This review may contain spoilers
Quality Production
What an amazing drama this is. When it was first released, I wasn’t very sure if I wanted to watch it; it has all the big names like Adam Cheng and Leon Lai. I was thinking, maybe it was going to be like one of those crappy dramas trying to use big stars to prop it up. How wrong I was.Ning Que (played by Arthur Chen) and Sang Sang (played by Ireine Song) are adorable. They have the purest love for each other. The care and concern for each other are so heart-warming. The fighting scenes are so well executed that they look very authentic, with elegant postures showing the gracefulness and beauty of Chinese sword fighting and martial arts.
Arthur Chen is definitely a heartthrob that it’s hard to believe he is only 18, still a teenager. But he has a physique of a man in his 20s. In contrast, Ireine Song looks like a little 12 year old girl despite her actual age of 25 (or so). My only qualm is, since Arthur Chen is a relatively new actor, his inexperience does show on his facial expression. In the drama, he is arrogant when faced with people he dislikes, but mischievous when he was with people he cares about. So far, he looks almost the same on his face when he faces both types of people. The arrogant part is fine, but he lacks the mischievous expression; had he used a bit of his eyes or edges of his lips to achieve his mischievous look, that would have been perfect. I love everything about Arthur, but he hasn’t given us a convincing Ning Que. Until the end of the drama, I still couldn’t make out Ning Que’s true personality. On one hand, he seems very devoted to Sang Sang, but on the other, he flirts around with other girls. He wants to take Sang Sang as his wife, but at the same time, he wishes he could marry the others. I could never tell when he was trying to be playful, serious, or angry. In the final scene when Ning Que was supposed to be heartbroken with Sang Sang's death, he didn't come across as in pain and despair (I wasn't even crying myself - which I normally do when it comes to scenes like this). I was not moved at all! Despite this deficiency, overall, he melts my heart. I love seeing the duo together, one tall and handsome, the other little and humble but with an unyielding charisma.
This drama also touches on Chinese calligraphy and learning, making it somewhat, cultured with a lot of finesse. Like most Chinese epic dramas, the costumes are immensely beautiful. The attention to details deserves our kudos.
I was disappointed with the later episodes, the whole thing felt like a let-down, with a disastrous final episode. Sang Sang ‘died’ in the last episode. Though I know she will come back in Season 2, that’s not why I felt the last episode was disastrous. I’m talking about the building up of the whole story to the supposedly ‘climax’ in the final episode, which then played out like a deflated balloon with a ‘whiff’. There was no catharsis. The so-called climax felt more like an anti-climax instead. The drama finished leaving everyone feeling like, “What???????? That’s it??????” There were still so many loose ends. It feels like the director(s) simply wanted to pack everything up and go home. It’s a shame that they had such a good start but finished so shoddily. It is not surprising that the rating went down to the current 8.9 from 9.5 earlier.
Pretty good drama with no ending.
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Beautiful drama
I loved everything about this drama. The main lead actor n actress. The music was also v good. Lastly it keeps getting more interesting and love the fight scene. Just too good. Wanted to write review long time finally did it.The best word to describe is you will get addicted while watching. I’m not into drama with all kinds of games and stupid task to finish. Here it’s done so beautifully and every episode is worth watching.
I give 10 points because the story was v good. I love the male lead he was so good looking. I love the music it’s v modern type n plus n v soothing. I cannot pick any negative so I gave it 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
Western styled C-Drama?
Excellent production, great acting & cast, lovely costumes & set, superb cinematography, interesting soundtrack.I did not read the book, thus my impression is solely from the drama.
Story
It is a bit like Harry Potter. A young man who lost his family, hunted by people who wanted him dead, accepted into the prestigious Academy, received guidance and tutorship from so many experts along the way, received many interesting artifacts/ magic gadgets, meet and made many good friends, and then defeated the bad guys.
Characters & acting
I love how Arthur Chen portrayed Ning Que: good-looking, smart, adorable & lovable by everyone who knew him, including the Emperor. Song Yiren (24 y.o. during the filming) is amazing in portraying a child-like girl. Sang Sang looks like a 12-13 years old girl. At first, I wonder what trick they use to make her body looks so small, but then I realized she is indeed very petite. Their relationship feels more platonic than romantic though. I like how Ning Que gave up his crush on the seemingly perfect Mo Shan Shan and choose the ever-loyal Sang Sang. After all, Sang Sang has supported him from the time he was a nobody, while Shan Shan only gets to know him after he was well-known as Mr. Thirteen. This is like choosing your plain Jane companion of many years over a pretty and smart new colleague.
