Love in Pavilion

So good and so sad

This drama made my list of "dramas that traumatizes you". It broke my heart but I can't stop thinking about it! I finished watching this a week ago and my heart still feels so empty thinking about this drama and the leads! 😭

I loved the cast and the chemistry between the leads. I was already a fan of the donghua so I knew the storyline before watching this drama. With that being said, the leads did such a great job bringing these characters to life on screen! It's a very beautiful, heart wrenching story displayed beautifully by Liu Shishi and Zhang YunLong.

There is romance, there is bromance, there is comraderies--I love the portrayal of the relationships between all the characters. Even the side couples were worth rooting for and fun to watch. Mu Qing and Zheng Zhang were so cute together--their story also made me sad.

Overall if you like dramas that stir your emotions and make you cry, this one is for you!! It's so good though. Just prepare tissues!

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Yet Another Xianxia C-Trauma

Respectfully, I thought this was going to be a HE. The sheer number of C-traumas coming out this year is killing me.

Being based off of a novel, the arcs were quite typical and predictable. There was no surprise really (not even at the deaths) that all this happened. While tropes can be good if done well, I was a little disappointed that such a STAR-STUDDED cast was given a bland script. What probably played a part in making this script boring was the dilution that had to happen to fit the huge amount of content into 36 episodes. It felt like there were too many characters (each were equally interesting), yet not enough time to build a tangible connection with all of them. If I had to list the biggest flaw, it would be that the dilution of the plot made it so bare bones that it felt like a generic xianxia plot.

One reviewer did mention that every single person felt like they could act and I agree. Every actor in there displayed a degree of competency when it came to acting. But again, I wonder if the cast could have been cut down a little since there were characters in there that felt extraneous. I really did wish that each couple/duo had more time to shine on screen (it didn't feel like it was enough). There will never be another drama where you get to see so many established and rising stars on the same screen, so I lament the potential this drama had.

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Worth watching!

Disclaimer: I did not watch Red Moon Pact, but started watching this because of the cast, and they delivered! The only weak link in the cast/role was Jin Ren Feng, which is no offense to the actor; I find that often in Cdramas villains have petty motivations and are very one-dimensional as a result, making it hard to take them seriously as villains in the story. I had to skip some of Jin Ren Feng's scenes because it was just eye roll stuff. This was helped by Jiu Huo Lin and Jia Lan, who, although didn't necessarily feel super threatening, their motivations at least made sense, and actually kind of made me pity/root for them in the end.

The pacing of the story is good, I love how Huai Zhu and Hong Ye's relationship progresses and Lui Shi Shi and Zhang Yun Long are incredible in this drama. Hong Ye is this notorious warrior but ZYL plays him in a way that he becomes such an endearing softie around Huai Zhu, it's really cute.

Another thing I LOVE about this drama and the acting is how they handle what happens emotionally after the 'final battle'. In most dramas, this aftermath is glossed over very quickly and tied up with a neat bow for a perfect ending. I love that this drama takes the time to show the horrible trauma that the characters have suffered and the pain that comes with that, and the distance between Huai Zhu and Hong Ye as a result. It feels very real, and I applaud LSS and ZYL for their performance with that.

Two things I did not like though:
1. Zhang Zheng and Qing Mu Yuan's story. DYX and MZY have great chemistry, and I felt like there was such potential for how their relationship and story were going to develop, especially with Zhang Zheng's identity issue. But their story ended before it barely even started, which I feel was a lost opportunity.
2. After the final battle, when they are safe back home and have taken steps to move past their trauma, Huai Zhu and Hong Ye just never meet Qin Lan or Qu Zhuo again??!! What?! This really annoyed me cause it was super unbelievable that Huai Zhu would forget about her sister and that Hong Ye would ignore his (basically) brother, who was also the only other person that survived the battle. Come on, dumb.

