Revenged Love is about a young man whose girlfriend leaves him for a rich dude – and so the shafted little guy decides the best revenge would be to seduce her new boyfriend. He enlists the help of his gay bestie and fully commits to his scheme.
The plot was refreshingly different and took us through several plot arcs. There was obvious and meaningful character growth of all four main characters. It felt natural and real (within the context of this wild storyline), with a wide variety of sets, indoor and outdoor filming locations, and a solid pace throughout the 24 episode runtime. It was gorgeous without being overly cinematic. There were tons of side characters and tons of extras and it felt like everything was happening in the real world, not a closed set. I was never for a second bored.
I only have one complaint.
I finished watching the show this weekend and couldn’t help but mourn the loss of our main character’s libido in the second half of the series (why did this show get more PG after they’d had sex?). Sure, there were allusions to it, some very, very quick cuts, some fades, some implied naughtiness. But OMG, you filmed this outside of China so you could give us a live action version of one of the horniest characters ever written: Chi Cheng! A man whose love for snakes is only surpassed by his desire for ass, a man whose libido is so overwhelming he actually takes medication to calm his feral hormones down. The censors were not coming from you, Revenged Love, so why hold back? I’m not saying I needed full NC17 scenes in the second half of the show, but at the very least we could have had some hardcore, passionate make out scenes and more of the ass grabbing, aggressive boyfriend we’d come to love.
Alright, I’ve got one more tiny complaint and that’s it – I promise! Let me say as much as I enjoyed both actors playing the second couple, I think we can all agree it was clear one of them did not enjoy kissing men. Let’s be honest, that boy’s lips were firmly sealed.
Despite my minor complaints, this was still one of the best BL dramas I have seen in ages and I highly recommend it to everyone. I loved everything else about this show and have been active in the fandoms gushing and chatting about it all summer.
If ya’ll did not know, Revenged Love is based on the novel Counter Attack 柴鸡蛋 by Chai Ji Dan 柴鸡蛋, the same author who wrote Addicted and Advance Bravely. Addicted was the first Asian BL novel I read and I ate it up, but it was tame in comparison to Counter Attack which I read directly after. The source material has fast paced short chapters; yes, it’s sometimes extremely cringe, but it’s also brave enough to casually toss in taboos and insane behavior left and right, it’s very very sexy, and best of all it had me laughing out loud with all the jokes and witty banter. It was a memorable reading experience. The drama Revenged Love is a serviceable live action version. I’m actually quite proud of how much they kept in, while simultaneously being a tad disappointed at what was missing. Oh, the curse of book adaptations, am I right?
And don’t get me wrong – it was still very, very sexy even if it didn’t include the many intimate scenes in the book. The show still managed to be titillating and exciting. In particular Tian Xuning’s performance as Chi Cheng, slinking through every scene like panther who has locked in on their prey but first wants to play with it for a while. Ya’ll, the flirting and seduction scenes between these two were so hot! That man’s pursuit of Wu Suo Wei (and Wu Suo Wei’s pursuit of Chi Cheng followed by his hasty retreats) were soooo intoxicating to watch. They may not have given us much to work with as far as sex scenes are concerned, but for at least 60 percent of this drama it was clear there was only one thing on Chi Cheng’s mind and it was delicious to watch this deep voiced (thank you voice actor Shun Zi!) dom corner his man.
I would say the success of this show is entirely due to the tight script (a good script seems to be hard to come by in the BL industry) and its vivid trope-defying characters. The author of the original novel wrote the screenplay and was heavily involved in the show’s production – and you can tell she worked hard to bring her vision to the screen.
The actors knew who their characters were and nailed their roles. The dialogue felt natural, the line delivery was perfection, and the quirky scoffs, sexy purrs, frustrated sighs, alarmed squeals, and jittery rambling were all true to human behavior. Everyone was allowed to be many shades of gray. They made mistakes, they lied to each other and themselves, they were insecure and they were confident. They were emotionally varied, with pros and cons. None of that dull binary green flag / red flag business, these characters were human.
You will laugh, you might even cry, but most of all you will fall in love with these boys falling in love with each other. I hope we continue to get more uncensored adaptations of Chinese BL novels and webtoons in the future, because there are soooo many quality stories just begging to be brought to life.
If you haven’t watched Revenged Love yet – get on over to Viki or GagaOOLala or just go the Youtube page of the show.
Revenged Love – Overall Rating: 10/10 – Snakes, Sluts, and a Hot Polycule.
The Blossoming Love had all the things I adore in a Xianxia (fantasy) drama – magical arrays, cultivator sects, sword graveyards, gorgeous costuming, and an abundance of glowing, glittering special effects. It had mixed worlds and peoples (immortals, humans, demons, and more) and their usual struggle to get along. It may not have had the highest budget, but they used their money wisely. Everything looked fantastic.
But what elevated this drama into the upper echelon for me was the surprising development of the three main characters and the really wild plot line. Even by Xianxia standards (where anything can happen and usually does) this storyline stood out.
Quick Plot Summary for the Set Up (when things still seem “normal”):
In this story, there are two ancient divine artifacts: the book of fate and the chaos pearl. These two artifacts have been controlling all three realms since time immortal. Due to some dramatic events that will be revealed later in the show, the chaos pearl fell into the human world.
There is a magical barrier between the human world and the Dark Realm (a magical hellscape filled with evil immortals that can’t be killed cause they constantly reincarnate) – and that barrier is old and weakening, with the baddies inside eager to break free.
The chaos pearl was used to create the barrier between the Human World and the Dark Realm and it has been closely guarded by the cultivator alliance for centuries.
Recently a mysterious group has been helping the Dark Realm… trying to steal the chaos pearl and break the walls between the worlds forever…
That’s the basic set up of the drama to get you through ACT I.
Let’s peek at the major locations:
The Dark Realm
Snow City
Hanging Sky Pavilion
Jade Sky Palace
Profound Excellence Villa
Mirage Palace
The Heavenly Immortal Realm
Now let’s meet the three main characters!
***very mild spoilers for the first part of the drama below
They all have X names… so I gave most of them nicknames to help us out.
ML – XIE XUECHAN – “White Knight”
The male lead Xie Xuechan, our White Knight, is the most upright, moral, rigid and respectable man you can imagine. He’s the top sword cultivator in the realm, heir to the Snowy Mountain Sect folks who are guarding the chaos pearl, and a total badass in white robes.
Our White Knight has followed the righteous cultivation path, meaning he’s closed himself off from his emotions so he can care for all people equally, with no one in his heart who might sway or influence his decisions in protecting the whole world. He’s noble to a fault and you may not love him right away but trust me… you will fall hard for this big hunky man with an iron will and pure heart.
He’s irresistible.
The actor Vin Zhang is very manly, too – he doesn’t have the typical idol look, nor the beautiful ethereal look that I tend to lean towards. He’s a bigguy with a deep voice, exactly the type to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. I firmly believed he could protect all of humanity – by himself if need be. I mean… look at this colossal man!
Formidable. That’s the best word for him.
Only a certain type of dude can manspread to this extent and still look cool af.
He’s larger than life (and larger than the majority of chairs). Comically huge swords look natural in his hands instead of like cosplay props.
He can wear the most delicately embroidered robes – hell, you could put this dude in full drag – and you will not get any rainbow vibes from him whatsoever. He’s a zero on the Kinsey Scale.
He ain’t my type, but I love our White Knight. Just… totally love the dude.
And so does our exceptionally beautiful leading lady.
FL – MU XUANLING – “Saintess”
The female lead Mu Xuanling, also known as The Saintess of the Dark Realm, is a petite beauty whose only goal is to steal the heart of our stubborn White Knight cultivator… who in turn wants nothing to do with her. She’s a feisty spirit that cultivated demonic energy and is well known as formidable villain. Obviously not an ideal partner for the purest of pure heroes who is not supposed to fall in love – and obviously a perfect set up for the romance of the century.
In the opening scene our hero is tied up in the Dark Realm and our Saintess saunters right up to the guy and makes her intentions crystal clear.
When I say her only goal is to win her man, I mean it.
This girl is relentless.
A non-stop flirting machine.
She doesn’t care who is watching or what others might think.
She’s never gonna miss an opportunity to press herself against her big statuesque man, bat her lashes, and drop some innuendo. It’s a nonstop assault on his puritan armor.
And it is soooo fun to watch their push and pull dynamics!
After he escapes the Dark Realm in the first episode, his powers are temporarily locked away and this tiny spirit girl is suggestively bullying him – pushing him around, jumping on top of him, pinning in to the bed. He’s batting away her eager hands (or sexy legs), exasperated and very clear with his intentions but she will not be deterred! She is having the time of her life teasing this big dude.
And you can feel the zing between these two in their first encounter. Their chemistry is sizzzzzling. He’s saying no every five minutes but his eyes are always following her. You know he’s gonna break out of that restrictive shell eventually (and probably break a few bed frames with her).
Viewers, it’s deeply satisfying to watch a tiny woman claw her way into the pants of this huge virginal knight.
Whether fighting or flirting, they are the OPT of the year. They OWN this drama.
The casting director deserves an award, too. Just look at them! The height difference! The natural chemistry! The casual playfulness of their interactions both on and off screen!
