When Destiny Brings the Demon

acting of two on land stranded fishes

I really liked it the first idk 6 or 7 episodes? but I feel like the story went kinda nowhere and the plot got lost after a specific scene, im not gomma mentioned it but it was just overall wishy washy.

I didn't dislike the acting per se. Just after a while it just was... the same? the fl did a good job at the beginning but after I watched a webseries which no one takes serious I felt like the fl in that 5 min show did a better job than her 😭😭 why was she so soulless in some scenes? and don't get me started at ml. he too was fine at the start but I feel like I've seen him either just smirk or do this 😐 like?

I dont know i need emotions to feel the storyline. maybe if I continued it could have gotten better but I was skipping the whole time and didn't even register the storyline. at one point I was like what is the point in watching it if I dont care anymore.

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NEVER FELT A SINGLE EPISODE BORING!

Amazing drama! It really exceeded my expectations. I was critical at first to start the drama, but once I started, I couldn't leave this in between. It kept me hooked throughout. The acting, the plot, the bg music and the sceneries, all were on point. Every character has a story and there was a perfect balance of emotions. One of the very few dramas where both ML and FL are ready to give their all for the other though not in a stupid or too selfless way. They will do anything to protect their partner and even die for their sake. The communication between them was clear, no unnecessary miscommunications or dramatic subplots. The way it covers all three realms and spans through 3 lifetimes and the modern world is commendable! A bond that goes beyond time and space. I really love the dialogues and simple scenes that evoke joy in little things. ML and FL had good chemistry, not too much time spent on love building or melancholic scenes, had a very strong storyline, and the way both their dreams matched stirs audience's hearts. It is so relatable at points, the desire to live a simple life, to have wisdom to look beyond mortal world and to be carefree and bold. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, every scene holding a deeper meaning and every episode building onto something more beautiful. The ending was satisfactory and the dialogue "every lonely journey ends in a fated encounter" really is the solution to all modern problems. The drama was like a soft glow to my dark chambers of life.

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A Stunning Drama with Predictable Twists

This drama checks all the right boxes: a stellar cast, excellent chemistry between the leads, an engaging storyline, a beautifully crafted backdrop, strong suspense, artistic cinematography, and impressive special effects. Even the pacing and writing hold up well. My only gripe? The overused trope of a modern person being drawn into another world — I have honestly lost count of how many dramas use this premise.

Arthur FeiYu Chen is outstanding as Grandmaster Sima Jiao, delivering a perfectly nuanced performance as the cold, arrogant, and distrustful leader. Wang Ying Lu plays Liao Ting Yan, a modern girl who wakes up in the body of an assassin destined to kill Sima Jiao. Unfortunately, her portrayal of a clueless, slightly silly heroine does not quite win me over — I have never been fond of the “silly girl” archetype as the heroine of the story.

Of course, as expected in dramas of this genre, the cold and intimidating Grandmaster eventually falls for the naïve heroine. Their dynamic follows the familiar but effective “enemies-to-lovers” arc: boy meets girl, they clash, they grow, they fall in love. Yes, it is cliché — but it works. The push-and-pull between them keeps you on edge, rooting for them even as they “fight” each other.

The twist? They fall in love not once but three times — first in the original timeline, then after Liao loses her memory, and finally after Sima is reborn. This three-lifetime love story gives the drama an almost mythic quality, deepening the emotional resonance - although it is yet another of those tropes used too often.

The ending, however, feels slightly disconnected from the main story. It abruptly shifts back to modern times, falling into the familiar “reunion in the present day” trope — one of those endings where the characters meet again, this time in the modern world.

Despite my quibbles about the unoriginal premises, this drama is wonderfully produced, visually stunning, and thoroughly enjoyable. If you love fantasy romance with high stakes, great chemistry, and a touch of destiny, I highly recommend giving this one a watch.

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I am currently mo yu-ing at work writing this review.

My colleague told me this would be a hilarious watch. After the demon arc I scolded her for introducing me to this kind of heartache. You must understand, as someone who also aspires to be FL level of xianyu, I am very emotionally delicate. I also like to laze about and be happy and eat good food. The first part of this show promised that but later on I was seriously cheated. The life of a highflier is really difficult. You have a rich husband but the rich husband's problems also become your problems and because you're nothing but a salted fish, you have no choice but to be dragged around by the whims of others. I thought I could live vicariously through this FL but I was mistaken. A rich husband seems to give more problems than working a slack 9-5 job.

The romance was steamy and the amount of times I saw them kissing is even more than the times I see my parents kissing. I'm not complaining. I was eating popcorn while they were going at it and was very satisfied by this bit of entertainment. Their romance was built well and I relate to her initial unbothered attitude. Progression was not too fast or too slow and I liked how they had no misunderstandings between them. The truth spell is really very useful. Both characters were believable and sincere with each other even when she lost her memory.

