Ratã (2021)

UMA GRATA SURPRESA

Rattan se não foi um drama perfeito, chegou muito perto. A combinação de um roteiro bem escrito, uma produção excelente e um grupo de personagens carismáticos fez de Rattan um dos melhores dramas chineses desse primeiro semestre de 2021.
O enredo é cheio de mistério e detalhes minuciosamente colocados na trama para servir de elo para as outros arcos da história. Vou fazer uma comparação meio fora do eixo mas, encaro o enredo desse drama como os enredos da Marvel, onde cada elemento que a princípio podem parecer triviais agregam na história geral os quais nos levam a inúmeras teorias que vamos descobrindo estarem certas ou erradas enquanto assistimos.
Minha nota para o enredo só não é 10 porque para mim, senti que uma ou duas pontas ficaram soltas, abrindo margem para teorias e achismos.
A acertada escolha de números de episódios foi um elemento chave. Nem demais, nem de menos. 30 episódios muito bem estruturados que contam uma história com começo, meio e fim. A direção ainda nos deu um mimo que é o episódio especial.
A produção faz jus ao orçamento - que, acredito eu, não foi baixo - porque converteu-se em uma fotografia estonteante, com belíssimos cenários, figurinos, trilha sonora e um CGI excelente, muito acima dos padrões dos utilizados em outros dramas chineses.
O elenco é sensacional. Jing Tian calou a boca da crítica entregando uma protagonista de atitude, confiante e profunda. A atuação de Jing Tian nesse drama deu a Si Teng status de ícone, porque a atriz encontrou a dosagem perfeita para criar uma personagem memorável que parece tal qual é a Bai Qian em Eternal Love.
Binbin está como sempre: entregando tudo o que se propôs. Nada a dizer sobre sua atuação além do fato de que ele vem crescendo a cada papel. Se Qin Fang é corajoso, emotivo, apaixonado, debochado e determinado. E a dupla feita por BinbinTian é um dos pontos fortes desse drama. Uma aposta que poderia ser arriscada visto que o drama não possui um casal secundário, mas a química entre os protagonistas foi tão forte e tão convincente que o romance - apesar de não ser o foco - acabou se tornando ainda mais gostoso de acompanhar. Realmente espero ver essa dupla explosiva em outros dramas.
Outros personagens memoráveis como Wafang e Yan Furui foram o sopro de ar fresco nesse drama que muitas vezes era tenso.
A trilha sonora desse drama é de longe a mais linda que eu já vi em drama chinês. Antes era a de Eternal Love, mas Rattan tem uma OST que conversa com cada momento da trama e contam sozinhas as fases da jornada da heroína. Excelente.
O drama conta uma história de busca por identidade, por felicidade e por amor. A história é excelente e eu amei cada episódio.
Recomendo muitíssimo para todos os fãs de fantasia, romance e mistério. Eu com toda certeza voltarei para assistir uma segunda vez.

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A Fresh Breath of Air (no more c-drama cliches)

Rattan introduces not only a new type of genre (science fiction/fantasy) but completely new character dynamics. We truly have a strong female lead here, someone whose backstory and motive drives the whole plot. In fact, the male lead is more a side character who simply accompanies her on her journey after her revival. Some people might be put off by the foreignness of the drama, the fact that there are no old tropes, and I implore those people to spend a couple more episodes watching before coming to a conclusion. At least make it to the halfway point before giving a critical rating.

For those who are confused about what the plot is, or feel there is no plot, the drama is also of the mystery genre. Over half of the 30-episodes are focused around discovering who the female lead is and why she does what she does. When the audience finally does discover all the information, the second half of the drama leads the audience to a much faster paced plot where Si Teng meets her goal and deals with the obstacles (or rather people) that arise as well as her budding feelings for Qin Fang.

Even if you're not here for the mystery plot, there's still much to savor from the drama: the beautiful scenery, Si Teng's stunning wardrobe, and the adorable slow-burn romance. A lot of the scenery is very uncommon in Chinese dramas, where instead of the old traditional architecture or modern skyscrapers, they filmed in Xinjiang and remote places like Shangri-la City.

