Love in Pavilion

Tragic but a beautiful story

To sum up, the story is about a group of masked heroes trying to keep the peace between demon and human race and their leader Hong Ye (Ba Ye) in donghua) and his love Dongfang Huaizhu. As a person who both watched donghua and the drama , I found story good. It was not perfect and there were plot holes of course but in donghua , it was like a brief story. No deep characterization , no deep feelings not a proper story. Therefore , I liked how they deepened and enriched the characters and made them alive without changing their cores. I liked how each of them had a story to tell it. If you didn't like main couple and were interested in side couples( there were four couples) , you can keep watching it since side couples had their own story.

Almost everyone don't prefer watching this drama because of its ending ( all main characters died very tragically ( except two people) but the donghua and manhua itself has this one. I know it is heart breaking and tearjecker but you should watch this one to understand better other parts( especially to Sword and Beloved) cuz LIP is beginning the story of them.

The drama includes many sub stories and some parts were very draggy for me when I watched the first time like dark era of FL , time travelling etc. but later I noticed that each sub story gives characters a message to be mature. You can see how their hopes and opinions changed episode by episode.

The only thing I didn't like was 34-36 episodes. It was too fast and I felt that I was in a time skip loop.

Acting /Cast

It was my first time to watch main leads and I liked their chemistry. Some pple say Fl has a serious face all the time and Ml is not handsome. I don't agree with both opinions. Huaizhu is a person who had to grow up fast as first child of fam because of her mom's death and you can't expect her to be energetic or talkative. She is a mature person despite her age and I liked this maturity. For Ml , I don't know how people define handsome but he was really eye candy espcially with his make up , elegant clothes and hair style. Before commenting on his acting , you should definitely watch from 34-36 episodes cuz he really cooked in these episodes. ( survival trauma , guilt , losing loved ones etc). Other actresses and actors were also great. From the guests to support characters , they were all expreienced and very talanted. Not only their visuals but also their actings served.

Music

The ost was perfect but there is one song ( Like Smoke) that I fell in love. It reminds me all the pain and love all the characters had whenever I listen. I even added to my fav ones and regulary listen whenever I have overthink moments :)

Rewatch Value

It depends on the taste but this drama is one of my Roman Empires so I can't be objective. All I can say is that it is a good choice whenever you want to cry but it is not a good choice for viewers who wants to get away from unpredictable things and world cuz the drama itself is a chaos.

Overall

Apart from its comedic parts and main story itself , the thing that impress me most is how our two main leads are mature , smart , devoted but both of them have grey area and know how to prioritize the things and people. Both of them are brave enough to sacrifice their loves and even their family for other people. Huaizhu knew that she didn't have enough time to live after she had a baby who carries two strongest weapons but she decided to do it because it was a good way to defeat Black Fox despite she loved Hongye very much. Hong Ye also deserves a prize cuz it is almost impossible to keep sane after all the deaths he witnessed. Man was like walking dead at the end but he kept living for his son , for his revenge , for other people and races' lives. And his love for Huaizhu was beyond all.

Side note : I am not sure this is the right place to write it but for the ones who will watch Sword and Beloved , please watch LIP to understend Hongye's decisions and behaviors to his son cuz this is the drama who shapes Hongye's personality, decisons and trauma. I know he will get too much hate for his behaviors but don't forget he has destinied to lose his loved ones and he experienced very tragically in LIP that he can't change this fate no matter what he does. He is not a green flag dad but no one can claim that he is evil while Black Fox is still there.

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Thanks for the Trauma, I Was Just Trying to Have a Good Time

I wasn’t even a wuxia fan before this, but wow, they really said “let’s give you trauma” and delivered. I came for Liu Shi Shi, and now I’m emotionally wrecked, fully invested, and questioning my life choices.
The cast? Absolutely stunning. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, not just because of their visuals, but because they embodied their roles with such depth and conviction. Even as someone who doesn't usually go for wuxia dramas, I found myself completely absorbed. Every scene was dripping with emotion, and the chemistry between the leads was undeniable.

