This review may contain spoilers
Good until ep 32, then goes downhill in a disapointing way
Gosh, this was one huge disappointment.
This drama started off well, laying a solid foundation and gradually developing genuinely interesting characters—right up until episode 31. But by episode 32, the writers made a questionable choice that pushed the story in the wrong direction. From there, things continued to go from bad to worse.
Poor pacing became an issue —important side characters introduced earlier were suddenly brushed aside, disappearing from the story for long stretches. Meanwhile, the narrative became overly centered on the two main leads for several episodes in a row, leaving the rest of the plot feeling neglected, imbalanced, and uneven.
Then there’s the ultimate villain—so exaggerated and overblown that it disrupted the internal logic of the entire world. In fantasy tales, when you introduce a great evil, there usually needs to be an equally compelling force of good to counterbalance it. That sense of balance was entirely missing.
On top of that, the script was plagued with inconsistencies, contradictions, unanswered questions, and a growing number of weak narrative choices. What began with so much potential ended up being a frustrating and disjointed mess.
------------ Spoiler Alert : Do not read if you haven't watch the Drama yet -----------------
List of weak narrative choices and inconsistencies
Ep 31 - Shi Ying being vague about his true intentions towards Zhu Yan allows a major misunderstanding to take root between them. For someone usually so perceptive and intelligent, all of a sudden, he's become dumb... This feels frustratingly careless.
Ep 32 - Zhu Yan takes the little boy, Sumo, to an untrusted physician without first consulting or even informing Zhi Yuan. Given that Zhi Yuan likely has the knowledge to treat the boy himself—and that both Zhu Yan and Shi Ying are shown later to be capable of healing him—this decision feels illogical.
Ep 32 - Zhi Yuan lies to Shi Ying about the true culprit behind the attack. After working so hard to build peace and earn Shi Ying’s trust, it makes no sense that he wouldn’t come clean immediately—especially about who was truly responsible and the real identity of the Dragon King. Withholding such vital information undermines both his character and the plot.
Ep 32 - Shi Ying prepares a wedding scroll as a gift for Zhu Yan, placing it in a box along with the embroidered scarf and jade pendant. Then, in episode 34, he makes these items disappear under pressure from the Grand Preceptor’s (Da Si Ming) threats against Zhu Yan. Yet when they finally marry in the tower later on, he never gives her these deeply meaningful items. Why? Are we supposed to believe he destroyed them? I doubt he would abandon so easily after all the trouble he went through for her already.
Ep. 35 – Shi Ying takes his own life to atone for killing Zhu Yan’s friend. While the act is meant to be emotional and dramatic, it comes off as unnecessarily extreme. He could have made his point just as powerfully by stabbing himself in a non-lethal way to show remorse—without making it life-threatening. The gesture feels overly theatrical rather than thoughtful.
Ep. 36 – Zhu Yan is repeatedly described by her master as having only average magical talent—yet suddenly, she's able to single-handedly decipher, master, and succeed in casting a long-lost spell (Star Revival Blood Oath) that no one has been able to unlock for millions of years, according to both the Grand Preceptor and Chong Ming. How does that make any sense?
And if this spell has never been successfully used before, how can the Grand Preceptor confidently predict its aftereffects—such as Shi Ying losing all memories after a certain point (“before his soul is fully restored, he will only remember things from before he met you”)? If this is truly uncharted territory, wouldn’t it be more believable for the consequences to be unknown? A simple case of temporary amnesia would have felt far more consistent and coherent.
- The Dragon
Introduced early on as if he would play a significant role in the story—perhaps even something pivotal—but no. After a brief introduction, it vanishes from the plot, only to reappear fleetingly for a minute here and there, giving empty clues such as waiting for a woman from the White Clan (Ep. 17), before disappearing again entirely until Ep. 40. In the end, it serves no real purpose and plays only a vague role in the unfolding events. A completely wasted opportunity, and frankly, pretty disappointing.
Ep 40 - At the end of this episode, Zhu Yan and Shi Ying descend into the abyss to meet the dragon for an important discussion. The scene ends mid-conversation, clearly set to continue in Episode 41. But no! Episode 41 opens with them already elsewhere. We never learn how their conversation with the dragon ended, how they left the abyss, or how they figured out how to find and awaken Zhi Yuan. And the dragon? Never seen again.
- Legendary Hundun Demon (Ep. 8 & 9)
Existed before the creation of heaven and earth. Born from accumulated resentment throughout history. Even emperor Xingzun of the past was also powerless against it.
Ep 43 - If Shi Ying was able to defeat the Legendary Hundun Demon and escape from it successfully back in Episode 9, then why, in the final episode 43, is he unable to destroy or seal Xuyao—even with Zhu Yan’s help and both of them wearing the magical rings? The inconsistency in power levels makes the final confrontation feel underwhelming and poorly justified.
