Fangs of Fortune

2024 cdramas endings are just....too soul shattering!

"Fangs of Fortune is a captivating fantasy historical drama that follows Zhu Yan, an age old demon as he joins the demon-hunting bureau to help capture the various demons that have escaped into the human realm. This chaos ensues after the disappearance of the Bai Ze Order, which was responsible for maintaining the balance between the human and demon worlds following the tragic death of the Bai Ze goddess. With demons now running rampant, the formation of the demon-hunting squad becomes crucial.

Throughout the story, Zhu Yan meets a diverse group of characters, and together they confront the challenges posed by these escaped demons. The plot is intriguing and exciting, and I appreciate how the narrative weaves multiple storylines without spoiling the overall experience. Each subplot contributes to the main narrative, introducing a wealth of interesting characters along the way. The acting is good; most of the characters have managed to deliver subtle yet impactful performances that enhance the overall storytelling.

The interactions among the characters are fascinating to watch, showcasing their amazing chemistry. I particularly enjoy the random comedy moments sprinkled throughout the show; while they might seem off-putting to some, I find them timely and essential for lightening the mood. The drama itself is visually stunning, with beautiful aesthetics, impressive cinematography, and captivating CGI. The costume designs for the various characters are equally remarkable. All of this is complemented by upbeat soundtracks and soothing background music that enhance the viewing experience."

The ending to me was foreshadowed Ofcourse I didn't expect the writer to go on a killing spree but I sort of saw it coming...that aside...this drama was good.....the plot, the acting the visually appealing cast, the characters and the bonds and chemistry between the characters the visually appealing aethestics...the cgi and more..this drama was a whole package but the ending traumatized me.

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My Top 2024 Drama, Hands Down

I absolutely loved everything about this drama. The storyline, the cast, the acting, the visuals, the cinematography, the chemistry, the osts—EVERYTHING EVERYTHING.

My main incentive to watch this drama was Hou Minghao and how much I loved My Journey to You by the same director. However, even without these reasons, this drama would've gotten my heart anyway. I cannot describe how many emotions I went through watching every episode. Joy, sorrow, anger, disbelief, thrill, anxiety... you'll get it all watching this drama.

Let's talk about the casting and chemistry. Everyone did so so well; everyone suited their roles and acted perfectly. I especially love ZYZ and ZYC's relationship. Their trope is 100% enemies to soulmates. It really got me how they also played Bing Yi and Ying Long, and seeing their ending too. It made their relationship even more sad. The six (yes, i'm including Ying Lei) of them were like a second family to me. I really tried to cherish their happier moments together.

I typically am not a fan of sad dramas and definitely avoid sad endings. HOWEVER, this drama has all my favorite tropes. The tragic backstory of the main character (and pretty much the whole cast), a journey/adventure to help save the world, slight romance and bromance, action/magic. I started this knowing the ending—in fact, I think all watchers expected it from the moment ZYZ and ZYC made the deal. With that being said, I was still left crying profusely and utterly empty in the end.

Sometimes, actors and actresses just act so well that I forget they are just humans ACTING and not the actual characters... I was absolutely enthralled with these characters :')

This review was more of a debrief for myself after watching this drama, to be honest. I was writing this with HMH's ost on loop, so I was in my feels for this. Overall, a masterpiece that I will be rewatching in the future.

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fantastic world, characters, and story

"Fangs of Fortune" lured me in with its beautiful cinematography, lore-rich world, and interesting characters but kept me with its captivating and stimulating storyline. The series is an examination and reflection on the nature of humans and demons. Is one more inherently more evil than the other? The series raise this as a topic of contemplation as well as many others. We explore themes of choice and free will, hate and anger, life and death, love, friendship, forgiveness, and much more. There are some great developments and backstories to help us understand the motivations of a lot the characters, including the villains. There are lots of emotional moments that really hit the feels, some nice comedic breaks here and there, and just a lot of philosophical questions to think about. Overall, I thought this was a well-done series. And as a Pentagon fan, seeing Yanan as Li Lun was a nice bonus. I think a lot of the cast has some kind of music/idol background but I'm not familiar with a lot of them.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ I love the intricate storytelling. Backstories and flashbacks are used to unravel plot and character developments. Characters who seemingly have simple motives are revealed to be more complex ones as we learn more about them. This includes the villains. They aren't villains just for the sake of being villains.

