This review may contain spoilers
Most repressed emo boy falls for the most unrestrained free-spirited girl...
A truly underrated gem that I went in with zero expectations and got addicted. I know I am SUPER late but I HAD to make this post.
I don't get hooked on dramas very easily and the only reason I wanted to check it out is because of the title and the opening scene. I have not watched any master-disciple xianxia before and thought to give it a try for 5 episodes. By the 3rd episode, it was 3 am in the morning and I am clicking next episode.😠I don't usually get hooked on dramas and even if I do initially, by 15th-16th episode my interest fizzles out (with the very rare exception of some) BUT this one, this one kept my interest through and through. I recently finished it and will miss this drama dearly :(
1. The acting and the chemistry:
Deng wei BLOOMED as su yishui. Not only did he look stunning and drop dead gorgeous (his best styling to date) but he made su yishui his own through sheer charisma and magnetism he imbued into the character so well ( I would frequently revisit and rewatch his scenes). He brought layers and nuance to a character that can be deemed as the typical xianxia cold aloof grump trope and what's more, he brought different flairs for different variations of the same character to the point that although it's discernible by the viewers but not so much that it's transparent. His minute expressions, eye acting, gestures, movement all embodied the character so well that it's quite amazing. This was his first male lead role and he proved why he was the right choice for the character. He dominated every scene he was in and had that male lead screen presence. I saw him first in TTEOTM and then in LYF and honestly speaking, the way he came out of his shell of being just-a-pretty-face is nothing short of impressive.
Although I was initially interested because of DW, it was julia xiang's mu qingge that made me stay. I am new to her acting and I think by episode 7, it was clear why she had such a titular part and the literal heart of the story. JX balancing mqg/xrr then xrr as she started maturing and gaining memories and ultimately become mqg-xrr with all her memories from past life. Those tiniest attention to details to bring out the indomitable, charming, unrestrained mu qingge to clueless, bubbly, kind hearted xrr who seemed different from mqg at first but possessed her innate characteristics that started shining through more and more as the story progressed. The portrayal of that balance was done beautifully.
The chemistry between the characters was always sizzling with that delicious push and pull tension between them. It started with hostile/attraction/flirting and ended up with flirting/foreplay as the story neared it's conclusion. Even as xrr, the way she would express her overt crush on sys while he's pining after her but is trying to distance himself from her, also had its own brand of deliciousness.
2. PLOT and characters:
The story is very xianxia master-disciple with a refreshing twist and a breath of fresh air. The story progression was a bit slow in the middle, but with the exception of minute details, it was very logical for the most part. It did not have any unnecessary miscommunication tropes (ahem tteom ahem). The ml and the fl did not have any unequal power relations in any of their lifetimes even though they both played master and disciple of each other. They were equal in power, talent, love, sacrifice and to some extent extremely similar in some personality traits as well (smart, stubborn, determined). They were equal to the point that both of them had the chance to be in each other's shoes and experience what the other did. They actually liked each other as two human beings who needed each other. The core of the story is obsession and although the ml and the fl was also obsessed with each other, it was never out of selfish desires, in contrast to most of the other characters especially the main villain and the second male lead. The side characters were quite well fleshed out and acted well. Compared to the novel, the plot was more grounded without missing the parts that made the story special. I especially LOVED the ending that makes the most sensible logical conclusion of their story. Typically xianxias and cdramas skips the HEA and the sweet moments but I feel like the production team truly cared for the story to give a meaningful proper closure to the audience.
3. VISUAL FX and OST: The CGI team COOKED fr (probably where most of the budget went because they did not promote the drama at all ). It was almost MCU level and I thank the team from the bottom of my heart for making the scenes pop especially the fight scenes. OST wise except for some songs falling flat, the bgm was done perfectly and did not feel cringey like it does sometimes in these kinda dramas. Zhou shen, tia ray, and winnie I feel had the best OSTs especially zhou shen who as always sings the most heart wrenching haunting melodies.
4. DIRECTING and STYLING: The director, production team, editing team really knew what they were doing. They arranged the episodes in such a manner so that it was easy to follow and audiences would get hooked. Also the shots were taken quite expertly with no unnecessary filters or crazy editing and best part is they used real life settings instead of relying on CGI. Styling and costume team deserves a shoutout simply because of bringing out Deng wei's ethereal beauty and Mu qingge's (pre-death) styling. The wig team for DW truly understood the assignment.
