Fangs of Fortune

Best Cdrama of 2024 For Me.

I like everything about this drama the music the acting.
I really like the bond between zyz and zyc frist zyc hate zyz then they become best friend slowly and I like the chemistry between wx and zyz and also like the story between zyz and lilun and their costumes is awesome specially zyz costumes and the cases is not boring in this drama as compared to mlcb overall it's good drama but I don't like one thing is that male zyz screentime in latest episodes is so few.
I really like evil switch of zyz hou minghao is a great actor his expression is excellent and I'm waiting for his upcoming dramas.

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An Emotionally Moving Journey, That Is More Than Just Skin Deep

"Fangs of Fortune" or also known by its native title as "Da Meng Gui Li" which translates to "The Big Dream Returns" is a fantasy drama which incorporates Chinese mythology from the 'Classics of Mountains and Seas'. It's an adventure that revolves around mythological creatures ; demons versus mortals. Leading to action packed scenes with visually pleasing CGIs, eye-candy visuals and delicately detailed costumes. Not to forget the banger ost titled 'Unintentional Big Dream' which adds to the excitement as it rings for an eventful scene. This is the first initial impression, but as we dive more into the storyline and if you ask me how I perceive it on a deeper level, here is what I would tell you...

Fangs of Fortune is a tale that is more than just skin deep. It's an emotionally evoking journey that touches meaningful themes about life, death, love, hate, friendship, family, growth and dreams. This is definitely not just a mere demon versus mortals story, but it's an intricately woven story about self discovery and what makes one's life worthwhile. The underlying meaning of the title is about the acceptance of fate and the defiance of fate, that concludes to one word: willingness. It tells you how powerful that one word is when faced with life choices or when devoid from having a choice.

STORYLINE₊ ⊹❀
The first half of the story began on a light hearted tone with comedic scenes inserted. Although, this might come as an unexpected surprise for those who thought this drama to be heavily dark theme and gloomy. I thought otherwise, the addition of the comedic aspect didn't add as a mere filler or entertainment, I saw it as another layer that adds to the complexity of the characters. The first half tells more about the coming together of the demon hunting team as they venture out solving one case after another, however, their relationship among each other is still at the state of testing the waters due to the fact that the well-renowned vicious great demon Zhao Yuan Zhou who everyone fears or hates the most ; except for Wen Xiao, turned up to be part of their team.

As the story progresses more, the characters who seemed to be one-dimensional in the beginning have started to have complex layers upon the small revelations that were revealed about them through the use of flashbacks. Slowly, the story had started to touch grey areas that is more than just black and white, or in other words good and bad. The flashbacks weren't thrown in one full blow but instilled into the storyline parts by parts, therefore incorporating a mysterious effect which I found intriguing. The inclusion of backstories for the side characters - demons who were the prime suspects in the cases they were solving, added depth to the storyline. Furthermore, these flashbacks and backstories serves essential as they contain the key details that would play a role in the latter part of the story.

The second half of the story is where a complete tonal shift from the previous part takes a turn, despite the consistency in insertion of a few comedic scenes, the emotional heaviness and angst played a pivotal role here. After the long journey of the demon hunting team, the revelation of the truth took a toll on everyone, but this toll became the fuel that served for the fruition of their newly formed bond. What I like about how their bond was formed is that it wasn't handled in an abrupt way, but rather the complex characters were given time to sit with their own feelings, it allowed them to self-reflect and process acceptance of the truth in their hearts, as a result, it led to a more genuine formation of their bond ; it's realistic and well-thought of.

The romance aspect between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao isn't heavily the focus of this drama, it was rather balanced with the friendship aspect and other themes. Despite this fact, it didn't hinder me from actually feeling the romantic chemistry between the two leads, their romantic story is convincing enough. I truly loved their scenes together and found every moment of theirs heartwarming. The playful banters, the bold flirty remarks, to the heartfelt conversations. The slow burn trope. It was all conveyed well.

The ending of the story (including the special episode) is absolutely phenomenal. While it was all painfully heartbreaking and tragically sad, it was a very meaningful and touching end that does justice for the underlying message of this drama ; the willingness to accept their fate, and the willingness to defy their fate.

The cinematography for this drama is aesthetically pleasing, it is definitely one of the things I love about it. Apart from this, I find the slow-motion effects on the action scenes as a great way to highlight its stunning details and movements, hence making it more impactful. While I didn't really have much problems with these areas, I did notice at least two scenes that were abruptly cut but I found them minor so they didn't really affect me to the extent that made me dislike it.

CHARACTERS & ACTING₊ ⊹❀
Neo Hou as Zhu Yan | Zhao Yuan Zhou
Zhao Yuan Zhou is a heavily misunderstood character in the drama. He had spent his life in seclusion, surrounded with constant loneliness and tormented by guilt. He lived life awaiting his deathbed. Upon seeking for death, he unexpectedly found friendship, love and felt happiness for a while. He's an extremely selfless character that lived up to his name as a great demon, not because he is powerful, but because he has the biggest heart. He is the epitome of willingness, which is why I found the drama centering about him to be touching.

Neo Hou gave a stellar performance in his portrayal of the great demon Zhao Yuanzhou, he brought complete justice to his role. He didn't shine in this drama because of his action scenes alone, his emotionally impactful expressions of all the complex emotions of Zhao Yuanzhou in different intensities, from the light-hearted to heavy scenes made him really stood out. In addition, he nailed the comedic side of his character. I must say that this is his best role to date, this is the first time in a long while that I actually liked a character he played. He truly carried his role here.

