Shen Yin (2023)

Youth Xianxia Provides All The Feels

The Last Immortal's Chinese title (and its first title before they changed it) is Hidden God. I'm disappointed they didn't keep it because it was very apt and would have given the viewers clues about the plot.

Hidden God (TLI) has many hidden gems. It starts out with a mysterious ghost/spirit on her way to being reincarnated. She seemed fine with all her unhappy endings, somewhat cavalier in fact, while discussing it with the god in charge. Seeing an image of a handsome but sad young god in a magic mirror which appeared and, upon learning that he was using it to look for the leftover spirit essence of an immortal he once killed, she remarked that if she were said woman, she would never want to see or talk to this god again.

Thus begins the story of Ah Yin/Feng Yin, the hidden god(dess), the Fire Phoenix going through her tribulation of death and rebirth. Her story is easy to follow, the xianxia cycles of innocence and misunderstanding, pain through injustice and loss, and finally wisdom and responsibility. Its complication lies in the nuances projected by its characters, how actions in this drama mirrored each other (and giving new discoveries in each rewatch) and the unexpected pleasure of enjoying the growth of four friends who were the Scooby Gang of the Immortal World, all four reveling in their youth, suffering in their trials and still ending together as four strong immortal friends who helped each other in times of need.

For me, as a fan of xianxia, my topmost demand for this genre can be distilled to one question: does the drama deliver the xianxia feels?

The First 10 Episodes-Youthful Friendship
***
Because a good xianxia starts with innocence and fun. YES THE LAST IMMORTAL DOES. It was humorous and Lu Si as baby hatchling and the teen Ah Yin was funny, sweet innocent but smart FL. Also, the story gave an unexpected twist--Gu Jin, the ML, was equally naive in his expectation of life and love. He was only a few hundred years old at the beginning of this journey and he acted it. He had a foolish boy-crush. He acted impulsively. He wasn't the usual cold and calculating 60000 or how-many-zeros-added-on year-old ML who held all the power. He didn't. He was going to make the mistake of his life as his tribulation as the god of Chaos. He was the other Hidden God of this story.

The other unexpected twist was the 2ML and 2FL. There were no toxic friendships and betrayals. Both were from different realms and had their own challenges, but 2ML was also a naive young immortal who showed a soft heart for those he cared. The 2FL did not play the jealous card, like any number of 2FLs in other historical dramas. She was always the supportive friend, with no other agenda. I LOVE THIS about the drama.

The Second Ten Episodes--Youthful Love
***
Because a good Xianxia must make me feel good about love and to worry about their future. YES THE LAST IMMORTAL DOES. This segment of episodes had a quest-like feel to it as our friends went around the world looking for pieces of FengYin's soul. We as the audience know the irony of the Hidden God: that Ah Yin was looking for herself. Gu Jin was already being shown his fate: he was going to be looking for Ah Yin and never seeing the real her. We could see the horrible thing called tribulation coming up as our couple went about building loving memories.

The Third Ten Episodes--End of Innocence and Youthful Love
***
Because a good Xianxia must deliver Epic Angst. YES THE LAST IMMORTAL DOES. In heaps. Oh my god, does it deliver. The pain built into a crescendo as the misunderstandings grew through the evil Hua Shu and her father's manipulation. Everything was against our young couple and their friends. There was so much pain, we wonder how Ah Yin was going to make it. We forget that Ah Yin was Feng Yin, the Fire Phoenix. And what do phoenixes do to achieve rebirth? Yes. You got that as a clue.

And our Gu Jin, having giving the oath to accept any tribulation from the Magic Rock to get Feng Yin's soul pieces back, had no idea what that meant. But did he find out. These ten episodes built to a crescendo that kept this xianxia fan clicking to the next episodes. And the tears. Get that box of tissues ready. Zhao LuSi was amazing in these episodes. I don't remember crying while watching her sad scenes in Love Like A Galaxy, but here? She made my heart hurt for her character. As for Wang AnYu as Gu Jin/Yuan Qi who paid the price of being young and noble, trying to fit in his parents' big shoes, he played the role of bum-turned-tragic-god masterfully. A two-hundred year-old master of all five realms who had to learn that being fair and just was a difficult balance in a world where the adult immortals play for power, whatever the price.

The Last Ten Episodes--Rebirth, Retribution and Love
***
Because a good Xianxia must give me back my couple, must make things right, and punish the Big Bad. YES THE LAST IMMORTAL DOES. Everything came back full circle. It's the same and not the same. Our Scooby Gang has grown up. How are they now that 1000 years have come and gone? Are they any better at dealing with these more experienced immortals who played them like a deck of cards?

