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Love in Flames of War : A Test of Patience
As someone whose drama-watching habit borders on obsession (it's not an addiction, I swear!) I can confidently say that "Love in Flames of War" pushed me to the brink. I'm talking about a genuine risk of a stress-induced bald spot.
My entry into Republic-era dramas is relatively new, and after the sheer delight of "Fall in Love" a drama that instantly claimed a top spot in my favorites, my expectations for "Love in Flames of War" weren't high. Still, I stubbornly ignored all the warning reviews, thinking, "How bad could it truly be?" The answer? Pretty darn bad. Two days post-completion, I'm still processing the emotional trauma.
Let's begin with the few positives, because honestly, they're scarce. The entire cast, even the extras, delivered commendable performances. Shawn Dou, as the male lead Xiao Beichan, was truly outstanding and the sole reason I endured all 43 episodes. While he might not possess the same effortless aura as Marshal Tan XuanLi in "Fall in Love," Dou commanded the screen with his presence. He perfectly encompassed Xiao Beichan's transformation from a privileged, impulsive youth to a respected military leader. His character's growth, along with the genuine camaraderie he shared with his friends, was a definite highlight.
The Unbearable Female Lead
Now, for the character who single-handedly dragged this drama down: the female lead. "Stone" is the only word that comes to mind, so utterly frustrating that I can't even bring myself to recall her name. I've never felt such a strong urge to personally confront drama writers until now. I genuinely believe even Shawn Dou's character must have questioned why he was paired with such a soulless individual. I understand it's fiction, but I refuse to believe a woman could be so relentlessly self-centered, constantly manufacturing misunderstandings wherever she went. Despite being showered with affection and support from the male lead, his family, and his friends, she constantly operated on her own bizarre wavelength, almost always leading to disastrous outcomes.
While the male lead certainly had his own growth arc, once he embraced it, he never looked back, growing stronger with each passing episode. The female lead, however? Same tired plans, same predictable responses, same blank stare from episode one to forty-three. Even when glimpses of hope appeared, there was an obvious absence of affection towards the ML, despite her showing more warmth towards everyone else, including the utterly chaotic second male lead, about whom I'll say no more,just another utterly chaotic character.
Final Verdict
Overall, I'm reluctantly giving "Love in Flames of War" a 7 out of 10, a score almost entirely attributed to Shawn Dou and his supporting cast,Otherwise a 6.0 is what it deserves. I will never willingly subject myself to 43 episodes of such torture again. On the brighter side, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Shawn Dou's future projects.
However, if you're easily frustrated or prone to high blood pressure, skip this drama unless you're actively seeking a heart attack courtesy of the female lead.
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Don’t understand the low ratings!!
I was hesitant to watch this but I’m glad I did. I haven’t come across a good modern series lately. All I’ve been watching for the past months are historical series.I couldn’t stop watching this, even though I hated the female lead, but hey that was her character/ role and yes this some what reflects real characteristics you come across in real life.
I like the story and action, don’t know why even though it’s not thrilling or suspenseful but it keeps me watching nonstop?!
Haven’t read the spoilers but hoping for a happy ending.
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This review may contain spoilers
Theory: some actors took the roles to have something to do, rather than hone their skills?
Theory: some actors took the roles to have something to do, rather than hone their skills… Pained me to see Shawn Dou Xiao in a role that didn’t utilize his acting skills to a higher degree… After forcing myself to continue watching for several episodes,… the constant bickering, suspicions and self righteous stances, rescues and lack of solid progress between the leads trusfrated, bored, and disappointed me. Yuan Hao performed well, but again, wasted his ability… Unnecessary deaths for a few characters saddened me. (esp the rewatchable Overlord’s Leon Lai Yi who didn’t have a lot of screen time, as supporting cast here)Please watch/rewatch Princess Agents and Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophesy .. Mr Dou’s early works,.. and IMHO, still his very best!Was this review helpful to you?
Not what I expected
Do I recommend this drama:If you like light-hearted shows, this is NOT for you.
Story:
is a drama that focuses on Xiao Bei Chen (Shawn Dou) and Lin Hang Jing (Chen Du Ling)’s lives during the 20th century.
I had high hopes for this drama but was pretty disappointed as the plot progresses. The constant misunderstanding between Xiao Bei Chen and Lin Hang Jing made it rather hard to watch. Given the genre, I know it would be difficult to place emphasise on the romance between the main leads. However, having them pit against each other for almost every other episode; repetitively didn’t made the drama enjoyable at all.
The actions made by the characters as well for some part of the drama was questionable as well. Lin Hang Jing’s character in the drama made me puzzled half of the time.
Cast:
The cast is superb and have done a splendid job. Personally I love Shawn’s acting in this; especially towards the end of the drama, where he needs to portray a lot of raw emotions. In fact, Shawn’s acting throughout the entire drama was what kept me going, more so from the 2nd half of the drama when I was getting tired of the series.
