Till the End of the Moon

I loved this drama

I waited a year for this drama and I was not disappointed. Now I dare to say that it is the best xianxia drama of the year. The visuals are stunning. The visual effects, the costumes, the make-up, everything is amazing. As is the music, the entire ost is captivating. The storytelling is flawless even though they had to cut the story threads from 54 episodes to 40. Not a dull moment, and the full range of emotions is encountered, no doubt very deep and thought-provoking. There's abuse, evil, love, regret, passion, a series of misunderstandings, sacrifice, betrayal, and on and on. The performances of the actors are quite amazing. Let's start with our two protagonists. Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu gave their best, no actor or actress could have played their characters better. They portrayed 4 and 3 different characters respectively, quite brilliantly and distinctively. Luo Yunxi's gaze and the tiny movements of his mouth are so captivating, he completely conveys what he is feeling and thinking. Bai Lu is beautiful, her characters are a joy to watch, none of them are weak, wimpy characters. And when she's in pain, you can't help but cry and sympathise with her, her performance is 10/10. And their chemistry, oh my god, there are no words. Every little movement they make towards each other, the way they look at each other, expresses insecurity, passion and intimacy all at once. You can see that they like each other and they love working together, Love is sweet was a wonderful collaboration too, I hope to see them together again. The rest of the cp is great, everyone is well developed, there is chemistry. I would deduct half a point for the ending because it is so painful I sobbed for an hour, but I can't because it is a flawless creation, a masterpiece.

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”Tantai Jin, why weren’t you bound?” “Because I don’t dream.”

TTEOTM was all i could think about, it impacted me so much and the first xianxia i was really into. I love TTJ & YXW endlessly with all my heart & soul and together they are everything i can’t even condense it down in a review…it has the highest level of angst that i’ve been searching for for ages with a really enjoyable storyline & different arcs. the acting is incredible, especially Leo who is outstanding - the first cdrama actor I’ve seen with range and to really blow me away

The overall standards of TTEOTM are way higher than cdramas incl; the outfits, cgi, writing, acting, cinematography, characters that were all the best i’ve seen in a historical drama. Shit completely hits the fan and there’s no happiness at all, just pain, betrayal, death, sacrifice and endless suffering for the MC - it’s painfully perfect

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Leo Luo is better as a bad guy!

I'm giving this series 10 out of 10 because the leads are good at playing their roles especially LLLS and Bai Lu.

LLLS's facial expressions bring his character, TTJ, into life which makes this series worth watching.

The series are slow in the 1st five episodes which probably explain to the low rating but after episode 5, the momentum starts to build and I just couldn't wait for the next episode each I finished watching one.

I am watching this series as to move on from Goodbye, My Princess, another masterpiece.

I'll be honest: this new series will not traumatise the viewers like what GBMP has done to many.

Watch this series if you are looking for a good Chines tv drama before the release of another series starring Bai Lu, 'The Story of Kunning Palace'.

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MUST WATCH FOR XIANXIA FANS!

Luo Yunxi brought so much depth and elegance to his portrayal of Tantai Jin. One of the most impressive things about his performance is how much he conveyed just through his eyes. Whether it was intense anger or deep sorrow, he didn't even need words to make you feel it. His eye acting was especially powerful in scenes where his character was battling his inner demons.

But what really makes this drama stand out, in my opinion, is that Yunxi's character is a true anti-hero. He has a dark, even disturbing side, which makes him such a fascinating and complex character. Despite all his flaws, I couldn't help but root for him! Bai Lu’s character is also a breath of fresh air. She’s nothing like the passive or whiny heroines we see so often in c-dramas. She takes charge, makes things happen, and has so much agency.

I also loved the role reversals in this drama. Bai Lu’s character is the one initiating intimate moments and even saving Yunxi’s character when he ends up in distress. It was such a fun and refreshing twist!

If you're looking for a xianxia drama that shakes things up and offers something different, this is a must-watch.

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A Star-Crossed Romance Spanning Centuries that Shows Us How to Truly Love the World

If you, like many others, including myself, have been looking for recent Xianxia dramas that try to sway away from the usual Cold-Immortal-ML-and-Bubbly-Clueless-Female premise, you might want to give Till the End of the Moon a try. But, there are also some catches. Let me explain.

