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Potentially Great Story
I honestly loved the premise of Lost You Forever—the hidden identities, the struggle in Qingshui Town, and the return to royalty. However, the character logic nearly ruined it for me. The story progression hinges frustratingly on the 'lack of communication' trope.The FL drives the plot by making terrible decisions and withholding even the smallest snippets of information. It makes you want to scream, 'Use your words!' But what makes this worse is her dynamic with Xiang Liu. He’s essentially a vampire figure who drinks her blood and, due to his sacrifice saving her later on, feels every emotion she has. He knows what she is feeling—and the acting portrays this subtly and beautifully—but he ignores that truth. Instead of addressing the emotions he physically feels, he replies to her lies. Since the FL is fully aware that he can feel her emotions, this charade of lying and pretending to believe the lie makes absolutely no sense for either character.
The FL only has love for the broken toy boy that doesn't use his words much either.. until he does, and because he's such a weak character, he betrays her. He betrays her in one of those 'gotcha' setups that a drama with a SFL would see through and break down immediately. Unfortunately, neither character is smart enough to see it or have the confidence to speak out.
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How is it this good?
He’s back, and the story is just as tight and well-rounded as the first season. I literally could not look away from the screen. The sequel dives deeper into the lore, revealing key details about his mother and the Grandmasters. The complex web of family ties, political power plays, and the Emperor’s manipulative games continue to escalate, yet everything remains grounded in that same flawless logic.I am at the edge of my seat waiting for season 3.
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Masterpiece
This show is an absolute masterpiece. I bypassed it countless times, finally giving it a chance solely for Li Qin, but I was captivated from the very first episode. I will try to not put any spoilers in here because it will take away from the experience of watching it.The writing is incredibly tight; every character serves a purpose, and every decision follows a clear logic. It takes tropes that usually annoy me in other dramas and executes them to perfection. The scheming characters are intelligent and motivated, and their actions have genuine consequences. As for the protagonist, the writing is beyond words—he captures the very essence of what it means to be human.
The storytelling is incredibly dense but not so much so that it feels rushed. I had to pause the video every time I left the room because missing even sixty seconds meant missing a pivotal moment. The series is completely devoid of fluff; it refuses to waste time on distracting side stories, keeping the focus entirely on the driving narrative.
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This isn't a traditional romance in all the wrong ways.
Spoilers. Many Spoilers ahead. I have read spoilers before and thought, hey that actually sounds awesome, I'm going to watch it! You can decide after this windfall of horrible. I gave it a 5 mainly because Ni Ni even though her character was all over the place. You may start on the first episode thinking she is a smart, cunning, capable female lead that will overcome everything for her goal. By episode 10 she is crying and spouting lines like a side character trying to move a pity plot along. Even the male lead tells her she isn't appealing when she is crying, but she still pulls at him crying. Anyway... a breakdown of the bad, with all the spoilers that will make you check your refrigerator to see if the spoilage leaked from the computer screen.If you are looking for a loyal romance or a coherent plot, run far away from The Rise of Phoenixes. What disguises itself as a high-stakes political drama is actually just a frustrating showcase of a narcissistic male lead, Ning Yi, who treats women like disposable chess pieces while the writers try to gaslight us into thinking it’s "epic love." The show is a masterclass in how to ruin a romance by drowning it in a pseudo-harem of political pawns and unnecessary third parties.
The "Harem" and emotional infidelity really illustrates how this really shouldn't even be a romance. The biggest offense here is Ning Yi. We are supposed to believe he loves Feng Zhiwei, yet he spends the entire series surrounded by a rotating door of other women whom he uses for political gain. First, there’s the engagement drama with Qiu Yuluo, used simply to balance power. Then there is the constant manipulation of Princess Shaoning, whom he uses as a tool to bring down his brothers, eventually leading to her tragic death. He even gets involved with the affairs of Hua Gongmei and uses his own mother’s history to manipulate the women around him.
It isn’t just that these women exist; it’s that Ning Yi constantly prioritizes his ambition over his supposed "true love." The definition of infidelity here isn't just physical—it is the constant emotional betrayal. He watches Feng Zhiwei get married off to Helian Zheng (the Prince of Jinshi) for political stability, essentially handing the woman he "loves" to another man. He claims he wants to protect her, yet he is the primary reason she is constantly in danger, surrounded by his enemies and his other political "interests." It feels less like a romance and more like a toxic relationship where the guy keeps his options open while ruining your life. To be clear, it isn't one of those toxic romances to swoon over, it's imagined romance by anyone who didn't watch it or imagines romance as someone who acknowledges your existence and tries to push you away - not because of love, because he just doesn't care.
A convoluted, horrible plot beyond the messy relationships. The storyline is an absolute train wreck of misery. The plot relies on the tired trope of "blood feuds" that just won't die. The writers force a Romeo and Juliet dynamic where Ning Yi systematically kills off Feng Zhiwei’s entire support system—her mother Qiu Mingying, her brother Feng Hao, and her protector Zong Chen—and then expects her to still want to be with him. It’s repulsive. The political machinations are boring and repetitive: a Prince plots, Ning Yi outsmarts him, the Prince dies, repeat.
The meaningless ending really hits you. The finale is the final nail in the coffin. After 56 episodes of suffering, misunderstandings, and Ning Yi manipulating everyone from court ladies to princesses to seize power, the payoff is... nothing. The plot decides that the only way to resolve the corner they wrote themselves into is for Feng Zhiwei to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. It renders the entire journey pointless. We watched Ning Yi claw his way to the throne over a mountain of corpses, only to end up alone, miserable, and "married" to his job.
Don't waste your time. The Rise of Phoenixes is a depressing slog featuring a male lead who values power over loyalty, treats women as disposable tools, and a plot that punishes the audience for caring. If you want romance, look elsewhere; this is just tragedy porn masquerading as a love story.
That's about all I have to say about this. I regret watching this to the end. At episode 8 I could already tell this wouldn't be for me. I read reviews here and thought, hey, maybe it gets better. It doesn't.
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