The Legends

Evil is just the Absence of Good

Sometimes I really need some hardcore romance besides the rom-coms I usually watch with their tongue-in-cheek love. This is one of those moments, and I am really satisfied with The Legends. This series has it all, outstanding headstrong characters, their own private history, High Fantasy, the Great Battle between Good & Evil, and last but not least the beautiful chemistry between the main couple, that starts unconsciously, shy, sweet and fizzes on the screen at times.

Summary
This drama has been adapted from a popular novel about divine sects who fight for the power in the pugilistic world.
The main story is about Lu Zhao Yao. Her grandfather’s sect is responsible for the guarding of the demon king’s son. This mystic person, later called Li Chen Lan, is unkept, covered with magic runes on his face. He lives chained, hidden and abandoned in the mountain because of his incredible evil powers he hasn’t mastered yet. No one is allowed to see him.
One time Zhao Yao meets, and saves, the good looking Luo Ming Xuan, the divine leader of the immortal ten sects. He becomes her shining example in life. She adores him and promises to live and fight for the good cause, using her powers to protect the defenseless.
Later she’s really shocked to find out Luo Ming Xuan is behind the nearing execution of the demon king’s son. True to her word she comes to the rescue of the demon king’s son, because he is defenseless and hasn’t done anything wrong (yet). So after a huge fight, that kills her own grandfather, she instantly becomes the arch enemy of the whole Good Sect Alliance, swearing she will be evil henceforth, if those hypocritical leaders call themselves good.
She hides away in the mountains, together with the very shy demon king’s son who adores her from now on, giving him the nicknames Mo Qing/Little Monkey-Monster.
They set up their own sect, the Wanlu sect, that leans towards unconventional sorcery and devilry to make it possible for common people to live a happy life without the bigotry of the so-called Good Sects. An all consuming war is the result, with many events that lead to wrong assumptions about love, good and evil for everyone involved.

The Good
One big plus of this series is the achievement of the cast. Not only the main actors, but also the other actors act very naturally with the exception of Zhang Xin. She plays the role of the lively Lu Shi Qi who has a crush on the aloof, holy Qin Qian Xian (Li Zi Feng) tending too much towards the archetype frolic Chinese girl, but I forgive her because she’s a funny sidekick.
Bai Lu shines as the kick ass heroine with all her moods and flaws. Never did she outplay her co actor Xu Kai. He skillfully navigates between the shyness and anger of his character Mo Qing/Li Chen Lan who sees Zhao Yao as the anchor and moral compass of his life.
I also liked the music and the scenery of hidden places like the snowy mountain, and the Feng Shui hideout of the main couple.

The Bad
I wonder how great Chinese drama truly can be, this series in particular, if the makers could change their style of writing and editing. Can somebody please explain what is wrong with the Chinese filming industry? I know there's censure, but the novels are okay, why don't they use the original storylines for a change? Honestly, the Chinese filming industry could use the Hollywood Closure as a model. Whether the ending is good or bad, I don't care... as long as there's a sound and fulfilling ending.

The Verdict
Sorry for my rant, but my frustration runs deep. In short: the end of this series isn’t as good as its beginning. Nevertheless I strongly recommend The Legends. This series has many interesting characters, an interesting Yin &Yang theory about the concept of Good & Evil, and heart fluttering moments. Enjoy!

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THE CHEMISTRY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD

