1The One Who Can Stay With Her Forever
The chemistry of all the three male leads with Xiaoyao begins with... "because I was once all alone and abandoned and you stayed with me. And even if the world hates my dark side, is after my royal position, you like me for me..." Be it Cang Xuan or Tushan Jing or Xiang Liu, all three first found a great companion in Xiaoyao for their loneliness. While Xiaoyao herself, was on the search of someone who would accompany her till the end.Lost You forever is a compelling, intriguing narrative spanning over hundreds of years set in kingdom Dahuang where deities are struggling over power and these ambitious or least-interested-in-power characters are struggling to stay alive or do as they like among the harsh palace and wordly walls.
Half of the plot is about how these main characters have merely one percent control over there own lives and that's what made them selfish, desperate and cold. Ngl their struggles never end and no single soul has happiness in the whole Dahuang. More than liking or hate I've a truckload of pity for them... The male protagonists only see the leading lady Xiaoyao as their light of hope and Xiaoyao who is almost numb to the world, sceptical, she wants a man who can be kind to her forever without breaking her heart or promises... the rest half plot is about some fast paced politics where Cang Xuan is trying to make a name for himself.
Lost you forever has to be the most fast paced, polished, top tier production quality palace drama I've watched this year. The direction and acting are worthy of praises. Tbh I was reluctant to start this earlier but Yang Zi's performance here surprised me eminently. Scattered scenes like her visiting her father in Haoling after long, getting injured by thousands of incoming petals and her staring at stairs looking back at what she has been through, all these scenes made me as heartbroken as she was. Would dare to say that this might be her best work as an actress where she got to show her range in her craft.
Being a historical where female lead stays as a 'Male' for half of the drama, Yang Zi was far impressive in her part. her Wen Xiao Liu was so convincing that it took me some episodes to digest that she's a woman now. I often saw a man in her face after she transformed xDDD... But this was the reason Xiaoyao got along well with all four male leads in the first place (expect Fenglong who fell at first sight for her feminine side, but he later admitted how comfortable he was with her as a buddy indicating that he also liked her straightforward cool-bro nature)
Let me introduce you to the options, Princess of Haoling, Haoling Jiu Yao (Xiaoyao) has —
1. Cang Xuan (I'm far ambitious but I'm doing this so that I'm powerful enough to protect her. I'm so in love with her that I don't mind being her brother for life if I get to stay by her side)... Zhang Wanyi has crazy eyes that have accurate longing and helplessness this complex role needs. He's both a psycho and a heartwarming brother favored by ladies. He was so impressive that I kinda want him in more darker roles in future.
2. Tushan Jing (I like her but I'm also too kind, I'm good at strategies but I still fail in life becoz I'm too gentle for this world)... Deng Wei's face suits the nice male lead trope but he felt a bit off in some scenes. Maybe its about experience that he will gain slowly, even so he was good. his chemistry with FL is all mushy and cute type where they talk and paint and I'm blushing hahaha
3. Xiang Liu (yes I'm that white haired guy most of you were swooning over. I would kill and not kill for her. I wander the world in white robes but go back to tease or bite her once every episode)... Picking Tan Jianci for Xiang Liu is epic!!!!!!!! (He looks great( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) He's scheming, maybe an extremist but damnnn his deep talks, nonsense bickering, drowning in water has hell lot of chemistry with Xiaoyao.
4. Chishui Fenglong (I met her late but I've power I can promise to stay with her for longer so who knows?)... In front of the three above, he obviously seemed less charming and like a supporting character instead but I'm excited to see his growth in S2.
While almost all the viewers have already picked up their ships and started rooting for them, I'm more like Xiaoyao and just enjoying it with the flow lol (maybe I'm heartless too :))... I was once all into Jing's puppy love, then I got swayed by TCJ's Xiang Liu and now I'm not choosing anymore haha. Just excited for season 2 and can they please release it tomorrow? Like waiting for 6 months means I'll lose this emotional build up I've for this drama right now.
The song I loved the most from the huge OST list has to be the theme song ♪Nothing Can Be Compared to You♪ (万物不如你) sung by Zhang Jie.
To sum it up, lost you forever is an addictive, thought provoking, melancholic romantic historical that keeps you entertained for sure. The exceptional setup and dramatic music is something you get in handy.
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1The Princess Bride.
Lost You Forever is a dark, beautiful, suspenseful and, poignant tale of intrigue, treachery and longing. This drama is immersive with its air of mystery, the shiver of danger, a whisper of regret and a sense of profound loss and longing that saturates every scene. It is a story about love but it is not a love story. It is a far more complex and expansive exposition of the many kinds of love and how it can be restraining and boundless at the same time.Set in Dahuang, a magical, treacherous and unpredictable world where humans, demons and deities co-exist, two forsaken royal orphans vow to always cherish and protect one another. Shattered by a broken promise, Xiao Yao loses herself, misplaced during a time of great turmoil. She assumes the appearance of a man and lives among the humans and demons of Qingshui Town as the village fertility doctor. This is the most exciting arc because everyone has secrets and danger lurks around every corner. When cornered, Xiao Yao is most adept at grovellng, lying or poisoning her way out of trouble. Yet she is carefree, uninhibited and almost contented in Qingshui Town with her found family. Alas, destiny catches up with her as Cang Xuan, Tushan Jing and Xiang Liu all converge upon Qingshui Town, shattering her refuge.
