captivating and tragic
Ashes of Love is a captivating series that masterfully intertwines a compelling narrative with breathtaking visuals and multifaceted characters. The storyline is so engaging that I often found myself binge-watching, unable to pause.The female lead, Jinmi, portrayed by Yang Zi, presents a duality that is both endearing and, at times, exasperating. In the first half of the series, she is charming and witty, delivering clever dialogues that add a delightful touch. However, as the plot progresses, her character becomes more somber and detached, displaying traits that made her a “love to hate” figure for me.
Deng Lun’s portrayal of Xufeng, the main male lead, is consistently enchanting. His character exudes charisma and passion, driven by emotion rather than logic. The chemistry between Xufeng and Jinmi is palpable, with their intimate moments radiating intensity.
Runyu, brought to life by Luo Yunxi, stands out as the most intriguing character. His gentle demeanor introduces a sense of tranquility to the scenes, resonating deeply with the audience. His dialogues are imbued with wisdom and sincerity, often leaving a lasting impression. The injustices he endures evoke empathy, and his eventual actions, though controversial, feel justified. It’s disheartening to see him labeled as the antagonist when his motives stem from a place of pain and retribution.
The supporting cast adds depth to the narrative, with characters like the Matchmaker and Yanyou providing memorable performances. The antagonists, particularly Sui He, elicit strong emotions, and while some find redemption, others remain unforgivable.
The original soundtrack complements the series beautifully, with its melancholic melodies enhancing the emotional depth of the plot.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the series, I rate it 9.5 out of 10. This slight deduction is due to Jinmi’s character arc, which, on a personal level, I found less relatable. However, this is a subjective observation and does not diminish the overall excellence of the series.
In conclusion, Ashes of Love is a mesmerizing blend of romance, fantasy, and drama, offering a rich tapestry of emotions and storytelling that lingers long after viewing.
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Let me say the entire cast is great!! Nobody is lacking in any way. Can we talk about the CGI and cinematography? Purely phenomenal. I am looking forward to more episodes of this. The FL is not the typical weak looking for the ML to save me kind of type even as she is naive and she played her role so well. Well, I am bias when it comes to Deng Lun so don’t ask lol. The storyline is awesome!!I basically cannot do anything when I watch this. Great shows this 2018. I am thrilled!
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So bad that even though I only used this as background noise while I worked, I dropped it.
Storyline: I cannot comment much on the plot because I dropped the title.Acting: Bad, so bad. Firstly, I want you to imagine pornstar level acting sort of bad, then there is Yang Zi which is an entirely new level. Her acting was so bad, I think she crafted her own level and unlocked the Bad Acting Endgame boss. Of course, if it was only her, I could have given it another shot. Deng Lun (having seen him in other roles) was only marginally better at this role. He was at par with his FL counterpart. The only salvation was Yun Xi, but even his charms couldn't save this show. I'm not even going to talk about the supporting cast cause what's the point?
Note: I even gave Yang Zi a second chance; I opened a clip of her as Madame White, in less than 10 seconds, I had to shut it. I was worried my eyes would stay permanently glued to the back of my skull with the intensity of my eyeroll. Holy fuck, she is incredibly annoying.
Music: Fine, I'll give you a 10, because I am feeling generous, only because of 不染, Sa Dingding and Mao Bu Yi.
Conclusion: Can we please hire proper actors? What happened to people who could act?
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The drama is not as good as they say
We can't deny that it's a classic, I even see several new fantasy dramas with references and some things similar to ashes of love. However, I thought that in some parts they wrapped up a lot, including some scenes you could go easy to move forward without missing anything significant in the story. In others, they passed in excess memories and flashbacks. I think that if there had been 30 episodes instead of 60, the story wouldn't have been dull and it would be much more interesting to follow. I also found myself several times preferring Run Yu to Xu Feng, and even rooting for Run to stay with Jin Mi.. I think for having watched until the end of the moon before ashes of love and loving Luo Yunxi's performance as Tantai Jin.One thing that bothered me in the story was the lack of development of some secondary characters. Mu Ci and Liuying's romance did not have enough development to like the couple, cheer and suffer for them. When the couple showed up I always went ahead because it was indifferent to me.
It's these details that made me not put ashes of love as one of my favorites. Despite being a classic, I think other more recent doramas (lost you forever, story of kunning palace, love between fairy and demon, until the end of the moon) won my heart more and this made me have a high evaluation rule especially in period/fantasy doramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
Xianxia and I aren't going to be friends
Rated= 4 ~ 15/50 ~ 3RPG Scene // Trolls wading through the Murky Swamp. My club is splitting.
