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Completed
Snowfall
33 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Jul 29, 2024
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Finally something worth watching?? I don't have words.

I didn't know that I would say this about a vampire centric drama but it was really a breath of fresh air. After a long wait Cdrama world finally gave something worth watching which ended the spell of boring dramas of this year. We were inundated with many overhyped shows which could not do justice to all the anticipation. I wasn't sure about this one either (especially if it is a republican era one) but the first episode was more than enough to intrigue me with its unique plotline. The cinematography looked really nice plus the music beautifully accentuated the scenes. I loved the acting of all the actors and hoped this one could surprise us the way 'The double' did this year. However my hopes came down shattering pretty soon. It was already becoming impossible to ignore all the loopholes in the plot but by the time we reached the end, the drama totally took us as a fool. I was no longer mesmerized by the cinematography as I was in the beginning. The side characters completely took over the main leads and I could clearly see that they were forcibly giving more screen time to yinling. (Plus their efforts to justify all the wrong actions of some characters to gain sympathy of the viewers is just so... incomprehensible ). The show didn't really give proper closer to most of the characters (I wonder what was the rush?) The ending was so disappointing that I don't have words to explain it. If it wasn't for the good cast I would have dropped the show but I continued just for them..Their acting on the other hand kind of... began to look stiff towards the end as if nobody was feeling the emotions that their characters were supposed to feel or perhaps it was the weird editing that made me feel that way.(Except for Mi Lan, she was pretty good till the end).
To conclude it all...this one could have been a great show with solid performance but they did their magic and ruined it all and made it another one time watch drama at most.

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Completed
A Journey to Love
29 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Dec 8, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.5

WELL WRITTEN ,WELL DIRECTED, WELL ACTED

I can never miss a drama that has Liu Yunning in it. If diligence of an actor had a face it would be him. (Especially for all the hate that he gets for his looks) I just find him stunning from every angle tbh. He has grown so much as an actor since the first time I saw him in long ballad. Shi shi who is FL in here has also done really very well though she is already a big name in this industry but for me this is her best performance so far. Not just the two main leads but every single actor in this drama has surpassed their previous performances.
Moving on to the story...man this is by far the best written original story of this year. Every single scene makes sense, no nonsense. Everything just holds onto the main plot without putting fillers to make audiance have a humorous break in between which is so common in Cdramas. It is good sometimes but it disconnect viewers from the main plot. But this drama really knows how to keep audiance connected without putting filler episodes. I never skipped any scene. Big applause to the writer who made such layered characters as well.
The most important thing...THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER and not just FL but other characters as well especially the one who plays princess. My god! So good! Her character development, her evolution from weak to strong willed girl is something one should not miss at all. People should really write female characters like that instead of making them some bold girl but damsel in distress the moment ML arrives. These girls are CLEVER and SMOOTH in their actions. No dumb actions at all.
Story, acting, direction, song and production everything is amazing. The cinematography kind of reminds me of old shows especially in fight scenes but I don't know it is kind of nostalgic for me. Apart from some fight sequences which are sometimes little slow and with too many cuts, rest was really good. It is not perfect but that is what makes it real. Especially the dialogues. They pinpoint all those things that we viewers always think like " wait a minute why didn't they notice it?"
Like girl pretending to be a boy. They pointed out the Adam's apple part. There are so many scenes that really questions everything that we sometimes forgive them for.
To conclude it all I would highly recommend this show. You won't regret it for sure.


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Completed
Lost You Forever
83 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Jul 25, 2023
39 of 39 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Can't wait for season 2

I am someone who has little faith in Xianxia genre. Most of the time they ruin the whole story with unnecessary fillers if it's an adaptation. Plus they change the major part of the story that ends up into a cliched, stupid and predictable storyline. Another thing is annoying stupid female that we usually find in such dramas. And the most important part- Rushed ending!!!!

