The Legend of Shen Li

Epic Romance with Humor, Action, and Heart

The Legend of Shen Li was such a joy to watch from start to finish. I loved the balance of comedy, romance, and action — it never felt one-dimensional. The fight scenes were especially well done, with the female lead showing both strength and charm. Her chemistry with the male lead was undeniable, making every interaction between them a highlight of the show.

The story kept me hooked with its mix of fantasy adventure and emotional depth, and I appreciated how it didn’t rely solely on romance but gave room for character growth and exciting world-building. The humor also added a refreshing touch, keeping the tone light even in intense moments.

For those considering watching: the drama does have a few slower episodes in the middle, but the payoff is worth it. If you enjoy strong female leads, well-choreographed fight scenes, and a romance that feels both playful and heartfelt, The Legend of Shen Li is a must-watch.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Brilliant drama with great actors

I love this drama. Although I was a little confused by the beginning (first few minutes) and the mediocre sound quality on Youtube (background sounds are way too loud), I became addicted in no time.

Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin really rule this drama. They play quirky characters that will stay in your head after watching the drama. And the chemistry on screen is just fantastic! Personally, I'm also glad that it's a drama with two great actors in the lead roles who are not teenagers, because you can tell that they have experience and acting skills that some protagonists in C dramas sometimes lack.

The plot is really intricate, but not too complex to make you lose track. And what I also love is that there is not a single flat character. All characters undergo a certain development or have some surprises in store for you.

Really, this is one of the best Chinese dramas I have seen in a long time! And now go an watch it ;)

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XIANXIA IS BORING

Lets start with the thing i like; the musical background really is on another realm. The human war cry when female leas marched to war especially, was made so good.

Lukewarm things I found in this drama is probably the side characters. I feel no attachment towards them or any of the main characters, really.

Moving to the things i did not like, maybe bcs I just finished "Blossom" which was full eith humane intricacies and monarch toppling that is full wih realism, i find divine being love story to be boring and unrelatable. Zhang Liying, the female leads acting reminds me of Yang Mi. So deadpan with no actual microexpression. You can be pretty and elegant, but also expressive. Is it because of botox?
The CGIs are ridiculous... i can not take the talking birds and phoenix seriously. Also dropping this drama bcs i found i like Mofang more than the male lead... could never let myself be subjected to second male lead syndrom....

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This series is actually quite good, the effects and everything, but I only have a problem with one cast. I've seen Zhao liying and Kenny lin together in Princess Agents, but I hope that other actors take the male lead because I've already seen those two act it out in princess agent. Zhao Liying really embodies her character as Shenli but i don't think so to Kenny lin, his character could've been more a little bit fun if Cheng Yi or Yang Yang take his place, leading me to avoid all of the romantic parts. His character midway the series was a little bit stiff especially his facial expressions, that's why I recommend Cheng Yi or Yang Yang in male lead because I've already watched immortal Samsara and who rules the world and honestly, they've done well embodying their perspective character. But overall, this series ended up in one of my favorites Chinese fantasy historical drama along with Ancient Love Poetry, Who Rules The World, The Last Immortal, Ashes Of Love, and Princess Agents.

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