Fresh and High Quality
To keep it short, the second chance revenge plot may be overused in Chinese dramas yet its adaptation and interpretation in this one is definitely fresh!The story and execution all are very clean, well written, and well paced. This drama really keeps me at the edge of my seat. Not to mention the superb acting of the cast. They were all made for their respective roles. I want to give a special mention to Meng Li. She was amazing in bringing the villainous Princess Wan Ning to life. I have to say that it would be great if we can see more action scenes of Xiao Heng. I also like to thank the producers and writers for giving us that one special episode! It really gave me the closure I need, which is something does not happen so often in the world of Chinese dramas.
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Got Me Jealous of Sang Zhi
Started to watch this because of the hype it got. This whole drama was very light yet it was so hard for me to watch mainly because I was jealous of Sang Zhi’s life. She did not face any major hardship and had a supportive family, which is basically what every girl wants. Not to mention falling for your big brother’s friend.. typical chick flick plot.All the actors were great in their roles, although I question why they had to use a child actress when Sang Zhi was still in elementary and paired her with Chen Zheyuan. I wish they could’ve just styled Zhao Lusi differently or hire a male child actor to play young Duan Jiaxu and Sang Yan.
This drama has no major conflict apart from Duan Jiaxu’s so it was a very light watch, which made me bored. However, I did finished watching it but nothing memorable to be honest.
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The Drama That Got Away
It was torture for me to continue this drama. Let me get into it..The story was definitely promising and had lots of potential. However, I can't help but cringe over the casting. Don't get me wrong, Victoria and Ding Yu Xi did great in terms of acting their respective characters, but I have to blame the writers.
Following the death of their family members, I expect Chu Yu and Wei Yun to be hell-bent on investigating and avenging their family members' deaths, especially Wei Yun. After watching the first episode, I expect both characters to be tough, goal oriented, and determined but on the contrary, although Chu Yu was determined, I really cringed at her flirty personality. Not to mention, Wei Yun's naivety, innocence, and acting like a lovesick teenager towards Chu Yu just gives me major cringe.
As someone who usually don't mind age gaps in terms of casting, the age gap in this drama is also a major reason for my inability to continue this drama. I don't get what the production was thinking. In the drama, Chu Yu is 3 years older than Wei Yun, however they actually look like aunt and nephew. With Chu Yu's look and her personality, she seems way more mature and experienced than Wei Yun, who really looks like a teenager. The casting of other characters was also not helping.
Wei Yun's oldest brother and Chu Yu's ex, definitely have looks that matched Chu Yu. On the other hand, Wei Yun's look just seems out of place for a love triangle kind of plot. If only Chu Yu's makeup could be softer or Wei Yun's makeup and personality could be made more mature, maybe it could be salvaged.
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No Wonder It's a Cult Classic!
Just like its title, Love Between Fairy and Devil follows the story of a weak flower fairy named Orchid, who accidentally entered the Haotian Matrix where she encountered the infamous Moon Supreme, Dongfang Qing Cang. Legend says he became an emotionless monster in order to wield the great power of the hellfire and take control of the Moon Tribe as the Moon Supreme. As Orchid and Dongfang Qing Cang spend time and work together, fire melts and love sprouts teaching them what it means to sacrifice for love.Love Between Fairy and Devil was the first Xianxia drama that I was able to be fully engrossed in and finish without ever forcing myself to do so. Before this, I had no interest in Xianxia dramas due to its profound fantasy qualities and thought it was hard to digest. I did give it a try once but found myself cringing so hard and was unable to continue watching that previous drama. After being recommended and seeing the many compliments this drama has, I decided to give it a try and ended up watching this in one sitting.
This drama adopts the popular "enemies to lovers", "I changed you", and "he fell first, he fell harder" tropes, blended with imaginative and fantastical qualities of magic, immortality, and the realm of Gods, fairies, and spirits. Despite the depth of the story, this drama remains easy and entertaining to watch making you blush and absorbed to see how it all unfolds. Although there were some logic gaps, this show did a great job at balancing its sillier bits with its more heartfelt core.
