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Demons and humans and their complicated interactions
This show features an imaginative world where demons and humans coexist. The people are as skeptical as we’ve always been, so in a fun reversal of normal dynamics, our protagonists sometimes need to deal with the incredulity of a disbelieving public.
The FL, Banxia, is not particularly smart, strong, skilled, anything- she’s often afraid and needs to be saved. She is, however, very reasonable. I often thought her words, actions, even thoughts and feelings, made perfect sense given her position and abilities, and I agreed with her behavior throughout. All these traits make her relatable and likable. I still didn’t love her, but I found no fault with her- she’s got what she’s got. And she does get braver throughout the show.
As for the ML, Xuanye- I really like his vibe. Even despite his tragic past and impressive abilities, he has this casual, down-to-earth style. He’s not trying to act cool, he just talks and acts like a normal person. Most of the time he looks harassed, but sometimes he also looks flabbergasted, incredulous, exasperated, taken aback, etc. And sometimes he looks genuinely happy. He’s low-key, selfless, and very likable.
The romance between them is done well. It grows naturally, and between Banxia with her healthy communication and secure attachment style and Xuanye avoiding awkward conversations like the plague, it’s not too flowered up or overdone. I also don’t like awkwardness so Xuanye really saved me here. There are still awkward scenes, like with side characters, but they are on purpose for humor and actually funny.
Speaking of funny, I wouldn’t call this a comedy, but there are legit lots of hilarious moments. The humor is incorporated well so it doesn’t feel forced. I never liked slapstick humor and this is sort of the opposite, so it’s not always obvious but that makes it funnier.
As for side characters, this show had quite a few that I really like and who also show up regularly. I think in general the side characters are done well, have personalities and screentime, though I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of them- some of them still get forgotten.
For the plot, some of the story arcs feel a bit drawn out, just going on for too long. I actually watched a lot of the show at 1.25X speed (this also because Banxia talks really slowly). But I think the story arcs get better as the show goes on, and I found the last one very exciting. Some of them made me anxious, but they end up mostly resolving in ways I was satisfied with- the protagonists and I seemed to agree on who is good or bad, and who deserves sympathy. The ending got some hate but I don’t think it’s that bad, see below for more details.
A special shoutout to the world building. I wasn’t always too impressed by the CGI demons, but I think the dynamics of the world are well-done, showing how demons and humans can be both good and bad, and the way prejudice and power dynamics play into their dynamic. The show even does some explaining about how demonkind works, which is pretty cool.
Acting-wise, I really like this role for Allen. Some of his expressions legit made me laugh, and his smile also made me smile. For Song Zuer, I think she’s a pretty good actress, and having the patience to speak that slowly is no small feat. I wasn’t a huge fan of the way her mouth seems to be hanging open a lot (just not the most flattering look?), but small quibble.
I didn’t always love the CGI in this show, but I thought the fighting is quite good, top half of what I’ve seen. It’s excessively acrobatic but the hand-to-hand is actually quite solid. The costumes are alright- I really like Allen’s styling (he looks like he came out of an RPG) but this is not my favorite style for the ladies and I didn’t really like Banxia’s hair. For the music, I liked some of it- maybe one or two of the OSTs and a few of the BGMs- most of it was not my favorite, but okay.
Overall I think this is a pretty good show that I enjoyed watching, though not a masterpiece that I love. I did sag on it a few times but I think it was mostly due to anxiety, and then things ended up resolving alright. It ends up being a good mix of warmth and trauma. I would watch a sequel, though I’d be surprised if we actually got one.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
Ah yes, the famous “sad ending” that everyone keeps ranting about in comments. I honestly don't think it's so bad. Everything works out except the main couple are willingly separated at the end. You can see the wheels turning, though (his dad examining the broken travel pass artifact, Banxia asking for directions, etc).
In more detail: excessively tragic events towards the end are undone for the last two episodes by time reversal. Time reversal is one of my least favorite tropes, but this one is actually pretty well done- everyone seems to be roughly the same person, and the same story arcs still happen in some form. This also gives us 2 episodes of closure to see how many (though not all) of the side characters fare in this redo, which is a nice second chance and wrapup for some of the story arcs (...I am still sad about the little black cat, though).
Plus, there are echoes of the original timeline in the new one. Mainly, Xuanye still remembers everything, which puts him in a heartbreakingly bittersweet situation. Luckily, Banxia regains her memory too, so the two of them get maybe ¾ of an episode to catch up and say goodbye. I do think it’s a bit forced melodrama to tug at heartstrings (cmon, how did that artifact break?) but it’s not bad and leaves the story open to a future reunion.
I did google the “original ending” intended by the writer, and agree it’s much better. In this ending, Xuanye forgets everything after the time reversal, but Banxia regains memory and goes to find him, they defeat enemies together and he also remembers everything again. It’s much better all around from character development and closure points of view, and they totally could have fit in another story arc... but, whatever, we got what we got. Rate a show for what it is, not what it isn’t.
