Back from the Brink

Not Top-Tier, But Still Worth Watching!

I think this series really stands out with its emotional depth and strong character development. Tianyao’s repeated stabbings of Yanhui, while frustrating, are understandable given his tragic past, but I feel the story could’ve explored a different approach to convey his inner turmoil without making his actions feel unnecessarily harsh. Yanhui, on the other hand, is such a relatable character. At first, she’s selfish, but as the story progresses, her growth into a selfless person who sacrifices for others is really moving. Her development, especially in learning to understand Tianyao’s pain, makes her journey so compelling.

The acting, particularly from the female lead, is a major highlight for me. She brings such authenticity to her role, and her emotional scenes—especially the ones where she’s crying—really draw you in. The chemistry between the leads and the strong performances from the whole cast make the story even more engaging.

While the series doesn’t have the flashy effects or high-budget cinematography you might find in some top-tier dramas, it has its own charm. The character-driven storytelling really makes it shine. The OST is also fantastic. It perfectly complements the emotional tone of the series, and I was impressed by how it enhanced the overall experience. This series is definitely worth watching, and I think it’s also worth rewatching to appreciate all the little details even more.

Read More

One of the most epic beautiful and original xanxia and love story

pic and beautiful xanxia in every regard

One of the very best xanxia I have ever watched. An unusually entertaining, deep and engaging storyline, very different (in a good way) from the classic xanxia both in terms of plot and characters, good or bad , never one dull moment, or making you want to fast forward … no unnecessary secondary plot and characters…

well paced, great dialogs, lots of laugh to relieve darker moments in a very balanced and smart way,

The xanxia is served by a really good ost, beautiful REAL landscapes on top of the usual special effects and studio CGI fake sceneries (what breathtaking mountains and river views) in the second half)…

and what a cast…
their love story and the way it develops makes perfect sense, and is both extremely charming and endearing… you root for them.
What is also awesome is the amazing relationship between the main couple, their unwavering live for each other and the fact that their is no lengthy misunderstanding or separation drama between them. We can enjoy their growing relationship during the majority of the episodes and it is very soothing in that regard.
Special mention to the FL actress serving an awesome character.

Epic. Doesn’t get the success it deserves

Read More

The Dragon Boy and His Mortal Beloved

For a xianxia idol drama, Back From The Brink is pretty good. In fact, I was happily surprised by how good it is. I actually expected it to crash and burn so badly I would have difficulty finishing it. Well, it did crash and burn right at the end, but it was good for the most part, in my opinion, so I'm not too disappointed. After all, I didn't expect much from this as it is an idol drama and I just wanted a light and fluffy romance to cleanse my palate. Little did I know that I would like it so much and even shed a tear or two because of the emotional beats and well-acted scenes.

The story revolves around a powerful dragon spirit named Tianyao who was isolated in his kingdom for a thousand years, so he was oblivious to the struggles of his fellow spirits. In this fantasy world, spirits and humans are mortal enemies and lowly spirits are hunted and enslaved by the powerful Taoist cultivators. Think wizards and witches enslaving demons to become their familiars and do their bidding by using magical spells and traps. Tianyao falls in love with a human woman named Suying, who covets his dragon scales as they can grant immortality. She eventually betrays him and renders him disabled and almost at the brink of death. In his desperation, he manages to take his heart scale containing his inner core and throw it into space to prevent the woman from completely stealing his powers. His heart scale falls into the hands of a young child born with a heart defect and it miraculously heals her, allowing her to grow up into a healthy young woman named Yanhui. She grows up to become a cultivator herself, but one who doesn't understand the hostility between humans and spirits, so she is deemed a traitor by her own kind. Without his dragon powers, Tianyao is forced to take his human form and live without his powers as a mortal. He crosses paths with Yanhui and enlists her help in finding his missing dragon parts that were scattered all over the mortal world by Suying. This is how their journey starts and as the story progresses, more secrets are revealed, and I did enjoy some of the plot twists. I was attracted to the plot because it initially reminded me of the love story between Haku and Chihiro in Spirited Away. There's something about a dragon boy falling for a human girl that just gets me.

