More of the same…
For me, I would say this drama is a little overrated. It’s more of the same type of Xianxia that many of us CDrama watchers have seen many times before. It does have some high points that many shows within this genre doesn’t have.The Good
Production quality was definitely higher than a lot of Xianxias but by no means perfect. The CGI was more polished, the costumes looked pretty well. I can appreciate that ShenLi did not have a million dangly bits and fake jewels hanging from her. The OST was one of the highlights as the music was very nice. The overall acting was good which I typically expect from an older cast. If this would have been played out by a younger cast, the perception may have not been received well by older watchers due to many younger actors having limited experience in acting. Although this was a serious drama, the comedy was well balanced through out.
The Bad
The plot is typical and predictable. These CDrama Xianxias tend to go through the same cycles and not too many of these stories offer anything new. This story was a character driven plot which they tend to be very slow and at times, not much was happening in most of the episodes. I found myself starting to skip through it towards the end. There were a lot of throwaway episodes that could have shorten this show down to 24 episodes. Although I liked the overall production, the skin smoothing and whitening was overdone and sometimes made them look too unnatural and unrecognizable. I would have also liked to see the actors dub themselves. With more CDramas doing away with dubbing, it’s refreshing to see the actors display their real talent. The credit in this drama goes to the great voice actors who can pull off different emotions in their voices.
I am a fan of the genre and will keep hoping and waiting for a new thrill. This one was average and I likely wouldn’t rewatch it. If you are a fan of the cast, it’s worth checking out. Make your own judgement.
Was this review helpful to you?
1The Legend of Shen Li - a sugar hit that doesn't quite fill you up
In a Nutshell:Zhao Li Ying (ZLY) plays the titular character Shen Li, a formidable and fearless General of the Immortal realm army. Her military prowess earned her the title of Lord Bi Cang and she is revered by everyone in the immortal realm. But being still female, she is forced into a political marriage with a playboy from the Heavenly realm. She gets injured while trying to escape and falls to the mortal world as a phoenix, her spirit animal form. She ends up in a marketplace for hungry peasants and is mistakenly sold as a chicken. She is bought by a seemingly carefree and aloof man, Xing Yun, played by Li Geng Xin (LGX), who surprisingly doesn’t turn her into a tasty meal, but instead nurses her back to health. As the most powerful warrior in the immortal realm, she finds her predicament and the doting care by this mere mortal humiliating and embarrassing. However, as Shen Li starts to appreciate his kindness and the simple pleasures of earthly life, she begins to develop feelings for her mortal saviour.
The Highlights:
• I will save you time: Episodes 22 – 29 are the best, followed by episode 1 – 3. Watch the other episodes if you have nothing else productive to do.
• The best executed episodes (see above) involve the mortal realm where Shen Li and Xing Zhi have the freedom to be themselves and just enjoy each other’s company. The cinematography, lighting, costumes, use of natural landscapes, and poignant soundtrack all make their mundane tasks so beautiful and give purpose to the simple surroundings. ZLY and LGX have less dialogue but this is where their acting skills shine, as they are able to sum up Shen Li and Xing Zhi’s raw and organic relationship with each other through simple interactions and subtle facial expressions.
• Beautiful costumes and loved all the outfits Shen Li wears!
• Loved the soundtrack and songs which perfectly captured the grandeur, passion and intensity of Shen Li as the warrior phoenix (the phoenix is the King of all birds in Chinese culture). The “Battle hymn of Bi Cang” will get you fired up to do anything!
• When used judiciously, the special effects/CGI were actually pretty good. Will definitely try and rewatch some of the episodes (especially ep 23 was epic!!) on a big good quality TV screen.
• The script stays faithful to its original novel “Accompanying the Phoenix".
The Lowlights:
• 39 episodes is too long for a drama that is based on a simple and predictable Xianxia story. The result is inconsistent quality where some episodes were well done (see above), some were mediocre, and others just so boring/nonsensical that I tuned out completely.
• We all know that ZLY and LGX can act! But unfortunately, the blinding bright colour palates and ridiculous smoothing filters meant ZLY was stuck in a dead-pan expression and LGX with a permanent look of constipation for most of the immortal / heavenly realm scenes, with only a few sprinkles of brilliance when the script demanded it.
• Some episodes were purely a bombardment of CGI and special effects with not much going on in the plot or character development to warrant such sensory overload. Special effects are meant to support and create the right atmosphere for the story, not serve as a tool to mask the lack of good writing or interesting characters.
