Poesia de Amor Milenar (2021)

A beautiful Xianxia that is worth watching! [Haven't seen one this captivating in a long time now]!

The last time I rated a drama 10/10 was Ten Miles Peach Blossom, this is the second drama that I fell in love with that wants to give full rating to, but sadly after watching the ending, I have mark it down and give the story 9/10 instead, but I will mark the overall 9.5/10 because I am still in love with this series in the overall, just can't give it 10/10 - Story becomes 9/10 because the ending is what sums up the entire story to me, my feeling of the ending? Well, I will tell you at the end of this review... Omg.

Ok, I admit that I am one of those people who thinks Zhou Dong Yu is average looking, and I wasn't quite used to her when I first started, because I wanted a prettier actress, BUT don't let that put you off from watching this drama, because beauty is not determined through the physical look right? her acting really convinced me that she was made for this role, and I am glad that I gave this drama a chance and stuck to it, because it became one of my favourites! I love seeing the process of Shang Gu's character development from the beginning to the end, I love how she comes to take her responsibilities as a Chief God seriously, because you see that growth in her, although the destiny of a Chief God, is just too cruel IMO T_T. But these types of angst is needed for these types of dramas. IMO, Zhou Dong Yu played her character well, where in the emotional department she was excellent, and this brings me to....

Xu Kai, this was the first drama I watched him in, and then while this drama was airing, I found out that he also acted in 'The Legends', so I also jumped to watching 'The Legends' on my end at the same time, to save myself the agony from waiting for the episodes to be uploaded. While I love Xu Kai's character in The Legends, I personally love his character more as Bai Jue, because with each role he was given, he really played his part well. I can see the love he has for Shang Gu/Hou Chi, and I can FEEL the love he has for her, that he will go through great (sacrificial) lengths to be willing to do all this for her. His love for her really touched me, he is referred to 'Ice Cube', despite his original being/element is fire hahaha, but this whole 'Ice Cube' is referencing to his personality being cold, where he keeps everyone at a distance, and is more of a loner type, so his personality really connects with Shang Gu's personality, which shows they have great chemistry, because they complements each other, and you can see that Shang Gu, really thawed the ice/barrier Bai Jue have set up on his end, which is very nice to see. And I understood why Bai Jue did all that, so for me, I can never hate Bai Jue, I love him, and he really have suffered so much, but to me, these are great sacrificial love, I just felt like giving him a hug at the end because he deserves it.

To me, what is sad about this is, this fandom (as like many other fandoms) tends to see things on the Female perspectives, and doesn't understand the pain/great love the Male (in this case, Bai Jue) have for Shang Gu, so for me, I decided to do up a thread in here, to shed some light to his perspective: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/the-legend-of-gu-and-jue/63779-to-shed-some-light-in-bai-jue-s-drama-perspective
^If you're interested, you can check it out

Qing Mu is a very loveable character to me, and I will always have a soft spot for him, but to me, I don't separate him from Bai Jue, since he is still Bai Jue to me. Qing Mu condition is the same as Hou Chi if you look at it, because Qing Mu is Bai Jue, and Hou Chi is Shang Gu, just without their memories of their past. Their love is an extension to Bai Jue and Shang Gu, just like what Gu Jun said in episode 33 "Your love with Hou Chi kind of makes up for their regret", because the short time they had as Qing Mu and Hou Chi is an extension to the love Bai Jue and Shang Gu want to have with each other, but they never got the chance to due to the tragedy that happen. If it didn't happen, and if they weren't tied to their responsibilities back then, they would have been able to get that kind of love. Remember how Shang Gu said, when she spent that one day with Bai Jue (before she sacrificed herself), Shang Gu asked Bai Jue why he is so sweet to her(the last day they both shared with each other), and Bai Jue said that it's not impossible, showing that if they have time, without the tragedy happening, Bai Jue can show that kind of love to Shang Gu back then. So, this is why when Bai Jue returns with complete memories, despite he is breaking off these emotional connection to those he cared about, he still cherish the time he (as Qing Mu) have with Hou Chi and why when Hou Chi asked him to divorce her, it hurted him so much and he was reluctant at first, but in the end, it just have to be, because he's determined to go through with his plan. In addition to this, Bai Jue have already shown me he can be sweet when it comes to his love for Shang Gu, so for me, I don't separate Qing Mu and Hou Chi from Bai Jue and Shang Gu. To, me they are the same, just under different identity when they love each other as Qing Mu and Hou Chi. As Bai Jue and Shang Gu, their love is not inferior to their love as Qing Mu and Hou Chi in my opinion, because, they've been through a lot to be together, and to see the sacrifice and pain Bai Jue did all that, it made me love them even more, because their love provided me the angst, and a sense of touching love story, which I love.

The side characters are also loveable, and I noticed that there's two side actors in this one that also starred in Falling into your Smile lol (I think I am getting good at recognizing familiar faces XD), and the second side couple is nice between Feng Ran and Jing Jian.