For something that started so unseriously, it suddenly got too serious in the 2nd half. I stopped laughing after around episode 20. And i was crying buckets of tears during THAT episode. I hate crying it's so tiring and uncomfortable. I didn't sign up for this. It's like when you see advertising for free ice cream but when after you get the ice cream they tell you to exercise on the spot if not you have to pay the full price. You already ate the ice cream so you have to commit for the sake of your wallet. But once it's over, they give you free ice cream again and at this point you're too afraid to accept it. Once bitten twice shy. Our FL was bitten a lot of times but never shy. I cannot relate.

The addition of the irritating 2ML ruined my good feelings. In a way, as a xianyu myself, I would have liked the show to follow the same light-hearted manner of the first arc. I understand it would not be as much of an emotional rollercoaster, but it felt like their dynamic changed in the demon realm. In the novel, there was no 2ML to plot against them and no evil demon lord. They tried to make the show more exciting with twists and turns compared to the novel but to be honest, I don't think it was necessary, maybe too many twists were added. I read the novel after watching the full 33 episodes. Nianjiu was fine as a character but after reading the novel, I think I liked the pet snake who became their 'son' more.

Overall, will rewatch for the sweet romance and the first 19 episodes but not for the plot.

TLDR: I expected a light-hearted show but what I got was pain and some dog food to ease it.

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LOVE IT TO THE CORE.

I absolutely adored this drama from start to finish. The bantering, the lovey-dovey moments, the tension, the chemistry — everything just worked for me.

Chen Feiyu is a complete heartthrob. No doubt about it. Every time he smirks, my heart does a little flip. Wang Yinglu is utterly adorable and shines so brightly in her role. I love how her charming imperfections balance perfectly with Chen Feiyu’s presence — they stand beautifully side by side.

The storyline is decent, but there are too many side characters with too little backstory. Some appear, disappear, then suddenly reappear near the end, which makes certain parts feel a bit messy and uneven. I wish they had developed those characters better instead of dropping them midway.

I guess the production definitely got massive budget as the constant realm-switching, the visual effects, and the scenery are all colorful, vibrant, and surprisingly high-budget. It’s visually stunning and easy to get immersed in. Each scene is crafted so beautifully. The drama is incredibly picturesque, making it a pleasure to watch from beginning to end.

Overall, despite the flaws, I still loved every minute. The leads, the chemistry, and the aesthetic carry this show beautifully.

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All the genres you can imagine in one buquet of delightfull special effects

I do not have many experience in the CDramas especially historical. I think I have watched meaby 4 xianxia's back to back. So I'll review this based on what I do know.

Where do I start? With the genre of this drama. If you are looking for a time travel meets cdrama meets xianxia world with an OVERDOSE of bold romantic scenes covered in special effects scenes including a 3 dimensional bolding then you have found your madness.