What I loved:
- WHAT A CAST. No over the top acting. ( Special mention for kids). Yangzi killed it with her acting skills here. The actor who play Cang Xuan, man he might not be my favourite character but his acting and the subtle emotions that he portrayed throughout the show is undoubtedly the best. What an amazing actor. Another special mention is for the grandpa. What an outstanding character. Every actor from a maid to all the rulers and side characters behaved like the real person not just some extras.
-Female lead is not annoying ( was not a fan of Yangzi as I have always seen her in bubbly, hyper and stupid girl sort of role.) I didn't know she will become one of my favourites.
- Finally all of them have their own voices. (No dubbing).
-Loved the songs especially the one sung by the actress herself. Background music just adds more beauty to the fantasy world of this drama.
-Only few episodes and you won't be able to stop yourself from watching. The story is really good and connects you right away with the characters.
- Three male leads are there and believe me you will find it hard to choose a favourite. All of them acted so well that you just can't ignore their presence.
- Set design, costumes and overall production is really good. CGI is...okay in some scenes but they utilised the money at the right place and those scenes looked mesmerizing. It again proves that an amazing director can bring so much out from the actors and made sure people could connect to the characters.
I was planning to read the novel (if I could find it somewhere) but it is good I went into it without prior knowledge about the novel. I can't believe we all have to wait for a long time for season 2. But this season satisfyed my thrust for an amazing well paced, edited and acted Xianxia drama. It deserves all the praise. :)


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Completed
Love Between Fairy and Devil
42 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Sep 4, 2022
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed 7
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 5.0

Worth watching

I have a lot to write about this drama. I have only seen good reviews so far. People are happy with the acting and story but I have few things that I want to point out. So bear me if you have contrasting views.

First of all I must talk about acting. Both the main leads plus second leads were amazing in their characters. The show was roller coaster of emotions for sure. I have problem with certain characters like heavenly god, he was so emotionless and useless at times that I doubted why was he even chosen as supreme god? Most of the time he was just sitting there and punishing people without any reason. I didn't see any character development in him even till the end. There were other gods who were equally unimportant to story except Siming(Arbiter) and the one with white hair( don't remember the name). While former wasn't much in the story the latter was again pretty much weak god like others. The God of War who was supposed to be the most powerful god could be easily defeated by any person. He didn't win any fight in the whole show! Again why was he chosen as god of war??? His human arc was much better than his immortal arc. Atleast that character felt much more real. Then there was black dragon who was at the epitome of stupidity. He was telling important secret and stuff to every person left and right. I mean he was the close aid to moon ruler so why was he so stupid in the entire show? He wasn't there to protect anyone at important times! He was shown quite fearsome in his dragon form which he never used again except in the beginning!Quite a let down I must say. His romance arc with Jeili was as stupid as his character. I didn't get the whole point. She was pretty avarice and manipulative. She broke up with him and then towards the end they were shown together like nothing happened?? And I was like... did I miss something? They were not on talking terms before? How did this happen?
Coming to the story, people might say that it had a great story but I have seen similar stories in many Cdramas. 'Blue Whispers' for instance has almost similar story. A disciple using evil power to resurrect his Shifu( master) who helped him when he was a child, which ends up causing chaos. A powerful person (ml) spending time with naive girl (fl), later sacrificing themselves for others, pretty much Ashes of love and love and redemption storyline.
First half was funny yet so stupid. Especially the female character. I found it hilarious how everyone could easily enter anywhere without much problem. They should just fire their gurads.
The story picks up the speed towards the second half. I loved how they showed the emotions of the characters. The reason behind their actions. Its no doubt that all emotional scenes were so portrayed so well. Especially towards the end. I must point out Dylan Wang's acting was really something in those scenes so does Esther's. I was disappointed in Miss the dragon but Dylan just proved his acting prowess through this show. I heard people criticised Esther's voice. But that's her real voice and really after sometime it grew on me. I ended up loving her.
I liked Dylan's and Esther's costumes the most in the show. Plus the make up. I did not like Changhan's costumes tbh...it really looked like a plastic armour.
I loved the CGI of heaven and universe (where arbiter lived) more than the war scenes.
This brings us towards the end...I wonder why all Cdrama always prefer rushed endings. I mean they can just easily edit out certain scenes of flashbacks which they were showing again and again for no reason and increase the time for the main leads. I am really disappointed with the editing in the whole show the most.
To conclude it, this was funny and worth watching not much for re-watch for me atleast but still lovable for its characters and their acting. I would love to see Dylan and Esther in other show for sure, they had a great chemistry. I really want to watch a show on Arbiter 'a storyline too. I heard there is a separate novel for her character. I loved this actress since Bloody romance. And to have her just for such a small role is really sus. I wonder if they are planning to make another series on her. It would be really great if that happened.