The latter arcs take on a political tone as Cang Xuan emerges as a contender for the Xiyan throne with Xiao Yao clearing the path for him. They must establish Cang Xuan's support base among the restless and resentful Central Plains; where the noble clans and families have complicated blood ties to remnants of the defeated Chenrong state. Xiao Yao is the princess bride, a chess piece that Cang Xuan dangles temptingly in front of the scions of the powerful aristocratic families he seeks to win over. Marriage to him is simply a means to seal alliances. He supresses his heart's deepest, secret longing by sheer willpower. Zhang Wanyi adroitly portrays Cang Xuan as a consummate politician, a very dangerous, smiling tiger / xiàomiànhǔ 笑面虎 who has his enemies in a death lock before they even know it. Love is not of paramount importance for Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao, whose destinies are interlocking as a result of their childhood oath. They work towards a greater purpose with one heart and one mind. Anyone and everyone else is always subordinated to this purpose. They are both unattainable characters who have already carved out so much of themselves for each other that there is not much left for anyone else. This is why what Xiao Yao seeks is an unequal relationship with essentially, a doormat. The princess in her however prefers that it is a doormat made of fox fur rather than a rather foolish, entitled product of too much in-breeding.
Xiao Yao is by far the darkest, most complicated, and most independent female protagonist I have come across in Chinese dramas. This is an awesome and challenging role that Yang Zi delivers magnificently. As someone who had a huge allergic reaction to her earlier works, I am speechless at her portrayal. Her Wei Xiaoliu has decisively unseated Ni Ni's Fang Weizhi as the most convincingly acted female disguised as a male character. But it is her heart-wrenching homecoming scene that can squeeze tears from a rock that truly captures the depth of Xiao Yao's sense of abandonment and despair over the person she lost forever. I can't think of another actor that has so visibly taken their acting to a high a new level the way Yang Zi has. That said, no power on this earth will make me revisit her past roles though I enthusiastically look forward to her future ones.
Tushan Jing is the weakest link in this drama both in terms of how the character is written and portrayed. Despite his stunning physical appeal, this is not a role that a promising but inexperienced actor like Deng Wei is ready for. He pulls off a charismatic and endearing Ye Shiqi that melted Wei Xiaoliu's stone-cold and lonely heart. But he lacks depth and range and visibly struggles to get into character as Tushan Jing. His perpetual stricken, deer-in-the headlight expression threw me out of some of the drama's best, most intense moments. When the Haoling King assures his daughter that the shrewd and canny Tushan Jing must have already guessed her identity, the camera pans to a dumbfounded looking Tushan Jing! I burst out laughing even though I am absolutely sure I was not supposed to. It does not help that the character's weak and indecisive waffling does not match Tushan Jing's reputation as one of the most brilliant and cunning minds of Dahuang. There is clearly also a writing issue but it does not excuse the actor's inability to make the character seem deeply conflicted rather than just weak and lacking basic smarts and survival instincts. This is a glaring weakness that weighs on both my viewing experience and my rating.
Xiang Liu is Xiao Yao's greatest nightmare, a demon that she is bonded to by a spell no one fully grasps. He is her soul mate; they are both lonely, realistic characters trapped by a cause that is bigger than themselves and thus have no free will. Tan Jianci's masterful, subtly tragic rendering of this vicious, resentful and enigmatic nine-headed demon with a shockingly passionate heart has catapulted this fantastic actor to a new level recognition. His styling is spectacular but what takes my breath away is how with the angle of the head or a flicker of an eye, his expression can change from unholy amusement to vicious cruelty; from tortured to pure, unbridled joy and affection. I don't know how Xiang Liu's story ends but the fact that he is committed to a lost cause that pits him against the person Xiao Yao protects at all costs fills me with dread. I cannot see any scenario in which this ship does not somehow sink but my heart won't listen to my head that urges me to get on the lifeboat to safety before it is too late.
Season 1 sets up the backstory of a world torn apart by war and introduces many well-written and multi-faceted characters that were collateral damage in the conflict. Intricate relationships and debts that will at some point come due accumulate between the various stakeholders. After some draggy politicking, Season 1 ends triumphantly with an unexpected twist and sets the stage very nicely for Season 2. I expect Season 2 to reveal even more secrets from the past that will force Xiao Yao to make some impossible choices. How unbreakable is her bond with Cang Xuan? Will the tragic story of Chi Chen and the Xiling witch repeat itself? Will Deng Wei finally get his act together and give us the real Tushan Jing? Will Xiao Yao shock us with her marksmanship by shooting her rival in her black heart? I hope we will not have to wait too long to find out. At the same time, I am grateful that this breaks in a good place for a time out. I have come to care too much for these characters and something tells me that this is the kind of story where even those who get what they want may not truly want what they get.
So far, Lost You Forever is the most addictive and immersive drama I have watched in 2023. I rate this a 9.0 for now because there are some notable flaws but if Season 2 comes together well, there is scope for me to revise it up.
