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Love, sacrifice and magic. Prepare for c-trauma heartbreak.
This is 10000 times better than Red Moon Pact. I admit, the early episodes are very weak and I almost dropped the drama, wondering if the stellar cast is enough to keep me going, until I reached episodes 8-10 when I was suddenly hooked till the very last episode.
The main focus of the drama is the love stories between many different types of characters and their fight against the evil Black Fox. At the centre of the drama are the two main characters from prominent families, the female lead who is a strong-willed fighter with special blood and the male lead, a strong leader and number one swordsman.
✨WATCH OR SKIP RED MOON PACT?
I’d say they’ve made this drama pretty much self-contained and I don’t necessarily think you need to watch Red Moon (I personally would never recommend this disastrous drama). But I have to say, Red Moon does establish the world better, such as the conflict between the demons and humans and explains the Dongfang’s special blood. Love in Pavilion kind of throws you into the world without much explanation which may confuse some viewers at the start.
✨PLOT BREAKDOWN
Ep 1-9 Intro arc
Getting to know all the characters and setting up the plot. The weakest part of the drama for me.
Ep 10-18 Time Travel / Demon arc - my favourite.
Time travel / female lead as a demon / sexy villain / Black Fox’s backstory. Basically, lots of sexiness and fun angst.
Ep 19-28 Beast Realm arc
Mostly heartwarming, romantic and fun. Ding Yuxi stole the spotlight here. I think I loved it just as much as the demon arc.
Ep 29-36 Tushan / Grief Tree arc
The final showdown, emotional and very angsty. Prepare for c-trauma. Raw and well-written ending.
✨POSITIVE:
- Lots and lots of romance. From friendship, unconditional love, meet-cute scenes, sacrifice, yearning, heartbreak, it delivered all.
- Character driven. It’s rare but I liked all the characters and I think that’s the main reason why I enjoyed this drama so much.
- Great chemistry between all the couples. It’s rare but I enjoyed all the couples. The main leads in particular were my favourite and they suited each other really well.
- Fantastic villains. A good story needs captivating villains and this drama definitely delivered on that.
- No love triangles, misunderstanding or typical annoying immortals.
- Engaging story after episode 8 til the end.
- Great fight scenes with different weapons and magic. The boss fights were always intense to watch, they went all out.
- Unexpected spice - I’m looking at episode 13, that's one of the most spiciest scenes in xianxia.
- Marvelous BGM (background music) that elevated the scenes, especially the fights.
- Well-written ending that wrapped the story well. It was real, raw and very emotional. I cried buckets of tears.
✨NEGATIVE:
- Weak start. As mentioned above, I almost dropped the drama because of how boring the beginning was. But after episode 8 till the end it truly captivated me.
- Decent CGI but unfortunately not on the same level as Red Moon Pact, which is a shame.
- Plot flaws. The story is told fast with many things happening which sometimes means details are not delved deeper and certain parts may feel rushed.
- C-trauma. This drama delivers on the ultimate heartbreak which can be too much for some people.
✨OVERALL:
Like everyone else, I had very low expectations going into this drama. The previous installment Red Moon Pact set the bar very low. Still, does this drama have its flaws? Yes, of course. But in terms of plot, characters and romance, it’s miles and miles and miles better than RMP. In fact, having watched both, I can say Red Moon feels very much useless, as Love in the Pavilion directly sets up the story for the final chapter Sword and Beloved.
Aside from the weak start, after episode 8, this drama captivated me till the end. It’s very character and romance driven so if that’s your thing, you will enjoy this. The plot felt different from the typical cliche xianxia with annoying misunderstandings, love triangles and stupid immortals. You have none of these things here. The plot is fast with many things happening. There were lots of unexpected twists and turns that kept me watching. The main cp was strong and the side couples enchanted the story for me. It’s rare but I loved all the couples and characters, especially the villain duo.
