I was waiting for this so, of course, I had to watch. Even if I knew it would end in tragedy. Yes, it had to do with both being part of a Fox Matchmaker saga and because it was a Cheng Yi series. If it was a Cheng Yi series, you expect him to die. Yes, I’m getting used to it by now, so I would be more surprised if he survived. How was it? I watched it to finish the saga and because I liked both of the main leads. That was about it. Because I had lots of complaints, lol. And that was the sole reason why I kept stopping and returning several times until I finished it. I also took several months of break to calm down a bit to fix the review before posting. Yes, this was my tamed down version. I have more, which I don’t think would be helpful posting, lol. So, yeah.
Starring:
- Cheng Yi (成毅) as Wang Quan Fu Gui (王權富貴). He was not only the young master of Wang Quan Manor but was also the Soldier. A title one would think would bring honor and glory. Yet it was just a fancy term as a weapon for the Yiqi Alliance. His introduction scene was very powerful and defined who he was. However, the plot soon clarified that he wasn’t just a cold-blooded weapon that only knew of killing and listening to commands like a robot. He was also very intelligent with his deduction and observational skills. Sure, in some ways, he followed the orders as was told. But he also learned and adapted whenever new facts presented itself. A great example was how 12580 didn’t kill that one man but had used her web spinning skills to help seal that one man’s wounds. It was a brief scene but it said a lot. It was also a start of a journey for him to change his life course. He could choose his own path and not just follow the typical one that was drawn out for him. Cheng Yi managed to capture those moments very well. If anyone didn’t watch and thought he was doing the same old, same old, they missed the point major time. It was a different type of character, not just cold and aloof or those goofy ones. His character was forced to grow up so fast with the responsibilities that was bestowed upon him. His eyes said it all with the pain he endured and the burden on his shoulders. The change in him when he realized he could pave his own path, knowing that it was a different approach that would allow him to reach the same point. The hopefulness in him was also distinguishable. And what about those scenes where it led us to believe the darkness had overtaken him? He delivered it all. Having watched several series of his already, I thought his growth was fascinating to watch.
- Li Yi Tong (李一桐) as Qing Tong (清瞳) / 12580 (一二五八零). A spider demon who was placed by Wang Quan Fu Gui’s side as as spy. However, she had a kind heart and just wanted to protect and save her brother from harm. Her journey of growing an individual and cultivation was indeed very nice to watch. At first, she just wanted some simple things, like being able to survive and protect her family. However, traveling in the grand world allowed her to broaden her perspective and thought of helping everyone (whether humans or demons) live in harmony. She was already kind. She just didn’t know she could do much more. I felt Li Yi Tong did very well in capturing different stages of her growth. At first, she was just an innocent spider learning about her surroundings and trying to repay Young Master Fu Gui’s kindness. Her horizon soon broadened. She was able to become stronger and acquiring even more knowledge through his encouragement and through her own discoveries. Even if she had encountered many tragedies along the way, her heart still stay pure with its intention and hope for helping the world in general.
Supporting:
Yiqi Alliance (一氣盟)
Wang Quan Manor (王權山莊)
- Ken Chang (張智堯) as Wang Quan Hong Ye (王權弘業). The head of the Wang Quan Manor and also the head of the Yiqi Alliance, Wang Quan Fu Gui’s father. What I found hard to sympathize with him was how he allowed for his son to become the weapon for Yiqi Alliance. Well, that was their plan all along, to create a powerful force to go against that external force. However, it was just a bunch of justifications here and there. Sure, I knew he suffered a lot, but I found it really hard to sympathize. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the inconsistency of the characterization throughout. Considering it was part of the Fox Spirit Matchmaker saga so the inconsistency bugged me. I understood the pain he went through when he was young and losing everyone around him. However, the disconnect still stuck out like a sore thumb. Because Han Dong’s portrayal affected me more, even if he had appeared less in the first installment. In some ways, it was a very bad idea to have three people portraying the character. I didn’t watch the second part yet so I can’t comment. But Han Dong made an impact on me and I still stood by my position with just removing the beard and let him star in the second installment before continuing the current storyline (which is the current installment) with his beard and gray hair. It would help the story flow and some of the inconsistency of how he approached the character. I’m not saying I hated Ken since I did enjoy some of the scenes he had with Cheng Yi. Yet I felt the problem wasn’t his acting, it was the inconsistency (like mentioned above) that bugged me. Also, I have a really hard time believing that the Wang Quan Hong Ye who subtly favored and shielded Dong Fang Yue Chu from backlash at times during his (Dong Fang Yue Chu’s) time at the Yiqi Alliance would yield to the other families or rather punish his own son to appease the others. Yeah, I know some stuff he did was to shield Fu Gui but the cowardly acts were hard to ignore. Not to mention how powerful his character seemed to project (despite his illness progressing at a certain point of the first instalment), it just didn’t make sense he couldn’t push back all the waves of attacks. It didn’t matter how much trouble Quan Jing Ting caused or how convincing he was, Wang Quan Hong Ye was an intelligent person and a rational one at that, how could he lose out? He was the calmest and the most cautious one among all the families. Once again, it was the inconsistencies that bothered me. And I once again blame Han Dong for his convincing portrayal that was hard to shrug off when watching this installment.
