Cang Lan Jue (2022)

Isso que foi amor de verdade

Um amor para recordar!
Apesar de no final ter faltado um pouco mais de tempo para expor os finalmentes o drama é sensacional, tanto na atuação de Dylan e Esther, quanto no show de efeitos especiais, milimetricamente detalhada.
Esse é um formato de drama que deixa aquele peso no coração você fica ainda com uma sensação de alegria e tristeza por um tempo.
Alerta a cardíacos tome seu remedinho antes e beba muita água pois vamos desidratar.
Mas o que é exposto em toda a história é um amor verdadeiro que por ambas as partes ainda é confuso mas você permitidamente os sacrifícios e o esforço necessário para que toda relação dê certo. Uma entrega total de todos os personagens da história em seus objetivos, fada orquídea e o demônio se entregam 100% na relação independente das perdas.
Isso me fez ir na velocidade mil até o final mesmo que fosse muito triste ou muito feliz tudo fez a cooperar que não pulasse nenhum episódio.
Eu coisa nítida desde o primeiro episódio só as cenas de beijo... Não faltarão beijinhos durante todo os episódios que não são cansativos de assistir. No final acho que faltou um toque mais íntimo para fechar com chave de diamante.
Assistam vão gostar muito até para quem não gosta dessa temática que é o meu caso me apaixonei. É claro os protagonistas ajudam muito.
Enfim vou ficar um bom tempo até com a trilha sonora da memória.
Uma história que fala sobre a verdadeira amizade e amor sem limites.

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Love for Cāng Lán Jué..

This was the first chinese drama that I actually finished and which made me wish it wasn't ending...

I had tried two other C-dramas in the past that I didn't/couldn't finish watching and ended up falling back on my trusted K-dramas...

However. This one...

This one was ... EPIC.

I mean who DOESN'T love a well done enemies-to-reluctant-allies-to-lovers story? Right?

There are many other beloved and familiar archetypes and overarching themes that the story relates to, but the above is the core theme driving the drama...

The first half is funny-as (there's a body swap happening and the male lead did an amazing job here)... while the second half is all angst. Have tissues ready...And I mean multiple boxes. I have now watched this 5 times, and the impact doesn't lessen.

AT. ALL.

This is unashamedly a love story... but beyond this main theme, one has comedy, fantasy (backed up by the most amazing CGI), action and adventure (ohh the fight scenes are 👌), and the symbolisms throughout it all is wonderfully done.

The female lead is actually intelligent and bold - taking the initiative first in many aspects of the relationship, and also demands for equality and equity not just in their own relationship but in other aspects as well.

She has played three different roles in this drama, and each time, her voice, facial expressions and body language was nuanced to ensure we understood the person at their core identity level...

Same for the male lead. They both actually outdid EVERYTHING they have either done in the past. They GREW here as actors. How much they invested of themselves in this drama, shows in some of the BTS of the truly emotional scenes. Again. Keep tissues ready.

Kudos to the writers 👏

Also shout out to the entire team.. from the costumes to the set designs, make up, and also the OST.. everything was a chef's kiss... They took four years to fine tune it all before starting shooting and it shows.

And of course the BEST part (as always with me and what constitutes a true romance) is that there is an HEA, with not one, but two epilogues.

This will be a comfort watch for YEARS to come. I've already watched 5 times in a row now. Because everything else keeps falling short.

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Surprisingly good

When I read the title, it had immediately caught my attention and curiosity but watching some promo clips made it feel very cheesy. I thought it isn't something I could possibly enjoy. But because I've liked the Male lead (Dylan Wang)'s work in the past, I decided to give it a go and binged the entire show in 3 days.

The story isn't very complex which is a good thing for first timers like me being introduced to a new fantasy world. A devil (Dong Fang Qing Cang) is held prisoner by fairies for 30,000 years. An ordinary orchid fairy unintentionally gets locked in with him. The fated meeting results in both escaping but unable to part ways. Thus beginning the journey of their love.

