1
This review may contain spoilers
Really great.. until it became just good.
Before watching the drama, I managed to read about 80% of the novel. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it; on the contrary, I enjoyed it a lot. However, life got in the way. When I finally started watching the drama, I was very happy. I found both the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL) engaging, and their chemistry was great. Their portrayals of the characters from the novel felt authentic to me. I was content—until I wasn’t.
When the female lead lost her memories, I felt something was missing. I thought about what it was and realized that the characters in the novel and the drama no longer felt the same. The male lead came across as too soft; in the novel, he was ruthless and merciless, with only one soft spot—her. Then, when she left for 18 years in the demon realm, I felt a disconnect. The drama didn’t make that transition smooth enough. Some important moments that needed time for proper explanation felt rushed, while other scenes that didn’t require as much time dragged on.
The black snake, who was initially naive and had no idea how to be human, transformed into a character I no longer cared about.
This highlights an ongoing issue in Chinese entertainment. Since restrictions were imposed to limit episodes to 40, many dramas have been reduced well below that number. The average episode length has also dropped from 60 minutes to around 40 minutes. This results in fewer episodes overall, cutting out precious time that could have allowed the story to develop more fully.
The last few episodes feel rushed. They have been excessively shortened or not developed enough, making it seem like we are hastily racing to the conclusion. I feel overwhelmed by the speed of it all.
Additionally, the CGI has become repetitive. I've seen many scenes—like the valleys, palaces, and soul palace—repeatedly. While it was impressive in the first 6 to 8 episodes, nothing has wowed me since then.
Although I feel a bit disappointed, I still consider the drama to be solid and enjoyable, mainly due to the performances of the main leads. I think I would have dropped the show if it weren't for their acting. I was happy to see Arthur Chen expressing love and emotions, rather than just portraying his usual taciturn, arrogant, and secretive character. I love deep male voices, and his is music to my ears! 😆
Production made a great effort on the OST. I think I will buy the CD, which is a testament to how much I loved it. I enjoyed the costumes, hairstyles, and makeup—they were just right.
With just a few episodes left, I hope it improves. I plan to return to this review to share my final thoughts. Meanwhile, I will try to finish the novel.
***
Youku, you little scoundrel! You took my money again to watch the final three episodes, and what can I say? The drama and the novel did not end the same way, as expected. It seems that Chinese censorship only allows transmigration if the hero or heroine returns to modern times. For me it is a bittersweet ending. They meet in modern times but yet again he has no memories from his 2 previous lives. What a disappointment!
There were many disappointments, primarily due to the excessive cutting of scenes. Characters often appeared without proper introduction, and their relationships did not develop adequately. As a result, the final episodes lacked coherence. Although it was intended to be a romance, the couple barely shared a kiss because of strict censorship. I give it a final rating of 8 out of 10, but I only awarded this score because I liked the main leads; they had great chemistry and demonstrated strong acting skills. This rating is my discontent about cutting so much (twice) that the original script felt rushed and cringy. This drama could have been significantly improved with 40 episodes, each one hour long.
There will be no season 2. It clearly states ‘the end’ at the conclusion of episode 33. I am okay with that.
My conclusion is simple: read the novel!!
https://wordrain69.com/manga/dedicated-salted-fish-of-master/chapter-1/
When the female lead lost her memories, I felt something was missing. I thought about what it was and realized that the characters in the novel and the drama no longer felt the same. The male lead came across as too soft; in the novel, he was ruthless and merciless, with only one soft spot—her. Then, when she left for 18 years in the demon realm, I felt a disconnect. The drama didn’t make that transition smooth enough. Some important moments that needed time for proper explanation felt rushed, while other scenes that didn’t require as much time dragged on.
The black snake, who was initially naive and had no idea how to be human, transformed into a character I no longer cared about.
This highlights an ongoing issue in Chinese entertainment. Since restrictions were imposed to limit episodes to 40, many dramas have been reduced well below that number. The average episode length has also dropped from 60 minutes to around 40 minutes. This results in fewer episodes overall, cutting out precious time that could have allowed the story to develop more fully.
The last few episodes feel rushed. They have been excessively shortened or not developed enough, making it seem like we are hastily racing to the conclusion. I feel overwhelmed by the speed of it all.
Additionally, the CGI has become repetitive. I've seen many scenes—like the valleys, palaces, and soul palace—repeatedly. While it was impressive in the first 6 to 8 episodes, nothing has wowed me since then.
Although I feel a bit disappointed, I still consider the drama to be solid and enjoyable, mainly due to the performances of the main leads. I think I would have dropped the show if it weren't for their acting. I was happy to see Arthur Chen expressing love and emotions, rather than just portraying his usual taciturn, arrogant, and secretive character. I love deep male voices, and his is music to my ears! 😆
Production made a great effort on the OST. I think I will buy the CD, which is a testament to how much I loved it. I enjoyed the costumes, hairstyles, and makeup—they were just right.
With just a few episodes left, I hope it improves. I plan to return to this review to share my final thoughts. Meanwhile, I will try to finish the novel.
***
Youku, you little scoundrel! You took my money again to watch the final three episodes, and what can I say? The drama and the novel did not end the same way, as expected. It seems that Chinese censorship only allows transmigration if the hero or heroine returns to modern times. For me it is a bittersweet ending. They meet in modern times but yet again he has no memories from his 2 previous lives. What a disappointment!
There were many disappointments, primarily due to the excessive cutting of scenes. Characters often appeared without proper introduction, and their relationships did not develop adequately. As a result, the final episodes lacked coherence. Although it was intended to be a romance, the couple barely shared a kiss because of strict censorship. I give it a final rating of 8 out of 10, but I only awarded this score because I liked the main leads; they had great chemistry and demonstrated strong acting skills. This rating is my discontent about cutting so much (twice) that the original script felt rushed and cringy. This drama could have been significantly improved with 40 episodes, each one hour long.
There will be no season 2. It clearly states ‘the end’ at the conclusion of episode 33. I am okay with that.
My conclusion is simple: read the novel!!
https://wordrain69.com/manga/dedicated-salted-fish-of-master/chapter-1/
Was this review helpful to you?
