Till the End of the Moon (2023)

I never liked a drama like this except for view

I was only curious about thos drama cause it was so popular back then. And i watched it on-going. Believe me i rewatch this for like, five - six times already. Bcs of thia drama, i become a fan of Luo Yunxi. Big applause for him and his acting. The effects and cinematography are top notch. I love the world building & the relationship between characters. One thing that let me down was, i hope ye xiwu / li susu would trust Tantai Jin more so the unnecessary misunderstanding wouldn't be there. I rarely watch cdrama. Rarely finish one till the end episode without skipping. This is one of the cdrama that i finished watching without any skip, along with Reset, Go Ahead, and Hidden Love.

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I am officially a Moonie! :)

I did not think anything could ever top LBFAD. And while I don't want to compare the two (I truly loved LBFAD as well), THIS show just... hands down, best xianxia. I was NOT prepared for how awed I would be, let me tell you. lmao

I’m honestly still overwhelmed after finishing Till the End of the Moon. Per popular advice, I've started Love is Sweet to temper my trauma, lol. But I don't regret putting myself through this emotional rollercoaster.

This show didn’t just tug my heartstrings—it struck my heart with nine Bone Devouring Spikes, wtf. 🤣It was devastating, enchanting, and somehow still hopeful all at once.

The chemistry and emotions between Li Susu and Tantai Jin were unlike anything I’ve seen. Their bond—through betrayals, misunderstandings, even destruction—was toxic at times but still breathtakingly beautiful. No matter how broken the world around them became, they kept showing up for each other.

Even when Li Susu tried to stay focused on her mission, her love for Tantai Jin—gradual, reluctant, inevitable—kept slipping through. And Tantai Jin... his devotion (obsession?) for her was so raw it hurt. He searched for her for 500 years through torment and torture. That alone would have secured my loyalty as a viewer.

The storytelling amazed me. I know some people said it was all over the place, but honestly? If you were paying attention, it all connected. The writers used at least three framing devices, each deepening the tragedy and beauty of the world they built.
Even the brutal ending (ugh, I didn’t love TTJ being stuck in the scale though 😭) made sense thematically.

It wasn’t just "love vs. destruction." It was selfish love vs. selfless love, possession vs sacrifice. That tension made every choice hit harder.

The themes of fate vs free will, of sacrifice and forgiveness, resonated so deeply with me. Especially the idea that, even after being hurt by the world, you can still choose love. Mingye's wish for Tantai Jin to get a real chance after what happened to Sangjiu just wrecked me.

Visually, the show was stunning—cinematography, costumes, the atmosphere—it was all so immersive. I don’t have a single complaint there. The Devil God's violent, blood-chilling entrance? Tantai Jin's mortal, weak appearance kneeling in the snow centuries in the past? MINGYE??? Ok, ok, it wasn't just Luo Yunxi that was stunning. I'm officially a Bailu fan. This was my first show of hers. Now I know what all the fuss is about. :P

The Jing water festival dance foreshadowing TTJ and YXW's fates was one of the most beautiful Cdrama scenes I've seen. Not visually per se, but the composition of it. The music, the expressions, the dance and emotions between the leads. Omg. And Tantai Jin telling Ye Xiwu, ❝I don't care whether people like me or not. It's enough as long as you like me.❞ I'll be haunted forever by that festival. 😂

DON'T GET ME STARTED ON ALL THE WONDERFUL SIDE CHARACTERS (I wish we could have seen Pianran again)... even YBC... TERRIBLE person, but written so well I think I hated her more than I've hated any character in any show ever lol

This isn't just a drama I'll recommend. It's a drama I know I'll carry with me. It’s already sitting at the top of my all-time favorites. I’m even thinking about rewatching it next year to relive the emotions for its anniversary.

(Special shout-out to the TTEOTM community on MDL, too—you made the emotional ride even better!)

Till the End of the Moon is unforgettable. It broke my heart beautifully, and somehow, I’m grateful for that.

