Legend of Fu Yao (2018)

Romance, revenge and politics

I am not someone who can usually sit through a long drama with politics and lots of characters. However, this one had lots of romance, kung fu, and eye candy (lol) to keep me entertained. There weren't a ton of officials that all look the same to confuse me, and the majority of characters had unique names and well established story lines.

In the beginning the story got a bit racy at times. Lots of innuendos and flirting. Then the political story line comes in and lasts quite a while. I never thought of dropping the show, but I did have to take a break from binging to watch a movie here and there.

It's helpful to consult the wiki online that breaks the characters up by the different nations they belong to. There are 5 areas constantly referenced in the show and it may have gotten confusing if I didn't have that. I also kept notes on the items and town names they talk about regularly.

As for the acting, I thought most of it was good. Prince Fierce was a bit of a drama king and his facial expressions were sometimes over the top.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes romance and wuxia, and doesn't like to strain your brain too much with political intrigue. There is enough silliness to keep you interested to the end.

Read More

Hmmm... i will start from story.about the story , i'm very like it because the storyline was very interested and never made me feel bored. Expecially about wuji and fuyao love story make me very feel awesome to them, they can very love each other although how many trouble and pressure appeared in their love journey, but they never give up on each other. I'm very love wufu couple in this series... for anyone who hasn't watched that,u must watched it and i can guarantee you will fall in love with wuji character in this series...
about the cast i can say ethan or yangmi really are great, talented and best artist. They really did great in this series, expecially Ethan ,i can see his acting skill really become increased. Now,i'm really be his fans... and prince wuji be my best prince i've ever see...
about the soundtrack i love all too. 3 of all soundtrack the most i like are " a love os hard to wish for, proud humans of society and blood like ink"
about the rewatch i give 9 because i already watched this series twice... so it's so recomended for you to watched it too.
This is all my review about this series, hope can help u all who just started want to watch this series.thanks

Read More

The drama should be called Crown Prince's Family Drama

Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms - TMOPB
Yang Mi - YM
Ethan Juan - EJ
Mark Chao - MC
Legend of Fu Yao - LOFY
Lai Yi - LY

After watching TMOPB , I thought I'd never be able to find another male lead that would compliment YM as well as MC did.... Then I started watching LOFY and EJ stole my heart with his many mesmerising smiles.

EJ and LY were my absolute favourite characters of the whole series. Both magnificent in their own way; EJ as the kickass Crown Prince who always knew how to get his girl out of trouble and LY as the Divine Doctor with many tricks up his sleeve. Would it have been interesting to see our hero choose the world over our heroine? sure.. But then there wouldn't be a series to watch if he had. Would it have been better for the Divine Doctor to initially finish the job himself? oh yeah!

I felt that the story revolved around EJ's character and YM was just along for the ride. They would occasionally mention her destiny and hint about her true identity, but only near the second half did they realise, "oh yeah, this drama is called LOFY, we should probably talk about that too". YM felt like an afterthought when they got to her story and EJ was the main character.

Once you're half way through the series, everything will start to make sense and it'll all tie together. Although there were times when the series would do that whole 'montage-of-memories' every time someone would die, or almost die, and the plot twists stopped feeling twisty and were just predictable, but it was all worth it.

EJ and YM get their happily ever after and that's all that matters to me.

Read More

I didn’t think I would see a C-drama that could top TLTWTMPB but I was wrong. I was absolutely convinced by the stellar performances of the cast, and in the chemistry of our two leads. I love a good romance, but I also need some action as well as a good plot. This delivered. Those gravity defying martial arts were just fun to watch. It was a beautiful production, well-written adaptation from book to screen, even if it did veer off early on. I loved that Fuyao defended herself well and didn’t let anyone step all over her. At the same time, she allowed herself to be saved by Wuji even though she held her own very well. That balance of being strong but leaning on the one you love at the same time, sold me on their romance because she recognized the importance of putting her loved one first. Ethan Ruan has a smile to die for! I call him the Chinese Tom Cruise. The camera absolutely loves Ethan. He cannot take a bad shot. Will definitely recommend this title.

Read More

So far, this is absolutely the best drama in my opinion !
And if we want to embody it, we have to go back to the age of myths in China five thousand years ago...

