Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024)

Not terrible but definitely not a favorite

I watched this for Esther Yu. In LBFAD she started out annoying but grew on me bc she eventually matured. I thought it would be the same with this drama. But she stayed babyish and kind of annoying having very little character growth. Also the main plot is supposed to be about her being in a game and her having to "stay in character" that just stopped after episode 7. That was what made it interesting. And the main couple just wasn't completely convincing. There is definitely chemistry between the two but the romance was just okay. These two were together in Moonlight and I thought they were amazing in that drama. But here, I just wasn't sold. There were cute moments between them but all she did was cry instead of confessing how she felt when the moment came. And then, boom?, we're supposed to believe they're in a committed relationship headed for marriage? And then after that they acted more like buddies than a couple. The best acting and most emotionally moving scene for me was when Mu Yao found out Mu Sheng's true identity. And then the ending was just nonsense. Why make him the author? And then why not show them back together in reality after that or at least meeting? And what happened to everyone else?

What I did like was the friendship theme and how she changed the other character's fates by creating a bond between the 4 of them. Ding Yuxi's acting was fantastic per usual. Mu Sheng is still a great character with great potential. I believe it was simply the loose/lazy writing here that made the story fall flat for me. Not the actors' fault at all. Despite being babyish, I still find Esther hilarious and entertaining and will still watch her any day. She always does a great job with delivering her funny lines and her facial expressions. The 2nd leads were decent. Cuicui was better. The production was great. They did a n awesome job with the costumes, fight scenes, setting & effects and the music tied it all together. Nothing bad to say about any of that either.

Overall it was watchable until the end. No boring moments. But probably won't rewatch it and definitely not a top favorite drama.

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THE BEST CHINESE FANTASY DRAMA IN 2024

*This is my first time writing a review here in MDL*

Although this might contain spoilers, it's actually not that much of a spoiler. But I just stated it here incase you hate 'hints'.

I just want to say how this was created perfectly. They added the explanations I wanted and showed me what I wanted to see. Ranges of emotions bursting inside me (not exaggerating, literally cried then laughed). Even a minute, I don't want to skip but instead, replay it for multiple times. How could I not, it was fascinating to see those scenes. Even as a huge fan of Ding Yuxi, I assure you that this is not a bias review. From the story to the rewatch value, it is exactly 10/10. If possible, it'll be 100%.

Starting with the STORY:
*Take note, I did not read the novel

[I LOVED THE FATHER-DAUGHTER SCENE, IT MADE MY DAY. I WAS ALWAYS IN AWE WHEN I SEE THOSE TWO TOGETHER. ] Actually, I loved many parts especially the entrance and episode 7.

In every part, there's a connection. One huge connection is when MS/ZQ was able to make a swing just by the explanation of MM and it's because it is _____. The story has a nice flow, which you can easily go through. Your questions in mind can be answered in the latter parts. DON'T OVERTHINK. The build of the love story of LF and MY is really lovely. I love how ZQ and LF loves MM and MY. They'll do everything for them. AND LIKE, HOW ON EARTH THEY CREATED THOSE SWEET LINES? Everything in this drama is on point. JUST HOW I WANTED! I really thought that MS would be that ruthless man at first, but bit by bit, we get to see his true-self. The ending part of MM, showed us the reality. This drama did not forget to serve us with the fighting, romance, friendship, and the bond. It's actually fulfilling if you just put yourselves in the shoes of MM, you'd understand the story more. CUICUI, the best cupid out there with his loyal grandfather. -will not introduce the other characters, see them yourselves. The drama is like when you ate something in the restaurant, and you loved the food then you'll say, "Compliments to the Chef". That's what I felt with this one, but instead of singular (Chef), I'll say 'Chefs'.

ACTING/CAST:

ACTING was superb with their micro expressions -- if you paid attention, you'll notice this. They made us feel happiness, sadness, sorrow, disappointment, anger, and etc. They were also funny in their own ways, may it be in acting or in real life. Casting of the actors and actresses were perfect, they match so well together.

MUSIC:

BGM was another way for a drama to get to you. Those background music when they start to 'save the world', it's like I was with them too. Props to the actors and actresses in participating in the making of the osts and also doing covers. They also made a Music Video for this. The effortttt!!! TRUST ME, WITH THE MUSIC, YOUR HEART IS HEALED. SOMETIMES BURNING WITH ENERGY/FUEL.

