This has been on my list for a while now. I just didn’t get a chance to watch it yet. But finally decided to dive in while I was waiting for more episodes of other dramas. How was it? Mixed feelings.
Main Cast:
- Dylan Wang (王鹤棣) as Dragon King (龍王) / Yu Chi Long Yan (尉遲龍炎) / Long Yu Chi (龍玉池)/ Long Yan (隆言). An immortal dragon who was framed for stealing Nuwa’s special rock. He was punished and forced to accept the injustice. Once again, I was puzzled why there were complaints regarding DiDi’s acting. Yes, I did get it that he was passive at first. But that was the part at the beginning of the story that he didn’t care for humans and was barely learning about the many things in the human world. So, of course, he looked passive or didn’t care to react like those humans he made fun of. As time progressed, he became more like a human and showed tons of emotions. You could see it in his eyes. Or they people want him to exaggerate? I totally felt for him with all the pain and suffering he had to go through. Even though some of them were self-inflicted. In some ways, he was manipulated to fulfill someone’s plans. But in other ways, he was really dumb. Regardless, I thought Dylan brought out those emotions at each stage well.
- Bambi Zhu (祝绪丹) as Liu Ying (流螢)/ Ruan Ah Yu (阮阿瑜)/ Feng Chen Yue (封塵月)/ Gu Qing Yan (顧輕煙). In this series, she managed to portray four characters in one and kept them separate. It was amazing to witness yet also sad to see how much her characters had to go through.
- As Liu Ying. She was a maid of a local wealthy residence. She was innocent and was a bit too absorbed in her stories but that just meant she was still happy not knowing so much about how the complicated world worked. Even if she had suffered some misfortunes but that was normal human level suffering. What made her life complicated was when she met the Dragon King and fell in love with him. She had to suffer through the false promises and the memory loss incident. It was beyond frustrating but that was just part of the trials that was supposedly set up for her.
- As Ruan Ah Yu. She was the daughter of a local fisherman. They lived a simple life and were happy that way. That was until the local spoiled brat decided to cause trouble for her and framed her. What made it even worse was the emperor not knowing how to respect deity and wanted to marry her. Even if that part was some trickery on their part and she wasn’t really a deity but he sure didn’t care about offending the deity? Seriously? Anyway, Ah Ruan’s life totally ended after she entered the palace. It didn’t matter what others say. It was another tragedy. If anyone wanted to help, just make up some stuff about how the emperor shouldn’t do that and let her live a normal life like she wanted. At least, she was freed.
- Feng Chen Yue. A daughter of a general who grew up to follow her father’s footsteps. She was very courageous and lived up to her reputation throughout. Unfortunately, she had more freedom when she was in the battle field than at home. Because when she returned to the capital, the royal brats decided to throw their weights around, which was funny. Because if there wasn’t those like her or other generals and soldiers fighting to keep the country safe, how could they sit around pretty and talk smack? It was pathetic and she had showed more grace than they ever could.
- Gu Qing Yan. She was a gifted child who ended up cultivating at Kunlun, a sect known for dealing with evil spirits and protecting humankind. Unlike other disciples who chanted the mantra about killing demons and keeping the peace among humans, she asked the tough questions. Oftentimes, she was met with oppositions and disapprovals yet she stayed strong throughout.
- Deng Wei (邓为) as Xue Qian Xun (雪阡尋). Master of the Luofeng Pavilion. He used to be a lonestar who was punished for neglecting his duty. He was a strict enforcer up front yet cared deeply for the others below the surface. Even if he developed a friendship toward other later but he wouldn’t outright admit it. But when things happened, he indeed showed up for them. I didn’t even know Deng Wei was in this one so I was a bit surprised to see him when watching the intro scenes. But I was glad to have another chance to watch him. And I do know this was before Love of the Divine Tree but this reminded me of the other character somewhat. Of course, this wasn’t as tragic (if you think about it carefully) but he was still portraying some moody character. It was still funny with his constant swipe at others at times though.