The opening theme has stunning illustrations with hauntingly beautiful music. The wardrobe, sets, CGI, all add to the beauty of this show. The work gone into producing this shows. The cast have performed brilliantly especially while varying their emotions and depicting different personalities. The male lead did do the superior job in this regard. The second Male lead is also astounding. The plot moves fairly quickly and the episodes are edited to cut off at a critical point in the conversation or story which makes you want to jump from episode to episode.

The OST is wonderful. The only issue being that it's hard to read the lyrics and the dialogues at the same time. There are a few points where the story slows down considerably for effect and I had to forcefully move it along due to my impatience.

I don't have experience with this genre in cdramas but I definitely want to give more a chance thanks to Love Between Fairy and Devil.

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Love Against the Grain

Production, Acting, Storyline and Cinematic direction was very good. This series was beautifully done in merging the understanding and challenges of worlds, class, status and abilities all in one. The chemistry between the leads was heart tugging at times, yet drew you into the pace and intention of the drama. The OST was good. However, the cinematic attention to detail is really what makes this story shine. The leads were very good in handling and conveying the dynamics of conflict, challenge, compassion and change towards one another. The plot and subplots of trials and challenges didnt feel forced or unrealistic. The storyline had times were it felt as if it may drag a bit. Nevertheless, it didn't veer off too far where it would take away interest. The was definitely worth the watch!

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This drama is frustrating!!!!

Overall this drama is actually really good. But the FL characters really frustrate me. ML is VERY VERY VERY GOOD, even though he's a little tsundere, but, hey! can't FL see all the good in ML?!? She always make things difficult. I know FL is very supportive of her clan, but, hey! you can't corner ML because of this!! FL characters who always frustrate me throughout the drama. Like, FL doesn't deserve people as good as ML, let alone someone like me 🤣🤣
Another part that frustrates me is that FL trusts her clan more than ML. Come on, can't you see everything that ML done for FL?!? okay, let's just say FL never interacts with strangers, therefore she is very innocent. But, do you trust people you don't really know much more than people who are always beside you, protect you, and are very good to you?! I know they are in the same clan, but hey, you never interact with them much!!!
As long as I watch this, I always say to FL: "if you do that, I will hate you!!", but I keep watching this because my beloved,tsundere ML💕

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I'm in love

Partendo dal presupposto che ho avuto il cuore pesante dopo averlo finito e aver anche pianto in qualche scena, vi dico la mia.

STORIA
La trama non ha molto di originale. E' una classica storia d'amore tra il cattivo e la buona del momento. Fine. Tra l'altro per certe cose mi ha ricordato il manga Fushigi Yuugi Special. Però nel complesso mi è piaciuta molto come è stata narrata e alcune cose sono state davvero interessanti. L'unica pecca per me, la parte finale. Non sono totalmente entusiasta di come sia finito ma mi accontento.

PERSONAGGI
E qui tutti muti. Il personaggio interpretato da Dylan è vivo. Questo ragazzo è riuscito a fare suo il cattivo e le scene in cui si passa dallo scherzo alla serietà sono sbalorditive. Mi sono innamorata follemente di questo personaggio. La chimica poi creatasi con la coprotagonista femminile ha dell'incredibile: nulla sembra forzato, risulta tutto naturale. Il percorso che intraprende per "migliorare" se stesso mi è piaciuto tantissimo. La sua amicizia non programmata l'ha scosso nel profondo e ho amato la sua trasformazione. Da genio del male a persona con sentimenti.
Orchidea è uno dei personaggi stupidi più belli che io abbia mai visto. La sua innocenza, la sua ingenuità, la sua dolcezza sono risultati completamente naturali. E' una di quei pochissimi personaggi a cui perdoni tutto perchè è come un cucciolo di foca, non puoi contestarle niente e come dimostra il suo amore incondizionato per il prossimo e non solo, ha dell'incredibile. La sua crescita all'interno del drama è lenta ma costante ed è talmente ben fatta che non ce ne rendiamo totalmente conto.
Gli altri personaggi in verità mi sono piaciuti tutti, ma l'unico che meritava uno sviluppo maggiore non l'ha avuto. Aveva un enorme potenziale data anche la sua doppia forma, ma ahimè se lo son dimenticato. Anche la sua storia d'amore è stata sviluppata male, poco approfondita e a volte sembra buttata lì.

