Cute, funny, philosophical and aesthetic fairytale
This is a charming fairytale — unusual, uneven, philosophical, sometimes funny (even hilarious), sometimes sad, and aesthetically beautiful.
The real kicker here isn't dizzying plot twists, action, or steamy scenes, but psychology. Which, honestly, is quite typical for Xianxia with Liu Xue Yi. Specifically, we’re dealing with family relationships + the results of toxic parenting on all sides. There are even a couple of scenes where the royal parents realize what foolish things they have done and finally have to face the consequences. I haven't watched that many dramas, but this is the first time I've seen something like this. And honestly? Watching them eat dirt gave me way more twisted satisfaction than just seeing a hated emperor get killed.
Family dynamics here are just as interesting as the romance. The Emperor and Empress break all records for being trash. Few candidates for “Father of the Year” make me want to strangle them as much as Yao Tian. And his wife is responsible for one of the heaviest scenes in the entire drama — when she explains to Jin Xiu why she despises him. Right when he was already on the verge of a breakdown!
On the flip side, I absolutely loved the relationship between the brothers. Usually, princes fight for the throne or just quietly hate each other, but here we have a healthy, wholesome bond. Jin Xiu and Kun Lun have each other's backs, despite being total opposites. The older brother was raised like a soldier (no emotions allowed), while the younger one did whatever he wanted because his big bro always covered for him.
The love story is childishly sweet and naive. At first, it seems a bit unhinged because of Hong Ning's obsessive desire to marry Jin Xiu. But in the final episodes, we learn why the FL is so obsessed with the ML, and everything clicks.
Overall, the drama is emotionally uneven, but that’s fine. The first half is hilarious and naive. Then comes the drama and angst. The last two episodes are filled with light sadness and hope. And as a bonus, the three special episodes are pure fluff that absolutely broke my cute meter.
The ML is the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm (strict rules, harsh hierarchy). The FL is a camellia spirit from the Demon Realm (fun, equality, total idyll — basically hippies in the best sense). The comedy starts when the naive Camellia lands in the dogmatic Heavenly Kingdom and breaks every rule in the book. What sets this apart is that the ML doesn't try to act like a "cold CEO" or evil overlord, even though he is the Punisher. We immediately see that Jin Xiu is actually a softie, and I loved that. Then comes the classic Xianxia trope — mortal trials. Each new life brought something fresh.
The respected Taoist sect leader chasing ducks for betrothal gifts (hilarious).
The demon-Hong Ning tying up and seducing Jin Xiu (the only "hot" scene in this innocent drama).
The show hooks you with individual scenes, humor, and aesthetics. The humor mostly comes from the contrast between the ML's high status and the mess FL drags him into. Liu Xue Yi is a comedic genius. His helpless, indignant face whenever Camellia did something crazy was gold. Kun Lun and Chrysanthemum (the Historian) also carry the comedy — these two just don't care about the strict rules, which leads to great dialogue.
The moral didn't feel preachy: "The short, intense life of a mortal is more valuable than the long, boring life of a god." Love it.
Visually, it captivated me. The Heavenly Realm is magnificent! Majestic halls, pastel flowers, waterfalls, layered costumes with long trains... I enjoyed every frame. Yes, I know it's a lot of green screens, but the creative vision is impressive. I also liked the costumes: heavy in Heaven, airy on Earth. And the hairpins/accessories are masterpieces!
The Cast is the biggest plus.
Hu Yi Xuan (replaced Yuan Bing Yan) was great. Her Camellia was so silly and straightforward that it was endearing rather than annoying. She nailed the "innocent plant spirit raised by hippies" vibe. In her mortal lives, she showed great range — totally different body language.
Liu Xue Yi played a sweet, bullied, slightly naive prince perfectly. I wanted to hug and protect this cinnamon roll the whole time. I admit, for half the drama I was waiting for Jin Xiu to grow some balls and fight back instead of just admitting guilt. But the finale finally gave him psychological maturity, which was satisfying.
Ao Rui Peng fits the "cheerful goofball" role perfectly. He balances out the ML's angst.
Zhao Zheng Yang (Chrysanthemum) stole the show every time he appeared. The MVP of the Heavenly Realm.
