The Eternal Fragrance

The Eternal Deception

Disclaimer: This review only covers the first 21 episodes as I'm too pissed off to continue. Furthermore, the storyline is an absolute trash that I would watch back in 2023.

Alongside "Legend of the Rosy Clouds", "The Eternal Fragrance" is shelved in the dungeon as well, serving an absurdly long sentence of 3 years before finally earning the green light to air publicly. Back then, this drama had no serious conflicts, law-breaking scandals, and whatsoever. Nevertheless, Youku preferred to dump it in the abyss rather than airing it quickly. I understood that Ju Jingyi did have a huge debate with her former agency, Siba Media, regarding her contract agreement, but that issue wouldn't stretch to this kind of treatment. Unfortunately, after 6 gambles (and all literally failed), Youku decides to show its trump card and hopes that this drama can turn the tables for Youku's chaotic monetary (just my deduction). However, you'll have to bite the bullet if you badly want to see this drama, because it is plagued by several issues that I'm going to list below.

The story centers around an unlikely couple - Xiao Bangchui/Jiang Lifei and Lei Xiuyuan. Originally named Bangchui by her master, the carefree yet cunning Lifei enters the elite academy of Chufeng to cultivate into a stronger girl, as she desperately searches for her missing master and long-lost senior brother. On her journey, she encounters a reality-hardened and equally sly young man, Xiuyuan. Xiuyuan originally comes from Gao Lu - a befallen country, and he needs to enter the academy to kill Lifei and controls a nine-tailed fox demon which is residing inside her hair to cure his sworn brother, Lu Shanhua. As the two play a dangerous psychological game to achieve their personal goals, they are attracted by the opposition of their characters and grow closer amidst the danger of Xiuyuan's past reincarnation as the demon lord, Ye Cha. Lifei enters Wuyue Court to look for her senior brother while Xiuyuan FOMO-ly comes to the same place to get close to Lifei (after multiple dreams of Lifei being his past lover).

Aside from this couple, we've also got several couples as well. Firstly, Baili Changyue and Ye Ye. Changyue and her sister Gelin also come from Gao Lu, while Ye Ye is the crown prince of Gao Lu, with Xiuyuan serving as his body double when their country was attacked. Since then, Ye Ye has been feeling guilty for Xiuyuan because he is supposed to die in the first place, not the latter. Changyue and Ye Ye develops a romantic bond in the academy and are admitted to Dizang Sect. Against Changyue's wish, Ye Ye openly confesses to her and wants to be more than an ordinary cousin.

Secondly, Baili Gelin and Lu Li. Gelin is Changyue's younger sister and also admires Ye Ye from afar. When she realizes that Ye Ye only chooses her sister, Gelin feels heartbroken and decides to go to Wanxian Sect after meeting the enigmatic Lu Li. Much to Gelin's confusion, Lu Li always speaks in riddles, proverbs, or even poems. But Gelin secretly admits that Lu Li might be a compatible partner for her.

Thirdly, Ji Tongzhou and Lan Ya. Tongzhou is the crown prince of Yue Country, and he always showers affection to Lifei, despite having an engagement with his cousin, the bitchy girl Lan Ya. Tongzhou ultimately goes to Xingzheng Hall, where a relative of his helps him there. Lan Ya, having been expelled from the academy, often goes to Xingzheng Hall to beg Tongzhou to marry her instead of yearning for Lifei. The couple has an absolute toxic relationship; I can tell you that.

