Everlasting Longing

Everlasting Angst

Saw the plot and was intrigued, especially with the cast that it had. Couple of recognizable names and a decent sounding plot should make it a good production, right? Perhaps not.

The plot kinda killed it for me. I should be more specific, it was how the characters were written. Everyone is so freaking obsessive and yandere. My guy. Every character (ML, FL, the Princess) was walking around like they're in control of everything. It got kinda repetitive, especially how the pairings interacted. Two thirds of the drama is literally ML holding FL hostage and FL having no inclination of leaving. When she does decide to leave, she's almost unable to every time. Where did your famous brains go? Just the way that this drama was built and formulated, it was very 2010-2015 C-drama angst. Think 'Lin Lang Wang' and 'General and I'.

Angelababy and Song Wei Long were the bigger names in this drama. I'll admit that I don't follow either actor too extensively. The last dramas I've watched starring these two were 'General and I' and 'Untouchable Lovers'. Regarding Angelababy's acting, I'm not sure I saw much improvement since 'General and I'. There definitely was more expression and less of the 'eye acting'/staring doe-eyed, but I still found her to be less flexible than her co-star Chen Chen. It was just a lack of fluidity between different emotions and lack of complexity that made it seem like she was forcing/acting rather than embodying the role. It's most noticeable when she's in the same frame as her 'sisters' and they're doing the reunion scene or when she's crying/grief stricken. Song Wei Long is one of those actors where I don't actively avoid but somehow I don't see any of their works. I know that his drama 'Go Ahead' was quite good, but haven't really watched it yet, so I am more lenient on him in this drama. My first impression of him from 'Untouchable Lovers' wasn't good, because that drama was a mess in of itself. While I can't say much about how he is in 'Go Ahead', I found that there was improvement, similar to Angelababy. One of the hardest things Chinese male actors have to figure out how to do is be the 'cold faced' ML while being expressive. It's a bigger task than most give credit for because if you're too flat faced, it just looks like you don't know how to be expressive. I found that Song Wei Long hit the balance between cold/ruthless and expressive in this drama. He was adequately expressive and portrayed the role quite well. I will say that one of the ways he manages to stay expressive/human while acting as a 'cold' ML was his use of interactions with others. While interacting with ML's subordinates, Song Wei Long smiles more and acts like they are more like friends. This does come back to bite him, I would say, when Song Wei Long's ML is trying to be more controlling and forceful. It feels less forceful and more like he's micromanaging. He doesn't have Angelababy's issue of fluidity in transitioning between expressions, but I've noticed that he has an issue of keeping a single expression for a tad bit too long. Anyone who has RBF, understands the pain.

Definitely the plot above all else was what made me feel like this drama was a waste of time. The questionable consent at times made me flashback to 2010-2015. The MOST annoying part was definitely the princess x guard love line. It was definitely a dated way to write that trope. I have never seen a more useless love line in my many years of watching dramas. You could potentially take out the role of the princess and not much would change. Just the sheer amount of time spent on the princess stalking and controlling the guard was crazy.

TLDR: Not a bad drama if you liked 'General and I'. Personally, I dislike plots written in this way and found the angst to be a little heavy and unnecessary.

Read More

Emotionless Line Delivery + Fizzled Chemistry + Sloppy Script = 1st Dumpster Fire of 2025

Welcome to the first dumpster fire of 2025! My goodness what a mess! I forgot I had it on my watchlist plus it was airdropped with no warning or promotion which should have been a massive clue. I had wanted to see SWL in a different genre and it was my 1.5 time watching Angelababy as I dropped a previous drama she was in due to horrendous writing. This wasn't much better and I ended skipping some episodes towards the end as well as fast forwarding a lot of it during the entire thing.

Pros: Almost none other than the gorgeous costumes/accessories of the Beixuan people, the martial arts and acting of some of the supporting characters. SML and TML died for all the wrong reasons and I thought both were wasted characters though both nailed their parts. There was more chemistry between the guard and the sister than the leads. ML's acting has improved slightly.