Till the End of the Moon is a 40-episode long Xianxia romance drama adapted from the novel Hei Yue Guang Na Wen BE Ju Ben" (黑月光拿稳BE剧本), or Black Moonlight Holds the BE Script by Teng Luo Wei Zhi (藤萝为枝). Judging from the genre and novel title alone, you should already expect an angsty storyline, unlike other Xianxias, with blood-spitting and heartbreaking moments. The plot is divided into three or four arcs, depending on how you see it: The drama starts in the Immortal/Cultivation Realm but this lasts very briefly before the female lead is transported to the Mortal Realm. Later, we have the dream arc, where the leads take on the roles of different characters and live a part of their lives. Finally, both characters are back in the cultivation realm. Personally, the Mortal Arc was the most enjoyable and gripping arc for me, with many reasons that I may elaborate on later in the review. The drama was originally divided into two separate dramas but due to government restrictions on the number of episodes per drama, the episode count was capped at 40. Therefore, the episode lengths are a bit longer, averaging at around 50-55 minutes per episode. However, it seems as if there are still some scenes that did not make it into the final drama, which was a bit disappointing and made the second half of the drama feel a bit rushed.

Female lead Li Susu is tasked with the difficult and dangerous task of killing the heartless Demon God Tantai Jin. To do this, she is sent 500 years back into the past, entering the body of Ye Xiwu, the spoiled, legitimate daughter of the noble Ye family. The mortal arc of the drama was hands down my absolute favorite part of the drama. The plot was gripping and addicting, and the acting was simply the cherry on top. Tantai Jin’s masked hatred for the world begins to show as Li Susu (aka Ye Xiwu) tries to formulate a plan on how to kill this future demon god who will kill all of her loved ones and destroy the world. The pacing of the first arc was near perfect without filler scenes and any of the cliches that you would see in many other Xianxias. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to understand that Li Susu will have to kill Tantai Jin at the end, who is seemingly harmless and loveable for most of the Mortal Arc. Their romance is star-crossed lovers to the extreme, with both falling for each other but Li Susu living with the understanding that she has to kill the one she loves, or else the entire world would be destroyed.

Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu’s relationship is slowly built up with both sweet and bitter aspects. It is clear that both of them truly care for one another but they aren’t able to completely convey their feelings. As Jin Emperor, Tantai Jin, while still harboring resentment toward those who maltreated him, is a very benevolent leader to the innocent citizens. It is simply heartwarming to see this slight change in character that is facilitated by the love and care that Ye Xiwu seems to give. However, we come to a point in the mortal arc where the relationship between the two turns to a rather toxic point, with quite a few misunderstandings. The largest fault in the drama is the lack of effective communication between the leads that could have resolved so many problems and saved so many innocent lives. But this does not overshadow the fact that the mortal arc, as well as the other arcs, had beautifully crafted scenes that not many other dramas can top.

For some, the next arc, which is set inside a dream, was a snooze fest. Essentially, the leads enter a dream where they take on the roles of a powerful immortal god and lively clam princess. I was quite invested in this arc up until the drama introduces an absolutely evil second female lead who completely destroys Ming Ye (ML) and Sang Jiu (FL)’s deserved happy ending. However, the dream arc plays a critical role in the next arc as Tantai Jin and Li Susu embody their true roles as future demon god and cultivator/immortal, respectively.

The plot transition into 500 years later is where questions start to surface and the pacing becomes a lot more rushed. Many questions were left unanswered regarding the futures of some of my favorite characters and were left unaddressed even at the very end of the drama. I enjoyed the brief, loving moments between Tantai Jin and Li Susu but the drama continues to take on the heavy star-crossed-lovers theme and stays persistent with not allowing “too” many loving scenes between the two. However, Li Susu undoubtedly changed Tantai Jin for the better, transforming him into a human with true feelings and wanting to make the world a better place. The drama gave us open endings for many side characters, which is, to say the least quite disappointing. What happened to them? Where did they go? Are they still alive? I would say that the last arc focused way too much screen time on some side characters, whereas the plot would have been a lot more intriguing and productive if more focus was put on the leads. Tantai Jin definitely deserved all the love and care.

