This review may contain spoilers
Love between one trope and another trope (but with some nice scenery).
Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this was a “liked”.What I liked:
I usually do not watch ‘soul switch’ dramas—just don’t like the concept in the same way I typically do not like ‘time travel’ dramas (“Lost love in times” excepted), but I gave this one a shot. If they had done more with the concept, I think I would have liked it a lot more since it was an out-of-the-box way to do both soul-switching and xianxia. Dylan Wang is developing some serious acting chops and did a really good job portraying two different personalities (the only thing they did not do a great job of was playing each other—in that it was clear they were able to play different people, but they should have paid more attention to how they played the roles and then imitated that more). He also did a good job of portraying someone increasingly experience emotions. I also liked the fact that the set and costume designers went a little bit more outside the box than usual. Design was very cohesive in the different settings.
What I did not like so much:
Okay, I’m done with the stoic, emotionally unavailable, brilliant male vs bright & bubbly but dumb female trope. Can’t we think of something else? It’s such an unhealthy way to portray relationships. For example, at one point when FL was reminiscing about her burgeoning love for ML, it included a scene when he called her stupid or foolish. *slaps forehead* And the whole “she’s mine!” nonsense. *sigh* I’m also tired of male leads and female leads sacrificing themselves for the greater good or each other while lying through their teeth to the love of their life about it. And resurrection at the end… *snore*. I get that that there are only so many ways to write a drama, but one of the things that makes a drama great is when it can be impressive all without using tropes (though, to be fair, it is also risky since tropes are comforting and often watchers are displeased when they’re discomfited). Plus, when it’s a xianxia or xuanyuan, you get so much more freedom to play around! There’s no excuse to get all tropey on us! :)
Watch it if you like xianxia & to see DW growing as an actor and for some neat costumes and scenery. Just don't expect a masterpiece.
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This review may contain spoilers
I definitely have many opinions about this drama
There are certain dramas that seem to be a simple must watch. Usually it’s that drama that everyone talks about in a good light, is portrayed as one of the best of the genre and is just, overall, surrounded by a lot of praise. LBFAD has emerged as one such drama in the xianxia genre. Despite being released less than a year ago, it has generated so much buzz and discussion that it almost feels like a classic.However, upon watching the trailer, I found myself doubting whether I would enjoy it. The first thing that greatly bothered me was the FL. In less than two minutes, the trailer gave me the impression that her attitude was annoying and excessively childish for my taste. Regrettably, my fears were confirmed when I began watching the drama. The FL, Xiao Lanhua, proved to be excessively childish, which was just the tip of the iceberg regarding the numerous issues I had with her character. This happens to be my primary criticism of the drama, so let's start with that.
First and foremost, Xiao Lanhua is not your typical innocent xianxia FL. She is actually stupid. Throughout a significant portion of the drama, she seems to lack any coherent thought process, only to suddenly have moments of brilliance where she makes discoveries that eluded everyone else. These moments feel contrived and overly convenient for the plot, making it hard to believe that she is genuinely intelligent, considering her usual behavior. Even when given simple instructions (I'm looking at you, body-swapping arc), she fails miserably to follow them, no matter how critical the situation.
Xiao Lanhua's actions lack forethought, and even when she does think, she struggles to form rational ideas. And don't even get me started on her gaslighting everyone during the mortal realm arc into a wrong interpretation of Xie Wanqing's book of life (which, by the way, might win the prize for the dumbest moment contest, given that she managed to convince three other characters to be equally foolish).
Towards the end, her character does become more intelligent, and I was actually enjoying her development when she returned from the mortal realm. Unfortunately, it was abruptly rushed in the final few episodes with the introduction of the goddess plot. While I understand what they were trying to achieve, I didn't think it was executed in the best possible manner.
Moving on from the FL, the side characters were a mixed bag for me. Some I liked, while others I strongly disliked. Changheng, for instance, is a classic case of "I swear, bro, just believe me." He is the god of war, said to be the only one capable of potentially defeating Dongfang Qingcang in battle. However, we never actually witness this immense power. In fact, I don't think he wins a single battle throughout the 36 episodes of this drama.
