After 41 episodes out of Show’s 60, I’m finally calling it quits on Ashes Of Love.
Admittedly, part of my brain is a little reluctant to drop this one, because, “Loads of other folks loved this one! What if you’re quitting before it gets good again?” and “You’re already two-thirds of the way through! What a waste, of the 41 episodes you did watch!”
Try as I might, though, I just can’t muster up the interest to continue with episode 42, so it’s gonna hafta be the end of the road with this one, for me.
DID I LIKE IT RIGHT AWAY?
The short answer is, no, I didn’t like this one right away. But YouTube suggested episode 1 to me one day, and I remembered that some of you had liked this one.
Plus, I mean, a show that’s exceeded 15 million views(!!) in China alone is pretty darn impressive, so I dived in to check it out.
By episode 2, I decided that this felt somewhat like a less pretty, more magicky, funnier version of Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms, which I rather liked the sound of, coz I really enjoyed Peaches.
I did cringe at the humor a little bit from time to time, but a bit of lens adjustment took care of that quite easily.
By episode 6, I felt nicely sucked in. As imperfect as this show was, I felt somewhat addicted to it, and was watching several episodes in a single sitting. That’s a Pretty Big Deal, in my books.
STUFF I LIKED
Deng Lun as Xu Feng
I wasn’t immediately drawn to Deng Lun as our male lead Xu Feng, but it wasn’t long before I came around to his charms.
Basically, I really like that in this story, our male lead falls in love first, and falls hard and fast. There’s something very swoony about seeing a very powerful man hopelessly smitten.
So, the more obviously smitten Xu Feng became with Jin Mi (Yang Zi), the more giddy with glee I felt. He was just so earnest and sincere, that my heart couldn’t help but waver at him.
I loved seeing Xu Feng’s protective side, even as he teased Jin Mi, and I loved seeing the small flashes of pleasure on Xu Feng’s face, when he felt secretly pleased by Jin Mi’s presence.
Beyond Deng Lun’s personal charm, though, I do think a lot of Xu Feng’s appeal is thanks to Xu Feng’s voice actor.
Xu Feng’s voice is just so expressive while managing to sound even, and I felt the vocal nuances added a lot of dimension and depth to how Xu Feng comes across. I liked that a lot.
Fun cracky stretches
As a general rule, my enjoyment levels of this show varied in direct correlation to how well things were going for the OTP loveline.
From initial meet-cute, to early misunderstandings, to the blossoming of feelings (even if said feelings were mainly felt by Xu Feng), to occasions for hyper-proximity and hyper-awareness, any permutation of these things was enough to brighten my watch and get me to readily click on the next episode, when I got to the end of one.
Not only was there a fair bit of cute, there was also a nice amount of melty, and I flailed and swooned dutifully, through it all.
Here are a sprinkling of my favorite OTP moments, from what I did watch.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I have a big soft spot for the mortal trial that starts in episode 19, because this is an opportunity to watch Xu Feng fall for Jin Mi all over again.
How fun, that we get to distance ourselves from the building angst in the Heavenly Realm, and just bask in the fresh feels of blossoming romance.
I love the way he looks at her in episode 21, while pretending to be deaf and mute, so quietly searching, with small leaked smiles of wonder and appreciation by turn. Melt.
There’s also the moment in episode 22, when he looks at Jin Mi with such a softness in his gaze, and such a gentle affection and amusement directed at her, as he tells her, “I’m Ya Ya.” Flail.
And then there’s the way he puts on this big show of being sick in episode 23, just so that he can spend time with her. The way he teases her gently; the way he stifles little smiles which are full of affection; I lap it all up, and wish for more.
In episodes 29 and 30, tipsy Jin Mi confessing her feelings to Xu Feng and kissing him while fueled by liquid courage, is a bit of a breakthrough moment.
The way Xu Feng just looks at her intently through her repeated “I like you’s” and says, “I will marry you,” is just mesmerizing. Puddle.
[END SPOILER]
STUFF THAT GREW ON ME OVER TIME
Yang Zi as Jin Mi
Imma be honest; I wasn’t really into Yang Zi as our female lead Jin Mi.
Jin Mi’s character is written to be extremely sheltered, naive and innocent, and for a good stretch in the beginning, she’s also supposed to be very young. This made for a female lead character who came across as ditzy and rather scatterbrained, which isn’t my favorite thing.
