Lost You Forever? Congrats, you really did!
This came highly recommended, with glowing reviews and sky-high ratings that practically dared me to dive in. The premise promised a rich blend of wuxia, reverse harem intrigue, and a gender-bending lead—what’s not to love? But five episodes in, I was already eyeing the exit. My thumb hovered over the “drop” button like it was a lifeline. I told myself to be patient, that maybe the magic would kick in soon. Instead, my fast-forward thumb got more of a workout than my attention span, and by the halfway mark, I finally threw in the towel.To be fair, the production is gorgeous. The cinematography is lush, the costumes are exquisite, and the acting is solid across the board. Even Yang Zi—who’s never been my favorite—won me over with her performance as the male physician Xiao Liu. She brought charm and grit to the role, and for a moment, I thought maybe this drama would redeem itself. But charisma alone couldn’t justify wallowing through a plot that felt like it was wandering in circles. This story could’ve easily been told in half the runtime.
Then came the kicker: there’s a second season. Because apparently 39 episodes weren’t enough to wrap up this slow-motion saga. That revelation didn’t feel like a cliffhanger—it felt like a trap. My decision to quit felt less like giving up and more like reclaiming my time.
Watching this drama is like driving down an endless highway while Bob Ross narrates a painting tutorial. Undeniably pretty, but not exactly riveting. There’s potential in its tropes, but with pacing this glacial, I couldn’t bring myself to keep going. Beautiful, yes—but forever is a long time to be this bored.
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Epic Novel, Hope Drama is Equally Epic
I watched a few episodes for Tan Jianci. Was curious and ended up reading the translation of the novel by Koala's Playground - TWICE. OMG, am now obsessed with LYF and Xiang Liu. The writer Tong Hua is also doing the screenplay and so far the episodes have been pretty good. I prefer this to TTEOTM and LBFAD, both of which I dropped halfway.The drama isn't a straightforward romance. There are issues of identity, abandonment, ambition, envy, and plenty of imperial intrigue and maneuvering. Hope the drama lives up to the novel which is just fantastic.
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Too much romanticizing violence
I started to immediately dislike it when the white hair guy was introduced. He literally tortures the fl with 40 lashes without any particular reason then Erotically sucks her blood everytime they meet.. and guess what he becomes a love interest for her. I would have still watched it if the actual ml a interesting character.. but no he is a " years mam" simp with zero backbone...And she seems like a easy woman when she is with the white haired guy..
It hurts me when ever I see people supporting the guy.. puke
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A Must Watch
I usually do not like fantasy series but this one is the exception. It is part 1 of 2 and both are a must watch series with such a complet cast, I truly enjoyed binge watching both series. If you choose a period drama series with loveable characters this is the one for you. Part 2 was even better than this part 1.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
My #1 Show
Heartbreakingly beautiful. Watched many. many times. Xiang Liu ... a complex character that will never die, just haunting and unforgettable. Xiyan Cang Xuans character was so intense and had so many layers. I think it ended the way it needed to, even if it hurt to watch. Beautiful OSTXiao Yao knew Xiang Liu was in love with her and he knew she deeply loved him but they both knew they would and could never be together.
Truly Lost Forever.
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It was a fun ride
There's so much I could say, but overall, I loved everything about season 1. Here are some highlights:'Acting with one's eyes and subtle movements. ' So many of the actors/actresses in the cast are able to convey complex emotions through simple movements and their eyes. It's very moving and captivating.
Beautiful clothing, hairstyles.
Memorable dialogue.
Heartbreaking reunions. When XY thought she saw her mom again, I cried so hard. That was the hardest I cried throughout the drama. It was everything I thought it was going to be. The emotions were captured so well.
Yang Zi. What can I say, I don't think I have ever watched a drama that she was the lead in that I didn't like.
All in all, 10/10.
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Princess Xiling & the Men that Loved Her
If you want to cry or you need to cry, this is the story for you. This is a tragic, heartbreaking, incredible story, start to finish.This show has made me cry on & off for most of the show. It made me cry so hard that my chest & throat hurt and my eyes were swollen.
Its a tale of 4 types of love, childhood sweethearts & possession, friendship & deep bonding, enimies to lover and responsibility & understanding.
This story is deep with many hearts, promises & lives broken, and survival, compassion & longing.
If you want a nice love story, this is not the one for you, if you want pure romance look again. If you are ready to wage a war with your own heart, look no further. Pain, suffering, scheming, betrayal, love, hope, happiness, fun & friendship is all offered in this series.
Is it a happy ending? Yes. But the journey to get there??
I gave it a 10 because it deserves it. I cried for 23rds of the show & wont ever rewatch, but the acting was incredible, the story superb, every question is answered, every person gets their ending and even though its not always happy, it is very real in relation to the story.
I recommend watching, but prepare for your heart to be shattered & put back to together a milion different times, in a milion different ways.
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Not the usual xian xia but still as awesome
LIKEAfter Xiao Yao sent off Zuo Er and what she said to Xiang Liu - my tears!!
When Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao caught in a situation with Yu Jiang and Fang Feng Bei - my tears again..
When Cang Xuan was trying his best to get rid of his "XX" and Xiao Yao helped him through - so much tears....
DISLIKE
Tu Shan Jing drove me so mad.. he doesn't deserve Xiao Yao at all
Xiang Liu was such a flickered minded snake...
