Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024)

I really want to love it but I have so many bones to pick with this drama.

I was so hooked in the beginning and I love the main couple and 2nd couple so much. But I feel like for me the cp carried a lot of it. The end of the drama especially just felt super rushed because the main point of the whole story they were in was to defeat the 9th level demon (I forgot I her name in english) but the scene kind of felt underwhelming as it was just one stab/one move and boom done nothing else. And at some point it felt like rather than having everything tie all together from information from the beginning it seems like they just kept on adding more and more new powers that weren’t previously mentioned before for the purpose of fitting whatever was going on. Which is fine and makes sense but there are so many new powers for what reason that would have changed the entire trajectory of the story if it were mentioned a lot earlier and it did not seem like new information they learned as it was just spoken. I like how it was complex but at the same time it felt kind of unnecessary at times and to the point where it loses the plot. When miaomiao goes back to the modern world she sees cuicui and grandpa at the book signing which is adorable but I feel like it would have made more sense if it was mu yao or liufuyi because in the end they are the second leads and if cuicui and grandpa are there wouldn’t muyao and liu fuyi too technically speaking. The ending of just fu zhou calling miaomiao name felt like it definitely needs more to add on to clarify or even give base to support the information they just dumped the last episode. How did miaomiao even end up going back? How did ziqi go back? Why is ziqi just remember now he’s fuzhou and how did he even get in there? I feel like the story between miaomiao and fuzhou little crush thing could have also had some more to it. Maybe I am just a little nitpicky here but it really just ended off with a lot of holes.

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Fun and exciting drama! I am absolutely adoring it to bits!

I have been eagerly waiting for this drama for a long time. I have enjoyed every single episode.

The acting of all the cast is impeccable and top tier. The story is so much fun, suspenseful and adventurous. The chemistry of all the  cast members is excellent.

The male lead and the female lead is doing really good job portraying their character. Their love relationship is so beautiful and heart warming. I like the positive character development of the main characters.  They have learnt to wholeheartedly trust and rely on each other and be truthful and open their hearts to each other. I have enjoyed how some characters' past stories have unfolded very cleverly. The whole plot is very intriguing.

The costumes, sound/visual effects, OSTs, cenimatrography and environmental sets are very good.

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Best plot and acting

Personally read the book, and have to say they did a great job in adapting the book, with the parts changed (knowing Chinese censorship). The acting was phenomenal. I have always loved Ding Yuxi but I think Musheng is a truly breakout and memorable role for him. He has the ability to portray the most complex of emotions, and what's most amazing is that you will be able to see all these myriad of emotions clearly as an audience. Esther Yu was also the perfect cast for the role, she was able to portray the cuteness naturally. Last thing, great kudos to the director and the team, many scenes were a cinematic masterpiece.

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weak narrative

"Love Game in Eastern Fantasy" had an intriguing concept that initially caught my attention, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver on its promise. The show attempts to blend romance with elements of Eastern fantasy, but the execution feels lackluster and disjointed.

The characters are one-dimensional and often rely on clichés, making it hard to connect with them on any meaningful level. I found myself struggling to care about their relationships, as the writing didn't provide enough depth or development.

The pacing was also a major issue; the plot felt rushed at times, jumping from one event to another without proper buildup. This left me feeling confused and unsatisfied with the story progression.

Visually, the show had some appealing moments, but it wasn't enough to compensate for the weak narrative. The fantasy elements felt underdeveloped and didn't add much to the overall experience.

In summary, "Love Game in Eastern Fantasy" is a disappointing watch that fails to capitalize on its interesting premise. I would rate it a 3/10, as it left me wanting more substance and engagement.

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Feels like we've seen something like this before???

Coming directly to the point, the gist of the PLOT we've already seen or heard of before. While the plot may seem familiar, the way it's portrayed is fresh and captivating. The magical spells and the intense battles between Demon Catchers and Demons are particularly engaging. The performances, especially by Ding Yu Xi and Esther Yu, really stand out. Their acting is one of the main reasons I kept watching the drama, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Though I initially wished they had used the actors' original voices, I eventually got used to it and still found the experience enjoyable.

Esther Yu’s portrayal of "cute" moments doesn’t always align with the situation, but she somehow manages to make it work in a way that only she can. Her ability to balance light-heartedness with intense emotional scenes is truly impressive. She continues to surprise me, especially with the heart-wrenching ending of Episode 7. Both Ding Yu Xi and Esther Yu completely stole my heart with their performances in that episode.

At first, I wasn’t fond of the second couple, but once their backstory unfolded, I grew to like them a lot. Ah Jie, in particular, left a lasting impression—especially the scene where she protects Ah Sheng from Fu Yi’s master’s sword. The fight scenes and visuals were well-executed, and I was hooked. Initially, I thought this would just be another typical drama, but it was the "Moonlight Couple" (Ding Yu Xi and Esther Yu) that kept me watching. As the story progressed, I found myself more and more invested.

One character that truly stood out to me was Roushi. Despite his limited screen time, he brought a sense of charm and sincerity that was hard to ignore. His unwavering determination, honesty, and innocence made him a standout character. It’s a shame that neither the princess nor Miaomiao could end up with him—I really hope he finds happiness in the future.

