Best Xianxia Drama of 2020

After watching Ashes of Love a while ago, I didn't think I would ever come across another drama that comes up to par with it but Love and Redemption was definitely the best xianxia drama I watched in a while.

It made me feel angry, sad, and happy throughout the whole series and was definitely worth staying up all night, binge-watching without skipping through any parts. All the actors and actresses were amazing but Cheng Yi (Si Feng) stood out the most for me. It was natural and you know they're good when they make you feel all the emotions they convey in the show.

I loved the storyline. The male lead does fall for the female lead first (similarly to Ashes of Love) and all I have to say is SIMP FOR SIFENG. He truly showed how devoted and loyal one could be towards their s/o. He went through so much in all the lifetimes he and Xuan Ji shared together. He was on a-whole-nother level when it came to his willingness to do anything for the one he loves even if it means being seen as the villain by others.

This is definitely worth rewatching and I have been rewatching parts I loved and couldn't forget. I would recommend this to anybody who watched and loved Ashes of Love and Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.

Some similarities to Ashes of Love:
- FL in L&R doesn't have her 6 senses - cry, smell, taste, seeing colors, feeling pain, cold, and love while FL in AOL doesn't know what love is therefore making them act clueless and almost childish when it comes to love but later on, develops and matures
- ML develops feelings for FL first in both dramas
- The idea of the Heavenly Realm and Demon Realm
- The tribulations each couple goes through
- Both the SMLs tried their hardest to manipulate the FL and put a wall between the ML and FL
- MLs are both "celestial creatures" (Phoenix/Golden Winged Bird)

Some similarities to Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms:
- Both MLs sacrifices a lot for FLs
- Heaven and Demon/Good vs Evil
- The couple in TMOPB went through 3 lives while the couple in L&R went through 10 lifetimes

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Story
Before watching this drama, I was never into these types of dramas (fantasy, historical, etc) because I never found the costumes, hair or setting looked good but Ashes of Love proved me wrong. After watching it, I can't seem to stop trying to find a drama that even comes close to this one. I loved the story and how it sucked you in right from the beginning, unlike most dramas where it takes time to really get into it. At first, it seems to be a light-hearted story but as the drama progresses, your emotions will be all over the place; one moment you would feel happy, the next moment, you would feel angsty then sad but I loved that about this drama. I also really enjoyed the development of all the characters, especially with Jin Mi. The CGI and costumes were all so beautiful and matched perfectly with the characters. I truly can't move past this drama. I tried watching other dramas after this one and nothing can compare to this.

Acting
Deng Lun is one of my favorite actors and his acting in this drama was amazing. You could feel the chemistry between Xu Feng and Jin Mi through the screen. They truly portrayed how strong love is which can beat faith or destiny. I really hope to see them together in another drama. Usually, in other dramas, I would stop watching them because the acting in romantic scenes would be too cringy for me to continue but the romance features in this was done so well. It wasn't over the top which had to do with the naiveness of Jin Mi in the beginning. Since most FL in dramas would act too cute to the point it feels unnatural and looks cringy with the ML, this was different since Jin Mi was immune to the feeling love, in the beginning, the actions of love she showed towards XF were subtle and because of this, the romance was perfect. This was refreshing to watch and new. I found it cute that she had captured Xu Feng's attention right from the beginning without her knowledge. Yang Zi was able to really bring out the naivety of Jin Mi and portrayed it so well. When Xu Feng went "dark", Deng Lun really captured both sides (good and evil) really well like the yin and yang. The overall cast was amazing; they really brought out the different elements and genres of this drama; from comedy to romance. I've seen some behind the scenes clips of DL and YZ and damn, their chemistry off camera is just as amazing; the teasing between the two is so cute.

Music
The soundtrack for this drama was amazing and sounded so good. Emotional as well. I was surprised to see that one of the songs was sung by the two main leads.

Rewatch Value
I would 100% say this is definitely a show worth rewatching and I've already done so! I've been trying to find the perfect drama and was actually hesitant about this one in the beginning but I'm so glad I gave this a chance. I would definitely always make time to watch this drama.

Overall
HIGHLY recommend for everyone! Definitely my favorite drama of all time. Nothing can beat this. It has such a heartbreaking but beautiful story and the acting is amazing. Ashes of Love includes literally everything a perfect show needs; from the story to the soundtrack. The CGI in this drama is so captivating. Be aware though, you might stay up all night watching this and trying to finish it. I personally find it so hard to put my phone down once I start watching the first episode.

An added bonus: Deng Lun who is so swoon-worthy.

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