It's a Fun Watch!
I'm enjoying everything about this drama and wish they released the episodes even quicker.Esther Yu is so funny and so many of her quirks are on display here bringing a natural mischievousness to the drama.
I just recently watched Moonlight and the ML and FL have great chemistry. It must have been fun to film, especially as second ML is also in both.
Highly recommended and expect it to get even better.
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Another brain rot trying too hard
Interesting premise but first 4 episodes of this show are annoying as hell. More specifically ML is annoying as hell. All the time acting like an angry little dweeb. In these situations it’s hard to seperate actor from the role and later on it does admitedlly get better but the show is not doing him any service by trying sooo hard to make him all high and mighty and make everyone beholden to him. Just makes him seem like an asshole. In addition to that first 9 episodes are absolute borefest. They add absolutley no value to the plot. After that the story finally gets moving and becomes interesting only to then come up with the most pathetic plot device possible. Magical bracellet that can make anyone fall in love (facepalm). And then it dawned on me. It relies so hard on the shock value as opposed to putting in the work and coming up with plausible plot devices to achive desired effect. I can think of million other far bettee plot devices that would work. Also do these people have fetish with watching their loved ones getting with other people? And I’ve noticed this. The worst garbage of the tv series all have this brain rot. And people seem to be enjoying it. It’s so cheap.Was this review helpful to you?
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Phenomenal acting and extraordinary characters
I loved this drama and was absolutely hooked when I started watching it. Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi's acting is on another level! Such great chemistry! I've never seen such a perfectly executed enemies-to-lovers trope. The beginning was very funny and humorous, and it perfectly set up the enemies-to-lovers trope, with the female lead being especially funny. The constant updates on the male lead's favorability was downright hilarious and made for many comical scenes. The group's chemistry overall was adorable, and got even better when the bamboo shoot joined - I absolutely loved the Mu Yao and Fuyi scenes, but I can't believe they got more kissing scenes than the main leads! Even though there weren't many physically romantic scenes between the main leads, I could overlook it because of their chemistry itself. BUT don't get me started on that FASDJHFASK bracelet. I couldn't stand that sideplot.The only weakness in this drama (other than that dang bracelet) was the ending with its holes and lack of continuity. The ending was confusing because Ziqi ended up being the author Fu Zhou, but does that mean Fu Zhou was Ziqi the whole time and has his memories? Does Fu Zhou keep his memories of Ziqi in the real world? I had many more questions than this unanswered and had to go online to find an explanation that would work for me. I feel like the plot had a great direction but wasn't fully resolved at the end. And the fact that Miao Miao thinks it was all a dream and vaguely remembers Ziqi is AGHHHHHHH. And the fact that we don't see them reunite in the real world is ASJKDFJKDHFFJAKSDJFKJAK. I definitely think this drama could have used another episode to wrap up the ending. But nevertheless, despite the plot holes, the acting was still amazing with what they were given. I continue to rewatch the scene with Ziqi crying as he reveals himself as Fu Zhou and reveals his feelings for Miao Miao in the real world. His micro expressions and eye acting is on another level. And tell me why does he look so so much better in the traditional wear???? I need another drama with him looking like that!!!
This drama overall was amazing and had me hooked till the very end. Am now even more a fan of Esther Yu and a new fan of Ding Yuxi!
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How I review this drama.
It is worth watching, and it is a great imagination.Reason why I rate it 9.5 is because the story line is good, and it is also a great imagination, but instead of making it like those fairytales where you travel into a book, it would have been better if the world in the novel would be a real world where Ling Miaomiao wouldn't be a world travelled person, but it should have shown that the cold-hearted Lin Yu changed to a Warm person after realising and experiencing time with Mu Yao and Mu Sheng, showing that the main character changed herself and not that a person from another world suddenly took over.
Even the 'System' was a continuous interruption, more like the boss of the story. If the 'System' is removed, it would be a freely flowing real world where parallel worlds don't exist, but change of heart, change of person exists, then probably, like other drama's, this one would've been closed under one world.
But I liked the fact that the story of each character was set up in a complex way. I like imagining thing and how it could be. The way the story of each person was depicted, it left me space to think with my imagination and fill in the gap by myself, until I found out the reality by the ending. Although opinions vary, this is how I would Review this story.
