The Demon Hunter's Romance

Demons and humans and their complicated interactions

This show features an imaginative world where demons and humans coexist. The people are as skeptical as we’ve always been, so in a fun reversal of normal dynamics, our protagonists sometimes need to deal with the incredulity of a disbelieving public.

The FL, Banxia, is not particularly smart, strong, skilled, anything- she’s often afraid and needs to be saved. She is, however, very reasonable. I often thought her words, actions, even thoughts and feelings, made perfect sense given her position and abilities, and I agreed with her behavior throughout. All these traits make her relatable and likable. I still didn’t love her, but I found no fault with her- she’s got what she’s got. And she does get braver throughout the show.

As for the ML, Xuanye- I really like his vibe. Even despite his tragic past and impressive abilities, he has this casual, down-to-earth style. He’s not trying to act cool, he just talks and acts like a normal person. Most of the time he looks harassed, but sometimes he also looks flabbergasted, incredulous, exasperated, taken aback, etc. And sometimes he looks genuinely happy. He’s low-key, selfless, and very likable.

The romance between them is done well. It grows naturally, and between Banxia with her healthy communication and secure attachment style and Xuanye avoiding awkward conversations like the plague, it’s not too flowered up or overdone. I also don’t like awkwardness so Xuanye really saved me here. There are still awkward scenes, like with side characters, but they are on purpose for humor and actually funny.

Speaking of funny, I wouldn’t call this a comedy, but there are legit lots of hilarious moments. The humor is incorporated well so it doesn’t feel forced, I thought the funny moments were really funny.

As for side characters, this show had quite a few that I really like and who also show up regularly. I think in general the side characters are done well, have personalities and screentime, though I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of them- some of them still get forgotten.

For the plot, some of the story arcs feel a bit drawn out, just going on for too long. I actually watched a lot of the show at 1.25X speed (this also because Banxia talks really slowly). But I think the story arcs get better as the show goes on, and I found the last one very exciting. Some of them made me anxious, but they end up mostly resolving in ways I was satisfied with- the protagonists and I seem to agree on who is good or bad, and who deserves sympathy. The ending got some hate but I don’t think it’s that bad, see below for more details.

A special shoutout to the world building. I wasn’t always too impressed by the CGI of the demons, but I think the dynamics of the world are well-done, showing how demons and humans can be both good and bad, and the way prejudice and power dynamics play into their dynamic. The show even does some explaining about how demonkind works, which is pretty cool.

Acting-wise, I really like this role for Allen. Some of his expressions legit made me laugh, and his smile also made me smile. For Song Zuer, I think she’s a decent actress, and having the patience to speak that slowly is no small feat. I wasn’t a huge fan of the way her mouth seems to be hanging open a lot (just not the most flattering look?), but small quibble.

I didn’t always love the CGI in this show, but I thought the fighting is quite good, top half of what I’ve seen. It’s excessively acrobatic but the hand-to-hand is actually quite solid. The costumes are alright- I really like Allen’s styling (he looks like he came out of an RPG) but this is not my favorite style for the ladies and I didn’t really like Banxia’s hair. For the music, I liked some of it- maybe one or two of the OSTs and a few of the BGMs- most of it was not my favorite, but okay.

Overall I think this is a pretty good show that I enjoyed watching, though not a masterpiece that I love. I did sag on it a few times but I think it was mostly due to anxiety, and then things ended up resolving alright. It ends up being a good mix of warmth and trauma. I would watch a sequel, though I’d be surprised if we actually got one.

ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS





Ah yes, the famous “sad ending” that everyone keeps ranting about in comments. I honestly don't think it's so bad. Everything works out except the main couple are willingly separated at the end. You can see the wheels turning, though (his dad examining the broken travel pass artifact, Banxia asking for directions, etc).

In more detail: excessively tragic events towards the end are undone for the last two episodes by time reversal. Time reversal is one of my least favorite tropes, but this one is actually pretty well done- everyone seems to be roughly the same person, and the same story arcs still happen in some form. This also gives us 2 episodes of closure to see how many (though not all) of the side characters fare in this redo, which is a nice second chance and wrapup for some of the story arcs (...I am still sad about the little black cat, though).

Plus, there are echoes of the original timeline in the new one. Mainly, Xuanye still remembers everything, which puts him in a heartbreakingly bittersweet situation. Luckily, Banxia regains her memory too, so the two of them get maybe ¾ of an episode to catch up and say goodbye. I do think it’s a bit forced melodrama to tug at heartstrings (cmon, how did that artifact break?) but it’s not bad and leaves the story open to a future reunion.

