Love and Redemption

Unconditional Love

I have finished watching this series 2 months ago and re-watched it 1 time. This is one of the Chinese drama that can make me engaged, addictive! Yes of course there's flaws, but not that significant to rate the drama low.
And after watching the series I also read the novel (haven't finished)

So so far this is the justification to give high ratings for Love and Redemption:
Story : Even though there's some difference between the novel and the drama, but the main take away message from both drama and novel is still there, which is unconditional love. Admire Si Feng's persistent love for 10 live times, and finally he can harvest his hard labor and got Xuan Ji love in return. This teaches us as human that to love is to give not expecting any return, today human society need to go back to this basic principle of love. (not self-centered, consider others). It just to me there's too many story about Ming Yan and Ling Long which is unnecessary and not really related to the whole story, maybe just wanted to give more screen time to the actor / actress? But this make me deduct the point from the story.

Acting : I love the acting of the casts (except for Ming Yan, I found his acting is terrible and annoying). But the excellent acting from the rest, especially the main female and male lead can cover that.
Female Lead : you can see clearly the character development of Xuan Ji and it's portrayed very well by Yuan Bing Yan. From the innocent Xuan Ji to the Killing God of War. Portraying so many characters in one series is not easy, but she did very well here, and the acting is not overacting it's natural.
Male Lead : actually there's not much challenge to portray Si Feng, honesty this character quite similar with the one Cheng Yi played on Noble Aspiration (aside to the love story). Thumbs up for all the spitting blood and crying scene, oh he did cried a lot and I believe it's not easy for a guy to cry. And the cry was not merely tears, but with red eyes (so for sure not using fake tears). And of course the holding hand scene with Luo Huo Ji Du, he act very well there.

Music : Nice music, and very well placed throughout the series.

The characters that I like from this series: Teng She

So overall I recommend to watch Love and Redemption and hope you also enjoy it like me

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An unexpected wormhole- still haven’t found my way out

This is probably more like a reflection/after-thought from watching this drama, which I really needed to let out more than a proper review

HOW IT ALL STARTED:
Stumbled upon this series while aimlessly scrolling youtube after unsuccessfully trying to complete several C-dramas.

And turns out I’ve tried watching the first episode previously last year on youtube! I dropped for the shallow reason of: because I genuinely did not like how Ling Long looked. Zhang YuXi has a very exotic and elegant appearance but it was the dang hairstyle. Personally, it looked a bit off on her to me and that didn’t sit right with me. Plus, I didn’t know any of the casts, meaning there wasn’t exactly a reason that was making me stay on (also, fast-forwarding was my best friend at this point of time, so that’s on me for not trying to immerse into the story)

This time round, instead of dropping the drama, I decided to search online and look at some responses from other viewers on MDL. Which turns out, it was pretty well received, and hence I decided to give it another try. Also, helped that I used the fast-forward function more sparingly to understand the story better. (Hao Chen and the Five sect leaders don’t get this immunity though). And of course, good news, I actually got hooked after the first episode!

THE PROCESS:
The first day I got into the drama, I binged as much as I could. Story-telling wise, it was pretty fast paced and had many unexpected twist and turns. It really keeps you on your toes with what could happen next! I loved most of the interactions between Si Feng and Xuan Ji , which I would explain why only MOST and not ALL in a bit.

However, I got super exhausted mid-way through the drama from the side characters, and had to take more than a week break from the show. As mentioned by some, the Five sect leaders(+ that one nincompoop from the heavenly realm, y’all know who I’m referring to) were very much, a blood-spitting inducing bunch: While they were suppose to be the righteous and just groups of “heroes”, cultivating to become deities, they make some of the most questionable decisions. In fact, most of the misunderstandings and suffering our leads had to suffer were due to the decisions made by these group of narrow-minded elders.

