Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022)

All the Feels

It seems so simple. Create nuanced characters that don’t slot neatly into standard role types. Give them time to build relationships. Make their choices hard. And yet, it’s rare to see shows do these things, and even rarer when one does them well. And, holy mother of demons and deities, does Love Between Fairy and Devil do them well. It understands that a show about emotions works best if it can make the audience feel every single one of them, and it uses carefully crafted storytelling and skilled directing to ensure just that. Whether it’s a moment of laugh-out-loud humor, sexy skinship, or heartrending grief, this team ensures that it lands, and lands hard. It’s a good old-fashioned melodrama in the best sense – one that recognizes that what we feel is the defining fact of who we are.

The show may be a fantasy, but when it comes to matters of the heart, it gives its characters no magic ways to fix things. Love is not instant, trauma lingers, and all loyalties cannot be honored equally. The cast’s skill levels vary, some of the visuals can be alarming, and the female lead makes a strong case for voice dubbing, but the show gets things right when it counts. While it may cop out ever so slightly in the final seconds, it argues that our real power comes not from what we cling to but from what we’re willing to sacrifice, and that while love may not conquer all, no conquest is worth a thing without it.

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The Fatal Flaw: a weak characterization of the female lead

With eagerness and anticipation, I approached this drama, drawn in by the allure of an antagonistic lead character. The male lead's acting prowess and striking features were truly remarkable. However, my excitement was soon dampened by the female lead's portrayal, which proved disappointing despite her beauty and acceptable performance.

Throughout the drama, the female lead consistently exhibited weakness and made ill-advised decisions, undermining the believability of the storyline. One such decision that still gnaws at me to this day was when she recklessly discarded the bracelet that was shielding her from harm, even though her own people were out to kill her. Another was her choice to consider marrying the second male lead, an action that ultimately did not come to fruition. While I comprehend her thought process, I cannot help but feel that she would have made a wiser decision had she taken the time to devise a plan. This frustration was compounded by her tendency to act impulsively without first thinking things through.

Additionally, the male lead could have benefited from taking more time to consider alternative solutions instead of playing the role of a white knight. A particularly irksome scene occurs when he fails to explain to the female lead why they cannot be together before her first death, leaving her confused and heartbroken.

While not all characters need to be strong and capable, pairing a meek and timid female lead with a powerful antagonist risks presenting a stereotypical representation. Though similar portrayals have been tolerable in other dramas such as "Ashes of Love," this particular one pushed the limits for me. While the female lead undergoes some character growth in later episodes, her decision-making still lacks logical reasoning. The pair could have also worked on their communication skills to prevent a significant portion of the problems they faced.

Another element that dampened my enjoyment of the drama was the male lead's loss of charm as the series progressed. While still a compelling antagonist, he loses some of the qualities that made him an intriguing character. In contrast, characters such as Yan Wushi in "Thousand Autumns" remain true to their "evilness" until the end, making them a favorite of mine.

Finally, the repeated deaths of the main characters was a source of frustration. As in the series "Supernatural," there comes a point when one simply wishes for them to remain deceased.

Despite these shortcomings, the drama does have some redeeming qualities. The male lead's commanding presence and impressive acting abilities compensated for some of the drama's deficiencies. The series also features several memorable scenes, such as the male lead's displays of power and his unwavering devotion to the female lead. The rescue scene in episode 11 stands out, with its impeccable cinematography, tension, and visuals.

Another unforgettable moment was when the male lead, shattered by one of the female lead's death, withdrew into a dream-like state, conveying his love, desperation, and longing in a tragically beautiful way. If the drama had concluded at that point, it would have become one of my all-time favorites, despite my aversion to tragic endings. In that moment, I did not miss the female lead at all, making it a tragically beautiful happy ending for me.

Although I did not love the pairing in the drama, I found their interactions in behind-the-scenes videos to be charming and endearing, deepening my appreciation for their friendship.

In summary, while the drama is not without flaws, it is still worth watching for those who can overlook the frustrating portrayal of the female lead. The male lead's commendable performance and the drama's memorable scenes make it a compelling watch. However, the female lead's weak character and questionable decision-making may detract from overall enjoyment.


"Great acting can make a poorly written character somewhat tolerable, but no amount of great acting can make a poorly written character great." - Dan Harmon

This quote is sadly true in this case.

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10/10 for a xianxia drama ??? what????

