The story was well woven and well told. It was capable of chaining me to my seat and making me binge this in no time. There were minor and major key scenes all the time, that kept me guessing what could happen next and made me unable to stop. They also built up a captivating amount of tension before every event. To say that certain things were predictable might be right. But it's not meant to sound negatively. It's more like you fear what would happen and wait in anxiety.
The acting of almost everyone was soooo good, I enjoyed it alot (except for SML's mother... that was really bad). What I appreciate the most is that the leads never led me down. Not even once. Maybe they didn't always do things to my liking, but it was always reasonable and just the effect of past events. They stayed true to themselves (as far as that was possible considering the Yun Elixir). They touched me with their love, passion and made me feel their pain and suffering, as well.
The side cast did their job well in supporting the leads and the story. Especially the snake, the fox and the phoenix's guard were my favorites. And what I liked about the ending was that every character, good or bad, got one that fit in regard to past happenings. There's no mysterious incomprehensible happy ending for everyone.
What a ride... I'll definitely re-watch this some day!
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This review may contain spoilers
Sad and happy while watching this drama
At first I didn't want to watch it thinking it's not worth my time but I'll give up everything to forget it and watch it all over again. What I like about this drama isMusic:
It's OST is so good that I can't stop listening to it everyday
Story:
The story is nice but I cried a river all through the drama because Jin Mi went through so much and it isn't her fault
Cast:
I must say that I don't know the main leads because I don't watch a lot of Chinese dramas but their acting is majestic. They portrayed their characters effortlessly
There's only one thing that I dislike about this drama is that like other dramas the heavenly empress hates the female lead. Why can't I for once watch a drama where the heavenly empress is good not evil
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The fantasy world of the realms is vividly brought to life with breathtaking colour, light and forms. The costumes are stunning. The layers of beautiful fabrics in the costumes is particularly sublime. The cgi adds to the mythical, magical feel.
Every character is complex. As their stories unfold I could better understand why they act as they do, and even be sympathetic to their mistakes. It was good to watch their characters develop over time. Initially some were almost child-like, but experience matures them. The hardships endured are truly heartbreaking so it is quite emotional to watch those moments.
It is refreshing that the realms are presented without the usual perception of being either: good/bad; black/white; heavenly/demonic. Every realm has a mix of people who make either good or bad choices, and who could learn from their mistakes and choose to change their mindset or not.
The main love triangle is between Jin Mi, Xu Feng and Run Yu. The acting is phenomenal and deeply moving. The chemistry between the two main leads is sizzling. Deng Lun is the perfect Phoenix. I just loved all his scenes, and cried with and for him at those big moments. There are several other love stories with the wonderful side characters. The bonds between all these characters were delightful and many types of love, friendship and loyalty are explored. While love triangles are not unusual, there were many twists and turns that were total surprises, so top marks there.
The chasm in thinking between the more upright characters who never scheme when it comes to love, and those who rely on scheming is vast. Both the intended and unintended chain of events that these schemers set in action is often truly tragic for both themselves and for innocent others. I found myself crying out: “NO.o.o.o….” at times when my favourites had to suffer unimaginably cruel circumstances and misunderstandings due to the actions of the schemers.
“The flowers bloom and the leaves fall. Things change and stars shift. But it’s all preordained by Heaven. “
There is that place where fate ends and destiny begins.
Often all that can be done is to let nature take its course…..
I highly recommend Ashes of Love. It’s awesome!
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This review may contain spoilers
Plot: Honestly its probably the most entertaining wuxia drama I've watched this year. Technically I guess its almost as good as Ten Miles of Peach blossoms, some might say its even better. The story line was very well written, although I felt bad for RunYu (found him super cute ;) ). SO MANY EMOTIONS, cried so many times during the middle to last episodes (so like GET A TISSUE BOX WITH U). Tbh theres gonna be so many times where u wanna chuck your tissue box at the empress, cuz like HOLY JESUS does she get me angry.Acting/ Cast: If you've watched any of Deng Lun's other dramas, then u know this ones gonna be good. There's so much chemistry between him and YangZi ( ITS AMAZING!). The actress who played the empress was also super good, cuz u know that when an actress plays an antagonist and GETS U MAD, you know she's good . RunYu (aka Leo Luo) did such an amazing job at portraying his character. His character was honestly willing to do anything for Jin Mi, like he would be willing to die for her. But felt bad for his character because even though he loved Jin Mi so much, she never recuperated the same feelings back for him :( .
