The Starry Love (2023)

A Xianxia filled with love, friendship, disaster, and most importantly, comedy.

If you, like me, did not have your eye on this drama but decided to watch it on a whim, you will be pleasantly surprised by The Starry Love. And understandably so, because the past few years of Xianxias have exposed us to the ‘overuse’ of familiar Xianxia tropes. Fortunately, director Chu Yuibun (朱锐斌) seems to have realized this and decided to add a unique comedic spice to The Starry Love that significantly differentiates this drama from the rest of the modern Xianxia genre. Overall, The Starry Drama is a story of the love between two main couples as well as their adventures with friends, and what it means for the world to love or hate you.

The Starry Love (星落凝成糖) is adapted from the Xianxia novel of the same name by Yi Du Jun Hua (一度君华), and is the last installment of the Honey Trilogy, three romance dramas directed by Chu Yuibun. Therefore, you might notice the vast similarities between color selection, setting appearance, and costume design between The Starry Love and Ashes of Love. The Starry Love also has several actors that also played major roles in Skate Into Love, and its catchy OSTs are once again sung by the talented Sa Dingding and Mao Buyi, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng. Here's another thing that may motivate you to watch The Starry Love: the leads voice their own characters, with the exception of Chao Feng. (no need to be worried about the high FL voice this round!)

Once again, the story is established with many of the usual Xianxia tropes. The world is composed of Four Realms, the Immortal, Demon, Mortal, and Beast. However, the Mortal Realm is fully aware of the other realms and works with the other leaders to maintain world peace. The Immortal Realm is again the ‘good’ realm, the Demon Realm is the ‘bad’, the Mortal is the ‘weak’, and the Beast is basically the ‘extra’. The main female leads, Ye Tan and Qing Kui are twins with a sealed fate, which they don’t learn about until later in their lives. Qing Kui is the hailed princess, the girl living everyone else’s dream. She is the destined Heavenly Consort, the future wife of Heavenly Deity Shao Dian You Qin. On the other hand, younger sister Ye Tan is not as fortunate. She was deemed a ‘bad luck star’ from birth, never having experienced the warmth and love from her father and servants. Destined to marry the future king of the Demon Realm, she vows to be a powerful evil being to defeat those who have always down on her. However, the sisters’ wedding carriages are swapped, and they end up in the wrong realms.

As you can see, we’re presented with a pretty unoriginal premise, so what makes this drama so interesting and keeps us on our toes? Well, to say this in the simplest way possible, it’s the way comedic scenes are inserted into the drama at the most surprising of times that makes The Starry Love such a fresh breath of air. One minute, you might be sad or even crying because of a certain scene, and a few seconds later, you are laughing so hard you might even be clenching your stomach. I personally really enjoy this unique addition, as I’ve certainly never seen this before in Xianxias and loved the comedic aspect.

The Starry Love is 40 episodes long, as with many of the new dramas after the maximum 40 episode rule. (in which some dramas divided the series in two parts to bypass this new Chinese law) The drama is well-paced, without many, or perhaps even any, filler scenes, unlike a few of the long dramas. I really enjoyed how there was understandable time spent on each You Qin arc, and how each couple was given enough time per episode to bond and give us the sugar we deserve.

Onto the acting. The acting here was PHENOMENAL, especially when it comes to Chen Xingxu. This man here had to act five totally different personalities. In the usual Xianxias we may get one or two reincarnations, but Shao Dian You Qin here went on a total personality-changing spree. From the cold You Qin, he was also the cute and heartwarming La Mu, greedy but caring Mei You Qing, elegant womanizer Wen Ren, and of course, the You Qin at the end, all of his previous personalities melded into one. Chen Xingxu pulled off his roles perfectly, effectively showing the great contrasts between each personality and making them seem like totally different people. (fun fact: (Mei You Qin) 没有情 means Emotionless)

As I was watching a drama with Li Landi for the first time, I loved her acting and her role as Li Guang Ye Tan. The changes her character experienced were phenomenal, and Landi displayed this through her acting, especially in the eyes. Not only is The Starry Love about the strong love between lovers, but between friends and family as well. Ye Tan and Qing Kui’s sisterly love is a strong relationship that not many others can compete with. The contrast between the two sisters’ personalities was also a sweet treat. Although Qing Kui always received the love that Ye Tan never had in her first 18 years, Ye Tan never blamed her older sister for it. Instead, they were always worrying about the other. While Ye Tan is a girl afraid of nothing, Qing Kui’s pure kindness guided her younger sister to the path of happiness.

The chemistry between both couples was just right. You will be gushing for not one, but two extremely compatible couples. As I was rooting for the Heavenly Couple, I was also squealing for the love story that was blossoming in the Demon Realm. As they say, you’ll always find each other if you’re destined to be together. It’s amazing how each of the characters influenced others to change and become better versions of themselves.

