| Main Cast | 王楚然，丞磊 |
| Released | 2026 |
| Link | MyDramaList |
| Length | 40 episodes (45mins each) |
| Genre | Comedy, Historical Romance, Imperial Court |
| Difficulty | Upper-Intermediate |
In 2023 and 2024, historical Chinese dramas featuring a main character who transmigrates from the modern world into a book or a game were hugely popular, but the trend quickly faded, leading to fewer of those in 2025 and 2026.
Transmigration is a sub genres where a character, usually the main character, is transported from one world into another. The most common form is from the current modern world into a book or a game that is set in a fantasy historical world. It also often means they have knowledge to the future events.
《成何体统》 How Dare You!? is not just another historical Chinese drama that features a transmigrator as the main character; it features multiple transmigrators.
I first discovered this series from a clip on social media from the animation (动画 – donghua), which showed two transmigrators speaking English to each other. This instantly caught my attention, and I went on to watch season 1 of the animation, which I absolutely loved!
The completed live-action was released before the full season 2 of the animation was released, so I had to binge-watch it.
Is 《成何体统》 How Dare You!? any different from other transmigration shows? Let’s discuss.
Synopsis
While riding the metro home from work, Wang Cui Hua unexpectedly finds herself in the world of the novel she was reading, where she crosses paths with another transmigrator—the emperor!
The two join forces to survive in a world full of scheming enemies and change the horrific future events awaiting them.
Along the way, they make many friends and alliances, and before long, they find themselves caring for these “book characters” more than they had expected.
A Fresh Take on the Transmigration Trope
As I mentioned before, the transmigration theme was once very popular, so popular that it was in almost every show. As much as I loved a modern-day person in a historical world, even I got a little bored with it after a while.
If it wasn’t for the multiple transmigrators, 《成何体统》 How Dare You!? would be just another ordinary drama, like all the other hundreds with the same theme.
Many of the twists and turns were related to the multiple transmigrators! It added some spark to the otherwise quite normal plot.
It’s definitely a drama worth watching. They speak English to each other and plan their world domination over a hot pot!! That alone is worth your time!
The side characters are the best
I really loved the side characters in 《成何体统》 How Dare You!?. They each had their own unique story, and they are a pleasure to watch.
There’s one that I particularly love, which is the servant to the male lead. I really wish I could say more, but it’ll be a huge spoiler.
What I can say is that I’m super glad they didn’t change this character and kept it the same as in the animation.
If you’ve seen it, you know who I’m talking about! Leave a comment below to let me know if you like them as well.
Far too animation-like
The acting direction appears heavily influenced by the animation released 9 months prior.
The show feels like a live-action re-enactment of the animation. Interestingly, the animation was not the original source; the show is based on a novel by Qi YingJun (七英俊) that shares the same name.
I remember this animation-like acting style was quite common between 2018 and 2020, but seeing it in 2026 is a little unusual. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad; it just took a little getting used to after not seeing this style for many years.
Incoherent costume direction
Aesthetics and costumes are major reasons why I’m attracted to historical Chinese dramas. I don’t often discuss bad costume designs, but I need to mention that the costumes in 《成何体统》 How Dare You!? lacks coherence.
《成何体统》 How Dare You!? is set in a fictional world, so there’s no need for historical accuracy, but that doesn’t mean that the female lead should dress like a fairy while everyone else dresses like a normal human in ancient China.
It’s quite jarring to see her look so different from everyone else. I know it’s so she stands out, but I feel she’s standing out for the wrong reason.
Difficulty for a Chinese learner
The language style in 《成何体统》 How Dare You!? is mostly modern (with some modern slang), with a little historical prose.
The major complexity lies in the many layers of the novel world; the novel’s original events are mixed with current events. All of it is conveyed through dialogue between the main characters. Understanding these layers is important to the plot and the characters.
That said, I would consider 《成何体统》 How Dare You!? an approachable show for second-language learners. Decent proficiency in Chinese is highly recommended.
My Final Thoughts
《成何体统》 How Dare You!? is worth watching because of the multiple transmigrators. It’s not very common, in fact, I’ve only ever seen something similar one other time in a short drama.
The transmigration trope is overdone, but multiple transmigrators are something I’d love to see more of.
If live-action drama isn’t really your thing, I recommend trying the animated version! The overall length is shorter, with shorter episodes. If you find it hard to sit through 40-minute episodes, the animation is the better choice.
The original book by Qi YingJun (七英俊) has actually been on my reading list for a very long time, so I’ll get around to it someday!
I have been really interested in watching this one for a while, but was worried my Mandarin level might not be up to the task as historical shows can still be quite difficult for me. It sounds more approachable than I was expecting – this might be the inspiration I need to give it a try!
You can always watch it with English subtitles. Tt’s still worth it because you’ll gain knowledge and similiarity in the genre which is just as important as understanding the language.