ACTING/PRODUCTION:

The main actors, Jing Tian (role Si Teng), Zhang Binbin (role Qin Fang) and Zhang Yichi (role Yan Furui) are all great at their craft and the interactions all feel very natural. Even the child actors for Wa Fang and young Si Teng act very well. If there are complaints about acting from second leads, I do want to remind that the production team for Rattan doesn't have the extensive budget of other dramas like Eternal Love or Ashes of Love, so please be more lenient. In fact, Bai Jin is even acted by the director himself. Even so, the team went through a lot to get good scenes i.e. for the first scene when Qin Fang revives Si Teng, they filmed at a very high altitude, where it's very cold and they had to bring oxygen tanks.

Not to mention, the two leads have great chemistry. Their off-screen interactions are absolutely adorable. When they first appeared in public together to promote the drama, they looked so happy together that the search Jing Tian and Zhang Binbin acting like newly-wed couple was one of the top 5 searches on Weibo that week. There's also a Happy Camp episode coming out soon if you want to see more of them together!

Interestingly, Rattan was a surprise drama, no one expecting the popularity that it currently has. On Douban (the Goodreads of Chinese cinematography), not only does it have a 7.8 rating, it boasts 140k reviewers (most dramas have around 60k and a 6.5 rating; anything over 7.5 is extremely impressive and rare). All of these are testimonies to the greatness Rattan is.

CONS:

Personally, the main issue I have is that the plot can be very confusing, which knocked down the overall rating from 10 stars to 9. The drama is based off of a novel written by Wei Yu and so sometimes knowledge on text doesn't translate well visually without narration. Especially near the end, where it picks up pace, it can get very confusing what is happening and why it has occurred. I feel like more time could've been taken to go over these scenes and the backstory. There are also some unanswered questions like: did Qin Fang ever realize who Shan Zhigang was? Why does Bai Jin hide the fact that he has powers and what exactly is even his role? etc. I didn't mind as much since I could get the general gist, but I can understand how that may be frustrating to others. The drama may have benefited from extra episodes or cutting out whole sections of plot, instead of following the novel religiously (like the last 2 episodes were kinda unnecessary and made me much more confused).

ENDING:

Finally, about the ending, some of you are worried about it having a sad ending. The director actually filmed two endings. The one in episode 30 is more "sad", i.e. Qin Fang and Si Teng don't end up together in the traditional sense (I still don't think its sad though, it has a nice cause and effect circular nature to it), but there's also a special, which provides another ending, which people have enjoyed much more, where Qin Fang and Si Teng do end up together, so no need to have qualms about that if you don't like tragedy.

CONCLUSION:

WATCH THE DRAMA. Whether or not it ends up following your preferences, I believe the freshness of the plot/setting/characters are all worth a try.

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Probably one of the best cdramas in 2021...

I started watching Rattan purely for the scenic shots, did not have any expectations. Having seen Fairyland Lovers and a few other cdramas with fantasy stories in modern setting, I did not have high hopes that this would be good.... It has a much lower budget, 90 million yuan only, and it is only 30 eps, giving me the impression it is a 'lightweight' fantasy drama.

But Rattan has exceeded expectations and this might be in my list of Top 10 Dramas of 2021! It started off light and fluffy (due to the cinematography and initial slow pace), introducing us to the leads in a dramatic opening-- ML almost died in a car accident but his blood revived the FL, and in turn she brought him back to life. We watch the struggles due to personality differences between FL and ML, and FL's struggle to comprehend the new world while the story brings in a host of supporting characters. FL’s arrogant and domineering manner contrast with ML’s soft and submissive attitude was a refreshing watch! FYI, ML was not a submissive man! He did try to abandon FL initially, but when he realized he couldn’t, he then accepted her and became submissive. The chemistry between the leads were off the charts!! It was a smothering watch, like fire and ice. But in terms of plot, there wasn’t much in the initial eps, the focus was on the leads’ characterizations and the supporting characters. Some might be tempted to drop Rattan in the early eps, but if you are patient and persist until ep 9 or 10, the story gets more interesting. By ep 15 or so, the mysteries will draw you in so much, I won’t be surprised if you binge the remaining eps in one day. I watched this while it was still airing and took almost 2 weeks to watch ep 1 to 9. Thereafter, I consumed the remaining eps within a few days until the final 8 eps, where I had to wait patiently for its release….

