I don’t know but it kinda rubs me the wrong way that Xiao Yao is constantly trying to prove the demons that…
I think part of the issue is that the cat demon is teaching the more naive demons that humans are inherently bad. That kind of thinking only deepens the conflict between demons and humans rather than helping to resolve it.
I believe XY is aware that the cat demon’s approach is making things worse, which is why she tries to explain the situation from a human perspective. She’s also made an effort to tell the 2ML that demons aren’t inherently evil either, showing that she’s consistently trying to bridge understanding between both sides.
Special Effects & CGI: The CGI and special effects are top-tier. They hired the same production company that worked on Nezha, which already sets a high bar. Visually, it really shows.
Visuals & Set Design: The overall colour palette is very easy on the eyes—no harsh, blinding white filters. It genuinely feels cinematic, like watching a movie. The sets are well-crafted and natural-looking, not cheap props that feel like they belong in a school play.
Acting: The acting from both leads and the second male lead is solid. I have no real complaints here.
Second Male Lead (2ML): For once, the second male lead isn’t a lovesick puppy competing for the FL or stirring jealousy with the ML. According to the relationship map shown in the drama, he has no direct connection to either the FL or ML (I’ll upload the image later). His character development is focused on demon hunting and the growth of his beliefs and values, rather than romance—at least for now—and that’s refreshing.
Story Structure & Themes: There appear to be eight journeys or expeditions to collect the mirror fragments, and each one tells its own story with a life lesson. Episode 8, for example, highlights cause and effect—how virtues, wrongdoing, and life choices eventually come back to us. I’ve written a more detailed explanation in the comments, but this drama made me realize it shouldn’t be watched superficially. Every character’s actions have meaning; they aren’t just NPCs filling space.
Genre & Atmosphere: At first glance, it may look like a typical xianxia trope, but it’s really not. It feels more like folklore, with each journey resembling a standalone folk tale. It balances light-hearted moments and comedy with an underlying eerie, unsettling atmosphere in certain scenes.
Zhao Liying (ZLY): Do I even need to say more? She appears goddess-like—adorned in white, serene and beautiful—but she’s actually the ultimate antagonist. She’s the catalyst who set everything in motion and caused the FL to awaken the ML. The scariest villains are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Her purity feels unsettling, and that painting of her genuinely gave me chills—it felt hypnotic and unsafe to look at.
Weak Points
Romance Pacing: The early romance between the FL and ML feels rushed. The ML was betrayed by the princess he was meant to marry and died harboring hatred and betrayal. Since the FL resembles that princess, it would have made more sense for him to be more guarded or prejudiced toward her at first, with his feelings developing gradually. As it stands, it’s unclear what specifically made him fall for her so quickly.
Demon Lord’s Welcoming Ceremony: The ceremony could have been more grand and imposing. It felt overly toned down to emphasize comedy from the FL.
Demon Lord Characterization: The ML as a demon lord doesn’t come across as particularly arrogant or intimidating compared to other xianxia demon lords—especially when compared to Dylan Wang’s character in Love Between Fairy and Devil. That said, I think the key difference is that Hong Ye isn’t fighting against the gods, nor is this a simple good-versus-evil or gods-versus-demons narrative. I see him more as a ruler of creatures—someone who protects his people and seeks prosperity and harmony. The fact that he was once willing to marry a human princess suggests he’s open to coexistence. If anything, it’s the humans who are difficult. That said, it does seem like we’ll be seeing a more demonic, morally detached side of Hong Ye later on.
Editing & Transitions: Some edits feel a bit abrupt, especially early on. I suspect this is due to the episode count being cut from 40 to 39, resulting in noticeable trimming. Hopefully, later episodes—where the plot is more critical—will have smoother transitions.
Overall Impression
Overall, I still think this is a very strong fantasy drama. Many people dismiss it as just another “three lifetimes romance,” but I believe it’s much more than that—if we stop hyper-focusing on romance alone. This drama invites viewers to step outside that narrow lens and engage with its deeper themes. The FL may seem weak and naive now, but she’s already showing growth and insight, and I believe she’ll become even stronger than the ML later on.
Most importantly, I love the role reversal: a demon lord who isn’t inherently evil, and a “goddess” who is the true final boss. It’s a refreshing change. Demons are often demonized simply for being different—portrayed as monsters—yet aren’t humans just as cruel, if not worse? This drama really highlights how terrifying human nature can be.
