Reviews

Emotional Roller Coaster - nothing "light" about this drama

Lighter and Princess is a polarizing Chinese drama that splits audiences—some love it enough to give it a 10/10, while others really dislike it. In the review string I was looking at I would say it was about 75% rated it really high and 25% rated it low with an insignificant number in the middle. I landed right in the middle though. To me an 8/10 means it is good just not great. It’s very heavy on drama with a darker, serious tone and almost no comedy or light-hearted moments. The romance is an extremely slow burn (the kind where you start wondering if they’ll ever truly get together), which will appeal strongly to fans of that style but can feel frustrating if you prefer better balance. The main girl (Zhu Yun) is interesting—she’s firm and decisive with everyone else but becomes more of a pushover when it comes to him (Li Xun). Their dynamic starts with mutual dislike and bickering, but it’s easy to see the direction things are heading. The show has strong emotional weight and reminded me of the gut-wrenching parental disapproval vibes from shows like "The Heirs" and "Meteor Garden". Production and chemistry are solid, and it builds a loyal fanbase among those who enjoy intense, slower-paced stories. That said, I wouldn’t rewatch it. The slow pacing and the male lead’s type made it a struggle to get through at times, even though I appreciated many aspects. If you like heavy drama, darker romance, and don’t mind a very gradual build, this could be for you. Otherwise, it might drag you down emotionally. My daughter (30s), my drama watching buddy, quit at episode four. She said it was just too boring to her.

Spoilers

The structure of the series really tested my patience. I am not a flash back fan and to have a large portion of the story told as a flashback almost made me quit. So, if you like me, want to know when it will finally stop flashing ack (like seriously it goes on for about 20 episodes - that is a long flash back). I also was losing patience with their romance. They finally get together during their college years around episode 18. The events leading to his (Li Xun) prison time happen around episode 22. Then it switches back to the present day about halfway through episode 23. If you consider that it is easy to understand how someone would get rage quit level frustrated with the structure and pace of the series. So you are glad they finally together in their college days and waiting for it to switch back to present time. But when it finally switches back to present time they are broken up and it felt like they just finally got together a couple of episodes ago. And this was another grueling pacing thing of waiting for them to get together again. They don’t properly reunite as a couple again until quite late—around episode 33 or so. I had to spoiler myself by looking at review sites on the general flow because I was seriously considering dropping it midway. So, one of my biggest gripes was the structure and pacing.

Li Xun is arrogant (as many geniuses are), but that arrogance creates real friction. Old Gao (Gao Jianhong) had a massive inferiority complex toward him, which drove a lot of the betrayal and drama. It was refreshing to see the colleagues at the video game company react differently—they felt lucky to have these two brilliant talents join instead of feeling threatened.

The parental disapproval, especially from her mom (Zhu Yun’s mom), is brutal and very Meteor Garden-esque. I really wanted her mom to have a clear realization that her controlling behavior contributed to Zhu Yun’s serious depression episode, but that never fully materialized. There’s a vague sense it might improve slowly in the future, but it’s not shown. I also wished Li Xun had been more open: he never fully explained to her parents (or even clearly to Zhu Yun) the real reasons behind everything—being kicked out of school, the hacking incident (which he did desperately for his mom’s sake, not intending the extreme grade changes), and especially correcting the cruel things he said right before prison. He should have dropped the pride and told her straight that he never found her annoying or hated her attention. That lack of full vulnerability hurt the emotional payoff for me. On the positive side, I loved that Zhu Yun finally stood up to her mom, clearly stating it wasn’t her choice who she was with.

The main levity in the story came from the characters surrounding the main couple. The boss at the new company going to bat for them with her dad was great, and the company itself becoming like a found family was one of the warmer elements. I enjoyed that aspect of the series a lot. The friendships.

The title and imagery (“Lighter and Princess”) are beautiful—especially the lighter motifs and how she carries herself like a haughty princess early on. It was not at all what I expected from the title or the few previews I had scene. It had a revenge plot running through that I entirely did not expect.

As an empath, the show was emotionally exhausting. Li Xun’s frequent sadness and loneliness were hard to watch, and his coldness toward Zhu Yun at times made it tougher. I needed those resolutions (like clearer communication and family acceptance) to feel better about the rollercoaster, but some of them never fully came. A scene showing them with a child and her parents as happy, smiling grandparents would have been perfect closure.