🌙

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My View of the Moon

Story: Story plot is quite all over the place. I really had a hard time correlating one character to another. Lots of drag moments that I had to use my forward button all the time. I was quite looking forward on the romance. I've been a fan of the leads chemistry from Love is Sweet. Unfortunately, I didn't felt the same chemistry that they had back then. The kissing scenes were just okay. Not at their best I should say. I guess, there were some elements missing in the story that I'm looking for that I felt lacking. One is the character development from some of the cast. Like, their characters just died having no remorse or regret. Second, some infusion of humor. This drama could've been better if they have just infused some humor on some scenes. Third, the romance department is definitely lacking. Very minimal epsiodes of having the leads having their sweet moments together. Neither the secondary couple has limited romantic moments as well. Lastly. too many fillers used. Like this could have been better off with 24 eps. The flashbacks have to be played several times for you to be able to follow the messed storyline.

Acting/ Cast: Surely, another superb acting by Leo Yunxi. But, I must say this was his least character that I may like. He's way better in Love is Sweet and Princess Silver. As for Bai Lu, I just find her acting just the same in every character she portrays. I was able to watch her already in quite a few of her dramas. I think her forte is really romcoms. For the rest of the cast, awesome acting. Chen Du Ling nailed her bitchy character. And yes, a Xianxia won't be complete without bloodspitting which I think was overly used in this drama.

Music: I didn't caught up much with the sound track as I skip credits both beginning and end. But, one thing's for sure, the opening track is too ordinary that It didn't stick to my mind. When I usually watch a drama that has good music in it, it's either I get to hum or sing along with it.

Rewactch Value: Definitely a no for me. Unless, you're a big fan of the leads, you're free to do so. The story is just not enticing for me to make it watch again.

Overall: I love watching Xianxia dramas with good storyline and romance. But, this ain't it for me. When I first saw this drama, It immediately reminded me of Love Between Fairy and Devil. Almost same concept but the storyline of LBFAD is way better than this one. I can only give this a 7.5. Generous enough for the good acting of the cast, but the storyline for me is just a total mess.

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Against all odds

To me, this was a powerful story of free will and choice even when the odds are all stacked against you.
As I see it, Tan Tai Jin is not evil, and surprisingly sane sane if you look at his circumstances.
When we first see him he is getting tortured - which, as we soon find out, is his normal way of living. And he looks at this with a stoic resilience.
He is said to be evil from birth, but though we hear this repeated over and over, it is not what we see.
In a way, his story is similar to that of Wei Wuxian in the Untamed, where he remains evil in the eyes of the "people" regardless s of what he does.
But in this unforgiving and bleak life of his, Tan Tai Jin gets help in tbe most unexpected way, when Lin Susu is sent back in time to kill him. While in theory, this is just her mission, she can't help but start treating him in a decent, humane way, which TTJ first cannot really think with, as it never happened to him before. But as time goes by, Susu becomes the one ray of light in his life that he holds onto and that ends up changing both of their lives like no one would have expected.
I think this is a great story very beautifully filmed, with lovable characters. Ultimately, despite all the pain and trials this is a story of the power of love.

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Dramatic and Tragic Love Story

TTEOTM is like Chips. You know it's gonna destroy you sooner or later but you keep reaching out for more.

Personally, I thought the plot was fantastic and engaging. Across 40 episodes, viewers were offered various dynamics such as the normalcy in Sheng, the power strife in Jing, the war among Gods & Devils in the Enlightened Dream & the life in XY/HY Sect. Countary to some reviews, I fully resonated with most of the decisions made by LSS & TTJ and found it relatable - the conflict in killing a potential threat even though he has not done anything wrong yet & the difficulty in fully trusting the goodness in someone without fear of being betrayed (when your whole life has been a shit show).

Although I thought the pacing was general alright, it is undeniable that the XY/HY sect arc & ending was rushed. The slow phase in the intial arcs really allowed viewers to build strong attachment for TTJ/YXW culminating in the eventually betrayal/sacrifice of YXW. In contrast, I felt the writers did not provide a long enough runway for viewers to build the same adoration for CJM & LSS - which caused the final sacrifice by CJM to not reach the emotional heights of the sacrifice of YXW. Personally, I didn't mind the sad ending but I felt it would have been even more touching if LSS only found out about CJM's sacrifice (that he didn't kill anyone) after she killed him. I wished I could have seen LSS more touched/desparate - much like how TTJ went crazy after YXW died.

