This review may contain spoilers
One Can Love Someone Yesterday, Today, and For All Eternity
I very rarely watch xianxia dramas (or watch them in their entirety), I either choose to drop them or avoid them completely simply because they do not pique my interest or I find myself feeling disengaged 5 episodes in. I just can't handle all the melodrama, slowburn plot progression, whiny characters, tropey plot lines, and textbook angsty romances. I have long accepted that xianxia is just not my genre. But I'm probably a masochist at heart so I sometimes feel like torturing myself by giving one or two a shot depending on the plot and the actors involved (I'm looking at you, Cheng Yi). Fortunately, there are some that I did find entertaining to a certain degree, and this is one of them. In fact, it made me think that a xianxia drama could actually be good. Oh god forbid! lol
Moonlight Mystique is one of those xianxia dramas that I took a chance on because of its main cast of actors. I figured, why not? It's Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng and they looked pretty good together in their promotional stills and videos. Little did I expect that I would love them as a couple as much as I loved Zhou Ye and Hou Minghao in Back from the Brink. But unlike that quirky idol xianxia drama, this actually has a relatively more compelling story and far better writing.
From a writer's point of view, the story is actually more well-thought out than I expected. In most dramas, the writing falls off right in the middle and sometimes even becomes a complete dumpster fire with just 10 episodes remaining. But this drama actually got better right in the middle and ended with everything wrapped up in a nice little package with a pretty neat bow. I very rarely see this in a C-drama. Most often than not, they fail to explain certain details, leaving specific plot points and conflicts unresolved. I can't remember a single plot hole or retcon in this. Sure, there are plenty of suspend-your-disbelief and ridiculous instances, but those I can forgive as they do not really matter much to the storytelling. I just attribute those to directorial choices or perhaps budget constraints. Those who complain about these minor faults are nitpicking or simply finding something to dislike about it because they have either decided to hate on it from the start or they just have specific preferences and expectations that weren't met. I can be like that too sometimes, especially with dramas that don't meet my specifications. Suffice to say, this drama is more aligned with my personal taste so I found it engaging from start to finish.
Contrary to popular belief, this is not in any way related to Ancient Love Poetry or Last Immortal. It was promoted as such but this is not a sequel or a spin-off of those dramas. This is a completely original work from iQIYI with a different set of characters, a whole new plot, and set in a different world. So forget what you think you know about the worldbuilding and character relationships in those dramas because it will only confuse and frustrate you if you're expecting to see even a shred of connection.
The story starts with Bai Shou, the headstrong and arrogant daughter of the governor of Ning'an whose only wish is to become an immortal and live long enough to repay her godly benefactor. In her quest to become this all-powerful being that only exists legends, she meets the enigmatic master of Unbridled Pavilion whose interest in her grows the minute he finds out that only she can activate this macguffin they call, The Contemplation Stone of the Goddess Xingyue. They find themselves forming a strictly business alliance to gather all the contemplations that would complete the activation of the stone that could grant each of their desires.
The drama plays like a comic book, it has separate story arcs that introduce side stories and characters, and each arc are interconnected with the overarching plot. The characters basically go on side quests to pick up the next contemplation until they can complete them like players do in a video game. I found that very enjoyable as I'm used to watching anime and reading manga. But I can understand why some people find that storytelling style boring and tiresome. The side stories and characters are well-written though. I fell in love with most of them and cried buckets because I felt attached to these characters.
Apart from the stories of the main and second couples, I was moved by Qi Feng's story the most. Liang Xue Feng is a revelation in this drama. I never thought I would find him so compelling that I couldn't look away whenever he was on screen. But the true stand out to me is Dai Lu Wa as Fu Ling. Her tragic backstory, origins, and redemption arc was not only engrossing but heartbreaking to say the least. She is so effortlessly beautiful and can easily transition from antagonist to protagonist just like that! Many viewers are calling for her reunion with Chang Hua Sen in another drama but I actually didn't see any chemistry between them. Her constant bickering with Xue Feng's Chen Ye/Qi Feng, however, was more interesting to me. I thought their pairing has more potential. The rest of the cast did their respective jobs, I have no complaints with the acting. I was happily surprised that Ao Ruipeng, who is known for his comedic roles, could actually pull off the cold and stoic Fan Yue and make me cry with his dramatic scenes. Bai Lu is excellent as always. There is no doubt that she can carry a drama.
