What to Watch After "Love’s Ambition"

Love’s Ambition’s ratings went through the roof and catapulted its lead Zhao Lusi to superstardom (as if she wasn’t already famous to begin with). But now that it’s over, there’s a little hole in our hearts where Xu Xan and Hao Ming used to be. We give our short review and some recos. 

The Plot 

On the surface, wealthy contractor Shen Hao Ming (William Chan) and famous news anchor Xu Yan (Zhao Lusi) have a picture-perfect marriage–except Xu Yan completely contrived her family background to fit into Hao Ming’s world. He has skeletons in his closet too. When the truth gets out and the secrets are revealed, the only resolution is divorce. But when confronted with the prospect of losing each other, they have to face their true feelings for each other and recognize that maybe, just maybe, it was love all along. Will it be too late for their happily ever after?

The Short Review 

Let’s just lay it out there: Zhao Lusi is the sun and everybody else orbits around her. It’s hard to take your eyes off her when you can tell everything she’s feeling just by looking at her face, even when she’s not saying a word. Willam Chan’s character Hao Ming is played with dazzling charm, with just a touch of disassociation to remind you that he’s not exactly the perfect husband and son either. This contrast makes the chemistry believable and gives a little twist to the marriage of convenience trope.

Most romantic c-dramas have the audience counting down the episodes to the couple’s revelation of feelings, but this is the only one where audiences cannot wait to get to the divorce, recognizing that it could be the real start of the love story. Apart from that, there’s nothing really groundbreaking about the plot. But don’t let that fool you.!The show’s strength lies in how it finesses “vertical-drama” appeal with big-budget production value. This clever mix could probably explain part of the show’s insane popularity, as the plot is easy to follow and the pace is kept at an intriguing rhythm. All in all, it’s pure brain vacation material and sheer sappy entertainment, which means that this drama is not to be missed.

What to Watch After Love's Ambition...

If you're new to c-dramas, check out our starter pack here.

If you like Zhao Lusi...

The Long Ballad (2021)

Set in the Tang dynasty, this grand historical epic stars Dilraba Dilmurat, but Zhao Lusi still steals hearts as Princess Li Leyan, the loyal and soft-spoken counterpoint to the fiery leads. It’s one of her most graceful and restrained roles, proof that she doesn’t need screen time to make an impact.

Hidden Love (2023)

If you love soft-focus nostalgia and quiet heartbreak, Hidden Love will ruin you in the best way. As Sang Zhi, Zhao captures the tender ache of first love and the long wait for it to finally come true. Her gentle, grounded acting made this slice-of-life romance a massive hit across Asia.

Who Rules the World (2022)

Elegant swords, hidden identities, and royal intrigue — this wuxia fantasy gave Zhao one of her strongest transformations. As Feng Xiyun, she’s graceful yet dangerous, a warrior-princess who can duel with words or blades. Watching her spar (and flirt) with Yang Yang’s Hei Fengxi is pure adrenaline.

Love Like the Galaxy (2022)

A stunning historical romance that swept all the c-drama awards. As Cheng Shaoshang, Zhao brings a fragile-yet-fierce energy to a heroine scarred by family neglect and thrown into the political whirlwind of ancient China. Her chemistry with Leo Wu? Straight-up fireworks.

If you like modern romances with great chemistry between the leads...

You Are My Glory (2021)

If you have two extremely attractive (and I mean EXTREMELY attractive) romantic leads, you wouldn’t be surprised that their drama series reached a whopping 4 billion views. She’s a famous actress and he’s an aerospace engineer. Their paths once crossed when they were in high school but a decade later, she needs a crash course from an expert gamer to help with her latest endorsement and he fits the bill. And what follows are some of the best romantic scenes in all of c-drama. The research on Yang Yang’s character is pretty thorough too, and they are completely believable as a couple who can’t seem to get enough of one another. 

The Day of Becoming You (2021)

This light, fluffy rom-com stars Steven Zhang as a member of a popular boy and who swaps bodies with Yu Sheng Sheng (Lian Jie) an entertainment reporter. You can expect to find the usual tropes but it’s still enjoyable. And the scene where the male lead experiences menstrual cramps while in the female lead’s body (something I’ve not found in any k-drama) is actually sensitive and hilarious at the same time. 

You are My Lover Friend (2024)

In this friends-to-lovers trope Zhang Xin Cheng (Jiang Shi Yan) and Wang Yu Wen (Tang Yang) are high school friends who kept their solid friendship going all throughout adulthood. Now friendship just isn’t enough anymore. They need to face their feelings but it comes with the risk of losing each other. The chemistry between the leads is so believable and the script perfectly captures the joy, heartbreak, and awkwardness of friends becoming lovers. There are many of these stories but the subtlety and sensitivity of this one make it stand out. 

K-drama Crossovers

If you want to try k-dramas with the marriage of convenience trope...

When the Phone Rings (2025)

Young, smart, and handsome presidential spokesperson Baek Sa-eon (Yoo Yeon-seok) has the whole world hanging on to his every word. Ironically, his mysterious wife Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin) cannot speak and is a sign language interpreter. They’ve been in an arranged marriage for the past three years and look doomed to be in a loveless relationship for the rest of their lives. That is until someone kidnaps Hong Hee-joo and attempts to blackmail Baek Sa-eon. Now, he’s questioning everybody around him, including his own wife. 

Perfect Marriage Revenge (2023)

Han Yi-joo (Jung Yoo-min) is an adopted child of a wealthy family who alternately ignores her and uses her artistic talent for dubious means. She spends most of the time trying to be inconspicuous and not rub her adoptive family the wrong way. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when she realizes her husband Yoo Se-hyuk (Oh Seung-yoon) is secretly in love with her younger sister and her adoptive mother (Lee Jung-hye) tries to frame her for a crime. Faced with a near-death (full death?—it’s not quite clear) experience, she gets a second chance at life when she wakes up from a coma, one year earlier. Now that she’s no longer in the dark about the extent of her family’s betrayal, she vows to take revenge. Enter Seo Do-guk (Sung Hoon) whom Yi-joo’s younger sister is hell-bent on snagging. Now with a chance at a re-do of her life, Yi-joo convinces Do-guk to a contract marriage with her. And what ensues is wonderful mayhem in the lives of those around them.