by Chasing CarefreeAugust 3, 20192:02 am

Chinese Drama Review of Love and Destiny 宸汐缘: Pales in Comparison to predecessor Eternal Love

As a romantic fantasy period drama coming from the same production house and team of romance epic Eternal Love, Love and Destiny boasts the same beautiful cinematography and a stellar cast of Nini and Chang Cheng, but unfortunately fails to deliver a heartrending love story like its predecessor.

In short, Love and Destiny is a love story between a God of War and a young fairy Lingxi who is born with a demonic miasma that could awaken the demon god.

Naturally the celestial realm would like to kill this lady with the power to awaken the demon god and cause chaos to the peaceful world with the God of War doing all he can to prevent his lover from meeting this fate.

Nini as Lingxi : Cliche Naive and Kind Female lead – Yawns

Nini is prettier than I expected and I appreciate her clean and fresh-faced beauty.

However I don’t find her particularly likeable as a character or especially convincing as the simple-minded fairy who is supposed to be cute and loyal.

Nini is not a particularly charismatic actress to me and I feel that she did not bring out the supposedly lively, bright and impish quality of Lingxi.

Hence I can’t see what exactly is so attractive about Lingxi, who does not display that impressive qualities yet somehow manages to snag the heart of the highly eligible but stoic male lead.

It doesn’t help that Lingxi is so naive that she has never once suspected anything about her demonic emblem in spite of how people around her have started behaving weirdly. The fact that so many people died for this girl and yet she still doesn’t know what is wrong with her or try to find it out makes her quite annoying in my eyes.

In fact i cant help thinking… since it is so much trouble, why don’t the god of war just go with what the majority wants and kill her to shut everyone up and restore peace.

Chang Cheng: Permanently Expressionless Lead

I have never watched Chang Cheng in a show before but given that there is quite a bit of hooha about this being his first foray to TV drama from his movie background, I expected more from him and was left disappointed.

First and foremost, his this God of War look does not suit him at all, and made him look quite unattractive, and “old uncle-ish”.

Much as I value good acting, it helps if I have a pair of good looking leads to look at.

In fact, he does not even look like those heroic protagonists, but more like those antagonists.

Also, he is pretty much always expressionless.

So his role is also the typical stoic kind whereby he is icy to everyone, until he meets our kind and talkative and cute female lead who finally melted his cool exterior and got him to warm up to her.

Hence it is very hard for me to feel for the 2 main leads, cos they just do not captivate me much.

Unconvincing love story due to lack of story development and chemistry

Other than some “cute” actions and interactions between the God of War and Lingxi, i can’t quite tell how these two people fell in love with each other.

Strangely the God of War was still trying to kill Lingxi in one scene,and the next scene he tried to revive her and then promised to stay by her side forever even at the expense of giving up his role as the God of War.

Given that this is a God of War who has lots of responsibility on his shoulder, and very vehement about killing off demons, it must take an extremely special lady or a really remarkable reason to shake his conviction.

Unfortunately, the very “lame” so called love I witnessed between the 2 leads does not justify it at all.

I feel that I am just being “told” that the two leads were very much in love, but I cannot feel it.

Love and Destiny: Kind of uninspired storyline but still entertaining enough

In spite of the flaws above, the drama is still fast-paced and entertaining enough to keep one watching on.

If you enjoy fantasy period dramas about the celestials and demons with romance added to the mix, this drama which is essentially about good versus evil, this should pick your fancy.

However if you are a fan of Eternal Love, don’t expect it to surpass it.

I have yet to finish watching this drama, but it appears from the trailer that there is also the plot about Lingxi losing her memory and becoming a mere mortal, but still falling in love with the God of War all over again.

If so, then this is an identical plot to Eternal Love, which is way too predictable and unrefreshing.

After 20 episodes, I start to feel kind of bored, how about you?

16Comments

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1

LIK on August 23, 2019 at 6:43 am
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After watching the 1st episod, I felt very boring. So I stopped watching.

