ML is GREAT!
I will not write long review because I do not want to spoil it for others, but seriously the ending left me wanting MORE!!!It was a slow burn but I loved the storyline as well as all of the characters. This ML is wonderful I look forward to more of his upcoming work! The first couple of episodes sucked me into the storyline and I fell in love with each character.
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Purest and my top favorite c-drama of 2025!
To me, I am personally very satisfied with the drama. It kept me hooked till the last, though I know many left it in between maybe after ep 12 or didn't like the story. But it is one of the most refined, balanced and mature plots I have ever seen. I loved how every episode was crafted, the hidden layers and the morals it was conveying throughout. It was like finding my own conscience and the Way while watching it. i was not just lost in romance or a scripted World, it was like I am personally being transformed throughout. The acting was top-notch, along with the dialogues. The best chinese historical drama which went so ahead in conveying the overall message. Good always wins over the evil. Love is never a weakness. It can win over anything,I loved every character, our both secondary couples and the characters from its past prequels. Every episode felt like a story I wanted to rewatch again and again, and all episodes are so wisely numbered and arranged. Episode 12 , 29 and 36 were my favorites. It shows us all forms of love and relationships. The best drama to watch for unconditional and true love and promises.
Don't watch it if you are only here for entertainment, time pass, to see some romantic arc between the ML and FL, conventional power struggles, or some Xianxia. Watch it with a pure heart, try to understand what deeper message the drama is trying to convey and the essence of living this life. The war between hatred and love, good and evil, desires and promises, so beautifully and painfully portrayed. There was no kissing scene between the ML and FL, still love never felt distant between them. They were so pure as characters, their love naive and eternal, their affection deep and so do their strong mind, sticking to their morals and the duties. Their individual selves not lost in the love but being complimented by it. The main story was not lost in love, though love did play a huge role. A strong emotion capable of destruction and new beginnings.
I loved our two couples in Western regions. I enjoyed the comaraderie, the freedom and the unrestraint throughout. I know many sacrifices and deaths are there throughout, each one teaching you something and bringing out a strong emotion, still the other characters' carried. Every character (good) was capable of saving the world in their own way and did their best. They believed in each other till the end. Love doesn't always need a long time to be spent together. Even one small encounter can bloom into something deeper and sacred. The way they looked at each other, always there by each other's side, always protecting each other, even sacrificing themselves, their hearts speaking the same emotion.
Trust me, you are gonna enjoy its every episode. It is one of the most refined and powerful c-dramas of all time. The vfx, the sceneries, the osts, the costumes, the stage design, everything. It's meant to be watched on big screen. I usually watch dramas at 2x, but here I really wanted to slow down, to feel the emotions, and the essence truly. I know the ending was not that great. We don't know if the couple ended together or not, was very much like an open ending. But now it doesn't matter. Having witnessed their true love and the life story, now I couldn't care less if they end up together. I know they will always be happy wherever they would be and would always be together. If not in this realm, maybe the other and would forever be remembered in our hearts. A silent smile filled with hope, is all I can say to describe the ending. It is not weak but exactly as how it should be. Looking forward to the new generations while cherishing the past ones! I hope the sacrifices were worth it and if there is a sequel to this, it would be less painful and wish for more mortal togetherness.
It gives me the same feeling I had while watching The Untamed. Die a life with no regret. Do everything you can to protect your loved ones and let love never be a burden. Don't let your heart be corroded with hatred, walk on your Way, and find your purpose. Wanquan Manor or Western Regions- I prefer western regions more. (stories etched on borders are more fateful than those of central plains)
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This review may contain spoilers
10/10 — An Absolute Must-Watch!
I genuinely loved this drama from start to finish. The plot is captivating, especially for someone like me who isn’t into romance—I was fully invested in how the story unfolded. The cast did an amazing job: the protagonists are easy to love, while the villains are perfectly hateable, which just proves how well they delivered their roles.The visuals are beautiful, and the OST is incredibly catchy—I found myself humming it without even realizing. The storyline is solid and meaningful without needing to rely on romance, and the ending left me satisfied, especially with the Black Fox finally gone.
What really sets this drama apart is its message about love and sacrifice. A happy ending doesn’t always mean the leads end up together. True love can be selfless, and Fugui showed that through his devotion to protecting all living beings. I’ll always choose a story with depth and purpose over one packed with romantic clichés.
Overall, this drama delivered everything I want and more—a well-deserved 10/10!