The lighter funny moments were mostly the computer nerds hacking into each other’s screens right next to them—that was cute.

Overall, it’s a lot. Strong in many ways, but the pacing, emotional weight, and incomplete resolutions kept it from being higher than 8/10 for me.

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Definition of comfort drama

Wow, wow, wow... Where do I even begin?
I was not expecting this drama to be THIS brilliant. Absolutely perfect acting, which didn't surprise me because I already knew several actors from other projects. The comedy scenes are also perfect - this drama made me laugh SO hard! It was also perfect in length at 20 episodes and duration at 1H.
I love that Hyunbin and Jiwon have so much chemistry!
Furthermore, I love that this drama makes stuntmen feel seen and appreciated.
Also, thank you so much for filming in Jeju-do - I was so glad when the characters said they were going there!

I could relate to both Joowon and La-im, and I love them a lot, but I find that there are a few inconsistencies in their characters: I think it's absolutely normal that Joowon was confused by La-im, but some of the things he told her were actually cruel, which doesn't reflect who he was - yes, he was arrogant, rude and clueless at the time, but the writers took things too far.
As for La-im, I love that they made her a complete badass, so it was completely out of character when she suddenly acted like a little girl while interacting with Oska - don't get me wrong, she could absolutely be a badass and a fangirl, but tapping her toes on the floor while talking to him was too childish; what was also out of character was the fact that she didn't refute Joowon's claim that she pretended not to want expensive stuff.
Apart from this, it was very cringe to watch the parts when we could hear their thoughts - unfortunately, dramas used to do this a lot, and it's extremely cringe because the thoughts themselves are cringe-worthy; also extremely cringe was the part when Joowon was smiling while watching La-im sleep because, again, the way he was smiling was cringe - I feel so bad for Hyunbin for having to do that, lol. But at least it only happened once!
These inconsistencies and cringe moments are the only reason why I'm not giving the drama a perfect score - fortunately, there were only a few parts when we could hear their thoughts, which means it doesn't happen often enough to lower the drama's score by more than a star. I really wish I could watch this drama on loop forever because I loved it that much... I'll watch it from time to time, but I'll simply be skipping the cringe parts, haha - this is officially my first comfort drama (along with EXO Next Door, but that one I watch for the comedy and it can't be compared to regular dramas).

[Warning: Spoilers ahead!]
I thought Joowon's mother was going to come around when she found out who La-im's father was, but she got even worse, so I thought "Maybe when they get married...", which turned into "Maybe when they have children...", and it just never happened, and it's okay that that was the writers's choice, but it was unfair to Joowon, La-im and their children - they deserved better.
I love all the kissing scenes that were gifted to us and I LOVE that Taeseon is gay! Also, the fact that having sex was mentioned as something natural in dramas from around this time and even a long time before makes stories more realistic.
In the beginning I thought I was going to hate Yoonseul, but she was actually my favourite character - I related to her the most and I fell in love with her... Joowon and La-im's story made me suffer in the last few episodes, but Yoonseul's story made me suffer the entire drama - Kim Sarang really made me feel like the pain was real, so well done to her!
Same goes for Bongho - I thought I was going to hate him, but I actually loved him and he even made me cry. I absolutely LOVE when writers create characters who look like they're going to be villains but who are actually good.
Every single actor and character was essential and awesome!
On another note, I love that we got to see Yejin at the end of the drama, hehe.
[End of spoilers]

Thank you to all the actors, writers, directors, producer, staff, everyone involved for this amazing drama! Maybe the industry will trade art for AI, but people like me will always want to see the creativity of real people only.
Hopefully you can feel the love if you're reading this and were one of the people involved!

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More like watching a tragedy than a romance.

The actors are incredible, they did a great job portraying the characters and their emotions. The love story however is just depressing. Mostly, because it's not a love story and shouldn't have been portrayed as such, the ml does not truly love the fl. He has affection for her sure, but he loves himself way more and has absolutely no respect for her. None. He hurts her with words, abandons her, lies to her, says he will protect her but let's his mother bully her, not to mention how he keeps hanging with the women he told her and a bunch of other peiole he loves. The worst part is he sees how it affects her, he sees her get mad, sad and crying, he even found out she could have died because of him. And what does he do? He continues doing whatever he wants. He wants her so she can't leave him no matter how much he hurt her. There was no indication of change in his behaviour either. Honestly, watching this was worse than watching an outright abusive relationship. Because at least then it would be harder to excuse it as some romantic drama. It's not.

