ivybis
United States
As much as I love Ni Ni and the fine performances churned out in this series, I don't think it surpasses or even equals the magic of TLTWTMOPB. There are some beautiful moments, mind you. The world is the same and I enjoyed being back there, but it doesn't have the same pull because the plot is just not as strong. It took over 25 episodes for this series to find its mojo. It meandered and felt disjointed. Juichen was not likable and I felt sorry for Lingxi. TLTWTMOPB only took about 9 episodes to take off and stayed gripping throughout.
I understand that Juichen is supposed to be very fierce and serious. He does not show much emotion, but a very talented person can convey this while still being alive in the role. I felt Chang Chen could have made him a little more human, and less icy. Too often many actors portray a cold character as emotionless and dead. There has to be something going on behind the eyes or the character becomes boring. I often found myself wondering what Linxi saw in Juichen. Unfortunately, he is so much older than Lingxi and it was difficult to find his appeal convincing. Understood that his love for our heroine changes him, but overall I found him quite a stick in the mud.
Ni Ni, as always, is perfection. This girl can cry at the drop of a hat. She wears her heart in her sleeve and has such beautifully expressive eyes. I have loved her since I first saw her in Rise of Phoenixes. She can be warm and fierce and sell it to me completely. This is what I found lacking in Chang Chen's performance. My favorite character was Ethan Li as Jingxiu. He was interesting and had so many layers to him. I love characters who aren't 100 percent good or bad. He was very human in his choices and was the perfect tragic character.
The supporting characters were all wonderful and endearing. The best part of the plot happens in the mortal realm. I felt more connected to those situations than in the heavenly realm. The music was beautiful as was the set design and costumes. Ni Ni's costumes while she was in Shangling Tribe were breathtaking. It was certainly entertaining but does not come even close to its predecessor TLTWTMOPB.
I understand that Juichen is supposed to be very fierce and serious. He does not show much emotion, but a very talented person can convey this while still being alive in the role. I felt Chang Chen could have made him a little more human, and less icy. Too often many actors portray a cold character as emotionless and dead. There has to be something going on behind the eyes or the character becomes boring. I often found myself wondering what Linxi saw in Juichen. Unfortunately, he is so much older than Lingxi and it was difficult to find his appeal convincing. Understood that his love for our heroine changes him, but overall I found him quite a stick in the mud.
Ni Ni, as always, is perfection. This girl can cry at the drop of a hat. She wears her heart in her sleeve and has such beautifully expressive eyes. I have loved her since I first saw her in Rise of Phoenixes. She can be warm and fierce and sell it to me completely. This is what I found lacking in Chang Chen's performance. My favorite character was Ethan Li as Jingxiu. He was interesting and had so many layers to him. I love characters who aren't 100 percent good or bad. He was very human in his choices and was the perfect tragic character.
The supporting characters were all wonderful and endearing. The best part of the plot happens in the mortal realm. I felt more connected to those situations than in the heavenly realm. The music was beautiful as was the set design and costumes. Ni Ni's costumes while she was in Shangling Tribe were breathtaking. It was certainly entertaining but does not come even close to its predecessor TLTWTMOPB.
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