And Zhi Yang >>>>>>>> Mu Guang for me, I don't like Mu Guang on my end. So this is why between the God Realm and Heaven Realm, I much prefer the God Realm back then when Zhi Yang was in charge. I don't like what the heaven realm has become 60,000 years later.

What makes this story interesting and captivating is it starts of with the back story for the 'building you into the story' department, you get to see what the characters was like 60,000 years ago, and as you are watching it, it's like a journey you are also experiencing with these characters, so it's captivating in that sense. You see how the characters grow, change, take up their responsibilities, and I do love the female lead (Shang Gu) in this one, sure she may have started off slacking off, and does nothing but just lazed off, and play and don't take her role as the Chief God seriously, but that all changed for her when she became a disciple to Bai Jue, and I personally find it endearing how she calls him 'Shizun', it's much better than 'Shifu' lol. I have to admit that I am starting to have a thing for Shizun x Disciple relationship XDDD. I mean, well, that's not the main part, the main part is, the story itself have depth and is engaging me in every part of it, not just the romance department, but I also love the bromance too, I love the trio, Bai Jue, Tian Qi and Zhi Yang, they are like close friends, Xiong-Di, so I love seeing them, and LOL, Zhi Yang sure paid the price for lying to Bai Jue saying that Shang Gu is hardworking, submissive, smart and never makes trouble, but turned out it was biggest lie, because he wants Bai Jue to teach her so she can take up her responsibility as a Chief God seriously XDD.

Music: I actually love the OST's in this one, some are very memorable, and my very favourite is "Gǎnyìng" (感应) by Liu Yuning, that song always reminds me of Bai Jue/Qing Mu and Shang Gu/Hou Chi moments, so touching (T^T), and don't even get me started with the lyrics *sniffs* (T^T). And I have Tencent to blame for uploading this beautiful MV lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok9DTHDLYw8

Another one I really like is: "Perseverance" (执生念) by Ye Xuanqing also made me cry each time I listened to it, when I listened to that song, it reminded me to all the sacrificed Bai Jue have done for Shang Gu/Hou Chi. And it shows the strong/deep love they have for each other. They both will wait for each other forever.

And another one: "Years" (年岁) by Máo Bùyì (毛不易), for these three music, they are on my replay list on my phone where I will listen to this on repeat.

Ending: I will wait until I watch that scene in full to judge that ending. I already knew it's a happy ending before I saw that clip on twitter/Weibo, but how that happy ending played out is determined if they will give us something more than that scene, because I want a more fulfilling/happy ending to show their family life, and interactions before the credit rolls, so I am keeping an open mind for now before I watch the ending. So I will come back and edit this review when I have seen the ending. To be honest, I really hope it is a fulfilling ending, since they really have been through so much to be together in the end, I wanted to see some extended scenes to it to make up for all the heart-ache and pain they've been through. Honestly, Sometimes I wish that I don’t have such high expectations for an ending because it really does hurt when it doesn’t deliver(┬┬﹏┬┬). But it remains a fact that I will always love this drama on my end, why I wanted an extended ending because Bai Jue and Shang Gu deserves an extended happy ending after all they’ve been through, instead of ending at that scene. But I will always love ALP on my end, and yes, I am also not ready to depart from this/their story (┬┬﹏┬┬).

EDIT - As I said, I will come back to rate the ending after I watched it, note, I even woke up at 4am due to the time difference, because I couldn't sleep to watch the remaining 3 episodes 47-49. You can bet I was left with so many feelings in the end (┬┬﹏┬┬).

What I like:
- The battle against Wu Huan, how Bai Jue and Tian Qi to help Shang Gu fight against her, and I am so glad to see that Bai Jue actually faked his "death" to have Wu Huan put her guard down, that's my loveable Bai Jue for you!!! And the part when Bai Jue went to Tian Qi to revived him, was really nice, I really love their bromance moments <3 And that sad look Tian Qi gave Bai Jue when Bai Jue told him that, after Wu Huan is gone, he can finally go in peace/without worries. I love this subtle moment, to see how Tian Qi also cared for Bai Jue on his end <3

- Thank you! For giving me the Father-Son moment between Bai Jue and Yuan Qi, because I really did cried. How it started off that Yuan Qi didn't want to even see Bai Jue, really hurted him (┬┬﹏┬┬), and then later they had that talk, and then when Bai Jue took Yuan Qi to the human realm, this time, as his real self, and not disguised as Feng Ran, those were all sweet moments that I wanted to see before the finale, and you can also see that Yuan Qi probably guessed that it was actually his father (Bai Jue) who took him to play a day in the human realm as "Feng Ran" back then. The part when Bai Jue lets Yuan Qi win the game, was sweet <3 And at the end, before they said good bye, how Bai Jue hoped to hear Yuan Qi to call him "Father" at least once, before he goes, was so sad omg (┬┬﹏┬┬) At first when Yuan Qi showed that he can't say it, and while Bai Jue was sad about it, but he didn't force him to call him father, and when he leaving, and then Yuan Qi called him "Father", I literally shed tears in that scene (┬┬﹏┬┬)(┬┬﹏┬┬), he didn't call him "Father" once but several times!!!

