Awesome story of the Legend of shen li
One of my favorite actress Zhao Liying. The Chinese Ancient fantasy drama is amazing. I love the ost. The costumes and casts are great. Awesome fighting scene I love how they perform the effects of every episodes. I love the chemistry of the main lead. They act very well. Every episodes was very nice. I love the scenery in the mortal worlds. Shen li was so cute when become a colorful little Phoenix. I love how her master treat her when she was weak. I laugh a lot in some scene when they were together. It so nice when Shen li protect by Xing Yun in human world. I love their tandem when protecting the world. One of my favorite scene for both leads was when they perform a music through leaves I love how Shen li can't perform music using leaf but later she can perform it. I love the ending because it was happy ending.Was this review helpful to you?
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Cast Carries yet again!!! Beautiful Zhao Li ying and Lin Gen Xing - UPDATE
(REVIEW UPDATED)From Princess Agents to Legend of Shen Li, ZLY and LGX did it again!
Although the storyline took a bit to pick up, hands down CAST creates everything. The atmosphere, the heartwarming and dissonance scenes, everything, love and chaos, altogether meshed in one big pot of STORY. Absolutely in love with how the cast just carries through and through! You just can't help but follow through each character's (even side characters) story and their development, even if you hate them, the scenes worth grabbing attention.
(Will add more once finished!)
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UPDATE:
Finally done!!! OMG very very heartwarming ending, loved it. Yes I love that one of my fav characters got their own little 'special' at the end.
One thing I love about this storyline, although it had a very slow start and action only picked up around ep 19, everything flowed accordingly and nothing went amiss, no background storyline or even side characters were left out. The story was extremely coherent which is just so so great. A very satisfied ending and revival.
Each character showed their own display of strengths and weaknesses and IMPROVEMENT. There wasn't a single character left behind just because they were unimportant or side characters, even the back stories had me gripped like velcro. I'm especially invested in the backstory of Shen Li's parents.
Hands down to the cast, casting all amazing people and (Shen Li's parents actually fits ZLY, like I see the resemblance hahaha)
All in all, amazingness from ep 19 onwards, with a cherry on top. <3 ONTO THE NOVEL NOW
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How to live a simple and fun life! Love this drama message!
The content itself may not be that of an interest to many Xian Xia followers as it is quite a common storyline. But I appreciate the efforts of seeing things in a lighter easier perspective. Shen Li and Xing Zhi carry so much burden, realms to be protected, but somehow they are not absorbed and stressed by these heavy duties. They live their life quite meaningfully and in a fun way. Xiang Zhi's simple way of living is what impresses me most. One can be the highest in the world but it is hard to use his/ her power at a necessary time only like Xing Zhi is hard to do. He is quite of a character: powerful, simple, humorous and responsible. I like his character development. For Shen Li, she carries her duties quite seriously and she is nurtured by her master well even though she holds demon blood in her body. Until she meets Xing Zhi, Shen Li's life on her own is not worth to be told. Xing Zhi changes her perspectives about many things whilst both characters consciously and seriously take their responsibilities well regardless of their emotions. Shen Li's love towards Xing Zhi is shown subtly in her harsh and masculine manner. Xing Zhi's love towards Shen Li is quite simple and childlike. This is what I like most about this drama: simple, honest, and uplifting love like two kids in their first love.As a downside, I find Lin Gengxin a bit short of his portrayal on Xing Zhi but being not overdramatic may be the whole point of his character development. Hence, I have no complaint about this. For Liying, her eyes still lack a bit of caring and loving manner but again it may be deliberate to portray Shen Li, a macho in a feminine form. So yes as some critics say, this drama needs some hypes and more emotions but I enjoy watching this drama as it is:a lighter, funnier version. We don't need overdramatic videos but those who teaches how life can be framed in a different perspective to live a happy, healthy life.
