The Eternal Fragrance

A wonderful drama!!!

Initially, I was skeptical to start this drama, due to the bad reviews, but I gave it a try and glad that I watched it.
The plot for the first 17 episoded, mainly focuses on the academy, the training of the students, the bonds of friendship formed betwenn the six members, Xiao Bang Chui, Lei Xiu Yuan, Ji Tongzhou, Baili Ge Lin, Chang Yue,and Ye Ye.
As the story progresses, these six stand for each other and face life -death situations together, thus becoming a family.
The first 15 episodes may seem a bit boring or even sometimes dragging with only few villains here and there, but, trust me, it starts to get better and made me really glued to it, till the end.
FRIENDSHIP-
The friendship between the 6 was very good to watch with them supporting each other even in difficult situations, but as the end approaches, how one is consumed by their inner demons, also, is portrayed perfectly.
ROMANCE-
This is not a typical romance drama that we generally see, but rather a mutual support, understanding, love that forms between the leads. Though they have very few moments together, but still they were able to project their love in the background, with references to the leads'past life.
PAST LIFE-
The past life of the leads is gradually uncovered, with major part opening in the last episodes, but still it truly answers many questions.
ANTAGONISTS-
All the antagonists were truly annoying and really irritated me. Their characters were epitome of grred and selfishness.
PERFORMANCES-
The actors were excellent in their performances. I liked the romantic track of Bsili Ge Lin and Lu Li also.
A special appreciation for Ju Jingyi, as she was OUTSTANDING in her performance, especially in the latter half. 💯👏
Song Weilong was also very good in his role as the reserved, talented, hardworking, caring, kind and most dedicated and loyal towards Jiang Li Fei/Xiao Bang Chui.
The costumes, sets, music, action scenes were good👍
Li Fei and her master, Qing Cheng's plot was very heart touching👌for me.
Also, i loved all the people of Zhuiyu Peak, especially Li Fei's master, senior brothers and sister, who were always supportive of her and shielded her in possible ways.
This drama is all about, friendship, loyalty, trust, betrayal, uncovering secrets of the past and trying to mend them, facing situations bravely, and many others.
On a final note, just wait patiently for the plot to unfold itselfand I am sure you will never be disappointed. The first half may seem uninteresting, but it is a base for the events in latter half to happen.
A MUST WATCH AND WORTH WATCHING DRAMA,🤗💯👌

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A Wuxia Fantasy Well Done!

Although there were many who felt this drama isn't their type, I absolutely enjoyed watching this drama. Every Acting,Every emotion very well done! I'm so glad to Know Song weilong and actually tune in to his dramas. He's a really wonderful actor,brings out the best in every role and more. I appreciate his hardwork and the effort he put in to Bring the character Lei xiu yuan and Yecha to Life. Ju jingyi also did a great job as the divine tree. Their chemistry is super great and adorable. I'm loving every bit of it. If you are looking for a good xianxia drama to take you out of your drama slump,I highly recommend this series.🙌🙌

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Editing can apparently make or break a show.

❤️ Romance ❤️

It was outright painful at times to see the way Li Fei treated Xiu Yuan, who was utterly in love with her. I think his feelings developed believably, and Li Fei really was just temperamental and free-spirited, oftentimes scheming and lying to go after her given objective of the moment.

The love triangle was okay in their youth. I actually found the trio sweet as friends. But once Tongzhou began his villain arc, it quickly went sour. The love triangle with Ye Ye, Changyue, and Gelin was pretty much painful to watch from the beginning. I'll give this show a 3 for romance.

📖 Plot 📖

I think the plot would have been saved by better editing. It was very hard to follow after a point. We had all the pieces by the end (I think?) but they were never breadcrumbed to us enough earlier on. So everything felt like a splatter of different paint colors someone put on canvas before turning to us in some kind of "a-ha!" moment where the story is meant to be revealed as a masterpiece but I remain skeptical. 2/5

🌏 World-Building 🌏

Pretty standard xianxia lore. Nothing exceptionally unique. It mostly did fine here. 3.5/5

🎭 Acting 🎭

I didn't have any issue with the acting. The editing made the plot unclear and some of the character development consequently felt unearned or just far too drastic. But the execution showed the actors gave it all they had. 5/5

✨ Visuals ✨

A lot of people have said this. And if I compare with Veil of Shadows (which seems unfair, but oh well) I do have to agree this drama felt dated. 2/5

🎵 Music 🎵

I had no issue with the soundtrack. It was pretty. It didn't stand out to me that much though, unlike other xianxia shows. 3.5/5

😂 Comedy 😂

3/5 Not good, not bad. The laughs were ok. Mostly early Li Fei was ridiculous, but amusing.