What EXACTLY is the attraction of Rattan?
==Okay, some spoilers ahead, do not continue if you do not want to be spoiled==

- The scenic shots. The beautiful cinematography first draws you into the story. Director used a lot of wide-angled shots and zoom to show the beauty of nature and its gorgeous sets.

- FL’s cheongsams. She had at least 2 beautiful cheongsams and dresses per episode. And these dresses are not designed by some branded designer(s), but designed and tailored by the design director. Impressive considering the low budget.

- The story and mysteries. This is the MAIN reason I love this drama! Some supporting characters would go missing/die, and I was left wondering if they would be coming back or really gone?? As a fantasy mystery, it has its usual supporting characters with unknown back story. In the identity revelation of Dan Zhi Gang, I was really caught off-guard! Suspected a few possibilities but failed to guess his identity. And in Bai Ying vs Si Teng fight, I also failed to guess Si Teng’s real plan! In most dramas, we get some hint of ‘the truth’ or ‘the plan’ about 1 or 2 eps prior to it happening, but in Rattan, screenwriter and director kept me guessing, and most of the time my guesses turned out wrong, lol! There lies the master stroke of this drama, it keeps you guessing until it reveals the truth. And the truth is not so far-fetched, but it has been there right in front of you, just that you failed to see it…. Which makes it so interesting!

- The main couple’s chemistry ♥ I wish there were more eps, of them just cooking, reading and doing mundane activities. They look so adorable and sweet together!

Special mention on episodes 28 and 29 ♥
Director really blow my mind here! He turned the drama into horror without making it feel out of place, I look forward to him directing a horror drama in future!

Most fantasy dramas start off strong, with weak 2nd half and a rushed ending. Not in Rattan. It deceives you with the initial slow pace and beautiful scenery, plot and pace picks up and 'hit you in the guts' at the ending episodes. The finale of eps 25 to 30 + extra ep with alternate ending are worth re-watching **thumbs up**

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It had great potential

This drama had great potential. I loved how original and unique the story was, especially for C-dramas. I absolutely adored the beautiful opening sequence and the OST (never skipped it, watched it every episode). I also really liked that they filmed on location and most of the actors used their own voices instead of being over-dubbed. For that alone I would have watched this drama because I really appreciate how they didn't just film everything in a studio with a CGI forest. I really hate when C-dramas overuse CGI.
However, as much as I would have loved for this drama to be great (and I really was hoping it would be), the plot unfortunately is a convoluted mess and rather incomprehensible at times. I dunno, maybe I'm just a dummy but I was pretty confused about what the hell was going on for like 80% of the show. Also I didn't feel like there was any chemistry between the main leads. Their romance just felt very meh and underwhelming in my opinion. Sadly as much as I wanted to like this show for its originality, for me it never reached its potential and ended up being rather forgettable. 7.0 - Good effort, but could be much better.

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Absolutely beautiful and astonishing with being unique!

Having a storyline without any plot holes, mesmerizing cinematography and CGI, great acting, and almost perfect execution with the most suitable soundtracks and OSTs. 'Rattan' nailed in every aspect giving me pleasure and a smile on my face... till the last minute of the show. Surely made a place among my most favorite once. Being a fan of fantasy and mystery finding such drama is the best thing for me.

