1This review may contain spoilers
What am I even supposed to say after this?? Am I really expected to write a coherent review with all the key points on why this drama was amazing?? That would turn into a whole essay.. Forget about the story, I could literally write pages just about why I liked the FL, Liao Ting Yan or about her relationship with the ML, Sima Jiao..The world this drama created is rich, dark and gloomy but also hopeful and full of light.. The plot and world building go far beyond what a lot of other dramas have given us.. There are countless vivid moments, beautifully painted scenes.. Sure there were some VFX issues but honestly I would overlook them because of how stunning most of the scenes were.. The world building is done so well but of course, even exemplary world building and background mean nothing if the characters don’t measure up.. There is a huge array of characters throughout the drama.. They were impressive and didn't feel wasted..
Arthur Chen as Sima Jiao was just perfect.. Grandmaster, beautiful, brutal and powerful.. He appears to be cold and arrogant with rough edges that will make you love him even more.. He endured so much.. Tortured, drained of blood and locked away for 500 years since childhood.. He is as dangerous and ferocious as he is subtle and generous.. He hides behind a mask of cold blooded killer but beneath the mask he is kind.. And it only took the FL to reveal that side of him.. He is such a complex, multilayered character..
Wang Ying Lu as Liao Ting Yan was nothing short of amazing.. She is like the most unbothered person alive.. Thrown into a fantasy world, she adapts so quickly that she literally compares working for a murderous immortal to her everyday 9 to 5 struggles.. She starts off as an oblivious protagonist.. Someone who needed to be protected and who only cared about food, rest, and sleep but eventually grows into one of the most powerful individuals in the WDBTD universe.. I absolutely loved her character development..
" You are the only one who can make me yield without a fight..
That makes you the strongest of all.. "
Now to the juicy stuff, the romance.. Romance was chef's kiss.. Absolutely amazing.. The intimacy felt sensual and delightful.. You can take that however you want.. Anyone who has watched this would agree that the leads would look just as good in a modern drama.. So casting directors, you know what to do..
" The most frightening thing isn't death itself.. But the parting it brings.. "
I am not going to lie.. There were moments when I just needed something to happen.. At times, it felt like the drama was dragging things out.. But on the other hand, everything was narrated so well that I couldn’t really complain.. Ultimately every scene felt measured, filled with meaning and significance..
Overall, it was a really good drama even though I wasn’t completely happy with the ending.. Her death and the return to the present were expected, it was obvious that’s how it would go.. I just wish they had spent more time in the present with the characters instead of wrapping it up with a simple ‘ I found you again ’ and a smile.. But honestly who cares after 33 episodes of brilliance in storytelling, performances, visuals and chemistry that led up to that final compromise?? I absolutely loved it..
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1A love story that transcends time and space.
In a xianxia romance that spans multiple lifetimes and universes, When Destiny Brings the Demon chronicles the journey of Liao Tingyan as she is unwillingly transmigrated into a fantastical realm of immortals and demons. Blindsided by her abrupt displacement, she attempts to carve a quiet and lazy life for herself here — but fate has other plans. Against her wishes, she falls under the mercy of the notorious grandmaster, Sima Jiao, who is said to have a cruel heart and fiery temper. However, through their forced coexistence, she learns that beneath the lord's hotheaded exterior, he is a complex and lonely soul.The initial episodes are weighed down by an influx of info dumping, but bear with it, because your patience will be rewarded with one of the sweetest love stories to emerge from cdramaland this year. Liao Tingyan and Sima Jiao's chemistry needs to be studied. From enemies, to servant and master, to friends, to lovers — their relationship develops fast but believably so. In a world where they are both outcasts and no one is to be trusted, they are drawn to each other. Passionate, angsty, selfless — I find myself gushing over all of their tender moments, and there are so many of them. You will laugh, cry, rage, and fall in love with their love story.
The actors, Wang Ying Lu and Arthur Chen, are sensational in these roles. In less capable hands, Liao Tingyan would have come off as annoying, considering how passive and meek her character started off as. Instead, Wang Ying Lu is able to make Tingyan relatable, funny, and endearing. She effortlessly transitions Tingyan from a damsel in distress into a force to be reckoned with — someone who not only can protect herself but her loved ones as well. Arthur Chen is also perfectly casted as Sima Jiao, brilliantly portraying his loneliness, pain, and rage in a way that brings justice to the character. Watching Sima Jiao's growth from a man who is suspicious of everyone into a man capable of compassion, trust, and forgiveness because of his love for Tingyan is as healing for him as it is for me to watch. The performances of these actors moved me and I have a new profound respect for the both of them.
