Best drama to end 2023 with - make sure you have a tissue box watching the last 5 episodes!

I was so excited to watch this series as Liu Shi Shi is finally coming back after her last drama in Lost Love in Times. Finally watching Liu Yu Ning as a ML was super exciting as well. I first saw him in The Long Ballad as a second ML. He's known for his songs in OST so finally watching him as a ML made me love him more.

This series has so many actors/actresses that you have seen in other dramas so it's really nice seeing everything in another drama together.

Alen Feng and Liu Yu Ning was in The Long Ballad together and they acting was so good in that series, but this series, their acting definitely blew my mind. I honestly fell in love with Yu Ning throughout the whole series and Alen character just made you laugh so much.

Maggie Huang - Jin Mei Niang, you should know her from Eternal Love and also in Princess Agents and Lost Love in Times.

Chen Du Ling - Xiao Yan [Empress of Wu State] who is also in Till the End of the Moon along with Zhang Zhi Xi - Jia Ling [Scarlet Guard Right Emissary]. She was the Phoenix Goddess.

Ye Xiao Wei - Li Shou Ji / Prince He Dong [An State] & Chen Xiao Yun - Noble Consort Chu both from Novoland: Pearl Eclipse

It was really nice to see so many actors/actresses from previous dramas all together.

When I started watching episodes 1 to 34 ,I couldn't believe how good the whole drama has been, whether it's the romance, the plot, or the character dynamics. The cast and martial arts was just phenomenal and shocked my mind that I knew this was the drama I wanted to end 2023 with.

They released the express package for episodes 35-40 today and I watched it in one sitting (make sure you have a tissue box by your side). Last time I cried this hard was in One and Only and holy that was only last 3 of me crying in that drama.

But I'm pretty disappointed on how it was so rushed, it was just one dead after another. We foresaw what would happen to Yu Shi San has it was in the opening with his eyes covered but I didn't think he was going to die. When Qian Zhao and Sun Lang died in the war, I just couldn't stop crying in episode 35.

When episode 36 started when Yuan Lu was going to An and he pasted by where Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou was, I was so sad that Yuan Zhou didn't go out to see if it was Yuan Lu or not. But then Yuan Lu decide to go back and check if it was Yuan Zhou and decided to not go inside to check made me so sad and mad! It would have been Yuan Zhou last time to see Yuan Lu.

In episode 37 where Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou got married and 3 butterflies showed up, I believe it was Qian Zhao, Yuan Lu, and Sun Lang congratulating them on their wedding as at that time Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou didn't know they past yet until later on in the episode.

Fast forwarding to episode 39 and 40, in 39, we see Yu Shi San fighting so bravely but didn't see his death, like didn't even show his body. Then in 40 we see Yuan Zhou stabbed like crazy and then "died" and Ru Yi goes on a suicide mission and then boom 10 years later. -- way to rushed in the last 2 episodes. We see Chu Yue in the field and then a male in a white horse coming towards her. We later find out it's a boy and his name is Ning Shi San and he has a sister name Ren Lu, meaning Yuan Zhou and Ru Yi didn't die.

Ning Shi San also mention the horse was a gift from Uncle Ding, Ding Hui is from Liu Dao Tang and we didn't see him die. Qian Zhao gave Ning Yuan Zhou the life preserving pill earlier, it’s very likely he could have taken it after his stab wounds, either by his own memory or saved by Ding Hui.

In the start of the show both of Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou faked their own deaths as they wanted to live peacefully/Ru Yi wanted to find out the murder of Queen An. It's a fitting end for them to end the show with fake deaths to have their Happily Ever After.

Ning Shi San took his father's surname while his sister, Ren Lu took his mother's surname. Ruyi mentioned she wanted a girl not a boy at the start of the series. It's so cute they name their kids after Yu Shi San and Yuan Lu.

Ning Shi San mention his mother likes swordsmanship while his father is good at making wine. There was a conversation between Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou when they were discussing what they wanted to do after the mission. Ru Yi mentioned how they can go to a small island for a break when Yuan Zhou tire of the world and Ru Yi can practice swordsmanship while Yuan Zhou farm and hunt. Since Yuan Zhou can't farm or hunt while living in town, he turned to making wine instead.