Of course, a Xianxia drama would not be complete without both loveable and hateable characters. Ye Tan, who had never received much care and love in her life, felt so fortunate to have become friends with not only Man Man and Di Lan Jue, but with Qing Heng, Zi Wu, the three senior immortals, and even with her future brother-in-law, Chao Feng. It was so heartwarming to see everyone warm up to this princess, who had always longed for a happy life. On the other hand, we have the power-hungry Immortal and Demon Emperors who put their own power before their family’s happiness. The Heavenly Empress demonstrated her true love for her children before any noble title or riches, while the Demon Empress’s power-hungry eyes not only showed her pure-evil heart but her universal love for her only son. The side couples were all very cute and fun to watch.

Production-wise, The Starry Love did a phenomenal job. The special effects for magical spells in all realms complimented their respective backgrounds and were all natural to the look. Like previous Xianxias, the Immortal Realm is given an almost-whitewashed look, while the Demon Realm is a land of darkness. However, the fireworks and magical trees were gorgeous to look at, to name a few magical elements of the drama.

Like Ashes of Love, the OST for The Starry Love includes songs sung by Mao Buyi and Sa Dingding, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng, and were epic as always. Sa Dingding once again awes us with her amazingly high vocals managed with immaculate precision, while Mao Buyi and Liu Yuning sing with longing emotion. Shuang Sheng once again displays her lovely voice with a sweet tone. The soundtrack is as follows:

[Theme Song] “The Starry Love” (星落凝成糖) - Sa Dingding
[Opening Song] “Speak with You” (与子成说) - Liu Yuning
[Ending Song] “Flawless World” (天地无瑕) - Mao Buyi (with another version sung by Sa Dingding)
[Additional Song] “Twin Flowers” (双花儿) - Shuang Sheng

If The Starry Love is not THE Xianxia drama 2023, it is one of the best. Although it includes many Xianxia elements used in previous Xianxia dramas, the comedic aspect of this series differentiates it from the rest of the group and will certainly brighten up your day. The emphasis on strong sisterly love is also something that is not to be missed. (there’s eye candy too!)

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Flower Power.

The Starry Love is a divine comedy packed with romance, sisterhood, friendship, adventure, mystical powers, and gut-busting laugh-out-loud moments. It takes dead aim at the tired, cliche-ridden xianxia formula. I was sold on both the drama and the female lead the moment she asks the most relevant question; after thousands of years, does the equipment still work? I laughed so hard that I fell off my treadmill. Be warned; it can be life-endangering to eat junk food or sip wine while watching this hilarious xianxia spoof.

This story rehashes a well-known plot about mixed-up brides where two sisters end up with each other's intended. Born under auspicious omens, the elder, virtuous, and good-natured Princess Qingkui is engaged to the aloof and righteous Shaodian Youqin, Sky prince and protector of the realm. The ill-omened, defiant, and mischievous younger Princess Yetan is to be married to the ominous Void realm, where the unfavored, scheming, and ruthless third prince, Chaofeng plots against his brothers to be the next Void Tyrant. Through a comedy of errors, Yetan ends up in the Sky realm where she turns the world of the pompous Youqin upside down while Qingkui stupefies the nefarious Chaofeng with her goodness. Both couples hilariously discover that opposites attract and two wrongs make a right. All too soon they discover that they are twin flowers born from a sacred tree that can unleash chaos on the four realms. Can their flower power prevail over destiny or will their stories only be remembered by the starry skies?

The more familiar you are with common xianxia tropes, the funnier this drama is. The plot unfolds along recognizable lines, gobsmacking you with unexpected twists along the way. The sisters truly love and support each other and the friendships are genuine and tested by hardship and sacrifice. While there is a healthy dose of the genre-defining angst that made my eyes burn with tears, it is usually short-lived, turning into humor in the blink of an eye. This is a very self-aware drama that pokes fun at the absurdity of tired tropes by acknowledging that even invincible immortals fear death, that the Sky realm is a very boring place and most of the eye candy lives in the Void realm. While it is a humorous fresh take on the genre, the underlying messages about good and evil are all too familiar and there is not much substance to the story.

It is undeniable that the sis-mance and romances are the highlights of this drama. Each sister finds in her mate all the qualities she loves best in her sister! The sisters are loyal to each other almost ahead of their lovers and their men get it and accept that there are more important things than love. Newcomer Chen Muchi gave me palpitations with his sexy and charismatic portrayal of the duplicitous and manipulative Chaofeng. It was a joy to watch Qingkui awaken that spark of conscience that sets him on the right path without losing his air of devil-may-care wickedness. I was initially less impressed with Chen Xingxu's cliched and stiff portrayal of Youqin's stony indifference. But the way Youqin comes alive once that facade crumbles and how he shows us the many sides of Youqin - germaphobe, pyromaniac, mercenary, and playboy; once again attests to this actor's versatility and mastery. Chen Xingxu's and Li Landi's wonderful chemistry and the way they are able to play off each other's emotions and reactions are authentic and captivating. Li Landi is really a young actress to watch. Her Yetan is so brave, naughty, and infectiously bubbly that it is no wonder she had not just Youqin but the entire Sky realm at her feet. All four lead actors have excellent comedic timing and the impressive ability to pull off many simply uproarious lines with a straight face.