The production value of this drama is nothing to write home about, it is after all a low-budget series with clunky CGI, passable cinematography, and cheap-looking sets. But I didn't mind because it suited the vibe of the drama for some reason. The CGI used for the fight scenes are not too bad, though. I rather liked the dragon fire special effects. But the music is awesome! The opening theme has an Evanescence sound to it and the ending theme by Liu Yuning is perfection! I also liked Hou Minghao's contribution to the soundtrack.

The writing, though, could've been better. It has great world-building and the social commentary about racism and discrimination is a good addition. There are also very moving moments in the drama that can make you tear up and some beautiful life lessons worth pondering on. But the positives end there, I'm afraid. The drama starts strong but falls off somewhat in the middle and then completely goes off the rails at the end. For the life of me, I don't understand why they had to end it like that. But I have to give the writers props for tying up some loose ends. Just when I thought something is an obvious plot hole, they come up with something that kinda explains things and makes it logical... sort of. Not to say that there are no plot holes at all because there are plenty and I still had to suspend my disbelief several times. It's just a shame because this drama had the potential to be soooo much better.

As for the acting, I really loved Zhou Ye in this. She is one of the few Chinese actresses that I find undeniably pretty and not annoying (thank god!). Although I think she still has a long way to go in terms of acting skills, I believe she did well as Yanhui and I rooted for her all the way! She has great comedic timing, too. I love her with Hou Minghao! I swear, they are a match made in heaven! The moment I saw them together, I felt their palpable chemistry. I don't think I will be able to see them paired with other people without complaining that they just don't fit right with anyone else. At first, I didn't think much about Minghao's acting but he eventually proved that he has some acting chops hidden somewhere just waiting to be uncovered. Then there's the fact that he is quite dashing. He and Zhou Ye make a gorgeous couple. I just loved seeing them onscreen. The rest of the cast are very good as well, no complaints here. The villains are so good that I wanted to kill Suying and her vile sister. Suying could've been made a sympathetic villain instead of a complete lunatic, though. When the truth is finally revealed, I actually felt some sort of pity for her. But she could've been written and portrayed in a way that would've made her more relatable. So again, this is a problem with the writing.

But as a whole, this was a good watch. I had fun watching this and I fell in love with Tianyao and Yanhui. I loved immersing myself in this world and I felt sad leaving it. I just wish they had tapped into its full potential because the story is solid, the characters are layered and interesting, and the world that the original author created is rich with lore. But just the same, I will miss my dragon boy and his mortal beloved.

Read More

Zhou Ye/Yan Hui (FL) is the best part of the drama

**ending spoilers only towards the end of review**

For some reason, I thought the production value of “Back From The Brink” would be higher or similar to that of “Starry Love”. Because of this expectation, I was a little disappointed and distracted from a few things that prevented me from fully immersing myself into the story and enjoying it. This is not a bad drama at all, but an average one instead of a good one.

Acting -
The best part about this drama is our female lead, Yan Hui (played by Zhou Ye). I’ve only seen Zhou Ye in one other drama, the very popular “Word of Honor” where she made quite an impression on a lot of people. I am glad to see her taking the lead in this, as her acting is the best of the bunch, even more than some of the veterans. Yan Hui is a very likable character to play. She is fun, intelligent, has a good head on her shoulders and won’t take crap from others. She might have started off as someone young and inexperienced, but she was in no way naive or a damsel in distress. It has been a great watch to follow her journey of growth to become a mature, independent, courageous warrior. It’s not hard to find another story about a female lead’s growth, but it’s hard to find one like Yan Hui who is not naive and innocent or acts like a child to begin with. I enjoy her character development and growth much more than our Dragon King Tian Yao.

The only other actor I would shower praise on the acting is Yang Rong, playing the character of Su Ying. Yang Rong is a veteran actress and I’ve seen her in other roles (“Marvelous Women” and “Song of Youth”). I enjoyed her portrayal of the love-obsessed Su Ying. I just wish her character is not such a stereotypical second female lead - one who goes crazy because she’s obsessive in love. Nevertheless, Yang Rong is a talented and versatile actress.

