Black-and-white morality
First, let me say that I really loved this series. For example, I couldn’t resist all the delightful touches that made Goddess Wu Shuang so mesmerizing: her whips, her mechanical bird, her little purse that would hold an elephant, as well as the (sometimes hilarious) minor characters, such as Zeng Qi, the Tower boat maid who exuded goodness and crossed her eyes when she went over to the dark side, and Qian Lin, the reformed War Demon whose acrobatic fight moves were astonishing. I could name ten or twelve other characters whose stories enriched this drama. I loved the idea of the Tower boat soaring through the skies, the fierce drought dragon, and the toddler who could eat nothing but gold.
In other words, the series is not lacking in imaginative plot twists or details.
The male lead,Yuanzhong, starts out as a grim, grouchy misanthrope with a shriveled soul. Somehow the actor made this unpleasant character likable–partly, I think, by making him honest.
As for the OST, even though this series is 36 episodes long, the music was mostly haunting and beautiful--although to be fair, at times, a bit shrill.
Like many lengthy Chinese series, this one isn’t perfect. It drags now and then. The ending isn’t as clean as it could be (Whatever happened to Zeng Qi? We never find out.)
My main problem with this drama is that it embraces a strict morality of good versus evil–sometimes in the most puerile way. When one of the main characters turns “bad” we know because he’s now dressed in black and has an evil, maniacal laugh. The domain of the gods is depicted in white and soft pastels. Characters seldom engage in reflection or analysis, Punishment (or sometimes torture) is automatically dished out for misbehavior.
Still–I highly recommend this poignant, entertaining (and underrated) series
In other words, the series is not lacking in imaginative plot twists or details.
The male lead,Yuanzhong, starts out as a grim, grouchy misanthrope with a shriveled soul. Somehow the actor made this unpleasant character likable–partly, I think, by making him honest.
As for the OST, even though this series is 36 episodes long, the music was mostly haunting and beautiful--although to be fair, at times, a bit shrill.
Like many lengthy Chinese series, this one isn’t perfect. It drags now and then. The ending isn’t as clean as it could be (Whatever happened to Zeng Qi? We never find out.)
My main problem with this drama is that it embraces a strict morality of good versus evil–sometimes in the most puerile way. When one of the main characters turns “bad” we know because he’s now dressed in black and has an evil, maniacal laugh. The domain of the gods is depicted in white and soft pastels. Characters seldom engage in reflection or analysis, Punishment (or sometimes torture) is automatically dished out for misbehavior.
Still–I highly recommend this poignant, entertaining (and underrated) series
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