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Completed
The Legend of Shen Li
24 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Mar 22, 2024
39 of 39 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Power couple is BACK!!!!

Without any doubt this is going to be one of my favourites of this year. All the wait and anticipation was worth it. It is a treat for you if are a Princess Agent fan and has been waiting for this pair to return to screens and do their magic. The chemistry is obviously breathtaking. Nothing forced. Everything feels natural when they are together in a scene. Am I the only one who thinks that they are giving little sneak peak here and there in the show to surprise Princess Agent fans and satisfy their hunger for season 2. (you all will remember that cliff hanger water scene if you are ardent fan like me in one of the episodes).
Special mention for sound track it is really very good and amplifies the moment's intensity. (Little loud sometimes but you will get used to it) I am super happy that instead of bending the story to their whims and pleasure, they decided to follow the original novel. Another special mention for all the side characters. They are really doing their job. CGI , cinematography, costume, set design everything just looks pretty. I do have some problem with their makeup/ filter but one can ignore it I guess...I mean who cares when actors are doing splendid job. I am loving all the banter of our main lead so far. I love how they make fun of all the cliche scenes. Plus who doesn't love a strong but caring female character who knows how to deal with people around her. ( It is a slowburn romance, so if you are not a fan of such dramas or haven't read the novel or not an avid fan of Princess Agent or the actors, I would suggest you to ignore it because you won't be able to connect to the drama. Plus you might have watched many dramas of this kind and might feel bored.) For the rest however,this is going to be an epic journey with lots of laughter and tears...so brace yourself you are all in for a treat.

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Completed
I Am Nobody
11 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Sep 13, 2023
27 of 27 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

HILARIOUS DRAMA

If you are a hardcore anime fan like me, YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS. If you are into comedy genre like me, YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS. If you are NOT into the mood of watching something serious with lots and lots of politics then YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS (just like me).

Well that sums it all. I heard this show is adapted from a Chinese anime which is pretty great on its own and I was happy that I haven't watched that one before because this way the drama feels much more hilarious , moreover, not knowing what is gonna happen next is good enough to maintain the suspense. I really went in without any expectations ( mainly for Neo) after hearing a great deal about it and from the first episode it was nonstop comedy (silly at times, not that I am complaining). Comedy is not the only thing that will glue you to your screens but it is the fight scenes so well choreographed and acted that makes it much more entertaining. It reminded me of Dragon Ball, Naruto , My hero academia and many such anime that dives into the sea of emotion, family love, friendship, journey of characters from the weakest to the strongest and of course TOURNAMENTS ( I live for all that).
But what dumbfounded me was the way each character makes it so believable even though it was comedy the emotional scenes almost made me cry bitterly. You just have to keep watching and don't stop on "the particular episode" which turned down its ratings( you'll know when you watch what I am talking about). Overall it is a really good show that I would recommend to all :) You won't be able to wait for the next episode for sure.

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Completed
Queen of Tears
40 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Apr 27, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Overrated show that you will watch only for its leads

First of all...what the heck. Second of all...who in the world is writing this soap opera story. Anything is happening out of nowhere. I stopped making sense of the story after a while and people are not trolling when they said it is highly overrated. This worked only because of the two amazing leads. They are the backbone of this drama. I had this bad feeling from the get go that this story is walking on the edge of becoming a complete mess and guess what it did become one. Highly disappointed with the writers. It could have been so good but who wants that...better test out every single scene that comes to mind and create a story that will blow the minds of the viewers. And it did! In a bad way.
Don't watch this show with your logical brain, better throw it out of window, only then you can forgive the writers and move on. The family's reaction to everything and and second ml and his mother though promising in the beginning, made it into a soap opera after a while. I enjoyed every single interaction of the two main leads. Well, they were just wonderful in every single scene. Acting is promising and the music is beautiful. It's definitely a tear jerker and will leave you devasted many times (but don't worry writer won't cease to amaze you with their flawless ideas). If not for the main lead I would have dropped it half way but still watched it. Sigh. What a trauma!
Watch it if you are too happy with your life and want to check out if your tear glands are properly working or not. (I thought 'Penthouse' was the only drama that could make me this riled up...but unfortunately I was wrong.)

