How Dare You!

If we kept circling around like this, one day we might suddenly die, without ever really being together.

How Dare You!

This drama really made a fool out of me. When it first came out, it was absolutely on my radar because of my girl Wang Churan, and of course Cheng Lei. But the posters looked very goofy and light-hearted, so I put it on the backburner because, to quote myself, “I wasn’t in the mood for comedy.”

How Dare You!… is anything but a comedy. Sure, it’s very funny at times and made me laugh a lot (I might have scared my neighbors, now that I think about it), but it’s also way darker than you’d think, with some very serious topics and an impressive body count. I was not expecting this, yet I enjoyed every second of it.

Give Me Five!

Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin really don’t have much going for them at the starting point of the story, but watching them slowly turn the odds in their favor through sheer smarts and sincerity was absolutely fantastic from beginning to end. They made such a wonderful pair, with her cheerful, caring nature complementing his darker disposition perfectly well. (No, really, Yu Wanyin was such a sweetie-pie, I adore her.)

This distribution of characters might seem cliché, but there are different kinds of strength, and they don’t all involve being a badass at swordsmanship. Wanyin is stunning in her resilience, in her enduring kindness, and her luminous disposition. She’s a vision not only through her looks, but also in the way she brings good humor everywhere she goes.

Wang Churan

Wang Churan was the perfect choice to perform this role, bringing with her the elegance and gentle demeanor that have become her trademark, and the stylist clearly loves her. Her costumes have nothing to do with actual period clothing, which makes sense considering she’s a transmigrator in a romance novel, and that means her stylist had free range over her looks. Let me tell you that I’m very happy for it, because she was a vision from beginning to end. From her makeup to her more elaborate outfits, she even looked magnificent in a robe of all things.

Cheng Lei

And of course, you can’t forget about her co-star, Cheng Lei. It’s no secret by now that he’s a very talented, very skilled actor. From his breakthrough in A Familiar Stranger to How Dare You!, he’s shown several times over that he’s a master of his craft. His performance as Xiahou Dan is especially impressive considering how seamlessly he can go from a lighthearted young man to a burdened, trapped emperor with enemies baying for his blood. His costumes also looked fantastic on him, with that long, flowing hair which suits him perfectly.

Together

Together, those two excellent actors create sizzling chemistry. Their friendship feels natural, their intimacy, like a matter of course. They’re one of the most hilarious chaotic duos I’ve ever seen on screen, and yet when the dark times come, they rise up to the challenge and break your heart like fine porcelain. The way their relationship evolves also feels mature and seamless, to the point that you can’t really tell when the line between friendship and romance starts to blur. This leads to Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin having such tender gestures towards each other that you can’t help but root for them every step of the way. Their unwavering faith in each other, their relentless efforts to protect the other, make this “hotpot couple” feel unshakeable, like a tree with deep-reaching roots. They’re in love, and it’s very obvious why they’re in love.

Cheers to the Supporting Cast

The leads are wonderful, but the supporting characters were absolutely fantastic as well. I really didn’t think I’d end up caring so much about them, and was very impressed with the way How Dare You! managed to give them all a distinct personality, even those who had very little screen time.

Last but Not Least…

While I admit I was a bit distracted by the leads’ visuals (the directors knew how to make their actors not beautiful, but radiant), the general aesthetic of the drama was fantastic as well. The locations, the costumes, the framing and colors… everything was a feast for the eyes. It’s a bit of a pity that the soundtrack wasn’t up to par, but oh well. Nothing’s perfect.

I also want to give a huge shoutout to the team for actually bothering to have the characters change into nightclothes when they go to bed or are sick and wounded. No elaborate day robes or jewelry and complicated hairdoes in bed! Instead, we get luscious, flowing black hair, delicate silk robes, and a sense of true intimacy between the characters.

All in All…

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cheer and boo, but most of all, you’ll root for this wonderful couple and their chaotic antics (and a bit less charitably, for the downfall of their enemies, some of whom I would argue are true monsters in human skin). A must-watch!