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The Sweet, Sweet Balm on My Xianxia Hatred LOL
46/50 - RATED - ?✨ A Genuine 10That Ashes of Love review is going to haunt me. First it was Immortal Samsara that blew expectations out of the water and now this just topped it. I had resigned myself to hating the genre. In fact, after the AoL review, I went through my 'to watch' list removing the xianxia stuff and I do believe, Shen Li was one of them. I was only determined to watch IS because I have a Cheng Yi bias. I also don't give out 10s easily. I only recently gave a 10 for a show that I haven't even finished yet, before my heart gave out, and again, it's because of Cheng Yi.
I don't have that excuse this time. I genuinely loved this. The story flow kept it's pace. I was invested from the start. I loved the leads from the start, it didn't get too melodramatic, there were no stupid love triangles or miscommunications and I cared enough about the side characters. And when things got heated or emotional, I felt it in my stomach.
That scene in the cave, I was feeling seduced ?That little random clip of the rhythmic movement of the waves with the dancing. Damn. Symbolism, I see you ?
What really turned this show from a 9 to a 10 was the depiction of the ML's God role. I have this thing in Xianxia's were the deities are always the assholes and I'm routing for the demons. This show pretty much sets you up that way, with the FL being an elite warrior demon God, running away from a marriage from one of the Heavenly Immortals. From the first few seconds I was running with her. I'd have been running too.
I had the ML sussed out early. To be fair, it's pretty obvious what's happening but when we really get to see him use his God powers, I could hear a choir of angels singing 'Hallejuah' in my head. Finally. FINALLY. A God character acting how I imagine a God to act. Aloof but kind, fearless because he knows he's the most powerful thing walking and has nothing to prove and unhurried because when you're eternal, what is time? He doesn't care that you've got all the legions of hell behind you, one snap of his fingers, boom, sit down. He was also hilarious LOL
Bringing in this idea that as a God, he can't have desires or be too in his feelings because of attachment, makes perfect sense in this reality. It's not just some stupid plot narrative to create drama. We can see why that kind of power can't be wielded for personal gain.
As for the actual romance, damn. I kind of felt it, I got caught up in my feelings a few times towards the end LOL
As for the villains, they honestly weren't too complicated or were even frustratingly evil. They were just the bad guys, which can be a nice comfortable watch if you struggle with anxiety. Everything keeps an even pacing and there's nothing majorly upsetting.
Would like to mention the side quest happening with one of the ML's fallen God friends. I kind of like the mystery happening here. Sometimes we do get a little side story happening in the back of the main plot but this was a whole other series happening and it really made me smile. He's obviously being trialled between the two women which makes me wonder what he actually did in order to fall in the first place LOL It served a purpose to the main plot while still holding a little of it's own mystery. It has that 'our stories are intertwining' feeling and I love when writers do that.
There was also an overall melancholy and wise approach to the nature of life and death. It touched me a little as well as how the characters, esp the ML, dealt with this eternal cycle. And as someone who believes in hope and looks for it in my entertainment, it was lovely seeing that hope restored in the ML, particularly in that ending scene. I was honestly waiting for it and am satisfied with the look on his face. The actor nailed it.
Music- There was a nice little mix happening here, I really liked it. They had some chunky guitars, softer, romantic vocals and as with MLC, I'm pretty sure they used the same track for an ancient tribal vocal happening in the back, off which I loved. It's like a deep throaty 'waaah' sound. There is one tribal wail backing track that really added to the 'wrath of God' feel when the ML was told something that broke his heart.
I'm pretty sure this is now my highest rated series so far. I will definitely be rewatching this one.
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masterful performances & strong start but couldn't fill up all 39 eps
I didn't know what to expect from this show but it quickly became a delight after the first couple of episodes.Shen Li is the demon Azure Sky King, who flees from a forced marriage down to the mortal realm. There, while injured & helpless in her original bird form, she meets XingYun, a ginseng farmer living alone in near poverty, and who happens to also be the mortal manifestation of a sleeping ancient god XingZhi.
"I'm not stupid!" proclaims ShenLi at one point & indeed, she is not. She is a demon military commander who is revered not only by her army but also the citizenry she protects. She's also no-nonsense to a fault, empathetic only to those closest to her. However, the irreverent XingYun unbalances her as the first man she has ever had to depend upon with her life, & as a sickly weak mortal at that. She's drawn to him in spite of him always teasing her & never actually inviting her closer. The back & forth between the two is subtle & handled so skillfully by the veteran leads that you don't recognize the trope until it's already done. And it's very funny.