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Emotions are okay

Emotions at 18 are the strongest, and sometimes they can lead young people into bad decisions. Therefore, it is important to find a way to express them and put them in the right place. This movie centers on a class of female students and their new teacher, who tries to approach them with friendship. We see how negative emotions influence the students, and we are reminded that it is hard for teenagers to understand life from an objective perspective. At the same time, it is also difficult for adults to understand the youth. In this movie, the teacher is the one who manages to break down the walls of emotions and truly understand her students’ hearts. In my opinion, she stole the spotlight and became the real main character of the film.

The acting was good, but I wouldn’t say it was excellent. The male characters weren’t very good, and I think the movie would have been even better without them. I didn’t see any real need to add the foreign boy into the story because he just vanished as if he had never been there. As far as I know, he wasn’t either in the original novel on which this movie is based.

Since I am in a Korean book club, I will suggest reading this book there. I’m interested in connecting with the characters on a deeper level because I really liked the topic and the movie simplified it. The church setting served the story well, as did the beach. All in all, it was a nice movie about being honest with your emotions and finding someone to share them with.

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Strong premise & buildup ruined by the uncalled-for Climax | Agonizing blindspot crossdressing trope

"When above others, treat them as equals. When below others, maintain your integrity." - Yin Xiang (Chu Zhao's Maid)

First off, this is actually my second attempt at this drama. During my first try, the cliché opening scene made me drop it immediately. Now that I have mustered enough mental stability and patience to finally give it another shot, I have to admit it’s not bad at all. In fact, it is an entertaining show. You just really have to feign ignorance and act convinced by the 'obviously a girl but somehow fooling the entire army' trope they're trying to establish and you will be fine—which can truly be challenging for people who despise such illogical, cliché plots.

I honestly don't want to dwell too much on the negative aspects of the story. Instead, I want to write a genuine review by avoiding sarcastic and shady remarks, and the only way I can do that is by addressing the elephant in the room firsthand. So, let me start this review by saying that the major flaw of this story—one that baffled me and stuck with me throughout the entire first half—remained the "renowned female general disguised as a man who was never discovered despite obviously looking like a woman" trope. It was just not convincing at all, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to believe it.

The FL (He Ru Fei/He Yan) was short and slim—a true embodiment of a woman from her childhood until her adulthood. So, I cannot wrap my head around the logic that her classmates, and more so the ML (Xiao Jue) who knew her and interacted with her since her teenage years, failed to notice and/or see through her disguise at all—with or without her full-face mask on. What's even more flabbergasting is how he didn't notice her being a woman, or recognize her as He Ru Fei, when she joined the army as He Yan without her mask. I just find it ridiculously impossible that Xiao Jue failed to recognize He Yan's uncanny resemblance to He Ru Fei, given their history together, her height, physique, build, voice, and other similar factors—especially since she never deliberately attempted to change her pitch, gestures, or movements at all. I think it's utterly stupid and absurd how it took them so long to catch on to her act of deception when the similarities were as clear as day. Are they really that dumb and dense? I have long accepted that masks can be a huge factor in Chinese costume dramas, but I just can't fathom how, even without them, they are getting deceived. Ghad!

In conclusion, The Female General title would have been perfectly fine, if only they didn't ask the audience to swallow the unbelievable and unconvincing fact that no one noticed He Ru Fei/He Yan was a woman all along. *Sighs*

The storytelling during the first 32 episodes was completely entertaining. It was fast-paced and highly compelling. My prejudice against the show was gradually vanishing with every passing episode. At one point, I even regretted not watching it through to the end on my first attempt. One reason I could think of for this is that they didn't waste much time re-telling or looking back at the past of the main leads together. Instead, they dedicated a 30-second to 1-minute time span—right after the opening theme—for roughly 3 to 5 episodes to show us a brief recollection of their past. This gave us enough general knowledge of how their relationship was formed without wasting a huge amount of time on flashbacks. It was such a clever and efficient idea that saved plenty of time, piqued my interest, and made me more invested in how their romantic relationship would bloom in the current timeline.

