Pull Strings

All Roads Lead to Chaos

I watched Pull Strings on a whim. I knew practically nothing about it except that Ao Rui Peng was in it, which was enough reason for me to give it a try. I also heard that it was a comedy and that Ao Rui Peng seemed like he was barely acting because Chang Shou was basically himself. After watching it, I can confirm that the rumors were not entirely wrong. Pull Strings is a rather comical, unserious drama that happens to have a plot. It is not exactly a no-brainer because there is an actual story and some interesting ideas underneath all the silliness, but it is definitely a casual and easy watch.

The story follows Li Chang Shou, a 30-year-old terminally ill man who dies after falling from his hospital bed and getting hit by the comic books he was reading. He is then reborn as a cultivator inside Primordial Investiture of Deities and finds himself in the Primordial World. His goal in this new life is surprisingly simple: stay alive and stay out of trouble. With a prophecy warning of an impending calamity, Chang Shou decides to play the long game. He keeps a low profile, avoids unnecessary relationships, prepares himself constantly, and relies more on schemes and strategy than brute force. Of course, the universe has other plans. Before long, the man who only wanted to stay out of trouble ends up quietly pulling strings behind the scenes and becoming involved in a much bigger game of power, ambition, karma, and destiny.

The biggest charm of Pull Strings is undoubtedly its comedy. The drama leans heavily into slapstick, silliness, exaggeration, and outright absurdity. My personal taste leans more toward dark, deadpan, witty, and satirical humor, so I would not say I found myself laughing very often. Still, I found the drama entertaining for the most part. It was the kind of show that could be left on when I wanted something light and unserious.

That said, sometimes the comedy tries a little too hard. There were scenes where the joke was pushed so far that it stopped being funny and started pulling me out of the story. Some plot choices had the same problem. The whole vampire situation, for example, felt particularly random in a Primordial World setting. I could suspend my disbelief for a lot of things in this drama, but that one made me wonder where exactly the writers were trying to take me. Something like turning people into puppets or flies, especially considering the demon's abilities, would have felt more fitting to the world.

Ironically, what I found more amusing than the actual comedy was the clash between modern and ancient culture. Chang Shou being a modern person reborn in an ancient cultivation world gave the drama some of its most enjoyable moments. Watching him apply modern ideas in completely inappropriate historical circumstances was genuinely fun. He turns his shoe into something resembling Siri, makes a firefly-shaped phone out of hay straw, and finds all sorts of ways to bring modern concepts into the Primordial World. Those moments felt more naturally funny to me because the humor came from the situation rather than from the drama desperately trying to make a joke. Chang Shou really shines as a fish out of water.

Ao Rui Peng owned this role. Watching Chang Shou felt like watching Ao Rui Peng get dropped into a cultivation drama. His naturally goofy personality fits Chang Shou perfectly, and he manages both the comedic and emotional scenes well. He does not need to force the humor because his expressions and mannerisms already do much of the work.

What I particularly liked about Chang Shou in the beginning was the contradiction within his character. On the surface, he is this seemingly incompetent, overly cautious guy who is constantly trying to avoid trouble and karmic repercussions. Underneath that, however, he is constantly training, preparing, calculating, and making sure he has a backup plan for his backup plan. That combination of cowardice, caution, intelligence, and hidden competence made him surprisingly charming. He was not trying to become the strongest person in the room. He was trying not to die, and somehow ended up becoming one of the smartest and most capable people there. That duality was, to me, the most interesting part of his character.

Unfortunately, I started losing interest when romance and heavier responsibilities became more prominent. I understand that these things are part of Chang Shou's character development and are important to the overall plot, but they did not work particularly well for me. The romance felt distracting and somewhat out of place, especially because the drama had already established such an entertaining character dynamic without needing to lean so heavily into it. What started as a refreshing story about a man trying to survive through careful planning gradually began to feel like another "all in the name of love" story.

