Star Ranking Based on Drama Ratings: 12 C-Drama Stars and The Quality of Their Work

Among the post-90s generation of C-drama stars, how many of them have good drama resources or high-quality drama projects that give credence to their acting skills? And not just popularity? 

This is our "by the number edition". Analyzing the last six television/web acting projects of popular C-drama stars in the post-90s generation.

How did we come up with this list?

When it comes to C-drama ratings, we don't have other credible source of information other than Douban, the most influential media review platform in mainland China. It is often called the home of China's literati. 

Most of these dramas are web series that are not covered by China's authorized viewership rating board which only caters to television shows. Thus, Douban, is only our source of data to rank them.

Although a drama rating is subjective, as it is just based on the personal preferences and views of the reviewers (some dramas might be good to you but not to the next person, and vice versa), most users in Douban are critical of the acting performances and overall quality of the script and production so it is widely accepted that Douban ratings reflect the general quality of the drama.

To get the average score, we get the sum of the Douban rating of each of the six dramas divided by six, and thus, we have this ranking based on the average score. 

Here is the ranking of these 12 Popular C-Drama stars in the post-90s generation who have good acting projects in the leading roles:

1. Wu Lei - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.91 

Born on December 26, 1999, Wu Lei is one of the most popular actors from mainland China today who is not a traffic star. His popularity is based on his achievements in acting and several drama projects.

Wu Lei

He grew up in the spotlight, having been in the industry for two decades now, debuting as a child star. He was called "China's Little Brother" when he was still a teenager due to his excellent drama performances. 

He became more popular when he starred as Fei Liu in the hit costume wuxia drama, Nirvana in Fire in 2015. Wu Lei has the best drama projects/resources among the post-90s generation of celebrities in China. Most of his dramas are rated high in Douban which means domestic viewers are satisfied with the quality of acting projects. 

Wu Lei

Wu Lei obtained a degree in Performing Arts from the Beijing Film Academy (batch 2023). Here are his last six dramas in the leading role, including the genre and Douban rating:

1. Nothing But You (2023) Modern Romance - 8.2
2. Love Like The Galaxy (2022) Costume/Historical - 7.7
3. Our Times (2021) Modern/Business Life - 7.7
4. The Long Ballad (2021) Costume/Historical - 6.0
5. Cross Fire (2020) Modern/e-Sports - 7.9
6. Guardians of the Ancient Oath (2020) Costume/Fantasy - 4.0

2. Bai Jingting - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.82

Born on October 15, 1993, in Beijing, Bai Jingting studied Music major in Recording at the Capital Normal University's College of Music. He was also a field athlete in the shot put, long jump, and high jump events while still in school. He plays the piano and basketball. 

Bai Jingting 

He debuted in acting in 2014 via "Back in Time", and rose to fame in 2015 when he starred in two hit youth dramas - "Rush to the Dead Summer" with Zheng Shuang and Chen Xuedong, and "Whirlwind Girl" with Yang Yang, Hu Bingqing, Wu Lei, and Tan Songyun.

Bai Jingting has pretty good drama resources, most of these acting projects are critically acclaimed. His last six dramas in the leading role speak volume:

1. Destined (2023) Costume/Romance - 6.5
2. New Life Begins (2022) Costume/Romance -7.1
3. Reset (2022) Modern/Mystery - 7.9
4. You're My Hero (2021) Modern Romance - 7.2 
5. Octagenarian and the 90's (2021) Modern Romance - 6.1
6. Pingpong Life (2021) Modern/Sports - 6.1

3. Li Yitong - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.76

Born On September 6, 1990, in Jinan, Shandong, China, Li Yitong obtained a bachelor's degree in Dance from the Beijing Dance Academy. She debuted in acting in 2016 playing a leading role in the costume fantasy drama, Demon Girl.

She rose to fame in 2017 when she played the female lead role in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, followed by Bloody Romance in 2018 where she played a lady assassin. 