Yang Lin (Villain): At first, I thought he was weak because of his constant "resting aggrieved face." But later, his arrogant glares were top-tier villain material.
It’s not Xianxia without suffering. Jin Xiu gets struck by lightning, loses consciousness — the works. But the focus is on psychology. His mom never loved him, his dad tried to make him a robot, and the result is a sweet guy who blames himself for everything. The scene where he is stripped of his divinity actually upset me — you shouldn't humiliate such cute characters like that!
In general, love, care, and the lack thereof are one of the main themes of “Love Never Fails”.
There is a stunning visual image in one of the last episodes. In the world of dreams, young Jing Xiu covers the camellia from the rain, and adult Jing Xiu covers him. I forgot how to breathe during this scene. Isn't that what a lot of modern trendy training courses are about? About taking care of your inner child and accepting the choices you've made. In one shot, we are shown the connection between time and the essence of the hero's love: he is protecting not just a flower, but the very memory of the birth of this feeling. It is a moment of absolute acceptance of one's fate and infinite tenderness.
The OST
Music is excellent. It doesn't draw attention to itself; it just emphasizes the mood without drowning out the dialogue. And thank god, no silly cartoonish sound effects during the funny scenes. The opening song is gentle and sweet, perfectly reflecting the overall vibe of the drama.
Best Visual Metaphor:
In the dream world, young Jin Xiu shields the camellia from the rain, and adult Jin Xiu holds an umbrella over his younger self. I held my breath during this scene. It’s exactly what modern therapy teaches: taking care of your inner child and accepting your choices. He protects the memory of how his love began. Pure tenderness.
Cons
The Fights: Zero choreography. Characters just stand there shooting energy beams. Given the actors' talent, it's a disappointment. (Though Kun Lun just straight-up punching a guy in the face was funny).
The Pacing/Editing: You can tell it’s an adaptation. Some motives are explained poorly or too fast. A couple of times I felt lost, wondering if I missed a scene or if it was just bad editing.
Verdict
An unusual drama. Too little epic action, too much talking at the end. It feels like they had budget cuts, but it works as a storytelling style if you get used to it. It's very watchable if you don't expect crazy martial arts, smut, or for characters to immediately "use their words" to solve problems.
Worth watching for the acting, the visuals, and to smile.
The real kicker here isn't dizzying plot twists, action, or steamy scenes, but psychology. Which, honestly, is quite typical for Xianxia with Liu Xue Yi. Specifically, we’re dealing with family relationships + the results of toxic parenting on all sides. There are even a couple of scenes where the royal parents realize what foolish things they have done and finally have to face the consequences. I haven't watched that many dramas, but this is the first time I've seen something like this. And honestly? Watching them eat dirt gave me way more twisted satisfaction than just seeing a hated emperor get killed.
Family dynamics here are just as interesting as the romance. The Emperor and Empress break all records for being trash. Few candidates for “Father of the Year” make me want to strangle them as much as Yao Tian. And his wife is responsible for one of the heaviest scenes in the entire drama — when she explains to Jin Xiu why she despises him. Right when he was already on the verge of a breakdown!
On the flip side, I absolutely loved the relationship between the brothers. Usually, princes fight for the throne or just quietly hate each other, but here we have a healthy, wholesome bond. Jin Xiu and Kun Lun have each other's backs, despite being total opposites. The older brother was raised like a soldier (no emotions allowed), while the younger one did whatever he wanted because his big bro always covered for him.
The love story is childishly sweet and naive. At first, it seems a bit unhinged because of Hong Ning's obsessive desire to marry Jin Xiu. But in the final episodes, we learn why the FL is so obsessed with the ML, and everything clicks.
Overall, the drama is emotionally uneven, but that’s fine. The first half is hilarious and naive. Then comes the drama and angst. The last two episodes are filled with light sadness and hope. And as a bonus, the three special episodes are pure fluff that absolutely broke my cute meter.
The ML is the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm (strict rules, harsh hierarchy). The FL is a camellia spirit from the Demon Realm (fun, equality, total idyll — basically hippies in the best sense). The comedy starts when the naive Camellia lands in the dogmatic Heavenly Kingdom and breaks every rule in the book. What sets this apart is that the ML doesn't try to act like a "cold CEO" or evil overlord, even though he is the Punisher. We immediately see that Jin Xiu is actually a softie, and I loved that. Then comes the classic Xianxia trope — mortal trials. Each new life brought something fresh.
