This review may contain spoilers
The Eternal Deception
Disclaimer: This review only covers the first 21 episodes as I'm too pissed off to continue. Furthermore, the storyline is an absolute trash that I would watch back in 2023.
Alongside "Legend of the Rosy Clouds", "The Eternal Fragrance" is shelved in the dungeon as well, serving an absurdly long sentence of 3 years before finally earning the green light to air publicly. Back then, this drama had no serious conflicts, law-breaking scandals, and whatsoever. Nevertheless, Youku preferred to dump it in the abyss rather than airing it quickly. I understood that Ju Jingyi did have a huge debate with her former agency, Siba Media, regarding her contract agreement, but that issue wouldn't stretch to this kind of treatment. Unfortunately, after 6 gambles (and all literally failed), Youku decides to show its trump card and hopes that this drama can turn the tables for Youku's chaotic monetary (just my deduction). However, you'll have to bite the bullet if you badly want to see this drama, because it is plagued by several issues that I'm going to list below.
The story centers around an unlikely couple - Xiao Bangchui/Jiang Lifei and Lei Xiuyuan. Originally named Bangchui by her master, the carefree yet cunning Lifei enters the elite academy of Chufeng to cultivate into a stronger girl, as she desperately searches for her missing master and long-lost senior brother. On her journey, she encounters a reality-hardened and equally sly young man, Xiuyuan. Xiuyuan originally comes from Gao Lu - a befallen country, and he needs to enter the academy to kill Lifei and controls a nine-tailed fox demon which is residing inside her hair to cure his sworn brother, Lu Shanhua. As the two play a dangerous psychological game to achieve their personal goals, they are attracted by the opposition of their characters and grow closer amidst the danger of Xiuyuan's past reincarnation as the demon lord, Ye Cha. Lifei enters Wuyue Court to look for her senior brother while Xiuyuan FOMO-ly comes to the same place to get close to Lifei (after multiple dreams of Lifei being his past lover).
Aside from this couple, we've also got several couples as well. Firstly, Baili Changyue and Ye Ye. Changyue and her sister Gelin also come from Gao Lu, while Ye Ye is the crown prince of Gao Lu, with Xiuyuan serving as his body double when their country was attacked. Since then, Ye Ye has been feeling guilty for Xiuyuan because he is supposed to die in the first place, not the latter. Changyue and Ye Ye develops a romantic bond in the academy and are admitted to Dizang Sect. Against Changyue's wish, Ye Ye openly confesses to her and wants to be more than an ordinary cousin.
Secondly, Baili Gelin and Lu Li. Gelin is Changyue's younger sister and also admires Ye Ye from afar. When she realizes that Ye Ye only chooses her sister, Gelin feels heartbroken and decides to go to Wanxian Sect after meeting the enigmatic Lu Li. Much to Gelin's confusion, Lu Li always speaks in riddles, proverbs, or even poems. But Gelin secretly admits that Lu Li might be a compatible partner for her.
Thirdly, Ji Tongzhou and Lan Ya. Tongzhou is the crown prince of Yue Country, and he always showers affection to Lifei, despite having an engagement with his cousin, the bitchy girl Lan Ya. Tongzhou ultimately goes to Xingzheng Hall, where a relative of his helps him there. Lan Ya, having been expelled from the academy, often goes to Xingzheng Hall to beg Tongzhou to marry her instead of yearning for Lifei. The couple has an absolute toxic relationship; I can tell you that.
