Yu Long (2021)

There are two SEPARATE reviews for the ML and SML in this drama

TLDR: If you wonder if you should watch it, YES! It's the best worst drama ever. A totally new journey, new experience.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

First of all, the main lead, Dylan Wang. Contrary to popular opinion, I think he was dealt a bad hand in this drama. This storyline and Yuchi Longyan call for someone with SOLID life experience, depth and acting skills. The actor must be able to tell a sophisticated story with his eyes and acting about:
- Someone who was clueless in love but very confident of his power and helplessly felt in love with a girl
- Someone who was slightly arrogant but lost his confident after failing to protect his loved one
- Someone who sacrificed for love, getting so close to a happy ending and getting more hopeful by the day
- Someone who was so hopeful, turning devastated and into the dark side as if he is crushed with pain
- Someone who is over the moon, oozing love out for his one true partner.

Dylan Wang has good look, but he's also a super young actor who started out from 18 years old or so and had his first kiss on screen. I am not sure if he has even experienced love not to mention all the above layers that the role requires. The contrast between the casting and the storyline make his lack of life experience even more pronounced.

Now, onto the second male lead of this show, Deng Wei. This is going to be a long ass review.

At first, I was skipping all his scenes because I normally focus only on the main couple in almost any drama to save time. Upon coming across one of this drama videos on youtube, I got intrigued:

- At 2:17 I can actually see his eyes saying: "I love you, you are cute, but I can see through your bullshit" (Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR9i04YLpyQ).

How does he even do that? I don't know, so I have to watch to understand what he and QQ were doing that led to that expression. Holly smoke! That was exactly what the scene was about, as if he told me everything just with a tilt of his head and his loving and gentle glare.

I then had to cycle back and watch all of his and QQ scenes again. QQ annoyed me at first with her big round eyes, over the top expressions, but she and their pair started to grow on me in the most unexpected way. XQX (Deng Wei) then drew me in by his depth and evolution of the character. I find the experience deeply interesting for three reasons.

Firstly, he is smoking hot: his eyes, lip, nose, jaw line, the way he talks, moves, touches QQ with such elegance and charm. How I would instinctively pull my hand out to compare, then sigh in disbelief every time his hand, yes his hand, appeared on screen.

Secondly, he can act. His acting for both XQX and Lonely Star have clear evolution and direction, adding more layers and depth every time the character learnt something new about himself. The highlight was ep 34 as the Lonely Star, he looked sad when QQ was knocked out the first time, but he still looked clueless as he has never experienced losing someone or feeling lonely before. The second time QQ is out, his emotion exploded. I can see a whole range of emotions, from thankfulness to sadness to devastation to rage then a determination to change the course of QQ next life. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I was totally onboard thanks to his wonderful acting abilities.

Lastly, he and QQ has real chemistry, not only onscreen but offscreen as well. I could write another essay about this but I'd stop here for now and join in with the fans who are calling for them to be main leads in the next drama. I don't care what it's about, I'll be there :)

Lire davantage

Light xianxia, only worth to watch for the 2.nd couple

It is a light drama, you dont have to use a lot of braincapacity to follow it, but it have warm and lovely storyline. No, not the main storyline, the second one :)

Pan Mei Ye (Xiao Qing / Qing Qing) was a very annoying character in first sight, overreacted actions and too noisy behaviour. Then I have to realise, yes, that is how a silly blue chicken could act if it could be an elf, so her acting become my favourite. One of my favourite, because the other was the second male lead Deng Wei ( Xue Qian Xun ) who portrayed an immortal lord with soo mutch elegance what I haven't seen since Luo Yunxi in the Ashes of love. It is unbelivable, that this series is his first drama. He is really awesome. Extra point, that these two have got really good chemisty, their acting together is living and vivid, can't stop rewatch them. I have to agree, they totally got this show and I hope both of them have got more opportunity in the future. Acting is 7 point only for them and the other sidecast.

I am really sorry the poor storyline of Zhu Zan Jin (Mingge Xingjun [Immortal of Fate]). Guys, this actor have got far more skill than this, it was a waste to gave him soo little time.

The ending is happy, but only the second couple have got valuable, well written "endscene" .
The main couple just met in the pink forest with lot of firefly. Again...

