This review may contain spoilers
Strangely Captivating!
I watched the FL in "Our Glamorous Time" and that was it. Nonetheless, she left a positive impression on me - pretty and a good actress. I was stoked to see high ratings for this drama and decided to watch it without further ado.What I Enjoyed A Lot:
- I love a strong FL and an endearing ML who is just oh-so-smitten-in-a-good-way about his lady love.
- The ML is so cute too.
- Acting for both ML and FL are top-notch. The supporting cast is great too.
- Drama is full of ups and downs which make it exciting and suspenseful.
- Music is dramatic and matches the different scenes well.
- The CG is actually nice to look at. The cartoon phoenix is cute.
- The plot, though (to me) at times really kind of bizarre and unbelievable, comes together in the end. I am amazed and delighted at how everything ties up nicely.
- The snake spirit is so cute. I like the camaraderie between the ladies in the show.
- I like Mo Fang before the weird transformation.
- The happy ending is wonderful. I like.
What I Did Not Enjoy So Much:
- Poor Mo Fang and his battle with that weirdo with a one-track mind.
- The fixated weirdos in the drama who want to rule everything and create ghouls.
- Some parts were a little strange and perhaps, too long and perhaps, not needed.
Nevertheless, this drama is exciting and dramatic. Everything is quite nicely tied up. Everything is explained quite well. I like such shows which do not leave the viewers hanging and wondering what is actually going on. I highly recommend this drama! I like it very much! Both leads are "da bomb"! <3
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Rapport
First of all, I must say that I enjoyed watching it very much. It was one of the rare good TV series I've watched recently. It was amazing. No. But the harmony between the actors was the first thing that attracted me. Zhao Li Ying and Ling Geng Xin were a very harmonious couple. We already knew this from the TV series Princess Agents. Their harmony was very good in this series too. Zhao Li Ying was also the producer of the series, so it seems that she added a lot to the series, so she even broke the rules. She got married and had a child. Left. I also think that if she had not left, she would not have played so easily.There have been mistakes, they have neglected some things by calling it a fantastic series, but it is not worth writing about it here and affecting the beauty of the series. Overall it was a pretty good series. There are fantasy, drama, romantic and also action scenes. I even found it emotional in the last episodes. I had tears in my eyes while watching it. They tried to fit a lot into the last episodes and ended it as if there was going to be a second season.
Not just the lead actors. I also really liked the supporting roles. So CAST was perfect. The actors were very good. Especially Xin Yun Lai, He Yu, Zeng Li, Wang Yi Yao, Xuan Lu, Xu Hai Qiao were the actors that caught my attention, both with their images and acting. I also liked the little actors who portrayed the childhood of the leads. So the group of players was very good. This distinction does not mean that I do not like other players as well. However, I kept them separate, and I liked the image work done on them. Management was fine. The shots and scenes are beautifully arranged, so are the action scenes and editing. I think meticulous work has been done and care has been taken. I don't want to touch on the story because it's fantastic. Because I don't believe in polytheism. It's something I'm against. Actually, I am against telling these things like this, even if they are fantastic, but we are watching it as a spectacle. As per my belief, I believe in the existence and unity of the Almighty Creator. There is no God other than Him.
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Congratz!!!
Congratz to the director and all the crews in this drama, they use the right actresses and actors for these roles. Li Geng Xin and Zhao Li Ying are two senior actors in the field, they deliver their role amiably. Two thumbs UP!ML and FL give their all for the roles, the production is also well spent, costumes and story line are very refreshing, not so similar compare with other drama with the same genre. At last, in this 1st quarter of 2024, there it is a first Chinese historical drama that gives me urge to write some review here.
Indeed a little bit slow pace from the first 10 episodes, we will confused where this plot going to be and what the conflict gonna be like. A love triangle? A heroic sad mellow-drama? But wait, this drama literally a comedic anyways. Surprise! Surprise! A 8.8-rating is not underrated, guys! You will never regret it after those 10 episodes.. and ofc! The ending!!!! OMG! New way to end a romantic story.. LOVE IT!
Hav Fun Watching!
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This review may contain spoilers
Loved it. The leads are surprisingly gentle and humorous.
