Aya

For a short drama, they managed to tell an interesting story with a very well matched main couple.
Like most short dramas, the plot is on the predictable side and there are definitely details missing, but it was still fun to watch.

This was definitely one of the dramas that I was eagerly waiting for and it didn't disappoint.

Is this drama perfect? No. It had it's flaws like any other drama. Did I still rate this a 10? Yes, absolutely.

I really liked the main couple. Both Tian Yao and Yan Hui went on a journey and individually grew while still retaining their kindness. I really admire their strength of character. The chemistry between the leads was not the sizzling kind, but instead was warm and gentle which really worked for their characters. They were definitely well cast.

This drama was at times funny and silly and at times emotional and profound. A beautiful journey that swept us into another world for 40 episodes.

I do agree he died too soon. I suppose they wanted to give the other villains a chance to do some damage. I did not want to see Su Ying return though, but I suppose her first ending was too good for her. I hope she suffers before she dies the second time. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Dark Phantom's story. They call him spirit, but he clearly called Xuelin sister and she was human. So I definitely need to see more of their relationship.

I'm loving the Dark Aura Yan Hui and Baby Dragon Tian Yao.

I'll still have to disagree where Chang Lan is concerned. Revenge might have been part of what he was doing, but he himself explained his reasons and even though he chose a twisted and hateful way to do it, it didn't all come from a selfish place. It seems like the last drop for him was when Tian Yao was betrayed and he realised that being kind and gentle will only leave you open to be taken advantage of. Obviously, that's just my own personal opinion.

I'm only on episode 32 now, but I am curious to see more of Fuyin's story.

So far, I don't have any sympathy for Suying and I don't see how that will change. Both she and her sister are absolute psychopaths.

At this point, I'm also very disappointed with Yan Hui's Master.

I'm on episode 28 and to be honest I can't bring myself to hate Chang Lan. He was a bit suspicious from the start and he did some despicable things, but his twisted mindset is a direct result of a sad life. He's clearly broken. Also, unlike Su Ying whose motives are selfish, Chang Lan in his twisted way wanted to make the world a better place so people wouldn't need to suffer like he did.

His character also provided a different development and reaction to trauma compared to the two leads. Tian Yao was gentle, pure and innocent before he met Su Ying. After he was betrayed, he carried hatred towards Su Ying, but he somehow still remained that pure and gentle person, which is clearly visible in his interactions with Yan Hui. Yan Hui also has had a sad life, where she had to fend for herself until she was found by her Master, but even through all of that she has remained lively, kind and with a strong moral compass.

That's really cute. I was half expecting it to be another Wang He Di

That's good to know. Another reason to rewatch.

I agree with the part that it's only valid when they accept it, because they were pretty much forced into marriage both times, but as long as they accept it, then they can be considered married from the beginning.

Oh good. I haven't made it to episode 27 yet. So it looks like at least Tian Yao is fully aware she has been his wife all along.

Yan Hui is really casual about weddings, isn't she? She married Tian Yao once already when she thought he was a snake spirit. Then she almost agreed to marry that rich friend of hers, because she needed money. I'm now on episode 24 and she has once again married Tian Yao to get her hands on the translation of the Ghostly Eulogy. Granted the last one seems the most justified, because she still has feelings for Tian Yao and her life does depend on the book.

Also, why don't they consider the first wedding valid? They never really dissolved it, did they? So if the first wedding is indeed valid, they have been married this whole time.

I'm on episode 8 and loving it so far. I'm really looking forward to the development of the main leads as a couple as well as individiuals.

The FL is very lively. I love her positive attitude and confidence. There were definitely moments when I wished she was a bit smarter, but I suppose that's the area where she can grow.

I'm loving the interactions between the FL and the ML.

This drama has some good points and some bad ones

One of the major things that I didn't like was the inconsistency of the setup of its society. First of all, there's not enough explanation on the role reversals and how exactly it affects society beyond the fact that we're told that women are the ruling gender. Secondly, even though women are the rulers in the world of the drama, somehow we still ended up with a FL who is the typical "damsel in distress" who's constantly saved by the more talented, more intelligent and stronger ML. What was even the point of reversing the roles and giving us a FL who's the rising star in the kingdom, if she's still inferior to the ML in every way?

Another major issue I had with this drama by the end was that almost none of the plot even led anywhere. In the end none of the things anyone did meant anything.

The plot is rather inconsistent and messy and the FL's actions and behaviour made her unlikable at some points.

The parts where this drama shined where the funny and cute moments. Those were also the moments the FL did well. Her acting wasn't very convincing in the emotional scenes. Thankfully, the couple did share enough chemistry to make the romance work. I also appreciated the ML's performance.

This drama would have definitely benefited if the writers focused on either making it a cute and fun romance or a dark and tragic story. As it is, they seemed to have tried to mix the two together with disappointing results.

It's ok for a one time watch if you're in between dramas and looking for something short.

Hopefully we'll finally get to see this drama. We have definitely waited long enough by now.

If you're familiar with previous Painted Skin adaptations, you pretty much know what to expect.

The plot of this movie is not the complicated type. It's pretty straightforward and there are no real twists and turns. At first glance, it may even seem boring. The FL and the ML lead also don't really share any chemistry on screen which could have helped a lot.

I did like the demons in this adaptation. The costumes were pretty and the fight scenes were fun to watch.

Overall, its an entertaining movie.

It's always best to try a drama and make up your own mind on whether it's worth watching, but I can tell you the plot is repetitive and a bit messy. Also contradictory to itself sometimes. It had its moments.

This was sometimes a bit of a struggle to finish. The plot is repetitive and a little messy. The FL's lack of intelligence is very frustrating. There were things about her that I did appreciate. She's a strong FL that doesn't wait around to be rescued. But I really would have appreciated some intelligence.

Every man she had a 'fling' with except for Bai Yue is insufferable. Most are just plain villains that actively contribute to her getting hurt. Cang Qi never physically hurt her, but his obsession definitely had to be mentally exhausting. The guy doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'No'. Obviously what he felt for her was never really love or at least not purely love.

Tha being said, the drama definitely had its moments. At times funny and at times emotional. I suppose that's the reason why I kept watching until the end.

Just curious, is this the drama with the most comments on MDL? It would be weird if it's not, since we're all practically living here now.

I thought I was weird. Thanks for being weird with me.

Made it to episode 11 and I have to change my initial assessment of Tang Huan. Or rather add to it. Not only is he an ambitious coward, but turns out he's also a psychopath. Must be something in the water in that Tang Clan of theirs.