My friends!
It’s that time of year again — when we take a deep breath, look back on our 2025 drama adventures, and realize… wow, we really did have a lot of feelings™. 😂
Welcome to this year’s End-of-Year Patreon Awards! This tradition began years ago with a casual suggestion in our chat corner, and it’s since grown into one of the warmest, most spirited things we do together. 🥲
Each entry is written by a member of our lovely Patreon community, sharing their drama year in their own voice — with heart, humor, honesty, and plenty of feels.
If you missed our earlier posts, you can check them out as follows: Natalia, Kumari.
Today, Ele is sharing her drama year – and if you know Ele at all, you probably wouldn’t be surprised in the least, that her drama year was largely centered around her one and only Liu Yu Ning! 🤭
I giggled a lot, reading this piece about her year in Liu Yu Ning, and I’m pretty sure you all would have fun with it too! 😁
If you like Ele’s style and want to know what she thought about dramas last year, you can check out her post here!
You might also like to visit Ele’s website, where she talks about art and writing.
I hope you guys enjoy!
~ KFG ❤️
A Dream Within a Dream-y Liu Yuning
First published 20.12.2025
Hello!
I’m Ele, an artist and sometimes-writer from England, partial to romantic dramas and cats.
My viewing credentials pale in comparison to a lot of you; I have “only” watched nine and 1/8th Chinese dramas, and five and a half Korean dramas this year, so I didn’t expect I’d write an end of year post. Not because I didn’t love (most) of the ones I watched – hello Love in the Clouds (2025) Blossom (2024), The Glory (2025), Fall in Love (2021), When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025), Lovely Runner (2023).
We won’t talk about First Night with the Duke (2025) or Perfect Match (2025). Life’s too short.
Anyway, I thought I couldn’t possibly have anything very new to say after harking on about romance ad infinitum in my previous three end of year posts (Pride-and-Prejudice-kdrama here, Pride-and-Prejudice-cdrama here, and Buffy-cdrama here!)
Then something hooked me: a figure in a wide-brimmed hat with dangle curtain tassels swinging from it, an unusual doodle under the left eye, and a facemask that makes breathing impossible (for anyone looking), and to top it all, a glove. Not two gloves. Just one.
Who could fail to swoon a thousand swoons and not write about it?!
So, without further ado, I present to you a highly focussed end of year review: A Dream Within a Dream-y Liu Yuning!
If you haven’t the foggiest who Liu Yuning is, let me enlighten you! You will almost certainly recognise his voice because he sings on only about 160 OSTs – and dreamily!
For example: Paper Person from the drama A Dream Within a Dream (2025)
He has a gorgeous voice, right? And his speaking voice is equally appealing so if you are yet to watch him act, you are in for a treat. And if you have already watched a Liu Yuning drama or two, and have heard me mention him once or three hundred times on here or Patreon, hey, once more can’t hurt, can it?
I promise I will squeeeee quietly… unless, of course, I get swept off my feet in a princess carry in the pouring rain and all I can see is Liu Yuning’s neck…
A (RESEARCHING) DREAM WITHIN A DREAM
Listen, I take my Liu Yuning devotion very seriously and spent literal days rewatching shows, taking crucial screenshots, scouring the internet for every little titbit of gorgeous information, interviews, behind-the-scenes peeks I could! Here are some fun facts to whet your appetite…
Liu Yuning has worked as a chef, waiter, clothes retailer, and bar singer.
When broke working as a chef, his boss paid for him to have emergency surgery for a collapsed lung!
In 2010 and 2013 he went on Super Boy, a music reality show, but was inexplicably eliminated in the audition stages both times!
Aren’t I devoted to the cause?! However, this has meant my post could have become an epic event not even the most tolerant of you could stand, so I will organise my Liu Yuning year (a little) more concisely with the help of an Edgar Allan Poe poem.
It may not be as random as it sounds! The poem has the same title as the aforementioned tassel-hatted cdrama, A Dream Within a Dream.
Please note: I am not an expert on either Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry, or Liu Yuning (I like to keep a respectful distance to my fangirling!). I am however fiercely loyal and excitable, and Liu Yuning has had just about the most publicly busy year of anyone on the planet, so buckle up…
“Take this (swoony) kiss upon the brow!”
Ah, well there’s a stroke of luck, the first line of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem talks about kissing! Yippee!! Because to my mind, all brilliant actors must convince me they mean the kiss. No wide-eyed fish mouths, please – yuck! I need to half hide behind my hands in a fit of squealing giggles to really believe in the romance.
In short, it must be swoony.
Now, not counting brief guest appearances, Liu Yuning has starred in fourteen dramas and only actually got to kiss (correct me if I am wrong) in six of them. Six – and half of those were mere pecks!
I might argue this is a crime against humanity that requires further investigation but given kissing in China is way more of a big deal than it is where I am in Blighty, I will rejoice in the fact that there’s more focus on the build-up of chemistry between characters. And, ooh, the temperature can get very, very high, kiss or not!
But ahhhh, the very best chemistry goes to Liu Yuning and Song Zuer in this year’s Prisoner of Beauty. You know, they were voted as the Most Popular Couple 2025 by millions of drama fans? Honestly, I am not surprised.
Even if they’re not actually an item in real life, they are really entertaining together. Fingers crossed they do another drama or reality show together or duet, or, you know, announce their engagement…
“And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow (to stop dying before the end credits)”
It’s hasty to talk about partings, but as we’re here already in the poem, I must tell you, dear reader, that Liu Yuning has a horrible tendency to play characters who cark it before the final credits roll.
Liu Yuning said himself: “In my previous dramas, I basically didn’t survive until the end. I am very good at playing dead. I am not used to a happy ending.”
But, lo, I am delighted to report that of his dramas I watched this year (The Legend of Anle (2023), Be Your Own Light (2023), Prisoner of Beauty (2025), A Dream Within a Dream (2025)), while he did die multiple times, he also survived quite a bit too! And happily!!