Music: Holy cow don't even get me started, CUZ THE OSTS ARE AMAZINGGGG. Mao bu yi has such an amazing voice, his singing shows so much emotion in it. So even if you don't like the drama at least listen to some of Mao bu yi's other song. The second OST of the drama is pretty much a female version of the OST that Mao bu yi sang, but personally I like Mao bu yi's version better. Also if you like the song Bu chou or unsullied (English translation) and Leo Luo, he sings a short cover version that you can find on youtube.
Rewatch: Totally gonna rewatch this, cuz u know a dramas good when its got good OSTs and you don't skip though it :)
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Story: Love the comical factor from Jin Mi and how the plot is pretty much tight(well written). The only thing that kept me from giving the story a 10 is how the producers decided to give the demon princess a supporting character so much screen time. Like she was okay at first but later on every time she appeared I just ff and some say she plays an important role in matchmaking Jin Mi and Xu Feng like ummmm no we already got our lovely uncle Yue lao. Also I’m so glad the cgi in here was perfect cause lord after this I just couldn’t with some baby crack that some assume is a passable cgi to be used in dramas. Like so far with all the dramas I’ve watched this one is hands down the best cgi ever. Another thing I love is that we get to see how karma do it’s thing in here (:
Acting: the leads Yang Zi, Deng Lun, and luo yunxi did very well imo they surpassed all of my expectations. The best acting would be Yang Zi because we can see that she grew from a naive and innocent girl due to circumstances to a girl who is very determined and caring. Jin Mi May not be a badass as in already having the powers and everyone else to save her but she to me is a badass on how determined she is as one of the users @pinocchio said if I remember correctly is “determined to right her wrongs no matter what.”
Music: Hands down the most beautiful ost I have ever heard. Loved it it was literally stuck in my head.
Definitely would recommend this to anyone out there it’s the best drama ever. And I seriously have rewatched this atleast 5+ times already so my rewatch value will always be a 10. The suck thing about this drama is you just don’t see other drama ps the same due to all the expectations that this drama gave us. Ashes of love wil always and always be my #1 drama, I’m so glad I found this gem and the lovely Yang Zi❤️! Anyways this broke my scale literally blew me away but since the highest is a 10 so that’s all I can rate for this phenomenally amazing masterpiece. Most importantly go watch the bts their interactions are so funny!
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This review may contain spoilers
I've watched Eternal Love and Story of Ming Lan before this drama but I did not regret my decision. If I was to watch those drama after this drama, my expectation is going to be so high for the other 2 then. Just when I thought that Eternal Love was one of the best Chinese Historical drama that I've watched, Ashes of Love proved me wrong. This drama was so good, beyond amazing. I did not skip any moment. Everything about this drama is perfect. I've cried REALLY HARD, also laughed a lot throughout 63 episodes. It was an emotional roller coaster. If you are hesitating to watch, DON'T just start on it. I was skeptical at first but I'm so glad that I watched it. SPOILER ALERT!!!
One of the greatest love triangle I've ever seen. I still feel bad for Fish Immortal, but I am glad that he realized what he did wrong and reflected. Leo Luo is such a great actor, I can feel his pain and emptiness :( Also when he was playing the Snake Immortal, he did such an excellent job, I was shook lol
Deng Lun (Xu Feng) and Yang Zi (Jin Mi) had one of the best chemistry on screen!!! You can really feel that they really love each other. Their love for each other is so deep, they made you laughed, giggled, cried, and smiled for them. Their time in the Moral Realm was one of my favorite, like it was so refreshing and depressing at the same time. But at least we really get to see how they starting to develop feeling for each other and I really appreciated the director for their love story in the moral realm. Well done! I was a little annoyed with Xu Feng's character at first but when he explained everything at the end, it made me cried even more.
