Wulin Heroes (2023)

Accidental Hilarious Fluff

Rated= 8 ~ 33/50 ~ 6.6
RPG Scene // Mermaid making flower crowns in the Flower Meadow. Sword used as dart practice

After a long deep dive into more serious 40+ ep c-dramas, I honestly think I enjoyed this more than I would have because it reminded of the kind of manga's I enjoyed as a teenager and it was only 22 episodes.

Plot - The overall story is of a Ginseng fairy who keeps finding herself believing in the wrong men while her 'true love' is standing on the outskirts protecting her in secret. We go back and forth, back and forth uncovering the mystery of the past for the first half of the series before moving forward towards a conclusion.
I personally, don't like this method of story telling. I prefer one long flashback and then move on, whereas this one flashes back a few times. That can be a bit disjointing for me as a viewer but I kept watching because, and here's the kicker, I found the whole concept accidentally hilarious. The whole idea of dying and resurrecting without your memories to find a few men who are full blown yandere for you kind of funny. I shouldn't have and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the idea but I'm me, and I did.
Another aspect of the plot is the yearning. There is a fine line for me between unnecessary angst and understandable silent yearning, and I feel like that's really up to the viewer to decide which side they're on. For me, I understood Bai Lu's silence this time. It made sense to me and it was pitiful so for me, it's a silent yearning. I didn't feel stressed or annoyed with characters while watching. The bad guys did bad guy things, and the good guys did good guy things.
As for the ending, if it had been 40 episodes, that last little dilemma would have been a whole new arc LOL The big problem is quickly solved and it's Happy ever after manga ending. I would have liked to have seen Bai Lu's promise to Xi but maybe it has to be skipped now? I wonder how this reality deals with that final reveal which is not really a final reveal. If anything it just cemented that shoujo ending that the clueless, innocent lead had to be told LOL

Characters - The FL might be a character who could easily annoy you though. I viewed her almost like a perpetual 15 year old. Flighty, impulsive and in love with life. The only character she actually falls in love with is our ML. The other characters she's just trying to be a good person to in accordance with her beliefs. However, I didnt feel like she was childish. Just free spirited. She had her own morals and held to them in however she was treated.
Our ML is the glorious Li Hong Yi. I stated in my Blood of Youth review, I would be happy to look at him all day and I didn't lie. That man is Fine. He held a similar vibe as his character in Blood of Youth though. I don't know enough about him or have watched enough shows to say if he feels a little type casted but it kind of suited his character Bai Lu. Just brooding in the background added to his 'tortured prince' sort of character. If that's a character he gets a lot of or is something his good looks plays on, I felt it in this one.
As for the side couple, I'm not normally interested in the side couples because they often feel forced but because this one developed off screen, by the time we get back to them, they're just being cute, so I didnt mind them so much.

Music and Set - The music and set were nothing to stand out to me. I feel like we were outside a lot for this one, but I did love the set pieces for the Valley, Bai Lu's house. It looked very spacious and zen. I think it was the high ceilings. So far, a lot of chinese interior for these types of show tend to be more horizontal and low. Whereas Bai Lu's house seemed to have a lot of open space and breathing room. It looked like something I would live in, here in Europe, only with chinese furniture and decor.

Overall, I think it's one of those shows you'll either enjoy the cuteness or will just feel annoyed. I might be a little biased with this one because it really did feel like a fluffy, romantic pining for you forever kind of story that I used to love as a kid. I didn't feel like there was unnecessary drama which these kind of shows often use. There were a few guys after our FL but it's pretty clear she has no romantic interest, and she stands her ground when she does make up her mind, and the other female character is friendly without any jealous plotting. She's pretty supportive of our FL. There was nothing that created an annoying love triangle arc. Just the usual randomly obsessive characters you get with this sort type of FL character.

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A love story that reminds, it is good to remember and take the lessons.

To make it watchable, you must remember that it is a story about a fairy turning into human. Since it is not impossible in real life, you should not expect realism and be more patient to swallow every logic in the story.

Sometimes we love a drama because it meet our expectations (we see what we want to see in the screen). However, a story can serve also as a medium to experiment with ideas, what could be possibly happened to love and relationship when circumstances are not usual.