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This deserves to be in the top 10 ratings
I normally don't give any reviews but I think this drama deserves to be in the 10 ratings. Story line was great. Strong female lead. Pace and character development were steady. Felt like I went on a journey with them.I was in love, felt pain of a losing a loved one, reunited with a loved one, felt a longing of a love, loneliness, desperation, cried of joy and separation, and fell in love all over again. I absolutely enjoyed everything about this drama. It is going to be a very long time until I get to watch something like this again. Every character was wonderful. Great cast.
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Finishes what Princess Agents (2017) started
I watched this drama purely for the sake of the FL and ML who most of us know from Princess Agents (PA). I was disappointed by what I saw as an unresolved ending to PA and so was very excited when the Legend of Shen Li popped up on my radar. On that point, I feel like the drama's creators had an easy job on their hands. For me at least, it seemed they could rely on the romantic chemistry pre-existing between the two lead characters (even if it was non-canon) and therefore develop a love story quickly and... weirdly?? The Chicken x Human romance gave me Bee Movie (2007) energy... Take that how you will!In the end, I was incredibly satisfied with the romantic plotline. The rest of it, however, was pretty underwhelming. The side characters are poorly developed and the fantasy conflict elements are hodgepodge. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it as an easy watch.
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Finally some consolation after seven years.. if you know what I mean you will know what I mean
LIKEThe chemistry of course as Lin Geng Xin and Zhao Li Ying are suited for each other - can they get married in real life?
How Feng Lai talked to Xing Zhi and then changed his tone when he spoke to Shen Li
When Xing Zhi went against everyone and searched for Shen Li - wow that moment omg
Shen Li's fighting scenes really good when she fought with "CM"
What Xing Zhi did to save Shen Li in Human realm
There was this scene where a demon was afraid of ghosts and what Shen Li said - I really loled
DISLIKE
An extra episode which I think was not needed
This annoying Mo Fang's character which I don't even know why he was created in the first place
MUSIC - personal fav
如初 Ru Chu - 张碧晨 Zhang Bichen
世世 Shi Shi - 刘宇宁 Liu Yuning
不知返 Bu Zhi Fan - 王赫野 Wang Heye
炽心 Chi Xin - 希林娜依高 Xi Lin Na Yi Gao
碧苍 Bi Cang - 李佳薇 Li Jia Wei
REWATCH VALUE
Seven for now
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This review may contain spoilers
Was waiting for too long!!! You won't be utterly flabbergasted but also won't be disappointed a bit.
My short intro: I have been following kisskh for quite a while but this drama finally made me write a review. I am a big fan of fantasy/wuxia/xianxia/thriller/historical/romantic/political, etc. genres, so, believe me. Honestly, this drama made me open this site every day just to look at the rating, whether it is doing well or not. So, let's go.Let's START!!!
MUSIC: 10/10, made me repeat a lot of scenes just to hear the tracks. Not a big fan of the opening OST but it does entice the anticipation towards every episode. The drama has one of the best music BGM ost tracks ever. My favs among bgms are: See Vastness, The Wish of the Sad Soul, Reciprocity, Clear Dreams of the Mortal World and among the lyrical tracks are: Blazing Heart > Not Knowing to Turn Back > Hazy Sky.
CAST: Lovely, with the leads being the reason I will rewatch it someday.
ACTING: Wonderful, especially that of ZLY and LGX making me all flustered. The character of FengLai was acted excellently.
ROMANTIC SCENES: Few but surely, quality>quantity. One of them would surely take your breath away- it was one of the best in Cdramas I should say.
STORY: This is where it gets complicated. The plot sure has its uniqueness but follows the same route. A strong male and female lead, the realms, forced marriage, mortal life, betrayal, sacrifice, a corrupt/immoral/insane/evil villian, a naughty/helpful female villian, a happy ending and haha, your usual phoenix being one of the leads. But still, it was lovely. Episodes didn't feel as fillers whichever they were. It was overall, fast-paced. The portion of the story where the passage of time for Xingyun and him just living through was shown, was quite appreciable because it just made me think a lot.
