The Starry Love (2023)

Legends say they are still watering their wives till this day ... ?

Watched my expectations being compromised to hell cause I watched this drama right after finishing moonlight mystique.🥺🥺
This drama? Whew. Mediocre in every sense 😮‍💨—from the plot and characters to the casting. Nothing screamed “worth my time,” so I skipped generously and brought it down from 35 hours to a more survivable 25-ish. Trust me, darling, you’ll do the same. The show is packed with pointless segments and characters that add about as much value as a decorative pillow on a park bench. 🫡

The plot? It starts out meh. The first 5-6 episodes are okay-ish, but I doubt many viewers would be sold on such a weak pilot. Things do pick up around episode 6 and stay interesting until 25. Then? Back to mediocrity. Episodes 31–40? Full-on disaster. 👎👎

Spoiler Alert: The ending is absolute garbage.
And don’t even get me started on how they tried to cover lazy screenwriting with lame excuses like “filial piety” or “heaven realm duties.” I mean… TO HELL WITH THAT. Nobody’s buying these ancient justifications anymore, sweetie.😑😑

Characters:

FL: She’s a rebel—cool. Strong, independent, makes money, uses her brain. Amazing. Until… she spares ML’s father and I was like “THANK YOU, NEXT.” 🥱

SFL: A sweet girl turned strategic queen. I liked her. She wanted freedom and stayed classy—even if she played from the sidelines she didn't leave a displeasing taste in my mouth.

ML: Ugh. A second-tier disappointment. He can save the world, but not his own love life from daddy dearest. His endless forgiveness? Exhausting. 😷

SML: Half the time, he’s getting wrecked. His insecurity from daddy issues and succession vendetta are addressed… but meh, didn’t really help.🤕

Birdy (FL’s demon BFF): My absolute favorite. Period. 😘😘

Puppy boy: Surprisingly better than the SML.🥰😍

Useless Crew:

ML’s mom: No backbone, no impact, and somehow... endless screen time. 😖

ML’s younger bro: More useful as wallpaper.😣



Casting:
Landy Li (FL), He Xuan (SFL), and Wang Lina (Birdy) carried the show on their backs. Chen Xingxu? Eh. Chemistry with Landy was decent, but he looked a little too seasoned for the role. Still like him though.

Styling:
Typical wuxia/xianxia fare. Nothing mind-blowing like TTEOTM or LBFAD, but passable. Bonus points for the accessories.

Music:
One word—Sa Dingding. Her voice in “EST”? Absolutely stole the show. The only thing I genuinely loved about the entire series.

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don’t know what went wrong

dropped this after ep17.

a show with very good start. the sisters arc, I wish they delve more on the ML arc too and him sending her to school, writer, you can expand all this, make her grow in terms of gaining manners and powers.

while the sister flourishes as a physician, the other one have to endure the loss of her future husband and go and find his shards when they arent yet showing affection towards each other? bridge of fate? yeah, whatever. or chemistry issue btw both leads? I don’t know.

the shards arc was where I decided to drop the show entirely because this arc is too early and I’m not feeling the FL. does she have feelings for him? the stares ain’t making it up.

I appreciate the humor the show portrayed. but as each episode passed, the story flow got worst.

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Highly recommended!!!! deserves more attention!!!

« Everyone is born with desires. Only true love can let them flow. “
That once sentence from the show resumes perfectly the story and how beautiful it was.

I felt every possible emotions watching it.

All the characters were extremely interesting and appealing.
And the best part about this the drama is the relationship between the sisters. The writing was exceptional. It's refreshing to see them behave without jealousy and comprehend each other's emotions.

Also, the ending really satisfied me.

Highly recommended! The cinematography was absolutely outstanding too. (I love the pink & purple aesthetic)
+ incredible OST sung by Sa Dingding

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Interesting plot with likeable side characters

