Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

Started off good, but that ending was...

It started off really good, but the ending was a disappointment. There was an inkling that the author and Miao Miao met in the real world since they gave us a clue regarding the bunny apple, but we didn't get to see them meet. If they were going to show us that Mu Sheng knew her from the real world, at least let them meet. I mean, give us an ending like Tiger and Rose.

Let's talk overall plot, it was an interesting concept, but it was uncommon. What I did enjoy about this is the love story between the four main leads. I did also feel that they spent way too much time in the capital, but I did enjoy the plot twist that they had regarding the Resentful Woman. It was an interesting take and it was unexpected.

Characters:
Mu Sheng - I really do love Ding Yu Xi. I actually started following him after Tiger and Rose and I have watched all of his dramas. His eyes can tell a thousand words. He can surely express his characters' emotions very well. Mu Sheng is a really lonely character and I am glad that he was able to learn about who he is and become a stronger person because of it. You can feel his loneliness at the beginning and you can feel his warmth after meeting Miao Miao. Ding Yu Xi did an amazing job portraying Mu Sheng. I really like his character arc and his growth.

Liang Miao Miao/Lin Yu - I like Ester Yu. I think that she did an amazing job with Liang Miao Miao/Lin Yu. Even though this is her comfort zone, I really do enjoy her work. She played three parts in this drama and they were all different from each other. We had the happy go lucky Liang Miao Miao then we got to see the evil Lin Yu (even though it was just for a few scenes), and then the Guardian from 900 years ago. I know that this is her comfort zone and she's comfortable with playing this type of characters, however, she brings a uniqueness to each and every single one of them.

Mu Yao - I do like Zhu Xu Dan as an actress and she portrayed Mu Yao very well. Her character was indifferent to demons and she didn't care if they were good or not. She just wanted them dead but then she grew to understand them and learned to accept that not all demons are evil. She had the biggest growth in the story. She went from someone who didn't care, to someone who realized that she, too, needed to learn that not all demons are as bad as what she grew up learning. The only thing that I didn't like about her was her loyalty to her father's legacy. I get that he was her father and she looked up to him as this hero, but as she learned more about him, I wished they would allow her to accept that her father was not perfect. Even when the Consort was telling her about her father, she refused to believe that he was anything about this hero.

Liu Fuyi - I really don't know the actor who played him, but I feel that Liu Fuyi was a bland character. He didn't do much in regards to the story plot. If he wasn't there, it wouldn't make a big difference to me. He was just the supporting character who is in love with Mu Yao. I feel like they added him to "melt" Mu Yao's heart but other than that, I don't really see his purpose. As for his growth, we didn't really see much of it. I mean, he did sacrifice himself to save Mu Yao in his village but then again, if he was gone, I didn't think it would make a difference. He was just there as a love interest to Mu Yao. He didn't do much in terms to the plot. So, with or without him, I didn't think it'll be any different.

Overall, I did enjoy the drama and I did also ffwd a lot of the scenes too. I feel that there were a lot of unnecessary scenes and I also feel that they cut off parts that were important and kept those weren't. For example, the bracelet. We have learned that it belonged to Mu Sheng's mother, but how can it possessed someone to love the first person they see? And did Miao Miao explain to Mu Sheng that it was because of the bracelet that's why she "fell" in love with his half-brother. AND, the biggest AND is how the heck did they all find out that he's the half brother. I mean, they didn't have a conversation about that. They just somehow magically found out that they were half brothers. I get that Mu Sheng knew because of the dream/nightmare sequence with the Consort but there was no other conversation after that. I get that they needed to cut parts out but like I said, they cut out the important parts. We didn't need to spend so much time on the consort nor on Luiniang and Fuyi's hometown. I feel that they spent too much time with those story arcs that they totally didn't explain anything about the bracelet and the brothers.

I rated it an 8.5 because even though I did enjoy it, I was not satisfied with the ending. I would have rate it higher if they pulled a Tiger and Rose scene where we actually get to see Miao Miao and Mu Sheng in the real world because it would have been the perfect ending. But they decided to pull a Romance on the Farm ending and so I took points away.

