Eternal Love (2017)

Beautiful love story + Top-notch acting = Magical viewing experience

'So glad I persevered with this series as the story started to get specially interesting for me in Episode 11. This is not to say that I found the first 10 episodes boring because they're not - they set the stage for the rest of the series. But it was in Episode 11, when Ye Hua (Mark Chao) and Su Su (Yang Mi) first meet, that the magic hit home for me. Their every interaction is precious. Even their exchanges when he is in dragon form are endearingly hilarious, like when he thinks, "How dare you!" when she kisses him and he forces himself to swallow the raw meat she is feeding him so she would not kiss him again.

Ye Hua is simply beautiful. Sure, the actor is handsome, but it is his manliness, depth, intelligence, wisdom, elegance, sincerity, strong sense of justice and most of all, love for and faithfulness to one woman that captivates. Another enchanting quality is his sense of humor that seems to be triggered only when he is with her like at the end when he is reminiscing their times together. Mark Chao did an exceptional job perfectly portraying such a compelling character. Yang Mi also did a great job as Bai Qian/Si Yin/Su Su, though I'm not too impressed with the character's fondness for wine to the point of severely affecting her emotions and decisions. Gosh, I'm sounding too attached to the characters. This is how powerful the hold this series has on its admirers. This is why I gave it a 10/10 even though the CGI is not perfect - the emotional attachment is off the charts.

The love story is indeed beautiful but it is the top-notch acting that raised this drama to a level of quality befitting its exalted position as the most watched Chinese TV series of all time, with over 50 billion views as of August 2018.

Update: Watching the series a second time was an even more satisfying experience. I felt the magic from the first episode. Every scene between Mo Yuan and Bai Qian/Si Yin simmers with affection, with the mystery of "does he love her as a disciple or a woman" adding to the enchantment, if not poignancy, of the story. And now that I'm well aware of the significance of the golden lotus (Jin Lian), Ye Hua's attachment to Si Yin/Su Su/Bai Qian takes an even deeper meaning. A truly remarkable, beautiful, wonderful, mesmerizing series.

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I decided to watch this after seeing how highly it was rated and it met my expectations but failed to exceed them. I'm usually really picky with dramas and more of an action lover than a romance person and so I guess the fact that I finished this one gives it some credit. The story started out quite blandly but interesting enough to continue, hit its stride in the middle (Episode 30 being the highlight of the entire show), and started dragging a little towards the end.

Plot: I honestly liked the plot. It was original. Although the ending was kind of cliche and the entire story a little predictable, it was quite well written and left you with a satisfied yet somewhat cheesy feel.

Characters: Some of the characters were really enjoyable but others were quite infuriating. At this point, I am resigned to the fact that most dramas have one or two scheming, selfish, and extremely annoying women but I am honestly a little sick of seeing them. They are always the same - blinded by love to do stupid and evil things. I wish the villains were were more original.

Acting: Most of the main leads did a great job acting. Kudos to Yang Mi for portraying so many different personalities. She did a great job bringing out each and everyone and was really the star of the show. The only thing that bothered me was the "crying scenes" of some characters. It was at times painful to continue to watch this drama simply because people were crying so much.

Sets: Chinese drama CGI - what more has to be said?

Rewatch: Uhhh probably not - too much crying and moping/misunderstandings (probably 50% of the second half) to properly enjoy a rewatch, but some scenes were pretty nice such as Episode 30.

Overall not bad. If you are a romance fan, you are sure to enjoy. If you prefer action, it may be worth a try but just a warning, it's really watery and slightly cliche.

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This is my first review....so my apologies if I lack in anything. I'll try to make it short. ( No spoilers )

First off I want to say this was my first CDrama and I can't complain it took my CD virginity, not in the slightest.

