Moonlight Mystique

Early review notes

Jotting down some notes early; I have only watched about 15 eps so far

OVERALL:

The good is very good but the bad is so annoying that multiple plotlines are begging to be skipped. And skipping without dropping is not something I normally do.

THE GOOD:

Everything is beautiful. The costumes. The sets. Everything is boldly colored and elaborately designed. Visually a joy to watch.

Lots of magic. This is fully fantasy, magic is everywhere. The fantastical world is rich and detailed.

The FL gives an excellent performance, taking the role seriously and infusing nuance into the portrayal.

The FL's character writing is much stronger than this genre usually does. She is portrayed as smart and determined, and it isn't just lip service -- it is SHOWN in intuitive ways. She figures things out alongside the audience. She makes strategic decisions and plans based on her knowledge. While there is still a "beauty and the beast" dynamic, (most of) her situations are not just being damseled, she actually has a lot of agency, and even when she doesn't, she still acts appropriately based on the established strength of character. A very refreshing portrayal of FL strength, without just "claiming she's a general" and then failing to show it in practical ways.

A few standout performances by the support cast.

THE BAD:

Rushed romance. Not just for the leads, all the romance plotlines are just suddenly "love at first glance" without any support or transition from actual experiences/scenes.

Obnoxiously over the top humor. There are entire groups that just behave incomprehensibly stupid, which is both frustrating that their motivations and choices constantly don't align, but also that it seems to be just draped in dumb comedy to make it more palatable. It fails. The worst part is that we linger in these situations for very long scenes and return to repeat them frequently. Spending this much focus on entire scenes of people we don't care about and doing things that are not enjoyable to watch, is exhausting.

The 2ML is a very attractive actor that only does 1 note. Perhaps it is the writing's fault for giving him nothing to work with, but either way it quickly goes from being annoying to completely frustrating to watch the same exact loop over and over and always have 1 expression ever on his face.

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Gorgeous World With Amazing Cast

Whether or not Moonlight Mystique is good is quite debatable. For me, there are some reasons it wasn't good, while others made up for it.
Let's begin with the acting.
Bai Lu plays the main female character, Bai Shuo, in Moonlight Mystique she is a multi-faceted character and Bai Lu has done a wonderful job at showcasing each and every emotion. From very annoying, brat and stubborn girl who wants to become immortal, the body switch plot, to a divine being full of love and willing to protect her love ones at all cost. I've watched Bai Lu for years and honestly her acting doesn't disappoint. Bai Shuo's story was a tragic one but at least she had someone at side by the end. Bai Shuo isn't your typical mistress in distress, however, she overestimates her own power, thus she would exert herself to protect Fan Yue.

Ao Rui Peng played the imposing Demon Lord, Fan Yue. Fan Yue's story was also a tragic one, in fact everyone's storyline was very tragic, very typical of xianxia dramas. Despite rumors of how scary and imposing Fan Yue, he is actually very soft hearted demon who helps his people as well as those who are close to him. He is very, VERY protective of Bai Shuo. Honestly, I lost the amount of times he sacrificed his life for Bai Shuo. This is my second drama of Ao Rui Peng and he did a great job actually, nothing too awkward, but you can totally tell this is his first romance focused drama with kiss scenes. Anyhow, I hope he gets more main roles in the future. I don't know if this is a tidbit of Ao Rui Peng or his character direction, but the way he hugs Bai Shuo (and some other character I shall not name) was very heartwarming and cozy-looking. I like the way he nudges their heads like. It was just something I had notice because it shows that his hugs were very genuine.

What I like about Moonlight Mystique is each arc has great plots with amazing acting from each side character. Tragic stories but amazing acting nonetheless.

Dai Lu Wa portrayed the demoness, Fuling. Honestly, after her true identity was discovered, I kind of wish she was kept alive just to surprise the audience. Yes, she was the most unremorseful character in the beginning but I forgave her pretty quick. I think Dai Lu Wa did a great job portraying the diferent perspectives of Fu Ling. Her emotions felt raw and poignant, it really tugged on my heartstrings sometimes. This is my second drama of Dai Lu Wa, the last drama I've watched of hers was from 2018 so this drama has showcased the massive improvement in her ability to enact such strong emotions. I would definitely continue to watch more of her dramas from now on.
Turtle Shifu aka Lao Gu was really funny. The actor, Li Yu, did a pheneomenal job giving the character such amazing personality. I loved him the most!
Chang Hua Sen played Chong Zhao. This is my first drama of Chang Hua Sen and my first impression of his acting was very positive. His emotions were very natural; albeit he was very annoying in the beginning, but I digress. I think when the story changed later on, I did take notice of his character's good and bad sides. He acted them out pretty naturally that you'd think it would've been twins acting out instead. lol

Notable mentions would be the actress and actor of Ling Long and Rong Xun (Pan Jun Ya and Quan Yi Lun respectively.) Out of all the side quests the main characters went on, I am still stuck on Ling Long and Rong Xun. It's mostly because these two acted very well, and I really wish to see them as leads some day - their chemistry was amazing and the acting was very natural!