Ok so a lot of people have talked about Xu Kai and Bai Lu's chemistry and I'm just gonna carry in on because DANG. Like seriously their acting doesn't even seem like acting when they're all loved up by each other. Sometimes it makes me smile too much my teeth get cavities, but oh well it's worth it lol, as it's now one of my all-time favs.
Story: 8.5/10
I loved the beginning of the drama but it kinda took a downfall near the end. I get it's because a lot of people requested that the drama be lengthened but it didn't need to go from a 30-ish episode drama to 56 dang episodes with a lot of fillers. They also showed the antagonists more than the protagonists (which is why my finger was constantly on the fast forward button). I also didn't like how confusing the ending was like it was so out of order. And the scene with the kids wasn't really necessary-or if it had to be in there the roles could've at least been swapped (daughter is like Mo Qing and son is like Zhao Yao). I did like all their character developments though.
Acting: 10/10
Like I said before: THE CHEMISTRY IS JUST SO AMAZING IDK HOW TO FULLY DESCRIBE IT IN WORDS. The way Xu Kai and Bai Lu look at each other and the way they interact just makes me want to scream. I especially love Bai Lu's character, Zhao Yao. She is such a bada** QUEEN that doesn't actually need a man to save her. Xu Kai's character could've been a little better as he was a cold and distant sect leader that's only soft spot was Zhao Yao, like maybe a little better characterization and I'm sure Xu Kai would've aced it too. I also loved how well Xiao Yan could portray both a bold and fearless Zhao Yao and a cowardly and pushover Qin Zhi Yan so effortlessly. The other actors also portrayed their characters extremely well and I was easily convinced that that was who they were on screen and off.
Music: 6.5/10
I don't feel like I really need to explain this. I just didn't really like their OST that much but that's just my personal taste.
Rewatch Value: 9.0/10
I'd mainly rewatch it for the chemistry of the main leads (as I am now a loyal shipper of YaoLan). I would probably watch the beginning and middle but kinda skip some things in the end.
Overall Rating: 9.0/10
As I've said, the chemistry. Despite the terrible editing, OST, some audio errors, fillers, and confusing ending, I still found it enjoyable to watch. I liked the idea of the "good" side actually being bad and the "bad" side actually being good, it was a very nice flip. So if you like a bada** female lead, fun characters, and the main couple having more chemistry than the periodic table, then I would definitely recommend watching this.

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longing and strife

I started the legends for bai lu and I honestly was expecting it to be pretty good cause the synopsis + bai lu!! but wow it was INCREDIBLE like everything in the drama was sooooo well done the outfits the fight scenes the dialogues the parallels the way the plot moved along for the most part. I personally didn’t really know much about xu kai and didn’t expect anything from him but he was AMAZING like wow his acting was SO good definitely will tune in for his other works cause the way he acted in this is just beyond words good. The chemistry of the leads was sooooo good and the longing portrayed by wu kai could be felt so well they managed to get friends to enemies to lovers on bai lu’s character but for him he always loved her and it was sooooo cute omg I adored it he really loved her soooo much like omg i’m in tears. I loved all the characters even the evil ones kudos to all that acted in this drama cause everyone did their job perfectly in my opinion!!!! tho it did drag slightly for me towards the very last half of the drama it wasn’t that bad and getting past that is definitely worth it!!! wish we saw more of them in the future but i’m happy with the ending too :) honestly definitely is going into my face wuxia watched list and tho it’s low on rewatch value for me just cause i feel like u just cant reexperince all the scenes again i definitely will rewatch it sometime!

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Good until it's not

I've got to say I've skipped the majority of the show because of pointless storylines that I could not bring myself to watch.
I also watched this drama for the main lead. Both of them did a great job and the chemistry was really good.
I know this drama was made in 2019 but some of the VFX are awful.
I had to put an overall 6.5 rating for this show since up until episode 40 the story is actually really interesting. I've found myself actually enjoying the two FML and laugh quite a lot. But after those episodes, the show just descend. The 4 last episodes are also so confusing and badly edited. I'm still very confused.
I would say that if you want to still watch the show, go for it. Maybe prepare yourself first on skipping some part and the last part of the show.

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I really loved Bai Lu's acting in this movie... in the beginning she was sooo #BOSS as zhaoyao. I was disappointed that later on she was so dependent on mo qing....I really felt like they should have made her more able to stand on her own after she supposedly regained her powers.

