Fangs of Fortune

A MASTERPIECE OF SUSPENSE, BONDS, AND RESILIENCE

This drama is more than just a supernatural tale it’s a beautifully crafted story that draws you in with its perfect blend of suspense, action, and humor. From the very first episode, the intriguing plot and seamless balance between intense moments and heartfelt character interactions keep you captivated.

One of the drama’s biggest strengths is its cast. Every actor delivered stellar performances, bringing their characters to life in a way that felt authentic and deeply moving. The group’s chemistry was undeniable, and their evolving relationships made the story all the more compelling. You could feel their struggles, triumphs, and unwavering loyalty as they joined forces to face otherworldly threats.

The humor was another standout element. The comedic moments didn’t just provide relief from the tension they also revealed the humanity of the characters and strengthened their bonds, making the emotional scenes hit even harder.

The OST (original soundtrack) was absolutely stunning. Each track perfectly complemented the mood, enhancing every scene, whether it was a high-stakes confrontation or a quiet, emotional moment. The music stayed with me long after the final episode, elevating the drama’s overall impact.

In the end, this drama wasn’t just about battling demons it was about resilience, friendship, and finding hope even in the darkest times. A thrilling, emotional, and unforgettable journey, this is a masterpiece that deserves to be experienced.

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One word: BRILLIANT

Tl;dr: I highly recommend, especially if you're into the demons and magic fantasy. Amazing frames, exceptional soundtrack, incredible mood setting.

As per usual, I expected something quite different, based on the teasers (I don't really read summaries, if I do, I forget what the drama is about lol). I thought it would be a great demon bewitching regular people with fever dreams, a storyline composed of multiple single stories. I do LOVE what they did with this drama.
First thing hitting me in ep. 1 were the incredible frames and environment. The huge, huge spaces of the Demon Hunting Bureau, where you feel so small because it is so huge and yet so big because it looks like inside a mini copy of a city. The gardens, the rooms, the exteriors, just wow.
The color grading of the frames. I have seen quite many c-dramas by now, but I have not seen any drama do such exceptional mood setting for each and every frame. Some parts are warm tones because they are funny or uplifting, the other parts are grey and dark because there's action and drama. Just genius work.
The soundtrack??? I'm not an OST person, but this OST really hits home for me. This is the second drama where I really like the soundtrack and can immerse into the lyrics and music. This drama has in fact my most favourite soundtrack so far. It sounds so grand, so emotional, just really, really beautiful.
The casting. I will always prefer to watch Neo Hou as a thousands years old demon/god/mythical creature in a human form. His facial features are ageless, he can make his face very soft and also very sharp. He was a fantastic casting option. From the rest of the cast, I have seen Chen Du Ling and Gulnezer Bextiyar before (I knew also Yan An and Cheng Xiao, just have not seen them in dramas before). I love that Chen Du Ling is a very strong FL here. Gulnezer Bextiyar is forever a goddess. I absolutely adore the rest of the cast too, everyone is so good in their character.
The comedy. I really did not expect this drama to have comedy, I totally expected just darkness without a glimmer of hope. The comedy element was very refreshing. Bai Jiu's screams, Ying Lei's personality, Zhu Yan's pranks, really really loved it.
I'm currently at ep. 26, we are having a little Team Crisis™ since ep. 23. I'd have preferred a smooth sailing, but I guess it would have been boring. There are twists and turns in the plot, they are never out of character. There is usually a small foreshadowing. I hope that the ending will be satisfactory to me. Even if it won't be, I think won't be mad (I'll add an ETA when I'm finished).
This is the first drama (correction: fifth) where I put a 10/10 for rewatch value. I'd rewatch it for the soundtrack and aesthetics especially and pretty much everything I wrote above.

ETA after finishing, in case anyone wanted to read it: Personally, I did not quite like the ending, because I like a certain type of endings (not going to say which because I'd spoil you). From an unbiased point of view, the ending was on brand with the title of the drama (advice: get your tissues ready). There is an extra episode after the official last episode. I think the creators could've added this extra episode within the final episode and make one more extra episode. Despite me not really liking the ending, the 10/10 rating still stands.

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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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MY SOUL IS SHATTERED BECAUSE I LOVED THIS DRAMA

I have to start for this drama from the actual start - The trailer. The trailer heavily leaned on the fact and made it pretty clear that this show is not for the ones with a weak heart. And after completing the drama I agree. I am not the type of person who cries when a character dies. I didn’t even feel sad when I watched Drawing Closer (a Japanese movie - it’s good) And yet here I am, I lost count of how many times I cried while watching this drama. But don’t get me wrong it is not only sad and serious it has a lot of comedy and team bonding. The characters are deep and meaningful. Let alone the main characters I cried even for the side characters.
This drama is a journey. It takes you from enemies to friends to found family. It talked of love and family, of friendship and fate. It is beautiful. I don’t think I will ever have enough words to truly express the brilliance of this team. The actors stole my heart and the director made sure to make good use of it. If you come into this drama, Get ready to create a watch list because after this you will watch all the dramas the actors have worked in and all the dramas the director and screenwriter have worked in. I am not kidding.
Another think to praise is the brilliant cinematography and CGI. Shots of water and rain. Shots of characters. You realise how much cinematography affects a show after watching a masterpiece like this. The cinematography and OST can take a drama from 100 to 1000, and in case of this drama they took it to 10000. The OST is a masterpiece again. I will be saving all the songs in my playlist and listen to them on repeat… well anyways.
A drama is not just a story it takes everything to make a great drama and this one has out done it all :

