Till the End of the Moon (2023)

Not for the faint hearted

Overall, I found it to be a very enjoyable show. While the character development left something to be desired, the entertainment value more than made up for it.

The plot was engaging from the start, and I found myself invested in the storyline right away. The pacing was well done, with enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat throughout. The cinematography was also excellent, with beautiful shots that added to the overall atmosphere of the show.

However, I did find that the character development could have been stronger. While the main characters were likable enough, I felt as there could have been more, but that could also just be my greed. There were also a few supporting characters who felt underdeveloped, which was a shame.

One of the strongest aspects of the show would have to be the performances of the actors. The cast brought their A-game and delivered solid performances throughout the show. The chemistry between the actors was palpable, and they worked together seamlessly to bring their characters to life. The lead actors in particular gave standout performances, portraying complex emotions and motivations convincingly. It was clear that they had put a lot of thought and effort into their roles, and it paid off in the final product. The supporting actors also did a commendable job, bringing depth and nuance to their characters despite limited screen time. Overall, the actors were a major highlight of the show, and their performances added to the overall enjoyment of the viewing experience.

Despite this, I would still highly recommend "Till the End of the World" to anyone looking for a thrilling and entertaining watch. The show kept me engaged and entertained throughout, and the production values were top-notch.

Read More

A must-watch!

I was excited when I heard the news that Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu have a reunion drama. They are my favorite Chinese CP. I was quite hesitant at first since Xianxia is really not my cup of tea. I tried watching some in the past and I can't even get past at episode 3. Lol. For me, Xianxia (or even Wuxia) is a difficult genre to understand since it's historical/fantasy and the plot is kind of overwhelming. But I still gave this a try since it's a YunLu drama.

As a first-timer, I find it quite easy to understand which is good. There were only times that I got really stressed with the plot. Their love-hate relationship is kind of frustrating at some point just because of a misunderstanding which resulted from a miscommunication (which happens almost all the time). But I must say that LY and BL's chemistry is really at par. I hope they get another drama in the future because I've been rewatching Love is Sweet for the nth time. And now I'm adding this drama to my rewatch list.

Overall, I highly recommend this drama. The casting and costumes are great, even the OSTs (I was surprised at how great all the OSTs this drama has). Give lots of love to Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu! ?

Read More

Nothing to complain abt the acting at all, everyone did a splendid job. Just horrible editing, CGI failing here and there unnoticeably and some production errors of small details. Which I think shouldn’t have happened of a big project like this. The editing errors got more noticeable near the end especially on ep 39 which triggered me a lot; Tantai Jin’s hand switch from right to left hand suddenly. What I love most abt this drama is BaiLu and Lou Yunxi’s portrayal. I even want to rate this 8 or 8.5 if not for their excellent portrayals and their heart wrenching story. There were many plot holes bc they had to delete or cut off many scenes?. Li Susu as YXW changed into new, clean, luxurious and several layer outfits so easily without anyone’s help when she was traveling around alone on foot ?while being branded as a fugitive….. but later after many eps we saw that Chongyu can help her change but that was after she is back as Li Susi with her divine abilities but her as YXW did not have any….. Ending was also so very ughhhh????‍????(I don’t even kno what type of ending this is like we don’t kno what happens to Ye Qingyu, Mo Nv, Jiwu, Yue Ya(she wasn’t even there to join the fight wat da hell?!) and etc). I’m pretty sure that’s bc they had to cut off many scenes(China need to double check and make changes to their policy that’s so not beneficial for anyone)??? so even tho the story itself and actors are all good the final result(drama) was a failure for me bc it’s not up to the standard of what the actors and the story could give. And the CGI failed here and there…they could’ve done better some of u guys should stop overrating the CGI and the drama. Yes it could’ve been as good as u guys r claiming but it’s not?? LBFAD’s CGI, costumes and makeup were done better bc they didn’t have mistakes like uneven eye makeup and unflattering hairstyles. Eg the two string of fake long hair hanging out from his lower temple and Godess Li Susu’s eye makeup?????
They could’ve just aired the part two after 3 months min or yrs after fans would still watch and their drama wouldn’t be such a disappointment….. The C-biz would do much better if the productions and other entertainment staffs changed their ways and attitudes towards their work.

