Love Better Than Immortality (2019)

This drama was consistent throughout as a light-hearted watch that never took itself seriously. The production quality wasn't great due to the low budget, the CGI was poor and the story was practically non-existent. However, the main couple CH and QY made up for everything, especially QY.

This drama is mainly about a love triangle between a girl and two guys that are polar opposites of each other - Qiu Yue from the Demonic Sect and Xiao Bai from the Feng Ming Manor who claims to uphold the righteous side.

For me, Qiu Yue was the star of the drama. He is an anti-hero, scheming and cunning with no morals but below his cold and ruthless exterior was a vulnerable and lonely person that had an abandonment complex. Li Hong Yi did very well portraying such a complex character and the chemistry between Chun Hua and Qiu Yue was really sizzling. I loved all the kisses between them. Chun Hua was a more typical character, but she showed maturity as the drama progressed and I didn't blame her for leaving Qiu Yue in the latter half of the drama.

Xiao Bai was clearly the weakest link in the main cast. The actor portraying him had too wooden expressions and I couldn't really buy his character or his 'love' for Chun Hua. Though to be honest, his character is a very conflicted/contradictory one that didn't do him any favours either in terms of likability.

A special shout out to Feng Cai Cai who I initially disliked but became such a wonderful, understanding and intelligent character by the end of the drama.

Overall, the drama probably doesn't deserve the 8.0 rating that I gave it since it really isn't a good drama but I enjoyed the scenes between CH and QY so much that I really recommend it if you like xian xia and romance.

On a side note, the ending was actually very faithful to the book although they could have included the side stories that mentioned their child which would have made the ending more satisfying.

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One of the best Chinese Drama for me. So much love for ShangGuan Qui Yue. His love for Chun Hua is so great, He is willing to sacrifice everything for her. Just the 2 of them makes the forty episodes worth watching. Even without subs, I was hooked to watch it over and over again. Makes you laugh and wanted to fall in love. Li Hong Yi is very credible in his role, his eyes will mesmerized you. Zhao Lu Si is very funny and adorable. They have great chemistry in the screen and this is more enjoyable for me than their first team up. My favorite episode is episode 30, the moment that Chun Hua realized that his destined man was Qui Yue and of course their kiss was more passionate. Although it took that long for her to realized it, but along the previous episodes she can feel her heart beating especially when Shang Guan Qui Yue will kiss her and she even cry after dreaming that He died. I highly recommend this drama.

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Most reviewers has summed up the storyline, so I'm just going to give my opinion on the most important aspects of this drama.......the Main Couple.

I've finished this drama over a month ago, I am still re-watching it over & over again. This obsession reminds me of the Twilight Saga, when you just can't get enough of the lead couple and the combustible chemistry between the 2.

The lead actress, Zhao Lu Si, has quickly becoming my favorite Mainland China actress. She can be quirky and funny as well as serious and emotional at the same time. Her facial expressions and just small gestures were really entertaining. I also loved her with Riley Wong (he's so cute!) in I HEAR YOU. But the chemistry with Li Hong Yi is really off the chart. I also watched them in a previous drama, PRODIGY HEALER, but the acting and the couple interaction were like night and day compared to LOVE BETTER THAN IMMORTALITY. So I'm guessing it also had a lot to do with the Directing and probably a comfort level from the 2 couple having just done another drama together before.

Watching Qiu Yue Gah Gah was like watching a dangerous Cobra snake. You know that he's dangerous, but you are mesmerized and can't look away. Li Hong Yi played the perfect tortured hero or bad boy. Slightly mean & dangerous, but putty in Chun Fa's hands . He could deny her nothing except her absence and then all bets are off. Here's a guy who knows what he wants, and from the get go, its pretty clear, he wants HER! There were so many kissing scenes, each one hotter than the last. I know we all would probably leap into his arms the first time he said "I think you should marry me", but by playing hard to get (I mean she really made him work for it), the main actress really made the relationship more interesting.

My favorite scenes were the "Wine drinking scene (fanning myself), the busted wedding scene and of course the final "save" scene. Re-read this review after you watch the drama and you will see what I mean. The closing OST song was sung by Li Hong Yi and I had that downloaded to my phone after watching the first chapter. I absolutely love it and play it often.

As someone else has mentioned this is not a high budget drama, costumes not that fancy, back drops standard, secondary characters were just ok. But the storyline and chemistry between the lead couple certainly makes up for everything. Highly recommend! I wish there was a 2nd season if possible, but maybe just wishful thinking.

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Another time-consuming drama that never gets anywhere

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

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

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

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Just finished it and having major withdrawals already just like when I watched Scarlet Heart. I started watching because of Zhao Lusi after seeing her from I Hear You and seeing positive reviews.

The setting is roughly about our main female lead from the future who is willing to give up her immortality to transport her to a time period where she can find her ideal true love.