REWATCH VALUE:

- I seldom see a story like this in a cdrama.
- I also love watching their costumes.
- Fighting scenes is what I live for.
- I also want to focus in looking at their expressions so that I'll feel the story more.

So yeah, no doubt, I'll rewatch this drama.

OVERALL:

THIS DRAMA IS WHAT I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO AFTER A VERY TIRING DAY. VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS DRAMA.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[I really appreciate Ding Yuxi for doing/making the 'easter eggs' for us. It also presents how he really carried his character and how he cares.

You can watch those here:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/black-lotus-tactics-manual/131698-ziqi-s-mini-theater?page=1

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Haveninmuse - for compiling and posting this for us to know. 'Kudos' <3]

Disclaimer: We have different opinions and reviews, if this did not seem up to par with you. It means, you/we have different preference/s.

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it’s fun to watch

This drama is cute and funny.
I laugh out loud in first episode because I did not expect that comedy scene of closing credits.
I was not a fan of Esther Yu, because in her previous dramas especially her famous one with dylan wang, her acting of cuteness and voice is so cringe to watch. But in here, I think she tone down her way of acting cute and that’s why it became natural and isn’t cringe at all. I love her in this drama.
For yu xi, he is always one of the best.
The plot is really fun to watch and no boring at all. Chemistry between the leads is awesome.

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Worth watching!!

This drama has been trending on social media and overall, it was a really fun and touching drama to watch!! It is also the second work of Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi as main leads, they have worked together before in Moonlight, which I haven’t watched yet.

The drama includes a variety of creative elements/settings you have never seen / heard before, which were honestly also kinda creepy sometimes.

However, for me there were times where it got a bit too complex and too “chaotic”, if you get what I mean, especially towards the end where I could not really keep up anymore, which is mainly the reason why I only gave it 8 stars... Maybe other pp can but for me it was just a bit too much

Moreover, the whole series reminded me A LOT of asian video games and it lowkey felt like I was watching people playing a video game (uh actually the whole series was kinda like a video game…?)

Considering of when starting the drama it can get a bit boring and you gotta get used to the female lead bc it could be a bit "cringe" for pp (which is quite normal for chinese dramas) but time after time you'll get used to it and it also gets quite emotional...

In addition to that I personally really loved the makeup styles and the hairstyles, it was a perfect mix of modern and tradition. Many people think the cinematic was very beautiful as well, which also is, but sometimes it got a bit too AI-generated for me and looked really unrealistic…

Coming to the ending of the series, the ending is very open ended (which is also quite typical for historical cdramas), but for me it was actually very beautiful but definitely shocking as well (the series ends with a big plot twist)…

Just FYI, the main lead does not have any kiss scenes except for like the outro (song/credits) of the last episode.

Well all in all, I def think it was worth a watch!!

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the best drama this years?

the long awaited drama is finally here ... i saw this couple in the modern drama MOONLIGHT. and I really liked them, I wanted to see them again and now I see them in a beautiful historical drama. which is very interesting fun, they have such a great chemistry they could be a couple in real life.... the story is very interesting, there are many great scenes, I like to see them together, I also like the other couple .. I love dramas for example, in the era with from the modern world to the ancient historical one, if you like this genre, definitely check it out. This is exactly the kind of drama I needed in this winter weather, with a cup of tea and candles, relaxation and lots of fun, let's go! ester is an actress who never disappoints, all her dramas are interesting, I don't know how she does it... but I'm not a big fan of her.. I only fan the actress DILRABE, so my review is not because of the idol, but because of the interesting drama and ester IS very beautiful cute girl She look like a doll

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This just completely rewrote my entire lore. - There’s no getting over this drama.

To put it simply, this drama was beautiful.

Everything from the costumes, effects, osts, story, and cast was just so well thought out.

When you first begin the drama and watch the first few episodes you can figure out the gist of where it’s heading, and it did end up how I envisioned it, but more. The journey to that ending was something I wasn’t expecting, and that’s saying a lot, because I personally pride myself as a someone that has a fair amount of experience with dramas and books, so although the main crux of the final major plot point at the end was what I had predicted, the story surrounding it was outstanding.
- I don’t say that in the sense that it was a crazy twist I never expected, but rather the connection between how the game/book came to be was so sentimental and touching.