✔ Along with the thought-provoking nature of the story, the series offers many great lessons about life and adversity.

✔ Great world and lore building and beautiful cinematography. Although visually, it feels very bleak and gray, it was still aesthetically nice. Best I can describe it is that it's like watching the captivating rain even if the day feels gray.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ scenes sometimes feel like they linger too long just to drag out and fill the time.

✖ lots of mourning, grieving, remembrance, and reflection scenes. Related to my first point, a lot of those scene go on longer than I feel they need, which wouldn't be so bad if there weren't so many of them.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The series right away does a good job of setting up the heart of the story. We see a deceptive rabbit beast fall into the custody of Wen Xiao, a fair and just demon hunter. However, we are also introduce to the merciless hunters of the Chongwu Camp who kills demons indiscriminately. Their goal seems to be to eradicate all demons, while also profiting off some of them. Meanwhile, the great demon lord Zhu Yan wants to die. Zhuo Yichen of the demon-hunting bureau wants to kill the great demon. However, he cannot, at least, not yet. Until that day comes, Zhu Yan volunteers to help the bureau in its tasks. Several other members join the bureau, each with their own goals and motivations. As we progress though the story, flashbacks are used to help us understand each of the characters better. The bureau takes on and investigates several cases throughout the series, each one presenting questions and themes to think about. There is also a larger over-arching plot involving the Chongwu Camp's quest to kill all demon . We also have Li Lun, a great demon who resent humans. However, motivated by past events, hatred blinded both the leader of Chongwu Camp and Li Lun, leading one to hate demon and the other to hate humankind.

The series really reinforce the idea that "villains are not born, they are made." A lot of the bad actions of the demons in the story are due the actions or influence of others. Human or demon, what does it really mean to be one or the other? Both have the same potentials to be good are evil.

Choice is another heavy theme in this series. The weight, burden, and consequence of our choices but also the choices of others that affect us. There are many example of this theme. The willingness to sacrifice for one another. The courage and determination to carry on in spite of fear or adversity. The will to defy fate. We often have a choice in how we react to things. Ultimately, we shouldn't let the evil and cruelty of others affected our own kindness. Our choices can also have lasting effects on how the world perceives and remembers us. In the past, a character chose to die to protect innocent lives, but ultimately was deemed a demon. Another was a god and revered as a hero but ultimately chose to be mortal.

There are also the circumstances and situations where the freedom of choice is no longer in one's own hands. They are merely a puppet. If they are made to do evil things, what level of burden, accountability, and responsibility do they hold for those actions? There are a lot of complications and complexities to the theme of nature and choice, and this series does a great job at making us think about them.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

There were a lot moments where my eyes became watery and blurry. Either I'm just allergic to this series, or the cast was just skilled at poking at the heart. There are so many sad scenes and the cast did a great job portraying the longing, hurt, will to sacrifice, anger, hesitation, and sadness. There were also some nice comedic moments as a break from the more serious acting. We get some awkwardness, cuteness, and just more bright/colorful acting, which is a much welcomed relief in a series like this. The chemistry and bonds built between characters are also noteworthy. Cast and crew did a great job.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

The series has a lot of beautiful OSTs that invoke emotions and greatly enhance the scene when they are played, leaving an impact in your heart. 大梦归离 (Return After A Long Dream) from 李宇春 specifically is still etched in my brain. And there are also inspirational and hard hitters like 无心生大梦 (Unintentional Big Dream) from 刘宇宁 that gets me hyped/pumped, ready to take on any challenge/obstacle. There are many songs I need to go back, listen to, and review, but I've already added a few to my playlists.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I thought long and hard about whether this was something I could rewatch, mostly because there is a lot heavy heart-wrenching scenes. However, the lesson to be drawn, the talents of the cast, and the layers in storytelling are all compelling enough that it's worth at least another revisit. There are just so many great dialogues/quotes and beautifully emotional moments that deserves a second viewing.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