At first I wanted to drop it because it was too cutesy and was annoyed at how boy-crazy she was and trying every chance to generate a "loveable" moment with her destined one . As story progresses, I started to understand how unconditional one can be for their loved ones. She desired skinship from Xiao Bai but he was a gentleman and felt it is inappropriate. On other hand Qiu Yue has no problem with popping in her room to monitor what she is doing.

Watch it for the romantic love story. You won't regret it.

I cried a bucket up tears in the end because the love was so beautiful. You will fall for the lead who is deemed a devil that calculates through ever moves to benefit himself but ends up sacrificing everything for the female lead.

It's amazing how this started out as a fluffy drama that I could lightheartedly watch, ended up with me scrutinizing every single word the two leads spoke to each other. I did not want to miss any interaction between the two. Chemistry from both leads are awesome, the supporting cast all did an amazing job and I expect to see them more in the future.

A Cdrama done right. It may not have the hottest star, the best scenery, the best costume, the best storyline, but a good love story and actors that brings life into their character is all it takes.

Everyone on youtube is asking for a season 2. All I'm asking for is the two leads to work together again.

I do know that the two leads are in Prodigy Healer but ratings for it isn't that high, so I'll see if I'll end up watching it.

This is one of the few dramas that I would definitely rewatch and that's saying a lot because there are so many dramas choose from and I am willing to rewatch this one.

P.S. If you like kiss scenes, there's a ton off it.

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Li Hong Yi Made this Drama. <3

I just finished watching the last episode. This show has been sitting in my watchlist for ages (months) and I just never got around to it because I kept hearing mixed things. A lot of negative things: like how the female lead is annoying, the budget is low, the male is is toxic, etc. Just so many things. And there's a bit of truth to all of it.

So let me explain why I continued until the end.

First, I'm going to start with the less than stellar things.

Yes, the budget is low and it shows. The makeup was also pretty bad for a good portion of the time. Example: The second male lead...every time he was on screen, I stared at his unblended wig line rather than his face. The script...honestly, the majority of it was boring except for the instances between the male and female lead. It was repetitive. The show could have been accomplished in half the amount of episodes. The female lead's character was indeed sort of irritating. Lots of back and forth between the two male leads. Out of the entire cast, I only liked three of them. And the story itself was very, very simple.

Basically, there were a ton of little things.

Now for the parts that kept me going.

1.) While the female lead character was far from my favorite (doesn't even rank), that's all the fault of the script. Actress Rosy Zhao played her part beautifully. My only problem was the horrendous script she'd been dealt.

2.) The other character I liked aside from the leads was the best friend of the secondary male lead. Qin Liu Feng. Actually, that doesn't do him justice. Despite being the best friend of the rival love interest, there were times that it seemed like he was the only one who truly put the female's best interest first. He never judged her or any of them really. And when the second male lead was acting possessed or heartless, he stepped in to give perspective. And most notably, in the end, after all went down, he was the one who told the female lead what had happened and bid her farewell into the arms of the main male lead. He was the most supportive one throughout the whole drama, I think.

3.) To be honest, I didn't like the second male lead for almost all of the show. He was too rigid and set in his beliefs. He would have never put the female lead first. Only the morality of the hypocritical righteous sect placed first in his heart. He didn't even really know how to show affection. He was kind of sad, to be honest. He was the product of his upbringing. But in the end, he let her go. He finally realized that if she stayed with him, he would one day sacrifice her for the good of his people and their beliefs. Only the main male lead, who was deemed the bad guy and hated by everyone, would truly put her first in all things and love her the way she deserved.

4.) That leads me to the so called bad guy. He was the one thing that kept me interested in this drama. Shangguan Qiu Yue, played by Li Hong Yi. I saw where a lot of people called him toxic. Here are my thoughts. This show never portrayed him to be a good guy. He was raised in an ice cave, beaten and trained to hate in order to get revenge for his mother. Someone like this, who saw enemies everywhere, would never show love in a healthy manner. But he evolved and grew. Initially, he used her. The female lead was just another pawn. She became less so as he fell in love. Was his love toxic though? I don't think so. He was a villain. He showed up in her room, kidnapped her frequently, kissed her all the time, tricked her, etc. Yes, those things aren't technically socially okay. But it's what bad guys do. He also saved her all the time, even when the second male lead whom she thought she loved would have sacrificed her for the greater good, which happened quite a few times. The "bad guy" always put her first. He just communicated in the way he'd been raised to communicate: violently and by using tricks. Another thing, he also listened to her and did what she requested, so essentially she called the shots in a roundabout way. So no, I didn't have a problem with his character. Not everyone can be cookie-cutter perfect.

Still on Li Hong Yi...

He was beautiful throughout and he kept giving her this expression that was just to die for. It made my heart beat. LOL. It's probably one of the most seductive expressions I've seen in c-dramaland and that's my theory for why it was so popular. <3 People just wanted to look at his bad boy sexy face.

Truthfully, he was the best part of this show. ^_^

Overall, this drama was far from perfect, but I enjoyed it well enough. Probably won't rewatch it though.

