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.
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Dark, Romantic, and Toxic- An addictive and satisfying drama
I am obsessed with this show, so much so that I eagerly await Sunday so I can watch both episodes back-to-back. I'm also reading the translation of the web novel at the same time (and this show is very faithful to the source material: Four-Faced Buddha). The premise is intriguing and it's a slow burn that doesn't feel overly drawn out- the pacing is perfect.I'd compare it to Revenged Love in that it has a ML who is a walking forest of red flags, but somehow he still elicits empathy (at least for me, your mileage may vary). I still love him while simultaneously wondering how I'm so broken that I can still love him. I constantly question what he's really thinking, and at this point, I really think he may not know how he really feels. (Plus, bonus- unlike RL, no animal cruelty in this one!)
The chemistry between the actors is palpable and the production quality is gorgeous. The framing of shots and lighting are clearly intentional, with characters alternating from light to shadow as they move from truth to deception- this is done seamlessly and feels effortless. The use of a Tibetan singing bowl sound as an omen is also a subtle but effective dread-building device that is expertly woven into the narrative.
It's a dark, emotional, and toxicity-filled melodramatic romance. If you enjoy Wuthering Heights levels of abuse, toxicity, and longing- this is a must-see.
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This review may contain spoilers
Somewhat enjoyable but SO FRUSTRATING
Admittedly, I’m only on episode 27, so maybe there is more to come on this. But I’m still really really mad at the male lead and so it’s very hard for me to root for them getting together. I would honestly be on board with the entire show right now if he had ever once apologized or acknowledged what he did. Or if he had ever asked her about her feelings rather than obsessing about his own. Or shown any interest in her family of origin issues, where there is still a lot of trauma, and he can’t possibly know about it because of the original fake parents situation. I see her smiling at his attention and I just wanna throw things at the TV. I’m trying to hang in there in case these things get resolved, but if you are someone who needs people to be accountable, then you may also find this show a bit frustrating. On the plus side- The acting is great and aside from some over the top comedy bits, it is otherwise a pretty enjoyable watch.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A great binge-watch with a MAJOR caveat
Alt title: Getting Away with 10 Years of Destructive Manipulation.For the majority of the show, it is a fun watch with surprisingly good production value for a short drama. It’s filled with the expected tropes, but the actors are delightful to watch and it’s an easy weekend binge show. ***However*** Warning if you can’t stand a villain parent getting away with their evil. We see the FL in FULL Stockholm syndrome, even comforting her MIL when the ML finds out how she is the reason for them being apart for a decade. Episode 23 had me fully yelling at the TV. I completely lost all respect for the FL there and honestly just wanted him to tell her to get lost. The MIL telling the FL to just “consider these ten years as a test of your love.” Seriously?? She admits that she was abandoned and thus decided that all men were evil, including her own son, so she essentially broke them up to “save” the FL. Another character makes the comment, “She actually did all that? Well, she had her reasons.” Huh?? And now that she has cancer, she also demands forgiveness and again asks the FL to keep this secret from the ML.
It probably seems odd that after all that I would compliment the show, but up until that episode, honestly the 2 leads are great, and their chemistry and characters are fun to watch. The villains have minimal screen time and (apart from mama evil) are not that upsetting to watch. The music is remarkably good for a short drama- I honestly think the production value is better than many full-length rom-coms I’ve seen. Finally, lots of folks have noted that it’s not really unrequited love- I think the idea is that the ML *thinks* it is unrequited, until he unravels all of his mother’s manipulations and realizes the FL has loved him and never been with anyone else the whole time.
Full disclosure – Ep 23 kind of killed the momentum for me, so I scrubbed through the last episode for the first time with any drama I’ve ever watched. It was fine since it mostly wrapped up the mother and ex-girlfriend’s stories. If you’re a pretty forgiving person and you like the reunion of lost loves / wealthy parents intervening in their kids’ relationships tropes, then you’d probably like this show. Or if you like to hate-watch evil parents, then get excited for Episode 23. Enjoy!
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