The story of the series is wonderful and has sublime messages for the followers.
It contains a deep, complex and ramified plot, And an excellent scenario full of emotional and enthusiastic scenes, in which there is a beautiful development of events, with a wonderful and exceptional finale.
You cannot feel bored because there is no unnecessary filler in the story, and although the number of episodes is close to 70, you find that the series is very compressed. If we compared it with the style of other series, so this drama needs at least 200 episodes, and that's why you enjoy every moment of the series...

The characters are distinct, diverse and attractive, and the actors played the roles terribly.
The heroine of the series (Fu Yao) was truly a legendary character, and the lead role (Yang Mi) actually sits on the pinnacle of Chinese drama, and I do not think she has a competitor, and if has, she would be (Zhao Liying) ...


Despite all the positives that I mentioned, there are some observations :
First; I wish that more stars would participate in the casting, such as (Dilraba - Li Qin - Angelababy.... etc.), and they would form more pivotal characters, so that the side stories would increase in the plot, then it would be a literally overwhelming series.
Second; I wish the enthusiastic scenes, especially the battles, were more grandiose and luxurious as in [Novoland Eagle Flag], then this series would be the greatest in the world.

Read More

I loved Wuji and Fu Yao. I loved them so much I squealed out loud when they were on screen, because their chemistry was explosive. However, their scenes were the only parts of the story I truly enjoyed after the second arc. I found myself skipping almost all of the scenes with the other characters, even to the point of skipping main plot points, because I just didn't care anymore. Some of the plotlines felt recycled and dull, and the boring secondary characters took up so much screentime later in the drama. In some places, you could maybe find 5 minutes of Wuji/Fu Yao scenes in a 45-minute episode. You could cut out 3/4 of the drama's plot and still have a good story about a man and a woman fighting for a love that no one wants them to have, and I totally would've watched it over and over again.

My main point of contention with this drama is that they leave the "big bad" for the very very last episode. Which sucks. Because I was really interested in the idea that the demon lord was going to use Fu Yao to cause chaos in the world. But...like...all that chaos happened without him doing anything, because the world was in such a volatile state anyway? All he ended up being was a rock that shook with black smoke coming out of it. And then both Wuji and Fu Yao die? But not just die, Fu Yao stabs Wuji to death while she is possessed by the demon, and then she frees herself from his control long enough to kill herself. I know they technically get a happy ending together in Nirvana, but WTF? What the Actual F***? I hated the ending passionately, because in the end they didn't really get to defeat their fates, despite what people might say about it.

The only reason I'm giving this drama a score of 6 is because of Wuji and Fu Yao. Their love story was beautiful. Otherwise, I'd be giving this drama a score of 1. Without those two, it was a dull and frustrating drama that I just couldn't bother myself to care about.

Read More

Absolutely loved it!! I thought ten miles was amazing, but this surpasses it. Yang Mi is fantastic to watch (as usual) . I love her character and how she portrayed it. I didn't think I'd love Ethan that much, but he was absolutely amazing!! He's now my favorite actor. I hope he continues to make wuxia dramas. The chemistry between the two is sizzling and adorable at the same time. The rest of the cast was similarly amazing. I really enjoyed watching all of them. The villians were particularly great in this show. The story played out well and there was great pace until the end. Overall, one of my favorite shows of all time!!

Read More

I honestly watched this drama for (a) get over Ashes of Love (b) to catch glimpses of the ML and his broad shoulders but to my amazement I really loved and enjoyed it. Usually strong ML's are portrayed broody and who rarely smile but I was happy to see the ML in this story have a cheeky smile on his face always.

Cast and Acting
Overall I think all the cast did a good job but I also wish that the FL was someone else. Not because she didn't do a good job acting, I just didn't connect with her. I did find some of the characters a little annoying at first but grew to like them. The ML also did a good job but mostly I just watched him for his broad shoulders so that did distract me from noticing his acting skills. I also liked the Divine Doctor. He was my 2nd favorite character after the ML. He was all mysterious but always appeared when the leads where in trouble. But I also felt that there were too many casts, too many side stories and side romances.

