Immortal Samsara: Part 1

"When they carry out the punishment, look away, don't be afraid"

Rated= 9 ~ 41.5/50 ~ 8.3
RPG Scene // Elf Prince breaking hearts in Sky City. Sword a swinging and a gleaming

Karma waltz in and laughed HAHAHA Puny Mortal. BOW TO ME!
LITERALLY in my last review, for Ashes of Love, I had a whole damn rant being like, yeah, no, Xianxia and me aren't going to me friends, we dont jam, we're different elements, blah blah blah, unless Cheng Yi is involved I'm not interested.

Karma came for my ass so damn hard in this show, I'm going to be reborn bruised. I am speechless at how much I enjoyed this show and I can see from the reviews, that it's a show with a lot of criticism, especially with loss of plot and drag so of course me being me, my soul got sucked into this show and I binged it all weekend. My eyes are red, my head hurts but damn, what a ride LOL

I dropped this at episode 2 a few weeks back thinking, eh, I'll probably hate it but decided I had to be a good wife and watch Cheng Yi's parts. It was around episode 5 when I started to get interested so, yeah, it took a while to get going but I feel like that's very common with Xianxia. At ep 7, during a big battle, I knew stuff was going down. You don't introduce a big battle at episode 7 without it being a big plot device. From then, I was absolutely hooked.

Keeping this as short as I can, character wise, I loved most of the characters, and that rarely happens and that the fact that this is a xianxia, this was the Immortals sucker punching me into Monday with bloodshot eyes and getting drunk at my misery.

Cheng Yi - my man. This is why you are my bias. He has mastered how to speak with his eyes. Definitely prefer this to Love and Redemption, all though L&R is growing on me. He's a lot more 'fluid' in his acting here. I felt like perhaps it was just just how he was directed in L& R but he seems so much more comfortable here, so much so that he plays 3 different characters. Our 'original' ML, the Heavenly Emperor, Ying Yaun who is very tight lipped, straight collared and by the book. His mortal incarnation for his mortal realm trials, Tang Zhou who is much more playful and ambitious, and Ying Yaun's father, who pretty much starts everything with his ambition to rule all 3 realms, which by the way, Cheng Yi needs to play a villain. Like. I NEEED the man to play a villain because holy hell, I was not prepared for crazy eyed and silver wigged Cheng Yi.

Our FL, although played by the same actress, thankfully was not as dense as her Ashes of Love character. I actually fell in love with Yan Dan myself. She's pretty bright and playful and honest. And there were times when her reactions made me laugh or I said 'ohh cute' out verbally. So this is a first for me so far in all c-dramas I've watched, I usually never love the FL. Yan Dan I loved. I don't mind if the FL is a little weak. I prefer brains over brawn and as she's a lotus spirit who cuts out her own heart to save Ying Yaun, twice, it's perfectly reasonable that she's going to need some physical protection. And when you like the FL, I can walk her highs and lows with her rather than just watching for Cheng Yi.

I always feel that chemistry between leads is up to the viewer and personally, I felt the love and the heartache. Xianxia strikes me as a genre that you either love or hate and one of the most common criticisms is jumping between worlds. I understand that can break the flow for the viewer but this didn't for me. I followed the whole way. It is a little slow to start, the plot hits us in episode 7 and then the love actually starts to build afterwards. When everything reaches a pressure cooker pain, I was jumping off the cliff with Yan Dan. It's around episode 16 when we go to the mortal realm and we stay there for a good 30 episodes but I didn't feel disjointed. It felt very natural. Yan Dan was turned into a demon and just drops out of the sky having had her memories erased by a traumatised Ying Yaun and returns to her playful and spirited self. Ying Yaun inflicts the mortal trials on himself and as his childhood is mentioned, I believe he was actually reborn as human.
The relationship then repeats it's self but only this time, there's lessons learned. Yan Dan learns more about what it means to be in love and Ying Yaun, as Zhou, chooses his heart over his responsibilities. So when we get back to the Immortals, those lessons are pretty engraved in the characters as their love cements in the middle of the actual plot.