Legends.
Listen, I was totally in love with the second male lead from the moment he came on screen – and I still didn’t ship anyone else with the leading lady other than this big hunky hero. Nothing could come between the two main leads, you hear me! Not even God! (spoiler? Haha, if ya know you know)
So let’s talk about my man – the second male lead.
SML – NAN XUYUE – “Xuyue”
The second male lead is Nan Xuyue, the character that made me lose my freaking mind and drove me to obsession. He is 10,000% my type, aka a pretty, pretty man with an agenda.
If you’ve seen Fangs of Fortune you might recognize him as the older brother of Yichen (and if you haven’t seen Fangs of Fortune then add it to your watchlist!).
He was also the sexy serpent guy in the movie The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity.
Wang Duo!
When will this actor be the lead in a drama, I ask you?
I am not alone in my second male lead syndrome – I think most viewers were spellbound by this complicated character. And I also think that as much as we loved our second male lead Xuyue, no one was seriously shipping him romantically with the female lead at any time throughout this drama. We were all happy to love him separately. Personally.
He was ours, damn it.
this is what I signed up for with C-Dramas… lovely, delicate men with perfect eyeliner and long wigs and exquisite robes… I could stare at this beauty all day….
Our beautiful, strange creature Xuyue.
Xuyue is a refined, calm, soft spoken, genius-type who rose to fame for creating exceptional magical arrays (teleportation wormholes, carriages that are bigger in the inside, letters turned into origami birds that fly to the intended reader, so many cool things). He’s the type of guy that plays chess by himself, playing both sides with equal seriousness. He does not delude himself as to his value or importance – he always knows when he’s got a winning hand or a losing hand.
He’s also a very insular character – closed off from others, and full to the brim of secrets. You can always sense the wheels turning in his head, leaving you wondering what he’s really thinking about in that vast and fathomless other world of his mind.
And at his side is his female servant, Feng Yao. She’s probably the only person who really knows this mysterious guy – and even she knows she doesn’t know everything about him.
At one point he and our White Knight were the two best fighters among the cultivators, both born with an extra aperture (the best cultivators have nine but these two boys both have ten). They were a cool duo, our White Knight wielding his massive sword, while Xuyue wields his magical fan.
But they did not stay a dynamic duo for long, as poor Xuyue’s body and apertures was broken sometime in the past, greatly reducing his powers and leaving him relegated to the side lines. The two cultivators are still friends though, with our White Knight being one of the few people Xuyue genuinely cares about.
Most second male leads are used as love rivals in dramas, but not Xuyue. He is something much more intriguing: a true outsider. More so than our hero White Knight who is isolated in leadership, and more so than our slave spirit Saintess who had to run away to hell to survive. Xuyue is an outsider because he’s basically a genius asexual sociopath (I don’t mean any of those terms in the derogatory sense either).
He is the definition of OTHER.
He understands the concept of feelings but struggles to actually feel them. When he feels anything at all he attaches an undue importance to them.
He’s someone who is no stranger to disappointment and has learned to keep a distance from the things that might hurt him, to observe from the peripheral. His insight into others is keen and accurate. He gets why people do the things they do… and recognizes that his own motivations and feelings are not the same as them. He knows he’s different.
And Xuyue is inexplicably drawn to our female lead.
They’d met briefly over a decade ago and the impression she left on him was far beyond a reasonable response. In the ten minutes they were together, he felt a sameness between them – something he had never felt with anyone else. What is instant connection? Who can explain why we feel comfortable with some people from the first encounter? He is as baffled by it as we the viewers are, but for whatever reason he is compelled by her – pulled towards her with a subtle urgency he cannot control or ignore.
And again it’s not a sexual attraction. He is well of how she feels about his friend and is fascinated by their interactions and their growing love for each other. But he’s like a man possessed. He just knows with each passing day his need to be near our little flirty Saintess grows stronger and stronger.
This dynamic was sooooo different from the norm.
Who can tell where the story is going when you’re given such an unusual “love” triangle?
I mean… WHAT??? That is quite a statement, Xuyue! If it wasn’t already clear from the beginning, it’s obvious by this point that Xuyue is a true wildcard.
As the fandom watched this show air – one of everyone’s favorite speculative games was WHAT IS XUYUE GONNA DO?! It was anyone’s guess – so we entertained ourselves imagining all kinds of crazy scenarios.
So… that’s our basic set up and three main characters and their dynamics.
There are more people than the three main characters of course – side characters, side couples, more bad guys and good guys and inbetween peeps too. This is such a well written show – even the super campy, cheesy characters have unexpected depth or insane backstories. You’ll have fun with all of them.
The Blossoming Love is a long drama (there are longer, of course, but this one is still quite lengthy). It’s 40 episodes jam packed with sects and secrets and reveals and reincarnations. My first experience watching it was several episodes at a time for several weeks as it aired. And I recently rewatched it before writing this review, committing to a binge watch of about ten or more episodes a day – and it holds up to my initial high impression of it (though admittedly binging a 40 episode drama is a task in our distracted age – so if you do binge it just put your phone down and take frequent breaks, cause what’s happening on screen matters). The best thing about lengthy shows is you can’t possibly remember everything – so rewatches are always full of rediscovery.
If you haven’t seen The Blossoming Love yet and you like fantasy dramas or romance dramas, go check it out. It’s available on some streaming platforms and docked on several pirate bays.
Trust me when I say it’s gonna surprise you and charm you. Several times.
After the madness unfolds (and it goes hog wild) and you’ve gotten through it all – come back here and let’s reminisce on the insanity of the second half of this drama together in the spoiler section below.
There is so much more to discuss because the first plot arc is just an overpainting of what’s really going on. This show unfolds like the puzzle box from Hellraiser. In that you might have expected something wild to happen but no one can me they were expecting the Cenobites, ya hear me? That story broke the mold as far as what our expectations of Hell were. This story breaks the mold as far as your expectations of rebirth stories in cdramas. (Is that Hellraiser reference too random? I was a Clive Barker girlie growing up)
Overall Rating: 10/10. Don’t Let Fate Decide: Love Your Lovers and Kill Your Gods.
WARNING!
Everything below is full of massive spoilers for the whole show!
This is how I imagine this show was pitched to the studio executive.
Writer: It’s gonna be a big budget fantasy epic – demons and demon hunters – gods and monsters – fate of the world in the balance.
Executive: It’s all about the face cards these days. We’ll need beautiful actors.
Writer: In the most exquisite and gorgeous costumes you’ve ever seen. We’ll get a cinematographer who can turn every shot into a work of fine art.
Executive: lots of slow mo.
Writer: tons of it. And perfect lighting and lens flare galore.
Executive: fog machines.
Writer: it will be so beautiful no one will notice the plot is kind of thin.
Executive: what?
Writer: so the leading character is this ancient demon who we quickly learn slaughtered everyone at a demon hunting bureau a few years back. He shows up at that same bureau and offers to help the sole survivor.
Executive: he’s a demon that’s gonna help demon hunters?
Writer: specifically this one demon hunter guy, yeah.
Executive: why this dude?
Writer: cause he’s got a cool magic sword and it’s the only weapon that can kill him. The demon wants to die really badly – he’s a suicidal mess behind a sad smile.
Executive: I imagine the demon hunter would be happy to do it. You said the demon killed all his people.
Writer: his brother, his father, everyone.
Executive: so… he kills him?
Writer: no, no. They just make a promise that the demon hunter will kill the demon. Later on. Someday. After the demon has helped him out.
Executive: help him do what exactly?
Writer: stop the other demon hunting bureau.
Executive: why would the demon hunter want to stop other demon hunters?
Writer: the other demon hunters are mean. They kill all demons on sight, whether guilty of any crime or not.
Executive: Okay….
Writer: That’s not important. I feel like it’s important to remember the demon is insanely good looking. And playful. And all powerful. The demon hunter is also ridiculously good looking. And serious. And figuring out his power.
Executive: sort of a ying yang thing? Soft one, hard one?
Writer: yeah these two are gonna have so much chemistry they can’t make eye contact very often cause every time they do it’s electric.
Executive: oooooooooooh. You know we can’t do those kinds of stories anymore, right?
Writer: They’re gonna slowly bond through overcoming obstacles and some verbal banter – lots of conversations turned confessions over tea in low voices with low lighting – very beautifully shed tears. I’ve got this whole dance number planned with water and fire…
Executive: Did you hear what I said?
Writer: The demon’s ex boyfriend is one of our main antagonists. He’s locked up in some cave, lounging around with his abs out, but he can possess people so he’s constantly showing up. He’s got this magical ability called truth eyes he can use to make people see him instead of the person he’s possessing, which is ideal cause this guy is just… incredibly attractive. Byronesque. Moody and broody and stupidly handsome. He’s clearly pissed off at his ex and is jealous as hell of this new demon hunter guy-
Executive: Yeah this all sounds extremely gay. Like I said, we really can’t do that.
Writer: oh don’t worry. They’ve got a girlfriend too.
Executive: they?
Writer: She’s a goddess who is supposed to rule over the demon world but she’s lost her magical powers so they’ve got to help her get those back. She’s quite sassy and flirtatious with our sexy demon right off the bat… and the demon hunter guy has had a crush on her for years.