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Completed
Lost You Forever Season 2
10 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Jul 9, 2024
23 of 23 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Hiatus ruined it for me

After a long wait we are back again in the LYF world with more heart quenching story-full of tears and misunderstandings and obviously all the blood coughing scenes which are the backbone of all the xianxia dramas but this time with... low budget. The story started slow, pretty much at the same pace as it was in the last season and dragged on for a long time and we were stuck in a loop of obsessive love of Cang xuan, miserable and helpless Jing (pretty much sidelined) and our stubborn nine headed demon (we know he is our favourite) and rotating between them is our FL who somehow turned into a teenager rather than a mature lady after transforming into a female body. I was oscillating between 'lets drop it' to ' oh! that was a good episode'. All the characters still struggled with their dilemmas and the only character with clear mindset was not so important Fenglong guy (he was very clear about everything unlike others and had his priorities straight.) I mean atleast he vocalised his thoughts clearly. This season lacked a lot in many things. First of all they had no budget to show a single battle not even the final one!! some characters were written so badly that I almost felt like I came back to my Nickelodeon era. ( Yes, I am talking about Nian). There were so many good actors yet their potentials were not utilised properly.
And what happened to their costumes I couldn't believe when I saw the wedding episode. It was so simple. The editing was little off in certain scenes, it almost felt choppy. I think the main reason for viewers to not feel so connected with the characters was the long hiatus. The budget wasn't as good as season 1. The whole show only worked because of the acting especially towards the end which redeemed its earlier lack lustre performance. I would still remember the show because of the season 1 and the way I felt connected with each one of them in it.
The show bid farewell with happy ending and I really liked the way they summed it all up. I think the show had many meanings: For Cang Xuan who lost his obsessive love for the greater good forever. For Nine headed demon who lost his first unrequited love for his commitment to his army, forever. And for viewers, who lost our Nine headed demon forever. TT

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Completed
Little Women
10 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Oct 10, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

Forget about the book this is not your typical slice of life drama.

Before I begin...Is there someone else who also thought Jang Ho (neighbour friend) was kinda SUS throughout the series? I mean he was giving me this weird feeling haha...well maybe it's just me.

To sum up this show- Spoonfuls of penthouse, little bit of Alcott's novel and pinch of squid games= perfect mixture of Little women ready.

This show is everything what Penthouse should be with less screaming, less over the top and unnecessary twists. The way people were coming back alive I was literally taken aback sometimes to see how similar it was to Penthouse and I still blame Joo Dan Tae... hahaha no he was not that crazy here. (Maybe a little). Please give him some good roles for god's sake but he is really good with his antagonist characters. His wife in the show however was really amazing actor I must say its been a while when I liked a negative character this much. She was the real definition of crazy. This show is star studded for sure and you know that they just cannot disappoint you. Special mention for Wa Hi Joon...this guy was like everywhere, helping everyone, rescuing everyone with a swag. He was just slaying every scene. All three female leads were amazing in their roles. You end up praying for them, cry with them, sympathize with them and annoyed with them and enjoyed with them. That was the sort of connection they build with the viewers. While one was naive the second was upright and third ambitious they remained true to their characters till the end.
Out of all three I believe third sister had it the best throughout the show. She was adored by her sisters who tried their best to make all sort of sacrifice just for her. She was even treated in the best way by the antagonists. She never looked back to see the condition of her sisters even in their worst times. So yes, she had the least character growth among them. But the ending will surely make it up to some extent. I loved the grandma the way she made everyone nervous around her. She was the definition of Domineering. I loved her.
The twists will definitely make you doubt people again and again and you will be at the edge of your seat thinking who is friend or not or when will there come a new betrayal...this show did a great job in keeping the attention of the viewers. In the end its been a while when I truly enjoyed a kdrama.
So don't be misled by the name of the show this is not what Louisa May Alcott had written. Its not the slice of life drama you will expect with the name. So go watch it you will definitely enjoy it.

