Fangs of Fortune

A Spellbinding Masterpiece: Fangs of Fortune Delivers Unforgettable Performances

As a fan of fantasy, suspense, and adventure, Fangs of Fortune delivers everything I love and more. It's easily the best drama to grace our screens this year, capturing all the elements that make for an unforgettable experience.

The cast, both male and female, are delivering exceptional performances, bringing their characters to life in such a spectacular and flawless manner. The chemistry among the cast is palpable, with their interactions making each moment engaging. The villains are brilliantly portrayed, cunning and powerful, heightening the stakes and adding layers of complexity to the challenges the main characters face. The beauty and talent of the actors and actresses only enhance the drama's allure, making it even more captivating.

The romance between Wen and ZYZ is beautifully complicated yet utterly heartwarming, while the friendship between ZYC and ZYZ evolves from enemies to true brothers, warming my heart every time. Their progression is a testament to the writing and acting. The dynamic between LiLun and ZYZ is another highlight, full of mystery and intrigue, unfolding slowly but surely. The backstories of all the characters are fascinating, keeping you invested in learning more about their pasts, their choices, and their emotions. The bromance and sismance moments are equally delightful adorable, bittersweet, funny, and full of excitement.

What truly impressed me, however, was the performance of Tian Jia Rui, particularly his portrayal of Zhuo Yi Chen and his dual role as Fake Zhuo Yi Chen. His acting skills are truly remarkable, and I was absolutely captivated by his portrayal of Zhuo Yi Chen. Every scene felt so authentic, with his expressions and body language bringing the character to life in an incredible way. Tian mastered both the subtle moments and the intense ones, adding so many layers to Zhuo Yi Chen that I found myself drawn into the story. His ability to convey complex emotions made every scene memorable, and it’s clear he put so much heart into the role. Watching him perform was a genuine pleasure, and I’m already excited to see his future projects.

In addition, his portrayal of Fake Zhuo Yi Chen was equally impressive. This character demanded a different kind of energy deceptive, manipulative, and often darker. Tian's ability to seamlessly transition between these two roles, with Fake Zhuo Yi Chen embodying the opposite qualities of the true character, showcased his impressive range as an actor. The contrasts were stark, yet both roles felt equally compelling, and Tian made each one distinct from the other.

Tian Jia Rui also looked absolutely ethereal as Lord Bing Yi, embodying a regal and stoic presence that instantly captured the attention of the audience. His portrayal of Lord Bing Yi was a masterstroke, bringing a sense of majesty, wisdom, and inner turmoil to the character. His calm, commanding demeanor radiated authority, yet there was a subtle vulnerability that Tian conveyed with such precision, making Lord Bing Yi both captivating and deeply human. The actor's ability to balance these two extremes of his character, graceful yet burdened, was a testament to his talent and made his portrayal of Lord Bing Yi unforgettable.

The storytelling is captivating, with each twist and turn of the plot adding new layers to the mystery. The way past events are revealed, tying into the current storylines, is brilliant and keeps the suspense high. The gorgeous costumes, stunning cinematography, beautiful fight choreography, and impressive sound and visual effects only enhance the drama’s immersive experience. The OSTs are equally moving, adding an emotional depth to the entire show.

Overall, I am completely in love with this drama and wish it would never end. I am savoring every moment of this thrilling, satisfying experience. The pace is just right neither too slow nor too fast and every episode leaves me eagerly anticipating the next. I truly hope viewers give this drama a fair chance and watch it all the way through to the end. It’s a masterpiece that should not be missed.

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In the Land of Saints and Sinners

If I had to describe what Fangs of Fortune is about in just a phrase, I would say it is a series about free will; the freedom of choice.

In a world where humans, demons and gods reside, one might expect good and evil to be clearly divided, but that is not the case.

Both humans and demons are prejudiced against one another. Humans see all demons as evil, and demons believe humans are fragile and incapable of truly understanding them.

Humanity, and subsequently mortality, is about the beauty of an ephemeral and mundane life; it’s about emotions and fragility. Demonhood, and consequently immortality, is about power and the inability to truly feel.

