Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Seeing that it’s almost the end of the year, a fun little round-up of the year’s most gut-wrenching, hard-to-watch scenes in costumed dramas has been merrily making its way around the internet. Sometimes, viewers don’t always get what they want especially from screenwriters and directors who are looking to push the envelope just a little bit. Whether it’s unrequited love or an unsatisfactory plot development, here are some of the dramas that have audiences talking about “how difficult it was to watch”.
One and Only
Amongst the plethora of costumed dramas out this year, Ren Jialun and Bai Lu’s tragic One and Only 周生如故 sure made quite an impression amongst viewers judging from the number of mentions it’s gotten for the hashtag alone. And as far as heart-rending scenes go, the Romeo and Juliet-esque choice Shi Yi makes to be with her beloved has her stepping off of the palace gates to be with him appears to be hands down the most unforgettable for many. It’s a good thing that the sequel Forever and Ever exists!
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse
Yang Mi, William Chan, Xu Kaicheng and Chen Xiaoyun’s Novoland: Pearl Eclipse also made it to the list despite the “happier” ending at least for Hai Shi and Fang Jian Ming. Granted, there’s something tragic and heartbreaking about the entire series altogether with the talk of baixi and the amount of self-sacrifice the protagonists are forced to make that it’s hard to make a choice. In the end though, it’s a toss-up between the scene where Ti Lan throws herself against a sword meant for the already dying Dixu and the scene where Jian Ming rests his head on Hai Shi’s lap and asks her to wake him up later. When the camera zoomed in on his limp hand after he says he’s tired and needs to sleep… many thought he was a gonner for sure.
The drama’s ending which sees Fang Jian Ming alive after all but still continuing to be the “baixi” for Di Xu’s son and our heroine who becomes the Empress Dowager can either be happy or bittersweet depending on your own interpretation.
Word of Honor
It’s only right that the tragic demise of Word of Honor’s second leads portrayed by Ma Wenyuan and Zhou Ye is also on the list as well. As soon-to-be wed couple Cao Weining and Gu Xiang, the two lovers were both killed off by the villain on their wedding day of all days! What’s even worst is how A Xiang watched her betrothed die before dying from the sword of the very same man after she tries to avenge his death.
Source: 1
QAQ
I am still fuming at what Cao Weining’s shifu did.
Lala
I’d still like to see the drama recommendation rates to come back again on this site. I missed those stars. I used them as reference on what to watch next. sigh
Lala
in order to stay related to the article I’d add that among three dramas mentioned above I only have watched 2 of them and I agree that the one and only is heartbreaking I almost choked from tears.. lucky the forever and ever came right after.
Dee
For so many Chinese dramas it makes sense to watch only after it ends .. so many tragic drama
fath
only one and only that can make me immersed in the story….and until now I still can’t watch other dramas
J2J
One and Only is a bittersweet drama. I cried for majority of the serious. Usually I hate watching sad drama, but this one is an exception.
Anon
Pearl Eclipse gave me the feels. I don’t know how people see Jian Ming and Hai Shi’s ending as happy, all their dreams were crushed in one night and as always they were left with other people’s responsibilities in the end. To top it off Jian Ming has to live the rest of his life with the breathing organs of a deformed baby and Hai Shi has to worry about his health even though they can never be together. It’s the characters that gave the drama life, other than that the plot was fairly weak. As for Ti Lan and Di Xu, I couldn’t buy into their relationship, it was written poorly but their ending was truly heartbreaking.
Anonymous
Of all the dramas mentioned, I only watched Pearl Eclipse, and that ending left me depressed for weeks! I couldn’t get over it! Jianming must have owed the emperor in his past life, because no sooner was he freed from being the emperor’s baixi, he had to do it for the son. A fate worse than death imho. And poor Haishi has to live in close proximity to the love of her life, never really having a relationship with him since his health is so poor and as an Empress, she must be forbidden from having a relationship with another man. Really too tragic. Usually, I never expect a happy ending from Chinese dramas. With the number of C-dramas I’ve watched over the years, I’ve learned not to. But this ending sneaked up on me and wrenched my heart open. Smh.
fath
only one and only that can make me immersed in the story….and until now I still can’t watch other dramas