Notable mentions also include: Leon Lai, Hu Jun, Dong Xuan.
Note:
Perhaps I was expecting too much for a drama that was set in the 20th century so I was hoping for a slightly better ending (with some fluff). I might have to watch other dramas with similar genre to see if genre works for me.
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MAIN LEADS ARE COMPLEX CHARACTERS, DON'T WATCH IT IF YOU'RE TOO STUPID TO COMPREHEND THEM!
I've seen few CDramas before on historical genre but this is the only series that I was able to finished, rewatched and finally made me a CDrama fan! I totally fell in love with Shawn Dou and my girl Chen Duling! Their acting is really good, perfect for the series, and they look perfect together! I would watch any drama they are in even if it's support roles!This drama isn't for everyone, and I see a lot of misogynistic comments about the FL which is so funny, cause this comments obviously coming from miserable haters of CDL or plain janes that have no love for themselves! So if you're more into romance drama, and is too stupid to understand that humans are not 1 dimensional, you shouldn't watch this series!
FL here isn't male centered character and is very soft hearted for poor people and she have goals to make contribution in her society + marriage and love is never on her mind. ML is a complete opposite of her but the FL's influence to him is great. They love each other but their relationship isn't perfect at all, they are both flawed yet they compliment each other. I wouldn't give any spoilers but I would say they were both immature at some point.
I love how they made every sweet and loving moments of FL and ML very light hearted and a little funny, but then there's a sudden switch of vibes when the scene isn't about them. I love how both leads + 2nd ml have purpose in their lives and not perfect at all. If you love historical, political dramas with patriotism you would appreciate this series. If not, you better watch another series cause this isn't purely about romance.
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Mix of cliche/often used settings
After the good ratings, I was really disappointed by the storyline.This drama is a mix of settings and clichés you see in different dramas. I seldom see such a mix that is almost done like a recipe (s.u.).
ML actor saved the scene more than once. The music is fine, too. Just tells you which emotions to have without being noisy. The overall cinematographic quality is quite good, and the storyline is made for being popular.
If you like this kind of recipe, it is something for you, but don't expect really something new. Sometimes, you could really expect what would come next and just wait and see: it happens exactly that way.
I might have enjoyed it for just being a good drama. Not excellent, but good. But I kind of lost interest already with the second time jump. Why is it that popular for the FL to leave and become a different person, resulting in an "old flame" storyline? It is not really the same story, not even the FL we knew anymore. Never understood that. Also, I made the mistake to just want to watch the last episodes before going to sleep. Don't, if you want to sleep afterwards.
Recipe (spoiler alert):
- Take a rich good for nothing/bully and add a "tragic" past like dead parent or parent not there for him when needed.
Add a female, who does not fawn over him like everyone else.
- Make it a bet turn real love for the good-for-nothing until he wants to prove himself to the FL.
- JUMP IN TIME -> FL has a good male friend, ML is successful and overbearing (boss in city).
- Contract marriage turn real,
- salted with a jealous "ex-girlfriend"/trusted friend, a lot of misunderstandings, trust issues etc., similar story lines (FL acts, ML saves, ML jealous, FL angry) in a loop, until the FL can't handle it anymore and leaves.
- One more JUMP IN TIME. ML never forgot, FL comes back as a different person.
- Old flame, old misunderstandings get cleared.
- Fast-paced and tragic ending, turning the situation within just a couple of episodes completely.
The most creative part was choosing this setting int time (although not new, at least not as often as the other elements) and his parent's military power struggle (ok, untrusting superior, rival/enemy of same rank, mole - not too new either).
I have to correct myself: Most creative is mixing everything into one drama.
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Sad but amazing
I don't usually watch sad dramas, but this one is fantastic; I thoroughly enjoyed it (even though I cried alot). It has an excellent cast and plot. ML and FL have good chemistry. The FL's misunderstanding of ML was the only thing that irritated me. Whatever ML does, FL always ignores his love and actions. She looked very desperate for 2 ML. She didn't deserve him.The ending was not what I expected. It was neither a happy nor a sad ending. I really hope this drama gets a season 2 and gives ML the happy ending he deserves.
