This review may contain spoilers
Best C-drama of the year!
This drama was outstanding! Never once did I get bored; I watched every scene without fast forwarding – every detail is important, and there’s a lot of detail, which makes rewatching a must. The storyline was gripping and engaging even though it’s the old star-crossed lovers’ plot; only instead of warring families, it’s warring tribes. Most of all, the acting was top-notch, especially by Dylan Wang. This ML shot to the top of my ML Hall of Fame to share top honors with Ah Min-Hyuk of ‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’ and Grand Tutor of ‘Be My Princess’. Additionally, the OST was emotionally powerful and the special effects/idyllic setting visually beautiful. Although I didn’t understand a lot about what they were saying – I’m not into primordial spirts, etc. – I was still engaged and understood the basic plot. There were a lot of great messages too about how love overcomes hatred as well as other sins. So, let’s get started on the characters themselves.
ML (Dongfang Qing Cang) – he was just badass cool, especially in the earlier episodes as he’s kicking butt with his hellfire. It’s amazing how Dylan Wang could look supremely cold yet dangerously intense at the same time. When he rescued FL from the fairy interrogation in ep 9, all I can say is ‘WOW’! He kicked butt, both old nastypants, the High Wizard or whatever he was, and Changheng’s. Then when he took the rest of the lightning bolts for that bratty brother, another ‘WOW’! I did enjoy him lightening up a bit when he was playing Orchid, but he was best as the badass Supreme Moon. His dream scene in ep 31 was beautiful yet tear-jerking at the same time. He also managed to provide a bit of comedy/cuteness with his grumpiness – especially when they were in the mortal world. I liked how he softened after FL restored his love tree, but he was better as the badass, and the badass returned as he's preparing for his final battle with the evil god.
FL (Orchid) – she was naïve and sweet yet smart and courageous at the same time. Nobody else dared talk back to the Supreme Moon like she did, and I loved when she stood up to Danyin and the other fairies who tried to bully her. I especially loved how ML secretly helped her throw them on their butts during the exam. I literally cheered. I get so tired of seeing FLs just accept the bullying. She was the perfect FL to warm up ML’s love tree. That being said, I didn’t care for her as the Goddess in the last few episodes. Like ML and Changheng (he didn’t seem particularly happy with the change either), I wanted my sweet, bubbly Orchid back. I’m glad at the end, the Orchid we all fell in love with returned to greet ML home.
Second couple: it’s rare for me to be interested in SCs, but I was interested in the Black Dragon and Jieli’s relationship. My only complaint is I wish we’d seen Shang Que in his dragon form more often. It was nice to see the female bestie as a deceitful character needing redemption rather than the typical dingbat.
Changheng was the perfect SML, but at no time did I ever prefer him over ML. I’m glad that he didn’t accept Danyin’s feelings in the end. I’m glad they became friends instead. Not everyone needs romantic love for a happy ending.
The characters I disliked the most: 1) ML’s bratty brother. He was never happy; he was continually whining and causing problems; 2) those Moon people wailing on and on about those 100,000 soldiers instead of considering the burden it placed on ML; and 3) – that hypocritical and merciless brother of Changheng. He was always saying how bad the Moon people were, but he wasn’t much better in terms of behavior/character. He was just as hateful as the Moon tribe.
I liked how the screenwriter avoided a lot of the typical plot devices such as an obsessed female love rival and control freak parents. Yeah, there was a lot of unrequited love going around, and big brother Fairy was an asshole, but this mostly affected secondary characters not our main couple. But, of course, we had to have the noble idiot thing starting with ML and ending with FL. Ok, I can accept sacrificing for someone you love (like ML at the end), but I personally don’t think a leader needs to make such a sacrifice for ‘the people’, especially when most of them are ingrates. The drama managed to only be angsty in the final few episodes, which is a welcome relief.
Although I loved this drama, I have to admit that there were a few unanswered questions like 1) what happened to the spikes that ML had to endure at night? Were they removed after FL withstood the cave?; and 2) how exactly did ML return from the dead? I'm glad he did - don't get me wrong - but they kept saying how if you kill FL, you'll kill ML so apparently killing him was something that could happen yet here he is, alive and well, at the end. So, I wish the drama would have given us a few more minutes at the end to explain and show our MC marrying, etc.