Shangque, although endearing, is incredibly foolish (putting up a tough competition against Xiao Lanhua in that regard). What frustrated me the most about his character is that he is a dragon, a legendary creature, but his strength is never adequately showcased. He only has a couple of dragon scenes in the first few episodes, and that's it.
Jieli, when initially introduced, was highly unlikable. To be completely honest, I never grew to like her; I simply became accustomed to her presence and gained a better understanding of her character.
Together, Jieli and Shangque formed a disastrous side couple. I am someone who generally dislikes side couples since they often seem unnecessary and take up too much screen time, but, oh boy, do Jieli and Shangque get the prize for this one. Their scenes were unbearable, to the point where I found myself skipping a significant portion of them, particularly towards the end when I had become thoroughly fed up. Overall, the romance was dull and difficult to watch.
These were not the only scenes I skipped. The final few episodes had certain scenes that were excessively long, particularly the battle between the fairies and the moon tribe. The scenes from the moment Xunfeng brought Xiao Lanhua to Chidi’s sword until the resolution of that ordeal could have been significantly shorter.
As for the OST, it didn't particularly stand out. The songs complemented the scenes adequately, but I didn't love any of them. They were merely okay.
I realize that it may seem like I only have criticisms to offer. However, there were aspects of this drama that I genuinely enjoyed. First, it’s safe to say that LBFAD is addictive. It is probably the fastest I’ve ever watched c-drama, providing immense entertainment value.
The romance in the drama was well-executed. Despite Xiao Lanhua's numerous flaws, she had great chemistry with Dongfang Qingcang. Watching their relationship develop was a pleasure, and it definitely stood out as the highlight of this drama. I couldn't help but smirk at the "I can change him" plotline, because it actually worked (one of those things that only happen in fantasy fiction).
Wang Hedi's acting was superb. His portrayal of Dongfang Qingcang was on point, capturing the different stages of his character's transformation, from the initially cold and emotionless man to the deeply enamored one in the end (the last few episodes got him acting like rent was DUE). Even his portrayal of Xiao Lanhua was commendable. On the other hand, Yu Shuxin failed to leave a lasting impression. Her character was annoying, and I'm uncertain whether it was solely a writing problem or if her acting also contributed to it. Nevertheless, she did a decent job overall, considering the circumstances.
The main conflict of the drama was solid. There was a primary antagonist, as well as a more powerful and malevolent antagonist. While this wasn't particularly groundbreaking or innovative, it was executed well.
Danyin was a pleasant surprise. When I first encountered her character, I was scared for my LIFE, expecting her to be annoying and obstructive to the story. However, she turned out to be the complete opposite, and I was happily surprised by her character arc. Additionally, her storyline with Jieli towards the end was intriguing, albeit rushed.
Xunfeng and Dongfang Qingcang were fortunate enough to receive the best character developments in this drama. The arc involving their father, Dongfang Qingcang's realization of the truth, and Xunfeng's growing understanding of his older brother were introduced and resolved masterfully, tied up neatly with a shiny red ribbon.
Overall, LBFAD is a solid drama. It possesses a well-defined beginning, middle, and end, with a good conflict and a satisfying romance. However, the numerous problems I had with it marred the experience in many instances. Despite its flaws, I believe it is still worth watching.
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The storyline is overall well written, but I find the fast moving plot blurs out many details that could have been explored had they made this a few episodes longer. The plot also focused more on love story and the big picture instead of the small details. I find the last two episodes rushed with a lot of informations crammed together. When I thought I could savor one scene, they quickly jumped to another scene. Though ends are tied and everything falls in place, I wasn’t really satisfied with the superficial delivery of the story. Also, there are certains scenes that really were just pulled to save the characters at crucial times without sufficient in-depth story to explain why it happened. They had this parents love and protection thing from Harry Potter to help FL save ML, complete with them standing behind the FL. It was cringey no matter how I look at it. They also made the FL have power so easily after reviving without going in-depth to her situation, it’s using her Goddess status to her advantage. Also, I was expecting the ML to showcase his efforts during the last battle or shown us his new highest form of power, but not only he did not even went to fight, they killed him right after he gain his new power.
