Kicking Myself For Putting It Off For So Long
Love Between Fairy and Devil really had everything: stunning visuals, layered characters, angst, yearning, romance, and even morally questionable choices that kept things interesting, a sweet FL that didn't annoy me, who was naive but believable and a ML who was toxic at times but felt real enough that I didn't have to force myself to like him, the plot did it for me.
I had put this show off for a long time because like I said, I expected the female lead to be overly sweet (and borderline annoying) and the male lead to lean too far into toxic tropes. To some extent, those elements are kinda there, but the way they’re written, performed, and framed through the dialogue and cinematography made them feel much more grounded and emotionally authentic that it didn't bother me and actually added to the experience. I can't imagine the characters being any other way. Kudos to the writer and the director because I can really tell that a lot of care went into making this show.
The female lead, Little Orchid, was a pleasant surprise, sweet and somewhat naive, but in a way that felt believable rather than frustrating. I was initially scared because I'm very familiar with Yu Shuxin's acting and her portrayal of characters but honestly? This character was made for her and she really brought Little Orchid to life. The FL's decisions always made sense within the context of her character and her past, which made it easy to stay invested in her journey. Even though I'm not a big fan of overly sweet and innocent characters, Little Orchid wasn't actually JUST that, she had a lot of depth and heart which made me connect to her character. Shuxin also brough out something very different for the last quarter of the show that really made the show way more interesting anf I personally thought she pulled it off well. I can't say anymore because it would be a spoiler, please watch it.
I also didn’t think Little Orchid was “stupid,” which was a criticism I often saw. She was kind-hearted, pure, and brave, someone who understood the risks of her actions and chose to take them anyway. I think there’s an important distinction there. She didn't jump into danger without thinking it through and expected others to magically solve her problems, she just grew up with a very low sense of self worth due to her low station within the society and is very sacrificing by nature which formed her actions and her reasonings. While I usually gravitate toward more cunning, strategy-driven female leads, Xiao Lan Hua(Little Orchid) stayed completely true to who she was: a loving, courageous little orchid with a giant heart.
For the male lead, Dongfang Qingcang, I especially loved his character development. Even though his name is GENUINELY a mouthful, watching his arc unfold was one of the strongest parts of the show. His actions all throughout the show through various changes he experienced really resonated with his character and rarely felt out of place. I also think Wang Hedi did a really great job with this character and I almost couldn't tell he was dubbed. The dubber and the character worked so well together.
The show also LOOKED really good overall. Visually, the CGI was impressive, the sets were beautifully designed, and the costumes added so much to the overall atmosphere. With cdramas, the sets and CGI can really make or break a good concept (iykyk) and for a fantastical show you really need that good production quality. I think Love Between Fairy and Devil really brought that.
Overall, this was a beautiful and emotionally engaging watch. Wang Hedi and Yu Shuxin both delivered strong performances and brought a lot of emotional depth to their roles.
My only real complaint is how rushed the ending felt which is why I dropped half a point. I wished we had one more episode or even 30 more minutes to wrap it up. Everything before that, though? Genuinely fantastic. If you're on the fence about watching it, just press play and thank me later.
I had put this show off for a long time because like I said, I expected the female lead to be overly sweet (and borderline annoying) and the male lead to lean too far into toxic tropes. To some extent, those elements are kinda there, but the way they’re written, performed, and framed through the dialogue and cinematography made them feel much more grounded and emotionally authentic that it didn't bother me and actually added to the experience. I can't imagine the characters being any other way. Kudos to the writer and the director because I can really tell that a lot of care went into making this show.
The female lead, Little Orchid, was a pleasant surprise, sweet and somewhat naive, but in a way that felt believable rather than frustrating. I was initially scared because I'm very familiar with Yu Shuxin's acting and her portrayal of characters but honestly? This character was made for her and she really brought Little Orchid to life. The FL's decisions always made sense within the context of her character and her past, which made it easy to stay invested in her journey. Even though I'm not a big fan of overly sweet and innocent characters, Little Orchid wasn't actually JUST that, she had a lot of depth and heart which made me connect to her character. Shuxin also brough out something very different for the last quarter of the show that really made the show way more interesting anf I personally thought she pulled it off well. I can't say anymore because it would be a spoiler, please watch it.
I also didn’t think Little Orchid was “stupid,” which was a criticism I often saw. She was kind-hearted, pure, and brave, someone who understood the risks of her actions and chose to take them anyway. I think there’s an important distinction there. She didn't jump into danger without thinking it through and expected others to magically solve her problems, she just grew up with a very low sense of self worth due to her low station within the society and is very sacrificing by nature which formed her actions and her reasonings. While I usually gravitate toward more cunning, strategy-driven female leads, Xiao Lan Hua(Little Orchid) stayed completely true to who she was: a loving, courageous little orchid with a giant heart.
For the male lead, Dongfang Qingcang, I especially loved his character development. Even though his name is GENUINELY a mouthful, watching his arc unfold was one of the strongest parts of the show. His actions all throughout the show through various changes he experienced really resonated with his character and rarely felt out of place. I also think Wang Hedi did a really great job with this character and I almost couldn't tell he was dubbed. The dubber and the character worked so well together.
The show also LOOKED really good overall. Visually, the CGI was impressive, the sets were beautifully designed, and the costumes added so much to the overall atmosphere. With cdramas, the sets and CGI can really make or break a good concept (iykyk) and for a fantastical show you really need that good production quality. I think Love Between Fairy and Devil really brought that.
Overall, this was a beautiful and emotionally engaging watch. Wang Hedi and Yu Shuxin both delivered strong performances and brought a lot of emotional depth to their roles.
My only real complaint is how rushed the ending felt which is why I dropped half a point. I wished we had one more episode or even 30 more minutes to wrap it up. Everything before that, though? Genuinely fantastic. If you're on the fence about watching it, just press play and thank me later.
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