- The ultimate villain (Emperor XingZun / Xuyao - God of destruction)
Introduced in Ep. 2 at the Ice Clan's Hall as a mysterious human figure wearing clothing, a cape, and a mask. We can see he has eyes, and black smoke fumes out of him. Addressed as "Excellency" by the Ice Clan's members.
Ep. 23 reveals he's the late Emperor XingZun, but he gets killed, and some of the black smoke enters a crow.
After that, the ultimate villain comes back and reveals himself to be just a bodyless black cloud.
In any case, how can there be a God of Destruction without a counterbalancing force—a God of Creation or Restoration? In mythological or fantasy-based stories, the balance between opposing forces is crucial. The absence of such a counterpart here leaves the mythology feeling incomplete and the final arc stretched thin—especially with the unnecessary deaths of so many key characters.
- The 2 Relics that are sealed (Houtu Ring + Heavenly Ring )
Their origins, purposes, and unlocking mechanisms remain vague at best, or unexplained at worst. This lack of clarity becomes increasingly frustrating as the plot unfolds.
Ep. 17 - When the emperor's blood is in peril, the Houtu Ring will emerge.
Ep. 18 - We find out the Sacred ring of the Menghua Dynasty is not located in Konsang but in the ruins of the fallen sea Kingdom. Bai Wei sealed the ring. It can't be retrieved by Xuyao. No further details are given.
Ep. 23 - Kriptic explanation: As long as there is chaos and calamity in the world, the Houtu Ring will leave Biluo Sea and return to Kongsang.
Ep. 35 - After Shi Ying's death, the Demon is able to break the seal and take the ring. How or why this is possible remains unclear. Suddenly, a second ring—the Heavenly Divine Ring—is revealed to exist, but again, nothing more is explained about it.
Ep.40 - The demon now possesses both divine rings.
He declares: "With the combined power of the dual rings, I'll destroy the world. I can use the power of the world to instantly annihilate the entire Yunhuang, then lead the Ice clan to establish a new Yunhuang on this wasteland."
He finds out he can't use them because of the Dragon Soul Seal (cast by Bai Wei on Houtu Ring 7000 years ago).
To break the seal, he needs the blood of the Sea Emperor.
Conclusion:
Altogether, these weak narrative choices and unresolved inconsistencies undermine the strength of what initially promised to be a rich, tightly woven fantasy. While The Longest Promise presents compelling themes and emotional moments, its storytelling often falters under the weight of rushed decisions, missing explanations, and character actions that defy logic or previously established traits. These gaps leave the viewer questioning not just the plot, but the internal consistency of the entire world it built.
This drama started off well, laying a solid foundation and gradually developing genuinely interesting characters—right up until episode 31. But by episode 32, the writers made a questionable choice that pushed the story in the wrong direction. From there, things continued to go from bad to worse.
Poor pacing became an issue —important side characters introduced earlier were suddenly brushed aside, disappearing from the story for long stretches. Meanwhile, the narrative became overly centered on the two main leads for several episodes in a row, leaving the rest of the plot feeling neglected, imbalanced, and uneven.
Then there’s the ultimate villain—so exaggerated and overblown that it disrupted the internal logic of the entire world. In fantasy tales, when you introduce a great evil, there usually needs to be an equally compelling force of good to counterbalance it. That sense of balance was entirely missing.
On top of that, the script was plagued with inconsistencies, contradictions, unanswered questions, and a growing number of weak narrative choices. What began with so much potential ended up being a frustrating and disjointed mess.
------------ Spoiler Alert : Do not read if you haven't watch the Drama yet -----------------
List of weak narrative choices and inconsistencies
Ep 31 - Shi Ying being vague about his true intentions towards Zhu Yan allows a major misunderstanding to take root between them. For someone usually so perceptive and intelligent, all of a sudden, he's become dumb... This feels frustratingly careless.
Ep 32 - Zhu Yan takes the little boy, Sumo, to an untrusted physician without first consulting or even informing Zhi Yuan. Given that Zhi Yuan likely has the knowledge to treat the boy himself—and that both Zhu Yan and Shi Ying are shown later to be capable of healing him—this decision feels illogical.
Ep 32 - Zhi Yuan lies to Shi Ying about the true culprit behind the attack. After working so hard to build peace and earn Shi Ying’s trust, it makes no sense that he wouldn’t come clean immediately—especially about who was truly responsible and the real identity of the Dragon King. Withholding such vital information undermines both his character and the plot.
Ep 32 - Shi Ying prepares a wedding scroll as a gift for Zhu Yan, placing it in a box along with the embroidered scarf and jade pendant. Then, in episode 34, he makes these items disappear under pressure from the Grand Preceptor’s (Da Si Ming) threats against Zhu Yan. Yet when they finally marry in the tower later on, he never gives her these deeply meaningful items. Why? Are we supposed to believe he destroyed them? I doubt he would abandon so easily after all the trouble he went through for her already.
