BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
It has a great cast and backgrounds and environments are excellent. What isn't? The plot and story. At first it was great. I really enjoyed the first 5 or so episodes. But then... NOTHING SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING. I started getting bored around episode 15 and after that everything became so much more frustrating.If the writers couldn't write a plot, they could at least have shaved it down to half of the episodes so it was more compact and didn't drag on too much. It's funny because it simultaneously mocks terrible plots and is one at the same time. I've watched similar shows before, it can be done well. How not to do it well? Have the characters just lounge around going to parties and stuff where NOTHING HAPPENS.
WHYYYYYYYY?!
There's also issues with the characters. Other than the ML mostly EVERYONE IS STUPID. And the second FL? I hate her guts because WARNING!!!! The second FL attempts to s*x**lly assault the ML! (That doesn't count as a spoiler, right? Just a warning?) WHAT?! And the main FL was great up until around episode 14 or 15. She wants to do good... but she's like "let's kill x!" SHE NEVER LEARNS.
I just couldn't take how STUPID all but two - and then went down to ONE - were being. AHHHHHHH!!!
SOMEONE get the producers to write a fix it for this!!!! PLEASE!!!! (Actually that could be pretty cool. A transported to another world inside of a transported to another world).
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Not what I expected
Going into it, I was expecting something similar to Guardians of Dafeng in the sense of humour, pacing, and action. I was met with something different. This is a film that can sit by itself, though it would be hard to follow along if you didn't know the lore of Guardians of Dafeng.This is a quiet movie about struggle. The ending made the difference of how I viewed it - from a 7 star rating to an 8.5.
There were a few things that I was a bit confused about, namely when it was set. And if I remember Guardians of Dafeng correctly, this film might have created plot holes regarding where characters were and when.
If there ever is a series sequel to Guardians of Dafeng, I will be even more excited to watch it just because of a certain character in this I will be looking forward to seeing.
GREAT acting.
GREAT cast!!!
No Dylan Wang cameo, so don't be disappointed.
A beautiful story. 8.5 stars just because of the ending. I bust into tears.
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A Weird Mix of Good Writing and Terrible Writing
I am really disappointed in this drama it could have been so much better. The mortal sets commonly looked lived in but the heavenly realm looked bare and - well - like they were lying about the amount of people there. It felt low budget when they weren't in the moral world. And the Marriage Pavilion? Where does everyone work exactly usually? I know we get a few scenes of them working but a lot of the time their "workplace" is empty. Where are they working then?Okay maybe I expect too much fantasy realism and immersivity.
I dropped this a few times but kept coming back to it until now. I just couldn't forget it and the reason is that there are sparks of charm and good writing in this amongst the terrible writing. I was undecided on what to do with this for so long because of it.
STORY
In some parts the writers did a good job. The emotion hits well and the story feels immersive... And then you get slapped in the face by the sometimes fake emotion. Suddenly nothing had any emotional weight or real consequences to the characters. I was left confused and disappointed. I grew to hate a lot of the Heavenly realm scenes because the characters felt bland. It didn't feel lived in and it was like all emotion was an act. And then you'd go back to the mortal realm and it would be almost polar opposite at times.
It started getting good again around episode 26. I don't have much hope for the story after episode 35 though. I think I've seen the peak. I can guess where it's going from spoiler clips and the situation. I don't want to watch anymore.
There's also a plot hole created around episode 30 regarding spiritual power. If you watch it and spot it, you'll get what I mean.
CHARACTERS
Until around episode 26 I thought the FL was annoying. Her character felt inconsistent and whiny. She couldn't do anything herself. She kept trying to pout and act cute... and she looked like an ill-behaved child the parents were ashamed of. The reason I kept dropping this was partially because of her... And then it reached a certain arc and suddenly the character was awesome! Well, at least in comparison. It's a shame it feels like she reverted back after, though.
The ML felt like a cardboard cut out in a lot of the heavenly realm scenes in like the first half of the series. He kept going "Hmmm?" to get people to back off. And then in other scenes and arcs he was a great character.
ACTING & ACTORS
I feel sorry for Yang Chao Yue having been given this kind of whiny character. The only issue is when she tries to cry or talk when crying. A lot of the time it is obviously an act. It's a shame.
There are certain moments where Ding Yu Xi shines but I also think he could have been given a better character.