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Definitely worth the watch! very wholesome

This drama is by far the best I've seen in 2024. it's a very engaging plot line , a very realistic take on love and feelings and very fun to watch.

ling miaomiao is an avid reader and fan of fu Zhou's books. she reads the first book he ever written and ends up not really liking it. she leaves a comment on it and falls asleep. only to end up in said book as a minor evil third female lead Lin Yue or smth.


she's tasked with two main missions. one she has to be close to the male lead fuyi and basically get between the rs of him and mu yao. second she had to reach 100% favorability with antagonist character yandere mu sheng. he's the adopted sibling of mu yao and half demon.

She of course fears this bec in the original plot he only married her for evil reasons and revenge making her life absolutely miserable. However she has to try her best. so in the beginning he does not trust her at all and is very suspicious of her, he actually kills her a few times but because of the system she kindly gets respawned every single time.

her behaviour is a complete opposite of Lin Yue original behaviour and everyone notices this and does actually like the change only mu sheng is suspicious of her. however because of her effort they slowly but surely get along and start to develop feelings for each other.

she gets to call him ziqi and everyone calls her miaomiao now as she prefers that. Ziqi is a very jealous man and cares deeply for her and does his best to always protect her. they are very cute and very wholesome together.

the bubbly personality of Esther fits perfectly for the role of miaomiao. Yu xi also beautifully played the role of mu sheng. There were many times he had to portray his emotions and feelings through his eyes and he absolutely nailed it. Same with mu yao and fuyi, they absolutely succeeded into bringing their the characters to life and their chemistry and feelings as well. bec both those characters are rather proud and stubborn they don't want to lose so they don't want to admit they like each other. they do eventually get married and it was cute.

the four of them and then later only our little bamboo sprout cuicui a bamboo demon joins them on their journey to slaying evil demons and find the resentful woman who was the cause of the massacre of the entire mu clan.

I am a bit disappointed they did not share a kiss. Bec they did have a few moments where w kiss could've been just perfect. it didn't take anything away from the chemistry and romantic feelings between ziqi and miaomiao.

I have read the novel and I must say the shows stays pretty close to following the important plot lines. it does have a few differences but it made it all the more fun to watch. It you want kiss scenes go read the novel they share plenty of passionate kisses and even got married!!

the four bamboo masters are very wholesome and funny. it's very enjoying to watch them get along and fight together. even ziqi who didn't trust anyone but his sister got along eventually with fuyi and cuicui. he's got a bit of a temper but he just cares a lot.

they do eventually face off against the resentful woman who was in truth ziqi's mother! she had no heart left so she became evil and wanted to destroy the world. the backstory of ziqi is actually very sad and even sadder when it comes to his mother.

it ends with miaomiao returning back to her own world after ziqi revealed to her that he was in fact the author of this story and that she was the reason he wrote in the first place. sick kid meets bubbly girl in middle school and believes theres more to life and starts writing these amazing books😱.

miaomiao thinks it was just a dream and didn't even remember who she fell in love with (😭😭😭) she does however decide to go to the book signing because he promised the book got revised and is now better. she wanted to support him even though she didn't like the book all that much. it ends with him calling her name.

the ending didn't justify enough. it didn't satisfy us enough. we can deduct that they will meet and talk and that she will probably remember and have a good ending. but we wanted to see that because it would've done justice to us all and to the actors as well! worth watching it tho. it's a very comforting and enjoyable show

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Great Chemistry

I had so much fun watching this! It grabbed my attention right from episode one and had a very smooth pace throughout. Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi have good chemistry and a sort of magnetic stage presence that makes you only want to pay attention to them, they’re very expressive and emote well. Miaomiao was so cute and Ziqi was awesome, I going to miss them so much! I found this funny and cute and I never wanted it to end. I also refuse to be disappointed by the end. I loved all the side characters too (Cuicui!) the angst didn’t last long (only a couple episodes, yes!) and Ziqi softened so much from how he was in the beginning. Also loved the costumes, and Miaomiao’s hair, they were top notch! Their group dynamic was also great, they bounced well off of one another.

