The Blue Whisper: Part 2 (2022)

Beautiful

This part 2 was quite satisfying. Though there were some changes I would say the core values of the novel was still maintained.
Pros: 1. Loved the chemistry. Allen Ren and Reba really had mesmerizing chemistry.
2. It was fast paced for the most part.
3. The female lead is strong. She has always hold on against the villains.
4. Happy ending.
Cons: 1 . One plot dragged in the beginning.
2. Some changes from the novel.
Even though there are cons, as long as Xianxia drama has good chemistry and decent storyline it will get a 10 from me. It's my favorite genre. I watch drama to indulge myself. This drama definitely did that for me.

Read More

Please note, this review is for the drama in its entirety as I’m too lazy to assess the two parts separately. I will preface by noting that I have read the English translated novel and I will be making references between the written work and the visual adaptation in my review. There are differences between the two – some positives and other areas I believe could be better presented. Regardless, I believe both mediums are worthy of attention and hope others who watched the drama might be persuaded to read the novel as well.

STORY: Ji Yun He (Dilraba Dilmurat) is one of Flower Valley’s renown demon masters who, along with her adopted brother Lin Haoqing (Xiao Shun Yao), are tasked to tame a merman, Chang Yi (Allen Ren Jia Lun) on the orders of the cruel and self-centered, Princess Shunde (Christy Guo). The tasks include (1) have the merman speak human words, (2) have the merman grow human legs and (3) be loyal and subservient to her. While Lin Haoqing favors physical torture in taming demons, Ji Yun He prefers verbal coaxing and psychological persuasion. As she sees the parallel between herself and Chang Yi (both experiencing some form of imprisonment), she cannot help but empathizes and eventually falls for the pure hearted and kind Jiaoran. Very quickly, her objectives begin to align with his as the two attempt to flee Flower Valley. Alas, little did they know, freedom for one may be at the expense of the other and sets forth of a series of events where love is tested, sacrifices are made and complete freedom is desired yet hard to attain.

What makes The Blue Whisper a moving tale is the recurring theme of sacrifice, whether it’s sacrifice for love, sacrifice of one’s personal freedom or surrendering one’s own life for the greater good. Overall, I believe the drama did an excellent job of emphasizing this theme and having the relationships of the characters to be consistent as the novel, none more so than our lead couple, Yun He and Chang Yi. This couple (together and individually) embodies this sentiment so beautifully. Yun He and Chang Yi, on multiple occasions in the drama, forsake their own lives for the other to live well while willing to sacrifice themselves to overcome evil. Their growth and romantic journey are so poignant to witness. The drama manages to paint their love and strong bond that I was tearful at their misunderstandings and sacrifice and celebrated their love when they reunite.

While the personalities of the lead characters are changed slightly as compared to the novel to facilitate the drama plot, I (for the most part) came to terms with the change as I was captivated by the acting and interpretation. Ji Yun He, at the beginning of the drama, is presented to be calculating as she flirts and manipulates Chang Yi’s feelings to attain her goals, very opposite from the novel. Due to her upbringing and the cut-throat environment she lived in, it is very believable to me that Yun He would employ all kinds of methods (even deceitful ones) for her to survive. Some also argue the most noticeable change is to Chang Yi, the powerful and pure hearted Jiaoren. The drama’s Chang Yi, while still kind, is much more innocent and naïve which made him more vulnerable to Yun He’s persuasion. I have speculated it might be a deliberate choice by the production team to have Chang Yi take the more innocent route, possibly due to censorship issues by limiting the torture scenes as described in the novel, add a little levity to the heavy theme or perhaps to also facilitate their romance so when the “betrayal” happens, there will be more angst between the couple. Although I prefer the pacing of their relationship and Chang Yi’s depiction in the novel, but I was charmed by Allen Ren’s interpretation of Chang Yi both in Flower Valley and Beiyuan (the North Abyss) and felt his innocent characterization was still plausible given Chang Yi’s experience.