This show is purely a work of art with a beautiful story and amazing characters, landscapes, music, acting and costumes. Filled with love and betrayal and a little mystery, it gets very intense and sucks you right in. The only thing I felt lacking was only the graphics which isn't that big of a deal (For me anyways). The acting for me was on point the actors did very well with their roles and played their part to the finest. I really love how they gave backstories to the characters it gets you more attached to them (as I did) and get to know them better and see their point of view, which I feel a lot of shows lack of. I got so attached to this I had to keep telling my self not to binge-watch it so I didn't finish it fast well...that wasn't the case I just couldn't stop, I craved for more. It's just too good. If you can get past the graphics this show it is one of the best ADramas in my opinion (A lot of people will agree). I haven't found one to top it yet. It has opened me up to these types of dramas, yes I spent hours and hours watching it and it is so worth it I highly recommend it to anyone.


I cannot wait for the adaptation for this show. I am sure some people do not know of it so I will leave it here,
https://mydramalist.com/26385-three-lives-three-worlds-the-pillow-book.

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"NO WONDER this drama has such a high rating" that will be your reaction after getting into this show.

Firstly, I'd like to happily inform you that this drama is absolutely NOT draggy. There is just so much happening in the show, and it is always dynamic. So, if one of your worries before watching "eternal love" is that, cast that aside and consider other obstacles, because redundancy is not going to be an issue. Also, unlike many other Chinese drama, the acting has no exaggeration, it is natural and therefore is warmer. I also want to mention that all characters are very handsome/beautiful in the show. If that lures you in!

I'd like to point out what I specially liked about the show. The plot is very interesting. Yes, there are other dramas with similar ideas, but nope, this drama has a very unique plot. Additionally, there is an unfolding of several stories about several characters, which goes back to emphasising that there is so much happening in the show. Furthermore, I personally love fantasy, and there are few dramas that has it in such an attractive form. Also, the setting of the drama is beautiful. The peach blossom trees and heavenly rivers and skies and mountains. I had stopped the show several times to take screenshots. Also, the emotions and so relationships in the show are many, I'm sure you will find one that touches you especially. Finally, the show is like a journey to a different world, where sympathy and love and sometimes hate are felt for the most unexpected characters. The show will leave you with a gentle memory of delight, like the one you have after a beautiful dream, where some details are faint, but the emotion is distinctly there.

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- I tried to keep this review spoiler-free and I think I did. Be assured you won't find major spoilers (probably not even minor ones) in here and I didn't use names when referring to someone with more details of what I liked/disliked but the term "character". -

This was at least for one year in my plan to watch list and many times I thought of dropping it before I even started but recently it caught my eye and was also recommended to me so I went for it.
First of all: I don't regret watching it, but I also need to say that there were times (and those came pretty early at episode 10) when I thought I would drop it.

The story is confusing. The viewer is thrown into a fantasy world without any explanation and we see a girl in disguise becoming a disciple in Kunlun under the master Mo Yuan. Once you get into this setting, it's already over and you're thrown into a new setting. Actually the mortal world (setting for story arc 2) was my favorite even though it didn't last long. It seemed like the only peaceful setting where the main leads Ye Hua and Su Su were together in harmony.
But too soon this arc ends as well and the drama rises again. In my opinion the genre "Melodrama" needs to be first because the story is full of it and that's what annoyed me the most. We have a lot of scheming, woman acting like furies (probably because they didn't get what they wanted, even though they were pretty spoiled by everyone) and a female lead that I personally wouldn't call strong but ruthless. Sure, we do get an explanation for her rather cold behavior towards her son but still, the barely existing care she shows for him does leave a negative feeling. I also struggle with getting in my head that even though one character was known to be a traitor it didn't have any immediate consequences, the character even rose in status and survived while keep harming others and lying to oneself. So what if everyone despised this character when it didn't have any negative effect on said character? Others who didn't commit such big crimes received heavier punishments which is absolutely not logical to me.

