One Of The Best If 2024
I am all in with this drama. I see some people are disappointed because it has humor and wanted it to be dark the entire show. You HAVE to have the relief from the darkness to enjoy it when you are traveling through it. Genius director and script writer(s). Episode 9 had me so enthralled that I got irritated at my dog for wanting to go outside to relieve herself. Thankfully I can push pause and miss nothing. The title is misleading because I thought this was about vampires and almost didn't watch it. I can't rave about this drama too much. The guest actors are so great to watch. The leads and 2nd leads including the young boy, make this drama worth your time. I have laughed, I have cried and I want more episodes than just 2 per day. Don't miss this one.Was this review helpful to you?
Too depressing for me
I am probably 1 out of 100 people, but Fangs of Fortune didn’t work for me. And I really wanted to like it - I had been looking forward to it for several months - but unfortunately I couldn’t.The main reason FoF didn’t work for me is that I could not handle its everyone-and-everything-is-doomed vibe - the story is packed with heartbraking events with very few comedic moments that interrupt all the pain and that give the viewer time to breath. If you are into emotional pain, heartbreak, angst and desperation, FoF will be a feast for you and my following complaints regarding storytelling (pacing and character development) will merely be a little nuisance. But for me this drama was simply too depressing to enjoy.
Storytelling-wise my biggest complaint is about the pacing of this story because something about it was off. There simply wasn’t a rhythm I could flow with - I perceived the whole drama as a mere succession of more or less connected events without narrative arcs to guide a viewer through it.
Apart from that, I also had issues with the character development or better the lack of it. At some point I felt that the lead characters had morphed into a collective of more or less interchangeable units that were all willing to sacrifice themselves for the whole entity. I assume the story provided the moments where those characters reached the emotional turning points where they formed a deep bond of love but for me these moments where either so fleeting that they never stuck with me or they drowned in an ocean of heartbreak. Therefore, the bonding of the lead characters was something that I just had to accept eventually without emotionally understanding it from a storytelling perspective. FoF relies heavily on the self sacrificing trope and the majority of the characters have martyr syndrome. However, I felt that for very few of them their martyrism is based in the narrative.
So, why did I torture myself and hate-watched all 34 and 1/2 episodes instead of dropping FoF eventually? The answer is Hou Ming Hao. He‘s magnetic. I have no better explanation. He pulled my gaze to the screen and locked it there, so I had to watch every single episode of FoF, no matter if I wanted to or not.
And there is one thing that I loved about FoF - the closing credits. This madness of letting the actors, fully in costume but NOT in character, break the fourth wall while performing a happy group dance appeals to my taste.
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i wanted to love it but i couldn't tolerate Wen Xiao anymore too much fake crying
I only started watching because of clips from instagram. not just edits by fan pages but the official iqiyi clips made it look cool. it started off good and a catchy OST song. however Wen Xiao got on my last nerve after awhile. i can handle 1 character in a demon hunting group that can't really protect themselves but 2 of them in a small group is too much, especially since damsel in distress cries all of the time. i quit because i couldn't take her fake crying anymore. if your going to cry at least make it convincing and it would make you slightly more tolerable. honestly if your going to write a placeholder to pass the restrictions of Censorship Female lead at least make her a tolerable character with an actress with good acting skills so people didn't wish that you scraped her whole character to make the show watchable or even pretty good. and figured out from the pros how to make a bromance that passes censorship. yeah all of the people that loved her might have done reviews on this platform but there's plenty of people who think that the character is poorly written and the acting by Chen Duling is subpar.Was this review helpful to you?
Visually Stunning but Emotionally Flat
I really wanted to love Fangs of Fortune, but after 20 episodes, I had to drop it.Let’s start with the good: the production is undeniably beautiful. The set design, costumes, and especially the dance number at the end of each episode were genuinely a highlight for me — elegant, haunting, and one of the most creative touches I’ve seen in recent dramas.
But beyond the aesthetics… the story just didn’t hold up.
The pacing was slow and bloated, with too much talking and not enough actual plot movement. Characters would stand around explaining things for ages, yet I still felt emotionally disconnected from most of them. The romance didn’t develop naturally and felt rushed or flat. Even the fight scenes — though stylish — lacked impact because I wasn’t invested in what was at stake.
By episode 20, I realized I was watching out of obligation, not enjoyment. The mood and tone were dramatic, but without the depth or tension to back it up. Honestly, it felt like a case of style over substance.
I’ll give credit where it’s due: the OST was lovely, the vibe was immersive, and the visuals were strong. But for me, that wasn’t enough to carry the whole drama.
