The delay of this drama was very unfortunate and it's very obvious that it had an impact on the quality. The CGI is outdated, some scenes look weird and the editing has definitely suffered a bit, but I must admit that they did make an effort to salvage this and for the most part I wasn't bothered by these issues.
The thing that bothered me most was how monotone this drama is. It's almost devoid of any dramatic tension. This is especially noticeable in a Xianxia setting, because of how high the stakes are. Because of the way the story is told and what the writers decided to focus on makes some of the things that are happening illogical and forced. The resolutions are anticlimactic.
I did end up liking the main leads for the most part. The recasting of the FL definitely didn't hurt this drama at all. HYX perfectly fits this role. She's effortlessly adorable when needed and projects strength when required.
Overall, I'd say this story could have been told in 30 episodes instead of 40 I will most likely not rewatch it, but it had it's moments and I did enjoy most it.
This drama ended up being much cuter and warmer than I expected. While I was expecting a darker tone to the story, I can't really be mad at how it turned out.
One thing that I appreciated a lot, especially given the shorter format, was the lack of any caricature villains. In fact, there aren't really any villains to speak of. I really liked most of the characters. There was more to them than what was shown, but that was expected due to time constraints. I liked the family dynamic and the fact that there was no sibling rivalry.
While I ended up enjoying this drama, it does share some typical issues with other short dramas. Most of the characters are flat caricatures, there's not a lot of character development, the pacing is uneven and the story is not always focused. It started off really well, but toward the end it did start to lose the ability to tell what was important to the story and what wasn't and there didn't seem to be enough time to wrap everything up properly, so we ended up with scene after scene of trying to tie up all the loose ends.
Even though I think that this drama could have been much better if it was a bit longer, it's still an enjoyable, quick drama. I loved the FL. She's intelligent, well-versed in politics and everything she has endured has made her very determined. She's clearly the standout character and most of the other characters pale in comparison.
I ended up enjoying this drama a lot. It's very entertaining, it's visually stunning and the cast did well portraying their characters.
The pacing is a bit uneven, which wasn't that big of an issue, because it was expected given the shorter number of episodes.
The bigger issue for me was that I didn't always like the FL. She's definitely a flawed character, which would be a good thing if she actually learned to overcome her shortcomings. The trauma of what happened in her past life should have been a trigger, but instead throughout the whole drama she remains stubborn, impulsive and full of unearned confidence, which ends up putting people in danger. While I do say that I didn't always like her, most of the time I did. I also liked the ML and the relationship between the two of them. There's a very gentle chemistry between them, which does work in a drama that's mostly very intense. I do have to admit that XYL suffers when compared to XYF and DY, because they are much more interesting characters.
Just finished episode 9 and I just have to say that Chen Du Ling and Tang Xiao Tian have a lot of on screen chemistry. Chen Du Ling and Zhou Yi Ran's chemistry is sweet and warm and I can't help but smile at their interactions together, but her chemistry with Tang Xiao Tian is electric. And that's just from a few scenes that they share together. I would definitely watch a drama with the two of them as main leads.
This was definitely entertaining. It's dark and sinister, but not outright horror. It's visually impressive and the story stays focused. The character development does suffer a bit from the shorter number of episodes, but that was to be expected when you only have 8 episodes to tell a story. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
I was really looking forward to watching this and I ended up really enjoying it. While it has its slow moments and some seemingly unnecessary characters, overall the story is interesting and so are the characters.
I always enjoy the performance of Bai Lu and Cheng Lei, because I find that they are both very good at making their characters endearing. It doesn't take long for you to care about their characters. And this drama is no exception. Within the first few episodes, I was already fully invested in their story and interested in how their characters were going to develop.
Admittedly, there were also plenty of characters where that didn't happen. Most notably, Mo Jing Li. I'm not sure if it was the performance or the way the character was written, but I was completely uninterested in him. Sadly, the character did have potential, but it was just never realized. Ye Ying also ended up a disappointing character, while arguably she probably had the most potential for growth.
