The Dragon's journey to reclaim his dismembered body & attaining true love | Baby Dragon Neo <3

"I wish I had never met you in my life." - Suying

Like what the title suggests 'Back from the Brink (of Death) is a story about the Dragon King (Tianyao) who was brutally schemed and killed on his Wedding day by his own Bride (Suying) and how he was revived by the help of a Taoist girl (Yanhua) who will make him experience and realize what true love is while retrieving his stolen body parts.

If I were to sum it up, I would say that this is all about the despair and unpredictability of love... that although love can be deceitful, tragic and ever-changing at times, it can also be delightful and uplifting all at the same time. This story showcased how love is not perfect and would never be! and it's a matter of finding that one person who shares the same feeling that you have... someone that will make you feel valued, loved, protected and cared for at all costs, at all times.

I honestly don't wanna be critical and strict to my review for this drama as I consider this as one of the 'better' Idol Xianxia drama created in past several years but I will still try to mention below the major shortcoming that could've make this story even better!

I would say that the biggest section this production could've improved on is with the editing, more specifically in regards to the wise inclusion and exclusion of scenes and events as it has always been a big problem of chinese dramas for me. They tend to go all out with the introduction and character developements only to fell short when it comes to the climax and ending (thank god the ending of this drama is well created and polished); and this issue happened several times to this show as well. I recall feeling weird at around Ep 25+ because I noticed them rushing some of the scenes that made us skipped a lot of good parts and I think we got enough irrelevent scenes between episode 10-20 to fill those gaps. It's just sad that they 'most probably' got restricted by china's censorship and restrictions in the middle of getting an approval to go live. Nonetheless, better decision making on which scenes should make the final cut coud have been implemented!

Something I love and enjoy about this drama is the goofy and bright energy the leads and characters has showed us throughout the show. I appreciate that they included tons of silly and comical scenes each episode which helped accentuates the vibe and overall mood of the drama + it makes me enjoy it without having to feel uncomfortable and overly irritated. I would say that this is one of the 'Feel-good' dramas everyone should binge watch whenever they experience exhaustion from watching overly convoluted series.

Last thing I wanna praise and talk about is the chemisty and synergy not only of the leads but the entirety of characters and artists/casts. I feel like one of the factors that made me completely drawn to this story is the actors/actresses themselves and how magnificent they portrayed their respective roles. Their compatibility with one another is undeniable, that for some reason I can feel an almost tangible aura exuding from them as a whole.

P.S. Regarding the Quote above from Suying. This drama used that line several times that it effortlessly imprinted on my mind. I think it also proves that karma is a bitch and will bite back 10 folds fiercer. Serves her right! lol

Story - 10, I was planning of giving it a 9.5 but how can I do that when it gave me such a satisfying ending? Not to mention how I enjoyed the entirety of this drama and only skipped the flashback scenes as I am running out of time because of work. Also, the production quality and script writing of this story is really good and although there are some ridiculous scenes (underwater scene between Ep 1-10)... those are considerably minor in comparison to the happiness I have had watching it.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I have no complains and/or violent reaction regarding the cast. However, I feel like Zhou Ye's acting is a bit lacking during her sad scenes. I'm not sure if it's because of the jolly and bright perception I have of her, but I just can't take her seriously during her sad/crying scenes. Sorry!! But I admit that she fits this silly, free-spirited, cheerful roles the best! Regarding Neo Hou! I can never touch this man. He knew he's charming and has always used that to complete his craft with precision and perfection! Him acting like a Baby is going to be the death of me! Lovely and adorable!

Music - 10, I love all the music used in this drama, specially the main OST they typically use on heartwarming scenes. I will surely hunt that one and will add it on my playlist.

Rewatch Value - 10, Everything about this drama is re-watchable. It doesn't have any boring and/ot uncomfortable scenes at all. I'm sure everyone's gonna love it!

Overall - 10, I don't care! I'm giving it a perfect 10. Lol I know that this drama got some flaws and is lacking on some areas BUT it's really rare these days for me to encounter such a good Idol Xianxia drama that I can actually binge watch the entire day! So I feel delighted and ecstatic watching it. All I can say is that it's worthy of all your time.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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Sharing Life and Death - The Class 7 Advanced! — Mission Accomplished!!

If I were to describe the entirety of Young Blood S2 using only two (2) words, it would be astounding and satisfying! I will try my best to explain why through my review below.

Although I love this series very much, I will still admit that I have little to no recollection of what had happened in S1 and all I can remember are the main casts and how greatly I adored them. So I totally appreciate how they incorporated a short yet detailed summary of what had transpired in S1 on the 1st episode as it greatly helped me remember how the events unfolded back then and how the story should carry on moving forward where it left off. It was like a little refresher because they knew it has been a long time since S1 aired and people might have forgotten how the story went on and ended. How considerate! <3

I just wanna say as well that they did not disappoint even a little bit in regards to the plot, twists and overall story progression. As we may all know, 2nd seasons of such successful dramas are often viewed and treated as a poor and underwhelming continuation of the 1st season. However, I will boldly proclaim that Young Blood S2 isn't one of those. This sequel just proved me that the director, writer and casts loves and cherishes this project a lot that they spent time to reassemble to do this drama together once again; and although it's unfortunate that the original Ya Nei didn't reprise his role, I'm just glad that the actor who replaced him lived up and embodied the character and made it his own. I'm also grateful that the other 5 main actors was able to assume their original roles and made the Class 7 Team alive again.

I also want to mention how satisfied I am on how smooth and clever they handled the issue regarding the change of actor portraying Ya Nei. They explained it in a way where we can realize it's inexorable and is currently the best option to move forward with the drama filming. Surprisingly after that scene, all my worries and inhibitions about the new actor playing Ya Nei had completely vanished and it even helped me to watch them comfortably without any awkwardness and restraint.

Additionally, seeing them all together brings back so much fun memories! The nostalgia kicked back so hard, I was like a proud father in awe looking at how my children had grown up all these years into a fine, matured and capable individuals.

In terms of character and story, I'd say they all stayed the same and I'm just glad that they didn't try to change anything about their characters at all. The goofiness and unpredictable comical scenes are still there but lessened a lot; and I think that emphasized the risk and danger of the situation they're in. I never viewed it in a wrong way rather it made me realized how dangerous this mission is, and that people are forced to mature depending on the situation. Which is a great call from the writer and director as a sense of maturity for their characters. I also love how they all made it seem like nothing has changed... Synergy of Class 7 is still present and it always put me in awe how transparent they're to each other; that I never really have to worry about them individually because I know that they've got each others back and has developed this unbreakable trust between one another.

Deep diving into the most crucial parts now, which is the story plot and twists. All I can say is that 'THEY WENT ALL OUT'—I admired how they showed us the power and skill level of Class 7 during the 1st half of the drama and how will they fail miserable if they go on just like that. It was also like a wake up call that this mission is in a completely different level in comparrison to the previous ones they have had so far and that a timeskip is very much needed to cultivate and nurture their inner talents and unexplored potentials.

I mentioned above that I find this story 'astounding' and that is because of how brutal and merciless they went on with the killings and sacrifices. Wang Kuan losing an arm, Zhong Xin getting stabbed and impaired by his father, Class 8 getting murdered mercilessly were all so unexpected! But it was like a big slap... a representation of the severity level of this mission. That they cannot go on just like that with their current puny power and tricky skills. Not to mention how defeated and impossible it is for them to finish their mission even after the timeskip!

More so, something I was flabbergasted about is how their mission of killing Yuan Hao (King of Xia) sounded so simple yet complex and hard. That guy is the truest form of a Final Boss. He was like a monster that's impossible to be killed no matter how hard anyone tries and I immensely appreciate how they perfectly keep him that way until the very end. Because doing otherwise will make it look like giving our Leads a helping hand in order to defeat him (which will kill the logic and hype of the story) and I will be very honest, that idea is purely ridiculous to me in every single way. So for going against that I am extremely thankful and 'satisfied'. They genuinely saved this drama from going to the tropey and frustrating plot by doing so.