The thing about Fangs of Fortune is that it is not just about the beautiful, yet fantastical, world we see on our screens. It is also about the real world, the one we wake up to every morning. It’s about judging someone without truly knowing them. It’s about labelling someone as good or evil, simply because of a specific characteristic they have. It’s about being hated, even if you did nothing wrong; being hated because of something you couldn’t control. It’s about realizing that you cannot truly understand a situation, unless you have been there. And finally, it is about the fact that no matter who or what you are, no matter what you experience, no matter the hardships you have been through, in the end, what you become is your own choice.

All the characters in this series are proof that everyone is different, and that is the beauty of life, immortal or not. Not every person turns into a villain because of a tragic past, and not every individual becomes kind and considerate just because they lived a good life. It's all about choices, and we always have the power to choose, even in situations where everything seems like a dead end.



Below, I will analyze my personal experience with most of the technical aspects of the series, and I will also answer some common questions you may want to consider, before watching.

DIRECTING AND CINEMATOGRAPHY
Guo Jing Ming has quickly earned a place among my favorite directors. He has the ability to create magic on screen. Every frame is not just beautiful; it is spellbinding. The world he has created here feels like the one my 6-year-old self would have dreamed of living in, despite the dangers it might have held. He captures the beauty of what I envision when I think of Chinese culture. Of course, the slow-motion scenes, the close-ups, and the techniques he is using as a director are a hit or miss. You will either love or hate them, and I am enamored with them.


MAKE UP
If you have also watched My Journey to You, then you’re probably aware that Guo Jing Ming has a tendency to make his characters appear pale on screen. In my opinion, although they don’t always look "real", this choice works in his favor most of the time. However, there were some scenes where I was bothered by the fact that some actors and actresses appeared so pale that it became visually unappealing.


ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
I have to admit that the songs are somewhat overused in the series. However, individually, every single song is soulful, touching, or simply electrifying.

Here are my three personal favorites:
- Return after a long dream (大梦归离) by Li Yuchun (李宇春)
- Unintentional big dream (无心生大梦) by Liu Yuning (刘宇宁)
- Yuan Zhou’s youth (远舟的少年) by Neo Hou (侯明昊)


ACTING
All of the actors in the series did a solid job with their roles. I wouldn’t say that all of them delivered award-worthy performances, but none of them took away from the drama, while I was watching. Each had their moment to shine, with some performances standing out more than others.

The two people who stood out to me the most were Neo Hou and Tian Jia Rui. Starting with Tian Jia Rui, I had high expectations from him, since I had enjoyed his performance on My Journey to You. Despite having limited experience in acting, he managed to truly bring Zhuo Yi Chen, his character, to life. His eyes are incredibly expressive.

Now, onto Neo Hou. Even though I knew of him as a rising star, I hadn’t seen him in a series before. I was impressed by his performance and how well he managed to portray a character with so many different layers.

On the other hand, if I had to mention one person that impressed me the least, it would be Xu Zhen Xuan as Ying Lei. While he was excellent for the most part, especially in the more lighthearted scenes, I do believe he needs more work when it comes to delivering more emotionally charged performances.

As for Chen Du Ling and Tian Jia Rui, if I could, I would award them the Queen of Tears and King of Tears titles, respectively. It’s truly astounding how effortlessly they manage to cry, and in such a magnificent way (while also looking impressively beautiful).


MYTHOLOGY
Fangs of Fortune may not be based on a book, but it draws inspiration from a classic text, that contains information about mythological creatures, called "Classic of Mountains and Seas" (山海经).

The drama -with liberties involved- manages to intelligently portray various creatures from the text. Not only does it retain many of their key characteristics, but it also incorporates other elements like clothing, make up and more to enhance their depiction.

Take Zhu Yan (朱厌) for example. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, he is an ape-like creature with a white face and red feet. In the series, aside the “ape jokes” that gave us a hint of his true form, there were other creative ways that the crew used to portray his demonic form. For instance, in the first few episodes, his clothing is dark red with a white fur, something that is obviously done intentionally. In fact, the red "energy" that surrounds him, made me wonder if it was another way for the director to portray Zhu Yan’s red feet.