What could have been better:
1. Soul devouring lock plot device took over almost 20 episodes while su yishui came back from certain death fairly quickly. It was quite unprecedented that even with su yishui's vast knowledge and calculating mind, neither he nor zeng yi could find one single way even in two years to break the lock and had to rely on a gamble with MRW like that was quite lazy writing in this case. The MRW plotline felt drab towards the end although I understand what they were trying to do here, i don't think anyone felt anything for her towards the end.
2. Which brings me to the second point of unnecessarily prolonging some plot lines for the sake of it especially the amnesiac su yishui plotline which again, I understand, to elevate the significance of his sacrifice BUT it also kinda undermined it. I did not HATE that he was brought back quickly but it felt very reductive and convenient as it did not hold the same level of tension and significance that mqg's death did.
3. NOT ENOUGH MU QINGGE this ties to both the first and second point of not making her character have more screen time. I wanted to see more flashbacks of her life before meeting su yishui or how the years had been with su yishui prior her death. Even after she regains her memories and su yishui regains his, with the exception of her forgiving him, they don't bring up that Mqg literally said she does not ever want to meet him nor the fact that how Mqg has the "elder sister who carries all the burden on her shoulder" complex.
3. The ye xin scenes where he explains the plot to the audience that they have already figured out.🙄 That was so laughable and frustrating at times like I don't think anyone would be that dumb to NOT get that there is an invisible hand who is controlling everything behind the scenes. This ruined the villain exposure arc and made it predictable. Not to mention, he was not as intimidating the moment other immortals arrived which again was a very predictable simple ending for someone who plotted and schemed on the main characters' lives since they were children. Although audiences were glad it's over, it felt way too simple.
4. In some parts the dialogues were just explaining the scene that is happening right in front of you especially the Xishan disciples. They sometimes felt like an annoyance rather than characters who grow on you. Instead of those scenes I would have loved for more
Even with flaws this drama excels what it sets out to do which is to depict a beautiful, surreal but also very human in its core, love story. From the beginning right down to the ending they wanted to show the love of a "tree" which symbolizes their affection for each other. From enemy to mentor to friend to lover in every single one of their variations they became each other's "tree" where they protect and love the other with everything they have. It truly elevated itself from other xianxias in many ways for me in many ways. I truly hope we can see more xianxias like these in the future.
I don't get hooked on dramas very easily and the only reason I wanted to check it out is because of the title and the opening scene. I have not watched any master-disciple xianxia before and thought to give it a try for 5 episodes. By the 3rd episode, it was 3 am in the morning and I am clicking next episode.😠I don't usually get hooked on dramas and even if I do initially, by 15th-16th episode my interest fizzles out (with the very rare exception of some) BUT this one, this one kept my interest through and through. I recently finished it and will miss this drama dearly :(
1. The acting and the chemistry:
Deng wei BLOOMED as su yishui. Not only did he look stunning and drop dead gorgeous (his best styling to date) but he made su yishui his own through sheer charisma and magnetism he imbued into the character so well ( I would frequently revisit and rewatch his scenes). He brought layers and nuance to a character that can be deemed as the typical xianxia cold aloof grump trope and what's more, he brought different flairs for different variations of the same character to the point that although it's discernible by the viewers but not so much that it's transparent. His minute expressions, eye acting, gestures, movement all embodied the character so well that it's quite amazing. This was his first male lead role and he proved why he was the right choice for the character. He dominated every scene he was in and had that male lead screen presence. I saw him first in TTEOTM and then in LYF and honestly speaking, the way he came out of his shell of being just-a-pretty-face is nothing short of impressive.
Although I was initially interested because of DW, it was julia xiang's mu qingge that made me stay. I am new to her acting and I think by episode 7, it was clear why she had such a titular part and the literal heart of the story. JX balancing mqg/xrr then xrr as she started maturing and gaining memories and ultimately become mqg-xrr with all her memories from past life. Those tiniest attention to details to bring out the indomitable, charming, unrestrained mu qingge to clueless, bubbly, kind hearted xrr who seemed different from mqg at first but possessed her innate characteristics that started shining through more and more as the story progressed. The portrayal of that balance was done beautifully.
The chemistry between the characters was always sizzling with that delicious push and pull tension between them. It started with hostile/attraction/flirting and ended up with flirting/foreplay as the story neared it's conclusion. Even as xrr, the way she would express her overt crush on sys while he's pining after her but is trying to distance himself from her, also had its own brand of deliciousness.