The biggest criticism I have of this drama is the overuse of bright lighting and the over-lit Sky realm. It makes for an overbearing visual experience that makes the back of my eyeballs feel like I have been staring down a torchlight. The production values and CGI are not the best and almost made me skip this drama, which would have been a mistake. Because it is addictive from the start and overall well-paced although it loses some momentum in the mortal realm before reaccelerating to the finish. The final arcs take on a more serious and angsty tone and the villains are a bit cliched and too easily identifiable. It also overuses the bad dad trope and some of the rationale of the Sky emperor in particular does not bear close scrutiny. Although many are not pleased with the ending, I have watched enough xianxias to expect something like that so it just made me laugh. I think it was quite comical and oddly fitting with the spirit of the drama. I am happy to recommend this as a very enjoyable light watch. I rate it 8.5/10.0.

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When Mr Wrong Turned Out To Be Mr Right!

I was anticipating this drama not only because of Chen Xing Xu as the male lead but also because of the director, Chu Yui Bun, whose works included "The Long Ballad" and “The Blue Whisper”. He also directed the other two dramas that made up the “Honey Trilogy” - “Ashes of Love”, “Skate into Love” and now “The Starry Love”.

Well, I was not disappointed. The Starry Love has beautifully captured the twists and turns of destined love based on the theme of marrying the wrong man who turns out to be the right one.

The plot centered around a pair of twin sisters, the older sister Qing Kui, favored by the human race, and was betrothed to the Heavenly Empyrean. The younger sister, Ye Tan was considered a jinx and was bullied all her life.She was promised to the Voidwalkers (demon world) as the consort to the Crown Prince. On their wedding day, the brides were switched, setting off a series of trials, tribulations, rescues and romance.

This high-budget xianxia delivered what is expected of its genre, an engaging ride that takes the viewers through a journey filled with a myriad of emotions. Well-paced, the show swung from romantic to dramatic to funny quickly and smoothly, and it keeps the entertainment level high throughout the show.  The ending was not what I had hoped for but I cannot lower my rating because the drama on the whole, was so well-executed.

The story never lost its momentum, and just got better and better. I like that the tropes that can take up to several episodes in other dramas, did not get dragged out and instead were resolved quickly. I never felt tempted to skip, and there were many scenes that I would rewatch just so I could appreciate the gestures, effects, and dialogue again.

The production was undoubtedly high-quality, and a lot of attention paid to the details. The cinematography, costumes and sets provided a striking visual impact, and the special effects/CGI were well-done, immediately evoking feelings of wonder and fantasy. Furthermore, the choreography for the fights, flying, and other action shots were done so superbly.

Overall, the script scores points with dynamic characters who struggled with their actions, who were not always clear if they were doing the right thing or what the right thing even was. Most good characters had flaws, and the villains had backstories that made them relatable and their actions justifiable. Viewers will come to understand what the characters went through, the reasons for their emotions, and their circumstances. I find myself connecting with the characters and rooting for many of them.

I have nothing but praises for the cast. Chen Xing Xu proves his acting chops again as Youjin, the ML. He did so well not only in the intense emotional scenes but also in simple scenes where the audience only needed to watch his face and feel the love that he had for YeTan, the FL. In the drama, CXX had to play 5 different characters of the same person which he pulled off wonderfully.

Landi Li’s acting as the FL left a firm impression, and I was blown away by her superb performance. I did not like her character, Ye Tan at first but I warmed up to her quickly especially after finding out more about her tragic childhood. I came to respect Ye Tan, someone whom I would describe as resilient and resourceful.

Still, Qing Kui, Ye Tan’s sister remained my favorite as she was the epitome of the strong FL. She was truly the iron fist in a velvet glove. Brought up refined and elegant, Qing Kui was the opposite of Ye Tan, but she was also intelligent and tough when necessary. She was brave and unafraid to love. To be honest, I shedded the most tears for her as for me, her sacrifice was the greatest. I also enjoyed Luke Cheng’s portrayal of Chao Feng who displayed conflicting motivations as he strove to protect his loved ones.

The entire ensemble did so well, and the supporting characters helped to carry this show. There was such good rapport among them, like the endearing sismance and bromance among the various characters.

Not surprisingly, the OSTs were on another level featuring Sa Dingding, Liu Yuning and Mao Buyi. The songs were very fitting and set a dramatic and emotional tone that is infused throughout the show. Interestingly, just like The Blue Whisper, there is a male and a female version of the same song. For posterity, I have listed the main tracks below.