Li Yitong 

Her last six dramas in the leading role were well-received by the public, earning a good rating in Douban:

1. Spy Game (2023) Crime/Thriller - 8.1
2. The Knockout (2023) Crime/Thriller - 8.5
3. Warm in a Cold Night (2022) Costume/Romance - 6.9 
4. My Deepest Dream (2022) Modern Romance - 6.5
5. Court Lady (2021) Costume/Romance - 4.9
6. Go Go Squid 2 (2021) Modern/e-Sports - 5.7

4. Yu Shuxin - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.71 

Surprisingly, Esther has good drama projects in a leading role. Her lowest-rated drama is "My Journey To You" with a 6.1 rating which is considered high compared to the lowest-rated dramas of other popular stars in this list. 

Personally, I am not a fan of Esther's acting as she has very extreme facial expressions - stiff when the scene is serious or overacting when the scene is comical. 

Yu Shuxin

I'm just surprised Esther made it to the top 12 on our list. Her acting skill still needs polishing. Perhaps, she has a good agent who can negotiate a good acting project for her.

English name: Esther Yu. She was born on December 18, 1995. She obtained a degree in Fashion Media and Industries from La Salle College of Arts in Singapore. She debuted in acting in 2016 and also became a member of the Chinese girl group, THE9.

Her last six dramas in the leading role:

1. My Journey To You (2023) Costume/Wuxia - 6.1 
2. A Romance of the Little Forest (2022) Modern Romance - 6.2 
3. Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022) Costume/Fantasy - 8.1 
4. Moonlight (2021) Modern Romance - 6.9 
5. I've Fallen For You (2020) Costume/Historical - 6.7 
6. My Amazing Boyfriend (2019) Modern Romance - 6.3 

5. Hou Minghao - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.70

Born on August 3, 1997, in Beijing, Hou Minghao is also known by his English name Neo Hou. In 2012, he trained with SM Entertainment, the agency of the popular K-pop group, EXO, but returned to China and debuted with Fresh Geeks Youth, a C-pop boy band, in 2014, with Joseph Zeng and other three members.

Neo Hou 

In 2016, he left the group to establish a solo career. He made his acting debut in 2017 in two dramas -Cambrian Period and Rakshasa Street. Neo Hou's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. I am Nobody (2023) Martial Arts - 8.1
2. Back From The Brink (2023) Costume/Fantasy - 7.2
3. Hu Tong (2022) Slice-of-Life drama - 5.7
4. Our Times (2022) Modern/Business Life - 7.7
5. A Girl Like Me (2021) Costume/Romance - 5.5
6. Psych Hunter (2020) Modern/Adventure - 6.0

6. Cheng Yi - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.65 

Cheng Yi has one of the best drama projects in the last couple of years among the 90s actors. And even if some of these dramas' story quality sucked, it is often saved by Cheng Yi's solid performance, so the rating has not gone down below 5.0. His highest-rated drama so far is Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023): 8.4.

Cheng Yi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook

He was born on May 17, 1990, in Hunan province, as Fu Shiqi but used Cheng Yi as his screen name. He obtained an Acting degree from China's most prestigious drama school, the Central Academy of Drama in 2012.

Cheng Yi debuted in acting in 2011 with a minor role in the costume drama, Beauty World. After college graduation, he transitioned to making movies. He went back to television/web series only in 2016 with a leading role in Noble Aspirations alongside Zhao Liying, Li Yifeng, and Yang Zi.

Cheng Yi in Love and Redemption

Cheng Yi's last six dramas in the leading role: 

1. Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) Costume/Martial Arts - 8.4
2. Immortal Samsara (2022) Costume/Fantasy - 5.9 
3. Draw The Line (2022) Modern/Legal Drama - 7.3 
4. Stand by Me (2021) Costume/Romance - 5.4 
5. The Promise of Chang'an (2020) Costume/War - 5.5 
6. Love and Redemption (2020) Costume/Fantasy - 7.4 

7. Zhang Xincheng - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.62

Known by his English name Steven Zhang, Xincheng was born on August 24, 1995, in Jingzhou, Hubei province in China. He is one of the most talented young generation of Chinese actors excelling both in modern and costume dramas.

Zhang Xincheng 

He studied dance at the Beijing Dance Academy in his secondary school and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Musical Theatre from the Central Academy of Drama.

