Star-crossed lovers that made my heart bleed...
"Till the End of the Moon" is the best chinese drama i have ever seen. I am flabbergasted, i am sad, i am shocked...all emotions all at once and that does not often happen to me when watching a drama. I feel like there are no words enough expressing my deep affection for this story, its a marvelous epic fantasy war drama that consists of 40 episodes that kept me glued to the screen. All of the realms, all of the magical events and the songs kept my heart singing and all of the characters that rocked their part of the story, wether good and bad. I love it, i love all of it. Wow!!!Tantai Jin, oh my my what a character. He is so deep and so complex!! One of the best written characters i have ever seen on-screen. Born for destruction and destined for the same. He was doomed before he even was born. He hated the world and he hated his miserable existence. There was no drop of goodness lent to him. Sheer will and selfishness made him live on, and sheer cunningness made him survive. His transformation from a abused hostage to a powerful King....i just find it so amazing! All of it!!But in mids of all that he meets Li Susu in the form of his wife Ye Xihu...finding her sudden change of behaviour strange and even more that she is willing to protect and die for him. He never even knew how starved of affection he was before she started to show that to him. He was sedcued and tempted by her goodness and light. Fascinated by her stubborness and fearlessness. Alive only when he was near her, he fell completely and irrevocably in love with her. How much i cried with him, he made my heart bleed with his torture. The actor did a remarkable job, making this character alive in its perfection. His stunning beauty and his deep longing eyes. Wow...just wow. His beloved heroine Li Susu feels like a dear friend of mine, her mission costing almost her life...and she was still so insistent in making it succeed. Her pain was my pain as well. She desperately wished she could stay by Tantai Jin`s side and be the light in his darkness...alas fate. The fate of star-crossed lovers. It was always them, it was always about them...they were the End of the Moon.
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2
1Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? What was it like? Did you leap into the abyss with wild abandon? Lose your heart, body and soul? Was it worth indulging in every lucious, forbidden moment? Find out all about it in Till the End of the Moon, a heart-stopping account of Li Susu and devil incarnate Tantai Jin's scorching entanglement of love, hate and misunderstanding that spans 500 years and multiple realms.In a desperate attempt to stave off the resurrection of the the devil god, a bunch of grey haired cultivators send an intrepid young cultivator Li Susu back 500 years in time to stop Tantai Jin from turning into the devil god. Yeah, you really have to hand it to these crusty old cultivators - when all else fails, they sacrifice a virgin and hope for the best! Susu assumes the identity of Ye Xiwu and is tasked to kill Tantai Jin after tempting him out of his... uhm... evil bone! I almost choked with laughter at the sheer audacity of such a naughty plot setup!
This angsty xianxia's unique premise is that the main protagonist Tantai Jin is a fiendishly compelling and tragically misunderstood character; literally a prince of darkness. Luo Yunxi is mesmerising in this role - his diabolical crooked smirk, the maleficent glare, the taunting cock of an eyebrow, the elegant devil-may-care gestures and the imperious snap of a finger. But it is his shatteringly wounded expression and how with a moment of stillness he screams silently with pain oozing from every pore that makes me root for the devil and to hell with the realms. My favorite part of this drama is how kindness and love gradually changes the dark, lonely and twisted Tantai Jin into a best yet still flawed version of himself. Bai Lu on the other hand could have delivered a more nuanced performance as Li Susu. Her Susu is so unwavering in her duty to the realms that I could not tell when she fell in love with Tantai Jin or if she ever really did. That said, there is an exceptional spark between the leads that results in both hilarious and smoking hot moments. I could see sparks fly in every direction during Ye Xiwu's seductive dance that tempts the devil in his liar. This drama's greatest hook is Luo Yunxi's portrayal that dimensions his character beyond the screenplay and his searing onscreen chemistry with Bai Lu.
There are four distinct arcs in this drama, the first of which is the strongest and most enthralling mortal arc. I loved everything about this arc and if this drama had held that level, I could have easily rated this over 9.0. By design, the second visually stunning dream arc also shines in many aspects but sags as a result of lazy writing and overuse of tired xianxia tropes. The third and fourth arcs recover somewhat but never quite hit the addictiveness of the first arc. Part of the problem is the second couple is poorly written, has no chemistry and is not empathetic. Their insipid story is overshadowed by that of foxy Pian Ran and unswerving Ye Qingyu's passionate and addictive love story, which ends way too soon. While all of the arcs have good moments, the plot is moved along almost solely by misunderstandings. This is the hallmark of indifferent screenwriting and it undermines the intelligence and agency of the main characters. With a little bit of effort, they could have gotten to the same place without undermining the characters and disengaging the audience.
