A Record of A Mortal's Journey to Immortality (2025)

Yangyang Shines in The Immortal Ascension

okay, well, i'm sorry before-hand, but i only know and here for YANGYANG in this drama, so this review is gonna be me simping over him throughout cause he is just fantastic in the drama. Firstly, Yangyang delivers a captivating performance in the ongoing C-drama *The Immortal Ascension*, effortlessly embodying the complex duality of strength and vulnerability in his character. His on-screen presence is magnetic, blending stoic elegance with emotional depth, making every scene he’s in unforgettable. I am especially praising his intense fight sequences and the nuanced way he portrays his character’s internal struggle with destiny and morality. With each episode, Yangyang proves he’s not just a visual standout but a truly versatile actor carrying the emotional weight of this xianxia epic.
Overall, As The Immortal Ascension continues to unfold, Yangyang's performance remains a highlight, drawing me and everyone watching or gonna watch deeper into the mystical world of cultivation and sacrifice. With his compelling portrayal and undeniable charisma, he’s not just winning battles on screen—he’s winning hearts off screen too. I can’t wait to see where his journey takes him next. I LOVE YOU YANGYANG

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He meets and learns from you, or He kills and takes from you

It’s been a while since Yang Yang shows up on my screen and I miss this handsome guy. Of course, I have to check out “The Immortal Ascension” as he’s looking gorgeous and I am hungry for good wuxia with fight scenes. However, I was warned of 2 things about this drama - 1) CGI and 2) Romance

I would NOT recommend you watch this drama if you:
1. Can’t stand below-average CGI. Most newer xianxia has beautifully created cinematography with high definition and super colorful screens. If you are used to that and can’t lower your expectations, then don’t watch this drama. Aside from a few excellent battles, it’s pretty bad, especially when the characters are ‘flying’.

2 Only want a good romance storyline because all the unrequited love plotlines in this drama suck!! I personally do not like any of the female characters who have a crush on ML. Their stories are unimportant and repetitive, and one of them is super annoying. The one I was rooting for ended up having the least amount of screen time and acted like a lovesick girl when she’s supposed to be this badass goddess.

3. Only want to watch this because of the cast not named Yang Yang. This is Han Li’s (ML) story and the focus is on him. Everyone else is in a supporting or guest role, and that includes Gina Jin and Wang Duo. If you are not a fan of Yang Yang, skip this drama. If you only want to watch Wang Duo and Gina Jin only, skip this drama.


However I WOULD recommend you to watch this drama if you:
1. Are a fan of Yang Yang. Not only does he look great, he also plays the character very well. I didn’t watch the donghua but from the comments I read, Yang Yang is well-casted. I also really like Han Li as a character. He’s not your typical green/red/gray flag. He’s just a normal guy who wants to focus on cultivation and keeps to himself. He doesn’t care to socialize with friends or chase after girls, but is also not rude or mean. He’s smart, resourceful, calm and calculating, and doesn’t act like he’s a hero thinking he can save the world. Yang Yang did really well portraying this character. I do not think he is such a bad actor, and it’s not his fault when the director wants to point the camera at him to make him look good.

2. Are hungry for some good fight scenes, especially in xianxia. I would say "The Immortal Ascension” is a combo wuxia/xianxia drama. I was impressed with some of the duels and fight scenes when weapons and close combat action happens. The fight choreography was great and exciting. It’s not like a regular xianxia where the actors just stand there, move their fingers and arms, and let the computer graphics do the work for them. Actors actually fight here! The best fight with great CGI was the cave battle in episode 19. Then the big fights in episodes 24-25 aren’t bad, but not as good as the other ones.

3. Enjoy the cultivation journey of the main character. Even though the drama has the typical good sects vs evil sects, the focus is on Han Li’s humble beginnings to achieving immortality. And this is more than just his quest to fight, fight and fight. I read some commenters mentioning Harry Potter and I can’t un-see those comments and some similarities. During Han Li’s ascension, he had to learn more than just to fight. He learns from his first master about medicine and herbs, then continues to educate himself of spells, potions and different artifacts to increase his ability since he was born not having the best ‘genetics’. As I watch this journey, it feels like he’s Harry Potter and taking different classes at Hogwarts. Oh wait, there’s also the ‘Sorting Hat’ and shopping at ‘Diagon Alley' and meeting different characters. Let’s not forget a competition of the 7 different sects, just like the Triwizard Tournament (+ Hunger Games) of the 3 magical schools! Now, don’t you want to watch “The Immortal Ascension” just to see if I was right? LOL


I read that the drama was cut short, thus, it only has 30 episodes for season 1. I enjoyed Han Li’s journey very much for the first 20-25 episodes, despite crappy CGI and green screens. But the last arc about the battle of the sects was rushed and edited weirdly/choppily. I was disappointed that the drama did not really show any big battles between the good and bad guys. The ending was OK, but it was not as exciting as I had hoped for.

“The Immortal Ascension” obviously has a small budget. Did they spend all the money on both actor and director, Yang Yang? How can you cast Yang Yang in a drama with such crappy CGI? Did the drama spend the rest of the money on the 3 excellent battles where it needs to generate lots of graphics for the lights, spells, artifacts, and fights?

Overall, I had a good time watching this drama but I wish I had liked the last 5 episodes as much as the earlier ones. The OST is eclectic with memorable songs. Hopefully we don’t have to wait for too long for season 2 and to also have Yang Yang back as the male lead. Otherwise, I am going to skip it, just like I didn’t watch “Ever Night” when Arthur Chen wasn’t in season 2 anymore.



Completed: 8/12/2025 Review #612

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