but she still wanted to marry him, keep the Cui army from disbanding, etc, as they were knowing full well what the dumb as nails king was like. Even in the second to last episode before her miraculous revival, the king was willing to believe the corrupt minister over his own son that had been instrumental in every war and strategy success for the kingdom. It hurt my head watching that stupidity.

This series would have been much better if it was only 25 or 30 episodes long, where you didn't have to deal with the stupidity of the useless loser villains that just made a mess of virtually everything. ML could be CP and marry FL and not have the rest of that garbage happen. It's like logic fell apart after the real villain was killed. Even father and son reconciling felt off because father was a hot mess. I spent a lot of time ffwing and just watching for the leads and the good guys.

Would I recommend? Despite the second later half being a mess; the leads and most of their friends pulled off a very watchable series. I hope XK gets even better scripts in the future as do the others.

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Xu Kai

I really loved this drama ,this is my best Chinese drama for this year after this is Hidden Love and best couple for this year ,I love Xu Kia he's such a good actor,the actress was beautiful and amazing,I loved their chemistry it also had good osts ,I really thought she died I was scared for a minute there ,I can't believe it took the useless father 40 episodes to realize what a filial son he had ,Anyway I really loved everything about this drama ,the ending was great too ,I recommend this to everyone ,I don't usually watch 40 episodes drama but this is just amazing,Xu Kai my favorite Chinese actor love you man ?.

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A Truly Beautiful Drama

Okay, now I understand why this drama has such high ratings.

It truly deserves even more than that. It was beautifully crafted with a compelling storyline, the best chemistry and romance between the leads, heart-wrenching moments, and a flawless OST, scoring a perfect 10/10. I could go on and on about how awesome this drama is. Each episode feels like a little emotional journey that sticks with you. It's not just a show; it's like living these moments with the characters.

However, one minor drawback was the occasional repetitiveness, particularly in certain scenes. There were too many small breakups and goodbyes, which at times felt excessive. Additionally, their relationship seemed somewhat toxic and manipulative after some point. Following a breakup, they would reconcile as if nothing had happened, without addressing the issues that occurred, honestly I found that frustrating.

Not every relationship is perfect, and in the end, it was sufficient that their love made sense and was convincing. After numerous tears, the show is finally finished.

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A good drama with a touch of annoying characters and boring moments, but with perfect ending

finally finished this drama after a few weeks. I have many things to say about it, I think this will be long.

Let's start with the positive points :
1) The leads have amazing chemistry, good kissing scenes and many sweet moments. This pairing is perfect.
2) ML character was great in many ways (he wasn't perfect, but in general I like his character) and good acting from Xu Kai. He's a strong ML and has good fighting skills. He's respected by many and a great leader. I like a strong and intelligent ML.
3) The romance starts early and it's a main focus. The interactions and bickering from the leads were good most of the time.
4) Love the second couple (Er and Peach). Their moments and interactions started early too. They are cute and I like both characters. Their romance is sweet without problems or misunderstanding. Wish we could have seen them with a child at the end
5) The friendship is good and I enjoyed seeing that. The bandits, Bao, General Pei, etc ... I consider them good characters.
6) In my opinion Sun Jing is a good villain. He is still an intelligent and strong character + not the annoying type. The part of the plot fighting him was good for me.
7) I like Consort Xiao (the former Crown Princess) character. She's a strong women, a good person and I felt her story. She made contributions and sacrifices to help take back the throne. She feel in love in the enemy, but that didn't stop her to do the right thing and help ML. She was unhappy has the crown princess, but she found happiness at the end in seclusion and with her son.
8) General Han (to one who protected the crown grand son, don't know if I say his name right) was also a good character. Love his loyalty and how he protected him till the end. Glad he survived and still teach him.
9) Cui Yi (FL's father) is bad ass when he fights and was also an interesting character. Glad he overcame his illness and can teach the future emperor. But I would have like to see him again for the ending, even if he was briefly mention.
10) The scenery and cinematography is beautiful.
11) The fighting scenes are really good and interesting to watch
12) Ep 30 is pick and amazing : the fighting, the deaths, the emotions. It is truly heartbreaking and good cinema. It was so sad to see ML watch his friends dies without being able to save them and Bao :( He protected him until his last breath, I lost it when he placed himself in front of ML to shield him, receiving arrow after arrow...
13) The ending was one of the best thing about this drama for me. Not an open or annoying 2 mins happy ending. We have a whole episode for the ending. That is exactly the ending I wanted : Him ruling until the crown grand son is old enough to rule and after that, doing what he always wanted to do, going back to the border. Then they live happy ever after with their kids and with Peach + Er also there. It was such a sweet ending seeing them with their kids and it was cute that the boys were wearing blue clothes and the girls red. I was also touch with the graves scene and them remembering their fallen friends. It is a satisfying ending : we see him ascending the throne as emperor, the world at peace, the Gu family getting what they deserved, her getting pregnant, her giving birth and then seeing their lives a few years lather at the border.
14) The costumes are great
15) The music is really good, just like the intro and the ost. I loved watching the intro every episode.
16) The plot in general is good