I understand how a lot of people can find this boring or draggy as the mortal realm and most of it's characters have very little do with the actual plot. There are villains but only temporary. They are easily dealt with and yet I was never bored. I was invested the whole way through and I have no idea why. I liked the little side quests and characters. I liked the relationship building between the leads. My only defence is Cheng Yi's eyes hypnotised me through the screen and I plead innocence because, I should have lost interest but I didnt. I couldn't stop watching.

Yumo was a very a satisfactory character to watch. He started off almost like a teenage boy who develops feelings for Yan Dan but it never embitters him. It's this love that pushes him to the mortal realm where he travels for 800 years looking for Yan Dan, unaware that she's stuck in the limbo river because she can't let go of her memories. So he has all that time to travel and cultivate so when we see him again, he's a very experienced and mature man and honestly, he was a little sexy to me. What was really lovely was although his feelings for Yan Dan were strong, and there was a little back and forth with Zhou, he never left Yan Dan's side. He was never cunning or deceitful. He was a true friend. And accepted in the end that he wasn't for her but chose to protect her nonetheless. That was very mature and sweet and appreciated the groundedness of the character.

Another character I want to add briefly is Fairy Ying Deng. She was set up to be the usual, obsessed with the ML bully but she gets shot down very early. Beautifully might I add, by YY, and instead of lashing out in the ridiculous way that these characters always do, by blaming it all on Yan Dan, she lashed out at Yan Dan and Ying Yaun equally. There's a nice cathartic downfall before she returns in the mortal realm and I'll be damned, I felt sorry for the girl. Again. I shouldn't have but I did. She just seemed so pathetic, I couldn't help it. She also made a gorgeous demon and I wish she had always been a demon. She looked way better with messy hair and red eyes than in all the pearled garbed of the heavenly realm.

Part one is 38 eps. Part two is 21 - 59 eps. Thankfully, I watched it on viki, so I seen early that there were 2 specials. If I had felt that 59 was the end, I might have been physically sick. How dare they. But I'm learning how common this seems to be with c dramas. Almost like a sneaky way of keeping people paying for a subscription. But keeping the 2 specials in mind, I found the true ending to be very fulfilling and satisfactory. Both YD and YY get the life they wanted together, the son they had dreamed off and YD gets to be a writer. Meeting up with her friends, taking in demons to build a theatre group and getting to see the reborn friend she lost earlier in the mortal realm arc. Whether or not they are mortal isn't answered but it doesnt seem like they were physically reborn as they live in the house they meet up in after their deaths but I honestly dont mind it so much, I was just happy to see them together and getting to live out the dreams they wanted.

One massive plot hole though was Lu Ming not recognising Ying Deng in the mortal realm, and felt that he was kind of brushed aside a little too easily having been killed off screen. I honestly didnt believe he was dead. But as he didn't play a huge role, I can forgive this and appreciate that it's mentioned at the end that he's in the mortal realm growing his favourite watermelon.

As for the music. That flute did not have to come for my heart the way it did every time it started to play. The instrumental music in this show for me was a 'where can I buy this' kind of background music.

Overall, I'd give this show a very solid 8.5 but I boosted it to 9 because the sister's death pulled a tear out of me. I can be critical but I always give credit where it's due. Watching the sister be defeated by her pride, get revenge for YD, redeem herself and then give her heart, and then her life for the love of her sister, really pulled on my heart strings.

I am in actual shock that I enjoyed this as much as I did and it has to go on my favourites list now. It's a long one but I do feel I could rewatch it again and still enjoy the romance as much.

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Nothing new, just enjoyable drama

Like title, just another xianxia drama with high profile ML & stupid servant. I took fancy Cheng yi recently. Maybe my review will particulary bias. The drama is not perfect with some plot hole. One is the timeline between heaven & mortal. Its seem they forgot to make heaven time much slower in heaven than mortal. because zhixi went dizhi, yingyuan weapon. tang zhou still look so young.
I like this Yandan better than other character Yang zhi play. Atleast Yandan act stupid just couple beginning episode then she start to mature and know what is responsibility. By the way, I'm not sure but I think somewhat they forget that Yandan only have half lotus heart. She can't be that powerful when she fight with Huanqin, right. And somehow they 'forcing' Yandan, a lazy and unwilling to learn fairy, smarter than Dijun who experienced for THOUSAND years of battle scheme. gifted or they just make her so she can meet ML.