To be honest, for a xianxia lover like me, this kind of story is too outdated for a 2026 release. Usually, I love stories with misunderstanding and betrayal tropes, to the point of feeling the tension boiling beneath. However, I don't feel anything from "The Eternal Fragrance" and even contemplate that their push-and-pull interaction is to distract the watchers from the impending doomsday. Cultivation, tribulation, star-crossed lovers, formation, and artifacts are also the tropes that I have always loved since the beginning of my journey in xianxia drama - but this time, everything feels redundant as if the screenwriters had copied and pasted the prior formula of a generic xianxia drama without making any improvisations necessary to keep the watchers hooked. The editing is quite choppy (courtesy of cutting 7 episodes in one fell swoop), CGI looks distorted/truncated (you can compare it with "Love and Redemption", sets look incongruous especially the tournament area's realm, and the main couple's story is undercooked as well. In other words, I feel that other couples are more interesting (I hope to see more of Lu Li and Ye Ye). Furthermore, the soap opera of Wuyue Court is a complete humdrum to me, not even the new master of Lifei can save the day. And why does the screenwriter add the love triangle formula into the plot? That bastard Senior Qin is seriously up to no good, yet Lifei still clings to her and deliberately ignores Xiuyuan's warning. However, I have a hunch that love triangle is used as a plot device to deepen the proximity of the main couple (no offense, but Senior Qin is a double-faced jerk).

I have mixed opinions regarding the acting. Ju Jingyi as Lifei does deliver the carefree essence needed to execute her character but coupled with her high-pitch shrieks and constant privation of needing help, I can't help to roll my eyes and feel disgusted of her. Thank goodness, her voice is dubbed by someone else, so I need not hear her seductive tone. Meanwhile, Song Weilong always distracts me from watching properly - I don't know why, but whenever he appears, I don't feel any connection to his character. From now on, I guess I need to avoid his dramas (I'm officially declaring that I'm not a fan of his). The two generate totally zero chemistry and don't even emit the electrifying tension of a couple - instead, they look like two con artists sharing a same boat to overcome crisis over and over again. I'm not gonna lie, but the level of deception is too exaggerating to my liking and I'm tired of it already. Other actors have done their best according to the given srcipt, so I can't complain too much.

OSTs are meh again, even with Zhou Shen, Zhang Zining, Zhang Yuan, Curley Gao, Bo Yuan, Lai Meiyun, and Ren Ran on the deck. Costumes are surprisingly pleasant to eye. But sets and backgrounds are a miss for me (perhaps due to the obsolete aspect of the drama).

Overall, highly recommended only for Song Weilong or Ju Jingyi's hardcore fans or someone who's facing drama drought this summer (though it's not a drought yet). I have no more words to say about "The Eternal Fragrance", but it's better safe than sorry. Thank you for reading, good luck, and happy watching!!!

Read More

The Eternal Fragrance (2026) Review

I’ve only watched 6 episodes, yet I’m already completely hooked. Two episodes a day doesn’t feel enough for me anymore. Anyway, Song Weilong was only 24 during filming, and the way he carried such a mature role at such a young age genuinely impressed me.

I’ve always loved the enemy-to-lovers trope, but what makes this even more interesting for me is how their relationship is slowly shifting into friendship before becoming lovers. Watching their true personalities gradually unfold makes the drama even more engaging. I’m extremely curious about the upcoming episodes.

My rating is definitely 10/10.

I highly recommend this drama to everyone. The mix of magic, cultivation, enemy-to-friends, friends-to-lovers, and so many hilarious moments makes the drama feel incredibly lively and entertaining

Read More

Disjointed

The pacing and execution seem off in the first few episodes of this series. While energetic and likable, the FL is something of a scam artist. She looks like a 14-year-old and those around her call her “child.” It’s hard to take her seriously, at this point, because she gasps, shrieks, and overacts whenever anything unexpected happens. Other characters posture, simper, and exaggerate as well.

The CGI is jerky, disjointed, and hard to follow, and the nine-tailed fox is especially crude. He looks like someone threw red paint on him. I should note that he changes sizes and appearance throughout the drama, even becoming human at one point.

The ML is surly and unfriendly and keeps trying to kill the FL (he’s actually after the nine-tailed fox), while she keeps giving him a pass. For all these reasons, I don’t have a lot of hope for this series. But I’ve learned not to judge based on first impressions–so we’ll see.

Episodes 5 thru 8. There are still problems with the plot, the execution and the characterization in these episodes. Overweight characters are either evil or function as comic relief.

The background is often way too blurry, sometimes I can’t tell a tree from a bush. The “exams” don’t make a whole lot of sense. What’s being tested–other than martial arts?