cinematography- 10/10
OST - 10/10
Acting / casting - 10/10
Story - 10/10

Did my heart break when I watched it? - yes
Will I do anything to see the main caste again together - yes
Did I laugh a lot in this drama - yes
Are my eyes puffy from crying - yes!
So I am going to sleep off all my exhaustion and you guys can try out this masterpiece…

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A Genuine Masterpiece of Storytelling

Let me tell you, this series is an absolute masterpiece. Truly. From the impeccable acting to the stunning use of CGI and set design, particularly the striking contrast of colors. However, all of this pales in comparison to the story itself. Typically, with dramas of this length, there tends to be a decline in quality at some point, usually in the middle where the story may drag a bit before reaching a mediocre conclusion. But this series defies that norm and remains consistently captivating in every single episode - a rarity from what I've seen.

Be prepared to shed tears, and I mean **a lot** of them.

I cannot emphasize enough how every moment in this series contributes something significant to the overarching narrative. If you are hesitant about watching this drama, let me assure you - do not hesitate any longer. Dive in and experience it for yourself, but whatever you do, **DO NOT** overlook the special episode that beautifully ties up the series with a perfect bow.

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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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Endearing Characters

Just like that the journey is over and what a journey it was.
This was one of my most anticipated dramas this year and despite it's flaws it didn't disappoint me.
It's visually stunning with gorgeous costumes and beautiful cinematography. The OST is moving and memorable. The fight scenes are elegant and well executed. But above all else, we have a team of endearing and interesting main characters we can root for to overcome all obstacles thrown their way.

You will either love or dislike this drama, because like all dramas out there it has its flaws. Whether you can ignore the flaws and enjoy the drama is subjective.

The biggest flaws in this drama for me were the lack of explanation regarding some important details as well as some illogical choices regarding the plot.

Did those flaws ruin the drama for me? No, not at all. It left me with questions and a head shake here and there, but overall I still enjoyed this drama immensely.

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Drama Worth the Watch!

If you want to watch a wonderfully crafted drama, then Fangs of Fortune is that drama. Yes, I loved this drama, but I have to give some shoutouts here:

Hair/Jewelry - You did that hair - braids, hairpins, bells and just decorations in the hair were fly! Yes!
Makeup - Hello and holler, the makeup was on point. Looking at that tat going down ZYZ's neck, and the demon marks, whoever design those, you are bad.
Costumes - Two snaps for real. They were all slaying those looks. Loved them all.
Stunt Coordinators - We all know there were a lot of you working on those stunts. Each and every one was bad ass! We appreciate all the hard work! So worth it!
Special Effects - You all did the damn thing with those effects!
OST - The beat stayed in your head when things were about to go down. That's what you want. Good job!

There were thousand in front of the camera behind the camera who never get the kudos. Sending out much love and appreciation to those in the highest and lowest positions. We see you and trust we know all the hard work you all do. Thank you!

So many beautiful people in this drama. But the men. FINE! FINE! FINE! Seriously. I couldn't stand it.

I have to say, the crying these actors/actresses did, I don't know how you all kept it up. I felt like I needed to be crying too. And speaking of actors/actresses, nicely done and executed. Big shout out to ZYZ, ZYC and LL. You three -- WOW. Especially, ZYZ you owned every scene you were in. Bravo.

Definitely one that is worth the watch and truly we are fortunate to watch such a beautifully crafted work of cinematography.

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The story is written so beautifully, heartwarming & heartwrenching

What I can say is that the story is written so beautifully.

A tale of unattainable love, obstacles and challenges in seeking a peaceful life, obsession, regret, sacrifice, and the deepest desires of the heart—all conveyed so beautifully.

The ending is satisfying, hitting all the right notes without being rushed. Though there were flaws, it's safe to say the writer truly written this story amazingly.

Even though our main couple only shared an embrace until the very end, we could feel their emotions through their movements and actions. Think of them as a married couple—sacrificing for one another, protecting each other, trusting, communicating, and being there for each other.

With a story that began with a great demon desiring death, viewers were already bracing for the worst, but unexpectedly, a glimmer of hope appeared.

Fang of Fortune really set the bar too high for me. No work is without flaws, but Fang of Fortune truly surpassed the limits of perfection I could imagine. The cinematography, atmosphere, color grading, OST, dialogues, storytelling, settings, costume design, hairstyles, even the smallest details—all are outstanding.

The works of GJM, Yin Yang Master, My Journey to You, and Fang of Fortune never disappointed, expecting his next project.

As someone who watches Japanese, Korean, and Chinese dramas, I find that after watching his works, it's hard to find other dramas that match their level of quality.

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