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Story: Full pageantry, scenery & costumes fit for gods - simply breathtaking. Ok, the story is a complicated love of two gods who are toss about time by any and all other gods-deities' (big-small). Lots of action, dialog, backstabbing, front-stabbing lust and greed. No wonder us mortals are kinda screwy when it comes to love, the gods are in the same boat. Wuxia galore - magically performed.
Acting/Cast: Hands down Mark Chao is mesmerizingly handsome in ALL his roles. He alone is worthy of the watch. The female lead Mi Yang had excellent chemistry with male lead and was cast perfectly as the white-9tail fox, silly, mischievous, cunning and smart. The other host of characters were cast ideally with some more memorable than others.
Music: Well done, nothing exceptional NOR bothersome. Well matched for Wuxia.
Re-watch? Not for awhile and selective eps only. Too long to RW in entirety.
Overall: Solid fantasy, romance, wuxia done well. Mark C is just lovely to watch onscreen. I believe he channeled that role as crown prince, God of War to perfection.
If you enjoyed Nirvana, give this one a try!
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This story explores two primary romance plots with several sub plots woven in. The overall theme of the story is that of soul mates, and love surviving even death.
What I Liked:
I deeply enjoyed the layered relationships of BQ. The relationship with her mentor is central to the story as is her relationship with his twin, Ye Hua. Through these relationships the female lead explores many different levels of emotion. We see a youthful side when she is a student; then as an adult she becomes more closed off in order to guard her feelings. BQ is an extremely capable woman, the leader of the foxes as its queen, but she values relationships the most and struggles with forgiving wrongs. She is fair but also not one to suffer an insult; she dishes out double what is served to her. Ye Hua is obedient to his grandfather as he is the heir however his one act of defiance--falling in love with a mortal (BQ, forced to leave as a mortal with no memory of being a goddess) creates a ton of complicated problems. this story reflects their very complicated journey.
What I Loved:
the second love story features BQ's niece, Fengjiu, an impulsive and romantic red fox (the only one of her kind) who seeks to repay Donghua, a god as old as time with no parents (he just sprang into being). He also has no emptions and no interest in anyone or anything. I enjoyed their love story more than the main, perhaps because their obstacles seemed to be insurmountable. These two, it seems, have no fate together. Even BQ is fated to be with YH. Their story follows Fenjius efforts to gain Donghua's love and is just as complicated as BQ/YH.
What I also Liked:
This drama's villains are not as obvious as other shows. Yes there were living people but it seemed that one of the biggest villains in the show were things that you have no control over (fate) or things designed to protect others (rules). The rigid rules of the celestial court proved time and time again to undermine these people. And fate, well...who can go up against that?
My favorite living villain?
Undoubtedly Xuan Nu beause I thought she had a lot of depth.
What would I like to see:
If anyone sees my posts or discussion boards, or reads my episode views, they know that I am an enormous fan of DH/FJ. I have read this dramas sequel (the pillow book) and would be very happy if they made it into a show. If that doesn't happen, at least the novel exists.
Final Words (acting)
I think that the cast did a great job. Every actor was perfect in their role and I don't think anyone would have been better in their roles. I know a lot of people were drawn to YH but...the gent who played DH is my favorite. I do think, however, that the young woman who played BQ hands down wins for best actress and overall did a wonderful job as BQ. Of course, because I am biased, the actress who plays FJ is my favorite however her character, I think, might be easier to play.