Executive: So she likes the demon?
Writer: actually it’s pretty clear that she’s crushing hard on this female archer they bring into the mix.
Executive: wait –
Writer: there’s also a handsome mountain god who’s pretty old but in god years still a teenager. And he’s got a thing for this young medic who’s got a thing for the demon hunter.
Executive: that’s too many things. We can’t have that many love triangles. Or squares or… whatever is going on here.
Writer: alright alright, I’ll take out the mountain god and the medic couple. We can make the medic a kid.
Executive: the medical expert? Shouldn’t we make the mountain god the kid?
Writer: Anyways we’ll have them all together going on various adventures and quests. And there will be some exceptionally beautiful and sad love stories that unfold with side characters. Who are also exceptionally beautiful, naturally. Just about everyone is gonna have a tragic backstory. Lots of very pretty tears. Demons dying and disintegrating into burning embers that drift up beautifully towards the stars.
Executive: so it’s a melodrama?
Writer: with a lot of cool martial arts and magic and mysteries.
Executive: we’ll play that up in the trailer.
Writer: the sets are going to blow you away, too. When you aren’t mesmerized by the gorgeous faces of the characters, you’re eyeballing the intricacies of the sets or the beadwork of the costumes.
Executive: are they all gonna die?
Writer: most of them. We’ll have the audience sobbing into their pillows.
Executive: the demon and the goddess end up together?
Writer: they’re magically connected. And bound to stick together for all eternity by a contract the demon signed in blood. Which flies straight into the demon hunter dude’s hands after he spends a few decades searching the corners of the worlds for his soul. It’s very romantic.
Executive: The magical love contract goes to the demon hunter guy? We gotta give the censors some hetero content. Do the demon and the goddess at least kiss?
Writer: well… their faces get close at one point… from a certain angle…
Executive: I dunno. It still seems hella gay.
Writer: All the side stories are straight romances.
Executive: Oh, that’s good. People love love stories.
Writer: Every single one of them is going to rip their hearts out and light them on fire and scatter the ashes over their belief in happy endings.
Executive: I’m sensing a theme.
Writer: It’s gonna be xianxia opera. The gays are gonna ascend to a new dimension. The fujoshi’s are gonna squeal. At one point we have the two demon boyfriends running across the sea together, chests out, before they swear undying devotion to each other at the sacred tree-
Executive: we may have to blur out the man tits.
Writer: What? Why? Topless muscled men are our bread and butter.
Executive: I dunno, some new rule or something.
Writer: Fine, we can put magical smoke around them. The fans can see their abs in the behind the scenes footage.
Executive: we need to add some kind of viral element to it. For the tik tok people.
Writer: Other than the hot cast and all the shipping possibilities?
Executive: Can’t we get the whole cast to do some kind of synchronized dance or something?
Writer: I guess we can put something with the end credits.
Executive: Wait. You distracted me with all the pretty people. What’s the plot again?
Writer: oh yeah! So it’s about a demon and a demon hunter –
Ya’ll.
There is no point reviewing this drama as it is ALL ABOUT THE VIBES.
This drama is 1000 PERCENT STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE. So, if you want an intricately plotted drama, I suggest you watch Joy of Life or something – cause this is not it. This is a drama for aesthetics people, for poetry lovers, for dreamers who can look at a romantic scene and create a 17K word fanfiction about it. This is a show for people who doodle down the sides of their papers, who stare off into space lost in their imaginations, who can’t see a piece of a velvet without wanting to run their hands over it.
I loved it the first time I watched it and have rewatched it at least six or seven times since then. I’ve watched every fan video edit I could find, gushed over gif sets put together by tumblr fans, poured over lengthy think pieces and commentary rambles. It was just one of those shows that got under my skin.
FANGS OF FORTUNE – Overall Rating: 10/10 – Spellbound by the most attractive people on the planet crying over and flirting with each other.
As tempting as it was to jam pack this review full of media – I thought I’d hold back this time just in case you have not yet seen this show. Seeing it for the first time was such a memorable experience… I was gasping, falling in love, ogling the embroidery and beadwork of the costumes, checking out the elaborate hair jewelry, and fighting the urge to screen shot every single second of this visual feast.
So here is just a tiny, tiny sample from the fandom…
The wheels never stop turning in cdrama land, with new long and short videos flying out across various platforms every week. I certainly don’t have time to commit to all of them – but I keep up with the fandoms and usually pick up which dramas that are driving the viewers wild for whatever reason. It’s a team effort that requires a coordinated plan of attack to make the most of our valuable time. So here is my contribution to perhaps help someone pick their next watch.
THE GOOD STUFF
The Blossoming Love (xianxia romance) – 10/10
Currently my favorite drama of 2025.
I’ve got a full massive review of this one is the works and am actually editing it down now cause I may have gotten carried away and written a novella of a musings and nonsense that is too much… even for people who like lengthy rambles. But until that comes out, just know I loved this one. Concept and character-wise, it blew my mind.
The Legend of Zang Hai (mystery revenge) – 10/10
This revenge epic is full of twists and turns and intense episodes. Unlike most costume drama tales of revenge this one did not heavily feature martial artists or depictions of war. Though it was centered on court politicians nearly all of the action took place outside of the palace – in offices, in homes, in small gatherings around the dinner table, in construction sites and tombs. It was a personal revenge story and stayed focused on the people being targeted.
It also had a ton of contraptions, puzzles, secret passageways, booby-traps, and hidden rooms… and my raised on Indiana Jones soul was very happy to explore all this with the main character from the safety of my living room.
There were some moments of comedy and romance but overall this is just a gripping, unique, well-written mystery definitely worth watching once (which should be enough – this is not a comfort drama you’ll revisit for fun – I’m pretty sure it gave me ulcers it was so intense).
The Prisoner of Beauty (costume drama romance) – 10/10
Enemies to lovers, anyone?
This show was a masterpiece, exploring the nature of soft feminine power (both its merits and its limitations) in ye olden days. A smart, petite young lady is married off to a terrifying war general as a peace offering. Her future husband wants nothing more than to see her and everyone else in her entire bloodline wiped from the face of the earth, preferably by his own sword. So, you know, obviously not an ideal situation for our tiny little lady.
This isn’t a show about misunderstandings as much as it is about seeing the bigger picture in political conflicts and war, and the many shades of gray when humans struggle for power. And it’s just a deliciously good romance – with real threats of danger, one step forward two steps back, and a satisfying and realistically slow change of hearts for both characters.
The Demon Hunter’s Romance (fantasy romance) – 9/10
This one started off as an enjoyable side dish of a show I was watching as it aired, two eps dropping each night. But after a while I found myself looking forward to seeing what would happen next, and then it became the show I ran home to watch. This was entirely due to the insane natural chemistry and easy romance between the two leads.
They genuinely felt like two people falling in love for the first time. Playful, insecure, sometimes silly and sometimes serious, the easy smiles, the talking-talking-talking, the eyes that light up every time the other comes into the room. I did not know Allen Ren had it in him to portray someone so capable and yet so utterly at a loss in love. It’s magical, really, when watching a love story unfold that makes it feel like you, too, are falling in love.
The actual plot was good too, mind you. Though the last twenty minutes were horrible – and apparently / allegedly not how it was originally scripted but changed by the production company based on an AI’s assessment of what a good ending should be (getting a robots opinion of how to end a romance story was a terrible idea in the first place). I can’t scrub the last episode from my mind, so it dropped down from a perfect 10/10 for me to it’s current rating. Still highly recommended for the love story.
Eternal Brotherhood 2 (fantasy action) – 9/10
Set in a fictional realm, this action series continues to follow the war bonded brothers from the first season (a goofy hero with a secret identity and destined to save the world vibes, a serious and loyal dude who is getting over the heartbreak of losing his true love, and a terrifying slaughterhouse machine who is just deliciously soft for his wife).
I actually liked this season more than the first (which I also liked) – as I had finally figured out the plot and all the factions and mechanics of the world and could just enjoy the stories unfolding. In particular I loved the goofy hero with his motley crew of misfits who were busy sorting out divisions between tribes on the border towns. This series feels really different from the norm (Iike Arthdal Chronicles was completely unique amongst historical fantasy kdramas) and it’s not over yet… so you might want to hold off until the series is complete if you haven’t seen season 1.
A Moment But Forever (xianxia romance) – 9/10
A surprisingly fresh fantasy romance and a nice win for Liu Xueyi whose last few attempts at leading roles were doomed by script issues or bad chemistry. In this one he plays a weary, abused, philosophical type and the female lead is an optimistic crafty type (as in she’s a literal craftsman who builds things and is used to practical problem solving). The characters felt very true to themselves and I honestly wasn’t sure where the plot was going to lead them, but I was happy no matter what happened along the way it only fortified these already solid characters more. Good worldbuilding. Good plot. Good romance. Good stuff.
Love in Pavilion (xianxia romance) – 9/10
Do you like sad, beautiful love stories? This show was jam packed with gorgeous characters and each one of them had an achingly beautiful but heartbreaking love story. The overall plot was great, the villains well developed (even the baddies had beautiful, sad love stories!), the world building solid and understandable. There were a ton of characters in this drama but it never felt overbloated or difficult to keep up with them all. The costumes and sets were a top level fantasy feast for the eyes.
