This review may contain spoilers
A feel-good fantasy that heals the soul
This was genuinely the best feel-good fantasy drama ever. The comedy was amazing, and the dynamic of the characters were superb. The concept of the show had me hooked from the first read, and the way I dropped absolutely everything when I saw that this was completed just to watch it is not even funny. I have no fucking regrets. Stayed up until 4am giggling and crying my heart out. I swear, the dynamic of the main couple is honestly what I live for. I haven't seen a bickering couple like this in so long, and I loved every second of it. I was a wreck, A FUCKING WRECK, tears and buckets of tears coming down my eyes when Miao Miao realised Mu Sheng loved her. My heart actually broke into pieces, and I just know I'll end up crying again if I watch that scene again cuz you just remember how happy and giddy Sheng was when prepping everything until shit hit the bloody fan.Now, that being said, everything was a 9-10/10 until that final episode. I liked the ending, don't get me wrong. That ending was exactly what I expected and I wouldn't have it any other way, or think of anything more suitable for it. HOWEVER. What was that last episode? Granted, I cried buckets watching it, but still. What was that? That shit came out of no where man. Yall could have built up to it a bit, but nope. They just shoved that shit in and completely forgot to foreshadow anything. What they did, and the message they were trying to tell was good, but bro? You can't just dash in last minute plot twists like that. It just makes it seem like it came out of no where and got crammed in cuz the writers wanted everything to be about the main leads. Also, what was that whole spiel about the black lotus? Ain't anyone going to explain that?
But honestly, other than that disappointing last ep (except ending), this was a top-notch fantasy drama. I need more found family, fighting demons, and going on adventure type shows. Or characters going into books/games and trying to get out plot lines. It's such an easy sell, and I'm its biggest victim. I'll eat it up every single time.
P.S. Ding Yu Xi with a long pony tail with bangs out had to be the prettiest thing I've seen all year. I genuinely could not stop staring at him. Had to pause my screen just to gawk and squeal.
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Came for Esther Yu, Took Ding Yuxi Home
In my 20+ years of watching Asian dramas, I haven’t gotten so addicted to a show like I do with this one. I watched this first on Netflix (no expectation, just to fall asleep with), it was so good that I had to get Viki subscription to watch the rest immediately, and now I’m rewatching on YT premium. They made this so enjoyable that rewatching isn’t a problem because it’s beautiful and fast paced. Hardly no fillers so I don’t mind watching over and over again, I’m so inlove with the cast & how they portray each characters! The chemistry overflows even without kissing, it blew my mind. Esther & Yuxi’s acting were superb! The supporting actors are just amazing!Thanks so much to the producers and all the staff, you guys did an amazing job!!! The ending is ok, I don’t mind open ending, and I totally get the message! Thank you for gifting us with their show The Shining Stars, it’s delightful and very fun to watch. Especially the escape room!
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Worth a watch, Needed more romance
Bit of a slow start, the romance is very subtle, not a lot of tender moments so the chemistry leaves much to be desired for both couples.... There were not many points to believe in their love as overcoming all obstacles, well except for miao miaoThe story line is ok, keeps flowing and ties in together well, however the game system just seems to go quiet so you forget that was the point.
Yu shu xin as always her acting is fab, you feel every emotion with her, she is cute, cheeky and comical.
Hated the makeup it made the cast look odd.
costume is lovely and the FX are good although a bit over the top.
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Its cute and has good chemistry but the length is too long for me
I liked watching itLoved the FL and her cuteness definitely suited this script. She was a good casting. Her comic timing is decent and I have laughed way too much at the medicine scene when she struggled to live.
The male lead actor is one of my favs and he did a good job of making the enemies to lover interesting. If you enjoy slapstick comedy, this drama might just be for you.
They have also done a very good job at properly gamifying the entire drama. Let's say that they put more effort and it has excellent production quality.
I loved the costumes as well. The costumes of FL where wallpaper worthy and really helped in imagining her as a funny character.
Overall, its a light and cute drama
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grumpy x sunshine at it's best
this drama was a great surprise and it's my favorite of 2024!the plot is crazy, but it's a very fun story!
i was very pleased by ding yu xi's acting, and i was really surprised by how good of an actor he is (it was his first work that i watched) and esther is great as usual. their interactions were what made this so special, and the grumpy x sunshine trope was everything!
overall, there were some small issues, but they were not that bad and i managed to watch it in a very short period of time (even when i was studying for my finals lol)! i had a fun time, i liked the characters and they wore STUNNING costumes, for me, that's all i look for in a drama.