- Hong Ri came back!!! And I'm glad to have him back!!!

- It is implied Gu Jun will come back later as well, because Bai Jue saved a piece of his spiritual/soul, so he will come back later, although this is left off-screen.

- Jing Jian is reborn so he's also back, however without his memories, so that's a bit of a shame.

- Glad to see Zhi Yang is back, although I somehow have mix feelings about it, since the part when he's drunk at first, and Tian Qi is like looking through the documents, I am like, did they switch roles? LOL

- I don't like Jin Yang, but in the end, he somewhat redeemed himself for me, for what he said to his mother (Wu Huan). Like it needed to be said. I like how he said that he doesn't want the throne, he only wants to be his father(Mu Guang) son, and Jing Jian's brother. And he even told Wu Huan, that he doesn't want to be her son(because of all the things she did that killed the family) Wu Huan didn't even regret, not even in the end, so I felt like what Jin Yang said is a slap to her face!

What I don't like about the ending:
- I can't believe that bitch Wu Huan didn't die... I wanted her dead so much, but her suffering eternally like that is better than nothing, death would be too easy for her. I wish Jing Zhao's punishment was heavier, in the end, she was just mute, but seeing her suffering to see her mother like that, I guess is her punishment, and she can't even say any words to her anymore. I hated Jing Zhao so much because she even have the audacity to curse Shang Gu like that, what the f*ck!

- Mu Guang, I don't care if you sacrifice yourself for the peace in the end, but what you did, even at the end, how you begged Shang Gu to not kill Wu Huan, I was literally face palm at that scene.... Seriously, after all this you can forgive her?! Shang Gu even in her way scolded him, about how and what he's doing now have disappointed Yuemi and how well she treated him back then.

- Now, what I don't like is after all the hardships, heart-breaks that Bai Jue and Shang Gu went through, they have it end in THAT SCENE?! (┬┬﹏┬┬). I just can't really accept it... I mean, it is a happy ending, and I am thankful that that is a bit better than the novel, where they got a hug and Bai Jue smiled at her, not to mention Bai Jue deserves a hug at the end of all this but honestly, all I wanted was an EXTENDED scene after that part where they have their talk, and not just hugging each other. Ok, that is at least better than nothing, but still.... I wanted to see Tian Qi and Zhi Yang also say something to Bai Jue like welcoming him back. But at least the part where Bai Jue said "Shang Gu, I am Bai Jue" is heaps better than in the novel, because in the novel, Bai Jue didn't smiled at her in that scene in the novel (not that I recall), then Shang Gu, in the novel, expresses her happiness, no hug, nothing, but just words to describe that in that moment, it is just perfect and, I am like "?????" in the novel, a feeling of unsatisfied, and lead me to question, that the novel ending, so does Bai Jue have his memories after he came back??? This is why in the Drama ending, it creates no confusion, Bai Jue is back, and with complete memories, because he smiled and said to her "Shang Gu, I am Bai Jue", and they got that hug, so it's a bit better than the novel, but this is not what I wanted to see, because I wanted something more. They separated for so long and we only got like 2 minutes (at most) for their reunion.... (┬┬﹏┬┬) You can't be serious right? I mean, thanks for giving me a happy ending, but I already knew it is a happy ending, still I cannot accept that THIS is how it ended!!! I was hoping to see more of a closure, of them talking, them having their sweet times, their bliss before it ended, but this kind of ending... While it is a happy ending but I am still somewhat disappointed... (┬┬﹏┬┬)

I guess hoping for a TMOPB ending is a bit too much to ask for...... (┬┬﹏┬┬)

Leia Mais

A Love that Shaped Destiny: The Infinite Devotion of an Unyielding Heart

........
The Overview of Plot and World building:

Ancestral God created and divided the universe into three realms... God Realm, Immortal/Heavenly Realm and Demon Realm, where God Realm is supreme. There is also Nether World where devils are imprisoned...

There are countless gods and immortals but only four are True Gods who commands the God Realm and are responsible for management and safety of Three Realms... Zhi Yang, Bai Jue, Tian Qi and Shang Gu. They all are born from the same origin but Shang Gu is "Supreme True God" who possess the Power of Chaos and the only girl and youngest one among them, just 10,000 years old. Zhi Yang, Bai Jue and Tian Qi grew up together and have very strong bonding.

• The hierarchy of God Realm:
1. Supreme True God/Chief God of Chaos
2. Three True Gods
3. High Gods
4. Lower Gods
5. Disciple from Immortal/Demon Realm

• The hierarchy of Immortal Realm:
1. Heavenly Emperor and Empress and High Gods
2. Demi Gods
3. Senior Immortals
4. Junior Immortals
5. Other Immortals

• The hierarchy of Demon Realm:
1. Demon God
2. Demon Emperor
3. Demi Gods
4. White Tiger Clan
5. Fox Clan
6. Other Demon Clans

The drama follows the story of Shang Gu and Bai Jue and show how their deep love and relationship developed and progressed while bearing the responsibility of safety of three realms and dealing with countless hardships.