Lastly, I just want to commend this drama for its Martial arts choreography and execution. It just proves that a smart and wise utilization of the camera angles and tricks can make any works look incredibly fantastic! What a perfect arrangement and cuts of sequences. Those scenes are PEAK! + They were able to showcase how powerful the characters (Godly Yuan Hao & Master level Yuan Tian Guan) are until the very end without making them feel underwheling and weak in any ways. Thumbs Up!!

I also just have to mention how obvious and ugly the green screens are during the first half of the drama. Those moments are really hilarious to me. Thank god they improved (or changed Graphics artists? lol) halfway. Because the editing on the other half of the drama has become slick and flawless.

P.S. Yuan Zhong Xin and Zhao Jian's jail wedding scene is too iconic for me not to mention! I wish we could have had more lazy and purely fun additional episodes with just the gang fooling around. 27 episodes will never suffice...

Story - 10, I was planning on giving this a 9.5 rating (For the green screen issue I mentioned above) but how can I do that when they tremendously improved halfway and never missed after that? Also, I just couldn't fathom giving this entire production a score lesser than 10 after all the great works they've done to make this story as brutally realistic and logical as it is right now.

Acting/Casts - 10, No questions needed to ask. The set of actors are perfection; not to mention how the 5 original cast were able to come back and reprise their roles. Additionally, I wanna commend Fu Wei Lun for owning Ya Nei as a character for himself. I have never even once felt like something is off with him. What a great actor! Special mention to Hao Yi Tian and Zhao Bin... this drama wouldn't be as impactful and exciting without this 2 terrific professional senior actors.

Music - 10, I love how they utilized the same opening used in the S1 for S2 as well. It's like the starting point... the engine that fires up all the excitement and adrenaline inside of me. Knowing that I am to experience and enjoy another great things from the ever incridible Qi Zhai. The other music used are nice too, as they're mostly used to set the mood and was played in the most subtle manner.

Rewatch Value - 10, I must say that although this sequel has lesser comical relief scenes compared to the prequel, it has never lost any of its original touch and essense when it comes to Class 7/Qi Zhai's natural affinity and chemistry. + It even gives us a more mature and capable side of the team we all love. So this drama is one of those shows I would never regret rewatching if I have time to do so.

Overall - 10, This 2nd season is as satisfying and impressive as the S1. Although they have matured a lot and was put on an extremely tough predicament, they were able to get through all of it and gradually come victorious at the end! All I can say is to never let the 'Negative Reviews' affect your decision to watch this drama and just thoughtlessly dive into it! You will never regret doing so, most certainly! I'm giving you my assurance!

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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A nicely written story that stood out from the highly convoluted Xianxia dramas in the C-Dramaland.

I have been reading a lot of reviews stating that you will enjoy this drama if you enjoyed 'Ancient Love Poetry' and I cannot disagree to that. However, I wanna say that this surely has better story flow and certainly lesser complicated, dramatic and problematic love affairs. All things being said, I want to emphatically say that this drama has its own strengths and weaknesses so it should never be compared to any existing dramas out there.

Although this drama started on a relatively slow phasing, I'd say that they did a good job in gradually making the future events to be more engrossing and attracting. Honestly, up until now I still feel like this drama lacks some interesting events... It do have some, however, in my opinion those moments aren't remarkable and satisfying enough for me to binge watch it all the time; which is both its advantage and disadvantage... Disadvantage simply because we got so used to Xianxia dramas offering more convoluted story lines that can bring our emotions up and crazy, and since this drama doesn't offer those, it makes it look plain and ordinary in comparison to them. But that is also why I mentioned it is its advantage as well. Because by making the story less complicated, it also makes the viewers easily grasp and comprehend what's going on in the story. Making it an easy to watch and a viewer friendly show.

Next thing I wanna talk about is the nice and comfortable chemistry between the main leads. I love their silly and bickering moments the most and I can honestly watch them going at it non-stop. They give me this refreshing vibe that makes me wanna commend both of them for having such great compatibility. Like, Dang! I know Zhao Lusi will nail it but Wang Anyu just destroyed me on how well he executed his character in this drama. His portrayal is insane! More than convincing. I don't know how to put it into words but I wanna say that he is not acting his character because he 'became' his character. He drawned me to him everytime he's on screen; not only because of his visuals but because of how excellent he is in commanding his facial expression, body language and overall demeanor. Not to mention how his expressive eyes can make you feel different emotions and feelings. What an expressionist!

In regards to Powerscaling, CGI, Costume and Design. I would say that it has its good and not so good but not entirely bad moments. I believe they have established and followed through a good hierarchy when it comes to powerscaling but there are some moments when the show demonstrated some inconsistencies. First is when Hua Yan (Peacock King) mentioned that even Feng Yuan (Heavenly Empress who is a demigod ready to ascend to godhood) is no match with his current power but then get injured and captured by a heavily injured Gu Jin/Yuan Qi who is a God himself! Not to mention how he's getting handled by Hong Yi and Yan Shuang (Which if I'm not mistaken are a Senior and Junior Immortals). Additionally, how is Hua Shu (During her Evil god moments) overpowering Yuan Qi a God of Chaos, Feng Yi a demigod and all the other senior/junior immortals? Haha! I also just want add up how some of the power/magic effects looks way too powerless and unsatisfying in contrast to how it should be. They could've added more power and bigger effects to make it look extra convincing, unfortunately they did not. Like... editing team, Hello? What's Up!? and Oh! Before I even forget, Zhao Lusi suffered 2x from that ugly and horrid 'blood spitting' scenes. Grr!

Lastly, I just wanna mention how satisfied at the same time disappointed I am with Lan Feng & Hua Shu's love story. I know that his death helped Hua Shu's character to remain the villain that she is, but I feel bad that Lan Feng was killed on their most special day and was never resurrected. I mean, he's one of the characters I like and truly look up to, as it's fascinating that he remained pure and untainted until the very end. + I love how his unconditional love and affection has become a tool to make Hua Shu realize things and could have turned her into a new leaf 'sooner' only if he didn't get murdered. Anyways, I also like the redemption moment of Hua Shu. Who would have thought that a character as ambitious and scheming as her can turn into such a loving and devoted person. It only shows that anyone can change as long as they're redirected by a commited person who genuinely cares.

P.S. I hereby proclaim that Gu Jin/Yuan Qi is by far the best Xianxia Male lead character for me. This character is as smooth as butter and will always make sure that A Yin/Feng Yin is always safe and sound.

Story - 9.0, This drama has a good phasing/sequencing and although it started 'slow' I appreciate that it didn't hinder them to mess the story up. Alhough it's undeniable that this story lacks some remarkable moments, I'd say that the smooth narrative helped this show and turned it into an easy to watch drama. + I love how they handled their main Villains (Hua Shu and even Ming Qi (Evil God himself). How I wish they incorporated more satisfying moments into this.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I don't have any issues with the actors and although I personally like Li Yun Rui, I still wanna say that he needs some more acting lessons. He's really good at playing the playful and silly sides of his character unfortunately something is really off whenever he's trying to act out scenes that requires other emotions. Another person I want to talk about is He Kai Lang, he did fine playing the weak and modest Xiu Yan however his portrayals of Ao Ge isn't convincing enough for me. + On the other note I just wanna say that Wang An Yu's charming point is prominent when he's acting all innocent and free of worries. His clear sparkling eyes along with his bright smile was so enthralling it made me believe him immediately. It also made him very easy and comforting to watch. His smile is like a beam of light that gives me unconditional happiness and positivity. Lol

Music - 9.5, The music used are really good and it blended really well with scenes they are played in. It also never overlapped with any of the sequences and even accentuates the emotions and vibe for each one of them. Maybe the reason why I'm not giving it a perfect score is because it didn't contain a song that truly stands out. A song that will make me LSS.

Rewatch Value - 9.5, It was easy to watch thanks to the light and comfortable vibe established by the Actors and actresses with their roles. I never find this boring... I even binge-watched it and could have finished it 4-5 days early only if it wasn't for my work schedule. I also just can't consider this show to be 'extremely' re-watchable because I feel like I must pick up a new one from my unending list of unwatched dramas instead of re-watching it.

