A Drama About Loneliness, Humanity, and Sacrifice Disguised as Xianxia
I just completed the drama *Fate Choose You* and honestly… this drama completely surprised me. 🌙✨It was never on my anticipation list. In fact, when I first started watching it, I had very low expectations. Recently, I’ve been struggling to enjoy many cultivation/Xianxia and Xuanhua dramas because a lot of them feel repetitive — same worlds, same overpowered characters, same empty romance with flashy CGI but no emotional soul. At the very beginning, I almost dropped this drama too.
Now? I’m genuinely glad I didn’t.
Because beneath its Xuanhua shell, this drama turned out to be something much deeper — a story about humanity, loneliness, morality, power, sacrifice, class systems, and the painful weight of living. ⚔️🍂
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🌑 FIRST IMPRESSIONS — A DRAMA THAT SLOWLY PEELS ITS LAYERS
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This is not the kind of drama that immediately throws excitement at your face. Instead, it slowly unfolds itself layer by layer. At first, I had mixed feelings. The cultivation world, the sects, the demons, the immortality themes — I thought I had seen all of this before.
But as the story progressed, I realized this drama’s biggest strength is not the world-building alone.
It is the CHARACTERS.
Almost every important character in this drama has multiple layers. The people you dislike at the beginning become understandable later. The people who appear righteous are not completely pure. The people who seem cold and cruel hide unbearable suffering beneath their masks.
And that is what made this drama so compelling to me.
Nobody here exists just to support the main couple. Every character feels like the protagonist of their own story.
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🖤 LU QIANQIAO — ONE OF THE MOST LAYERED MALE LEADS
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Ren Jialun absolutely carried this role with incredible subtlety.
Lu QianQiao is not a loud or expressive character. He is a War Demon cursed by the Five Senses Curse — unable to truly taste food, feel pain, experience warmth, or even see colors properly for decades. Imagine living like that for hundreds of years. Existing, but never truly *living*.
And Ren Jialun portrayed this emptiness so naturally.
Not through dramatic screaming scenes.
Not through exaggerated crying.
But through silence.
Through tired eyes.
Through restrained expressions.
Through subtle changes in breathing and tone.
That is why his acting hit me so hard. 🥲
At the beginning, Lu QianQiao almost feels detached from humanity itself. His eyes carry this unsettling emptiness, like someone merely pretending to be human. Yet sometimes, for a split second, there is a tiny flicker of emotion hidden underneath all that numbness.
And slowly, episode by episode, we watch him transform.
We see a man who lived like a dying corpse finally begin to feel alive again.
The scene where he sees colors for the first time genuinely stayed with me. Instead of giving us a dramatic reaction, Ren Jialun only lets out a small, almost confused smile — like someone discovering happiness for the very first time.
That subtlety made the moment far more emotional.
This drama understood something many others fail to understand:
Quiet suffering can sometimes be louder than dramatic suffering.
And Lu QianQiao’s entire character arc was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Watching him slowly regain his humanity, learn to love, trust people again, and open himself emotionally after decades of loneliness was one of the best parts of the drama.
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🌸 XIN MEI — A GENTLE BUT STRONG FEMALE LEAD
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I had never watched Wang Herun as a female lead before this drama, so I didn’t know what to expect.
But she genuinely surprised me.
Xin Mei could have easily become one of those overly naïve “pure-hearted” heroines that become frustrating after a few episodes. Instead, the actress balanced her softness and strength beautifully.
Xin Mei is compassionate, emotional, kind, and gentle — but she is NOT weak.
That is the important difference.
She follows her heart even when the world tells her not to. She questions rules. She refuses to ignore injustice simply because society says it is “necessary.” Even when her choices damage her cultivation or put her life at risk, she still chooses humanity over cold discipline.
And honestly? That made her feel very refreshing.
Her relationship with Lu QianQiao also felt mature compared to many Xianxia couples. Their romance was not built purely on physical attraction or misunderstandings. It grew from understanding each other’s pain.
Both of them entered the marriage with hidden motives. Both carried emotional wounds. Both suffered in different ways.
But instead of endless toxic misunderstandings, they communicated.
They listened to each other.
They learned each other.
They healed each other.
That emotional maturity made their relationship extremely satisfying to watch. ❤️
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⚖️ THE DRAMA’S BIGGEST STRENGTH — MORALLY COMPLEX CHARACTERS
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One thing I loved is how this drama constantly challenged my opinions about characters.
Take Jin Lun for example.
Sometimes I absolutely loved him. Sometimes I wanted to shake him and ask, “What are you even doing?” 😭
He was frustrating, confusing, emotional, selfish, loyal, foolish, sympathetic — all at once. And that complexity made him feel real.
The same goes for A’Sheng.
At times I genuinely hated her actions. Some of her choices caused terrible suffering for others. Yet the drama never wrote her as purely evil either. It showed the reasons behind her behavior, her loneliness, her desires, and her emotional contradictions.
That is what this drama does best:
It humanizes everyone.
Even side characters are written with motivations, ideologies, desires, and emotional depth.
People constantly switch positions throughout the story. Enemies become allies. Characters you once disliked become tragic. Characters you trusted reveal darker truths.