Soundtrack list (I will add the Spotify links once available):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-PBZ8ZbSCM
1. 星落凝成糖 (The Starry Love) - 萨顶顶 (Sa Dingding)
2. 与子成说 (Speak With You) - 刘宇宁 (Liu Yuning)
3. 双花儿 (Flower Pair) - 双笙 (Shuang Sheng)
4. 天地无瑕 (Flawless World) - 萨顶顶 (Sa Dingding)
5. 天地无瑕 (Flawless World) - 毛不易 (Mao Buyi)

My verdict: I do recommend this drama! I love a good love story, and this was definitely that along with the angsty melodrama that is typical of a xianxia drama. Those looking for a complete story will likely be left wanting for more by the lackluster ending. However for me, I enjoyed the complex yet enduring love among the 2 main couples and prefer to imagine a bright future ahead of them.

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A new bar for xianxia genre

Never have I ever written a review for a drama despite having watched 1000+ dramas/movies in my life.
So here are the 5 things I love about this show:

1. No draggy plot, no silly misunderstanding, a handful of supportive characters. No irritating conventional tropes. Fresh stories in the mortal realm. Of course there is still room for improvement, but in general, the plot is logical and coherent. You don't have to ask yourself frequently why the characters behave in a certain way or why a particular event occurs. I also love the writer's formula to match the leads and the second leads. It would have been less fun or more destructive if they had been paired up the other way around. And that is how relationships in real life usually are.

2. The acting of the leads is top-notch. I cannot imagine anyone who can play these roles better than Chen Xingxu and Li Landy. I have watched two previous famous dramas of Chen Xingxu (Goodbye my princess and Fall in love). He was already outstanding in those dramas, yet he even brought his A-game here. He delivers skillfully nuances and perfection in many scenes that I cannot delve into here to avoid giving spoilers. In short, he succeeds in nailing another challenging role. Also, this is the first show of Li Landy that I've watched, and she does a good job bringing out the depth of her character. Besides, her acting is very natural, and her crying scenes are probably the best among all the Chinese actresses I have watched. The remaining cast's acting is solid and spot on too, especially the second leads, despite their little acting experiences. Moreover, the show is overflowing with the cast's strong chemistry and synergy.

3. Great character development. If for some reasons you find the female lead childish in the first episode, give her a bit more time, and normally, you should change your mind around ep 6, 7, although Li Landy has already done an excellent job handling this kind of character from the very beginning. Similarly, if somehow you find the male lead quite plain in the first few episodes, don't stop because he will eventually become the best ML in the xianxia genre. He is simply a breadth of fresh air who can strike a terrific balance between duty and love, between being ordinary and exceptional, between being innocent and cunning. If you still disagree with these after finishing the drama, come and discuss with me ;)

4. The soundtracks are beautiful and addictive. They elevate so many scenes.

5. So many hilarious scenes, which is rare in this genre. Moreover, these scenes were properly performed and not overdone. This is a big plus as this is the type of show that you can enjoy with your partner (if he/she is into fantasy and comedy). Hence, the re-watch value is very high.

In summary, I thought no drama could exceed Eternal love or Ashes of love, but The starry love has set a new bar in my heart for the xianxia genre. Thank you the production team and the cast for delivering a magnificent show. I will cherish this show for a long long time.

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the BEST cold duty bound high god male lead EVER!!!!!!

listen..... my xianxia hater street cred is going to be in a lot of trouble if they keep makin shows like this and canglanjue....

another show that makes its mark with some fun and refreshing twists on tired old xianxia tropes! it's so fun that in the beginning I would say it felt very much like a parody. it's especially strong after shaodian youqin is unalived and yetan has to romance three completely different men who are all him. it's just SO fun and has such a sweet message too. generally the storytelling isn't anything reinventing the wheel, but it's quite consistent thematically and doesn't do anything too crazy. The last arc is definitely weakest and the most serious the show gets, which imo the plot dramatics just aren't done well and aren't particularly interesting

