Didi
USA
I wasn't sure where to begin with this review because multiple times I wanted to drop the show. Another reviewer told me it gets better, so I took a chance, and am glad I did. Around episode 35-40 this show takes off. If you asked me to compare it to another drama, I would really have trouble with that. It heavily borrows some plot points from other successful shows, but then every show does. I would place it in the realm of Eternal Love because of how it covers gods, but it is not as subtle as Eternal Love because the female lead is not written as a subtle character. The male leads lack the maturity of Ye Hua. However it does have a very big cast like Eternal Love. And the supporting roles are well-written. And because it is a melodrama, there are a few transitional arcs where a lot of people seem to die. So here is my full review:
1)The plot of the story sounds great on paper--but in the first 1/3 of the show, it is held prisoner by the main plot--the fact that the female lead ate a pill--hence it is frustrating because of her foolish choices--she can appear dumb and utterly unaware of how her actions impact others. To make it more frustrating, once she seems to be ready to break free of the pills hold, some jerk decides to repair it.
2)The show really pulled me in following the falling out--an understatement--of Phoenix and Jinmi. After that the show takes a noticably dark turn. Leading up to it are a number of events that are dark in themselves but did not change the tone of the show. Even the mortal arc, which pulled at my heart a little, failed to really capture my interest the way the latter arc did. After that it is very fast paced, and Jinmi grows a great deal--and I will call it survives--sucker punch after sucker punch. She isn't a victim herself and tries so very hard to escape her circumstances and address issues, but she lacks the power to do as she wishes. At one point in the show she wonders what she can do because she is neither smart like a strategist nor is she a warrior.
3)A key plot point that makes the show stand out from other show is a shift in how they treat revenge and punishment regarding villains and something that REALLY stood out to me was the scene in which the male and female lead actually have on screen relations--normally the lights go out but they actually show enough that in the West it would be like a pg-13 movie i.e. naked parts hidden only by a thin screen. It really is a great example of the inconsistent ratings in China.
4)I cried a lot. I don't want to spoil anything because I think it would ruin the impact the show had, but I trudged through about 40 episodes and don't regret it. If you have the patience for that, then I think it will pay off.
5)A lot of people were rooting for one guy over the other and taking sides like Twilight. I think that the two leads, phoenix and Jinmi, had such great on screen chemistry, and the person who played Night God did such a good job as a person who cared for her but it was clear why he could not be with her--and it really boils down to the difference in personalities between the two men and what they each prioritize. I never found the love triangle annoying because it really wasn't a triangle. It was always apparent. There were no annoying moments where she seems to like someone more. If anything tose moments are related to who she likes less. Which doesn't make a lot of sense.
I think this isn't a great review but I don't want to give away spoilers. I think the music was very good, sets were not so great, nor were the costumes but the CGI looked very good and they use a lot of it for magic. The fight scenes in the mortal world with Phoenix were great. Ultimately though you won't know until you watch it. I understand its a commitment but I was quite surprised by the turnaround. And I tend to really only like what I like and I still don't know how to really place this one. For the record, I did not like the King's Woman too much (love the actors) and I disliked Princess Agents, I did not like Fu Yao but finished it. I liked Journey of Flower and Eternal Love, the Flame's Daughter was descent. I liked Prince of Lan Ling. I keep trying to get into Ice Fantasy but never can finish it.
I took a point off in my rating because the 1/3 wasn't that great and 2/3 was getting better but not mind blowing, but the final 1/3 WOW.
1)The plot of the story sounds great on paper--but in the first 1/3 of the show, it is held prisoner by the main plot--the fact that the female lead ate a pill--hence it is frustrating because of her foolish choices--she can appear dumb and utterly unaware of how her actions impact others. To make it more frustrating, once she seems to be ready to break free of the pills hold, some jerk decides to repair it.
2)The show really pulled me in following the falling out--an understatement--of Phoenix and Jinmi. After that the show takes a noticably dark turn. Leading up to it are a number of events that are dark in themselves but did not change the tone of the show. Even the mortal arc, which pulled at my heart a little, failed to really capture my interest the way the latter arc did. After that it is very fast paced, and Jinmi grows a great deal--and I will call it survives--sucker punch after sucker punch. She isn't a victim herself and tries so very hard to escape her circumstances and address issues, but she lacks the power to do as she wishes. At one point in the show she wonders what she can do because she is neither smart like a strategist nor is she a warrior.
3)A key plot point that makes the show stand out from other show is a shift in how they treat revenge and punishment regarding villains and something that REALLY stood out to me was the scene in which the male and female lead actually have on screen relations--normally the lights go out but they actually show enough that in the West it would be like a pg-13 movie i.e. naked parts hidden only by a thin screen. It really is a great example of the inconsistent ratings in China.
4)I cried a lot. I don't want to spoil anything because I think it would ruin the impact the show had, but I trudged through about 40 episodes and don't regret it. If you have the patience for that, then I think it will pay off.
5)A lot of people were rooting for one guy over the other and taking sides like Twilight. I think that the two leads, phoenix and Jinmi, had such great on screen chemistry, and the person who played Night God did such a good job as a person who cared for her but it was clear why he could not be with her--and it really boils down to the difference in personalities between the two men and what they each prioritize. I never found the love triangle annoying because it really wasn't a triangle. It was always apparent. There were no annoying moments where she seems to like someone more. If anything tose moments are related to who she likes less. Which doesn't make a lot of sense.
I think this isn't a great review but I don't want to give away spoilers. I think the music was very good, sets were not so great, nor were the costumes but the CGI looked very good and they use a lot of it for magic. The fight scenes in the mortal world with Phoenix were great. Ultimately though you won't know until you watch it. I understand its a commitment but I was quite surprised by the turnaround. And I tend to really only like what I like and I still don't know how to really place this one. For the record, I did not like the King's Woman too much (love the actors) and I disliked Princess Agents, I did not like Fu Yao but finished it. I liked Journey of Flower and Eternal Love, the Flame's Daughter was descent. I liked Prince of Lan Ling. I keep trying to get into Ice Fantasy but never can finish it.
I took a point off in my rating because the 1/3 wasn't that great and 2/3 was getting better but not mind blowing, but the final 1/3 WOW.
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