I did not give this show a perfect 10 because some parts dragged, and some parts I sped through a little. But most of the show I watched. I recommend it to anyone interested in dramatic stories with great dialogue, great action, good acting, and a deep appreciation for the melodramatic (because this show uses almost every plot device that one might see in a daytime soap)
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One of the Greatest Love Stories Ever Told
I really love this drama. Its literally the greatest love story ever told in the history of movies/dramas imo. Forget Romeo & Juliet, the Shakespearean tragedy is so paled in comparison with this one. The level of heartache (lol) that I suffered when watching this drama is like what I have never felt before -- it makes the drama highly addicting and engaging. No wonder that this drama is the most watched television series in China as per this moment despite the many flaws that it may had.Yang Mi as Bai Qian as a character is very interesting and fun. The kind of dedication that she showed and how headstrong she is in everything despite never act recklessly that can ruin her Master's sacrifices are really admirable. Plus, she got all those legendary script which is hilarious and funny as hell like when she tell her Master Mo Yuen having the face of a Boy Toy in stage plays as he is so handsome or telling Ye Hua she has no problem in having lots of children after they are married as long as Ye Hua is the one who gets pregnant lol. Her character is so savage and she didnt back off in facing evil people either makes her character as someone easily to root for. The fact that he actually propose twice to Ye Hua says everything.
Mark Chao as Ye Hua/Mo Yuen is really fantastic in my opinion. I'm actually really amazed with his acting skills. Both Ye Hua & Mo Yuen, despite having the same face, really feel like a different person since they totally have different vibes and mannerisms. His crying scenes are really well done that you can literally feel his heart is breaking everytime that he cried. He didnt care how he looks when he cried so you feel all those raw emotion even more. He didnt hold back, that is why you can feel Ye Hua's deep love to Bai Qian in another level. I have never seen someone love as deep as Ye Hua loves Bai Qian. The things he has to go through, the waiting, the sacrifices that he made for her are really selfless. The things that made Ye Hua really iconic is the fact that it one of a rare occasions when you can truly feel his deep love. Ye Hua actually wants Bai Qian desperately and sincerely and it shows in all his actions and words. His love is selfless, it didnt matter if he got her or not but as long as she is alive and happy, its all that matters to him and it is enough -- it is enough for him. That is why his love is great while at the same time sad as well. The writer made a good job writing such an excellent character and Mark played the character to perfection like he understood the very deep of Ye Hua's soul. And I love despite how much he loves her, he still never neglects his duty as a Crown Prince which in turn making his character as a whole really admirable and awesome. Or the fact that he is a great father to A-li -- who play with him, tuck him to bed, hands on towards him and give him warm childhood that he didnt have just make him even more dreamy as a character.
While I love the drama and understand the popularity behind it, the drama itself is not without faults. The CGI in particular are horrible and mostly all characters aside from the leads are merely a tools that do not have individual character's arch -- its like they are just there either to assist of hinder the leads from each other. It makes them one dimensional and uninteresting. But the biggest major complain about the drama that I have is that they shouldn't put A-Li in the equation as the writer wrote Bai Qian as someone with literally zero motherly instinct. While I super love the love story between the 2 of them, A-Li's story arch leave a bad taste in my mouth with how indifferent Bai Qian is towards him. My guess is the writer is not a mother thus she didnt know the natural instinct that all mother should have towards their children.
But despite it, the drama deserved 9.5/10 for the beautiful love story and 100% rewatch value. It is without doubt love with many trials & tribulations but stood the test of time.
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Script / Story: this is the how the drama first attracted me, it follows the book closely. Since it's my favourite book, I pay close attention to the story and thank God, they kept the essence of the book and developed a full story for it. There are some other good books out there and I hope they can learn to keep the script faithful to the book as this one. I gave it a 10 for the script writer's effort to be so faithful to the book, but deducted 0.5 point for some minor mistakes and prolonged supporting cast screen time.
Main cast: Ah, where do I even start? I love both Mark Chao abd Yang Mi so much after this drama.
- Mark did such an excellent job in this drama and I give him a 10. You can read his emotions from his eyes and he's so good with kissing scenes, yummy. He's not the type that attracts you from the 1st look, but he'll definitely grow on you and you'll be head over heels for him along the way. The guy is oozing gentleness and devotion to his love. Don't trust what he said in the BTS that the director chose him on a one-month trial for the role. He's fated to play Ye Hua and everyone (especially the director) knows it. Major bonus is his chemistry with Yang Mi on screen.
