This review may contain spoilers
A fantasy romance with ++kissing and chemistry and magnetic leads
Short Review - This show does almost everything perfectly. There is amazing chemistry between the leads which showcases romance and intimacy while having some lightness and humor that does not detract. It feels like the creators stripped out many of the most frustrating plot devices and focused on developing a deeply romantic relationship that spans multiple lifetimes. CGI and OST are a little suspect in some places, but not enough that it truly detracts from the whole. If you love xianxia, romance, and lots of kisses you shouldn’t miss it.
Pros – 2 words: Sima Jiao. Powerful chemistry with 2 likeable leads. Humor and melodrama are used delicately so it never tips too far in either direction. It avoids needless misunderstandings and separations that drag on unnecessarily- no contrived break-ups. Although the leads occasionally hide things from each other, it feels understandable and not contrived.
Cons – Second FL (Ye Ruling) is evil in the first incarnation and I could never like or trust her again, she was never held accountable. The ending could feel like a bit of a letdown if you want to see a concrete reunion and final kiss. OST was a little over the top in a few places, and the CGI was hit or miss, but they not dealbreakers.
Romance / Skinship – So much of both, and you don’t have to wait terribly long for it to start. The dual cultivation scenes are by far the most sensual and numerous of all shows I’ve seen in this genre. They are not graphic or overt, but contain heavily implied meaning.
Pacing - lots of screen time on leads rather than unrelated secondary characters, Each of the 3 arcs (Immortal, Demon, Human) have diminishing screen time, leaving the final arc very short and less developed (but this is a minor issue imo). In a few areas it focuses a bit too long on the villains, who were not particularly interesting.
Notable Tropes – Hiding critical information to “protect” someone, main characters die but not really, Amnesia (but used well, less annoying that usual).
Ending – Happy (-ish?) FL comes back to modern world and in the last couple minutes runs into ML. He asks if she knows who he is, and she says yes, but it is not blatantly clear and you do not see them “get together” at the end.
Pros – 2 words: Sima Jiao. Powerful chemistry with 2 likeable leads. Humor and melodrama are used delicately so it never tips too far in either direction. It avoids needless misunderstandings and separations that drag on unnecessarily- no contrived break-ups. Although the leads occasionally hide things from each other, it feels understandable and not contrived.
Cons – Second FL (Ye Ruling) is evil in the first incarnation and I could never like or trust her again, she was never held accountable. The ending could feel like a bit of a letdown if you want to see a concrete reunion and final kiss. OST was a little over the top in a few places, and the CGI was hit or miss, but they not dealbreakers.
Romance / Skinship – So much of both, and you don’t have to wait terribly long for it to start. The dual cultivation scenes are by far the most sensual and numerous of all shows I’ve seen in this genre. They are not graphic or overt, but contain heavily implied meaning.
Pacing - lots of screen time on leads rather than unrelated secondary characters, Each of the 3 arcs (Immortal, Demon, Human) have diminishing screen time, leaving the final arc very short and less developed (but this is a minor issue imo). In a few areas it focuses a bit too long on the villains, who were not particularly interesting.
Notable Tropes – Hiding critical information to “protect” someone, main characters die but not really, Amnesia (but used well, less annoying that usual).
Ending – Happy (-ish?) FL comes back to modern world and in the last couple minutes runs into ML. He asks if she knows who he is, and she says yes, but it is not blatantly clear and you do not see them “get together” at the end.
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