What hit hardest was the sheer emotional weight of it all. The storyline is beautifully tragic, filled with clutch-tightening tension, heartbreak, and themes of love, sacrifice, and fate. The trauma was personal. Just when you think you’re safe, the show hits you again with another devastating reveal.

Now, I’m spiraling. I need to know everything. What happened to their child? Did Lady Black Fox actually win? I didn’t expect to get pulled into a whole franchise, but here I am, planning to watch every single arc and every reincarnated character storyline.

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Sleeper drama - WAY better than Red Moon Pact!

I've noticed a lot of people saying the same things. I went into this drama with little to no expectations because of how bad Red Moon Pact was (I did not finish the predecessor lol). I was pleasantly surprised at how this drama slowly pulled me in episode by episode...

The ML is a big reason for this. I have not watched Zhang Yun Long before but after watching LIP, I am a fan. His character Wangquan Hongye is my favorite in this drama. He's powerful and completely goal driven, but as serious as his life and situation is he still doesn't have a serious or boring personality. He's playful and caring towards the ones he loves and when he falls in love, he's an absolute adorable puppy dog. By the end (SPOILER) he had me crying with him. ZYL did an excellent job in the last two episodes and really portrayed how broken, empty and hopeless of a man he became after losing most of the people he cared about. But then allowing in a smidge of happiness when becoming a father and soldiering on.

As for the FL, Liu Shi Shi is not my favorite actress but I don't hate her at all. I have mixed feelings about the character Dongfang Huiazhu. LSS's face is beautiful and I had no idea she was in her late 30s until I looked it up, but she's just not very expressive with that gorgeous mug lol There's also not much range in her voice when she's portraying different emotions. None of these opinions would put me off from watching her again though. At the end of the day I still think she's watchable and effective. I still found myself rooting for the main CP's romance from ep 1. They looked great together and were a perfect match when it came to their personalities and powerful positions in their families. I found their love to be sweet and you could see by the end how deeply they cared for each other. There were also no competing love interests or misunderstandings that led to unnecessary break-ups etc...

Side characters: besides the ML, the rest of the characters shown brighter for me. The entire Masked Group stole my heart, especially Li Gou and Wangquan Zui. Shen Yue's character, Dongfang Qin Lan was very pretty and hilarious as well. Only two of the side couples had enough scenes to make them significant. The first CP is Wangquan Zui and Yang Yitan of course. Their love story was so natural and innocent. The 2nd CP was Zhang Zheng and Qingmu Yuan. That story was great and the actors killed it like always. I did want to see more of Red Eyes and Mu Mie/Qin Lan and Li Gou. But neither of those stories turned into anything positive.

The villains: I like Lin Bo Rui but his acting here was just okay. He has such a cute face too but there was zero emotional sell for his character. At the end of the day, he got the job done I guess. Jia Lan was very pretty but we didn't get enough scenes with her not in smoky Black Fox form for me to care for her. But the entity of the Black Fox itself was a formidable antagonist. She made you terrified of her and hate her at the same time. Jin Renfeng was a useless weasel in my opinion. I couldn't stand his face or listen to his voice so I mostly spaced out during his scenes. The Nangong family were better villains but they weren't significant for long.

The ending: This drama ending was not a happy one, but it was actually executed well for a xianxia. The story ended on a straightforward and impactful note. Both the lead actors did a great job in last 2eps as well.

Music/Cinematography: The songs are sweet and catchy. Very fitting for the drama. The visual effects weren't awesome but not offensive. The costumes were nice and all the characters looked great in my opinion.

Overall, I'm happy I gave this drama a chance despite not liking RMP. I got way more into it than I expected to and got so attached to my Masked Group :( I'm actually excited for Sword and Beloved now. Please don't let us down!