Ratings:

Story: 9.5/10 (The plot isn’t entirely unique, hence the slight deduction)
Acting: 9.5/10 (The score goes entirely to Ding Yu Xi and Esther Yu; the supporting cast could’ve done more)
Music: 9/10 (The OST fits the drama well, but it hasn’t stuck with me enough)
Rewatch Value: 9/10 (Not a drama I’d rewatch on repeat, but still highly enjoyable)

PS - This is not your average wuxia drama—it has a solid and engaging storyline that’s worth watching!

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Ending felt rushed and chaotic

Feb 2025
Lots of colourful varied characters, sub plots, and slow burn romance. Also beautiful sets, costumes and cast, which are a standard of costume fantasy C-dramas.

I enjoyed this more than I didn't. Whilst the FL character unfortunately spoke with the usual childish voice, her personality after ep.1, thankfully, was generally anything but. Yes, she had a child-like fascination and bubbly excitement for things, but she also often had a very mature and thoughtful outlook, which kept her the right side of my "you irritate me to death" line! 😅

The early episodes set scenes, build the main characters, and lay the story's foundations. There are lots of vengeful spirits and demons for the hunters to round up, once the main small group of characters eventually go off in search of a top demon, called The Resentful Woman.

Throughout the story, Miaomiao, the character who has been sucked into her favourite author's latest novel, as the villainous main supporting character, has to try and stay alive. At the same time, she has to complete tasks set by the novel's 'system', and fit into the storyline, but she also wants to change her character to a good one whilst doing so.

All the MCs carry guilt of some kind, and all find themselves becoming more and more connected to the demon they are pursuing, to save the 'world'. There are some very poignant scenes, and I especially liked Mu Sheng's back story.

It did linger far too much in certain parts, and in comparison to the build-up, I found the closing episode very rushed and chaotic.

I honestly just didn't get some aspects, at the end, at all! The twist was just a bit too much so.

However, the cast was good, I liked a lot of the characters, and it was very funny at times (especially the character Marquis Qing Yi).

The music was mixed, but I disliked some of the overpowering electric guitar riffs, which just didn't fit for me.

Not disappointed I watched it, but not as good as some I've seen recently, mainly due to the previously mentioned ending,

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This drama drew me in because the first few episodes were pretty funny. I think I would have enjoyed the drama more had it continued with the silly but funny video game plot. Instead, it turned into a standard, and maybe too long, wuxia fantasy before abruptly switching tone again toward the end. Esther Yu’s character did not develop much throughout the drama and between her expressions, makeup, and hairstyle, including too much debris in her hair, she kept coming off as baby panda. I assume that that was a deliberate directing choice. The male lead Mu Sheng (Ding Yuxi) and second female lead Mu Yao (Zhu Xudan) were fine. But every Chinese drama lately seems to have one major character who appears frozen and this time it was the the second male lead, Liu Fuyi (Yang Shi Ze). It didn’t help that he often wore light blue outfits, which accentuated his resemblence to an icicle.

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well found it overrated

so what I liked :
- the friendship
- the acting was good
- beautiful setting, cinematography
- the costumes are great
- romance was still cute, the chemistry was there
- the characters are interesting I guess
- very minimal love triangle, almost nothing, which is good
- mostly centered on the leads
- I like the scene with ML and his hairband and demon moments. I was here for ML, I just like this actor and he’s very handsome to me. FL is a good actress.

but I don’t know :
- this was mostly boring to me. first few eps were interesting, we were setting the plot and the characters, but I was mostly bored from almost eps 8 to 20. I was watching at 1,5x and not always paying attention. I dislike eps 17-20. (i don’t remember exactly, but the eps she was under the bracelet). Got a bit more I interesting after ep 20 for a few eps. last few eps were okay i guess, but i was still not that into it
- the romance wasn’t really giving to me, even if we got some cute moments
- a bit too childish to me
- second couple wasn’t really interesting, but the scene were he was controlled and we learned that he was actually dead, I think that was good and interesting, I was actually sad when he was dying
- classic unsatisfying ending, but I was expecting it. Classic meeting for 2 sec, we don’t see both of them, they don’t even have a conversation. I don’t think I can consider HE, it’s definitely more an OE to me. like they don’t know each other in the real world, (he knows her from childhood, but at the same time, they don’t know each other, she doesn’t know him personally, she knows he is an author) so it’s like meeting for real and getting to be together, she wasn’t interacting with the real him in the dream. Well or maybe he was and I misted something, but I don’t think so. but the backstory with the book was interesting

So, do I recommend, maybe it okay to pass time

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Not happy with the ending

The beginning of the drama might feel boring because it seems fake and disconnected from the script. Initially, it comes across as a fairy tale, more suitable for children under 15. However, things take a turn around the 10th episode when they accept her into their team to capture the devil. From this point, the story becomes more engaging. It starts to feel realistic when her memories begin to fade, adding depth to the plot.

From that moment until the final scene, the drama is captivating. Even the secret, though guessable, adds an element of intrigue. As a viewer, you might predict the twist, but it will still surprise you.

My only issue with the writer is the lack of a subplot showing their reunion. A proper closure would have made the story more satisfying.

Because of the unsatisfactory ending, I wouldn’t recommend watching it. It feels like a waste of time after investing so much in the drama.

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