Another major character that was tweaked as compared to the novel is Lin Haoqing. If I were to say the one character that has received the most favorable writing in the drama, it would be this character. Lin Haoqing in the novel is already one of my favorites as a stand-alone character due to his complexity but the drama has made him into an even more sympathetic second male lead whose unrequited love for Yun He and his sacrifice for her to achieve her happiness have many viewers coveting a Yun He and Haoqing pairing! This prompted me to step on the brakes and present why I believe these two are never meant to be despite the stirring performance given by Xiao Shun Yao. True, Lin Haoqing understands Yun He very well, but he does not fulfill what she truly needs in a partner. There is too much ugly history between the two with his father’s torture of Yun He for many years. Chang Yi represents the purity and goodness - traits that she yearns for and that is lacking in Yun He as she grew up in a manipulative and try-to-survive setting. The people she loves most (Chang Yi and Luo Luo) are similar in nature and it’s not surprising that she gravitates towards individuals who are without guile, unlike her and Lin Haoqing, who are too similar in intelligence and can be calculative if the situation calls for it.

In terms of drama storyline, I have mixed emotions. There are areas where I thought are well done but there are also plot holes that needed to be filled for me to rate it higher. First, I will start on parts that I like (aside from the romance):

• Addition of Heavenly King character and played by a youngster to boot! I love this character, so righteous, big hearted and sacrificing. The young actor was excellent which made me almost forget (and forgive) his bratty prince persona in The Long Ballad.
• Improvement to the character, Kong Ming, and a more developed romance with Luo Luo. In the novel, I did not care for Kong Ming or his nonchalant attitude towards Luo Luo; however in the drama, I like the actor and his romantic chemistry with Hu Yi Xuan. We all need a comedic couple and they provided the humor to counter the dramatic and intense love of Chang Yi and Yun He.
• The featuring of friendship and sisterhood between Luo Luo and Yun He. I also enjoyed the male bonding of Chang Yi and Kong Ming as well.
• Yun He’s “death” scene at the North Abyss was much more memorable as compared to the novel and the aftermath of her death and the emotional impact of all characters are well presented.
• The many moving scenes or moments that I crept on me when I least expected. The most surprising is when the Immortal Master (Ning Qing's) death scene where he repents and tries to redeem himself by saving Yun He and Chang Yi. With his dying breath, he sees a vision of his master as Shunde rants on and on at Ning Si Yu. The acting exhibited by Christy Guo is remarkable! The gentle Ning Si Yu kneels down and reassures Ning Qing that it is alright and they are going “home” together. Despite hating Ning Qing for most of the drama, I surprised myself and cried for his character and found this character to be so pitiful at the end. I was also touched in how forgiving and tolerant Ning Si Yu is to her disciple

In contrast, some of the additions/changes as detailed below could have been better:

• While I love the idea of having a tribe that contributes to Chang Yi’s foothold in the North but its execution of the Fox clan’s presence left a lot to be desired. The entire tribe is dressed like beggars and the Fox princess was garbed in the most unappealing attire of all the female cast members. In contrast to the rest of the cast with their luscious and beautifully embroidered clothing and accessories, the Fox clan are in plain wardrobe and unattractive hairstyles. They should have been styled in furry, fox like materials which will be in line with the Northern cold. Attire aside, the use of the Fox clan to primarily served as a foil to Ji Yun He was not interesting but instead made the characters more annoying and unfortunately, did not add much to the central plot.
• No background development to Princess Shunde’s evilness. In the drama’s defense, her motivation in the novel was weak as well but I had hoped that the drama would creatively explore more of her upbringing and what brought her to the dark side. Unfortunately, this aspect was also poorly developed because in the drama, it did highlight her goodness at the beginning in protecting her brother (the Heavenly King) but did not credibly illustrate why she became this self-centered and spiteful immortal to the extreme. I rather the drama stated that she was wicked to start than to leave a weak (or baffling) explanation to her descent to evil.
• Too many characters restoring from the dead was overkill and did lessen the emotional impact when a beloved character’s life was at risk. In my opinion, there should only be two death “revivals” and both related to Yun He. All other deaths for pivotal main characters could have been written as near-death experience or close calls which could still stir viewers’ emotions and keep audience invested and engaged.
• Sanyue and Li Shu relationship: I write this with mixed feelings because I do like Li Shu’s character and find the actor quite charismatic but watching Sanyue’s perpetual frown throughout the drama is cumbersome. This was one relationship that I wished had followed the novel faithfully in that Li Shu stayed dead from the beginning and Sanyue decided to save Chang Yi’s life by sacrificing the means to revive Li Shu. Their romance was bittersweet in the novel but not all pairings would have a happily ever after.
• The ending deserved a direct explanation as to how Yun He changed form. It was something that could easily be rectified with a couple of lines but was poorly implemented. Please take note all drama and production teams, for drama endings, most viewers prefer obvious conclusions.

