I was sort of looking forward to this. The reason why I said sorta was because I wanted to watch Bai Lu but couldn’t muster up the courage to watch some of her past ones because some of them were quite tragic. Aside from Only for Love, I haven’t watched her other stuff. Then I just dived in the first day it aired and was hooked from the start. Was it still tragic? Yes, but in some ways, it was addicting. Because of the extended cast, the beautiful costumes, and the complications of the main story and other subplots. I was surprised I enjoyed it that much although it was quite frustrating at various points.
Main Cast:
- Bai Lu (白鹿) as Bai Shuo (白爍) and Xing Yue (星月). She got to play two roles in here. It was a challenge indeed but Bai Lu pulled it off quite well. As Bai Shuo, she was witty and playful at times with a hint of cuteness too. She could also be quite cunning and mischievous during other times. Eventually, the plot moved along and she faced many devastating hard truths and was forced to grow up, with her father gone and her sister nowhere near found. Yet she managed to push through all obstacles in her cultivation journey and prove others wrong time and time again of her strength and capabilities. Despite all the hardship she went through, she didn’t lose her kindness. Because that was what made her who she was. As Xing Yue, she projected a very enlightened aura and focused only on her cultivation. However, she opened up when Jing Yuan entered her world and stirred it up.
- Li Luo Yi (李洛伊) as Childhood Bai Shuo (小白爍).
- Ao Rui Peng (敖瑞鹏) as Fan Yue (梵樾) and Jing Yuan (凈淵). Fan Yue was the master of the Bright Moon Palace, known as the King of the Polar Region. He seemed ruthless and cunning because of the rumors and stories surrounding him for the most part. Because when others got to know him, they soon realized he was doing the best he could to gather all the demons who were deemed to be lesser than together and try to protect them from the outside world. Jing Yuan was a Demon King who had a dream to acquire power at one point yet had fallen in love and changed his mind because of other circumstances. He didn’t want to use underhanded techniques to win. So, he was taken down because of that.
- Zhou Yi Ge (周弋格) as Young Fan Yue (少年梵樾).
- Dai Lu Wa (代露娃) as Fu Ling (茯苓) aka Bai Xi (白曦). At first, I didn’t like her at all. Even if I came to realize she was indeed Bai Xi and her suffering must have influenced her actions. Even if I realized she had forgotten everything. Because of how she killed that one medic and how she caused her father’s death. It was just too much. How could they return to the past point or undo everything? It was ridiculous to have a redemption arc for her. I wanted to see her suffer the consequences of her actions and see what would happen when she found out the truth about her identity. Those were my initial thoughts. Yet when the redemption arc came around, it made sense. They had a lot of time to connect the dots and led her back to the right path. It was slowly and and through the things she learned along the way. It was like how it was with Chen Ye because she was also manipulated and used throughout the years. She had her memory wiped and was brainwashed into thinking her family abandoned her, which cause a lot of hatred and jealousy toward those families who got along. The actress did quite well to portray all side of her characters throughout. Her story arc was well written but her performance had to be convincing to bring the story home, and she did just that. I started by really hating her because of the things she did to really loving her because of how brave she was to face those consequences, knowing that those things could never be undone. The fact that she didn’t dodge her responsibility made the character more likeable in that sense. Because if there were too many justifications or forgiving her just because she was Bai Shuo’s sister, it would have been too much. So, I was glad the writers didn’t slack in that sense and made Bai Xi her own person, not just an extension of her sister’s story arc.
- He Zi Yi (何子怡) as Fu Rong (芙蓉). A famous courtesan at the Unbridled Pavilion. She was actually Fu Ling in disguise in an attempt to spy on Fan Yue and schemed against him.
- Wang Mo Tong (王墨瞳) as Childhood Bai Xi (小白曦).
- Chang Hua Sen (常华森) as Chong Zhao (重昭) and Mo Li (陌離). I initially didn’t like him either. It was mostly because I disliked the nice guy image he projected. I felt he was somewhat like his sect. Yes, the hypocritical bit. However, what became the turnaround for me was how he learned to take responsibility for his actions and not blame everything on Fan Yue. He also was willing to adapt his thinking according to newly learned information and was not completely stubborn to the point of being too blind to see what was right in front of him. It made sense he hated Fu Ling at first because of the things she’d done and didn’t care for her much until later. He also found some ugly truths about his sect, especially his master that he had to overcome and somehow trusted the one guy he vouched he wouldn’t. It was indeed a hard path but he overcame it. That was why he wasn’t completely overtaken by Mo Li until later. Because of the complex story, he had to take on two roles as well and he impressed me in that sense. Especially the part where Chong Zhao was fighting Mo Li. Even if he knew he wasn’t going to win, he tried his best and it showed the differences in the characters. Like how ruthless one was versus how righteous the other was.