To be honest, for a xianxia lover like me, this kind of story is too outdated for a 2026 release. Usually, I love stories with misunderstanding and betrayal tropes, to the point of feeling the tension boiling beneath. However, I don't feel anything from "The Eternal Fragrance" and even contemplate that their push-and-pull interaction is to distract the watchers from the impending doomsday. Cultivation, tribulation, star-crossed lovers, formation, and artifacts are also the tropes that I have always loved since the beginning of my journey in xianxia drama - but this time, everything feels redundant as if the screenwriters had copied and pasted the prior formula of a generic xianxia drama without making any improvisations necessary to keep the watchers hooked. The editing is quite choppy (courtesy of cutting 7 episodes in one fell swoop), CGI looks distorted/truncated (you can compare it with "Love and Redemption", sets look incongruous especially the tournament area's realm, and the main couple's story is undercooked as well. In other words, I feel that other couples are more interesting (I hope to see more of Lu Li and Ye Ye). Furthermore, the soap opera of Wuyue Court is a complete humdrum to me, not even the new master of Lifei can save the day. And why does the screenwriter add the love triangle formula into the plot? That bastard Senior Qin is seriously up to no good, yet Lifei still clings to her and deliberately ignores Xiuyuan's warning. However, I have a hunch that love triangle is used as a plot device to deepen the proximity of the main couple (no offense, but Senior Qin is a double-faced jerk).
I have mixed opinions regarding the acting. Ju Jingyi as Lifei does deliver the carefree essence needed to execute her character but coupled with her high-pitch shrieks and constant privation of needing help, I can't help to roll my eyes and feel disgusted of her. Thank goodness, her voice is dubbed by someone else, so I need not hear her seductive tone. Meanwhile, Song Weilong always distracts me from watching properly - I don't know why, but whenever he appears, I don't feel any connection to his character. From now on, I guess I need to avoid his dramas (I'm officially declaring that I'm not a fan of his). The two generate totally zero chemistry and don't even emit the electrifying tension of a couple - instead, they look like two con artists sharing a same boat to overcome crisis over and over again. I'm not gonna lie, but the level of deception is too exaggerating to my liking and I'm tired of it already. Other actors have done their best according to the given srcipt, so I can't complain too much.
OSTs are meh again, even with Zhou Shen, Zhang Zining, Zhang Yuan, Curley Gao, Bo Yuan, Lai Meiyun, and Ren Ran on the deck. Costumes are surprisingly pleasant to eye. But sets and backgrounds are a miss for me (perhaps due to the obsolete aspect of the drama).
Overall, highly recommended only for Song Weilong or Ju Jingyi's hardcore fans or someone who's facing drama drought this summer (though it's not a drought yet). I have no more words to say about "The Eternal Fragrance", but it's better safe than sorry. Thank you for reading, good luck, and happy watching!!!
Alongside "Legend of the Rosy Clouds", "The Eternal Fragrance" is shelved in the dungeon as well, serving an absurdly long sentence of 3 years before finally earning the green light to air publicly. Back then, this drama had no serious conflicts, law-breaking scandals, and whatsoever. Nevertheless, Youku preferred to dump it in the abyss rather than airing it quickly. I understood that Ju Jingyi did have a huge debate with her former agency, Siba Media, regarding her contract agreement, but that issue wouldn't stretch to this kind of treatment. Unfortunately, after 6 gambles (and all literally failed), Youku decides to show its trump card and hopes that this drama can turn the tables for Youku's chaotic monetary (just my deduction). However, you'll have to bite the bullet if you badly want to see this drama, because it is plagued by several issues that I'm going to list below.
The story centers around an unlikely couple - Xiao Bangchui/Jiang Lifei and Lei Xiuyuan. Originally named Bangchui by her master, the carefree yet cunning Lifei enters the elite academy of Chufeng to cultivate into a stronger girl, as she desperately searches for her missing master and long-lost senior brother. On her journey, she encounters a reality-hardened and equally sly young man, Xiuyuan. Xiuyuan originally comes from Gao Lu - a befallen country, and he needs to enter the academy to kill Lifei and controls a nine-tailed fox demon which is residing inside her hair to cure his sworn brother, Lu Shanhua. As the two play a dangerous psychological game to achieve their personal goals, they are attracted by the opposition of their characters and grow closer amidst the danger of Xiuyuan's past reincarnation as the demon lord, Ye Cha. Lifei enters Wuyue Court to look for her senior brother while Xiuyuan FOMO-ly comes to the same place to get close to Lifei (after multiple dreams of Lifei being his past lover).