The drama suffered toward the end with transitions and weird jumps....the editing and transitions at the end were somewhat confusing but nowhere as bad as in The Journey of Flower which is also a good watch.

The ending with their children should have been played by other actors it was just confusing, but overall the storyline was good.

The whole transcending into a butterfly thing still left me conflicted...I mean he became a BUG lol... whatever!

This does technically have a happy ending, which is the most important thing for me when I watch cdramas...or I end up depressed for days.

Anyways, a good watch especially if you love staring at Xu Kai ????

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this drama is fantastic.....im watching it for the second time still cant get over cute moqing and zhao yao. the editting is bad and ep 52 is a bit confusing. you need to watch it twice to understand it......but stillll.......the story is so good......the MC will keep you hooked up. i am satisfied that its a happy ending.despite the bad editing they will be my fav couple and it will be my fav drama of 2019
the first 3 episode are bit slow but then it will keep you hooked up.............and then as the story unfolds and the chemistry that builds up between the two leads is just awesome.
there are only a few osts........but the ost with a piano beginning is so good. the song is about zhao yao's struggles and her life.
here are some sweet lines between zhao yao and mo qing
1.
ZY: little ugly monster are you even jealous of little seventeen
MQ: i just want to hide you away
2.
ZY: lets chase luo ming xuan. i dint climb out of an abyss to come and play
MQ:if you want to fight i will be your sword. if u want to retreat i will be your shield
3.
ZY:shifu why did u help me when u knew the truth
MQ:when my heart is my lead...i cannot control it

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Great start but eh…

It took me a few tries to really get into this since it didn’t seem to be anything new.. the beginning was weird.. it went really fast but slow. It surprisingly was pretty good the first half. Some of xu Kai’s earlier work obviously can’t compare to recent ones.

The plot felt familiar but was diff at the same time if that makes sense. I finished the first half fairly quick but the second part seemed so slow. The strong character that was shown in the beginning somehow did a good 180.. it was also during the time where she realized she was in love. I dunno that bothered me a lot cause due to love she became subdued?? Eventually towards the very end she did manage to get back her spark.

There were also a lot of plot holes and inconsistency in both main and side plots.
What made it even more confusing are the three diff versions… one showed all scenes, one cut out a lot then other I just have no clue…


But yeah if you have some extra time I would least watch first half then read recaps on second. Although the recaps might be confusing due to the three diff edits.

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I tried very hard to like this drama.

I read the reviews. I liked the actors. Love Xu Kai, and I can take Bai Lu (just watched her in Song of Youth). Their chemistry was really good, and their interactions with the other actors was pretty good too. Good cast, solid performances overall. But some of the characters were REALLY annoying and I fast-forwarded through their scenes a lot, as well as in the middle when the same plotline was repeated over and over again. Irritating every time.

Fav. characters: Li Chen Lan, Sima Rong, Qin Qian Xian, Gu Han Guang, Liu Cang Ling, Shen Qian Jin, Jiang Wu (the character I loved to hate).
Most irritating characters: Lu Shi Qi (she wins the prize), Yue Zhu (the wooden girl), Qin Zhi Yan, Lin Zi Yu (the character I hated the most).

I stuck with the entire drama because I really wanted to see how it ended - and like everybody else who has reviewed this series, the ending was disappointing in its execution. When your viewers stick with you, the least you can do is offer them an ending that is not rushed or chopped up. Also, I get that everybody can't have a happy ending, but this one was really lousy with making all the couples unhappy and alone (or dead).

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Good in the beginning, but story getting weaker toward the end.

It started with a very interesting story and characters. I love the chemistry between zhaoyao and moqing. Their acting are really good. After half of the movies, it feels likr they purposely make it longer. Instead of 55/56episodes, I think it will be better if the make it 30 episodes. Especially ep 50 till end, to many sudden changes in scene that makes me confuse and to many recap from previous scene. The ending also to hanging, after all mq and zy experience, theg deserve clear happy ending. To many death in the end. Hanguang and qin qianxian was unnesessary death. The last scene where they show two of mq / zy kids was unreal since they use the same charcters and same clothes from the earlier episode. It is hard to imagine them as siblings.