“You are not wrong, who deem
That my days (seeing what Liu Yuning is wearing) have been a dream”
So let’s get entirely superficial and discuss Liu Yuning’s super-dooper dreamy handsomeness!
Huh, there was a time (there probably still is but I avoid reading it in the same way I avoid saturated fats) where some dark corners of social media completely dissed Liu Yuning, claiming he does not have “the looks” to be a male lead.
I mean, really??!!!!
Despite his obvious good looks, I must confess his fashion choices are sometimes a little on the eccentric side. Lovely @phl1xrd and I often joke how we’d like to become his personal stylist. Imagine being Liu Yuning’s personal stylist…
…
…Where was I? Ah yes, clothes. I love the apparent confidence he has when wearing all manner of eclectic outfits.
My personal favourites this year are the costumes for reality show The Truth 3. The detective Cluedo-style show gets a bit too scary for me (I am easily spooked!) but it’s worth watching for the costumes. Check these out:
Perhaps fellow The Truth 3 and Wow the World participant and actress, Jin Jing, summed it up best when she told him: “Liu Yuning, how do you sometimes look like a god, and sometimes so down to earth?”
Here’s some pictures of the god-like Liu Yuning from this year’s drama releases: Prisoner of Beauty and A Dream Within a Dream, and his more down-to-earth self in this year’s reality shows: The Truth 3, Wow the World, and Crush of Music. Please enjoy…
However, dear reader, a god or a mere mortal, I must tell you that efforts on Wow the World and The Truth 3 confirms Liu Yuning cannot dance (and neither can Zhang Linghe) – though I did hugely appreciate Liu Yuning’s efforts with oft singing partner, Jane Zhang, on episode 4 of The Treasured Voice S6.
You can watch the segment here if you like:
Jane Zhang & Liu Yuning break the mold with dance duet! / The Treasured Voice S6 Special
Or please enjoy this screenshot!
“Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day (or in several emotionally fraught episodes)”
All decent dramas must put their characters through the wringer. It may be a problem I need to see someone about, but the more the lead characters are tested, and the darker the antagonistic forces are against them, the more I enjoy it!
I find Liu Yuning’s acting to be some of the best around most especially when he’s been thoroughly wronged; his grievance is subtle, rounded, natural, like he isn’t acting at all.
He said in an interview: “Actually, you don’t need to act because you really don’t make any predictions… it just comes naturally to you. Everyone says that acting is about truly hearing, seeing, feeling, right? You really feel it.”
I certainly feel it. And I’m not the only one. This year he has won three big awards for his acting: Television Series of China Quality Ceremony for the Breakthrough Performance Actor of the Year (Story of Pearl Girl); Weibo TV & Internet Video Summit for Role Model Actor of the Year (Prisoner of Beauty); IQIYI Scream Night 2025 for Scream Actor (A Dream Within a Dream).
If you’d like to see him performing at the IQIYI Scream Night 2025, you’re in luck!
Stage: Liu Yuning’s “Ballad of the Long Wind” | iQIYI Scream Night 2025 | iQIYI LifeShow
“In a vision (wearing glasses), or in none,
Is it therefore the (handsomeness) less gone?”
When Liu Yuning is just being Liu Yuning, he’s usually wearing glasses. He’s short-sighted, in case you’re wondering. Here he is on reality series, Wow the World (2025) looking very dashing in his specs…
Liu Yuning is excellent on reality shows – this year he won the Tencent All Stars Night award Star of the Year Variety Show for last year’s The Truth 2.
As always seems to be the case on any Behind the Scenes footage or reality shows, he is smart, generous, humble, and develops wonderful, heartfelt friendships with fellow participants.
In Wow the World, he got to travel to Italy and Spain with several other stars (including Gong Jun, Li Naiwen, Chen Xingxu – who is adorkable, by the way). They spent most of it laughing. All the cast were funny, kind, and sincere.
As a European, I got a kick out of seeing them react to the scenery, architecture, and people. It is happy-making TV, I promise.
“All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a (livestreamed) dream”
Liu Yuning livestreams a lot. He can spend anything from two to five hours (five!) talking and interacting with fans. Whether this has become entirely healthy, I’m not sure.
He often drops the toughest anecdotes while playing a laughter soundtrack. Maybe he’s trying to make it easier for his audience, but I find it sadder, like he’s there on his own, and quite lonely.
For example, he recently shared that he hardly eats when filming dramas – I know this is very common, but it’s still awful. He goes on to say that he can’t not eat when singing because of the physicality of singing, but then that makes him ashamed he’s “fat”.
I mean, I think we can all agree Liu Yuning is about as fat as a pencil.
He also talked recently about focussing on singing and not reading any scripts currently; he only wants to take on projects he feels connected to. I applaud that sensibility.
Where his canned laughter is amusing is when he relates a humorous confession – such as cheating on a reality show…
From the little bits of livestreams I’ve seen, he comes across as a genuine kind, intelligent, funny guy – if a bit worn out.
“I stand amid the roar (of the audience)
Of a surf-tormented shore”
Singing-wise, Liu Yuning has had quite the busy career since it took off seven years ago. In 2025 alone, he won Tencent Music Model Annual Honor Night for Top OST Singer of the Year.
Also this year he released a new album; the best song on it being the stunning Missing You. Trust me, it’s BRILLIANT!
He revealed in a recent concert it’s about an unrequited love he never had the courage to confess – cue speculation about who. Honestly, it’s so romantic, sincere, and he sounds lovely. You are, oh you are…
想你了 (Missing You) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)【单曲 Single】Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics – YouTube
He is also currently touring China. If you want to check him out in all his glory, KFG kindly shared this link on her Patreon drop – it’s very cool around the 37-minute mark if you want to jump in for a taster:
刘宇宁 2025.11.15～16 北京 북경 콘서트 / 류우녕 류위닝 liuyuning 베이징 Beijing
As with acting, Liu Yuning doesn’t “just sing”. He really feels it.