The first 7 episodes flew away like a breeze. I do like the dynamics between the 2, but it seems like Shen Li was the only one to catch feelings during Xing Yun while was affectionate didn't seem to be that interested in her. Even when she was gone he lived his life very well, maybe missed her once in a while, but was not deeply moved by her leaving or even the idea of her marrying someone else. Even when he returned to the heavenly realm, he seemed as indifferent so far. Apart from mentioning that Shen Li was interesting he didn't intend to pursue her.Ep 8 to 16: She finally meets Divine Lord Xing Zi, who denies he knows Xing Yun, hearing which she sheds tears to which the divine lord is unmoved. He then insists on spending time with her. The Poor girl is busy scouting the place while the Divine Lord is taking a leisurely stroll in the garden.
The Divine Lord finally clears up that he didn't intend to spend time with her but it was to clean her miasma that he had to take her along. When she talks about him resembling an old acquaintance. He brushes it off saying its common and that she shouldn't get too attached to things or people. He then follows her to the demon realm and claims he needs to stay for fun and wants to live at her place. He then shows a teeny bit of what you could call jealousy when Shen Li's betrothed shows up. The one that divine lord himself picked.
Gotta love Shen Li, in ep 14, she finally decided to put everything out there and then kindly told him to go fuck himself. What's even wrong with the guy, he can't even sort out his own feelings and continues to mess with her, following her around everywhere just rejecting her left and right and still bombarding her with those mixed signals.
In ep 16, we get too see them work together, Shen Li gets hurts and we actually see Divine lord get mad for the first time. First green signal telling us that he does care for her. It is nice to see him hold her sweetly nursing her back to health.
ep 16 to 39: Wow this was very slow burn, they finally got together in episodes 30-31, while the chemistry between them was great the kisses were not it. Shen Li did a good job with the kisses, can't say the same about the ML.
What I like the most about this drama is that the leads don't betray each other and are loyal. There are never any misunderstanding or other man or woman they have to pretend to love in order to protect each other. So, i'll be putting this on my rewatch list.
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This review may contain spoilers
If cottagecore and xianxia had a baby it would be The Legend of Shen Li ;D
This is an extract of my 2000-word review: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/the-legend-of-shen-li-review/What I liked
- Lin Geng Xin isn't the typical delicate, elfin-like idol male lead xianxias typically have, but that's what I love - that he's a strapping, tall man with not-typical looks. Yay to diversity of looks and mature actors!
- OMG they filmed in actual locations! It felt weird to see these high beings wandering around real places.
- I love Shen Li's straight-talking ways, and that she doesn't suffer fools
- I totally adore the food porn. And all powerful ancient god and a great cook? Who can resist this man?
- Loved Lady Jin! What a sass madam! In fact, I love her so much that I'm so happy that she got her own side story in the last episode.
What I didn't like
- Seriously, the Heavenly Realm folks have got to be the most useless and lazidest Heavenly Realm folks in all of xianxia.
- I also don't quite get how this world works.
- I wish there was a better premise than they can't be together because "Natural Law won't permit it" and Xing Zhi losing emotional control.
- Overuse of internal monologue. There are better ways to convey this than internal monologues, really.
The ending
Oh dear lord, finally a good ending.
Was episode 39 necessary? Ending it at 38 would've been neat and tidy. But I love watching Xing Zhi and Shen Li enjoying their "retirement" from official heavenly duties and giving each other maximum skinship. They deserve it.
Final thoughts
I think the reason why The Legend of Shen Li spoke to me so much is because it touches the longing we have in our hearts as adults with heavy responsibilities.
Like our couple, most of us are weighed down by life's demands. So, there's a longing in us for a simpler life where we can just retreat to the green surroundings of the countryside, grow our food, cook, and just nourish our loved ones. This drama really spoke to that longing, at least for me.
Still, I'm giving it an 8.5/10 rather than the 9 I would've given if the storytelling and pacing had been better and the world better fleshed out.
It's still one of the best xianxias you can watch; a rare gem that caters to more mature viewers.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cast Carries yet again!!! Beautiful Zhao Li ying and Lin Gen Xing - UPDATE
(REVIEW UPDATED)From Princess Agents to Legend of Shen Li, ZLY and LGX did it again!