In terms of production values, this is a big budget drama and it shows but not in the best ways. The make up was often over the top and not flattering. I am visually scarred by the excessive blood spitting that took it to the next level in terms of bloody teeth and the excessively bright contact lenses absolutely ruined many emotional moments for me. I did not at all enjoy the pantasmagorical CGI orgy game world that hijacked all of the clashes between good or evil including the beginning and ending scenes. The over-lit glare distracted from the emotion and the intensity of Tantai Jin and Li Susu's most pivotal scenes.
The way this drama ends is both fitting and inevitable in that both Tantai Jin and Li Susu fulfill their destiny. My problem is with how they get there. It could have been a lot more palatable if it were better written. But my biggest gripe with it is that the drama never convinces me that humanity or the realms are worth saving. Or that there is cosmic justice. After all, Tantai Jin was just jinxed from birth but he was hardly the worst, most evil character. What I resent most is that the hypocrisy of the moral sects is never exposed and that the truly evil characters get outcomes they don't deserve. The original works this drama was based on may have been very good but the adaptation is not. The screenwriters should all hide in shame and do all they can to try to erase their names from this adaptation. Nonetheless I rate this 8.5 because anything less would be an injustice to Luo Yunxi's devilish, simply irresistible and unforgettable portrayal of Tantai Jin.
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Refreshing with top tier actors! Watch this now!
Luo Yunxi is God tier in every costume drama he is in! He is the perfect Tantai Jin! He is pulling off the bullied, pitiful, and helpless role of beginning Tantai Jin who also had something to hide. He's pulling off the fierce and dangerous Devil God Tantai Jin! He's also pulling off showing vulnerable Tantai Jin and OMG the part where he's enjoying a snowball fight was so effing adorable!Bai Lu as Susu is perfect! She's not helpless from the start! While in the immortal realm she was ready to fight and the moment she got to the mortal realm, she was ready to throw down. It's so refreshing having a strong female lead in a xianxia!
The chemistry is out of this world! The way they exchange glances or touch each other is wonderful!
The OST is also wonderful! I feel like the drama just isn't using one song over and over!
I know people are upset with the ending, but I thought it was perfect and put control back in Tantai Jin's hands. For the first time in his miserable life, he is at peace with what he could control. It's a beautiful message that sometimes fighting for what's right doesn't wrap up everything with a bow.
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This review may contain spoilers
A drama worth rewatching and naturally will get you binging.
I started the year binging some amazing cdramas from last year (like Love between Fairy and Devil, Who Rules the World, Love like the galaxy and The Starry Love) and I was looking for something good in the xianxia genre that could live up to my high expectations after having watched those dramas (and starting but not continuing some other ones because they didn't have the same grip those did).When I started Till the end of the moon I was confused and thought the first episode was a bit too packed (both with info and action), but still wanted to keep watching. I actually plan to rewatch/binge this sometime this year to see if binge watching makes any difference in my opinion, as supposed to watching arc by arc as I did now.
The costumes are AMAZING, special effects are also on point, but costumes and make-up had me in awe. I LOVE LOVE Sangjiu's glittery makeup and hair decorations as the clam princess.
Storywise it keeps you wondering. In the beginning it had me thinking "how is this enemies to lovers type of situation going to work out?", since there didn't seem to be any basis for them to even like, let alone love each other. However things slowly work out and it's both beautiful and sad.
I'd have loved it if there were more episodes to explore the relationship between the FL and ML, as well as the other couples.
The chemistry between the couples was so good. It might have been short but I loved the little break from all the misunderstandings between the FL and ML (as Li Susu and Cang Jiumin) and the honest talk, communication is truly beautiful! The second best couple for me is Ye Qingyu and Pian Ran, if there was a sequel of these two I'd definitely watch it! The courageous, supportive man who's also a fool in love and the cute fox that always teases him but has deep scars of her ownš„°š„ŗ (Their relationship was probably the healthiest one too, as compared to the other two couples)
I rated the music 9.5 because it was good and the lyrics were fitting of the scenes but it didn't always have the impact I wanted it to have, especially in certain scenes where it could have been sadder and conveyed the emotions better.