Over time, though, I got used to Jin Mi being bubbly but a little dense in some ways, and that did improve my watch.
For the record, I’d heard some viewers say that it’s worth waiting to see how Jin Mi’s character changes later on in the show, because she has a very different vibe and personality then, but to be honest, the bits of muted seriousness that I did glimpse from her, felt quite flat and one-note, and I didn’t find that very promising.
STUFF I WAS INDIFFERENT TO
Luo Yun Xi as Run Yu
I’ve heard that there’s a lot of viewer love for Run Yu as a character, but I must admit that I didn’t feel much for his character, overall.
In Show’s earlier stretch, I found Run Yu pleasant but bland, and then in Show’s middle stretch, I found him a little more interesting, but also, disappointing, at the same time.
As in, his behavior leaned darker and that gave Luo Yun Xi room to make Run Yu more interesting, but that darker behavior ultimately made me lose respect for Run Yu as a character, which doesn’t balance out very well overall, in my head.
[SPOILER ALERT]
There’s one scene that stands out in my mind, where I was rather impressed by Luo Yun Xi’s delivery, and that’s in episodes 29 and 30, where we get a whole lotta drama with Run Yu’s birth mother dying by the Heavenly Empress’s hand.
I was rather jaded with the whole thing, but I must say that in that moment when Run Yu turned on the Heavenly Empress, he was quite arresting. The look on him was a mix of drained grief and all-his-cares-to-the-wind badassery. He’d never looked this cool, to my eyes.
Other than this instance, though, what we see of Evolving Run Yu is a lot less cool. Here’re 2 examples:
E14. Run Yu wanting to assert himself to wed Jin Mi is understandable, but the sneaky way in which he put on that show for Water Deity was not cool, and I lost a whole bunch of respect for him there.
Of course it’s easy to swear that you don’t mind losing your deity rights and becoming a mortal for Jin Mi’s sake, if you already know that she’s actually your intended fiance.
E35-36. How horrible, that Run Yu seals the Fallen Pellet within Jin Mi, without telling her. It’s such a terrible thing to do. He basically decides that if she can’t love him, he can’t let her love anyone. Gah.
..Which, basically, evens everything out to neutral for me, with Run Yu. In my head, this is how the equation works out:
[Darker & more interesting + underhanded actions = just as disappointing as Bland Run Yu]
[END SPOILER]
STUFF I DIDN’T CARE FOR TOO MUCH
When we get too much backstory and flashbacks
From about the episode 17 mark, Show started serving up a LOT of flashbacks, to fill us in on what happened among the previous generation of immortals.
The flashbacks are deep, detailed, and quite convoluted, and because of them, we sometimes spend entire episodes in flashback, rather than in the present timeline.
I told myself that it’s probably important information to the story, but I got really bored every time a flashback surfaced, and I honestly just wanted to zone out and fast forward through it all.
It really didn’t help that Show felt it was necessary to serve up AS MANY flashbacks as possible.
The loveline between Liu Ying and Mu Ci
There’s a secondary loveline between Biancheng Princess Liu Ying and half-masked shadow guard Mu Ci (Chen Yu Qi and Zou Ting Wei), which I didn’t care for very much.
Essentially, Liu Ying is a lot more interesting when she’s being badass, and up till the point where she’s reunited with Mu Ci, I found her refreshingly fierce.
BUT. When she’s pining for Mu Ci and trying to get him to stay with her, she becomes sad and teary, and very breathy and kind of desperate, and it really doesn’t become her.
The thing is, from the episode 21 mark onwards, all the way to where I stopped at episode 41, Show decides that it’s important to spend an inordinate amount of screen time on this loveline.
I found it very trying to watch Liu Ying continue to pursue Mu Ci, even though he repeatedly tells her not to. He desperately wanted her to stop, and uh, so did I. 😛
SAYING GOODBYE
I found that the deeper I got into the show, the more bored I felt. There’s a lot of Stuff that happens, some of which is supposed to be a Big Deal, like the Heavenly Empress trying to kill Jin Mi, but I just couldn’t seem to feel interested.
By the episode 41 mark, I found myself thinking during my watch, that Xu Feng wasn’t quite as regal or imposing as I’d like him to be, and that Run Yu looked weirdly like he was always talking as if he had marbles in his mouth and couldn’t close his mouth comfortably.
