Ancient Love Poetry (2021)

Need Some Warming Up!

The way I see it is that there are 2 main reasons why you might end up abandoning Ancient Love Poetry after a few episodes. One is the actress. It is a case of love or hate. If you love Zhou Dong Yu as Shang Gu, it is easier to enjoy the story. This is because everything that happens revolves around her. Hence, if you think she was wrongly casted as the female lead, then it might just turn you off as you watch. For me, I don’t think she is perfect for the role. It took me some time to warm up to her and the way she portrayed the role with her smiles. She just doesn’t have the aura of a Chief God to me.

Two is the slow start. The beginning plot is very typical of a xianxia drama. The presence of an imprisoned Demon Lord trying to break free and a young goddess falling in love with a more matured and cold god actually remind me of Love And Destiny and Eternal Love Of Dream. So, the familiar storyline is there but the good news is it is condensed to about 16 episodes before the second arc begins. Nevertheless, that is still 16 episodes to sit through if you find the start to be boring.

In short, Ancient Love Poetry will need some warming up for a section of viewers before the story starts to get more captivating and you begin to get used to the female lead. Basically, some patience is needed if you can’t get into the story from the word go.

Interesting Overall Plot
Despite the familiar opening plot, I find the story takes a more refreshing turn after 16 episodes. There is a certain anticipation of how Hou Chi, Bo Xuan, and Qing Mu are related to Shang Gu and Bai Jue. You know there is a connection there which would make you look forward to the moment everything is revealed. So, the boredom dissipates by the time you reach the second arc of the story.

In addition, the supporting characters are interesting to give a more complete and satisfying drama. Despite being gods and immortals, they have their struggles and selfishness to protect the person they loved such as Tian Qi and Mu Guang. Most dramas do not have well-developed supporting characters but not Ancient Love Poetry. I think the team did well to give more life to these characters to heighten the viewers’ emotions to the story.

Acting And Chemistry
As mentioned, I’m not too gung-ho about Zhou Dong Yu’s portrayal of Shang Gu. It has nothing to do with her looks. Instead, the switch from a playful to a more commanding goddess is not obvious when required. She doesn’t have the screen presence to carry that aura of a Chief God convincingly. In contrast, I think Yang Mi did it better in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms as one can see her character’s commanding nature when the scene calls for it.

In a way, Zhou Dong Yu’s performance seems to be overshadowed by Jenny Zhang’s portrayal of Wu Huan to me. Wu Huan is a hateful but insecure character due to her past experience. But the way Jenny Zhang displays Wu Huan’s regal stature and deceit is very persuasive which is why it is easy for viewers to hate her.

As for Xu Kai, playing Bai Jue or Qing Mu isn’t really a problem to him anymore. He is a pretty versatile actor and can be cold or mischievous like in Dance Of The Sky Empire. At least, I can detect a difference in Xu Kai’s portrayal of Bai Jue and Qing Mu which are 2 different characters in the drama.

The chemistry between Zhou Dong Yu and Xu Kai isn’t off the charts but good enough to make it watchable to me. There are sad moments for the couple in the drama and their watery eyes could break your heart. This is where this couple could hook you and make it hard for you to let them go after the drama is over. But generally, I find that the teasings, quarrels, hugs, and kisses are like most on-screen couples which is nothing really extraordinary.

My Verdict – Watch!
Ancient Love Poetry isn’t perfect but the overall plot is good enough to keep you interested once you have warmed up to the story and actress. It is the initial stage that you possibly need to get over to go on to enjoy the drama. Moreover, not everyone will find the first arc to be boring. It really depends on your tolerance level for recycled plots. It is also obvious that this is a high budget production compared to the usual romance dramas. The CGIs are realistic and costumes look beautiful. All these little details add up to give viewers a quality production.

My opinion is not to let the actress and first few episodes to bother you too much if those are what make you hesitant. Be a little patient to wait for the story to unfold. I know 16 out of 49 episodes is a little long to gauge if it is worth watching but I think the characters will grow on you as you follow their journey. I see this as a plot-driven drama and the supporting characters also have their own backstories to keep things more engaging.