The respected Taoist sect leader chasing ducks for betrothal gifts (hilarious).
The demon-Hong Ning tying up and seducing Jin Xiu (the only "hot" scene in this innocent drama).
The show hooks you with individual scenes, humor, and aesthetics. The humor mostly comes from the contrast between the ML's high status and the mess FL drags him into. Liu Xue Yi is a comedic genius. His helpless, indignant face whenever Camellia did something crazy was gold. Kun Lun and Chrysanthemum (the Historian) also carry the comedy — these two just don't care about the strict rules, which leads to great dialogue.
The moral didn't feel preachy: "The short, intense life of a mortal is more valuable than the long, boring life of a god." Love it.
Visually, it captivated me. The Heavenly Realm is magnificent! Majestic halls, pastel flowers, waterfalls, layered costumes with long trains... I enjoyed every frame. Yes, I know it's a lot of green screens, but the creative vision is impressive. I also liked the costumes: heavy in Heaven, airy on Earth. And the hairpins/accessories are masterpieces!
The Cast is the biggest plus.
Hu Yi Xuan (replaced Yuan Bing Yan) was great. Her Camellia was so silly and straightforward that it was endearing rather than annoying. She nailed the "innocent plant spirit raised by hippies" vibe. In her mortal lives, she showed great range — totally different body language.
Liu Xue Yi played a sweet, bullied, slightly naive prince perfectly. I wanted to hug and protect this cinnamon roll the whole time. I admit, for half the drama I was waiting for Jin Xiu to grow some balls and fight back instead of just admitting guilt. But the finale finally gave him psychological maturity, which was satisfying.
Ao Rui Peng fits the "cheerful goofball" role perfectly. He balances out the ML's angst.
Zhao Zheng Yang (Chrysanthemum) stole the show every time he appeared. The MVP of the Heavenly Realm.
Yang Lin (Villain): At first, I thought he was weak because of his constant "resting aggrieved face." But later, his arrogant glares were top-tier villain material.
It’s not Xianxia without suffering. Jin Xiu gets struck by lightning, loses consciousness — the works. But the focus is on psychology. His mom never loved him, his dad tried to make him a robot, and the result is a sweet guy who blames himself for everything. The scene where he is stripped of his divinity actually upset me — you shouldn't humiliate such cute characters like that!
In general, love, care, and the lack thereof are one of the main themes of “Love Never Fails”.
There is a stunning visual image in one of the last episodes. In the world of dreams, young Jing Xiu covers the camellia from the rain, and adult Jing Xiu covers him. I forgot how to breathe during this scene. Isn't that what a lot of modern trendy training courses are about? About taking care of your inner child and accepting the choices you've made. In one shot, we are shown the connection between time and the essence of the hero's love: he is protecting not just a flower, but the very memory of the birth of this feeling. It is a moment of absolute acceptance of one's fate and infinite tenderness.
The OST
Music is excellent. It doesn't draw attention to itself; it just emphasizes the mood without drowning out the dialogue. And thank god, no silly cartoonish sound effects during the funny scenes. The opening song is gentle and sweet, perfectly reflecting the overall vibe of the drama.
Best Visual Metaphor:
In the dream world, young Jin Xiu shields the camellia from the rain, and adult Jin Xiu holds an umbrella over his younger self. I held my breath during this scene. It’s exactly what modern therapy teaches: taking care of your inner child and accepting your choices. He protects the memory of how his love began. Pure tenderness.
Cons
The Fights: Zero choreography. Characters just stand there shooting energy beams. Given the actors' talent, it's a disappointment. (Though Kun Lun just straight-up punching a guy in the face was funny).
The Pacing/Editing: You can tell it’s an adaptation. Some motives are explained poorly or too fast. A couple of times I felt lost, wondering if I missed a scene or if it was just bad editing.
Verdict
An unusual drama. Too little epic action, too much talking at the end. It feels like they had budget cuts, but it works as a storytelling style if you get used to it. It's very watchable if you don't expect crazy martial arts, smut, or for characters to immediately "use their words" to solve problems.
Worth watching for the acting, the visuals, and to smile.
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