He debuted in acting in 2013, in the movie, School Bus, and made his television drama debut in 2016, Shuttle Love Millennium. He rose to popularity in 2017 when he played the lead role in My Huckleberry Friends. 

Steven's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Young Blood (2023) Costume/Martial Arts - 7.9
2. Justice in the Dark (2023) Detective/BL drama - 7.6
3. Bright Future (2022) Political drama - 6.7
4. The Heart of Genius (2022) Mystery/Fantasy - 7.3
5. The Murder in Kairoutei (2022) Mystery - 4.1
6. The Justice (2021) Republican era/Business - 6.1 

8. Wang Yibo - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.61 

Although Wang Yibo rarely makes series, each time he has a project for the small screen it's always of high quality. 

He was born on August 5, 1997, in Luoyang, Henan, China. He joined showbiz in 2014 when he debuted in the boy group, Uniq. He also went to South Korea for training and studied at Hanlim Multi Art School.

Wang Yibo

Apart from being an actor, singer, rapper, and dancer, Wang Yibo is also a professional road motorcycle racer. He is a member of the Yamaha China Racing Team. He is one of the most popular and influential Chinese celebrities and is regularly included in the top 10 of Forbes China Celebrity 100 Annual List.

Wang Yibo is slowly transitioning into movies with successive film releases last year and this year. His last six dramas in a leading role:

1. Being A Hero (2022) Police drama - 7.3
2. Luoyang (2021) Costume/Mystery - 6.3 
3. Legend of Fei (2020) Costume/Wuxia - 5.6
4. My Strange Friend (2020) Sci-fi/Supernatural - 6.3 
5. The Untamed (2019) Costume/Fantasy - 7.7 
6. Gank Your Heart (2019) Youth/Sports - 7.5

9. Zeng Shunxi - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.56

Known by his English name Joseph Zeng, Shunxi was born on October 9, 1997, in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. He made his entertainment debut in 2014 when he joined the C-pop boy group, Fresh Geeks Youth, with Neo Hou and other three members.

Joseph Zeng 

In 2015, he left Fresh Geeks Youth to transition to acting, debuting in 2016 drama, Happy Mitan. Joseph rose to popularity in 2017 when he starred as the second male lead in the costume fantasy series, Fighter of the Destiny bannered by Lu Han and Gulinazha.

Here are Joseph Zeng's last six dramas in the leading role. We did not include the "Romance on the Farm" series since this is still currently airing on iQIYI.

1. Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) Costume/Martial Arts - 8.4
2. Hi Venus (2022) Modern Romance -  8.1
3. Heroes (2022) Costume/Martial Arts - 6.3
4. Rebirth For You (2021) Costume/Romance - 3.9
5. Time Flies and You Are Here (2021) Costume/Romance - 4.6
6. Ultimate Note (2020) Adventure/Fantasy - 8.2

10. Zhou Yutong - Average score of her last six dramas in a leading role: 6.52

Zhou Yutong was born on September 21, 1994, in Anhui, China. She obtained a Performance Arts degree from the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts in 2012. She debuted in acting in 2013, in the movie, Balala The Fairies, which starred the child actress, Zhao Jinmai.

Zhou Yutong 

Yutong made her series debut in 2015, playing the role of an assassin in the costume drama, Love Through a Millennium, starring Jing Boran and Zheng Shuang. It's the Chinese adaptation of the 2012 Korean fantasy drama, Queen and I.

Here are Zhou Yutong's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Young Blood Season 2 (2023) Costume/Martial Arts - 7.9
2. Nothing But You (2023) Modern Romance/Sports - 8.2
3. Fall in Love with a Scientist (2021) Modern Romance - 4.4
4. The Coolest World (2021) Modern Romance/Business - 6.1
5. Remembrance of Things Past (2021) Slice-of-Life drama - 8.1
6. Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: Silent Evidence (2021) Thriller/Mystery - 4.4

11. Wang Heidi - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.45

Also known by his English name Dylan Wang, Heidi was born on December 20,1998, in Leshan, Sichuan, China.  He originally wanted to become a Flight Attendant but showbiz beckoned in 2017 when he joined the survival reality show, Super Idol, and emerged as the winner.

