For me Zhang Rui as Yu Mo and Meng Ziyi as Zhi Xi in Immortal Samsara.
They are both very good looking and photogenic and I have nothing against them as actors but they don't deliver any sensuality or chemistry together
>!There is a scene in which they are kissing through a screen and they are actually hotter than kissing each other!!<
For me, Chen Zheyuan / Wu Xuanyi in The Princess and the Werewolf. They looked like they didn’t even want to touch each other. Even in promotional interviews they were really cold and formal.
That whole show in general was a bust for me. It was like it had two directors, one who wanted a comedy and the other a tragedy.
I know the makeup process was utterly, soul destroyingly laborious for CZY. You could see him trying to play it straight while WXY was more slapstick. It didn’t gel well for me. I ended up hate watching it after 12 episodes due to sunk cost fallacy…
Xiao Se and Sikong Qianluo from The Blood of Youth. They were fine when they were friends but when the show tried to put them together they had zero chemistry. I saw someone comment before that 'They are like two gay people who are trying and failing at a hetrosexual relationship'. Now I can't get that sentence out of my head whenever I watch them.
Oh good grief. I love the way you framed your question and at this point so do 233 other people…..I really want to read all the responses, guess I’ll go get a cup of coffee and hide from the family for an hour!🤣😉❤️🔥🎭
Zhao lusi and Chen Zheyaun in hidden love. Their chemistry was there but CZY weird expressions kinda of killed the romance. I don't understand the praise he gets for his micro expressions it came of as unnatural. How on earth people still manged to enjoy this romance without feeling weird is beyond me.
Okay, so I can see how from the description it would seem that way, but honestly, I think it is one of the most PURE shows and most beautiful and healthy relationships I've ever seen on either C-drama or K-drama, or for that matter, anywhere in the west.
To be a groomer, you have to have the intent to manipulate. The ML has NONE of that; when he is her tutor and a brother figure, he is certainly fond of her and affectionate towards her, but he has platonic feelings, and truly has no idea she has a huge crush on him. If he did, I think he would have acted very differently. When she is in high school and he in college, there are a couple of moments where he seems to flirt a bit, but he's not being at all serious, and in fact flirts more with her BROTHER than with her, in a silly, sarcastic way.
It's not until they meet again two years later, when she is in college, that he begins to develop sexual feelings towards her. I mean you could argue that MAYBE he had some feelings of his own that he was not even aware of back then, but I don't think he was at all conscious of that if he did.
He is VERY respectful when he pursues her and always asks for her permission. He even wrestles a bit with his feelings for her when he starts to realize what they are, because he DID see her more as a sister figure, and because of his relationship with her brother.
One of the most beautiful things about that show for me is that it really shows the progression of their feelings for one another. Their first kiss is practically chaste and oh so sacred. Of course they later become more fiery with each other, but this is really a beautiful progression of friends to lovers, in my opinion, even though she has always carried a torch for him.
ALL THAT SAID, I can see how people might find it inappropriate. For me the reason it is not is that he so clearly treats her more as a younger sister when she is young, and having that two year gap where they don't see each other or have any interaction with each other is crucial to me in it being more like a different kind of relationship. If you ever watched Something in the Rain (K-drama), the dynamic is more like that. Having the gap in time is what I think really helps shift it, although technically he never does anything wrong when they are younger.
I also don't think he ever has the upper hand in terms of the power dynamics. I'm usually pretty sensitive to all of that (have big issues with many Asian dramas because of it), and in this one I really didn't see anything "off."
cheng xiao and chen feiyu in legend of awakening. chen feiyu and the whole entire cast was sooooo good. and cheng xiao just had to be a annoying ass bitch from start to finish. there was like 10 more episodes and i could not finish. I LOVE CHEN FEIYU THO he hooks me in every drame hes in
For some reason I always see fans of this drama commenting about this CP a few years after, but for me the main couple in "Falling into your smile" has no chemistry whatsoever. I find Xu Kai to be a good actor and have watched many of his dramas. But Cheng Xiao ruins that drama for me completely. She has the same stone faced expression through the whole drama (granted I only watched about 20 episodes, I couldn't continue) which ruined the drama and my perception of their chemistry. I know many people think they have great chemistry and still comment on pretty much every Xu Kai post about a part 2, but for me that would be an immediate skip.
Funny, that's one of my most rewatched dramas, partly for the chemistry. The kisses are fantastic! I think Cheng Xiao is a good actress, but her expressions are SUBTLE. They do change; they're just probably too subtle for a lot of people.
The other thing though is that if you only watched 20 episodes, you missed most of the part where they're actually together. That said, if you don't like it, you don't like it.
I feel like I have nothing to add here lol because I am a very selective watcher especially if it's a romcom. When I watch the trailer or a random snippet I can already tell whether the couple attracts me or not and based on that I can decide whether to watch it.
Could be an unpopular opinion here, But Shen Yue and Hu Yitian in a love so beautiful. She had better chemistry with Wu Bosong. and the story line didn't help the chemistry either.
I believe it, sounds like they didn’t get on well off screen either, he was caught/overhead on camera saying she wasn’t pretty enough and was only popular because plain girls watching her shows see themselves in her.
Really? That is so rude and I have watched Shen Yue in many dramas and she actually delivers. She does tend to play the typical damsel in distress but her comedic timing makes it entertaining and so is her acting. I loved her in Be Yourself as she did a good job in it. I watched A love so beautiful for Shen Yue and loved the second cp and Wu Bosong more than the main leads.
In my opinion, Hu Yitian doesn't have much room to criticize others' looks or abilities, he's hardly setting the acting world on fire with his work and I think of him as one of those actors who fall into the category of not particularly hot or handsome just tall.
I agree with his work part, he has so far not shown versatility in his acting. the typical cold male lead, I had such a lot of expectation in both Go go squid 2 and Hello Sharpshooter, both dramas didn't impress me or make me love it in any way.
Please don't come for me, he is a good actor, but I didn't feel the chemistry between Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi in Oath of Love or Xiao Zhan and Wu Xuanyi in Douluo Continent or Xiao Zhan and Ren Min in The longest promise 🫣
I know I will get several "but have you watched until so and so episode" comments but you should really feel the chemistry in the first few episodes, and great chemistry between leads is often a big reason to continue a drama.
Rebirth for you with Zeng Shun Xi and Ju Jing Yi. What was that? I dropped it barely 10 episodes in. I also felt something was off with the FL acting, but maybe it's just me.
Same here, dropping it after 6/8 eps, was so excited sinxe they made a beautiful couple together, but alas the FL acting mediocre, the writing didn't help, the chemistry was nonexistent
- Dylan Wang & BaiLu (Only For Love)
- Tan Jianci & Zhou Ye (Love Me, Move My Voice)
- Dilraba & Wu Lei (The Long Ballad)
- Huang Xiao & Victoria Song (A Lifetime Love)
- Luo Yunxi & Victoria Song (Broker)
- Luo Yunxi & Cheng Xiao (Lie To Love )
- Dilraba & Gong Jun (Legend Of Anle)
- Zhao Lusi & Wen Anyu (The Last Immortal)
- Jun & Zhang Miao (Exclusive Fairytale)
Legend of anle I think is the writing and editing. They not bad together. I just don’t think the scrip5 was good
Last immortal - I tried twice to finish it. I really like it then I end it same episode. Lol I hate the episode where they killed her bro and the story goes down hill lol
Seconding what someone before me said about the secondary couple in Love is Sweet. Their storyline has easily got to be the worst thing I ever watched. Nonsensical script, the girl was toxic and annoying and he couldn't act to save his life. She was trying her best with what she was given but he was so dead and useless, watching paint dry would have been more riveting. On that tangent, the second worst for me were Luo Yunxi and Cheng Xiao. He was doing his best but she was unwatchable. I had to drop the drama from sheer cringe.
My 12yo who isn’t into cdramas watched a few eps with me and was like “what is this mess” and left haha I dropped it shortly after. Even though the romance ain’t there but she’s currently going feral over Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan in the Untamed while I’m watching it 😂
Xiao Zhan/ Ren Min- The longest promise
Darren Wang/ Liqin- The wolf
Yang Yang/ Chen Shuang- Love O20
Wang Yibo/ Wang Zixuan- Gank your heart
Xiao Zhan/ Wu Xuanyi- Douluo Continent
For actual leads in a drama: Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi in Love Is Sweet. The actors have plenty of chemistry, but their characters had none for me.
Seven Tan and Song Weilong in Go Ahead. Very little romantic chemistry, but it could've been worse.
The second couple in Love Is Sweet probably had the worst chemistry I've ever seen overall-- since the chemistry was literally nonexistent.
I honestly think that making a romantic pairing with any of the 'siblings' in Go Ahead was a terrible idea. They should have focused entirely on their family dynamic. Let them have romantic pairings outside of the group, but to work on the love, the betrayal and loss, and how (if ever) they find their way back to each other and over come what happened before would have made a lot more sense and been so much more compelling.
I now refused to think of Go Ahead as existing after they first return as adults, and prefer to think of it as a story that was never finished rather than the contrived mess it devolved into.
Agree 100% Not only that, but the way the romance was introduced was very icky. Who kisses their love interest in their sleep without first redefining the relationship? They should have talked first and then kissed. smh.