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Can't wait for season 2
I am someone who has little faith in Xianxia genre. Most of the time they ruin the whole story with unnecessary fillers if it's an adaptation. Plus they change the major part of the story that ends up into a cliched, stupid and predictable storyline. Another thing is annoying stupid female that we usually find in such dramas. And the most important part- Rushed ending!!!!What I loved:
- WHAT A CAST. No over the top acting. ( Special mention for kids). Yangzi killed it with her acting skills here. The actor who play Cang Xuan, man he might not be my favourite character but his acting and the subtle emotions that he portrayed throughout the show is undoubtedly the best. What an amazing actor. Another special mention is for the grandpa. What an outstanding character. Every actor from a maid to all the rulers and side characters behaved like the real person not just some extras.
-Female lead is not annoying ( was not a fan of Yangzi as I have always seen her in bubbly, hyper and stupid girl sort of role.) I didn't know she will become one of my favourites.
- Finally all of them have their own voices. (No dubbing).
-Loved the songs especially the one sung by the actress herself. Background music just adds more beauty to the fantasy world of this drama.
-Only few episodes and you won't be able to stop yourself from watching. The story is really good and connects you right away with the characters.
- Three male leads are there and believe me you will find it hard to choose a favourite. All of them acted so well that you just can't ignore their presence.
- Set design, costumes and overall production is really good. CGI is...okay in some scenes but they utilised the money at the right place and those scenes looked mesmerizing. It again proves that an amazing director can bring so much out from the actors and made sure people could connect to the characters.
I was planning to read the novel (if I could find it somewhere) but it is good I went into it without prior knowledge about the novel. I can't believe we all have to wait for a long time for season 2. But this season satisfyed my thrust for an amazing well paced, edited and acted Xianxia drama. It deserves all the praise. :)
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Melancholic, contemplative and sublime
RATING: 9.25/10Lost You Forever was not one of my most highly anticipated shows this year. After all, four men after one woman didn’t sound like a convincing enough reason to watch a show. But thankfully, the trailer of this show really drew me in and I’m glad I went on this ride.
I have to admit - this is one of the best shows released so far this year. The first episode had me in tears, and logically there’s no reason to cry during the first episode of any show - because you don’t know characters well enough to care for them so much. But it was touching and mournful and it immediately felt like a special show.
What makes LYF really stand out is its contemplative approach. It is extremely slow, but never draggy. It builds a convincing world with interesting characters, all with their own stories and traumas. Our four leads have rich histories and have lived for hundreds of years. I like how this aspect is not brushed aside, but is actually fleshed out. For one, they feel mature and world-wise. In the case of Xiaoyao, the abandonment she experienced multiple times in life makes her hesitant to hope for things. Cang Xuan losing his parents tragically at such an early age forces him to grow up fast and pushes him to want to protect those he loves. Tushan Jing is the embodiment of forgiveness and kindness that in spite of suffering so much, he never seeks revenge. Xiang Liu is bound to his benefactor and has his own tragic backstory, but always cares for Xiaoyao secretly and from afar, without seeking rewards. Although it may seem like LYF is a romance show, it is not. Every character exists for things other than love, but love definitely connects everyone. This show has all forms of love present in it, which at many times transcend romantic and physical love.
These are some of the things I love on this show:
CASTING: I have to say that all actors are exceptionally talented and perfect for their roles. This was my first time watching Yang Zi in a full production (I’d only seen her for a short while on another show), but also my first time watching Zhang Wan Yi. I’ve seen both Deng Wei and Tan Jianci before (albeit in minor roles). Everyone has done a stellar job, including supporting actors. There’s no fault I can pick here and I look forward to watching all these actors in their future projects. It is because of their amazing performances here that it has been so easy to cry. I also need to mention the child actors who played Cang Xuan and Xiaoyao in the first episode - they were so amazing!
MUSIC: I have to give a special mention to the music in the series. The songs are beautiful and inserted at the right moments. I also did not expect Tan Jianci to sing so well, so that was a pleasant surprise. Other than that, the instrumental score is phenomenal and elevates the show and the emotional core of the show. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack on loop and it immediately transports me back to the show.
THE WORLD BUILDING: Because the show takes a very slow approach to storytelling, the world feels very well-fleshed out. It feels like an alternate universe with its own unique rules. At the same time, it feels lived-in and realistic. This is hard to achieve for many shows and I commend LYF for doing this so well. Can I also mention the cute fictional animals like feifei (poor thing), as well as Chubby and TSJ’s white fox - they’re all so adorable.
EMOTIONAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DEPTH: I have lost count of how many tears I have shed watching this show. I think there are some very small, seemingly insignificant moments that are given so much emotional depth. Also, because characters are so well developed, it is easy to see the bonds between them and be emotionally invested. One of the aspects I appreciate most about the show is how the seemingly unimportant interactions between characters reveal so much about the characters themselves. It is quite difficult to achieve such a balance, but LYF nails this wonderfully. Furthermore, the show asks a lot of philosophical questions about life and the nature of existence. I really appreciate that approach.
All in all, I don’t have anything bad to say as such. I think seeing Xiaoliu/Xiaoyao being tortured many times during the first several episodes made the show very difficult to watch. Not my favourite bits. Similarly, Jing being trapped with Yiying because of a long-winded plan hatched by his grandmother, Yiying and Hou is not my favourite story arc. Jing’s grandmother, Yiying and Hou truly suck.
