whoissilmoy

I actually know what you mean by playful, cute, flirty and I think that is on the surface. Her character is quite more complex than that. To me, she's not being playful, cute, flirty just to be playful cute flirty. I'm reading the dynamics differently. Since they're deviating from the novel, I'm hoping for a more serious dynamics as it gets more intense later. I could be wrong, and it's just all playful, cute and flirty but I hope not. For example, when she purposely fell on him, she was actually looking for the bone. In couple of scenes, she was trying to get rid of him so she can look for something.

What playful cute flirty chemistry? That doesn't sound like Mei Zhuyu at all. Actually, I don't find Wu Zhen to be playful cute or flirty either. She's fearless and feared. She beats up guys. The world is eerie and spooky filled with spirits. Of course, like all dramas, there are funny moments to break up the serious atmosphere mostly played by cousin Mei Si. Mei Zhuyu shows no emotions other than a slight smile when he is amused or intrigued by Wu Zhen, and talks very little. He is the ultimate Taoist. Unlike the novel, the drama should have mystery or surprises. We will find out their secrets. Later on, there will be body swap which should be interesting.

No wonder Wang Jia Yi acts well. She’s a rising Chinese actress known for her debut in the famous director, Zhang Yimou’s film Full River Red.

actually, there are also many similarities like the Decaying bone or Unrotting bone, but the drama spent more time on it, in the novel it was quick, she found the missing bones on Mei Zhuyu.

This really fits Mei Zhuyu: Tao Te Ching (e.g., Chapter 23: "Those who speak know little; those who know are silent”

Mei Zhuyu and Wu Zhen are the perfect embodiment of yin and yang.
Mei Zhuyu (yang like a mountain, enduring, shaped by time) and
Wu Zhen (yin; intuition, spontaneity, and emotional depth, like a river, fluid, unpredictable, always moving) are the perfect embodiment of yin and yang, cosmic forces in motion.

I see her falling for him in Ep. 6 when he protected her, and he understands what kind of person she really is on the inside

The actress plays Snake Lord is young, only 22, this is her first drama. She's doing great.

Xu Kai’s acting style, consistently nuanced and compelling since 2018 also shines in this drama, where he portrays a reclusive, straightforward, and upright Taoist who speaks sparingly. His performance brings to life the archetype of the Taoist sage—an ideal figure revered for simplicity, humility, and integrity, living in quiet harmony with the Dao (道, the Way). In Taoist philosophy, the sage practices wu wei (effortless action), allowing outcomes to unfold naturally without force or ambition. They avoid boastfulness, relinquish attachment, and move through life like water—soft, adaptable, yet quietly powerful. This character embodies ziran (naturalness) and embraces paradox: strength through yielding, clarity through silence, and presence through detachment.

Can a sage stay true to the Tao amid conflict?
Xu Kai’s Taoist sage character would face tension if seeking revenge, as it directly contradicts Taoist ideals. Falling in love could align with the Dao if portrayed as natural and non-possessive, but in a drama, it’s likely to introduce conflict, challenging his sage-like detachment. The trailers hint at his inner struggle, showing him reciting Taoist scriptures as a way to anchor himself—seeking clarity and alignment with the Dao amid the surrounding chaos.

Tao Te Ching (e.g., Chapter 23: "Those who speak know little; those who know are silent”

In Moonlit Reunion, evil isn’t shown as one clear villain or obvious enemy. The world is more complex—demons aren’t always bad, and people aren’t always good. Places like the Beast Market and the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs don’t fight wars; they work to keep things in balance. The story doesn’t offer a simple good-versus-evil setup. Instead, it’s filled with uncertainty, secret agendas, and morally complicated choices.

I'm guessing Moonlit Reunion doesn’t explain its world because it’s rooted in Chinese folklore and Taoist traditions that many Chinese viewers already understand. It’s kind of like watching a story about Greek gods without knowing the mythology—things happen that seem strange or symbolic, but the show assumes cultural familiarity. So, it doesn’t spell out the rules or meanings; they’re just there, and you’re expected to pick them up as you go.