What draws me to this drama is the ML. His character developed significantly, from someone without feelings to someone who sacrifices everything for his loved one. Compared to him, the FL’s character went through only minor development, which is why I feel her sudden mature, responsible and austere character towards the end is forced upon her just because of her identity as the Goddess. Two thirds of the story she’s just like a spoiled pampered princess who has the ML protecting her from start to finish, and then all of a sudden she changed personality to a completely different person. Sorry, but I’m not feeling the genuity of the changes on her part no matter what grounds given. The FL’s character is like most xianxia FLs, naive and cute, but to me she’s not one that stands out, much less leave an impression. If the writers had gone in-depth to develop her character, I probably would have liked her better, but as of how it ended, she isn’t one that I would glorify.
The cast is good, all of them delivered their roles well. I have to give two thumbs up to Dylan Wang for his portrayal of DFQC. He really nailed it. The vibe he gave out in the drama as the lord demon is phenomenal. He set the bar high and made the character his, it would be hard to find another lord demon like him.
Wardrobe and music are good, made the drama even more enjoyable to watch.
Overall, it’s an entertaining drama if you enjoy fast paced love story. For me personally, I really enjoyed the first half of it, but I’m disappointed towards the end as it did not fulfill my expectations.
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1This review may contain spoilers
Everything In This World Is Ever-changing, Except For Love
What if the fate that brought you together turns out to be the same fate which you had to fight against, in order to change an inevitable ending of separation between life and death?Will you still fight with all your might despite knowing that the ending would still be the same?
or, let me just ask again...
Would you turn that fate as your own as long as your beloved one could be safe and happy, even if it means your end?
"Love Between Fairy and Devil" is that xianxia/fantasy drama which dwells into such intertwining fate. Who would have thought that the biggest devil of them all wasn't the ancient evil god named Tai Sui, but, the FATE that played a huge part in bringing the both of them together. Yet, such kind of fate has been used as a trope over who knows how many dramas/movies already...and to be very honest... a devil falling in love with a fairy or rather someone from a heavenly good side then ending up to be a good guy with huge character development? oh! that reminds me of the body switching soul stuff! Like these aren't brand new, practically speaking these are the very same tropes which we had seen from the previous dramas/movies we've watched before. I'm pretty sure there are quite a lot more similar scenarios in LBFAD that had been seen before, so why bother watching it right? WELL, if such a question or thought ever pops up in your head. I'm telling you right now, forget it immediately! GO AND WATCH LBFAD! or else you will always be in doubt and left in the dark, not unless you give it a try because this drama is worth every second and every emotion that you will ever spend on. Love Between Fairy and Devil is not only a fantasy, romantic, comedic, and refreshing drama but it is a unique and top-tier quality drama blended together with a beautiful epic storyline (I'm not even exaggerating).
I don't even know where to begin.
In terms of the quality production for this drama, there is no doubt that a high quality budget was spent in not just its CGI effects but with the costumes worn by each different characters in the three realms and not to forget the props that were used too. It's really evident that a huge sum of money was spent here and that includes huge amount of effort and time as well for the crew and actors. The trailer already gave us a glance of how breathtaking the scenes are, and the drama itself totally blasted off cinematic vibes which made every episode that we watch feel as if we were watching a movie rather than a drama. It's actually crazy. When you start to get used to such good quality, you would have this urge to try and find other dramas with such quality as well. This is one of the reasons which makes LBFAD unique, not every xianxia drama we watch would end up with gorgeous effects. My personal favorite places in this drama are: arbiter hall, the ruins of xilan and the moon tribe. For the costumes, Dong Fang Qing Cang's outfits throughout the whole episodes were top-tier for me and following that is when Xiao Lan Hua was dressed in moon tribe clothings. They were definitely eye-catching that I had to not only replay the cute, funny or sweet scenes between DFQC and XLH, but to also see more pretty details of each costumes they are wearing. Another thing I would like to point out is the fact that their depiction of the three realms, mostly between heaven realm and demon realm (moon tribe) were completely different here. Not entirely though, it's more about the costumes and set-up from the usual heaven and demon realm we used to see. So, an excellent job well done for all the production staff and crew behind this.