- Yang Mi, oh my dear Yang Mi. I knew her before but didn't like her because of all the scandals /controversies surrounding her. But oh boy, after the drama, I can't imagine anyone else as Bai Qian and I now become her fan. She didn't execute her part as flawlessly as Mark Chao and I gave her performance 9/10. But she has the attractiveness, especially her eyes, that mesmerized me. While Mark Chao played 3 roles, Yang Mi had to take on 5 roles: Si Yin, Su Su, Bai Qian, Xuan Nu and the fake Su Su. Kudos to her for good performance on all 5 roles. And she rocked Bai Qian with her fierce eye gaze, very well done with the bad-ass side. Contrary to others, I myself enjoy her as Si Yin very much. Her look as Si Yin is bit weird, and could have been improved, but the way Yang Mi portrays the character is very satisfying to me. Her sweet and tender Su Su stole my heart too. All in all, she didn't disappoint is all I can say.
- Others: all are good-looking and did their job very well. I will have to credit the director for the excellent performance of the cast, cause I never appreciate a such a good supporting cast like this drama. They make the whole drama feel flawless.
Directing / Cinematography / Makeup / Costume: They totally deserve a 10 for the effort.
Music: Ah, the mesmerizingly beautiful OST, so many of my favorite scenes came with the beautiful music.
Rewatch Value: you will want to rewatch it over and over again. Yes, it's that good.
General Comment:
- I literally memorized the whole book so what happened in the drama made sense to me. But I have a feeling that first time viewers will be a bit confused about the story. But all in all it's a good show. It'll make you yearn for the book, then you'll understand the story more and will enjoy the drama even more in the 2nd round.
- Behind the Scene: a must-watch for this drama. Enjoy the silly, funny Mark ( be warned: he's not the gloomy Ye Hua once the camera stops rolling) and the cute Yang Mi having fun filming, how they tease the director and she tease them sometimes. Cry with them again in the heart-wrenching scenes with their real voices. Literally you will fall for Mark and Yang Mi again in the BTS. I still wonder how they can enjoy each other's company as friends off screen and yet have so much chemistry on screen.
- So now that I became Yang Mi fan after this drama, I went on a little search about her past. Turned out she was a way better character than I knew from all the controversies, plus she's very smart. There was a long story about why she was blackened after the drama "Palace", and I think she still has the most anti-fans in China now because for that, but it's good to know that my favourite actress is not that bad after all.
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Anyway, I am glad I gave Eternal Love (aka Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom) a chance because I LOVED it! :) I don't know how this ranks compared to other wuxias but this was a refreshingly new experience for me as a viewer of Asian dramas. I loved the characters, the settings and the world building. Everything seemed larger than life, everything had an epic feel to it. And the love story was one of the best I've seen.
It's not perfect. There were things in it I could've done without.
For instance, this drama had some of the most evil female antagonists. I'm inclined to see this as a negative (and this goes for Asian dramas in general, not just this one) because every time two men are written as competing for the affections of one woman, they never descend to the level of maliciousness and unfair play as when it comes to two women vying for one man. The female antagonists (Su Jin and Xian Nu) were so evil as to be caricature like and they attacked not just the heroine (Bai Qian) but everyone else who got in their way. At least they were consistent. It was almost fascinating to watch them sink so low and I found myself cringing every time they were onscreen. But I have to admit, I was entertained. And angry at the same time -_- The actresses playing them did a good job.
I also had issues with how so many women were after the male lead (ML ) Ye Hua and likewise, so many men were after the female lead (FL) Bai Qian. I'm used to seeing rivals appear every now and then in the romance genre, but with so many admirers after both Ye Hua and Bai Qian, I felt it was exaggerated.
