One of the things I appreciated most about this drama is it followed its own logic the entire time and almost never broke its own rules. Even the hasty return at the end, while rushed, didn't break any rules. Very tight writing that doesn't insult viewer's intelligence.
I wish the last stretch of episodes had a tighter rewrite though I absolutely agree that overall, the show did a phenomenal job at effectively telling a story. I would *love* to see her process/what notes Ave X has written down in her notebook for their storyboarding, seems to be a reverse engineering of sorts.
I wish they didnt make him so weak after episode 21 basically. Yes hellfire made him invincible but they legit took away all of his powers, even the second male lead was stronger than him now….like come on, was that necessary?? Also So annoyed @that and they could have cut lik3 3-4 episodes from the human realm to make the ending more complete and thorough. Its like the writers got tired half of the way
@@l_a_u_y8916it's more like the writers ran out of budget and time. The pacing was rushed at the end, but it was tolerable because they bought *so* much good will through how well developed the characters, world and story was leading up to that increased pace.
I 1000000000% agree that this show needed 1 slice of life episode. Why do the CP’s never actually get married in xianxia? They never show a completed wedding between the leads. He said he’d give her the grandest wedding in the 3 realms. Like we NEEDED to see that to feel emotionally satisfied and move on from the plot.
Yeah that was my big problem with the finale. They crammed all the emotions for the final climax too close together so instead of feeling good about the happy ending I feel sadder because the happy ending didn't get a chance to set in.
I am so so so agreed with you, i didnt like the ending i felt sad alittle. They would have just do one extra episode 37. It won't destroy the drama but a beautiful happy ending after all..
I agree 100%. I just finished Ashes of Love. I loved it. These couples go through all these heartbreaking trials and they don’t receive the proper ending that they deserve in my opinion. It is all this build up, then the shows seems to fizzle out in the end. It’s like they are rushing to meet a deadline and just throw something together. DF and Orchid should’ve had a wedding and we should’ve had an epilogue showing them through 500 years with their two kids on that bridge looking at their lock.
If you are wondering DFQC's revival, The glazed fire protected his primordial spirit and became bone orchid form, later taken care by Xiao Lan Hua, that's how he came back. Like first time when The Great Battle he didn't die because of the Hellfire. Yeah the last few episodes were too rush to make us finding the answer by ourselves XD
Oh, that is interesting, I was so disappointed that DFQC's revival was smooshed on the end with no explanation. In my head I imagined up a new ending where XLH uses her powers (that are theoretically available to her as a part of her healing powers) to divide her and DFQC's primordial spirits, destroying the part that the evil god had inhabited and sharing hers with DFQC. Then they both could fall into a 500 years hibernation period together and when they awake, basically sharing a primordial spirit. If one is hurt, the other is hurt, one feels what the other feels, and if one dies the other dies, mirroring the plot at the beginning of the drama. All of this, of course, is utter nonsense, but dramas like these can make up whatever magical mumbo jumbo solutions to not kill off characters they don't want dead.
Thank you for the explanation. That ending had me thinking this director was channeling Love and Destiny a little too closely (except without the cute little daughter part which I would have loved to have seen) with its “I’m back” line and quick wrap.
Esther Yu was credible at every stage of the narrative. When her character was supposedly "just a flower fairy", Esther was breezy. How else should a flower fairy be? Dramatic, full of deep thoughts? As the narrative progresses and it becomes clear that being a "soulless" fairy is not who "Orchid" really is, Esther Yu modified her acting style according. So, yes Esther too, just like Dylan did justice to the character she was entrusted to bring to the screen. Credit should be given where credit is due ... and such an acknowledgement, of course, should be gender neutral!
I'm not watching yet to avoid spoilers since I haven't finished the drama. But I just have to say whoever styled Dylan Wang did an *AMAZINGGGG* job! His hair, his crowns, those OUTFITSSSS!!! Omg he looked so good! I hope his costume designer got a 200% raise or sth. They did an incredible job! ❤
@@myr-onl OmG same, I was absolutely shocked at how beautiful he looked. I started wondering strange things like hmm I’ve never seen such a beautiful guy as him 😅
What I absolutely LOVED, the characters were all logical, especially the first and second male and female leads. Even Dongfang's brother, who i absolutely adored for his arc. I was just waiting for him to do something stupid because of bad communication but he became a character I was proud of by the end. I watched a video of the writer saying he wanted to tell a story of love making people best versions of themselves and I believe he did do that. Edit: I'm glad I'm not the only one who HATED that dumbass heavenly emperor. The dude got on my nerves more than anyone in this drama
Dylan Wang def immersed himself in the character . You can tell by how his facial expressions- looking stern , slightly squinting his eyes for that demonic look, softening his looks when he stares at the fairy and his movements matches with his expressions. Especially for the scene when they both fell in the water and fairy sinks deeper and losing her breath and he looks annoyed and sighs at the weakness of her with his facial expressions but he also added this movement/ gesture by folding his hands behind his back - further enhancing his reaction for this “pathetic “ fairy like ugh now I have to save her . 👏 superb performance from this young man . And I very much appreciate the genuine kissing scenes and it’s not just skin touching skin without any emotion behind it
omg FINALLY someone said this!!! I always repeated that scenes because it clearly tells you SO MUCH about DFCQ character at that time!! yas he feels annoyed "damn, not that little flower spirit gonna die out of drowning, and bcs of this holy shit xilan curse, i'd possibley dying too" then proceed to dive with lazy attitude LOL and THERE'S NO SINGLE DIALOGUES in that scene but feels so deep
Dongfang Qingcang's character is still embodied in Dylan. He has never actually saying goodbye to this character. The same goes to Orchid, Changheng, Jieli and Shangque. They did not say goodbye in the fan meeting.
@@aishagresee2827 This series is very special to all of the actors. It's really not of the drama itself, and not just the characters that they all were immersed into, but what I find very special about this is the friendship that the actors created in real life as well not only in the set or on drama. They all became very close with one another in real life that they even hang out together outside of work. As for our main leads, these two, you can tell they know each other deeply, otherwise, DD wouldn't be able to imitate XX's character this well. He studied, paid attention, and followed Esther's every move that they become a mirror of each other now. This is also why this drama is very special for all the actors. Even up to now, they are still connected.
This might be a controversial opinion but I think the justification for the strong bond between the male lead and female lead in Love Between Fairy and Devil is much stronger than Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. Even though the chemistry and acting were top notch in tmopb, I couldn't fully justify why the leads were so attached to each other. I really enjoyed the romance in lbfd because I was completely convinced on why they were so devoted to each other, and the foundation for their romance was so well-integrated throughout the plot (hats off to the writers).
I am so very pleased that the drama actually follows logic. Like the whole plot of DFQC loosing his hellfire was awesome cuz as sad as i was it was SO consistent with the logic that with the return of his emotions it would be impossible to control. and you're kept wondering is he ever gonna be as strong as before? Will he continue to be the Moon Supreme cuz now he's not as powerful. And this was all for the purpose of showing his ultimate personal growth of understadning and accepting feelings and gaining Glaze fire. Thos that last bit of him gaining glaze fire could have been elaborated on and maybe foreshadowed a bit but yeah. THE VIRISMILITUDE PERSSTS!!! Also i really love how Orchid's character becomes less and less damsel and as her expeiences widen her character embodies all of the changes in thought process those experiences have caused in her. I love the fact that to show that she actually does love all beings as a goddess they had Orchid travel all 3 realms, spend enough time, contemplate life in each realm and understand their culture and customs. By the time she's ready to be the Goddess- she understands the ecess of being a Fairy, a Moon Tribe and a Mortal. And that's just so satisfying storytelling wise. I love the music and the cenematography of this show as well!
Agree about the story being quite underestimated because it's looked at as an idol drama. It's got a really simple storyline, the classic beauty and the beast we have been told since when we were kids, but the emotional massage, overall theme and the ideology the authors tried to showcase throughout the show kept getting presented SO, SO SOOOO beautifully as the drama reached towards it's end and I am really impressed by that since I was, even thought enjoying it a lot, just expecting a light hearted, cheesily enjoyable and pretty looking romance. I am very specifically proud of little Orchid for her sensibility and her development as a character! She easily became one of my most favorite female leads of all time!
Can i just say esther yu deserves as much credit as Dylan wang but I just can't see why the fandom audiences are trying to push the mls of the drama as the more popular character or people who carried this drama when it's obvious that's esther deserves as much credit and this is coming from a person who is not a huge esther yu fan
I think it's because of her character who is very annoying in the most important part of a story: the beginning. The other characters are very stable throughout the story, so if you like them in the beginning, you'll probably keep on liking them all the way through. The 2 bodyswapping episodes (10 and 11) are the worst ones (my oppinon) because of how annoying the famale lead character is but, on the other hand, Wang Hedi's acting in those episodes was so outstanding that DFQC really disappered and XLH's annoying personality was kept so well that it was so easy to believe that it was the Esther's acting rather than Wang Hedi's. Her character changed so much in a short time, so the audience couldn't really see a development that'd be credited to Esther's acting. At the end, the history of annoying female lead characters in c-dramas overshadowed Esther's acting and the low expectation about Wang Hedi's acting and the surprise of how good he did, put the male lead in a brighter spot.
@@Carlos-fl4ce her character wasn't annoying, she was meant to be naive, lively and trust too much. but she always loved Moon King and its was differentiated. And she potrayed 3 accurate character.
When do women in the entertainment industry ever get enough credit for what they do and how much they contribute to it though?🤦🏻♀ it's a sad truth and I will die on the hill of supporting ent industry women and making people stop discrediting and humiliating them
@@Carlos-fl4ce Her character was never annoying from the beginning AT ALL. She was always reasonable and what she did always made sense for her. It's just the sexist prejudice society has developed for girly and cute female characters lol. Whatever a cute girl does is annoying to you and you have to moan about it all the time...pick me behavior
@@Carlos-fl4ce I never found her annoying, she has always been so helpful, kindhearted and nice, she literally was risking her life while hiding Dongfang Qingcang. I found many other characters way less interesting, while her character development was flawless. I found Changheng to be not that interesting and at times even kind of pointless in the overall plot. I actually felt bad at the end that she became so serious and almost let go of her feelings to protect everybody, I wanted her to go back to how she was when she used to smile and be silly. It's the kind of girl who will sacrifice everything for the people she loves, someone who's always so cheerful and brings peace and happiness into people's lifes. She was so lively and I found myself feeling bad for her at the end, because she suffered too much. A perfect description of her development would be "you don't understand how important it is for you to see that person's smile until that person does so much for you, gets hurt and you want to go back time even you know you can't". Imagine a girl like Xiao Lan Hua who was always sheltered and never met anybody in her life as an Orchid, suddenly getting thrown in that chaotic world and discovering not only that she saved a sinful immortal, but that the guy she was hiding was none other than Dongfang Qingcang. Episodes 10 and 11 were inderstandable because she didn't know his world and she used to know him only by his name. She already had affection for him and she never judged him as a person, she was just scared of his reputation, but she knew he was better than what people used to say. After understanding his suffering she did everything she could to help him even more then before. She has done a lot for him and she has been strong and brave, even sacrificing for these who didn't deserve it.
I understand Wang Hedi getting a lot of deserved praise for the contrast to his Miss Dragon's performance and I definitely think he delivers all the range of emotion DFQC's character requires, but I think Esther deserves equal praise. While her character seems closer to how she is irl, or at least how she presents herself, and did require less range of emotions than DFQC, which might make it seem less challenging, she really delivers in the emotional scenes, her body-swapped acting is equally as good and she does perform a very convincing new personality as Goddess. As someone who admittedly can get annoyed by cutesy female characters, I never felt that way about her and I would credit a lot of that to how Esther balances strength and vulnerability in her performance. I don't think Wang Hedi deserves any less merit for this, but the performance of his character also comes from another actor, the one dubbing him, who also deserves praise, while what you see from Xiao Lan Hua is entirely Esther, both visual as well as voice. So I think they were equally good and their performances worked beautifully in complementing each other.
Well said. I also get annoyed easily with cutesy female characters and I didn’t find Esther’s character annoying at all!!! They both did a fantastic job. And yes…must give credit to the voice actor. He brings DFQC to life.
Thank you! CLJ now is hands down the best xianxia I ever watched. Mostly because how it was written, brought in life and performed. No major fillers or sideplots that annoyed you. It wasn't perfect-perfect, we have some lines not closed, but not that many and I put the blame on limited time that they have (I can't believe I am saying this abt xianxia, but I wish CLJ was atleast 4 eps longer). The last 4 or 6 eps, even if I love the pace of this drama to pieces, indeed felt a little bit too fast. I think it is quite different watching pleasure when drama from which you sidn't expect anything amazed you that much. From how thought out art, script, OST and CGI was to actor's perfomances and their chemistry. CLJ is indeed xianxia ceiling for me from now on.
@@CarstenLovekiky I didn't find it unnecessary when I was watching in real time bcs we didn't have massive fillers and subplots but I admit they can execute it better. Or atleast close line with father just adding him standing on background in final scene with Jieli.
@@CarstenLovekiky It was to show Danyin bonding with someone from the Moon Tribe, but mostly to explain and give a sort of closure to Jieli's story. In my opinion that plotline was good because it happened because of Rong Hao, using both Jieli and her father, so that he could complete his plan. They had to wrap it up and they couldn't have Danyin and Jieli being enemies, especially because the lesson of the drama was about love and acceptance, or any other form of love. It's good Danyin could go past her prejudice and start to befriend someone like Jieli. I also had to admit that before knowing about Jieli's father, I thought he was a bit of a bish, always kissing Changheng's brother's a**, but now I understand his reasons. He used to be the right-hand man of the most powerful person in Shuiyuntian because he could have his support and could be a spy for Rong Hao...and so that he could protect his daughter better. The only one he should have asked for protection was Dongfang Qingcang, but at that time his reputation was bad and his name was feared.