The FL, Banxia, is not particularly smart, strong, skilled, anything- she’s often afraid and needs to be saved. She is, however, very reasonable. I often thought her words, actions, even thoughts and feelings, made perfect sense given her position and abilities, and I agreed with her behavior throughout. All these traits make her relatable and likable. I still didn’t love her, but I found no fault with her- she’s got what she’s got. And she does get braver throughout the show.
As for the ML, Xuanye- I really like his vibe. Even despite his tragic past and impressive abilities, he has this casual, down-to-earth style. He’s not trying to act cool, he just talks and acts like a normal person. Most of the time he looks harassed, but sometimes he also looks flabbergasted, incredulous, exasperated, taken aback, etc. And sometimes he looks genuinely happy. He’s low-key, selfless, and very likable.
The romance between them is done well. It grows naturally, and between Banxia with her healthy communication and secure attachment style and Xuanye avoiding awkward conversations like the plague, it’s not too flowered up or overdone. I also don’t like awkwardness so Xuanye really saved me here. There are still awkward scenes, like with side characters, but they are on purpose for humor and actually funny.
Speaking of funny, I wouldn’t call this a comedy, but there are legit lots of hilarious moments. The humor is incorporated well so it doesn’t feel forced. I never liked slapstick humor and this is sort of the opposite, so it’s not always obvious but that makes it funnier.
As for side characters, this show had quite a few that I really like and who also show up regularly. I think in general the side characters are done well, have personalities and screentime, though I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of them- some of them still get forgotten.
For the plot, some of the story arcs feel a bit drawn out, just going on for too long. I actually watched a lot of the show at 1.25X speed (this also because Banxia talks really slowly). But I think the story arcs get better as the show goes on, and I found the last one very exciting. Some of them made me anxious, but they end up mostly resolving in ways I was satisfied with- the protagonists and I seemed to agree on who is good or bad, and who deserves sympathy. The ending got some hate but I don’t think it’s that bad, see below for more details.
A special shoutout to the world building. I wasn’t always too impressed by the CGI demons, but I think the dynamics of the world are well-done, showing how demons and humans can be both good and bad, and the way prejudice and power dynamics play into their dynamic. The show even does some explaining about how demonkind works, which is pretty cool.
Acting-wise, I really like this role for Allen. Some of his expressions legit made me laugh, and his smile also made me smile. For Song Zuer, I think she’s a pretty good actress, and having the patience to speak that slowly is no small feat. I wasn’t a huge fan of the way her mouth seems to be hanging open a lot (just not the most flattering look?), but small quibble.
I didn’t always love the CGI in this show, but I thought the fighting is quite good, top half of what I’ve seen. It’s excessively acrobatic but the hand-to-hand is actually quite solid. The costumes are alright- I really like Allen’s styling (he looks like he came out of an RPG) but this is not my favorite style for the ladies and I didn’t really like Banxia’s hair. For the music, I liked some of it- maybe one or two of the OSTs and a few of the BGMs- most of it was not my favorite, but okay.
Overall I think this is a pretty good show that I enjoyed watching, though not a masterpiece that I love. I did sag on it a few times but I think it was mostly due to anxiety, and then things ended up resolving alright. It ends up being a good mix of warmth and trauma. I would watch a sequel, though I’d be surprised if we actually got one.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
Ah yes, the famous “sad ending” that everyone keeps ranting about in comments. I honestly don't think it's so bad. Everything works out except the main couple are willingly separated at the end. You can see the wheels turning, though (his dad examining the broken travel pass artifact, Banxia asking for directions, etc).
In more detail: excessively tragic events towards the end are undone for the last two episodes by time reversal. Time reversal is one of my least favorite tropes, but this one is actually pretty well done- everyone seems to be roughly the same person, and the same story arcs still happen in some form. This also gives us 2 episodes of closure to see how many (though not all) of the side characters fare in this redo, which is a nice second chance and wrapup for some of the story arcs (...I am still sad about the little black cat, though).
Plus, there are echoes of the original timeline in the new one. Mainly, Xuanye still remembers everything, which puts him in a heartbreakingly bittersweet situation. Luckily, Banxia regains her memory too, so the two of them get maybe ¾ of an episode to catch up and say goodbye. I do think it’s a bit forced melodrama to tug at heartstrings (cmon, how did that artifact break?) but it’s not bad and leaves the story open to a future reunion.
I did google the “original ending” intended by the writer, and agree it’s much better. In this ending, Xuanye forgets everything after the time reversal, but Banxia regains memory and goes to find him, they defeat enemies together and he also remembers everything again. It’s much better all around from character development and closure points of view, and they totally could have fit in another story arc... but, whatever, we got what we got. Rate a show for what it is, not what it isn’t.
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