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Epic Historical Drama | High Quality Production
What an incredible historical story told with a touch (a lot) of humor, initially.When I first started with the drama, I didn't know what to make of it: is it a real historical story, or is it a comedy? Real historical drama because it’s depicting one of the most interesting era of Chinese history from the Yongle reign in 1402 during the Ming Dynasty. Comedy because of the initial dialogues and relationships portrayed in the story – they are funny and entertaining. Nonetheless, a few episodes in, I found myself really enjoying this drama.
The drama is based on some real events and real figures in the early part of the Ming dynasty. It started with Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor, seizing the throne from his nephew in a revolt. In the beginning of the story, it focuses mainly on the relationships between Zhu Di, his sons and his grandson. How these relationships are depicted is humorous and enjoyable. Fictional or not, I’m really hooked watching how the father-son-grandson, brothers-brothers, uncles-nephew dynamics played out here; the relationships are just funny, informal, silly and sweet at times. However, after the demise of Zhu Di, the same relationships become hideous and the mood of the drama turns serious and deadly.
This drama also has some brief references to the expeditions of Cheng He, the Tumu Crisis, and various important figures such as Yu Qian, Wang Zhen and the three Yangs. However, Empress Sun is given a greater influence in this drama than in reality. Her son is such a spoiled brat and incompetent.
25 episodes in, the mood changes from light-hearted into dead serious. Many episodes focus on warfare with the northern Mongol tribes. The informal relationships we see earlier within the royal family disappear. The seemingly silly and funny characters of the 2nd and 3rd princes become devious and dangerous. Even the Zhu Zhanji character becomes unpredictable and sinister.
Zhu Yawen is a seasoned actor and is very good in his craft. His portrayal of Zhu Zhanji is amazing, switching from being timid in front of his grandfather the Emperor, to silly with his father the crown prince and with his uncles, to serious and nasty with his enemies. Zhu Yawen has a magician hat filled with unlimited facial expressions, body language, smiles, sneers and demeanor. He switches from one mood to another with ease and makes his character super interesting and convincing. However, he’s gone from the screen after about 2/3 of the drama. (Likewise with Wang Xue Qi who plays the Yongle Emperor character - he exits the screen even earlier.) Both of these actors are supposedly playing the main roles. One character, apart from Sun Ruowei, that consistently appears from early in the drama till the end is Yu Qian played by Su Ke. He is a wonderful convincing actor and I really enjoy watching his character.
I don't particularly like the female lead Rebecca Tang playing Sun Ruowei initially because I find her stiff and unnatural, over acts in certain parts and under acts in others. I also dislike her voice dubbing because her voice and tone don't match the moods and situations of the events. Everything just seems off with her. The Sun Ruowei character also changes greatly before and after she married Zhu Zhanji, and it (the character) doesn't feel like a lead character anymore. However, I’m pleasantly surprised by her transformation when she becomes the Empress Dowager. Her no-nonsense demeanor which doesn’t bode well initially becomes very convincing at the later part of the drama. As mentioned earlier, Sun Ruowei is depicted as a very influential character in this drama as a regent which may not be totally accurate historically. According to the record, the Grand Empress Dowager (Empress Zhang) should have held greater power than depicted and hence been the greater influencer. The relationship between Sun Ruowei and Hu Shan Xiang has also been fictionalized.
All the other actors and supporting casts are very good in their respective roles. After the demise of the Yongle Emperor and his sons and grandson, ie. the initial cast, the drama turns dry for some viewers with politics and warfare with a lot of bloodshed and deaths. All the comedies and humors are gone. The drama progresses with each episode getting more intense then the last. Despite the fictions, this drama is still very well made with not many holes; it's interesting and wonderful to watch.
My verdict: yes, I'd recommend this drama to all, especially those who love historical stories. This is a wonderful drama worth watching despite its length of 62 episodes! I have enjoyed almost every episode, although half-way through, it gets a bit dry without all the initial humors and comedies, but the tension and plots keep me on. The acting is impeccable and the music is one of the best. This drama goes into my MUST-WATCH list.
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An Epic Drama!
I'm hooked to this drama from the beginning. The production is fantastic. Amazing sound effects, wonderful cinematography, authentic costumes/makeup. Everything feels like one of those high budget productions like "The Great Wall", and other Hollywood movies. The warriors are big and fearsome, and the wuxia fighting choreography is beautiful and real.This is a complicated drama. There are multi-facet developments. There is a lot of manipulation of the mind, rendering one questions oneself what is right and what is wrong, and for the sake of survival, is there such a line (right or wrong), is it (right and wrong) important anymore. These are the questions that keep haunting me long after I finish watching each episode.
The acting by all actors is most impressive; it is almost flawless, to say the least. Each plays his/her role convincingly. I love the seemingly naive but warm-hearted Yu Ran who wants best-friend-forever relationship with her two best friends despite she falls in love with one of them. She would go anywhere to search for them and to ensure their safety. I love the focused Ji Ye who wants to become successful and make a name for himself. He would go out all his way to achieve his dream, except, he would not betray his best friends. I love Lu Gui Chen for his love of humanity, and would not condone anyone who threatens it. His love for his two best friends has never wavered.
The settings of this drama are equally impressive, with the use of large scale human power, costumes, background props, landscape. Everything seems so realistic that you may feel you're actually standing right in front of the dry desert, or the steppes, or the palaces. Even the CGI is very well done and leaves few flaws.
The music is dark and mysterious. The drum and horn of war is menacing. The scale of the battle field is breath taking – I’ve never seen such a grand scale. Only Chinese movies/dramas can produce such grandness. The battle horses and the knights supersede any Hollywood/western productions of similar grandiose. All actors, in particular, the supporting ones, are amazingly convincing – the cunning ones are very cunning, the devious ones are very evil, the righteous ones are unbending, the upstanding ones are selfless.
Having said all these, towards the end, I find myself not crazily in love with any of the characters, including the 3 main ones. Not that they are not lovable, but I find them to be not as well developed; they have not captured my heart. In fact, I find myself loving Ying Wu Yi (aka Li Gong) more than anyone else. He is brave, upstanding, ruthless and yet fair. He does not stab anyone on the back like the others do. He is hated and feared by everyone but faithfully loved by his own men. Even Lu Gui Chen and Ji Ye respect him deeply.
The whole drama centers around warfare and politics, and at times, I feel suffocating. There is so much bloodshed, and men playing politics with others' lives on the line. The use of dark forces, zombie soldiers and scarab beetles can be frightening and yet brilliantly produced with similar vibe as in the Hollywood movie, "The Mummy". It is both dark and mind-provoking. Romance is pretty limited. I don't feel any heart wrenching love, passion and longing. Nonetheless, this is still an epic production.
