A Moment but Forever

Don’t judge a show by its trailers

When the trailer for this show was first released, I wasn't particularly intrigued. My reasons were threefold: (1) Xianxia isn't my preferred genre unless it's heavy on comedy; (2) there weren't any favorite actors of mine in the cast; and (3) the general early perception of the show wasn't very positive.

However, my interest was piqued when critic AvenueX gave it a "3-star gold mine" review on her personal scale, noting that the show was deeper and funnier than it appeared.

So, here I am.

I've found myself genuinely appreciating the show's thematic depth. What I like most is its exploration of how the perception of truth and righteousness depends entirely on one's perspective. The narrative convincingly shows that two seemingly opposing viewpoints can be true simultaneously. I deeply respect how the female lead, Ji Tanyin (Goddess Wu Shuang), holds firmly to her own stance while still respecting others' viewpoints. She is kind but not an annoying Mary Sue. Her thought process is linear, naive, and simple, yet it is also logical, well-intentioned, and refreshingly…simple.

On the other side of the coin is Yuan Zhong, the High Priest. He is guarded, deep, and complex—a man with many layers who doesn't let people get close, shaped by his difficult past. By all rights, he should be revered as a hero for saving his clan, but he is equally feared for the immense power he wields.

If Tanyin’s simplicity has its dual interpretation, Yuan Zhong is the story's embodiment of duality itself.

Of course, compelling main characters are only one part of a good story. I was delighted to find that the supporting characters have their own solid, self-contained arcs; they don't exist merely to push the main plot forward.

Mei Shan is a favorite of mine—who doesn't love a happy-go-lucky character with a wise core? Having him around is a delight, noisy as he is. I admire his philosophy of life: enjoying himself as lightly as possible, while being serious enough to gain the mastery and enlightenment needed to survive thousands of tribulation trials over decades. But it's not only Mei Shan's story that intrigues me. There's Tanyin’s master, Xie You, and his thousand-year obsessive search for answers, driven by his love for his craft. There's the star-crossed lovers' tale of Pei Jiu (Lu Chen) and Yunniang, which is both heartwarming and pitiable. And there's Qian Lin’s poignant story about his search for family.

I also love stories that incorporate flickers of humor and clever double entendres. As AvenueX noted, this is probably one of the most logically sound xianxia stories we can get, with its infusion of scientific theories into spiritual crafts, making the fantasy feel strangely familiar.

That said, a story that is overly philosophical can become taxing, especially when the ending falls into a pattern typical of the genre. Some meaningful discussions ran a tad too long, the humor seemed to miss the mark a little, and the star-crossed lover tropes that felt overused.

Furthermore, a story is only as strong as its villain, and this one was visible from a mile away. While the antagonist served as a good thematic foil with a decent origin story, I found the final confrontation and resolution a little lackluster. The show also has some general production issues that might deter audiences, such as questionable costume choices, a drab color grading, and passable—but not exceptional—cinematography.

All in all, if philosophy and xianxia are your thing, this show is worth checking out. Philosophically, it raises questions worth thinking about. As a xianxia, it introduces fresh elements that make it a fun watch. It is, truly, deeper than it looks.
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“ It depends on how you define it. What you feel pity about, may not be what the person defines as pity.”

“Don’t try to figure out others using your own morality.”

“From different perspectives, the perception of good varies.”

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Had some highs and lows

This was a better than average show. Had some good and bad points that made me settle on a 7.5 score. This was one of my more anticipated dramas. I’ve seen a lot of people say that it isn’t a typical Xianxia but I found it to be pretty typical as it hits all the same major plot points of any other Xianxia. I was a little disappointed as this had potential to be better but fell short in the storytelling.

The Good

Liu Xueyi carried this drama with his multifaceted character arcs. His acting was top notch, some of his best work. He was able to pull off so many different range of emotions, especially for the different stages of his journey and the different roles he played. His long monologues were pretty impressive as well. I definitely liked the focus of the story being about sins and how it can affect humans and gods. It was pretty creative to see the evolution of Yuanzhong as it related to the five sins. There were also some interesting characters such as the weapon spirits. Very interesting set of individuals that I would have loved to see more of when they were all together. One last thing I really enjoyed was the background music with the clock ticking, it really gave the scenes a sense of urgency and mystery. Those moments actually made me pay attention more.