- Pan Mei Ye (潘美烨) as Qing Qing (青青). A demon bird. She was punished along with Xue Qian Xun a long time ago because she approached him and they became friends, hence he was neglecting his duties (or so they said). At first, I understood why it was important or reasonable to seem to want to punish the guard. Even if it was unfair to her. Yet the ending broke all the whole rules thing for me. Considering how the rulers of the Heaven must have heard the Lord of Fate yelling about stuff YET only chose to hear the parts they wanted to. So, they were lost on me with punishing her along with Xue Qian Xun. Anyway, after that incident, she lost her memory and was in constant struggle to get rid of the mark on her forehead. Yet it was a cursed mark that couldn’t be get rid of. She was funny at times but was a kind bird in general. She was very grateful to Liu Ying for saving her that one time so she continued to help, even if she was scared of the Dragon King at first and then later Xue Qian Xue with his attitude. She was a true friend throughout, not afraid to help time and time again. So, I was glad she got the happy ending. It was the least they could do.
Supporting:
- Zhu Zan Jin (朱赞锦) as Lord of Fate (命格星君). He was in charge of weaving and keeping the records of different fates–both humans and immortals. The majority of the time he appeared, he was given a hard time and the others often come to him for advice because of his job. He was annoyed because of their requests and constant visits. He just wanted to do his job. Yet that was just a facade. His fake friendship with the Dragon King was a coverup for his master plan. He used and manipulated everyone without them knowing, even the Heavenly beings were blind till the end. The last time I watched him was in The Untamed, so my expectations of him being the good guy wasn’t high. I just didn’t realize my random guess turned out true. It just felt a bit cliche that he had to portray the bad guy once again. His downfall was definitely his arrogance, thinking he succeeded so he bragged and goaded the others. It wasn’t until the last moment that he realized he was wrong.
- Dong Yan (董颜) as Bing Xing (冰星). A guard at the Luofeng Pavilion, Xue Qian Xun’s loyal assistant and would listen to him, even if she didn’t agree sometimes.
- Yang Zhi Ying (杨之楹) as Xia Hou Xue (夏侯雪). Liu Ying’s mistress. She supposedly treated Liu Ying like a sister and encouraged Liu Ying to marry Xu Zhi Yuan, thinking it was a good match. Perhaps, the majority of what was considered good about her was from Liu Ying’s perspective, because she appeared to be quite unreasonable and bitter when her father ran into trouble and she blamed the Dragon King for his inactiveness in saving her family and much more. He didn’t care one way or another because he was just doing stuff to protect Liu Ying and waited for time to pass but it showed more about her character later on. She had every right to be upset because of the situation, etc. However, what was uncalled for was thinking she scored a great guy and then later dissing him because she didn’t think he lived up to her standards or whatever else.
- Zhan Yu (战宇) as Xu Zhi Yuan (許致遠). Xia Hou Xue’s cousin. He liked Liu Ying but Liu Ying didn’t return the feeling. That was until the Dragon King manipulated their memories and forced them together. He became an official later and they lived a somewhat happy life.
- Zhao Jian (赵健) as Han Xi Yun (寒熙雲). Prince of the Dongluo Kingdom. He was cruel, ruthless, and despicable. He killed anything that was in his way, no exceptions. What he masqueraded for patriotism was just a lust for power. Because he didn’t care to listen to instructions from others nor assess the situations in general. He just wanted to kill and exude his power everywhere. In other words, he was just satisfying his thirst for blood and greed for power.
- Dai Wen Wen (代文雯) as Xiao Jin (小珒). Dongluo Kingdom’s maid. She was Feng Chen Yue’s childhood friend. She was initially loyal to Han Xi Yun because she thought he saved her life and was trying to help her seek revenge. She was torn when she found out that Feng Chen Yue was actually the enemy’s daughter but she tried to maintain her duties with her country and her loyalty to her father. She also lived in constant agony because of the poison inflicted on her since young. It was a harsh life. So, I completely understand all her struggles. What was the turnaround for her was when she began to unearth the truth behind her father’s death and how she was used by the prince all these years. She managed to turn things around and avenged her father. Sadly, she was killed off.