Despite that. I loved everything else about Eternal Love and felt that it was the perfect introduction to Chinese fantasy. There were plenty of characters and relationships (similar to Game of Thrones) but the plot lines were relatively simple, fast paced and easy to follow. I loved the female character Bai Qian. She had so much going on in her life even before the male lead made his entrance. As a goddess, she went through (as the title implies- for once the title actually has something to do with the plot!) 'three lives.' She started out as a young, mischievous cross-dressing trainee at first, then went through a period of naive vulnerability on earth, and finally, she literally ascended as the cold, haughty goddess she was meant to be. The actress playing the role (Yang Mi) has a bit of a blank face but for all that, she was able to successfully portray three distinct personalities. I also loved how she had certain flaws. She was a bit lazy and temperamental. She could also be vengeful and a bit of a drunk. There were some awesome moments where she kicked ass using her fan, and this fan was treated similarly to Excalibur rising from the middle of a lake.
Ye Hua is probably one of the best, most devoted MLs in romantic drama. The whole point of his character arc was that he loved the FL more than anything and would never waver in his loyalty to her. Not once did this appear as a weakness, for Ye Hua was one of the most (if not the most) formidable and accomplished characters. He was a bad ass and good at nearly everything he did. But he was also a relatively simple man who only wanted one thing in life. The irony is that this was actually a flaw which led to hardships and heartache. Actor Mark Chao did great in his portrayal of a perfect prince. He really excelled when it came to showing both love and suffering and there was plenty of that to go by. I would say he probably gave the best acting performance because he also played another character (God of War Mo Yuan) and while these two characters have similar personalities, he still managed to make them appear as if they really were two different people.
What's great is that there were so many other characters who were just as likable as the ML and FL. Plenty of characters who held their own and some might argue, even stole the show. There were several strong, charismatic heroines like Bai Feng Jiu, Yan Zhi and Cheng Yu, who did a great job of balancing out horrible characters like Su Jin and Xuan Nu; I loved the relationship between Bai Qian and her niece, Feng Jiu. It's funny because both actresses playing them are of similar age...but when they were together in a scene, it was obvious who was the aunt and who was the niece. Stories are often filled with successful bromances...Eternal Love had one good 'sismance.' Also, plenty of scenes showing female characters supporting one another.
The male characters were just as interesting. Ghost Prince Li Jing was sympathetic but pathetic and moody. Dong Hua/Dijun was disinterested in everything but he played the ass/jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold figure. Zhe Yan and Bai Zhen (I'm guessing they were a couple) were both regal and provided a lot of emotional support to the FL.
A prominent second pairing also develops later, and while this relationship was not as angsty and emotional as Ye Hua and Bai Qian's- it was entertaining in its own way and was most likely added to provide a lighter alternative.
The backgrounds and scenery were also well rendered. The computer effects weren't as realistic as in Hollywood movies (the scenes that featured monsters were obviously fake looking) but they didn't detract from the overall atmosphere because pretty much everything looked surreal and fairy tale like. It was like watching a fancy stage play, or looking through a picture book. The fight scenes looked like dancing. The characters looked lighter than air and one could easily believe that they were deities and not regular people.
Altogether, this was a great adventure, a beautiful love story and one of the best dramas I've seen. It made the struggle of watching a (relatively) longer than average drama I am accustomed to, totally worth it :)
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Of the fantasy/xianxia shows I've watched this one is the most adult/serious. It's not necessarily the one with the best growth and themes (that goes to Ashes of Love). But this focuses mostly on adults with adult issues (marriage, raising children, feuding families, honouring ones mentor etc.)
I enjoyed watching it, it was addicting and I was curious how it would resolve. But, I don't have the same fondness for the couple as I do for some of the other shows I've watched.
The plot was very engaging and rarely too repetitive, and the actors on their own were quite good. But, when the couple was on screen together, you didn't get the little looks/touches energy of a couple in love. In the end, I was happy with the story and glad I watched it all the way through, but I wasn't sad to leave the universe behind.... EXCEPT
I really enjoyed the secondary couple between Bai Fengjiu and Dong Hua, and I'm glad to see they are getting their own spinoff. It never felt like wasted time, and they actually seemed to have a more give and take, naturalistic type interactions than the main couple.