My final verdict:
Despite what I have written earlier, at the end of the drama when all episodes are aired, I was asking myself, "That's it?" Who wins the final battle? What happens to all these other people? Who is now in charge of the Wings clan (Yu Ran's clan)? Is Jie Ye the leader and protector of the Tian Ju group after Asule entrusts him with the power? Does Princess Xiao Zhou really marry the mentally handicapped prince? Where is Ying Wu Yi? What happens to his daughter who is in love with Jie Ye? So many unanswered questions. There is no closure. After episode 56, I was still checking to find out if I was wrong about the number of episodes. No wonder I saw some comments online asking, "Where is episode 60?" I didn't realize it meant this until now.
Overall:
If you like warfare, politics, dark forces versus the light , this is a must watch!
With such an open ending, I'm not surprised that the production company is planning for a sequel or some sort. For me, I don't think I'm waiting for it as anxiously as I am for others. It is such a pity for this high budget production drama with all the epic scenes, quality sound effects, costumes and everything else, to end up like this, unloved.
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Great Acting, Lovely Story, Super Cute & Funny
The xianxia genre is hugely popular among younger viewers, so I’m surprised this series isn’t rated higher on MDL. On other Chinese platforms, the ratings are even worse. Personally, I loved "Love Never Fails"—the story is intriguing, the acting is excellent, and the writing is coherent. Though it has similar vibes, for me, this story is so much better than "Ancient Love Poetry" and rivals "Love and Destiny" and "Eternal Love". The only reason I can think of for the low ratings? The leads, though seasoned actors, aren’t idol stars that younger fans usually go for.The Story
This is a love story between a god and a young camellia (a red tea plant) demon girl. They meet across lifetimes and realms, falling in love again and again—only for each reunion to end in heartbreak, loss, and death. Their love leaves scars, yet every time they reincarnate, they’re drawn back to each other.
Multiple antagonists try to tear Jin Xiu and Hong Ning apart, but their love endures. With each lifetime, more of the grander plot is revealed. There’s a conspiracy lurking beneath the surface, and the show slowly unravels it. For example, Jin Xiu is said to be the Heavenly Emperor’s son… but also not. Even the empress doesn’t know his true origins; Hong Ning is called a powerful demon king, yet she’s just a love-struck girl trying to protect the one she loves. By Episode 35, we still don’t have all the answers—and that’s part of the fun.
In her first life when she first falls in love with Jin Xiu, Hong Ning was heartbroken and jumps into the Cleansing Well, losing her memories and cultivation to be reborn as an ordinary human in her second life. Meanwhile, Jin Xiu is banished to the mortal realm as punishment for defying the Heavenly Emperor. He keeps his memories and becomes Hong Ning’s protector while running a cultivators’ academy. Fate brings them together—she becomes his disciple, they fall in love again, and get married. But their happiness is short-lived.
In their third life, Jin Xiu loses his memory and becomes a general, while Hong Ning (now a demon catcher) remembers everything, harboring a love/hate feeling for Jin Xiu for what he had done in their previous life, which was utterly a misunderstanding manipulated by the villain. Despite the initial hatred from Hong Ning, they fall in love again, and join hand to take down the devil demon and save the town.
After completing their trials successfully, they return to heaven. Hong Ning becomes the Flower God and Jin Xiu is preparing for the future Heavenly Emperor role. But power isn’t what they wanted. All they ever wished for was to love each other freely. Unfortunately there are more mysteries to unravel and pain to endure.
Characters & Acting
Jin Xiu (Liu Xue Yi) – A powerful god, heir to the Heavenly Throne, and the feared Punishment God. But his true form? A golden peony. As a child, he saved a dying camellia plant (Hong Ning’s soul) and sent it to nurture and grow in the demon realm.
Jin Xiu is disciplined, dutiful, and stoic—until Hong Ning crashes into his life. Liu Xue Yi’s acting is phenomenal. He nails the intimidating god everyone fears, then flips to being awkward, silly, and hopelessly in love. His expressions—whether embarrassed, smitten, or heartbroken—are perfect. You can’t help but feel for him.
Hong Ning (Hu Yi Xuan) – A camellia demon saved by Jin Xiu. To repay him, she cultivates, rises to the heavenly realm and boldly declares her love. Even after losing her memory and power during her first trial, she finds him, and continues finding him—whether as a disciple, a demon catcher, or a goddess.
Hu Yi Xuan shines in this role. She transforms from a naive, bubbly demon to a grounded disciple, then a sharp demon catcher, and finally a composed goddess. Each version feels distinct, and she plays them all flawlessly.
Many viewers complain about Hong Ning's naive character in the beginning and give up on the drama before seeing her remarkable growth. This is a shame because Hu Yi Xuan delivers an impressive transformation, taking Hong Ning from a lovestruck girl to a powerful goddess. The character development is actually one of the drama's strongest points - if only more viewers had patience to see it through.
Kun Lun Jun (Ao Rui Peng) – The adorable, mischievous little brother everyone wishes they had. Jin Xiu dotes on him, even when banishing him to count flower petals as punishment. Throughout his tribulations in the human realm, he's still as adorable and mischievous, and becomes Jin Xiu disciple in one lifetime, and cousin in another.
Ao Rui Peng is hilarious—his character is a walking disaster, but so lovable. He brings chaos and laughter every time he’s on screen, yet his growth into maturity feels natural.
Final Thoughts
Despite some confusing moments (like the dream arc in Episodes 8-9) and occasional pacing issues near the ending, Love Never Fails remains thoroughly engaging and delightfully humorous. The drama masterfully balances tension and comedy—one scene shows Jin Xiu intimidating his disciples with his stern presence, while the very next reveals those same disciples clowning around behind his back.
I firmly believe Love Never Fails deserves to stand alongside xianxia classics like "Love Between Fairy and Devil". In fact, I found it superior to "Ancient Love Poetry" in nearly every aspect—its storytelling feels more cohesive, the acting more nuanced, and the character development significantly deeper.
What makes this drama even more impressive is its behind-the-scenes story, which was brought to my attention by one of the viewers (see comments below): Filmed three years ago, it faced major setbacks when the original female lead (Yuan Bing Yan) was replaced due to legal issues. Hu Yi Xuan stepped in and reshot all the previous scenes—often working solo with green screens, juggling multiple character versions day and night. The fact that this seamless transition isn’t noticeable across 40 entire episodes speaks volumes about her professionalism and the production team’s skill. Knowing this only deepens my appreciation for Hu Yi Xuan’s phenomenal performance and the drama’s against-all-odds quality.
At its heart, this is a drama that blends swoon-worthy romance and laugh-out-loud comedy with the bloodshed and tragedy of classic xianxia. If you’re a fan of the genre’s emotional depth, intricate mysteries, and powerhouse performances, ignore the underwhelming ratings. This hidden gem isn’t just entertaining—it’s a testament to artistic resilience.
