Moonlight Mystique

Moonlight Mystique or A Collection of Unfortunate Sacrifices

While I love Bai Lu, I think I was ultimately kind of disappointed with this drama, and I was so excited, too. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I feel like the last 3 xianxia/historical dramas that she has done are like- the same character. I feel like Bai Lu is capable of choosing different kinds of characters, but for whatever reason, it's getting to a point where it kind of feels like I've been watching her play a specific kind of character in several different dramas with not really much of a variation - just different goals in mind.

Ultimately, at some points in this drama, I felt like everything that was happening was either to prop her character or revolved around her character, which made sense because she is the main character, but when literally everyone dies, it's not fun anymore... and when I mean everyone dies; literally, everyone that was worth remembering or a proper support character dies. The entire show is, in a very short summary, just a collection of unfortunate sacrifices.

Mu Jie for example was saved in Rong Xian's resentment illusion with Fan Yue's powers but yet despite being saved has to sacrifice himself in the end...which made it pointless for him to be saved to begin with. The Fox Clan's issue, by the way, is still not solved. The emotion tree will literally continue to need high spiritual energy from another demon to continue to flourish in another- who knows - thousand years or so. The water stone given to Bai Shou is literally an irreplaceable treasure from the Fox Clan. Tian Huo's death was also strange. It was like she was the last person left so the writers had to think of a way to kill her off. Unfortunately and conveniently, Fan Yue is brought back to life at the last second because heaven said, "Oopsie!" I would have honestly maybe preferred it if heaven said, "everyone will come back in one form or another" and left it there. If this were the case, I feel like the ending would have made more sense.

I found Bai Shou and Fan Yue's relationship boring - there was no nuance - just: I'll sacrifice myself for you and vice versa. Not even, it's a lot of Bai Shou going, "My life is my life. Your life is your life," and then someone proceeds to try to sacrifice themself for the other. Fan Yue dying all the time got boring really fast, and he got soft way too fast. In comparison to how he was presented in the first few episodes, the subsequent episodes after Ning'an felt like I was watching a different person. I could not get emotionally attached to either Bai Shou or Fan Yue, so whenever one got hurt, I really did not care as much as when any of the support characters died.

This show isn't without any positive aspects. I was honestly surprised with how Bai Shou got lectured by Fan Yue when she broke into the forbidden room the first time and got yelled at for thinking only about herself. There are several small moments when someone gets lectured into trying to be understanding to other people's situations, which I found really cute that the show is trying to send a message to be more compassionate towards others. There are some life lessons in this drama I think maybe a lot of people don't usually hear, which I feel could be important. Some of the arcs were interesting too. I think the attempt that they had at addressing difficult things, such as someone doing horrific acts but not inherently being a horrible person, is interesting. I absolutely prefer characters like this over cookie-cutter "green flags" because it gives the characters more depth and nuance, so I was happy they were included. For example, Qi Feng massacred those who he believed were behind massacring his clan or did wrong to him and his clan, and Fu Ling became Zheng Yu's slave after being brainwashed. Both were groomed since they were children, and both have done horrible things, but they were not born this way. If they had grown up in better circumstances, they would have never done any of the things they did and when they sobered up from their situations, they became pitiful characters that I wished could have a shot at living on. Unfortunately, there was no justice for these characters. The main leads didn't even get to Zhen Yu, the one who did all this. Zhen Yu died happily saving Mo Li...

*Note: I am very impressed with the costume design and hairstyle choice for Fu Ling. I am a sucker for pretty hairstyles. At first, it was a bit confusing for me to tell why Fu Ling liked Chong Zhao so quickly, but when you later find out about how she had a crush on him since she was a kid, it made more sense- at least they tried to rationalize that amongst the many things that might have been questionable.

As a standalone drama, this really didn't captivate me as much as I wished for it to. I would absolutely recommend watching this if you turn off your brain and if you enjoy frivolous dramas. If you are an overthinker like me, perhaps this isn't the drama for you. I watched the entire thing because of Bai Lu initially and then for Dai Lu Wa as Fu Ling, but if it were any other actresses, I may not have stayed to watch the whole thing.

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One of the best Xianxia dramas I have watched so far! Worth the watch? Definitely

This drama has exceeded my expectations by far. I have been eagerly waiting for this drama for a long time. It did not disappoint me to my delight.

The story of the drama is super engaging, touching, suspenseful and captivating. The conflicts/persued goals are moving the characters forward and making the story very entertaining. There is current story carrying on while the vital and mysterious back stories of many characters are unravelling too. Its one of the best Xianxia dramas I have ever watched.

Bai Shuo is not just a gorgeous beauty but super brains too incredibly smart, bold, brave and truly committed to her promises and personal goals. She is feisty and sassy yet an adorable cutie too. She is very adaptable to disastrous changes in her life due to events caused by fate and/ or by design (villians causing chaos for their personal agendas). She is taking all the challenges head on, finding ways to make a difference, learning life lessons and pursuing her goals proactively. She has solid backstory including her childhood, relationships, and significant life events.


FY is very attractive, knowledgable, clever, mysterious and powerful demon king. He gives off heartless and merciless persona in the beginning but as the story progresses we see his heart melting and character changing due to interactions with the FL. He seems to have many secrets due to some very painful and impactful past. He seems to be pursuing incredibly important goal too. At times he seems morally grey, but then he has reasons for his actions which are slowly revealed. Later we learn that FY is very kind, smart, softhearted and a just king. His very sad past has influence on his current actions.

