Fangs of Fortune

Gorgeously off the rails

PROS:
- Most beautiful cinematography, costume designing, and production out of ALL the C-dramas I've seen. Obviously meticulous work was done in order to achieve the stunning visual effects (enhanced by the OST).

- Beautiful OST. I didn't find it so beautiful when I first listened to it (without the drama), but it melded impeccably with the drama's scenes. Most of the OSTs were used, too, so I wasn't left wondering why I didn't hear something when listening to the track list afterward.

- Good acting. I think this is one of Hou Minghao's strongest and most layered performances and encouraged me to look into his other dramas. As for the other actors, I think they all did the part that they could with the script (largely focused on ML alone; few other characters had any sort of development or growth).

- Good exploration of friendship between ML and 2ML. A lot of chemistry is in this performance, and I can actually see how the friendship developed.

- The humor is unmatched, especially if you're decently fluent in Chinese (I think the humor is on par with Falling Into Your Smile, which is a seriously funny drama).

CONS:
- Disjointed storyline largely reliant on flashbacks, side plots, and magical objects (which the fate of the world depends on, but they break super easily). I lost track of what was going on and the explanations for all the random scenes by Ep. 23 (?) Up until Ep. 10 though, I thought the story was wonderful. Beyond that, it barely passes as "cohesive."

- Too many people died for no particular purpose. A lot of tragedies happened in this drama, but I don't think they enhanced it in any way. Too much of something tragic/beautiful makes nothing tragic/beautiful at all. Additionally, there wasn't enough character development for me to feel attached to any of the characters besides ML so their deaths were "just another death."

- FL development in the script was terrible. I'm sure Chen Duling did what was asked of her, but there wasn't really much for her to work with. The FL's presence + romance feels a little like the director's afterthought (though I do think the romance was more developed than many viewers claim and occupied a decent number of scenes).

- A lot of missing/unbelievable character actions/explanations. Why was the main antagonist for 15 episodes redeemed? Nobody saw his change of mind until he actually acted upon it, and that left very little development for the actual "main villain."

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR C-DRAMAS:

1. Till the End of the Moon (Bai Lu/Luo Yunxi) compared to Fangs of Fortune
- Heavier on the romance
- Better written female lead and overall more cohesive plot
- Less beautiful visuals + cinematography; a lot of it is a LOT overdone (blood vomiting)
- Similar presence of side stories though generally less important side characters
- OST in FoF is more suitable/enjoyable IMO
- Similar tragic ML, though I think the ML here is less psychotic/intense

Personally, I think they're on a pretty similar level quality-wise.

TLDR; I thought this was a decently good drama because it was beautiful to look at (hats off to the costume designers, cinematographers, and everyone involved in that). It was enough to keep me watching, but do note that the story and character development arcs are pretty poorly done besides for the ML.

Do note that I did think about this drama for a very long time afterward and had trouble watching any other drama's cinematography (this was pretty insane). I'd give it a watch, and I do find myself going back to certain episodes/scenes to watch it again.

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─ ‍the small city traps the small us. // i will never forget the way back to home.

Fangs of Fortune was one of the dramas I was most excited about this year, especially given the director's reputation for stunning cinematography, costumes, and a dark, atmospheric color palette. With a familiar cast, including several actors I’ve enjoyed watching in previous works by the director, I was optimistic — but also cautious. The director has a tendency to stretch out the story in certain parts and leave major twists for the end, sometimes making the final act feel rushed. While the writing and story delivery weren’t bad, the pacing and flow needed some adjustments. This was, for me, the main flaw that impacted the drama.

Some characters and key moments lacked the development needed to fully invest in their emotional growth. While there were several unexpected twists that kept us on our toes, the repetitiveness of certain plot devices ( such as revealing that characters already knew crucial information ) eventually undermined the suspense. At times, it became easy to predict that something was amiss, which reduced the tension.

Another aspect that I struggled with were the emotional scenes. While I have no issue with characters expressing emotion through tears, the excessive focus on making the crying scenes visually "beautiful" sometimes detracted from the raw emotion of the moment, preventing the audience from fully connecting.

That said, the ending was tragically beautiful. Though it was somewhat predictable, the execution still managed to leave a lasting impact.

Despite its flaws, the show had plenty of strengths. One of the highlights was how the main characters were given enough screen time to develop, allowing us to appreciate each of their roles in the story. The evolving family dynamics were particularly compelling, as it wasn’t just about characters trusting each other after one shared experience. Given their complex backgrounds, trust was built gradually, which added depth to their relationships. I also enjoyed the connection of side characters that built the story.