The surprise of Feng Yin being the cold and more calculating character here was a good twist. Yuan Qi had to figure out how to chase his wife. He was the God of Chaos, whose duty was to sacrifice all for the realm. We learn in these episodes how much he had sacrificed for those he loved, especially Ah Yin. She was the Phoenix Queen now, who had fulfilled her death and rebirth tribulation to rule as a demi-goddess. Having gone through 1000 years of tribulation, she was in no mood for love and Yuan Qi and immortal games. But she knew, to put Ah Yin to rest, she must investigate what had happened 1000 years ago. And thus the Scooby Gang came back together, but no longer the fresh-faced four. They were now the God of Chaos, the Phoenix Queen, the Demigod and King of Demons, and the Eagle Queen. No one could stand in the way of their quest now! Esp. Hua Shu, that Peacock Bitch who was the root of all the pain. Was it fun to see her smackdown by Feng Yin and then, Yuan Qi!

There are two more Hidden Gods in this drama. I'll let you figure it out for yourself. I've rewatched several times as the hidden gems kept coming. And the OST was one of them. It snuck into one's subconscious and although at first I thought it was just all right, I ended up loving it, with all its lyrics.

Way to go, TLI cast! You've made this drama very memorable for this viewer.

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The Fun Part before the Heartache

I am enjoying the beginning narratives of this story. It lays the foundation for all the characters involved in this drama so we can fully enjoy and follow the story in mid and later episodes. The lightheartedness is funny and naturally executed by the actors. I am already sensing the chemistry between the main leads and they have it like stars in the galaxy. Some episodes had me howling like a hyena in laughter, it was just so funny seeing Ayin’s antics, especially when she was trying to ‘ tame her master ‘ 😂🤣😂. Ayin is too cute and adorable. Oh, don’t trust the cuteness and mistake it for an insipid character. Ayin has a no nonsense attitude which I really like.
Gu Jin on the other hand may appear lacklustre however he has so much more in him that he isn’t willing to show people. He knows who he is and his potential power but methinks he wants to turn in his stripes.

The other second leads have also shown interesting qualities in their characters which I am excited to discover as the The Last Immortal/ ShenYin journey continues.

I know the cuteness and lighthearted funny moments will not last as the story plods along. The angst will definitely come and I can’t wait to savour it 😅.

THE OSTs!!! oh-em-gee I love them OSTs! so much🥹. I recognised Zhao Lusi’s voice in the intro song and very pleased with it. Wang Anyu’s song is soo good too as it depicts about the main characters’ journey of love and afflictions.

I know there’ll be so much more to write about as the story continues so brb 🖖🏻

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Repeats the Same Old Tales

We have our two leads, A Yin and A Jin who start off in a Master-Servant Contract because of one immortal's need to meddle.
Anyway, A Yin is a rare beast who's internal core is sought after, while A Jin is the son of two True God but something something tribulation issue. According to the immortals, A Yin is A Jin's tribulation and hence a danger to him which is totally whatever because as far as anyone is concerned, A Jin is clearly A Yin's deadly tribulation.

I would say compared to many FL characters, A Yin is a bit more interesting which is why I continued the drama. She was complex, earnest, and stood up for herself from the beginning until the end. I started enjoying the drama far more near the end because of A Yin settling things like nobodies business. It's only a shame she had to endure A Jin. As for A Jin, oh A Jin. I have to say he was super annoying. Man will explain his reasonings to everyone BUT the person who needs to hear it most. He also effed up so many times, it became embarrassing. The leads, also, didn't have strong chemistry which would make you believe their love and all their tribulations better.

Hong Yi & Yan Shuang were adorable side characters but even their friendship with the leads was still shallow. The acting in this drama wasn't entirely bad, but lacked conviction from most of the actors considering how lame the plot is.

Now, the worst part of this drama, outside of it legit repeating the same old shit we always see with wuxia dramas, was how ridiculous the power imbalance was and how no one questioned anything seriously. The Devils were incredible strong and had our supposed True God A Jin in a chokehold most of the time. The heroes were constantly "outwitted" by a much of idiots. The amount of times small fry immortals and devils got away with doing bad shit was draining. And even AFTER, it took FOREVER for consequences to be put in place.

