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Ashes of Love chinese drama review
Completed
Ashes of Love
0 people found this review helpful
by sobak
May 23, 2020
63 of 63 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers
The drama was cute/fun in the beginning, draggy in the middle (took a break around episode 37), then rushed at the end. Everything is gorgeous, and the CG is mostly good. I love the cast (minus some caricature/meh acting). I really liked the ending OST. Editing is wonky and lots of the same shots are used lol but that seems typical of Chinese dramas. Not too crazy about all those zoomed in eye shots. I can see myself rewatching scenes with Xu Feng & Jin Mi, and some of Run Yu's emotional scenes.

The best parts are:
- Xu Feng falling for Jin Mi while she actually just wants more energy/power
- Demon Realm Visit to Kill the Beast (forgot the name)
- Mortal Realm Challenge
- Xu Feng and Jin Mi confirming love for each other
- Run Yu remembering his past
- Heavenly Wedding

I also enjoyed everything after Xu Feng is reborn and becomes Demon Lord. However, that portion really feels rushed and like I was watching a summary of events. (on a shallow note, Deng Lun looked amazing in black)

The ending was a huge letdown to be honest. However, it did end up making me rewatch my favorite scenes...maybe that was the intent. I just feel like overall the main leads don't get too many scenes together after they confirm their love for one another. Such a waste of great chemistry and cast.

My biggest annoyance with the drama is the story did not spend enough time on the main leads. I'm not usually the type to gripe about screen time. However, I felt the drama was busy showing the past love lives of everyone else that they never bothered to focus on the main leads or their current relationship and especially no focus on why the male lead was so great and amazing. If they weren't going to show us Fire Immortal's background in the first half, the part where he comes back and decides to become Demon Lord would've been the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, it was just he's perfect because everyone says he's done great things. I feel like we don't really get to know Xu Feng. I do love Xu Feng a lot more than I should though and its all thanks to Deng Lun. Deng Lun did great with the little he had especially when he's emotionally vulnerable, so so good. I've become his fan.

Jin Mi, the female lead. I grew to really like her in the drama. I was annoyed with her at first, but once you accept that she grew up super super sheltered and is more of a child, I think it was fine. Her obsession with gaining more power was fun. I was able to follow her growth and her pain at realizing her love for Xu Feng. Her emotional outburst at Run Yu was well done. My favorite version of Jin Mi was in the Mortal Realm. Next would be when she's doing everything she can to get Xu Feng back. I liked that she stayed true to herself throughout the show - honest and loyal. She made her decisions, accepted her consequences, and sought to right her wrongs. To be honest, she never really completely stopped doing stupid things, but I was able to mostly overlook.

I like the second male lead, Run Yu. Luo Yun Xi did a great job with the character and his spiraling down the revenge path. (He also did a great job acting as Mr. Puchi acting as Run Yu). I appreciate that they fleshed him out, and I rooted for his revenge. Still, I think they spent too much time on him. Also, I did not like how everyone just called him an evil person because his reasons for wanting revenge made sense and I thought more immortals would understand his side with how awful the Heavenly two were. However, I did start to really NOT like him AFTER his revenge. His continued path to darkness, actions towards Xu Feng, and most of all, the way he treated Jinmi was disgusting. He didn't know how to stop. His end was fitting, but at the same time, I did not want him to feel completely alone. I did want him to feel loved too.

I hated the Heavenly Emperor and Empress, and they deserved punishments. If anything, I was annoyed that Xu Feng kept being flippant with his parents' wrongdoings... I wanted to see him more torn over realizing how his parents were horrible people all along, and him making amends to right their wrongs. I feel like this drama should've given us a great brotherhood. They were good brothers to each other...it's just that their parents were horrible.

I skipped the demon couple. Their relationship really did not need all those scenes. Also, I did not need Heavenly Empress' past love story, but at least that was a quick short one. If anything, I really did not need all those scenes spent on the old Heavenly Emperor, Water Immortal, and Flower Immortal...I cared way more about the present and now.

I think the drama wanted to show too much, but ended up showing not enough of very important things especially the male lead and main leads. I think the writer probably liked everyone too much...if anything, the writer definitely loved Run Yu.

Sorry for the ramblings...but most importantly, CAN WE GET MORE XUFENG AND JINMI BEING HAPPY TOGETHER? I would actually be down for a Season 2 with this cast.
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