The acting wasn't bad. I do like the cast, just some of the characters are a pain to watch. Actually I ended up, enjoying the scenes of the secondary couples more than those of the main one. Characters like Li Jing, Dong Hua, Feng Jiu, Si Ming and Yan Zhi made this watch much more enjoyable. Maybe it's just me, but I also feel like some characters wore the same expression throughout the drama and only switched here and there to a pouty face or something else but we didn't get to see many facets, which I doubt is the actors fault (after seeing BTS stuff) but more the scripts because they were supposed to be like this.

The music on the other hand is absolutely nice and I do like it. I listen to the OST on its own which I only do with soundtracks that I really like. I just wish they would've blended them nicer as the change of background music in the drama is rather odd in some scenes. The first tune (a melodious but rather sad tune) ends and right after that a lively/cheerful tune is playing. The scene was supposed to be funny and awkward but the sudden change of mood felt too abrupt and forced, so it would've been better to either have a different tune that makes the change smoother or blend them.

The drama itself wouldn't have a rewatch value for me if it wasn't for the side couples and characters I ended up loving.
I like the male lead but the female lead sort of destroyed the relationship for me in the third arc, I liked her best as Su Su because that was when she was friendly and caring. Later she seemed mostly concerned about herself and mistreating others in the process.

Overall I'm disappointed that some storylines and characters just went into nothing. We don't really get to see what happens to them and how their story continues but I'm not really looking forward to watch a long sequel to find out. I found myself unable to like some characters and was annoyed by them. At some point the constant whining and scheming out of "revenge" or other motives was too much and I found myself not caring at all about their monologues. It made the story draggy and I think the drama could've done better with a less amount of episodes.
I do understand why people like the drama but also why the dropped ratings are so low in comparison. Without the things I liked my rating would've been similar.
I recommend to give this drama a try but not to force yourself to keep watching if you don't enjoy it and just drop it instead. I enjoyed some characters which made it worth watching, but I definitely could've lived without some so when I rewatch, I'll skip a ton of scenes.

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Never regretted watching Eternal Love inspite of that whole 58 eps. I loved how the story goes, it was beautifully arranged by writers and a heck of a ride! Yang Mi and Mark Chao though both are already great actors, one being included as one of the New Four Dan Actress and the latter,as a Golden Bell Actor pave it’s way to great acting and captured audiences with this moving drama. And to not forget the supporting roles who excellenty executed their parts.

All in all, this drama exceeds my expectation that it makes it difficult finding a new set of good drama. A one of a kind that I’m willing to give more than a score of 10! It became one of my fave drama.

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This drama exceeds my expectations, and is better than the novel, for me at least

I know this is actually/probably the first time I’ve given a full mark to a series review in all areas. But, I just really have to considering, I am really into/obsess with this drama on my end. It’s definitely one of the best, if not, THE BEST I’ve seen. I cannot count how many times I have re-watched this on my end, I’m so glad I gotten into this drama because I don’t regret watching it. It has really given beyond on what I have hoped for, and more (so this is definitely my all time favourite Chinese Fantasy Romance Drama).

Aside from a few characters that gets on my nerves (but what series doesn’t have those characters to add in the drama?), I do love a lot of characters in this (which I will do a list later (in this review) to show some of the chara’s I love). What I am impress with is, the writer actually manage to solve everything (without any plot-holes) by the end of the story. Like, all the obstacles was removed, with no more questions left. At first, I actually had a question that was on my mind since the beginning and then when it was revealed I was like “ohhhh… so that’s why…”. I love how the love story was executed, and how each character did their roles well. I love Ye Hua’s love/devotion to only Bai Qian(Su Su), and no matter what happens, he loves her, and only her. There are times where I think the writer might do something stupid which adds to more drama, but in the end, it surprises me in a very good way, like when Miao Qing secretly add the love-potion into the soup that she made for Ye Hua but Ye Hua didn’t drink it because he knows there’s something in that soup, and I’m like “Yes!” and when Su Jin created that fake Su Su to seduce Ye Hua (when Ye Hua was doing his heavenly trial in the mortal world (without his memories at all)) to anger Bai Qian, he still didn’t disappoint me, because he’s only been waiting for one woman i.e. Bai Qian because he made a promise with her when she visited him when he was 11 years old that they will get marry when he’s older, his whole life, he waited just for her, and I’m like “awwww”. Seriously, Ye Hua didn’t disappoint me, and I love that about him! I also love how Ye Hua gives me a feeling that I can believe in him and that he’s strong from beginning to the end… Strong in terms of character, and his power level was consistent and doesn’t disappoint, I also love how the battles are executed…(honestly Mashima (Fairy Tail) can take a lesson from this -.-).