• Some of the kissing scenes were really awkward and cringey to watch. I am not sure if it was the ill-placed camera angles or terrible lighting, but one particular "hot and daring" scene (pretty sure you know which one ...) looked like an amateur video cobbled together by a horny teenager in their bedroom.
• I felt like I needed a PhD in Chinese Mythology to understand how all the 3 realms interacted and the concept of rebirth/reincarnation and all the associated mythical animals and spirits. Reading the novel helps a bit. But the lack of world building means some pre-requisite knowledge of the Xianxia genre would help to understand some plotlines. Of course, one can always choose to turn brain off and just watch the show.
• Too much use of internal monologuing. Urgh … might as well read the novel instead!
The verdict:
This drama is like eating nothing but sweets all day - you get a nice big sugar hit, but at the end of the day still feel dissatisfied and rather empty inside. 6.5/10 – watchable but nothing groundbreaking.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Fantasy Romance Reignited: A Review of "The Legend of Shen Li"
It's been far too long since I've been swept away by a fantasy romance drama. But "The Legend of Shen Li," a Chinese drama starring the captivating Zhao Li Ying and the ever-charismatic Lin Geng Xin, has reignited my love for the genre.This epic tale unfolds across the three realms: the divine, the immortal, and the mortal. We meet Shen Li, a powerful yet compassionate ruler burdened by pain and duty. Xing Zhi, on the other hand, carries the weight of immense responsibility, leaving little room for personal desires. Their paths collide, and as they navigate the treacherous waters of the three realms, they find solace and strength in each other.
This drama is for those who enjoy fantasy-romance genre or Chinese mythology.
Synopsis:
Shen Li (Zhao Li Ying), a ruler of the Immortal world also known as Lord Bi Cang, is forced into a loveless marriage with a lord of the Divine realm. But it turns out the man she is to marry is a playboy and idles away his life. To escape this ill-fated marriage she tried to run away but is in-turn chased by the soldiers of the immortal world.
During her escape she experiences life-threatening injuries leading her to turn into her original form, a phoenix and falls into the Mortal world.
There, mistaken that she is a chicken, a butcher captures her and plucks all her feathers making it hard for her to escape.
A kind but sickly man, Xing Yun (Lin Geng Xin), finds her and recuperates her back from her ailing health and some how is the only one who understands her. To repay this man for the kindness he's shown her, Shen Li protects him from all threats and dangers. But her past soon catches up, forcing her to confront her responsibilities. Can love blossom amidst duty and destiny?
How will fate work between them? Are the gears already set and turning?
Personal remarks:
After the c-drama Princess Agents, I finally see the two leads reuniting in this wonderful drama. The storyline was so engaging I couldn't help but personally feel that 39 episodes is not enough. The actors performed beautifully and their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, creating a romance that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.
The plot unfolds with satisfying consistency, leaving no unanswered questions.
The supporting cast shines brightly, with each character bringing depth to the narrative. (Prepare to fall for the second male lead, Mo Fang!)
The direction and cinematography are top-notch, making the wait for this drama well worth it and the engaging plot, complex characters and thrilling fights made this drama a beautiful one!
I hope you all too enjoy this drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
HEALED
Consider me healed from all the trauma that i have from chinese fantasy dramas. This was top tier acting, comedy, costume, graphics, songs, poetry and writing. It's like the writer said "hand me a pen but set it on FIRE bcz i'm gonna write the prettiest piece you've ever seen or encountered." It's like in every turn of the series we were being taught the whole meaning of " TO BE LOVED IS TO BE SEEN"I guess we won't get such a good writing fro a while. This felt like the actual chinese cinema we were used to from 2016-2019.
Was this review helpful to you?
This is wonderful. My favorite actress of all time. Love the overall cast.
Wah all the great actors are together. Halleluyah.. . It's hit and hilarious 🎊💯umma..We love it already. We specially I have been waiting for them together.. and also my favorite actors together in a wonderful drama. ❤But I must say princess agent should have a one more season...😢😊 This is already good. The beginning was hilariously funny 😆 I hope to see more happy scenes, but with that I know we will see some sad 😔 ones. Specifically the side characters I will love to much & then they die 😢😂. I know it will make me very emotional 😭. Here is hoping for a happy ending.. 🤞🏻🤞🏻. The leads have great chemistry. Congratulations 🎉 to allI hope there will be a happy ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Gods and the Natural Law
I enjoyed this xianxia very much, thrilled to see that it got over 100 million views lately, to share in the excitement.There was a sprawling cast, with over 70 characters that played a large or tiny but always significant role. Realms and Beasts composed a variegated tapestry that the ancient god, left lonely after the departure of his former many friends, still added to with his magic brush. The core was important, but not so much that it couldn't be lived without. Finally, the time of the gods ended but not our favorites', to enjoy peace and love, and mischief, that added spice, after the worlds shattering events they'd gone through.
