I'm in love with the storytelling, CGI, ost, all in all i'm in love with this drama
Plot and Storytelling:
“I, BaiShuo, want to find my own way”
“Relying on myself is better than relying on others”
The storyline is an enthralling mix of lighthearted humor and deep emotional moments. It takes you on a journey of love, growth, and self-discovery, beautifully balancing romance with personal development. The pacing is just right, keeping you invested while allowing key emotional moments to resonate, i'm sure the real romance will come in upcoming episodes we will see more deep emotions i'm eagerly waiting for that.
Characters and Performances:
The cast delivers outstanding performances, with each actor and actress perfectly embodying their roles and i'm waiting for Bai shuo development and the time she will be more stronger to find her own way . The chemistry between the leads is magnetic, making their love story both believable and deeply moving despite the romantic moments between them didn't start yet. The supporting characters also shine, adding layers of depth and humor to the drama especially the master of sect
and his people i loved them from the first episode.
Cinematography and Production:
Visually, really is a feast for the eyes. The breathtaking cinematography captures every emotion and detail it gives me the galaxy or aurora vibes which i love so much, while the stunning costume and set designs enhance the drama’s aesthetic appeal, also the makeup i'm in love with the makeup i even wanna learn it hhh. The soundtrack is another standout i like the intro ost with sa ding ding voice, also the other osts perfectly complementing the mood of each scene with the voice of zhoushen, luhu... and other good singers, waiting for the leads song they sung together.
I recommend youbto watch it? The answer is yes.
It's more than just a xianxia love story—it's a motivation(for me) and the courage to chase one’s dreams as Baishuo chasedher dream and working hard to catch it . Whether you're a fan of xianxia romance or simply appreciate well-crafted storytelling, this drama has something for everyone.
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Lost in the fog.. I can’t see this moon
Oh where do I start... I really wanted to like this drama. I got into the productions schedules when I saw the leaks of the costuming. I have never saw styling done this way, especially with the male lead. The makeup and costuming is gorgeous. The art direction behind this drama is amazing, and unfortunately.. that is pretty much the best thing about this drama.The writing is not good, it is very very lazy. In several instances the characters ask 'oh where is this guy'... 'why are we here'.. etc. Within a few minutes of Fan Yue's first appearance, the characters tell you exactly what he is. He is good looking- he is off putting.. I would have much rather they show it. The actors can only do so much when they have to spell out the plot every other line. It is just not realistic dialogue, and overall it limits what the actors can do here. It really is a shame, as the production value must have been insane for this.. but the direction and camera work is so horrible that this drama as a whole ends up looking shammy and cheap. The leaks were wonderful and I thought that the show would be more cinematic with unconventional directions style and camera work.. unfortunately whoever was behind the lens doesn't know what they are doing at all.
The directing is not good either. The first episode of this drama was one of the worst first episodes I have ever watched. I really liked the stop motion storytelling.. but again that is just the art direction. A drama is made up of many parts, and to be successful and pleasant they have to come together in harmony. The artistry is just dragging this drama the best it can, but the production team behind this lacks some sort of care. It feels cheap with the way the zoom ins happen with the demon characters, and doesn't look pleasant at all. The only bad thing about the art is that it isn't blending well together. Individually everything looks great, but together the costuming is a bit overwhelming. The makeup washed the FL up.. I am so sorry Bai Lu. She is a pretty girl, here I don't understand what the makeup is supposed to be doing for her other than making her look washed out.
The characters relationships are inorganic and are again just told to you. The character says he doesn't like this guy.. cut scene and that guy says why. I feel like I am being treated like a child and that the flashy and colors are just there to be stimulating visually. The sets are so over the top that I can't find myself being grounded in any part, they leave the whole world feeling congested. Like I know that the sets are made and the characters can't go elsewhere because anything organic isn't the set.. I understand it is xianxia, but have something grounded in reality please. I see the green screen and the keying and mats, I remember watching a trailer and thinking .. 'is this really it'. I thought in post production things would be cleaned up.. guess not.