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its XU KAI's BEST

OMG how many awards did Xu Kai receive from this Series... its his BEST.... i admire him in Arsenal but here he is really good...
WHAT I LIKE:
> the story is not too complicated... The Actors did a great job.... Xu Kai & Bai Lu is always perfect pair to watch....
WHAT I DISLIKE:
> there are some scene unrealistic specially towards the last 3 eps but its ok its only few.... also the ending...its happy but i was hoping that the director elaborate more on how he comes out after meditation...i want more of them...
I hope to see more of Xu Kai & Bai Lu series... sadly they dont have i think sched upcoming.... sad me....

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"The Legends wasn't ruined by its ending—it simply deserved a better one."

I started The Legends because of Bai Lu and Xu Kai. After watching several of their newer dramas, I wanted to see the series that made them one of the most beloved on-screen pairings in C-drama.

The first twenty episodes completely lived up to the hype.

Lu Zhaoyao instantly became one of the most unforgettable female leads I've watched. She wasn't introduced as the typical kind-hearted heroine waiting to be protected. She was bold, arrogant, fearless, ridiculously overpowered, and charismatic enough to make every scene feel alive. Bai Lu absolutely owned the role. From the moment she appeared, she truly felt like the Demon Queen everyone feared.

Then there was Li Chenlan.

At first, he seemed quiet, timid, and almost invisible beside Lu Zhaoyao's overwhelming personality. But somewhere along the way, he quietly became the emotional heart of the entire drama.
Xu Kai deserves tremendous credit for his performance.

Li Chenlan isn't the type of male lead who constantly declares his love through grand speeches. Instead, he expresses it through actions. Every sacrifice, every silent decision, every painful choice he made for Lu Zhaoyao felt sincere. Without trying to dominate the screen, Xu Kai gradually turned Li Chenlan into one of the most memorable male leads I've watched.
The chemistry between Bai Lu and Xu Kai was effortless.

Their relationship wasn't built through endless romantic scenes or physical affection. It grew through trust, misunderstandings, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Their love story felt mature because it wasn't about who loved more—it was about two people continuously choosing each other despite everything standing in their way.

Visually, The Legends has aged remarkably well.
The costumes, soundtrack, cinematography, and action choreography still hold up beautifully despite being released in 2019. The world felt immersive, and the darker atmosphere suited the story perfectly.

Another thing I genuinely appreciated was how the drama blurred the line between good and evil.

Rather than portraying immortals as automatically righteous and demons as naturally evil, it constantly questioned those labels. Some of the cruelest people wore the title of "righteous cultivator," while several demons displayed more humanity than those supposedly protecting the world.

Luo Mingxuan perfectly represented that irony.
He wasn't terrifying because of his strength.
He was terrifying because he genuinely believed every terrible thing he did was justified.
His obsession with righteousness slowly transformed him into the very monster he claimed to fight.

Jiang Wu was another pleasant surprise.
For most of the drama, I saw him as an obsessive antagonist whose unhealthy love for Lu Zhaoyao caused nothing but destruction. Yet by the end, the writers revealed a tragic loneliness beneath all that madness.

His final sacrifice...

"I lived because of you... and died because of you."

...became one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire series.

It didn't erase his sins.
But it made him unforgettable.

Unfortunately...
This is where my praise begins to fade.

My biggest disappointment wasn't the story itself.
It was the execution of the second half.
After Lu Zhaoyao's resurrection, the drama never fully recaptured the excitement of its opening episodes. One of its greatest strengths was introducing an incredibly powerful female lead, yet a significant portion of the story was spent watching her weakened. While I understood the narrative reason behind it, I constantly found myself missing the unstoppable Demon Queen from the beginning of the series.