Not to mention the actual main plot of the drama which was so fresh in its ideas and execution, when secrets and mysteries slowly began to reveal itself, the intricacy in the details was so entertaining to watch. The yearning between the main couple and the second couple was so sweet to witness, the plot for Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao was also such a joy to watch since you could see as a viewer how they weren’t together just for the sake of it, but the author curated them for a reason and how their story has their own body, of which Zhu Xudan and Yang Shi Ze showcased incredibly well since they are very talented actors. But in saying so, although they were so well written the author was able to showcase their story without overshadowing the main couple’s, which I’d say is a very difficult thing, as if you gave too little or too much attention on the second couple, viewers may lose interest in the main couple, now from what I believe and what I’ve seen, no one so far for this drama has come to love them more than Miao Miao and Ziqi, which I have to say that a big reason as to why, is because of the crazy chemistry between Ding Yuxi and Esther Yu.

The reason as to why this drama initially caught my interest was because of Ding Yuxi (who’s work I’ve been into since the Romance of Tiger and Rose), Esther Yu (who really surprised me with her acting prowess in My Journey), and not to mention their previous piece together, Moonlight. Their chemistry in that was spectacular and just as I expected, it was spectacular in this as well. The transition from -200% to 99% favourability on Ding Yuxi’s part made my heart and cheeks hurt from laughter and/or giddiness, his attitude at the beginning towards Miao Miao compared to the end was such an enthralling progression to watch since Ding Yuxi is such a great actor.
- Ding Yuxi is one of the few actors in my opinion in the chinese drama/film industry right now, that can capture such detailed and minuscule emotions just with his eyes, the first change in character you see in Ziqi’s favourability towards Miao Miao is all in his gaze. You know how in books author’s describe how the mmc’s “gaze softened”? That’s exactly what we see happen to Ziqi, and I don’t think many actors could’ve pulled it off as well as Ding Yuxi.
- Don’t even get me started on Esther Yu, because you could really see her improvement as an actress here, because although I was drawn to the drama for the reasons I stated, when I saw Miao Miao’s character I was slightly hesitant since Esther has done variations of this type character before, but I must say, I’m not sure if it’s because she’s improved, or it’s because of the story, or even both- but her performance in this (other than My Journey) was probably her best work yet, there are so many moments where we see that Miao Miao isn’t just a bubbly, childish character, but a person with very mature values and way of thinking when it came down to it, which Esther portrayed really well, plus the small scenes during the first few episodes where we see what the character Lin Yu is suppose to be like, reminded me of her abilities yet again.

Lastly, the underlying messages in this drama of treating people without prejudice, accepting and loving oneself before you love others is the other reason why I sing such high praise for this drama. Every twist and turn left me with the idea that loving and caring for others, respecting their decision and life is important to ensure happiness and peace for everyone, found-family and friendship is a trope I adore and this drama executed it so well.

I haven’t been this struck by a drama in so long, I love this drama with everything I have, and accept NO criticism on it. Like the reoccurring ost that’s played throughout the drama, you won’t understand it until the very last episode, and I’m a sucker for poetic stuff like that.

- But if there’s anything to take away from my very long review, is WATCH THIS DRAMA, YOU WON’T REGRET IT.

“When do people love the other one 100%?
It is not when I love you more than I love myself, but only when I truly like myself, and believe in myself can I love you whole heartedly and truly.”

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THIS DRAMA IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR NEWBIES AND WHO WANTS TO START A NEW C-DRAMA!

This is my first time writing a review here. The moment I knew that Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi will act in this drama, I know that it will be a masterpiece + Zhu Xudan and Yang Shize. I'm not exaggerating but Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is truly the Best C-Drama of 2024. No boring episodes + It will give you all sorts of emotions. You will laugh, smile, and cry in this drama. Even the supporting and minor roles left a big impact to me. I'll surely watch it again! Even the ost's are so beautiful.Salute to all the casts and staffs of this drama. It was PERFECTLY WRITTEN. A MASTERPIECE INDEED.

ps. hoping for some special episodes hehe

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Writing this review to get things off of my chest like Miaomiao did

First things first: THIS DRAMA IS INCREDIBLE!