I also missed the goofy Chang Shou once the plot became more serious. As the stakes increased, he became increasingly serious and emotional, and that shift made him feel strangely distant. I think the drama could have preserved more of his original personality even during the heavier moments. He could still mourn, struggle, and take things seriously while handling the situation with the same goofy and ridiculous persona we saw earlier. In fact, I think that contrast would have made the emotional scenes even more effective.

The character I actually wanted to see more of was Zhao Gong Min, played by He Wen Jun. This man had one of the funniest comedy styles in the entire drama. His completely straight face while doing the most absurd things was hilarious. There was something about the sheer seriousness with which he approached ridiculous situations that landed much better for me than some of the more exaggerated comedy. Unfortunately, he did not appear nearly enough. Every time he showed up, I found myself wishing the drama would give him more to do.

As a Xianxia comedy, Pull Strings does at least have a proper story. There is a journey, there are conflicts, there are schemes, and there is a larger narrative moving forward. The plot was actually quite interesting in the beginning, and I liked how clear the direction felt. However, somewhere around the second half, the drama started losing me. There were simply too many things happening at once, and the increasing absurdity began competing with the actual story for my attention. It started feeling as though more effort was being put into making things funny than into keeping the narrative focused.

That eventually left me feeling bored, distracted, and detached. The story itself was still there, but there was so much noise surrounding it that I found it increasingly difficult to stay invested. The sudden increase in romantic elements did not help either. What initially felt like a clever and entertaining cultivation comedy gradually became a little too busy for its own good.

Visually, however, the drama is quite pleasant. The scenery is beautiful, and whatever combination of green screen, animation, and 3D rendering they used generally worked well. The environments looked convincing enough and the overall visual quality was good. The weaker point was some of the larger creatures and monsters. Those gigantic sea creatures on the beach, for example, looked noticeably more artificial. It was not exactly disappointing because this is a comedy drama and I was not expecting visual effects on the level of a big-budget fantasy film, but there is certainly room for improvement.

I also liked the costumes. The different characters have distinct colors and styles that reflect their personalities and affiliations, which makes them easier to remember. The OST and background music were similarly fitting. Nothing particularly blew me away, but the music complemented the overall mood of the drama well.

The ending, on the other hand, was a different story. There was simply a lot happening, and the delivery felt rather chaotic. Even having watched several Xianxia dramas, there were still parts of the ending that left me confused. For someone completely new to the genre, I imagine it could be even harder to follow. The ending also clearly leaves the door open for a second season, but rather than making me excited for what comes next, it mostly left me thinking, "Well, that happened."

Overall, Pull Strings was a casual watch for me. I went in with practically zero expectations and ended up with exactly the kind of unserious, goofy Xianxia comedy I was told it would be. I personally prefer darker and more subtle comedy, so the slapstick humor did not always land. To me, the drama was less laugh-out-loud funny and more absurd, silly, and chaotic in an entertaining way. If you want something light, goofy, absurd, and occasionally clever to take your mind off things, Pull Strings can do the job. It is not a drama I would call memorable, but it was certainly a decent way to lighten the mood.

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Definitely not the best drama out there

The story suddenly jumped from the real world (the mortal realm) into the drama’s fantasy world within just a few minutes. It was really hard to understand what was happening and why it was happening.

Now, putting that aside, in the early part of the story, it wasn’t very clear what the ML’s actual goal was. Then, so many characters were introduced, and on top of that, there were so many side characters as well. Remembering all of them wasn’t difficult, but actually connecting with them and getting emotionally invested in their relationships with the ML was really hard.

Among all of this, the humor was the only thing that kept me interested in watching. After all those sad and serious dramas, this one felt different.

I also liked how clever the ML was. I was always waiting for him to outsmart everyone and pull out a trump card that would leave everyone shocked.

Little by little, the story started to draw me in, especially when they entered the island and the relationship between the ML and FL became clearer. But it was only interesting while they were on the island. After that, we were once again flooded with characters whom we had left aside for several episodes, and their connection with the male lead was something we felt even less than before.