TTEOTM was also guilty of overplaying some of the basic CDrama troupes such as miscommunication. Oh my god were some of the characters frustrating - such as Mingye FULLY knowing Sangjiu has no friends in the Immortal realm (since she stayed home all the time) and hence no one to help with her dispelling demonic essence, yet STILL decides to trust an obviously obsessive Tian Huan??? Honestly, I wished LSS & CJM could have worked together in the end rather than always trying to "protect" each other by not letting them know anything zzz. And my god were there an insane amount of blood spitting. I thought some of the reviews were over-reacting but I could hardly get past 1 eps without MULTIPLE characters vomitting blood esp in the last 15 eps.

Casting was definitely the strongest point for TTEOTM. Both Bai Lu & Luo Yun Xi are fantastic in their roles and the chemistry between both is mouthwatering - the loving gazes between them both just gives me shivers all the time. Side characters such as Pian Ran, YQY, XL & YBC were also fleshed out just enough - though their individual endings were a complete mess for me. I personally love the Sisterhood between Pian Ran & YXW and wished they wouldn't have killed off such a strong character so early. XL & YBC's love story could have also been developed better - I felt writers could play much more into XL's conflict between saving Sheng & protecing YBC - XL felt way too one-dimensional, and honestly he didn't do much for XBC anyways...

None of the OSTs were exceptionally memorable besides the one by Huang Xiaoyun.

Overall, I would recommend TTEOTM as a Watch. Despite the tragic love stories, I felt the chemistry and relationship building is worth the pain. Pro tip: If you can't bear the sad ending, just stop at Ep 35!

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Amazing cast with a lackluster story

Overall this drama is pretty good. It's bingable and it might make you shed a few tears. However, it also has some problems that brings it down. The problems aren't that big of a deal, but it still affects the enjoyability of the drama if you don't ignore it. The good does overshadow the bad, but the bad is still quite prominent.

I split the drama into 4 parts. I will be referencing these 4 parts throughout my review.
Sheng kingdom ( the beginning), Jing Kingdom rise to power/Bo're dream (middle pt1), Fall of Sheng Kingdom (middle pt2), Immortal realm (end).

The Good:
1. Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu have amazing chemistry. Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu's interactions are the best part. I loved the way they portrayed their characters. Their expressions convey their emotions very well. Luo Yunxi is absolutely captivating as Tan Taijin. Bai Lu gives Ye Xiwu/Li Susu such a strong aurora.

2. Cast is really good. Luo Yunxi & Bai Lu (the whole cast really) have great chemistry. If it wasn't for them, I might have dropped this drama halfway through.

3. The costumes are stunning. Not a single costume was bad (as a whole). Some props looked iffy (the demon king's mask) but it's easy to ignore. Everything looked immaculate and represented the characters well.

4. The OST has some good songs. The OST had a lot of songs but only 3 stood out to me, but those 3 songs are really good. It fits the mood in the drama.

The Bad:
1. The story has a lot of plot holes and other miniscule problems. Every once in a while you'll see a scene and wonder "Why and how is this happening?" There are multiple spots where something just magically happens because the plot needs it. Most of these are towards the end. I know they had to cut 16 or so episodes so maybe that's why.
The pacing is also not amazing. Sheng Kingdom (beginning) was exciting, but then things slow down dramatically when we get to the Bo’re dream. The Bo’re dream was really lengthy and it felt unnecessary to dedicate so many episodes to it.

2. The conflict is repetitive. The conflict of middle pt 1 and middle pt 2 (around 25-30 episodes in total) is mainly miscommunication from Tan Taijin and Ye Xiwu. They fall out multiple times and then forgive each other because the past is the past (and because Tan Taijin is a sucker for Ye Xiwu). It gets old real fast when I can predict that Ye Xiwu's actions will make her and Tan Taijin fall out. Sometimes the miscommunication is so frustrating because it would have been fixed if one of them just clarified/trusted each other more. Miscommunication, or rather the lack of communication, still happens towards the end (although it was not as frustrating).