Strongly recommended!
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Lifetime of Love, Regrets and Sacrifices
Happy, sad, happy, sad, and happy. Yes, these are the emotions I have been experiencing throughout this drama. When the times are good, everything is cute, lovey-dovey and funny. Then chaos strikes, I cry for the losses. And life starts all over again. Things become cute and funny once more, and I laugh. Just as the water is finally calm, chaos strikes again. I cry my eyes out for the losses, mourning for my favorite characters. It is really amazing how such a drama can fully capture our emotions and make us feel for the characters so much.60,000 years ago, almost everyone dies after the battle of the gods and the demons. Now 60,000 years later, the gods are reborn through the remnants of their spirits. They become the immortals, relatively young gods with lower power. They meet and fall in love all over again, until the true gods, who are within their subconscious, are awoken, and their minds merge and bodies taken over. At the same time, the return of the devil means another war is imminent.
Shang Gu (Zhou Dong Yu) is a happy-go-lucky, one of the four true gods, doted by the other true gods, Tian Qi (Liu Xue Yi) and Zhi Yang (Li Ze Feng). She’s carefree and playful, but the stern teachings of Bai Jue (Xu Kai), one of the four, help her realize her potential, and she falls head-over-toes in love with him. Through him, she begins to understand the importance of her role in the universe. With that, she grows stronger and becomes the most powerful god of all. This growing pain doesn’t come easy. It takes her through enormous emotional struggle and eventual sacrifice of herself for the greater good.
Zhou Dong Yu’s acting hits the mark, as Shang Gu and Hou Chi, right on the spot. She can be girly and playful with a sweet mesmerizing smile. Then in one whiff, becomes a serious and powerful god feared by all. Many viewers complain that Zhou Dong Yu not beautiful enough, to that I would say beauty should not be the focus here, but her aura and acting should.
Bai Jue grows from a cold emotionless being into a person who can feel love and love in return. Many viewers complain Xu Kai can’t act, but to me, his acting is exactly right without overacting. As Bai Jue, he is cold and emotionless (ironically Tian Qi nicknames him, the God of Fire, Ice Cube), but as Qing Mu, he is not as cold and more animated. Xu Kai manages to show the distinct emotions of both characters very well, and through his eyes, he exudes passion, longing and turmoil. When he’s been wronged, the silence pain he endures shown in his eyes is so real, making the viewers empathize with his characters. When Xu Kai cries, I cry. Yes, Xu Kai can act and is excellent in portraying his roles.
My most favorite character is perhaps Tian Qi. After the drama “Qing Luo”, I really love Liu Xueyi and his acting. Once again, he’s given an excellent performance here. Over all, the acting from the whole cast is fabulous, from the main leads, to the second leads, to the kid, to the antagonists. Everyone has put up their best performances and it shows in the final production. The writing is good, the story is intriguing, the editing is coherent, the pace is just right (especially at the second half) and the CGIs are awesome.
OSTs
Absolutely must listen. So good.
My Verdict
The beginning episodes are very interesting with amazing CGIs. Then it becomes somewhat draggy with quite a bit of the to-and-fro, playing out the relationship development which I find rather boring. I must admit I did yawn a little here and there (maybe even dozed off from time to time) for the first 10 episodes as the characters are developing. Then the second life begins (around episode 16), ushering in the births of the in-between gods with the introduction of new characters. They are initially confusing and their relationship overlapping. Many viewers begin dropping the drama. Clarification comes later as the story unfolds. Then the pace picks up. The second half proves to be most enjoyable. As the antagonist grows stronger each day and finally becomes a full-blown demon, the whole drama becomes incredibly captivating.
Re-watch? Absolutely. There are so many things I believe I have missed on my first watch. Re-watching can help me catch the nuances, hence provide even better appreciation of the overall story.
For me, this drama is much more enjoyable than “Love and Redemption” (sorry LAR fans) as it captures the human emotions more realistically. For viewers who dropped this drama prematurely, do come back and complete it. You won’t regret it.
In “xian xia” stories, there is always a life 2.0. One can correct a mistake and make everything as according to one’s wishes again in the next life. But in our mortal world, regrets cannot be undone, deaths cannot be revived or life cannot reborn. It is therefore imperative that we treasure what we have while we’re still alive.
Great watch! Must watch! Bravo!
TWO THUMBS UP!
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青出于蓝 (Qīngchūyúlán) – Gaming The Teacher
I have mixed feelings about this drama. I enjoy the scheming parts, where everything is “shi, ye bu shi”(是,也不是), a phrase constantly used by the ingenious one. Anything can be true or not true, leaving an ambiguous connotation where the line is not clear cut. However, at times, I find his schemes not so brilliant but rather frustrating as they defy logic. I also find the romance taking up too much screen time, rushing the unfolding of the supposedly epic events that led up to the finale; many of those scenes are just by-passing in conversations.For me, The Ingenious One is probably more appropriately called the King of Deception. Unlike the Mei Changsu character in “Nirvana in Fire” who is genuinely the ingenious one, Yun Xiang (Chen Xiao) schemes and deceives with no bottom line; he is more like an antagonist. Like Mei Changsu, Yun Xiang cannot fight but is brilliant in escaping, which is really funny to watch especially when he manages to run away from those great martial arts antagonists, causing them to scratch their heads. Both (Yun Xiang and Mei Changsu) have talented martial art friends/followers to hang around and protect them.
Similar sequence structure as most wuxia stories, Yun Xiang leaves his mountain where he has lived for 15 years and learned his craft, and then goes for a mission set down by his master. He takes the opportunity for an adventure in search of the ones responsible for the massacre of his entire village. He meets interesting people and makes friends that could be trusted and help him in his plots. He even falls quickly in love with a girl who is a brilliant martial art fighter but with a background he cannot find. While his newfound friends treat him sincerely, he uses them to achieve his own goals, usually causing huge damages to his friends only to be mitigated later through the completion of his schemes. He is the one who digs the hole, leads the plot and fills the hole later. He can stoop as low as he needs to achieve his goals.
The whole cast is well selected. Every character is being performed optimally and convincingly. Chen Xiao’s performance is great but he looks tired, and at times, his expressions confuse me. This is probably due to the Yun Xiang character being a complex one who is ambiguous, as he says, “shi, ye bu shi” (yes, or no).
Many viewers criticize Mao Xiaotong (plays Shu Yanan) mainly on how her face looks, puffy, bread face etc, which I feel totally irrelevant. She exudes a sharp charisma with good acting, and her chemistry with Chen Xiao appropriate. As a talented martial art fighter, she is believable with beautiful fight choreography, and her emotional turmoil shows clearly on her body language when she finds herself falling for a man she can’t love.
