Best Xianxia drama of 2023
These two actors are my favorite for a reason because they are the best at what they do. I was so happy to see them reunite in this drama after love is sweet. This drama had so much pain and sadness yet a perfect mix of romance in there as well, whoever watched this needed a box of tissues in the end. Luo Yunxi is such a gifted actor whose expressions were on point each time he appeared as Tantai jin, Cang jiumin, or Ming Ye. I haven't seen an actor who looked so good in every costume he wore especially the Devil king look. I loved all the actors and actresses portraying their chemistry on screen together, how they were so close like a family working on this together. This drama proves Luo Yunxi is the perfect fit in historical/costume dramas also can't wait to see his upcoming two later in the year. The year isn't even over yet, but i can easily say this is already in my top 5 Cdramas of all time because the director took his time to give the viewers an amazing drama in the end.Was this review helpful to you?
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Defying Destiny - Follow Your Cracked, Bleeding Heart
I really enjoyed Till the End of the Moon and was swept along with its passionate story telling, gross flaws (misunderstandings galore, deep cuts to make a 40 episode limit), copious blood spitting, makeup mishaps and all! It was a roller coaster ride and highly memorable because of its compelling main characters with their larger than life goals and the blistering chemistry of the lead actors LYX and BL. Their acting elevated the imperfect script and kept me invested to binge the episodes and hoping to see them earn happiness together at the end.Story: 7.5/10
The story has 4 arcs: Hostage Prince, Bore Dream, Jing Kingdom, and Immortal realm. For me, the first arc was the most suspenseful and character driven part of the story. If the level of story telling had stayed at this level, I would have easily rated the story telling 9.5/10. Still there were many twists and turns throughout to keep me engaged in the story. However, it was frustrating to see all the misunderstandings driving a number of plot lines starting from the Bore dream arc, Jing Kingdom and Immortal arcs. This didn't do justice to the intelligence and craftiness that the leading characters showed in the first 1/4 of the story. The characters of TTJ and YXW/LSS had conflicting values and these were not fully mined; instead misunderstandings caused by third parties were too heavily used to drive the plot.
The last 1/4 of the drama suffered the most in terms of inconsistent edits, sharp scene transitions, Li Su Su was missing in action at critical times, and the ending felt rushed. I think that credit is still due for the high level of risk taking the show took in having flawed characters, distinct world building for 3 different realms, complex action sequences, flamboyant costumes and dramatic makeup. The show was not trying to be subtle! The characters dared to love and hate fully, which was a blast to watch their passion!
Acting: 9.5/10
The show toned down both main characters from the novel who were much darker and cruel. Even so LYX was TTJ lifted from the page. He captured TTJ's essence perfectly with a very nuanced performance as a tortured, vicious and dark anti-hero with an eventual redemptive arc. His chemistry with BL as YXW/LSS was blistering and they had incredible push and pull. BL's acting as YXW/LSS was versatile but the meat of the drama's story-telling focused on TTJ's growth and trajectory. This is different from the novel where the story is mainly from YXW/LSS's perspective. The last third of the drama was light on character development for LSS and did not showcase BL's acting as highly.
Music: 9/10
The OST grew on me. It was used effectively in the more dramatic scenes. However, there were parts where the music was distracting.
Rewatch value: 9/10
TTEOTM has numerous highlights and memorable scenes. I've been back to rewatch the highlights. Now if only there could be a director's cut released!
Overall: 9/10
The show is imperfect but overall compelling and deserves to be commended for the risks it took.
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“Till the End of the Moon” lives up to its title, as it tells of the searing saga and intertwined fates of the Demon Lord Tantai Jin and the Immortal goddess Li Su Su, going through several lifetimes and reincarnations until eternity. Here lies my contradictory feeling about the concept of “everlasting” love: while it’s commendable that these two managed to “resolve” their conflicts or despite their opposite goals, and still love each other years and years later; how many times should I see them cycle through different lives in various identities, without getting bored with it?
Back to the story, granted that it’s a complex one, but here we see Tantai Jin as the anti-hero. Was he really born evil or just a product of his cruel environment? Sure that he had the “evil bone” or whatyoumacallit planted inside of him by the spirit of Evil, making him more devil than the evil itself with his evilness. They had to make sure that we know he’s the devil, despite his insistence on the contrary.