Honestly they should have made done 42 or 43 episodes for this drama or one or two specials to make the fans happy. It was way to rushed in the last 2 and it would have been nice to have a better ending.

Still a drama I would highly recommend!

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2 individuals, 3 lives and 10,000 years - link w/ deleted seen at end of review

I only watched this drama because of 白鹿 (Bai Lu) as I watched her in 周生如故 (One and Only) and I loved her acting in there. I waited until the series was done as I only binge watch and hate waiting for eps to come out so I was able to watch this series in 2 weeks. YOUKU really should have broke this drama into 2 seasons like The Blue Whisper. It would have had a much better ending. Be sure to have a tissue box if you're watching this drama.

The drama starts of where 魔神 (Original Devil God) is taking over the world and killing everyone in the way. He's after the 過去鏡（Mirror of the Past/Divine Mirror) to go back in time, but fails to obtain the mirror. 黎蘇蘇 (Li SuSu) blood drips on the mirror and realize that Devil God was mortal that didn't hate/ want to kill. He later on turned into the Devil God. Li Susu's clan tells her that she must be sent back 500 years back to Sheng Kingdom to find 魔神 (Original Devil God) before he turns into a Devil's God. She must do this in order to protect the four continents and three realms. Before she leaves, she see Devil God killing everyone she loves and making an oath that she'll find him and kill him.

黎蘇蘇 (Li SuSu) goes back 500 years and wakes up realizing she's 葉夕霧 (Ye Xiwu), who is the younger daughter of General Ye of the Kingdom of Sheng. She doesn't remember who/what she the real XiWu did before taking over her body nor remember marrying 澹台燼 (Tantai Jin) who is just a mortal at the time and also a prison at Sheng Kingdom as he's original from Jing Kingdom and the youngest prince.

Li Susu realizes that Ye Xiwu was cruel and mean person to Tantai Jin and always beats him before bed. She realizes that she's going to better and make sure Tantai Jin doesn't become the Devil God and be good.

You see, Ye XiWu become nicer to Tantai Jin but teaching him what feelings are (caring for him, loving him and teaching him how to love) and how to feel as he didn't have any emotions before or know how to love/care/feel for anyone.

Through some misunderstanding , Tantai Jin starts getting some his demon powers and looks for other demons to be stronger. In Ep 12, Tantai Jin found a Dragon God/Demon and woke him up to steal his powers, but by waking him up, Ye Xiwu, Tantai Jin, Xiao Lin and Ye Bingchang fell into 般若浮生 Bo'Re Life and reliving a life time that happened 10,000 years ago.

In 般若浮生 Bo'Re Life
Tantai Jin becomes 冥夜 (Mingye) who is God of War and leader of the Upper Immortal
Ye Xiwu becomes 桑酒 (Sangjiu) who is a clam princess of Mohe
Xiao Lin becomes 桑佑 (Sangyou) who is Sangjiu's older brother and also a clam prince of Mohe.
Ye Bingchang becomes 天歡 (Tianhuan) who is a daughter of Mingye's predecessor and loves Mingye.

Mingye getting hurt during the war with the Devil God and Tianhuan took the Mohe crystal, which was the life energy of the Mohe people, to keep Mingye alive. Sangjiu uses her divine essence as energy to restart the Mohe crystal. Sangjiu's dad wants Mingye to marry Sangjiu due to this cause and because she doesn't have anymore divine essence, she can become a demon anytime if she doesn't cultivate and have divine essence.

Parts of ep 15 and 16 was my favourite part of the dream as they finally became a happy married couple and didn't have any misunderstandings or anyone bothering them. When Sangjiu treated MingYe's eye and he pretending to not able to see but can just made me smile and laugh.

Ep 18 is where the dreams ends and everyone comes out of Bo'Re Life.

