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1When Destiny Hands You a Demon Boyfriend
Xianxia + TransmigrationAfter a car accident, the FL, Liao Tingyan (played by Wang Yinglu) wakes up in a different world. Her greatest ambition? To be a “salted fish” — i.e., to be lazy and do absolutely nothing. After the initial expected shock of waking up in a different fantasy world, Liao Tingyan realizes this great miraculous opportunity — a chance at the vacation she never had time to take in her real life. Too bad fate has other plans.
Initially at the selection cermony to “make up the numbers”, she’s chosen as one of a hundred women sent to serve the Lord of “Mercy”. Despite trying her hardest to stay invisible to keep her life (and enjoy her “vacation”), her actions catches the eye of this Immortal Ancestor (played by Chen Feiyu) and gets swept into his plans for revenge against those who imprisoned him for over 500 years. What follows is a journey that forces them to trust one another, fall in love, and sacrifice deeply.
The drama is an uncomplicated romance, and its greatest strength lies in that very simplicity, as well as in the charm of its characters. Liao Tingyan’s overworked modern-girl personality — and her ability to shrug and say “meh” while rolling with the tide — is charming. I especially loved how she often took the lead in their relationship, leaving the supposedly fearsome ancestor blushing (at least in the beginning, lol). Wang Yinglu with the perfect awkward acting nailed this character.
Although I’ve only watched one other drama from each lead (and I use the term watched here loosely), I have to say: Chen Feiyu left a serious impression here. He embodied every stage of Sima Jiao’s development flawlessly — from the deliciously vengeful ancestor, to the shy and bewildered “why is this girl messing with my heart” version, to the reluctant boyfriend rediscovering humanity, to the tender lover, the grieving partner, and even the innocent 19-year-old emperor.
The chemistry is not to be overlooked either. This drama might just have one of the most intimately charged CPs of the year. Their connection wasn’t just about the many (and I mean many) kisses, but also in the soft gazes, the gentle caresses, the nose rubs. Half the time I wanted to replay those moments, and the other half I felt like a guilty voyeur intruding on a private scene.
That said, the drama isn’t without flaws. It doesn’t boast a strong antagonist — most of them exist purely to move the couple along their love story. Not a disaster for a romance-focused drama, but it does feel a bit lazy at times. The demon realm arc was underwhelming, but the mortal realm arc? A mess. It gave off the same vibe as writing an exam essay: you start off detailed and confident, but halfway through you realize you’re out of both time and paper, so you rush to cram everything in. Suddenly, instead of showing the plot, the drama resorts to endless inner monologues, basically saying, “I’ll just tell you what’s happening — sit tight and listen.”
The second leads didn’t add much either. Whatever charm they had ended during the first arc. And this is not saying anything about the so called love rival for the main couple. Possibly the most generic and unimaginative character they could have thrown in. Both the character and writing was so grating it made me want to swat him away like a buzzing mosquito.
Although I have praised the main leads acting earlier, I have to mention one complaint, which is that their emotional portrayals during the “death” scenes felt underwhelming. I wanted more — disbelief, shock, messy crying, even outright guttural screaming or outrage. Sima Jiao’s reaction during the transition into the demon arc was great, but sadly, that intensity didn’t carry over into another key moment (staying vague here to avoid spoilers 😭). I’m honestly not sure if this was on the actors or a directing choice, but it left me wanting more.
Overall: A great pick if you’re looking for an easy romance with likable leads, tons of chemistry, and just enough angst sprinkled in.
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This review may contain spoilers
Really great.. until it became just good.
Before watching the drama, I managed to read about 80% of the novel. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it; on the contrary, I enjoyed it a lot. However, life got in the way. When I finally started watching the drama, I was very happy. I found both the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL) engaging, and their chemistry was great. Their portrayals of the characters from the novel felt authentic to me. I was content—until I wasn’t.When the female lead lost her memories, I felt something was missing. I thought about what it was and realized that the characters in the novel and the drama no longer felt the same. The male lead came across as too soft; in the novel, he was ruthless and merciless, with only one soft spot—her. Then, when she left for 18 years in the demon realm, I felt a disconnect. The drama didn’t make that transition smooth enough. Some important moments that needed time for proper explanation felt rushed, while other scenes that didn’t require as much time dragged on.
The black snake, who was initially naive and had no idea how to be human, transformed into a character I no longer cared about.
This highlights an ongoing issue in Chinese entertainment. Since restrictions were imposed to limit episodes to 40, many dramas have been reduced well below that number. The average episode length has also dropped from 60 minutes to around 40 minutes. This results in fewer episodes overall, cutting out precious time that could have allowed the story to develop more fully.
The last few episodes feel rushed. They have been excessively shortened or not developed enough, making it seem like we are hastily racing to the conclusion. I feel overwhelmed by the speed of it all.
