ronnie091

Critics are just professional complainers. In the novel he is SUPPOSED to look exactly like Zhang Ling He. They couldn't have cast anyone more perfect for the role. In the novel he's described as beautiful, lean, like unpolished jade. Everyone who sees him comments on how striking his features are. This is an idol drama based on a romantic/historical novel. But the romance is really the highlight. If people want historical accuracy and ugly actors they can watch a documentary.

Oh for me it would kill the vibe if she had a more realistic reaction to what he did to her. I'm all for the drama magic like you said 😂 Jiang Mu's aptitude for forgiveness and devotion is what makes her a very fictional but well written character. If she had treated Jin Zhao the way he actually deserved to be treated for deceiving and ghosting her the drama ending would've been way too bleak and unenjoyable.

I also don't think she handled the situation like a doormat either. When they finally met again after 6 years she doesn't allow herself to break down and cry in front of him right away. Nor does she beg for him to take her back. She stood her ground at first, gave him attitude and tortured him with a few white lies that he honestly deserved after lying to her all those years. I'm sure it's a mix of good writing and Yu Shu Xin's performance but Jiang Mu's commitment to Jin Zhao is more charming than frustrating somehow....drama magic again lol

And the same goes for Jin Zhao. I agree. Realistically, in this situation a lot of people who are bad with communication and inconsiderate most likely won't change.  If they hadn't made him realize his mistakes he would've been completely unredeemable.  I much prefer the rainbow lens!

I'll admit that I usually watch things from the woman's perspective and sympathized more with Jiang Mu. In the real world we all know men like Jin Zhao simply don't exist lol If a man committed half of the wrongs he did to MuMu than any modern woman would never talk to him again. But Jiang Mu was an unrealistically forgiving and soft hearted character. Which I liked about her. And for Jin Zhao to admit his mistakes in the end and heal from his past was very well done and rare in modern dramas.

Great, thorough review! And very insightful explanation of the often frustrating noble idiocy trope. I was looking at things purely from Jiang Mu's side but you're right. He's not perfect and neither is his logic because of the conditions he was raised in. So he needed her to wake him up!
The only correction I'd like to offer is within your explanation of what the story is about... Jin Zhao is not a professional racer, nor does he ever want to make it his career. He's a street racer participating in underground, illegal races for money and to move up the ranks in the Alliance. I think this fact is important only because it paints a more honest picture of his situation in the beginning and how desperate he was to change it.

I took a break from this halfway because the middle started to really drag. But then I picked it up again and ep 30-38 were pretty good. Just sharing my experience. Not trying to convince anyone to watch this because I completely understand everyone's frustration. You think there's a plot in the beginning but then the plot just completely wanders off the trail for the whole middle of the show. It was so confusing and unfocused for so long.

I thoroughly enjoyed your review despite not fully agreeing! There is just no reason to attack other people over opposing opinions. I never understood people who get so mad over this lol But I completely understand not wanting to watch the trashy romances anymore. I put stuff like this on only when I'm doing chores, or to fall asleep lol I would say even some teenagers would recognize this as a brainless watch as well.

LMAO Nan Heng would also just save her because she can do no wrong in his eyes. *eye roll* I tried to make excuses for her up until she found out LSL's identity because Nan Heng did try to use her for target practice in the beginning and kill her multiple times. But once the facade was dropped and she still kept up her ignorant nonsense I was like, I'm done. She's got rocks for brains. I moved on to Coroner's Diary but I was curious about The First Night too. Good to know!

My review wasn't as harsh as yours but this part right here I 1000% concur!

"Some dramas are good. Some are bad. And some exist in that rare third category: the genre-bending fever dream you watch out of loyalty, finish out of morbid curiosity, and then question your entire concept of narrative coherence."

Great insight and great writing! I personally took this as mostly romantic comedy and just figured all of the exaggeration was part of the trope parodies thing. But whether the tediousness was intentional or not, everyone but Nan Heng and Song Yude wore me out.

I feel almost the same as you. This wasn't a terrible drama but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be when it first started. I was really entertained and laughing hysterically the first 8-10 eps. Then Song Xiaoyu/Yimeng just took my patience from thin right to the ground. And I am a fan of Li Yitong. She was still beautiful and funny, and the chemistry with Liu Yuning was definitely there. But they gave her character zero growth or intelligence. I get that Nan Heng was attracted to her spunkiness and her oddness but that only gets a person so far. There were numerous times that she could have changed her way of thinking and realized that the plot was changing, but no. She just shredded Nan Heng's heart over and over. When they finally got together, the show became sweet and funny again but I was honestly just tired of it at that point. It definitely should have been 30 or 32 eps. Besides Nan Heng, the other highlight was the hilarious and adorable Song's Father, Song Yude. Both him and Nan Heng were really the only ones who spoke with common sense in the entire drama. I also loved the Nightwalkers but not enough to save the entire show.

I agree with everything you said 100%! And another person who appreciates the FL's dad :) If he was in the market for another daughter I would volunteer in a heartbeat. I love him so much.
Song Yimeng also tested my patience every time she hurt Nan Heng but I think it was also difficult for her to bring herself to be as harsh as she could to try and scare him away from her. But our loveable ML will not run from his love and did everything he could to get rid of her fears. *Sighing* *Melting* Swooning* over everything he does for her.