And in the middle of all this, new characters were introduced again, when the Second Dragon Prince met all these new people.

Up until this point, you could say I was watching in the hope of getting a logical ending, but… the last two episodes completely messed everything up.

One person sacrificed themselves, was forgotten, came back to life, then someone else sacrificed themselves, and we got a three-minute grand dance scene as if none of those things had happened. Even the characters who had died were suddenly alive again and dancing alongside their enemies.

And I was just like, “What am I supposed to feel right now?” 😂 Should I laugh? I felt like everything was becoming way too illogical.

And then, in the last thirty seconds, I was hit with a plot twist and a huge “TO BE CONTINUED” (!!!).

Guess how I felt? 😂

Still, we got some amazing performances from the cast, especially the ML. And some of the characters became my favorites. But I really wish it didn’t have these flaws.

It could have been like Guardians of the Dafeng, with a high rating and a huge number of viewers and fans.

I’m giving it a 7/10.

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ONE OF THE BEST CDRAMA OF ALL TIME!

Am I the only one laughing every minute in this drama?😭. Finally a new Xianxia drama with lots of comedy but with a great plot with direction.

3 episodes in but I can't handle already the unseriousness of this drama 😭. ARP really deserved this role!

If you all are stressing out in rl, this drama is for you. 3 episodes in and the comedy was like watching Welcome to Waikiki, I've never been laughing so hard watching a drama before WTW lmao.😭

UPDATE:

Story - 9.5
- This drama has a great plot with direction based on the recent episodes.

Acting/Cast - 10
- Cast? Bruh the casting in this drama was spectacular! Acting? 100% they nailed it! Main characters especially ARP, Ai Mi, SZN & AZY, all of the Sect, even the villains have great unserious scene in the drama.

Music - 9
- Music was up beat tempo perfectly fit for the genre of the drama.

Rewatch Value - 10
- 100% rewatchable! We're only half through the drama, but no matter what the ending on this drama, I guess everyone we'll rewatch this 100%!.

For me this drama deserve a 9+ rating and if I'm gonna be bias this should be a perfect 10!

To those who was planning to watch the drama, don't hesitate due to the rating. I bet you'll miss out one of the best cdrama of 2026. 🫡

UPDATE FINAL VERDICT:

LOVE truly is the GREATEST KARMA!

All I can say is WHEN WILL BE THE SEASON 2?😭 Hopefully Fairy YX would still be SZN cause her and ARP should deserve a proper happy ending bruhhhhhhhhh.

Anyways, all I can say is, this is one of the best cdrama I have ever watched! If you don't want to missed a drama that will give you a mixed emotions beginning up to the end, then this is a must watch drama!

Now what should I do?😭

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Too much different with donghua

It’s male-centric, but its target audience is mostly women, so there’s not much difference from idol romance drama. As it gets closer to the ending, it becomes overly emotional and tearjerking, which really doesn’t fit the cultivation genre, imo.

It's annoying, there are so many shippers of the support male characters, as if it’s deliberately made as fan service for BL fans. It’s way too vulgar and overdone for me.

Even in the donghua itself, there’s absolutely no bromance and less romance between them, but this dracin mixes everything together. So, I don’t think it’s very suitable for people who prefer cultivation stories adapted from donghua.

If you like Immortal Ascension or Blood of Youth, don't watch this.

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Edited - Kinda falls off compared to the donghua.