Also what the capital F is the WHOLE point of an unavoidable tribulation THAT people keep trying to interfere with it. Clearly, A Jin needs to go through tribulation, WHY is ridiculous Aunt and everyone else for that matter trying to stop it. It is HIS tribulation to go through. Perhaps, I don't know, not saying i'm a genius or anything, BUT PERHAPS, just PERHAPS, he is destined to GO through such tribulation?????!!!! Ugh, whatever.

Additionally, with the amount of times I have seen wuxia dramas, I think I can safely say that Immortals will always be the bad guys.It is so tiresome to encounter this type of plot that narrates the evil of the Demon Realm and even the Devils, when the worst of the worst are always the immortals. They are also the dumbest realm out there who legit think they are better than everyone else.

It would be refreshing for once to not play that card but of course this drama does the same thing. I suppose it technically makes an effort to show the Demon Clan better but even then. Just one stupid high immortal needs to point the figure at a Demon say, "You see?! They are evil and did it! Destroy them" and enter into a FREAKIN war as if there is no consequences for such things. Also, never trust a Peacock, like ever. They are likely no good.

It's funny because I think there were some missed opportunities or elements that should've been explored more. One was the Nether World as A Yin constantly dying in the mortal realm and returning each time. It would've been better for the ML to constantly follow her into the mortal realm and endure those thousands years with her instead of just searching for her leisurely. He barely hit a dent in the investigation in those thousands years either which was again, so lame.

Anyway, I would give it 5.5 out of 10, that honestly may be too generous. Oh well.

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Looking for something to make you smile but don't come short on angst? This might be for you.

[reposting from my comment]

I can't believe it has really ended 😭

before I say my final 'review', I would like to say kudos to the cast and crew for delivering such a beautiful story to us. there would always be room for improvements but i think overall, it was a drama worth my time (and money 😝). like i've said before, i can't picture any other actor playing gujin/yuanqi or actress playing ayin/fengyin or any other characters, really. they've all delivered pretty well and i'm so thankful for their dedication and passion to present to us this beautiful production. ❤️

to my f4: gujin/yuanqi (wang anyu), ayin/fengyin (zhao lusi), ajiu/hongyi (li yunrui), yanshuang (jianai), you will always have a place in my heart 🥰 you've made my days for over a month exciting. will really miss these four a lot! hopefully they get together again for a drama, whether modern or wuxia/xianxia, anything! just would love to see them together again. they have so much chemistry as a bunch friends and it made the 4 characters' relationship more convincing and perfect! ❤️

now for my final 'review'. 😁

first of all, the OST! i so so love all the tracks and what i love most is the fact that we start and end all episodes with lusi's and anyu's voice, it is just perfect! im sure i will be listening to them even after the drama 🥰

second, the production, from the actors to the backdrops/cgi. like i already said, i can't really see anybody else playing the characters, esp. our leads. i think they made the perfect casting for them. zhao lusi distinguished and expressed the three different 'personas' very well, and made it easier to immerse to the change of character. i have to give wang anyu a hands down with his expressive eyes. when gujin is happy, sad, conflicted, i could totally see it in his eyes, it made it easier to empathize with his character. considering it is both their first xianxia dramas, i think they really did well together 🥰 as for li yunrui and jianai, they made a perfect second couple. they looked cute together and more lovable as our MLs best friends. lastly, for the cgi. most of the time, it was really good but there are some parts they could've totally improved. but overall, there were a lot more beautiful shots that i think those could be forgivable 😆

last but not the least, the story. like i mentioned at the start of the drama, i love the pacing because it was not too fast nor too slow. some might find it slow, but i think the build up to fengyin's arc was just right, and even if fengyin's arc was shorter, it didn't fall short from ayin's arc. both were beautifully executed with both heartwarming moments and angst.

speaking of angst, who else cried when fengyin dreamt about her and yuanqi back at the forbidden valley which was truly bittersweet for me, when xian zhan returned and met at qingchi palace with the remaining 3 disciples (yq,fy,qy) and then when the daze mountain disciples finally gathered and fy realized all the sacrifices yuanqi did for them? and then last but not the least when yuanqi sacrificed himself to protect the 3 realms where his love lives and fengyin begged fengyuan and bibo to save him before fainting? let's add when our f4 minus yuanqi plus the phoenix clan and daze disciples helped fengyin breakthrough to the god realm...🙋‍♀️ 😄 my emotions were just in a rollercoaster ride 😆

the ending! i was already braving for the worse (that yuanqi won't come back as i think that is one alternate ending the novel has) but i'm so so thankful they went with yuanqi coming back alive! ❤️ the look of happiness and longing in yuanqi's and fengyin's eyes were just..! ❤️ after so many ups and downs and another thousand years of waiting, they finally got the happy ending they truly deserved 🥰😍❤️

