The lack of chemistry between the leads and the weak character development make it hard to build a stronger bond between the female and male leads. As a result, the plot feels underwhelming, which is a shame because I really loved the premise and concept of the show.
This man needs a villan role playing a dark romance he would eat and all the ladies would die for a drama like this i would pay top dollar like what!!!!!????
Sadly, I have to agree. LBFD is one of my absolute favourite cdramas. So, I should have loved this one more than…
Haha, the second arc wasn’t my favorite — but what is a wuxia drama without at least one amnesia arc, some tragic poisoning, or a long-lost twin? 😂 It’s practically a rite of passage at this point.
And to everyone else: you're not alone in loving the male lead! Even if the second arc dragged a bit or leaned too heavily into tropes, he still carried a lot of emotional weight.
The first and third arcs probably hit harder because they had more action, emotional payoffs, and that classic wuxia intensity — plus the chemistry between our leads, the banter, and the comedy were top-tier compared to what we got in the second arc. it was the unnecessary slow-burn setup (with bonus amnesia™ for spice).
But regardless, I hear you — I still loved the romance for what it was. I can totally see how the setup in the second arc threw a lot of people off. But alas, what can we do? It’s wuxia. 😅
Oh no!!! He becomes a simp? Why!!!!?? My badass Sima Jiao becomes a simp? I'm on episode 13 and have been savouring…
That's okay if you didn't like it—I'm not saying you shouldn't share your opinion. I'm just offering another perspective. Like you said, it's okay to have different opinions.
I've watched too many Chinese wuxia, historical, and fantasy dramas, and honestly, most are built on the same premise. Very few shows did what When Destiny Brings the Demon did. One thing that really stood out to me was that no one was killed off due to a lack of trust, which is pretty rare.
I also don’t want other viewers to think Sima Jiao was just a simp, because there’s a reason our male lead had to become more gentle. That was kind of the whole point—and the novel the show is based on explains it in more detail. I just wanted to offer another point of view, since I’m sure others might share your perspective too.
What I appreciated is that he removes himself from all the killing—not because he becomes weak, but because it shows real emotional growth. In most wuxia dramas, the villains are usually driven by some obsession that leads to their madness or eventual downfall. In his case, love not only saves him, but also clears his mind and gives him the chance to live a life he never got to before.
Oh no!!! He becomes a simp? Why!!!!?? My badass Sima Jiao becomes a simp? I'm on episode 13 and have been savouring…
I'm reading your review and laughing, thinking, “What’s wrong with that? LOLZ.” I don’t think the blood pills were enough to seriously hurt him — after all, it requires no cultivation to pinch a finger and bleed a little. It’s the constant fighting that drains him.
Also, in the first arc, we meet a mysterious immortal who tells Liao Ting Yan the secret behind the life-saving pill tied around his ankle. At that point, he was seriously wounded and on the verge of becoming the next demon lord — if the hatred in his heart hadn’t faded, like in Till the End of the Moon. But this show takes a different path, showing that love is enough to save our male lead.
I think everything was really well thought out. The female lead’s character and development were perfect. She is who she is — lazy and harmless — and without that, the male lead wouldn’t have let his guard down or fallen in love with her. They’re exact opposites, and they push each other to be the best version of themselves without trying to change one another.
For once, we have a female lead who sticks to her principles, with or without her memories — something you rarely see in Wuxia dramas, where everyone tends to act like they were born yesterday, even if they’ve supposedly lived a million years.
Given the kind of world they live in, it reminds me of how Ye Ru Ling, in the first arc, betrays Liao Ting Yan to save her people. Once her memories were erased, she became true to herself — freed from that responsibility and burden. But no matter what Liao Ting Yan went through, she never killed unless her hand was forced.
TTEOTM energy for sure — but this show carves its own path.
Plus, the romance is one of the key features of this show — it's built on communication and trust between the main leads, which is another rare thing to find in Wuxia dramas. Most of them are frustratingly built on misunderstandings and a lack of trust, which honestly boggles my mind — especially after the characters have gone through life-and-death situations together.