On my end, I’m a sucker for a good romance story, and Eternal Love has it all! I love how it was truly a touching love story for the main pair (Ye Hua x Bai Qian), with a lot of obstacles that comes their way (that made me cry), it was an emotional roller-coaster but what I love is where there are times I have my doubts but the writer didn’t disappoint and gave me more to show me how much they only love each other. I love the scenery and the effects, omg…. where am I going to find another series like this?! I love the music too! There’s alot of characters I love but there’s also those I hate with a passion but glad they got what they deserved in the end..but in the overall what I love the most is, the pairing/otp I love can get a HAPPY ENDING that they deserve, because that’s the most important!!! It made me feel so happy for them!!!

And this is going to be a long comment about Ye Hua to shed some light to those who blames him and doesn't like him, I thought I'll give you some light to Ye Hua here:

* long comment, be warned! *

I think what people needs to realize is that a story needs imperfections and dramatic plots to build on, if there isn’t any, then there won’t be a story to tell. If a character is perfect and all the drama is avoided, would there even be a story to tell? Also, we all know that Ye Hua isn’t perfect, he have his flaws because no character is entirely perfect… That’s too good to be true and that’s very unrealistic. Their flaws is what makes them realistic, and that’s what gives the writer a way to build/develop on said character. If Ye Hua is flawless; and all this drama is avoided, then the story wouldn’t have developed to the point where I fell in love with him and his love/devotion to Bai Qian and this pairing. Ye Hua have his flaws, but he’s easily a loveable character to me because his actions/and the things he did for Su Su/Bai Qian have touched my heart. I never once doubted his love for her. If I were her, I would fell in love with him as well (I wish someone like this exist IRL, but no, it’s too good to be real…)

Su Su being disappointed in Ye Hua, yes, Ye Hua have a role in this but he only did it because he thought that could protect her (even though he was wrong), and it was unfortunate that by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late and Su Su had already given up on him altogether (but what matters most is he learned from it). From Su Su eyes, I understand why she was disappointed, but from Ye Hua’s perspectives you need to understand that what he did, he did to protect her. He saw everything his second uncle went through when he stood up for Xiao Shing and saw how much they were both willing to die for each other, Ye Hua knew it would be a 100 times worse for him and Su Su because she is a mortal, and he’s the crown Prince (how great it will be if they realized earlier that she’s Bai Qian? All this torment would be avoided, but then the story wouldn’t have 58 episodes long to tell…). Ye Hua isn’t afraid of dying for her, he would do anything to take the suffering in her place instead and die for her (and this is what I love i.e. his devotion for her), but he doesn’t want Su Su to go through any of this, that’s why I truly understand why he wanted to fake his death so he can ensure a happy life with her, and him giving up on his title for her, that actually touched my heart. No one can predict what’s going to happen, and he did plan meticulously on his end, his plan didn’t go wrong, but all the problems came when Su Su was discovered and went through that barrier that Ye Hua set. This was beyond his control because fate have to have Su Su feel like something happened to Ye Hua thus leading her to be forced into the Celestial Palace where their tragedy began…. This misunderstanding also stems from that bitch Su Jin, because she did everything to make Su Su believe that Ye Hua never love her, when we know that isn’t the case. Su Jin is a bitch and I absolutely hated her every actions in this series!! But as much as I hate her and as much as it frustrates me; in the end, I understand that this drama is needed to push the plot along and to actually have a story to tell.