Chen Duling as Wen Xiao
Wen Xiao is a mortal who possesses the power of the Baize Goddess but even with such powers, she has been presented to be a physically weak character. Despite her physical weakness, her strength lies in her cleverness, her ability to strategize, her strong determination, and resilience. She's a character that served as a pillar who brings the team of misfits together. In the storyline, she is utilized in a way that adds balance to the demon hunting team, at the same time she served as both a moral compass and a light of hope for those who lived in complete darkness ; ZYZ & ZYC. She might not be an over powering character, but she's an essential character.

Chen Duling proved her versatility as an actress in this drama. Her portrayal of Wen Xiao and the Evil Wen Xiao deserves praise. She's definitely talented and can pull both roles very well. Her crying scenes is heart wrenching, I cried so much whenever she cried. Her character was well-written, and she had her shining moments. I did think she deserved more screen time and wished her character was given a bit more focus in the storyline. However, I still did appreciate Chen Duling's portrayal of Wen Xiao.

Tian Jia Rui as Zhuo Yichen
Zhuo Yichen is a righteous character who lived his life awaiting for the day he could avenge his family. He seemed like an aloof character who is bad at expressing himself at first, but he is actually a very soft hearted character. His character development throughout the drama proved how he is truly the roof of the demon hunting team.

Tian Jia Rui had pulled off his role as Zhuo Yichen really well. He was able to show more of his skills as an actor through this character he played. As much as I loved his Gong Yuanzhi in MJTY, I think it has now been officially replaced by his character here as Zhuo Yichen.

Others
At first, Zhen Xuan's Ying Lei and Lester Lin's Bai Jiu portrayal threw me a bit because of how anime-like they both were, eventually though I did manage to get used them. As for Cheng Xiao's portrayal of Pei Si Jing, I had a bit of a similar experience but in a different aspect, I knew she was written to be a cold and strong character, but I found the first crying scenes of Cheng Xiao lacking, thankfully she did improved in the latter episodes in this aspect. Meanwhile, Yanan's villain role as Li Lun is commendable.

OSTs₊ ⊹❀
The songs that were mixed into this drama were meaningful, as they not only made the whole watching experience better, but each of these songs were perfectly tailored to match each of the characters stories and the casts personally singing them adds as a cherry on top. My favorites are definitely 'Yuanzhou's youth', 'Heaven and Earth Are Unrivaled' and 'Spring Breeze Does Not Ask'.

OVERALL IMPRESSION₊ ⊹❀
This drama has left a lasting impression for me. The overall experience has been an enjoyable little adventure which I will definitely remember. The compelling storyline and well-rounded characters which crafts the underlying message of this drama is certainly what adds color to the dark and gloomy cinematography style. As someone who doesn't mind angst and sad endings, I can say that the whole journey from beginning to end has been of value, all emotions spent regardless whether they were laughters or tears shed definitely didn't go to waste.

The actors hard work and effort put into this drama has certainly paid off. The chemistry between Chen Duling and Neo Hou. The brotherhood between Neo Hou, Tian Jia Rui and Yan An. The formed little family of misfits in the demon hunting bureau. I am surely going to miss all these.

FAVE SCENES₊ ⊹❀
- Zhao Yuan Zhou's big dream revelation at the peach blossom house
- Wen Xiao's 300 years in the sundial
- Wen Xiao and Zhao Yuan Zhou's "one day"
- Wen Xiao and Li Lun's game of questions
- Tian Xiang Pavillion scene
- Lord Bingyi and Yinglong backstory
- Bai Jiu and Ying Lei's almond cheese
- Li Lun, Zhao Yuan Zhou and Zhuo Yichen's collaboration
- Zhao Yuan Zhou's last moment of hesitation

˖ . ݁❀𝜗𝜚❀. ݁₊

"There are thousands of laws in the world but none of them can defeat a single word of willingness" — Qing Geng

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Absolute Master piece and The drama of the year 2024!

I love watching fantasy, suspense and adventurous dramas and this drama is giving me everything I love and more!!! Its easily the best drama that has surfaced this year.

The cast whether they are male or female are doing stunning jobs portraying their characters so spectacularly and perfectly. I can't fail to mention that all the cast is full of gorgeous and beautiful actors and actresses which makes this drama even more captivating. The villains are extremely cunning and powerful and so it increases the chaos and difficulty of the problems the main characters have to face.

I love the complicated yet adorable romance between Wen and ZYZ. Also the complicated but very admirable friendship between ZYC and ZYZ, it warms my heart everytime and I enjoy their progress from enemies to bros/ friends . The love/hate story between LiLun and ZYZ is really intriguing and mysterious. Their story of bros to enemies is unfolding slowly but surely. Also all the other team members' back stories are incredibly interesting. There is always something to find out and explore about each character, their back ground, their behaviour, their choices and emotions. The bromance between the members and the sismance is also blowing my mind up. Its so adorable, bittersweet, funny and exciting.

All the characters are showing emotions and expressions incredibly well so you feel emotionally attached to their life and fate. I love the humour of the characters and chaotic energy they display, it's really fun to see their funny interactions. The chemistry of all the team members is impeccably smooth.

The story is extremely gripping and suspenseful. I love how the mysterious cases are revealing important past stories and are related to main cast one way or another.

