The Legend of Shen Li

Get ready to watch a feast that sits first in its own style.

This drama has 4 highlights. 1) The story is very colorful, emotional and fluent. There is no room for boring in any of the scenes. 2) The indoor, outdoor, supernatural platform and battle scenes of this fantasy story are very well captured on camera. The story is a very difficult story to translate to the stage due to the war and the locations. The decor, costumes and acting are stunning. 3) the actors were carefully selected, they are all very successful. Their powerful performances immerse you in a fantasy world as if it were a real world.
4) It is difficult to find another Chinese drama that can compete with the quality of this drama's music. The accompaniment of percussion instruments and vocals in the battle scenes is very impressive, reminiscent of the musical quality of Naruto. I find it on par with the soundtrack of the Dune-2 series this year.

The lead actors act with their facial expressions and gestures in most scenes. They almost dance with their acting. They are very natural and make you feel love, friendship and passion in the intimacy scenes that we are not used to in Chinese dramas. Very few drama couples have this kind of chemistry.

bravo bravo bravo

Read More

Finally finished watching shen li.... The 2nd chance see Zhao Li Ying & Lin Gèng Xin in a drama together. First time they announced the couple I (We) already so excited about the drama, feel like the second season of the impossible Princess Agent. But this drama far far away from the Princess Agent, in term of plot / genre / etc, and nevertheless the pairing of Zhao Li Ying & Lin Gèng Xin still as perfect as I (we) hope for. Haha...

This drama open with Shen Li (SL) fight against her people for her freedom from unwanted marriage. Injured & escape to mortal realm she's transformed into her original form, Phoenix, and rescued by mortal named Xing Yun. Later, we found out that the mortal turn out to be the one and only remaining almighty True god, Xing Zhi (XZ). And the story about the forbidden love between the True god & other god begin....

Me all this time watch all the Xian Xia drama, never really understand why god can't falling in love or have any relationship with anyone, expecially if u one special god like XZ, or like Dong Hua in Eternal Love of Dream. But from this drama i think i can understand a little bit reasoning behind that rule. With special feeling for someone, comes special treatment, but unfortunately the god like XZ can't only treat someone special, he had to treat all the creation equal. One heavy burden to put on someone shoulder....

What i like:
+ The fiery chemistry between Zhao Li Ying & Lin Gèng Xin. Really one of the best paired in dramaland.
+ Unlike any other Xian Xia drama, where the almighty god will try to hide their feeling for someone special but silently protect them, XZ finally dare to openly protect SL.
+ The unpredictable plot twist about the main villain. Really shock when I found out who they set up to be the villain, or to be said the true identity of the villain.
+ The fiercely FL. SL is one of the FL that so brave & have the power to do so.
+ They give us a little preview of actually how XZ is so lonely & have heavy burden.

Overall this one of best Xian Xia ever... Never bored watching this from begin to the end. With interesting plot, fiery chemistry & good costume. All budget is place appropriately.. Haha...

Read More

Great drama

This is my first time writing reviews, I don't usually write them cause they don't interest me as much as I feel the need to let others know, but I felt I had to write for this because this drama was such a good wuxia or however they call it
Haven't been so engrossed in a Chinese drama since glory
The story, acting, cinematography and visual were top notch even the chemistry btwn the leads, and most especially the ost since I'm such an avid fan of western, kdrama style of music such as that of got,dune and others

And honestly if you've seen a lot of dramas, your standard get risen up that if you watch some than others find interesting, you won't find it as such

Overall I love this Drama and it's a must watch for chinese drama fan

Read More

When the budget is budgeting

Xianxia isn't a low budget genre since it needs to use a lot of cgi and for that exact reason, i believe it needs time to cook during post production. Yes, i don't mind to wait.

Yu Feng Xing not only serving with it good cgi but i'm on my knees for their costume. Every style is on point and the last time i feel like this was for TTEOTM Mingye-Sangjiu arc with its dunhuang style.

Plot wise, this isn't your typical xianxia. Though the reason i love this genre is because the big ANGST sign, i actually enjoy it more since recent xianxia focus more on pain and forget to let us take a break in between the torture, so appreciate every comic relief scene and character. The chemistry between character is good and amidst the slow burn discourse, it's not that bad because i found it's not wasted. The slow building makes every character relatable and show enough charm instead of rushing the breaking point.

I wanna say this could be my number 1 xianxia this year yet it's only April. Tho it doesn't really matter since my pick from last year is TTEOTM lol. Hope you enjoy it as much as i am.

