This show had the potential to be so much better.

The initial episodes of this show held great promise, and I was genuinely excited. Finally, a Xianxia series that seemed like it could be a real delight. However, my enthusiasm started to wane as the story progressed towards the middle and end. Like many other Xianxia dramas, it suffered from the same major issues. The plotlines became increasingly nonsensical, conflicts with potential were abandoned, and the narrative took a frustrating turn with unnecessary and ridiculous storylines. The exaggerated drama and soap opera-like moments became eye-rolling. Unfortunately, as the story became more convoluted, it fell apart, losing the coherence it initially had.

On a positive note, the production quality was impressive. The landscapes, costumes, and overall scenery were visually appealing, which is what one would expect from this genre.

However, I found myself growing annoyed with the excessive focus on the guard and the bandit girl's love story, which didn't captivate me. I would have preferred more scenes featuring the main leads together. Additionally, the setup for a second lead syndrome seemed promising, but it was poorly executed and left unexplored. The inclusion of certain irrelevant storylines felt forced and added nothing meaningful to the overall narrative. Some of the plot developments were so disappointing that they significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the show. Notably, the writing for the Orchid Fairy (FL) character was a letdown. She came across as excessively dumb, whiney, and ignorant, lacking the depth of naivety or innocence. It's unclear whether this was due to the actress's portrayal or the directing. The show also fell into the trappings of typical tropes and clichés that plague the fantasy drama genre. The involvement of the 2nd couple (Jie Li and Shang Que) felt unnecessary, and the ending was underwhelming. Moreover, except for Dongfang Qing Cang and his brother, the other characters showed no significant growth or development.

Despite its flaws, I appreciate that the character of Fairy Dan Yin was redeemable and didn't fall into the stereotype of a manipulative and scheming female driven by love.

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This is my favorite drama.

TTEOM is an excellent representative work that is innovative and groundbreaking in terms of prop and costume design as well as story structure. Perhaps many of us cannot accept this ending, but I increasingly feel that the ending is actually quite perfect and leaves a lasting impression. Just like how Sangju obtained eternal life in Mingye's heart, Dan Taijn also obtained eternal life in the heart of his beloved, having learned to love and receiving love in return. He protected his loved ones as well as all living beings in the Three Realms. There is nothing to regret, it is really very fulfilling. Moreover, the director also gave us an open-ended scene of Dan Taijun in the Heart Scale at the end, just like Mingye, Dan Taijn's divine consciousness is also preserved in the Heart Scale. Su Su and her daughter are by the river 500 years later, while Dan Taijn is searching by the Weak Water, which is exactly opposite to each other, all of which may imply that Dan Taijun is about to be reborn and return.

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