And things aren’t any justifiable/better when you have someone like this Heavenly Lord to rule the palace, no matter what Ye Hua did, he will always take Su Jin side because he’s BIAS!! And he wants Su Su gone… Ye Hua and Di Jun is better at judging people than the Heavenly Lord imo. But like everyone should know, without these annoying people like Su Jin and someone like Heavenly Lord… then there won’t be a story to build on. It would be boring if everything is perfect…I understand why Su Su would want to jump off the Zhuxian Terrace looking from her pov, I also understand why Ye Hua did what he did to protect her… I don’t blame neither of these two because they have really suffered through those unjustifiable confinement of the palace regulations and rules.. Yes, it hurts Su Su when Ye Hua took away her eyes, in her pov, and I feel for her when that happened. I also feel for Ye Hua because it hurts him more to have to do this to her, in Su Su eyes, him taking her eyes away is like he doesn’t believe her, but we know this isn’t the case, because it’s really the only way to save her life. The Heavenly Lord, I really do hate him because he’s not a good ruler in judging cases, when he asked Ye Hua what he would do to appease everyone, the Heavenly Lord already have plans to punish Su Su, so even when he takes the 3 years torment in her place, and having that as the only punishment, no one including the Heavenly Lord would be appease, so Su Su eyes was inevitable… But Su Su didn’t know Ye Hua took the three years lightning torment in her place; he just suffers and take this punishment silently for her because he didn’t want her to worry. The thing about Ye Hua is he keeps things to himself and he does suffer silently because he doesn’t want Su Su to worry, I see it as a selfless act, but it could easily lead to a lot of misunderstanding, I don’t hate it on my end, what matters most is… In the end, Bai Qian found out (not through Ye Hua) but through a third person, and when she realized it, that made me teary…. So in the end, I do love Ye Hua a lot a lot, his actions really touched my heart, and it’s not like I blame him for those decisions he made, because I understand why he did what he did, in the end, him realizing his mistake, and grow from it is what matters. All he did, he did to protect Bai Qian.

Mo Yuan and Ye Hua are twins, so naturally they would carry the same taste/characteristics. Mo Yuan is selfless in his love for Bai Qian. He doesn’t need her to know, and I think he’s just happily content that she’s by his side. For Ye Hua, he’s also selfless in that sense that (which is different to Li Jing in comparison), he would have Mo Yuan revived sooner, because he knows this is what Bai Qian wants and will make her happy. He went as far as to offer the Soul Gathering Lamp, Get the Divine Fungal Grass, lose an arm, used up his cultivation to create the Elixir and have Zhe Yan give this to Bai Qian, telling him to not let Bai Qian know it comes from him because he doesn’t want her to feel guilty about it. That’s a selfless act. He even said the night before he left her that it’s probably the last time he can have her to himself… Signifying that if Bai Qian wants to be with Mo Yuan, he would support her happiness with him. That’s selfless. So honestly, I do love Ye Hua on my end. His actions have proved to me over and over again, how much he loves her > himself. Yes, he isn’t perfect but he’s perfect in that sense (for me) that his character is relatable and I love his actions/devotion for Bai Qian. He’s perfectly written in that sense that a beautiful/touching love story was created because of how his character is portrayed, which I have come to love. And what makes me love Ye Hua more is, there aren’t many stories where I love a character but that character gives off a reliable feeling where I can rely on him to get the job done. For Ye Hua, I get this feeling. He is capable, and he’s strong and I love that the writer is consistent about this.