Story:
Revolves around Si Teng who is from Yi Tribe, in other words, an alien, and Qin Fang who's helping her first unwillingly but not for much time as gradually he starts to know her and also like her. Here's a perfect combination of mystery and romance genre without overlapping each other but side by side complementing each other is another strong point of the drama. Well, it's a female-centered plot so it mainly focuses on Si Teng's story and her journey. The unexpected twists and surprises are the best thing, we can definitely say it's so unpredictable without any typical cliches and overused troops in it.

Characters:
Si Teng being the center of attention, her character is one of the best FLs I've ever encountered. Strong, intelligent, elegant, stunning but still upright and kind (Though she doesn't like to admit it) her character is the soul of the show. Being badass her cuteness and sometimes adorable actions never fail to put a smile on our faces. Qin Fang aww he is just so sweet and adorable, his willingness to help and do anything for Si Teng to any extent is just amazing. They both compliment each other and make a perfect pair for sure! Another character I would like to mention is definitely Yan Fu Rui he is really a show stealer at many points, in the mystery and romance genre he is the one who makes it to comedy too! being super cute he has definitely nailed it.

Cinematography:
One of the most beautiful cinematography I've ever seen, with a mesmerizing scenario, stunning greenery the cinematography becomes the most astonishing aspect of the show, it surely is a feast for the eyes to see such beautiful locations and set.

Other things I would like to point are...
Music and OSTs at the perfect scene and enhancing the beauty of it with it.
The costumes being most beautiful and elegant surely beautifying everything with it.
I would really love to appreciate the child actress who played the role of Si Teng... the role was made for her.
Though ending not be in everyone's like still for me it was the most suitable and perfect ending.
Last not least Wafang didn't get much screentime after the first few episodes but he was such a cutie.

So overall I loved it, and hats of for being so consistently good from the starting to the end.

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Interesting, unique and extremely aesthetic

If I had to describe the drama in one word it would be: Beautiful. Everything about it is just so beautiful! ❤

-✿ CHARACTERS
Finally! Finally I got the FL I deserve! Si Teng is a queen and I‘m in love with her. She is strong, confident, intelligent and dominant but she also has a very kind, generous and vulnerable side. And she doesn’t take bullsh*t from anyone.
ML is a total nice guy! I thought he would either struggle or be intimidated by Si Teng as she made him her servant... but somehow.. he did neither. He was very kind and did as told but also talked to her if he thought she was in the wrong. He slowly grow on her and it was very obvious he fell for her. No words needed. I love how they showed how important Si Teng was to him...how much he loved her. It may seem at first like she is protecting him... but actually they are protecting each other. I loved their emotions and expressions.

Yan Fuiru is another strong character. First I didn‘t think so but he was very loyal and funny. A very good friend I‘d say. I even liked Bai Ying at the end. :) Great acting from all of them!

-✿ STORY
The story is very interesting too. Lots of mysteries to discover. They didn‘t reveal anything at all. They just added more and more mysteries until halftime.^^ Sometimes I felt a little lost but it also made me hella curious. At some point I wondered what is actually happening and then I was totally into it again. There were lots of funny scenes but it was also very emotional. Especially later. <3

-✿ AESTETHICS
Another strong point of the drama is the aesthetic. The filming locations and cinematography are stunning. The scenery and places are beautiful to the max. It looked like a more rural older town with forests and historical buildings. And it matched so well. Then there were Si Tengs outfits. Gorgeous! She dressed in more elegant clothes while ML wore typical modern clothes. There were fantasy elements that reminded me of cultivation dramas. And all that made the drama feel totally timeless. A rural beautiful location you wouldn’t know which year it is and the taking turns of modern and historical elements. It felt like I watched a mixture of historical and modern drama and it fit so well together! And then the OST! „Falling Star“ by Mian Zi is sooo beautiful and emotional! Even the opening was magnificent.

