Lost You Forever

abuse for the sake of abuse.

Although the acting and the production value of the drama is good, and Yang Zi has a really strong performance, it doesn't change the fact that this romance drama sensationalizes female abuse. We are shown in careful detail how a bunch of men who are trying to fight each other instead end up beat up the FL every time, since she's stuck in the middle trying to help everyone. And she forgives them over and over. What a dreamy scenario.

Every two episodes contain scenes of torture or violence against the FL that really aren't necessary for the plot. Two out of the 4 ML basically cause her injuries almost every time they meet. One NPC man tortured her in a dungeon for years. What's more the drama shows that she forgives the abuse and depicts her abusers as romantic, especially for one of the ML.

It says a lot about the societal values of China that so many people are into both the book and drama version of this kind of story.

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Lost You Forever? Congrats, you really did!

This came highly recommended, with glowing reviews and sky-high ratings that practically dared me to dive in. The premise promised a rich blend of wuxia, reverse harem intrigue, and a gender-bending lead—what’s not to love? But five episodes in, I was already eyeing the exit. My thumb hovered over the “drop” button like it was a lifeline. I told myself to be patient, that maybe the magic would kick in soon. Instead, my fast-forward thumb got more of a workout than my attention span, and by the halfway mark, I finally threw in the towel.

To be fair, the production is gorgeous. The cinematography is lush, the costumes are exquisite, and the acting is solid across the board. Even Yang Zi—who’s never been my favorite—won me over with her performance as the male physician Xiao Liu. She brought charm and grit to the role, and for a moment, I thought maybe this drama would redeem itself. But charisma alone couldn’t justify wallowing through a plot that felt like it was wandering in circles. This story could’ve easily been told in half the runtime.

Then came the kicker: there’s a second season. Because apparently 39 episodes weren’t enough to wrap up this slow-motion saga. That revelation didn’t feel like a cliffhanger—it felt like a trap. My decision to quit felt less like giving up and more like reclaiming my time.

Watching this drama is like driving down an endless highway while Bob Ross narrates a painting tutorial. Undeniably pretty, but not exactly riveting. There’s potential in its tropes, but with pacing this glacial, I couldn’t bring myself to keep going. Beautiful, yes—but forever is a long time to be this bored.

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My #1 Show. Heartbreakingly beautiful. Watched many. many times.

I think this show, ended the way it needed to, even if it hurt to watch. Beautiful OST

I found this hard to review because there was so much involved. So many characters with so much depth.

Xiao Yao was such a strong and independent character. She had spirit and intelligence but was less so in the second half of the show, I truly believe it was because she was safe and finally had people who would love and protect her. The hardships she had to endure in her youth, skewed her take on healthy relationships and her fight and flight response squashed any ability to really love and let herself go. As an audience, that was hard to watch.

Xiyan Cang Xuans' character was so intense and had so many layers, he was very strong willed. He built up such an obsession mixed with guilt, duty, and love. You could see how his character slowly slipped into misery and pain, yet he held tight to Xiao Yao. He hated himself because he knew he could never be with her, and he blamed his choices for that loss. It was heartbreaking for him.

Tushan Jing was an interesting character. He was scared, yet constrained, but vulnerable because of the betrayal and hate that was shown to him by those that were supposed to love him. He almost lost Xiao Yao because of his uncertainty and fear, but he was the one who finally gave up everything to be with her.

Now for the hard part .... Xiang Liu ... a complex character, just haunting and unforgettable. He was living a life of sacrifice but was blindsided by love. As a nine-headed snake his instinct is to be the one who is feared, who fights for what he wants. He begrudgingly starts to have feelings and develops a conscience, so his character sees a lot of growth. He is intelligent, resourceful, but stubborn, and narcissistic. He slowly realized his love for Xiao Yao and that terrified him because he was vulnerable. There was a moment when he thought they could be together and realize their true feelings but was told they could never and should never be together. Instead of running away, he made sure Xiao Yao would be loved and protected for the rest of her life. Even though it seemed he picked his own death, instead of Xiao Yao, he picked her happiness above his own.

Xiao Yao knew Xiang Liu was in love with her; he knew she deeply loved him but they both knew they would and could never be together.