The Bad

There were lots of plot holes. The biggest one being Ji Tanyin’s soul oath. She made 3 oaths but it seemed to only trigger when it came to her identity. Also, the fact that the gods in discipline hall knew about what was happening in the mortal realm and who were good and bad but didn’t know what was going on in the heavens. Seemed like there were only 8 or 9 gods and one attendant, no other people there!? This made the divine realm seem very empty. Last major plot hole was during the activation of the five sins world ender, seems the destruction caused by Yuanzhong just got swept under the rug and he was still deemed a good person. It’s not like he didn’t have comets falling and destroying a city with people in it. Doesn’t matter that he didn’t complete it. Her soul oath should have activated and it should have activated when she fell in love with him but didn’t. The other downsides to this show were the story pacing. There were too many episodes and a ton of filler scenes. There were lots of times where the story was progressing and then it would just slow all the way down. Ji Tanyin’s character could have been elevated for me. Would have liked to see more conflict with her choice to save him or kill him to take the hand or to even struggle with understanding more of his nature. It was surface level, typically she just believed and followed his every word and shutdown anyone who had differing opinions about him. That leads into another major problem I had which was Ji Tanyin’s character consistency. Sometimes it seemed a little off. She was immediately cruel and harsh to Fu Yiu Jun’s character for no reason but nice to Qian Lin’s character even after knowing his initial intent. Made no sense to her character since she was supposedly kind to all. They made a point to mention that several times throughout the show so I thought that was written a little odd. Also some inconsistencies in Tang Yan’s acting. Sometimes I couldn’t tell what emotions she was feeling because she had no distinguishable affect. A good portion of the show, she didn’t emote well. Next, the second couple could have been cut out completely. Their love story added no real value to the overall story and they were very uninteresting. The love story with our main couple was a little bland for me as well so some of their scenes dragged when nothing much was happening. The final thing I will point out was the costumes, makeup, and sets weren’t great.

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Great Cast, Engaging Story

Acting and Performances:
The acting was excellent. The male lead showed great range and depth, really bringing the character to life. The female lead and the supporting cast also did a great job and made the story feel real and engaging.

About the Ending:
The ending was disappointing. It felt like the story could not decide between being sad or hopeful, and in the end, it offered no real closure. I do not understand why so many shows go for this kind of half-sad, half-open conclusion. Life is already full of difficult situations, why not give the audience a moment of clear happiness, especially when we turn to stories for comfort or enjoyment?

To the writers and director: while this kind of ending may aim to be artistic or thought-provoking, it risks leaving viewers unsatisfied. Offering emotional resolution is not a cliché, it is often what gives a story lasting impact. I am not sure if you have noticed, but this type of ending often affects ratings negatively. Which is a pity, because the rest of the crew did a great job.

Still, despite the “meh” ending (not completely sad, but definitely not happy), I do recommend watching it.

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Great story and acting but boring script, boring editing, boring directing, boring music

It's a fantastic story and the actors did very well. BUT it's just got TOO many filler episodes full of boring dragging scripts that's totally irrelevant and boring . Every 4th episodes or so,at the beginning of a new "phase"of the story with new characters,they would waste 1-3 super boring filler episodes before getting 1 good episode

It would be fantastic if it's only 24episodes . The "filler"boring time seems to be written by an assistant script writter who's amateur and dead boring, not even funny nor exciting, totally unnecessary

The music is ok but annoyingly taken over the subtitles such that you can't hear nor read the conversation!! Are we selling songs or are we here to watch a drama? It's super irritating

Other than that, it's good but what a waste of a great story to be presented in such a boring way
I would recommend that you watch the exciting bit and just edit out or fast forward the boring parts. I can usually tolerate a few slow episodes but boy,these ones are boring as hell, it's almost painful,. Chinese drama writers and producers need to understand that it's a total TURN OFF

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Better Xianxia script than the typical ones; however, I found it boring and draggy.

A Moment, but Forever is an Xianxia costume drama starring Tiffany Tang and Liu Xueyi. This is not a typical Xianxia where immortals are fighting demons. The script focused more on the relationship between Ji Tan Yin and Yuan Zhong. Although it incorporated elements from the heavenly and demon realms, the plot and pace are more human-centric and less reliant on CGI and special effects, unlike other Xianxia dramas.

I didn't like the pace of the drama. I found it slow and draggy. I watched it at 2x speed, and the on-screen chemistry between Tiffany Tang and Liu Xueyi was awkward. I think Tiffany Tang should not participate in idol dramas, especially those of the Xianxia type. She is too old for this type of role. She should focus more on modern dramas that fit her age range, something dramatic that stretches her acting ability.

Synopsis: To retrieve the Heavenly Realm's treasure, Goddess Wu Shuang descends to Earth to assassinate Yuan Zhong, the high priest of the Youhu Clan. In the process, Wu Shuang discovers other secrets, and the two fall in love and join hands to save the world. In the war between gods and demons, the artifact "God's Left Hand," which Heavenly God Taihe uses to seal the demon, is severed and falls into the Mortal Realm. Taihe and the other gods fall into an eternal slumber, and the Mortal Realm hasn't had a miracle ever since.