The division of that world in Three Realms was explained in a fun "puppet theater" moment, to the Mortal assembly at the marketplace.
There were a lot of endearing and funny moments, some amusing birds, a Cluck Cluck (Kekeda) ; a mischievous Shush (Xuxu) parrot; grand phoenixes ; some fearful monsters ; an awful wizard and his ghostly but murderous ilk. There was banter and wars. Correcting a school of shape shifting Koi fry. Taming a lion. Playing leaf music.
That piece had many look for it : it was the tune, played on the Chinese flute "dizi",of one of the main songs: 不知返 (Bu Zhi Fan, No Turning Back) sung by Wang Heye ; the music, main songs and background music, was beautiful, composed by Yang Bingyin for whom this drama will become a signature work. The opening theme : 碧苍战歌 (Bi Cang Battle song) even got played on a televised full orchestra concert. Among the most remarked pieces of instrumental bgm were : See Vastness (见苍茫) , Invoke the River of Oblivion (引忘川) , and the clucking and mischievous Person Selling Three Things (卖叁之人) that accompanied Furong Jun's pranks.
Almost never a dull moment, despite the flashbacks to remind of key points or offer revelations.
The main cast was excellent:
Lin Gengxin at his best as full and manly, but considerate, God Xing Zhi,
Zhao Liying as an almost Goddess Athena-like immortal wielding her spear,
Xin Yunlai as Mo Fang, the ambiguous subordinate of Shen Li with a hidden past,
He Yu, as the ebullient "playboy" Furong Jun who grew out of his youthful pranks such as hiding a full armory in a Qiankun bag.
Zeng Li as Shen Muyue, the Master of the Immortal tribe and surrogate mother of Shen Li,
Liu Guanlin as the comically feckless Emperor of the Divine Realm, whose indecision triggered the events,
Li Jiaqi as the "Goddess of the highest Daoist Heaven" (Luotian) leader of the fangirls of Xing Zhi in Divine Realm, with blunt methods to get info, was grown enough to consider his personal as well as the Three Realms best interests.
I was puzzled that Huang ChengCheng was included in main cast, although his role as Wang Bao was the least significant.
Qiu Xinzhi as Liu Ming was also less impressive than his main cast status announced, and did not get much screen time.
Wei Zixin as Fu Sheng was not included in main cast, although his fear-inducing scenes were essential in many episodes.
Others not in main cast were remarkable :
Xuan Lu as Liu Yu, and Xu Haiqiao as Fenglai , played as secondary but essential couple,
Wang Yiyao and Zhou Junwei, as the Golden Lady and "cultivator", played another type of couple.
Dong Jie and Song Ningfeng, as Yun Niang and Zhou San Liang, announced one painful way to ascend to immortality,
Li Zifeng, Hu Dandan and Huang Yi played the recurring love triangle that was a cursed cycle, yearning for a choice and end.
Zhou Xiaochuan as Shun Bei ; Chen Zhen as Zhu Fei ; Yang He as Chi Rong ; Liu Yu as Qing Yan were some of the generals that served as necessary personnel for the military parts
Chen Lu as Rou Ya, Shen Li's maid, was lively and fun to watch.
Sometimes, deep reflections and thoughts were proffered : are gods still needed in our new age ? Do they need to be violently killed or cremated, or can they just retire and live for themselves ? Can those who have been put into power and accepted the duties, always be up to their tasks ?
I liked that the drama was a soft romance too, satisfying if not of the steamy sort, and that the marriage question was shown as not that necessary, as a political or society requirement, but just as a cherry on top of the cake, sealing the union in less flamboyant way as sealing an Abyss, but leaving room for sparks and continued slow burn but long lasting fire. This viral message to those who still see marriage as needed at a certain age, with desirable or not age gap, and body appearance in terms of height, roundness of face or filling the clothes as well as the shoes.
The God walking bare feet on the shards was one striking moment to show how despair and depression can hit even those that are relied on, taking them for granted, watching their moves and judging behaviors from below.