Now I’m waiting impatiently for Season 2 like everyone else.
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Bestest of the best drama of all time!
Woah!! I am so in love with this drama where I have endearing feelings for all the cast members.Moreover, I also feel these soft-subtle-healing vibes this drama gives me where I don't need to skip any moments or watch it in 2x speed like few other dramas which are rather a little bit draggy or a bit hasty without any character development.
I love how it soothes my soul and makes me happy! Every character has their own sufferings, past and personality.
In addition to it, all of them are just so adorable.
Definitely this drama will be ranked on the topmost place in my Xuanhuan side of drama heart.
YangZi is just so good at portraying different layers of her past experiences. So commendable! Her acting is superior. ❤️
XL and TJ are just so cute with those hearty eyes for the FL. Something I definitely didn't expect so soon for our Nine-headed Demon Serpent the Great Xiang Liu! ?
Up until now CX just gives me sibling-like chemistry with FL.
I wanted 4thML Chi Shui Feng Long to gear up a little bit to get into XY's heart as the only thing do is to be completely whipped for XY and nothing else. ?
I definitely recommend you this title. <3
Yang Zi/ Xiao Yao:
She's definitely our common FL who was given a lot of love by her family and the consistency of her character is portrayed really well. Generally, FLs from different drama make few decisions which are questionable but our XY is very different from theirs. I love her character in this drama the most. Everyone knows about her tragic past and how she tried her best to live her life despite of various troubles. Her being totally calm and having pure hearted demeanor is just so rare.
She is so committed to her loved ones that she tries her best to assist them mostly XL by giving her own blood all the time to cure him and protecting CX everytime. She is so admirable.?
On weibo, it shows that XY is a scorpion and since I am her fellow water sign buddy, I kind of understand her insecurities rooted from her past loses and traumas.
She needs security in her relationships where she should be sure that the other person will not abandon her at any cost and she can believe that person with her fragile heart. She is in such situation where she can not suffer anymore heart breaks.
That's why she took her time accepting her own identity of being a princess before her all security issues gets taken care of and believing that her father didn't really wanted to abandon her because of some rumours.
I myself and XY wants to be this kind of healing relationship that its better to torture physically than being abandoned from time to time by those for whom she had at least an ounce amount of faith and those who were being nice with her.
That's why she has basically closed her heart from upcoming vulnerable emotions and feelings strangers bring to her.
Zhang Wan Yi/ Cang Xuan:
Even though I'm not a big fan of CX character's life decision but I kinda understand why he took those decisions in his life as he needed to live while constantly fearing of his 5th and 7th uncle plotting all the way down the hill!
He had bunch full of people trying to assassinate him including people from Chenrong army because of his identity.
He said to XY in yesterday's ep that he no longer can be willfull after his mother's death. I'm sobbing for him 'cause every character in this drama has depth and weight in their heart can be felt so easily namely in XY, XL and CX's characters especially.
CX literally poisoning and losing his control over himself just to move out of Xiyan city is just so cruel to himself! He claiming in front of XY that he needs to remember today's suffering in order to remember it in the long course of time to stay strong for his goal is so commendable.
Hats off to ZWY's acting even his pupils work so hard to portray the feel of mad man who was addicted to those poisonous drugs which he needed to take just to make people around him think that he is depressed and can't do anything so that he won't be a danger to his uncles for the throne!
He tried to puch Chenrong XinYue off his body but at end wasn't able to resist her since she was the sister of his biggest benefactor.... He can't even have someone he loves dearly! So tragic all the way.
I haven't read the novel so I don't know what tragic things he will do to XY that she eventually wanted to kill CX after watching yesterday's ep where she tried her best to control CX when he lost himself to the drug! Poor them... CX please at any cost don't betray and break heart of XY....
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stellar performance ✨️
I have started this drama only because it is currently 'the talk of the town', a highly invested and budgeted drama, But i then decided to continue for many reasons:.Differently from other dramas where the connection with the characters normally gets me after 2-3 episodes, this one found a connection straight away, with the stellar performance of the FL whom i knew from Ashes of love, but which character didn't impressed me that much.
On this drama, Yang Zi delivers a courageous performance, perfectly cross dressing in a believable male role. Never afraid to look normal, not pretty in many scenes, BRAVO! She is one of the reasons i decided to continue.
The male leads surrounding her are each of then unique and are giving our FL different emotional and physical experiences, you have the brother, the 'puppy' kind of love offering warmth, the challenger abusive potential lover... i wish i was her to have them for me 😁😁
The characters have all gone through some sort of abuse, loneliness, and are mostly unloved .. and you might find the drama difficult to watch at times as very raw and painful.. but if you are able to digest those scenes, you will be rewarded and taken deeply into their world...
Some of the strong scenes were linked to the character that had taken my breath, heart and reasons away .. but i didn't have a say on this choice as... yes... i have a weak spot for white/silver haired man.... 😁😉
you might decide to drop drama as i did myself as i thought I couldn't bear to continue watching it.. but it then took me less than a day to get back at it because i actually couldn't bear to be without it! The irony...
