Moonlight Mystique is essentially a cluster of stories within a grander story, each one a journey filled with love, sacrifice, and courage. After the one year-long Bai Lu drama drought, she delivers another high-quality Xianxia, while Ao Ruipeng makes his Xianxia debut. Adapted from the novel “Bai Shuo Shang Shen,” or High God Bai Shuo, by Xing Ling, Moonlight Mystique is set in the same universe as Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal, but isn’t a direct sequel/prequel, nor should it be considered one. If you’ve watched ALP and/or TLI, it would be best to scrap their “worlds” and dive into Moonlight Mystique without any ‘prior knowledge.’ Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this Xianxia drama, from its elegant production style and intricate costumes to its phenomenal acting and powerful chemistry between all couples. I wouldn’t say Moonlight Mystique is one of the strongest Xianxia dramas I have watched, but it is near the top and did not fail my expectations. The plot progression and character dynamics are very logical, there are minimal to no plot fillers, and the drama stayed relatively strong throughout. I do think that MM has a few shortcomings, which I will explain later.

The setting is your typical Xianxia world: strong animosity between the mortals, immortals, and demons. The mortals are scrutinized for their short-lived and weak selves, the immortals are your so-called righteous (which we know is almost always hypocritical), and the demons are the ‘villains.’ Nothing new here. However, it’s key to point out that Moonlight Mystique is a strong female-centered drama. This is already hinted with the official poster that was initially released. Like what some Chinese netizens pointed out, what may make Moonlight Mystique more appealing is the fact that Bai Shuo doesn’t wait for anyone’s saving. When she was about to get pierced by a sword, what did she do? Instead of standing there blankly, waiting for Fan Yue to save her, she just ducks. Bai Shuo sets her heart on what she wants. She knows what she wants, and she will do everything in her power to accomplish that. As she begins to harness the power of the Wu Nian Stone, Bai Shuo transitions from an initially weak mortal to the only surviving God in the world.

I appreciate the drama’s balance of constructing a strong female lead while giving ample space for the development of other characters and their stories. The male lead, Fan Yue, is a lofty and powerful demon king, revered by many and despised by others. While lofty, he has a pure heart and only hopes for the best for others. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Fan Yue and Bai Shuo and their mutual trust in one another. There weren’t any classic Xianxia misunderstandings (fortunately). Fan Yue and Bai Shuo were honest to one another from the start, and while they did try holding back things for the oher’s benefit, we eventually see them fighting together, side by side.

Moonlight Mystique is one of those rare dramas where each supporting character really stands out. I am not exaggerating when I say that I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much for each character. Even the “villains” have their own back stories that stand out. Each story arc left me gripping the edge of my seat and fumbling for tissues. Each couple has strong chemistry that leaves me rooting for them no matter their ending. Ling Long and Rong Xian’s star-crossed lovers romance was painfully-gripping yet breathlessly beautiful. Mu Jiu and Tian Huo seemed like an unlikely couple that blossomed into such cute interactions. We witness Chang Mei’s thousand-year growth through her story with A’Qi, yet another fox romance. A major highlight of this drama was Fu Ling and Chong Zhao’s story, one where love transcends hate. Every pair just worked so well. There are also familial pairs: Bai Shuo’s close relationship with her father, Tian Huo’s final reconciliation with her father after years of misunderstanding, Fan Yue untangling his younger brother’s knots of hatred, Cang Shan standing up for his demon tribe. There is just so much love in this drama. With the spotlight on so many characters, it’s difficult for a 40-episode Cdrama to really get into the “nitty-gritty” of the main couple. There are indeed many cute moments between Bai Shuo and Fan Yue, but sometimes I am left longing for more. It also seems like supporting couples may overpower the main cp, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every supporting character (Zhen Yu and Luan Zhu not so much, but alas, antagonists are necessary).

The acting is another major highlight. I'm relatively familiar with Bai Lu’s acting, having watched many of her works. I’ve noticed that she often carries bits of her other characters into her new ones, but her acting has grown tremendously over the past few years (One and Only is a strong example). This time around, I was very impressed with the determination her eyes conveyed and the control over crying scenes. On the other hand, I watched Ao Ruipeng for the first time, and his acting is phenomenal to say the least. His portrayals of Fan Yue, Mu Mu, and Jing Yuan are so distinct and distinguishable. His characters even remind me of the three-headed dragon meme (lol), with one ferocious head, one semi-ferocious head, and one cute head. His embodiment of each character displays contrasting personalities. Other than sharing the same Ao Ruipeng face and sharing the same ‘persona’, these characters have essentially nothing in common. It’s really all in the eyes, and ARP’s eyes effectively displayed a wide range of emotions. The scene of Jing Yuan and Bai Shuo looking at each other is probably my favorite. I could tell that they were not looking at their lovers. Bai Lu has amazing chemistry with most of her co-stars, but I’m going to be bold and claim that she has the strongest chemistry with Ao Ruipeng out of all the dramas I have watched. They are like two peas in a pod, both in the drama and in the BTS clips. I would recommend you watch an interview of them or some of those clips—the laughter never ends. I was also introduced to Dai Luwa and Chang Huasen, both of whom have starred in popular dramas. Again, their eyes portrayed everything. I could write about each actors’ skill for hours, but I hope you get the idea.

Production-wise, the costumes were designed with very specific intentions and themes in mind. Bai Shuo’s lighter clothing at the beginning reflect her mortal status, and as she gets increasingly tangled in affairs involving Fan Yue, her outfits transition to darker dresses with wavy hair (common in demons). The fox clan’s outfits really do make the characters look like foxes; Cang Shan’s Rock Clan wear outfits and makeup that reflect their rock identities. Fu Ling’s transition in clothing, from darker purples to pastel purples was gorgeous. The CGI effects were also very well produced. I wouldn’t call the production over-the-top—there was a lot going on, but it was well-balanced. Oh, and Xi Xi (Fu Ling’s spirit) was adorable.

The OST compiles songs from some of the most prominent modern Cdrama singers in China, including Sa Dingding, Zhou Shen, Jing Long and Huang Xiaoyun. Sa Dingding, as usual, delivers a painfully beautiful song filled with emotions. Zhou Shen graces us with his elegant voice. Bai Lu and Ao Ruipeng also sang a melodious song together. Each song is very catchy and written-well, but my only complaint was that the OST may have been overused, particularly San Dingding’s “Hua Luo Wu Heng” - Flowers Falling Without a Trace. The song is very powerful, but the constant playing of the main lyrics started to destroy the vibes of certain scenes.

Moonlight Mystique marks a very promising year for Cdramas. If you are a Xianxia fan, you might want to give this drama a chance. With strong characters, high quality production, and well-paced plot development, we witness the role love plays throughout. Perhaps certain arcs and relationships could have been expanded upon, but with China’s 40-episode limit, I was very satisfied with how the overall drama turned out. There are numerous connections between all the characters that I won’t give away, but the reveals are done masterfully and really enhance the overall viewer experience. So, my Xianxia lovers, you might be in luck!