I realized that it was definitely Not A Good Sign, that I’d be so bored by the plot that these were the things that I was noticing. 😛
That’s also pretty much when I decided that I ought to quit while I was still a little ahead, so that I could preserve the happier memories that I did have of this show, and avoid collecting more unhappy, dissatisfied ones.
I’m sorry I couldn’t hang in there for you, Xu Feng. You were one of my bright spots in this show though, if that’s any consolation.
I’m so late to this party. Ashes of Love is my third C-drama after discovering Luo Yunxi in Till The End of the Moon and bingewatching his dramas. (The second was A Love So Sweet.)
I have to say I really enjoyed it overall. Yes, I did fast forward through the Muci-‘demon princess I forget her name’ bits, but I was very invested in the Xufeng-Jinmi-Runyu love triangle. I really felt for Runyu and wished he would be happy after thousands of years of sadness beyond his control.
In the beginning I thought Deng Lun was just meh, then he started to grow on me. Now he makes me think of Gong Yoo.
Not once did I think of dropping it through the 63 episodes. In fact, I couldn’t wait to watch the next episode and often watched until really late at night/very early morning because I couldn’t stop watching. Now I’m looking forward to watching more Luo Yunxi and Deng Lun dramas.
Ohh deng lum had dubbed his own voice. Same with yangzi character , luo yunxi I know majority of yangzi and luo dramas they usually do their own dubbing. Only the couple first few they were ever in did someone else do theirs.
I def did not like the muci and underworld arc. But I did keep going despite not paying as much attention. I was wondering if you read the subs or understood the Chinese? Myself I am Chinese(born in Beijing then we moved to the US) and is able to speak and understand it, i felt the subtitles (esp on Netflix) couldn’t really capture the exact infuses meaning of everything. I def know for other dramas like live like the galaxy. If you don’t understand Chinese the subs really doesn’t do much justice. Esp if it’s suppose to be a joke type of line. Just like in english we have puns etc. It’s like that in Chinese too.
I actually liked the flashbacks. Prob because I had watched ice fantasy before that. Jeez that one… they literally showed the same couple flashbacks in (not even about the past or add meaning to a scene. Just what happened in the way beginning of the show ) SLOW motion least every episode even 2-3 times. Now… that one
sry if I might have repeated something another person might have said. There’s so much content on this page. I def love it :).
Reply to Ashes of Love
I Really Enjoyed Ashes of Love and have watched the drama More than once❣️ I’m addicted to c-dramas but I only can watch the ones that have CC in english. I listen and watch because the voices and music help make an excellent drama. I like listening to Deng Lun’s Voice in this drama. I know he has had trouble with taxes but I truly wish him well and will continue to keep a lookout for more of his dramas whenever he’s able to make his comeback.
Ohhh you might like Starry Love. It’s by the same director and team so the feel is like ashes of love. It has cc on Viki and there’s another site to watch it but there’s super annoying pop ups.
I also noticed runyu’s weird mouth when talking. And i found the reason at episode 30 when he’s talking about his suffering during childhood. At close up look closely at his mouth there’s something behind his lower teeth. I don’t know what it’s called or for.
I tried to make a quick search on google. And that something behind his teeth is most likely Lingual braces.
Hm wonder if it could also be that the actors (main ones ) had dubbed their own voice. I know a lot of times due to dubbing (either by actors or voice actors )don’t really match up w their mouth speed. Can you let me know if what you saw is more towards middle or end of that ep. Ty
I disagree. I think yangzi acting is gd for grape that has not seen the outside world n she’s just bubbly cute. Her character grows n she is able to perform well in them. Phoenix acting is more cool and I don’t think it’s really v fantastic. It’s gd but that’s abt it. His voice is great though
I think run Yu is better when he has a change to the ‘dark side’
anyway all of them were acting in the studio, said to be 40-50 degree Celsius ?!? With that amt of clothings .. well done to every artists and crew members. Not easy feat
“Beyond Deng Lun’s personal charm, though, I do think a lot of Xu Feng’s appeal is thanks to Xu Feng’s voice actor. Xu Feng’s voice is just so expressive while managing to sound even, and I felt the vocal nuances added a lot of dimension and depth to how Xu Feng comes across. I liked that a lot.”
I totally agree with this, usually I am for the second lead but his voice was just so convincing. I do like Xu Feng’s voice and surprisingly it was Deng Lun own voice!
