Terenia-Shaiana

No, noone.

I also just shared my opinion. So why did it trigger you so much?

It’s impossible to know everything. If you read my messages carefully, you would’ve seen that I’m actually a fan of the main actor. So of course I was interested in this drama too.

I always get upset when people think that only their interpretation is the correct one.

You can think whatever you want, but this is exactly how the director and the screenwriter see this story.

First of all, I absolutely did not tell you what to do. I only explained what I personally do in situations when I don’t like a drama overall or when I dislike some important part of it.

Secondly, I’m trying to explain that the storyline here is not typical for xianxia dramas (it’s not unique, but it’s also not formulaic), so expecting everything to follow the same pattern as other dramas is pointless.

Thirdly, by episode 38, Lu Qianqiao had almost completely finished his character arc — he chose to become the perfect war demon, killed the villain, and forgot everyone. In fact, Lu Qianqiao as a person disappeared. And under no circumstances will that personality ever return. Instead, a new being appeared — the Perfect War Demon. And if they wanted to properly show (without using silly narrative tricks) how he gradually befriended his own creation again and fell in love with the heroine, that would require a second season.

The last two episodes focus on the female lead because she is searching for Lu Qianqiao. And through that search, we were shown the conclusions of all the other characters’ arcs, while also connecting FCY to the director’s other dramas.

Fourthly, the director is working with Jialun for the second time already. And the actor himself expressed hope that this would not be their last collaboration. So there is no conflict between them. The team simply decided to end the drama this way.

Because this series, once again, is not a title centered around the story of just two people. Here’s part of the director’s interview:
"Host: If you had to describe the series with a few key words, what would they be?
Guo Hu: The first important tag is responsibility.
Lu Qianqiao is the descendant of two races, and his goal is to become human. But when disaster arrives, he chooses to sacrifice himself for everyone and to protect the world.
Xin Mei is a talented representative of humanity who strives for justice even if it means breaking the rules, and she also carries responsibility for the world.
The second tag is ensemble storytelling. Every character in the series has their own role and significance. When the characters sacrifice themselves for civilization, it creates a powerful emotional impact and shows the strength of the collective cast."

So where exactly is the focus on romance or only the main couple? Even before the drama aired, the director clearly stated what the series was about, so why are there still questions about it? Just because you expected something different doesn’t mean the series is bad. It’s simply not your kind of show. If a series is not for me, I just don’t watch it.
I’m a fan of Ren Jialun, but I understand why he was barely present in the last two episodes. Those episodes were meant to conclude the arcs of the other characters, show the resilience of the female lead, and tie together three different titles into one connected story. They were never meant to show which cities Lu Qianqiao wandered through, what restaurants he ate at, or how the romance between the leads was revived. That would be an entirely different kind of story.
And yes, I do enjoy series like this.

This drama was never filmed as a male-lead-centered title. The director himself said that in an interview. For some reason, viewers think everything has to be exactly the way they want it to be. But that’s impossible, because the director, the screenwriter, and the production team all have their own vision. If you don’t like that vision, that’s entirely your problem. After the drama finished airing, its ratings in China actually went up, which is quite rare.

As for the final scene: Lu Qianqiao had become equal to a god. Was he supposed to spend half an hour beating up that old man who had already given almost all of his power to the tree? Lu Qianqiao became far more powerful than he was in the first episodes, so he simply came, killed him, and that was it — without pointless speeches or dragging things out.

The core of this drama is demons who are better than humans, and humans who are worse than demons. It was never primarily about romance or about giving the main couple 90% of the screen time. That’s exactly why this title was interesting to watch instead of being another drama where the writers create problems out of nothing just to keep showing the main couple or the male/female lead for 40 episodes.

I was waiting for the Douban rating with trembling knees because the hate comments there were absolutely brutal. But then I opened it and saw a 6.8 score (though, of course, I was hoping for at least 7.0 or higher), and I almost fainted from happiness. Despite all the obstacles, the drama still managed to find its audience. An 8.1 on MyDramaList feels incredibly low to me, but at least I hope it won’t drop any further.

As for bias, I’ve been watching Asian content for around three years now, but I’ve grown tired of titles where the tragedy is built on nothing more than pointless lies and the characters’ refusal to communicate with each other. I had been waiting for a series exactly like this one — a story where events unfold without unnecessary rushing, yet still feel deep and meaningful, while focusing on more than just the main couple.