But hey, look who’s here: the fairy goddess turning mortal to save the day, like she fell down from the sky, literally. Not only that, Li Su Su is arguably the most beautiful human being that graced the heavens, but apparently, she’s the only one who possesses the power to stop the Devil from destroying the world. Maybe by seducing him with her flawless white skin and virginal attire, will make the almighty Devil shake in his knees.
Throw in five or a hundred supporting characters, then you complete this saga. First, you must always have the jelly-bitch of a step-sister, ala Cinderella. Then you must also have a trusty side-kick or two. Don’t also forget to include the meanie mother, in this case, father, who destroys everything like your hopes and dreams. A comedic-relief character is also necessary in any story, so you have that. Add in an army of villains to do your bidding, and Voila! You have a cast list that is longer than the roll of tissue in your bathroom.
What really made me (or probably you) overlook all the craziness of time- or life- warping back and forth, not sure what is in whose memory of where it takes place is the beautiful cinematography that razzles and dazzles, so you just go with the logic and forget that you stepped into plot holes that you magically come out of. You won’t wonder: did that just happen, because no, it didn’t? It’s just in your dream, in your mind, and you are not supposed to see that rip in the fabric of time.
Aiding in this mesmerization are the two key actors whose job is mainly to act like their lives depend on it. Bai Lu expertly balances between the innocent yet formidable; soft in her expressions, yet firm in her direction while making sure that her hair and make-up is not out of place. For his part, Luo Yun Xi employs micro-expressions to portray his role as the Demon God. In this drama, Leo’s eyebrows made a strong appearance to make sure that you know they mean business. Leo’s lips did a lot of the work too, especially when he coughed up so much blood and making it look as normal as brushing his teeth.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this drama. It had its strength and weaknesses. I would follow the pairing of Leo Luo and Bai Lu till the end of the moon, if only the moon isn’t too far and requires three lifetimes of dreams.
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What started with Tan Tai Jin ended with Tan Tai Jin...or did it
Just finished watching a few minutes ago and decided to write my thoughts while they are fresh.When this started airing I already saw the great potential just like all the trailers showed me. The CGI is on a whole different level, the costumes are absolutely phenomenal and so are the actors (will get to that later)
STORY:
Alright so the story had an interesting premise however just as it is the norm for Chinese dramas it got very intertwines lets say (was gonna say complicated but everything was actually explained very well). I personally find the Immortal arc the best because its where the real show begins, everything else was kinda setting the scene. However after around episode 35, everything fr took a turn. We learned how all the different lives of the characters intertwines with each other (especially Mo Nv, I fr wasn't expecting the twist of her being a devil from the beginning). I have to say that during the Bo Er arc aka dream arc, I thought that the quality of the drama was going down, and many people were complaining about that arc haha. It just felt rushed, but after finishing the show I thoiught: well yes they could have made it longer but at the end of the day the character roles of that arc are more important than the relationship between them. I mean how the Bo Er life connects to the real life world 10,000 years ago. Only complaint is that there was no continuation to Pian Ran and Qingyu's story :(
ACTING/CAST:
Not much to say really, all of the actors were absolutely phenomenal. Well....LYX kinda blew me away again, he just keeps getting better and better. And his duality at playing multiple characters is fr terrifying. Bai Lu was as always scarily good. I was actually not familiar with any of the other cast (CDL, DW, SZN, GYT) But wow they surprised me. CDL slayed her bitch roles. If her character got me infuriated t hen her acting got across haha.
MUSIC:
I am not gonna say anything except for: THE OST AND SOUNDTRACK ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING I FREAKING LOVE THEM AND AM STILL MAD THAT THE SOUNDTRACK IS NOT RELEASED, THE OST ISNT ENOUGH FOR MEEEEE.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Another thing that was done the best in this drama, above the story, is the character building. The characters were SO well built and thereafter SO well executed (this show would've flopped if the cast wasnt as good in my opinion) that the small plot holes, rushed parts were compensated for
And well yea this is kind of it.
Solid 10 for me. This drama went from meeting y expectation to falling a bit on them and at the very end COMPLETELY GOING BEYOND EVERYTHINGN I EXPECTED. It was the Immortal arc for me.........Will rlly miss this show and ABSOLUTELY RECCOMEND IT. oh and do bring some tissues, you will need em.