Truly Lost Forever.

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It was a fun ride

There's so much I could say, but overall, I loved everything about season 1. Here are some highlights:

'Acting with one's eyes and subtle movements. ' So many of the actors/actresses in the cast are able to convey complex emotions through simple movements and their eyes. It's very moving and captivating.

Beautiful clothing, hairstyles.

Memorable dialogue.

Heartbreaking reunions. When XY thought she saw her mom again, I cried so hard. That was the hardest I cried throughout the drama. It was everything I thought it was going to be. The emotions were captured so well.

Yang Zi. What can I say, I don't think I have ever watched a drama that she was the lead in that I didn't like.

All in all, 10/10.

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Princess Xiling & the Men that Loved Her

If you want to cry or you need to cry, this is the story for you. This is a tragic, heartbreaking, incredible story, start to finish.

This show has made me cry on & off for most of the show. It made me cry so hard that my chest & throat hurt and my eyes were swollen.

Its a tale of 4 types of love, childhood sweethearts & possession, friendship & deep bonding, enimies to lover and responsibility & understanding.

This story is deep with many hearts, promises & lives broken, and survival, compassion & longing.

If you want a nice love story, this is not the one for you, if you want pure romance look again. If you are ready to wage a war with your own heart, look no further. Pain, suffering, scheming, betrayal, love, hope, happiness, fun & friendship is all offered in this series.

Is it a happy ending? Yes. But the journey to get there??

I gave it a 10 because it deserves it. I cried for 23rds of the show & wont ever rewatch, but the acting was incredible, the story superb, every question is answered, every person gets their ending and even though its not always happy, it is very real in relation to the story.

I recommend watching, but prepare for your heart to be shattered & put back to together a milion different times, in a milion different ways.

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Not the usual xian xia but still as awesome

LIKE

After Xiao Yao sent off Zuo Er and what she said to Xiang Liu - my tears!!

When Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao caught in a situation with Yu Jiang and Fang Feng Bei - my tears again..

When Cang Xuan was trying his best to get rid of his "XX" and Xiao Yao helped him through - so much tears....

DISLIKE

Tu Shan Jing drove me so mad.. he doesn't deserve Xiao Yao at all

Xiang Liu was such a flickered minded snake...

MUSIC - personal fav

长相思 Chang Xiang Si - 郁可唯 Yu Ke Wei
偏爱人间烟火 Pian Ai Ren Jian Yan Huo - 胡夏 Hu Xia, 张紫宁 Zhang Zi Ning
有你无你 You Ni Wu Ni - 毛不易 Mao Bu Yi
万物不如你 Wan Wu Bu Ru Ni - 张杰 Zhang Jie

REWATCH VALUE

Definitely as I have re-watched thrice already

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A cdrama that is very much character driven; full of interesting character dynamics

[Note: I have seen season 2 aka the second half of this season. This review and high rating is solely for the first season. If I were to rate the entire show, it would be at a 8/10. My explanation for the lower rating written below, with slight spoilers. On the "Lost You Forever" season 2 page, I will rate it 8/10.]

This drama is not very action-focused or fast-paced as it's very much character driven. What happens when traumatized children grow up? How do they heal or regress? Who are the people in our lives who were important chapters in our lives but may not stay with us forever? What's more important: my duty or my love? This drama is full of interesting and flawed characters and their relationship & dynamic to one another, especially with the female lead to the male leads. NOTE RIGHT NOW: If you dislike female leads having "romantic" moments with multiple men (or dislike the men being "disloyal" by marrying other women), then this drama is NOT for you. This drama does a fine job in showing her potential future with different men, especially how each men are important to her and how they fulfill different parts. I personally didn't have any conflict over this because it's well written and makes logical sense, considering what each character has gone through.

Also, great acting from all the characters, especially yang zi, zhang wanyi, tan jianci, and deng wei. The amount I've cried from watching yang zi crying? The way yang zi and zhang wanyi have such an electric and tragic tone underneath every conversation they have? It's no wonder that this season 1 (and some of the actors) won plenty of awards in 2023.

This drama (season 1) will break your heart. It's angst, hurt/comfort, tender, sweet, and heartbreaking. (The title is "Lost You Forever," you know?) Absolutely 10/10, no notes.