The other side characters and side couples are lovely. I regret the deaths of a couple of my favorite characters and wish they have not been written off just like that as their deaths are unnecessary. I have also enjoyed the official soundtracks. The ballads are melodious and memorable.
My Verdict
I love the subtle color palette of the drama with toned down garments and accessories. Though started as a wuxia in Jianghu story, it eventually leads to palace politics and power struggle. From the beginning until towards the end when such politics become apparent, viewers are only shown Yun Xiang’s mysterious master as an invisible character which is almost like that of the Wizard of Oz. The prolonged lovelorn suffered by Yun Xiang is rather boring because romance should not have been the focus in the first place. I also find the missed opportunity in the development of a potentially great character, Qian Rong (Huang Haibing), the housekeeper of the Su Family. The second half of the drama is less compelling and lacks luster compared to the first half as the logic becomes uncalled for. Imagine the mastermind spends 30 years scheming and controlling two powerful century-old organizations, 15 years cultivating his best disciple, only to have all these crumble within the last 30 minutes of the story. I am speechless. And by the way, where is the antagonist Nan Gong Fang (Ran Xu)?
Nonetheless, a rather fun watch for wuxia lovers! Recommended!
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Sweet & Adorable Romance
This is a short and sweet romantic drama. After watching it, I’m also craving for a dramatic love affair like this, be it a short one. The love and longing for one another is so beautiful and amazing. For me, this is enough to live for and to have meaning in life.This drama is simple without too many twists and turns. It’s heart warming to see things one does for one another, the friendship, love and care.
All the actors and actresses in this drama are so amazingly beautiful, even the antagonists. Their acting is good too. Their fashion is top notch, everyone looks so good every day, every minute, even in bed.
I really love Xu Lu who plays Wen Su Xi who is so beautiful and bossy but honorable and kind. I also love Chi Yu played by Zhang Ming En, so good looking and adorable, funny and romantic. I wish in real life, there really exists such a man! With him, one can feel safe and loved.
I love the sound tracks, so beautiful, meaningful, poetic and romantic.
The ending is kind of, open ended. So you’d need to watch it to find out and it’s all up to your imagination and interpretation of how it ends.
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Have Lotus House Will Travel
The enchanting tale of "The Lotus House," also known as Lianhua Lou (莲花楼), paints a picture akin to a mobile haven, much like an RV, that has been Li Lianhua's (portrayed by Cheng Yi) cherished abode and means of travel for an entire decade. Amidst the harmonious simplicity of his desires, Li Lianhua seeks solitude and a modest existence. His days are devoted to cultivating sustenance, preparing his own meals, and embodying the role of a wandering country healer, a role that has earned him the moniker of the "miracle doctor" for his rumored power to resurrect the departed. Accompanying him is his faithful canine companion, Húlíjīng (Vixen). This captivating drama is a delightful adaptation of Teng Ping's novel, "The Lotus House with Auspicious Patterns."Each character in this story possesses a clear and unassuming life goal. As Li Xiangyi a decade ago, Li Lianhua harbored ambitions of becoming the world's preeminent swordsman and achieving fame. His aspirations were intertwined with a pursuit of justice and a mission to safeguard the realm. Fang Duobing (Joseph Zeng) embodies the spirited zeal of youth, aspiring to be a valiant hero championing noble causes. On the contrary, Di Feisheng (Xiao Shunyao), a former adversary, remains fixated on challenging Li Xiangyi to a fateful swordfight, unable to reconcile being second-best.
Though Li Lianhua and Di Feisheng initially shunned the complexities of the "jianghu," their apathy is rekindled by the fervor of the youthful Fang Duobing, whose fervent commitment to the world's safety becomes their shared responsibility. Despite disparate backgrounds and personalities, an unlikely bond unites the trio, propelling them on a journey marked by cryptic clues, unraveling mysteries, and unmasking murderers. The threads of destiny interweave, leading to the revelation of a grand conspiracy, ultimately restoring equilibrium and justice to the realm. Amidst the challenges, lighthearted banter and camaraderie flourish, infusing the narrative with both humor and heartfelt moments.
Li Lianhua's character is multifaceted and deeply intriguing. His choice of the name "Lianhua," meaning lotus, initially piqued my curiosity. Once known as Li Xiangyi, he attained early acclaim as a martial prodigy, establishing the Sigu Men sect while still in his adolescence. His dominance in the martial world was unmistakable, yet it bred envy and resentment, straining relationships and leading to his isolation. This path ultimately culminated in solitude and abandonment, prompting Li Lianhua's poignant rebirth as the lotus, emblematic of purity amid adversity. In an atypical narrative arc, the main character's trajectory descends from the zenith, and Li Lianhua's journey captivates through graceful withdrawal rather than audacious ascent.
Li Lianhua's sagacity shines through as he contemplates his imminent departure from this mortal realm. His patient and earnest method of untying emotional knots and offering solemn farewells to those entwined in his life evokes both contemplation and reverence. The poignancy of bidding adieu with grace and tranquility emerges as a poignant motif, enriching the depth of Li Lianhua's character portrayal.
Cheng Yi's portrayal of Li Lianhua is captivating and well within his artistic range. The actor masterfully encapsulates the essence of a character marked by vulnerability and profound sentiment. His synergy with the endearing Fang Duobing and Di Feisheng characters is noteworthy, preventing his character from being overshadowed while complementing the ensemble.
My Verdict
While the drama's pace is brisk and features multiple layers, I had hoped for a more in-depth exploration of the intricate investigative cases, as well as a heightened suspense element. Despite this, the narrative retains a charm that delves into introspection and personal transformation. The story poignantly underscores the capacity for individuals to undergo profound inner change, revealing the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
While the drama's tone embraces gravity through themes of murder and mortality, its dialogues are skillfully peppered with humor, and poignant yet brief romantic interludes leave a touching impression. The intricate dynamics between Li Lianhua and Qiao Wanmian (Chen Duling) illuminate diverse facets of love, revealing nuances of affection, sacrifice, and perception.
The characters' nomenclature carries an element of playful irony, reflecting the author's wit and ingenuity. The story exudes a delicate charm, its narrative craftsmanship interwoven with themes of transformation, forgiveness, and the fragility of life.
A captivating gem, "The Lotus House" is a worthy addition to your viewing repertoire—indeed, a delightful and enriching watch that should not be missed.
Bravo!
