“You protect the Three Realms, and I protect you.”

Hi! This is a review that comprises of my honest thoughts of both parts, so it may be lengthy. This review does include minor spoilers, but I never spoil the end of the story.

The Story,

Heavenly Realm (1-20)

With Xianxia dramas, I have a tendency of just diving in headfirst without reading the synopsis and Immortal Samsara was no different. Later finding out that immortals cannot fall in love, I knew that I was in a for a ride of romance drama angst.

I did however, find some aspects that kept me wanting to watch more. For example, I wanted to see the main character’s sisterly bond, how they grow into the whole “one strong, one weak” trope and I wanted to learn more about Ying Yuan’s background and how that’ll shape the story. These aspects really take off during the beginning of the story and sort of dwindle in the abyss until Part 2.

Mortal Realm, (20-47)

I ended up liking the Mortal Realm arc a lot more than the premise in the Immortal Realm (Which isn’t surprising for me because I also loved it in Ancient Love Poetry). I loved being introduced to new characters and having our leads on the path to “saving the world.”

While I enjoyed the mortal realm arc of part 1, I wondered how so many characters were so comfortable with disrupting Emperor Ying Yuan’s mortal trial with news of his past life. In other Wuxia/Xianxia dramas this seems to be more of a taboo, but in this drama it feels so natural?

The story does feel draggy in this area as certain problems could’ve been solved much quicker with better communication but it still remains as my personal favorite portion of IS. It’s lighthearted, it’s adventure filled and overall interesting imo.

Return of Ying Yuan (47+)

The later end of this drama after Ying Yuan returns is where I start to feel my enjoyment for the show dissipating. To name a few things there were unnecessary misunderstandings, redundant scenes, predictable villains and the disappearance of main characters at pivotal moments. One of my biggest problems with this arc is that the final villain is so obvious but the show continued to drag out his reveal.

What I did enjoy from this arc however is Ying Yuan’s character progression. He went from never having the opportunity to experience life and live for himself therefore leaving him a rigid and cold character to finding that opportunity and never wanting to let it go irregardless of the responsibilities that he was put into.

I also enjoyed meeting Ying Yuan’s father and mother. His father’s power was the coolest and OP thing I’ve seen and I wish the drama explored more of that.

The Acting,

I feel like Yang Zi has a tendency to overact, and I’m not talking about where she’s playing in a scene apart of one of the character’s play’s but her overall acting performance as Yan Dan particularly in part 1. In Part 2, I felt like Yang Zi does a good job of playing the “cold” archetype of a character that has been burned by love and wants to stay away from it as a result.

I’ve loved every role that Cheng Yi has played so far and this drama is no exception. He is such a multifaceted actor. Cheng Yi as Ying Yuan was the typical cold/high immortal that I’m sure many are familiar with and are probably tired of. I’m happy I got to see a more playful version of him in the mortal realm, as I was already used to see him as someone powerful and strong in other dramas. Also mega props to him for performing three roles with ease in one drama.

That being said, there is some acting that just isn’t quite up to par with the rest of the cast that has to do with the side characters (i.e the demons on Yelan Mountain). They aren’t in every episode, but in some scenes it could be considered distracting to the show.

The Characters,

I’ve seen comments about the chemistry not being there between the two and I concur. I liked the chemistry between the leads and what the drama showcased between Yan Dan and Ying Yuan. They are a forbidden love that I couldn’t foresee working but somehow can’t imagine without.

I did like Yan Dan’s character in the beginning because I believed she made the show a bit more lighthearted. The only problem I had with her character is that she’s very impulsive. She’s considered as witty, fun and smart but this impulsiveness counteracts with the smartness she’s supposed to show. Also, I don't feel like we fully get to see Yan Dan be the stronger sister in terms of power. (Which is a bummer for me because that's what I was interested in). I won't spoil too much but after the Heavenly Realm arc, her power just seems to be more of a prophecy than an action.

Ying Yuan’s character progression which I touched on earlier is probably the best from all the characters of IS. Compared to the cold and rigid Emperor Ying Yuan of Part 1, Mortal Ying Yuan (Tan Zhou) was a breath of fresh air. From his mortal experience he can see the world greater than the black and white and I for one was grateful for the change.

Yu Mo was my favorite character of IS. His protectiveness over Yan Dan wasn’t overbearing (I’m looking at you SML of Ashes of Love & Forever Love) and he’s also smart enough to work with his love rival when it matters. I loved the scenes where Yu Mo and Mortal Ying Yuan were working together. It brought back that lighthearted vibe that I felt when watching this drama. I loved the “One Good Deed A Day” team. (You’ll understand the reference when you watch). What I love about Yu Mo is that even if Tang Zhou/Ying Yuan is his love rival, he still considers him his brother and we love a good bromance.

As far as the villains go, I think that there was too much emphasis on using love or the lack of it being the push to becoming a villain. As ironic as this was in regards to the plot, I wish that the story had better motives for the villains that were more interesting and less predictable than that. For example, I think that Ying Deng as a villain was severely flawed. I don’t think she ever loved Ying Yuan, she was more so obsessed with power but somehow the show kept pushing the misplaced love narrative.

As I mentioned before, the final villain is very predictable. By the time we actually get the reveal, I’m already exhausted and I’m ready for the team to beat him.

The Music,

The OST in this show were absolutely bangers. I’ve even added a few including the opening song, “World Records” to my favorite soundtrack playlist.

Recommendation?

I’d recommend this drama to anyone that are fans of or interested in the actors. While I feel like you may need to overlook a few flaws to enjoy the story, I was still pleasantly surprised that we get a lot of lighthearted scenes, blends of adventure comedic scenes and some romantic scenes. If you’re afraid of others reviews, don’t be! Try it out, you might like it.