Dylan Wang 

Dylan's physical features when he was still a teenager resembled a cool, punk campus boy who can be arrogant and conceited to girls, so he was viewed as the perfect lad to play the role of Dao Mingsi in the Chinese adaptation of the 2001 Taiwanese mega hit idol series, Meteor Garden.

Meteor Garden Chinese version was aired in 2018 and became a commercial hit, propelling the main cast - Dylan and Shen Yue to stardom. 

Here are Dylan's last six dramas in the leading role (his latest drama, Youth in Flames of War has no rating yet in Douban so we cannot include this in the list):

1. Never Give Up (2023) Modern/Business - 8.0
2. Unchained Love (2022) Costume/Romance - 6.6
3. Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022) Costume/Fantasy - 8.1
4. Miss The Dragon (2021) Costume/Fantasy - 3.6
5. The Rational Life (2021) Modern Romance/Business - 7.0
6. Ever Night Season 2 (2020) Costume/Adventure - 5.4

12. Xiao Zhan - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.44 

Born on October 5, 1991, in Chongqing, China, Sean Xiao (his English name) has a degree in graphic design from Chongqing Technological Institute. He first worked as a graphic designer and photographer before he debuted in showbiz. He was a member of the boy band, XNine.

Xiao Zhan

Xiao Zhan often received backlash from drama viewers in mainland China for his poor acting skills and was accused of just banking on his popularity, especially among overseas fans, to win a drama project. However, lately, he has shown so much improvement in his acting performance, especially in "The Youth Memories". 

He debuted in acting in 2016, in Superstar Academy, and rose to popularity in 2019 when he starred alongside Wang Yibo in the xianxia drama, The Untamed. 

His last six dramas in the leading role are the following (His three dramas The Longest Promise (2023), Sunshine By My Side (2023), and Ace Troops (2021) don't have ratings yet in Douban):

1. The Youth Memories (2023) Romance/Slice-of-life drama - 7.5
2. The Oath of Love (2022) Modern Romance - 6.1
3. Doulou Continent (2021) Costume/Fantasy - 6.3
4. The Wolf (202) Costume/Fantasy - 6.1
5. The Untamed (2019) Costume/Fantasy - 7.7
6. Oh! My Emperor (2018) Costume/Fantasy - 4.95 (this is the average score for season 1 - 5.1, and the season 2 - 4.8)

Other Popular C-Drama Stars and their acting projects with the corresponding ratings in Douban. 

1. Guan Xiaotong - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.40

Birthdate: September 17, 1997. English name: Gabrielle Guan. She debuted as a child actress in the movie, Nuan (2003). She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Performing Arts from the Beijing Film Academy.

Her latest drama, Mr. and Mrs. Chen has no rating yet in Douban. Her last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Once and Forever (2023) Modern Romance - 7.6
2. Hu Tong (2022) Slice-of-Life drama - 5.7
3. Twenty Your Life on Season 2 (2022) Youth Drama - 8.1
4. A Girl Like Me (2021) Costume/Romance - 5.5
5. Twenty Your Life On (2020) Youth Drama - 6.3 
6. Shi Cha Hai (2020) Youth Drama - 5.2

2. Gong Jun - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 6.32

Birthdate: November 29, 1992, in Chengdu, Sichuan province. English name: Simon Gong. Education: He studied Performance Arts at Donghua University in Shanghai. He made his acting debut in 2016, in the costume drama, Sword Chaos.

His last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Legend of Anle (2023) Costume/Romance - 5.8
2. Dream Garden (2021) Modern Romance - 7.3
3. Shining Like You (2021)Modern Romance -  4.4
4. The Flaming Heart (2021) Modern Romance - 5.1
5. The Player (2021) Action/Romance/Fantasy - 6.8
6. Word of Honor (2021) Costume/BL drama - 8.5

3. Dilraba Dilmurat - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.28 

Dilraba remains the only big liuliang star in China (with Yang Mi, Zhao Liying, Yang Zi, Wang Yibo, Yang Yang, and Xiao Zhan) who has no drama that achieved a rating of 7.0+ in Douban. 

It looks like her agency just keeps giving her acting projects that could generate revenues but without script's substance.

All her dramas received low ratings in Douban which means that her acting projects are only focused on commercial success but never on the quality of the project and her acting. 