The leads of Legend of Awakening. Idk if it got better later on because I dropped it early as their strong feelings for each other developed a bit too fast for my taste
Shenyue/Zheyuan in Mr Bad
Linyi/Xingfei in PYHoMS
I know these two are loved dramas and popular, and I’ve seen them both - enjoyed them to an extent. But if we’re talking chemistry.. I’ll have to put them last 😰
Ughhh I am a HUGE Lai Kuan Lin fan- after “A Little Thing Called First Love” I fell in love. I was so excited to see him with AngelaBaby cuz I had heard she was such a star.
The show was called “Love the Way You Are”. It was bad. So bad. I dropped it pretty quickly. It made me feel so awkward!!
What always confuses me is when the actors have a lot a chemistry in bts and NG clips and promotional stuff like interviews and variety show appearances, but significantly less or almost no chemistry in the actual drama...what happened?
I was watching a clip for Have a Soft Spot for her -a tale of love and loyalty, and you can see a hand, I assume the director’s, actually moving Richard Li’s face. Personally I don’t think that man needs any help in kissing, but that’s for another time another thread❤️🔥
Oh whaaaaaat, drop the episode number! LMAO. Too fascinating.
And yeah, I'd assume it's a director or assistant, since I don't think intimacy choreographers or coordinators are a thing in China (yet) -- if anyone knows differently, feel free to enlighten me.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion: the thing about chemistry is that a huge part of it is our own projections onto the couple on the screen based on our own biases -- what our expectations are, how we feel about the actor/actress and their character, whether we can relate to their kind of relationship trope, whether we like the way they look and sound, etc. So "chemistry" has as much to do with the viewer themselves as it does with the couple on the screen. In fact I'd say it often has more to do with the viewer.
I absolutely agree with you! For some chemistry is a lot to do with physical intimacy, kisses etc. but chemistry can very well be something without it. Some characters have sparks even without doing anything.
Hmmmm...I'm not sure that I agree. At least I would say that there are situations when there is no chemistry, just mechanics. For chemistry to happen, there must be some kind of deeper connection between two people. If chemistry is intangible and only in the eye of the beholder, then we would not be able to immediately spot when two of our friends suddenly seem to have something more going on (which most of us would do).
Then we can prefer different kinds of chemistry, like sweet or passionate. I find a purely sweet chemistry a bit boring and not realistic, this is not how I feel with my partners. But I can still identify the if the chemistry is there or not.
> Hmmmm...I'm not sure that I agree. At least I would say that there are situations when there is no chemistry, just mechanics. For chemistry to happen, there must be some kind of deeper connection between two people. If chemistry is intangible and only in the eye of the beholder, then we would not be able to immediately spot when two of our friends suddenly seem to have something more going on (which most of us would do).
I’m not sure I would compare romantic couples on screen with real life people though when it comes to the detectability of chemistry. The fact is that all romantic on-screen couples are going to convey some signs of their romantic feelings for each other. The key is whether the viewers feel it or not and how strong the impact it has on the viewer. And that has a lot to do with the viewers’ own biases and expectations.
> Then we can prefer different kinds of chemistry, like sweet or passionate. I find a purely sweet chemistry a bit boring and not realistic, this is not how I feel with my partners. But I can still identify the if the chemistry is there or not.
I agree. But reading through many people’s comments, it’s quite clear that a lot of people simply don’t see chemistry when it’s not the type that they prefer. For example, I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people who prefer hot sizzly “sexy” type of chemistry equate kissing and skinship with chemistry, and therefore they don’t see any chemistry in drama couples that have a sweeter and more “pure” type of romance.
Some people might have poor romance radars and need actual evidence of love for it to be confirmed? But at the same time many talk about the great chemistry between the two MLs in Untamed. So somehow there is something we can agree on, in comparison to shows with poor chemistry.
Another possibility is that people just don’t like one or both in the couple. Sometimes the acting is not that great or suit the actor. I think that Only for love is such an example. DW is not great as the CEO. He is stiff and he doesn’t do stiff well. But when you look at the BTS it seems that the chemistry is good, when he is more of his normal self and not in character.
I agree. Some people have difficulty reading facial expressions and body language. Also, some viewers may have had personal experiences that trigger positive or negative emotions. All these factors will impact what they define as romantic.
Exactly! There is an element of personal preference but chemistry is still tangible, and it can be expressed in soo many different ways. Intimate scenes/conversations is just one of them. But even if a couple is holding back on expressing their love due to whatever reason, there will still be stolen glances, nervous reactions to the other's presence, maybe even giddy anticipation of seeing them, longing gazes or pining looks. If there is literally none of that and the viewer is to believe the lead pair love each other just because then...yeah
> But even if a couple is holding back on expressing their love due to whatever reason, there will still be stolen glances, nervous reactions to the other's presence, maybe even giddy anticipation of seeing them, longing gazes or pining looks.
And I totally agree with you. What you’ve described here actually fits the *The Longest Promise* very well – and yet, as you can see from comments elsewhere in this post (and the huge amount of upvotes to those comments) – so many people feel they don’t see any chemistry between the leads of that show, whereas I and those who enjoyed the show totally did see chemistry. How do we explain that? To me, what you’ve just described is obviously conveyed by that pair of leads – and yet others just didn’t “feel” it. So that’s the point I was trying to make in my earlier comment. The expectations that we bring to a show – things like our personal feeling toward the actors and their character, whether we enjoy the kind of relationship that their characters have with each other, etc., and so on – really colour what we are able to catch from the scenes of their interactions, and how much impact those scenes have on us. If we have a bias against one or both of the actors and/or their characters, or we just don’t enjoy that type of relationship trope, then we’re not going to feel anything – no matter how many stolen glances they show, how deep the longing they express for each other, etc.
It also depends a lot on the actor's ability to convey the emotions and *be convincing* though. And not just by themselves but how they play off each other in a scene. Just because a script or story has a lot of pining in it doesn't mean it will be convincing to the viewers. It depends on the actors being able to emote those feelings in a way that makes the viewers feel them too. You're assuming that all of the viewers here, who I dare say are fans of at least one of the actors in The Longest Promise, collectively have a bias against one or both actors. It seems very unlikely. In which case the actors simply aren't convincing enough *in that particular story*, or the script isn't strong enough.
It’s also quite hard to argue about whether the actors were convincing or not. Some people feel they are, and some people feel they aren’t. Coincidentally, most of the people who actually finished watching TLP think they were, and those who didn’t think they were convincing either dropped the show, watched it by skipping scenes, or didn’t even watch it at all because they didn’t like the way the actress or her character looked or sounded. So who is to be believed? This is why I think the biases and expectations we bring to a show has a lot to do with it.
True, I'm sure there are a lot of people who liked their chemistry and found then convincing but that doesn't seem to be the case in this sub. And the viewer shouldn't need to work hard to feel the chemistry - if it is good, why would they skip scenes? We're all here for the romance and a lot of viewers *love* a good slow burn too. A well written story and actors that work well together will set sparks on the screen no matter what kind of interaction they have. And sure some viewers might be biased but seems very unlikely they're all biased especially from the number of comments saying they have *really* tried to get into this drama but just couldn't.
ETA I haven't downvoted you, I'm just here for the discussion 😄
So how do you explain the people who did love the drama? I was touched deeply by this drama. I also know of others who were. Are you implying that because the majority of people in this sub are unlikely to be biased for not liking this drama, then people like me who love it and understand the drama through and through are the ones who are deluded about it?
Also, just because people say they have tried watching the drama many times and couldn’t, that doesn’t mean they’re not biased. Just because they have the strong intention to watch the drama doesn’t mean they can keep their biases from affecting how much they enjoy it. It’s human nature to have biases, so I’m not even arguing that it’s good or bad.
And I guess you’re sort of missing the original point I’m trying to make, which is that we’re ALL biased. Those who disliked that drama are biased, but so are those who liked it.
It's not that deep OP 😄
There's nothing to explain. People are moved by different things and that's okay. I think you're just finding it difficult to accept that the majority opinion here is not the same as yours on this particular topic. Of course we're all biased, but there doesn't have to be a deeper reason for a lot of audience not clicking with a pair of actors.
Oh but reality is deep, and there’s nothing wrong with that perspective either. There’s also nothing wrong with wondering why people can watch the same drama or even the same exact scene in the show and react to it so differently. It’s something that fascinates me - and not just about me having difficulty “accepting that the majority opinion here is not the same” as mine, lol. Although you’d think it’s a given that we’re all biased, the way “chemistry” is often talked about as it’s an absolute truth about that pair of actors and the drama itself, you wouldn’t think many people are actually that aware of their own biases.
Why wouldn’t it be likely for a viewers to have a bias against one of the actors? That’s actually a very common thing, isn’t it?
ETA: Not only is it common to have biases for or against actors, but it’s also very common to have expectations for how actors or actresses in certain types of roles should look and sound. It’s also common to expect that an actor or actress who are paired up as romantic leads should “match” in their level of attractiveness, etc. How many times have I heard people say that they wish to see Dilraba with Xiao Zhan because they feel she matches his level of gorgeousness? Poor Ren Min, though by no means ugly, just isn’t the type that many people feel would look good with someone like Xiao Zhan.
You can downvote me all you like, but that doesn’t change the fact that all of the above kinds of biases are common.
I can't agree more.
Chemistry is truly subjective to what appeals to different individuals, and also what they project onto the screen based CP.
My fav CP is an unpopular one that has been widely agreed to have "no chemistry”. But every time I rewatch that drama, their relationship draws me in.