If interested, it would help you to understand the reasons behind many events if you are able to get your hand on the novel this drama is based on. On My Drama List website, there is a discussion forum with links to the novel and further discussions and readings from the books.
A final Bravo to the whole team behind production! This drama is well constructed, with an interesting plot and characters developments.
Thank you!
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Sceneries are dead; Only meanings from people will bring them alive. An eternal company she wished.
........Plot and Brief Introduction to Main Characters :
Dahuang is divided into three kingdoms: Xiyan, Haoling and Chenrong. Chenrong and Xiyan are enemies and weighed a war but Haoling plays neutral... Chenrong was defeated by Xiyan but a remnant army still refused to surrender....
Xiao Yao is the princess of Haoling and Cang Xuan is the prince of Xiyan....
Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan are cousins lost their parents at a young age.. had no one to rely on other than each other but seperated because of various reasons for 300 years. Before seperation, they made a promise to stay by each other's side no matter what the future holds...
Xiao Yao went missing after she was sent to Jade Mountain.. without leaving a trace.... She casted a magic spell and changed her gender, face and name to Wen Xiao Liu..was living in secluded place, which did not come under territory of any kingdom.. as a doctor....
Living there for almost 20 years, she saved a person.. who was heavily injured by tortures, and then sheltered him... She named him "Ye Shi Qi" because he didn't wanted to reveal his identity, but guessed Xiao Liu's real gender and fell for her.. so determined to stay with her at any cost...
One day when Xiao Liu went in a sacred mountain to pick some good herbs to make money... she accidentally encountered a Nine-Headed Sea Demon named Xiang Liu... the current strategist and General of Chenrong remnant army.. famous for his ruthlessness, great fighting skills and mysterious identity....
Now the relationship between these leads begun to start.
........
Main Characters:
Xiao Yao/Wen Xiao Liu (Yang Zi): The Princess of Haoling, Haoling Jiu Yao.. A brave and clever girl... never gives up and knows how to fight back to survive even after being tortured for many years... Her biggest fear is loneliness.. because everyone she trusted and wanted to depend on, left or abandoned her for various reasons... Aspiring to live a peaceful and carefree life with a man who never leaves her... The one she cares about most is her cousin Cang Xuan...she could do everything to protect him... Xiao Yao developed feeling for Tushan Jing.. and also subconsciously fell for Xiang Liu as well...
.....
Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi): The Prince of Xiyan sent to Haoling as hostage... Used to be a kind-hearted person but become tough after the death of his parents.... His ambition is to be King of Xiyan, to be able to protect the ones he deeply cares for.... In the journey of achieving this ambition, he struggled hard.... Cang Xuan became ruthless for others but remained soft-hearted for the ones he cared... Due to his closeness with Xiao Yao, he developed some romantic feelings for her but never confessed, and also reluctantly helped her to being with her love....
.....
Xiang Liu/ Fangfeng Bei (Tan Jian Ci): Xiang Liu, a white-haired, Nine-Headed Sea Demon... tortured for many years in death battling arena... He managed to escape and was saved by Chenrong's Lord Hong Jiang... After being saved, to repay his gratitude.. he took up the responsibility of recovering the land lost in the war and avenging the soldiers of the Chenrong army.. Lonesome inside but still very calculative, never lose in a deal.... Xiao Liu is the only person who never thought of him as a strange creature, so Xiang Liu found a good partner in her...
Fangfeng Bei, another identity of Xiang Liu as Second Young Master of Fangfeng family... He is quite fun-loving person and a known playboy...
.....
Tushan Jing/ Ye Shi Qi (Deng Wei): A very soft-hearted person and clever-minded in business as he comes from a prestigious business family.. but tortured for years by his own brother and saved by Xiao Liu.... He wanted to give up everything and do whatever Xiao Yao asks for.. to being with her.. as he loves her deeply... Jing helped Cang Xuan in the path of becoming Emperor a lot, with his business skills and influence...
.....
Chishui Fenglong (Wang Hong Yi): He is a loyal friend and a calculative person, fell for Xiao Yao after she regains her appearance & status and helped Cang Xuan, to become Emperor, the most. He founds a perfect buddy in Xiao Yao more than love, wants to marry her for her status, beauty and personality and promised her to never marry another woman in his entire lifetime after marrying her and will accompany her always. He finally managed to get engaged with her after his proposal of marriage.
.........
My Impressions:
The plot is quite different from other Xianxias and it's a reverse harem... I am not into Reverse Harem genre but this one got me in. This is a character-driven drama and I enjoyed Xiao Yao's journey.
They all are amazing in their own way and everyone of them hurted Xiao Yao as well as protected her. Their bonds with Xiao Yao have different but special meanings to her.. Cang Xuan broke his promise to take her back from Jade Mountain because he was sent to Haoling as hostage. But, he still searched for her around the world until he found her.. He is an emotional support to her and a brother...
Tushan Jing broke her heart many times by falling in scheme of his fiancee and never succeed in cancelling engagement, even after made her wait for a long time, but he revived her heart to have hopes in life...
And Xiang Liu often sucks her blood and was rough with Xiao Liu in starting but once he started develop feeling towards her, he fell hard... He never broke her heart; instead he always accompanied and cheered her up when she felt down, hopeless and wanted to give up, and empowered her so she could protect herself. He never gave her hope to being in love with him and made everything he did for her to look like a fair deal.