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Pretty to look at but the leads didn’t quite win me over

Love in Pavilion has some gorgeous visuals and a fantasy world that’s fun to get lost in, but honestly, the leads left me a little frustrated at times.
FL is elegant and strong on paper but sometimes her acting feels a bit stiff or overly dramatic which made it hard to connect with her character in emotional scenes.
ML is charming but he can come off a little flat or too serious, and their chemistry doesn’t always hit the mark, some of their romantic moments felt awkward instead of natural.
The story itself is beautiful and the production is impressive with costumes and a magical vibe that really pulls me in. But pacing is uneven and a lot of middle episodes drag with repetitive or predictable plot points. Some supporting characters are underdeveloped and certain plot twists feel convenient rather than earned. While it’s still enjoyable for the fantasy world and story concept, the FL and ML performances sometimes hold it back from being truly amazing. It definitely could have been stronger with more consistent leads.

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If you have watched “Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact” and felt dissociated with reality, then the sequel “Love in Pavilion” will make you feel a pain of epic proportions!

The couples in this storyline are perpetually doomed, they go through trials and tribulations, their love is tested and yet in the end, they don’t necessarily end up together. Wangquan Hong Ye & Dongfang Huai Zhu should have been happy on the day they got married; but the ceremony was saddened by the loss of their near and dear ones, both numb and almost emotionally distraught. It is the way, this storyline builds up the love stories to end them tragically that leaves you devastated. Because the characters are intriguing, the actors literally embrace them and as audiences, you can’t help but fall in love with them. But the ending tears them apart and you never know what went wrong and where? It’s like torturing yourself for 30 or 40 episodes, expecting a “Happily Ever After” only to be met with a disappointing ending. I’m so exhausted after watching the finale episodes, maybe even numb myself!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/05/13/love-in-pavilion-series-review/#more-1800

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Memories Anchored in The Pavilion

The Premise -
In the ruins of a world cracking beneath the weight of its own pride and blood-soaked history, Love in Pavilion blooms as a love story, disguised in soft glances and restrained gestures, at first glance. However, beneath the sweeping robes and ancient vows lies a deeper, bitter undercurrent—where politics is war dressed in silk, and love is a rebellion far too dangerous to name aloud. It is in this volatile setting, two leaders, born of legacy and burden, are propelled towards each other only to be dragged back by the chains of duty and consequence.

The MCs-
Wangquan Hongye, brought to life with a devastating quietude by Zhang Yunlong, is not a man who reveals himself easily. His presence is blade-sharp, deliberate, and veiled in stoicism. Every word he speaks is filtered through decades of expectation, every action weighed against the legacy of the Wangquan clan. But it is in his silence where he speaks the loudest—where the tremor of an unsaid truth or a glance held too long betrays the man beneath the mask. He is not heartless. He is simply a man who has long since buried his heart for the sake of survival.

Dongfang Huaizhu, by contrast, is fire kept in porcelain. Liu Shishi captures her grace and pain with haunting precision. Huaizhu does not yield—she leads with a warrior’s poise and a healer’s compassion, forever torn between the preservation of peace and the ghosts of those she could not save. She wears her loss like armor, but even steel cracks under the pressure of too many expectations. Her alliance with Wangquan Hongye is not built on flirtation or fantasy, but on mutual wounds, shared silences, and an understanding forged in fire.

The Chemistry -

Zhang Yunlong delivers a mastepiece as Wangquan Hongye, embodying the character's stoicism, inner conflict, and restrained vulnerability with remarkable precision. His portrayal balances the weight of leadership with the quiet ache of unspoken longing, creating a complex and deeply human figure. Yunlong’s nuanced expressions and controlled emotional delivery breathe authenticity into every scene, making Wangquan Hongye both enigmatic and profoundly relatable. His on-screen chemistry with Liu Shishi, who plays Dongfang Huaizhu, is nothing short of mesmerizing—their subtle glances, unspoken tensions, clasped hands and shared silences speak volumes, crafting a slow-burning connection that feels both tragic and timeless.

Liu Shishi brings Dongfang Huaizhu to life with a mesmerizing and deeply nuanced performance, embodying the character with a haunting elegance and emotional restraint that is both powerful and deeply moving. She brings a quiet intensity to every scene, portraying Huaizhu’s inner turmoil, unwavering resolve, and buried vulnerability.