Read More

An engrossing magical journey that will also bring tears to your eyes

This was a xanxia drama that I had been waiting for for quite some time and for the most part it doesn't disappoint. I'll explain this point towards the end. It is fun to binge and visually quite splendid! I'll elaborate why I loved the show as well the few areas it was lacking.

VISUALS:
Starting from the theme song, which I believe are hand painted scenery and a thing of beauty! The costumes are incredibly beautiful, detailed and luxurious. The CGI is spectacular as is the world they have created. I loved the fight scenes and was happy there was so much of action involved.

STORY:
The series has a very strong start. The world of Till The End Of The Moon has many layers and each layer is unraveled as the episodes go on. Even if you find yourself a bit lost, the show will reveal things in stages. And of course, if it still gets confusing, you can always ask all the incredible fans of the show. One thing that you should keep in mind is that there are 3 main arcs where the story is set. And each arc has it's own significance. The plot includes A LOT of suffering on the male lead's part so be prepared for angst, frustration and pain. It is also the reason why you feel attached to the character. YES THERE IS ROMANCE! I don't want to give anything away.

ACTORS:
The main leads have incredible chemistry and it is very easy to get attached to the male lead's character even though he plays the role of an anti-hero. His subtle emotions are just enough to get your attention and understand his emotions. Even though I have not seen other dramas of the male lead, this series has given me pretty good insight into his acting capabilities due to the range of the character that he had to portray and it has made me want to look into his other body of work. I also loved that the female lead in this series is a strong and determined woman who is also gentle where needed. There are so many other characters in this series and each have made this show a success. Another favourite character of mine is Pian Ran who is a crafty and jovial fox.

MUSIC:
The theme song, that is currently stuck in my head though I don't understand Mandarin is quite melodious as are many other songs in the show. I rarely notice a show's OST unless it is ACTUALLY good and this show has amazing OST that is worth looking into.

The few negatives that kept me from giving this a 10:
- Because the series was cut short, some parts of the later episodes are confusing. Not enough to lose your interest but it is still sad that there are any negative points to mention at all.
- For one part in a later episode, the editing was a little bit of a mess and I wasn't feeling it. Though it is not that important a portion. Just found it a bit funny and not up to the mark.
- There is a moment in the dream arc that I found a little confused about and it would have been nice if that was resolved a little better.
- The ending... I kind of saw it coming but I still wish it was done a bit differently. I don't regret watching the show but the ending might be controversial.

Overall, the show is sensational. It's all you will be able to think about and it will whisk you away into it's world. Give it a go and have fun!

Read More

A Star-Crossed Romance Spanning Centuries that Shows Us How to Truly Love the World

If you, like many others, including myself, have been looking for recent Xianxia dramas that try to sway away from the usual Cold-Immortal-ML-and-Bubbly-Clueless-Female premise, you might want to give Till the End of the Moon a try. But, there are also some catches. Let me explain.

Till the End of the Moon is a 40-episode long Xianxia romance drama adapted from the novel Hei Yue Guang Na Wen BE Ju Ben" (黑月光拿稳BE剧本), or Black Moonlight Holds the BE Script by Teng Luo Wei Zhi (藤萝为枝). Judging from the genre and novel title alone, you should already expect an angsty storyline, unlike other Xianxias, with blood-spitting and heartbreaking moments. The plot is divided into three or four arcs, depending on how you see it: The drama starts in the Immortal/Cultivation Realm but this lasts very briefly before the female lead is transported to the Mortal Realm. Later, we have the dream arc, where the leads take on the roles of different characters and live a part of their lives. Finally, both characters are back in the cultivation realm. Personally, the Mortal Arc was the most enjoyable and gripping arc for me, with many reasons that I may elaborate on later in the review. The drama was originally divided into two separate dramas but due to government restrictions on the number of episodes per drama, the episode count was capped at 40. Therefore, the episode lengths are a bit longer, averaging at around 50-55 minutes per episode. However, it seems as if there are still some scenes that did not make it into the final drama, which was a bit disappointing and made the second half of the drama feel a bit rushed.