In the cases that the bureau investigated, I ended up feeling sad for the demons involved. A lot of the stories ended tragically. Aside from our main casts, the series does a great job at building complex characters that I could feel sympathy for. Even the antagonists' motivations stemmed from a place I could understand, even if they were on the extreme end. There was just great character development for everyone. I loved the journey the series took us on to learn about why certain characters are the way the are and how events in the past affected current events. Very aesthetic world and costumes. Great accompanying soundtracks. Overall, I enjoyed this series a lot.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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CDrama of the YEAR and the Best Fantasy CDrama for me!

CDrama of the year!
I’m not saying this just because I’m too emotional right now, but I’ve watched almost 9-12 Cdramas aired this year, and not one—NOT ONE—made me feel this way. I was so invested in this drama.
The Cast slayed! I felt every single emotion they portrayed!
The Plot and the Directors slayed!
Cinematography!
Even the costumes!
The little details throughout the series!
I loved how the cast had so much fun on set!
Of course, the OSTs! It’s my first time listening to a whole album of a CDrama on repeat!
The fantasy element felt alive. It reminded me of Alchemy of Souls.

I have to admit that there were some sound mixing problems, but aside from that, everything was PERFECT!
So, this is the Cdrama of the year and the best fantasy Cdrama for me!

The special episode saved me! For me, this is not an open ending, it’s perfect In it’s own way.

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Started with comedy ended with trauma!

One of the best drama in 2024 for me!
Actually I was little disappointed with the start of the drama....but after that everything turned top-notch

My favourite character is Zhou yichen played by Tian jiarui

Cinematography and CGI were literally so good.But few scenes literally looked so cheaper.
Actors:
•zhao yuanzhou/Zhu yun (Ying long)played by Hou minghao - I know he is good actor and he really acted very well.And his makeup and aesthetics in yinglong character are chef kiss.

•wen xiao played by chen duling - she literally done a good job as wen xiao and successful pissed me...at first I thought she is good in this role but I am worng yarr i know she is mortal but she is also a goddess right, like always calling others pitfully while they were literally dieing...i felt what the?not only once but so many times !
I know so many of the viewer like her on this role....but it's my opinion

•Zhuo yichen played by Tian jiarui - To be honest he is the reason for me to watch this drama and I am impressed too...yes I missed his sassy side but the righteous side of the role really good.He is just too good in this role!

•Li lun played by Yan 'an- He is also one of the reason for me to watch it....he is a idol from the Korean band Pentagon.Omg he muscles,his body (I am shameless)his smile...in single word i am obsessed and he really done good job as toxic ex....and his death...that was so tragic!

•Bai jiu Played by Lester lin -This 13 year old guy....done a excellent job...i never thought that I will be crushing on a 13 year old boy.
I missing his screamings, smile cute talk and his Zhuo ge why the writers choose such a cruel death scene for him...and him as possessed li lun is everything his makeup as li lun is just unexplainable

•Ying lei played by xu zhenxuan- His character something we can't forget especially his smile.

As for guest roles and their stories:

First: Ran yi and miss qi story yes story was ineed sad and her father was sadist.

Second:cheng Huang and Shen nv their was indeed tragic and their acting also good...but I am who doesn't felt any thing about their story!

Third: Fei and Qing geng their story is very very tragic and I was so affected by fei's death I cried like helland Aimi she is such a good actress I want see her a main leads future....

My favourite ost: return from long dream, broken tailed bird, unintentional dream and yuanzhou's youth.