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Luo yunxi done great job as tan Tai jin ,ming yue ,cang jiu min between all of them tan tai jin...is more connect to my..heart...
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This is really a good drama. It really deserves a rating of 9.
This is really a very good drama, whether it's the beautiful costumes or the heartbreaking yet sweet plot, the compact pacing, compared to other fantasy dramas, it is really special.This drama is based on traditional Chinese culture, with many Buddhist ideas such as the story of "Shibi Jataka Cut Flesh to Feed Eagles" that the Pearl King and Sangju talk about. This is a story from the Buddhist sutras that has infinite Zen meaning, and it roughly means sacrificing oneself to save the world and then being reborn. The Shibi Jataka in the story is actually the past life of Sakyamuni, and this story is actually woven throughout the entire show, implying the fate of the characters and the emotional themes of the series. https://dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu/Dunhuang-Exhibitions/exhibits/show/history-and-stories-behind/254intro/254-muralshibi
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Beautiful in the most heartbreaking ways
TTEOFTM is a drama that encompasses an overwhelming range of emotions. It possesses an exceptional quality, an ever-evolving storyline, breathtaking beauty, and heart-wrenching moments. Captivating me right from the first episode, its allure remained consistent throughout its entirety.If I were to offer advice to someone who hasn't watched this drama yet, it would be to dive in with minimal information. When I first watched it, all I had seen was the trailer (which, in hindsight, I wouldn't have watched) and a brief look into the synopsis.
From the outset, I knew that I would inevitably likeTantai Jin, as he was the male lead. However, I didn't expect this bond to form so swiftly (nor did Li Susu, I imagine). His life story, depicted early on in the drama, swiftly revealed the person he was destined to become, making me empathize with him and even root for his revenge against a world that had only inflicted pain and neglect upon him.
One quality I find immensely captivating in characters is their moral ambiguity and shades of gray in their actions. Tantai Jin exemplifies this remarkably, making it impossible to dislike him. As I mentioned earlier, he is extremely easy to sympathize with.
The extraordinary dynamics between the two leads instantly drew me in. Even when they despised each other, their chemistry was astonishing, intensifying as time passed. The development of their romance was exceptionally well-executed. Considering Ye Xiwu's rational standpoint, it was completely understandable for her to despise Tantai Jin after witnessing him kill everyone she knew. Thus, it took her a considerable amount of time to see him romantically. On the other hand, Tantai Jin was utterly incapable of love, and the Ye Xiwu he knew before was violent and cruel.
There were numerous moments of confusion. Sometimes, it seemed like Ye Xiwu was gradually falling in love with Tantai Jin, while at other times, she pitied him. There were even instances when she struggled not to perceive him as the Demon God, despite reminding herself repeatedly that he hadn't transformed into that yet. From Tantai Jin's perspective, a similar duality arose. This complexity mirrored the characters' own feelings and was beautifully conveyed to the audience. I cannot emphasize enough how brilliantly it was portrayed.
The side characters also played an integral role to me, particularly Pian Ran, Ye Qingyu, and Nian Baiyu, each forging intriguing relationships with the leads. Witnessing Tantai Jin's connections with Pian Ran and Nian Baiyu, and how these characters helped humanize him, was exceptionally gratifying. While I did grow fond of characters other than the leads, I must admit that my attachment wasn't as strong as in other dramas. Nevertheless, this doesn't necessarily diminish the overall experience.
Now, there were two specific aspects that bothered me slightly. Firstly, I wished the female lead had displayed a bit more power. There were scarce instances of Li Susu/Ye Xiwu/Sang Jiu engaging in combat compared to other characters, particularly Tantai Jin. Secondly, certain elements felt rushed and underdeveloped. However, I will excuse TTEOTM for this flaw, considering the constraints of a shortened drama and the team's commendable efforts within the limited available time.
Furthermore, I cannot overlook the absolutely incredible soundtrack of the drama. Even as I write this review, I am engrossed in its captivating melodies. Each song flawlessly complements the story and is used masterfully throughout.
It is equally impossible to disregard the astounding performances delivered by Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu. They flawlessly portrayed their respective characters. Luo Yunxi, in particular, convincingly embodied four distinct personas, effortlessly transitioning between the Demon God, Ming Ye, Tantai Jin, and Cang Jiumin while maintaining the necessary similarities that tied them together.
