Back from the Brink

Love the visuals of the main leads!!

Before I start my review, allow me to show my biggest admiration for all the great music themes of 'Back From The Brink' has. The opening song of this series is one of the reasons I like watching the series from the beginning till the end, and knowing that the male main lead, Hou Ming Hao/Neo Hou also sings one of the tracks from the ost gives me more excitement to watch it and let me tell you, his song really fits the moments between the two main characters (Tian Yao and Yan Hui). Every time his song is played during their moments I cannot help myself from not falling for his soothing voice.

Honestly, I have never seen the works of these two main leads (Hou Ming Hao and Zhou Ye) before and I must say that pairing them up together in this series is an undeniably great choice. They look cute as well as sweet together and both obviously have amazing visuals. They are still young and I believe with their hard work they will become megastars in the future.

I hope people will stop comparing 'Back From The Brink' to other series as we all know each series has their own plus and minus. For me, personally, there are some scenes or moments I think that's really unnecessary in 'Back From The Brink', but they don't stop me from watching this series, and for the record, I just finished watching it last night. I think the ending is a bit satisfying although I hope there's more explanation to some things that I find them odd to figure. In spite of that, I'm quite contented with the whole thing.

Read More

How to mess a possibly good story

Betrayed millenium dragon spirit meets a girl from hostile sect and slowly falls in love with her. They start as enemies, who have to cooperate with each other to survive. But what looked like a good start of long adventure, ended as a long set of fillers coming one by another.

It was a story of trust and betrayal... and communication. Some events were complete mess. Why ML didn't communicate in the most crucial times? That could save a lot of problems. Would 10 seconds be too long to explain FL why he had to hurt her the most cruel way and abandon her? Simple words... "don't worry, I will return" would be enough.

Since it is a xianxia, there were many sects (or clans). As usually we got the good ones (spirits, monsters) and evil ones (those wearing white clothes) - here they were called Taoists. In other stories they are named as a sect of light or heaven sect, etc... I wonder why chinese people hate these sects so much? Isn't Taoism one of national religions in China? Why members of these sects are usually the worst scum in the whole fantasy world?

All wasn't that bad. The story was suspensive with several funny parts and its mysteries were interesting enough to continue watching. Until it became too dragged. When it looked like everything calmed down and leads can be finally happy, sudden random twist happened and threw everything back into the chaos. And then we got the last minute unexplained happy ending.

So did I like the story?

I can't say that I hated it... but I also can't say that I liked it. The story was messed and as I read, also too different from the original novel (just hearsay). Some characters were added to bring the cliches everyone loves (sarcasm)... like love triangles (represented by one annoying SML). Even though he had some good parts, his character was unnecessary and non existent in the novel.

What I liked?

- relationship of main leads. Even though he just wanted to use her at start, their relationship became strong - full of trust.
- acting - I don't need it too be perfect and sometimes it is hard to say what is bad acting and what is perfect just according the role. So since I didn't have a feeling they are just actors, I liked it.
- music, sounds and effects
- Zhou Ye - she was amazing in Love Me, Love My Voice and that is why I also started this drama.

For some people it might be good and interesting story. If you like drama and many twists then give it a try. I more prefer fluffiness - easy to watch story with many fluffy and happy events. So it wasn't my cup of tea, but still not so bad to drop it. If you are like myself and didn't see Love Me, Love My Voice yet... then watch rather that.

Read More

An Unforgettable Drama!

Back from the Brink was truly an unforgettable drama that left a lasting impression. What stood out most to me was the incredible female lead, Yan Hui. She was witty, intelligent, and fiercely independent - far from the typical damsel in distress. I loved how she wasn’t just waiting to be rescued; instead, she actively protected herself and others, showing strength, empathy, and compassion throughout the series.

The dynamic between the main leads was another highlight. Yan Hui and Tian Yao often fought side by side, their teamwork seamless and powerful. Their bond was built on mutual respect and trust, which made their partnership both heartwarming and thrilling to watch.
What I appreciated most was that Back from the Brink flipped the usual script - Yan Hui was the true hero. She saved Tian Yao countless times, and in the end, it was her strength and resolve that made the biggest difference. Her character didn’t just break stereotypes; she redefined what it means to be a female lead in a fantasy drama.
Yan Hui’s compassion and refusal to discriminate between races made her even more admirable. She constantly put others before herself and genuinely felt the pain of those around her. Her emotional depth and moral courage made her a standout character in every way.