My favourite scenes:
•Bickerings of yichen and zhuyun
•Almond cheese scene
•The conversations between pei siblings
•Sword dance
•Ying long and bingyi story

My most traumatic scenes:
•Fei 's death
•Ao yin 's death
•Ying lei's death
•Bai jiu(my most traumatic scene I can't forget)
•li lun's death
•And Zhu yun's death

Yes this one had plot holes...but still it's my favourite ❤️

That's all thank you for reading ❤️

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"Fangs of fortune- A tale of strength, sacrifice and heroic battle"

Why I loved it so much :

1. A perfect mix of genres: The drama delivers on every front—romance, friendship, feel-good moments, thrill, action, comedy, drama, and tragedy. It’s a rare balance that caters to multiple tastes.


2. Depth in storytelling: While the pace is slow, it’s deliberate. Each subplot is crafted to fill gaps and tie loose ends, creating a deeply harmonious narrative.


3. Impressive cinematography: The framing, camera angles, and techniques used are absolutely top-notch, elevating the viewing experience.


4. High-quality VFX: The visual effects are clean, realistic, and immersive. The editing team truly deserves credit for making the fantasy elements believable.


5. Exquisite set design: The attention to detail in the sets is breathtaking. The Demon Hunting Bureau, in particular, stands out as a masterpiece of design.


6. Talented cast: Almost every actor delivered stellar performances. While one or two might not have fit their roles visually, their acting made up for it.


7. Memorable background music: The combat music and other tracks are beautifully composed, reminiscent of the enchanting vibes from Love Between Fairy and Devil.

8. Dancing in the ending soundtrack .. I know I am weird to like a show for this ..but seriously it was quite refreshing to see the cast dancing to their show's soundtrack ... The steps were easy I am dancing you should try it as well ;)



About the cast

Neo hou as Zhao yuanzhou:

Neo Hou is the one who introduced me to the world of C-Dramas, starting with Being Back from the Brink, my very first Chinese drama. He has never let me down. His charm, brilliant acting, mischievous expressions, spot-on comedic timing, and calming smile—everything about his character in this show was a delight to watch.



Zhuo Yichen : a warrior who is strong-willed, righteous, kind, compassionate, funny, and deeply tragic. Tian Jia portrayed this fascinating character with remarkable justice.


Li lun: more of an anti-hero than a villain, carries a strong sense of justice and a deep kindness for his people. This character added significant depth and complexity to the leads' role .. and the actor (yan an) playing it was more beautiful than the FL herself 😂 😀 ❤️❤️ I am in love with him.



Pei Shijing: the Demon Huntress, is a character with a tsundere quality that suits Cheng Xiao’s poker-face expressions perfectly. Watching her evolve as an actress has been impressive. From her flat expressions and character in Falling Into Your Smile to portraying a compassionate, graceful fighter in this drama, Cheng Xiao has truly come a long way.


Bai jiu : a timid, funny and cute kid ..played by lester lin ... This child actor is so damn talented he played two completely contrasting characters ( bai jiu and li lun) so effortless.. very impressive ..it hard to believe he delivered such outstanding performance at the age of just 13 years old


The parts where this show lacked appeal


1) Wen Xiao : I don't like lame/sickly/weak/useless/low IQ FLs at all I mean I can’t think of a single thing that would have changed if she weren’t part of the story. She was utterly useless—couldn’t fight, fall before someone even slapped her.The so-called goddess was the biggest liability—completely useless—while so many others died, one after another, paying the ultimate price to save the world. I hated her character even more after jiu died. Even a child gave his life heroically to save the world, yet she selfishly clung to her life like
it held more value than anyone else’s. While others bore the weight of impossible choices,sacrificed themselves in secret, including the child who quietly fulfilled his duty and died
,she had the audacity to pretend she’d do the same. All for what? So others would stop her, convince her to live, and throw their lives away instead. She wasn’t a goddess; she was a parasite, feeding off the heroism of those who deserved far better.

Not up my alley ...SORRYYYY !!

2) tiresome climax and depressing ending . . If the outcome is going to be as the past (like that of ling long and bingyi's) why would you write a new story in the first place. I kept anticipating they will bring a different outcome but .. well!! I don't know what else to say.