Story: Scenario wise, it was so complex that is was bound to have many plot holes. But what made me keep going was the unexpected bold romance. I WANT MORE. Please recast them again soon. Back to the main issues....in all the previous xianxias that I have watched I was used to the lifetimes being equally divided to the number of episodes. Yet here it was not the case. Which made it more difficult to follow. However I liked the fact that even though the lifetimes were uneven the main leads were developed properly both as individuals and as a couple. The other charaters....oh my.....a pure migrain. Some were made consistent ish. Some were left in the oblivian. Like literally you wonder what happened to them in the end. Some got what they deserved which felt really fullfiling. But a lot of them were completely usless and just to fill in the room and the tension. The emperors of the 8 palaces were another kind of evil....the one that genuinely belives that its good and that its every action its justified and to the common well of everybody involved. Basically polititcians with superpowers and god like aspirations. Some of their actors were amazing. Some of them were stiff as hell and made me simply skip their screen time. There are 3 characters in this show that really deserved more screen time and more consistency. First Ruling/Honglou .... her main purpose was to free her family from the demon relam, but she was abruptly turned from the Celestial Palace assesin into the FL's BFF after tones of betrayels. She then passed not one but TWO lifetimes in a SITIUATIONSHIP with Nianju....that we never knew how it ended because they had to constantely be putted on pause because on of the leads was dieing. About her family its also unclear what happened. Tingyan united the Demon Relam with the Celestial World but still it was no mentione of Ruling's family at all. She was also reborned curiuosely with no memory of her past life and even though both main leads had the capacity to remember things, Honglou did not remember much. The actress is gorgerous and very talented but I feel like she was just used over and over again. Besides she never got her wedding scene. The secound character is Nianju....he appears and dissaperas and you never know his next move. He is loyal to his master, to his lover and to his friend but somtimes he is like a silly kid and does not really know what to do to avoid pissing up the others. He never got a conclusion. After the first life of Tingyan he was used as a walking and flying GPS to find Tingyan's soul while his master played sleeping beauty. After the first life of his master ended he was used again as GPS to find his soul and to solve possible political issues. Any issues that is not his lover cause what do you mean they spended 19 years togheter and he still has not even proposed to her? And the third one is Bi An that was possesd by Yu Yan. She was born with Fengshang blood she was saved by the leads and considered them some kind of godparents. Cause they even named her when she was a baby. Then she grew up (the only character in this drama that actually got older) and was turned into the villan. After Yu Yan was sended into the celestial prison she was just left there on the ground...we never found out if she survived or not, what has she done after getting back her body? Did she died? Did she got reincarnated? Nope....all vanished cause the FL had to turn back to the present. The finale was mega rushed. We do not know what happend to any of the characters in the xianxia world. Sima Jiao's mother? The palace from the mortal relam, the demon relam and the imortal relam....everything vanished into thin air. AND...they messed up big time everything that happened into the modern world. Our FL got into a car accident. And from her flashbacks it looked nasty. She needed CPR (in the rain for dramatic effect), she needed a lot of doctors or nurses with seringes around her cause she was having sessures...and yet when she finally woke up instead of telling us she was in a long coma....nope....she has a concusion. Once she wakes up she can leave. She wakes up. She leaves the hospital. Teleports to her workplace. Takes another taxi even though she just woke up from a prior accident that also happened in a taxi and she believs herself flowerpower and abandones the taxi for the bicicle to make it on time to a meeting god knows where. She did not even had recovery time yet she has to solve everybodys lives AGAIN. She accidentaly meets her prince charming....THE END. Like what? You kept me 33 episodes rolling like Alice in wonderland only to end it up like that? Bruh....

Leaving aside my frustration about the lack of conclusion I actually liked how the action evolved and how the events were linked between each world. We got our modern era girl that travels back in time and into a fictional world in which she has no power and no will to gain any. Her main buisness is to eat, sleep, enjoy vacation time and ocasional 3d bonding with her master. She gradually becomes the most powerfull human being on the 3 relams. Going from Beifang Mountin prison, through the 8 palaces, into the demon world which is her birthplace in the xianxia world, then into the mortal world and then back into the modern present world. Her counterpart Sima Jiao also known as Jiao Jiao goes from being a monster locked in a mountin, to number one political enemy of the palaces, to being a fire god of two of the 3 relams and the Lord of kindness...to being reborn as a mortal king with no cultivation and then as a modern clicheic CEO... a roller coaster indeed. Layered perfectlly between words.

Setting and special effects: VERY MUCH on point. I have never seen a drama with this many settings and such impressive decorations. Also the wordrope worke plus the makeup was HUGE in this project. Like every new location unlocked new kind of clothes and jweleries and even foods. It was like a never ending Chinese Hanfu Parade. Delightfull. Both for women and men. Music was also beautifull and on point. Though I would have liked it better if they had more then 2 OSTs. Like they had so many special effects, so many sets and location for filming a wordrope enough to dress the whole population of China for a ball but only 2 songs?

Production wise I really liked the work done. Especially post production with all those effects that made even the most usless fights a delight to watch. I felt like a kid watching animes for a secound.

And special congrets to whoever was in charge of writeing and directing the romantic scenes in this show. With the kind suggestion of NEVER leaving the secound couple in the oblivian EVER again. Preatty please!

My praise for the main couple of this show. For them I would rewatch this drama someday in the future. They really elevate the rewtach value of this and not just because they were some hopless romantics. But they were GOOD in everything they did. When Jiao Jiao was pissed Artur's face was full of veins pooping out of his forehead. When he was sad, Arthur became kind of sober. When he was happy and loovey doovey, Arthur became snicky and kind of funny. Same for her....she has some beautyfull eyes and face features then made her look diferent then some other chinese actresses that I had scene. She transmits a lot from her eyes. Its like her eyes change togheter with her moods. And she had a wiiiide range of moods in this drama.

Soyi....in conclusion, solid drama having into consideration its magnitude. If I am not wrong the drama started filming in 2023 and ended in 2024. Which means that 2024-2025 alone was post production work. Hats down for how much the entire team behind When destiny brings the demon has worked to achieve this. Nevermind the plotholes....the romance was tooo good, and the effects made it a master peace. Did I mentioned I want more?