So at least tell a captivating story. Here the story is generic and being spoon fed. The chemistry isn't effective because of the quality of the script, it feels forced. I've also seen a lot of physical violence between the leads and wonder how in the world I am supposed to actually want the two to be in a touching yet heartbreaking romance. The answer is I can't. The opening is beautiful.. but at some point I watch and think 'huh'. I think that they did in fact just show the best parts of the drama.. and every single episode I watch the first minute and then have some sort of shock moving onto the quality of the actual drama.
There is nothing for me to look forward to or to wonder about because the opening spoils it all. I wonder if this should've just been shoved into a corner and just show me the opening 40 times in a row and I'll understand that more than a whole duration. I don't think it's worth it to watch, I put on for flashy colors. I need to get through a bad drama to see if it has any resilience.. but this isn't looking good. I hate to beat a dead horse here but watch Blossom if you want quality, if you want Xianxia quality watch Ashes of Love.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Missed Opportunity.....
Moonlight mystique as the name suggests the drama is asthetic and elegant themed ...only if they could direct it properly , had a good script and a proper production team with good camara-editing skills had done it, it could have been a good fantasy Xianxia!Also, characters have good backgrounds to make them complex but somehow they ended up being one dimensional !
A clever yet arrogant female lead
A self made demon lord who suddenly became fool in love...
A immortal 2nd male lead who is annoying as hell
A demon 2nd fl who is evil but somehow survives everytime someone tries to kill her...
Problems ---
■■1)**The male lead**■■
The problem with male lead is that he is supposed to be a complex character. But the bad script writing made him a confusing character.
When fl's city destroyed, her father was dying he didn't care and gave her ghost grass that can cause slaughter in the city . He wanted to see if fl becomes evil and consume ghost flower in exchange for human lives . He didn't seemed a kind character. He tried to kill her, use her ,didn't help her other than bringing her to her father to gather the emotion . Then he suddenly fall in love with her? Why ? As a bossy demon lord who lives his life for revenge and power suddenly fall in love with a human girl ...like "you are the first girl treat me this way "...then suddenly it reveals he was always a kind demon who tries to save others !
If you compare his character background, it is closer to Xie Wei(SOKP) or Yan Zi Jing (TSOPG) . Sadly his character is a let down . I don't dislike the fact that he is kind and approachable ( a different approach to show a male lead) . But something is still missing in his character......
ARP is really good actor. loved him in the blood of youth . And he is looking pretty here . But here it feels like he's more focused in looking pretty rather than bringing the character alive or expressing Fan Yue's sorrowful and cheerful emotions precisely....... The makeup and costumes are gorgeous but it's distracting to focus on the character "Fan Yue" ....
■■2)**The female lead**■■
who doesn't love a bold and smart female lead? I like Bai Lu and her acting is spectacular. Don't know what to feel about Bai Shuo. She is bold but she doesn't think before she acts .If Fan Yue was not kind imagine how her situation may have become! She orders and shows her feelings directly. Yes I love character growth but Bai Shuo's character doesn't give justice to her complex background.... I initially liked when she was determined to become an immortal to pay off the kindness. But she ended up becoming a brat .if she wasn't Xingyue reincarnation and without contemplation stone would she be able to pay off the kindness? Writer at least let her put efforts in cultivation than just focusing on blame games and making her an arrogant character. And I really hope Bailu does a different kind of character. Her recent fl characters are overlapping with each other......
■■3)**camara work and production**■■
camara work is worst here . I don't know the budget but it feels too flashy like short cdramas that only focused in looks ....the set is looking very cheap too ....the demon lords only have 1 or 2 followers and immortal sects looking like Wuxia begger sect ! And it's too colourful that it's visually disturbing sometimes...
■■4)**story**■■
The story is not bad . But the direction already spoiled us on what's gonna happen next ! They could have added good amount of suspense and cliff hangers ...but sadly it doesn't makes you eager to know what will happen next ! ( It has elements like hidden identities and past stories but they wasted the potential to create a tense atmosphere and mystery)
It's neither gives the seriousness of Till the end of moon nor gives the comedic relief like love you seven times or love between fairy and devil ....