Aside from this couple, we've also got several couples as well. Firstly, Baili Changyue and Ye Ye. Changyue and her sister Gelin also come from Gao Lu, while Ye Ye is the crown prince of Gao Lu, with Xiuyuan serving as his body double when their country was attacked. Since then, Ye Ye has been feeling guilty for Xiuyuan because he is supposed to die in the first place, not the latter. Changyue and Ye Ye develops a romantic bond in the academy and are admitted to Dizang Sect. Against Changyue's wish, Ye Ye openly confesses to her and wants to be more than an ordinary cousin.
Secondly, Baili Gelin and Lu Li. Gelin is Changyue's younger sister and also admires Ye Ye from afar. When she realizes that Ye Ye only chooses her sister, Gelin feels heartbroken and decides to go to Wanxian Sect after meeting the enigmatic Lu Li. Much to Gelin's confusion, Lu Li always speaks in riddles, proverbs, or even poems. But Gelin secretly admits that Lu Li might be a compatible partner for her.
Thirdly, Ji Tongzhou and Lan Ya. Tongzhou is the crown prince of Yue Country, and he always showers affection to Lifei, despite having an engagement with his cousin, the bitchy girl Lan Ya. Tongzhou ultimately goes to Xingzheng Hall, where a relative of his helps him there. Lan Ya, having been expelled from the academy, often goes to Xingzheng Hall to beg Tongzhou to marry her instead of yearning for Lifei. The couple has an absolute toxic relationship; I can tell you that.
To be honest, for a xianxia lover like me, this kind of story is too outdated for a 2026 release. Usually, I love stories with misunderstanding and betrayal tropes, to the point of feeling the tension boiling beneath. However, I don't feel anything from "The Eternal Fragrance" and even contemplate that their push-and-pull interaction is to distract the watchers from the impending doomsday. Cultivation, tribulation, star-crossed lovers, formation, and artifacts are also the tropes that I have always loved since the beginning of my journey in xianxia drama - but this time, everything feels redundant as if the screenwriters had copied and pasted the prior formula of a generic xianxia drama without making any improvisations necessary to keep the watchers hooked. The editing is quite choppy (courtesy of cutting 7 episodes in one fell swoop), CGI looks distorted/truncated (you can compare it with "Love and Redemption", sets look incongruous especially the tournament area's realm, and the main couple's story is undercooked as well. In other words, I feel that other couples are more interesting (I hope to see more of Lu Li and Ye Ye). Furthermore, the soap opera of Wuyue Court is a complete humdrum to me, not even the new master of Lifei can save the day. And why does the screenwriter add the love triangle formula into the plot? That bastard Senior Qin is seriously up to no good, yet Lifei still clings to her and deliberately ignores Xiuyuan's warning. However, I have a hunch that love triangle is used as a plot device to deepen the proximity of the main couple (no offense, but Senior Qin is a double-faced jerk).
I have mixed opinions regarding the acting. Ju Jingyi as Lifei does deliver the carefree essence needed to execute her character but coupled with her high-pitch shrieks and constant privation of needing help, I can't help to roll my eyes and feel disgusted of her. Thank goodness, her voice is dubbed by someone else, so I need not hear her seductive tone. Meanwhile, Song Weilong always distracts me from watching properly - I don't know why, but whenever he appears, I don't feel any connection to his character. From now on, I guess I need to avoid his dramas (I'm officially declaring that I'm not a fan of his). The two generate totally zero chemistry and don't even emit the electrifying tension of a couple - instead, they look like two con artists sharing a same boat to overcome crisis over and over again. I'm not gonna lie, but the level of deception is too exaggerating to my liking and I'm tired of it already. Other actors have done their best according to the given srcipt, so I can't complain too much.
OSTs are meh again, even with Zhou Shen, Zhang Zining, Zhang Yuan, Curley Gao, Bo Yuan, Lai Meiyun, and Ren Ran on the deck. Costumes are surprisingly pleasant to eye. But sets and backgrounds are a miss for me (perhaps due to the obsolete aspect of the drama).
Overall, highly recommended only for Song Weilong or Ju Jingyi's hardcore fans or someone who's facing drama drought this summer (though it's not a drought yet). I have no more words to say about "The Eternal Fragrance", but it's better safe than sorry. Thank you for reading, good luck, and happy watching!!!
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