ACTING: The stellar acting is, in my opinion, the saving grace of the drama. Ji Yun He is an amazing character and Reba portrays her with such aplomb that this character has become one of my favorite female leads ever! Her character is not the cookie cutter, follow the mold goody character but has depth, flaws and convictions. Even at her weakest moments, she does not succumb to anyone as she reiterates her life is her own. I particularly enjoy her reflection of freedom. Freedom is not the ability to be anywhere one wishes to be but rather the freedom to choose however one wants to live. Ji Yun He is the kind of character that I long for Reba to portray and she did not disappoint! The variety of emotions and nuances Reba has as Ji Yun He are so praiseworthy and credible. In part 1, as the multifaceted and conflicted Yun He, there are moments where she has to restrain her emotions (her teary-eyed holding back tears look) made my eyes watered watching her. As she transitioned to being sickly at Beiyuan (North Abyss), Reba is realistic as the weak yet determined Ji Yun He. (Side note: Reba deliberately lost weight to achieve this look for the drama). Then, we’re given the vivacious, adorable and a breath-of-fresh-air Ah Ji, which is the antidote for my then broken heart. Reba truly breathes life to this character and her performance here is my favorite of hers to date.

Allen Ren portrays two characters of extreme nature – our innocent and sweet Big Tailed Fish and the cold, unapproachable Lord of The North so convincingly. Physically, he fits the part of Chang Yi in that Allen looks very beautiful in costume drama and his styling here is chef kiss! In terms of romantic chemistry, I find Reba and Allen to be compatible but I wish there were less kissing scenes as there is a slight awkwardness/restraint to these scenes, perhaps due to Allen being married. I don’t believe kisses are necessary to convey love in a drama and would be fine with others forms of physical affection. Despite this minor issue, I’m still very pleased with the character and am happy to be introduced to Allen through The Blue Whisper. I am looking forward to his future works.

The supporting cast is frankly wonderful – I love the layers of so many characters - from Xiao Shun Yao’s complex and emotional scenes of Lin Haoqing to the dichotomy given by Christy Guo of Princess Shunde and Ning Xi Yu. Then we have the adorable butterfly fairy Luo Luo with the actress’ wonderful chemistry with Reba, Allen and Wang Zi Tang (Kong Ming). I honestly cannot remember the last time I love so many characters in a drama but kudos to the entire cast for their amazing performances. I thought the acting is one area that met or exceeded my expectations.

COSTUMES: Simply one word, gorgeous! Unlike other xianxias, the costumes color palette is darker but inviting. Gone are the predominant white and pastel attire; instead we have combination of bright vivid colors contrasting with grays and blacks for both female and male characters with beautiful embroidery and attractive hairstyles (with the exception of the Fox clan). Visually, almost everyone looked amazing but special praise for Princess Shunde’s outfits! The actress looks magnificent in bold red and fetching in her evil black costumes at the end. Even her golden mask is attractive and adds to her aura. Not to mention Yun He’s earrings!! So unique that I have looked on Amazon to find myself a similar pair! It’s been a long time since I salivate over historical costumes and jewelry but the ones in The Blue Whisper are beyond stunning!

CINEMATOGRAPHY/CGI: From spring like Flower Valley to the cold driven snow of North Abyss, The Blue Whisper production is the feast for the eyes. I especially love the North Abyss as I get the Winterfell vibes from Games of Thrones. The CGI is good with Chang Yi’s merman tail and Shunde’s red flower entrance but too heavy handed in battles. I personally prefer hand to hand combat for fighting confrontations as I believe they are more impactful. However, the ending battle scene is especially exciting and quite well done.

CONCLUSION: If you have managed to get to the end of this review, I confess I am not a fan of the xianxia genre. However, I was persuaded to read the written work after learning Reba was casted as the female lead and was anticipating the novel’s darker theme in having the spotlight on demon tamers and demons. Unfortunately, the drama did not fully adapt to the grim and darker setting as described in the novel. I think the torture scenes (if they were fully adapted) would be riveting to see and highlights the amazing traits and fighting spirt of our male lead Chang Yi. But despite all the changes made and some of its shortcomings, I believe the drama successfully depicts the essence of the love story of Chang Yi and Yun He and I was moved to tears many times throughout my viewing. At its core, both characters yearn to be free and find true freedom in each other. I find this sentiment so beautiful to read and so beautiful to watch.