They tried to mix both and caused confusion..
..Telling us directly Fan Yue is a kind demon, 2nd lead is immortal who has demonic obsession ...they could have just show us the complexity-depth of the characters and let us decide, rather than giving flashy and dramatic description like short cdramas..... The problem is without the description we will not be able to understand if the characters are good or bad and their motives. Biggest example is Fan Yue... (Tantai Jin was more complex character in TTOTM, but other characters didn't had to describe his true nature!)
■■5)**The chemistry**■■
The biggest let down is that there is no foundation of relationship between ml and fl. And it's quite hard for me to watch a relationship without foundation and proper conversation... it's just too sudden, they were trying to kill each other and then suddenly they wish to die for each other... Same goes for the dynamic between 2nd ml and 2nd fl too..... why Fu ling suddenly fall for him and is it possible to love her when she made him kill innocent peoples and practically abused and tortured him(CZ) ? The answer is yes! Second ml went for an undercover mission and saved her two times and now he's in love with her cause of stockholm syndrome and she's Baixi(over some childhood notes he's willing to drop 10 years of love for Bai Shuo!)...+ I'm amused to see how characters are rotating 180° .. Memory loss doesn't makes a person evil and psychopath!....not a single love story is well written....
■■6 )**Fate of the one well written character**■■
Personally I liked the character Qi Feng( his motives and character is well written). And I think the proper hate emotion needed from Qi Feng. He was abandoned, sacrificed, handicapped, betrayed and used . When they collected hate from Baize clan ... I thought writer has plan for Qi Feng only to watch him die insignificantly an episode later... And maybe cause of the bad script writing ARP couldn't portray the feelings Fan Yue should feel after witnessing the tragic incidents and they moved on from the incidents like nothing happened....
It's shocking how Fan Yue isn't raged over tiger clan or stone clan(they could have atleast tried to save Qi Feng as they took advantage of Baize clan bones and responsible for his physical damage). It was not necessary for Fan Yue to develop seven star curse if he was planning to forgive them all. He could have chosen to become a saint instead of a demon king...
■■7)**Finally**■■
There are a lot of tragic stories. But they have no emotional connection with the audience.So, instead of feeling sadness, it's looking rushed and feels nothing when a character dies . There is blood bath and they tried not to make it gore so it is kind of like childhood fairytale sad stories. The characters are moving on from the tragedies very fast too .And the same sad ost everytime making it annoying.
Of course Bailu acting and visuals of ARP is really good (not to mention the beautiful makeup and costumes ...still I wish the costumes were a little moderate at first and upgraded step by step rather giving godess like outfits from starting. Specially Bai Shuo's Outfits . sometimes it feels she's the master of moon palace for her majestic costumes ...)and the angsty ost is good as well..but that's it ! There are many plot holes and over dramatic corny plot twists...So,turn off your brain if you wish to enjoy...
For me , I hate stories where I can't connect with the leads ....
If you enjoy childhood fairytale kind of xianxias or you're fan of the leading actors you can give it a try ....
**... It's not for me ....**
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One of the best Xianxia dramas I have watched so far! Worth the watch? Definitely
This drama has exceeded my expectations by far. I have been eagerly waiting for this drama for a long time. It did not disappoint me to my delight.The story of the drama is super engaging, touching, suspenseful and captivating. The conflicts/persued goals are moving the characters forward and making the story very entertaining. There is current story carrying on while the vital and mysterious back stories of many characters are unravelling too. Its one of the best Xianxia dramas I have ever watched.
Bai Shuo is not just a gorgeous beauty but super brains too inceridibally smart, bold, brave and truly committed to her promises and personal goals. She is feisty and sassy yet an adorable cutie too. She is very adaptable to disastrous changes in her life due to events caused by fate and/ or by design (villians causing chaos for their personal agendas). She is taking all the challenges head on, finding ways to make a difference, learning life lessons and pursuing her goals proactively. She has solid backstory including her childhood, relationships, and significant life events.