PLOT
While Fangs of Fortune has an entertaining plot, with some truly amazing scenes, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it from start to finish, it would be inaccurate to say that it is perfect. There are several aspects that the scriptwriter/director could have handled differently. For example, aside the first few episodes not being entirely captivating, there were many scenes where conversations were taking place, and the “big threat” was just standing there, waiting for them to finish.

That aside, some characters are underdeveloped and, at times, even forgotten in terms of the plot. There are several liberties taken in this regard. Did it bother me? Not really. However, I do believe that if certain scenes had been portrayed differently and more effectively, the final result would be even better.


HUMOUR
The drama is comedic from start to finish, despite not being advertised as such. As with any “comedy”, it’s something you’ll either love and laugh along with or dislike and roll your eyes at. At first, it caught me off guard, but the more it happened, the more I warmed up to it. Now, I can clearly say that the comedic elements were absolutely hilarious (and pure gold).


CHARACTERS
Like many viewers, I became attached to the characters. Every single one of them brings something unique to the team, and every member is essential.

Zhao Yuan Zhou, Zhuo Yi Chen and Li Lun
In my opinion, these three characters were written with the utmost attention to detail. All of them were very complex, with rich backstories and current experiences that made them layered and multi-faceted and I couldn’t help but feel for them.

Wen Xiao
As the female lead, Wen Xiao serves as the emotional backbone of the team. I do think that in general her character is underdeveloped, but I will touch on that later.

Pei Si Jing
Who doesn’t love a strong female character who can fight and stays true to her values?

Ying Lei
A humorous and kind-hearted character who made me laugh countless times.

Bai Jiu
The team’s doctor, another pretty well-written and multi-dimensional character with a complex, yet fascinating personality.


FEMALE LEAD (?)
As mentioned earlier, Wen Xiao is the emotional backbone of the team. Unfortunately, she is noticeably underdeveloped compared to the others, and she ends up feeling more like a supporting character than the main female lead.

Wen Xiao is portrayed as weak and fragile, something she openly acknowledges. She is kind-hearted, but like everyone else, she can be too quick to judge others sometimes. The main issue I had with her character is that, even though her introduction was magnificent and powerful, she ended up doing very little throughout the series. In the most dangerous and pivotal moments, she was merely a spectator.

Her weakness remains constant throughout the series and many times it felt like she was inserted into certain plotlines/scenes just to be present, rather than having a significant role in the events. There were many scenes where all she did was lie helplessly on the ground, while everyone else fought for their lives. What frustrated me the most is that, despite being portrayed as someone with potential power, she never truly feels like a powerful and important character.


ROMANCE + BROMANCE + SISMANCE
The romance between the two main characters was slow-paced and, unfortunately, underdeveloped. Even though the actors had good chemistry, the portrayal of their characters and their actions never convinced me that they were truly in love. Their "relationship" felt sudden, with barely any build-up. Some of their grand gestures for each other were impactful in concept, but because the romance itself was super underdeveloped throughout the earlier episodes -with most meaningful scenes not being between them- "their moments" failed to leave an impression on me and left me wondering why they are acting the way they do.

On the other hand, the bromance between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Zhuo Yi Chen (and even Li Lun) was the kind of “romance” the series was missing. Not only were the actors phenomenal, with their scenes oozing chemistry, but their relationships were also better written. Because of that, as a viewer, I could better understand and connect with them. Plus, they shared some of the most emotionally impactful moments in the series. Why though? I will get to it later.

Bromance aside, the relationship between Pei Si Jing and Wen Xiao was also beautifully portrayed. Despite their differences, they formed a deep connection and felt so much for one another. Their scenes were magnificent and their conversations were truly beautiful to watch.


ENDING
Obviously, I won’t spoil it for you. I will just say that even though the last episodes were not flawless in terms of execution, thankfully the series did not crash and burn.



Now to the questions:

-> WAS IT AS GOOD AS MY JOURNEY TO YOU?
Fangs of Fortune is fundamentally different from My Journey to You, which makes it impossible to truly compare the two. Even though both series share the same director and as a result they are both visually stunning in their own ways (with some amazing OSTs), that’s where the similarities end.