While I agree that the sets and costumes are a bit much and even look cartoony at times, I also think that it somehow fits with the themes and overall look of the drama. From the get-go, the set design and cinematography make use of vibrant hues centering around the color purple. It's an artistic choice, that's all. I understand that some might find it unattractive and even distracting, though. But personally, I thought they were very eye-catching. Music-wise, I'd say that it's pretty solid. But for some sadistic reason, they decided to use Sa Dingding's song in practically every scene that I swore their equipment broke and could only play that one song over and over again. Whoever decided to do that should be fired. Sometimes I think some of these music editors don't know what they're doing. There are dramas where the background music would be too loud you could barely hear the actors talking. I mean, did they actually hire professionals for this job, or did they just get whoever they could find? Just curious. The fight choreography could've been better and they should have done more fight scenes, tbh.
As for writing and character development, I have no real complaints because as I said, they did manage to tie up all loose ends. I just wish they could've written some aspects better like the relationships between the first and second couples to make them more relatable and believable. It's weird because they actually nailed it with Jingyuan and Xingyue in just two episodes but it took several story arcs for Fan Yue and Bai Shou's relationship to make logical sense. Chong Zhao and Fu Ling's relationship still doesn't make sense to me because instead of making him fall in love with her when she was still Fu Ling, they made him love her as Bai Xi after finding out it was she who sent him those letters all along. That last bit should've been the icing on the cake, not the catalyst. The ending could've been better written too. I felt that it was slightly rushed. It would've been better if they had shown those characters coming back to life instead of just talking about it. Show don't tell. The so-called twists were predictable too because they kept hinting about them. They could've withheld some clues to make the reveals more shocking. But I do appreciate that the villains are sympathetic, not the cookie cutter bad guys so to speak. Zhen Yu's actions and motivation actually make sense and so does Jin Yao's.
All in all, this drama left me satisfied despite its flaws. I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this so maybe that's one of the reasons why I generally enjoyed it. I may not like everything about it, but I was introduced to the tandem of Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng and I loved them in this so that in itself makes this drama far more endearing than I thought it would be. It's a beautifully written fairy tale romance that shows you love is undying and knows no bounds. One can love someone yesterday, today, and for all eternity.
Moonlight Mystique is one of those xianxia dramas that I took a chance on because of its main cast of actors. I figured, why not? It's Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng and they looked pretty good together in their promotional stills and videos. Little did I expect that I would love them as a couple as much as I loved Zhou Ye and Hou Minghao in Back from the Brink. But unlike that quirky idol xianxia drama, this actually has a relatively more compelling story and far better writing.
From a writer's point of view, the story is actually more well-thought out than I expected. In most dramas, the writing falls off right in the middle and sometimes even becomes a complete dumpster fire with just 10 episodes remaining. But this drama actually got better right in the middle and ended with everything wrapped up in a nice little package with a pretty neat bow. I very rarely see this in a C-drama. Most often than not, they fail to explain certain details, leaving specific plot points and conflicts unresolved. I can't remember a single plot hole or retcon in this. Sure, there are plenty of suspend-your-disbelief and ridiculous instances, but those I can forgive as they do not really matter much to the storytelling. I just attribute those to directorial choices or perhaps budget constraints. Those who complain about these minor faults are nitpicking or simply finding something to dislike about it because they have either decided to hate on it from the start or they just have specific preferences and expectations that weren't met. I can be like that too sometimes, especially with dramas that don't meet my specifications. Suffice to say, this drama is more aligned with my personal taste so I found it engaging from start to finish.
Contrary to popular belief, this is not in any way related to Ancient Love Poetry or Last Immortal. It was promoted as such but this is not a sequel or a spin-off of those dramas. This is a completely original work from iQIYI with a different set of characters, a whole new plot, and set in a different world. So forget what you think you know about the worldbuilding and character relationships in those dramas because it will only confuse and frustrate you if you're expecting to see even a shred of connection.