Ep. 35 – Shi Ying takes his own life to atone for killing Zhu Yan’s friend. While the act is meant to be emotional and dramatic, it comes off as unnecessarily extreme. He could have made his point just as powerfully by stabbing himself in a non-lethal way to show remorse—without making it life-threatening. The gesture feels overly theatrical rather than thoughtful.
Ep. 36 – Zhu Yan is repeatedly described by her master as having only average magical talent—yet suddenly, she's able to single-handedly decipher, master, and succeed in casting a long-lost spell (Star Revival Blood Oath) that no one has been able to unlock for millions of years, according to both the Grand Preceptor and Chong Ming. How does that make any sense?
And if this spell has never been successfully used before, how can the Grand Preceptor confidently predict its aftereffects—such as Shi Ying losing all memories after a certain point (“before his soul is fully restored, he will only remember things from before he met you”)? If this is truly uncharted territory, wouldn’t it be more believable for the consequences to be unknown? A simple case of temporary amnesia would have felt far more consistent and coherent.
- The Dragon
Introduced early on as if he would play a significant role in the story—perhaps even something pivotal—but no. After a brief introduction, it vanishes from the plot, only to reappear fleetingly for a minute here and there, giving empty clues such as waiting for a woman from the White Clan (Ep. 17), before disappearing again entirely until Ep. 40. In the end, it serves no real purpose and plays only a vague role in the unfolding events. A completely wasted opportunity, and frankly, pretty disappointing.
Ep 40 - At the end of this episode, Zhu Yan and Shi Ying descend into the abyss to meet the dragon for an important discussion. The scene ends mid-conversation, clearly set to continue in Episode 41. But no! Episode 41 opens with them already elsewhere. We never learn how their conversation with the dragon ended, how they left the abyss, or how they figured out how to find and awaken Zhi Yuan. And the dragon? Never seen again.
- Legendary Hundun Demon (Ep. 8 & 9)
Existed before the creation of heaven and earth. Born from accumulated resentment throughout history. Even emperor Xingzun of the past was also powerless against it.
Ep 43 - If Shi Ying was able to defeat the Legendary Hundun Demon and escape from it successfully back in Episode 9, then why, in the final episode 43, is he unable to destroy or seal Xuyao—even with Zhu Yan’s help and both of them wearing the magical rings? The inconsistency in power levels makes the final confrontation feel underwhelming and poorly justified.
- The ultimate villain (Emperor XingZun / Xuyao - God of destruction)
Introduced in Ep. 2 at the Ice Clan's Hall as a mysterious human figure wearing clothing, a cape, and a mask. We can see he has eyes, and black smoke fumes out of him. Addressed as "Excellency" by the Ice Clan's members.
Ep. 23 reveals he's the late Emperor XingZun, but he gets killed, and some of the black smoke enters a crow.
After that, the ultimate villain comes back and reveals himself to be just a bodyless black cloud.
In any case, how can there be a God of Destruction without a counterbalancing force—a God of Creation or Restoration? In mythological or fantasy-based stories, the balance between opposing forces is crucial. The absence of such a counterpart here leaves the mythology feeling incomplete and the final arc stretched thin—especially with the unnecessary deaths of so many key characters.
- The 2 Relics that are sealed (Houtu Ring + Heavenly Ring )
Their origins, purposes, and unlocking mechanisms remain vague at best, or unexplained at worst. This lack of clarity becomes increasingly frustrating as the plot unfolds.
Ep. 17 - When the emperor's blood is in peril, the Houtu Ring will emerge.
Ep. 18 - We find out the Sacred ring of the Menghua Dynasty is not located in Konsang but in the ruins of the fallen sea Kingdom. Bai Wei sealed the ring. It can't be retrieved by Xuyao. No further details are given.
Ep. 23 - Kriptic explanation: As long as there is chaos and calamity in the world, the Houtu Ring will leave Biluo Sea and return to Kongsang.
Ep. 35 - After Shi Ying's death, the Demon is able to break the seal and take the ring. How or why this is possible remains unclear. Suddenly, a second ring—the Heavenly Divine Ring—is revealed to exist, but again, nothing more is explained about it.
Ep.40 - The demon now possesses both divine rings.
He declares: "With the combined power of the dual rings, I'll destroy the world. I can use the power of the world to instantly annihilate the entire Yunhuang, then lead the Ice clan to establish a new Yunhuang on this wasteland."
He finds out he can't use them because of the Dragon Soul Seal (cast by Bai Wei on Houtu Ring 7000 years ago).
To break the seal, he needs the blood of the Sea Emperor.
Conclusion:
Altogether, these weak narrative choices and unresolved inconsistencies undermine the strength of what initially promised to be a rich, tightly woven fantasy. While The Longest Promise presents compelling themes and emotional moments, its storytelling often falters under the weight of rushed decisions, missing explanations, and character actions that defy logic or previously established traits. These gaps leave the viewer questioning not just the plot, but the internal consistency of the entire world it built.
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