Female lead Li Susu is tasked with the difficult and dangerous task of killing the heartless Demon God Tantai Jin. To do this, she is sent 500 years back into the past, entering the body of Ye Xiwu, the spoiled, legitimate daughter of the noble Ye family. The mortal arc of the drama was hands down my absolute favorite part of the drama. The plot was gripping and addicting, and the acting was simply the cherry on top. Tantai Jin’s masked hatred for the world begins to show as Li Susu (aka Ye Xiwu) tries to formulate a plan on how to kill this future demon god who will kill all of her loved ones and destroy the world. The pacing of the first arc was near perfect without filler scenes and any of the cliches that you would see in many other Xianxias. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to understand that Li Susu will have to kill Tantai Jin at the end, who is seemingly harmless and loveable for most of the Mortal Arc. Their romance is star-crossed lovers to the extreme, with both falling for each other but Li Susu living with the understanding that she has to kill the one she loves, or else the entire world would be destroyed.

Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu’s relationship is slowly built up with both sweet and bitter aspects. It is clear that both of them truly care for one another but they aren’t able to completely convey their feelings. As Jin Emperor, Tantai Jin, while still harboring resentment toward those who maltreated him, is a very benevolent leader to the innocent citizens. It is simply heartwarming to see this slight change in character that is facilitated by the love and care that Ye Xiwu seems to give. However, we come to a point in the mortal arc where the relationship between the two turns to a rather toxic point, with quite a few misunderstandings. The largest fault in the drama is the lack of effective communication between the leads that could have resolved so many problems and saved so many innocent lives. But this does not overshadow the fact that the mortal arc, as well as the other arcs, had beautifully crafted scenes that not many other dramas can top.

For some, the next arc, which is set inside a dream, was a snooze fest. Essentially, the leads enter a dream where they take on the roles of a powerful immortal god and lively clam princess. I was quite invested in this arc up until the drama introduces an absolutely evil second female lead who completely destroys Ming Ye (ML) and Sang Jiu (FL)’s deserved happy ending. However, the dream arc plays a critical role in the next arc as Tantai Jin and Li Susu embody their true roles as future demon god and cultivator/immortal, respectively.

The plot transition into 500 years later is where questions start to surface and the pacing becomes a lot more rushed. Many questions were left unanswered regarding the futures of some of my favorite characters and were left unaddressed even at the very end of the drama. I enjoyed the brief, loving moments between Tantai Jin and Li Susu but the drama continues to take on the heavy star-crossed-lovers theme and stays persistent with not allowing “too” many loving scenes between the two. However, Li Susu undoubtedly changed Tantai Jin for the better, transforming him into a human with true feelings and wanting to make the world a better place. The drama gave us open endings for many side characters, which is, to say the least quite disappointing. What happened to them? Where did they go? Are they still alive? I would say that the last arc focused way too much screen time on some side characters, whereas the plot would have been a lot more intriguing and productive if more focus was put on the leads. Tantai Jin definitely deserved all the love and care.

Having watched several of Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu’s past dramas, they absolutely did not disappoint in TTEOTM in terms of acting. Both actors were able to near flawlessly show all gripping emotions, regardless of arc or scene. Demon God Tantai Jin was absolutely badass and evil while mortal Tan Taijin in the Ye Manor was a pitiful young man who thought he had lost everything. The way Luo Yunxi’s veins popped almost convinced me that he was actually experiencing excruciating pain, and the contrasting looks of endearing and being betrayed were evidently and effectively conveyed through his facial emotions. On the other hand, Bai Lu’s Li Susu was a caring daughter, loving ‘wife’ to Tantai Jin, and a responsible figure with the difficult task of ‘saving the world’. She delightfully surprised me with her acting in her scenes seeking revenge, filled with absolute hatred and persistence. As with their previous drama Love is Sweet, Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu worked amazingly with one another and their chemistry was once again extremely natural and appealing to the audience.

I absolutely adored side characters Pian Ran and Ye Qingyu. At first, they seemed like an unlikely couple but this pairing slowly grew on me. Pian Ran and Ye Xiwu had, hands down, the best sismance ever. Sun Zhenni as Pian Ran brought out an inexplicably unique but refreshing aura and her romance with Ye Qingyu, acted by Geng Yeting, was subtle yet heartwarming. On the other hand, Chen Duling absolutely ate up her role as seemingly innocent Ye Bingchang, then as the evil Tian Huan, and the demon Mo Nv. She totally embodied the absolute evilness of her characters to the point where I can’t stand to see her in the drama anymore. Bravo to her. Deng Wei also acts out his multiple personalities and characters very well.