mainly i absolutely adore shaodian youqin and his relationship with yetan. even tho yetan is the main character i think youqin's character is the one that truly shines throughout the show and gets the most amount of love and character development from the writers. after all they literally put him through like 5 different character arcs as 5 different people and yet it's still all him!!!! like, wow, what a wonderful and fresh take on his character archetype!! i have HAD IT with the super powered, cold, unfeeling, 100% dedicated to his duty to the immortals war god/sect leader/crown prince who slowly warms up to innocent/kind/stupid fl but just Cant give up his duty because he is so Good and Filial and Just and can't put love above reasoning.... but it fills him with PAIN u see!!! he will take 50000 lighting bolts for his beloved but he won't tell her!!! and then he will still betray her so that he can fulfill his duty because he can't be w her!!! he is a MAN in PAIN... so beautiful... so cool... so tortured!!!??? and then the starry love comes around and is like, he is like that because he is Literally so abused and traumatized and he repressed all of his emotions and humanity in order to single mindedly devote himself to his suicide self sacrifice mission... it's not cool or good to be like that, it's literally BAD and INHUMAN. like the very first time we meet him, he's immediately shown to be awkward and rude, his cold proper stick in the mud ways are lame, rather than cool, and chen xingxu's actual voice is PERFECT for the role, thick and stuffy! the first arc is him learning to embrace his emotions and his fear, and he's rewarded because in this universe character growth actually correlates with a cultivation power up and the ability to then do the stupid fantasy thing. and then we MEET the parts of him that he repressed and they're all full and complete humans who are all flawed and deeply lovable. even though I missed the shards, esp xiao mei, it was such a joy to meet youqin 2.0- the sweet, fun and mischievous person he was always meant to be. they really had something to say, and it's directly opposed to what most xianxias have said. ugh the messaging is just truly so sweet and positive. i better literally never see a yehua or zhihua ever again because THIS is what you can do with the character type and now that we've done it we can never go back... give us more men who would actually turn their back on duty and responsibility to do the actual RIGHT thing and stand by their love!!!!!!

yetan i think is done well too, and she has more of a classic hero arc, starting out othered and outcasted and learning to use that villain persona as a shield to protect herself, but learning the value of the world over time from care, love and friendship. i have quite some affection for her but everything kind of pales in comparison to youqin for me lol but she is also very sweet and her relationship w qingkui is very sweet and pure, though pretty much devoid of complexity. i think the choice to remove any ill feelings between the sisters to be understandable, since the show clearly wants to go against the typical jealous, scheming fighting betrayal shit which is admirable. however this relationship is supposed to be central to the show, and taking out any negativity doesn't mean it's a stronger or more well written relationship. if the writers were more skilled they would be able to add depth and dimension to their relationship without resorting to overused cheap tropes. qingkui and chaofeng as characters are also pretty mid for me, with pretty straight forward arcs and little depth. They were the most fun in the beginning when he was still deceiving her, but after a while their story really couldn't match up to the main couple's imo. which sucks because i think they have a lot of potential to tell a really good and interesting story! just very straightforward bad guy falls for good girl and stops being bad eventually.

many plot points are just pretty weak, ESPECIALLY yetan and her dad's relationship which is done SO poorly, and i thought they were doing p well w youqin and his dad until the Last episode when they decided to make him redeem himself even though he's the WORST meanwhile the actual hottest character in the show void tyrant had to DIE. not a fan of many choices honestly, many of the side characters are just complete blank slates, totally boring, and don't even get me started on the dongqiu plot.... it's so bad, handled horribly, suzhi is so poorly written.... like if they truly wanted to talk about genocide it wouldve been woven into the story and felt from beginning to end, but it's literally all shoehorned into the last 4 episodes. to me the true end of the show is after they leave the tianzhu and the couples and their friends all live together happily and chaofeng has an armed guard business. that's the end. everything after that i do not accept- not because it's sad, but because it was poorly written and added very little to the characters who had pretty much all completed their arcs already.

honestly pretty mid show in many ways but it is extraordinary for shaodian youqin and his storyline which is very fresh, fun, and sweet!

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Once in a millennia

I created an account just to add my review. Please give this drama a chance. There were no promotions or support from its platform because there are no traffic stars in here, but the story, the cast, and crew were well worth it. This drama easily became my top 3.

Chao Feng and Qing Kui stole my heart in this drama. Because the director isn’t well known to flesh out his characters emotionally, especially when this drama is a comedy and avoids heavy feelings, the actors have to rely on limited scenes to build their chemistry. Chemistry is the most important element in every story. Without tears, it’s hard to feel the true love between the characters. The entire cast was great, but Chen Mu Chi and He Xuan Lin took it to another level with their crying scenes. It’s so hard to find actors/actresses who can cry so beautifully now. I just watched a break up scene in a currently airing drama and the lead actress had absolutely no tears, but people were praising and raving about her amazing acting. I was puzzled on how the director even passed that scene?! A lot of the post 95 female leads can’t compare to their predecessors who can cry fountains on cue. Yes, I treasure tears and ones with emotions, too.