..........
Introduction to Key Characters:

Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu (Xu Kai): Bai Jue, a True God and the God of War... The origin of his powers is Immortal and Fire, so he is also God of Fire. Has a stoic, distant and cold personality... No one can match upto his wisdom and patience...and his determination and dedication towards responsibilities and love is unmatched. Bai Jue grew up cultivating hard with Zhi Yang and Tian Qi and fighting devils to protect the Three Realms. Tian Qi nicknamed him as "Ice Cube" because of his cold demeanour... Despite him being distant, he was still admired and pursued by many goddesses in God Realm.
Weapon - Tai Cang Spear
Divine Beast - Hong Ri (Fire Qilin)
Residence - Abyss Hall and Daze Mountain

When God Realm closed due to Tribulations of Chaos, Bai Jue adopted the identity of Bo Xuan and lived in the Qing Chi Palace in the Immortal Realm for almost 60000 years, hiding his True God identity and isolating himself from all others, only Gu Jun knew his true self.

Qing Mu, a aloof and reserved young immortal from North Sea of Immortal realm, whose origin is unknown and he don't like to socialize. He got fame for his powerful cultivation despite his young age of only 1,000 years, and titled as "Lord of North Sea". He looks like Bai Jue who has disappeared years ago.
.....

Shang Gu/Hou Chi (Zhou Dong Yu): Shang Gu, the Chief God of Chaos, a mischievous and fun-loving young Goddess meant to be the Supreme True God. She was raised and spoiled by Zhi Yang, Tian Qi and Yue Mi. Despite having Chaos Origin, her cultivation and powers were weak so she was being bullied by others.. Bai Jue was tricked by Zhi Yang to being her teacher. Because of her undisciplined and arrogant personality, she despised strict and disciplined Bai Jue from their very first interaction.
Weapon - Ancient Sword
Divine Beast - Wu Huan (Five-colored Pheonix)
Residence - Pilgrimage Hall

Hou Chi, the born High God and daughter of Gu Jun. She has aloof and cold demeanour but a warm heart. Raised in Qing Chi Palace in care of Bo Xuan and Feng Ran. Her Godly powers are weak and she shows less to no improvement in cultivation, even after diligently practicing for 60,000 years. She looks like Shang Gu who died in Tribulations of Chaos.
......

Tian Qi/Jing Yuan (Liu Xue Yi): Tian Qi, a True God, his power origin is Demonic and Water, so he is also Demon God and the God of Water. A carefree, mischievous and fun-loving God but a little impulsive and sometimes narcissist.. haha! He and Shang Gu have similar personalities... He manages Demon Realm... Tian Qi values relationships and friendships more than anything else...and likes to arguing with Bai Jue, but in a good-natured way. He loved Shang Gu and would do anything for her, even destroy the three realms he had been protecting his entire lifetime.
Weapon - Purple Moon Whip
Divine Beast - Zi Han (Dragon)
Residence - Everlasting Hall

Jing Yuan, the Demon Lord Zi Yue, is actually another identity/reincarnation of Tian Qi after the Tribulations of Chaos. He lived in Demon Realm in seclusion and apart from Zi Han, only Demon Emperor knew who he is in real.
......

Zhi Yang (Li Ze Feng): The calm and rational True God... He is incharge of the affairs of the Three realms...and the oldest one in all True Gods...
Weapon - Twin Spear
......

Wu Huan (Zhang Jia Ni): The low-ranked pheonix from Wutong Island, whom Shang Gu picked up as her divine Beast instead of "the Only Fire Pheonix and Pheonix Queen" Feng Yan... She used to be kind, humble and calm before but later on became an arrogant, cunning, heartless and thirsty for power.... She is one of the three Ancient High Gods of Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Empress...
......

Gu Jun (Leon Lai): A Flood Dragon from Demon Realm.. and the only disciple of Shang Gu... He is a loyal and wise person... Gu Jun is one of the three Ancient High Gods in Immortal Realm who survived the Tribulations of Chaos... He is the master of Qing Chi Palace and former lover of Wu Huan...
......

Yue Mi (Luo Qiu Yun): The Goddess of Stars and Moon in God Realm and best friend of Shang Gu... She is wise and powerful but fun-loving Goddess and very close to all the True Gods... She was in love with Tian Qi but her feelings were not yet reciprocated...
......

Feng Ran (Zhang Ya Qin): The only alive Fire Pheonix and daughter of Feng Yan... A straight-forward and cleaver girl... She is the best friend and protector of Hou Chi..and attendant of Gu Jun (whom he saved from Yunlin Swamp)... She is way powerful than Hou Chi and in-charge of Qing Chi Palace in the absence of Gu Jun.

.........
Acting and Chemistry:

Xu Kai and Liu Xue Yi's portrayal of their characters is breathtaking...