My Reviews:
1. Acting: 7
2, Script: 6
3, Music/OST: 6
4, Production Quality: 7
5. Cinematography: 7
6. Rewatchable: 5
7. On-Screen Chemistry: 5

Overall Rating: 6

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Very slow in the beginning, but don't drop the show it get's better and the ending is worthwhile

Super slow paced, but they do seem to be introducing the character's back story and their motivations which could potentially be worth it for the later episodes. We will see. I like characters who are naturally good and think for themselves instead of being told what to do so I will complete this show I just need time to do it.

Update: Finished all 36 episodes. Getting through the first 10 slow episodes in the beginning is tough but once they leave the mountain and travel the world. The pacing of the story becomes quicker and it's less boring. Ji Tanyin is very good female lead, she gives others the benefit of the doubt, doesn't rush to judgement assesses people and environments before deciding on a course of action, helps others. We get into how she taught humans to farm, get water and make furniture and machines. Ji Tanyin can cook and fight. It's also very nice of Yuangzhong to make food for her as well. The love is two ways not just one sided which makes it believable. The two leads don't just say they love each other they do things for each other to show their love to each other. The side characters have their own interesting little stories and interactions with one another and I find them all interesting.

The High Priest becomes a much more interesting in the later episodes. As a character initially I hated him, felt like he was a dick but he had a hard life his parents die, his friends lie to him, he gets scammed, people manipulate him and seal him away for 40 years. Now that I think about it this would make anyone angry and resentful at human beings and the world. I was able to have empathy for him later in the show. Ji Tanyin is a goddess he prayed to when he was a child and later Ji Tanyin comes to earth and she secretly supports him behind the scenes to me this adds an interesting layer to the story. Her wish is for him to have a family and live a long and happy life which is very touching.

So in summary the ending was enough to satisfy everyone I think some people prefer a happy ending some prefer a sad ending but having it lean towards a happy ending but be a little sad is what I prefer so I am satisfied.

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A Hidden Gem You Shouldn't Miss!

I picked up this masterpiece right after finishing Against the Current, and Liu Xueyi shined even brighter here!
Why this drama is so good:
Smart Characters: What I loved most is that none of the characters were written as dumb. Everyone had their own clear perspective, depth, and purpose for the path they chose—something that many dramas lack nowadays. I ended up getting emotionally attached to the whole cast!
Natural Humor & Great Acting: The story balances emotional moments and comedy so well. The humor felt totally natural and not cheesy at all. And once again, Liu Xueyi’s character completely stole my heart!
Anime-like BGM & Beautiful Dialogue: The background score was top-tier—at times, it almost gave me anime vibes, and I honestly loved it even more than the main OSTs. The dialogue was beautifully written too.
Final Thoughts:
It’s such a pity this drama didn’t get huge hype internationally. I never saw any edits of it on TikTok or Instagram, which is why I missed it back in 2025. But watching it now in 2026 was worth every second!
My only wish? I really wanted to see more scenes featuring the male lead’s spiritual tools!
Overall: 10/10 ⭐️ — Highly recommended

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Bastante especial!

Eu não gosto de series de fantásia. Não gosto mesmo, assisti inteiro poucas, e parei no primeiro episodio de muitas. É tudo muito fantasioso e falso. Sai muito da realidade para mim. Mas essa, é uma das poucas que me apaixonei. Outra coisa que não faço é ver séries com final triste, se descubro que o final e triste paro de ver. No entando mesmo sabendo que o final seria agridoce, resolvi tentar, primeiro pelo ML, otimo ator e lindo, segundo.... na verdade não tem segundo, so por ele mesmo, visto que o contexto não me agrada. Vamos aos prós e contras.

Prós:
- a atuação é impecavel;
- você acha que o vilão é um, e no fim descobre que é algo totalmente diferente;
- eles estão juntos do inicio ao fim;
- não há triangulo amoroso, nem separação por nenhum motivo;
- é coerente do inicio ao fim, quando uma promessa é feita, ela é cumprida;
- faz você pensar em alguns pecados da vida, por um angulo diferente;

contras:
- do episodio 20 em diante, ela fica um pouco cansativa, para a historia ser fechada sem nenhuma ponta, foi necessário desenvolver mais o que estava acontecendo;
- a historia secundaria tinha muito tempo de tela, confesso que pulei quanse todas as partes deles;
- muito dificil fazer o ML entender as coisas, ou ele se fazia de sonso;
- não curti muito as musicas;

Final:
- tudo se resolve rapido, eles tem uma vida juntos e viajam bastante, mas não tem um para sempre, talvez ela espere ele em algum lugar; vale a pena assistir!

Recomendo:
sim! vai ser um bom tempo gasto com ela, te prende, te faz pensar, te diverte e deixa um gosto de queria mais unas 5 temporadas;

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