Please note, this review is for the drama in its entirety as I’m too lazy to assess the two parts separately. I will preface by noting that I have read the English translated novel and I will be making references between the written work and the visual adaptation in my review. There are differences between the two – some positives and other areas I believe could be better presented. Regardless, I believe both mediums are worthy of attention and hope others who watched the drama might be persuaded to read the novel as well.

STORY: Ji Yun He (Dilraba Dilmurat) is one of Flower Valley’s renown demon masters who, along with her adopted brother Lin Haoqing (Xiao Shun Yao), are tasked to tame a merman, Chang Yi (Allen Ren Jia Lun) on the orders of the cruel and self-centered, Princess Shunde (Christy Guo). The tasks include (1) have the merman speak human words, (2) have the merman grow human legs and (3) be loyal and subservient to her. While Lin Haoqing favors physical torture in taming demons, Ji Yun He prefers verbal coaxing and psychological persuasion. As she sees the parallel between herself and Chang Yi (both experiencing some form of imprisonment), she cannot help but empathizes and eventually falls for the pure hearted and kind Jiaoran. Very quickly, her objectives begin to align with his as the two attempt to flee Flower Valley. Alas, little did they know, freedom for one may be at the expense of the other and sets forth of a series of events where love is tested, sacrifices are made and complete freedom is desired yet hard to attain.

What makes The Blue Whisper a moving tale is the recurring theme of sacrifice, whether it’s sacrifice for love, sacrifice of one’s personal freedom or surrendering one’s own life for the greater good. Overall, I believe the drama did an excellent job of emphasizing this theme and having the relationships of the characters to be consistent as the novel, none more so than our lead couple, Yun He and Chang Yi. This couple (together and individually) embodies this sentiment so beautifully. Yun He and Chang Yi, on multiple occasions in the drama, forsake their own lives for the other to live well while willing to sacrifice themselves to overcome evil. Their growth and romantic journey are so poignant to witness. The drama manages to paint their love and strong bond that I was tearful at their misunderstandings and sacrifice and celebrated their love when they reunite.

While the personalities of the lead characters are changed slightly as compared to the novel to facilitate the drama plot, I (for the most part) came to terms with the change as I was captivated by the acting and interpretation. Ji Yun He, at the beginning of the drama, is presented to be calculating as she flirts and manipulates Chang Yi’s feelings to attain her goals, very opposite from the novel. Due to her upbringing and the cut-throat environment she lived in, it is very believable to me that Yun He would employ all kinds of methods (even deceitful ones) for her to survive. Some also argue the most noticeable change is to Chang Yi, the powerful and pure hearted Jiaoren. The drama’s Chang Yi, while still kind, is much more innocent and naïve which made him more vulnerable to Yun He’s persuasion. I have speculated it might be a deliberate choice by the production team to have Chang Yi take the more innocent route, possibly due to censorship issues by limiting the torture scenes as described in the novel, add a little levity to the heavy theme or perhaps to also facilitate their romance so when the “betrayal” happens, there will be more angst between the couple. Although I prefer the pacing of their relationship and Chang Yi’s depiction in the novel, but I was charmed by Allen Ren’s interpretation of Chang Yi both in Flower Valley and Beiyuan (the North Abyss) and felt his innocent characterization was still plausible given Chang Yi’s experience.

Another major character that was tweaked as compared to the novel is Lin Haoqing. If I were to say the one character that has received the most favorable writing in the drama, it would be this character. Lin Haoqing in the novel is already one of my favorites as a stand-alone character due to his complexity but the drama has made him into an even more sympathetic second male lead whose unrequited love for Yun He and his sacrifice for her to achieve her happiness have many viewers coveting a Yun He and Haoqing pairing! This prompted me to step on the brakes and present why I believe these two are never meant to be despite the stirring performance given by Xiao Shun Yao. True, Lin Haoqing understands Yun He very well, but he does not fulfill what she truly needs in a partner. There is too much ugly history between the two with his father’s torture of Yun He for many years. Chang Yi represents the purity and goodness - traits that she yearns for and that is lacking in Yun He as she grew up in a manipulative and try-to-survive setting. The people she loves most (Chang Yi and Luo Luo) are similar in nature and it’s not surprising that she gravitates towards individuals who are without guile, unlike her and Lin Haoqing, who are too similar in intelligence and can be calculative if the situation calls for it.