This drama is definitely fittingly darker, both in terms of story and visuals than TBOY and DY. While I liked the story, it did have a bit of a repetitive aspect. I wasn't bothered by that too much, because it seemed logical that Dark River would encounter a lot of obstacles on their way to the other shore, but it did impact the pacing.
There are a lot of likable characters. Personally, Su Chang He and Su Zhe stole the show for me. The characters themselves were interesting, but the actors also did a very good job portraying the characters. Chang Hua Sen and Qiao Zhen Yu also had the strongest screen presence and caught my eye whenever either of them were on screen. In comparison Gong Jun doesn't have a very strong screen presence. Su Mu Yu is also a very straightforward character who could have benefited from a more charismatic actor. I'm not going to go as far as to say that he did a horrible job, but he did seem miscast. I liked Bai He Huai as a character, but the romance with Su Mu Yu seemed kind of unnecessary. On top of that, the two didn't share a shred of chemistry, so a lot of their scenes seemed boring rather than heartwarming. I did like the relationships between all the younger members of Dark River. They seemed more like an actual family than the old Dark River and understandably wanted to change the fate of their sect.
All in all, I did enjoy this drama. It's a nice addition to the existing stories.
I have a question: I started this for both leads as they’re great in whatever shows they’re in, so watching…
It's really going to depend on what you expect. There were definitely some slower moments along the way in the last 20 episodes. There are two endings. Episode 40 is a hopeful OE. Episode 41 is an alternate HE.
This drama definitely didn't disappoint. There was something very moving about it that I initially didn't anticipate. He Si Mu is the standout character for me in this drama. Dilraba portrayed the strong and proud sovereign and the lonely and weary woman perfectly. The contrast between He Si Mu and Duan Xu was one of the most interesting aspects in this drama. He Si Mu lives her life as if time has stopped and basically has no meaning for her. She exists, but is not really living. Duan Xu on the other hand is blazing through life as if he's in a hurry to finish it, but at the same time he's trying his hardest to live it. Together, they both make the world a much more wonderful place to live in for the other after all the misfortunes they both have endured in the past.
He Si Mu should have gotten rid of Yan Ke a long time ago. Everyone, including her, has been aware of his feelings for her for 300 years. On top of that, she's fully aware that his feelings for her are not love, but another manifestation of the obsession that gave birth to him, which is an unquenchable thirst for power. Seeing as all spirits can never fully suppress or control their obsessions, no matter how firmly she rejected him over and over again, it would only deepen his obsession. It's actually a wonder that he didn't go berserk sooner.
Chen Ying is going to grow up into a romantic soul, isn't he? The way he lights up every time either Si Mu or Duan Xu says they like the other is just too precious for words.
This is a drama that went on my PTW list as soon as it was announced, because I love this director's aesthetic sense and the darker edge of the stories he likes to craft.
So obviously, visually there are no complaints. It's a gorgeous drama all around: beautiful costumes and sets, nice CGI, gorgeous OST and a visually pleasing cast.
The core of the story is simple and while some twists and turns make it a bit more mysterious and complicated, it's not very difficult to follow. Admittedly, once time travel is involved to solve issues, you sometimes end up creating more problems than you solve. That being said, I had no problems with the result. I actually liked the ending. It was an emotional roller coaster, but there was something beautifully calming about that ending.
The thing I liked the most about this drama are the characters. GJM crafts beautiful worlds and populates them with a multitude of interesting characters. This drama is no exception. There were so many interesting and memorable characters to follow and each had a story of their own to tell.
Hey hey Moonies!! Time for the 3rd anniversary rewatch!🥳🥳🥳Drop your thoughts here for episode 10: Who's…
The chemistry between the characters in this drama is amazing and not only the FL and ML, but all types of relationships. This episode is the start of the friendship between LSS and PR and I'm loving the sibling dynamic.