One of the “exams” consists of a life-sized game of Go, but the rules aren’t explained. Everyone just suddenly finds him- or herself on a huge game board. The female lead is imbued with a “fragrance” that drives the ML crazy. He doesn’t seem to know whether he wants to kill her, marry her, or bite her neck.

This series certainly isn’t boring, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either. Shanhua was hanging by a thread in Episode 1, on the edge of death. And now it’s days, if not weeks, later. Apparently he’s still hanging.

In Episode 8, the romance is front and center. Once again, the ML puts his life on the line to save the FL. Is this the sixth time? Or the seventh?

***********************
Episodes 9 through 16. The background is less blurry, and the story has improved somewhat. I wish I could say the same for the ML. This dude is still a pit of negativity with no hobbies, no interests, and no friends. Every once in awhile, his irises turn amber which is a sign to the viewers that he’s experiencing demonic (lascivious) impulses. Otherwise we’d have to depend on his acting to clue us in--which would be a real shame because he doesn’t do nuance well.

He’s pretty cute, though, so he gets away with it.

Speaking of getting away with it, our FL has a few issues of her own. When it’s time for the various sects to select their future disciples, on what basis do they decide her fate? Is it her grade point average? Her level of cultivation? The guys who do the choosing apparently take two things into consideration. First, they all think she’s pretty cute. But the number one reason is–she can cook! Of course she can--especially radishes.

Later

Ninety percent of this series seems to be devoted to two issues: 1) the fact that so many characters, both major and minor, are in love with someone who doesn’t love them back–and we all know what a tragedy that can be, and 2) the ongoing conflict between humans and demons, the latter often appearing as hairy monsters with bad wigs in makeshift Halloween costumes. The handsome and impressive actor, Chen Zheyuan, appears in Episodes 21 and 22–playing the role of an evil baddy. Little things like that keep me going.

Still later

I’m dropping this series. It’s just too tedious and repetitious–even though both the ML and FL have changed for the better in significant ways. The ML now seems to be something of a team player. Previously, the ML and the SML got along like two wasps in a jam jar, but now the ML is actually working alongside the SML to defeat the enemy.

The so-called “masters” have shown poor judgment and lack of discernment at every turn. Too much squabbling and carrying on about nonsense from everyone.

Movie makers, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make a suggestion. Next time you decide to hire two directors to work together on a romance, make sure that one of them is a female. I understand that 80 percent of your viewers are women, but at times the female perspective was poorly represented in this drama.

Read More

I just created this account to say one thing: this sucks, please do not watch it, and save yourself time.

At first, the drama did not make sense, but overall it was okay, as I was still somewhat looking forward to watching the next episode. As it went on, some of the choices the writer decided to make made no sense at all, so it was just up and down.
Toward the last episode, I was angry, disappointed, hated everything, and regretted ever continuing to watch because, as a person that have watched a lot of dramas, I guessed how the second lead was going to be so obsessed with FL, after watching the episode where he dreamed of losing everyone, but I kept watching believing the writer would change it up. But they did not, and they just kept dragging the whole drama. I am truly sad that I spent so much time watching this drama.

And one thing that made me uncomfortable is how the other character did not really care about the ML; it felt like everything was just about the FL, as all the characters adore her, and I am happy that they did, but I did not like how the ML did not get any love or true friendship with anyone else. I love a Man that is all about his girl, but this was just not it.

I am the type to never comment on anything unless it has some effect on me, and this was one of them.

Read More

Eternal Fragrance more like Eternal Mess.