Read More

Engaging!

The Blue Whisper is an engaging tale of a forbidden romance between a spiritual master and a merman. A forbidden love plot is nothing new but what drives the drama is the other elements that have been weaved together to give us a detailed and intriguing story. Secrets, betrayal, misunderstanding, and revenge are some of the elements that will make you hooked on the drama. The story is easy to understand despite its xianxia genre and you will be eager to know what will happen next which signifies a job well-done in terms of plot execution.

While the drama is broken up into 2 parts, there is a smooth flow to the story. It breaks at the right time as the main couple’s relationship enters a different phase. I find the pacing for Part 1 to be better because Part 2 starts pretty slowly with a weakened female protagonist. This stretches for about 8 episodes which I think is too long as the point has been made to the viewers long before. In contrast, the ending seems to be a rush in the last few minutes. So, although the story is slowly built up to a climax in Part 2 with more secrets revealed, the first part is more evenly paced to me.

Lack Of Details For The Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
The last scene of the main couple’s reunion in Part 2 is sort of an explanation. It is not spelled out what happened to Yun He after she was sealed up in the lava pit. You have to use your imagination and deduction on what transpired rather than being spoon-fed about the details which are similar to the ending in Love And Destiny. The good thing is it has a finality to it when it comes to the main couple unlike Novoland: Pearl Eclipse. It is just how they got there which requires you to connect the dots.

If you have paid attention and watched the whole drama from start to finish, it is not hard to guess why Yun He could survive the lava pit. Chang Yi’s pearl has a lot to do with it. But I would have liked more details rather than less to spell out clearly what happened at the bottom of the pit and the villain’s ending. It would have made the story more complete with proper closure.

Tolerance For Xianxia Fantasy
The xianxia genre with its immortals, beasts, spirits and other beings may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you find this kind of drama to be unrealistic, The Blue Whisper may not be able to change your mind either despite the presence of popular stars in its cast. Why do I say so? It is because you will see many characters sacrificing themselves in this drama for the greater good. While that may seem ordinary, some of these characters will end up coming back to life later on.

In other words, they “die” and then reawaken. Perhaps it is overdone in The Blue Whisper with the number of characters sacrificing their lives. So, if you have little tolerance for xianxia dramas, this wouldn’t be a particularly good one to binge on. It might just annoy you with the number of so-called “deaths” and the simplistic way they are rejuvenated. This is vastly different from Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms which is also a story of love and sacrifice but with much fewer deaths and more substance to the reawakening of the characters.

However, if the coming back to life thingy is not an issue with you, then the overall story is a cohesive one with a gradual reveal of the past and the villain’s plan. This is partly what makes you hooked as you will be curious about certain things along the way.

Acting And Chemistry
I think the 2 leads need no introduction. Dilraba Dilmurat has played enough roles as a strong female character to be able to exhibit the intelligence and stoicism of Yun He in the drama. While I don’t think she exceeded expectations to take her acting up a notch, it is still a respectable performance from her. She can switch effortlessly from a strong and mature character to a sassy one and back.

Allen Ren also needed to portray a change of personality in the drama from a sincere merman to a hardhearted and cold one. He did well in the first part with his sweet facial expressions. The purity and naivete are convincing. However, his cold demeanor in the second part is a bit bland to me. Yes, he is supposed to wear an impassive face but the inner torment that the character is facing seems to be lacking in his portrayal.

As a couple, I can’t really say that the chemistry between Dilraba Dilmurat and Allen Ren is great in the drama. It is passable but the heat is certainly missing. It is not so much about the fish kisses that lack real passion but their interactions just don’t have enough sizzles for their love to be felt more deeply. The actress’ chemistry with Leo Wu in The Long Ballad is definitely more obvious compared to this one with Allen Ren.

In fact, some might even feel that Dilraba Dilmurat has better chemistry with the second male lead. This is not surprising as Xiao Shun Yao did well in his portrayal of a conflicted Hao Qing. The other notable character is played by Cristy Guo. She really brought out the essence of Shunde Fairy’s character in her portrayal. So, be forewarned that you will hate her as you watch!