Yang Zi, Deng Lun and Luo Yunxi dubbed their own voices for the drama. The rest of the cast were dubbed by voice actors.
https://dramapanda.com/2018/09/15-interesting-things-about-ashes-of.html
I started watching Chinese dramas with Princess Agents and I liked the character that Deng Lun played in that. . He was very engaging. That’s the main reason I decided to watch Ashes of Love. Am only on Episode 14, but I find his character very appealing. For one, his voice’ secondly I find him very attractive and sensual in this role. His attraction to Jin Mi is obvious from early on and his longing for her creates a beautiful tension. I have found myself skipping ahead a bit as there is a lot going on and it can be a little confusing and drawn out at times, but I plan on sticking with it to the end. I don’t think it will have the effect on me that “The Untamed” did I have watched that one repeatedly and could barely tear myself away from it (I binge watched almost all 50 episodes) and am now reading a translated version of the novel. But I am enjoying the costumes in Ashes of Love, the magical aspects of it and the intrigues. It seems like just when you think you know what’s going on, a new twist arises. All in all, I think it deserves the attention and praise it has earned from fans.
You mean to tell me C-dramas use voice actors? why??? After watching eternal love my first ever C-drama I was so confused as to why Yang Mi sounded so different in interviews, so I guess that explains it.
SPOILERS****
What’s hilarious is I also decided to look up the ending at episode 41 because this show was giving me way too much anxiety. I don’t mind a drama that has a lot of angst and like obstacles for love, but for some reason, I was constantly on edge the entire time. It’s hard to care too much for Jin Mi because she can’t actually express her emotions and I honestly sorta just pity her, and she’s constantly hurting and confusing everyone. I know it’s not her fault, but it still made me stressed out. I like Xu Feng a lot, but everyone except him is manipulating Jin Mi, including Run Yu. Don’t understand why people can cheer for someone who knowingly puts the woman he loves in danger for the sake of revenge. Also, in the first place, he tricks the Water Immortal into believing Jin Mi is in love with him when she is obviously not. He’s shady AF. Also when Jin Mi’s father is killed, Xu Feng says he’s going to stay with her and help her find out who killed him and Run Yu is like “no need, she’s my future wife” and Xu Feng says something like “Jin Mi is miserable right now, can you not argue with me about who is better for her for a second?” Like in a constant competition even though it’s clear the two of them love each other. and RY even knows about the Yun Elixir so like wtf. I will casually finish it, but your reviews is literally exactly how I’m feeling right now.
I wrote a very long detailed review about the reasons why Phoenix is a much better fit for Jin Mi. A woman on YouTube anted to claim that Night as the better fit and I absolutely disagree with that. You can check out my write u here if you have the time to read it. https://medium.com/asian-dramas-and-asian-movies-reviews/ashes-of-love-review-and-rant-contains-major-spoilers-2d9aa68d710a
I haven’t seen this drama, just seeing the CGI on youtube clips made me cringe away.
But it has a gorgeous ost. Have you listened to Upwards to The Moon kfangurl?
Hi there Peony! Yes, the CGI in this wasn’t the greatest, I have to agree. Which, of course, didn’t help matters, since I struggled with a fair amount in this show. 😅 Yes, I’ve heard Upwards to the Moon, it’s got a nice amount of character on its own, I must say. 🙂
Thank you for your review!! I got the feels starting in episode 19 lol!! Just like you 😄
*SPOILER*
Like you, I enjoyed it when the characters went to the mortal realm. I honestly skipped to see parts of Jin Mi and Xu Feng until almost 4 AM. 😅 I loved the way Xu Feng looked at Jin Mi and her excitement when Yaya got better after they met again in the palace. I loved it when Jin Mi finally had the courage to confess, and Xu Feng immediately said, “I will marry you.” 😍
I gotta applaud Xu Feng’s attendant too. It was such a joy whenever he advised Xu Feng. Jin Mi diagnosing Xu Feng of being impotent was hilarious too lol.
And I was so sad when Rou Rou died in the mortal realm. Xu Feng’s tragic end also hurt… 😢 Yet, I’m not happy at Run Yu restoring that unfeeling pill to its previous state, so Jin Mi didn’t have the same feelings anymore. She and Xu Feng went through life and death in the mortal realm and they even consummated their love in the heaven realm. I just want to tell Run Yu to shoo and for the main couple to just get married already lol. I feel so bad for Xu Feng to devote himself persistently to someone who just can’t feel love due to the pill. 😭😭 What the heck were their days in the mortal realm for?!