The gorgeous costumes, top cenimatrography, beautiful fight cheography, all environment settings and the sound/visual effects were mind-blowing!! Its one of the best dramas I have ever seen. The OSTs are incredibly beautiful and heart warming.

Overall I'm in love with this drama and don't want it to finish ever! I'm savoring this extremely satisfying experience. I feel the pace of the drama is not too slow or not too fast. Its just right. Everyday I eagerly wait for the next episode. I hope watchers give it fair chance and watch it till end.

ENDING:

The ending is beautifully executed. The series of events that unfold, fit so well with the story. It has been very cleverly menouvered to that point where everyone had to make hard choices out of either their deep love, deep bonded friendship, admirable brotherhood or heavy responsibility of protecting/saving others. Although the drama has an open ending/sad ending, we are given happy ending as well in the extra episode. The happy ending ties so well with the end that we are left with a relief and hope for our dreams to come true that we spun during the drama.

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The Heart of Fangs of Fortune: A Journey Through Characters, Mysticism, and Emotional Depth

Fangs Of Fortune also known as " The Story of Mystics" or " The Big Dream Returns" , is a supernatural and mystical drama that follows the adventures of a group of people with unique talents and powers who come together to solve cases and uncover various mysteries. This drama features incredible action scenes, top-notch cinematography filmed in a gloomy and fantastical style that captures the mood perfectly, and strong performances from the cast, making it a standout in its genre.

As flashbacks in this drama were used, they really added layers to the story and helped show why the characters acted the way they did. It wasn’t just random moments thrown in they tied the past and present together, making the plot flow better and giving more meaning to the characters’ decisions and growth. For me, this worked well in the drama because it made everything feel connected, and the timing of those flashbacks was perfect, revealing just enough to keep me interested while also showing how their histories shaped who they became.

The comedic tones in the drama were also necessary, especially with how gloomy and depressing some of the characters’ situations were. Without those lighter moments, the story would have felt too heavy. The humor balanced it out and showed how the characters coped with everything going on, which made them feel more real to me. And honestly, the shift from comedy to something darker and more emotional hit harder because of that. It started out funny, but once the truths were revealed, the tone became intense and heartbreaking. The shifts felt natural, too, like they were preparing me for the heavy emotional impact later on. By the time things got angsty, it didn’t feel out of place is it felt like the natural progression of everything that had built up.

CHARACTERS / ACTING

Neo Hou as Zhu Yan / Zhao Yuan Zhou

Zhu Yan is a 34,000-year-old great demon who carried the weight of his past and was determined to die because of it. His character was deeply depressed and used comedy as a way to cope with his guilt and loneliness. After spending so many years in seclusion, he decided to search for the Bai Ze Token while helping the team uncover not only their pasts but also his own. As the journey progressed, Zhu Yan found peace through his growing bond with the team. The friendship, love, and camaraderie they shared turned into a connection so strong it felt like family to him. Despite being the most powerful character, Zhu Yan wasn’t just defined by his strength but also by the emotional vulnerability he revealed over time. The drama centered heavily around him, and even though some scenes were cut, his presence and impact never dimmed.

Neo Hou’s performance was absolutely brilliant. He brought so much life to Zhu Yan, capturing the comedic, action-packed, and emotional moments perfectly. His portrayal was so convincing that I felt every emotion whether he cried, laughed, or fought. He embodied the character in such a way that my words can’t fully do it justice. Neo Hou as Zhu Yan surprised me in the best way possible, and his performance left me in awe. He made me cry when Zhu Yan broke down and laugh during his lighthearted moments, showcasing incredible range.

Chen Duling as Wen Xiao

Wen Xiao is a mortal chosen as the Bai Ze Goddess to protect the people and wilderness. While she wasn’t written as the strongest physically, her character was far from weak. Wen Xiao had a heartbreaking past, and her dedication to waiting for Zhu Yan after their time together showed her strength and loyalty. She spent years researching demons to better understand them, as seen in the first episode, which set up her role as a key problem-solver in the group.

Wen Xiao was smart, mature, and the glue that held the team together. She felt like a mother figure to the group, offering encouragement and wisdom during tough moments. I did wish to see more of her in the final episodes, but overall, I was satisfied with her character arc. Her chemistry with Zhu Yan was subtle yet incredibly intense, and their interactions were filled with unspoken emotions and tension that left a lasting impression.

Chen Duling portrayed Wen Xiao so naturally that every scene with her felt impactful. She made me cry during her emotional moments and smile in her lighter ones. Her talent really shone through, especially in her portrayal of the demon side disguised by Ao Yin. She played it so convincingly that it felt like an extension of Wen Xiao rather than a separate character. This balance between vulnerability and strength, along with the ability to switch between a heroic and villainous aura, showed how talented she truly is.

Tian Jia Rui as Zhuo Yichen

Zhuo Yichen played an important role in this drama. He started out bound by his goal to kill the great demon Zhu Yan, but as he spent more time with the group and got to know Zhu Yan, his character began to change. ZYC was an upright character who stood firmly for what was right, but when he found himself in the same position as Zhu Yan, he finally understood him.

Tian Jia Rui portrayed his character really well. He showed great versatility, transitioning from a reserved, quiet demeanor to someone who experienced real growth. The way his character’s before-and-after was shown was done very well, and I appreciated his acting in this role.