It took me a while to warm up to the main couple but once I did, I was massively invested in their story. But I’ll be honest, one of the random tangential stories absolutely stole the whole show by sheer power of the acting prowess alone (Ding Yuxi’s dual performance of “twins” had me bawling, ya’ll! It was Shakespearean, I tell ya).
The First Frost (modern melo-romance) – 8.5/10
This is a story about a beautiful girl who has been through a lot of abuse, including sexual assault, and she’s basically curled herself up into a small space (emotionally, socially, physically) in attempts to protect herself and survive. Enter the boy who has loved her since high school – who is the white knight extreme sports edition. Patience, thy name is the male lead of this drama.
Trust is the main thing lost in abuse, and this drama took the time to slowly, slowly, slooooooowly, heal the broken trust of our leading lady. It’s just a sweet, touching romance if ya like that sort of thing. I wanted this sad girl to be happy just as much as the male lead.
The Glory (costume drama historical) – 8/10
Trashy, soap opera style fun. Everyone is the antagonist in this show, there are no good people. It’s just vicious, plotting, scheming, pure evil nonsense which can be hella enjoyable if you’re in the mood for it. This is a great show to pop in after you’ve watched something slow paced or serious and just want a fun ride with bad people doing terrible things.
I heard a lot of grumbling over this show in the fandom from people who either didn’t like the male lead or the female lead or both – or who thought it was unrealistic and everyone was horrible – and yeah, okay, I guess. I personally thought the two leads were good choices (both not the strongest actors in my opinion – so this was a great role for them since they just had to be broody 24/7) – and yeah, it’s unrealistic and all the adults are nightmare people, but that was the plot, peeps. No one watches soap operas or the Real Housewives or whatever to watch good folks working out their problems reasonably. Sometimes you just want blood on the floor, dig it? (I love the poster, with all of them holding weapons in the page tear – that’s good graphic design!)
LESS GOOD AND/OR JUST BAD
Si Jin (fantasy costume drama romance) – 7/10 – there’s a lot of these reborn stories lately, which is fine, I enjoy the concept. And I enjoyed this one… for a while. But before the halfway mark I had already lost interest. Just not enough going on plot-wise to go on and on for 40 hours, ya dig? It wasn’t awful but there are definitely better options in this genre.
Love of the Divine Tree (xianxia romance) – 7/10 – I know a lot of people loved and adored this drama, and I hoped I would be one of them. But… no. It started out okay but quickly fell apart for me. I could never believe the female lead put together a sect or trained others as a master – it was hard enough to suspend belief that she belonged in a costume drama in the first place. Sometimes you just can’t overcome a bad casting decision (Feud and In Blossom, I am staring directly at you).
Guardians of the Dafeng (fantasy action comedy) – 6.5/10 – just not my brand of fantasy. The last episode packed a punch with a shockingly emotional ending but overall it was just too goofy and too “dude” (for lack of a better word) to really land with me. A lot of people loved this one though, so you might check it out.
Moonlight Mystique (xianxia romance) – 6/10 – the second couple far outshined the leads in this one, but even so this is just not a very good drama. The script is a mess, the cinematography is a hate crime (seriously, the lighting is appallingly bad – so bright you can see the paint chips on the set piece rocks, random color spotlights aimed without rhyme or reason, it’s an assault on aesthetics – which is one of the major appeals of xianxia dramas – thus an unforgivable sin).
Feud (xianxia romance) – 5/10 – the script is the main issue with this drama, but also I don’t think the leading man was the best decision either. This character would have been better if it was played in true tsundere fashion – with the god being an insufferable pompous jerk with a massive ego, who we find out is secretly kind and who slowly lets go of his insecurities and bloated ego enough to realize things are better when you work together and care for others. I’m not sure Joseph Zeng could pull off playing a jerk character, though, as he’s got such soft puppy dog eyes. I just felt sorry for him watching this show… until I gave up on it after 26 eps I just couldn’t do it to myself any more.
Filter (fantasy romance) – 6/10 – I tried. It started out intriguing but this is just a mess of a show. I will say it’s cool that they’re trying out some weirder plotline stories. This one felt very webtoon-centric to me, though, and a little immature and lacking in substance to back up the fantastical plot.
Love Better Than Immorality is like eating ice cream for dinner. You know it’s not the best option, you know there is no nutritional value and you’ll probably be hungry again later, you know there are better things in the fridge… but dang it, sometimes you just want sweets. This show is 40 short episodes of decadent high calorie deliciousness that hit all the romance beats required without wasting any time on… you know… a plot. It’s like Love in the Air for the heteros: As in the male lead is aggressive and touchy-feely, shamelessly inappropriate, and will be spending his time getting as close to your lips as humanly possible.
There is a lot of kissing in this show: For a cdrama (important disclaimer). It’s not the good stuff, the open mouth crazy passionate kind, but it’s still really sizzling… probably because it is a cdrama, and for a cdrama those extended closed-mouth kisses feel scandalous.
The official plot is that in the future everyone has achieved immortality but apparently none of them experience love any longer – so our leading female “gives it up” by going into a simulation. I dunno, whatever, just go with it. This is never referenced in any way again. She does not bring any insights from the future with her (this is not Joy of Life – if you want a useful time traveler, I recommend that absolute gem of a show), she never speaks of the future or references it, she doesn’t seem to miss the ultra-modern sci fi world nor does she have any trouble whatsoever adapting to the world of the past. The “comes from the future” situation is just a contrivance, like the vast majority of the plot points in this show, just a series of events you are briefly shown or told were of great importance but really don’t mean much to the narrative. (further discussion of plot holes, random thoughts, and huge abandoned story threads in spoiler section below)
Cause there is only ONE narrative line – and that is WHICH BOY IN THE LOVE TRIANGLE WILL SHE CHOOSE? Will it be the dashing and handsome knight in shining honor, bound by integrity and duty, with his cute stand-offish nature and surprised blushing? Or will be it be the villain, the slinky demon clan leader who immediately starts putting the moves on our girl before she can catch her breath? It isn’t much of a mystery as she’s making out with one pretty early on in the show… and barely gets a hug from the other. So… you know… the outcome is assured. I don’t consider that a spoiler.
And that’s fine! Obvious choice love triangles are fine. I mean that sincerely. Sometimes you don’t really want to be antagonized by your romance stories. You want it to be pretty clear who the fated dude is and just watch the romance unfold with all the little conflicts and resolutions along the way that will build up their love and trust in each other. And this show delivers that. Tied with a satin ribbon bow (aka a grand gesture to illustrate undying true love), like a box of Godiva chocolates.
The chemistry between the two lovers in this show is unbelievably good. I have seen shows with both of these leading actors before – so I was already a fan.
The leading female, Zhao Lu Si, was also in Love Like the Galaxy (good show), The Long Ballad (actually her romance with the guardian knight dude was my favorite in this), Romance of Tiger & Rose (cheeky and cute but I just wasn’t vibing), Who Rules the World (good – I’m halfway through this currently), and The Last Immortal (I loved this one personally). She’s a tiny cutie who excels at these playful, plucky characters and has a really expressive face. She’s a treasure.
He’s like Cheng Yi’s horny cousin
The leading male, Li Hong Yi, is a handsome man with a slight lurch which serves him well. He always seems to be looking up at you through his eyelashes, like a seductive vampire, even though he’s taller than nearly everyone in these shows.
Bad posture has never looked so good on a man!
He also has an unmistakable light swagger (like he’s walking on air) and this low voice you have to lean in to hear – which again serves him well. He has mastered a neutral facial expression that forces you to pay attention, hoping to see the hint of a smile or the dart of his eyes. You are DRAWN IN. I’m not sure how much of this is just good physicality acting versus this is just how he is as a person. Whatever it is, it’s spellbinding and very sexy.
He’s also a great actor, so when the role demands it he can sell you on whatever emotion he’s going through. I was mesmerized by him Blood of Youth (super fun martial arts drama), which refrained from having any serious romantic plotlines whatsoever, so imagine my surprise when he slid onto the screen and starts putting the moves on his lady within the first episode.
I’ve read a bunch of grumblings or whatever over this show for its “incest” plotline. So let me just touch on that briefly in case you are the type to cringe away from such things. Since our girl from the future transplants directly into the body of another girl, with zero memories of the other girl’s existence, she is at a disadvantage… because other characters in the show remember her (or rather, they remember the other girl, follow along with me here). Our leading male takes advantage of her memory loss and quickly tells her that he is her older brother. I know our girl is a gullible thing, but I don’t think she really believed this ploy much, as they were flirting and hugging and kissing and lounging about in her bed all the time.
Regular nightly visits to your bedroom to cuddle with your sibling are mandatory in this world.
The sibling story was rather a lie they both agreed upon that gave them an excuse to canoodle freely, or at least that is how I interpreted it. That it made zero impact once it was revealed he was NOT her brother lends credence to this theory of mine. And the fact that they continued to call each other brother and sister up until the last episode, like a pervy pet name and a joke shared between them, also makes it clear it’s more of a naughty role playing kink than anything else.