3) actress playing FL is good ..her acting was amazing but in some episode I felt like she is looking too mature for the role for example when they went to kulun episode 15 .. though her demoness was quite seducing and bold I liked her more in that role.


The show is worth every praise and more .. is the reason why I write such a comprehensive review.

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A Mesmerizing Gothic Tale in Chinese Version

To be honest, I’m not expecting much from FOF since I’m here only to support Neo Hou. But goodness, am I mistaken? FYI, FOF aka Fangs of Fortune is an original-script-based fantasy drama which is under the command of our notoriously controversial yet aesthetical director Guo Jingming (I’m sure everyone has known all sorts of things he did before, but he sure knows how to make such a masterpiece). As you can see, FOF is also fighting neck-to-neck with Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and The Story of Pearl Girl (excluding Smile Code which is flopping badly), so it’s not that easy for it to achieve such a wonderful rating. Let’s delve into the story now, shall we?

FOF revolves around nine main characters (according to the individual posters posted in Weibo) consisting of the shameless yet loyal 1000-year-old great demon Zhao Yuanzhou/Zhu Yan, the astute Baize Goddess Wen Xiao, the cold-outside-warm-inside descendant of Bingyi Clan Zhuo Yichen, the badass female archer Pei Sijing and her faithful younger brother Pei Siheng, the timid little doctor Bai Jiu, the mischievous Mountain God Ying Lei, the green-eyed pagoda tree demon (also Zhao Yuanzhou’s former bestie) Li Lun, and most of all is the vengeful and malicious Wen Zongyu (I’m hoping to make every character arc, but it doesn’t seem to be possible since it will only lengthen my review).

In my pure opinion, FOF is not a facile and cheesy script like your typical old-school romance drama. Instead, it’s a very meticulous and stunning one, in which the scriptwriters managed to input several plot twists into that none of the watchers could predict the outcome of the show. The show not only focuses on the topic of friendship and self-growth, but also probes into the meaning of love, desire, yearning, and the pain of being betrayed, all of which are beautifully portrayed, of course. Back to Guo Jingming again, we know that he always has the tendency of producing angsty drama and FOF is not an exception. There are lots of angsty scenes in every existing episode and somehow the actors will always cry whenever something goes off or someone dies. However, these scenes don’t have much impact on me (I myself don’t understand too) so I always watch with my expressionless face as they keep crying. But, the most striking scene would probably be Ying Lei’s death and his dying wish of how he wants Bai Jiu to live well – it’s just so heart-wrenching…

Shout out to every actor from main to supporting and guest roles for acting out the multi-faceted character in an insightful way. This show will also boost Neo Hou’s popularity and he proofs himself to be a force to be reckoned with (can’t wait for his next projects). Chen Duling also acts well, but her excessive crying scenes is irking me very much. Thanks to her good acting skills, Wen Xiao is still a bearable character. This is my first time watching Tian Jiarui and I don’t have any complain about him – he does just as good as the others. Finally, Cheng Xiao is out of her comfort zone and her character doesn’t seem to be as annoying and cliché as the one in Falling into Your Smile. Lester Lin is the youngest out of the whole bunch, but he can portray Bai Jiu beautifully even when he’s in the dark mode (as the saying goes, age isn’t everything). Special mention to Yan An (Pentagon) too – he’s a K-pop idol and also a hidden gem in acting that I can’t help but keep waiting for his scenes (FYI, currently Pentagon is in a hiatus, so I hope Yan An can do more dramas until Cube Entertainment calls him again).

FOF is indeed an S++ drama, every set is done aesthetically and every scene is taken intelligently to ensure its quality. As I mentioned in the title, FOF has a gothic vibe akin to those in historical Europe sites, but in Chinese version. I particularly like Bingyi Forbidden Area, which reminds me of a domain in Genshin Impact. A user also reminds me that the ancient runes in Kunlun Peaks is similar as Paimon’s when she is summoned.