Cons: Everything else! Atrocious script that literally threw every trope possible into the story but nothing new. Two horrible kings of two countries but you couldn't even hate them as proper antagonists because they came across as petty and insecure and one literally had some squirrel's tail for a mustache attached to his face. Chemistry between leads fizzled in the near beginning. Both leads were pretty emotionless; he always looked pissed off even when smiling and she was the opposite as even when upset she had like a joker smile glued to her face. No expression whatsoever from her but if his acting made up for a bit of it, in her case it was like a recital of lines with that creepy smile. I think I may stay away from her dramas from now on; she may be a pretty woman but acting requires more than looks.

Also the character of the princess was shudder worthy. Spoiled self absorbed brat from beginning to end. I never believed she genuinely loved SML; he was like a shiny toy to her that dared to defy her and she got a kick out of that. I wish she died instead of him; zero redeeming qualities. Cheap AF CGI, if you can call it that. The entire thing looked very cheap. I think most of the budget went to those stunning costumes and accessories. The story was like every other story you've ever seen crazy glued together. Boring. I have no clue how I got through it. It's very forgettable.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely NOT. This review should give you everything you need to know. Preserve your sanity and watch something else.

Read More

A beautiful love story with good twists and turns

This was the first historical drama I enjoyed this year, as I don't need any stressful stories.

I prefer mature looking actors, once I found out about them as a couple, I couldn’t be happier.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between the main characters, they were so affectionate to each other most of the time.

The main leads gave good performances . Especially I appreciate their natural acting, I've been following these actors for a long time and they have always provided me with good entertainment.

Song Wei Long is the hottest Chinese actor for me 🥵 every time I see him, I just melt 🫠. Angelababy as always beautiful, classy and charming .

I was a little generous with the rating , but as I compare with other worse and higher rated dramas, I have no choice to rate it higher to give it justice .

Read More

This is as cringe as it gets

The plot is predictable. The acting—while not outright terrible—is definitely not winning any awards either. That being said, it was still an oddly enjoyable watch. Song Wei Long and Angelababy? Absolutely stunning, talk about visual! The CGI? Laughably bad. The dialogues? So cringe it hurts. Angelababy glaring style acting? The worse. And yet, despite all that, I couldn’t stop watching.

Ngl the premise is very promising, it had the potential to be as good as The Long Ballad under different leads and perhaps, director. But then again, if it’s not Song Wei Long, I’ll probably wont watch it either. I wouldn’t call it masterpiece but if you love over-the-top drama with beautiful leads and don’t mind a bit (or a lot) of secondhand embarrassment, this might just be your guilty pleasure.

What I love:
1. Song wei long. Need I say more?
2. ⁠The woman in this drama are all badass! Jun Qilou, Sun Zhaomin, Dongyin.. amazing!

Quoting Jun Qilou,
“Compare to the greater good, romance is insignificant”

But she made it too insignificant to the fact that she suggested separating her twins (one for Yannan, one for Beixuan) Your heart is too cold, Qilou.

What I find ridiculous:
1. How is the wolf lord Xuan Lie can just barged in the palace of King of Yannan? Plain ridiculous.
2. ⁠Last minute hairstyles change.. not that I’m complaining as SWL looks gorgeous as always but.. make up your mind!
3. Unpopular opinion, I think all the Beixuan costume in this drama is ugly, especially the dreadlock.
4. ⁠The coup by Luo Zhizho at the end is so.. badly done. I secretly hope the King of Beixuan will die and Zhaomin will be the new king, in my dream I guess.

on a side note, Luo Qi and Jiangjuan is so cute! someone please cast them in romcom!

Read More

not like those high budget drama but

The reason I was waiting for this drama was mostly the poster that immediately caught my attention. Happy that this finally came out.