Maybe im delulu and stuck on Ji Bozai and MingYi, so im unconsciously comparing the chemistry 😭Got through…
You literally said you finished ep1 and already hoping for chemistry. I prefer slow burn not making out on ep 1 type of drama. If I want that I’ll watch Hollywood
rating this 7.3 still considered generous, why don't you go lower to 0 like yourself?
Ignore that account. It's a troll account, I've seen that account in most of ss' drama page and even her own profile page. This person is paid to troll. Just report!
Zly has really done it! She's so pretty and is dressed up as a goddess, yet I get creeped out just by the painting of her and the painting is equally beautiful. But she gives off an eerie vibe.
I also cried when xy was hiding from her dad, they miss each other so much. The scene was heart warming. This…
Yea, he prepped the drama which I think includes writing the script. and then actually pre production took 1 year and then later filming. I am quite frusterated with the lack of promotion, TUS didn't even get a showcase like Glory did today. Also, they kept it so underwraps and dind't even let loose reuters or any promotions. Promoting a drama well is so important.
Ep 10, I LOV£ the special effects, it's like I'm in Disney Land. It's so colourful and pleasing to the eye. I really like the stuffed straw lion, it's soo cute!
More insightful comments from other viewers “ "The Resentment of Longevity" in "Xiao Yao" is…
I did read somewhere about a chinese folklore about a butcher and monk. In death, the monk went to hell and butcher went to heaven. Why? because monk would wake the butcher every morning, and butcher's job is to kill while the butcher waking the monk every morning is for the monk to do his daily monk duties (i.e., chanting mantras, helping others in need). So one work the other to do good deads, while the other woke the one to do bad deeds. Cause and effect. I was blown away! Like wow! this drama really works the brain. I'm now really looking forward to what this drama has to offer. Please don't just focus on the romance, there's so much more to what this drama has to offer.
More insightful comments from other viewers “ "The Resentment of Longevity" in "Xiao Yao" is like a Chinese fable. In this era of short dramas and short videos, it's been a long time since I've seen a story with such depth that makes you reflect.
In the "Yuan Jiu Jiu" scenario, every character is connected by cause and effect in some way.
Jin Zhangmen, in his obsession to cure Jin Furen's heart ailment, went astray and harmed the innocent. Jin Furen chose to cover up and conceal his actions (It's clear from the ending that she had true feelings for Jin Zhangmen. If she hadn't suffered from the heart ailment, her husband wouldn't have gone astray and turned into a monster, and they could have lived a life of seclusion). Li Li, seeking revenge for his clan, became an undying fiend. In a temple, he met Jin Furen, who wanted to atone for her sins, and was saved by her. He killed a thousand people but also saved a thousand. Yun Yi, who has been blind since childhood, happened to be the thousandth person Li Li saved.
Although Jin Furen did not actively harm others, she was the monk who went to hell. All the evil deeds committed by Jin Zhangmen were caused by her, and they were evil acts. But she was also the butcher who went to heaven, unintentionally saving Li Li, who had killed countless people, and that was a good deed.
The theme of this scenario is completely detached from trivial love stories. It teaches us the importance of the consequences of our actions, not the actions themselves. And Jin Furen personally resolved the evil karma she had created, forming a perfect closed loop.”
I think a major misconception is people expect this drama to be romance dominant, which it never proclaimed to…
Yes! The romance is just the icing on top. I've come to realize the story line when I finished ep 8. I'm looking forward to each journey, I think they have 7 more fragments so 7 more times to enlighten me
I believe XY is aware that the cat demon’s approach is making things worse, which is why she tries to explain the situation from a human perspective. She’s also made an effort to tell the 2ML that demons aren’t inherently evil either, showing that she’s consistently trying to bridge understanding between both sides.
Pros / Strengths
Special Effects & CGI:
The CGI and special effects are top-tier. They hired the same production company that worked on Nezha, which already sets a high bar. Visually, it really shows.
Visuals & Set Design:
The overall colour palette is very easy on the eyes—no harsh, blinding white filters. It genuinely feels cinematic, like watching a movie. The sets are well-crafted and natural-looking, not cheap props that feel like they belong in a school play.
Acting:
The acting from both leads and the second male lead is solid. I have no real complaints here.
Second Male Lead (2ML):
For once, the second male lead isn’t a lovesick puppy competing for the FL or stirring jealousy with the ML. According to the relationship map shown in the drama, he has no direct connection to either the FL or ML (I’ll upload the image later). His character development is focused on demon hunting and the growth of his beliefs and values, rather than romance—at least for now—and that’s refreshing.