Read More

Great acting with amazing CGI and OST

I will go straight to the review instead of writing poetic lines. I started watching Legends of Shen Li hoping it to be another cliched Xianxia drama. But it went beyond my expectation. The visual effects was a feast to the eyes. I will go one step ahead and say Legend of Shen Li should be the benchmark for other C-dramas. Chemistry was really "chemistrying". The OST made me think this tune could be my ringtone. You could feel the melody and it complimented the story very accurately.

The overall pace was good. There was nothing which felt unnecessary or has been added to drag the story. The switch from mortal to immortal and divine realm was also quite natural.

Should you watch Legend of Shen Li?
Yes, you must. If you are bored from the usual Xianxia, this drama will make you re-like the genre.

Here's what I liked:
-CGI is amazing. This is the kind of CGI I expect in every Xianxia drama.
-Chemistry hits off differently. The little moments like ShenLi stealing one glance of Xingzhi in the market was implemented very naturally.
-Apart from the two leads, other characters have been cast perfectly. I have read the novel and I can say confidently that this is how I imagined everyone to be.
-Comedy scenes are genuinely funny.
-Good character development. You can feel how Xingyun and Xingzhi are different.

What I didn't like:
-Cannot think of anything except for the sometimes stiff acting of the male lead.

One thing about this drama. You will be too immersed in the main leads' interaction. I actually forgot they were acting.

Read More

Loved it. The leads are surprisingly gentle and humorous.

The first 7 episodes flew away like a breeze. I do like the dynamics between the 2, but it seems like Shen Li was the only one to catch feelings during Xing Yun while was affectionate didn't seem to be that interested in her. Even when she was gone he lived his life very well, maybe missed her once in a while, but was not deeply moved by her leaving or even the idea of her marrying someone else. Even when he returned to the heavenly realm, he seemed as indifferent so far. Apart from mentioning that Shen Li was interesting he didn't intend to pursue her.

Ep 8 to 16: She finally meets Divine Lord Xing Zi, who denies he knows Xing Yun, hearing which she sheds tears to which the divine lord is unmoved. He then insists on spending time with her. The Poor girl is busy scouting the place while the Divine Lord is taking a leisurely stroll in the garden.

The Divine Lord finally clears up that he didn't intend to spend time with her but it was to clean her miasma that he had to take her along. When she talks about him resembling an old acquaintance. He brushes it off saying its common and that she shouldn't get too attached to things or people. He then follows her to the demon realm and claims he needs to stay for fun and wants to live at her place. He then shows a teeny bit of what you could call jealousy when Shen Li's betrothed shows up. The one that divine lord himself picked.

Gotta love Shen Li, in ep 14, she finally decided to put everything out there and then kindly told him to go fuck himself. What's even wrong with the guy, he can't even sort out his own feelings and continues to mess with her, following her around everywhere just rejecting her left and right and still bombarding her with those mixed signals.

In ep 16, we get too see them work together, Shen Li gets hurts and we actually see Divine lord get mad for the first time. First green signal telling us that he does care for her. It is nice to see him hold her sweetly nursing her back to health.

ep 16 to 39: Wow this was very slow burn, they finally got together in episodes 30-31, when they do get together it is amazing!

What I like the most about this drama is that the leads don't betray each other and are loyal. There are never any misunderstanding or other man or woman they have to pretend to love in order to protect each other. So, i'll be putting this on my rewatch list.

Read More

This God Really Said “Let the World Burn”

Born into the immortal realm, Shen Li is a formidable general who refuses to be bartered away in a political marriage. Her escape goes wrong, leaving her injured and trapped in her phoenix form, tumbling straight into the human world. There, she is unexpectedly purchased at a market by Xing Yun, a sickly yet sharp minded man whose quiet life is anything but ordinary. What begins as a strange cohabitation slowly ties their fates together. As love blooms across realms, ancient evil stirs, betrayal cuts deep, and Natural Law itself is challenged. With the balance of the Three Realms at stake, Shen Li and Xing Yun must decide whether love is their greatest strength or the one taboo that could destroy everything.

The drama wastes no time pulling you in. It opens with Shen Li on the run from a forced marriage, and right away you understand who she is. Powerful, independent, adaptable, and carrying the weight of responsibility like second nature. Her inner monologue as a phoenix is both revealing and hilarious. Watching a mighty general struggle with the daily inconveniences of being a bird is comedy gold. Enter Xing Yun, gentle, strategic, witty, and looking like a stiff breeze might knock him over. The fiery phoenix and calm human pairing is a classic combo, and here it works like magic. That early mortal realm arc had me fully seated, snacks forgotten.