It feels very human because real people are also contradictory.
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⚔️ THE WRITING — PHILOSOPHICAL, LAYERED, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING
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This drama is far more than just romance.
Underneath the fantasy setting, the writing constantly explores philosophical questions:
✨ Rules vs Morality
✨ Justice vs Obedience
✨ Mortality vs Immortality
✨ Humanity vs Power
✨ Compassion vs Discipline
And the drama never gives simple answers.
For example, Xin Mei repeatedly interferes in mortal affairs because she cannot tolerate injustice. Technically, according to cultivation rules, she is wrong. But emotionally, the audience understands why she does it.
The writer constantly forces viewers to question their own beliefs.
Even the immortality theme was fascinating.
The drama asks:
Is immortality truly a blessing?
Or is endless existence without emotional connection actually a curse?
Lu QianQiao’s life itself becomes the answer to this question.
Another thing I appreciated is how carefully the writer planted clues throughout the story. Small details from early episodes become important much later. Character backstories connect beautifully. Plot twists feel surprising but still logical because the groundwork was already there.
Nothing feels random.
And honestly, that level of layered writing is becoming rare in many modern costume dramas.
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🎥 THE DIRECTING & CINEMATOGRAPHY
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The directing deserves huge praise too.
The visual storytelling in this drama was absolutely beautiful. 🍂
The use of lighting, color symbolism, scenery, and framing constantly added emotional meaning to scenes.
One of my favorite visual motifs was how Lu QianQiao was often shown standing alone in darkness while light focused only on him — symbolizing how the world viewed him as a monster while the drama quietly hinted at his hidden innocence.
The color symbolism was also excellent.
Especially when Xin Mei wore the crimson red dress after Lu QianQiao regained his ability to see colors. The reflection of that red in his eyes made the scene unforgettable.
The directing never felt overly flashy. Instead, it quietly enhanced emotions and atmosphere.
The pacing also deserves praise.
The drama moved quickly enough to stay engaging, but still allowed emotional scenes room to breathe. There were very few filler moments. Almost every scene had narrative purpose.
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💔 THE ROMANCE — HEALTHY, MATURE, AND EMOTIONAL
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The romance in this drama honestly felt like a bonus rather than the sole focus.
And that made it even better.
Lu QianQiao and Xin Mei understood each other on a very deep level. Their love was built through shared pain, trust, sacrifice, and emotional honesty.
They never felt like two characters forced together simply because the script demanded romance.
They genuinely complemented each other.
Xin Mei gave warmth to someone who had forgotten how to feel alive.
And Lu QianQiao gave understanding to someone constantly struggling against the world’s rigid rules.
Their relationship felt peaceful, healing, and emotionally intimate rather than overly dramatic.
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🌍 THE SOCIAL COMMENTARY
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One thing that truly surprised me was how much social commentary existed beneath the fantasy setting.
The drama subtly critiques:
▪️ Class systems
▪️ Abuse of power
▪️ Political hypocrisy
▪️ Blind obedience
▪️ Systematic oppression
▪️ The suffering of ordinary people
The War Demon clan’s curse especially felt symbolic.
An entire race suffered for centuries simply because higher powers ignored their pain.
That storyline honestly felt less like fantasy and more like commentary on how society often ignores marginalized people until it becomes convenient to care.
Even many side stories reflected real-world struggles — poverty, injustice, inequality, sacrifice, and survival.
And the drama handled these themes without becoming preachy.
It trusted the audience to think for themselves.
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🔥 THE FINAL VERDICT
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Is this drama perfect?
No.
There are flaws. Some CGI moments were weak. Certain side relationships were difficult to fully understand. Some viewers may also feel the romance chemistry is softer compared to typical passionate Xianxia couples.
But despite all of that…
This drama felt sincere.
It genuinely wanted to tell a meaningful story instead of relying only on visual aesthetics or fanservice.
And nowadays, that sincerity itself feels rare.
This is one of those dramas that slowly grows on you until suddenly you realize you are emotionally attached to every character, every conflict, and every sacrifice.
By the end, I was not only invested in the romance — I was invested in the people, their philosophies, their pain, and the world itself.
And honestly, that is what makes a story memorable.
✨ A Xianxia drama with layered characters
✨ Strong writing
✨ Thought-provoking themes
✨ Beautiful visual storytelling
✨ Mature relationships
✨ Emotional performances
Definitely one of the best costume dramas I’ve watched this year. 🌙⚔️🍂
If you dropped it early, I genuinely recommend giving it another chance.
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1A Refreshing and Thought-Provoking Story that is Surprisingly a Fun Watch
I started this drama without much expectations and actually surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. Fate Chooses You has an engaging story, brilliant pacing and complex characters with beautiful cinematography and spectacular fight scenes. The writing is elaborate and beautifully layered. The story has depth - it's interesting and thought-provoking but is also light-hearted and fun to watch.Most of the characters here are complex and make you feel a range of emotions. Sometimes you agree with their actions, sometimes you don’t. But even then, their actions usually follow a train of logic and it’s mostly understandable where they are coming from. The character writing is consistent, and the entire cast really did justice in bringing their characters to life.
