This review may contain spoilers
If you're not prepared to stick this one out until the end, this drama isn't for you.
For a drama that I can't commit to saying I particularly loved, I actually have a lot to say about it. This is a strangely addicting drama. The story is unconventional but pretty interesting if you're willing to hold your questions until the end lol I just don't necessarily agree with the way it's being told. I was very upset for the first 10 episodes. The way this story is being delivered in terms of timing and plot holes can get very stressful for people who are impatient. But once I finished and was given all the context, I think they wrapped the story up on a strong note. There was an art to the messy way that this drama fed us information which will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. It was one of the most unpredictable dramas I've ever watched. For me, the suspense level felt more like I was watching a mystery, rather than a xianxia. There's no overly fluffy love in this. From the beginning it seems that both the FL and ML are deeply flawed to the point where it's in question for most of the drama whether or not the audience should even want a happy ending for them.
ML & FL: Visually, they are a beautiful pair, which is usually the case with anything Bai Lu is in. The first 2/3 of the show it's really hard to take a stance on either of these two because we aren't given enough information about their past together. So in the beginning everything they do and say to each other just seems completely toxic, unhinged and unjustified. In my opinion, the drama waited a little too long to explain the reasons behind their "feud" and could potentially lose viewers who are impatient over this. The show starts in the present and clearly whatever trauma they both went through has driven them both insane. Siling's rage and scheming seems too intense and cruel. And although it's clear Bai Jiusi is hopelessly in love with FL his mistrust is too strong too allow him to make any reasonable decisions when it comes to her. But he is also so blinded by his love that he is delusional and willing to trust her over and over. Between her hatred and his ignorance this story is just a cocktail of misunderstandings for a good while. I found myself eating my words and changing my opinions about the leads and some of the side characters so often in this drama that I was starting to get whiplash. But the more and more context about their past the drama gives, the better it gets.
The First Love Tribulation: The two of them coming from the same power source and the urge to constantly engage and challenge each other forces their lives to be forever intertwined. So I can see how they would embrace an attempt at love. But their opposite and opposing natures ultimately resulted in that love turning toxic when it came time for their love tribulation. They are fire and ice. He's a cold-hearted, by-the-book type and she is a bleeding heart naturally but also completely reckless in all her decision making. She lets her emotions blind her in every situation, shoots from the hip, and has little to no regard for the consequences afterwards. They just have completely opposite personalities and priorities but both clearly mean well.
Sadly, the way the tribulation ends (or doesn't) is in disaster for both of them. And once the trauma that Siling experienced afterwards is revealed, her future actions/feelings towards BJS are a lot more understandable.
Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi did really well in their roles. As a Bai Lu fan, I've always thought her acting was better in modern dramas. But she really seems to connect with this role differently than other xianxias I've seen her in and her performance was really impressive. This is my 2nd encounter with ZS and I think he did a good job playing off BL and owning this character. The script and dialogue were pretty solid in this drama but it's the delivery from BL and ZS that was most impressive.
2CP: Zhang Suan is definitely pretty to look at but very boring to me. He was always hell bent on these pointless missions where he is chasing after the FL when she really doesn't need his help. Even after he finds out she is an ancient goddess married to BJS he still doesn't give up. His story line is tedious and when he first met Ling'er I had hoped he would wise up but that never happens. So he remained a lukewarm character for me at the end. Ling'er, however, completely won my heart. She was beautiful, smart and tenacious in all the best ways. Her loyalty and love for Siling was so sweet and Siling was definitely a better parent figure to her than her own terrible father was. And this is another point that makes me irritated with 2 ML again. The way Siling acts towards him, and all mortals really, is not just like a leader, but also like everyone's mother. So after seeing this and he still doesn't drop his romantic feelings for her, he is just a hopeless fool in my book.
Side characters: In the beginning, every single character, not excluding the leads, does not make any decisions based on logic. Everyone is similar in that their actions are based on their current emotions/hearts first. Everyone except Li Mo. I like how he only feels the caring kind of love for all beings instead of romantic love. It makes his decision making more rational and he takes his time before acting in any situation. In a drama full of lawless, overreactors his grounding presence became a staple for me and was both welcomed and refreshing. As for everyone else, at first I found their impulsiveness more annoying than charming because the show made absolutely no attempt to explain these characters on a deeper level. But as the show progressed each character becomes easier to understand and sympathize with. Even the brash Long Yuan plays a critical role here.
My other 2 favorites were Ning Yan and Yin Tong Zi (Story Demon). They were both so funny/adorable and their little friendship was cute.