One instance that completely threw me off during the first 32 episodes occurs in Episode 26, right around the 21-minute mark, when He Yan panics while looking for Xiao Jue in the middle of a battle, thinking he is gravely injured or, worse, killed. It honestly would have been a fine, natural reaction—if only she hadn't gone frantic, shouting and running around. Like, girl? You can't seriously be having a mental breakdown, lowering your guard in the middle of a freaking war, aren't you? If Xiao Jue hadn't survived and saved her, she most certainly would have been killed.

While this trope is incredibly common in dramas, this was truly one of those moments that made me roll my eyes and scoff at how ridiculously absurd the scene was. She's a general with hundreds, if not thousands, of people under her command, for Pete's sake! She shouldn't be letting her guard down and making herself completely vulnerable in the middle of a battle, especially since the enemies haven't been fully defeated yet. Ugh! At least in other dramas I've watched that utilized this trope used a character's "death" as great motivation, fueling their will and tenacity, compared to how she immediately became a damsel in distress open to assault. *Facepalm*

I should also mention that although I found the filler episodes unnecessary at first, it was only as the story progressed and reached the climax that I understood why they were included. They give us crucial background information about what transpired in the past so we don't get lost when the narrative shifts back to the main conflict. That way, we aren't left wondering where the hatred and grievances came from and how it all started.

Finally! Let me talk about the rather disappointing ending that disturbed and sullied the trajectory of the story's otherwise seamless flow for me.

Although the main conflict wrapped up sooner than expected, it was actually brilliantly executed. It concluded satisfyingly through the main leads' well-crafted plan of convicting the main antagonists (Xu Jingfu & He Ruifei) of their crimes by using their own scheme against them.

What truly bothers me is the realization that the main conflict ended four episodes ahead of the drama's conclusion—in episode 32. At that point, I was contemplating whether to feel disappointed that the main conflict ended ahead of the show's actual finale, or grateful that they wrapped it up early, which would theoretically allow us to enjoy some relationship progression and the casual, day-to-day trivialities of the main leads and supporting characters. However, that feeling of confusion and contemplation completely vanished when they started bombarding us with uncalled-for tragedies (Yan He 😭) and extremely late, unnecessary conflicts in the main leads' relationship. It felt like it was done for one specific reason: to eliminate Chu Zhao and have him disappear completely.

If they wanted to bring down Chu Zhao so badly, wouldn't it have been much more reasonable to do it much earlier? I understand that they wanted to show us how madly deluded and crazily in love he is. But wouldn't it be more satisfying if he was convicted sooner for his collusion with and crimes alongside the Prime Minister, rather than the crime he was actually convicted for—which was just sowing discord and creating suspicion in the Emperor's mind? What's more infuriating is how he got such a light punishment after all the tragedy and casualties he caused. It was maddening how, at the end, he was only dismissed, barred from ever being reinstated, and banished never to return. When he clearly deserved execution for all the lives lost because of his schemes! *Throws hands up in frustration*

The climax to ending was truly anticlimactic! I don't know why they couldn't just allow the story to end happily by omitting the tragedies, especially when they easily could have done so. It seems to me that the writers fell into the classic trap of dragging out a conflict for cheap, late-stage drama, completely sacrificing a satisfying conclusion just to force a more "dramatic" ending—which turned out horribly.

This drama really should have ended at episode 32 or 33, as all the conflict they fabricated in the last 3-4 episodes could have been left up to the viewers' imagination. It brought nothing positive to the narrative; it only ruined the perfect impression we had of Xiao Jue's strong, unwavering devotion to He Yan and stripped Yan He of the highly anticipated—and what should have been a greatly celebrated—meeting with his firstborn. I'm still mad that they deprived him of seeing, carrying, and embracing his child because they suddenly decided to kill him. I'm still mourning his death. He was such an adorable character and is my absolute favorite in this show. Good grief!

Additionally, I've realized that no matter what, the Emperor will walk away unscathed—like he was never associated with, or part of, any problem he took part in. What a privilege. lol

P.S. In Episode 28, around the 30:20 minute mark, when the Xiao family was having dinner, Xiao Jue served He Yan the 'Mushroom and Chicken Stew'—acting all caring, attentive, and mushy. I just knew his brother was thinking, 'What gay shit is this?' because he had introduced her as a guy friend, yet was acting all whipped! Haha!

