This kind of yearning is hard to come by...
Ruoxi… you suffered so much.This drama is beautifully rounded, well-written, and exquisitely executed. Not every story makes me feel the true weight of time travel, but this one did.
It stirred a thought within me: that my closest friends and lovers might have lived in another time and space, where I was once cherished—part of a family I can no longer claim. To return to the present and find faint traces of myself in forgotten history, and to yearn with my whole heart for them… ah, bittersweet and tender.
As I journeyed with Ruoxi, I realized I became her. Though imperfect, I still liked her—her quiet strength, her vulnerability, and her legendary secret that no one could ever fully comprehend or believe.
This drama left me wondering: perhaps there are people among us who carry such hidden stories, who have lived through worlds we cannot imagine, and whose hearts still echo with the weight of another time.
Min Min Gege’s arc felt a little unnecessary. Yet it tied into the main plot and helped Ruoxi bond with the princes.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
it's definitely for the one's with high attention span.
I'm a kind of person who observes a lot and never involves myself with anything, but certain POV of the shows in different social media internationally made me write my first ever review. here's my take.I was sick of the usual maiden falls for devil, they kill each other, become victims of misunderstandings etc... stuff. finally I saw something different, their is no gods and demons...but instead it's spirits and humans, and the prejudice within themselves and between spirits and humans...a dominant female lead who knows she is powerful, and has nothing hidden to discover about herself...very refreshing.
I get that many were extremely hyped up for this show and expected something you already knew to happen but in a more extravagant, more cluttered way, but this is not your ideal xian xia, it is adaptation of a existing animation.
this show completely depicts a new side of xian xia, their is spirits, and their is humans, and they resolve their conflicts, while falling in love along the way. it's that simple.
acting wise, excellent. production wise, immaculate. story wise, very depressive, and every episode has one or the other angasty situation, which is right up my alley, personally I love tragedy in dramas. and I love to torture myself with it. among many such works you can definitely add this your list.
for those who want plot after plot, fight after fight, and want that constant rush of things happening in drama, it might not be your cup of tea.
I find this drama very precise with it's storyline and at the end all the objectives it began with was met.
coming to romance, it's heart breaking like it rips your heart slowly...
*SPOILERS....their romance begins slowly and gradually they fall deep in it. but due to Hong hong's huge responsibility she comes to a point where she has to forget her years of love. you might be thinking it's a same plot as other xian xia, but here in this drama she NEVER remembers them again...and why she chose to forget was NEVER known to yuechu...till the end he thought she gave more priority to tushan and he was insignificant to her. she NEVER said she likes him... but at last she chose to ask grief tree to bind them, and then they realise just how deep their love was...because for them both, humanity comes first than love, at the end it was their TRUE love that helped them to fight against evil.
*I'm moved by my writing again...lol.
Was this review helpful to you?
Drama that pulled all my heart strings
Whenever I write a review, I always begin by focusing on the script, production, execution, and acting. This drama checked all those boxes without a doubt—it is a true tearjerker. There were countless moments when I simply couldn’t hold back my tears.Xiu Xiu and Da Jiao are an enviable couple. Every time I saw Da Jiao running to save Xiu Xiu, despite barely knowing her at first, my heart swelled. Later, he gave his all to protect her, understand her, respect her, and love her. That dimpled face, looking at her with such pure thoughts, made him feel like a kind-hearted bull—strong, loyal, and gentle. I also admire Xiu Xiu’s pride, her fiery anger, and her undeniable high emotional intelligence.
Su Su, the innocent and kind village girl, completely stole my heart. Even now, my chest aches when I think of her. Her sister-in-law, bound by ancestral rules and traditions, suffered in her own way, and her story added another layer to the narrative.
I began watching this drama while it was airing, and soon found comfort in its simplicity and its impoverished setting. Those humble homes and their stories became a source of solace for me. At the same time, the depth and heaviness of the arcs triggered my depression, so I chose to take it slowly—savoring each episode rather than binging through. Complex stories like this deserve to be digested step by step. For those who, like me, find strange gratification in such emotional “torture,” this drama is a rare gem. I recall Yang Mi once saying something similar in another series, and I couldn’t agree more.
Finally, as I sit in my comfortable, Wi-Fi-equipped room and type these words, I am reminded of how some people struggle simply to survive. This drama made me deeply grateful to be born in this era and in the land I live. It urges me to remember that while I may face hardships, there are always others enduring far worse—and suddenly, my tiny problems vanish like bubbles in a vast ocean.
I will forever carry the warm villagers of Ox Temple in my heart, along with my beloved Xiu Xiu, Da Jiao, and Su Su.
Was this review helpful to you?
Nowadays its hard to find such production.
A tight, engaging plot with clear intentions and sharp episodes—proof of meticulous planning and high production. Just when the story feels at a dead end, the writer surprises again, keeping emotions heightened and momentum alive.Fantasy thrives when freed from everyday logic, and this drama embraces that spirit beautifully. Strong writing met with a capable team and actors, giving Yi Tong a remarkable debut in a TV-aired drama—crafted to hold viewers’ attention without letting them change the channel.
Television-aired dramas are crafted for the entire nation. Unlike online dramas, where viewers actively choose what to watch, TV dramas must hold attention in the moment—every scene is designed to stop the viewer from changing the channel.
Life itself is rarely logical; we often wait until circumstances force decisions. This drama mirrors that unpredictability, making it all the more compelling. Bravo to the entire team.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Men who say they will protect...
This drama is dark, tragic, and sophisticated—cinematic in its pacing, slow and deliberate, with a melancholic atmosphere. The story is compelling, though it could have benefited from a tighter episode count. Still, its orderly rhythm suits the tone.As for the characters, He Ye stands out as a hypocrite. The conflict began because he broke the rules, and then his parents—suddenly consumed by ancestral ambition—led a brutal slaughter of a peaceful neighboring tribe. Their tribe was punished, and rightly so. Yet after his own people are wiped out, He Ye turns his vengeance toward the Muyun family. But didn’t they just annihilate the Suqin clan moments earlier? If that was justified, then so is this. His moral compass feels selectively applied.
Muru Shuo, on the other hand, is a portrait of blind loyalty gone wrong. Yu Xin Ji did what Muru Shuo should have—he actually tried to protect both the Muru clan and the empire, which was a surprising and admirable move. Muru Shuo, despite his reputation, fails to protect his soldiers, his sons, his wife, even the emperor. He clings to honor but takes no real action to uphold it. In my eyes, he’s more ornamental than effective.
Muyun Sheng, Han Jiang, and Su Yu Ning represent something different—a path toward destruction and eventual rebirth. Sheng follows his own priorities, Han Jiang is manipulated because his family offers him no protection, and Su Yu Ning stands at the edge of transformation. These three feel like the seeds of a new world.
But He Ye and Muru Shuo? They’re relics of a broken system—frustrating, self-righteous, and ultimately hollow.
Was this review helpful to you?
