One of Ling Long's powerful scenes. And that's Teng She being himself. 
Beyond the Radar: Ancient Detective
FORWARD
When it comes to Fantasy genres, China's[1][2] Xianxia[3] is almost unparalleled. Involving entirely new imaginary worlds with rich storylines and costumes, they are a standout in the bottomless number of C-dramas released every year. But, comes with a cost...
Despite the genre’s popularity, few of the countless dramas made each year achieve success. They are either a hit or a miss. As most Xianxia dramas are adaptations from novels, one reason that opens them to wide criticism and ultimately leads to its “failure” would be storylines and characterization often straying too far from the original novels. Other commonly heard complaints from loyal fans range from unimaginative and poor quality CGI to lazy action scenes and poor editing.
When Love and Redemption began dropping Music videos and trailers[4] last year, it drew a lot of people into the pre-hype as it was based on a popular novel[5] with a large and loyal fan base.
When the drama premiered on unsuspecting viewers without warning, the dangerous hype[6] phase began.
So, is this 59[7] episode Xianxia really worth your time? A resounding YES, and let me tell you why!
CHARACTERS AND CAST
There are many interesting characters that you will love and/or hate in this drama, so this is just a teaser introduction of some of the main ones from Shaoyang sect and Lize Palace, where our main couple are from and whom we meet quite a lot within the first 9 episodes. I suggest watching the drama directly to find everyone. Many of the main characters themselves don't appear for several episodes.
[NOTE: ALL CHARACTERS' IDENTITIES AND APPEARANCE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGES.]
CHU XUAN JI(Yuan Bing Yan) | YU SI FENG(Cheng Yi) |
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Daughter of Shaoyang Sect leader, Chu Lei. Born without the six senses, she is introduced as a childish and lazy cultivator. | The most skilled disciple of Li Ze Palace. Initially stuttering and shy, he falls for Chu Xuan Ji. |
CHU LING LONG(Zhang Yu Xi) | HAO CHEN(Liu Xue Yi) |
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Xuan Ji's elder twin, known for her capricious and proud nature. She is quick to pick fights and is not easy to please, but secretly cares for everyone. | A highly skilled cultivator of Shaoyang who trains at Xueyang Peak. He is Xuan Ji's mentor. |
We get an in-depth view of each sect, their leaders, and disciples. However, we constantly come across these cultivators quite a lot during the first phase of the drama.
ZHOU MING YAN(Li Jun Yi) | LIZE PALACE DEPUTY CHIEF(Peer Zhu) |
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The 6th Senior of Shaoyang Sect and also, Ling Long and Xuan Ji's constant companion. He is a reasonable and patient cultivator and makes fast friends with everyone. | A mysterious man with a fan, he manages all the affairs of Li Ze palace in his Chief's stead. |
LIU YI HUAN(Han Chen Yu) | RUO YU(Zhou Jun Wei) |
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A prisoner of Li Ze Palace and Si Feng's friend. He is forbidden from leaving for breaking the rules. Often, he offers wisdom and advice to the gang. | Si Feng's friend and another intriguing young disciple of Lize Palace, he joins Si Feng and Xuan Ji on many adventures. |
Indomitable LoveRelentless devotion - In love or friendship, that’s the way to describe the relationships in this drama. Whether they are one of the good ones or the bad ones, whether their love was reciprocated or not, each character is wholeheartedly committed to giving their all to the one they care about.  Credits: Stardust and Supernovas The most devoted of them all is the male protagonist Si Feng. Although protectiveness, selflessness, and chivalry are common traits of male lead characters, Si Feng outshines all those who preceded him and those who may come after him and perches himself on the seat at the top. I have to admit his unwavering devotion, unrelenting hope in the face of repeated betrayal and heartbreak, made me google the word vertebrae because I was worried he didn't have one. |
How to Befriend A Magical Being And Make Great FriendsOn their adventures, our characters encounter many mysterious and magical creatures from demons to mermen, fox spirits, and celestial beasts in addition to disciples from other sects. Its also during this time we come across many of the major characters who play a pivotal role in the show. One of the reasons for me to restart L&R after initially dropping it without a second thought was an excessive amount of fan edits and collages of a certain white-haired fellow whom we see glimpses of in the earlier episodes and do not meet until around post-ep 30s.
Teng She (Bai Shu), a self-declared fearless Minister of the Heavens. Haughty and disdainful, he has a soft side for anyone and anything related to food. He appeared to be the usual tropey C-drama lead that attracts the audience, but he grew on me, and by the end, I waited for his scenes and wanted to know his choices. His presence, snake-like gestures, and surprising intelligence were the lighter parts of the show. Also, the glimpse of the heavens we get through him was pure joy.
Teng She and Qing Long (Lu Peng). CREDITS: IMMORTALITY A driving force of the story is the unshakeable allegiance that everyone possesses. And one character that I found different from the others was Zi Hu (Hou Meng Yao), a powerful fox demon on a 1000 year-long mission. She was a ticking bomb for the righteous disciples: while her mission had a high chance of ending up being fruitless, success could mean the end of peace between the three realms. But does she give it a second thought?
When it comes to disciples, the seniors of Shaoyang were particularly delightful. All of them, including Zhou Ming Yan, were only some of the people in the show who were funny. Also notable was the Lize Palace Chief (Mickey He), whose actions I found unintentionally hilarious.