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Awkward and Poor Script
If not because of Zeng Shun Xi (aka Joseph Zeng), I don’t think I would have continued with this drama. The writing is weird, the dialogues are weird, the logic is weird, Liang Jie’s acting and character are weird, and the English title is even more weird. The only saving grace is Zeng Shun Xi’s acting and his character which I really like a lot. This drama is set in the Song Dynasty when often the emperors had no heirs of their own and were forced to adopt their nephews as their successors.Zhao Xiao Qian (Zeng Shun Xi) is the adopted son of the Emperor. He and his older brother were brought into the palace to be groomed as the heir to the throne. Then the Empress conceived, and the two brothers lost favor. When the Empress had a still-born, Zhao Xiao Qian’s brother died and Zhao Xiao Qian was banished to Wu Jiang Fu, a city far away from the palace. He is happy living his quiet life, until Xie Xiao Man (Liang Jie) shows up and he falls in love with her. Zhao Xiao Qian cannot marry her because of their difference in their social statuses – he’s a noble and she’s a commoner from the countryside.
Fundamentally, Zhao Xiao Qian is a good person. He's kind and caring, generous and protective towards all the people he cares about. However, he is also hot tempered, entitled, unreasonable, demanding, authoritative and abusive, all an act to cover his pain and anger. Zeng Shun Xi's acting as the explosive Zhao Xiao Qian with a lot of pend up anger is very convincing, and I empathize with this character, despite his initial verbally abusive behavior towards Xie Xiao Man, which I feel she totally deserves. For some reason, Liang Jie’s acting of the Xie Xiao Man character here is not very impressive; she feels awkward and unnatural. I don’t know if her voice is dubbed, but she sure sounds cringey.
This is a story about class struggle and the oligarchy system which imposes injustices in the society with rampant corruption and abuse of power. The writing seems childish, written for young viewers. The characters are very immature with very simple dialogues and logic. Though they later grow to become more responsible and to achieving their dreams, they remain naïve because their thinking is still simplistic. More than 80% of the drama is spent in an academic setting where the characters are acquiring their education. Initially, the theme of equality emerges - one mustn’t judge another by their birth, in particular in gender equality when girls are inspired to nourish themselves with education and contribute to the society. Then this theme fizzles out with nothing much to show.
The writer seems to be flip-flopping with the characters, in particular with the Xie Xiao Man character. On one hand, she is smart, but at the same time, her actions are pretty dumb. She is supposed to be strong and brave, and yet she is so muddle and girly, causing misunderstanding again and again, that she is frustrating to watch.
Overall
This is a youth school drama in a historical setting with a theme that says, “Education is the most powerful weapon” when the characters, boys and girls, are encouraged to value education. Then enters gender equality when girls are inspired to perform as well as the boys and contribute to society. All these fizzle out; the world is still unjust with birth statuses still being the determinant of what one can and cannot do with one's life though Zhao Xiao Qian manages to upgrade Xie Xiao Man’s status so that he could marry her; girls are still being treated as the belongings of men and cannot make their own decisions for their own lives though an independent female businesswoman is being highlighted here; the rich and powerful still rule the world though Zhao Xiao Qian manages to take down some. Flaws and plot holes everywhere, the dialogues are boring and bad. Many viewers find the OTP’s relationship toxic, and they grit their teeth watching the romance development and continuous misunderstandings one after another, and the annoying behavior of Xie Xiao Man that always angers Zhao Xiao Qian. For me, he loves and wants her, and the feelings are mutual (though she also feels insecure), that is good enough for me (boy! I have such low expectation).
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Ultimate level of 勾心鬥角
Love of Nirvana captivates with its realistic portrayal of modern geopolitics. A small nation, ethnically distinct, is caught between two superpowers, both exploiting its vulnerable people for their gain. This narrative resonates deeply with today’s global conflicts, fitting seamlessly into the dynamics of many contemporary war-torn regions. The way each party's narratives echo current geopolitical rhetoric is striking. As history often teaches us, it repeats itself.Storyline
The plot is compelling. Though viewers receive numerous hints about the villain’s identity, the uncertainty lingers—no one, including the main characters, can be sure. The villain masks his malice with an appearance of benevolence. Amid the political intrigues, a love triangle unfolds, but the female lead quickly discerns her true love. True to the nature of palace historical dramas, the story brims with scheming, deception, danger, and a love that transcends adversity.
Characters
The three main characters deliver standout performances: Wei Zhao (Ren Jia Lun), Jiang Ci (Landy Li), and Pei Yan (Jeremy Tsui). Wei Zhao, who initially tries to kill Jiang Ci multiple times, gradually falls in love with her. Despite the harm he inflicts, Jiang Ci finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. Pei Yan, hopelessly in love with Jiang Ci, is willing to sacrifice everything for her—except his family honor, which continually holds him back. Their respective sidekicks add depth, highlighting the honor and loyalty the male leads inspire among their followers.
Performances
The main cast consists of seasoned actors. Wei Zhao is a deeply conflicted character, torn between consuming hatred and a hidden sense of compassion and duty. Ren Jia Lun portrays Wei Zhao’s cold and brutal exterior with a perpetually stern, frowning expression, making the character wholly believable. As in many of Ren Jia Lun’s dramas, there are no overtly intimate scenes. Still, the subtle storytelling conveys the deep intimacy between Wei Zhao and Jiang Ci.
Landy Li excels as Jiang Ci, effortlessly transitioning from innocence and playfulness to moments of courage and vulnerability. She nails every emotional scene. Jeremy Tsui’s sly smile and sharp features make it difficult to discern Pei Yan’s true motives, yet the actions of his sidekicks provide insight into his character’s internal struggles. Wen Zheng Rong delivers a powerful performance as Rong Yu Die (Pei Yan’s mother), transforming from a ruthless, ambitious figure to a resigned, defeated one. Ryan Zhu (An Cheng) and Zhao Hua Wei (Yi Fei) also shine as the loyal sidekicks of Pei Yan and Wei Zhao, respectively, evoking deep emotional investment from the audience.
Dialogue
The script is well-crafted, with cohesive and engaging dialogue. Given the heavy tone of the drama, comedic moments are sparse. However, the narrative effectively reiterates Wei Zhao’s quest to clear his father’s name, Pei Yan’s ambition for the prime ministership, Rong Yu Die’s obsession with placing her son on the throne, and Jiang Ci’s lighthearted pursuit of tasting the world’s best food and meeting up with her "shifu".
Music
The official soundtrack is phenomenal. Each piece evokes vivid memories of the drama’s key scenes—whether battles, romantic moments, or thinking of homeland. Even without watching the series, the music alone conveys the essence of the story.
Ending and Final Thoughts
The ending is predictable, with subtle clues dropped throughout, yet it still delivers an emotional punch. It’s heart-wrenching that the lovers are kept apart by circumstances, though they remain united in spirit. Personally, I would have preferred seeing them perform the marriage ritual together rather than separately. Perhaps the ending suggests that love transcends physical presence, uniting them spiritually instead.
If you can handle a fast-paced, emotionally intense drama with a bittersweet ending, Love of Nirvana is a must-watch.