@@CarstenLovekiky Apparently Danyin’s actress got caught up in a scandal so they had to cut out a lot of scenes with her in it. I saw on weibo that she was originally supposed to have a love line with dfqc’s lil bro. I guess the birth secret stuff would’ve been a bit more relevant if all that stuff was kept in the drama
Last comment fr. 2 final thoughts: BIG spoiler alart// 1: Many cnetz were talking about being disappointed that there was no epic and bloody battle scene in ep 31 and the director posted on his weibo telling people they missed the point of the drama and that it's a drama about love and peace. LOVED HIM FOR THAT!! HE WAS RIGHT! XLH's death was actually amazing and emotional! 2: The highlight of the last episode for me was DFQC facing his evil thoughts (a.k.a Evil God Tai Sui possessing his body). That shit was so cool! The psychological aspect of that part in general was really well written!
the acting was so great too because when Tai Sui said what if Orchid forgets you entirely and Dongfang wavered for just a second but you could see on Taisuis face he knew he got him!!
I loved the line where Orchid asks DFQC, ''I want you to respect me.''/ ''can you respect me?'' before she enters the cave. I mean everyone can love you, but for a controlling male lead to respect the supposedly weak female lead's decision to take risk . . . I love that!! Overall this drama was very well balanced. music/costume/casting/acting/romantic chemistry/emotions. It just goes so well ! !
We were robbed of their magnificent wedding....what I really wanted to see in the end is Dongfang to get his happy ending with Little Orchid as his Moon Queen and go back to Cangyan sea. He suffered so much. Dylan Wang deserves more credit for his portrayal of Dongfang than you are giving him. He really delivered what was directed and asked of him and proved everyone wrong. Like everything else, the casting was well thought out and so perfect. He has unique face and look that fits the pretty bad boy character. I am bored with the same old classic pretty boy faces like his love rival.
In my opinion 4 things made this drama epic and that is the script, directing, acting and most importantly, THE CHEMISTRY. I actually love the ending of the drama for the same reason you said you liked the ending of the untamed in your final review. They've already set up everything and let us see a glimpse through dreamscape. It's not too much in your face, they dont force feed u the happy ending and lets you come to your own conclusion. Actually the last scene could almost be something akin to female leads own dreamscape or imagination while she's still waiting for him to come back and the male lead could still be dead if we want to interpret it that way.
Two things I badly want to see in this drama is a better and way more satisfying ending, and also Dongfang Qingcang new powers Glazing Fire. it would be fun if they put a little bit of action with his Glazing Fire against the Evil King spirit, it would be epic. The only thing I hate about this drama is that it's only 36 ep, they should made it a 42 episodes or something like that.
@@cristina8868 she had the bone Orchid and she can make people come back to life, so I feel like it was him. The reason why it seemed casual is because both already knew they would have come back together and that's why they weren't surprised. That's a thing that made people unsatisfied because it was a very rushed moment, but it actually made sense.
Love between a fairy and a devil is China's chance to break through on international platforms! It's an amazing production, but it definitely needs a second season! The ending is left open, there are many more untold stories! Yes, there will be series for other characters and a whole universe can be built like a The Lord of the Rings! But for me the second season is a must because Dylan and Esther deserve a chance to develop their characters! Dylan showed that he can be the Perfect Big Bad, but we don't see the continuation of this image (he practically played everything: from a callous man, a woman in a man's image, a man of honor, a caring badass, a man deeply in love and ready to sacrifice himself to the big bad)! Esther proved that, in addition to being a sweet fairy, she can also be a harsh goddess... The story can develop much more. For me, this is the first Chinese series that can break the Korean hegemony on Netflix! Congratulations to everyone involved in its creation!
The OST is magnificent! I recently discovered Zhou Shen through this drama and am obsessed with him - such an incredible voice! Wang Hedi played a role that challenged him in every aspect and the way that he portrayed each emotion from aloof and cold to feminine and innocent to anger and sorrow - he nailed every performance! 👏🏻👏🏻 I’m so impressed and smitten with this acting in this drama! I’m glad Didi is getting recognized for this role - he was eye catching!
I agree about the ending. All the other characters except the two leads and father of the twins got a nice epilogue. I do hope we get to see the Arbiter and her Dragon again. They were so interesting but we saw way too little of them. The Chidi Woman's story was heartbreaking but the script really explained her suffering so well. And I've said it all along: Wang Hedi is a far better actor than "Miss the Dragon" would indicate, especially for a young guy who did not come from a formal theater or film training background.
@@tchris8561 IMO they also set up the shots really well in a world-building sense, the world that this character DFQC lives in. The way he enters a scene, the way he interacts with his surroundings/environment/the set. So not only ensuring that Dylan as the actor looks his "prettiest" while portraying a character, but that the character is presented seamlessly and believably within this CLJ universe. Makes everything more immersive, believable. So well done!
I was finding it childish at first, especially the fairy(Esther) , but as I continue to watch the drama, I started understanding and loving her character. Dylan was very good in acting. Never imagined I would watch this type of drama much alone love it. It went beyond my expectation. I’ve watched it many times now.
Ronghao and Chidi's story single handedly shattered every single MasterXstudent xianxia drama I have tried watching since 2015. I didn't get to even know about these two fully (The drama kept hinting at Chidi woman having her own "sad" backstory but they never told us about it) but the way their story was told and wrapped up was so beautifully tragic!
@@tanishkasinha798 It was pretty clear tbh...I wish that was possible but I really can't summarize it here, the essence will be lost and there's a LOT to say lol. Pretty sure you'll get it if you rewatch the drama one day
@@tanishkasinha798 Spoiler warning for a lot of the drama for others who happen to see this: Ronghao used to be a blind homeless mortal kid who could only play the flute for barely a living. Chidi Woman, in the mortal world, used to watch him from the building across the street from where he played. On a particularly cold day in the middle of winter, she heard some nearly people saying Ronghao probably wouldn't make it, and soon after Ronghao collapsed and died from the freezing temperatures. So what she did was she took his body to Arbiter Hall and Simeng, requesting to change his fate. Simeng warned Chidi Woman that she would suffer consequences for messing with fate, but Chidi Woman was willing to bear it. So Ronghao was restored back to life, along with his sight, and the first thing he saw was Chidi Woman smiling at him, but with sadness behind her eyes. Flash forward to the war between Shuiyuntian and the Moon Tribe, where Chidi Woman as the God of War sacrificed herself + her primordial soul in an attempt to kill Dongfang Qingcang and seal away his 100,000 soldiers. So basically she's supposed to be dead dead as an immortal, because if there's primordial soul left it usually means the character will be revived in some way. Remember that because it'll be important. Ronghao collected her body and took her the the Xuanxu abyss where the evil god Tai Sui was imprisoned by the Xilan clan. Tai Sui appealed to Ronghao's grief, saying he could save Chidi woman's primordial soul with evil spirit. He had two conditions though: Ronghao had to refine more evil spirit so Tai Sui didn't run out and dissipate, thus cutting off Chidi Woman's lifeline, and kill the goddess of Xilan who is supposed to keep Tai Sui imprisoned. To fulfill the evil spirit part of the bargain, Ronghao established Haishi City as his sort of base of operations and also the place where he would refine evil spirit. He tried to fulfill the second part by killing the goddess of Xilan, but the Xilan clan protected her at the cost of their lives, even sealing her away and putting her in a ormant seed state to protect her in the form of Xiao Lanhua. Meanwhile, Chidi Woman's primordial soul is being sustained, but as a consequence she has to endure 30,000 years of hardships as a mortal before she can be properly reborn. For some reason the common trend of her mortal lives is that she is always murdered by someone she loves, and this might be because this whole thing is the consequence of her changing Ronghao's fate. Meanwhile Ronghao is monitoring her mortal lives with her Fate Book to make sure she accomplishes her hardships and her primordial spirit stays intact, since as an immortal if she misses a hardship outlined in her Fate Book, her primordial spirit will dissipate. Ronghao also befriends Changheng because the latter was the only one who paid actual respect to Chidi Woman and her death in Ronghao's eyes, and he gained the loyalty of Dieyi (lady with the whip). He also covered for Danyin and Jieli's parents during their escape from a Shuiyuntian patrol, and later recruited Jieli as a spy after her mom's death. Ronghao also kept the Moon Tribe busy by instigating civil war while Dongfang Qingcang was still imprisoned. So while he's still watching over Chidi woman's trials and searching for the goddess of Xilan to kill, Xiao lanhua steals Chidi Woman's fate book, which puts Ronghao on alert. After Xiao Lanhua is taken to Cangyan Sea by Dongfang Qingcang, Ronghao has Jieli infiltrate Silent Moon Palace and get closer to Xiao Lanhua. When Jieli and Xiao Lanhua attempt to escape Silent Moon Palace, Dieyi attacks them. Xiao Lanhua is "saved" by Ronghao in the guise of Changheng, and put into a dreamland dimension recreation of Arbiter Hall to lull her into a false sense of security so she'll willingly fix Chidi Woman's fate book that was damaged thanks to Dongfang Qingcang. He fails to get the repaired book back and then retreats. Meanwhile, Chidi Woman is at her final mortal incarnation before she can be reborn as an immortal. She has to go through her final set of hardships in her fate book though, which are that she will fall in love with the guy who stops her from trying to poison herself, and she will be killed by him on their wedding night. The guy turns out to be Dongfang Qingcang, who needs Chidi Woman's primordial soul to unseal his 100,000 soldiers, so he has an investment to see her hardships through and also kill her. Ronghao for the most part takes a step back for this arc until the end, where he spikes one of Xiao lanhua's phoenix crown beads with evil spirit, which goes off during the double wedding. The evil spirit corrupts Chidi Woman and makes her attack Xiao Lanhua, but Dongfang Qingcang kills Chidi Woman to protect Xiao Lanhua, and thus her final hardship is fulfilled. So Ronghao takes Chidi Woman's primordial soul and has Jieli plant it in Bone Orchid, so Chidi Woman can feed off of Xiao Lanhua to finish her reincarnation and also fulfill Tai Sui's last condition since the process will kill Xiao Lanhua. Ronghao in the meantime kills 3,000 Shuiyuntian soldiers and blames the Moon Tribe to stoke tensions. He is also confronted by Changheng and dragged off to be jailed, in which he leverages Danyin and Jieli's dad to get himself free. When Xiao Lanhua tries to sacrifice herself, Ronghao intervenes because he needs to collect his master's primordial soul. He does, and Chidi Woman is finally reborn. But things start to fall apart. Chidi Woman notices violent changes in Ronghao's swordsmanship. She starts having violent thoughts and losing control of herself. Chidi Woman tries to warn Shuiyuntian that its Tai Sui but they don't really believe her. Ronghao yells at Tai Sui, asking whats wrong with his master, and Tai Sui finally reveals his true reason for helping Ronghao. This while process had basically gotten Chidi woman's primordial soul addicted or saturated with evil spirit, so she can't really continue existing without it. Eventually, she will be consumed by it and Tai Sui will take her immortal body to use. Ronghao also gets jailed again and escapes with his master, and then they both sacrifice themselves to thwart Tai Sui.
@@dustrose8101 wow! Thank you so much For this description!!!! Can you further explain *SPOILER* about how Rong Hao found DFQC’s brother to help him build hashi city? And why was Chidi woman sad (was she sad because she tampered with fate?) and can you explain that flashback where Chidi was with the Xilan tribe? Like were they just good friends for some reason? There was a scene where Orchid saw her reflection of Chidi in the mirror but this was before Chidi’s primordial spirit was planted in the bracelet (I think)
@@sosxii I'll try to answer to the best of my ability. (spoilers again for other ppl) 1. how Rong Hao found DFQC’s brother to help him build hashi city The drama doesn't go into the specifics of how, but if its not outright stated, its implied Ronghao sought out Xunfeng specifically. He manipulated the Moon Tribe's civil conflicts so Xunfeng was reliant on his help to keep it under control but since Ronghao was also helping the Moon Tribe lords on the other side, Xunfeng was never able to keep the Moon Tribe orderly. This would both keep the Moon Tribe busy and make Xunfeng indebted to Ronghao, which is probably what Ronghao cashed in on to build Haishi City. This would be in line with what we see of Ronghao's tactics as per how he manipulated Danyin and Jieli's dad. 2. why was Chidi woman sad (was she sad because she tampered with fate?) Unfortunately we don't get an answer for why Chidi Woman had this sadness about her even before her sacrifice. It could tie into her knowing she will suffer dire consequences to change Ronghao's fate and it will probably ripple back to affect him because now he's so attached to her. 3. can you explain that flashback where Chidi was with the Xilan tribe Chidi Woman is implied to have been somewhat close to the Xilan clan, maybe even specifically to the goddess of Xilan herself, but the drama didn't elaborate. Which tbh is a little weird imo, because the flashback implies Chidi Woman was closer to the Xilan tribe than others, which made me think they were setting up for her reaction to learning Ronghao massacred the Xilan clan. But no its kinda just left hanging, like I don't think even Dongfang Qingcang found out that the Moon Tribe didn't even touch the Xilan clan and it was Ronghao all along. 4. a scene where Orchid saw her reflection of Chidi in the mirror but this was before Chidi’s primordial spirit was planted in the bracelet (I think) That scene was AFTER Jieli planted Chidi Woman's primordial spirit into Bone Orchid. It was meant to signify Chidi Woman's primordial soul is present in Xiao Lanhua and took over her body. This is further supported by the later scene where Xiao Lanhua is very obviously not acting like herself and when Dongfang Qingcang comes into the scene he spells it out for us that that was not Xiao Lanhua.
Good review. I just wish they added an extra epilogue - like episode where the main leads' past versions of their selves is also visible in their daily interactions as they start to live together. Never got the chance to watch goddess Xi Yun behave like little Orchid of the past and Dongfang Qingcang behave like majestic, powerful, confident moon supreme of the past, and their spicy, scintillating interactions. I felt much of that got lost in the last four episodes because of the new angsty developments in the plotline which made the characters behave unlike their usual selves, and put them in a helpless, "my hands are tied" state of mind. Personally, I would've preferred to watch the plotline develop in a different manner in the last four episodes. That would've been perhaps, more satisfactory. Still, I kind of enjoyed watching this drama overall. The love theme throughout ( sustained till the very end) is a good idea, and felt nice to watch.