Her highest-rated drama in the leading role so far is You Are My Glory with a 6.9 score, which is considered below average when compared to other dramas of popular stars. 

Born on June 3, 1992, in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, Dilraba obtained an acting degree from the Shanghai Theater Academy in 2014. She made her acting debut in 2013 with a leading role in Anarhan.

Personally, I enjoyed The Long Ballad among the dramas she made. She showed so much improvement in acting as Li Changge, but still, it was not good enough to leave a long-lasting impression on her acting career. 

As her popularity skyrocketed, the quality of her drama projects also tumbled. Hope she can find a balance in her craft by playing roles with substance and hope to see her growth in the industry soon by exploring movie roles. 

Dilraba's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Legend of Anle (2023) Costume/Romance - 5.8
2. Prosecution Elite (2023) Modern/Legal - 6.6 
3. The Blue Whisper (2022) Costume/Fantasy - 5.6 
4. You Are My Glory (2021) Modern/Romance - 6.9 
5. The Long Ballad (2021) Costume/Historical - 6.0 
6. Eternal Love of Dream (2020) Costume/Fantasy - 6.8 

4. Bai Lu - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.23 

She was born on September 23, 1994, in Changzhou, Jiangsu, as Bai Mengyan, and used Bai Lu as her screen name. She began her acting career in 2015 when she starred in a series of short films. 

In 2016, she signed a contract with Huanyu Film and made her proper acting debut in the series, King is Not Easy (2017), playing the main role of Da Xi.

Bai Lu's last six series in the leading role:

1. Till The End of the Moon (2023) Costume/Fantasy - 5.6 
2. Ordinary Greatness (2022) Police drama - 8.5 
3. Forever and Ever (2021) Modern/Romance- 6.2 
4. One and Only (2021) Costume/Romance - 7.3 The prequel of Forever and Ever.
5. Song of Youth (2021) Costume/Historical - 4.7 
6. Jiu Liu Overlord (2020) Costume/Mystery  - 5.1 

5. Liang Jie - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.23

She was born on June 16, 1994, in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in the acting department. She made her acting debut in 2016, Go! Goal! Fighting.

Liang Jie's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Hi Venus (2022)  Modern Romance - 8.1
2. Side Story of FoxVolant (2022) Costume/Wuxia - 7.1
3. Hot Blooded Detective (2021) Costume/Mystery - 3.1 
4. The Justice (2021) Republican era/Business - 6.1
5. The Eternal Love Season season 3 (2021) Costume/Fantasy - 5.4
6. The Day of Becoming You (2021) Romance/Fantasy - 7.6
7. Time Flies and You Are Here (2021) Costume/Romance - 4.6

6. Yang Zi - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 6.20. 

She was born on November 6, 1992. Yang Zi is known also by her English name Andy Yang. She started her showbiz career as a child star in 2002. 

She obtained a Performing Arts degree from the Beijing Film Academy in 2014. She was named one of the "Four Dan Actresses" in the post-90s generation, a term referring to actresses who have box office movie hits.

Not sure why Yang Zi's dramas are rated low despite her excellent acting performance. Perhaps, it's the quality of the script that dragged her down. Just like Dilraba, it seems the projects given to her focus more on commercial success rather than quality of the script. 

Yang Zi's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Lost You Forever (2023) Costume/Fantasy - 7.8 
2. Immortal Samsara (2022) Costume/Fantasy - 5.9
3. The Oath of Love (2022) Modern Romance - 6.1 
4. The Psychologist (2021) Modern Romance/Thriller - 5.2 
5. My Mowgli Boy (2019) Romance-Comedy - 5.6 
6. Go Go Squid (2019) Modern Romance/e-Sports - 6.6 

7. Li Qin - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 5.76

Known by her English name Sweet Li, Qin was born on September 27, 1990, in Bacheng Town of Kunshan city, Jiangsu province. She graduated from the affiliated Chinese Opera School of Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2008, majoring in kunqu.

Li Qin made her acting debut in 2010, in the costume drama, The Dream of Red Mansions, which was also the acting debut of Yang Yang. 