FY is very attractive, knowledgable, clever, mysterious and powerful demon king. He gives off heartless and merciless persona in the beginning but as the story progresses we see his heart melting and character changing due to interactions with the FL. He seems to have many secrets due to some very painful and impactful past. He seems to be pursuing incredibly important goal too. At times he seems morally grey, but then he has reasons for his actions which are slowly revealed. He doesn't want to actively harm people but protecting them is not on his priority list either.
The chemistry between both main couple is very smooth and electrifying. The development of love between them is slow but for sure. The slow burn romance to me is very hot! Because its the type of romance where the relationship between characters develops gradually over time, building tension and anticipation, often starting from friendship or mild annoyance and gradually growing into something deeper and sweeter, with the focus on subtle moments and emotional depth rather than bland immediate attraction or grand gestures. There is complexity in their relationship which arises from them belonging to different races and how they started out and their mysterious signficant intertwined past.
The story of FL and CZ is very intriguing, engaging and mysterious as well. All characters are dynamic, they are contributing very well to move the story, provide powerful insights and successfully tickling our curiosity.
As expected Bai Lu is delivering very powerful, immaculate, impeccable, engaging and mesmerising acting. ARP is incredibly adaptable actor. Like BL he has slayed many different kinds of roles. Other actors are portraying their characters smoothly as well- bringing the characters emotions, aims, qualities and their attributes to light.
The OSTs, CGI and FX is mind blowing. They are placed appropriately in the drama suitable to the needs of the events. The costumes are incredibly well thought out, captivating, mesmerisingly beautiful and simply magnificent. The sets and the environments shows a lot of effort put in to anhance its suitability, usefulness and impact to the related scenes. The pacing of the drama is appropriate to story needs, its neither too fast nor too slow.
Overall I'm absolutely loving it! I hope people watching it give this enchanting and captivating drama a fair chance and watch it till the end. Its definitely worth the watch!
P.S. I will be updating it once in a while until I finish the drama and conclude my review based on the full drama.
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This is so magical!
I really love the casting, the flow of the story, and the OST. The music works well with the story setting and state. The editing is not even cringey. I like how to actors play with their emotions and how they potray their character. Another thing, the weapons and their actions are WELL DONE! Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng's visuals were PERFECT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY 💙I really love the casting, the flow of the story, and the OST. The music works well with the story setting and state. The editing is not even cringey. I like how to actors play with their emotions and how they potray their character. Another thing, the weapons and their actions are WELL DONE! Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng's visuals were PERFECT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY 💙
I really love the casting, the flow of the story, and the OST. The music works well with the story setting and state. The editing is not even cringey. I like how to actors play with their emotions and how they potray their character. Another thing, the weapons and their actions are WELL DONE! Bai Lu and Ao Rui Peng's visuals were PERFECT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE STORY 💙
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Moonlight mystique
"Moonlight Mystique" is a captivating C-drama that has captured the hearts of many fans. The enchanting storyline, combined with the brilliant performances of the cast, particularly Ao Rui Peng, has made this drama a must-watch. The beautiful cinematography and mesmerizing soundtrack add to the overall appeal of the show, creating a truly immersive viewing experience. The chemistry between the characters and the intricate plot twists keep viewers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating each new episode. The intricate storytelling and emotional depth of "Moonlight Mystique" make it a truly special drama that is not to be missed. 🌙✨Was this review helpful to you?
The chemistry
THE KISSING SCENESSS!!! OMG THEIR CHEMISTRY IS SOOOO😫😫🔥🔥 and their acting is greattt, not to mention their outfits!! I don't rlly have time to watch it rn but I'm hoping we get a happy endingg.Was this review helpful to you?
weak character development
Bailu's character lacked depth and complexity. Her character felt one-dimensional, often relying on clichés rather than evolving throughout the series. The script did not provide her with enough backstory or motivation, making it difficult for me to connect with her journey.While Bailu has shown talent in previous roles, her performance here felt underwhelming. The emotional scenes lacked the necessary intensity, and at times, her delivery seemed forced. This disconnect made it hard to invest in Bailu's struggles and triumphs.