Agreed. The whole godess stuff happened to fast and fare to late. We never truly saw Orchid in her , except her love for DFQC. And I miss the Moon Supreme. If the epilogue tweets are anything to go by, he lives in Xilan with her and does chores. Cute in a way. But I miss the arrogant lofty part of him. And I wanted to see more of his new power
@@Anwell100Yup, you are so right! I agree with you. But that aside, I didn't want to see the kind of development in the plotline where the female lead is forced to kill the main male lead so that the evil bad god will be killed and thus, all the realms get saved. I just can't stand such developments in the plotline where one of the main leads is forced to kill the other main lead, forced to choose one over the other for the safety of all realms. That was torturous to watch even though I enjoyed watching the drama as a whole, because I know it's xianxia & everything will be alright soon --- the main lead who died will come back. I just wish that part of the plotline were written differently with the main leads killing the evil god together without killing the other main lead, something like that.
okay, wow. although i adore esther yu, but thanks to MTG, i doubted wang hedi's performance. i wasn't even interested in watching the trailer. but then i was bored and i decided to give it a try - and wow??? [slaps myself for underestimating WHD] he actually improved??? i was so impressed by his acting that i couldn't really concentrate on the drama itself and just focus on how GOOD his acting was. what attracted me the most was there was this one scene where DFGC cried after meeting his father and XLH comforted him. i could feel his emotions, so raw and honest that i was gaping the whole time and i thought "damn, he really isn't here to play"... WHD, through your performance i can see that you've given your best for this drama. great job!
this drama was a whole gigantic story of love. it may sound cringey, cliche, simple, overused etc but it was simply beautiful, everyone did justice to their characters and told their story beautifully and brought them to life, it really was stunning. i didnt have any expectations going into this drama but its definitely exceeded everything, no drama has tugged this much at my heartstrings 🥺 there were many important messages intricately woven into the story, and needless to say the OST, CGI and cinematography were all so gorgeous. and a special mention of dylan’s ability to literally convey any emotion with his alone 😩 “everything in this world is fate, everything except love”, i believe that was one of Arbiter’s lines said to Orchid and it just really stuck with me and resonates with this drama. i finished it in a week and now idk what to do w myself, it was my sadness and joy for the past week and now i feel empty, especially after watching the last 5 ep in one day so im totally emotionally drained lmao
I completely agree with you in that the pacing got very weird near the ending; not to say that it was bad tho. I really enjoyed this drama and never once was I bored. Dylan Wang and Esthur Yu did an outstanding job in their roles, making me both laugh and cry with their performance. All in all, LBFD is the best xianxia I've seen this year so far.
About the little problems you mentioned: _I talked about the fact that the one and only thing that could make ep 33&34 a lot better would've been showcasing stuff from the FL's perspective to make us understand why she was behaving more understandable somewhere else as well. I just kept imagining Xiao Lanhua crying behind the doors eavesdropping ML saying something in the lines of "she's not Orchid anymore" and the thought broke me 😭 showing that would've helped a lot, or maybe her sadness and trauma of noticing what happened to her and her family when/Xishan people when she was a child. _I actually found Jieli and Danyin's bounding really cute, but I DO think the drama should've dealt with this part earlier. Danyin lost her heart to a one sided love and Jieli lost many years of her life to poverty and having no one to rely on, so I think the way they found eachother after going through these things was necessary for them, the drama just needed more episodes to dedicate enough time to them and their relationship, and maybe more related to the overall plot.
I have to thank you profusely for getting me into this drama via your first impressions video. 🙇♀🙇♀🙇♀🙇♀🙇♀ No matter how disappointed I was in the sudden ending (we are truly SO spoiled by the levels of intimacy represented in the earlier half of the show, so I did expect more on that front as you mentioned), I think I'm going to be walking around in a haze of romantic daydreaming for months after finishing this drama. Moreover, the idea that "Everything in the world is fated *except* for love" is such a profound concept to me; it hit me like a gutpunch and I'm probably going to be thinking about it forever. My thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of LBFD are similar to many of yours, especially re: pacing suddenly going bananas in the home stretch, Ronghao's nonsense, and the Danyin/Jeili sisterhood (why force a character whose whole thing is struggles with trusting others have a closeness arc with even more character[s]?). My biggest disappointment was not being able to see more of their reunion and (ideally) wedding after DFQC's reincarnation. I was excited to hear there were two "specials," but those videos were even more perfunctory and unsatisfying--I swear I even heard the audio timeline in the married life update cut out too soon. xD I will say that the script being a little less tight at the end had an interesting/paradoxically enjoyable effect on my viewing experience. Although painful, Orchid's coldness after reincarnation really helped me sympathize with DFQC and the depths of his sadness/lonliness (and unreasonable hope too!). Similarly, starting off hella spoiled re: romance in periodic bursts only to practically fizzle out at the end got me in the same 'dreaming back' mindset as the ML+FL. When the gang is in Lucheng and the romance is bogged down by them lying to each other and having other admirers to cause misunderstandings, I was like "omg, please take me back to the Siming Hall days"; when they are back in the fairy realm and having to mutually self-flagellate over their love for others' benefit only for DFQC to give up on his love (temporarily), I was like "honestly, just take me back to Lucheng where none of this matters." Feeling closer to the characters emotionally is the only silver lining consolation I have for the wonky pacing blunders. -- (Ugh, I'm so TL;DR...) I know that I've probably said this here before, but I love your channel not only because I think we tend to have similar likes and dislikes in media, but in those instances when our enjoyment of a story deviates from one another, the careful way you explain your position is enlightening either way. Keep doing you--I'm watching avidly!
I've binged on this drama. Its a triumph for the cast and the director to bring out the best of its actors esp on Dylan Wang. I watched his Ever night 2 and Meteor Garden but I tried so hard to remember his character in these dramas but nothing comes up. Thats how unnoticeable he was. But in this drama, he is the center of my attention. His character is the epitome of my fantasized tall dark dangerously handsome character but also has a cute side. I love his version of Dongfang Devil! 💜❤🙋♀️🦊
Maybe they just ran out of money in the last few episodes to finish it so quickly? 😂 Agree 100% with all the negative points. Wang Hedi is a great antihero. I actually wanted him to act like his old self way more (before he became all lovey dovey), he was so interesting. Also, his wardrobe was amazing! Ruo Hao character actor really impressed me too. I noticed his acting in A Dream of Splendour, and I'd love to see him and Wang Hedi both in more dramas like this. 2022 really came through for some very good dramas ❤️❤️❤️
Not just 2022. It’s the best ever imo. I loved it that much. Everything about LBFD is absolutely incredible. It will be hard for another show to knock this off my personal #1 spot. I’m already on my 3rd time watching the entire series + I’m wearing the songs out on iTunes lol 🤦🏻♀️😂 Yes. A bit obsessed and in love. 😍❤️
For me I think it was a satisfying ending. All Little Orchid waited for was DFQC to come back. He is back with her, so they will now experience every piece of daily life, obviously. No need to show it and become that "typical drama". In the end, I never cried over a drama that much since Goodbye My Princess, and watching bts I cried even more).
It's like the character is written for Wang Hedi, it fits him so well. The smirk, the eyebrows, the savageness, the cold eyes. I also absolutely love his wardrobe, the only male lead I have seen so far have this many outfits and all of them have different design, his crown is just chef's kiss. When their body swap, he portrayed Orchid's personality so well, I can definitely see her in him. I agree the end is disappointed by how short it shows their reunion, like you said just 1 more ep to show them happy together is enough. They should give us a clear explain on how he come back, how other react to his comeback (especially Shang Que and his brother)
I've been looking forward to this!! Agreed on the sister line being a reasonable cut to free up space for the rest of the drama to resolve at a more appropriate pace. Also- the story and thought you've put into the brooch is absolutely perfect!!
So glad to see Dylan Wang's acting reputation redeemed. I know he got some flack for Meteor Garden too, but I'd always thought he was really great in that role and was surprisingly good at emoting and had a talent for the comedic parts as well. Now Miss the Dragon...ugh! My guess is that his wooden performance was how the director envisioned that role. Now that it is completely aired and has even gotten raves from this channel, I look forward to binging the series over the next few days.
I think the script and directing play parts as well. A good script can 'tell' the character's view and how they would do given certain circumstances and the directing helping those things getting on screen altogether. This drama simply has more competent scriptwriter, director, and production team.
I really hope his next project Forbidden Love with Yukee will not disappoint. I would like to see him get good scripts and be developed as a good actor.
@@xinn_mh hopefully 🙏🙏.... I'm lowering my expectations because of the writer and director tho... Well, they did eternal love but they also did some 'blergh' dramas as well 😅
I totally agree with you. 🤩The best Xian Xia fantasy in 2022. Kudos to Dylan Wang and Esther You, the script writers, the cinematographers, and the rest of the casts.
The ending is a bit rushed but it's literally one of the best xianxia dramas I've ever watched. I used to hate domineering male leads in dramas but I really liked the ML in this drama. Both EY and DW are amazing too ❤️
Definitely one of my favourite Xianxia dramas! The last Xianxia that I really loved was Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. Love Between Fairy and Devil is really good. The length is just right (not too long), the CGI, plot, OSTs (love!), visuals, and acting were really good for me. I usually skip the intro/outro when I watch dramas, but even that was well done! Especially loved Dylan Wang in this! 😍 Although I did wish the last scene was a bit longer. I wanted MORE lol 😆!!
Agreed with everything you said regarding the downside of this drama. But it was so magnificent overall it really was like finally seeing how I wanted other dramas to go down. Plus the performances were great especially by Dylan, Esther and Zhang Linghe.
Coming from both a writer's perspective and that of a viewer, I agree with your points. I love and adore this drama so much despite those things I would have changed that you mentioned. It's definitely among my favorite all-time dramas now. I watched it in less than a week and would have watched it even faster if I didn't have to work. I immediately started a re-watch at a slower pace so I can catch all the details and foreshadowing and particularly the way the romance develops with each episode. Also, I love that pin you made. Very pretty. That's one of my favorite scenes from Episode 9.
Actually Wang Hedi did do the skirt lifting movement when playing Orchid swap scenes. At least once, shortly after they had swapped and were still outside on the platform. I'll never forget it because I was so shocked and delighted that they had included that. It was laugh out loud funny to me because she was in a body wearing pants, but it was such a habit for her to lift it when moving quickly that she did it automatically. I thought it was a brilliant touch to the scene.
When I watched it, I felt the grandeur, power and intimidation of DFQC. Like he’d be unstoppable with his hellfire. But I also saw his flaws, his troubled past, love and compassion for his beloved Xiao lan hua. I really felt nervous for him when he lost his hellfire power because of him regaining his emotions and that war is coming and everyone is scrutinising his decisions >< Like… a deadline is coming and I lost my memory of what I studied @@ yet I also felt the dilemma of both main characters wanting to protect their own tribe, and at the same time not wanting to betray one another because they love each other 🥲 ugh, it was such an emotional rollercoaster ride. Love how everything was depicted even though it was quite rushed in the end.
I picked this drama at random when it first came out and to my surprise the cinematography , acting , script , story board and many many many other things were beyond expectations . I definitely agree with all the points you made and hope to have more reviews from you I the future
Also this drama has brought me so much joy these past few weeks. Even if the ending could have been better imo the rest is so good I can look past it all haha
Yes I was very impressed by the cohesive story telling and pacing - thought it was quite sophisticated. Absolutely loved the strong themes that were put forward: anti-racism, anti-war, thinking beyond ones self and so on. Just over all impressed. Also beautifully shot, gorgeous costuming and decent acting. Woop woop! 💫
Definitely one of my favourite dramas of 2022 so far! You are spot on about the pacing and audience anxiety around ep 31-32! I was so scared the ending was going to be a disaster - in fact after rebirth of the goddess into a cold different version of herself, it was giving me bad memories of Ever Night 2's last episode, which was also starring Want Hedi! But luckily CLJ ended well. Yes it was a bit rushed and yes I definitely wanted more episodes but I'm pretty happy with it
If wasn't for Miss the Dragon's "accident" I wouldn't know Dylan's work, after I watch it here (YT) I looked for other Cdramas with him, and I found Meteor Garden/EverNight2/The Rational Life, and now LBFD. He's a very gifted actor!
Talking about the 33/35 plot twist for me it was fine and angsty but they should have added three more episodes to conclude because it did feel a little rushed the last two episodes and with a different vibe to Orchid’s character. I totally agree with the part of the sisters father disappearing, it was odd and again they should’ve extended to a few more episodes. But omg I still absolutely loved this drama. It’s so memorable, beautiful visually, the music was everything and the main couple stole my heart so intensely. I think I’m obsessed.
Ever since I heard that these two would be leading a drama together I was very excited. I really love Esther's acting approach, and they seem to always give big-budget dramas to Dylan, so I thought it was the perfect combination of attractive leads. For this reason, I wasn't surprised that I ended up liking the drama, but what truly surprised me was the CGI. I mean, the budget must have been GINORMOUS! I've never seen such great CGI in a fantasy C-Drama, and I've watched A LOT of them. The story is everything that I love about the "enemies to lovers" trope, and Dylan Wang SHOCKED ME with how well he performed, especially during the emotional scenes. I'm sad to share that everything changed when the "mortal world arc" started. The scenarious that they were putting the characters in simply weren't as interesting as before (and I couldn't take the female lead seriously due to her goofy outfit/hair), so everything started going downhill for me. However, they were so high up before that arc, that even if it was going downhill they were still much higher than other fantacy C-dramas I've watch recently (I'm talking about YOU Immortal Samsara), so I still watched it all the way to the end, because I need to know how a drama that started so amazingly would tie all loose ends. I wanted more from the ending, but it gave just enough that I can't really be mad at it. TLDR: this drama started as a 3 gold mine, but declined to a 1.9 gold mine by the time the "mortal world arc" started. Best CGI EVER in a Fantasy C-Drama, Esther did well like always, and Dylan Wang ABSOLUTLEY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED ME with how good of an actor he has become, especially in the more emotional scenes. The way he looked at the female lead... I truly believed he loved her, and that is what I expect from a male lead. I fully recommend it, you'll be amazed watching this drama!!!
You are right that emperor should have been dealt with in some way. I also thought Rong Hao’s ending wasn’t satisfying after all the evil he did but.. it was a very good drama I loved all the lead and second leads
Very much accurate..i feel the drama even with its popularity and effect still wasn't looked upon as one of the best written story for this year..it's definitely more than just an idol drama. The acting was spectacular. I love it
I read that the original editor up to episode 29 passed away and then it was done by their replacement after that. If that’s true, I wonder if that also contributed to the lower quality in storytelling based on how scenes were cut and put together. Especially the abrupt ending.
