Match made in heaven (and hell)
The chemistry of opposites are often the delight of any stories. Ye Tan and Qing Kui are twin sisters with marriage alliances to princes of Demonic and Heavenly Realms respectively. This match is in line with the signs surrounding their birth, with Ye Tan representing the ominous star and Qing Kui representing the auspicious star. With their wedding carriages swapped, The Starry Love is a xian xia version of wrong bridal sedan leading to the right groom.Having 2 sets of couples with opposite characteristics, this troupey show makes for an absolute delight in its comedic moments, CP’s chemistry, and light hearted cast.
The Heavenly Couple, 情投”夜”合CP (Have Affinity) - 2700 years old recluse meets 18 years old mischief
What shines here are the surprising comedic execution of the familiar clashes between 2 opposites. Their dialogues and interactions definitely draw a lot of laughter.
Best part remains during their early days face off which draw in lots of fun and laughter.
- Ye Tan failing to kidnap You Qin, and then resorting to let him have bad impression on her (whom he thought was Qing Kui) so he will not want to marry
- You Qin’s needing to “meditate” after every interaction with Ye Tan
- Ye Tan trying various undermined tactics to get You Qin to remove a security lock he placed on her
- You Qin taking back a shooting star he prepared for Ye Tan within a minute because her wish is deemed non-noble
The Demonic Couple 青風徐來 CP (Gentle Breeze) - Hunter becomes the voluntary huntee
If the Heavenly Couple is 2 opposites slowly falling for each other through their various face offs, the Demonic Couple shows the quick fall of shrewd prince towards an angelic princess that may be naive but certainly not gullible.
Chao Feng, the 3rd prince whose mother is from a lowly status, is the one behind the bridal switch. Hence, he knows of Qing Kui’s identity from the get go. At first, he approaches Qing Kui to ensure no one, including Qing Kui, would realise he is the one behind the switch. However, he quickly finds himself falling into the charm and sincerity of our angelic princess. How could he not?
Beneath Qing Kui’s gentle exterior lies a steel of heart who adapts quickly, takes accountability and treats everyone with sincerity. Qing Kui isn’t a case of damsel in distress. In fact, she heals people around her, literally and figuratively. This makes her character charming in a way that’s different from Ye Tan.
And of course, nowadays, a show would not be outstanding with just great CPs alone. Icing on the cake are the supporting cast and their comedic interactions with our leads.
- Our Mortal Realm dad and Chao Feng’s mum who shine with their comedic reactions to various scenes
- Man man, Hai Chao, and Fei Chi, the trusting sidekicks who provide timely comic reliefs
- You Qin’s lovely siblings and mum who have one of a kind observations of our main couple
- The gullible and muscular Wu Dai who surprisingly has more screen presence
The starry love is not without its bugs. Plot wise, I find it rather one track minded. Both the Heavenly and Demonic dads of You Qin and Chao Feng are rather 1 dimensional and serve only as plot devises. The familiar heroic I-sacrifice-for-you troupe is, familiar.
Though as someone who aren’t a big fan of xian xia drama, I still say the Starry Love is an enjoyable light hearted story that’s bound to elicit laughters and pleasant surprises with its few refreshing takes, once you are bought into its starry world.
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Hilarious And Heartbreaking
The Starry Love is an intricately layered xianxia full of dynamic characters, swoony romances, and hilarious hijinks. Yetan and QingKui, the sisters at the heart of this story, are distinctive women each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Despite being raised in different environments and with different expectations placed on them, their love and loyalty to each other is strong. Every scene with them brought joy to my heart, no matter the dire (or not so dire) circumstances. While the romances are the driving force for much of the series, it’s these two sister’s connection that makes the story work so well.The opposites attract trope defines the romances between each sister and their subsequent love interests. Yetan, Void Princess To Be, and Xuan Shang, Empyrean of the Heavenly Realm, are given the most screen time in the series. It’s totally deserved because these two shine together, whether they are at odds or in synch. The actors had wonderful range together with the ability to hit both emotional moments and crazy hijinks. While less screen time is devoted to QingKui, Empyean Consort To-Be, and Chaofeng, the Void’s Third Prince, the same energy and connection is as present. All of these characters grow over the course of the story as they overcome the trials and tribulations together and separately.