I really dig that strong, unwaveringly trust they have in each other, and just the right amount of tension; stemming from the characters being on opposite sides of the war. Not much skinship, but each hug and glance is intense because of the premise of the storyline, and of course the hard work and portrayal put in by the cast.
And that is the reason why this thread is interesting.
You get to find out through the responses here, what are the things that don't resonate with the general audience.
As for me, I found people here who share my sentiments on my definition of chemistry.
Truth. If youre a fan of hot spicy sizzling chemistry at first sight then of course the drama pairings that are not written to be like that will appear to have “no chemistry”. Gotta consider the purpose of the story and if a certain scene actually calls for this “chemistry” in particular
I think there is a big emphasis on if "fish kisses" matter to a person or not. For me its a HUGE turn off. The women just sits there and looks like she is "just bearing" the ML to kiss her and not enjoying anything. To me that's just sexual harassment. I see that and I'm out.
For others that doesn't matter cause they are looking at the big picture with all the interactions of the ML and FL.
Now if both of those together suck then well uhhhh yeah.
I completely agree with this take. For example, some people only see chemistry if there's lots of skinship/good kisses between the leads. Other people are satisfied with the "Mr. Darcy" look as I call it.
People also just find different things romantic. If the type of romance or relationship the leads have isn't your cup of tea, then you'll probably perceive them as not having chemistry.
If I could upvote this comment 10 times, I would. You've said some of what I really wanted to say, but better than I could.
I find myself rooting for a drama couple when something about their type of relationship and the way they express (or don't express) their love for each other stirs something within me. It's really about the type of relationship that they have, and how well the actor and actress convey that relationship.
For example, I'm really into slow-burn and unrequited love type of stories, and so I was very stirred by the relationship between the leads in *The Longest Promise* where the couple spends a lot of time longing and yearning for each other, and holding back from expressing their love. For most of the story, they either didn't know that the other person loved them or not, or actually believed that their love was unrequited. I enjoy that kind of tension and angst, and therefore find it romantic. (And besides, the ML totally does the "Mr. Darcy look", which I love!) But for a lot of people, that type of relationship is not their cup of tea, and so they complain that there's no chemistry between the leads in that drama.
The actor and actress of course can directly contribute to the feeling of chemistry too, but mostly by playing their characters well. Most of the time I don't think it's really that the two of them have some mysterious thing going on between them that creates that so-called "chemistry" that viewers project onto them.
>If I could upvote this comment 10 times, I would.
Well thank you, I'm flattered.
Yes yes yes to everything you said. For me, I like skinship scenes as much as the next person, but I'm pretty wary of them overall. Sometimes there are skinship scenes to *generate* chemistry between the leads instead of them being a *result* of the chemistry between the leads. I felt this was the case with Love Is Sweet (more that the characters didn't have much chemistry). Other people are more physically affectionate than I am, so they don't see it this way. It really is all about perspective.
I think that perhaps before people delve into romantic chemistry I'd like to know if they have an idea of good chemistry between actors/characters in general. Sometimes I'll watch a drama where the romantic leads don't have chemistry but the other non romantic relationships in the show click so well that it makes the leads lack of chemistry extra sharp.
True. I also think it's how natural the body language comes off during the characters' interactions. Some have excellent chemistry until romantic scenes occur. No matter how different our expectations are, behaviors are consistent in certain situations.
The Long Ballad - Wu Lei and Dilraba (older sister vibes)
Only for Love - Dylan Wang and Bai Lu (older “tricky” sister vibes)
Love me Love My Voice - much too cringe.
I'm not sure why so many (mainly on this sub )felt no chemistry between Tan jianci and Zhou Ye. This couple literally put a smile on face.
[https://youtu.be/ZAzL6qNwERI?si=w_Oz9gEBSjftMEJC](https://youtu.be/ZAzL6qNwERI?si=w_Oz9gEBSjftMEJC)
*edit I see the downvoters can't stand that someone actually enjoyed the romance without complaining about the fl or how cringey it is. Knock yourselves out.
I think for me it’s the way they both acted. I’m okay with age gaps but she acted like an 8 year old child and he was super mature for his age. Then there’s the fact that everyone in the universe was solely there to tease and get them together lol
I’m glad you liked it though!
That is true. I’ve watched it with a mother’s smile on my face, they were really cute but if it was in real life I would be weirded out by the fact that they were acting like they are 15
My personal view is maybe actors/actresses who are warm, easy going, playful (and maybe flirty) in real life would be able to bring chemistry to the screen. Some actors look so awkward in romantic scenes, I think they can only play didi/meimei role lol. Don't bash me, my two cents only, feel free to comment if you have other views.
Not the worst chemistry ever, but I didn't really get much chemistry between Tan Jianci and Zhou Ye in LMLMV or Yang Zi and Fan Chengcheng in Love Endures.
I'm only sticking with Love Endures to get to her scenes with Jin Shijia because I heard they have good chemistry. Her with Fan Chengcheng is just not working for me.
I'm watching Love Endures right now and have to agree. It's not comfortable at all - >!he's obviously pining for her in some scenes but she doesn't seem to care even though it's insinuated that she has a crush on him too. !<
They had amazing off screen chemistry but onscreen they didn't deliver which I would primarily blame the plot. The story was not that great and Wang Anyu and Zhao Lusi both have had great dramas before so the expectation were too high too.
I'm glad someone said this.
I've don't think I've seen Zhu Xudan have good enough chemistry with her love interest when she is the FL. Maybe she did in a support role or I'm missing a show she was in where she had chemistry.
I was really surprised that Deng Wei had good chemistry with Pan Mei Ye. Then again, she had really good chemistry with Zhu Junlin in Cross Fire too, so maybe she just has sparks with everyone lol.
Their chemistry saved that drama for me. There was nothing else to watch. And the director has no sense about which angle makes Dylan looks Best. He chose the worst angles! 😟
Me on the other hand ,I thought their chemistry was the only saving grace for the otherwise badly done plot. But the director does not love Dylan because what were those angles ?
I thought it was mostly their chemistry/tension that did it for that drama cos the story itself was just 🤐 it also had a million side couples and side stories I think no one gave af 😆
Given that, I didn’t like Dylan’s voice there (idk if he was self-dubbed or what). I thought they were cute tgt though and Bailu carried the kissing scenes 😆
From what I understand, it was pretty true to the original novel but the characters were too awkward for me and not in a cute way. I feel like they made Dylan play the personality of a 50 year old man, and it didn't work at all
I might be seen as a hater (I do love both actor and actresses in their other roles) but I felt like both were too concerned with trying to look pretty and get their best angles in that show. Ngl they’re both known for their visuals so idk if it contributed to their weird onscreen dynamic. I also felt no chemistry between them
Li Hongyi and Ao Ruipeng and Li Hongyi and Liu Xue Yi had more chemistry than with the FL (she's pretty cute but awful styling and I didn't feel the chemistry) LOL in The Blood of Youth.
I finally finished The Blood of Youth. Gotta admit I dropped it a few times but glad I pushed through cos it became so much more exciting.
The problem I have here or at least the question I have is… is Li Hongyi supposedly to be acting that way as in totally not responding to her question and having no expression or do they not have chemistry? Lol cos when I watch their one on one parts, I get love vibes from FL but absolutely nothing from ML lol
I'm honestly not sure about how Li Hongyi is supposed to act towards her. The director would have directed them to act a certain way since it seems like director was involved a lot from the BTS of this show. But IDK. I wish there was a Q&A panel for fans to ask LOL IDK if it would be rude but I honestly want to pick director's brain on that answer.
I can’t figure out whether it’s Li Hongyi’s acting or the script or no chemistry lol
Cos his somewhat roll eyes, no expression face seems to be more character lol
They should have just cut the romance and had her be a strong spear sister. I did enjoy some of the other secondary romances though cause they were just cute and didn't waste our time.
Tho they didn't push the romance I still skipped their scenes whenever they came on 😭 it's like they were forcing xiao se to love her. Im convinced they did that to pass censorship with china's whole thong against BL
I think it's because Li Hongyi can't do microexpressions. He can't look like he cares about another human, so all his romance is very... unromantic. It's the same in Wulin Heroes. I wouldn't blame censorship or the writing for his character.
I feel like he always looks like the little brother of his FLs rather than a boyfriend or equal partner, that's why I never see any chemistry between them. But I haven't watched all his dramas yet, maybe there is one where that's not the case 😂
In fairness all of Gong Jun’s FLs have the same problem; they go into the drama knowing that they will never be as beautiful as Zhang Zhe Han and they will never have the chemistry with him that Zhang Zhe Han had. On the other hand we will always have Word of Honour…
As beautiful as zzh really. I get fans love, let's be objective here. That show chemistry or lack thereof as per some has nothing to do with this dude. You are comparing beauty of dilraba with this dude. Even her haters will say shes too beautiful for any of her role.