Anyway, both Ying yuan or Xuan ye is gorgeous with white hair. To bad that they only appeared for 3 episode. I guess, that ying yuan hair and forehead mark not only because poison but also his lineage?. To be honest Xuan ye love story bit more interesting

The most annoying is Ying de fairy, she got pretty weird face and facial acting, dunno why they keep close up on her. Among other, she really look out of place. And I still dont understand why she start to bully zhixi that badly.I mean, i still understand if she bullied Yandan because she caught Ying yuan attention but her action start long time before that. Or maybe they just need her as stumble rock villain for protagonist.

Anyway, i heard this drama got too much censored so the editing pretty damn crappy here and there. Despite minus, this drama is pretty enjoyable. i enjoy the acting and song.

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Great Xianxia

Ah, I loved this one! A good old-fashioned xianxia served up with all the best plot devices, romance, numerous episodes, great acting, and strong writing. Without giving anything away, it's just a fun romp through xianxia land and took me back to the days of TMOPB and similar xianxias that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place.

As always I loved Yang Zi's performance as Yan Dan, the lotus fairy who is born into the Heavenly Realm. Cheng Yi and Ray Chang's performances were also noteworthy, but in this love triangle, I was team Yu Mo due to their wonderful chemistry! Deep down, I hoped they would just run away together!

There was some pretty bad acting among some of the supporting cast--Wang Hao Xuan as Dragon King Ao Xuan, but the leads were rock solid. They were endearing, especially when the trio went on their numerous adventures. I have to commend Vicki Xu on her portrayal as the evil fairy Ying Deng. Damn, she was one you really loved to hate.

Nice OST and impressive special effects made it a feast for the eyes and ears. Definitely recommend this one if you're a fan of xianxia shows. Looking forward to part 2!

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Despite its many, many faults, I liked this and have watched it many times ...

Actors ... I liked most actors, and they suited their characters especially Yang Zi and Cheng Yi, I have watched and loved both in other shows.
Characters ... The ML and FL were good, but some side characters were unnecessary.
OST ... Beautiful and well used within the show
Story line/plot ... Hmmm, the story line, at its core was very good, but it was flooded with forced confusion and angst which made it frustrating to watch.

This was a typical Xianxia .There is a lot to cover but I decided to keep it short. 1 of the most forced, problematic shows that I have seen, and I have seen a lot.
The FLs character was likable but was too obsessive/self-sacrificing. Her focus on love was too profound; it made her character seem weak and far too forgiving. She sacrificed so much but was given pain in return.
The ML started off likeable, but his ‘love’ lacked depth and was self-righteously pious. The show wanted us to see his heartbreak and feel his tears, but I wanted to see him fight for his love, not give her up so easily.
The ‘evil fairy’ ... her voice made me want to throw my PC out the window, but the actress was fantastic.
The sister made me want to throw my computer off the roof, but I liked the actress,
A lot of the problems could have easily been avoided and that drove me crazy.
Main plot. It's all very same old, same old but the Main leads made it enjoyable. There were a lot of side stories which made the show a little boring at times and far too many characters. If you cut out the unnecessary parts, it could have been a lot shorter and more profound. For all the things I disliked I still enjoy watching this; I do skip all the boring bits.

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The Love Will Last Forever

One of the best dramas of the year 2022. If you are a fan of Xianxia or Wuxia, this one is for you.
If you have watched dramas like "Love Between Fairy and Devil" This one is something you don't wanna miss.


