Noite Eterna: 2ª Temporada (2020)

Absolute Light is also Absolute Darkness

Ever Night 2 has ended and I already want to know the continuing story. That’s how good this production is, despite two major set backs. One, they’ve changed the original cast, second the story becomes much darker.

Story

In Ever Night Season 2, Ning Que and Sang Sang’s story continues in a world that becomes more hostile every day. Sang Sang gets exposed as the person who will bring eternal night, everyone is out to get her, except for Ning Que and his Academy friends. The whole nation is about to collapse under power struggles, treason and war, and it is up to Ning Que to keep focused on his love, and the world he cares for. It turns out he and Sang Sang are the center of the ultimate power struggle between the goddess of light and the sage master. Will they succeed in saving themselves, and the human world as they know it?

Acting/Cast

Kudos to Dylan Wang. Such a pity he has to cope with an audience that’s expecting the return of Arthur Chen who was teenage boy Ning Que in the flesh in Ever Night Season 1. However, anybody who reads the book will discover Dylan plays the character of Ning Que to a T as well. In the novel, Ning Que changes from a disrespectful teenager with swag to a caring anti-hero who sticks to his one and only purpose in life, Sang Sang. Yes, it’s hard to see him mortified many times, but that’s how it is written in the book, it’s not about him being out of character like some people think.
Ireine Song has to play the biggest character development here, and she delivers. Finally she’s allowed to play her real age, and it shows, she really shines at her wedding scene at the lake.

Music

This series has a beautiful OST. The opening theme of Ever Night is simply epic, perhaps the best Ever Heard.

Rewatch Value

There are parts in this series that I never want to rewatch again. See for yourself and you'll know what I mean. It’s terrible to see the main characters in dire straits. Sang Sang is dying from the cold disease. Ning Que is constantly on the run, more vulnerable than ever, now that he’s afraid of losing Sang Sang. His Devil-May-Care attitude seems gone forever.
Still, this is a hell of a story, full of life lessons, such as Darkness and Light are intertwined, and Love can make you weak, but it makes you strong as well.
The biggest problem is the script, it handles all story lines without making choices. This throws necessary time for character development out of the window.
How to explain in a few episodes that Sang Sang has become a goddess of light, and darkness incarnate, all in one? She has the spirit of Yong Ye and Hao Tian within her, she’s cruel, detached from the world. Still she can’t let go of her human side that is Sang Sang who shared her bed with human Ning Que during their wedding night.
In this drama they let two different characters play Sang Sang’s human and goddess side, which is too confusing imo.
The same goes for Ning Que. How to depict a character development in just a few episodes that goes from a boyish dare devil attitude to an adult personality who’s able to love and care deeply? So the makers should have invested way more time in both characters, now it has been wasted on too many side characters and side stories.

Verdict

If I see Ever Night Season 2 as the Story of NingSang, this series means a lot to me. Dylan Wang plays a great Ning Que, he really becomes the character. I love the chemistry between the adult Ning Que and Sang Sang, they finally look like a pair. And in spite of all the messy Wuxia stories I also liked the master genius Fu Zi, second brother Jun Mo, the quiet strength of Chao and the girl power coming from the Addict Sisters. Go watch it!

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I am surprised at how many downgraded this great drama because there were changes to the cast. Dylan Wang was great, and frankly, I don't think Arthur Chen would have done as good a job portraying the changed, more adult Ning Que. Viewers who enjoyed the first season of Ever Night should be able to understand that the braggart Ning Que has been changed due to what he's experienced. He's no longer consumed with revenge, but somewhat at a loss now that his goal has been achieved. His cultivation has been weakened following his battle in season 1. He's also not quite sure what to do with the changed reality of Sang Sang. He's realized she means so much more to him than being his natal object- he truly loves her as herself. It was hard to watch both NQ and SS struggle with what was happening to Sang Sang. This was a great telling of the battle between good and evil, of how dangerous fanaticism is, and how we all carry both "light" and "darkness" within us. The question this drama leaves us with is, will we allow the goodness of Sang Sang to prevail, or give in to our baser natures? I certainly hope there is a season 3 to tell us how the battle against the Temple Master goes. The ending of season 2 was definitely NOT "the end."

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