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If beauty of love and relationships can be expressed through a drama

This is my first ever review on MDL despite being an active user since 2020. I felt compelled to write this review since this drama has really touched my heart. It’s officially my favorite Xianxia of all time. I had no idea what to expect heading into this drama, I’ve not watched RMP and neither have I read any of the novels. I’m a Liu Shi shi fan so was excited to watch her new drama. I was mind blown from the very first episode – the music, the VFX, the action sequences, the costume, the background, the storyline, the suspense. I have to confess I’m also a fan of all the secondary leads so it definitely helps to have such a star studded lineup.

Wangquan hong ye – I can’t begin to express my love for him. I am ashamed to admit, I didn’t particularly like Leon Zhang before LIP. I’ve only watched him in the furthest distance, and his character was quite weak in the series. His portrayal of Hong ye has blown me away. He is my absolute favourite character in the whole series, (even without watching the other parts). He literally had the weight of the world on his shoulders through the drama, trying to overcome the eternal night and maintain peace between humans and demons. I felt bad for him initially when huai zhu gave him grief for his scheming and cunning mindset. Give the boy some love, he was only trying to do the right thing. He is such an amazing actor, I felt every emotion he went through in the drama. He is also damn gorgeous in this drama. Fell in love with his snake demon look, gosh, melting heart types. I’ve become a proper Leon Zhang fan now, stalking his profile and watching all his previous dramas. I’m not sure how to get over his character.

Dongfang Huai zhu – What a character, I loved everything about her. She is beautiful, powerful & independent. I can totally understand why Wangquan Hong ye was captivated by her from the very first episode. I think any male character would be in love with Huai zhu as well, haha. Liu shi shi nailed this role. She totally made up for the initial pain she gave Hong ye by showering him with love in the second half of the drama.

Storyline: Love the story from start to finish. Every episode was exciting and there was a logical conclusion to the story. All the side characters and their stories contributed to the main story.

I cannot ignore the last 6 episodes, I don’t remember any drama in recent history where I’ve cried straight through the last few episodes and also for a week straight after. The ending is tragically beautiful, it makes sense. Your heart absolutely breaks for Hong ye though, you wonder why he has to go through so much pain. One scene sticks in my mind, when the midwife told he has a son, his first reaction was how is huai zhu? ☹ His love always come first and foremost to him.

I’m waiting for Sword and Beloved, hope their son makes everything worth it in the end.

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This is better than red moon pact but main leads lacks love part they concentrate on killing black fox, they say hongye is arrogant planning cunning i feel dingyuxi is better than him hongye as calm and innocent face whereas yuxi will be perfect for arrogant look he has micro expressions , plot was good I watched every single episodes without skipping bcz in next season I'm waiting for CHENGYI (he is the god of costume dramas) so I should not confuse the storyline.
Everyone as favourite couple but mine is Huaizu mom and dad story eventhough she has ulterior motive he loved with whole heart. Okay let's wait for chengyi masterpiece acting ...

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Love, sacrifice and everything in between

This drama initially felt like a lot to take in, given its expansive world and numerous characters. However, as each character's story unfolded, I grew to genuinely love them. It's a classic tale of love, sacrifice, and saving the world, but what makes it truly special is its masterful role as a prequel, seamlessly setting the stage for the other dramas in the Fox Spirit series.

While I started watching for Zhai Xiaowen and was curious about Ding Yuxi, it was Zhang Yunlong's presence that truly captivated me. This is his first drama that I watched, and I was utterly blown away by his stunning visuals and undeniable talent. His chemistry with Liu Shishi was explosive!

If you're a fan of both heartwarming romance and thrilling fight sequences, this drama is definitely for you! A must-watch for drama series enthusiasts.

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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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MAJOR SPOILERS!! OVERALL THOUGHTS AS I WATCHED.