The storyline had some intriguing elements, but the pacing was inconsistent. Key plot points involving Bailu felt rushed or poorly executed, leaving me with more questions than answers. The lack of clarity in her motivations and decisions contributed to the overall confusion of the narrative.
On a positive note, the cinematography and production quality were commendable. The visuals were stunning, and the setting added a magical touch to the story. However, even the beautiful aesthetics couldn't fully compensate for the shortcomings in character development and plot execution.
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A Mixed Bag
It had all the makings of a captivating series, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations. While it certainly had its moments, the overall execution left much to be desired.First, let’s talk about the premise. The concept of a mystical world intertwined with our own is intriguing and has been explored in various forms before. However, the way it was presented in Moonlight Mystique felt rushed and underdeveloped. The plot had potential, but the pacing was uneven, making it difficult to fully engage with the storyline. There were moments where the narrative dragged on, and others where it felt like crucial details were glossed over.
Character development is another area where the show struggled. While some characters had interesting backstories, many others felt one-dimensional and lacked depth. I found myself wanting to know more about their motivations and struggles, but the writing didn’t provide enough substance to make me care. The main protagonist had a compelling arc at the beginning, but as the series progressed, it seemed like the writers lost sight of her journey, leading to a disappointing and unsatisfying conclusion.
Visually, It had its strengths. The cinematography was stunning, with beautifully crafted scenes that captured the enchanting essence of the mystical world. The special effects were impressive, adding a layer of magic that enhanced the viewing experience. However, even the most visually appealing show can’t rely solely on aesthetics to hold the audience’s attention.
The soundtrack was another highlight, with a hauntingly beautiful score that complemented the mood of the series. It successfully created an atmosphere of intrigue and emotion, which made some of the more poignant moments resonate. Unfortunately, this was not enough to save the show from its narrative shortcomings.
In terms of dialogue, it often felt stilted and unrealistic. Characters would deliver lines that seemed forced or overly dramatic, detracting from the authenticity of their interactions. This lack of natural dialogue made it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
Overall, It had a promising concept and some standout elements, but it ultimately failed to deliver a cohesive and engaging story.
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If you’re looking for a captivating drama, you might want to look elsewhere.
### Lackluster PlotThe storyline of "Moonlight Mystique" starts off intriguing, with a premise that promises mystery and romance. However, as the episodes progress, the plot becomes convoluted and predictable. Key twists that should have been shocking feel forced and unoriginal, making it hard to stay engaged. The pacing is uneven, with some episodes dragging on while others rush through crucial developments.
### Underdeveloped Characters
While the main characters have interesting backgrounds, their development throughout the series is minimal. The protagonist, played by a talented actor, lacks depth, making it difficult to connect with her struggles and triumphs. Supporting characters often feel like stereotypes, with little to no growth or complexity. This lack of character development makes it hard for viewers to invest emotionally in their journeys.
### Inconsistent Tone
The series struggles to find a consistent tone, oscillating between serious drama and light-hearted moments. This inconsistency can be jarring and detracts from the overall viewing experience. At times, the humor feels out of place, undermining the more serious themes the show attempts to tackle.
### Production Quality
While the cinematography and set designs are visually appealing, they can’t compensate for the shortcomings in the script and character development. Some scenes are beautifully shot, but they often lack the substance needed to make them memorable. The soundtrack, while atmospheric, becomes repetitive and fails to enhance the emotional impact of key moments.
### Missed Opportunities
"Moonlight Mystique" had the potential to explore deeper themes such as love, loss, and the supernatural. However, it often skims the surface, missing opportunities to delve into the complexities of its characters and their relationships. This leaves viewers feeling unsatisfied and wanting more depth.