Cheng Xiao as Pei Sijing

Pei Sijing started as a cold and distant character due to her past experiences with demons and her brother’s situation. However, as the story progressed, she began to open up. Pei Sijing is best described in one sentence: “cold on the outside, but warm at heart.”

Cheng Xiao portrayed her character in a very good way. It’s not easy to convincingly portray a cold character without coming off as flat, but she balanced it well. I loved her action scenes, and her role as an archer fit perfectly with the group dynamic. She handled both the emotional and fighting scenes excellently, and I really liked her performance in Fangs of Fortune.

YaNan as Li Lun

Li Lun was a lonely character who made the wrong choices because of how he viewed humans and his strong desire to protect the wilderness. His actions broke his friendships and turned him into a villain, but as the saying goes, “villains are not born but made.”

I appreciated that his character had development toward the end, even though he caused so much damage to the demon bureau and the people. His final decision helped the group when they needed it the most.

YaNan played this character very well. He wasn’t just a good-looking villain with no substance he showed the contrast between his happy times with friends and his darker side after becoming a villain. His acting was impressive, and I’m proud of his performance.

MY FAV SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

I wish I could write longer for each character, but here’s a quick summary of two key members of the group:

Lester Lin as Bai Ju - Lester was phenomenal as Bai Ju. As a young actor, he showed a lot of potential and versatility. He played three parts: the comedic boy, the spy, and even an evil version of Li Lun, all of which were well-directed and well-acted. I truly believe he’s going to become one of the best Chinese actors someday.

Xu Zhen Xuan as Ying Lei - Ying Lei was such a comfort character for me. I loved his portrayal as the mountain god and his overall contribution to the group. He genuinely cared about the team and loved them all.

Xu Zhen Xuan did an amazing job as Ying Lei. His comedic moments brought so much light to the group and made me laugh a lot. He also did well in his fight scenes, and when it came to emotional moments, especially during that heart-wrenching choice he had to make, I cried so much for him.

GUEST AND SIDE CHARACTERS

All the characters, even the guest ones, played an important part in the story. From Aimi as Qing Geng, Zuo Ye as Fei, Zhang Miao Yi as E Shou the rabbit demon, and Ryan Cheng as Cheng Huang to Riley Wang as Ran Yi and Xiao Ran as Miss Qi, everyone’s performance was excellent. Lai Wei Ming, who played Pei Sijing’s brother, was another standout. I especially loved the sibling dynamic between Pei Sijing and her brother it felt natural and heartfelt.

ROMANCE AND CHARACTER DYNAMICS

The romance between Zhu Yan and Wen Xiao was delicate yet deeply impactful, reminding me of an “old married couple.” Their mutual understanding, words of encouragement, and sacrifices embodied the phrase, “What would you do for love?” Both answered in their unique ways, and their story has earned a place in my heart as a second Romeo and Juliet.

This drama also stood out with its subtle portrayal of relationships. From hints of BL and GL elements to the depiction of a polycule-like bond within the group, it offered layers of complexity. Wen Xiao, despite her physical frailty, wasn’t a weak or unnecessary addition to the plot or added due to censorship. Her character brought depth, warmth, and an essential perspective to the group dynamic.

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND OST

The cinematography in Fangs of Fortune was breathtaking. Every frame held purpose, allowing the emotions and thoughts of the characters to shine without excessive zoom-ins or unnecessary exaggerations. It gave space to interpret the story and characters’ struggles naturally, enhancing the overall experience.

The OST was equally masterful, amplifying the emotional and narrative depth of the series. Neo Hou’s “Yuanzhou’s Boy” (translation) and Liu Yu Ning’s “Unintentional Big Dream” were standout tracks, perfectly aligning with key moments like epic fight scenes or introspective character arcs. These songs added another layer to the storytelling, making each scene resonate deeply.

FAVOURITE SCENES

* All the fight scenes in this drama
* Wen Xiao in the sundial for 300 years to save her loved one
* Zhu Yan saving Wen Xiao
* The banter between Wenxiao and Zhu Yan
* The banter between Zhu Yan and Zhuo Yichen
* Lord Ying Long and Bing Yi backstory
* Ran Yi and Miss Qi heart breaking story
* Li Lun and Zhu Yan past story
* The Mpreg joke
*Qing Geng and Fei heartbreaking 💔 story
* Wen Xiao and the Rabbit 🐰 Demon fight ( Ep 1)
*ZYZ fake acting to take out his inner core
* THE Demon Bureau GROUP and so much more...

OVERALL THOUGHTS AND REFLECTION.

While Fangs of Fortune isn’t without its flaws, no drama is truly perfect. Despite minor mistakes, the story’s heart and intent shone through. The inclusion of characters like Lord Ying Long and Lord Bing Yi, portrayed by Neo Hou and Tian Jian Rui, respectively, enriched the narrative with a historical weight that complemented Zhu Yan and Yi Chen’s arcs beautifully.

The drama tackled themes of human nature, moral choices, and the balance between worldly desires and higher ideals. These elements, combined with intricate relationships and seamless directing, created an unforgettable experience. Fangs of Fortune reflected on the ugly realities of the world while marveling at the characters’ resilience and courage. One thing I have to say is the double standards for females, whether they are strong or weak, is so sad to see. No matter how they act, their choices and behaviors are often judged more harshly than those of males. It’s a frustrating pattern that highlights how women are held to different standards, no matter their strength or vulnerability.