It made me wonder if they were deliberately written by the writers/directors, to be this annoying to shed some light on how contradictory some people in real-life could be:
1. While being part of these upright sects/heavenly realm, they showed a great deal of prejudice and discrimination to others that are different from them, which in this case are the “demons”. It gives perspective and further enforces the idea that even in different groups (could be race/religion/country etc.) there would always be their fair share of “good”/“bad” apples. People should be valued as individuals, not generalised to be a certain type because they come from a certain group.
2. Being in position of power equates to “I’m right, you’re wrong”. The thing called PRIDE sure is worthy of some drama. One instance would be with Wu Tong and how the sects decided to deal with him. As much he was an unlikeable person and has questionable morales, SHIFU 101: let’s turn said bad disciple into a wanted criminal, problem solved, bad disciple gone. What happened to making efforts to better nurture and guide him? Also, even in situations where they knew that they could have been in the wrong, they are not willing to admit it and amend accordingly. The lack of accountability for the people under them and their own decisions are appalling, especially when they are in such respected positions
3. To end this rant: Questionable values from these people chosen as leaders. Each of the sect leaders are so set in their way-ward thinking. They are not open to opinions of others, especially of someone who they deemed to be of lower status, like a junior. They also have been shown to be very unforgiving despite the unique and different circumstances.

Now, going back to why I loved MOST but not ALL of Si Feng/Xuan Ji interactions. To be honest, I understand/relate to Xuan Ji’s decisions and actions much more than I could to Si Feng’s. While Si Feng did have to suffer a lot more, mostly physically as well, I resonated with Xuan Ji’s situations.
1. The idea of love in this drama was shown to be the willingness to do, regardless of whether it is considered to be worthwhile or not. Although, I felt that it also showed that sacrificing silently only causes yourself to be in pain, and that’s not what someone who loves you would want. In the name of protecting the love of his life, there were quite a few situations where Si Feng withheld knowledge from Xuan Ji, which became fuel for misunderstandings. The lack of communication, not lying, unintentionally causes her to have doubts in him. At the same time, Si Feng truly believed that withholding those information was to protect her, even if it means at the expense of himself. Again, this was to remind the viewers about Si Feng’s willingness to do anything for his love without considering if it’s worth it or not, not to highlight Xuan Ji’s lack of sufferings.
The amount he had to suffer through those 9 lives though really drives home the message of the willingness to give with no expectation of love in return. However, retrospectively, it makes me wonder what was it that made the difference in Si Feng’s 10th live. Xuan Ji’s missing senses? Or was it for once in this life, he actually wanted her not to just remember? But that he was, rightfully, a little more selfish for himself, yearning for her to reciprocate his love? What do you guys think?

2. While people claimed that Xuan Ji was naive and easily manipulated, I found her to be endearing. She always stood steadfast to her beliefs and values, even challenging the elders at times. With people that she truly trust (but are against Si Feng) there’s where it can get a bit messy. Despite how people “close” to her try to persuade her, she doesn’t falter in her trust for Si Feng, both when she did or didn’t have her sixth senses. In fact, in any given moment, Xuan Ji chooses to side with Si Feng. However, when his actions contradicts his intentions, it confuses her and that gives chance to the nay-sayers to put ideas in her head.
If Si Feng wasn’t in the picture, these people are the ones who have been with her the longest and usually have the “best” intentions in mind for her, although the intentions may be way way way off. Her initial lack of senses meant that she relied on these people to actually show her how to live. Even when it was regained, she needed to find herself again, and imagine how overwhelming it could be all of a sudden, to see and feel so many things. I really don’t blame her for being manipulated by the very people she trust, though she does jump on the bandwagon relatively swiftly at times. That’s why, I felt that I could somewhat comprehend her course of actions and still really like her character’s development.