Her chemistry with Zhang Yunlong, who plays Wangquan Hongye, is simply sublime—an intricate dance of unspoken emotions and silent glances that pulse with tension and longing. Together, they command the screen with a connection that feels timeless, elevating their tragic romance into something achingly profound and unforgettable.

The Conflict-
Together, they are not lovers in the traditional sense. Their connection is slow-burning, buried beneath politics, wars, and the shattered remains of the Yiqi Alliance – a faction that’s barely managing to keep the vultures of war and death from unleashing itself upon this world.

However, it is precisely in that restraint—the aching pause before a confession, the brush of fingertips across a bloodied sleeve, the willingness to sacrifice not just their lives but their desires—that the bond between Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu becomes undeniable, concrete, timeless. Their chemistry is not loud, but it reverberates. It’s the kind of love that adds a layer of realism, reflecting the complexities of love amidst duty.

The series itself threads its narrative with that same aching restraint. It’s not interested in easy resolutions or romantic fantasy. It deals in hard choices, blurred lines, and impossible loyalties. Every moment of connection comes at a cost, every brief reprieve shadowed by betrayal or loss. And through it all, the Pavilion remains—a symbol of what once was, what might have been, and what will never be again.

Cinematography & Direction -
Visually, Love in Pavilion stuns. Its beauty is deliberate, almost cruel in how it juxtaposes the elegance of tradition with the brutality of war. The Bamboo Pavilion, where the two leads share many of their pivotal scenes, feels like a haunted relic—something out of time, echoing with all the things left unsaid.

The series is a visual treat, with meticulous attention to period details, costumes, and settings. The Bamboo Pavilion by the Huai River, a recurring motif, symbolizes the transient nature of life and love. The incorporation of traditional Chinese elements, from martial arts choreography to cultural rituals, enriches the viewing experience, grounding the fantasy elements in a tangible reality.

Conclusion-
In the end, Love in Pavilion doesn’t offer salvation. It offers understanding. A recognition that love, in some lives, must be endured rather than embraced. That power often demands the ultimate sacrifice—not of life, but of self. Wangquan Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu do not defy fate. They become it. And in doing so, they leave behind a legacy not of what was conquered, but of what was lost in the act of trying to hold on.

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A feast for your eyes! Not perfect though..

Love in Pavillion has to be the highest budget xianxia drama of the year, because the CGI! THE. CGI!! IS OVER THE ROOF! It's so good to the point that each episode felt like a movie! Not to mention the amazing CAST, filled with recently popular actors and actresses. What's not to love about this drama?

Liu Shishi (Dongfang Huai Zhu) is an actress that I've been watching since Chinese Paladin 3, granted there's a huge gap of her dramas that I haven't watched that I won't go into detail. I digress, I cannot picture much of her facial expressions in acting other than being stoic. Whether or not it's her character, the way she portrayed her character was quite boring for a lack of a better word. Her evil arc was good, but then it went back to be stoic expressions. I rarely see some microexpressions coming from her and I really expected that from a veteran in the industry. Unfortunately, her acting disappointed me. However, her martial choreography was beautifully done and I applause her for it! I even had to repeat a couple scenes, because it felt looked very crisp and invigorating.

Same goes for Leon Zhang's character. I mean his character was more expressive than Liu Shishi's, but there wasn't any acting that truly hit me as if, "WOW, this is amazing acting!" There was one scene that is suppose to be heartbreaking to watch, but I guess it didn't seem convincing enough for me? Granted, I did know he was heartbroken, and depressed, etc. But something was missing in that scene. I don't know if he improved in acting or not, as the one and only drama I've seen of his was from 2017. He is quite handsome though ngl. lol
With these two together as leads, I don't know if it's the acting or the script or even the directing, but the romance between them just fell flat for me. I did not see much chemistry between them, it just felt ilke two wooden planks talking to each other. I don't know, just a boring couple.
Aside from the main leads, I like to think the supporting cast filled with current popular actors and actress, carried this drama pretty hard.
There has to be something wrong if I prefer the secondary, tertiary, and even the VILLAIN'S love story over the main leads'.
My favorite couple from the beginning was Yang Yi Tan(Zhai Xiao Wan) and Wangquan Zui (Wu Xuan Yi These two fill the friends to lovers trope. I love how they met, grew up together, and one is always protecting the other, etc. It just uuggh I loved these two so much. LOL They had such good chemistry and bond. I demand another drama with these two together! The acting was very natural especially coming from idols to actors!

