If I had to describe what Fangs of Fortune is about in just a phrase, I would say it is a series about free will; the freedom of choice.

In a world where humans, demons and gods reside, one might expect good and evil to be clearly divided, but that is not the case.

Both humans and demons are prejudiced against one another. Humans see all demons as evil, and demons believe humans are fragile and incapable of truly understanding them.

Humanity, and subsequently mortality, is about the beauty of an ephemeral and mundane life; it’s about emotions and fragility. Demonhood, and consequently immortality, is about power and the inability to truly feel.

The thing about Fangs of Fortune is that it is not just about the beautiful, yet fantastical, world we see on our screens. It is also about the real world, the one we wake up to every morning. It’s about judging someone without truly knowing them. It’s about labelling someone as good or evil, simply because of a specific characteristic they have. It’s about being hated, even if you did nothing wrong; being hated because of something you couldn’t control. It’s about realizing that you cannot truly understand a situation, unless you have been there. And finally, it is about the fact that no matter who or what you are, no matter what you experience, no matter the hardships you have been through, in the end, what you become is your own choice.

All the characters in this series are proof that everyone is different, and that is the beauty of life, immortal or not. Not every person turns into a villain because of a tragic past, and not every individual becomes kind and considerate just because they lived a good life. It's all about choices, and we always have the power to choose, even in situations where everything seems like a dead end.



Below, I will analyze my personal experience with most of the technical aspects of the series, and I will also answer some common questions you may want to consider, before watching.

DIRECTING AND CINEMATOGRAPHY
Guo Jing Ming has quickly earned a place among my favorite directors. He has the ability to create magic on screen. Every frame is not just beautiful; it is spellbinding. The world he has created here feels like the one my 6-year-old self would have dreamed of living in, despite the dangers it might have held. He captures the beauty of what I envision when I think of Chinese culture. Of course, the slow-motion scenes, the close-ups, and the techniques he is using as a director are a hit or miss. You will either love or hate them, and I am enamored with them.


MAKE UP
If you have also watched My Journey to You, then you’re probably aware that Guo Jing Ming has a tendency to make his characters appear pale on screen. In my opinion, although they don’t always look "real", this choice works in his favor most of the time. However, there were some scenes where I was bothered by the fact that some actors and actresses appeared so pale that it became visually unappealing.


ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
I have to admit that the songs are somewhat overused in the series. However, individually, every single song is soulful, touching, or simply electrifying.

Here are my three personal favorites:
- Return after a long dream (大梦归离) by Li Yuchun (李宇春)
- Unintentional big dream (无心生大梦) by Liu Yuning (刘宇宁)
- Yuan Zhou’s youth (远舟的少年) by Neo Hou (侯明昊)


ACTING
All of the actors in the series did a solid job with their roles. I wouldn’t say that all of them delivered award-worthy performances, but none of them took away from the drama, while I was watching. Each had their moment to shine, with some performances standing out more than others.

The two people who stood out to me the most were Neo Hou and Tian Jia Rui. Starting with Tian Jia Rui, I had high expectations from him, since I had enjoyed his performance on My Journey to You. Despite having limited experience in acting, he managed to truly bring Zhuo Yi Chen, his character, to life. His eyes are incredibly expressive.

Now, onto Neo Hou. Even though I knew of him as a rising star, I hadn’t seen him in a series before. I was impressed by his performance and how well he managed to portray a character with so many different layers.

On the other hand, if I had to mention one person that impressed me the least, it would be Xu Zhen Xuan as Ying Lei. While he was excellent for the most part, especially in the more lighthearted scenes, I do believe he needs more work when it comes to delivering more emotionally charged performances.

As for Chen Du Ling and Tian Jia Rui, if I could, I would award them the Queen of Tears and King of Tears titles, respectively. It’s truly astounding how effortlessly they manage to cry, and in such a magnificent way (while also looking impressively beautiful).