It’s rare for me to find an ensemble story where I care about both main and side characters equally, but it happened with this series. I love the found family both sisters discover over the course of the story. Some of my favorite scenes occur between Yetan and her posse of friends (Bestie Man-man, Beast Prince Di Lan Ju, Heavenly Princess Zi Wu, and Heavenly Prince Qing Heng). In the Void realm, the relationship the Third Prince has with his right hand man is comedic gold. The two are like brothers, both egging each other on and yet standing by each other’s side no matter the circumstances. If anything, I wish the void side characters had a bit more depth to really round out the characters and realms as a whole.
Despite the phenomenal cast and intricate plot, the series failed to deliver an impactful finale. It’s not the first xianxia I’ve seen that puts the littlest bow on a sweeping saga. Whether the ending is happy or sad, the audience deserves a longer moment to reflect on the characters and their story than the 5 minute wrap-up I’ve seen with most of these shows. The ending is overall hopeful, but it’s dissatisfying to be told rather than shown the results with a tidy little monologue. Other than that small quibble, I really loved this story and I look forward to revisiting this series in the future.
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The most beautiful Historical Series
Finished this beautiful series.The designer loves the lilac /purple/mint shades, these colours are everywhere (my favourite colours) and is a lot of it. Really i do like the CG, seems they invested a lot of time in it, very precise and fine attention to detail, which truly brings the elements on the screen to life, also the costumes are beautiful, headpieces…
From Ep 1-13, i enjoyed more the Void Realm than Heavenly Realm, more fun and catchy than the main leads. I like Oliver Chen in mostly of his roles, but i thought what a waste a good actor in the 13 episodes. From ep 14 it starts to get so much better for him, a very nice turn point.
I love the hilarious scenes, which is rare in this genre. The music is spot on too.
The first several episodes were not as a start of something beyond the expectations, but after you get in and cannot leave it. It has lots of emotions and the comedy side is really good. The story is big plus, the characters all developed really well. Lots of romance, wonderful music as i mentioned above. A new discovery for me was actor Luke Chen. The main actress is not very likeable from the start, but you get used to her. Oliver Chen didn't disappoint, take my words back :). The story is a Happy Ending, but with just showing the beautiful flowers reborn and not actual them. With all the romance through out, i think is a good ending.
I totally recommend this and i will re-watch again after sometime.
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If Xianxia rom-com is a legit sub genre then this is a very good example
I don't watch many Xianxia nowadays because a lot of them, in recent years, relies too much on (questionable) CGI and lazy scripts that have tropey paper thin plots and are devoid of fresh ideas. Hence, it is with some trepidation that I started to watch this show solely based on personal recommendations. I'm happy to report that this Show is good, very good.The basic story is nothing new. Multiple realms exist between heaven and the underworld. They alternate between warring with each other to an unstable truce. Enter the human emperor who decided to buy time for us weaklings by marrying one of his beautiful and smart daughters to the empyrean prince while farm off the unloved one to the crown prince of the underworld. So far, so tropey.
Forsooth, not exactly LOL material, right? Well, hats off to the writer. She managed to inject a lot of fun and comedy into this show. It is a revelation. It runs the full spectrum of jokes, innuendos, slapstick and sight gags. All this hijinx is integrated right through more than 3/4 of the Show. Of course, there are serious moments, but it is just as likely the next scene will drop you straight into an elaborate sight gag that will makes you LOL.
This includes a very long and elaborate mid show story arc that have the ML play three completely different roles. Forget second wind. This is third and fourth. The audacity! Naturally, not every moment is golden but it kept the momentum going long after similar show would have suffered serious mid show drag. Bravo!
Acting is great from our leads. It was a revelation that the stoic Xuan Shang has a comedic side which is well matched by the minx like Li Guang Ye Tan. Their love-hate relationship is worth the price of admission. The second pairing of Chao Feng and Li Guang Qing Kui pales a little by comparison. It is largely due to their story is being set in the dark and oppressive underworld. Their characters are also a bit more traditional Xianxia compared to the OTP. Both CP have swoon worthy love lines and decent amount of skinship.
The big ensemble of side characters is a bit of a mixed bag. Some have real depth like Man Man and Wu Dai while others are just punchline for the many gags. It is an above average ensemble and they helped to move the plot along and entertain us with their antics.
Is the Show perfect? Not quite. The setting of heaven and the underworld is very cliché. Empyrean realm is quite artificial. Lighting is too bright, and colours are washed out. It might look “ethereal”, but it is also boring. On the other hand, the underworld is too dark, and the theme is confusing. It swings from gothic grandeur to dank subterranean without a strong sense of coherence. It is supposed to be oppressive and foreboding but does look a bit cheap at times.