However, the acting for the rest of the cast is just average. I was hoping Neo Hou would be better than a pretty face. I can’t say I enjoy his acting here. He is a little better than when he was in “A Girl Like Me” but nowhere close to the fun and young teenager in “When We Were Young”. He looks good though, even with long white hair. Riley Wang is fine but not excellent. His character, Bao Xiao Sheng, is a fun one to play but the hairstyle distracted me. The rest of the supporting cast is OK and no one really exceeds expectations. It also seems like aside from Neo Hou, Zhou Ye, Yang Rong, Riley Wang, and Chen Xin Yu, most of the supporting characters are not very well-known or are quite new to the industry.


Plot/Pacing -
The pacing for the first 20-25 episodes is great. A lot happens as viewers get to know the characters, learn about the backstory of the betrayal, and the challenges our main leads face. There are also many funny moments, some more subtle than others. I did have a great time laughing along. But then, the pacing slows down in the next 10 episodes, and doesn’t pick up until the last 5 episodes. The general plot itself is not difficult to understand and follows a similar pattern of other dramas of the same genre. I would not say everything is predictable or unpredictable, but I was pretty engaged in the first half of the drama. There are a few questionable plot holes here and there, but nothing major.


Romance -
Neo Hou and Zhou Ye have decent chemistry. I like that there’s no love at first sight, and the feelings really didn’t blossom until they started their journey together. And maybe that’s why, we’re not getting sizzling hot romantic energy from them. Of course, it would also be due to the actors inability to portray such love. Tian Yao and Yan Hui are quite similar when it comes to love. Their love is steady, honest and never wavers. They support and love each other unconditionally and it’s hard not to root for them in the end. I do have mixed feelings regarding the ending (will talk more later). Riley Wang/Bai Xiao Sheng has to be one of the best third wheel out there. He’s so likable that you can’t hate him, even if you are not a fan of love triangles. Romance is easy to watch, but it also lacks a certain “spark”.


Production Value -
As I said earlier, I am not impressed with a lot of the production quality in “Back From The Brink”. I am disappointed that none of the actors/actresses uses their own voice (not even in post production). The dubbing is off and horrible at times. You would hear the voices but the lips are not moving (and I am not talking about internal monologues). The visual effects and CGI are only average at best. The fight scenes are OK as well. At least the costume department does a decent job. Well, Zhou Ye and Neo Hou are good-looking, so they look good in anything they wear. I also like the OST and you can't go wrong with songs from Zhou Shen and Liu Yu Ning (I can't find the songs on Spotify though 😞 ). The sets and some of the props look fake and flimsy. If Tian Yao’s sword is not lit with the fire visual effect, you should see how fake it looks. Having said all that, I am someone who is bothered by these production qualities as they affect my viewing pleasure. If you are not like me, you might enjoy this drama a lot more than I do.


Ending Spoilers -
I know as C-drama fans we are frustrated with sad and ambiguous endings. However, “Back From The Brink” seems to want to please fans by force-feeding us a happy ending. After searching for many years, Tian Yao finally found Yan Hui. But I am not sure if Yan Hui still retains her memories. If she does, why didn’t she go looking for Tian Yao and her friends? If she lost her memories, isn’t a kiss in the end considered big time sexual harassment? OK, maybe I should shut down my brain and just enjoy a happy ending.



Overall, this is a decent watch. If you are a fan of the actors and actresses, then it’s worth a watch. If you are not and you are just looking for a good fantasy wuxia drama, I think there are better ones out there. Because I really like Zhou Ye and her character Yan Hui, I’m giving this drama no less than an 8.0 rating.



Completed: 6/30/2023 - Review #323

Read More

what am i supposed to do now...

mild spoilers in the second bit of this review, ill put a warnings once it starts!

generally i LOVED this drama. this drama was like my reintroduction back into cdramas since final season was over and lemme just say, this was the perfect destress! the story is nice and pleasing, it's heavy but not too heavy in which you feel empty after watching episodes.

i do have to say a few things regarding the show however. the cgi looks a little silly goofy some times but i get that their budget wasn't the greatest, but overall its still a pretty show! neo's acting has definitely gotten better comparing him to his other works, but sometimes he just has the same look for some scenes. not too big of an issue!

the biggest bone ive seem people pick at is how it's drastically different from the book, but i feel like it has it's own charm. obviously as a drama vers from an existing IP, it should hold up to it's original material but ignoring that it's a good show!