I promised myself that if I can't make it through to the end, I'm crossing off Xianxia's in the future, unless Cheng Yi is involved. I only made it to the end of L&R through bias alone 😂 It's a genre I feel the culture clash in, really hard, and when you already have a belief system in place and notions of what a 'deity/immortal/God' is, it can be very difficult to watch a very human, politically motivated soap opera happen with divinities as the characters. And that's just the concept standing by it's self.
This follows the trend of every Xianxia, I've tried to watch before it. Visually, gorgeous. Everyone is fantastically dolled up in plastic head gear and fabulous costuming and I usually enjoy the lore. This time round there was a lot of emphasis on the elements and how that creates the true form of the Immortal and the elemental power they can wield. That's a fun idea. It also ties back to the title and the 'water and fire dont mix' mantra. Jinme is a frost flower, water, Xu Feng is a Phoenix, fire, and Run yu is a Water dragon. She is engaged to Run yu, water with water, but is supposed to fall in love with Xu Feng. The fire will burn her.
Likewise, her mother also shared a similar fate. She was a Lotus, in love with Jin Me's father, the Water deity, and had a tragic affair with the Heavenly Emperor, who is fire.
The costuming and the lore. That's what I love about the Xianxia genre. It's incredibility creative and I enjoy that. But that's where the love ends. Just like the characters, the Xianxia genre and I are different elements. I don't know which one, but we clash a lot.
This is not a case of 'go watch disney' kind of mentally. Without drama, there wouldn't be a story. That's the point of fiction, to be entertained, to be inspired, to find something within the story to hold dear to your heart as you travel through your own trials in life. But when the drama doesn't make sense or is clashing with your own outlook in life, you're not going to like the story for it has nothing to offer you.
One of my favourite characters, is the anti-hero. I like watching the underdog win. In this story, it's very clear from the start who the underdog is, so I'm going to adopt him very quickly and cheer for him, and that is our second ML, Runyu, played by the very elegant Luo Yun Xi, who I must say, I've only seen him in Till the End of the Moon, which I also dropped, and I've already got a little soft spot for him.
(I really hope he's not getting the Cheng Yi treatment and just forced to play the abused Prince all the time)
So when the plot eventually arrives around episode 8, I know that things are going to get really messy.
Our FL is our standard, so innocent but is really just the usual village idiot that these genres seem to like having. Massive LOL to her guardians, who are told she is to have a love trial and protect her from pain and they basically bubble wrap her so she has no emotional intelligence to protect her from foretold pain. The seal is meant to stop her from feeling romantic love not stop her from using her brain. She clearly has one, as she's bargaining for spiritual energy to help her friend, who sacrificed herself to save her. Understandable. She's not unfeeling, just blinded to romantic love. And she has to stay in the flower realm for 10 thousand years so that she doesn't experience her love trial. So of course that's not happening.
As the plot unravels, we see that Jinme is going to have a similar situation to her mother, only this time, has not one clue how to navigate it because she's been emotionally and spiritually suppressed by magically seals and her Guardians. Ahh, yes, the Immortal's Wisdom at play here.....huh?
Our ML is our typical self righteous, golden child who is pretty aloof at first but somehow falls in love with Jin me like he's never seen another woman before. Was it her talking about putting on weight on her chest? The feeding you kiss? Trying to eat his testicles when they first met? Was he seduced as opposed to love? A lot of sexual build up with these two, but no emotional. We as the viewer know that he's feeling something very intense. Jin me is completely oblivious but I was going with it. Let it unravel.
Back to Runyu, it is shown that he is also feeling something but the big thing for me here is that he's distant despite his affection. And it's a gentle affection, like a crush almost but he has an emotional wall up because he's engaged. I understand by ep 19 that he's clearly been neglected and abused and the Heavenly Empress is trying to find a reason to execute him because he's a threat to the throne. And I'm guessing 'her' throne, not the ML.
Why are we using the word 'deity' for a very, very human situation? I clash with this narrative.
My interpretation here is that, this promise of a wife, has been what he's held onto and has been embarrassed repeatedly that this promised wife wasn't even born yet. So when he discovers that it's the girl he's been crushing on, he is naturally over the moon that he finally won't be alone. It was a cold move the way he made sure to secure that promise but I understood it. That's not drama for dramas sake. That was a clever move. I applauded. Not even a few episodes later, in comes the ML with his manipulation because he's 'in love' and it's meant to be justified.
I know where this is going and the other low rated reviews just confirm it.