- Zhang Yun Long (张云龙) as Young Wang Quan Hong Ye (青年王權弘業).
- Liu Shi Shi (刘诗诗) as Dong Fang Huai Zhu (東方淮竹). She only appeared in flashbacks, obviously. But they mentioned her a lot throughout–as it was relevant to the plot.
- Fan Ming (范明) as Fei Tian Qing (費天青). The butler of the Wang Quan Manor. He was very loyal to Wang Quan Hong Ye and was probably the only surviving member of years ago who understood the things the latter had gone through all these years. He also pitied Wang Quan Fu Gui for the path he had to take and the pain he had gone through. Yet he couldn’t do much.
- Yan Yun Jing (晏云璟) as Feng Ting Yun (風庭雲). A disciple of the Wang Quan Manor. She seemed strict with her rules and was very righteous. However, what bugged me initially was her tattle-telling tendencies. The fact that it had more to do with the romance side than trying to be cautious about some random demon spying on them was troubling, to say the least. What redeemed her for me was how she stepped up to try and stop Quan Jing Ting from torturing Qing Tong, even if unsuccessful. She could have gotten in major trouble for it but she did it anyway. Because she knew Qing Tong was trying to protect Fu Gui. Then she took it to another level by sending intel to Fu Gui about Qing Tong’s capture–at the risk of endangering him as well.
- Zhao Liang (赵亮) as Wang Quan Shu Yi (王權守義). An elder of the Wang Quan family who conspired with Quan Jing Ting and then was betrayed by him later.
- Gao Yi (高毅) as Wang Quan Shu Ren (王權守仁). An elder of the Wang Quan family.
- Huang He (黄贺) as Frost Sword Guard (霜劍侍). A bodyguard of the Wang Quan family.
- Shi Long Wei (石龍玮) as Moon Sword Guard (月劍侍). A bodyguard of the Wang Quan family.
- Han Zi Fan (韩子帆) as Cloud Sword Guard (雲劍侍). A bodyguard of the Wang Quan family.
Li Family of Peach Valley (桃園李家)
- Meng Zhao Zhong (孟召重) as Li Qu Zhuo (李去濁). The head of the Li family.
- Deng Xiao Ci (邓孝慈) as Li Mu Hai (李慕海). The younger master of the Li family.
Other families (各大世家)
- Wu Song (吴嵩) as Young Master of the Cheng family (程家少主).
- Li Ya Peng (刘亚鹏) as the head of the Xi Men family (西門家主).
- Feng Wu Sheng (冯武生) as the head of the Gu family (顧家主).
- Zhu Xin Fan (朱新凡) as the head of the Zhang family (張家主).
- Xue Bin (薛宾) as the head of the Mu family (牧家主).
Peach Blossom Village (桃花塢)
- Tong Meng Shi (佟梦实) as Zhang Qi (張琦). The village chief of the Peach Blossom Village. He had a dream of creating a world where both demons and humans could live together in harmony and acceptance. However, that dream was used to manipulate him and caused harms to others, which shook his world in more ways than one. His guilt was too strong and he wanted to use the last of his energy to help preserve that little paradise. It was very tragic and said, considering how he meant good yet was taken advantage of for evil plans.
- Jia Nai Na (加奈那) as Qing Li (卿離). Greater death’s head hawkmoth demon yet disguised herself as a butterfly demon to trick others. She used Zhang Qi to lure the townspeople in and used them to maintain her looks. She was later killed by Zhang Qi.
- Meng Huan (孟欢) as Ah Jiu (阿九).
- Zhang Yi Xin (张艺心) as Granny Shui (水婆婆).
- Xu Wei (徐伟) as Green Demon Xu Feng (青妖徐峰). Original name: Zeng Ming (曾明).
- Huang Zi Cheng (黄梓诚) as Fu An (福英). Half Dragon.