The story starts with Bai Shou, the headstrong and arrogant daughter of the governor of Ning'an whose only wish is to become an immortal and live long enough to repay her godly benefactor. In her quest to become this all-powerful being that only exists legends, she meets the enigmatic master of Unbridled Pavilion whose interest in her grows the minute he finds out that only she can activate this macguffin they call, The Contemplation Stone of the Goddess Xingyue. They find themselves forming a strictly business alliance to gather all the contemplations that would complete the activation of the stone that could grant each of their desires.
The drama plays like a comic book, it has separate story arcs that introduce side stories and characters, and each arc are interconnected with the overarching plot. The characters basically go on side quests to pick up the next contemplation until they can complete them like players do in a video game. I found that very enjoyable as I'm used to watching anime and reading manga. But I can understand why some people find that storytelling style boring and tiresome. The side stories and characters are well-written though. I fell in love with most of them and cried buckets because I felt attached to these characters.
Apart from the stories of the main and second couples, I was moved by Qi Feng's story the most. Liang Xue Feng is a revelation in this drama. I never thought I would find him so compelling that I couldn't look away whenever he was on screen. But the true stand out to me is Dai Lu Wa as Fu Ling. Her tragic backstory, origins, and redemption arc was not only engrossing but heartbreaking to say the least. She is so effortlessly beautiful and can easily transition from antagonist to protagonist just like that! Many viewers are calling for her reunion with Chang Hua Sen in another drama but I actually didn't see any chemistry between them. Her constant bickering with Xue Feng's Chen Ye/Qi Feng, however, was more interesting to me. I thought their pairing has more potential. The rest of the cast did their respective jobs, I have no complaints with the acting. I was happily surprised that Ao Ruipeng, who is known for his comedic roles, could actually pull off the cold and stoic Fan Yue and make me cry with his dramatic scenes. Bai Lu is excellent as always. There is no doubt that she can carry a drama.
While I agree that the sets and costumes are a bit much and even look cartoony at times, I also think that it somehow fits with the themes and overall look of the drama. From the get-go, the set design and cinematography make use of vibrant hues centering around the color purple. It's an artistic choice, that's all. I understand that some might find it unattractive and even distracting, though. But personally, I thought they were very eye-catching. Music-wise, I'd say that it's pretty solid. But for some sadistic reason, they decided to use Sa Dingding's song in practically every scene that I swore their equipment broke and could only play that one song over and over again. Whoever decided to do that should be fired. Sometimes I think some of these music editors don't know what they're doing. There are dramas where the background music would be too loud you could barely hear the actors talking. I mean, did they actually hire professionals for this job, or did they just get whoever they could find? Just curious. The fight choreography could've been better and they should have done more fight scenes, tbh.
As for writing and character development, I have no real complaints because as I said, they did manage to tie up all loose ends. I just wish they could've written some aspects better like the relationships between the first and second couples to make them more relatable and believable. It's weird because they actually nailed it with Jingyuan and Xingyue in just two episodes but it took several story arcs for Fan Yue and Bai Shou's relationship to make logical sense. Chong Zhao and Fu Ling's relationship still doesn't make sense to me because instead of making him fall in love with her when she was still Fu Ling, they made him love her as Bai Xi after finding out it was she who sent him those letters all along. That last bit should've been the icing on the cake, not the catalyst. The ending could've been better written too. I felt that it was slightly rushed. It would've been better if they had shown those characters coming back to life instead of just talking about it. Show don't tell. The so-called twists were predictable too because they kept hinting about them. They could've withheld some clues to make the reveals more shocking. But I do appreciate that the villains are sympathetic, not the cookie cutter bad guys so to speak. Zhen Yu's actions and motivation actually make sense and so does Jin Yao's.
All in all, this drama left me satisfied despite its flaws. I didn't have a lot of expectations going into this so maybe that's one of the reasons why I generally enjoyed it. I may not like everything about it, but I was introduced to the tandem of Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng and I loved them in this so that in itself makes this drama far more endearing than I thought it would be. It's a beautifully written fairy tale romance that shows you love is undying and knows no bounds. One can love someone yesterday, today, and for all eternity.
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