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Not quite right
Let's be honest. I loved this at first - well, maybe love is a too strong a word. It was a breath of fresh air after struggling to watch a bunch of shows. That is until the writing kept going downhill. The acting and music didn't help.Don't get me wrong, they're good actors but I feel like they've been used wrong. I feel like if the director had directed them better the show would have been a lot better.
As for the story... Ugh. It was good and it had potential but seriously, they should have done another draft of the script. The "real" moments felt theatrical. Nothing felt real. As I kept watching I began to become less and less immersed. I started skipping scenes... and soon found myself using the arrow button too much (to skip scenes).
It had potential. The costumes, idea, and sets are all great it's just a mess. It's a shame.
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I LOVE IT!!!!
At first I wasn't sure whether I would like this. This is different to a lot of c dramas I have watched but I quickly fell in love with this series. It has the perfect blend of amazing characters, great acting from Dylan Wang, immersive scenes & effects, and mystery. Without the silly moments which add charm to this series, this would be much much darker and the darker moments wouldn't have as much weight.This was a great watch. I stayed up a few nights just to continue watching. I REALLY want a season 2 with another lot of 40 episodes. And I can't wait for Guardians of Dafeng: No One Like Me.
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BIG DISAPPOINTMENT but the acting and cast are excellent.
There is no plot. Why is the ML out for revenge (which is told in the first episode)? We don't know. I watched 11 episodes and BARELY ANYTHING seems to have happened. They're just jumping from one place to another with a kinda-motive.I watched the first few episodes with !..25x speed by accident and only barely kept watching. I kept thinking that SOMETHING would happen. It's such a shame. If there was plot this would have been epic. Especially because it's got Dylan Wang which is a great actor and the other cast members seem to do well, too, there's just no way they could show the emotional range in this drama.
I would recommend this to people who just want a slow romance and doesn't care about plot.
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Pointless and So Many Questions
I started this hoping for a good mini drama. What I got was a meaningless plot. I started to get so frustrated with the FL and the ML.Why is the FL in those tacky "posh" clothes in Modern Day? Who is she? Why is she concerned about someone in the past? Why? We don't get an answer. If it had a greater theme/idea I would have been okay with it but nope, nothing.
What are they investigating? They're investigating something but it seems to be endless and pointless. What clued the ML into that house? Dunno.
Why does the FL ACT LIKE THAT?! She's like "I'm going to investigate!" but she wanders around endlessly and just gets in trouble.
Okay, the ML has a crush on FL I'm guessing???? Okay. But like there's no romance. There's just cliché physical closeness scenes. There's no reason for them to like each other.
I felt tired watching this. It's a shame I wanted to like it but I just couldn't.
NOTHING happens.
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I wish the story was better there was no logic.
It feels like the writer thought that in ancient times everyone was stupid - they weren't. This follows those dramas that keep saying "Look at how stupid they were! Modern day is supreme!" It's kinda disrespectful. True, they didn't follow scientific practice but they were in no way stupid.This drama lacked any type of story. It felt like it was the first draft. They should have given the actors better dialogue and run through the script a few more times. This had the potential to be really good, but it was ruined by sloppy writing. It also doesn't look that good visually. Where is the contract in lighting?
I think the writers should watch shows like Fated Hearts, Veil of Shadows, and Prisoner of Beauty on how to light the set up. They also should take pointers on other popular shows on how to write well.
It's a shame. This could have been good.
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DO NOT WATCH - It's a waste of time
I came into it excited for another wuxia romance drama and found complete and utter trash. A bunch of people are fighting for this thing - okay - but it's purely executed. You don't get attached to any of the characters. You don't get to digest the world around you - it gets spat in your face and your like "Huh? Okay. Let's uh continue." So you come away with a vague idea but you don't care about ANYTHING.It is pointless to watch.
1/10 only because I couldn't do 0/10
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The FL's Actor is terrible at acting
The FL's actor was really annoying. The set clothing felt unrealistic. They should have at least given the FL better dialogue so she wasn't as annoying. It had a lot of potential, it's a shame.If there's ever a remake, I think they should change the FL's actor. She felt like the same character from Love You Seven Times. She was barely bearable in that. Where is her acting? It felt like her dialogue was that of a child. The actors needed better direction.
The lighting was off, too. I know it's hard to find a series that looks good visually anymore, but come on! Where are the shadows?! Where is the contrast?! If you can't make the story good, at least make it look visually appealing. Take pointers from Veil of Shadows. Look how visually appealing it is sometimes! And Fated Hearts! That looked good too!
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