The chemistry between both main couple is very smooth and electrifying. The development of love between them is slow but for sure. The slow burn romance to me is very hot! Because its the type of romance where the relationship between characters develops gradually over time, building tension and anticipation, often starting from friendship or mild annoyance and gradually growing into something deeper and sweeter, with the focus on subtle moments and emotional depth rather than bland immediate attraction or grand gestures.  There is complexity in their relationship which arises from them belonging to different races and how they started out and their mysterious signficant intertwined past. Both BS's and FY's character develop beautifully side by side. They learn to trust and rely on each other. Share their secrets and thier past stories. Then they provided care and support for each other in their dark and difficult times. Their love evolved to the level of being selfless and ready to sacrifice themselves for each other. Throughout their journey of collecting contemplations they learned many valuable lessons and become stronger in every aspect . They face many trials and tragedies and learn to cope with them and solve many mysteries and overcome challenges together.

The story of FL and CZ is very intriguing, engaging and mysterious as well. CZ learned to let go of BS and developed very beautiful true selfless love for FL. FL got to have chance break out of evil demon's hold on her and reunite with her sister. Both of them needed a lot of courage and internal strength to give themselves chance to turn good after manipulated into doing evil. They both felt deep remorse for their past wrong actions and did not hesitate to use their lives to stop evil and protect people. All characters are dynamic, they are contributing very well to move the story, provide powerful insights and successfully tickling our curiosity. All of character's efforts and sacrifices bring peace, justice, equality, stability and happiness to the chaos ridden different races of the world.

As expected Bai Lu has delivered very powerful, immaculate, impeccable, engaging and mesmerising acting. ARP is incredibly adaptable actor. Like BL he has slayed many different kinds of roles. Other actors are portraying their characters smoothly as well- bringing the characters emotions, aims, qualities and their attributes to light.

The OSTs, CGI and FX is mind blowing. They are placed appropriately in the drama suitable to the needs of the events. The costumes are incredibly well thought out, captivating, mesmerisingly beautiful and simply magnificent. The sets and the environments shows a lot of effort put in to anhance its suitability, usefulness and impact to the related scenes. The pacing of the drama is appropriate to story needs, its neither too fast nor too slow.

Overall I've absolutely loved it! I hope people watching it give this enchanting and captivating drama a fair chance and watch it till the end. Its definitely worth the watch!

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Stories of Love: A Girl's Journey from Mortal to God

Moonlight Mystique is essentially a cluster of stories within a grander story, each one a journey filled with love, sacrifice, and courage. After the one year-long Bai Lu drama drought, she delivers another high-quality Xianxia, while Ao Ruipeng makes his Xianxia debut. Adapted from the novel “Bai Shuo Shang Shen,” or High God Bai Shuo, by Xing Ling, Moonlight Mystique is set in the same universe as Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal, but isn’t a direct sequel/prequel, nor should it be considered one. If you’ve watched ALP and/or TLI, it would be best to scrap their “worlds” and dive into Moonlight Mystique without any ‘prior knowledge.’ Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this Xianxia drama, from its elegant production style and intricate costumes to its phenomenal acting and powerful chemistry between all couples. I wouldn’t say Moonlight Mystique is one of the strongest Xianxia dramas I have watched, but it is near the top and did not fail my expectations. The plot progression and character dynamics are very logical, there are minimal to no plot fillers, and the drama stayed relatively strong throughout. I do think that MM has a few shortcomings, which I will explain later.

The setting is your typical Xianxia world: strong animosity between the mortals, immortals, and demons. The mortals are scrutinized for their short-lived and weak selves, the immortals are your so-called righteous (which we know is almost always hypocritical), and the demons are the ‘villains.’ Nothing new here. However, it’s key to point out that Moonlight Mystique is a strong female-centered drama. This is already hinted with the official poster that was initially released. Like what some Chinese netizens pointed out, what may make Moonlight Mystique more appealing is the fact that Bai Shuo doesn’t wait for anyone’s saving. When she was about to get pierced by a sword, what did she do? Instead of standing there blankly, waiting for Fan Yue to save her, she just ducks. Bai Shuo sets her heart on what she wants. She knows what she wants, and she will do everything in her power to accomplish that. As she begins to harness the power of the Wu Nian Stone, Bai Shuo transitions from an initially weak mortal to the only surviving God in the world.

I appreciate the drama’s balance of constructing a strong female lead while giving ample space for the development of other characters and their stories. The male lead, Fan Yue, is a lofty and powerful demon king, revered by many and despised by others. While lofty, he has a pure heart and only hopes for the best for others. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Fan Yue and Bai Shuo and their mutual trust in one another. There weren’t any classic Xianxia misunderstandings (fortunately). Fan Yue and Bai Shuo were honest to one another from the start, and while they did try holding back things for the oher’s benefit, we eventually see them fighting together, side by side.

Moonlight Mystique is one of those rare dramas where each supporting character really stands out. I am not exaggerating when I say that I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much for each character. Even the “villains” have their own back stories that stand out. Each story arc left me gripping the edge of my seat and fumbling for tissues. Each couple has strong chemistry that leaves me rooting for them no matter their ending. Ling Long and Rong Xian’s star-crossed lovers romance was painfully-gripping yet breathlessly beautiful. Mu Jiu and Tian Huo seemed like an unlikely couple that blossomed into such cute interactions. We witness Chang Mei’s thousand-year growth through her story with A’Qi, yet another fox romance. A major highlight of this drama was Fu Ling and Chong Zhao’s story, one where love transcends hate. Every pair just worked so well. There are also familial pairs: Bai Shuo’s close relationship with her father, Tian Huo’s final reconciliation with her father after years of misunderstanding, Fan Yue untangling his younger brother’s knots of hatred, Cang Shan standing up for his demon tribe. There is just so much love in this drama. With the spotlight on so many characters, it’s difficult for a 40-episode Cdrama to really get into the “nitty-gritty” of the main couple. There are indeed many cute moments between Bai Shuo and Fan Yue, but sometimes I am left longing for more. It also seems like supporting couples may overpower the main cp, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every supporting character (Zhen Yu and Luan Zhu not so much, but alas, antagonists are necessary).