"Since you're already at rock bottom, every step you take next, will be upwards." - Xiao Jue

Story - 8.0, This easily could have been a 9.0 if they hadn't ruined the last 3-4 episodes with uncalled-for conflict and tragedy, which only smeared the show's otherwise smooth run. I already overlooked the "obviously a girl but somehow fooling the entire army" trope and bore through the absurd, sudden "damsel in distress" scene in episode 26. However, I can no longer turn a blind eye to the blatant and stupid execution of the climax.

Acting/Cast - 9.0, I like the cast, and their performances are truly impressive. However, I feel that some of the actors do not fit their roles perfectly. A couple of good examples are Bai Shu as He Ru Fei. While he executed his vile and ruthless character very well, it is hard to shake my overall impression of him as a naturally goofy and mischievous person. Similarly, Zhou Ye as He Yan is fine, but her physical frame is simply not entirely convincing for the Female General role. Although her exceptional acting, partnered with her radiant and cheerful persona, naturally masks her inadequacies—convincing the people around her that everything is alright and overshadowing her physical stature—seeing her side-by-side with the male actors still makes me shake my head.

Music - 10, I love every single song featured in this drama. In fact, I'm listening to the entire OST on Spotify as I write this review. Looking at the tracklist, I realize it's impossible to give the music anything less than a perfect score.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, The show was truly enjoyable! However, I don't think I can tolerate watching that mood-killer climax a second time, or force myself to buy into the cross-dressing disguise plot again.

Overall - 8.0, Sometimes, I hate the fact that I am too tolerant and considerate, as it becomes a factor that makes me go easy on providing a just review for anything I evaluate. However, for this drama, I think this rating is just right. The climax may have been totally disappointing, but my experience watching this show was still considerably great.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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Tear Jerker

This one is devestatingly amazing. It delves into the true meaning of love and letting go for the one you love.
The story centers around two unloved chaebols who fall in love only to meet a tragic demise. He is able to go back to the day they met and chooses to pursue her properly. However, going back in time comes with a heavy price: it ages him and drastically deteriorates his health. Despite this he attempts to live a good life with her until once again they meet a tragic demise. On his third and last rebirth he protects her by silently supporting her as he is now an old man whose health barely allows him to live. He changes her life only to die of old age/sickness before they ever properly meet. However, she is happy which was his goal. It is devastating and wholesome and a true testament of love. The actors did a phenomenal job and major kudos to the ML who mamaged to portray different aging characters over one vertical drama.
That being said the last minute where the writers attempted to soften the blow by msking it out to be 2 actors playing a scene cheapened the beautiful storyline and the messages that came across.

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why is the content rating 13+

theres no way this is rated 13+ I thought the scene was going to end but It just keeps going. like even in other BL's the scene normally ends by the time they kiss but they didnt stop💔 Anyways this was a great show, I loved Duang's personality but not to down play Qin's trauma or anything but seriously like the writers couldn't think of ANYTHING more traumatizing? I understand how something like that would affect Qin's personality but like the fact they made it such a big deal like Qin has to genuinely learn to let go of some memories, Aint no way they made him "let go of his younger selfs hand" like it was such a big thing to let go of im dead. Anyways great show, amazing acting though and also the music is fire but personally I wouldn't rewatch it as I felt the show just dragged along and I just felt so bored.

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One of the best dramas I've watch.....but the last 5 eps were kinda disappointed