- Liu Zhang Yin (刘章印) as Fu An’s Teacher (福英老師). An elder of the Xi Men family.
- Ge Fan Zhi (葛凡之) as Lu Shu (鹿蜀). A deer demon.
Western Xiyu (西西域)
Quan family of the frontier fortress (邊塞權家)
- Tan Kai (谭凯) as Quan Jing Ting (權競霆). Wang Quan Hong Ye’s cousin. He was expelled from the Wang Quan clan and had to change his name. He never repented regarding his wrongdoings in the past yet managed to conjure up a new set of schemes, fused by hatred and demonic influences that ended up destroying everyone around him just to gain power again. He was both despicable and pathetic. Yet acted like the victim, which was typical with his kind.
- Guo Jun Chen (郭俊辰) as Quan Ru Mu (權如沐). Wang Quan Fu Gui’s cousin. He was a very laid-back person when seen with Fu Gui yet he had suffered a lot since childhood, mostly in the hands of his father. It was very sad and in some ways relatable to Fu Gui because they both couldn’t really choose their paths when they were little. Yet, he stepped out of that shadow and tried to create his own path, wanting to break past that barrier. His influence was probably one of the reasons why Fu Gui wanted to try. Although Fu Gui seemed aloof at times, he really appreciated Ru Mu’s friendship throughout. Ru Mu wasn’t the type to wallow in self-pity either. He endured a lot, but he didn’t give up. Sure, he felt guilty after realizing Fu Gui had given him the heart of sword. Yet he trained and put himself to good use by helping others and fulfilling Fu Gui’s previous missions. What was honorable about him was knowing the path was hard yet he pushed forward and never wavered. Sure, he did hesitate at times, especially the situation with his father BUT that was his most fatal demon he had to conquer. And in the end, he host. But he never regretted taking the righteous path or having met all the people who cared and loved him for who he was. His sense of humor kept him grounded for the most part. But he never lacked in humanity.
Dragon Clan (龍族)
- He Rui Xian (何瑞贤) as Long Wei Yun (龍微雲). The Holy Maiden of the Dragon clan. She was driven by revenge from the start and almost ended up in an irreversible path when she was possessed by the Dark Fox’s minions. Luckily, with the help of Ru Mu and others, she was able to escape from the grasps. It seemed like her suffering was endless though. Because when she finally found her happiness and was trying to move on (as best as she could), she was pulled into schemes after schemes laid out by the Dark Fox and ended up in a tragedy as well.
- Qian Di Di (钱迪迪) as Long Wei Yun’s mother (龍微雲母親). A dragon demon. She was tricked by Quan Jing Ting and died tragically. It was very frustrating to watch.
Corsac Fox Kingdom (沙狐國)
- Zhang Kai Ying (张凯莹) as Li Xue Yang (厲雪揚). A general of the Li Family Army. She was an heir of the late Qianxia Kingdom. She was a fierce general and a righteous person overall. However, she had a gentle side that made her lovable to those closer to her. What was more, she was a strict general where military rules were concerned, because she needed to keep them disciplined and effective with their trainings. But she never abused her powers or treated others poorly. She made it her mission to protect those who she loved and those who loved her. Her troops really respected her and looked up to her regarding leadership.
- Chang Hua Sen (常华森) as Fan Yun Fei (梵雲飛). The second prince of the Corsac Fox Kingdom. He was very kindhearted and innocent, bordering on naive at times. But that was what made him so lovable. He retained his original form since he was born and rarely changed form because he didn’t want to take his brother’s place. Although simple-minded but he understood very well the structures of the kingdom and how things were, even if it was unfair. Perhaps, because it was so unfair, that was why he chose to rebel in the least destructive way. He chose to feign obliviousness and roamed around freely. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to avoid his brother’s fate. Even after his brother’s death, he refused to take the so-called “rightful place” to fulfill his duties. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to take on the responsibility. He just didn’t see any point in it, thinking his father would do fine. In some ways, he was still mourning his brother. After all the struggles, he finally decided to face it. A major point was having to face his father’s schemes, forcing him to grow up quickly, knowing he should take on the duty of protecting his people and maintaining peace all around. Even if he was taking on that burden, he still remained kindhearted throughout. I was so glad he survived it all because he deserved all the happiness in the world. Even if he had to mourn both of his masters’ passing, he had to carry on their legacy. Acting? Chang Hua Sen was amazing. One wouldn’t think much of the role, aside from the initial silliness and then the serious scenes later on. It was somewhat of a typical journey for a character, learning and growing. But when taking in Chang Hua Sen’s acting, it was considered amazing. Because of his range through various roles. I actually watched the majority of his roles the previous year (even if I finished late and reviewed stuff late). He managed to capture each character very well.