Xiang Liu... he is my favourite character in the drama as well as book... His loyalty and selfless love wins me over... He never confessed his love to her directly, but indirectly in many ways.... And Fangfeng Bei, he is too, though he is Xiang Liu in real, but there is big difference in behaviour and approaches of both of them...
I loved Xiao Yao when she was Wen Xiao Liu more because of her tricks and free-spirited nature... The deep talks between Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu, every time they met.. and the fun they did together.. these are my most favourite scenes of the whole drama... The first two lines of my review's title are from the conversation between Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao... You can see how deep their talks are... She has a romantic relationship with Jing but she subconsciously fell for Xiang Liu as well.. though she never admitted and thinks of him as her friend, but it is very clear that they're soulmates...
I liked Cang Xuan and Fenglong more than Jing in drama.. I felt very boring whenever Xiao Yao met Jing everytime, just a lovy-dovey couple who has nothing else to do, which is not my cup of tea... though Jing is a good man and I like good men but still I can't help it... I also read the original book after the drama so I have quite a favourable opinion of Jing from there, but in drama he fell short... So I'm stating my opinion about Jing here according to the drama and not book.... Also, I want to make it clear here, all of my takes I mentioned in here about all the characters are based on the drama, so you need not to worry about the opinions formed because of the original book...
I also loved the interactions of Xiao Yao and Emperor of Xiyan.. She's so bold and her grandfather is so understanding of her.
.........
Acting:
Yang Zi as Xiao Yao has a great chemistry with all of them like you can ship her with any of them. Yang Zi did an amazing job portraying her two characters well... The emotional scenes she gave were extremely good.. I had tears in my eyes watching her...
Tan Jian Ci made Xiang Liu alive... The micro expressions... you can feel all the happiness and pain just looking into his eyes.. Jian Ci managed to create a difference between his two characters Xiang Liu and Fangfeng Bei successfully, like even I doubted at first, whether Fangfeng Bei is Xiang Liu or not...
Zhang Wan Yi and Wang Hong Yi also did a great job with their characters...
But Deng Wei, I found him lacking a little, probably he did best he could, but his expression sometimes feel wooden and his character gets boring, I found, he is the reason of my unfavourable opinion towards Jing...
..........
OSTs and Costumes:
OSTs are one of the best I have listened in the dramas so far. So pleasing and amazing.
My favourite is Xiang Liu theme....by Tan Jian Ci...
"Wait for the snow to fall, wait for fate to nearly love, wait for your lifetime to come;
I can't wait for lovesickness, can't wait for the flowers to bloom, the waiting that can't be waited for....
Nine songs of the world of mortals, everywhere is envy and self-suffering..
Gentleness is deep, every sound is silence, it is imprisonment..
The heart is like a floating map, the scenes are the coming roads, the returning roads...
Fate is like snow dancing, every step is lonely..."
~The Waiting That Can't be Waited For
Costumes did not disappoint me as these are so beautiful, especially the beautiful white robes of Xiang Liu....
.........
Ending and Recommendation:
This was a good ending and not a cliffhanger, Cang Xuan became emperor and Xiaoyao engaged to Chishui FengLong but many things remained unsolved and truth to be revealed so I'm Eagerly waiting for season 2 and loved this one very much.
Highly recommending this to everyone to give it a try. You'll never regret watching, instead may become obsessed with it..like me..haha!
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A great story that has an underlying message, "Sometimes, we don't deserve to have good things."
In the beginning, the story folded out very well. All of the characters have some kind of potential and brought lots of joys to the drama. Each character added a unique emotion to their scenes. Watching it, we can see the efforts put into this drama by Yangzi, WY, TJC, and DW. In the first 10 episodes, Yangzi holds the drama with her stellar acting. We felt all kinds of emotions. As the drama unfolded, Cang Xuan and Deng wei took 11 to 20 episodes on their back with their amazing performances. Epi 21 to 26 Tan Jianci stole our hearts and attention. When the romance between Jing and XY starts, I feel like that drama went downhill from there up until XL appears again to save XY 30 to 32. After that, the drama pretty much went downhill. Only watchable when XL appeared. Some people will understand why while others will not. It's ok. Just my opinion.Characters Wise:
In the beginning, Xiao Yao was independent. She didn't need any man in her life to complete her. However, after she became a princess, her character development went from a mature woman to a jealous girl in love. However, that is not the case with all of the male leads. She is very smart FL but when it comes to her love's life, she is clueless and dense.
CX - XY is mature, understanding, supportive
TSJ-XY is sometimes immature and jealous, going back and forth with TSJ's Fiancee issue.
XL-XY is mature, understanding on a deep level, heart-to-heart conversation, deep emotions
Cang Xuan - XY and CX got two of the purest, family loves that have ever been portrayed in Drama Land. They got each other back and will be ready to die for each other. However, throughout this ordeal, CX has to keep his one-sided love to himself due to his goal to protect Xy by becoming the King of Xiyan. Throughout this journey, he has used XY for his political gain but has also protected her along the way. Along the way, he has some character development. He went from being an overprotective brother to an understanding brother. Unfortunately, he will lose XY due to his yearning for XY's loves.