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Captivating and fun drama!
Overall 10/10🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is such a captivating story and I truly enjoyed it! If you liked AOS you will most likely enjoy LGIEF.
I liked how this story blended and blurred the lines of reality and fantasy as the show nears the end. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and the actors were outstanding! I discovered the beautiful Esther Yu in this and look forward to more of her in other works. The highlight of the show is definitely Cui Cui for me! As much as I loved everyone else Cui Cui became my overall favorite apart from Miao Miao and Ziqi <3
The ending was average but everything else makes up for it. It ends on a good note. :)
Highly recommend watching!💞
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=> Excellent isekai series , with a great Ding Yu Xi
PLOT: The FL, faithful reader of a novelist (the ML) falls into the novel / video game, in which she must complete quests to return in the real world. In the game, she is FL2, meets a group of demon hunters (ML and his sister, ML3) and helps them face demons, conspirations, romantic rivalries, ... and the Great Villain.+++ a great cast, with Ding Yu Xi & Esther Yu and a bunch of excellent actors
+++ super quality CGI (the Chinese are the only ones who can do this kind of effects at this top level)
+++ epic, cute OSTs that fit perfectly with the emotions.
+++ The cinematography is TOP: costumes, make-up, framing, fight scenes, etc.
### The storyline is a little chaotic sometimes. In addition, the impromptu passages in the game system prevent you from fully investing in the story because you put yourself in the position of an observer.
### The ending is a little abrupt, I would have liked to see the meeting of the two characters inthe real world.
### The romance is very cute, with great chemistry, but there is no kissing or skinship,... Too bad!
=> Excellent isekai, with a great Ding Yu Xi
*******************************************************
Isekai avec Ding Yu Xi & Esther Yu
PLOT: La FL, fidèle lectrice d'un romancier (le ML) tombe dans le roman / jeu vidéo, dans lequel elle doit accomplir des quests pr retrouver le monde réel. Ds le jeu, elle est la FL2, rencontre des chasseurs de démons (ML et sa sœur, ML3) et les aide à affronter les démons, les complots, les rivalités amoureuses, ... et la Great Villain.
+++ un great cast, avec Ding Yu Xi & Esther Yu et bcp d'autres excellents acteurs
+++ des CGI de super qualité (les chinois sont les seuls à pouvoir faire ce genre de choses à ce top niveau)
+++ des OST épiques, cute, qui s'accordent parfaitement aux émotions.
+++ La cinématographie est TOP : costumes, make-up, cadrages,scènes de fight, etc.
### La storyline est un peu chaotique par moments. De plus, les passages impromptus dans le système de jeu, empêchent de s'investir complètement dans l'histoire car on se met en posture d'observateur.
### La ending est un peu abrupte, j'aurai aimé voir la rencontre des 2 personnages dans la réalité.
### La romance est très cute, avec une belle alchimie, mais il n'y a ni kiss ni skinship, ... Dommage !
=> Excellent isekai, avec un grand Ding Yu Xi
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An unexpectedly deep story about processing trauma and learning to love yourself
STORYOn the surface, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy seemed like another transmigration-based fantasy romance that I've read and watched many times. I came into this with certain expectations on how the story would go, but it subverted and exceeded those expectations from the very first episode. What I thought would be a fun and relatively light-hearted fantasy romance turned out to be an unexpectedly deep story about processing trauma and learning to love yourself. I was hooked from the get-go and could not stop watching.
Whoever wrote the script took great care in developing our lead characters on an individual level as well as their romance. The plot was engaging and paced well with each narrative arc having an intentional purpose in the overall story. The romance was super endearing to watch and felt very organic. Sure, it had its cliches, but somehow it worked and didn't feel overdone in this drama.
The team did an extraordinary job of balancing the heavier topics with light-hearted moments. Then we get to the last episode and ending, which made this drama stand out from its peers and clinched the high rating from me. There were definitely some things they could've executed better in the story, but those issues weren't enough to detract from the bigger picture for me, and I enjoyed this drama from start to finish.