Xu Kai was great as Bai Jue and Qing Mu although I don't like Bo Xuan's part much but it was good as well. As Bai Jue, he acted well as a cold and distant God who treats everyone fairly but can silently sacrifice his all for his love, and as Qing Mu, he did amazing as a aloof Immortal who knows to pursue his love without concerning the world... Xu Kai made the two characters really different with his acting skills that you won't feel these both characters played by one single person. He made Bai Jue my favourite character...

Liu Xue Yi impressed me with his remarkable performance. Tian Qi is my favourite just after Bai Jue... and I am so grateful to makers to not turning him in "typical toxic second male lead" who is obsessive... He loved Shang Gu but knew what are the limits and when to give up...

Zhao Dong Yu was amazing as Shang Gu in the first and last arc of the story but I feel her acting plain as Hou Chi.

Zhang Jia Ni did an extraordinary job with her character.. she truly made me hate Wu Huan from the bottom of my heart that I wanted to slap her everytime.

The chemistry between leads can be considered decent and above average... I loved the chemistry between Feng Ran and Jing Jian.. it was just wonderful.
The relationship dynamics between Bai Jue and Tian Qi are very interesting and fun to watch...
Other actors also did beautiful job with their characters and are worthy to be praised...

..........
OSTs, Costumes and CGI:

OSTs are pleasant and extraordinary.. these have secured the top place in my playlist. The lyrics fit the story and scenes perfectly and make me cry every time I listen to them... "A Thousand Years of Search" and "The Thought of Life" are my favourite.

"I am willing to search for thousands of days and nights; Waiting for time to meet again in your eyes..
Exchange a lifetime for a second of encounter; It would not be a pity if it can be accomplished.."
~A Thousand Years of Search

Costume are really beautiful and gives a aura of grace and divinity.
CGI is top-notch. The magic spells, the power from the divine weapon, the sets, all look real, natural and beautiful.

..........
Conclusion:

Ancient Love Poetry signifies the patience, dedication and loyalty in love without compromising the duties and responsibilities one has to fulfill.
The wait of sixty thousand years and dedication of Bai Jue for his love Shang Gu along with his devotion for duties towards the three realms are exceptional and heart-touching. I'm actually very tough to cry while watching a drama.. but this made my tears rolled over my cheeks, even after rewatching it many times I still feel the same heartbreak every time.

"She turned to ashes,
separated by life and death;
He protected the three realms for her..
The thought of life is still ringing in my ears;
Once again, this passion has no limits and will never be extinguished"
~The Thought of Life

.........
Ending:

I was thinking it would be a drama with a sad ending, but the ending touches my heart. It was a beautiful happy ending that I never expected.

To be honest, it might feel a bit boring to many in starting and one could feel like dropping it.. but I recommend to must watch at least 8 to 12 episodes before you make the decision to drop, otherwise you'll miss a fabulous drama.
I would recommend everyone to give it a shot.

Leia Mais

Another Xianxia drama that will bring tears so get your tissues out. The story/plot was well written. Wasn't predictable and the plot flowed smoothly. I found myself counting down the days and waking up excited for another episode. The acting. One word. Awesome! As I said in the first sentence, you need tissues. The crying scenes did their part well. The acting was a little rough on some parts but overall, the acting was amazing. I'll be honest, I didn't really pay much attention to the music, but on the parts I did notice, the music fit the scene perfectly. For the re-watch value, I give it a 10. I will definitely find myself re-watching this drama until I find another drama that's as good as this one (which is unlikely). Overall, This one was spectacular. Give it a go and I PROMISE you won't regret it.

Leia Mais

Do not get brainwashed by the cancelling culture before you even see it for yourself

I just wanted to address the recent issue of cancelling this drama by netizens. Like why did they had to criticise such a beautiful drama from just a glimpse through without even watching the whole story.

As someone who just recently got into the C drama land (bcuz I accidentally watch The Untamed) early this year, I must say ALP is something fresh to me bcuz I was into BL dramas previously. If they criticized abt the cgi, ALP has much much better cgi compared to the cgi in TU. Like I still cringed when I recalled how fake the Dancing statue & the wolf (which bites weiying when he was locked up) looks like in TU. 😂😂 (no, I'm not hating on TU, in fact TU is my top top C drama like I still kennot move on from it up till now) But yet, it was one of the most successful c drama to this date.

Next, they're hating on the visuals. Hello are they blind? Do they even look at themselves in the mirror?? Xukai looks fat? Wheree? The first time I saw him in ALP, I instantly fall in love with him. Likee omgeee he is soo cool that he can compete with my Weiying. 🥺
I was a bit sceptical abt the FL at first also. But nooo she was made for the character. No one else can pull it off better than her.

Next, the story line? Some said that it's boring. But nooo. I just randomly watched it at 2am and then it made me wanting for more. I sacrificed my beauty sleep cuz I was curious abt what will happen next. So here I am now. Already at ep 22. And already looking forward for the next ones tonight.