I cried a lot watching this, I was also frustrated one too many times with all the lies and misunderstandigs...but those are things I expect from this genre anyway.
I liked how the show went with "no-one is purely evil", our protagonist might have been destined to be so but eventually chose his own destiny.
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Hopelessly fall in love with the villain till the end of the moon
A Xianxia drama in a league of its own. Itās a story about going against fate, learning about love and choosing your own path. It is compelling, heart wrenching and beautiful.Tantai Jin. My heart is in my throat as I write this. You gripped us from the very beginning and did not let go until the very end. There is sweetness in torture and torture in sweetness.
Do not hesitate and just start watching this show. It is worth it. It is not just about the romance but the character development of Tantai Jin. His life and his becoming of the Devil God was delivered and done close to perfection. My heart lives and bleeds for TTJ.
I personally love anti-hero/villain character story lines and in TTEOM , Tantai Jinās angst, loss, suffering and misery is just beautiful. Tantai Jin is Luo Yun Xi and Luo Yun Xi is Tantai Jin. He is just an amazing amazing actor! He didnāt leave any crumbs.
The plot is complex, with a good serving of typical xianxia tropes but it was executed brilliantly with one if not the highest production value in the last 3 years. The CGI is insane. The fight scenes are epic. The love story will break your heart and mend it just to break it again.
Every episode is very very good, no fillers whatsoever. Prepare your heart though, you will go through a roller coaster of emotions.
If not for the romance, come for the fight sequences! They are impeccable.
This is, by far.. the best Xianxia I have the privilege to see. Regardless of whatever ending it will give us, this show is sooo good, I donāt care if it hurts.
āā updateā-
Just finished Ep 27. OMG. TTEOM just gets better and better. I dare say without a doubt, this is LYX best performance ever. He is brilliant. I am absolutely loving how the story is progressing. Just a word of warning, this is not for the faint of heart. Every single episode is so immersive, riveting and just leaves you reeling. Prepare yourself. š„
ā- updateā-
Just finished watching and my soul has left my body.
AMAZING. TRULY EPIC.
It starts with Tantai Jin and ends with Tantai Jin.
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Please make part 2 otherwise I would be disappointed because of the ending
Beautiful drama ,all three era 's stories were good. Specially Tanaji acting . He was amazing . They way the character shout when he got hurt . The way he changed the expression when he became devil were all too good . After a long time I got to see such super duper hit Chinese historical drama. Except the ending I like everything about the drama.All other characters were also good . Chemistry between the leads were amazing. . Su su also did very nice work . I wish the director will make 2nd part to give beautiful and good ending to Su Su's and Tanaji's character .
What I enjoyed the most was Tanaji acting . World best acting . When he was angry ,when he was in pain, when he was happy , when he was in love ,every emotions came from him so nicely that I became fan of his acting.
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If you like angsty drama then TTEOTM is for you
This is gonna be a short review haha. Honestly, my expectation for this drama was low but after watching the episode 1, I was in awe. The cgi and production was on another level. You could really tell that they spent a lot of money in this drama. Also, all the fighting scenes are executed beautifully! Meanwhile, Bai lu and Lou Yunxi acting DID NOT disppoint me. However, I find their chemistry on and off here sometimes but that's just me lol. The only thing I dislike about this drama is the amount of miscommunication and lack of trust between Ye Xiwu and Tantai Jin. It was really frustrating to watch them fighting. But all in all, it's a great drama to watch especially when you like angsty plots.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Leo Luo is better as a bad guy!
I'm giving this series 10 out of 10 because the leads are good at playing their roles especially LLLS and Bai Lu.LLLS's facial expressions bring his character, TTJ, into life which makes this series worth watching.
The series are slow in the 1st five episodes which probably explain to the low rating but after episode 5, the momentum starts to build and I just couldn't wait for the next episode each I finished watching one.
I am watching this series as to move on from Goodbye, My Princess, another masterpiece.
I'll be honest: this new series will not traumatise the viewers like what GBMP has done to many.
Watch this series if you are looking for a good Chines tv drama before the release of another series starring Bai Lu, 'The Story of Kunning Palace'.