I'm going to be on Run yu's side no matter how far he falls later because I understand him. When he finally breaks, it will be him I will be crying for and not the so called 'good guys' who pushed him to that point. And this is where I realise that me and Xianxia aren't going to be friends, because here we are again. The relationship between the audience and the characters is what creates the support for a show and the emotional drive of the audience. I can't support an eternally dense FL who is that way because it's supposed to be cute and it drives the narrative. Or a ML who so far, is just determined to get what he wants. I have no other reason to feel empathic for him. I haven't been shown any, other than he's randomly obsessed with the FL for some reason. Much like his father.
Nor an Uncle who is also determined to get the ML the girl he wants. While ignoring the feelings of his other nephew simply because he said so. That's also very painful favouritism to the golden child that everyone loves. To hell with Run yu right?
I'm going to cheer for the character trying to keep his or her head above the water and for some reason, in Xianxia's that's always the so called 'Villain'. I've danced this dance before, I can already sense how the writing is going to go and I know I'm going to hate it because that's not what I'm looking for in a story.
I don't even want to say this is for a 'younger audience' even though it's a knee jerk reaction to do so because it 'feels' immature, and that's not fair to the younger generation. Life makes the person regardless of age.
The narrative is to support the main couple but all I see is sexual tension and that's not love.
I see the potential for an emotional bond with Run yu because that's where my emotional connection is. I don't care about the leads because I have no reason to and at episode 20, that's a bad sign. To know that the writing is just going to make a villain out of him, then I'm going to be a villain too and hate everyone with him, and be left disappointed with him.
Jin me's father, mother and the Wind deity is what you are looking for. That is real love, loyalty and friendship. Unless it changes later lol
Damn, this is long 😂
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A Song of Fire & Flower ♧ Ode to the Toxic Mother & the Emptiness Within °6.4° °good & bad°
AOL opens to a goddess giving birth & this is one angry goddess. Wronged by the baby-daddy, she commands everyone to keep the birth of her dtr, Jimni, a secret. Auguring a disaster in Jimni's first 10,000 years, she forbids her successors from allowing Jimni to leave The Flower Realm and also gives Jimni an elixir that blocks love: Love will only give her daughter pain. Zifen, the goddess, passes away on the birthing bed leaving a rift between The Flower Realm & the heavenly one. The flowers have disappeared from heaven & relations have faded. Raised as an orphan w/ lots of supervision but no family, the loquacious Jimni is lackluster in her cultivation & unmotivated in her studies. Jimni wants /escape/. She also wants to revive her lost friend, who was murdered. Jimni has preserved her spirit in a small potted plant, believing a supreme being in The Heavenly Realm can restore her fallen loved one. These are her wishes on a meteor Jimni sees shooting through the sky one night. Wait. That meteor is headed right at her! A partially roasted bird, that she takes for a crow, is all that Jimni finds at the sight of the crash. It's actually the emperor 's son, Xufeng, who is a phoenix. Jimni renders him assistance (of sorts) & finagles a ride w/ him back toThe Heavenly Realm where she's an instant hit.Don't judge Jimni too harshly. She's actually weak b/c her spirit has been blocked. No matter how much she practices, she can't get ahead. Over time, this has corraded her resolve & she's given up a bit. The Heavenly Realm is a new setting that injects fresh hope into Jimni. People there are exceedingly wealthy when it comes to spiritual prowess, & some of that begins to trickle her way. She begins leveling up by doing favors in exchange for power. She's totally cheating. Bully for her!
AOL is a 2018 release that is rated 8.2 on IMDB. It is 1 season consisting of 63 45-minute eps. Based on the novel, Heavy Sweetness Ash-like Frost (2009) by Dian Xian, AOL & the book it's based on seems to provide inspiration for 2 novels that were also made into shows: Ancient Love Poetry-8.6, & Love & Redemption-10. For that, I'm eternally thankful. As the latter two seem to be standing on AOL's shoulders, comparison isn't entirely fair. In the realm of personal taste, L&R currently holds 1st place as the best thing I've ever seen - despite the often clunky special effects. ALP takes the viewer on a painful journey & flirts w/ being over the top, but they pull it off. It's magnificent. Director Chu Yui Bun also has Who Rules the World & Under The Power-8.6 to his credit, along w/ other popular shows that are all on my watchlist. I want to see everything he's done - his work is of the highest caliber. His shows are technically outstanding but even moreso, they touch the heart. He may or may not have been involved w/ AOL. On most sites Cheng Feng is credited as the director; consistently 1 or 2 steps behind, he hasn't caught up to Chu Yui Bun yet, but he is successful nonetheless.