The ending of Fangs of Fortune really pierced my heart, leaving me torn with emotions. As each character faced difficult choices, their struggles hit deeply, and I couldn’t help but cry. Even with the special episode that added something new, offering a glimpse of hope, the overall feeling was still bittersweet sad yet uplifting. It captured the weight of their journeys, and while I felt a sense of closure, it didn’t erase the heartache that lingered.

I am proud of all the cast hard work for this drama because it paid off well and it is was successful in it's own way, I do hope that one day we would have a reunion project with this amazing cast again.

For me, this was the most anticipated drama of the year, and it exceeded my expectations in ways I didn’t expect. It’s rare for a series to be both thought-provoking and entertaining, but Fangs of Fortune achieved just that. It is truly a gem that I will remember for a long time. I recommend this drama to anyone who likes fantasy dramas with poetic dialogues and a story that deals with choices and this a drama that requires patience.

Fav Quotes...
" A little starlight, a candle flame and a street lamp left on travellers can all Pierce the darkness and you" - Zhuo Yichen

" There are thousands of laws in the world but none of them can defeat a single word of willingness" -Qing Geng

" When everyone was treating me as an evil demon and had feared me, hated me or respected me, she was the only one who still looked at me with warmth and sympathy" - Zhu Yan

" There are many ways to live your live.
Responsability is a choice, not a constraint.
Neither shouldering responsability nor pursuing dreams is wrong. Some people only wish to be a quite lake in the forest, while other people want to became a running river". - Wen Xiao

Thanks for reading!!!

જ⁀➴ ♡ ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡🪐༘⋆

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A Story About Dreams & Destiny: "Although I know my destiny, I still courageously choose to face it"

Fangs of Fortune is a fantasy drama that is based from Chinese Mythological Creatures. It tells a story about a heavily discriminated great demon named Zhao Yuan Zhou and the journey of his life as he chooses to face his destiny. Along his process of walking onto this new path he had chosen, he managed to be involved with a group of beings ; either mortals, gods, demons. They later formed into a team at the Demon Hunting Bureau who at first were only bonded together for the sake of solving mysterious cases about creatures that had gone rampant. They each face each other with indifference and mistrust at first, but the more they unravel truths about the past - especially of their own, they gradually began to warm up to each other and thus, formed a friendship that later turned into found family. Regardless of their differences, they began to understand each other and stand in equal footing eventually learning to separate evil and good from origin, and coming to accept life's greyness and the complexities of beings - whether mortals or creatures.

What had heavily made me gravitate towards this drama is its compelling storyline that is thought provoking and how it finely touched different gradients about morality. It isn't all for a captivating watch as viewers are also challenged to put their perspectives into each of the characters shoes to understand the different contrasting layers of these characters ; their decisions and actions towards certain events or situations. Adding to these is the unabashed portrayal of intense emotions from every character no matter what gender which in turn pinches at the corners of the viewers hearts. To say it is merely a fantasy drama is a bit of an injustice, beyond the excellent cinematography and gorgeous visuals lies a much more meaningful story about life and its lessons.

The great demon Zhao Yuan Zhou's journey came with a lot of loaded heartache but as the plot progressed, his heart became vividly clear. He is a very courageous character who had accepted and had long awaited his destiny, yet still he chose to face it. In the process of doing so, he found himself spreading warmth towards everyone and at the same time receiving the same warmth which he thought he is undeserving of. His selfless act of sacrificing his life for the greater good and his loved one despite having already grown roots for living, proves his heroic character, great love, and how he holds his dream of a peaceful and carefree life ever so importantly. He didn't just simply accept his destiny, he fulfilled his dream along with it. The immense amount of greatness of his character is immeasurable.

This drama might not have been centered solely on the romance between the main leads, however, their love story turned to be the most beautiful yet tragic to be foretold. The love between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao is one that is seen as subtle on the surface, barely palpable - but as you take off the heart shaped rose colored glasses, what awaits is a love that conquers all. Deeper than the romantic moments or sweet intimate scenes, it's the strength of their feelings towards each other that time and time again, they constantly and gravely chose one another. Zhao Yuan Zhou's journey to life started because of Wen Xiao, but it also ended because of her. His love for her is so vast and selfless. While Wen Xiao became the living testament to his deep love, her devotion to wait for 300 years in the sundial and her willingness to guard his home ; the wilderness, while endlessly waiting for their reunion. The nuanced and subtleness of Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao's love, proved against odds how deeply rooted and ever lasting their love is, even if their fate is tragic, their feelings for each other never cease to exist, and continue to live on, for every rain shower is their reunion.

All the performance of the actors in this drama are praiseworthy. I specifically have to praise Hou Ming Hao's phenomenal acting skills, his portrayal of Zhao Yuan Zhou connected the most with me. The expression and emotions he delivered on screen screams how great and talented of an actor he truly is. He always left me in awe. I instantly became a fan of him. On the other hand, Chen Du Ling's role as Wen Xiao spoke so much volumes about humans limitations when faced with destiny, her portrayal has been admirable. Tian Jia Rui and Cheng Xiao doesn't fall behind much, they also did a commendable job with their roles. I am looking forward to seeing more of Lester Lin's growth as an actor, he carries so much potential at a young age. Lastly, Yan An, Zhen Xuan and Lai Wei Ming deserves more recognition for their acting performance, I applaud their performance too.