Ren Jialun really portrayed the nuances of Lu Qianqiao to a perfection. His detached and resting ‘everyone and everything is beneath me’ face portrayed how Lu Qianqiao was used to experiencing life in third person, like everything around him just brushed past him without ever touching him. Lu Qianqiao is an extremely layered character. He is strong and has the maturity and understanding of having lived a long life but also the sadness and emptiness of never truly experiencing it. He had lived among humans without ever feeling like he belonged, had silently suffered injustice and betrayals time and again but still never lost his heart. He retained the goodness in him and longed for a fulfilled human life where he could experience the bright and colourful world, eat delicious food and even experience pain and death. And all of this could be seen so palpably in Allen’s subtle expressions.
There is a beautiful contrast of all the immortals running after power and immortality when Lu Qianqiao, who was born with boundless power and innate immortality, desired nothing but to be a mortal human to experience the little things that are taken for granted.
Xin Mei is also a very complex character. She is extremely stubborn and strong in her own way. She always followed her heart and fought for what she thought was right, no matter the cost. Xin Mei questioned everyone and everything - through every norm and every convention and forged her own path that aligned with her own beliefs. Yet really, she is just a simple girl at heart, free from great ambitions, who just wants to live a normal life with her loved ones. Personally, I think Wang Herun did a wonderful job balancing and convincingly portraying Xin Mei’s kind-hearted and naïve side as well as the fierce girl who never backed down at the sight of injustice.
As for the romance, it's not a central part of the story. Lu Qianqiao and Xin Mei’s relationship is subtle and sweet. Their chemistry is not electric and fireworks but rather feels like comfort and belonging. Their love is made of small moments and understanding and is honestly so wholesome that I did not need to see physical intimacy to feel their love.
The other characters also have very interesting settings and brilliant character development. They feel important and vibrant in their own way and really elevates the story. They have their personal agendas and do their own thing until they come into the narrative in a way that feels deliberate and meaningful. All the characters bring their own colours to the story and make the world of Fate Chooses You feel rich and alive.
The plot is surprisingly tightly woven without many plot holes despite being a bit underwhelming at times. It can feel a little disjointed at first with many characters and scattered scenes, but it creates room for development and eventually comes together to form the complete picture. The comedy here is done exceptionally well and balances the more serious scenes perfectly. The story is refreshing as well as impactful and presents viewers with moral dilemmas and social commentaries that drive you to think and relate the problems to life beyond the screen.
Overall, Fate Choose You has a deep and thought-provoking storyline, engaging characters, good pacing and excellent comic reliefs. This drama is not perfect but is totally a fun and worthwhile watch and deserves way more hype than it got.
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This review may contain spoilers
Very compelling story with lots of philosophical themes and social commentaries.
This drama is one of a kind. Excellently written with depth with strong philosophical themes and social commentaries. Beautifully directed that put emphasis on emotional weight of the scenes and masterfully acted by the actors that understand their characters, impact and influence in the story.THE ACTING
Ren Jialun truly bringing his A game in this drama. Lu QianQiao is an enigma — a complex character full of layers. He is like an onion where every of his layers are carefully peel one by one slowly. You will change your opinion about him in every episode. One of the reasons I’m a big fan of Ren Jialun since he is really great at portraying tormented silent characters. The subtle expressions that he emits as Li QianQiao — you can feel his suffering just from his expressions or subtle smiles. It's like he lives for hundred of years suffering without all these senses — forced to eat despite it tasted awful just so he can survive to feeling numb and empty since literally nothing excite him. When he finally gained his ability to see color, he lets out this subtle smile instead of big celebration since ‘ohh this is what colors feels like.’ 🥲 — this unfamiliar happiness he experienced for the first time. Then when he sees the Emperor, the way he looks at him like a little kid, you believe he is the Emperor’s teacher from the tone alone. Then he said ‘Ah Ding, you have won. Relax. Go have a good sleep’ — that calm and soft tone, simple sentence yet the emotional weight it carries is abundance. He has the calmness and wisdom of someone who has lived for a long time. I personally feel this kind of gravitas is hard to pull but he nailed it to perfection in this drama. Another part of his actings that took my breath away is the details he put into the character. Lu QianQiao has this unnatural look in his eyes — unhinged and detached — almost like he just pretending to be human. Despite of that, he will have this flicker — subtle change in expression to tell us that there is something behind that eyes. Then in another times he looks so human, unbothered and the most laidback dude. And the reason behind this? We only known in 20th episode when we know he is a hybrid between War Demon and Human and it explained all the layers he has been playing the character.
Wang Herun also did a very good job on his first leading drama as a female lead. The way she play Xin Mei with gentleness, naivety, kind but not a pushover is something rare. She managed to elicit all these qualities and balanced it which usually can cross over to annoying territory. And her badass mode? How we adore all the quiet strength inside of her. Xin Mei is an excellent character — very well written, with depth and most of all consistent. Gentle, soft, full of compassion yet when she sees injustice, she will be badass and never holds back. We see it happen again and again in this drama. Some poeple might say why it is easy for her to forgive Lu QianQiao but that is what her nature is. Remember the bunny demon that she saved despite the bunny is in cahoot with the caterpillar demon? She applied the same concept on why she understood the reasons Lu QianQiao needs to lie regarding his identity. She always managed to see beyond the surface. It shows that she can be objective despite she is hurt and emotional. A high EQ female lead that think with her head instead of her heart.