AOL is a great story, but not perfect. It has pacing issues, it lacks crispness & actually drags. It floats on the surface & does not delve into the depths. That's fine - not every show has to, but one reason Shakespearean tragedies are so popular is that they are cathartically satisfying. Real life is heartbreaking enough. I don't want to watch something that's going to grab my heart, stomp on it, and leave it to bleed out. I'll be straightforward & say that I didn't like AOL very much. Some parts I loved, but overall the show pales next to other fantasy pieces. I'm already spoiled. Seeing how popular AOL is, I feel quite out of place. I want to like it. I tried to like it. However, AOL is not congealed well. It languishes & drags, the plot isn't tight, the characters aren't engaging enough so it fails to pull in the viewer fully from an emotional standpoint and it doesn't sell the romance. Furthermore, what occurs is heartbreaking, yet my emotions remained 70%... detached? Suspended?. It began to feel like a pile of compost. It kept accumulating and nothing cleared it away. That's how AOL became a weight on top of me that provided no release. It ironically does to the viewer what Zifen did to Jimni! AOL takes a loooong time to pick up steam. eps1-9 are mostly set up that tickled the interest but failed to grab it.
When Jimni has to "do time" in the mortal realm, north of ep20, things get more interesting. Typically, earth is where all the fun is in a fantasy Cdrama. Quite often they mention the bland food in heaven & how Earth's food is much more savory. {This is reminiscent of how, in the West, we think of Heaven as sitting on a cloud w/ a harp. We just can't imagine it. I'll say to people of faith that if you believe God made this world w/ all the beauty, love & laughter in it (despite all the evil - that's another topic) you should be able to believe that if God says Heaven is better, it is better.} Anyway, in the human realm, Xufeng is a king & Jimni is a healer. Since the king has never taken a wife nor a consort she believes him to be impotent. He takes special exception to that rumor and he lets her know what's what. As he's falling for her and tries to win her over, he and his general liken the process to war, which leads to countless amusing analogies. Around halfway they provide fascinating backstory.
Back in heaven, though, it starts to drag again. I believed it would come together & be wonderful based on what I had read. It didn't. I ended up forcing myself to watch the final 20 eps 1-at-a-sitting to complete the deed. This is not to criticize anyone who loves AOL. Emotional connections are based on a myriad of factors, none of which have to do w/ technical excellence. There's plenty of awful stuff that I love to watch. Everyone is entitled to h/h own form of mindless entertainment. Technically, though, AOL is not at the level of Ancient Love Poetry, Love & Redemption, Love Between Fairy & Devil-8.9, The Romance of Tiger & Rose-9.8, The Sleepless Princess-9, Eternal Love-8.3, its sequel - Eternal Love of Dream-7.4, the action thrillers Handsome Siblings-8.7, Duoluo Continent-9.1, or Heavenly Sword & Dragon Slaying Saber-9, & it's not on the level of the period dramas The Rebel Princess-9, Under the Power-8.6, The Sword & the Brocade-8.6, The Rise of the Phoenixes-9, or even Overlord-8.4. I'll go out on a limb & say that even Once Upon a Time in Linglian Mountain-7.5 is better. With the benefit of hindsight, I would not choose to watch AOL for the first time, while I would watch any of the above shows again, & some I already have.
The characters are as likable as generic vanilla ice cream. The viewer cares about them, but those feelings are limited & the emotional investment tops out at mid-range. Many of these characters are irritating & I'm not very irritable. They're either too weak, too blind to the faults of those they love, too forgiving of evil when it suits them, too naive, or too quick to accept false choices. We see this in every drama, & the last two are common tropes in Cdramas, but there's a delicate balance between what one is able to brush aside & what starts obstructing enjoyment. Yang Zi is Jimni. She's got a dry quality that shows up in The Oath Of Love, one of the better modern-day Chinese shows. (China leads the world in imaginative fantasy, but their modern-day stuff is almost as bad as their fantasy & historical features are good). Simply likable, Yang Zi carries OOL. Going into AOL w/ such positive feelings about her carried me through many eps before I realized that I don't like her character very much. She isn't cute, she's not smart, she's not diligent, she's only marginally brave, & she's mostly bland. Just don't blame it on the actress.
