More than a thousand years and two lifetimes later, our star crossed lovers finally reunite, this time under happier circumstances in modern day China. Or is it really? Without spoiling the fun and suspense, here’s a spoiler-free look at what all the hype is about and whether it’s worth your time to check out…

The Narrative

Forever and Ever is the official sequel to One and Only, having premiered two weeks after the latter had ended its airing in late August. The lead actors and characters remain the same, namely Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu reprising their roles of Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi respectively. Since their epic love story concluded during the Northern and Southern Dynasty era, their second incarnation sees them assuming completely different personas. Zhousheng Chen has become a renowned chemistry professor and scion of a prominent industrialist family while Shi Yi (minus the surname) is now a celebrated voice actress.

This drama primarily features their love story, in a contemporary setting, as well as the trials and tribulations that they both have to overcome before finally achieving their happily ever after ending. The challenges that they face come in the form of Zhousheng Chen’s own family.

The Production Details

Although it is the sequel, Forever and Ever actually completed filming before One and Only. Based on the second (and main) part of the novel, One Life, One Incarnation – Beautiful Bones" (一生一世美人骨) by novelist and screenwriter Mo Bao Fei Bao (墨宝非宝), who additionally served as the screenwriter. The young director Shen Yang, who was not involved in the prequel, helmed the production. Tan Xuan remains as the music director for both dramas.

Principal photography this time took place in Shanghai, Zhenjiang, the county of Wuzhen and the historic city of Xi’an. This drama is notable for being the 7th and final entry to iQiyi’s Sweet On theatre for 2021 that focuses on premium short format series and romance-centric content. Unlike One and Only, Forever and Ever’s main characters are dubbed by the actors themselves.

What I Loved

This drama shares the same excellent production quality and technical execution as O&O. Aside from the slightly warmer colour palette and softer filters applied, all other aspects remain top-tier. The editing is one of the best you’ll ever see in a C-drama production. Likewise the original score composed by Tan Xuan that complements the various atmospherics of the scenes as well as the exquisite cinematography. Needless to say, the production designs appear as immaculate as the classical structures of the filming locales selected. This is very much apparent at the Zhou family estate in Zhenjiang, the couple’s traditional mansion and the surroundings of the Wuzhen canals.

The performance of the cast is compelling. I’ve already waxed lyrical about Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu in my review of O&O so without replicating similar superlatives, I’m pleased that their delivery meets my expectations. There are a number of new characters in the story that caught the eye. Ci Sha as the charismatic Mei Xing in his first ever production. Similar to the monk in O&O, he represents the swoon-worthy wingman in the modern setting with his suave and charming characterization. My personal favourite supporting character this time around is Zhou Wen Xing, played by Wang Rui Xin who is another relative newcomer to the industry. She has one of the more significant and emotional character arcs in the story which she portrays with absolute purity and believability.

I love the music for the production, perhaps even more so than O&O due to the outstanding accompaniment of the BGM score in scene transitions as well as the poignant ending and couple theme, Continue Writing by Shan Yichun. Bai Lu provides a rendition of Heartbeat, her character theme while the same opening theme of O&O is used for the title sequence, the hauntingly enthralling instrumental version of Unworried (Wuyu).

Continue Writing 续写 by Shan Yichun 单依纯
Give to You 给你给我 by Buyi Mao 毛不易
Heartbeat 心动 by Bai Lu 白鹿
Freeze Frame 定格 by Yan Renzhong 颜人中
Unworried 无虞 by Mimi Lee 李紫婷, Jing Long 井胧

What I Thought Was Lacking

First, a disclaimer - I haven’t read the literary source so this is purely my thoughts on the drama production and not on the novel itself.

The plot lacked depth or perhaps its essence was not fleshed out by the adaptation. At around the halfway point of the drama, I began to accept that although supposedly based on the main portion of the source content, this sequel actually plays out like a tribute to O&O by virtue of the extended storyline of the main couple. In other words, F&E feels more like a combination of overlong MV scenes, aesthetic travelogue and live-action vignettes that are interwoven into a cinematic and surreal tapestry of vivid dreamy moments. Each frame is gorgeous to look at but you don’t really comprehend the significance of what is happening.

The storytelling leaves much to be desired. Just as it was in O&O, F&E is character driven by the powerful performances of Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu. However, the premise and plot of O&O were clearly defined to tell viewers what are at stake and for whom. In F&E, aside from a few major characters, there seem to be many other characters just passing through without adding any seemingly tangible value to the plot. The Zhousheng family tree itself is confusing enough with its cousins and second cousins, marriage and remarriage, half-siblings, servants who share the same surname, the so-called elders who appear intermittently to discuss “family affairs” (I’m still not exactly sure what they’re manufacturing or trading, to be perfectly honest). The rather underdeveloped and, at times, perplexing toxic sibling-rivalry that culminates in a bitter contest for control over the family’s business. All these events transpire amidst Peking opera performances in the background and the daily family breakfast at the Zhenjiang family estate that resembles a tour group buffet meal for tourists at a zen retreat.

Controversy in the Adaptation

Debates were raging in the drama page revolving around criticisms of the adaptation and also Ren Jia Lun’s “no-kiss/ intimacy” policy that purportedly resulted in the screenplay being changed to accommodate this policy thus adversely altering the core characterization of the ML, Zhousheng Chen.

Personally I’m perfectly fine with the leads not having enough or any explicit intimate scenes. The romance has to feel right and realistically sync with the conviction of the chemistry, regardless of how often they share deep kisses between them in bed and in public, or not at all. Ren Jia Lun and Bai Lu are adept at selling their romance at an emotional and spiritual level that transcends physical boundaries, which they both did so well in O&O.

Regarding the novel’s iteration of Zhousheng Chen, who is supposedly different in terms of personality and his interactions with Shi Yi, I can’t comment on which one is better since I’m only aware of the drama version. But, I have enjoyed Ren Jia Lun’s interpretation of the role. It’s eccentric and a little quirky, for sure. But I thought it fits his persona of an inexperienced and erudite researcher who eventually undergoes a tremendous growth in his evolution as a man and his affectionate love and respect for Shi Yi.

Final Thoughts

Should one watch O&O before watching this? Not necessarily and even the references from the prequel are extremely vague. However, you would most definitely appreciate F&E much more if you start the journey from O&O, which I did. Forever and Ever is a kind of homage and fan service to One and Only that alleviates the tragic suffering and fulfills its promise of giving viewers the happily-ever-after closure that Zhousheng Chen and Shi Yi truly deserves. Enjoying the sweet romantic moments and not losing brain cells over the overarching plot that develops in the background would be my advice going into this one.