*END OF SPOILER*
I feel a little conflicted. My feelings on this drama, as I’m watching, aren’t consistent… I was getting a little tired of Jin Min still not knowing love, which I understand is due to the pill and being so sheltered. I had hope and feels starting in episode 19, and then it’s starting to fade again at about episode 37…
I know Run Yu changes later, and that’s not what I’m looking forward to… I enjoyed it when Run Yu and Xu Feng were supportive brothers. Based on the opening, we know they have tension later on…
I’m telling myself to take it slow. I’m glad I’m not the only one who appreciates Deng Lun as Xu Feng, but I’m not sure about the rest… I also miss seeing Xu Feng and Jin Mi, knowing that I will have flashbacks in the following episodes. 😢 I’ll get back to watching without skimming lol, so I really just finished episode 22.
Anyways, thank you again! I didn’t read your spoiler comment on Liu Ying’s relationship. I hope I like it when I watch it! And I have such joy watching the Moon Immortal.
Hi there Cloe, hi5 that we felt the feels at the same point in the show! 🙂 Although I must say, I think you have more patience with the show than I do! 😆 I think you’re right about the frustration of the reset.. just when we think we’re getting somewhere with the story, Jin Mi gets “reset” to her previous “I don’t know feelings state.” I just couldn’t deal with that. 😆 I ended up FF-ing through to the end, coz everyone said I was missing out big time, but in the end, after seeing what I missed, I don’t think I would’ve ended up loving this show like everyone else, even if I’d stuck it out properly to the end. I hope you enjoy your watch more than I did!
Oh my gosh! I’m glad I checked this link again or else I wouldn’t have known you replied; I didn’t get an email notification 😢
Anyways, thanks for praising my patience kfangurl! 🙂🙃 I was honestly questioning my patience too lol!! I’m understanding of the Unfeeling Pill preventing Jin Mi from knowing she loves Xu Feng, and I honestly thought the mortal realm arc helped us moved forward!! But damn, we moved backwards 😭 I realized that one of my frustrations is when the characters suddenly boomerang, as if their accomplishments were nothing. 😣
It also bothers me when a character is not in charge of their own life! (I dropped Princess Weiyoung, since the female lead was constantly in danger, despite us knowing the stepmother won’t stop until she’s dead… 🙄) I saw Jin Mi speak to her father about wanting to marry Xu Feng and just… There’s honestly a powerless feeling, you know? It sucks that Xu Feng can’t supposedly do anything, despite being the Fire Immortal. And the main couple need to wait for permission from the Water Immortal to cancel Jin Mi’s engagement and then talk with the Heavenly Emperor. 🤷♀️
Part of me is wishing the mortal realm arc stayed longer lol. I tried rewatching episode 23, and it was sweet to see the reunion! No Run Yu to interfere, no parents to control their romantic lives… Damn, I’m already missing that arc, despite me technically not finishing it yet. 😔
I’m not sure if I even love Jin Mi as a character. For a main lead, she doesn’t have much control of her life, considering that the Unfeeling Pill and the politics in the heaven realm are shaping her life 😣 Poor Xu Feng came to Jin Mi and questioned her on why she suddenly doesn’t want to be together anymore (they both don’t know the Unfeeling Pill was reset 😢)! He even asked if he did something wrong 😭 “Dude, I know love is love, but I feel frustrated for you! You felt like you were on Cloud Nine when you were finally together in the mortal realm, and she even told you she wants to spend her life with you in the heaven realm,” is how I feel. I would feel like I got slapped in the face if I were him lol 😭
I like Yuqi (actress of Liu Ying) overall. I saw her in Princess Weiyoung and she guest featured on Produce Camp 2019. I’m not sure of the chemistry between Liu Ying and Mu Ci, based on the vibe I get from him… He follows the Heavenly Empress’s orders, without really having autonomy… I’m not sure if he “deserves” her, although I know love doesn’t pick and choose like that. 🤷♀️
+ There’s part of me that doesn’t care too much about the drama that’s happening in the demon realm. There was the Demon Lord who was STILL talking about his two (useless) sons, and I’m like ??? about it lol. That drama got shoved aside when Jin Mi was learning about her heritage and then she got engaged to Run Yu… I wasn’t in love with the switching between the mortal realm, demon realm villains, and whatever else. Partially because it took time for me to skim to only the mortal realm parts between Jin Mi and Xu Feng lol. But seriously, I think it would have been okay if we knew about Zi Fen’s tragic life earlier – I know Xu Feng thought Jin Mi was his sister, but I just knew she wasn’t because incest is not what the audience wants lol.