- Liu Guan Cheng (刘冠成) as Fan Yuan Ji (梵元吉). The emperor of the Corsac Fox Kingdom. He was portrayed as quite silly with a touch of tough talk but mostly harmless initially. However, it was revealed that he was quite cunning and calculative. He sure fooled the majority of the people, including his family. He had a grand plan regarding the water orb and the future of the deserts (as in who will rule over the area). It made a lot of sense when it came out though. Because the deserts were quite chaotic at one point. It was hard to be the sole ruler for so long if one wasn’t the least bit alert of the situation. He seemed too optimistic and harmless. That was what made it unbelievable. So when he revealed his true nature, the final piece fell into place. It wasn’t like he wasn’t suspicious initially, but to the majority of the characters, he seemed harmless. Fu Gui suspected him and kept digging, so he was prepared in that aspect. But the rest? They were indeed fooled. Luckily, his plans were foiled.
- Peng Bo (彭博) as Imperial Preceptor (國師).
- Zhang Song (张淞) as Fan Yun Hai (梵雲海). The first prince of the Corsac Fox Kingdom. He appeared briefly in flashback and was only mentioned briefly. What little was known of him was that although he was the first child, his mother was from an illegitimate background so he was affected by that fate. Yet, he still made the heir until his brother was born. He remained the heir because his brother chose to run away, not wanting to steal the attention from him. He was also quite understanding of the situation and didn’t want his brother to do that. Yet, they didn’t get to bond much except for some of his brother’s earlier years. Because he died later.
- Wei Zhi Qiang (魏至强) as Elder Lou (婁長老). An elder of the Corsac Fox Kingdom.
- Wang Li (王力) as Li Qian Jun (厲千鈞). The leader of the Li Family Army, Li Xue Yang’s father.
- Huang Lu Ling (黄鹿凌) as Mrs. Li (厲夫人). Li Xue Yang’s mother.
- Sun Jing Zheng (孙竞争) as Old Zhao (老趙). A bodyguard of the Li Family Army.
- Mao Xiao Hui (毛晓慧) as Gu Li Zan (古麗贊). The last empress of the late Qianxia Kingdom. She was resurrected by Qing Cheng and caused a lot of trouble later. In some ways, I got it, she wanted revenge because of how she was betrayed and her people were massacred. Yet, for such a brilliant woman, I found it funny that she shall trust someone like the Dark Fox. Yeah, she was blinded by hate and that was the sole purpose of the Dark Fox drawing her power from. But seriously, what did she think she would get out of it all? Was the Dark Fox going to spare her later? Well, she probably didn’t care one way or another since she was ready to let the world burn as long as she got her revenge. But seriously?
Tu Shan (塗山)
- Hu Lian Xin (胡连馨) as Tu Shan Rong Rong (塗山容容). The third in command of Tu Shan. Tu Shan Hong Hong and Tu Shan Ya Ya’s younger sister. She appeared briefly to talk to Qing Tong about the origin of the seeds and then some more regarding her gamble in trusting Qing Tong to have a breakthrough with her cultivation. It was indeed strange that Rong Rong was so trusting or was willing to put her faith toward Qing Tong. Yet those were strange times, so she wanted to take that leap.
Others:
- Hai Ling (海铃) as Huo Dou (禍斗).
- Celina Jade (卢靖姗) as Madam Yin (音夫人). The leader of the Thousand Silk Cave. She was the one who sent Qing Tong to spy on the Wang Quan family. She misunderstood that her husband was killed by Wang Quan Hong Ye and wanted revenge. Wang Quan Fu Gui helped unsealed her husband later, so she was grateful for his help and tried to mend her wrongdoings toward them by becoming their informants through her networks.
- Zhang Zhi Lin (张芷箖) as Fu Li (福禮). Demon Queen.
- Fan Yi Ning (樊驿宁) as Snake Demon King (蛇妖王).
- Liu Chuang (刘闯) as Lu Qi Ba (陸七八).
- Yu Qing (俞慶) as Lu Shang Xia (陸上下).
- Wang Hong Yi (王弘毅) as Qing Cheng (清澄) / 12581 (一二五八一). Qing Tong’s younger brother. At first, he was timid and easily scared. However, he was later possessed by the Dark Fox hence turning evil. Well, initially, he was already insecure in his way so it was easy to manipulate him. What was scary about him was his manipulation tactic. But that was also his downfall because he was overconfident in deceiving his sister, hence losing in the end. He was given chances after chances to redeem himself yet he chose otherwise. He said he didn’t need saving, he only wanted to achieve his goals. So, he got what he deserved. Wang Hong Yi was seriously good though. He was a dark character but had projected a completely different image than that was in Snowy Night Timeless Love. Because the other character was also edging toward the villainous side yet had chosen different along the way.