Although the storyline took a bit to pick up, hands down CAST creates everything. The atmosphere, the heartwarming and dissonance scenes, everything, love and chaos, altogether meshed in one big pot of STORY. Absolutely in love with how the cast just carries through and through! You just can't help but follow through each character's (even side characters) story and their development, even if you hate them, the scenes worth grabbing attention.
(Will add more once finished!)
---
UPDATE:
Finally done!!! OMG very very heartwarming ending, loved it. Yes I love that one of my fav characters got their own little 'special' at the end.
One thing I love about this storyline, although it had a very slow start and action only picked up around ep 19, everything flowed accordingly and nothing went amiss, no background storyline or even side characters were left out. The story was extremely coherent which is just so so great. A very satisfied ending and revival.
Each character showed their own display of strengths and weaknesses and IMPROVEMENT. There wasn't a single character left behind just because they were unimportant or side characters, even the back stories had me gripped like velcro. I'm especially invested in the backstory of Shen Li's parents.
Hands down to the cast, casting all amazing people and (Shen Li's parents actually fits ZLY, like I see the resemblance hahaha)
All in all, amazingness from ep 19 onwards, with a cherry on top. <3 ONTO THE NOVEL NOW
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An Emotional Rollercoaster
The drama was exceptional, excelling in plot, acting, and music. It stands out particularly for its realistic fighting scenes, a refreshing departure from other dramas with awkward CGI. The music, while great overall, occasionally veered into being overly loud during battle scenes, making it hard to hear dialogue without adjusting the volume frequently. Despite this, the acting was top-notch, which was expected given the talented lineup. Watching the main leads for the first time was a pleasant surprise, especially in how they conveyed emotions that many other dramas fail to capture. Both actors are seasoned professionals, adept at drawing out genuine feelings from their characters.One minor critique is that at times, Mo Fang's acting felt slightly awkward, particularly towards the end of the series. Nevertheless, it didn't detract significantly from the overall experience. Another highlight was the portrayal of the female lead as a relatable character rather than an all-powerful figure constantly reliant on the male lead. The dynamic between the leads was well-written, showcasing effective communication and mutual reliance.
I highly recommend this drama to fans of epic battle scenes and nuanced performances, as it delivers both with finesse.
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This review may contain spoilers
Long awaited but a dismal disappointment
I was so eagerly waiting for this series to come out because of this main couple's unforgettable chemistry and performance together in Princess Agents, and the ML is one of my favorite actors. Unfortunately this series was a dismal disappointment in so many ways. I skipped through a lot of it, it was so boring. I cannot even list out any redeemable good things about it...so here are the reasons it was so terrible.- The dubbing was so awful! It was so distractingly bad and was a disservice to the actors and ruined the overall experience. No proper background sounds or anything - just silence and then the dubbed voices.
- Weird sound effects like farm animal noises are used in an attempt to emphasize scenes that are supposed to be funny. Felt like you are watching random TikTok videos w/ stupid sound effects, It was so distracting.
- Pacing was so slow and boring. Oddly dragged out staring or walking scenes.
- ML (Lin Geng Xin) is one of my favorite actors. His performance fell flat in this role. I understand that these types of roles for ancient gods they are supposed to be stoic - but he just came across as a boring character with little depth and lack of effective emotional expression.
- FL (Zhao Li Ying) - I am not a big fan of this actress, I don't think she has good acting range or facial expression/emotions. She's really only good at playing a cold & tough fighter. And half of her lines were delivered as voice narrations of her inner thoughts! The entire series, she barely actually spoke to the other characters but just had internal monologues!
- Makeup and costume were not terrible, but not great either for this type of high budget production. The FL's makeup was so bad! Her eyeliner always looked smudged like she slept in her makeup overnight. And close up shots you can clearly see the fake eyelashes over her real eyelashes so it looked like she had 2 different levels of eyelashes!
- Chemistry - the main couple could not replicate the intense chemistry they had in Princess Agents
- The last 2 episodes were completely unnecessary! The storyline had wrapped up, the main couple had their happy ending. So WHY the need to drag out 2 more episodes to showcase that random other couple getting married (the Snake god lady)? I just don't understand it.