Overall, Back from the Brink delivered a compelling story with a standout heroine who stole the spotlight. Yan Hui was everything I could ask for in a lead - smart, strong, compassionate, and fiercely heroic.

Read More

had all the feels

this is part of my top favorites xianxia and wuxia cdrama Back to the Brink, Lost you forever, till the end of the moon, are probably my top three most favorite! although I enjoyed love between fairy and devil and I’m already halfway I just couldn’t finish it.. I don’t know why. Anyway the chemist from Back to the brink is so good, The only time I disliked Zhou ye the female lead was in her other drama I instantly dropped it (everyone loves me)

back to the brink had me bawling my eyes out, it also made me laugh numerous times, had so much butterflies during sweet moments, had me so mad with some effectively annoying antagonists.

The only thing I hoped for, some flashbacks kept of resurfacing, ending felt rushed. it was a happy ending but I hope they had more time to somehow made it more meaningful, seeing them reunite with friends, and the kiss was so short. other than those it was such a good xianxia cdrama.

Read More

A wonderful ride.

This drama made me feel lots of emotions, from frustration, to anger, to sadness, to joy, and mushy-mushy. Their journey was long and there is twists and hardships almost at every turn but they've survived it all together. I've come to like this drama exactly because of that and the fact that the leads understand each other, won't let go of the other, and the misunderstandings doesn't last long. It is a comical ride that will make you cry, a bitter-sweet yet satisfying story for everyone.

Yan Hui's actress (Zhou Ye?) really did a good job. I can't help but praise her every time there's a scene where she breaksdown. Chemistry-wise, there is no problem they pulled it off very well. The parts I'd like to point out tho are some character's awkward movements and some scenes where Hou Minghao who played Tian Yao looks "constipated" as how the other reviewer put it. He definitely can improve more in his future projects not to mention that he already has an advantage to the viewers cuz he really looks good and those still photos? It made me ask "was he that handsome in the drama?" deym. Another character and actress I liked is Suying. She makes a more well-motivated villain, an awfully strong, beautiful, desperate, and sad character, than the lord of dark aura.

OSTs didn't hit me as hard as other cdrama did for me, it really makes an impact for me :< I've read this is a low budget film so I guess the choppy cuts, and CGI is understandable. The edit and visual effects were amazing and eye-pleasing.

It was good but I don't think I will rewatch this. A lot happened and this ain't some short drama so yeah.

Read More

Balance

I struggled to rate this because there were parts I absolutely loved and parts I was sad they didn't address. But since there is a theme of balance in the show, I tried to take a step back I look at it as a whole.

Fun journey that has one of the best OSTs I've heard in a while! I loved the FLs personality and practicality. She was true to herself and whenever in a situation she was unsure, she chose to be kind. There were some really great comedic moments that unfortunately were missing towards the second half.

The ending could have used an explanation. Some subplots were oddly written and then sorta forgotten about.

Overall though definitely a more fun and lighter xianxia than others I've seen.

Read More

Personally, Yanhui is a big carry in the series. The screen writer is both bad and good. Like, plotlines and dialogue is great. But pacing, and transitions is off at times. There's also a decent amount of comical moments and memorable characters. The interweaving of characters and critical thinking is managable and entertaining. This is a rewatchable series for sure.

I get the impression that the storyline did what it could in the 40 episodes. Sometimes there's uneven pacing/awkwardness but I think that was because they were trying to figure out which scenes to cut and which to keep to make the storyline flow. Some arcs you could predict, some end up being completely different than what I thought.

I do enjoy the misunderstandings, the drama did a great job showcasing the complexities of human emotions esp wen it comes to betrayal, trust, trauma, hatred, and love. I think this is one of the few dramas that really explored how characters truly feel without too much of a rush to get over feeling sadness/etc. It is more depressing at times, esp wen you learn about the different kinds of love people have in the series. Like mean girl Su Ying and Lu Mu Sheng. Or A Cha and the female Taoist I forgot her name. I liked how with all the couples you meet thoroughout the series, there's nuances and differences and getting to see that, and see our main couple is a contrast.

While main couple is cute, I dont think its the best couple I've seen in a cdrama series. It certainly didnt feel typical either. I did like how they did compliment each other, by motivating each other to be better, but like maybe twice, twice they kissed. Also saving the world, who they are, their growth is more of the storyline than the actual romance.

