Ashes of Love (2018)

I have such mixed feelings about this show overall. When I should have been sobbing and crying... I wasn't. When I was supposed to empathsise with a character, I didn't. But then at the same time it could be the environment in which I watched it... or was it the story?

I really did enjoy the show overall though a few things niggled at me a little, and couldn't quite my finger on it.

What I liked:
- Xufeng really grew on me. OMG he is so HOT... His costumes, his hair styles, his attitude, his EVERYTHING. This guy is amazing! He is what made me keep watching
- the complexities of the storyline that left me wondering what next?
- how the baddies get their dues in the best ways possible
- the sad older prince story
- loved the father/daughter relationship with Jinmi and the Water Immortal

What I disliked:
- I just don't know that it sat so well with me how the main character, Jinmi, was the way she was. I almost wanted to say "you deserve this" when she realises her mistakes. At least she regrets, repents and really PAYS for her blindness
- also didn't really LOVE how 'weakling' she seemed in this, how people were usually saving her.... I just really didn't feel like she deserved EVERYONE to sacrifice and want her when she was a little annoying?
- that everyone seemed to be in love with everyone - literally everyone! Mr Snake and the Bird Princess wtf..
- whatever happened to Mr Snake? I really liked him! They needed to give us a 'what happened to him' bit at the end

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Story
The story was interesting and different, they were parts that were kinda similar to ten miles of peach blossoms but for me it was mostly a storyline and a world in it's own standing. I rated the storyline 8/10 because the first 45/50 episodes or so I was excited to know what will happen next. It was thrilling and then it goes down hill, the storyline becomes underwhelming and messy as if their trying to come up with anything to stretch the drama to 60+ episodes.

Acting/Cast
I rated it 8/10 because I felt as though something was lacking with the male lead. He is good looking and don't get me wrong he can act but he wasn't captivating enough for me personally. I felt as though something was missing. But for some people a good looking guy saying his lines is enough. But with that said the casting for everyone else, was brilliant.

Music
Really good, set to tone well.

Rewatch Value
Honestly, i cannot see myself watching this again, considering I started skipping the last few episodes.

Overall
I think it's a decent drama, if you like c-drama's or liked ten miles i think give it a go. The beginning half was actually quite good, there might be a few boring episodes here and there but carry on it will pick up.

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A lot of people say it's the best drama ever and that everything is perfect about it but in my opinion it's not that that great.

I just finished it and it was touching and beautiful, with great CGI, good acting and chemistry as everyone says buuuuut....

What I don't agree with is how good the story was. It kept reminding me of "ten miles of peach blossoms" from time to time and had clichés which I'm not really fond of.

It was a great show overall.. but it's definitely not one my favourites. The bad guys were so extreme and so persistent and I've seen so many dramas with such characters that I'm sick of it. I guess this is the main drawback (for me). I wanted to drop it one or 2 times but I didn't as a marathoned the show and I don't regret watching it.

What really I liked about the plot is the ending: fate happened but good choices were made so the ending was also good. I don't want to add spoilers so I won't add details.

Some parts are unique and nice, adding colours to the story and I have to say I'm glad Deng Lun got the ml role in this drama cause he was amazing. All the actors did a good job, the production is very good and I guess overall.. the story is good.
9.5/10 overall.

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Watchable But Draggy!

Ashes Of Love has lots of fans worldwide and many think that it is a top rated drama. I concur that the plot is intriguing. A female who is incapable of love because of an elixir lodged in her heart being fought over by 2 powerful immortals who are half-siblings do make a compelling story. There is a lot of depth to the tale apart from the typical jealousy angle. It is also well-told unlike Love Of Thousand Years which wasted a good storyline.

Furthermore, the main characters grow as the drama progresses. This means they are not so one-dimensional to me but develop as they go through heartaches and bitter experiences. Run Yu is the most interesting one to me although you may have your own favorite Ashes Of Love character. The production team did a good job to make viewers understand and sympathize with Run Yu. It is not easy to make viewers love a villain but I think they managed to do it pretty well in this drama. You can kind of feel his pain.

