The Starry Love (2023)

Solid until ep 30

I've been waiting for the next drama on par with Ashes of Love and this although didn't meet that, it was a delightful drama overall. If you want action this is not it. There were definitely lots of lovey dovey scenes with > normal amount of pairings in a drama.

Wonderful Aspects:
-All that PURPLEEEEE <--- Hottest color
-Beautiful cast that can act!
-ML (which I was never crazy about) & FL had mediocre chemistry but there were plenty of laughs. I especially loved the FL Ye Tan. Thought she was just the right amount of silliness, cuteness, beauty & brains.
-2nd couple with Chao Feng & Qing Kui was definitely the best pairing in xian xia world with looks & chemistry.
-Gu Hai Chao (Chang Feng)'s 1st in command probably my favorite supporting character provided many comedic moments
-Strong supporting characters overall, few include: The wolf/dog/pup, the bird, the muscle head brother, and my favorite bad character the Void Queen. That beautiful badass mama you'd love to hate.
-Family relationships: Aside from all that coupling, I really loved the sister/sister, mom /son, & friends positive relationships.
-Cinematography / costume / makeup - One of the best aspects about xian xia dramas
-OST - yes overplayed and need a few more songs but the few songs are very good

And then after ep 30.....
-Story got sloppy, tiring and lost all the humorous moments. Scene progression didn't make sense
-One dimensional antagonist characters (both of the kings) got especially tiresome
-A bit overboard on # of resurrections & tear jerking flashbacks.
-Rushed ending with a summary narrative................ Aiyahhhh YYYYY

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I love this drama

I loved the “ML in fall in love” so i had high expectations for this drama based on the synopsis. And truthfully speaking I wasn’t disappointed at all. The combination of comedy and romance is just perfect but honestly speaking the drama is not too perfect due to the voice dubbing but the acting over compensated for this flaw. The FL Tan is a delight, she is just the heart of the show and I hope she continues with such energy in the show. I also think later in the show the playful side of the ML will be displayed too, since his brother has mentioned to Tan that he use to be fun before he had to go into seclusion so as to shoulder his duty as the crown Prince. But overall this my best show at the moment. I can’t wait for the next episodes to released.

Leggi di Più

Decent but not great, lead couple had no chemistry

Decent, but not an great series that really tugs at any of my emotions or lingers long after I've finished the series. Seems they didn't have much budget for a star power cast.

Pros:
- I only watched it for the ML (Chen Xing Xu) because I loved him in Goodbye My Princess and the recent modern series My Boss. He just stood out so much compared to all the other leads and support characters.
- The storyline had such great potential - but the cast seemed to fall a bit flat.
- One of the few scenes that tugged at my heartstrings was when the ML was portraying the La Mu shard (fire demon) went to make peace w/ the villagers who misunderstood and accused him - he showed up w/ such hope, innocence and kindness but instead they attacked him. That broke my heart - and Ye Tan's reaction of pity and heartache for him. That was so sad.
- The scene of Man Man's death was really sad. I like her character and the funny, loyal friendship/sidekick relationship w/ Ye Tan was cute.

Cons:
- The lead couple Ye Tan and You Qing had little to no chemistry at all, which is crucial for this type of storyline of undying devotion/sacrifice for love (such as Ashes of Love, Ten Mile of Peach Blossoms, Love & Destiny).
- The cast was weak, no star power. I watch a LOT of dramas and I didn't recognize any of the lead or support actors (other than the ML Chen Xing Xu). The Heavenly Emperor was one of the worst, his acting was just awful, he literally had ONE facial expression the entire series!
- The two FLs (the sisters Ye Tan and Qing Kui) did not have the screen presence that these lofty roles required to captivate the audience - their acting wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Qing Kui character was renowned for her beauty and gentle kindness - while the actress did portray the gentle kindness part, but she did not embody stunning beauty. She looked more like an actress that would play a 2nd or 3rd support role.
- When the ML was playing the womanizer shard, he came across as super gay/feminine rather than a womanizer/playboy.

OST - just ok, not memorable

Re-watch - nah, not worth the time

Leggi di Più

I hope my interest kicks in.

I am only on the 6th episode and I really want to like this drama. When I am watching, I usually connect with a character and love to watch their story unfold. However, so far, I have been unable to connect to any character. All of their personalities are terrible. One is supposed to be super kind and gentle but ends up just looking weak and submissive, one is supposed to be the "hero" but just seems stodgy, and judgemental, one is supposed to be the anti-hero but just looks devious and cold, and the last one is the reason I want to turn off the entire thing. The sister that is supposed to be wild and mischievous is just bitterness in the flesh. All of her actions have a very bitter tone to them. Her rebellious nature just comes off as ignorant. She is thoughtless and mean, not in the least bit funny.
The plot really caught my interest because I am a big fan of that theme, but it has been a real disappointment and hasn't shown any signs of getting better. However, I will continue to the end and see if I can find the reason so many people gave it a great review. It deserves a chance and I will return with a final verdict.

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