I've been waiting for this final review ! Currently I'm in the middle of watching CLJ (ep25). And I've already laughed & cried with the characters, disagreed with their actions yet went "oohh now i see why this particular character would act in such a way in a particular situation" or most importantly felt so much respect for the scriptwriting. Not to mention the acting skills of the entire cast has blown me. Ofc Wang He Di improved SO MUCH from his past projects but the entire cast they sure do compliment each other so well that this xianxia is easily one of my top fav Cdrama of all times. Constantly listening to Cang Lan Qi by Li Changchao & the other shore by Jing Long & Jing Di Er >
I watched a Chinese drama after a year and I am glad it is this. The last one I watched was Miss the Dragon and regretted it. I loved and enjoyed this one thoroughly. It's true that we get to see a different Wang He Di in this. I love to watch Wang He Di on screen now. Wow...He surprised me.
Cang Lan Jue ruined every xianxia dramas I've seen! The pacing is great, the osts are heavenly, and it's so interesting to see new elements added into their costumes. Also, they don't just boringly call it heavenly realm, demon realm, etc. The concept of body swapping is rare for me to see. 🤔 It's great to see the character developments of everyone. I really like Danyin. She was just too focus on love that she missed seeing the goals she always wanted to achieve, that was to be as great as the former female God of War. Now she knows her priority and even get to be confidants with Changheng. The ending just left me a bit unsatisfied. Would've appreciated more fluff yah know after all that angst we went through but whatever. 🤷🏻♀️ 10/10, best 2022 xianxia drama!
For Danyin to want to be the next God of War, it would've been a good idea to show her be a badass warrior. Her saying she had that goal was a surprise.
This was one of the best c-drama I've seen! I rewatched it 3 times because of all the sweet energy I feel when I see the two main leads together. Just good for mental health to be bathing in sweet vibes. I loved this series so much.!
Brilliant review! Learned a lot about the Xian Xia genre because of you. Also, amazing to see the effort you put into analyzing series! Thank you from all your subscribers!
That's a good point about the twin sisters. I thought the twin sister line was set-up for an overthrow of the Top Fairy God (I forget his name, the one who kept telling everyone not to love each other and to go to war against the Moon Tribe). I was really hoping he would be taken down or replaced by Orchid ruling the three kingdoms. >.> ETA: I paused the video to comment, pressed play and you agreed he needs to fall! Yes! Take him downnnnnn!
Omg agree with you about Yun Zhong Jun! And i am too confused with the end.. like that was the literal meaning of what the heck. Really no extra episodes?? Ironically enough the story where he's gone and she somehow 'waiting' for him feels like a nicer way to end it than that kiss lol. The best thing about his drama for me is the designs and the leads' chemistry👏🏻❤
I agree with everything you said. But I find that all Chinese dramas rush through on the last episode and then it ends. Hard to have a lingering memory as a result. Dylan has taken the top position for his acting - All the different personalities that he expertly assumed
I have to say i started out watching immortal samsara 1st and watchd Lbfad as a break in between. But in the end i found myself loving this drama so much, i almost forgot about immortal. Lol. Thats how great it was. I think dylan really improved and did this character justice. Just as esther too. This was my 1st time ever seeing esther act but she shined her way to my heart. Very beautiful cgi of place and time. Im glad i took a chance on this drama. Now im needing more. Haha.
I just started Chinese dramas a couple of months ago after a recommendation came up on RUclips. Since then, I have been addicted and watch close to 20 dramas that were highly rated from 2017 to now. In my opinion, this drama is in the top 3 of all time. I cried and cried because the devil transformed through the whole series. And you felt every moment of pain through his suffering. Thank god for a happy ending.
So glad to see this video! Have been looking forward to this as I'm having CLJ withdrawal :) Agreed that the twin sister plot is unnecessary and can be cut, but I'm fine with the ending being a bit abrupt because the "happily ever after" scene can be left to the audience's imagination and will not add too much to the drama other than letting people go gently. Also agreed that RH only needs to be captured once, but I thought the first time he was captured with Changheng was a bit of a letdown for me. I don't understand why they both want to come back only to be arrested? I was hoping that these two were plotting something to overthrow Lord Yunzhong and this "capture" was part of their plot as they showed a scene of them meeting in the mortal realm right before they got back to SYT. But this did not happen and RH was released by the same guy who released him in the later episode. Another thing I appreciate from this drama is the way they treat the mortal realm with more respect. Usually xianxia always use the mortal realm as a plot tool for character dev and show that mortal realm is full with suffering, so the immortals need to experience this to level up. The fact that they don't do that here is highly appreciated and these immortals even learn something from being mortals :) Your comment about struggle between saving the world vs saving one person is best captured by someone on Twitter who quoted: "A hero will destroy you to save the world, but a villain will destroy the world to save you." I think this quote really embodies this drama, the heroes are Changheng, DFCQ, XLH and the villain is RH... LOL
I love this xianxia drama. Everything is so good nothing irritates me much. The plot is moving in every ep. so I appreciate that so much. Nothing fell out of the place. The acting, writing, cinematography is just so good.
Was waiting for your final review on this drama Well! It was a masterpiece No other drama can compete with it and the OST's are so good to hear Dylan Wang and Esther Yu both of them were great . Their CP awwwwwww , can't describe in word's
I'm so happy. Though you and I have different opinions in some things, I'm always excited to see a drama you're excited about, especially when it hits 2 goldmine rating. Thanks to you, I found the dramas that I cherish with all my heart: A Joy of LIfe, Ming Lan, A Love so Beautiful, Winter Begonia, Untamed, Tienstin Mystic and etc. As I'm quite selective, I may find this drama also worthwhile. Before that I should watch the other dramas you recommended. On the other hand, I love it when you butcher a drama when it hits your 3 landmine.
Love and Destiny is one of my favourites too. I agree with just about everything you say regarding the ending. I actually tried looking for another episode. I still don't like the fairy characterisation at the beginning of the story, but I warmed to her as she matured. I think this is just my personal taste, because I can see why she was depicted that way. That said, I ended up enjoying this series immensely and Wang Hedi broke my heart.
@@cristina8868 I wouldn't hold your breath. Most Chinese dramas don't have sequels, or when they do they have planned for it (and announced it) in advance of the drama even airing (Joy of Life, Young Blood, Like a Flowing River come to mind). I think there will be spinoffs though set in the same world (there should be two other books focused on other characters, and they are making a drama based on the one about Si Ming) but likely not a direct sequel focused on the same leads that picks up immediately where this one left off.
And I usually have no need for a kid randomly added to the end of a drama, yet I wanted one here. I wanted DFQC to play fotball with his child. I felt that would have been a nice callback to the past and a sweet ending.
This drama is the best c-drama I’ve seen (so far). I agree that it has its shortcomings, especially with the last few episodes. I also didn’t love the repetitive instrumental tracks they used for the comedic scenes. However, it’s such a beautiful story that really satisfies my love for the angel/devil dynamic, and incorporates humour into the storytelling in a way that doesn’t distract you from the main plot. The costuming, acting, the set design, it’s all so beautiful. The way Xiao Lanhua made an effort to try and help Dongfang Qingcang reconcile with his father highlighted how kind she is, and made her quite loveable in my eyes. I think many c-dramas start off with the stereotypical cute and sweet female lead on the drawing board yet fail to show their audience why the character is considered kind or sweet. This drama avoided that common pitfall, and it’s all thanks to the great writing and Yu Shuxin’s excellent work portraying all the different sides of Xiao Lanhua’s character. Wang Hedi’s acting went beyond my expectations, and I love how he incorporated such detailed and subtle facial expressions into his portrayal of Dongfang Qingcang. There’s this scene where he walks off with Xiao Lanhua when she’s wearing her ugly makeup (after pretending they’re husband and wife in front of Xiao Run) and Xiao Lanhua makes a funny comment/face. The momentary softening of Dongfang Qingcang’s expression just adds so much depth to his character and makes it all feel so real. While I am quite upset that this drama’s story has ended, I am excited to watch Si Ming’s story. I am desperately hoping for a cameo of Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang’s newfound happy life in Si Ming!
I keep nodding with everything you say.. agreed!! I really happy this drama exist.. I love everything, the cast choice, the soundtrack, the costume, the architecture, the plot (obviously). I have the long lost enjoying watching drama feel.. What a great team.
YESSSSSS 100000% AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID. Perfectly said regarding areas of improvement. Almost a flawless masterpiece BUT still a masterpiece!!!! Hands down the best xian xia of 2022 and even beyond. I genuinely think this is the best xian xia drama of all time from what I've seen personally. Everything was just sooo well executed: everyone played their role perfectly (Dylan Wang is literally DFQC), fantastic pacing, thoughtful storytelling, gorgeous scenery and costume designs, stunning CGI (for once LOL), consistency in theme (as AvenueX mentioned towards the end), as well as embodying a super OST. Endless praises for this drama and I'm really sad it has come to an end. Secretly wishing/hoping for a season 2 that's still centered around the main leads. But I am also excited to see the spin off drama that revolves around Si Ming. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS DRAMA AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND. One of my all-time favorites for sure!!
I LOVED this drama and one of the few where I anxiously waited for episodes everyday. The storytelling was sooooooo good right up to the final episodes. Missteps in the final arc, but they held on to make the ending at least coherent. Extra props for Wang He Di!
My most part of the drama was the Lucheng city arc....ahh I felt like I can watch an entire drama alone on that arc itself...ofc the rest of the drama was awesome too...
I agree so much with what you said, it's really pity for the last 6 episodes, and your suggestion of deleting that line is brilliant. There are flaws but CLJ still worth to watch.
i absolutely CACKLED at “let’s hope yunzhong jun gets… dealt with” YOU AND ME BOTH!! i hope danyin kicks him off down the waterfall to the mortal realm to experience hardships 😭😭
yes i completely get you! i was iffy about watching this drama because when i first watched wang hedi in meteor garden i didn't like his acting too much ( to be fair it was his first i think?), shuxin i only know through qcyn2 and didn't know what to expect... but i really liked the drama and felt that the end was a little rushed ( i binged watched tho)
One thing I really appreciated so much about LBFAD is that every ep served a great purpose throughout the drama's plot. Even when it's ep28, it links back to an early ep. There's no scene that isn't relevant and would make a huge difference if it was cut out.
Just got through watching the drama and I agree with you 100% in everything you said. It must have been good because I actually binged watched unlike most dramas that I drop lol
Omg!!! I really love your review of the drama! Plus, I agree that CLJ should have two or more additional episodes😍😍😍 and also its loopholes as you mentioned are quite on spot. Anyways, overall the show is so good...thank you for the wonderful review
i agree with needing one last scene. like a couple seconds of reunion scene is not enough for me to recover from the big sacrificial things that happened earlier. the ending felt like it came to a sudden stop instead of a more satisfying one.
Been waiting for this one…..thanks for you 1st impression of this drama. I already gave up this genre longtime ago. I tried imortal samsara buat Only last 15 Mins. I tried this drama because of Your review. I am hooked.
Yes, I agree with you a 100% about adding at least some time to let them discover their love. I was also disappointed in Ten Miles Of Peach Tree Blossoms for ending the same way. We have invested so much time watching the drama having all the emotions the actors went through and then it's over without feeling their happiness. It's just like a sudden death!
Your review of this, my first Chinese drama (because of Netflix), is FANTASTIC! I was swept away by this show and want to look at the other ones you mentioned. Your suggestions were spot on!!! Your instincts are really good!! Those changes would have added to the story greatly! I was swept up in the sets, costumes, wigs, makeup, effects, storyline, actors performances, it was magical! I agree, the end was abrupt, I wish they showed more of their life together!!! Did I understand you to say Wang Hedi's Chinese was dubbed? Whose fabulous voice was that? You are a wellspring of information! I could listen to you for hours! I do not know what you do for a living, but I think you would definitely be an incredible showrunner for any production! Can't wait to learn more about this genre from you. I have, of course, subscribed!
I personally enjoyed the grief of the last episodes! I was with DFQC in the agony and despair of losing Orchid but still loving her! But I do wish that they had been given more episodes so that it wasn't fully rushed.
![So Another Actor Got Visited by Muses! Best Xian Xia Drama of 2022 is Here~ [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/51sYIdxE-bk/mqdefault.jpg)
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![❤️🔥Best CP from Chinese Dramaland 2022 ❤️🔥[CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/M1EFDmrTeog/mqdefault.jpg)
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One of the things I appreciated most about this drama is it followed its own logic the entire time and almost never broke its own rules. Even the hasty return at the end, while rushed, didn't break any rules. Very tight writing that doesn't insult viewer's intelligence.
I wish the last stretch of episodes had a tighter rewrite though I absolutely agree that overall, the show did a phenomenal job at effectively telling a story. I would *love* to see her process/what notes Ave X has written down in her notebook for their storyboarding, seems to be a reverse engineering of sorts.
Yes, exactly!! I wish more C-dramas were like this!
I wish they didnt make him so weak after episode 21 basically. Yes hellfire made him invincible but they legit took away all of his powers, even the second male lead was stronger than him now….like come on, was that necessary?? Also So annoyed @that and they could have cut lik3 3-4 episodes from the human realm to make the ending more complete and thorough. Its like the writers got tired half of the way
M
@@l_a_u_y8916it's more like the writers ran out of budget and time. The pacing was rushed at the end, but it was tolerable because they bought *so* much good will through how well developed the characters, world and story was leading up to that increased pace.
I 1000000000% agree that this show needed 1 slice of life episode. Why do the CP’s never actually get married in xianxia? They never show a completed wedding between the leads. He said he’d give her the grandest wedding in the 3 realms. Like we NEEDED to see that to feel emotionally satisfied and move on from the plot.
yeah agreed. 1 more episode would have been great.
Yeah that was my big problem with the finale. They crammed all the emotions for the final climax too close together so instead of feeling good about the happy ending I feel sadder because the happy ending didn't get a chance to set in.
I am so so so agreed with you, i didnt like the ending i felt sad alittle. They would have just do one extra episode 37. It won't destroy the drama but a beautiful happy ending after all..
I agree 100%. I just finished Ashes of Love. I loved it. These couples go through all these heartbreaking trials and they don’t receive the proper ending that they deserve in my opinion. It is all this build up, then the shows seems to fizzle out in the end. It’s like they are rushing to meet a deadline and just throw something together. DF and Orchid should’ve had a wedding and we should’ve had an epilogue showing them through 500 years with their two kids on that bridge looking at their lock.
