Noite Eterna (2018)

Wuxia Game Of Thrones

I have seen my fair share of wuxia dramas, and this remains one of the most interesting, refreshing, and ultimately my favorite wuxia series of all time (not including Ever Night 2. I pretend that doesn't exist). I'd like to compare it to Game Of Thrones; a fresh take on a familiar genre, while bringing a sense of grounded storytelling, excellent pacing, and an intriguing cast of rich, diverse, and believable characters, complimented by outstanding action, political intrigue, and fantastical abilities all within a vast and sprawling world.

The first thing that hits you is the exquisite cinematography, engrossing and unique settings, dynamic action sequences, and the witty, cocksure charisma of Chen Feiyu. And you meet the adorable FL (Ireine Song) as the seemingly simple Sang Sang; a hard-nosed yet endearing character that matures into something more nuanced and unique that stands apart from your typical FLs in wuxia dramas. The chemistry between ML and FL is also not the typical dynamic you usually see in wuxia shows. I really loved how they handled their complex relationship. It then unfolds different kingdoms, cities, rulers, generals, families, sects, and tribes. You meet different royals with their machinations and political factions, you meet the different schools and masters of differentiated styles and abilities, and you even meet low-level gangsters and street merchants. Even the antagonists are varied and compelling. I won't spoil who the main antagonist is and in all honesty, it's arguable who actually is the main antagonist.

And like all great dramas, the side/supporting characters feel fully fleshed out and interesting with different backgrounds and perspectives (particular standouts like the scheming Grand Prince Li Pei Yan, The dopey yet affable 12th disciple Chen Pi Pi, the roguishly enigmatic Dragon Gang leader Chao Xiao Shu, or the unyielding Daoist Yi Hong Yu played by the chronic scene-stealing Meng Zi Yi. Also love seeing Hong Kong mega popstar legend Leon Lai as the King!). They all feel like they have their own agency, issues, motivations, and objectives. They aren't just 1-dimensional caricatures to serve as plot fodder or backdrops for the leads. Even a lesser yet significant side character like General Ma is incredibly interesting. You immediately understand the depth of his relationship with the ML, often in scenes where their dialogue is saying one thing but their superb acting and chemistry are telling you something else entirely.

With so many characters, kingdoms and plot points one would worry that the story would be all over the place or unfocused, yet not once did I feel like the narrative strayed or muddied, mainly due to the excellent writing and pacing. Never once did I feel like I'm going from scene to scene of people just talking, regurgitating already known information, and not really adding anything significant to the plot: aka chewing the scenery (something often overused in Ever Night 2 and many other wuxia dramas to stretch the plot, save costs and meet episode count). Ever Night still manages to hit many of the similar beats of the typical wuxia drama, but just manages to do it better, put fresh spins on tired troupes, and explore multiple narratives and character arcs efficiently and effectively while still managing to tell a cohesive and satisfying story. Often I will be watching the latest wuxia drama and think, "Ever Night did it better." Not to mention little to no drop off in quality throughout the series which in itself is a feat. Sometimes wuxia productions will wow you with an early spectacle and then a steep drop-off for the rest of the series.

But ultimately, this is very much the ML's and FL's story as we journey with them through this expansive world of eclectic characters that seem to change and grow along with them. At the heart of this story is the lead's relationship with each other and how their characters endure and evolve through their many trials, tribulations, and adventures. The side and supporting characters are interesting and impactful while not overshadowing the leads. The world is lush and lived in. The action is spectacular. The political intrigue keeps you on your toes and doesn't drag. The cinematography is breathtaking. The production, writing, and pacing are all on point. The OST is iconic, sweeping, and legendary. I don't give out many perfect 10s, this is one of them.

Leia Mais

Great fight scenes but weird romance

The fight scenes are great, story and plot is fine too. Even watching it 2 yrs later it still looks good.

But theres just too many characters in this drama so its flipping and switching from characters to characters way too much. Thus theres alot of fast forwarding for me since theres some characters which i am not interested in and find that it just choke the story.

However theres great acting from some of its many characters.

The romance however between the male lead and the female lead just seems weird, afterall the male lead is supposed to be 18 yrs old, so that makes the female 11 to 13 yrs old. Even thou she is supposed to be 15 yrs old, but lets be realistic, if ning que is 3 yrs old when he found shang shang, thats just impossible for him to have raise her.

Leia Mais

Great Drama

Great drama with exceptional music: OST is in my humble opinion the best of any C-drama and I've watched 40ish so far. It doesn't matter how bad or stressful work is, once i hear first few tunes of opening song i'm transferred far, far away and my troubles are gone in an instant.