TWO THUMBS UP!
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A Clueless Shifu with an Unlikable Pouty Face FL
The Journey of Chong Zi is a romance story of a shifu (master) and his beloved student, and the challenges they face. However the female lead character is being so poorly written, interpreted and acted that it renders the drama unimpressive. Plot holes everywhere and are simply being brushed over with bad logic and poor screen play. The immortal sects are gullible with little intelligence, believing in any gossips, and the demon sect is a confusing sorry lot. This is one of those series that can make the viewers vomit blood, and yet I completed watching it, and aged 10 years.The storyline is nothing new as teacher/pupil romance is rather typical and tropey in xianxia stories. We’ve seen it in The Journey of Flower and in various others. The story is basically about the venerable immortal, Luo Yinfan (Xu Zhengxi aka Jeremy Tsui), falling in love with his disciple, Chong Zi (Yang Chaoyue), and their journey of romance, retribution, death, reincarnation, and their eventual confusingly bizarre ending.
Chong Zi is pure and kind despite her birth. Apart from her shifu who is Chong Zi’s true love, Chu Bufu (Gao Han), Qin Ke (Deng Wei), Zhuo Hao (Asher Ma), Mu Yu (Li Daikun) all love her unconditionally and are willing to die for her. Even some female characters such as Yan Zhenzhu (Zhang Keai) and Yin Shuixian (Yang Xinying) love Chong Zi in their own ways. From here, we can deduce that Chong Zi is a very lovable girl. Unfortunately, this message hasn’t come through.
Yang Chaoyue is simply not lovable at all and couldn’t give the viewers an authentic Chong Zi. The actor has a constant pouting face, making her look angry all the time. Even when she’s supposed to be playful and mischievous, she is not funny nor lovable. Yang Chaoyue really has to go back to acting school. The writing of the Chong Zi character is bad enough, made worse by Yang Chaoyue’s unconvincing portrayal. Despite Chong Zi is loved by many in the story, she is not loved by the viewers.
The drama tries hard to portray all the injustices Chong Zi faces that leads to her capitulation into the Ultimate Demon. But all her encounters do not seem dire enough to lead her down that path; she has been misunderstood for most parts as the immortal elders believe in fake stories of her. She’s being blamed for things she doesn’t do, for trivial things she may have done unwittingly, for being loved by her shifu and by most other men who know her. It is really frustrating to watch how such misunderstandings have not been clarified sooner and the perpetrators manage to get away scot-free, again and again.
The reason for her final transformation into the Ultimate Demon is totally unconvincing. After having some blissful days with the man she loves hidden away, she decides to become the Ultimate Demon to protect herself because her man is away for some chores and cannot protect her. That is simply a glaring hole for me.
My Verdict
I pressed on with this series for the sake of Jeremy Tsui though the character he played wasn’t that impressive (what a dumb shifu he was). I give this drama a rating of 7.5/10 to reward myself in completing the story.
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Touching, Humorous, Intelligent Characters, Great Side Couples
Many viewers drop this wonderful drama at the beginning episode because they don’t like the main characters – a crass and fearsome female lead and a timid and fearful male lead. After reading my review, I hope viewers give this drama a chance and I hope you would not be disappointed. This drama does remind me of many real couples from the older generations (for younger generations, they would have divorced each other) with strong empress dowagers for wives and scaredy-cats for husbands.Hu Jiao (Zhang Hanyun) is illiterate, unsophisticated and fierce, for she is a butcher and also a shrewd business lady and knows how to fend off enemies and protect her family. She is betrothed to Xu Qingjia (Tong Mengshi) since both were children. Xu Qingjia is a learned man, poor and rather faint-hearted. He is appointed as a lowly magistrate in another small city, and after their wedding, the couple moves to live in that city. Their relationship started off rather hostile as Hu Jiao is unwilling to marry without love to such a weakling for a husband; she is a lot stronger than him physically. And how she treats Xu Qingjia is almost like a slapstick comedy at the initial part of the drama; multiple times she strikes him faint because she doesn’t want him to get near her. The scenes are hilarious. In their journey struggling through hardship and danger, they grow to trust and love each other. At the moments of despair or weakness, they give each other courage, and energize each other; she's his mental support, and he hers.
Though both female and male leads have totally different traits, they complement and supplement each other like a toothed gear working in harmony and precision. Both are honorable, upstanding, wise, strong and courageous. They believe in one simple philosophy: 尽人事安天命 or “do your best”. With their magnanimity, they convert enemies into alliances, and serendipity follows.
This is a new cast for me but I have enjoyed everyone’s acting here. Zhang Hanyun puts up a very believable Hu Jiao, and her knife skills, either in mincing her pork or shaving the scoundrels’ hair, are very convincing and funny. Tong Mengshi’s Xu Qingjia is humble and lovable. As much as I love the main characters, my favorite character is Gao Zheng (Chen Yilong), the county lieutenant sheriff. This is one of the best supporting actors I’ve seen. Gao Zheng is cold faced with no emotions, and yet, when he’s ticked, by words or actions, the skin on his side forehead jerks subtly, even for an ephemeral moment, showing viewers that indeed this man has deep hidden feelings. This drama also gives us some very lovely side couples. I love the story of Gao Zheng and Yu Niang (Zeng Yixuan); it is beautiful and heart-wrenching. Though kissing scenes are very limited here, the emotions shown in the actors’ eyes, especially in Chen Yilong’s (Gao Zheng) and Zeng Yixuan’s (Yu Niang) when they look into each other, are authentic and believable.
My Verdict
The writer has a great sense of humor. Many of the characters have very funny names representing the characteristics of the characters. Hu Jiao has the homophone of “peppercorn”, Qingjia (homophone) means “in-law”. And there is the Zhen Fugui (Truly prosperous) shop keeper, Jia Yi (Pretend), Jia Quan (Fake Power) the powerless housekeeper, Fei Jing (Strenuous) the failed thief, Hua Tuo the herb collector (Hua Tuo was a very famous miracle doctor during the Three Kingdoms period), and others.
At the beginning while the characters are being introduced, the viewers are not given a hint whether the introduced characters are protagonists or antagonists. Initially I even thought Hu Jiao’s father was bad because he forces her to marry Xu Qingjia. And we have a very funny blackface thief (whom I have thought harmless but turns out deadly) who has never been successful in stealing Xu Qingjia’s umbrella. Then we have a tea house owner whom I had thought a loose woman. Even Cui Wulang and Ning Wang seem flirtatious and unworthy. The writer even teases the viewers with some seeming bromance. All the characters turn out to be rather surprises as they are not what they seem to be.
Do not be deterred by some negative comments here on MDL. This is actually a very good and funny drama with an interesting plot and story. There are very few noticeable plot holes and the logic is sound.