For the storyline, I have so much I want to write but I think it is best to keep it as short as possible. To be honest, at the very beginning I had no expectations for it because I thought it would be like what I said earlier, be the same as other dramas with familiar or well-known tropes. That was what I initially thought at the beginning. I also confess that during the first episode of LBFAD, I was quite annoyed with Xiao Lan Hua's voice and character because I am one of those who aren't a fan of actresses with cute voices to the point where it makes me cringe. So, I was planning on dropping it. Fortunately though for me, I didn't let my initial judgment about this drama get in the way of me discovering such a gem. As I continued watching at some point, XLH's character naturally grew on me and just like that I didn't find her annoying anymore. I guess this is one proof that no matter the prejudice of an audience, a good, talented, and skilled actor/actress can always find a way to change ones prejudice through their hard work. Thus, I stayed through the entire 36 episodes without skipping any single scene. It was the actors and characters that made me stay but what made me kept going further is the well-developed and heartfelt storyline. Like I said, I won't say much so let me just point out what I had loved most from the storyline of LBFAD. I loved the natural pacing of romance between DFQC and XLH, it wasn't love at first sight or the slap and kiss kind of romance, it developed gradually and naturally from the "from now on, you're mine. your life belongs to me, your breathing belongs to me, your heartbeat belongs to me, every drop of blood in your body belongs to me", to "you are as precious as my life" to "she's the only one who loves me" to "I will change her fate for her". Their romance that was foretold in the storyline itself is so beautiful and warming. Every moment of theirs and the emotions portrayed by each character just pulls through your heartstrings. Then there comes the comedic part, I find the whole body-switching thing so entertaining, it was so funny whenever the both of them switched bodies especially when XLH in DFQC had to attend moon tribe meetings as the moon supreme lord. Though, surprisingly enough, not every funny scene was focused on the body-switch, there were a decent amount of comedic scenes at the right moment so it wasn't dull but entertaining rather, plus the scenes goes well together. Even DFQC's character has his own comedic moments which I loved too. Lastly, the heartbreaking and tragic scenes that made me shed tears and feel pain, this is exactly where I found the gem of this drama. As much as they were hurtful, they weren't pointless and each scenes opened a door for character development and it also became an eye-opener for the deeper emotions and feelings between each of the characters which the human eyes of the audience can't see but rather just feel from the heart. In conclusion for the storyline, as much as it gives you that genuine love feels, it also gives you an inner deep feeling for each character in the story. Despite the ending seeming quite like a rush with DFQC and XLH reuniting on the last few seconds with only just a kiss, no wedding or any thing else, it was satisfactory at some point and it is indeed a happy ending after all.
Before I end this, let me just praise Dylan Wang for his amazing portrayal of DFQC, he ate the character alone especially during his emotional scenes. His emotional scenes where he cried is honestly the best for me apart from his powerful fighting scenes. Ofcourse, Esther Yu had done a great job as XLH and the goddess of Xi Yun. I'm sure a lot is in store for the both of them in the future. I will never get over the overflowing chemistry they showed us both in the drama and when they were shooting the scenes. I would definitely love to see more of them, not just as DFQC and XLH but in a modern drama as well in the future.
Hopefully, one day we can meet DFQC and XLH again.
˖ . ݁❀𝜗𝜚❀. ݁₊
"Do you believe in miracles?
Everything in this world is ever-changing,
except for love. "
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Wonderful acting by ML
I started this with no expectation.I had not heard of the story beforehand, did not read comments, just hopped on it.
The ML was phenomenal .. he has really grown.
There were many scenes where his eyes had a whole conversation .. amazing.
His facial features, they way he physically seemed to demand attention at times was wonderful.
That being said .. the FL was not that great .. overall she grated my nerves.
