I laughed, I raged, I fell inlove, I cried, and bawled some more

From start to finish, there was no boring moment. This is the first Cdrama I watched in 2023 that I didn't speed through. I went through their journey all the way to end, that's why I was so invested on every character. They gave me so much joy and respect.

Their ending was tragic, and I myself am devastated, yet it was something I am able to accept. They gave their all for loyalty. Not to the throne, but to the people they love and wish to protect.

I will not change my perfect score because of the last 6 episodes...because the last 6 episodes were one of the greatest performances of the entire series. It was action-filled and gut-wrenching. I could hear my heart shattering into gazillion smithereens by first strike starting at Ep.35. By fifth strike with Yuanzhou gege, my whole body is numb, tears frozen.

The last 6 episodes were a show of acting prowess from everyone, excellent cinematography, perfectly choreographed war scene, and amazing directing. I would like to thank everyone from the cast to the production team who made this awesome show.

My thoughts about the cast...

Ruyi was the first who captivated me. She is beautiful, scheming, and ruthless, a woman who knows exactly what she wants. You can see her change her perspective on some things as the show progresses. She will come to understand and realize that her initial goals might not be what she truly wants.

Ning Yuan Zhou, oh, that scene at his residence when he stabbed that thoughtless guy and his face covered in blood...for some reason (which is disturbing...a bit?) it looked hot! (Maybe I need some help). But anyway, moving forward, NYZ is a character who is warmhearted to the people close to him and ruthless to everyone else. In a way, he is very similar to Ruyi, the difference is, he actually has people he considers his own, while Ruyi is truly a lone wolf. Thank you Liu Yuning for bringing Ning Yuanzhou to life and giving it soul. Your Ning Yuanzhou will forever be in my heart. A character I truly admire and respect.

Yang Ying was a character you'll probably think is a bit annoying at first because of her naive thoughts, yet she will be the one person who you will come to love at the end. Yang Ying has one of the best character developments I've seen in dramaland. From an innocent and naive princess to embracing everything Ruyi and Ning Yuanzhou taught her. He Lan Dou is such an exceptional young actress. I look forward to her future roles.

Yu Shi San, the person who can make everyone laugh however dire the situation is, a man who seems to be always unserious, but you know you can count on him on crucial moments. I love all his comedic antics.

Yuan Lu is their maknae, the little brother they all want to protect...in the end, it was him who protected them...sob...sob...

Qian Zhao, a man of very little words. He had his own reason for joining the delegation, a deeply hidden revenge plan...yet he gave his life protecting the man he vowed to kill. I bawled at this scene...

Sun Lang, the seemingly clueless brother. He is not much seen as the others, but together with the team, he is also not overshadowed.

My two cents on LTG, such a character wasted.. Maybe they should have cast a better actor, or better gave the character more depth.

With the exception of that one character, everyone is perfect for their roles.

I will probably rewatch this after sometime...or just a compilation of the sweet moments between RY and NYZ,

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Another time-consuming drama that never gets anywhere

I have watched dramas with no story and just solely for romance. I have read reviews and they all vouched on the romance part, so I started watching. I was disappointed. QY was great, he's far from a good person, but I don't think there wasn't anyone innocent in the show. It's all about perspective. Their own view of justice. I'm dumbstruck by how naive and dumb CH was. I mean yeah, she gave up immortality to find true love, and just because a system tells her the man she will first meet is his fated man, she blindly trusted it and relied on it, like she has no opinion or emotions of her own. That kind of woman who resigns herself to destiny is not my cup of woman. They said she matured as the show progresses, but I didn't see it. Yes, she saw the cruelty of the world and she was enlightened. But all she ever did was blame QY. Then she left him because she didn't trust him anymore? What did she give her immortality up for? To find true love, and she found one, only to let it go because she didn't want to believe the man she loves. This is why I am not fond of love triangles. The FL tends to go back and forth between the ML and SML and this was no exception.

Overall, the show was OK. But I will not rewatch this, no matter how hot the ML was.