Yeah! And since the books they have 3 children. I would have love to see that! It made me feel rob!
If you are wondering DFQC's revival, The glazed fire protected his primordial spirit and became bone orchid form, later taken care by Xiao Lan Hua, that's how he came back. Like first time when The Great Battle he didn't die because of the Hellfire. Yeah the last few episodes were too rush to make us finding the answer by ourselves XD
Thanks for that!! 😊😊
Yeah, I kind of assumed that at the end - thanks for the reassurance!
Oh, that is interesting, I was so disappointed that DFQC's revival was smooshed on the end with no explanation. In my head I imagined up a new ending where XLH uses her powers (that are theoretically available to her as a part of her healing powers) to divide her and DFQC's primordial spirits, destroying the part that the evil god had inhabited and sharing hers with DFQC. Then they both could fall into a 500 years hibernation period together and when they awake, basically sharing a primordial spirit. If one is hurt, the other is hurt, one feels what the other feels, and if one dies the other dies, mirroring the plot at the beginning of the drama. All of this, of course, is utter nonsense, but dramas like these can make up whatever magical mumbo jumbo solutions to not kill off characters they don't want dead.
Thank you for the explanation. That ending had me thinking this director was channeling Love and Destiny a little too closely (except without the cute little daughter part which I would have loved to have seen) with its “I’m back” line and quick wrap.
i really like the contrast in meaning between hellfire in the first battle and glazed fire at the end 🥺
Esther Yu was credible at every stage of the narrative. When her character was supposedly "just a flower fairy", Esther was breezy. How else should a flower fairy be? Dramatic, full of deep thoughts? As the narrative progresses and it becomes clear that being a "soulless" fairy is not who "Orchid" really is, Esther Yu modified her acting style according. So, yes Esther too, just like Dylan did justice to the character she was entrusted to bring to the screen. Credit should be given where credit is due ... and such an acknowledgement, of course, should be gender neutral!
Whoever dubbed Dylan was just perfect and Dylan’s acting improved so much. The fairy character fitted her so much.
I agree, I loved the voice. It was perfect for the character
I'm not watching yet to avoid spoilers since I haven't finished the drama. But I just have to say whoever styled Dylan Wang did an *AMAZINGGGG* job! His hair, his crowns, those OUTFITSSSS!!! Omg he looked so good! I hope his costume designer got a 200% raise or sth. They did an incredible job! ❤
I totally agree. Sometimes he looked so good, it almost made me angry lol.
His character absolutely won the show for most impact on personal aesthetics.
Yup!! the costume designer and stylist deserves a raise and awards. Too good!!
@@myr-onl
OmG same, I was absolutely shocked at how beautiful he looked. I started wondering strange things like hmm I’ve never seen such a beautiful guy as him 😅
What I absolutely LOVED, the characters were all logical, especially the first and second male and female leads. Even Dongfang's brother, who i absolutely adored for his arc. I was just waiting for him to do something stupid because of bad communication but he became a character I was proud of by the end. I watched a video of the writer saying he wanted to tell a story of love making people best versions of themselves and I believe he did do that.
Edit: I'm glad I'm not the only one who HATED that dumbass heavenly emperor. The dude got on my nerves more than anyone in this drama
Your sentiment towards the heavenly emperor is widely shared among audiences 😂
I have always expected him to be THE big villain or something
I was really rooting for Chanheng to rebel and overthrow the dude
Yunzhong was the true villain of the show imo.
Yeah dude is an emperor but just want war for no reason, I'm so tired of his's obsession of killing Moon Tribe
Dylan Wang def immersed himself in the character . You can tell by how his facial expressions- looking stern , slightly squinting his eyes for that demonic look, softening his looks when he stares at the fairy and his movements matches with his expressions. Especially for the scene when they both fell in the water and fairy sinks deeper and losing her breath and he looks annoyed and sighs at the weakness of her with his facial expressions but he also added this movement/ gesture by folding his hands behind his back - further enhancing his reaction for this “pathetic “ fairy like ugh now I have to save her . 👏 superb performance from this young man . And I very much appreciate the genuine kissing scenes and it’s not just skin touching skin without any emotion behind it
omg FINALLY someone said this!!! I always repeated that scenes because it clearly tells you SO MUCH about DFCQ character at that time!! yas he feels annoyed "damn, not that little flower spirit gonna die out of drowning, and bcs of this holy shit xilan curse, i'd possibley dying too" then proceed to dive with lazy attitude LOL and THERE'S NO SINGLE DIALOGUES in that scene but feels so deep
Yessss agree!! like he's testing the heart curse between them!!!
Dongfang Qingcang's character is still embodied in Dylan. He has never actually saying goodbye to this character. The same goes to Orchid, Changheng, Jieli and Shangque. They did not say goodbye in the fan meeting.
Non sono solo i rapporti con le persone che ti migliorano la Vita, può essere un libro, un film ...UN DRAMA ❤❤❤ LBFAD ❤❤❤‼️‼️‼️
@@aishagresee2827 This series is very special to all of the actors. It's really not of the drama itself, and not just the characters that they all were immersed into, but what I find very special about this is the friendship that the actors created in real life as well not only in the set or on drama. They all became very close with one another in real life that they even hang out together outside of work. As for our main leads, these two, you can tell they know each other deeply, otherwise, DD wouldn't be able to imitate XX's character this well. He studied, paid attention, and followed Esther's every move that they become a mirror of each other now. This is also why this drama is very special for all the actors. Even up to now, they are still connected.
This might be a controversial opinion but I think the justification for the strong bond between the male lead and female lead in Love Between Fairy and Devil is much stronger than Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. Even though the chemistry and acting were top notch in tmopb, I couldn't fully justify why the leads were so attached to each other. I really enjoyed the romance in lbfd because I was completely convinced on why they were so devoted to each other, and the foundation for their romance was so well-integrated throughout the plot (hats off to the writers).
I am so very pleased that the drama actually follows logic. Like the whole plot of DFQC loosing his hellfire was awesome cuz as sad as i was it was SO consistent with the logic that with the return of his emotions it would be impossible to control. and you're kept wondering is he ever gonna be as strong as before? Will he continue to be the Moon Supreme cuz now he's not as powerful. And this was all for the purpose of showing his ultimate personal growth of understadning and accepting feelings and gaining Glaze fire. Thos that last bit of him gaining glaze fire could have been elaborated on and maybe foreshadowed a bit but yeah. THE VIRISMILITUDE PERSSTS!!! Also i really love how Orchid's character becomes less and less damsel and as her expeiences widen her character embodies all of the changes in thought process those experiences have caused in her. I love the fact that to show that she actually does love all beings as a goddess they had Orchid travel all 3 realms, spend enough time, contemplate life in each realm and understand their culture and customs. By the time she's ready to be the Goddess- she understands the ecess of being a Fairy, a Moon Tribe and a Mortal. And that's just so satisfying storytelling wise. I love the music and the cenematography of this show as well!
Agree about the story being quite underestimated because it's looked at as an idol drama. It's got a really simple storyline, the classic beauty and the beast we have been told since when we were kids, but the emotional massage, overall theme and the ideology the authors tried to showcase throughout the show kept getting presented SO, SO SOOOO beautifully as the drama reached towards it's end and I am really impressed by that since I was, even thought enjoying it a lot, just expecting a light hearted, cheesily enjoyable and pretty looking romance. I am very specifically proud of little Orchid for her sensibility and her development as a character! She easily became one of my most favorite female leads of all time!
Can i just say esther yu deserves as much credit as Dylan wang but I just can't see why the fandom audiences are trying to push the mls of the drama as the more popular character or people who carried this drama when it's obvious that's esther deserves as much credit and this is coming from a person who is not a huge esther yu fan
I think it's because of her character who is very annoying in the most important part of a story: the beginning. The other characters are very stable throughout the story, so if you like them in the beginning, you'll probably keep on liking them all the way through. The 2 bodyswapping episodes (10 and 11) are the worst ones (my oppinon) because of how annoying the famale lead character is but, on the other hand, Wang Hedi's acting in those episodes was so outstanding that DFQC really disappered and XLH's annoying personality was kept so well that it was so easy to believe that it was the Esther's acting rather than Wang Hedi's. Her character changed so much in a short time, so the audience couldn't really see a development that'd be credited to Esther's acting. At the end, the history of annoying female lead characters in c-dramas overshadowed Esther's acting and the low expectation about Wang Hedi's acting and the surprise of how good he did, put the male lead in a brighter spot.
@@Carlos-fl4ce her character wasn't annoying, she was meant to be naive, lively and trust too much. but she always loved Moon King and its was differentiated. And she potrayed 3 accurate character.
When do women in the entertainment industry ever get enough credit for what they do and how much they contribute to it though?🤦🏻♀ it's a sad truth and I will die on the hill of supporting ent industry women and making people stop discrediting and humiliating them
@@Carlos-fl4ce Her character was never annoying from the beginning AT ALL. She was always reasonable and what she did always made sense for her. It's just the sexist prejudice society has developed for girly and cute female characters lol. Whatever a cute girl does is annoying to you and you have to moan about it all the time...pick me behavior
@@Carlos-fl4ce I never found her annoying, she has always been so helpful, kindhearted and nice, she literally was risking her life while hiding Dongfang Qingcang.
I found many other characters way less interesting, while her character development was flawless.
I found Changheng to be not that interesting and at times even kind of pointless in the overall plot.
I actually felt bad at the end that she became so serious and almost let go of her feelings to protect everybody, I wanted her to go back to how she was when she used to smile and be silly.
It's the kind of girl who will sacrifice everything for the people she loves, someone who's always so cheerful and brings peace and happiness into people's lifes. She was so lively and I found myself feeling bad for her at the end, because she suffered too much.
A perfect description of her development would be "you don't understand how important it is for you to see that person's smile until that person does so much for you, gets hurt and you want to go back time even you know you can't".
Imagine a girl like Xiao Lan Hua who was always sheltered and never met anybody in her life as an Orchid, suddenly getting thrown in that chaotic world and discovering not only that she saved a sinful immortal, but that the guy she was hiding was none other than Dongfang Qingcang.
Episodes 10 and 11 were inderstandable because she didn't know his world and she used to know him only by his name. She already had affection for him and she never judged him as a person, she was just scared of his reputation, but she knew he was better than what people used to say.
After understanding his suffering she did everything she could to help him even more then before.
She has done a lot for him and she has been strong and brave, even sacrificing for these who didn't deserve it.
I understand Wang Hedi getting a lot of deserved praise for the contrast to his Miss Dragon's performance and I definitely think he delivers all the range of emotion DFQC's character requires, but I think Esther deserves equal praise. While her character seems closer to how she is irl, or at least how she presents herself, and did require less range of emotions than DFQC, which might make it seem less challenging, she really delivers in the emotional scenes, her body-swapped acting is equally as good and she does perform a very convincing new personality as Goddess. As someone who admittedly can get annoyed by cutesy female characters, I never felt that way about her and I would credit a lot of that to how Esther balances strength and vulnerability in her performance. I don't think Wang Hedi deserves any less merit for this, but the performance of his character also comes from another actor, the one dubbing him, who also deserves praise, while what you see from Xiao Lan Hua is entirely Esther, both visual as well as voice.
So I think they were equally good and their performances worked beautifully in complementing each other.
Well said. I also get annoyed easily with cutesy female characters and I didn’t find Esther’s character annoying at all!!! They both did a fantastic job. And yes…must give credit to the voice actor. He brings DFQC to life.
I loved the scenes where she was body swapped. Came off like a tsundere anime character. Wish I could watch a whole drama with that character, lol.
I was hooked by the first body swapping scene by how she embodied an entirely different character who we had never met before.
Thank you!
CLJ now is hands down the best xianxia I ever watched. Mostly because how it was written, brought in life and performed. No major fillers or sideplots that annoyed you. It wasn't perfect-perfect, we have some lines not closed, but not that many and I put the blame on limited time that they have (I can't believe I am saying this abt xianxia, but I wish CLJ was atleast 4 eps longer). The last 4 or 6 eps, even if I love the pace of this drama to pieces, indeed felt a little bit too fast.
I think it is quite different watching pleasure when drama from which you sidn't expect anything amazed you that much. From how thought out art, script, OST and CGI was to actor's perfomances and their chemistry.
CLJ is indeed xianxia ceiling for me from now on.
I found unnecesary the plot where JieLi ans DanYin find out they're sisters. What was the point?
Perhaps I missed the point...
@@CarstenLovekiky I didn't find it unnecessary when I was watching in real time bcs we didn't have massive fillers and subplots but I admit they can execute it better. Or atleast close line with father just adding him standing on background in final scene with Jieli.
@@ilonalee733 Exactly, they were "he's your sister, i'm gonna die, so accept her".
@@CarstenLovekiky It was to show Danyin bonding with someone from the Moon Tribe, but mostly to explain and give a sort of closure to Jieli's story.
In my opinion that plotline was good because it happened because of Rong Hao, using both Jieli and her father, so that he could complete his plan.
They had to wrap it up and they couldn't have Danyin and Jieli being enemies, especially because the lesson of the drama was about love and acceptance, or any other form of love.
It's good Danyin could go past her prejudice and start to befriend someone like Jieli.
I also had to admit that before knowing about Jieli's father, I thought he was a bit of a bish, always kissing Changheng's brother's a**, but now I understand his reasons.
He used to be the right-hand man of the most powerful person in Shuiyuntian because he could have his support and could be a spy for Rong Hao...and so that he could protect his daughter better.
The only one he should have asked for protection was Dongfang Qingcang, but at that time his reputation was bad and his name was feared.
@@CarstenLovekiky Apparently Danyin’s actress got caught up in a scandal so they had to cut out a lot of scenes with her in it. I saw on weibo that she was originally supposed to have a love line with dfqc’s lil bro. I guess the birth secret stuff would’ve been a bit more relevant if all that stuff was kept in the drama
Last comment fr. 2 final thoughts:
BIG spoiler alart//
1: Many cnetz were talking about being disappointed that there was no epic and bloody battle scene in ep 31 and the director posted on his weibo telling people they missed the point of the drama and that it's a drama about love and peace. LOVED HIM FOR THAT!! HE WAS RIGHT! XLH's death was actually amazing and emotional!
