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It's more like "Fantasy Game in a Love Story"
I've been giving it a couple of days before I could actually write my honest opinion down about this one because it made me both sad and glad to finish it.The drama is about a young girl who's sucked into a fantasy novel and has to finish a few preset quests in order to finish the story. She gets these quests by the system of the game. In this new xianxia world filled with dangerous demons, mortals and demon catchers she has to find her way inside someone else's body. She's now Lin Yu, a noblemen's daughter and a spoiled brat, and she has to make Mu Sheng, a demonic demon catcher who hates her guts, fall in love with her.
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy started out great. It was everything I expected and more. It had lots of comedy, a chemistry to die for between actors I love and all wrapped up within a xianxia drama. I usually tend to stay away from the concept of someone being sucked within a novel but because I'm a fan of Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi, I've been waiting for this drama for ages. I was into it by the end of episode one and waited excitedly for another episodes.
Until around episode 24-ish. I ended up missing days of episodes and not being motivated to catch up. From the moment the two main leads actually get together and confess to each other, the chemistry takes a nosedive into the ground and it doesn't really resurface. They're still cute together but the romance falls flat. Ling Miaou Miaou (her real name form the real world) hangs around Mu Yao and Cui Cui more than she does Mu Sheng and it seperates them most of the time. It felt like I was watching a whole different story than the one I began.
Positives:
- When it became less of a romantic comedy it became a story about 5 friends fighting together and saving each other while saving the rest of the world. I loved watching them bond and become closer each episode.
- The chemistry between Lin Yu and Mu Sheng was intense the first half of the drama. I especially liked those scenes in the capitol where they both knew they loved the other but hadn't gathered the courage to confess yet. They were so cute in those episodes.
- The costumes were beautiful!
- There was a focus on Fu Yi and Mu Yao as well. They're the mainleads within the novel so it makes sense for them to get so much screentime.
Negatives:
- That ending was a mess. I just didn't understand why Mu Sheng had to die at that point. He was fine one second and dead the next without any explanation. I was more dumbstruck than sad and couldn't believe what had happened. It ruined the whole thing. The things that followed didn't make it any better. Only made it worse. To me it made no sense for him to go back in time to find Miaou Miaou. And to have them defeat the Resentful Woman that easily... just because they did it together... It was a big no-no for me.
- Miaou Miaou her amnesia episodes. At first I struggled through that bracelet arc but the "forgetting him" thing came back once or twice more and it became ridiculous. She even forgot who she really was. I really liked her character in the beginning but started to get annoyed with her in the end.
- The "it was all a dream" thing and it not even being her dream... I just really hate the ending.
Overal, I do recommend the drama to anyone who's in for a fun drama to watch. It's light and comedic until you get to the later episodes where the story does turn a little to the darker side.
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It Grows On You
I picked this up for the two male leads as they have both impressed me with their characters in several previous series. The story line was also kind of different so was curious about it. I will say that I dropped it twice before just jumping to episode 5 and fast forwarding until 7 when the plot actually picked up. But it did grow on me.Pros: I really liked the group dynamic and how they were--once formed--very "leave no man behind" no matter what the situation is. Because this was a transmigration into a book thing, the characters could be reborn or healed by unlocking certain elements of the game. Both ML and SML played their parts well and I was happy to see more differences and versatility from them. When they were together with the two female leads (both of whom had their own strengths and abilities plus evolution) and the kid, they really were a force to be reckoned with. I like the different mysteries that they solved on the path of eliminating an evil woman; this was another drama where demons were often misunderstood and way better than humans.
The ML was half demon and actually the author of the novel as well as a series of books which the FL was a fan of and followed but when this novel came out, it was really bad as it was his first book that he wrote when he was a teenager and diagnosed with a disease that could only be treated when he was an adult and his parents fought all the time so he was writing from a place of anger and dejection. So both he and the FL were thrown into the book with her determined to rewrite the ending and him not knowing anything really or pretending not to until the very end. To make it more predestined, they had actually met in middle school where he developed a crush on her (but his first book ended the way it did was also around the time that the FL left the school due to the loss of her father) and as he grew up he basically wrote all of the books for her. As he saw her comments online which encouraged him, he grew to love her even more and after going in for surgery decided to revise that first novel. It was while he was in surgery that his trip happened while for her it was an overnight dream.