In terms of drama storyline, I have mixed emotions. There are areas where I thought are well done but there are also plot holes that needed to be filled for me to rate it higher. First, I will start on parts that I like (aside from the romance):

• Addition of Heavenly King character and played by a youngster to boot! I love this character, so righteous, big hearted and sacrificing. The young actor was excellent which made me almost forget (and forgive) his bratty prince persona in The Long Ballad.
• Improvement to the character, Kong Ming, and a more developed romance with Luo Luo. In the novel, I did not care for Kong Ming or his nonchalant attitude towards Luo Luo; however in the drama, I like the actor and his romantic chemistry with Hu Yi Xuan. We all need a comedic couple and they provided the humor to counter the dramatic and intense love of Chang Yi and Yun He.
• The featuring of friendship and sisterhood between Luo Luo and Yun He. I also enjoyed the male bonding of Chang Yi and Kong Ming as well.
• Yun He’s “death” scene at the North Abyss was much more memorable as compared to the novel and the aftermath of her death and the emotional impact of all characters are well presented.
• The many moving scenes or moments that I crept on me when I least expected. The most surprising is when the Immortal Master (Ning Qing's) death scene where he repents and tries to redeem himself by saving Yun He and Chang Yi. With his dying breath, he sees a vision of his master as Shunde rants on and on at Ning Si Yu. The acting exhibited by Christy Guo is remarkable! The gentle Ning Si Yu kneels down and reassures Ning Qing that it is alright and they are going “home” together. Despite hating Ning Qing for most of the drama, I surprised myself and cried for his character and found this character to be so pitiful at the end. I was also touched in how forgiving and tolerant Ning Si Yu is to her disciple

In contrast, some of the additions/changes as detailed below could have been better:

• While I love the idea of having a tribe that contributes to Chang Yi’s foothold in the North but its execution of the Fox clan’s presence left a lot to be desired. The entire tribe is dressed like beggars and the Fox princess was garbed in the most unappealing attire of all the female cast members. In contrast to the rest of the cast with their luscious and beautifully embroidered clothing and accessories, the Fox clan are in plain wardrobe and unattractive hairstyles. They should have been styled in furry, fox like materials which will be in line with the Northern cold. Attire aside, the use of the Fox clan to primarily served as a foil to Ji Yun He was not interesting but instead made the characters more annoying and unfortunately, did not add much to the central plot.
• No background development to Princess Shunde’s evilness. In the drama’s defense, her motivation in the novel was weak as well but I had hoped that the drama would creatively explore more of her upbringing and what brought her to the dark side. Unfortunately, this aspect was also poorly developed because in the drama, it did highlight her goodness at the beginning in protecting her brother (the Heavenly King) but did not credibly illustrate why she became this self-centered and spiteful immortal to the extreme. I rather the drama stated that she was wicked to start than to leave a weak (or baffling) explanation to her descent to evil.
• Too many characters restoring from the dead was overkill and did lessen the emotional impact when a beloved character’s life was at risk. In my opinion, there should only be two death “revivals” and both related to Yun He. All other deaths for pivotal main characters could have been written as near-death experience or close calls which could still stir viewers’ emotions and keep audience invested and engaged.
• Sanyue and Li Shu relationship: I write this with mixed feelings because I do like Li Shu’s character and find the actor quite charismatic but watching Sanyue’s perpetual frown throughout the drama is cumbersome. This was one relationship that I wished had followed the novel faithfully in that Li Shu stayed dead from the beginning and Sanyue decided to save Chang Yi’s life by sacrificing the means to revive Li Shu. Their romance was bittersweet in the novel but not all pairings would have a happily ever after.
• The ending deserved a direct explanation as to how Yun He changed form. It was something that could easily be rectified with a couple of lines but was poorly implemented. Please take note all drama and production teams, for drama endings, most viewers prefer obvious conclusions.