Liu Yuning is no stranger to music reality TV shows – no failing at the audition stage now! This year, he has taken part in The Treasured Voice S6 and Crush of Music.
Here’s my favourite vocal performance so far:
Stage: Liu Yuning “Farewell Trip” | Crush of Music | iQIYI LifeShow
And, of course, he is in high demand to sing on OSTs. I make it 23 in 2025!
Here’s a link to YouTube channel, Peachey Blossom, which has a very comprehensive playlist as well as the lyrics in pinyin (very useful for anyone wanting to sing along like me!)
These are my personal favourite OSTs (and, yes, I really did try to keep the number down):
Don’t Ask About the Future (White Cat Legend)
莫问前程 (Don’t Ask About The Future) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《大理寺少卿游 White Cat Legend》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Poisoned Wine (Love in the Clouds)
毒酒 (Poisoned Wine) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《入青云 Love in the Clouds》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Tears Grow Long (The Brocade and the Sword)
年长 (Years Grow Long) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《蜀锦人家 Brocade Odyssey》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Blazing Moon (Prisoner of Beauty)
烽月 (Blazing Moon) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《折腰 The Prisoner of Beauty》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Destined (Bright Eyes in the Dark)
命中注定 (Destined) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《他从火光中走来 Bright Eyes In The Dark》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Wish for Light (The Legend of Anle)
愿光 (Wish For Light) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《安乐传 The Legend of Anle》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Speak with You (The Starry Love)
与子成说 (Speak With You) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《星落凝成糖 The Starry Love》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics – YouTube
Unintentional Big Dream (Fangs of Fortune)
无心生大梦 (Unintentional Big Dream) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《大梦归离 Fangs of Fortune》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Heroes (Heroes 2024) with Fu Jing
天行健 (Heroes) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning), 傅菁 (Fu Jing)《天行健 Heroes》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Offer (A Journey to Love)
奉上 (Offer) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《一念关山 A Journey To Love》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics
Find You (Love Between Fairy and Devil)
寻一个你 (Find You) – 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)《苍兰诀 Love Between Fairy And Devil》Chi/Eng/Pinyin lyrics – YouTube
“And I hold within my (gorgeous) hand
Grains of the golden sand—
How few! yet how they creep
Through my (gorgeous) fingers to the deep”
Finally, I have an excuse to talk about Liu Yuning’s hands!
They are beautiful. They are truly my favourite thing about him – yes, I know he has a spectacular speaking and singing voice, lovely expressive eyes, and a head of hair many would kill for, but oh it’s his hands that I melt over.
Annnnd, wait for it, when asked which body part of his he likes best he said… “my hands”! It’s good he appreciates he’s very best feature too. I mean, just look…
Liu Yuning puts those dextrous fingers to work by threading his own wooden beads and then holds them as a stress-reliever.
“While I weep (real tears) – while I weep!”
Crying. Liu Yuning is a man completely unafraid to cry. He cries on reality shows, he cries to his fans, he cries when performing. So it’s no wonder that a man fearlessly in tune with his emotions can make such an authentic act of crying.
And he alleges he never uses eye-drops!
“O God! (The swords, the fan, the microphone) can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?”
Am I back on the hands?! Oh, I will instead wrench my eager gaze from the rings on his fingers, to the blade in his hand. Liu Yuning sure knows how to wield a sword, a fan, or a microphone. Just look!
“O God! can I not save
One (character) from the pitiless wave?”
Edgar Allan Poe is probably lamenting the passing of time. Possibly you’re lamenting the length of this post. I can only apologise, but I do just have to highlight my favourite Liu Yuning characters to date.
As The Long Ballad (2021) was my gateway drama to Liu Yuning, I will always have an extremely soft spot for Haodu. His character growth is one of the best I’ve seen and Liu Yuning, while very green then to acting, performs him with a sincerity and reserve I adore.
I also fully embraced his performance as Ning Yuanzhou in A Journey to Love (2023). He gives his heart and soul to the role, and the OTP has everything it should have: respect, kindness, friendship, and chemistry.
But this year, Liu Yuning’s turn as Nan Heng / Li Shiliu in A Dream Within a Dream stands out as his best performance to date. Perfect body language, subtle expressions, impactful silences. He has truly mastered his craft.
I will never tire of Liu Yuning’s helpless gaze when faced with something he doesn’t know how to handle. Added to that, his stoic face full of underlying emotion and torment, fear and confusion.
He is unquestionably gifted at shifting from darker melodrama to the absurd to the romantic in the blink of an eye, the twitch of an eyebrow, the tilt of his head. His eyes can convey something different to his words, to his posture even, and it’s like a piece of magic.
“Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream (-y Liu Yuning)?”
The dream is never over! Yes, it’s true that Liu Yuning has been ridiculously busy this year – he didn’t win Tencent All Stars Night Most Prominent Artist of the Year for nothing, and I can imagine he’ll win bucketloads again for his achievements this year. As the Tencent All Stars said:
“He is a talented singer, an OST powerhouse, and not only works hard but has also become a standout in acting… embodying the saying, ‘Heaven rewards diligence’.”
He is a complete workaholic. I mean, who continues to walk and even run on a broken foot, as he did on Prisoner of Beauty?! He admits he worries people will forget him if he’s not on their screen. But I think he should quieten down and rest up more to keep in good health. He’s earned it!
Thinking about it, this post actually began with @Gloria because she asked me which Liu Yuning drama I’d recommend, which got me writing about the ones I’ve seen.
So to complete the dream for now, I will use the reply to @Gloria (always happy to oblige with Liu Yuning recommendations!) and list my top drama shows.
Please note, I haven’t fully watched: Eternal Brotherhood 1 and 2, Ultimate Note, Love Yourself, Hot Blooded Youth. Mostly because even a fangirl like me struggles to keep up with Liu Yuning’s work schedule!