Acting And Chemistry
I’m fine with the acting and chemistry of the main leads. They did a good job with the casting. Leo Luo shines in his Run Yu role. He personifies the ‘still water runs deep’ kind of character really well. He can appear gentle and kind but also quietly sinister with just his facial expression. I also like his portrayal of Rong Qi in Princess Silver. Leo Luo seems to be very adept at portraying this kind of tragic role. It would be interesting to see him in And The Winner Is Love next.

Allen Deng Lun and Yang Zi are also able to create the right chemistry as a couple. Their interactions with each other flow naturally on-screen especially during their trials in the Mortal Realm. At least, I can root for them despite their character flaws. I have no complaints about Yang Zi’s acting although her character can be kind of annoying in the beginning. Perhaps it is a little overdone by the actress but I’m prepared to fault the character that she is given rather than her acting ability. As for Allen Deng, I think he lacks the dark side aura on-screen to be a convincing demon. He certainly could have done a better job with it in my opinion.

I guess the character everyone hates the most must be Empress Tu Yao. Kathy Chow must have done a good job playing that role if everyone ends up hating her! She is a veteran actress and I guess there is nothing much that she can’t handle. She emits so much hatred and evilness just by her glare which she typically uses for this kind of role. Kathy Chow is also in Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre 2019 and the same expressive glare is present there as well.

What I Don’t Like About Ashes Of Love
Having mentioned what I like about this drama, I should also add what I dislike about it. I don’t like that it is 63 episodes in length. It is too long that the pacing is a little slow to my liking at times. They could have easily reduced it by 5 episodes, if not more, especially in the first half of the story. Jin Mi’s naivete seems to go on endlessly when they have already made a point from the very beginning that she has been fed the Yun Elixir. So, I can understand why some viewers find Jin Mi to be highly irritating. Perhaps the producers have overstretched the fact that she is ignorant.

The other drama that is slightly longer than Ashes Of Love is Legend Of Fuyao with 66 episodes. The difference is Legend Of Fuyao is more than just romance. There is also a lot of palace intrigues and power struggles in that drama. On the other hand, most of the happenings in Ashes Of Love revolve around Jin Mi. So, if you prefer more sub-plots for this kind of epic tales, Ashes Of Love could end up feeling very draggy. The story keeps getting bogged down by Jin Mi’s ignorance.

As for the romance which is what this drama is all about, it still lags behind Eternal Love Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms for me. The love story of the main couple in Eternal Love is more straightforward. In Ashes Of Love, you have 2 immortals fighting for Jin Mi and going to war over her which is kind of over the top. Add in the fact that Jin Mi was having an affair with Xu Feng while still betrothed to Run Yu also stains the romance in a way.

My Verdict
So, is Ashes Of Love worth watching after all? Well, I would still recommend it if you can put up with a very innocent female character for about 20 episodes or so. Some people like to watch decisive and intelligent heroines like the one in Legend Of Yun Xi. You don’t find it in Jin Mi who is more on the cute and innocent end of the scale. But the plot itself is interesting and unique which is why I still recommend a watch for this Ashes Of Love review.

Overall, I would give this drama a rating of 7.5/10. Be prepared for it to be draggy or even irritated by the female character. But it picks up gradually and Jin Mi also becomes more matured as the drama progresses. You just need to sit through it until you get there! Watch it for the story and Run Yu’s transformation but skip it if you really can’t stand naive heroines.

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I watched this series with great pleasure and will definitely watch it many more times! The actors are wonderful! The chemistry between the main characters is simply cosmic! The scenery, costumes are wonderful! In the first half of the series, there are many funny moments, then you only have time to hold back tears. Incredibly beautiful music! I still can't find the background music that was in the series, besides the main songs, I hope I will see it somewhere. I read the novel on the basis of which the series was filmed and I liked the screen version much more! The most beloved story is the main characters in the Mortal World. Of the minor characters, my favorite was Pu Chi he was just amazing)), it's a pity that he was not shown in the final. In general, the whole story is amazing, I don't even know what to watch next after it ... I'll probably go and watch it again)))
The only thing I don't like about Chinese dramas is that they always show the whole story from start to finish in the opening, so I always try to skip the beginning and the ending song.