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2

Yxx on August 28, 2019 at 5:25 pm
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Everyone has their own opinions. But personally I very much prefer this drama over TMOPB. In terms of casting, the male and female leads did an excellent job in portraying their characters. Chang Chen may look emotionless at 1st glance, but if you look intently, his facial expression in particular his eyes are very expressive in each scene. Showing various kind of emotions with not much body movements but full reliance on facial expressions are a tough job that only professional actor could do. Needless to say, Nini’s performance is amazing as well. Their actings together complement each other so well without overpowering one another. In terms of plot, I like how the male and female leads already meet each other even in the 1st episode itself. You will get to see how the God of War slowly grow fond of her. Very realistically unlike in some dramas whereby the male lead suddenly got attracted to the girl because of some happenings. It is subtle but you could definitely see that the God of War is slowly opening up his heart to her. At the beginning, he probably did not show his affection clearly given his character stoic personality, status as well as his uncertainty of his feelings towards the female lead. But once he clarified his feelings, he went full force rationally. Rationally as in you could see that he did try to balance his responsibilities and love together without abandoning any side as the drama continues. All in all, I would say that this drama is worth watching for its excellent castings, love story and cinematography. Really hope that both the female and male leads would cooperate again in another project in the near future 🤞

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  Lilpriestess on October 3, 2019 at 5:22 pm
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  I agree with what you’ve said. I love our leads-together, and when has there been a NON-Cliche’d ML or FL in any of these fantasy wuxia dramas. Aren’t they all cut from the same cloth, its then up to the actress to bring out their own special characteristics which I think Ni Ni did, she isn’t trying to be another Yang Mi. She is her own character. She is super naive and innocent bc no one in her life ever told her straight up what the truth was. If only they would tell her and not shelter her, so many things could have been avoided. (btw i’m only to E 22) so I haven’t finished this yet. I’m gearing myself up for the pain of separation and “betrayal” clearly it isn’t its just one huge sad misunderstanding–
  But what I’ve seen so far, although the title says LOVE and Destiny I feel this delves even deeper into FAITH and DUTY. Faith in their growing love for each other and Duty as the GOD of WAR to uphold peace for all the kingdoms. Chang Chen’s hair -do could have been done better, but I’ve seen his other films and he is a great veteran actor. I think the plot and character building are spot on. I’m enjoying this as much as Eternal Love, I will have to revisit here after I finish all the episodes for my final verdict.
  
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4

Than Htun on September 14, 2019 at 3:46 am
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i love this drama more than the eternal love.

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5

Anonymous on September 26, 2019 at 11:29 am
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The chemistry between Nini and Chang Chen was great in this drama and their performance even better. It takes strength and resolute to kill someone you love and treasure – twice to save her. Chang Chen’s performance in this regard had been excellent. He conveyed the urgency and determination to commit the heinous acts and also his grief and pain for what he had done. Poker face – no, a matured actor. Who cares if he is handsome or not, young or not, a Mo Yuan or not, he is a good actor and played his role well. As for Ni Ni, beauty isn’t everything, this person can act, and she did so wonderfully, her performance made me smile at her vivacious antics, made my heart yearn for justice wen she was a dumb and deaf mortal, could feel her grief and betrayal at both her deaths and see her strength to seal her beloved in the demon world to protect the different realms. Watch this drama without comparing it to others and you will find it beauty.

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  Chasing Carefree on September 26, 2019 at 11:53 am
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  Actually i prefer Nini in her portrayal of ah mo who is mute and deaf.
  To me she is more charming and likeable in that role.
  
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7

Kit on October 4, 2019 at 8:19 am
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I think the take on this drama depends on the crowd. For me, I no longer seek to see a handsome actor on the screen. I want something, someone with substance and I like how the ML portrays god of war. He is supposed to be old and always at war so I think he is consistent throughout the drama. I can’t expect an old, mature ML to suddenly behave like a teenage boy. The way he expressed his character’s emotion is subtle and I like it.