Overall - 9.0, I never disliked this drama and although I was influenced by all the reviews I read that compared this with other Xianxia shows, it didn't become a hindrance for me to appreciate it and see the better side of it that are even better compared to the other Xianxia's I have watched so far. The only thing I found missing here is the binge-worthy satisfying scenes that can make me watch parts of it over and over again. This drama is a whole ride of smooth and nicely put up sequences.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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The badass Female assasin & Liu Dao Halls' 5 elite squad assembled!

"I'm not consulting you. I'm informing you." - Ren Xin

I hereby declare personal grudge against the writer (Zhang Wei) of this story. I want to be impartial and just be nice because this drama has brought me so much happiness and entertainment; but, how can I do that when she turned such a promising and amazing drama into a stupid tragic path? I'm extremely dumbfounded at the same time furious over her disgusting and treacherous act. This drama could have been a happy ending but for some reason her crazy mind went wild and decided to kill the main characters one after another, continously... and even if she implied that Ning Yuan Zhou and Ren Ru Yi magically survived and is alive at the end—through their "kids". I still cannot take that to comfort me and make me feel redemptive over this excellent story that was unfortunately ended tragically. NYZ and RRY is parenting the entire squad like they're their own children and yet she decided to slaughter them one by one. Gosh! My Parents deserves better treatment!

I want to conclude this rant section of my review by saying, I got so much beef with the writer of this drama and I think it will last forever. She excels in making good story unfortunately she also got a strong obsession in turning everything into a tragedy.

Disclaimer: Even after all the things I stated above, I still won't deny how good of a writer she is. The script is exceptionally well written and god knows how blowned away I was watching the exchange of words from the characters of this story.

Moving forward, I want to say how much I enjoyed this drama as a whole. The intro was perfect and so does the suceeding episodes until the tragedy I mentioned above started. I love how their love story started naturally as strangers who accidentally encountered one another but didn't immediately fall in love; rather, they allow us to witness their suspicions that gradually developed into trust to mutual affection then finally, love.

In terms of chemistry, I'd say they're straight out insane! It's crazy how their very first interaction which was an intense scene turned out to be full of sparks and charisma; and don't even let mention how compelling their following future scenes are, because I might spend my entire time fanboying over how perfect they are together. I also want to mention here how Ren Ru Yi's 'I want to have a baby with you' to NYZ has lived and explored entirely free in my mind. My imagination runs wild with this two (NYZ as a surrogate Father lol). Also, their infatuation and indenial moments are the cutest! I cringe so much in a good way because of them.

Next thing I want to talk about are the supporting characters. I don't usually do this, but I feel like each one of them deserves to be acknowledged for their excellent role and portrayal in this story.

"You've trained a sparrow in a royal cage into an Eagle" - Princess Yang Ying

Princess Yang Ying/Prince Li Heng portrayed by He Lan Dou is the MVP of this drama for me. She went from a fragile and docile cub into a full grown tigress. This is one of those times I realized how good the writer is. She transformed the weak and damsel in distress Princess and made her a tough decisive one. Of course, this wouldn't happen without He Lan Dou's acting prowess and versatility. I love her a lot in this show.

Yuan Lu played by Chen You Wei is one of my favorite out of all the characters of this drama. He's cheerful, bright and overall entertaining. I'm so proud of this guy, he's the epitome of positivity and good vibes. I'm the most disheartened when the writer finally decided to kill him. Grr! I guess, I'm just grateful that he died full of pride and valiantly.

Li Tong Guang played by Chang Hua Sen by far is the most overrated character of this story. This man's emotionally unstable and I find it unbelievable how he broke down in the middle of a losing war. I admit that he's good looking and charismatic but his physical appearance alone doesn't fill the gap in his character for me. Chang Hua Sen's acting here is great though. I often find him amusing, specially during his mental breakdown scenes for his Master Ren Xin.

Yu Shi Shan played by Fang Yi Lun - This is my first time to watch him play a lively and carefree role and I must say he nailed it! It feels refreshing to watch him be annoying and mischievous almost all the time compared to the previous roles he's acted on.

Qian Zhao played by Wang Yi Zhe for me is the serious brother of the gang who played the role of a Vice captain whenever NYZ is not around. Wang Yi Zhe impresses me on how he portrayed this character so well.

Sun Lang played by Li Huan is the least favored character for me. I feel like the writer doesn't like him that much base on how little his screentime are the whole show.

Special mention to Zhang Song played by Zhang Lei. His acting on Episode 3 alone made me realized that Vetaran actors are a cut of their own cloth. The lines were written eloquently and provocatively but the way he delivered it gave me real chills. His control and command of his actions and facial expressions hightened the tension of his scenes for me.

I know this is getting lengthy so let me just mention some unpredictable scenes which I have mixed feelings of.

First is the pairings and love teams. It changes so constantly and unexpectedly that I don't know anymore what to expect. This aspect of the storyade me disappointed and dumbounded a lot.

Second is the death of the main cast! Dang! I still can't move on! I know that they all died in a reasonable way and with great valour but then, I still can't let go of my 'supposed' happy ending. (Sighs)

Lastly, I just want to commend this drama for its slick, refined and smooth exhibitions of their fight scenes. Martial arts choreography is Mad! Specially Liu Xi Xi and Liu Yu Ning's. My satisfaction of them is at its peak!

P.S. My favorite moments of this drama is when the Main casts are all together casually hanging out and having fun. + Why do I find them cute when they all finally assembled? Hahaha! What an adorable bunch. <3

Story - 9.5, Although I hate the fact that the entire Main cast was killed; I guess, I'm just glad that it was done in a logical and valorous way. Like I mention above I can never do this drama dirty just because I hate its ending, so I would still give credits where it's due. Also, it's one of those dramas where both leads are cool and highly skilled; and coincidently the two fo them wanted to live peacefully and normally but how dare the Writer give them an actual eternal peace!

Acting/Cast - 10, I believe my above sentiments is enough to explain how satisfied I am with the casting and acting on this drama. So, let me take this time to mention how great of a choice for them to cast both Liu Yu Ning and Liu Shi Shi. First of, I wanna say that I'm mad at those people who are hating on Liu Yu Ning just because he's not handsome enough? when his role doesn't require him to be one! and he's so damn fine from head to toe. So whatdaheck!? Liu Shi Shi on the otherhand is a full package for her role. Beautiful that's goddess-like and a real badass seductress! Her stares hypnotizes me to the point where I'm down on my knees every single time. Lol

Music - 10, I will boldly declare and claim that this drama's Music Team is on the same level of those in K-dramas. All the music used are endearing and perfectly fits each of the scene they're used for. This is also the first time in 2 years? where I literally downloaded and added the songs to my playlist for offline listening (Spotify).

Rewatch Value - 10, Honestly, I would still rewatch and will also highly recommend this to everyone. I mean, the cool and badass scenes each episode are enough to make me rewatch this. Not to mention how entertaining this show is as a whole.

Overall - 9.5, I still feel bad of the tragic ending but this drama is simply not one of those craps out there that I can derate solely for it's ending—because this is more than that! Nonetheless, I would like to encourage everyone to watch this drama to experience the entertainment and pleasure I felt when I was binge watching like crazy.

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The aftermath of going against the Emperor's will | The favored river God's illogical death & legacy

"Without a body after death, the soul gains true freedom." - Kang Xi

I want to start this review by stating how dissatisfied and disappointed I am on the path they took to conclude Chen Huang's role and character in this story. I understand that they want him to be viewed as someone who died valiantly and unyielding, however, I want to retort back and say that he was played dirty by the writer instead. His legacy was later set up as monumental worthy of nobel prize but in reality it was their way to make up for their incompetence to develop and expand his characters purpose and abilities. Like, they know he's extremely capable but the problem is that they are not talented enough to cultivate and utilize it properly. Hence his unjustifiable and illogical death.

Also, after scrutinizing this story, I wanted to say that they should have not given this drama the title 'The Long River' and instead come up with something related to the Emperor's ambition and regrets. I feel like the title doesn't live up to the screen time the 'Long River' has gotten. Not to mention how neglected the characters (Cheng Huang & Jin Fu) working on the actual river are.