Li Qin's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. The Youth Memories (2023) Romance/Slice-of-Life drama - 7.5 
2. Miles To Go (2023) Slice-of-Life drama - 6.9
3. Thousand Years For You (2022) Romance/Thriller - 6.0
4. Tears in Heaven (2021) Modern Romance - 3.8
5. My Dear Guardian (2021) Military drama - 4.0
6. The Wolf (2020) Costume/Fantasy - 6.0

8. Yang Yang - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 5.70

Born on September 9, 1991, in Shanghai, Yang Yang studied dance at the People's Liberation Army School of Arts. He debuted in acting in 2010 in the costume drama, The Dream of Red Mansions. 

Yang Yang

Yang Yang's drama this year, Fireworks of My Heart, is the lowest-rated series in Douban in 2023 overall. Reviewers criticized his poor acting performance and the quality of the script. Most of the reviewers gave it a one-star rating due to its poor representation of the fire bureau in China.

Yang Yang's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Fireworks of My Heart (2023) Modern Romance - 3.0 
2. Glory of Special Forces (2022) Military Life - 7.0 
3. Who Rules The World (2022) Costume/Romance - 5.6 
4. You Are My Glory (2021) Modern Romance - 6.9 
5. The King's Avatar (2019) Modern/e-Sports - 7.3 
6. Martial Universe (2018) Costume/Fantasy - 4.4 

9. Zhao Lusi - Average score of her last six dramas in the leading role: 5.61 

Born on November 9, 1998, in Chengdu, Sichuan province. Her English name is Rosy Zhao. She debuted in acting in the movie, City Rock (2017), with a guest role. 

Zhao Lusi is massively popular overseas, with most of her fans are everywhere on the internet creating discussions and hot topics to drive traffic for her name, but in as much as she is loved internationally, the level of appreciation domestically is not warm.

Zhao Lusi

She often received criticism for her poor acting performances, and those rumors of attitude to the press and co-stars only worsened the public view on her in the mainland. Most of her dramas are rated below average.

Zhao Lusi's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Hidden Love (2023) Youth Romance - 6.7 
2. Houlang/Gen Z (2023) Modern/Slice-of-Life - 4.1 
3. Hu Tong (2022) Modern/Slice-of-Life - 5.7 
4. Who Rules The World (2022) Costume/Romance - 5.6 
5. Love Like The Galaxy (2022) Costume/Historical - 7.7 
6. A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College (2021) Costume/Romance/Mystery - 3.9 

10. Xu Kai - Average score of his last six dramas in the leading role: 4.76  

Just like Zhao Lusi, Xu Kai is massively popular overseas but not domestically. Some users in Douban even question why he often gets a lead role when he can't really act, thus, most of his dramas have the lowest ratings. 

Born on March 5, 1995, in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. he began his career as a model. In 2016, he signed a contract with Huanyu Film which commenced his acting career. 

He made his formal acting debut in 2018 by playing a supporting role in the drama, The Untouchable Lovers (and also where Zhao Lusi debuted in series) starring Guan Xiaotong and Song Weilong.

Having an average score of 4.76 in the six dramas is terrible for an actor who is already taking leading roles for years. 

Falling Into Your Smile, the drama he starred in 2021 with Cheng Xiao, was extremely popular overseas but this was widely criticized in mainland China for plagiarism issues and for disrespecting gamers.

Most reviewers in Douban accused Falling Into Your Smile of using the real-life story of two popular gamers in China.  

Xu Kai's last six dramas in the leading role:

1. Snow Eagle Lord (2023) Costume/Fantasy - 4.7 
2. She and Her Perfect Husband (2022) Modern Romance - 5.8 
3. Lost in the Kunlun Mountains (2022) Romance/Fantasy - 4.1 
4. Royal Feast (2022) Costume/Romance - 5.5 
5. Falling Into Your Smile (2021) Youth Romance/e-Sports - 3.2 
6. Ancient Love Poetry (2021) Costume/Fantasy - 5.3 

Some of the critically-acclaimed movies and series in mainland China are not starred by liuliang stars. It often went to actors who can deliver a better performance. 

So it means that traffic C-Drama stars don't usually get high quality drama projects as their management focused them more on generating revenues.