whoissilmoy

Eternal Love (2017, Yang Mi). The feeling reminds me of ALP, the softness, delicate feeling.

I can't help it, I am a detailed oriented person

I looked up screenwriter, Li Qiang
2004 Hero of the Year (32 eps) MDL 10 Douban 8.3, 32k
2005 Peacock (136 min) MDL 6.7 Douban 8.2, 144k
2006 The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (111 min) MDL 6.4 Douban 7.4, 60k Toronto Film Festival
2007 And The Spring Comes (105 min) MDL 7.0 Douban 8.3, 165k Rome Film Festival
2013 So Young (132 min) MDL 7.2 Douban 6.5, 500k
2014 The Golden Era (179 min) MDL 7.4 Douban 7.4, 195k Venice Film Festival
2023 Grandma's New World (18 eps) MDL 7.7 Douban 7.6, 31k

The screen writer seems to write mostly short artistic films, so "Pot of Spring" (40 eps. per Douban) is the longest series he's ever written. I think really won't be able to compare to his pass works which are so different. This is his first historical, political romance. He seems to be a talented and seasoned writer to me. There was 9-year gap between 2014 and 2023 too. Sometimes that can result in renewed creativity, enthusiasm, or perspective I hope for this project.

I find if it's over 100K usually indication it is popular drama. If over 300K super popular. But 30k user ratings, the drama could be popular, even very popular, just not registering on Douban.

I looked up the director, Pan Anzi,
2012 Scheme With Me (98 min) MDL 6.0 Douban 6.6, 15k
2013 The Palace (115 min) MDL 7.9 Douban 5.5, 113k - Yu Zheng production starring Zhou Dong Yu, Zhao Li Ying, and Chen Xiao
2015 Crazy New Year's Eve (120 min) MDL 7.3 Douban 5.3, 42k - two directors he's listed first
2020 Reunion The Sound of Providence S1 (32 eps) MDL 8.4 Douban 7.1, 331k - two directors he's listed first
2020 Reunion The Sound of Providence S2 (30 eps) MDL 8.5 Douban 6.9, 166k - two directors he's listed first
2023 Under the Microscope (14 eps) MDL 8.2 Douban 7.9, 154k - starring Zhang Ruoyun from JOL / Sword Snow Stride!

The director early start has past connection to Yu Zheng. I'd say based on his 2020 work in Reunion, he had good success (331k indicates super popular) although he was one of two directors, he was the first one listed. But 2023, with ZRY, he received his highest rating 7.9; albeit a very short series did really well. He really doesn't have a long track record yet, like the screenwriter, but actors like Xu Kai are experienced now he has been known to collaborate well with directors, give his inputs, and even make changes. Xu Kai seem to have a knack for spotting things and knowing what looks good or works. He's no longer that "big stupid guy over there" when he first stepped on a set.

Xu Kai said Moonlit Reunion is a new genre for him, likely because of its darker and more supernatural / sinister tone, perhaps not your traditional fantasy drama. I hope the drama brings intense emotions, blending love and the supernatural in a spooky setting, with plenty of humor to balance it out.

Xu Kai dramas are all different, like Sword and Fairy is unique story telling.

Maybe some productions have more resources, or this drama has complex effects that take more time to edit, production challenges due to ambitious hurdles - think positive. For one thing, they had to film this drama for many weeks when they should all be sleeping. That sounds challenging.

This drama is going to be a visual feast for the eyes, especially with this director, hoping they don't hold him back even though he can be polarizing.

I can't believe AvenueX spent an entire video reviewing Unnatural Fire in great detail. She has no other drama to talk about? She has never once said a good thing about Xu Kai, so I hope she doesn't review Fire Investigator or make comparisons. She should leave Xu Kai alone like she's doing for certain actors and dramas I won't name.

that's what I read somewhere, I vaguely recall it is the first criminal drama involving fire cases. If I spoke wrong, perhaps someone will correct me.

the second I turned on to watch, I instinctively knew the director is different, that it's not typical, which is why I started to research the director.