Now for some Mosts: Wang Yi Fei plays Sui He, the empress's niece & the woman who feels that she's most entitled to marry the soon to be Crown Prince, Xufeng. She has the most beautiful eyes. She's an iceberg & adept at playing a loathsome character. Speaking of loathsome, Kathy Chow is queen b!+ch, Tu Yao / the Heavenly Empress. She's perfect for these roles. In Heavenly Sword & Dragon Slaying Saber, she plays a most domineering martial arts sect leader & she kicks butt! Most of her work was in the 80s & 90s. Chen Yu Qi is the most likable character as Liu Ying, the Bian Princess. You should see her in Heavenly Sword & Dragon Slaying Saber - She's fantastic. The character that tugged at my heart the most is Runyu, the Night Deity (Luo Yun Xi). His story is tragic; he never gets a fair shake. He becomes more and more like his father. It's understandable that Runyu gives up, but he certainly pulls an Anakin Skywalker: Once steeped in bitterness, he goes real bad real quick (that's a mini spoiler, but one can see it coming eps ahead of time. They painstakingly build his resentment. The dam cracks here & there, then it breaks. Does he stay that way? Not telling…). He Zhong Hua is Tai Wei, the Heavenly Emperor. He plays a completely different character, though also a ruler, in Love & Redemption. He looks quite a bit different (older) as well. Talk about most in-demand, since 2011 he's appeared in 3-6 shows/yr, and he's usually in a movie or two as well. How is that even possible? Cloning program?
Deng Lun is Xufeng/Phoenix/Fire Deity. He mostly looks like an Italian kid from South Philly. No complaints about his looks or his acting; he's solid. His character runs out of the baselines, however. The way Xufeng hangs on seems deranged. He pursues Jimni as if he's entitled to her w/o regard for his brother. While he's not wrong (Jimni does not love Runyu) his sense of entitlement & lack of perspective or empathy for Runyu is icky. Runyu's descent into a bitter quest for revenge is heartbreaking. If a story is going to break my heart, I need something back in exchange. AOL creates an unpaid debt to the viewer. The way Xufeng defends his mother is off the righthand path. We should be true to family, friends, & most of all our parents, but we should be most true to what is right. Otherwise, it's selfish indulgence. The emperor lived for selfish indulgence and, later, his sons did the same in their own ways. Xufeng acts like he owns Jimni and he expects his toxic, downright evil parents to be respected regardless of the heinous things they've done, while Runyu wants to kill everyone that crosses him, as is the case w/ most that obtain power. Being wronged doesn't make a person right. Wallowing in victimhood leads to the bad 7: discontent, ingratitude, anger, unforgiveness, hate, bitterness, & misery. They will turn the victim into the victimizer.
Emotions are much stronger than logic, but if we don't check them w/ a humble perspective they will create chaos & misery. Pretending a person's dirty is clean is just existing in lies. It all leads to Xufeng 's regret. He and his father drove his mother to act out. She is still fully responsible for her own stuff, but he contributed. Is there such a thing as loss w/o regret? Doubtful. It's very tricky: Taking on ALL the fault would be overstating his own importance which is another form of self-absorption.
Narcissistic mothers & toxic women drive the plot of AOL. The ambitions of the Heavenly empress for Xufeng have everything to do w/ what she wants & nothing to do w/ her son. They taint her outlook like mud smeared glasses. All she can see are things related to her, for her, & against her. Her niece, Suihe, is her disciple & follows suit. Runyu's birth-mother is near sadistic as she plots her devastating revenge. Zifen, Jimni's mother, utilized extreme measures to exert control as she left the world. Even the floral realm has a harshness to it, though their motives are mostly pure. One way people pass down trauma to their children is by overreacting to it & exerting hyper-vigilance. Not only does that hand a knife to the children (if they want to hurt their parents, they know exactly what to do) but it keeps a family enslaved to the ongoing pain.
Women & men are equal - they are equally guilty of toxic self-absorption. In AOL, the emperor is ultimately to blame. He married for power & pursued what he wanted every step of the way. He speaks of love, but he only loves himself. He never checked the empress b/c he couldn't be bothered. He created the incubator for the disease that spread later.
Narcissists tend to develop from imbalance - from spoiled or neglected children. Narcissistic behavior is handed down generationally & only results in bitter misery. It's a trap, & those who fall into it are enslaved and, in turn, enslave those in their sphere. Self-involvement is like a whirlpool: It's hard to escape once we get spinning inward. It creates appetites that can never be satisfied, leading to the bad 7. We don't need to love ourselves: We need to accept ourselves (imperfection is reality) & always strive to improve. Suihe is a good example. She wastes her life wanting something that clearly won't be hers. At the same time, instead of focusing on self-improvement which will lead to the right mate & true happiness, she works towards what she wants. One thing getting older has taught me is that people don't want the right things. I never wanted the right things. All I want now is to help others avoid some of the regrets that I have. A simple life of love & contentment w/ enough - but not too much - is the best we can hope for. Don't let wanting the wrong things rob you of love, peace & joy.