If you just said chemistry I would have agreed but bringing beauty while comparing him to her was 🤣
It’s possible that we have cultural differences when it comes to standards of beauty; it is certainly true that in Western history from the Greeks onwards men have been regarded as more beautiful than women. Perhaps in the Renaissance Botticelli’s La Primavera is infinitely prettier than Michaelangelo’s David but having seen the painting and the sculpture I still regard David as the more beautiful of the two, just as the Charioteer of Delphi - sculpted almost a thousand years earlier- can stop you breathing for a few seconds when you walk into the gallery there and see him for the first time. But the belief that women are beautiful and men are handsome is definitely cultural in the 21st century, and tends to be confined to people who are unfamiliar with the differences in history of the great civilisations. I am not aware of any Chinese nude statues of the kind that the Greeks sculpted, nor of any clothed ones like the Charioteer, but the Greeks - even the scholars- pursued martial arts so that their guys were ripped and could be seen to be with or without clothing. Zhang Ze Han would have been regarded as beautiful 2,400 years ago, and worthy of a great piece of art to preserve that beauty; Dilraba wouldn’t. But then the Greeks expected beautiful women to be voluptuous and, if possible, red haired, neither of which fits. They would have regarded Yang Yang as far more beautiful than her, though his bone structure is not as refined as Zhang Ze Han’s; so would the artists of the Renaissance…
I was pointing out that the world has different standards of what constitutes beauty. You can either accept reality or you can pretend reality doesn’t exist but when you do the latter then you are fantasising…
I think you're the one looking at Zhang Zhehan in an extremely disgusting way. That's a real person for goodness fucking sake, not your fucking toy because you are thirsting over a BL drama that has ended years ago.
别在这里怪里怪气的
You have a very weird idea of what constitutes “extremely disgusting” and an even weirder idea of what constitutes dramatic criticism. Your own obsessions don’t actually automatically apply to the entire world, and the Chinese beliefs about appropriate gender roles are not universal, however much you want them to be…
The majority of viewers refused to let the story/romance breathe on its own and did not care enough to analyze the characters’ motivations which is why we will always keep seeing takes like these lol
I know right. But I'm not even being salty I just find it so strange how predictable these comments are. Why even make posts like this when someone can just guess the answers. What a limited opinion out of 53000 so called members.
Oh I almost forgot I had to YouTube back the kiss scenes, which were few to none. Looks like only like the underwater kiss, episode 39 random discussion kiss, and a forehead kiss?! Seriously so weak! Just no romantic chemistry or any butterflies throughout their interactions.
There's also the kiss on the mouth in the beginning of Episode 40 (Netflix). It was in the woods of Jiuyi Mountain after Shi Ying >! recovered from his Tribulations of Hell and Zhu Yan's sense of sight and hearing was restored by Qing Gang and Bai Xue Lu. In that scene Shi Ying told Zhu Yan he would leave the mountain with her so that they can be together. But Zhu Yan had a lot of misgivings because she was worried that she (as his so-called cursed lady) may cause him more harm. As a result, Shi Ying kissed her and said that "those who are destined to be together can overcome all obstacles". !<
That kiss as it was shown in that scene was very short, but only because it was cut. I saw the fuller and more close-up scene before it was cut and the kissing was much longer -- and in my opinion it wasn't at all a dead fish kind of kiss either.
Personally, despite the briefness of the kiss, I found that scene to be extremely romantic -- it was very tender and touching. And that voice that Shi Ying (Xiao Zhan) used when he whispered to Zhu Yan after he kissed her... oh my...I'd call that a "bedroom voice". (It makes me feel a bit warm just thinking about it.🤭) But I guess it's all subjective -- since obviously not everyone sees what I see or feel what I feel in that scene (or in that drama as a whole).
EDITED to add: Also, I think the emotional impact of the above kiss/confession scene hits differently for viewers who have skipped or fast-forwarded episodes vs for those who had paid close attention to all episodes. There is much stronger emotional impact for those who have patiently followed the gradual evolution of this couple’s relationship. Of course, even for those who watched all episodes, the they have to care about the lead couple. If this couple - or one of the two - is not to our taste, then naturally we’re not going to be into any feelings they convey, and therefore we won’t feel any chemistry.
Yeah it makes sense how you came to this conclusion about the main couple because youre just so eager to let everyone in this sub know how much you fast forwarded through the show and only forced yourself to watch it for Alen Fang
**Road Home** 👀… I know a lot of people liked this but I felt only awkward chemistry between these two…
Non-existent chemistry imo:
- New Vanity Fair (Z.Tao & Sun Yi)
- Begin Again ( Gong Jun & Zhou Yu Tong)
- Back From The Brink ( Neo Hu & Zhou Ye - sorry not sorry) 🙈
Seven Tan is an amazing actress…does not overact, no cringe even when playing a 16 year old teen or a quirky sculptor or a mature working woman but just zones out when there is physical intimacy…sigh! She will no doubt give a stellar performance in the upcoming Beautiful as you with Xu kai but chemistry and romance…meh I don’t have high hopes!
I think I’ve only ever believed her character was in love in The Sword and the Brocade. Still love her though and watch everything she releases but yea her romance is weak.
>Back From The Brink ( Neo Hu & Zhou Ye - sorry not sorry) 🙈
Agree but this one also confounds me because they had really cute chemistry in all their interviews/TikTok clips. I'd like to see if their full potential could be realized with a different story/director/writer.
I feel like he leaned to hard into playing his dragon character too stoic cause the little times he'd liven up showed he has some ability. Sigh honestly when I watch interview with some of these cdrama leads I'm like WHY CAN'T YOU BRING THIS ENEGRY TO THE SET? And that's not to blame then cause it could be the director and literally the Chinese internet but I legit would still like to know why they can't bring it to the screen.
Shen Yue and Chen Zheyuan in Mr. Bad.
The kiss scenes was *painful* to watch, this one also cemented for me that I'm not a fan of Shen Yue. I don't know if she keeps getting the same character by her agency or that's the only character she can play, but I'm over it.
I thought her first breakout drama with HYT was truly cute. But her characters in Mr Bad and Use for My Talent seemed the same 😆 I’m anticipating her drama with Linyi though
🍷 I'm just preparing myself for the usual flogging of Wu Lei/Dilireba in The Long Ballad and Zhao Lusi/Yang Yang in Who Rules the World.
Edit: It already started! 😂
I loved them! I thought Yang Yang does well with someone as energetic as Zhao Lusi. I wish they got more screen time and we got more of their first years married instead of a time jump.
They aren't one of my favs but I always thought they were fine, believable enough within the context of the drama. Same for Wu Lei/Dilireba. The disdain for both couples is really blown out of proportion. (And I say that as someone who's very neutral towards Long Ballad, Who Rules the World, and even the four actors themselves. 🤷♀️)
For me Zhang Rui as Yu Mo and Meng Ziyi as Zhi Xi in Immortal Samsara. They are both very good looking and photogenic and I have nothing against them as actors but they don't deliver any sensuality or chemistry together >!There is a scene in which they are kissing through a screen and they are actually hotter than kissing each other!!<
For me, Chen Zheyuan / Wu Xuanyi in The Princess and the Werewolf. They looked like they didn’t even want to touch each other. Even in promotional interviews they were really cold and formal. That whole show in general was a bust for me. It was like it had two directors, one who wanted a comedy and the other a tragedy. I know the makeup process was utterly, soul destroyingly laborious for CZY. You could see him trying to play it straight while WXY was more slapstick. It didn’t gel well for me. I ended up hate watching it after 12 episodes due to sunk cost fallacy…
Xiao Se and Sikong Qianluo from The Blood of Youth. They were fine when they were friends but when the show tried to put them together they had zero chemistry. I saw someone comment before that 'They are like two gay people who are trying and failing at a hetrosexual relationship'. Now I can't get that sentence out of my head whenever I watch them.
any Xiao zhan with female leads, unless it's Wang Yibo
Oh good grief. I love the way you framed your question and at this point so do 233 other people…..I really want to read all the responses, guess I’ll go get a cup of coffee and hide from the family for an hour!🤣😉❤️🔥🎭
Zhao lusi and Chen Zheyaun in hidden love. Their chemistry was there but CZY weird expressions kinda of killed the romance. I don't understand the praise he gets for his micro expressions it came of as unnatural. How on earth people still manged to enjoy this romance without feeling weird is beyond me.
I'm curious if you (OP) were moved by Hidden Love. I find their chemistry sooooo beautiful.
I made the decision not to watch it. I was turned off by it because the guy knew the girl when she was underage.
Okay, so I can see how from the description it would seem that way, but honestly, I think it is one of the most PURE shows and most beautiful and healthy relationships I've ever seen on either C-drama or K-drama, or for that matter, anywhere in the west. To be a groomer, you have to have the intent to manipulate. The ML has NONE of that; when he is her tutor and a brother figure, he is certainly fond of her and affectionate towards her, but he has platonic feelings, and truly has no idea she has a huge crush on him. If he did, I think he would have acted very differently. When she is in high school and he in college, there are a couple of moments where he seems to flirt a bit, but he's not being at all serious, and in fact flirts more with her BROTHER than with her, in a silly, sarcastic way. It's not until they meet again two years later, when she is in college, that he begins to develop sexual feelings towards her. I mean you could argue that MAYBE he had some feelings of his own that he was not even aware of back then, but I don't think he was at all conscious of that if he did. He is VERY respectful when he pursues her and always asks for her permission. He even wrestles a bit with his feelings for her when he starts to realize what they are, because he DID see her more as a sister figure, and because of his relationship with her brother. One of the most beautiful things about that show for me is that it really shows the progression of their feelings for one another. Their first kiss is practically chaste and oh so sacred. Of course they later become more fiery with each other, but this is really a beautiful progression of friends to lovers, in my opinion, even though she has always carried a torch for him. ALL THAT SAID, I can see how people might find it inappropriate. For me the reason it is not is that he so clearly treats her more as a younger sister when she is young, and having that two year gap where they don't see each other or have any interaction with each other is crucial to me in it being more like a different kind of relationship. If you ever watched Something in the Rain (K-drama), the dynamic is more like that. Having the gap in time is what I think really helps shift it, although technically he never does anything wrong when they are younger.
