This review may contain spoilers
Watch the 1996 version instead (unless you love Janice Man)
StoryDemi-Gods and Semi-Devils is such a good storyline, but this 2021 adaptation ruins it with some weird scene orders and logic. Some examples: one scene where Jiu Mozhi appears out of nowhere and steal the Yi Jing jing from You Tan Zhi when he left it on the table, or the dried well scene with Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan where she was supposed to finally accept him but they still act weird after that and not to mention they left Jiu Mozhi under the well and doesn’t pull him up. Xu Zhu’s storyline was also a mess. During the contest to select a prince for Xixia princess, there was no combat phase, and after Xu Zhu met the princess and she pulls him out to have sex with him (he tells her all kinds of stuff about Tianshan Tonglao and Li Qiushui , which doesn’t make sense because she doesn’t know them at all) and then we never see her again. And many more.
Music
Uninteresting themesong and weak bgm.
Actors/Actresses/Acting
The main actors (Xiao Feng, Duan Yu, Xu Zhu) are average. Xiao Feng doesn’t give me the impression of a hero. Xu Zhu is just scratching his head over and over, which is annoying (and he looks kinda evil in some scenes). Duan Yu is ok but could be better. The actresses, however, are pure eye candy and is the only good thing about this adaptation. Everyone of them, from young to old and main to minor characters, are incredibly attractive (especially Wang Yuyan by Janice Man). Their acting is also very good and believable, compare to the male counterparts.
Combat
This adaptation has one of the worst, if not the worst, combat in wuxia series. The constant zoom-in and slow-mo every 5 sec is extremely frustrating. The wire work is also cringy, especially when Duan Yu uses his Minute Steps skill to climb walls, or the constant sliding and looking at the enemy's weapon in slow-mo from literally every single fights. Also, the lack of (or horrible) special effects to differentiate each of the special skills is equally bad. They try to be “realistic” by having the internal energy be transparent, but it made all the skills look the same and boring. This is fiction! They should have made each skills have unique special effects and colorful like the 1996 version.
Ending
One word: BAD. ...........INCOMING HUGE ENDING SPOILERS........ Xiao Feng's prison breakout was supposed to be an epic scene with everyone fighting alongside him against the Liao army, but they cut the whole thing out (no more budget?). So it’s bad enough that they try to make Wang Yuyan try to be a nun, but they didn’t explain anything when Duan Yu walks out the temple with her. They also ruin Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling ending because they are nowhere to be seen at the end. As for Xu Zhu, so he just left his beloved princess and travel the world? WTH. And many other annoyances.
Overall
This is a watchable series if you want to see beautiful females. But prepare to endure through horrible fight scenes and bad storyline logic. If you want to see a good adaption of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, watch the TVB's 1996 version (awesome themesong and bgm, good fight scenes and special effects for a 1996 series, and superb storyline and acting by everyone).
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Just... Meh
I'll start with I haven't watched the 2003 drama with this same title, so in case I missed out on something, it's because of that.I don't even know where to start.... It is my pet peeve when writers put so many events into a single episode of a drama and the whole drama then becomes PACKED. Let the plot brew and breathe for a sec, I can't keep up with you.
In the episodes I watched, there was mostly Duan Yu plot and honestly, they could've just cut this story out and call it "the ridiculous adventures of Duan Yu". His plot in those episodes was just.... Crazy. When he found out about the first half sister, okay, when he found out about his second half sister drama minutes moments after, I was just "well.... O-kay? Weird" And when there was the indication of a third half sister because apparently every woman who had a child with Duan Yu's father has a blood revenge on him and the Duan Family, I called it quits.
I put "not planing to drop drama" in the review but idk, I was thinking of dropping it after episode 4 already, then episode 6 and I don't know what kept me until episode 12. Very probably Bai Shu, even though characters like Duan Yu (dummies who are actually just too innocent and pure hearted for the world but gosh darn it, learn something from your actions at least???) are another pet peeve of mine.
There are some things I loved about this drama though, one is soundtrack, the music and singing matched beautifully to the scenery. Two is the what looks like warm autumn weather, when this drama was shot. And three is the teachings of the monks, my infj heart deeply appreciated those words.
I am curious about how this ends, might watch it until the end but right now, I am so tired of Duan Yu diving head first into all of the deep and murky waters.
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Why to happily skip this drama
Please am begging you to skip this drama if uYou are not ready to stop watching cdrama cause that how this drama will make u feel all because of the main act boy the character is not the cute stupid type it's the stupid irritating annoying type that will make you imagine yourself inside the drama slapping that guy to grow up and not spoil other past wuxia heroes cause that the part the guy is playing ,dont know whether the director or writer thought ppl will like that style of acting from the main character dan or duan yu but its like an awesome drama with the most useless main guy character,loved him from love and redemption but the hatred I have for this character here is making me forget he is a good actor playing the most stupid role please if you have watched other martial art heroes film please skip this one it can make you stop watching martial art cdrama
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worst tlbb, 3 star in douban, cheapskate
i am a fan of tlbb. my warning, dun watch this. so many failures. Opening song so wimpy, first scene already set me off. the floor are concrete, everything feels like so fake. I hate the filming method: take part of body only. u see face only , next foot only, and so on, and camera shaking during fight scene. I can't enjoy this, This is CHEAPSKATE filming.Further more, the cast seems wrong, no chemistries and the plot... Sorry I cant continue, I got inner damage/nei shang, just vomitted too much blood.
The best one is still 2003 version or HK version.
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