It was extremely refreshing to see Qing Kui cry at all the right moments, making every scene heart gripping. Tears never made her weak; she was smart, strong, and brave yet kind and gentle, genuinely changing Chao Feng from a bad boy to hero, effortlessly. Chao Feng’s close relationship with his mother, the sacrifices he made for his soldiers, saving Qing Kui every time, risking his life and millennia long war with the Void Empress, was nothing but impressive and touching. When Chao Feng’s tears flowed out of his eyes in front of Lamu’s house, to when he was carrying his mother on his back after losing all his powers, to when he married Qing Kui in prison, to when Qing Kui died, if it weren’t for Chen Mu Chi’s tears, those scenes would’ve been passable but not awesomely memorable. I am so proud of my pair for jerking hearts with their beautiful crying scenes. The leading pair were more comedic relief, but my second pair delivered all the emotions and moved the audience beyond with their tears. I’m not sure if that’s how they intended the drama to go, but the story wouldn’t be complete without Chao Feng and Qing Kui. They executed all of the tears, feelings, and chemistry so well. I hope they get to collaborate again, soon.

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Those who haven't started this drama yet are seriously missing out on a lot of fun.

Those who haven't started this drama yet are seriously missing out on a lot of fun. How can a Xianxia / Fantasy drama be such a comedy? Every moment is worth enjoying. After a serious moment where you're supposed to be upset, your face will hurt from laughing. what a pure comedy drama! If you watch the same comedy scene again and again you will laugh every time! I don't think any other Xian Xia drama had such good comedy. The first 10 episodes of this drama made me laugh so much. I can't remember if I ever laughed this much in any other drama. Every comedy will bring automatic laughter. Not only the comedy but the story is very interesting, and the further you go more interesting the story will be. A must-watch for those who looking for a good fantasy romance with comedy.❤️

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One of the best Xianxia to date

I finished watching it last night and 'The Starry Love' left me so many feels :'( So I will be brief:

What I love about it (and you will too):
- Couples: The chemistry is just right for all couples. You will have to resist watching them over and over again. All of the loving scenes are so cute (but not cheesy).
- Character development: All four leads has grown throughout the series. I love the storyline of You Qin who was cold and distant at first. He has grown into a loving and caring husband for Ye Tan. Qing Kui has many heroin characteristics but she's not boring at all. She learns how to lie and everyone blames Chao Feng as the bad influence ?
- Sisterhood: The sisters are very different from one to another but they're always there to support each other. Not to mention Man Man, Li Wu, etc.

The only thing that I don't like is the ending. It's okay but i feel like something missing. There should be one more episode, just for the fans to look at how all of them live happily ever after.

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One of the best Xian Xia Show so far!

After LBFAD, it's my favourite Xian Xia show. It hooked me from the beginning till the end. Everything in this show is top-notch, the production quality, story execution, CGI and last but not the least BGM/OSTs. What a beautiful performance by all main leads and supporting actors I would say just one word for them "Marvelous". Main couple Chen Xing Xu (Xuang Shang) and Landy Li (Ye Tan) pairing was lovely, I enjoyed their sweet moments. The second couple Luke Chen (Chao Feng) and He Xuan Lin (Qing Kui) were fine too. If you are looking for fast paced story, comedy, romance and enjoyable battle sequence then this show is for you.

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A fun and enjoyable ride ~ It's worth spending your time on!

It's been a while since I last watched a xianxia drama, and The Starry Love was on my watchlist mainly because of Chen Xing Xu. However, when it started airing, I was hooked on another drama, and watched 2 more dramas after that, before coming back to it. I finished it a few weeks ago, and I must say, I really like and thoroughly enjoyed this drama ! :)

In the midst of the fantasy set-up, I love the drama's focus on comedy, romance, action, family relationships and friendship. Of course, there is angst woven into the story, but not too much that it becomes dragging and annoying. The story of the main couple, You Qin and Ye Tan, developed slowly in the first few episodes, as they seemed to be getting on each other's nerves more. In comparison, the romance of the second couple, Chao Feng and Qing Kui, developed faster. But You Qin and Ye Tan's relationship and the overall plot development gets better and better as the story progresses. I like the episodes when Ye Tan went to the mortal realm to find the 3 soul shards and the different antics, heartwarming acts and comedic moments that she (with help from her "cohorts") did to make them fall in love with her. And how, in the process, she fell for the 3 soul shards, and eventually realized her feelings for You Qin. And of course, I love the parts with You Qin version 2.0! He became more expressive and in tune with his emotions when the 3 soul shards merged. There are many swoon-worthy and heartwarming moments, as well as light-hearted scenes between You Qin and Ye Tan. Their chemistry is palpable! I also like how the drama portrayed the sisterly love and bond between Ye Tan and Qing Kui; there were no jealousy and hate, just love and support for each other. The strong friendships and family dynamics are also a joy to watch.