Her voice .. argh ... I came close to dropping it so many times because of her voice alone.
I understand completely her character, but it was 99 percent utter foolishness.
Seemed a bit ridiculous that so many were in love with the FL.
There was no chemistry between the two leads.
As many times as they kissed (even if most were to swap bodies) nothing sparked between them.
All other actors did very well in their roles, even the small parts meshed well.
The best thing to me was the costumes and scenery / visuals.
Some were completely breath taking.
That first dragon ride - wooo!
It flowed pretty well from start to finish.
Was a good watch, but not something I would re-watch.
I hope Dylan continues to grow and have great success as an actor.
He certainly did his thing with this role!
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Is it perfect? No. Is it the best? Yes.
Cang Lan Jue, a drama that no one expected to perform well, yet, it broke everyone's expectations. Cang Lan Jue, a drama that everyone assumed would be the same as other Xianxia, yet it is one that has never been seen before. Does it have flaws? Yes. Is it perfect? No. Can it be improved? Definitely. But after watching, do I love this drama the most? Absolutely.As an avid Xianxia drama watcher, I have seen most, if not all, released Xianxia dramas since 2015. Some have a storyline that is more flawless than CLJ, some have a better production and more veteran casts than CLJ. I have liked all of those dramas and praised them, yet, I was never attached to any of those dramas as much as I am with CLJ. Even though CLJ has its own flaws, it brings out so much attachment in me, and that, in itself, is enough for me to rank this drama the top of my list.
So what makes it so good despite flaws?
What I like
- Dongfang Qingcang:
Do I have to say more? He is THE best ML I have seen in a c-drama in a long time. Resolute, not a goody-two-shoes, knows when to be merciless and knows when to show compassion. C-dramas have the tendency to make ML a saint, but DFQC isn’t like that. He is a character that is willing to get his hands dirty, to let go of righteousness, and to do anything for the FL.
However, what really brings DFQC to life is the producers’ choice of casting. They have made the best move casting Wang He Di to play DFQC. I have watched several WHD's dramas, but the roles he took never suit him. With DFQC, he really brought out the character in a way like no other. Appearance wise, he absolutely suits DFQC, and so handsome on screen that even just seeing his face alone might make this drama already worth it. I've never seen such a gorgeous actor,and his look as DFQC is to die for. His appearance isn't the only thing he offered. His acting is also top-notched to the point I was surprised, especially his pained and crying scenes; they were so real and yet somehow, he still looked so hot and menacing in those scenes. I've never seen such good acting, even from veteran actors.
- Xiao Lan Hua:
I normally don't watch idol-actress. I also normally would get annoyed with Xianxia FL halfway through the drama because of forced angst that makes them unreasonable. However, XLH won my heart, entirely. The story started with her being a stereotypical young, innocent, joyful, and childish fairy. But as the story progressed, I realised she is way way more than that. Her character is so different from other FLs, as unlike others, she never loses her childish, pure, and joyful nature and STILL has great development. She learns to love and accept the DFQC for who he is. She is reasonable in every way and would choose DFQC over anything. She is bold about her feelings, her love, her anger, her sadness. It was no wonder even the coldest heart would melt. Idk why most Cdrama seem to believe that in order for an innocent FL to develop, they must lose their happy, joyful self. Well, XLH shows that this is never the case.
This is my first time watching Yu Shuxin's acting, and I loved it! She brings out the innocent character so well, and she is so cute that I cannot hate or get annoyed with her, even when she makes mistakes. And I think DFQC would think the same XD. Her voice also really brought out her character, and makes her so lovable.
- the romance between the characters, especially the well-executed slow-burn development. A typical troupe, yet, I don't think it has been done before in Xianxia drama. The chemistry is brilliant.
- The plot starts strong right from the beginning to end.
- The OSTs are haunting and brilliant and they are in my playlist that I listen to everyday.
- There are so many scenes that really had my heart and I can rewatch them in loop
- the CGI is AMAZING. WOW. The CGI is one of the best I've seen in a while.