Let’s start with the good :
- the osts were honestly so good, never skipped the intro or epilogue
- I liked the plot in general, found it pretty engaging, I was waiting and watching everyday. Feel like I was more hooked by this drama that other popular ones that aired in January, that’s mostly why I gave it a 9, because I rated the other January drama 8-8,5. it wasn’t without flaws obviously, but I still liked it. I will talk a bit about that below. I looked a bit away from plot holes and flaws😅😅
- I liked the romance in general, I think it was focus good on the leads, we got enough of them together, from enemies-hatred to working together friends? to lovers. first kiss in ep 13, another kiss and sleeping together in ep 14, I think the pacing of the romance was good. the kissing scenes were good. I think they had chemistry. After they got back together, I liked how good their communication was. fighting for their love, but also not forgetting their responsibilities, I like that too and how each understood. That was pretty mature. The proposal was cute and how her family accepted him was good. ML became a bit lost in love… she was more clear headed, but both leads pretty strong and intelligent in general. FL was the pillar of her family, handling family business, intelligence, handling second family scheming and saving her family. Her family was pretty weak in those aspect, wouldn’t have made it without her. she gave years of her life and pretending to be a man for her family. Now doing business proudly has a women. I like the conversation between ML and her dad, he knows how much sacrifice she made.
- the costume were mostly good and I liked the men hairstyle, the raids and outfits. ML was very handsome (he had ML aura) and FL pretty.
- the acting : I thought ML did good, never really saw him before, but I’ve seen complaints before. FL is not the best, but wasn’t horrible to me. Supporting cast was okay. SML surprised me with his acting (never seen him before), like I’m ep 24, he expressed good all the emotions during the wedding. His expressions and face acting were good, didn’t need to talk to get how he feels.
- Luo Qi : I really like him, he was kind, loyal and a good character. We didn’t got a lot, but his pairing with FL little sister was cute, made me smile. That was a better second couple…
- Qi Min : though he was an interesting character. good guard and friend to FL. Good fighter. He wasn’t the bad kind of SML. Once he like captured her to take her away to protect her, but like he never force her to be with him or anything. He also accepted at the end he would never be with FL. He lied to FL and her family about his identity, but he protected them and defied the king. He was the king puppet, now poisoned, I think death was peace. Sad he died and felt bad for FL and her family, they were longtime friends and her father, he was like a son to him. Not gonna lie, he annoyed a little with some remarks to ML after ep 20.
- The sister’s bond : I liked the sisterhood, how they loved, supported and protected each other. When they learned about FL situation (pregnancy), reputation didn’t matter to them
- Sun Shao Min : another good character. Strong and intelligent women in a world of man. I like her friendship with the leads. Glad they showed her again in the last ep. succeeding against the bandits. Wish though she was more recognized and gave a good position, she deserved it. But the king is still prejudiced again women. It was sad when her dad died, he was a good man.
- Luo Zhi Zhou : didn’t hate his character, I actually think it was a good twist him actually being an adversary of ML (and doing what he did), but he also didn’t actually want to hurt him and in the end, help him get the title. A fool in love, betrayed his friend for love. He just wanted to protected her and get her out of this life. At first, I wasn’t sure if she still had some feeling for him and also think she was using him. But I think she actually liked him still at the end. When she died, she imagined him, when he died, he imagined her. Their story was actually sad, impossible love. But they found peace in death, that was the only ending. I hated the king when he separated her from her kid, she died without seeing him again. I honestly think their characters were somehow interesting and the acting was good. When he found out she died, I felt his pain and almost cried. the maid screwed up a few things, but she was loyal and another fool in love ahah we saw at the end she liked him. But I liked how she never hurted FL and even went to help her
- I liked how they made it with the leads, both felt the pain of loosing the other, when they both faked their dead. After ep. 23, FL kept pushing him away, saying heartful things (and it became annoying), but after she thought he died, we really felt how much she loved him.
- during the competition, that guy death, don’t remember his name ahaha but the son of that bad guy. It was brutal but good how his plan turned against him, his actions (and his father) lead to his death, deserved. (those 2 are actually one of the few ones who actually got what they deserved).
- In general, good fighting scenes and badass men
- short and not that satisfying, but happy ending