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Worth watching with great fighting scenes and little romance
For those who want watch this drama, the English title of this drama should be "Heaven and Earth Sword Heart".When looking the title named "Sword and Beloved", I think everybody will expect the sweet romance will really happen between FL and ML.
So if you want to get many romantic scenes between ML and FL, i don't think this drama will meet your expectation.
I have watched two series before: The red moon pack and Love in Pavilion. And this drama is the story of Wangquan Fugui, the son of Wangquan Hongye (Wangquan Sword) and Dongfang Huazui (Dongfang Fire). Since I have already known about his parent story, this drama becomes more meaningful for me, especially the presence of Chengyi for FuGui's role.
I do aware this drama has some shortcomings:
1. Many supporting roles dominate scenes between episodes 21-29, making screen time for ML become less and many unecessary scenes appear.
2. Why the villain Quan Jinting takes long to die? and he always sucessfully recommit crime again and again. what happens hey?
3. I think many viewers expect Fugui's Experience much better after getting out from the Wangquan Manor. But back to the way this story is written, his screen time become less and less after.
Despite its shortcomings, I still enjoy watching this drama until the last episodes for this reason:
1. Every cast of this drama plays the role perfectly.
2. The Fighting scenes is also incredible
3. Visual, outfit, acessories, and ost are perfect.
4. CGI the best
5. The story of friendship and family touches my heart so much.
6. Chengyi's presence. I become more inlove with him in this drama. The character of Fugui is always consistent from the start. He is so handsome (of course), calm, warm, cool, thoughful, lovely, and say no to hate till the end after all the things he has been goin through. He never hates his father and All bad people in Yiqi Aliance. What's more about Chengyi: his fighting scenes and double character are never dissapointing.
7. Love how Li Yitong deliver FL characters. From a careless, funny, cheerful spider to a firm, smart, and cold person. In the last few episodes, after she lost his brother, her painful is still felt but remains strong.
I know that everybody has their own perspectives for this drama, so do I.
For me, Sword and Beloved has its own place in my list. Having followed two previous series before watching this, finally i can breath calmy to know the black Fox is gone for good. Eventhough FuGui has to sacrifice many things including himself. Yes of course it is so sad watching the ending like this and I cried. However the scene is cool and perfect when FuGui defeat the black fox with 4 treasures including Wangquan Sword, Dongfang Fire, water-control orb, and the seed of grief tree.
happy watching guys
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Good looking, worth watching for Wang Quan Fugui!
Wang Quan Arc upto 18 episodes and from 32-36 eps is a masterpiece. Fugui is an absolutely god tier male lead. I'm truly in awe of young master divinity.Middle part for about 10 eps, male lead has less screen time. these 10 eps are filled with filler content from side characters.. With full of noise from spider siblings and other supporting characters (though supporting characters story line is better than siblings) with limited screen time for male lead...
Even with limited screen time male lead Wang Quan Fui said: Don't worry, don't worry. Finish yours, finish yours. Finish yours, finish yours. As long as I'm here, I'l definitely pull you all back to the main storyline. The whole cast and crew should bow to him, I'm serious, it's been so incredibly hard. The acting skills, anime like fight scenes, male lead relationship dynamic with his dad, brother and other supporting characters everything is great.. except for female lead as she abondended the main story line and male lead to be with her brother. Otherwise we would have seen classic ice king sunshine girl cp story which is what I wanted to see for so long as it's cheng yi's last bg drama. Heartbroken cp fan 💔.. Anyways i find her character and storyline inconsistent and nonsensical. Just this fl character alone ruined the masterpiece.
But this show is definitely worth watching for wang quan fugui. Especially last few episodes are absolutely explosive. If you don't like any parts that doesn't include male lead, you can fast forward it without affecting the main storyline. Just follow wang quan fugui.
Acting : 100/10 for cheng yi, cause It's not easy for the male lead to still be trying to push the main storyline while stuck in his own meager scenes. First time I have seen a drama so ridiculously dependent on lead actor alone. I thought it was 'save dad, then save my brother, save this one, then that one. Who would've thought he'd end up saving the audience? The moment he appeared and the camera panned to him that was all the motivation I needed to keep watching.
CP : For the first 18 episodes, the male and female leads share good chemistry. However, the director often focuses more on the female lead during their scenes together, which makes it harder to see how the male lead truly reacts to her. Still, he successfully conveys the “more than friends, less than lovers” dynamic.
After 18 eps, they were never together. Later fl became cold bitter constantly reminiscing his brother. So there's no romantic love between them. So don't compare it with love and redemption/ immortal samsara, as that one is pure love story.. this drama focuses on Wang Quan Fugui finding his own "dao". He possess great love for all beings and is shouldering two generations responsibility. both characters their responsibilities and situations are entirely different.
