The Perfect Winter Watch!

“In the past, no matter how hard I worked, how hard I fought, I would always feel empty. Since life is unfair, why do I fight like this? There is no place I have to go, nothing I want with all my heart, no one I need to be with. Until…we met one another in a snowstorm.”
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Where should I start? Perhaps with the statement that if you are looking for a fluffy Cdrama rom-com to watch in the middle of winter, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love is a strong candidate for you to consider. It is a drama full of cute romantic scenes, strong friendships, and endless support from so many different characters. I started this drama in the middle of a pretty bad Cdrama slump, and this was the perfect comfort drama for me to watch while it was coincidentally snowing outside. The leads meet in Finland during a snowstorm, and their story of love and persistence unravels from there. Additionally, much of the plot revolves around the pool table, as the leads are nine-ball and snooker players. Coming into this drama, I knew almost nothing about the sports, but I found myself watching each player anxiously as they competed, silently cheering them on. Amidst a Snowstorm of Love was adapted from the novel of the same name by Mo Bao Fei Bao (墨宝非宝). The novelist’s name may sound familiar; she also wrote the original novels for Go Go Squid!, The Flame’s Daughter, and One and Only.

The first ten or so episodes of the drama are essentially the build-up of Lin Yiyang (ML) and Yin Guo (FL)’s relationship. Lin Yiyang and Yin Guo meet in an evening snowstorm in Finland. The first third of the drama was a bit slow for me, but it quickly picked up speed. Lin Yiyang is an international student in communications, and Yin Guo has come to compete in a major nine-ball competition. Much of the drama is centered around their cute moments in Finland, or as I commented earlier, are basically snapshots of the two walking around in the snow. And of course, food, food, and food! The Chinese characters speak English for a good portion of the drama in Finland. Lin Yiyang and Yin Guo’s relationship is literally the biggest green flag you’ll see in CdramaLand. They are extremely considerate of each other, are amazing communicators (after countless dramas with stupid misunderstandings, thank you!!), and are supportive of each other’s goals. Their little WeChat conservation moments are adorable! Additionally, despite Lin Yiyang being away from the pro-snooker life for over a decade, Yin Guo didn’t hesitate at all when she told him she would support him if he wanted to compete again. Lin Yiyang was the Chinese snooker champion by 13, but soon ‘retired’ due to conflicts with the judges. Yin Guo also started nine-ball at a young age and is currently one of the top internationally-ranked players.

You could say that Lin Yiyang took the initiative for their romantic relationship, but both of the leads were drawn to each other from the get-go. It was so sweet to see Lin Yiyang and his friend Wu Wei taking time out of their day to show Yin Guo and her cousin Meng Xiaotian around Hull, Finland. Lin Yiyang would go on such long train rides just to see Yin Guo again! They’re both more introverted, so as they got to know each other, it was more common to see them eating and chatting over the phone than actually speaking to each other. And after Yin Guo went back to China, they continued to talk to each other over the phone nonstop. The communication between the two is mature and impeccable. There are no stupid misunderstandings at all, and although both leads have attracted a lot of admirers (especially Lin Yiyang), there is just an amazing level of trust that leads to absolutely no jealously at all. I also appreciate the fact that the ML and FL’s admirers backed off after seeing the two together. Thank you, thank you!

Another essential aspect of the drama is the undying support the characters pour on each other. Not only does Lin Yiyang help Yin Guo get ready for her first competition in Finland, but the support is mutual. As Yin Guo slowly learns about Lin Yiyang’s past, she and his old friends are thrilled to learned that he wants to go back to professional snooker. And the bromances are so funny and heartwarming! Even before I knew that the novelist for this drama was the same for Go Go Squid!, I could see similarities between the close-knit friendships tied together by a shared love for the sport. In the beginning, I thought that Yin Guo’s other cousin, Meng Xiaodong (Xiaotian’s older brother) would be a problem in their relationship due to his seemingly hostile past with Lin Yiyang, but I was so wrong. Meng Xiaodong turned out to be one of the most supportive people towards both their relationship and Lin Yiyang’s return to pro-snooker. (There’s plenty of eye candy as well, but that’s just a plus!) We also witness the rekindling of friendships between Lin Yiyang and his former peers whom he left years ago.

I would say that the only major roadblock in Lin Yiyang and Yin Guo’s relationship is Yin Guo’s mom, but she wasn’t much of a problem either. I won’t say why she wasn’t initially supportive of them being together, because it’s explained in the drama. However, her initial dislike towards Yiyang is pretty reasonable. I also think that this progression from dislike to a loving embrace really shows Lin Yiyang’s character changing for the better since he was that stubborn and haughty snooker champion as a teenager. Some people were unhappy with the lack of "subtance" in the drama, but then were upset about the mom. (Just an example of how we can't cater to everyone.) I’m also going to take a minute here to appreciate his amazing teacher, Mr. He Wenfeng. Lin Yiyang was his last student, whom he treated like a grandson. Mr. He is the teacher all of us want, and Lin Yiyang wouldn’t be where he was at 13 or today without his guidance.

In my opinion, Wu Lei and Zhao Jinmai had amazing chemistry. It didn’t help when their characters were so loving and supportive towards each other either! Even as opponents, every clap and congratulations were extremely genuine and everyone was happy for one another, no matter who won or lost. All the actors and actresses made the rom-com enjoyable, with plenty of smiles and laughs. The OST is cute and perfect for the leads' happy moments together. Amidst a Snowstorm of Love was the first drama I’ve watched that shines the spotlight on the pool table. Since I know basically nothing about snooker and nine-ball, I can’t testify to whether the drama showed gameplay correctly, but it sparked my interest in the sports. And given that China is currently very high-ranked internationally in terms of snooker and nine-ball, the drama also was able to raise awareness for the sports in China, and of course, outside of China.

All in all, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love is the perfect cuddly winter watch! It is a perfect combination of romance, friendship, and healthy relationships across the board. You are not only transported to the world of pool, but also get to experience a Finnish winter and amazing love story. It’s definitely a plus if you start this drama when it’s snowing outside. (That’s what happened for me!)

Thanks for reading!

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A Star-Crossed Romance Spanning Centuries that Shows Us How to Truly Love the World

If you, like many others, including myself, have been looking for recent Xianxia dramas that try to sway away from the usual Cold-Immortal-ML-and-Bubbly-Clueless-Female premise, you might want to give Till the End of the Moon a try. But, there are also some catches. Let me explain.

Till the End of the Moon is a 40-episode long Xianxia romance drama adapted from the novel Hei Yue Guang Na Wen BE Ju Ben" (黑月光拿稳BE剧本), or Black Moonlight Holds the BE Script by Teng Luo Wei Zhi (藤萝为枝). Judging from the genre and novel title alone, you should already expect an angsty storyline, unlike other Xianxias, with blood-spitting and heartbreaking moments. The plot is divided into three or four arcs, depending on how you see it: The drama starts in the Immortal/Cultivation Realm but this lasts very briefly before the female lead is transported to the Mortal Realm. Later, we have the dream arc, where the leads take on the roles of different characters and live a part of their lives. Finally, both characters are back in the cultivation realm. Personally, the Mortal Arc was the most enjoyable and gripping arc for me, with many reasons that I may elaborate on later in the review. The drama was originally divided into two separate dramas but due to government restrictions on the number of episodes per drama, the episode count was capped at 40. Therefore, the episode lengths are a bit longer, averaging at around 50-55 minutes per episode. However, it seems as if there are still some scenes that did not make it into the final drama, which was a bit disappointing and made the second half of the drama feel a bit rushed.

Female lead Li Susu is tasked with the difficult and dangerous task of killing the heartless Demon God Tantai Jin. To do this, she is sent 500 years back into the past, entering the body of Ye Xiwu, the spoiled, legitimate daughter of the noble Ye family. The mortal arc of the drama was hands down my absolute favorite part of the drama. The plot was gripping and addicting, and the acting was simply the cherry on top. Tantai Jin’s masked hatred for the world begins to show as Li Susu (aka Ye Xiwu) tries to formulate a plan on how to kill this future demon god who will kill all of her loved ones and destroy the world. The pacing of the first arc was near perfect without filler scenes and any of the cliches that you would see in many other Xianxias. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to understand that Li Susu will have to kill Tantai Jin at the end, who is seemingly harmless and loveable for most of the Mortal Arc. Their romance is star-crossed lovers to the extreme, with both falling for each other but Li Susu living with the understanding that she has to kill the one she loves, or else the entire world would be destroyed.

Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu’s relationship is slowly built up with both sweet and bitter aspects. It is clear that both of them truly care for one another but they aren’t able to completely convey their feelings. As Jin Emperor, Tantai Jin, while still harboring resentment toward those who maltreated him, is a very benevolent leader to the innocent citizens. It is simply heartwarming to see this slight change in character that is facilitated by the love and care that Ye Xiwu seems to give. However, we come to a point in the mortal arc where the relationship between the two turns to a rather toxic point, with quite a few misunderstandings. The largest fault in the drama is the lack of effective communication between the leads that could have resolved so many problems and saved so many innocent lives. But this does not overshadow the fact that the mortal arc, as well as the other arcs, had beautifully crafted scenes that not many other dramas can top.

For some, the next arc, which is set inside a dream, was a snooze fest. Essentially, the leads enter a dream where they take on the roles of a powerful immortal god and lively clam princess. I was quite invested in this arc up until the drama introduces an absolutely evil second female lead who completely destroys Ming Ye (ML) and Sang Jiu (FL)’s deserved happy ending. However, the dream arc plays a critical role in the next arc as Tantai Jin and Li Susu embody their true roles as future demon god and cultivator/immortal, respectively.

The plot transition into 500 years later is where questions start to surface and the pacing becomes a lot more rushed. Many questions were left unanswered regarding the futures of some of my favorite characters and were left unaddressed even at the very end of the drama. I enjoyed the brief, loving moments between Tantai Jin and Li Susu but the drama continues to take on the heavy star-crossed-lovers theme and stays persistent with not allowing “too” many loving scenes between the two. However, Li Susu undoubtedly changed Tantai Jin for the better, transforming him into a human with true feelings and wanting to make the world a better place. The drama gave us open endings for many side characters, which is, to say the least quite disappointing. What happened to them? Where did they go? Are they still alive? I would say that the last arc focused way too much screen time on some side characters, whereas the plot would have been a lot more intriguing and productive if more focus was put on the leads. Tantai Jin definitely deserved all the love and care.

Having watched several of Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu’s past dramas, they absolutely did not disappoint in TTEOTM in terms of acting. Both actors were able to near flawlessly show all gripping emotions, regardless of arc or scene. Demon God Tantai Jin was absolutely badass and evil while mortal Tan Taijin in the Ye Manor was a pitiful young man who thought he had lost everything. The way Luo Yunxi’s veins popped almost convinced me that he was actually experiencing excruciating pain, and the contrasting looks of endearing and being betrayed were evidently and effectively conveyed through his facial emotions. On the other hand, Bai Lu’s Li Susu was a caring daughter, loving ‘wife’ to Tantai Jin, and a responsible figure with the difficult task of ‘saving the world’. She delightfully surprised me with her acting in her scenes seeking revenge, filled with absolute hatred and persistence. As with their previous drama Love is Sweet, Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu worked amazingly with one another and their chemistry was once again extremely natural and appealing to the audience.

I absolutely adored side characters Pian Ran and Ye Qingyu. At first, they seemed like an unlikely couple but this pairing slowly grew on me. Pian Ran and Ye Xiwu had, hands down, the best sismance ever. Sun Zhenni as Pian Ran brought out an inexplicably unique but refreshing aura and her romance with Ye Qingyu, acted by Geng Yeting, was subtle yet heartwarming. On the other hand, Chen Duling absolutely ate up her role as seemingly innocent Ye Bingchang, then as the evil Tian Huan, and the demon Mo Nv. She totally embodied the absolute evilness of her characters to the point where I can’t stand to see her in the drama anymore. Bravo to her. Deng Wei also acts out his multiple personalities and characters very well.

Other minor characters were also essential to producing a well-rounded drama. While TTEOTM lacked in some areas of the plot and editing, Wang Yifei’s evil Si Ying as well as Zhang Zhixi’s Chu Huang and Tantai Jin’s immortal master, to name a few, were essential characters that the actors embodied quite well.

Production-wise, aside from the editing due to government regulations, the cinematography was impressive, and the costumes were gorgeous. The drama experimented a lot with different character styles and used brilliantly-colored costumes on many characters, which is something that we don’t see very often in the Xianxia genre. The hairstyles were intricately done and all slightly differed depending on the setting and character. The magical effects were also quite natural and pleasing to the eye, and the lighting of some scenes in particular really added to the quality of the drama.