- Yan Xi En (颜熙恩) as Childhood Xiao Jin (小小珒).
- Zhu Jia Qi (朱嘉琦) as Lu Zheng (陸征). Military Inspector. He was Feng Chen Yue’s childhood friend and he liked her since they were little. At first, Feng Chen Yue misunderstood him as the Dragon King yet it was soon resolved. It was strange seeing him in here as a somewhat awkward character. His acting wasn’t awkward per say. It was more about the circumstance he was in.
- Li Zi Ying (李紫莹) as Hua Dian (花點). A cat demon whom Liu Ying saved hundreds of years ago. She was grateful to Liu Ying and continued to follow and help her after her reincarnation. She just didn’t realize she was used during the dream trap. Her ending was tragic and really choking in a sense. I liked that she had a story arc beyond her little cute kitten form. Yet that turned out for the worse. She didn’t know she was being used. I wished she survived long enough to realize it.
Others:
- Chen Ming Hao (陈名豪) as Immortal Zi Yang (紫陽上仙). Xue Qian Xun’s good friend.
- Xing Yan Yu (辛延禹) as God of Rain (玄冥雨神).
- Yu Xin Tong (于歆童) as Liu Yu Xiang (劉玉香). She was a local spoiled brat who often bullied Ruan Ah Yu. She was very despicable and refused to take responsibilities for her action. So, I thought Ah Yu was already lenient on her regarding the punishment. Obviously, since she was so spoiled, she didn’t think she ever did any wrong. But she knew the rules and laws of that place enough to push the blame on others, so she should have known that much.
- Wang Yu Zheng (王羽铮) as Bald Head (光頭). Liu Yu Xiang’s henchman. He liked Liu Yu Xiang and would do everything to make her happy. That usually meant making Ruan Ah Yu’s life miserable just because. Although I somewhat felt bad for him for taking the blame regarding the kidnapping incident, he totally deserved it because of how much he was willing to go through to please Liu Yu Xiang.
- Yang Cheng Ming (杨程茗) as Liu Yu Xiang’s father (玉香父). I found it funny that she enabled him throughout (aka turning a blind eye to her many antics and troubles around town) yet rushed forward to defend and beg Ruan Ah Yu for mercy. Really? Yes, I got it that he loved his daughter and didn’t want to see her punished. But maybe if he stopped her before then, things wouldn’t escalate to that point.
- Liang Yong Ni (梁咏妮) as Xiao Cai (小彩). Princess of the Dongluo Kingdom. She was sent to marry in the neighboring country as a part of a peace treaty. But she was secretly listening to her brother’s orders to make trouble for Feng Chen Yue and the enemy country.
- Song Han Yu (宋涵宇) as Master Xuan Yang (玄陽真人). The leader of Kunlun, Gu Qing Yan’s master. At first, I hated him. But later, it somewhat improved. Mostly, because he wasn’t completely irredeemable and insisted on sticking to his old teachings. He was able to see through some gray areas about demons that he wasn’t so into just killing them anymore. What he said at the end regarding the Dragon King was just following the Dragon King’s order to protect Gu Qing Yan.
Likes:
- Dylan and Bambi’s chemistry. It was unexpected and I loved them together. Ignoring all the frustrating details, I thought they were really cute together. Their silliness at times and their innocent love at first. That also sealed their fates for several lifetimes. Yet there was also the sweetness before all the bitterness. I felt for them and anxiously waited until the day they would be together for good.
- The music. I had to admit it was really nice and fitted with the series. It really tugged at the heart while watching. So, yes, good job whoever for using the music to their advantage to manipulate our emotions, lol.