The cast did a stellar performance. The highlight for me was Ding Yuxi, as he totally captivated the screen and his character’s story was just as strong as his chemistry with his romantic pair. A special mention to the main lead, Zhang Yun Long. It was my first time seeing him and he was marvellous. Actually, in January, I watched the variety show ‘Random Tour’ where he opened up how he has been in the industry for a long time but never given the chance to star in a high production, and that LIP was finally his opportunity. I can only hope it’s not too late for him to receive more amazing projects. He deserves it.
Conclusion, if you want lots of romance, magic, fast plot and are prepared for c-trauma heartbreak, try this out.
—------------------------------------
✨COUPLES / ACTORS PAIRS
💗Liu Shi Shi & Zhang Yun Long (main cp / frenemies to lover / fighters duo / hands down my favourite ship)
Poster: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fa/e3/0e/fae30e7c86a1025d21d4d3917f1c64cd.jpg
💗Wu Xuan Yi & Zhai Xiao Wen (second cp / childhood friends to lovers / carefree girl and her protector / adorable)
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GqI1HpTWAAAVIUe?format=jpg&name=large
💗Ding Yu Xi & Meng Zi Yi (side cp / school friends to lovers / confident girl and her tsundere crush / my second favourites, their chemistry was effortless / ep 20-32 )
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GqRs5AXWwAE6w74?format=jpg&name=medium
💗Charles Lin & Peng Xiao Ran (side cp / best villain couple that stole my heart / ep 27 + more)
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GqjI9UObcAAg-uZ?format=jpg&name=large
💗Qin Xiao Xuan & Zhou Jie Qiong (side cp / feisty demon with split personality and shy human / loved them / ep 12-17 )
Poster: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/82/16/d48216ecf5bce428d9a5048cb7ef0347.jpg
💗Zhang Ruo Nan & Chen Ruo Xuan (side cp / marriage / emotional but not as strong as the others / ep 2-8 )
Poster: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/00/f6/6000f6e8c355cdf24bbfe018f9ebd9b1.jpg
💗Hou Ming Hao & Chen Yu Qi (side cp / demon couple / too short to make an impact / ep 1)
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GpsexlqaAAArC6x?format=jpg&name=large
The main focus of the drama is the love stories between many different types of characters and their fight against the evil Black Fox. At the centre of the drama are the two main characters from prominent families, the female lead who is a strong-willed fighter with special blood and the male lead, a strong leader and number one swordsman.
✨WATCH OR SKIP RED MOON PACT?
I’d say they’ve made this drama pretty much self-contained and I don’t necessarily think you need to watch Red Moon (I personally would never recommend this disastrous drama). But I have to say, Red Moon does establish the world better, such as the conflict between the demons and humans and explains the Dongfang’s special blood. Love in Pavilion kind of throws you into the world without much explanation which may confuse some viewers at the start.
✨PLOT BREAKDOWN
Ep 1-9 Intro arc
Getting to know all the characters and setting up the plot. The weakest part of the drama for me.
Ep 10-18 Time Travel / Demon arc - my favourite.
Time travel / female lead as a demon / sexy villain / Black Fox’s backstory. Basically, lots of sexiness and fun angst.
Ep 19-28 Beast Realm arc
Mostly heartwarming, romantic and fun. Ding Yuxi stole the spotlight here. I think I loved it just as much as the demon arc.
Ep 29-36 Tushan / Grief Tree arc
The final showdown, emotional and very angsty. Prepare for c-trauma. Raw and well-written ending.
✨POSITIVE:
- Lots and lots of romance. From friendship, unconditional love, meet-cute scenes, sacrifice, yearning, heartbreak, it delivered all.
- Character driven. It’s rare but I liked all the characters and I think that’s the main reason why I enjoyed this drama so much.
- Great chemistry between all the couples. It’s rare but I enjoyed all the couples. The main leads in particular were my favourite and they suited each other really well.
- Fantastic villains. A good story needs captivating villains and this drama definitely delivered on that.
- No love triangles, misunderstanding or typical annoying immortals.
