lilmeow

When a lot of people are raving about chemistry, I find that usually means the show has lots of spicy scenes. Definitely the spice level is above average here (although it’s still a Cdrama which can only go so far); the first episode is the most explicit, probably as a hook, but there is still tons of making out in the rest of the show. Kissing is, after all, a MEDICAL NECESSITY here- frequent makeout sessions are absolutely required! Well, sometimes they seem to forget this and are just making out for fun.

That aside, for those of us who want more than senseless sensuality, does this show deliver?

I liked the beginning (<10 eps) the best, where there is a bit about the dragon (ML) trying to function in human society. The sense of humor is raunchier than average as he tries to figure out how to romance a girl and get laid with consent. For some reason, I thought of a socially maladjusted teenage boy who just hit puberty but doesn’t understand social constraints. It might be more charitable to say that he imprinted on her (later it’s explicitly said that he craves intimacy with her due to their bond), or that he’s lonely and wants connection. But definitely at the beginning the show is playing up his attempts to get some action for laughs, which I thought was pretty funny if unusual for a Cdrama.

Beyond that, it’s quite sweet how he loves her unconditionally and never blames her, and will still protect her even when she breaks his heart. I don’t normally like overdevoted MLs like this (too one-dimensional), but things somehow feel different when he’s not human. Dragon emotions are less complicated and selfish- it makes instinctual sense to me, maybe like a puppy’s unconditional love. As for the FL, she’s not bad (smart, strong, reasonable, makes some mistakes), though I wouldn’t necessarily say she “deserves” such divine devotion. I don’t know that anyone would. But that’s not really an issue here because it’s just their bond that made him imprint on her like this, so I was fine with this setup too.

Besides the dynamics of their relationship, the show also follows some political intrigue as the FL and her sister try to take down enemies and get justice for themselves and others. The villains are cartoonishly bad and easy to hate. I wasn’t fully captivated by these plotlines, but they aren’t bad and help focus the story. The show is not long and things happen at a decent pace, balancing action with sweetness, without dragging too much. The FL’s sister, btw, is spunky with pluck and no verbal filter, and the second relationship is quite cute. So there are at least a couple of likable side characters there, and some girl power overtones of women wanting to stand on their own worth.

I’d say that I cared more about the leads’ relationship than about the external plotlines, but I also wasn’t too into the generic romance stuff that takes over in the second half of the show. I would have preferred to see more relationship-building and meaningful interactions rather than just hugs, kisses, grand declarations, and tears. I also feel like the FL doesn’t do that much for the dragon (besides sleep with him), whereas he does a lot for her. And also, there are some world-building inconsistencies and plot expediencies. So I did have these problems with the show, but the show itself is so quick that I still overall stayed interested to the end. Plus it maintains some comedic elements all the way through which I always appreciate.

The acting is decent, though it didn’t really stand out to me. The two leads are pretty good kissers. I can just imagine the casting crew reviewing tons of footage of different actors kissing to decide who to cast, maybe the most important factor for this show!

The production is also pretty good. Styling is not bad, and I thought the sets look nice. There are a lot of extras for a show of this length. I also rather like the music; the OST has a number of nice songs and the background music also stood out a few times. I saw a lot of comments about the apparently liberal use of AI in this show, with some people thinking it’s the right way to integrate AI while others dislike any AI at all. To me it seemed like just frequent use of decent-quality CGI; it neither wowed nor offended me.

Overall this is a cute little show with lots of kisses and some fun fantastical elements. It’s mostly a romance but has enough beyond that that I enjoyed watching it, though if it were any longer I might have enjoyed it less. By the way, interesting choice to use the word “loong” in the title (and the subtitles I saw). Long2 (龍 / 龙) is just a dragon. A flood dragon (jiao or jiaolong 蛟龍) is a different kind of dragon, maybe like a different species.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





The ending is happy, if not fully thought through. To begin with, this whole thing about a god giving it all up for a human is typical but honestly wrong choice imho... she will die in the blink of an eye, and where does that leave him? But to be fair, the terms of that spirit-scattering process are unclear (does he lose his magic etc) and in the end it doesn’t matter, because it all falls apart only to be saved by *magic*. So I am glad it’s a happy ending, though I am quite unclear about what kind of state that leaves the dragon in at the end, and also vaguely wonder what happened to Grandpa Dragon.