Moonlight Mystique

had a strong idea but didn’t quite know how to bring it to life

It had a lot of potential, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me after watching the first nine episodes. The premise was intriguing, blending elements of fantasy and romance, but the execution left much to be desired.

The pacing felt off, with some episodes dragging on while others seemed rushed. I found myself losing interest during long stretches of dialogue that didn’t seem to contribute much to the plot. The characters, while they had interesting backgrounds, often felt one-dimensional and lacked the depth needed to make me care about their journeys.

Visually, the show has its moments, but it didn’t consistently deliver the stunning visuals I hoped for. Some scenes were beautifully crafted, but others felt cheap and uninspired. The soundtrack was decent, but it didn’t stand out in a way that enhanced the viewing experience.

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Amazing Soundtrack and Graphics

Bai Lu is one of my favorite C-drama actresses. Her acting is mature and emotional, and any drama she's in, I'm always adding it to the list. Moonlight Mystique is no exception.

First of all, I was very impressed with CGI quality. It was off only in a couple of places toward the end but otherwise very even throughout all the episodes. The sets were also beautiful along with costumes and makeup.

The music was amazing. It added an extra layer to an already very emotional story.

As far as characters go, I loved that each one had a backstory, and all of the stories were interesting. In a long drama, it's almost inevitable for me to skip scenes, many times bogged down with long dialogues and random characters, but in this drama everyone's scenes were beautiful and meaningful. I appreciated that.

I also liked that we didn't have too many exposition episodes and got right down to business.

ROMANCE (mild spoilers below)

I think for the first time in history of watching C-drama I actually liked a second CP and was just invested as into the lead couple. Also toward the end of the series, I started to guess what the true purpose of Fu Ling's character was. Honestly, when my guess came true, I was heartbroken.

Main couple had a very healthy relationship, if not a little boring. I think what really made them shine was obvious chemistry and the things they would do for each other. I enjoyed watching that. They had a lot of beautiful scenes together. I do think that Fan Yue's character started strong but became too soft. Still, the actor was made for this role. He needs more roles in xianxias and wuxias. He rocked all those outfits. Plus, his development aligned with his character's arc.

I also think Chang Hua Sen needs proper lead roles moving forward. I really liked him in Journey to Love. He was a little unhinged there. And here too, at the end. But the man can act.

I do think that it was a little unfair to the second couple for them to end up the way they did. I think they deserved a better ending. However, if that's the source material, I won't argue. Let's put this way-I've seen better fantasy, but I also was very impressed with the quality of music, sets, costumes, story, and acting in this one, so I am not going to take off any rating. As far as watching for pleasure to relax (and that's why I watch), this was one of the better ones I've seen this year.

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Great story telling and flow

I completed watching this drama which surprised me because early on I thought I would drop it. But I was wrong as this drama kept me seated mainly because the story telling and the flow were good. There were several arcs and each was intriguing but explained satisfactory. The arcs changed from one to the next smoothly and tied together to the grand of the whole story.

Both the ML and FL were solid at acting out their characters. I have to say that in many scenes the ML looked prettier than the FL haha. Their love for each other was perfect and almost predictable, luckily the 2nd couple had more tormented life and angsty love story. I also enjoyed the show purple color scheme, so rich and imaginative, unlike many typical dramas.

In my opinion this is one of few dramas with solid script and excellent directing, resulting in a master piece that is enjoyable to watch.

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it's like a competition of who suffered the most omg

okay, that was a lot. i have mixed feelings about that ending but i'm not eloquent enough to explain lol i just want to clarify that i do love this overall. i think the acting and chemistry between the characters are the drama's strengths. from the leads to the supporting characters, they're all interesting to me. well, they could have done better with the main villain in the end there but still! so much love for these characters! the actress playing fu ling, dai lu wa is a star! bai lu did so good in emotional scenes and man, this drama had a lot. it's one after another. i guess that's one of my not-so-favorite things in this. fan yue and bai shuo kept getting saved by the skin of their teeth over and over again. not that i wanted them to die, but wow they put us through it. NOW... with that said, i'm gonna immediately contradict myself lol because the dynamic of chong zhao and fu ling repeatedly saving each other is what made me love them a lot. maybe because fu ling was an instant favorite of mine right off the bat. to me, she's the most interesting character and i'm rooting for dai lu wa now. she did so good.

the story did come together in the end. it's just the amount of deaths they're gonna put you through omg. it was a lot! at one point, i was scared no one is gonna be alive lmao nevertheless, they successfully made all these sactifices emotionally moved me because they made them all likeable and fun. at least to me, they were. all sidequests in tian huo and cang shan's hometowns, the fox clan and bodhi village have kept me engaged. in between all the chaos, we did get some fun and lighthearted moments as well. that fan yue bit changing personality was fun. ao rui peng did so good just with his facial expressions. you can tell right away when it's not really him.