-✿ ALL IN ALL
The story was interesting. Lots of mysteries and more or less unpredictable twists. And its fun finding them all out. Very aesthetical pleasing and lovely dynamics between ML and FL. A very strong and confident but definitely not OTT female lead and a unique and kind ML. A very beautiful love story :3

I was very positively surprised. Finally a real woman as FL XD after this drama I will have difficulties going back to the usual naive FL chinese dramas... T_T

I don’t know if its for everyone...but I totally loved it. Give it a try ;) ❤

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The best C-drama of 2021 with great acting and chemistry from the leading trio

I don’t watch any republican era c-drama, never, and I dropped this c-drama after 5mins. But I am glad a snippet in youtube shows that it is actually a modern drama, and the first 5 mins was just flashback. I revisited and got hooked on “Rattan” after just two episodes. Mind you, this supernatural series is very addictive and the release of new episodes could not have come in fast enough. Another masterful creation from the director of Good bye My Princess – Li Mu Ge and “Rattan” like his previous work will be a hit as well.

Sally Jing is not your typical leading lady in Chinese dramaland. She is an international superstar having starred in three (3) Hollywood blockbusters. She was Gen Mae Lin in The Great Wall, a China-US co-production of science fantasy action film alongside Matt Damon. She also starred in Kong – Skull Island and Pacific Rim – Uprising. Her acting pedigree is unquestionable, and she does not disappoint in “Rattan”. She looks extremely gorgeous and elegant in striking colour, body hugging cut of her outfit/costume, without being overly sexy or too revealing. Her costume and appearance is just perfect. Her co-star Zhang Binbin, is a great actor. He was very domineering in King’s Woman, but as soft as butter in this drama. He was a forlorn lover in “Ten Miles of Peach Blossom”, basically a sad character pining for his ex-lover until his tragic death at the hand of his father. But “Rattan” presents a totally new challenge to the ML. This is a new role and character for Zhang Binbin. His servile and submissive attitude towards Si Teng which slowly transforms into caring, protective and eventually loving feeling is a joy to watch. It takes a great actor to be able to convey a range of emotions effectively to the audience and Qin Fang did not disappoint in this regard.

Yan Furui’s acting was overboard at times, but his off-cuff and comedic behavior was entertaining. He is your instant noodle guy who could finish 3 big-cups in a row. His train ride to Dana with Si Teng was a great scene, prompting Si Teng to quip never to travel with Yan Furui in the future. A lovable character who sells kebab for a living, talks big, but could not kill an ant. Highly emotional yet very faithful to Si Teng and Qin Fang. Then his disciple, the young Wafang, who was quite mischievous but in a funny way. These two (2) supporting cast complements the two main leads beautifully and adds comic relief to the whole series.

The plot was refreshing, although not entirely original. Then again with so many c-drama being released every year, there is hardly any room for creative ingenuity with the story lines. At least it is not the same boring storyline of a poor female lead getting in love with a handsome rich male lead, and live happily ever after. Rattan’s plot is about a domineering female lead and a submissive male lead who had no choice but to be so because of circumstances. Perfect chemistry between the two lead characters. And what makes their interaction beautiful is that it is not love at first sight, and we don’t have to bear watching 2 lovebirds pining and going at it for 30 episodes. It took Si Teng 16 episodes to declare “He is mine” before beating Qin Fang’s kidnapper (Wan Dong) to a pulp.

The production was set in a beautiful and breath-taking location with dreamy landscape. Rolling mountains, lakes, valleys, forest and roads cutting across the mountains and lakes dominate the scenes. Not sure whether it is the product of CGI or the scenes were shot in a real town/city of Dana in China. But serene atmosphere, stunning scenery and sublime lake and mountain view scenes enhances the viewing enjoyment of this c-drama. All the hallmarks of quality production from Li Mu Ge and the team.

The CGI (computer generated imagery) and VFX (visual effects) here are first class and impressive. Since this is a supernatural c-drama, there were quite a few scenes where CGI was involved. There are people and inanimate object like car in Episode 1 hanging from the rope which need VFX to get rid of the rope; or CGI of rattan coming out of Bai Ying/Si Teng’s hand; or when Zhi Gang fought Si Teng at the farm. Plenty of impressive CGI and VFX that were used to create these special effects, and the final result was beautifully choreographed scenes which adds further interest and much excitement to the storyline.