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Intriguing but not perfect

I have been mostly enjoying the storylines of going into a book or a game, they are fun and after loving The Romance of Tiger and Rose, seeing DingYuXi in a somewhat similar role peaked my interest.

It was a pretty good watch. I think it started out a lot better and then kind of lost its spark at the end. I enjoyed the first two thirds the most, the ending while not bad felt abrupt and left a lot of questions for the characters.

PROS: very colorful, the editing was a lot of fun and pretty. DingYuXi is as good as ever, he played his role fantastically, I also really liked ZhuXuDan and YangShiZe, they are a perfect couple and I really enjoyed seeing them together. Esther Yu was very fun, I enjoyed her sweet almost silly character.

CONS: The romance tag is on the low side, I was hoping for a bit more romantic scenes, it's fine but I wouldn't really say it is a very romantic drama. I also didn't really find too much chemistry between the main couple, they were sweet and still nice to watch but not a sparkling chemistry between them. The ending is kind of the problem, I like how they showed Fu Zhou choose hope in the midst of his life struggles, but I did not like how the ending scene is literally just MiaoMiao hearing the name being said, they could've at least had them lock eyes in a crowd or something. Also where is the second couple now? They both died and were returned to one another and now we have no idea where they are. They included a scene of CuiCui with his grandfather, they could have let the second couple walk past holding hands or something?

I was a bit disappointed but taking into account the first two thirds it was still pretty good, I don't think it will be high on my rewatch value tho

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This is truly worth the watch and I think it will be hard for me to find a drama to top this.

I have watched thousands of Chinese dramas. I have watched pretty much every thing out there, and I can say that the moment I finished Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, it took #1 of my favourite drama lists.

I've heard and read lots about this drama and every aspect, I give 10/10. I have so much to say about this drama. SPOILERS AHEAD as part of analysis.

Story:
I get bored from Chinese dramas very easily and I will skip scenes that I find redundant and not worthy of screen time. In this drama, every second was successfully intriguing, and every detail contributed to the exemplary plotline. Unlike other dramas where some episodes could clearly be cut out or scenes could be shortened, every second is meaningful in this drama. The story is so unique and carries such important lessons.

I love the focus on the the Four Masters of the Bamboo Forest which showcases the power of friendship bonds and that no matter what they went through, they fought for each other, as a group. Sometimes these friendship groups are executed in other dramas, but leave the group focus as the characters shift to their sub-romantic relationships. This drama shows the characters falling for each other romantically, but that friendship bond continues to hold them together.

Another key element about the storyline that I was deeply moved by was the narration and antagonist shift at the end of the show. At first, it may be irritating that Miao Miao "forgets" her dream/what happened (though she does end up remembering once she sees Fu Zhou), but that's the whole point. As Zi Qi is in his memory/game capsule, he is told that he was always meant to just be the "side character". Which is why we've been seeing Miao Miao as the antagonist. From this moment on, I love how the narration shifts to Fu Zhou and his healing of his childhood trauma as he decides to finally become the main character of his life. It blended the Demon-Catching world really effectively to the real world, which contributed to such a satisfying ending. It is such a beautiful element of a Chinese drama that I have not yet seen up until now. From the personal healing of every single character in the show, to the well woven plot twists, the story was exceptional.

Acting/Cast:
The acting of every of the main characters was also top tier. I love Yang Shi Ze's acting skills in portraying Fu Yi as a strong and stable man, yet gentle and just. I love Zhu Xu Dan's portrayal of Mu Yao's gentle, feminine, kind, yet strict, powerful, and strong character. Esther has been one of my top favourite actresses since Love Between Fairy and Devil, and I have watched all of her works, her acting never fails to impress. Her duality in being cute and bubbly yet strong and powerful always so emotional. Ding Yu Xi was the perfect cast for Zi Qi , joke-y and energetic yet dominant. All the characters are so complex, characterized in the most impactful way, and acted perfectly.