Costumes fit each character accordingly, as do the OSTs, sets, and CGI.
Cons: Though it did grow on me; the fact that I couldn't watch the first 5-7 episodes without dropping or fast forwarding due to the beyond ridiculous slapstick humor that didn't land from the FL and the plot not going anywhere was hard. Dramas need to hook you from the beginning and this one just didn't. If it wasn't for the people I really wanted to see in different roles, I probably wouldn't have stuck around though it got a lot better with more episodes.
That ending was a total mess. It's being questioned whether or not it's an HE or OE on Weibo by fans. What were the editors thinking? Did they unscrew their brains for a day or something? The ML filmed the actual ending as he calls the FL's name; he was there! Yet they cut that part and had just his voice say her name and her stare beyond the camera in shock and then smiled as the paparazzi behind her all called his name and said that he was coming. What in the what? They had the kid and his grandpa in the real world selling ice cream at the event location, but they couldn't show the ML coming over to her and at least hugging her or holding her hands? Plus what happened to the second couple? They don't get roles in the real world? They were just left without proper closure creating that ladder to heaven and that's it? Someone help me out here? It's ridiculous! I was very displeased with that and it knocked .5 off my rating automatically. Endings are as important as beginnings; so if they're screwed up, the drama will take a hit.
Would I recommend it? Honestly, this is a good drama if you need something to tie you over between something anticipated or if you're a fan of any of the actors, then sure. All in all, a decent watch.
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Drama that made me purchase WeTV VIP and express pass after a year of boring Cdramas
**If LBFAD, New Life Begin, and Fangs of Fortune had a Baby — Love Game in Eastern Fantasy**The last full length Cdrama that I watched completely was Love You Seven Times which I forced myself to watch because I loved the universe of LBFAD. My legit last foray into full length drama was My Journey To You because again I like Esther Yu in a different role and Zhang Linghe was ok in LBFAD but alas I got bored because even though MJTY was gorgeous it was just too dark and brooding for me. What turned me off from Cdramas is the very formulaic storyline that gets repeated for the nth time with different cast, crew, and production team. But after reigniting my fondness for Esther Yu, and watching the clips, I was finally able to go back to watching Cdrama through LGEF and yes I bought WeTV VIP and Express pass after a year of Cdrama hiatus.
**Love that Heals and Comforts**
LGEF may not be about some heroic love of the couple against the world like in LBFAD. Heck even Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi never kissed or had any passionate hugs in the whole 32 episodes, but their chemistry is just there — something warm, fuzzy, and comforting. In general I felt like the main theme of the drama is about Love that heals and comforts — love between romantic partners, friends, family members, even love for humanity in general has the ability to heal wounds and can comfort the most jaded people. The story also touched on self love which LBFAD barely went into. Every episode was unique in showing different types of love even the obsessive type.
** Story on rollercoaster with multiple savepoints**
This aspect of the drama is both its strength and weakness. Strength in that every episode is exciting even without the need to watch out for the skinship between Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi, because every episode have something that will make you cry or feel the feels. Even though the story is a bit predictable, but the dialogues and the way the characters showed their connections and relationships just made sense and made you relate to them giving justice to the Ensemble cast. There is also several mini “stories” in the drama with the first 24 episodes (if cut can be a story on its own) having a sensible overarching plot. The added episodes and plot points just added to the extensive world building in the drama connecting the book and real life. Even the songs in some episodes are neatly tide back to the beginning/end.
The con for this is that because there was a lot of exciting plot points per episode/arc, we kind of lost focus on the OTP which is Miaomiao and Ziqi. So if you’re expecting something similar to LBFAD or LYST, you will be disappointed. Even the supporting couple had more skin ship and more concrete “labelling” of their relationship than the main couple. Likewise, in the later part of the drama, the multiple save points and resets were becoming a bit too taxing. Because one moments you already cried and is happy that finally they have their happy ending and then the story then says booyah we still have a problem and then the cycle of grief and exhilaration repeats. The final ending is expected but I think the best explained one among all the book/game to real world transmigration story there is.