This drama actually went further than only pure entertainment.
I added as a companion piece a series of interlinked posts, that offer information about the drama, thoughts about xianxia realms and the abyss, an illustrated and complete characters' gallery with an alphabetical key to the 63+ portrayed.
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/yu-feng-xing/124265-notes-about-the-legend-of-shen-li-xianxia-drama?pid=3002697&page=1#p3002697
Was this review helpful to you?
best costume dráma 2024 !
I give this drama a well-deserved 10 stars, you must see it! I liked them very much in princess agent this couple is one of my favorites the drama has a very beautiful story the chemistry between the main leads is unreal crazy I love them ..zha liying is so beautiful in this drama I love dramas where women protect men this is exactly what I am I needed to see ... I have to admit that Zhao Liying is my second favorite ... the first and my idol is Dilraba, I love her and all her dramas, so this review is not because I am a fan of the actors, but because of the beautiful love story of the strong female lead. perfect scenes, beautiful music, and great talent, I've only seen 10 ep, but that's enough for me to rate it a definite 10! definitely one of the most beautiful costume dramasWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Redemption after PA
This was a very high budget drama with great fight scenes and CGI. It had an equal mix of humour and seriousness between the main leads; ZLY and LGX played their roles perfectly, and the banter between their characters was fantastic. FL's usual serious demeanor worked very well with ML's much more lax and teasing personality.However, the humour completely missed the mark for me for the other characters. This affected the plot for me quite a bit as when the conflict actually came, everything seemed low stakes and not as serious since we've seen all these characters cracking jokes like two episodes before. The main antagonist was also a pretty bad actor so it was another thing I could not take seriously. To be honest, other than the main FL and ML, I didn't care about 98% of the side characters as most were just for comedy purposes or their characters weren't fleshed out enough for the audience to care about them.
If you're looking for a high-paced drama - this is most definitely not it. It's a slow burn with a slow moving plot but it's a beautiful production so you don't really notice it as much. It's also got a wonderful, no doubt about it, happy ending which is A+.
Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Accompanying the phoenix, Romancing the god.
The appeal of xian xia dramas to me was always the power, strength and magic of the characters. But many dramas I have watched over the years left me wanting. How I have suffered through 'powerful' leads spitting blood every second frame.THIS DRAMA DELIVERED
It showcased a strong male and female lead.
They showed us romance, foreplay, and affection in a tastefully done way.
The fight scenes were amazing.
The costumes and CGI beautifully done.
And very importantly engaging little side stories that did not take all the air time.
I write this review happily. Yes, I will miss the drama but it finished well that I can also move on without regrets. An easy one to rewatch in the coming years.
I gave it a perfect 10 well aware that it has some flaws. This rating is because in spite of the flaws it is a show well worth one's time.
Was this review helpful to you?
It has good romance, but the story is the weakest.
This xianxia drama has several strong points. First, it brought to us the long awaited pairing, Zhao Liying (as FL, Shenli) and Lin Gexing (as ML, Xingzhi), after the phenomenal Princess Agents (2017) which gave us such a disappointing cliffhanger. Second, the characterization of FL as a war general and ML as the last ancient god is so fresh. We got a non typical main female who is not bubbly, childlike, naive, and damsel-in-distress type as well as a god who is really can do something majestic and wonderful with his tremendous power. Third, this drama is very good in the department of CGI, costume, make up, setting, and worldbuilding. It is visually so pleasant to eyes and satisfying. Fourth, it shows us the perspective of common people to the events in the story, like the joy of people when Shenli and her troops won the war and the sadness of people when Shenli and others died. Also, it describes daily lives in mortal world, immortal sect, and heavenly palace. It makes the story is pretty relaxing, easy to follow, and suitable for comedy. Fifth, the story shows us how love evolves step by step from zero. It gives us the reason why Shenli falls in love to Xingyun/ Xingzhi, and vice versa. Sixth, it gives us a very happy ending. As a romance, this drama is undeniably so good.However, this drama still cannot escape the trap of xianxia tropes, therefore is unable to create new/ unique direction for Chinese fantasy story. Xianxia is a highly predictable genre. The ingredients are somewhat determined by the heaven: Three realms, power struggle between immortal sects/ divine gods and demon clans, war between good and evil, sweet romance, angsty forbidden love, evil/ pitiful/ passionate third wheeler, self sacrifice, (pseudo) sad ending, and resurrection as the definition of final happy ending. Every xianxia out there are just changing the dose, concentration, and emphasize to make their "dish" different. The Legend of Shenli is no different. It just emphasizes the sweet romance, lovey-dovey, and chemistry between FL and ML more, while decreases the dose of power struggle, angsty forbidden love, and the war of three realms, and makes the impact of the third wheelers to minimal. Plot wise, there is nothing distinctively new. Because of that, the story is so boring. It starts the same and ends similarly. If you don't watch this drama, you have nothing to lose. It is not a drama which set a higher bar for future drama.