THE DIRECTING
This drama is directed by Guo Hu from the famed drama One & Only and Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Just like One & Only where he like to use cinematography to influence the atmosphere and vibe of the scenes, he did it again in this drama. From the beautiful on site location of the valley of Yunnan to the high wall palace at Hengdian to the beautiful mansion at Chongling Valley, he used each location to influence each scenes and characters’ development and relationship. Like the palace high palace wall represents the difficult high place Li QianQiao went through to put Emperor Zong Ding on the throne. To the beautiful falling autumn leaves everytime Lu QianQiao sees Xin Mei again at Chongling Valley which represent yellow ‘sadness’ leaves (instead of pink blossom flowers) on the fact he still concealed her memories at that time — so their encouter again riddles with secrets. And finally when they got together, its white blossom tree to show the purity of their relationship and how from then on, we know nothing can come between them.
The visual directing is especially a standout. I love how the Director shot the scenes especially anything that involves Lu QianQiao seeing the colors for the first time. That crimson red dress that Xin Mei wore, to show how she is ready for blood for him and him seeing that color for the first time on her is just excellent — you can see her reflection in his eyes. Then the powdered colors at the bridge soon after where he starts seeing all the colors, finally. Not to mention how the Director love to shot Lu QianQiao in this position where the lighting focus on him in the dark room to show despite all the accusations he faced, he is the innocent light that we ‘have yet’ to know at that time. Excellent visual directing to tell us the truth before it is revealed to us.
I also enjoy how the Director edited the drama. The plot moves fast, gives us enough to appreciate the sceneries and characters but didnt linger on unnecessary things to make us lose focus. The pacing is almost perfect with no filler scenes. Each scene is out there for a reason with little details to support the whole narrative of the plot.
THE WRITING
I’m a big fan of the writer due to her layered and detailed writing. I enjoy her cause and effect storytelling on how environment can effect and transformed lives and how all of this interwined beautifully into the story and her characters. The writer did her signature style of setting early stages for many things that is going to happen later so the joy is collecting all of this clues and connect to them later. For an example, Lu QianQiao remembers his childhood where he is covered with burn marks all over his face and body. And we only know the effect of this 15 episodes later when the burned skin give him the ability to sleep when he was abondened by his mother — the first time he feel the pleasure of living as a human. Or the story of A’Sheng grew up in a household full of boys? We only know the full story in episode 23 and whose daughter she is which we can predicted once Xia Xuanzi made an entrance. Or the only Wushuang Society member who is alive is Tang You — Its the same guy who pointed out that Lu QianQiao is innocent in the earlier episode, the same guy who went to Capital for exam but was thrown out, and the only one who survived the library fire since he didnt take the memory pill as his own memory is good enough to copy all the texts since he is a scholar that is supposed to take the imperial exam after all. Its amazing how far the writer has set the stage for simply a supporting character. I love how the writer always scattered all these little clues, setting stage for its earlier so when it happen, it made perfect sense.
The writer also introduced lots of characters with their own quirks and personalities without it being tedious for the viewers. Mostly all characters, inluding the mains are flashed out, with their own objectives and desires and not there to exist for the main characters. Thus, their existence gives meaning to the story and their death also mean something.
And all the philosophical themes in the drama? There is a lot and very thought-provoking. For an example RULES vs MORAL. And while its pretty straightforward to answer, the writer makes us question that theme when she made Mei going on a killing rampage. Yes, Mei likes to help mortals which are good and making her a great character but the writer literally challenged that when she made her seeking justice for Lu QianQiao thus making the cultivator’s rules about not to interfere with human makes sense since you can never know whats behind things that you see. Lu QianQiao staged the whole thing for his human transformation, specifically choosing the worst ever possible death which is death of thousand cuts so he can do one of his transformation while she in the other hand think he truly died being wronged. Hearts are deceptive and she learnt her lesson the hard way that she cant simply jumped into conclusion. Then another theme the writer explores in this drama is MORTAL vs IMMORTALITY. Is it being able to live a long life is a blessing or a punishment? I also immensively enjoy her GOOD vs EVIL theme since nothing truly good or evil, they are all shades of grey. They might do questionable things in early episodes but turned to be righteous when the times comes or after learning the truth. Then people who seemed nice with great knowledge turned to be evil and unredeemable. It shows good and evil nature did not come from origin, race, power or color of skins as there are both traits in each group.
Also the whole arguments about Xin Mei’s memory wipe. Lu QianQiao did it to conceal his identity as a War Demon. While he did this for his own selfish reason, however, had he didnt wipe Xin Mei’s memories and made her retain her innocence, the mute lady will die since Xin Mei will chose to follow the rules instead of helping her with her power. I like how the writer explores this idea.