OH MY GOD IT HAS BEEN A RIDE!!!!! If you had ever told pre lbfad me that i'd rate a fucking xianxia a 10/10 i'd laugh. I could never seem to get through even one so I had pretty low expectations starting this. AND NOW IM OBSESSED AND GOING THRU WITHDRAWAL 😭 Anyways if you are looking for an epic love story that'll make you laugh, cry, throw whatever device your watching it on, and laugh some more (+therapy) this is THE ONE to watch!!! I just can't believe it's over like dongfang qingcang and orchid are my parents :( now on to the actual review:

Initially what attracted me to the drama besides the beautiful leads who managed to stun me with their acting (I'll get into that later tho) and the body swap trope. I thought it would be a "silly goofy romcom" and many xianxias don't present themselves like that (going for epic love story, angst, love, palace politics...blah blah in the trailer) and that for me is a turn off because i simply do not care. But as soon as I started lbfad it stunned me with it's beautiful CGI THAT ISN'T OVERDONE. But the humor is just so good because imagine the most powerful demon of the three realms finally out into the world after being jailed up for 30,000 years and immediately being stuck in a low ranked fairy's body. Esther Yu conveyed that so well. Additionally imagine being a fairy who just wanted to save a casual crush and ended up freeing a demon lord but not knowing it.
It was so funny seeing how inconvenient it is for the both of them. then the show adjusts to a more mature theme which fits so wonderfully well, and it never loses it's main message about how nothing can go against fate, except love.
It's not the most original idea especially in dramas but it executes it SO WELL . this show takes an age-old question, "how important really is love?" and tells a gutwrenching and watertight story with it. the writing is impeccable. scriptwriters understand what makes good comedy, and that so much comedy comes from pain, Something your laughing over in the earlier episodes will turn its back on you and stab you with emotion and pain.
Yes It does have the miscommunication trope but communicating WOULD NOT solve the problem the leads face with their love. In fact it would've made it worse, so we the audience have to suffer along. You DON'T KNOW WHO LOVES THE OTHER MORE because of the sacrifices they make for each other.
Some people may not like the FL in the beginning but keep in mind theirs a reason she acts like that and once you get to that point you'll be begging her to go back to her past self. Not gonna elaborate too much bc spoilers.
The MLs development is absolutely heartbreaking because he goes through so much and we see a loss of power as the show progresses which is quite different from the usual trope of "started from the bottom now we at the top" ABSOLUTELY GENIUS WRITING ABSOLUTELY GENIUS . The side characters are fully fleshed out and not just cardboard cutouts each character is fully recognized and make layered and oftentimes painful choices of their own!

Okay now lets talk about the leads! DYLAN WANG HEDI AND ESTHER YU SHUXIN THANK YOU FOR BRINGING MY DFQC AND XLH TO LIFE! They both look so good together and have the best chemistry (cue all the behind videos)! I just can go on and on about how amazing they were AND WE NEED ANOTHER DRAMA WITH THEM
i think why it works so well it because their 'YinYang' acting and their character personalities shuxin in more subtle acting while Dylan in intense acting. You can’t see that they overpower each other. They both highlight each other, and I think that’s also the reason why their chemistry works.
Dylan Wang Hedi his acting man it was just too good! I was familiar with him from MG, and that's also why I underestimated him based on his past performance. He does his comedic scenes so WELL (XLH in DFQC's body) and he fleshes out his emotions so WELL when we first meet him we really see how inconvenient this curse that spellbounds our leads together is an inconvenience for him . Him at his peak of badassery was SO GOOD LIKE STEP ON ME PLS, then we see how his character develops as he falls in love and how they can't be together and let me just say he's a great cryer. He had way more emotionally intense scenes than Esther Yu Shuxin because the story does focus on how love affects him and how that's not always good, but WOW he needs to bag ALL THE AWARDS BECAUSE HE'S SO GOOD.
Esther Yu Shuxin is just made for her role too! When you get through some of Dylan's emotionally intense scenes her acting might seem a little more subtle, but she was right on par with Dylans acting. She played Xiao lanhua with such sass and sunshine it was great! XLH is truly the core of the story and you can really see how much she cares about DFQC. Normally I dislike bubbly and childish FLs and XLH especially at the beginning IS JUST THAT! But she's also very smart and clever also as her character develops into more of a mature lady you'll be begging her to return to her original bubbly self! I know a lot of people don't want to press play just because of her voice, but it's Shuxins actual voice and it fits Xiao LanHua very very well + she's very young compared to the other characters in the show so it's only natural she has a high pitched voice and yes it might seem unusual at first but it grows on you very quickly! She definitely needs awards too.