Till The End Of The Moon is undoubtedly the best drama I have watched in a considerable amount of time. The story, well-developed characters, captivating music, and visually striking aspects kept me enthralled to the point where I couldn't stop thinking about it, even during my day-to-day tasks. This drama continues to linger in my thoughts, and I hope it remains there for quite some time.
I am eager to rewatch it at some point to catch all the subtle details that may have escaped my notice the first time around, either due to being hooked by the main narrative or lacking sufficient knowledge of it. However, I will have to wait until I have healed to fully immerse myself in it once again.
In summary, Till The End Of The Moon is nothing short of fantastic!
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Frustrating
I would have given up halfway if not for my favourite het CP. Luo Yunxi and Bailu’s undeniable chemistry kept me watching.It felt like storyteller said let’s take all the suffering every character has ever gone through and give it to Tantai Jin. He endured and endured and endured but the universes said, “Umm, not enough.” Also, “Let’s give the antagonist every misunderstanding we could ever conjure up because Tantai Jin must suffer more. We must break him.” I thought I had seen it so bad when it came to these two themes but this drama set out to decimate my belief.
By the time some things started to come to fruition, I was already exhausted. Angst does not even begin to describe TTEOTM.
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Another masterpiece by Luo Yun Xi & Bai Lu
Don't know why people don't like it so much. Is it because of the sad ending or what no idea? This is one of my favorite series of all time.This is my first time watching a Wuxia series. At first I didn't want to watch this kind of series ( Though I love Fantasy & historical series), but couldn't resist because of Luo Yun Xi & Bai Lu.
Luo Yun Xi as Devil God is so Sexy. His acting was great. Loved him. The way he emoted 5 characters was so awesome. Each character is different to another. From the villain Devil God to Devil God 2.0. What a transformation. Bai Lu also did her best.
The love between Tantai Jin & Ye Xi Wu was pure & sweet. Tantai Jin love for Ye Xi Wu is beyond anything. I loved Pian Ran. Her arguments with Tantai Jin are funny. Also, love the third couple. Everyone should have supportive and trusting masters like Zhao You & Qu Xuan Zi
Hate Ye Bing Chang & Tian Huan. And also hated the second couple.
Shocking & unexpected ending for Xiao Lin. I feel like Gongye Ji Wu ending is incomplete, I would like to know what happened to him afterward, even a few minute scene would have been nice. Would also like to know what Tantai Jin said or send to Nian Bai Yu. Also, I want to know what happened to the real Ye Xi Wu did she die or what? As we know that Li Su Su was the one who was inside of Ye Xi Wu body.
I can watch it all the time.
Have to appreciate VFX of the series. It didn't look bad or creepy.
Songs of the series is 10 out of 10. It's awesome. Listen to its songs all the time.
I want a Second Season.
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Best Chinese drama for me since decades
I really enjoy TTEOM. The ML and FL has top notch chemistry. Story gives a lot of lessons in life.Life lessons from the drama:
1. Your wife maybe the second person in life to love you aside from your mother. Your wife will care for you, teaches you to love and forgive, and she wants you to be a good person.
2. Be kind, love each other, forgive one another, communicate because death can happen anytime. And you don't want to regret.
3. Joy and happiness don't mean you acquire all earthly objects and power. It means you give happiness to others.
I am not disappointed at the story line nor at FL character and the sequences as I understand that each event will lead to the next. So I just let everything be and enjoy the drama's progressing. The story makes sense to me.
Custom: I am not a big fan of hair decoration for male characters. But it's ok since the production wants everyone to be pretty ?. I love ML most in black and at the beginning where he was wearing simple outfits with less hair decoration. Yunxi is very good looking in black. Love him in black the most especially toward the two last few episodes. FL outfits were all beautiful ?.
I highly recommend TTEOM to everyone. Not watching it means you are missing the masterpiece of Yunxi and Bai Lu. TTEOM is a very sad, painful, yet joyful drama. ML knows how to make you smile and cry with him. You will learn to love him as you journey through the drama with him. You can actually visualize your as him and being with him through his sorrow and happiness. The he express through his emotions, facial, actions, and tone of voice just make your heart melt and forever remember him in your heart. He and FL are unforgettable. I hope you will not miss this incredible experience as only a few drama can literally portray this into you.
I am hooked on TTEOM when I started watching it. Now I cannot move on. Still rewatching the drama.