STORY : The story is about star crossed lovers. Heavenly Realm, the home of our main leads Yan Dan, a descendant of four leaf lotus and Sovereign Lord Ying Yuan. In Heavenly Realm love is forbidden and the punishment for falling in love is very painful. Defying the rules, they fall in love.
As they try their hardest to keep their feelings to themselfs, Ying Yuan gets poisoned in a war against demon realm and Yandan saves Lord Ying Yuan's life by giving him half of her lotus heart, then her sister ZhiXi takes the credit for it and Yandan lets her.
She is later on framed for poisoning a fairy and on her way to get punished, she asks Ying Yuan that does he believe her. Ying Yuan knew all along it was Yandan who saved him and he knows about her feelings, but due to the heavenly rules and because he wants to protect Yandan from the punishment of love, he acts like he doesn't know the truth and that he doesn't love her. Yandan is heartbroken and since she was betrayed by her sister and then rejected by the man she loves, she jumps from the bridge of emptiness. Ying Yuan saves her from dying, but she can't be an immortal anymore, now she must go to the mortal realm. She is supposed to walk the night forgetting river and forget her memories to be able to go to the mortal realm. She couldn't forget Ying Yuan and walked for almost 900 years, until she was saved by Ying Yuan again and finally able to forget him.
When she finally goes to mortal realm, she is a demon. Her friend, our 2nd male lead who also is in love with her, Yu Mo, a descendant of the nine fins clan, left the heavenly realm to be with Yandan. He was searching for her for those 900 years in the mortal realm and finally meets up with her and brings her to his home. Ying Yuan is suspecting that something happened during the war and goes to investigate in the mortal realm. In the mortal realm he doesn't know that he is actually a sovereign lord. He is now Tang Zhou, a taoist whose sect kills demons. Naturally these two lovers were destined to meet and Tang Zhou imprisons her, but doesn't kill her. He starts slowly liking her and soon we are in the same situation all over again. Tang Zhou is supposed to be the next sect leader, therefore love is forbidden from him.


What i liked and disliked about the story?

I personally loved the story very much. I enjoyed that the story didn't happen only in the heavenly realm and the characters really shined in the mortal realm. The sisterly love between Zhixi and Yandan touched me as a big sister myself. Yu Mo being the best friend for Yandan was quite sad and beautiful at the same time. He sacrificed so much for Yandan but still could never take Ying Yuan's place in her heart. But he was fine with it. The love story between Yandan and Ying Yuan was beautiful yet painful to watch. It might be due to Cheng Yi being a such an amazing actor that i really felt the love Ying Yuan had for Yandan. The story was really full of sacrifices being made which was a little too much for me. They were literally ready to die for each other every 10 minutes..I felt like that was a little tiring. I really hoped for some kind of development for Yandan's powers. because i felt like she was just in the way a lot. She was told not to come because it's dangerous and yet she came and had to be protected quite a bit. Also another let down for me was the Ying Yuan's Azura bloodline. We are told about Ying Yuan's azura bloodline in the very beginning, yet i didn't quite understand how your bloodline could affect your personality. When we were told about Ying Yuan's parents, it was clear that Xuanye, Ying Yuan's father loved Ranqing, Ying Yuan's mother, but couldn't let go of his own greed for wanting to rule the six realms. He couldn't let either one go. "My love and this world, i can let go of neither of them"
So i didn't really get how Ying Yuan's azura bloodline could be a bad thing. And we really didn't get the explanation for it, His bloodline did activate in the last 5 minutes of the last episode.
The ending wasn't so satisfactory as i wished for it to be but it was saved due to the special episodes.

THE MAIN CAST:

YANG ZI as Yandan. I really enjoyed her acting as Yandan, she could play off the childish, care free version of her but also the mature version very well. She was to me a pretty standard fairy main role. "Cute" is the first thing that comes to mind when trying to explain her. She was cute but she was also selfless and smart. Yang Zi did a good job overall!

CHENG YI as Ying Yuan, Tang Zhou and Demon Lord Xuanye.
Cheng Yi did an amazing job as he had to act three different roles, even though Ying Yuan and Tang Zhou were pretty similar.

Ying Yuan was a responsible yet mischievious sovereign lord with the realms on his shoulders. He wasn't meant to fall in love but he did. Cheng Yi's acting when it came to Ying Yuan was top notch. When he was in love with Yandan, you could see it in his eyes and the way he smiled. Cheng Yi's smirks were everything! The hurt and care he showed towards Yandan felt so real.
Tang Zhou was very similar character to Ying Yuan but more free and selfish when it came to being with Yandan. Only because of his time as Tang Zhou, could he decide as Ying Yuan to stay with Yandan. Cheng Yi pulled it off so well.

Now, Cheng Yi, Cheng Yi.. He really didn't have to steal my heart like that but he did it and he did it as Xuanye. I feel like i just want a whole new season of Immortal Samsara but make it all about Xuanye. He stole the show. Cheng Yi as the bad demon lord was something i hadn't seen before and i fell for him in an instant. Hot, mean and cool. "DON'T BE STUBBORN. BE MY QUEEN"

apart from these two, i feel like Meng Zi Yi as ZhiXi really stood out the most for me.

