The Actual Ending Intended for the The Demon Hunter's Romance by the Scriptwriter

SPOILER AHEAD 

The melon/gossip (take it with a grain of salt) is that iQIYI made an intervention on the ending which was meant to be a Happy Ending after consulting from AI analysis:

And the writer; Zhao Na also posted this to say:

• She originally intended a Happy Ending for the drama but it was rejected.
• She said she is currently in discussion to make an animation version of her original ending with the production team.
• She's being contacted to do The Demon Hunter's Romance Season 2.
• Her future words which is Feud & Fate Choses You will have satisfying happy endings. 

Translation:

I’ve always wanted to write a tragedy, but every time I get into the process, I recognize that I empathized too deeply with the characters and couldn't bring myself to do it. The Demon Hunter's Romance originally had a happy ending. In the initial version, after Xuanye used the Sword of Causality, he forgot everything—as if he had never been to the mortal world—and became Manying. Banxia, however, remembered everything because of the carved words on the table, the 'Hidden Dragon Box,' and the 'Echo Conch.' She bravely ventured into the Land of No Sorrow ("Wu You Du"), found Manying, and together they defeated Shen Tu’nan, who had invaded the realm. At the very moment Banxia was about to leave, Manying regained all his memories. This ending had a very Miyazaki-esque, fairy-tale-like beauty, but it was ultimately rejected due to production constraints.

For audiences deeply immersed in the story, an unresolved or bittersweet ending can be difficult to accept. I’m currently trying to negotiate with the production team to see if we can adapt our original, whimsically happy ending into an animated short for the viewers. They’ve also been discussing a season 2 for The Demon Hunter's Romance with me. I hope we can make progress and offer some comfort to the heartbroken fans.

[Spoilers below for her upcoming work, do not read if you do not want to be spoiled]
Rest assured— the tragic endings stop here. Both Feud - 临江仙 and Fate Choses You - 佳偶天成  will have beautiful, satisfying conclusions.

Credit: Large_Jacket_4107 @ Reddit

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What really bug me with the ending is how the writer betrayed her characters and her writing at the end. What was a top-notch writing with intricate details from the beginning being reduced to get cheap tears from the audiences -- an ending that is tragic just for the sake of tragedy.

The writer made the whole drama with a very cohesive theme that Human and Demon can co-exist together, spent the whole 36 episodes showing again and again how the leads face all hardship together against all odds, 2 episodes showing how their love is so strong that it can even stand destruction and defy destiny only to end it with 'ohh it didn't work out' which makes everything utterly pointless. The ending made both of Xuanye & Banxia not keeping their promises when the whole drama these 2 characters are shown again and again as people who kept their every words. Characters developments totally destroyed with that 10 minutes ending. 😬 For me, betraying a theme, characters or overall story is one of the worst things a writer can do to their works.

Imagine a drama, that has been respecting the audiences' intelligent from episode 1 but taking us as fools for the conclusion. No words can describe how utterly disappointed I am. 

Actually, I don't mind sad endings but I just need it to be logical. Most of my favorite movies or dramas have sad endings but they are very well written that's why I love them. But The Demon Hunter's Romance ending is just too illogical and unnecessarily cruel that I can't believe that it is written by the same writer who gave us the amazing 36 episodes. So this kind of clarification is nice to know that she indeed wrote a happy ending for her story.

You are so right! She betrayed her work! How beautiful would it have been if we had the original ending! We'd get to experience the Carefree land's beauty and a happy panther family! I don't care about her next works. I don't trust she'll keep true to her word. Not everything has to have a happy ending. A non sensical happy ending is as bad as a forced SE. TDHR had all the makings for a happy ending. She vowed she'd follow him anywhere, for her to ditch him in the end. Make it make sense!

@cherryblossom9734 Actually they kept saying it was not possible. It was just Banxia who said they could 

I have read another thought about ending that seems to make it more understandable for me because otherwise I can't get why Banxia did not follow him. In short, Banxia lived her whole second life without memory of XuanYe. Even though she had some vague dreams she did not feel anything much for him. In the end when she remembered him at the end it was more like she remembered her dream. Her feelings were not so strong, that's why she was able to let him go. It was just a dream for her and she probably did not have time enough yet to feel again that love that she felt years ago

 tompouce:

I have read another thought about ending that seems to make it more understandable for me because otherwise I can't get why Banxia did not follow him. In short, Banxia lived her whole second life without memory of XuanYe. Even though she had some vague dreams she did not feel anything much for him. In the end when she remembered him at the end it was more like she remembered her dream. Her feelings were not so strong, that's why she was able to let him go. It was just a dream for her and she probably did not have time enough yet to feel again that love that she felt years ago

For me, I wont try to make sense of an illogical ending. Everything can be given excuses even when a character doing OOC behavior suddenly at the end like the FL in Rise of the Phoenixes. For me, you dont go about trying to sell something for a whole drama only for your characters to change their mind 5 minutes from the end. OOC behaviors in the last minute are the worst and change the whole tone of the story. 

BanXia got back her memories once she heard her voice from the conch. Its no longer a dream thus that argument didnt make sense. In real world, you dont say your memories as a dream. Its 2 very different things. Thats why when she got back the memories, tears falls down like an ocean and she runs towards him like her life depended on it. They are not together just because the writer says so, without any legit reasons.

I wont blame any of the characters for this ending. They are the worst victims of this writing. The writer did them dirty at the end when they have been so consistent throughout.

Facts remains that BanXia doesnt have to follow XuanYe. The writer could just make the talisman work and they can get their happy ending easily. After all, XuanYe needs the human world for his homeland dying problem. Closing the door for 12 years will make his land dead by the time they open again 12 years later. See again, its bad writing. The writer didnt even realize her mistake and the repercussion when she made the talisman stops working. Bad writing plastered all over it. She wanted to force a sad ending for the couple to get cheap tears from us, so she made the talisman stops working but that in the end turn XuanYe's land into mass grave in 12 years. Congrats!

I'm so glad to have read this thread. There are so many elements you all pointed out that I agree with.  I just finished the drama so my feelings are a bit all over the place. Can't even articulate properly how I feel

Narrative coherence aside.

If the AI info is true, i wonder if they asked also if those who watch a FANTASY drama would have preferred a sligh idealized ending or a more realistic one! 🤐