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Every episode was worth it
I am astonished by how much I liked this. I often feel more in the grey zone with many dramas, but I loved every episode in Love game in eastern fantasy. What kept me hooked was the trust and love between each character; the way Miao Miao fights to keep the group together is hearth warming, and her devotion towards a happy ending also helped keep direction for the plot. Sometimes I am watching a series, and all I can think is, where is this going? But I didn't feel that way here, everything just fell into place. I really loved how Ding Yuxi was able to make Mu Sheng look both fierce but have such a cute and soft side. His acting is great! And although many people complain about the childish personality of Miao Miao, I still found her endearing. I mean, she never actively caused misunderstandings or act stupid. I wasn't a huge fan of the system telling Miao Miao to make Mu Sheng like her, because it felt a bit forced at first. But after a while, his trust in her and her love towards him grew naturally, and there was not much scheeming anymore on her part. I thought it was good how the system became less active after the first few episodes.I found the second lead couple also quite cute, a bit dry maybe, but they were still pleasant to watch. I loved how the love rivals in the capital weren't actually bad people. I dislike plots where the whole thing is about some scheeming second female/male lead and I didn't find that here which was very nice!
The only thing I didn't love is that the last ten episodes were a lot about Mu Sheng, and his past. I mean, I liked it, it was interesting to see his background. But I just would have liked a bit more of Miao Miao's character growth throughout the drama. In a way it's understandable, the whole world was created for Mu Sheng to find self-love and to see that he was loved, etc. I still would have liked a bit more episodes about Miao Miao. Everybody had an arc of personal growth, except Miao Miao (not saying that her character didn't grow, but it was more gradual throughout the entire story). On that note, I'd like to also say that I wished the drama were a bit longer, I really liked it and it felt a bit rushed at the end. I wish they had gone on more adventures, and please, that side plot about the bracelet was soo annoying to watch, it was almost painful honestly.
I liked the ending. When Mu Sheng found out the truth and told Miao Miao he wrote all those books for her, I was so happy. That's so cute and so loving! I think it was a good conclusion. And the fact that they never kissed, I was at first a bit surprised, but then I found it actually quite sweet and I liked it better like that. The ending where we didn't get to see the writer/ Mu Sheng at the book signing event, I was distraught. But anyways, I'm over it, and I'm gonna watch Moonlight hahaha.
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don't overthink it ;)
honestly, it's just simply fun and silly and cute. you get fantasy, action sequences, romance, found family dynamics and friendships. it's perfect for if you want to watch something entertaining and choose not to think too much into the plot because, yes, if you do, you will find it unsatisfying and see loopholes for sure lol. i don't just love the chemistry between the two couples but the overall chemistry of the ensemble. a group of people going on an adventure to complete a goal and bonding and building genuine friendships along the way, that's just my favorite thing. they were able to make me care about everybody in the group so that's really nice.i have watched ding yuxi and esther yu before in "moonlight" so i know they got on-screen chemistry. so fun to see actors get to have a drama together again tho (because that's rare in cdramas right?). acting-wise, they were decent and have managed to moved me during emotional scenes. they seemed to have improved since their first drama. not gonna lie tho, i wasn't the biggest fan of esther's acting style especially when they make her do child-like things. but then i guess it works for the roles she gets. this is my first time watching zhu xudan tho and boy, is she beautiful. i think she's my favorite character. i was anticipating for a big emotional scene for when she finds out his brother is half-demon and it ended being anti-climactic and ziqi got away with it easily lol so yeah as i said, some unsatisying scenes and plot lines for me especially in the end there (i wish we saw them actually see each other aw) but i'm choosing not to overthink it because i was very much entertained overall.
and of course i was really shocked too that there's no kissing scene between the main couple. good thing, i adore their hugs and banters and little sweet moments here and there but what's up with that?
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Loved from start to finish
Love love love, well I do enjoy watching Esther Yu in most programs, and this is not an exception. Great storyline that flows well, and all actors were brilliant. There was great chemistry between the 1LC and the 2LC, and you did get the feeling that they must get on very well when not acting.Will be rewatched in the future .
I think a perfect follow on from this is moonlight :)
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Definitely drama of the year
Starting from the first episode to the last, a lot happened. From a novel that get criticised to something completely different. Miao Miao and Zi Qi definitely had the best character development, especially Zi Qi. From a cold-hearted person to someone who cares about his family and friends. Every moment in this drama was filled with emotions, laughs, tears, love, everything was completely perfect. The story about Zi Qi’s mother was really beautiful and heartbreaking, but teaching that no matter what happens, the love will never lost. Truly a 10/10 drama with satisfying ending. The fact that Miao Miao sacrifices her memories from the real world just to save the novel characters had a great impact on the plot and rewrite the ending perfectly. Zi Qi realising he was Fu Zhou in the ending really got me and bring me to tears. The idea about the 100% was really good, something I’ve never seen and didn’t expect, but truly satisfying.Was this review helpful to you?