Music was nothing special, and I'm not sure whether I'd watch it again, perhaps certain scenes.
Other Criteria I score by
Complex Themes - 6
(Ye Hua and Bai Qian go through a lot over their lifetimes, but there are not strong themes besides appreciating the love that you have, and being loyal/having honour). Also, giving in to overbearing parents is endless, one needs to find the moral strength to stand up to them.)
Character Growth -7
(Both Ye Hua and Bai Qian show a decent amount of character growth, as they go through romance and lots of loss)
Nuanced Women -7
(Bai Qian and Bai Fengjiu both have nuanced personalities, and are good playing different types Bai Qian is more tom boyish and then stoic/austere, whereas Bai Fengjiu is more silly and headstrong)
Cinematography/Production Values - 6
(It's all CGI and green screens unless they are in the human world, I didn't find the worlds created or the costumes very beautiful, but it was all competently done)
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Okay. Things I loved. EVERYTHING. Things I dislike, the route they took for my OTP.(Dong Hua x Feng Jiu). If you love them, Please read The Pillow Book Novels.
This drama can seem to drag on quite a bit during the first few epi, but don't be discouraged. The story is very well put together. Characters are very lovable. I can't even explain how attached I am to my OTP.. Ofc I think the side couples should have had more in dept story(like the 12th disc couple). The amount of "petty" drama is quite low compared to other drama I have seen like "The Princess Li Wei Young". The villains in this drama rly piss me off though. I don't like the concept of Xuan Nu. I honestly don't even understand her character. This drama actually makes the people in Jiu Chong Tian(9 Heavens) seem so uptight and assholish, stuck in their own ways. I don't like how they are portrayed compared to the people of Qing Qiu. If you haven't seen many drama of this genre it prob won't bother you as much as it did for me.
Overall I really recommend this drama. I'm not really good at explaining this one but just watch it. And please read The Pillow Book series for more of Feng Jiu and Dong Hua! It's much different from in this show. Dong Hua is one of the best char I have ever come across. AHHHH yqwijhkvgbn.
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The drama consists of, love, heartbreaks, anger, laughter and many more. It kept on getting me going on and going, i binge watched this 2 days straight. I am actually sad that it ended.
Story: The story was beautifully done, i loved it so much. It was different than the other historical drama's i have watched. Majority of them would be similar but this is by far different. What i liked about this story is that for me it did not drag at all even though it was a 58 episode drama, they kept going straight to the plot, not dragging it out which made the drama not boring to watch. each episode consist of either happiness or sadness, which craves you to watch more and more. There was nothing for me to dislike about this drama, as i loved it from the beginning to the end. Another thing i liked about this drama was the ending, ha. It is not like any other historical drama's i have watched it was different and very satisfying. I was pleased with it and could not have asked for a better ending.
The drama overall was mind-blowing. The producer and directer did an amazing job. The story line rating i will give is 10/10
Acting/ Cast: The acting and cast was amazing! I loved every actors and actresses who played a role in this drama, they did really good carrying the emotions, i even loved the actresses who played the villain, just by watching it i would not be able to act like they have. I have never seen them in other drama's which made me want to watch them even more, and hopefully they are soon main casts in other new dramas. I loved Yang Mi and Mark Chao, they had an ASTOUNDING relationship, i loved watching them so much, and i hope they are main lead couples in other dramas too, because i would not get bored of watching them. The side cast, i also loved them too and their side stories it was beautiful, as it went into details but not let it get in the way of the actual main story. The actor/character i went truly sad for was Li Jing (Vin Zhang) i just wanted to hug him so much, he was so cute! The acting/ cast rating i will give is 10/10
Music: I loved every songs/music they played, and i still do listen to them. I had to download it as soon as it finished the music/songs suited the drama so much. The music gave me the Princess Wei Young vibe, i hope im not the only one who thinks that here lol. The rating i will give for the music is 10/10
Re watch: I don't usually re watch dramas but i would definitely re watch this drama, as it was beautifully done and this drama will always be in my head. So the re watch value i will give is 10/10
Overall, the drama was good, you'll love it and will never regret watching it. If you are thinking "58 episodes is soo long" trust me it really isn't because you'll end up wanting more episodes, i thought the same and i am happy and lucky to have watched this drama and to finish it.