2: The highlight of the last episode for me was DFQC facing his evil thoughts (a.k.a Evil God Tai Sui possessing his body). That shit was so cool! The psychological aspect of that part in general was really well written!
the acting was so great too because when Tai Sui said what if Orchid forgets you entirely and Dongfang wavered for just a second but you could see on Taisuis face he knew he got him!!
I loved the line where Orchid asks DFQC, ''I want you to respect me.''/ ''can you respect me?'' before she enters the cave. I mean everyone can love you, but for a controlling male lead to respect the supposedly weak female lead's decision to take risk . . . I love that!! Overall this drama was very well balanced. music/costume/casting/acting/romantic chemistry/emotions. It just goes so well ! !
We were robbed of their magnificent wedding....what I really wanted to see in the end is Dongfang to get his happy ending with Little Orchid as his Moon Queen and go back to Cangyan sea. He suffered so much. Dylan Wang deserves more credit for his portrayal of Dongfang than you are giving him. He really delivered what was directed and asked of him and proved everyone wrong. Like everything else, the casting was well thought out and so perfect. He has unique face and look that fits the pretty bad boy character. I am bored with the same old classic pretty boy faces like his love rival.
In my opinion 4 things made this drama epic and that is the script, directing, acting and most importantly, THE CHEMISTRY. I actually love the ending of the drama for the same reason you said you liked the ending of the untamed in your final review. They've already set up everything and let us see a glimpse through dreamscape. It's not too much in your face, they dont force feed u the happy ending and lets you come to your own conclusion. Actually the last scene could almost be something akin to female leads own dreamscape or imagination while she's still waiting for him to come back and the male lead could still be dead if we want to interpret it that way.
Two things I badly want to see in this drama is a better and way more satisfying ending, and also Dongfang Qingcang new powers Glazing Fire. it would be fun if they put a little bit of action with his Glazing Fire against the Evil King spirit, it would be epic. The only thing I hate about this drama is that it's only 36 ep, they should made it a 42 episodes or something like that.
@@cristina8868 Unlikely, since she can literally bring back the dead.
Yesss I wanted to see the glazed fire as well
@@cristina8868 she had the bone Orchid and she can make people come back to life, so I feel like it was him.
The reason why it seemed casual is because both already knew they would have come back together and that's why they weren't surprised.
That's a thing that made people unsatisfied because it was a very rushed moment, but it actually made sense.
Oh sh*t yes re the Glazing Fire. Soooooo wanna see that unleashed (more).
@@laurajanco2i I agreed with you
Love between a fairy and a devil is China's chance to break through on international platforms! It's an amazing production, but it definitely needs a second season! The ending is left open, there are many more untold stories! Yes, there will be series for other characters and a whole universe can be built like a The Lord of the Rings! But for me the second season is a must because Dylan and Esther deserve a chance to develop their characters! Dylan showed that he can be the Perfect Big Bad, but we don't see the continuation of this image (he practically played everything: from a callous man, a woman in a man's image, a man of honor, a caring badass, a man deeply in love and ready to sacrifice himself to the big bad)! Esther proved that, in addition to being a sweet fairy, she can also be a harsh goddess... The story can develop much more. For me, this is the first Chinese series that can break the Korean hegemony on Netflix! Congratulations to everyone involved in its creation!
The OST is magnificent! I recently discovered Zhou Shen through this drama and am obsessed with him - such an incredible voice! Wang Hedi played a role that challenged him in every aspect and the way that he portrayed each emotion from aloof and cold to feminine and innocent to anger and sorrow - he nailed every performance! 👏🏻👏🏻 I’m so impressed and smitten with this acting in this drama! I’m glad Didi is getting recognized for this role - he was eye catching!
I agree about the ending. All the other characters except the two leads and father of the twins got a nice epilogue. I do hope we get to see the Arbiter and her Dragon again. They were so interesting but we saw way too little of them. The Chidi Woman's story was heartbreaking but the script really explained her suffering so well. And I've said it all along: Wang Hedi is a far better actor than "Miss the Dragon" would indicate, especially for a young guy who did not come from a formal theater or film training background.
@@tchris8561 IMO they also set up the shots really well in a world-building sense, the world that this character DFQC lives in. The way he enters a scene, the way he interacts with his surroundings/environment/the set. So not only ensuring that Dylan as the actor looks his "prettiest" while portraying a character, but that the character is presented seamlessly and believably within this CLJ universe. Makes everything more immersive, believable. So well done!
I cried so hard but man Dongfang knows how to get in there and deliver a real kiss. Not the flat board kisses some other dramas have lol
Esther guided him on that. If you watched their bts, you will see Esther guided him on those scenes. She helped him a lot.
I was finding it childish at first, especially the fairy(Esther) , but as I continue to watch the drama, I started understanding and loving her character. Dylan was very good in acting. Never imagined I would watch this type of drama much alone love it. It went beyond my expectation. I’ve watched it many times now.
Ronghao and Chidi's story single handedly shattered every single MasterXstudent xianxia drama I have tried watching since 2015. I didn't get to even know about these two fully (The drama kept hinting at Chidi woman having her own "sad" backstory but they never told us about it) but the way their story was told and wrapped up was so beautifully tragic!
I still didn't understand their story...what exactly happened 🥲
@@tanishkasinha798 It was pretty clear tbh...I wish that was possible but I really can't summarize it here, the essence will be lost and there's a LOT to say lol. Pretty sure you'll get it if you rewatch the drama one day
@@tanishkasinha798 Spoiler warning for a lot of the drama for others who happen to see this:
Ronghao used to be a blind homeless mortal kid who could only play the flute for barely a living. Chidi Woman, in the mortal world, used to watch him from the building across the street from where he played. On a particularly cold day in the middle of winter, she heard some nearly people saying Ronghao probably wouldn't make it, and soon after Ronghao collapsed and died from the freezing temperatures.
So what she did was she took his body to Arbiter Hall and Simeng, requesting to change his fate. Simeng warned Chidi Woman that she would suffer consequences for messing with fate, but Chidi Woman was willing to bear it. So Ronghao was restored back to life, along with his sight, and the first thing he saw was Chidi Woman smiling at him, but with sadness behind her eyes.
Flash forward to the war between Shuiyuntian and the Moon Tribe, where Chidi Woman as the God of War sacrificed herself + her primordial soul in an attempt to kill Dongfang Qingcang and seal away his 100,000 soldiers. So basically she's supposed to be dead dead as an immortal, because if there's primordial soul left it usually means the character will be revived in some way. Remember that because it'll be important.
Ronghao collected her body and took her the the Xuanxu abyss where the evil god Tai Sui was imprisoned by the Xilan clan. Tai Sui appealed to Ronghao's grief, saying he could save Chidi woman's primordial soul with evil spirit. He had two conditions though: Ronghao had to refine more evil spirit so Tai Sui didn't run out and dissipate, thus cutting off Chidi Woman's lifeline, and kill the goddess of Xilan who is supposed to keep Tai Sui imprisoned.
To fulfill the evil spirit part of the bargain, Ronghao established Haishi City as his sort of base of operations and also the place where he would refine evil spirit. He tried to fulfill the second part by killing the goddess of Xilan, but the Xilan clan protected her at the cost of their lives, even sealing her away and putting her in a ormant seed state to protect her in the form of Xiao Lanhua.
Meanwhile, Chidi Woman's primordial soul is being sustained, but as a consequence she has to endure 30,000 years of hardships as a mortal before she can be properly reborn. For some reason the common trend of her mortal lives is that she is always murdered by someone she loves, and this might be because this whole thing is the consequence of her changing Ronghao's fate. Meanwhile Ronghao is monitoring her mortal lives with her Fate Book to make sure she accomplishes her hardships and her primordial spirit stays intact, since as an immortal if she misses a hardship outlined in her Fate Book, her primordial spirit will dissipate.
Ronghao also befriends Changheng because the latter was the only one who paid actual respect to Chidi Woman and her death in Ronghao's eyes, and he gained the loyalty of Dieyi (lady with the whip). He also covered for Danyin and Jieli's parents during their escape from a Shuiyuntian patrol, and later recruited Jieli as a spy after her mom's death. Ronghao also kept the Moon Tribe busy by instigating civil war while Dongfang Qingcang was still imprisoned.
So while he's still watching over Chidi woman's trials and searching for the goddess of Xilan to kill, Xiao lanhua steals Chidi Woman's fate book, which puts Ronghao on alert. After Xiao Lanhua is taken to Cangyan Sea by Dongfang Qingcang, Ronghao has Jieli infiltrate Silent Moon Palace and get closer to Xiao Lanhua. When Jieli and Xiao Lanhua attempt to escape Silent Moon Palace, Dieyi attacks them. Xiao Lanhua is "saved" by Ronghao in the guise of Changheng, and put into a dreamland dimension recreation of Arbiter Hall to lull her into a false sense of security so she'll willingly fix Chidi Woman's fate book that was damaged thanks to Dongfang Qingcang. He fails to get the repaired book back and then retreats.
Meanwhile, Chidi Woman is at her final mortal incarnation before she can be reborn as an immortal. She has to go through her final set of hardships in her fate book though, which are that she will fall in love with the guy who stops her from trying to poison herself, and she will be killed by him on their wedding night. The guy turns out to be Dongfang Qingcang, who needs Chidi Woman's primordial soul to unseal his 100,000 soldiers, so he has an investment to see her hardships through and also kill her. Ronghao for the most part takes a step back for this arc until the end, where he spikes one of Xiao lanhua's phoenix crown beads with evil spirit, which goes off during the double wedding. The evil spirit corrupts Chidi Woman and makes her attack Xiao Lanhua, but Dongfang Qingcang kills Chidi Woman to protect Xiao Lanhua, and thus her final hardship is fulfilled.
So Ronghao takes Chidi Woman's primordial soul and has Jieli plant it in Bone Orchid, so Chidi Woman can feed off of Xiao Lanhua to finish her reincarnation and also fulfill Tai Sui's last condition since the process will kill Xiao Lanhua. Ronghao in the meantime kills 3,000 Shuiyuntian soldiers and blames the Moon Tribe to stoke tensions. He is also confronted by Changheng and dragged off to be jailed, in which he leverages Danyin and Jieli's dad to get himself free.
When Xiao Lanhua tries to sacrifice herself, Ronghao intervenes because he needs to collect his master's primordial soul. He does, and Chidi Woman is finally reborn. But things start to fall apart. Chidi Woman notices violent changes in Ronghao's swordsmanship. She starts having violent thoughts and losing control of herself. Chidi Woman tries to warn Shuiyuntian that its Tai Sui but they don't really believe her. Ronghao yells at Tai Sui, asking whats wrong with his master, and Tai Sui finally reveals his true reason for helping Ronghao. This while process had basically gotten Chidi woman's primordial soul addicted or saturated with evil spirit, so she can't really continue existing without it. Eventually, she will be consumed by it and Tai Sui will take her immortal body to use. Ronghao also gets jailed again and escapes with his master, and then they both sacrifice themselves to thwart Tai Sui.
@@dustrose8101 wow! Thank you so much For this description!!!! Can you further explain *SPOILER* about how Rong Hao found DFQC’s brother to help him build hashi city? And why was Chidi woman sad (was she sad because she tampered with fate?) and can you explain that flashback where Chidi was with the Xilan tribe? Like were they just good friends for some reason? There was a scene where Orchid saw her reflection of Chidi in the mirror but this was before Chidi’s primordial spirit was planted in the bracelet (I think)
@@sosxii I'll try to answer to the best of my ability. (spoilers again for other ppl)
1. how Rong Hao found DFQC’s brother to help him build hashi city
The drama doesn't go into the specifics of how, but if its not outright stated, its implied Ronghao sought out Xunfeng specifically. He manipulated the Moon Tribe's civil conflicts so Xunfeng was reliant on his help to keep it under control but since Ronghao was also helping the Moon Tribe lords on the other side, Xunfeng was never able to keep the Moon Tribe orderly. This would both keep the Moon Tribe busy and make Xunfeng indebted to Ronghao, which is probably what Ronghao cashed in on to build Haishi City. This would be in line with what we see of Ronghao's tactics as per how he manipulated Danyin and Jieli's dad.
2. why was Chidi woman sad (was she sad because she tampered with fate?)
Unfortunately we don't get an answer for why Chidi Woman had this sadness about her even before her sacrifice. It could tie into her knowing she will suffer dire consequences to change Ronghao's fate and it will probably ripple back to affect him because now he's so attached to her.
3. can you explain that flashback where Chidi was with the Xilan tribe
Chidi Woman is implied to have been somewhat close to the Xilan clan, maybe even specifically to the goddess of Xilan herself, but the drama didn't elaborate. Which tbh is a little weird imo, because the flashback implies Chidi Woman was closer to the Xilan tribe than others, which made me think they were setting up for her reaction to learning Ronghao massacred the Xilan clan. But no its kinda just left hanging, like I don't think even Dongfang Qingcang found out that the Moon Tribe didn't even touch the Xilan clan and it was Ronghao all along.
4. a scene where Orchid saw her reflection of Chidi in the mirror but this was before Chidi’s primordial spirit was planted in the bracelet (I think)
That scene was AFTER Jieli planted Chidi Woman's primordial spirit into Bone Orchid. It was meant to signify Chidi Woman's primordial soul is present in Xiao Lanhua and took over her body. This is further supported by the later scene where Xiao Lanhua is very obviously not acting like herself and when Dongfang Qingcang comes into the scene he spells it out for us that that was not Xiao Lanhua.
Good review.
I just wish they added an extra epilogue - like episode where the main leads' past versions of their selves is also visible in their daily interactions as they start to live together. Never got the chance to watch goddess Xi Yun behave like little Orchid of the past and Dongfang Qingcang behave like majestic, powerful, confident moon supreme of the past, and their spicy, scintillating interactions. I felt much of that got lost in the last four episodes because of the new angsty developments in the plotline which made the characters behave unlike their usual selves, and put them in a helpless, "my hands are tied" state of mind.
Personally, I would've preferred to watch the plotline develop in a different manner in the last four episodes. That would've been perhaps, more satisfactory.
Still, I kind of enjoyed watching this drama overall. The love theme throughout ( sustained till the very end) is a good idea, and felt nice to watch.