Aside from the characters, there are also so many other things to love. The cgi is gorgeous and it adds so much vibrancy and personality to this world. The visual impact would not have been as memorable without it. The osts are haunting, marvelously complementing the story and elevating every scene to a new level of enjoyment. I constantly hum the melodies even when I'm not watching the drama and thinking about the music evokes a strong feeling of longing for the characters and their stories. The fight scenes are riveting — it is obvious how much thought and intentions the director and action choreographers put into those sequences.
My two biggest complaints are probably that the plot was secondary to the romance and the pacing was very slow at times. There are moments in the drama where the romance will be developing with ease, but the plot isn't moving at all. The conflicts in the first half of the story are repetitive, stalling the plot. Personally, I feel the drama could have been reduced to fewer episodes to create an even more engaging story. However, I recognize that this will cut back on some of the romantic scenes, and this will be a great loss for the drama since the romance is such an important factor in the story. Therefore, I am able to overlook the drama's weaknesses in this respect.
After finishing When Destiny Brings the Demon, I am only left with positive feelings of love, admiration and satisfaction for the story. Given the genre and the censorship placed on dramas with transmigration, I couldn't have asked for a better ending. The writers neatly conclude the story with no loose ends. It is definitely a love story that transcends time and space, worthy of experiencing, and I highly recommend it for the romance lovers.
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1Across every lifetime, my soul will always find yours!
It has been a while since I watched a xianxia, and this was a perfect choice to take me out my costume drama slump. I was entertained from start to finish. It had all the elements of a typical xianxia, but instead of repeating it note by note, it somehow exceeded my expectations with the usual setup. A grumpy immortal cursed by fate, sealed on top of the mountain, meets a modern-day office worker who accidentally gatecrashes into a mystical realm. This is equal parts romantic, tragic and humorous.✨ Character Sketch :
🔥 Sima Jiao: At first glance, he is this powerful, cold and revenge-hungry being who was buried alive for 500 years. He is called "Lord of Mercy", which I thought was a cruel joke, looking at his terrifying exterior, but then, as we went on, I started to sympathise and ultimately understand him and his actions. I don't blame his rage because imagine being trapped and isolated for so long, that is bound to mess anyone up.
For him, trust is dangerous, but once our frost fish navigated through that icy mask, we are introduced to a very soft, tired and lonely Sima Jiao.
What I really liked about his journey was how we were able to witness the growth step by step. It wasn't some 180 overnight turn. He was still slightly grumpy, sarcastic and broody guy we saw at the start, but also Sima Jiao, who can now express care, jealousy and finally break out of his shell and trust people.
🐟 Coming to our Frost fish, Liao Tingyan: She healed what she didn't break. She isn't your typical female lead. She is a chill, go with the flow person with a great sense of humour who was thrown into this mystical world and all she does is try to stay alive without losing her mind. And she is lazy! She doesn't care about power, scheming or fighting. All she wanted was to go on a vacation and chill. I liked how her character was unbothered about the materialistic things like fate or power. And when I say unbothered, I don't mean careless. Initially, she did come as a damsel in distress at times, but if I put into perspective that this cultivation world, full of immortals and demons with deep-rooted grudges, must be so new to her, it kind of softens that feeling.
Her relationship with Sima Jiao was definitely the highlight of this drama. I loved how she treated him as "human" and not some terrifying beast people portrayed him as. Sometimes she was an annoying roommate, sometimes the boss and eventually someone who calms him down. To understand that "normalness" is exactly what he needed. She was the sunshine in the storm and what our demon lord wanted and needed.
❤️ Chemistry between Tingyan and Jiao: Ohh, to be loved by Sima Jiao !! <3
The romance was absolutely top-tier here. I can find no flaws in it. I loved them together. It amazes me how Sima Jiao would scare everyone, but suddenly is such a soft and understanding person to Tingyan and would bend backwards to make her happy. And the passion...so intense. I liked how much balance they both bring together. She always kept him in check, and he somehow accepted her with all her quirks. The sweet banter, the tension and the unwavering devotion to each other made their romance so much better.