Plot
I really liked the idea of the story of a strong FL and a strong ML who together tackle any issues thrown their way. I also liked the fact that they got together pretty early and didn't break up for stupid reasons in between but continued to love and care for each other. They were such a power couple. There were lot of cliches in the story but they managed to pull off the cliches. I'll mention a few under spoiler below:

spoiler*** The FL has to be killed for the world to be saved, the ML is the destined one to kill the FL, the FL is actually a princess***

There was a hint of a love triangle but the FL and ML's love and trust towards each other was amazing. That doesn't mean that there weren't times they got jealous but they acted like adults instead of losing their heads about it and these things only brought them closer together. I specially loved the devotion the ML and FL had for each other. How they respected each others actions and wishes.

The best part of the drama for me was the first 20ish episodes. Though the CGI was bad here, I liked the whole mysterious appeal of the ML. Spoiler *** He acted like this weak person who couldn't think for himself but was actually a brilliant strategist. And when I knew he was the crow prince of all 5 kingdoms I couldn't help squealing, but thereafter he lost his mysterious appeal. Spoiler end***

In the drama both FL and ML are supposed to be brilliant strategists and they were in the beginning but as the story progressed they sometimes acted blind and I was like you are supposed to be brilliant not dumb. As the story developed it sorta become repetitive and lost a bit of appeal.

Costumes
I wasn't very impressed with any of the costumes in the drama. The FL's was just ugly and all sorts of gaudy later on. The ML's I sorta of liked in the beginning but they also weren't that great. This is my second historical/Wuxia drama and I really looked forward for the billowy sleeves but was very disappointed.

OST
The OST was nice but it took some time for me to grow to like it. The drum beats throughout was very captivating tho. My thoughts on the OST is biased though coz I was still hung over Ashes of Love OST while watching this.

Significant Plot holes (Please explain of you can)
1. The ending wasn't very clear and I wish they did another episode to settle things
2. Is Tai Yan the ML's step sister (By his dad and aunt/stepmom)?
3. If the rightful heir of the Xuanji kingdom didn't appear which will make the phoenix of the purple phoenix mountain go away, which in turn will release the evil spirit there, wont killing the FL be redundant anyway. = kill FL the evil spirit will get released. Don't kill FL she will release the evil spirit.
4. How did Dr Zhong and Wu Ji meet?

Overall
I will definitely rewatch it but can someone please explain why cdrama's start good and end not so good.

Read More

Yang Mi outdid herself, literally.

I had known about Legend of Fuyao for some time, though its trailer, alongside its seeming popularity internationally (outside China) made me decide to dedicate time to this 66 episodes-long, Rollercoaster fantasy Chinese drama.

That being said, I will review Legend of Fuyao along these parameters: martial arts, storyline, plotting, characterization.

Martial Arts (Legend of Fuyao)

To be honest, the fight choreography in Legend of Fuyao is quite tight. I became impressed with the fight between Fuyao and her 5th Older Brother first, and the other ensuing fight choreography scenes did play to part very well, to be honest.

However, would I say the fight scenes were particularly spectacular? No. But incredible and entertaining and well choreographed, yes.

Storyline

For a TV series this long, spanning across different kingdoms, and with numerous cast choices, I had expected storyline lapses and inconsistencies. I didn't get it. The storyline flows effortlessly. However, there were a few areas that weren't tightened up towards the end, but that's about it. The ending was extremely confusing for many viewers, especially those who'd not read the source novel. Someone had to literally explain it to me on YouTube before I could understand it. Furthermore, episodes 1 to around 34 made incredible sense, but the remaining sub plots fell flat and were unnecessary, especially numerous areas that did nothing to advance Fuyao's quest.

Characterization

Yang Mi as Fuyao. Fuyao is the titular female lead. Yang Mi plays the role of Fuyao and Feng Wuming (the Real Queen Heir of Plough Nation). As Fuyao, she is a woman born from a divine lotus petal and owner of the five-colored stone, this stone which sets her on a path to meet a predestined fate. She was also a lowly servant at the Xuanyuan Sect until she learned the Po Jiu Xiao, the invincible fighting technique of the Mt. Mystic Cove and thus begins her journey to gather the five magical artifacts to break the five seals placed upon her at birth. She will meet many dangers and adventures and become a Magistrate (Yao City) and then Queen (twice)

Ethan Ruan as Crown Prince Wuji.