Main protagonist, Sing Sing & Ning Qui play their roles very well and growth of characters and their skills is nicely done. Support actors are exceptional as well .
Story, acting, sets, costumes, CGI effects and fight choreography are all done quite well and very often you will run in to very emotional moments.
While not perfect, definitely worth the time and highly commandeered if you like this genre.

Leia Mais

An ok time waster

I didn't like Ning Que as a character, and I didn't like the actor playing him.
That and the slow uneven pacing were my main big problems.
The main romance is a bit (ok, at times a lot) uncomfortable.
The fighting is mostly good, but sometimes the CG sucks. And the fights are actually surprisingly rare.
Long Qing is a bitch, but I like him as a character.
Ye Hongye is bae, Bookworm Maniac is a sweet cinnamon bun.
(seriously, the supporting characters in this are better than the main ones.)

I'll watch season 2, but I need a break. This shit is LONG.

Leia Mais

Too much talking Not enough Action

I’ve had “Ever Night” on and off my PTW list for 2 years. I finally took the plunge because I was running out of good wuxia dramas to watch. As it turned out, what I thought I would like did not meet my expectations. What I thought I hated and delayed my decision to watch, turned out to be not that bad.

Preconception but doesn’t mean they are true::
♦︎ "Ever Night” is a great wuxia drama with amazing fight scenes. A great story of our hero starting weak but becoming the strongest.
♦︎ The romance between Ning Que and Sang Sang is not my cup of tea, thus, it took me so long to watch this. I am a romance lover and if the romance doesn’t attract me, I might not want to watch.


What I Like❤️:

1. Sang Sang (FL) - This is a minor surprise as I usually do not like naive and innocent female leads. But Sang Sang turns out to be innocent yet smart and can take care of herself without being taken advantage of. She is so adorable! Ireine Song did a great job in showing Sang Sang’s innocence and adorableness without making feel like she’s another typical annoying female lead. I never would have thought Ireine was 25 years old (in 2018).

2. Ning Que (ML) - I have always liked an anti-hero. Usually in a wuxia cultivation drama, the male lead is weak but perfect, smart, outgoing and well-liked. Ning Que is different. He’s smart but calculating and keeps his cards close to his chest. He doesn’t care if you like him or not, and doesn’t often show interest in others. He’s not particularly cold, but also not particularly friendly.

3. Veteran actors - All the veteran actors in this drama shine the brightest. The younger generation really cannot hold a candle to them. I am particularly impressed with Chin Shih Chieh (Divine Talisman Master) and Ni Da Hong (Grand Priest of Light). Their scenes individually and also together during their battle are so well-acted.

4. OST - “Ever Night” has a very eclectic soundtrack. I was surprised to hear the fun “Take Your Life (取你的命)”. There’s also a good mix of songs that have a very historical/wuxia or romantic feel to them. My favorite song is probably the title song, “Changan (故长安)” by Jane Zhang (张靓颖) and “Let Me (任我)” by Reno Wang (王铮亮).

5. Production Quality - Although there aren’t too many fancy costumes, but I like what I see. Arthur Chen looks great in both black, white and navy blue. I also like the costumes of the Queen and Princess and their accessories. Crystal Yuan as the Book Addict looks beautiful and graceful. The sets and props do not look cheap or flimsy. Another thing I greatly appreciate is that actors use their own voice and there seems to be live recording. I think it’s quite rare for a historical drama in 2018 (though we see more in 2020’s).


What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like ?

1. Romance - At first, I thought I might hate the idea of Ning Que and Sang Sang together. But they are so adorable in the first half of the drama that I want to see them as a couple. I looked forward to ep 47 when they had the big confrontation/heart-to-heart. Unfortunately, their chemistry went downhill after ep 47. Nothing romantic happened, they didn’t seem to have that many scenes together. Ning Que did not look like he was in love with Sang Sang, nor did he really act that differently. I think he looked like he was more in love with Mo Shan Shan during those shy scenes. I was sorely disappointed. I felt bad for Sang Sang. It didn’t help that Ning Que seemed to flirt with everyone.

2. Plot/Pacing - It took me about 10 episodes to get into the groove. But once we got to the arc of the Academy and the exam, it was fun for me again. I want to see more Academy shenanigans and actual learning. I really didn’t see much learning/studying/training in the Academy. Unfortunately, the last ⅓ of the drama was too slow.. There’s too much talking and not enough action. I typically enjoy someone like Ning Que learning and training to become the hero of the story. Unfortunately, the drama spends too much time on politics and the fight for the throne. In the end, politics didn’t really play a big part in Ning Que’s cultivation and revenge story. So much time was wasted on the princes. I would love to see more of the Academy instead of the royal family.