TOP DRAMA WATCHES (in release date order)
The Long Ballad (2021) Haodu
The focus of this drama is on Wu Lei and Dilraba Dilmurat’s characters but it’s very slow and not very interesting (sorry, because I love them both). It’s the second pairing of Liu Yuning’s rigid Haodu and Zhao Lusi’s naïve princess who steal this show.
Their individual character arcs are excellent and their journey towards each other is worthy of its own drama series. I wonder if the director realised this halfway through too. Put up with rest of the drama (or fast forward) and rejoice in the second pairing. It’s a treat!
Grade B (But for Liu Yuning and Zhao Lusi storyline alone full grade A+)
Heroes (2022) Bai Choufei
Unfortunately for Heroes (2022), the female lead gets in the way of what might otherwise be an enjoyable bro-fest. It’s a solid wuxia drama full of betrayal and melodrama and skilled fighters. Liu Yuning’s character arc is nice in that it’s dark. It has shades of brilliance.
Grade C
Legend of Anle (2023) Luo Mingxi
There is a lot to love in Liu Yuning’s very clever but somewhat love forlorn Luo Mingxi and I especially liked his relationship with Dilraba Dilmurat. But (while I think Gong Jun is an excellent person) the storyline falters for me with him, making the leads’ story unconvincing.
Grade C
A Journey to Love (2023) Ning Yuanzhou
If you haven’t watched a Liu Yuning drama before – or even a Chinese drama – you couldn’t go very wrong with starting here. The weak antagonistic forces are its only downfall otherwise it is brilliant.
Liu Yuning excels as battle-weary Ning Yuanzhou. The OTP is emotionally pitch-perfect and the camaraderie between the league of fighters is touching.
Grade A
The Story of Pearl Girl (2024) Yan Zijing
Liu Yuning gives a solid performance and there are many fine moments in this drama. There are also a few misses for me, one of which (sadly) is that this is essentially a romance drama but the OTP with Zhao Lusi doesn’t ever quite hit the mark.
Grade B
Be Your Own Light (2023) Jiang Junhao
I appreciated how Liu Yuning’s character is very similar to the man himself – lo, he’s a chef, live-streamer, and a singer! Though a total standout in this, there just wasn’t enough of him on screen for my liking. Mind you, that could just be me…
Grade C
Heroes (2024) Zhuo Bufan
Honestly, this is one of the most underrated shows I’ve seen. I LOVED it! Not actually for Liu Yuning – though his character is likeable and one to watch. But for the extremely brilliant Qin Junjie. Set in the Qing Dynasty, it is beautiful to watch, the plot is clever without being totally serious, the (Liu Yuning!) music is great, and the humour very funny.
Grade A
Prisoner of Beauty (2025) Wei Shao
If all you care about is an OTP, you MUST watch this! The premise (and the resolve of that premise) is a goodie, full of the promise of conflict. I’ve never watched something so intensely about the main leads so it’s just as well those leads, Liu Yuning and Song Zuer, are so electric together.
Yes, there are sections where nothing much happens, or motives run awry, but just roll with the imperfections. It’s worth it for the squeee value!
Grade A
A Dream Within a Dream (2025) Nan Heng / Li Shiliu
This is a pure joy to watch, with so many hilarious references to other cdramas, tropes, and even to other Liu Yuning dramas. I was positively gleeful with the reenactment of his “death fall” from A Journey to Love reimagined for Nan Heng’s demise. Even “Offer”, the A Journey to Love OST sung by Liu Yuning himself, played in the background! These are the kinds of meta in-jokes I can appreciate.
The show may not have quite enough OTP sizzle, but that doesn’t diminish what is overall an original, well-conceived, excellent drama.
Full grade A+
Have I tempted you to give Liu Yuning a try?
Or was this less of a dream and more of a nightmare to read?! Can we all agree that Liu Yuning has been far, far too busy?!
Anyway, here’s my final dreamy Liu Yuning screenshot. So pretty! And, hey, I didn’t squeee out loud once!
~Ele
✨ About the End-Of-Year Patreon Awards
This post is part of our annual community tradition, where Patreon members share their drama year — favorites, surprises, disappointments, discoveries, and everything in between. 💛
These EOY reflections are one of my favorite parts of the year, because they show just how thoughtful, funny, and passionate our little community is.
If you’d like to join us for watch discussions, episode notes, voice notes, and next year’s EOY Awards, you’re very welcome to check out Patreon! 🥰
KFG ❤️
Hi Ele, wow! Incredible depth, and I really enjoyed reading your post – very original and fun. In fact, I feel Edgar Allen Poe kind of lost to a certain Liu Yuning (you might have heard of him). Ze Chinese, they can really do a number on their male stars by messing with their hair …
Mwhaha – Liu Yuning definitely wins hands down, even if he had a bad hair day. Which is never. His hair is always splendid!! Thank you for reading and commenting. xx
Ele, I thought you were joking when you said you were doing an EOY post about Liu Yuning 🤣.
I guess you never joke when it comes to him!
That was so fun to read. OK, my thoughts on Liu Yuning:
– I first saw him in The Long Ballad. His acting is a bit green, but suits well the somehow dorky character. My grade would be a C, but only because how boring the leading couple was.
– He was great in A Journey to love. It was also the first time I realized how he’s being attacked by a chunk of Cdrama for being “ugly”. Unbelievable, right? A Journey to love is a B, though, due to the ending.
-I didn’t watch Pearl Girl. He looks gorgeous in it though.
-Heroes is a hidden gem.Qin Junjie did steal the show, however. Let’s be fair! A from me too.
-Prisoner of beauty: a B from me for all the filler and the criminal neglect of the 2nd male lead. Still, Liu Yuning’s entrance in that show was 🔥.
– A dream within a dream: his best drama to date, A. That was so much fun to watch, and if a guy looks good in tassels… Li Shiliu had some tassel-less hats too, and whenever he wore those I was like “hey, bring the tassels back!”🤣
I also watch clips of his livestreams now and then and he does seem like a really nice guy, like in the variety shows he’s in. I particularly appreciated when he went live to protect his ex wife and her child. Very decent, overall.
