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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One of the best cdramas I have ever watched
"The Legend of Shen Li" follows the forbidden love story of Shen Li and Xing Zhi.Shen Li is an immortal general who gets hurt and falls into the Mortal Realm in her animal form. She is rescued by Xing Yun, a human who takes care of her and helps her recover from her injuries. With time, Shen Li falls in love with him but she already has an arranged marriage, she comes back home and thinks Xing Yun is dead.
Xing Yun is actually the ancient god Xing Zhi, the last of his kind. They reunite again, but can't be together, since Xing Zhi can't fall in love, always putting the world's needs first.
This was one of the things that really upset me. They are a beautiful couple, but it takes a long time for them to really be together. Xing Zhi always controlled his feelings for her, because he had responsibilities, but in the moment that Xing Zhi thought Shen Li was gone, he couldn't control himself anymore, he goes enraged and freezes the entire sea looking for her.
After that, the two have a sweet time together, like in the beginning when they first met.
The chemistry between Xing Zhi and Shen Li is amazing and I'm not only talking about the romance, but the action scenes and the funny moments, the characters ares really in sinc. It was really fantastic to be able to see Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin working together again after "Princess Agents" and finally being a real couple, with a happy ending <3
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Slow burn fantasy battle
Overall I enjoyed this even though I usually avoid xianxia genre. This is a slow burn, low romance between an ancient god and a demon (warrior) princess type. The series can be separated into several different parts with the first two more lighthearted and fun with playful banter and situations. It would be fine for a family to watch together. The rest of the series might get a little dark for young ones.The first part has Shen Li defying the marriage order, falling to the human realm and becoming under the care of Xing Zhi. No surprises here but it has a gentle warmth. The CGI phoenix chicken is a bit cheesy but I rather liked that. This sets the stage for the romance with a suppressed male lead who emotes little (after all he's thousands of years old and a god), with a fiery female lead who would like to kill whoever bothers her.
The second section is mostly in the demon realm where Shen Li and Fu Rong (playboy immortal) square off against each other regarding this arranged marriage. We get a hint of the bigger problem (the Chemi and sealing off the abyss), and of Xing Zhi's jealousy. About halfway through we FINALLY learn why Xing Zhi is keeping Shen Li at a distance - the price is high if he gives in to his emotions. I think this does a disservice to viewers as it becomes frustrating wondering why he can't just love her (until we gain this explanation).
The third part our villains get more dangerous and a lot of people are harmed. Shen Li makes a huge sacrifice (and why, why doesn't Xing Zhi go with her? that was super unclear to me. Because she didn't ask for his help? Because he wanted to separate himself from her problems? why??).
The last part is Xing Zhi's journey, and there are some real tear jerkers here. Him going to the ocean to try to find her, when he does find her, and then helping her to heal got me to mist up.
While I am glad they gave me a HEA, the end seemed shoe-horned on. And the last episode with Jin was completely out of the ballpark in terms of tone. In the end, it just lacks the emotional resonance that I found in Dream within a Dream, and The Double.
Plot confusion: I really think the hall of ancestors of the gods was way underutilized in the worldbuilding. They gave Shen Li certain memories of Xing Zhi so they had some sentient awareness. At the end they seemed to thank Xing Zhi for his actions or at least send him off with respect. It was my thought that since Xing Zhi was born without a known purpose, his actual purpose was to act outside the Natural Law and bring down a system that prevented free will.
Romance: this is going to be a slow burn, mature lovers, with only a few steamy scenes. Most of the relationship is going to be banter and looks (his are far more guarded). This might not be satisfying to some viewers but I was fine with it.
Music: excellent.
Sets: Probably my favorite was the Sky Above with the white circle and marble/brush line throughout. The Immortals was the most boring (as were the Immortals themselves LOL).
Costumes/Jewelry: Loved the costumes, especially the military uniforms of the demon squad. Shen Li had some jewelry I really loved. The turquoise necklace paired with the gold chain; and the dark blue stone that were earrings and a necklace of three pieces edged in gold. Very pretty.