- Wang Zi (王梓) as Young Chong Zhao (少年重昭).
Supporting:
- Han Dong (韩栋) as Zhen Yu (瑱宇). The leader of the Cold Spring Palace. He was Mo Li’s snake once upon a time and had cultivated to transform into a dragon. He hated Fan Yue because the latter chopped off his tail in a battle at their first meeting and vouched to seek revenge. So, he conjured up plenty of schemes to take Fan Yue down but also to achieve his end goal, which was to resurrect his master. To be honest, Han Dong was the sole reason I hung on for so long to see where the plot was going. Initially, I was watching for Bai Lu, which I was intrigued with her journey. But the other male cast didn’t appeal to me as much. So yes, Han Dong was the shining spot for me–appearance wise and acting wise. His character was also the person moving the plot forward for me at various points as well. That was until I finally found some appeal in the plot as an overall. Considering the number of fantasy productions out in the past few years, it soon just blended in with one another. Even if I admitted this was enjoyable later on but the initial part was a bit similar with the some of the sects from the good sides behaving less than that. It was funny to see some comments saying how he wasn’t attractive yet I swore he was the handsomest male cast in the production. Just because he aged didn’t mean he was less appealing. Or perhaps, the generation who watched this was younger so he didn’t appeal to them, which was understandable. But whatever, I guess. Anyway, he was indeed a strong villain for the others to deal with, his cunning level was top-notch and his underhanded methods knew no end. He didn’t care to use all to his means. It was too bad he had rotten luck because of how terrible he chose regarding the kidnapping incidents of years ago. Han Dong jokingly said in a message later on Weibo that the next time he would kidnap all siblings to avoid any mistakes.
- Kim Zhang (张鑫) as Tian Huo (天火) aka Hua Hong (花紅). Protector of the Bright Moon Palace and the princess of the Outlanders’ City. I liked her immediately upon hear appearance and couldn’t wait to see the mystery behind her character. She indeed had a complex background and a tragic past. What was even sadder was she thought she could finally move on after resolving her family issues and finally finding love yet all of that was torn away from her. She managed to make it to the last episode yet couldn’t beat the odds either. The tragedy indeed was never ending for her.
- Cheng Tao (程涛) as Cang Shan (藏山). Prince of the Stone Clan. He left home because of a disagreement with his father and met Fan Yue and followed him since the very first days of the Bright Moon Palace’s establishment along with Tian Huo. He was very loyal to Fan Yue although he seemed a little simple-minded and might often upset the latter. What was a shocker to many was how he was the one responsible for Chen Ye’s tragedy years ago. He realized that he misunderstood his father and that his father was just covering for him. He didn’t mean to do it but the damage had been done. So, he didn’t dodge. He used his life to compensate for his past mistake. It was indeed very sad and tragic.
- Wang Yu Fei (王宇飞) as Young Cang Shan (少年藏山).
- Chen Yu Chen (陈羽宸) as 6 years old Cang Shan (六岁藏山).
- Liang Xue Feng (梁雪峰) as Chen Ye (臣夜) aka Qi Feng (奇風). Demon Lord of the Cold Spring Palace, Fan Yue’s younger brother. I didn’t think much of him at first except that he was another key character who was about to unleash his wraths toward the world and proved his capabilities to his boss. To an extent, it was true. He needed to prove his usefulness. Yet he wasn’t just a simple demon who lusted power. He was out for revenge. He wanted to hunt down those who destroyed his tribe in more ways than once. He never forgave his grandfather for betraying him yet he always believed in his brother. It was so hard to hate him once that background story unfolded. Because he was also a victim of another tragedy. Yet he chose to do the right thing in the end. Even if it cost his life. Because he was revenge driven but he wasn’t dumb. He didn’t want to be manipulated when he already knew the truth.