On the good side, I wanna say that the writer of this story is exceptionally gifted in giving in depth purpose and development to the side characters. Heck! I feel like all of them combined has gotten more focus and screen time compared to the actual protagonists of this show. Which is really annoying because it seems like all his attention was diverted to them to the point where he had forgotten who the real leads are!!

In addition, the writer also seemed to be well-versed to topics related to politics—its structures, components and system. Reason why he's totally engrossed and invested to the political infighting of the story. I can even proclaim that this is heavily centered to that; which is understandable since river construction has to go through such thorough planning, discussions and approvals. The problem is... it's extremely focused on the dramas happening between the 2 different political faction that it has strayed away from the main issue of the story.

One thing I want to sincerely praise and applaud this drama for is its attempt to depict the struggles of the righteous and upstanding officials under the well established and deeply rooted corruption in the government; as it proves that attaining good governance was and will never be easy even to those incorruptible officials; and that it automatically puts anyone on the spotlight that risks their life to an apparent tragic ending.

Just to add up, I had this idea written while I was watching this drama "A nation will thrive and flourish under a good governance" and I must say that it proves me wrong as this story demostrates how even the Emperor was tolerant and susceptible to corruption.

Timeline and phasing - The transition between timelines are smoothly executed to the point where I almost got out of track on how much time/days/months/years have passed since the previous events. lol

Graphics, site set up and design were impressively realistic! You can clearly see that this production was greatly supported through their budget. I mean, even the placards are grandly designed.

Lastly, I just want to mention how everything went south when Emperor Kang Xi's patience and tolerance towards Chen Huang & Jin Fu finally snapped!

Story - 9.0, You will only notice that something is wrong while watching the last 3-5 episodes. Even with my grave rants above, I still wanna say that this drama was well produced and directed. It's just that they focused too much on 1 aspect of the story and was never able to get out of it till the end. The story strayed away from how I expected it to be, which is about the 'Long River'.

Acting/Cast - 10, Perfect set of artists! I'm out of words of how good all the actors are and honestly, this is one of the drama where I don't really have to worry about the acting and perfomance. It's highly visible that they're mostly skilled veteran and even those who are not, acted and blended really well.

Music - 10, At first, I thought it is too 'opera' based but then I realized that the overall music was selected to correspond to the era this story was set on. The music delivers this melancholy vibe and feeling that made me feel the sorrow and pain shown on screen. It depicted and helps hightens the emotions of the scenes.

Rewatch Value - 8.0, I never really thought that something was wrong with this drama until I reached the denouement. I hate how it was ended in a rather loosely manner and that's also the reason why I don't think I can watch it again. This rating is actually more on how good the drama is during my initial watch. It was good but I probably will not re-watch it.

Overall - 9.0, This drama could have been one of my favorite, only if they didn't spend so much time focusing on the political propaganda and agenda of the story. This show was promising but was tainted by how lazy and unreasonable they delivered its ending.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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The immortal fairy w/ amnesia and her 3 failed attempts in love | Shows how filthy & nasty men are!

[!!] PLEASE WATCH THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND MERCY!

This story is all about Ye Xi and her misfortune in finding true love in the wrong places with the wrong set of men; and how she's been constanly getting deceived by those pretentious men to utilize her for their hidden agendas—For 3 consecutive time by the way! Which is incredibly irritating to be very honest!Once is enough, twice is too much and thrice is overkill!

Above all, I want to officially start this review by giving its possible viewers a piece of good warning and advice... This drama is more than all of the positive reviews you can find in MDL. I picked this show simply because I am a fan of Li HongYi and mainly because of all the good and positive reviews I have read on this site. However, the moment I start watching it and the further I get into it, the more increasingly mad and irritated I am to myself for trusting all those reviews who gave this drama a 9-10 ratings. It felt like I fell on trap and got fraud by how 'terrible' it actually is! I can't believe how people are saying that it is an 'easy watch' drama when I can barely tolerate the first 3 episodes and I just had to blindly go through the succeeding occurences by biting my tongue while writing rants per episode to suppress all my pent up irritations and to at least give it the 'benefit of the doubt' hoping for it to reach its 'better' part which eventually came at around episode 10 or so. Which is almost half of the drama!! Not to mention that the saga of awfulness didn't immediately ended there and it still occasionally appeared till the end of the show. I honestly feel like I need some chill pill after going through all those stuff and it is also the main reason why I took great time to write this section of my review to give warnings and emphasize this dramas lousiness.

Anyways, I will treat the above as my collective description and reaction of the horrific things about this drama and will only give a summary list of the properties I find horrendous about this show below.

× Purple Costumes on Ep.2 looks straight up ugly and tacky.
× Bai Yue's smug look the entire time is justifiable at the end. However, I can never tolerate how he kept on strangling and pushing Ye Xi all those time he can't control/suppress her. Like, can't he do it in a non-physical way?
× Horrible fight scenes and What's with Ep.4? They attacked the Tang Manor like a whole bunch of kids running towards the main gate because school is finally over. Ghad, It sucks! Don't they have acting choreoragphy? and how did they even stomach using that for the final cut!
× Lack of financial support/budget. I was cackling so loud when they show the 1 piece trebuchet at Ep.4. Hahaha!
× Art director of this drama needs to retire. Even the Wanted posters of Ye Xi doesn't look even a bit like her and it was drawn so bad. Geez!

Moving forward to the good parts of the story... I truly think that all my sufferings were paid back with better stuff when Ep 10-11 came; that was also the time my faith for this show had slowly got restored. Better story phasing and away from the confusing and chaotic exposition of the story, mysteries are being addressed and answered, finally getting all the lovey-dovey moments we all have been waiting for and at last! Bai Yue giving his very best to express his love by making efforts to make Ye Xi remember him.

Story - 7.0, This drama could have been 'easy to watch' and even better if Ye Xi just stayed with Bai Yue and bicker with him the whole time while occasionally dealing with some challenges (lovers quarrel) and all those trivialities of the Martial arts world. The thing is, they made it too complex and dramatic not knowing that their capabalities can't measure up to their mission and vision yet... which is sad and disappointing.

Acting/Cast - 7.0, Their acting looks fine but in the wrong places. Lol The scenes/events are not set up yet but the characters are already throwing their final lines. Like, daheck are these people saying? Isn't it too early? and why are things going together all at once like they're short of time and in a time crunch. Therefore, I conclude that it's the lack of proper momentum and bad direction. I like the actors and actresses though (subjectively).

Music - 6.5, I like the opening theme as it exudes playfulness, positive vibes and vibrant energy. However, aside from that, nothing else stood out for me. I can't even remember the BGMs used to the most important scenes. It's either they're not note worthy at all or they just never impacted my watch experience for this drama.

Rewatch Value - 2.0, I'm actually being kind by giving it this rating. I actually don't loathe this drama but instead just hate it as it deserves; since it still has its redemption parts. But, I know for a fact that I can never go through the same agony I suffered just to finish this.

Overall - 6.0, I'm extremely considerate for giving this! Oh wow! This is unexpectedly tough! I scaled it really hard in consideration of its good aspects but I still ended up giving this rating. I would say, Deserve? and I'm not even being too critical or bias or whatnot. This is my genuine rating and feedback after finishing this amateur project and production overall.

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Hypervigilant household | Beautiful woman are the most dangerous

"Do you know what tool the lions use to hunt? Patience." - Gong Shangjue

My Journey to You is a complex yet addicting story that will make you buckle up to your seat for how exciting it gets each coming episodes. Definitely one of the best espionage drama I have ever seen for the last couple of years. The production was taken seriously and they did not hold back even one bit in executing suspenseful and exciting sequences till the very end. Although it ended on a cliffhanger which made me contemplate so much on how should I rate it but considering on how good it was constructed, I still ended up throwing all those dissatisfaction off of the window simple because I know that this drama deserves so much more in comparison to all the contradicting reviews it has gotten from its viewers who probably came watching it looking for some lovey-dovey clichė love story following the success of The love of Fairy and Devil.

One important factor of this show that I really wanna talk about is its balance. I love that they went all out with this drama in terms of providing thrilling and hilarious scenes by incorporating a lot of funny antics through Gong Zi Shang. She may seem weird and absurd at first for her slapstick personality but she of all the characters has made the greatest difference for me to enjoy this drama even more. She's like the comedian among the pack of wolves—silly, clumsy and delusional. The story has become more brighter and entertaining thanks to her huge presence all throughout the show.

