A Moment but Forever

Finally some good acting

I think I enjoyed this drama even more because I had just watched two really bad ones where the ML disliked the FL at first and then suddenly fell for her with no real buildup. In contrast, Liu Xueyi did an excellent job portraying a wide range of emotions, and his acting made his gradual fall into love feel believable and natural.

The FL was consistently perky, upbeat, and intelligent, which made her fun and refreshing to watch as well.

Overall, the story was solid. I was able to predict the ending, so there were no big surprises, but I still wanted more. They talked about marriage, growing old together, and having children and grandchildren, yet the ending felt incomplete and left me wanting a fuller conclusion.

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If you're a Liu Xue Yi fan...

After reading the novel and loving it, I was looking forward to watching this drama. However it was nothing like the book...no, not even the ending. The book was a HE. The drama was not. It was a maybe, eventually, some day, some time she might, hopefully find a way to come back. Meanwhile she might be a butterfly, a bug, the breeze, etc....

To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I had such high hopes for this drama.

Having said that it wasn't all bad:
1. Liu Xue Yi was amazing in this role but that's unsurprising. He's a fantastic actor and he looked very good in this part. He's also the only reason I gave this 8 stars. Without him, I would have dropped the drama after the first 3 episodes.

2. The OST is awesome!


So, if you're a Liu Xue Yi fan and you haven't read the book then give this a chance you may like it. If you have read the book, forget everything you've read and you may enjoy the drama. Otherwise if you're like me you'll spend almost every episode saying "That's not what happened in the book."

If you don't know any of the actors and you love very slow burn romance fantasy, a gorgeous male lead who is morally grey and a SE then give this a try.

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Really interesting premise

The premise of an Engineering Goddess and a nihilistic saviour was so fun! Their conversations of their differing philosophy was some of the most interesting dialogues in recent costume cdrama history + there’s so many funny scenes. But sadly, this show does fall into the category of cdramas crashes, I’m so disappointed on how boring it got towards the end. The goddess like forgets her best skill, using science and inventions to solve problems, and it falls back to the stereotypical magical hijinks. The 2nd cp were a cool concept but they just dragged it soooo long I had to skip majority of their scenes. The side weapon characters were really fun, wish we had time with the lone female weapon and it’s sad they were forgotten for most of the final climax arc :/
I’ll definitely recommend to watch for a very fresh take of this genre but don’t expect it to end well.

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Black-and-white morality

First, let me say that I really loved this series. For example, I couldn’t resist all the delightful touches that made Goddess Wu Shuang so mesmerizing: her whips, her mechanical bird, her little purse that would hold an elephant–well, let’s just say, a lot of stuff. I also loved the often hilarious minor characters, such as Zeng Qi, the Tower boat maid who exuded goodness and crossed her eyes when she went over to the dark side, and Qian Lin, the reformed War Demon whose acrobatic fight moves were astonishing. I could name ten or twelve other characters whose stories enriched this drama. I loved the idea of the Tower boat soaring through the skies, the fierce drought dragon, and the toddler who could eat nothing but gold.

In other words, the series is not lacking in imaginative plot twists or details.

The male lead,Yuanzhong, starts out as a grim, grouchy misanthrope with a shriveled soul. Somehow the actor made this unpleasant character likable–partly, I think, by making him honest and real.

As for the OST, even though this series is 36 episodes long, the music was mostly haunting and beautiful--although to be fair, at times, a bit shrill.

Like many lengthy Chinese series, this one isn’t perfect. It drags now and then. The ending isn’t as clean as it could be (Whatever happened to Zeng Qi? We never find out.)

My main problem with this drama is that it embraces a strict morality of good versus evil–sometimes in the most puerile way. When one of the main characters turns “bad” we know because he’s now dressed in black and has an evil, maniacal laugh. The domain of the gods is depicted in white and soft pastels. Characters seldom engage in reflection or analysis, Punishment (or sometimes torture) is automatically dished out for misbehavior.

Still–I highly recommend this poignant, entertaining (and underrated) series.

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I only finished it for Liu Xue Yi and Tang Yan so draggy...

LIKE

Fairy but scared of ghosts lol

You are a God how is it you keep on dying?

DISLIKE

So draggy and lame after a while..

The A Xiu who never seems to grow up which is too slow there

What have the five top Gods been doing seriously??!!