The show also managed to balance intense drama with moments of comedy, which provided some welcome relief. I appreciated how the story used symbolism, mythology, and even indirect biblical references to convey deeper meanings. The characters’ growth — both mental and physical — was portrayed beautifully, and it was refreshing to see a story that focused on the many forms of love, from friendship to family, rather than just romantic love.

Some of the lines were incredibly well-written and delivered, which I really appreciated. The acting, especially the chemistry between the characters, was another standout element.

The OST was one of the best of the year, with songs that perfectly reflected the story’s themes. It’s hard to choose a favorite, as each track was so thoughtfully integrated.

Overall, Fangs of Fortune was an enjoyable watch with a tale-like quality. Despite its flaws, it left an impression, and I can see myself returning to rewatch some of the scenes.

Link to edits : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxplWeBw3y5hL26ocu_hNx4eucxlss3Q9&si=dFBHTOLZZLIaZCwp

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If you're soft hearted don't watch ?

The drama is beautiful.... But here's the thing at the start you'll laugh love every character 🥺 but after the last ten eps you will be a sobbing mess 😭 im actually traumatised im angry at myself for not reading comments here before watching 🥹 maybe then i wouldve like watched only few eps and dropped at a happy moment.


To be honest I felt like the deaths were unnecessary, like they couldve avoided them but i guess the director loves to inflict pain to us audience.... Every death was also very painful.

All characters were quite good but one thing I've got to say Zhou Yichen is always either teary eyed or shedding tears its kinda too over done like??? He's always also remembering or mentioning his family.. Which will ofc I understand but also a bit too much!

I think they did hou minghao dirty the makeup and hairstyle werent that good but they did manage to make him feel like a demon who lived for hundreds of years...

The FL Character was very disappointing.... She's weak despite being the Goddess.. Like I only liked her when she was Aoyin I actually hoped she'd be the one turning into a demon rather than yichen

Ying lei was also done dirty they didnt give him much importance which is sad 😭 I loved him so much

Overall the drama was good but couldve been even better if they gave us a good proper ending with no deaths 🥹

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The most crying in a drama award goes to...

Best OST ever. Ofc the song Liu Yu Ning sings, 'Unintentional Dreams' is the banger. And Huo Ming's 'Yuanzhou’s Youth' is so so lovely.

Great costumes, great cast, great sets, great visuals, great production. Huo Ming Hao is stunning as always and does a great job creating this character. Chin Du Ling is adorable and does great as well in her role. Great dynamic relationships. Li Lun and Yichen are great characters as well and the actors do such a great job.

I enjoy the demon hunter setting and different micro stories with different demons. There was a lot of learning and growing for each character. However, a lot of it really seemed superfluous. Truthfully the story-telling was the biggest let down of this drama. The story has great bones, and is deep and emotional and interesting..

So here is the BUT - there are way too many long monologues used to tell the story. Many scenes are drawn out too long. the filler and fluff of it all is where the let down of the story telling happens. This drama uses a non-linear narrative and it honestly is just too much of back storytelling. Also, there is a lot of crying. Yes the drama has a dark and sad story as the big picture but everybody is crying like all the time...literally all the time.

That said, I'm so thankful to get to watch this drama and support the entire cast and crew. Thank you so much for all your hard work. It is definitely worth watching. But I will not rewatch it.

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ok, i was expecting more from this. as my first Hou Minghao along with the Cheng Xiao, Cheng Duling and Tian Jiarui I have watched before, I was expecting a mind-blowing drama yk? Plus I've always wondered what made people like Neo so much to have him be the second most flowered actor on MDL when I hadn't seen any of his work before. However, gotta admit, Zhao Yuanzhou was my fav character. That lil smirk and his humour was really nice to see as well as his character development and personality. In the beginning, I was a little put off by casting Cheng Duling as the female lead as the memory of Ye Bingchang from TTEOTM is still lingering like a bad taste in my mouth, but decided to give it a shot anyways. That shot was a shock to me. I thought it would be a romance. There is no romance between the ML and FL at all. Like help. There was zero chemistry. Although they sometimes acknowledged the fact that the two were a couple, if I had not watched it I literally would not believe you if you told me. Like help. Zhao Yuanzhou had more chemistry with Zhuo Yichen than Wen Xiao. It was a literal bromance. AAaaaaand in the middle of watching I was sorely tempted to drop it because of lack of interest to keep going, thus proved this show was not my thing. At all. It caused me a lot of pain to keep going till the end. Too long, haiyah. Overall, it was an eight for me. Possibly in between 8 and 8.5 if I could. But Fangs of Fortune was not my cup of tea. (p.s. looking forward to see if there are any better works of Neo out there:)) (p.p.s but this drama was lowk hilarious at parts. and the ost was such a funky happy tune. a strange mix of emotions this gave me lmao)

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Beautiful drama about friendship & redemption with many heartfelt moments

I needed something different after watching Fated Hearts like 3 times lol and picked this up because of Cheng Lei, but wow I loved Fangs of Fortune! Different vibe and atmosphere. Very beautiful, artistic production from the team behind My Journey to You which I also loved.