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Gripping Revelations and TwistsThe onion-like story reveals itself at a fast pace. Pay close attention because within the first four episodes, scenes that would affect the story much later take place. Skipping scenes of certain characters is not a choice as even seemingly minor ones decide the fate of the plot's direction.
Lu Yan Ran (Yang Xi Zi), Si Feng's closest friend in Episode 20. Each trip to a new location comes with a revelation, most importantly during Xuan Ji's quest for her six senses. Also, hanging over them like a blade is Si Feng's Lover's Curse.
This is just the beginning, though. The pace of the drama picks up speed, and the plot begins to move swiftly and dangerously after the 10th episode. The closer the characters get to the truth, the more danger they come into. As more secrets are revealed along the way, and the lovers' resilience is put to the test and viewers are left wondering if all this is really worth the pain. The writers and the production team took a lot of effort to bring the story to life, and hats off, cause they succeeded. For a drama that toes the borders of the three realms, it maintained an equilibrium without seeming off. The pull of the story is what kept me breezing through the episodes. Also... THE TORTURE Love and Redemption is a fitting title because our best-loved characters go through hell to get what they love. Notably, Si Feng's unyielding loyalty and love definitely come at the price of his pain.
Sifeng in EP 2. Don't you worry - we have around 40 more episodes of this. While no Xianxia is complete without the customary blood-spitting internal injury, this was excessive to the point I was concerned that Si Feng was going to die from blood loss before the final episode. The ridiculous frequency had netizens making a game out of keeping a tally. This frequency was only matched by the number of times our FL cried "Si Feng”. There are few who haven’t heard that name go through their head for days after the drama ended. As several characters are manipulated and deceived into making dangerous choices, we viewers are forced to refrain from punching some of them in particular. The truth dances in and out of view, and the frustration build to a peak. I also particularly found certain scenes of Ling Long pretty harsh and terrifyingly realistic. Zhang Yu Xi was really good although I've only seen her before in modern dramas.
The best we can do is grit our teeth and wait for all of it to pass... But, is the torture excessive? Nope -- I think it made the drama even better. Any good onion will make you cry as the layers peel away, and that is what the torture and blood-spitting achieve. Let me know if you agree after watching. |
STUNNING CGI AND ACTIONCGI is the staple of every Xianxia live action. And also can be its bane. The initial graphic effects in the drama, especially the Shaoyang set, were pretty average but improved very much as the story progressed.  Episode One. (Credits.) The character growth was subtly portrayed, especially Xuan Ji's, through changes in their style. Si Feng himself had a variety of ever-changing looks throughout the drama in a distinctly noticeable way. The God of War The number of fight scenes is not to be trivialized. . Half of the cast seems to have been hung in the air for a good amount of time - something which I have not yet seen in dramas that rely heavily on CGI.  Wu Tong (Huang You Ming), a disciple of Dianjing Valley during the banquet. One of the many conflicted characters in the show. |
MEMORABLE SOUNDTRACK
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FROM THE LIBRARY OF TABLETSNo drama is perfect, and may not appeal to everyone. This is no exception. While mostly excitingly paced, the final phase of the drama was a bit dragging. In the beginning, Chu Xuan Ji is portrayed as a typical Xianxia female lead[9] who is somewhat dumb or naïve. Not everyone had patience with her antics during this time. The repetitive actions of certain characters and the amount of "pawns" during the plot's peak might be intentional to portray the power of the antagonists, but it definitely did not sit well with all. These are just small flaws and not deal-breakers. However, the ruthless writing, awesome action scenes, and memorable soundtrack were absolutely worth watching for. Although the cast may not be new to the screen, they are not from those that have been/are in the limelight. Cheng Yi’s performance was incredible in conveying the characters' emotions and state of mind. You could choose any scene of Si Feng and know what he is going through without the need for any backstory.
And, despite some initial complaints, Yuan Bing Yan was perfect for the rule of Xuan Ji. She played the naïve Xuan Ji with the same ease as she did with the ruthless God of War. I personally love her fierce scenes best.
A glimpse into one of Xuan Ji's flashbacks.... another mystery. Xuan Ji and Si Feng's relationship is another noteworthy point of the show. Their slow-burn romance and the exceptional chemistry between them was enough to make the viewers root for their happiness. They were not shy about showing their feelings for each other with yearnful glances and passionate kisses.
Another thing that I loved? The line between good and evil is often blurred. Almost everyone is a villain in someone else's story. Not a single character, even the good guys, leave with their hands completely clean. We expect characters to take perilous paths, but, they all stay true to themselves. I loved the way this is portrayed, especially by the supporting cast who did a wonderful job. Long dramas are exhausting to watch and require much emotional investment, but do give this one a chance for at least 8 to 10 episodes. I'll leave the rest of the surprises for you to discover. It is to me as worthy of a watch as Ashes of Love or Eternal Love, both of which are some of the most well-loved or rather more popular Xianxias released in recent years. It's also available on Youtube for free! [10]** I bid a hearty farewell to all my favourite characters. After overcoming all their tribulations and finding what or who they were looking for, I wish them happiness and contentment on their subsequent adventures far beyond my sight.
"Be of one heart forever, grow old gracefully together. |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, SUPERSCRIPTS, AND CREDITS |
SUPERSCRIPTS | CREDITS |
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EDITORS: |
Many thanks to all the editors who answered my questions and spent their time with this article. And if you have reached the end of it despite all its shortcomings or even took a glance - I sincerely thank you. I hope that everyone is staying safe and doing the best for life along with the dramaland.
Editors: BrightestStar (1st editor), YW (2nd editor)