Story Structure & Themes:
There appear to be eight journeys or expeditions to collect the mirror fragments, and each one tells its own story with a life lesson. Episode 8, for example, highlights cause and effect—how virtues, wrongdoing, and life choices eventually come back to us.
I’ve written a more detailed explanation in the comments, but this drama made me realize it shouldn’t be watched superficially. Every character’s actions have meaning; they aren’t just NPCs filling space.
Genre & Atmosphere:
At first glance, it may look like a typical xianxia trope, but it’s really not. It feels more like folklore, with each journey resembling a standalone folk tale. It balances light-hearted moments and comedy with an underlying eerie, unsettling atmosphere in certain scenes.
Zhao Liying (ZLY):
Do I even need to say more? She appears goddess-like—adorned in white, serene and beautiful—but she’s actually the ultimate antagonist. She’s the catalyst who set everything in motion and caused the FL to awaken the ML.
The scariest villains are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Her purity feels unsettling, and that painting of her genuinely gave me chills—it felt hypnotic and unsafe to look at.
Weak Points
Romance Pacing:
The early romance between the FL and ML feels rushed. The ML was betrayed by the princess he was meant to marry and died harboring hatred and betrayal. Since the FL resembles that princess, it would have made more sense for him to be more guarded or prejudiced toward her at first, with his feelings developing gradually. As it stands, it’s unclear what specifically made him fall for her so quickly.
Demon Lord’s Welcoming Ceremony:
The ceremony could have been more grand and imposing. It felt overly toned down to emphasize comedy from the FL.
Demon Lord Characterization:
The ML as a demon lord doesn’t come across as particularly arrogant or intimidating compared to other xianxia demon lords—especially when compared to Dylan Wang’s character in Love Between Fairy and Devil.
That said, I think the key difference is that Hong Ye isn’t fighting against the gods, nor is this a simple good-versus-evil or gods-versus-demons narrative. I see him more as a ruler of creatures—someone who protects his people and seeks prosperity and harmony. The fact that he was once willing to marry a human princess suggests he’s open to coexistence. If anything, it’s the humans who are difficult.
That said, it does seem like we’ll be seeing a more demonic, morally detached side of Hong Ye later on.
Editing & Transitions:
Some edits feel a bit abrupt, especially early on. I suspect this is due to the episode count being cut from 40 to 39, resulting in noticeable trimming. Hopefully, later episodes—where the plot is more critical—will have smoother transitions.
Overall Impression
Overall, I still think this is a very strong fantasy drama. Many people dismiss it as just another “three lifetimes romance,” but I believe it’s much more than that—if we stop hyper-focusing on romance alone.
This drama invites viewers to step outside that narrow lens and engage with its deeper themes. The FL may seem weak and naive now, but she’s already showing growth and insight, and I believe she’ll become even stronger than the ML later on.
Most importantly, I love the role reversal: a demon lord who isn’t inherently evil, and a “goddess” who is the true final boss. It’s a refreshing change. Demons are often demonized simply for being different—portrayed as monsters—yet aren’t humans just as cruel, if not worse? This drama really highlights how terrifying human nature can be.
In this era of short dramas and short videos, it's been a long time since I've seen a story with such depth that makes you reflect.
In the "Yuan Jiu Jiu" scenario, every character is connected by cause and effect in some way.
Jin Zhangmen, in his obsession to cure Jin Furen's heart ailment, went astray and harmed the innocent.
Jin Furen chose to cover up and conceal his actions (It's clear from the ending that she had true feelings for Jin Zhangmen. If she hadn't suffered from the heart ailment, her husband wouldn't have gone astray and turned into a monster, and they could have lived a life of seclusion).
Li Li, seeking revenge for his clan, became an undying fiend. In a temple, he met Jin Furen, who wanted to atone for her sins, and was saved by her. He killed a thousand people but also saved a thousand.
Yun Yi, who has been blind since childhood, happened to be the thousandth person Li Li saved.
Although Jin Furen did not actively harm others, she was the monk who went to hell. All the evil deeds committed by Jin Zhangmen were caused by her, and they were evil acts.
But she was also the butcher who went to heaven, unintentionally saving Li Li, who had killed countless people, and that was a good deed.
The theme of this scenario is completely detached from trivial love stories.
It teaches us the importance of the consequences of our actions, not the actions themselves.
And Jin Furen personally resolved the evil karma she had created, forming a perfect closed loop.”