Having watched several of Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu’s past dramas, they absolutely did not disappoint in TTEOTM in terms of acting. Both actors were able to near flawlessly show all gripping emotions, regardless of arc or scene. Demon God Tantai Jin was absolutely badass and evil while mortal Tan Taijin in the Ye Manor was a pitiful young man who thought he had lost everything. The way Luo Yunxi’s veins popped almost convinced me that he was actually experiencing excruciating pain, and the contrasting looks of endearing and being betrayed were evidently and effectively conveyed through his facial emotions. On the other hand, Bai Lu’s Li Susu was a caring daughter, loving ‘wife’ to Tantai Jin, and a responsible figure with the difficult task of ‘saving the world’. She delightfully surprised me with her acting in her scenes seeking revenge, filled with absolute hatred and persistence. As with their previous drama Love is Sweet, Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu worked amazingly with one another and their chemistry was once again extremely natural and appealing to the audience.

I absolutely adored side characters Pian Ran and Ye Qingyu. At first, they seemed like an unlikely couple but this pairing slowly grew on me. Pian Ran and Ye Xiwu had, hands down, the best sismance ever. Sun Zhenni as Pian Ran brought out an inexplicably unique but refreshing aura and her romance with Ye Qingyu, acted by Geng Yeting, was subtle yet heartwarming. On the other hand, Chen Duling absolutely ate up her role as seemingly innocent Ye Bingchang, then as the evil Tian Huan, and the demon Mo Nv. She totally embodied the absolute evilness of her characters to the point where I can’t stand to see her in the drama anymore. Bravo to her. Deng Wei also acts out his multiple personalities and characters very well.

Other minor characters were also essential to producing a well-rounded drama. While TTEOTM lacked in some areas of the plot and editing, Wang Yifei’s evil Si Ying as well as Zhang Zhixi’s Chu Huang and Tantai Jin’s immortal master, to name a few, were essential characters that the actors embodied quite well.

Production-wise, aside from the editing due to government regulations, the cinematography was impressive, and the costumes were gorgeous. The drama experimented a lot with different character styles and used brilliantly-colored costumes on many characters, which is something that we don’t see very often in the Xianxia genre. The hairstyles were intricately done and all slightly differed depending on the setting and character. The magical effects were also quite natural and pleasing to the eye, and the lighting of some scenes in particular really added to the quality of the drama.

As with many other dramas, Till the End of the Moon started off on a very strong note and slightly dwindled down as it approached the ending. However, this does not dismiss the very strong scenes scattered throughout the drama, the high production quality, amazing acting, and beautiful costumes that, combined, created a very nice drama experience overall. Although many questions were left unanswered and some parts of the drama seemed rushed of unnecessary, do consider giving TTEOTM a shot if you’re looking for another evil ML sort of Xianxia with awesome acting, impressive CGI, and beautiful costumes. The extensive and gorgeous OST is also a plus!

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Chemistry is the key

Although d main story is pretty standard: evil vs good, but i still think this story is fresh and awesome... i need to see more about d foxy lady story... and love d chemistry between d actors... all play so well... biiig applause!!

Its so enjoyable and satisfying to watch... d effect, d cameras movement... all feel soo real

I love how yunxi potray his character... and how he change from good to evil...

Bai lu also having his wonderful performance...

Tho ppl say they r disturbed by the makeup, for me its emphasize the caharcter... so well done

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a big dumpster fire

To keep it short: this drama is a dumpster fire.

To keep it long, this drama has a very interesting premise - an anti-hero who was destined to become evil by a continuous cycle of abuse, betrayal, and abandonment falls in love with a heroine trying to prevent him from becoming evil. This had a lot of potential to be a great drama until the story became completely incoherent.

STORY AND CHARACTERS
The drama had disjoined plot and characters, nothing made sense, none of the characters told the truth, plot holes everywhere, and the values were completely skewed. A good guy was portrayed as a villain. Villains were portrayed as good guys. Tantai Jin was treated very poorly throughout the entire story by mostly everyone just because of whom he was destined to become and not because of what he did. He got no apology and no vindication. None of his good deeds got recognized and his "true love" never realized what kind sacrifices he had to make to save the world. There is no hope in this drama and nothing to look forward to.