Edit: OMG, so I just realized now, a few months late... that this was when I first saw Li Hongyi.

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This show is mediocre at best

The quality of web dramas has increased over the years, but some still had lazy writing such as this. There was absolutely nothing new and fresh that this show brought to the table, nothing that I haven't seen before. The cast didn't display strong acting skills as well. I was very uncomfortable watching the ML all throughout the duration of the series in all honesty. The story was also messy and like my favorite phrase, it was all over the place. There was no direction nor a clear end game. The choices that the FL made didn't make sense and just plain stupid.

But, it's not all that bad. At least there was occasional humor. But that was it. I cannot even say anything good more than that.

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It was a nice detective show, but it felt unfinished and lacking character development

Now I understand what everyone have been talking about.

1. Too much suggestive BL scenes - I wouldn't have minded this if there wasn't any romance between Youning and Maomao at the later part of the series. It felt really uncomfortable to me, especially since Chu Sheng is like a real big brother to Youning.
2. Very minimal to almost non-existent hint of romance between Youning and Maomao - Zero romance tension between Youning and Maomao 90% of the series. Then suddenly, it came out of nowhere. Ok, so I understand the first time they kissed had been an instinct to both of them and it would have been appropriate had there been any indication (no matter how low-key it was) that they were slowly developing to more than a bickering old friends, but no. It was like an unexpected slap in the face.
3. The last few episodes were rushed - I was impressed for the majority of the cases. The deductions were logical and the execution was great. But the last 5 episodes were rushed. I didn't get any satisfaction on how the villains got punished.

What I wished the Show should have explored more on:
1. Character development. There was ZERO. I wished to have seen a more mature Youning to become a real journalist and not just publish some catchy headlines to attract readers. Her ways had always been immature and that hasn't changed at all. Maomao has always been a little selfish and self-centered with no particular goal in life, and I am disappointed that there wasn;t really any change till the end. Yea, he held his ground and not follow his father's orders to return home, but that was only because he was having an internal battle with his father. There wasn't any real self-reflection on his part even after a near-death experience. But I do appreciate that he's always logical. Even his calculation of the reason why he wanted to be with Youning was romantic. The most stable out of the 3 and honestly the most likable and interesting character was Chu Sheng. He's smart, charming, and a good leader. Even if he grew up among gangsters, he maintained a kind heart. I was too heartbroken for him on that Tongli case. I want him to be happy again.
2. The tension between the elite Lu family and the Bai gang and how would they resolve their differences.
3. What happened to the looming war - but I guess this will be for another story

Overall, I enjoyed watching the show.

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Everyone's love story

By the end of the movie, I was with a heavy heart. This was a story beautifully written, acted, and directed. It detailed the phases of a relationship that a couple goes through. A few fortunate couples make it to the end of the road, but majority of them like Mugi and Kinu do not. There are many reasons why couples break up. At the end of the day, a person chooses his or her own path that leads him/her to happiness. Mugi and Kinu's love was not any less than those couples that did make it through. They ultimately broke up because they have chosen to live a life they thought they deserved.

And it was not easy to forget that kind of love. After all, theirs was so intense, not to mention the 5 years they have spent together.

I find myself relating to both of them. And from time to time, I also think of my ex and the "what could have been'. But that's just a passing thought. After a minute, I'll forget all about it and move on with my life.

Life is like this. Love more so. You have to fight really hard to keep your love.

Kudos to our two main leads for portraying Mugi and Kinu so realistically. I said it before. This was a story beautifully written, acted, and directed. However, I will not watch this a second time.

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A realistic take on modern working women and romance in general

I find this series to be very realistic. We have a modern working woman as a female lead. She doesn't have a protagonist halo, nor is she a Mary Sue, but she was written as a talented young designer, her skills yet to be perfected. The male lead wasn't OP that can do everything in a snap of a finger. He wasn't omnipotent. There is character development in both characters, but they didn't lose their originality and personality. I also love that there were no repetitive misunderstandings nor white lotus characters. The crisis that they faced as a couple were real adult problems. I also liked the fights that they had, at least they talk their misgivings and not make assumptions.

