I usually avoid watching dramas while they are still airing only because I HATE sad endings. But this just happens to be one of those dramas that I couldn’t resist. I started watching The Legends with no expectations at all since I was unfamiliar with the whole cast and didn’t do a lot of research on this drama before beginning. However, after completing the whole thing, this drama has now officially become one of my favorites of all time. It teaches a meaningful lesson - that demons don’t have to be “bad” and gods don’t have to be “good”. This is a very memorable moral to me since a lot of dramas out there generalize the value of these two different beings, but this adds a touch of originality which we may not usually encounter.

Story: The Legends is a lighthearted, funny and sweet story that focuses on Lu Zhao Yao, the notorious She-Demon and her journey to fighting against the supposedly “good” and “righteous” sects, as well as her relationship with Li Chen Lan / Mo Qing, the Demon King’s son. I thought the plot was very well-paced and consistent that leaves you wanting for more. I never got bored or skipped any long scenes because they were all very engaging and relevant to the plot. Although most of the story revolves around a more positive and lively theme, but there were also certain scenes that took some tears out of me. I know the editing needs a lot of improvement, but that’s the least of my concerns. A lot of people actually enjoyed the first half more than the second half because they said that Lu Zhao Yao’s character became potentially weaker and the story dragged, but I enjoyed both halves equally. The first half pretty much centers around story and character development, while the second half of the drama shines light on the relationship between Zhao Yao and Mo Qing.

Acting/cast: I was very impressed with Bai Lu and Xu Kai’s acting. Both of them were able to portray their respective characters flawlessly, considering they’ve only been in a few projects before this one. I found their facial expressions to be very realistic and not forced. The main couple’s chemistry was phenomenal - probably one of the best I’ve seen out there - up to the point that I am now a loyal “YaoLan” shipper. They really made it look like they are truly in love. I also want to give some credit to Xiao Yan’s depiction of Qin Zhi Yan and Lu Zhao Yao (when she was still in possession of Zhi Yan’s), which was also remarkable - the fact that she could switch back and forth so effortlessly between this innocent, timid girl to this tough, badass character. Overall, the entire cast did a great job portaying the characters in the drama.

Music: I personally didn’t love love the OSTs (original soundtracks), but I think they fit in well with the scenes that they were featured in. I really liked the opening BGM and also the duet called Zhao Yao (招摇) sung by Chen Chu Sheng and Hu Sha Sha, which gave me some nostalgic vibes.

Rewatch value: I’d rewatch it as many times as I could, since it’s one of those rare dramas that makes you want to come back every once in a while to get a good retouch of the storyline.

I do think that the transitions between episodes in the DVD version is much better than the TV version because it just makes much more sense. The DVD version also provides clearer cuts, compared to the TV version. The ending, although was very rushed, is actually a happy ending. I thought the scene with the kids in the end was unnecessary since they had to use some of the old footage of Zhao Yao and Mo Qing’s scene in the beginning to satisfy us viewers (which didn’t actually do me any good). I would’ve preferred the drama to end with the scene prior to the kids’ scene, where our main couple was walking hand-in-hand on the streets, but that’s just my opinion. In conclusion, I would really recommend this drama to anyone who likes strong acting, a great storyline or even if you’re just looking for a refreshing, strong female lead.