The OSTs man i've never gotten PTSD from one but once the beginning notes of "Farewell love" start playing I started bawling. They just add so much emotion to the already emotional scenes. I hope they release all of them, because the (siren melodies were so good)

Anyways this review is way to long now so I'd like to end it with saying that Love between fairy and devil is a love story at it's purest form. It's a fairytale. it's about making your choice and facing the consequences and being able to because of love. Love that presents itself in a familial way in a romantic way in a way with friendship. it's about how love can be your demise but also be your savior. Watch this show even if you don't like xianxias because it's so differently orchestrated it really is a breath of fresh air!
LBFAD imo is the peak of xianxia the peak of romance the peak of star crossed lovers the peak of forbidden love

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Love between one trope and another trope (but with some nice scenery).

Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this was a “liked”.

What I liked:
I usually do not watch ‘soul switch’ dramas—just don’t like the concept in the same way I typically do not like ‘time travel’ dramas (“Lost love in times” excepted), but I gave this one a shot. If they had done more with the concept, I think I would have liked it a lot more since it was an out-of-the-box way to do both soul-switching and xianxia. Dylan Wang is developing some serious acting chops and did a really good job portraying two different personalities (the only thing they did not do a great job of was playing each other—in that it was clear they were able to play different people, but they should have paid more attention to how they played the roles and then imitated that more). He also did a good job of portraying someone increasingly experience emotions. I also liked the fact that the set and costume designers went a little bit more outside the box than usual. Design was very cohesive in the different settings.

What I did not like so much:
Okay, I’m done with the stoic, emotionally unavailable, brilliant male vs bright & bubbly but dumb female trope. Can’t we think of something else? It’s such an unhealthy way to portray relationships. For example, at one point when FL was reminiscing about her burgeoning love for ML, it included a scene when he called her stupid or foolish. *slaps forehead* And the whole “she’s mine!” nonsense. *sigh* I’m also tired of male leads and female leads sacrificing themselves for the greater good or each other while lying through their teeth to the love of their life about it. And resurrection at the end… *snore*. I get that that there are only so many ways to write a drama, but one of the things that makes a drama great is when it can be impressive all without using tropes (though, to be fair, it is also risky since tropes are comforting and often watchers are displeased when they’re discomfited). Plus, when it’s a xianxia or xuanyuan, you get so much more freedom to play around! There’s no excuse to get all tropey on us! :)

Watch it if you like xianxia & to see DW growing as an actor and for some neat costumes and scenery. Just don't expect a masterpiece.

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Cutest Dark Lord Ever, Amazing Intense Love

Love Between Fairy and Devil has probably given the viewers the cutest and most desirable Dark Lord of the three realms, not to mention a gorgeous God of War of the Heavenly clan as well. Between them, a love triangle ensues. The vivacious little orchid fairy who is kind and optimistic, living with the Heavenly clan, chooses the Dark Lord instead, a love that is forbidden, almost like a Romeo and Juliet romance. Within the first episode, I fall immediately in love with the story, the characters and the acting.

He wants to protect her with all the power he has; she wants to be treated as equal, sharing joy and pain with him. What follows is a beautiful love story of a ruthless dark lord with a gentle and loving fairy who eventually melts the heart of the devil who has no emotions.

This drama is adapted from the novel "Cang Lan Jue" which was also made into an anime. According to many readers, the drama version is more enjoyable and the Dong Fang Qing Cang character is better written and developed. For me, I'm totally sold by this character. Here we have a Dark Lord that tries to save and protect his people, a heavenly realm that swears to kill all those it considers as evil, and a a fairy who heals and wants peace for all realms.