the romance was good. i did like that fan yue and bai shuo brought out the best in each other. they are both smart and resilient individually and together, they are an actual team. i wish the chong zhao and fu ling storyline were developed more. i thought chong zhao not letting go of bai shuo took a little too long lol but when he got over that, i was really invested in CZ and FL. i don't know, just something about them or the actors' chemistry really worked for me.

some of the reveals were predictable but it's fine, it's not like it was pretending to be a mystery thriller. i gotta say, that reunion was bai shuo and bai xi was so good, i cried. and i knew that was going to be the end for bai xi. it was pretty obvious she was gonna make a sacrifice either for bai shuo or chong zhao and that makes sense for the story and all, i anticipated it, but that was still heartbreaking for me. sorry for repeating, i just love that character fu ling lol

anyway, a good watch. used the same formula over and over again but the actors did so good, an engaging story with characters that are easy to root for. the visuals are so colorful and pretty costumes as well.

ps: that little tiny creature with fu ling was the cutest thing

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Purple Moon

Initially, this drama did gave me a Love Between Fairy and Devil vibe. To the point that when I look at Ao Rui Peng, He looks like Dylan Wang to me as a Demon God. I really liked how it started. The humor, which is a trademark in Bai Lu's character as FL in most of her portrayals. And yes, as expected, a Demon God should be harsh in the beginning as always. I got hooked when the Contemplation stone entered FL's body. Every contemplation being collected has its own story which is one good point of this drama. Then, of course, how all the characters are connected made up the good storyline. I have to commend all the actors in this drama. They all nailed their roles. From the Bai sisters' father, who I first got teary eyed from his sad fate. Then, the very colorful story of Fu Ling/Bai Xi and Chong Zhao. I think they are my favorite characters overall. For me, both of their stories have the most meaningful impact here. It even overshadowed the story of the MC tbh. Fu Ling suffered the most for me. From having no memories of her past and unconciously killed her own father. Suffered severely from the heart poison and yes had to sacrifice herself for the sake of her loved ones. I honestly felt the chemistry more between her and Chong Zhao. I liked how their love for each other slowly unfolded. As for Chong Zhao, His is another story. Being betrayed by his own mentor whom he believed was righteous from the start, then turns out to be his own parent's perpetrator. Then was kinda deceived by love, knowing the one he cared for from the start wasn't the right person at all. And yes, he has to be the most villanous of all from his dark past.
I have to mention too the side characters of the story who also played a major contribution to the storyline. There's Tian Huo, who also have her own colorful story and romance. Her loyalty and courage is really admirable. And yes, she's got a handsome brother Hua Yong, who's very kind and loving. Then, there's Zhang Shan, another loyal disciple of Fan Yue. His sad fate makes me feel bad also for this drama. I even like how funny he was and his admiration for Tian Huo is one thing I liked also. The Fox Clan, Mu Jiu and Chen Ye, Fan Yue's brother have also made a great significance to their characters. I have to mention too Lao Gu, my favorite turtle master. I really like his character.
Overall, the storyline is really great not until the last part of the drama, where it started to show everything that happened in the past. I guess, one thing I didn't like in that aspect is that, it showned that Jing Yuan's power is weaker than of Mo Li. I don't know, but as a Demon Lord, Jing Yuan's character is usually weak most of the time. He couldn't even defeat Mo Li, not with Chong Zao's help. As for Bai Shuo, I just hope the power of the contemplation stone just remained with her. I mean the stone chose her, so it should have remained loyal to its chosen host till the end.
Anyways, the finale felt forced to be happy. Besides, it won't give you a good feeling afterall that a lot of the main characters that should be with them have sacrificed themselves to save humanity and other sects. With that, I gave this drama a fair 8 rating. That is for the good storyline minus the finale. As for the romance, I'm not a fan of the MC'c chemistry. I find it bland. But, was surely a fan of Fu Ling/ Bai Xi and Chong Zhao's true love.
Another thing worth mentioning for this drama, lots of eyecandy goodlooking men to watch for. This is a good watch but not as good as ALP and LBFAD.

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Strangely, this is a drama that spoils itself with a premonition of tragedy.

I love the casts for FL and ML. I love the visuals of this drama. I love the unique purple-dark theme. I love how the prologue is delivered in cartoonish style. But I can't stand how the story is told. Evaluating the story from the first five episodes alone may be unfair. But we have gotten these so far, and I am considering dropping this drama to save my sanity. These are my problems:

CONFUSION AND WORRY. I got the first impression of this drama from its trailer. I love the trailer. It looks fun and comedic. The love story seems promising, even though it involves cliches. But the real story is angsty and vengeful. The opening serves us with conflict and killing scenes, and I am like, "What?!" Is it just another drama with a sad, tragic ending? What is the point of spoiling us with such an opening? Watching this drama worries me so much. Will my emotional investment, time, and money pay off? I am afraid we will get a sad ending served tragically.