- Zhu Jun Zheng (朱钧正) as Young Chen Ye (少年臣夜) / Qi Feng (少年奇風).
- Zhang Fan (张帆) as Jin Yao (金曜). Chief of Lanling Sect, Chong Zhao’s master. He was a hypocrite and was even more despicable than Zhen Yu (and that guy was really despicable with his tricks and schemes). Perhaps, it was because he claimed to be good and represented the side that wanted to protect humanity. Well, he started out as not having much luck regarding the sect and being a much weaker cultivator so he had no say. Yet he gave in to temptation and strayed from the path just because he wanted the power. He had a lot of justifications for his behaviors so his actions were unforgivable regardless of what he did. Because he never admitted his wrongdoings.
- Li Yu (李彧) as Old Turtle (老龜). An elder of the Lanling Sect yet wasn’t rigid in his ways like the majority in the sect. He became Bai Shuo’s master reluctantly at first because it was a favor he owed Fan Yue. Yet they formed a real bond as master and disciple, so he was more than happy to help her as much as he could.
- Kent Tong (湯鎮業) as Hua Lin (花林). The king of the Outlanders, Tian Huo’s father. He was born weak yet became stronger because of his father-in-law’s help. I actually didn’t care about him at all. I knew that it wasn’t his fault with the misunderstandings and tragedies that happened to his wife thus leading to other misfortunates later. But his character wasn’t a shining one either. It just didn’t seem right he just accepted his father-in-law’s power like that. He also wanted the power. So, there were things that came with that power and all. Too bad it had to be his family members who suffered first because of all the power grab and greed among the other parties.
- Cheng Hong Xin (程泓鑫) as Mo Jiu (慕九). The young master of the Fox Tribe. He first appeared during the Outlanders’ City event. Then he followed the others back to Anning City because he liked Tian Huo. He was a very happy-go-lucky type of person and was a very good chef as well. He boasted about how lucky the others were since he hadn’t cooked for his aunt either. I thought he was going to be the comedy relief for the show (just like Cang Shan) yet that soon elaborated with everything else. Because he also had a tragic background and his ending was equally tragic.
- Dai Si (代斯) as Chang Mei (常媚) aka Ah Mei (阿嫵). Chief of the Fox Tribe, Mo Jiu’s aunt. I haven’t seen her for a while now. Probably because I haven’t been watching the right productions, lol. But this was an interesting role. Mixed feelings throughout. I understood the pain she went through, losing her sister and being the only one left to deal with everything. Yet she sure took it to the extreme and caused matters to become even worse over the years. The elders of the tribe had no right to criticize her. But she sure let down the ones who trusted her.
- Liu Ling Zi (刘令姿) as Luan Zhu (亂朱). Goddess of Bodhi Village, a lotus spirit. She liked Jing Yuan and pretended to be Xing Yue, even going to the extreme of wanting to swap faces with Bai Shuo to trick Fan Yue. It was also revealed that she conspired with Jin Yao and was responsible for the deaths of all the missing Lanling members since ages ago. She was sure delusional and crazy all right. What was worse was she had the power to destroy those who were against her, so that took it to another level of creepiness. Yet her downfall was her confidence, thinking she could deceive Fan Yue. Because Bai Shuo wasn’t just a face. There was a whole personality behind that face whom her friends knew and trusted. So, Luan Zhu wasn’t that smart with trying to pose as Bai Shuo. It didn’t take long for her to be exposed. That was actually good because that meant the plot didn’t drag out in regard to that matter.
Others:
- Sa Ding Ding (萨顶顶) as Priestess Sun (孫觀主) aka Heavenly Creator (天道). She was a local priestess who was rumored to know about the ways to immortality so Bai Shuo approached her to seek information. She pretended to throw a decoy lead Bai Shuo’s way, so she could flee with her disciples. However, it was revealed that she was indeed the known creator of the universe at the end. She led Bai Shuo to Fan Yue on purpose to unleash a chain of events to help Bai Shuo on her way to acquiring immortality again. What was more? The singer guest starred to play a part in the grand scheme. There had been hints all along because whenever her song was played, it brought on tragedies and deaths toward the characters.
- Liu Run Ming (刘润铭) as Xiu Yan (修言). Xing Yue’s guard.
- Hai Yan Gang (海岩刚) as Cang Mu (蒼木). The snake demon who abducted Bai Shuo and Bai Xi years ago.