AOL is a visual banquet. Some of the sets are excessively busy; Flowerworld is almost too colorful, but there's no denying that they labored on the art of the show. What is fascinating is what looks like 1930's streamline design in the heavenly realm. Streamline is simplified Art Deco. The Russian designer, Vladimir Yourkevitch, birthed this look when he crafted the design for the SS Normandie. I don't know if the AOL set designers relied on traditional Chinese motifs or if they incorporated western elements, but there are objects of stunning and familiar detail in the show. Even traditional Greek block scrolling design lines many heavenly structures. (Evidence of a common human origin?). The mosaic lights at the bird realm are my favs. In one masterfully innovative shot, faces are reflected off of a drop of wine. They mention that something is made from ancient mithril - That's from JRR Tolkien's works! That connection gave me a thrill. The big battle scene is impressive. The soundtrack, particularly Sa Ding Ding’s song, is beautiful.
The viewer will smile here & there. He's a phoenix, son of the emperor & the most popular boy in the heavenly realm, but she calls him a magpie. That's once she generously stops calling him a crow. Unfortunately, there aren't many laughs. What goes on in AOL is very bitter. It gets dysfunctional, and we aren't provided with any elixir to help us manage it.
QUOTES📢
You judge me from a villain's perspective.
{She} involves her preconceived ideas in her words, which is a bit biased.
You know yourself least.
〰🖍 IMHO
📣68 📝68 🎭75 💓67 🦋71 🌞49 🎨65 ⚡60 🎵/🔊68 😅35 😭55 😱40 😯40 😖35 🤔44 💤48 🔚73
Age 12+ Language: hell &darnn; violence; references to sex & abusive situations; we see the start of a sexual assault - the woman is dragged away from the camera as she grabs at the ground.
Re-📺? No
In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:
Historical/Period:
The Romance of Tiger & Rose 9.8,
Overlord 8.4,
The Sleepless Princess 9.1,
Under the Power 8.6,
The Rebel Princess 9.1
Fantasy:
Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Love & Redemption 10;
Heavenly Sword 9.
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Not my cup of tea...
I must be the rare ones that don't like this drama. I've been putting this at the back of my "To watch list" and when I finally decided to watch it, it reminded me of a lot of xianxia Chinese novels that have Mary Sue female leads. She's got: naivety, dead mother that died because of a tragic love story, prince (male lead), tragic love story, and is a damsel in distress with plot-holes. This drama got lots of hyped, so I wanted to give it a try but it was just another typical same old story of other Chinese Drama's with the same genre. I've watched lots of Chinese fantasy Drama's (Legend of White Snake+other adaptions, Eternal Love, Princess Agents, Seven Fairies, Tian Xian Pei, Chinese Paladin, Chinese Paladin 3, The Journey of Flower, The Little Fairy, legend of condor heroes, The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, etc..I got a long list but I can't remember them atm) and read many Chinese Xianxia novels with this genre before, so there was nothing too special about this drama for me. I watched a few episodes and decided to drop it because I already knew how it was going to end.Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the actors. They have great talent and the cinematography+cgi was beautiful, but the plot didn't draw me in. And I think one of the reasons is because I've been reading novels that make fun of these type of female and male leads over the years that I just didn't like how the author wrote their characters in this story (*coughs* My Disciple Died Yet Again *coughs* you've opened my eyes and mind about white lotus *coughs*).
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Not my cup of tea
First of all, this is purely my own opinion, so toxic fans please go away.In my opinion the hype of this drama is really overrated. I might be an odd amongst all the supporters of this series.
Maybe the hype is because of the main actress and actor who's playing in this series, which I believe are quite famous in China. But nothing to offer to me
I am dropping this series after watching 5 episode.
Sorry to say, in my opinion there's nothing to offer from the series.
1. I am not a fans of both main lead.
2. The story is like nothing, well just boring, failed to make viewer engaged, it just missing something.
3. The editing is nice though.
I have a high expectation from all the good reviews supported by the famous main lead, but well this is really really far beyond the amazing reviews out there.
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The lead actress’s acting is overdone in a lot of scenes, the lead actor - meh >_> lacking the charisma, so far, the god of night was the only one stand out. plus the usual tropes in literally every scene -.-
I felt increasing bored as the minute goes on. Too much yapping, music is forgettable, the ending theme song has this kinda annoying voice but good backtrack, though I wouldn’t sticking around to finish hearing that song either. CGI is kinda bad, not great details, maybe if you have no life and could sit there to watch another 10hrs for it to get better, then give it a try?