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Something about the romance.
I'm just here to comment on the romance of this drama.I don’t know if I’m just being nice here, but for a title like Sword and Beloved, you’d expect a romance that’s intense or at least emotionally charged. Instead, the main leads have a more mature, calm kind of love , it fits their personalities, sure, but it doesn’t really live up to the “beloved” part. Their relationship feels more like quiet mutual respect than an emotional need for each other.
What makes it worse is that the second and third couples actually get the kind of romantic development the main leads should’ve had. It almost feels unfair seeing their chemistry grow while the main couple just… stays steady.
Like Fugui and Qingtong ... their connection honestly felt more platonic than romantic. They clearly understand each other, but since the writers didn’t bother to dig deeper into that relationship, it ended up feeling flat and underdeveloped.
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PERFECT COMBINATION OF CGI AND ACTION SCENE
What I loved most about this drama is the perfect combination of CGI and ML's action. It is so good to see how well the Wangquan sword and Dongfang Fire are played on Fugui's hand. Chengyi was the best actor for Fugui's character, with a wide range of expressions that made me feel his emotions too. Chengyi also plays another character in the last few episodes, and I absolutely love his white hair with a dark character.This drama is worth watching, especially with its various awesome action scenes that should not be just ignored. Just because it received a lot of negative reviews and an unsatisfying ending, don't miss the opportunity to witness the fantastic scene of thousands of swords attacking Fugui while he carries Qingtong to get out of the Wangquan mansion. Another scene where ML shows the power of his Dongfang Fire and Wangquan Sword is one of the best fantasy drama scenes I've ever seen. Especially when Fugui attempts to break through the outer barrier and then uses the Wangquan Sword, Dongfang Fire, Water-Control Orb, and the Seed of Grief Tree in turn to defeat the Black Fox outside the circle, it is a must-see.
While this drama received negative reviews due to its seemingly messy plot. I think this story might be more captivating if it focuses more on Fugui's journey with his sword heart and his relationship with Hongye as his father. More screen time between FL and his brother should be shortened. However, let's pay no attention to these negative reviews since every cast member in this drama truly did their best. Even though their scenes appear frequently compared to the ML in the middle episodes, they performed very well, and I found their scenes enjoyable and not boring.
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Seriously, ignore the critics on this one.
If you watch Fox Spirit Matchmaker 3: Sword and Beloved and complain about too many deaths or not enough kissing, you’ve fundamentally missed the point. This isn't a fluffy romance; it's a profound, heart-wrenching epic about duty, soul-deep sacrifice, and the enduring power of a love that costs absolutely everything.This show is brave. It understands that true devotion isn't measured in sweet, lighthearted moments, but in the choices you make when destiny demands your life.
Wang Quan Fu Gui’s story is the ultimate rejection of his fate. He was bred to be a perfect weapon, but he threw away duty, status, and life itself just to protect his love, Qing Tong. His exile and the final definitive sacrifice to become the final weapon is the most breathtaking love confession I've ever seen on screen. Their bond is so powerful, so earth-shattering, that it creates an eternal connection that defies mortality itself. Tell me that's not romance!
And thank goodness the show wasn't just about the leads! The writers did such an amazing job deepening the world. The tragic arc of Quan Rumu and Long Weiyun—a parallel love that ends in absolute heartbreak—hits you like a punch to the gut, perfectly reinforcing the central theme that love is worth dying for, even if the ending is despair. Even characters you initially hate, like Wang Quan Hong Ye, are brilliantly nuanced. His cruelty turns out to be a desperate, twisted form of protection, making his final, dying moments with his son so incredibly powerful and earned.
Add to this the jaw-dropping action and visual storytelling. The choreography around the legendary Wang Quan Sword is simply gorgeous and carries so much emotional weight. This drama doesn't pull any punches; it maintains a tone of beautiful, high tragedy that elevates the whole experience.
If you are tired of shallow Xianxia and want a drama that rewards complexity, depth, and the kind of legendary love that defies lifetimes, you have to watch Sword and Beloved. It’s a masterpiece of heartbreak and devotion.
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Dong Fang Huai Zhu is turing in her grave...