MUSICA
Qualcuno ha detto Spotify?
Ovviamente mi sono salvata la OST completa ma la canzone di apertura è stupenda e la riascolto più volte al giorno.

ALTRO
Gli effetti speciali, la CGI sono da paura. Avevo il terrore che la qualità fosse pessima viste le altre produzioni cinesi fantasy ma qui mi ha letteralmente conquistata. Ci sono scenari da mozzafiato, colori brillanti. Uao.

La cosa più bella e quella che sono sicura vi catturerà è proprio la storia d'amore. E' stupenda. Mi ha fatto letteralmente capitolare e ti spinge a credere a quell'amore impossibile nella vita reale ma che nel cuore è magica. Colpita e affondata. Dategli una possibilità e non ve ne pentirete.

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top-tier show!!

Tried watching this last year and dropped it by episode 4 because I couldn’t take the CGI seriously. I’m glad I got around to picking it up and trying it again this year.

The universe is huge. The story has so many layers to it and so required much building up. There were lots of things to cover and yet there were little to no plotholes at all. They started something and made sure to keep it up to the end. Though I guess there were some loose ends for me that I wish had more closure and explanation. I think Chinese dramas could do a little bit better with their minor characters arcs (or maybe it’s the subtitles that lacked better translation).

I love that everything had significance which unfolded beautifully by the end. My eyes were glued to the screen the entire time; I couldn’t even pick up my phone because I was just too engrossed. The story was fairly consistent to what they started and I’m so amazed by how they achieved this somewhat ambitious feat. The writing and acting were amazing (more so during their body switching!!), but I guess my only negative comment about it is the CGI. Hands down a top-tier show still though

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Taming the heartless Devil God | Love can soften even the ruthless and coldest Hearts.

Honestly speaking, after I completed this drama, various thoughts and opinion invaded my mind. I know this is going to be controversial but two of them are "How the heck is this the biggest Xianxia of 2022?" and "Is this really the best they've produced last year?" and even before anyone get offended, please let me explain why I feel and think this way.

First, the introduction, pacing, story progression are fine—great even! However, the story itself specifically the plot seemed plain to me. I'm not saying it's bad but I kind of have high expectations for this drama being 'The best' of its peers last year (2022) and yet all we've gotten is a story which has scant thrill, climatic vibe and feel to it. I also wasn't hoping for an extremely complex narrative but wouldn't it be great if this has that mind-blowing and unpredictable sense to it? Something that can make you feel frustrated from guessing the future events and either get disappointed or satisfied at the end once the mysteries unfolds? I think what this drama is truly lacking/short of are the exciting and impactful climax and ending.

Second, Climax and Ending. This is when my uncertainty then later on dissatisfaction has truly kicked in. I expected the war to be an all out showdown of strength and power between the most powerful races of the story but for some reason they chose to shortened all those scenes and ended up focusing on the more dramatic side of the story. I mean, I get that the FL has to finally step up for the story to move forward, however, I feel like even that part wasn't executed good enough. I am displeased by the fact that they never gave us any decent battle at all. That's a supposed epic battle turned into a dust!! When it comes to the ending, all I can say is that they played it safe way too much. It was genuinely 'plain' period—Almost uneventful per se. The typical happy ending for everyone... Which is why I find it even more ridiculous and unbelievable that this was considered as most sought out drama of the year. Well, I guess, simplicity is truly the ultimate sophistication. Lol!