And the kisses...
In all the lifetimes, Jiao and Tingyan would never stop choosing each other.
✨ The drama has 3 arcs -
Immortal Realm Arc: Building it
Demon Realm Arc: Breaking it apart
Human Realm Arc: Rebuilding it
🤝 Immortal Realm Arc: The first arc where all the stage is set. This is the strongest and my favourite arc. The first 19 episodes had me in a chokehold. It had everything from humour to the ultimate journey of Sima Jiao being ruthless to lovesick.
🗯️ Demon Realm Arc: This is where all the real drama and angst began. We experience all the emotions here, from shock to grief to longing to vulnerability to some xianxia kind of action. This is where we see a new Tingyan who is now a part of this cultivation world. And a Sima Jiao who would go to any lengths to make her happy.
🥰 Human Realm Arc: This last arc of this drama, and somehow, the romance overpowered everything. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but I felt too much was happening in the last few episodes. Though all the ends are neatly tied, it felt a bit messy. We also got a very xianxia-coded ending, and I have no complaints.
✨ Supporting Characters :
🐍 Hei Nianju: My little loyal serpent companion was endearing from start to finish. I loved his bond with Sima Jiao, and I also liked how Sima Jiao treated him with respect. I really liked his character growth, except for his love line with Ruling.
🤷🏻♀️ Ye Ruling: She was a character I just couldn't like. In my opinion, she got off very easily. The whole lack of a redemption arc felt very partial. I kept waiting for little snake to bring that up, but as they say, love blinds people. She was okay in the second and third arc, but I couldn't bring myself to forgive her for the 1st arc.
💢 Shi Qianlu: Our main antagonist was truly despicable. He was every bit evil from start to finish and was definitely cunning. There are a few loopholes around how he gets things done (Eg: How did he find the FL before the ML, even after being injured to death). I also felt he overstayed his welcome. A little too much screen time was given to him.
😒 Fen Qi: He was the second male lead, and, except for bringing in the jealousy arc, he came off as stupid. What he called love was just a mere illusion of a person who doesn't exist. I didn't find him too compelling, but rather very obvious. I mean, I knew from the very start he would be swayed easily and cause unnecessary chaos.
😠 Sima Shi : I understand Sima Jiao's hostility towards me. I did understand him as leader but as a father , he failed big time. I really wished instead of him, we had interactions with Sima E instead. But the exchange with him brought a whole new development to the story, so I am not too mad about it but still...
✨ Acting: The leads were fabulous.
Arthur Chen was fabulous as Sima Jiao, especially in the emotional scenes where a lone tear stole all the show. He was the ultimate Sim Jioa. No ifs and buts. Wang Yin Lu as Tingyan was a refreshing and apt pick. She had great comic timing without making it feel too forced. The rest of the cast also brought their A-game. I have no major complaints in this department.
✨ Writing & Production: CGI definitely could have been better at times, but it wasn't distractingly bad. The costumes and make-up were beautiful throughout, except for the fish costume of Tingyan. I felt the makeup was a bit juvenile. Cinematography was beautiful, especially when they were in Soul Manor. The black and white costumes with vibrant background were definitely a bold and beautiful choice. The OSTs are beautiful too and complement the scenes so well.
Coming to writing, if you watch a lot of xianxia with a cultivation theme, you might find a few cliché tropes here. That being said, props to the writing for effortlessly blending the modern lingo. I loved this. (Touch the fish still makes me giggle.) The pacing does feel a bit slow in the middle, might frustrate you too, but I assure you it's all seemed worth it to me.
Overall, this drama isn't without flaws, but if you are someone who enjoys romance, this is a treat. It is chaotic but somehow very wholesome.
I would 100% recommend it. Not for the out-of-the-box premise because it isn't but for Sima Jiao's journey of choosing love when trauma has shaped you. For Liao Tingyan, to show you don't need to "fix" him but support and be there for them. And their beautiful relationship that surpasses the test of time and generations.
Thank you for reading my review! <3 I hope you enjoy the drama as much as I did.
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Arthur Chen great acting!
