Heavenly Palace on the Clouds (2021)

Don't fret over the beginning

Before even starting this review, let me tell you: Do not judge this series by its beginning. The start of it is pretty horrific and I admit it does not get better until like episode 8 or 9. Also, this review is especially for people who watched other adaptations of the Daomubiji series of dramas.

Story:
+ the story works well in itself and there are almost no plot-holes
- the story does not work well regarding its continuity to its prequel and sequel
Overall I have to say, I enjoyed the story, especially the later half of the drama. The story pace is quite steady, fast enough to not get bored, slow enough to enjoy scenes. There were some story parts (side story mainly) which I just could not enjoy though.

Some characters were re-casted, while others weren't and it is noticeable. The chemistry in the beginning is way off and you will feel like some of the actors first have to grow into their roles. Will they be your favorite casting of all the adaptations? Probably not. Are they doing a good job? Yes.
This drama also makes it one of its main missions to show you new perspectives to characters you might already know. If you expect your usual main protagonists, forget it. It is interesting though how some relationships are displayed in the drama, some totally new from what we have seen before, some just a new perspective. This goes from Wu Xie and his uncle to how Wu Xie deals with betrayals from his closest friends.

The music is actually really really good and I caught myself enjoying the intro and outro a lot. Regarding the special effects and CGI, I am quite sure all the money went into the last two episodes. You will notice green screen but if you blink your eyes a few times, it is not that bad.

Overall: I will probably end up re-watching some of it over time, as I did really enjoy the new character relationships and some of the scenes are really a small treasure. I will probably avoid re-watching all of it though. I totally recommend watching the show after some time has passed since watching the other adaptations, as what makes this series so hard to watch is mainly the comparison, and less the series itself.

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Went a little below expectations...

I had high expectations since I waited years for this and because the prequel starring Neo Hou is one of my favorites among all the adaptations. Long story short, I went into it thinking, 'I'm used to them changing Wu Xie and Zhang Qilin, so let me just enjoy the ride.' So, I watched it with a totally clean slate, full of love and excitement.

I honestly LOVE that we finally got this sequel! Even though the plot shifted a bit from where The Lost Tomb 2 left us hanging, I managed to pick up the pieces after a few episodes and just happily enjoyed it. That said, my ultimate standout scene has to be in Episode 18. It is hands-down the most gay-ish skinship we have ever gotten between WX & ZQL across all the story adaptations so far. I practically died of sheer joy during the entire fleeting duration the camera was focused on them for that scene. Also, I love that WX finally called out WPZ. Don't get me wrong, I love the Iron Triangle and I'm used to him, but his behavior has been low-key bothering me for a while, so I'm so glad they finally highlighted and addressed it.

The things I dislike are mostly the underwhelming production and story execution. I feel like they could have done a better job with the plot twists and special effects, but it just didn't happen. As always, I'm used to the jumpy storytelling of The Lost Tomb series, but something about this one just didn't sit right with me. The middle part felt a bit too dragged out, while the ending felt rushed. This is probably my second least favorite installment, right after The Lost Tomb 1 starring Li Yifeng.

Story - 8.0, As I said, it felt both dragged out and rushed—they really could have done a better job to make it work!

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I've never had an issue with the WX and ZQL character changes, but they felt a little distant in this series. I felt like they weren't as close, but the skinship made up for that. In terms of acting, Bai Shu did his best, and I LOVE that he has expressions that look exactly like Neo Hou—he looked like him countless times as well! Zhao Dong Ze, on the other hand, reminded me of Arata Mackenyu and Suho of EXO, so I was satisfied watching him the entire time too. Their acting itself felt a little different, but it was still passable!"

Music - 9.0, Like I always say in my reviews, 'We can never go wrong with music' (at least, not often lol). It has a decent set of music that fits the scenes perfectly and never bothered me. I gave it a 9.0 simply because I'm not a big fan of suspenseful, creepy music, as I usually prefer ballads and pop. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the musical accompaniment in this series.

Rewatch Value - 7.5, I likely won't rewatch this unless I commit to a full marathon of The Lost Tomb franchise once the entire story is finally adapted. Until then? Nope, I won't be hitting play again. But hey! The series is still pretty decent.

Overall - 8.5, I really wanted to give this a higher rating, but the most important factors for me are the plot and production, and I felt like they lacked a lot in those areas. Nonetheless, this is a decent adaptation; it's probably not the best, but it's certainly not the worst either.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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