3. Lastly, every moment that they are blissfully together was like being fed the sweetest candy coated with another inch thick of sugar. The amount of misunderstandings that they had to survive through to be together made each moment of theirs even sweeter and even more precious. The things happening to the pair was what’s keeping them apart, no push-and-pull, no one is playing hard to get here.
The amount of trials that the love-birds had to go through though was what made the story even more addictive. It makes you literally crave and wish for them to be able to have their own little happily ever after, pushing you to complete the series. The drama was kept at such a pace with just the barest amount of reward to bait us on this 59episodes race. The best part of it all is that when the two of them are together, there isn’t a care in the world. They are so bashfully in love and don’t shy away in expressing the affection they have for each other. Even if the realms were against them, even with all the hindrance from trusted people, even while they are told they’re not meant to be, even when they have doubts about the other person’s love for them; Si Feng and Xuan Ji are always true to themselves and their own feelings, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Which makes me love them even more!

IN RETROSPECT:
Despite many frustrating characters and plot lines, the reason I rated this drama so high was because it was entertaining throughout its entire run. There’s never a dull or wasted moment, each incident keeps the story moving. Undeniably, the actors made a huge impact and all of them did a great job portraying their roles! The villainous ones made me hate them to the core, the love sick ones made me swoon when they received affection, the loyal ones made me commend their beliefs. Some characters though; didn’t feel consistent, lacked growth and were written very flippantly to fit the flow of the story, which was a bit disappointing. BUT I definitely turn a blind eye to that quite a bit of lacking with the much deserved happy ending of our leads. Special mentions of the true MVPs of this series: Ting Nu, Zi Hu and Teng She. They were my personal favourite side characters that consistently made positive impacts in the run of the series. LaR had a solid cast and a solid flow of story, giving you bits and pieces of revelation throughout, with suspense maintained till the very end.

More importantly, the fact that this show still lingers in my mind and on my youtube feed shows how much of an impact it made. I enjoy watching shows that provoke thoughts, allows inferences of what-could-be before revelations, and room for analysing the characters. As can be seen from my review, it left me feeling quite a bit of things as I invested my time and emotions in this series! The next time I decide to re-watch the series, I will be more keen to look out for hints and tidbits that foreshadows on what’s to happen next now that I know the whole flow.

All in all, the show started and ended with making me feel really happy with getting to know Si Feng and Xuan Ji!

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Another word for Perfection

If there's another perfect word to describe perfection then this drama is that word. Never have i seen such a strong female character and a perfect loving male character. Honestly why King Bailing character was annoying and evil and everyone was calling XuanJi names and all, i completely understand her actions. She is the most pitiful character, in all and all she was really pitiful and heartbroken. Although Si Feng love is admirable, i can't find any flaws in him as well. Both suffered so much, I finished this drama and became speechless, i have a lot of thought going on in my head and as someone who doesn't like to write long essay i also can't find the perfect words to express my feelings. Love and Redemption really stood up for itself, balanced itself as well. The emotional ride was worth it, i didn't cry maybe because i understood their characters. As for WuTong, right from the beginning i thought since he was being an asshole he will be paired up with LingLong, the chemistry was there and i was expecting them to fall in love with each other. Kudos to the writers and the actors,they played their roles so well. I will be watching this drama again in the future because of how awesome it is.

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I loved everything about this CDrama. The acting, storyline, visuals, martial art, fantasy all of it. Cheng Yi and Crystal Yuan were perfect for their characters and played them well and they made the story real for me. Those who played in the supporting roles also made the story work. The fantasy parts didn't seem fake and what a great ending. Whoever is the graphic and animation artist did an excellent job. The music score was very dramatic when it needed to be. This Drama I will rewatch. I was intrigued by Cheng Yi and Liu Xu Yi so I will see what other dramas they played in. This is worth the watch.

