Fangs of Fortune

Overflow in everything - and in a good way

If there was one word to describe many, many things of this gem, it would be: Excessive overflow. Okay, it's two words :P And I definitely don't mean that in a bad way but the opposite.

There's an excessive use of beauty:
- Make up, costumes/clothing and cast. Just looking at that alone makes you want to shed a tear.
I haven't seen so many beautiful people (main, side, supportive and guest cast) in one place with such delicate and accurate make up, being put in such well-designed high quality costumes that are not only rich in detail and diversity but also show each characters uniqueness.
- Scenery, Settings. Every scene, every landscape, every close up. Every single image has its own tempting beauty. Each one prettier than the next. You can't point your finger on one or two because there are just too many to choose.
- CGI. No idea about the budget, but every penny was worth it.

There's an excessive use of slow-mo.
- Like almost every scene - except during dialogues (I guess? I forgot). Ironically it doesn't diminish the drama's quality. It's the other way around actually. The slow-mo is an important part that blends in with every scene it's used and supports each character's extraordinary abilities. And every time it creates a feast for the eyes.

There's an excessive use of talent.
There are so many talented people in this. The main cast is one thing, but also the supportive and even the guest roles deliver like gunshots. Every single side story tackled my heart.

- Hou MingHao aka Zhao Yuan Zhou / Zhu Yan (ML). Well, we know that he's outstanding. And he showed a variety of emotions here, so in the end I hope other directors will let him act out everything he wants in the way he wants in future dramas and won't cut him short and waste his talent. The way he portrayed a 30,000 years old demon was one of the best performances I've seen in a while. The character's background, his experience and knowledge, thinking 5 steps ahead, the weight of emotions he's been carrying for all those years and the verdict he imposed upon himself... I felt every emotion with every fiber of my heart.
- Tian JiaRui aka Zhuo Yi Chen (2nd ML). Haven't watched anything with him yet but he definitely convinced me of his acting and earned my respect. The development of his character was a journey if its own. With unshakable sincerity his motivation shifted from hatred and denial to friendship and devotion.
- Chen Du Ling aka Wen Xiao (FL). First time seeing her as well. And man. I really liked the character. A goddess without power, yet still always trying to help the ones who are in need, never giving up. Her progress was at some point predictable, yet it was not. It's hard to explain.

As for the ML's personal antagonist... Well matched and well played, I dare say.

- The rest of the main cast whether friend or foe portrayed their respective roles similarly to equally well, so there's no need to explain in detail. Let's just say there are no unnecessary positions. Everyone owned his place and reason of existence.

The story itself can be separated into two parts. The first half concentrates on single cases, the atmosphere is dark, chilly and exciting which is a welcoming change. The second part resolves around the main villains, loose hints from the beginning start to finally connect and the main group's primary bonds get rearranged while your own bond with the characters unnoticeably grows stronger, too. I loved the humor in the first half as well as the way they cheered up right after dead serious or sad moments.

While other Xianxia concentrate on the main romance, this story's main core lies in many different kinds of love and other feelings. Friendship, romance, bromance, family bond (blood related or not). Guilt and atonement, prejudice, hatred, condemnation, redemption, grief, forgiveness, sacrifice, self-respect, relying on others, trust.
I loved that with every move, every expression, every tear you could feel how deep their bond grew. An impressive thing was that you could somehow sense what would happen moments before it really happened - just by watching their eyes. (And you already start crying though nothing had happened yet...).

There is still so much to say about this drama, yet I don't really know what else to write about without expanding to a 10-page journal. Everyone should experience this ride for themselves, judging by themselves. For me, this was a true gem that luckily found its way to my screen and my heart.

~ Btw, this includes the special episode as well ~

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A breathtaking and unforgettable masterpiece!