Arthur Chen/Chen Feiyu is not only a good actor, also very handsome. After watching lighter & princess, I just became his biggest fan.... If i talk about the first look in When Destiny Brings the Demon, i got stunned after seeing his feet 🫣How can a actors feet is this be beautiful. The snake here is too cute. He still wants to follow grandmaster even after turning into human form. Liao Tingyan is soooo adorable character, also very funny. I also love her acting. So innocent she is! So, the plottings,the visuals,acting is soo good in this drama, looking forward to see next episodes! Last but not the least ost is so good, I'm in love with the lyrics.Was this review helpful to you?
A Beautiful Blend of Emotion and Fantasy
When Destiny Brings the Demon was a beautiful surprise. The drama balances emotion, fantasy, and human connection so well. The cast’s performances feel sincere, and their chemistry makes every scene engaging. I especially loved the atmosphere—the lighting, costumes, and soundtrack all worked together to create a world that felt alive. It’s the kind of drama that lingers with you even after the episode ends. Highly recommended if you enjoy heartfelt storytelling with a touch of the supernatural.This drama had both strengths and weaknesses. On one hand, the acting is strong, and the emotional depth between characters is believable. The visuals and music are also impressive. On the other hand, the pacing sometimes feels uneven—some episodes draw you in completely, while others move slower than necessary. While it’s not perfect, When Destiny Brings the Demon still delivers enough heart and intrigue to keep viewers invested.
"i hope everyone enjoy it"
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Finally a 'Star-crossed lovers' story with an ending I can accept!
It was purely by chance I stumbled on this drama, when I recognised WYL from IAN, I immediately got interested, as I never have seen her in Xianxian drama before.I absolutely loved this terrific and remarkable masterpiece. AC's and WYL's acting was impeccable, stunning and superb. The plot was a rare gem and perfectly executed and brought to life by fantastic acting, breath taking costumes/makeup, top-tier settings and smashing CGI. I have always loved WYL's as Bao Bao in IAN s1 and IAN s2. She is incredibly cute, gorgeous, confident and talented actress. I'm very happy for her to be doing really well in this drama and getting even more versatile roles in new dramas. It's first time I have watched AC's drama. His acting skills have highly impressed and captivated me. His majestic, charismatic, stellar and bold presence in drama made him one of my favorite top actors.
SJ , 500 years old incredibly powerful immortal grandmaster, feared by all yet used and abused by greedy and evil people too, making him tired, lonely, suspicious, cold-hearted and vengeful towards everyone. But when touched by LTY's never changing sweetness, purity, compassion, kindness, care and trustworthyness and influenced by her zeal and desire to have peaceful, restful and joyful time, she changed him into a green forest who fiercely and whole heartedly loved and protected her. He gave up his heartless and cruel ways of achieving his goals and learned to care for others and show mercy for LTY's sake. Her love became the guiding light he was missing in his life. Every action, plan, glance or touch of his showed how deeply he loved her and cared for her. He was strongest yet most gentle to her in every aspect. He showed love in most beautiful ways. He always made sure to be sensitive to her feelings and decisions even when he made sacrifices for her to protect her.
This drama stole my heart because there were no endless misunderstandings and the mistrust issues were very quickly and cleverly solved by smart, thoughtful, and wise FL and ML in any situation and in any world. Both main lead had incredibly high EI( emotional intelligence) that was very refreshing, I'm so thankful that absurd amount of frustration didn't built between the main leads. Their romance was remarkable pure, deep and most important of all - very healthy. The intimacy and chemistry between them was top-notch. They made my heart flutter from beginning to the end and very rarely dramas are able to pull that off. I never got bored of their playfulness, push and pull and attraction towards each other. SJ's love wasn't possessive it was deep, pure, selfless and prophecy changing. His destiny changed from being 'the destroyer of world'to 'the lord of mercy' with LTY's influence and love.
LTY is the heart of this drama, she is the sweetest, very conpationate and funniest fl (she retained her gen z aura through out the drama) I have seen in xianxia dramas. It was ironic that the drama started out with SJ being a heartless immortal and LTY being most sweetest and harmless demon. The title of this drama gave me impresstion that the crule ml will be the demon lord but I loved the impressive twist by the end of the drama. What made me love her so much is her signifivmcant yet gradual character development was very beautifully executed. Even though she became demon ruler of immortal and demon world, she never lost her trueself, she remained thoughtful, witty, brave, resilient, compassionate and most importantly bubbly even though she had to go through many painful trials and unexpected situations. She bounced back in every cruel situation she was put in. She portrayed all the emotions very well, made me laugh with her silliness and moved me to tears with her pain.