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Honest review
I loved this show. Best series ever!!!!!!!!! The story is amazing. I loved the male lead. A lot of things going on and you never get bored. The script and storyline was amazing. The best thing is that the male lead truly loved one girl and never liked anyone else. He's love was true and never gave up. Female lead and supporting characters was also amazing and made show better. The music and location was beautiful and suited the story. Beeeeeeeeeesssssssssstttttttttttttttt showwwwwwwwwww evvvvvvveeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Painful Love Story, An Unforgettable Brotherhood
Not many dramas stay in your memory a year later, especially when you've watched so many, but Love in Flames of War is one I still wanted to write about. I finished it over a year ago, and although I wasn't writing reviews back then, I didn't want to leave this one unreviewed.This is an emotionally exhausting story, especially if you're watching primarily for the romance. The constant misunderstandings, separations, and angst between Xiao Bei Chen and Lin Hang Jing can be incredibly frustrating. I often wished the drama had given us more sweet moments instead of repeatedly putting the couple through unnecessary suffering. Their chemistry is undeniable, but there were times when I struggled to understand Lin Hang Jing's feelings for Bei Chen. Her reactions often felt cold and inconsistent, and I found myself frustrated with her character. I appreciated her independence and ideals, but the way she handled conflicts made it difficult for me to connect with her emotionally. Bei Chen wasn't perfect either, with his stubbornness, possessiveness, and jealousy, but his character development was much more satisfying to watch.
Shawn Dou was undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons I stayed invested.He embodied Xiao Bei Chen so convincingly, from his mischievous and arrogant younger days to the mature, capable military commander he eventually became. His emotional vulnerability, especially when it came to Lin Hang Jing, was beautifully portrayed. Chen Du Ling also suited Lin Hang Jing's character, even when the writing made her frustrating. The cast's performances, particularly Shawn Dou's portrayal of Bei Chen's pain and growth, carried many of the more difficult parts of the story for me.
What kept me going beyond the romance was the military storyline, the political developments, and, above all, the bromance. Bei Chen, Mo Wei Yi, and Xu Ji Zun share a wonderful bond. Their loyalty, camaraderie, and willingness to stand by one another through the worst circumstances were among my favourite parts of the drama. I loved watching their friendship evolve alongside their military careers. The way they supported and sacrificed for each other gave the story an emotional depth that the central romance sometimes lacked.
I also loved the opera scenes in the initial episodes. They added a distinctive charm to the drama and were one of those little details that stayed with me even after finishing it.
I also appreciated the supporting characters, particularly Xiao Hai Shan and Aunt Qi, whose relationship and family dynamics brought warmth to an otherwise painful story. Xiao Shu Yi's growth was another pleasant aspect. The drama does not shy away from tragedy, and the losses these characters endure make their loyalty and resilience even more meaningful. The opera storyline also left an impression on me.
Ultimately, this is a story about love, friendship, duty, and sacrifice set against the backdrop of war. Bei Chen's devotion to his homeland and the people he loves was moving, even when his choices came at a tremendous personal cost. The open ending may not satisfy everyone, and I certainly would have welcomed more closure, but the journey still had its memorable moments.
Overall, Love in Flames of War was a mixed experience for me. The romance could be exhausting, and the misunderstandings often tested my patience, but the strong bromance, military storyline, character development, and Shawn Dou's outstanding performance made it worth finishing. It's definitely not a lighthearted watch, so keep tissues handy.
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Well worth watching
First of all, I rarely ever watch period dramas, but this one is in more recent times. The male lead character is what kept me watching. He is pure eye candy for one, but the character he portrayed was what held the entire story together. Whether on display with his military prowess or as the romantic with his undying love for the female lead his acting was exceptional. I won’t lie, the character of the female lead gave me fits. Her acting was very good, but the character the writers created was frustrating to watch, as she went back and forth with the treatment of her devoted husband. The never ending stream of misunderstandings almost drove me to walk away from the drama. I hung in there because of the stellar performance of the male lead and I am glad I did. Along with all of the emotional, romantic and war torn drama came some history that those outside of Asia know little of. All in all, I’m glad I watched it.Was this review helpful to you?
Heartfelt, captivating
Emotional, heartfelt, captivating, I wouldn't be able to stop watching it even if I wanted to.The only thing that upset me more than the ML losing so many of his beloved people, is the fact that he was utterly mistreated. This fact alone made me sad but at the same time it made me look up to him even more. Although a bit bossy, there were always good reasons behind his actions, justified every single time.
Well done to the casting, I was convinced by their acting skills, the plot was catchy and interesting from the beginning to the end.
That was indeed a true love in the flames of war.
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a great one indeed!
I have watched tens of chinese dramas, but this is the first time I bawl my eyes out while watching!! I got a serious heartache from watching this. The whole drama has been an emotional roller coaster for me. Even though there were way too many misunderstandings in the middle episodes that they even got me pissed off, I think those storylines were needed after all. One of the great aspects of this drama is that there are MANY lovable characters that will make you feel like supporting them to stay alive, such as Mo Wei Yi, Du Heng, and many others. The character development for Xiao Bei Chen and his two sworn brothers can also be seen clearly throughout the episodes. Plus, the OSTs are just WOW! Painted Heart and Abyss are my top 2 soundtracks of this drama. The OSTs suit the drama's vibe perfectly. Whenever I listen to Abyss, those sad scenes in the drama just suddenly flash through my mind and got me feeling emotional again.Lastly, if you are not the type of person who can stand watching sad drama, this is not for you.
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