- Engaging story after episode 8 til the end.
- Great fight scenes with different weapons and magic. The boss fights were always intense to watch, they went all out.
- Unexpected spice - I’m looking at episode 13, that's one of the most spiciest scenes in xianxia.
- Marvelous BGM (background music) that elevated the scenes, especially the fights.
- Well-written ending that wrapped the story well. It was real, raw and very emotional. I cried buckets of tears.
✨NEGATIVE:
- Weak start. As mentioned above, I almost dropped the drama because of how boring the beginning was. But after episode 8 till the end it truly captivated me.
- Decent CGI but unfortunately not on the same level as Red Moon Pact, which is a shame.
- Plot flaws. The story is told fast with many things happening which sometimes means details are not delved deeper and certain parts may feel rushed.
- C-trauma. This drama delivers on the ultimate heartbreak which can be too much for some people.
✨OVERALL:
Like everyone else, I had very low expectations going into this drama. The previous installment Red Moon Pact set the bar very low. Still, does this drama have its flaws? Yes, of course. But in terms of plot, characters and romance, it’s miles and miles and miles better than RMP. In fact, having watched both, I can say Red Moon feels very much useless, as Love in the Pavilion directly sets up the story for the final chapter Sword and Beloved.
Aside from the weak start, after episode 8, this drama captivated me till the end. It’s very character and romance driven so if that’s your thing, you will enjoy this. The plot felt different from the typical cliche xianxia with annoying misunderstandings, love triangles and stupid immortals. You have none of these things here. The plot is fast with many things happening. There were lots of unexpected twists and turns that kept me watching. The main cp was strong and the side couples enchanted the story for me. It’s rare but I loved all the couples and characters, especially the villain duo.
The cast did a stellar performance. The highlight for me was Ding Yuxi, as he totally captivated the screen and his character’s story was just as strong as his chemistry with his romantic pair. A special mention to the main lead, Zhang Yun Long. It was my first time seeing him and he was marvellous. Actually, in January, I watched the variety show ‘Random Tour’ where he opened up how he has been in the industry for a long time but never given the chance to star in a high production, and that LIP was finally his opportunity. I can only hope it’s not too late for him to receive more amazing projects. He deserves it.
Conclusion, if you want lots of romance, magic, fast plot and are prepared for c-trauma heartbreak, try this out.
—------------------------------------
✨COUPLES / ACTORS PAIRS
💗Liu Shi Shi & Zhang Yun Long (main cp / frenemies to lover / fighters duo / hands down my favourite ship)
Poster: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fa/e3/0e/fae30e7c86a1025d21d4d3917f1c64cd.jpg
💗Wu Xuan Yi & Zhai Xiao Wen (second cp / childhood friends to lovers / carefree girl and her protector / adorable)
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GqI1HpTWAAAVIUe?format=jpg&name=large
💗Ding Yu Xi & Meng Zi Yi (side cp / school friends to lovers / confident girl and her tsundere crush / my second favourites, their chemistry was effortless / ep 20-32 )
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GqRs5AXWwAE6w74?format=jpg&name=medium
💗Charles Lin & Peng Xiao Ran (side cp / best villain couple that stole my heart / ep 27 + more)
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GqjI9UObcAAg-uZ?format=jpg&name=large
💗Qin Xiao Xuan & Zhou Jie Qiong (side cp / feisty demon with split personality and shy human / loved them / ep 12-17 )
Poster: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/82/16/d48216ecf5bce428d9a5048cb7ef0347.jpg
💗Zhang Ruo Nan & Chen Ruo Xuan (side cp / marriage / emotional but not as strong as the others / ep 2-8 )
Poster: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/60/00/f6/6000f6e8c355cdf24bbfe018f9ebd9b1.jpg
💗Hou Ming Hao & Chen Yu Qi (side cp / demon couple / too short to make an impact / ep 1)
Poster: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GpsexlqaAAArC6x?format=jpg&name=large
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