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A Beautiful tale of love - A masterpiece - Must watch ♥️

This is my 1st historical C-drama and is my all time fav .. I have watched this for more than 10 times and I can still watch it over and over again.. it's been 2years since I came across this beautiful masterpiece but I am still not over it.. the chemistry between Deng Lun and Yang Zi is on top of the world. They are and will be the most perfect couple for me and this series will always be close to my heart ❤️

Story:
Now coming to this series.. where do I even start 😋☺️ Despite taking the Yun Elixir JinMi always wanted to be with him.. and what to say about phoenix.. his love for jinmi just blew my heart..
From the day they met there was nothing more important to him than her ❤️♥️ He loved her dearly and so did she ❤️ but it was a pity she was unaware of that feeling .. The way he calls her JinMi and she calls him FengHuang sounds so intimate ♥️♥️
I loved there first meeting in the floral realm.. there cute moments after XuFeng brought her into the QiWu palace .. and then when she followed him into the demon realm(although for RouRou) and he realised how deeply he is in love with her as he didn't care about his life and protected her from Qiongqi..
I loved when he jumped into the mortal realm for her and then they stayed in the mountains and the palace where they fell in love like a man and a woman bcz of the crack in Yun Elixir.. and then he dies by her side.. He really loved her the most be it in the mortal world or immortal world ..

After she died when he was wondering "If the time can go backwards I'd rather not see you, not meet you, not love you and not fail you. I only hope you're safe and sound in this world " was heart breaking .. As I DON'T think Xufeng is the love doom of JinMi.. instead he was the reason for her to live fully.. she was just breathing before she met him but she actually started living after she met him .. he gave her her soul, he gave her life a meaning and helped her come out of the shell "the little girl who was always hidden inside the lotus petal".. ☺️❣️
Isn't it better to have a short life but to live it fully instead of living for a hundred thousand of years without any heart and soul ?

There are so many remarkable scenes in this series:
1) In the mortal world when she said she likes him a lot many times and he says "Marry me".. it was so beautiful ..♥️♥️
2) The iconic scene after she killed him when he asked "Have you ever love me?" And she replied "Never".. and then she spat the Yun Elixir .. heart wrenching .. .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
3) After she died and became a drop of tear in his eyes and then she finally appears in the hut .. the way he cries .. the density of his voice was too infatuating.. ❤️❣️
And many more such scenes.. i can just go on but the list won't end☺️ This series is an epitome of romance ❣️

Characters:
Yang Zi is my fav chinese actress. She is so pretty.. Cute and innocent character suits her well.. ☺️
And where to start for Deng Lun.. I just love his voice, his eyes ❤️♥️ He is soooo handsome and charming.. the way he indulge into his character and portrays it is applaudible .. when he smiles and cry I can totally feel him.. his acting is superb.. After watching this series i became a huge fan of him..
Deng Lun and Yang Zi brought life into their respective characters and I bet NO ONE could have made this possible ..
I loved the side characters like Mr. Puchi, match-maker (these 2 were like a breath of fresh air in the chaotic situations), demon-princess(Her love towards Muci and loyalty towards XuFeng was praiseworthy), Mr Liaoyuan(His respect and loyalty towards XuFeng in both Mortal world and Heavenly realm was commendable.. when he died he was sad that he can no long protect him and after he died he still helped him via the good deed he did in mortal world which in turn helped XuFeng become the king of Mortal world). And I really hated SuiHe(Though I feel she loved XuFeng deeply since she was a kid.. but the things which she did was pure evil) and RunYu (I know a lot of ppl sympathize with him .. but I still disliked him as the wrongs which were done to him were not caused by JinMi and XuFeng and hence it was wrong in part of him to exploit there love for his personal vendetta) and he tried to kill XuFeng multiple times too.. but yes keeping these aside he was really pitiful and lonely his entire life .. And the most hated characters were undoubtedly the Heavenly emperor and empress and as correctly stated by Mr.Puchi it was strange that this couple gave birth to such an infatuated son 'XuFeng' ❤️

Music: A perfect 10 and I hum the title track most of the time.. although I am not much acquainted with the lyrics ♥️

Re-watch Value: I have already watched it more than 10 times and can still do it and I don't think there is any other series which makes me crazy as this one .. I will rate the re-watch value 100 on 10..