The cinamatography, and CGI of this drama was pheneomenal! I really enjoy watching the CGI the most, the colors were beautiful! Everything just looked very realistic. This is coming from watching The Last Immortal right before watching Moonlight Mystique. The editing and the CGI in TLI was horrendous while Moonlight Mystique's was amazing. I do blame the post-production team for that so it's not the actors' fault. But it is something I cannot stress enough about, it just shows that MM was a high budget drama.
Something else I quite like about this drama was that it's not your typical demons are bad, immortals are good drama. In this drama, it tells us that not all demons wants to kill everyone or are bad. While not all immortals are good people either, and they can also live like they're homeless ngl. In contrast, the demon palaces were GORGEOUS! The most gorgeous demon lair of all xianxia dramas I've ever seen! I loved the color combinations of the floors, walls, and furnitures, etc.

Now for the reasons why I did not truly enjoy this drama to the fullest.
It was just too predictable! Literally, I've never been able to predict what could happen from the beginning to end of a xianxia drama. There would be something that surprises you. In this drama, the obvious people were already there instead of keeping us guessing. So yes, this is your typical xianxia drama - everyone dies - some will not but most will. I just wished they kept at least one more person alive just to surprise the audience but nah, the directors just wanted everyone dead. *rolling my eyes* I just hate that it's so cliche, I didn't want to keep being right but here we are. What's new?
It took me 17 episodes to get into the drama because some plots were a little confusing because it didn't make sense at all! Some characters were conveniently there for the plot, it was weird - difficult for me to explain why honestly.

Nonetheless, I barely skipped an episode - I was very eagered to watch Moonlight Mystique. Would I recommend it? If you really enjoy watching xianxia dramas with really good CGI and action scenes then yes, please watch it. if you don't want a predictable, cliche drama then no, watch something else.

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Best story of the 3 related shows….

Comparing this to both Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal, I would say the story in this one was the best of the 3. Although all the stories are interconnected, they are all still written as standalones and can be judged separately.

The Good

The character building, development and world building is what stood out the most to me in this show. I appreciate that each important member received a backstory, from Bai Shuo, Fan Yue, Cang Shan, Tian Huo, Qi Feng, Mu Jiu, Bai Xi and Chong Zhao. The directors allowed us to be able to connect with each character through their separate journeys which does elevate this story of the 3. The acting was also decent in here. Everyone did a good job at portraying genuine emotions with some characters shining throughout (Dai Lu Wa was definitely the star of this show). I enjoyed both sibling arcs of our main leads with damnation, redemption and sacrifice. It was truly heartbreaking to see. The relationship between our main leads was also written much better than most xianxias. No random break ups or misunderstandings. The two characters relied on and trusted each other throughout the whole show which was nice to see. I definitely enjoyed the soundtrack in this show. It helped elevate the scenes.


The Bad

There were some plot holes for sure. These were plot holes independent of the other 2 shows but things the director probably messed up on or just forgot the logic on. Happens in a lot of fantasy shows though. Wish the CGI could have been consistent. For the most part, it was decent because the production value was higher but when it came to the hidden power, the black goo looked terrible. Some of the characters lacked depth and were too one dimensional as an example, like most of the eternals were and especially characters like Mo Li. It makes some of those characters uninteresting to the story and hard to connect with because their motivations are too basic, making them hard to relate to, care about and unreal. This xianxia still followed much of the same formulas of past xianxias. I’m still patiently waiting for something new and fresh because I like the genre.

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As Abraham Lincoln asserted: "You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time. You can't please all of the people all of the time." I refer to the few negative reviews . All of the main actors delivered great performances, showing intense emotions through both body and facial language. The audience can't help but identify with the performers and experience their loves and heartbreaks.
The plot delivers its message of love and sacrifice without being preachy. Moreover, it keeps suspense via subplots and surprising twists.
My two cavils : Some of the divergences dragged out to long, and I found the righteous clans uninteresting.
The drama overall is well worth watching.

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Aventure envoûtante!!