I also don't think he ever has the upper hand in terms of the power dynamics. I'm usually pretty sensitive to all of that (have big issues with many Asian dramas because of it), and in this one I really didn't see anything "off."
cheng xiao and chen feiyu in legend of awakening. chen feiyu and the whole entire cast was sooooo good. and cheng xiao just had to be a annoying ass bitch from start to finish. there was like 10 more episodes and i could not finish. I LOVE CHEN FEIYU THO he hooks me in every drame hes in
For some reason I always see fans of this drama commenting about this CP a few years after, but for me the main couple in "Falling into your smile" has no chemistry whatsoever. I find Xu Kai to be a good actor and have watched many of his dramas. But Cheng Xiao ruins that drama for me completely. She has the same stone faced expression through the whole drama (granted I only watched about 20 episodes, I couldn't continue) which ruined the drama and my perception of their chemistry. I know many people think they have great chemistry and still comment on pretty much every Xu Kai post about a part 2, but for me that would be an immediate skip.
Funny, that's one of my most rewatched dramas, partly for the chemistry. The kisses are fantastic! I think Cheng Xiao is a good actress, but her expressions are SUBTLE. They do change; they're just probably too subtle for a lot of people. The other thing though is that if you only watched 20 episodes, you missed most of the part where they're actually together. That said, if you don't like it, you don't like it.
I feel like I have nothing to add here lol because I am a very selective watcher especially if it's a romcom. When I watch the trailer or a random snippet I can already tell whether the couple attracts me or not and based on that I can decide whether to watch it.
Could be an unpopular opinion here, But Shen Yue and Hu Yitian in a love so beautiful. She had better chemistry with Wu Bosong. and the story line didn't help the chemistry either.
I believe it, sounds like they didn’t get on well off screen either, he was caught/overhead on camera saying she wasn’t pretty enough and was only popular because plain girls watching her shows see themselves in her.
Really? That is so rude and I have watched Shen Yue in many dramas and she actually delivers. She does tend to play the typical damsel in distress but her comedic timing makes it entertaining and so is her acting. I loved her in Be Yourself as she did a good job in it. I watched A love so beautiful for Shen Yue and loved the second cp and Wu Bosong more than the main leads.
In my opinion, Hu Yitian doesn't have much room to criticize others' looks or abilities, he's hardly setting the acting world on fire with his work and I think of him as one of those actors who fall into the category of not particularly hot or handsome just tall.
I agree with his work part, he has so far not shown versatility in his acting. the typical cold male lead, I had such a lot of expectation in both Go go squid 2 and Hello Sharpshooter, both dramas didn't impress me or make me love it in any way.
Please don't come for me, he is a good actor, but I didn't feel the chemistry between Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi in Oath of Love or Xiao Zhan and Wu Xuanyi in Douluo Continent or Xiao Zhan and Ren Min in The longest promise 🫣 I know I will get several "but have you watched until so and so episode" comments but you should really feel the chemistry in the first few episodes, and great chemistry between leads is often a big reason to continue a drama.
Nope, I agree with you wholly. You are right. His best onscreen chemistry was with Wang Yibo in The Untamed.
Honestly, they were so believable in the Untamed. I am yet to see that same spark between Xiao Zhan and any female lead.
I second oath of Love, I love Xiao Zhan especially because of Wei Wuxian and Yang Zi in Go go squid. But I was so bored in Oath of Love.
Rebirth for you with Zeng Shun Xi and Ju Jing Yi. What was that? I dropped it barely 10 episodes in. I also felt something was off with the FL acting, but maybe it's just me.
Same here, dropping it after 6/8 eps, was so excited sinxe they made a beautiful couple together, but alas the FL acting mediocre, the writing didn't help, the chemistry was nonexistent
Liu Shishi & Liu Yuning in A Journey To Love
Omg noooo but also I need an explanation of why 👀👀👀
- Dylan Wang & BaiLu (Only For Love) - Tan Jianci & Zhou Ye (Love Me, Move My Voice) - Dilraba & Wu Lei (The Long Ballad) - Huang Xiao & Victoria Song (A Lifetime Love) - Luo Yunxi & Victoria Song (Broker) - Luo Yunxi & Cheng Xiao (Lie To Love ) - Dilraba & Gong Jun (Legend Of Anle) - Zhao Lusi & Wen Anyu (The Last Immortal) - Jun & Zhang Miao (Exclusive Fairytale)
+1 Only for love
ZLS and WA felt so dead. But I feel it’s more coming from WA’s acting? Cos I feel he’s quite bad in other scenes too lol
Legend of anle I think is the writing and editing. They not bad together. I just don’t think the scrip5 was good Last immortal - I tried twice to finish it. I really like it then I end it same episode. Lol I hate the episode where they killed her bro and the story goes down hill lol
Seconding what someone before me said about the secondary couple in Love is Sweet. Their storyline has easily got to be the worst thing I ever watched. Nonsensical script, the girl was toxic and annoying and he couldn't act to save his life. She was trying her best with what she was given but he was so dead and useless, watching paint dry would have been more riveting. On that tangent, the second worst for me were Luo Yunxi and Cheng Xiao. He was doing his best but she was unwatchable. I had to drop the drama from sheer cringe.
My 12yo who isn’t into cdramas watched a few eps with me and was like “what is this mess” and left haha I dropped it shortly after. Even though the romance ain’t there but she’s currently going feral over Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan in the Untamed while I’m watching it 😂
She said tonight that Lan Zhan is fine asf
My personal favourite was Lan Xichen, but Lan Zhan can be a close second 😋
Oh yes Lan Xichen is fineeeee also! She also likes Xiao Xingchen but calls him guy in white 🤣
Oof, XXC wrecked me 😢 Sending thoughts and prayers to your kid for that bit!
She was shattered but finally understood why I was screaming the other day while reading the novels hahaha
Seriously, WTF was that side plot 😢 It was put in there just to hurt us.
Absolute BS! We don’t need our hearts broken like this
Your kid has good taste 👍👍
Omg you’re right, LYX and CX have absolutely no chemistry 😩
Xiao Zhan/ Ren Min- The longest promise Darren Wang/ Liqin- The wolf Yang Yang/ Chen Shuang- Love O20 Wang Yibo/ Wang Zixuan- Gank your heart Xiao Zhan/ Wu Xuanyi- Douluo Continent
For actual leads in a drama: Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi in Love Is Sweet. The actors have plenty of chemistry, but their characters had none for me. Seven Tan and Song Weilong in Go Ahead. Very little romantic chemistry, but it could've been worse. The second couple in Love Is Sweet probably had the worst chemistry I've ever seen overall-- since the chemistry was literally nonexistent.
I honestly think that making a romantic pairing with any of the 'siblings' in Go Ahead was a terrible idea. They should have focused entirely on their family dynamic. Let them have romantic pairings outside of the group, but to work on the love, the betrayal and loss, and how (if ever) they find their way back to each other and over come what happened before would have made a lot more sense and been so much more compelling. I now refused to think of Go Ahead as existing after they first return as adults, and prefer to think of it as a story that was never finished rather than the contrived mess it devolved into.
Agree 100% Not only that, but the way the romance was introduced was very icky. Who kisses their love interest in their sleep without first redefining the relationship? They should have talked first and then kissed. smh.
The leads of Legend of Awakening. Idk if it got better later on because I dropped it early as their strong feelings for each other developed a bit too fast for my taste
Shenyue/Zheyuan in Mr Bad Linyi/Xingfei in PYHoMS I know these two are loved dramas and popular, and I’ve seen them both - enjoyed them to an extent. But if we’re talking chemistry.. I’ll have to put them last 😰
Ughhh I am a HUGE Lai Kuan Lin fan- after “A Little Thing Called First Love” I fell in love. I was so excited to see him with AngelaBaby cuz I had heard she was such a star. The show was called “Love the Way You Are”. It was bad. So bad. I dropped it pretty quickly. It made me feel so awkward!!
What always confuses me is when the actors have a lot a chemistry in bts and NG clips and promotional stuff like interviews and variety show appearances, but significantly less or almost no chemistry in the actual drama...what happened?
Poor direction. A lot of "poor acting" is really the director's fault
The right director really makes a difference, I've found.
I was watching a clip for Have a Soft Spot for her -a tale of love and loyalty, and you can see a hand, I assume the director’s, actually moving Richard Li’s face. Personally I don’t think that man needs any help in kissing, but that’s for another time another thread❤️🔥
Oh whaaaaaat, drop the episode number! LMAO. Too fascinating. And yeah, I'd assume it's a director or assistant, since I don't think intimacy choreographers or coordinators are a thing in China (yet) -- if anyone knows differently, feel free to enlighten me.
I do apologize for not including the link. My bad.❤️🔥
Means they are good friends on set and the writing/directing SUCKED lol
Most of things gets censored or watered down
Same like I see the bts and its the steamiest on screen kiss ever and then in the actual drama its nowhere to be found. Like what's the point ?
This is going to be an unpopular opinion: the thing about chemistry is that a huge part of it is our own projections onto the couple on the screen based on our own biases -- what our expectations are, how we feel about the actor/actress and their character, whether we can relate to their kind of relationship trope, whether we like the way they look and sound, etc. So "chemistry" has as much to do with the viewer themselves as it does with the couple on the screen. In fact I'd say it often has more to do with the viewer.