Later on the series, TanTai Jin and Ye Xiwu gets married (again) but then Xiwu breaks his hearts... this is where I got so upset as TanTai Jin was becoming good and not wanting to become bad. But there was just so much misunderstanding between the two and no communication, but that's how drama is. It's does reveal the truth of the misunderstanding down the series, which is good.

When you watch to ep 28, this is where you'll cry and cry. This is where I think they should have stop season 1 here and started a season 2. Would have had a much better ending and not rushing some of the ep or the whole drama overall.

500 years passes and Li Susu wakes up after finishing her mission but it's also 10,000 years since the death of the Devil God. She realizes it's that the last 10 years she was in cultivation and it's a different timeline as everyone is alive.

TanTai Jin tries his best to find Li Susu and wakes up 500 years later and is now 滄九旻 (Cang Jiumin) who is a disciple of Xiaoyao Sect's leader Zhaoyou.
He finds Ye Xiwu and realizes that she's now Li Susu and everything made sense why when they actually met 500 years ago, she was so different than the real Ye Xiwu.

There's a part of Li Susu and Cang Jiumin super happy and talking about them being together forever where I think they could have ended the drama there, but of course they couldn't. Li Susu and Cang Jiumin does get married in this timeline as well before everything ends to what us viewers didn't like.

At the end of the drama, it kinda reminded me of 三生三世十里桃花 (Eternal Love/ Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) as Li Susu/Ye Xiwu/SangJiu & Tantai Jin//Ming Ye/Cang Jiumin had 3 lives with different timelines too.

At least in all 3 lives they lived in, they got married. Ye Xiwu - Tantai Jin. SangJiu - Ming Ye. Li Susu - Cang Jiumin. My favourite wedding would still probably be SangJiu and Ming Ye cause they were so calm and happy, like not hate.

The OST was really well done for this drama. I've been listing to 只你 (Only you) + 要不然我們就這樣一萬年 (Or Forever) + 黑月光 (The Black Moonlight) on repeat. The rest of the songs were great too, but these 3 stood out the most for me.

I love how Luo YunXi 羅雲熙 + Bai Lu 白鹿 sang 黑月光 as a cover as well - https://youtu.be/ndJ-DkvxSZs
As well as Luo YunXi 羅雲熙 singing a cover for 要不然我們就這樣一萬年 (Or Forever) https://youtu.be/k2W6Jn5UKOc

There was a special reunion after episode 40 on the playlist for the drama. I'm not sure if it's posted, but you can see Bai Lu still crying even long after finishing a scene from the last episode. This special reunion did give me closure of the ending drama as at the last 2 minutes of the 40 minutes special, They ask Luo YunXi 羅雲熙,
“If Tantai Jin were to be brought back to life and see Li Susu, what would be the first thing he would say to her?”
Luo Yun Xi 羅雲熙 said, “Your man doesn’t die that easily”

Afterwards they asked Bai Lu 白鹿,
“Would would LiSusu say to Tantai Jin if they were to meet again?”
Bai Lu 白鹿 just smiled and it went to Luo YunXi and Bai Lu talking as Li Susu and Tantai Jin

I do want to post it here, but I'm not sure if it's allowed, if it is. I'll post the video link.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_z6hG0JtFd4BqyLWweTN5FX6sXq7JYRH/view

Since someone asked about it, link is posted above, may need to watch on computer as sometimes the link doesn't work on phones.

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Just watch and keep watching

This drama has a very beautiful story line but be prepare for tissue has I cried my eyes out at some parts of the drama. At first when I started watching the drama, I couldn't get into it, but after the 3rd or 4th eps, I couldn't stop watching and binge it.

With Yang Mi being the FL as Fang Hai Shi/Ye Hai Shi and William Chan, ML as Fang Zhu/Fang Jian Ming. I would say its a perfect couple.