The Tang Emperor is likely the wisest emperor I had ever seen in a C-drama. He is kind, loving, faithful, and made many wise moves and decisions. I truly like how he tried to revert the injustice done to the General Lin family to avoid the life & death duel between Ning Que (whom he liked very much) and Xia Hou (for the sake of his Queen). Also when he decided the send the Academy students instead of sending troops to the badland when Xiling demanded so. He was also very kind to his brother, despite his brother being so wicked. I felt short-changed when I found out that Leon Lai was replaced by another actor in Session 2, his wise character seems disappeared.
The Academy is so unlike any school ever depicted in wuxia/xianxia movies. It sought to develop each person uniquely according to their passion and talents. There is a such strong sense of brotherhood. I love how Fuzi is depicted as a food-lover, almost every scene showing him eating or waiting to eat something. And the food is so interesting! There are pepperoni pizza in the Victory House (eaten by Sang Sang), Japanese-Italian fusion unagi pizza, instant noodles (in the badland), satay, and the most interesting juicer invented by the one and only Chen PiPi. In Session 2, Chen PiPi even introduced the self-heating hot pot! Everyone loves Chen PiPi, of course, the way he walks (shuffles), talks, eats and his cute facial expressions.
I can't stand all the fanatics and hypocrites in XiLing, especially Long Qing (but he has amazing six-packs!), Flower Addicts, and the various priests. Thankfully Wei GuangMing turned out to be a nice old man, though eccentric. Ye Qing (XiLing Universe Traveller) seems like a very wise person. I love the scene where he was told by a Tao priest in the Tang Kingdom how to spread the message of Tao to the common people. The conversation and the building in the background really reminded me of how the Catholic missionaries spread Catholicism to the world.
I also love the scenes where Ning Que was tutored by Yan Se.
I pity Princess Li Yu for her determination to get the throne for her brother (despite knowing the poor characters her brother had displayed), just because her late mother made her promised to do so. Parents should just wish their kids to live happily (like the Tang Emperor had told Li Yu) and should not leave a burden to their kids.
Costume & Set
Even though the story is set during the Tang dynasty, the costumes and set are somewhats Romanesque, especially for the West Temple/Xiling. The costumes of the priests resemble the robes worn by Catholic priests, the facade of the temple with tall pillars and triangular roof reminded me of the Roman buildings. The armors worn by the soldiers are similar to those we see in movies that depicted the Roman Empire. The headgear worn by High Templar Lou Kedi is certainly a Roman soldier headpiece. The way Xiling tried to control everything reminded me of the time Catholic Church tried to control Europe. The way they pursue the supposedly barbarian & demonic Huangren tribe and the Son of Hades reminded me of the witch-hunt. The Temple in the West could be a reference to the Church?
Qu Ni from YueLun looks like a gypsy, and the building where her son laid to rest looks like a catedral!
The Princess and Queen costumes and tiaras are also very Western-oriented.
Soundtrack
At first, the ballad-like soundtrack startled me, but then it started to grow on me, and in the end, I found myself humming it! Too bad they don't use it much during the last 10 or so episodes.
Cinematography
It is just wonderful!
Production
All in all, it is a really superb production. The pace may be slow in some episodes, but they were also beautiful, so I kind of enjoyed them.
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Story was good but not happy with some parts
Bonding between sang sang and Ning que had shown so deeply in the drama that as viewer, I also deeply connected with this bonding that I really want that that they actually become couples but in the drama it had shown that their relation was a master and maid and they treat each other like this they didn't think much and beyond about this ,though he had immense respect and love towards Sang Sang but at that time he didn't love her as woman but he always thought her as very important part of life and he was incomplete without her . As story move further for some purpose he had to leave her with the promise he will come back till then she had to take care of their home . In his new journey a girl came to his life they together faced many ups and down and eventually they fall for eachother during that time Sang Sang met an old man who wanted her to be his student and in this way she became a lord of light at this point I thought now she got a very important role she got some power means something she became more power than Ning que and because of this they would separate but nothing happened like this . she only shown her power at last part the story that she sacrificed her life in order to save him . And drama over but I came to know that there was second season of this drama then my expectations become more towards 2nd season.Secondly whe he brought a girl to meet Sang Sang , sang sang realised that there was no place of her in his life and she decided to live her but he wanted to keep both of them because he can't leave both of them but he had to choose one so he chose Sang Sang he did right but he did wrong with the girl because he told her he loved her and wanted to marry her . He didn't realise to whom he actually loved and he continued his life Sang Sang and he slowly realised that his love towards her was different and no one replaced her .