They were a matched set of flirtatious, naughty souls. I found it charming. But I realize this only one lens, and others can easily view it was creepy or gross too. Fair. Listen, I grew up on Flowers in the Attic and weirdly sexy movies like Close My Eyes, and those were real siblings in those stories. So maybe I am more immune to this plot line and more open to be it being used as a kink (not that I am supporting incest, people, I’m just saying taboos have always been used in story-telling because they hit buttons that engage us in different ways). And exploring how those taboos can be used and are often linked to kinks is just human nature. Haven’t ya’ll read Erotism: Death & Sensuality by Georges Bataille before?
Anyways, without going further into the rabbit hole on this one let me just say if you are looking for a short breezy villain romance with little plot but a whole lotta sexy shenanigans then this is your show.
Overall Rating: 9/10 – A cute, slightly pervy villain romance.
For more musings about this silly little fun show – including the gay side couples, the bizarre lack of ANY plot, and more – follow me into super spoiler land…
The Double is an outrageous, preposterous, totally ridiculous drama that is sure to please if you’re in the mood for over-the-top theatrics and CAMP. We are talking the most ludicrous plot line of all time, a complete disregard for historical accuracy, and fan machines running nonstop to ensure no strand of hair, ribbon, or robe is ever stationary. There will be a breeze gently wafting through this show at all times. Even indoors. Especially indoors.
Personally, I am a fan of such dramas – as long as they fully embrace their soap opera hearts and commit to the insanity. It’s why I loved the Korean drama Penthouse with its rich socialites throwing each other out the windows because of opera (truly a stand out show in the camp genre). It’s why I loved Bulgasal: Immortal Souls, which was fantasy camp nonsense through and through and I adored it. Devil Judge? Pure gay camp and politics. To be camp is to be a dumpster fire covered in glitter. Not many shows can maintain the sheer disregard for logic in favor of fun. Once you realize you are viewing a camp show, you must immediately stop asking questions and just go with the flow.
The Double is the story of a woman who wakes up one foggy evening to find herself framed for adultery (or is it early morning? time is nebulous in this show – between the fog machines and the spotlights aimed through every window, you will never know what time of day it is). To add insult to injury, her husband whisks her away into the night and dumps her into an unmarked grave. He confesses that the whole thing has been a set up, that her brother and father have been killed, and that he’s really sorry, baby, so so sorry, as he proceeds to crack her in the head with a shovel and bury her alive.
This all happens in the first fifteen minutes. It’s delicious. Soft white petals fall on her grave. I really wanted to see her hand shoot up from the grave, gripping that flute he’d tossed in with her.
And when that happened?!
OMG the audacity of this show to be so absurd?! The CAMP nonsense!
I cleared my viewing schedule as I knew I’d found THE DRAMA to get me through the next few days.
Our murdered wife crawls out of her own grave and resurfaces by a creek/river. She is found by two young ladies in white, who we discover are psuedo-nuns (aka, ladies who have been sent to old timey juvie for whatever infractions).
Super conveniently one of the young girls dies right away and even though the resurrected wife looks nothing like her and there’s at least a ten year age gap, she promptly steals her identity. She does not attempt to change her style or her appearance in any way and moves back into the same town she just came from, with a different name.
Cause, sure. I mean. Sure. Let’s do that.
Our “reborn” girl now has to pretend to be this other girl, move into her home, deal with her evil stepmom and stepsister, torment her murderous husband while solving her own murder (she knows WHO did it, she just doesn’t know WHY), flirt with a sexy Duke, and maybe help out the royals or whatever. It’s enough to keep you busy.
I don’t have much to say about this drama’s plot. Revenge. Romance. Really beautiful scenery. That sums it up.
I watched it and it was enjoyable because of all the camp nonsense. The insane entrances of characters, the deliciously overdramatic dialogue, the spotlights outside every window giving us these fabulous shafts of light in interiors, the swishing fans, the billowing robes… the thunderstorms!
I think this is a good time to point out one of the director (or perhaps cinematographer) quirks: close up shots of faces. Really close up. Usually cropped at the forehead, a wee bit of shoulder, with the giant head often staring straight into the camera – and thus at you.
What a waste of all those elaborate hair styles and bun ornaments, am I right? Not that everyone doesn’t look beautiful at all times, but geesh… give us some space, camera man! I have a relatively large television and felt overwhelmed by these massive full screen looming faces.
I guess that’s my only real gripe.
There are plenty of interesting and unique characters in this show. I particularly enjoyed the crazy Princess Wanning. That actress had me spellbound with her performance. I could totally believe a man might be trapped by her, caught between lust and fear.
I think if you haven’t watched a lot of melodramas, or are new to Asian dramas, then this show may be a perfect 10 for you. Due to the excessive campy nature of the entire production, I could not take it seriously as a true melodrama. It was more like… Bram Stroker’s Dracula. A glorious, color saturated fever dream with ridiculous embellishments that no one minded cause… Dracula? Uh, yeah, of course the church cross is going to spout blood when you stab it. Don’t question our creative choices!
Our leading male Duke Su was a riot. I can honestly say I was always happy to see him saunter into the scenes with his red and black robes.
I’m not convinced this guy is the best actor, but this is what we call GOOD CASTING. They needed a big hunky man with swagger and that is what was delivered.
I mean… seriously…
Duke Su was sooooo overdramatic, I was eating it up.
The Duke also had electric chemistry with the leading female.
Their romance was very… mature? I don’t know how else to put this, but the female lead wanted to bone this dude from day one. Listen, she was a married woman. And though her husband had his flaws (murderous flaws), he was obviously giving it to her on the regular cause she looked at the Duke like a woman STARVED. And our girl got progressively and obviously hornier as the episodes piled up.
Ain’t no one gonna believe you’re a teenager who just got out a nunnery, girl, you are waaaaaay too comfortable around the male body. We can all read your mind and it is not PG content, missy.
Though I think we can collective say “SAME, GIRL.”
They were gorgeous and hot for each other. There is a scene where he lets her bite into his hand and I thought I was going to pass out…
I am not immune to such sexy shenanigans. The Duke is gonna have to let me borrow his fancy fan cause I was perspiring!
Though there are many villainous peeps in this drama, it is the Murderous Husband and the Crazy Princess who are most often behind the wheel driving the plot. I’ve already said I loved the psychotic princess, and I stand by it. But the husband… holy god, ya’ll… he’s… fascinating. Just a conflicted and tormented disaster. He’s honestly even scarier than the princess cause you’re just not sure about him.
Anyways, enough prattling. Go and fire up Netflix or Viki or whatever app you can find this on and settle in. This show is sure to please. It’s hard to imagine anyone not having fun watching this campy romantic mess of a show.
I was looking forward to writing a review on Destined. I was sure it would be another 10/10 drama for me, another series I would tuck into my top drawer, another show I would gush over and tell all my friends about (just kidding, none of my friends watch Asian dramas which is why I created this blog). And this was very much the case… for about 20 episodes.
And then… it just kept going. And as it kept going, all of the viewing pleasure was drained away by a plot I was not interested in and new characters that felt unnecessary.
You know how there are great shows? Stand alone shows? Or “limited series” as they are calling them now on Netflix. Shows that have an overarching plotline and complete their storylines in one season. Sometimes they try to make more seasons of these shows. Just… drift along on the success of the first season, throw a haphazard plot together, include the characters everyone loved, and hope for the best. The same kind of thing happens when studios don’t let a show die. On season 8 or whatever, you are having a hard time remembering why you used to love this show (The 100, anyone?). Destined gave me a similar viewing experience, in that by the time I finished it I struggled to remember why I loved it so much in the beginning.
It’s a real tragedy, honestly. Though the political factions and wars and whatnot were mentioned in the beginning and were, in fact, the initial catalyst for the leading couple to get married – these aspects were never front and center in the foundational episodes. Instead, we were treated to a very enjoyable romantic comedy.
Destined is about a scrappy Cinderalla-type character who is married off to an irresponsible spoiled Prince-type character. They both can’t stand each other but due to a series of unfortunate events (or destiny), their fates are tied.
For the first ten episodes you will be totally in love with these two. The story line is fresh and satisfying, the obstacles they must overcome were each given the attention they deserve. The actors embody the shyness, the sweetness, the disbelief and wonder of first love. Watching these two young people fall for each other slowly and naturally was heaven.
I was enchanted, I tell you! Their cute little smiles and teamwork won me over completely.
The male lead may be one of my all time favorite characters – he was so adorable and fun to watch. Bai Jingting playing Gu Jiusi was casting perfection – he was born to play this role. 100 percent puppy energy.
Jiusi is ditzy and rambunctious and loyal and impulsive and no man has ever ADORED his wife more than this guy.
Song Yi played his serious, task-oriented, wife Li Yuru… chef’s kiss. It’s so nice to see a nerdy girl shine like this. Her practicality and ambition (and his family’s money) were the pillars that held up their relationship. I couldn’t help but respect the girl. The actress also managed to make this character still seem young – appropriately so for the character’s age – so even though Yuru was determined and proud there was always some doubt and insecurity in her eyes. My babies! I loved them so much.
They were a ying-yang couple that worked. He made her more playful, she made him more serious. It’s a simple opposites attract storyline and I adored it.