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-------------------------slight spoilers for season 2------------------------------------
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On season 2 and how it damaged this drama: I rated this drama 8/10--still high--because I enjoyed season 1 and parts of season 2 very much. But season 2's ending did irreparable ruin to the storyline and so this is really closer to a 7/10 for that unsatisfying ending. It was so lukewarm that it's laughable and so I don't even consider it a real ending.
NOTE: What caused the drastic changes? Lots of speculation: drama behind the production, actor favoritism, China censorship (which includes "hero-washing" the actions of flawed characters). Season 2 of the drama also got trimmed a lot from like 30 episodes to 23 episodes. So, it's clear at several spots that there are huge jumps in times and supporting characters who are suddenly brought forth to the main storyline...
The biggest betrayal of the storyline was that it ruined the character development of several of the main characters and thus was completely frustrating and unsatisfying. It happened in the final 4 episodes. Thus, I have personally elected to ignore most of what happened in the final 4 episodes, especially the "twist"--because it would not make sense.

If you're someone who can separate the two seasons like I have and consider that the good outweigh the bad, then you'll probably enjoy a lot of what this drama have to give. But if you're someone who considers the overall drama and considers the ending as an important part to conclude the entire drama, then this drama will hurt you. This drama was so highly rated in 2023 because of its interesting characters and dynamics. But season 2, especially the ending, did not follow through with some of them. So it's incredibly disappointing.

But I supposed this drama is like the final nail in the coffin, serving as a caution for Chinese dramas watchers: If even this incredible drama was reduced by its ending, can we trust Chinese dramas to give us satisfying endings from now on?

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many love line

This drama is not completely wuxia nor xianxia, but I would say it leans more toward wuxia. The story is quite complex because there are so many love lines, which is why you can see fans of different couples debating and “shipping wars” every single day during the premiere and even after the show ended. But despite all that, it is clear that this drama is excellent. The story feels complete, especially since it continues as a sequel to the previous hit show.
The story may not have a lot of plot twists, but the dialogue, cinematography, and scene-to-scene execution are so well done that it’s a true pleasure to watch.

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Healthiest Romantasy Cdrama I've Watched as a Woman

First review ever and I hope someone in the Chinese entertainment industry reads this.

Firstly I have developed a recent addiction to cdramas in an effort to try and learn about my native culture and country (Chinese Australian).

Unfortunately after watching literally almost the entire top 100 list of cdrama romantasy titles, I have come across a very troubling pattern.

Let's start with the anorexia glorifying stick figures of Chinese women which are both historically inaccurate and dangerous for public health in both the local and global Chinese community.

Not to mention this crazy obsession with height disparities in pairing short, anorexic women with massive 1.9m men.

Or that the idolisation of women who look like they have never even touched puberty borders paedophillia.

This definitely has affected the general public in China given the popularity with weight loss and public accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers who are literally clinically anorexic on RedNote.

It's unhealthy, both on a psychological, physical and also broader societal level.

Let's talk about Lost You Forever. Yang Zi is beautiful, healthy, buxom and yes she is still slim in this drama!! She is what a healthy Chinese woman SHOULD LOOK LIKE. Her figure in this drama should be idolised as opposed to Jiu Jingyi who has had so much plastic surgery you can barely see any facial expressions, or Song Zuer who is now definitely in the anorexia nervosa diagnostic range. She has muscle, she probably has a healthy period every month because to be a fertile woman you have to actually have a minimum percentage of body fat.

It has been incredibly refreshing to see.

The plot is so different, fresh and interesting. Nothing in Romantasy is realistic, and neither is several rich handsome men pining over one originally man now lady.

I love that she is conflicted but also takes her time choosing and sampling the wares.

Out of all of them this is the first one that actually has a reverse harem, and boy is it done well!

The series overall was incredibly fun to watch amongst all the pining and yearning.

Unfortunately the music score really can't beat some of the others however the acting in this drama has been top notch among everyone.

Yang Zi is the best actress I've seen out of all the female actresses so far. The fact that she has remained true to her own face and body puts her at a much higher tier than anyone else.

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