I am not sure what his next drama will be, but I will be there to watch it!
Ele, I wish you all the best for the new year and, most importantly, to be able to attend one of Liu Yuning’s live shows!
Ahaha! I never joke full-stop, @Natalia 🙂
I agree the ending on a Journey to Love is less than ideal but I still didn’t mind it enough. I minded much more that the baddies weren’t consistent.
Qin Junjie is EVERYTHING in Heroes – no argument from me!
I agree with you that Prisoner of Beauty needed a bit more rounding of other characters – I thought the coupling of the bad man and the bad mask woman had huge potential but all happened too late.
Yes, the hat needed those tassels! Who knew?!
I can’t imagine I’ll ever go to a Liu Yuning show – mostly because I think the whole going thing would give me a nervous breakdown (the crowds! the noise! the travel to get there! the bright lights!) Even just writing that has made me feel dizzy with stress!! Not even Liu Yuning’s voice would make up for it – oh, well, maybe it would if he was also wearing the tassel hat…
Happy Christmas, lovely! xx
Sooo, I became a fan of pirate-ish Liu Yuning in Pearl Girl with the braids and jewelry, and now seeing these stills of him dressed as a pirate from that reality show… this is a very unexpected new addition to what I consider “my type”. No one glows up like him. He’s like a hologram card. That’s not a very poetic simile, but hey, I’m no Poe. I guess that could sound like a backhanded compliment, but it’s really not meant like that. It’s like he’s normally very handsome, but when he’s in certain costumes, he is absolutely stunning.
Oh, I forgot to say….I so hope this makes its way to him. I’m sure he’d be modestly embarrassed, and the poem may not translate well, but it’s such a cool *chef’s kiss* way to showcase his career.
I totally understand, @ISpeakKoreanDramas he totally rocks certain looks – like Jing Jin said, he can either look down to earth (handsome) or godlike (handsome)! Pirate Liu Yuning is quite the strong look for him, agreed, so happy you got a take two from the screenshot!!
Oh, ha, ha! If this found its way to Liu Yuning himself I hope it would make him feel like he’d had the best hug of his life 🙂
Oh my, Ele, I spent so much time on this post and watched every video (don’t you wish you were dipped by Liu Yu Ning with his bad a$$ hairstyle? SIGH!) He is really professional and so well spoken – just a natural and did you notice how he pulled those sunglasses down on The Treasured Voice so he could see his audience? What a pro! He can dance OK but it is not his forte but who the heck cares, right? As a former salsa dance instructor, I am happy to show him a few moves. 💃🕺
Watching him sing the video with The Ballad of the Long Wind, I cannot help but think – it’s like he is up there showing the rest of the stars – “Watch me guys – this is how you do it baby!”. Love that he sings live a lot because it proves he has the vocal chops to impress. I agree that he has the ability to express the emotion of the sound with his voice. He is a star.🏆⭐🤩
Love the background research. Good job, you! While you can arrange his wardrobe, I will cook for him, yes? I can put a little weight on him (he is definitely not fat) and you can have him looking as swaggy as he should. No more frills for our man but I really do love (adore!) the “Pirate” hair.
I have watched him on a few variety shows, but it is a bit hard to get English subs on some of them. I agree that he is a natural on these. He is just loveable.😍
Thanks for posting all the video links – my favorite is Unintentional Big Dream – he slays this! It made my experience of watching Fangs all that much better and that is saying something because I really loved that drama. This song was absolute perfection in that drama setting and with this story! Just awesome.
Not having to use eye drops is a rare talent. It is hard to pull crocodile tears out on demand and few can do it (Park Min Young and Yoo In Na are two tear-talented actresses). 😪
His role as Haodu was my intro as well (my favorite to date) and he stole the entire show and that is saying something because this was supposed to be Wu Lei’s vehicle. His angsty looks at Zhau Lusi were heartbreaking – really, truly moving. The scene towards the end of the drama where he met with his father was really moving. In short, he aced this role. 😦 He quietly conveyed more true, honest emotion than the entire rest of the cast.
This post was absolute total joy to read! 😘 Well written and informative, and anyone who has not dipped their toes in the Liu Yu Ning pool needs to jump in for a swim immediately. Like, right now!
God job you, Ele! Good dang job!
Ele – forgot to say Happy Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎅🎅🎅🤶🤶🤶🎁🎉and I cannot wait to see what he does in 2026.
Lawks @phl1rxd, removing the sunglasses on The Treasured Voice was a super-swoon moment – he looked SOOOOOOOOOO handsome with that hair!!!!!!!! Now, you see, while you bake something tasty for him, I will brush his hair into that splendid do and we can just sit and watch him eat…
Unintentional Big Dream is a great crunching number – one of my favourites for sure and it did work so well on Fangs of Fortune. Happy sigh.
It was you, my dear, who first mentioned The Long Ballad – I remember!! And when I skip-watched, I thought, that person with the inexplicable handle name knows their stuff 🙂 I am forever in your debt!
Merry Christmas to you too, lovely, and long may our fangirling continue! xx
Oh Ele! I love this. Your squeeing about LYN encouraged me to watch Prisoner of Beauty & A Dream within a Dream this year and I am now a full-fledged LYN convert. He and Song Zuer made a fabulous OTP (that whispering to each other scene–wowza). And ADWAD is one of my top 2025 dramas, despite the fact that I missed a lot of humor as I’m a cdrama noob. I so appreciate both LYN’s acting and his singing but importantly, I’m impressed with his backstory and his genuiness IRL. Thanks for such an enjoyable immersion in LYN!