I also wanna talk about the word plays and the atmosphere of the drama. The exchange of sarcasms and double edge proverbs has always fascinates me but the way they're delivered here felt even more lethal and sensational. Each character has this mysterious aura to them that will make you wonder how will they react to each situation every single time simply because of how unpredictable they all can be.

Another thing I found unique is their way of showing the flashbacks. I find it amusing and puzzling at first because of how melodramatic, emotional and long it can typical be but then I realized later on that it is their other way of story telling. I love how they efficiently utilized it to make sure that no mysteries are forgotten and unaddressed which is ingenious and innovative now that I finished the drama. I also just wanna mention how intricate and expressive they are in making all those flashbacks; because you can feel that they're perfectly put together not to simply show what has happened behind the scenes but to also express the emotions during those scenes. Brilliant and satisfying!

Lastly, the chemistry between the Main leads. I find it really frustrating how people are saying that Yu Shu Xin and Zhang Ling He (and their characters) got no chemistry at all. Like, are they blind? Those two has showed the most chemistry of all the pairings of this drama (not including Gong Shang Jue and Gong Yuan Zhi cause they're on a different tier list Lol) and I still feel the butterflies in my stomach whenever I reminisce through their cute and intimate scenes! So, what are they talking about? Maybe it was overshadowed by the plot and all the mess going on with the story but certainly both of them has good chemistry and synergy. Same level of chemitry I feel for Jin Fan and Gong Zi Shang.

P.S. Episode 19 is peak martial arts exhibition!! Insane camera works, amazing swords play and top class choreography! Definitely my most favorite episode of all.

Story - 10, It was intricately created and may seem complex at first but the more you dive into it, the more exciting and entertaining it gets. The show is highly concentrated on the plot and how it goes and not your typical drama where it focuses on the love story. Which is great because this is an espionage themed drama after all.

Acting/Cast - 10, I'm sold! This made me realize how good of an actress Yu Shu Xin is. Her expression and body movements are all on point, same goes with Zhang Ling He. Another actors/actresses I want to mention for portraying their characters flawlessly are Ryan Cheng, Tian Jia Rui, Lu Yu Xiao and most specially Jolin Jin. What an spectacular set of great actors!

Music - 10, Honestly, I was quite bothered by the use of music during the Sword Wielder's tribute flashback but as time goes on, I just naturally resonated and got moved by the emotions brought by the BGMs used. So, Good Job to the Music department for bring in your AAA+ game.

Rewatch Value - 10, This is one of those dramas I got no problem re-watching at all. I even think that we could have gotten more episodes. Not to mention each episode is mostly an hour long yet I still need more! And honestly, I find it more appealing and entertaining compared to those highly romanticize Idol dramas. So, don't even hesitate and just go watch it!

Overall - 10, Definitely the superior Yu Shu Xin and Zhang Ling He drama together. If you know what I'm saying. Hahaha! I like almost everything about this drama aside from that cliffhanger at the very end... but even with that, this drama's still a precious one for me. It executed and greatly delivered!

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A dying man's 2nd chance to life & his inescapable destiny prior to his death | A Peculiar Trio!

"Those who truly repent deserves a second chance in life" - Li Xiang Yi

How can I not like this drama, honestly? I know that it has flaws that are too evident not to notice however the excellence of how it was created and produced completely made me look past its shortcomings. It is one of those good dramas you can't stomach to give lower ratings to, simply because it was crazily entertaining that you just end up letting those little silly imperfections slide in consideration of how good the entire story is. I feel like giving it lower than 10 (my own standard) will mean that some other dramas I had watched is better than this even if it's not.

Anyways, let me start this review by saying that I will certainly miss the uncanny dynamics of Li Lian Hua, Fang Duo Bing and Di Fei Sheng trio. I never expected their chemistry to be so good and I am totally pleased on how they portray the main antagonist to be someone reasonable and even go all friendly with the main protagonist. Isn't it nice and refreshing to see both characters go along so well once in a while? or is it just me? Lol. Maybe I got so tired watching the same shit go off again and again for the 2 most significant character of the story that I feel extremely satisfied watching them finally having genuine friendly relationship for once.

Above all, I believe that this story have become a platform for the Author to tell us that there is more to life. That life is limited and full of uncertainties, so we cannot be conceited that it will always remain stable and flourishing because it can be a bad bitch and turn its back against you in a blink of an eye. I feel like this story was created to show us the aftereffect and/or the future that no one has ever predicted coming. The story of how the ever thriving and most powerful young man fell off his grace and realized how multifaceted life truly is. It's his journey of rediscovering the other side of life that he has never seen and experienced from where he was back then. Thus making his current self uncurious and detached from the world he used to be part of. This also made me realized that the worst person to fight with is the one who doesn't have the will to fightback.

It also holds another valuable and important life lesson that the closest people to you can turn their backs against you and how you can gain mutual understanding and connection with your mortal enemy and even become BFFs. Lol!

Lastly, I think what made this drama unique and interesting lies on the way they made the main characters different from how they normally are. It gave this drama more color and substance because instead of fighting with each other they are instead solving cases and wandering around together building unanticipated bond that no one has ever expected of them before. It also further emphasizes on how unpredictable and constantly changing our life can be. That it can turn rivalry and hatred into something wholesame and can make years of intimate bond, affection, affinity and experience into a smelly nasty trash.

P.S. I just wanna say that I'm amazed by the pull over Lotus Tower. That's such an iconic infrastracture they built right there.

Story - 10, It was a unique story that is completely different from all the Wuxia I have watched until now. It feels like its main purpose is to educate and entertain; and when I said entertain, I meant E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N!! This drama is a whole mood! No dull moments at all and the story progression itself is nice and constant. Just bear through the ridiculous moments when the characters can't recognize their Leader simply because he's wearing a half mask and or he gained a little weight and you will be fine. Hahaha!

Acting/Cast - 10, Oh God! No questions at all! The 3 main leads killed it. The chemistry was insane. Like, I-N-S-A-N-E and I will never get enough of this Trio's interaction. They're so chaotic and lively together. Also, I have always known that ChengYi's a good actor but DANG! His portrayal here deserves some kind of award. I love his clever and unserious acting + His facial expression made his character even more mischievous looking. Hahaha!

Music - 10, I never really got to pay attention to the overall music because I was so engrossed to how good the drama is. But one thing is for sure and that is I was never bothered by it.

Rewatch Value - 10, One of those dramas I'm willing to watch again from the very beginning even right after I finished it. It was that good!

Overall - 10, I'm sure everyone has seen this coming. Hahaha! All I can say is that this is my kind of drama. A fun, entertaining and easy to watch one. If you're still comtemplating whether to watch this or not, then this is your GO SIGNAL to do so. It will never be a question if this is a hit or a miss because it straight up will always be a HIT!

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The upstanding, straightforward & gullible version of Conan | Teamwork of Noblemen's brilliant minds

I know it's weird to say this, but I find this crime and investigation drama easy, comfortable and exciting to watch. Although there is that one moment when the show went astray of its usual set up (that I will talk about later) I'm glad that they were still able to pull it all together and end it nicely following how it started with a peaceful and cozy vibe to it.

In order not to spoil the good image I have created with the introduction of this drama. Let me start this review by listing down some of the best attributes I like about it.

Plot and story flow is neat and meticulously constructed. I was so indulged that time flew by while I was watching it. The introduction of the characters were smooth, clean and I really love how they started it with a casual yet interesting incident that gradually became a bigger case. The scenes of the story is well connected and I'm glad that they didn't simply threw out cases after cases and instead created a sequence of events that slowly build the relationship between the main leads while working/clashing with each other.

Chemistry of the main Leads including the supporting roles are surprisingly good. I love how they didn't immediately set both of the leads as partners in crime and solving cases after their initial meeting and rather gave us an opposite context of them fighting and competing with each other in a harmless way while showing us their capabilities along with their strengths and weaknesses. In adddition, I just wanna mention how the male supporting roles connected to Lan Jue felt like a great romantic pair for him e.g Wang Yan and Gu Qing Zhang. I even thought their relationship can pass as a side story for a romantic affair of some sorts just base on how they set it up and portrayed it. Lol!