MJTY was a much darker series -both in terms of cinematography and atmosphere, as well as plot- with limited fantasy elements. It was more dialogue-driven and political, with a heavier atmosphere and barely any comedic elements. On the other hand, Fangs of Fortune, was a fantasy drama through and through, filled with an exquisite amount of comedy and a generally lighter atmosphere. So, it all depends on what you generally enjoy.


-> IS IT BINGE-WORTHY?
Yes and no. For those who generally dislike GJM's directing style -his meticulous attention to visual detail, slow-paced dialogues, hushed voices, and frequent use of slow motion- it might be challenging to watch, let alone binge. However, for viewers that enjoy his approach, binge-watching will probably be a delight.


-> HOW IS THE ROMANCE?
The romance unfolds slowly and it takes a backseat to the series' main storyline, as the focus is mostly on the ensemble of main characters rather than the two "leads." That said, as mentioned above, it is also quite underdeveloped. So, if you are looking for a romance-focused series, this is not the one for you.


-> DOES IT PORTRAY A NON-PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO MALE LEADS?
That is a very complicated question. Of course, it could never truly be a same-sex romance, since there is a ban on same-sex relationships portrayed on screen in China. However, Guo Jing Ming has incorporated many homoerotic undertones between some of the characters -and this is not the first time he’s done so-.

For me, it’s evident that the director/scriptwriter would likely have pursued a different kind of relationship between the two male leads, if it wasn’t for the ban. I know many of you may disagree, but I’d like to share my thoughts on this.

First of all, there are many scenes that are undeniably not purely platonic (like the hairpin scene between two of the characters or the red string scene). Additionally, the main male characters are much more complex and layered compared to the female lead. In fact, the most impactful moments, the ones that really stand-out, happen between the two male leads and not between the male and female lead.

In addition, the way that GJM directed the drama makes it evident that he was willing to go in that direction if he could. Their interconnected fates, their glances, their touches, their bickering, their reactions when it came to one another -all of it- had far more depth compared to the main romance. The fact that the female lead was weak and underdeveloped, coupled with her random appearances in certain scenes, further reinforces the idea that the romance between the mains was never meant to be the central focus.

Lastly, it doesn’t matter whether you consider their relationship platonic, brotherly, romantic or something else entirely. Their bond is unquestionably powerful, something that I don’t believe anyone can truly deny. The fact that the female lead is not the focus of the series at all and barely appears in the last few episodes, made me even more convinced that this was a story about something much different and deeper than what we initially expected.


All in all, Fangs of Fortune took me by surprise and I think it will be a long time before I get over it. It ruined me and healed me simultaneously. Despite its flaws, it was an incredible watch. The characters, their stories, the OST, the underlying message and the overall experience of watching it are things I won’t forget.


I will leave you with one of the many beautiful quotes of the drama about mortality and death:
"Tears has nothing to do with age and nothing to do with strength or weakness. It has something to do with our hearts. Humans are soft-hearted. Soft things will always be pricked by something hard and cold and death is the hardest and coldest thing in this world."

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May you return home after all the hardships

Fangs of Fortune was a typical Wuxia story I feel. Even though I might not be an expert in that genre, the fantasy elements and the main theme remained strong throughout the story. It's a story about a Great Demon teaming up with his greatest enemy, the leader of Demon catchers bureau to find the Baize token that can bring peace to the world again. The female lead, the to be Baize Goddess, a prodigy doctor, a skilled demon catcher and a half demon half god cook joins them on this adventurous journey. It begins as a story of gods, demons and humans teaming up together for the greater good and maintains that theme throughout.

The strongest part of this drama, in my opinion, is the characters they built and the beautiful bond they share with one another. The friendship, the brotherhood, the sisterhood and the romance. Although the romance is kind of nonexistent, as if it just exists to pass the censorship. I feel like if the director could, he definitely would've made it a BL.

The Female lead is introduced as this strong and independent character and yes she's wise but she not strong at all and throughout the drama she acts simply as a damsel in distress, cries and contributes to the story by increasing their problems.