The Undying Bone can cause harm to humans. Cat Lord's job to maintain order in Demon City.
I thought they've dropped a lot of clues along the way so far about their past what happened to them as children, Mei's hidden agenda.

you might be right. I looked up ALP and it listed as Wuxia when it's clearly classic Xianxia.

it would be nice, but I don't think about it

Mei ZhuYu uses Taoist talismans, spiritual powers, and magic-like rituals, which gives the story a Xianxia vibe. But since there’s no immortal realm or divine ascension, it doesn’t fully belong to the Xianxia genre. Instead, it feels more like a mix of Wuxia and fantasy, or a Taoist supernatural drama.

Wuxia focuses on martial arts. Fighters rely on swords, fists, and physical skill. Qi is used to enhance their strength, speed, and technique—but it’s still grounded in physical combat.

Xianxia includes magic, spells, and powers beyond human limits. Characters can fly, summon spirits, or seek immortality. Qi works more like magical energy in this genre.

So, if someone uses Qi to boost their fighting ability—that’s Wuxia.
Qi + fists/swords = Wuxia-style martial arts

If they use Qi to cast spells or activate talismans—that’s closer to Xianxia.
Qi + spells/talismans = Taoist magic or Xianxia-style mysticism

Mei ZhuYu relies on talismans and spiritual powers, so he doesn’t fit the classic Wuxia mold. But since there’s no immortal realm, it’s not full Xianxia either.

But I think that they label it as Wuxia in a broad sense but it's really not classic Wuxia,

I recall Xu Kai said "It's a new genre" for him. Now I get it. It's hard to label this one.

In Wuxia narratives, heroes often seek revenge as a central motivation, driven by personal honor or justice. Taoism, however, generally discourages revenge, emphasizing harmony, non-action (wu wei), and letting go of personal grudges to align with the natural flow of the Tao. If a character like Mei Z. seeks revenge, it would create a conflict with Taoist principles, as their pursuit of vengeance would go against the Taoist ideals of detachment and inner peace.

I doubt it. That never happens for Xu Kai. But why do you think it will?

Xianxia has immortal realm, and this world setting does not. Wuxia because of his martial arts and upholding justice, but storyline remains to be seen. In classic wuxia, the hero is outside of the law and does not abide by rules, but here, Mei Zhuyu is law abiding. Demons and spirits in folklore are part of Chinese fantasy.

So this part is not in the novel, this place he works in the drama has a history once try to eliminate demons. Taoism only seeks harmony I think.

He left the temple. He's not a priest, is he? He works in the imperial ministry, but he still practices Taoism catching demons who harm humans. Perhaps he feels bad thinking about it because a Taoist should have self-control over desires of the heart?

He has such an amazing voice and delivery. I guess we just look forward to the next two modern dramas to hear it, but I really like this historical formal tone in this video. It's really good, I think. His voice and delivery for Mei Zhuyu has the right emotions for the character. I hear Mei Zhuyu's righteous attitude.

Why shouldn't they meet right away or do you mean fall for each other, but they haven't really fallen for each other and it's already ep. 7. Mei Zhuyu has already cultivated his power growing up in the temple, and he continues to cultivate talismans. Cat Lord was swallowed by the previous Cat Lord and merged with his power, so she doesn't need to cultivate it. In the novel, it opens up with she's getting engaged. That's even faster than the drama. No one knows this script what the mystery is.

Everything looks so real in this drama. Even the animated rat looks real, and they use real cats. The insects, spiders, and reptiles shown are real. It was only for a second that big creepy hair spider blown up like looking under a microscope and I'm scared of spiders. Eerie and spooky aura. Also, I think the way the actors act is according to the director, he wants a certain pace, timing, of their movements to complement or enhance the eerie atmosphere, for shock too. Perhaps that's what Xu Kai meant when he said this is a new genre for him. It's Chinese eerie realism. I used to be scared of the dark. When I was a little girl, there was this room I had pass to get to the restroom, and I learned my grand aunt's ashes are in the vase. I was so scared to pass the room thinking ghosts. This drama reminds me of being scared. Now I think about it, Chinese people use that word for ghost, you know white people are called white ghosts The term "white ghost" (bái guǐ, 白鬼) so ghosts is a familiar thing, must be from centuries of folklore or literature?