So, in conclusion, if you are a fan of xianxia, you should definitely give this beautiful drama a chance. Trust me, it's worth it!! The eye candy for your eyes and also the top tier heavenly-sound OST for your ears 😊🥰

Leia Mais

Absolutely Binge worthy

Solid performance from entire cast, I was pleasantly surprised with how amazing the cinematography was the scene where cut befittingly to suit the storyline. Although it may not look like the two are suited the level of chemistry that developed between the lead characters was amazing they invoked great passion, desire and sadness at the prefect time. Personally feel that it’s worthy of being right up there with the greats deserving its accolades. The storyline takes you on an emotional rollercoaster all sub-stories intertwine with the main core storyline each cast member provides high level performance, leaving you in great admiration. Highly recommend and stick it out after a couple episodes you will be glued to the screen.

Leia Mais

The episodes keep getting better! Watch till 2nd arc!

When I first started this drama, I had no expectation. I think the drama is just somewhere between so-so and interesting BUT it definitely keeps getting interesting and better in the 2nd arc (which is on ep 16). It feels like you're watching different drama with different characters in it. This drama probably has its flaws and definitely NOT the best xianxia drama out there but it definitely worth to give a try (just like i said, 2nd arc is way more interesting). I'm glad that I kept watching this drama despite bad reviews from Chinese netizens. Now, this is one of my weekly looking forward drama and I just can't stop for it (I'm pretty a lot of people agreed with me about Qingmu lol). Last but not least, the CGI, it's pretty cool and somehow it looks like the teaser for online game which is high quality!

Leia Mais

No sub-plots worth mentioning - everything is about the two main leads

I came across the first trailer last year. It was outstandingly enticing, action-packed and beautifully choreographed, with excellent VFX fighting scenes between demons/devils and the Immortals/Gods. It immediately drew me to this series and I penned it down as a must see xianxia c-drama of 2021. It did not hurt that last year, I thoroughly enjoyed “Love and Redemption (L&R)”. The female lead was Zhou Dongyu (ZDY) – an actress who is internationally acclaimed and the top actress listed in Forbes Top-100 Chinese Celebrities. Another reason to watch is that this is ZDY first foray into the small screen costume drama. And the fact that there are not many interesting new releases of costume drama as of late, “Ancient Love Poetry” seemed like a good enough drama to spend my time on complementing another period drama I am currently watching – “Court Lady”.

First, let me say that the choice of Zhou DongYu as the female lead baffles me. This is her first small screen appearance in a costume drama where she is depicted as the most beautiful woman across all Realms/Kingdoms. Her stature and popularity is similar to Yang Mi, Zhao Liying, etc ie she is an extremely famous actress in China and she took up a job that pitted her against an actor – Xu Kai – who is considered solid but not a top notch or calibre material. Xu Kai is not in the same league as say Kris Wu, Wang Yibo, Karry Wang, Xiao Zhan, Lu Han, Liu Haoran, etc (well you get the pictures). There were rumors that ZDY was forced to take up this role as it was rejected by Angelababy when they were at the same agency – Mountain Top Entertainment. I tend to believe in this rumor because this c-drama role does not suit her at all.

No wonder there are a lot of noises from Chinese netizen about the casting of ZDY as Shang Gu in this fantasy romance. To them, ZDY is not pretty enough to play the role of Shang Gu. She does not have the traits or characteristics of classic Chinese beauty. What is significantly clear to me is that ZDY was particularly beautiful when she was Shang Gu on the Ancient God Realm, but 60,000 years later as Houchi, ZDY was pedestrian looking. Did they change the make up artist halfway though this fantasy romance series? The difference in beauty is evident for all to see. To me, ZDY looks like a little girl who has never grown up. She has a teenager’s body – petite and undeveloped. She does not have those typical classical Chinese beauty features like good height (tall), double eye-lids, under-eye bags, etc. I am not body-shaming her, and she is a tremendously beautiful actress and the main reason why I’m watching this chinese series, but she is not suited to play the role of the most beautiful God/person/entity across all realms in 100,000-150,000 years. Luo Qiu Yun (Goddess Yuemi) or Jenny Zhang (Wu Huan) seem like a better choice to play FL.

Now to the real crux of the matter – the storylines – the achilles heel of most c-drama productions. Ultimately, you can’t watch “Ancient Love Poetry (ALP)” without comparing it against “Love & Redemption (L&R)”, “Love & Destiny (L&D)”, and “Ten Miles of Peach Blossom (TMoPB)” because all these xianxia dramas share the same theme and concept – ever lasting love story across millennia, reincarnation, trials and tribulations, unrequited love, sacrifices, etc. This is where I believe ALP absolutely fails its viewers. Where are the sub-plots? Everything is about Zong Dongyu (ZDY) and Xu Kai (XK). There are hardly any sub-plots worth mentioning. There is hardly any character development for the rest of the supporting cast. They are treated with contempt and non-essential to the main plot or story line – which is the love story between the two (2) lead characters. This is the real weakness of this period drama which makes it a torture to complete 49 episodes. 49 episodes of watching ZDY and XK professing their love to one another, having occasional spats like all love-birds do, experiencing flashbacks of the past life’s love story, protecting one another, sacrificing for the greater good, etc is just too much to bear even for a hardcore costume-period fan like myself.