Additionally, the CGI has become repetitive. I've seen many scenes—like the valleys, palaces, and soul palace—repeatedly. While it was impressive in the first 6 to 8 episodes, nothing has wowed me since then.
Although I feel a bit disappointed, I still consider the drama to be solid and enjoyable, mainly due to the performances of the main leads. I think I would have dropped the show if it weren't for their acting. I was happy to see Arthur Chen expressing love and emotions, rather than just portraying his usual taciturn, arrogant, and secretive character. I love deep male voices, and his is music to my ears! 😆
Production made a great effort on the OST. I think I will buy the CD, which is a testament to how much I loved it. I enjoyed the costumes, hairstyles, and makeup—they were just right.
With just a few episodes left, I hope it improves. I plan to return to this review to share my final thoughts. Meanwhile, I will try to finish the novel.
***
Youku, you little scoundrel! You took my money again to watch the final three episodes, and what can I say? The drama and the novel did not end the same way, as expected. It seems that Chinese censorship only allows transmigration if the hero or heroine returns to modern times. For me it is a bittersweet ending. They meet in modern times but yet again he has no memories from his 2 previous lives. What a disappointment!
There were many disappointments, primarily due to the excessive cutting of scenes. Characters often appeared without proper introduction, and their relationships did not develop adequately. As a result, the final episodes lacked coherence. Although it was intended to be a romance, the couple barely shared a kiss because of strict censorship. I give it a final rating of 8 out of 10, but I only awarded this score because I liked the main leads; they had great chemistry and demonstrated strong acting skills. This rating is my discontent about cutting so much (twice) that the original script felt rushed and cringy. This drama could have been significantly improved with 40 episodes, each one hour long.
There will be no season 2. It clearly states ‘the end’ at the conclusion of episode 33. I am okay with that.
My conclusion is simple: read the novel!!
https://wordrain69.com/manga/dedicated-salted-fish-of-master/chapter-1/
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In the words of Liao Tingyan, it's a vacation!
A modern office worker, transmigrated to three realms after an accident, has to serve a destructive and tyrannical great-great boss of the world.✅️ The story felt unique even with the usual xianxia tropes.
✅️ The start was strong with comedic timing that didn't feel imposed.
✅️ The characters had a wonderful developmental arc, and the actors performed well in bringing them to life.
✅️ The love story and the chemistry between the actors is definitely the strongest points of this drama.
✅️ Fascinating cinematography with an addictive soundtrack.
❌️ The pacing in the middle of the drama was a little slow with less plot progression.
❌️ The conflicts with the antagonist in the second half of the drama felt repetitive.
Overall, a very good watch. Recommended if you like love story spanning different lifetimes.
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I Said I Don’t Like Romance… and Then This Happened
This drama actually made me like romance. I almost regret ever saying “I’m not into romance,” because either this drama hit different or it just had that much of an impact. This is also the first time I fell in love with this kind of FL. Usually, I’m all about the strong, badass female leads in historical dramas—but here, she completely won me over. I loved how she explained modern things to SMJ, like what laoban means or even the “okay” gesture. And the best part? She wasn’t out here trying to master magic or power-ups—she just wanted a vacation. Relatable queen.Three lifetimes, and they’re still loyal to each other. That’s the kind of love story I’ll sign up for. And what I really appreciate is how there wasn’t any deep, ridiculous misunderstanding like we usually see in other xianxia dramas where couples are out here trying to kill each other over miscommunication.
Wang Ying Lu—girl, I need to see you in bigger productions because your acting is too good. Thank goodness she’s slowly getting more recognition. And this was also my first Chen Fei Yu drama (my first CFY experience!), and now I’m already waiting for his upcoming projects. Same goes for the supporting cast—they really did their thing.
For me, this is my first best xianxia drama of 2025 (so far). Let’s see if the rest can compete. That last episode had me crying though. Imagine Sima Jiao in that world without LTY, and her friends living on after she left—heartbreaking. Honestly, I wished they had flipped it and let SMJ and her friends transmigrate into her world. Wouldn’t that have been such a fun and satisfying outcome?
Anyway, this drama gave me everything—love, laughs, tears. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Beautiful adaptation. Definitely among the top xianxia adaptation.
It is by no means perfect, but definitely among the best of novel adaptations. They managed to keep the essence of the novel, expanded some elements for more depth, but did not forget to connect it all in a sensical way.The plot was almost never dragged out by adding cliche romantic moments or misunderstanding, which is actually harder said than done, so props to the writer and production team for that; although this does make any character that aren't the leads feel like just plot devices as very little effort was put into fleshing their story out.
This show also raised the bar on how to write and portray a romance. Beautiful, healthy and also very intimate relationship between the leads. Also love the fact that even in a relationship, they still stay true to their core. One remains a kind and simple slacker, while the othet is still that ruthless grandmaster working towards his original goal. Male lead didn't just magically turned into a self-righteous cultivator after experiencing peace and love.