Didn't expect much from this live adaptation since they really shortened most arcs bc the production team was rushing it down from 700 chapters to 30 in the adaptation and the last few episodes would be so rushed, but I guess they did execute the major arc very well. I'm not that impressed nor am I disappointed with the way they shortened the storyline, because all of the actors performed very well and made me laugh the entire time + the transition from a light hearted storyline to a deeply mature yet troublesome one was by far an amazing plot. Wish they could've made the episodes to be at least 36 because we've barely seen the true extent of our main hero's power (his paper butterflies, main body hidden away, the way he controls everything from the shadows bc he's a puppet master) and Fairy Yunxiao as well (she's just... breathing and existing like an npc despite being the female lead). Idk maybe it's just me but the story went really well until ep 9ish, watch value did drop after that but I'm js a sucker for Ruipeng and Aimi's dramas so I'm js watching for them.

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FUN! FUN!! FUN!!!

I laughed really hard while watching this. I kept food, snacks, and water out of my mouth while watching this to prevent choking. The characters were unserious and highly comedic; the villain had something comedic in their mannerisms, in the way they were presented, fought, and at times died. I couldn't control my laughter and smiles for at least the first half.

The cast was amazing; it felt like each of their roles was best suited for them. Ao Rui Peng portraying Li Changshou was natural and amazing, and it felt like himself. A character made for him, where he doesn't need to be stressed with his posture or mannerisms.
Likewise, in my opinion, Ai Mi's portrayal of Li Chang Shou's junior sister was the funniest character in this show, and I loved how she matched her senior brother and understood the meaning of his eye signs. The character Ao Jia was hilarious, funny, and interesting to me when he had big dreams of saving the dragon clan, beating himself in a fight against Li Chang Shou, and portraying the girl character Ke Le'r; in my opinion, if I were not a viewer/audience and I was just part of the characters, I would have also thought that was a girl.

It was hilarious seeing modern devices innovatively transform into something similar with the same functions in an historical drama. The mobile phones, image recorder, and washing machine- seeing Li Chang Shou make use of them felt new and refreshing.

With all that said, the second half, around episode 20, declined in the funny aspect compared to the first half. With all the tragedy, wars, crying, and fights going on, don't get me wrong, there were occasional funny moments in the second half, but I didn't laugh as much, as the story lost its focus on being funny and became more serious. But still, the chemistry of the senior-junior relationship between Li Chang Shou and junior sister was great, Loved after 3 years staying in jade division, she learnt her senior brother and understood all his micro-expressions and helped him in so many over-dramatic scenes, adding their master to the chaos made Jade division more fun than the other divisions, they were so hilarious, unserious, and loved each other.

I thought this drama was over-dramatic, but that's the charm; it doesn't have to be serious or less dramatic. The plot was silly and predictable, as the ML always has 98-99% assurance before executing his plans. The unpredictable part is that we do not know his plans; they come as a surprise to the audience.

It's not every year we get this kind of drama, so it was refreshing watching this plot. I would recommend this if you are looking for an easy watch, where you have to sit back, relax, and enjoy the play.

Do Not Eat while watching this to prevent choking.

Have a great time watching

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Treat this drama as Unscripted Documentary

I watched this drama because i know my friends have binge watching Ao Ruipeng since he is comedian in his social media and he is basically do nothing but being himself. Sun Zhenni and Aimi are doing fine for their roles.

The problem in this drama the plot is not plotting. The scriptwriting became less effective in the later episodes make this drama is hollow in the middle. The longevity plan was indeed meticulous, but the later parts were too chaotic. It felt like many details weren't shown in the drama, making it seem rushed. The timeline in the last few episodes is very confusing. After Ling E was swapped out by the substitution talisman, she copied the "Stability Sutra" five hundred times. I remember when she came to find Changshou, she was contemplating three thousand six hundred years in the future. Isn't everything in between just a fleeting moment? I've already lost track of the timeline since she showed Jin Chan the memories inside the bubbles.

Doubt there is no next season since the production house has disbanded.

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Fate and will

This drama is not all that it seems. What it lacks lacks in production value the drama makes up for with its heartwarming and fun storytelling. It tells of the age-old story of fate versus free will, centered around our male lead Li Changshou, who tries to avoid bringing about calamity by scheming his way into apparent mediocrity. Only eventually does he realize that his avoiding ways actually bring about the harm he had been so desperate to avoid.