Her gentleness, care, love and inner light not only changed SJ it also inspired many people around her to abandon greed, blind love for power and fix their mistrust issues and be better versions of themselves. Other actors and actresses portrayed their characters fantastically well. Their stunning acting and unique roles made the drama very intriguing and attractive. HNJ, the snake is one of my most favorite supporting characters.
The plot in this drama works very closely with 'star- crossed lovers' theme; the main leads' relationship was doomed by fate, circumstance, or an external force, preventing them from achieving a happy ending in many lifetimes. Also, their relationship is challenged by outside forces, such as feudiing races, differing societal backgrounds, or tragic events. Their love was extremely intense and passionate, partly because they know the odds are stacked against them. However, the plot is unique due to SJ defies their ill fate in the three realms and goes as far as to plot and scheme to ensure he reunites with his lover in the modern world. So, their love and longing for each other is strong enough to break the star-crossed lovers curse.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the way leads perfectly portrayed love so realisticly and naturally. Together they have created most heart warming, touching, emotional, magical, romamntic and unforgettable xianxia ever for me.
I mostly give reviews only for dramas I have really enjoyed and got fairly impressed with. These days I have been lazy and have been giving suitable ratings only, however this drama has compelled me to write one immediately with its shere brilliance and undeniably stunning and fanciful execution of the story. I simply could not get enough of the main leads extraordinary, shining, captivating, charming and alluring chemistry. I really need them in a new modern drama. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this drama and recommend it to anyone who loves, romance, comedy and wuxia dramas.
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Great and unique drama
This drama is incredibly well done. The story is captivating and fast-paced, with seamlessly embedded modern elements. The chemistry between the leads is fantastic, LTY is innocent and wants to spread happiness. She is relatable, and her thoughts reflect those of the viewer. SJ seems ruthless on the surface but he is also smart and can identify everyone’s motives. He softens through LTY and finds peace in her. The casting is perfect, as all the actors are talented and skilled. Additionally, both the cinematography and the OST are beautiful and deepen the feelings of each scene. Overall it is unique, I hope it will get the recognition it deserves.Was this review helpful to you?
want bucket loads of romantic scenes? this is your show!!
this story is funny, romantic and lovely. the FL has a unique funny personality, the actress is expressive, beautiful and funny and i think this performance and casting is intergral to why this show works so well.the ML is a ruthless lord and somewhat of a child and grows a lot due to the relationship he formed with the FL. that part is very well done and heartwarming.
their chemistry is great, their scenes are going to give you butterflies and the story is solid adressing the dark underside of what it could mean to have a race who’s blood is miraculous to outsiders.
will add more thoughts when this series concludes.
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The Result of Overacting and Underacting Colliding
🍅 Let’s start with the acting. This is what stood out the most to me.The Female Lead:
Her acting's way too exaggerated, even looks cartoonish at times. Whenever she’s shocked or surprised, she reacts the exact same way with wide eyes and overdone expressions. Whether it’s discovering something unexpected or when some truly tragic really happens, she acts the same way. She can't adjusts the intensity to match the situation. Apart from being shocked and surprised, expressing happiness is also her problem. When she shows happiness, it looks fake. It seems she jumps from one form of pretension to another, always portrayed on the rim of the loudest. It makes her character come across as shallow, like she doesn't know the different depth or genuine characteristics of each emotion. Her acting skills are uncrafted and feels pretentious as a result. This pretentiousness is annoying to watch.
The Male Lead:
If the FL is “too much,” the ML is the exact opposite. His face is stuck in one gear: monotone and blank, with occasional stiff, unconvincing smile. The smile's supposedly reserved for the FL, but those moments feel forced and hollow. His character would grow from fierce and closed-off to calmer and gentler toward the FL, but there’s no real change in his performance. It’s just one expression all the way through. I used to like him in Ever Night, where his style actually fit the role, but since then when I watched Lighter and Princess and now When Destiny Brings Demon, it feels like he’s recycling the same persona - trying to appear aloof and cool, but it comes off forced and ultimately unconvincing in this role.