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The Best Costume Drama this 2023
Oh my gush I just finished the drama and it's really depressing that it's already the end of itš I literally cried so hardš It's the best drama I've ever watched this year and I really hope they give a season 2 for this. I really wanna see more of them in costume dramaš Please give us more of themššš The story was just the best of the best. I thought Ashes of Love is irreplaceable but then this drama showed up and it literally changed how I see a good drama. This one broke my heart and put me into tears but at the same time it was just wholesome. I love Tantai Jin too. He's a kind of man who is very loyal and would do anything to protect the woman he loves. I love how he changed from being vengeful to being compassionate. I love how he didn't care how others saw him as long as he can save them. He's a great man to look up to. It's just sad that Susu failed to see how he truly feels about her sooner. It would be been great if there's another season. I wanna see them having a family and facing new adventures together as husband and wife. I also wanna see the other characters from the mortal world being reincarnated ššš I WANT MORE OF THEMšWas this review helpful to you?
My views on 'Till the end of the moon'
Starting from the obvious, I liked 'Till the end of the moon'. The reason I started watching it because I had the proper 'second lead syndrome' while watching Ashes of love, and then after watching Love is sweet I was rather eagerly waiting for Till the end of the moon.Fair warning this review will not have spoilers but it will still address some of the problematic elements of the show.
The Good:
I have read the novel from which the drama is based on (albeit the translated version), I can assure you that the drama did a much better job with the same plot when compared to the novel. Every character had a point and wasn't 'lost' and used adequately. The story in itself is well worth it to be told in the form of a drama with this amount of budget.
The VFX, costumes and the general scale of the drama looked grand and the story deserved to be told in this grand of a scale.
The original show was supposed to be 56 or more episode but had to be edited hence the pace of the show was affected, the reason I am adding it as a good point of the drama is because unlike other previous 'good ' Xianxia dramas that I had watched there were NOT a lot of filler scenes. The plot was fast paced. Something important was happening every episode
Most importantly the acting in this drama particularly by the Luo Yunxi in his portrayal of the various phases and stages of Tantai Jin, Ancient Demon Lord, Cang Jiumin and Ming Ye have been truly a master class in acting. The fact that he dubbed his own voice for the drama was extremely helpful. The chemistry between Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi genuinely pulls the drama together.
The Bad:
In the good aspect of the drama I had mentioned that because the 56 or so episode drama had to be edited which made the pace of the drama more fast moving, most people who have watched the drama knowing this fact have been rather generous as audiences because of the cuts the makers have had to do because of the newer censorship laws in China. However, that does not mean that there were no issues with certain areas in the plot of the drama. Namely episode 33 was completely butchered. If I hadn't read some of the script online I still wouldn't have been able to grasp what had happened during that episode. Mind you that plot point is important to the drama.
The biggest victim if I could put it that way of the editing of the drama were the 2nd ML and 2nd FL. A large part of the audience were not able to connect with the 2nd ML and 2nd FL's story and tragedy DESPITE the fact that they were integral to the plot. The acting by the both the 2nd ML and 2nd FL was in my opinion very very good, however, the motives of their character particularly at the ultimate stage of the drama stopped making much sense, because of the edits.
Although the VFX, costumes and the scale of the drama were grand, the lighting, make up and dubbing of the drama were on certain occasions extremely jarring. The make up in certain episodes seemed inappropriate and visibly cakey on certain occasions.
The could be better:
The first episode of the drama is probably the weakest aspect of the show. A lot of things about that episode can put the viewers off.
The OST of the drama is actually very very good, but it was not used well in certain scenes. Same is applicable with the fight scenes, some of them were truly outstanding but others seemed extremely out of place and fake. Considering this is Xianxia genre show, there was certainly scope for improvement especially in the sequences were the 1st ML and 2nd ML were not present the fight sequence seemed lacking.
The 3rd ML and 3rd FL were very cute, however, in the acting department both of them seemed a little bit of a novice. I felt as thou they were a bit stiff and the chemistry was bit lacking.
Bai Lu has DONE A WONDERFUL job as the main FL of the drama, however, something was wrong with her dubbed scenes in certain sequences. Considering the BTS of the show were and are constantly being posted by Youku everywhere her acting or dialogue delivery at those moment were absolutely fine, but something on a few occasions went a bit awry during the dubbing process.
In Conclusion
Overall I genuinely enjoyed the drama and most of the credit goes to the Main ML and Main FL . Although the cinematography wasn't crisp, but the makers pulled off well in scenes that truly mattered. People who enjoy angst filled romantic tragedies will 100% like the drama. Especially if you are a Luo Yunxi or Bai Lu fan this one is a treat.
