The Legend of Shen Li

THIS ISN'T LIKE THE BREAKTHROUGH PRINCESS AGENT

Of course this isn't. So far, this isn't amazing drama, it is an okey drama. Nothing spectacular like we anticipate it, the anticipation of being a great drama like Princess Agent. Story about Gods and Devils are overused - nothing original synopsis - we have watched hundreds of similar Xian xia genre C-drama before. As I would hope this's another great saga famously known Princess Agent, unfortunately not even close.

ShenLi or Gen Bi Chang (Zhao Li Ying) run away from arranged-marriage to earth, chose to fight for her freedom rather than accept the match. Sustaining injuries, ShenLi reverts to her original form and falls into the human world as a phoenix where she is picked up by a mortal vendor and sold as a plucked chicken at a local human market to Xing Zhi (Lin Geng Xin). With that little purchase, Xing Zhi inadvertently intertwined his fate with ShenLi. She didn't know Xing Zhi real identity, he's a God who descendant to earth for divinity as a weak mortal. He's born as a man who could predict future, many people came to see him for his vision, Shen Li involved in his life and willing to protect him from those who tried to do harm. Shen Li fallen in love but she knew they won't have future together as one was immortal and the other was just a mortal. As she got a calling back to immortality, she's gone.

Positive note: It looks like a big budged production, CGI works better than usual/generic Xian Xia C-drama. I love the opening credit, love the opening chorus.

Negative note: ** It's weird acting when they're up close staring each other without so much emotional attachment, no tenderness & sincerity in their eyes. ** 35-36 yo Lin Geng Xin were awkward act cute like a little boy "awww...awww...it's hurt". ** Xian Xia drama - God & Devil story's been used many times over, no originality in whole production. **At some point he'd bend his knee to get close to her face.

Ep 12 decided to drop it. It's over advertised..

Read More

My favourite xianxia to date

I gave this straight 10s. Is it a perfect drama? No, of course not, no drama is. But I felt that if any deserves a perfect score, it's this one.

Everything about it was top-notch, from production to acting and chemistry not only between the leads, but between the whole crew. No bullshit misunderstandings which plague this genre usually, and we even get to see the wuxia kryptonite in action - a very satisfying ending.

Although the cinematography and choreography are close to perfect, the real engine behind the high quality of this series are the characters. Although there is a plot about saving the world and whatnot (as you would expect from a xianxia), this is a story about two people: the feisty and straightforward FL and the cunning and shameless ML. Everything gravitates around them, willingly or unwillingly.

That is not to say that the supporting characters are weak or irrelevant, almost all of them show great growth during this drama, some even jump from unlikeable and straight-up villains to fan favorites.

I don't want to say more, to avoid spoilers, but you should give it a go, if this genre interests you. I dare say that you won't regret it!

Read More

Best Xianxia of 2024

Probably one of the best Xianxia in terms of production value and acting. Shen Li (Zhao Li Ying) has one of the most badass portrayal of FMC I have ever seen. I would love to just watch 39 ep of her going through waves of enemies. The Romance is also very satisfying and well paced contrary to other popular Xianxia.
Both the Female and Male MC's are comparatively more mature than traditional portrayals. They felt like actual long lived immortals and not just overgrown children. Although the story is simple still the visuals make for a great rewatch value.
Overall the drama is treat for Romance and Fantasy lovers.

Read More

One of the greatest productions in the history of TV series! 🤧❤️

I went in blind with this one, with only Zhao Liying as the impetus. It wasn’t until a few episodes later that I realized the male lead was actually Lin Gengxin, ZL’s counterpart in my first-ever cdrama, Princess Agents. Their tandem once again reminded me of why I was so obsessed with them before. Even with the passage of time, their chemistry has grown stronger than it ever was. Watching them together again healed something in me I never knew had festered deep in my unconscious. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A GIFT TO ME SPECIFICALLY BAHLA KAYO JAN RGEGGWGSHEHSH 😭😭😭😭

But yeah, my sentiments aside, this was genuinely a good watch. As I’ve observed in the limited number of cdramas I’ve seen, there’s something so poetic about historical cdramas, especially xianxias (fantasy), and Legend of Shen Li perfectly solidifies that impression. The build-up of the story, though a bit all over the place, was beautifully executed. Since this drama is centered on love and vulnerability, each character’s embodiment of it was so heart-striking in its fluidity—mainly magnified by the two leads: Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin. The they represent the "I know you can, but let me" typa love. How Shen Li can be Shen Li and not the strongest phoenix general with Xingzhi, not to mention, Xingzhi not minding to bear the feminine energy in the couple..both possessing yin and yang all throughout. Really both soft and strong in relaying their love languages I LOVE THEM SO MUCH 😭