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The second season of the Romance of Tiger and Rose we never thought we would get
you can't see this drama without thinking of the famous the Romance of Tiger and Rose. But a remake of this classic ? Of course it works !! The grumpy Han Shuo is now the grumpy Mu Sheng, and the third princess is now Lin Yu, the wicked daughter of an official.If you liked the romance of Tiger and Rose you'll like this drama. You don't get bored, on the contrary, this new story is fresh and Ester Yu manages to create a touching and cute character. As usual, the production is flawless and plot keeps you interested.
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Why did this show have to have Esther Yu????
After watching melody of Golden Age, I was looking forward to another drama by Ding Yu Xi. I loved him in all the dramas I have watched with him so far, except moonlight, which I couldn’t finish because of Esther Yu, but I still wanted to give this one a try, despite Esther Yu, just because of Ding Yu Xi. I just managed to watch a trailer and that was enough to put me off the show completely. I am sorry Ding Yu Xi, but you need to choose carefully who you are being cast with, if you want your work to be appreciated. As for Esther Yu, what do I say, I feel she jinxes every male lead that she works with, by overshadowing their hard work with her kiddish, silly acting and her toddler-like voice, which is frankly like pouring burning hot oil in one’s ears. I mean the woman is almost 30, acting in a drama where she has been cast as an adult, can she not act her age for once? Do people seriously like her so much that they can overlook her pathetic acting and baby voice and keep showering her with false praises? Nothing against those who think this drama is worth ten stars, I seriously wanted to give it a sincere try, even if it was just for Ding Yu Xi, but the trailer was sufficient to put me off it forever! My sincere apologies to Zhu Shu Dan and Yang Shi Ze as well, I love you guys, and I wanted to watch you so much, if it was not Esther Yu I had to watch you guys with. Please do more dramas minus Esther Yu and I promise to watch all of them!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Best plot and acting
Personally read the book, and have to say they did a great job in adapting the book, with the parts changed (knowing Chinese censorship). The acting was phenomenal. I have always loved Ding Yuxi but I think Musheng is a truly breakout and memorable role for him. He has the ability to portray the most complex of emotions, and what's most amazing is that you will be able to see all these myriad of emotions clearly as an audience. Esther Yu was also the perfect cast for the role, she was able to portray the cuteness naturally. Last thing, great kudos to the director and the team, many scenes were a cinematic masterpiece.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
1No drama Chekhov's Gunned the way YYXH did
This is the first time I'm writing a public review ever since I've started watching dramas (which was a long time ago). I usually only write reviews on my private account for my close friends to see, but the brainrot that YYXH left me to have really calls for a review.STORY:
Every little thing that was put in the novel or game world tied up nicely to Ziqi and Miaomiao's reality. Every single detail that they have introduced here and there served a purpose in the story.
This was very much evident in the last two episodes where everything came to a full circle and the audience are given a chance to have THAT realization on why the plot of the novel was like that, why the characters are acting a certain way, and why this and that happened along the way.
These details added depth to the Ziqi and Miaomiao of the real world, making us feel for them the same way we did for the Ziqi and Miaomiao of the novel or game world.
Usually, transmigration shows have the same formula. The MC would go into the novel or game, the MC will try to change the story to survive, the MC beats the final boss and reaches the end of the story and they're brought back to their real world—where, if they're lucky, they might meet their love interest again. The End.
In this show, up until the 2nd to the last episode, they followed that formula, until they deviated from it—Miaomiao goes into the novel, Miaomiao tries to change the story to survive, Miaomiao beats the final boss and reaches the end of the story BUT just when Miaomiao was about to be brought back to the real world, THE TWIST HAPPENS.
And it's ultimately revealed how the novel or game world is not that far from Miaomiao's reality. In fact, the real world is heavily integrated into it. Miaomiao herself is heavily integrated to it.