As a naive, kindhearted, and compassionate flower fairy, Orchid has always been nice to everyone including Dongfang Qing Cang, whom at first she thought was just a regular prisoner. Due to their unintentional connection, the emotionless Dongfang Qing Cang was able feel emotions through the expressive Orchid. This was a dilemma for Dongfang Qing Cang in the beginning as he would love to get rid of Orchid yet couldn't because of their connection. To prevent Orchid from having emotional outbursts, the cold Dongfang Qing Cang would try everything he can to make Orchid happy like cooking for her, comforting her, even helping her win the tournament that will supposedly get her closer to Chang Heng, all so she could be happy. This was especially cute considering the Moon Supreme's cold and emotionless exterior, and how he learns to be soft for Orchid (and himself). Not to mention, since he also feels pain whenever Orchid gets hurt, Dongfang Qing Cang also protects Orchid from any danger she was in. Although he meant it menacingly, the way he protected her paired with his unwavering gaze, makes Orchid thinks he likes her. Despite initially feeling annoyed and his attempts to sever their connection, he grew to like how those emotions feel and enjoyed Orchid's presence. It's funny to see how Dongfang Qing Cang is this powerful, dark, evil lord yet Orchid treats him casually like some puppy.
The good things doesn't stop there! As someone who gets exhausted over body swapping plots, I was worried about the presence of that plot in this drama. Fortunately, the body swap antics always ended just before I started to get anxious and weary. This was definitely one of the reasons why I like this drama! The character development in this drama was also well-written. From the start, we can see how Dongfang Qing Cang's character went from being this arrogant, regal, and unfeeling Moon Supreme, who eventually warms up and learns compassion. Orchid was also well-written as a selfless, cheerful, kindhearted, and rather dim fairy who was able to care for everyone, even those who wronged her. She never feared Dongfang Qing Cang, even after knowing his real identity. Orchid's personality remain constant throughout the drama. The way she treats and softens the cold Moon Supreme was definitely something to anticipate when watching this drama. It was also interesting to see how her thoughts and decisions matures after falling in love with Dongfang Qing Cang.
Casting Dylan Wang and Esther Yu for the roles of Dongfang Qing Cang and Orchid, respectively, was the right decision. Dylan Wang exudes the charisma and demeanor befitting for the role of the infamous Moon Supreme. His sharp facial features imposes the cold aloof of Dongfang Qing Cang's character. He did a great job with his cold expressions, deep gaze, and soft smirks, which made his character appealing even as a supposedly ruthless lord who wouldn't think twice about killing. That is not to say that he is only good with his cold expressions and aloof demeanor, but he also did a great job at showing the softer qualities as well. His puppy eyes were scene stealers when he started to fall in love and also when he body swapped with Orchid. It was almost comical to see how this emotionless lord would pull a 180 and turn into this, almost like, stray puppy.
Esther Yu was also magnificent as Orchid. Not only was she awfully cute but she was great at portraying the dim, cheerful, selfless, and compassionate fairy Orchid. Her cuteness comes off natural and not forced. On top of that, her visuals were befitting for the role of Orchid. Her cheeks imposes a soft and friendly allure to her character, and her eyes and lips were almost doll-like, perfect for the role of fairies. Not to mention her voice. The high pitched tone was just enough to support her role as our cute and dim fairy Orchid without coming off as too annoying. Aside from her portrayal as Orchid, she also did a great job with her character transformation in the later parts of the drama where she exudes charisma, elegance, maturity, restraint, and poise, which is a contrast to her personality as Orchid.
Aside from the two main characters, they also did well with the casting of the other characters. Zhang Linghe definitely caught my eye whenever he's on screen. His charisma as Chang Heng was overflowing and his mischievousness as Xiao Run was also fascinating! No wonder he started to make his breakthrough after this. In addition to the great casting, this drama was also well-produced with its beautiful set, CGIs, and most importantly, iconic OST.
The set or CGI in this drama was beautiful and dreamy, befitting for a drama filled with Gods, fairies, spirits, and devils. Although there are some parts that I think could have been done better in terms of CGI, it was enough to say that everything felt almost natural and not cringey. The costumes and hairstyle were 50/50. They definitely did a great job with the fairies costume and hairstyle, as well as Dongfang Qing Cang's. However, I wish they could have done Chang Heng's outfit better. I also find Dongfang Xun Feng's hairstyle funny so that is something worth changing. Although it was not perfect, I do think that the overall look and visuals of this drama was iconic and beautiful enough for me to compliment it. Now, I have to give an honorary mention to the OSTs, particularly Farewell Love by Faye. I've heard it a lot of times in social media platforms and it wasn't until I watch this drama that I realize that song is an OST for Love Between Fairy and Devil.