As with many other dramas, Till the End of the Moon started off on a very strong note and slightly dwindled down as it approached the ending. However, this does not dismiss the very strong scenes scattered throughout the drama, the high production quality, amazing acting, and beautiful costumes that, combined, created a very nice drama experience overall. Although many questions were left unanswered and some parts of the drama seemed rushed of unnecessary, do consider giving TTEOTM a shot if you’re looking for another evil ML sort of Xianxia with awesome acting, impressive CGI, and beautiful costumes. The extensive and gorgeous OST is also a plus!

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A Xianxia filled with love, friendship, disaster, and most importantly, comedy.

If you, like me, did not have your eye on this drama but decided to watch it on a whim, you will be pleasantly surprised by The Starry Love. And understandably so, because the past few years of Xianxias have exposed us to the ‘overuse’ of familiar Xianxia tropes. Fortunately, director Chu Yuibun (朱锐斌) seems to have realized this and decided to add a unique comedic spice to The Starry Love that significantly differentiates this drama from the rest of the modern Xianxia genre. Overall, The Starry Drama is a story of the love between two main couples as well as their adventures with friends, and what it means for the world to love or hate you.

The Starry Love (星落凝成糖) is adapted from the Xianxia novel of the same name by Yi Du Jun Hua (一度君华), and is the last installment of the Honey Trilogy, three romance dramas directed by Chu Yuibun. Therefore, you might notice the vast similarities between color selection, setting appearance, and costume design between The Starry Love and Ashes of Love. The Starry Love also has several actors that also played major roles in Skate Into Love, and its catchy OSTs are once again sung by the talented Sa Dingding and Mao Buyi, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng. Here's another thing that may motivate you to watch The Starry Love: the leads voice their own characters, with the exception of Chao Feng. (no need to be worried about the high FL voice this round!)

Once again, the story is established with many of the usual Xianxia tropes. The world is composed of Four Realms, the Immortal, Demon, Mortal, and Beast. However, the Mortal Realm is fully aware of the other realms and works with the other leaders to maintain world peace. The Immortal Realm is again the ‘good’ realm, the Demon Realm is the ‘bad’, the Mortal is the ‘weak’, and the Beast is basically the ‘extra’. The main female leads, Ye Tan and Qing Kui are twins with a sealed fate, which they don’t learn about until later in their lives. Qing Kui is the hailed princess, the girl living everyone else’s dream. She is the destined Heavenly Consort, the future wife of Heavenly Deity Shao Dian You Qin. On the other hand, younger sister Ye Tan is not as fortunate. She was deemed a ‘bad luck star’ from birth, never having experienced the warmth and love from her father and servants. Destined to marry the future king of the Demon Realm, she vows to be a powerful evil being to defeat those who have always down on her. However, the sisters’ wedding carriages are swapped, and they end up in the wrong realms.

As you can see, we’re presented with a pretty unoriginal premise, so what makes this drama so interesting and keeps us on our toes? Well, to say this in the simplest way possible, it’s the way comedic scenes are inserted into the drama at the most surprising of times that makes The Starry Love such a fresh breath of air. One minute, you might be sad or even crying because of a certain scene, and a few seconds later, you are laughing so hard you might even be clenching your stomach. I personally really enjoy this unique addition, as I’ve certainly never seen this before in Xianxias and loved the comedic aspect.

The Starry Love is 40 episodes long, as with many of the new dramas after the maximum 40 episode rule. (in which some dramas divided the series in two parts to bypass this new Chinese law) The drama is well-paced, without many, or perhaps even any, filler scenes, unlike a few of the long dramas. I really enjoyed how there was understandable time spent on each You Qin arc, and how each couple was given enough time per episode to bond and give us the sugar we deserve.

Onto the acting. The acting here was PHENOMENAL, especially when it comes to Chen Xingxu. This man here had to act five totally different personalities. In the usual Xianxias we may get one or two reincarnations, but Shao Dian You Qin here went on a total personality-changing spree. From the cold You Qin, he was also the cute and heartwarming La Mu, greedy but caring Mei You Qing, elegant womanizer Wen Ren, and of course, the You Qin at the end, all of his previous personalities melded into one. Chen Xingxu pulled off his roles perfectly, effectively showing the great contrasts between each personality and making them seem like totally different people. (fun fact: (Mei You Qin) 没有情 means Emotionless)

As I was watching a drama with Li Landi for the first time, I loved her acting and her role as Li Guang Ye Tan. The changes her character experienced were phenomenal, and Landi displayed this through her acting, especially in the eyes. Not only is The Starry Love about the strong love between lovers, but between friends and family as well. Ye Tan and Qing Kui’s sisterly love is a strong relationship that not many others can compete with. The contrast between the two sisters’ personalities was also a sweet treat. Although Qing Kui always received the love that Ye Tan never had in her first 18 years, Ye Tan never blamed her older sister for it. Instead, they were always worrying about the other. While Ye Tan is a girl afraid of nothing, Qing Kui’s pure kindness guided her younger sister to the path of happiness.

The chemistry between both couples was just right. You will be gushing for not one, but two extremely compatible couples. As I was rooting for the Heavenly Couple, I was also squealing for the love story that was blossoming in the Demon Realm. As they say, you’ll always find each other if you’re destined to be together. It’s amazing how each of the characters influenced others to change and become better versions of themselves.

Of course, a Xianxia drama would not be complete without both loveable and hateable characters. Ye Tan, who had never received much care and love in her life, felt so fortunate to have become friends with not only Man Man and Di Lan Jue, but with Qing Heng, Zi Wu, the three senior immortals, and even with her future brother-in-law, Chao Feng. It was so heartwarming to see everyone warm up to this princess, who had always longed for a happy life. On the other hand, we have the power-hungry Immortal and Demon Emperors who put their own power before their family’s happiness. The Heavenly Empress demonstrated her true love for her children before any noble title or riches, while the Demon Empress’s power-hungry eyes not only showed her pure-evil heart but her universal love for her only son. The side couples were all very cute and fun to watch.

Production-wise, The Starry Love did a phenomenal job. The special effects for magical spells in all realms complimented their respective backgrounds and were all natural to the look. Like previous Xianxias, the Immortal Realm is given an almost-whitewashed look, while the Demon Realm is a land of darkness. However, the fireworks and magical trees were gorgeous to look at, to name a few magical elements of the drama.

Like Ashes of Love, the OST for The Starry Love includes songs sung by Mao Buyi and Sa Dingding, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng, and were epic as always. Sa Dingding once again awes us with her amazingly high vocals managed with immaculate precision, while Mao Buyi and Liu Yuning sing with longing emotion. Shuang Sheng once again displays her lovely voice with a sweet tone. The soundtrack is as follows:

[Theme Song] “The Starry Love” (星落凝成糖) - Sa Dingding
[Opening Song] “Speak with You” (与子成说) - Liu Yuning
[Ending Song] “Flawless World” (天地无瑕) - Mao Buyi (with another version sung by Sa Dingding)
[Additional Song] “Twin Flowers” (双花儿) - Shuang Sheng

If The Starry Love is not THE Xianxia drama 2023, it is one of the best. Although it includes many Xianxia elements used in previous Xianxia dramas, the comedic aspect of this series differentiates it from the rest of the group and will certainly brighten up your day. The emphasis on strong sisterly love is also something that is not to be missed. (there’s eye candy too!)

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The Agarwood is Still Burning but I'm Burnt Out

Ok, so, where should I start? If you're a long-time Xianxia drama lover looking for a new, quality Xianxia drama, it might (emphasize on the might!) be helpful for you to read this review. Or if you're looking to see if you should continue the series. If you love love LOVE this drama, I'd advise you to stop here as although there were some loveable moments in the series, there were some major disappointments that did not allow for the best love story and drama overall, and I will be elaborating on these details in the review. Although the series was divided into two parts with 59 episodes in total, my review covers both parts. Spoilers are at a minimum with the assumption that the audience has a bit of information about the story.

I have been waiting for the release of Immortal Samsara since the first day the series announced its amazing cast, with Cheng Yi as Ying Yuan Dijun and Yang Zi as Yan Dan. Both are A-listed Chinese actors with a huge fanbase both in China and internationally, as well as many well-received dramas in the past. Immortal Samsara is directed by Director Guo Hu, who directed the well-received 2021 Chinese drama One and Only, as well as co-directed famous Xianxias Eternal Love (TMoPB) and Love and Destiny. As a huge Xianxia lover, how could I miss out on such a big Xianxia with seemingly beautiful production? It was like a dream come true, with Ashes of Love's FL and Love and Redemption's ML, as well as a supporting cast from both dramas.

Adapted from the Chinese Xianxia novel with the same Part 1 name, "Chen Xiang Ru Xie" (沉香如屑) by author Su Mo (苏寞), Immortal Samsara tells the romance between the noble and prestigious Dijun, or Heavenly Lord, Ying Yuan and carefree and bubbly lotus flower, Yan Dan. Again, Yang Zi plays the role of a rather naive little girl who knows basically nothing about the hardships of the world at the beginning, planning to rely on sister and friends. So here you are given a typical Xianxia male and female lead. Although love is forbidden among immortals in the Heavenly Realm, the two find themselves falling for each other, and thus, starting their heartbreaking love story spanning more than a thousand years. However, the drama is filled with many common Xianxia tropes, resulting in a predictable story with pretty much cliche characters. Again, do not get me wrong, I love Yang Zi and Cheng Zi and their acting was PHENOMENAL in this drama, as usual, however, their roles were dull and what one could call your "average" Xianxia lead, with a story filled with betrayal, misunderstandings, and amnesia.

To be completely honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the first 10 or so episodes, which took place in the Heavenly Realm. The episodes were filled with cuteness, laughs, and some character development from Yan Dan. Not to mention Ying Yuan's funny habit of flipping the turtle onto its back. But of course, Xianxias are notorious for the heartbreaking means the leads have to go through to finally be together happily, and the audience's emotions are also abused in the process. Predictably (cough), the first half of the drama has two, not one, second female leads, coveting Ying Yuan's powerful position, bitchy Ying Deng, and (surprise!), Yan Dan's older sister, Zhi Xi. While Ying Yuan is pretending to have never loved her to protect her for the greater good, poor Yan Dan is out there being targeted by not only high immortal Ying Deng, but Zhi Xi as well, the older twin sister who vowed to always protect her. Fun, right? Girl's having it way too hard on her. So basically, after Yan Dan truly falls for Ying Yuan, the rest of her time in the Heavenly Realm before she leaves for the River of Forgetness (Wang Chuan) is suffering, more suffering, and the more terrible of sufferings. She even cut out half her lotus heart to keep Ying Yuan alive, and this all-great lord pushes her away, even telling her before she walks onto the River of Forgetness that he has never loved her, leaving her in utter despair.

If this had been 2018, I would have probably been bawling every 3 episodes, but I did not cry a single time in this drama. This doesn't really indicate anything, but I could not understand many of the characters, as character development was rushed and not focused on. The drama just seemed like a cycle of, I love you, I'll sacrifice for you, goodbye, we meet again. The entire time, I was asking myself, is this going to get any better? Because I truly wanted to enjoy Immortal Samsara.

As with most if not all Xianxia romance dramas, there is always a Mortal Arc, where the leads go down to the Mortal Realm and their romance progresses from there. And like most other Xianxia dramas, our two leads enter the Mortal Realm with no idea of their past in the Heavenly Realm, their memories erased of their love and grievances towards each other. Obviously, they meet and fall in love again. Nothing new. In my honest opinion, the Mortal Arc was way too long, with unnecessary side stories that bored the audience. Jiang Chen and Pei Luo's ending was different than the novel, with a rather pathetic ending instead of the audience's wished for ending of them putting down their differences and living together happily. On the other hand, ridiculous amounts of screen time were given to the third female lead, Ying Deng, who is one of the haughtiest b*tches I've ever seen in the Cdrama world. Not on par with Su Jin of Eternal Love just yet, but she was almost there. It felt as if she had an infinite number of costumes to change into, while FL Yan Dan was wearing the same outfit the entire episode. I was over the moon when she was turned into stone, but guess what? SHE JUST MELTS BACK. As if rock can turn into a person. sigh. Yu Mo truly loved and cared for Yan Dan, but over time, the excessive amount of screen time that he as a second male lead got also became pretty much of a bore, as I longed for more strong interaction between the two leads.