Void of feelings, the Dark Lord Dong Fang Qing Cang (played by Wang Hedi aka Dylan Wang) is such an amazing character. Being the strongest and most powerful of all the characters with his deadly hell fire, he is overbearing and atrocious. Wang Hedi’s acting is so good and convincing here. He has the rare charisma of being cold and authoritative, but not being stiff like a robot that is usually portrayed by many other actors. His facial expression is simply amazing with a hint of evilness (妖气) and yet at times, viewers can feel his resignation and turmoil within. The actor is very good looking. He can look very serious and arrogant, with large eyes that can look devilish, so he looks very frightening when Dong Fang Qing Cang is in a rage. But at a flip of the switch, he can look totally silly and harmless like a hush puppy. At only 23, Wang Hedi's acting is very mature. I really love his portrayal of the Dong Fang Qing Cang character and he has aced his role hands down; no others can match him. Together with an incredible CGI team, the result is a perfect Dark Lord that everyone fears and loves. I don't have enough of his scenes and for once, I wish the drama had been longer.

Xiao Lan Hua, literally means Little Orchid, played by Yu Shuxin, is equally believable. Yu Shuxin has a very girly, pure and innocent look, and with her ethereal beauty, she is perfect for the role as a little fairy. Her acting is natural and convincing, but when it comes to becoming the Dark Lord as he possesses her body, she is lacking a bit; she looks more like a half-sleep dream walker. Luckily there are not that many of such scenes and she hasn't brought the story down. Xiao Lan Hua later transforms into a goddess who has a totally different personality, and Yu Shuxin manages that role very well; she is very convincing. Many viewers also commented on her voice which she self-dubbed. I find her voice suits the role very well as a little girl who is so pure and innocent.

This drama also gives us a gorgeous second male lead, Chang Heng played by Zhang Linghe. The actor made his debut in 2020 in Maiden Holmes and has since made several well-rated dramas. As with Wang Hedi, Zhang Linghe also plays two characters in this drama: the cold, aloof ethereal God of War, Chang Heng, and the warm and flamboyant human character, Xiao Run. Both roles are being executed convincingly and flawlessly.

Everything about this drama is well thought out for most parts – the script writing, the directing, the camera work, the CGI, the costumes, and most of all, the selection of actors and their respective acting. The storytelling is cohesive and intelligent, and the costumes are so well designed that by themselves, tell the story of our characters visually. The dialogues are funny and cute especially those that uttered by the Dark Lord. The music is beautiful, in particular, the instrumental tune blown by the grey character Ron Hao (played by Xu Haiqiao) on the flute. The music brings out the melancholy and yearning for a loved one, with a love story that is sad and beautiful. The plot is easy to understand, and yet, there are twists and turns that sit the viewers up. I really love the conceptual architecture of Xiao Lan Hua's abode which is surreal and aesthetic.

Re-watch? Absolutely! I would never have enough of Wang Hedi's scenes here. The story is dark and serious, and yet it is also tear-jerking and full of humors and very funny. It captures the viewers' hearts and emotions. After the final showdown and climax, the ending seems a bit lackluster and disappointing. Proper justice has not been done for Dong Fang Qing Cang to vindicate him from some of the killings he hasn't done, and another character escapes with impunity. As with most Chinese dramas, the writing of the final two episodes weakens with a lack of imagination, and is not as compelling as the beginning. I wish the production team had been more creative with the final scene, instead of a mere banal line of, "I'm back". Nonetheless, it hasn't reduced my enjoyment. Overall, this is a great watch and strongly recommended. MUST WATCH!

TWO THUMBS UP! BRAVO!

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Must watch of 2022

OMG. The show that catapulted my obsession to Cdrama. Where do I begin. I absolutely LOVED every aspect of the show, from CGI graphics, the actors, the OST, character development... im obsessed. Esther Yu and Dylan Wang are just amazing young professionals who performed like a couple of veterans. The movements, expressions and gazes of Dongfang Qingcang were just spot on and took the drama to the next level. He must have improved a lot as many netizens had complained about his acting in previous dramas. The chemistry between esther and dylan was off the charts, and i really enjoyed watching the double dates with supporting leads too. Its another emotional rollercoaster and the script has you caught in the middle between love and service of the greater good. Absolute classic xianxia, best of 2022.

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My first cdrama and my introduction to Dylan Wang!

I found this on Netflix when I was bored over the holiday season. The picture and the trailer of Dylan Wang acting cold, brooding, and demanding along with his outfit and powers had me intrigued. It took only one episode and I was hooked.

