Cang Lan Jue (2022)

I started and dropped this drama three times before finishing it. The biggest problem I had with it was the Orchid fairy character. I rarely enjoy dramas where the female lead character is artless, naive, and not too bright. There was also something about Esther Yu's wide-eyed delivery that exacerbated all of those characteristics. But I kept hearing such glowing reviews about the drama that I pushed through to the end. I think I understand why people like it. Both the Esther Yu and Dylan Wang characters do evolve over time. There is some welcome humor to leaven the plot. Plus the costumes and sets are alternately beautiful and over-the-top campy, which made it fun. I also liked the Dan Yin and Jie Li characters.

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Defies all expectations

When this drama first came out, many thought it would fall flat with its leads. Little did they know, this is both Dylan's and Esther's magnum opus, topping iQiyi's charts. It's a beautifully thought-out romance with great acting, endearing characters, and a compelling pacing. That being said, I might be doing some comparisons with 'Til the End of the Moon' here simply because both have a similar concept in terms of characters : )

Defying all expectations just like this drama (very cringy, I know), I'm going to start by writing about the OST. This is probably the single best OST that's ever graced a C-drama. There's been good ones, for example 'The Long Ballad', 'The Untamed', and 'Til the End of the Moon,' but oh my. This one is beautifully done, with the songs representing the characters' emotions and thoughts in all the right ways. The lyrics are touching and the melodies are achingly beautiful; considering I'm a classical musician (violinist who appreciates mostly classics), I was surprised to find myself enjoying an OST as I almost never do (I just start off with a base of 7 as the OST score). I didn't even skip the starting and ending of the episodes just to listen to the OST many times- it's that good.

I guess where this drama really did hit it out of the park is the acting. From the body swaps (must be very difficult to portray... the characters are completely opposite in terms of personality and demeanor) to the characters in dramatic scenes (Orchid dies the first time, etc.), everything is perfectly portrayed. While Esther Yu played her roles nicely, I did not find anything too special about it... Dylan Wang however really surprised me. The subtle facial expressions, changes in demeanor, and substantial nuances in his performance were effective and vital to really bringing Dongfang Qingcang alive (which he did). You cried for this character, laughed for this character, and cheered for him if you watched this drama. The only performance in a C-drama that I think beats this by a tad is Luo Yunxi in 'Til the End of the Moon', mostly because that one's incredible when it comes to portraying the multiple facets and fates of a single character. Additionally, the demon king in this one is more romance-focused while the other drama is more story-focused overall. If you're looking for a romance drama, I'd definitely recommend this one. If you're looking for an epic fantasy, I'd probably recommend the other one : )

I think the story is where this drama loses a little bit of its appeal for me. It's definitely a great story and worth watching, with fewer plot holes than my favorites and also including the most compelling romance of all. Yet, I do think the plot sacrifices some of its complexity for the sake of the romance, and there aren't as many arcs/ideas as I typically enjoy. Nevertheless, it's one of the best Xianxia's out there. I'd compare this plot to maybe 'the Untamed' in terms of how much it explores iykwim- it's not completely idea-jam-packed but definitely has enough of them to keep you watching. However, the romance is the best executed I've seen, so for the fantasy-romance lovers, you'll enjoy this. Like many others, I did find the ending rushed, but I guess the directors had ten minutes to serve up something happy for the sweet romance lovers...

Either way, this is a beautiful and well-rounded drama overall. It's enjoyable for I'd think all audiences and definitely takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions (WARNING: also fries your brain for maybe a week).

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So this is love ❤️

Wow!!! AMAZING from start to finish! I LOVE this show and it ranks in my top 3 of all time (Nirvana in Fire & Joy of Life). Was gist of the story new? Nope! Were their familiar tropes? Of course! But we’re they able to make it feel fresh?!? ABSOLUTELY!! DFQC & Orchid complemented each other well and were able to grow as a individuals and as a couple! Their acting was AMAZING! I felt every joy and heartache with them. The supporting casts were not one dimensional and all had reasons behind their actions. Everything made sense (for the most part).

