Impressive combat scenes, excellent acting
This drama is such an incredible watch that it changes my status from an ordinary passerby right to a fan of the original work. This is also the first drama in years where I could finish the entire series in one go without fast forwarding or skipping through any scenes.The fighting scenes were beautifully choreographed, and you could tell the actors put in a lot of effort into it, unlike other dramas where actors were just floating in space or twirling around aimlessly. This drama works together with the animation team to bring forth excellent CGI and combat scenes.
This is not the first Yang Yang drama I’ve watched, but he clearly embodies the soul and essence of an immortal here. His acting in this drama is fantastic, every gesture is so graceful yet exudes formidable strength when needed, like a fairy descended from the skies. His face is so expressive - emotions are conveyed through his eyes very vividly, be it caution, innocence, affection, or even confusion. Yang Yang’s acting in this drama is my favourite- he is so foxlike in his cunning and wits, yet looking so breathtakingly beautiful that his beauty transcends gender. To be honest, I wasn’t even interested in xianxia dramas at all, but I happened to see Yang Yang’s face on my friend’s TV and ended up standing rooted on the spot to finish watching an entire episode with her. Yang Yang’s face caught my attention, but it was certainly his acting skills and character that drew me right into the heart of the story,
I am not a fan of romance plots so I really appreciate how Yang Yang has bravely delved into many dramas without romantic subplots over the years. There’s hardy a hint of romance in this drama, and even if there were, it was shown subtly, yet draws you in with complexities of emotions.
What’s truly unique about The Immortal Ascension is that it shows a steady progression of an ordinary village boy to become an immortal. Han Li isn’t particularly gifted nor privileged - he lacks resources, relying on caution, luck, and hard lessons learned. Even though the theme is xianxia, every step of the journey feels real, we are there with him through every struggle and escape - and you’ll find himself rooting for him to succeed and achieve his goals.
I find myself admiring the director of this drama, it was so beautifully captured, drawing you in and leaving you wanting more. The landscape felt like paintings and every frame feels as though they could have been used as a wallpaper. While I’ve heard countless accounts of how good-looking actor Yang Yang is, the director seemed to use female gaze to show viewers how enchanting he is. Even after completing this drama, I find myself itching to rewatch it and slow down some combat scenes just to see how the moves were executed. Now I find myself nitpicking the choreography and fight scenes of other xianxia and wuxia dramas - none of them come close to what’s achieved in The Immortal Ascension. This drama has shown us what an excellent IP and animation adaptation could look like and I am really glad to have stumbled into this gem.
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A realistic, heartwarming portrayal of romance
It took me several attempts to get started on this drama as I’m not a fan of the romance genre, but I’m ended up pleasantly surprised and impressed by this drama!The drama feels like chicken soup for the soul to me. The portrayal of romance is slow, steady, but warm, not at all riddled with complex misunderstandings or issues that oftentimes feel frustrating to watch.
I started this as a recommendation from a friend as I am a new Yang Yang fan, and I can say Yu Tu’s silent struggles with his career resonated with me. As someone in research, I felt incredibly inspired by Yu Tu’s passion and cried for him, with him, in this drama.
Dilrabat, too, in my humble opinion, did a stellar performance portraying Qiao Jing Jing’s emotions, especially in the initial stages of crushing hard. I found myself kicking my feet together with her in my bed as her interaction with Yu Tu increased with time, and their relationship blooms like a plum blossoms fluttering in winter.
Their relationship was beautiful, slow-paced but warm, soothing to the soul, respectful and gentle. I’m not even a gamer (though I’m relatively acquainted with gaming terminology), yet I found myself watching every moment without skipping, vouching for them, wishing for their successes and feeling touched to see Yu Tu and Qiao Jing Jing grow together to achieve their goals.
This is the drama I came back to after a long (frustrating) day at work to relax to, and I’m super glad I have another drama in my arsenal to rewatch during hard days.
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