Another favorite couple is, I think it's everyone's fav at this point, Zhang Zheng (Ding Yu Xi) and Qi Muyuan (Meng Zi Yi). Their love story is more of a chasing after the one you love kind of story with some angst. It was cute when they do end up together and such. I don't want to spoil too much, but Meng Ziyi's is the more bubbly, outspoken character while Yu Xi's character is more stoic (except he displays microexpressions! ) and somewhat dark character.
Noteable mention is Charles Lin. Dude is handsome, his eyes can slice you within a second! Anyways, his acting was satisfactory imo. What stood out for me is his character's love story. It just felt like "US AGAINST THE WORLD" but make it dark and evil. I just loved it and wanted to mention that. lol

Shen Yue's character, Dongfang Qinlan, the younger sister of Dongfang HuaiZhu is pretty much a very bubble, incessantly annoying little sister - possibly overprotective -but-can't-protect-kind of sister. I suppose she's written to be a comedic relief? Regardless, there was something about Shen Yue's acting that threw me off every time she's on screen. It just felt like she's acting a screen play - that feeling when you know someone is just acting instead of embracing their character and acting naturally. I think this is the same acting style she portrayed in MG and ALSB. I just never enjoyed the way she acted, some may love it, but I did not.

Aside from the CGI and great ensemble of a cast, I think the music was really good, I'm definitely adding it to the list. The compositing of the scenery was nice to see, the directing of scenes was good as well. Post production did a great job here! :]
I think what kept me watching is how this felt like I was watching old xianxia dramas, just like a recently finished drama, "A Demon Hunter's Romance" both dramas felt like the early years of xianxia and it;s definitely my cup of tea instead of the usual predictable gods, goddess, endless reincarnation stuff.

Was it a happy ending? *spoilerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr* n *spoilerrrrrrrr* o *spoiler * p *spoiler e but I kind of expected this as not all xianxia are going to have happy endings.
Would I recommend it? If you want to watch it for main leads, I wouldn't think it's the best drama. But for the overall cast, yes definitely. And the martial arts choreography? Heck yes, watch it, The CGI?! FEAST FOR YOUR EYES!

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A journey through the battle between humans and demons

finished 8.5/10 🌟
*long review*

What a trip I had with #loveinpavilion
If I'm honest, my main reason for watching this drama was for the supporting roles and I was afraid of finding a boring story, However, I found that I enjoyed the overview more than I expected 👀

Now, let's get to what I liked most:
1) The protagonists, although they had criticism about their chemistry or their acting, I really liked them and enjoyed their moments both individually as individuals... I hadn't had the pleasure of seeing them perform before so I will try to look for more projects from both of them in the future 👏
2) The secondary characters were my main motivation and they didn't disappoint me.
The interesting thing is that most of them they achieved quite a bit of relevance after the drama was recorded, so in terms of strategy I feel that helped a lot.
I will make a special mention to my king Ding Yuxi who for me had the best cameo of all (I say this very objectively) he managed to exceed my expectations 👏✨
3) The special effects and the ost, I must say that they have been my favorites, they were in agreement and managed to capture each of the scenes
Now I'm going to talk about what I didn't like about the drama:
1) I feel it was poorly edited, at times there were scene jumps that left me confused and somewhat dazed
2) I feel like the number of episodes took its toll on them.
36 episodes weren't enough. A drama of this caliber deserved at least 50 episodes. They also wasted their time on the scenes, super lazy and silly.
3) There were characters that bored me to death, characters that drove me crazy, arcs that made me sleepy, and some really ugly costumes 😂
The good thing is that this was told so it didn't ruin my beautiful eyes

Having said all this, I have to be honest:
I knew what to expect and I'm not going to start criticizing it because everything was said in this story being a prequel.
There were actions I would have preferred to have been addressed differently, but I'm satisfied with the overall result.