THE MUSIC :

10/10. The ost Agarwood is something i've been listening a lot lately.

THE COSTUMES:
The outfits were everything! So beautiful! the costume team did an amazing job as the wigs for Cheng Yi were amazing and i loved all of his outfits! Yang Zi's clothes were also very beautiful yet they were pretty much the same. The best outfits had Meng Zi Yi and Cheng Yi for sure!

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Emotional roller-coaster !

I believe the team made it a point NOT to drag too much so it does progress quite fast to the extent i wished i could watch more of Yan Dan & Ying Yuan/Tang Zhou together. Its a matured love story and more about sacrifices one will make for the world/realms and not only on love. Acting wise is top notch from all of the actors and actresses. Cheng Yi's crying scenes really broke my heart so many times and his acting got me hooked on the drama. Yang Zi is also very good as she made me cry and laughed a lot. One of the better xianxias of all time but my favourite remains as love and redemption. :)

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THIS REVIEW IS FOR BOTH PART 1&2:

I did not expect to like this drama more than I did, mainly because I was ho-hum about Yang Zi as an actress despite watching a few of her dramas, but she was much better in this one, IMHO. The show definitely benefitted from the acting prowess of the cast, with Cheng Yi in particular. He was more subdued here and not a long-suffering idiot like he was in "Love and Redemption," which I liked.

Though a bit convoluted, the drama was fast-paced and rarely boring. There's a few downsides though: I do not know how much more repeated reincarnations that I can take. This seems to be the go-to tropes of historical dramas, but this one is a bit much, especially with the same evil resurrecting a few times, it became annoying AF. Also, the CGI is not the greatest, I would say even to the point of particularly bad and laughable in some instances. But all in all a good story about love and sacrifice.

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Very good plot and explainable storyline

It was very good throughout the drama i really enjoyed everything. Story was good. I skip like 4, 5 scenes. The actors was good it show emotions right but i didn't like the ending unless there is another season I am not fully satisfied with the ending. I have wanted more since it lost its main theme in the very last episode. I like how they do not turned friends into enemy at last moment as i have seen in some dramas and i was hell sure that they are going to do that but thank god they didn't but then it was unfair for the main leads so it make me regret at end however everything was making sense so i just accept the ending. They explained everything in the movie so you would not like when did that happened and how the happened. Give it a watch.

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One of the best romance xianxia dramas

Truly a love story that tugs at your heart strings!!!

Highly recommend this drama as it had the perfect mix of romance, action and angst. The two main characters truly loved each other unconditionally and the drama did a great job of character development for both of the leads. The acting and music was on point, Cheng Yi's acting never fails to impress - it's as if his eyes can talk!!! Yang Zi did a beautiful job of protraying her character as well - main lead's chemistry was off the charts. Highly recommend this drama!!

Rewatch value: 10/10 I would rewatch this!

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Forbidden Love, Emotional Suppression, and a Man Who Fell First

📝 Review
(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)

Season 1 is where the emotional foundation is built—and where most of the enjoyment lies.

We begin, as many xianxia do, in the Heavenly Realm, where love is forbidden because apparently divinity requires emotional repression. (Every time a drama insists enlightenment equals heartlessness, I sigh. But without it, we wouldn’t have the story.)

This is very much a he fell first romance. The problem? He also knew the consequences.

So instead of confessing, he does what every Heavenly official with trauma and responsibility does—he buries it. He acts cold. Detached. Unfeeling. Which, of course, only makes everything worse.

Watching her misread his restraint as indifference is where the emotional frustration begins—but it’s also where the tragedy gains weight. When she ultimately leaps from the Bridge of Forgetfulness, setting off the chain of events that leads to her becoming a demon, the story shifts from quiet longing to full-blown fate-driven heartbreak.

In the mortal realm, she lives freely without her memories, while he later undergoes his own mortal trial and becomes a demon hunter. Their reunion carries the same dynamic: he loves her first, again—but this time she pushes him away relentlessly.

The romance here is compelling—but undeniably frustrating. For every pull from him, there’s a push from her. When he finally grows a backbone and chooses love regardless of consequence, it feels earned. Painfully earned.