I'm sorry, this is gonna be more of a rant. Who did Cheng Yi piss off? How is the main lead a support character? I just don't understand. If you don't have time for a role, don't take it. This is awful. If you're like me and need closer. Watch it. I'm really sad. Like really, really sad... The writing was really poor. I get it that China has all these crappy laws but we could have dumped a few more scenes for him and the main lead. Who cares about the stalker brother of hers. Uugh!! Either way this is going in THAT pile...Was this review helpful to you?
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Misleading title and butchered story
As LIP fan , I have been waiting for this drama for a long time but it really disappointed me.Story
The story is actually about a boy who evolves from a soldier who was raised alone to a hero who protects the world. The title itself also refers it but the English title is misleading which makes things more complicated. There is a word called “beloved” which makes people think that it is a love story but let me say that there is actually no “beloved”. There is a Fl who represents love but close relationship never exists. Viewers who come for the love story may be disappointed.
I really loved LIP’s love stories which were written by the same authors before even if they were all tragic. They were all deep and meaningful but here I don’t think Ml actually fell in love with Fl. Our ML loved everyone(his friends , his cousin , his dad) in a different way from the beginning ( he didn’t even have grudge for his enemies btw) and Fl wasn’t different from the rest. Their story can be described as “more than friendship” or “gratitude” but definitely cannot be explained as love. From my perspective , ML would have done the same things for the others even if Fl wasn’t part of the story cuz Ml wasn’t a kind of person who dies for love.
I didn’t like FL’s character in the beginning as a viewer who loves watching strong women and After ML and Fl started to have a little screen time together, love plot was unnecessary and unbearable for me anymore. I had to skip all “brother spider and FL’s scenes which are part of so called love. I should warn you about this “bro” cuz his story as evil really ruins the plot for a long time. (12 eps). It takes so much time that it steals from ML’s character development and screen time. I wish Fl and her brother wouldn’t have been part of this story cuz she didn’t add anything except a little support.
I liked Ml’s dynamic and chemistry with his father. Their story had started in LIP and it was really nice to watch how they changed each other in this one. Their conflict was the actual reason for starting and completing the drama for me. It could have been better but I am glad that they resolved their problems and found a way to understand each other.
Acting
Chang Hua Sen and Cheng Yi were the stars of this drama. Men really really cooked in general. Chang Hua Sen was very cute and funny and Cheng Yi was awesome in fighting scenes. Evertime Fugui cried , I cried with him btw. Cheng Yi really knows how to make people cry with his expressions and his eyes. Plus , I want to recommend you watch chess scene. It was super deep and Cheng Yi really did an excellent job.
Music
The ost was great.
Rewatch Value
I don’t think I will watch it again except father son story. Even seeing a spider reminds me this drama and I really need time to forget all.
Overall
I don’t think the drama can be described as a failure but it could have been better if some characters and love line between Ml and Fl wouldn’t have been existed. Plus , the ending was the one of the most awkward endings I have ever watched. It wasn’t tragic or dramatic. It didn’t make me cry or sad.For the first time , I felt happy that it was over for ML. Some people in this platform think it was OE but for me, last scene was only a copium to give people a consolation.
I had rated it 4 before I wrote this review but later I decided that it deserved 7 only for Cheng Yi , ost and Fugui character himself.
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A very good drama
The drama is, above all, very beautiful to watch. The special effects and the colors are amazing, sometimes looking like real paintings. Each scene seems carefully made, and the colors and light make the story and emotions stand out.One of the best things about this drama is the mix of genres. There is action with fight scenes, romance, comedy, and serious drama. Instead of being confusing, this mix makes the story richer and more fun to follow. The characters, both main and secondary, are very likeable. Even the side characters have interesting stories, and they feel important, not just added in.
You don’t need to watch the two other dramas to understand and enjoy this one. The story works on its own. However, if you know more about Wangquan Fugui and his parents from the previous dramas, Love in Pavillon, the family moments feel even more emotional and touching.
The ending is also different from many historical dramas. It changes a bit from the usual type of ending, so it feels fresher and more surprising, while still being satisfying.
For me, the only negative point is in the second time period of the story. Some interactions between certain characters become a bit repetitive, with the same patterns happening again. Because of this, that part can feel slower and less strong than the rest. But overall, the drama is still very enjoyable, especially if you like beautiful visuals, charming characters, and a good mix of action, feelings, and humor.
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This review may contain spoilers
Started strong but lost steam halfway through. The long separation of the leads and too much focus on frustrating characters like Quan Jianting and Qingcheng made it hard to enjoy. What saved it were Cheng Yi’s fight scenes, the little fox, his wife, and Rumu. Glad I don’t have to deal with another black-fox villain.Was this review helpful to you?