As the story moves forward and Shen Li regains her body while Xing Yun completes his mortal tribulation and returns as Xing Zhi, the last surviving ancient God, the romance levels up. One thing I genuinely love about this drama is how mature it feels compared to many Xianxia stories. These are not impulsive teenagers playing at destiny. Shen Li is a demon general, Xing Zhi is a God burdened with maintaining balance across the Three Realms. Duty is not a suggestion, it is the rulebook. Xing Zhi is forbidden from worldly attachments, and Shen Li understands this better than anyone. Instead of manufactured misunderstandings, their main conflict comes from responsibility, restraint, and knowing exactly what loving each other could cost.

Their push and pull is delicious. Shen Li keeps trying to shove Xing Zhi out of her life for his own good, and he keeps calmly, persistently finding his way back in. She radiates independent woman energy, yet he somehow coaxes out her softer side without ever undermining her strength. The vibe is very much “I know you can do it, but let me do it for you.” Xing Zhi’s deadpan humor deserves its own fan club. He regularly leaves Shen Li flustered or speechless, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. The humor fits perfectly, dry, understated, and never forced.

Li Geng Xin brings a quiet charisma to Xing Zhi that really elevates the character. His godly, mature visuals help, yes, but it is his control and expressions that sell the role. His biggest strength as a character is his emotional impulsiveness when it comes to Shen Li. Unlike other godly protagonists who talk big but hesitate, this man is absolutely willing to let the world burn if it means saving her. Heaven’s wrath be damned. Shen Li, on the other hand, is often the cautious one, which makes it even more impactful when she finally goes “screw it” and boombayah with him, even when she knows better. Their existential crisis flavored romance is tension inducing in the best way, never exhausting.

Zhao Li Ying is perfection as Shen Li. Her glittery round eyes and petite frame do nothing to diminish her presence as a demoness and general. This was my first time watching her and Li Geng Xin together, and their chemistry is seriously tight. It feels natural, layered, and earned, easily one of the drama’s biggest strengths. The ensemble cast also deserves praise. Each supporting character has a purpose, whether for comedy, emotional support, or romantic complications, and none of them feel out of place or annoying. They add flavor without overpowering the main dish.

Visually, this drama is a feast. The sets are beautiful, the special effects are dreamy, and Xing Yun’s mortal realm house is honestly iconic. The CGI can lean a bit cartoonish at times, but it still works within the fairytale tone. Costumes and makeup are heavenly, pun fully intended. The ending was as sweet as dessert too, giving us a full episode of much needed closure.

Overall, I went into this drama out of boredom and came out completely in love. The Legend of Shen Li has officially earned its spot as my favorite mature Xianxia drama to date. If you like seasoned characters, restrained but powerful romance, and a love story that challenges fate without screaming about it, this one is absolutely worth your time.

Read More

A chicken parading as a phoenix

I was really looking forward to Shen Li as I have really enjoyed this author’s works and I’ve loved all of ZLY’s performances.

There were several touching moments in the beginning of the show - I was very moved by the story of the soldier and the wife - it was beautifully done and the actors who played the part did so phenomenally. Kudos to them. I enjoyed the idea of cluck cluck and the sickly man, and was moved when that arc came to an end. Shen Li revisited the place she had lived for a short time of her life, it was poignant and sad. One cannot return to the past as it stands on its own.

That being said, I have mixed feelings about this show overall.

I know it’s an unpopular opinion but this show became extremely slow and boring. Often the show felt as though it was catering to fans of Princess Agents who were left stranded with its lacklustre ending. Yes, the two leads have good chemistry but chemistry can’t make up for a paper thin plot that should have kept to 25 episodes or fewer. Most xianxias have a lot happening, even if they are common tropes and this one was excruciating slow with this draggy plot. The novel works because the FL’s narration and feelings carry it through.

Yet, not all literary techniques are well translated into film/the visual medium and this show is a good example of that. Shen Li’s voice overs were overused in the early part of the show and often they seemed to deny secondary characters agency.

As I finished the show I felt quite frustrated that secondary characters were not fully developed nor was enough time spent on them. For a 39 episode show secondary characters are paramount. The marriage arc went on forever and ever.

In the end i was left wondering- what happened to Shen Li’s father? Why didn’t she even think about him. It just happened. Mo Fang’s dying scene was quite sad- I pitied him, despite his faults, he did try to protect her. He was left there, without a glance from Shen Li or a final farewell. What an unfortunate character, which Shen Li herself observes.

