Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

perfect show with a horrible ending

like seriously what was that ending? aside from bringing the actors for cuicui and his grandpa back i hated almost everything about it.. no closure with yao or fuyi????
but ending aside, this show was perfect in the beginning!! it wasn’t until episode 25ish where i got a little bored because it was just that engaging. i think the casting was PERFECT and the music/audio engineering was amazing. i love love LOVE the concept but i really just wish they did the end justice because that “it was all just a dream” ending really made me mad. i wanted to know what happened with the rest of the four bamboo masters!!

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I started watching the series as soon as it came out, but I only finished it today (shame on me). I have to say, though, that I don't understand why I didn't watch it right away, because the cast is legendary, the OSTs are great, and the whole drama left me with several memories, both good and bad. I'm really excited about the series. I haven't seen many historical cdramas (probably not a single ig and most of the ones I came across weren't fun), but this one is a banger. It's really well-made and has an amazing atmosphere. Overall, it looks terribly aesthetic, because there are colors everywhere (especially Ester's clothes, which are always absolutely great) as is the case in "color games" we know. Anyways, I think the series deserves a lot more attention, it has 32 episodes, so you have 32 episodes unforgettable experiences. The actors played it amazingly, so much so that I even cried a few times (of course that wouldn't be me haha) and for lovers of romance, historical cdramas and the supernatural, it's the right thing to do, I can only recommend it

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One of the most likeable Main Teams I've seen in a drama

I feel like I just started watching this drama , but in the blink of an eye it's I already finished watching the last episode.

This was one of those dramas that I anticipated the most, because I loved the novel and I really liked the cast. My expectations were high and this drama delivered. I absolutely LOVED it.

The cast did an amazing job with their characters. They were exactly what I expected. And above everything else, they were all likeable. The main five (yes, I'm including Cui Cui), are among the most likeable main 'teams' I've seen in dramas so far. I really loved their dynamic.

The story moves at a fast pace and there are almost no dull moments. The story itself is interesting and engaging. It's a nice blend of funny, cute and bright with emotional heavier themes. Love and affection in different forms is presented very nicely and it's definitely a thread connecting all the stories aside from the obvious connection to the overall mystery of the overarching plot.

This drama has made my rewatch list, which is probably the highest praise I can bestow on a drama.

I'm going to miss these characters until my next rewatch.

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Lighthearted drama with a modern twist

Lighthearted drama with a modern twist.
I really enjoyed this one despite some flaws.

First of all I appreciate the ending which makes it rewatchable. Second of all because of the amount of screentime our lotus demon was pure eye candy. Esther's performance was good but typical. She played the same role as in LBFAD which I liked but again the baby cry character gets annoying and didn't match her modern life personality which should have been more prevalent especially after her reveal. The arc flipping rollercoaster given to the master we meet at the end was horribly done.

There were also some pacing issues and major plot holes. Sometimes I even thought I must have skipped an episode but I didn't. The attention to the details for the minor support roles was refreshing. The special effects were extremely well done and gorgeous. The shop explosion was my favorite. However the fei CGI was so bad it was almost comical. The dust mushroom demons were cute. 🥰

Am I still dreaming about this magical realm? Yes.
Which is why I give it such a high rating despite the criticism.

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In so much awe.

My heart is both overjoyed and confused with everything that just happened.

One thing that is for certain is how I admired how this series was written. How everything interconnected. I’m still curious as to who in the future the others are in MiaoMaio’s life, but I’m currently too overjoyed to think about it, YET. Lol!

The story of this show is quite an adventure. It contains so much life. There’s joy, guilt, love, secrets, but never any true betrayal between them. I think that is what I also admired the most. The camaraderie in this story is top notched.

The romance wasn’t heavy, it was cute, sometimes I even felt like I need more, but everything was done just right that I couldn’t properly complain.

I think the only caveat I have is how every fight with the demons, whichever tier they belong too, always ends too fast. The bulk isn’t actually on the demons, but on the characters themselves.

Overall, this is such a solid drama.

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well done!

This drama is very well packaged, the story is very touching and gives moral values ​​in a unique way. The world system of the novel in this story is very funny and there are many cute and beautiful characters, their characters are very different and interesting so I felt comfortable watching it without feeling and felt that each episode was very fast.

The costumes, makeup, and visual effects were also excellent and pleasing to the eye. There was nothing lacking in the production. I was satisfied because I hadn't expected it to be this good at first.

The cast is also well chosen, I really like the chemistry of each character and the theme of friendship with a touch of humor makes me enjoy this story as a plus point for me

Make a list for great drama for me!