I've only seen Zhao Li Ying in The Story of Xing Fu which was a fantastic show. Her maturity lends to her strength & consistency in her performance & she's become someone I look forward to watching. Lin GengXin as XingYun/XingZhi was remarkable in maintaining a core personality between 2 different manifestations of the same character. He Yu as Lord FuRong, ShenLi's original betrothed, took a few episodes to find his footing in the role, but as the show progressed he turned into one of the funnier characters, even becoming likeable, alongside the ever entertaining Jackie Li.
All of this made for such a strong first half of the show that I was ready to give it one of my highest ratings. However, past Ep20, the pacing suddenly lagged & the story meandered for 6 or7 eps. Then came the backstory of ShenLi's origins & the late introduction of a new character, ShenLi's father. However, their reunion was puzzlingly brief & they didn't even hold a satisfactory conversation together. After such smart dialogue in the first half of the show, it made no sense that ShenLi couldn't say one word to her father when this was such a huge development. It seemed illogical with her character to not even make herself known to him when he was right in front of her, & he had to find out who she was from someone else.
The climactic battle to suppress a superdemonic foe & stabilize the universe was a cliched, long CGI light show. In fact, a lot of detail & effort was put into visually creating the fantastical realms but the heart of the characters, dialogue & story were significantly diminished. By that time I had no interest in the good vs evil routine. I just wanted to see what outcome ShenLi & XingZhi's relationship would face. Their fate ultimately held no surprises, secondary character arcs were left dangling (would've liked to see more FuRong/YouLan), & the story really ends with Ep38. Ep39 ran like someone forgot there was 1 ep left to go & had to slap together whatever story was left at the top of their head, which wasn't much. Why didn't the show just save some money & skip it? It could've been a 30 ep show with what story was presented.
After such a strong start it seemed this would be a very different kind of drama but the 2nd half unfortunately face-planted into a puddle of mediocre. So wildly inconsistent I truly can't decide whether I liked this show or not. I loved the first half; second half not so much.
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This drama was a delight for the eyes and ears.
The FL, Shen Li, is a petite and ballsy character with a masculine "yang" mindset. The ML, Xingzhi, is an aloof and esoteric character who has refined his ability to not be affected by his emotions over 1,000's of years and in the ensuing relationship demonstrates a softer more "yin" aspect.Both characters are wonderfully written and brought to life on the screen. They have a development arc and their bantering and affection is very endearing. Supporting actors are also 3 dimensional and given sufficient exposure to assist with the overall story line.
There all the successful Wuxia elements of beautiful costumes, terrific dream like sets, over the top CGI, gorgeous lighting and beautiful settings. Comedic actors and situations break up the grimmer battles and villain actions so that it has good flow of interest despite the length. I liked the ending it has a modern twist and wraps up their relationship nicely so don't skip this.
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Obrovské zklamání!
Je mně líto, ale všechno je tady špatně!Mizerné a přehrávané herecké výkony (mimochodem - po vynikajícím Princes Agents jde doslova o totální ztrátu prestiže hlavních aktérů), nehodící se zvuková stránka, scénář naprosto amatérský, příběh tuctový, grafika na dnešní dobu a špičkové standardy velmi slabá ...
Očekávání bylo obrovské a bohužel výsledek je doslova tristní.
Jde podle mě o naprostý propadák, jehož sledování je v současné obrovské konkurenci jiných skutečně vynikajících čínských dramat naprostou ztrátou času.
Za mě musím bohužel říct, že jde o obrovské zklamání!
Natočení tohoto seriálu jsou vyhozené peníze a jeho výsledek je opravdu smutný!
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Unique Relationship Dynamics with Crazy Chemistry
StoryThought it was well paced. Appropriate amount of time was spent on each arc and I didn't feel any of the arcs being drawn out. Especially appreciated the start - never thought I would enjoy the relationship building between a man and his chicken that much! Some portions of the plot were of course slightly cliche and obvious but in general, felt that the writer kept enough mysteries for me to want more. Also loved the extra episode at the end just for viewers to enjoy the couple more! Thought the character building was great too as we can see Shen Li slowly becoming like Xing Zhi...
Acting
Amazing amazing performance by ZLY. Her apathetic gaze was integral to the show and she just looks absolutely stunning in her armor. LGX did a decent enough job for me as a supposedly cold and aloof god. Kind of wanted to see more cool sides of him.
Music
Loved all the OSTs added to my Spotify list
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What a beautiful Xanxia
I just love everything about this drama. The episodes though 39 were very enjoyable I couldn't even skip. The Ost the beginning was very captivating, I loved it too. The comedy was also on point despite the seriousness surrounding the story. Oh! And the chemistry between Shen li and our ancient god was sizzling...I recommend this drama anyday, anytime even in my sleep.Lest I forget the costumes and CGI were also on point. They didn't miss a beat at all.