3. Character's thought processes are questionable sometimes. In a lot of instances, I question why Tan Taijin isn't more paranoid about Ye Xiwu. Other characters bring this up too but it's just dismissed as Tan Taijin liking Ye Xiwu . I know he lacks love and what not but come on? She tried to kill you (and almost succeeded) and then said some of the most hurtful things to you, when all you’ve done was to try and make her happy. Why do you chase after her despite all this? When they’re in the immortal realm, Li Susu didn't seem to want to associate with Tan Taijin very much anymore, but then after a single episode of minimal development between the two she suddenly loves him. The end felt like I missed 2 episodes of development.

4. CGI is very hit or miss. Sometimes it looks really good (by cdrama standard) but a lot of times it looks terrible. The cgi in the first 1 episode made me laugh. It looked like something out of a 2000s kids show. It does get better but sometimes the effects just look like jpeg images.

5. Voice dub doesn’t always match up with the mouth. I watched TTEOTM on youtube so the quality isn’t exactly top notch. Maybe it’s only a youtube problem but sometimes (rarely) the sound of the actors’ are completely out of sync with the movement of their mouth.

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Addicting but has too many timelines

I honestly didn't expect this drama to get me as addicted to it as it did but the first couple episodes were very good and got me extremely invested in the drama. I really like the cast and the acting, especially Luo Yun Xi whom I've watched in A Life Time Love before and whose character was actually my favourite there. He sure did not disappoint me here either and I do really enjoy watching him whenever he's on the screen. I also liked Bai Lu's role here quite a lot, especially since her character doesn't seem as incapable as a lot of female Lead roles in c dramas often seem to be. Also, since I've started another drama where the following aspect is bugging me enough that I'm contemplating on dropping it, I realized that I'm very thankful to the fact that they didn't give her a high and cutesy voice but a normal one. Another personal favourite of mine is Sun Zhen Ni as Pian Ran. I've never seen her in a drama before, and I liked her role and performance here a lot.

Now on to things I did not quite enjoy: The timelines. There are four of them which is quite confusing at times. I personally needed to give these timelines names so I could make more or less sense of it:
1 The Original (Li Susu)
2 The Past (Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu)
3 Way Back/Bo're Life (Ming Ye and Sang Jiu)
4 The Changed Original (Li Susu and Cang Jiumin)

Personally, while I've really enjoyed watching The Original and The Past I didn't really like Way Back and skipped most of it, though ended up watching the first two or so episodes and the last one or two episodes (pretty sure it was episodes 16 and 17) while fast forwarding a lot to be able to get the gist of the plot there. The Changed Original I did enjoy a lot at first, but there are some characters and side plot lines that I didn't really like. Thankfully towards the end the reason why these characters and plotlines got screen time became clear though. All in all I did enjoy the drama a lot and I might rewatch it some time.

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A Visual Masterpiece Undone by Weak Storytelling and Performances

Till the End of the Moon is visually stunning, with impressive CGI and a beautiful original soundtrack that sets the tone perfectly for its fantasy setting. The special effects are among the best seen in recent historical xianxia dramas, and the music lingers in your mind long after the episode ends.

However, while the technical aspects shine, the characters and story fall short in several areas. The male lead, though charismatic, appears overly thin and is often buried under heavy, exaggerated makeup that distracts rather than enhances his performance. The female lead, despite having moments of emotional intensity, doesn’t quite deliver the depth her role requires, making it hard to fully connect with her journey.

The biggest issue lies in the script itself. While the premise is ambitious and full of potential, the narrative struggles with coherence and a troubling portrayal of values and relationships. The drama attempts to explore fate, sacrifice, and love, but its take on morality and personal growth can feel confusing or even problematic at times.

Overall, Till the End of the Moon is a visual feast, but its storytelling and character development leave much to be desired. Worth watching for the aesthetics—just don’t expect too much in terms of emotional or philosophical depth.

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Draggy and a bit corny but...