Overall, this was a good drama, but it didn't truly captivate my attention until the last 5 episodes. It was a good watch but I don't think it was exceptionaly. For some reason, I had a little bit of trouble following with all the time jumps and added future characters too. It felt like this drama was being a little bit too complex plot-wise.

I do have to say though that this drama's visuals are insane. I'm talking about face cards, actors, actresses, and sets. It is just so "pretty." Holy though, there are so many different couples and pairings throughout this drama.

The biggest thing I took away is that I love to see the found family that occurs from all their troubles. The love and protection they try to have over everyone in the Mask Group just shows this. Till the very end, everyone was willing to give up everything to save the others and their loved ones. Bro, this drama is my first c-trauma I think. Everyone basically died, so I don't even know how to collect my thoughts.

Woah, this drama has all the actors/actresses in it. Shen Yue, Hou Minghao, Ding Yuxi, Zhai Xiaowen, Zhang Ruonan, Meng Ziyi. I'm telling you, the 1st minute of this drama, when Hou Minghao appeared, it gave me high hopes. Aww...the 100 eyed Demon Lord just wanted to give back to his loved ones. He sacrificed himself for the good cause.

"Appearance comes from the heart." That line is so true, even though Huaizhu didn't know who the leader of the Mask Group was, through his actions and caring personality, she will find him physically attractive as well. I thought the scene where Qin Lan was talking bad about Hong Ye was so funny, because all of Hong Ye's people knew his true identity as the Mask Group leader but Huaizhu and her sister didn't.

"There's people that come from humble origins, but keep every promise they make, and are always kind to everyone." Xiaowu's death actually broke me. And then Chu Jing's sacrifice of himself and his demon core to make it snow one more time for Xiaowu. Xiaowu's last words to Yang Yan and even telling her not to hate her horrible family just shows the kindness in his heart that was lost. He was loyal until the very end.

After watching episode 8, I do believe that Hong Ye is a good person and he does things out of the goodness of his heart, but he has to hide behind the identity of the leader of his clan. He does have a duty to fufill, but later in the drama, I'm sure that he will end up doing things to help others (demons and humans) instead of gaining benefits for his clan. It's just a matter of time and I think that's when Huaizhu will end up falling for him too.

Why were Huaizhu and Hong Ye literally playing a stripping/gambling game!? Hong Ye fell in love in the 1st episode and literally has not stopped. He's folding, head over heels for Huaizhu. Why did we literally get a kiss with Yitan and Zui before Huaizhu even started liking Hong Ye.

Aww...I really like the 2nd couple in this drama. Yitan saying "When it comes to my life and Zui's life being in danger, I choose hers without question." Their relationship progress is moving along a lot faster than the main leads.

Seeing all of their fates in episode 15 made me actually really sad. They all died trying to protect each other and the good in the world. If that ending is how the drama ends, I won't be able to handle it. (I couldn't handle it)

I also love ig you would consider them the 3rd couple (Cuiyu and Mu Mie).

Episode 16 and 17 are the ones where the show starts to pick up and get exciting for me.

“If we can’t live together, then let’s die together.” Hong Ye is willing to give up everything, even his life to get Huaizhu back. He literally pledged to give up his life with the umbrella of purity to make sure the demonic side comes out of Huaizhu. I loved that whole episode with the Masked Group all fighting together and Hong Ye giving up everything for Huaizhu in the end. And then she came back and that is when she started realizing the good in Hong Ye’s heart and the devotion he had. That whole scene was so harmonious. And the hug they shared after with Huaizhu finally opening up emotionally. The kiss they shared was beautiful as well on the bridge.

Red Eyes gave up her own life for Mu Mie, when she was the one he loved this whole time. "Dummy, thank you for being the proof of me being alive and being loved." That confessino by Mu Mie and Red Eyes was so beautiful, but then it ended in the next 5 minutes. They deserved more screentime together, but it was too late.