I did google the “original ending” intended by the writer, and agree it’s much better. In this ending, Xuanye forgets everything after the time reversal, but Banxia regains memory and goes to find him, they defeat enemies together and he also remembers everything again. It’s much better all around from character development and closure points of view, and they totally could have fit in another story arc with 4 more episodes... but, whatever, we got what we got. Rate a show for what it is, not what it isn’t.

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Disappointing

Let's just start with the ending was atrocious to say the least, they literally butchered it. Another thing the more you go on with the arc the more tedious they become.. Some arcs are just torture to watch, especially secondary characters arcs. The FL is very teenager like which highly icked me. The chemistry was just not there at all, again especially because she is so childish it felt weird and don't let me talk about the kiss scenes! Probably the worst kiss scenes I have seen in a while, a 36 yr old guy can't even kiss 🤷🏻‍♂️. With such a high budget Expected more but honestly this drama could be outperformed even by short dramas. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, a hard skip.

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Humans & demons.... The good, the bad and the ugly

Just finished this, initially rated a 9 but finally ended at 6

Here are things I didn't like:

1. It felt like she was the only one fighting hard for their relationship, she ran after him so many times and he just accepts, then next 2 episodes we're back at the let's break up cycle again. At a point I was like girl, get up. At least have some respect ? Let him chase you and apologize maybe once?

2. I have to emphasize again on the number of times they broke up. Nah it was infuriating. One minute they're happily making plans, next minute he's stood her and her entire family up, then again as expected she sets off running after him, cries, maybe twists an ankle so he can come give her a piggyback ride back home and hey, next day everything is sunshine and rainbows again. At a point I was unimpressed with their happy "romantic" moments because I was just sure the next episode would be tears galore

3. FL didn't seem to have a stable bone in her body, like seriously how many times can a person run, fall, need to be caught, etc, honestly it just made their whole relationship unreasonable and I saw reason with the dad. Don't even think she'd have lasted a week if they'd ended up together

4. There was zero chemistry like nil, zilch, nada. Just one sided obsession and 2 dead fish kisses like bffr I've seen what my girl SZE can do in TPOB so it's definitely the ML. RJL was one of my first cdrama crush, stanned him so hard i followed him everywhere, but maybe I've had better since then so I'm tentative when I see his shows now because the romance will solely depend on his long deeply emotional stares, and if every other part of the story doesn't hold up to cover for the lack of romance it leaves you unfulfilled real quick.

Here's what I liked:

1. The beginning to the middle part had tight stories, I especially enjoyed the puppet arc, the painting arc got boring but I loved that the FL could fight in there, how I wish she had them irl, I'd have loved to see her put her mind to learning and picking up some self defense skills at least after leaving the painting because she was basically cannon fodder when shit went down.

2. The mysteries were intriguing. Every story had a deeper meaning. I especially liked the Chilian arc, it showed how humans could be equally vicious when given a taste of power. I was appalled that she went as far as killing him just to take away his identity and this is a lady who had been emotionally abused all her life. I felt sick to my stomach and actually wished they had executed her before she took off to enjoy a life of fame, but he later reported her so I guess she got what she deserved in the end.

Overall, okay watch.

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Maybe our hearts will find a way, Only heaven knows

As i am writing this, i just finished watching the series.

This has been genuinely the most well written stories I've watched recently. I finished around 5-6 dramas within a month with just days apart from each other. I usually just move on as fast and watch another drama. But this drama has me on a chokehold. This is what friendship, love and yearning is. That slowly and gradually grows on you. You don't know when it happened but you just woke up one day and you want to protect that one person with all your might.

If you don't consider Xuanye's background where he is supposedly a prince; both Xuanye and Banxia are just normal folks. Sure Banxia's family is a bit rich but they had little to no power nor influence. Their love story grew so so well because they gradually fell for each other. No other external factors. They were destined to meet, fate brought them together.

The story arcs were not as flawless but I love how it didn't just brush off the stories of each characters that made that arc work. Not too fast, not too slow. The progress of the story is just perfect. No more, no less. The reactions of each and every character to every plot device is not too cliche, it was as realistic as they can make it to be. Given that this was a supernatural/demon related story.

I am still in pain with how the series ended but I get it. The entire storyline kept on pointing on that direction, with multiple callbacks all throughout the series. The whole point was and is always will be how time will flow and that they are destined to be in different paths now that the causality sword was used. Their ties were severed. And Banxia knew that, that's why she asked him to spend that final day together with her, their friends and Chixue. At the end he was even able to tell his "human father" what happened.