However, the Mortal Arc also had its good sides. I absolutely love Zi Lin, the immortal turtle. His expression when he realized that Tang Zhou was the Flipping Turtle Lord was hands-on PRICELESS. Although Ying Yuan in the Heavenly Realm would never admit his deep feelings for Yan Dan to "protect her", Tang Zhou was the exact opposite, telling his sect members that he would live for himself just this one time, molding him into a more understandable and loveable person. Although both Ying Yuan and Tang Zhou had heavy responsibilities, Tang Zhou acknowledged the fact that his purpose of living was not just for the greater good of others, but for himself as well. Ying Yuan on the other hand, did not realize this message until it was too late.

In terms of acting, again, Yang Zi and Cheng Yi did not disappoint. Each heartbreaking scene was expressed with meticulous emotions on their faces, especially when it came to crying scenes. Ying Yuan and Yan Dan's love for each other was obvious, but unfortunately, even with the amazing acting skills, the story fell short. However, it's imperial to say that Cheng Zi amazed everyone with his acting as three different personalities, Ying Yuan, Tang Zhou, and Xuan Ye. Each figure was so different and unique from the others that it didn't seem like they were all acted by the same person. Cheng Yi had a totally different aura when he played the three roles, creating different atmospheres. Yang Zi's every tear was dropped with precise timing, showing the heartbreaking reality of her love, which she thought was unreciprocated. Meng Ziyi as Zhi Xi was beautifully acted out as a female immortal who aimed to become one of the best, although suddenly cast in the shadow of her playful sister. The bond between the sisters at the end is truly loveable, with heartwarming scenes between the two, even if Zhi Xi did break her sister's heart and trust in the Heavenly Realm. As for Zhang Rui as Yu Mo, his acting felt rather forced, and similarly, with other demons, I could not relate to them at all and was not very invested whatsoever in their separate stories.

You might be wondering, if I was so tired of these tropes, why did I continue watching? From the very start of the drama, not only was I looking forward to Ying Yuan and Yan Dan's love story (which was unfortunately much of a letdown), I was extremely excited to watch the side story of Ying Yuan's parents, Asura Lord Xuan Ye and Heavenly Realm female god, Ran Qing. Fortunately, I was much more invested in their love story, however, many questions were left unanswered when it comes to these two episodes. What were Xuan Ye's thoughts as his son when he learned of Qingli Ying Yuan Dijun? Did he know that his son was that powerful man? Xuan Ye evilness is definitely unparalleled, but he still fell in love with an immortal deity. By the way, Cheng Yi dubbed Xuan Ye, lowering his voice for a much more mysterious and frightening low-pitched voice.

When it comes to the ending of the drama, I, once again, was very disappointed. However, I wasn't disappointed with the outcome of the story, I was more let down by how rushed everything was. For a 59-episode drama that focused so much on a boring Mortal Arc, I was expecting a more explained ending, with an ending not only for the two leads but for supporting characters as well. That was not covered by Immortal Samsara in the least little bit. There were only 20 minutes left of the last episode of Immortal Samsara, and the leads were still fighting against the villain! Does the director have any sense of balancing out time and scenes? (probably not) Yes, I was most invested in the leads but I don't want to leave the supporting characters hanging in midair. Although screen time should be mainly focused on Ying Yuan and Yan Dan, the drama did not do this in a balanced way. The Mortal Arc focused way too much on other characters while the ending gave them a mere 5 or so minutes and none for the rest of the many characters in the drama. The leads disappeared together, and that was it. No more explanation. It is said that 2 more episodes will be released in a few days to explain this unexpected ending, but I am not sure if I will watch it. Why not just air everything together, instead of making the audience, who has already paid more than their fair share of money to watch the last few episodes?

However, the OST was beautiful, with wonderfully-written songs sung by a few talented artists. Lyrics matched the story of Immortal Samsara and melodies were gorgeous and unforgettable. It would have been better even more of a treat to see a few more singers in the track listing, as well as more songs used in the drama itself, as there are instances where OSTs are recorded but not used inside the drama, but perhaps budget or time was a roadblock. Cheng Yi and Yang Zi both sang a song each, but I'm not sure they were used inside the drama as I cannot recollect the melodies. Agarwood sung by Jason Zhang and Jane Zhang was absolutely charming and full of longing.

Here is the beautiful OST listing:

1) Agarwood (沉香) - Jason Zhang & Jane Zhang
2) Hong Chen Lu (红尘录) - Jason Zhang
3) Pian Xing (偏星) - Jane Zhang
4) River of Forgetfulness (忘川) - Cheng Yi
5) Can't Forget (无忘) - Zhang Lei
6) Looking at the Sky (望辰) - Yang Zi

Finally, it's also important to acknowledge the beautiful costumes and hairstyles of the many characters in the drama, as they truly did give off ethereal Xianxia vibes. I especially loved Yan Dan's hairstyle, with a long, silky ribbon that cascaded down her black hair. CGI was also gorgeous, with colorful pastel skies and of course, the massive dreamy-like whale that Yan Dan and Ying Yuan rode on together, a recollection of some of their happy memories. The palaces inside the Heavenly Palace were a bit odd-looking and the white walls did look a bit like plastic, but the props were intricate.

All in all, you might want to give Immortal Samsara a try if you're a new Xianxia watcher, however, keep in mind that some parts are ridiculously draggy with some annoying characters. If you're reading this review and wondering if you should continue onto Part 2, I don't really think the romance gets "better", as some might say, however it does progress as the leads do spend more time together. Xuan Ye was a treat, but again, the entire drama felt like a cycle of predictable Xianxia tropes. So if you've already watched all the big Xianxia romances out there, Immortal Samsara is probably not your best choice. Although Cheng Yi and Yang Zi did fantastically in their respective roles and costumes were gorgeous, the boring and draggy plot heavily outweighed the pros of the series.

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Love Can Melt Even the Coldest of Hearts

If there is a must-watch Xianxia drama every year, Love Between Fairy and Devil (苍兰诀) undoubtedly earns this honor for 2022. The novel with the same name is written by author Jiu Lu Fei Xiang (九鹭非香), who is a proclaimed writer in China for many of her famous novels, a few of which have been adapted into successful dramas, including The Legends and The Blue Whisper, and a few more on the way. The Chinese title of LBFAD directly translates to “The Legend of Cang and Orchid”, which is exactly what the story is about, a romance between the lofty Moon Tribe leader Dong Fang Qing Cang and a girl with the true form of an orchid flower.

However, don’t fret! Love Between Fairy and Devil is not your usual tropey Chinese fantasy romance. Instead, the introduction of a unique plot and characters is wonderful for veteran Xianxia lovers who have begun to become tired of Xianxias with cold and powerful god male leads and naive and pretty much powerless female leads. The love story between Dong Fang Qing Cang and Xiao Lanhua is pretty much a beautiful forbidden love, as there are over thirty thousand years of hatred between the Moon Tribe and Immortal Tribe, where these two lovers are from, respectively. While other Xianxia male leads are busy “protecting the world” and “ensuring eternal peace”, Dong Fang Qing Cang has set his world on destroying Shui Yun Tian, the home of his enemy tribe, the immortals. An emotionless man, he only knows of hurting and killing.

That is, until he meets Xiao Lanhua, a pure soul who believes that every little life is precious. Unfortunately for the timid little orchid at the beginning, fate ties her to the terrifying Moon Lord. One glare from Dong Fang Qing Cang is enough to make her shiver for hours, but even DFQC wasn’t an exception to her immense love for the world. A few viewers have even mentioned that their romance gave off a Beauty and the Beast vibe at the beginning, and I can totally see it, however, Xiao Lanhua quickly became the only person that could make Dong Fang Qing Cang, smile, laugh, and scream his heart out for her.

Even if she was a mere orchid. And this is the beauty of this forbidden romance, how this emotionless man who killed without hesitating warmed up in front of Xiao Lanhua, showing that human relationships can indeed help heal and recover from painful pasts. True love does not have boundaries, nor does it care about status or nobility.

Before gushing about the talented cast, it is crucial to talk about the production of this drama. As with most dramas, the production of a series can either destroy or bring the story to light. The latter was the case for LBFAD. From the ethereal beads that glistened against Xiao Lanhua’s hair to Dong Fang Qing Cang’s golden branch-like crown, it is clear that everything, from hairstyles to costumes to the sets has been meticulously planned to enhance the entire drama experience. The director of LBFAD, Yi Zheng, once mentioned that preparation before filming took more than 4 years, the reason for the gorgeous production quality. Costumes embodied every character’s personality, from the hyper Jie Li with a dark past to Xiao Lanhua’s pastel translucent dresses. The interior of Dong Fang Qing Cang’s Moon Palace is also very appealing to the eyes, including a bit of western influence, as apparent in his grand canopy bed and busy inner courtyard. Although a Chinese drama, the Moon tribe sets surprisingly gave off a rather early European vibe.

Character and location names were added to the side, and were immensely helpful to both new and veteran Xianxia watchers, as we all know, a large majority of Chinese costume dramas tend to have countless characters, and it takes quite a few episodes to remember who is who. That being said, the different locations in the drama each have different feelings for their unique appearances. Shui Yun Tian is home to these supposedly “good” immortals, the vastness of the palaces and hall bereft of friends and family, while the small villages filled with Moon Tribe women are filled with love and care as they grieve for their dead husbands, brothers, and sons.

When I first learned of the cast of Love Between Fairy and Devil, I admit, with full guilt now, that I scoffed at the lead pairing. But please, please do not give up the thought of watching this drama because of Yu Shuxin (Esther) and Wang Hedi. In fact, I believe that Director Yi made one of the best decisions by casting these two talented actors. If you, like me, have watched a few of YSX and WHD’s previous dramas, you will be blown away by how much their acting has improved. Not only have they perfectly embraced Dong Fang Qing Cang and Xiao Lanhua, but they have also truly brought them to life. When they smile and laugh, we follow along. When they cry, bawling their tears out, the audience can’t help but do the same.

Here’s an important heads up: If you’ve watched Yu Shuxin’s Moonlight, you have already gotten a sense of her voice, which she dubs herself. I myself do not find her voice annoying, however, many have expressed their opinions when it comes to her rather high-pitched voice, which is not very appealing to some. Xiao Lanhua’s high voice does not indicate a naive little girl, or what we would call a ‘Sha bai tian’ (傻白甜) in China, but rather shows her character growth in the series, which will become more apparent in further episodes. Yu Shuxin started as a very talented singer, and she was blessed with the talent of being able to change notes and pitches flawlessly. Xiao Lanhua’s higher voice at the beginning is an indication of her carefreeness as an unimportant orchid as she travels on this journey.

The personality contrast between the leads is interesting, but what’s more special about this pairing is how different they are from what one could call your ‘usual’ Xianxia pairing. It’s about time we got a badass evil sexy male lead who was trying to destroy the Three Realms. No more wonderful Three Realms saver! The female lead doesn’t need saving every time, either. Although she is much weaker than Dong Fang Qing Cang, Xiao Lanhua’s broad understanding of love has taken her a long way. As she’s said before, “I love all beings, but I also love one person.”

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of LBFAD, however, is how much the leads’ have improved with their acting. Wang Hedi and Yu Shuxin were absolutely BOMB in a way that no one saw coming. When DFCQ and XLH swapped bodies, it was still clear as ever who was who. Wang Hedi immediately embodied Xiao Lanhua’s bubbly but panicked appearance, while Yu Shuxin became a stone-faced character in a pastel-costumed girl. Furthermore, as the story advanced and the leads experience more together, their acting drops mouths as our leads smile and laugh, and eventually, cry and scream. It is simply astonishing how much Dylan Wang and Esther Yu have improved that it’s pretty much hard to describe in words. And their chemistry? Hands down a flammable perfect. I’m sure all of us who have watched the entire drama would agree that it wouldn’t be fair for them to not win a prestigious acting award for their roles in LBFAD. This drama is truly their drama breakthrough, winning them millions of followers on social media platforms, not just in China, but all around the world.

It was also nice to see the spotlight on supporting characters in a balanced way. They weren’t given too much screen time nor were they not given enough. All the stories of the more relevant supporting characters were addressed in very well-rounded ways. No matter good or evil, each character showed significant growth, prompting the audience to cheer them on. This is another beauty of the series, how each figure was given a bit of screen time with an understandable and apparent growth in their experiences and personalities. Even the so-called ‘villains’ had their own backstories and reasons. (cough cough, besides Yun Zhong Jun, aka Lord in the Clouds) I myself have a selection of favorite supporting characters, from the ‘stupid’ black dragon Shang Que to even the villainous Rong Hao. Li Yitong even acted as Xiao Lanhua’s master, Si Ming. Although she was invited as a guest role, she has had an immense impact on this drama.