Whereas the second Male lead serves all the roles a romantic interest should. Despite that, i love him the most as individual character. Maybe because I relate to his loneliness and stubbornness but I think it's more than that. Maybe it's the fact that he received the most character development and he's surely gonna remain as one of my favourite characters.

The story definitely could've been better. The fantasy world they built is vast and it's definitely fascinating but many aspects of it doesn't make sense. Many times they introduce us with a problem that cannot be solved, their ancestors couldn't solve it and then 1 episode later they have solved it. There are many plot holes as well.

The pacing also feels pretty odd at times. The plot feels a bit repetitive by the end but it's ignorable. The constant whispering is definitely annoying and unrealistic but i guess you get used to it. The most annoying aspect it is definitely the repetitive use of osts. The songs on their own are good but they are used in literally every scene.

Despite all of its flaws, i still enjoyed it for the most part. It's definitely a fun show that serves you with good visuals, fantasy setup and great characters and we cannot forget the underrated comedy.Also i absolutely love the ending. It's perfect in all ways. I think it's worth a watch.

8/10

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My Most Anticipated Drama of the Year & It Landed!

What a journey! My goodness! In the 5 years since I fell into the cdrama rabbit hole, this is the first and only drama that I followed since the very first day of filming (primarily for TJR but was glad that 60% of the MJTY cast was in here too), through the grueling 5 month shoot, every day watching many of the scenes we saw being shot because unlike every other drama, it was like fans were welcome to film whatever they wanted as it was free advertising and no one cared about leaks. The multitude of costumes and that the wrap on set at the end of February to see it come to our screens in late October. It nearly got a perfect score if it wasn't for some writing and editing issues I had. This was my most anticipated drama of the year and boy did it land!

Pros: Lord, I don't even know where to begin. The CGI was phenomenal and it never felt like a computer was doing the work instead of the actors. The gorgeous costumes and sets. I wonder if this was an S++ drama because of how expensive it looked and was. Favorite character was ZYC with ZYZ coming in close second. Both of them, be it their bickering or stronger than platinum bond were such dynamic characters. Both actors are still young and for one this is only his second series to air while the other has had several but both showed tremendous growth from what I had seen from them previously; the versatility was insane. The demon hunting bureau became a family stronger together than many you'd see in real life that had to go from case to case and from tragedy to tragedy as they were being set up by asswipe camp and ZYZ's former best friend who was ridiculously misguided but gained his redemption at the end. BJ was a riot though all the shrieking did kind of get annoying after a while; that said when he was possessed by LL until nearly the end, you missed the kid. PSJ and her puppet brother were also indispensable to the team as was cheesy mountain God YL; he and BJ made a great pair. I have never seen CX act before and felt she gave a strong performance here. WX had her strong moments, being the common sense voice in the group/family and scenes of sisterhood and encouragement with PSJ.

When this thing was filmed, none of us who followed the actors—day in and day out—knew that it would have any comedy in it (it was an original IP after all) so were totally caught off guard with the first episode and onwards. It wasn't a lot but it certainly made for some interesting situations especially when BJ yanked ZYC's hair repeatedly and the sound effects, that part we actually saw filmed as in real life TJR and Lester are really close since their MJTY days and Lester turning 13 on set plus going through puberty, it made for some really funny scenes both BTS and on screen because whether in real life or not Lester/BJ clung to TJR/ZYC like crazy gorilla glue lol! One of those yanks off screen nearly pulled TJR's wig off; it became a DY masterpiece. I'm personally extremely proud of TJR as new and green as he is to show business; with now only 2 series out, 3 filmed and currently working on a 4th. He couldn't play that character any different or better; it’s mind-boggling that he only debuted last year.

While filming, the entire cast including the guests had to perform a certain dance in various locations and we were puzzled about how it would be used; we counted over 30 by the time filming ended. They even filmed one in the snow which was followed by an epic snowball fight that had crew joining in and GJM being lambasted by everyone as he tried rather unsuccessfully to get away. It seemed the cast was giving him payback for the extreme dieting and hours of work. That was made into an MV but when this thing premiered we realized that the dances were edited in a way to become our ending credits that would change every few episodes. It was quite smart and resourceful; because the show was emotionally heavy and the credits added that light and warm touch. So it became a wonderful combination.