I also appreciated that the drama touched on themes that aren’t very typical for xianxia, such as the greed of cultivators and those in power, the obsession with immortality as the ultimate goal of cultivation, and similar ideas. Over the past year and a half, this is the only series that actually made me pay the platform for immediate access to new episodes.
I’d also like to ask whether I may use your review for a post on Facebook and Telegram, of course with a link to the original and without claiming authorship?

Thank you for such a detailed comment — this drama truly does have depth and many layers. I feel incredibly sad that local viewers rated it so low. I hope that, with time, people will eventually see in it everything that you described.

I honestly don’t know who creates drama profiles or decides the tags, but putting “romance” as the main genre was a huge mistake. As I said before, romance is not the main focus here. On the Chinese site Baidu, the drama is categorized under only two genres: costume drama and xianxia.

If romance hadn’t been pushed as the main tag, many disappointed viewers probably would have just skipped it instead of getting angry.

But even within the first 10 episodes, it was already clear that the story was much deeper than just romance. When I realize a drama simply isn’t for me, I don’t start hating the work itself or insulting the actors — I just move on. It’s different if someone finishes the whole drama; then of course they can leave their own rating. But constantly throwing hate at the characters or the actors who played them is too much.

Honestly, reading the comments below is frightening — it’s just pure hatred everywhere.

This drama deserves a much higher rating, but it is what it is.

I’m sorry, but this drama is not about love or romance. In general, the xianxia genre is not centered around love and romance. Here, romance is neither the main nor even a secondary part of the story.

As for different opinions — everyone has the right to think whatever they believe is right, but those opinions should be expressed respectfully, rather than turning into hate toward certain actors or actresses, or accusations about things that simply are not there.

I understand that people who haven’t watched the drama won’t understand the tree reference. But the ones leaving nasty comments and insulting the actors certainly will.

Unfortunately, I avoid most modern dramas nowadays, and I don’t mean only xianxia. There is too much focus on the physical, and too little on the spiritual. And I say this as someone who is absolutely not a prude — I genuinely enjoy films and dramas with kissing scenes and beautifully executed intimate moments. But when that becomes the central focus, something important gets lost.

As for female leads, nowadays an FL apparently has to be a Terminator to gain the audience’s approval. But viewers forget about the diversity of personalities and the fact that a person can be gentle and kind without being weak (and of course I’m not talking about abusive relationships). Those qualities can be signs of inner strength. Just like Lu Qianqiao.

Kill Me Love Me, Fated hearts, Pursuit of Jade, Story of Kunning Palace, Feud

Viewers have forgotten — and newer audiences were never told — that xianxia, just like huanxuan, has its roots in wuxia. And the foundation of wuxia is honor, friendship, the fight for justice, and endings that are not necessarily happy. These stories were meant to make people think, reflect, and grow.

But when I see ideas normalizing lies, abuse, and the romanticization of toxic relationships being pushed into the mainstream, it honestly makes me want to sit down and cry. In Fate Chooses You, the second couple could have easily become yet another example of that kind of “romance,” but the screenwriter made it very clear that there was never any real love in that relationship, which is why it ended so quickly.

Meanwhile, healthy relationships built on mutual respect, honesty, love, and devotion are labeled as “having no chemistry.” But where is that “chemistry” supposed to come from if the characters are not torturing each other, choking each other, or constantly lying?

So where are the seeds of that tree? Because I’m ready to plant it myself.

I’m reading the comments and seeing so many positive reviews, yet the drama rating dropped to 8.1 and still isn’t going up. We already got a happy ending, the main characters survived, and they even included cameos from related dramas. What else do people want? Honestly, I don’t understand.

Most of the negative comments are just nitpicking the actors’ appearances or complaining that a certain character’s arc didn’t end the way someone personally wanted. But that’s not an objective evaluation of the drama as a whole.

Meanwhile, projects full of toxic relationships, constant lies, and abuse easily get ratings of 8.5 and higher. Yet dramas that talk about real modern issues through the lens of xianxia, show healthy relationships, and emphasize that nothing can ever be achieved without sacrifice end up receiving tons of hate and lower scores.

Maybe that tree really should have grown after all.

I could never reach your level of tactlessness and lack of emotional intelligence.

With friends like these, you don’t need enemies.

Wonderful series! A wonderful, truly incredible ending! It fits perfectly into the very concept of the story. The main leads stayed alive and together, and the side character arcs were also concluded logically.

Nothing is ever given freely to anyone. To gain something, you must sacrifice something in return. Every character made their own choice and received their own reward.

By the way, did that kitten remind anyone else of A’Sheng? :)

Thank you all for watching and for the comments. I’ll leave a full review a bit later.

2 episodes

Don’t think so.