Finally, this review would not at all be complete without a description of this amazing OST. It’s been a long time since a Chinese drama has had such a well-rounded soundtrack. By well-rounded, I imply songs with smaller stories woven in, with a multitude of well-known talented singers. Zhou Shen, Liu Yuning, Faye Chan, twins Jing Long and Jing Di, Shuang Sheng, basically any famous Cdrama singer you can think of. Do you want a song of longing? You got it. A song of the happy romance between the leads? Here you are, sung by our wonderful leads. Each melody was beautifully written and sung, and you probably won’t find a better 2022 Cdrama OST than this one:

1. Finding You (寻一个你) - Liu Yu Ning
2. Remaining Feelings (余情) - Zhou Shen
3. Cutting Off Love (诀爱) - Faye Chan
4. Shore (彼岸) - Jing Long & Jing Di
5. Longing (念) - Shuang Sheng
6. Amnesia (失忆) - Yu Shu Xin
7. Cang-Lan’s Oath (苍兰契) - Li Chang Chao
8. I Still Remember That Day - Shen Yi Cheng
(我还记得那天)
9. I Want To Be With You - Yu Shuxin, Wang Hedi
(想和你)

All in all, if you’re tired of the cliche Xianxias that have been aired over the past few years, you’re in the perfect place. The drama is also ‘only’ 36 episodes, which is quite short for a well-produced Xianxia romance (which tend to be 50-70 episodes long), but is so well-rounded in all aspects that you will be longing for more when you finish the last episode. The romance between Dong Fang Qing Cang and Xiao Lanhua is so pure, yet so beautiful. With a nice little ending, you will certainly fall in love with LBFAD.

“My Xiao Lanhua, there is no reasoning to love. No matter good or evil, immortal or mortal, if you love him, you love him.”

-Si Ming

Update: Btw, check out my article with Cho na about LBFAD!
https://mydramalist.com/article/how-to-make-a-romantic-xianxia-love-between-fairy-and-devil

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Love Among the Vast Galaxy of Stars

Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2, or Yue Sheng Cang Hai (月升沧海), is the continuation of the first part of the drama, Xing Han Can Lan (星汉灿烂), with a bit more of a political twist to it. The titles of these two parts are simply gorgeous, as they relate to the shining stars and vast waters of the sea. To be completely honest, I did not even plan to watch Love Like the Galaxy, not expecting the plot to be so gripping, the character development to be so well-rounded. With many veteran actors in this drama, the characters were brought to life, with bright smiles as well as tears to be shed.

“If the husband is the sun that brightens the road for thousands of Li way, then the wife would be the star, the brilliant galaxy. The sun, the moon and the galaxy neither is superior or inferior, they’re indispensable. We can only create a world by coexisting."

STORY- 8.5
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While the first part of the drama was focused on Cheng Shaoshang’s journey of getting to know her family members, the second part also highlights Ling Buyi’s path to seeking revenge, with bits of political strife among officials as well. One could perhaps use the term “Star-crossed lovers” on Cheng Shaoshang and Ling Buyi. Although loving and caring towards one another, it was clear that the two did not truly come to understand each other fully in Part 1 of the drama, and Part 2 witnesses the two gaining the full trust of each other and walking towards the frontlines as a duo, and not one person trying to protect the other.

Again, I write that the second part does include more political scenes, which do affect the couple’s relationship. The audience also learns more about Ling Buyi’s past and the path he has decided to take for the future. Being the sole living descendant of the Huo Family other than his mother, he is forced to choose who to protect. Both Ling Buyi and Cheng Shaoshang grew up with minimal love, learning that they had only themselves to rely on. This caused both of them to grow up to become strong-willed people who were determined to do whatever their heart was set on. This, however, also meant that it took much longer for both of them to start trusting other people, and their frustrating stubbornness sometimes caused what you could call unnecessary arguments. The drama undoubtedly has some of the most heartbreaking scenes that were filmed in the most beautiful way, prompting the audience to rewatch specific scenes over and over again.

If you’ve already watched the first part, you probably won’t be able to list many common drama tropes that show up in Love Like the Galaxy, because simply, the director was smart enough to avoid these annoying tropes. No second lead causing unnecessary misunderstandings, no close friend turning evil, and even no fighting in the emperor’s harem. The relationship between Empress Xuan and Consort Yue is so pure and loving. Even if the two did not have many direct interactions, their dialogues are one of the most heart-warming scenes in this drama. Xuan Shen An lived a life of longing, longing for true love, longing for a life without high authoritative power. Unlike other empresses, she isn’t a haughty, all-above woman. Instead, she only hopes for her children to live a happy and free-spirited life, unlike her, bound inside the imperial palace, knowing that Emperor Wen loved another, Consort Yue. But even so, this didn’t hurt the two women’s strong relationship. They treated each other as true sisters, with no scheming and hatred.

The last few episodes were a bit of a drag, with the precedented time skip, but the separation was executed strongly, even with just actions and no dialogue. The last arc, which was about Shaoshang and Zisheng getting back together, was edited a bit messily, putting some more focus on unprecedented side characters. Apparently, 10 episodes were edited out of the series, resulting in the rushness. This was a bit unfortunate as the audience wasn't looking forward to the multiple Ling Buyi-Comes-to-Shaoshang's-Rescue-Again scenes as much as the scenes that focused on the couple's relationship, which was overshadowed by schemes and headstrog leads.

However, even with the numerous tense scenes in Part 2, some comedic scenes were added here and there for bits of laughter. Emperor Wen wins Funniest Man in a Historical Cdrama, no joke. He cared for Ling Buyi as if he was his own son, and was probably the couple’s best matchmaker. It was beautiful how the emperor and his two wives stood up for Zisheng and Shaoshang, as if they were their own children. Empress Xuan was Shaoshang’s quiet resort, her paradise.

CAST - 10
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Again, LLTG is filled with experienced actors, many well-acclaimed in mainland China. The eye candy is a plus, but the emotional expressions on every single one of the actors’ faces were astonishing. Each tear fell at the perfect time, each smile crooked at an angle. Leo Wu’s face was truly terrifying at times, showing the revenge he had to take, his hatred toward those that killed his uncle and the rest of the Huo Family. Zhao Lusi’s Cheng Shaoshang started off as a hyper and chirpy girl, and if you’ve watched a few of her other dramas, is a role that she shines in. However, this girl became a quiet and virtuous young woman as time grew by, and Zhao Lusi brought this time and the experiences that Shaoshang faced to life.

Rather than saying the character development was the most amazing, the development between character relationships was even more phenomenal. More than half of the Part 1 of LLTG had a Xiao Yuanyi that the audience strongly disliked. She was portrayed as a heartless mother who only knew of military punishment, and frankly, this description is not very wrong. However, her estranged relationship with her daughter slowly thawed as she started to show love and care physically, and not just inside of herself. Xiao Yuanyi slowly learned what it meant to have a daughter, and how to truly care for her. This is only one detail of the strong Cheng Family. There is not a single person in the family that does not care for Shaoshang’s well-being, and her parents, siblings, cousin, and even grandmother were always ready to step in front of her, to protect her. In the direst times, even the shy Yang Yang looked the opposing official in the eye, ready to fight.

No team of actors could have executed each scene as intricately as this team did. The audience could feel the heartwrenching pain, not only for the leads but for the supporting characters as well. Each supporting character had their own story, no matter loving or evil. With lovable characters came jealous figures and power-hungry villains.

PRODUCTION- 10
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Although not a formal MDL review category, LLTG’s production is worth mentioning. Each scene is set at a thought-provoking angle, from the bird-eye view of a lone carriage among the grand walls of the palace to the ancient curtains that basked in gentle candlelight. Even the opening to each episode showed figurine scenes of the drama, instrumental and mysterious. As simple as the costumes seemed at first, clothing colors were chosen with care, ranging from mahogany reds to soft cerulean blues. The earrings were studded with one of two beads that highlighted the beauty of the actresses’ faces. The hairstylist also did a good job of putting the long hairs up in a regal way, but also with a simple air to them. The costumes seemed much simpler than in other dramas at first, but the gentle patterns and colors were unique to every character. Although it is important to ask if Wang Ling was wearing the same purple dress the whole time. Perhaps it would of been better to give the supporting characters some wardrobe changes as well.

Another point was the terms in this drama, which I’ve never heard in other historical dramas due to different time periods. Instead of Jie Jie (姐姐), for example, older sister was called A’Zi (阿姊), and mother and father were called A’Mu and A’Fu, different from other traditional callings such as the much more common Mu Qing (母亲) and Fu Qing (父亲).

MUSIC - 9.0
LLTG has three sung OSTs (two of them were special to the two parts), as well as a few theme songs played with traditional Chinese instruments for a few characters. The OSTs were sung with emotion and feeling, prompting the listener to close their eyes and enjoy the tender melodies. As beautiful as they were, it would have been to have a few more supplemental OSTs to enhance the drama atmosphere.

The OSTs are a beautiful treat, though:
Love Like the Galaxy (星汉灿烂) - Sung by Shan Yi Chun
Song of Strings (弦歌) - Sung by Ayanga
Sigh of Starry River (星河叹) - Isabelle Huang

Overall, Part 2 has nicely wrapped up the historical series, with a gripping plot and lovable characters, both leading and supporting. Character relationship in Love Like the Galaxy is one of the most precious and unique parts of the drama, showing every kind of love, and not just romantic. Through interactions and experiences, Cheng Shaoshang has finally come to accept her position in the world, and Ling Buyi has come to trust Shaoshang as not just the person he loves, but as her own separate person.

“I know it’s her with just one glance, it’ll be her this lifetime, this century.”

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Enemies at the Beginning, Lovers at the End.

I started Lie to Love on a whim. It basically went like this, “Ooh, Cheng Xiao and Luo Yunxi? Cool, I’ll watch.” I wasn’t looking for much, I admit I went into this drama for the visuals. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I’m going to get this out of the way, if you’re looking for Cdramas similar to A Love So Beautiful or My Little Happiness, don’t dilly-dally here because Lie to Love isn’t your best option for Next Fluffy Cdrama Rom-Com. BUT of course, the audience is provided with plenty of sweet scenes that makes you yearn for more.

The story begins with an amazing scene of ‘bad-ass’ Su Xieyi (Cheng Xiao) on some under-cover mission…and she has amnesia? The drama isn’t as tropey as it seems to be in the beginning. It does have amnesia, the concept of Enemies to Lovers, but instead, the flower blooms into a drama full of secrets and investigation, with a huge shocking moment that either makes you want to hate the story or feel even more compelled. In my case, these twists and turns caught my attention, and like the characters in the drama, I was always on my toes for the next scenes and episodes. Again, side characters do pose some problems in the leads getting their Happily Ever After, however, the difficulty is more directed towards power struggle rather than the leads losing their trust towards one another. Like many dramas, Lie to Love is like a story in a fantasy world, the details in this drama are not going to happen in real life. This is what makes the plot intriguing. The investigation aspect is the bright cherry on top of an ice cream scoop.

Acting/Cast - 9.0

The actors’ eyes say everything, they paint love, worry, desperation, shock. This was especially evident in Luo Yunxi. Li Zeliang (ML) could be standing on the concrete sidewalk, and you would still be able to see the emotion pouring from his eyes. As for the character himself, he has his setbacks, but he proved himself worthy of standing amongst the top leaders of the hotel business industry. His moves weren’t unpredictable, but rather deserving of applause. Luo Yunxi brought a new aura into any room or scene he was in. Besides his refined looks and dazzling smile, his confident and intelligent image enhanced his character.

On the other hand, while Cheng Xiao can still be a newbie in the drama industry, she had been improving endlessly. As opposed to her character in the popular drama Falling Into Your Smile, Su Xieyi (FL) carries a stronger air of dominance. She, unfortunately, wove some disappointment into my intrigued soul, however, this feeling was quickly wiped away. The small loss in her Strong FL spark was replenished as Su Xieyi made her solid decisions. This was more of a small bump in the plot roller coaster rather than Cheng Xiao’s acting, which she did wonderfully in fulfilling. Su Xieyi isn’t a very complex character, however, the audience received a mixture of determination and care from her.

Luo Yunxi and Cheng Xiao’s pairing was satisfying. Their chemistry was not ‘The Bomb’, however, it was powerful but also cute. (The eye candy as well!) The sweet scenes were especially fun to watch, as Zeliang and Xieyi is such a lovable couple. Of course, I think it’s safe to say that a big portion of the audience was demanding more fluffy sides to the story.

With only a few important side characters, it was fun watching character progressions, whether it be the playful musician Oscar or the talented and poised Shi Chuchu. As much as side characters are often disregarded under the spotlight of the main leads, these supporting characters play a major role in the progression of the plot. Of course, some of their actions were in the wrong, but these were the steps to achieving a rolling plot. In the end, I was more than satisfied with many of the characters’ endings, especially with those who ‘grew up’, who became better people than before.