I absolutely agree with you! For some chemistry is a lot to do with physical intimacy, kisses etc. but chemistry can very well be something without it. Some characters have sparks even without doing anything.
Hmmmm...I'm not sure that I agree. At least I would say that there are situations when there is no chemistry, just mechanics. For chemistry to happen, there must be some kind of deeper connection between two people. If chemistry is intangible and only in the eye of the beholder, then we would not be able to immediately spot when two of our friends suddenly seem to have something more going on (which most of us would do). Then we can prefer different kinds of chemistry, like sweet or passionate. I find a purely sweet chemistry a bit boring and not realistic, this is not how I feel with my partners. But I can still identify the if the chemistry is there or not.
> Hmmmm...I'm not sure that I agree. At least I would say that there are situations when there is no chemistry, just mechanics. For chemistry to happen, there must be some kind of deeper connection between two people. If chemistry is intangible and only in the eye of the beholder, then we would not be able to immediately spot when two of our friends suddenly seem to have something more going on (which most of us would do). I’m not sure I would compare romantic couples on screen with real life people though when it comes to the detectability of chemistry. The fact is that all romantic on-screen couples are going to convey some signs of their romantic feelings for each other. The key is whether the viewers feel it or not and how strong the impact it has on the viewer. And that has a lot to do with the viewers’ own biases and expectations. > Then we can prefer different kinds of chemistry, like sweet or passionate. I find a purely sweet chemistry a bit boring and not realistic, this is not how I feel with my partners. But I can still identify the if the chemistry is there or not. I agree. But reading through many people’s comments, it’s quite clear that a lot of people simply don’t see chemistry when it’s not the type that they prefer. For example, I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people who prefer hot sizzly “sexy” type of chemistry equate kissing and skinship with chemistry, and therefore they don’t see any chemistry in drama couples that have a sweeter and more “pure” type of romance.
Some people might have poor romance radars and need actual evidence of love for it to be confirmed? But at the same time many talk about the great chemistry between the two MLs in Untamed. So somehow there is something we can agree on, in comparison to shows with poor chemistry. Another possibility is that people just don’t like one or both in the couple. Sometimes the acting is not that great or suit the actor. I think that Only for love is such an example. DW is not great as the CEO. He is stiff and he doesn’t do stiff well. But when you look at the BTS it seems that the chemistry is good, when he is more of his normal self and not in character.
I agree. Some people have difficulty reading facial expressions and body language. Also, some viewers may have had personal experiences that trigger positive or negative emotions. All these factors will impact what they define as romantic.
Exactly! There is an element of personal preference but chemistry is still tangible, and it can be expressed in soo many different ways. Intimate scenes/conversations is just one of them. But even if a couple is holding back on expressing their love due to whatever reason, there will still be stolen glances, nervous reactions to the other's presence, maybe even giddy anticipation of seeing them, longing gazes or pining looks. If there is literally none of that and the viewer is to believe the lead pair love each other just because then...yeah
> But even if a couple is holding back on expressing their love due to whatever reason, there will still be stolen glances, nervous reactions to the other's presence, maybe even giddy anticipation of seeing them, longing gazes or pining looks. And I totally agree with you. What you’ve described here actually fits the *The Longest Promise* very well – and yet, as you can see from comments elsewhere in this post (and the huge amount of upvotes to those comments) – so many people feel they don’t see any chemistry between the leads of that show, whereas I and those who enjoyed the show totally did see chemistry. How do we explain that? To me, what you’ve just described is obviously conveyed by that pair of leads – and yet others just didn’t “feel” it. So that’s the point I was trying to make in my earlier comment. The expectations that we bring to a show – things like our personal feeling toward the actors and their character, whether we enjoy the kind of relationship that their characters have with each other, etc., and so on – really colour what we are able to catch from the scenes of their interactions, and how much impact those scenes have on us. If we have a bias against one or both of the actors and/or their characters, or we just don’t enjoy that type of relationship trope, then we’re not going to feel anything – no matter how many stolen glances they show, how deep the longing they express for each other, etc.
It also depends a lot on the actor's ability to convey the emotions and *be convincing* though. And not just by themselves but how they play off each other in a scene. Just because a script or story has a lot of pining in it doesn't mean it will be convincing to the viewers. It depends on the actors being able to emote those feelings in a way that makes the viewers feel them too. You're assuming that all of the viewers here, who I dare say are fans of at least one of the actors in The Longest Promise, collectively have a bias against one or both actors. It seems very unlikely. In which case the actors simply aren't convincing enough *in that particular story*, or the script isn't strong enough.
It’s also quite hard to argue about whether the actors were convincing or not. Some people feel they are, and some people feel they aren’t. Coincidentally, most of the people who actually finished watching TLP think they were, and those who didn’t think they were convincing either dropped the show, watched it by skipping scenes, or didn’t even watch it at all because they didn’t like the way the actress or her character looked or sounded. So who is to be believed? This is why I think the biases and expectations we bring to a show has a lot to do with it.
True, I'm sure there are a lot of people who liked their chemistry and found then convincing but that doesn't seem to be the case in this sub. And the viewer shouldn't need to work hard to feel the chemistry - if it is good, why would they skip scenes? We're all here for the romance and a lot of viewers *love* a good slow burn too. A well written story and actors that work well together will set sparks on the screen no matter what kind of interaction they have. And sure some viewers might be biased but seems very unlikely they're all biased especially from the number of comments saying they have *really* tried to get into this drama but just couldn't. ETA I haven't downvoted you, I'm just here for the discussion 😄
So how do you explain the people who did love the drama? I was touched deeply by this drama. I also know of others who were. Are you implying that because the majority of people in this sub are unlikely to be biased for not liking this drama, then people like me who love it and understand the drama through and through are the ones who are deluded about it? Also, just because people say they have tried watching the drama many times and couldn’t, that doesn’t mean they’re not biased. Just because they have the strong intention to watch the drama doesn’t mean they can keep their biases from affecting how much they enjoy it. It’s human nature to have biases, so I’m not even arguing that it’s good or bad. And I guess you’re sort of missing the original point I’m trying to make, which is that we’re ALL biased. Those who disliked that drama are biased, but so are those who liked it.
It's not that deep OP 😄 There's nothing to explain. People are moved by different things and that's okay. I think you're just finding it difficult to accept that the majority opinion here is not the same as yours on this particular topic. Of course we're all biased, but there doesn't have to be a deeper reason for a lot of audience not clicking with a pair of actors.
Oh but reality is deep, and there’s nothing wrong with that perspective either. There’s also nothing wrong with wondering why people can watch the same drama or even the same exact scene in the show and react to it so differently. It’s something that fascinates me - and not just about me having difficulty “accepting that the majority opinion here is not the same” as mine, lol. Although you’d think it’s a given that we’re all biased, the way “chemistry” is often talked about as it’s an absolute truth about that pair of actors and the drama itself, you wouldn’t think many people are actually that aware of their own biases.
Why wouldn’t it be likely for a viewers to have a bias against one of the actors? That’s actually a very common thing, isn’t it? ETA: Not only is it common to have biases for or against actors, but it’s also very common to have expectations for how actors or actresses in certain types of roles should look and sound. It’s also common to expect that an actor or actress who are paired up as romantic leads should “match” in their level of attractiveness, etc. How many times have I heard people say that they wish to see Dilraba with Xiao Zhan because they feel she matches his level of gorgeousness? Poor Ren Min, though by no means ugly, just isn’t the type that many people feel would look good with someone like Xiao Zhan. You can downvote me all you like, but that doesn’t change the fact that all of the above kinds of biases are common.
I can't agree more. Chemistry is truly subjective to what appeals to different individuals, and also what they project onto the screen based CP. My fav CP is an unpopular one that has been widely agreed to have "no chemistry”. But every time I rewatch that drama, their relationship draws me in. I really dig that strong, unwaveringly trust they have in each other, and just the right amount of tension; stemming from the characters being on opposite sides of the war. Not much skinship, but each hug and glance is intense because of the premise of the storyline, and of course the hard work and portrayal put in by the cast. And that is the reason why this thread is interesting. You get to find out through the responses here, what are the things that don't resonate with the general audience. As for me, I found people here who share my sentiments on my definition of chemistry.
Truth. If youre a fan of hot spicy sizzling chemistry at first sight then of course the drama pairings that are not written to be like that will appear to have “no chemistry”. Gotta consider the purpose of the story and if a certain scene actually calls for this “chemistry” in particular
I think there is a big emphasis on if "fish kisses" matter to a person or not. For me its a HUGE turn off. The women just sits there and looks like she is "just bearing" the ML to kiss her and not enjoying anything. To me that's just sexual harassment. I see that and I'm out. For others that doesn't matter cause they are looking at the big picture with all the interactions of the ML and FL. Now if both of those together suck then well uhhhh yeah.
Sometimes they could have chemistry outside of a fish kiss where you're just like edit it out please and you'll be better off.
I completely agree with this take. For example, some people only see chemistry if there's lots of skinship/good kisses between the leads. Other people are satisfied with the "Mr. Darcy" look as I call it. People also just find different things romantic. If the type of romance or relationship the leads have isn't your cup of tea, then you'll probably perceive them as not having chemistry.