The cinematography is breathtaking and I especially drooled over all the interiors in this show. (That beauty shop, am I right?) There is a harmonious balance of outdoor and indoor shots, a variety of locations, and plenty of movement so you never feel confined in one space. Though I am sure CGI is used, it never felt obvious.
Destined delivered a big cast of memorable servants and socialites and guards and politicians and family members and friends. Liu Xue Yi makes a fabulous villain, by the way… I’d like to see him play more elegant, devious characters in the future.
After the first quarter of the show the politics come in and there are major upheavals and big changes. Even that was okay, as it added serious dramatic tension and tested the bond of our lovers.
There were so many fresh ideas, liberal ideals, role reversals, and genuine growth in this show. Some of the dialogue will make you swoon, but you’ll also be impressed by the casual conversations between characters too. There were lessons to be learned with a focus on family harmony and societal unification. Learning to work together, to be better people, to forgive and move forward. It was positive and empowering and engrossing television.
This show was so good!!!
Until it wasn’t.
I noticed it right at the halfway mark, episode 20. Cause I felt satisfied, like the show should be over… so… wait… how many more episodes are there???
It just never stopped. It just kept going… and going… and going. My god. New characters came in that were cool but also never quite felt developed. I certainly was not at all interested in the lines of succession for the throne or empire or whatever. We got less and less scenes of our couple. My attention waxed and waned and then just went to run errands. I didn’t fast forward any eps, but I honestly wish I had cause… geesh. What a drag. Twenty long episodes of it, too.
I’ve heard that the webnovel is a vast improvement for the second half of this story, and I mean… surely. Isn’t the book usually better? Anyways, I’ll wait until there is an English translation available in print cause I struggle to read books online – but for those interested go find “Chang Feng Du” (长风渡) by Mo Shu Bai (墨书白).
For those of you who haven’t seen this show yet, do yourselves a favor and stop watching once the lead couple consummate their relationship (ep 27-28). I’m serious. Consider that the last episode. Sure, there are some elements of the plot that haven’t been closed out – but you know they’re gonna be tied up eventually, right? Just trust me on this one.
If you turn it off and walk away, you will be a happier person with nothing but warm fuzzies for our couple and an overall good impression of this show. If you keep watching… it’s highly unlikely that your overall satisfaction rating will remain that high. I mean, I have read a few reviews from people who loved the whole thing but there aren’t many…
This show is a road trip movie inside a political historical drama with a romance thrown in to make us all weak in the knees. It’s outstanding, people. We are talking flawless immersion. The editing, the music (ya’ll the music is exceptional! – including the sound effects used to comedic perfection), the sets, the costumes, location shooting, horses galore… a lot of money was spent on this show. Well spent.
It’s the writing, though, that really shines. Dialogue that shifts from official and political to playful and casual. There’s witty banter. Believable interactions between friends and strangers. Complicated politic situations presented in ways that were easy to follow. Nothing feels forced or quickly patched in with a trope, characters just feel natural and naturally complicated.
This drama is full of gossiping, bickering, matchmaking, and interesting people will surely win you over.
The story is relatively simple (kinda sorta): A small group of elite warriors are tasked to deliver a young princess disguised as a prince to a neighboring kingdom, rescue a royal who is hostage there, and try not to die along the way. There’s the core group of guards in charge (our fab 5!), who have all been to war together in the past and have a shared history, and there are other guards and servants, as well as the young princess and her advisor. After a few weeks of travel everyone in the traveling group is familiar with each other… and growing increasingly comfortable and casual around each other as each episode progresses. It’s a very organic development of relationships.
They are eavesdropping and comfortably joking around. Let’s face it, there wasn’t much for entertainment on long trips back in the day so you learned to entertain yourself and each other. These people had paper windows, ain’t no secrets in close quarters.
Front and center of this motley crew are the leading lovers. We shall call them MURDER MOM & DADDY NING.
Our female lead is a female assassin, a master chameleon, a deadly martial artist, and also a woman with a heart (though she would vehemently deny it). She was the top assassin in her secret organization before faking her death and going rogue. Murder Mom is on a mission… to avenge the death of her (mother substitute) patron queen and to honor her last request (which is to get knocked up).
I may be in love with her. I mean… LOOK AT HER! Some people just win the genetic lottery, eh?
Murder Mom… or Ren Ruyi (formerly Ren Xin) of the Scarlet Guard Assassins is played to perfection by Cecilia Liu / Liu Shishi and voiced by Bai Xin Zan. No one could have played this role better. She is the definition of beautiful badass. Her posture, her facial expressions, her athleticism… her natural dominatrix vibes… and Bai Xin Zan, whoever you are, your voice is velvet deliciousness and I ain’t mad about the dub.
Daddy Ning, our male lead, is a military leader who has become jaded and wary of the intentions of the government (yet ironically remains stoically patriotic). But no one wants to let this tall glass of water pop off to early retirement while he’s still useful to the cause so he’s blackmailed into escorting the princess to the neighboring country.
With his caring eyes and carefree smiles, he is instantly lovable as the leader of the pack. He’s not all smiles though, this dude can shift like lightning – going from humbled subordinate to brutal assassin, from stern leader of men to kind father figure within a five minute stretch.
Daddy Ning… or Ning Yuanzhou, leader ofLiudao Hall – is played by Liu Yuning. He’s 6’2”, multi-talented, and very handsome… in an almost cartoon animal sort of way, am I right? Like the Disney fox Robin Hood or something… but the anime version… I dunno, I can’t quite put my finger on it but he’s got distinctive facial features. His voice has a very pleasing timbre to it, too. He’s got a tiny bit of an overbite which gives him just a hint of a lisp or a breathy rounded quality when he speaks. I really love his voice. Did I mention he’s 6’2″? Which is apparently like being 7’2″ in China, I dunno, cause he seemed huge this whole show.
go hide behind that huge tree, baby girl! gifs by @01432853 – link
The romance of Murder Mom and Daddy Ning is top tier and feels fresh and exciting. They’re both pushing middle aged (for that time period 30 years old was well over the hill). They’ve been too busy murdering people all their lives to form any romantic relationships. There were interesting dynamics and motivations driving our lovers together and apart. I’ve never seen anything like this romance, so it really stuck with me. Applause once again to the writer for giving us such a nuanced and impactful relationship.
Here’s when they clicked for me as a couple.
There’s a scene in the second episode (yup, 2nd episode and I was like they are OTP!)… our leading man is calling out our leading lady for being deceptive by calmly but calculating pressing his fingers into a wound on her shoulder. He’s just so politely savage about it, too. It’s such a wonderful character establishing moment because she’s crying and sticking to her disguise as a helpless maiden even though he obviously does not believe her b.s. even a little bit. He’s hurting her, yes, but he’s also showing her that he knows she can take the pain and he does not find her helpless.
And then as they’re standing there staring at each other there is a sudden flicker of attraction between them… both their expressions subtly change… I was holding my breath, ya’ll. It looked like they were second guessing all their life choices.
Then our baby boy shows up, breaking the spell, and she bites our huge male lead on the wrist (like, she digs in too! girl is gonna mark that big tall man as hers!) and he finally releases her. He seems flustered and bewildered looking at these teeth marks deep into his skin, like who is this woman??!!
From then on our sexy assassin starts to actively tease him in all these subtle ways, while still maintaining her guise around others, cause she knows he sees her as she is – a tough and cunning woman and not some helpless person in need of rescue. She keeps revealing more and more of her real personality in these small little moments and you can tell he’s totally mesmerized and also quite wary cause this lady is not something he can control. Hmm hmmm – I was already shipping them hard.
Their cues to each other are so subtle but they always pick up what the other is throwing down (and no one else does – it’s like a secret twin language). Their martial arts training is so good they can sense each other from a distance. And their interactions are so unique, as they are both professional liars (Daddy Ning the Gaslightling King, eh?). So they’re relying on what’s unsaid and their shared awareness of the game they’re playing though they’ve both drawn different lines that keep blurring.
Yum Yum Yum, my complicated creatures you spoiled me real good in this show. It’s gonna be hard not to compare all future couples to these two.
Not to mention they’re both so gorgeous. They are the perfect couple (and it’s okay to hate them a little for it, everyone else does too).
When they fight back to back it’s like… poetry. Murder Machine couple activated! This ride or die pair had my whole freakin’ heart.
Be prepared to be swept up into the whole #couplegoals relationship, too. For an assassin / warrior pairing, these two are shockingly touchy feely. The cuddles? The amount of hugs and tender moments in this show… ugh… how dare they encroach upon my bitter heart like this!
If nothing else watch it for these two.
Though they aren’t the only dynamic duo in this show.
There’s also my two besties, Daddy Ning and dandy Yu Shisan whom we shall call Playboy. These two come across like a divorced couple more often than not. Their constant bickering, playful bullying, and yet undeniable magnetism is extremely fun to watch.
They just know each other so well. Close like siblings, who can torment each other without ever questioning the unconditional love shared between them. It’s just… there. I mean, the yin and yang is all in the outfits so need I say more?
who goes to battle in white? this guy is a trip.
And Playboy is such a riot.