3. Action - I was hoping there will be plenty of action scenes throughout the drama for this wuxia/fighting fan. Unfortunately, there are barely any action scenes in the first half of the drama. I was expecting something during the battle between Light & Talisman, but the battle was just too poetic with fireworks and rainbows. Argh… I was so disappointed! Give me some good CGI fights if they are too old to do wire work. I have to wait till the last couple episodes to see a few good fights. I do appreciate the lack of standing around during fights or twirling/spinning. These hard-to-come-by fights are fun and exciting to watch. I was also hoping to see more of the disciples in action. They are interesting in theory but aside from the exam, and the last episode, we barely see their gifts in action. It’s just a lot of hanging out and chatting. These disciples just don’t make for exciting drama watching. If not all of them are the fighting type, at least have Disciple #1 and #2 do some fighting. I really had high expectations.

4. Prince Long Qin - I am not sure how I feel about this character. Is he a true villain? Not really. He just has a different belief system than others and is very stubborn about it. But, he also seems very cartoonish as a character. This character probably is the most difficult to play as Long Qin when first introduced and the Long Qin in the last episode are very different. I think Sun Zu Jun did a decent job.

5. Pizza Hut - I just cannot NOT talk about Pizza Hut. This has got to be the most ridiculous product placement in a historical drama. Once I saw pizzas and wings for the first time in episode 7,, I cannot unsee them in every other scene they show up. I can deal with the snacks but pizzas are just too much for me.

6. Ugly Wigs - What is up with the ugly wigs for all the male characters???


Other Random Observations:
1. Arthur Chen was so young in this drama (about 18 years old). His acting is decent but not quite up to par.
2. I can’t help but stare at Sun Zu Jun’s abs.. The 6-pack looks so toned but fake at the same time.
3. The height difference between Arthur Chen and Ireine Song is just too much to make the romance believable.
4. Love the bromance between Ning Que and Chen Pi Pi.
5. I want to see more of the history and romance between the King and Queen.
6. So surprised to see Leon Lai as the King. I can’t believe he’s changed so much and not the heartthrob that I remember.



Completed: 11/22/2022

Leia Mais

i love this drama!

I was planning to drop this drama when i found out that it contains 60 episodes for I don't have patience in watching such a long drama because I wanted to know the finale after few watching. But then, the drama suprised me for having great patience in watching without skipping from episodes to next episodes. I was surprised that i was able to watch the 60 episodes from first up to the last episode with enjoyment.

This is my first time to watch this young actor Chen Fei Yu, and i found him interesting, the longer I watch the sooner that i fell in love to his acting, I found him pretty good! Song Yi Ren is cute and her role as Sang sang fits her so well. Chen Fei Yu and Song Yi Ren has good chemistry together in this drama.

It was a pity that he left the serie for the second season because i like him more to be Ning Que than Dylan Wang. In fairness to Dylan Wang, I like him too... but it would be much enjoyable to watch if Chen Fei Yu would be the same actor to play in Ever Night season 2.

For me, I love this drama so much! I love the sound track especially the theme songs. I love the story! ... meaning to say... i rated this drama as number 1 from all the drama I watch so far....

Leia Mais

Have rewatched several times

This is one of the few dramas that I enjoy rewatching. I always like dramas about underdogs rising to the top, w/c helps me feel good/entertained during these trying times. I especially liked the relationship between the ML and Chen Pipi, and ML and his teacher (loved the old guy). I did not care for the ML and FL relationship, and felt a little "uneasy" about it, considering ML raised the FL since she was a baby. The height difference also does not help. The emperor was funny and charming as well.

I like how they ended the drama, even though there's a season 2. I have watched Season 2 and sad to say, I did not like that as much as this one.

Leia Mais

Easily Top 5 on my Chinese Drama List

I don't need to explain too long here.
Story line as per synopsis, with perfect amount of plot twist keep us engaged and entertained through the series.

The beauty of this series is from emotion between main leads looks real and believable.
So it is good characters and good acting!

CGI is great! Fighting scenes are great too. Not too mention the fighting choreography is very detail although with CGI effect here and there. The CGI and fighting choreography are balance and compliment each other. It is not like two people throw punch, then the CGI light got fighting, without the people body move an inch.

Leia Mais

More Like Never Night!