For people who have watched a lot of xianxia/wuxia series, it is nothing they haven’t seen before
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Meu drama favorito
Essa é uma história emocionante que vai te fazer, rir, chorar e se sentir vivendo um grande romance! A forma como os personagens e o trama é desenvolvida prende a audiência do início ao fim em um dos dramas mais bem desenvolvidos que já assisti! Os atores fizeram um trabalho incrível em explorar todos os lados das personalidades dos personagens à tela, trazendo à vida personagens multifacetados e nos mostrando a humanidade deles. O drama é um show de emoções! Vale totalmente a pena ver!Was this review helpful to you?
GUARDA COME DIVENTO CATTIVO
Se si vuole vedere un fantasy pieno di intrighi, complotti, colpi di scena e buoni effetti speciali consiglio la visione perché questi aspetti meritano un bel 10 pieno, sarebbe una sorta di game of thrones asiatico casto , privo di passione, sensualità e sesso (che penso lo avrebbero reso più interessante).Se invece sperate in una storia d'amore strappa lacrime, vi dico che c'è, c'è anche il triangolo amoroso e ce ne è più di una ma di amore in 60 puntate c'è più un'idea , attraverso dialoghi e struggimenti, le scene d'amore reali in una serie così lunga sono davvero poche, molto poche (in proporzione).
Pertanto consiglio per la storia ma non per la storia d'amore. Finale non deludente (questo conta tanto) .
Interpretazione magistrale del Dio della Notte, che secondo me ha convinto proprio attraverso questo drama e la sua figura del demone di till end of moon prende spunto da qui.
Luo Yunxi è stato in grado di trasmettere le complesse motivazioni di Runyu, facendoti empatizzare con lui, ma anche sentirti sempre più a disagio con ciò che fa. Triste è la sua fine nonostante è ovvio che sia un tentativo di redenzione.
Ho letto nelle recensioni che l'eccezionalità di questo drama sono gli effetti speciali e vi dico sì, ha una bellissima fotografia ma certi effetti sono stati migliorati nel 2024 , e ne decantano il fatto che non annoia mai. Invece su questo devo dissentire, molte scene le troverete inutili, cioè dei riempitivi che nulla aggiungono e tolgono alla storia e in una serie così lunga potevano alleggerire o essere utilizzati per creare qualche momento in più nella relazione amorosa tra i personaggi, specialmente gli episodi dal 22 al 33 io li ho trovati molto più lenti e ho rallentato il binge , passando alla visione di soli 3 episodi al giorno, perché ho trovato tutto troppo trascinato , senza slanci romantici che mi potessero aiutare ad apprezzarne la visione.
La storia d'amore tra i due attori principali mi ha convinto solo in parte, bei dialoghi ma in certi momenti poco credibili, sia lui che lei.
COLONNA SONORA WOW, c'è anche la cantante Sa ding ding nel cast, e ho apprezzato molto la sua presenza perché devo dire è stata brava, una o due canzoni invece son cantate dalla protagonista,
DO 9 PER LA RECITAZIONE e gli EFFETTI SPECIALI, LA FOTOGRAFIA E LA SCENOGRAFIA. Come drama complessivamente dovrei dare 8.
COSA NON E' ANDATO: Lunghezza del drama, se c'è qualcosa da dire e da rappresentare ben vengano i 60 episodi, anche 70 ma qui è stato un trascinarsi con scene che nulla aggiungevano anzi rallentavano e appesantivano.
La protagonista può risultare fastidiosa all'inizio, molti hanno droppato e anche a me all'inizio è riuscito difficile seguirla perché non è solo ingenua ma anche stupidissima e molto egocentrica. Compirà un interessante evoluzione.
La storia d'amore tra Jinmi e Xufeng mi ha quasi fatto venire voglia di sbattere la testa contro il muro per porvi fine. La loro storia d'amore è fondamentalmente un corri-scappa e rincorri per circa 60 episodi! TOO MUCH! Molte scene avrebbero potuto essere tagliate, molti dei mini archi narrativi avrebbero potuto essere più succinti. Molti personaggi hanno archi narrativi ripetitivi.
NOTA DOLENTISSIMA: LA traduzione è automatica e molto confusa, non vorrei sembrare ingrata dato che è un lavoro fatto da volontari ma penalizza troppo la visione (errori grammaticali, discorsi senza senso o sgrammaticati per almeno il 40% della serie), motivo per cui non vedrò altri lavori tradotti da questo team, scusate , avete rovinato un capolavoro .
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Una vera sorpresa!
Ammetto di essermi inserita nel genere xianxa da poco e di non essere una vera appassionata di drama cinesi.Però, wow, mi sono dovuta davvero ricredere sul genere!
Nonostante la mole di episodi, non mi sono annoiata per nulla durante tutto il percorso dei protagonisti.
Trama: credo che il genere debba piacere per poter apprezzare davvero la serie.
Se non vi interessano storie di divinità e intrecci tra bene e male, cambiate rotta.