Ni Ni is good in a sense she plays the innocent character, not to a point it becomes cloying and unbearable. It is her performance as Ah Mo that grabs my attention. Well executed.

When it comes to drama, anything on-screen most is cliches, the same tropes put together. Up to the actors and actresses to convince me to watch and they did.

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8

Alysa on January 14, 2020 at 7:59 pm
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I agree on the part that their romance development and chemistry is weak. not enough for him to give up everything and risking his life to saved her. Everything else I have to disagree. I enjoy this drama. I think both lead done a great job. Chang Chen is old and suit his character well. Can’t imagine a pretty looking male lead play as god of war.

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- 9
  
  Chasing Carefree on January 14, 2020 at 11:40 pm
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  Wanna share that i saw Chang Chen in real life lately! When he was having lunch haha. Interestingly he looked pretty young in real life!
  
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10

windy2610 on February 18, 2020 at 7:23 am
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Everyone has their own taste and preference. I can see why you feel L&D doesnt live up to Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. Yes, it doesnt have young and gorgeous cast and the custome design is somehow quite dull in comparision with Ten Miles. But to me this drama has taken Chinese fantasy drama to another level.
Ye Hua of Mark Chao is a perfect performance and I can say the same for the role Jiu Chen/God of War by Zhang Chen. Both male leads used to be judged as too old and too ugly to be God but when seeing them on screen, their age are very suitable to the characters. As for Ni Ni, I dont find her character to be boring. Naive FL is usally said to be boring but I think mostly because actresses play them do not do enough justice to the role they play, make us feel like these character is so one-dimension and fake. Ling Xi isnt stupid or naive. She simply doesnt have enough experience to the outside worlds since her adopted father – Le Bou locked her up for 50,000 years in the Peach Forest (quite similar to the Role Ji Mi in Ashes of Love). When she eventually meets Jiu Chen, she learns and grow up day by day.
The romance development here is also enough to show us why Jiu Chen fall for her. Not just because Ling Xi is pretty and naive but also she is kind and generous and caring for others. In the begining he kept her aside to monitor her and investigate how she can wake him up and her true identity. But then he realises she was the baby that he saved before falling to deep sleep 50,000 years ago, he let down his guard and gradually care for her and appreciate her more for her heart-warming traits. When he learned that she sacrifice her Hearing sense in exchange of the Fire Aura for him, he did not cry but you can feel his pain and sorrow shown from his eyes. He’s a very mature High God and not easily show his emotions like Ye Hua (Jiu Chen is like 170,000 years old while Ye Hua is only over 50,000) so dont expect he can cry like a teenager when he’s in pain.
The story line aside from similar setting and worlds like like Nine-heavens, Peach Forest and Mortal world has nothing in common with Ten Miles. The supporting characters like Ti Ming, Feng Yue or Qing Yao are quite unique and interesting. The comedy is actually fun and natural. I can say that I enjoy their performance even more than the supporting characters in Ten Miles.
And let not forger about the soundtrack. 4 themes songs of L&D are equally excellent just like Ten Miles Soundtrack. I have been replaying non-stop since I watched this drama.
To me, L&D deserves a 9/10 score.