The series started off at a good pace, where I found myself binging the first 10 or so episodes until the romance scenes began to drag on and then all of the scenes slowly disintegrated into long drags. The remaining episodes were completed through a heavy-hand of time skipping. But there is something to be said for the effort of even making it through to the last episode rather than just dropping it completely and it'll be easier to just highlight the negatives into a list:

- While the acting was average, there was enough chemistry with the ML and FL that the trials and tribulations of their romance will tug at your heart.
- The action scenes/CG effects started off okay and slowly deteriorated (even on the sound effects). And the number of times people will bleed from their mouths in the series has got to be record-breaking.
- They increasingly incorporated way too many flashback moments that only contributed to the drag.
- The plot also increasingly deteriorated with each time skip era.
- The characters started off well and then would bounce around between being out of character and then back into character for no naturally good reason.

However, despite all of the above, there was enough suspense of wanting to know how things end. Unfortunately, the ending was lackluster. The concept of the plot is really interesting and it's a shame they didn't do a better job with the series. It started off with so much potential. If they didn't spend so much time on the drags and focused on diving into the supporting characters and their character evolution, or if they put a little more effort into the details of the events unfolding instead of just jumping into it, or if the cut down on the repetitive romance scenes, it would have produced a far more well-rounded effect.

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Bittersweet personified

I've been wanting to watch this drama since I saw the recommendation for it in any articles that I searched for C-dramas to watch and heard some things about it like it didn't really hv a typical happy ending. I don't regret watching this at all. I just... relieved that it was not heartbreaking, much. Yes I wld recommend to please do watch it once. This drama was about kindness, love, loyalty, how selfless our main leads were and the sacrifices they made for the peace of the world.

ML, Tantai Jin or known as Cang Jiumin, Mingye and the Devil God. First as Tantai Jin, he was born with cold nature (bcs he was destined to be the Devil God) so he felt nothing but there was goodness in him. His life was very very hard coz he was the hostage prince at Sheng Kingdom so ppl there treated him like a dirt until he had enough of it. I think there was very important point from that drama that it is essential to be kind to others. When Prince Lin helped TTJ from his bullies as a kid, he took notice of Prince Lin and strived to copy his manners in hope that ppl wld like him. He was always hounded by the devil god spirit when he was feeling very low and cornered then at one point that spirit made him sucked a demon power to initiate him toward being evil. So far he only used that power to seek revenge against those devious people that treated him cruelly. Then somehow he succeeded to ascend the throne against his evil elder brother. Living the life he had, he was bound to be ruthless. As a king, even though he had demonic powers at his disposal, he was clever, perceptive, hard working and benevolent towards the citizen of Jing Kingdom. Next, Tantai Jin went back to a lifetime where he was Mingye, God Of The War, a totally different kind of man, he was very serious about his role to protect the realm. He got back and changed a bit hvg his tribulation in that life. Then, the next phase was him as Cang Jiumin. His temperament at this life was amazing, he was calm and became wise after experiencing so many things. Talking about his love life, all Tantai Jin ever wanted was someone to love him just as he was, loyal, to treat him kindly and to not betray him. So here came the new Ye Xiwu(Li Susu). She was there for him time after time and that melted his heart but there was still conflicts btwn two of them. He really really loves her that he was willing to forgive her big BIG mistake(it was a misunderstanding caused by others but he was also in the wrong). I really love that period of his love life when he was god of war where he was nursed back to health by Sangjiu(Li Susu) and the life at the cottage was so peaceful. I also love how he changed for the better as Cang Jiumin, he was so serious about winning her back bcs he really loves her and wanted to be with her forever T^T

FL, Li Susu or in other lifetimes known as Ye Xiwu and Sangjiu. She had a bit of a temper but she was passionate and determined to save the world. Tbh there were moments that she annoyed me so much.

Honorable mentions to the loyal assistant Nian Baiyu, the very kind and precious Prince Xiao Lin (never gongye jiwu coz he was annoying), the very dear Qingyu with his badass lady love Pian Ran. Ofc the unserious guy Pang Yizhi. The wise and kind sect leaders, Zhaoyou and Chief Qu.

Cons: the flow of the drama at some parts were a bit confusing, the editing too. I really don't like how they always wrote for Tantai Jin to fight the worse battles and made Li Susu came into the scene very late!

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-This review is still not finished-

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