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Best drama for me

I tried to leave this drama behind for so much but suddenly decided to watch it and so far it's my favorite. It's so much better atleast in my opinion than eternal love and ashes of love. The acting, the story and the romance was chef kiss for me everything was perfect. Like most cdrama usually the girl is highly manipulated but since I've tried my best to see who the actual bad guy in here is not the female lead but hao Chen 😐 which HE IS THE MAJOR FAULT OF All if you watch the series to an end you'll see why he screwed everything up. The romance between the leads is amazing it can't even compare every single problem that happens between the leads is solved so quickly between minutes apart or in the next episode and this happens like in the first 30 episodes until you reach the point where the female lead is highly manipulated and yes incase you wonder this is a happy ending ❤️ love and redemption made me cry of sadness, happiness and the mostly how sad it made me feel once I finished it cause I loved it so so much.

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A very good Xianxia, ​​but with some lengths.

An excellent Xianxia with Cheng Yi (ML) and Crystal Yuan (FL)

PLOT: 9th life (tribulation) of 2 immortals (FL = Heavenly General and ML = Golden-winged Phoenix), who love each other in each mortal life, but are always separated, notably due to the stubbornness of Lord Bailin (Heavenly Lord ).
In this 9th life, everyone is part of a sect. Sifeng (the ML), from the Palais de Lize, wears a mask and is not allowed to be in love. The FL, heiress to the Shao Yang clan, is "deprived" of her senses. The FL will make the mask fall and trigger the lovers’ curse for the ML. Little by little, they discover their common past, and try to thwart the tragic plans of destiny that the heavens have traced for them.

PROS:
+ great casting.
+ High quality special effects and action scenes
+ well-developed and endearing 2ndary characters (some bring a touch of humor, wich is welcome to balance out the drama).
+ cute side romances
+ Very good OST

CONS:
- The narration is a little slow at times and the story is complex, with multiple narrative arcs (some of which are a little too long) => Impossible to binge watch all 59 episodes!!
- I find unbearable the final repentance of super stubborn villains, who plot dirty tricks for thousands of years, but suddenly realize their mistakes (it doesn't work like that in real life :) :)

=> It was a pleasure to watch, but I don't think that I will rewatch it (bcz 59 episodes !!)
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Excellent Xianxia avec Cheng Yi (ML) et Crystal Yuan (FL)

PLOT : 9e vie de 2 immortels (FL = Général céleste et ML= Phoenix aux ailes dorées), qui s'aiment dans chaque vie chez les mortels, mais sont toujours séparés, notamment en raison de l'entêtement du Seigneur Baihou (Seigneur céleste).
Dans cette 9e vie, chacun fait partie d'une secte. Sifeng (le ML), du Palais de Lize, porte un masque et n'a pas le droit d'être amoureux. La FL, héritière du clan Shao Yang, est privée de ses sens. La FL va faire tomber le masque et déclencher la malédiction des amoureux. Peu à peu, ils découvrent leur passé commun, et tentent de déjouer les twists du destin que les cieux leur ont tracé.

PROS:
+ super casting.
+ effets spéciaux et scènes d'action de qualité
+ personnages 2aires bien développés et attachants (certains apportent une touche d'humour, bienvenue pour équilibrer tout le drame).
+ romances secondaires mignonnes
+ Très bonnes OST

CONS:
- narration un peu lente par moments et story complexe avec multiples arcs narratifs (dont certains sont un peu trop longs) => Impossible de binge watcher les 59 épisodes !!
- je suis agacée par la repentance finale des villains super entêtés, qui mijotent de sales coups pendant des milliers d'années, mais prennent conscience subitement de leurs erreurs (ça ne fonctionne pas comme ça dans la vraie vie :) :)

=> Un très bon Xianxia, mais avec quelques longueurs.

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A Beautiful Tale ? Let's find out!! Keep on reading..