For this Ancient Love Poetry review, I would give it a score of 8/10. Some would love it while others would end up dropping it. I’m not crazy over it like some fans and I don’t think this is the best drama for 2021 because the chemistry could be better and the ending is rather predictable and simplistic especially the last scene. But it is still worth a watch for the plot and well-developed characters. Don’t be swayed by the high ratings by international audience and the low ratings by Chinese viewers. To me, it is somewhere between the 2 and that is a fairer assessment for Ancient Love Poetry.

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A drama series you all definitely cannot miss!!!

First thing first, I'd like to show my biggest appreciation to the writer/s who gave the role of Shang Gu and Bai Jue to Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai. They both portrayed their characters successfully and I give them my enormous respect for that. In the first few episodes, I was a bit reluctant to continue watching the series since I could not find the chemistry between the two of them. However, I pushed myself to continue it and by the time I reached episodes 20 above I got myself hooked on it once again. And that's basically the success of Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai as each of them played two characters (Shang Gu/ Hou Chi) and (Bai Jue/ Qing Mu).

This was my first time watching Zhou Dongyu and I must say I like her a lot as she could express her sadness with her eyes only. Her chemistry with Xu Kai was also on point and I hope they both could work together again in the future. Another thing that I like most in this series is the soft colour combinations in each costume. They did not need to use complicated accessories to match up the costume, the simplicity itself makes the costumes look attractive and elegant. I just love to see Xu Kai in all costumes he's wearing here. He looked very charming as well as handsome on all of them.

Overall, if you are a fan of Chinese Wuxia or Xianxia series, "Ancient Love Poetry" is something you definitely can't miss. I believe you all will enjoy it. Thumbs up!! Cheers!!

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Don't drop this

Super love this drama, honestly i cried not because of the drama but because of the song, the lyrics got to me. I wonder how they came up with lyrics to match the plot of the drama. And the protagonist isn't the female lead but the male lead, I honestly thought it was all about Shanggu but towards the end I came to the realisation that it was all about Baijue, and if you watch the end with the waiting for his return and all, you will also understand it. I was angry at the beginning because all of them were just protecting her and making decisions for her when she was obviously the most powerful one of them all, they didn't allow her to show her full potential but just kept her in a bubble all because of love, so I was angry at all the male in the drama and the most stupid one of them all is the heavenly emperor, he got off easily for my liking. So for me this drama is special and I love it. Been a while that I was so invested in a drama because L&R really ruined me for a long time, couldn't focus on any other drama until this ALP. Kudos to all the casts, both the MAINs and SUPPORTING casts. 10/10

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This show is one of the best. The production is great, love the CGI. The affects are like I’m watching a movie. For a drama like this you can see all the effort they put into the over all look of the show. All the fabulous clothes and colored…. It is so beautiful.

The acting is on point and I love the story line. I think the character developments done really well. All the cast has done a great job! Even the supporting cast his done phenomenal work.

The affects and the story line got me hooked right away. Can’t wait for the next episode. This is a show I will watch over and over again.

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Beautiful Story - Must Watch!!!!

This is my first time writing a review on here. I loved everything about this drama. At the end, i dont know if i was crying tears of joy, sadness, or relief for everything they had to go through. Their love for each other was so beautiful! The acting, cinematography, and story was so well done. I started watching it for xu kai but i fell in love with everyone else in it as the story progressed. Kudos to everyone involved in this production and the translators for all of their hard work! I hope i can come across another drama thats as great as this one!

If you are second guessing watching this, just go watch it! You wont regret it!

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I would definately recommend this series. It is a classic standing out amongst many. I really enjoyed the series. The story and script were interesting Main actors and actresses along with supporting cast were excellent defining their characters and petsonalities. Zhou Dong Yu was enchanting throughout the series. Her smile so infectious that I found myself smiling along with her. The CGI was perfect. Definately, worth my time watching. You will not be bored with the twists and turns of the story. You will be taken on a long journey to another wold and time. Present problems will disappear as you engulf yourself in the story. As I watched it with English subtitles I found it easy to follow and translation overall was well done.

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