Agreed. The whole godess stuff happened to fast and fare to late. We never truly saw Orchid in her , except her love for DFQC. And I miss the Moon Supreme. If the epilogue tweets are anything to go by, he lives in Xilan with her and does chores. Cute in a way. But I miss the arrogant lofty part of him. And I wanted to see more of his new power
@@Anwell100Yup, you are so right! I agree with you.
But that aside, I didn't want to see the kind of development in the plotline where the female lead is forced to kill the main male lead so that the evil bad god will be killed and thus, all the realms get saved. I just can't stand such developments in the plotline where one of the main leads is forced to kill the other main lead, forced to choose one over the other for the safety of all realms. That was torturous to watch even though I enjoyed watching the drama as a whole, because I know it's xianxia & everything will be alright soon --- the main lead who died will come back.
I just wish that part of the plotline were written differently with the main leads killing the evil god together without killing the other main lead, something like that.
okay, wow. although i adore esther yu, but thanks to MTG, i doubted wang hedi's performance. i wasn't even interested in watching the trailer. but then i was bored and i decided to give it a try - and wow??? [slaps myself for underestimating WHD] he actually improved??? i was so impressed by his acting that i couldn't really concentrate on the drama itself and just focus on how GOOD his acting was. what attracted me the most was there was this one scene where DFGC cried after meeting his father and XLH comforted him. i could feel his emotions, so raw and honest that i was gaping the whole time and i thought "damn, he really isn't here to play"... WHD, through your performance i can see that you've given your best for this drama. great job!
this drama was a whole gigantic story of love. it may sound cringey, cliche, simple, overused etc but it was simply beautiful, everyone did justice to their characters and told their story beautifully and brought them to life, it really was stunning. i didnt have any expectations going into this drama but its definitely exceeded everything, no drama has tugged this much at my heartstrings 🥺 there were many important messages intricately woven into the story, and needless to say the OST, CGI and cinematography were all so gorgeous. and a special mention of dylan’s ability to literally convey any emotion with his alone 😩
“everything in this world is fate, everything except love”, i believe that was one of Arbiter’s lines said to Orchid and it just really stuck with me and resonates with this drama. i finished it in a week and now idk what to do w myself, it was my sadness and joy for the past week and now i feel empty, especially after watching the last 5 ep in one day so im totally emotionally drained lmao
Me too
I completely agree with you in that the pacing got very weird near the ending; not to say that it was bad tho. I really enjoyed this drama and never once was I bored. Dylan Wang and Esthur Yu did an outstanding job in their roles, making me both laugh and cry with their performance. All in all, LBFD is the best xianxia I've seen this year so far.
LBFD?
@@guy_bello Love between fairy and devil, its the english name for CLJ
About the little problems you mentioned:
_I talked about the fact that the one and only thing that could make ep 33&34 a lot better would've been showcasing stuff from the FL's perspective to make us understand why she was behaving more understandable somewhere else as well. I just kept imagining Xiao Lanhua crying behind the doors eavesdropping ML saying something in the lines of "she's not Orchid anymore" and the thought broke me 😭 showing that would've helped a lot, or maybe her sadness and trauma of noticing what happened to her and her family when/Xishan people when she was a child.
_I actually found Jieli and Danyin's bounding really cute, but I DO think the drama should've dealt with this part earlier. Danyin lost her heart to a one sided love and Jieli lost many years of her life to poverty and having no one to rely on, so I think the way they found eachother after going through these things was necessary for them, the drama just needed more episodes to dedicate enough time to them and their relationship, and maybe more related to the overall plot.
I have to thank you profusely for getting me into this drama via your first impressions video. 🙇♀🙇♀🙇♀🙇♀🙇♀ No matter how disappointed I was in the sudden ending (we are truly SO spoiled by the levels of intimacy represented in the earlier half of the show, so I did expect more on that front as you mentioned), I think I'm going to be walking around in a haze of romantic daydreaming for months after finishing this drama. Moreover, the idea that "Everything in the world is fated *except* for love" is such a profound concept to me; it hit me like a gutpunch and I'm probably going to be thinking about it forever.
My thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of LBFD are similar to many of yours, especially re: pacing suddenly going bananas in the home stretch, Ronghao's nonsense, and the Danyin/Jeili sisterhood (why force a character whose whole thing is struggles with trusting others have a closeness arc with even more character[s]?). My biggest disappointment was not being able to see more of their reunion and (ideally) wedding after DFQC's reincarnation. I was excited to hear there were two "specials," but those videos were even more perfunctory and unsatisfying--I swear I even heard the audio timeline in the married life update cut out too soon. xD
I will say that the script being a little less tight at the end had an interesting/paradoxically enjoyable effect on my viewing experience. Although painful, Orchid's coldness after reincarnation really helped me sympathize with DFQC and the depths of his sadness/lonliness (and unreasonable hope too!). Similarly, starting off hella spoiled re: romance in periodic bursts only to practically fizzle out at the end got me in the same 'dreaming back' mindset as the ML+FL. When the gang is in Lucheng and the romance is bogged down by them lying to each other and having other admirers to cause misunderstandings, I was like "omg, please take me back to the Siming Hall days"; when they are back in the fairy realm and having to mutually self-flagellate over their love for others' benefit only for DFQC to give up on his love (temporarily), I was like "honestly, just take me back to Lucheng where none of this matters." Feeling closer to the characters emotionally is the only silver lining consolation I have for the wonky pacing blunders.
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(Ugh, I'm so TL;DR...) I know that I've probably said this here before, but I love your channel not only because I think we tend to have similar likes and dislikes in media, but in those instances when our enjoyment of a story deviates from one another, the careful way you explain your position is enlightening either way. Keep doing you--I'm watching avidly!
I've binged on this drama. Its a triumph for the cast and the director to bring out the best of its actors esp on Dylan Wang. I watched his Ever night 2 and Meteor Garden but I tried so hard to remember his character in these dramas but nothing comes up. Thats how unnoticeable he was. But in this drama, he is the center of my attention. His character is the epitome of my fantasized tall dark dangerously handsome character but also has a cute side. I love his version of Dongfang Devil! 💜❤🙋♀️🦊
Maybe they just ran out of money in the last few episodes to finish it so quickly? 😂 Agree 100% with all the negative points. Wang Hedi is a great antihero. I actually wanted him to act like his old self way more (before he became all lovey dovey), he was so interesting. Also, his wardrobe was amazing! Ruo Hao character actor really impressed me too. I noticed his acting in A Dream of Splendour, and I'd love to see him and Wang Hedi both in more dramas like this. 2022 really came through for some very good dramas ❤️❤️❤️
Not just 2022. It’s the best ever imo. I loved it that much. Everything about LBFD is absolutely incredible. It will be hard for another show to knock this off my personal #1 spot. I’m already on my 3rd time watching the entire series + I’m wearing the songs out on iTunes lol 🤦🏻♀️😂 Yes. A bit obsessed and in love. 😍❤️
For me I think it was a satisfying ending. All Little Orchid waited for was DFQC to come back. He is back with her, so they will now experience every piece of daily life, obviously. No need to show it and become that "typical drama".
In the end, I never cried over a drama that much since Goodbye My Princess, and watching bts I cried even more).
It's like the character is written for Wang Hedi, it fits him so well. The smirk, the eyebrows, the savageness, the cold eyes. I also absolutely love his wardrobe, the only male lead I have seen so far have this many outfits and all of them have different design, his crown is just chef's kiss. When their body swap, he portrayed Orchid's personality so well, I can definitely see her in him. I agree the end is disappointed by how short it shows their reunion, like you said just 1 more ep to show them happy together is enough. They should give us a clear explain on how he come back, how other react to his comeback (especially Shang Que and his brother)
I've been looking forward to this!! Agreed on the sister line being a reasonable cut to free up space for the rest of the drama to resolve at a more appropriate pace. Also- the story and thought you've put into the brooch is absolutely perfect!!
So glad to see Dylan Wang's acting reputation redeemed. I know he got some flack for Meteor Garden too, but I'd always thought he was really great in that role and was surprisingly good at emoting and had a talent for the comedic parts as well. Now Miss the Dragon...ugh! My guess is that his wooden performance was how the director envisioned that role. Now that it is completely aired and has even gotten raves from this channel, I look forward to binging the series over the next few days.
I think the script and directing play parts as well. A good script can 'tell' the character's view and how they would do given certain circumstances and the directing helping those things getting on screen altogether. This drama simply has more competent scriptwriter, director, and production team.
I really hope his next project Forbidden Love with Yukee will not disappoint. I would like to see him get good scripts and be developed as a good actor.
@@xinn_mh hopefully 🙏🙏.... I'm lowering my expectations because of the writer and director tho... Well, they did eternal love but they also did some 'blergh' dramas as well 😅
I totally agree with you. 🤩The best Xian Xia fantasy in 2022. Kudos to Dylan Wang and Esther You, the script writers, the cinematographers, and the rest of the casts.
The ending is a bit rushed but it's literally one of the best xianxia dramas I've ever watched. I used to hate domineering male leads in dramas but I really liked the ML in this drama. Both EY and DW are amazing too ❤️
Definitely one of my favourite Xianxia dramas! The last Xianxia that I really loved was Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. Love Between Fairy and Devil is really good. The length is just right (not too long), the CGI, plot, OSTs (love!), visuals, and acting were really good for me. I usually skip the intro/outro when I watch dramas, but even that was well done! Especially loved Dylan Wang in this! 😍 Although I did wish the last scene was a bit longer. I wanted MORE lol 😆!!
Agreed with everything you said regarding the downside of this drama. But it was so magnificent overall it really was like finally seeing how I wanted other dramas to go down. Plus the performances were great especially by Dylan, Esther and Zhang Linghe.
Coming from both a writer's perspective and that of a viewer, I agree with your points. I love and adore this drama so much despite those things I would have changed that you mentioned. It's definitely among my favorite all-time dramas now. I watched it in less than a week and would have watched it even faster if I didn't have to work. I immediately started a re-watch at a slower pace so I can catch all the details and foreshadowing and particularly the way the romance develops with each episode. Also, I love that pin you made. Very pretty. That's one of my favorite scenes from Episode 9.
Actually Wang Hedi did do the skirt lifting movement when playing Orchid swap scenes. At least once, shortly after they had swapped and were still outside on the platform. I'll never forget it because I was so shocked and delighted that they had included that. It was laugh out loud funny to me because she was in a body wearing pants, but it was such a habit for her to lift it when moving quickly that she did it automatically. I thought it was a brilliant touch to the scene.
When I watched it, I felt the grandeur, power and intimidation of DFQC. Like he’d be unstoppable with his hellfire. But I also saw his flaws, his troubled past, love and compassion for his beloved Xiao lan hua. I really felt nervous for him when he lost his hellfire power because of him regaining his emotions and that war is coming and everyone is scrutinising his decisions >< Like… a deadline is coming and I lost my memory of what I studied @@ yet I also felt the dilemma of both main characters wanting to protect their own tribe, and at the same time not wanting to betray one another because they love each other 🥲 ugh, it was such an emotional rollercoaster ride. Love how everything was depicted even though it was quite rushed in the end.
I picked this drama at random when it first came out and to my surprise the cinematography , acting , script , story board and many many many other things were beyond expectations . I definitely agree with all the points you made and hope to have more reviews from you I the future
Also this drama has brought me so much joy these past few weeks. Even if the ending could have been better imo the rest is so good I can look past it all haha
Yes I was very impressed by the cohesive story telling and pacing - thought it was quite sophisticated. Absolutely loved the strong themes that were put forward: anti-racism, anti-war, thinking beyond ones self and so on. Just over all impressed. Also beautifully shot, gorgeous costuming and decent acting. Woop woop! 💫
ps love the brooch
Definitely one of my favourite dramas of 2022 so far! You are spot on about the pacing and audience anxiety around ep 31-32! I was so scared the ending was going to be a disaster - in fact after rebirth of the goddess into a cold different version of herself, it was giving me bad memories of Ever Night 2's last episode, which was also starring Want Hedi! But luckily CLJ ended well. Yes it was a bit rushed and yes I definitely wanted more episodes but I'm pretty happy with it
Anyone else bawl their eyes out on episode 32? Love Between Fairy and Devil is definitely going into my Top 5!!
If wasn't for Miss the Dragon's "accident" I wouldn't know Dylan's work, after I watch it here (YT) I looked for other Cdramas with him, and I found Meteor Garden/EverNight2/The Rational Life, and now LBFD. He's a very gifted actor!
Talking about the 33/35 plot twist for me it was fine and angsty but they should have added three more episodes to conclude because it did feel a little rushed the last two episodes and with a different vibe to Orchid’s character.
I totally agree with the part of the sisters father disappearing, it was odd and again they should’ve extended to a few more episodes.
But omg I still absolutely loved this drama. It’s so memorable, beautiful visually, the music was everything and the main couple stole my heart so intensely. I think I’m obsessed.
Ever since I heard that these two would be leading a drama together I was very excited. I really love Esther's acting approach, and they seem to always give big-budget dramas to Dylan, so I thought it was the perfect combination of attractive leads. For this reason, I wasn't surprised that I ended up liking the drama, but what truly surprised me was the CGI. I mean, the budget must have been GINORMOUS! I've never seen such great CGI in a fantasy C-Drama, and I've watched A LOT of them.
The story is everything that I love about the "enemies to lovers" trope, and Dylan Wang SHOCKED ME with how well he performed, especially during the emotional scenes. I'm sad to share that everything changed when the "mortal world arc" started. The scenarious that they were putting the characters in simply weren't as interesting as before (and I couldn't take the female lead seriously due to her goofy outfit/hair), so everything started going downhill for me. However, they were so high up before that arc, that even if it was going downhill they were still much higher than other fantacy C-dramas I've watch recently (I'm talking about YOU Immortal Samsara), so I still watched it all the way to the end, because I need to know how a drama that started so amazingly would tie all loose ends. I wanted more from the ending, but it gave just enough that I can't really be mad at it.
TLDR: this drama started as a 3 gold mine, but declined to a 1.9 gold mine by the time the "mortal world arc" started. Best CGI EVER in a Fantasy C-Drama, Esther did well like always, and Dylan Wang ABSOLUTLEY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED ME with how good of an actor he has become, especially in the more emotional scenes. The way he looked at the female lead... I truly believed he loved her, and that is what I expect from a male lead.