The acting is another major highlight. I'm relatively familiar with Bai Lu’s acting, having watched many of her works. I’ve noticed that she often carries bits of her other characters into her new ones, but her acting has grown tremendously over the past few years (One and Only is a strong example). This time around, I was very impressed with the determination her eyes conveyed and the control over crying scenes. On the other hand, I watched Ao Ruipeng for the first time, and his acting is phenomenal to say the least. His portrayals of Fan Yue, Mu Mu, and Jing Yuan are so distinct and distinguishable. His characters even remind me of the three-headed dragon meme (lol), with one ferocious head, one semi-ferocious head, and one cute head. His embodiment of each character displays contrasting personalities. Other than sharing the same Ao Ruipeng face and sharing the same ‘persona’, these characters have essentially nothing in common. It’s really all in the eyes, and ARP’s eyes effectively displayed a wide range of emotions. The scene of Jing Yuan and Bai Shuo looking at each other is probably my favorite. I could tell that they were not looking at their lovers. Bai Lu has amazing chemistry with most of her co-stars, but I’m going to be bold and claim that she has the strongest chemistry with Ao Ruipeng out of all the dramas I have watched. They are like two peas in a pod, both in the drama and in the BTS clips. I would recommend you watch an interview of them or some of those clips—the laughter never ends. I was also introduced to Dai Luwa and Chang Huasen, both of whom have starred in popular dramas. Again, their eyes portrayed everything. I could write about each actors’ skill for hours, but I hope you get the idea.

Production-wise, the costumes were designed with very specific intentions and themes in mind. Bai Shuo’s lighter clothing at the beginning reflect her mortal status, and as she gets increasingly tangled in affairs involving Fan Yue, her outfits transition to darker dresses with wavy hair (common in demons). The fox clan’s outfits really do make the characters look like foxes; Cang Shan’s Rock Clan wear outfits and makeup that reflect their rock identities. Fu Ling’s transition in clothing, from darker purples to pastel purples was gorgeous. The CGI effects were also very well produced. I wouldn’t call the production over-the-top—there was a lot going on, but it was well-balanced. Oh, and Xi Xi (Fu Ling’s spirit) was adorable.

The OST compiles songs from some of the most prominent modern Cdrama singers in China, including Sa Dingding, Zhou Shen, Jing Long and Huang Xiaoyun. Sa Dingding, as usual, delivers a painfully beautiful song filled with emotions. Zhou Shen graces us with his elegant voice. Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng also sang a melodious song together. Each song is very catchy and written-well, but my only complaint was that the OST may have been overused, particularly San Dingding’s “Hua Luo Wu Heng” - Flowers Falling Without a Trace. The song is very powerful, but the constant playing of the main lyrics started to destroy the vibes of certain scenes.

Moonlight Mystique marks a very promising year for Cdramas. If you are a Xianxia fan, you might want to give this drama a chance. With strong characters, high quality production, and well-paced plot development, we witness the role love plays throughout. Perhaps certain arcs and relationships could have been expanded upon, but with China’s 40-episode limit, I was very satisfied with how the overall drama turned out. There are numerous connections between all the characters that I won’t give away, but the reveals are done masterfully and really enhance the overall viewer experience. So, my Xianxia lovers, you might be in luck!

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SO GOOD

I just finished it. Im too stunned to speak. The last 10 episodes were such a rollercoaster ride. I just can't find any words to describe how GOOD this drama was. Im so glad that I watched this drama ever since it stared airing so that I can call myself OG. I just want to say that no drama has ever made me feel like this. The acting, the visuals. Im really stunned I ran to write this review right after finishing watching. I really thought that they would give us sad ending but luckily they didnt, also the bonus episode was a CHEF's KISS! I really needed to see them finally being happy. If someone doubts if they should watch it They definetely SHOULD!!! As I mentioned in my earlier review of Moonlight Mystique (masterpiece mystique lol) I think that this is Ao's Ruipeng best look. I honestly never expected this drama to be soooo great. I am gladly placing it on Top 3 list of dramas I've ever watched and I've watched lots of them.

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Moonlight mystique

"Moonlight Mystique" is a captivating C-drama that has captured the hearts of many fans. The enchanting storyline, combined with the brilliant performances of the cast, particularly Ao Rui Peng, has made this drama a must-watch. The beautiful cinematography and mesmerizing soundtrack add to the overall appeal of the show, creating a truly immersive viewing experience. The chemistry between the characters and the intricate plot twists keep viewers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating each new episode. The intricate storytelling and emotional depth of "Moonlight Mystique" make it a truly special drama that is not to be missed. 🌙✨

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This is so magical!

I really love the casting, the flow of the story, and the OST. The music works well with the story setting and state. The editing is not even cringey. I like how to actors play with their emotions and how they potray their character. Another thing, the weapons and their actions are WELL DONE! Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng's visuals were PERFECT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY 💙
I really love the casting, the flow of the story, and the OST. The music works well with the story setting and state. The editing is not even cringey. I like how to actors play with their emotions and how they potray their character. Another thing, the weapons and their actions are WELL DONE! Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng's visuals were PERFECT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY 💙
I really love the casting, the flow of the story, and the OST. The music works well with the story setting and state. The editing is not even cringey. I like how to actors play with their emotions and how they potray their character. Another thing, the weapons and their actions are WELL DONE! Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng's visuals were PERFECT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY 💙

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A Missed Opportunity.....