All of the supporting cast were great as were the guests. So many wonderful characters to show that not all demons were inherently evil; some were born with fates they didn't want like ZYZ and Fei. And that humans could be far worse like leader of asswipe camp. He became immortal and so many had to sacrifice so much to take him down especially BJ. Losing YL and BJ were the hardest for me; I legit cried. ZYZ, you were prepared, still hard though there's hope for him returning someday. Maybe one of the characters could go into the sundial and wait until he cultivates into human form again, like WX did with the tree.

All of the OSTs and BGMs were amazing but my number one liquid fire favorite was by LYN. It was his first time doing this genre of hip hop/rock and it absolutely blew my mind. I have it and a few others now in my Spotify OST list. Maybe it's because I followed this show from the beginning but I feel like when it ended (after the special episode), it took a part of me with it. Like I'm extremely satisfied but wish we were with our characters longer.

Cons: Though this section is small, unfortunately it still was there. I absolutely did not like how the majority of the character of WX was written; (this is no reflection on the actress at all; only about the writing of the character) I don't know why GJM decided to make her so one dimensional. She spent many of her scenes for 34 episodes crying and yelling either for ZYZ or ZYC. The writing of this character reminded me of her character in MLC due to the weepiness of it, though there she at least talked and acted tougher and carried a sword. Everyone else who cried which they did often given the amount of tragedy in this had a lot of depth and you felt the weight of their tears but with her it became almost a waiting game of when will she start per episode or numerous times per episode. Even in the end, it threw a heavily emotional scene off; like stop already, do and say something else, please! So the writing threw a monkey wrench into this whole character for an actress who could handle being complex and should have been allowed to showcase that. Also could have had the good guys not lose so much when it came to asswipe camp's strategies. Felt like they were given the upper hand way too much as opposed to the push and pull that would have felt more appropriate.

Editing was off as some scenes came together very suddenly and you didn't understand how this person was there or why. Or wait did she cough up blood? When did that happen? I felt like many scenes were cut altogether which was kind of weird since the episode count actually went up and there was an extra episode to boot. It being a fantasy drama, suspension of disbelief had to be deployed a bit especially when our group was so obviously spied on and they didn't realize it at all or some characters disappeared without a trace and we didn't know what happened to them. But that's it.

Would I recommend it? 100% would! This show delivered in so many ways. The cons were nothing in comparison to the pros; writing and editing but the richness of the story, music, locations, costumes, and the absolutely phenomenal performances by the actors should give you a very satisfactory experience.

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A beautiful cinematography but lacks essence

Visually, it’s a gorgeous drama but there was just something missing. Like I started watching because of the premise; a great demon wanting to die but meet people who might convince him to live. It started that way but turned into a crying fest along the way. It’s like every episode someone has to cry. And maybe that’s the direction the directors wanted to go with the drama. Maybe they just wanted to tug at our heartstrings. From episode 29 even with tears in my eyes, the only thing I could do was laugh.
Firstly, Ying lei is supposed to be a mountain god; part demon and part god. How the hell did he die from those wounds? Like how!!! And please don’t say that li Lun roots went through his heart or something…. And then everyone just stood there watching. I mean fine, the poison acted on wen xiao so she couldn’t do anything. Why was pei sijing just there holding her instead of helping ying lei?? And xiao zhou was the next one…. I thought he’s good at fighting or holding his own…. He saw the roots coming towards him and just waited for ying lei to push him out of the way….. So you’re telling me that he hit the ground so hard that it took him so long to get back up?? Plus they had a sword and a knife and just stood there watching the roots coming towards them?? My gosh!!! And I’m sorry to say but I really had to laugh that whole scene of ying lei dying……
Secondly, it’s like going from a good fighting scene where the drama picks up back to a crying fest. At first I didn’t like li Lun because of his actions but his sacrifice redeemed himself in my eyes. I actually cried with his and bai jiu’s deaths. Like I can understand why Bai Jiu died and the circumstances under which he died but I still cannot understand how ying lei died. And why do people just disappear from each scene….. like pei sijing and bai jiu were both together but when bai jiu was dying, where was pei sijing?
FOF is beautifully made but that alone isn’t good enough. Some persons might enjoy it but I would have like things to make sense; at least to some degree. Like the last set of episodes had scenes that weren’t connecting. Like during the fighting scenes, zhou yi Chen had his sword pointing towards the doctor guy and in the next second, this sword isn’t being pointed at the guy. And this happened in multiple scenes.
I wasn’t expecting a happy ending but I continued to watch until the end although I had to fast forward sometimes.
But what I did like was the ost. Lui yuning once again delivered and it shows why he sings most of the ost for various dramas. I also liked that ZYC finally understand what ZYZ was going through and saw that he didn’t have a choice of what happens when he gets controlled by the malicious energy. But I would have liked to see the others apologize to ZYZ since they easily forgave Bai Jiu for his deception.
It’s been a rollercoaster and now I’m onto my next journey.