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Completed
Animals
5 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Nov 22, 2022
8 of 8 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Best romcom office drama of 2022

When the credits of the last episode came, there was only one thought on my mind- I need a Kazao in my life. And I guess everyone deserves their own Kazao in their lives. The story is not just about finding love it is more than that. It is about finding your inspiration through someone. And giving your best to make your dreams come true no matter how hard they are to realise.
I am not exaggerating when I wrote it is THE BEST not one of the best shows. I have seen many office romcom this year. So two things happened first, either I stopped watching it in the middle or found it way too boring to finish it. Second thing, some of them started well but lost the plot in showing their fluffy romcom side. Which I see most often in Cdramas.( Not criticising but they tend to exaggerate certain things that just doesn't feel like real life to me for instance their way too perfect main leads ).
This show yet again proves that Jdramas have their own soul. Much much much ...deeper and inspirational plots.
This drama had everything perfect cast, inspirational storyline, well executed performance, absolutely gorgeous dresses and ofcourse its music.
I find myself relating to the FL so much.
The story is about the girl who is obsessed with her job that she forgets what it's like to live like a normal person. She ends up into the trouble and gets a chance to work in a new place where she finds not Just amazing people but love of her life.
The story had so many moments that just mesmerized me. I am sure the moment when Umi and kazao were eating in the restaurant without talking hiding their emotions will stay in my memory forever. That is the pure essence of art. No music, no dialogues, no overacting. Just eating ramen while hiding tears. I love such scenes more than anything.
I would definitely love to see other work of this director for sure.
If you haven't seen this drama then just GO FOR IT. This show won my heart at so many levels that I can't nitpick. (Leaving overhyped colleagues part aside) ok I am not nitpicking as they were all really cute.hahaha. The best thing is you won't find any jealous type of second lead here. Rather they will win your heart as well. I want to watch more of this kind of shows.

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Completed
New Life Begins
7 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Nov 28, 2022
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Damn! It is awesome.

I never thought there will be another historical drama this year that I would enjoy like I enjoyed Dream of Splendor and Love Like The Galaxy. These two just set the records way too high for me. Well Love between fairy and devil is close but I always prefer Wuxia over Xianxia. This show was nowhere in my mind. First I was not really familiar with the cast (except few older ones) and with the synopsis it felt like Ruyi pavilion and Who rules the world, kind of drama to me. People could say otherwise but I dropped the former one midway while latter I liked but someone who has read the novel might have a lot to criticize about.
Moving on to the drama it did give me Ruyi Pavillion and Who rules the world vibes to some extent but much much much better executed and the cast is just everything. What you might find here:
Beautiful cast ✓
Lovely BGM✓
Amazing acting ✓
Mesmerizing cinematography ✓
Chemistry between leads✓
Well written and played Side character's arc✓
Comedy and engaging storyline ✓
Gorgeous dresses and perfect makeup ✓
Women power ✓
Bitchy female characters X
Harem fight X
Overdramatic or overacting. X

So that concludes it all. With each episode the drama is getting better and better. So don't be hesitant to watch this gem. It sure is one of the best shows of this year.



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Completed
The Starry Love
9 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Mar 2, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

Hilarious Treat!!!!!!!