Together, the leads are a mismatch of extremes: one overacts, the other underacts. Neither side really works, and together it just highlights the weaknesses of both even more.
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🍅 Character Design
The FL’s character is written in a way that already makes her feel stupid from time to time, but paired with the actress’s exaggerated delivery, she comes across as outright foolish. It’s half weak character design and half poor acting combined.
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🍅 Story Design
The storytelling suffers too. Way too much screen time is given to just the FL and ML together without the plot moving forward in any meaningful way. After a while, it starts to feel like filler. I don’t know if the budget went entirely into casting these two and left nothing for side characters, but if that’s the case, it was a bad move since these main leads are not capable to carry the show.
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🍅 Screenplay
Their screenplay is amateur. It's shown clearly through the vague dialogues and unnecessary scenes. This drags the pace of the whole series.
I just knew after finished watching both When Destiny Brings Demon and Moonlit Reunion (the latter one finished a couple days later) that the original novels of these two series have the same author 😳 The thing is the dialogue and screenplay for MR is a lot better than WDBD. The overall quality of MR is also a lot better. Both of them were on air at the same time and the official rating always told that MR (hovering ~14%) is above WDBD (~9%). I just don't understand how the review scores on this site for these two series are the opposite. How WDBD has a higher score than MR?? I can only think that the hardcore fans of probably Chen Feiyu likely manipulate the points with their biases. I wouldn't be surprised to find that this group of people are actually elementary/middle schoolers when considering how childish they are.
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🍅 Plot Holes ((Spoiler))
One thing that made no sense to me: why does the FL lose all her memories from the cultivation world but somehow keep everything from the modern world? The logic doesn’t add up, and it feels like the writers just wanted a convenient excuse to reset her arc without fully thinking it through.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just an all rounder!
I’ll be honest, When Destiny Brings the Demon was not a drama I expected much from. I wasn’t fully convinced by Arthur Chen’s acting and I only knew Wang Ying Lu from one project, so I came in with almost no expectations. But from the very first episodes, I was surprised at how quickly this drama pulled me in.I picked this up when it was already half way airing but binged it and ended up waiting for the next episodes.The real heart of the show is definitely the chemistry between Arthur Chen as the brooding, vengeful Sima Jiao and Wang Ying Lu as the easygoing, almost slacker-like Liao Tingyan. Every scene they had together was magnetic. I found myself giggling, smiling, and even getting butterflies just watching them interact. Their dynamic felt fresh and alive, making even the smallest moments between them feel special.
The pacing of the drama also impressed me. The story moved quickly and smoothly, never dragging or feeling weighed down by unnecessary filler. The only plot point I wasn’t fond of was the memory loss arc. It’s a trope that always feels a little tired, and here it didn’t add much for me. That said, I did like that even with her memories altered, Tingyan’s heart still recognized Sima Jiao. It didn’t take long for her to fall for him again, which made it feel less frustrating.
The supporting cast had good chemistry as well. Gao Han in particular, I adored. Having seen him recently play a villain in a drama alongside MZY and LXY, I half-expected his character to betray Sima Jiao here. But to my surprise, he stayed loyal and good throughout. It gave the story a nice balance, showing that not every side character has to hide a knife behind their back. He was so soft and such a puppy for a black serpent. LOL. Actress Wang Yi Ting did well too. Her character was well written in the beginning. She was someone kind and goal driven even though some action may have been selfish. But then, her character fell flat for me after she was brought back from dying. It was as if her character had no importance, just there as a friend to hangout with Tingyan or even just a decoration for Tingyan when Sima Jiao isn't around. I would've love to see her charcter more active in the second half. But overall, her chemistry with Gao Han was cute and filled with innocence compared to WYL and AC whose chemistry was more intense and passionate.
The ending was bittersweet for me. I had wished to for them to embrace one another recognizing each other but their meeting will do it for me. I believe that they're fated for one another and bound to fall in love over and over again, doesn't matter what timeline, what their name is, they'll always find each other.
Overall this was a 10/10 watch for me. From plot to chemistry, to acting and music and cgi effects, I love every aspect of it. I'd watch this again.
