Conventional wisdom of C-dramas dictates that such a title, poster, and cast for this drama would all point to a fluffy romance we all flock to and then leave without another thought after finishing or dropping it. How wrong I was. There is nothing forgettable about this drama. In fact, I enjoyed this drama so much that I’d been rewatching as if I’m in a loop and spending hours writing down my feelings. I wanted to also make a note before I proceed that I wrote a rushed review immediately after I finished it. But after several rewatch, I felt it deserved a more detailed review, and I wanted to express more love for the drama, so I decided to write an updated review.

Even for a 36 episode Xianxia drama, it doesn't take long before we get to the meat of the story, so from episode 1, it easily pulls you in. The first thing I noticed was how visually stunning the drama is. It's obvious there was much thought and effort applied by the production team to create such an eye pleasing drama. In the first episode, we’re introduced to our leading lady, a young, low-rank flower fairy named Orchid (Esther Yu) from Shuiyuntian, who ends up unwittingly awakening and entangling herself with our leading man, Dongfang Qingcang (Dylan Wang), the demon lord of Changyan Sea who’d been locked up in Haotian Tower for the past 30,000 years. I still can’t move past Orchid and Dongfang Qingcang's first encounter. How stunningly colorful the galaxy like atmosphere is, the way Orchid at first panics, then freezes as if time stopped, fearful but mesmerized by the sight of the chained and unconscious Dongfang Qingcang. The way she inadvertently revives him, the kiss that completes the process as they're bonded as the music crescendos. What a spectacular start to their epic romance. I went diving into this drama without learning anything about it beforehand so the unexpected hilarity that ensues next with the temporary body swapping, we-are-one premise had me thoroughly entertained.

Dongfang Qingcang learns very quickly that he and Orchid are physically and emotionally attached to each other somehow by a seemingly unbreakable curse; so in other words, this little fairy is now his Archille's heel, much to his annoyance. For instance, every time Orchid starts bawling, Dongfang Qingcang reluctantly cries too, haha. For someone who literally has not been feeling emotions, these new out of control emotions are quite challenging for Dongfang Qingcang to manage. Orchid is unaware of the real identity of Dongfang Qingcang so she treats him like an equal, which just adds to the hilarity as they spend time together at Arbiter Hall, Orchid’s home in the fairy realm. All the chaos that results from their cursed connection and how it reduces this great lord's ego to the size of a peanut cracks me up endlessly. Esther and Dylan are fantastic together here that I couldn’t help liking both the actors and their characters immediately.

When the Immortal Emperor of the fairy realm finds out that Orchid is connected to Dongfang Qingcang, she’s tortured for information. It’s at this point that both Orchid and us bear witness to the immense power and position of Dongfang Qingcang in the three realm, as he appears from fire and smoke to rescue Orchid and then proceeds to almost annihilate the whole fairy realm before taking Orchid to Changyan Sea, his kingdom. This part was one of my absolute favorites and a highlight of the show. I also loved watching the way he is received by the people of Changyan Sea; this scene felt like the personification of the words feared and revered. Simply awe-inspiring.

For me, Changyan Sea felt like a medieval kingdom, with its darkened colors, lush velvety robes, middle eastern interior design, and the shadows and rays of lights through the windowpanes in the rooms, which all comes together to cast an aura of mystique and grandeur to this realm. Again, props to the production team for excellent set designs here. Each world is unique in its settings, colors, costumes, and background music, that there is clear distinction as to where we are in the story and these attributes lend a hand in helping you immerse yourself in the story.

At this point in the story, it's apparent that the deep impact of Orchid’s emotions on Dongfang Qingcang is no longer because of the connection from the curse, though he would not admit it himself. He has turned from figuring out ways to break the curse to ruminating about how to make Orchid happy. So he surprises her with a replica of Arbiter Hall, but that ends up exposing the chasm between them instead, namely how they’re from two different worlds; worlds that have viewed each other as enemies for hundreds of thousands of years. He seethes with anger; how he's hurt that she still wants to leave (him) to go "home." It's incredible how much he cares already; his "wei she ma" gets me every time.

Though having the freedom to roam around Changyan Sea but unable to leave, Orchid learns more about Dongfang Qingcang and the people of Changyan Sea, and it clears away misconceptions about the people and the lord himself. What stood out for me in these parts was in the way Orchid helps Dongfang Qingcang reconcile with his father and by extension, his humanity. How gentle she is as she hugs him as he breaks down. How he tries to hold it together on his own, then opens to her support and cries into her shoulder as he confronts his heartbreak of losing the father he loved.

As both Orchid and Dongfang Qingcang try to make sense of the happenings around them, they are led to the mortal realm, which covers the third act of the drama. Upon their return to Changyan Sea, it’s quite clear they’re both deeply in love and acknowledges their feelings. Each is willing to go through pain and suffering to keep the other safe, which showcases to outsiders that they truly love and deserve each other. It’s here I believe that their romance turns epic. A rush of emotions came my way as I watched these parts; how hauntingly beautiful and melancholic for these two lovebirds. As to how it all comes to an end, let’s just say I’m grateful for the short but happy ending.

I have to say I'm absolutely blown away by Dylan Wang's portrayal of Dongfang Qingcang. The assured authority, the majestic presence he carries with him held my attention at every moment. He looks MAGNIFICENT. What a grand performance as the most formidable, all powerful being in the realm. There isn't much change in his stoic expression and yet you see it, you feel it, this imposing character with complicated emotions come to life. It is evident in the way he's in complete control as he showcases his powers, or in the way he endures the burden of responsibility that comes with that power and position, or when he's seething with anger out of love. It is simply so satisfying to watch.

Then we have our adorable leading lady, Esther Yu. At first glance, her character fits the bill of female leads prevalent in C-dramas that we all hate: young, cutesy damsel in distress with high pitch baby voice. The only difference is that she's actually lovable even with all these attributes. I found her charming, genuinely cute, delicate and strong; the perfect opposite of Dylan's character, complementing him well.

I have seen Zhang Ling He as a lead in another drama that I was surprised to see him in the second lead role here. But he is perfectly cast here as the angelic Changheng. I also thought the actors who play the other major male characters like Xun Feng, Rong Hao, and Shangque did amazing.

I found the drama moves at a balanced pace. I never felt like there were fillers. Each scene has a purpose and contributes to the cohesiveness of the plot. We’re entertained by the complicated connection between Orchid and Dongfang Qingcang in the beginning. Then the story turns epic and heart tugging as it progresses. I swooned every time each saves the other. The dynamic story also allows the three talented young actors to flex their acting chops and further entertained us. As mentioned earlier, the CGI, the costumes, the set designs, and the background music all blends seamlessly together to create a truly magical world. Farewell Love by Faye Chan OST, in particular, perfectly captures the poignancy of this epic love story.

I acknowledge this is a long review but I think it just speaks to how good the drama is that it elicited such a flood of response from me as a viewer. And I'm no novice; I've been a seasoned watcher of C-dramas, and dramas in general, for years. And yet, this drama stood out as one of the best. I don't think I need to convince you to watch the drama considering the rating and the popularity it is receiving. I'm merely here to say unlike some other popular dramas, it's true what they say and the rating truly reflects the quality of this drama. Get on that bandwagon and embrace the hype; you won't be disappointed.