Despite the emotional chaos, Season 1 works. The world-building, the slow unraveling of truth, and the mythology surrounding duty versus desire give the romance real stakes.

💭 Final Mood
“Beautiful, angsty, and powered by a man who should have confessed sooner.”

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Immortal Samsara—My All-time favourite Fantasy Romance Drama. this will be a spoiler-free review.

The main plot is strong and full of twists. Just because it’s a romance doesn’t mean they threw in a random story and expected us to fangirl over the leads and a their fluffy scenes.

The female lead, Yan Dan is gorgeous, strong, smart, and talented. She speaks normally (no fake baby voice or clinginess), and she supports the male leads—she’s not constantly fainting into their arms or being helpless. Honestly, she's one of the best FLs I’ve ever seen: such a perfect balance of soft and strong. Compared to her, the male leads feel like the ones who need help sometimes😂 , yang zi did a great job portraying her role.

The second male lead loves her, sure, but he never annoys her with his feelings. He doesn’t get jealous or act petty toward the main lead. Instead, he respects both of them and handles things like a mature adult—not like the dramatic, toxic guys we usually get in these shows. Seriously, major respect.

The drama really focuses on what I love most: relationships and how we value them. It shows the love between siblings—Yan Dan and her sister's bond made me cry so much—and also love for parents (whether biological or not), mentors, friends who become like family… every kind of relationship, with both its good and painful sides. It's all there.

The side couples aren’t just filler—they actually show different, often heartbreaking 😭 love stories. The drama doesn’t sugarcoat romance or pretend it’s always beautiful; it really explores its darker, more painful sides too.

The locations and visuals are breathtaking. I could spend hours just staring at the walls, the curtains, the furniture, the costumes… each look is more stunning than the last. And don’t even get me started on the hair accessories 🥺✨🥺✨🥺✨🥺✨ Pure visual therapy. 💖💖

The soundtrack? Absolutely beautiful. Not a single annoying song. I’m adding them all to my Spotify and preparing myself to cry every time one comes on, because they all remind me of this show 😭🤧

I haven’t even talked about the main lead yet— A lot of people say Ying Yuan is just another cold, arrogant, overused type that girls fall for—but honestly? That’s just not true. From the very first scene, he was kind, funny, and never once looked down on Yan Dan. He appreciated her intelligence, played chess with her, and even when she made mistakes early on, he didn’t punish her harshly—they were literally playing together. Despite his high status and heavy responsibilities, he never lashed out or pressured anyone. He carried everything quietly and kept his emotions buried, but he still expressed them when he was alone. He was a real man—to his friends, followers, and everyone around him. Stubborn and self-sacrificing, sure… but honestly? Perfect husband. Perfect dad. Perfect boss/leader.

Cheng Yi truly outdid himself in this drama. He didn’t just play three characters—he became three completely different people.

Ying Yuan was calm, strict, and full of inner conflict—constantly torn between duty and love. You could see the love he was hiding in his heart just by looking into his eyes. It was like they were mirrors reflecting everything he felt inside. And those real tears… they hit so hard. Every scene where his heart was breaking—when he had to leave Yan Dan, when she misunderstood him, when she refused to come back to him—he made you feel every moment. I was shattered.

Then there’s Tang Zhou, the complete opposite. Open, kind, playful, and full of life—living freely among humans, far from the rules of the heavens. It felt like he was a totally different person, with no connection to Ying Yuan at all. That range?? Insane.

And finally, Xuan Ye. I don’t even need to say much—his story speaks for itself. He wasn’t just a “Demon Lord.” Even with the few episodes he had, Cheng Yi still managed to convey all the pain and struggle that shaped him. He made you understand him, even as a villain.

Even though the drama had over 60 episodes—and yeah, there were a few moments I didn’t like—and even though there were two endings (the original one and the extra episode ending), the depth of the story and how unique and well-written the characters were honestly made it easy to overlook those small flaws. I ended up really enjoying the entire journey, every single detail of it.

And in the end, I just want to say this:
Love—with all its beauty and pain—is hard, it’s heavy, and it’s also incredibly beautiful.
To find someone who truly loves you and accepts you as you are… that’s one of life’s most priceless treasures.
And the people around us who support us—our family, our friends—they’re the most beautiful part of life.

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