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A simple review after finished the drama
Just finished the drama 1 days ago, and I'd like to say that the story is written well and performances of each actors and Actresses is among the best. But I can only give 7/10 rating because although I've finished it most of the time i couldn't get myself immerse in this drama at all. Reasons is as below:1. The make-up of most characters just make me feel "not right". I really love Bai Lu but her make-up when she first become Ye Xiwu is not smooth and i can see all the powder on her face while doing closeup shoot then every time I saw Tantai Jin demon look I feel funny, the eye shadow is just to much. Another thing is Mo Nv make-up when she dress as demon, the eyes thing just doesn't match with the face makeup at all. Oh and the make-up of Pian Ran during the night she meet Ye Xiwu for 2nd time is the legendary " pale face with different body skin color".
2.The customs when they became immortal sect disciples make me have alot of questions. Well I understand that they're main lead, but why their clothes is so outstanding? Like when you see Cang Jiumin, you don't think he is a disciple but a Prince or even the king while compared to other diciples it is just to much gaps.
3. Why those Immortal sect diciples look more like they're some kind of people who do weird cultivation in Wuxia drama rather then immortal cultivation in Xianxia drama? Because in my brain those immortal sect cultivator even if they're not as beautiful as the Heroes and heroine they still look good, but those diciples is just...look out of place.
4. There is some part of the story that when it presented it just make me have questions for example: the Ming Ye and Demon god that just look the same, and the Mo Nv and Tian Huan, another thing is "How come the 12 god is so weak ? they can't even seal 1 demon god much less talk about kill him" maybe they're not the main lead ? and one more thing is "How can people go to sleep with full make up like that" or maybe it just me who seem to have alot of questions ?.
5. The 2nd lead pair sometime make me feel that they're unimportant. Like whether their love exists or not it doesn't effects the story at all. They just overly promoting the CP but there is no chemistry between the two actors.
About the Characters:
1. Bai Lu is good at portraying her characters. I love her more when she dresss as devil/demon (I know her from Lu Zhaoyao, and love her since then)
2. Ye Bingchang/Tian Huan/Mo Nv really ruined Chen Duling image in my heart ?. Chen Duling image in my mind is "The well-behaved introverted school belle, who is not very good at talking but very good at observing other" but her expression as Ye Bingchang, Tian Huan and finally Mo Nv make me hate these characters so much that i have to prised her acting as bad person. To say the true I am really expecting this drama because two of my favourite actresses (Dudu and Bai Lu) are the main cast to the point that i have to pay for Youku VIP ( I've never do this before) but I have to pause it many time to settle down my anger on Ye Bingchang and Tian Huan (I almost drop it in episode 12 but somehow the cut scene of Mo Nv with Si Ying help me continues). Mo Nv is a better version of Ye Bingchang and Tian Huan her character development is grate. I can say all the 3 versions of her are smart.
3. Wang Yifei portraying as a white-haired demon look so good! Yes she looked good in the Black hair scene too, but I love her more with white haired, I can't take my eyes of her! And her acting as demoness is great and suit her well. I thought that Si Ying would have listened to Mo Nv and stop being obsessed with reviving demon god, because I don't think him bringing her along to have a home is worth her sacrifice, i mean i really wish her to betray the demon god (she is the demon after all)
4. Mo Nv truly love Si Ying (because Si Ying truly love her too) but her love for Gongye Jiwu is just regrets that she had with Xiao Lin.
My most favourite scene of this 40 ep drama is not the main lead scene, but the scene when Jing Mie was playing with dolls that he thought it referred to himself and Si Ying,he look abit silly and the two of them in this scene is just too adorable for me ?.
Overall it is recommended to watch for those who don't have alot of questions for director like me.
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let's admit toxicity and stop trying to defend and romanticize it
(DISCLAIMER: I am not trying to offend anyone with this review. I wrote it for myself as a rant and to look back on.)
I have tried to like this show. I really have. But I cannot dismiss the cheap storyline, plot holes, and aggravating characters. This is a show that tells the story by the characters telling us what happened, rather than showing us, which is very frustrating. I am a bit insulted by how dumb this show thinks its watchers are. However, this is not a boring show, it is actually quite entertaining, even with all of the bad it has.