If you have never experienced the most visceral emotions and cried at a series, you will here at this masterfully executed bomb! Because this is a breathtaking and unforgettable masterpiece that will blow you away!
I will spare no superlatives.
The outstanding and quite extraordinary filmmaking - costumes, set design, script, cinematography, direction, original music, the choice of actors (both in the main and episodic roles) and their fantastic performances belong to the golden fund! Anyone who had any part in the making of this series must have known they were taking part in something truly special and gave it their all.
The main actors Neo Hou (Great Demon Zhan Yuan Zhou), Chen Du Ling (Goddess Baize Wen Xiao), Tia Jia Rui (Zhuo Yi Chen), Cheng Xiao (Pei Si Jing), Lester Lin (Teenage Doctor Bai Jiu) and Xu Zhen Xuan (Young Mountain God Ying Lei) have all played and created the roles of their lives in this series. If you see them playing other characters anytime, anywhere, you'll remember that they played here, and they'll never get rid of it!
Of special mention is the truly wonderful music, the original songs corresponding with the storyline and the whole sound work in general. It's an aspect that can either ruin the whole piece or, on the contrary, raise it up a level. Here the whole work has been elevated to the very top! Simply beautiful!
It is not enough to see this series once, because it is only on repeated viewings that one can see, recognize and enjoy its amazing interconnectedness, many parallels, hints, fantastic atmosphere and perfect balance of the whole work! It really does contain everything - from serious and often wise and enlightening passages, to overwhelming emotions, love, compassion, sadness, hopelessness, self-sacrifice, to simple joie de vivre, humour, sparks between characters and various light-hearted passages.
And finally, I will mention one more thing, and that is the ending of this series. Series in general have quite a lot of trouble with endings, and you're left with a kind of aftertaste, either from its open-endedness (actually, non-endingness) or its confusion. Nothing to worry about here - a masterpiece has been ended in a truly masterful way!
As a completed whole, it is a work that belongs to the imaginary Golden Fund of all dopbas, and any possible one-off award (e.g. Series of the Year 2024) cannot even come close to expressing its timeless significance.
As a thank you for a truly extraordinary experience, I can think of an award expressed in two simple words - a standing ovation!

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Original and Fresh

I just finished the last episode of Fangs of Fortune and I wanted to write this quickly before everything in my head melted away. This is one of those dramas that will remain in my head for days. I loved almost everything about this drama. I gave a lower score on the story because I think the movie got caught up in relationships and moral messages more than actually completing any real "overall objective". There was purpose to each action, but the story tended to stray a bit into several story lines. I am not complaining. Each story had a relevance of its own. The acting was so flawless. Everyone of the actors, even a few that had outlandish personalities, remained solidly in there character; enough to make it somewhat truthful to the audience. Actors, costumes, sets, sound, CGI.... everything top notch. The music was better than any other C production I have seen, including all genres. It wasn't that I was a fan of the style of music, but that if fit each scene perfectly. It matched the mood of each scene. Whoever wrote most of the songs chose perfect lyrics as well. The only thing I would like to have seen a bit less of were flashbacks. Whever something "emotionally charged" happened on screen, we see flashbacks of poignant times they had with each other. I liked a few, but sometimes they went on for 5 minutes of screentime. I think it was to "wrench our hearts" even more than they were.
I am not sure what the directors were hoping to achieve, but they made a movie that I will remember for a long time. I am sure I will go back and watch it again at some point. It is an emotional, thrilling, dazzling production. I would like to make a note that none of the crew mentioned under "cast and crew" took writing credits. I would love to know who wrote the drama and I will keep my eyes out for other works. I think they deserve credit for their wonderful effort. Please producers: I wouldn't be unhappy if you decided to somehow make a sequel. (he he)

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A song drift in the wind

It took me two weeks of break in order to write an honest review.
Two week of absorbing everything in and feel all the tears that slipped away.

For the entire drama, the story flows deep on a river of depth and sorrow, with bits of light reflecting over its surface as a reminder of hope. No other story depiction nailed in such manner as Fangs of Fortune its entire story and well played characters arc.

Every scene seems like a painted chapter over a lifetime, with surreal visual blends, colors and sets constructed for filming. From blooming scenes, full of flowers and hope, to nostalgic scenes with rain teardrops, honest dialogue and soft warm lighting that sparked the entire chemistry of our main characters. Roots, sprouts, flowers, snow, rainfall, fire, ice, morning dew, wood, steam, wind, all of such elements have entered as ingredients to create a epic storytelling, making you feel like you watch a story that feels familiar, like seeing an old friend.

For the characters and their performance, none have never fitted best in their role. From the small characters that had 2-3 episodes arc to the main villains, the old friends, old foes and lost lovers, family, brothers. Such a combination could not have been possible on other dramas yet Fangs of Fortune nails it magnifically.
Strong friendships, bonds that lasted centuries, forgotten past. Such delight in these character story arcs.