I think I’m going to rave about the OST especially Liu Yuning’s hip-hop/rock song – it’s my first time hearing him rapping lol. I also like Xu Zhenxuan, Yan An, Cheng Xiao, and Lai Weiming’s OSTs. If it hadn’t been for these songs, the OSTs would’ve been particularly meh.

Would I recommend this show? AN ABSOLUTE YES! As you follow their adventures, you’ll be enamored by their witty dialogues, gorgeous and impressive sets, and the heartbreaking OSTs. Don’t hesitate to watch this masterpiece because your every second is worth it. Good luck and happy watching!!!

P.S.
There is a BL-like vibe between Zhao Yuanzhou, Li Lun, and Zhuo Yichen. Unfortunately, they have to tone it down a bit to fit the shitty censorship, otherwise we'd get another BL show. Also note that Wen Xiao may play a pivotal role in protecting the Wilderness, but she's only there so that she can have a love line with Zhao Yuanzhou (to make sure FOF isn't banned like Immortality, Winner is King, Eternal Faith, and so on). Still, you can enjoy their scenes and feel the bromance between them tho.

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Best Fantasy 2024- Great Cast, Good Story, Fabulous Visuals.

"Fangs of Fortune" is a Fantasy drama that blends romance, historical elements, and intriguing plots surrounding ambition and power. It successfully entertains with its blend of loyalty, friendship, romance and intrigue, appealing to fans of the genre. However, it could benefit from tighter pacing and more nuanced character arcs. Overall, it's a worthwhile watch for those interested in fantasy historical dramas with engaging narratives.

Intriguing Plot - The storyline revolves around themes of ambition, love, hope and treachery, keeping viewers engaged. The twists and turns add excitement and keep the audience guessing and waiting for the next episode, certainly binge worthy watching. Comedic elements subtly spread throughout, nicely executed.

Cinematography - The production quality is high, great CGI, with beautiful sets, costumes, great makeup and cinematography that captures the senses and the historical essence of this fantasy perfectly.

Character Development - Great casting. The characters are well-crafted, with distinct personalities and growth arcs. The protagonist's journey often resonates with viewers, making them relatable - morals, ethics, judgments… walking in someone’s shoes.

Cultural Insights - The series incorporates elements of Chinese culture and tradition, providing viewers with a view of mythological beliefs, the values and practices from the world beyond.

Shortcomings

There were some Pacing Issues - At times, the pacing felt uneven. Certain episodes seem to drag on, while others rush through crucial developments.

Of course there were some Clichéd Tropes - Some plot elements relied heavily on common tropes found in many dramas, such as love triangles and betrayal. This may deter viewers seeking originality.

Underdeveloped Side Characters - While the main characters were well-explored, some side characters could have used more depth and development to enhance their importance to the story.

For me this ranks in my top three of Chinese Fantasy Drama. Certainly worth watching and rewatching.

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A Feast for the Eyes: Visually Gorgeous Drama That Leaves a Lasting Impression

After several days of pondering, I finally decided to give my final rating and write a review of this drama. I have to admit that I was torn between giving it an 8.5 or a 9. At first, I gave it an 8.5, but after a day or two, when I realized that the series had left a deep impact on me and I couldn't stop listening to the OST and thinking about the characters, I bumped it up to a 9. There are many aspects of this series that I liked: the cast and interesting characters, the OST, special effects, well-choreographed fight scenes, and overall high production value and beautiful aesthetics. On the other hand, the main criticism is about the plot itself. I'm not even sure what was missing, but the fact remains that the story didn’t manage to intrigue me to a great extent. Here and there, there were certain interesting elements of the plot, twists and turns, but the main storyline didn’t offer anything revolutionary. What the plot lacked, the interesting characters, their relationships, and interactions made up for. The bond between Zhu Yan and Zhou Yichen, Bai Jiu and Yichen, Bai Jiu and Ying Lei, Zhu Yan and Li Lun, the Pei siblings, and their group friendship altogether, is what truly elevates this drama (along with its visual perfection).