The Ultimate Cdrama Comeback ?
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is officially the drama that brought me back to C-dramas! I truly don’t understand the hate Esther Yu gets for this role; people call her acting "childish," but in this world, her energy is perfect for Ling Miaomiao’s character. In Love Game, everything is high-quality: the storyline is gripping, the costumes are gorgeous, and the OST is absolutely top-tier. I also love that the cast has such a genuine, strong friendship off-screen—you can really feel that bond in their performances.However, we need to talk about that ending! It was low-key traumatizing to have the series end right when the Male Lead calls her name in the modern world. After all that emotional investment, a cliffhanger like that makes you want to pull your hair out! Despite the frustrating finale, the journey was incredible, and the chemistry between the leads is unmatched. ✨🎬
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The Best Drama in 2024 Yet
What a wonderful sweet love story. If you're looking for a light romantice and comedic love story, this one is for you. Remember those wuxia drama back in the day with Hu Ge? I got A LOT of the same vibes from that series here.The camaraderie, found family, fighting demons, discovering the secrets about each main characters was executed quite well.
What drew me into the story is definitely the main leads. They have really good chemistry. Miao Miao played by Esther is such a ball of sunshine. But the greatest actor of all time goes to the male lead played by Ding Yu Xi who played a black lotus. From the microexpressions to the quick timed wittiness of the character, DYX manages to bring out the best of what a black lotus could be in real life.
Storyline is lighthearted but there are some very wonderful messages spread throughout the show that made it even better such as only being able to love others at 100% when you love yourself.
This is definitely one of my top 10 cdramas of all time!
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Why I’m Glad I Watched This Series!
I was hesitant to watch this series with Esther Yu because it seemed similar to her past works like Love Between Fairy and Devil and Sword and Fairy 6. However, after enjoying her role in Journey to You, I decided to give it a try, even though I wasn't sure if I'd be in the right mood. The story didn’t catch my attention at first because it reminded me of other shows with a similar plot, like The Romance of Tiger and Rose with Zhao Lusi. In both, the female lead gets pulled into a story where she ends up in the role of the antagonist. Because of that, I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but I’m glad I watched it.The series took a fresh approach, and I actually found it more fun than Tiger and Rose, even though they share a similar storyline. I really enjoyed how Ling Miao Miao tried to make Ziqi fall for her, with the fun idea of a “favorability percentage” going from -200% to 100%. It was a creative twist. The main leads definitely had great chemistry. I’ve seen them together in Moonlight, so I knew their dynamic would be good.
I didn’t pay much attention to the second couple’s story and ended up skipping their parts. But the actors still did a great job, especially Ding Yuxi in the emotional scenes. The music and post-production were good too. While the cinematography and effects sometimes looked cheap, they got better as the series went on.
I liked how the modern world and the game world were connected. However, some things were unclear, like when Miao Miao is under the bracelet’s spell. The system didn’t seem to interact with her, even though she’s a player, not an NPC. That was a little confusing. Despite these small issues, the show is definitely worth watching again!
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Applaud to the Structure of the drama and how it ties into its Core message
I finished the last 3 episodes yesterday and I admit I cried a little and a lot of wows and surprises. There were something’s that were a little rushed (ex. Retrying the ending fight scene with the demon queen) but it’s not bad at all. It’s still fine the way it was executed and the message they are trying to convey to us. I think they wanted to focus on using one full episode to explain how the whole drama happened, the backstory that ties everything together. The techniques they used to tell the story is interesting and creative (even if it’s not new). They applied a frame story narrative structure on top of using metatheatre. I don’t know about you but that’s some sick techniques to use. It’s paying homage to literary writing (one of the oldest forms of narrative/literary techniques) and it’s intertwine very nicely to the core message of the story: who said things that happened in a story are illusions/fake. Reality mirrors tales and vise versa. It tells a tale of a person’s journey of learning to love himself first before he knows how to love someone else. Even if the journey might be questionable to you the audience it was real on every level to them. Who said stories are fake? (The literary part of me is screaming at how amazing this drama tied up. I screamed and wowed at everything else of course). Don’t get me wrong the message and techniques they used in the story isn’t new but because I made so many guesses in my head what they had in store was not what I expecting. That’s why this worked. It’s definitely a story better watching for yourself without spoilers (man I tried so hard dodging spoilers). My sister didn’t watch it and I would summarize the drama to her all the time. I was disappointed when she said it was cliched. Honestly you need to watch this drama without spoilers 🙂↕️The way the events unfold and the watching experience is what made this one special.Was this review helpful to you?