Other minor characters were also essential to producing a well-rounded drama. While TTEOTM lacked in some areas of the plot and editing, Wang Yifei’s evil Si Ying as well as Zhang Zhixi’s Chu Huang and Tantai Jin’s immortal master, to name a few, were essential characters that the actors embodied quite well.

Production-wise, aside from the editing due to government regulations, the cinematography was impressive, and the costumes were gorgeous. The drama experimented a lot with different character styles and used brilliantly-colored costumes on many characters, which is something that we don’t see very often in the Xianxia genre. The hairstyles were intricately done and all slightly differed depending on the setting and character. The magical effects were also quite natural and pleasing to the eye, and the lighting of some scenes in particular really added to the quality of the drama.

As with many other dramas, Till the End of the Moon started off on a very strong note and slightly dwindled down as it approached the ending. However, this does not dismiss the very strong scenes scattered throughout the drama, the high production quality, amazing acting, and beautiful costumes that, combined, created a very nice drama experience overall. Although many questions were left unanswered and some parts of the drama seemed rushed of unnecessary, do consider giving TTEOTM a shot if you’re looking for another evil ML sort of Xianxia with awesome acting, impressive CGI, and beautiful costumes. The extensive and gorgeous OST is also a plus!

Read More

The ML (Tantai Jin) deserves better!

I am among those fans who have been waiting for this drama to air, when it was first announced, with the cast-side of things, since I am a fan of Luo Yunxi (Leo Luo), and I also like Bai Lu as an actress as well. This isn't the first time they paired up, since they were pair as a CP in Love is Sweet! (Those who have not watch that drama yet, do go check it out)!

Anyways, where do I start? I guess I will say that this drama really can hurts differently, because when those scene hurts, it can really hurts! (Ahh Tantai Jin deserves a hug!!!) But what kind of "drama" will it be if it doesn't have those angsty dramatic plots, right? Let's start off with the characters! I felt like how I feel towards the characters, is depending on which role they played as, or just some scenes that make me like them, some don't so I guess when it comes to characters in this story, I have some-what mixed feelings....

THIS IS WITH AN EXCEPTION FOR ONE CHARACTER, AND WHO HAS THIS HONOUR?! IT'S............ TANTAI JIN!!!
Because for Tantai-Jin, I actually love him from the BEGINNING-TO-THE-END, YES, FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END~!

Tantai Jin played by Luo Yunxi is a complex character, which Yunxi did a marvellous job in his acting ability that can bring out the multi-dimensional character, that has different contrasts to each of the characters he played as: Ming Ye, which he is the righteous God of War from the Past (Bore' Life), Original Devil God (when he was first introduced to us at the beginning), and the him 10,000 (or many millennia) later, which we came to learn about his back story as Tantai Jin and we grew to love his character, whether he is Tantai Jin, or the Devil God, for me, personally, I just love him from the beginning to the end OR Cang Jiu Min, which he has a mix of Tantai Jin and Ming Ye in him, as he is Tantai Jin, but want to stick to the path of the side of "good(heaven)".

Like I said, for me, Tantai Jin is my personal favourite character in this series, and I love how Yunxi expresses, and brought out this character to life, it was said that his novel character is much darker towards the Female Lead (Li Su Su), I haven't read the novel, but from the sounds of things, I am personally glad he was changed in the live-action/drama. I also want to highlight that Tantai Jin does somewhat low-key reminds me of Luo Binghe in Scum Villain, for the fact that the similarities in both of these characters lies in the fact that his path that he walks on really depends on whether he met the love of his(Tantai Jin we came to love) life vs he didn't in the past (the Devil God as portrayed as at the beginning, episode 1), before Li Su Su went back in time to change him, and taught him what it's like to love/feel love on his end).

The original Devil God will never understand Tantai Jin feelings when he embraced his Devil God status because the difference between them is the Original Devil God lacks love/doesn't have love whereas the Tantai Jin has love in him.

Even when they are the same person(as Devil God), but it is their experience that shaped them on who they turned out to be in the end.

I love the contrast how it shows the two version of them to be honest. It's an interesting highlight to point out what you go through and your experience can shape on who you become in the end.

I actually don't blame how the original Devil God turned out (as we saw at the beginning in episode 1), since I took that as a different time line where that Tantai Jin went through a much crueler experience and LSS never came into his life and light the darkness in his heart. If there was a LSS 1.0 from that time line then that Devil God will not be as heartless and cold as he was at the beginning..