- Yu Qing Hui (喻庆辉) as Taoist (道人). The fake Taoist who tricked and kidnapped Bai Xi years ago.
- Xia Ming Hao (夏铭浩) as Bai Xun (白荀). Bai Shuo and Bai Xi’s father, the mayor of Anning City.
- Xu Ding (徐丁) as Bai Yu (白禹). Anning City’s deputy general. He became the new mayor after Bai Xun’s death.
- Niu Bei Wang (牛北壬) as Wang Da Ye (王大爺). A military doctor, under Bai Xun’s command.
- Yao Yi Qi (姚一奇) as Yu Feng (御風). One of the leaders of the Lanling Sect.
- Ma Yue (马月) as Feng Yu (豐雨). One of the leaders of the Lanling Sect.
- Otto Chan (陳俊安) as Jing Lei (驚雷). One of the leaders of the Lanling Sect.
- Yu Miao Xin (于杪鑫) as Yan Huo (炎火). One of the leaders of the Lanling Sect.
- Fan Jing Wen (范静雯) as Le Zhu (樂竹). Chong Zhao’s junior.
- Lu Yan Bei (吕艳蓓) as Mei Han (梅寒). The queen of the Outlanders, Tian Huo’s mother. She died tragically in a sacrificial ceremony and affected Tian Huo greatly hence Tian Huo wanting to seek revenge for her.
- Yang Lu (杨璐) as Young Mei Han (少年梅寒).
- Liu Zhi Yi (刘祉驿) as Hua Yong (花庸). Tian Hua’s brother.
- Xu Chang Chao (许长超) as Demon Hua Yong (變異花庸).
- Yang Jun Cheng (杨钧丞) as Wu Zhao (無照). The Outlanders’ City’s deputy general. He conspired with Zhen Yu in order to rule over the Outlanders’ City yet didn’t realize he was just being used by the latter.
- Quan Yi Lun (全伊伦) as Rong Xian (容先). Kunlun Sect’s Holy Disciple, Mo Jiu’s father.
- He Shao Hong (何绍宏) as Old Rong Xian (老翁容先).
- Pan Jun Ya (潘珺雅) as Ling Long (玲瓏). The Fox Clan’s Holy Girl, Mo Jiu’s mother.
- Ye Zuo (左叶) as Ah Qi (阿七). A white-haired fox demon. He liked Ah Mei and could have a simple life with her. Yet the death of Ling Long made things complicated for them and he was forced to follow Ah Mei to restore and protect their tribe, even sacrificing his life for them.
- Cui Shao Yang (崔绍阳) as Nan Wan (南晚). Yunxiao Sect’s disciple. He was very rude and ruthless at the beginning, trying to acquire the treasures at the Outlanders’ City. However, it was revealed he was trying to get the medicine to cure someone. It didn’t excuse his behaviors but explained a lot. What was his redeeming point and a surprise to the plot was how he turned a new leaf after having Bai Shuo’s help. He even defended her later and attempted to help her during Mo Li’s return.
- Zhang Cheng Lang (张珹朗) as Bei Chen (北辰). Kunlun Sect’s disciple. He was possibly one of the rare from the Kunlun Sect who had a good heart to begin with. He was taught differently yet never wavered when it came to defending the weak and had gotten into disagreements with various sects who were supposed to be from the good sides numerous sides. It wasn’t like he deemed them as evil or acted like he was better than them though. He attempted to mediate on multiple accounts and tried to get them to listen. Perhaps, he was one of the reasons that Nan Wan turned a new leaf later. Because they joined hands to defend and help Bai Shuo near the end.
- Gao Yi (高毅) as the leader of Kunlun (崑崙掌門). Rong Xian’s master. He was so despicable that he reminded me of He Tai Chong (何太沖) from HSDS. Or it was just Kunlun Sect in general. Thanks to his underhanded ways of manipulating Rong Xian, he doomed his sect.
- Ni Song Yang (倪菘阳) as Chang Sheng (常勝). An elder of the Fox Tribe.
- Hu Jia Hao (胡家豪) as Chang Wu (常悟) aka Xiao Ba (小八). An elder of the Fox Tribe.
- Hou Tong Jiang (侯桐江) as Gu Shang (古商). The chief of Baize Tribe, Fan Yue’s grandfather.