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The Epitome of Psychological Abuse and Domestic Violence
This drama legalizes and gives excuses with the most sneaky and underground way, psychological abuse, domestic violence and cruelty towards the most vulnerable people. I know that my opinion is not going to be popular but here it is.It was one of the worst dramas I've ever watched. Not for its production, costumes, music, sets or acting that they were decent but because of its plot.
Most of the viewers of this drama didn't probably notice/realize that behind the fairy tale like story with the nice sets and costumes and the poetic dialogues, was an unashamed and blatant promotion of the worst kind of violence.
I don't even know where to start from as there is not a single character in this drama that is not abusing people or is abused.
The Emperor f.e of the Celestial Tribe abused his children, their wives, their wannabe wives and his grandson to the extremes.
The deity prince ( Ye Hua ) who is handsome and lives in his palaces that fly on pink clouds, is a case study of egotistical and narcissistic personality that abused horribly his wife ( Bai Qian), his concubine ( Su Jin), his own mother and his child plus all the female deities that approached him. Women and children seem to be his specialty.
The concubine in her turn abused and manipulated everyone around her, from the blind wife to the unrelated fox, the servants, her maid, the other princesses and so on.
The wife ( Bai Qian) behaves awfully to all around her I assume due to the superiority of her status as a deity.
On the Ghost Tribe, The ghost lord who was abused by his father, abused in his turn his wife, and his brother.
I wasn't able to find in this drama any lead character that didn't show incredible amounts of cruelty with the one or the other way towards the other characters, and TBH I don't understand why this drama got such stellar reviews and why most of its viewers were unable to detect behind the fairy tale set up that this drama blatantly promotes Violence in all forms and ways.
I find unacceptable that such kind of productions find their way to the public and that the younger viewers, particularly young women consider the behavior of Ye Hua as an example on how men should behave to women.
1.5 out of 10 from me
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Not bad for first time watcher.
Well, I'm not too passionate about the romance in this drama. But I can't say this drama is bad either. I expected more fighting scenes and colossal wars than romance intrigue, which could still be improved on. Even though the cast tried their best, I felt that many scenarios didn't make sense so I couldn't enjoy their roles. The good news is, I was able to follow this drama to the end, so there are still many other good things that can be found in this drama.My favorite cast, ironically, are the supporting cast, like Ah Li, Si Ming, and even Mi Gu. My favorite female character that I like is Yan Zhi.
The music soundtracks: I don't have any comments. Like so, so.. Not bad, but not special.
I've considered watching the spin off version. but maybe not anytime soon.
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Bleak Romance, Not for Everyone
This is a very bleak and upsetting drama that I would not recommend to anyone looking to enjoy a romance story. It is the type of drama that portrays continuous suffering throughout 58 episodes with barely a 1/4 of an episode to complete the "happy ending". Personally, I would rather not watch a drama that devotes so little time to an incomplete "happy ending". By that point in the story, I can no longer feel joy at the couple's relationship, and it is not enough to make up for the horrendous suffering and torture of the previous 57.75 episodes.I will say that it is a unique story in that I was always surprised and could not quite guess what was going to happen next. It's just that if you are not looking to watch bleak romance stories, then don't watch this one. If you are in the mood for pain and sadness, then you will enjoy this drama very much.
This kind of drama is excessive in using missed opportunities, misunderstandings and victorious villains to drive the plot. For me, these story-telling devices are used to the point where I cannot enjoy any tiny moments of connection between any of the couples when they do occur and I don't feel satisfaction when the villains are briefly punished for 50+ episodes of evil actions.
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