I fully recommend it, you'll be amazed watching this drama!!!
I actually love the mortal world arc a lot
You are right that emperor should have been dealt with in some way. I also thought Rong Hao’s ending wasn’t satisfying after all the evil he did but.. it was a very good drama I loved all the lead and second leads
Very much accurate..i feel the drama even with its popularity and effect still wasn't looked upon as one of the best written story for this year..it's definitely more than just an idol drama. The acting was spectacular. I love it
AvenueX, you totally get my point regarding the ending.
I read that the original editor up to episode 29 passed away and then it was done by their replacement after that. If that’s true, I wonder if that also contributed to the lower quality in storytelling based on how scenes were cut and put together. Especially the abrupt ending.
I've been waiting for this final review ! Currently I'm in the middle of watching CLJ (ep25). And I've already laughed & cried with the characters, disagreed with their actions yet went "oohh now i see why this particular character would act in such a way in a particular situation" or most importantly felt so much respect for the scriptwriting. Not to mention the acting skills of the entire cast has blown me. Ofc Wang He Di improved SO MUCH from his past projects but the entire cast they sure do compliment each other so well that this xianxia is easily one of my top fav Cdrama of all times. Constantly listening to Cang Lan Qi by Li Changchao & the other shore by Jing Long & Jing Di Er >
Agree with 9:12, the rumour is that they switched the Editor for this after Ep 28.
I watched a Chinese drama after a year and I am glad it is this. The last one I watched was Miss the Dragon and regretted it. I loved and enjoyed this one thoroughly. It's true that we get to see a different Wang He Di in this. I love to watch Wang He Di on screen now. Wow...He surprised me.
Cang Lan Jue ruined every xianxia dramas I've seen! The pacing is great, the osts are heavenly, and it's so interesting to see new elements added into their costumes. Also, they don't just boringly call it heavenly realm, demon realm, etc. The concept of body swapping is rare for me to see. 🤔
It's great to see the character developments of everyone. I really like Danyin. She was just too focus on love that she missed seeing the goals she always wanted to achieve, that was to be as great as the former female God of War. Now she knows her priority and even get to be confidants with Changheng.
The ending just left me a bit unsatisfied. Would've appreciated more fluff yah know after all that angst we went through but whatever. 🤷🏻♀️ 10/10, best 2022 xianxia drama!
For Danyin to want to be the next God of War, it would've been a good idea to show her be a badass warrior. Her saying she had that goal was a surprise.
This was one of the best c-drama I've seen! I rewatched it 3 times because of all the sweet energy I feel when I see the two main leads together. Just good for mental health to be bathing in sweet vibes. I loved this series so much.!
Brilliant review! Learned a lot about the Xian Xia genre because of you. Also, amazing to see the effort you put into analyzing series! Thank you from all your subscribers!
That's a good point about the twin sisters. I thought the twin sister line was set-up for an overthrow of the Top Fairy God (I forget his name, the one who kept telling everyone not to love each other and to go to war against the Moon Tribe). I was really hoping he would be taken down or replaced by Orchid ruling the three kingdoms. >.> ETA: I paused the video to comment, pressed play and you agreed he needs to fall! Yes! Take him downnnnnn!
The Mushroom King? He should be deposed. Tsk.
I kept wondering if you would make a final review of this drama!
Omg agree with you about Yun Zhong Jun! And i am too confused with the end.. like that was the literal meaning of what the heck. Really no extra episodes?? Ironically enough the story where he's gone and she somehow 'waiting' for him feels like a nicer way to end it than that kiss lol. The best thing about his drama for me is the designs and the leads' chemistry👏🏻❤
Totally agree about the end. Equally surprised. Loved it. Superior coolness from Wang Heidi 😊
Best xianxia ever in Chinese drama. It would be my all time favorite in this genre. Btw the male lead is so freaking damn charming🥹
💯 I absolutely, a million percent agree with you!!
I agree with everything you said.
But I find that all Chinese dramas rush through on the last episode and then it ends. Hard to have a lingering memory as a result.
Dylan has taken the top position for his acting - All the different personalities that he expertly assumed
I have to say i started out watching immortal samsara 1st and watchd Lbfad as a break in between. But in the end i found myself loving this drama so much, i almost forgot about immortal. Lol. Thats how great it was. I think dylan really improved and did this character justice. Just as esther too. This was my 1st time ever seeing esther act but she shined her way to my heart. Very beautiful cgi of place and time. Im glad i took a chance on this drama. Now im needing more. Haha.
I started watching LBFAD while waiting for LLTG to update, and now I'm still stocked in the LBFAD can't move on and haven't go back to finish LLTG...
I just started Chinese dramas a couple of months ago after a recommendation came up on RUclips. Since then, I have been addicted and watch close to 20 dramas that were highly rated from 2017 to now.
In my opinion, this drama is in the top 3 of all time. I cried and cried because the devil transformed through the whole series. And you felt every moment of pain through his suffering. Thank god for a happy ending.
So glad to see this video! Have been looking forward to this as I'm having CLJ withdrawal :) Agreed that the twin sister plot is unnecessary and can be cut, but I'm fine with the ending being a bit abrupt because the "happily ever after" scene can be left to the audience's imagination and will not add too much to the drama other than letting people go gently.
Also agreed that RH only needs to be captured once, but I thought the first time he was captured with Changheng was a bit of a letdown for me. I don't understand why they both want to come back only to be arrested? I was hoping that these two were plotting something to overthrow Lord Yunzhong and this "capture" was part of their plot as they showed a scene of them meeting in the mortal realm right before they got back to SYT. But this did not happen and RH was released by the same guy who released him in the later episode.
Another thing I appreciate from this drama is the way they treat the mortal realm with more respect. Usually xianxia always use the mortal realm as a plot tool for character dev and show that mortal realm is full with suffering, so the immortals need to experience this to level up. The fact that they don't do that here is highly appreciated and these immortals even learn something from being mortals :)
Your comment about struggle between saving the world vs saving one person is best captured by someone on Twitter who quoted: "A hero will destroy you to save the world, but a villain will destroy the world to save you." I think this quote really embodies this drama, the heroes are Changheng, DFCQ, XLH and the villain is RH... LOL
I love this xianxia drama. Everything is so good nothing irritates me much. The plot is moving in every ep. so I appreciate that so much. Nothing fell out of the place. The acting, writing, cinematography is just so good.
Was waiting for your final review on this drama
Well! It was a masterpiece
No other drama can compete with it and the OST's are so good to hear
Dylan Wang and Esther Yu both of them were great . Their CP awwwwwww , can't describe in word's
I'm so happy. Though you and I have different opinions in some things, I'm always excited to see a drama you're excited about, especially when it hits 2 goldmine rating. Thanks to you, I found the dramas that I cherish with all my heart: A Joy of LIfe, Ming Lan, A Love so Beautiful, Winter Begonia, Untamed, Tienstin Mystic and etc. As I'm quite selective, I may find this drama also worthwhile. Before that I should watch the other dramas you recommended. On the other hand, I love it when you butcher a drama when it hits your 3 landmine.
Love and Destiny is one of my favourites too. I agree with just about everything you say regarding the ending. I actually tried looking for another episode. I still don't like the fairy characterisation at the beginning of the story, but I warmed to her as she matured. I think this is just my personal taste, because I can see why she was depicted that way. That said, I ended up enjoying this series immensely and Wang Hedi broke my heart.
@@cristina8868 I wouldn't hold your breath. Most Chinese dramas don't have sequels, or when they do they have planned for it (and announced it) in advance of the drama even airing (Joy of Life, Young Blood, Like a Flowing River come to mind). I think there will be spinoffs though set in the same world (there should be two other books focused on other characters, and they are making a drama based on the one about Si Ming) but likely not a direct sequel focused on the same leads that picks up immediately where this one left off.
And I usually have no need for a kid randomly added to the end of a drama, yet I wanted one here.
I wanted DFQC to play fotball with his child. I felt that would have been a nice callback to the past and a sweet ending.
This drama is the best c-drama I’ve seen (so far). I agree that it has its shortcomings, especially with the last few episodes. I also didn’t love the repetitive instrumental tracks they used for the comedic scenes. However, it’s such a beautiful story that really satisfies my love for the angel/devil dynamic, and incorporates humour into the storytelling in a way that doesn’t distract you from the main plot. The costuming, acting, the set design, it’s all so beautiful.
The way Xiao Lanhua made an effort to try and help Dongfang Qingcang reconcile with his father highlighted how kind she is, and made her quite loveable in my eyes. I think many c-dramas start off with the stereotypical cute and sweet female lead on the drawing board yet fail to show their audience why the character is considered kind or sweet. This drama avoided that common pitfall, and it’s all thanks to the great writing and Yu Shuxin’s excellent work portraying all the different sides of Xiao Lanhua’s character.
Wang Hedi’s acting went beyond my expectations, and I love how he incorporated such detailed and subtle facial expressions into his portrayal of Dongfang Qingcang. There’s this scene where he walks off with Xiao Lanhua when she’s wearing her ugly makeup (after pretending they’re husband and wife in front of Xiao Run) and Xiao Lanhua makes a funny comment/face. The momentary softening of Dongfang Qingcang’s expression just adds so much depth to his character and makes it all feel so real.
While I am quite upset that this drama’s story has ended, I am excited to watch Si Ming’s story. I am desperately hoping for a cameo of Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang’s newfound happy life in Si Ming!
I actually didnt like the Fl in the beginning but the character growth they gave to each and every one was sooo good and unique and well done
I keep nodding with everything you say.. agreed!!
I really happy this drama exist.. I love everything, the cast choice, the soundtrack, the costume, the architecture, the plot (obviously). I have the long lost enjoying watching drama feel..
What a great team.
YESSSSSS 100000% AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID. Perfectly said regarding areas of improvement. Almost a flawless masterpiece BUT still a masterpiece!!!! Hands down the best xian xia of 2022 and even beyond. I genuinely think this is the best xian xia drama of all time from what I've seen personally. Everything was just sooo well executed: everyone played their role perfectly (Dylan Wang is literally DFQC), fantastic pacing, thoughtful storytelling, gorgeous scenery and costume designs, stunning CGI (for once LOL), consistency in theme (as AvenueX mentioned towards the end), as well as embodying a super OST. Endless praises for this drama and I'm really sad it has come to an end. Secretly wishing/hoping for a season 2 that's still centered around the main leads. But I am also excited to see the spin off drama that revolves around Si Ming. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS DRAMA AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND. One of my all-time favorites for sure!!
Your review is so spot on and love your suggestions. You should be the director! Thanks for making this review. Agree 💯 percent
Watched this because of your first vid on it & absolutely loved it!! Bless you for the req
This has easily become my absolute favorite series. Despite wanting oooonnne more episode as well, I have no faults with it.
I LOVED this drama and one of the few where I anxiously waited for episodes everyday. The storytelling was sooooooo good right up to the final episodes. Missteps in the final arc, but they held on to make the ending at least coherent. Extra props for Wang He Di!
I agreed with you on the abrupt ending of Dylan. "I'm back" and the curtain came down :) Exactly one or two more will superb the drama.
So spot on!!!!!! The last few episodes really felt rushed
My most part of the drama was the Lucheng city arc....ahh I felt like I can watch an entire drama alone on that arc itself...ofc the rest of the drama was awesome too...
I agree so much with what you said, it's really pity for the last 6 episodes, and your suggestion of deleting that line is brilliant. There are flaws but CLJ still worth to watch.
i absolutely CACKLED at “let’s hope yunzhong jun gets… dealt with” YOU AND ME BOTH!! i hope danyin kicks him off down the waterfall to the mortal realm to experience hardships 😭😭
yes i completely get you! i was iffy about watching this drama because when i first watched wang hedi in meteor garden i didn't like his acting too much ( to be fair it was his first i think?), shuxin i only know through qcyn2 and didn't know what to expect... but i really liked the drama and felt that the end was a little rushed ( i binged watched tho)
I haven’t watched the drama, but I enjoy seeing Miss Avenue X get excited about it, and as always, her styling and visuals 🔥🔥 appreciate it 💝
One thing I really appreciated so much about LBFAD is that every ep served a great purpose throughout the drama's plot. Even when it's ep28, it links back to an early ep. There's no scene that isn't relevant and would make a huge difference if it was cut out.
Just got through watching the drama and I agree with you 100% in everything you said. It must have been good because I actually binged watched unlike most dramas that I drop lol
Omg!!! I really love your review of the drama! Plus, I agree that CLJ should have two or more additional episodes😍😍😍 and also its loopholes as you mentioned are quite on spot. Anyways, overall the show is so good...thank you for the wonderful review
i agree with needing one last scene. like a couple seconds of reunion scene is not enough for me to recover from the big sacrificial things that happened earlier. the ending felt like it came to a sudden stop instead of a more satisfying one.
Been waiting for this one…..thanks for you 1st impression of this drama. I already gave up this genre longtime ago. I tried imortal samsara buat Only last 15 Mins. I tried this drama because of Your review. I am hooked.
Yeah immortal samsara could’ve been so much better than what it is. It’s a shame because we were waiting for sooooo long!
Yes, I agree with you a 100% about adding at least some time to let them discover their love. I was also disappointed in Ten Miles Of Peach Tree Blossoms for ending the same way. We have invested so much time watching the drama having all the emotions the actors went through and then it's over without feeling their happiness. It's just like a sudden death!
Your review of this, my first Chinese drama (because of Netflix), is FANTASTIC! I was swept away by this show and want to look at the other ones you mentioned. Your suggestions were spot on!!! Your instincts are really good!! Those changes would have added to the story greatly! I was swept up in the sets, costumes, wigs, makeup, effects, storyline, actors performances, it was magical! I agree, the end was abrupt, I wish they showed more of their life together!!! Did I understand you to say Wang Hedi's Chinese was dubbed? Whose fabulous voice was that? You are a wellspring of information! I could listen to you for hours! I do not know what you do for a living, but I think you would definitely be an incredible showrunner for any production! Can't wait to learn more about this genre from you. I have, of course, subscribed!
I personally enjoyed the grief of the last episodes! I was with DFQC in the agony and despair of losing Orchid but still loving her! But I do wish that they had been given more episodes so that it wasn't fully rushed.