With a grandiose beginning narrating the back story of ever night, it fails to give justice to it. This show is undeniably a treat for the wuxia genre fans as it is packed with good sets, production, good and suitable music, well-choreographed fights, good wuxia based scenes and CGI and a good cast. Yet, it doesn't succeed in grabbing the attention of the mainstream audience, obviously because, with a whopping 60+ episodes, it has a very loose storyline and fails to utilize the finely created characters to the fullest potential. There were several speculations of several characters bringing some twist and turns to the plot but they never do, especially the princess character. The grandeur with which she was introduced she doesn't do much in this season. Maybe, more might come in next season. The main characters do undergo some decent character growth as opposed being a bit unlikeable at the start. The penultimate twist was a bit surprising, although not foreseen. It was quite frustrating to know that after spending so much time with this there was no ever night.

This could have been aptly renamed as "Ever night: Chapter one The revenge" or something on those lines. Despite its flaws, it was enjoyable for a wuxia fan.

Leia Mais

GREAT FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE HIGH FANTASY AND POLITICAL INTRIGUE WITH A BIT OF MAGIC

Okay so comparing it to this to GoT doesn't do it justice because it is SO MUCH BETTER. The sets, costume, locations are all top quality and you can see that everyone behind the scenes put 100% effort into all the details. If i could give the music a hundred million stars i would it was that good oml. As far as the acting goes I think everyone did a pretty good job convincing us that they are their character, but at times you can tell that some of the actors are a bit off, but for the most part everyone is good throughout. Also all the people aren't white so it's actually bearable.

At first I had trouble keeping all the storylines straight but it wasn't too hard to understand, just a lot of different characters with a lot of different motivations. All of them added to the overall plot though so there wasn't too much filler which I am thankful for. I never read the novel so I'm not familiar with the source material but I still managed to keep up for the most part.

A lot of people took problem with the character of Sang Sang and the actresses portrayal of it but I think it was well done and made sense. She was actually one of the best actors in my opinion and her micro-expressions add such a charm to the character of Sang Sang. While watching it remember Ning Que is all that she has known and her only family and also that she is sick from her chilling disease and he is the one who takes care of her so it makes sense that she is extremely attached to him and he is to her as well..

ALSO IF ONE MORE PERSON SAYS HE IS LIKE HER DAD I AM GOING TO SCREAM. LIKE I GET THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHO FOUND HER AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER ALL OF THEIR LIVES BUT THE WEI CITY GENERAL LITERALLY SAID THAT HE FOUND THEM AND TOOK THEM IN AND DOES ANYONE REALLY THINK A 5-8 YEAR OLD IS CAPABLE OF RAISING A BABY NO

It also has to be said that a lot of people body shame Sang Sang which is just not cool and plain mean like she looks like a cute young girl it's not like she lives a glamorous life plus she has so much more to offer so protect Sang Sang okay?
The show also does justice to female characters making them complex and giving them autonomy and not just serve as love interests or plot devices. Speaking of there is very little romance in the show which is the opposite of what I usually look for but all the character relationships were so well done I didn't even miss it.

ALSO ALL THE GUYS ARE SO HOT.I KNOW THAT'S SHALLOW BUT I CAN"T WRITE THIS REVIEW AND NOT MENTION IT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DRAMA WITH THIS MANY GOOD LOOKING MEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. OBJECTIFICATION IS BAD STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS BUT DAMN EVERYONE IS SO HOT ITS UNREALISTIC CAN THE CASTING DIRECTOR FIND ME A BOYFRIEND

Anyway definitely give this drama a chance because it is hands down one of THE BEST DRAMAS out there and I can't wait to watch Season 2!

Leia Mais

Quality? Soaring highs and devastating lows

This is a heartbreaking one because I actually have really strong feelings about this drama. When I first started it I was so amazed by the world-building, quality of production, scale of the cast, fight scenes, and uniqueness of the main characters. It was so fully realized and engrossing right away, which is rare in a drama. It also felt fresh and exciting, which is even rarer! There was a visceral quality to the cinematography, costuming and acting. The relationship between the leads was totally different from anything I had seen before.

I think there are real strengths to this drama: it has a great cast of interesting characters, strong world-building, quite good pace, compelling villains and visually appealing design. I was emotionally attached to the journey of our leads and felt like the relationship (older brother/younger sister; master/servant) between them was really well fleshed it, along with all its flaws.

Unfortunately, the final third was more of a struggle. The sudden turn toward a romantic relationship between them felt incestuous and gross and awkward. The showdown was a bit tired and the pace got wonky. It was still okay, but just didn't work for me. After such a great start, this was pretty upsetting. Hence my rating.

If you like Chinese fantasy, watch this. You may not end up liking it by the end, but it's still a good adventure and an engrossing story.

Leia Mais