And while we're at it. Let me talk about that one moment this drama took the bland and unexpected route AKA the introduction of Gu Qing Zhang. I was bothered by this for quite some time because I was thinking what has gone wrong that made me feel that empty space in my stomach; and after pondering a lot about it, I realized that it was a result of the sudden mood change of the drama. We're on the 'Rising Action' part of the story where all the conflicts and problems are happening. Then all of a sudden we were given this melodramatic back story, reminiscing of the past and introduction of GQZ and his relationship with Lan Jue. Like, what the hell was that? those moments truly threw me off of my mood and made me feel tasteless about this drama. I get that he's the main villain of the story but was it really necessary to make his back story that dramatic and subtle romantic? Thank god it only lasted for 2½ episodes because more of it would have completely change my view of this drama.

In regards to the entire cinematic experience of this drama. I must say I'm extremely satisfied. I love the balance of the colors, more specifically between the grayness and darkness of the scenes. It gave me chills and somehow has this cozy effect on me that made me feel relaxed while watching it. I even reached a point where even when the tension is high and conflicts are rising left and right I still feel calm, at ease and simply enjoying the whole show.

Lastly, I want to recognize the state of mind and/or behavioral disorder of the characters; specially Lan Jue's episodes of having confusion and anxiety whether to continue taking his revenge in a rightful way or to cheat his way to claim justice. Those sequences are some of my most favorite scenes of this show and has left this significant mark on me that made me acknowledged Jing Bo Ran's acting capabilities. Special mentions are GQZs strong obsession to hear his Mother's regret of abandoning him and getting the acknowledgement as her son and Zhang Ping recovering his memories after going a traumatic experience as a child.

Story - 9.5, The story construction is great! same goes on how they connected each of the scenes. The only issue I have had is the sudden change of mood when GQZ was introduced. That section truly left me hanging for quite some time and made me felt tasteless and bothered inside.

Acting/Cast - 10, This is my first time watching all of the actors casted in this drama; and all I can say is that it created a good impression to me of them and their acting capabilities/skills. Jing Bo Ran is great but Wan Duo and Song Wei Long are equally good too. Not to mention Hong Yao and Guo Cheng.

Music - 10, Overall it is excellent. I love the neutral sounds of the BGMs used. They are nice, harmonious and blended well with the vibe of the drama. I also love that the music didn't overpower any scene of show, not even once! and the sound effects are greatly emphasized. Specially the scene right after the bomb was detonated where it gave them that realistic echoing, defeaning and dreadful silence that we usually experience after hearing a loud explosive noise. Great Job!

Rewatch Value - 9.5, It could have been a perfect 10 only if they didn't caught me off guard with GQZs introduction. Sorry not sorry, but I can never let that pass. Nonetheless, I would still recommend it to people who love watching problem solving and case investigation genre of dramas.

Overall - 9.5, Still a note worthy drama to watch and Please don't get me wrong. GQZ as a character is great. It is just that the way the director had decided to introduce him in such a melodramatic way doesn't fit my palate at all. Overall, this drama is really good, nicely done and easy to watch. I would still recommend this to anyone who loves the actors' casted in it and those people who enjoys investigation and crime historical dramas.

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Taming the heartless Devil God | Love can soften even the ruthless and coldest Hearts.

Honestly speaking, after I completed this drama, various thoughts and opinion invaded my mind. I know this is going to be controversial but two of them are "How the heck is this the biggest Xianxia of 2022?" and "Is this really the best they've produced last year?" and even before anyone get offended, please let me explain why I feel and think this way.

First, the introduction, pacing, story progression are fine—great even! However, the story itself specifically the plot seemed plain to me. I'm not saying it's bad but I kind of have high expectations for this drama being 'The best' of its peers last year (2022) and yet all we've gotten is a story which has scant thrill, climatic vibe and feel to it. I also wasn't hoping for an extremely complex narrative but wouldn't it be great if this has that mind-blowing and unpredictable sense to it? Something that can make you feel frustrated from guessing the future events and either get disappointed or satisfied at the end once the mysteries unfolds? I think what this drama is truly lacking/short of are the exciting and impactful climax and ending.

Second, Climax and Ending. This is when my uncertainty then later on dissatisfaction has truly kicked in. I expected the war to be an all out showdown of strength and power between the most powerful races of the story but for some reason they chose to shortened all those scenes and ended up focusing on the more dramatic side of the story. I mean, I get that the FL has to finally step up for the story to move forward, however, I feel like even that part wasn't executed good enough. I am displeased by the fact that they never gave us any decent battle at all. That's a supposed epic battle turned into a dust!! When it comes to the ending, all I can say is that they played it safe way too much. It was genuinely 'plain' period—Almost uneventful per se. The typical happy ending for everyone... Which is why I find it even more ridiculous and unbelievable that this was considered as most sought out drama of the year. Well, I guess, simplicity is truly the ultimate sophistication. Lol!

Moving forward... Something I found fascinating is the duality of the Main Leads. I know that exchanging bodies is not a new concept but for some definite reason, it helped this drama to define both of the characters and make them even more unique and interesting. Another big factor that made it happen is actually the Leads versatility and passion to their profession. The two of them did a great job executing 2 different personalities and it feels nice to see two individuals with contrasting aura and vibe build this perfect synergy and chemistry.

In terms of CGI, Color grading, Costume and Design, I would say that the production, styling and editing team are on the same page and has a clear communication on how they want the drama's overall visual and effects to look like. The only concern I have is with the ML and 2nd MLs battle costume. Damn! Those outfits looks heavy, disruptive and uncomfortable overall.

Lastly, I love that the progress of their love story didn't happen in a single day. Because love at first sight can get really irritating sometimes.

Story - 9.5, It was executed well but is lacking when it comes to proper utilization of hype and climatic scenes. Story flow and direction is really good, it's just that the way they played it safe by not adding any major plot twists kind of made this plain/bland for me. Nonetheless, this drama is still really good and very easy to watch.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I got no beef with the set of Actors/Actresses in this drama. However, I Just have to address on how awkward some of their scenes are when they tried to act it out. I know a scene if it's meant to be funny or not and I can clearly say that the way they deliver some scenes/lines aren't as polished as they want it to be. Like it's not the best and they can still surely do better but since the Director said "it's okay" so they just settled with it... I got that feeling multiple times for this production and they're mostly from the supporting actors/actresses.

Music - 10, Okay, I will give credit to where it's due. The music and sound team did an amazing job in bringing out the emotions, life and vitality of the scenes for this drama. The OSTs played for each and every scene perfectly matched the vibe of the events it's used for and it truly elevated the mood every single time as well.

Rewatch Value - 9.5, I would still re-watch this honestly. Like I mentioned above, this is such an easy to watch drama and the only reason why I have those feedbacks is because I expected a lot more from this story but was instead provided with a 'bare minimum'. Like they can still give more but since it's 'good enough' so they just settled with it.

Overall - 9.5, First of all, It was never my intention to provide negative feedback on this drama. I even have high expectations and anticipations for this show. However, I guess it's my own conciousness speaking for myself.... that I'm not satisfied yet and is still looking/asking for answers on why they did it that way given all the potential it has. Nevertheless, this is definitely a good one and would still recommend it to anyone who's planning to watch it.

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A fateful mistake which later translates as Heaven's will and redirection—Match made in Heaven!

Sometimes, things works out unexpectedly and everyone finds their rightful match - Qi Tian Lei

This drama got it all right for me. I used to think that this story possesses all the good traits I'm searching for in a drama. However, upon a broader and closer look, I later found out that this production was initially created with overflowing positivity and I'm glad they were able to expound that by reducing the problematic and ridiculous scenes (not that it has plenty to start everything with anyways). It's a story that is full of fun, healthy and admirable moments from the Main leads and the side characters.

I also wanna talk about the efficient utilization of all the characters. This production created multiple pairings that they successfully pulled through till the very end; Which is extremely rare because most of 'extra' couplings are typically left out to focus more on the Main Leads. But for this drama, I have never, even once, felt like they were left out. They were able to create this sequence of events that allowed the characters to shine on their own without getting neglected.