Characters: I do not like any of the characters. They are all dumb beyond my belief. The show gives 90% of its screen time to Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu and throws in a few other characters who are also supposed to lead but are not really. There is a second ML, but he wasn’t in it as much as I thought he should’ve been; however, I really liked the second male lead. He looks sooooo good in costume, mans was also beautiful, right up there with Luo Yunxi. Not sure what was going on with his character, but he seriously looked perfect in this drama. I’ll have to watch a show where he is the main lead. This gives a sense of a lack of character and shows a feeling of emptiness. Another thing to add: I have tried to get over how nonsensical this drama is while watching it, but everything just screams unrealistic. Like I get this is a fantasy drama, but at least the characters could act somewhat relatable and human. All the characters in this show act in a way that seems predetermined for them, like a video game plot or something, and I'm not talking about the acting itself.
Acting: It’s good I would say. Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu are both very good at acting. It is nice to watch a show where neither of the leads over shadow one another with their acting abilities. I can’t say much about the other characters acting, because they barely get any screen time. In general, I would say that the acting is pretty good, it's above average for a C-drama and it is a shame that they were directed to act in such a nonsensical way.
Costuming/Set/Effects/Makeup: You can tell this show is expensive. However, I think that the money should’ve been spent a little more wisely. The budget is all in the CGI. The amount of CGI and special effects being used is very overkill. None of the sets look like they could be a real place, it all looks too perfect and plastic. The costumes are very pretty, but the makeup is awful. Every character looks pasty in the lighting and the eyeshadow, especially on Luo Yunxi, is not very flattering (they made my beautiful man look like a panda). Also, you get to see Luo Yunxi in a stay-at-home wife outfit at the beginning of the show. He looks eerily similar to Chu Wanning, it is distracting, but in the best way possible. Bai Lu looks stunning in every costume she is in. However, this show relies too much an CG for its fight scenes. You have a whole classically trained ballet dancer and you are gonna cover up his beautiful, graceful fighting with CG and opt for heavily editing CG onto all of the fight scenes???? Wasted potential there.
The makeup was so bad for every character. The foundation is so pasty on everyone. And why are we putting eyeshadow all
around their whole eye? Luo Yunxi is a beautiful man and the overkill makeup does him dirty, like he’s still so handsome, but I just understand why they had to style his character with makeup so panda looking. Also, when he is an immortal I wish that his hair strands would’ve been tucked in. Why pull out his hair at the end of his sideburns, if you are gonna pull some hair out at least do it near the top of his head. I would say my favorite look for Luo Yunxi would have to be his Devil god look; the makeup and especially the costume and hair looks really good on him. He looks regal and expensive and straight up like a Devil god haha. Don’t even get me started about TTJ’s housewife outfit. The costume department is the same as it was for hyx, so they definitely knew what they were doing when they styled him like a whole Imperial Consort Chu.
Music: So far, the music is alright. A good thing is music is not overplayed. The sound isn’t too loud and the osts are not played too much. Lots of shows tend to play music too loud and all throughout every scene, but it is not noticeable here.
Story (SPOILERS):
Let’s start with TTJ played by Luo Yunxi. He is an evil guy and the explanation we get as to why he is so evil is because he was just born this way. He is evil because he was born that way, not because of any other outside forces. Other shows and stories have given depth to their evil leads when they want us to sympathize with him, but here we are supposed to sympathize with his actions because of a cheap backstory and because the FL does. We do not really get to see what leads him to being a tyrant. Here are some shows that have done the whole evil lead trope better: The Untamed, Love Between Fairy and Devil. TTJ is the most pitiful man I have watched on screen. I am enjoying every bit of it.
I cannot get over how the FL (Bai Lu) is sympathizing with someone who committed mass genocide and killed her family in front of her eyes. The characters are the dumbest set of people I have ever watched in a drama. How could she ever sympathize with him? He is so awful and honestly a pathetic character. He is a jerk and says and does the foulest things just because of an evil bone or something like that. And then the show goes, ‘oh! She is keeping him alive because of that evil bone and she has to destroy that before destroying him!’ Like how dumb does this show think we are?? To believe that even if there is a tiny little factor like that stopping her from killing him that she would just not kill him and start to fall for him?? Excuse me, but no. She should be pissed off to the point where she kills him right off the bat! Are you kidding me??
