Butterfliesarefree
I quite like a dominating male lead, and one who is strong and protective, yet also faithful and respectful to the woman he loves is very appealing. Orchid is beautifully portrayed. Her little voice is perfect for her sweet fairy nature. Her generous smiles light up her face so joyfully. Her own journey of growth and self discovery is every bit as amazing as Dongfang’s. Her mantra of “I love all beings, and I love one person” made for difficult life choices in the circumstances she found herself in.
Chang Heng is very likeable as the heavenly god of war. His character in the human realm is so different but equally sincere. The side characters are wonderful. Shang Que is adorable in his unwavering love of Jei Li and total loyalty to the Moon Lord. Fairy Dan Yin has a well rounded story arc and is brave and true. At first I thought she would be one to cause trouble to Orchid but I particularly liked how the side characters aren’t used to create angst for the main couple with that typical downward spiral of jealousy leading to evil plots, which is a common contrivance in other dramas. Instead they have their own journeys, make their own choices and are quite delightful to watch. It is very refreshing.
The costumes are wonderful, especially the totally amazing headpieces. The realms are so beautifully crafted.
There are blurred lines between right and wrong, good and bad, victor and victim in all the realms. I see this in other dramas too but perhaps this one takes it further. Seeing the moon tribe village without any men due to the past war was really sad. The fear of annihilation drove both sides to extreme measures in the past and has kept them at a distance since, and always on alert to possible threats. This makes it hard for them to unite against a common foe, who manipulates both sides quite easily.
I did wish for a longer ending. Things were wound up well but I simply wanted more of Dongfang and Orchid.
I think this one could easily be rewatched. I loved it.
Was this review helpful to you?
An absolute delight from start to finish
This is my all time favourite k-drama. The entire cast are absolutely brilliant. The chemistry between the leads is sizzling. Both are superb actors and together they make a very beautiful couple. The quirky support characters are an utter delight. There are some very funny scenes with the soldiers and townspeople as well as the main couple. The interactions between one another make this drama a cut above the rest. It mixes the light-hearted with deeply moving moments very well indeed.I loved every minute and highly recommend this series.
It is a series that I have and will rewatch and would never grow tired of.
Was this review helpful to you?
Realistic and thought provoking.
This series depicts what it is like to fall under the spell of a charismatic male with narcissistic tendencies. There is a level of push-and-pull torment for the women who commit their heart to Jae Eon, as although he appears friendly his ability to truly care about another person’s feelings is not well developed and he does not reveal his true feelings. The way he has the power to sway women whenever they are close to him and his innate need to have their adoration is well portrayed. It explores the impact on Yoo Na Bi, as she falls deeply for Jae Eon, and the choice she must inevitably make.Song Kang gave a brilliant performance as the charmingly beautiful but deeply flawed Park Jae Eon character. It was easy to believe that women would throw themselves at this man. His vulnerability made it impossible to hate him. The complicated feelings are well presented by the two main leads.
I enjoyed all other couples and Yang Do Hyuk.
I looked forward to all the “nevertheless…” titles that appeared on each episode. They were thought provoking, showing all the aspects that one would go through in this type of relationship.
Not sure I’d rewatch the series anytime soon, as it left me feeling heavy with emotion. But it is one that I’ll think about for a long time so I do recommend it.
Was this review helpful to you?
The fantasy world of the realms is vividly brought to life with breathtaking colour, light and forms. The costumes are stunning. The layers of beautiful fabrics in the costumes is particularly sublime. The cgi adds to the mythical, magical feel.
Every character is complex. As their stories unfold I could better understand why they act as they do, and even be sympathetic to their mistakes. It was good to watch their characters develop over time. Initially some were almost child-like, but experience matures them. The hardships endured are truly heartbreaking so it is quite emotional to watch those moments.
It is refreshing that the realms are presented without the usual perception of being either: good/bad; black/white; heavenly/demonic. Every realm has a mix of people who make either good or bad choices, and who could learn from their mistakes and choose to change their mindset or not.
The main love triangle is between Jin Mi, Xu Feng and Run Yu. The acting is phenomenal and deeply moving. The chemistry between the two main leads is sizzling. Deng Lun is the perfect Phoenix. I just loved all his scenes, and cried with and for him at those big moments. There are several other love stories with the wonderful side characters. The bonds between all these characters were delightful and many types of love, friendship and loyalty are explored. While love triangles are not unusual, there were many twists and turns that were total surprises, so top marks there.
The chasm in thinking between the more upright characters who never scheme when it comes to love, and those who rely on scheming is vast. Both the intended and unintended chain of events that these schemers set in action is often truly tragic for both themselves and for innocent others. I found myself crying out: “NO.o.o.o….” at times when my favourites had to suffer unimaginably cruel circumstances and misunderstandings due to the actions of the schemers.
“The flowers bloom and the leaves fall. Things change and stars shift. But it’s all preordained by Heaven. “
There is that place where fate ends and destiny begins.
Often all that can be done is to let nature take its course…..
I highly recommend Ashes of Love. It’s awesome!
Was this review helpful to you?
Love and respect versus control and manipulation.
This series explores the polar differences between “respectful love” and “selfish love”.There is great chemistry between the main leads which is a joy to watch. Ling Yi Zhou’s character is strong, sexy and domineering. He will ultimately face the consequences of his immature scheming, and obsessive manipulation of Xia Lin.
Xia Lin is a mix of strength and vulnerability. I enjoyed how she tried to fight her growing attraction to Yi Zhou. Her kindness shines through in her dealings with everyone.
The series examines whether the initial imbalance of power in their relationship can evolve into a truly respectful love, that helps each other to be the best version of themselves, conquering more obstacles than most will ever have to face.
The villains spiral downwards, acting out of grossly selfish love, further highlighting the theme. There are a couple of cliché tropes but it is still a lot of fun. Wen Li and Chu Yan are a great. The relationship between Chu Yan and Xiao You is sweet. The grandmother is a delight.
This is the only series I have watched three times (both season 1 and 2), so you can take that as a recommendation.
Was this review helpful to you?
There are many different kinds of love - and they are all love
I really liked this series. A thought provoking look at love, self sacrifice and betrayal, and the many shades of grey that blur the lines in between until one turns into the other.I liked the characters and the actors who portrayed them. They were perfect choices. The chemistry between the leads was beautiful and felt genuine, and the side characters were developed nicely too. I found the story compelling.
I totally disliked the cringey whining of the main song, and found it annoying as it was played so often, but I turned down the volume and overlooked that weakness because everything else worked so well.
Yes it has a lot of the typical drama tropes but there was an extra level of thoughtful character development that made it feel relatable and real.
This is certainly the best Taiwanese drama that I have watched, and will likely rewatch., so I do recommend it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Ling Yi Zhou is more relaxed this time around. He is quite a playful character, with a twinkle in his eye whenever he looks at Xia Lin. He is still the sexy, sly fox who schemes to reach his goal. But his love is so tender and heartfelt that it is touching. Yu Chan and Ruan Meng are also very cute together.
The push-pull between the main couple is fun to watch, especially when Xia Lin attempts her own schemes. The power in their relationship feels more balanced than it was in Season 1.
I really enjoyed the first season, and also found season 2 a lot of fun. Watching one season after the other worked well for me, and having rewatched three times I haven’t got tired of it yet!
Was this review helpful to you?