As many people covered, this is a fairytale about sacrifice, redemption, and love. You meet our main character, Orchid, who is portrayed as a kind, naive fairy who takes care of fate leaves. Alone, she tends to her garden and thinks about her master who had been banished / punished for a crime she committed (falling in love with someone she shouldn't have). She has a secret of her own - she has fallen in love with a god of war who appears to not care much for her. The god of war is charged with the important task of re-sealing the prison to a mysterious demon king. He was sent into the prison 1,000 years earlier due to a war that left both armies - his and the gods - frozen in stasis. Orchid follows her crush and sacrifices herself in attempt to protect him from falling into the prison. There, she meets the demon king and awakens him with a kiss. ... which causes problems for them and begins the story of their hatred, to friendship, and finally love.

There is a reason why this show has rocketed up in popularity - it is so damn good! They spent 3 - 4 years making sure this project was perfect. It is also said that the FL's father backed this with his money as well. The costumes, CGI, down to the score shows that this is more than just a TV show - this is a phenomenon. The costumes are top notch - gorgeous - from the fantasy world, to the darkness of the Moon Kingdom, to the mortal world. The actors are perfectly cast - from the gods, to the friends, to the leads themselves. Dylan's ability to act with such coldness at first and his thawing due to the kindness shown by Orchid is what sold me on being fan of his, but also what made DFQC work. I think to this day no one else could play him like he did. Same with Esther as Orchid. She plays three different versions of herself - fairy, bodyswapped DFQC, and her final form in the last five episodes (which I won't spoil).

The music is also gorgeous - the opening song, the two various end songs used, and various other songs that pop up here and there through the show. The entire album has become a repeat, and I love finding the actors and the original artists singing the songs live here and there.

Overall, it has a mixture of everything - mystery, comedy, romance, action. Many people who don't finish the show complain because of the main character's voice. While her voice was shocking at first, you get used to it and find it perfectly suited for the character. The fact that Esther could transform her voice into three distinct styles is amazing and worth the pay off if you make it through the show to hear all three.

There is a happy ending, but prepare to shed some tears.

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I definitely have many opinions about this drama

There are certain dramas that seem to be a simple must watch. Usually it’s that drama that everyone talks about in a good light, is portrayed as one of the best of the genre and is just, overall, surrounded by a lot of praise. LBFAD has emerged as one such drama in the xianxia genre. Despite being released less than a year ago, it has generated so much buzz and discussion that it almost feels like a classic.

However, upon watching the trailer, I found myself doubting whether I would enjoy it. The first thing that greatly bothered me was the FL. In less than two minutes, the trailer gave me the impression that her attitude was annoying and excessively childish for my taste. Regrettably, my fears were confirmed when I began watching the drama. The FL, Xiao Lanhua, proved to be excessively childish, which was just the tip of the iceberg regarding the numerous issues I had with her character. This happens to be my primary criticism of the drama, so let's start with that.

First and foremost, Xiao Lanhua is not your typical innocent xianxia FL. She is actually stupid. Throughout a significant portion of the drama, she seems to lack any coherent thought process, only to suddenly have moments of brilliance where she makes discoveries that eluded everyone else. These moments feel contrived and overly convenient for the plot, making it hard to believe that she is genuinely intelligent, considering her usual behavior. Even when given simple instructions (I'm looking at you, body-swapping arc), she fails miserably to follow them, no matter how critical the situation.

Xiao Lanhua's actions lack forethought, and even when she does think, she struggles to form rational ideas. And don't even get me started on her gaslighting everyone during the mortal realm arc into a wrong interpretation of Xie Wanqing's book of life (which, by the way, might win the prize for the dumbest moment contest, given that she managed to convince three other characters to be equally foolish).

Towards the end, her character does become more intelligent, and I was actually enjoying her development when she returned from the mortal realm. Unfortunately, it was abruptly rushed in the final few episodes with the introduction of the goddess plot. While I understand what they were trying to achieve, I didn't think it was executed in the best possible manner.

Moving on from the FL, the side characters were a mixed bag for me. Some I liked, while others I strongly disliked. Changheng, for instance, is a classic case of "I swear, bro, just believe me." He is the god of war, said to be the only one capable of potentially defeating Dongfang Qingcang in battle. However, we never actually witness this immense power. In fact, I don't think he wins a single battle throughout the 36 episodes of this drama.

Shangque, although endearing, is incredibly foolish (putting up a tough competition against Xiao Lanhua in that regard). What frustrated me the most about his character is that he is a dragon, a legendary creature, but his strength is never adequately showcased. He only has a couple of dragon scenes in the first few episodes, and that's it.