Overall, this was a great experience. Can't remember the last time I have enjoyed a xianxia this much. Definitely my top favourite for this year and I can see myself rewatching this a lot.
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You won't lose anything if you skip this one
This comment might not be your cup of tea so...beware!Honestly I have been waiting for 'love beyond the grave' and ended up getting this one first. Despite everything I tried really really hard to watch this but it is beyond me how people are going crazy for such a bizarre show. (I mean yeah...there is nothing else to watch anyways) Aurthur is pretty much what he was in 'Lighter and Princess' (I really liked that one though) just change the timeline and make it magical. This type of roles suits him and I am only watching it (to a very large extent) just because of him. His cold demeanor and charming personality goes well with this character and visual-wise he is perfect for this role. Such characters do not require mind boggling acting anyways. As for FL I have seen her only in 'I am Nobody' and I really liked her in that one. If you could deal with first two episodes of that show then you are definitely in for a treat there. She played emotionless/lazy/robot like character there and it woked pretty well. The problem in this one is that she is still giving that vibe here. It usually happens when one character is emotionally restrained the other fills that gap by being a very strong level headed or bubbly or reckless sort of character. She is none. I have heard enough about chemistry here but this much chemistry is pretty much in every single drama if we go by the same rules. There are some desparate attempts at comedy and many lovey dovey scenes but I am not sure how to continue the show when there is nothing in the story to hold my interest. Side characters are completely forgettable as well. You can almost skip all of their scenes and believe me you won't miss anything. CGI is not even worth discussing. If you want to compare it then it is pretty much 'Love between fairy and devil' all over again minus CG and music. It was my fifth attempt at it where I failed miserably to continue it further. You can give it a try if you are LBFAD or main characters' fan but it is pretty much that... don't expect anything else.
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This review may contain spoilers
When Destiny Brings The Everlasting Love Across All Realms
Hands down one of the best... if not the top one in Xianxia genre I have watched. Their chemistry was top notch, skinship natural, romance well built up, and the story was captivating from start to end. This is how an everlasting love Between 3[4] realms and lifetimes should be executed. Even when they forgot eachother, their souls and heart were allined and so in tune with each other. I loved that about this drama and as someone who hates amnesia arcs with passion!! It was the first time I enjoyed watching these too soulmates find their way to each other and fall in love all over again. It was such a breath of fresh air !I did hope they would go more in depth as to what happened in human realm after FL is gone and how it went for supporting characters and Sima jiao's reaction, but I guess it was the limit they could go with for only 33 episodes. I will definitely rewatch it again
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When destiny brings the demon
Initially this drama was good but later on it got boring. I'm so frustrated with xianxia dramas like why does the male lead have to suffer so much. Even in this drama, almost every trouble comes from the female lead being stupid and dumb. Like can you give some brain to FL's in xianxia?.The male leads have to suffer so much like here in WDBTD the FL does nothing except bring trouble. The ML has enough problems and is traumatized due to his past sufferings now he even has to protect the damsel in distress everytime. Come on!! Make a good drama where the FL has brains and can protect herself and at the very least not cause trouble for the ML.
I like watching xianxia but this type of trope is making me sickkkkk!!
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Arthur Chen as Sima Jiao cast an unforgettable spell on us!
This drama was truly enchanting! What an endearing romance this was ! The leads performed their roles beautifully and their story had such passion and endurance . I really love how Chen Feiyu portrayed Sima Jiao and his many colors so flawlessly. He was a complicated character to play and CFY brought it to the screen effortlessly. He is truly one of the best actors around. It was amazing how he embodied this role. We could feel every one of his emotions.The FL is someone whose works I will look forward to. She is a great actress and complemented the ML very well. Her comic timing was impeccable and LTY’s character growth was done very well.
The leads’ love story was written extremely well and the actors elevated it with their performances. The chemistry between the leads was mind blowing and that is essence was why this drama worked.
. I also loved Gao Han as the loyal snake - he again plays every role given to him well.
All in all a very satisfying XINXIA. I just wish we had one more episode of them in the modern world to provide closure . The music for this drama is something that will be on my playlist . And I will definitely rewatch this one. Looking forward to more intense characters from Chen Feiyu! Have been a fan of him since L&P and this drama emphasizes his talent even further !
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Every lonely journey, ends with a fated encounter.
Where should I begin with this one? WDBTD was a complete surprise to me! I didn’t expect it to captivate me the way it did!I’ve been absolutely thriving while watching this cdrama! It’s like a love-filled hug in xianxia form. Sure, the plot might not be the most extraordinary in the genre (maybe even a little “plain” by usual standards) but honestly? You don’t need fireworks when the chemistry between the leads is this magnetic. Their relationship just warms your soul. Seeing them embrace every form of love is so satisfying. And what I really love is that there’s not a ton of silly, drawn-out drama. The leads actually talk things through, stay mostly on the same page, which is such a refreshing twist in Xianxia land. I can say no other couple I know has been as sweet as these two.
