O Jogo do Amor em uma Fantasia Oriental (2024)

Overused Trope Isekai, Transmigration Done Right.

I've watched many transmigration and isekai tropes for the past 10 years and I have to say, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy does a phenomenonal job in executing the storyline and main characters. This series reminded me of Chinese Paladin with Hu Ge and Liu Yi Fei of how I fell in love with cdrama series all over again, with their OST, storyline and casting, character, dialogues, action and wardrobe. It's like anticipating if Esther Yu were to transmigrate into Chinese Paladin.....wait she already did. Not that she isekaied but play a role in Chinese Paladin. LMAO

The cast is good but not the greatest. Our two main leads deserves a standing ovation in their roles. They make you believe they are the characters as well as the famous cameo actors and actresses that come along that make you care for the characters. I haven't seen Gillian Chung play a villian since The Twins Effect/King of Blades. She hasn't aged and still beautiful, pretty and gorgeous as always. I haven't seen her character in this series yet, but I'm excited. However, I'm not enjoying the secondary main leads mainly due to their acting who seems like their reading the script rather becoming their character. I do have to give it to Zhu Xudan, who has improved. I watched her in Ten Miles of Peach Blossom and her acting isn't natural and she's quite stiff making it seem like she's playing the same roles or rather herself. But in this role, I see improvements where she's more relaxed and acts like she is her character, Mu Yao, at least sometimes.

The music doesn't stand out. I tried to like the OST, but none of them stood out except, when the characters are fighting in action. I like that music best. You can hear the Qin/Guzheng playing in the background with the beat of drums and remix which sounds like Naruto fighting his enemies.

A lot of series that was adapted from manhua's and novel medias have been disappointing. But here, Conquering the Black Lotus/Guide to Capturing the Black Lotus and Love Game in Eastern Fantasy have been great so far, and no complaints. I'm happy they took inspiration from the manhua where the clothing in the manhua comes to life in Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi. They kept their color green for the female lead and yellow for the male lead. The costume designs doesn't look cheap and lazily made as if they're cosplaying. I never read the novel, so I wouldn't how good it is, but I'm sure the manhua follows the novel. I'm satisfied in what the director and crew has done in this series. They definitely deserve an award for producing such an amazing show. Lastly, their CGI isn't the best but tolerable to watch.

Overall, I'm excited to finish this drama and finally get to enjoy a show worth watching. I just hope the ending isn't disappointing like all the other ones I've come across who had a great storyline like My Journey to You and My Journey to Love with terrible endings. My rating may change if the ending is done right. Fingers cross.

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Great all around

first things first the casting is spot on dyx and ysx is such a joy to watch previously in moonlight and their reunion here was very much a pleasent bonus. The fast paced plot and humor is really well done not too fast that things are getting glossed over but fast enough that my little adhd brain is not bored. Ding yuxis acting performance as per usual is spot on, he encapsulates the character mu sheng very well. esther as miao miao is also very endearing I love watching her and can feel the character well. The plot itself is very interesting as iam a seasoned villainess manhwa reader so i was very excited for this drama and boy sure did they not disappoint!! Thank you for readingg

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A feel-good fantasy that heals the soul

This was genuinely the best feel-good fantasy drama ever. The comedy was amazing, and the dynamic of the characters were superb. The concept of the show had me hooked from the first read, and the way I dropped absolutely everything when I saw that this was completed just to watch it is not even funny. I have no fucking regrets. Stayed up until 4am giggling and crying my heart out. I swear, the dynamic of the main couple is honestly what I live for. I haven't seen a bickering couple like this in so long, and I loved every second of it. I was a wreck, A FUCKING WRECK, tears and buckets of tears coming down my eyes when Miao Miao realised Mu Sheng loved her. My heart actually broke into pieces, and I just know I'll end up crying again if I watch that scene again cuz you just remember how happy and giddy Sheng was when prepping everything until shit hit the bloody fan.

Now, that being said, everything was a 9-10/10 until that final episode. I liked the ending, don't get me wrong. That ending was exactly what I expected and I wouldn't have it any other way, or think of anything more suitable for it. HOWEVER. What was that last episode? Granted, I cried buckets watching it, but still. What was that? That shit came out of no where man. Yall could have built up to it a bit, but nope. They just shoved that shit in and completely forgot to foreshadow anything. What they did, and the message they were trying to tell was good, but bro? You can't just dash in last minute plot twists like that. It just makes it seem like it came out of no where and got crammed in cuz the writers wanted everything to be about the main leads. Also, what was that whole spiel about the black lotus? Ain't anyone going to explain that?

But honestly, other than that disappointing last ep (except ending), this was a top-notch fantasy drama. I need more found family, fighting demons, and going on adventure type shows. Or characters going into books/games and trying to get out plot lines. It's such an easy sell, and I'm its biggest victim. I'll eat it up every single time.

P.S. Ding Yu Xi with a long pony tail with bangs out had to be the prettiest thing I've seen all year. I genuinely could not stop staring at him. Had to pause my screen just to gawk and squeal.

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Worth a watch, Needed more romance

Bit of a slow start, the romance is very subtle, not a lot of tender moments so the chemistry leaves much to be desired for both couples.... There were not many points to believe in their love as overcoming all obstacles, well except for miao miao

The story line is ok, keeps flowing and ties in together well, however the game system just seems to go quiet so you forget that was the point.

