amusedbush
This review may contain spoilers
Solid 8/10
I. Introduction
I came across a teaser clip on Facebook Watch and was sufficiently intrigued to seek out the full drama. This drama delivers the usual xianxia tropes with a well-paced plot, charming main characters, and better production value compared to many other xianxia short dramas/ web dramas/ mini series. However, its few weaknesses relegate this to a mere 8/10 stars.
II. Story and Plot
The story comes with a twist: The female demon realm ruler (FL) kidnaps the male immortal realm lord (ML) after defeating him to force him and his people to submit to her rule. However, in episode 1 itself, we find the FL getting on her knees and begging the ML to return to his realm and the ML turning deaf, blind, and dumb to her pleas. The narrative progressed at a satisfying pace, dropping trope twists here and there for refreshing effect.
However, from episode 11 onwards, the writing and editing teams got lazy and resorted to cliche tropes (mistresses, miscarriage, misunderstandings) and banal script. The resolution effectively concludes the central conflict (albeit abruptly). Most importantly, there is a happy ending for the FL and ML, leaving viewers with closure rather than requiring Olympic-level mental gymnastics to draw a conclusion.
III. Characters
TZY and YXC are convincing in their roles as the FL and ML respectively. The two main characters are intelligent and skilful-- at least until episode 11 when suddenly they dropped brain cells on the way to reincarnation. The same cannot be said for K and SYE, because they must have been told to hold a certain expression for their villain roles and they clutched those expressions harder than dames clutch their pearls. Their characters regretfully did not get the same clever twists, and were mere hateful cannon fodder throughout the drama.
IV. Production Aspects
I was surprised by the quality of the CGI effects, costumes, and sets, which were full-length-drama worthy. The soundtrack is also ear-worm worthy. You are free to immerse yourself in the storyline without being abruptly jarred by something out of place.
V. Conclusion
It's heartwarming and satisfying if you're looking for something short, no loose ends, clever comedy, bad people getting their comeuppance, and the leads living happily ever after. It's not perfect, but it's rewatch-able.
I came across a teaser clip on Facebook Watch and was sufficiently intrigued to seek out the full drama. This drama delivers the usual xianxia tropes with a well-paced plot, charming main characters, and better production value compared to many other xianxia short dramas/ web dramas/ mini series. However, its few weaknesses relegate this to a mere 8/10 stars.
II. Story and Plot
The story comes with a twist: The female demon realm ruler (FL) kidnaps the male immortal realm lord (ML) after defeating him to force him and his people to submit to her rule. However, in episode 1 itself, we find the FL getting on her knees and begging the ML to return to his realm and the ML turning deaf, blind, and dumb to her pleas. The narrative progressed at a satisfying pace, dropping trope twists here and there for refreshing effect.
However, from episode 11 onwards, the writing and editing teams got lazy and resorted to cliche tropes (mistresses, miscarriage, misunderstandings) and banal script. The resolution effectively concludes the central conflict (albeit abruptly). Most importantly, there is a happy ending for the FL and ML, leaving viewers with closure rather than requiring Olympic-level mental gymnastics to draw a conclusion.
III. Characters
TZY and YXC are convincing in their roles as the FL and ML respectively. The two main characters are intelligent and skilful-- at least until episode 11 when suddenly they dropped brain cells on the way to reincarnation. The same cannot be said for K and SYE, because they must have been told to hold a certain expression for their villain roles and they clutched those expressions harder than dames clutch their pearls. Their characters regretfully did not get the same clever twists, and were mere hateful cannon fodder throughout the drama.
IV. Production Aspects
I was surprised by the quality of the CGI effects, costumes, and sets, which were full-length-drama worthy. The soundtrack is also ear-worm worthy. You are free to immerse yourself in the storyline without being abruptly jarred by something out of place.
V. Conclusion
It's heartwarming and satisfying if you're looking for something short, no loose ends, clever comedy, bad people getting their comeuppance, and the leads living happily ever after. It's not perfect, but it's rewatch-able.
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