Alchemy

Passing as a man is an old trope that appears in many period dramas, and there were several instances of this in 2020. Period dramas like "The Lady's Book of Alchemy", "Sweet Medicine", and "My Fair Pretty Teacher" all revolve around the theme of women dressing as men. However, most of these instances are easily identifiable as women, with only the male disguise of the main character in "The Lady's Shadow" being convincing enough to make people think she was actually a man. Here are nine instances of female leads passing as men in 2020 period dramas! The disguise of Ju Jingyi in "My Fair Pretty Teacher" is extremely unconvincing, while Tan Songyun in "Under the Power" is both handsome and cute! The recent period drama "Jiannan Biography", starring Ju Jingyi, has been a hot topic, particularly for her costume design in the show. Her portrayal of a woman dressed as a man has drawn criticism from netizens for being too beautiful and not convincing. The trope of women dressing as men is common in period dramas but often seems contrived, as it is clear they are women. Below are some examples of 'ineffective' disguises in period dramas; actresses like…