📺 Bingeability 📺

The show started strong for me. I was eating it up. But thanks to the bad editing, I struggled after ep 22, and only finished thanks to watching at 2x speed. 1/5

⚔️ Conflict/Tension ⚔️

Started strong, especially with Lei Xiu Yuan's hidden motive for getting close to Li Fei early on. All the academy and sect rivalry was pretty basic though, and the love triangle became a crutch for the plot. 2/5

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Quite a nice surprise

I'm not a xianxia fan, not at all but I'm a SWL fan and I like JJ. I always try any drama before dropping or skipping it. What a nice surprise, this caught me off guard, I watched it till the end, of course regarding production for the CGI effect which is not a good quality one but it works. The chemistry between the leads is highly appreciate which made me stay until the end and I could get into the story. So you as you know xianxia story always takes time to develop, don't watch it as you expecting to watch a normal cdrama, not at all. Be patient and be open to another style. It was overall good for me, this is only the 3rd xianxia I finished without fast forwarding, so that's a good sign

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Ridiculous nonsense

I love fantasy dramas, except for this one. What a mess! The storyline is all over the place, mostly boring and greatly confusing. The story starts out somewhat interesting but within a few episodes it goes downhill. We have a female character Li Fei, who is good at absolutely nothing, yet she gets into the prestigious Academy and cult, and of course all the male members are in deep Love with her. Heck, she even wins a tournament over thousands of talented participants with no skills at all. OH Please.....why insulting your viewers intelligence over and over again?
Then we have the ML who is supposed to be a once in a Century genius/talent with great powers and yet who is the only one who constantly gets hurt throughout the whole show. Heck, he even gets killed once. Constant hurt, treatments, hurt, treatment, more injuries, more treatments...on and on it goes . The same theme recurring throughout the whole show over and over and over again, few hand moves ML gets hurt, spitting blood, more hand moves FL gets hurt, spitting blood then someone else get hurt, then a whole clan get hurt, spitting blood and more of the same. Extremely boring and senseless. Also very confusing with all the different secs and different people with different level of powers and yet somehow, the most powerful get beaten by pretty much everybody i.e. the Demon Lord and also Li Fei almot always get injured.
There is absolutely no substance or meaning to most of the scenes, then all the bad guys who already got killed they all come back to life and hand out more hurts. then they get eliminated again and back again...over and over. No romance, no intelligent plots or interesting storyline to hold the viewer's attention.
If it wasn't for one of my favorite actors ( Song Wei Long) I would have dropped this mess a long time ago.
Good things hence my 3 points:
Beautiful scenery, great visuals
Gorgeous set designs and period costumes
Great music
Very professional, talented cast
Hard working crew despite of the messy script and lack of a great directors' vision to bring this story to life.
Don't waste your precious time on this, probably one of the worst fantasy dramas I have seen in awhile.
Definitely NOT a rewatch.

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A start of something but....

This drama left me with a strange impression. I really enjoyed the beginning, and I absolutely loved the first 10 episodes because I really like stories about characters with hidden powers who join an academy and do a group of friends. But very quickly, we end up with several different storylines being introduced, and everything moves way too fast. The whole process of entering the academy is almost brushed aside.

When I finished this drama, I felt like I had watched the beginnings of several different stories, but that was it. I was missing that sense of character development and accomplishment, as well as any real depth to the characters. Very quickly, the drama moves from one action sequence to another, jumping from one situation to the next without really taking the time to properly establish the story.

Yes, it’s true that the CGI is really well done. It’s beautiful to look at, but that’s not enough to carry the whole drama. The writing has some major issues. It’s quite frustrating because, as I’m writing this review, we’re in a period where there’s a real lack of good xianxia dramas, and I feel like this one is such a waste of potential. While the first 10 episodes had me completely captivated, the rest barely managed to hold my attention.

In the end, I’m going to try to focus mainly on the positives so I don’t feel too frustrated. Ju Jing Yi is still as beautiful as ever and a good actress, while Song Wei Long is, as always, very good. It’s a shame they weren’t given something better to work with.

Now I just need to find a xianxia drama I’ve somehow missed so I can satisfy my current craving.

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My thoughts so far (Ep. 12):

Okay First of all, the start was actually so good. I love fantasy dramas, and I loved all the fantasy elements they introduced. The world-building had me hooked from the first episode. SWL was so insanely powerful too... I was like yeah..😭

But then after he met her... idk, it just feels like he became a completely different person.

LXY(his character ) is actually testing my patience SO bad. Like why are you still begging and chasing someone just because of some old memories?? and when the hell you fell in love with her?? I get y'all have history, but that's not enough for me to understand why he's making these choices. At this point I'm more annoyed than sad for him. also remember his brother is dead(he killed him) still all he know is to asking for forgiveness?