Ye Hua x Bai Qian is my otp, and I love them on my end. I also love Mo Yuan selfless love for Bai Qian as well, and Mo Yuan is also among my favourite characters, but I don’t ship Mo Yuan x Bai Qian because I’ve grown to really love Ye Hua x Bai Qian love story. I will ship Mo Yuan x Bai Qian if Ye Hua wasn’t in this story though, even though it’s wrong for master-disciple to be in a relationship, but meh, that doesn’t stop me in loving a pairing. Anyways, all that aside, I love that in the end, Mo Yuan felt happy for Bai Qian x Ye Hua because it just adds more appeals to Mo Yuan’s character for me. If Su Jin was like that, I wouldn’t have hate her on my end… But what’s a story to tell without these annoying characters? LOL. What matters most is they get what they deserve.

In the end, I just want to say, Mark Chao, kudos to you in bringing out Ye Hua’s character effectively!

>>>>>>Favourite Character(s) <<<<<<
(1) Ye Hua (no.1 fav on Male side) and Bai Qian (no.1 fav on female side)

The below is not in ranking order:
(3) Mo Yuan
(4) A Li
(5) Zhe Yan
(6) Bai Zhen
(7) Di Jun
(8) Feng Jiu
(9) Mi Gu
(10) Lian Song ( Ye Hua’s third Uncle )
(11) Nai Nai
(12) Kunlan First Disciple (Die Feng)
(13) Kunlan 16th Disciple (Zhi Lan)
(14) Li Zhing
(15) Yan Zhi
(16) Di Jun Star Lord(Si Ming)

Music: 10/10 <- I love the OST in this one!!!

Rewatch Value: 10/10 - Oh yeah!! Definitely on my rewatch list, to me, this being a 58 episode while it seems long at first glance, but trust me after going through all those episodes you will want more!!! This drama is totally recommended to those who enjoy Xianxia/Fantasy romance, with a touch of 'true & touching love story'.

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The Epitome of Psychological Abuse and Domestic Violence

This drama legalizes and gives excuses with the most sneaky and underground way, psychological abuse, domestic violence and cruelty towards the most vulnerable people. I know that my opinion is not going to be popular but here it is.

It was one of the worst dramas I've ever watched. Not for its production, costumes, music, sets or acting that they were decent but because of its plot.

Most of the viewers of this drama didn't probably notice/realize that behind the fairy tale like story with the nice sets and costumes and the poetic dialogues, was an unashamed and blatant promotion of the worst kind of violence.
I don't even know where to start from as there is not a single character in this drama that is not abusing people or is abused.

The Emperor f.e of the Celestial Tribe abused his children, their wives, their wannabe wives and his grandson to the extremes.

The deity prince ( Ye Hua ) who is handsome and lives in his palaces that fly on pink clouds, is a case study of egotistical and narcissistic personality that abused horribly his wife ( Bai Qian), his concubine ( Su Jin), his own mother and his child plus all the female deities that approached him. Women and children seem to be his specialty.

The concubine in her turn abused and manipulated everyone around her, from the blind wife to the unrelated fox, the servants, her maid, the other princesses and so on.

The wife ( Bai Qian) behaves awfully to all around her I assume due to the superiority of her status as a deity.

On the Ghost Tribe, The ghost lord who was abused by his father, abused in his turn his wife, and his brother.

I wasn't able to find in this drama any lead character that didn't show incredible amounts of cruelty with the one or the other way towards the other characters, and TBH I don't understand why this drama got such stellar reviews and why most of its viewers were unable to detect behind the fairy tale set up that this drama blatantly promotes Violence in all forms and ways.

I find unacceptable that such kind of productions find their way to the public and that the younger viewers, particularly young women consider the behavior of Ye Hua as an example on how men should behave to women.

1.5 out of 10 from me

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One of the best drama's that I've seen in a long time. Usually I get bored quickly and either skip episodes or just quit it, for this drama I watched it from start to finish. The acting was superb, music amazing, story was beautiful, made me very emotional (like crying my eyes out emotional). But I have to say that the best part of this drama that makes me want to go back and watch it again is the fact that it has a happy ending, not a tragic one. I absolutely hate tragic endings with a passion and will not watch it again if it has a tragic ending. Hope to find more dramas like this!

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