Music - 9.0

It’s not rare to see me vibing to fun and cute Cdrama songs, and even more so with the addition of Lie to Love’s OST. Nothing much to say about the soundtrack besides the fact that I love it. Another surprise? Luo Yunxi sings a song! (It’s beautiful.)

~
Overall, Lie to Love was a fun and enthralling watch with a blend of both sweet romance and captivating mystery. Characters had secretive pasts and unspeakable confessions, however, they were all given the endings they deserved. Production was high-budget, which was clearly evident in costumes and props. Lie to Love was a breath of fresh air among the cutesy rom-coms that I’ve watched.

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You Are My Glory: A Beautiful Romance Carrying a Jade Rabbit's Dream

Landing on the moon’s surface on December 14, 2013, the Yu Tu Rover (玉兔, Jade Rabbit) worked on the moon for a total of 31 months, far exceeding its original expected lifespan of 3 months and becoming the longest-operating rover on the moon. Part of China’s Chang’e 3 Mission, Yu Tu traveled a total of 114 meters, sending amazing data back to earth.

Yu Tu said goodbye on August 3, 2016, with a beautiful message:

“There are still many questions I would like answers to, but I’m the rabbit who has seen the most stars.”

(As a girl from a Chinese family, I knew of Yu Tu before YAMG, but this still makes me tearful T^T)
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Enough of story-telling. I’m sure most people were anticipating this drama for days, weeks, months...Admit it, one of the main reasons for the tiresome wait was for the gorgeous main leads. Yang Yang and Dilraba...in a rom-com? Are you kidding me? (nope!)

As soon as the drama started, I was fully immersed. The first 2 minutes, with Liu Yuning’s Fireworks and Stars (烟火星辰) was just a beautiful blessing to my eyes. The galactic palate was a job well done.

With an MDL low of 8.3 at a point when You Are My Glory (YAMG) was airing, the ratings slowly increased to a very understandable 8.7. All credits to the story goes to Gu Man, the author of the original novel- You’re My Glory (same Chinese name as the drama as well, 你是我的荣耀). Gu Man is also the screenwriter of the drama, the reason why you would realize that there is a shortage of differences between the novel and drama if you read the novel, which is a must-read if you’re craving for short but cute webnovels. And the small number of differences was a delightful surprise, as there wasn’t much in the fluffy story that needed to be changed to make the drama a success. (and it is!) As someone who rarely reads Cdrama original novels, I thoroughly enjoyed You’re My Glory as I impatiently waited for the last releases of the drama.

The story is simple but unique; the love story between a popular actress and an aerospace engineer who were high school (and middle school) classmates 10 years ago. Seems kinda cliche at first glance, doesn’t it? Haha, well, I do daresay that it isn’t! Gu Man really played around with her creative ideas. Qiao Jingjing has a month to improve her oh-pretty-bad (actually, quite bad) gaming skills to prove to everyone that she can play the game that she endorses. Who does she ask for help? The very talented Yu Tu, of course!

Before I continue with my hopeless YAMG gushing, please allow me to clarify a point: YAMG is NOT an E-sports drama. While it does involve an online game, King of Glory, no one in this drama is a professional gamer. Ok, continue reading. :)

Yu Tu (spelled, 于途, a homophone of the Jade Rabbit Yu Tu) may seem like your typical Cdrama male god - Earning full marks in high school, attending Tsinghua (the top university in China), being even a god at basketball, even looking like a god (I mean, he’s Yang Yang lol). He’s the full Male God Package!

But WAIT. What is that? He has a dilemma? Hmm...not your typical male god, perhaps? Yu Tu had more realistic problems, but that doesn’t stop him from being thoughtful and caring to his family and friends. You Are My Glory is a much more mature rom-com, with not just characters dreaming of a lovey-dovey future, but with hardships that accompany their dreams.

Let’s go back to that quote from the Jade Rabbit Rover, “I’m the rabbit who has seen the most stars.” Qiao Jingjing said a version of this beautiful quote to Yu Tu, who carried with him his inspirational aerospace dream. Supportive of Yu Tu no matter what, she was always there for him.

“You’re the rabbit who has seen the most stars.” Explains Yu Tu’s dream, which seemed unreachable at first, but he slowly neared that dream, being an inspiration to all.

Behind Actress and Superstar Qiao Jingjing is a girl with a huge heart. Her kindness is almost unparalleled; As much as she seems to be self-centered with her glamorous attire and noble air, you’ll soon discover that there is so much to see than just being in the spotlight. She also displays unwavering perseverance. If Qiao Jingjing sets her mind on something, she’ll get it done AND she’ll get it done well, from her demanding job to helping out friends. People who were talking about Jingjing’s high EQ were totally right.

Oh, and YAMG is frustration-free! No b*tchy exes nagging the leads, no annoying in-laws in opposition, no unnecessary drama in the entertainment circle, this is what I call the full Cdrama Romcom Package, with no unnecessary details and a perfectly cut diamond.

YAMG provides plenty of cute scenes, as well as ‘omg DAMN’ ones, and hilariously funny situations. There were several times where I was telling my friends (who didn’t understand Mandarin) to not watch the episodes without subs because the scenes were THAT funny. What else is there to ask of a cute and funny rom-com?
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I won’t gush about eye-candy, but I’m sure you already know what I’m talking about. (*wink*) Yang Yang and Dilraba can both be considered veteran actors and are very popular, both on MDL and around the world (including mainland China), thus the high number of users with YAMG on their PTW lists. As for acting, Yang Yang and Dilraba have witnessed both praises and insults, but they really shone here, wonderfully embodying their characters, both their lovable traits, and their hard times as they faced their challenges. The acting was not at all forced and had a very natural air from beginning to end.

I could name a few actresses that Yang Yang had great chemistry with and a few actors that Dilraba looked great with, but wow, these two can really act as a pair! This is what ‘off the charts’ chemistry is really like, my friends!

YAMG doesn’t have a second couple, but with Jingjing and Yu Tu’s sweetness, another couple wasn’t necessary at all. Besides, we got Jingjing’s Pei Pei and Sister Ling, who supported her no matter what, and Yu Tu’s Zhai Liang and Guan Zai, accompanying him through both happy and lonely times.

One more surprise- Janice Wu and Gina Jin are guest roles here! Although they didn’t have much screen time, it was just delightful seeing them in a drama again, and like always, they did amazing. :D
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You Are My Glory’s OST is short but delightful. There was one song that stood out to me- Fireworks and Stars sung by Liu Yuning. The other songs were lovely and nice, but they weren’t extraordinarily outstanding. In fact, there was one song with a nice start but started to feel a little nagging in the middle. Maybe it’s just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But background music was chosen very nicely and always gave off a light and airy feeling.

The production is also very deserving of two high thumbs up. Jingjing’s outfits were always very beautiful, but they never were over-the-top fancy or anything of the sort. And don’t even get me started with Yu Tu, I could go on for hours about Yang Yang’s outfits and his GLASSES. Lighting and camera angles were very pleasing to the eyes, especially the camera angles during intimate scenes.
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All in all, the looong wait for YAMG ended with no disappointment. In fact, I think You Are My Glory has exceeded many of our expectations. Of course, it doesn’t suit everyone, but if you’re in need of a light and cute rom-com, give You Are My Glory a try! Maybe you’ll be like many of us, falling in love with the drama and its wonderful story.

~

If you would like to know the Jade Rabbits story (the rabbit, not the rover), here’s a quick read for you: https://www.waiyeehong.com/oriental-culture/jade-rabbit-yutu/

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Ancient Love Poetry: The Xianxia Drama of 2021

Countless days of waiting weren’t for nothing. My anticipation was sky high for this Xianxia, and my patience was also tested to the maximum. With a lengthy list of countless words to describe Ancient Love Poetry, I can say without any hesitation that ‘disappointment’ is an excluded word.

I’m probably not lying if I call the Xianxia genre my soulmate. I am a sucker for this beautiful genre, and Ancient Love Poetry is a must-watch if you enjoyed/loved the previous famous Xianxias. The drama brings you into a world of magic and beauty that makes it terribly hard for you to take your eyes offscreen.

Story-
What may appear at first glance to be a Cdrama filled to the brim with Xianxia tropes, it is not false to say that Ancient Love Poetry has difficult tribulations, character reincarnations, and most of all, heartbreaking sacrifices. But with the addition of beauty and elegance, a Xianxia drama can take these tropes to a heavenly level. Adapted from the well-known Xianxia novel “Shang Gu”-Ancient God (上古) by Xing Ling, the drama followed the original piece evidently well, and maintained the tension, angst and beauty masterfully to the very end.

A Xianxia would not be very well-rounded off without world building and character introduction, which Ancient Love Poetry did magnificently with. As with the majority of costume Cdramas and even more with Xianxias, it can be difficult to attempt the memorization of characters and locations. With a helping hand that is the first few episodes of Ancient Love Poetry, the audience found less struggle with this concept. I could even call Ancient Love Poetry educational in terms of the Xianxia genre- From just 49 episodes alone, I, who has done extensive research on this fantasy genre, broadened my knowledge even more.

What comes with the introduction also comes with a slight impatience towards a rather slow-paced plot in the beginning. In easier words, Ancient Love Poetry did not entirely succeed to capture everyone’s attention at the beginning, resulting in the creation of let-down droppers. As many of us say, the story gets very interesting starting from eps 12-16. And as expected, the story only progressed towards more captivation. Longer dramas may provide more time for the background story, which may seem unnecessary and boring but are actually important for the story as a whole. The sheer level of love and angst in this drama is enough for one to cry out numerous waterfalls.

It was also a pleasure to discover that aside from the lead couple, romance spread across many lovable supporting characters, as well as familial love, long lasting friendship, and even hateful grievances. Although Ancient Love Poetry focuses heavily on romance, the story also kept the audience on the edge of their seats with a few major problems that spread throughout the four realms and that threatened the existence of the true gods.

Production-
Ancient Love Poetry’s production is such a gem that I decided to give it its very own section in this review. The production is simply gorgeous, and the drama’s high budget certainly paid off and was used to its full potential. The costumes look simple with its light pastel colors, but with its simplicity comes a wave of freshness and slight joy. The drama’s CGI is not a joke, either. Each strand of magic and spell is carefully produced to the most believable extent, providing a most magical experience for the audience. Each realm in the drama also gives off special vibes. The bright gold Heavenly Palace boasts its grandeur while the lighter-colored Qingchi Palace expresses its beauty in the form of nature and water. Inside the palace, rooms and props are delicately adorned with the uniqueness of its realm, from shimmering golds to billowing blacks. Editing was not a problem either, as traditions were neatly made without any distraction.

Cast-
Please allow me to disagree to the fullest extent with the Chinese netizens claiming that Zhou Dongyu was not fit for the role of Shang Gu. She absolutely nailed this with astonishing talent. With the challenge of Ancient Love Poetry being her very first costume Cdrama, Zhou Dongyu portrayed Shang Gu perfectly, a playful girl who later grows up into the leader of the God Realm with a difficult destiny. Zhou Dongyu does exceptionally well with deep scenes, and Ancient Love Poetry gave her another chance to display this talent. Her acting was not forced at all, creating a lovable character with a heartbreaking history.

Believe it or not, Ancient Love Poetry is my first drama starring Xu Kai. As I watched this along with his first modern drama, Falling Into Your Smile, I got the perfect chance to compare his completely different roles and made the conclusion that he is an amazing actor who can portray almost any character. As a caring male lead holding unspeakable love, Bai Jue stole the hearts of everyone. He successfully made us cry rivers for him as we accompanied him on his grueling path of love and sacrifice. Xu Kai as Bai Jue and Xu Kai as Qing Mu couldn’t have been more different and heartbreaking. With contrasting personalities but the same passionate love, both characters gave way for the audience to experience their love and pain.

Shang Gu and Bai Jue are cute. Period. With cute chemistry and powerful love and care for each other, the director of ALP, Yin Tao (one of my favorite directors), did not make a mistake when he casted Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai as the leads. I can’t think of anyone better.

Many of the supporting actors and actresses did phenomenally, to say the least. A drama is never complete with a complex range of supporting characters, all with different beliefs and lovable or hateable traits. Completely contrasting with Bai Lin in Love and Redemption, Liu Xueyi as Tian Qi was an absolute pleasure to watch. Liu Xueyi kept the balance between a playful and perky true god to a caring friend and master. Lai Yi as Gu Jun was one of my favorite characters. This righteous high god couldn't have cared less about power and the messiness of the Heavenly Realm, and lived life to the fullest. Even as a father, no one and nothing could stop him from protecting his daughter at all costs. Last but not least, I would also like to give a big round of applause to Zhang Jiani, actress of Wu Huan. This complex character is a major challenge for anyone, but Zhang Jiani did more than wonderfully, and was such a pleasure to watch on screen.