The cast's acting, as a whole, was very good! They gave an overall great performance to drive the story. I will mention some of them:
• Chen Xing Xu certainly delivered in this role as Shao Dian You Qin (plus the 3 soul shards). His portrayal of the 5 personalities is spot on and convincing! He proved his versatility again as an actor. I love the 3 soul shards, because each of them represents a different facet of You Qin, which makes him a more well-rounded, complete and likable character. My personal favorite is Mei You Qing. He's so funny and smart! :)
• Li Lan Di is excellent as Li Guang Ye Tan; she truly fits the role. She has great comedic timing, and was able to portray the funny, mischievous and serious sides of Ye Tan. And in the heavier scenes, she was able to convey the depth of her emotions.
• He Xuan Lin as Li Guang Qing Kui was able to exude gentleness and kindness, but showed her inner strength and wits when faced with different challenges.
• Chen Mu Chi's Chao Feng, although he started out as a cunning and deceptive 3rd prince of the Void, gradually grew and matured as a character. I think CMC was able to show this development.
• And let's not forget the besties, Man Man (Wang Li Na), Di Lan Jue (Qin Tian Yu) and Hai Chao (Cao Bo)! I love these three. They are the kind of friends we need - loyal, supportive, gives encouragement, and unafraid to say what needs to be said, even if it hurts sometimes. Not to mention they have a good sense of humor.
• I also like Zi Wu (Dai Ya Qi), Qing Heng (Zhou Zhan), and the Heavenly Empress (Kong Song Jin) – family members who were fiercely loving, loyal and supportive of You Qin.

The rest of the cast did very well too, thus giving this drama its overall quality and making it a memorable one.

The OST is fitting for this drama and adds to my enjoyment of the show. I like both the opening and ending theme songs. As for the CGI and fight scenes, they were aesthetically done and didn't look fake. The production – costumes, locations, sets, props – are on point.

Regarding the ending, I went into this with a general idea of how the story would end, so I wasn't too caught off guard. Although the ending could have been better and more definite, I think it is still good because it gives a sense of hope - it's not a sad ending.

I have rewatched a number of episodes already, and I plan to rewatch the rest in the future.

Final verdict: I highly recommend this one. It is a fun and enjoyable ride, and worth spending your time on!

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YIN AND YANG

"The Yin-Yang, an ancient symbol of harmony and balance, challenges the conventional association of light with good and darkness with evil "

One is known as the harbinger of doom, a jinx, and a cunning "evil" person, but fell in love with the immortal who is the protector of the four realms.

One is kind, and virtuous and was born with an auspicious sign, but fell in love with an insidious person who will do anything to satisfy his ambition.

This makes the 2 main couples the perfect example of Yin and Yang, they complete and balance each other.

This drama has the typical Xianxia traits but with a twist, I assure you that. I'll start by praising the CGI, definitely one of this drama's most powerful traits, it looks so beautiful and doesn't look fake or tacky, especially the love bridge scene(which sealed the deal for me and urged me to keep watching) and the battle of Guixu partnered with the beautiful ost's. The 2 lead couples including the side characters' acting are natural and don't look awkward, they did a great job that I cry when they are suffering and laugh so hard when they are being funny. They left such a deep impression on me that I don't think it will be easy for me to forget them for a few years or even more. One of the things I like in this drama is that the ML is different from other Xianxia MLs who are usually cold & unfeeling, the ML here has social anxiety, awkwardness, and vulnerability, something we basically never see in a Xianxia ML. There is so much to SDYQ that looking back at the first 4 ep., having watched all 40 ep. all I can say is that he's one of the most intricately built characters I've seen in Cdramaland, not just in Xianxia.

I also like the fact that each character was given their own time to shine and doesn't only focus on the leads just like most dramas. This drama has 4 couples that are written so well and weren't rushed so you can see the development, especially for the main couple who went from always bickering and can't stand each other to a lovestruck and can't bear to leave each other even for just a few moments couple. Although the 2nd couple's relationship first started with deception, which made me not like the 3rd prince but after all misunderstandings were cleared between them, it made me root for their relationship (not interested in them at first cause it's the typical bad boy-good girl trope but this couple made me change my mind and actually made me like something that I thought is already overused).

The romance development of the main leads is not as fast as the 2nd couple, they were more of like a slow-burn type but still won't make you feel like it's draggy. The mortal realm is where the romance starts for the main couple and it's also where you see the development between the leads. While the 2nd couple started nicely with all the 2nd ML's lies so their romance development was a bit faster. The pacing is also perfect, not too rushed or with a lot of fillers, especially in the mortal arc where it usually gets draggy, but here, it's action-packed that keeps the plot moving, and also doesn't have a lot of inside dialogue.

There's not much of a misunderstanding and they were all easily resolved and didn't cause major fights between the couples when the lies came to light. Might I also add the skyrocketing chemistry between the leads and the sweet, fluffy moments that are enough to give you diabetes. There are also no love triangles (there is a pentagon though HAHA), each character has their own partners which makes it better because there's no 2nd ML or FL who turns dark after they can't get the girl/boy. I also love how this drama's ML is willing to fight against his own father, the rules he has come to know; practically everything, even the whole world, just for the sake of the woman he has come to love. The woman who told him it's alright to be afraid; the woman who fearlessly & verbally fought and insulted his father for him, the woman who risked her own life to descend to the mortal realm and painstakingly looked for him just so she could revive him. It's practically me and you against the whole world.