Also, all the social commentaries in this drama. Its almost in every episode where we can see the connection with history, modern day problems as well as current issues we are facing. In reference to history, the part where old people committed suicide to avoid being a burden to their children since thats what happened at China due to extreme poverty. Sometime, it dwelves into modern issue such as couples avoid having children since they cant afford it due to high cost of living (even when both parents are working like Xin Mei highlighted) which prompt China government now to give monetery incentives for couples with young children to increase birth rates. Or the the argument of Xin Mei and the masked guy about immortal sects being evil when many things that they did benefit the human race as well. Its a direct commentary about political parties and their tug of war to hold the rule in this world. The writer also highlighted how the systematic class syatem and the danger of it — how we can see Fu Tian become a villain due to his environment and later we can see the same thing happened at Tianyuan sect when Bai Zongying lose his spiritual core. And the writer did this without sounding too preachy which I like. Just like when Lu QianQiao asked Xin Mei to think whether the immortality pill is good or bad without giving the answer to her. This kind of approach is done subtlely, without giving answer on who is right or wrong and ask us to think on our own.
Aside from that, I love the poetic justice punishment the writer writes in her story. For an example for Emperor Zong Ding. While he is the Emperor and highly respected due to his position, he lives most of his life in fears and died in that state as well. He had everything yet he never truly feel happy and alive. Or another example like Bai Zhongying’s redemption arc where he from following blindly of his sect’s teaching to fight for the same cause like our leads. The poetic justice is his fall from grace. His whole arc has depth which is the danger of following blindly, his suffering once he lose his power and his fight against his destiny and save thousand of lives even when he merely a human — his whole arc filled with substance and lessons.
Apart from that, the plot twists are strong in this drama. From the fact that Xin Mei is actually powerful but her level is low since she keeps breaking rules and help people to they are all puppets at the bigger scheme at Beixiang, to Lu QianQiao sealing his own memory to Wushuang Society is behind Su Taiyi’s death when we all thought he died of natural death or lastly how Yuan Zhong from A Moment But Forever is the mastermind of the whole Jiayin tree ‘laddar to heaven’. The writer pretty much outdid herself many times in this drama. Her plot twists made sense despite being surprising especially when you can see how the stages has been set way earlier before it happened. The unpredictability in her script made her writing very compelling.
I also like the critique the writer made regarding 9th September Heavenly Talents on people who tends to believe in divinations. At the end, they all heroes that saves the human race regardless their birth dates.
THE ROMANCE
The romance is truly a bonus for this drama. Lu QianQiao and Xin Mei has one of the healtiest relationship between husband & wife in XianXia dramas. They discussed everything together and understand each other on fundamental level. Lu QianQiao is right when he said he is so lucky to meet Xin Mei. She understand him, share the same sentiment with him regarding immortality and wasnt prejudice towards his origin. Her gentleness and sincerity made him fall in love for the first time in his life.
The highlight of their relationship is through mutual understanding. They are mature, have good communication and always discuss when they are faced with conflicts — in a nutshell, they behave like what their age supposed to be which are 200 years old and 70 years old respectively — couple with very high EQ. So no unnessarily angst or misunderstandings, noble idiocy or petty games between them. And we know how Lu QianQiao got game and know how to flirt when he used his wife’s lipstick to draw the sun in his painting. 😆
Lu QianQiao and Xin Mei literally like a mirror/reflection of each other. Like they both started their relationship with their own ulterior motives. Or how the marriage bond saved Mei couple of times when she’s on the verge of death and not only him. Which also explain their understanding towards each other without much conflict even after him being a War Demon revelation. Also the part where both went and beyond to help people in need where him against his bloody nature as a War Demon and while her breaking rules to do that at the cause of her cultivation. Also how they both experience ‘memory erasing’ spell since that is Lu QianQiao’s response to trauma. Apart from that, they both cook questionable foods for each other (lol), gifted each other with clothes and shoes and seek revenge for each other when other people wronged them. Their whole relationship truly matched the Chinese title of the drama which is ‘A Perfect Match Made in Heaven’.
WHY LU QIANQIAO’S SACRIFICE AT THE END IS IMPORTANT?
Lu Qianqiao’s decision to be a Perfect War Demon in the end didnt cheapen his whole journey but actually put emphasis on the great sacrifice he has to make. We all know the length he went through to become human even at he cost of his great power. This is because at the end, he need to chose between his own personal wants versus the greater good as that decision has weight — ‘With great power, comes with great responsibility.’
When the writer told us it would be a ‘satisfying’ happy ending, it is because despite Lu QianQiao’s great sacrifice, he still get what he wants at the end — not only his divine power, his 5 senses as the curse against his clan being lifted INCLUDING reuniting with his wife and friends. A good end to the suffering he endured during his lifetime. Yes, it did come at a cost but we know he eventually will get there as all the clues, foreshadowing are going towards that direction.
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Fate Chooses You Has Me Confused but Hooked
This will be a basic review without spoilers.Fate Chooses You is one of those shows that leaves me completely confused, but somehow still very entertained. It is hard for me to fully explain what exactly is confusing me, but something about the story, pacing, or the way things unfold keeps me feeling a little lost.