- Tian Miao (田淼) as Cang Shan’s mother (藏母). The queen of the Stone Tribe.
- Ye Xin Yu (叶新宇) as Cang Xuan (藏軒). The chief of the Stone Tribe, Cang Shan’s father.
- Xu Ai Min (徐爱珉) as Tiger Lord (虎主). He was the one who was searching for the kid with the purple eyes from Baize Tribe and ended up massacring the whole tribe. It was revealed later that he acted under the order of Zhen Yu.
- He Si Tian (何思甜) as Ah Nuo (阿諾). Tiger Lord’s daughter. She was the only surviving member of the Tiger Tribe because her father hid her away before Chen Ye wiped out their tribe. She wanted to kill Chen Ye later to avenge her father yet was stopped by Fan Yue, and he stated that she had no right to do so, because her father had massacred Baize Tribe.
- Feng Qian Yao (冯倩瑶) as Childhood Ah Nuo (小阿諾).
- Fu Hong Sheng (付宏声) as Chong Tai (重泰). Chong Zhao’s father.
- Hu Xiao Ting (胡小庭) as Meng Ning (孟凝). Chong Zhao’s mother.
- Zhang Zi Xuan (张子璇) as Xi Yun (曦雲). The leader of Yunxiao Sect, Nan Wan’s master.
Relationships: family, friendships, romances, etc.
- Bai Lu/ Bai Shuo and Ao Rui Peng/ Fan Yue as a couple. Their pairing was refreshing and addicting to watch. At first, I wasn’t into them as much though they did look compatible. It was due to the fact that the formula was leaning toward how the male lead was so ruthless toward the female lead yet she would eventually fall for him kind of thing. Yet it wasn’t so. It was just his attitude at first and how he was a demon lord after all. The plot soon moved on to reveal some other stuff about him and I was all right with that. Was he jealous of himself on numerous occasions? Yes, but that was actually hilarious. He was fierce with her at first but it was because they were on opposing sides and he had to find an important relic to save his life. Later, when they reached the level of friendship or companionship or some type of understanding, their relations improved and I liked that better. I also liked that the plot took time to develop their relationship and they weren’t just together because their past lives were. The writers kept that separate and deemed their journeys as different.
- Dai Lu Wa/ Fu Ling/ Bai Xi and Chang Hua Sen/ Chong Zhao as a couple. I didn’t expect to like them at all, especially how it seemed kind of cliche with him falling for her because circumstances and her character seemed irredeemable. Yet their pairing eventually grew on me when their character development expanded further. I actually was more interested in seeing them by the time they reached the Lotus Village story. Because it was tragic (with her still poisoned and all) but also gave a sense of hope toward their future when she was trying to shred her demon past and return to her identity as Bai Xi again and how he found out that the person whom he loved all along was supposed to be Bai Xi, not Bai Shuo.
- Bai Lu/ Bai Shuo and Dai Lu Wa/ Bai Xi as sisters. I didn’t know what to make of it at first. Well, their childhood versions were so cute and got along quite well. It was touching how they were taking care of one another since young. Yet that was cut short because of a tragedy. It seemed impossible how they could return to be close like how they were little, considering all the complications surrounding them. Their misunderstandings seemed too deep and it seemed like it was too late to return. Especially for Bai Xi’s case. Even if she had her memories wiped and how she was manipulated all along to hurt her own sister. Yet their story development really carried through and made it convincing how they reunited once again. It was so touching and bittersweet at the same time. Considering how things turned out in the end. The two actresses acted wonderfully to convince us of all parts.
- Ao Rui Peng/ Fan Yue and Liang Xue Feng/ Chen Ye/ Qi Feng as brothers. Their bond since little was really close, just like how Bai Shuo and Bai Xi were. Qi Feng would do anything for his brother, even swapping their eyes so Fan Yue wouldn’t be picked on for being different. It said a lot about their bond. A tragedy separated them and changed their lives. It bred a lot of resent and hatred because of how Qi Feng was betrayed by his grandfather. Yet in the end, he chose to forgive his brother. The gesture with him patting his hand said it all. It was the same when they were little. It was so tragic during the last moment of Qi Feng’s life. But I was glad they made peace at long last and Fan Yue was able to see him for the last time, not just through someone’s recounts of what happened. It was an important moment because it was closure for him. For them both, actually.