Moonlight mystique as the name suggests the drama is Purple- elegant themed...but sadly it doesn't has a proper direction .The story started as Bai Shuo gathering the contemplations to get stronger, for revenge . But as the story continues the determination to take revenge gets dimmer to the point that it doesn't exist anymore! if they could direct it properly , had a good script and a proper production team with good camara-editing skills had done it, it could have been a good Xianxia!
Also, characters have good backgrounds to make them complex but somehow they ended up being one dimensional !
A clever yet arrogant female lead
A self made demon lord who suddenly became fool in love...
A immortal 2nd male lead who is annoying as hell
A demon 2nd fl who is evil but somehow survives every time someone tries to kill her...
Problems ---
■⁠■1)**The male lead**■⁠■⁠
The problem with male lead is that he is supposed to be a complex character. But the bad script writing made him a confusing character.
When fl's city destroyed, her father was dying he didn't care and gave her ghost grass that can cause slaughter in the city . He wanted to see if fl becomes evil and consume ghost flower in exchange for human lives . He didn't seemed a kind character. He tried to kill her, use her ,didn't help her other than bringing her to her father to gather the emotion . Then he suddenly fall in love with her? Why ? As a bossy demon lord who lives his life for revenge and power suddenly fall in love with a human girl ...like "you are the first girl treat me this way "...then suddenly it reveals he was always a kind demon who tries to save others !
If you compare his character background, it is closer to Xie Wei(SOKP) or Yan Zi Jing (TSOPG) . Sadly his character is a let down . I don't dislike the fact that he is kind and approachable ( a different approach to show a male lead) . But something is still missing in his character......
ARP is really good actor. loved him in the blood of youth . And he is looking pretty here . But here it feels like he's more focused in looking pretty rather than bringing the character alive or expressing Fan Yue's sorrowful and cheerful emotions precisely....... The makeup and costumes are gorgeous but it's distracting to focus on the character "Fan Yue" ....
⁠■⁠■⁠2)**The female lead**■⁠■⁠
who doesn't love a bold and smart female lead? I like Bai Lu and her acting is spectacular. Don't know what to feel about Bai Shuo. She is bold but she doesn't think before she acts .If Fan Yue was not kind imagine how her situation may have become! She orders and shows her feelings directly. Yes I love character growth but Bai Shuo's character doesn't give justice to her complex background.... I initially liked when she was determined to become an immortal to pay off the kindness. But she ended up becoming a brat .if she wasn't Xingyue reincarnation and without contemplation stone would she be able to pay off the kindness? at least let her put efforts in cultivation than just focusing on blame games and making her an arrogant character........
⁠■⁠■⁠3)**Cinematography and production**■⁠⁠■⁠
camara work is worst here . I don't know the budget but it feels too flashy like short cdramas that only focused in looks .Fighting scenes are very stiff and awkward and they talks more than doing the actual fight... (villains try to explain why they need to kill them and protagonists give them life lessons) ...the set is looking very cheap too ....the demon lords only have 1 or 2 followers (they didn't even bother to add some security-servants, anyone can come and go even in the secret rooms)and immortal sects looking like Wuxia beggar sect! Even the god realm is kind of like a flashy set only with 4-5 people including protagonists and antagonists...
And it's too colourful that it's visually disturbing sometimes...
⁠■⁠■⁠4)**story*⁠*■⁠⁠■
The story doesn't has a main plot. The script gave past stories for every single character that they forgot to put weightage on the main scenario. Even the villains are boring!
And the direction already spoiled us on what's going to happen next ! They could have added good amount of suspense and cliff hangers ! ( It has elements like hidden identities and past stories but they wasted the potential to create a tense atmosphere and mystery) . Sadly it doesn't makes you eager to know what will happen next ....
It neither gives the seriousness of Till the end of moon nor gives the comedic relief like love you seven times or love between fairy and devil ....
They tried to mix both and caused confusion .Many things are not explained clearly. Sometimes we're shown a character who is evil but suddenly script telling us they're good and vice versa...
Telling us directly Fan Yue is a kind demon, 2nd lead has demonic obsession ,Fu Ling was forced to do the evil things etc...they could have just shown us the complexity-depth of the characters and let us decide, rather than giving flashy and dramatic description like short cdramas!..... (Tantai Jin was more complex character in TTOTM, but other characters didn't had to describe his true nature!)
⁠■⁠■⁠5)**The chemistry*⁠*■⁠■⁠⁠
The biggest let down is that there is no foundation of relationship between ml and fl. And it's quite hard for me to watch a relationship without foundation and proper conversation. and I prefer slow burns more.. it's just too sudden, they were trying to kill each other and then suddenly they wish to die for each other... Same goes for the dynamic between 2nd ml and 2nd fl too..... why Fu ling suddenly fall for him and is it possible to love her when she made him kill innocent peoples and practically abused and tortured him(CZ) ? The answer is yes! Second ml went for an undercover mission and saved her two times and now he's in love with her cause of Stockholm syndrome and she's Baixi(over some childhood notes he's willing to drop 10 years of love for Bai Shuo!)...+ I'm amused to see how characters are rotating 180° .. Memory loss doesn't makes a person evil and psychopath!....not a single love story is well written....
⁠■⁠■⁠6 )**Fate of the one well written character**■⁠■
Personally I liked the character Qi Feng( his motives and character is well written). And I think the proper hate emotion needed from Qi Feng. He was abandoned, sacrificed, handicapped, betrayed and used . When they collected hate from Baize clan ... I thought writer has plan for Qi Feng only to watch him die insignificantly an episode later... And maybe cause of the bad script writing ARP couldn't portray the feelings Fan Yue should feel after witnessing the tragic incidents and they moved on from the incidents like nothing happened....
It's shocking how Fan Yue isn't raged over tiger clan or stone clan(they could have at least tried to save Qi Feng as they took advantage of Baize clan bones and responsible for his physical damage).It was not necessary for Fan Yue to develop seven star curse if he was planning to forgive them all. He could have chosen to become a saint instead of a demon king...
⁠■⁠■⁠7)**Finally**■⁠⁠■⁠
There are a lot of tragic stories. But they have no emotional connection with the audience .So, instead of feeling sadness, it's looking rushed and feels nothing when a character dies . There is blood bath and they tried not to make it gore so it is kind of like childhood fairytale sad stories. The characters are moving on from the tragedies very fast too .And the same sad Ost every time making it annoying. [ They totally overused the Ost ]
Of course Bailu acting and visuals of ARP is really good (not to mention the beautiful makeup and costumes ...still I wish the costumes were a little moderate at first and upgraded step by step rather giving goddess like outfits from starting. Specially Bai Shuo's Outfits . sometimes it feels she's the master of moon palace for her majestic costumes ...)and the angsty Ost is good as well ..but that's it !
■■**After 40 episodes**■■
I still watched it cause of Bailu ,the purple-aesthetic theme and was hoping it will get better. But maybe my expectations were high and I prefer stories with depth and development ....I didn't enjoyed this much ....
Still I appreciate CHS's and DLW's psychopathic acting as Mo Li and Fu Ling ... I enjoyed the opening 4-5 episodes, Rong Xian arc and few eps in 30s . Also, ARP's acting on last few episodes improved a lot , the kissing scenes were good...
There are many plot holes and dramatic corny plot twists...So ,turn off your brain if you wish to enjoy..
If you don't mind storytelling concept (Most of the time script will directly tell the facts and doesn't care about the understandings of the audience)
If you are fan of the leading actors, enjoy childhood fairytale themes, you can give it a try.... it's not for me.....