No spoilers on the ending of this drama. If you have managed to cover 20+ episodes, you will kill me for giving out the ending. The best plot is thinking that you know how the story ends, and get blind-sided by a very good screenwriter. The biggest weakness of any c-drama is the crappy writing, and you could telegraph the ending 20 episodes from the end. Mind you, this is not your typical c-drama – expect the unexpected from the director who gave you “Good-bye My Princess”. Will be a heart-break ending like the previous masterpiece work of Li Mu Ge, or everyone clocks out and lives their lives happily ever after???? Personally, I like the ending.

Highly entertaining drama and so far the best of 2021. This is from a fan of historical costume c-drama who could only count with 1 hand the list of completed modern contemporary c-dramas to-date. My score is 9.0/10.0. Sally Jing in her portrayal of Si Teng is the epitome of charm, elegance, grace and beauty - in short, she is a joy to watch. Together with Qin Fang (Vin Zhang) and Yan Furui (Zhang Yichi), this trio is the heart of soul of this c-drama.

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Amazing and original

I think it's been a while where there is such an original plot and isn't ruined by horrible tropes like dumb female lead or a possessive male lead and so on. This drama is original from the start to the end and I love it.
The female lead is very strong and smart. Her outfits in every scene are completely insane, the stylist in this drama really polished everything.
The love between both leads actually takes time to grow which is so nice to see. You can slowly see how their love is developed and specially how the female lead becomes more and more human. One thing that always happens in strong female lead dramas is when suddenly they find their true love they become dumb or make decisions that make no sense and that's why this drama makes it different for me. Si Teng is smart in every episode and even when her emotions are affected she makes the right choice. The male lead is very respectful and mature even when he wanted to be with siteng he respected her wishes and even gave her space. I love their relationship so much.

I want to give credit to Yan fu character. The actor is wonderful and acts amazing. I enjoyed his scenes so much and I'm happy their is no love triangle but instead a comedic relief if you could say, maybe. I loved his character it was very needed for such serious moments.

Even though this drama has two endings and I know some people don't like it that way. I love it that it has two endings. As a happy ending person kind of drama I enjoyed both endings since both are happy in a way.

I'm really thankful for the wonderful story, form being original and following a different path that wasn't entangled with romance or plots holes. Everything in this drama makes sense also the details in the scenes are so good. Never looks like bad cgi everything has a good detail.

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Probably one of the best 2021 drama...

Si Teng (Rattan) combines good story-telling, wonderful acting especially from Jing Tian, and great guidance from the director to produce a story of fantasy and sci-fiction.

The story tells of Si Teng, a monster that grew from a rattan (Teng) plant into a little girl, trained to hunt and kill other monsters. She wanted to have human life like other kids, her master wouldn't allow this as monsters and humans cannot mix. Without giving away the story too much, she escaped from her prison existence but was murdered, by whom? However, she was resurrected by the blood of Qin Fang, a fashion designer, who agreed to be her servant (who wouldn't.. :-) ). As they set out to find what happened and Si Teng's history. Through the trials and difficulties, they fell in love. But love is a fragile thing... Let the story begin.

What I like:
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The beauty of the drama is the scene that is stunning. I heard the director traveled to remote places of Yunnan to film the scenes. The other beauty is Si Teng, she really has this otherworld beauty in this drama - beautiful, cold and elegant played perfectly by Jing Tian. In this drama, Jing Tian proves that she isn't just a pretty face as everyone titled her with. Her acting is spot on; from the elegant way she moves to the little facial expressions to the subtleness of her demeanor, she nailed it especially when she had to play duel roles of Si Teng and Bai Ying. One of my favorite scenes is when Si Teng splits into two different people and Jing Tian this scene using just mirrors and changes in facial expressions. Blew me away.