This drama is not just about romance but mixed with very good martial arts scene, and of course story line. Hai Shi is a female but pretends to be a male 90% of the drama. As Fang Zhu/Fang Jian Ming manages Jifeng Pavilion to protect Emperor Xu. Hai Shi slowly develops feelings for Jian Ming, who is her master. She is pushed away and is feeling abandoned by him as Jian Ming and Emperor Xu has a baixi. (Baixi is explain later on in the story) Jian Ming had made an oath to protect Emperor Xu and doesn't want to love as he could die anytime due to the baixi. Hai Shi then decides to leave the city and go north to guards the boarder and is away from Jian Ming. Whenever Jian Ming hears something goes wrong or when Hai Shi is in danger or gets hurt, he goes out of his way to save her and protect her. The relationship with them is a roller coaster. The ending could have ended with ep 46, but they couldn't as we didn't know who the mastermind was and it was explained in 47 & 48.

There was parts of the drama that could have been explained better or not cut out as it wasn't explained well, like the cliff part (won't spoil more than I have) and of course in the ending. Which makes me so mad of how they ended it as it didn't need to have so many flashbacks throughout the whole drama or shortened the flashback as there was too many/too long. But honestly, no wuxia drama has a happy ending.

The OST can be listen to over and over again as Zhang Bi Chen - 鐫刻 (Engraved) for opening OST, as we know Zhang Bi Chen (Diamond Zhang) is known in most OST dramas as we all love her songs. As for Zhou Shen - 以無旁騖之吻 (Undisturbed kiss ) ending OST and it is just so good and calming like her 大魚 (Big Fish).

Favourite quotes:
"They all say that when people are dying, they will see the most cherished people in this life. I didn't believe it at first, but it turned out to be Master, the person I love. So, although not reconciled, but also feel no regrets" - Hai Shi
「他們都說人在彌留之中，會看到此生最珍惜的人。我原是不信的，可是原來是師父呀，是我所愛之人。如此，雖不甘心，但也覺得沒有遺憾了。」 - 海市


"How could I not like you, no one knows how much I cherish you" - Fang Zhu/Fang Jian Ming
「我怎麼會不喜歡你， 沒人知道 ，我有多珍愛你。」- 方諸/方鑒明

“I’ll find my true love and never be apart” - Zhou You Du
「願得一人不相離。」- 週幼度

"I have no regrets. I want to tell Master that what I have experienced today is unique to others. Meeting Master is one of the few blessings in my life. I don't regret meeting you, before, now, and in the future, I will never regret meeting you" - Hai Shi
「我不後悔，我想跟師父說，我今日的遭遇與人無尤，遇見師父，是我今生中少有的幾件幸事。我不後悔遇見你，從前、而今、往後，我永遠都不後悔遇見你。」- 海市


"I do have a person in my heart, and I hope to spend the rest of my life with her in a boat on the river and sea." - Fang Zhu/Fang Jian Ming
「我心裡確實有一個人，我希望可以跟她泛舟江海，共度餘生。」- 方諸/方鑒明


"In the past, I only wanted to read and spend my life with you, Qing Gengyu, and only cared about my own happiness. I realized today that you will no longer be the Ching Hai Gong of the Liu Shan Fang clan, and you will no longer be able to mobilize the Jifeng Pavilion. You can't even go back to the temple to worship your ancestors, you really paid too much for me." - Hai Shi
「我以前只想著和你晴耕雨讀、共度一生，只顧著自己高興了，我今日才意識到，你以後再也不是流觴方氏的清海公，也沒辦法再調動霽風館暗衛營了。甚至你都不能回廟堂中祭拜自己的祖先，你為我真的付出太多了。」- 海市


"In the past, I refused to let go because I wanted to atone for the mistakes I made. Without you, Majesty and I will only be tied together for a lifetime, and we will embark on a life without end. But you showed up and let me know that there are other options in life, I've never tried to live so easily and happily" - Fang Zhu/Fang Jian Ming
「從前的我不肯放手，是想贖清我犯下的錯誤。如果沒有你，我跟陛下只會沉重的綁著一輩子，走上沒有終結的一生。但你出現了，讓我知道人生還有另外的選擇，我從來沒有試過像現在過得這麼輕鬆和快樂。」- 方諸/方鑒明


"How great it would have been if you had appeared during the best years of my life." - Fang Zhu/Fang Jian Ming
「如果你在我最美好年華的時候出現，該有多好。」- 方諸/方鑒明

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