It's kind of meta, if you ask me. And that's one thing I like the most about the story. It's very much "aware".
My interpretation is that:
- When Miaomiao still had her memory, YYXH's plot was on track. She made fun of the novel, made her own changes, and this is what we, as the audience, loved to see. This is what made us watch YYXH.
- But then, Miaomiao lost her memory. The plot faltered. And of course it will, our player is no longer playing—she FORGOT that she's playing. The plot is on auto-pilot now. YYXH is following Catching Demon's plot. It's natural it's going to be "bad" at that point, Miaomiao judged it as "bad" herself.
- Then, towards the end, Miaomiao finally regained her memory. AND IT WAS PEAK.
I won't say anything more to avoid spoilers. GO WATCH THE SHOW AND BE THE JUDGE!
BONUS: I love how they utilized the System. Usually, for shows like these, the System is forgotten midway. But here, the System is constantly involved and it only stopped being involved when Miaomiao forgot about it—which, again, shows that the story is very much "aware".
The production team definitely knew what they were doing.
ACTING/CAST:
I'm not really an authority when it comes to acting. My only criteria to say that an actor is good is when I'm able to enjoy the show while watching him or her. (My opinion is that it doesn't really matter how much technical skills an actor has. If the actor delivers what he has to deliver and make me feel for their character, then they're good in my books.)
And I definitely enjoyed watching the show. In fact, it was a joy to see Ding Yuxi and Yu Shuxin on screen again. They deliver what they have to deliver and their chemistry is a wonderful sight to see.
The chemistry of the ensemble cast is lovely, too. The found family vibes is too strong and it made me want to see more of their adventures.
The side characters are also good.
(Can I also say: I love how there's no definite villain in this show. They have their own considerations and when you think about things in their perspective, it makes sense why they acted the way they did. It's just realistic in a sense that everyone has their own life and it's just a matter of having different interests on why they're on different sides.)
MUSIC:
The soundtrack SLAPS. All the BGM and sound effects were properly placed and adds to the overall watching experience.
REWATCH VALUE:
For all of its easter eggs, one watch is not enough to catch them all. There's so much detail put into this story that if you watch it again, you'd notice something new.
In fact, even before you finish it, there are already a lot of scenes where you can't help yourself but go, "Oh, I have to watch that again."
OVERALL:
To be honest, the story is not anything grand—like, you wouldn't go into this and objectively think, "Oh, this is a masterpiece."
But there's heart in it that even when it's as simple as can be, you just FEEL that it is definitely a gem that you want to keep. It's definitely a comfort show more than anything.
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Only when you love yourself first can you truly love another.
I wish I could write a coherent review for this series. Truly one of the most heart-warming shows I've watched in a long time, which I didn't expect at all, considering how the story's concept didn't seem all that serious in the beginning.[Some vague or random spoilers ahead, but spoilers nonetheless.]
Ling Miaomiao, the female lead, get sucked in to this book world with a game-like system, into the body of the book's supporting character but also villain, Lin Yu, when she writes a hate post about the said book's plot and crappy ending. Right away, she's thrown beginner tasks after beginner tasks which proceeds to show one of the most hilarious first three episodes of a cdrama I've ever watched. I don't remember laughing out loud as much as I have during the first three episodes of this show. Miaomiao also has the funniest voiceovers, thinking out loud the viewers' thoughts - criticising plot loopholes, admiring handsome characters, wondering about the CGI budget, etc. and I would say these voiceovers were the life of the first third of the show.
Miaomiao survives her hellish trial period in the game and it is revealed what she actually has to do to leave the game - defeat the book world's main villain - the Resentful Woman, and make the novel's male supporting lead, Mu Sheng, fall in love with her a.k.a. have positive 100% favorability towards her. Which is practically the same as having a snowball's chance in hell since Mu Sheng hates her guts a.k.a. views her with -250% hostility.
But Miaomiao, armed with her knowledge about the book world's fate, begins to change not only the main characters' trajectory but also the even lesser supporting ones. The arc with her book father is one of most moving subplots in this show and it made me tear up (happy tears!).