Absolutely no character development at all during the 1st phase of the story up to the Trial of God of Chaos/Shang Gu. It took only 16 eps, and yes I am being sarcastic here to reach the ending of Shang Gu-Bai Jue love story in their first life. Even the 2nd lead Tian Qi (Liu Xiu Yi), who plays a similar role to The Ghost Lord (Vin Zhang) in TMoPB and Jing Xiu (Ethan Li) in Love & Destiny, does not get much mention and Tian Qi is potentially the 3rd most important character in the novel. At least the starting of the 2nd phase, 60,000 years later after the trial of Shang Gu provides some relief to the story. It should be a total reset and the beginning of the second life. But…. But…. You get Houchi pining for Bo Xuan already in Ep 17, the introduction to their second life 60,000 years later. God Gu Jun, one of the only few surviving gods from her first life and happens to be Hou Chi’s father in the second life, appeared once in Ep 17 and reappeared 13 episodes later in Ep 30 to protect Hou Chi from Wu Huan. WTF…. this is all about the two (2) lead characters. Thought that their second life would be a breath of fresh air, but other than the love story sub-plot between Feng Ran and Jing Jian, the rest of minor stories/sub-plots were not explored at all. The writer has a lot of opportunities to introduce support cast in the sub-plots like the triangle love story involving Gu Jun, Wu Huan and Mu Huang. Is this not a huge and significant story line here that culminates in the birth of Hou Chi and forms the basis of the enmity between Heavenly Realm and QingChi Palace? Enough ranting on the story line – the real weakness of this series and reason enough not to watch it.

Now to the positives. The Computer Generated Imageries (CGI) and Visual Effects (VFX) are simply outstanding. This is what draws me to the series from the trailers. The color hues, contrast, detailing, lighting, etc of the special effects and CGIs are among the best I have seen. Maybe the God Realm looks like it is coming out of Star Trek movies, but Gods are supposed to reside at outer space. The fighting scenes between Gods and Qiong Qi in Ep 11 are an excellent example of CGIs intertwined with excellent VFXs. The level of sophistication must have cost the Producers/Directors plenty of money and these are simply world class CGIs/VFXs. But no matter how good a VFX is, it is still fantasy world. I specifically would point out to Ep 29 where Hou Chi and Qing Mu were enjoying the scenery at the Heavenly Realm with water falls nested within clouds. It just feels weird because such scene plays into one’s imagination. I don’t think there is anyway the VFX experts could get it right. Also, the constant overhead shot of the Ancient God Realm in Shang Gu’s first life, and Heavenly realm overhead shot in her subsequent life was too futuristic – looking more like Star Trek rather than the place where Gods, Immortals and Demons live. At least that is my opinion.

The costumes are glamorous, albeit very plain and simple in nature. The Immortals/Gods tend to wear lighter shades, while the Demons are mostly in darker color. As I was watching “Court Lady” at the same time, I detest the Tang dynasty clothing in the Court Lady, the hair-do, etc. Even a beautiful Li YiTong could sometimes look horrendous in Tang Dynasty clothing. That did not happen here with the ladies – they all look elegant, gorgeous and refined.

On the studio set design, it does not have the fake looking and feeling even though the setting is in the make-believe fantasy land. When reproducing a set purely from imagination and fantasy, it is easier to get it wrong. Your creativity could backfire. The setting reminds me a lot of “Ashes of Love”. The God Realm, Heavenly Palace and the Lookout Shelter are especially beautiful. I wish “Legend of Fei” producers/directors could learn a thing or two from this production when it comes to studio set design.

Nothing on the music front draws me to this series. Nothing. I am not drawn to the sound track at all, and there is not a song within this c-drama series that keeps playing in my head. A good sound track will add more interest onto a series. It is like an appetizer before the main course.

When the series is very good, and there are quite a few of them in my book like Evernight Season 1, Novoland Eagle Flag, Nirvana in Fire 2, Joy of Life, etc, you tend to worry when the series are at the end. You keep counting how many episodes are left. When the series are over, you experienced withdrawal syndrome. I am sure it won’t happen to me with Ancient Love Poetry. No wonder Douban rating by Chinese mainland viewers hovers at the pedestrian 5.2 with only 1 out of 4 reviewers giving it a good/fair rating (4/5). While international viewers like those at Mydramalist.com website, tend to be more generous with their rating (8.3 rating at Mydramalist).

Give it a miss if you have not started watching it and go for other c-drama!

Leia Mais

This drama completely took over my life. This hasn't happened to me since... since Word of Honor, I guess? And as much as I adored WoH, not even that drama moved me so deeply.

I wouldn't be able to tell you why exactly ALP touched me so much. I guess it was the theme of self-sacrifice? Of duty and honor and love? And of friendship that lasts hundreds of thousands of years and isn't treated as something, well, less?