so now the negative:
- everyone noticed that ahaha but bad CGI and special effect, it was very noticeable in the first episode.
- be warned, contains misunderstanding, keeping things from each other, not good communication in a big part of the drama. It was frustrating at time, example (I know it was to lead to the cliff scene but) waiting for so long, the wedding had already started, to tell FL the plan, that was stupid😅anyway wasn’t that annoyed, but it’s present.
- it was unsatisfying both kings no punishment, absolutely nothing happening to them, but at the same time, expected and maybe realistic, what could have happened? what could have the leads done? maybe it would have been more possible the king of ML’s country. Both annoying and power/money hungry, selfish. He was damn annoying when he wanted to force ML
- The ending : disappointed we didn’t get a wedding and we didn’t get to see their kids
- All that time and build up on ML to be the wolf clan leader (Am I even saying the good title😂 I don’t remember the name), to lead to mostly nothing. we didn’t get actions or anything with him with this title, I was waiting for something
- the worst part of this drama is definitely princess QingKou and the second couple. The princess was annoying and spoiled from beginning to end, even if maybe she was less bad in the last few eps. She was doing whatever she wanted without thinking about anything except herself. She added mostly nothing to the drama except annoyance. They missed an opportunity with her and this couple though, it was not written well. We could have gotten somehow good character development, but no. For these 2, for example, the scene when she was having ptsd? not feeling well, they said to get Qi Ming to her, but they didn’t showed any of that. could have been interesting to see him learning about her trauma. This relationship was one-sided till the end. There were some scenes that weren’t horrible, like during the festival. I just couldn’t root for them. She treated him like a dog, a slave for most of the drama. He had to do everything she said, she threatened him, she forced him to stay and be with her. She was acting like he belonged to her. At the end seems like he stayed because he wanted too, but just felt forced. The wedding scene in ep 24, that was horrible. I’ve seen positive reactions on TikTok, « I loved them - how cute - married life starting » I don’t remember exactly but people were liking this. This was just a hard watch and bad, poor guy. He was so happy to marry the FL, the shock, disappointment, sadness, anger after he found out it was her. Both actors did good in those scenes, but SFL is honestly an horrible person. SML had FL in his heart till his dead, hard to believe but maybe he did have somehow some affection developing for SFL, but he loved FL till the end. There is no denying that! Their ending wasn’t a bad outcome, thought it’s good they didn’t end up together. Felt no pity or not really pain for her😬😬😬 Anyway rant over ahaha but disappointing since they looked good together and their story could have been interesting if it wasn’t for the bad writing

So to conclude, I would recommend, it’s not a bad watch, this drama had a different vibe to me and we don’t have often dramas during that period of time

Read More

Lost the spark

This was an amazing story with the best portrayal of enemies to lovers trope I've ever seen right until we got to episode 15 when the story took a nose dive coincidently exactly when the main leads get together. Then it just gets worse and worse. Here is a list of pros and cons ( most pros belong to first 15 episodes.)
PROS
1. Female lead is strong willed, smart, hard working, witty and independent business woman and she never falls into damsel in distress archetype. She has her priorities straight and she is very opportunist but with clear boundaries and good work etiquette .

2. The chemistry between the leads at first was SIZZLING. But that ended when they got together unfortunately.

3. bromance

4. Main leads insane visuals and most of their styling ( I'm shallow I know )

5. The songs OMG they are beautiful

CONs
1. Some really cheap looking CGI

2. After getting together, the main leads turned to some stupid brooding sad people with no communication skills. I was dying to see them get together just to regret it instantly. Chemistry went from 100 to 0 real quick.

3.The wolf lord competition went for way to long

4. Episode 15 was for the lack of better words SOMETHING. people just happen to go to the right place at the right time to see/hear the right thing so they can communicate it to the main leads just so their love story can sail. I got whiplash with all the fortunate coincidental happenings. why everyones so nosey?

5. As the story progresses the actors need to show a wider range of emotions like some intense sadness/ grief and none of the leads seem to be able to deliver. ML came of as too stoic and FL has issues with crying. I loved their performance in first half tho.

6.Now the story was already declining but after episode 20 it went cuckoo banana. Writers started abusing the fake death trope and everyone started getting incredibly insufferable

7. Toxic love. No one in this story manages to have a healthy romantic relationship. ML is childish and selfish expecting the FL to sacrifice parts of her life without asking her if she wants to. She is quick to get him out of delusion tho.. FL is closed of and annoyingly stubborn yet somehow they are the better ones. SML is obsessed with FL and constantly crossing the line in the name of protecting her but really all he does is protect his own feelings. The princess is also obsessed but way more possessive. Lou and Fan Yin love was a tragedy. I didn't get a good feeling watching any of these relationships.