Aw @DebC that’s fantastic! His backstory is what’s made him who he is and he’s very quick to point out many people have sad stories and his is what’s keeping him humble and grounded. I love him for it too. xx
Oh, me god! What a wonderful ode to mr Liu Yuning! 💕☺️ Yes, he is the full package and this year he’s truly become one of my fave Chinese actors. I do love his singing as well. And his hands ARE beautiful. In one of my old fandoms we had a name for hand shots, but I’m not sure it’s quite appropriate to be used here (we weren’t always that “refined” back then, ha).
Long Ballad was my introduction to LYN, though I’m sad to say I didn’t take much of a note of him there. Mostly because the drama is so forgettable as a whole. Can’t even remember if I ever finished it or not. 🙃 (the donghua is much better) He was great in A Journey to Love but I absolutely hated how the drama ended. I may give the 2024 Heroes another go as I got stuck in one of the early episodes. Fave LYN drama so far? It’s a toss between Prisoner of Beauty and A Dream within A Dream.
Ultimate Note is considered to be one of the better adaptations in that fanchise, despite of the rather green cast. Though LYN is almost unrecognizable because of those sunglasses, ha.
Eternal Brotherhood is a bit all over the place, S2 is better than S1 imho.
Ooh, @timescout!! I’m so glad he’s become one of your faves too! A multitude of craven thoughts crossed my mind about unrefined names for hand shots so thank you for that 🙂
Oh, The Long Ballad was so dull but I think you must not have got too far into it because there’s no way you could have watched it through and not immediately fallen in love with Liu Yuning’s Haodu!!!
Interesting you got stuck on Heroes 2024. I wonder what aspect didn’t gel for you.
Ah, you see, Liu Yuning in sunglasses and maxing the “cool” in Ultimate Note – I couldn’t cope!! There are just some Liu Yuning characters even I can’t watch without dying inside!! It’s a me problem, not an acting problem…
I may give Eternal Brotherhood another try. It felt like a drama not meant for me (a romance junkie) but to be honest, 2026 looks sparse on the Liu Yuning in a drama front so I may be forced to, for a fix!
xx
For the OST one of my all time favorites – The Litchi Road OST – such a fabulous quirky song
Oh my gosh, Vivianneke IT IS A BLAST!!! I like he often doesn’t play things safe. That’s what makes me love Heroes OST because it sounds all kinds of wrong but is yet still somehow very, very right!
Ele! Iirc we already found out years ago that our love of romance and cats aligns 😅
Liu Yu Ning is fabulous, fantastic, swoonworthy, I couldn’t agree more. I have not seen Heroes but it was strongly recommended by a friend who said he absolutely loved it. It’s on my watchlist!
The Long Ballad was one of the most boring dramas I skipped through, only to see Zhao Lusi and Liu Yu Ning. Their story and individual character development was the only redeeming aspect for me.
A lot of viewers struggled with how the FL was written in ADWAD but ultimately it was so worth it. Liu Yu Ning was fantastic in the „dual“ roles and I loved this drama. For anyone who wants to give it a try, it’s a rare unicorn where the second half of the drama gets better (imo).
Prisoner of Beauty is still my favorite Liu Yu Ning drama to date.
I hope despite him focusing on music for now, we will be lucky enough to get another drama from him, maybe in 2027? 🤞🏼
Cats! Romance! Watching a romance with a cat on your lap! Heaven indeed. Ooh, we do have such similar tastes and I so agree about
The Long Ballad. I would like someone to basically edit the show into twelve episodes so that it still makes sense but the story is essentially just Liu Yuning and Zhao Lusi’s!
Prisoner of Beauty is so good – I have ended up rewatching it again! Argh the rainy neck is literally my favourite shot of the whole thing 🙂 That director really knew what a romance hungry viewer needs!
I didn’t mind the female lead at all in A Dream Within a Dream because she essentially spent her time swooning over Li Shiliu which was appropriate given he is so swoony, and also because Nan Heng did keep killing her in the beginning. Her resistance was justified! Though I did get that any of her RL backstory was non-existent which might have helped elevate her character beyond reactive.
Liu Yuning will definitely have a drama out in 2026 called About Love – one filmed three years ago, I think, and only getting released now. Possibly because it’s not very good, I don’t know! I did see a little snippet of BTS where he’s getting happily up close and personal with the female lead so some promise maybe!
I agree that PoB did the „female gaze“ well with that shot of his neck and profile 🤣 He is a very handsome man indeed!
I struggled a bit with the „I‘m the FL, I can’t die before it’s my time in the script“, AND „I‘m afraid ML will kill me“ logic fail. But I got past my struggles with FL. She just ignored everything in front of her eyes and held on to her fals beliefs about ML for a couple of episodes too many 😉
I loved the happy ending!! No more dramas where Liu Yu Ning dies before the end please! 🥺
Oh then I hope his drama next year was held up because of shenanigans, not quality. Like the „alleged tax evasion scandals that get cleared up and then the drama is released late“ sort of things….
I *think* About Love has been delayed because the story involves an affair? And China are strict on stuff like that. I hope it’s not actually that as I don’t like dramas with affairs either – it was one of the reasons I wasn’t keen on Be Your Own Light. But we’ll see! xx
Hello Ele
First of all this is an AMAZING fan-love post and I really enjoyed reading it.
Thankfully I have some basic exposure to Liu Yuning this year thanks to both You squeezing over him in a lovely way in Patreon and KFG covering The Prisoner of Beauty C-drama. I confess I saw only up to 17 episodes of PofB (I paused it for lack of time and other priorities really) and I am going to complete it as one of my priorities for the 1st month of the NY. And from whatever I have watched of that drama, Liu Yuning was AMAZING and such a natural actor on-screen. And that brooding intensity (he would make for a good Darcy and I won’t pick any actor just like that as it is one of my fave fictional male characters). And yes completely agree with the hands and thank you for all those hand pics. I also enjoy his height and he is most suited for historical roles with all these features. Alas I am yet to familiarise myself with his singing but then the future is long and I look forward to seeing more of his dramas and listening to his brilliant singing. Also I will bookmark this post so that I know where to go for all the LY info. The travel show “Wow the World” sounds interesting as well. And finally the glasses look – Thank You for all those pics as I definitely squeezed over them along with you.