Story
I have to admit the first 10 episodes feels a little bit draggy especially the heavenly realm part, the lack of lighting, depth, colors, and the filter making it worse. The first arc climaxed in ep 11-12, the story start to pick up here.
The second arc where they have to collect the shards was the most fun part. You can see Yetan slowly falling in love with SDYQ, even with how hard it is for her to trust people due to her lifelong trauma. While Yetan's father is considered the best out of three fathers in this drama, I don't think their reconciliation feel natural, not saying they shouldn't reconcil at all of course, but 17 years of trauma wouldn't heal easily.
I don't know why but i feel like the writers gave up on Heavenly realm's world building, like we could simply compare the heavenly empress with Chaofeng's mother and void realm's empress, personally I think she is the most beautiful, but she was just .... there, I wish there are scenes where she bonded with Yetan or something. Qingkui's real identity was revealed in such an elaborated plot, in comparison, Yetan's real identity was revealed by fairy Biqiong fueled by her jealousy because she also liked SDYQ, I'm fine with cheap and tropey plot as long as it feels logical, but fairy Biqiong who supposed to be so in love with SDYQ didn't even do anything to resurrect him, so her existence just feel like a tool to accelerate the plot.
What made this drama different and a lot more memorable than other xianxia dramas I watched is the characterization of the shards! That scene where the three of them meet at the same place was so iconic. Other than the main leads, the side characters are very lovable, especially Wu Dai and Chaofeng's bodyguard. Out of all characters in Heavenly realm, even though technically she's not from here, I loved Husui the most, she might be the bad guy but her motive stay consistent until the end! I also loved her beast realm green outfit. The ending didn't bother me so much, It would be nice to see the girls again though.
Acting
The most memorable part for me in this drama is the scene of dying Shaodian Youqin, he looks so helpless without any exaggerated acting. I'm glad that CXX is using his real voice here! Even though I don't understand Chinese, I could hear that the voice of the three shards sounds different.
Music
I love the ending song by Mao Buyi so much, the lyric is also very romantic. I wish C-dramas could tone it down with the use of epic BGMs though 🤣.
Rewatch Value
Maybe for the second arc.

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Acting, Design

But why do Chinese works so often have such an unsatisfactory ending? Must it be. It's a pity. The whole series was beautiful, the actors were great, as was the character design and the costumes. The animations were also good. Must be such an ending WTF so unsatisfactory 🙈🙈Or is it because of the scriptwriter? I have to pay attention because, strangely enough, 6 out of 10 ch series aren't that great in the finale 😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞😞

von mir Schulnote 3- wegen des seltsamen Endes . Für den Rest gebe ich die Schulnote 2+💓💓

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It was a fun watch!

I was a bit disappointed of the ending where the FL and ML did not get to stay together, but it is somewhat a happy ending. Beautiful actors and actresses! It was fun to watch and both couples are cute! I had a couple drops of tears. Some parts were touching. I enjoyed it but still can't compare to the "all-time favorite" drama: Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. I think this drama is missing some intense/romatic kissing/bed scenes. Even "Ashes of Love" was more intense when it comes to heartache and chemistry between the FL and ML. If you are like me who enjoy SEXY kissing/bed scenes, you will feel a bit disappointed too. This drama is more on the "CUTE/SWEET" side I believe...

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Worth a watch for the OST alone!

If you love an ensemble cast, friendships, and adventure, then you'll love The Starry Love.

I've watched all of the episodes so far and I'm eagerly waiting for more. The cast is great, the characters are likeable, the costumes and CGI are beautiful, and the OST is amazing. I fell in love with the show based on Liu Yuning's opening song alone.

It's refreshing to see the two sisters (2 FLs) have such a strong bond despite how they were raised and their personality differences. And I know this is minor, but the actors dubbed in their own voices, which is a relief. The first 14 episodes are funny, sweet, and exciting. The adventure is just starting for our Ye Tan group and princess Qing Kui is establishing her footing in the dark realm. It's a great setup so far and I'm really enjoying the story.

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A new standard for Xianxia Dramas. Experience how it feels to stumble upon a greatly priced fortune.

In summary, this is one crazy feel good party! This story breaks through the typical standards when it comes to Xianxia dramas. It won't even be a stretch if I claim that they birth-ed this whole new trend and I hope that more producer will realize that a story doesn't necessarily need overly complex plot to make the entire narrative fun and exciting. Just a hand full of evilness from some characters + hilarious and vigorous number of cast would be enough to make any story enjoyable and satisfactory.

