With Lost You Forever Part 1 ending its 39-episode run this week, it’s time for the gradual decompression as a fan who loved the drama adaptation to take account of the good and the bad. That post will come but this one is solely about a standard public matrix of C-drama viewer judgment. The Douban ratings are out and LYF started off with a solid 7.6, as a direct comparison the Douban ratings for same time airing The Legend of Anle opened with 5.9. Both are better than the abysmal 3.2 of Fireworks of My Heart and the surprisingly still low 5.6 of Till the End of the Moon, while modern cute romance Hidden Love is currently at 6.7. The Longest Promise ended a month ago but Douban ratings are still not available reportedly due to the excessive water army versus crazed fandom vote manipulation either way. And going back to past super popular xianxia dramas, Love Between Fairy and Devil has an impressive high 8,2, Love and Redemption sits at 7.4, Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles Peach Blossoms has 6.7, The Blue Whisper has 5.6, and Ashes of Love has 7.8.
Will be waiting for your review of the drama!!
This drama deserves more than 8 points. Probably bcuz i love this adaptation more than other dramas above.
Honestly, i had so many doubts about the cast before watching it… but later, i thanked the PD for casting Tan Jianci and Yang Zi. Their acting and chemistry are the best.
Hope to see them in another drama!!!
LYF deserves a slightly better score but it got blighted between episodes 18-30 (the coronation to the coma), I expected it because in the book I got bored and started skipping parts once she got crowned too. The drama also filmed a lot of key scenes very shoddily like they didn’t have a budget
– the underwater kiss scene between XL and XY (why is the CGI background so cheap looking versus LBFAD which looked beautiful?)
– the female Xiangliu boat scene they added was cool but the CGI again looked cheap
– the coronation and Jing’s investiture (it just looks so small scale)
– Xiaoyao’s assassination and the fire (think of Epidode 9 in LBFAD where the Orchid was strung up, that was so much more tense than LYF)
– Xiangliu and CangXuan’s fight, the collapse of the palace Cangxuan repaired (not grand enough)
– OST isn’t classic enough unlike Ashes of Love, LBFAD, Chinese Paladin, they cheaped out on the title track and Tong Hua’s lyrics are not great…
Overall the acting is great and all the characters are fleshed out well even side roles like Left Ear, Lao Mu, Tushan Hou, Fangfeng Yiying. The directors weren’t great at making big scenes bombastic and impressive, but they are great at coaching acting in emo scenes considering Dengwei actually shows improvement in LYF. I really hope they redo the CGI in part 2 considering how much money Tencent earned from this.
I agree that the side characters have been done really well. Coolest guy in the show is grandpa emperor, he’s the only one I focus on whenever he’s on screen and I cried so much just for that one very short scene where he spent new year’s dinner alone but with a table setting for 2.
Love you comment!!!
Love to read your review!
Mine in brief as follows(note some ep I fast forwarded):
-Music in LYF could be much better. Many parts where music could have provoked more wows or emotions didn’t quite achieve that. In ten miles of peach blossoms, they greatly did. So perhaps producer’s weakness perhaps?
-I felt some scenes/acts tried to look funny or convey humour but that didn’t sit well n not fitting
-felt drama rushed the story abit perhaps due to cutting ep. Especially – As big fan of XL/XY, their scenes together felt didn’t convey as strongly as should be in novel. V disappointed there.
-YZ has natural beauty. But Some scenes she was being caked up like a doll
-in short- great novel story but if the story is being produced/directed by the producer/director of ten miles, it could have be better. Am not into movie making so don’t know the wordings
I agree with the music comment: the music score was underwhelming, worse dramas have better music. I only liked the few notes playing during some emotional scenes between XL and XY.
Overall, the CG was ok, some background were very fake, others were decent enough.
The best thing in the drama was XL’s actor, his sparkling eyes were so moving and captivating.
Considering I had zero expectations from the drama, it turned better than I expected but there was much potential wasted.
Can somebody tell me the ending? Is it like open ending or cliff hanger? I’m just considering my option whether to watch or wait for Part 2.
It’s a happy ending as long as you keep your mindset open about all 3 MLs. XY ends up with one of them and get their happily ever after.
Thank you 🙂
Mysterious Lotus Casebook opening score is 8.0 which is very impressive too. Great drama, IMO. Watched it and love it a lot.
Definitely. I’m so proud of the cast and the passion they put into that drama. Everyone killed their role, and it was fast paced but immersive enough to make you keep watching. It’s my introduction to Cheng Yi and HOLY COW did he make an impression. That man can act!
7.6 is a good score. Love like a galaxy is at 7.6 too. Din noe Ashes of Love score really stand the test of time with 7.8.
My 2cents-the acting was on point. All the main leads really nailed it when it came to showing emotions, I think I am a new fan of Zhang wanyi. The directing was pretty good too, keeping the story flowing smoothly, there were boring moments but minimal. Cinematography had its ups and downs. Some scenes were legit gorgeous, but others looked a bit fake, the special effects were okay for my taste, but the palace collapses were so cheesy, like in 80’. Budget problem maybe. Overall, it’s a solid drama with great acting and direction. I’d say it’s an 8 out of 10 stars
Joke of the summer drama. Tencent spent hundreds of millions of yuan to try to make it a hit with various bought hot searches, views water injections, Douyin water injections etc. The leeched data on Weibo alone has got pretty much everyone else pissed off. It’s easier to ask who they didn’t use to leech, than the other way around.
Got to thank them for the comedy.