MYTHOLOGY
Fangs of Fortune may not be based on a book, but it draws inspiration from a classic text, that contains information about mythological creatures, called "Classic of Mountains and Seas" (山海经).

The drama -with liberties involved- manages to intelligently portray various creatures from the text. Not only does it retain many of their key characteristics, but it also incorporates other elements like clothing, make up and more to enhance their depiction.

Take Zhu Yan (朱厌) for example. According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, he is an ape-like creature with a white face and red feet. In the series, aside the “ape jokes” that gave us a hint of his true form, there were other creative ways that the crew used to portray his demonic form. For instance, in the first few episodes, his clothing is dark red with a white fur, something that is obviously done intentionally. In fact, the red "energy" that surrounds him, made me wonder if it was another way for the director to portray Zhu Yan’s red feet.


PLOT
While Fangs of Fortune has an entertaining plot, with some truly amazing scenes, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it from start to finish, it would be inaccurate to say that it is perfect. There are several aspects that the scriptwriter/director could have handled differently. For example, aside the first few episodes not being entirely captivating, there were many scenes where conversations were taking place, and the “big threat” was just standing there, waiting for them to finish.

That aside, some characters are underdeveloped and, at times, even forgotten in terms of the plot. There are several liberties taken in this regard. Did it bother me? Not really. However, I do believe that if certain scenes had been portrayed differently and more effectively, the final result would be even better.


HUMOUR
The drama is comedic from start to finish, despite not being advertised as such. As with any “comedy”, it’s something you’ll either love and laugh along with or dislike and roll your eyes at. At first, it caught me off guard, but the more it happened, the more I warmed up to it. Now, I can clearly say that the comedic elements were absolutely hilarious (and pure gold).


CHARACTERS
Like many viewers, I became attached to the characters. Every single one of them brings something unique to the team, and every member is essential.

Zhao Yuan Zhou, Zhuo Yi Chen and Li Lun
In my opinion, these three characters were written with the utmost attention to detail. All of them were very complex, with rich backstories and current experiences that made them layered and multi-faceted and I couldn’t help but feel for them.

Wen Xiao
As the female lead, Wen Xiao serves as the emotional backbone of the team. I do think that in general her character is underdeveloped, but I will touch on that later.

Pei Si Jing
Who doesn’t love a strong female character who can fight and stays true to her values?

Ying Lei
A humorous and kind-hearted character who made me laugh countless times.

Bai Jiu
The team’s doctor, another pretty well-written and multi-dimensional character with a complex, yet fascinating personality.


FEMALE LEAD (?)
As mentioned earlier, Wen Xiao is the emotional backbone of the team. Unfortunately, she is noticeably underdeveloped compared to the others, and she ends up feeling more like a supporting character than the main female lead.

Wen Xiao is portrayed as weak and fragile, something she openly acknowledges. She is kind-hearted, but like everyone else, she can be too quick to judge others sometimes. The main issue I had with her character is that, even though her introduction was magnificent and powerful, she ended up doing very little throughout the series. In the most dangerous and pivotal moments, she was merely a spectator.

Her weakness remains constant throughout the series and many times it felt like she was inserted into certain plotlines/scenes just to be present, rather than having a significant role in the events. There were many scenes where all she did was lie helplessly on the ground, while everyone else fought for their lives. What frustrated me the most is that, despite being portrayed as someone with potential power, she never truly feels like a powerful and important character.


ROMANCE + BROMANCE + SISMANCE
The romance between the two main characters was slow-paced and, unfortunately, underdeveloped. Even though the actors had good chemistry, the portrayal of their characters and their actions never convinced me that they were truly in love. Their "relationship" felt sudden, with barely any build-up. Some of their grand gestures for each other were impactful in concept, but because the romance itself was super underdeveloped throughout the earlier episodes -with most meaningful scenes not being between them- "their moments" failed to leave an impression on me and left me wondering why they are acting the way they do.