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11

Elle on April 10, 2020 at 3:07 pm
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I really enjoyed Ten Miles of Peach Blossom when it was aired but having recently watched Love and Destiny, I would have to say that I prefer the latter. While both drama series are beautifully shot and boast a stellar and good-looking cast dressed in gorgeous costumes, the overall feel of Love and Destiny is a notch above Ten Miles.
In terms of characters, Love and Destiny has more likeable characters than Ten Miles. All the characters, even the annoyingly self-righteous God of Heavenly Thunder and chief villainess Yuan Tong are less despicable than the evil Su Jin (Ten Miles) who is rather two-dimensional- she’s just a jealous and desperate woman suffering from unrequited love. It’s hard to feel sorry for her when she eventually gets her comeuppance. Whereas one does feel a twinge of sadness for Yuan Tong because she did struggle in the the beginning to do the right thing but let poor judgement and a moment’s jealousy cause her to gradually walk down the path of no return. As for the God of Heavenly Thunder, he is more a comedic character than a bona-fide baddie. I enjoyed the part when he felt bad at seeing Jiu Chen kneel before him. Maybe he’s afraid of getting a nosebleed too! But I think it’s because he is deeply moved by Jiu Chen’s devotion to Lingxi, that the War God’s gesture of kneeling is tantamount to begging him to relent.
The other “villain” in the show is Jing Xiu but he remains a rather uncommitted antagonist even until the end. His character is amoral and could perhaps have been better fleshed out. It’s a pity that his demise seems like an after-thought, that suddenly he decided to turn “mo” (be demonised) but somehow doesn’t possess even an iota of the previous demon lord’s power. However, he makes a pretty convincing love rival in Lingxi’s “reincarnation” as Ah Mo. Ethan Li is good looking with or without hair. Ha ha. Actually, in one of the out-take segments by iQiyi, Ethan Li was shown discussing with Ni Ni if Ah Mo had affections for Xiu Da Ge (Jing Xiu in disguise) but Ni Ni maintained that Lingxi/Ah Mo only loves Jiu Chen, otherwise her character would be “flawed”. Awww….
The main characters in Ten Miles were wonderful, especially Mark Chao’s portrayal of Mo Yuan and Ye Hua, that he could somehow play them differently is credit to his good acting skills. While it was satisfying watching Bai Qian exerting her power as high god to put lower deities in their place, she came across as rather callous towards the long-suffering Ye Hua. Bai Qian’s alter-ego Susu, on the other hand, was too weak and guileless… there needs to be a balance, a Goldilocks principle. I think Chang Chen and Ni Ni are superb actors. Having watched Ni Ni play a brilliant cross-dressing scholar in Rise of the Phoenixes, I could not imagine her as a lovelorn teenager in Love and Destiny but her portrayal of Lingxi demonstrated her versatility and range. The chemistry between the actors is palpable and intense. Maybe some viewers might think that Jiu Chen and Lingxi’s love for each other is too predictable but hey, that is the drama’s huge draw for me at least. I think people watch romance and fantasy dramas to immerse themselves in make-belief, to have a little respite from real life, to indulge in the dream that such selfless and enduring love exists and pretend that they too, like the characters in the drama, are worthy of giving and receiving such love. Chang Chen does grow on one as the drama progresses. He isn’t the typical xiaoxianrou, in fact, it’s a nice change to have an older manly actor in a drama since 20-something actors dominate male leads in dramas these days (am I revealing my age?!). He was able to portray angst, stoicism and heart-wrenching grief with minimal facial expressions. I think he looks better sporting the stern-but-kind expressions than the occasional awkward smiles. Ni Ni is just likeable as the exuberant and innocent young girl as well as the more mature queenly ruler of her realm. Their scenes together simply sizzle! (One would never imagine how playful the actors really are if it weren’t for the out-take series available on Youtube. I highly recommend watching ALL the episodes because they are really funny and it’s good treatment for withdrawal symptoms after watching episode 60!) Kudos to the Director for the building the tension between the characters and developing the love story in a slow-burn fashion.
Lastly, all the minor characters are amusing to watch and add much to the enjoyment of the drama. The Yun Feng-Qing Yao relationship is touching in its own way while the Shisan-Si Ming relationship ended satisfyingly ambiguous. I couldn’t bear to watch the Feng Jiu- Dong Hua Di Jun side plot and had to fast forward all the segments in Ten Miles. I tried to watch the segments in a re-watching of the drama but it was too painful. Feng Jiu was too whiny and pathetic while Dong Hua’s character had zero appeal. It didn’t help that the drama kept emphasizing the humongus age difference between the two characters. You can guess that I’m giving The Pillow Book a miss.
This is turning out to be a very lengthy comment. To sum it up, I really enjoyed Love and Destiny and in my opinion, it trumps Ten Miles. This is testament to the production team and Director taking each subsequent drama to greater heights. Hope they continue to produce MORE great dramas.
One last grouse … if only the ending is less abrupt! It would be nice to have half an episode of happy-ever-after and perhaps to provide an explanation of HOW Jiu Chen managed to do what he did.