Another thing that truly impacted my watch experience is the actors/actresses effortless chemistry. Everyone fits perfectly with their characters that I never felt awkward watching them. I feel like they all communicated well during the filming that it resonates through their acting performances. Everyone is on the right track executing what is expected of them without feeling any uncertainty simply because they were able to enter their characters flawlessly without inhibitions of whether they're doing it right or not. In short, they have achieved the confidence and comfortability they need to execute their roles perfectly and effortlessly.

Surprisingly, this Production Team was able to deliver intricately in terms of the story line, costumes, designs, settings (filming location) and almost every little details and aspects of the drama you can think of; which is uncommon for an Idol drama. Story line is well constructed and polished, Costumes looked stunning and truly compliments and accentuates each characters beauty, status and personality, designs and settings of each scene is well-themed and greatly decorated to fit the mood. Just watching all those details will make you realise that this is a product of countless sleepless nights, abundant ideas and suggestions, good communication and hardwork from all the people who worked hard in front and behind the scene. Considering all that... the Budget and funding must have been great to make this happen. /Grins/

The only thing that made me feel bad about this drama is the custom of Fixed-forced marriages in the primeval times and the brutal scheming the people has to go through simply because there are individuals who are so ambitious and cunning they will do anything to achieve their goals. Speaking about that, I honestly think that they did excellent in executing those sequences very well. The vicious character remained extremely hateful and I love how they sticked with that till the very end. Kudos to Patrick Quan for delivering above and beyond!

Lastly, I wanna say that I enjoyed this drama so much and I'm really happy to have watched this after stumbling upon dramas that are good but doesn't fully satisfy my expectations.

Story - 10, The conflicts, plot twists and turn of events are smoothly executed, explained and most importantly wasn't over done. I feel like they were able to follow through the original script that's why everything effortlessly fell onto its proper places in accordance to how it was written. I would describe this a smooth sailing and well-constructed drama.

Acting/Cast - 10, Perfection! Oh wow! I don't even know where to start. Everyone has performed and executed their own roles very well—exemplery even. I don't think I have been this satisfied of a production's casts for such a long time. Every single one of them did great that I became speechless right now. I'm just overflowing with praises and compliments for each one of the casts. P.S. This is definitely one of my Fave Tian Xi Wei drama right behind New Life Begins.

Music - 10, I love the soft tone yet fun, playful and exciting opening theme of this drama which truly fits its genre and vibe. + The use of background music and sound is really good as well. The editor and sound engineers must have paid a good amount of attention to it because it was able to elevate the whole mood of the scenes they are used in.

Rewatch Value - 10, One of the dramas I can and will confidently recommend to people. It's just so good that I feel excited to let people know how much I enjoyed watching this drama.

Overall - 10, Well deserved! The whole production is a Chef's kiss and I never even once felt bored and/or conflicted watching it. It's a combination of people crafting their best works to put them together to create this one enjoyable and great drama. I'm just full of good words for this production overall. Extremely satisfied!

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Genuine Love can be obtained by discarding ones desire & ambition | Lots of unused plot devices!

The 2nd ML (Zhi Yuan) is the embodiment of this story's title "The Longest Promise"—he waited 200 years to meet his eternal love only to be told that Zhu Yan wasn't actually the reincarnation of Yao Yi. Tragic!!

I want to officially start my reaction by stating that although this drama is not as perfect and flawless as what the other reviews on this site states, I would still want to say that it is still fine on its own. The narrative wasn't as complicated and complex unlike some Xianxia dramas out there, however, I still think that they lack a lot when it comes to story telling. This drama has many plot holes, incomplete explanation of events and a handful of unused characters and story elements that could have contributed a lot to the entire story if they were utilized correctly and efficiently.

In addition, I wanna say that they don't know how to use the HYPE at all. There are a lot of impactful scenes that has gone to complete waste simply because the Director didn't use it wisely and intelligently enough. The video editing team was also underwhelming when it comes to connecting related scenes and events to make it look more emotional and convincing. Well, I must say that It still all lies on the director since I'm sure even the editors are following his lead and instructions.

Also, why do I feel like I'm watching a contemporary cliché drama during the last 15 episodes of the story? and their only difference is that they're wearing traditional Chinese costumes. Hahahaha!

Moving on, let me go ahead and discuss some of my favorite elements of this story.

First is most probably the contemplating attitude of some of the main group of characters. It shows how bad people, weren't actually deep-rooted bad, it's just that the people around them treated them terribly and differently that's why they learned and adapted to protect themselves from such people and circumstances—that it's only their defense mechanism for a chance of survival.

This drama also shows some great developments from its characters and I think it is one of the positive sides of this production. I feel like they never intended on making the bad people really bad so they gave them a redemption path which is a really healthy take for a story. I just love that the main characters didn't even care about the throne and power; and at the end, were able to find their own genuine happiness by letting go of their worldly desires and possessions.

Lastly, the CGI of this drama is really good specially the first few episodes. However, there are also times when you will get lost because of their magic powers, its effects and how it is visualized. I can't even believe that the most powerful spell was animated like it was just some normal type attacks. I was left baffled and underwhelmed during those scenes.

P.S. I waited and waited for my most anticipated scene which is to see Xiao Zhan dying out of jealousy but it never came! damn! I'm so sad... Hahahaha!!

Story - 9.0, I love that the imperial struggle wasn't the focus of this drama because I'm just so tired of it and I'm also glad that the initially introduced bad characters were given a redemption path to take. One thing that truly disappoints me is the wasted plot devices that could have made this drama even better if they were only used properly and efficiently. Let me also mention the rushed and terrible way they chose to conclude the story. Like... HUH? What`s that bullshit?

Acting/Cast - 10, I'm satisfied with the acting and was never bothered by anyone all throughout. Maybe because I already categorized this as an Idol Xianxia drama and it made me stop scrutinizing their acting that much. I'm also thrilled with the artists of this production. I admit that I was indifferent towards Ren Min at first but as the dramas goes on, I learned to love her too.

Music - 9.0, There is nothing bad about it in all honesty. I already expected it to be all melodic, full of humming, heavenly sounding and it did just what I expected it to be.

Rewatch Value - 8.5, This drama is fine. But I don't think I will ever watch it again. I just feel like there are lots of dramas out there who deserves my time and attention more.

Overall - 9.0, the drama's good. It's that the director wasn't able to fully squeeze out the beauty and capability of the story. Could have been better with a different director and team I would say. Nonetheless, I was never bored of watching it and I genuinely love the artists of this production.

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The Lovesick Queen Maker and his peace-loving & compassionate Wife.

This would have been insane if they made it longer and if it was handled by a better production company with sufficient budget. The main idea and how the story was set up is something that has been attempted for years and I truly feel bad that a potentially good story like this went to a mediocre company who turned it into something underwhelming—disappointing.

Although the entire show is full of plot holes, like literally left and right, I can really see that this type of narrative could have been built into a more comprehensive and detailed platform where it can be given a chance to elaborate and incorporate the real message of the story with more precision. The way it was created and ended felt so rushed, that I myself started feeling bad that it was treated and squandered like that.

Something I initially like about this drama is its phasing—It went by so quickly not wasting any episodes throughout its first half but ended up ruining the other half eventually. All I can say is that their idea of putting up the story like that escalated pretty quickly which causes it to backfire at the very end. I still find it crazy how they leaped through the most important events like it was nothing important. It genuinely felt like the climax was skipped over just so that they can end it—which is a very dumb decision to be very honest.

Another thing I find ridiculous is the fighting and martial arts scenes. They tried so hard to make it look great at first but I guess they gave up on it as the story goes on because the way it was executed on the succeeding episodes was simply terrible you won't even have to think twice to say it's really that bad. It was too evident and crystal clear like they didn't even try hiding it. Hahaha!

Lastly, I just wanna say that the way they depicted women here with resolute resolve is something I truly like. However, the execution is where it all went wrong... such scenes could have ended great and inspiring but for some reason it looked prematurely done. The power and determination is there but the lack of conviction and weak representation made it feel and look like a literal staged play—an act.