I know some people complain about how there was not much "kissing scenes" for Miao Miao and Zi Qi - but that is also so intentional. I perceive it the way that because, it is written by Fu Zhou and he was never able to confess to Miao Miao or get enough courage to start a relationship with Miao Miao. So how is he supposed to include romantic scenes with Miao Miao in the book if it was intangible to him in reality? Also it is obviously a directorial choice as Fu Yi and Mu Yao have such cute scenes. That being said, Esther and Ding Yu Xi didn't need kissing scenes to have such excellent chemistry. And if you want more kissing scenes with Esther and Yu Xi, just go watch Moonlight haha (you'll find Fu Yi there too).


Music:
The music is perfect for every situation. Some dramas fail to include music that matches the scene's ambience and tone. The musicality of the entire OST is perfect and paints the emotional picture that the director is aiming to reveal. Esther and Cyndi Wang have such a beautiful voice.

Rewatch Value:
I have not rewatched it yet, but even just thinking back about the earlier episodes, there are so many Easter Eggs that pop up. I'm sure rewatching it will be just as engaging and exciting as watching it for the first time.


Overall:
I'm so happy that this director got an award for this drama. This is truly worth the watch and I think it will be hard for me to find a drama to top this.

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Fabulous show all the way

Love game in eastern fantasy,is an entertaining, engaging,exciting drama from the beginning to the end.It strikes a right balance between love,hate,friendship and siblings bond.
Firstly,Ling Miaomiao,the female lead,is taken to ancient times to play the role of Lin Yu,a character from the novel she is currently reading, written by her favourite author,Fu Zhou.There she meets,Mu Yao,Mu Sheng,Liu Fuyi and Cui Cui.The rest of the story deals with how these team of five eliminated evil and restored peace in the world.
The friendship between these five is remarkable and deserves to be the main asset of this drama.They stand by one another,do not give up in any circumstances and are willing to go to great lengths for the rest of the four.Thir bond stands out as the main highlight of this drama.
The plot is well written and executed with a load of twists and turns that unfold at right times and keep us glued to our seats from the start to the end.The plot is very good and strong too with an excellent pace and screenplay.
Esther Yu,is excellent in her role of Miaomiao,She is vibrant,lively,active,caring,loving, amiable,and responsible too.I really loved her character and also her portrayal.She is another main asset of this drama.Be it her cute or confused state,or romantic expressions,she nailed them with perfection.For me,she is the best character in this drama.
Ding Yuxi,Zhu Xudan,Yang Shize and all the other star cast were perfect in their roles and excelled in bringing life to the roles they played
A special mention of Lu Yu Hao,who played Cui Cui .He was cute,helpful and friendly.His affection towards his friends is remarkable.
The costumes were excellent.They matched each and every situation perfectly.
The settings were too good and were very bright.The visual effects were also perfect.
Finally,it is really one of the best dramas I have watched.It is a very very interesting and engaging drama with good comedy also to lift up your moods.A highly recommended drama with a different concept.
A MUST WATCH !!

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absolutely wonderful

this is my first Esther Yu drama and it absolutely didn't disappoint, now i want to watch more of her dramas, this drama is a wonderful introduction to all the artists in it cause it will make you want to watch more of their works.

Story: the plot of this drama was wonderful, it was very interesting and fun watching it, there might be some flaws here and there but they are totally overlooked. the drama balanced between comedy and romance and sadness, i enjoyed watching it so much. it is the type of plot that anyone will like.
Acting: the acting of all the characters was perfect, especially the leads, they felt so genuine and real, they absolutely brought those characters to life, and their acting skills just made me want to watch more of their dramas, they know how to make us forget that we are watching a drama and that these are but characters they are playing, they felt absolutely real.
Music: i enjoyed listening to all the music in the drama, they put the right music at the right time and it just made the drama better and the watching experience better.
Production: the drama in a high end drama, it shows that the budget wasn't low, the special effect were so nice, they felt almost real, but what i liked the most is the fact that they change clothes and accessories and hairstyles quite a lot, which made watching the drama a better experience.

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Well written story, lovely characters

I am not a big fan of costume dramas but it seemed fun because of the transmigration plot and I was not disappointed! Enjoyed every second of the drama.

All the characters are well written and the actors delivered. They all had depth and held some importance to the story.