MUSIC - personal fav

情骨 Qing Gu - 汪苏泷 Wang Su Long 张靓颖 Zhang Liang Ying
咫尺一眼 Zhi Chi Yi Yan - 张靓颖 Zhang Liang Ying
共赴 Gong Fu - 汪苏泷 Wang Su Long
语风 Yu Feng - 康子奇 Kang Zi Qi
如尘 Ru Chen - 陈冰 Chen Bing
飒 Sa - 刘端端 Liu Duan Duan

REWATCH VALUE

Nope

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Philosophical reflections using a xianxia setting, with a slow burn, steady romance

Originally watched it when it was first released for Liu Xue Yi, and just finished my binge rewatch of it again this week - clearly there is rewatch value here.

Pros:
- The way the drama explores themes of morality, good vs evil, action vs thought, time vs reality, balance and excess.
> some memorable moments
- Likewise, the use of the craftmanship theme was first - visually compelling and beautiful (did not look campy!), refreshingly different and also beautifully explored themes relating to technology
- Main CP's romance - there is really nothing steamy here lol, everything is super PG13. But it was beautiful seeing their commitment to each other, and definitely entertaining at the start when the ML is annoyed by the FL but still constantly intrigued by her. And the FL just has this unwavering dedication to him beyond job responsibility which she took a while to finally realise oh yeah I do like him.
- Bai Shu's acting as Mei Shan is phenomenal as usual, maybe he keeps playing similar characterizations (I always see a sniff of Teng She in his roles lol) but I always enjoy his presence on-screen lol.
- Same for Baron Chen's acting!!

Cons:
- Subpar set lighting and makeup, this aspect does not detract much from the typical xianxia where the lighting is sterile and white with little nuance and play on light vs shadow, which makes the setting look artificial and washed out.
- Side characters/couple romances were not the most compelling (Except for Pei Jiu!! I cri everytime) (incomplete review because idk how to save this as a draft lol)
- Weak plot devices - so the FL has a restraint on her falling in love/revealing her identity...but we don't really see any major repercussions from it, other than her not being able to speak. But I also have no idea how else they could have depicted it.

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Older cast for older folks

Watched this for the male lead but was rather disappointed by the overall show. Love scenes were particularly cringe, especially when female lead has to portray the innocent and sweet scenes.

Show feels like a budget production. Props were clearly fake and plastic. Hairdos were dated, male lead’s hair when down was so weird. The fox clan’s hairdo even more ridiculous. It was hard to watch.

Thankfully OST was great, closing song by ZLY stuck for quite a while.

Despite all the above, the overall plot was enjoyable especially with the sub-plots to revive the various spirits… I also found some nuggets of wisdom from the show.

1. Power ignites fear. People feel threatened when absolute power resides with an individual. Unity from fear is never long lasting.

2. Betrayal hurts the most when it’s from the very people we are trying to protect.

3. The world is created with its own checks and balances. Don’t tilt the balance.

I also liked the older cast of this show, more realistic for mature audiences but.. as said earlier the love scenes didn’t quite fit. I didn’t think the chemistry was great between the couples of the show too.

Male lead acting as usual was great, especially the scene when he was talking to himself about the 5 sins. Impressive.

Show is still worth watching, especially if fan of LXY.

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Superb Xianxia with Tiffany Tang and Liu Xue Yi, perfect!

PLOT: The FL, goddess of craftsmanship and inventor of the supreme weapon (the left hand), refuses to kill the ML, a high priest of a sect, to recover the Left Hand he carries. She therefore negotiates to descend among mortals to prevent him from becoming a demon and recover the Hand at the end of his mortal life. But the ML is exploited and threatened by multiple enemies (especially a "vengeful" goddess) who plots to reclaim the Hand as quickly as possible.

+++ Really great actors, all of them: main leads (awesome), gods, demons, humans, kids, etc. The characters are endearing and well-developed.
+++ Coherent, well-written story, on the theme "no one is a saint, everyone has the right to hold grudges/grievances."
+++ Lively direction, without dragging, with excellent OSTs, sets, costumes, CGI, fight scenes, etc.

=> It's flawless, addictive, gripping... definitely worth watching again to savor the magnificent performances of Tiffany Tang and Liu Xue Yi.
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Superbe Xianxia avec Tiffany Tang et Liu Xue Yi, parfait !

PLOT: La FL, déesse de l'artisanat et inventrice de l'arme suprême (main gauche) refuse de tuer le ML, gd prêtre d'1 secte , pr récupérer la Main Gauche qu'il porte. Elle négocie donc de descendre chez les mortels pr l'empêcher de devenir 1 démon et récupérer la Main à la fin de sa vie mortelle. Mais le ML est exploité, menacé par de multiples ennemis (en particulier une déesse "vengeresse" qui complote pr récupérer la Main au plus vite.