Moving forward... Something I found fascinating is the duality of the Main Leads. I know that exchanging bodies is not a new concept but for some definite reason, it helped this drama to define both of the characters and make them even more unique and interesting. Another big factor that made it happen is actually the Leads versatility and passion to their profession. The two of them did a great job executing 2 different personalities and it feels nice to see two individuals with contrasting aura and vibe build this perfect synergy and chemistry.

In terms of CGI, Color grading, Costume and Design, I would say that the production, styling and editing team are on the same page and has a clear communication on how they want the drama's overall visual and effects to look like. The only concern I have is with the ML and 2nd MLs battle costume. Damn! Those outfits looks heavy, disruptive and uncomfortable overall.

Lastly, I love that the progress of their love story didn't happen in a single day. Because love at first sight can get really irritating sometimes.

Story - 9.5, It was executed well but is lacking when it comes to proper utilization of hype and climatic scenes. Story flow and direction is really good, it's just that the way they played it safe by not adding any major plot twists kind of made this plain/bland for me. Nonetheless, this drama is still really good and very easy to watch.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I got no beef with the set of Actors/Actresses in this drama. However, I Just have to address on how awkward some of their scenes are when they tried to act it out. I know a scene if it's meant to be funny or not and I can clearly say that the way they deliver some scenes/lines aren't as polished as they want it to be. Like it's not the best and they can still surely do better but since the Director said "it's okay" so they just settled with it... I got that feeling multiple times for this production and they're mostly from the supporting actors/actresses.

Music - 10, Okay, I will give credit to where it's due. The music and sound team did an amazing job in bringing out the emotions, life and vitality of the scenes for this drama. The OSTs played for each and every scene perfectly matched the vibe of the events it's used for and it truly elevated the mood every single time as well.

Rewatch Value - 9.5, I would still re-watch this honestly. Like I mentioned above, this is such an easy to watch drama and the only reason why I have those feedbacks is because I expected a lot more from this story but was instead provided with a 'bare minimum'. Like they can still give more but since it's 'good enough' so they just settled with it.

Overall - 9.5, First of all, It was never my intention to provide negative feedback on this drama. I even have high expectations and anticipations for this show. However, I guess it's my own conciousness speaking for myself.... that I'm not satisfied yet and is still looking/asking for answers on why they did it that way given all the potential it has. Nevertheless, this is definitely a good one and would still recommend it to anyone who's planning to watch it.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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My opinion

This drama really pulled at my heart strings. It had me in a chokehold the entire time I was watching it. I don't think I've ever seen a drama that makes me feel the emotions with the characters. I mean I have but not like this one did. The only other drama that had me feeling like this one did was Tail of the Nine-Tailed. Dylan Wang sometimes had me questioning whether or not he was the good guy. Zhang Linghe really had me crying for him sometimes too. The fact that at times both Dongfang Qingcang and Chang Heng were both in love with Orchid also made me sad only one could have her

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"She has left traces all over the sea of my heart."

CLJ is the first xianxia drama that I watched and followed through. Tbh, the first episodes were hard to get into along with the annoying voice of the female lead. But when things started to get escalated in ep 9, I found it very intriguing and I couldn't stop watching. The forbidden love trope wrapped in war problems and myths was so fun. I was happy and sad for the leads throughout the series. And the annoying voice of the female lead finally made sense to me because she was supposed to be that way, naive and young. The only downside was the episodes in the mortal world were kinda draggy and the resolution in the end felt kinda rushed. I liked how in the last few episodes, the story between DFQC XLH mirrored with Ronghao and his master, the only difference was, DFQC was surrounded by love and Ronghao was blinded by obsession. It was a nice touch. Wang Hedi gave an immense performance as DFQC, I could feel his pain, his hatred, his frustration and his happiness. Yu Shuxin also potrayed XLH really well and their chemistry was on fire. The Cinematography and the CGIs were very pretty and the OSTs were really good and matched the scenes. Overall, a very enjoyable ride for me.

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