The way they got together was abrupt and the same when they broke up. But I don't blame ZF for her actions. Despite the obvious attraction between them, she initially didn't want to get together with SL. But sometimes, we can't really put a break on our feelings can we? And so, I believe she gave herself a chance to dare love again. But their beginning wasn't stable to begin with, and so, when the misunderstanding happened, she did as any other woman would react.

I like that ZF is a very reasonable person. Although breaking up with SL was impulsive, she calmed down and realized that it wasn't all SL's fault. And I also liked that they didn't get back together right away. They had time to know each other better. When they finally got back together, although there were still some issues (as any other couples would), they tried their best to accommodate and communicate with each other.

I would say, I fell in love with both characters. They're not perfect, they're flawed individuals who tried their best to live their life. Most importantly, Dili and Johnny has palpable chemistry. The intimate and kissing scenes were very natural, especially the way they touched and looked at each other. I smile and giggle every time they tease each other, really it was way too cute.

As for the side characters, they have their own flaws, and honestly I got annoyed at them a lot of times (I'm looking at you Yu Lin's mum), but she was written as she was because there were really a lot of mothers like her, especially in Asian countries where their children's marriage are considered to be their ultimate achievement.

If there is something I wished they could have toned down is the amount of product placement in the show. I wasn't bothered by it at first, but I got tired and annoyed of that ringtone that played every single time and very often at that. Like seriously?

Anyway, my overall assessment is... this is a great watch and I would watch it again. It isn't a perfect story, but it is very close.

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Noble Idiocy done right! The heart-wrenching never-ending farewells left a gaping hole in my heart

After sacrificing my sleep last night, I finished a whole box of tissue for my tears, and oh well, my snots. I got a taste of sweetness that made my skin crawl from Qingmo and Houchi...and loads of heartaches from Houchi and Bai Jue...then Shanggu and Bai Jue. It was truly a roller coaster for the last 15 episodes.

The moments that undoubtedly made this show special were the endless goodbyes. It was the same concept, repetitive even, but the way they were delivered and how the words were phrased was equally heartbreaking.

And since these scenes were the ones I find remarkable, I would like to say a few more words.

1. See You After 100 Years - The day after Qingmo and Houchi's wedding, they bade goodbye to each other. To Houchi, although she was sad, she was also full of hope in reuniting with her husband after 100 years. If you consider that they're immortals, 100 years is nothing to them, so she might have thought that time will pass in a blink of an eye. For Qingmo however; he was full of uncertainty. Having just accepted the fact that he will disappear one day, separating with Houchi at this time was just too cruel. He probably thought there is a chance that this will be the last time he will see Houchi again, but still, he had a bit of hope of seeing her again after 100 years. After all, that's the timeframe Boxuan is supposed to regain sense.

2. I'm Unreconciled - Confronted face to face with another him who will devour his entire being, Qingmo was devastated...for his fears had come true --- not being able to meet Houchi again. I would like to applaud KaiKai here, he made Qingmo's last day on earth remarkably heartbreaking. He was unresigned, devastated, and full of regret...yet nothing could be done about it. His being was full of desperation you would be a total wood if your heart didn't hurt even a bit with this scene.

3. Qingmo, I'm back / Give Qingmo Back to me - I can't decide which line is better so I included them both as they are the main points of this scene. Having seen Bai Jue herself, Houchi has had her doubts. She believes Qingmo still lives within the man who calls himself Bai Jue. But when she was cruelly denied of this fact and was left with a mere cenotaph, she mourned...as she might have truly lost her husband.

4. I love You, My Dear Wife - Oh, the consciousness that Qingmo left for Houchi was full of love and longing. This was my favorite farewell scene. Like Qingmo said, his life maybe was short, but he was able to live it fully. He loved and received love. It was complete. Saying goodbye to his dear wife, he didn't look sad, but content knowing that their love was real.