Ending: I have to say from the first 20 eps I did not see myself liking the leads or rooting for their love story at all. But one thing this drama did well was mind games and twist and turns. Surprisingly, by the end I thought they wrapped up their story nicely and I even shed a few tears for them in the last third of the show. I don't regret watching this drama at all. It's not a favorite but it was an interesting watch with little to no boring parts. I do not see myself rewatching it, as the first 2/3s of it was very stressful lol
OST and Cinematography: The OST is pretty good. The theme song is by far the best song but the background music isn't annoying or overly intense. It fits every scene well. The graphics are decent and the various settings are vibrant and interesting. The costumes don't do much for me but the hairstyles are pretty cute.
ML & FL: Visually, they are a beautiful pair, which is usually the case with anything Bai Lu is in. The first 2/3 of the show it's really hard to take a stance on either of these two because we aren't given enough information about their past together. So in the beginning everything they do and say to each other just seems completely toxic, unhinged and unjustified. In my opinion, the drama waited a little too long to explain the reasons behind their "feud" and could potentially lose viewers who are impatient over this. The show starts in the present and clearly whatever trauma they both went through has driven them both insane. Siling's rage and scheming seems too intense and cruel. And although it's clear Bai Jiusi is hopelessly in love with FL his mistrust is too strong too allow him to make any reasonable decisions when it comes to her. But he is also so blinded by his love that he is delusional and willing to trust her over and over. Between her hatred and his ignorance this story is just a cocktail of misunderstandings for a good while. I found myself eating my words and changing my opinions about the leads and some of the side characters so often in this drama that I was starting to get whiplash. But the more and more context about their past the drama gives, the better it gets.
The First Love Tribulation: The two of them coming from the same power source and the urge to constantly engage and challenge each other forces their lives to be forever intertwined. So I can see how they would embrace an attempt at love. But their opposite and opposing natures ultimately resulted in that love turning toxic when it came time for their love tribulation. They are fire and ice. He's a cold-hearted, by-the-book type and she is a bleeding heart naturally but also completely reckless in all her decision making. She lets her emotions blind her in every situation, shoots from the hip, and has little to no regard for the consequences afterwards. They just have completely opposite personalities and priorities but both clearly mean well.
Sadly, the way the tribulation ends (or doesn't) is in disaster for both of them. And once the trauma that Siling experienced afterwards is revealed, her future actions/feelings towards BJS are a lot more understandable.
Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi did really well in their roles. As a Bai Lu fan, I've always thought her acting was better in modern dramas. But she really seems to connect with this role differently than other xianxias I've seen her in and her performance was really impressive. This is my 2nd encounter with ZS and I think he did a good job playing off BL and owning this character. The script and dialogue were pretty solid in this drama but it's the delivery from BL and ZS that was most impressive.
2CP: Zhang Suan is definitely pretty to look at but very boring to me. He was always hell bent on these pointless missions where he is chasing after the FL when she really doesn't need his help. Even after he finds out she is an ancient goddess married to BJS he still doesn't give up. His story line is tedious and when he first met Ling'er I had hoped he would wise up but that never happens. So he remained a lukewarm character for me at the end. Ling'er, however, completely won my heart. She was beautiful, smart and tenacious in all the best ways. Her loyalty and love for Siling was so sweet and Siling was definitely a better parent figure to her than her own terrible father was. And this is another point that makes me irritated with 2 ML again. The way Siling acts towards him, and all mortals really, is not just like a leader, but also like everyone's mother. So after seeing this and he still doesn't drop his romantic feelings for her, he is just a hopeless fool in my book.
Side characters: In the beginning, every single character, not excluding the leads, does not make any decisions based on logic. Everyone is similar in that their actions are based on their current emotions/hearts first. Everyone except Li Mo. I like how he only feels the caring kind of love for all beings instead of romantic love. It makes his decision making more rational and he takes his time before acting in any situation. In a drama full of lawless, overreactors his grounding presence became a staple for me and was both welcomed and refreshing. As for everyone else, at first I found their impulsiveness more annoying than charming because the show made absolutely no attempt to explain these characters on a deeper level. But as the show progressed each character becomes easier to understand and sympathize with. Even the brash Long Yuan plays a critical role here.
My other 2 favorites were Ning Yan and Yin Tong Zi (Story Demon). They were both so funny/adorable and their little friendship was cute.
Ending: I have to say from the first 20 eps I did not see myself liking the leads or rooting for their love story at all. But one thing this drama did well was mind games and twist and turns. Surprisingly, by the end I thought they wrapped up their story nicely and I even shed a few tears for them in the last third of the show. I don't regret watching this drama at all. It's not a favorite but it was an interesting watch with little to no boring parts. I do not see myself rewatching it, as the first 2/3s of it was very stressful lol
OST and Cinematography: The OST is pretty good. The theme song is by far the best song but the background music isn't annoying or overly intense. It fits every scene well. The graphics are decent and the various settings are vibrant and interesting. The costumes don't do much for me but the hairstyles are pretty cute.
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