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12

ciepiq on June 29, 2020 at 7:00 pm
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I would take a stand that Ten miles is waayyy better overall than love and destiny. and I mean, waaayyy better!. The plot of ten miles is superb, not only as it aired first. the LaD, in my view, does not give the angst throughout. Another highlight of ten miles would be the character development as well the excellent portrayal of the actors as the main lead. The comparison, in my perception, is not between Mo Yuan and Jiu Cheng as the god of war since the story of ten miles is NOT AT ALL about Mo Yuan. From the very beginning, the three lives, the worlds love story is about the journey ye hua and Bai Chan. The first in the spiritual form of Lotus with Si Yin, in the mortal world, Su Su with Ye Hua, and the Bai Chan with Ye Hua in the immortal world. Thus, ten miles is NOT the story about Mo Yuan as the god of war. Mo Yuan in ten miles serves as a side character to give a foundation of the story, that he is somehow entangled to both main characters. Mo Yuan as the teacher of Si Yin, and Mo yuan as the twin brother of Ye Hua.

I am not going to touch the whole issues of costume, CGI, side characters stories, the side characters’ beauty, OST, and everything else since it is two different stories that require different things. A plus of LaD will be the CGI is definitely better since it is more advanced in technology.

I am focusing on the main actor in both stories. I would give Mark Chou’s excellent portrayal of the crown prince of celestial tribe big applause. He has totally nailed it. He gives the name of ye hua, splendor in the night, a justice. As the way QQ explained, Ye Hua is calm, deep and majestic. He is so regal that I would definitely bow down when he walks into the room. His eyes speak his emotion, even without a word spoken. The way he handled Su Jin, for example, never even once his heart or eyes show pity or falling into her trap. His love for his woman never unwavered. On the other hand, the way he looked into Su Su/ QQ speaks volumes on how much he loves her. In episode 48, in one scene only we can see the changes of fun, fear, hope, joy and lust altogether shifted beautifully through his eyes. I would add, the voice tone of Ye Hua is another level for me. Deep and mature. Again, his portrayal of Ye Hua character is exceptional. On the other hand, Chang Chen portrayal for Jiu Chen or God of war, for me, was a bit lacking. The stoic persona as a god of war seems stiff. The eyes are lacking of expression, thus, I will agree with the writer here. In the scene when the female dissipates, I could not feel the sadness and despair through his facial expression and his eyes. Tears flow from Jiu Chen, but the emotion of losing the love of his life is not apparent. In the way he talks as well seems off for me. The image of a god of war which is supposed to be deep, calm and thoughtful can’t be beautifully translated in Chang Chen acting. Kudos for Eternal love and Mark Chou’s portrayal of Ye Hua. You are forever in our hearts.

Out of context, If I want to compare eternal love the movie, Yang Yang’s portrayal of Ye Hua’s character, I feel embarrassed. He was all smile and goofy face. A pretty face with no deep emotions. Like, Ugh!! an absolute NO NO.

All in all, I agree with everyone else here that I fast forward in the Dong Hua and FengJui scenes. I believed it is so much waste. However, Eternal love surpasses Love and Destiny in so many level that deserves the number one and most-watched Cdrama ever!

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13

Melissa on August 25, 2020 at 6:38 am
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You really didn’t watch this show, the story, or it’s subtleties. Your assessment of the characters and/or their relationships was a complete fail. Much of their personalities or lack there of were explained clearly. Jiu Chen spent his entire life dedicated to serving and protecting. He never took the time to develop beyond that due to his life commitments. LingXi was the outgoing, bubbly, full of life. She brought new “life” to a world of duty and honour. She showed him what love is. I completely and totally loved their on screen chemistry. This is hands down my favourite show in my 43 years of being a movie and tv buff. Best romantic love hands down. Team Jiu Chen!