春 Chun or Spring

ABAY VLinkage daily points averaged 84.8 (excl day 1) for 3 straight weeks as it reached 1.5B effective views on Maoyan in 3 weeks, with Han Ting on top list for 60 days.

It got a Douban 7.0 but less than 10K user ratings.

Unnatural Fire took over 13 and a half months to produce 38 episodes. At the same pace, 24 episodes would take nearly 9 months which would take it to June 2025.

Judging from ABAY, 4 days is plenty for 28 episodes that probably has a lot of action scenes.

douban 7.0
i think this is the first fire criminal series ever made

a main role for Liang Yong Qi as a prince!

The acting is powerful, but the graphic violence is too hard to watch.

Recap of Maoyan effective views for ABAY which aired 7/2/24 reaching 2 billion effective views in just over a month despite Summer Olympics. To put it into perspective, compared to popular dramas in 2025. Also, the character Han Ting was in the top VLinkage ranking for 60 days.
Day 3 100M -ABAY (Day 3), FP (Day 3), MM (Day 3), Zang Hai (Day 4), Northward (Day 5)
Day 5 200M -ABAY (Day 5), FP (Day 5), Zang Hai (Day 5), MM (Day 6), Northward (Day 8)
Day 6 300M -ABAY (Day 6), FP (Day 7), MM (Day 7), Zang Hai (Day 7), PofBeauty (Day 8), Northward (Day 11)
Day 8 400M -ABAY (Day 7 or 8), FP (Day 8), MM (Day 9), Zang Hai (Day 9), PofBeauty (Day 10), Northward (Day 13)
Day 9 500M -ABAY (Day 9), FP (Day 10), Zang Hai (Day 10), MM (Day 11), Northward (Day 16)
Day 10 600M -ABAY (Day 10), FP (Day 12), Zang Hai (Day 12), MM (Day 13), GOTD (Day 13), PoBeauty (Day 14), Northward (Day 19)
Day 11 700M -ABAY (Day 11), Zang Hai (Day 14), Northward (Day 21)
Day 13 800M -ABAY (Day 13), Zang Hai (Day 15), PofBeauty (Day 19), Northward (Day 24)
Day 14 900M -ABAY (Day 14) Zang Hai (Day 17)
Day 16 1.0B - ABAY (Day 16), FP (Day 17), Zang Hai (Day 18), MM (Day 20), GOTD (Day 20), PofBeauty (Day 25), Northward (Day 30)
Day 17 1.1B - ABAY (Day17), FP (Day 19), Zang Hai (Day 20), MM (Day21), GOTD (Day 22), Northward (Day39)
Day 18 1.2B -ABAY (Day 18), FP (Day 21), MM (Day 23), GOTD (Day 24)
Day 20 1.3B -ABAY (Day 20), FP (Day 23), MM (Day 26), GOTD (Day 27)
Day 22 1.4B - ABAY (Day 21 or 22), FP (Day 26), MM (Day 28), GOTD (Day 30)
Day 23 1.5B -ABAY (Day 23), MM (Day 31), FP (Day 34)
Day 25 (Olympics) 1.6B - ABAY (Day 25), MM (Day 35)
Day 27 1.7B. -ABAY (Day 27), MM (Day 40), GOTD (Day 62)
Day 28 1.8B. -ABAY (Day 28), MM (Day 50 1.8B)
Day 31 1.9B -ABAY (Day 31 1.9B), MM (Day 88 1.877B, Day 109 1.9B)
Day 40 2B -ABAY (Day 40 2B)
Day 41 (Olympics closing ceremony)

Day 298 4/25/25 ABAY (Day 298 2.2B)

MM=Moonlight Mystique (40 eps.) FP=Flourished Peony (32 eps), GOTD-Guardians of the Dafeng (40 eps.), Northward (40 eps.)

The story revolves around the concept of the Möbius—a loop where events, choices, and fates are interconnected and inevitable. While they strive for change, the characters remain stuck in this loop, unable to escape their fate, constantly returning to the same endpoint, trapped by destiny. It's a powerful storytelling device that invites reflection on free will versus fate.