Now the negative points or things that I liked less about this drama (some is just me complaining ahah not really bad things) :
1) There are a few annoying and unlikable characters (maybe too much for my liking, made the drama less enjoyable), let's go thorough some of them :
- Liu Cheng Feng is one of the worst and most annoying character ever. He obsession with FL and his delusion ruined the drama for me a little. His presence was annoying from beginning to end, it took him so long to finally die. He wasn't a good villain for me, just an annoying character, just looking at his face I wanted to skipped. He shouldn't've have been there till so late in the drama, his presence was unnecessary since also we have other villains.
- Mrs Gu (prime minister Gu's daughter) : that girl also annoyed me from her first appearance to her last. I agree that she was kinda good at scheming and she made her way to the palace + at first she wasn't unnecessary, but she needed to be gone sooner. Just her talking was irritating me and her face also. I was also just annoy that ML wasn't clear earlier towards her (even if it was so satisfying when he finally did). Why did he let her go to his place and giving him gifts. He was to polite at first. I truly hate obsess second lead and this drama has 2... so for me that was a let down also because they were there until almost the end and no development (like the guy in ''A journey to love'' had at least a developments and let go of his obsessions, so it's more bearable). They were both crazy till the end.
- The emperor (ML's father) : what a useless, spineless, stupid, weak and annoying emperor. It was so frustrating. But at least in the end he finally admits that his not a good emperor and not a good father. But he didn't deserved that kind of redemption arc. His wife (the empress) had at least a bit of brain cells
- ML's brothers : they were annoying, but at least they were trying to scheme and the conflicts between the 3 brothers gave us some amazing eps and fighting scenes. So I gave them that. The older one was so stupid... And the emperor defending them... But the power struggle was necessary for the story, so not that much a negative point here.
2) After the deaths of the bothers and the fight of ep 30-31, the villains were boring and not interesting. The plot was just dragging, the last fighting scene wasn't that good and didn't have a big impact for me. It was useless to had the conflict with the other people (forget the name, but the clan that killed FL's mother) and even Mr. Gu to an instinct. I couldn't care less.
3) Filler episodes with boring or annoying moments to extend to 40 eps. The ones after the wedding in ep 34 for example with the leads in conflicts AGAIN was just annoying to me. FL got on my nerves in eps 35-36. From eps 33-39, I was mostly on my phone the hole time, my interest was gone and I just wanted it to end. I was at the end almost just watching 1 ep a day just to make some progress. This morning I was like today is the day, I'll finish this drama ahaha I had 3 eps left.
4) We were suppose to have a strong and intelligent FL, but she wasn't all that and annoying sometimes. I expected more, maybe I'm biased because I was watching ''A Journey to love'' at the same time and in that drama that's more of a good, strong FL for me. She kept getting kidnap and ML saved her often. When in ep 37-38 SML kidnapped her, I was like, not again... She was stupid there. I also think she wasn't that likeable sometimes, but I agree that she had her moments. Don't know why, I'm also a women, but I feel like the FLs characters are sometimes written annoying, weak or stupid in dramas, more than MLs. It wasn't actually bad here at all, she was still consider strong and had her mind, but it's a tendency I'm realizing now. I often tend to get annoy by a FL and not a ML when I watch a drama, maybe I haven't watched many dramas with the annoying kind of ML yet ahah (I know there are many out there) or maybe I did see some, but nothing comes to my mind right now.
5) I was a bit annoyed with some aspects of the relationship between the leads. Them being in conflicts, they make up, in conflicts again, than make up, ... blah blah blah, happened a few times. It was a part of their relationship and sometimes justified, but maybe they could have had it happen less.
6) I know ML is filial, but he's father treated him like shit all his life, but he was still trying to be a good son, saving him and even kinda getting along with him in ep 40. That man is trash. deserved nothing from ML.
7) ML was stubborn when he didn't want to be the crown when he was the obvious and best choice, but I didn't like how FL was trying to force him. Even less when he was finally crown prince and she didn't want to marry him and make sacrifice for him. Like girl what and she's suppose to be intelligent. Did she really not think that they would have to disbanded the Cui army if she becomes crown princess ? ML already knew it was a strong possibility. And after they got married she was mad at him for the disbanded of her family's army and what happened to her father. ML did is best to defend them and it wasn't his fault, I don't think it was justified to treat him like that. ML also exaggerated by breaking up with her after the letter her father send to the emperor. They both have faults and flaws.... I know they can't be perfect and all of that is part of the plot, but still

So, because it wasn't that good or even interesting past ep 30, filler episodes or some boring moments, the annoying characters and with comparing with others dramas I rated, I stopped my rating at 8.5/10. In general it still a good drama and has many positive points, so of course I would recommend. Also, it's my opinion, I can get annoyed by characters or bored easily, so my negative points are mostly bad things just for me.