I highly recommend this drama. Perfection is something unachievable in life, even the best comes with flaws. This drama is no exception from such flaws but what makes this stood out is the amount of good qualities it had. From storyline, to cinematography, to acting, to characters and to chemistry.

The 'Fangs' in 'Fangs of Fortune' surely carved into my heart ♡

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One of the best if it's your taste. ✨

I am willing to gloss over the awkward transitions and the somewhat rushed plots when it came to fixing the "stuffs" it all felt like plot convenience. The overly used illusions were somewhat tiring to watch but they did well to explain the difference between each occurrence though it was to us viewers just ... Same. 🤡

When it comes to the usual criticism. I don't mind the quite whispering as a slow talker myself the slow talking didn't bother me Q.Q The overly used soundtracks were sometimes overwhelming but I quite like them so it's a pass. Well when it comes to the Female lead I was not annoyed nor displeased with her though some what frustrated with her passiveness in some scenes.

Point deduction for the visuals came from the 🐦‍🔥 fight sequence which had pretty inconsistent quality compared to the other fight sequences. It was end game it should have been the best. To anyone who says that the entire drama's CGI is lacking I have no words maybe I am easily satisfied and this is visually just normal (can you see the sarcasm 🐣)
Another point is the filter they used kept changing so by the end of the drama all flashbacks have different filters on. 😬

The low acting score is cut for the early episodes where baiju and ying lei were really animated. As the show went on it slowly shifting though. Furthermore out villain actor at end game was meh but maybe it's just his character being a meh character. Usually older actors I tend to praise as they tend to do better.

Finally I just want to say that. This drama is about:
Humans, demons, mortals, immortals , hot, cold, weak, strong, burdened and unburdened forming a bond each one different then the other. Each villain's story tells a tragic tale. Each episode draws the group of seemingly different individuals together. Forming a family and I love it with my dear heart. Surely gonna miss this one. I ain't asking for a second session cause the ending was enough for me. ❤️‍🩹😭

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Beautiful yet Pretentious; Great character development but poor plot writing

“Fangs of Fortune” is no doubt the product of director Edward Guo. I enjoyed his other drama “My Journey to Love” so much that I wish I could feel the same about “Fangs of Fortune”. Unfortunately, just having a good-looking cast and beautiful cinematography are not enough for me.


What I Like:

1. Characters
The main reason I am not rating this drama lower than 8.0 is because of the characters. I like each of them, main cast, supporting cast and guest roles. Each character’s story is unique and I had a good time getting to know them and following their journey of growth. They are interesting individually and together as a group. “Fangs of Fortune” is able to make me care about each of them and their stories touched me.

2. Acting
I am happy to see a much-improved Neo Hou. He is able to convey more than just a blank pretty face. I am most impressed by Tian Jia Rui. This is only his second drama after “My Journey to You” and he has so much potential. Chen Du Ling is fine. Cheng Xiao improved from her blank look in “Falling into Your Smile”. The rest of the cast also did an admirable job and I don’t really dislike anyone’s acting.

3. Cinematography
Edward Guo’s signature beautiful cinematography and camera angles make every actor and actress look good. Screenshots of this drama flooded the Feeds with many posts throughout the airing and after the completion of the drama. But…..(to be continued below)

4. OST
This drama boasts a huge soundtrack of beautiful songs. I enjoy them all, especially ‘Spring Breeze Does Not Ask’ 春风不问 and ‘Broken-Tailed Bird’《斷尾鳥》. However…. (to be continued below)

5. Production Value
I love everyone’s creative, unique and beautiful hairstyles, costumes and accessories. I also like the use of natural lighting and the realistic sets in the indoor scenes. The fight choreography is unique and the actors did a great job with their wire work and moves. It does a great job in using Chen Xiao’s dance background in giving her excellent moves and she did not disappoint.


What I have Mixed Feelings and Don’t Like:

1. Slowness
This drama is SLLOOOWW. The characters talk slowly, they move slowly and the pace is slow. This could have been a 30-episode drama (instead of 34) if people would just walk and talk at normal speed. The last episode is a waste of time. Everything could be told in 15 minutes. What pisses me off the most (my personal pet peeve) is characters standing around during important battle scenes. The good guys would be talking amongst themselves or crying or staring at each other, and the villains just stood there waiting. I just want to shout at my screen for them to move or do something! So much time is wasted and it doesn’t make sense!

2. Plot Holes
There are so many plot holes in this drama. Actions that don’t always make sense. Why parade a suspected murderer in front of a crowd to be easily recognized and then humiliated? If you knew you were the cause of a pandemic, why not kill yourself sooner? You already knew the solution! There are powerful demons and genius human beings yet you can’t detect someone is hiding around the corner eavesdropping? I thought you could smell their scent from a mile away! Plot logic becomes secondary (or sacrificed) when the drama focuses so much on the characters and making them look good. A good drama must be able to balance both plot and character development. Even if you can’t balance it well, it can’t be so lopsided.

3. Close-up/Camera angles
I complimented on how beautiful this drama is. But if you repeatedly show me a close-up look of a pair of attractive eyes every 5 minutes, it becomes really pretentious and fake. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed but if you give me the slow-mo version of it, it interrupts the flow and the excitement. I don’t need to see them posing when fighting. This drama also loves the fog and wind machines.