Jieli, when initially introduced, was highly unlikable. To be completely honest, I never grew to like her; I simply became accustomed to her presence and gained a better understanding of her character.

Together, Jieli and Shangque formed a disastrous side couple. I am someone who generally dislikes side couples since they often seem unnecessary and take up too much screen time, but, oh boy, do Jieli and Shangque get the prize for this one. Their scenes were unbearable, to the point where I found myself skipping a significant portion of them, particularly towards the end when I had become thoroughly fed up. Overall, the romance was dull and difficult to watch.

These were not the only scenes I skipped. The final few episodes had certain scenes that were excessively long, particularly the battle between the fairies and the moon tribe. The scenes from the moment Xunfeng brought Xiao Lanhua to Chidi’s sword until the resolution of that ordeal could have been significantly shorter.

As for the OST, it didn't particularly stand out. The songs complemented the scenes adequately, but I didn't love any of them. They were merely okay.

I realize that it may seem like I only have criticisms to offer. However, there were aspects of this drama that I genuinely enjoyed. First, it’s safe to say that LBFAD is addictive. It is probably the fastest I’ve ever watched c-drama, providing immense entertainment value.

The romance in the drama was well-executed. Despite Xiao Lanhua's numerous flaws, she had great chemistry with Dongfang Qingcang. Watching their relationship develop was a pleasure, and it definitely stood out as the highlight of this drama. I couldn't help but smirk at the "I can change him" plotline, because it actually worked (one of those things that only happen in fantasy fiction).

Wang Hedi's acting was superb. His portrayal of Dongfang Qingcang was on point, capturing the different stages of his character's transformation, from the initially cold and emotionless man to the deeply enamored one in the end (the last few episodes got him acting like rent was DUE). Even his portrayal of Xiao Lanhua was commendable. On the other hand, Yu Shuxin failed to leave a lasting impression. Her character was annoying, and I'm uncertain whether it was solely a writing problem or if her acting also contributed to it. Nevertheless, she did a decent job overall, considering the circumstances.

The main conflict of the drama was solid. There was a primary antagonist, as well as a more powerful and malevolent antagonist. While this wasn't particularly groundbreaking or innovative, it was executed well.

Danyin was a pleasant surprise. When I first encountered her character, I was scared for my LIFE, expecting her to be annoying and obstructive to the story. However, she turned out to be the complete opposite, and I was happily surprised by her character arc. Additionally, her storyline with Jieli towards the end was intriguing, albeit rushed.

Xunfeng and Dongfang Qingcang were fortunate enough to receive the best character developments in this drama. The arc involving their father, Dongfang Qingcang's realization of the truth, and Xunfeng's growing understanding of his older brother were introduced and resolved masterfully, tied up neatly with a shiny red ribbon.

Overall, LBFAD is a solid drama. It possesses a well-defined beginning, middle, and end, with a good conflict and a satisfying romance. However, the numerous problems I had with it marred the experience in many instances. Despite its flaws, I believe it is still worth watching.

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I do want to kill you very, very much, cut your limbs to feed the crocodiles. But I can’t do that.

Welcome to the hilarious plot about almighty and powerful devil being bound with a weak and dim-witted fairy, whom he wishes to kill very much, but can’t since her pain equals his pain – quite literally.


Plot: 8
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★★★★★ Main idea:
--> Intriguing, pretty original and hilariously funny. I found hilarious the contrast of a powerful devil being grounded by a little fairy and his frustration over this turn of events.
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★★★★☆ Logic:
--> Plot makes sense, there are a few dumb twists, but it can be easily forgiven.
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★★★★☆ Pace:
--> I started to get bored in the third quarter of the story. It was simply dragged for a bit too long by the end and the story lost the continuity, but it can be easily forgiven.
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★★★★☆ Impression:
--> Impressed.
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★★★★☆ Skip rate:
--> I skipped some of the side plots, but not much.
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★★★☆☆ Annoying factors:
--> I hated the love triangle with the war god – for the love triangle to work, the opponents should have at least equally strong personalities. But god of war is weak, backing down from his brother and has a mouthful of bullshit, instead of admitting, he maybe should have taken a strong stand before he had lost what he loved.