P.S Both Arthur Chen and Gao Han are so freaking beautyfull and hot. And the 2 female leads are like 2 princeses. Where have they found this quartet? I laughed so muc with their sillyness... I am going to miss them!!! To all 4 of them....xiexie!! You really got me out of my drama slump.

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The good parts were great the bad parts dragged

For me the 1st part and last part were the best, they both made me fall in love with our wonderful leads. Sima Jiao is the best and softest lover boy and Tingyan is so relatable and so devoted too. The whole demon realm arc felt like it contained several repeated plot points.
Sima Jiao almost died so many times that I wasn't really affected by all the close calls, it ruined my emotional investment in the drama. I was so sure that no one is ever gonna die because they kept being revived that the stakes never felt like they mattered, I feel robbed of a good cry.

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Got tired of forcing myself to watch

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 60%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 10%

Background plot - Okay
Romantic chemistry -Very little
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Good

I really like both the leads in this drama (both the actor and actress) but I could not finish this. I felt no chemistry between them despite trying to force it over and over and over. The only time I got a sense of their potential was during the kissing scenes, strangely enough. There was just something INCREDIBLY BORING about the execution of this drama.

After thinking it over for a few days, I honestly think it was the line delivery, as strange as that sounds. There were these long pauses whenever the leads or villains delivered their lines and it made everything drag in an unnatural way. I wish Viki would let us watch shows on 2x speed because it likely would've greatly improved the watchability of this show.

It's too bad, because the story was interesting, as was the premise, and the actors were talented. But the stilted line delivery was THE WORST.

EDITED TO ADD: I checked out who the director was and now it all makes sense. I will avoid productions by this director from now on.

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Arthur Chen great acting! Wang Ying Lu great acting!

What do i like about this drama? The Acting, especially at the beginning.

The Story is in the Romance Sector, but in everything else is also rounded up.
Not only with the main characters but also with the other roles as well.
Wuxia check. Demon VS Immortals check. Beeing lazy as a Fish check. Eating delicious Stuff check.
Clan Intrigue check. Palace intrigue check. And even with all that in the Mix the pacing is still very good.
For instance in other dramas you would have like these filler episodes between episode 10 - 24 or so.
At least for me here it wasn't like that at all.

And while it doesn't show explicit scenes, it isn't reserved either.
Like waiting 20 episodes just to hold hands, this drama isn't like this at all.
Also for me it made sense when they had warm interaction and when it turned very cold.

Thank you for making this great drama!

(And it's good seeing Arthur Chen again, after every night, really great acting there as well)

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A very strong ROMCOM in Xianxia after a while

I think every drama needs something that pulls you in. Most of the time, it is a plot or some fancy effects or fighting, but for this series: it's a strong ML & FL character setup, it's their individual character development and their relationship development. The chemistry is over the roof that at some points, I forget and forgive the series for everything else. It is truly an enjoyable Romcom.

ML: very solid. He is charming, OP and intelligent, has both IQ & EQ, he is loyal, once he falls, he falls hard, and he has a dark humor at times.
FL: a refreshing character who just likes to be lazy and enjoy lifes. She is relatable; she is cute and she is funny.
The dialogue is full of humor, yet touching at times. Both ML & FL deliver relatively great acting.

Their relationship is developed so well that you can see and FEEL how they fall in love and how deeply in love they are with each other. Best communication skills between a couple that I've seen in a while. Intimacy scenes are uncountable and beautifully done. Dual cultivation? Finally, we know what it means XD.

The storylines are a bump at times related to pacing; it feels like they try to achieve a bit too much within their frame of 33 episodes. But at the same time, out of this flawed plot, they deliver many refreshing viewpoints and challenge many typical storylines that we frequently see in xianxia like the idea a modern girl getting to xianxia world and can suddenly turning into a badass killing machine, or how easily one can be misled easily when they lose their memories. At times, the story resolves things a bit rush but at the same time, they deliver some very logical plots with IQ.

Overall, this is probably the best rom-com I've seen this year or even in recent years. Hope to see the cast in future projects.

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Made want to fall in love

I can't belive it is over. The whole TV show was more than an experience, it was was everything. If you look it carefully, you'll still find me here: a huge piece of my heart, brain and soul. It's been ages since a couple got my attention like this, and made this obsessed, daydreaming like crazy.

Liao Tingyan and Jiao Jiao had me dancing and giggling in my room almost every scenes. It was unpretentious but still so heartwarming and fun. Their chemistry was so insane that I got blushing at the bts and promo videos as if I were a teenager.

I cannot keep myself from wondering what it would've been like if we had the full 40 episodes and no censorship.

Hope we get to see more of Feiyu and Yinglu, whether it's an extra or another drama.

What an adventure ❤️

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