Underutilized roles: the goddess You La- really glad she was showed up to help Shen Li break out (and I also liked her eye makeup during this scene). General Shang Bei who wanted to hear all the gossip. Would have loved to seen him more.
Villains: they bored me. The situation with Mofang went on way too long. Just kill him already. PLEASE!
Overall it was a good watch and kept me wondering what would happen at the end.
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Xianxia love story done right!
Xianxia dramas are very hit and miss and for me, this was a hit! There is a lot to be admired in this one, especially if you have a little patience for the story to build after the first arc or take a moment to look a little deeper and appreciate the ways this drama balances the usual Xianxia tropes and also flips them around.Things to admire:
*Main leads chemistry: Look, I watched Princess Agents when it came out and like many hated the ending. But I moved on and wasn’t waiting for a season two redemption on bated breath. So I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this couple regardless. And if you were waiting, this drama would definitely heal those wounds. They knew what the fans wanted and delivered it in spades.
* Mature pairing: We need more romantic fantasy dramas with “older” couples.
* Gender stereotypes reversed: So much to love here and too much to list. Shen Li is unlike most female leads. She’s beyond strong physically and mentally. And our ML is more than the cold, emotionless heavenly deity. He’s funny, playful, and nurturing. We still get swoony moments when our ML saves the FL, but it’s a situation of Girl, you protect the world and I’ll protect you. Also, ML is the best househusband a girl could dream for. Take care of all my needs and feed me delicious food? Yes please.
* Slice of life in a Xianxia: We don’t usually see this played out in these genres. Underneath all the big end of the world drama, TLOSL is really about our couple getting to the joy of appreciating the pleasures of being alive and living a simple life with the one you love. Eat good food, sit out in nature, spend time together, care for each other, and live in the moment without burdens of responsibility. If that isn’t the fantasy many of us long for, I don’t know what is. I’ll admit, first arc of the drama felt a bit slow with this focus, but when I realized what was building up here and then how it all ended, it’s beautiful and fulfilling.
* Satisfying Ending: In a year of Chinese dramas with disappointing endings or lacking in closure, TLOSL does not let down. We get spoiled with a whole episode and half of happy ending!
Really, this is a love story first and foremost. If you’ve bought into the couple, enjoy Chinese fantasy drama tropes, and appreciate the thoughtful ways this drama flips some of them around, you’ll find this really is better than most coming out these days.
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The romance, please keep it simple.
Idk, in the beginning I and the end, I kinda like when romance between Xing Zhi and Shen Li keep simple. I mean, not too much unnecessary thing like jealousy or posesive thing when Xing Zhi decide to put Shen Li in his palace in the sky, to keep Shen Li alive.I love the battle but I think some battle should have more highlight. I also think Mrs.Jin could easily beat Mo Fang in her mountain with her power, more trick or something. It kinda wasting her power of tens thousand years.
I personally think that this drama is 40:40% romcom and the rest is battle bcs I found this drama is always made me laugh with the way Xing Zhi act and treat Shen Li.
I love the end, but I really think they should cut the backflash bcs it's too much and we can shrink over the 31-37, 7 eps to 3-4 eps, I think it's better
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A Great Fantasy C-Drama with a Satisfying Ending
I decided to watch this series based on its high rating, and overall, I'm glad I did. The first five episodes were engaging, although the romance felt a bit rushed. As I progressed, I predicted a long, and somehow boring journey, which unfortunately came true. The action scenes were okay, but the romance was dragged. They could have done betterDespite this, I appreciated the well-crafted ending, a rare find in fantasy C-dramas. Most series in this genre leave viewers with unanswered questions, but this one provided a perfect conclusion.
While I enjoyed the show, I felt that some scenes were unnecessary and only added to the length. Hence, I'm giving it a 9.0/10 rating.
Overall, I loved and enjoyed this series, and I'm happy to have watched it. If you're a fan of fantasy C-dramas, I recommend giving it a try!
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