8. Its a happy ending but not entirely. it could've ended better. We dont even get to see their kid

Read More

Everlasting Longing: Where Plotlines Go to Die

Everlasting Longing starts off with all the signs of a solid drama — an intriguing premise, a dual-nation setup, and characters with actual potential. With its unique structure bouncing between the perspectives of Beixuan and Yannan, it should have delivered layered political tension and juicy emotional stakes. But somewhere along the way, the drama veers off a cliff into the Land of Lost Potential™, weighed down by sloppy execution, character arcs that change with the weather, and more dropped threads than a broken loom.

The dual setting — Beixuan and Yannan — had all the ingredients for a rich, nuanced narrative. Two nations. Two ideologies. Two leads trying to balance love, loyalty, and political survival. But instead of weaving those threads into something cohesive, the story ends up fragmented, confused, and emotionally hollow. The first half holds promise, actually building toward something meaningful. Then we get to the second act and... that sound you hear? That’s the plot face-planting.

Core themes are introduced with great importance — a mysterious resource, escalating conflict, loyalty tested under fire — only to be conveniently ghosted whenever it’s time to follow through. Like, we’re gearing up for potential war and then suddenly it’s like, “You know what? Never mind.” Tension that should explode just kind of… dissolves. One minute, you’re expecting betrayal. The next, everyone’s singing kumbaya with zero buildup. It's like the writers hit “skip to resolution” and hoped we wouldn’t notice.

And the characters? Buckle up. The female lead starts out as a firecracker — smart, strategic, fully in control of her role in this political chessboard. Then, almost out of nowhere, she’s softened into a vaguely pacifist figure with motivations that feel more like plot devices than actual choices. It’s like the writers got bored of her intelligence and decided vibes were more important than consistency. Her development doesn't evolve — it erodes.

And Xuan Lie? Introduced as the stoic, duty-bound soldier with a complicated moral compass, only to quickly unravel into a walking contradiction. His decisions make no sense. His loyalty shifts like sand in a storm. And the drama expects us to roll with it — but with zero internal logic to explain why. A few juicy moral dilemmas are dangled in front of us, and just as you think we’re diving into something deep — nope, back to status quo. His arc is less a character journey and more like someone shaking a snow globe of angst and hoping it settles into something profound. Spoiler: it doesn't.

Honestly, the side couple steals the show. Their relationship is grounded, emotionally earned, and — miracle of miracles — consistent. Their moments together feel like actual storytelling. Their emotional beats land. Watching them, you can’t help but think: Was this written by a different team? Can they take over the rest, please?

Meanwhile, the main romance can’t decide what it wants to be. There's no cohesion, no sense of progression — just a grab bag of dramatic tropes that pile on top of each other like someone’s ticking clichés off a checklist. A few heavy emotional moments are tossed in to sell the illusion of depth, but there’s no foundation underneath. It all feels like grief for the sake of drama, rather than something that actually earns our investment.

And don’t even get me started on the ending. Let’s just say a lot of things are implied, very few are shown, and whatever emotional payoff they were aiming for gets drowned in the sea of unresolved subplots. There’s a final scene meant to be symbolic and touching — and maybe it could have been, if it hadn’t followed two straight hours of narrative ghosting.

One bright spot? A smaller subplot that actually pulls off something subtle and moving — a quiet, unrequited love arc that manages to stay true to its characters and deliver something emotionally satisfying without the dramatics. It’s underplayed and underused, but hey, at least someone remembered how to write emotional continuity.

Also — shoutout to one poor character who gets dragged into the main plot only to be left hanging with no resolution, no closure, and definitely no reward for their time. You deserved better, my guy.

In the end, Everlasting Longing had everything going for it: a strong concept, political intrigue, rich worldbuilding, and emotional stakes waiting to be mined. But instead of digging deeper, it skips from one shallow conflict to another, hoping the aesthetics and dramatic music will cover the holes. It wants to say something meaningful about love, duty, and sacrifice — but forgets to actually truly show it.

The acting? Solid.
The visuals? Gorgeous.
The writing? A hot mess.

So unless you’re tuning in just for the side couple (and honestly, I wouldn’t blame you), this is one drama you can absolutely skip.

But hey, at least they all looked good doing it. Heh.

Read More

Highly Recommended To Watch!