5. The "Black Wedding" - After seeing Qingmo's farewell, Houchi was desperate to have him back and so he went to find Bai Jue who is in the middle of preparing his wedding. Houchi wanted nothing else but to know Qingmo is still alive. But bai Jue had to be so cruel in always shooting her down. When Houchi demanded a divorce and Bai Jue made the pact right there and then, I couldn't help but lament the circumstances of these two people who deeply love each other to separate just like that.

And in the middle of that, when Baijue said, "don't stop me or you will regret it" and Tianqi said he won't, Bai Jue repeated the same sentence, only then did Tianqi realize what Bai Jue is trying to do. I tell you, this episode was full of so much angst my heart almost gave up.

The heartbreaking separation of father and daughter. This is the highlight of this episode. Gu Jun sacrificed his life, not for anything else but to save his daughter's life. This scene truly etched in my heart, that a parent can do anything for their children just to keep them safe. And for this, Houchi truly fell into a sense of loss. He lost two of his closest kin, a husband and a father. Who would blame her if she will hate Bai Jue enough to kill him? All she ever wanted was to lead a safe and simple life. To be a filial daughter, a virtuous wife, and a good mother. And when she really did pierce his heart, she smirked, for she did not feel liberated. Killing Bai Jue will not bring back the family she lost. This was when she truly accepted that Qingmo is not coming back and this was truly the end of their ill-fated relationship.

6. Shanggu and Bai Jue - Waking up with no memories for the past 60 years, we see Shanggu with a young heart pining for Bai Jue. But she was told he got married not once, but twice and with a son, we see her confusion and disbelief. When she finally bared her heart to Bai Jue, saying how she wanted to tell him about her time in the Netherworld. That she had misgivings of his infidelity (well, we all know he's really not), but she doesn't know that. She did not receive any bit of consolation from him. And so she gave him up for a second time---as Shanggu.

7. You Really Let Us Down - I simply loved this scene for the powerful message that gave a blow to Muguang. When comparing people's lives, how would you weigh which one is more important? Wu Huan killed a truckload of demons and immortals alike, and when she was on the path to execution, what right would Muguang have to beg for the life of his wife? Houchi's words were bullets straight to the heart.

8. Last Dream - Shanggu never stopped loving Bai Jue. She was disappointed in him, yes, but she has always loved him. So when an opportunity presented itself to be with Bai Jue, even if it's only a dream, she embraced it with all her heart, without knowing this was really it, the final farewell.

After everything that's said and done, I understood what mindset and heart Bai Jue had when he made the decision to take the Tribulation of Chaos for Shanggu. There's nothing left to be said after witnessing their journey.

This is a show that I will love for a very long time.

P.S. Special credit to A-Lin's A Thousand Years of Searching for taking the angst on another level. Her longing-filled voice tinged with desperation in the background pushes the emotion at its peak.

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May the noble legacy and selfless sacrifice of Lin Shu and Mei Changsu live on forever

This show has been the top of my list since I watched it the first time. There were many times when I cried for all the injustices that the Chiyun army suffered and the House of Prince Qi. For all the suffering Lin Shu has endured so he could clear his family's name of the crime they have never committed. For Nihuang, who painstakingly waited for her Lin Shu gege to come back, only to be separated in the end. Life was never fair. But it was particularly cruel for Lin Shu.

Lin Shu is a character I truly admire. After the massacre of his family, he didn't vow for vengeance and didn't cruelly kill everyone involved. Instead, he traded his life, his chance to be with the people he loved and instead be the sly, cunning, and shrewd Mei Changsu. For 13 years, he planned his strategy and eventually he succeeded. The journey though was never easy. And when we thought that he can finally leave in peace, war happened. Instead of spending his limited time with the love of his life, he went to battle to protect the people and his country. This was his ultimate sacrifice so that the people he loved would have peace. Jingyan knows this, more so Nihuang. For Lin Shu and Nihuang, their separation on that hill was poignant and full of hope. Not because they knew they will meet again, but instead they knew this could be the last time they will see each other. And for them, that was okay. Duty to their country comes above all else.