For me personally, what attracted me was Neo Hou's Zhu Yan.
Never have I've seen such warm character presented in such manner.
From his movements, his choice of words and actions. His entire character had such a weight, from its past and having gathered such pain over his faith, to believing strongly in his friends, his bond, his word and honor. Such a noble character with an impressive wisdom. His strength and grace of his fighting style was like a drug, attracting to want and see more. Like a falling flower.
As a wise demon, knowing his faith yet determined to finish everything in order to achieve one way of peace.
At the end, his performance made me feel his desire to live (for)more, and that brought me to tears. For such, i will have forever respect and admiration for him.

As a wrap, from the cinematography, to the coreography, fights and mistical arts, everything made me believe that Fangs of Fortune is a 10/10. Story wise is well made with characters arcs and made every second count and every actor play its part wonderful, a great combination without forgeting them after a few more episode.
As a top, the music made everything feel better, to worse to laughter, to crying out every wound you would see, feeling the pain of our main characters. All I want to say that I still listen to them even to day and feel like im transported to some scenes that felt like they were the most uplifting scenes a chinese wuxia drama could tell. Such grand feelings. Such extasy in each song.

I will forever recommend this drama. Hopefully you can watch it beyond the BL/GL suggestive scenes.
Thats what I had done. Hope you can find my review very helpful for I had to write with more than just words.

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this completely rewired my brain

Literally thee best show of all time. Hou Minghao gives one of the most exquisite performances I've ever seen, and while he stands out among the rest of the cast, everyone else is also incredible in this too. The Zhao Yuanzhou/Wen Xiao romance was everything to me and the polyam vibes were off the charts as the second half of the show devotes quite a bit of time to Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhuo Yichen's dynamic. The found family story was beautifully done and you really believe that these people will risk absolutely everything to protect and/or save each other. Every song on the soundtrack is perfection and no matter how many times I hear some of the character themes (especially the themes belonging to Li Lun and Zhao Yuanzhou), I will still go bonkers insane every time.

I have some minor gripes with some writing decisions which is why I give this a 9/10 on story, but this is an absolutely must watch show for me.

EDIT Nov 2025: I want to keep my original review bc I like the idea of my reviews being immediate reactions to a piece of media, but I have watched a handful of other CDramas since that have made me start viewing the writing for this show negatively and I definitely no longer consider this a 10/10. (probably more like a 7/10 if I'm being charitable.) I've had issues with the narrative's treatment towards Bai Jiu since I watched but my frustration has grown so much — the reveal in ep19 (iykyk) is Bai Jiu having been abused/groomed into trusting someone but the show seems to put the blame on this CHILD for trusting an adult who wanted to use him. And then his ending gives the vibe that he is "atoning" for this...... It comes off very much as victim-blaming and then add in the fact that he sacrifices so much when he shouldn't be in this position in the first place bc again. he is a CHILD. Having just come off of Fated Hearts and Blood River and seeing good communication between the leads and also being surprised without constant fakeouts (that end up being fairly meaningless) has also made me sour a lot on Fangs of Fortune. Like what do you mean that Zhao Yuanzhou-Zhuo Yichen-Wen Xiao trust each other with their lives and are willing to sacrifice anything for the others but then they are STILL withholding information from each other even when we reach the the last five episodes????? 🙄 Anyway watch Blood River for the Su Changhe-Su Muyu-Bai Hehuai triad :)

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An almost cathartic masterpiece packed with punches that fell short

Cinematography
The stunning visual style is pivotal in the series, and the bar has already been set with the cinematography alone.

The CGI is of high-quality, and the camera work is very intentional: I have observed the use of motivated camera movements and shot lengths, which were very effective and highly compelling in setting a scene.

They also played with color gradings and lightings that enhanced the visual experience, with many scenes looking like an artwork—clearly, the exceptional cinematography is the strong suit of the series.


Editing
One thing I noticed is that the transition from one scene to the next is not always seamless and the cuts of some scenes are not smooth.

Another thing to note is that while the OST is perfect, the background score is sometimes misplaced.

While these are not entirely major issues, these have affected the mood and the tone of some scenes.


