Aryael

Most handsome: Baili Dong Jun
Most characteristic/ complex character: Ye Ding Zhi
Most OP: Li Chang Shen or Nang Gong Chun Shui
This is the background story of Baili Dong Jun but I feel Ye Ding Zhi is also the main lead because it is Ye Ding Zhi's story that pushes and shapes Baili Dong Jun's story. Without Ye Ding Zhi, Baili Dong Jun's story would be pretty dull and one dimensional. Born privileged, born talented, lives a life of no worries....this sort of character would have no story to tell if he doesn't have a close friend who had a tragic childhood, born talented but lived a life of struggles and tragedies. This pretty much sums up this drama.

Now it's another waiting game for S3...

It is just my personal preference that I like obsessive MLs and not the sort that are passive-aggressive. I like men who are very clear and certain of what they want and who they like - not hesitate here and there. I also dislike woman chasing after the man because when it comes to relationship, I prefer that the man be the one doing the majority of the chasing: - the woman can give hints and play push-and-pull, but the man must be firm and steadfast and persistent. Hence, in my perspective, the woman did the heavy lifting (the chasing) the most in this drama while the man is the passive one playing push-pull; totally opposite to what I like. I also prefer that the woman's status and ability matches the man's. I think the rich man, working-class woman troupe is overused. Why can't it be a working class man and a rich woman or both are rich or both are working class? If ML and FL roles are reversed in this drama, then that would suit my taste better.

It is not mindset per se but personal preference. I do not like the "Cinderella type" romance stories or any dramas where the romance depicts a woman being lesser than a man or needing a man's help. I actually like stories where the woman is very capable and the man is the one being obsessed with the woman and going all out to get her while she remains unmoved and having other good options as well. Such romance dramas are very rare though.

Passable; not the best modern Chinese rom-com out there. Personally, I dislike the ML's character and feel that the FL is constantly the person doing the heavy-lifting in the relationship. I also dislike the ML's indecisiveness towards the matters of the heart. If you are like me who likes a male-chases-after-female-first setting, reverse harem, power of the relationship in the hand of the FL where the ML does the heavy-lifting in the relationship, possessive ML but lukewarm FL or just like a romance that gives you as a woman, the feeling of being pursued, then this is not the drama for you.

They should have stuck to the original plan of releasing 24 eps instead of prolonging into 30 eps. Short and sweet and end at marriage is the best, but they just have to add in all the etc etc etc and that spoilt the drama. Moreover, the directing and editing after ep20 became erratic and not well done - as if it was rushed. The scenes do not move smoothly into each other, making the acting look awkward. Because of all the nonsense in the 20ish eps, my rating for this drama dropped significantly.

Quite a disappointment but if you do not have anything amazing to watch or just wanna ogle Neo Hou, then it's still worthy of your time. Just don't have too high an expectation. It started of well but gradually lost its pace. New characters and plotlines added in to prolong the story, but the added plotlines are quite weak. They are more like fillers. ML & FL acting is mediocre, despite their good looks. They started off pretty stiff but towards the end, warmed up a bit, but it's still quite obvious that they need more experience to hone their acting skills. Chemistry so-so. Minimal skinship and kissing. Basically, this is a product for the fans, not for the Chinese Oscars.

Oh, yeah!

9/10. Like brevity of this drama compared to other xianxia series that always run into the 50+ episodes. Straightforward, no unnecessary parts.

Good fun and excellent OSTs!

I can't pinpoint exactly what went wrong, but I feel the drama missed hitting that "Wow!" factor that will take it to a 9 to 10/10 rating. It hovers between a 7.5 to an 8 on a good episode. It's a safe product but it could have been better. Was it how the entire drama was put together or was it the lack of sizzling chemistry between the leads or was it how the characters were interpreted or was it the directing and editing? The drama gives off a feeling of adequacy. You can't really point out inadequacies (e.g., acting was ok, story was ok, characterization was ok, costumes were ok etc) but you are left feeling it could have been better. All I know is this is not the best product of both the male and female leads. This drama might still make some waves for a couple years or so due to the very famous names involved but I doubt it will still be in people's minds 7-10 years down the road. Good enough but unmemorable.