I got so attached to the main characters, especially Zhao Yuan Zhu and Zhuo Yi Chen ♥️. I feel so sad with the incredibly poignant ending but it makes one reflect and appreciate life and all of its joys & messiness 💔.

Another amazing part of FoF is the beautiful OST ♥️. I'll be listening to this for a while.

If there was any kind of weakness, I think the ending could have been paced better. Also the plot / journey was a bit chaotic and I had to stop a few times and think, ok what are they doing and why, but then I just let it go and let the plot flow. Also had some issues with the acting like I didn't think the actor that played the main antagonist, the doctor, was that great. Also a bit disappointed that Wen Xiao was not able to do much at the end. Otherwise, I loved it ♥️.

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Beautiful relationship between characters, but plot need to be more consistent

Overall it was a good drama, I would recommend it because of the relationship between the characters, the comedic aspect and the cinematography that was great even if I disliked a few things.

Good points :
1. The acting was good and sometimes scenes perfect. The costumes were great, the OST too.

2. The characters : Honestly they are the reason why I can't rate this drama less than 8. They really grew on me, because I love found family plot. Their chemistry together was amazing truly that's why even now, as I'm writing this review, I feel so sad about the ending. Zhuo Yichen and Bai Jiu's relationship was something father/son and big/little brother and this was honestly my fav duo. Zhu Yan was so silly and hilarious. Wen Xiao, even if I didn't like her character individually, blended well in this family. Pei Shijing and Ying Lei (I won't forget you ever 🥹) were great too.

3. The silly little dance in the ending : It was wholesome to see them dancing every time at the of the ep, they seemed enjoy it as well. First time I didn't skip the end credits, so this idea should be reused in every drama.

Things I didn't like :
1. The drama was way too more melodramatic, I felt the writer really wanted to create emotional scenes but it was way too much. I was honestly excepting something with more action and less tearing scenes.

2. Wen Xiao : The actress did was she could with the role the writer gave to her so it's not her fault, but she wasn't that important in the story. I mean she wasn't impactful, she felt more like a side/background character. At first I just thought she only needed her power to comeback for her to be a great character but nope. The more the story progressed the more I was annoyed at her crying nonstop and doing nothing when she should be powerful. She was kind but that's all unfortunately.

3. The romance : No chemistry, No emotional connection. Their bickerings were fun though, but I couldn't care less about them to the point where I didn't mind if they were separated. I found myself getting more annoyed every time the drama tried to force a romance between them.

4. The pacing & overused plot : This drama is a one where you feel it would've been better with less episodes because the pacing would've been much more enjoyable. I found myself skipping or fast forward some scenes because it was TOO SLOW and that's something I usually hate to do.
I think the point that annoyed me more was the fake death trope ; We kill a villain and he comes back to hunt us a 2nd time. I don't like this plot and it's obviously related to the pacing and the number of episodes. At some point, the story was not moving forward, they kept having meaningless conversation and this is clearly dark point of this drama. Don't need to stretch the story, if you don't have the material for it. Less episodes but packed would be more impactful.

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Heartwarming Friendship Drama

A great friendship-centered drama with a cast of lovable characters. The pacing felt a bit slow in the beginning but improved as the story progressed. Ying Lei was my favorite character, and the actors delivered excellent performances throughout. The OST was amazing and really added to the overall experience.

Perhaps the drama could have been shortened to around 30 episodes to reduce some of the slower moments, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where cuts could have been made. Overall, it was a great drama though a happy ending would have made it even better.

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Not all laughs.

April 2026
I so enjoyed this fantasy/Xanxia C-drama. It has humour, sarcasm, action and subtle romance.

There is also tragedy, and I cried on more than one occasion.

Demons come in all forms, and this story proves that, as is so often the case, it's the human looking ones that need worrying about the most!

Expect signature beautiful sets, costumes and actors (m&f).

A great band of characters (who don't all want to be together at all, and don't all get on), with varying abilities and very different personalities, are tasked with catching demons that have escaped the Demon Realm. They also have to fix the 'leak'!

A few eps dragged a bit, but for me, not unbearably.

One particular scene also gets revisited a bit too often, and whilst it's an important one, it did irk me a bit.

A couple of irritating support characters (again, not massively so, as covered by others), and I found Wen Xiao a bit 'wet' at times.

