The Longest Promise is truly the biggest surprise amongst Xianxia dramas to come out in recent years. It has been over two weeks since its finale but I still cannot stop thinking about it and discovering things I didn't notice from first watch because that's how impactful and well-crafted it really is. I've been waiting for this drama as a fan of Xiao Zhan ever since he was rumored to be the lead and I really thought that this was just gonna be your typical Xianxia romance drama I could watch head empty BUT I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG. Taking this drama at face value will do it massive injustice to the story and its characters. This might seem like the most unassuming drama that follows the usual Xianxia romance formula BUT NO it is really a drama that contains alot of insightful themes and messages the viewers can learn from. Although the story takes place within a cultivation setting it is actually a lot more relatable to viewers because it tackles the good/ugly aspects of human nature through its use of prophecies as the backdrop to the story's main conflicts. This is truly a drama that needs more than one watch because you will definitely be blindsided by the ending on your first watch as it might appear to just be following the trend of bittersweet open endings. HOWEVER that is not the case for TLP--they are making good use of its open ending because they WANT the viewer to actually go back and revisit moments in order to find the subtle hints and layered meanings of huge plot moments. In order to find the true ending of the drama you need to figure out its central themes and purpose of the story but if you don't have the time to do that don't worry I already broke down everything you need to know about TLP in the discussion board. Once you see how everything was planned and laid out since the beginning of the drama you will undoubtedly leave this show fully satisfied with how they showed the journey of Shi Ying and Zhu Yan.

I will have to preface that TLP IS NOT A DRAMA FOR THOSE WHO ONLY WANT A LOVE STORY. There is alot more to this drama than the main couple's romance and I learned from personal experience that it is not a good idea to watch this drama with a one-sided focus on the romantic endgame or else you will miss the underlying narrative and well written character development. This drama might not be for everyone because TLP decides to put a spin on the usual Xianxia romance formula by staying strongly committed to the master/disciple aspect of their relationship. Several people have dropped this drama because they went in expecting instant gratification from the romance like other cdramas would provide. If you want early romance and payoff then you should not force yourself to complete this drama. In order to appreciate the slowburn romance you have to respect the set up and established lore TLP is staying committed to because I personally think it makes Shi Ying's character motivation even more realistic and impactful. Leaving priesthood is established as a matter of life and death within their world so it should NOT be a decision Shi Ying can make on a whim like a college student changing majors.

TLP is NOT a Xianxia with a plot that revolves around the main romance, it is actually the complete opposite and once you view the story under this lens the story and character decisions will make A LOT more sense. And by that I mean the viewer will be prone to viewing every action of the main leads under the guise of furthering romance that it becomes easy to overlook the deeper meanings behind things. THIS WAS THE TRAP I FELL INTO ON MY FIRST WATCH because I was unaware of how nuanced the writing would be. Please try to rewatch the drama without the prime focus of endgame romance you will thank me later. The story takes advantage of the master/disciple slowburn romance by focusing more on the main couple's growth as individuals to show that their actions are not solely motivated by love. Like they really prioritized on fleshing out these two leads so they do not come off as one dimensional by the time they finally get romantically involved with each other. Might not be your cup of tea but the wait is definitely worth it once you see Shi Ying and Zhu Yan are more than characters who are written to fall in love for the sake of romance. They have their own personalities, goals, and values which is why they will have conflict with each other for most of the drama. Maybe if cdramas were allowed to go past 40 episodes we could have had more time to fully enjoy their life as a couple after they clear up all misunderstandings but the development of their relationship in the first 35 episodes is just so deeply intertwined with the plot and individual character arcs and romance that it is impossible to take out one of those elements without negatively impacting the rest.