So, yeah, I was talking with someone who said this drama sounds circular… That’s honestly how I’m feeling, especially with the Unfeeling Pill being reset and Jin Mi telling to Xu Feng’s face she’ll still marry Run Yu. – Ouch. She clearly has memories of being in love, despite not feeling it presently anymore… I wish she thought for herself and even Xu Feng 😒
And sadly, I’m starting to feel how you felt about Xu Feng… I grew to appreciate his charms, especially during the mortal realm arc. And I skipped to the part where the Heavenly Empress was trying to kill Jin Mi, and Xu Feng came to protect his love interest and later his mom. It’s just…that regal aura is fading for me lol?? When he was King Yi, he had authority and he put in the effort. But as the Fire Immortal, I’m just not feeling it… Maybe putting the mortal realm arc backfired because I enjoyed their mortal selves better lol. (And we got to see the Moon Immortal and Immortal Yuanji bicker 😅👍)
Apparently, it’s rewarding once Jin Mi is no longer impacted by the Unfeeling Pill?? I did see the trailer prior to watching, and it looked so intense. But damn, this love story is being stretched out 😣 I read a comment here where someone said they skipped to epIsode 45 on their fourth attempt. Lol maybe I’ll do something like that if I really can’t take it 😅
Although, the good news is that I have warm feelings towards the Moon Immortal. I want more screentime for him lol 👍🥰 I have warm feelings towards the Wind Immortal too, since she treats Jin Mi as her daughter and doesn’t follow the evil stepmom trope. Based on the ending theme, the poor lady and her husband suffer later, so… that will probably make me sad. 😢
Maybe curiosity, if anything, will help me pull through?? Sometimes, I take major breaks on stories, but I come back for a sense of completion and to move on with my life lol. What finally motivated you to skip to the ending? And are you planning to watch the second season? (I don’t know what’s the synopsis there, so no spoilers please 🤷♀️)
… Damn, typing all this had me realize I’m falling out of love. Like you, I used to be able to even watch numerous episodes in one sitting. (I got the feels even when Xu Feng jumped into the mortal realm 😍) But that passion is gone now lol.
Thanks for reading!! And thanks in advance if you choose to reply 🙂💜
Hi there Cloe, thanks for checking back, and sorry that you didn’t get an email notification.. Sometimes those get channeled to spam, so it’s possible it’s in your spam folder?
It does sound like you’re falling out of love with this show, unfortunately. 😛 I agree that the most cracky part of the show was during the mortal realm days, when the OTP was free to explore their feelings without all the heavenly complications and interferences. And YES, the reset just sucked. It was so very frustrating coz it felt like we were pretty much back to square one, which is such a frustrating place to be, after investing so many hours in so many episodes up till that point! 😫 I think your friend has a point about this show being somewhat circular, in that sense. Like you, I also found the stuff in the demon realm a lot less interesting. :/
As for me, I FF-ed through to the end, because SO MANY fans told me that I dropped this show just before the best part. Since multiple people were convinced that I’d missed the best parts, I thought I’d give Show a chance, in fast forward. Unfortunately, I still didn’t think I missed all that much, and the most interesting bits that everyone else loved, were just ok for me. 😬 I used to finish every show just to have the sense of completion too, but I’ve learned that it’s ok to drop a show. So.. if you’re not enjoying this one anymore, maybe you can consider dropping it, and using the drama hours on something that you’ll enjoy more? 🙂
Hey kfangurl,
I realized when I first posted, I wasn’t subscribed to receive comments through email. So, I got email notifications this time! 🙂
I gave the show another chance just ten days ago, where I had episodes 23-25 playing in the background. I saw parts of Liu Ying and Mu Ci’s romance (my eyes were off the screen, but he absorbed some dark energy while he was trying to protect everyone, and we learn he’s part of an extinct clan that the Demon Realm deem dangerous…). I didn’t fall in love with this either lol. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the pair… I like Yuqi. But I also didn’t feel much for Mu Ci… :/