In conclusion, this drama easily made it to the top of my recommended list for Xianxia dramas. It is a drama that will introduce you to the world of Xianxia genre. Despite the depth of the story and theme, Love Between Fairy and Devil is a Xianxia drama that is easy to digest and entertaining to watch. The plot was not draggy and they did a great job at blending its sillier bits with its more heartfelt core, leaving you a lasting impact!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Bittersweet Tale of Love, Justice, and Revenge!
During one his attempts to uncover the truth behind the tragedy that befell his family, Xiao Wu Xia, who lives in hiding as Wei Zhao, met Jiang Ci who disrupted his plans. Wei Zhao then hurt Jiang Ci with a poisoned knife to silence her. After being saved and taken in by Pei Yan, Wei Zhao continues to keep an eye on Jiang Ci to make sure she does not reveal anything to Pei Yan. While staying with Pei Yan, Jiang Ci kept on disrupting Wei Zhao's plans as to her, he was the villain. It was not until she saw how people would sacrifice themselves for Wei Zhao that she realized his plans were for a great cause. From then on, Wei Zhao and Jiang Ci got closer as they work together to fight for justice. Love sprouts and enemies turned to lovers. By the end of the story, Wei Zhao, Jiang Ci, and Pei Yan unite against the Emperor to protect Yueluo City and achieve justice.Love of Nirvana is an example of extreme enemies to lovers trope, as well as lovers (or friends) to enemies trope. Wei Zhao is a selfless, just, and kindhearted character with a tragic past. Even though he is not necessarily a paragon of virtue, it is enough to say that Wei Zhao is a sheep in wolf's clothing. On the other hand, Pei Yan is a wolf in sheep's clothing although, he is not necessarily a bad guy. Being caught in between filial piety and his own values for justice ended up making him a villain. Wei Zhao and Pei Yan's love hate friendship and camaraderie throughout the drama was something to look forward to. In between these two is Jiang Ci. She is one innocent, naive, and free-spirited lady with a mysterious identity. It's very interesting to see how her relationship with the two male characters progresses. Jiang Ci went from enemies to lovers with Wei Zhao as they work together for the same cause, while her relationship with Pei Yan went downhill as he continuously chose the wrong path. Jiang Ci's relationship with the two male characters were mind-boggling for different reasons.
Despite Wei Zhao's attempts to kill Jiang Ci three times, they still manage to fall in love. Is it stockholm syndrome? Pretty sure it is. Even after they fell in love, Wei Zhao doesn't seem to feel guilty about it as he did it to protect a cause. Yes, he is not an "I'd let the world burn" male character. I still question why exactly Jiang Ci fell for Wei Zhao. To fall for someone who tried to kill you three times is worth a great reason. Is it because he is just and selfless? That doesn't make sense! However, this questionable stockholm syndrome plot was definitely masked over and put to rest when we Pei Yan's selfishness and possessiveness comes out. This change somehow made Wei Zhao shine and appear as a better option of the two. Jiang Ci's naivety masked over the notion of being grateful also irks me. Pei Yan was possessive, controlling, and often gaslights Jiang Ci. Despite seeing firsthand how selfish Pei Yan was, she still gives him chances under the reason of feeling grateful for saving her.
Although there were some things that could be improved, it is enough to say that this story was well-written and well-paced. As much as I understand the bittersweet and tragic ending, I do wish we could have had a better one. One where justice prevails! However, the ending managed to give me some closure as his legacy continues.
They did really well in casting Ren Jia Lun, Li Landy, and Jeremy Tsui as the three leads. Ren Jia Lun was perfect for the role of Wei Zhao as he exudes charisma, intelligence, righteousness, and a cold aura. Li Landy did great as the innocent, naive, and free-spirited Jiang Ci. Jeremy Tsui also did well at acting out the possessive, controlling, conflicted, and mature Pei Yan. The supporting actors were also scene stealers. Special mentions to both Wei Zhao and Pei Yan's sidekicks, as well as the Wei Zhao's Yueluo City friends and family!
All in all, this drama will leave you questioning, thinking, squealing, and definitely keep you hooked to see how everything unfolds. I have personally rewatched this drama more than 5 times, mainly to see the enemies to lovers trope. Love of Nirvana easily makes it to the top of my recommended Chinese drama list!
