This review may contain spoilers
An ambitious epic fantasy transcending time and space
Whispers of Fate is an epic odyssey set in historical fantasy world named Shen Zhou (an ancient alias for China or literally God’s earth). It stars Luo Yunxi as Tang Lici, reluctant hero with mysterious origins.The series opens with a red wedding, a man who looks like Tang Lici crashes a wedding and kills everyone to save the bride. As the story progresses, we realise all is not what it seems in this story where shapeshifters, wizards and necromancers bound. Tang Lici claims not to be a good man, but perhaps he has the purest intentions of all.
(Minor Spoilers Ahead, proceed with care)
To add to the mystery, Tang Lici has partially lost the memories of where he came from. He was found as a naif and adopted by an elder sect brother Fang Zhou who trained and educated him in not just how to harness his indomitable inner power but also the principles of what makes a good person via the teachings in the Three Character Classic. Unfortunately Fang Zhou later dies in mysterious circumstances and fellow disciple Liu Yan discovers this just as Tang Lici is digging out Fang Zhou’s heart.
This is the beginning of the feud between Liu Yan and Tang Lici, the former sect brothers turn deadly enemies. Unable to kill Tang Lici, Liu Yan sets out to destroy his reputation and everyone around him. The tussle between love and hate is visceral for these 2 and as they travel through Shen Zhou outwitting each other. Tang Lici learns more about himself and his origins along with the audience, and ultimately has to make a decision that will change world.
Whispers of Fate is a wildly ambitious and courageous project for a small production company like Otter, casting a lead actor like Luo Yunxi who although widely acclaimed for his talents and very popular in China, does not hail from a talent agency with broadcast company backing, in a big budget extravaganza. The team has created a multi-dimensional world crossing time and space, imagined from a Chinese cultural standpoint, harnessing the talents of alumni from the team’s last international hit Till the End of the Moon (also starring Luo).
The Production and Costume design drew inspiration from different periods of Chinese culture from the Bronze age onwards, and the visual effects team hail from Chinese blockbuster movie The Wandering Earth.
The series echos many familiar fantasy adventure odysseys (some scenes wouldn’t be out of place in Dune or Game of Thrones, but written and designed from a Chinese cultural perspective with Wuxia genre as it’s jumping board, the series constantly delights and intrigues as each episode opens new imaginative realms. Whispers of Fate stands out in Chinese dramas’s sea of period romances and short viral dramas, and i sincerely hope it performs well in its native and international markets. A daring leap like this deserves to be encouraged in order for the drama industry to keep imagining and keep creating.
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