Taking a break from the show since then, and after reading your comment, it solidified to me that I dropped the series too. You’re right about spending time on shows we enjoy instead :)) Once I realized I fell out of love, I recognize I don’t feel a curiosity for the characters. I know Jin Mi and Xu Feng will become a couple. Saying you will marry the person whose parents killed your mother out of love – I personally don’t see myself being okay with that, if that were me. >< If Zi Fen didn't suffer because of Xu Feng's parents, Jin Mi and Xu Feng’s romance may not have met so many obstacles, sadly. :/
I adore seeing people mutually get to know each other and fall in love overtime. That's why I appreciated the mortal realm days. Going back to square one was how I felt and that was annoying lol. One of my pit-pees about stories is when that happens… @___@ There's a manhua called Here U Are, which I enjoyed because you see the characters get to know each other and the protagonist has a strong sense of self-awareness. But there was something circular that happened, and I sadly fell out of love. :/ I like a side couple that hasn't been appearing after the two main characters resolved what was going on, and LOL it's one of those moments where you're like, "I spent so much time and I honestly loved this. Will I fall in love again with this story?" XD I don't have a strong impression I'll fall in love with Ashes of Love again too. – We still got the bird tribe leader who's in love with Xu Feng… ;——; And I guess you're not watching season 2 of this drama? x))
Anyways, thanks for the validation and hearing me out! 🙂 I appreciate it! It's quite a different experience to talk with somebody who hasn't watched the drama (and not want to spoil for them), versus talking to someone who has seen it and even dropped it xD High ratings may be something, but your own enjoyment matters 🙂
Hi there Cloe, I’m glad you got an email alert this time! 🙂 No need to feel bad about falling out of love with a drama, I say. And no need to feel bad for dropping it either. I’ve come to realize that with dramas, we are all so different in our tastes, preferences and personal contexts, that it’s completely possible for one person to love a drama with a passion, and for another to hate the same drama, also with a passion. I know lots of folks loved this one, but it just didn’t work for me, and that’s ok. And it’s ok that it didn’t work for you too. 🙂 And you’re right, I’m not planning to watch S2, since S1 didn’t work for me. No point trying to force myself to love something, just because other people love it, right? 😉
I gave up on this show 3 times, thought they could have picked a better looking male lead, story was going nowhere, 63 episodes?! I just couldn’t… At my 4th attempt, I skipped all the way to episode 45, that’s when the story got interesting, and I watched till the end. What I’m most fascinated with is how and when did ‘ugly’ Xu Feng become soooo attractive?! Once I ‘get’ his appeal, I’m hooked… till this day!
Lol. Your comment made me chuckle, Cubic! 😆 I guess attraction and appeal is as mysterious as you’ve described. One day, he’s just ok, and then suddenly – WOOF! – he’s swoony and all kinds of mesmerizing. 😍😆 You are not alone, my friend! 😉
Well I don’t agree with u about RY, if u lost respect fir him then what about XF ?? Is XF even human ??
The moment even after telling XF about how his mother treated RY and he was like sorry …that was my bottom line after that scene, I was like I don’t care if XF lives or die …
The marriage agreement between JM and RY was unpredictable but that’s called destiny in real life …when u get connect to someone without doing much …
What XF and JM had between them wasn’t love …it was all manipulated by Moon Immortal…we all know that moon immortal was the one who tied JM and XF in mortal realm thus making them into a couple…if he had done that with RY and JM then, they were also bound to fall in love.
Making out with your sister in law while your brother is mourning for his mother …hats off to disgusting people like that ….
All great points, Makino! I guess my feeble defense is that my brain was responding to years of training, to side with the male lead instead of the second lead. 😝 That, and probably I was affected by Deng Lun’s personal charm. 😆 Overall though, I really didn’t enjoy the show much, so whatever affection I have for any of the characters is also really limited. I wouldn’t put too much store by my affection for one character vs another, in the grand scheme of things. 😅
Deng lun is a good actor i have seen him in other shows but i really didn’t like him as XF. There are few things which put me off about the the story:
1. Initially many mentioned that JM had those heart stroke but its something we as audience know not them and also if she was really in love with XF then when she accepted the engagement with RY why she never felt anything.