I thought I should write a review on this drama!
I really liked this drama like the story, the actors and actresses, the quality. Ci Sha looked so like majestic and too nice in this drama. He looks mature than his age and trust me Chen Yanyun(his role) really really suits him. And I like Ren Min who played Gu Jinzhao. They really had nice chemistry.
Although the ending was strong but towards the ending like last 4-5 episodes I kinda feel like they ruined it, not the cast like the production team or the editors. It's indeed a splendid drama idk why they just ruined it at the end, like the end felt kinda empty. It's like they made it unfair for the whole dramas by just last 5 episodes. But from the start to until last 4-5 episodes I freaking loved it, the story ,the cast, roles.
There were few places in the drama that felt like nonsense. Like where when Gu Jinzhao was getting married Ye Xian(2nd lead played by Winwin) came and confessed but she had already told that he's no more than just a friend but later it shows as she's sad, but it shows that she has no feelings for him. That was like bruhh.
The betrayal, politics, romance like everything was in the drama. I really loved watching their together parts like couple romance, it was so good. He's a green forest man, he really loves him so so much.
The wedding part had me giggling and repeating for several times, like it's one of the or like the best scene and their newlyweds time and their romance. AARRGGHHHHHH
Anyways I don't want to spoil much though, actually more like i didn't say anything lol.
It's actually a nice drama with everything as I said betrayal, politics, romance( kinda slow burn)
I hope u won't be disappointed by watching it.

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Great actors in mediocre dramas... it seems like it's the new trend...

how can 1ML, a pretty good actor and 2ML with huge charisma to act in such a weak, stupid, fake drama... everything feels forced, fake.. the story is -100.... and I'm only at episode 2. actually, I don't know if I'll continue. I was super excited to see them in a new series. too bad. I don't want to love my time at all ..

illogical setting, and the lack of charm or emotional connection, it’s hard to find anything to enjoy or stay invested in.

This drama should be called The Master of Boundary Violation and How to Be the Most Annoying Woman in the World.

A mentally and emotionally healthy masculine man would never fall in love with such a woman.

I didn't like FL character at all. So intrusive, insistent and insensitive. And she's supposed to be funny. That seems to me to be a pure violation of boundaries, of privacy and the drama present this as normalization that she's cute, confident.

The only thing I liked was the images of mushrooms... I love it.

I can't believe how bad most dramas have become.

Great actors in mediocre dramas... it seems like it's the new trend...

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A better version

İ remember watching the Wang Kaimu-Ye Xinxin version of this, and I liked it very much.
I remember I had a few things I didn't like the production quality and a few plot holes here and there, but I gave it a solid 8 which means I enjoyed it very much since I barely rate VDs over 7.

And this by far is a better version, I kinda disagree with everyone on this because I LOVED the chemistry and the romance here more than the other version, to be fair I only saw those two versions so I don't know about the rest, I plan to watch another two (Yao Guanyu-Hou Chengyue ver. And Wang Yige-Zhang Zilin ver. Well, If I could find the latter anywhere)

Story:
Well, the story is complex and has a lot going on, wether it's good story or not, I don't think a few hours will be enough, it needs longer episodes and larger budget, because no matter how long the version, it still has plot holes and a few things that wasn't explained well or they just dropped it altogether, I remember a few things that were explained better in the WKM-YXX version and others were explained better here, and I mean significant scenes and events.

Acting:
While I don't think the "sad and emotional" scenes were very convincing, I loved the flirty and intimate scenes, they were not explicit or anything, but I LOVED the push and pull here than in the other ver. I loved how they looked at each other, their smiles, their small gestures and little touches... Just everything, I wish I can see Zhao Zhendong and Zhang Jinyi again together in a more romantic drama because I genuinely enjoyed them together, I maybe the only one and it needn't all that excitement on my behalf but that's how much I loved them. ZZD was so good, I loved the scenes where he wanted to scare the FL and when he was holding himself back, he was just amazing.

Production was much better compared to the other version, you can clearly see that in the locations and the final product, HOWEVER one thing ruined everything for me, I literally saw the camera or part of it in 4 scenes... IN 4 SCENES!!! One, I'll call it a mistake, but 4?? That's just someone being lazy doing his job.

Aside from that, hair make up clothes, all is ok, nothing to write home about.
Final thought, the story has a lot going on so if you don't like the story you won't enjoy it as much, but personally I believe this is the better version, I don't know yet if it's the BEST but for now it's the better.

I may (may not) edit this review after watching the other two to say which is my favourite.