Even after I finished this drama, It still feels oddly satisfying to watch a Xianxia with such a comical and funny setup. This production embodied the words 'derp and meme' so much that as time passes by I find myself longing to see those scenes again. I got used to it and even longed for it in the long run. This story was made perfect by each and every element they poured to mold it the way it is. A rare masterpiece! 💕

Looking back... This production showed us plenty of focal points, however, one thing that stood out for me is its values—From the unconditional love Qingkui and Yetan shared despite their contrasting upbringings, the initially cruel turned playful setup of the Void Team, Human Emperor's love language and fatherly affection for his daughters, Indestructible bond between friends, Naturally playful nature of each character, Overwhelming fleeting emotions that can rule over hate, sorrow and revenge and last but not the least, Repentance for all the wrong decisions we've all made. It presents us the good-postive and bad-negative context of life. That life may be cruel, for sure! but it still depends on how we choose the path we're going to take. That life is not always about making the right decisions, moreso, a stand of choosing what can make us feel better and at peace. So, lead and live your life to the fullest by making considerably good decisions!

CGI, Color scheme and Overall design were great. I never felt off watching any of them. They're perfectly balanced and I just love their choice of colors. It is all in accordance to what we're used to all these years, however, the mood/vibe of the drama just made them extremely pleasing to the eye. Comfortable and cozy per se.

One last thing I can never miss to talk about is the crazy-crazy good dynamics of all the characters! They blended so well that it feels like a whole dang celebration whenever they're together. Specially those moments from Immortal and Void Squad. I will surely miss their funny antics and the non-stop chaos they served to make the story effortlessly entertaining. They're the bread and butter and/or peanut butter and Jam of this entire production. It won't be successful without them!

P.S. I wish there are more episodes to this drama. I need to see both Yetan and Qingkui living their daily lives with their loving husbands Xuanshang and Chao feng. + These couples were just fantastic duos. I swear they can add 40 more episodes of them being messy and chaotic and I won't get bored at all.

Story - 10, An unexpected and fulfilling story. It's a dark horse covered in sparkly glitters that may look absurd to everyone on the outside but is a precious fortune on the inside. It is a whole new class/category anyone has yet to see and experience before.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, The set of actors/actresses on this production are well selected and even when some of them do feel awkward at times they all improved and got better afterwards. I can't imagine anyone else doing their roles at this point. They've all made their impact and created their own standing grounds when it comes to the characters they individually portrayed.

Music - 10, Honeslty, I find the melody of this drama to be very relaxing and peaceful. It's harmonious and easy to listen to. Which is very nice compared to the heavily composed music out there that often distracts me from focusing on the show.

Rewatch Value - 10, I can even watch it again right now. No boring scenes and more importantly every single episode is well produced and created. I highly recommend this drama.

Overall - 10, I feel rejuvenated after finishing this show. Specially since the previous drama I watched was kinda disappointing. Lol. Anyways, I just want to encourage everyone to watch this. You will never feel bored, disappointed and irritated even the tiniest watching this drama. It is that GOOD.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know

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wow! just wow

10 stars. The ml, fl, second male lead, and second female lead all acted amazingly. Also, the main side characters were hilarious and sweet. {the plot was unique and very good but the ending was more hopeful than full on happy. My favorite episode of the show is episode 16. The replay value is HIGH. This show is so enjoyable I’ve watched more than three times already


Ignore down below - [need 300 characters to submit review]

(Can you see, huh?)
Tteoreojin han bangul drip
Tumyeonghan nae ane seokkyeo deulji
Amureochi aneun deut, keep on movin' (Yeah)
Impurities, show you my impurities
Yoksimnae deo like a witch
Show you real me, geombulgeojineun bit
Gangnyeolhage banjjangnyeo, glittery things (Yeah)
Impurities, show you my impurities

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Ever expected to end up liking the series

This series made me laugh as hard as it made me cry. I don't cry watching movies or series. After a long time, a series made me cry.

I loved Chen Xing Xu's acting. He portrays 5 different characters. I like his acting as Mei You Qing more. Every crying scene of Li Guang Ye Tan made me cry.

Loved Chao Feng & Gu Hai Chao scenes a lot. They made me laugh a lot. Especially when Chao Feng was taking fighting lessons from Wu Dai. Also, the scene between Chao Feng &  his mother was laughable. And his relationship with Shao Dian You Qin.

Both Qing Kui's & Ye Tan's endings made me cry hard.

Liked Chao Feng's character. He is manipulative & cunning, which are needed to survive in the Void Realm.

Heavenly Empress & Xue Qing Xin are both the best mothers. Their love for their sons and daughter-in-law is unimaginable.

Void King & Heavenly Emperor are the worst fathers of all time. They all think of themselves & ruling the world. Never consider their children's feelings.