Ce drama fantastique est une véritable pépite qui mêle à la perfection un univers riche, des personnages captivants et une histoire profondément émouvante.
Dès le premier épisode, la série nous plonge dans un monde rempli de magie, de légendes anciennes et de paysages visuellement magnifiques. La qualité de production est remarquable : costumes, effets spéciaux et scènes d’action sont soignés et immersifs.

L’un des plus grands atouts de ce drama est la construction de ses personnages. Les protagonistes sont écrits avec profondeur, vulnérabilité et évolution, ce qui les rend immédiatement attachants. La chimie entre les acteurs principaux est naturelle, et leurs trajectoires émotionnelles sont traitées avec finesse. Même les personnages secondaires ajoutent humour, tension et humanité à l’ensemble.

Le scénario est bien rythmé, alternant aventure, mystère et romance sans jamais s’essouffler. Chaque épisode se termine avec juste ce qu’il faut de suspense pour donner envie de continuer. Les éléments fantastiques — pouvoirs, créatures mythiques, prophéties anciennes — sont intégrés de manière fluide et cohérente.

Le drama aborde également des thèmes forts comme le courage, le sacrifice, le destin ou encore la lutte entre le bien et le mal, donnant une vraie profondeur au récit.

En somme, ce drama fantastique est une aventure envoûtante, visuellement sublime et émotionnellement marquante. Une recommandation incontournable pour tous les amateurs de magie, de belles histoires et d’univers bien construits.

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Chef's Kiss

I absolutely loved the opening episodes (1-5) of Moonlight Mystique! Waiting for the next episode is such a struggle, but it’s been a year without a Bai Lu drama, so here I am. Plus, Ruipeng is so handsome—I’ve been a fan since Blood of the Youth, so I’m excited to see him in this role.

First, let’s talk about the female lead (FL): Bai Lu is absolutely killing it as Bai Shuo. She’s strong, smart, and super observant. By the second or third episode, she’s already piecing together the male lead’s (ML) plan, which shows how sharp her character is. Bai Lu looks stunning, and the outfits and makeup department deserves all the praise—they left no crumbs. Her line delivery has improved so much since her last drama, and I even found myself tearing up during her father’s death scene.

Now, the male lead: I know some netizens were hating on Ruipeng for taking this role, but I think he’s doing a fantastic job so far. His chemistry with Bai Lu is off the charts! He’s playing a no-nonsense demon, and he’s been serious and intense, which fits this role perfectly. I’m really excited to see how his character evolves as the show progresses. Honestly, every time he says lines like, "Don’t dare touch her—she’s mine," I couldn’t help but squeal. That dominating, commanding aura he brings to the character is everything this role needs.

Also, shoutout to his costume design! The dark purple, black, and blue color scheme suits him so well—it’s just chef’s kiss. The costume department really outdid themselves. On top of that, the lighting and color scheme of the drama are gorgeous.

The OSTs are also amazing—super pleasing to the ears. I noticed that I wasn’t skipping parts like I usually would in other dramas, which says a lot. The pacing is great, not draggy at all, and every scene contributes to moving the story forward.

The fight scenes? Wow. I especially loved the ones between Fan Yue’s subordinates and Chang Zhao. The CGI is surprisingly good—not overdone, which can be rare in xianxia dramas.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Moonlight Mystique. Xianxia dramas don’t usually grab my attention this early on, but this one has me hooked!

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Kill me now - It is so boring, draggy, and stupid script even with good actress.

Moonlight Mystique is a Xian Xia costume drama about good and evil again (immortal vs demon.) It is nothing new; every Xian Xia drama has the same or similar story. It was freaking boring to watch.

I like Bai Lu, but ever since "Love is Sweet," I have not been able to finish any of her dramas, especially the Xian Xie ones, which she has been in a lot lately. It is not my favorite genre, but I watch it because of my favorite actors and actresses, and I get disappointed every single time with this genre.

I am in episode 8 right now, and I can't get it, let alone continue to watch the entire 40 episodes. I am dropping it.

Synopsis: Bai Shuo, the youngest daughter of the General's Mansion, vowed to cultivate immortality to repay a favor. While on her journey to seek immortality, she unexpectedly saved the powerful demon god, Fan Yue. Initially strangers, they gradually went from mutual manipulation to mutual affection, and eventually, both fell in love. Despite facing many obstacles, their love was strong enough to overcome any limitations, allowing them to embrace each other truly.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 6.5
2. Script: 4
3. Music/OST: 5
4. Production Quality: 8
5. Cinematography: 5
6. Onscreen Chemistry: 4.5
7. Rewatchable: 4

Overall Rating: 5.0

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