Enjoyed It
There's always negative reviews like every series is supposed to be perfect and everyone nitpicks everything. None are perfect. This adaption is the best by far. Yang You Ning (Tony Yang) did a great job as Qiao Feng, as well as Janice Man (Wang Yu Yan), Bai Shu (Duan Yu) and Zhang Tian Yang (Xu Zhu). Ive never been critical that much of any series or films because it's all entertainment regardless of who likes it or who doesn't. So if you don't enjoy it then blame the producers. I recommend this series if you enjoy Jin Yong's stories.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of the worst drama remakes
Where do I even begin...China always does remakes of classic Wuxia novels every few years, and in my opinion, the 2021 Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is definitely one of the worst drama adaptations of the novel.
I am biased. My favourite version of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is the from 2003. Despite the poor video quality and old CGI, the acting and overall delivery from the 2003 cast is superior in many ways.
So with this 2021 remake (SPOILERS AHEAD!)
The music was fine, not much that like or dislike about it. It was just there so I didn't mind it.
BUT THE ACTING. Dear lord, THE ACTING! That drove me up the wall. I'm probably biased because I'm comparing how these characters are portrayed to the other remakes but STILL, the lack of emotion in some of these characters make me so frustrated.
There are key moments when this is so obvious.
1) When A'Zhu dies and her mother confronts Qiao Feng about her death. WHY WAS THE MOTHER NOT UPSET? Where were the tears? Where was the anger? The mum doesn't even seem remotely sad that her child was killed or the fact she never got to reunite with her lost child?
2) When the Dali Emperor witnesses his lovers get slain one by one in front of him. And the first two that died didn't even seem afraid or sad either??? They also didn't say anything before they were about to get stabbed...
The emperor did look a little sad and he let a few tears fall but it was ...meh. Yeah I get that he's trying to stay calm and strong as he's being threatened. But for a guy that's meant to be a womanising playboy that's really a romantic at heart, his overall character depiction in the drama is kind of cold and stoic. And if you think about the fact that he's meant to be IN LOVE with these women as they die because of him, you can understand why I think they could've done better with the acting.
There are also many other moments in the drama where the acting was just plain lazy and boring, but thankfully most of that was in minor/side characters.
I don't have much to complain about the plot because it's pretty much the same as the other versions of this story. The only part that's noticeably different is the ending because theres a few loose ends.
Did the monk(XuZhu) leave his wife/lover and Lingjiu Palace for good? In the last episode, he decides to let go of his "desires" and leave his home to face the world...umm....WTF?? I thought he wasn't a 'real' monk anymore because of the stuff he did, so why is he going on a spiritual journey to find himself and let go of his earthly desires? Didn't he already accomplish finding himself and gained happiness after he meet his true love and brothers????
I don't know what happened with the Dali Prince (Duan Yu) either. Obviously he's Dali's emperor at the end, but it's unclear what happened to his 'sisters'. I don't know exactly which ending this drama follows. In one version of the novel, he ends up with just the fairy sister. And in the other, the fairy sister decides to stay with her cousin, and Duan Yu ends up marrying the three other girls. But in this drama, the fairy sister chooses to stay with her cousin but then Duan Yu visits her and they leave a monastery together....so does that mean they're together together....or???
Overall, don't recommend unless you're looking to be disappointed, especially if you've seen the earlier remakes.
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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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