Yanhui is the sweetest sweet to have sweeted and a big scaredy baby who's also a complete baddie. I fell for her. Both in emotions, but also this girl I do consider a golden standard for FML. She's kind, courageous, and true to herself. Flawed, and giving. It was entertaining and I found myself relating to her a lot. Esp wen she was silly. And money, I get it girl. Yanhui cried a lot throughout the series and even tho I knew those scenes were coming, I was still surprised by the many ways in which she could explore vulnerabilities. Some series they do the crying over the top but her cry scenes shook me and I consider her a real artist actress. Im definitely a fan after this. And she's so pretty, in a lively way, mean childish way. xD

Tianyao is pretty. Which is kind of shame because I couldnt get into him. His facial expressions were off at times - like pained him looked like he smelled something bad. Him as a BABY DRAGON was cute. He did have comfort, esp saving her at times in the series but I do think he has a long way to go through emotions. It was harder to relate to him too because in the series he's more stoic ish.

Bai is adorable. I really do like him as a character. I like the development he had and how they all three were consistently together. He's a sweetheart, even wen he was being selfish. He's incredibly smart, and in many ways you never know if he's telling the truth, or a side of the truth to get a higher advantage. He had mainly honest intentions and I am kind of upset we dont see more of him. I do think hes still kind of young, young at heart and it'd be interesting to see his love story, should he get one someday.

Her sister Xian Ge, and Yun Yun are so cute too. Those are prolly my other favorite characters. xD

Overall 7/10, I would rate this higher but I do think that Tianyao needed more acting experience cause how you gonna have 40 episodes and be distracting (in a bad way)? Points off for some of the flow too since I know they had to cut it but I do think there couldve been more smoothing over. Yeah, the flashbacks are sometimes necessarily, it did feel like the flashbacks was lazy writing to explain concisely what happened. It’s a shame they rushed this series to 40. I think it had great potential but some of these arcs aren’t the best because didn’t get fleshed out enough.

Read More

Cute! But Plot is Kinda Alright

This drama was pretty good! It had pretty cinematography, pretty people, and pretty outfits. I loved the relationship between the main leads and all the other side couples. I'm a fan of shows where the male lead does something wrong to the female lead but then continuously tries to make it up to her, and this show had that arc. I absolutely adored the main female lead's character and even the male lead was great too.

The only thing I would take off points for though, was the main conflict plot:
The main evil guy really tried ruining the world because a girl didn't like him back. Or at least that's how I saw it. The other bad girl Su Ying also really created problems cause of a guy who ended up not even liking her back. These villains gotta go to therapy for learning how to handle rejection instead of trying to ruin everyone's lives.
In addition, I also was just confused half the time with the different rules of the magic or whatever. I usually get confused with this stuff anyway, but I was just extra confused in this show. The ending was also kinda confusing for me because I have no clue where she came from. Either way, it is a happy ending! (But lowkey I wouldn't have minded a sad ending for this show cause this happy ending was kinda random/weird/confusing).

Overall, it's an average good drama. I wouldn't rate it any lower than 8.5 but also not higher than 9.0. I definitely don't regret watching it but it feels like it's missing some sort of impact idk.

Read More

Beautiful Lead but Average Story

For me, Back From the Brink was a 6/10 drama. Honestly, the main reason I even picked it up was Zhou Ye, because I’ve liked her since Everyone Loves Me. She really carried this show for me and is the reason I didn’t rate it lower.

The drama has some nice points — the idea of a fantasy quest, the mix of light comedy with serious themes, and a female lead who isn’t weak or helpless. Zhou Ye gave a strong performance, especially in emotional scenes. Some side characters and music also added fun moments.

But the problems were hard to ignore. The pacing was messy, with the middle episodes dragging too long. Conflicts kept repeating, making it feel predictable. The romance between the leads was there, but it didn’t feel very deep or memorable until much later in the show. Also, while some people liked the CGI, I found parts of it distracting and not very polished.

What bothered me the most was the ending. After so much build-up, it was squeezed into the final minutes and left me unsatisfied. It could have been so much better if they gave more time for proper closure.

Overall, I’d say this is a watchable drama if you really like Zhou Ye, but if you’re looking for something exciting, smooth, and well-balanced, this one might feel disappointing.