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Good light-hearted fantasy drama - safe for kids to watch too (NO Spoilers)

A nice light-hearted fantasy drama with comedic moments. I avoided this drama at the beginning as I thought the first few minutes were cliche with poor acting. However, I got suckered in by those YouTube clips and wanted to see what it was all about. I put Xu Kai's "Ancient Love Poetry" on hold over this. I finished this drama in 3 days.

This drama reminds me of "Oh! My Emperor" style feel. Light-hearted. Short episodes. Plenty of comedic moments. Nothing too serious or overly dramatic. The plot was decent. It had the typical usual magical items to conveniently heal whoever gets injured or needs it to grow stronger. It was fun to see the FL from "Dragon Saber" and the supporting ML from "The Untamed" in this show.

It touches upon timeless love and friendship too. My young kids liked watching some parts of it too, especially the cool magical battles and comedy moments. Whenever they see little kids in the show all dressed up in traditional outfits, it definitely captures their attention. The set design looked nice too. Lots of food moments that made me hungry. They need to make these pastries in Chinese Bakeries so I can try some!

I really enjoyed the CGI moments, it was pretty good for a TV Show. The cinematography was impressive with interesting camera angles. Costumes looked good too. Acting was so-so, it was either stiff or over-acted. Still believe Zu Zan Jin from "The Untamed" did the best in this show. All the actors are beautiful with flawless make-up.

As usual, we kept watching even though it got somewhat dry towards the end but we wanted to watch how it will all end. I won't give away any spoilers but I think it's worth watching to the end.

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A bittersweet romance

It made me laugh...gave me heartache...though I am not the type to get that absorbed in a drama I did for this time...the story was average, sometimes repetitive but the acting made me go on...it was top-notch...I felt bored at some point with the sacrifices and with the rebirth but I went on just to see the end...the ending was unexpected but somewhat satisfying...
Both the couple's story was well-written and the character development of QQ was good...
The friendship between Dragon King and The Lord was like whipped cream on cold coffee...
The OSTs were calm and relaxing... so in a nutshell, it was a beautiful but heartwrenching love story and while watching it I wondered "how can someone sacrifice so much for love?"

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Disappointing Ending

Drama is good but ending is not acceptable .
Supreme power knows everything then why he didn't know that she gave her soul to him and he punished him . What type of direction is this.
How the heaven don't know who is evil .
I like second lead couple more than first lead couple ,though they don't have much romantic scenes together but still their story was most enjoyable .
Second female lead character is my favourite , her character is talkative ,happy go lucky get easily worried if something bad happened .first lead couple had more romantic scene which generally viewers want to watch along with the side story but their story little boring , three time recarnation stories make the drama bore .
But not happy with ending.
I want season2 where story starts with second lead couple but end with first lead couple

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Meh

Before coming into this drama (late), I had seen so many fan edits of this drama all over Instagram Reels and Tiktok, and was quite intrigued by the story. Obviously, it's not something that hasn't been done before, but it's also unique in its own way.

There were MANY historical and cultural inaccuracies (especially in FL's first life as a maid), but I convinced myself to let it slide, as I was quite invested in the story. At first, the main lead couple was keeping me interested, but by the middle of the show, I was head over heels for the second lead couple, and every time they were on screen, I found myself screaming my head off. I liked the concept of FL's lifetimes, and how nicely everything was tied together in her last one, but GOSH I HATE THE ENDING SO MUCH. Like yes, I understand it was probably the best for them, but it honestly felt like they both died, even if they didn't.

The second male lead actor has stolen my heart, and I'm now fully invested in his career, and will be looking forward to his first official main role (that doesn't seem to be happening soon. sad times). I watched "When We Were Young", a drama that the second female lead starred in, and didn't follow the actress because I didn't really like her character, but this show has changed my mind. Her acting is just a little cringey, but it's nothing too serious.

The opening and closing songs were both BEAUTIFUL, and the graphics that went with the songs were also amazing. This sound mixing for the fight scenes were also spectacular, and I found they actually matched the scenes. Quite rare for a Chinese drama.

As for rewatch, I occasionally go back to watch a few of my favorite scenes (most of them from FL's 3rd life and some second lead couple cute scenes), but I wouldn't rewatch the entire drama again.