I am so glad that I came across this beautiful series with these brilliant lead actors and ofcourse with an amazing ost.. I am so obsessed with this couple that I watch all their bts videos.. The chemistry between these 2 is remarkable..
I just hope we get AOL S2 soon with these 2.. ( ˘ ³˘)♥

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Because of Ten Miles of Peach Blossom, I've been searching dramas with the same genre. Luckily i found Ashes of Love! I was immediately hooked with the first episode and i couldn't stop watching. I think this is the first chinese drama that made my sob because i was crying too hard, my tears won't just stop.. i literally cried like a river.. I love this drama so much especially DENG LUN! i love him so much i watched all his dramas after this XD

-Amazing plot
-Great CGI
-Well-casted

If you want to watch series as good as Ten Miles of Peach Blossom, you should definitely watch this!

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Ashes of Love doesnt have such a high popularity for no reason

Ashes of love is about a happy innocent girl who meets the cold sensible 2nd prince of the heaven region. The two slowly fall in love and have many obstacles to face. The scenes filled with romance and despair are very vivid. The acting is very well performed and sucks you into the fantasy of their lives. My tears escaped my eyes and my heart really went out to them. Now I will say I am familiar with the male lead due to another great drama of his (Sweet Dreams), but this drama truly was the best. I love the characters, the deep plot, and the performance. Utterly heart wavering. They change greatly throughout this drama and I haven't been able to watch another drama since my heart still stays with the amazing characters. I never write reviews for any drama but this one, I just had to let people know how good it is. If you see this drama and think it looks boring, watch the first episode, and you will already fall in love with the drama. Just watch the first episode.

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Should you even watch this drama...?? If Yess then Whyyy??

Usually I don't like to write reviews becoz it takes a lott of time... This time I'm willing to write just to explain ppl this drama is just SATISFACTORY...
I'll come to point and Explain why to watch and why u shouldn't watch it...
ML- male lead
FL- female lead

Let's start with WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS DRAMS..!!

Drama is too long with some unnecessary plots... It sometimes feel that they are just dragging the story...
After watching 4 to 5 EPs you'll lose interest...But don't feel sad keep watching as time passes it will get better....But it's just FVCKING TOOOO LONG... Literally it takes 30+ EPs to show FL is in love with ML...Like really...!!?(it's becoz our FL takes unfeeling pill... Read the description by MDL above)
BASICALLY IT'S A CRAZY LOVE STORY
All the characters in the drama have there own story... Starting 40 EPs are just about Everyone and ofc main leads the real plot doesn't even start here.... Every characters story is explained till here....
I'll recommend u to watch only if u like love triangles.... This drama has CRAZY LOVE TRIANGLES with each character having there own love story nd love triangles....SOMETIMES IT JUST CREATES LOTT OF CONFUSION AND IRRITATES THE VIEWER
Becoz this drama is all about love... it's just all about love... nothing less nothing more...
Many times I felt that there are some SCENES MISSING....Did they directly jumped on any other scene? I felt it sometimes
Nxt is SFX...it is not soo good... It can be better... Still I'll say it is satisfactory...

Now WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS DRAMA...IS IT WORTH TO SPEND YOUR TIME ON THIS DRAMA...!!