For me, Jing Tian made this drama work under some great guidance from the director, Li Mu Ge. Jing Tian shows the wonderful and beautiful actress she really is; playing a dual role of Si Teng and Bai Ying, she demonstrates her ability to get into the inner thoughts of the characters, distinguish the character through facial expressions that cross from the cold and unfeeling queen to a child-like nature.

I also think that the director, Li Mu Ge did a brilliant job. Some of "behind the scene" videos show how detailed and careful he is. He knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it out of the actors. He even did Jing Tian's makeup for a scene because he didn't think the makeup artist got it right. He combined good old fashion storytelling with filming, not just relying on CGI which many of the new directors tend to lend towards.

Overall I would give this drama a watch. I think I must have rewatched this show several times now. Still as good as the first time.

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A unique fantasy-romance drama worth checking out

Rattan is a fantasy and romance drama about a plant-alien hybrid (Yi Zu) named Si Teng, who was resurrected by Qin Fang, a young and rich architect in present-day Shanghai. The premise is interesting and I like the mystery, so I was drawn from the first episode, and finished it 2 weeks ago.

What I like:
1) Unique/uncommon story line, good development of the plot, characters, and their relationships. Since this is a fantasy drama, some suspension of disbelief is required, and to better appreciate the mystery, it is best not to read spoilers. Kudos to the one who wrote the summary here in MyDramaList, the writer managed to keep the mystery intact.

2) Very good portrayal by Jing Tian and Vin Zhang. Jing Tian as Si Teng is charming, cool, beautiful, and sometimes aloof (even deadly), but she also has a kind and compassionate side. She looked, acted and dressed the part, like this role was made for her. Vin Zhang was able to convey the funny, serious, intelligent, emotional and devoted sides of Qin Fang. I like their chemistry; they actually make a good pair.

3) The solid supporting cast added to my enjoyment of the drama. A special mention to Zhang Yi Chi as Yan Fu Rui, the funny, loyal, kind and wise disciple of Qiu Shan and friend of Si Teng and Qin Fang. He is wise because he distinguishes between good and bad, and does not to let others’ resentment and grudges influence his actions. His character played an important part in the story.

4) The cinematography is amazing! I’m very much impressed with the on-location shoots, the outdoor sceneries and just how the scenes were shot in general.

5) Lovely costume design! I love almost all of Jing Tian's clothes here. She embodies the classic, refined and elegant look, especially in qi pao (旗袍).

Other Comments:
1) There is inconsistency in one of the timelines, i.e., there is a time gap that was supposed to be 7 years, but in some scenes, they said 9 years.

2) There were some unanswered questions, and the back stories for some of the characters were not clearly explained.

3) I was not as fully immersed in the last 5 or 6 episodes as compared to the first three-fourths of the drama, where most of the untangling of the mysteries happened. Even so, it’s still a pretty good and enjoyable watch for me.

4) This drama has an alternate ending in episode 31, giving us viewers the chance to choose which ending we prefer. This feels like a “choose your own adventure” approach, which we see in a few other dramas. Personally, I’m amenable to both endings since each has its pros and cons, but if I were to choose, I would probably go with the alternate ending.

Final Verdict: If you like fantasy with a touch of romance and are looking for something different, then go watch this drama.

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It’s a Love It or Drop it drama

When you watch this drama, bear in mind that it was a low-budget drama that nobody wants to take because the theme is censorship-risk. The actors were also non-traffic actors albeit their long presence in the industry.

1. Acting and chemistry between the leads are for me what carried this drama. They owned their characters. I am impressed how Vin Zhang can always make a rather weak or minor character stand out. As a second lead, he always gives us serious second-lead syndrome. Sally Jing is a new discovery for me. I have seen her in other dramas before but most were less than mediocre performance. The chemistry was so tangible that they become one of the most loved real life CP by the general public.

2. Costume is on point. The qipaos and accessories were all personally created by the stylist. Even her modern clothes are modest but tasteful, classy yet conservative.