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Give me more of this please, but...
I dont even know where to beginYeah the story is good and very easy to follow. The acting is all spot on and well cast, besides Baize goddess. It’s all really good stuff. Even with the little mishap, I enjoy the show. Still a solid 9/10 or 8.5/10. I really enjoy the bromance. I won’t forget to mention how visually pleasing and pretty this show is. Its a gorgeous show with a gorgeous cast. Anyways I would love to see this type of show without the forced “romance”, idk if I can even call it that honestly. Give me more of this please, but without characters that seem to have no purpose besides having the plot on their side.
Bainze Empress is not good imo. She takes me out of the scene, her acting is not believable in the slightest, I cannot take her seriously. She really struggles with one-on-one scenes with her counterparts, she drowns; the other lead just will steal the show. For instance, her and mr demon Man are already is a fun light-hearted, deep backstory character
I really do not know what her character is supposed to be, is she serious, is she supposed to be a baddie, is she supposed to be tragic? I mean all she is in the show is just pretty. She plays the same expression in every episode, literally jusst :), and then she gets bonked or something and then it is :( or :0. I guess she is good at having tears in her eyes, but I see nothing in her eyes, like no emotion at all. LIterally for a whole episode girl was on the ground, like on her side because mr demon man was acting upon his demon ways (he can’t help it, he really is babygirl), anyways she’s in that same position, with the same expression on her face, saying his name repeatedly… I cannot.
Also, are we supposed to ship her with mr demon man because I really can’t tell. Personally, I do not ship them, I do not think we are supposed to because they have no romantic chemistry. I see them as friends, but because of fate or something they have to fall in love, but that just seems so forced. Mr demon man will tease her but she just gives the same expression of :), there’s not banter. On the other hand demon and Mr.Zhou have loads in my opinion. Demon is constantly teasing him, almost every scene they have, and Mr. Zhou really gets flustered, like he can’t take it but in a tsundere way; it is quite good stuff imo.
In short I ship either demon with Mr. Zhou or him with Li Lun (other hot demon, aka his past lover). Why?
Starting with Li Lun, they go way back. They’re back story is really good, we see more and more of it as the drama progresses. They are good friends, both understanding the misfortunes of being demons, but they both have a different outlook on life. They are foil characters I’d say, demon man sees the good in people, even when humans fear, and want to kill the demons, he has sympathy. Whereas, Li Lun is full of hate, he has no sympathy and is really at odds with all humans, they have a falling out. The show is pretty much Li Lun reaking hovic, trying to get demons to be integrated in the human realm, but in a way where demons would take over everything. Demon is part of the demon hunting troop or something, so they cross paths, but it’s so complicated. They’re feelings for eachother clearly are complicated. They have really good diaologue, and the visuals both go hard. It is tragic that they came to be on different ends of the same stick, really it is. Anyways, I could go on and on, but yeah, they have boatloads of chemistry, with the whole past life brotherly bond thing, to the recent “hating eachother” and trying to get one to understand the other.
Mr. Zhou is a great character. Maybe we are supposed to ship hiim with the Baize goddess? Idk they bring it up a bit, how they have known eachother since childhood and he is her protector or something, but honestly, you can’t really tell, like I can’t see it with the relationship that is being presented to me. Anyways, he’s great, a scene stealer. Ooh and I just got to a part with him and Li Lun! They really have great tension! I think they are filming a show together and I WILL be tuning in. They’re trying to kill eachother and its just really good.
Cheng Xiao is actually really well fit in her role. I’ve seen her as the lead in a few dramas and like Baize goddess, she can’t hold up to her opposite. In this show though, she’s a strong, quiet yet compassionate fighter. The history she has with her brother is beautiful (they sing an ost together i think) , yet tragic, and I actually enjoy watching her here. She’s really good.
Now for the little doctor (Xia Siniaka baby chu wanning for immortality). He is one of the top 3 actors here I’d say. His performance is spot on. The kid keeps up with the adults, and adds something to the show. LIttle doctor and Mr. Zhou have a great dynamic. I love the little brother, big brother thing going on. Teen mountain god is good too. His costuming is so fun. I want to watch him in some other stuff too. He’s great as well.
Lastly, the character of the drama itself, the main demon. He is great. I love how charasmatic he is. The comedy he brings is great, bouncing from character to character with his teases. He has a tragic backstory. Simply, he can’t help it when he torments others, something possesses him it seems and holds a lot of guilt for that. He’s misunderstood, but still brings a smile to the team. A scene stealer of a character and oh so interesting. The actor’s portayal of this character is spot on. He knows when he’s not supposed to be taken seriously, yet has a nice balance when we do need to take the guy seriously. I will have to watch more of the actors in other shows, cuz he eats this role up!