ACTING/CAST
Our main leads' chemistry was definitely the star of the show. Ryan Ding is a superb actor and he was so magnetic on-screen. He has amazing control over his facial expressions and body language. My eyes couldn't help but be drawn to him whenever he was on-screen. He played the gray, anti-hero character exceedingly well and I sincerely hope he gets more roles like this in the future.
I've watched Esther Yu in a couple of other dramas, and I believe she performed significantly better in this drama than those other ones. Her cutesy character and acting didn't feel as unnatural here and she pulled off the character well. Her cheery disposition was a nice counter to the male lead's brooding.
All the supporting characters shone in this drama as well and surprisingly had a significant part to play in the overall story. If I had to gripe about the cast, the second leads felt underdeveloped compared to everyone else and their roles didn't leave much room for them to showcase their acting skills. The second leads both had the stereotypical stoic and upright character personalities and honestly, they were boring to watch. I suppose we had to assume certain things given their roles and the showrunners wanted to keep the focus on our leading characters.
MUSIC
The music was great! I loved the theme song and all the different soundtracks for different moods were appropriate.
REWATCH VALUE
I've already started rewatching this, and I've picked up on some Easter eggs/hints that I didn't pick up during my first watch-through. There were also many emotionally impactful moments for me that I love to rewatch, whether they were sad or happy or funny moments. Since the story was paced well and it was just simply super entertaining, I think this drama has high rewatch value. The cinematography was also outstanding and the CG was relatively good.
OVERALL
This drama has many elements I love: fantasy, adventure, mystery, action, comedy, and romance. It has easily made its way into my top 5 favorite dramas of all time now. I applaud the showrunners for the direction they took this drama in and I'm genuinely happy for its success in China because it could encourage more showrunners to break the mold a bit more. I'm convinced that those who didn't enjoy the second half and/or ending of this drama were not able to appreciate the bigger picture of what the showrunners wanted to convey through this drama, but to each his/her own. I highly recommend you give this drama a try and form your own opinion.
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Also, I never really noticed Ding Yu Xi. Here, however, I feel his character is so cold, and very difficult to be conquered. I found him charming here and will continue to watch his dramas in the future. I really like his appearance in xian xia dramas. I AM A FAN now.
The other supporting characters for Mu Yao and Liu Fu Yi also plays their character well. Truth to be told, sometimes I feel they overshadow the main characters story haha, because their arc is interesting too. i love some of the fighting scenes too!
As for the story plots, the beginning is very promising but a bit of a let down towards the ending. Maybe because of 32 episodes, sometimes the story is a bit boring and nothing interesting going on. Also I think there should be more system notifications going on, because now it feels like a normal xian xiandramas without it. The ending I wish it could be more dramatic and more logical. i mean how come miao miao dreamed when the author is in hospital. but yea they got their happy ending i guess.
overall 8/10 i guess. its enjoyable but sometimes not interesting enough to capture the audience attention due to it be too protagonist immunity.
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Disappointed
The show would have been very much ok , but the main FL acting ruined it - she presented her character as a 5 year old in an adult woman’s body with a baby-talk voice. I could not stand it and had to fast-forward her all the time. As those were supposed to n]be the “romantic” scenes, that was o disappointing as the main ML was great! He created such a good character! So sad that the FM dragged the show down.Was this review helpful to you?
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a calm, non stressful visual feast . Male lead shines. Romance lacks payout
I watched this expecting it to be a visual feast & a mostly calm drama that wouldn't be stressful & it was just that. The female lead played the same sort of ditzy character that she does so well. Her childishness can be irritating, but thankfully they also make her brave & endearing-(though often nonsensical.) The male lead, ( also playing a character type he's played in other dramas), really impresses with his range of expressions. As an actor He really is evolving well .I enjoyed the soundtrack as it went well with the genre. This is a leisurely drama & they used alot of piano & traditional instruments which enhanced the atmosphere.
Side characters are boring. There are dull/boring/useless episodes & the way the drama ended was lacking. While there were many touching moments throughout the drama between the couples, the resolution/reuniting of the main couple is only ok as it had no embraces or kisses.(if you have ever seen the American movie musical My Fair lady-Audrey Hepburn version- this drama ending is reminiscent of that one).
You will need to watch through the credits to get the warm fuzzies you have been anticipating & it's barely enough payout for our investment in their relationship ,though The main couple Does show thier strong bond through out the drama, But I require a satisfying traditional happy ending .
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