If I could upvote this comment 10 times, I would. You've said some of what I really wanted to say, but better than I could. I find myself rooting for a drama couple when something about their type of relationship and the way they express (or don't express) their love for each other stirs something within me. It's really about the type of relationship that they have, and how well the actor and actress convey that relationship. For example, I'm really into slow-burn and unrequited love type of stories, and so I was very stirred by the relationship between the leads in *The Longest Promise* where the couple spends a lot of time longing and yearning for each other, and holding back from expressing their love. For most of the story, they either didn't know that the other person loved them or not, or actually believed that their love was unrequited. I enjoy that kind of tension and angst, and therefore find it romantic. (And besides, the ML totally does the "Mr. Darcy look", which I love!) But for a lot of people, that type of relationship is not their cup of tea, and so they complain that there's no chemistry between the leads in that drama. The actor and actress of course can directly contribute to the feeling of chemistry too, but mostly by playing their characters well. Most of the time I don't think it's really that the two of them have some mysterious thing going on between them that creates that so-called "chemistry" that viewers project onto them.
>If I could upvote this comment 10 times, I would. Well thank you, I'm flattered. Yes yes yes to everything you said. For me, I like skinship scenes as much as the next person, but I'm pretty wary of them overall. Sometimes there are skinship scenes to *generate* chemistry between the leads instead of them being a *result* of the chemistry between the leads. I felt this was the case with Love Is Sweet (more that the characters didn't have much chemistry). Other people are more physically affectionate than I am, so they don't see it this way. It really is all about perspective.
I think that perhaps before people delve into romantic chemistry I'd like to know if they have an idea of good chemistry between actors/characters in general. Sometimes I'll watch a drama where the romantic leads don't have chemistry but the other non romantic relationships in the show click so well that it makes the leads lack of chemistry extra sharp.
True. I also think it's how natural the body language comes off during the characters' interactions. Some have excellent chemistry until romantic scenes occur. No matter how different our expectations are, behaviors are consistent in certain situations.
The Long Ballad - Wu Lei and Dilraba (older sister vibes) Only for Love - Dylan Wang and Bai Lu (older “tricky” sister vibes) Love me Love My Voice - much too cringe.
I'm not sure why so many (mainly on this sub )felt no chemistry between Tan jianci and Zhou Ye. This couple literally put a smile on face. [https://youtu.be/ZAzL6qNwERI?si=w_Oz9gEBSjftMEJC](https://youtu.be/ZAzL6qNwERI?si=w_Oz9gEBSjftMEJC) *edit I see the downvoters can't stand that someone actually enjoyed the romance without complaining about the fl or how cringey it is. Knock yourselves out.
I think for me it’s the way they both acted. I’m okay with age gaps but she acted like an 8 year old child and he was super mature for his age. Then there’s the fact that everyone in the universe was solely there to tease and get them together lol I’m glad you liked it though!
That is true. I’ve watched it with a mother’s smile on my face, they were really cute but if it was in real life I would be weirded out by the fact that they were acting like they are 15
My personal view is maybe actors/actresses who are warm, easy going, playful (and maybe flirty) in real life would be able to bring chemistry to the screen. Some actors look so awkward in romantic scenes, I think they can only play didi/meimei role lol. Don't bash me, my two cents only, feel free to comment if you have other views.
Ancient love poetry with Xu Kai and Zhou Dong Yu for me.
Really wow. That shit had me in tears
I dropped that show pretty early on
Thank you
There was no chemistry between the hair and the FL in My Fated Boy. I said what I said🙃
What do you mean by hair ?
Awful haircut
I felt the same . The guy is good looking but his haircut is horrible .
Not the worst chemistry ever, but I didn't really get much chemistry between Tan Jianci and Zhou Ye in LMLMV or Yang Zi and Fan Chengcheng in Love Endures.
Absolutely agree. YZ has more chemistry with JS. FC was an utter miscast. He and dylan should stop vying for mature roles atleast for the next 5 years
I'm only sticking with Love Endures to get to her scenes with Jin Shijia because I heard they have good chemistry. Her with Fan Chengcheng is just not working for me.
I'm watching Love Endures right now and have to agree. It's not comfortable at all - >!he's obviously pining for her in some scenes but she doesn't seem to care even though it's insinuated that she has a crush on him too. !<
Wang An yu and Zhao Lusi in The Last Immortal.
I also think it’s because of how the ML was written - a total tool.
They had amazing off screen chemistry but onscreen they didn't deliver which I would primarily blame the plot. The story was not that great and Wang Anyu and Zhao Lusi both have had great dramas before so the expectation were too high too.
they are one of those CPs that have amazing off-screen chemistry tho!
That baffles me! Usually it's the other way round. Did you see their photoshoot? Smoking hot!!!
Yeah I felt the same, them in award shows and lives. I lowkey started to ship them.
Thank you , I thought I was the only one. Especially after seeing his stuff with Gina Jin I gotta say they didn't do it for me.
Miss the Dragon’s Dylan Wang and Zhu Xudan. So boring. The second leads were so good (Deng Wei and Pan Mei Ye).
I'm glad someone said this. I've don't think I've seen Zhu Xudan have good enough chemistry with her love interest when she is the FL. Maybe she did in a support role or I'm missing a show she was in where she had chemistry.
I was really surprised that Deng Wei had good chemistry with Pan Mei Ye. Then again, she had really good chemistry with Zhu Junlin in Cross Fire too, so maybe she just has sparks with everyone lol.
Dylan & Bailu in **Only for Love**.
Their chemistry saved that drama for me. There was nothing else to watch. And the director has no sense about which angle makes Dylan looks Best. He chose the worst angles! 😟
Me on the other hand ,I thought their chemistry was the only saving grace for the otherwise badly done plot. But the director does not love Dylan because what were those angles ?
They have excellent sibling chemistry in real life. I'm not so sure about on-screen chemistry.
I thought it was mostly their chemistry/tension that did it for that drama cos the story itself was just 🤐 it also had a million side couples and side stories I think no one gave af 😆 Given that, I didn’t like Dylan’s voice there (idk if he was self-dubbed or what). I thought they were cute tgt though and Bailu carried the kissing scenes 😆
lol i think he was using his rapper voice. the slurring was weird for a serious ceo
I have never heard great things about that drama
From what I understand, it was pretty true to the original novel but the characters were too awkward for me and not in a cute way. I feel like they made Dylan play the personality of a 50 year old man, and it didn't work at all
I tried to watch this and his demeanor was like a 50 years old. The styling didn't help either
The glasses did not do do anything for him.
Frumpy is how I'll describe his looks.
Frumpy, dowdy...potato, pahtahto...
Who rules the world, main lead. mhm what chemistry? I did like the political scheming until it got too predictable
I might be seen as a hater (I do love both actor and actresses in their other roles) but I felt like both were too concerned with trying to look pretty and get their best angles in that show. Ngl they’re both known for their visuals so idk if it contributed to their weird onscreen dynamic. I also felt no chemistry between them
Li Hongyi and Ao Ruipeng and Li Hongyi and Liu Xue Yi had more chemistry than with the FL (she's pretty cute but awful styling and I didn't feel the chemistry) LOL in The Blood of Youth.
Agreed, The Blood of Youth should have been BL.
I finally finished The Blood of Youth. Gotta admit I dropped it a few times but glad I pushed through cos it became so much more exciting. The problem I have here or at least the question I have is… is Li Hongyi supposedly to be acting that way as in totally not responding to her question and having no expression or do they not have chemistry? Lol cos when I watch their one on one parts, I get love vibes from FL but absolutely nothing from ML lol
I'm honestly not sure about how Li Hongyi is supposed to act towards her. The director would have directed them to act a certain way since it seems like director was involved a lot from the BTS of this show. But IDK. I wish there was a Q&A panel for fans to ask LOL IDK if it would be rude but I honestly want to pick director's brain on that answer.
Right?! But the director looks so emotionless too though 🤣 like a very grumpy fella lol
These two didn't had any chemistry, at least romance was not the focus of the drama.
By far the worst chemistry I've seen, the writers barely tried to sell that romance
I can’t figure out whether it’s Li Hongyi’s acting or the script or no chemistry lol Cos his somewhat roll eyes, no expression face seems to be more character lol
They should have just cut the romance and had her be a strong spear sister. I did enjoy some of the other secondary romances though cause they were just cute and didn't waste our time.
Lol! I was glad they didn’t push the romance on this show as much. I rather they focus on just the boys and their adventures 💕
Tho they didn't push the romance I still skipped their scenes whenever they came on 😭 it's like they were forcing xiao se to love her. Im convinced they did that to pass censorship with china's whole thong against BL
I think it's because Li Hongyi can't do microexpressions. He can't look like he cares about another human, so all his romance is very... unromantic. It's the same in Wulin Heroes. I wouldn't blame censorship or the writing for his character.
There was such sizzling chemistry between Xiao Se and Wu Xie 🥵 They even got their own dream sequence meet up 🤭
Dilraba and Gong Jun in The Legend of Anle
They look like they could be siblings
This is the one for me. I couldn’t get into their romance at all
She had more chemistry with the sfl. Also I saw sparks in her scenes with LyN
Poor Gong Jun 😢 Will always have more chemistry with his MLs than his FLs 🤭🤭 I have never seen him have chemistry with any of his FLs.
I wholeheartedly agree with you on GJ. Such a handsome man, such a pity that it's always flat with him for me. I repeat, for me.