At the same time, I am still really enjoying it. Even though I do not fully understand everything, the show still has something that keeps pulling me back in and makes me want to continue watching. Sometimes that mystery can be frustrating, but it can also be part of what makes a drama interesting.
Reading other reviews is great, but watching it for yourself is even better.
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This review may contain spoilers
Becoming human
Embedded in this long-winded drama is a poignant and profound discourse on what it means to be human. Or rather, one could say the story discusses that we should pursue to be the better version of our selves as humans and not seek for something that is not meant for us. Greed, immortality - these are perennial xianxia themes, but they are explored in more detail here than in most dramas of the same genre.The execution of this story does hold some flaws, however. The writing is dense and often redundant - perhaps an oversight in direction or editing. There are simply too many scenes of exposition where people sit and talk about the same thing multiple times. Additionally, some characters and storylines feel superfluous and not well-integrated with the main story revolving around Lu Qianqiao and the treacherous immortals. The first half certainly does a better job of balancing all the story strands. The second half loses focus a bit and feels underwhelming at the climax. The story builds to a moment where ordinary men would triumph over evil (RIP Senior Bai), but suddenly Lu Qianqiao becomes a Perfect War Demon? A bit of a sudden turn in the character's journey to become wholly human and in the story's themes, if you ask me.
Nevertheless, this is still worth watching if you are a fan of the genre - it does hold some genuinely stirring moments from a great ensemble cast. However, it is far from a masterpiece and will likely not stand the test of time - certainly no rewatches from me.
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No Kisses? No Problem
Kissing scenes? Yeah, don't hold your breath. It's Ren Jia Lun. What do you expect? The guy is basically famous for not kissing his co-stars—except for maybe one or two dramas I can think of. But you know what? I still totally loved this series. And I say that as someone who usually craves romance. For me, the love here is quiet and real. It's in the way they care for each other, not in big passionate moments. Lu Qian Qiao's love for Xin Mei, and her love for him? Undeniable.The story itself is completely captivating. It starts as a xianxia fantasy, but its message hits close to home today: how the powerful and greedy elites will tear apart the world just to live forever. That part really sticks with the audience.
Lu Qian Qiao is a war ghost—an immortal with insane physical strength. But the trade-off is, he can't taste, feel, or see the way humans do. His world has no color. Even though he loves painting, everything he creates is gray. Food tastes disgusting to him—except wine. He can't feel pain. His wounds heal instantly. And worst of all, he doesn't die. He just watches the people he cares about grow old and slip away, over and over. That's his torture. So while others fight to become immortals, he fights to become human. It's such a beautiful, heartbreaking role reversal.
Xin Mei's first encounter with him is both hilarious and heartwarming. She has this curse: marry three men, and each one will die young. But she's kind-hearted. So instead of letting a good, worthy man be her third husband and die, she chooses a sinful one. At that moment, Lu Qian Qiao is in prison waiting for his execution. To her, he's perfect. And coincidentally, he's also looking for a bride as the first step in his plan to become human.
So the knot is tied early. It's a marriage of convenience—each with their own secret goal. But very quickly, it becomes so much more. Love. Trust. A deep yearning for each other.
Ren Jia Lun as Lu Qian Qiao is wonderful. His costumes and hairstyling are gorgeous (no weird helmet head), and his fight choreography is clean, sharp, and believable. His dialogue is simple, but every word feels honest and meaningful. His character is so powerful that every time he shows up, you just know everything's going to be okay.
Wang He Run as Xin Mei is amazing too. She has this sweet, innocent smile you won't forget. Unlike the other cultivators, she's genuinely kind. But when she needs to protect the people she loves, her eyes turn sharp—almost unrecognizable. And when she unleashes her full power, she becomes this fierce, brutal force of justice, cutting down evil without mercy. Wang He Run played that transformation perfectly.
All the good guys are incredibly lovable, and the villains, truly awful (in the best way). Every actor made their role believable. Bravo to the whole cast. You can also see the detail and hard work in every scene setting—it just adds to the viewing pleasure.
Overall, this is a drama rather well done. Don't let the current 8.0 rating fool you. Honestly? Though the storyline may be a bit predictable, that score doesn't do it justice—especially when you see other, weaker shows rated higher.
Don't miss this one!
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Fate chooses you to watch this
First of all, I admit to watching only 35 out of the 40 episodes. I'm sick of subscription based services wanting us to pay even more to watch the finale. Why do I have to pay more when I'm already paying a subscription? Smh. Anyways.Story. Prior to watching this, I didn't even know that Fate Chooses You is continuing in the world of A Moment But Forever. You don't have to watch A Moment But Forever in order to get the back story, since everything we need to know is explained in Fate Chooses You. Nonetheless, I do recommend also A Moment But Forever. Ren Jialun as Lu Qianqiao is a half War Demon half human and he's trying to become a "full" human by getting rid of the curses layed upon the War Demons. While doing that, he encounters love, friendships and companions, also betrayal, lies and schemes and on top of that, we're also unraveling a mystery about who's the bad apple among the immortal sects. I like the script a lot, you can apply many situations to today's world, for example (character name redacted because it's a spoiler) having a dream about the future, he doesn't like what he sees in that dream and he's doing everything possible and even against the principles to stop that dream from happening. He's so determined to reach his goal that he's absolutely blinded by it and can't see the harm he's doing to the common folk. There are no weak spots in the plot, it's making you want to watch every episode. Also Sheng, girl.... Episode 35.... GIRL WHAT ARE YOU DOING (you'll know when you get there what I'm talking about) like I understand her and her backstory, but what in the world...