This drama has some amazing top actors, actresses, etc and yet they could not muster a single decent braincell to write a drama worth remembering and rewatching. I am not so bias of being a fan of both leads that I will say “Oh this drama is good. amazing! wow! Ice cream so yum yum good.” Like no. It’s total garbage 💩 I’ve seen better Xianxia dramas I’ve seen not so good ones and this one takes the cake of the worse of them all. A short drama Xianxia can hold a candle, lite it, and watch it burn brightly in the dark. Over this hot edited mess. I don’t fault the actors as their only doing a job they got hired to do. But I do fault Siba, Youku. They did the same crap with my other favorites dramas such as Yang Zi Immortal Samsara. (Granted it’s billion galaxies better that this mess) still at times the writing was horrible. Seems like they always screw up her Youku dramas truthfully. Then you have Peng Xiao Ran…Shining just for you. That drama was supposed to be the it for my girl. Instead they reduced a 40+ drama to 25 episodes. Botched editing so bad scenes that were cut out somehow made it into the song opening. 😭 Then we have them do the same again with her other drama Love and Crown. There’s Seven Tan with Brocade Odyssey. Horrible chopping etc. I can go on but the point is. This drama has so much potential only to be slanted and shafted for three years. This drama is so poorly bad it has no memorable nor menacing movements with any character. just plain pointless. I rather they kept this drama eternally.

Read More

The Plot Are Interesting

After watching the first six episodes of The Eternal Fragrance, I’m really enjoying it so far. The story starts at a steady pace as it builds the fantasy world and introduces the characters, but it becomes more engaging with each episode as the mysteries begin to unfold. Ju Jingyi and Song Weilong have wonderful chemistry, and their interactions feel natural, making the slow-burn romance enjoyable to watch. Song Weilong brings a calm, charismatic presence to his role, while Ju Jingyi gives a charming and expressive performance that fits her character well. The drama is visually stunning, with beautiful costumes, impressive cinematography, and a lovely soundtrack that enhances the emotional moments. Although the plot is still laying the foundation and hasn’t revealed all of its major conflicts yet, the first six episodes have done a great job of keeping me interested, and I’m excited to see how the story develops.

Read More

don't drop drama by reading reviews..!!

those who watched and enjoyed xianxia(fantasy drama ) before ,this is a must watch drama for them...and its one of the best drama...im sure if you start watching, you are gonna love it ...dont drop drama judging reviews ,,not everyones thoughts are same ,you watch a few episode and choose yourself,,,,in either way ,cdrama basded on wuxia and xianxia needs a bit patience,,,if you can be patient and complete ,you wont never be dissapointed to any drama ,,,,for this drama you just watch 4 ep then you decide to continue or drop...! the drama is not for beginner of fantasy world!

Read More

A romance fantasy with a yearning male lead and a determined female lead

The current reviews are harsh. I do agree, this show would have done better if it came out closer to its production and completion. I also do with we got those seven cut episodes because I do think it would have buffed out some more under explored aspects. That said…I loved it! If LBFAD can have an 8.7/10, I don't see why this show can't hit at least 8.

It gave me Love Between Fairy and Devil vibes not because of the demon lord vs fairy concept but the coloring and overall production — but with an arguably more satisfying ending.

The things about this show I loved:
- Though the romance was overall more lowkey because of Jiang Li Fei’s (rightful) distrust of Lei Xiu Yuan for much of the show, their chemistry and tension carried. Lei Xiu Yuan also did such a great job yearning so I was satisfied with that.
- The group friendship(s) were super cute and I loved them a lot
- I enjoyed the general side characters. I think the antagonists were a bit one dimensional but the various antagonists make up for that. I also liked the different masters than look out for the main leads, they were all so great with distinct personalities.
- I loved the costumes and overall production vibe – pretty pastels and fun energy
- Baili Ge Lin and Lu Li were very cute and I super enjoyed not just their romance but relationship and personalities.
- Ri Yan and Qing Cheng’s friendship was fun but I liked Qing Cheng’s background a lot.
- Some people said it was slow but the pacing felt perfect to me, it’s one the first shows in a long time that I DIDN’T watch at 2x speed. I actually watched 99% of the show at 1x speed which says a lot. While parts of the editing and story continuity were chopping, the plot was always moving forward in a way that made sense.