The story started out strong with Susu and Tantai Jin meeting and immediately building a bond. They had a lot of cute interactions where they went shopping, she saved him from angry birds, they watched fireworks and played in the snow. This should have been the only story arc for the duration of the show. She figures out why he was evil because he had a hard life, so she shows him compassion and kindness, they fall in love, and he doesn't become evil. THE END. Instead, the show dragged on for multiple storylines adding no value to the main plot. The entire dream arc should have been reduced to flashbacks.

The story and characters were so completely incoherent, that it felt like the writers had no idea what they were doing. Everyone insisted that Tantai Jin was evil, but he was not written as an inherently evil person. About half-way through the show it became apparent that he was arbitrarily delt the villain card without actually deserving it. He was born "special", to a life of suffering and without love threads which would have enabled him to find love. But, he eventually grew love threads and fell in love, which should have derailed his destiny of becoming the devil god. But it was never addressed anywhere in the story. Inherently evil characters eventually slip up and do evil things. TJ never harmed an animal, never killed an innocent, never started a war, never betrayed anyone. He did not have an evil bone in his body, no pun intended. So, why was he still destined to become the devil god if he already changed his predetermined fate by finding love? Nobody knows, including the writers, who likely did not even understand their own characters. A lot of money was spent on the production and not enough on the writing.

Susu had an inconsistent personality and no real character development. One moment she acted like a crazed fangirl around TJ, the next she went on a sanctimonious rant about how he could not be saved because he was "evil". She always assumed the worst about him just to be proven wrong later, but she still never learned to trust him. Susu's problem was that she was never able to separate the individual from the devil god. It was extremely frustrating to watch that brainless woman going behind TJ's back all the time, doing something stupid and then blaming him for reacting to it. Betrayal was the one thing that was triggering to him. Yet, Susu kept repeatedly doing questionable things that made him feel betrayed and abandoned. It was absolutely cringe-worthy to watch this dumpster-fire of a romance imploding on itself because it was so self-sabotaging. Susu never had any trust in TJ, although he never gave her any reason to mistrust him. She always jumped to the worst conclusions and hurt him more often than she made him happy. While TJ went out of his way to avoid becoming the devil god and tried to do only good, none of his efforts were ever appreciated. Everyone always judged him without trying to figure out what actually went on. The only time when Susu finally understood him was in the very last episode when she became a goddess and was able to look into his heart. But, in my opinion, it was already too late for her. She had numerous opportunities to have his back and and to give him a chance. Instead, she always listened to rumors, superstitions, and speculations that often did not make any sense and accused him of a crime because he was a convenient scapegoat. There was no point even killing him at the end because he never allowed the devil god to control him.

One of the most infuriating things about Susu was her holier-than-thou personality. She saw herself as a good person. She was written as a good person, but she did some very reprehensible things. When she became Ye Xiwu, she found out that Xiwu was an awful person. Xiwu made TJ kneel in the snow. Any decent person would have ended that immediately, but Susu did not. She actually allowed TJ to kneel for days in the cold spying on him and having mental rants about how he "deserved" it. She also whipped him. Any sane and good person would have thrown the whip on the floor and said "I'm not doing it", but she was either not very bright or just decided to go with it. And, she whipped him. I seriously could not believe she did it. Not to mention that later on she drugged his food and drove nails into his heart. What in the actual hell....

Everything was awful. What are we supposed to derive from this story? Bullies don't get punished. Bad things will always happen to good people for no reason. No matter how far we go to sacrifice for others, they will never appreciate or even know about it. Again, what is the point?

On a different note, the blood spitting in every episode became very noticeable and looked disgusting. There didn't need to be so much blood coming out of people's mouths, especially in scenes where it wasn't necessary.

SET/COSTUMES/MAKE-UP
The set was beautiful, 'nuff set.

Taitan Jin's outfits were often ridiculous. The writers obviously wanted him to stand out. But, they made him stand out too much. Feathery outfits, flowing capes, and an over-powdered face full of make-up was a bit much. Susu sleeping in her head jewelry also looked stupid.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Usually, happy endings make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Sad endings make me feel bittersweet. This drama made me feel empty. More often than not I wanted to reach into the screen and drag Taitan Jin out of that mess. He was better than all of them and he deserved so much more. The writers broke every rule of writing. They wrote an "evil" character without actually making him evil. They wrote star-crossed lovers with only one person making any effort. Susu's original goal was to prevent TJ from turning into the devil god, but every action she took pushed TJ closer to the edge. She never even told him that she loved him in any meaningful way. This story was like the Pandora's box - it unleashed every single calamity on the world, except hope.