CGI is the bread and butter of Xianxia dramas, and this show doesn’t disappoint. There are a good variety of effects to signify different types of powers. There are also some practical effects and stunt work. Overall, it is a respectable effort and complemented the story well.
While the general screenplay is a cut above, it is still a Xianxia drama at its core and some of the plot holes are hereditary. It really comes down to “ask no questions and you’ll get no illogical answers”. As long as you don’t hate Xianxia dramas, the engaging plots, swoon worthy love lines and abundant humour will carry you to the end.
Speaking of the end. The ending and the several episodes preceding it are probably the closest the Show got to high drama. It is impactful and emotionally charged. I won’t give the plot away other than to say that the ending is generally considered a happy one, but I would prefer to call it encouraging rather than HEA. Its interpretation will be up to the individual.
40 episodes is too long for a rewatch and the jokes will be stale by then but I’d have no problem watching a highlight reel. The OST is nice but some songs are on high rotation and it can get a bit repetitive.
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A beautiful drama that will make you excited, laugh, and cry
I watched it not knowing any of the casts at all. Decided to give it a try since it was on Youku's top 10 drama. Did not regret at all starting it.The story is filled with love, joy, laughter, and tears. I love every little part of it. It was absolutely fun. The love between Youqin-Yetan and Chaofeng-Qingkui are very heartwarming and I love both couple so much.
The sisterly love and bond between Yetan and Qingkui is absolutely my most favorite part about this drama. It's so beautiful. Both of them loved each other dearly. The actresses potrayed their love perfectly.
Of course there are some let downs in the drama. I have my least favorite parts as well which I skipped a lot because I think it was not exactly necessary to have two episodes long to convey the messages although I understand why it took two episodes long.
The funny part is all the fathers, except for the Beast King, are all horible father figures. If I could rank them from the least to most horrible then it would be:
1. Beast King
2. Emperor Tun
3. Void Tyrant
4. Heavenly Emperor
It's quite ironic how the Heavenly Emperor is supposed to be heavenly but he's the most horible out of them all.
As for the ending, I think it was a bit rushed but it's the perfect ending for their stories. It's an open ending, but also a happy one, we can imagine the kind of future they could have after that ending.
Absolutely love it so much. I am now will try to watch the actors' other works because all of them are absolutely great actors.
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This drama has a very young cast - the key leads are mostly less than 30 years old. It seems the China drama industry is replacing an entire generation of older established well-known artistes who are now in their late 30s or older, with a younger generation of new heartthrobs.
The male lead Chen Xing Xu does a great job acting 4 different characters. I must say the make-up specialist/s did a great job too. If you observe carefully, the four characters look slightly different with YouQin looking a bit more chubby, Mei looks much thinner, La Mu very scruffy and Wen Ren very refined, in their features.
With a theme of a mixed up in the wedding carriage, you would expect a lot of humour, and it does provide a lot of comic relief. And the drama is packed with actions.
Of the Chinese dramas I have watch post pandemic (but did not check whether they are produced pre or post), numerous are very good productions. This drama, Till the End of the Moon (still my favourite post pandemic production), The Blood of Youth and so on are all very good.
Improvements I must say the Chinese drama production needs are
1. New themes and creativity. The Chinese drama industry is seriously in need of this. After watching the huge number of Chinese dramas as I had, the dramas started to look the same although the storyline might be different. Boredom is somewhat setting in. This is of course going to be a big challenge. Producers like to emulate the themes of successful earlier productions and what have been tested, succeed and allowed in the greatly politically controlled environment. This is precisely why The Untamed did so well - of course the leads did fabulously well but most importantly the storyline was quite unlike the rest.
2. For this drama, it is overall very good but lack memorable moments like Nirvana in Fire and Ten Mile of Peach Blossom, or intense emotional expressions like those of Luo YunXi in Till the End of the Moon and Ashes of Love.
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Seven is standard for me
+1 Strong Female Lead - her character development was done well. It wasn't great and amazing for me but I appreciate the journey she went through to achieve where she is now.+1 Costumes - just the right amount of attention, could've used more
+1 Aesthetics & Scenery
+1 Boss OST Artists - Liu Yu Ning, Sa Da Ding, Mao Bu Yi - If you have these big hit artists in your soundtrack, you're an automatic big hit drama or at least more likely. However, the music didn't stand out a whole lot but after re-listening and learning who the artists were, it did change my initial impression
+1 CGI was not horrible, it was done much better than other dramas, I'm just kind of tired characters standing and reaching out their palms with CGI powers flowing against each other for 3 minutes lol
+1 Dialogue - was always pretty lengthy but you can tell the script was very heart felt every time it was read
+1 Tragedy - I'm a sucker for tragedy because it's the most heart felt trigger, if it can make me cry then it means it truly left an impression on me. Even though the ending was optimistic, death and sacrifice truly makes life more valuable and matter.