TSJ - TSJ is one of the kindest, purest men but has no backbone which becomes his weakness in the future. He is attentive but sometimes, that attentiveness is overdone. Imagine a guy asking you to go meet him and when you don't, he stays there until you feel bad enough to show up. In addition, locking down XY with a 15-year promise when he hasn't sorted out his Fiancee issues and continues for many more episodes. Also, his chemistry with XY as Shiqi was strong but once he become TSJ, he became weaker, and his chemistry with XY, for me, just kind of appeared boring from Epi 26-28 due to him never sorting out his Fiancee issue. Like come on dude, you have 39 episodes to sort out your life.
Xiang Liu - is my biased but I won't go into detail about why I love him. After episode 32, I cannot watch other people's scenes anymore. I skipped and watch XL's scenes because his scenes always make me cry and smile like an idiot. I get it. Although he has the bad boy aura, he is truly a person who is straightforward, goal-orientated, and knows what he wants-cleaning up XY and Jing's messes for them. Although he did some unforgivable things to the female, he also repaid her back with more than what he did to her: taking the love bug, giving XY his life twice, and saving Jing from death so XY and Jing can have a happy ending. His character development was one of the greatest, most complex characters created since AOL and 1000P.
As you reach Epi 32, you will start to understand why the title is so sad. However, XY and Jing deserved each other. I am glad XL will get the result that he has since the beginning till now. Sometimes, a happy ending is realizing your dreams.
Spoilers:
What pisses me off after I got to epi 32?
Everyone fighting about who deserves XY but did anyone observe whether XY deserve them?
In my opinion, XY is selfish, indecisive, weak, reliant, and not as independent as the beginning XY before she met all of them. Her character development turns for the worse.
She and Jing truly deserved each other. I am glad that they will kill XL after all the shit that he has done and will be doing for both of these two weak characters.
At this point, I am so done with this drama. Xiang Liu and Cangxuan are the only two characters holding this drama together. Without their presence, it is probably just another weak romance story.
I'm glad the author put the title "Lost You Forever" with regret and the possibility of what could have been. The author realized that sometimes, we don't deserve good things. Although some said the title is for CangXuan and XY, but I disagree. The title is for all of the main characters. Although it is a HE for XY and Jing, only a sad title is what they both deserved. Just my opinion.
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THE MOST CAPTIVATING ACTING PERFORMANCE EVER
I have always longed for a wuxia drama with a sensible, strong and relatable female lead and LYF gave me a 10 over 10. I cried so much, smiled so much when things got better and loved it so much!!! This should be ranked less than #100 in MDL. Hope the rating goes up. Excellent acting performance from the 4 main leads! Too beautiful and easily the best drama I watched...no cap. Cant wait for season 2A standing ovation for Yang Zi for the awesome acting, not many can pull off such performance. I have always loved actresses who are not just pretty but able to act and embody emotions because at the end of the day you can buy yourself a pretty face( don't mean in a bad way) but you can't buy creative acting skills (it takes hard work or natural talent)
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Best Xianxia I ever watched
I never wrote a review before so bear with me.Lost you forever is the most grounded xianxia I have seen in a long time. yes there are demons, nine tailed foxes and winged beasts but the drama, the politics, the emotions and the relationships are rooted in realism and complexity. The fantasy element is here to create wonder and an esthetically pleasing atmosphere as opposed to centering the story.
The story seldom uses genre tropes and when it does , it is successful at it. The FL here starts in the body of a man something that is never believable in so many other dramas. But here, Yang Zi delivers the most realistic "woman disguized as a man" role yet. The actress is allowed to look rugged and unglamourous, not using that hideous orange eye makeup and lipgloss. she has unassuming mannerisms and straightforward voice.
After her gender was revealed, she assumes her feminity but doesn't abandon her nonchalant attitude and priorities. for example, medecine and poison making.
The MLs(we have 4) are incredibly different and multilayered :
The 1st ML played beautifully by Zhang Wan Yi in what could only be described as a breakout role, is a politican first and foremost. He isn't aversed to using everyone including the FL for his endgame. The FL sees him as a brother and considers him the most important person in her life.
The 2nd ML : is the romantic interest, The most broken character that got a second chance at life thanks to the FL. He is smart, wealthy and savvy but because of his suffering doesn't care about material possessions and channels his means to help the FL and the 1st ML.
The 3rd ML: a demon who has 9 lives . uses the FL at first for her blood that possesses healing abilities but comes to love her and protect her later on.
the 4th ML: a good natured but ambitious politician who wishes to become his clan leader by allying with the 1st ML and marrying the FL.
I personally fell in love with the second ML for his gentleness and devotion to the FL and was happy to realize he would be endgame early on. Breaking again with the norms established within similar stories.
I also loved the complexity of the 1st ML. Rarely do we get a central character willing to do what he does.
So yes , this was a very enjoyable ride for me and I can't wait for the second season to wrap it all up.
Overall a 10/10 for me.