Characters: 9,5
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★★★★★ Lead 1 - Dongfang Qing Cang:
--> Loved this character. Although it’s a typical prototype of a strong male lead, who has to give up a lot of humanity to become a strong leader, I like the way he is gradually learning to love and to allow himself being loved.
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★★★★★ Lead 2 - Orchid:
--> Loved this character. She is naïve and child-like, but loyal and strong minded. She is unable of treason and once she makes a decision, she stays strong in her opinion.
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★★★★★ Overacting:
--> Kind of cute.
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★★★★★ Acting:
--> Actors are great, very talented. I particularly loved the job Dylan Wang made in playing the naïve Orchid in the body-swap parts.
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★★★★☆ Annoyance level:
--> Annoyed by some side characters, particularly the heavenly lord and his brother god of war. The heavenly lord should have been a strong and wise leader, but he has zero personality, just forcing his narrow-minded opinions on others.


Background: 10
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★★★★★ Soundtrack:
--> Absolutely loved it.
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★★★★☆ Visuals (camera, scenery, visual effects, ...):
--> Really liked it.
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★★★★★ Wardrobe (costumes, hairstyles, makeup, ...):
--> Absolutely loved it.


Rewatch value: 7,5
I assess this value based on impression, skip rate, annoyance level and overall preference.


Final verdict: 8,5
I really liked the chemistry between the leads. I loved their evolvement and the funny little plots between them. Some of the episodes by the end were a bit boring, since there was an uninteresting plot dragged for too long and the ending was a bit sheepish, but it’s still definitely a drama worth watching.

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Underwhelming Plot, Impressive ML and Annoying FL

After watching the drama, it is safe to say that it had its ups and downs. The Male Lead's acting was quite impressive, while the Female Lead's portrayal was annoying and immature throughout the majority of the drama. However, her acting did improve slightly in the last four episodes.

Unfortunately, the story itself was not very interesting, and the FL was often portrayed as a fool. Despite this, the production quality was good, and the visual experience was enjoyable.

All things considered, this drama was average, with some good and bad elements. While the ML's acting was a definite highlight, the FL's portrayal could have been better, and the story itself could have been more engaging. If you are looking for a drama with good visuals and solid acting from the ML, but are not overly concerned about the plot, then this drama might be worth checking out.

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This show had the potential to be so much better.

The initial episodes of this show held great promise, and I was genuinely excited. Finally, a Xianxia series that seemed like it could be a real delight. However, my enthusiasm started to wane as the story progressed towards the middle and end. Like many other Xianxia dramas, it suffered from the same major issues. The plotlines became increasingly nonsensical, conflicts with potential were abandoned, and the narrative took a frustrating turn with unnecessary and ridiculous storylines. The exaggerated drama and soap opera-like moments became eye-rolling. Unfortunately, as the story became more convoluted, it fell apart, losing the coherence it initially had.

On a positive note, the production quality was impressive. The landscapes, costumes, and overall scenery were visually appealing, which is what one would expect from this genre.

However, I found myself growing annoyed with the excessive focus on the guard and the bandit girl's love story, which didn't captivate me. I would have preferred more scenes featuring the main leads together. Additionally, the setup for a second lead syndrome seemed promising, but it was poorly executed and left unexplored. The inclusion of certain irrelevant storylines felt forced and added nothing meaningful to the overall narrative. Some of the plot developments were so disappointing that they significantly detracted from my enjoyment of the show. Notably, the writing for the Orchid Fairy (FL) character was a letdown. She came across as excessively dumb, whiney, and ignorant, lacking the depth of naivety or innocence. It's unclear whether this was due to the actress's portrayal or the directing. The show also fell into the trappings of typical tropes and clichés that plague the fantasy drama genre. The involvement of the 2nd couple (Jie Li and Shang Que) felt unnecessary, and the ending was underwhelming. Moreover, except for Dongfang Qing Cang and his brother, the other characters showed no significant growth or development.

Despite its flaws, I appreciate that the character of Fairy Dan Yin was redeemable and didn't fall into the stereotype of a manipulative and scheming female driven by love.

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Is it perfect? No. Is it the best? Yes.

Cang Lan Jue, a drama that no one expected to perform well, yet, it broke everyone's expectations. Cang Lan Jue, a drama that everyone assumed would be the same as other Xianxia, yet it is one that has never been seen before. Does it have flaws? Yes. Is it perfect? No. Can it be improved? Definitely. But after watching, do I love this drama the most? Absolutely.