What could be better? (subjective)
- Rushed ending. The ending is extremely rushed and could have been better executed. However, they did wrap up everything that should be wrapped up. Everything makes perfect sense in the story, if only with better execution and a more dramatic reunion for the leads at the end, and it would be perfect.
- Because of the rushed endings, several things cannot be addressed. The last three episodes feel like a fever dream ever since XLH turned into Xiyun. I am sure XLH is still in XY, however, they don't have the time to address that because of the rushed end. I wish they display scenes of their life after DFQC comes back so we could see XLH return to herself, because the way XY is, is not XLH, the XLH that DFQC fell in love with. The XLH that we fell in love with
- DFQC deserves more scenes where he showcases his power but this is just me being greedy. What really brings the supreme moon lord alive is the way he is powerful and strong. I wish we get to see him use his glaze fire that has been obtained.
- As much as I love DFQC's development throughout the show, I think he is too soft in some scenes where he didn't need to be and makes me miss his demeanour at the beginning at times.
- I wish we could see them get married ;-;
Despite the subjective what could have been better that I've listed, you can see that they are just nuances that don't matter when all the pros outweigh it. This drama is the gem of the year, and one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Do not hesitate to watch this drama because it is worth it in every way. It is one of the dramas that may not be the best in technical terms but evoke so much emotion and attachment from the audience in a way like no other.
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A heart's curse that's one of a kind!
You can also watch my entire review here as a video format:https://youtu.be/tm-hfRxYq1o
But if you prefer to read go ahead:
This is a 36-episode top tier Xianxia drama which has turned the genre on its heels. To begin with, the story is a good one and they have executed the script to near perfection. It follows a naïve fairy who unwittingly wakes up the devil. The cute fairy and the domineering cold demon are tied by a heart’s curse and thus begins their journey of love which is a pleasure to watch.
It’s a fresh breath to the genre, because for once you have sensible main leads and a love triangle that does not get on your nerves. There are no fillers and the plot is water tight. Now it’s a typical Xianxia but what it makes it different lies in the execution. Every tiny detail is taken care of and that is a rarity. It’s a mixture of medieval art, modern thought and Chinese aesthetics.
The scriptwriter has written a compelling story with a coherent storyline. It manages to seamlessly combine comedy, romance and also angst in the latter part. Don’t be fooled by the hilarious opening, the last few episodes are tear jerkers. In 36 episodes, this drama is an intense rollercoaster ride, that will make you laugh, love, cry and adore each moment.
Wang Heidi and Esther Yu as Dongfang Qing Cang and Xiao Lang Hua sent sparks flying onscreen. They beautifully unfold a captivating love story that develops naturally and flows seamlessly captivating your heart strings. Their chemistry is electric and they make every moment count with comic, sweet and bitter moments that tears your heart apart. They are both natural and so comfortable with each other that makes the drama so real.
Esther Yu convincingly portrays the orchid fairy, a dynamic character that’s easy to hate because it can appear too fake or flamboyant when not conveyed well but she manages to pull it off effortlessly. She radiates different energy in different situations but still remembers the essence of her character, a warm and bubbly fairy. She also brings out her acting range when she body swaps and pulls off the serious and cold domineer. She has also used her own voice, which I personally find very fitting to the character.
Dylan Wang has greatly improved since Miss the Dragon. His acting is terrific, he showcases a variety of expressions that blend into his character. Despite being the heartless moon supreme, he displays brilliantly how his icy heart sea slowly melts. He gracefully transitions into someone with emotions and gradually makes more micro expressions and gestures to show how he’s starting to fall in love and feel emotions. Wang Heidi as the moon supreme is magnificent and he nails the character; his body and eye language are both great. Not to mention he is an eye candy in all those costumes.
Zhang Ling He as the SML is very lovable and he can seriously give you second male lead syndrome vibes. His performance as the Lord of War who wants to protect his love and can be a friend to his arch enemy is quite endearing. You will also fall in love with the SFL Danyin, a fairy who can love endlessly but can also gracefully give up. For once you don’t have the wicked woman who is obsessed and delusional in love to the point of madness.