I know many people (including myself) had major issues w/Orchid’s voice and some of the choices she made. However, after awhile, her voice no longer bothered me. As for her actions, she remained true to her character - she was kind, caring, and empathetic. That’s why she made the choices she made throughout the show. Some may see her as dumb or annoying, but I only saw her kindness and her wish for a peaceful world. Who wouldn’t want that?!? I loved Orchid & DFQC’s relationship. It was so nice to see adults who love each other communicate their wants and needs, and be able to accept each others choices. It was refreshing!

As for the 2nd ML Cheng Heng, wow, did I love him too! Oftentimes I feel that 2nd ML (and FL) are often at a disadvantage because they’re portrayed as less than compared to the ML so of course the FL would love the ML instead. However, Cheng Heng was a hero in his own right & in any other show, he would’ve gotten the girl. I loved his growth as a character too! But alas! Everything in life is fate- except love.

Lastly, the show was beautiful - music, design, CGI, and costumes. I loved how the three realms were distinct in culture and clothing. One of the most BEAUTIFUL shows I’ve seen in a looooong time!

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Great fantasy story, with creative writing.

Thoughts:
My gateway drama. I wish they had given more time to when they are finally together without all the challenges. I would have liked to see more of their happy life at the end of the journey.

Plot:
Epic fantasy story about an anti-hero who is misunderstood and a FL who is underestimated.

Action/Martial Arts: Minimal
Romance: Main theme
Hidden/Unknown Identities: Yes
Past Connection: No
Time Skip: No
Separated: Yes
Amnesia: Faked
Love Triangle: Yes
LD Chemistry: No fish kisses. Connection feels real.
Evil/Troubled Supporting LD's: ML's brother is a problem in the beginning.
Parents/Family: 2ML's brother is an issue and is constantly trying to control him.
Misunderstandings: Not between LD's.

LD's
Eventually becomes power couple. ML chases FL first. ML is supportive but possessive/jealous. Not in a creepy way. Loved the way the LD's grew into their original intended personalities together.

Support LD's:
Great side stories for SL that explain their actions and intentions.

OST:
I have saved this OST to my playlist. Enough said.

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I'M A CHANGED WOMEN

I honestly have no words when I started watching this drama I knew there would be some level of enjoyment based of the premise alone but what I got instead was a heartwarming, gut-wrenching, iconic and beautiful love story that had me laughing in one episode and crying in another.

I love each character the lead couple did what they needed to do and did it flawlessly I was rooting for them from start to finish but what I didn't expect was for my heart to be stolen so quickly by the secondary couple they had me in a chokehold and I had no chance of getting out.

If I had one complaint it would be the decision to not have danyin and changheng end up together or at least hint at them trying to "date" each other, they had the chemistry and honestly it felt like unnecessary torture to have them not get a happily ever after and they would be amazing together *in my humble opinion*

Besides the romance aspect the story was really well written too every action the characters took made sense, their development felt natural and I never felt the narrative was bending a character so that the plot could move forward.

There is still so much more I wish to say but that would leave me rambling on for far too long. This show is amazing every episode was meant to be there, the story never felt like it was dragging along and that made me very happy.

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LOVE IS MAGIC

I have just finished watching this VERY AWESOME drama which deserved a perfect score of 10. LOVE can do wonders that even the coldest, heartless and emotionless man can fall in love. I giggled, laughed and cried watching this drama. A very awesome drama indeed which is VERY RECOMMENDABLE to watch.
I've read all reviews with perfect score of 10 that's why I could no longer describe the most notable features of this drama because they already said it all. The most detailed is BLIZZARDAHM's review.
I admire the acting of DYLAN WANG in this drama better than his acting in Miss the Dragon.
Thank you and hope to see you in another drama.

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Coming from a novel reader

So, finally finished watching it and it was better than what I expected, but less than what I wanted.