My Verdict – Recommended Watch
The Blue Whisper is a big budget production and the quality in terms of CGI, costumes, and cinematography will not disappoint. The scenery set up is beautiful with the effects in both Part 1 and 2. Hence, when everything is put together, it is a highly watchable production. The romance is not a deeply heartfelt one as it doesn’t have a strong foundation to it unlike One And Only but the overall story is logical and flows well. Hence, the main couple’s romance should still resonate with viewers. Even if it doesn’t, there are 2 more couples in the story to gain your attention.

Moreover, there is more to the plot apart from romance. Revenge also takes up a significant portion of the drama and is naturally weaved into the story. Some of the characters have underlying motives to their actions and these are gradually teased out as the drama progresses. Thus, the story is an engaging one even if you can’t feel anything special about the leads’ romance.

For this The Blue Whisper review, I would give it a score of 8/10. It is not the best xianxia romance drama out there but it has enough factors to make it watchable. Some parts is a little slow-moving and the ending could be more detailed. But overall, it would not be a waste of time to watch this. Whether you would find this to be a perfect 10 lies mainly in how deeply the leads’ love for each other moves you as a viewer. Personally, it is a beautiful love story that is well-executed but simply lacks more heartfelt scenes to make the romance more memorable when it is all over. That is also why the rewatch value is not high on my list with this one

Read More

A love no one can afford

I would like to say that this show is a love that no one can afford. I'll start with part 1. When you watch part 1, everything is great. Acting is great. Storyline is great. Toward the end, it shows A LOT of misunderstandings which you will think that it was so unfair to be there. Like why YunHe did this? Why the Senior did this? Why to this extend? Warning: you do be feeling like you want to flip the table around.

And then, part 2 came. This time you will be SUPER frustrated at both of them. ChangYi and YunHe. At first, you might think that ChangYi trap YunHe is so unfair when he knows that YunHe likes freedom. I actually spend some moments to think about this annd,.. none of them are fair to each other from the beginning. They want to show their love, but unfortunately in a very extreme and confusing - not confusing to ChangYi and YunHe, but to us the watcher! You know that kind of love where, 'even if I just glance, you know what I'm thinking'. Yes. That kind of love. They love-hate each other because they knew he/she hurt them to save them.

There's this major shortcoming in Dilraba and RenJialun's acting. Their expression look like someone who are in love, but not to each other. So, when the storyline is great, you are searching for that little spark- you don't found it. They look like they are holding hands and smiling sweetly to their partner but it's someone else. So this is a little weird. They express the longing and love better when they are not in each other's present.

I honestly know that YunHe will died because I accidently see the spoiler. And yes, how frustrating the part 2 is? You keep asking when YunHe will die. This doesn't sound normal, but yes. And once she died, the story becomes super engaging, I watch the last 9 episode in binge-watch.

Lastly, the ending. It is a bit confusing but it will not take you too long to realize what makes YunHe have a mermaid tail. You can make a quick guess on this one but I do feel like they should at least show a little bit on how they transform the fox's tail to a mermaid's tail. Tell me you're lazy without telling me you're lazy.

Overall, the acting is good but can be improved. The scene is sometimes picturesque (Flower Valley) and sometimes plain (North Abyss) and I don't have any comment on that. The storyline is super, super great. <3 If you like that slow-burn romance and understood-you-like-no-one-else kinda love, hit this up! You'll love it! <3

Read More

um drama de morte e ressurreição depois do terceiro dia...