How the drama then proceeds to show the transition from the horrendous -250% to the humble 55% was very "kilig"-inducing. Episodes 7-10 must be my favorite episodes aside from episode 20 and the last episode. Episodes 7-10 are really where the magic happens and I got to know more about Mu Sheng or Ziqi, as Miaomiao calls him. Ziqi's book character is cruel, manipulative and only cares about his adopted sister, Mu Yao - the book's main female lead. But then Miaomiao comes along and she slowly but surely tiptoes her way to his heart. And when inside, you can bet Ziqi's eyes are practically glued to her.
Other than the main leads, all the side characters gets their own mini storyline (without taking anything away from the major storyline) rather it elevates the storytelling even more with a rich world and characters. The writer really shows everyone is the hero of their own world and story. Even the minor demons that they encountered along the way all had touching backstories.
I really liked how everything, the demons' stories included, was linked to love. To love and be loved. The extent of one's love. How love changes you. How you gain strength because of love. How you become whole first in order to truly love someone else. This was the theme of the show.
Even Ziqi's parents had such a touching love story and I like how it was revealed [spoilers!!!] that they weren't separated by external forces as what I had initially been led to believe, but rather it was their choice, as it was the best choice for everyone they loved at that time. The most beautiful love doesn't always have to be kept. Sometimes it is let go, and only then will it take root and spread to others (in this case, it was in the form of Ziqi who survived because of his parents' sacrifice).
And now the ending, which I absolutely love!
[MAJOR ENDING SPOILERS AHEAD].
When the end came, the reveal about Ziqi's real self and modern background story was everything. It turns out Ziqi (yes in the real world his name is Ziqi) is actually the author Fu Zhou (his pen name) and he was born with a disease that made his life, his family's circumstances and his growing up very difficult. But Miaomiao, like how she became the sun to book Ziqi's world, was actually originally real-life Ziqi's sun in the real world. She inspired him and that's how he started writing stories. Every story he wrote was for her, every beautiful ending he crafted was for her. But he had always stayed afar. And when his disease caught up to him (the same time Miaomiao is experiencing the book world's ending), he makes a choice in the real world to bravely undergo surgery. And in the book world, book Ziqi, after experiencing the predetermined catastrophe of the book's ending, realized he was Fu Zhou all along. He lets Miaomiao know he has always liked her and he has always wished she would know. With the strength that Miaomiao gives him, Ziqi saves the book world and in the real world, Fu Zhou goes under the knife, his last thought being his three wishes, the last of which was running to Miaomiao and telling her how he feels. And that's exactly how it ends. Miaomiao wakes up with only a vague recollection of her time in the book world and she remembers she had loved someone. She attends Fu Zhou's book signing event and sees two people (who resembles two characters in the book - Cui Cui and his grandpa) which makes her pause as if remembering something. Then Ziqi calls her name~ at first she's surprised but at she looks at him (we're not shown Ziqi unfortunately), she slowly smiles!
The closing line is one of the best ending lines ever. Watch it yourself but the summary is the title of this review.
To me, it's a clear happy ending, not an open ending. The book Ziqi that Miaomiao has fallen in love with is the same Ziqi she meets in the real world as he, through his pen name Fu Zhou, wrote himself and his circumstances into the book. Miaomiao's feelings are real. And Ziqi has always liked Miaomiao since the beginning. The impact she had on his life actually made me tear up. She's the source of his inspiration, his sun. His wishes were to survive and let Miaomiao know how he feels. And that's practically what the ending has set up.
Real-life Ziqi is already in love with Miaomiao. And Miaomiao transmigrated into the book to learn and figure out just how much. And she does! "All my novels were written for you," book Ziqi had said when he realized he was Fu Zhou. Honestly, there couldn't have been a sweeter confession than this, especially to a fan from the author she has admired for years. So even though we aren't shown, I'm 100% sure they will catch up with each other, get to know each other more and Miaomiao will recall her time in the book world slowly or even vaguely and they will spend lots of time recounting to each other her experience in the book as opposed to what Ziqi/Fu Zhou wrote. It's a clear happy ending!