My perspective is from someone who has read the novel:

They changed quite a few things between the novel and the drama, and I can understand some changes as things need to be changed sometimes for live-action, but I didn't like the changes they made to DFQC. I can stand changes to plot lines and events as long as the spirit is present, but changes to characterization should never be accepted. They made the foundation of the character interaction, and if you change that, you change the story in essence, and that what I think happened in this show. It was the story of Fairy and Devil, but not the story that was told in the novel. It felt like the watered down version of it. DFQC was pretty evil in the novel, very conniving, and I honestly LOVED that about him. Every other story I read is either about a really good guy, or a black-lotus who only treats the FL well, this is one of the few novels where we actually get a black-lotus as a ML, who is selfish and motivated by purely his own interests and they completely watered him down in the show. In the novel, Orchid is very charming but also persevering, and totally lives up to being a weed in her tenacity in trying to outwit DFQC and second guessing him all the time while trying to stay alive. I loved that dynamic between them in the novel. DFQC tried his hardest but still lost out to a flower, which made for a delightful read as it made you really root for Orchid. In the drama, I didn't have that feeling of being on edge because DFQC wasn't that mean towards her. He kind of facilitated her in everything and Orchid didn't face the immense hurdles and didn't fight tooth and nail for her life against DFCQ.

The body-switching /feelings plot was also completely abandoned by the middle of the show, whereas in the novel, Orchid uses it quite a few more times to get back at DFQC and later actually gets better at playing DFQC LOL! However, I think in the context of the drama, it made sense for them to focus more on other plots after they initially used the body switching as a means to keep the leads together. So, overall, I don't find that too much a negative.

As for the visuals in the drama, they were superb! I really have to thank the team for keeping the spirit of the world alive from the novel to the drama. I loved the effects they used and the sets were amazing. The only thing I wish they could've done better was the costuming. There were some really really good ones, like the ones for DFQC and the God of War, but I think they made Orchid into the same old white fairy like all the other Xianxia dramas. They could have played around with her flower background and given her flamboyant and colourful costumes. I would have really liked to see her in yellows, fuscia's, some bright red colours or even a dark black when she's trapped in the Moon territory and not just pasty pastels all the time. Also, can I just say that the costume for Jieli was atrociously ugly? Why? She had that costume on the entire show! I think the hairstyle was even uglier than the clothes.

Anywho, I wish I could have watched the show without comparing it to the novel as I think it was pretty good and leaps and bounds better than the garbage being pumped out these days. I just wish they had stuck to the source material a bit more to make this show even better.

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Love story of all century

What an amazing love story between this characters. I have fallen in love watching it. now I am hooked at all Chinese drama because of watching this. The characters, the costume, the music, the special effects had made me just absolutely love love this I love to see more of them, watching this has got me, Ballin, on the edge of my feet, and my heart pounding. I consider this is one of my all-time favorite love story. I have fallen in love with Dylan Wang from the moment I saw him played His character Esther Lin Was so adorable and beautiful. Everybody else was just as amazing. I have watched it over and over and have recommended it to all my friends to watch this.

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Pure chemistry between the leads!

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE this series so much and I’m glad I watched it.

I’ve always been skeptical of fantasy cdrama because of the ridiculous costumes, the magic, immortality and etc. But I decided to give this a go because i was so frustrated with My Journey to You’s ending and I miss Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He. Surprisingly, I ended up loving this drama so much.

Its been a while since I watched a good romance drama. Great acting by Dylan & Esther, and the rest of the cast. Great chemistry, Dylan’s micro expressions, just shows how versatile he is. Not to mention his gorgeous face, the perfect Dongfang Qingcang (i think/hope he can play Sang Yan in First Frost too!) Great plot development, typical love-will-endure-all kind of plot. For those who hate Orchid’s childish character, well to bad. her character goes perfectly with Dongfang grudge and I-dont-care-about-the-world attitude. He just needs a dose of Orchid’s kindness and positive vibes in his life. I do admit, initially I’m rooting for Orchid and Changheng to be together, mainly because I love them in My Journey to You, but I gradually fell in love with Dylan-Esther duo! What a perfect pairing.

This is romance drama done right!

ps: to Dylan Wang stylist in this drama, THANK YOU for giving us the male god look that Dongfang Qingcang deserved!!

pss: does anyone from South East Asia recognise the Songket worn by DFQC in the whole drama? I’m so proud the Songket found its way to China.

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