Still, overall it's another that's recommended and one I really enjoyed.

Note: Not that strong on romance, incase it's your thing.

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Laugh now, Cry later | The team who disses and slanders the Best!

"I'm happy that I'm no longer your burden. I've become your armor. But... the fate of the armor is destined to break. Just like how the fate of snow is destined to melt." Pei Siheng/Aheng

Finished this drama while I am in troubled times and it became an inspiration and motivation for me to move forward and fight for myself no matter what. Thank you for being an unintentional source of motivation and energy. I appreciate it a lot! <3

This drama started like a comical skit on some random comedy bar out there with their outright exchange of subtle yet blunt insults every moment they got. It was such a breathe of fresh air simply because of how good they are in delivering such skits in the most unexpected way.

The editing was insanely on point in making things so hilarious. They're so unseriously serious about it that I cannot stop thinking how much time they spent to deliberate and brainstorm to formulate all those exchange of derogatory ciriticisms the characters delivered through their lines. They truly nailed this show with that alone and I almost died from choking because of the random timing they're being thrown at. Help! Hahaha!—To top it all that, they carried this stint till the final parts of the show which show their dedication to consistency. Impressive!

Although the comedic scenes on this drama are its gems/treasure. I would still say that what made me stayed to watch it till the end is the bond between the characters and how they carefully molded and builded it with time and experience to become unbreakable as it is now. Their selfless sacrifices and togetherness in protecting one another is what brought me to love this story as a whole.

Talking about chemistry and synergy, I feel like all of them has showed great compatibility with one another. It even stood out despite their difference in personality and demeanor. I also just wanna mention how much I love the ending clip of the drama where they are all goofing around having fun and seemingly enjoying themselves. That's such heartearming part for me. <3

Antagonists and main villain - I am really fond of how they depict the "Demons" of this story as a race of living creatures that comprises of good and bad individuals same as humans. That most of the demons who commited crime, have done so for mostly a valid reason and are still morally aware just misguided but are still willing to be redirected into goodness. However, there are also some individuals like the main villain of the story who are beyond saving and deserves an ultimate death! Lol

Climax - The story started to get so draggy and eventually boring towards the climax. It's totally understandable when they set up such hurdles for the main characters but I feel like it's overdoing it when the plot of the story is only focused on saving somebody only for the other remaining people to be involved in a life saving situation as well that will lead to their death. I feel like that's straight obsession to tragedy right there!

Finally, the ending - Hate me all you want but dang this story! I know that it was set up even from the very start that the main character (Zhu Yan) is destined to die but why do I feel like killing 3 other significant characters one after another was unnecessary? I understand that it was done just to heightened the grief and sorrowful vibe of the story but isn't it overly stretching things? Like couldn't they come up with a better scenario that can trigger such emotions without ruining the joyful environment they painstakingly built in the first place? It feels like "A Journey to Love" all over again! Sad!

Looking back now, maybe the reason why they incorporated tons of comical scenes into this drama is to prepare us audience for the tragery it will ended up becoming... They must have foreseen people getting angry and disappointed of the story's ending so they've decided to include as much 'gag' as they can to somehow, hopefully! ease the frustration and pain we might feel towards the ending—I say that it didn't help but only made it feel worse!

Story - 9.5, Everything was almost perfect not until you reach the climax where all the build up becomes draggy and questionable followed by the ending that may seem justifiable and heroic but is in fact traumatic in all angles.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, Acting is good and I am satisfied with the cast! However, I must say that they did Wen Xiao (Chen Duling's character) dirty in this drama. She's a fucking goddess who should be the protector of both race but ended but a damsel in distress who always needs saving. Neo Hou's character here is calm yet extra mischievous. Loving all the shades getting thrown left and right in the most cockily irritating manner. Hahaha! He's annoying but it show how charismatic he is as well. Gonna miss Bai Jiu (Lester Lin) iconic screams and screeches and all the main characters unique personalities. Love them all.

Music - 10, ballad songs used are all so comforting. It has this vibe that can make you fall aaleep like a lullaby and can make you heartbroken when needed. I also like the song they typically use to hype and indicate that the main characters are back and ready to fight again—their fight song!

Rewatch Value - 9.0, I would love to watch it again in the future specially all the dissing amd shades minus the last 10 or so episodes. Those episodes should be scrape out completely.

Overall - 9.0, This could have been a solid 10 only of they didn't turn Wen Xiao into such a pathetic character and if they didn't overly obsess on making the ending into a heart-wrenching and emotional tragedy. They really messed up so bad in that deparment. What a pity!

If you find my review helpful please let me know.

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