At one point, I found Zi Wu & Qing Heng selfish. They wanted Shao Dian You Qin back because he is the most powerful in 4 realm and can save them, not because he is their brother. They didn't even consider La Mu, Mei You Qing, & Wen Ren's feelings. Just wanted their brother. If I were in their place, I would consider how my brother feels.

At 1st Qing Kui was a sweet, caring, & down-to-earth girl. As the story progressed, she became strong, independent, smart, & little bit manipulative, which was as always needed to survive in the Void Realm.

Ye Tan was cunning, arrogant, and a little bit selfish at first, but slowly she started to become loving, helpful.

I love Qing Kui & Ye Tan's sisterly bond. Their love, trust & worries for each other were so sweet and touching. In any other series, Ye Tan would have been a villain and hated Qing Kui because of their past or Qing Kui would have been a villain and hated Ye Tan because she wasn't able to marry Shao Dian You Qin. Luckily, this didn't happen here. In the first series, the sisters didn't become enemies after a tragedy.

I loved the friendship between Ye Tan & Man Man. The scene between the 4 leads was so sweet & enjoyable. Also, the friendship & trust between Ye Tan, Qing Kui, Shao Dian You Qin, Chao Feng, Zi Wu, Qing Heng, Di Lan Jue, & Man Man were so loving & heartwarming.

It would have been great if Qing Kui & Chao Feng had gotten the same scene time as Ye Tan & Shao Dian You Qin.
What if the bride swap didn't happen & Ye Tan ended up in the Void Realm? It would be a wonder to watch Ye Tan keep everyone on their toes. She would have taught the Void Queen a perfect lesson.

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A jam packed series

This series had SO MANY plot lines, it's amazing they fit everything in! It also tricks you into thinking, oh it's all good, it's happy times, near the end, but then you see there are still 5 and then 2 episodes left and you can't hope for a nice happy ending.

I strongly suggest watching this, but be prepared for mortal realm story but also other story lines. When you think it's over, it's not. It's a complex story that somehow managed to pack it all in. Ultimately it was satisfying, but there are bits in the middle you could fast forward maybe (I didn't). I was hooked.

Be prepared with TISSUES, because the latter part of the series did kinda break my heart a little.

But the first parts and middle part was just being funny, sometimes late, but still enjoyable!

But would I put this on the scale of the top tier Cdrama series such as TMOPB, IS, LBFAD, AOL, TTEOTM? Not that high, but still pretty good!

Spoilers to come below:
That ending?
JUST ONE MORE SCENE with them reunited with their husbands, even with 10 years later, would have wrapped this up as nicely as I wanted. Like it would have been literally 20 more seconds, why they didn't do this is freaking ridiculous. There's some rumours I read that they may have filmed it but didn't make the cut?? Or for specials, which DO NOT SEEM TO BE AROUND?? We get a nice ending for Zuwei and the Beast Prince even!

The OST could have been a bit better - it seemed a bit rough around the edges, but there were some good tracks.

As per usual, I love the main couple Tan Er and You Qing, especially the ML's superb acting as the cold, emotion-free immortal, and then the 3 different soul shards he played, to then become the fifth final version of himself that is Tan Er's true love and protector. He really, really grew on me. Despite his deep scary villain voice, he got me good.

I have to shout out also to the sisterly love with Tan Er and Kui Er, because it could have been they hated each other, but no they loved each other, supported each other and I got chills when they reunited after being separated. I loved it.

I did love the third Void Prince and Kui's story line two as they were sweet.

I cried over Man Man... it literally broke my heart

Almost all the support/minor characters were utilised in a meaningful way and were memorable. I did love the mortal father and later development relationship

I have adequate hatred for the father Emperor and his selfish desire and narrow minded way of protecting the four realms.

I won't mourn this series but may still feel a void - I suspect because it was very strongly suggesting a NOT OPEN-ENDED ending, so I am satisfied.

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Best Xianxia Fantasy for this Year 2023

Try watching this drama guys, you'll definitely love it. Everything in the drama is interesting, moreover the concept of the story where the male lead dies but can be revived but in a condition that the female lead will make him fall in love with her 3x. In his 3 reincarnations, he has to fall in love with the same woman at the same time, for him to be revived. This shows how the male lead loves the female lead and the drama is so magical. There are happy, kilig, sweet times, and even sad times in the drama but you'll definitely love it because of its unique concept. The 3 reincarnations visual is so good even if they have the same faces but different situation you'll still like it

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