The storyline is the weakest point of this drama. It is such a pity, because this drama has unique FL and ML introduction and relationship dynamic. The ML is not a god with pitiful backstory. He is just the last ancient god who is bored by his lonely life and very long existence. He enjoy mortal realm to experience its liveliness and playfulness. He is indifferent to things. He really has immense power, dependable, and unbeatable in every battles as he is the highest god. And, the FL is a female general. She is very strong, mature, selfless, achievement oriented, and thinking the big picture. She is fierce and bloodthirsty hero. Interestingly, deep inside her heart, she wants to be cared as a ordinary woman and to have normal life. This has been a very good story premise. BUT, this drama lacks exploration to their psychological dynamic (internal conflict) and too late to introduce the enemy to defeat and their stakes (external conflict).
The story would be very unique if they keep the initial premises and don't change the FL and ML's dispositions easily out of love (after the first moral arc), and make sure to fix every plot hole. Personally, I don't like the idea of humanization of god which is a special being. It is actually not reasonable for thousands years god to fall for merely 1.000 years female immortal, like he has never met a woman before and the FL is the only woman in the entire universe. Love makes him weak, stupid, stubborn, suffered physically, ashamed, confused, etc. Where does his wisdom from living for thousand years go? When ML dramatically froze the entire sea just to find Shenli, where does his omniscient go? He should be a transcendental being, with transcendental mission, and achieve it with transcendental love to other beings. And, when he is died due to fatal injury, it is really a problem of power scaling. Above him, there is only the Heaven which is greater in power than him. But, how come he is powerless when facing the King of Demon and dealing with the crisis in Xutian Abyss? How come he is more vulnerable than Shenli, a mere immortal and a phoenix? Is he really a god? What a fantastic being!
Also, the enemy is laughable. Just non intelligent flying black smokes going rampant in the air (miasma)! What is so fearful about that? It lacks personification and has no motive. It is created by unknown process, by a crazy power hunger immortal, yet so powerful because people said it is powerful and fearful. The furthest ability it has is just killing people or causing bruises. And Fu Sheng and Mofang (the agents behind the resurgence of miasma), how can they be that powerful and able to "kill" Shenli? What cultivation do they have or how do they train? We never know. They just exist like a decoration, to make the story has some actions and for Shenli to show off her spear play. And, it is really not good for the story because "Every hero needs a villain. Without a great villain, there are no great heroes." So, what is the point of Shenli's designation as a great war general? She just beat the villain using brute force, no intelligent maneuvering, and strategic action.
This drama indulges us so much with romance, BUT without problems to solve decently using Shenli and Xingzhi's great potentials as a war general and a greatest god in the realm. For you who love lovey-dovey couple, you might love this show purely for the romance. But, it you watch for some depth and substantive theme, I suggest you to save your time. This drama would only cause you a desperation.
Was this review helpful to you?
An unconvincing story
The first half was generally quite enjoyable, but the pace just dragged to a halt around episode 20 and the story never really recovered. I don't think I've ever seen any drama that abuses flashbacks the way this show does. The amount of filler time is just insane, and it completely kills any momentum. And all of the pacing problems are made worse by the story not being at all creative to begin with, so the margin for error was always low. There were way too many scenes of characters just going around in circles saying the most cliched lines possible.I generally liked the acting here, and visually it was quite impressive. But the story is just so poorly written, it really lets the actors down.
Was this review helpful to you?
slow burn
I think there's a lot of overhype behind this drama. it's a little slow and dragged out. The story is decent but I find that it would be hard to binge watch this show cause some episodes are pretty pointless.I think the hype is around the actors and visuals more than the actual story itself. the show does visually present well, with all the fights scenes and scenaries of the worlds.
The title character has these internal monologues that I find quite annoying at times as she's constantly doing it in every scene instead of talking to the male lead. She's also presented as being very brave and confrontational as she's always ready to fight. it's OK to be brave but her cockiness is quite irritating.
Overall there's not much drawing attention other than the look of the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