ACTING: The stellar acting is, in my opinion, the saving grace of the drama. Ji Yun He is an amazing character and Reba portrays her with such aplomb that this character has become one of my favorite female leads ever! Her character is not the cookie cutter, follow the mold goody character but has depth, flaws and convictions. Even at her weakest moments, she does not succumb to anyone as she reiterates her life is her own. I particularly enjoy her reflection of freedom. Freedom is not the ability to be anywhere one wishes to be but rather the freedom to choose however one wants to live. Ji Yun He is the kind of character that I long for Reba to portray and she did not disappoint! The variety of emotions and nuances Reba has as Ji Yun He are so praiseworthy and credible. In part 1, as the multifaceted and conflicted Yun He, there are moments where she has to restrain her emotions (her teary-eyed holding back tears look) made my eyes watered watching her. As she transitioned to being sickly at Beiyuan (North Abyss), Reba is realistic as the weak yet determined Ji Yun He. (Side note: Reba deliberately lost weight to achieve this look for the drama). Then, we’re given the vivacious, adorable and a breath-of-fresh-air Ah Ji, which is the antidote for my then broken heart. Reba truly breathes life to this character and her performance here is my favorite of hers to date.

Allen Ren portrays two characters of extreme nature – our innocent and sweet Big Tailed Fish and the cold, unapproachable Lord of The North so convincingly. Physically, he fits the part of Chang Yi in that Allen looks very beautiful in costume drama and his styling here is chef kiss! In terms of romantic chemistry, I find Reba and Allen to be compatible but I wish there were less kissing scenes as there is a slight awkwardness/restraint to these scenes, perhaps due to Allen being married. I don’t believe kisses are necessary to convey love in a drama and would be fine with others forms of physical affection. Despite this minor issue, I’m still very pleased with the character and am happy to be introduced to Allen through The Blue Whisper. I am looking forward to his future works.

The supporting cast is frankly wonderful – I love the layers of so many characters - from Xiao Shun Yao’s complex and emotional scenes of Lin Haoqing to the dichotomy given by Christy Guo of Princess Shunde and Ning Xi Yu. Then we have the adorable butterfly fairy Luo Luo with the actress’ wonderful chemistry with Reba, Allen and Wang Zi Tang (Kong Ming). I honestly cannot remember the last time I love so many characters in a drama but kudos to the entire cast for their amazing performances. I thought the acting is one area that met or exceeded my expectations.

COSTUMES: Simply one word, gorgeous! Unlike other xianxias, the costumes color palette is darker but inviting. Gone are the predominant white and pastel attire; instead we have combination of bright vivid colors contrasting with grays and blacks for both female and male characters with beautiful embroidery and attractive hairstyles (with the exception of the Fox clan). Visually, almost everyone looked amazing but special praise for Princess Shunde’s outfits! The actress looks magnificent in bold red and fetching in her evil black costumes at the end. Even her golden mask is attractive and adds to her aura. Not to mention Yun He’s earrings!! So unique that I have looked on Amazon to find myself a similar pair! It’s been a long time since I salivate over historical costumes and jewelry but the ones in The Blue Whisper are beyond stunning!

CINEMATOGRAPHY/CGI: From spring like Flower Valley to the cold driven snow of North Abyss, The Blue Whisper production is the feast for the eyes. I especially love the North Abyss as I get the Winterfell vibes from Games of Thrones. The CGI is good with Chang Yi’s merman tail and Shunde’s red flower entrance but too heavy handed in battles. I personally prefer hand to hand combat for fighting confrontations as I believe they are more impactful. However, the ending battle scene is especially exciting and quite well done.

CONCLUSION: If you have managed to get to the end of this review, I confess I am not a fan of the xianxia genre. However, I was persuaded to read the written work after learning Reba was casted as the female lead and was anticipating the novel’s darker theme in having the spotlight on demon tamers and demons. Unfortunately, the drama did not fully adapt to the grim and darker setting as described in the novel. I think the torture scenes (if they were fully adapted) would be riveting to see and highlights the amazing traits and fighting spirt of our male lead Chang Yi. But despite all the changes made and some of its shortcomings, I believe the drama successfully depicts the essence of the love story of Chang Yi and Yun He and I was moved to tears many times throughout my viewing. At its core, both characters yearn to be free and find true freedom in each other. I find this sentiment so beautiful to read and so beautiful to watch.