Even with characters of very minor importance, I was always invested in their own stories and their part in the drama. Character development was done so well in Ancient Love Poetry that some characters made quite a big personality change, while others never failed to keep our attention.

Soundtrack-
What more than breathtaking awe for the OST of Ancient Love Poetry? With songs sung by exceptionally talented singers, they truly brought out the magic and beauty of the drama. Along with traditional background music and propelling lyrics, what a gem of a soundtrack this is.

I will do another thing I have never done before in any review, which is listing the soundtrack, to show the very preciousness of the OST:
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“Penannular Love”《绝恋》by Zhou Shen (周深)

“Yearning”《年岁》by Mao Buyi (毛不易)

“Sense”《感应》by Liu Yuning (刘宇宁)

“Twilight”《朝暮》by Deng Shenme Jun (等什么君)

“A Thousand Years of Searching”《千寻》by A-Lin

“Mountain Sea”《山海》by Zhuo Yao (灼夭)

“The Thought of Life”《执生念》by Ye Xuanqing (叶炫清)
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Here is a verse from “The Thought of Life” that I deem most beautiful and heartbreaking:
“她, 化身飞烟, 生死离别, 他为她守护三界”

“She, turns into flying smoke, parting life and death, while he protects the Three Realms for her”

Overall-
It is still quite hard to believe that Ancient Love Poetry might have just become my favorite Cdrama of all time. The title of Xianxia of 2021 is most fitting for this drama, if not enough. With tens of thousands of years of love and grievances, I was sucked deep into this moving love story. What started off on quite a good note only got better and better with a diversity of characters and relationships and a journey across the magical Xianxia world.

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Cute and Inspirational From Beginning to End

I have to admit, I was not one of the countless drama-watchers waiting tirelessly for the premiere of this drama. But it’s true that some of the most unexpected things are the most precious. As a sucker for Cdrama rom-coms,I can confidently and lovingly say this about Falling Into My Smile. It has stolen the hearts of many many people, including myself. I can’t exactly find any words to describe this drama; It’s perfectly cute, funny, and inspirational, tackling both problems that normal people like us face daily and problems that idols encounter during their career.

Story-9.0

There haven’t been many E-sports Cdramas, but most of them that aired were very much enjoyable to me. Falling Into Your Smile doesn’t have the most unique storyline, but I was pleasantly surprised to be presented a drama with minimal plot holesn and boringness, and that kept its strong foundation from beginning to end. (The gaming scenes were also very cool, but were also quite skippable. Fans were brought ‘into’ the computer, and we watched the fights take place.)

Adapted from the web novel ‘You’re Beautiful When You Smile’ by Qing Mei, Falling Into Your Smile delves into the world of E-sports, a professional online gaming sport that started to show prominence around the world, especially China. Just like the drama, the novel is full of sweet moments, and although some bits here and there have been tweaked, the drama is a pie served to us with just the right ingredients and the right amount, with no piece missing.

As I’ve watched more dramas, something that always stands out is how much inspiration this drama has given me; The motivation to help someone or do something for myself and the world, the inspiration that emanates from a certain character or the story itself. Right now, you’re reading a review of a very inspirational story. Perhaps not everyone will feel this way, but Falling Into Your Smile provided so much inspiration and happiness to me.

Falling Into Your Smile is perhaps the cutest and loveliest drama I have seen to date. (girl who has seen 90 Cdramas speaking here!) While other Cdrama rom-coms focus heavily on the love story between the main couple, Lu Sicheng (ML) and Tong Yao (FL)’s love story is also perfectly balanced with the strong bromance. This powerful friendship between the members of ZGDX not only provides smiles and laughs, but also shows us all the sides to a friendship, from trust, teamwork, and forgiveness.

Unlike other E-sports dramas, though, Falling Into Your Smile explores a more sensitive and harmful side of idol fans. The characters had to overcome major criticism on social media that threatened their well-being, confidence, and careers. Although this is no new problem for us veteran drama-watchers, tension was everywhere during these scenes as we rooted for our favorite characters.

Cast-9.5
Boom! Xu Kai does it again. Amazing acting? You bet! (Not to mention those smiles and teasing...) This talented actor portrays Lu Sicheng, a supposedly cold male lead, so well. Unlike other Cdrama cold male leads, though, Lu Sicheng gives off quite warm and especially caring vibes, attributes that make us a lovable male lead. Xu Kai certainly proved to us that he can slay any role, from those perky male leads in historicals to a cold but very caring modern male lead. As Falling Into Your Smile was his first modern drama (besides the Republican drama Arsenal Military Academy), he certainly has started on an amazing note.

I do not usually follow the lives of Kpop or Cpop celebrities, so I had minimal knowledge about Cheng Xiao when I started this drama. But, like her lovely singing, her acting was very natural and extremely cute! But even though Tong Yao is cute and sunshiney, she is not at all a damsel in distress. Her expressions and actions are direct. Cheng Xiao executed Tong Yao to her best, and although her acting wasn’t the most breathtaking, she took a major step in her acting career when she chose to portray Tong Yao. When the scene becomes intense, so does her expression. Tong Yao’s stern and persistent expressions can also shut someone up, while her bubbly but intelligent side makes you want to pull her to your side. I will definitely follow up on her future dramas because she certainly deserves more praise and attention from drama-watchers, not just Kpop and Cpop fans.

This chemistry is bloomingly strong and fiery. Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao couldn’t have done better showing us Lu Sicheng and Tong Yao’s cute and loving times together.

Without the supporting characters, Falling Into Your Smile would not have had that exploding spark. The pie is served to us on a golden platter: A cute main couple, another cute second couple, powerful bromance (from all teams, really), caring friendship between Tong Yao and her ‘gui mi’ (best friend) Jin Yang, and familial love as well. Did I really just list almost all the most important relationships in our lives? This drama is so well rounded when it comes to these relationships.

Please allow me to take some more time to gush about Lu Sicheng’s teammates and best friends. They. Are. The. Best! Rather than providing awkwardness when it comes to our leading couple, they were necessary for their relationship to progress. Don’t even get me started with Lu Yue or Pang Zi. These boys are a necessity, not just some supporting characters you can throw into the mix, and they were expressed so well. We followed them on their journeys of growing up, realizing that success is never without failure. Oh, the lessons we learn from dramas that seem so simple!

OST-11
FIYS’s OST deserves a solid 11. I never expected to fall in love with this soundtrack this much, but I have. Don’t be surprised when you look into my listening history and find all of the songs played over and over again. Or if my non-drama-watching friends complain about me forcing them to listen to these songs and them also falling in love with them. I think I’ll never be tired of them. With heartfelt emotion and meaningful lyrics, this rom-com’s songs are the toppings of this magnificent pie.

Rewatch Value-8.5
Oh, those sweet scenes? A definite yes! As someone who rarely rewatches dramas, so many scenes in FIYS tempt me.

Overall-9.5
Countless hours and days gushing and blushing over this drama wasn’t for nothing. This pie is wonderful, amazing, magnificent. Perhaps Falling Into Your Smile will be my favorite Cdrama rom-com of 2021, and we’re only a little over halfway through the year. The drama was cute when necessary, hilarious in other parts, and most importantly, inspirational.

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A Cute and Funny Rom-Com That You Can Watch Under 2 Hrs!

STORY-8.0
Based on the Webtoon of the same name, which I have not watched, Uncle Cool tells the love story between a cheerful high school girl and a cold but caring doctor. Besides these tropes, we have some others: Height Difference, Older Man/Younger Woman, School Bullying, Neighbors. The rather big age gap (seems to be 10 years at most) may be a bit bothersome for some, but as someone who usually doesn't mind these kinds of age gaps, I was perfectly fine with this couple. They are cute, and awkward in a good way! There were also quite a few comedic moments where I was laughing quite fiercely, a nice cherry on the top!

As this drama was only about 80 minutes, there wasn't a very deep and long story, but it managed to pack in the details very nicely. There are two rather touchy topics- School bullying, and child abuse. They played a crucial part in the drama and we watched the female lead become more confident and stronger as she overcame these problems.

There were also some heartwarming places in this drama. I particularly loved Na Na’s ‘enemy-to-friends’ relationship with a girl in school. Shows how much friendship is important to us and can help us get through hard times.

ACTING-8.5
The actors are all at the novice level-they haven’t acted in many dramas, but I loved their characters and they were not awkward or strange as their characters at all. I felt that the main leads had reasonable chemistry; Of course, there wasn’t enough time for more cute interactions that would have left me fawning over them.

There weren’t many actors either, but they all did reasonably well, expressing their emotions very realistically and touchingly.

OVERALL-8.0
If you just want some relaxation with some fluff and a few laughs, I would immediately recommend Uncle Cool. There were no annoying details or characters with numerous heartwarming and cute scenes. Awesome character development as well!

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The Third Successful Installment of The Eternal Love Series

My excitement towards the announcement of a third season of The Eternal Love and its release was immense, like many other fans of the cute and lovable Xiaotan-Liancheng couple. After two previous successful seasons, I was anticipating another captivating plot with cute interactions. And while Season 3 was not as splendid as the previous two seasons in my opinion, it exceeded my expectations as I honestly had no idea what the third season was going to be about. It gave the audience more information on the magical elements included in seasons 1 and 2, as well as provided an interesting story and even some new characters.

Before continuing further with this review, I would like to say that if you are considering watching this drama but have not watched the previous two seasons, please do so before watching Season 3 because there is quite some information that you need to know before watching this. This is not a "it's okay if you don't watch the previous seasons" drama. If you skip the previous two seasons before watching Season 3, you will be very confused. Also, if you have not watched the previous two seasons, do not read this review unless you don't mind spoilers about S1 and S2.

You might have realized that The Eternal Love (all seasons) does not have a very high budget, but the drama did a great job with the money they had. The costumes in the third season seem to be a little more fancier, and as usual, very gorgeous. It didn’t seem like the drama had as many people as there should have been, for example, the manor (servants, housekeepers) and the palace (eunuchs, servants, etc), but there were enough extras to keep the story going.

Story-8.0
There really wasn't anything extraordinary about The Eternal Love Season 3. Just like in the previous two seasons, time travel plays a major part in the story. (or this time, rather, an alternate or parallel universe) This time, Emperor Mo Liancheng and Empress Qu Xiaotan travel to another Dongyue with matriarchy, or in other words, a place where women had more power than men. I immediately thought of The Romance of Tiger and Rose, as aside from time travel, this was another major detail the dramas had in common. I would have preferred the matriarchy in The Eternal Love Season 3 to be more prominent, though. Season 3 had quite a few questionable points when it came to matriarchy, but I won't write much about this to avoid spoilers. .

The first few episodes were very light and fluffy, the plot just focused on the leads being lovey-dovey birds. You may remember the many kisses in Seasons 1 and 2. Well, Season 3 is perfect for those craving for more. For me, though, I thought there might have been too many kisses. Something that popped up in my mind was that when there weren't kisses for a long time, the plot was moving on more quickly and smoothly. But the leads are very good kissers, so I have no complaints about that aspect.

As the story moved further, more and more questions surfaced about the new characters. There are quite a few new characters in Season 3, and although it wasn't hard to remember their names or anything or that sort, I honestly did not really know their importance in the drama until the later episodes. I spent quite some time wondering their identities and why they were introduced to us in the third season. Some characters did serve a very important purpose in the end, but others just kind of...fell flat. I wanted to know more about them, their desires and pains. While the drama did show much of their desires and pain, I always had this sense of wanting to know more. I also wanted to know more about the background story of Xuanling Continent and the pearl, more about why they were whisked to a different land again (I know that some of these questions have been elaborated on, but for me, it wasn't quite enough).

This feeling is pretty hard to describe, but I felt that the plot was a little...unfinished? Not exactly unfinished, but some parts in the drama, especially the ending, felt a little rushed with some plot holes, like a big pumpkin pie missing a tiny slice, while the middle felt a little dragged. The plot was interesting, yes, but I wasn't standing on my tippy-toes waiting for the next episodes to be aired.

