I need to thank dramas for making it clear for me whether I am totally in love or in hate with the cast or preview because then it’s easier to dive in fully or avoid completely. Xianxia C-drama Moonlight Mystique was already on my meh list despite liking female lead Bai Lu I find male lead Ao Rui Peng’s face totally off-putting that I like cannot watch him onscreen. Sorry not sorry, he may be objectively still good looking but his looks are so not my thing. Then came the first stills that made the drama from costume to hair to backdrop look like a elven rager held in Willy Wonka’s factory exploded into a mashup. The drama wrap filming last week and the production released the first teaser and I watched it with my mouth wide open and when it ended I chuckled thanking the production for making it so easy for me to skip this drama with a ten foot pole. The teaser is tonally all over the place and I just can’t take any of the characters seriously with how ridiculously overwrought everything looks.
Teaser for Moonlight Mystique:
Although xianxia is not really my thing, I will check this out out of love for Bai Lu. I haven’t watched the ML in anything, but judging from the trailer, visually+ acting-wise it seems as if the producers wanted Dylan Wang but couldn’t get him.
That’s hilarious because at some angles, I thought ARP looked like Dylan Wang from what I’ve seen from the trailer.
I also think so.
I agree with you Koala so much almost word to word.
But I disagree with Ao Rui Peng’s not being attractive. I do think he can be quite charming.
I add something from my side. I do not like Bai Lu’s acting at all.
I actually thought the trailer was interesting enough to let me check out the show when it airs
The ML is a no go for me. I love Bai Lu but not that much.
The trailer looked okay, seems like a comedy. I’m very iffy about Bailu, but I have a soft spot for Ao Rui Peng and he doesn’t look half-bad here (at least compared to Wrong Groom, Right Marriage.)
But I’m very much a comedy-drama kinda girl, so I will check it out.
🤣🤣 This drama does look quite funny. I may actually watch it…
@Coralie, you know what I miss??? I good Wuxia drama… I really wish we can watch HK producing new Wuxia dramas like how they are famous for. One without extensive CGI. My first Wuxia drama was Chu Liu Xiang…then the rest came.
@HL I didn’t watch all the versions of CLX, but I think my first glimpse of CLX starred Michael Miu. And then I watched the one from Richie Ren. The story overall was very bizarre and weird lol.
But yes, a lot of moves these days use creative videography, angles and CGI to make up the bulk of all fight scenes. There used to be really amazing movies with wuxia/hand-to-hand combat that I loved, but just learning those moves is time consuming and expensive, so I understand why there’s less of these.
Did you watch Mysterious Case Lotus book? I think most ppl consider that the closest to wuxia lately
@Coralie, Mine was Adam Cheng 鄭少秋. My parents were be away in the day on Fridays. And I will sneak to watch the drama
Yes, I watched and enjoyed Mysterious Case Lotus. I too feel it could be class as Wuxia. But I want more good fight scenes.
Xianxia looks persistently hopeless. Circus show! This one looks no exception at all. Bai Lu continues her bland acting with never-changing facial expressions. And the ML, sorry not even a factor per some of his dramas either as a ML or a supporting role.
I’m following a hit Netflix Kdrama, Alchemy of Soul Season I. I had no idea AoS (I) is like a Korean version of Xianxia but at a whole level upgraded both artistically and plot-wise. I had no idea an Asian fantasy historical drama could be so exciting to watch. I always considered fantasy was dominantly the turf of Hollywood due to CGI involved. But dang Kdrama writers can write very competitively interesting stories. With financial support from big streaming companies like Netflix and Disney+, Korean historical fantasy dramas become exciting and must-watch experience for fans of fantasy genre.
Given that Asian fantasy originated in China long ago from Chinese literature, Xianxia is supposed to be a mature genre in filming industry to have a very promising market. But look at how banal Xianxia plots have been getting!!!! Cheesy and crappy production doesn’t help anything. This looks so hopeless. C-ent should stop mass production of cheap Xianxia one drama after another, like those easily broken crappy made-in-China on Walmart shelves. Instead, they should concentrate limited capital to invest in just a few Xianxia a year and enhance the overall quality of production. One good memorable Xianxia drama may even multiply profits for years and could also expand the C drama market globally. The current approaches to production are very short-sighted and will definitely drive away more and more viewers. Either you should have interesting stories to tell or production is up to par. Xianxia hasn’t be able to meet either condition. I don’t take Xianxia seriously anymore. My positive impression of Xianxia stopped at The Untamed.