- Zhang Shi An (章时安) as Tian Men Wen Lu (天門問路).
- Jing Qi (荆奇) as Jiang Bo (江波). Qianji City’s lead guard.
- E Jing Wen (鄂靖文) as Female Bandit (女匪首).
- Rao Jia Di (饶嘉迪) as Snow Demon (雪妖). She joined forces with Qing Cheng to trap Wang Quan Fu Gui and absorb his power for her cultivation. Yet she underestimated Fu Gui big time and the plan backfired on her.
Likes:
- Costumes and makeup. I think that both were the best of the whole saga. Yes, harsh but I felt the inconsistencies with the past two. Even if I didn’t fully watch the second installment but had seen some clips and it bugged me. It was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to watch yet. (I actually watched the majority of the first episode and stopped but I didn’t think it count for much.) Yes, vain but it bothered me.
- The main theme sang by Liu Yu Ning. A very powerful song and highlighted some of the major characters’ personality very well.
- The chemistry between Cheng Yi and Li Yi Tong. The chemistry was off the charts! They were so cute. They were so cute and innocent at first (even if both had seen more or less of the cruelty of the outside world). Then many things happened that forced them to learn and grow even more. Both were on a journey to find themselves and had taught one another the different things in life. They each had their own path. Yet that didn’t mean they didn’t care for one another. It was a tragedy and the ultimate sacrifice yet the two made it worthwhile.
Dislikes:
- The inconsistencies of the plot details. It wasn’t only about Wang Quan Hong Ye, but also the inconsistencies of different plot details. Or was it because they had opened some sort of portal into different worlds after the first installments that this was an alternative universe and their own story? If so, that would make more sense. The fact that some of the details didn’t jibe with the first installments and what Dong Fang Yue Chu did with the Yiqi Alliance made it super weird. Not to mention how Butler Fei wasn’t supposed to die at a certain point. Yes, those small details were important. Perhaps, the production teams weren’t talking to each other or had forgotten. But it stuck out like a sore thumb and ruined the story in general. Then the fact that it was explained in the first installment about how the Dark Fox (黑狐) could be destroyed after using a method to give her a physical form. That was why Dong Fang Yue Chu had to use his blood to complete the special ritual. Yet this one changed it so that she couldn’t be completely destroyed regardless because of how she fed on resentment and everything was just a temporary solution. Well, not saying it wasn’t impossible and how they could find out more about the Dark Fox because the mystery of the outer zone was never-ending. But to change something major like that seemed like a slap in the face to the first installment. Not to mention how this one focused on getting her physical form so she could return. So, did that mean she spread rumors about the physical form bit to distract and confuse the team in the first installment on purpose? Anything was possible. But some stuff seriously contradicted one another. Oh yeah, the most glaring point was killing off Wang Quan Hong Ye AND not explaining it at all. Yeah, he died because of sickness. But it was super weird that it didn’t happen in the first installment. Even if it was explained that he didn’t want them to hold a funeral, so NOT everyone knew he passed already. But Dong Fang Yue Chu was a major character in his life at one point, so it was weird he didn’t know or wasn’t informed. If he had passed away during the chaos of the Dark Fox infiltrating the inner circle already, then okay, it was hard to keep track of everyone. But this was still before the Dark Fox broke through the circle. So yeah. I would understand too that he didn’t leave some stuff to Dong Fang Yue Chu like he left it to Fu Gui, but if he knew some stuff, he would at least let them know more? Like I said, the inconsistency totally killed the overall story.
Discussions:
- The Ending. I wasn’t surprised that Wang Quan Fu Gui and Qing Tong died. I wasn’t surprised either that Ru Mu died, even if it was frustrating to watch. I was more surprised that the other half made it. Considering how it was a Cheng Yi series, so you would expect him to die regardless. I was prepared for the last couple to die too. Luckily, the writers decided to stop. They needed people alive to rebuild and everything. So I guess they needed to send a message of hope regarding that. They couldn’t go all out.
Recommended? I think if you ignore the previous two installments and watch this on its own, it would be better. Because it would make more sense as a standalone series than when comparing to the previous two installments. It stood on its own fine. But like I said several times in the review already, the inconsistencies were hard to ignore.