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Sweet Drama with Contrasting Characters | Hot Male Lead

I love this drama from the beginning. It's so cute! My first reaction was, OMG! Another Chinese drama with hot men -beautiful long eye lashes.

The main female character, Chun Hua, is so cute, innocent, and silly. All she cares about is love, at least initially. She is so funny and upstanding at the same time. She captures my heart from the beginning. Though silly and girly, she brightens one up, unlike some similar characters in other dramas that may cringe one up. Zhao Lu Si is indeed a fantastic actress.

The male actors are new to me, but they are awfully good looking. I love looking at them, especially Qiu Yue played by Li Hong Yi; his long eye lashes simply mesmerize me. The Qiu Yue character is a bad boy kind, breaking every conceivable rule. He is powerful and ruthless, and yet has a soft heart for the woman he loves. This is a complex character as it has many facets which are not easily understood. At the same time he exudes an air of sexiness, loneliness follows. I love this mysterious and sexy character, and I'm constantly waiting for his appearances, and yet I also fear him.

In contrast, the second male lead, Xiao Bai played by June Wu, is handsome, powerful and righteous, and yet he lacks the romantic side. Everything is according to the book with him, including love. As much as I want to see him win the love of his life, I'm also torn between my love for Qiu Yue.

The fighting scenes and choreography are simply beautiful and authentic. I'm always amazed how these actors can 'fly' so effortlessly and yet set such incredible awe inspiring poses. The flow of their hair and clothing is simply so beautiful and surreal, and the intense of their faces tells a million words.

The pace can be very slow at times, to the extent that can feel like time has stood still. During such times, the camera tends to zoom onto the actors' faces, trying to capture their emotions. Qiu Yue's face is immaculate. He is so beautiful to look at, in black or white hair. His expressions are very subtle and yet capture exactly the mood, and make viewers empathize with him. Every sentence he utters towards the woman he loves, it is always full of longing and passion. His kisses are always passionate, unlike many kiss scenes in Chinese dramas - just a peck on the lips. He is one of the most sexy characters I have encountered so far in Chinese drama.

I'm impartial with the opening song, but I love the ending song and the others within the drama. This is a very well done drama. Don't miss it!

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If you're looking for a Drama that has a really good plot line... keep looking.
I truly enjoyed this drama for the main couple, specifically Hong Yi's character Qiu Yue. The perfect anti-hero, his character was the best developed out of all of them, and a lot of credit to Hong Yi, because his portrayal was immaculate. Qiu Yue is the ruthless leader of Qiuyue cavity, who finds himself falling for the ever so adorable Chun Hua. I liked Chun Hua's character in the beginning because she was so unabashed and naive. She's so unapologetically herself that you kinda love her like a little sister. I initially began watching for Zhao Lu Si because I LOVED her in "I Hear You" but Hong Yi really stole the show here. Qiu Yue truly love Chun Hua and only wants to be loved in return and sometimes, it's heartbreaking. The chemistry between them is undeniable and raw that you keep wanting more of it. and yes... they have a lot of cute kiss scenes
*Honourable Mention: Valley Legend Lord Fu Lou and his wife You Si had me in tears :'((((
*Yes, there is a happy ending

Story:
I mean.. it wasn't great and they left a couple of things unturned, but regardless it was pretty decent. It's what you expect from a drama between Yin and Yang. I will say that I really appreciated how they got into politics and the morals of right and wrong which was nice. I'll be honest, Xiao Bai and his groupies annoyed me to the point of skipping their parts every time they came on screen. Trust me, you won't miss much of the story if you do, it's pretty predictable.

Acting:
The mains were great Li Hong Yi, you have a new fan, Zhao Lu Si, I remain dedicated to your works.
The actor for Xiao Bai kinda fell a little flat for me, because he was a little too stiff for my taste. I realised that his dubbed voice didn't really suit his style so it looked a little off to me the entire time. The supporting cast was also good. I really enjoyed young master Qin and Lady Leng more towards the end.

Music: didn't really pay attention to it

Rewatch: I always know I'll rewatch a drama when I search up compilation videos of them. So yes, a definite rewatch

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Ridiculous and Disgusting (Waste of Time)

This series is just Bogus and very irritating. The role of anti hero (Qiu Yue) is nonchalant and boring ; he always forces himself on to the female lead (Chun Hua) and the whole chemistry between them is very uncomfortable and Sleazy. The female lead (Chun Hua) considers anti hero (Qiu Yue) as her brother and Yet he always forcefully kisses her without her consent which is absolutely Disgusting. The funny thing is that the anti hero kisses the female lead more than the hero! what a joke!. It's just repulsive and stirs my stomach. The female lead switches between both the guys according to her emotional needs !!. Its Nauseating evetime " Qiu Yue" enters the scene. This series should be named as "Two foolish Guys and a stupid, dull-witted, thick-headed Girl ".

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