Story
The thing with the genre of fantasy and wuxia is that their realm is so vast, that there are plenty of elements to play with to make a story compelling, cliche or not.

The series started strong; however, I find that something is amiss in the writing, making it and the pacing inconsistent all throughout the show.

The characters are both relatable and likeable, but I feel like they could have been written more with depth.

Case in point: Wen Xiao being identified by the characters as "kind" and "selfless". However, as a viewer, there was no opportunity to establish this because her character was not properly explored. With this, I only associate Wen Xiao to being "kind" because it was what the characters have taught me, and not something that I have determined myself as an audience.

I was only able to identify the characters' traits and understand their motivations because it was what the writers were spoon-feeding me.

A good (or even mid) writing would have explored the characters' backstory so the viewers themselves can see and establish how the characters' actions and decisions are shaped.

On the other hand, I found good quotable quotes in the characters' dialogues so it's not that entirely bad.

I can also detect the presence of some queer undertones in the story. This is especially evident in the relationship and interactions of Zhao Yuan Zhou and Zhuo Yi Chen, making the romance aspect with Wen Xiao secondary to almost non-existent.



Acting/Cast
The entire cast has chemistry, and it shows.

Two actors who stood out for me were Neo Hou and Tian Jia Rui.

Neo is an excellent actor who uses his body language and micro expressions to portray a character. Some expressions are very subtle, making it look so natural.

Tian Jia Rui is very charismatic and has good emotion and energy control when portraying a character. I know that he is destined for big things, and I look forward to his upcoming projects.

Music
The best! The OSTs are a narrative on their own and yet they greatly enhance the mood and emotions of the scenes.

The excellent cinematography of FoF paired with its great OSTs definitely create an immersive experience for the audience.

Overall
This is definitely one of the best series to come out this year. A masterpiece in terms of cinematography and soundtrack.

While the series fell short in writing, the cast did a good performance in character portrayal, making the watch a fairly good experience.

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One of my guilty pleasure this year

When I first heard of this drama, it had a lot of negative feedback. But I gave it a try because of Neo and Chen Duling, Dudu being I rewatched MLCB. I was blown away by the production and the beauty of the two main leads. However, as the story progressed I got captivated by the whole cast, they are a great actor. I’m ngl, the story is kind of mediocre but they are excellent actors so it got carried. I enjoyed this drama immensely. I laughed, I cried, I got super pissed, I felt so much giddiness between ZhaoYuanZhou and WenXiao, the bitterness because it makes me sad at the end. Some folks are bashing FoF because it only has 34 episodes and that it ended abruptly because of the low rating however the other drama w/c they comparing this with ended at 32 episodes. I am not sure about the rating but I will believe IQIYI, that it is popular and some sites that I will not be naming here, that it did well in China and received lots of love.

With all this long review, I can only say that it was worth it and I rewatched it yesterday. I paid for the early access btw that’s how hooked I was in FoF

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Impressive Drama

I have really loved watching Fangs of Fortune, especially the characters played by Neo, Tian & Yanan. Their presence and chemistry was incredible. The child actor was also excellent and is a true talent. The only slight downside is that I didn’t really warm to the female leads, but that didn’t detract from my overall experience.

I won’t spoil the plot for those who are yet to watch it, but suffice to say this story has a much deeper meaning about choice vs fate and because of that this drama will stay with me for a very long time.

The OST was beautiful, the script was incredible & impeccably executed and I laughed & cried in equal measure. For those who want to catch a deep drama with light and shade, this is for them.

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disjointed experience

"Fangs of Fortune" promised an exciting adventure with its intriguing title, but unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark. The premise had potential, blending elements of fantasy and adventure, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

The characters felt underdeveloped and lacked depth, making it hard to really care about their fates. The dialogue was often clichéd and didn’t add much to the overall narrative. I found myself wishing for more complexity and growth from the characters as the plot unfolded.

The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed, leading to a disjointed experience. The action sequences, which could have been thrilling, ended up feeling repetitive and uninspired.

Visually, there were some appealing moments, but they weren't enough to save the overall experience. The world-building was minimal, leaving me wanting more detail and immersion in the setting.

In summary, "Fangs of Fortune" had a promising concept but ultimately fell flat. I’d rate it a 3/10—there's some potential, but it needs a lot more polish to truly shine.

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