In general, I read up on his life as well and hence I am genuinely happy for all his fame and recognition both within China and overseas. May he sustain all of this and flourish even more for a really long time. Good human being really and very unlike a star.
And for the rest of this year – enjoy the lovely Liu Yuning memories. And remember that everything is fair and acceptable in fangirling Universe.
Love
Jasmine
Aw, Jasmine!!!! Thank you for that! I did have a slight heart attack when I realised I originally had 70 screenshots 🙂 I really had to work hard to reduce it to under fifty! But you’re right, no apologies and I’m so glad you appreciated many of them – ah, his hands! The glasses!
Ooh, well I admit the storytelling in Prisoner of Beauty runs a little flat in the middle so I am not surprised you wandered off at episode 17. BUT I am delighted to tell you you have some very, very, squee-worthy episodes to get to!! Honestly, the final ten or so episodes are gooooood!!
Let me know if you watch any others – I am always very happy to discuss!! Enjoy your fangirling too :))
Ele, I had not really ever heard much about Liu Yuning nor heard him sing until tonight (although I have clicked on some of the songs while reading). But there is no topic that is uninteresting when it’s you writing about it. Loved the EAP connection. Thanks for the very enjoyable post!
Just spitballing here: don’t you think a show with Liu Yuning and Zhao Lusi might be cool? 😉
Your grade for ADWAD makes me tempted to put it on the Neverending List, but do you think it’s suitable for a C-drama dilettante watching his first LY drama? If not, which do you recommend (please try to keep the episode number under 40, if possible).
Thanks for sharing this very specific enthusiasm with all of us, Ele. I hope you’re doing well – best wishes for a great holiday and New Year.
@j3ffc – Ele would answer very well for you. But I can quickly recommend “A Prisoner of Beauty” as that was my gateway drama of Liu Yuning especially since you are a C-drama dilettante. And the episodes count of that drama is just 36.
Hi j3ffc! Agree with P Jasmine, it would make sense to start with Prisoner of Beauty, it has a super crackly first half (I did wander away 3/4 through but I heard show is solid till the end despite some flabbiness in the middle). You would then be better able to laugh at the satire in A Dream Within a Dream!
dear J3ff, if this is to be your first Cdrama attempt, then personally, I think PoB would be the better pick maybe? A lot of the humour in ADWAD references other cdrama (tropes) and may not be easily accessible to the first time watcher? (I may be overthinking this). And personally, getting through the stretch of episodes where FL is frustrating to watch (seems to be the consensus in the cdrama community), this may be not ideal for a first pick.
Prisoner of Beauty is a very solid drama from the writing, the plot, the acting. Both dramas are under 40 episodes iirc 🤔
I agree with everything everyone has said, but “knowing” you a little bit, I think you’d really enjoy A Dream Within A Dream as many tropes overlap kdrama tropes and drama storytelling overall anyway. I you’d find it funny. Maybe try episode one and if it makes you laugh, the rest is bound too impress too! I also really think you’d like Heroes (the 2024 version) as that is so splendid and has a humour I feel like you’d get and relish. Let me know!! xx
A Dream within a Dream was my first and so far only C-drama and even if I probably missed out on some jokes and references I was very amused. So I think it would work for j3ffc as well as a first C-drama. And the music was very good as well.
I think it’s a toss up between PoB and ADWAD but I will say that I was thoroughly amused and entertained by ADWAD despite it being only my second costume cdrama. Loved it!
@j3ffc – I also think A Dream within a Dream is a really good drama and quite entertaining. It is a lot of fun and quite quirky. I think you would enjoy it. A very unusual costume CDrama.
Gah.
@Jasmine, @Elaine, @My, @CanICallYouKate, @DebC, @phl1rxd, and OMG especially @Ele:
I owe you all a big explanation and gotta eat some serious crow here. I am going to blame this on the fact that I shouldn’t be reading and responding to posts in the middle of night (unable to sleep so…), but that would be just an excuse when the reality is I’m simply a plain ole dope.
I read through @Ele’s entire post and got so caught up in the squee-fest that I just plain forgot that I actually have seen Liu Yuning in a drama. In fact, I watched 7 (7!) full episodes of Prisoner of Love without connecting the dots that this was the very same Prisoner of Love that Ele was writing about here (I acknowledge that thinking there would be be two such shows is a….stretch). And that I had enjoyed LY’s acting throughout it. I nonetheless put it on pause because I was anxious to get to other shows and because I was not feeling it to the extent that many of you all did.
Have I yet mentioned “Gah”?
So, I am very sorry that I portrayed myself as some sort of LY newbie when I should have been perfectly aware of who he was. And I did not mean to imply that this would have been my first C-drama. That would have been Nirvana in Fire, as part of the group watch bravely led by phl1rxd some years ago.
BTW, according to AI: “
phl1rxdis a user on The Fangirl Verdict blog who actively commented on the popular Chinese historical drama Nirvana in Fire, providing insights, analysis, and sharing novel details, particularly about characters like Fei Liu and plot points, becoming a recognized voice in the fan community discussing the show’s complex strategies and characters like Mei Changsu and Banruo.”I’ve seen a few since then as well but I’m now too embarrassed to say what they were. It’s a tough genre for me but I keep trying.
This does not diminish my appreciation of your collective comments and suggestions. They are, in fact, deeply appreciated. Nor does it take away from the enjoyment that I had, albeit at 2:30 AM, of reading through Ele’s wonderful post. As penance/hopefully reward, I vow to FINISH POL and THEN watch ADWAD in the new year.
I’ll now slink off into the corner….. 🫢
OMG j3ffc – I cannot believe you found that! Now I have to look for AI’s opinion of me 🤣😂😅 In the meantime I am LMAO. I am surprised it did not include “She is a bloody nutter about NIF as well”. That is too funny. Now I will have to show my family that once I find it.