@Somebody, I really enjoyed Alchemy of Souls. But did not watch season 2 when they replaced Jung So-min. There are rumours that states she was played out by producers…but I doubt it is true. It is likely due to her changing agency and losing the role. I really really miss good Wuxia drama… I miss the days i can watch real fighting scenes and not Bad CGI created dramas and fake fight scenes. Leading stars are just too expensive to really get hurt…thus it is all so unreal.
Aw, I plan to watch season II though. But let me finish season I first. I’m still at the first few eps and really like it.
C-ent has been producing TOO MANY crappy dramas. As I said, they should limit number of production to invest more on each drama. That being said, I once read rumors on Weibo that corruption is widespread in Cdrama production. Investors’ money might not have been used properly and that’s why production quality went south.
I’ll check it out but by no mean is the trailer a motivation.
I have not had a good tv drama binge for a long time. So after my decade of watching k-dramas I’ve started to get bored with the usual zombie/-themed or orphan-turned-millionaire genre of South Korean fare and decided to watch C-dramas which was not a bad decision. Mainland China is not only rising in the East as an economic powerhouse, but its tv drama actors are also doing the same! BRAVO for C-Dramas!
hmm???he’s so handsome tho? not trying to pick my own groom so will definitely watch this
I think BaiLu does great in comedy roles, and all other roles except the latest with Dylan Wang. The whole series was too much and not enough. I’m not a fan of the ML in Moonlight Mystique, but hopefully his acting has improved. I try not to hold on to past performances. Actors change over time or we just quit seeing them act. Wang and Huo are two that have improved most.
Bai Lu’s acting is starting to look the same in all her dramas. Which is a pity since I used to think she’s a great actress with potential back in 2019 when I finished all her dramas that year. Ao Ruipeng is handsome, but not charismatic enough. Will still give this drama a chance when it releases though, but I don’t have high hopes, since it looks just like a typical xianxia.
I like both actors, so I’m definitely going to check this out. Another drama on my list!
Bai lu seems to getting dull in her acting. I love her so much in arsena Military academy and love is sweet. She was so good then. What’s wrong with her. She should do acting skill training.
If you are stuck in these dull dramas, with people who are at best only decent and usually not even that, at some point, you lose motivation as an actor.
Bai Lu had a really short role in Ace Troops but she knocked it out for the park. People still mention those very few scenes and they left a lasting impression on viewers. But she had a great actor with her there, good material and they both soared.
Her agency is the real issue here. She needs better projects. There is quality out there, even if it means she isn’t filming so frequently. But with who is managing her, it seems unlikely. Shame.
@Rosie @Shrug, I find her too busy…she is everywhere now. I bet if she can sing, she will be in singing programs too. I feel I see her on telly more then I see my husband…
She has no time to really home her skills further. It is just taking on a project, doing a job and moving on to next… And she is also in Keep Running.
I bet after she ends her contract with Yu Zheng, she might be able to plan her next direction. But only if that is what she wants.
@HL
The problem with that is that by the time she manages to claw her way out from Yu Zheng, what will be left? She isn’t acting in any serious productions, her skills are stagnating and how much capital, in terms of reputation, will she even have to try and make a turn around to serious acting.
I feel very sorry because I think she is genuinely talented and unfortunately, I feel like she has a really tough road ahead if she aims to keep acting long into the future.
@Shrug, I still recall her facial expression showing her obsession with XZ’s character at the train station in Ace Troops, so vivid that as you said, she did leave a marked impression on me back then. I actually liked her way better than the FL of AT. I don’t dislike her. But her overexposure last year with so many mehhhhh dramas really gets her very stale. I don’t anticipate her dramas anymore. I used to check her dramas at least.
I’m looking fwd to it! I like both of the ML’s & their previous work. Like us all, there’s areas of opportunities. Keep in mind, they’re young & they’re cultivating their craft with every performance. Some of your comments are unnecessarily harsh. Grant a little grace for goodness sake.