If we talk about 2023 chinese dramas that are not modern drama, Wonderland of Love has one of the best ending in my opinion.

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Match made in heaven

When script is destined to you, it always find its way to you.........the script realised the full potential of the cast or maybe Actor/Actress saved the day.

The drama took off pretty well with brilliant strategies of main leads and their chemistry.

Supporting Characters played so well.......But after finishing the half of the drama, the whole story was dominated by politics and internal fights for power. It drifted from main cause ...it showed the dark side of palace life ......But still the supporting Characters will entertain you till the end and the chemistry of leads will keep you on hook.

Yes, It is worth watching.
It is just my opinion that 40 episodes were bit long and if you like short dramas then you have to be patient and hang on as ending is worth it.

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How the Actors Save the Day

The story was just ok for me. The writing wasn't spectacular. The story dragged in parts, but I was so invested in the characters and their relationships that I kept coming back for more. Some of the villains were a little poorly written, no depth really. The same old ploy with the ministers - give them a fake story and they run with it, and in this case, an emperor who was that and worse. Still, the cast did a wonderful job in bringing their characters to life. I loathed the bad guys, loved the good guys.

Liked the camaraderie of the soldiers - and wished for a happier ending for them. The ending was nicely tied up for the most part, but I like to see what's happening and not get a narrative. So, I would have liked to see the young emperor with his two older mentors come back to the palace, and I would have liked to see a family (or even a wedding) for Chang'er & Taozi. And hey, what happened to Pei Yuan?!

And of course, the real draw for me... Xu Kai. That face! His expressions! OMG he is absolutely gorgeous in historical garb, especially the military uniforms! WOWZA! And he's a god on a horse! The chemistry between he and Jing Tian was sweet. Their bantering was cute and funny - and oddly enough for me, because I don't usually care for fight scenes, theirs were nicely coordinated and executed. They looked great, especially fighting together against a common foe. The way they got the evil minister *perfect*!

I didn't expect to like this drama as much as I did, and I might even go back and watch it again if I had time on my hands and just wanted a good dose of eye-candy (Xu Kai) and a little romance. If there had been better writing perhaps, I could have given this a higher score - but the acting earned all the points.

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Engaging story, solid but boxed performance from Xu Kai

From the director of The Untamed and The Legends, no less! My expectations suddenly skyrocket, especially after last seeing Xu Kai in the rather disappointing She and Her Perfect Husband.

The Chinese title, LeYouYuan, is also the title of a Tang dynasty poem envisioning a beautiful but fleeting world (my rough interpretation). Translated as Wonderland Plains in the show, it represents both a physical and mental refuge and happy place. WoL is a tale of erupting power struggles in the wake of a coup. Li Ni (XK) is one of the last surviving members of a royal lineage in a kingdom usurped by a rebel traitor. Three major parties then vie for control of the land and resources: Li Ni's ShenXi army (loyal to his murdered grandfather, the former emperor), the independent and very powerful Cui Family army, and the self-declared new Commander-in-Chief Sun Jing. However, Sun's brutal reign forces an uneasy alliance between the ShenXi and Cui armies. Li Ni meets the sharp and cunning Cui Captain He (Jing Tian), and begins negotiating not only joint trade and conquest, but also love.

I've been following XK's work since Ancient Love Poetry. I saw hints in ALP (as well as The Legends) that he could be a very good dramatic actor but, so far that I've seen, he seemed to be playing the same type of character in most of his shows: ie. the boyish, cocky but likeable hero type, always cool, understated, and at the top of his game. I keep watching him to see if he can break out of this box, and unfortunately WoL doesn't stretch his range.

WoL starts off as a light formula romance, against a big backdrop of war and politics. By Ep20 the drama turns more serious as Li Ni learns Capt He's true identity and factors it into his political strategy. In fact, they both don't hesitate to use each other. Things then get far more interesting as he tries to balance his goals for the country against those for himself, which triggers direct conflict with Capt He's own vision for country, self, and themselves as a couple. The course of their relationship through treacherous terrain makes their characters more sympathetic as their belief systems start to clash. Circumstances push them to the brink in an horrific (and excruciatingly long) battle scene. Will either of them sacrifice their core tenets for the other? At this point the strengths of XK's and JT's performances come further through a crushingly sad wedding scene. Toward what seems will be a tragic ending, XK pushes to his best performance (but doesn't break the box), before the story winds down with a conventional ending.

The story is strictly wuxia and what makes it dense are the fluid shifts of alliances between the 3 groups as they manage not only dealings with each other but also challenges from within their own ranks. The most dangerous foes come from your own family. This results in a fairly large cast of characters, and the ensemble cast is competent, with many familiar faces.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable drama with decent performances and an engaging storyline. XK fans will be pleased with this work.

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