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This drama can be awarded for most romantic ancient xianxia drama .
for overall review the drama was soo good feel, heart felt , emotional rollercoaster in FINAL episodes.the FL and ML falls in love 4 times overall , they showed it in very well manner .
i wanted to have more scenes for them in modern day world with a complete family , good carrier and a beautiful ending BUT iam satisfied with this ending also.. that was quite good .
enjoyed all episodes , just some episodes were slow but except that everything was perfect.
loved the side characters , second leads love was also quite intresting .
a well directed drama without confusing us about the timelines .i suggest to watch it , its one of a kind cdrama till now which i have watched .
ML was eye feast , his expressions , acting, dialogue delivery was on spot, arthur chen's deep voice was soo intimidating,
FL was so into the plot and acting that she owned the character .
these people brought life to the characters. Romance was out of the world .
WORTH WATCH DRAMA ... GO FOR IT GUYS .
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1The most romantic and sensual xianxia. Lots of kisses and intimacy.
If you ever wondered what and how dual cultivation works, this drama will show you all! The drama is about the female lead who, during a car crash, is transported to the fantasy world. She takes the identity of a disciple, who is forced to go and serve the most powerful and ruthless Grandmaster (the male lead). Having no other desire except sleeping and eating, she earns the trust of the Grandmaster and his love.TIMELINE:
Ep 1-19 Immortal arc - I loved this arc. It struck a great balance between developing the romance and giving us a nice angsty plot.
Ep 20-29 Demon arc - Rushed and not fleshed out properly. Lots of concepts were introduced and it felt like I was watching at 2x speed. It had its good moments but also felt short on others.
Ep 30-33 Mortal arc - Rushed and the palace plot felt boring/unnecessary. I would have preferred if the focus was exclusively on the romance, with the final villain lurking until the final episode.
POSITIVE:
- Brilliant romance. One of the best written xianxia love stories I’ve ever seen. The chemistry, dialogue, interactions, everything was perfect. Their love story felt natural, real and gave me the biggest butterflies in my stomach. The couple was funnily so ‘ride or die’ coded as they were either on their way to kill someone or get killed.
- Top-tier intimacy. This is hands down the xianxia with the most kiss scenes, spice and skinship. Their love language is indeed touch!
- ‘Touch her and you die’ male lead. Handsome, strong and tragic. He was the cold-hearted-but-totally-hot morally grey male lead that I love to watch. A red flag when he needed to be and a green flag when he needed to be. Basically a woman’s perfect man.
- Relatable female lead. She was a very down to earth, normal girl, who just wanted a vacation 24/7.
- Amnesia trope done right. This is probably the only time where I enjoyed seeing this trope as it actually added depth and character development!
- Top-notch comedy.
- Decent visuals/CGI. Yes their budget wasn’t big but I still think they did well. The costumes in the second half were beautiful!
- Enjoyable OST.
- Ending. Considering the censorship for these types of transmigrations, the drama did well. I was happy to see the female lead SPOILER in the modern world for 10 whole minutes and actually meeting the male lead face to face.
NEGATIVE:
- Simple plot. The first half was pretty good but the second half was quite underwhelming and rushed.
- Villains. All unremarkable and quite one dimensional. They were just kind of there, being a typical obstacle against the leads.. but they did bring in the angst, so I can’t complain too much.
- Side character. Meh. Except for the cute snake, nobody truly stood out.
- Second couple. Wasted potential. In the first half, the second female lead was against the leads and (for some unknown reason) the second male lead had feelings for her (rather juvenile if you ask me). Then, her bad deeds were all swept under the rug and instead the script told us they were in love?! It all just felt like a bunch of non-sense. If their love story was actually deleted, it would have had zero impact on the plot.
OVERALL:
I wholeheartedly award this drama as the most romantic xianxia. It’s hard to describe my feelings but the best I can say is that watching the leads made me scream, giggle and kick my feet. Despite the simple and somewhat weak plot, the core and strength of the drama lies in the romance. You will love this for the romance, for the undeniable chemistry between the leads, for the spicy and beautiful kiss scenes, for the perfect touch-her-and-you-die male lead. If you are a hopeless romantic, you will love this for sure, as this is one of those stories that make you fall in love with love! I highly recommend it.
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