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山海经：Fangs of Fortune’s Endlessly Burning Roots in The Ancient Classic

THE ORIGIN IN THE CLASSIC OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS
Unfortunately this very important detail is overlooked in many critical reviews.

Any kind soul who ever laid their eyes on the book(s) FoF is based on, called 山海经（ “The Classic of Mountains and Seas”），they will know how extremely utterly dark the content of the stories in there are; FoF only covered a handful of its stories/creatures. (We usually read texts in classical chinese, but there must be some translations online for you to do some research on and understand the root of FoF.)

I don’t even want to imagine how difficult it must have been to develop an entire script based on this ancient classic. Also to know which creatures, like the demons and their roots and nature, should be thematized; also the brainstorming of which plot could work in such a chaotic environment. My head starts spinning already even when I am just trying to come up with a coherent script for a capturing and comprehensive story evolving around the great 山海经.

Based on this information and what I have learned and read so far, I am truly impressed and will think about FANGS OF FORTUNE for a long time. The series has many deep and meaningful messages that it shares with the audience, which are not only inspired by the classic but also applicable to our everyday life. (f.e.: depression, guilt).


ACTORS; THEIR SCREENTIME
This one is frustrating. I enjoyed the acting itself A LOT, I’m a big enthusiast for vivid and expressive emotions, as they help to convey the feeling to me, who is part of a wider audience.

BUT the director really messed up the screentime of Neo and Dudu, which was needed to make FoF even more powerful in its writing. Here is where I want and have to deduct a few points because I don’t find it understandable to give such powerful characters such flawed scripts + that ending speed, just frustrating…- but fortunately the deep bonds and the acting saved this shortcoming somehow.


RECOMMENDATION
The implementation of the complex ancient classic stories and creatures is very much appreciated, but would I personally recommend it?

I highly recommend Fangs of Fortune to anyone who is interested in traditional chinese mythology and culture, as well as the highlight of a unique team growing into wiser and more skilled individuals, forming deep (!!!) bonds along the way.

Fangs Of Fortune is NOT recommended to anyone who is here for lighthearted action, a very present bittersweet romance and a happy ending.

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Dare I say the best casting in a while??

OMG! I decided to watch this drama for Cheng Xiao as she is my favorite actress, but the whole cast got me hooked. This drama had no reason to be this good. I'm at a lost for words, I legit finished this drama in like 2 days bc it's sooo addicting. Once you start watching you really cant stop. I'm sooo impressed with everything, from the casting to the acting to music and production!!! Probably the best drama I watched in 2025

Story :
The story was amazing, I love the way the producers did this drama. The story was sooo interesting. How it originally started with mr. zhuo wanting revenge at the demon lord for killing his brother and father to them working together to fight other demons and solve cases was sooo refreshing to watch. I also love all the plot twists and how each episode kept you entertained as there's always a new problem or situation, rather than a lot of dramas who extend one problem for like 3-4 episodes. I love how each character has a trouble or hardship that impacts them , making them the bad demon's target but there able to overcome them by working together. I also love that it's kind of like crime solving genre which is something i really enjoy watching. My only complaint is that they killed off a lot of characters(some of my favorite characters were killed :( ) To be honest, not every character needed to be killed but the producers and directors went through with it, which was kind of disappointing.