On the other hand, the bromance between Zhao Yuan Zhou and Zhuo Yi Chen (and even Li Lun) was the kind of “romance” the series was missing. Not only were the actors phenomenal, with their scenes oozing chemistry, but their relationships were also better written. Because of that, as a viewer, I could better understand and connect with them. Plus, they shared some of the most emotionally impactful moments in the series. Why though? I will get to it later.

Bromance aside, the relationship between Pei Si Jing and Wen Xiao was also beautifully portrayed. Despite their differences, they formed a deep connection and felt so much for one another. Their scenes were magnificent and their conversations were truly beautiful to watch.


ENDING
Obviously, I won’t spoil it for you. I will just say that even though the last episodes were not flawless in terms of execution, thankfully the series did not crash and burn.



Now to the questions:

-> WAS IT AS GOOD AS MY JOURNEY TO YOU?
Fangs of Fortune is fundamentally different from My Journey to You, which makes it impossible to truly compare the two. Even though both series share the same director and as a result they are both visually stunning in their own ways (with some amazing OSTs), that’s where the similarities end.

MJTY was a much darker series -both in terms of cinematography and atmosphere, as well as plot- with limited fantasy elements. It was more dialogue-driven and political, with a heavier atmosphere and barely any comedic elements. On the other hand, Fangs of Fortune, was a fantasy drama through and through, filled with an exquisite amount of comedy and a generally lighter atmosphere. So, it all depends on what you generally enjoy.


-> IS IT BINGE-WORTHY?
Yes and no. For those who generally dislike GJM's directing style -his meticulous attention to visual detail, slow-paced dialogues, hushed voices, and frequent use of slow motion- it might be challenging to watch, let alone binge. However, for viewers that enjoy his approach, binge-watching will probably be a delight.


-> HOW IS THE ROMANCE?
The romance unfolds slowly and it takes a backseat to the series' main storyline, as the focus is mostly on the ensemble of main characters rather than the two "leads." That said, as mentioned above, it is also quite underdeveloped. So, if you are looking for a romance-focused series, this is not the one for you.


-> DOES IT PORTRAY A NON-PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO MALE LEADS?
That is a very complicated question. Of course, it could never truly be a same-sex romance, since there is a ban on same-sex relationships portrayed on screen in China. However, Guo Jing Ming has incorporated many homoerotic undertones between some of the characters -and this is not the first time he’s done so-.

For me, it’s evident that the director/scriptwriter would likely have pursued a different kind of relationship between the two male leads, if it wasn’t for the ban. I know many of you may disagree, but I’d like to share my thoughts on this.

First of all, there are many scenes that are undeniably not purely platonic (like the hairpin scene between two of the characters or the red string scene). Additionally, the main male characters are much more complex and layered compared to the female lead. In fact, the most impactful moments, the ones that really stand-out, happen between the two male leads and not between the male and female lead.

In addition, the way that GJM directed the drama makes it evident that he was willing to go in that direction if he could. Their interconnected fates, their glances, their touches, their bickering, their reactions when it came to one another -all of it- had far more depth compared to the main romance. The fact that the female lead was weak and underdeveloped, coupled with her random appearances in certain scenes, further reinforces the idea that the romance between the mains was never meant to be the central focus.

Lastly, it doesn’t matter whether you consider their relationship platonic, brotherly, romantic or something else entirely. Their bond is unquestionably powerful, something that I don’t believe anyone can truly deny. The fact that the female lead is not the focus of the series at all and barely appears in the last few episodes, made me even more convinced that this was a story about something much different and deeper than what we initially expected.


All in all, Fangs of Fortune took me by surprise and I think it will be a long time before I get over it. It ruined me and healed me simultaneously. Despite its flaws, it was an incredible watch. The characters, their stories, the OST, the underlying message and the overall experience of watching it are things I won’t forget.


I will leave you with one of the many beautiful quotes of the drama about mortality and death:
"Tears has nothing to do with age and nothing to do with strength or weakness. It has something to do with our hearts. Humans are soft-hearted. Soft things will always be pricked by something hard and cold and death is the hardest and coldest thing in this world."