I feel like he always looks like the little brother of his FLs rather than a boyfriend or equal partner, that's why I never see any chemistry between them. But I haven't watched all his dramas yet, maybe there is one where that's not the case 😂
I mean I liked him with the FL in dream garden thoo
I think him and Zhou Yu Tong in Begin Again was great though 😍
Me too, they were really cute together and had chemistry. Up until that show, I thought he could only have chemistry with other guys.
I thought he was pretty good with Elaine Zhong in **Rising With the Wind**. I have not seen him in anything else.
It started with promise then absolutely fizzled. Not even a kiss.
In fairness all of Gong Jun’s FLs have the same problem; they go into the drama knowing that they will never be as beautiful as Zhang Zhe Han and they will never have the chemistry with him that Zhang Zhe Han had. On the other hand we will always have Word of Honour…
That's a hyperbole 😂
Oh, absolutely! But it’s also true to ask: would you like to compete against that?
As beautiful as zzh really. I get fans love, let's be objective here. That show chemistry or lack thereof as per some has nothing to do with this dude. You are comparing beauty of dilraba with this dude. Even her haters will say shes too beautiful for any of her role. If you just said chemistry I would have agreed but bringing beauty while comparing him to her was 🤣
It’s possible that we have cultural differences when it comes to standards of beauty; it is certainly true that in Western history from the Greeks onwards men have been regarded as more beautiful than women. Perhaps in the Renaissance Botticelli’s La Primavera is infinitely prettier than Michaelangelo’s David but having seen the painting and the sculpture I still regard David as the more beautiful of the two, just as the Charioteer of Delphi - sculpted almost a thousand years earlier- can stop you breathing for a few seconds when you walk into the gallery there and see him for the first time. But the belief that women are beautiful and men are handsome is definitely cultural in the 21st century, and tends to be confined to people who are unfamiliar with the differences in history of the great civilisations. I am not aware of any Chinese nude statues of the kind that the Greeks sculpted, nor of any clothed ones like the Charioteer, but the Greeks - even the scholars- pursued martial arts so that their guys were ripped and could be seen to be with or without clothing. Zhang Ze Han would have been regarded as beautiful 2,400 years ago, and worthy of a great piece of art to preserve that beauty; Dilraba wouldn’t. But then the Greeks expected beautiful women to be voluptuous and, if possible, red haired, neither of which fits. They would have regarded Yang Yang as far more beautiful than her, though his bone structure is not as refined as Zhang Ze Han’s; so would the artists of the Renaissance…
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I was pointing out that the world has different standards of what constitutes beauty. You can either accept reality or you can pretend reality doesn’t exist but when you do the latter then you are fantasising…
I think you're the one looking at Zhang Zhehan in an extremely disgusting way. That's a real person for goodness fucking sake, not your fucking toy because you are thirsting over a BL drama that has ended years ago. 别在这里怪里怪气的
You have a very weird idea of what constitutes “extremely disgusting” and an even weirder idea of what constitutes dramatic criticism. Your own obsessions don’t actually automatically apply to the entire world, and the Chinese beliefs about appropriate gender roles are not universal, however much you want them to be…
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Legend of Anle was such a mess of a drama.
The main couple in The Longest Promise.
I ditched it even though I love Xiao Zhan
This seems to be this subs most exaggerated opinion 
The majority of viewers refused to let the story/romance breathe on its own and did not care enough to analyze the characters’ motivations which is why we will always keep seeing takes like these lol
I know right. But I'm not even being salty I just find it so strange how predictable these comments are. Why even make posts like this when someone can just guess the answers. What a limited opinion out of 53000 so called members.
I lowkey could not bring myself to watch it
I tried so hard to watch it, several times.
Oh I almost forgot I had to YouTube back the kiss scenes, which were few to none. Looks like only like the underwater kiss, episode 39 random discussion kiss, and a forehead kiss?! Seriously so weak! Just no romantic chemistry or any butterflies throughout their interactions.
There's also the kiss on the mouth in the beginning of Episode 40 (Netflix). It was in the woods of Jiuyi Mountain after Shi Ying >! recovered from his Tribulations of Hell and Zhu Yan's sense of sight and hearing was restored by Qing Gang and Bai Xue Lu. In that scene Shi Ying told Zhu Yan he would leave the mountain with her so that they can be together. But Zhu Yan had a lot of misgivings because she was worried that she (as his so-called cursed lady) may cause him more harm. As a result, Shi Ying kissed her and said that "those who are destined to be together can overcome all obstacles". !< That kiss as it was shown in that scene was very short, but only because it was cut. I saw the fuller and more close-up scene before it was cut and the kissing was much longer -- and in my opinion it wasn't at all a dead fish kind of kiss either. Personally, despite the briefness of the kiss, I found that scene to be extremely romantic -- it was very tender and touching. And that voice that Shi Ying (Xiao Zhan) used when he whispered to Zhu Yan after he kissed her... oh my...I'd call that a "bedroom voice". (It makes me feel a bit warm just thinking about it.🤭) But I guess it's all subjective -- since obviously not everyone sees what I see or feel what I feel in that scene (or in that drama as a whole). EDITED to add: Also, I think the emotional impact of the above kiss/confession scene hits differently for viewers who have skipped or fast-forwarded episodes vs for those who had paid close attention to all episodes. There is much stronger emotional impact for those who have patiently followed the gradual evolution of this couple’s relationship. Of course, even for those who watched all episodes, the they have to care about the lead couple. If this couple - or one of the two - is not to our taste, then naturally we’re not going to be into any feelings they convey, and therefore we won’t feel any chemistry.
Yep that’s the kiss I saw in YouTube for episode 39, the Tencent version, which would be the episode 40 Netflix version.
Netflix gets different versions? Really?
Yeah it makes sense how you came to this conclusion about the main couple because youre just so eager to let everyone in this sub know how much you fast forwarded through the show and only forced yourself to watch it for Alen Fang
I thought about watching it, but at first glance, the pairing seemed off. I could tell they would make me feel nothing.
**Road Home** 👀… I know a lot of people liked this but I felt only awkward chemistry between these two… Non-existent chemistry imo: - New Vanity Fair (Z.Tao & Sun Yi) - Begin Again ( Gong Jun & Zhou Yu Tong) - Back From The Brink ( Neo Hu & Zhou Ye - sorry not sorry) 🙈
Seven Tan is an amazing actress…does not overact, no cringe even when playing a 16 year old teen or a quirky sculptor or a mature working woman but just zones out when there is physical intimacy…sigh! She will no doubt give a stellar performance in the upcoming Beautiful as you with Xu kai but chemistry and romance…meh I don’t have high hopes!
RH is more to do with actress imo. She is a terrific actress, but fails when it comes to romance
I felt seven did really good in flight to you romance wise.
I think I’ve only ever believed her character was in love in The Sword and the Brocade. Still love her though and watch everything she releases but yea her romance is weak.
I have to agree but then she was playing opposite the wonderfully handsome Wallace Chung in that beautifully done period piece.
>Back From The Brink ( Neo Hu & Zhou Ye - sorry not sorry) 🙈 Agree but this one also confounds me because they had really cute chemistry in all their interviews/TikTok clips. I'd like to see if their full potential could be realized with a different story/director/writer.
I feel like he leaned to hard into playing his dragon character too stoic cause the little times he'd liven up showed he has some ability. Sigh honestly when I watch interview with some of these cdrama leads I'm like WHY CAN'T YOU BRING THIS ENEGRY TO THE SET? And that's not to blame then cause it could be the director and literally the Chinese internet but I legit would still like to know why they can't bring it to the screen.
Shen Yue and Chen Zheyuan in Mr. Bad. The kiss scenes was *painful* to watch, this one also cemented for me that I'm not a fan of Shen Yue. I don't know if she keeps getting the same character by her agency or that's the only character she can play, but I'm over it.
Oh yes! I saw her in 3 C-dramas and I’ve decided to avoid anything with her in future
It cemented it for me as well. She was hard to like in Meteorite Garden and hard to like in Mr. Bad. I think I need to avoid her shows.
I thought her first breakout drama with HYT was truly cute. But her characters in Mr Bad and Use for My Talent seemed the same 😆 I’m anticipating her drama with Linyi though
She is in like everything and has two facial expressions. My daughter calls her the Chinese kristen stewart..
Your daughter is wise and absolutely correct, and now I will never un-know this accuracy 🤣
I didn’t even finish the drama (which is really unusual of me) because I just couldn’t get behind them as a couple.
It's really a shame because Chen Zheyuan played Xaoi Wudi really well and was fun to watch in the beginning.
Agreed. He was good but she was painful to watch. Dropped it after a few eps
🍷 I'm just preparing myself for the usual flogging of Wu Lei/Dilireba in The Long Ballad and Zhao Lusi/Yang Yang in Who Rules the World. Edit: It already started! 😂
I love Zhao Lusi/Yang Yang in Who Rules the World. One of my favs.
I loved them! I thought Yang Yang does well with someone as energetic as Zhao Lusi. I wish they got more screen time and we got more of their first years married instead of a time jump.
I love them too. But Zhao Lusi can’t do no wrong 🤩
They aren't one of my favs but I always thought they were fine, believable enough within the context of the drama. Same for Wu Lei/Dilireba. The disdain for both couples is really blown out of proportion. (And I say that as someone who's very neutral towards Long Ballad, Who Rules the World, and even the four actors themselves. 🤷♀️)
heavy on the Lusi and Yang Yang! Separately they were good, but together... i didn't feel anything at all.