And here’s the tea that made it even better for me: It's the way they wrote the two main characters. They are both so addicting and charming in their own way. On one hand, we have Sima Jiao as the broody, sealed tsundere cultivator who has been through it all and on the other end, we have our girl Liao Tingyan who is the modern, exhausted corporate drone turned into a slacker disciple. Her “I just want naps and food” energy is such a vibe in a cultivation world and the way she handles every serious situation in the earlier eps with laid-back humor is so entertaining to watch.
But ofc with that being said, their character growth is quite evident as the plot progresses! The FL over time, she really steps up. You can see her slowly maturing, becoming more serious, more responsible and emotionally grounded. It’s so rewarding to see her evolve from someone just trying to survive in the cultivation world to someone who’s actively shaping it.
As for the ML, he might begin as this cold, aloof, shut-off tyrant, but the way his icy exterior gradually melts as he opens up to her is just…beautiful!
On the visuals side, the aesthetics are stunning and the vibe feels refreshing even for an ancient fantasy world. Even the main soundtrack hits perfectly, adding emotional depth without being overwhelming. Honestly, this drama may not be action-packed every minute, but it’s full of quiet magic in its characters, in the way it handles love and healing and in the way it lets its story breathe.
I’m really going to miss this, but I know it’ll be one of those comfort shows I might come back to. If you’re in the mood for a xianxia that’s low-drama, full of love and driven, this one’s absolutely worth your time.
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THE BEST XIANXIA OF 2025
10000000000000/10 😭💖I already expected this kind of ending, especially knowing how strict censorship can be when it comes to transmigration stories. Many times, these narratives are forced to take a certain path, and often the endings are changed or softened to meet those rules. So in my heart, I was already preparing myself for it. But honestly, the moment I saw them together again, all of that didn’t matter anymore. As long as they were able to meet, as long as their love was given a chance to exist once more, I am so incredibly happy for them. Sometimes, just seeing two souls finally find their way back to each other, no matter how the circumstances change, is already the most beautiful ending we could ever hope for.
Thank you, Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan, for allowing us to witness such an extraordinary love story. It was not just a romance—it was a journey of two souls bound together by fate, by hardship, and by a love so deep that it defied time, pain, and even death itself. Watching your story unfold was like watching the impossible become possible again and again. From the very beginning, when shadows of tragedy and destiny loomed over you, to the countless moments where love won in quiet, gentle ways, every step of your journey reminded us how rare and precious true devotion really is.
Your love endured across lifetimes. Even when the world seemed determined to pull you apart, you always found each other again. That, to me, is the truest definition of fate—not simply being together when it is convenient, but continuing to return to one another despite all odds. It is a love that survives through pain, through sacrifice, and through lifetimes of waiting. And now, as Wei Jiao and Zou Yan, your story continues in a new form. Though your names and circumstances have changed, the essence of who you are remains the same. Two people who are destined to meet, destined to heal each other, destined to love endlessly.
May happiness always follow you in this lifetime. After all the tears, after all the heartbreak, you both deserve days filled with laughter, with peace, and with love so soft that it feels like home. I hope this lifetime grants you everything that the past ones could not—moments of joy without fear, love without sacrifice, and a future where you can simply exist for one another.
To me, your story will always remain one of the most unforgettable. It is proof that love can be relentless, patient, and unyielding. It teaches us that even when life feels cruel, love has the power to heal and transform. Thank you for letting us share in your journey. May your days ahead be long, bright, and filled with endless joy ❤️🫂
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Underrated masterpiece
I was looking for another Chinese Drama after finishing Revenged Love. I know Arthur Chen but never watch any of his work, and female lead is totally a fresh face for me, at first i was hesitated to watch because i didn't like(?) how she looks, but i'm very glad i still went ahead and started watching it, AND NOW i'm a fan of both of them. Wang YingLu's acting is just so cheeky and cute, but it's not those unbearable pick-me kinda cute, I personally just love her acting throughout all the ep, no matter it's a happy, sad, emotional, heart-warming scene, it made me cried so hard.Though this drama have a dimension-travel/isekai theme, but it doesn't have too much mention of the modern world, just a few use of modern language, which made it even more cute. If you understand the difference of Ancient language and modern language, you'll definitely find it 100x cuter than if you don't , but don't be too alarmed about this, if you don't understand chinese/mandarin, just with the subtitles and their acting/expression I'm sure you'll enjoy this just as much.
I'm not someone that rewatch any show/drama ever, so i won't be rewatching it but it definitely left a deep impression on me especially both of the main lead
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