They are trying to delay the ending by adding in stories that do not exist in the novel plus flash backs. Even the fox princess and fox clan do not exist in the novel. It's a poor attempt to introduce a love triangle to a story that originally do not have any love triangles. Additional scenes and characters include the story about the heavenly emperor, the mountain ranges and the evil existence that gave Ning Qing his powers. In the novel, Ning Qing was naturally powerful and talented but he was immortal due to an artifact his teacher gave him to protect him from harm. Later, when Yun He fought him while trying to free Chang Yi from Shunde, she was possessed by his master and his master took back the artifact which rendered him mortal- hence, Yun He could kill him. Shunde became powerful because she refined the power of a demon (Qing Ji) and a demon master (Cheng Yu) and became half demon and half demon master like Yun He. I guess they dropped this premise and introduced a mysterious evil power as the source of Shunde's power in the drama. They also kept Lin Shu alive. In the novel, he died when he rescued Qing Ji. He was never revived.

So much delay. Actually the story could have concluded at 30 eps in total. It's a pretty straightforward story. The turning point towards the finale is when Ah Ji revealed her true face when trying to save the merman and she remembered her past. From then on, it's a domino effect where Chang Yi get caught by Shunde and tortured and Shunde revealed how Yun He did not betray him to torment him (the truth is out!); Yun He went to rescue Chang Yi, fought Ning Qing and managed to mortally wound him to escape with Chang Yi ; a final showdown with Shunde where Yun He sacrificed herself to trap Shunde in the hot lava (actually Yun He sacrificed half of her cultivation to create another her); and the novel ends with Chang Yi leaving with Yun He for the east seas where they learned that his tail was restored. I saw spoilers that Shunde will kill Lin Hao Qing in the drama, but in the novel Lin Hao Qing survived till the end. He was the one who taught Yun He how to create another her from half of her cultivation (the vital turning point in the final battle against Shunde). So I am guessing that they will be changing the final battle scene on how Shunde is killed.

Perfect ending.

XFN understood ZK's struggles and empathized with him, but he said one sentence that summed up why ZK is doomed to fail: "But I never plotted for the world to be thrown into chaos." It doesn't matter how hard one strives to succeed in life, but if your starting point (aim) is wrong, every path you take will lead down to the path of failure. ZK shouldn't have plotted to succeed by throwing the world into chaos. That is not how a future leader should think. He may dream of great power but he is not leader/emperor material. The father of the nation/ emperor should always think and plan for the greater good of the nation/people, not for himself. Because his intention is wrong, all his bemoaning of his bad fate (e.g., being the emperor's illegitimate child, XFN's good birth and good luck in life etc) becomes nothing more than excuses for his failures; therefore he does not deserve to be sympathized. Too bad ZK couldn't understand this. He couldn't see past his bad birth and luck, thinking that that's the reason why he failed. XFN understood it wasn't about how hard one try to succeed despite circumstances but what sort of character a person is and his aim in life, hence XFN is the winner.

I've loved ZRY'S acting since Wu Xin & Novoland and I've loved HJ's acting since DGSD 2003. HJ was one of my most favourite Qiao Feng ever! I can't wait to watch their acting in this drama.

Strong Joy of Life vibes but with wuxia elements. Love it! Can't wait for it to start. Perhaps a good appetizer before JOL 2 graces our screens.

Appropriate endings for all.

This is the Chinese version of a Thai slap-kiss drama. If you like abusive relationships and get your kicks from watching a guy treat a woman badly, rape her and then treat her well and then badly again - like a vicious cycle of hot and cold, you will like this drama. You will also like this drama if you like watching a man acting like a coward when it comes to love and keep pushing a woman away. Also be prepared to get caught in a prolonged cycle of push and pull that gets old in the middle with repetitive scenes of man pushing, woman getting drunk, man picked her up and confess only when she's out drunk, then send her away only to have the woman return and express her love to the man and the man repeat the whole cycle again. It's like the writer ran out of ideas for a drama with over 40 eps. Frustrated? Sad? Angry? Happy? None of those. It's just bad writing.

4th prince and 14th prince in a drama together. This time, the "throne" up for grabs is the hotel ownership. Jokes aside... this drama is surprisingly good so far (Ep. 9). If you like a drama where the FL can stand on her own two feet, decisive and does not require men to come to her rescue; the ML is not an arrogant and cold CEO type; and both FL and ML are rational, mature, hardworking, career-minded people, then this is the drama for you.

The drama adaptation to GM's "You're my glory" is spot on! It follows the novel closely with some additional scenes that add to the value of the drama. The ending is simply glorious. Highly recommended for those who are after a sweet romantic drama but are tired of the usual arrogant CEO - struggling woman genre.