Casting. I mean, I started to watch mainly for the cast, I love Ren Jialun, Riley Wang, Xiao Xunyao, Liu Xueyi (even though he has only a tiny little guest role). Xiao Xunyao is becoming a type cast for the morally grey characters and I am a sucker for morally grey characters who are cold on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. I have not seen any of the actresses before, so I can't judge on that. The only cast I was kind of not happy with was Wang Herun, like she's good, but I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it was about her that was missing for me. Maybe if her styling was making her stand out more, because she was quite outshined by the characters of Sheng and Jiang Ji.
Soundtrack. I didn't notice it much, as I said in numerous reviews, the OST has to stand out to me. It's pretty average to me personally.
Rewatch value. I can see myself rewatching this, as I said, the script doesn't have any weak spots, the camera is beautiful (the contrast of the golden leaves to the red wedding gowns for example), I absolutely love the cast and costumes, so there's definitely a high rewatch value.
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Starting from the end, it was a beautiful ending. I liked the scenes. It was great that guest actors like Liu Xie Yi and Zheng Ye Cheng appeared in the final episode, even briefly; they made their presence felt even in those short scenes. They are such good actors. Thank you.
Ren Jia Lun single-handedly carried the series. I think he was the most important figure. He didn't have a popular actor opposite him. The actors accompanying him weren't as popular or good as him either. But I got used to it as I watched the series. I liked all the actors. Especially Zhang Kai Ying, Riley Wang, Huang Yi, Fu Wei Lun, Sun Ze Yuan, Zhang Yi Ge, Xiao Shun Yao, Song Weng Zuo, Gao Shu Guang, Cheng Tai Shen, and Li Yu stood out.
Of course, there were flaws. The long dialogues were sometimes tedious. Long sentences and long scenes were filmed to explain the events. It was boring. Some of the fantasy elements were overused, making it feel like they'd gone overboard with fantasy. There were also noticeable flaws in some of the action scenes. Despite these shortcomings, overall I watched a well-structured series built around a good theme. I recommend it to anyone interested.
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This review may contain spoilers
Just Something To Watch
The main leads were not too bad. Lu Qian Qiao (Allen Ren) and Xin Mei (Wang He Run) were great. Lu Qian Qiao and Xin Mei were married in the prison, because he wanted someone to remember him after he died and she needed a third husband to fulfill something needed in her life. Xin Mei got hurt so many times and really badly. Lu Qian Qiao would almost always come to save her. She was so kind and only killed when absolutely necessary, like when she thought that Lu Qian Qiao was accused and put to death wrongly. She killed several of the bad people responsible for blaming him. Lu Qian Qiao was a very strong fighter, but he had a very good sense of righteousness and justice about him. A Sheng (Zhang Kai Ying) was the angry, younger sister of Xin Mei. She did not want anyone else in her sister's life except her. She despised Lu Qian Qiao because he was A Sheng felt like he was taking her older sister away from her. A Sheng did not like that Qian Qiao had Xin Mei's memories taken away. A Sheng had the worse past history of any of the characters; when she was growing up, she was poisoned, beaten, kicked, punched, boiled in oil, limbs were detached and put back on and so on. Xin Mei was the first person to every show her genuine kindness and affection. The other main characters were okay. There were so much evil from the so called immortal sects. Lu Qian Qiao destroyed four immortal sects.The storyline could have been better. Xin Mei was so kind and she should have been more ruthless towards the evil people. She had great power, but did not utilize it well. A Sheng was either too cruel or too afraid during the show. The only middle ground that A Sheng had was with her sister Xin Mei. How old was the Lord of Rust-Sword, Meishan Jun (Fu Wei Lun)? Was he afraid of women or what? The Lord of Rust-Sword liked to brag and tale tell tall tales of his escapades.
Anyways, I watched this drama and thought it could have been better; dramas usually can be better. Xin Mei and her husband, Lu Qian Qiao, were in a boat at the end. It would have been great if we knew how that turned out. Some of the storyline could have been cut out and some time could have been devoted to a proper finally.
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They survived but....
Despite everything, I'm really satisfied with the ending. There's hope for them reuniting and resuming there relationship. I'm so happy for Zuo Yingying for finally settling in her homeland and finding potential love ❤️. Happy Lord of Rust-sword for not dying and finding a path for cultivation;as well as the Inn owner helping to save the day and her business is flourishing with the little rabbit demon working there. Lin Muhan survived as well but with the loss of his father and Junior sister😢. I was so happy at Chu Ying's appear near the end. And shout out to Bai Zhongying , his sacrifice will not be forgotten also RIP to Xin Xiong he was the best of all the sect leaders😢. I still feel bad for Jin Lun, ASheng should not have became a God, there I said it. I liked her but damn. Anyway I would rate this 9/10Was this review helpful to you?