The jumps from lifetime to lifetime make no sense. In one episode you are with TanTaiJin and then all of a sudden, out of the blue we are in a dragon’s dream of them as immortals, but they don’t remember anything. It is a brand new show with brand new characters, there is no mention of the other life and it just makes no sense. Why is it important to the plot?? The importance is so insignificant. I think it has something to do with ‘life and death’ or something like that.. idk, it is dumb. Sang Jui (Bai Lu of that timeline) already is in love with Ming Ye (Luo Yunxi of that timeline). He obviously does not know her or love her back. She pines for him because he is the big strong ML. We get to see them fall in love in the span of an episode; personally, I wish they showed more scenes of them falling in love. What I took from it is that Ming Ye fell in love with Sang Jui because she gave him fruits and kept pestering him, outside of that, nothing makes her special. It is just cheap, when you think about it, why out of the thousands of years that Ming Ye has lived, would he fall in love with her over fruit???? There is no way that no one else has pestered him in the thousands of years that he has lived. Their love just is not very touching.
After the heavenly realm the show then goes back to reality. The characters seemingly have nothing to do with the heavenly realm characters. They just look alike, but I am sure they are tied together somehow. Anyways, what I want to say about this portion of the show is just that it does not make much sense. TanTai Jin grows stronger and stronger immensely fast, it is a bit out of nowhere. He is the ruler of everyone pretty much, or almost. Everyone knows who he is and is scared of him and calls him a monster. Around episode 22 the FL (I forgot her name) and TTJ fight cuz he killed a bunch of people. The people he killed were quite awful so I am not mad at him for that. He did however really scare her a bit, going a bit crazy when they fought, he had his reasons though. I just don't like how 20 minutes later she forgives him. They have a 'tender moment'. This would all be okay if the she didn't have her mission. It seems like the FL has completely forgotten about TTJ mass murdering her family and entire clans and she has forgotten about the whole reason she was taken back in time in the first place. She now holds no anger towards him at all, she doesn't bring up her mission, it just is a big headache. How could she forget??? Especially when he keeps growing more into the TTJ that killed her family, the tyrant of the entire universe? It just doesn't make any sense. Now they are strolling on a date, going out on the town. What happened to his evil bone??? That's like one of the biggest plot lines of the show, but it has been forgotten? We couldn't go 5 minutes without hearing about the evil bone earlier on in the drama and now it just vanished??
Also the trope of 'tied together for lifetimes' is done so poorly. Like I get that it's their past selves maybe?? or they are connected with these characters cuz they look the same? But the facts are those dream characters are different people than the originals we followed. They have different thoughts, feelings, values, ideals, and the switch from the dream to reality or whatever and back is just so confusing honestly. I can see what the story is truing to do with the whole 'tied together for lifetimes' type of thing, but doing this with the characters is just so so so so cheap. There is no payoff. HYX did it right, the characters from each lifetime all tied together, they shared thoughts and memories and feelings, it just was done so much better and TTEOM is just a worse than knock-off version of stories that actually can pull this off.
Ep 14 is what drew the line between a show that I can watch even though it is kinda dumb, to a show that I am now going to hate watch. Basically Sang Jui drugs Ming Ye and coerces him into having sex with her, he then gaslights himself into thinking it is ok. Straight up disgusting, didn’t think this show could get any lower. She says she does it to get back at him?? Get back at him for what?? They both had a huge misunderstanding because they didn’t talk to one another, but he didn’t do anything wrong honestly. Nothing he could’ve done should’ve incited that. I don’t care if they love each other, she drugged him and coerced him, and it was so out of character. Makes no sense, it’s awful. They romanticize this NC scene between the two of them it is so so hard to watch. Literally, I was on the verge of tears, not out of how pretty or how much they love each other. There was no love in that scene, it was not pretty, it was disgusting and foul and the fact that the show is trying to portray that scene as something romantic and not something that is wrong is absolutely aggravating. Some are trying to say that he was into it, but man’s was drunk out of his kind and drugged on top of that! I don’t care if they are in love, you don’t do anything of the sort with someone who is not in their right mind!
Highlights from the show:
So far, the best scene for me has been the one where TTJ was betrayed by his caretaker and he just bears it all to everyone. He monologues for like 30 minutes and gaslights everyone on the boat and then tortures himself in front of all of them. It was quite entertaining. I also really enjoyed all of the scenes with TTJ at SuSu’s residence, particularly the scene where the man is washing dishes.