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Lost in the fog.. I can’t see this moon

Oh where do I start... I really wanted to like this drama. I got into the productions schedules when I saw the leaks of the costuming. I have never saw styling done this way, especially with the male lead. The makeup and costuming is gorgeous. The art direction behind this drama is amazing, and unfortunately.. that is pretty much the best thing about this drama.

The writing is not good, it is very very lazy. In several instances the characters ask 'oh where is this guy'... 'why are we here'.. etc. Within a few minutes of Fan Yue's first appearance, the characters tell you exactly what he is. He is good looking- he is off putting.. I would have much rather they show it. The actors can only do so much when they have to spell out the plot every other line. It is just not realistic dialogue, and overall it limits what the actors can do here. It really is a shame, as the production value must have been insane for this.. but the direction and camera work is so horrible that this drama as a whole ends up looking shammy and cheap. The leaks were wonderful and I thought that the show would be more cinematic with unconventional directions style and camera work.. unfortunately whoever was behind the lens doesn't know what they are doing at all.

The directing is not good either. The first episode of this drama was one of the worst first episodes I have ever watched. I really liked the stop motion storytelling.. but again that is just the art direction. A drama is made up of many parts, and to be successful and pleasant they have to come together in harmony. The artistry is just dragging this drama the best it can, but the production team behind this lacks some sort of care. It feels cheap with the way the zoom ins happen with the demon characters, and doesn't look pleasant at all. The only bad thing about the art is that it isn't blending well together. Individually everything looks great, but together the costuming is a bit overwhelming. The makeup washed the FL up.. I am so sorry Bai Lu. She is a pretty girl, here I don't understand what the makeup is supposed to be doing for her other than making her look washed out.

The characters relationships are inorganic and are again just told to you. The character says he doesn't like this guy.. cut scene and that guy says why. I feel like I am being treated like a child and that the flashy and colors are just there to be stimulating visually. The sets are so over the top that I can't find myself being grounded in any part, they leave the whole world feeling congested. Like I know that the sets are made and the characters can't go elsewhere because anything organic isn't the set.. I understand it is xianxia, but have something grounded in reality please. I see the green screen and the keying and mats, I remember watching a trailer and thinking .. 'is this really it'. I thought in post production things would be cleaned up.. guess not.

So at least tell a captivating story. Here the story is generic and being spoon fed. The chemistry isn't effective because of the quality of the script, it feels forced. I've also seen a lot of physical violence between the leads and wonder how in the world I am supposed to actually want the two to be in a touching yet heartbreaking romance. The answer is I can't. The opening is beautiful.. but at some point I watch and think 'huh'. I think that they did in fact just show the best parts of the drama.. and every single episode I watch the first minute and then have some sort of shock moving onto the quality of the actual drama.

There is nothing for me to look forward to or to wonder about because the opening spoils it all. I wonder if this should've just been shoved into a corner and just show me the opening 40 times in a row and I'll understand that more than a whole duration. I don't think it's worth it to watch, I put on for flashy colors. I need to get through a bad drama to see if it has any resilience.. but this isn't looking good. I hate to beat a dead horse here but watch Blossom if you want quality, if you want Xianxia quality watch Ashes of Love.

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No one willingly stays in hell

TL;DR Watch for the supporting cast, stunning visuals, hauntingly-beautiful soundtrack, and bring your tissue boxes.

For a drama that is all about highlighting how wrong it is to see the world as black and white, MM really shot itself in the foot when it became the very thing it sought to critique. For a story with so much emotion and heart at its core, it ended up feeling like a nothing burger as empty as its sets, devoid of life.

STORY: The problem with writing a story as grand and magical and fable-esque as MM is that there's A TON of responsibility on the shoulders of the leads, both as written characters and actors performing those written characters. When EVERY SINGLE supporting role is outshining your leads, how do you expect the audience to care when the final ten episodes are only about the two leads? When Fan Yue has died and come back to life ten times, there is no emotional impact left to be made on the audience. When Bai Shuo is protected by heaven itself, no one is worried about her failing or losing her life because we know it will all work out for her. It always does. Even if she's not able, every other supporting role will bend over backwards to get her a win. This is great if you're all about the 'good triumphs evil' shtick, but not when you're trying to be poignant with your writing.