I wasn't sure before starting it whether I should continue or not. But after watching only first episode I knew it I was in for a treat. What a hilarious drama. It's been a while after LLTG when I enjoyed historical drama. In few episodes I laughed so hard that Ihad tears in my eyes.
Every moment of the show is pure bliss. There are no overwhelmingly sad scenes. Even if you get one emotion scene it will definitely be followed by some comedic parts. But first of all hands down for all the actors and not just the main leads but even the extras or side characters. The cast is not only beautiful to look at but they also portrayed their characters so well that you will think that this role was made for him/her. I never skipped any single scene of the side characters. Their arc was as good as the main one's.
Moving on to the story, there are two sisters born with good and bad omen to marry in particular realm. They get swapped and for the rest you need to watch. Till episodes 10 the drama is entertaining but it becomes hilarious when the mortal arc begins. I always loved DID sort of dramas. You can see real prowess of an actor who portrays many characters at the same time. But here it is totally different scenario yet shows how great ML is in each of his roles. He played 4 characters here. FL is so cute and cunning amd reminded me of Zhou Lusi a lot. I loved her acting. Second ML looks a bit annoying and you would feel like why I am watching his parts sometimes but but BUT...you won't be able to skip his scenes. They are the most hilarious ones.
Hahaha... Beast prince and bird are also one of my favs. They made me laugh so much with their silly gestures. Special mention for mortal king. I won't forget that ceremony episode for sure. ;P

It is still ongoing and I am sure whether you are a fan of historical drama or not. It is worth watching.
Just don't skip this hilarious treat.

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Completed
Till the End of the Moon
15 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Apr 7, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 7.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

Drama is finally here and I am loving it BUT....

It was such a long wait and I must say usually most of the hyped shows do not live upto the expectations as we have seen with many dramas in the past and tbh I was afraid it might go down the same lane after watching the the first episode for few minutes. But thank goodness they didn't stretch that part for long and we jumped into the mortal arc right away. That is where the main story will unfold.

The beginning was little hectic plus waaay too fast that I found myself little overwhelmed with all the fight, death and sacrifice and sinister expression of ML his lackeys. They introduced the main characters way too fast that is what I thought. I couldn't concentrate on anything. From fight to amazing graphics. It was happening too fast for me to process it all. (Some demon or god fight probably, was all in my mind) I did not feel much emotions as characters were dying right off the bat.

Thankfully we came fast in the real part and I could take breather and they explained pretty much every important thing about the earlier fight later on. The show literally turned into something else and I knew with Bailu's comedic expressions that this role is just for her. She nailed her character into this new role while the earlier one just looked like a beautiful doll without much feelings or expressions. (She looked so stiff back then).
We all know both ML and FL will have a great chemistry as the duo already gave us a hit drama in the past. There is no doubt when it comes to their acting. It was flawless like their costume and amazing set design. I loved the music as well. I was little sceptical whether it will be another Love between fairy or Devil but surprisingly it turned out something else. And we got a Devil, conniving and oppressed ML and a kind hearted soul in villainess' bodyas a FL . I am loving ML's evil smirks and expressions and to some extent felt good when he indulged in his revenge. The domestic abuse and bullying can turn anyone into a devil fs.
I am loving it so far. It is not just a cliche story like any other costume drama and I have high hopes now. Check out the drama you won't be disappointed.

PS: At this point I have already started to read the novel while waiting for the new episodes. I can't believe how much they have changed the storyline just to make it more audiance friendly. ML is pure evil and a real psychopath to the core in novel. Xi Wu/ Su su's actions which looked annoying and stupid in some scenes of the drama are actually the original scenes from novel (her character is pretty much same in the novel and drama. On the other hand Tantaijin/ devil lord is the one who is turned more likable in drama. Everyone sympathies with him while watching drama but in the novel you will hate him for sure. Sigh...it is unbearable to some extent. They did a really good job in changing ML's character in a way where we would love him and obviously Luo Yunxi's acting is amazing. I really don't like the way they are editing the episodes especially in the later parts. It is so weird and certain parts are not making much sense due to the episode limit. They are rushing really badly because they need to finish the story within few episodes. I really hate this episode limitation thing for real.
PS II: DRAMA ENDED on a cryptic note just as we all feared. After this I don't think I have much expectations from Xianxia dramas. Every good show ends up in the same way. I had to change my ratings. just because of the editing. Whoever does the editing in this show... *I am coming for ya*. Worse edited show ever. Rushed ending with crappy editing completely ruined it all (for me atleast). I would suggest people to go watch Love is sweet after finishing this and imagine it as their modern reincarnation to soothe your heart.