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Made a perfect clown out of me

I actually had high hopes for this but its just pure garbage. First of all, there are no real stakes. They make a big deal out of FL supposedly not having real statues eventhough she is a freaking chaebol with a fat bank account, fame and a rising job. Then we are told that royal blood is very important to define peoples statues but we never actually feel this desparity between the 2 leads. Its just them talking about it. Honestly FL just seemed insecure ASF. They do all this weird stuff to " protect the crown " but the sense of danger is not really there. Protect if from what? In the end they just get rid of the entire monarchy like a hot potato so it meant nothing all along.
Main leads are boring as hell individualy and their love journey is so fast paced its nonsensical.
God am I tired of this type of cold, bitchy, young , chaebols,fashionista divas in kdramas. We had a bajillion already. The magic is gone. The ML isnt anything to write home about either.
Characters do a random 180 in the middle when they cant be bothered to write a better plot.
So FL father is a fucking cheater with 0 parenting skills who cuases ireverible damage to both kids but it gets glossed over becuase apparently he loved her all along and SHE was the misunderestanding him. Oh the misary. Its almost like he couldve opened his stupid mouth and clear things up sooner cuz... I dont know.... he is the adult
And the misnister guy? He tried to kill the man for god sake and main leads are acting like its a normal hiccup.
" oh you wanted to take my life. Thats not cool bro" wtf

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Deeply spiritual, a must watch

I’m actually on episode 39 while deciding to draft this review, because i have a sense of the inevitable around halfway through the drama, and even now, my views have not changed, so here we are.

Would also like to apologise in advance of length but if you decide to read you’re an absolute goat that’s for sure

It’s hard to actually write a review of this drama because of how much of an impact it has left. Even harder to formulate an overall rating. There are a multitude of basis for this.

Overall enjoyment, the lessons taught, the depth, the visuals, the story, out of love for a particular actor so you give it 10/10 anyway. The list goes on and on.

I ended up balancing a bit of both story/structure, the core message, depth and its execution. How memorable it would be after I finish, irrespective of what I hoped the ending to be.

There was another platform that I used to watch this on, which I’ll refrain from naming, and the overall had been a 6.5 before I started. It didn’t affect my decision in watching, but the need to know why became the primary motivation, in addition to enjoy another one of his works of course.

6.5 is considered quite low, and it felt like a blow considering it’s a highly anticipated work.

To put it in a single sentence, this drama is not for everyone.

The structure of the plot itself is an innovation, and requires a lot of patience. Normally past/alternate timeline is dedicated to 10 or so episodes, which is mostly common (TTEOTM, Love Between, Untamed. Etc). But in this case, we get injected fragments when fox is reminiscing, has passed out, or dreaming.

It’s apparent very early on, that the main value (as is always the case for Luo Yunxi's dramas) of this story was not what I expected. It’s beyond just a tragic misunderstanding, winning against evil , and the desire to make things right.

There is strong philosophical and spiritual depth. No exact spoils, because you are meant to work to realise and appreciate such multi layered depths.

There is just so much truth. Raw, unflinching truths that one might not be ready to hear, or even understand. But it may be a a sign to embark on your own spiritual awareness. If you do recognise these truths about life, these moments are the ones that make you weep, and not witnessing a character going through some form of pain.

This is just my personal interpretation, but depending on your own experiences, your personal journey in the current stage of your life, not everyone may be able to recognise the spiritual themes, and view it solely as a “friends to enemies, and the desire to revive a dead master, and defying fate” kind of story.

Which is completely okay, but I think this recognition is what ultimately separates a viewer giving a 6/10 as opposed to 9/10.

The only reason why I did not give it 10/10 is only due to lack of background/ not enough focus on the Yinyang concept, since this is heavily tied to Tang Lici’s identity. At times, the intention wasn’t clear even near the end—was he reborn? Is he a descendant even? Is he born to kill the origin? So and so.

Perhaps we were made to guess, but the confusion removed me from the immersion of the story at times, a break in the flow, and I felt it should be reflected in the rating

The idea of defying fate is primarily the case for TTEOTM, which there’s notably a lot of comparison of with Whispers of Fate, but this felt watered down and not the main focus as the former was. It felt like an injustice to compare both characters, as both dramas tell a completely, COMPLETELY, different story, and holds an entirely new meaning.

Tang Lici left the realm he wasn’t supposed to leave, and the aftermath of every event that is showcased through the drama felt like a karma for escaping. You can sense the gods’ wrath at his choice to carve his own path. There’s a sense of punishment, and also immense blessing. Despite this, there is an undercurrent of belief that’s refused to be trodden. He navigates through the emotional burden alone, with friends, and you witness these experiences shaping him, somewhat resembling trials and tribulations, both in a tragic and heartwarming sense.