4. Non-stop Music
I also complimented the OST, but gosh, the music is overplayed. Song after song, music after music. It doesn’t allow the viewer to decide how to feel in silence, but manipulates my feelings with the non-stop music. I counted one scene (one conversation between the leads) when 2 songs + 2 more instrumental music were played non-stop! At times, the music is so loud that I could barely hear what the actors are saying. I really don’t need the fight song being played at every single battle, no matter how cool it is.

5. Romance
Disappointing main romance. I enjoy the initial bickering between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Wen Xiao. A battle of wits and sarcasm! But then, not much happened and not enough chemistry or longing looks. It was boring. I had more fun watching the guest roles suffer in their forbidden love than or sad romance than the main leads.


OK, if you are a fan, don’t hate me. Go back and read what I like before throwing stones at me. LOL🤣 I will still recommend "Fangs of Fortune" because it’s a well-acted darker story with a good-looking cast, beautiful cinematography and likable characters. If you are a big fan of character development, you will enjoy this. But if you are like me and can’t stop your brain from noticing plot holes and things you don’t like, you might have a harder time enjoying this.


Completed: 11/27/2024 - Review #521

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Beautiful visuals with garbage storyline

GJM is great at making every shot look pretty, but when it comes to writing a script and creating well-thought-out characters, he has absolutely zero talent.

Let's start with Zhu Yan / Zhao Yanzhou - the character is either bipolar, or a hypocrite of the highest order. He blames Li Lun (his alleged friend of 30,000 years) for killing humans while he himself has absolutely no problem exploding a man's heart just to prove a point. He puts humans on a pedestal while he doesn't care about demons at all. He is lying, manipulative, gaslighting coward with a sense of grandeur. He lives through a traumatic experience, but instead of being proactive and making up for his mistakes, he chooses to spend 8 years wallowing in his own trauma and then turns his victimhood into a weapon and an excuse for every single bad action taken afterwards. In fact, he is so passive that if not for Li Lun's scheming, he would never have gotten a chance to atone for any of what he did. He is positioned as the hero of the story, almost a messiah, but in reality he is a pathetic coward who wants to be suicided by another hero's hands and does nothing to pay for his mistakes.
(Sidenote - Neo did a great job with the garbage script he was given, and judging by interviews, he had a much better grasp at what ZYZ should really be than the director ever did).

Wen Xiao - the first episode she's in portrays her as a quirky, charming, smart and brave, but starting with episode 2 she makes a 180 turn and becomes weak, useless, and turns into a damsel in perpetual distress, there only for the sake of others saving her. Which is such as SHAME, because her character had so much potential!!

Zhuo Yichen- perhaps, the most well-written and flashed out character in the whole story. The only one whose actions more or less make sense. Saving grace of the whole show. The only complaint I have is how fast he forgave ZYZ for what he did.

Li Lun - I can't even call him a villain, to be honest. The whole premise rests on him killing some humans in a situation where, truthfully, going berserk is totally justified. He gets chastised, mortally wounded by ZYZ, betrayed by him again, and abandoned. Then, the said friend spends most of the show antagonizing him and theatrically offering his new human friends more compassion than Li Lun has ever received from him. It gets so bad in the end that another character dies because of ZYZ's cowardice and inability to make amends. The whole story arch would've made more sense if Li Lun killed ZYZ's friend, but he did not, so ZYZ's antagonizing him comes off as ZYZ's own attempt at portraying himself as a hero at Li Lun's expense, which in turn cancels out any of his attempts at atoning for his sins. What's worse, in the end ZYZ again does NOTHING to make amends, and it is ZYC who gets through to Li Lun and stops his spiraling out.
Side note- Li Lun is the driving force behind the whole show. If he weren't scheming and planning his "revenge", the main lead would have nothing to do, which to me is another huge problem with the script.

What pissed me off the most- the sheer amount of unnecessary queerbaiting. GJM spent so much time putting queerbaiting and innuendos in the show while forgetting to actually write a decent script; it's unforgivable.
The "romance" between ZYZ and WX is not fleshed out; more time is spent on trying to hammer down the idea of ZYZ and ZYC being "soulmates".

Another pet peeve of mine is the amount of crying. I'm sorry, but if you have one or more characters shedding tears every episode, it completely negates the impact.

I need to commend the cast for doing a marvelous job with the trashy script they were given. Brilliant performances and commendable attempt at making the story palatable. I wish they had more input in the show, perhaps the storyline could've been salvaged.

Soundtrack is also very well done, beautiful songs by beautiful singers.

The visual line of the show is gorgeous, but too many plot holes and awful characterisation that don't make sense overshadow it.

P.S. There is no happy ending like others have claimed on this website- in the extra episode, there is a teaser that maybe... but in reality, it has been stated before in the show that in a situation like that, a demon cannot come back to life. The screenplay also says he does not. To be honest, the whole exposition of the last 2-3 episodes (including an extra one) seems to serve only one purpose- pain and suffering fetish, most of which is completely unnecessary.

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Unpopular opinion. I didn’t like anything except the visuals and Neo

Sadly, I was not bestowed the fortune to like this drama, even though I really wanted to. Warning: this is one of my rare non-positive review so if you love the drama maybe it’s best to skip this read. While this drama wasn’t my cup of tea, I mean no disrespect to those that loved it.