So this is my first time writing a review, please correct me if I'm wrong somewhere.
So, let's get to the drama.
**Before reading my review, kindly notice that it may contain some minor spoilers.**

Getting to the drama~

Story: 9.0
The story was abnormally amazing, I have watched many wuxia dramas but I feel like this one is the best one I've watched till date. The story has many twists and turns and you can't predict what's going to happen next unlike many other wuxia dramas. It's to some extent somewhat like a detective series I would say, although I'm sure many wouldn't agree with me. Just the way Yu Sifeng needs to figure things out about what's going on and Chu Xuanji misunderstands him again and again. Their both personalities are not a mystery, it's quite understandable what's going on. ❣
What was really good with the story:-
The constant misunderstandings are what it makes a drama although sometimes, it was quite emotional which is a good twist, I hoped it would have a little less misunderstandings, it was really nice though. I don't want to give any major spoiler so I'll leave it here. But most of all it had a happy ending. (for those little cute people who don't like dramas with sad ending like me.)
What I think should be improved :-
It would be better if it's a little bit more mysterious that's to say I don't like the way we know what's going on in the demon sect and what they're going to do next, what Yu Sifeng is doing while trying to protect Xuanji which also hurts her and all. The way nobody knows who really is Rahu Ketu till the mid was quite exciting although we just got the suspense over too soon, I would say that was a better part. It would have been better if just like in some detective series, we saw it as from the view of one person and then flashback. Like, we see what's going on from Xuanji's view or Sifeng's view then at some episode, they show us the back story. That would make it a little more inviting.

The story was pretty beautiful anyways. Lots of romance. So just go ahead and watch this blissful drama.

Acting/Cast : 9.0
So we have,
⨠Cheng Yi as Yu Sifeng, talking about his acting I would say it's really nice. He truly fits the character, the pain, the happiness is very properly portrayed.
⨠Yuan Bingyan or Crystal Yuan as Chu Xuanji, she totally fits the 16 year old her, the innocence she portrays at the starting is so realistic and so is the dominance she shows as the War God later on. She fits really properly into the two-faced character.
⨠Zhang Yuxi as Chu Linglong, from the dominating character on Little Six to the little puppet of Wu Tong, so beautifully done.
The acting was very satisfying overall.
What I didn't like was the editing in some scenes.
I would like to especially appreciate the acting of two of the support actresses:
⨠Yang Xi Zi as Lu Yan Ran or Little Silver Flower, the headstrong personality was strongly and perfectly portrayed, so was the sadness. Wicked!
⨠Liu Meng Rui as Yu'er or Liu Yu Huan's daughter, the stubborness to kindess and love was portrayed so beautifully.
** Please do tell me which of you like the acting of which particular support actor/actress and what exactly made you like it.**

Music: 10.0
I just can't describe it, I truly loved it. It was very related to the story and the scenes. My favourite one was the starting the song.

Rewatch Value : 8.5
The misunderstandings are too much, watching them again and again makes it boring so the rewatch value is only for the sweet scenes.

Overall: 9.5


Suggestions are welcomed.
Do comment and tell me where you agree and disagree with me.
Hope it wasn't boring.
Lots of Love <3

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Our Sifeng and Xuanji <3

Gotta leave some review because this is my first xianxia!

As someone who can lose focus easily this amount of episodes is too much for me, that's why when it's 35+ drama I watch it on-going so I'll feel the anticipating and hype but anyways let's get into the point. From ep 1-10 the story really attracted me with the amount of sweetness we get from the lead, the building of friendship and more. But when they get separated and Hao chen appeared I can't help to feel like it gets draggy for some reason because I want my cp in the same place tgt as fast as possible. Idc what will happen but I just wanna them to be tgt. After that, the story got more and more interesting until the part when linglong get abducted. Everyone gone insane at this point. The only person who you'll not hate was the lead. One thing, the 9th life story was too short for me that I couldn't get emotional instead feel confused. They should make it longer. I can say the story didn't have much filler but more to draggy. I mean linglong's abducted was so long that if not mention we watchers might completely forgot about it😂 but around episode 35+ the eps got more interesting though, I feel like strangling hao chen every time he talk🙂 If I need to talk about the lead, they own one same characteristics; stubborn af!