WHAT I LIKED AND FELT NEW: I will always love the lead pairing no matter what their ages are. A lotta people tried to make a fuss about Kenny Lin's age but he is quite handsome and ZLY is such a youthful beauty with those sparkling eyes. Being a great fan of slow-burn, I quite liked the early romance. Loved Xingyun, the parental history of ShenLi and the concept of Chimei. The incidents of the Mortal Realm were quite interesting esp that of Qing Ye/Xiao He/Ye Shi. One of the best things was that although there were objections, there was unity in the realms and not the usual betrayal of your own kind. What I really loved was that ShenLi and XingZhi were very understanding and supportive of each other despite their appreciable strong conviction and values, so, there was no need of making unnecesary sacrifices. XingZhi expressed a righful amount of stubborness and playfulness which I loved and appreciated and although ShenLi was a female warrior, she was quite emotionally intelligent (not the usual clueless emotionally suppressed lead). Yes, the story didn't get boring after the romance. The highlight/uniqueness of the drama was the acceptance of one's natural tendencies despite the sense of responsibility, justice and values. It was good to see XingZhi complaining to Natural Law and getting his answer later. I was really happy that it didn't end up as a tragedy although I appreciate tragedies haha.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Haha, it is the best part. The not-so-unique story is the reason, it may not end up in my top 10 dramas list if I ever made one. Unfortunately, it can't par with Lost You Forever, Story of MingLan, Ashes of Love, The Story of Minglan, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom, Love and Redemption, Empresses in the Palace, The Untamed, EverNight, Joy of Life, Mysterious Lotus Casebook, One and Only, The Blood of Youth etc., in terms of one-of-a-kind so, the reason it can be watched is you wouldn't get disappointed (because it is better than the majority) and that for rewatch is because of the leads. I didn't appreciate the fast pace. I wanted to see the leads more and the new info got introduced kinda suddenly that you may not even notice the fillers. The character development of Mofang was not good at all. What happened to the Third Prince, I don't know. Was the story of Qing Ye a love triangle, or the addition of XiaoHe in the story was just a punishment of Natural Law or whom did he actually like? I don't know.
BUT Did I enjoy: Yes, it did get me hooked up. Was it worth it? Yes. It can surely be in my top 30 dramas ever. It can be in the list of these dramas for its rating: Love between Fairy and Devil (for me), Story of Kunning Palace, The Long Ballad, Who Rules the World, Word of Honor, The Starry Love, A Dream of Splendor, Bloody Romance, The Rebel Princess, etc.
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The best couple in Chinese historical drama series together again
The best couple in Chinese historical drama series.. They acted in 3 series together and their performance continued to increase... The first series I watched was Princess Agent. Seeing them together again in this series after a long time made me both very happy and excited.. the series When I first read the news about it, I was hoping that I would encounter a better series than Prinsess Agent. If we take their acting and harmony out of the series, although it is only visually rich, I would definitely not watch the series if another couple played it. Even though I do not like fantasy TV series, the fact that my favorite couple is in the lead role of the series makes it great. It is one of the factors that make people watch it.. After about 7 years, there should be a TV series on Prinsess Agent with the subject of the series they starred in together... As someone who loves watching this couple, I hope that we can have the pleasure of watching a new historical series together without waiting so long.. whatever. Even though I don't like the subject as much and find it simple, there are many people behind the camera. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the production and broadcast.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the Best Xianxia in 2024
At first I was hesitant to watch the drama since it has 39 episodes and I don't have the patience to watch the drama and was planning to watch it if I had the patience to watch and I just wanted to watch the intro. But when I heard it, the music struck into my mind and I love listening to it. So after weeks I just watch it and finished it today. It was absolute perfect, the fl didn't give a cringe and childlike behavior that I usually saw to some xianxia dramas that I rarely find. The ml also not the cold hearted jerk that we usually saw to ml characters, their personalities gives refreshing vibes which I rarely saw to other xianxia dramas. The fl is strong as well as the ml. The drama gives fantasy, romance and comedy. The comedy really brought me up to this drama as well their love. How I felt bad to both lovers especially xingzhi as he holds a big responsibility. The cgi and music is top tier. Their background music just gives. Highly Recommend Xianxia drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Ah mannnnnn!