Drama was good but many episodes were boring too. Actually I liked Sang Sang and Ning que part more and wanted to see their love story but this part had very few episodes of this because last few episodes he realised that he loved her . But I expect more in their story so this disappointed me but rest was good.
Acting was good.
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Action Packed Drama!
First of all, director Yang Yang did an amazing job! She orchestrates everything to make it appealing to the viewers in spite of the sudden change in between of the seasons. One thing that strikes me, the content of the story beef-up the biblical "terminologies" (like for example, the word omniscient, providence, eternal life, heaven, demons, evil, darkness, light, sin, forgiveness, repentance, and God). These words are related to the End Times/Prophecy.The entire productions of this C-Drama TV series was phenomenal! The chroma key composition, vfx, sfx, ost, cinematography, editing, cast, and the crew are all exceptional! Very smooth and clean production output compared to other C-Drama series.
However, the drawback of this C-Drama TV series (Ever Night) was the transition stage from S1 to S2, there was an abrupt transition of characters which everybody shook up a bit. I myself, having a difficulty to bear the new changes in SEASON 2, because still the back of my mind was the picture of original "Arthur Chen/Ning Que" and Meng Ziyi/Ye Hong Yu, "The Dao Addict" which my favorite lady sword master and cultivator in SEASON 1. Thus, the fighting scenes are epic in SEASON 2 which carried back the emotional setback of the drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Brilliant Storyline and ActingI watched both Ever Night seasons and kudos to the entire crew.
Very nicely taken and brilliant way to wage the war between Heaven and Hell.
Only thing I did not like much is that the show does not provide the powers of Ke Haoran and the Prince.
Sword saint is highly overrated at the end.
Also the power of Daughter of light could have been shown more before she becomes the daughter of darkness, etc in Season 2
Considering the rest of the characters and storyline, all these are minor as this is one of the tv shows i thoroughly enjoyed watching. The other favorite tv shows are
Swordsman
Demi Gods and Semi Devils is ok except for the final episode
Condor Heroes
Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre
Return of condor hero is ok except for the mess of the heroine
Deer and Cauldron
Enjoy watching all these tv shows
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Very good story, very good OST
I came up to Ever Night because of Meng Ziyi. I had to wait for many episodes until her first scene.She played very well, as always. But in my opinion, she's also more suitable played as Empress of Tang, or the 3rd sister.
The characters I likes are:
I like Arthur Chen's acting, he is fit enough to play as Ning Que. Young, good looking, has a sharp look.
I love Song Yiren playing as Sang Sang. She is soo cute portraying Ning Que's servant. She is very lively, agile, cheerful, but also can be a shy person at some moments. I guess she is the most notable star in this series.
The one I also like most is Chen PiPi. He's very funny at silly enough at the same time. I enjoyed moments he is teasing each other with Ning Que.
For the story, I expect nothing, just follow the scenario. There is an unpleasant plot why Ning Que choose Sang Sang as woman to marry, not Mo Shan Shan. But somehow it is tolerable considering the reasons.
I have to give credit for soundtrack and music score. Jazzy song from The Old Chang' An is the best choice for this series to give another level of mood to enjoy. The other songs and music score is also very excellent to make the scenes more emotional.
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A beautifully different story.
I give this 10 out of 10 for this drama, and it's all started with the Trailer. I probably watched the trailer itself for like hundreds of time because it's really beautiful."Shootings sky can re-appear in the sky, withered flower can bloom again..." this is just one of my favorite line amongst many.
My first impression of this drama is the beautiful scenery, beautiful script and good makeup (I often find Chinese drama didn't really put good makeup quality) :D Of course I need to talk about the cinematography, it was was stunning, I can see they put so much efforts on the production (In which I didn't find this in the 2nd season so I'm bit reluctant to watch it). This is also the first time I come across Chen Fei Yu in drama, and he did a good job for a pretty much novice actor. Ning Que really left a special impression for me, I mean he's not typical ML and the truth about his actual background which reveal at the end of the Season 1 is just perfect, it gives the fact that not only special person can get what they wants, sometimes a very great efforts can also made you reach your goals. For me Ning Que will always be Fei Yu with his charm, and comic expression.
The relationship between NQ and SS in season 1 wasn't about romance, it's like a little only. For me I see it, more about devotion and family, they both has been together almost entire of their lives, they've been taking care of each other since like very young, and it's awkward for them, so I like the fact that they didn't rush NQ and SS relationship here. NQ also has this fling with Mo Shan Shan and Ye Hong Yu, and they way the story unfold between them was subtle and special in their own way. Every feelings conveys beautifully from these three cast.