Acting/Cast-9.0
Fortunately, most of the cast came back to film the third season, and there wasn't any replacement needed. (for those actors and actresses who were unable to film the drama, the drama expertly managed to cover this up by introducing more interesting characters.) I was already very familiar with the cast from Seasons 1 and 2, so I already knew what to expect from them in terms of acting. Again, they acted very well, especially when the characters they acted had a drastic personality change. (because most of the drama took place in another universe) But even with the changes, the drama maintained our cute couples: Mo Liancheng and Qu Xiaotan, and Jing Xin and Mo Jingxuan (14). Jing Xin and Fourteen had some very cute moments together, just like in the previous seasons. Seems like fate kept these couples together.

I was also pretty familiar with a few of the new actors and actresses who played new characters, especially Fang Yilun (Alen) and Zhou Zixin, who played major supporting roles. They showed their characters’ desperateness very well and their devastation when they couldn’t get ahold of the things they wanted to obtain the most. Although Mo Yanchen and Qu Mei’er were not exactly the most likable characters, I have to applaud Yilun and Zixin for their amazing portrayals as them.

Back to the leads. Xing Zhaolin and Liang Jie’s burning chemistry was not a surprise. They’ve had it since the first season, and the chemistry just continues to burn nonstop. Mo Liancheng and Qu Xiaotan are cuter than ever, and we can just see the love they have for each other in their eyes. Maybe I should also applaud the leads for not falling in love with each other irl yet, because the characters’ love for each other is just so pure and surreal.

Mo Liancheng has to act like the cold male lead from Season 1 again, but with a different identity, for a reason that I will not disclose, so there really wasn’t anything new about the male lead. But Xing Zhaolin acted very well during various timings, showing Mo Liancheng’s personality and temper. The Mo Liancheng in the other Dongyue is also reserved, but he was reserved in a different way due to the matriarchal society. He is not royalty anymore, but has a rather noble status. I also liked the way the drama portrayed new Mo Liancheng’s character development. I got a breath of fresh air after watching the previous two seasons. On the other hand, Qu Tan’er is now a princess and the emperor holds high expectations for her. And, there’s no better actress to act out as the emperor, Tan’er’s aunt, than Liang Jie herself. I really liked the two contrasting personalities here as it really brought out Liang Jie’s extraordinary acting skills. On one side, she’s the bouncy and bright Xiaotan and on the other side, she acts as the emperor of Dongyue, cold, poised, and rather scheming. It was nice to see Liang Jie act rather devilishly, as I normally saw her as a quiet or cute female lead.

I didn’t exactly understand the emperor’s desperation for what she wanted though, as it was clear that who she wanted was not alive anymore but she just kept thinking that there was still hope and refused to let go. That was my biggest frustration, because this poised and elegant emperor suddenly toppled down her step just because of this one person who she knew about since the beginning. (will not name the person because of spoilers)

Music-7.0
To be completely honest, I was a little disappointed when I realized that the third season was just reusing the songs used in the previous two seasons. I don’t think there was one new song. But I love the OSTs, so there’s nothing to complain about the soundtrack besides no new songs. And this could just be me, but I felt that a few bgms were a little too overused. For example, the same background music could have been used two times in just a matter of a few minutes when another bgm could have been used. Perhaps this was due to the budget, but I did get annoyed by the bgm use at some point during the watch. But as soon as I heard the OSTs again, I was flooded once again with memories of my past watches and experiences with this series, brightening my day.

Rewatch Value-7.0
I would prefer to watch the previous two seasons over the third season but I’m sure the first few episodes would be a light watch with some popcorn. Again, the middle became a little dragged, but the audience was rewarded with a cute and once again, happy ending.

Overall-8.0
I thoroughly enjoyed The Eternal Love Season 3. More interesting characters were introduced along with the welcoming back of our beloved leads and supporting characters, and cuteness and fluffiness were blended with a little desperation, darkness, and mystery. I was delighted to see our couple back on screen again, and really enjoyed their third adventure together that showed their bond even more. Again, some outside forces blocked them from being together immediately, but their love for each other stood out and was more important than anything. Season 3 is truly another successful installment of The Eternal Love Series. Happy watching!

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When Perseverance, Confidence, and Strong-Will Work Together

"As long as I'm working as an editor, I will never give up on any author. That's why I became an editor in the first place." -Chu Li

This quote? Chu Li, the female lead, who is also an amazing editor, said it. I admit I was a little reluctant to start Moonlight, as I was watching other airing rom-coms. But I don't regret my decision at all, because it has just joined my favorites list. I was expecting a cute and fluffy rom-com, but not only is Moonlight cute, but it is so inspirational as well.

Moonlight is a unique rom-com. It's not a love story that takes place in high school or even college. It takes place in work, but it's not exactly an office romance-comedy. It's a cute romance between an editor and an author. Moonlight has made me think more about the powerhouse behind an author's success: The editor. From this drama, I've learned that editors contribute more to a book's success more than most of us think, and even if these characters aren't real editors, authors, and publishers. they've certainly shown us the hard work and perseverance needed to be one.

Story-9.0
As this was an airing rom-com, I was scared as to what would happen in the later episodes, because as we experienced Asian drama watchers know, a drama's later episodes can go downhill sometimes. With this doubt, I continued to watch this fluffy drama, and it did not disappoint. When you're watching Moonlight, say goodbye to the stupid misunderstandings and "I'm doing this for your own good" breakups, because there aren't any! We all love relationships with trust and encourage and love and nothing more, don't we? There are jealous scenes, yes, but when it comes to trust, Zhou Chuan and Chu Li is our model couple! They trust each other no matter what, and help each other on their editing and writing journeys.

Why do I keep on mentioning trust? Well, another female is introduced around episode 30 or so. I was totally unprepared for her, and was terrified that she would cause a huge misunderstanding or breakup, but our strong leads were mentally prepared! 500 second female leads could've stormed in and our couple would probably be left unharmed. Perhaps a tiny bit of suspicion, but nothing more than that. The second female lead was a bit unnecessary, but I like how she found her closure at the end. She deserved hate, yes, but also deserved some understanding.

On the surface, Moonlight is an ordinary rom-com, with a few cliches: Cohabitation, a little bit of Hate-to-Love, Male Chases Female First, but these cliches are used in such a cute manner that this drama was an absolute gem of a rom-com. We do have the online and offline connection, as Chu Li and Zhou Chuan didn't know that they were online friends at first, but the trope wasn't boring at all. Not to mention all the lovable side characters, who never stopped teaching the audience life lessons. If there were two things that Moonlight showed me the most importance of, they would be the importance of mutual trust in a couple and the importance of seeking help from the people around you. It's great to be an independent person, but we all need some help sometimes.

As I said before, I really liked the new environment in this drama. Moonlight was adapted by the Chinese novel "Chu Li is Coming", so most of the story can be owed to the author, but it was refreshing to see a Chinese rom-com set in a different setting. This time, in a publishing house. Chu Li starts off as an intern in the editor branch, but through her hard work through the long nights and many troubles, she proved to everyone just how good of an editor she could be.

The antagonist of this drama shows real life so accurately. Sometimes, jealousy can be dangerous, both to the person we target and ourselves. We shouldn't allow jealousy to overcome us, and take it slowly. This drama also showed the different kind of relationships during work, from friendships to almost-enemies. These relationships are all normal, but we should learn to control these relationships well to not learn these overly take control of our jobs.

Cast-10.0
I'm just going to talk about the dubbing first. Some people had issue with the female lead's voice: Chu Li's voice is dubbed by the actress of the character herself, Yu Shuxin (Esther). Yes, her voice is very high, but that's what I love about Chu Li. She is a perfect example of a bubbly but hard-working girl! Ding Yuxi (Ryan) isn't dubbed either, so you're getting the leads' real voices! I've heard some small complaints about Esther's voice, but I had no problem with it at all.

Back to the cast. No better actor and actress could have been chosen for Zhou Chuan and Chu Li. Ryan Ding gives off that seemingly-cold-at-first-but-actually-cuter-than-a-bunny vibe so well. I did not want another ignorant cold male lead, and Zhou Chuan satisfied my needs. He might be a little cold to total strangers, but he knows when to be polite and when to be cute! From the earliest episodes, I had already decided that he was going to be one of my favorite male leads. Zhou Chuan is a successful author, but there is a rocky path before success. With his perseverance and the encouragement of his family and friends, he made it to the peak of the mountain.

I would not have chosen another actress for Chu Li even if the director gave me a chance. Esther Yu as Chu Li is perfect! She is a real cutie pie in real life, with her kindness, generosity and intelligence, which is why Chu Li was acted so well. You could say that Chu Li is almost an exact version to Esther but in another universe. Chu Li is cute and bouncy, but she is (thankfully), a real strong female lead as well. This tag has been thrown around a lot these days, but you have my word that Chu Li is actually strong. When something seemingly fails, she never gives up, but only stands up from the place she fell down and tries again. And just like Zhou Chuan, her perseverance led to success that no one in her publishing house expected from her.

I loved the second couple as well. I don't tend to smile like a donkey when it comes to second couples, but I did for Jiang Yucheng and Gu Baizhi. They did have some on-and-off moments, but they never stopped loving each other even when they thought they didn't. Sometimes, jobs can be hard, but when you manage to balance them with your lover, you will get the perfect combination. I also like how this couple was a little older than our lead couple, giving us a different perspective of love and jobs. (both couples had to overcome difficulties and such, but their journeys were a little different)

And the supporting characters were real concoctions of happiness and frustration as well, depicting different kinds of people in our lives so well. There are supporting co-workers, as well as jealous ones, bosses who believe in us, and family and friends that will always be there for you. No, while Moonlight mainly focuses on Zhou Chuan and Chu Li's love story, it shows the importance of friends and family as well.

Music-8.5
Moonlight doesn't have many songs, but they songs it has are upbeat and cute. Both leads contributed to the ost; Esther Yu, a member of the girl group The9, sang "Chu Li is Coming", which is the ending song and is very cute. I didn't know that Ryan Ding sang songs for his dramas, but his "Heartless Poems" was very well-sung and upbeat. There were a few other songs as well, "Niu Niu" by Shuang Sheng, and another specially used for the second couple scenes.

Rewatch Value-9.0
I don't tend to rewatch dramas, but I am sure that I will rewatch certain episodes of Moonlight in the future, if not all! This journey has been so inspirational and it never hurts to take a look back at your favorite characters once in a while.

Overall-9.5
As a person who has watched almost 40 Chinese rom-coms, I would recommend Moonlight for people looking for a fluffy drama in a heartbeat. With two cute couples, no stupid misunderstandings, and such inspirational stories, this rom-com should not be missed! (Not to mention the extra cute and satisfying ending!) We can't be successful in a flash. Success takes years of dedication and confidence in yourself. These characters failed countless times, but what made them succeed at the very end? It comes down to these things: Perseverance, confidence and encouragement from others. And that, my friends, is how an amazing Chinese romance-comedy is made. Enjoy Moonlight!

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A Xianxia That Tested My Patience

Let me just say this off the bat: I am a huge Xianxia lover, and after I watched Miss the Dragon's trailer, I was more than excited, I was ecstatic! As this was going to be my first Xianxia of the year, I counted each and every second until it started to air.

The first few episodes were fun. It was evident that this was a low-budget drama. The pink and white trees were plastic-like, but I'm not going to complain about the sets. Some of the sets were very beautiful, just a little too fake. And another male lead with white hair? Nice!

Story- 7.0
Okay, the leads' story deserves a 6.0 at the very most, but I simply loved the second leads, and as their story deserved at least a 9.0, I guess the overall score for the story will be a 7.0. The drama went downhill so quickly that I'm still not completely sure what went wrong. Perhaps it was just the recycled plot, because I was getting more bored by the second. If you've been watching Xianxia dramas for long enough, you'll notice that the plot of MTD is very similar to Eternal Love, Love and Redemption, etc, with its four reincarnations. (but much more blander)

Yuchi Longyan, a dragon demon, falls in love with a mortal girl. She first meets him in his snake form, but that part of the story left so many unanswered questions. Firstly, why was a snake kept in a bamboo cage that he could have easily slid out of? Yes, he wouldn't escape, but this is basic common sense for a girl who was supposedly scared of snakes. And, Liu Ying kept on saying 男女授受不清, which means "Men and women shouldn't touch each other" TO A SNAKE. Liu Ying, how would you have known if the snake was a male or female? I'm probably being a little nitpicky, but these loopholes are quite bothersome.

Back to the main plot. The drama was enjoyable and fun in the 1st life, 2nd meh, 3rd boring, and in the 4th, I was seriously wondering why I was still watching the drama. (But of course, it was for my amazing second lead couple) This drama would have been much better off as one life, or even just two. With four lives, the screenwriter was recycling the story better than I recycle my scrap-paper. The female lead is born into a different setting, the male lead watches her grow up, and every time she's in trouble or danger, he appears and saves her from whatever that's endangering her. If you're considering whether or not to watch this, please do not set your hopes high when you see that 'strong female lead' tag. I understand that everyone has different views on what a strong female lead is, but from what I saw, Liu Ying is NOT a strong female lead. She falls off a cliff, ladida! Yuchi Longyan is there. Some demon is attacking her, poof! He's there again. *sighing* The plot really tested my patience. It also really tested my fast-forward button clicking fingers.