Considering his life and what he went through I can understand why he turned out that way in the end..No one was there to show him love. It's all betrayal one after another. There's no love in the original Devil God but hatred so it's understandable when compared to the Tantai Jin 2.0 that we came to love because SuSu changed him and gave him a different life experience.

Anti-Villain or not, I still love him on my end, because to me, those Tantai Jin kills is really deserving of the kill, the Devil God that we came to love in the end, when Li Su Su went back in time to change his past, which lead to a new future/present time, of the Tantai Jin who have love in his heart, the love he holds for Li Su Su (Ye Xi Wu) is really deep that it really hurts at the same time, when at times I don't feel that Li Su Su give him equal the love/devotion she has for him (in return).

Which comes to the next character, Li Su Su / Ye Xi Wu, played by Bai Lu. Honestly, I have mix feelings when it comes to her character, my feelings for her is more leaning towards dislike. I don't like her character and how it's written... My biggest problem and complaint about her is that her belief/trust and love for Tantai Jin isn't strong enough for me to love her. I mean, if she doesn't trust him, then be honest about it, I don't like that fact that she said she trusts him one minute, but as soon as something goes wrong she is quick to judge him harshly. What's sad for me, is that when she came to say she trusts Tantai Jin by that time, I no longer can believe she really meant it, and its all just empty words, because she has shown me otherwise in the past. She said so herself, that she has a prejudice against Tantai Jin, which from her side, it's kinda understandable I guess, given that he is the Devil God of the future... BUT it's the inconsistency that I don't like. If she doesn't really trust him, then don't give Tantai Jin hope and tell him she does, when not long later, she misjudged him harshly (that's really off-putting for me).

The moment Li Su Su decided to set her mind to kill Tantai Jin in their wedding night, I no longer can like/love her nor can I support the pairing like a fan would..... I can never forgive what she's shown me then. The fact that she will really attempt to kill Tantai Jin at that time, with those ice spikes/needles, which was grown from his love for her, she was going all out... If it weren't for the Heart-Scale thingy that protected Tantai Jin, he would have died!! but the first thing Li Su Su showed me was shocked that the Heart Scale protected him, and her despair that the last two spikes shattered, she didn't even shown concern at all about Tantai Jin well-being but her despair in failing her mission!!! (Honestly, I know some people is okay on that scene, but I AM NOT!). I did hope that she will get better in the later half and she getting her character development, but she just continue to disappoint me in the end.

When she question and doubt his love for her... The way Tantai Jin expressed it though his micro expression really hurts...

Why can't she believe in his love for her?
Why can't she believe there isn't just one Devil God out there? But the Tantai Jin who now is the Devil God is NOT the same as the original devil god which lack love?

These are all questions I was asking on my end when those moments arises for me, but they are rhetoric questions, that I already got my answer, and that is... She didn't love Tantai Jin enough to trust him on her end... I honestly wish and was hoping she will improve for me for the remaining of the episodes, but she didn't....

Honestly, I have mixed feelings for her. Right now, I felt like the more I think about her, the more I end up DISLIKING her, so I think I should really stop and not think about it anymore. There are moments I like coming from her, but there are also moments, where I felt like I want to smack her on my end... For being cruel when there's no reasons to be.. She's just making it hard for herself and Tantai Jin tbh

Also, the final scene before Li Su Su sacrificed herself, those flashbacks that she shown Tantai Jin, almost to the point that she's labelling the present Tantai Jin (which is from a different time-line) into the Devil God(from her time line at the beginning) who have killed his sect and father etc... The way she said it, the way she looked at him, even when Tantai Jin said it's not him etc etc, felt like to me, she have labelled him to that same Devil God that committed those crimes... Why do Tantai Jin, from a different time-line be convicted into those crimes that he didn't commit on his end? She was really cruel then... And the fact that she said that "May we never meet each other in next life, thereafter" was just CRUEL!