As an avid Xianxia drama watcher, I have seen most, if not all, released Xianxia dramas since 2015. Some have a storyline that is more flawless than CLJ, some have a better production and more veteran casts than CLJ. I have liked all of those dramas and praised them, yet, I was never attached to any of those dramas as much as I am with CLJ. Even though CLJ has its own flaws, it brings out so much attachment in me, and that, in itself, is enough for me to rank this drama the top of my list.

So what makes it so good despite flaws?

What I like
- Dongfang Qingcang:
Do I have to say more? He is THE best ML I have seen in a c-drama in a long time. Resolute, not a goody-two-shoes, knows when to be merciless and knows when to show compassion. C-dramas have the tendency to make ML a saint, but DFQC isn’t like that. He is a character that is willing to get his hands dirty, to let go of righteousness, and to do anything for the FL.

However, what really brings DFQC to life is the producers’ choice of casting. They have made the best move casting Wang He Di to play DFQC. I have watched several WHD's dramas, but the roles he took never suit him. With DFQC, he really brought out the character in a way like no other. Appearance wise, he absolutely suits DFQC, and so handsome on screen that even just seeing his face alone might make this drama already worth it. I've never seen such a gorgeous actor,and his look as DFQC is to die for. His appearance isn't the only thing he offered. His acting is also top-notched to the point I was surprised, especially his pained and crying scenes; they were so real and yet somehow, he still looked so hot and menacing in those scenes. I've never seen such good acting, even from veteran actors.

- Xiao Lan Hua:
I normally don't watch idol-actress. I also normally would get annoyed with Xianxia FL halfway through the drama because of forced angst that makes them unreasonable. However, XLH won my heart, entirely. The story started with her being a stereotypical young, innocent, joyful, and childish fairy. But as the story progressed, I realised she is way way more than that. Her character is so different from other FLs, as unlike others, she never loses her childish, pure, and joyful nature and STILL has great development. She learns to love and accept the DFQC for who he is. She is reasonable in every way and would choose DFQC over anything. She is bold about her feelings, her love, her anger, her sadness. It was no wonder even the coldest heart would melt. Idk why most Cdrama seem to believe that in order for an innocent FL to develop, they must lose their happy, joyful self. Well, XLH shows that this is never the case.

This is my first time watching Yu Shuxin's acting, and I loved it! She brings out the innocent character so well, and she is so cute that I cannot hate or get annoyed with her, even when she makes mistakes. And I think DFQC would think the same XD. Her voice also really brought out her character, and makes her so lovable.

- the romance between the characters, especially the well-executed slow-burn development. A typical troupe, yet, I don't think it has been done before in Xianxia drama. The chemistry is brilliant.

- The plot starts strong right from the beginning to end.

- The OSTs are haunting and brilliant and they are in my playlist that I listen to everyday.

- There are so many scenes that really had my heart and I can rewatch them in loop

- the CGI is AMAZING. WOW. The CGI is one of the best I've seen in a while.

What could be better? (subjective)
- Rushed ending. The ending is extremely rushed and could have been better executed. However, they did wrap up everything that should be wrapped up. Everything makes perfect sense in the story, if only with better execution and a more dramatic reunion for the leads at the end, and it would be perfect.

- Because of the rushed endings, several things cannot be addressed. The last three episodes feel like a fever dream ever since XLH turned into Xiyun. I am sure XLH is still in XY, however, they don't have the time to address that because of the rushed end. I wish they display scenes of their life after DFQC comes back so we could see XLH return to herself, because the way XY is, is not XLH, the XLH that DFQC fell in love with. The XLH that we fell in love with

- DFQC deserves more scenes where he showcases his power but this is just me being greedy. What really brings the supreme moon lord alive is the way he is powerful and strong. I wish we get to see him use his glaze fire that has been obtained.

- As much as I love DFQC's development throughout the show, I think he is too soft in some scenes where he didn't need to be and makes me miss his demeanour at the beginning at times.

- I wish we could see them get married ;-;

Despite the subjective what could have been better that I've listed, you can see that they are just nuances that don't matter when all the pros outweigh it. This drama is the gem of the year, and one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Do not hesitate to watch this drama because it is worth it in every way. It is one of the dramas that may not be the best in technical terms but evoke so much emotion and attachment from the audience in a way like no other.

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