we cannot forget hongyi and yanshuang's wedding! ❤️ the wedding was beautiful to say the least, being held at the pear blossom garden they both grew together to wait for ayin's return. it wasn't too grand but all the important people in their lives was there and i think that is what made it truly meaningful and beautiful. 🥰 i totally felt bad for huashu being manipulated by her father but i'm happy that at the end, she still chose to do good. in that regards, lan feng would be really proud of her. i hope that mayne in some alternate universe they'll be reunited. 🫶 the relationship between xiuyan and the mingqi is also one to watch, really. you won't see them as much but their relationship dynamics was also interesting. it really goes to say that having the right people in your life can really help you better yourself. 🫡 lastly, aoge and san sheng shi (the three stones of life) finally returned to where they should be and wanted to be (and they are finally tied with the red string of fate 🤭).

overall, happy ending for everyone! ❤️

again, congratulations to the cast and crew and hoping to see new shows/dramas from our leads and it would be better if they are together again in a new drama ❤️

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Shaky Story/Production saved by solid cast

I don't watch these Xianxia dramas except for the Eternal Love with Yang Mi & Mark Chao. This is the first one I watch because I like ZL's acting ... I have to admit I skipped A LOT in the beginning to get to the interesting part. I will probably rewatch some but not all because the storyline is shaky and slow initially. Eternal Love is better and more solid in storytelling.
The chemistry and solid acting by almost all of the cast make the drama watchable.

Context: Finished watching ... fan of Lusi ... couldn't handle Ancient Love Poetry (sorry no hate to anyone but I don't like Xianxia. The only one I could watch was Eternal Love with YangMi)
1) Chemistry was 9.0 - WAY & ZL are both youthful - very convincing - and shows love for each other with longing looks (I just wish that they give more time to develop the interactions - I find the scenes disconnected sometimes - they were kissing and then the next scenes - what happened? again it's about couple interaction)
2) Acting from all cast- 9.0
3) Screen play / plot holes (5) - convoluted (again I didn't watch ALP) - sometimes abrupt transitions
4) Director (5) - the way it was film and presented - no wow factor - LLTG was way better in artistic presentation
5) Costumes - the peacock has the best costumes

Overall: I could make it to the end not because of ZL but it was entertaining after ep 10 where he suddenly realized that she's the one ?? just like a step function. As I said, the director is not very artistic ...
I gave it a 9.0 only because it's the only Xianxia that I made it to the end.

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Slice of Life Xianxia

This was my anticipated drama of 2023 and although I hoped that it could’ve been 50 episodes (in my personal opinion, 40 is too short. I just feel like 10 additional episodes would be better, but I get it) I still enjoyed the drama in it’s entirety. I was also looking forward to the Lusi-Anyu pairing, they definitely did not disappoint, and they had a lot of chemistry, like kids and friends, and when they matured in the later episodes. You could say that ALP is much more grander in scale and cinematography, but I love the story of TLI. its simple and beautiful and focused on the life of Gu Jin/A Yin. The theme song will also grow with you and I enjoy and love it now.

I do have to say, the friendship of the four leads is my favorite of this series. They are all wonderful as individuals and even greater as a team! Even in the later episodes, you’ll love them even so much more. 🫶
I recommend this drama a lot! and even if you haven’t seen ALP, you can watch this for its plot and slice of life. Yes, it is still xianxia, and the angst are still there, but the happy early episodes are fun and bright. ❤️

I hope Anyu and Lusi get to be paired again! 🫶🫶

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The Last Immortal" – A Captivating Dive into the World of "Hidden God"

"The Last Immortal," a 2023 Chinese drama adapted from the novel "Hidden God," is a mesmerizing journey that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish. The brilliance of the three main characters, particularly A Yin and Gu Jin, portrayed by exceptional actors, adds a layer of depth to the narrative.

A Yin and Gu Jin's performances stand out, bringing their characters to life with a rare authenticity that resonates with the audience. Their chemistry on screen creates a compelling dynamic, making the viewer emotionally invested in their individual journeys and their shared experiences.

The storyline itself is a testament to the well-crafted adaptation from "Hidden God." It weaves together elements of fantasy, drama, and suspense seamlessly, captivating the audience with every twist and turn. The narrative's intricacies are skillfully unfolded, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while maintaining a sense of coherence that is often challenging in fantasy genres.

