A Story I Enjoyed, But a Drama I Didn't
I dropped this drama multiple times before finally pushing through my usual stop points. I don't often give a show this many chances, but I really like the author whose work it was adapted from, and the premise sounded like exactly the kind of story I'd enjoy. I wasn't sure if I'd been watching it at the wrong times or if I just needed to get through the setup. Neither ended up being the case. This is simply a drama that didn't work for me, even though it had all the ingredients to become one I loved.
I loved the central narrative, found the side arcs interesting and often tragic, and enjoyed most of the cast and their roles. Conceptually, this is exactly the kind of xianxia I gravitate toward. Unfortunately, the execution and pacing never landed for me. The storytelling often felt disjointed, and it wasn't until the end that I understood how all the different threads connected. Looking back, the structure makes sense, but the journey itself didn't feel fluid, making many of the arcs feel awkward rather than naturally woven together.
However, what ultimately ruined most of the drama for me was Yanhui. While I believe the series was intentionally aiming for an offbeat style, her characterization never sold me. The portrayal of her free-spirited, eccentric personality came across more as a baby voice than as endearing eccentricity. A similar approach worked for me in "Love Between Fairy and Devil," but it didn't here. Instead of feeling like a natural part of the story, her performance felt too mannered and stilted, to the point where I found myself speeding up her dialogue just to keep from dropping the drama yet again.
Overall, this drama simply didn't work for me. It had all the elements of something I should have loved, but the uneven pacing, disjointed execution, and my inability to connect with Yanhui ultimately kept me from enjoying it.
I loved the central narrative, found the side arcs interesting and often tragic, and enjoyed most of the cast and their roles. Conceptually, this is exactly the kind of xianxia I gravitate toward. Unfortunately, the execution and pacing never landed for me. The storytelling often felt disjointed, and it wasn't until the end that I understood how all the different threads connected. Looking back, the structure makes sense, but the journey itself didn't feel fluid, making many of the arcs feel awkward rather than naturally woven together.
However, what ultimately ruined most of the drama for me was Yanhui. While I believe the series was intentionally aiming for an offbeat style, her characterization never sold me. The portrayal of her free-spirited, eccentric personality came across more as a baby voice than as endearing eccentricity. A similar approach worked for me in "Love Between Fairy and Devil," but it didn't here. Instead of feeling like a natural part of the story, her performance felt too mannered and stilted, to the point where I found myself speeding up her dialogue just to keep from dropping the drama yet again.
Overall, this drama simply didn't work for me. It had all the elements of something I should have loved, but the uneven pacing, disjointed execution, and my inability to connect with Yanhui ultimately kept me from enjoying it.
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