With a lot of humor and a little romance, this is a great ensemble story to enjoy. At first you wonder what is going on with all these wacky characters and plots. But by the end, like Li Changshou, we realize that no one can shoulder the fate of the world solely on their own shoulders. It is only because of love and our bonds of fellowship that we can hope to change the fate of this world for good. Is it fate or our own free will? That is the question for the ages.

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Ridiculous, Random, and Impossible to Look Away From

I liked this one. It’s not something I would rewatch in its entirety, but there are definitely clips I would watch again. This wasn’t really a drama I followed for the story, even though, strangely enough, it did have a somewhat deeper angle to its narrative. For me, the real appeal was the antics and extreme absurdism. That’s what I was here for.

There were definitely moments when I wondered if I should just shut it off, but the silliness and ridiculousness somehow made it impossible to look away. I never knew what the script was going to throw at me and that unpredictability was what made it so much fun. Its deadpan delivery and random joke scenarios would catch me completely off guard, and there were times I would practically choke on my own spit because the humor got me that good.

So while this isn’t one of those deep and poignant watches, sometimes it’s fun to watch something that doesn’t take itself too seriously and lets you sit there giggling at the screen. Overall, I enjoyed this one.

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Stay Steady, Stay Alive

The drama begins with ML Li Changshou having worked hard to achieve success in life, only to be diagnosed with something terminal and end up lying in a hospital bed at the age of 30, reading endless comics and complaining, “Standing out can get you stricken. Moving rashly can get you hurt. Why can't these protagonists win with caution?”...only to fall out of bed and get transmigrated in front of a Fate Dial, which warns him of a Great Tribulation and throws him into the very world he was reading about.

Well, unlike others, our ML is no ordinary person. He doesn't want to be a hero, nor claim credit, and is well-read and knowledgeable about the world. He spends his time, almost 30 years, cultivating, lying low, planning, setting random formations, inventing modern-style straw and paper gadgets...all to live well, face what may come and possibly escape it. In his own words, “To survive, there is only one method. Stay away from all disputes and karma. Focus on protecting yourself.” His methods are all compiled in his "Scripture of Steadiness"--Stay low, Stay cautious. Stay prepared. Stay alive.

Everything seems to be under his control and proceeding well. But all the best-laid plans can go wrong. Enter the villain, who is just as intelligent and figures out LCS, eventually using his own tricks against him. And what follows is a lesson in growth, trust, partnerships and still staying true to one's way, without seeing that as a burden but learning that it can also be something to work on together.

"Pull Strings" is a comedic drama with some profound observations and lessons. Ao Rui Peng plays Li Changshou with ease, bringing out the humour without overacting. Some of the situations could easily have turned vulgar or cheap if pushed too far, but his performance lands the comedy without crossing that line. A Mi was equally apt as LCS's junior, with her expressive reactions playing off the situations and adding to the comedy.

The drama was a visual, goofy yet profound treat until the last few episodes...this is where I have a problem. The ending really confused and disappointed me. Unless there is a S2, I don't see the point of such an ending...why take us on a ride all over the place only to stop it like that? Points deducted.

Overall, a different C-drama where the ML is not relying on brute strength but on preparing well, lying low, and fighting from the shadows when needed, often guiding others, pulling strings behind the scenes.

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WHAT THE HELL

done watching!! and WHAT THE HELL li changshou gasted all of my flabber with his schemes and plans, not really a fan of non-romance centric dramas but this drama got me hooked to the core!!! stayed up all night to watch until the final episodes. I loved all the characters (except probably for the problematics), i feel what they feel, clearly conveyed the emotions that they want the audiences to feel

and ofc for the romance subplot, doesn't feel forced imo, they're just in denial of each other but you can actually feel the tension hehe

overall verdict: I LOVE THE DRAMA (also I love the ending, i hope it's the same cast for the 2nd season)

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