Yu Sifeng. He is such a sad boy who's hurt everytime. I thought he will be a cold character but he is a mix of soft, calm, and strict man. What I love about him is, the way he is teaching and explaining everything to xuan ji in his own way while others only know how to take advantage of her. The way he never hurt her make him remarkable and sure, I know sacrifices = loves but *sigh* he got hurt and spit blood so many timess that if he die in the end it's not that weird? I mean he is lize's palace head disciple, why make him dying so many times?☠️ but no, don't let him die, I want him to get all the happiness he deserves😭

Chu Xuan Ji, she doesn't have 6 senses. I almost thought she is blind💀 Without that 6 senses she is still clever to me. She know exactly what she want. She just doesn't know how to decided but when she know it will cause misunderstanding to sifeng she will hold it upright. My girl I know she changed later part but I'll still love her😭 though, hao chen try many things to separated them she's still going strong trusting her own feelings! (yeah I will put all the blame on haochen brainwashing and using her)

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This drama broke my heart and put back together so many times

This drama was always on my to watch list for a while now and I finally got to watching it and it was a lot better than my heart can take.
There is literally so much to say about this drama because there was so many good things.
Si Feng's love for Xuan Ji is the type of love anyone would wish for. It's good that Xuan Ji finally was able to fully reciprocate her love for him in this lifetime- their 10th lol.

The only two things I annoyed me was Xuan Ji's trust for Si Feng and the abuse Si Feng got. I understand Xuan Ji finally understood after going into the river but they let that misunderstanding go on for so long and it was frustrating to watch Xuan Ji listen to others compared to fully trusting Si Feng. And when all the other Sects were abusing Si Feng was really upsetting :(
I also wish they explored more of Si Feng's storyline- like his moral parents and his role in heaven- cause apparently he was the son of the heavenly emperor; honestly must of missed that detail.

Overall, I love the moments between Si Feng and Xuan Ji; they have great chemistry. I love Cheng Yi as an actor and I will definitely watch more of his dramas but later in the future because my heart can't take him in another drama with a female lead yet lol especially when it's Xuan Ji's sister in this drama.

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Top 3 in my list for wuxia drama

One of the best wuxia drama i come across with. The plot, acting and most importantly the chemistry are superb. The main leads really gave their best. This is the kind of performance that should inspire future actors specially the leads. At times despite the cliche it is really how well actors show emotions . Sifeng delivered well u can tell how strong his feelings for her all througout. It was something splendid and heartwarming to watch. The FL is one of the best actresses in china. She has natural talent. Her charisma is very strong. The chemistry of both is something u would love to rewatch over and over again. I wish them both and the rest of the cast to do just as well in their future dramas. It would be really nice and lovely and rewarding to have them both on screen again.

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Wow

Love and redemption One of the best historical dramas I've seen in 2020 and probably won't be surpassed by any other.
Crystal Yuan and Cheng Yi have shown how good their acting skills are in this drama. Cheng Yi in the role of Si Feng was nothing short of outstanding. I've never seen the male lead endure so much in a drama.

I really like the bond between the two of them despite the constant struggle. The supporting roles in this drama were excellent. Most of all I liked '' Flying Snake ''. The actor who played him really has talent. I just like the way he was portrayed with the hissing and moving head.

Another point why the drama is so good are the costumes. You can usually see directly in dramas whether the traditional costumes are well made and high quality or cheap. In this case the costumes were overwhelming. I've never seen such beautiful costumes, just the clothes of Xuan JI / Crystal Yuan with the color gradient or Si Feng's whole clothes cupboard in general.
I really liked the many different places where the story took place. By and large, it was a very high quality and expensive production. Especially the last few episodes have pushed the level of the drama up. I am very happy that the drama has a happy ending. I couldn't have expected anything else.

One point of criticism for me was simply the length of the drama In my opinion, there could have been fewer episodes, but otherwise nothing really bothered me .

Let yourself lead into the world of Xuan Ji and Si Feng, you will not regret it.

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