As far as main pairing: Tantai Jin and Li Su Su goes, to be honest, I am only holding onto this pairing for Tantai Jin since I know how much he loves her, but I can't say I felt equally on how I feel towards Li Su Su, since in the overall story, I can't say I like some of her actions when it comes to her showing me her love for him, where she is willing to kill Tantai Jin through a misunderstanding, but for Tantai Jin the difference in contrast is that for someone like Tantai Jin who absolutely cannot stand betrayal on his end, he will forgive Li Su Su over and over again, and he will NOT kill her (like he would for those others who betrayed him)! This is why when it comes to love/display of affection what Tantai Jin surpass (in the overall) in terms of appeals, Li Su Su failed *cough* Wedding Night *cough* where she will use the one thing which came from Tantai Jin love for her to attempt to kill him....

You know what also pisses me off the most is that during their time when Tantai Jin shows her the Bore life he created for her... She actually said to him that she regret loving him.

But when she said in the final episode there's so many words she wanted to tell him

And Tantai Jin said he's listening....

She told him that she won't tell him, but she will the next time they met...(I actually thought we will get that but nope, it's a troll)

And I HATE this because this is a moment we will NEVER see on screen...

So yeah to me, she really is the cruelest FL when it comes to her love for him

I admit she does love him but it's honestly no where near as close as Tantai Jin love for her....

We saw in those 500 years TTJ go through hell to find her again but for LSS, in the end, in that ending , it felt like she have accepted the ending on her end. That's just how it is.... She didn't even try to find him again or show her longing for him to the same extent he had for her in those 500 years.

I rather trade in the fact that she don't have a daughter yet and see Tantai Jin return to her in the very last minute... And shes been looking for him through out these 500 years....That she ACTUALLY TRIES TO LOOK FOR HIM OR WAIT FOR HIM! THAT ENDING IS ANNOYING BECAUSE IT JUST FELT LIKE SHE ACCEPTED IT AND THAT'S IT... WHERE TANTAI JIN IS A PART OF A CHAPTER IN HER LIFE AND THAT'S IT LIKE WTF IS WRONG WITH THE WRITERS?!

This ending for Tantai Jin was cruel IMO. I wasn't putting my hopes up for a conclusive ending since I will be happy as long as it's an ending that makes sense and is justifiable where it made our journey and suffering WORTH IT at the end BUt this ending is NOT acceptable to me. To be honest this ending made me appreciate SOTM ending and I wasn't even happy with that ending on my end...

Rewatch Value? I don't think I am going to have withdrawal problems, like I do with some of the other drama's where after the ending, I also won't be watching this drama again because if I watched it again, I will forever be reminded of that UNJUSTIFIABLE ending...

Is this Drama recommended? If an Ending matters to you as a conclusion to the story, then I don't recommend this drama, but if you are someone who doesn't mind BAD ENDING then you can give this one a go.

Honestly for me, if there are words and phrases that sums up how I feel about this drama in the end is...
"Tantai Jin deserves so much better, but his ending was so sad in the end. I wish I would have loved the Female Lead and the Main Pairing better, but in the end, I don't, and that's what's so disappointing because I want to like them, but I can't because of what the Female Lead (Li Su Su) shown me in the Drama. I only accept the pairing because I know how much Tantai Jin loves her, but that's it. It's not because of me loving the pairing..."

Nothing against, Yunxi as Tantai Jin, since like I said, I love his character from beginning to the end, but as far as main pairing goes, I wish I have love them better on my end, I actually want to love them better than how I come to feel in the end, but there are some scenes I don't like coming from what the FL (Li Su Su) shows me... Especially at the ending.. Since the way the writers have it in the drama made Li Su Su felt that Tantai Jin is just a other chapter in her life, and she have accepted it and moved on like wtf. She's got to be the LEAST romantic FL I ever encountered! This is one of the reasons where I wish they stick to the NOVEL ENDING BETTER, and the better portrayal of her love and longing towards Tantai Jin and didn't give up searching for him!

If the drama have her dying together with Tantai Jin and they both live in a different realm or something that would have been acceptable to me than what we were given. Saying this again, I rather trade that ending where she reunite with Tantai Jin over her having a daughter and starting a new chapter of her life instead... -.-

Rant aside, I have some moments where I really did cried, but I wouldn't recommend this drama on my end since the end didn't justify the means to me. If anything I must say is that I adore the costumes and make up in this drama. I love Devil God and when he have the Curls in his hair. It's really charming to me. Music in this drama is nice, I love some of them.