+++ Really great actors, all of them : main leads (awesome), gods, demons, humans, kid, etc. Les personnages sont attachants, bien développés.
+++ Story cohérente, bien écrite, sur le thème "personne n'est un saint, tt le monde à le droit d'avoir des rancunes / griefs"
+++ Réalis° vive, sans longueur, avec excellentes OSTs, décors, costumes, CGI, scenes de fight, etc.

=> c'est un "sans faute", addictif, haletant, ... à revoir certainement pr savourer la magnifique performance de Tiffany Tang et Liu Xue Yi.

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Secretive Starts, Satisfying Hearts

"A Moment but Forever" strolls onto the xianxia scene with a breath of fresh air, immediately whispering secrets and hinting at intriguing characters. Our main duo, the oh-so-mature Yuan Zhong (played with a knowing glint by Liu Xue Yi) and the seemingly sweet but secretly sharp Ji Tanyin (the ever-charming Tang Yan), totally draw you in. Yuan Zhong? Think cunning with a dash of adorable simplicity. Ji Tanyin? An empathetic powerhouse with a beautiful brain who can definitely hold her own in a magical showdown. These two aren't about dramatic, over-the-top declarations; instead, Liu Xue Yi and Tang Yan nail the subtle glances and quiet understandings, proving those years of acting chops are pure gold. The drama smartly lets their trust and feelings for each other simmer and grow, exploring cool ideas about finding yourself, living your best life, and maybe even falling in love – a grown-up vibe that even the side characters seem to get in on.

Okay, so maybe the first few episodes look like they borrowed the CGI budget from a slightly older game, and the visuals are just... there. BUT! Stick with it, folks, because you're about to tumble into a seriously cool world. Imagine the human realm got a super stylish steampunk makeover thanks to our engineer goddess Wushuang (surprise! It's Ji Tanyin!). Think ancient robes hanging next to awesome gadgets – magic and tech holding hands and causing all sorts of plot twists.

The real heart-eyes emoji of this drama? Definitely Yuan Zhong and Ji Tanyin. Yuan Zhong starts off all broody and skeptical (past trauma, you know?), but Ji Tanyin slowly melts his icy exterior with her maturity, logic, and unwavering sense of what's right. Their relationship is less about passionate stares and more about deep chats and helping each other grow. She teaches him to embrace the world; he keeps her grounded. It's a love built on "I've got your back, always," which is pretty darn sweet. Liu Xue Yi and Tiffany Tang absolutely kill it, giving their characters so much depth.

We also get a fun bunch of sidekicks who add a lot to the adventure. Special shoutout to the complicated war demon Qian Lin, who was super interesting at the beginning! And the soundtrack? Chef's kiss! The music perfectly sets the mood.

Now, not everything is pure magic dust. Some of the supporting characters who seemed promising kind of... wander off and don't do much. The second couple's potential also feels a bit wasted, which is a bummer. And Qian Lin's story kind of plateaus, while the villain's plotline feels a little bumpy.

But overall? "A Moment but Forever" is totally worth your time for its super creative world, those brainy philosophical moments, and especially for the wonderfully mature and believable romance between the leads, brought to life by the amazing Liu Xue Yi and Tiffany Tang. It's like a chill "slice-of-life" xianxia at first with some fun mysteries and giggles, but it sneaks in some serious emotional punches and makes the characters face some real stuff. The result? A love story that's all about sticking together and truly understanding each other.

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Letting go of one's obsessions

Really enjoyable story with great acting by main leads. I can say that I am totally hooked, just finished watching the drama for the third time. To be honest I was expecting a bit more action at the start, but at the end it all felt very balanced since the story was quite clearly focusing on inner growth of the characters. Which was also really well executed in terms of the flow of the discussions and quality of acting.
The story of the second couple is argued to take too much space, but it also carries an important message of missing out on the beautiful experiences and opportunities of the world when one is overly fixated on or obsessed with one thought. All characters of this story carry some obsession, some are able to overcome it, some not.
Key takeaways:
Everyone deserves a due process
It is easier to forgive those who have wronged us than those who have been wronged by us
Letting go is not the same as forgiving or accepting
Divine artefact is actually just a regular women's purse

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Missing on something......

The actors did a good job, but i also think that for this genre they are not suitable anymore (the main leads i mean). Even if the female lead made a name through this genre, i think it is time they both change the direction of their career, taking on more mature roles..
I don't know but the romantic story was missing on something...
And then again i have some problems with the script, so many questions and like always why are side characters used like fillers? I would have loved to know more about the five spiritual weapons and the maid (Xue )...
I wouldn't say it was a bad drama but it is wasn't that good either (also the ending could have been better).
In fact i will not rewatch it.

8/10 for me

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