Overall, I feel like this is one of those shows that are quite similar to the types of candies that don't necessarily taste that good, but you can't stop eating them. I binged this drama in a day (no I didn't sleep), which is a huge indicator for the quality of the drama. In the end, it was a fun watch, and opened my eyes to new actors and actresses, and I would recommend it if you like a fun drama with pretty short episodes.

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came for the main leads, stayed for the second leads

i just wanna start this off by saying personally ever since the second leads appeared on screen, they singlehandedly carried the drama till the very last ep for me. i was actually quite pumped for the release of miss the dragon cause i really enjoyed dylan's acting in his previous work the rational life, he did great there. just when i was starting to get into him, this drama dropped and literally ruined his whole reputation for me. i feel like his acting has two sides, an ai robot side and the quirkier side, no in-between, i never really understood what his real personality was. in my opinon anyone from the whole cast acted their role better than dylan the main lead like . . . apart from this, i was looking forward to bambi as well, her acting was just okay, though i never bought her character.

the storyline was just too rushed, they really expect to shove four lifespans into 36 ep and actually create a powerful story. like no. there was almost no chemistry i could feel from the main leads, no build up. also even though the plot is extremely romance and character focused, i never really understood some sub-plots like the one in the third life, the one about the female leads long lost old friend and that creepy weird enemy dude. what did that have anything to do with the story. but maybe it's cause i skipped it cause i didn't care. music was alright, i enjoyed the frequent sound effects and the opening and ending song is beautiful. cgi is also decent, although why did i feel like the editing team made the dragon look so feminine and not "dragon-like" idk just a personal opinion.

okay now onto the second couple, i could honestly go on and on about their set up and development. i think it's also when compared to the main couple, they are superior in my opinion. their storyline actually makes sense and has a lot of depth especially cause of their love story in the past, forgetting it, then meeting once again. also i can't believe this is deng wei's first role, he really be doing the most. like even though both the male lead and second male have similar personality, he still manages to use these micro expressions to add layers to his character unlike dylan the robot.. i think that deng wei just has a more persuadable cold aura as well. so whenever he does smile (like five times through the show), it just creates more contrast. also i found second female to be quite cute as well, specifically in her scenes with the second male. deng wei has definitely made it as my favorite actor along with second leads being my favorite couple of the month. very much excited for their future projects respectively.

all in all this is just a seemingly high production, but in reality, low production drama (plastic looking sets) if you watch, you just gotta pretend the second leads are the main leads and vise versa. turn off your brain and just enjoy your time at this laughable and almost unreasonable story.

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review

to be honest, this drama is pretty good. so far, i’m loving it. its definitely worth of time watching it. the acting skill was goodly done. i like it. also the side couple story are interesting as well. i like the fact is that this drama is quick and easy to understand. so for me it’s a good drama to watch. and you should watch it too! :) also i love the fact that he is very loyal to her. he loves her so much that he can do anything for at all cost. it doesn’t matter if he’s hurt or not, he will protect her in the end. he’s love for her truly moved my heart. and it’s so beautiful. so far i’m in ep 24, and this drama is getting more interesting and fun. can’t wait for the new english episode to come out.

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simple and sweet xian xia drama but with deep emotion

its great storyline.. dylan wang was succceed potraying his character as dragon king.. not too good but not to bad. he done it GREAT .. the way dragon king love his love was unselfish and so pure .. prepare to laugh and expect the unexpected.. the plot twist was unexpected.. and i love bambi zhu acting.. they have chemistry but not that good compare to the second lead couple..but that because of the difrrent of their character and story line .. but still they manage to potray their character very well.. and made this xian xia beautifull as it is with all the actor and actress

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Emotional & romantic love story that could have been great

The drama tells the love story of the dragon male lead who falls in love with the mortal female girl and spends four lifetimes protecting her silently with the hope that one day he will be together with her. The story starts beautifully, like a fairytale. The first 10 episodes focus on the main couple falling in love, and if you are a hopeless romantic you will definitely love this part. Then we have a separation as the mortal girl is reincarnated which is fine at first. Until she reincarnates again, and again. What could have been a sweet and romantic love story turns into a repetitive plot with zero development between the main leads after episode 10.