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Beautiful cinematography ; remarkable acting and such a pleasure to watch
I ventured upon LYF while waiting on new episodes for another drama - with the result of completely dropping the other drama to rewatch LYF obsessively when it wasn't updating. I had expected just another popular xianxia romance that are dropped a dime a dozen these days in C-drama land but instead was blown away with the quality of the production. The story was good but didn't seem too special to me - with common themes of ambition, family, love, and kindness. However, the ensemble performance of the actors along with the beautiful artistry in the setting and the captivating screenwriting really captured me. In general, the casting was superb - and every role was likable. The sheer beauty of each frame also just blew me away - I usually skip about half of each C-drama I watch as they are usually slow and draggy- LFY is still slow - but it was such a pleasure to slow down with it to savor the beauty of each scene - the beauty of the set combined with the costumes and the charisma of the actors. This was an ensemble casting with the romance line drawn mainly between the FL and the second and third ML who both had backgrounds in dancing. I think this paid off hugely in the artistry of each scene - the actors' silhouettes gracing the beautiful landscape surreally leaving us mortals sighing at the Chinese mystical fairyland.Story - This is a story that is steeped in Confucian culture- the world illustrated is quite traditional but with wisps of modernity - a world where women are allowed to be generals (such as the FL's mother) ; bodyguards; can do anything (even fight or make weapons!) as well as men - and are yet mostly still shut out of the top of the political economic structure. Harems are the norm ( I find it ironic that it is always the case in a 'reverse harem' story) and filial piety and tribalism rules the day. It seems that this is based on the common acknowledged social structure and the men's inter personal relations. Yet, in a world like this, the FL wishes to be able to stand on her own and not get hurt emotionally. Her one rule in marriage: that the guy must be solely devoted to her and not have any other women, seems impossible again and again to fulfill - it competes against manly ambitions; against loyalty/nationalism ; even against family interests. For people familiar with Chinese culture, many scenes in the movie are reminiscent to me a bit of the Story of the Red Chamber - with TSJ (2nd ML) especially having both the look and feel of Jia Baoyu - tragic, sensitive, almost feminine. In the original book, the take and illustration of TSJ's kindness and refusal to give in to hate and revenge is rather controversial with many readers seeing him as weak, and siding instead with the heroic Xiang Liu. The drama's stance feels more on TSJ's side - and the portrayal is quite masterful. Many details added in the drama enrich the original story and I'd go to say that this is the one rare occasion where the drama is at least as good, if not even better, than the novel.
Acting- I am blown away by the ensemble cast. Yang Zi was predictably good here but it was great to see that the five relatively unknown actors paired with her sometimes actually outshine her. The fresh faces are exciting to see and one hopes to see their careers develop over the next few years. Scenes featuring YZ and Zhangwanyi emphasize their skills in acting - YZ and TJC have a mystical romantic feel and the DW/YZ interactions are pure eye candy. I didn't have to fast forward any scenes on the first go. On my second viewing, I found myself mostly focused on scenes with Deng Wei and especially the Yao Jing or Liu/Shiqi scenes. Given DW's relative newcome status, I thought at first that was because of the characterization of his character and how likable it is. By the end of the 39 episodes, however, I have to say his acting was actually solid. Details were handled very precisely and I've never seen any character suffer so beautifully. DW really embodied TSJ/YSQ - given how green he is, I hope he can continue to develop his skills and bring us more productions in the future.
Music - as in many C-dramas I think they use and repeat the music way too much but the tunes are nice and beautiful. The novel emphasized the use of the zither and how beautifully TSJ can play it - I wish the drama did better with that. Given how classy the rest of the drama feels, it would have really been nice to really use zither music than modern ones. But at least it all sounds pretty good and catchy.
Cinematography - I was blown away with how beautiful the scenes were and even the CGI didn't feel fake! Many times I get annoyed at the use of cute little animals in xianxia c-drama as cheap tricks for little girls but I admit actually falling for both the Chubby bird and the White Fox spirit. I'm happy the producers didn't feel adding the cuteness dragged the artistry of the production down and it was nice to see a xianxia production that actually felt serious and classy.
Last take - Yang Zi has been a queen of xianxia ever since AOL was released. I think this is the best production yet she's in. It is worth all the angst and time and express pass money spent on it to watch and savor. I do think it is time for Yang Zi to move onto another genre but for now I am grateful for this production and of her leading the whole cast in making this drama memorable.
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Bawled my eyes
First I had my eyes on this full white "man" that I know soon his will make my heart ache whether it's on screen or read the novelOnly on novel he doesn't express Why he did things when everything he did comes with a price.
Then after finishing it... I knew deep down.. I love tu Shan Jing.
He is the best you can hope for someone who you want eternally.
Even xiaoyao endured alot of pains, physically and mentally. I still kinda envy her that she is never alone... literally alone.she always has someone..to care for her and stuff even it's on secret way to do.unlike Jing...
He also endured so much,yet he overcomed everything with only hope he has for xiaoyao.and he is way too amazing on handling everything that what I know even us..wouldn't do what he does when it comes to negativity.
Sorry to spoil I guess but I may not want to move on yet.
What I'm looking forward is seeing what I have read on screen. The actors and the Actresses are so good in bringing the character alive. I'm so amazed.
I said all of em. Yes all.
Yanzi, wan Yi,deng wei,hong Yi, jianci gege.
Standing ovation for all of you
May fortune downpour on you always.
Gbu
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