Every character is there for a reason, they have their own personal motive, background story and their decisions contribute to the intensity and development of the plot. It’s a happy ending with all the loose ends tied up, except that the last 5 minutes could have been better, showing their return to Cangyan sea or how Dongfang can wield glazed fire but still better than most dramas.
The drama is visually appealing in terms of sequencing, graphics, and cinematography. It’s only a S production but they have used the money in the right places and it shows. The art team needs to be applauded. They have visually articulated a fantasy world where every detail is enchantingly portrayed. The costumes are gorgeous and, in each realm, they have really put in a lot of effort into visualizing how the characters need to look on screen. DongFang QingCang’s outfits are mostly black with a hint of gold, showing his sovereignty as the moon supreme. Xiao Lan Hua’s outfits are in bright pastel colors fitting for a fairy with bright and bubbly personality.
The CGI effects are top notch and rendered so well that it gave an ethereal and mind-blowing result. In each realm, the lighting, visual art, setting and color palette enhances the overall cinematic effect. The combat scenes with hell fire and Dylan Wang’s entry scenes are beautifully done. The scene where Rong Hao and Chang Heng enter a painting is just amazing. Again, well done camera work, really good angles and each shot is epic. The way they have designed the realms shows a lot of research work. It has been a while since there was such beautiful and mesmerizing graphics in a drama.
The drama also has a very beautiful soundtrack and background music score. The soundtracks are great and the lyrics are so meaningful. Almost all of the OST’s are good and the background music score for this drama is exceptional. Some of the BGM’s can make your hair stand up and is a masterpiece.
Usually, Xianxia’s are long but very few manage to leave a long-lasting mark despite that. This drama has set really high standards for a Xianxia. The last time a drama was this close to perfection was Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and long-time drama viewers would know that it was a classic. I would say this drama is no less in comparison. Overall, I would rate this drama a 9 which is something I rarely do because the plot, casting, setting, cinematography, CGI effects, color palette, OST’s and execution are almost flawless.
So do yourself a favor and watch the drama because it’s the best Xianxia that’s been out in recent years.
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A light-hearted, cutesy story
This show is definitely aimed towards the young adult audience. It has everything from plot, characters, and fan service that would satisfy this kind of romantic troupe. For all those single ladies out there looking for "dreamy, bad boy", this is your love story...STORY/PRODUCTION — 7.5
The plot is quite enjoyable with a lot of comedic, heart-warming scenes and character development. It is fantasy-based so I wouldn't judge it harshly for its illogical elements as we are entering "their" world and cannot compare it to ours or another. The script was designed for a young love-lusting audience so it's sometimes filled with cheesy and silly lines/scenes.
Although the production was pretty high quality, I noticed that the stages were very limited to only a few and repeated backdrops. It got a little boring after a while and I can do without the 3D animations and the obvious copy-paste characters.
CAST/ACTING — 9.0
DongFang QingCang - A pretty solid performance from Dylan. There were some off expressions and oops moments but overall he did a good job. I can understand why he gets a lot of praises for this role; it suits him well.
Orchid - Esther was mediocre... Her expressions felt forced and strained that it was sometimes cringy to watch. I think her chemistry with Dylan is what helped alleviate some of the burns I felt from her performance. I am highly critical when it comes to eye expressions and this was something Esther was lacking. Her facial expressions would display emotions but her eyes lacked the same depth so it looked off. Also, her portrayal of DFQC and Goddess of Xishan were too similar that it felt like she had no range to separate their identities.
Chang Heng - LingHe was mediocre, as well. His performance was often stiff and choppy as if he was afraid to make a mistake. Because of this I couldn't feel for this character and his emotions. I don't think the script help him either.
Rong Hao - Okay, now this is what you would call real star actor quality. This man was flawless, simply amazing! HaiQiao portrayed his character so well that I became much more invested on his backstory than the leading couple. His range and portrayal of Rong Hao was definitely for the mature audience so if you're not in that kind of mindset, you will not appreciate his skills as much. But, wow, I was blown away! He can definitely carry a show. He's the reason why I rated the casting higher.