UPDATE: YAY! IQIYI has a special episode (36+) in which ML is talking about his married life with FL. So, so cute and wonderful! Thank you to IQIYI or whoever decided to have mercy on us fans!!!!
There’s so much more I could say, but let me stop here. It was an awesome drama. WATCH IT! YOU'LL LOVE IT! Read less
ML (Dongfang Qing Cang) – he was just badass cool, especially in the earlier episodes as he’s kicking butt with his hellfire. It’s amazing how Dylan Wang could look supremely cold yet dangerously intense at the same time. When he rescued FL from the fairy interrogation in ep 9, all I can say is ‘WOW’! He kicked butt, both old nastypants, the High Wizard or whatever he was, and Changheng’s. Then when he took the rest of the lightning bolts for that bratty brother, another ‘WOW’! I did enjoy him lightening up a bit when he was playing Orchid, but he was best as the badass Supreme Moon. His dream scene in ep 31 was beautiful yet tear-jerking at the same time. He also managed to provide a bit of comedy/cuteness with his grumpiness – especially when they were in the mortal world. I liked how he softened after FL restored his love tree, but he was better as the badass, and the badass returned as he's preparing for his final battle with the evil god.
FL (Orchid) – she was naïve and sweet yet smart and courageous at the same time. Nobody else dared talk back to the Supreme Moon like she did, and I loved when she stood up to Danyin and the other fairies who tried to bully her. I especially loved how ML secretly helped her throw them on their butts during the exam. I literally cheered. I get so tired of seeing FLs just accept the bullying. She was the perfect FL to warm up ML’s love tree. That being said, I didn’t care for her as the Goddess in the last few episodes. Like ML and Changheng (he didn’t seem particularly happy with the change either), I wanted my sweet, bubbly Orchid back. I’m glad at the end, the Orchid we all fell in love with returned to greet ML home.
Second couple: it’s rare for me to be interested in SCs, but I was interested in the Black Dragon and Jieli’s relationship. My only complaint is I wish we’d seen Shang Que in his dragon form more often. It was nice to see the female bestie as a deceitful character needing redemption rather than the typical dingbat.
Changheng was the perfect SML, but at no time did I ever prefer him over ML. I’m glad that he didn’t accept Danyin’s feelings in the end. I’m glad they became friends instead. Not everyone needs romantic love for a happy ending.
The characters I disliked the most: 1) ML’s bratty brother. He was never happy; he was continually whining and causing problems; 2) those Moon people wailing on and on about those 100,000 soldiers instead of considering the burden it placed on ML; and 3) – that hypocritical and merciless brother of Changheng. He was always saying how bad the Moon people were, but he wasn’t much better in terms of behavior/character. He was just as hateful as the Moon tribe.
I liked how the screenwriter avoided a lot of the typical plot devices such as an obsessed female love rival and control freak parents. Yeah, there was a lot of unrequited love going around, and big brother Fairy was an asshole, but this mostly affected secondary characters not our main couple. But, of course, we had to have the noble idiot thing starting with ML and ending with FL. Ok, I can accept sacrificing for someone you love (like ML at the end), but I personally don’t think a leader needs to make such a sacrifice for ‘the people’, especially when most of them are ingrates. The drama managed to only be angsty in the final few episodes, which is a welcome relief.
Although I loved this drama, I have to admit that there were a few unanswered questions like 1) what happened to the spikes that ML had to endure at night? Were they removed after FL withstood the cave?; and 2) how exactly did ML return from the dead? I'm glad he did - don't get me wrong - but they kept saying how if you kill FL, you'll kill ML so apparently killing him was something that could happen yet here he is, alive and well, at the end. So, I wish the drama would have given us a few more minutes at the end to explain and show our MC marrying, etc.
UPDATE: YAY! IQIYI has a special episode (36+) in which ML is talking about his married life with FL. So, so cute and wonderful! Thank you to IQIYI or whoever decided to have mercy on us fans!!!!
There’s so much more I could say, but let me stop here. It was an awesome drama. WATCH IT! YOU'LL LOVE IT! Read less
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