I truly hope that in their next lives, they were born as ordinary families, spending their life until old age. Or, they could have just been reincarnated as Xiao Pingjing and Lin Xi.

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This is a story about love, forgiveness, and acceptance. THIS IS NOT A FAIRYTALE!

I am compelled to write a review because of all the rants I've read in the comment section. If you're looking for a perfect and flawless love story (which btw does NOT exist) get the hell out now.

This is a story that happens to anyone. People are originally fragile and prone to whatever temptations out there. The storytelling was executed perfectly, all the little details hinting at the inevitable... everything that led to that night; a mistake was done, the consequences irreversible.

I don't condone cheating. But to me, cheating is something done intentionally, disregarding the other partner's feelings to satisfy one's own selfish desires. It was not the case with Teh. But whatever the case was, it was still wrong to be swayed with another person and indulge in it without even realizing it while in a committed relationship.

For Oh, it was devastating. To see the love of his life looking at another man with longing; no one would ever want that. And so, he walked away from Teh. I completely supported his decision.

Years later, the wound healed, both of them moved on and can sincerely wish each other well.

Oh's decision to accept Teh back was perfectly rational. It was not something impulsive. He has loved Teh most of his life, no one can take that away from him. He knew that their relationship won't ever be perfect, but he's walking into it with full disclosure.

Anyway, what I'm saying is, THIS IS A STORY ABOUT REAL PEOPLE and not some trashy plot made to satisfy the general audience.

I truly want to commend all the people behind this show. I enjoyed it and was moved by the raw and real emotions the acting and the lines conveyed.

There was no boring moment

No non-sense conversations

Mature thought processes

Character development was present

Believable choices made

To be honest, this show had a much more impact on me than its predecessor.

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When parents fail at parenting miserably and their children were left broken

A psychopath mother wanted to groom her daughter into another her while the father remained a bystander. What a messed-up family. I dropped this once halftime in the first episode, so when I decided to pick it back up, I skipped episode one and watched the second episode instead. I'm glad I did. From then on, I loved every obsessive antics Moon Young has done to get Gang Tae's attention. Ridiculously hilarious. Some might hate MY for being rude, unreasonable, among other things, but I just can't bring myself to hate her. When I look in her eyes, all I see is a very lonely little girl in need of love. Those eyes of hers are so expressive. Seo Ye Ji as Moon Young was perfect. She expressed everything that needed to be conveyed to the audience through her eyes. Needless to say, it was the same for Soohyun. Oh Jung Se as Sang Tae was outstanding. If there is one thing I would have wanted to change was the tragedy regarding Moon Young's mother. It was unnecessary that she was still alive to bring conflict to our leads. It would have been enough drama when she was revealed as the murderer of GT's mother. They should have followed MY's father's story, how he killed and discarded the body. The head nurse should have just been an obsessive fan of some sort. But despite that, I love the show overall. I also loved how it was wrapped up. That Sangtae has finally was able to let go of Gangtae. It was a good watch. Bonus are the hot hot hot kiss scenes. That's what's a kiss should be. Every kdrama should learn from this. (and HPL)

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Xiao Pingjing is a character so gratifying to watch

I don't like to, but I can't help to compare seasons 1 and 2. After finishing season 1 previously, I was in Nirvana in Fire withdrawal for a few days and couldn't move on. This time though, I didn't feel the exact feeling, however, I could say that I was more attached to Xiao Ping Jing than to Mei Changsu. I have seen XPJ grow up. From a carefree and unrestrained adolescent to a mature general and heir to Changlin. I have watched him rise and fall, felt his pain and struggles, and was relieved when he finally forgave himself. I have never seen such a detailed and well-executed character development that was very gratifying to watch. XPJ was a character among my personal favorites. I also love the OST. The ending theme song, Wishing for Peace is such a perfect battle song.