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Dropped 28/40
Back from the Brink
17 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Jun 22, 2023
28 of 40 episodes seen
Dropped 2
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 1.5

Another Novel Ruined

There is really no end to this trend. Production team take up a project based on a famous novel which ensures them good viewership because of the fan base. Then they choose amazing actors to do the project and again increase the number of viewers. The drama will be a hit no matter what. Now what they have to do is follow the amazing storyline (with a few changes due do censorship) and get done with this. But guess what!!!! Someone shows up and suggests to change the ENTIRE SCRIPT!! Because they think they can write a far better story with their cliched ideas and so called plot twists, love triangle and over the top nonsense while keeping the main characters same as the original.
*Face palm*
I am really surprised by all the ratings on MDL for this drama. I mean what in the world did they see in this drama to give it such a rating is beyond me. I get that people can have different tastes but for me who has read and adored the story of the novel it was a complete disaster.
They introduced the characters like Bai Xiaosheng and Changlan (forgive the spelling) to drag the story. I got bored amd irritated in several episodes like the' moth one' because it neither added anything to the plot nor increased my interest. There were many filler episodes because they thought original story was not worth it!! I tried very hard to watch the show mainly because of the actors whom I loved a lot throughout the episodes but there is a limit....When there is no story to tell, actors cannot lift the show either. The CGI was so so. I liked the songs and costumes a lot.
I kept reminding myself to stick to Wuxia but once in a while whenever I watch Xianxia due to my favourite novel adaptation it turns out pretty disappointing. I am really afraid for 'Lengend of Shenli' now. A humble request to the makers" For god sake please do not change that plot as well to show your creativity." This drama was really not my cup of tea but you can watch if you prefer cliched over the top storyline of costume dramas. Slapstick comedy Or simply because you love the actors and their chemistry.

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Completed
Be Your Own Light
4 people found this review helpful
by Ari Li
Aug 22, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

Watched it for Liu Yuning

Never really watched the actress before or maybe I just can't remember. I was not familiar with other actors as well so it was all because of Liu Yuning that I started this show with little to no expectation especially with this kind of storyline (read the summary if you don't know). I am still in confusion how I ended up watching the whole show even though I was skipping many parts which was outright boring and even after skipping I could still understand the story.
There are three couples and most of the time I skipped the parts of the one who was the head of reporters (forgot her name). I just didn't understand her character. Maybe because she was just not sticking to anything. Giving resignation then coming back like nothing happened, insisting to fire her friend from job then asking for not doing it because as usual she was wrong :/ She behaved like an angry bull who just hits anyone without any reason. She never tries to understand other's perspective and SHE WAS A LEADER ( sigh...)
The FL was a good actress but but but...she was too perfect as described by ML in a scene. In reality her character was the perfect image of THE perfect citizen, wife, mother, daughter and add as many perfect role you want to put before her name. Which was just so not real. I can't believe there was not a teeny tiny bit of imperfection in her that could make me see her as a real person. Anyways ML was the one that made me love her scenes. He was quirky and fun guy that I enjoyed the most. It was a breather for me to see him in a different kind of role.
The most annoying character was the third FL. and the funny part was that she was the most real character in the whole show. She had all the negatives and conniving scenes. You might hate her but you won't be able to because THAT IS WHO WE ARE. Yes...she represented many women struggling out there in the professional sphere who strives to do anything to earn her living without connections and try to achieve her dreams at all cost and guess what she was the one who actually did not get a perfect ending like other two FLs. (Eye rolls)

I don't know how well they represented media's role in China. They tried very hard to portray a media which is very honest and doing its job to represent truth without any bias. ( which I highly doubt). Rest of the cast is just there for show you won't even remember them. I liked mom's role to bring out more emotions from FL. The ending looked rushed and I just couldn't digest the way FL ended up with ML while she was about to forgive her husband seconds ago. ( It was not a spoiler you can just guess the storyline right away). Overall it was one time watch and I watched it for Liu Yuning who overshadowed everyone. I was not even that much interested in their cases related to their job. Oh! I forgot to mention the kid of FL. He was the best part of the show apart from Liu Yuning. Acting wise it was really good, music was ok and that is all.

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