I especially loved our ML, he is such a tsundere but also a soft ball who just wants to be loved. Not to mention how handsome the actor is!!

Overall really loved the drama except i wished they showed us more because why end it like that. The audience needed more of the romance part, I actually hoped they'd release a special episode or something but again I also heard it is because of chinese censorship (I have no idea why they want to make us suffer)😭😭😭

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OVERHYPED

Great start, but fell off in the middle. It just became kind of boring and lost the charm. There was WAY TOO MANY scenes for the 2nd lead couple I ended up skipping so much of their parts. Zero chemistry. Their acting are soo wooden, like where are the facial expressions?? Esther's portrayal of Ling Miao Miao was basically the same as her character in Love Story Between Fairy & Devil, and Sword & Fairy. That cute, slightly dumb, naive, clumsy, wide-eyed leading girl it's just so exhausting to watch which is a shame cause she was good in the drama with Zhang Linghe. First time watching anything Ding Yuxi and he's actually not bad here. Overall i'd give it a 6.5/10

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˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Love, Laughter, and Fantasy!

Overall
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is an engaging isekai drama with a strong narrative voice, diverse arcs, and compelling characters. Miaomiao's journey, her chemistry with Ziqi, and her standout performances make it a memorable experience.

Story
I really enjoyed the story. The isekai into a fantasy world with an occasional narrative voice makes the story so much better because you can relate to Miaomiao constantly. The arc and plotlines differed from each other as well as different characters' backstories and values were explored!

My least favorite arc was the Princess arc but that was solely because I don't enjoy Second MLs & FLs. On the other hand, my favorite arc is tied between the first and the last arcs! In the first, Miaomiao is constantly killed and disapproved by Ziqi but they still have lingering chemistry. The last arc was between Ziqi and Miaomiao because their love was tested by Ziqi's 'Aunt', then Again by the system in the last episode. I truly love Ziqi as a character, even when he was just a kid he remembered so many small details about Miaomiao and always kept looking for her.

Acting/Cast
Esther Yu. usually plays those cute high-pitched character voices and she completely embodied Miaomiao! From their mannerism to facial expressions she did a wonderful expressive job at Miaomiao.
Ding Yu Xi, was amazing! His subtle expression changes of sassy & pissed off was very pleasing to watch.

The chemistry between both Esther Yu and Ding Yu Zi was outstanding, Esther brings charm and depth to her role, while Ding Yu Zi adds a cool, calculated energy. Together, they create a captivating dynamic that makes the drama truly enjoyable. I hope to watch Moonlight after this because of how much I enjoyed their characters together.

Zhu Xu Dan and Yang Shi Ze deliver great performances in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy.!! Zhu Xu Dan brings a mix of grace and strength to her role and is a great sub-villain because of possession! Yang Shi Ze captures the charm and depth of his character, making their chemistry shine. To be honest, at first, I was worried they were going to be basic one-sided NPCs but I actually heavily enjoyed their characters and their facial expressions are in my sticker collections forever!

Other great characters were Cuicui (played by Lu Yu Hao), Guo Xiu (played by Shao Tong) & Lu Huai An (played by Morning Chang!)

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One of My Favorite This Year!!

One man’s yearning to express his hidden desires to his loved one led to “the catastrophe of heaven”!

“Love Game in Eastern Fantasy” premise boils down to one thing- authors can be pretty peculiar, as is Fu Zhou. Terminally sick, he wrote a novel in his childhood about his crush; in the current times, as a popular author, he published the same novel. The unexpected twist being that his supposed childhood crush, Ling Miaomiao is now his biggest fan and somehow she gets pulled into the novel where Fu Zhou himself acts as a supporting character paired opposite her. This show becomes a “revolving door” phenomenon, because of the said author’s vivid imagination; but it is by far the most entertaining transmigration story that I have watched in a long time. Esther Yu & Ding Yu Xi have a naturally affable chemistry, their romance is overrated or loud; their fights, arguments and bickering are epic. Not to be left behind, Zhu Xu Dan & Yang Shi Ze have their own somber romance that is mature and subtle.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/11/23/love-game-in-eastern-fantasy-series-review/

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