This storyline was beautiful I must say... Both Leads are strong and have very high positions in their respective nations.. Male lead is the Wolf Lord/Clan Leader and Female Lead is the head of a weapon making company for her country, she designs and makes them herself... It's an enemies to lovers trope with lots of romantic scenes as you follow them on their journey.. They do get their happy ending and I think the last episode gave us a lovey surprise that came in not one but in two.. ( No spoilers ) 🤭 But overall loved this Drama.. its a definite rewatch for me.. the chemistry between the two leads was off the charts for me and I think their acting did resonate alot with the name of this show.. Everlasting Longing.. No matter how far apart they were from each other, their longing and Everlasting love dared to keep them tied together in a lovers knot that no one could ever take apart... 10/10
5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read More

Refreshing to see a Vilified female get the guy

Everlasting Longing gave us drama, angst, and maybe not a lot of longing (shocker, given the title). But what it also gave us was a princess who became the fandom’s favourite punching bag. And honestly? I’m tired of it. Let’s talk about why this princess deserves more love—or at least less hate—and why the double standards in how we judge male and female characters need to go.


The Princess: Messy, Flawed, and Human

Let’s start by acknowledging the obvious: the princess was not perfect. She was obsessive, possessive, and made some seriously questionable choices. But here’s the thing: she wasn’t evil. Her actions came from a place of genuine love and insecurity, not malice. She wanted the guy, she thought being a princess meant she could have him, and when it didn’t work out, she spiralled. Haven’t we all been there? (Okay, maybe not the princess part, but you get what I mean.)

What I appreciated about her character was that she wasn’t one-dimensional. She wasn’t just the “crazy ex” or the “villainous rival.” She had depth. She was flawed, yes, but she was also relatable. And isn’t that what makes a character interesting?


The Double Standard: Brooding Hero vs. “Crazy” Princess

Here’s where I get heated. If the princess were a prince—let’s say, a cold, brooding, possessive prince who locked his love interest in a palace and declared, “You’re mine, and no one else can have you”—the fandom would be obsessed. He’d be the dark, tormented hero of a thousand fanfics. People would be like, “Oh, he’s so protective! He’s so passionate! He just loves her too much!” But because it’s a princess doing the same thing? Suddenly she’s “crazy,” “toxic,” and “the worst.”
Excuse me, where is the consistency?

This isn’t just about Everlasting Longing—it’s a pattern in storytelling. Male characters get away with murder (sometimes literally) in dramas, and we’re like, “Oh, he’s flawed, but he’s so dreamy.” But when a female character breathes too hard in the direction of her love interest, she’s labelled a villain. It’s giving… internalised misogyny. And I’m not here for it.


Why the Hate?

I get it—the princess wasn’t always likeable (she sometimes pissed me off too). She made mistakes, she crossed lines, and she definitely went about things the wrong way. But can we at least appreciate her complexity? She wasn’t just a plot device to create drama. She was a fully realised character with her own motivations and struggles. And yet, she got more hate than male characters who did far worse. Why? Because she’s a woman who dared to be messy.

Final Thoughts: Let’s Do Better

To the writers: can we please give female characters the same grace and complexity you give male characters? Flawed women can be just as compelling as flawed men.
And to the audience: let’s check our biases. If we’re going to stan male characters who are possessive and problematic, we need to extend the same understanding to female characters who exhibit the same traits.

The princess in Everlasting Longing was a vibe. Was she a chaotic vibe? Absolutely. But she deserved better—from the(I so wanted her to end with her man)

Read More

Such a passionate couple

Their love story wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, fr. But somehow, in just January, they gave us the visual couple of 2025—crazy. Some parts had me rolling my eyes, some were alright, but overall? A tasty little treat for the eyes, and the passion was undeniable. BBK played her role too well—like, I hated her character half the time just because she nailed that spoiled little brat energy so hard. On the other hand, WYT completely stole my heart with her General character. She was a badass but also smart, kind-hearted, and just nice. I could easily watch another 30 episodes just following her own love story. Now, LZZ and LFY? Their story was just sad af. Like, get your own wife, not someone else’s, king. That whole situation was messy. HJY and HWS—the twin twinkles—were just kinda there? They served, but they definitely didn’t eat. And then there’s Xuen Lie… His love is gonna be remembered forever. We love a man who's only soft for his FL, especially when he’s got those visuals. As for Qi Luo, she had the vibes, but why did no one bat an eye when she changed genders yet kept the same face, same everything? That’s gonna stay a mystery forever.

Read More