Bonus favorite parts of this show: Yu Shuxin as Miaomiao and Ding Yuxi as Ziqi. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing their roles. Esther was everything adorable in this world and Ryan had the most soul wrenching eye acting ever.
Thank you for a very wonderful two weeks, Love Game In Eastern Fantasy! You will be missed and will be rewatched from time to time!
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A vibrant, heartwarming, and funny series that delivers
This is easily one of my favourite dramas of the year!A vibrant, heartwarming, and funny series that delivers everything I look for in a transmigration show.
What I Loved About This Drama:
-Relatable Premise: The story of a day-to-day corporate slave escaping into the world of fiction immediately drew me in. It’s a setup that feels so grounded yet perfectly whimsical.
-Stunning Visuals and Costumes: The costumes in the game world are incredible. It’s clear that the production team put a lot of thought into them, as they beautifully reflect each character’s personality.
-Comedy and Storytelling: This show has excellent comedic timing and clever storytelling that hooked me from Episode 1. The humour is consistently on point, keeping the mood light and enjoyable.
-A Bubbly and Funny Female Lead : Esther absolutely shines in this role! She brings her character to life with hilarity and charm, making it impossible not to root for her.
-FL vs. "The System": Watching the FL constantly fight and scoff at the "system" is hilarious—those moments had me laughing out loud!
-A Tsundere Male Lead : If you get past the first few episodes, the ML evolves into such a lovable character. DYX was born to play this role—his portrayal made him insanely attractive to me!
-Off-the-Charts Chemistry: The leads’ dynamic is pure gold. Their bickering and banter are endlessly entertaining, and their chemistry has only gotten better since their previous collaboration in Moonlight.
-A Wholesome Team: The supporting cast adds so much to the story. Their camaraderie and adventurous journey together are delightful.
-Unexpected Twists: The plot is far from simple. I loved the twists and reveals sprinkled throughout the series, keeping me on my toes.
The Flaws (Because No Drama Is Perfect):
Of course, the show isn’t without its shortcomings. I wish they would’ve showed more romance and kisses of the leads instead of focusing on subplots and backstories that were not that interesting to me, after all, it’s so rare to find a pairing of actors that instantly make you smile when you see them together, but even that did not make me dislike this drama.
For me, the drama hit a lull between Episodes 21–25. These episodes felt less compelling, and I found myself skimming through them.
That said, the story picked up again around ep.26, and the finale—though rushed (as is common with C-dramas)—provided a satisfying closure for me. I suspected the ML is the author of the novel and somehow got sucked into his book, but it is so much more than that. It transformed the drama into a profound journey of self-healing and acceptance. The overarching message that you can only truly love someone if you first love and believe in yourself was deeply moving.
Final Thoughts:
Despite its flaws, this drama is one I’ll re-watch countless times. Kudos to the cast and crew for creating such a memorable series! While I’m still mad af that we didn’t get a proper kiss between the leads (a forehead peck doesn’t count!), skipping this drama because of that would mean missing out on a fantastic show. Highly recommended!
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(Warning! So many spoilers here) Showing Appreciation to Emotionally Relatable Characters
I loved all the characters in this drama. I always enjoy analyzing each character and comparing them to myself and the relationships I encounter in real life. That’s exactly what I plan to do here as well. I didn't see anyone talk about side characters that much, so I might talk about some of those I found interesting. This is my first time writing a review!Let's start with the novel's FL (SFL), Mu Yao is someone who shoulders every burden by herself, always protecting others but neglecting her own well-being. Her overwhelming sense of responsibility is both extraordinary and excruciating. In today’s world, she represents those hardworking individuals who feel guilty or fearful of taking a break, constantly worried they might not be strong enough to face life’s challenges and protect what they ought to protect.
