I was really enjoying this show at the start and thought that although not the best show I've ever seen, it certainly wasn't as bad as people were suggesting. I briefly wondered if perhaps the bad reviews I'd seen were just a product of the internet being too harsh as usual, but once Legend of Chong Zi hits the second act ... oh do all the problems start showing themselves clearly.

The story ping pongs back and forth so much that it becomes exhausting along the way as to what the characters are doing or thinking, and honestly apart from a very select few most of the characters are so cruel and stupid in their decision-making to the point that it’s frustrating to watch, and doesn’t really add much to the already weakened plot. One moment Chong Zi is in love and wants to be an Immortal, the next she's feeling (rightfully) betrayed, and wants to use her demonic power to fix things her way. Then an episode later, she's in love and wants to ignore her demonic heritage -- the cycle continues like that throughout the show all the way until the end.

The main pairing feels weirdly forced throughout the story (although I think this problem partly has more to do with scene cuts and censorship, as I heard it got chopped around a lot due to the nature of the master/pupil relationship) and the number of people that are involved in whatever love hexagon? pentagon? that's created is something else.

No, really. It feels like so many people are either in love with the main female lead, or are in love with the main male lead. And it's not in a way that feels fleshed out and developed either.

Things I really did enjoy whilst watching however include the gorgeous graphics on the set designs, as well as the beautiful costumes. Both Qin Ke and Wang Yue are really interesting characters, although both deserved to be fleshed out far more. I also enjoyed the side stories of the other couples that were shown too and felt that those were far more interesting than whatever the main couple had going on.