Lutien
This review may contain spoilers
I finally binged the drama, it took me around 2 weeks.
I would like to share some thoughts I had, while I watched it. My review is for whole drama (both Part 1 and Part 2). I may occasionaly mention Ancient Love Poetry drama since IS reminded me it a lot in terms of general plot and my love-hate feelings towards drama. Also, it will contain spoilers.
Overall, I would say IS is very decent drama, which kept me engaged throughout all episodes, has good but slightly overused VFX, production values and amazing chemistry between all charachters.
The strongest thing about the drama is definitely casting. Tbh, most of the drama (except mid part in mortal realm), I felt CP was toxic for each other, but chemistry between Yang Zi and Cheng Yi is so amazing you just want them together badly no matter what happens on screen. I wish writers gave them more romantic scenes together, since I feel it was a bit of a waste to not utilize on the couple chemistry more.
About charachters:
Yumo is definetely the best charachter in the show. Not often Cdramas create such a great SML, he selfless, kind and genuinely cared for both YanDan and Tangzhou. I loved that he just always wanted for YD to be happy, even if she couldn't return his feelings, he never pushed her and denied her right to do what she wanted. It was really annoying that in later part of the drama it felt that he became a secondary charachter and there wasn't many scenes with him. He was forever sent to protect spirits spliting him with YD anf TZ, which was really a pity since I consider parts where main trio fight ad uncover mysteries together as the strongest parts of the show. And in the end his charachter wasnt even given much closure, it felt that his story just abruptly ended.
Ying Yuan / TangZhou character I didnt like much in the begining of the story, he mistreated YD a lot in the first part as YY, here I got flashbacks to ALP where I just hated ML in the end, when he made suffer FML with protecting and saving her as his reasons. In what way letting your loved one be abused, wounded, mistreated and inflicting emotional pain is saving the person I would never understand. Why just not tell the truth... Even though I watched many romance xianxia this troupe still frustrates me so much. I am glad that in contrast with APL that fake betrayal part happened in the begining and actually was used as charachter development ark for YY. He understood his mistakes and wasn't willing to do them again. Although they are the same person, I loved TZ (what's with Cheng Yi always playing charachters who isn't allowed to love ^^) character slightly more than YY, maybe because he was more carefree and open. But YY I came to love too, such a tragic charachter, which suffered a lot, I was happy that after regaining his memories he was willing to fight for both his love and to protect the world. And Cheng Yi is just so good looking in those majestic clothes as YY, i didn't like other costumes much, cause they were as in every other xianxia drama, but his wardrobe was amazing. Also, he portrays emotions and heartbreak just so well.
Yan Dan.... I hope, I won't get hate from fans, but YD is my least favourite characher of the show. As I said before kudos to casting people, if they didn't cast such a charming actress as Yang Zi I would probably totaly hated her character towards the end. I couldn't understand her reasoning for rejecting YY at all after he regained his memories. I liked her charachter until that point of the show even when she was cruel to YY when she remembered her past. It was understandable that she wasnt willing to reconcile before his memories returned because she was afraid being left again but after? Was she bitter and not forgiven him? Was it revenge? Had she not overcome their past? I could even go with it, if it was pointed towards that in the drama, but we only got her constant We won't be together. And at the same time she always showed that she was still very much in love and willing to do everything for YY, so he couldn't actually move on. That part of the story felt very confusing to me. Just why they couldn't be together? TT Give them kisses, happy romantic moments. But no, I had to watch full 59 episodes with CP never be real couple apart from dream sequince in the begining. Sigh... And also, she didn't even say Goodbye to Yumo when dying... Double sigh...
About the plot. IS bacisally same plot as any other xianxia romance drama. But I like xianxia and mostly enjoy (except missunderstadings parts, it always gets on my nerves) even repetative plots if they done correctly. I know many people say this drama is too draggy, but maybe because I watched it mostly on higher speed and fast forward some filler parts, I didn't feel it too boring. It was action packed, and plot moved forward nicely, except some episodes in heaven in part 2, when there was too much talking and nothing was going on. The drama probably could loose 3-5 episodes but overall I liked the pacing. The surprising thing I loved Mortal realm ark the most, which is very weird, cause I always don't like that part in xianxia. I loved all small cases trio investigated, they were interesting with good supporting charachters, resolved pretty quickly, and most of them were nicely integrated to the main plot. And I just love the parts where YD, TZ and SM resolve smth together, they have great dynamics. All in all, I enjoyed most of the plot, except maybe last 10 episoded where plot a bit lagged. Editing seemed worse too, with some scenes randomly appearing without prior setup. Main villain was decent, I am glad he was given proper story and wasn't made completely evil with no feelings. However, I wish final evil was YY farther, his story was so fascinating although it was briefly told. That was another waste, story of YY parents was very well told but at the end it was useless in terms of main plot. Why were we told it? Just to know his backround? I thought we gonna get back time altering artifact his farther used, but it wasn't shown. And YY helping his farther redeem, I thought it was a nice way to show how he surpressed his demon's powers, but then we had the ending... Well, I guess, it wouldn't be xianxia if they not have unnecessary tradegy in the end XD. I always tell myself to just get used to it.
So, all in all, I rate IS as strong 8, with Part 1 as 8.5. It isn't best Cdrama of 2022 for me but it is definetely one of memorable one. I would probably even rewatch some parts I especially enjoyed and remember this drama for showing beautiful friendship.