Then, the novel's ML (SML) Liu Fuyi is a character driven by a desire to repay the kindness he has received. I deeply connected with him in the sense where I often feel the need to repay those who have supported and strengthened me and sometimes feel tied/chained, especially when I do them wrong. Despite his background, he strived to be good to others. However, when he has failed and felt like he betrayed those he values, he shoulders the blame entirely, even to the point of self-destruction. His principle of "forgiving oneself is difficult, instead focus on atonement" is admirable, but a powerful reminder to let go of unnecessary guilt. He taught me that while our actions can have serious consequences, not everything is under our control. I actually really liked his back story. I don't know why some say it was boring and unnecessary.
Cuicui was the most innocent character, and I loved how he was designed as a bamboo shoot incapable of hiding anything. Him giving the letter to Ziqi was the best and most relieving thing that happened in the whole show for me. I felt so thankful to him, he saved our CP hahah! They relied on him so much, in the forest with the water demon and at the end, to help save the "novel world", it was sooo cuteee! Cuicui is the real hero! He is the cutest, the best!
Fuyi’s master and Mu Yao’s father’s friend was the most tragic character for me personally. The friendship fallout between him and Mu Yao's dad was a reflection of how friendships often falter after deep disappointment. Some might say, “Well, then it wasn’t a strong friendship to begin with,” but pride and failed expectations can make reconciliation incredibly difficult. His regret was heartbreaking.
Now the leads, (ML) Mu Sheng/Ziqi, a half-demon, struggles with self-acceptance. He is an insecure character, distrustful of others because he doesn’t trust himself. I can relate to this in the context of social interactions—how we sometimes hesitate to reveal our "inner demons," fearing judgment of being different. His journey felt deeply personal, reflecting the challenges of self-love. There will always be parts of ourselves that we must learn to love and accept, despite how hard it is. There are people who will accept us and love us, no matter how ugly this "inner demon" is, which was kindof shown in episode 7 (this was my favorite episode).
(FL) Miaomiao was the most relatable. She was tired of her mundane everyday life. Her days are brightened by reading novels, a feeling that resonates with me (and probably most people here). We often rely on dramas as an escape from the stress and monotony of reality. I believe her purpose in traveling to that alternate world was to reflect on her conscious and unconscious desires:
1. Rewrite the ending of her favorite author’s novel and feel less betrayed by giving a HE instead, (even at the end, her desperation for a HE remained strong, also because she felt all the characters' genuineness)
2. Fulfill her longing for her late father (this was the most emotional part of the show for me, this made me cry the most)
3. Experience a sense of accomplishment in her job (to compensate for feeling overworked and unappreciated with her real world job as an office worker). In the novel she becomes a demon catcher who helps fight against Revengeful woman. Even got the Apocal Power (she was so cute trying to brag about her powers hahhaha).
I feel like it wasn't just a world Fu Zhou created to fulfill his 3 wishes, but also for Miaomiao to fulfill hers. that's why both of them got sucked in it. Plus, Miaomiao experienced love and met Fu Zhou as Mu Sheng/Ziqi, who she overlooked and didn't interact with in the real world. It was a chance for him to show his love, her chance to feel that love, and theirs' to experience the love they both deserved. I didn't read the novel, so all of these are based on my understanding of the drama alone, so I'm not entirely sure I'm making a point.
Some other aspects of the drama that I LITERALLY ADORED TO THE CORE:
Showing the favourability percentage WAS SOO EXCITING!
Everytime it was shown, i felt so giddy, it's so unique, don't you think? It showed the development of their relationship in a more "quantitative" way than a "qualitative" way HAHAHH as a science person, numbers just makes everything right! haha
Also, -200% was HILARIOUS!
The reflection domain made me scream! IT WAS JUST AMAZING, I can't find words with how incredible it looked, the contrast colors (i don't know what you call that), how the transition was done! WAAAHH, I was just in awe!
The soundtrack is also really good! I am also biased, but when Ding Yuxi sang his version of "stare intently", I just cried of happiness.