Let's talk about my favorite second's love story of all time now, the Demon's Princess and Mu Ci. At first I was like ok...another basic love story for the support roles. BUT I WAS WRONG!!! I ship them so hard. I cried so much when he passed away but Princess was such a strong female character. She is a badass!!! I was glad that she was able to gave birth to her daughter hehehehe <3
Snake Immortal and Fox Fairy (Uncle) were my favorites! They are the heros in this drama. Enough said, you gotta watch them to see how they perfectly portrayed their roles. I LOVE THEM!!!
Overall, the rest of the supporting characters did such excellent jobs. The evil ones made me hate them, Heavenly Empress and Heavenly Emperor were match made in heaven lol they are both evil.
Now I can't move on from this drama. The music is perfect btw <3
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Where do I even begin?
I can't believe I actually completed this series. *sigh* From the 1st episode till the last one, I was enraptured in the romance of Fire and Water Immortal for they were my main focus. Goodbye for now HSALF *sobs*Story: I'm not a veteran on cdramas since I'm still quite new but I must say that I have not encountered this plot before. And me being a lover of fantasy, action and romance, HSALF really sealed the deal. I did, however, skipped some moments that I couldn't be bothered as I anticipated the moment Yun elixir would break completely (as it was cracked halfway until someone actually repaired it. That good for nothing dragon. Hmph *crosses arms*) and bring XF and JM together. I was really hoping for it to break earlier but sadly, the show must go on. Though, when the time arrived and she regurgitated it, it was truly a sight to behold as she finally realized her love for XF.
Besides that, there were moments when the actors would wait for their co-actors to act out their dialogues and the silence present in that moment was really awkward and odd. It wasn't scenes where they were meant to sit still and keep quiet to create such an atmosphere as those scenes would've been quite obvious but instead, it was deafening. The silence made it seem as if the video was paused whilst the scene was actually still running.
Also, maybe it's a trope in cdramas to constantly, without fail, for the main female lead to be a damsel in distress. Why don't they produce female leads that are independent and self-sufficient? Just because you rely on yourself and not others doesn't mean you don't deserve to be loved. Sure, JM said she could depend on herself but throughout the drama, people have been saving her. If you can't face your foe, recuperate and effing learn how to defeat them. Think of a plan, don't just barge into their rooms and challenge them without a thought. Seriously. Like XF said, think 3 effing seconds and yet she's still the same despite her "growth" throughout the movie. One would learn the lesson when it has plagued you numerous times.
Acting/Cast:
Jin Mi: Despite her character's shortcomings, Yang Zi was able to produce such raw emotions while acting out crucial scenes. She was stunning, tbh. I really liked the way she portrayed JM although I would've liked to see her act as a villain. It's good exposure plus, it would be interesting to see how she'll portray the character. I just really couldn't stand the fact that JM would still regard RY with trust while she was suspicious of him. Girl, if you think he's fishy then stay the utter f**k from him! Why you gotta let him touch you and sh*t? Stop letting people use you. Gosh, I find myself wanting to either slap her naive ass out of the drama or just simply hug her to death and shake the living hell outta her to wake tf up.
Xu Feng: Prince Charming right here people! I clap for you. Nah, aside form the sarcasm, I really love his scenes in the last few episodes. He had me crying when he found out JM was actually in his tears and that she absorbed the cold away from his body. Albeit, it might be due to his character's personality but Deng Lun's face when playing Xu Feng was mostly a troubled expression or a smile which really got me frustrated. Though he really outdid himself in the last few eps, still would've liked some variety. You did a good job, mate. His loyalty to his mother was what I truly admired. He understood his mother's actions were dedicated to him be he still tried to reason with her. He didn't treat her harshly or condemned her.
Run Yu (a.k.a F**ker A): Now, I might be in the minority about this but I really hoped he would pay for all of his wrongdoings and not just him resuming the post of Heavenly Emperor while only the Beast of Dreams and Kuang Lu were the only subjects present. He made a lot of mistakes thus he should have gone through a heavier punishment. But really, what he did to JM was the same as the previous Heavenly Emperor which was to force your love onto others despite fully comprehending that they are clearly not into you. If only he would realize that Kuang Lu has been by his side through thick and thin. Geez, stop letting your selfishness cloud your vision.