Speaking about the characters and their relationships (which I liked), one would expect that their tragic fates would emotionally hit me. However, that didn’t happen. This is the main reason why I can't rate this drama higher than 9. On the surface, it seemed like it had all the elements for success, but in the end, during the actual viewing of the series, I didn't feel any emotional impact. I believe that part of the reason for this is the way many parts were slow (filmed in slow motion?) which caused me to become frustrated with the drawn-out scenes instead of immersing myself in the events and the tragedy. However, I think this was a personal issue of mine, as I see that most people didn’t have this problem. Only later, while listening to the OST, did I begin to reflect more on the characters and their tragic lives, and only then did I fall even more in love with the story.

When it comes to the OST, I have to say that, alongside the visual elements, it is one of the best aspects of this series. I would personally compare it to the OST of The Untamed, which I was obsessed with for months and listened to wherever I could. The fact that many of the songs are sung by the actors themselves further impressed me. In the end, I must also praise the actors. Chen Du Ling, Lester Lin, and Tian Jia Rui were familiar to me from before, and I considered them good actors even before this drama, but I’m glad I discovered Neo Hou, who beautifully portrayed the character of Zhu Yan. I personally LOVE characters like him—formidable and powerful, yet at the same time pitiful and tormented. All the supporting actors did a great job in their roles as well, and I’m happy to see that there were no "weak links" in the cast that could have ruined the overall impression with their bad acting , which occasionally happens in some of these dramas :')

In the end, would I recommend this drama? BIG YES. Despite some 'personal issues' I had with it, I still think it's one of those dramas that you shouldn't miss, because the hype is definitely justified.

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Regular days: lets betray zhou yichen hard days: lets save yichen

This drama is by far the best fantasy drama of 2024. It is for a little mature, humour loving, sarcastic, emo, philosophical and slow burn loving type of people. People who actually don't give a shit about anything are really gonna love this series. It is so deep and gloomy yet so funny and hilarious. The writers used a ancient fantasy world but introduced some gen z type of jokes. Nobody is trying to be serious here. At the same time all of them have such mature thinking that they don't bow down to useless plots and if they are stubborn they are stubborn and they admit that.

Ok here some cons to be fair:
1. Over use of makeup and in alot of scenes we can see eggshell white colored base on face while the skin colored neck so it was annoying.
Also they put too much makeup on yichen character that he almost started to look like a wax doll.
2. The over use of tears like they really be putting 60 gallons of glycerine in their eyes like come on specially yichen and wen xiao crying in every single episode. Come on dude u showed such a tough character who can never be manipulated yet you choose to make him cry in every episode. Shut up.
3. High pitched screaming of the timid kiddo. It really hurt my ears. And also the rap song in ancient drama at fist it looked so cliche but then it weirdly grow on me like wo shi shu aaa.....

All of them just trust each other and they have such mature bond that they understand most of the time.

The best part of the drama lies in slow and deep voice talks that explains 90% of the story but the play of words is very beautifully played here. Alot of mature audience will definitely gonna like this style.

Cinematography is top notch and we don't even need to explain that. The scenery is even tough dark but still beautiful. The theme of black and dark colors have used so beautifully here. The makeup and costumes are super heavy and the play of eyes is so prominent and intriguing.

Director really played with our emotions by always putting every single character through such heavy life taking moments that we were always in a panic that thier is going to be someone die. But at the end when some characters actually die it was totally unexpected and uncalled for.

For me, tian jui ru give us the exceptional performance. Even though everyone performance and visuals were phenomenal but zhou yichen really took 4 out of 9 lives from us. I really started this drama because of him and he served. The villain also served, one of the sexiest villain he really was collecting every character. The little kiddo really showed us 50 shades of emotions by being the most dumb to the most dangerous person like it was a rollercoaster.

The main lead also showed emotions really well. He was a pookie in all the episodes. He also really served bl with yichen and we eat it up. We eat it up.

I suggest u to watch it will be very interesting to see.

People who liked my journey to you or the sleuth of ming dynasty will definitely like this. The wonderland of love also have same vibes where 90% of the plot revolve around talking and scheming.

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