MUSIC - personal fav
长相思 Chang Xiang Si - 郁可唯 Yu Ke Wei
偏爱人间烟火 Pian Ai Ren Jian Yan Huo - 胡夏 Hu Xia, 张紫宁 Zhang Zi Ning
有你无你 You Ni Wu Ni - 毛不易 Mao Bu Yi
万物不如你 Wan Wu Bu Ru Ni - 张杰 Zhang Jie
REWATCH VALUE
Definitely as I have re-watched thrice already
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A cdrama that is very much character driven; full of interesting character dynamics
[Note: I have seen season 2 aka the second half of this season. This review and high rating is solely for the first season. If I were to rate the entire show, it would be at a 8/10. My explanation for the lower rating written below, with slight spoilers. On the "Lost You Forever" season 2 page, I will rate it 8/10.]This drama is not very action-focused or fast-paced as it's very much character driven. What happens when traumatized children grow up? How do they heal or regress? Who are the people in our lives who were important chapters in our lives but may not stay with us forever? What's more important: my duty or my love? This drama is full of interesting and flawed characters and their relationship & dynamic to one another, especially with the female lead to the male leads. NOTE RIGHT NOW: If you dislike female leads having "romantic" moments with multiple men (or dislike the men being "disloyal" by marrying other women), then this drama is NOT for you. This drama does a fine job in showing her potential future with different men, especially how each men are important to her and how they fulfill different parts. I personally didn't have any conflict over this because it's well written and makes logical sense, considering what each character has gone through.
Also, great acting from all the characters, especially yang zi, zhang wanyi, tan jianci, and deng wei. The amount I've cried from watching yang zi crying? The way yang zi and zhang wanyi have such an electric and tragic tone underneath every conversation they have? It's no wonder that this season 1 (and some of the actors) won plenty of awards in 2023.
This drama (season 1) will break your heart. It's angst, hurt/comfort, tender, sweet, and heartbreaking. (The title is "Lost You Forever," you know?) Absolutely 10/10, no notes.
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-------------------------slight spoilers for season 2------------------------------------
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On season 2 and how it damaged this drama: I rated this drama 8/10--still high--because I enjoyed season 1 and parts of season 2 very much. But season 2's ending did irreparable ruin to the storyline and so this is really closer to a 7/10 for that unsatisfying ending. It was so lukewarm that it's laughable and so I don't even consider it a real ending.
NOTE: What caused the drastic changes? Lots of speculation: drama behind the production, actor favoritism, China censorship (which includes "hero-washing" the actions of flawed characters). Season 2 of the drama also got trimmed a lot from like 30 episodes to 23 episodes. So, it's clear at several spots that there are huge jumps in times and supporting characters who are suddenly brought forth to the main storyline...
The biggest betrayal of the storyline was that it ruined the character development of several of the main characters and thus was completely frustrating and unsatisfying. It happened in the final 4 episodes. Thus, I have personally elected to ignore most of what happened in the final 4 episodes, especially the "twist"--because it would not make sense.
If you're someone who can separate the two seasons like I have and consider that the good outweigh the bad, then you'll probably enjoy a lot of what this drama have to give. But if you're someone who considers the overall drama and considers the ending as an important part to conclude the entire drama, then this drama will hurt you. This drama was so highly rated in 2023 because of its interesting characters and dynamics. But season 2, especially the ending, did not follow through with some of them. So it's incredibly disappointing.
But I supposed this drama is like the final nail in the coffin, serving as a caution for Chinese dramas watchers: If even this incredible drama was reduced by its ending, can we trust Chinese dramas to give us satisfying endings from now on?
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many love line
This drama is not completely wuxia nor xianxia, but I would say it leans more toward wuxia. The story is quite complex because there are so many love lines, which is why you can see fans of different couples debating and “shipping wars” every single day during the premiere and even after the show ended. But despite all that, it is clear that this drama is excellent. The story feels complete, especially since it continues as a sequel to the previous hit show.The story may not have a lot of plot twists, but the dialogue, cinematography, and scene-to-scene execution are so well done that it’s a true pleasure to watch.
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Not a Love Story—A Story About What Love Costs
I went into Lost You Forever expecting a romance. What I got instead was something far more rare—and far more powerful.Season I is not about choosing between men. It’s about survival, identity, and the slow reconstruction of agency after a lifetime of abandonment and manipulation. The story follows Xiao Yao, a woman who has learned to live as whoever she needs to be in order to survive, and the three men whose lives intersect with hers in very different ways.
What sets this drama apart immediately is its consistency of purpose. There is no filler disguised as romance. Every interaction reveals something:
about power,
about emotional dependency,
or about what each character is willing (or unwilling) to sacrifice.
The performances elevate everything further:
Yang Zi delivers a masterclass in emotional range, convincingly shifting between identities while maintaining a consistent core.
Zhang Wanyi brings subtlety and control to a character whose emotions are often suppressed but always present.
Tian Jianci creates one of the most quietly devastating characters in recent memory through restraint alone.
Season I shines because of its momentum. There is not a single episode that drags. Even slower moments are purposeful, deepening emotional stakes or setting up future consequences.
Most importantly, the drama refuses to lie. Love is not presented as a solution—it is presented as a force that can both sustain and destroy, depending on the context in which it exists.
By the end of Season I, what you feel is not satisfaction, but recognition: this story is going somewhere difficult, and it intends to follow through.
And that alone sets it apart.
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Great love story
This show has intriguing plot with 1 FL and 4 MLs. It's romance theme in plots, dialogues and flows. Overall, it's a great script and directing which is hard to find in Cdrama (in my opinion). The OSTs are beautiful. The visual presentations are pleasing to the eyes. Additionally, the FL and the MLs are very good at portraying their characters.Was this review helpful to you?