FL IS STUPID AND MAKES NO SENSE. I love Bai Lu, but not her character this time (Bai Shou). I love the child actress playing little Bai Shuo, but not how Bai Lu portrays the adult Bai Shuo. When little Bai Shuo aspired to practice immortality and to repay someone's kindness, I admired her for her maturity. This girl has a purpose. But as she grew up, this aspiration ironically became a childish obsession, making her a laughing stock. I don't know in what world she lives in. But why does it seem like the human species is clueless and doesn't believe in divine beings/ immortals? Is it a problem with the worldbuilding? Or is it the problem with the character building? After 10 years had passed, she did not even learn other things that were useful for daily life or to make her a more graceful and complex woman. She is too one-dimensional, lacks virtues, and her only power source comes accidentally from a stone, not a thing she acquires through work and hardship. And when her purpose changed into revenge and she blamed everyone but herself for the tragedy befallen her city and her father, it was like a decline, a negative development. This girl lacks insight into how everything started with her stupidity.

LACK OF CONNECTION BETWEEN FL AND ML. I don't like how this drama showed more physical violence between FL and ML in the opening episodes rather than a subtle, heartfelt connection and realization. The ML keeps threatening her, but it is merely words rather than actions. Watching this particular scene, I am like, "Go kill her if you're a ruthless demon, as your folks always talk about you!" And the FL keeps returning to him and bargaining things. "If you want the stone, just kill her and get the stone back. Why do you have to ask who she is?" It is a very unnecessary curiosity. And this curiosity is baseless. "Bai Shuo gives you nothing that moves your heart, and there is no meaningful interaction between you two so far, and you two were complete strangers. Why are you suddenly curious?" When the connection between two characters is missing, no need to ask about their chemistry.

IT IS SO DRAGGY. I don't know what is in the director's mind, dedicating 5 episodes (around 200 minutes!) just to set the foundation and introduce what the story will be. I wish this drama to have Blossom's (2024) effectiveness that can do the introduction neatly in just 2 episodes and quickly bring us to the main story without beating around the bush. The story is polluted with a lot of inner monologues, fillers, and not funny bickering. Too much telling, lacking meaningful actions. The transition of events is too slow, even when the city is attacked and the situation is so dire. When the story reaches its peak moment, the pace should keep up with the sense of urgency. But why does it turn out to be like an everyday event?

I respect fans of this drama. I share your love for certain things in this drama. But, in my eyes, there are more problems and they diminish my enjoyment. If you like this drama, I hope you have a good experience. It is just not my cup of tea.

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Second leads stole my heart

Ah yet again, a show where the secondary couple is wayy more interesting and has better chemistry than the main couple. It’s also a new twist since it’s the girl this time, who is more evil and cruel and the boy is softer and kinder. I’m not going to lie, I went into this show purely for Dai Lu Wa as Fu Ling and my god did she deliver. Chang Huasen is also very good as both Chong Zhao and Mo Li. Though that was one part in the writing that I didn’t like. I wish he had remained himself but that’s just my opinion.. Fu Ling / Bai Xi was genuinely such a cool character, she’s absolutely cruel and evil and doesnt hold back and I love that so much. People are scared to write evil mean girls but these writers clearly weren’t! But even if she’s ruthless, she still shows so much kindness towards Chong Zhao made my heart race. Idk about him but I would’ve dropped everything in a heartbeat for her 😍😍😍

His obsession with the female lead was very annoying in the beginning though, it made me feel so sad for Fu Ling… I mean I understand why he doesn’t like her but cmon man she saved you so many times!! Don’t be so ungrateful. Still later on he proved himself when he started showing so much love for her it genuinely made me emotional. Lingzhao deserved so much better, the ending completely broke me… all in all a good show but i was honestly only here for the second leads….

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Best fantasy drama ever

I am so much inlove with this drama, the storyline on point and Captivating. The visual perfect, the cast cute and giving chemistry and model vibe. Anyone who talk ill about this drama truth be tlold he or she is just pained and want to make aure the drama is not rated as is supose to be rated because is not their idol or negative reason. This drama is best and new strategy for fantasy drama. 👌 i rate it 10/10 for me . Waiting for ep 10 and 11 already. I urge eveyone to watch and make sure is from the official app iqiyi only so it counts for the cast please. Moonlight mystique strong anticipated drama not to miss please.

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Create an MDL account for the first time just for this Drama

C'est bien la première fois que j'ai eu le courage de regarder une série qui n'était pas encore terminer,vue l'angoisse que la fin des series peut me procurer indépendamment d'une happy end/ Bad end, mais cette fois je me suis laisser allé j'ai adoré cet xianxia, j'ai même creer mon compte de MDL pour une première juste pour me refugié dans les commentaires avec d'autre personne et ça m'a tellement fait du bien.la serie est bonne ,le suspense ,la beauté de tous les acteurs on n'y voit de tout.es ce que je recommande Moonlight Mystique absolument. Mais que chacun face sa propre opinion.Bravo a tous les acteurs et surtout a Bailu .

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