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Not for the faint hearted

Overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable show. While the character development left something to be desired, the entertainment value more than made up for it.

The plot was engaging from the start, and I found myself invested in the storyline right away. The pacing was well done, with enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat throughout. The cinematography was also excellent, with beautiful shots that added to the overall atmosphere of the show.

However, I did find that the character development could have been stronger. While the main characters were likable enough, I felt as there could have been more, but that could also just be my greed. There were also a few supporting characters who felt underdeveloped, which was a shame.

One of the strongest aspects of the show would have to be the performances of the actors. The cast brought their A-game and delivered solid performances throughout the show. The chemistry between the actors was palpable, and they worked together seamlessly to bring their characters to life. The lead actors in particular gave standout performances, portraying complex emotions and motivations convincingly. It was clear that they had put a lot of thought and effort into their roles, and it paid off in the final product. The supporting actors also did a commendable job, bringing depth and nuance to their characters despite limited screen time. Overall, the actors were a major highlight of the show, and their performances added to the overall enjoyment of the viewing experience.

Despite this, I would still highly recommend "Till the End of the World" to anyone looking for a thrilling and entertaining watch. The show kept me engaged and entertained throughout, and the production values were top-notch.

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Blood and Betrayal

That's how I would summarize this drama and it wouldn't be an exaggeration. There's blood spitting involved for the main leads in almost every episode. You could actually make this a drinking game and would end up so drunk after its 40 episodes that you couldn't pronounce your name anymore. Joke aside, I hate when dramas get repetitive but exactly that happened to TTEOTM.
There's just too much betrayal and blood spitting in it to be original anymore.

Minor spoilers ahead, nothing major
Also the main leads romance did not work for me and at first I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Why did my friends say, they kept watching for the main lead but I didn't feel the same? It wasn't his looks, nor his character. I liked him, but the romance nah, I even rooted for the main lead to end up with who knows who, just someone else than the FL.
And then I finally realized why this entire romance between main leads didn't work for me. I wasn't even convinced that what they felt for each other was true love. FL was sent back 500 years with the mission to kill him, then realize he's bullied and (probably) not the devil but rather the outcome of how people around him treated him. So what she's feeling is pity, yet hatred because he did massacre her entire family/clan. He's said to not be capable of feeling love so why should I believe he's developing romantic feelings for her? It might be more like having Stockholm Syndrome. Growing feelings for someone who treats you good, gives you food, clothes, cares for you when you're sick, even though they abused you in the past. Since no one else around him treated him like this, how should he know the difference between love and this warm feeling you get, when someone cares for you. That alone does not count as love to me. Even less since she kept backstabbing him, lying to him etc. They've been lying to each other the entire drama and when they didn't lie they didn't communicate at all and caused misunderstandings. It was really annoying and I won't even mention the end!
For me the drama was not worth it, despite a good cast, OST, CGI and costumes. I don't care about those when the story is so pathetic. I had high expectations and really wanted to love this drama, but the story and questionable romance totally disappointed and even upset me. I cannot recommend to watch.

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A must-watch!

I was excited when I heard the news that Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu have a reunion drama. They are my favorite Chinese CP. I was quite hesitant at first since Xianxia is really not my cup of tea. I tried watching some in the past and I can't even get past at episode 3. Lol. For me, Xianxia (or even Wuxia) is a difficult genre to understand since it's historical/fantasy and the plot is kind of overwhelming. But I still gave this a try since it's a YunLu drama.

As a first-timer, I find it quite easy to understand which is good. There were only times that I got really stressed with the plot. Their love-hate relationship is kind of frustrating at some point just because of a misunderstanding which resulted from a miscommunication (which happens almost all the time). But I must say that LY and BL's chemistry is really at par. I hope they get another drama in the future because I've been rewatching Love is Sweet for the nth time. And now I'm adding this drama to my rewatch list.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama. The casting and costumes are great, even the OSTs (I was surprised at how great all the OSTs this drama has). Give lots of love to Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu! 💕

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