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A Well Balanced Mystery Forensic Drama and the Greenest Flag Male Lead
This drama tops all the mystery, crime solving dramas that I have watched. The story was well written and well paced, leaving no plot holes or unanswered questions. The plot centers around solving cases through forensics, along with romance on the side. I particularly love how there are no misunderstanding plots throughout the drama.The actors did really well in acting out their roles. Ao Ruipeng was great as Yan Chi and trust me when I say this, Yan Chi is the greenest male lead in Chinese dramas. The admiration, respect, understanding, and love that he has for Shen Wan was honestly, inspiring. Also, the scene of him falling for her at first sight in episode 1 was beautiful and definitely worth looking forward to!
Li Landi was also made for the role of Shen Wan. As a coroner, she was really set on solving cases through forensics and she was not afraid to correct the wrongs, even if it’s someone dear to her. I have to mention that her eyes were captivating. Not only the two leads, Yu Chengen and Shen Yujie also did well in their roles as Yan Li and Yue Ning, respectively.
All in all, this is definitely one of my favorite dramas that I have rewatched multiple times! The cases in this drama were also able to get me hooked and on the edge of my seat.
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A Poetic Script and Top Tier Acting
First, I need to mention that the script was beautiful. He Yan’s moon line when they danced, Xiao Jue’s confession to He Yan when he found out how she feels about him, and Xiao Jue telling the royals and officials how he feels about He Yan.. beautiful and so well-written. I myself was swooned and repeated those scenes multiple times.Unfortunately, if not for the poor execution, this drama could’ve been perfect. As a start, I don’t know why they named it Legend of the Female General. Throughout the story, the ‘female general’ was not spoken of, as everyone knew the General Feihong as He Rufei, a man. I guess, this title could’ve worked after it is known that General Feihong was He Yan, a woman, which does not get revealed to the world until later in the series.
Second, I wonder how He Yan managed to hide her identity as a woman back when she was General Feihong but have it be discovered easily and quickly when she entered Yezhou Garrison. Also, I love Zhou Ye for the role but her built was so feminine. The shoulders, waist, everything was definitely not a man’s. Not to mention, I question how there were times Xiao Jue saw He Yan in a mask yet did not seem to have any suspicion that she is He Rufei, or at least looked like him. I wish the producers and director could’ve executed this better.
Despite the poor execution, the actors did really well at portraying their roles, especially Cheng Lei. Cheng Lei stole the spotlight. His built is definitely made for general roles so in this sense, he was perfect to act as Xiao Jue. Moreover, his facial expressions are a masterpiece. His ability to act out emotions just through his gaze was amazing. We could clearly see whether he’s suspicious, concerned, jealous, in love, just through his eyes. We could also see the change in his feelings towards He Yan through his eyes. Also, his lowkey corner of the mouth smile towards He Yan.. lovely. I immediately fell in love and became his hardcore fan after watching him in this drama.
Zhou Ye also did a really great job at her role. Although the execution, could’ve been improved either through the story, makeup, etc, it’s a fact that Zhou Ye was great in acting out He Yan as an independent, tough, ambitious, patriotic, female general. Her chemistry and visuals were perfectly paired with Cheng Lei. I have to admit that I ship them so much proven by how I’ve rewatched this drama multiple times just to see their scenes and hear the lines in this drama. I hope they get to work on another project as main leads with a happy ending.
In terms of story, it was definitely entertaining to me. It mainly focuses on love, justice, and revenge, packed in a light tone so it was an ‘easy watch’. However, throughout the drama, we can obviously see scenes being cut that affected the flow of the story and taken away that extra ‘spice’. Furthermore, I was so annoyed by the last few episodes. They could've just given us more happy scenes instead of forcing that one crazy conflict, but on second thought, I guess it’s necessary to show the kind of love He Yan and Xiao Jue have for each other, as well as their responsibilities as Generals.
Despite the things that I think could be improved, this drama is definitely one of my favorites thanks to Cheng Lei and Zhou Ye, as well as the script.
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A Pesky Plot
Set in a tumultuous time of war, Lin Hang Jin seeks refuge and lives with Xiao Bei Chen's family after her father got imprisoned. As they live together, the immature and mischievous Xiao Bei Chen often bullies her and cause trouble in her daily life. Despite so, she always answered with resilience. Topping that with her kind heart, Xiao Bei Chen's admiration for Lin Hang Jin grows and love blooms. The story follows their romance filled with misunderstandings, war, distance, and rivals.The themes explored in this drama was intriguing enough for me to start watching. Upon watching the first episode, I wondered how the enmity between the two main characters will develop to love and whether their love would stand the test of war, distance, and competition. However, I find myself feeling exhausted over the initial buildup of the story.