The things about this show I didn’t love:
- Ji Tong Zhou’s storyline wasn’t unexpected but I would have loved him not not have fallen into the cliche obsessed route
- Miao Qing was a great character but I’m not sure I liked her ending. She dies for a man that literally did not give 2 cents about her. Even before he becomes consumed with evil, he was pretty indifferent to her so I’m also a bit lost as to why her death made him grieve so much and why it’s what does him in. We could say it’s regret for not appreciating her but I just don’t feel like that was well insinuated or built up towards.
- I wish we got more substantial flashbacks of Ye Sha & the Divine Tree in the past.
- She always dies for him to help him but then the calamity is a curse due to the immortals killing her so I feel like there could have been a lot more provided her rather than only the make out and death scenes.
- I felt like I missed something in terms of the demon land and how they got stuck but finally went back but then started coming back again at the end 10 years later
- Someone pointed out that big reveals are glossed over.
- I watch a lot of romantic fantasy and they all follow pretty similar beats so I didn’t think much of it in the moment but I do think the fact that the main leads just casually remember their past without much fanfare holds that fates intertwined aspect back.
- I think they glossed over some pretty big deaths quickly. Si Mo is mentioned and mourned but his head was literally cut off??? Like excuse me?? And then even with the ending IDK if I feel like Ye Ye and Chang Yue’s deaths made sense. Like they did but also didn’t. It all happened so fast. Shao Min’s death was “fine” ig but I hated that she died fr.
- I loved Lei Xiu Yuan’s puppy sick love for Jiang Li Fei but it gets undercut by her stubbornness. She loves him and argued that fate could be changed only to be completely apathetic to his pleas for finding a middle ground and even now I still don’t understand why she doubted him? Like I get be betrayed her when they were younger but we already established his real reason was to save his brother and that he was more or less tricked and she forgave him eventually so I still don’t understand why she suddenly became so cold to him again…I think this links back to those missing 7 episodes.

Read More

I Finished The Eternal Fragrance (2026)… and I'm Glad I Did

After seriously considering dropping it around episode 28, I decided to push through—and I'm actually glad I did.

The last three episodes completely changed my overall impression of the drama. While they couldn't erase all the issues I had with the confusing plot and uneven pacing, the ending was surprisingly satisfying and gave the story the emotional payoff I'd been waiting for. It definitely redeemed the drama for me.

One character I ended up loving was Riyan.

Every time he appeared on screen, he brought a calm, compelling presence that made me want to know more about him. I honestly wish he had been given more screen time because his character had so much potential. I would've loved to see more of his backstory and how he developed beyond the role he played in the main plot.

So would I recommend The Eternal Fragrance?

If you're someone who tends to drop dramas when they get slow or confusing, this one will definitely test your patience. But if you can stick with it until the end, the final few episodes do a good job of tying everything together and left me feeling much more satisfied than I expected.

It's not a drama I'll rush to rewatch, but thanks to that ending, I walked away with a much better impression than I had at episode 28. Sometimes all a drama needs is a strong finish to remind you why you stayed.

Read More

Don't waste your time.

The story began pretty good. I was honestly really invested in the drama. Up until episode 6 it was pretty watchable, but slowly it started going downhill.

I've written so many comments on this drama and honestly it's not worth watching. So please don't waste your time, unless you like messy and unorganized series i would recommend watching it.

No but genuinely what happend to them? Lifei and xie yuan.. I thought he wanted to change or smth, but he kept going back to becoming the demon lord or did i miss something?

Lifei still weak asf.. even in episode 30 she was struggeling with her powers and even had to have xie yuan support her. Like what's the point then? There were more scenes with Lifei and Tongzhou than with Xie Yuan. I really thought he was the main lead, but i guess not anymore. Also i gave up on episode 29. It really was not worth it.
I also read somewhere that Lifei agreed to marry Tongzhou.. Are we serious rn.

Don't waste your time guys😔
This is my opinion!!

Read More

phim hay

tôi cảm thấy khi đã xem tập 1 có của nó rất hay và tôi đánh giá tốt về 2 nam nữ chính cảm thấy mới là trời bạn tặng để làm tình yêu của nhau ước gì có dự án phim mới không phải nói là rất rất nhiều để hai người này gần gũi nhau hơn ước gì hai người này yêu nhau ở ngoài đời như tình yêu đích thực vậy. cúc tịnh y tống uy long yêu nhau đi. v. vvvvvvvvvvvv

Read More