I understand your opinions and frustrations with the show. I agree the FL has zero accountability in the beginning. But she grew on me by the end as did the whole show once all the context was given. Sorry you didn't enjoy it. Of course these shows are all subjective and we enjoy what we enjoy based on our own perspectives. Hope the next one is better for you! I went on to Prisoner of Beauty and this may go in the drop pile next to Perfect Match soon lol

Li Mo doesn't love Honglian. He feels compassionate love for all beings. Li Qingyue makes him realize that abandoning her in the past after she confessed to him just made her hateful. And if he just explains himself clearly, she can move on. And she does. These two never become an item. And within the next few episodes our leads change completely. This is definitely not a drama you can judge until you get to the end because there are many twist and turns throughout multiple arcs.

Great review! You clearly have a talent for writing and expression. Although I found the trickling of context we received in the beginning a bit tedious and stressful, once their entire past was revealed, the whole drama became more cohesive. I think where some people struggled with this drama is being patient enough to get through the first arc. But after that the story really took off it was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. I agree with you about HRY easily being one of my favorite Bai Lu characters. Her character growth was so moving to watch. You can tell in the beginning, although she was acting on compassion, she reacted to emotions without thinking and without consideration of consequences (or Bai Jiusi). But by the end she never lets hate corrupt her heart to where she would involve or hurt innocent people, even BJS when he loses his memories, was innocent in her eyes. She learns to take her time when making decisions and the moment she lets go of her hate and tells BJS she really loves him, I ugly cried lol The only thing I wish the drama showed were his thoughts when they first met. I mean it's implied he fell in love at first sight as well, but it would be nice if they included a flashback of his perspective when his eyes first opened in the ice. But given his somber nature, I guess that would be a hard dialogue to pull off. Oh well. Still enjoyed this drama and your thoughts on it!

I'm not here to judge you or berate you from bailing from the drama early. I've done the same thing multiple times. And I felt like doing so with this drama too. But curiosity compelled me to hang on a little longer and it's definitely not what you're thinking. I had the same thoughts as you too at ep 3. But after ep 8 - 10 I completely had to eat all my words and judgements about most of the characters because multiple times throughout the drama something happens and you realize no one is actually who you think they are. But I've said this in my own reviews too, this is not a drama for impatient people and you really have to hold all your questions for the end. I have issues with the way the story was told and the slow feed of context we get in the beginning. But once it all comes together, it's pretty good. I just think a lot of people don't expect this degree of mystery style story telling in a xianxia. It's definitely not for everyone so I'm not here to convince you to watch it at all. It's not an easy watch and can get a bit frustrating and stressful. I just wanted to clear up what you were saying about the first 3 eps because it's just not what you're thinking lol

Love this review! Your recaps are so accurate and hilarious. I had the exact same reaction in ep 11-12. Put my foot right in my mouth after being so mad at Bai Jiusi for breaking Li Qingyues heart and almost killing her. But turns out he was right all along about her. Wth. Also, kind of cruel of Siling to just take over this girl's life and then discard her personality completely once she's no longer needed...
Since these eps I have had PTSD and now refuse to fully trust either of our leads or form a solid opinion on them until the end.
But you are right about our FL. She is seriously the best actress and has almost villain like patience/perseverance to achieve her revenge. I understand that BJ's choices led to both of their demises but she really lacks accountability for her part in the whole mess. By the time she decides to admit she did anything wrong she was begging for her son's life to be saved. The last few eps actually had me in tears. Bai Lu and Joseph Zeng did a great job.

I don't consider it a guest role but that's just what it's labeled as everywhere. And you're like me! Lol I start a few at a time too and see what sticks

WQHY a bad!!? Nooo. Idk if I want to see him turn bad lol but I can totally believe it because of how hopeless and broken he was by the end. I'll probably give S&B a chance but if I don't get into it it will definitely be dropped like RMP lol hopefully LIP doesn't become the only decent Foxspirit installment

I really hope you're right! Because RMP was painful lol

I couldn't agree more with this entire review, especially about the ending. I've seen plenty of tragic drama endings where everyone or almost everyone dies but it's usually because they were attacked, had no choice, or sacrificed themselves for a purpose. You're so right...they knew the future and still followed him arrogantly. I get that they were worried about him but how could they greatly overestimate their own powers like that? It's not like after seeing the future any of them found a way to make themselves stronger. The old guardian tried to warn them all at the wall. They really did make the whole situation worse for WQHY. None of them managed to weaken Black Fox at all. The only way I'm trying to rationalize the ending and lessen the blow is by convincing myself that the anger and drive towards revenge is what gave WQHY the last burst of energy to put an end to the Black Fox. However, I must say that as sad/angry as I was over the others endings, I was thoroughly impressed with the 2 leads acting and the way the story was closed in the last 2 eps. Usually xianxia drama endings are terrible. But this ending was straightforward and impactful.

If you were interested in this for Ding Yuxi than you can just watch eps 2-3 and 20-31 or 32. It's honestly worth it because he's the guest appearance with the most scenes and the best story/acting in my opinion.