What happened to Mo Fang’s father? What really was the point of the story? Why did Shen Li fall in love with Xingyun?

The acting was not the problem at all. I found Kenny Lin’s performance here to be among his best. The idea of the lonely ancient god was interesting and Kenny Lin expressed his loneliness well. His crying scene with Zhao Liying towards the end was very good. I really enjoyed the rest of the actors who did the best with whatever they had. Fu Rong Jun has the most character growth and he became one of my favourite characters. I enjoyed the actor’s performance. Jackie Li was great as usual but had limited screen time. I looked forward to seeing the siblings (and those were the parts I watched without skipping).

The music was good overall without the usual xianxia angst. I did not enjoy the xianxia angst when I watched my first xianxia but that’s what I appreciate these days.

Perhaps I had great expectations from the show but for me it was too slow, too thin with its plot. I think some Chinese shows should stick to shorter episodes. Quantity isn’t quality after all. A chicken should not pass for a phoenix. There's nothing wrong with being a chicken though- it has its place in the world.

Read More

It's basically just better than average

I know that everyone is saying this is the best Xianxia we've had for a hot minute but I think this is the key element they're forgetting. There's been such a drought of good Xianxia (and particularly good Xianxia with female leads that don't act and speak like 6 year olds and actually have a personality outside of 'love interest') that we're holding this one to a higher standard than it deserves.

To start on a positive note, there are lots of great things about ShenLi. Although it is 40 episodes it's very easy to digest. Aside from an initially slow start which explores the 'mortal life' section of any Xianxia (albeit in an unexpected and quite witty way) once that awful cgi chicken disappears the show is very enjoyable. It's interesting especially to see the power dynamic shift when Xingzhi/Xingyun's true identity is revealed. The rest of the special effects are actually quite good, and the costumes - though not particularly innovative for the men - have a lot to boast for the women. Some of Shen Li and Demon Lord's outfits were stunning and the detail was apparent. The 'sky above heaven' was also an interesting addition to the show and the lore of the ancient gods.

Now onto the not so great things:
Firstly, this drama has serious pacing issues. The focus on the love story of the two leads was interesting, yes, but almost the entire plot was devoted to them with little time for side characters to develop. This almost led to an over saturation of their romance, particularly because the marriage arc was dragged out until episode 25. I also found that the apathy of the ML was at times taken too far. There is a difference between indifference and surpressed emotion which outwardly presents as indifference which was not always successfully conveyed.

Secondly, although some of the plot twists were genuinely surprising - there was no one single 'wow' factor moment within the show, and there was potential for several. Perhaps due to the halfhearted world building which failed to exhibit a real motivation for the villain beyond loyalty, the stakes never really seemed as high as they should have, and due to the overwhelming power of the 'divine god', even if he was injured or punished by the heavens for disobeying the enigmatic 'natural law' we were never led to believe that he wouldn't be able to overcome whatever was thrown at him. Such was the power of a true 'god' - the last god - compared to mere heavenly immortals.

An 8.8 rating is difficult to comprehend in my opinion. That places the Legend of Shen Li above dramas like: 'Who rules the world' and 'Scarlet Heart: Ryeo', and at the same level as 'The Story of MingLan', 'Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms', 'Love Between Fairy and Devil', 'Snow Sword Stride' (all far more interesting and developed dramas as far as I'm concerned). I don't like to throw 'overrated' around but I think that this drama may have been. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very enjoyable watch and I highly recommend it; it just seems important to keep in mind that ratings are inevitably relative, and Shen Li perhaps needs to be put into context rather than looked at independently.

Read More

Slow burn romance of a Kickass Power Couple with decent chemistry

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I have not watched “Princess Agent” for obvious reasons (the ending sucks), so I went into this drama without expectation from Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin. I am not looking for a continuation of their previous romance. I wonder if that’s the reason why I don’t feel that their chemistry is amazing, but still good.

The big selling point of this drama is the two leads. The majority of the drama focuses on the romance and relationship, before going into the real plot towards the second half of the drama. I am a die-hard romance lover, so I am not going to complain (much) about it. It’s really lovely to see their interaction and romantic development when they’re in the mortal world. Their conversations are full of subtle and not-so-subtle sarcastic remarks, which help with building their attraction for each other. I enjoy the not-in-your-face and not-second-hand-embarrassment comedy. I feel like you need to pay attention to what’s going on to fully enjoy it, otherwise, you’ll miss a subtle dig here and there. However, I do think the drama spends way too much time setting the stage for this slow burn romance in the first half of the drama. As much as I enjoy their conversation, I also am missing the plot. This is a xianxia drama, so I am sure there’s a villain out there plotting against the ‘good’ guys.