Ding Yuxi, i've been his avid fan since 2020. I have been waiting for this drama since I saw the news of them being cast, it was like waiting for a lifetime, but the show ended too fast, I needed more. I totally loved Moonlight, (I think I've rewatched it at least 5 times including the time after watching LGIEF hahaha). I have been watching all his dramas, never has he disappointed me, EVER!!! I fell in love with him at first sight as Zhou Shiyun in "Intense Love", were in delusional relationships with his other roles like Chu Kong in "Love you seven times" and this year, I married Shen Du (Melody of Golden Age) in my head (haha) and again fell crazy in love with Mu Sheng/Ziqi (his Fu Zhou appearance was drop dead hot, him with those glasses just made me go crazy). I think they really did a great job with his costume in this drama. He looked so good in other dramas as well (like in Love you seven times ) but he looked 100x more handsome in this one! His chemistry with Esther Yu is again no doubt exceptional, they slayed in both dramas : Moonlight and LGIEF.
I hope Ding Yuxi gets more dramas, he had so many this year, which made me so happy. I'm now waiting for "Black and White Forest", him in another type of role, I just cannot wait!
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i must love myself, before 100% loving someone
i just have to say, this is my favourite chinese drama for 2024. i wasn't expecting much but upon seeing the trailer on xiao hongsu, it caught my attention immediately. what do you mean, travelling into a book being an evil second lead and needing the evil second lead to fall in love with you 100%?!i would say that miaomiao is actually a gift to musheng, muyao and liu fuyi. she helped musheng to not be ashamed of his identity, allowed him to walk it out and turned him to a softer musheng. she is muyao's best friend where muyao finally found a girl-friend that she can talk to and adore. she informed liu fuyi about his loveline before hand.
i love how miaomiao and musheng's chemistry with each other, which we have the thank esther yu and ding yuxi! the musheng we had, is filled with youth/young energy that i love! the progression of -200% to 99% was such a rewarding process to see as you get to see the change in calling each other such as from "mu gongzi / ling xiaojie" to "ziqi/miao miao"
i love how they didn't downplay muyao's character and continued to give her the main character energy! i really love it when muyao found out about ziqi's identity. rather blaming on him or anyone, she blamed it on herself. blaming herself for not knowing about it. the fact that liu fuyi also tried his best to help was heart-warming to see. hence, the changes in the script was well-written.
the chemistry between the 4 master of bamboos are pleasing to me as well. i want to pack them together so they can be together forever. where-ever the 4 masters of bamboo go, they are so much fun to watch and the way they know what's going online and would just say it out! it is just so funny to me.
and yes, i am waiting for their next work together as 4 masters of bamboo or musheng x miaomiao or liu fuyi x muyao. i am ok with any- please just give it to me
there are so many things i love about this show. such as, ending credits in the first 10 minutes, getting electric shock with the bones and many more. iconic moments such as musheng's beautiful crying scenes, miaomiao's "thank you ah, musheng-er", our 4 bamboo masters. my favourite ep? ep 22, i love how they got together, had each other's back and showing the team spirit.
the outfits are pleasing to the eyes too! i really love each characters' outfit and you can see the design team really put in effort in designing and sourcing for the outfit and hairstyle. usually main characters would get flashier outfits, but over here, everyone is a main character in their own story and the outfit and dressing really prove that statement,
(spoiler!) the ending could be a little confusing but i believe that fuzhou ded -> ziqi went in to his body! + lowkey moonlight call back with the fireworks and bunny apples.
there are some complains about the ost but i personally really love it! to me, i just feel like it hits on the spot. in fact, i love all the tracks for this drama.
a little out of the box, this show really deserved its popularity because the production crew listens to the fans well. you want it, you can have it. i am so glad that that people are able to discover this show. for me, i think it is rather fresh. and i am excited to see their variety show!
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it’s fun to watch
This drama is cute and funny.I laugh out loud in first episode because I did not expect that comedy scene of closing credits.
I was not a fan of Esther Yu, because in her previous dramas especially her famous one with dylan wang, her acting of cuteness and voice is so cringe to watch. But in here, I think she tone down her way of acting cute and that’s why it became natural and isn’t cringe at all. I love her in this drama.
For yu xi, he is always one of the best.
The plot is really fun to watch and no boring at all. Chemistry between the leads is awesome.
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