He’s got bisexual king energy off the charts, prancing around over dramatically, swishing his robes. He will definitely be one of your favorite characters as how could he not be? He’s so adorable and funny and ridiculous.
Speaking of characters you are bound to love, let’s dish on my favorite characters in the show: The Teenagers.
I’m just going to give you an overview of the young apprentices of our lady assassin Murder Mom: Yandere Extremist Li Tong Guang and Princess Yang Ying. The Princess of Wu was also a fun character but I’ll leave that for you to discover. And I can’t write about our other teenage baby boy for… reasons (see spoiler section). So let’s dig into our young nobles.
Princess Yang Ying is the young lady the whole team is responsible for escorting across the border. She’s disguised as a Prince (badly) and is nothing but terrified and uncertain as the show begins. This sort of pitiful, helpless character can come across as cringey or unlikeable if not handled correctly, but thanks to great writing and even greater performance by He Lan Dou she is one of the most gripping characters in the show. Our sweet little lady naively signed up for this political mission, completely unaware she’s in way over her head… though it dawns on her real fast, ya’ll.
Murder Mom is tasked with teaching her. Curriculum: the art of deception, politics, and how to top men.
Watching our little princess’ slow but steady growth over the course of the show is a rewarding experience. Every inch of her progress was hard earned, too. I would have loved more of her story at the end, but we’ll get to that in the spoilers section.
Maybe this is a bit of a spoiler… but Marquis Li Tong Guang is Murder Mom’s former disciple who has an unhealthy attachment to her (understatement of the decade – he is batshit crazy about her, emphasis on crazy).
But for the first half of the show, before he meets her again, he’s just this calm and calculating upstart. A devious badass, plotting and scheming, winning battles and playing women like chess pieces. There’s a ferrety quality to him… or maybe I just saw this meme and stuck with me.
He’s deranged over his master and is absolutely shameless in throwing himself at her feet and acting the fool. Like, he is not trying to hide it. At all.
People who’ve gone insane for love are some of my favorite characters, the more fucked up and intense they are the better. So needless to say I was well fed by this young illegitimate noble and all of his petty, bratty behavior and extreme jealousy. Towards Daddy Ning, of course, but also towards the young Prince/Princess who is currently under his master’s care.
I’m not even sure I’d call this crazy in love. It’s more accurately described as severe PTSD or a trauma response or psychosis or something (whatever, a psychologist I am not). Let’s just say our Marquis has got ISSUES. Our boy is NOT OKAY. Unhinged, if you will.
And his femdom kink is off the charts. (Ya’ll, this show goes there.Often.)
I cannot say enough about how this shifu-obsessed yandere elevated this otherwise amazing drama to an OMG I AM SO ON BOARD FOR THIS CRAZY MESS drama. The writer obviously reads danmei novels, am I right?
The actor tears this role to shreds and I could not take my eyes off him. Chang Hua Sen, I’ll be looking for you in other dramas.
I also really appreciated how obvious the age differences were between the characters in A Journey to Love. The teenagers (our princess, the crazy marquis, the princess of Wu, and the adopted “son” of Daddy Ning and Playboy) acted like teenagers.
Listen, it’s quite difficult to write a realistic teenager (as is evidenced by 90% of all televisions shows depicting teenagers). They are often written too cool, too well spoken, too aware, and too mature. Not the babies in this show, though. They felt so authentically young and messy.
Real teenagers have flashes of being articulate and self aware, but this is a time in your life that trial and error rules the land. You’re figuring stuff out. You’re fun and silly when you’re not morose and brooding. You’re getting things wrong all the time. You embarrass yourself a lot. You’re shifting between moods and fighting hormones all day long. You’re daring but not calculated. You can revert back to childishness when things don’t go your way. And most of all, your focus is turned more towards yourself than other people cause this is really the era of figuring yourself out… so that’s only natural.
The teenagers in this show are all learning how their actions affect other people, which is one of the biggest lessons that must be learnt to become an adult.
I’m really fighting the urge not to write a novel about this show right now. It’s just so good!
With that said, I will be the first to admit my interest slightly waned in this show once they got to Wan and the thick of the political saga kicked in. I took a nice viewing break around episode 24 and gave myself some time before going into the second half of this show. I’m glad I did, too, cause holy shit. I’m not sure if you’re aware of what the ending has in store for you but suffice to say there will be tears. War has its casualties, ya dig?
I’m a pacifist, but I love these intense depictions of heroism and patriotism in historical war dramas. It’s idealistic and delusional… but how nice is it to dream, eh? Is that not why we tell stories? To picture the world we’d rather live in?
Daddy Ning is patriotic in the extreme, always ready with an inspirational speech about the pride of the country or whatever, while simultaneously loathing the actual leaders of the world he lives in. To him the country is all the people in it and he fights so they’ll have a better life, but the vast majority of the people’s problems are directly created by the government he works for. And sometimes he seems very aware of it, but five seconds later he’s like “I would never kill the political leaders, I will die for them as will we all!” It’s an interesting feat, actually, how he can maintain these two conflicting realities in his head. Cognitive dissonance, thy name is Daddy Ning.
Murder Mom Ruyi, on the other hand, knows that unchecked patriotism is a trap but she keeps her mouth shut when the men are gushing over it. She has no problem at all slicing up a problematic political leader from any country, be it male or female. You get ’em, honey, love you for it.
A Journey to Love – Overall Rating: 9.5/10 – When Murder Machines Fall in Love
Let’s gush over details together… oh yes, I could go on (and I did!) so if you’ve already seen it and are so inclined, come with me into spoiler land…
I have literally written, deleted, re-written, deleted, edited, and finally just abandoned a full-out analysis or overview of this show because…. it’s just too good? It’s like Coffee Prince. Some shows you should just watch – and let them take over your life as only the best shows do.
Season 2, the conclusion to this show, is rumored to start airing in July…. so I wanted to drop something before then to try to inspire as many people as I could to watch Season 1 now – so we can all watch the final season together.
So here is why you should watch Lost You Forever – Season 1:
The YEARNING!
The absolute pure longing going on this show will give you heart palpitations. This show had me talking to my television, kicking my feet into the air, crying into my ice cream, sighing and screaming as I watched these romances unfold.
But other than the harem of hot guys our leading female has gathered around her and the coma inducing sizzle of pent up lust and desire between so many people… it’s just an amazing character-based drama.
Lost You Forever is about how good qualities and ideals can be warped by trauma, twisted into dark attributes instead of positive things. The four main characters are all good people with good intentions but their perception of the world and their behavior has been catastrophically shifted by extreme experiences (torture, abuse, family members trying to kill them, strangers trying to kill them, these are not fun times). Even when they are aware of their faults they are unable to overcome how trauma has rewired their brains.
In this way the antagonists of this show are the protagonists themselves. There is no villain or evil within the story that is greater than the destructive forces within our good guys. This is a show about internal battles and wars.
Because of this, the show truly stands out from the norm and shines as a deeply moving and emotionally gripping tale. More than they are failed by others, the characters fail themselves, becoming their own worst enemies. It is difficult to imagine anyone viewing this show and not seeing hints of their own destructive patterns and behaviors in the narrative. And just as we are our own biggest critics as well as our own greatest cheerleaders, you will be both frustrated and sympathetic to the characters in the show… hating them in one episode, rooting for them in the next.
Whether it is ambition, loyalty, or duty, the three men in this story are unable to grasp it without tearing themselves apart. Ambition at the cost of humanity, loyalty at the cost of love, and duty at the cost of freedom.
BACHELOR #1 – THE COUSIN
The ambitious brother/cousin of our leading female, who has been faking his personality for so long I doubt he even knows who he is without a mask… but ooo la la in those scenes where he’s fake smiling but turns around and that smile just slides off his face to reveal this ruthless, cold expression of calculating emotional void. I squealed.
Even when he’s genuinely happy it feels weird and strained, as if he’s uncomfortable with the whole concept. He’s the biggest psychopath/sociopath in the show but you probably won’t realize it very often cause he presents himself as this extremely polite, reasonable, even charming rich guy in most eps.
I really loved this creepy repressed dude, despite his creepy repressed crush on his “sister.” Honestly, it was just more fuel on the fire to my “this guy is deeply troubling and I am intrigued“ verdict. I freely admit to loving The Borgias, okay? Something may be wrong with me – I blame reading Flowers in the Attic at an impressionable age. I excuse a lot of nonsense in the fictional worlds.
BACHELOR #2 – BEAUTIFUL MALEWIFE
Tortured and abandoned, our next leading man was literally plucked out of the mud by our leading female. After she saves his life he becomes utterly devoted to her – like a dog, honestly. A beautiful, elegant dog. My goodness, this man is just beautiful.
Every time they show his hands on screen, I lose my mind a little – his fingernails are perfect oval glass. Just like the leading female, I want to brush his hair and tuck him into bed and fuss over him like the lovely flower he is.
His shy little smile makes me crumble into a million pieces.
I would die for him.
But like I said, ain’t no one perfect in this show. And this ethereal angel baby, whose greatest asset is his undying loyalty and devotion, tears himself apart trying to serve two masters.