### Conclusion
In summary, "Moonlight Mystique" is a series that starts with promise but ultimately disappoints due to its lack of a cohesive plot, underdeveloped characters, and inconsistent tone. While it has some redeeming qualities, such as its visual appeal, it ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling narrative.
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Juvenile
It feels like Bai Lu really wanted to shine in this drama but it became Till the End of the Moon 2.0 with her acting here being even worse than the prior production. Her character made no sense from the beginning with her distancing herself from her brother Chang Shao but then right after asking him if he had any useful information. Walking away from him with Fan Yue she gives him a look of condescension and arrogance like 'I won the bet and you're a loser', an expression that seems to be like her default expression for many scenes that required her to convey other emotions but she unfortunately just resorts to a cocky head tilt while delivering her lines.The directing and script doesnt fare any better and the set designs are horrid with me questioning who okay'ed them all?? The plot revolves the same 4 leads saving each other time and time again with the predicatable plot and unnecessary side characters' stories offering nothing surprising to the stale narrative.
There is no single factor that is to blame for this mess of a production. From the start it seems like the investors were banking on good looking faces and Bai Lus fame to elevate it for ratings, but the overall result is a disappointment to those who wanted a more mature viewing experience. The 2FL at least tries with her acting and Ao Ru peng does a decent job given the circumstances, but nothing can save this disaster of a piece that (have I mentioned?) makes no sense? I sincerely pray this year will only get better as the dramas for 2024 have been unbelievably baddddd.
Chinese New Year is in 2 weeks so hopefully it will be a new start and a fresh wave of more decent dramas will follow and end this cdramaland drought.
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This review may contain spoilers
I'll die for you... no, I'll die for you
Well, where to start with this one? Seeing all the praises and 10 stars reviews it's receiving, at times I can't help but feel like I'm watching a completely different drama.I'm quite enjoying it, I'll make it clear from the start, but I had to turn my brain off on one too many occasions in order to enjoy it.
I genuinely liked the resentment illusion arc and, story-wise, it could very well hold its ground as a proper, 40-ish episodes drama, but with everything else so far I either feel bored or annoyed by the ridiculous/exaggerated melodrama that's been going on.
The characters could be interesting, but perhaps because we were plunged into the action right from episode one and it hasn't taken a break since then, I'm really struggling to connect with them in any way or see more than one layer of them.
Take for example Bai Shuo and Chong Zhao. They grew up together and were betrothed (although Bai Shuo never took this one detail seriously), but with how fast paced the first episodes were and with how much happened, I never got to see them being even remotely close and I know they were simply because the characters – AKA the script – explicitly told us so.
He's an orphan, got adopted by governor Bai and basically became a brother to our FL. Lovely, yes, but knowing that gives me nothing, can I see them properly interact? Can you SHOW them acting like close friends? Not a chance.
As a result, I felt nothing when Bai Shuo found out about his true nature and felt betrayed and angry and all of that. To me it was merely a stranger hiding a secret from another stranger. How am I supposed to feel? I don't know them as characters yet and I never saw their bond. Chong Zhao could have died in her arms and I would have received nothing, emotionally speaking.
And since I never saw them being like siblings, I really can't stand him at this point nor care about his character arc.
He's just an obsessed guy who can't take no as an answer, no matter how clearly our female lead is stating things.
Besides, he forgo his morality all too quickly to feel like a complex, multi-layered character. To me at least, the jump from heroic good guy, best disciple of his sect, to this obsessed and sightly deranged individual felt too abrupt.
These people either act the same as they did in episode one (our female protagonist) or change so quickly and so drastically that it's like we're being introduced to a completely new character.
All in all, there's no build up or “mystery” surrounding them. We met all the most prominent roles in episode one, by episode two we knew already who's human, who's demon and who's an eternal, without twists and turns, even though they could have played so much better with the hidden identities of Fan Yue and Chong Zhao.
Everything is too sudden and fast paced and consequently loses its impact and importance. It really feels like:
X just happened. Alright, moving on to Y and Z right away.