THE SECOND COUPLE IS WORTH TO SEE:
The love story of the second couple was perfect. "I-love-you-for-a-thousand-years" vibe. They have the perfect organic development and steal the spotlight especially in the second half of the drama. We see them bickering, we see them becoming friendly, we see them falling in love. We see them as the perfect star-crossed lovers. They had the sweetness, the angst, the fire chemistry, the grumpy/sunshine trope, cold man with bubbly woman.

HOW I RECOMMEND TO WATCH THIS:
I'd recommend watching episodes 1-10, then only watch the second couple while skipping the rest, and then finish the story with episodes 29-36. You won't miss anything plot wise because nothing happens in the 2nd and 3rd life. Honestly, if this drama was only 24 episodes with only the 1st and 4th life it would have been perfect for sure. Not that the 2nd and 3rd life are bad, if you watch them as 4 mini dramas they are interesting but the fact that for 17 episodes there is zero relationship development for the 1st couple is just horrible writing.

MUSIC:
I have to specifically mention that I loved the OST and I played the ending song on repeat non-stop. If you drop the drama, at least listen to the ending song as it's perfect.

THE FOUR LIVES:

1st life: ep 1-10 (10 eps)
- FL is an orphan, working as a maid. She is soft hearted and helps animals. This is where the main leads fall in love and it's done really well.

2nd life: ep 11-17 (7 eps)
- FL is hard-working, independent and head-strong. She is bullied by the village’s annoying girl. Honestly nothing much happens and you can totally skip this life (but watch the second couple scenes).

3rd life: ep 18-28 (10 eps)
- FL is a general and the strongest in the army, she is giving Mulan vibes.
- The best villain of the drama is here.
- Great war and fight scenes.
- Feels super draggy with boring side characters. The plot doesn't move forward. Zero development for the main leads. You can totally skip this (but watch the second couple scenes as they are amazing here).

4th life: ep 29-36 (7 eps)
- FL is born into a wuxia sect that fights demons. Everything is revealed here and we have a great final battle (it's low budget but still done well).

OVERALL:
I did enjoy watching this but I'm disappointed because the plot had great potential for the main leads but didn't deliver. I still recommend people to watch this but skip the parts I mentioned above. In terms of acting, I was very pleasantly surprised by the FL. She was phenomenal in playing 4 different characters. ML was a bit stiff but somehow it fitted his character. The second couple were perfect in every way.

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Watch It for the Supporting Couple

I don't know why Xanxia dramas always need a second couple to take the attention away from main leads, but I guess it's necessary to make a longer drama. I was really disappointed with this drama, first off, because there is just no chemistry between the main leads. Dylan is such a bad actor in this. He just does not look like he was enjoying himself. The one scene where he actually looked alive was with young Liuyang in the Kunlun mountain arc. Zhu XuDan is a wonderful actress and I have loved her since TMOPB, which was a great part for her as she is capable of quite a range of characters. Although, I am glad that she gets a lead here, it just wasn't as well written a part for her. I don't particularly care for Mary Sue's or grown women acting like 4 year olds and, with the exception of the lady general arc, I was mostly disappointed.

This brings us to the secondary/supporting couple who are different as night and day to our main leads. Once again we have the serious guy opposite the flighty female. But, in contrast, they were better actors. Xue Qian Xun, brilliantly played by newcomer Deng Wei, may have been a cold fish, but he was ALIVE. The lights were definitely on in that pretty head of his and when QingQing was angry at him or sad about something, he was genuinely mortified. I loved watching their banter, the stolen glances, the loving looks. This was missing between our main leads, and that was the biggest shame. Because of this, they single-handedly stole the show from Dylan and XuDan. I looked forward to the episode that would finally reveal their story.

Some of the plot lines were annoyingly predictable. I felt like I was watching rehashes from previously better-written dramas. That kind of laziness is inexcusable.

The OST was the best part of this whole production. I could listen to it all day. It was perfect for the situations and gave scenes their appropriate weight. Background music was gorgeous, as was cinematography and costumes.

The ending was sad and disappointing. After all the reincarnations and tribulations I hoped for better for the main couple. If anyone can recommend better Xianxia dramas, please leave a post in the comments.

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