Why does white hair look better on like every cdrama ML ever!? Also, here's another couple that I like better than the main leads: Zhang Zheng and Qing Muyuan. There's so much history and emotional connection between the 2.

"Two shoulders can hold more than 1 persons. In the future, let's both share your burdens." Even though the main couple is kind of boring to me, I do gotta say, they are always supportive towards each other.

Why was I lowkey kind of sad and moved when they showed the scene of Jia Lan fading away after trying to save Lord Jiuhuo. And the kiss that Jia Lan and Lord Jiuhuo shared after was actually kind of emotionally tugging. Why was I actually sad when Lord Jiuhuo died and asked Huaizhu and Hong Ye to "set Jia Lan free" by killing the Black Fox? All he wanted was a chance with Jia Lan again...

The start of episode 31 had me with a very unsettling feeling. Everyone was planning for the future with each other and it was their last get together with everyone. Some people of the masked group already have families to go back to. The father in the masked group better get to go back to his daughter. Also, Quzhou and Qin Lan better get the time to make a big confession. Please, I don't have a good feeling about the ending.

NOOOO...the first one is down. Why did Zhang Zheng have to die like that? In the hands of his loved one, yet he still reassured Muyuan and said that he doesn't blame her at all. Muyuan better go on her villain arc after this bruh. I spoke too soon, she died like 2 minutes later and accomplished nothing. Hey, at least they're reunited in the afterlife.

Quzhou and Zizai's last scene together broke me though. The life exchanging talisman being put into work by Zizai. "Quzhou, you still go on and protect this world. I'll still protect you." Zizai once gave up his hand to save his brother and now he gave up his life to save his brother. I did not expect that at all.

Holy, they're dropping like flies. Yitan killing both Qiyue and Zui will haunt him for the rest of his life. Honestly, the guilt even if he survives this battle will destroy him. It won't matter that he was being controlled, it is better for his sanity that he die in this battle too. Qiyue's death hurts in a different way though, because his daughter will never get her dad back. The way he already had a whole family, but will never get to see them again. I have a bad feeling about Zui because her mask was shown dropping too. Everyone's mask who has dropped has died so far. Then, Zui getting stabbed directly in the heart by one of the only people that loves her: Yitan. I just know it is going to cause some tears, because Yitan has never protected and loved anybody as much as Zui. The way Zui still protected Yitan after he stabbed her just shows how deep their love goes. Wait, I'm actually kind of sad that most of their future was not able to be changed. Yitan having to still pull out his clarivoyant eye to stop the Black Fox from predicting their moves. The line that every person is saying to their loved ones: "I'm coming." Basically, telling them that both their lives ended, but at least they're together in the afterlife.

Hongye's scene where he had all of the masks of the fallen members of the Mask Group was UNNEEDED. That was like the 100th stab of my heart in the last 5 episodes of this drama. The guilt he must face and then they started replaying the death scenes, like stop please.

Hongye and Huaizhu's wedding was supposed to be the best night of their lives, but it was the most depressing and disappointing. Episode 35 was actually so depressing, with none of their hearts being in the marraige. Hongye is so far and deeply affected by the battle that happened that he has lost sight of who he is, even though he still knows and has that instinct to protect Huaizhu.

But...the start of Episode 36, we got that feeling of the old Huaizhu and Hongye. I loved the burst of energy Hongye got when Huaizhu told him she's pregnant. You could still feel the love in that hug they shared and their tears.

Ok, I know I said that the main couple was not my fav, but I cried the most when their story ended. When Huaizhu told Hongye the truth after childbirth and then her last wish of them replaying their first meeting with the mask and everything. WHY DO THE PRODUCERS ALWAYS REPLAY EACH COUPLE'S MOMENTS!? STOP DOING THIS TO ME. "At least the heavens let me meet you." STOPPPP!! That child will grow up being so powerful, but never having any memory of his mother. Everyone was robbed of a happy ending.

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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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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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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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