The Story of Ming Lan (2018)

Eripiyo is initially a woman leading a normal life until it is turned upside down after watching a performance of the minor idol group ChamJam, which leads her to becoming obsessed with one of its members, Maina Ichii. Despite Eripiyo's enthusiasm towards her, Maina is consistently the least popular member of the group, leaving Eripiyo to take it upon herself to buy a lot of Maina's merchandise, which mainly involves singles.

Due to her using almost all of her money to buy this merchandise, Eripiyo has only a single tracksuit she wears all the time. She frequently goes to ChamJam's concerts with her friends and fellow ChamJam fans: Kumasa, whose favorite is Reo Igarashi, and Motoi, who prefers Sorane Matsuyama. Eripiyo continues to work several part-time jobs to support Maina, and Maina herself increasingly becomes concerned that Eripiyo is pushing herself too hard for her.

Complex, strong leading ladies who marry into positions and create impact. Both dramas depict the social and family life during their respective times very well.

Although the dramas are set during very different time periods and in different parts of China, both are historical dramas that follow the story of a strong female character over time who become elevated to a status they didn’t initially seek, during a time when there is major transition in who is ruling the country. Both dramas very nicely showcase the entanglement of family and politics, and the complicated relationships between sisters. In both, the romance is present and important but still ultimately feels incidental to the growth of the main female lead, her development as an individual, and the broader storyline about stabilizing a country during a time of turmoil.

Ming Lan is a bit more slice of life and has more melodrama between wives and concubines, while Xiao Chuo focuses on life during the Liao Dynasty, the dynamics between the Khitans and the Hans.