-1 Male lead - I expected just a tad more from the lead, his voice was extremely low and did not suit a warm character. I like his more as a cold character
-1 Supporting cast - they weren't bad but they weren't great either. Sometimes supporting cast really makes or breaks a story. If the supporting cast doesn't make the audience care and root for them then they're really just meaningless side characters until they die then they're maybe a little more valued but quickly forgotten in the entire story.
-1 Storyline wasn't that strong and the title of the series only references to one scene in the entire series. Which was an extremely meaningful scene but it did not capture the rest of the series.
My original rating was a 6.5 which is considered average for me. But I decided to give it a 7 - a standard decent drama since there were several different factors into the production of the drama that were quality level. But the biggest area that I rate a drama on is the chemistry between the two leads and the overall storyline with how well CGI went with it.
I couldn't give it an 8 which is a satisfactory score for me
9 being above expectations
10 being completely blown away
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This review may contain spoilers
Fun drama, but why does my heart feel uncomfortable?
This was a really good drama. Our main squad of characters were a great bunch to watch. Loved all their antics and how relatable they were.Things I liked:
1. Amazing sibling bonds - loved the beautiful bond between our two sisters who, despite living completely different lives, were so loyal to eachother and protective of one another. Also loved the bond between the Heavenly Realm Siblings. They were so responsible, respectful and caring about eo.
2. Relatable characters - I loved how real the characters felt. They would make comments that I would make and speak their mind which really made me feel refreshed when I was watching some scenes that was getting my blood boiling.
3. Humor - The humor is on point. The whole squad had amazing chemistry. Everyone bounced off of eo so well and I had a TON of laugh out loud moments throughout the drama.
4. Romance - The romance between our main leads was soo sweet to watch. Although I didn't like how QK and CF's relationship was built on manipulation I eventually really grew to like them together. YT and SH were so good together. I liked how forward YT was in the beginning, they were such a funny pair to watch. The whole human realm bit was really nice too as we got to see their dynamics play out in different ways. Huge shoutout to my adorable boy LaMu, bestest boy ever. Speaking of good boys, Di Lan Jue was adorable too - I wish we got to see more of him in his cute puppy form. His budding romance with Zi Wu was very cute.
5. Badass female character - I loved how badass our girl YT was. Loved seeing her exact her revenge by the end of the drama, I wish we got to see more of her that way early on kicking some ass. But even without the amazing powers that she had towards the end of the drama, she was still so confident, independent and cool from the get-go and I loved how she could always take care of herself or at least hold out long enough before someone else came to save her/her people.
Things I didn’t like:
1. Acting - The acting was a bit awkward at times, I felt this especially in the beginning. Once I got used to the characters and plot lines, I didn’t really care about it anymore but it was definitely something I noticed at the beginning and took me out of being immersed in the story initially.
2. Clichés - Sigh, I mean...this is always a given so not going to expand too much as the Clichés are always just recycled in cdramas. Just to highlight them - stupid misunderstandings by ancient lords that result in unecessary feuds (but we have to have a drama, amiright?), 'Heavenly' Realm actually being more devilish than the 'bad' guys in the Void Realm, bad guys getting forgiven/let go in the end, dumbest leaders of all holding high positions in each Realm making you wonder just how they could have gotten such power etc.
3. Loser Emperor - I don't even have enough words to write about my absolute HATE for the Heavenly Emperor. Garghhh! His treatment of XS, his cowardice, his lack of one single brain cell. What a complete loserrrr. 90% of the reason I didn't like this drama is prolly tied to this man.
I really enjoyed the drama and had so much fun watching it but ultimately gave a lower rating due to my personal frustrations. Also I reallyy skipped a lotttt of scenes. I normally do this, I'm just too impatient even when I like a drama, but my skipping was just too much this time around as I couldn't be bothered to watch some of the scenes (mainly due to clichés) and could surmise the gist of what went on without watching it in-depth.
Overall, it's a really fun drama. The humour keeps you locked in in the beginning then you stay because of the amazing sibling chemistry, awesome squad chemistry, cute romances, and funny and relatable side characters. Definitely a good time, I just don't completely feel satisfied.