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Comedic and Heartfelt-with a mixed feeling ending

LGIEF is a show that i watched for time pass initially that quickly became a show that I fell in love with. I'm familar with the acting of both lead actors so I knew that it would at least be a fun watch, but I wasn't expecting to actually like the characters as much as I did.
It has a strong and fun first half. and a kind of midling to week last half, with the final episodes feeling rushed. The 2nd leads being fairly bland didn't help also when the story shifted to them. I liked them sure but they felt underwritten. The last episode though i would say is great, in terms of the commentary about stories and writers and how fiction can help people get through some of their roughest times.
In a sense it lacking kissing scenes between the lead actors fits the overall story, with the ending message being the only way to love others is to truly love yourself. Also if you want to see them kiss they have in their previous drama together moonlight so its not the end of the world. Additionally the leads had a fun chemistry that ventured more on being cute than being especially intimate.
i think the acting prowess and ost remain to be a strong point of the drama, i hum the ost here and there because its very catchy. Ding yuxi plays mu sheng excellently and his layered acting made him a joy to watch. yu shuxin also won me over a bit too. while i never disliked her and her acting i could understand why other people did, her voice can be grating and she tends to be type casted into similar roles quite frequently, but here the cutesy and comedic character really works well, miao miao is an energetic character thats wonderful to watch, and her growth through the story felt pretty real. also her playing miao miao, lin yu, the possesed miao miao were all distinct which is a testement to her acting ability.
overall though id say the story in the final episodes being kinda mediorce and rushed is what makes me give it a lower rating, even though i was invested at first. the world also didnt fell that fleshed out(and while you could say its flat in reference to the complaints miao miao had of the story in the first place its somewhat true...but the point of the story was miao miao fixes it and brings the characters to life, which felt only true for the first half and then the second they introduced her losing her memory of the real world, which made her more npc like, doesnt work anymore)
i did have issues as well with the memory loss plotline here since it felt contrived to not have her know some plot twists before they happened.
but nonetheless, love game in eastern fantasy is a good watch thats more heartfelt than one might think
also keep an eye on ding yuxi, hes sure to get even better roles after this considering how wonderfully he played mu sheng

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An Idol Drama That's Unexpectedly Enjoyable

I initially expected to drop this drama by the second episode since I'm not huge on romance, not to mention I'm not overly fond of Esther Yu. But color me surprised, I actually ended up enjoying it! Not only did I enjoy watching it, it was all I could watch for the past week! I'm still not a fan of Esther Yu's, but she did manage to convince me that she can act (unlike some of her peers) because of this drama. She can actually speak without her usual cutesy “aegyo” voice and knock her dramatic scenes out of the park. But even with her childish mannerisms and squeaky voice, I somehow became less annoyed with her as the drama went on.

The real revelation in this drama is Ding Yuxi, though. I tried to watch two of his other dramas, Love You Seven Times, which I dropped (I don't even know why I considered watching it), and White Cat Legend, which I put on hold. They didn't pique my interest and I thought he didn't quite have that leading man charisma. Boy was I wrong! Mu Sheng is definitely his breakout role and he even stole the spotlight from his co-stars. Let's just say that I'm totally giving White Cat Legend another go after this.

Storywise, Love Game In Eastern Fantasy is pretty much an isekai reminiscent of series like Re: Zero and The Rising of the Shield Hero. One of the reasons why I decided to check this out is because I do like this subgenre of fantasy. True enough, it did grab my attention from the get-go. It follows an ordinary girl named Ling Miaomiao who somehow finds herself inside a novel written by her favorite author. And in order to return to her world, she must play a game of love and win the heart of the crabby and standoffish, Mu Sheng. She must maneuver her way into this world, join the demon hunting team led by Mu Yao, and learn how to fight demons to survive. The story within this world is nothing new, though. I've seen a lot of xianxia and xuanhuan dramas and read fantasy books that follow similar plots. But I have to give credit to the writers for making it seem fresh and entertaining. For an idol drama, it's actually pretty good.

In terms of production value, I can't say it breaks new ground, though. It looks and feels like every other idol C-drama I've seen. Even the sets are the same. I know I saw those exact same sets in The Double and probably from other dramas I can't recall right now. The music, for the most part, is good. But again, the song choices are pretty much the same as other idol dramas I've seen. I feel like one of the reasons why people liked this is because it's familiar. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel or do anything innovative. It relies solely on its well-established story, which was adapted from a popular novel, and the acting prowess and star power of its actors. I read somewhere that this is an S+ drama but I was disappointed to see the same production quality I normally find in other dramas of its kind. I expected it to actually have better CGI, costumes, cinematography, color grading, and set designs, but it doesn't.

I was also disappointed with the second couple. I'm sorry but they are sleep inducingly dull. Every time the main CP weren't on screen, I dozed off. Zhu Xudan is actually not bad as Mu Yao, but her partner is just plain meh. The actor who plays the second male lead looks half-dead throughout the drama. Sorry, but I think if they had gotten a more capable actor for that role, who actually has an ounce of chemistry with the second female lead, the second CP would've been far more interesting. I found myself getting bored every time the story focused on them. That rarely happens to me as I often find the second couple more engaging than the main couple. I just wasn't invested in them at all. The rest of the cast are great, though. The kid who plays Cuicui is so cute! And of course the veteran actors excelled in this.

Now for the ending. I can't say I liked it but I can't say I hated it either. I know many viewers complained that it ended abruptly with no real resolution or explanation. But I do get why they ended it the way they did. They don't need to show Miaomiao and Mu Sheng reuniting, it's already implied in that last scene. Of course we all want to see that happen, but the writers left the ending to our imagination. And in my book, they found each other again and they got their happy ending. That's what I choose to believe. I guess I'm used to open endings in Japanese stories that it didn't bother me one bit. I do understand the frustration of some of the viewers, though.

All in all, this is a cute romance drama that'll take you on an adventure in a magical world filled with demons and demon hunters. It'll make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with the first male lead. Oh wait, that's just me! Hahaha! I give this a solid 8 out of 10.

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