No slinking allowed 😅🤣😂 We all forget…😅🤣😂
Phl1rxd, that’s so cool – and so accurate! I am still indebted to you for all the insights during our watch of NIF!
WOW @phl1rxd “A respected voice in Asian drama fandom” yes indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ele & Natalia – I really got a good laugh out of this little blurb. It was really funny, but then, @j3ffc is a really funny guy.
@phl1rxd, just to be 100% clear, I did NOT write the blurb about you and NIF. It totally came from my putting the phrase “phl1rxd Nirvana in Fire” into an AI engine and hitting send. And, in my opinion, the result was correct and totally deserved because you rock.
LOl – thank you j3ffc! You really rock, like, really….LOL! Happy New Year to your whole crew!
@j3ffc–no need to apologize, LOL. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched dramas way too late in the evening (or morning) & had to rewatch an episode or two!!
Mwahahahahaah!!!! @j3ffc you know I almost replied initially querying whether you’d started watching Prisoner of Beauty as I thought you’d mentioned you had and had stalled!! But then I thought maybe you didn’t want to hurt my feelings by saying you’d hated it so I kept quiet!
I actually suggest you give Prisoner of Beauty a miss for now as it is extremely swoon-romance-y and I have a feeling Liu Yuning may not make you swoon and Song Zuer’s character, while smart and quite logical and practical, may not have enough high stakes (Buffy pun totally intended) for you.
SO, I personally think you should dive into A Dream Within A Dream instead – though there is nothing to make up for! God, the number of shows I’ve watched and have a complete blank on even only weeks later are many… Having facial blindness doesn’t help as I often don’t recognise characters from screenshots either. It’s an affliction!!
Also, I am impressed you were reading anything at 2.30am, let alone my post, let alone my post about Liu Yuning who you (forgot) exists, so THANK YOU!!! xx
Thank you very much for your understanding and generous responses, especially you, @Ele. I may well take you up on your suggested approach to the shows, but either way, I’m gonna give up even considering writing comments during my middle the night insomnia bouts. 😳
@Ele – As always, your writing is very entertaining, and like MC, I am in awe of how much you can write about Liu Yuning. Your love for him is as clear as day.😊😊 I haven’t watched a single drama of his to date (the only two dramas I have watched in your entire post are Lovely Runner and Blossom), but I am now more open to trying Chinese costume dramas these days—more open than even a month ago, thanks to Fated Hearts and Coroner’s Diary. After reading Natalia’s EOY post, I did add A Dream Within a Dream and Heroes to my watchlist. Maybe I’ll add Prisoner of Beauty too.
Maybe I can watch one of them next year. Thank you for the wonderful write-up.
@ABV – You have to watch one of them next year for sure. Which one of course I leave to Ele to recommend. He is an amazing actor and good human being who has come in life the hard way.
@Jasmine – Will do. I think A Dream Within a Dream is the most likely pick.
@Ele – I have 72 C-Drama completions under my belt (so I wouldn’t consider myself new to them), but I am relatively new to costume C-Dramas. I don’t often watch them, but my positive experiences with both Fated Hearts and Coroner’s Diary recently have propelled me to look into them in a more viable light. I generally had this massive apprehension when it came to period dramas.
A Journey to Love is also something I added to my watchlist back in the day, but I think the ending prevented me from ever considering it. But like I told Jasmine, A Dream Within a Dream is the most likely pick. Thank you once again.
@ABV Oh, I see! Yes, I remember you saying you didn’t really watch period drama as I’m the opposite and seem to avoid modern! Though I have watched some this year. I haven’t seen Coroner’s Diary or Fated Hearts. Will look them up!
@Ele – Correct. I will try more costume dramas next year. Both are excellent watches. Coroner’s Diary is a bit hard to get into for the faint-hearted since it shows a lot of grotesque dead bodies and deals with forensic investigation. However, if that’s not an issue, it’s a very good watch. Landi Li is a real highlight.
Fated Hearts might be my favourite C-Drama of the year. I absolutely adored the OTP. They are so wonderful individually and together. The politics and story are just right. The action scenes are fantastic and the series is tightly paced. The ending song, “Surging Waves,” is my favorite soundtrack of the year. This show has consumed me gradually, and I just can’t stop thinking about it.
Eep, I avoid dead bodies like the plague!!!! But Fated Hearts sounds very promising. xx
@Ele – Hope you enjoy Fated Hearts when you pick it up. 🙂 I’ll write more about it in my own EOY post.
@ABV – I second PJasmine’s thoughts!
@Deb – Thanks for the confirmation. 🙂
Thank you, @ABV – I really hope you do dive into the cdrama pool a little more!! I agree with @Jasmine, you MUST give one of Liu Yuning’s a go. I really would highly recommend A Dream Within a Dream. Prisoner of Beauty has more flaws but is very entertaining too. Heroes (make sure it’s the 2024 version!) is stellar. I think if you’re new to cdrama though (and enjoy a kind of grown-up OTP (think less swoon, more real life) then A Journey to Love is a cracker. Let me know how you get on! xx
i’m just in awe of how much Ele can say about her love Liu Yunning! i certainly don’t have as many words or pictures for the actors and singers that i love!
but on a more serious note this was very fun to read. i really enjoyed him in Prisoner of Beauty. Liu Yunning is so multi-talented and handsome! so glad he is winning all the awards. but the man needs to know 1) he’s not fat 2) he should have some breaks and we won’t forget him!
MC! 🤗 I totally agree! Reading that he worried people would forget him makes me sad. And celebrities worrying about their weight is always sad, too. I know LYN has very passionate and active fans and I hope he feels the love! Such an amazingly talented person! 😍
I hope so too, @MC and @CanicallYouKate! He is so talented yet so hard on himself. Also, I actually tried to cut down on my word count and number of screenshots 🙂 Failed abysmally!! I have trouble loving ‘a little’ – I’m an all or nothing kind of girl, including fangirling clearly!!