Qin Zhiyan's storyline also overstayed its welcome.
I kept hoping her character would grow into someone stronger after everything she experienced, but she remained one of the least engaging parts of the drama. Instead of increasing the emotional weight, her arc often slowed the story's momentum.

The pacing became an even bigger issue during the final arc.
Ironically, it wasn't because nothing happened.

It was because too much time was spent delaying what everyone was already waiting for.
Every episode teased the final battle.
Every episode made it feel like the climax was finally about to begin.
Yet another conversation...
another flashback...
another emotional pause...
another subplot...
would immediately interrupt the momentum.

By Episode 50, I wasn't bored.
I was simply asking the drama...
"Can we finally get to the ending?"
Then the final battle actually arrived...
...and it felt surprisingly short.

After spending more than fifteen episodes preparing for the ultimate confrontation, I expected a large-scale, emotionally devastating climax.

Instead, the battle ended much faster than I anticipated, while the drama continued to devote more time to dialogue and repeated flashbacks than to the actual conflict itself.
The imbalance between build-up and payoff became impossible to ignore.

Another issue that frustrated me was Li Chenlan's inner demon.
For nearly the entire drama, it was treated as the central conflict.
We were repeatedly told there was no cure.
Huang Gu spent his life searching for a solution.
Li Chenlan constantly lived under the shadow of eventually losing himself.
Yet the actual resolution came almost at the very end—with very little explanation.
After investing fifty-five episodes into that storyline, I honestly expected a clearer and more emotionally satisfying resolution.
Instead, it almost felt like...
"It's gone now."
That was it.
Even the five-year time skip left me wanting more.
Rather than allowing viewers to enjoy the happiness the characters had fought so hard to earn, the ending rushed through its emotional payoff.
And then...
the final scene.
Instead of giving us a simple glimpse of Li Chenlan and Lu Zhaoyao happily living together, the drama introduced children portrayed by Bai Lu and Xu Kai themselves.
While I understand the symbolic intention, it honestly left me more confused than emotional.

For a moment, I even questioned whether I was watching reincarnations, siblings, or their children.

After fifty-five episodes, I wished the ending had simply allowed the original characters to enjoy the peace they had sacrificed everything to achieve.
Despite all these frustrations...
I never once thought about dropping the drama.

One thing about me is that I'm still relatively new to C-dramas. Just over three months ago, I spent most of my free time cycling, hiking, and chasing outdoor adventures. C-dramas started as something I casually watched during work breaks until The Untamed completely changed everything. Since then, I've built a watchlist of more than 160 dramas and finished over forty titles.

Among all of them...

The Legends became one of my biggest "what could have been" dramas.
Not because it was bad.
Quite the opposite.

Because it had all the ingredients to become one of my all-time favorites.

It had unforgettable leads.

Outstanding performances.

Beautiful music.

Great cinematography.

Meaningful themes.

A fascinating moral conflict.

And one of Xu Kai's finest performances.
Unfortunately, its uneven pacing and underwhelming finale prevented it from reaching the masterpiece it had every opportunity to become.

I will always remember The Legends for Li Chenlan's quiet devotion, Lu Zhaoyao's unforgettable charisma, and the incredible chemistry between Bai Lu and Xu Kai.

I just wish the ending had rewarded those characters—and the viewers—with the same care that the beginning of the story did.

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My first bailu drama ~ made me a huge fan

Loved this show bc we had a strong FL who's spunky and how morality was betrayed! She used her strength to save others being hurt by those considered virtuous. Her chemistry with XK was great and loved that her initial goal of creating the WanLu sect was her main goal and Mo Qing was dutifully helping her and they didn't fall in love at first sight. The first half was my favorite, some parts dragged at the second half for me, and some editing or directing choices were questionable. I think I'm biased cause this is one of my first cdramas so i'm more attached to Zhao Yao. Hope Bailu can have another role like Zhao Yao - the red look with the hawk is iconic. I'm still obsessed with the ost 招摇 <3

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