POSITIVE:
- Stunning visuals: the cinematography, costumes and overall aesthetics was a true living piece of art.
- Male lead: I loved his demon look, and the way his character was portrayed. Neo nailed the emotional scenes and his comedic timing was great.
- Cast chemistry: even though I wasn’t emotionally invested in the story, the chemistry between the actors was great, especially the two male leads.
- End credits: the most random and adorable dance scenes.

NEGATIVE:
- Vibes of “Tacky christmas aesthetics”: too loud and too much going on in every single scene. Everyone was crying all the time and I felt nothing. It looked to me like the director was hyper-focused on creating the most stunning music video, that he forgot he was supposed to be making a drama.

- Messy storytelling: heavy reliance on flashbacks after flashbacks, dream sequence after dream sequence, weird inserts of “beautiful visuals” in-between scenes that broke the flow of the story. Instead of adding depth, the storytelling actually felt cluttered and disjointed. The conversations were the biggest issue for me as they often abruptly shifted between serious tones, to sudden humours, to sudden emotional outbursts - all this in one scene! This made me feel like I was watching a parody.

- Non-stop OST: music was constantly playing in the background which pissed me off big time. At times, it seemed like the director didn’t trust the actors to land their jokes, so he relied on comedic background music to tell the audience when they were supposed to laugh.

- Meh characters: except Neo’s character, nobody else left an impression on me. The female lead was useless. The second male lead was too stoic (I prefer his badass MJTY character). The second female lead’s action scenes were cool and I enjoyed the sub-plot with her brother but overall her character felt flat. The cook was cute but that’s all. The kiddo annoyed me af. I would have liked him more if he were written as a mature young genius instead of a teen acting like a 5-year-old. His possessed scenes were cool, though.

OVERALL:
This drama had everything I usually enjoy, an intriguing fantasy setting, demons and a great cast but the execution just didn’t work for me. Except for Neo, none of the characters left any impact on me. In fact, I should have probably skipped this one because now it has become one of my worst watches.

Visuals: 10/10
Story: 2/10
Characters: 2/10
Enjoyment: 0/10

FYI, my thoughts are mostly based on ep 1-24 as after this I lost all patience and skipped tons in order to finish it. I did watch the final episode and special episode.

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Tragic and beautiful.

No words are enough to express my feelings. Am sad but the ending was acceptable and expected.
The whole cast is treat to eyes, music is perfect, story has everything you would ask for. A found family trope, I've never seen this much cute and wholesome. They are funny, cute and everyone has a fair share of tragedy but they stick together completing eachother.
I never felt bored watching any episode or any scene, the drama has too many slow motion shots but they have their beauty so I enjoyed that too. Even when episode was sad, the ending song, them dancing and giggling together uplifted the mood.
Not everything was perfect like them shedding tears literally in every 5 minutes, villain silently waiting for them to take actions, last few episodes were dragged.
But Fangs of fortune has special place in my heart, it was such a great experience watching it. Visuals, cinematography, VFX, songs, action sequences, their jokes everything was perfect.

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RETURN OF THE BIG DREAM / RETURN TO THE OLD HOMETOWN

First Impression:
The storytelling, cinematography, costumes everything was very poetic. I got the feelings of reading a poem while watching this. The pace might be slow for some but trust me it's what makes it more like a poem.

Storyline :
The story revolves around Zhao Yuan Zhou who is a 34000 years old ape demon. He constantly wanted to die. He was charismatic and chatty in front of all. Loves to annoy his teammates but all was simply a disguise to keep his broken heart away from them. When you will get to know his true heart you have already fallen into a deep pit with him. My heart was broken along with him. He's like the poet of this story. He wanted to badly tell us that he is not okay at all. He constantly lives in a despair. He needs someone who will understand his pain, his desperation.
Oneday he will meet those persons who will be the sunshine of his dark life. Even though they didn't want to understand his pain at first but situation forced them to witness the horror he was going through everyday.
It's a story to find out how they will heal his heart and if they can change his will to die. Will they succeed or not? Along with this journey there will be some small stories of the side characters. But the moral of everyone's story is pinpointing ZYZ's miserable life.

Plus points:
Romance, Bromance, Sismance !!!

Acting:
I'm impressed with Hou Ming Hao's acting the most. Zhao Yuan Zhou is a complex character and I believe it's hard to play this type of extreme roles. But there wasn't a single moment where I thought his acting was lacking. A 27 years old boy totally pulled of all the emotions that complicated Zhuyan wanted to tell us. His eye expressions were on point and he forced me to understand each and every pain of ZYZ. As for visual ZYZ was a dashing demon thanks tp Minghao. ZYZ's main wig isn't that good from the front side. Only Minghao can pull off that wig. As Yinglong he looked like a white moon. It's a pity his screentime was too low. I was captivated by Minghao and I am looking forward to his upcoming dramas. There's a high chance he will become a traffic idol soon because of his acting range and gorgeous visual.
I wasn't sure about Chen Du Ling's acting but she proved me wrong. Wenxiao is a character which can be criticized by viewers a lot because of not being strong. But her portrayal of WX was really good.
Other actors and actresses also did an amazing job. I loved Pei Sijing's fighting scenes, Bai Jue's acting. The guest actors were also a treat to my eyes. Though I had a slight problem with ZYC's frowning forhead but it's not a big deal.

OST:
FOF got some splendid osts which is the best of this year. My favorite OST is Yuanzhou's Youth by Minghao ! Tears keep falling from my eyes whenever I listen to it.

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