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Not All Demons are the Same
So far this has been a captivating drama and I recommend it if you want something different from the run of the mill dramas. The cinematography and production is excellent, it feels like you are watching a big budget movie even though its a drama series. It is DIFFERENT and breaks from any box that I tried to initially put it in. The female lead characters are not the cutesy ditsy ones you typically see in Xianxia fantasy dramas. It has an eye catching young cast who are doing well with the character portrayal that has some grown up themes. They each carry the weight of the character's burden of loss and regrets. You feel like you are watching something that is digging deeper emotionally where the characters are forced to look within to grow in their journey together. There isn't much romance so far although it is alluding to it with the demon ML and the goddess FL. It focuses on the fantasy mystery of a group of individuals who are as diverse from each other as they can be who have conflicting goals and a camaraderie that develops with the life and death situations as they fight demons and unravel the mysteries in the demon and mortal worlds. The one thing that I am kind of meh on is the comedy they try to inject in, sometimes its a bit jarring when they switch from a moment where it seems serious to one where its supposed to be funny.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
THREE GOOD MAIN LEADS
This is the best drama of Neo Huo - character that bring the best of him. The 3 main leads are amazing, they're good looking, great acting, beautiful costumes, great setting, excellent cinematography, facial movement is spot on with the emotion/feeling that very moment. The best part is Neo Huo character did some trick that hasn't much done on C-drama "blew his finger and puff.....people fall down". This is the kind of drama that physical excises (fighting scenes) without sweat. Surprisingly I like this drama.Things that I pay attention to:
Although this is the kind of genre that's not my favorite but I like Neo Huo, Chen Du Ling & Tian Jia Rui characters; very subtle, little humor, nice collaboration. The three of them has chemistry. Neo Huo has mesmerizing eyes, mix of amuse and kill intent and a smile that can charm a snake. Tian Jia Rui has the innocent air while Chen Du Ling has quietness of superiority.
The boy Lester Lin (Bai Jiu) is acting fake and very squeaky, jumpy, scream like a little girl, wearing heavier make up than the other 2 female actress with so much dangling head-pieces. His character doesn't speak volume....just a lot of squeaks and hide behind someone else. I think he's ruining the whole drama.
Darker site of settings, probably it's a paranormal genre. Slow motion scenes and sad music inducing emotion from demon's recollection past memories as to why/how/when they committed killing sprees. Like those demons want to justify their crimes so far it's all about reconcilable love.
Guess Stars are equally beautiful/handsome and good. This drama is calling in all talented people to support (maybe they came from the same production/agent?); Riley Wang, Ryan Cheng, Wang Duo, Peng Xiao Ran. They're the addition characters that help with development of story. Very nicely done.
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Snoozefest
I’m probably in the minority here since the rating is so high but this was absolutely overrated, at least for the 12 episodes I could get through. I found this to be very boring and it couldn’t hold my attention. Disappointing since I was anticipating this drama.The Good
Visually, looks great. It’s a very high production. Some of the characters seem interesting since there are a variety of demons/goddesses. Of the characters, Bai Ju and the Mountain God were the most fun, interesting characters.
The Bad
Everything else. The acting was mediocre, poor executed story, the constant slow motion was way overdone but seems to be standard for this director. Every fight scene was shot in slow motion for a weird dramatic effect that just put me to sleep. Too much talking and not enough action for this type of show. Honestly, I felt like the trailer was better than the actual show because it seemed like it would be more nightmarish action, almost horror. This show is just filled with good looking people but their characters had no real substance to them. I could barely connect with any of them. There’s also not enough character and world building for the first half of the show. I typically don’t read the synopsis for shows so it doesn’t spoil the story before watching so I really didn’t know what it was about but really disappointed me.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show is basically perfect.
The soundtrack is amazing, both the sung songs and the instrumental songs. The acting is brilliant. The chemistry between all actors was amazing. There were some very small things that I wish were changed.First, I wish that Pei Siheng had a bigger role. I feel like we learned a lot about him just from his sister, and he was on screen a lot, but I feel like they didn’t make him deeper than just being there. I wish there was more to him that made it easier to connect on an emotional level. Like if he interacted with the other main characters, as well.