2. PLOT and characters:
The story is very xianxia master-disciple with a refreshing twist and a breath of fresh air. The story progression was a bit slow in the middle, but with the exception of minute details, it was very logical for the most part. It did not have any unnecessary miscommunication tropes (ahem tteom ahem). The ml and the fl did not have any unequal power relations in any of their lifetimes even though they both played master and disciple of each other. They were equal in power, talent, love, sacrifice and to some extent extremely similar in some personality traits as well (smart, stubborn, determined). They were equal to the point that both of them had the chance to be in each other's shoes and experience what the other did. They actually liked each other as two human beings who needed each other. The core of the story is obsession and although the ml and the fl was also obsessed with each other, it was never out of selfish desires, in contrast to most of the other characters especially the main villain and the second male lead. The side characters were quite well fleshed out and acted well. Compared to the novel, the plot was more grounded without missing the parts that made the story special. I especially LOVED the ending that makes the most sensible logical conclusion of their story. Typically xianxias and cdramas skips the HEA and the sweet moments but I feel like the production team truly cared for the story to give a meaningful proper closure to the audience.
3. VISUAL FX and OST: The CGI team COOKED fr (probably where most of the budget went because they did not promote the drama at all ). It was almost MCU level and I thank the team from the bottom of my heart for making the scenes pop especially the fight scenes. OST wise except for some songs falling flat, the bgm was done perfectly and did not feel cringey like it does sometimes in these kinda dramas. Zhou shen, tia ray, and winnie I feel had the best OSTs especially zhou shen who as always sings the most heart wrenching haunting melodies.
4. DIRECTING and STYLING: The director, production team, editing team really knew what they were doing. They arranged the episodes in such a manner so that it was easy to follow and audiences would get hooked. Also the shots were taken quite expertly with no unnecessary filters or crazy editing and best part is they used real life settings instead of relying on CGI. Styling and costume team deserves a shoutout simply because of bringing out Deng wei's ethereal beauty and Mu qingge's (pre-death) styling. The wig team for DW truly understood the assignment.
What could have been better:
1. Soul devouring lock plot device took over almost 20 episodes while su yishui came back from certain death fairly quickly. It was quite unprecedented that even with su yishui's vast knowledge and calculating mind, neither he nor zeng yi could find one single way even in two years to break the lock and had to rely on a gamble with MRW like that was quite lazy writing in this case. The MRW plotline felt drab towards the end although I understand what they were trying to do here, i don't think anyone felt anything for her towards the end.
2. Which brings me to the second point of unnecessarily prolonging some plot lines for the sake of it especially the amnesiac su yishui plotline which again, I understand, to elevate the significance of his sacrifice BUT it also kinda undermined it. I did not HATE that he was brought back quickly but it felt very reductive and convenient as it did not hold the same level of tension and significance that mqg's death did.
3. NOT ENOUGH MU QINGGE this ties to both the first and second point of not making her character have more screen time. I wanted to see more flashbacks of her life before meeting su yishui or how the years had been with su yishui prior her death. Even after she regains her memories and su yishui regains his, with the exception of her forgiving him, they don't bring up that Mqg literally said she does not ever want to meet him nor the fact that how Mqg has the "elder sister who carries all the burden on her shoulder" complex.
3. The ye xin scenes where he explains the plot to the audience that they have already figured out.🙄 That was so laughable and frustrating at times like I don't think anyone would be that dumb to NOT get that there is an invisible hand who is controlling everything behind the scenes. This ruined the villain exposure arc and made it predictable. Not to mention, he was not as intimidating the moment other immortals arrived which again was a very predictable simple ending for someone who plotted and schemed on the main characters' lives since they were children. Although audiences were glad it's over, it felt way too simple.
4. In some parts the dialogues were just explaining the scene that is happening right in front of you especially the Xishan disciples. They sometimes felt like an annoyance rather than characters who grow on you. Instead of those scenes I would have loved for more
Even with flaws this drama excels what it sets out to do which is to depict a beautiful, surreal but also very human in its core, love story. From the beginning right down to the ending they wanted to show the love of a "tree" which symbolizes their affection for each other. From enemy to mentor to friend to lover in every single one of their variations they became each other's "tree" where they protect and love the other with everything they have. It truly elevated itself from other xianxias in many ways for me in many ways. I truly hope we can see more xianxias like these in the future.
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