Kudos to everyone who made such a masterpiece. I hope the drama bags awards because it deserves it.
Apart from the FL and Ml my favourite character was Ms Jin and she deserved the last episode that was dedicated partly/mostly to her. She's so selfless and kind.
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Strangely Captivating!
I watched the FL in "Our Glamorous Time" and that was it. Nonetheless, she left a positive impression on me - pretty and a good actress. I was stoked to see high ratings for this drama and decided to watch it without further ado.What I Enjoyed A Lot:
- I love a strong FL and an endearing ML who is just oh-so-smitten-in-a-good-way about his lady love.
- The ML is so cute too.
- Acting for both ML and FL are top-notch. The supporting cast is great too.
- Drama is full of ups and downs which make it exciting and suspenseful.
- Music is dramatic and matches the different scenes well.
- The CG is actually nice to look at. The cartoon phoenix is cute.
- The plot, though (to me) at times really kind of bizarre and unbelievable, comes together in the end. I am amazed and delighted at how everything ties up nicely.
- The snake spirit is so cute. I like the camaraderie between the ladies in the show.
- I like Mo Fang before the weird transformation.
- The happy ending is wonderful. I like.
What I Did Not Enjoy So Much:
- Poor Mo Fang and his battle with that weirdo with a one-track mind.
- The fixated weirdos in the drama who want to rule everything and create ghouls.
- Some parts were a little strange and perhaps, too long and perhaps, not needed.
Nevertheless, this drama is exciting and dramatic. Everything is quite nicely tied up. Everything is explained quite well. I like such shows which do not leave the viewers hanging and wondering what is actually going on. I highly recommend this drama! I like it very much! Both leads are "da bomb"! <3
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Rapport
First of all, I must say that I enjoyed watching it very much. It was one of the rare good TV series I've watched recently. It was amazing. No. But the harmony between the actors was the first thing that attracted me. Zhao Li Ying and Ling Geng Xin were a very harmonious couple. We already knew this from the TV series Princess Agents. Their harmony was very good in this series too. Zhao Li Ying was also the producer of the series, so it seems that she added a lot to the series, so she even broke the rules. She got married and had a child. Left. I also think that if she had not left, she would not have played so easily.There have been mistakes, they have neglected some things by calling it a fantastic series, but it is not worth writing about it here and affecting the beauty of the series. Overall it was a pretty good series. There are fantasy, drama, romantic and also action scenes. I even found it emotional in the last episodes. I had tears in my eyes while watching it. They tried to fit a lot into the last episodes and ended it as if there was going to be a second season.
Not just the lead actors. I also really liked the supporting roles. So CAST was perfect. The actors were very good. Especially Xin Yun Lai, He Yu, Zeng Li, Wang Yi Yao, Xuan Lu, Xu Hai Qiao were the actors that caught my attention, both with their images and acting. I also liked the little actors who portrayed the childhood of the leads. So the group of players was very good. This distinction does not mean that I do not like other players as well. However, I kept them separate, and I liked the image work done on them. Management was fine. The shots and scenes are beautifully arranged, so are the action scenes and editing. I think meticulous work has been done and care has been taken. I don't want to touch on the story because it's fantastic. Because I don't believe in polytheism. It's something I'm against. Actually, I am against telling these things like this, even if they are fantastic, but we are watching it as a spectacle. As per my belief, I believe in the existence and unity of the Almighty Creator. There is no God other than Him.
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Congratz!!!
Congratz to the director and all the crews in this drama, they use the right actresses and actors for these roles. Li Geng Xin and Zhao Li Ying are two senior actors in the field, they deliver their role amiably. Two thumbs UP!ML and FL give their all for the roles, the production is also well spent, costumes and story line are very refreshing, not so similar compare with other drama with the same genre. At last, in this 1st quarter of 2024, there it is a first Chinese historical drama that gives me urge to write some review here.
Indeed a little bit slow pace from the first 10 episodes, we will confused where this plot going to be and what the conflict gonna be like. A love triangle? A heroic sad mellow-drama? But wait, this drama literally a comedic anyways. Surprise! Surprise! A 8.8-rating is not underrated, guys! You will never regret it after those 10 episodes.. and ofc! The ending!!!! OMG! New way to end a romantic story.. LOVE IT!
Hav Fun Watching!
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Un xianxia classique, mais efficace !