Oooo boy!If you have watched Princess Agents then KNOW that this show is nothing like that. It feels like They knew the fans of these leads could not take another sad ass drama with an ending that would make you end up in an asylum.
THIS is the FIRST Chinese Xianxia drama to make me more invested in the immortal/demon realm plot than what had happened on the mortal plane. Usually I'm gagging for that mortal trial trope 10 episodes in but not THIS time. I thought the meet cute was pretty well done and I loved the chemistry between Shen Li and Xing Zhi. I really enjoy it when the FL is the straight man in a relationship. Although Xing Zhi is a wise and elderly deity, he's also the youngest one of his kind. He's capable of being powerful and playful all at once. Shen Li's direct personality and serious nature mingle so well with Xing Zhi's. Her nature doesn't relax until she is with him freely.
It's a star crossed lovers story that works well, the romance is top tier and its progression is very natural and enjoyable. I can totally buy why they can't be together and yet it's so satisfying to see them attempt to do it anyway.
This show has some great side characters who all have their own mini arcs where they grow as people and end the show as better individuals, they also add a lot to the humor because the show is HILARIOUS. The music was so good that I added some tracks to my ost playlist!
The bad thing about this drama are the villains…
Nothing any of them did was particularly compelling to me. Theres a betrayal that was supposed to be surprising… but it wasn't… Nothing relating to villians goals or actions seemed logical and I found myself skipping through their scenes late into the drama. I also didn't enjoy the flash back/ back story… I was curious but that too was kinda meh.
I adored the ending though, it's such a relief to watch my leads be happy AFTER all the melodrama is over. This show is rewatchable… but only for the romance.
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Classic xianxia with some great humor and pathos
Legend of Shenli has been described as a classic xianxia, full of tropes. I guess I haven’t watched enough xianxias (<10) because I didn’t really notice.First of all, I thought the humor for this show was pretty great (at least, right up my alley). Xingzhi, and Shenli’s interactions with him, are lowkey hilarious. There is a lot of random funny stuff. And that chicken is so cute!
Of course, there are also some really sad parts. And this show has an underlying pathos and nostalgic sadness that hits in a gnawing, existential way. But for the most part, I still think of it as a light-hearted show with great humor.
The two main characters dominate this show. For Shenli, the eponymous FL, I liked some things about her and not others, which I guess makes her realistic! I like that her head is screwed on straight and she’s sensible- no chasing after the ML after getting rejected, for example. I like less that she’s so hotheaded. She’s quick to fight and kill; she saves people, but doesn’t seem to have much kindness or compassion. So I wouldn’t say she’s always likeable, but I did really feel for her at times.
As for the ML, Xingzhi… ok, I loved him. It’s not that he doesn’t care about the world… he does. But he is also so full of crap. He is so bored and so cheeky and I found him hilarious. He’s kind of a troll sometimes, but it’s always harmless; he still takes care of things when push comes to shove.
Actually, underneath it all, Xingzhi’s situation is quite sad. But he holds his head high and has accepted it all long ago. It makes for a lovable and sympathetic character you want to root for, and I’m glad he met Shenli.
The show spends some time building up their relationship, which is cute to watch, although the plot pattern of Shenli getting hurt and Xingzhi saving her does repeat one too many times. They end up having a sweet and supportive relationship- mainly him supporting her. Classic, but it’s done well here, with proper character development and buildup.
There are several side characters, some of whom are quite loveable. However, none of them got enough development for me to really be invested in them. I wanted to see more of them, but it didn’t happen. Even the villain is a bit lame- although they do throw a (slightly predictable) wrench in there to make you feel more sad. The main conflict doesn’t win points for originality or interest. In this show, I was most invested in the relationship between the main leads.
In terms of acting, Zhao Liying as Shenli does the action scenes remarkably well. Her fight scenes are fast, crisp, and clean. They are a mix of CGI and choreography (I saw in the BTS that even her spear is CGI!), but still, some of the best I’ve seen. I saw her before in Legend of Fei and wasn’t too impressed (stopped watching, actually), but here she really stood out, even among all the other shows I’ve watched.