Like I said Drama is too long... But trust me after 40 EPs you'll be craving to watch it non stop... what I said I mean it!! The actual plot starts after 40 or 43 Ep maybe...Ik It's long but if u seriously want to see something like CRAZY LOVE STORY you hav to bear it's length....
Beauty of the drama is MANY TYPES OF LOVE IS PORTRAYED IN THE DRAMA... ML is in true love...FL is in love but she doesn't know what love is... 2nd FL is doing stupid nd evil things in love just to get ML... then there is a beautiful couple who didn't end up together.... Queen nd King both of them left someone they loved just for power..... And 2nd ML is obsessed with love...... I have to say 2nd ML is the reason why I continued the drama... He's acting is gem....
ALL THE MAIN ACTORS ARE REALLY GOOD... But if u hav to see real acting 2nd ML will give u all... Again All Actors are Good...But...I...
I'm Sryy... 2nd ML >> Male Lead
Most of Supporting actors were Good...
Everyone in the drama is in love with some other person who doesn't love him/her back... This is interesting...to see how the person is trying to make the opposite person their own... Someone is letting go his/her love... someone is forcing the person to love him/her... Someone getting cheated in love... Someone is purely obsessed with the person he loves... Someone is willing to die in love... Someone wants to get revenge on the person who messed with his/her love life... great right!!
Even their acting is Great showing these all kinds of love... Maybe while watching you'll find love story similar to urs... Mine is similar to KuangLu... KuangLu is Daughter of immortal TaiSi and KuangLu serves as Right hand to our 2nd ML Run Yu/Little fish immortal... Wanna find what's her Story...??
Story is beautiful sometimes maybe confusing but still very beautiful...BUT AGAIN STARTING EPs ARE NOT SOO GOOD AND JUST ANNOYING... STORY GETS A BETTER GRIP ONLY AFTER RUN YU'S PLOT THAT IS AFTER 40TH EP..... As it's love story... It includes all emotional elements like Jealously, Obsession, Craziness, Ready to die for u attitude, Care nd Support, and definitely Hate... Coz this is LOVE-HATE-LOVE story nd also explains HOW LOVE DESTROY'S ONES LIFE..... However Hate was created just becoz of misunderstandings... So both the leads forgive eachother for Hating in the End...
Nxt comes is OST... Female Lead JinMi has sang the OST... music is really pleasing... I already hav the title track in my playlist

I'm Sorry for making such a long ass review... I hope someone find it useful enough

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THANKS TO RUNYU.

To cut the chase:
This was likened to Romeo and Juliet and although I hold no expertise in literature, I'd say it was overstated. If anything, the affection between Jinmi and Xufeng was a depiction of 'crush' gone full-throttle. They were tied by feeble faith but strong attachment. In the absence of constant affirmation (mainly on Xufeng's part), it will fall apart and so their relationship is fragile and rather volatile in a sense. These two also appeared to be devoid of sense of reality - it was understandable considering Jinmi's situation, however as for Xufeng; who have gone to wars (and a General/Commander on top of it) and supposedly had real social interactions to boot, he was imprudent and sometimes struck as holier-than-thou character. Which was a máfan since he's allegedly male protagonist with sound mind.

Overall, the seemingly 'green' sentiment, their lack of depths and bearings made it a lot difficult to sympathize and eventually to root for. I found greater enjoyment indulging in Runyu's character arc, Moon Immortal and Immortal Yuan's banter and Liuying and Muci's love story. 8/10 because Jinmi and Xufeng are lucky to have great condiments to spice up their trifles.

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Reason(s) to watch:
1/ Runyu, the second male lead. Fated to be alone, predestined to suffer and serve as scapegoat for literally everything that happens in the realms, he is no doubt, the most tragic character I've ever encountered in drama-land and is the most befitting/entitled to -fighting against the odds- term among the main roles. Luo Yunxi's portrayal of deeply-layered Runyu was engrossing and compensated most flaws and disengagement I felt towards the story to the extent, he was the sole reason of me continuing this drama. Even in his most subtlety, he managed to capture the essence of Runyu, evoked empathy and carried his character arc spectacularly.
2/ Tu Yao, the Heavenly Empress. Tu Yao was downright despicable and the embodiment of evil. The sight of her red lips and eye squints made my stomach lurches. In nutshell, Kathy Chow is the bomb.
3/ Needless to say the OST.

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MUST WATCH!

When ever we think about Fairy and magic we got a typical image like love, prince charming come to rescue etc. same as when we think about heavan and demon we got a typical image like it's Peaceful and painfull respectively
This story tell us that everyone and every realm has it's Good and bad sides,
Heaven is not totally Good
And Demons are not TOTALY bad
This story has a different story and plot twists than the typical fairy tale
If you love romance and magic then this story is definitely for you!
It's worth watching
I'm not gonna say more because rather than reading my review you should watch it by your self, I'm pretty sure if you don't like the story still you'll love the Magic!
Happy watching everyone ✌

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