Read More

Xianxia Chaos but Still a Good Time

So, Back from the Brink wasn’t the most polished drama out there, but I still really loved it in a “I’m invested even though it frustrates me” kind of way. Going in, the plot sounded great, but the execution—especially in establishing Tian Yao (Hou Ming Hao) and Yan Hui’s (Zhou Ye) relationship—was just okay. Their chemistry took a while to click, but once it did, I was on board. And honestly, that’s the heart of a romance drama—I need to care about the love story, even if it takes time.

What Worked for Me
1. Tian Yao’s Tragic Past: I mean, getting killed on your wedding day by the person you love? Brutal. Su Ying (Yang Rong) really did him dirty—marrying him just to snatch his heart-protecting scale to save the man she actually loved? Villain behavior. And the fact that Tian Yao was strong enough to resist her even after she repeatedly tried stealing parts of him?? Iconic.

2. Yan Hui's Growth as a Fighter: Watching her go from a rejected Taoist disciple to mastering the Dark Partitioner's magic? Amazing. She really turned her weakness into something powerful, and I loved seeing her fight back.

3. The Worldbuilding: My first xianxia drama, and WOW. Taoists, dark practitioners, spirits, demons—this fantasy world was so rich and full of lore. I was obsessed. The idea that taoists became more authoritarian after they thought they slaughtered Tian Yao? That practicing forbidden magic turned you into a dark practitioner? The layers to this world!!

4. That Ending?? Devotion: Tian Yao is immortal, so he literally just walked the earth waiting for Yan Hui’s next life to appear. That’s commitment.

What Didn’t Sit Right
1. Too Much Going On: The whole “finding his organs” plot was solid at first, but then we suddenly shifted to the nine-tailed fox spirit clan?? Then the dark lord?? Then random matchmaker-turned-love-triangle drama?? Like, pick a struggle. I skipped so many scenes that didn’t involve the main leads.

2. Bai Xiao Sheng's Random Crush: Sir, weren’t you just matchmaking Tian Yao and Yan Hui?? Now you suddenly like her?? Make it make sense.

3. Dubbing Issues (Again): Classic C-drama problem. I didn’t notice it at first because I was reading subtitles, but when I found out they had voice actors, I was like nooo. Why do they do this?? It takes away from the rawness of the performances.

4. Fake-Looking Sets: So much forest time, but why does it all feel like a set?? Just film in a real forest, please.

5. Overdone Childlike Acting: Some characters were literally acting like kids just to seem immature, and it felt so forced. Just let them be chaotic naturally.

6. Yan Hui Getting Scared of Tian Yao: Dragged way too long. You saw what Su Ying did to his clan—you really didn’t put two and two together that he needed his heart-protecting scale back to regain strength??

Final Thoughts
Despite the messiness, I still binged the whole thing (with some fast-forwarding). The worldbuilding pulled me in, and Tian Yao waiting for Yan Hui in another life? Absolutely had my heart.

Rating? 7/10 Would I watch again? Maybe, but selectively.

Read More

Not bad

All characters are well projected
All leads are have good chemistry in all aspect
Director, artdirector, cinematography, editor and VFX these temes work are ultimate
In drama the main characters are -->Tian Yao, he is a dragon but he did not power full as---> [Su Ying]
Finally [Su Ying] drag down by her heart person
Pema Jyad ---->was dound by Yan Hui
Bai Xiao Sheng --->he need some more screen time
Xian Ge and Feng Qian Shuo ---->
Most of all historical films has nearly 40 and above episodes
Ending always tragedy why all leads dosn't have any lovely life episodes atleast last 20 minutes,,,,,,,,,

Read More

I loved it til the end… i was kind of disappointed

So it started great got good in middle i loved as dragon boy finally started to like our lead girl and being jealous but i honestly CANT remember if he ever confessed to her he liked her 😦 i had been waiting throughout the drama and as it ended i even forgot all about!
Anyway they shows and made it all about the dragon 🐉 destroying the evil but at the end its was our lead girl.. sorry i cant spell their names… i feel episode 25-28 were waste drag… they should have ended the evil Dark Phantom and the remaining episodes be focused on our dragon find our Lead girl.. it was very disappointing that they kind of killed her not sure if thats what happened but she was brought back for last 5 mins or so and it ended! It felt like they wrapped it up too fast like they could have given us 20-30mins more of their life together

Read More