We got a literal zombie attack in the very first episodes, but I couldn't care less about those people, be them victims of the poison or survivors. First of all it was shot and acted badly, but most importantly they were just background actors with no name and no importance to the plot. And even when Bai Shuo's father got infected, I really didn't care. Literally met him half an episode ago, his tragedy has no impact on me whatsoever.
And, I noticed, death and tragedy doesn't really leave much of an impact on the characters themselves, either. They all too quickly move on from the death of a beloved one and that poor soul is never to be mentioned again after that.
The only instance where a character mourns another for longer than a couple of shots is the current arc, but only because it's useful for the plot and without that there wouldn't even be a fox clan arc to begin with.
The actors are doing their job well enough, not shining in their performances, but they're doing what they can with the script they were given.
Can't say I'm particularly liking them, however.
This is, I believe, the third drama of Bai Lu I watched so far and all of her characters feel very much the same. I'm not a fan of childish, whining FLs, but Bai Shuo really feels like another Jiang Xue Ning or Li Su Su. Independent and cunning, nearly know-it-all, stubborn, rich and spoiled, but noble and caring. All other characters revolve around hers, making her the very centre of their love – or hate and obsession. I prefer a strong FL to a damsel in distress, but I would also love to see her play different roles. She's a more than capable actress, but at this point it feels like she's just repeating the notions and the way her FLs act and react is nearly a copy and paste.
As for Fan Yue... well, ARP looks rather dashing in those robes and hairstyles, but he isn't giving much in terms of character portrayal. Loved him to bits in The Blood of Youth – his performance was a tad bit too much at times, but it worked for the character that is Lei Wu Jie, fun, reckless and dynamic. However, I don't think his acting is there yet for an old, powerful demon lord with a tragic past. Or perhaps the writing is at fault once again (and the voice they gave him doesn't help much, either).
Fan Yue does feel rather inconsistent, at times, and he fell all too quickly for Bai Shuo, becoming over-protective of her in a matter of episodes. Again, I really didn't see their relationship slowly growing and changing, so for me their love already running so deep is just not believable and doesn't make much sense. Given their personalities and how they started, a slow-burn would have worked a lot better.
In the first episodes he was rather physically violent towards her, putting her life at risk and only caring about the goddess stone she accidentally absorbed, but not even half-way through the drama, he's already willing to die for her. And, of course, Bai Shuo is ready to sacrifice her life for him.
And is self-sacrifice really the only solution? Like, honestly. After 19 episodes, this plot device has gotten old and lost its emotional force. Noble as it is, I don't think this is a message you, as director, should give to your audience, especially since it's composed of mainly young, romantic people.
There's literally a suicide for the greater good or a loved one in every single storyline so far. Sometimes more than one, as we've seen in episode 19.
It's very well a kink of the writers, at this point.
But back to Fan Yue. Sometimes he's depicted as heartless and cold-blooded, while other times he's pretty much a martyr and a hero that saves everyone.
I was so taken aback when Tian Huo told Bai Shuo about how he saves and protects “weaker” demons, welcoming them into his clan, because up to that point we never saw him particularly caring about others' lives... in some cases, he actually endangered them and didn't seem to mind about the tragic consequences. See: Bai Shuo and her father.
If they had taken more time in writing characters and slowly built their dynamics, this drama would have been a solid 8.5.
The OST is good (albeit it's quite jarring the way they so suddenly cut the music off), the costumes and make-up are great (perhaps too many hair accessories, but all in all nice costumes still, especially for Fan Yue) and the sets are fairytale-like and work with the overall vibe of the story.
I'm personally not a fan of them, for they appear too fake and plastic and way too similar for me to tell them apart. They look kind of low budget and unfinished, especially with those touches of green that remind me too much of a green screen, but, again, that's simply my personal taste, since I prefer gloomier, more grounded atmospheres à la Fangs of Fortune.
I had high expectations for this drama, so I can't help but feel rather disappointed with it, but I'd still recommend it to the fans of this genre and stories. It's just not for me.
- Mei
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