Slow paced but must watch
In thsi generation seeing a slwo paced wuxian drama is quite rare. When i started i was always hoping for more ml screeen time. However, without knowing i am enjoying other characters details. Without reason nothing is happening. A clean way of meeting set up for ml and fl. In which these days dramas doesn't show. Drama is slow paced but different in several ways. But once watched i don't think i will go back and watch again. May be some scenes but not all.Was this review helpful to you?
A Perfect Match under Heaven - I think the original title suits better
Two people find themselves entangled with each other’s fate when they agreed for marriage of convenience. Xin Mei was prophecised as a child that she would become the death of 3 of her husband. Because she already had someone she fancied as her husband prospect, she decided to break the curse and wed a death row convict, Lu Huai so he would become the last husband she killed (the two previous husbands were killed during engagement, before they got married to her). Meanwhile Lu Huai, a magistrate of the district was framed to be a corrupt official and sentenced to Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts), when in reality, he is a war ghost hybrid Lu Qianqiao, the abandoned child of a war ghost mother and an immortal cultivator father who is ridden by a curse. To break the curse and become a normal human, he had to undergo life-threatening procedures and needed a blood relative that could bring him back from the brink from each procedure, thus he agreed to wed Xin Mei so she could become his lifestring. However, Lu Qianqiao never expected that Xin Mei would go berserk after his supposedly death by lingchi upon learning of his unjustified sentence. She goes after all 4 officials that were involved in his framing, and becomes a target for immortal cultivators who the officials asked protection from. Lu Qianqiao saved Xin Mei and wiped her memory, thinking this would be the last of their encounter. To his surprise, Xin Mei appeared yet again at his next destination, and that he still needs to protect her from aggressors that she encountered during her revenge frenzy that she no longer remembered. Will he really be able to lead a normal life as a mortal next to a cultivator that he pledged his life with, or will he abandon his dream of becoming a human to keep the love of his life safe from danger that seem neverending?It’s good to see Ren Jialun yet again at his peak after his phenomenal performance in The Blue Whisper and a rather downer Burning Flame. As usual, I love the fact that he could convey his emotion through facial expressions and his eyes, he need not to express his admiration and love for the FL by flowery poetic words or spicy frenchkisses and racy bedscenes. Lu Qianqiao is a conflicted character - while he is adamant at becoming a normal human being without martial ability so he could finally enjoy life properly free from the war ghost curse of no restful sleep, no sense of colours and pain, and tasting everything he eats as rotten, he also finds his stance swayed when he realized he needed power to protect this new wife he found himself loving as more and more threats arise one after another. It melts his heart even more that Xin Mei doesnt mind if he were to become a normal human without any powers, because Xin Mei also envisioned a normal life with him, away from cultivator’s world and strife. He eventually found that his dream of becoming human is indeed as strong as his desire to protect his wife, which left him utterly conflicted.
I think this is the first of Wang Herun’s show with her as the mainlead that I’ve seen, but I must say she had great chemistry with ML, and her acting was amazing. I love that she seemed weak, gentle and demure in the first episode but turned out to be very resolute and capable when it comes to her stance. She keeps getting blocked out and falls from her Golden Core cultivation level because she keeps getting entangled with the mortal issues, but her stance never waned. She could never turn a blind eye upon seeing injustice, and there was nothing anyone could change about this even if she had to lay down her life for it. I find it a bummer that she keeps needing saving in each battle, which is quite understandable when she was a low level cultivator but even as she is at nascent level, the ML still keeps coming to her rescue, so yeah, that is quite a bummer for me who love independent, strong FLs. I love everything about Xin Mei though I wish this character had been a bit tougher than what she was written as. I get tired of pulling my face each time the scene of her lying in bed in the verge of death after each battle comes on.
Some of the sideplots felt like total fillers that felt like a total waste of time. Like the almost love triangle between Bai Zongren, Lady Jiang and Xin Mei. There’s also too many characters written in that made it hard for me to follow each sideplot, which led me to use the ff button instead.
Though one thing I must admit, Xiao Xiang Dong Er do have the talent to turn a bland and straightforward novel into an expanded version with complicated sometimes rather twisty storyline. She did the same with Tian Xia Wu Shuang (novel) for its adaptation A Moment but Forever, which i guess is the sequel to this one based on the last 2 episodes. Btw, it truly beats me why the heck did she allow her own epic novel Princess Agent be butchered beyond recognition on screen when she herself is a screenwriter who has written good stories that is even better than the novel they’re after. total mindblowing, and a pity. 😔 I still hope for a more accurate adaptation of Princess Agent, but I digress.
Anyway, the production definitely spent loads and loads of ‘blood’ packets for this show, cuz almost in every single battle, there would be more than one character spewing blood all over themselves during fights, and more than once in one battle even. Good lord, it seemed like they never ran out of blood to vomit. 😵💫😂 i must say this show had probably the most blood vomiting scenes i ever watched. What a total mess.
I love the ending which can be said to be a happy ending, though i wished Ren Jianlun had a wee bit more scenes under his belt.
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