3. There are plenty of illogical aspect like the plant mutation to human. But hey it’s fantasy? Also, note that the original
material actually describes Si Teng as half-demon. This just won’t pass censorship.

4. PLOT - The plot is not for everyone. Do not watch this expecting a love story. This is about Si Teng trying to make sense of her resurrection and seeking her old power and past memory. Qin Fang is basically a tool to assist her in the modern world. The first few episodes are confusing but you have to focus because it will make sense eventually. If you are confused, it is because Si Teng was also confused. She has fragmented memories, so the plots seems fragmented as well. You may be tempted to drop the drama here.


5. One reviewer said how come Qin Fang just fell in love without explanation. They did not fall in love until halfway through. They were together everyday facing danger with Si Teng being soft and caring inside, saved him several times not to mention ultra beautiful.... why won’t you fall in love? Some dramas have the main leads falling in love at first sight on episode 1.

6. Qin Fang gives you a different recipe of a male lead. His strength lies on his selflessness and kindness not to mention old money and handsome. We usually see rich male leads in dramas acting like ass or the coolest guy in town but in real life, there are people born from generations of wealth who are low-key and humble. They don’t have to try; they were born with confidence that they do not have to prove themselves. The mor regal presence just emanate from their mannerism.

7. Si Teng is not perfect but she has one of the best lines coming from a female lead in any dramas I have watched - I will rather die than rely on somebody else to live. She is strong and saves the ML. Some dramas promise us strong female character who ends up getting in trouble and getting saved by ML at all times. Si Teng’s strength does not rely on her rattan power alone (which has been weakeed) but on her being calculating and clever.

8. Which takes me to the conclusion of this drama. There is still lot of loose ends. However, the ending is what makes sense for the type of character they are - a very happy ending imo. They could have chosen a fluffy ending in the modern world but at the expense of what? Si Teng losing who she is and just relying on Qin Fang.

9. Bai Jing was played by the director of the film. I feel he added unnecessary drama and screen time to himself.

10. I am not an expect on technical details but I must say the director is good. The real life location are nothing I have seen from other dramas. CGi can improve, but the budget is

11. The Xuan Sect members are pulled from the crew to act. Forgive them if they overreact.

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One of the best & refreshing fantasy drama of 2021!

The story starts with our main characters eventful meeting, Si Teng, our strong, badass female who is a plant-human hybrid and charming architect Qin Feng. The story progresses as Si Teng tries to discover the mysteries of her past. During this past demons reappear in their life. As time passes Qin Feng and Si Teng develop feelings for each other way above life and death. But the situations weren't in favour of this beautiful couple. At a point only one of them could live. Qin Feng, sacrificed the power of Yi tribe bestowed on him by Si Teng in order to save Si Teng. As a result Qin Feng becomes bed ridden and Si Teng also losses her memory due to transfer of power. Luckily Si Teng finds Qin Feng again in the form of Xixi and the couple has a comparatively happy ending.
The plot itself was interesting. The animations were satisfactory. Both actors and production team did a great job. Zhang Binbin and Jing Tian was a treat to watch as a couple.Qin Feng's character transitions were smooth. He could be a soft person and in a moment a domineering person to protect loved ones. Traditional dresses of Si Teng were gorgeous. Yan Furui added the funny moments. Child actors as Xixi and Wafang were adorable.
Not to mention Shen Yiding's story. Though she just wanted to lead a normal life with the love of her life, her obsession and lies made her a demon that even her love feared.
Hands down for the OSTs. They were so lovely and soothing. Even Zhang Binbin and Jing Tian sang for this drama.
The dramas ending was enough perfect for me. The alternate ending was beautiful too. The only reason I deducted a star was this drama was adapted from a novel and the alternate ending could not justify some facts from the novel. Otherwise everything was beautiful.
I didn't feel bored while watching this fantasy drama. It could easily maintain the mystery and suspense. For me it was one of the memorable fantasy drama of 2021.

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