A drama that will remain in your heart

I chanced upon this drama by pure luck (came across a post on my ig explore page when I don't even watch dramas). As a fan of BL and childhood love for wuxia, I decided to give it a go. It did not hurt one bit that the actors and actresses were all so gorgeous (the main actors, ofc, but I was also a little in love with Xue Yang). I started with minimal interest, confusion, and wondering, "wHeN kIsS?" as I had no idea about censorship then.

Then it transformed into something I did not expect. We open the scene with Wei Ying's death sixteen years ago, and then his confusing interactions with Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan (and other 'minor' characters) sixteen years later where he wakes up in another person's body. The 16-year flashback introduces these characters and lays out the plot. It was very intriguing and I was curious to know what led to the death of his shijie whom he loves very much. I wanted to know what led to such a strained hateful relationship between Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng. I wanted to know how this kid became the grandmaster of demonic cultivation. This is why I continued on with the drama. Watching their familial love and the development of Wei Ying's relationship with Lan Zhan, the story takes a turn for the worse. I do not want to spoil the story so all I will say is that I bawled my eyes out throughout the rest of the flashback, and some more after.

I might receive flak for this, but I actually do not mind that they remove the very explicit scenes from the novel (although against their will hahah). In the novel, I feel like the relationship between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan turn explicit or physical relatively fast (the licking scene felt rushed and awkward in my opinion). The slow realisation of Lan Zhan's love for Wei Ying was more realistic. That being said, I'd have paid to see these men hug, hold hands, or something more physical than eye contact (which I loved but come on). I had to cling on to every fainting episode and that ONE piggyback scene to see ANY physical contact.

When it comes to acting, I can't see anyone else other than Sean Xiao playing Wei Ying. His smile is what does it for me. It just has that natural playfulness that the character embodies. Wang Yibo plays a decent Lan Zhan. He does not have many lines but manages to pull us all in with his eyes. Notable mentions: Zhang Jing Tong (Madam Yu), Wang Haoxuan (Xue Yang), Zhu Zan Jin (Jin Guangy Yao).

I never expected to fall in love with this drama, but I fell hard. I completed this drama last week within 5-6 days, and I still watch some scenes. The drama portrays each significant character and their background perfectly. You are privy to their intimate moments and thoughts. The drama builds these up right up to the devastating death scenes. Putting aside the BL, the plot of this story is great enough for any wuxia lovers to watch. It's 2021, tbh. The love between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan is pure and beautiful. If you are tolerant, the hints of BL should not be an issue.

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