You know who did leave an impact? The story of Qi Feng, A Xi and Chong Zhao. You know what they had in common? Flaws. Flaws are what make a character come to life and grow on the journey that is their story. They were all such layered characters, each suffering in their own regard and making costly mistakes as a result. Each got some sad excuse for a redemption ultimately, but I won't go into it. The point is, making your main characters perfect will make them boring across a 40 episode run. Aside from gaining and losing spiritual power and falling in love with each other in every timeline possible, what growth did Fan Yue and Bai Shuo have as characters? SHORT SPOILER AHEAD, SKIP TO THE ACTING SECTION. You know what would have been gaggy? If Fan Yue never came back and Jing Yuan was stuck in that body and Bai Shuo had to fight the entire final battle on her own knowing that she's lost her love forever, is now a mortal without the Contemplation Stone and could die any moment. Just like how the other characters' deaths were so permanent, if there was any inkling of permanent consequences on the part of the leads, the drama (in my eyes at least) would easily be ratable as so much higher. Writers need to stop fearing about making their lead characters messy. Messy characters make for the best, most memorable watches.

ACTING: Since completing the drama I saw a ton of clips of Ao Rui Peng on my TikTok FYP and honestly, I should've seen this coming when he slayed as Mu and even the early Jing Yuan that his range is limited to characters that emote outwardly, have a playful demeanor and are more expressive. While he tries his damnedest to bring Fan Yue (a much more somber character) to life, he struggles and his acting is quite one note. If I had to compare, I'd say the temperament of Fan Yue is similar to that of SFL Fu Ling, and everyone and their mother knows Dai Lu Wa went viral for her incredible micro expressions. That is something that's absent in ARP's portrayal. He has gorgeous eyes but they can't hard carry everything else. In contrast, Chang Hua Sen with the most inconsistently written character of Chong Zhao outshined him in the acting department, especially visible during his scenes with Bai Lu.

As for Bai Lu, I'd been watching her since her debut, and she thrives in powerful, badass roles and she was okay here for the most part. The problem with her acting is that she performs like she's delivering a solo monologue, there's only her in the scene, and no one else. This is cool when the character is LZY from The Legends but Bai Shuo is just an ordinary girl with extraordinary responsibilities thrust upon her shoulders. When we need vulnerability from her we get an ironclad, "nothing can hurt me, I'm so badass" performance instead. There's no consistency in her progression from scene to scene, it's like it all takes place in a vacuum in her brain. For example, Bai Shuo just got done crying her eyes out at her father's funeral. Next scene, she's joking with Old Turtle and like I get it, grief comes in waves but your face has no sign of it? I hate to bring Dai Luwa back into this but gosh she's such a good actress, you can see everything in her face, the scene preceding the current one, and even hints of what's to come, a huge example of which is her scene sitting atop a rooftop watching chaos unfold in Ning An city as she holds Bai Shuo behind a barrier.

So when you have 3-5 episode character arcs (Ling Long x Rong Xian, Mu Jiu x Tian Huo, A Wu x A Qi) out-chemistrying the leads, not to mention, A LITERAL SECOND CP THAT IS HOTTER THAN FIRE AND UNLIKE ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN RECENTLY, you're really setting your leads up for failure both in the story and acting department. Bring back auditioning for prominent roles please.

MUSIC: 10/10 No notes. It haunts me and will haunt me for a while I fear. Sa Dingding is that girl and all the other artists were also incredible.

REWATCH VALUE: There's a very retro, kdrama-esque fairytale charm about this story, especially in the mini arcs situated in each new region. I'd say up to episode 33, the drama (although not without flaws) was pretty solid, but the XY, JY, ML arc really highlighted the cracks in the story, rushing things, introducing the most random bits of info and making characters drop dead like flies. If I were writing this drama, I'd add 3-5 more episodes, to flesh out the past, give more time for Fan Yue and Bai Shuo to interact so that their romance doesn't feel rushed, and flesh out some other characters to make them less one-dimensional (cough cough: the eternals, every single moment they were on screen was a waste of valuable footage space on the cameraman's SD card).

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Could've been the next best xianxia but lacks (proper) groundwork

I am a huge fan of both fantasy and romance genres. So much so that I do not mind clichés and overly used tropes. In fact, in terms of worldbuilding, I do not mind suspending disbelief, sometimes to even an incredible extent, as long as both the execution and writing are good and static.

I tried to understand Moonlight Mystique’s overall direction because the first episode really made me look forward to how it will pan out. While watching the first episode, I was actually reminded of Love Between Fairy and Devil, my first xianxia (which remains to be one of my favorite dramas of all time).

I didn’t mind the similarities. Actually, it was because of the resemblances that I had high hopes: misunderstood, “unsympathetic” ML who carries the weight of responsibilities, a nobody FL, demons, deities, revenge, pain, grief, good vs evil, justice…

I really had high hopes, but as the story progresses—you don’t even need to reach far out—the terrible writing becomes increasingly evident:

Plot
– I understand that a plot may carry subplots, with storylines having multiple narratives. It’s xianxia, after all. But the way these were simulated did not provide any impact and depth.

The writer had a thing in their mind, and I know that the vision is there. But the writer did not know where to go and how to get there, that it has become difficult to establish connections with the story and characters.

Characters—

FL
– Her character is inconsistent. Yes, she was initially arrogant and selfish, which is needed for her character development to materialize, but I find her anger towards SML is often misplaced and out of character, as someone who “values” family and ties.

I understand that SML is not perfect, was coerced into lying multiple times, and is not the best in decision-making. But ultimately, he was really left with no choice and the choices he made were the best ones among those handed to him. Which is why I don’t understand the deeply-rooted resentment the FL has for SML, when in fact, the FL did not deserve to act righteously at all during the first episodes.

– It was established from the onset that the FL’s motivations are grounded on repaying (kindness for the immortal who saved her and her sister) and revenge. These two were rather dissolved quickly, without a good exit.

Yes, the redirection was inevitable, but it was done haphazardly that it felt like cutting the characters from one scene and putting them onto the next sequence just so the story could continue.

SML and SFL
– The SML’s shift from one love interest to another feels unnatural.
The trope is enemies to lovers, but the change was too abrupt that it felt like their love story is more implied.