Se invece siete dubbiosi semplicemente per via della gran quantità di episodi, vi consiglio di provare come ha fatto la sottoscritta, non ve ne pentirete.
È tutto piuttosto veloce e inserito al proprio posto, motivo per cui non vi ritroverete a saltare parti su parti di discorsi vuoti e scene di poca importanza.
Questa è una delle cose che ho gradito maggiormente: di norma sono restia ad approcciarmi ai drama cinesi proprio perché ho notato che tendono ad allungare il brodo aggiungendo scene che servono poi poco ai fini della trama.
I colpi di scena sono molti, ma senza cadere nel banale e sono comunque accompagnati dai percorsi di ciascun protagonista.
Aggiungo qui l’elogio per gli effetti speciali che mi hanno davvero colpita positivamente.
Mi sono ritrovata quasi sempre a seguire accuratamente ogni scena d’azione, proprio perché affascinata dagli elementi fantastici inseriti. Uno spettacolo per chi come me non ha mai colpo appieno il senso di tutto quel finto volteggiare in aria.
Qui invece devo dire che non c’era mai nulla fuori posto o eccessivamente esagerato, anzi i combattimenti magici sono risultati proprio belli da vedere.
Recitazione: devo dire che gli attori hanno fatto un lavoro fantastico dall’inizio alla fine, anche se personalmente ho apprezzato maggiormente l’interpretazione del protagonista maschile, il Dio del Fuoco. L’attore ha una presenza scenica che fa paura e ti spinge a seguire con attenzione ogni sua scena.
Ho apprezzato di meno la protagonista femminile a cui a mio parere mancava un po’ di anima e trasporto, specie all’inizio con alcuni aspetti che a mio avviso la facevano sembrare un po’ infantile.
Poi la storia si complica, i colpi di scena aumentato e così anche la loro bravura e intensità.
Complicità protagonisti: questa è una di quegli aspetti che ricerco molto quando seguo il percorso delle coppie. Ci deve essere per rendere la storia realistica, ecco.
Qui c’è senza dubbio, anche e soprattutto grazie all’attore protagonista, Deng Lun, che è stato davvero una rivelazione.
Non è solo palesemente attraente, ma ha quel carisma che ti obbliga a seguirlo costantemente durante le scene e a ricercarlo con impazienza.
La complicità è palpabile fin da subito, anche se sono dell’avviso che sarebbe potuta essere ancora meglio se l’attrice protagonista ci avesse messo quel pezzetto di cuore in più.
Per carità, sono stati ottimi entrambi, diciamo solo che dopo aver assistito al coinvolgimento dei protagonisti di Eternal love (che straconsiglio!) l’asticella si è alzata.
Ad ogni modo ogni loro scena romantica è comunque un colpo al cuore.
Emozioni: ashes of love trasmette davvero molte emozioni. Meraviglia, ansia, confusione, eccitazione, curiosità… senza dimenticare le palpitazioni.
È un sali e scendi, un giro sulle montagne russe che dura fino alle ultime battute.
Musiche: beh, che dire, solo che le sono andate a cercare subito dopo aver terminato la serie.
Ost stupenda e sempre azzeccata alla scena.
Love triangle: ebbene se non vi piace, questo drama non fa per voi, dato che è uno degli elementi che impregna la serie.
Devo dire che nonostante sia un’appassionata di storie che presentano il rituale di due uomini che si contendono la bella di turno, alla lunga ha un po’ stancato anche me. Il terzo in comodo più che un amore coltiva una vera e propria ossessione per la protagonista, facendo scendere il più delle volte il livello di romanticismo.
Poi, però, per fortuna in scena torna il Dio del Fuoco che riporta tutto al proprio posto, per cui dategli comunque una chance.
Skinship: anche questo è un’elemento che in genere conto di vedere in una drama che promette una componente romance.
Qui è presente, anche se, ribadisco, dopo aver visto Eternal love, ho dovuto rivalutare per forza di cose. Non tanto per la presenza di scene più passionali, quanto per l’intensità dei protagonisti.
In Ashes of love mi è sembrato leggermente più delicato, con sfioramenti di labbra e qualche abbraccio.
Poi dipende sempre dal gusto personale e da cosa si ricerca: personalmente cerco proprio quelle scene che ti fanno mancare il fiato, senza sfociare nel volgare ed eccessivo.
Ending: non tragica, e questo è naturalmente un punto di forza che mi fa sicuramente dire che lo riguarderò non appena ne avrò la possibilità.
Lo consiglio assolutamente, anche per chi come me non ha tutta questa affinità con la cinematografia cinese.
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