Um Dorama de morte e ressurreição depois do terceiro dia, pq o tanto que esse povo morreu e voltou eu já tava desacreditada. A primeira parte e o final dele me prendeu, mas no último episódio da segunda parte como ela voltou (de novo) e pra piorar como ela ganhou uma calda de sereia, eu fiquei tipo ?????? ela não era uma raposa, e a forma como não exploraram os poderes dele nessa segunda parte fiquei desapontada, parece que usaram todo o poder dela na primeira parte e isso foi totalmente esquecido depois. Tem momentos bons, e emocionantes que até chorei, mas no 30° capítulo (que faz parte da segunda parte) eu já fui ficando cansada, muita enrolação. o casal não tem química, alguns personagens são forçados ao extremo e com tantas histórias paralelas fica difícil ter algum interesse genuíno depois de tanto tempo. Torci muito mais pelo coadjuvante, chorei naturalmente (e olha que no início nem fui muito com a cara dele) mas com o passar dos episódios me peguei torcendo pra ele se dar bem e no fim ele acabou igual ao pai dele, paraplégico e "sozinho", o tanto que ele foi humilhado pra salvar ela e o povo, foi o verdadeiro plot que me conquistou. O sereiano também não teve um desenvolvimento tão satisfatório, a gente não sabe quase nada sobre a vida dele no mar, sua família, tudo ficou apenas focado nessa obsessão e romance entre ele e a protagonista, que francamente se no início eu gostei um pouco com o decorrer foi apenas decaindo. Não esperava que eu fosse me desapontar e achar tão chato, pois sou fã desse gênero de dramas. Mas, a produção é bem bonita como esperado das produções chineses (tirando é claro alguns momentos da dublagem que fica desincronizado). Assisti pq gosto da dilraba e acabou que não foi por ela que continuei pois me apeguei ao personagem que eu menos esperava.

Read More

Visually beautiful + slow paced + romantic

PART 1: 10 ⭐
I was hesitant to watch this drama because some reviews say it's boring and there is too much torture. Good thing I decided to give this a chance anyway because this drama freaking exceeded my expectations. From the visuals, the storytelling, the characters, the acting and the music - everything is done so, so well. There is not even a single boring part and the torture scenes are very timid and not horror type at all. I binge-watched part 1 in two days and it was the best thing I ever did.

Main couple is super cute and I really appreciated that for a Xianxia drama the FL is strong-headed, clever and resourceful. The ML is very cute, devoted and strong-willed. I also love mermaids and in this case I love seeing a story about a merman. There are also two side couples that are adorable. In fact I love all the characters, even the villain's personalities are done really well.

Visually it's beautiful, the music is lovely when the ML is singing. There are no more words for me to describe how pleasantly surprised I was with this drama and it's totally worth the watch.

PART 2: 7.5 ⭐
Second part of the story is consistent with the look and feel BUT not as good as part 1. The first half (10 episodes) pacing of the plot is very slow and not much happens. It's quite heavy and dark so not the easiest to watch but the beautiful kissing scenes in between the depressive scenes made up for it. Second half (last 10 episodes) was more enjoyable, the plot moved well and wrapped up the series nicely. The ending of the drama leaned heavily on the dilemma whether all the couples will have a happy ending or not so if you like that kind of angst, you'll enjoy that. The final battle scenes were enjoyable but not as impactful as I would have liked (compared to the first part).

OVERALL: 9 ⭐ I enjoyed the visuals, storyline and romance of the story so I'll highly recommend the drama.

Read More

A relaxing bedtime story

I have a problem to differ part 1 and part 2 as two separate dramas, so I review them together as one.


Plot: 7
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Main idea:
--> Nothing extraordinary, but I still really enjoyed it.
_______________________________
★★★☆☆ Logic:
--> Plot sort of makes sense, but there are many unreasonable and annoying twists that disturb the overall impression from the story.
_______________________________
★★★★★ Pace:
--> It was interesting till the end.
_______________________________
★★☆☆☆ Impression:
--> Not much intrigued. It was an average plot.
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Skip rate:
--> I skipped some of the side plots, but not much.
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Annoying factors:
--> I generally don’t much like evil characters, that are evil just for sake of being evil, with no personality of their own. A lot of the antagonists here were these kind of characters.
--> I was also a bit disappointed by the ending – it felt like they wanted it to be a happy ending, but didn’t really know how to lead the plot there, so it felt like “tragedy, another tragedy, more tragedy – boom, an unexplainable happy ending!”


Characters: 8
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Lead 1 - Merman:
--> He wasn’t the best lead I’ve ever seen, yet I pretty liked his evolvement from a child-like naïve to a grown leader.
_______________________________
★★★☆☆ Lead 2 - Ji Yun He:
--> I pretty liked this character in the first part of the series. I was a bit disappointed by her in the second part thou. She was presented as very clever and inventive character, yet in part 2 she became a martyr, unwilling to explain herself and unable to guess the merman’s feelings – simply playing dumb just to drag the plot to a few more episodes.
_______________________________
★★★★★ Overacting:
--> The are some side characters with a melodramatic personality, however this had no bad impact on the show, since it was simply the part of the plot.
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Acting:
--> Liked the acting.
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Annoyance level:
--> Annoyed by some side characters, with no personality of their own, which existed just to make things difficult for one of the leads.


