This review may contain spoilers
Delightful Zone of Chuckles and Feels
This drama had me cackling most of the time. It’s a neat balance of funny, dramatic and serious. But for me, the funny outweighed most of the other things.
A modern day goody-two-shoes FL gets sucked into a fantasy web novel after leaving a stinging review. On that note, I feel I’d better be careful when I review dramas unfavourably. Who knows! Anyhoo. She gets sucked into the fantasy world but the catch is she becomes a character who is evil, selfish and cruel. Our FL is obviously quite the opposite so she has to correct the past actions of her vile version and figure out a way to return to the reality. She is asked to complete levels to come out. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is her journey through that world, where she makes friends, meets her love, learns magic and eventually helps defeat the real evil. She is accompanied by the ML who has some dangerous secrets, his sister who is a real sweetheart, an upright, skilled magician-fighter and a cute little demon. What enfolds is a hilarious and heartwarming magical story.
The story sounds tropey. But it never takes itself too seriously; except maybe at the end. The script is tight, except a few episodes which I felt were rather too stretched. The whole Marquess and the wedding fiasco took a lot more screen space than it deserved, although the whole thing was farcically hilarious. Similarly the whole finding Mu Sheng’s mother adventure could have been wrapped a bit faster. But apart from these minor flaws the story and screenplay are pretty controlled. Romance is secondary here. It’s there but it’s more like background music. It’s not the focal point.
The CGI could have been better. Some props were so obviously fake that it gave me the feel of watching an old classic. In today’s tech world, it’s an uncomfortable pill to swallow but the cast and direction more than make up for it.
Ding Yuxi has already established how talented he is. His Mu Sheng is a perfect ML with a right mix of bratty and brave. He is devoted to his sister which makes him suspicious of everybody who tries to get closer to her. He is touched by the thoughtfulness of modified version of Lin Yu but that does not make him lower his guard. She has to earn his trust through her actions. DYX has depicted Mu Sheng’s swagger and vulnerability right on the spot.
But the star of this show for me was Esther Yu. Her Miao Miao is to die for. She is hilariously goofy with high EQ. She is so relatable. Her innocence, bravery, loyalty, goofiness as well as smartness come alive under EY’s craft. Miao Miao never loses the sight of her goal of returning to the reality but in the moment of need, she is ready to sacrifice it for her friends. She is emotionally intelligent to understand Mu Sheng’s dilemma but at the same time clueless to the Marquees’s fanboy. Esther has done a fantastic job here. I simply loved her Lin Yu / Miao Miao.
The supporting cast has done pretty solid too. Zu ShunDan’s Mu Yao is kindness and sweetness personified. Yang Shi Ze’s Fu Yi is so righteous and morally upright that he is borderline boring. Shout out to little Cui Cui. So darn cute.
Direction is on target. All little touches like when Lin Yu automatically starts to kneel down with others in front of Mu Sheng make the drama what it is. Full marks there.
The final battle with the main antagonist was a bit of let down for me. I was also slightly confused by the whole Mu Sheng’s mom turning into the Resentful Woman thingie. The Resentful Woman was established as some big bogeyman from the beginning that her end was a bit underwhelming for me. Also the end of building a sky ladder was slightly stretched than necessary. But again, these were minor detractors. They did not diminish my fun in any way.
All in all, this is a fun drama. A solid green in my entertainment ledger. The humor lands, the heart is real, and despite some wobbly CGI and a few stretched arcs, the cast carries the story with charm and commitment. If you’re looking for a fantasy romp that balances laughs and feels without taking itself too seriously, this one’s an easy pick.
A modern day goody-two-shoes FL gets sucked into a fantasy web novel after leaving a stinging review. On that note, I feel I’d better be careful when I review dramas unfavourably. Who knows! Anyhoo. She gets sucked into the fantasy world but the catch is she becomes a character who is evil, selfish and cruel. Our FL is obviously quite the opposite so she has to correct the past actions of her vile version and figure out a way to return to the reality. She is asked to complete levels to come out. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is her journey through that world, where she makes friends, meets her love, learns magic and eventually helps defeat the real evil. She is accompanied by the ML who has some dangerous secrets, his sister who is a real sweetheart, an upright, skilled magician-fighter and a cute little demon. What enfolds is a hilarious and heartwarming magical story.
The story sounds tropey. But it never takes itself too seriously; except maybe at the end. The script is tight, except a few episodes which I felt were rather too stretched. The whole Marquess and the wedding fiasco took a lot more screen space than it deserved, although the whole thing was farcically hilarious. Similarly the whole finding Mu Sheng’s mother adventure could have been wrapped a bit faster. But apart from these minor flaws the story and screenplay are pretty controlled. Romance is secondary here. It’s there but it’s more like background music. It’s not the focal point.
The CGI could have been better. Some props were so obviously fake that it gave me the feel of watching an old classic. In today’s tech world, it’s an uncomfortable pill to swallow but the cast and direction more than make up for it.
Ding Yuxi has already established how talented he is. His Mu Sheng is a perfect ML with a right mix of bratty and brave. He is devoted to his sister which makes him suspicious of everybody who tries to get closer to her. He is touched by the thoughtfulness of modified version of Lin Yu but that does not make him lower his guard. She has to earn his trust through her actions. DYX has depicted Mu Sheng’s swagger and vulnerability right on the spot.
But the star of this show for me was Esther Yu. Her Miao Miao is to die for. She is hilariously goofy with high EQ. She is so relatable. Her innocence, bravery, loyalty, goofiness as well as smartness come alive under EY’s craft. Miao Miao never loses the sight of her goal of returning to the reality but in the moment of need, she is ready to sacrifice it for her friends. She is emotionally intelligent to understand Mu Sheng’s dilemma but at the same time clueless to the Marquees’s fanboy. Esther has done a fantastic job here. I simply loved her Lin Yu / Miao Miao.
The supporting cast has done pretty solid too. Zu ShunDan’s Mu Yao is kindness and sweetness personified. Yang Shi Ze’s Fu Yi is so righteous and morally upright that he is borderline boring. Shout out to little Cui Cui. So darn cute.
Direction is on target. All little touches like when Lin Yu automatically starts to kneel down with others in front of Mu Sheng make the drama what it is. Full marks there.
The final battle with the main antagonist was a bit of let down for me. I was also slightly confused by the whole Mu Sheng’s mom turning into the Resentful Woman thingie. The Resentful Woman was established as some big bogeyman from the beginning that her end was a bit underwhelming for me. Also the end of building a sky ladder was slightly stretched than necessary. But again, these were minor detractors. They did not diminish my fun in any way.
All in all, this is a fun drama. A solid green in my entertainment ledger. The humor lands, the heart is real, and despite some wobbly CGI and a few stretched arcs, the cast carries the story with charm and commitment. If you’re looking for a fantasy romp that balances laughs and feels without taking itself too seriously, this one’s an easy pick.
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