I also like the plot twist on how Long Qing turned from Angel to Devil, it shows how greed and turned people into someone else. At first I don't expect much of this character, but the actor did such amazing job here.
The fighting scene in this drama was perfect, I really like it, the CGI also flawless and bit difficult to find good one especially back then at 2018. Despite the incomplete story, Ever Night is such a great drama for me.
Maybe I will watch Season 2, try to watched eps 1 and everything was so different in quality already, but for now I probably goes and rewatch this Season again.
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This is a really fun, unique premise and world. 2 friends from the outer borders make their way to the capital city to make their fortune.
In 60 episodes, however, it only barely starts .. . the show spends too much time on the multiple worlds and their hundreds of characters instead of really building and focusing on the main relationships.
My main issue is that Sang Sang was standout actor and character for me in this series, and she gets barely any screen time. Instead, there's more side characters than one can keep track of (including 12 spiritual siblings), plus a whole host of other characters from class mates, to mentors, to an emperor and various inner palace politics.
In addition, a lot of the quests are 'mental' quests, where one just watches the main character scrunch his brow a lot and stumble around - which isn't particularly appealing.
Other Criteria I score by
Complex Themes - 5
(There may be more in Season 2, but in Season 1 not so much. Some small themes of being true to who you are, and not being confused by fancy words/wealth/sophistication).
Character Growth -5
(None really, our main characters act the same in the beginning as they do at the end, but there's some hints this will not be true by Season 2)
Nuanced Women -6
(Though there's lots of women, none of the women get enough screen time to form a really nuanced portrayal, except Sang Sang - and even she is only beginning to show different sides of her personality.)
Cinematography/Production Values - 9
(This is beautifully done, a good mix of CGI and real world scenery, well choreographed fight scenes etc. It's not as aesthetically pretty as say Yanxi Palace or Rise of the Phoenixes, but it's a big budget done well).
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Thank you to all the SUBBERS on Viki
UPDATE: 12/1 This show is by far the best of 2018! Great story! Great acting! Great OST! I just had to login to leave a great review even though its barely halfway through the series.
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Story: Some parts of the plot are similar with other wuxia drama. Like they have to go to school and then make friends with other students. But in that similarity, Ever Night made the story more clear and had a deep meaning, compare to other wuxia school drama. Some of the episodes were too draggy, maybe because of the development of season 2. I still feel that the peak of this drama was in the last episodes, but some of the twists are never to be missed.
Acting: I think the lead actor and actress have good acting skill, but not impressive. They good in comedy scenes and fighting, but really lack of emotions in sad scenes and chemistry. However, the CGI and fighting choreography are wonderful, and senior actors are brilliant in their act, except the emperor.
Music: The music from this drama is just good, some really can brought creepy and dark feelings to the scenes.
Rewatch value: I really like to watch the fighting scenes, I think those scenes made this drama special. And also the plot is strong and steady, so before the release of season 2, maybe I will rewatch some episodes.
Overall: The story about a kid who is nobody and then become hero is never bored to explore. However, not like any other drama that have the same based story, Ever Night didn't lose direction. Even after being slow in the middle, they still keep up with the purpose of the main character. That's why I think this drama is different and special.
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Overall I never watched a season (of anything) in which so little happend (but I still enjoyed myself). I still liked the drama and want to see season 2 but there where a lot of episodes where I thought "come on, get a move on!!" It was sometimes so slow that till the very end it felt like a build up... And I kept on waiting (and was excited) for things to really get going/play out.
In season 2 I hope for faster more focused pacing (now that the world, characters, relationships and so on are established). I liked no LOVED the action (the choreos) is this drama I just want MORE of it! And more development/twists.
For once I liked most characters and - even though it didn't seem like it in the beginning - there aren't as many annoying characters. And I generally noticed that dramas in which the main character is a guy - there are almost never any of those annoying, delusional, jealous female characters. Because they always appear to be a (annoying) challenge to female main characters.
The acting ranged from bad (but mostly only a few guest appearances) to very good. The main actors acting was good for his first drama (he relied a bit heavily on his eyebrows - though it was very entertaining :-)) I will miss him.
The music stood out mostly through unusually beautiful background tracks but sadly also through overdoing it with one or two songs on two or three episodes. Because the was one song wich was a bit stupid and overplayed - could have been used a bit more modestly BUT that was only a few episodes. So I really liked the background tracks (wish I could find them on Youtube) from the songs I liked a few and didn't like a few - which is normal for me.
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