Time to move on and watch Back from the Brink to heal my heart from this traumatizing ending. Being among those who long-waited for this drama, but in the end, I came to not love this drama as much as I wanted to. So I could be a minority in here. Despite saying this, I will always love Tantai Jin on my end; he's my favourite character in this, and I will always remember this drama for him, and someone who really deserves better, but the script writers is just so cruel to not give him a happy ending he deserves ~ forever bitter at this fact!

Read More

This is the GOLD standard for fantasy, Chinese dramas!

The headline of my review says it all. This is how you create a drama! I shamelessly skip and drop dramas like no other and NEVER leave reviews. However, I felt bad even skipping 10 seconds in this drama. That’s how AMAZING this is. If this is the standard for Chinese dramas going forward, I have no doubt Chinese entertainment will reach more international audience and become even more mainstream globally.

CASTING- 10/10 -Leo and Bailu were MADE for this drama. At first, I wasn’t sure about Leo. He was not my type when I began but i grew to LOVEEE Leo and I can’t imagine both lead roles going to anyone else. They brought the story to life and I really hope to see them in future historical/costume/fantasy dramas. The other actors and actresses were a treat to watch as well. All around applause for the casting!

Plot - 8/10. Overall, it is intriguing, original, and fast paced enough where I didn’t feel like i need to skip around like i do in other dramas (eg Ashes of love, starry love, LBFAD, etc). Thank god angsty and misunderstanding scenes were minimal and resolved quickly thanks to how intelligent how leads are. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the plot unfold even when the resolutions for sub-plots and ending somewhat disappointed me. Sure there were some loose ends and lazy details that bothered me (hair ornaments when sleeping, mysterious mortar in the forest) but it can’t be perfect, right?!

CGI/music - 10/10 - They are jaw dropping and can’t be missed/skipped even in the most annoying and angsty parts.

Scene cuts - 7/10 - The scene cuts didnt bother me too much, but some episodes felt jumpy and confusing. I wish they didn’t have to cut so much but it is what it is.

Read More

Most beautiful and heart-wrenching c-drama I have watched

10/10 Acting. ML spoke with so much sharpness and power and authority. FL spoke with so much passion. They truly owned the role.

10/10 Costumes. They looked EXPENSIVE. Beautiful costumes. Make-up was flawless.

10/10 Top tier CGI. They truly paid attention to the details. It was so beautifully done.

10/10 Storyline. It made my heart go through a rollercoaster of emotions. Truly the anti-hero male lead that is evil and does not go soft just because of his love for FL. However it is so attractive to see him evil and love FL.

Overall, Best wuxia romance drama of the century. Beautifully done. It will be difficult to top this one.

Read More

YES - you will empathise with the main male lead

mind-boggling acting chops - seriously, every single main and supporting cast member will make you love or hate...there is no room for indifference here
simply stunning visuals - costumes, scenery, SFX
best background music score for a xianxia ever recorded
tortured storyline that the leads keep consistent
lead female is hellbent on her mission - not a standard female character
lead male is thoroughly nuanced along a spectrum ranging from perfect insanity to absolute purity
same couple, three realms (human, dream, immortal) with each having its own internal resonance
yes - watch this. Be warned, you will not view xianxia dramas the same again.

Read More

Epic & Revolutionary 2023 Cdrama?

Well our immortal disciple li Susu travels to past with a ton of hatred towards our ml then envisioning his conditions she begins to understand and fall in love with him ?. After a series of misunderstandings and her a load of responsibility to save humanity she kills him in each his life time but then again she seals the evil bone in her body to not let tantai jin bear the burden of devil fetus that is his fate to be a vessel of devil god ? to incarnate. After her death his begins to search our goddess for 500 yrs like in the drama immortal samsara where heroine lingers in the river of forgetting for 500 yrs here it is mohe river. At last he is saved a immortal master and then meets li Susu decides to get killed by her to completely destroy evil bone, the root of hatred.