And JLF(her character) girl, I'm so confused idk why her character is acting like that. Maybe I'm missing something that'll get explained later, but his brother literally just died and she barely seems affected?? I expected way more emotion. It's making it really hard for me to connect with her character. She's just annoying fr

One thing that ALWAYS annoys me in dramas is when a character has the power to change their situation but instead chooses to suffer because they're in love with someone who barely gives them the time of day. Like STAND UP PLEASE. 😭 That's exactly what's happening here and it's driving me insane.

After everything that happened with his brother, I genuinely thought LXY would be focused on grieving, getting revenge, or at least finding out the truth. But nope... he's still running after her. WHY?? 😭 And she's over here acting all cute like nothing even happened, which is making me even more frustrated.

I'm really hoping the later episodes change my mind because this drama genuinely has so much potential. The fantasy setup is interesting, and both leads are really good actors, so I know they can pull it off. I just hope the writing starts doing them justice.

But as of Ep. 12... these characters are stressing me out way more than they're making me emotional.

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you came into my life, just when I needed to get into something - thank you.

Over the years of watching Chinese Xianxia(Fantasy) Drama's, I have come to the point, where, I prefer the male lead to be from the Demon Realm (like a Demon God, or Demon Lord) rather than them being an Immortal Lord/or from the Immortal Realm in general.

It is much more interesting to have a Male Lead, who is a grey character (or morally gray character), since these type of characters is rare to have in a story for the Main Leads, and if done right, their romance is very appealing to me.

So, this leads me to why I want to write this review (haven't done one in ages), to show my appreciation to this drama "The Eternal Fragrance". Thank you, for coming into my life when I was in that phase of couldn't get into any new drama, no matter how hard I tried, oh trust me, I've tried, there are many drama's like "Whispers of Fate", "Love beyond the Grave", and "Zhan Zhao Adventures", where I started watching it, but then I suddenly just placed it on hold, despite I love the male actor in those respective dramas. But none of them hooked me into them the way "The Eternal Fragrance" did.

I guess, I have my parents to thank for introducing me to this Drama because they were watching The Eternal Fragrance, and when I saw some clips of it, this looks appealing, so I decided to check the drama out and then before I knew it, I just became absorbed into the story. Mainly because I enjoy the male lead acted by Song Wei Long.

New to this male actor, haven't seen him in any drama's before, but just like my mum found him handsome, I too, found him handsome, in a charismatic way.

I've read that this was his first Xianxia drama, so no pressure to him, because he played a very convincing role (for me at least) as Ye Cha(Demon Lord) and Lei Xiu Yuan.

Thank you, Song Wei Long, for bringing out the character to life, and made me come to appreciate your character in this drama (The Eternal Fragrance). You look cool/handsome as the Demon Lord, and I love your golden eyes, and I also found you cool/mysterious with that half-mask on as well!

I love your love/devotion towards Jiang Li Fei, although sometimes I felt that you have every right to be upset with her - for some of the things that she did, because fine, I won't hold her accountable for "killing" Lei Xiuyuan the first time, but when she went to see him again, and lying unconscious there, what she did then by doing what she did, that is betrayal... I dislike her for that, and I honestly wish Lei Xiuyuan will stay upset with her for her to work for it and earn back his forgiveness, but too bad, Lei Xiuyuan is too forgiving when it comes to her, I guess this just makes his love for her is stronger than her love for him in that sense (in this current life time). That's what I didn't like, but in the end, your heart to forgive her doesn't make me stop loving you as a character, it just shows me that Jiang Li Fei is lucky to have you being so devoted to her in this relationship.

There are some things I didn't like so well, but in the overall, I won't lie that this drama got me hooked, and I will love it for the positive. I just wish that there were more scenes that was explained and doesn't felt like it was removed/deleted as I felt some scenes wasn't connected smoothly towards the end, e.g. I never get to see how Hu Jia Ping revealed himself to Lei Xiuyuan as his "Guardian" of Ye Sha (that confrontation), since he is among the guardian, but that scene seem to be deleted so I didn't get that which is a shame.

After watching The Eternal Fragrance, I have checked out his other dramas: Shine on Me, and Love for you, both are very great as well. Although if I have to choose between the two, I prefer Shine on Me > Love for you (due to my preference in terms of the setting etc), but both stories are still great as well. Just the latter, I keep fearing anything happening to his character, so that kinda ruined the enjoyment for me a little.

As for The Eternal Fragrance, some may not like it, different tastes/preferences, but for me, I personally like this drama, and this is a well deserved drama, which I wish there was more to this then just 33 episodes. I really love to see more of Ye Sha/Lei Xiu Yuan past as the Demon Lord, but I am glad you got your happy ending that you wished for. Overall it is a conclusive ending in my opinion.