I would like to share some thoughts I had, while I watched it. My review is for whole drama (both Part 1 and Part 2). I may occasionaly mention Ancient Love Poetry drama since IS reminded me it a lot in terms of general plot and my love-hate feelings towards drama. Also, it will contain spoilers.
Overall, I would say IS is very decent drama, which kept me engaged throughout all episodes, has good but slightly overused VFX, production values and amazing chemistry between all charachters.
The strongest thing about the drama is definitely casting. Tbh, most of the drama (except mid part in mortal realm), I felt CP was toxic for each other, but chemistry between Yang Zi and Cheng Yi is so amazing you just want them together badly no matter what happens on screen. I wish writers gave them more romantic scenes together, since I feel it was a bit of a waste to not utilize on the couple chemistry more.
About charachters:
Yumo is definetely the best charachter in the show. Not often Cdramas create such a great SML, he selfless, kind and genuinely cared for both YanDan and Tangzhou. I loved that he just always wanted for YD to be happy, even if she couldn't return his feelings, he never pushed her and denied her right to do what she wanted. It was really annoying that in later part of the drama it felt that he became a secondary charachter and there wasn't many scenes with him. He was forever sent to protect spirits spliting him with YD anf TZ, which was really a pity since I consider parts where main trio fight ad uncover mysteries together as the strongest parts of the show. And in the end his charachter wasnt even given much closure, it felt that his story just abruptly ended.
Ying Yuan / TangZhou character I didnt like much in the begining of the story, he mistreated YD a lot in the first part as YY, here I got flashbacks to ALP where I just hated ML in the end, when he made suffer FML with protecting and saving her as his reasons. In what way letting your loved one be abused, wounded, mistreated and inflicting emotional pain is saving the person I would never understand. Why just not tell the truth... Even though I watched many romance xianxia this troupe still frustrates me so much. I am glad that in contrast with APL that fake betrayal part happened in the begining and actually was used as charachter development ark for YY. He understood his mistakes and wasn't willing to do them again. Although they are the same person, I loved TZ (what's with Cheng Yi always playing charachters who isn't allowed to love ^^) character slightly more than YY, maybe because he was more carefree and open. But YY I came to love too, such a tragic charachter, which suffered a lot, I was happy that after regaining his memories he was willing to fight for both his love and to protect the world. And Cheng Yi is just so good looking in those majestic clothes as YY, i didn't like other costumes much, cause they were as in every other xianxia drama, but his wardrobe was amazing. Also, he portrays emotions and heartbreak just so well.
Yan Dan.... I hope, I won't get hate from fans, but YD is my least favourite characher of the show. As I said before kudos to casting people, if they didn't cast such a charming actress as Yang Zi I would probably totaly hated her character towards the end. I couldn't understand her reasoning for rejecting YY at all after he regained his memories. I liked her charachter until that point of the show even when she was cruel to YY when she remembered her past. It was understandable that she wasnt willing to reconcile before his memories returned because she was afraid being left again but after? Was she bitter and not forgiven him? Was it revenge? Had she not overcome their past? I could even go with it, if it was pointed towards that in the drama, but we only got her constant We won't be together. And at the same time she always showed that she was still very much in love and willing to do everything for YY, so he couldn't actually move on. That part of the story felt very confusing to me. Just why they couldn't be together? TT Give them kisses, happy romantic moments. But no, I had to watch full 59 episodes with CP never be real couple apart from dream sequince in the begining. Sigh... And also, she didn't even say Goodbye to Yumo when dying... Double sigh...
About the plot. IS bacisally same plot as any other xianxia romance drama. But I like xianxia and mostly enjoy (except missunderstadings parts, it always gets on my nerves) even repetative plots if they done correctly. I know many people say this drama is too draggy, but maybe because I watched it mostly on higher speed and fast forward some filler parts, I didn't feel it too boring. It was action packed, and plot moved forward nicely, except some episodes in heaven in part 2, when there was too much talking and nothing was going on. The drama probably could loose 3-5 episodes but overall I liked the pacing. The surprising thing I loved Mortal realm ark the most, which is very weird, cause I always don't like that part in xianxia. I loved all small cases trio investigated, they were interesting with good supporting charachters, resolved pretty quickly, and most of them were nicely integrated to the main plot. And I just love the parts where YD, TZ and SM resolve smth together, they have great dynamics. All in all, I enjoyed most of the plot, except maybe last 10 episoded where plot a bit lagged. Editing seemed worse too, with some scenes randomly appearing without prior setup. Main villain was decent, I am glad he was given proper story and wasn't made completely evil with no feelings. However, I wish final evil was YY farther, his story was so fascinating although it was briefly told. That was another waste, story of YY parents was very well told but at the end it was useless in terms of main plot. Why were we told it? Just to know his backround? I thought we gonna get back time altering artifact his farther used, but it wasn't shown. And YY helping his farther redeem, I thought it was a nice way to show how he surpressed his demon's powers, but then we had the ending... Well, I guess, it wouldn't be xianxia if they not have unnecessary tradegy in the end XD. I always tell myself to just get used to it.
So, all in all, I rate IS as strong 8, with Part 1 as 8.5. It isn't best Cdrama of 2022 for me but it is definetely one of memorable one. I would probably even rewatch some parts I especially enjoyed and remember this drama for showing beautiful friendship.
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