Overall, I would say it was technically a Happy Ending for everyone. They all got to live peaceful lives. Its just that we never got to see if Xuanye and Banxia would ever be together. Its an open ending i guess since every 12 years the portal does open and now that the "flowers" are restored, thanks to the moon bugs.

Hence my heading:
Maybe our hearts will find a way, Only heaven knows
A song by Rick Price

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An incredible story that probably deserved a 10

I really really really really really like this show. The acting was fantastic. I enjoyed the music and the story was excellent. The female lead was interesting looking… I liked her… and she reminded me of Cate Blanchett. (If you know, you know). I really liked how she evolved from a timid and shy girl to quite a bold and confident and assertive character.

There were a few reasons why I couldn’t give this a 10 but this is a must watch and at 36 episodes and approximately 45 minutes each you will enjoy it.

The reasons I marked it down:

1. The time at the Reunion Inn seemed to go on and on and it was definitely a few episodes overkill. I enjoyed the story with the weird, psycho, puppet girl, but it did seem to drag on.

2. If I thought the reunion inn stuff dragged on then it wasn’t nearly as bad as the underworld city painting world. I get it was Groundhog Day but once you’d seen the same thing three or four times, I needed it to wrap up.

3. And probably the biggest crime was with the bullied girl Xinging who was not only beaten and abused by her husband but from the story, she was repeatedly raped by the local scumbag and they just seemed to brush the whole thing under the carpet like it wasn’t a big deal and it really left a bitter taste in my mouth.

4. I’m a romantic so though the ending was good I was still disappointed for the tragic duo.

Overall, it was really excellent, and I will remember it for a long time and I probably would’ve marked it higher if there was, let’s say…. 30 episodes.

It was a shame we didn’t see more of commissioner Sima because I really liked her character being so strong confident and powerful but I didn’t really like the fact that she kept on chasing the chief constable because she was much better than him even though he was a decent bloke.

The other side characters we’re all really interesting and I enjoyed their parts as much as our leads.

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A Touching Love Story That Deserves Season 2

Demon Hunter’s Romance is a drama that truly lingers in the heart. Both the male and female leads deliver performances that are deeply touching and emotionally resonant, making every scene feel raw and genuine.

Ren Jialun once again proves his mastery in portraying romance—he carries the story with subtle yet powerful emotions, never needing over-the-top kiss scenes to make the love believable. His eyes, tone, and presence alone speak volumes.

Song Zuer is the perfect counterpart, bringing warmth, charm, and strength that balance beautifully with Ren Jialun’s intensity. Together, their chemistry is undeniable—delicate, heartfelt, and perfectly tuned to the storyline.

This drama captures romance at its purest form: not through grand gestures, but through emotion that seeps into every interaction. It’s a love story that feels alive and unforgettable.

I truly hope there will be a Season 2, not only to give closure to their journey, but to let us experience more of the magic these two created together.

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I’m giving the story another shot out of respect for a fellow MyDramaList user.

A drama that created high expectations but fell into emptiness and a lack of technical quality.
I initially liked the cinematography and the main protagonists. But unfortunately, after five episodes, I let the story go on and only hope it improves—for the sake of the viewers.

For me, that’s enough. Visually weak, laughable effects, a mediocre script lacking continuity and realistic engagement between the characters. The main cast doesn’t seem to bring their characters to life; except for the music in a few scenes, everything else shows a lack of involvement and commitment from both actors and producers.

Poor direction, weak costume design.

This romance definitely deserved a much better adaptation—at the very least, one with some technical quality.

I do not recommend it.


27/04


I’m picking the story back up out of respect for someone very special to me here on MyDramaList.
Honestly, I couldn’t really connect with the drama during the first five episodes, but because of the deep admiration and trust I have for this person, I’m willing to give it another chance.

I simply can’t ignore their review and recommendation.

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Underwhelming leads

Ever have one of those series that are just interesting enough to click to the next episode but when you set it aside for a few days, it becomes unmemorable? This is one of those for me. The most interesting thing in the series for me was the involvement of supernatural beings and getting to the mystery of our main lead.

The main issue that brought down the intrigue for me was both the male and female leads. The acting for both were subpar and they both had very limited facial expressions, which also caused a lack of chemistry between the two. The female lead character itself is quite mundane and already into episode 22, yet she still hasn't added much value.

It's a shame because the supporting cast did a great job carrying the leads. And I am curious on diving deeper into the lore of the supernatural but dropping it for now. May potentially try again at some point if there's nothing else.

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