It goes without saying his portrayal of these complex emotions is absolutely phenomenal so I shall spare you another round of essays…

At some point near the end, I was heavily reminded of the book “A Little Life”. Different context, similar main character, similar emotional journey. And even the same tragic, inevitable end. At times where Tang Lici was suffering away from prying eyes, choosing the lone path, hiding his true background, and refusing to let others in, it was one of those moments that reminded of the book.I couldn’t pinpoint exactly when. But it just suddenly appeared, and I couldn’t unsee it since.

I found myself in such grief in moments where Tang Lici was so compassionate, his love so unconditional, to even dare say he'd never be as benevolent like Fang Zhou, but his actions had already proved him otherwise--and not where he was in physical pain. There are a lot of quiet devastating moments that are like arrows to the chest, striking where it hurt most.

The music really highlight the emotions in the scenes so well. T-T The music for this drama is so good.

In the end, if I have to choose, I would introduce Whispers of Fate as a profound journey of healing and growth. One that might help the viewer in their own journey as well.

The healing comes in many forms: forgiveness—somehow always harder to yourself than to others, letting go—of the past, of what you consider to be mistakes, of chronically thinking what could have been, of control, courage—in vulnerability, accepting/asking for support and love, and to keep the courage alive in the face of absolute failure and future ventures. The growth naturally, comes from healing.

In a way, his emotional journey mirrors that of mortals. Grief, death, love, hate, happiness, gratitude, growth, hope, sickness, sacrifice. Where there is suffering, he had also experienced beauty. Despite the foreseeable ending, there was a sense of fulfilment that couldn’t be denied. To live as Tang Lici was something he was grateful and happy to be. His life, despite power, was at the expense of his soul at the Celestial Realm, but richer and more fulfilling in the Divine Land. Notice the colour grading between the two - cold as a prison and vibrancy.

I don’t think he would have changed his decision.

Such is the meaning of life. To experience, and don't say "regret"

On the recognition of spiritual themes, I personally had synchronities in relation to the idea of controlling outcomes, just days before starting this drama. I think because of this, Shui Long Yin above his other works, is a drama I won't ever forget. The profound impact and the themes it tries to pass on to the viewer had struck a chord within me. It felt like alignment that I came across it at this specific point in my life-where the major themes mentioned are values I still try to learn to embrace.

Since 2023, I have begun experiencing symptoms of anhedonia, and it has gradually grew worse since. I do things for the sake of doing, and this drama and its profound messages, was like this quiet but heavy presence, reminding me what life is supposed to be about. To remember what is important but have become increasingly neglected in today's society. Compassion is dying, love is transactional, being righteous and speaking out gets one k/lled. Cowardice lets you survive. Freedom doesn't always equate to power, but choosing what the heart yearns.

Tang Lici was created as a second YinYang to revive the Celestial Realm, and they attempted to control every aspect to succeed in the outcome. but what they failed to consider is the unpredictability of the human heart, and the power of compassion (Fang Zhou).

The tragedy lies not in the ending, but Tang Lici having a sense this would be the case, and accepts it graciously for the sake of the relationships he loved so deeply. There is just so much gratitude and compassion in his choice, that he was grateful to live as Tang Lici, even though it was fleeting. How many of us feel the same way, about the time that's given to us on Earth?

I could write a dissertation on the drama’s depth. This is merely just a list. The interwoven themes run so deep, requiring one’s own interpretation beyond dialogue given, particularly in quiet moments, that you might miss the details upon devouring the episodes. But as mentioned, that is up to you.

To end, I'm going to leave a few of some hard hitting quotes

"If everything in this world became an unchanging eternity, then it is not worth remembering.”
"I'm a monster who wishes to kill, but once revered as a god. You're labelled as a monster, who wishes to save the world."
“I have always held back”
"If others laugh, let them laugh"
“if a person sacrifices himself to save everyone else, should they die?”
"There are things more important than life or death"
“There is no such thing as wasted time. There is only new hope, and new people. Dont hate yourself.”
“You are afraid of being understood, and when you get misunderstood, you dont mind. You dont like to explain yourself.”
"He never liked Longjing since young"
“When you start to explain yourself, you lose”

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