Our characters embrace a courageous risk taking approach as how they perceive what it means to be a worthy human, and that's the message of the story.
Amazing watch. Don’t miss it. Bravo!
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I want to vomit blood
Brace for the most annoying second male lead (2ML) and second female lead (2FL) characters. This drama practically has the most annoying supporting characters and yet they are very prominent in the story. The story started off pretty decent with an unconventional princess and a great male lead played by an actor I have come to love. To watch, viewers need to have a lot of patience. If not, you would want to strangle many characters here, maybe even including our FL and ML at times.The acting by the two main character is actually not too bad - Ju Jingyi is her usual self with pretty the same kind of demeanor and unconventional costumes and head ornaments, and Zeng Shunxi (Joseph Zeng) is very lovable and convincing. But poor writing has made them look very bad at times, and resulted in their inconsistent acting and dialogues.
Both the 2FL and 2ML are super super annoying with a lot of screen time. The 2FL is obsessive with no dignity and the 2ML is also obsessive, super annoying and dumb. Though there are multiple lovable second couples, they are mostly one-dimensional and have rather poor acting skills.
My Verdict
Everything seems to have gone wrong with this drama, starting with a baffling English title, Rebirth For You (what the heck does it even mean?) The writing is so bad, lazy and inconsistent. The directing is haphazard and continuing angering me as the director doesn’t seem to care how viewers feel. The dialogues are boring and predictable. The war scenes are lazy and unconvincing with repeated scenes. For the supposedly final “big” battle for the finale, there are only a few people standing around. Plot holes everywhere with flaws that the editing team doesn't even bother to hide. The whole thing is like a non-serious, half-baked, kiddie costume drama that makes me roll my eyes until they hurt.
Watch it for Zeng Shunxi and Ju Jingyi if you’re their fans, just be prepared to protect your computer/TV screen so that you don’t accidentally smash it.
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Sizzling Hot
After watching The Romance of a Twin Flower, I find myself watching seemingly yet another twin flower drama with Love of Replica. The latter drama is full of suspense, mysteries, hot romance, and action. Both the main male and female actors are good looking with good acting skills, and their chemistry sizzling hot. With only 16 episodes, all the episodes are packed with clues and action that eventually lead to the unfolding of all the mysteries.Lu Jinyan’s (Tsao Yuning’s) father was involved in an accident and is now lying in a coma. He suspects his father’s accident is malicious and related to Xu Yongyu (Li Yatian), a despicable ultra wealthy tycoon surrounded by bodyguards, who would do anything to get what he wants. To investigate, Lu Jinyan gets himself hired by Xu Yongyu as a bodyguard for his beloved daughter, Xu Xixi (Yilia Yu). Lu Jinyan doesn’t like Xu Xixi because she is mean and nasty, typical of a spoiled brat as a “da xiao jie” (大小姐). But Xu Xixi is sick with an incurable disease and her father goes all out to find a cure for her.
On that fateful day, Xu Xixi gets into a car accident. The car she travels in plunges into the sea. Lu Jinyan risks his life and saves her. When Xu Xixi wakes up, she appears to have lost her memory. She doesn’t recognize anyone in her household including her bodyguard and her father. Her total change of personalities puzzles everyone, but Lu Jinyan immediately realizes this is not the actual Xu Xixi.
Lu Jinyan used to be in the military, so his bare hand combat skill is second to none. He is intelligent and calm, thinks fast, and doesn’t talk a lot. He later learns that the rescued Xu Xixi is actually An Yue, a woman who looks exactly the same as Xu Xixi. Assuming she is Xu Xixi’s twin, Lu Jinyan finds out Xu Xixi’s father tries to capture An Yue and his intention is not friendly. No one understands why Xu Yongyu loves a sickly daughter and yet wants to hurt another daughter who is in perfect health. Fearing harm for An Yue, Lu Jinyan and friends protect her from the father.
An Yue’s personality is totally different from that of Xu Xixi’s. An Yue is nice, kind and very lovable. Quickly Lu Jinyan falls in love with her. His love is passionate, at the same time he’s tormented because he knows he has broken his code as a bodyguard. He protects her with his life and always stays close to her wherever she goes. An Yue can’t help but falls in love with him at first sight because he saves and cares for her; he is also very attractive and oozing with male hormones. At this point, the plot thickens: who is An Yue? Why is she here? How is Lu Jinyan’s father involved in this? Each character holds a secret.
I have never watched Tsao Yuning’s and Yilia Yu’s work. Tsao Yuning’s portrayal of the cool and hunky Lu Jinyan is very believable; many viewers salivate over him. Yilia Yu has a mature woman look. Beautiful and sexy with large, soul-hooking eyes, she plays Xu Xixi and An Yue very well with distinctive different personalities. Without knowing, like Lu Jinyan, viewers can discern which character Yilia Yu is playing at a particular moment because she successfully exudes the qualities of each character. The other cast members are just as good, portraying their respective characters convincingly. In particular, the side couple with a love triangle is lovely and interesting.
This drama has nothing to do with a previous drama, Mysterious Love (2021), acted by the same main couple. It (the previous drama) is not a pre-requisite to watch this drama.
Love of Replica also produces a number of very good and memorable love songs, each played at the appropriate moments to accentuate the romance and love of the all the couples in the story.
My Verdict
This is an unexpectedly enjoyable drama to watch. Full of suspense, mysteries, and action, with a romance that is heart-pounding and suggestive. There is a lot of skinship for the main couple that whets the viewers’ appetite for more. Yes, this is a drama with the formula of mystery, action, and sex. Great story.
Enjoyable watch! Don’t miss it!
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Inspiring & Heart-Warming
This story reminds me of the story of Malala Yousafzai, a 15 year old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Talibans in 2012 because she was advocating education for all girls. Not that Malala has disguised herself as a boy and gone to school as in this drama, but the stories are similar whereby girls are deprived of the equal opportunity to learn and to work since ancient times to today's world. This drama also reminisces the legendary Butterfly Lovers but without its tragic ending.Wen Xi (played by Ju Jing Yi), a very intelligent girl from an impoverished family, disguises as a boy by adopting her brother’s name Wen Bin and works as a commissioned writer to make a living for her family. Not out of her choice, she’s accidentally enrolled into the most prestigious academy of the land where such graduates would generally enter the palace and work as high-ranking officials for the Emperor. In the academy, she has to navigate precariously so that her feminine identity would not be discovered as girls are banned from attending school especially when such prestigious academy is only meant for aristocrats’ sons. Breaking the law is punishable by death. The drama revolves mainly around school life, not unlike modern day dramas about youth and school, but with ancient wisdom and philosophies.