The hope for more TV series featuring A Yin and Gu Jin is a sentiment shared by many viewers, a testament to the success of their performances and the engaging storyline. "The Last Immortal" not only satisfies the appetite for quality drama but also sparks a desire for more explorations into the captivating worlds created by the talented cast and crew.

In conclusion, "The Last Immortal" is a standout production, successfully bringing "Hidden God" to life with stellar performances, a captivating storyline, and a promise of more to come. Fans of the genre and those seeking a riveting narrative will find themselves thoroughly enchanted by this drama.

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But a shadow of Ten Miles of Peach Blossom

Immortals, demons, gods and nine-tail foxes are the common ingredients of this fantasy drama and Ten Miles of Peach Blossom but it falters in all aspects.

The most glaring one for me was the inconsistent CGI - some looked good while others looked childish. So important to get this right to be able to immerse yourselves in this fantasy setting. Thankfully, most of the wire work was smooth so the illusion of flying and landing and clothes flowing the right way was better than most dramas of this genre.

Dresses were beautiful and flowy but unfortunately too much dangly bits in the hair and some looking very plasticky. TMOPB is still tops for me to this day for this aspect.

Story was average with the usual misunderstandings to drive separation and evil thoughts. If you let yourselves use logic too much, you’ll end up raising your eyebrows at immortals using a toilet, walking or flying when they could teleport and much much more.

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Tedious

Had I not watched the excellent CGI and special effects in 'Till The End of the Moon' I might have given this one a pass but knowing better has raised the stakes and so the first thing of note is the awful cinema. Things that are fake look fake and even those that are real have no sense of proportion (like Hong Yi's red/pink/white furry robes and outfits which were a tad too small around the shoulders). On another note, we also have a scriptwriter who didn't understand how normal conversations or interactions work. The plot, the set design, the atmosphere, the costumes, and the dialogue...all were in a constant state of disconnect; likewise we have characters who do nothing but fly around in the clouds being deliberately oblivious while the villains are left to plot unimpeded. Huh.

Xianxia is never about intelligence cos we all know the god's are 'good' while the 'devils' are bad but only cos the 'gods' wear white <------------ otherwise if we went by their actions we might have to invert that belief. The core of XX is being sold a belief system that allows the audience to empathize with the laborious gatekeeping of the Whites while reviling the monstrous deeds of the Blacks. But what if the audience is indifferent and not easily led by the nose mainly because your character-driven plot failed to give us anyone to root for?!!!
Sigh.

In addition, how is it that the goddess that is Zhao Lusi was cast with this Wang An Yu guy who, by the way, has done some sort of teeth capping which makes it difficult for him to close his lips and in turn is detracting from his main job. Then there's Lusi's reversion to pre-2020 talking voice. Like, this woman has given us so many iconic performances in the last three yrs that we have just barely healed from the assault that was the baby voice, and now they plopped us right back???? Can we say trauma??

Finally, and most importantly, THE PLOT HAS BEEN DONE A DOZEN TIMES AND IT OUGHT TO BE RETIRED. Please, we beg directors and screenwriters to stop giving us 'scattered souls that need to be collected' or 'chickens who turn out to be phoenixes' plotlines. It's been done and we're tired

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Lackluster drama despite good casts!!

I watch the first couple of episodes and I found it engaging and found Lusi really adorable as Ayin. The CGI however was very telling on how much investment that was put into this drama (not much). Continuing on the middle of the story so far the chemistry between the main leads are there.

The only thing that makes this drama fall flat is that it is full cliches or rather full of something that has been done before, there is nothing unique to it. It becomes so predictable that I don't even have finish the drama to know what will happen.

If you are just looking for more content of Zhao Lusi just for the sake of watching her, then this drama might be for you. But if you are looking for a drama that actually has a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat or a drama that makes you want more, this drama is not it.

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Not worth to watch unless you're a die hard Zhao Lusi fans

This seems to me like a low budget xianxia production. The CGI is meh, story plot is easy to predict, and character background story didn't match with how they portray it in the drama. As some of us know already, this story is a sequel of Ancient Love Poetry, which tell the journey and tribulation of Shanggu and Baijue's son, Dijun/Yuan Qi, with the phoenix queen Feng Yin. If you already watch Ancient Love Poetry like me, you will be disappointed of many things have changed in The Last Immortal. And so many downgrades. In Ancient Love Poetry (ALP), even the supporting roles are very strong with their acting and how consistent they bring their characters on screen. Don't expect that In The Last Immortal.

Unless you are a diehard Zhao Lusi fans, this xianxia isn't worth to watch.

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