Sui He (a.ka. F**ker B): She can die in a ditch for all I care. Thank you, next.
Tu Yao: She really was cruel. She really deserved what she got though despite all that, we got to see her before she was downright sinister. Instead, she too was a victim of love and that made me pity her. It softened my heart to understand her more.
Liu Ying & Mu ci: I loved their story and their romance. They represented loyalty, love, care,trust and devotion to each other despite the turbulence that occurred to them. They grit their teeth and held hands to successfully achieve their love.
Yan You & Moon Immortal: The two of them were the highlight throughout the whole drama. They cracked me up when times got too serious, too heavy. They did all they could to save their loved ones from mistakes and regrets. I can say I highly anticipated their appearances to lighten the mood.
Music: I loved it. I can't get it out of my head. It's stuck. Help...
Rewatch value: 100%
Overall: It was so much better then TMOPB and the best historical cdrma I've watched so far. I admired the pure and strong love Xu Feng and Jin Mi had with each other. Finally, they pulled through and had their hea.
P.s. Who in their right mind would tell people to stop fighting while in the middle of a war? Uh, hello? This is W.A.R we're talking about. If this had happened in real life, she would've been dead before she could even utter the first sentence, honestly. *face palm*
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Longer than it needed to be
Honestly, overall this is a good drama, but it definitely felt like it dragged on more than it needed. I did end up finding myself skipping some parts forward, specially because there were some characters I just couldn't stand. One of my favorite things about the drama is actually the OST. There were some characters that made the show more entertaining as well, but there are still a few points that drag the story down other than its length. One of them is the sick "love" relationship, both on Runyu's part and the main characters. Their obsession with each other was just tiring and at some point became straight up annoying. Another kinda bad thing is the awkward acting of some of the characters, but honestly you can look past that. Overall I would go back and watch some parts again for sure. Would only recommend it if you have a lot of free time to spare.Was this review helpful to you?
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This is my first review ever, so... Let's start!I've completed this drama in less then three weeks which is quite short time (for me) on the drama with 63 episodes. I've planned watching this drama for so long and i find it really interesting. In this show wasn't the only episode that would bore me, the story went smoothly, actors were amazing in theirs roles, costumes were gorgerous... This drama has everything to have! And will awaken all your emotions inside you. While watching it I cry, laught, I felt uncertain, amazed and heartbroken. Sometimes dramas was boring after few episodes but Ashes of Love has plot which will keep you in tension and you want to see more and more.
The environment and backdrops give the show more of a beauty (backstage for a while reminds me a fairy tale Tinker Bell). Also costumes! Especially the Xu Feng's god of war costume. Really this one is my most favorite from this show. I read there is 3,000 pieces of clothing in total, so the male and female lead had around 30 costumes each. Music is too well done and I was surprised when I found out the ending was sung by Sa Dingding who plays Yuan Ji.
They are also two of my favorite actors! Deng Lun and Yang Zi.
First time I saw Deng Luns acting was in drama Because of You, he is my favorite actor and in Ashes of Love he didnt disappoint me. In his role as Xu Feng with his unyielding character catches my eyes again. In this drama he is the Fire Immortal/Phoenix, he is a bit arrogant but he can forgive mistakes. He have a "evil" mother and I think Deng Lun has destined to have this type of mothers in dramas (in Because of You he have also evildoing stepmother).
Yang Zi as Jin Mi is also beautiful character. She is the half elf who wants to see the world behind the barrier. Her character is little annoying, but her role only added to reality. She reminds me of Shan Shan (Boss & Me) with her appetite and love for food. She is the daughter of the Floral Fairy (the ruler of the Floral Realm), but this information about Jin Mi's birth had to be keep in secret. Before Floral Fairy died she created a magic barrier to protect her daughter from contact with the outside world.
The twoo main hero of this drama meet by chance, when the barrier is broken by mistake by the Xu Feng in his Phoenix form. Seriously injured he is saved by Jin Mi with her magic honey (but only after she wanted to make soup from him). He wanted to thank her for saving his life, so he did. As she had wished for many years, he free her from her prison behind barrier and Jin Mi becomes his reading asistant in Celestial realm.