In this drama, we have a ginseng fairy turning human (Ye Xi) and multiple men in her life. It is difficult at first to follow the storyline because it mixed. It is progressing, but with so many flashbacks. Until episode 14, there is no chronological order, so it is confusing. To be patient that long is not easy for me, even though the romance is quite unique, fresh, and promising for further development.

The good of the story is that it is a contemplatation about human nature. The themes revolve around the deceit & betrayal vs the faithfulness & devotion; selfishness vs selflessness; superficial love that is only sweet in words and promises but backstabbing vs true unconditional love though it is sometimes bitter. Sometimes love is only used as tool for our interests, sometimes it is the real purpose of life.

I began to understand this idea when Ye Xi was dying the second time. She lamented about she finally became human, but in the end she was still eaten by human. She did thousand years of cultivation, longing for a new life which she would be able to live with someone. Actually, she was able to feel the agony, but the problem is she got amnesia and came back to her true nature as a kind, helpful, and trusting person every time she was revived. It is the tragedy that makes us audience feel angry and despair like Bai Yue, how stupid she is! How could she got trapped and betrayed again? Love is not that important when it goes ugly for you, how could your brain only seek for love and repeat the same mistakes?

Fortunately, later she got some conscience and aware of her mistakes. She could distinguish true love from fake one through Bai Yue's devotion and sacrifice to her. As audience, we learn, it is important to remember even the saddest part of our life. As we hate a girl like Ye Xi, we should remember that in real life some girls are like Ye Xi. In this aspect, the story itself empowers us to love our selves more, to be more careful in handling romantic relationship, etc. The moral of this story is the only good aspect of this drama.

After finishing all episodes, it is sad that the story delivery is less sophisticated. The second main lead (Cang Qi) is not interesting at all. The actor played the role is overly dramatic in facial expressions, and he looked too beautiful/ feminine for the role of person in power. It is not explained how Cang Qi rose to power, what is his job in goverment, etc. His obsession to Ye Xi is disgusting, because he was lustful and saw Ye Xi as sexual object. The supporting roles are not help. Their love story is shallow. They are quite comical, but not that funny.

The only make sense person is Bai Yue. He was praise worthy for his ability, ethics, loyalty, and patience. I think it better to let him just died in episode 21 and his love made Ye Xi understood more about true love. His curse is the important thing that push the story toward the end. It is no need to revive him with such a lame mechanism. I personally don't like a story that ends with a deus ex machina. How could a coffin suddenly had such magical power? His death should be the final missing piece that Ye Xi got during her journey to find love and to be a human being, not a fairy.

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I love the actor Li Hong Yi (Bai Yue), there is something about his stature that amazes me. He is very tall. His acting is kind of different from others I have viewed. At least he didn't have to bend his neck to his co-star that much. lol, I loved his character but why is it always a triangle or a quad with different partners? At least the writers got their story right. Huang Ri Ying (Ye Xi) played her character as strong-headed, stubborn but nice... what a combination. Her character wanted to help and keep everyone alive no matter how evil they were. It all comes back to her. You will know what I mean if you watch this drama.
I like this actress but I have to see more from her to know the type of actress she is. Zhu Zan Jin (Cang Qi), this actor was really good because his character anger me to high heaven and back to hell. OMG, he got on my nerves with his back-and-forth death threats. When an actor can pull my emotions out that means they are good. I won't tell you the ending because that's just not right. The fantasy and Li Hong Yi in the martial arts scenes, it was phenomenal. I loved the wardrobe the characters wore. I thank everyone, the writers, the producers, the directors, the support actors/actresses, and the whole team who helped may this story a success for me.

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Enough with stupid FLs

It took long enough for this story to start coming together. It was confusing at first, especially with all these male characters coming out of the woodwork. If you could get past that confusion, the ML was the only constant in the story. I like LHY and was willing to try to stick it out for him. BUT I just couldn't. Sorry, Li Hong Yi!