BACHELOR #3 – MONSTER BOY
Our third leading man isn’t even a man, he’s a monster thank you very much, and demons don’t bother with men and women, it’s just male and female (the gender politics of the demon race! I love they brought this up on two separate occasions in the show). He’s a stunningly gorgeous nine-headed serpent demon war general and he is here to use and abuse you if it serves his purpose.
While doing so, he might also offer you a shoulder to cry on or take you for a nice walk on water… but don’t be fooled, this guy is very clear as to where his priorities are. Work always comes first for our serpent baddie. And he’s very good at his job (assassin murder machine deluxe edition).
He’s your weekend boyfriend, your vacation hook up, your sexy side dish. The guy you can be yourself with because you don’t have to worry about seeing him the next day.
Like everyone alive, I adored him from the very beginning… lounging about on tree limbs, feeding cute creatures to his gigantic bird, blackmailing our female lead to work for him after he had her whipped and literally stepped on her. Uhm… stop making violence sexy, sir.
He’s cruel, he’s confident, he’s capable. But he’s also broken and lonely and needs love, don’t you baby? I can fix you I know I can, ouch stop biting me you ridiculously handsome beastie, or don’t, you know, whatever…
Listen, I know he’s everyone’s favorite. He’s my favorite too. He’s a vampire who drinks poisons like cocktails, how can we not love him?
Only the best shows can make you want both sides of the love triangle with equal fervor, I get it, I do. But the OTP is obvious. What we want and what we need are often different things. But our leading female is smart. What she wants and what she needs are the same thing.
OUR LEADING LADY-MAN
The female lead is a “dude” for about half the show until she returns to her female identity (as things go in Xianxia shows – why are they all so freakin’ gay? I luv it). She values trust above all else but her fear of abandonment causes her to constantly test those around her, forcing them to impossible standards, never fully committing lest she be let down again. The security she demands is unreasonable, for there is no bond that can never be broken or a partner that will never fail you. Things and people are malleable and make mistakes. Relationships that last are built upon mending, refining, and forgiveness.
This actress was born to play this role. The female lead is so feisty and playful and smart. I was happy when she was happy and devastated when she was sad. I am deeply attached to her life story and needseason two.
She also has magnetic chemistry with the three main leads – so it’s even harder to pick a favorite ship. She behaves differently around each of them, too, which only adds more complexity and realism to the entire show. Character development galore! It’s a smorgasbord and not only will you be well fed but they’re gonna give you enough to take home as leftovers and enjoy again later when you can’t stop thinking about them.
So that’s it for now. Just… watch it. Dissolve into the steamy pile of emotions.
Though I will warn you the first episode is jarring. The opening scenes were pure confusion and melodrama, so don’t be thrown off by it – just TRUST. It’s a lot, with murder and mayhem at funeral, crying children pledging to watch out for each other forever, random bullying, and more pledges between the two orphaned kids who are prompted separated for decades. With only ten minutes to left in the first episode, we jump to the “current time,” get a short explanation of the politics of the show, and see of our now grown royal orphans. From then on it’s smooth sailing – and I’m talking NO SKIP episodes, just excitement and humor and romance and thrills and chills and devastation. So stick with it through the bumpy first ep.
Oh, and in this show the deities, humans, and demons all live in the same world. There are three kingdoms (well, two by the end of the first episode), but they are not divided by the people and creatures that live in them. There’s no heavenly realms or demon realms in this one. As I’m new to Chinese fantasy, this threw me off for a while, so I thought I’d mention it here.
Lost You Forever S1 – Overall Rating 10+/10 – A Flawless Story About Flawed People
We’ll see how it all wraps up with the second season, but right now in my world it’s tied with Till the End of the Moon for favorite Chinese drama. I’ll be back after Season 2 for a full spoilery mess review full of pics and gifs and memes… promise.
Until then… enjoy for this funny F-M-K game with light spoilers for eps 1-13.
The Legend of Shen Li is a Chinese fantasy drama with the soul of an old Hollywood Movie. Like Cassablanca, It Happened One Night, Love Affair, The Philadelphia Story, or His Girl Friday. You know, the ones that despite being in black and white the entire world metaphorically bursts into technicolor when the two leading actors lock eyes.
I loved those old movies. Cool, confident, well-dressed people slinking around each other with playful, covertly flirtatious dialogue. Strong ladies in designer dresses circling around handsome men with deadly charm.
The Legend of Shen Li is about capable, confident adults finding love in the same suave style of Old Hollywood – but transplanted into an epic historical fantasy romance with many worlds and apocalyptic fates in the balance.
Introducing our two protagonists, Shen Li and Xing Zhi (or Xing Yun, depending on your subtitles) – whom you will fall in love with as they fall in love with each other.
So let’s talk about the set up to this show – cause it’s bizarre and brilliant.
Story Arc 1 – The Mortal Realm
In the beginning a demon warrior woman with a massive spear is escaping an arranged marriage to an heavenly immortal with a bad reputation. Their marriage is a proposed strategic alliance between the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm but our warrior woman is having none of it. She’d rather die, thank you very much, and fights off an army to run away. In the fray of her escape she falls to the mortal world and transforms back to her spiritual form – a phoenix.
Except no one in the mortal world knows what a phoenix is so they just assume it’s a weird looking chicken. She is, in fact, a most adorable CGI chicken with little hearts in her feathers and as corny as that sounds, you will adore it.
Saving her from becoming someone’s dinner is a kindly ginseng farmer who takes her back to his picturesque home on the river and proceeds to tease her and cook her delicious meals. It’s clear he knows this chicken is more than meets the eye, but how he knows and what else he might know are mysteries that slowly unravel in the first few episodes.
you can click on any image to enlarge
This drama is picturesque in the extreme and you will enjoy a visual feast while this powerful war general deals with being powerless for the first time in her life, learning to let someone else take care of her and protect her from harm. She’s annoyed and frustrated and ranting – but ultimately gives in to her gentle caretaker, who delights in teasing her and pushing her buttons, amused by her outbursts and antics and obviously quite charmed by her stubborn, bullheaded personality.
Their roles reverse by episode three as she regains her human form and her powers slowly come back; then she is the one protecting him from local bullies and other dangers. She’s also enjoying bullying him a bit herself, but it’s obviously a giant turn on to her tall, handsome mortal guardian who is grinning like a fool every time she throws him around.
The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024) | Episode 3 – gifs by @ladynamie on Tumblr – link
Listen, this guy can play our lead female like a fiddle. He’s having the time of his life goofing around the house and wasting the days away with this recuperating warrior. He’s sickly and mortal and other than some impressive knowledge of magic, he has little to protect himself in the world… not that he seems to care. The dude is like Buddha. He’s both calm like an old man who has accepted their fate and oblivious like a child who has no concept of danger… nothing seems to worry him, he’s at peace wherever he goes… and its bizarre and Shen Li is captivated by him.
Cause this super chill farmer manages to make our leading lady feel… well, like a lady. And also kinda like a little girl. Which is a novelty for her, as she is a military leader and not accustomed to men wanting to act as her shield and take long walks around the property and hold her hand and such.
It’s vacation romance all the way.
Our leading lady is relaxing for the first time in her life, just enjoying the beauty of nature and the slow movement of days, the burdens of her position and realm far, far away. No one knows who she is, no one expects anything from her… she can just melt into the tranquility of a mortal life… eat good food… and enjoy witty banter with her handsome farmer guy.
The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024) | Episode 4 – stills/gifs by @ladynamie on Tumblr – link
And in this idyllic setting… with gorgeous cinematography and perfect pacing… the stage is set for these two people to fall in love.
The love stories of adults should feel different from a romance of youth. The same uncertainty, excitement, and insecurities are there but how adults respond to these things is different. But the older you get, the higher your walls are and the easier it is to just give up or walk away. Cause you’ve been alone all this time, you know it can’t hurt you, but this… this new thing… this love thing… this could tear you to pieces if you aren’t careful.
And it involves someone else, so the outcome is not all up to you. For someone who is used to being in control, this is often the scariest aspect of relationships. Cause the stronger you are alone, the harder it is to let someone else in.
And the two lovers in this story are, respectively, some of the strongest people in the known worlds.
Shen Li is the war general of the entire Demon Realm, adopted daughter of the Demon King, and a fierce and unstoppable warrior woman who is respected and feared by everyone.
And our man Xing Zhi? Oh, he’s the last remaining ancient god, the most powerful being in all the worlds, above the Immortal Realm, the Demon Realm, and the Mortal Realm, a mysterious entity who only comes out of his seclusion in the Sky Beyond Heaven occasionally when situations require it every thousand years or so. Or when he’s so bored that he wanders down to the Mortal Realm to live as a human hoping to escape the existential horrors of being an ancient immortal.
That is a mild spoiler, and I apologize if you were coming to this review blind – but the truth of both their identities are revealed very early in the show and are printed in every description of the show online so it’s not really much of a spoiler in my opinion.
The first few episodes (1-6) are the foundation of this show and of you aren’t won over during this first story arc then go ahead and drop the show – it’s just not for you. To each their own, but… seriously… you weren’t won over? What manner of creature are you?
Overall Rating: 10+/10 – A Xianxia Romantic Epic with the heart of an Old Hollywood movie.
SPOILERS BELOW – just go ahead and watch it if you haven’t – and if you have… then come along and let’s chat more about it.
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