Ours two main hero save life each other so many times and the relationship deepened between them. "I have really fallen for Fairy Jin Mi". These words say Xu Feng to Chief Zhang, after Jin Mi save his life.
There are also Run Yu/Night Immortal, the eldest son of the Celestial King. He is very close to Xu Feng/Phoenix. Despite their parents, the two half-brothers share a strong bond. Their relationship is so well done, they dont share the same mother, but they are very close. But relationship between Run Yu and Xu Feng will begin to sharpen when Jin Mi (like daughter of Watter Immortal and Leader of Flower Realm) becomes Run Yu's fiancee. Run Yu own the digital animal, white deer, which didnt eat grass or grain, he eats only dreams. First I saw this kind of stuff in drama Legend of Fu Yao and I found it so adorable.
I also like Moon Immortals character. He is so cute and childish! But I really dont like the Sui He/Peacock Immortal character right from the begginin. She is naughty and jealous of Jin Mi, also helps Xu Fengs mother with hers devil plans. I'm in love with all actors and characters in this drama, they acting skills were perfect!
So... I would end my rewiev like this:
"Phoenix flower only blooms in twoo seasons. One season for when destiny begins, the other for when destiny ends." I think this is the most memorable sentense in the whole story.
This drama is definitelly worth watching, i love the whole story. I think Ashes of Love is the best wuxia drama of year 2018 and I cant wait for season 2!
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This is just so good!!!
No waste episodes. The acting, the plot, the costumes, the CGI and overall aspects are so damn impressive.I wasnt a fan of Chinese Dramas before but after watching 1 chinese drama with xianxia genre, I became curious about cdramas. And now I am loving cdrama as much as i love kdrama. Cdramas are so entertaining too.
I highly recommend Ashes of Love!
No waste episodes. The acting, the plot, the costumes, the CGI and overall aspects are so damn impressive.
I wasnt a fan of Chinese Dramas before but after watching 1 chinese drama with xianxia drama, I became curious about cdramas. And now I am loving cdrama as much as i love kdrama. Cdramas are so entertaining too.
I highly recommend Ashes of Love!
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Couldn’t Have Been Better!
I actually started this drama a few years back, dropped it and came back this year because the reviews were really high and people said it was like Love and Redemption (my absolute favourite drama). To no surprise, it caught my attention from day one, and I started binge watching it ever since. There are a lot of things that contributed to such a brilliant drama, but a few includes the storyline, acting, OST, and production.First of all, the plot was so well planned out- it wasn’t like the script writers had casually wrote down the story, not knowing where it would go, at all. This is a really important factor to being a good drama, especially one based in the historical and fantasy genre, for me. Ashes of Love really exemplified that, which was awesome.
Next, I just wanna say that the cast and acting for this drama was… SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS (any one of you who know Mary Poppins know what I’m talking about)! Yang Zi was the PURRFECT actress to take Jing Mi’s role, as she possesses this gentle beauty and her presence gives off a fairy-like aura. Apart from that, Yang Zi flawlessly portrayed Jing Mi’s development throughout the drama- growing from a naïve, innocent “grape fairy”, to a mature, understanding, and smart woman. Deng Lun, on the other hand, caressed a pair of expressive eyes that made me not only simp for him, but acknowledge his emotion at the moment without even needing to open his mouth and speaking. He also really sold the character of Xu Feng, and I don’t think any other actor would be able to replace him in this drama. The chemistry between the two main leads was also so REAL, I really wish that they would become a couple in real life (at least film another drama together, come on)! Additionally, the supporting characters were incredible as well. Luo YunXi portrayed Run Yu’s gentleness, jealously, grievance and revenge SUPERB! He’s so professional! The actresses for Liu Yang and Sui He were exquisite too, they really deserve a standing ovation from me!
Moving on, I just wanna mention how much I loved the OST (music), because this drama had me singing the opening and closing song for DAYS! Last but not least, I would like to praise the entire team that made Ashes of Love possible. You guys are AWESOME! Thanks so much for giving us this high quality, emotional roller coaster of a drama!
The best part of this drama for me, was watching all the characters grow and getting what they all deserved at the satisfying finale.
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