THE CHEMMMMMM the chem between zhou ye and neo is just crazy.... i need to see them in a new drama ASAP!!

MILD SPOILERS

as much as i loved bxs, in the second half of the show i just counldnt get myself to watch his scenes, especially when they had to do with the relationship thingy. they tried to force a love triangle but it just didn't work...

SPOILERS OVER

ending? happy, a little open, ending!

Read More

A lovely combination of fairytale, romance and adventure

This is a very entertaining fairytale drama (xianxia in Chinese terminology). And the kids will love it with the mix-in of cartoon-like and half-animal characters.

What I like about this drama?

- Story is interesting. Although it does not have that extraordinary surprise or twist, it does conceal a lot of mystery which are revealed as the drama progresses.
- The bad guys lose and the good guys win. This approach always work for me as it appeals to my strong sense of justice.
- Good looking cast. This is likely the most prominent drama that Neo Hou acted in since 'A Girl Like Me' which was hilarious. He is undoubtedly the best looking actor in this drama. Zhou Ye is very pretty too, she is outstanding when she is dressed as the dark aura master. Acting as a Taoist girl, she is more like the girl next door - a bit plain.
- CGI and special effects are very good. Costumes are good too although not too elaborate but befits the characters.

What I do not like about this drama?

- The selection of actors for the various roles are good except for Zhang Lan and Chen Yi. Kenny Kwan who acts the parts of these twins is very good looking and does the part well. In age, he is old enough for the character, but in looks he appears younger than his son and daughter. It looks a bit weird when his son addresses him as father. Perhaps the roles should be reshuffled. He is better acting Lu Mu Sheng who captures the heart of SuYing.

- The on-screen chemistry between Neo Hou and Zhou Ye as leads is good but not as endearing as between him and Guan Xiao Tong in 'A Girl Like Me'.

- The ending is not properly explained. How did the new dark aura master vanish and then resurrect?

I am deciding whether to give it a 8.5 which is what I would usually give to a drama of similar quality, but decide to give it a 9 instead for its overall production.

Read More

Nice enough drama

Am currently in an attempt to watch more of Neo Hao's dramas after his Dashing Youth, so decided to give this a go. It was a nice enough drama for me, enough to get me watching till the end in maybe a week? Coming from Dashing Youth, seeing Tianyao with his poker face and cold-ish attitude, it was getting a bit used to. lol. His carefree and naughty spoiled Baili Dongjun was still fresh in my mind I guess. But one thing for sure, Neo Hao was still as handsome as ever! His makeup and hairdo as TY doesn't seem that much different though from BLDJ (except from when he became baby dragon. lol) I was a big fan of Neo Hao from his A Girl Like Me era, so getting back to his works doesn't seem to be a chore. I always like his acting since then, and I could say his acting still kept me interested in his work. Coupled with Zhao Ye (whom I'd seen in Everyone Loves Me and liked), I'd say I enjoyed this drama. The chemistry is there between them two, however sometimes, it seems off as well. I guess maybe it is due to TY having to keep his cold demeanor that somehow he seems quite standoff-ish and affects the feel of chemistry between them. I still like them two together though.

In terms of plot, being a fantasy genre, I guess sometimes things doesn't make much sense, and I would just like to just accept the nonsense and rolled on. lol. There is a reason fantasy genre is just my least favorite genre of all. But all the hero whump dose I get from this drama is definitely my cup of tea. lol. One thing I realized though, TY's costumes are all so beautiful and expensive looking, even from the start when he only sets out in search of his body parts. Coupled with Neo Hao's looks, I'm diggin' it! Guess the production really spoiled him. ZY's outfits are mostly beautiful too, probably only missing out a couple. But the costumes in which they got married was to die for! so beautiful and ethereal. 10/10! Others' not so much though, so I guess the budget goes to the main leads' costumes. lol

Villains in this drama were quite weak tbh. Suying was annoying with her obsession with Luo Musheng but I cannot stand Lingfei erghhhh felt like stepping on her everytime! Fu Yin's face was not that convincing as the ultimate villain and I was admittedly quite bored towards the end of the series, during the Phantom King trope. The SML was ok enough. He brings comedy factor to the story though I was getting annoyed sometimes when he decided to keep the FL to himself out of nowhere. The ending was quite ambiguous to me at first, and I only understood it after lurking around to find explanation in mydramalist lol. OST was quite nice though, and was used quite extensively in a lot of scenes. I remembered I was laughing so hard at a few scenes during watching, but for the life of me, I cant really recall what is it right now. haha.