Editing
– The use of echo to reiterate, exaggerate, and highlight a character’s lines and the “swoosh” as a transition are a miss.

I first encountered the use of echo in a dialogue in Story of Kunning Palace (2023) and it was… ok.

For this series though, rather than amplifying the supposed to be emotional impact of a dialogue and a scene, it came out ridiculous and utterly unnecessary.

Ending
– Again, I am able to suspend disbelief adequately. I can even tolerate plot holes to a certain extent, as long as the writing and execution are good, and consistency and depth are there to establish enough emotional investment.

I am even more tolerant on these when it comes to xianxia, as they use reincarnation as an element to tie loose ends.

So, using reincarnation or second chances as a way to have a happy ending is not an issue at all. This actually gives the writer plenty of elements to play with as well. But Moonlight Mystique’s ending is so terrible that a happy ending cannot compensate it.

So, the ML willingly sacrificed his life for the greater good and to ultimately eradicate evil. Heartbreaking, but sounds good.

Time passed, and the FL traveled around the world and achieved so many things by herself—good, this is consistent with her character.

And then, the heaven reached out to FL and told her that “Those who died for the great cause will eventually return in another way." Ok, seems fair.

But a few moments later, as in after a few seconds, you can literally see the ML emerging from who knows where, walking on the water, towards the FL, for the reunion and happy ending—WHAT?

Even as a hopeless romantic, I still cannot let this pass—I need the why AND how.

It is a fantasy, but I need a motive. An effect that has sprouted from a missing cause only ruined their entire tribulation.

They could’ve used something to set off the resurrection: a surviving strand of soul or a part of a demon core of ML that overcame death. Whatever remnants—heck, a nail or a strand of hair would do— or explanation, I am willing to accept, but this? NO.

Also, it’s not only the ML who died for the greater good. There are plenty of characters who died fighting evil. Why are they not resurrected and walking on the water with ML?

It is a happy ending, but I’d rather have an open ending or a sad ending if this is how ridiculous the conclusion is.

I could only muster enough emotional connection with the characters, but the ending diminished it to a huge degree.


There are not only bad things in the series, though, as there are aspects where it surprisingly delivered well:

OST
– The OST is hauntingly beautiful that it could actually compensate for the unsteady writing and bad execution. Instead of the writing, the OST carried the storytelling on its back—it did not elevate the experience. It’s an experience in itself.

Ao Rui Peng and Bai Lu
– The chemistry between Ao Rui Peng and Bai Lu is there.

Ao Rui Peng is one of the pleasant surprises that this series has to offer.

Bai Lu is a good actress, and while Ao Rui Peng’s character portrayal has room for improvements, he does not lag behind Bai Lu’s performance at all.

Chang Hua Sen and Dai Lu Wa
– The actors cannot do anything with the terrible writing, but I find their character portrayal decent. They made the best out of it so they can transition well from one character to the next.

Chang Hua Sen’s portrayal of Chong Zhao and Hidden Lord is pretty good as well. You could tell which character he’s trying to portray based on his demeanor and facial expressions.

Lead’s relationship dynamic
– The good thing about the leads’ relationship is their effort to communicate, which eliminates unnecessary misunderstanding.

When the ML realized his growing feelings for the FL, his first thought was to sit down with FL to talk and settle this, which is quite an uncommon trait for any xianxia characters.

The development of their relationship is lacking, but both leads try to communicate with each other, which makes their relationship healthy.

In general, I think this could have been one of the best xianxias, but is ruined because of terrible groundwork and writing. All things considered; it is still a quite enjoyable watch.

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This Drama started strong but had too many issues to ignore

A drama that started strong with a clear antagonist, storyline and two attractive leads, ends disappointing and kind of sad. With all the good reviews I feel kind of bad for not being able to relate, but regardless, here we are.

Before we begin, I just want to clarify that this is my opinion and I'm not here to start a war (but different opinions are welcome). I can and will be brutally honest but it's all lighthearted! MANY SPOILERS AHEAD so please read AFTER you finish this review or at least if you have no interest in watching it! This will be long so let's get right into it! let's keep this discussing respectful and fun.

The Good
Best travels - fox clan (and the love story) and outlanders
Even though I mention this slightly in "The Bad" the first times they traveled, I really enjoyed watching that. It was interesting to watch them travel around. I really liked when they got sucked into the cave and Bai Shuo was the fox clan girl. And I think we can all agree that Fan Yue with the black tips was his best look--- I still miss it. Even though it eventually got old, it helped with the story and kept me interested for a good minute.

Best love: Xing Yue/ Jing Yuan (could've been Tian Huo/Mu Jiu) "She's not here so I no longer have a reason to still be here." - He Died so he could go and find her! :(((

Jing Yuan supremacy for life. I loved Xing Yue and Jing Yuan's love story. I especially loved how in love he was with her. I loved when he came back in Fan Yue's body and talked about how much he wanted Bai Shuo and Xing Yue to be the same person. I loved it! The whole storyline of them up until their death was beautiful.

Mu Jiu's death was the most painful
I loved Mu Jiu! I was so heartbroken to see him die. I really enjoyed his character and I was looking forward to some relationship building scenes with Tian Huo. His death scene was the saddest death scene and I just loved when he ran back towards her to hug her once more only to disappear. Even though I had some notes on their relationship and how the scene could've hit better (down below), it was such a beautifully heartbreaking scene to see her turn around right as he disappeared. Just beautiful.

The Bad
Too much death - everybody died
I think one of the biggest shocks in the drama was how every single side character (and the male lead for a bit) died. I get that they died for a reason but it was kind of a letdown that in the final episodes, everyone just starts dropping like flies. It's like one by one, they sacrifice themselves for the Bai Shuo's mission. I kind of figured this wasn't gonna end on the happiest note but I wasn't expecting her to be the last one standing. I think because they all died (and around the same time), I felt more confusion than I did sadness. I wish at least Fu Ling and Chong Zhao lived so they could be together. And I don't think it would've hurt to keep Tian Huo alive. Even the male lead got killed off-- which actually made sense but still. Nobody was safe and while it was a bold move, I'm still not sure if it was the right one.