Let's talk about the FL. I have seen this actress in other dramas before. She plays the same kinds of roles. Dumb. IMO, she's not believable as a kick-ass heroine because she comes across as a silly, giggling, ninny. She wears the same clueless expression on her face and just isn't convincing. So calling her character 'naïve' and 'goodhearted' to suggest why she's so gullible is a stretch! I kept hoping she wouldn't come back from her many 'deaths' - plant or no.

The men! Cang Qi, Cang Nan, Tang Huan, Tang Yang - what a bunch of psychos! One look at FL and they are 'in love' to the point of creepy obsession? Please! Even LHY's character of the ML couldn't save this shipwreck of a story, the stalker arcs, and the awful acting by the FL.

Thankfully I didn't waste much time because of the reviews of a few reputable posters on the MDL website. Those who thought this to be a great story, to each their own. Not for me! I only gave it as many as 4 stars for Li Hong Yi.

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Nice, cute, fantasy series with adorable CL

Plot: multiple encounters between 1 genius doctor (undergoing 1 spell prohibiting him from love) and 1 ginseng fairy, naive and helpful. We follow their evolution despite the successive deaths of the FL, the love triangles, the rivalries between martial arts sects.

A really great drama fantasy with very cute OTPs: ML= Li Hong Yi, FL= Huang Ri Ying.
A very good balance of suspense, romance, action & fight,...

=> A very addictive drama (but without length because the realization is dynamic) => To binge-watch.
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Plot : rencontres multiples entre 1 médecin de génie (subissant 1 sort lui interdisant l'amour) et 1 fée du ginseng, naïve et helpful. On suit leur évolution malgré les morts successives de la FL, les triangles amoureux, les rivalités entre sectes d'arts martiaux.

Très drama fantasy avec des OTP très cute : ML= Li Hong Yi, FL=Huang Ri Ying.
Un très bon équilibre de suspens, romance, action & fight,...

Drama très addictif (mais sans longueur car la réalisation est dynamique) => A regarder d'une traite.

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Great drama but a rushed ending

I absolutely loved the chemistry of the leads in this drama and the story itself! It was a decent wuxia with xianxia elements and I did enjoy that!
The story is funny and lighthearted, the female lead daring, quirky and quite likeable, though totally naive of course.
Li Hongyi is incredibly pretty in this drama though his character is basically the same as in The Blood of Youth. Still enjoyed his beautiful face though ;)
The ending felt quite rushed, the solution was way too simple for my taste and weird… would have prefered a logical ending instead of the lovey dovey cringe moments… also he is still fully human who will grow old and die while she isn‘t… that plotline was completely ignored in the end and don‘t even get me started about the pregnancy…
But overall a fun and enjoyable drama with lots of eyecandy

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Cerita yang lompat lompat, sedikit agedan pertarungan

Awal ingin menonton ini karena dari video trailer yang sepertinya sangat menjanjikan. Namun ketika menonton, ternyata ekspetasi yang diberikan tak sesuai dengan yang pada video promosi. Apalagi drama ini ditayangkan setelah "TBOF" yang memiliki banyak adegan aksi, sementara pada drama ini sangat minim akan adegan pertarungannya. Dengan judul yang bertuliskan "Wulin", sebagai penonton, saya sangat berharap akan menjadi drama dengan banyak adegan pertarungannya daripada hanya sebuah "cerita masa lalu".

Untuk alur dari ceritanya akan berjalan maju ke depan dengan banyak flashback ke masa lalu. Dalam video juga akan beberapa bagian yang seolah ada bagian yang terpotong sehingga seperti terlalu dipaksakan. Namun secara keseluruhan, drama ini masih bisa dinikmati meski sedikit membingungkan.

Apakah saya akan merekomendasikan ke teman saya untuk menonton ? sepertinya tidak. Saya juga merasa drama ini kurang layak untuk di tonton ulang, masih banyak drama lainnya yang lebih asik.

===== UPDATE REVIEW =====
Setelah menontonnya hingga selesai, saya memberikan sedikit tambahan penilaian. Walaupun semakin kesini ada sedikit peningkatan, namun tetap tidak signifikat. Sisi positifnya, drama ini memiliki kisah yang menarik mulai dari pertengahan hingga akhir. Kualitas pengambilan gambarnya juga semakin bagus. Untuk endingnya, juga sudah sesuai dengan harapan

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