All in all, definitely worth watching, especially for anyone who loves Neo Hao (or looking for a drama with drop dead ML lol) and Zhao Ye.

Read More

Only good at first

Didn't expect anything from idol drama like this, but I was pleasantly surprised. First 10 episodes were entertaining, storyline was interesting. I binge all 10 episodes in a day. But then I don't understand why, suddenly I feel something changed afterwards. Was the writer/director changed? Anyway, I completely lost interest after episode 17. What I like about this drama were the characters. They were all really complex people, appear tough and strong but with many emotional struggle inside, not just some simple black or white labeled. Unfortunately I feel that the actors didn't convey that well either. It could've been good, so disappointed

Read More

BEAUTIFUL, FUNNY, FAST PACED, LOVED IT!

This has got to be one of the best drama's I've got to watch in 2023 and it was not even marketed! What a pleasant surprise when I stumbled on to it. I'm a big Neo Hou and Zhou Ye fan and the 2 of them were absolutely fabulous together! Great chemistry between the ML & FL!!! I loved them! CGI was so great and showed some really cute creatures (Baby Dragon!!). This drama had such a great pace, I never got bored and was even got disappointed when it had to end. But a very satisfied ending! I hope to see this pairing again and more work from this director. I highly recommend BACK FROM THE BRINK!

Read More

cute

WOO! i loved this drama!!! i really enjoyed the romance of yanhui and tianyao! the drama was also liek super funny throughout (minus the emo end) and i LOVE! plus the “she falls first but he falls harder and now they are soulmates and would die for each other” SO YUM!! i hate how at the end they couldn’t be together tho. i wish they spent more time together. plus like how did she revive… like i need more backstory… they dragged out the dark lord and the evil witch girl TOO LONG. i want my hui hui and yaoyao scenes😭😭😭😭my fav part def has to be when bai ???? was match making them and they had to act all lovey. so cute hehehehe. or when the two of them went into the screen thing to master the ghostly wuology. CUTE! but so many deaths. and i want more with them interaction. BAD KISSES BRO! like 3 maybe but nothing good 😴 ok pretty good tho! a better cdrama!! I LOVE YANHUI!! her character and character development! girl boss. AND HER ACTRESS IS SO PRETTY!! basically the reason i started watching this.

Read More

Best drama

Wow what a drama I guess for some time I would be into ancient era dramas especially having more than 30 episodes how did I finish entire series so soon also script, lead actors,other actors and music and visuals of the drama background wow I enjoyed this drama hope they can make season 2 im not sure was she died before at the last episode then after 15 years how did she came back ? Does she remember everything also where was she all these years ? None of the questions were answered but stil I will give 10 on 10 for this series they made a huge success by executing this drama❤all the best to the team

Read More

Awesome!

What a fantastic journey! Love it so much.. some scenes is just worth rewatching! The chemistry between the leads are just over the top. Wow.

But.. the kissing scenes were badly executed. I mean, i dont know how the direction for kissing done but the kissing scenes were like those old movies where they just touched lips and looked wide-eyed. I am sure the actors can do better than that..perhaps restraint by directors?

But dont get those scenes to put you off.. no.. enjoy the whole story and what a ride. It is such a powerful and sweeping epic. I was a bit sad to reach the end.

A happy but very illogical ending during the last 5 minutes. ..haha.. wish the writers could explain more about the ending. But ok.. i can still move on. 😏😏

Going to find more of ML [Neo Hou Minghao] dramas to watch..he is just sooooo handsome swoonworthy to watch!..am watching A Girl Like Me now.. so far so fun!

Does anyone know his IG, FB or Tiktok handle? Do share!

Read More