It is a heartwrenching story of the pitiable past of the devil god who had gone through all the adversities in the human realm suffering hell for decades and trying to fight against the fate he was born with. As for our Susu her sole existence is to end the devil god however her love for him is neverending nice cast visual fx music and story ??? what a revolutionary drama it is in 2023 to quench our thist for hunger of dramas

Read More

My kind of favorite drama - beautiful yet angsty

As a xianxia romance drama, as expected, TTEOTM will contain multiple realms, misunderstandings, reincarnation, a war between god and evil, powerful beings, etc. But what makes TTEOTM stand out from the rest for me is their superb acting, beautiful sets, exquisite costumes, and enticing plot.
The acting is S++ for the main leads. This is the second drama with Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi partnering (before they did the romance office drama Love is Sweet). Their chemistry is crazy, and make-believe says they are in love. There isn't any stone-faced kiss, the kiss looks real. They portray every sweet moment really well. Because they're enemies to lovers, you will see a lot of hateful stares, manipulation, lies, and intentions to kill each other.
Bai Lu is really good at intense situations like when she loses all hope (sadness and rage), almost dies, turns evil, and gets badly hurt. She portrays four characters: Li Susu, Li Susu turned Ye Xiwu, the original Ye Xiwu, and Sang Jiu. Every character is done well, but my favorite is Li Susu, she puts her mission above all and is willing to sacrifice for people (even when she sometimes doesn't see through the situations).
Luo Yunxi is phenomenal. He portrays the Ancient/Original Demon God, the Second Demon God, Tantai Jin as the hostage prince, Tantai Jin as the Jing King, the God of War Ming Ye, Cang Jiumin, and Tantai Jin as the Demon God. Every character is distinguishable, and even the small movements and aura are different. You can tell who the character is just by his eyes. He really brings his A game to the table. He is well-rounded in every emotion, and he is really good at playing the microexpression. It's perfect, I can't imagine another person playing TTJ. This is the role that was made for him. My favorite is the Ancient Demon God, he reminded me of Darkling, handsome, sexy, evil, and powerful. But the most memorable is the hostage prince, he seems weak and harmful, but he is manipulative and acts like a kid.
Other cast members are also really good, especially the senior actors like their masters, Jize and Chuhuang. I don't find bad acting, even the newcomers like Sun Zenni and Deng Wei are good and suitable.
The sets are so beautiful, grand, and majestic. It really takes you to another realm. The gods realm with Dunhuang style is so dreamy, the demon realm is dark and scary, the immortal sect is so relaxing with peaceful rainforest and lake, the Mohe Clam River is a cute aesthetic undersea kingdom with a lot of pearl decoration, and the Jing kingdom is lavish with phenomenal landscaping. The CGI for the sets is excellent, and you won't see it again until now.
You also won't find the basic costume, like wearing white if you're a god or black if you're a demon. It's unique, has its own style, and matches the set and character. The gods wear a Dunhuang style that is so colorful. Every character changes costumes multiple times. I even lost count of how many times the main leads change costumes, which is a lot. Every costume is so detailed, with a lot of pattern, various embroidery, and different fabrics and materials. The headpiece is also beautiful and regal. As a sequin dress lover, I really like Li Susu's pink sequin dress, it's so lovely and dreamy. For the headpiece, I love Sang Jiu's pearly accessories.
The plot is tight and fast-paced, you don't want to skip a scene. If you really like enemies to lovers or time travel plots, this will suit your taste. I think the most interesting is how the main lead is an antihero, so sometimes their action is unexpected.
What I also like are their action scenes, they're really cool and well coordinated. The music is suitable, my favorite ost is Mysterious Bird. They also have a lot of unique makeup and cute hairstyles. About the CGI, sometimes it is really good and screams expensive, but sometimes it is messy. Also, sometimes the sequence is not right and I feel glitchy, but it's acceptable.
Only two things that I don't like make me rate this drama 9.5, not 10. First, their editing is messy. I know the problems are because they cut a lot of scenes. It was supposed to be 58 episodes, but they cut it to 40. It makes the flow too jumpy, a lot of conversation is cut, and the dubbing is not matching. It also makes the plot hole worse because important scenes get cut. Second, the ending is bad, there is no further explanation after TTJ perishes, what happens with the others, will TTJ get reincarnated? It is rushed, even though I love EP 40 because it is sad and beautiful. They should add one episode for a proper ending and not do random things.
In conclusion, I really love this drama mainly because of the leads, Yunxi and Lulu, the aesthetic, and the plot. I really love to see if they have a special episode or release a cut scene. My biggest hope is that they will release the director's cut with 50+ episodes without messy editing.
By the way, I'm still sad and still have puffy eyes, but I won't move on from this drama and will rewatch it later. I'm also waiting for YunLu's third drama, whatever the genre is, I will be seated because they are my favorite CP in C-Dramalands right now.

Read More