The scene where they literally had a gunshot wedding and held the priest hostage seriously. I had no choice but to call it quits. I laughed, then shut my laptop the plot is crazy but the actors are great the male lead is definitely improving just needs better screen writers
This mini-series was so good If they had more time, I'm sure they could have flushed out the world and explained more, but it was captivating; they captured the viewer's attention within such a short time; it was amazing. series like these make me believe in the power of C-drama mini-series.
I love both our male leads but the chemistry between Zheng Xiao En | Xiao E and Duanmu Qing Feng is electric. I can't deny there budding feelings. I hope to see them in a drama together someday !!!
Im on ep 23 and srsly i cant stop falling asleep. Excruciatingly draggy. And i was just thinking about how HL…
OMG, I thought I was the only one who fell asleep watching this. ☉ ‿ ⚆ hehehe I honestly started skipping scenes and realized I missed nothing and 100% agree with you on your point about the great cast, chemistry and story to bad sigh...
amazing for the fluff and loved the healthy relationships with open communication, giant green flags everywhere but. Found it boring with only the lovey-dovey moments to look forward to. Hidden Love had a similar vibe too. With a healthy main couple relationship but with obstacles for the couple to go through to build their relationship and keep the viewers entertained
And to everyone else: you're not alone in loving the male lead! Even if the second arc dragged a bit or leaned too heavily into tropes, he still carried a lot of emotional weight.
The first and third arcs probably hit harder because they had more action, emotional payoffs, and that classic wuxia intensity — plus the chemistry between our leads, the banter, and the comedy were top-tier compared to what we got in the second arc. it was the unnecessary slow-burn setup (with bonus amnesia™ for spice).
But regardless, I hear you — I still loved the romance for what it was. I can totally see how the setup in the second arc threw a lot of people off. But alas, what can we do? It’s wuxia. 😅
I've watched too many Chinese wuxia, historical, and fantasy dramas, and honestly, most are built on the same premise. Very few shows did what When Destiny Brings the Demon did. One thing that really stood out to me was that no one was killed off due to a lack of trust, which is pretty rare.
I also don’t want other viewers to think Sima Jiao was just a simp, because there’s a reason our male lead had to become more gentle. That was kind of the whole point—and the novel the show is based on explains it in more detail. I just wanted to offer another point of view, since I’m sure others might share your perspective too.
What I appreciated is that he removes himself from all the killing—not because he becomes weak, but because it shows real emotional growth. In most wuxia dramas, the villains are usually driven by some obsession that leads to their madness or eventual downfall. In his case, love not only saves him, but also clears his mind and gives him the chance to live a life he never got to before.
Also, in the first arc, we meet a mysterious immortal who tells Liao Ting Yan the secret behind the life-saving pill tied around his ankle. At that point, he was seriously wounded and on the verge of becoming the next demon lord — if the hatred in his heart hadn’t faded, like in Till the End of the Moon. But this show takes a different path, showing that love is enough to save our male lead.
I think everything was really well thought out. The female lead’s character and development were perfect. She is who she is — lazy and harmless — and without that, the male lead wouldn’t have let his guard down or fallen in love with her. They’re exact opposites, and they push each other to be the best version of themselves without trying to change one another.
For once, we have a female lead who sticks to her principles, with or without her memories — something you rarely see in Wuxia dramas, where everyone tends to act like they were born yesterday, even if they’ve supposedly lived a million years.
Given the kind of world they live in, it reminds me of how Ye Ru Ling, in the first arc, betrays Liao Ting Yan to save her people. Once her memories were erased, she became true to herself — freed from that responsibility and burden. But no matter what Liao Ting Yan went through, she never killed unless her hand was forced.
TTEOTM energy for sure — but this show carves its own path.
Plus, the romance is one of the key features of this show — it's built on communication and trust between the main leads, which is another rare thing to find in Wuxia dramas. Most of them are frustratingly built on misunderstandings and a lack of trust, which honestly boggles my mind — especially after the characters have gone through life-and-death situations together.