C'est vrai, l'histoire reste dans les classiques du xianxia. Cependant, The Legend of Shen Li équilibre les genres avec des personnages matures. Ces derniers sont au cœur de l'histoire. Shen Li, Seigneur du Ciel Azur et Xing Zhi, le dernier dieu immortel encore vivant.La romance est très lente, mais elle correspond au rythme de l'histoire. Cela dit, le milieu est particulièrement lent. Mon regret quant à la romance est que Shen Li et Xing Zhi ne rencontrent jamais de réelles barrières. Au départ, Xing Zhi ne doit pas tomber amoureux au risque d'être puni. En fin de compte, il peut aimer Shen Li sans punition ? Pourquoi les anciens dieux ont-ils étaient punis et lui non ? S'ils s'aiment, leur romance est lisse et sans accroches particulières. À titre comparatif, l'arc des parents de Shen Li m'a passionné et j'aurais adoré en avoir davantage.
Je regrette également le traitement du personnage de Mo Fang qui avait pourtant tout du rôle de l'antagoniste malgré lui et qui pouvait alors partir en quête de sa rédemption. Mais non ! Globalement, les méchants sont décevants et clichés. Ils font le mal, ils sont tués et c'est tout. Je pense que la romance a pris le dessus sur l'ensemble de l'histoire.
Les CGI sont très jolies et généreuses. Les costumes sont très beaux pour la plupart. L'OST était un peu répétitive, notamment le thème principal de Shen Li. Enfin, les figurants auraient pu être mieux dirigés, cela aurait évité de les voir en fond en train d'échanger des coups dans le vide, littéralement.
Bref, c'est un xianxia qui possède un scénario peu original, mais les personnages matures et les effets visuels ne cessent de nous entraîner jusqu'à son final satisfaisant.
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If cottagecore and xianxia had a baby it would be The Legend of Shen Li ;D
This is an extract of my 2000-word review: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/the-legend-of-shen-li-review/What I liked
- Lin Geng Xin isn't the typical delicate, elfin-like idol male lead xianxias typically have, but that's what I love - that he's a strapping, tall man with not-typical looks. Yay to diversity of looks and mature actors!
- OMG they filmed in actual locations! It felt weird to see these high beings wandering around real places.
- I love Shen Li's straight-talking ways, and that she doesn't suffer fools
- I totally adore the food porn. And all powerful ancient god and a great cook? Who can resist this man?
- Loved Lady Jin! What a sass madam! In fact, I love her so much that I'm so happy that she got her own side story in the last episode.
What I didn't like
- Seriously, the Heavenly Realm folks have got to be the most useless and lazidest Heavenly Realm folks in all of xianxia.
- I also don't quite get how this world works.
- I wish there was a better premise than they can't be together because "Natural Law won't permit it" and Xing Zhi losing emotional control.
- Overuse of internal monologue. There are better ways to convey this than internal monologues, really.
The ending
Oh dear lord, finally a good ending.
Was episode 39 necessary? Ending it at 38 would've been neat and tidy. But I love watching Xing Zhi and Shen Li enjoying their "retirement" from official heavenly duties and giving each other maximum skinship. They deserve it.
Final thoughts
I think the reason why The Legend of Shen Li spoke to me so much is because it touches the longing we have in our hearts as adults with heavy responsibilities.
Like our couple, most of us are weighed down by life's demands. So, there's a longing in us for a simpler life where we can just retreat to the green surroundings of the countryside, grow our food, cook, and just nourish our loved ones. This drama really spoke to that longing, at least for me.
Still, I'm giving it an 8.5/10 rather than the 9 I would've given if the storytelling and pacing had been better and the world better fleshed out.
It's still one of the best xianxias you can watch; a rare gem that caters to more mature viewers.
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An Emotional Rollercoaster
The drama was exceptional, excelling in plot, acting, and music. It stands out particularly for its realistic fighting scenes, a refreshing departure from other dramas with awkward CGI. The music, while great overall, occasionally veered into being overly loud during battle scenes, making it hard to hear dialogue without adjusting the volume frequently. Despite this, the acting was top-notch, which was expected given the talented lineup. Watching the main leads for the first time was a pleasant surprise, especially in how they conveyed emotions that many other dramas fail to capture. Both actors are seasoned professionals, adept at drawing out genuine feelings from their characters.One minor critique is that at times, Mo Fang's acting felt slightly awkward, particularly towards the end of the series. Nevertheless, it didn't detract significantly from the overall experience. Another highlight was the portrayal of the female lead as a relatable character rather than an all-powerful figure constantly reliant on the male lead. The dynamic between the leads was well-written, showcasing effective communication and mutual reliance.
I highly recommend this drama to fans of epic battle scenes and nuanced performances, as it delivers both with finesse.
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