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14

Anonymous on November 12, 2020 at 12:47 am
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I’ve just have finished TMoPB and I was so captivated by it! Mark Zhao’s acting was really exceptional. I’m looking for another drama to watch in the same style.
It’s funny to see how your article on L&D led to so many reactions defending it.
As I really appreciate your articles, I feel a bit reluctant to start L&D…
Thanks for your time and nice articles!

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15

tyriaxepheles on May 23, 2021 at 6:40 pm
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I have to disagree with your evaluation of the drama. Even if the love story is unconvincing, the plot is actually quite brilliant. The duality between immortal Ling Xi and mortal A’mo brings up philosophical questions about identity. From God of War’s perspective, A’mo is Ling Xi in a mortal body with a bad case of Amnesia. He wants A’mo to die to save her eternal soul and lift her back into the heavens where she belongs. Where she will get her memories back and can live as her true self. If your identity is based on your soul that can never be changed, then God of War is right. To A’mo and Xiu Da Ge, A’mo and Ling Xi are two separate entities and God of War wants to sacrifice A’mo so Ling Xi can live. Up until the moment A’mo dies she insists her identity is that of A’mo and that Ling Xi is someone else. If your identity is based on your memories, biology and life experiences, this is true and A’mo was indeed sacrificed to help another ascend to heaven. A’mo ceases to exist. It’s ironic because A’mo’s last request is that she will be remembered. Later, when Ling Xi becomes a high immortal, she says something along the lines of her life as A’mo becoming more and more irrelevant as time passes on. This is in sharp contrast to Qin Yao (Ling Xi’s adoptive sister) whose immortal life revolves around the tragedy that befell her mortal husband during her trial. Ling Xi decides that her immortal form is her true self and she lets go of A’mo, whereas her sister Qin Yao decides that her true self was her mortal form (although she lets go of her mortal tragedy in the end when she realizes her husband was another immortal on a trial).

That being said, there were some thing’s I found quite cringy. I probably would have stopped watching after the first episode because of the cringy aesthetic and bad CGI but I stuck through it because I had high hopes for NiNi. Before Love and Destiny, I watched Rise of Phoenixes in which NiNi was a total badass. She reminded me of Zhang Ziyi’s Beautiful Dragon in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But instead of putting on boy clothes and crushing the patriarchy with spectacular violence and the green destiny sword, NiNi put on boy clothes and subverted the patriarchy with wit and political intrigue. I only knew Chang Chen as the little Tiger in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, so you’d think an actress reminiscent of the Beautiful Dragon would be paired up well with the little Tiger. But unfortunately the age gap just doesn’t work. Ling Xi is mentally a little girl and Jiu Chen is an old man. The fact that he falls in love with her when she is a naive dumb child as opposed to when she later becomes a powerful Goddess is bad. The fact that the last time he saw her she was an infant makes it worse. It’s just cringe. Unfortunately, most of the drama Ling Xi is in this dumb child mode that just doesn’t fit the actress. In Rise of the Phoenixes she was 15 in the beginning but even then she is portrayed as witty and mischievous. The young-girls-are-naive-pretty-and-innocent trope needs to go. It didn’t do the drama any favor. They could have given her some depth from the beginning instead of starting off a sexist stereotype and then let her become a badass in the last few episodes.

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16

Anonymous on December 31, 2023 at 10:48 pm
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I don’t get the negative reviews. Other than minor CGI flaws, I really enjoyed the 3 main story arcs. The overall cinematography, martial arts stunt work and special effects are superior than the eternal love production. The male and female leads delivered good chemistry. Their performances were appropriate to their charactors. Furthermore, kudos to the director and actors on the comedic moments. Enjoyed it.

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