Background: 9
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Soundtrack:
--> Really liked it.
_______________________________
★★★★☆ Visuals (camera, scenery, visual effects, ...):
--> Really liked it.
_______________________________
★★★★★ Wardrobe (costumes, hairstyles, makeup, ...):
--> Absolutely loved it.


Rewatch value: 6,5
I assess this value based on impression, skip rate, annoyance level and overall preference.


Final verdict: 7,5
In general, I liked this show. I really liked the visuals and costumes, and the story, though not one of the best, was still a beautiful tale I enjoyed very much.

Read More

Where the heart is, that is place called home...

I'm so excited when I heard Allen Ren Jialun and Dilreba Dilmurat were confirmed as Chang Yi and Ji Yunhe. Not only did I'm falling in love with the novel, but I also waiting for Allen and Dilireba to act in a wonderful drama.

The story, personally I love angst stories, so this is one of my favorite plots. And yes, the story is sad enough to make me cry a river. Although there are some little differences from the novel, I really satisfied with the drama's plot. The differences made the drama perfect in their way.
I was afraid when the total episode didn't fit the story from the novel that was already beautiful. But now I really grateful to the crew to develop such a great story and didn't miss any important points.

Cast, Allen is one of my top favorite actors, his acting never disappoints me. How he portrays Chang Yi was perfect. The cute and innocent Big-tailed Fish, and the charismatic and admirable Beiyuan Master. Honestly, I was so excited when I know Allen joined this drama with Dilireba. I really looking forward to them.
I watched YAMG for killing time waiting for this drama, and I know Dilireba is the perfect Ji Yunhe for me.
And Sa Ding Ding, she is stunning even in small character.

Music, with Sa Ding Ding, Zhou Shen, Mao Bu Yi, And Jin Zhi Wen, I know this drama will tear my heart for sure when I hear the drama OST. They are really amazing.

Rewatch value, I definitely recommend this drama to you, and I loved to rewatch it again, It's not easy to find Chinese drama that suits my taste very well like this.

Read More

next part

Different from part 1. I really like this part quite a lot. Although I must say the pacing still so damn slow makes me really want to hit that speed button, but unfortunately I can't.

What can we learn from this part:
* Everything are given & take. Want to bring peace to the world, there are someone or some people must sacrifice for that cause, that also lead someone being sad.
* Everything must or better be talk about, like the decision that Yun He (YH) & Chang Yi (CY) made for the wedding or to close the volcano. If not there will be someone who regret or misunderstanding happen, like when Li Shu just silent about his sacrifice or when YH did in the beginning that lead to all the misunderstanding for YH & CY in the most part of their life.
* Everyone must make decisions for themselves, like Cheng Yu must make decisions to go apart from his master or like YH with her freedom.
* The most difficult decision sometimes to forgive urself & accept ur wrong doing. Like what actually happen with Ning Qing past with Ning Ruo Chu & Qing Ji.
* Last but not least. Everything already arrange by destiny. No matter how hard you try to avoid that destiny, everything will just gather where is supposed to be. Like how Lin Hao Qing try to avoid YH meet CY, in the end they still meet each other.

I still really like Kong Ming (KM) & Luo Luo (LL) couple. They are my fav couple apart form our main lead. They are so cute & adorable, the wodden KM paired with happy go lucky LL is so adorable.

And yes I really like the pairing of Dilireba & Ren Jia Lun, I can sense their chemistry. I think except Bai Lu in forever & ever, Dilireba is the most compatible partner for Ren Jia Lun. And also a little pitty with Wang Yi Fei, this is the third time I see her act as someone whose her love is not reciprocated, but fortunately she is in here not as stupid as her other character in other drama.

What I don't really like from this part is unfortunately is the ending. Where is our time stamp, how long it's pass since YH go to that volcano until she wakes up again? Why YH can have tail? But upon all the hanging being made, I still really like the ending too... It just perfect to close the curtain.

So when I think about this drama as a whole, I think I'll give this drama 7.5 rating in total.

Read More