- The constant bickering between the Dragon King and Xue Qian Xun. It was hilarious how petty and childish there were at times with their fights and constant arguments. I swear, they were more like a couple than with their significant others. Hey, they were found in several compromising situations, so that was something, lol. And considering how old their characters were, it was weird seeing how immature they were. Did they put aside their differences for special circumstances? Yes. Did they eventually unite to fight some unknown hidden force? Yes. But those fights were still so humorous.
Dislikes:
- The fact that the Dragon King always decided everything. Yes, this was extremely frustrating to watch regarding Liu Ying’s fate. I completely understood his intention and how he wanted to protect her. But manipulating her memories and then forcing her to marry someone she didn’t love? That was really frustrating. It became a recurring theme with him throughout. That was why during Liu Ying’s reincarnation as Gu Qing Yan, I felt like I couldn’t blame her for rushing out to face the danger. Because the Dragon King once again decided for her. She said it too. She was upset that he lied to her and chose for her once again. And I did remember the time he chose to approach Ah Yu and chose for her later to live in the palace, thinking she was well taken care of yet she was disposed of when the emperor got bored. He was definitely naive and not knowledgeable. The least he could have done was to investigate about palace stuff first before jumping in. No sane person would want to enter the palace. Seriously. So, during her next reincarnation as Feng Chen Yue, he avoided her at all cost, which was understandable after all his mistakes of making the decisions for her. But he still didn’t understand some stuff. So, somehow, he was still making the decisions. So, yes, it was a never-ending thing with him, meddling and all.
- The ending. Yes, this drove me insane. It was rushed and sloppy. They spent lots of time for world building and focused on the main leads, as it should have been. I understood why the Lord of Fate wanted Liu Ying to experience all the trials to hone her soul so he could use her later. It was important to see how she spent those times, etc. However, I hated that he wasn’t exposed completely. The scriptwriters made it so sloppy that it was unbelievable. I didn’t have much faith in the Heavenly beings figuring out stuff because of how the Lord of Fate guy was a master manipulator. I just didn’t expect them to still be so clueless when he already came out and admitted all his schemes and declared war against all the three worlds. The immortals still showed up later, wanting to punish the Dragon King. It wasn’t until Xue Qian Xun pulled a trick to save both that things died down. It was ridiculous that they were blind though. Was I happy those two finally had their happy ending? Yes. But the wrap up was a mess.
Discussions:
- This started somewhat like the relationship between Ye Hua and Su Su from Eternal Love. I meant the part where Liu Ying saved the Dragon King and mistook him for a snake, etc. Yes, I had to mention it since it was too obvious.
- Xue Qian Xun’s insistent on claiming Qing Qing as his maid and refusing to accept her bias toward the Dragon King. Um, if he wanted to get technical, the Dragon King actually met Qing Qing first and had entrusted the duty of protecting Liu Ying to her. Even if he had initially threatened her, they became an ally later because of their shared concern for Liu Ying. So, of course, when things happened, Qing Qing had to call for the Dragon King to help her. I’m not saying I hated either one of them. It was just really silly to argue over that. But I guess in a way, it created some strange relationship with them at times. I know that Xue Qian Xun met her ages ago when he was in Heaven as a guard. But both of them had forgotten after that tragedy. So, that didn’t count for this so-called instance that Xue Qian Xun insisted on. So, it was only right that the Dragon King paid him back by saying he didn’t know where Qing Qing was when Xue Qian Xun came to visit and asked about it that one time. The Dragon King said since she carried Xue Qian Xun’s family name now and not his, he wouldn’t know. LOL! That was a nice comeback.
- Subliminal messages. It was involved, right? Seriously. Because after I watched the series, I ended up hunting down roasted chestnuts and osmanthus cakes to try. It was addicting for a while.
Recommended? No, unfortunately. I had to be honest even if I enjoyed the chemistry between Dylan and Bambi.