Overdone "Wolf in sheep's clothing"
I feel like the "bad guy who's actually just misunderstood" persona has gotten kind of old. Everyone feared him and thought he was a monster when he was the most caring guy around. Been there. He's so kind and caring yet cold for whatever reason. Done that. Since this has been done since the beginning of "bad boy" romances and stories, it's boring now. It also doesn't even make sense. All he does is create a safe place for orphans and wonderers and yet nobody in any other kingdom knows about that? We barely saw any flashbacks of him looking evil so where did the prejudice come from? How did nobody he helped tell anyone else about his kindness? He's so dangerous but has never done anything that bad and it was all to help puppies and kittens. Cute but we get it. I wish for once the bad guy was just bad. He's got his reputation for a reason. He's cold simply because he's a cold guy. I don't understand how someone so kind and caring would be so stand-offish to everyone else.

A little long
Anyone else find the drama unnecessarily long? I don't mind watching a long drama but only if it's necessary. I thought the whole point of the drama was for Fan Yue to be healed from the star curse he had on his chest. So once that plot ended (he died I think, I watched this a while ago so I don't exactly remember), the show should've reached it's close. But then we have Jing Yuan and adding extra bits that weren't really necessary. So much death and whatnot could've been avoided if they stuck with the original plot. Don't get me wrong, they did successfully add this part in and it didn't feel all that random, but I can't help but wonder if this drama would've turned out better had they left it out.

Love wasn't developed enough - Fan Yue/ Bai Shuo and Tian Huo/ Mu Jiu
If you've read any of my other reviews, you would know that I love properly developed love tropes with the leads. Here, we didn't really get that. At All. Episode 1 they meet and by episode 3 or 4 he's already questioning whether or not he cares about her for his purpose or because he genuinely has feelings for her. What? How did we get here? I thought they were gonna have like nightly chats on that phone-thing when she went to work with the turtle, but that was only for the one day. The beginning of their relationship felt a bit disconnected especially with how much Fan Yue looked down on humans at the beginning. It didn't make sense how someone who looked down on humans so harshly would then fall in love with one in the next two - three episodes. I wish we saw then fall in love, whether through nightly calls, or whatever. While I did like the way they loved each other and how deeply they loved each other, I didn't like how it started.

Let's move on to the biggest disappointing relationship in the show: Tian Huo and Mu Jiu. This was another relationship where the love felt disconnected. He fell for her because she saved him and then stuck around for like a month after before he died. My biggest issue is that final scene when he's hugging her before he disappears. Usually when you ask someone what they'll do without you in certain situations, it's because you've helped them before in those situations. For example, he goes on to ask her what she'd do without him when she's mad, sad, scared, etc. but he was never there for her before. So she'd just do the same things she did before. Do you get what I'm trying to say? In other words, she wouldn't necessarily acknowledge his absence in those moments because he's never been there for her in those moments. I wish they formed a bond where he actually WAS there for her in those moments so we understand his questions. Maybe when she's sad, he's the only one who she allows to comfort her or make her laugh. Maybe when she's angry, he's the only one who can calm her down and stop her from raging out. And so on and so forth. His death was sad because I actually liked him but I wasn't really sad for her and their relationship. She also barely showed any interest in him (which makes sense granted they just met and she never thought much of him in the first place) so it also weakens the sadness in his final scene. They should've had more time together so their love could feel real and we could've felt more heartbroken. Instead we're left feeling a bit awkward watching a scene that's supposed to break our hearts.

So much jumping - kind of lost the plot
this was kind of mentioned above but it still needs its own part. Don't get me wrong, when they were traveling to different places, it was entertaining at first. But after a while, it became a lot. It became, kind of, too much. After episode 25, I forgot what the whole point of the show even was. Since each place had a different issue, it was hard to keep track of what's really going on. It kind of felt like watching a really long anime where they travel to different parts of the world and do whatever. This isn't a major point and not that big of a deal but I just remember being at episode 32 and just wanting the drama to be over already.

The aging was weird
This is another small point but anybody else thought he was like hundreds to thousands of years old? I certainly did. So when I realised he was probably around the same age as Bai Shuo (a human), I was a little disappointed. When they went to that dessert place that Tian Huo was from, it didn't hit the same when they said that they hadn't held their "games" (i don't remember exactly what it's called) in 7 years. 7 years. that's it. That's not even a long time in human years (not really). I was kind of expecting everyone to be hundreds of years old but they were all in their 20s and 30s. That made the fantasy part dim a bit. It's not a big deal, like I said, but it would've been better if they aged them up. Everything he went through happened in all our lifetimes (minus a few years for the younger ones) and must've happened quite fast. I thought that he got his curse after centuries of trying, not a couple years at best.

Zhen Yu's death was disappointing
The biggest letdown in this entire drama was the antagonists death. He caused nothing but chaos and was just about unstoppable... only to sacrifice himself. His big demise was him willingly getting his life sucked out for the other dude. It was so incredibly disappointing to see him cause such issues and not be defeated by Fan Yue and Bai Shuo. We missed out on such a good fight scene because of that. He was so incredibly unstoppable that him willingly stopping actually kind of hurt.

And Yeah. that's kind of it. Keep in mind I watched this months ago so this review isn't as specific (I've been procrastinating). But what did you think? all the comments seem to love this so it'd be interesting to see if anyone agrees with anything I mentioned.

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The chemistry

THE KISSING SCENESSS!!! OMG THEIR CHEMISTRY IS SOOOO😫😫🔥🔥 and their acting is greattt, not to mention their outfits!! I don't rlly have time to watch it rn but I'm hoping we get a happy endingg.

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