The only good thing the plot gave me was the second lead couple. Man, I could watch Xue Qianxun and Qing Qing for days! Like many viewers who have watched Miss the Dragon, I seriously wish that there will be another drama just about them, and I almost never hope for sequels and season 2s. Gah, Mr or Miss Screenwriter, why did you have to torture me like this! If only they were the main couple, I would be smiling nonstop...Xue Qianxun and Qing Qing's love story is a gem, I have to say, with a mysterious backstory involved. No ff button was used during their scenes.

Acting/Cast- 7.0
I've only previously watched Bambi Zhu in two dramas, Eternal Love and Sweet Dreams, both as antagonists, so I was anticipating her bubbly and cheerful character. I loved Liu Ying the first few episodes, and even though there was this faint voice in the back of my head telling me that I liked her more as an antagonist, I was delighted that she was given a chance the opportunity to be the protagonist in a Xianxia drama. But of course, I should've known that not all cheerful female leads are likable. She was just, too, how would I say this? She wasn't useless, but she wasn't very strong and useful either. She seemed to just be there, something for the male lead to protect. And with four reincarnations comes four different girls. My favorite girl was probably A'Yu (second life). She gave me the best impression, and although she was a normal mortal girl who went to the market everyday to sell produce, she was witty and brave, and that is the kind of female lead I love.

Miss the Dragon is my second drama with Dylan Wang as the male lead. I did not enjoy Meteor Garden, and Dylan Wang did not exactly impress me with that role. He looked fine in MTD's posters, with his long white hair and billowing robes. But sometimes, appearance is not everything. His character, is just so, bland. Does a dragon demon have nothing to do but protect his love? I understand that when you're in love, you want to know what your love is doing every second of every day, but what is the purpose of his existence? I'm pretty sure Yuchi Longyan was going to do something before he met Liu Ying, but all his goals and purpose just evaporated. After he met Liu Ying, his only purpose was to protect her. Save her from countless dangers, hurt himself to protect her, and the list goes on and on. Dylan Wang's acting is hard to describe, but it just did not convince me. His expressions need more emotions, I dare say.

I was shocked when I learned that Xue Qianxun was Deng Wei's first Cdrama role. He's a natural at acting! This Lord of Luofeng Pavilion has a cold but dominating air, and his powers are not to be underestimated. He wasn't exactly enemies with Yuchi Longyan in the beginning, but they weren't friends either. As time went by, they learned to help each other and slowly became friends. The bromance in this drama is hilarious! The interactions between Yuchi Longyan and Xue Qianxun is one of the few highlights of this drama.

I liked Qing Qing more than Liu Ying, or any of Liu Ying's reincarnations, to be completely honest. Pan Mei Ye did a great job as Qing Qing, a lively and caring demon bird. As bouncy as she was, she was not annoying at all, and was always by Liu Ying (and reincarnations)'s side as her best companion. Not to mention Qing Qing never failed to make me laugh!

I'm not going to be writing any spoilers here, but I have to say that the villain in this drama is so bland and boring that there would barely be any different if he or she weren't even there. Seriously, Screenwriter, is that the best villain you can give us?

Music- 7.5
From the top of my head, I only remember three songs, and tbh, there weren't that memorable either. There was one song that always played during the leads' scenes, and it got so repetitive that I got to the point that I wanted to mute my computer. Perhaps other people loved the songs, but not me. The singing was so-so, and the melodies just got annoying. Low budget dramas almost never have many songs or an amazing OST anyway.

Rewatch Value- 5.0
This 5 is for my beloved second lead couple. You want me to rewatch the whole drama with you? No way! Only if we just watch the second leads' scenes. I've already used up all my patience watching this once. (Why did I finish this, you might be wondering? I love Xianxias and I'm not big on dropping either. I also really love the second couple (sorry, I've said this so many times).)

Overall- 6.5
Would I really recommend this? Deep inside, not really. But if you like beautiful scenery (pink trees) and white dragons, you might want to give this a try. At least it's only 36 episodes. Maybe I kind of regret watching this but it was pretty enjoyable. I'm very thankful for the 2x speed option and the ff key. First Xianxia that disappointed me, but I really enjoyed the first few episodes.

Also, please forgive my sarcasm in this review. And thanks for taking the time to read it!

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A Perfect Blend of Adventure, Friendship and Romance

The Long Ballad, adapted from a popular ongoing manga, Chang Ge Xing, by Xia Da (夏达), won over me with its inspirational characters and life lessons, strong friendships and bonds, and unique storyline. Not only did it provide me with an amazing drama watching experience, but also made me sympathize and feel for many of the characters. In case you didn’t know, the Long Ballad’s title comes from Li Changge’s name. Li is her surname, while Changge means ‘Long Ballad’. (or long song)

I have to admit that I set my expectations quite high for this drama, as it has a star-studded cast, a cast filled with actors and actresses that I have watched in other dramas before, and impressed me with their acting skills. Adding on to my excitement was the director, Chu Yui Bun, who had directed 3 dramas that I exceptionally loved. But even with my bar set high, this historical Chinese drama won me over.

Something especially unique with the Long Ballad is that it provides some connections and reminders to the manhua. Quite a few war scenes and other scenes are in a cartoon-ish form. The actors may be in the scenes, but the backdrops are green screens. The transitions were a little abrupt, but I really enjoyed these scenes and they were very beautiful. I also really loved the costumes. They were absolutely gorgeous, and fit the different settings and period very well.

Story-9.0
As I started the drama, I was introduced to a bustling Chang An, the capital of the highly successful Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 907 AD. Many historians consider the Tang Dynasty a 'Golden Age', specifically of arts and culture. During this period, people from all around the world came to China for education, traveling, business, and many other reasons. During the reign of Li Shimin, also known as Tang Taizong, civilians lived in peace and happiness, and without poverty. It truly was a beautiful time. The drama also motivated me, who already had some knowledge of the Tang Dynasty and Tang Taizong's achievements, to research more about this era. My research also resulted in the knowledge that quite a few people in the Long Ballad are real people that lived during the Tang Dynasty, including Ashina Sun's cousin, Ashina She'er, Wei Shuyu and his father, Wei Zheng, a well-known Tang Chinese politician and historian, and the crown prince of the drama, Li Chengqian.

The beginning of the Long Ballad is not set during the most famous prosperous period, though. It is actually set right before Li Shimin's successful reign. Li Changge is a Tang Dynasty princess, the daughter of the crown prince, having everything and even more that a girl during that time or even now could have. But her entire family is killed by her Second Uncle, Li Shimin, and her life is turned upside down. At first, I was worried that the drama would be centered around a normal revenge plot, but thankfully, I was very wrong. Revenge might have been something that Li Changge focused on, but this is not the main topic/theme of the drama. The Long Ballad also explores strong friendship, cute romance, loyalty, family, and so much more.

The drama is by no means centered around politics or war. Politics is almost nonexistent in this drama, which is a relief for many, although power played an important role in the Long Ballad. We are shown that power was very important for one's success in ancient times, and this can also apply to us during modern times.

The main goal of the drama is not for the characters to gain some mystical object, but rather to show their immense character growth, and the growths are shown very realistically. I was not only entertained, but was also given different perspectives of life and the many relationships in our lives. The plot was not very predictable, and the plot twists made the drama experience even more memorable.

Fortunately, the actors and actresses also did very well with the fighting scenes. We are provided with well thought-out and practiced fighting scenes that look very polished and natural. Bravo!

There were a few loopholes, though. I won’t elaborate too much on this, but there were a few spots in the drama where I felt that the characters could have done something differently for a better result. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change anything else about the drama. The plot is very propelling, and unlike some other historical Cdramas, is not very slow-paced.

Cast-9.5
The cast is one of the reasons I decided to watch the Long Ballad. What better to watch my two favorite Chinese actresses in one drama, along with the handsome and mature Wu Lei? And Liu Yuning is a plus!

I had absolutely no problems with the 7-year age gap between Dilraba and Wu Lei. In fact, they looked so compatible together that my smiles and fawning were almost always uncontrollable. It is more than evident how much Ashina Sun and Li Changge care for each other, from their actions to even just their facial expressions. The Long Ballad is not centered around romance, but it does have a good amount of it. We are given a few couples, each with their own cute scenes.

Leo Wu, at age 21, just awed me again. For those who have watched Nirvana in Fire, he is nothing like that cute and innocent Fei Liu. I mean, Ashina Sun is also handsome (amazingly handsome) and cute, but in a much more mature way. His aura spreads everywhere. Ashina Sun is a man of righteousness and kindness. Although he seems cold and perhaps a little emotionless, viewers start to see his real personality as he interacts more with the ones he cares about, including Changge. Not only does he have a great personality, but his fighting skills are also one of the best, with him being able to hit a certain point with his bow and arrow long distances away.

Li Changge is not an easy character to play. Her determined personality becomes even more prominent after the deaths of her family, as she becomes even more determined to avenge for their deaths. No, she is not that naive and bubbly little princess. She is a strong-willed, talented, and intelligent young woman who, as she leaves the place she had called home for her entire life, discovers the real world and the things that lay ahead for her. Again, Dilraba impresses me with her portrayal of this awesome Tang Dynasty princess.

Now we come to Li Leyan, played by our lovely Zhao Lusi, and she is the daughter of Li Shimin and the cousin of Li Changge. I admit, I was hoping for a "stronger" Li Leyan in the beginning, as her personality was quite naive and perhaps a little too generous and kind, but she, like Changge, entered the real world, where there were no servants to wait on her and no jewels and crowns for her to wear. Li Leyan's growth is phenomenal and inspirational. In the end, I absolutely adored her character. She, unlike a few other characters in the Long Ballad, is not completely useless. Li Leyan's kindness spread throughout the nation, from donating food to saving civilians from natural disasters. She is almost the perfect princess, with a little more intelligence and thoughtfulness sprinkled in.

Hao Du is another favorite character in Long Ballad. Liu Yuning acts him out very well, being quite disliked by Leyan at first, he shows her that he does not have a heart made of stone. In fact, he cares for his friends and family very much. Unlike Wei Shuyu, he was not born into a very wealthy family, although he was adopted by his godfather. He was taught at a very young age to work hard for the Tang Dynasty, to even sacrifice his life for it. Along with many other characters, Hao Du’s personality slowly grew on me.

Some other characters, although minor, were also essential in this story. A few good examples include Mu Jin, Ashina She’er and Mimi Guli. There were many other characters that I both loved and hated. At first, the main antagonist was not very clear, but as the story progressed, everything was revealed, providing me the very person to despise and wish for the worst. The antagonist, which I will not say, does have a considerably good reason to do what they did, and they were a major obstacle for the protagonists of the Long Ballad to pass. Sacrifices were made, along with alliances and friends and enemies. There were many characters in the Long Ballad, and it was a little hard to remember everyone's names at first, which is the norm for Chinese historical dramas. But most characters had their own special purposes, and everyone acted very realistically and well.

Music-9.5
Amazing osts. Period. When I watched the first episode, and first heard the opening and ending songs, I already fell in love with two Long Ballad osts. If you are an avid Cdrama watcher, you probably recognize the voices, or even the names, of these singers: Zhang Bichen, Zhou Shen, Sa Dingding, Liu Yuning. They have sung osts for countless dramas, and are very well-known in China. The soundtrack for the Long Ballad is very enjoyable and unique, with wonderful melodies, voices, and lyrics. It’s very hard for a drama to have one or two good songs, let alone five or six.

Rewatch Value-8.5
The Long Ballad is a very good drama to rewatch, for both the plot and character development. I’m not high on rewatching, so my rewatch values are often pretty low for most dramas that I have watched. But this drama certainly has many scenes to rewatch and to re-enjoy. I'm also happy to say that I was more than satisfied with the ending, as it gave me an amazing closure for many characters.

Overall-9.5
The Long Ballad has creeped up to my top 10 Chinese dramas, and probably my top 5 Chinese historical dramas. As a big fan of historicals, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It provided me with an amazing sense of what Tang Dynasty life is, and the goals and perspectives of people living different lives. It would seem impossible that a Tang Dynasty Princess would meet and fall in love with a Turkish prince, but it happened, and made many of us fall in love with the couple. I highly recommend the Long Ballad for Chinese drama watchers, especially ones that like to watch historical adventure and romance dramas.

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