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a MESS of a production

do not watch this. it was so messy. it felt like I was watching someone skip/fast forward through a drama but I was watching it real time. thats how little this drama made sense. there was no cause effect half the time stuff just happened without any logic or a stated purpose. i didnt understand the character motivations of anyone who wasnt the leads and even they got murky at the end. the director and screenwriter should be ashamed tbh. this is a really pretty drama that they clearly didnt give a fuck about making. or maybe censors chopped this thing to hell? I dont know but i SLOGGED to finish this thing or get as far to the end as I can without paying anything. ew.

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A Story Where Friendship Outshined Romance(For me)

I wouldn't call The Eternal Fragrance the best drama of 2026, but it was definitely a decent watch. Like most dramas, it had its own strengths and weaknesses. What surprised me the most was that I ended up loving the friendship far more than the romance between the main leads. I really wish the bond between the six friends hadn't fallen apart. Their time together, especially in Qingqiu, was filled with some of the most precious and heartwarming moments in the drama.

Starting with Lifei, I absolutely loved her character in the beginning. She was carefree, cheerful, and lived without carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. However, after she gained power and following the Lu brother's incident, she gradually became more reserved and complicated. I understand why her character changed, but I wish her transformation had been executed differently. If she had evolved from a carefree girl into a confident, fearless "baddie," I think it would've felt more satisfying. Instead, I felt like something was missing from her characterization—some of the fragrance(iykyk)

As for Xiuyuan, the man spent half the drama completely lovesick. Song Weilong did a great job portraying him. There were moments where Xiuyuan felt emotionally restrained, but those scenes were balanced out by others where his emotions came through beautifully. What I appreciated most about his character was his sense of responsibility. Even after becoming the Demon Lord, he prioritized his people by sending the demon clan back to their homeland before facing the Sea Calamity himself.

Then we have Tongzhou... honestly, I don't even know where to begin. Watching him go from righteous to completely wicked was frustrating. It would've been wonderful if the six of them had remained friends until the end. I genuinely felt sorry for him when his brother, his uncle, and his kingdom fell apart. But after everything he chose to do afterward, all my sympathy disappeared. His obsession with Lifei became unbearable, especially after discovering she was the Divine Tree. He never truly moved on and kept hurting everyone around him because of that obsession. In my opinion, he deserved neither Lifei nor Miaoqing. Honestly, he and Lanya would've made the perfect wicked couple.

Now for my favorite character—Gelin. She completely stole my heart. She looked absolutely stunning throughout the drama, but beyond that, I loved her personality. She wasn't the strongest or the most powerful character, yet she always knew the difference between right and wrong. She stayed true to herself despite everything happening around her. I was so happy that she eventually found the person she loved and received the happy ending she deserved. It was heartbreaking, though, that she spent a decade not knowing her sister and Ye Ye had died. Out of everyone, I loved her friendship with Lifei the most—it felt genuine, comforting, and unwavering.

As for Changyue and Ye Ye, I never connected with them as deeply as some of the other characters, but their deaths were genuinely heartbreaking. If the writers had decided to kill them, I honestly think there could've been a better scenario than having them die at Tongzhou's hands. Part of me still wonders if things could've been different had Ye Ye listened to Changyue when she sensed something was wrong with Tongzhou and simply escaped. Maybe they would've survived.

Lu Li was such a supportive gentleman. I absolutely adored his relationship with Gelin. One of my favorite moments was when Gelin said she wanted to stay at the academy, and instead of arguing or forcing his own wishes, he simply chose to stay with her. Considering they were already husband and wife, that quiet understanding between them made their relationship even sweeter. Their dynamic was wholesome, healthy, and honestly one of the cutest couples in the drama.

Then there's Miaoqing. Her sacrifice left me speechless. But I still don't understand why she fell in love with Tongzhou in the first place. Just because someone saves your life doesn't automatically make them the right person to love. Throughout the story, Tongzhou barely acknowledged her as herself. He constantly treated her as a replacement for Lifei. It was only after her death that he seemed to realize how important she truly was to him.

One relationship I also want to mention is Lifei's bond with both of her masters. The master-disciple relationships were written beautifully and became some of the strongest emotional anchors of the drama. Qingcheng's death absolutely broke my heart—I genuinely cried during that scene. It was one of the most emotional moments in the entire series.

As for the romance... I honestly don't have much to say. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't the highlight of the drama for me. The main leads spent a large portion of the story apart, so I never felt fully invested in their relationship. Because of that, the emotional payoff didn't hit as hard as it could have. Ironically, I found myself caring far more about the friendships and the individual character journeys than the central love story.

Overall, The Eternal Fragrance was an enjoyable drama with both memorable highs and noticeable flaws. A lot of beloved characters lost their lives, and by the end, only three members of the original friend group remained. Despite everything, I enjoyed the journey. The final scene with Riyan was unexpectedly hilarious. After making me emotional for so many episodes, the drama managed to end by making me laugh. That felt like the perfect way to close the story.

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