The FLs here are also not the usual FLs who are naïve and weak. The main FL is smart and cunning but still kind despite all the abuse she received in her childhood, she stayed strong enough to not let her past twist her into someone resentful when she had every right to be. The 2nd FL might be kind and weaker than her sister, but she has a hidden temper and knows how to stand on her own feet and take care of herself when fighting against her opponent in her own way in the dreary Void realm. I just love the unconditional love both sisters have for each other and the way were willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. I also love that they were the ones to propose to their MLs, and not the other way around.

I'm completely smitten by them and their love story. The main couple's relationship has to be one of the healthiest and most supportive in Cdramaland; actually, both the relationships of YQ & CF are, minus the fact that CF wanted to harm QK, YT, and YQ in the earlier episodes. But in the end, both YQ & CF love their women more than anything and would never harm them. Even a memoryless Youqin couldn't bring himself to hurt Yetan. His love is that powerful. The brothers-in-law even came to terms with each other for their wives and eventually became buddies, but still can't help but make fun of each other every chance they get.

But of course, it's not only the romantic relationships that I love but also the friendships the leads have with their friends: Chaofeng with his comedic & partner-in-crime Haichao, Youqin & his loyal sidekick Feichi, and of course, I will never forget Ye Tan & Di Lanjue; I absolutely love their friendship together with Manman. Di Lanjue, the person alongside Manman who stuck through thick and thin and stayed by Tan's side until the very end( I know Manman would have done the same thing, which I absolutely would have wanted to see), I love how he always protectively puts his arms in front of YT whenever he senses danger like he's ready to sacrifice his life, and basically saying that they will have to go through him first to get to Tan. And might I also add that Di Lanjue even locked the 2 Shaodian siblings up after hearing that Tan wanted the 3 shards to have their own lives, even though he knew that Ziwu had the upper hand on him by knowing a secret that he didn't want others to know and was basically using it to blackmail him. YT, DLJ, & MM grew up together; they knew what each of them was thinking without them saying it, and they protected each other even at the cost of their lives. The 3 of them are practically platonic soulmates.

I would also like to praise the acting of the actors, especially our ML who has to act out 5 different personalities that are completely different from each other. He did it so well that you can clearly distinguish who is who and can't help but feel bad for the other shards knowing there are 3 of them and when Youqin 2.0 came back to life, I was able to see shadows of the shards within him. The FL did well in making her character likable even though it's the kind of FL personality that you'll find annoying but the actress here made me love her character with all her snarky remarks and funny personality. Despite being a newbie the 2nd ML did well on acting his part that he made me hate him but also like him at the same time, same goes for our 2nd FL who was able to portray a gentle but still strong character, and let's not forget our Beast realm prince Di Lanjue; the way he cried when Manman died was so heartbreaking; he didn't sob, didn't scream, didn't make a single sound, but the way his eyes were so red with tears in addition to his facial expressions SCREAMED just how heartbroken he was; his acting was superb! He was and still is the reason why I was crying FULL ON at the coffin scene.
All in all, the acting of the cast in this drama is on point, especially in the crying scenes. I don't think I would hate a character this much or love a character this much but they made me do it.

The writers, directors, and actors nailed every single character and scene in this drama. From the OSTs to the acting to the CGI, and not a single episode dragging; side characters well built; tropes revised and reconstructed; & the awesome chemistry between all the couples; the bar is just too damn high that it's more than enough for me to say that this drama is one of the best, not just in the Xianxia genre but in the whole of Cramaland.

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This love is Everything

I do not give a 10 lightly or easily but here we are. I don't normally rewatch things. Yet, I have already rewatched once with a friend who is not a drama-watcher and already have plans for another rewatch with my spouse. It's that good.

I'm sure everyone else has waxed poetic about every facet of this great show so I will focus my review on what blew me away the most: The Male Lead. Shaodian Youqin. Acted spectacularly by Chen Xing Xu.

SDYQ is the best male lead I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. His strength, his resolve, and his determination are heavily intertwined with his softness, his kindness, and his tender affections. He is not afraid to forsake the world for his love. He never tries to keep Yetan in the dark. He guides and helps her and gives her the tools to be strong but also steps back when he knows it's not his place. He is open with his devotion. He has absolute faith in her.

Truly, I think we'd all be richer for it if we can have more SDYQs in the drama world. This character proves that you can have an engaging, beautiful, and heart wrenching love story without falling into toxic male lead tropes. We can have some of the best humor I've ever seen without diminishing the character growths of the main cast.

Yes, I am absolutely biased. But if you are at all tempted by the prospect of a green flag male lead who is so green that it puts Shrek to shame, give The Starry Love a try.

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