Wen Bin is upstanding, kind, chivalrous, determined and courageous. For that, she’s very popular and becomes best friends with 2 roommates from renown aristocratic families. Together with another boy, they form the gang of four which is the pride of the academy. One of the boys is Feng Cheng Jun (played by Song Wei Long) whom she’s very fond of and later he falls in love with her as well. As Wen Bin is petite and seemingly weakly, the boys, unconsciously, rush to her assistance in the first instant.
Ju Jing Yi’s performance as Wen Bin is fabulous. Despite her petiteness, she commands an air of authority which the boys obey to without questions, at the same time, she can be girly to get their compassion, hence her way. I really enjoy watching how the boys love her as a comrade and her determination to do just as good, if not better, as the boys. Ju Jing Yi’s portrayal is so believable. The Feng Cheng Jun character is a studious and uncompromising person. Song Wei Long’s portrayal is amazing as the actor has a natural bookwormish face and a slow-in-realization expression. Such characteristics make Song Wei Long a perfect Feng Cheng Jun. Wen Bin is always the bridge between Feng Cheng Jun and Lei Ze Xin whereas Yu Le Xuan the conduit for all of them. The dynamics between the four friends are precious. Though constantly arguing, they’re inseparable from each other. To show her small size, the production team has even chosen 3 exceptionally tall actors to play the roles of her 3 best friends and I find their choices perfect.
The plot seems to be rather trivial in today’s standard – changing the policies so that all deserving scholars including girls and the poor receive education and serve the Emperor’s court. But it's a taboo in those days as the aristocrats fear losing power and wealth, and in the drama, there are indeed deaths for advocating such ideology and for preventing it.
Though their relationship is cordial and natural from the beginning, Feng Cheng Jun doesn’t find out about Wen Bin being a girl until episode 31. Therefore, before this when he begins to have feelings for her, he’s thinking himself a gay and his reactions are hilarious. Despite there’s not much romance per se, I find all the scenes they have together very romantic and heart-warming.
There’re some minor plot holes here and there and I find the story slightly off script towards the end. I'd have loved to see that Wen Bin fights for her right and equality for all, which has been her father's legacy, but unfortunately she seems to be weak on this and loses her appeal towards the end; all she wants is to live happily ever after with her man. I'm also not very impressed that she transfers her credentials to her brother who becomes a high ranking government official eventually. To me, this is like hiring someone to take your SAT (you know what I mean, wink, wink). As with most Chinese dramas' ending, the brilliant female character becomes common/weak. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed this drama, not so much on the plot but on the comradeship in a learning environment and the humors that come with it. The characters are lovable and their dynamics are adorable. The underlying message is inspiring -- creating oneself in the image for the eyes of others is not being strong, but facing oneself of what one is, is.
A rather enjoyable drama.
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Beautiful but Sad Love Story
I’m a fan of Zheng Ye Chen and have been following his historical dramas. Unfortunately, all the characters he has played so far have been disappointing, including this one. My disappointment is not with the acting - Zheng Ye Chen’s acting is great - but with the characters of the stories. To be more accurate, I love all his characters but dislike the endings of the characters; they always end in deaths or simply disappear into oblivion. It is such a pity that a fine actor like him has yet to find a script that cheers the viewers up with joy.To contain the power of General Xue Yao (Zheng Ye Cheng), the Emperor issues an edict for him to marry his adopted daughter Princess Xu Chu Ye (Hu Yi Xuan) so that he’d have to surrender his military power to the Emperor. The couple get married while Xu Chu Ye is in her slumber that cannot be woken no matter how because she has a weird condition. After their wedding, being suspicious and overthinking, Xue Yao interprets all Xu Chu Ye’s actions as puzzles to solve, and likewise for Xu Chu Yue, all his bypassing remarks become some hints. These lead to hilarious misunderstandings and they are really a fun watch. As the couple begin to get to know each other, very quickly they fall in love with each other too. They go through ups and downs, marriages and divorces, getting together and separating due to misunderstandings, and all their misfortunes seem non-stop. But one thing is for certain – their undying love for each other.
Xue Yao is a very serious character, handsome, no nonsense, suspicious and cold. Although he's a strategic general who wins in all battles and wars, he has no idea how to deal with women and his own emotions. He is heart-broken after the death of his beloved big brother, and determined to find out the actual cause of his death. Zheng Ye Chen’s styling as a general is amazing here. His super good look in the general’s uniform and then in the guard’s uniform is perfect. His sword fighting choreography is convincing too. His love for the Princess is endearing and sweet, radiating from his gentle facial expression and words. His gaze is tender and loving. Seeing such scenes, the viewers’ hearts are filled with love.
Xu Chu Yue is a very pitiful princess, and yet very lovable. She has a secret. She has a special stone in her that can turn her into one of the 12 animals on the Chinese horoscope whenever she sleeps between certain hours at night. Once she reaches her 12th animal, she will sleep forever, never to wake up again. So she has to stay up at night and go to sleep in the day time. No one knows of her secret except those within her small circle. Xu Chu Yue is innocent, forthright and curious, and loves her younger adoptive brother. Hu Yi Xuan’s portrayal of the princess is absolutely perfect. She is cute with bright eyes but carries an air of sadness between her brows.
Xu Xing Chen (Yang Lin) is a prince born to a consort who has lost favor with the Emperor. He and Xu Chu Yue have grown up together, taken care of each other, survived the viciousness of the palace politics. Xu Chu Yue treats Xu Xing Chen as a little brother but he is romantically in love with her. At times, he comes in between Xue Yao and the Princess. The scenes are funny and hilarious sometimes, and heart brokenly sad at others. For the Prince, he has wanted nothing but the Princess, as she is his moon and he is her star.
This story starts off very well as a flashback from the perspective of Xue Yao, telling his story with the Princess to a group of children. The story is serious and yet not serious as well. But as it begins to develop, the couple’s romance becomes a broken record, going round and round and round, frustrating the viewers. By the end of the story telling by Xue Yao, he takes his beloved sleeping wife and jumps of the cliff. Except for the ultimate villain, there is no resolution for many of the characters as what has come of them. For me, these are poor editing and lazy writing.
Despite some of the plot holes here and there, and my frustrations at times, I have rather enjoyed this drama for the love story which is beautiful and sad. If you don’t mind all the usual tropes such as love triangle and a rather sad ending, this drama is quite a good watch.
Updates:
There is an epilogue released some time after the final episode and I almost missed it. The epilogue in effect is an alternative ending. It includes all the things I've described earlier concerning loose ends. Here in the epilogue, everything is tied up nicely.
In the epilogue, Xue Yao doesn't jump off the cliff holding a sleeping Xu Chu Yue in his arms. Instead she wakes up in the nick of time and they make up all their lost time together travelling the world. All the other second couples also have their happy endings. I believe this happy ending makes many viewers very happy too.
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