To sum up Legend Of Shen Li, it’s a beautiful love story between two powerful beings in their struggle between love and responsibilities. But beyond that summation is a heartfelt, remarkable work of art...effects, cast portrayals, and the flow. Everything was just picture-perfect, and it will remain one of my dearest drama to ever exist. I could never thank enough the people behind this amazing production. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ALL. LIKE REALLY 😭

#LegendOfShenLi

Read More

Wow

I will say I haven't seen Princess Agents ( not into cliffhanger endings) so while I was hearing positive things it wasn't high on my radar. Finally took a chance on it while I was between dramas and now understand what the hype was about.
Leads had great chemistry, no long drawn out love triangles. There was actually some growth in the secondary leads as well which you don't often seen.
Love the OST and added some songs to my Spotify.

The ending - I actually like that last episode was a small side story and just show the main characters living their life.

Read More

Masterpiece

The leads were truly out of the ordinary, not the usual kind, not clichéd, and without a patriarchal pattern. Yet, they remained incredibly strong, distinctive, and undeniably cool, with chemistry that went through the roof.

The drama featured all kinds of side characters, each making the watch even more interesting. They weren’t just there for the sake of it; they had their own arcs and developed as characters. No one felt one-dimensional, they were real, essential, and added to the plot as they should.

The angst and tension were definitely present, though I felt the villain was a bit lacking. However, the well-executed angst helped overshadow that shortcoming.

When it came to chemistry, it wasn’t just about the leads, everyone had chemistry with everyone, and it worked so well!

The concept and idea were amazing! What I loved most was that this was a story about a female protagonist, and no character could take that away from her. She remained the focal point, as she should be. The female lead was incredible, and the spotlight was rightfully hers.

The characters did develop, but for the most part, the leads stayed true to themselves without a major "I changed for the better" moment. Furong though had the best character development and I actually appreciated that a lot.

The pacing, structure, script, and dialogues were simply chef’s kiss! Absolutely nothing to complain about there.

The OSTs and BGM were fantastic, and the cinematography was breathtaking, the world felt so lively and real. The casting was also spot-on.

And I really, really loved the ending. Wrapping it up with an episode full of comedy and heartwarming moments was genius. One of the most underrated aspects of this drama was its comedy, it truly glued the characters and the overall storyline together.

I cried, I laughed, and I felt every moment of this drama, I am truly grateful for it. This was a truly beautiful watch that I will never forget. I will miss Shen Li, Xingzhi, and every character in it. What a masterpiece! 🥰

Read More

Engaging but not as good as expected

Story:
In my opinion, the story of this drama felt little bit flat. The strong point is the characters. The main characters personality is very strong, both of them and they are very likeable. They are powerful, dominant yet vulnerable at the same time. I found the conflict in this drama is rather absurd, was not developed well enough. And the ending... though I craved more romantic scenes, the ending felt more like an extra than a part of the whole story.

Acting:
Although the chemistry between Zanillia Zhao and Lin Gengxin is cute and addictive (their look also give a huge reason why I shipped them so much), I think their acting in this drama are little awkward. Too many blank stare at each other. I haven't watched their other dramas except Princess Agents which they also collaborated as main characters, but I thought the chemistry in that drama was better than this. Maybe the blank stares are supposed to make the romantic scene more dramatic, however too much portion make this drama feel dragged. I never read the source novel, but I guess this drama supposed to be a fantasy romance drama. Yet in the romantic scenes, somehow I felt the two lead actors were holding their emotions. Zanillia's eyes expression need more improvement.

Music:
I love the music, it gave the scenes more depth either in the battle scenes or the romantic scenes.

Overall:
I enjoyed this drama so much but not loved it. I also thought this drama is a quiet satisfying answer for Princess Agents's couple shipper since it has the ending. I wish they will collaborate again in the future, either in costume drama or modern one.

Read More

entertaining but a little long

I loved the story that has a lot of unique aspects. I loved the way they depicted gods and the graduation of powers down to basic humans. I loved the fact that everyone is depicted with flaws, even gods. I loved how complicated it was from the beginning to the end, while watching it I remembered the first scenes and thought "so many things happened and now the story is completely different". but some development took a little too much time.

when to watch: if you have a lot of time ahead, you wont regret it. it's very long so manage your time so you won't miss your sleep time.
audience: I think it could be better to watch after some maturation. there is also some violence so I'd say not under 18; and if you do some cultivation, it'll be interesting to watch again after you mature on your 40's. life and death matters are easier to understand when you have encounter it in your own life.

Read More