I've been in a drama rut both for K-dramas and C-dramas. I don't see anything worth the watch anymore. Then I saw AvenueX recommending this, and of course, I gave it a shot. The pilot episode sealed the deal for me. I loved the humor, and the story was really interesting. It's the first time I've seen Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi's pairing, and at first, I was skeptical about their chemistry. But the more I watched it, the more I understood and liked their dynamics. All of the characters, both leads, supporting leads, and extras, are also well-written, and they all act very well. My personal fave was the actress playing Mu Yao. They don't have a lot of the OSTs, but the opening and the ending ones definitely sufficed.

Now here's the catch. I would've given it a perfect 10 if the context about Zi Qi being Fu Zhou was established in the earlier episodes. The moment Miaomiao and Zi Qi met, I knew that he's probably the same as Miamiao who's also "teleported" to a fantasy world. They've shown scenes where ZQ was questioning the origins of MM and I think that could've been a good tool to establish the said context. I just felt like the ending was a bit rushed and there was too much information divulged in one setting. I just found it funny because the last episode was straight-up a fantasy in a fantasy drama. There are just so much unrealistic things that happened in one setting that I just couldn't bear but laugh.

I never would've minded if the ending ended like that as long as they didn't end it abruptly. Although I know that the operation was successful and that they ended up seeing each other in the end...but why in the world would they not show FZ face? They even showed Cuicui and his grandpa but not the main lead? But then again, I guess their tactic worked because now I'm here complaining about it, making a commotion about the ending, while adding into the engagement that they wanted.

Nevertheless, I'm just glad I finally found a good watch after all this time. I definitely recommend it to those who are looking for a light and refreshing watch.

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The fantasy love game plan, success

Fantasy idol drama on screen is not really my usual type of story. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy though, is surprisingly rather enjoyable, especially the front part of the story. Ling Miao Miao got sucked into a story world unexpectedly and was given a seemingly impossible challenge - increase the affection of Mu Sheng from -250% to 100%.

I love the humour that director has when executing the first arc of the story. These moments elicit a lot of laughters and made me interested to watch further, such as
- When the end credits rolled within 5 mins of Miao Miao arriving at Demon Catcher world, - plus 1 point
- When Miao Miao creatively interpreted the missions given and adaptively change her strategy to progress the story in various instances - plus many many 1 point.

Besides the humour storytelling angle, there is a number of added heartwarming touch to this TV series adaptation that were done well - such as Miao Miao’s dad, Little Bamboo, the water demon arc and Princess Duan Yang’s respectful pursue in romance.

Alas, I had probably outgrown the on screen fantasy idol genre. Somehow, I was not able to follow the continuity of the story world after Consort Dowager Zhao arc. There were glaring scene that were glossed over, Mu Sheng’s parents’ romance felt lackluster and the “turning point” / redemption of some demons felt abrupt to me, and thus, made me gradually lost interest in the story. It was also around this time when the romance progression between Ziqi and Miao Miao felt a little flat - when Ziqi’s affection for Miao Miao reached 99%. Don’t get me wrong, I love the message behind the 99% to 100%, and enjoyed the connection that Ziqi and Miao Miao shared. I just felt that the scenes didn’t draw me in as much as it did in the first few arcs.

Overall, it’s still a rather enjoyable and definitely one of the top period idol fantasy dramas for a long time coming. This show also got me interested to watch the other contemporary idol romance that Yu Shuxin and Ding Yuxi acted in, Moonlight and was glad to find the romance between Zhou Chuan Lao Shi and Chu Li. Wishing them have a third collaboration in a lovely story similar to Moonlight and Love Game in Eastern Fantasy.

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Funny and Addictive.

I am honestly not a fan of Esther, but for this drama she is the perfect fit. She makes the drama fun and so does the rest of the cast, they are all doing a great job. Although the premise of the story is cliche but the exexution of the plot is done wonderfully, it is funny and interesting. I am on episode 18, there hasn't been a dull moment in the drama yet. It has amazing action sequence and VFX is just brilliantly done.

I would recommend that you give this drama a fair chance, It won't disappoint you.

Edit: I hated the ending. Loved the plot. Deducting points for the ending.

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