I was less enamored with her acting. I thought she was a bit stiff and wooden, which is great for the fight scenes but less great for everything else. After I read the book, I realized that sometimes she really is supposed to look blank. Still, I think she could rely less on looking cool and try to be more natural.
For Lin Gengxin as Xingzhi, I really liked his calm, casual delivery of all those hilarious lines. And once in awhile, a hint of a deeper sadness- I thought he did a good job. Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of his styling… he looks better as himself than as Xingzhi. Many of the side characters looked great (both male and female) so I don’t think it’s general about the show, they just could have done a better job with him.
In terms of world-building, this is an imaginative xianxia world that, as typical, you can’t think too hard about lest you start uncovering holes. There is some beautiful CGI and imagery, highlighted by high-contrast vivid colors. The mortal world from the first arc in particular is so lovely, both Shenli and I look back nostalgically on her time spent there.
I do wish this world had more gender balance. Shenli is a woman in a man’s role, a total anomaly (which nobody seems to find odd); I would have liked better a world where women are just empowered, but I guess this is the author’s choice. There are a few other strong female characters (demon lord, the awesome snake serpent) but in general, despite the strong female lead, this is not quite a show for championing feminism.
Somebody’s critical analysis on reddit thought this show has a focus on gender and sexuality. I think this is because there are some bisexual characters in the book, but they were toned down for the show (censorship, I guess) so it’s harder to see. Actually in the book, Furong (the divine lord fiancée) kisses Mofang and has a thing for him, so in that context some things make more sense. In general this show sticks remarkably close to the book, and I think does an excellent job at adapting it to screen; of the changes I saw, the vast majority were improvements.
Finally, I liked the music… songs were great, really help to build the nostalgia for this beautiful world, and I really liked their fight BGMs too.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
There is a lot of sad stuff at the end- I saw a BTS where they said it was an entire day of crying- but it all turns around for an ultimate happy ending (minus some sacrifices).
In fact, this show has one of THE best endings, because they devote an *entire episode* to an epilogue from the book! Epilogue = watching them happily living their life after the main conflict is over. I don’t know why more Cdramas don’t do this; look how happy all the fans are. It is so great to get this kind of closure for the characters you get so attached to.
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Familiar formula but still enjoyable
Once you’ve watched many dramas like this, it is hard to be surprised by the storyline as most of them follow the same pattern (unexpected meeting, grow to fall in love, have to part, death which leads the other one to forget their principles, back to life, overcome evil) but this drama added it’s own spin on this pattern with an interesting though hard-to- believe* opening where the FL injures herself while fleeing an arranged marriage.Thankfully, this drama is on the new trend to give us happy endings which are not short and even used the last episode to play out a little side story which was enjoyable and let me have my feel good vibes for a whole episode as I loved seeing them live their happy life for a full episode!
The ML carried himself well as the last ancient god but I was struggling to see him he as a sickly mortal. Interesting to see how the drama chose to have a role reversal where the ML is the one who pines after the FL. It was fun to watch the FL being more matter-of-fact and let’s move on after having sex but it was a bit of out character for the ML to suddenly be so clingy & willing to throw caution to the wind when he was shown to be such a strong selfless character who put the 3 realms above his own interests during the first half of the drama.
As long as I turned off all these questions that kept popping up in my head, I was entertained with the above average CGI and sweet love story between the FL’s parents (I saw that coming a mile away so was just waiting to see how that part of the story would unfold and this drama delivered nicely)
*hard to believe on so many levels as the FL is shown to be the best fighter so how can she be so badly injured that she loses her human form. Also, she has a good relationship with her master so why were they not able to discuss the marriage alliance the same way they talked about other important issues? Didn’t really make much sense to send all the generals & soldiers to hunt her down and bring her back for the marriage as she can easily just not go through with the wedding by saying no in person during the wedding. Unfortunately, most dramas have this problem where logic is usually the first to go as long as it moves the story along in a nice way.
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