Second, I wish that they had shown Zhu Yan’s reaction to Ling Yei’s death. We saw his reaction to Jiu’s death, but none to Ling Yei. Also no real reaction from the rest of the group when Jiu’s death. I know this happens in shows all the time, that they just kind of skip characters’ reactions to deaths, but that doesn’t make me hate it any less. To me, the group and show would feel more cohesive if there was just a scene or two every death to see characters react like the deaths meant something to them.
I also wish there was a happier ending, but that’s not something I find wrong with the show. Ironically, normally, I hate a show if it has an ending I don’t like, like if a bunch of people die. Even if I loved the rest of the show, I just can’t anymore if the ending isn’t good. This show, though people died and the ending was generally sad, I still loved it. I will watch this show many more times after my heart stops hurting and I stop crying whenever I think of the show…
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One of the best watches!
After watching so many dramas over the years, it’s rare for a show to truly leave a deep impact on me. But Fangs of Fortune did exactly that. After The Untamed, this is easily one of the dramas I’ve loved the most.From the very first episode, the story pulls you in with its mysterious atmosphere and emotional depth. What makes this drama stand out is how it balances action, fantasy, emotional storytelling, and character development so beautifully. Each episode feels like a roller coaster of emotions — sometimes intense, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes incredibly heartwarming. And instead of slowing down, the story somehow keeps getting better and better with every episode.
For me, the standout character is definitely Zhou Yichen. His character has so much depth and complexity. The layers in his personality, the struggles he goes through, and the emotional weight he carries make him incredibly compelling to watch. You can’t help but feel connected to his journey, and his character development is one of the highlights of the entire drama.
Visually, Fangs of Fortune is absolutely stunning. Every scene feels carefully crafted, and the cinematography is a feast for the eyes. The fantasy elements, set designs, costumes, and overall aesthetic create a very immersive world that pulls you deeper into the story.
And the music — wow. The soundtrack perfectly matches the emotions of the scenes. Whether it’s an intense moment, a heartbreaking scene, or a powerful confrontation, the music enhances the experience so much.
What I really loved about this drama is that it never feels boring. Every episode has something meaningful — whether it’s character growth, emotional moments, or important plot developments. It keeps you invested from beginning to end.
Overall, Fangs of Fortune is a drama that delivers on so many levels: strong characters, emotional storytelling, stunning visuals, and a fantastic soundtrack. It’s the kind of show that stays with you even after you finish watching it.
For me, every episode felt like a must-watch, and the entire journey was unforgettable.
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Worst Show Ever
I’ve watch so many Chinese series. This is one of the worst I’ve watched. The story is so dragging. It took me some time to finish watching all the episodes. Almost all the cast died. I don’t like the acting of FL. The male cast are all handsome that’s the only thing worth watching. First time I watched on 2X speed just to finish watching all the episodes. A waste of time. I don’t recommend watching this seriesWas this review helpful to you?
Almost perfect
Thoughts:Fantastic story of friendship, redemption, and forgiveness against all odds. This part of the story is 1000/10. I loved how friendship was THE core of the story, and it was more important than romantic relationships (which is unusual. I don't know if that's why the one romantic pairing had no chemistry, but I - for once - liked that because it meant the friendships could be center stage.) Some small things that held it back:
Dragged after the first arc ended and the plot got confusing and had some unnecessary parts - people kept coming back to life and they had to just kill them over and over again.
I loved all the man tears, yet there was still a lack of emotional depth in some characters (ok, one and a half), and there was also a need for fake tears.
Back to some positives:
I liked Tian Jia Rui's character growth. I was shocked when I started to see him smile. I don't know what triggered it, though. I would have liked a specific moment or event. Maybe I missed it? But it was out of the blue in a way where I honestly thought we were in a dream when I first saw him smile. I was like, "that can't happen, they must be stuck in a dream again."
I loved Bai Jiu. I repeat, I love him! I loved his little shrieks and his joyfulness, devotion, and funniness. However, this is clouded by [Spoiler 1 in the middle of the drama after the first arc that had to do with his character, you all know what I mean] and [Spoiler 2 in the last episode]. It tarnished what I liked about him initially.
Cheng Xiao's brother (and I don't know why. Sibling devotion trumps all?)
THE MUSIC. I WOULD GIVE THE MUSIC 1,000,000/10, especially the one for the fight scenes, the one that's famous for.
I would have put the rewatch value lower, but in the extra episode, I saw that character 2 was wearing character 3's bell in his hair, and I almost cried again. Especially after the present that character 3 gave to character 2. I think there are details like that that would make it interesting to rewatch, but I won't because of the negatives listed above.
Last complaint. Why did half the main characters need to SPOILER? Question for the audience: is this a plot point in most Xianxia?
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