I am so upset that my eager long awaited anticipation and time spent watching it was a total waste!
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Very funny and entertaining
I began watching this the day it was released and I could not get enough of it.Both leads where phenomenal.the acting was perfect and also the pace was normal .neither fast nor slow.Fu Rong and his sister were another grade addition to the story line.I lived Yu lan she was like and diene in the show watching the male and female leads live story .I did not like her at the beginning when she first came but as her character changed I began to really like her and even fu ring who also was like a cp to both of the leads.It felt like he was in love with Shen li closer to the ending tho I am not fully sure but that’s what it seems to me or her was just curious.I hope to know someday.Was this review helpful to you?
A beautiful love story - The Yin to her Yang
For a xianxia, this was quite an easy watch due to the simple plot that did not involve too much angst or unnecessary misunderstandings. I loved our amazing female lead Shen Li, a strong, courageous woman who never wavers in sticking to her beliefs, principles, and always fighting for her people. I loved the dynamic she has with XZ, who was the yin to her yang.There were definitely moments in the drama that felt a bit slow, with too many flashbacks - I think they could've easily made this drama to 30-35 eps. But overall the acting, chemistry, solid soundtrack, cinematography and special effects made this a memorable series.
When it comes to ZLY and LGX's acting and chemistry - you just cannot go wrong. It was nice to see them work together again as more mature and seasoned actors, bringing their characters to life, and bringing out the best in each other as actors. I can only hope they work together again in the future!
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A True Treasure for 2024 CDRAMALAND ✨
Well, well , well . I truly didn’t expect that I would actually finish watching a xianxia drama anytime soon , but here I am!THE LEGEND OF SHENLI! Just as the title suggests, it was truly legendary.
This drama , to my surprise , actually had the best CGi , storyline and character development that I’ve seen in a while !
The relationship between the female lead (Shenli) and the male lead (Xingzhi) started in a very soft and amusing way and continued being a slow burn all throughout the episodes. I loved how Xingzhi, even though he knew Shenli’s real identity in the Mortal Realm , actually treated her with care letting her to show her vulnerable side and being the first who made her feel like a real Lady and not just a War Weapon.
The way they cared and helped each other was truly heartwarming to see .
The CGi and special effects really shocked me as well. All the realms were so well crafted. This has to be the best Heavenly Realm that I’ve seen before in other xianxia dramas . All the floating white clouds in the gardens and surrounding every place made it look really magical . The Gold and White pallete truly looks Heavenly . The flying scenes , the fighting scenes, the mystical creatures were all impressive as well and I truly appreciate the efforts they’ve put into it .
The storyline was mostly different than what we are used to see in xianxia , wasn’t it ?
For me it was really unpredictable and I couldn’t stop watching since I was dreadfully curious to see what will happen next .
The Characters were quite lovable and I really liked their development and their stories . Some worth mentioning ones are Furong ( who went from a careless playboy who only wanted to play and waste his time , to a true Diviner who saved people and fought in a war to defend the realms !) , Shenli’s Parents and their story which was very touching and emotional . Fenglai was absolutely adorable and naive , how could he play the part of King of the Chimeis? Even when he couldn’t really understand the meaning of ‘’daughter’’ he still rushed to save his daughter because his late wife cared about her..and that’s all he understood and wanted to protect. Him and Liyu’s love was pure and beautiful. So was his brief meeting with Shenli. I shed quite a few tears at that scene . Mofang is also worth mentioning. Even though he was forced into completing a mission by his evil ‘master’ he went against him all the time only to protect Shenli and never truly hurt her . I think we all felt pity for him in the end . Now I could go on about this all day since all the characters had something special which would make you get attached to them.
The OST was beautifully done too , I can’t go on without mentioning the opening track which was very unique but fit for Shenli’s fighter character. I got chills every time I heard it .
Beautiful Costumes , Hairstyles , Unique and creative Makeup and more importantly the happy ending that I’ve been craving for!
Get your phone’s storage ready because this drama has many aesthetic scenes !
10/10 From L.Alexandra !
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