1
The thing that bothered me most was how monotone this drama is. It's almost devoid of any dramatic tension. This is especially noticeable in a Xianxia setting, because of how high the stakes are. Because of the way the story is told and what the writers decided to focus on makes some of the things that are happening illogical and forced. The resolutions are anticlimactic.
I did end up liking the main leads for the most part. The recasting of the FL definitely didn't hurt this drama at all. HYX perfectly fits this role. She's effortlessly adorable when needed and projects strength when required.
Overall, I'd say this story could have been told in 30 episodes instead of 40 I will most likely not rewatch it, but it had it's moments and I did enjoy most it.
One thing that I appreciated a lot, especially given the shorter format, was the lack of any caricature villains. In fact, there aren't really any villains to speak of. I really liked most of the characters. There was more to them than what was shown, but that was expected due to time constraints. I liked the family dynamic and the fact that there was no sibling rivalry.
Overall, it's definitely worth a watch.
Even though I think that this drama could have been much better if it was a bit longer, it's still an enjoyable, quick drama. I loved the FL. She's intelligent, well-versed in politics and everything she has endured has made her very determined. She's clearly the standout character and most of the other characters pale in comparison.
The pacing is a bit uneven, which wasn't that big of an issue, because it was expected given the shorter number of episodes.
The bigger issue for me was that I didn't always like the FL. She's definitely a flawed character, which would be a good thing if she actually learned to overcome her shortcomings. The trauma of what happened in her past life should have been a trigger, but instead throughout the whole drama she remains stubborn, impulsive and full of unearned confidence, which ends up putting people in danger. While I do say that I didn't always like her, most of the time I did. I also liked the ML and the relationship between the two of them. There's a very gentle chemistry between them, which does work in a drama that's mostly very intense. I do have to admit that XYL suffers when compared to XYF and DY, because they are much more interesting characters.
All in all, I enjoyed this drama very much.
I always enjoy the performance of Bai Lu and Cheng Lei, because I find that they are both very good at making their characters endearing. It doesn't take long for you to care about their characters. And this drama is no exception. Within the first few episodes, I was already fully invested in their story and interested in how their characters were going to develop.
Admittedly, there were also plenty of characters where that didn't happen. Most notably, Mo Jing Li. I'm not sure if it was the performance or the way the character was written, but I was completely uninterested in him. Sadly, the character did have potential, but it was just never realized. Ye Ying also ended up a disappointing character, while arguably she probably had the most potential for growth.
There are a lot of likable characters. Personally, Su Chang He and Su Zhe stole the show for me. The characters themselves were interesting, but the actors also did a very good job portraying the characters. Chang Hua Sen and Qiao Zhen Yu also had the strongest screen presence and caught my eye whenever either of them were on screen. In comparison Gong Jun doesn't have a very strong screen presence. Su Mu Yu is also a very straightforward character who could have benefited from a more charismatic actor. I'm not going to go as far as to say that he did a horrible job, but he did seem miscast. I liked Bai He Huai as a character, but the romance with Su Mu Yu seemed kind of unnecessary. On top of that, the two didn't share a shred of chemistry, so a lot of their scenes seemed boring rather than heartwarming. I did like the relationships between all the younger members of Dark River. They seemed more like an actual family than the old Dark River and understandably wanted to change the fate of their sect.
All in all, I did enjoy this drama. It's a nice addition to the existing stories.
I really enjoyed this drama.
So obviously, visually there are no complaints. It's a gorgeous drama all around: beautiful costumes and sets, nice CGI, gorgeous OST and a visually pleasing cast.
The core of the story is simple and while some twists and turns make it a bit more mysterious and complicated, it's not very difficult to follow. Admittedly, once time travel is involved to solve issues, you sometimes end up creating more problems than you solve. That being said, I had no problems with the result. I actually liked the ending. It was an emotional roller coaster, but there was something beautifully calming about that ending.
The thing I liked the most about this drama are the characters. GJM crafts beautiful worlds and populates them with a multitude of interesting characters. This drama is no exception. There were so many interesting and memorable characters to follow and each had a story of their own to tell.
All in all, I really enjoyed watching this.