CGI:
The CGI was literally sooo coool. Everything looked soo real. An aspect I really enjoyed was when the demon lord used a spell that would control someone the word would faintly show up on screen which was a really cool element. The powers, to the combat scenes were amazing and felt so real. The costumes were also on point, i love how they match the vibe and aesthetic of every character.

Music :
The music was everything! I loved every song, the song Cheng Xiao sang with the actor who played cheng xiao's character's brother in the show was soo good, literally brought me to tears. Honestly one of the best soundtracks out of every drama I watched.

Acting:
The acting was really good by the cast. Let me just talk about Cheng Xiao, her acting improved soo much, she played her character perfectly and really brought the character to life. Her moves too, omg perfection. She plays the archer role and all her combat scenes were amazing. The way the director imputed her flexibility into her fighting really made her character stand out. The other actors were also so good. Hou Ming hao and Cheng Du ling had so much chemistry, also the relationship with like all the team members was so sweet. The little kid was adorable and the mountain god!! omg i could die for them, they really brought some comedic relief. Overall this cast was amazing and the directors really did a good job with everything.

Ending:
The ending was traumatic to say the least. I did not like the fact that they ended up killing of so many characters, some didn't even need to die as it really didn't do anything for the plot. But besides that the ending was bittersweet. It made me cry so much, each character lost and been through so much, and an ending like this helped a lot of characters get the closure they needed that they couldn't get when living.

Amazing drama!! Loved it, will definitely rewatch. Please support this drama as you will not be disappointed!! :)

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Friendship is forever

Fangs of Fortune was such a ride—absolutely stunning visuals, top-tier world-building, and a soundtrack that gave me chills. The acting was phenomenal, especially in the more emotionally intense scenes (Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhuo Yichen? HELLO). I wasn’t super into the main romance, but the friendships, rivalries, and team dynamics hit so much harder anyway. There was a lot of retconning—which isn’t really my thing—but the overall plot was still super engaging. I laughed more than I expected to, and I’ll be haunted by a few character deaths forever. Not perfect, but honestly? Really worth the watch. Be sure to watch the special episode after the finale!

"Meeting you all was like a wonderful dream... but dreams must end" - I'm gonna go cry now that the dream's ended.

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Epic traumatic masterpiece

Take with a grain of salt, as I'm criticizing a production online whereas in real life I would bow before them ?)
The last 4 episodes are very sad. I feel like there was a lot more redemption and compassion for the baddies than the good guys. I waited for the goddess to do more, after all it seemed like her life was more important to keep the balance. The extra half episode at the end is nice but I kept longing to see the great demon pushing our goddess on the swing again.
Don't get me wrong, the drama is a great one and definitely worth the watch. Neo has grown so much. If the roll requires expeessive eyes, he was the best choice. He had that skill pinned down since Back From the Brink and perfected it here. His one word spells are the sexiest scenes I've witnessed in Cdrama. Pei has the win for best choreography during the fight sceens. The jokes and teasing were refreshing.
The OST will live rent free in your head all day. It's very catchy and moving along with the little dance. Sometimes the dramatic music was queued too early. It was a slight spoiler to who would win or lose.
There was some continuity problems. I think a lot was cut during production. I would sometimes start some episodes and have to stop it and see if I skipped an episode by accident, which I never did. The costumes are divine except for the evil mastermind's robes at the end.
Overall it gets a 9. Parts of me want to rewatch it because there are things I missed or need clarification. But the ending is traumatic and the feeling of loss is greater than the win. I have important things to do in the real world that require motivation and a positive attitude but I'm left with a lingering heartache.

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Don't watch it for the story

I was really excited for the drama but it was a little dissapointing story wise
But the casting is good
Also world building is nice and the vfx stuff is also good
And the best part is the song
Like I love how they have used the concept of each genreation of the greatest demon and the goddess are actually lovers but when it comes to our leads they have shown very less romantic scenes like I get that romance is not the main prt but still
Also I was expecting the zhu yan to be really storng but like overall he was a lil bit dissapointing to me
I mean the drama is good to watch but it wasn't that creative like they have done a nice work in world building and all that wilderness and baize goddess stuff but it could have been better

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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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