Because one of the things that fascinated me was the bond among the three True Gods: Zhi Yang, Tian Qi and Bai Jue. They have known each other for hundreds and hundreds of thousands of years, they protected the three realms together and they died and were reborn in their service to the gods, the immortals and the mortals, and they did it with grace and dignity - and not a little mischief. They bickered and poked fun at each other and sometimes they didn't see each other for thousands of years but the warmth they felt for each other never lessened. And that was simply beautiful.

The main draw for me was Xu Kai as Bai Jue/Bo Xuan/Qing Mu - and he did an absolutely incredible job playing these characters who were one and the same person and not at the same time and at no point had I trouble telling the three of them apart. Even when Qing Mu and Bai Jue stood side by side, I knew who was who. Xu Kai is a truly gifted actor and this drama let him showcase that.

Many, many times was I moved to tears. The last two eps I pretty much bawled through. I stayed up way past midnight to finish the drama and I cried so hard that my heart is still aching this morning and my eyes are all swollen. It was so beautiful.

What I must mention and praise is the CGI. The scenery, the fights, all of them looked so amazing and so real that at no point was I torn out of what was happening, thinking "Looks fake." Especially the fights looked truly epic, like fights between gods should.

Thinking back, there were several moments that truly stood out for me:

When Bai Jue was forced to kill Tian Qi
When the True Gods imprisoned Xuan Yi - and when they later on defeated Wu Huan with the same method
When Qing Mu received Bai Jue's spear
When Qing Mu received the 81 lighting strikes and elevated his position to a demi-god
When Bai Jue and Tian Qi battled together at Bai Jue's second wedding
When Gu Jun died for Hou Chi/Shang Gu
When Tian Qi learned about Bai Jue's plan - and then the moment before the battle with Wu Huan, when he realized that Bai Jue was going to die soon
When Bai Jue talked to his son about the meaning of death
When Bai Jue gave himself over to the Doom of Chaos, dying for Shang Gu with a smile on his face because he managed to save her, after all
When Shang Gu came to the Swamp of Netherill and realized what Bai Jue had done...
So many wonderful moments, and that's just off the top of my head.

Also, the score. LAP's songs not only had a beautiful melody, their text was downright heartbreaking, "when she turns to ash, he guards the three realms for her."

This drama was... it was everything I could've wanted and more. I don't think I've ever rated a drama so high but, yeah, it's a 10.

Leia Mais

you thought FIYS was good? this is crazier

A breathtaking revolutionary masterpiece. I finished it in 4 days and am completely tired out, not from boredom but from the amount of emotions that I have invested in this show. Not a single regret because it was executed perfectly from start till end, the timeline clear and concise.

First and foremost, the storyline. It is SO CRAZY interesting, the plot got me hooked right from the start. The concept of there being an ancient god, then true gods, then different realms (before humans come into play) is so refreshing. What surprised me the most is that there are NO FILLER SCENES, sometimes drama adds unnecessary scenes to drag it out but for ALP, this was non-existent. Everything had its own purpose, I didn't feel like skipping. The story follows two of our true gods, Shanggu and Baijue who have to face their biggest villain yet, fate. In this couple, actions speak SO MUCH LOUDER than words. Their devotion and dedication to each other are so touching and so inspiring, sweet and sad moments you name it! The side characters are so FUN, their stories don't seem abrupt and they really add substance to the momentum of the whole show. I really love the divine beasts and disciples. What will we do without gu jun, zixuan, hongri, jingjian, yuemi, fengran :'''(

Secondly, the acting is amazing. They are so devoted to their roles and carried out the emotional scenes so well. And there are A LOT of emotional scenes, I was breaking down every few episodes but of course, there's also enough sweet scenes for healing. Falling in your smile gave Xukai too little room for his acting abilities, ALP brings it up by a big notch. You haven't seen real sadness or pure joy until you see his amber eyes. Zhou Dongyu as expected, is also an incredible actress. From lively and bubbly to weak and hollow to powerful and fearless. You get so much from her despite her tiny frame. There's been a lot of antis who have been bashing the leads for their looks and this is just so screwed up in every way possible. Granted, FL does not look like the stereotypical period drama but she is really beautiful in her own way. Her aura, her acting, her emotions are mesmerizing. These two make an incredible pair with their soul breaking gaze and passionate love.

Thirdly, the CGI slaps. You can tell there was a lot of effort and budget put into this. It was way beyond my expectation despite knowing this was a 'S' level production. The fight with the flying demons and the display of power are mindblowing. The castles and scenic views were so beautiful.

Lastly, music. GOD TIER. Every time 执生念 plays, I know shit is gonna go down. "他为她守护三界/he protects the three realms for her" The tears never stop flowing god damn. There's so many incredible hard hitting songs that bring the memories flooding back it's crazy.

All in all, this show deserves an oscar, a grammy, a golden globe, whatever there is. I couldn't find a flaw even if I wanted to. The only thing I hoped for is a longer ending hahaha cause I was tortured to hell and back I deserve more :D

You won't regret it. Really and you might even stan many new artists after this ;)

Leia Mais