1
4
JulesL
Epic love story that never really was…
As I watched the story of “Thousand Years for You” unfold, I was looking forward to an epic love story that broke barriers and transcended time. Sadly, the show failed to deliver on the romance, and the ending left me feeling empty in that aspect.
It is not as though the show lost its focus midway. From beginning to end, the story was about the love journey initially between a powerful saintess, Yun Xi, from the spirit clan and a valiant mortal general Lu Yan. Then later between Yun Xi’s doppelgänger, Deng Deng and Lu Yan, who waited 3000 years for Yun Xi.
Unfortunately, the pairing of Li Qin as Yun Xi/Deng Deng and Ren Jia Lun as Lu Yan fell flat for me. No matter how good they looked together, I just could not get the feels from them, and the chemistry was seriously lacking. They were definitely a visual treat, but I enjoyed the show more by seeing them as mystery-solving partners instead of a couple.
For me, the show would have fared better if they had removed the romance aspect and focused on the mystery and adventures. A xianxia set in the Republican era was interesting enough, and the different storylines were refreshing. It was entertaining to watch our sleuthing duo and their sidekicks battle the evil elements of the spirit clan. Most of the other characters, especially the second couple, helped bring this drama to life; they were all likable individuals in their own right.
The show was a pretty well-balanced emotional roller coaster of emotions, switching between humor, suspense, and melodrama. That said, the script did need to be polished, and there were plot holes and dialogue that should have been tighter.
I loved the details put into the costumes. One could tell that a lot of thought was put into the styles of the characters. Deng Deng often wore masculine clothing, but there were touches of femininity. The outfits for Lu Yan were chic and perfectly tailored. They highlighted Ren Jia Lun’s good looks so well. I also appreciate the color palettes that also matched the characters perfectly.
The best part for me was the excellent OST, and the songs were mainly the ingredient that got me tearing up. The CGI was also well-done, and the fight scenes were well-executed, except for some scenes that ended up hilarious instead.
Acting-wise, I was impressed by Li Qin, who delivered the emotional scenes perfectly and effortlessly transitioned between the ethereal, refined Yun Xi and the tomboyish, brash Deng Deng. There was criticism of her portrayal of Deng Deng because some thought she over-acted, but I thought she did fine.
Ren Jia Lun did what he did best, playing a calm, cold, emotionless person who gradually warmed up to the female lead. However, I felt RJL lacked his usual intensity compared to his other dramas. It could be due to how he interpreted his character, who was supposed to become indifferent during those 3000 years, trying to bring back Yun Xi by transferring energy into his last remnant of her. Regardless, without his usual magnetic emoting, the romance failed to come alive for me.
It also did not help that RJL used his voice this time, and one can tell he lacked experience with voice dubbing. It often sounded like he was reciting lines and came across as dull. On the other hand, Li Qin also used her voice but was better in delivery; however, her dubbing suffered from the volume being too loud, making her sound annoying sometimes.
Other than the romance, I also found the villains lackluster. I like Leon Lai and his acting, but as Zhu Rong, the main antagonist for most of the show, I was not entirely convinced by his motivations and actions, especially towards the end. Plus, the last-minute addition of another villain just felt too rushed. Ultimately, the final showdown was somewhat anti-climatic.
Overall, even though I did not get the fantastic love story I expected from a RJL drama, it was still a show worth watching. It was fun watching Lu Yan and Deng Deng play detective to uncover who was threatening the spirit clan and humanity.
Full OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9iDlX-GIwI
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6qV032sg5Faeju8KTDQbeJ?si=3a9110beb0c34f61
1. 吾 (I) - 任嘉伦 (Allen Ren) 00:00
2. 有时无期 (Indefinite At Times) - 张碧晨 (Zhang Bichen) 04:40
3. 光年爱情 (Light Year Love) - 王靖雯 (Wang Jingwen) 07:54
4. 你是我唯一 (You Are My Only One) - 陆虎 (Lu Hu) 11:38
It is not as though the show lost its focus midway. From beginning to end, the story was about the love journey initially between a powerful saintess, Yun Xi, from the spirit clan and a valiant mortal general Lu Yan. Then later between Yun Xi’s doppelgänger, Deng Deng and Lu Yan, who waited 3000 years for Yun Xi.
Unfortunately, the pairing of Li Qin as Yun Xi/Deng Deng and Ren Jia Lun as Lu Yan fell flat for me. No matter how good they looked together, I just could not get the feels from them, and the chemistry was seriously lacking. They were definitely a visual treat, but I enjoyed the show more by seeing them as mystery-solving partners instead of a couple.
For me, the show would have fared better if they had removed the romance aspect and focused on the mystery and adventures. A xianxia set in the Republican era was interesting enough, and the different storylines were refreshing. It was entertaining to watch our sleuthing duo and their sidekicks battle the evil elements of the spirit clan. Most of the other characters, especially the second couple, helped bring this drama to life; they were all likable individuals in their own right.
The show was a pretty well-balanced emotional roller coaster of emotions, switching between humor, suspense, and melodrama. That said, the script did need to be polished, and there were plot holes and dialogue that should have been tighter.
I loved the details put into the costumes. One could tell that a lot of thought was put into the styles of the characters. Deng Deng often wore masculine clothing, but there were touches of femininity. The outfits for Lu Yan were chic and perfectly tailored. They highlighted Ren Jia Lun’s good looks so well. I also appreciate the color palettes that also matched the characters perfectly.
The best part for me was the excellent OST, and the songs were mainly the ingredient that got me tearing up. The CGI was also well-done, and the fight scenes were well-executed, except for some scenes that ended up hilarious instead.
Acting-wise, I was impressed by Li Qin, who delivered the emotional scenes perfectly and effortlessly transitioned between the ethereal, refined Yun Xi and the tomboyish, brash Deng Deng. There was criticism of her portrayal of Deng Deng because some thought she over-acted, but I thought she did fine.
Ren Jia Lun did what he did best, playing a calm, cold, emotionless person who gradually warmed up to the female lead. However, I felt RJL lacked his usual intensity compared to his other dramas. It could be due to how he interpreted his character, who was supposed to become indifferent during those 3000 years, trying to bring back Yun Xi by transferring energy into his last remnant of her. Regardless, without his usual magnetic emoting, the romance failed to come alive for me.
It also did not help that RJL used his voice this time, and one can tell he lacked experience with voice dubbing. It often sounded like he was reciting lines and came across as dull. On the other hand, Li Qin also used her voice but was better in delivery; however, her dubbing suffered from the volume being too loud, making her sound annoying sometimes.
Other than the romance, I also found the villains lackluster. I like Leon Lai and his acting, but as Zhu Rong, the main antagonist for most of the show, I was not entirely convinced by his motivations and actions, especially towards the end. Plus, the last-minute addition of another villain just felt too rushed. Ultimately, the final showdown was somewhat anti-climatic.
Overall, even though I did not get the fantastic love story I expected from a RJL drama, it was still a show worth watching. It was fun watching Lu Yan and Deng Deng play detective to uncover who was threatening the spirit clan and humanity.
Full OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9iDlX-GIwI
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6qV032sg5Faeju8KTDQbeJ?si=3a9110beb0c34f61
1. 吾 (I) - 任嘉伦 (Allen Ren) 00:00
2. 有时无期 (Indefinite At Times) - 张碧晨 (Zhang Bichen) 04:40
3. 光年爱情 (Light Year Love) - 王靖雯 (Wang Jingwen) 07:54
4. 你是我唯一 (You Are My Only One) - 陆虎 (Lu Hu) 11:38
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