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Beautiful and Heartfelt
I told myself that I was only going to watch a couple episodes, but I ended up diving deep into this series. I have to say, this series is indeed magical, and the storyline was beautiful. I thought that we were going to see a lot of conflict and power struggles between the twins because of their different upbringings. However, they were one of the most powerful duos in the series, and I couldn't have hoped for anything different!To start off, I love the main couples; they complement each other so much that I can't imagine what it would've been like if their wedding sedans weren't switched. Qingkui and Chaofeng's story is touching. Kui is ever so kind and understanding, and Feng's character development might've been my favorite! Yetan and Youqin's story was so cute, and in a way, very pure. Tan, who rarely received love growing up, received it from Youqin, an immortal who grew up sealing away his feelings.
In terms of the cast, I LOVE all of the cast members in addition to the main leads. I loved it most when everyone gathered and worked together. Ziwu, Qingheng, Lanjue, Manman, Consort Xue, Hai Chao, Sushui, and more!! Everyone's acting was top-notch. I especially think CXX did amazing work portraying the shards. And Landy Li's acting was amazing from beginning until the end.
Sa Dingding's OST has been on replay ever since the first episode. I love how impactful the chorus is, and it somehow ALWAYS fits in with the situation. It is a song that truly touches my heart :)
My favorite duo next to the twins are Chaofeng and Youqin. Their bickering made me laugh sooo much. They are the best brothers in-law. (It's funny because they will be in a bromance drama together soon, so that little dialogue in the last episode about YQ falling in love with CF made me laugh).
Overall, this was a beautiful cdrama, and will forever stay in my heart. All the tears I've shed for it were worth it. The ending might've been a bit unsatisfying, but it does point towards a happy future, and it made me happy! I'm glad all the other couples I shipped ended up together!! <3
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This review may contain spoilers
MEOW i finished. i loved this esp at the beginning and middle. it actually made me lol sm and i love chaofeng and qingkuis relationship??so swwweeet. all the tropes in this r SO GOOD like the switched marriages.. the bad boy with a soft spot for the sweet girl, the rebellious and smart girl with the regal guy…. the sibling dynamic.. SO CUTE. except i hated the end. like they didn’t even revive really. like… they’re just flowers forever.?? meow. but all the couples are so <3333 and i love the characters ! plus like the sibling love and switching partners but finding the best fit.. it was so funny Was this review helpful to you?
Ashes of Love yet better!
I didn't think that I would love this show as it gave off the same vibe as Ashes of Love only to find out that it is indeed related to Ashes of love.Plot/Storyline: I love the overall plot of the show as it had stories of friendship, pain, and romance in it all entwined. I also loved the themes of sisterhood, friendship, and trauma. I felt like they could have done better with is fleshing out Yetan's trauma that she had during her childhood and how that could effect her later on in life. There was times that they could have done good with that but they missed the opportunity. Also, I couldn't stand Shao Dian's voice it was deep for like no reason and it was so distracting. On the other hand, I liked that balanced between the two sister lives as it jumped between the heavenly realm and void realm. Furthermore, how they fleshed out all the characters all the hardships they had family drama, their was no character that I was confused about.
Cast: The cast member's did awesome. I was hesitant about watching this because Chen Xing Xu was in goodbye, my princess and he was a complete menace to society in that show so I was still pissed. Nevertheless, he did amazing it was good to see him as a good person redeeming himself.
Music: All I can say is that it fit the overall concept of the show and I couldn't be any much content. Especially since Sa ding ding and Mao Buyi never fails at making us either cry or heart flutter.
In conclusion, it was a good show and I hope that we get a season 2 or we get something just as good.
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The Twin Flowers have my heart
Wow! This was an amazing show! It was funny, heartwarming, romantic, and emotional. The relationships in this series - family bonds, romantic partners, and friendships- are what helped to elevate this drama for me. I laughed & I cried throughout the series - they did a great job of balancing the comedy & the drama together in a seamless way that I didn’t feel any whiplash from the change of tone in the story. The 4 main leads all brought their A+ game (especially CXX who had to play 5 different characters!) & the supporting casts were also phenomenal (shout- out to our favorite paid supporting actor Hai Chao’s rolling eyes! Lol) . All the characters had depths & arcs. The pacing of the show helped keep the plot interesting & dynamic. There were minimal filler scenes (EVERY show has boring parts - even my #1 fav Nirvana in Fire) so that’s always a plus! Overall, one of my favorite C-Dramas in a looong time - def in my Top 5!Was this review helpful to you?