This concludes this trip. 👏💗

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I finished this drama shortly after it finished airing, but I didn’t get the chance to write a review and put my thoughts down—until now. This was probably one of those dramas where you knew what to expect, but still kept hoping things would change. I didn’t expect everyone to die—the reality of the drama hit me hard. I finally understood why the male lead lived the way he did for the rest of his life.

Love in the Pavilion is the second installment of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, and I have to say, it was the one I looked forward to the most. Here are a few things I think the show did really well, and what I personally loved about it:

1. The Cast & Characters
The cast and the characters they portrayed were incredibly moving. I saw an interview with Liu Shishi and Zhang Yunlong, and I cried when he said:

“After Huaizhu left, one line came up in my heart: I don’t want to change the world anymore. I admit that I was wrong. Can you please give Huaizhu back to me?”

That line stayed with me.

Having Wu Xuanyi, Ding Yuxi, and Meng Ziyi join the supporting cast just made it even better—I was all for it.

2. The OST

The music was powerful. The one song that broke my heart over and over again was Rainie Yang’s “Burning Love.”
There’s a scene in episode 33 where Yitan ends up killing Wangquan—and she gives him the most heartbreaking gift: a dream, her specialty. The dream showed the happy ending that all of us fans were rooting for. I cried so hard when Rainie’s song played, especially at the line: “Whose love can be wider than the universe? It's ours.”

Right before the dream began, Wangquan said:

“No matter how dark the world is, I’m not scared because we have love.”

That line, combined with her gift—a dream—broke the spell he was under.. That whole scene destroyed me—I still cry when I think about it.

3. Story & Themes

The beginning was fun and lighthearted, introducing the supporting cast and their roles. But as the story progressed, the emotional weight became overwhelming—in the best way. If you enjoy adventure, wuxia, and stories of a group of loving individuals coming together for a greater cause, you’ll enjoy this series.

Just be prepared for heartbreak. This series seems to set the foundation for the third part, which I’m really hoping arrives soon—maybe even this year.

Final Thoughts:

A beautifully acted, emotionally intense series with unforgettable moments.

Rating: 8/10

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at some point i started dreading dongfang huaizhu's vacant eyes

pros:
-everything is very very pretty, everyone is very very pretty
-some good interpersonal relationships
-I liked the ml too
-it was fun to see a bunch of popular actors just popping up everywhere

cons:
-it is boring, it put me to sleep many times before I finally gave up. even just thinking about the story long enough to write a review is making my eyes roll back in my head out of boredom.
-the fl gave us nothing. lss can't really do a lot of expressions to begin with but this was... extreme. she might as well have been a mannequin the entire time. I had enough of her annoying sister with a 'heart of gold' too.
-a revolving door of popular actors meant the script had to be stretched wide and thin to accommodate them all which didn't work. I have yet to see an ensemble fantasy romance drama that worked.

I actually think liu shishi and zhang yu long could make an interesting cp, this just wasn't the drama for it.

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Better than Red Moon-nope, fizzles just as badly.

Initial visual impact was impressive so I had high hopes, and the sets/backgrounds are far less tacky than Red Moon, but I couldn't fast forward enough by the time I reached 14th episode to the point that I am dropping this. SO MANY and long CGI battles = shoot'em video game scenarios (overkill similar to Til The End of the Moon). Just couldn't get invested to care about the characters.
Guest stars acting and stories are better than leads--that's the only reason I persisted in watching-to see their stories/involvements-so I increased the acting stars to account for these guests. Watchable: ep 23 with Ryan Ding.
FL is the most monotone and emotionless than all her prior roles (where she is generally monotone and expressionless)
ML is handsome but his script is so lame he has little to work with.
Second couple story adds little to the main story.
Dialogue is so much filler to perhaps stretch the story to its 36 episodes.
PS. Now that the show has ended I am binge-watching at 1.25speed-still not much better to but fills the time.
Demon Hunter's Romance was much more enjoyable even with the ending that folks apparently hated.
Perhaps once done, I'll binge speed watch or use it as background noise to see how the story wraps up.

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