Xiao Bei Chen being this mischievous and immature young gentleman, constantly bullies Lin Hang Jin. Although he keeps approaching and bothering her in order to prove a point to his friends, I believe that he just wants her attention. After developing feelings, Xiao Bei Chen would come up with schemes to enforce himself on her. Despite this plot being cute at first, the repetitive schemes started to get boring and annoying. Not to mention, Lin Hang Jin was so naive to his schemes and despite her aloof exterior and intelligence, she would always end up a damsel in distress, which was frustrating. This drama had a promising plot yet its writing did not deliver. All the schemes in the beginning had already wore me out before the real romance and story even began.
Despite the exhausting antics, they made a good decision at casting Chen Du Ling and Shawn Dou for the roles of Lin Hang Jin and Xiao Bei Chen, respectively. Chen Du Ling's visuals and expressions were befitting for the naive, gullible, intelligent, resilient, and elegant young maiden, Lin Hang Jin. Her outfit, makeup, and hairstyle did not disappoint! She looked really pretty wearing the outfits from that era. Shawn Dou was also great at portraying the annoying and immature young master, Xiao Bei Chen. Even as his character grows, he was able to pull a 180 in portraying Xiao Bei Chen as man who became more responsible, mature, and charismatic in addition to the personalities that he already had.
By episode 5, the antics had already wore me out and I decided to drop this drama. I have to admit I am still curious as to how their romance progresses though. I just can't seem to tolerate watching Xiao Bei Chen's schemes towards Lin Hang Jin and how he later pursues her.
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A Chinese Version of Extraordinary You and It Is Not for Me
A Dream within a Dream is a drama about Song Xiao Yu who was pulled inside a script playing a tragic female lead who was constantly bullied and tortured by the male lead, Nan Heng. The story definitely resembles the Korean drama, Extraordinary You, even sharing the same plot that no matter how hard the characters try, they are always pulled back towards the 'right' plot.For the record, I was also unable to finish Extraordinary You. The reason is because I find the idea of being so helpless against the plot (or fate) to be disturbing. I ended up getting bored over the repeated attempts to change the plot and I also cringed at times when the characters failed to change the plot. However, one thing I like about this drama is how they reenact popular scenes from other dramas.
The actors did well though! After watching The Prisoner of Beauty, I became a fan of Liu Yuning, which is why I started to watch this drama. As expected, Liu Yuning did great! He has that charisma and appeal whenever he acts in costume dramas. Li Yi Tong was befitting for her role as Song Xiao Yu/Song Yi Meng, as well.
To be fair, I've only watched 4 episodes. I might give this drama another try but for now, I am putting it on-hold.
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Not My Cup of Tea
Despite the many positive reviews and the fact that it extended up to 3 seasons, this show was just not my cup of tea.I am a sucker for mystery, detective shows. Although I wasn’t really convinced when I read the synopsis, the story that blends mystery, detective, and supernatural beings was worth giving a try. However, I ended up finding myself getting bored mainly because it was too slow and there was too much back and forth dialogue for my taste. The mystery cases presented in this drama also did not get me hooked.
The actors did not help either. In terms of acting, I’m pretty sure they are great actors. Sadly, I just don’t find their characters interesting. However, I have to say the production quality, especially the makeup and outfits, were great though!
All in all, I wouldn’t say this drama is bad. It’s just not my cup of tea. There’s too little thrill, adrenaline, build up, romance (even a subtle one), and too strange of a mystery for my taste.
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Huh?
The story was too weird and messy for my taste. The cool toned color grading did not help at all. Also, I felt so uncomfortable and disturbed when I see Peng Guan Ying’s character(s).To be fair, I’ve only watched the first 2 episodes, which is why I said it was too weird and messy. I might need to watch more so I could understand it better. In terms of how I feel when I see Peng Guan Ying’s character(s), I think it may be because of what happened in the first episode. I’m not sure why but he just gives me the creeps and makes me feel so uncomfortable, like for real. For the record, I’ve watched similar-themes shows and I usually don’t feel uncomfortable or disturbed when I see the antagonists, but with Peng Gaun Ying’s character(s), I do. I have nothing against Peng Guan Ying though!
I might give this one another try in the future, but for now, I’m dropping it.
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