I know that everyone is saying this is the best Xianxia we've had for a hot minute but I think this is the key element they're forgetting. There's been such a drought of good Xianxia (and particularly good Xianxia with female leads that don't act and speak like 6 year olds and actually have a personality outside of 'love interest') that we're holding this one to a higher standard than it deserves.

To start on a positive note, there are lots of great things about ShenLi. Although it is 40 episodes it's very easy to digest. Aside from an initially slow start which explores the 'mortal life' section of any Xianxia (albeit in an unexpected and quite witty way) once that awful cgi chicken disappears the show is very enjoyable. It's interesting especially to see the power dynamic shift when Xingzhi/Xingyun's true identity is revealed. The rest of the special effects are actually quite good, and the costumes - though not particularly innovative for the men - have a lot to boast for the women. Some of Shen Li and Demon Lord's outfits were stunning and the detail was apparent. The 'sky above heaven' was also an interesting addition to the show and the lore of the ancient gods.

Now onto the not so great things:
Firstly, this drama has serious pacing issues. The focus on the love story of the two leads was interesting, yes, but almost the entire plot was devoted to them with little time for side characters to develop. This almost led to an over saturation of their romance, particularly because the marriage arc was dragged out until episode 25. I also found that the apathy of the ML was at times taken too far. There is a difference between indifference and surpressed emotion which outwardly presents as indifference which was not always successfully conveyed.

Secondly, although some of the plot twists were genuinely surprising - there was no one single 'wow' factor moment within the show, and there was potential for several. Perhaps due to the halfhearted world building which failed to exhibit a real motivation for the villain beyond loyalty, the stakes never really seemed as high as they should have, and due to the overwhelming power of the 'divine god', even if he was injured or punished by the heavens for disobeying the enigmatic 'natural law' we were never led to believe that he wouldn't be able to overcome whatever was thrown at him. Such was the power of a true 'god' - the last god - compared to mere heavenly immortals.

An 8.8 rating is difficult to comprehend in my opinion. That places the Legend of Shen Li above dramas like: 'Who rules the world' and 'Scarlet Heart: Ryeo', and at the same level as 'The Story of MingLan', 'Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms', 'Love Between Fairy and Devil', 'Snow Sword Stride' (all far more interesting and developed dramas as far as I'm concerned). I don't like to throw 'overrated' around but I think that this drama may have been. Don't get me wrong, it's still a very enjoyable watch and I highly recommend it; it just seems important to keep in mind that ratings are inevitably relative, and Shen Li perhaps needs to be put into context rather than looked at independently.