P.S. The ML (Yuan Hao) is an expert in playful-cuddly-romantic scenes. I swear! He makes my heart leap countless of beats everytime he acts like that.

Story - 8.5, It is promising and is actually good, however, the people who directed and created it is disappointing otherwise. How I wish it was handled by a better director, script writer and production company with sufficient funding.

Acting/Cast - 7.5, The acting is very inconsistent! I had to pause multiple times and mentally consider a lot of things i.e. dubbing, voice syncing and all because I thought the problem may have been caused by that. But at the end of the day, none of those are the reason why I was bothered. The problem really lies on the facial expressions, emotions and overall body langauge of the actors'. Most of the time I think they do not even know how to act their scenes and is just doing the best they can do and as a result it turned out pretty awkward and bad. Yuan Hao did great though!

Music - 9.5, Music is Good. There's this one song they used I believe on Ep.8 that I can't find the tittle of which I really love and I will surely hunt that one down. For sure!

Rewatch Value - 8.0, It was not that bad for me not to rewatch it. I would say it's worth my time and as I mentioned, is a potentially promising production and could have been more, with better team working for it.

Overall - 8.5, I contemplated so much with this rating. I was set to give it a 9.0 - 9.5 however the unexpected ending made me retract on how I feel about this drama. I understand that they lack the resources and all but I cannot accept that they chose to off screen most of the exciting scenes and eventually ruling all the commotions they have started from the very beginning to a draw. Like, did you all just wasted your entire effort from the very beginning for nothing? Hahaha!

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A goofy and sweet semi-xianxia drama | Healthy love rivalry | Irritating and hateful 2nd FL!!

A piece of advice I want to give to people before watching this is to always remember that this is an Idol drama so keep your expectation for crazy plot twists and character development at bay and make sure that you stock a pile of chill pill because you will need lots of them watching this. Take note that I lost all of mine while on the process. Hahaha!

I already expected this drama to be overly clichė-d yet I still found myself cloyed over some of its scenes. Although this show is full of goofy-slapstick comedy skits we often see on a comedy drama; I must say that they did a great job on keeping all those ridiculous stuff in bare minimum that it doesn't made me completely tired of it.

One factor I truly love about this is the healthy love Rivalry between the Male Leads. Each dude sure got their own advantages but I'm just glad that they didn't use it to harm one another and I must say that I truly enjoyed all the jealousy scenes between Chu Ye, Shangguan Ya and Yun Chuan. + I love how both of them are genuinely concern of the FLs welfare and safety above everything else.

The only time I felt sick and tired of the drama is when they introduced Tong Er. She's like that unnecessary pest who suddenly appeared out of nowhere to ruin the show and I must say that she successfully did because my mood turned sour and salty—indifferent, until the end of the drama.

I feel like 24 episodes is even too long for this story. 16-18 would have sufficed and never introducing Tong Er would have made this story even better. I mean, after I accepted that this is a light and sweet idol drama you will suddenly give me a bratty character? Like, who asked for that? This show is better off without her!!

Lastly, I enjoyed Li Fu and A Jing's story a lot. Although their scenes were as short as it can possibly be, I appreciate the fact that they were there to divert and balance the overall mood of the story. I love that they are both childish yet reliable at the same time + I'm also grateful that A-Jing stayed the way she is until the end. About time we let women choose the person they want to be.

Story - 8.5, I love the healthy rivalry and positive vibe the story has shown me and it would have been better if they didn't introduce Tong Er at all. Her role on the drama totally ruined it for me. She's that unwanted guest no one ever wanted to see but still came to wreck the show. A curse!

Acting/Cast - 9.0, I'm fairly contented with the acting, although some of them might have been too much at times but they're still bearable. I'm familiar with almost all of the main cast and it's fun to see them goofing around like that. I'm just glad to see them in a new light portraying a softer character specially Xiao Yu Liang. P.S. I watched this because of Tian Xi Wei! ♡

Music - 9.5, it's nice overall. I love the cute and playful opening theme and I also like all the insert BGMs they used throughout the show. Nothing to hate about it in all honesty.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, I'm still being considerate at this point. This is one of those dramas I am glad I was able to finish. It feels like an achievement for some reason...like I deserve all the bragging rights for bearing all through the shits Tong Er has brought to this show. She spoilt my mood so much It lasts till the very end of the story.

Overall - 8.5, If you are planning to watch this because of one specific actor you are following, then go ahead and do so. However, if it's not, you better be prepared to get irritated to the 2nd FL and how riduculous some of the scenes are. It's nice and decent but finishing this drama was a bit of a challenge for me because the 2nd FL effect has taken over me till the final episode. Lol

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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A new standard for Xianxia Dramas. Experience how it feels to stumble upon a greatly priced fortune.

In summary, this is one crazy feel good party! This story breaks through the typical standards when it comes to Xianxia dramas. It won't even be a stretch if I claim that they birth-ed this whole new trend and I hope that more producer will realize that a story doesn't necessarily need overly complex plot to make the entire narrative fun and exciting. Just a hand full of evilness from some characters + hilarious and vigorous number of cast would be enough to make any story enjoyable and satisfactory.

Even after I finished this drama, It still feels oddly satisfying to watch a Xianxia with such a comical and funny setup. This production embodied the words 'derp and meme' so much that as time passes by I find myself longing to see those scenes again. I got used to it and even longed for it in the long run. This story was made perfect by each and every element they poured to mold it the way it is. A rare masterpiece! 💕

Looking back... This production showed us plenty of focal points, however, one thing that stood out for me is its values—From the unconditional love Qingkui and Yetan shared despite their contrasting upbringings, the initially cruel turned playful setup of the Void Team, Human Emperor's love language and fatherly affection for his daughters, Indestructible bond between friends, Naturally playful nature of each character, Overwhelming fleeting emotions that can rule over hate, sorrow and revenge and last but not the least, Repentance for all the wrong decisions we've all made. It presents us the good-postive and bad-negative context of life. That life may be cruel, for sure! but it still depends on how we choose the path we're going to take. That life is not always about making the right decisions, moreso, a stand of choosing what can make us feel better and at peace. So, lead and live your life to the fullest by making considerably good decisions!

CGI, Color scheme and Overall design were great. I never felt off watching any of them. They're perfectly balanced and I just love their choice of colors. It is all in accordance to what we're used to all these years, however, the mood/vibe of the drama just made them extremely pleasing to the eye. Comfortable and cozy per se.

One last thing I can never miss to talk about is the crazy-crazy good dynamics of all the characters! They blended so well that it feels like a whole dang celebration whenever they're together. Specially those moments from Immortal and Void Squad. I will surely miss their funny antics and the non-stop chaos they served to make the story effortlessly entertaining. They're the bread and butter and/or peanut butter and Jam of this entire production. It won't be successful without them!

P.S. I wish there are more episodes to this drama. I need to see both Yetan and Qingkui living their daily lives with their loving husbands Xuanshang and Chao feng. + These couples were just fantastic duos. I swear they can add 40 more episodes of them being messy and chaotic and I won't get bored at all.

Story - 10, An unexpected and fulfilling story. It's a dark horse covered in sparkly glitters that may look absurd to everyone on the outside but is a precious fortune on the inside. It is a whole new class/category anyone has yet to see and experience before.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, The set of actors/actresses on this production are well selected and even when some of them do feel awkward at times they all improved and got better afterwards. I can't imagine anyone else doing their roles at this point. They've all made their impact and created their own standing grounds when it comes to the characters they individually portrayed.

Music - 10, Honeslty, I find the melody of this drama to be very relaxing and peaceful. It's harmonious and easy to listen to. Which is very nice compared to the heavily composed music out there that often distracts me from focusing on the show.

Rewatch Value - 10, I can even watch it again right now. No boring scenes and more importantly every single episode is well produced and created. I highly recommend this drama.

Overall - 10, I feel rejuvenated after finishing this show. Specially since the previous drama I watched was kinda disappointing. Lol. Anyways, I just want to encourage everyone to watch this. You will never feel bored, disappointed and irritated even the tiniest watching this drama. It is that GOOD.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know

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