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This review may contain spoilers
First 10 Iāve ever given to any drama
Any scene from any drama can make you cry so long as the actors do well expressing it or if the scene is just all to relatable.For TTEOTM, there were tear jerking scenes but not enough to make a waterfall and pinch your heart. Even without getting your eyes swollen, the plot and story telling was done so well. Picking the right cast to present the story was key, their chemistry was key.
+1 Great Cast
+1 Phenomenal Chemistry between the leads
+1 Supporting Characters were great fillers!!
+1 Heavy Romance Saturated - Worthy of the Romance Genre
+1 Strong Plot
+1 Strong Dialogue [Strong verses & lines]
+1 Best Costumes (Ever)
+1 CGI & Action was beautiful
+1 Amazing Aesthetics, Cinematography was done great
+1 Soundtrack was average to the casual ear but music wise, it was amazing and eventually grew on you
A few notable hiccups that made me hesitant to give a full 10:
- Due to restrictions, they had to cut some scenes so some areas of the production was choppy or too much was happening all at once towards the end. Towards the ending, some scenes were all condensed into one episode while some scenes lasted the entire episode.
- Some CGI & Action scenes were all over the place or didnāt look as good visually, it became unorganized. But this is common due to the nature of the genre. Overall, it was done way better than most high budget dramas.
- Some of the dialogue was overly cheesy and somewhat cringy. But due to English translations, I get that it may sound cringy compared to how itās said in its original language.
- Some of the misunderstandings and miscommunications were not explained and left viewers frustrated and confused of the reoccurring problems. I feel that novel readers would have better understanding of the reasons behind the characters decisions.
- Music was not as catchy, it was good but still pretty average. HOWEVER, the music did grow on you and subtly pinch your heart. Music wise, the production was amazing. Not as catchy tunes but definitely heart wrenching. Lyrics were definitely heart jerking. To the casual ear, the music might not stand out but to those who have a deep understanding of music will know how well produced the music was.
To conclude, this was by far one of the most high end, well organized, most aesthetic, most well selected cast drama Iāve ever watched so far since Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. TMOPB didnāt even pick up till the middle of the story where as TTEOTM picked up right away. I am head over heels with the cast and their chemistry. This project has set the standard.
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This review may contain spoilers
They need to send this to Netflix for more exposure! Story and actors deserve this!!!
SPOILER ALERT- donāt read on if you havenāt seen the ending.Now that this drama is over, I feel major withdrawal.
I feel most people are missing the whole theme of this movieās ending.
Does anyone not realize that the Devil Godās existence stems from the evil and sins of the world? And that in the endingā he sacrifices his life like a martyr- basically dying for their sins. Reminiscent of Jesus, just a bit differently (xianxia style). He did it for the reasons of good. He even purified Jiwu at the end telling Jiwu that he shouldnāt be impure or evil and dirty his innocence/good. TTJ is truly a a Devil God with emphasis on the āGodā aspect. He isnāt simply a Devil. He has the ability to see the depth of existence and the good and evil that can exist within all sentient beings. He has a firm grasp and control (despite all temptations) on what is the good path and he chose the good, but utilizes the bad/evil things (ie crossbow, none refining artifact etc) for the greater good. This is why heās such a badass š
Heās also a badass because it took him a journey through all human emotions and suffering for him to overcome and then become the ultimate Godāalbeit of Darkness, but much different than the original Devil God that didnāt see as clear as TTJās Devil God form. Not to mention, he sacrifices his love by pretending to be evil such that Susu can learn the heartless way and break from her attachment and obsession and immortalize into a Goddess herself. They are the perfect Godly couple.
There are also yinyang theme too- in good thereās evil and in evil thereās good like the yinyang black and white symbol. This is seriously one of the best c dramas ever made.
The symbolism, metaphorical, and philosophical depth to which the story was created is quite beautiful... itās much deeper than LBFD cdrama, which I enjoyed, but my emotions for TTEOTM are much higher.
I miss this couple, all the characters, and the philosophical intrigue that it brought out. There needs to be more quality work like these!!!! š
On a side note- the ending although had left me with many questions, itās still considered an acceptable wrap up of the series. They did a good job at tying things up towards the end such that it didnāt seem like it was a terrible edit job or āwtf happenedā kinda deal. I was ok with it. š¤£ also- remember, he never truly ādiesā as long as their is evil or sins in this worldā we all know thatās not going away!
They should have this show on Netflix so it can be shared and reach a larger audience. The actors and story really deserve it.
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