Yu shu xin as always her acting is fab, you feel every emotion with her, she is cute, cheeky and comical.

Hated the makeup it made the cast look odd.

costume is lovely and the FX are good although a bit over the top.

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The strength of many

This show is a delightful surprise in an overall lackluster year for Chinese dramas. Much more than an idol romance fantasy drama, this one invites you on a journey to re-examine what true love is - romantic love, familial love, friendship, and even a healthy love of oneself.

Ling Miao Miao is our 21st century heroine who enjoys reading novels written by a certain Fu Zhou. She somehow ends up in the world of one of his novels and is tasked with various missions in order to return to the real world. As the story progresses, we learn about the various characters in the novel and particularly about the intense animosity between humans and demons (monsters) that pervades this world. This tension between races centers upon our male lead, Mu Sheng, who happens to be half demon and half human.

Love blooms between the two, but the story is not entirely focused on their romance. We also have our secondary leads, Mu Yao (Mu Sheng’s sister, though not by blood) and Liu Fu Yi, who have meaningful arcs to their characters as well. The fine line between love and hate, devotion and obsession, are explored throughout the show - and it is ultimately selfless, sacrificing love that saves the day.

If there is anything to nitpick, it would be that the female lead never really changes from the beginning to the end, making her story far less compelling than that of the male lead and even the secondary leads. Fortunately, the story is full of rich supporting characters and themes, making this far less a lead-centric tale and more of an ensemble piece, which, when considering the stirring climax where the entire world comes together to save itself, is a fitting characteristic of the show.

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One of the most likeable Main Teams I've seen in a drama

I feel like I just started watching this drama , but in the blink of an eye it's I already finished watching the last episode.

This was one of those dramas that I anticipated the most, because I loved the novel and I really liked the cast. My expectations were high and this drama delivered. I absolutely LOVED it.

The cast did an amazing job with their characters. They were exactly what I expected. And above everything else, they were all likeable. The main five (yes, I'm including Cui Cui), are among the most likeable main 'teams' I've seen in dramas so far. I really loved their dynamic.

The story moves at a fast pace and there are almost no dull moments. The story itself is interesting and engaging. It's a nice blend of funny, cute and bright with emotional heavier themes. Love and affection in different forms is presented very nicely and it's definitely a thread connecting all the stories aside from the obvious connection to the overall mystery of the overarching plot.

This drama has made my rewatch list, which is probably the highest praise I can bestow on a drama.

I'm going to miss these characters until my next rewatch.

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Lighthearted drama with a modern twist

Lighthearted drama with a modern twist.
I really enjoyed this one despite some flaws.

First of all I appreciate the ending which makes it rewatchable. Second of all because of the amount of screentime our lotus demon was pure eye candy. Esther's performance was good but typical. She played the same role as in LBFAD which I liked but again the baby cry character gets annoying and didn't match her modern life personality which should have been more prevalent especially after her reveal. The arc flipping rollercoaster given to the master we meet at the end was horribly done.

There were also some pacing issues and major plot holes. Sometimes I even thought I must have skipped an episode but I didn't. The attention to the details for the minor support roles was refreshing. The special effects were extremely well done and gorgeous. The shop explosion was my favorite. However the fei CGI was so bad it was almost comical. The dust mushroom demons were cute. 🥰

Am I still dreaming about this magical realm? Yes.
Which is why I give it such a high rating despite the criticism.

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In a most positive way possible, it's S+ after all

I remember one OP on twitter said it's interesting how people didn't have high expectation despite this drama is classified as S+. Well, i'm guilty, i'm part of those people.

I read the novel, drop it tho, but i read pass the halfway mark. I think part of the reason i didn't put high expectation is because as far as i know, transmigration trope is loosely banned. i said loosely since many mini dramas still have this trope. So because this drama rely heavily on transmigration trope, i just wanna keep my expectation on check in case of major change in the premise.

Plotwise, i actually like the pace. how everything reveal slowly and not dump everything at the end as an afterthought. Although the last 2 episodes could feels like that for some yet it doesn't seem forced, at least for me. It's true how every character including the minor one deserve to shine. The biggest plus imo is the heartwarming ending which in sync with how the drama been carrying on the lighter side from the star. Like i said, nothing seem forced and just go with the flow.

Acting department is good. Again, every character has chance to shine. Our leads shine brighter ofc duh, their chemistry casually overflowing and they served, despite no kissing scene 🤐

And yes, the budget spent wisely during post production. For high budget drama, i can see it result in many departments. Just like Miaomiao said at the beginning, it cost a lot lol.

In short, i love it, still it has so much more to improve. Although if the goal is light drama, i don't mind this ending.

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One of the best series from 2024 <3

The chemistry between the main characters was great, especially at the beginning. It seemed like a kind of enemies to lovers, which I loved!
However, after they got together, they had fewer romantic moments.. But the 4 friends remained united in any obstacle they had to face, and Miaomiao, although she was not part of that fantasy world, gave everything to change the story and help the others. I really liked this aspect too.
Although the romance was not really present in the relationship between the two, it was very beautiful how he declared his love for her at the end. I was still sad because I didn't want the story to end like that.. but I feel fulfilled by the fact that the love between them remained.

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