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The Slice of Life and Romance Show You Don't Want to Miss

I read Gu Man's You're My Glory two years ago. I liked it, but for some reason, I was not very attached to the characters. But when I heard the rumors that two of the most beautiful faces on the Chinese entertainment screen will portray Yu Tu and Jing Jing, I squealed with excitement and anticipation (yes, I am superficial indeed).

And so, when I started watching You Are My Glory, I took it as an independent show and not based on the novel. But I was quite surprised that the showrunners have conformed to the original theme and overall feeling of the novel. I mean not in a bad way.

While the first half of the show was about Yu Tu and Jing Jing falling for each other, I loved the latter part more. Still, those gazes they exchanged, their strong attraction that they're not even trying to hide, Jing Jing's expectations, and Yu Tu's uncertainties were wonderful to watch. I want to praise Yang Yang and Reba for bringing Yu Tu and Jing Jing alive. They have great dynamics and intense chemistry to boot..or maybe, it's just the effect of two very attractive people in one frame. whatever it is, I loved this adaptation very much.

Like I said, I loved the latter part of the show more. It portrayed Yu Tu and Jing Jing's life as a couple. I won't go deeper and dissect their inner thoughts and characters, but I want to commend the director of the show for making such mundane daily life quite interesting.

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A Satisfying, High Quality Production with ABSOLUTELY NO Stress level

It's been a while since I wrote a review. When I saw this in MDL, I just dived into it, and oh boy, was it perfection!!! I have never seen such SSS quality CGI. The spells were mesmerizing. The concept of demons and guardians and their magics were very interesting. I was amazed when Boya transformed into the vermillion. I thought it would be irreversible so I want to know more about that. I was surprised when he came back to his original body. Anyway, I loved the show. I may be exaggerating, but that's exactly what I'm feeling right now. How I wished this could be made into a series, with both of our leads in place. I sure am a fan of Denglun, Mark, not so much. But these two had great dynamics and if they worked for a little longer, I think they will make a great duo.

Anyway, the production was truly high-end and cinematography and camera angels were exceptional. This movie captured all my aesthetic desire in a film so I am immensely satisfied. Also, the story was light. There were really no bad villains here. They're sympathetic villains that everyone can or may relate to.

Verdict, LOVED IT! I wish for more!

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How Xiangkong handled the whole Miya thing ruined the show

I loved both our leads at first. They're beautiful and sweet. Their relationship started off as rocky because of misunderstandings, but once they cleared them, the sweet friendship and love story began. That is, until Miya, the ex-girlfriend appeared. I truly loved Xiangkong at first. He was sweet and caring towards Qiu Ying and the adoration they felt for each other can be seen clearly from their clear eyes. But when Miya returned and wants Xiangkong back, I didn't like how Xiangkong handled the whole love triangle thing. He was too rash to declare ownership to Qiu Ying infront of Miya instead of facing it head on with her. Totally mishandled. When that thing got resolved, we finally got to see our couple finally together. We had our brief dose of fluff then the undying ex girlfriend appeared yet again. I mean, c'mon! There should be enough cliche in a few episodes! At this point I began to despise Xiangkong. He was kind to everybody except to the person whom he loved. That was total bullshit. I am a person who is very clear between love and hate. So him neglecting his girlfriend because he felt he was responsible for the ex was bullcrap. And worst of all, the showrunners let the girl give up first instead of the guy realizing his priorities and actually choosing his love. It was aggravating to be honest.

But despite my hate to the way they handled the love story, I liked the e-sports part. Xiangkong was not the best player but he was the best tactician. His skills wasn't god-like, unlike Gun god and he relies on his team for victory, but that was his strength.

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The kind of romance EVERY GIRL wanted in their youth

I dived into this show without any expectation. I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful and heartwarming it was. I have never seen any of the two main leads' works before, but I was impressed by their acting. They portrayed the two adolescents learning about first loves quite perfectly.

Anyway, the story isn't really that fresh. But everything just came together from the actor's portrayal, the directing, cinematography, and writing created this harmony that ultimately made the show special.

Verdict is, I loved it. And will rewatch it. Again. And again.

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