I’m glad to see another kickass power couple as we really don’t see that many in C-dramas. From the top of my head, I could only think of the leads in “Who Rules The World” and “Wonderland of Love”. But Sheng Li and Xing Zhi are on a whole other level. They are the best of the best, the top 2 of the 3 realms. I am glad Shen Li remains intelligent, cool-headed, and powerful from beginning to the end. In a way, we have a reversal of gender. As the drama says, a reversal of who is the yin and who is the yang. Xing Zhi is also an interesting character. He’s being held in such high regards, has the whole world on his shoulders, yet he’s petty and jealous. He also is a know-it-all and doesn’t communicate much out of necessity for the most part. It’s also hilarious that once he’s given up restraining himself, he has such a love brain. He’s more clingy and emotional than Sheng Li and it’s both frustrating and fun to watch.

On the other hand, I am greatly moved by the romance between Feng Lai and Liu Yu. They have very limited screen time. Even though their romance is not unique, it leaves a more lasting impression on me. They are both such pure and kind-hearted people, but they break my heart. I might be partial as I am a big fan of Xu Hai Qiao, and his portrayal of Feng Lai is impeccable. The other romance that receives an awkward amount of screen time is with the sultry Ms Jin, the serpent. More on that at the end of the review.

The acting is solid but not exceptional. The veterans are great - Zeng Li as Shen Li’s godmother Demon Lord, Liu Guan Lin as the Heavenly Emperor, Zhou Xiao Chuan as General Shang are all great veterans. Comparatively, Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin did fine. There are moments when I thought ZLY did a really good job. I also feel that LGX’s acting is a little uneven. There are times when I feel that he could emote really well with subtle microexpressions, but other times I feel that he’s very wooden. Maybe that’s why I don’t quite feel the chemistry between them to be as great as other reviewers have said. Xin Yun Lai sorta played a dual role as Mo Fang and along with He Yu as the Heavenly grandson. They both deliver average acting. My favorite is Xu Hai Qiao as Feng Lai. His screen time is limited but XHQ never disappoints. He is such a scene stealer.

This is obviously a pretty big budget production. A large amount of CGI and green screens are used in this production. The very first fight sequence in ep 1 sets the CGI tone for the rest of the drama. However, I do find that fight scene shot like a video game. But throughout the drama, I really enjoy the special effects of the different light/power blasted during any battles. Sometimes production runs out of money and they start to fade out the special effects towards the end of the drama. Not this one! The final big battle was amazing. Despite my praise of the fight scenes, there are quite a few very fake-looking green screen shots.

Costumes and set designs are quite nice. Zhao Li Ying looks absolutely stunning in all of her different costumes, hair and make up. I love her simpler getup in the mortal world, but also enjoy her more girly looks with flowy hair. Some of the Heavenly Realm sets remind me of “Ashes of Love” and “Ancient Love Poetry”. I guess they all look the same to me after watching so many xianxias. “The Legend of Shen Li” also has a beautiful OST. However, they are played quite loudly and at times I couldn’t hear the words spoken very clearly. The drama also likes to blast this suona background music (it sounds like the suona song played in “Small Town Stories”) whenever something exciting comes up. It gets annoying after a while. One thing I am a little disappointed about is that the main leads are all dubbed. None of them uses their own voice, and at times the words don’t match the movement of the lips.

Another thing that annoys me is the large amount of inner monologues by Shen Li. There are times I wonder if these are words spoken, or all in Sheng Li’s head. Zhao Li Ying doesn’t really open her mouth wide when she speaks, so I got confused at times.

Let’s talk about the ending. I think the drama should have ended at ep 38. Ep 39 is more of a side story or an easter egg episode. It’s cute and I enjoy it, but this filler and fan service episode somewhat changes how I remember the ending of this solid drama. The kiss scenes at the end are definitely for the fans, and this fan did not enjoy the kisses. They seem awkward.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable watch. The pace is decent despite a little slow down with too much time spent on the set-up of the romance in the beginning. The power couple is fun to watch and I enjoy their interactions and conversations. The romance is slow but mature. Acting and production are solid, though not exceptional. I like (not love) this drama and will recommend it to those who enjoy xianxias and great CGI battles.



Completed: 5/12/2024 - Review #438

Read More