In Legend of Fuyao, Ethan Ruan plays Zhangsun Wuji, the Crown prince of Tianquan kingdom. He is the descendant of Chang Qingzi, Grand Mentor of the Ancient Firmament; and is the owner of the Xuanling True Leaf. Wuji also owns a magical pet hamster named Yuan Bao. Yuan Zhaoxu is Wuji’s fake alias as the Crown Prince’s assistant and he used other aliases through the series, confusing Fuyao too much.

There are other secondary and minor characters, so many of them, in fact, that it would take up hours of reading time to go through them all. But I had my favorites.

Dr. Zong Hue. He is cold, mysterious and silent, with a cold, smoldering gaze that would freeze off a bucket of water and also heat up your insides, watching him. Fuyao had names for him: "Hateful Doctor". "Devilish Doctor". Zong swiftly rose to become a fan favorite, and I personally looked forward to seeing him throughout the series. Since I watched this entire series from start to finish on YouTube, with the privilege of reading the countless thousands of comments there, I was right in rooting for Zong. He's well loved.

Other Characters

Yan Jingchen (Huang Ming) – this guy is literally stuck between a rock and a hard place: his domineering father wants him to marry Pei Yuan (Li Yi Xiao) for politically motivated reasons, an insanely ultra-jealous, absolutely awful young woman who loves him to death and whose unhealthy obsession is for him to love her back. She also viciously hates the woman he truly loves (who happens to be the lowly classed Fuyao). Instead of standing up to his father or staying true to his feelings, he marries Pei Yuan…and suffers the disastrous consequences.

Because Legend of Fuyao is 66 episodes long, so many other characters appeared in this series, so many of whom deserve to be mentioned, but I can't do that, as this review will literally go on forever.

The OST

Singer/actress Karen Mok sings the opening theme song, a piece appropriately entitled “Fuyao.” The song is a solemn tribute to the series' female lead.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5_kpVlpNxw8

You Zhangjing sings “Proud Humans Of Society,” a hauntingly melodic song that blends so incredibly well with some of the deeper, tears-inducing scenes in Legend of Fuyao, it'll literally bring tears to your eyes. This song is the emotional backbone of the series and is a compelling song. This song carries the brothers' scenes perfectly well. ❤️❤️

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ffLo5x4Heas

The ending theme song, “A Love Is Hard To Wish For,” is sung by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Lala Hsu, recently named Best Mandarin Female Singer in the 29th Golden Melody Awards.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zihwDHR_W7o

Asides these ones, the stunning instrumental melodies that strummed through the series will literally give you goosebumps.

I would have been happier to add one more rating, but then I can't, because of the slight plot areas mentioned above.

Read More

The lead couple has sizzling hot chemistry. You might enjoy this, especially if you like the combination of smirky teasing hero (there are times when I sympathize fully with the villain’s desire to throttle the hero) and fierce and fearless heroine. There are enough political machinations, elaborate fight scenes (oddly bloodless for the nameless hordes, only the main characters seem to bleed), and lavish spectacle to keep things interesting. I especially appreciate the touches of humor, which keep the story from bogging down under its own weight and seriousness. Both lead actors, Yang Mi and Ethan Juan, are killing it.

Sure, there are logical lapses and “wait, what?” moments. There are some fantasy elements that might remind you of Harry Potter. But I don’t recall any shirtless scenes in Harry Potter, particularly anything approaching the Ethan Juan shirtless scenes….

Read More

Awesome C-Drama

I absolutely love this drama, after watching TLTW-TMPB I didn’t think i would be able to love another male lead role the way i loved Mark Chao as Ye Hua. But have fallen hard for Ethan Ruan as Wuji in the Legend of Fuyao. He did an amazing job portraying his character as a charming, flirty, playful, and attractive prince...while also captivating his role as a serious, witty, and strategic Ruler. I love how he’s always so caring and protective of his love Fuyao. You can truly connect and feel their love for each other grows throughout their journey together. I personally think that Yang Mi’s connection with Ethan Ruan in this movie is better than her connection with Mark Chao in TMPB. Their chemistry is so imperishable in this drama, Yang Mi appears to be so much more comfortable in her role around Ethan than with Mark. Overall, this is a must watch drama...i have rewatched this drama twice and i would definitely rewatch it again when i have the time.

Read More