- Kim Zhang/ Tian Huo and Cheng Hong Xin/ Mo Jiu. I didn’t know what to make of it at first when he came into the picture. It created a triangle but he wasn’t hateful. He liked her because she saved him and defended him. To him, it was major because aside from his aunt, no one would protect him like that. Tian Huo found him funny and didn’t take him too seriously at first. Yet she grew to like him because of his innocence and how genuine he was. Too bad it didn’t work out for them. It was just one more step yet they couldn’t reach it. Their tragedy was one of the reasons why I couldn’t forgive Fu Ling at first. But because Fu Ling didn’t dodge when Tian Huo confronted her later so she earned some respect from me in that sense.
- Kim Zhang/ Tian Huo and Chen Tao/ Cang Shan. It was one-sided with them since the furthest Tian Huo would admit was being friends who accompanied their master to accomplish his goals. Yet it was sad to see the flashback revealed what Cang Shan wrote regarding his wish.
Likes:
- Cast. The majority of the cast fitted their roles nicely and portrayed well to allow us to enter their world. Even if I had mixed feelings with some in here (because it was my first time watching them), their performances soon grew on me and I was invested in their stories as well. It was a rare all around moment for me because I was only impressed with one or two when watching recent shows. It wasn’t to say they were the best team or whatever. But their performances didn’t vary too much. They worked well together to deliver the story to us. I thought that was more important than try to upstage one another.
- Music. Each of the major characters got their own song that fitted with their personalities. Then there was the typical gloom and doom song that was played each time that a major character was about to die. What more could one ask, right? Kidding aside, the songs were indeed very well written and performed.
- The makeup and costumes. I was surprised after some disappointment here and there. However, the majority of the makeup and costumes matched the characters’ personalities well and heightened their appearances at each part of the story. The only funny bit was the part where Jing Yuan said that Xing Yue didn’t like jewelry and stuff YET look at her. She looked great, beautiful and glowing like a goddess. BUT were the scriptwriters and makeup/ costumes people talking to each other? LOL! Some fans noticed that too. It was really funny.
- The set. Because I said the above, I had to include this part as well. It was really elaborate and nicely built at each stage of the story. All were unique in their own way and reflected of the places or the clans they represented.
- The complex characterizations throughout. All the characters in here were so complex in their own way, not so one-dimensional.
Dislikes:
- So many deaths, so many injustices. It was heartbreaking the majority of the time and frustrating for others because of the number of deaths throughout. In the grand scheme of things and the context of each side story, it did make sense why it had to be that way. Yet it wasn’t any less nerve-racking to watch.
Discussions:
- Bai Shuo/ Fan Yue vs. Xing Yue/ Jing Yuan. Were there differences? I meant aside from them being portrayed both the same actor and actress. The story explained that Bai Shuo was indeed a reincarnation of Xing Yue but because her journey of cultivation and experience was different, she had become a different person. Well, she already reincarnated, so of course, this was a new life. She was indeed no longer the Xing Yue Jing Yuan once knew and loved. Even if both would do everything and anything to protect the one they loved. Fan Yue was only a fragment of Jing Yuan’s soul. He was no longer who he once was. So, it was only right Jing Yuan yielded and gave complete control to Fan Yue in the end. Considering how the Xing Yue he once loved was no longer around.
- Fu Ling and Chen Ye’s complicated relationship. Totally not hinting at romance. I just meant their rivalry throughout the time they were at the Cold Spring Palace. It was too obvious with their constant snipes at one another from time to time. However, toward the end of his life, Chen Ye revealed some stuff to Fu Ling and then told her that he didn’t hate her, that it wasn’t personal. Was that the truth? Well, he was really bitter (and rightfully so) throughout because of what happened and how he was on the journey of seeking revenge. So, if he were to hate Fu Ling too as part of the bitter bit, it would make sense. But it was a bit surprising to hear him say he didn’t hate her. Or perhaps, he came to realize some things after so much happened. The fact that he was being manipulated and used as a weapon against his brother. Maybe he saw the reality that they were in the same boat. That was why he revealed the secret regarding the antidote and told her to get out.
Recommended? In some ways, it was worth it. In others, frustrating. So, I thought it was up to you. I liked it for different reasons but it was indeed quite tragic.