Casting: I really am not mad at the cast; the leads were really good acting wise. It’s just that the script and story was so so cheap and confusing. Like they went through so many lifetimes just for all of Susu’s hard work to have failed in the end if you know what I mean. This show could be cut in half if Susu would’ve just told TTJ that she needed his evil bone after he became a simp for her. I think the show should’ve ended like around episode 35 or something when they had their moment in the garden and all was good, like they cleared up their misunderstandings and actually talked. Seriously the last few episodes are just full of flashbacks.
Last Remark:
Honestly, this show has p*ssed me off ever since it was announced to be made. I have nothing against the cast, but everything against the production company. Y*uku has used Immortality to market off this show since the beginning. They aren’t even trying to hide the fact! Almost the whole team behind hyx worked on this show, from the CGI and costuming department to the actors themselves. The story is also a bit similar to hyx. I wouldn’t have a problem with this, if the story itself weren’t so insulting. They put Luo Yunxi in this and made him the ‘Taxiun-Jun’ of this story. They also have bought hashtags out for Luo Yunxi with something relating to him being a mainstream actor and leading in a BL role. Why would they do that when BL is currently at a not so great state in the C-ent right now?! That just seems so scummy to me. This show is just so so so cheap. It just rubs me the wrong way. I will finish this show out of hate and spite. The only reason I am watching this is because I love Luo Yunxi and lots of that love comes from him being Chu Wanning in Immortality. I had no idea he would play the anti-Wanning here.
Final part: 500 years later
Li Susu and TTJ are back as immortals. The last ten episodes are honestly so confusing plot wise; much of it made no sense to me. I found myself getting very bored quickly and just skipped to every scene with Luo Yunxi in it. The last 10 episodes are really just everyone trying to figure out if TTJ is a bad guy and has the evil bone; it’s literally Susu is happy with TTJ and they are fine and then she gets mad and then she is happy and everything is cleared up, but then he does something to upset her again, it cycles quite a bit.
Tbh I started this show for lyx and finished it for him; I ended up liking his character the most. TTJ was a pretty and pitiful man. Luo Yunxi really ate up every scene where TTJ was having a manic episode or straight up being pyschotic. I was thoroughly entertained with his performance throughout.
Rant about the final episode: Lastly I have to say that the final episode really reminded me of the last episode for Darling in the Franx, you have giant celestial beings in the sky, the leads are floating off into the heavens, they transform outlooks times, the world is about it end, none of it makes any sense and you are just staring at your screen confused with how you got to this point.
The ending is just a whole mess. It’s the type of ensign that pisses me off. You’re really telling me that he killed all of the immortals in the beginning of the show, and the whole show is SuSu going back in time to get TTJ’s evil to prevent him from killing all of the immortals 500 years later, but in the end, the very last episode, he kills all of the immortals???? He kills every single one but her so she can kill him???? And this is so that there will never be an Devil god again??? It makes no sense. How is killing everyone in the immortal realm better than having a Devil god who honestly doesn’t pose much a threat. Like honestly if he would’ve just stayed the Devil god at end of the show with the pure heath that he had or whatever then no one else would’ve died. Like he could’ve just not killed everyone. And then when there is a new Devil god it’s not like they would kill every single person. What’s so bad about the evil bone passing from god to god? It sounds better than a whole mass murder of all of the immortals. Maybe I’m wrong and I just got so confused, but the ending is super confusing so me thinking he killed everyone is valid. Seriously, I’m a bit offended with the last episode. Why’d TTJ have to cause all of that chaos and misunderstanding if he was just gonna die in the end? I’m so confused. What is the ending of this show. My eyes hurt. I watched an hour of straight CGI and special effects. So TTJ sacrifices himself and stays up in the clouds or whatever. And it ends and he’s up there t-posing in rainbow land, while she is down with a kid who is theirs. Is he up there so that the evil bone won’t go to a new devil god? Is he even alive? What was that ending.
As much as I disliked about this show, it was fun to hate watch. It was so fun to watch up until the last 10 episodes where I lost interest.
NOW GIVE ME HYX SO I CAN SEE CHU WANNING!!!!!! After watching this show I am so so so sure that Luo Yunxi was born to play Chu Wanning. He played a character quite opposite of that of Wanning here, but we got a few glimpses of what Wanning could be like once it airs.
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