The rest of the cast was a mixed bag between 'meh' and a good support for the leading cast.
MUSIC — 3.5
Honestly, not very memorable and sometimes annoying to hear playing in the background.
OVERALL — 7.0
This is definitely for a targeted audience, and if you don't fit it then you may think this show is too fluffy or girly. If I watch something angsty and need some heart relief, I'd probably re-watch this. Otherwise, Rong Hao will probably be the only non-fluff part of this show. I really enjoyed the series despite its flaws and acting so I would recommend this to those who are interested in this kind of romantic troupe.
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Best Cdrama ever!
I'm sad it's over LOL There was nothing missing for me from this show. It had everything I would want in a xianxia drama. Loved the actors, loved the plot, the action, the romance, the music! I'm still listening to the soundtrack on my commute for work lol I'm almost afraid I will never be so impressed with another drama, though I know there are plenty of amazing ones out there. Dylan Wang and Esther Yu have amazing chemistry, I really hope to see them perform together again but I will keep watching their individual shows. :) The rest of the cast was phenomenal too!!! 10/10 stars!!!!I've been watching a lot of historical and wuxia shows but I think after watching this and Love Game, I'm gonna have to check out MORE xianxia! :D
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Now bacck to story, although some start episodes are funny but if u read the novel then u know how sad drama is and the people who saying shuxin voice is like childish , i am just gonna say the directors give her role because they know she can fit and all the dramas she starring all use her original vice because they know her voice is best for her roles i just say shuxin always get sweet dramas but if u know the song( amnesia ) she sang for drama then u match if the voice is sweet or not u must not .people quikly u know they work so hard to pleased the audience and when audience reply bad about her how hurt she is . The role of shuxin fit for her if u read the novel then u know how perfect she was doing . The plot of drama is perfect . Overall story is soo good and perfect .
The background, graphics,ost is so amzing that it makes people to fall for it.
I hope if someone saw this review must watch this drama .
The haters always say because their actor or actress also got bad comments so they deliberately makes bad comments for other actress or dramas.
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Just a Romance with no plot besides that
Initially I actually liked it, which was the cute, romantic comedy part that I generally don't like very much, and the part that I was supposed to like, which was tragic, I didn't like.The first "arc" in the protagonist's fairy kingdom was okay, typical cute story and their relationship was good and funny to see, but after that, in the "arc" of the protagonist's kingdom there was a drastic change in the atmosphere of the drama and especially in the relationship between them and that's when it became a turn-down for me and I started to get bored watching it, it cut off the initial flow and became something else... I didn't feel like it was something continuous but rather that the drama was really divided into " arcs" with different vibes.
The next "arc" was in the human world, at this point I was tired of watching this that I couldn't even appreciate, but it wasn't a bad "arc" but rather a slow one, it was where most of the relationships between the characters developed, but other than that I found the story itself completely stupid. The aspect that made me really dislike the drama was that the characters, being immortals who have lived thousands of years, fall in love easily and very quickly, the secondary character fell in love with Orchid in about 3 meetings..... and she in 1 or 2 for him, at the end of the drama she realized that what she felt for him wasn't love, but still she was OBSESSED with the guy at the beginning, their relationship is very superficial.
In the end, the drama revolved around romance and romance and more romance, and the plot beyond that?? There were practically none.
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Underwhelming Plot, Impressive ML and Annoying FL
After watching the drama, it is safe to say that it had its ups and downs. The Male Lead's acting was quite impressive, while the Female Lead's portrayal was annoying and immature throughout the majority of the drama. However, her acting did improve slightly in the last four episodes.Unfortunately, the story itself was not very interesting, and the FL was often portrayed as a fool. Despite this, the production quality was good, and the visual experience was enjoyable.
All things considered, this drama was average, with some good and bad elements. While the ML's acting was a definite highlight, the FL's portrayal could have been better, and the story itself could have been more engaging. If you are looking for a drama with good visuals and solid acting from the ML, but are not overly concerned about the plot, then this drama might be worth checking out.
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