2. XF and RY had stayed together for like rd 4000 years but still till now XF has never done anything to know about why his mom is so indifferent towards RY.
3. XF felt sorry for what RY went through but still in the end he took away the only remaining happiness in RY life. Xf had everything from the beginning and everyone love him bcoz that’s his style which he was able to get due to being the legitimate son of Empress. So may be XF doesn’t like to give up on the things he like, isn’t that we called GREED. Also there were a scene when RY mentioned that till now XF had given him what he wanted to give away not what RY wanted or not.
4. XF went to mortal realm in order to save JM knowing that he won’t remember then why he did that ? also he intervened in JM redemption but wasn’t punished. Further, in the end it was RY who saved JM not XF, had Ry followed JM instead of XF then JM was bound to fall for RY due to red thread of Moon Immortal but then the que is will he do that for RY.
5. Personally for me i dont think JM is innocent or naive too, She can do anything to help Rou Rou, XF, Puchi but whenever it comes to RY she doesn’t care. In the entire show what she has really done for RY ? nothing and i know XF also saved JM but it was RY who saved her in most crucial times but she was never even considerate towards him.
6. RY was brought-up in a way that he is not supposed to ask or do anything on his own that’s why he can’t express himself or had to hide things.
1 dialogue which is my favorite from The Untamed is :
“Who is Just and Who is Evil, What is right and What is wrong.
There is no such distinction between them the one who suffers will continue to suffer if they don’t stand up and the one who knows the injustice done to someone but never stood up will have to face reaction of their actions.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Makino.. You’re right, if I’d given this more thought while watching, I would’ve probably had more issues with XF as a character. Thanks for articulating the issues and laying them out here! 🙂
Thanks for accepting my opinion. 🙂 I haven’t watched a lot of Chinese Drama but so i far i have noticed one thing that the Main Lead character/’s in few shows were just something which makes u wonder r they really lead/’s, i don’t know if its me or many feels the same.
EX: Princess agents, Ashes of love and Journey of Flower..
If you haven’t watched The Untamed then i would suggest u to give it a try, its a combination of love(homo), sacrifice, Revenge, plotting, friendship, sibling love and action.
Hey, I hope you don’t mind that I’m joining this conversation. 🙂
I feel that you had good points. ^ Your line especially where you said, “the Main Lead character/’s in few shows were just something which makes u wonder r they really lead/’s” makes sense. I think since stories are normally from the protagonist’s perspective, we understand where they’re coming from and we probably agree with them.
It sounds like as you were watching Ashes of Love, Xu Feng wasn’t so proactive (excluding when he was with Jin Mi) with the people around him. I think the story’s logic was “it’s the previous generation’s drama,” which is why Xu Feng didn’t know why his mom mistreated Run Yu. Although, I think you have your point that Xu Feng could have at least TRIED to find out the truth. Xu Feng could have had his workers investigate, he could have literally walked up to people to ask… Interesting to consider that although the two brothers got along, Xu Feng was indifferent to Run Yu’s loneliness. Run Yu was living by himself in a quiet place with his pet, while Xu Feng had the daylight and servants and was the powerful fighter + parents who paid attention to him.
I dropped the drama, but I was also confused by why Xu Feng and Jin Mi didn’t seem to care about Run Yu’s feelings?? They literally had sex when Jin Mi was still engaged with Run Yu. – Now, I know Jin Mi and Xu Feng were in love, and they intended to have Jin Mi’s engagement with Run Yu cancelled. But it also didn’t hurt if the couple chose to wait, at least in consideration of Run Yu’s feelings…
Regarding Jin Mi’s engagement with Run Yu, Jin Mi accepted at first because she didn’t have romantic feelings for Xu Feng yet. Jin Mi saw marriage as political, and as a way to enhance her own magical powers, which happens when you mate with another powerful person (reminder that Jin Mi’s goal was to revive her friend Ruo Ruo who died for her). I read a comment online that said the mortal realm arc happened at the end of the novel, but the drama crew chose to place that arc earlier, so viewers can witness Jin Mi and Xu Feng’s mutual romance. 😐 But anyway changing the order of events when the novel was being adapted may explain why Xu Feng didn’t get punished for interfering with Jin Mi’s mortal trail + why the unfeeling pill was reset, so Jin Mi was no longer confident about her romantic feelings (even though she still has memories of her mortal life) for Xu Feng and kept her engagement with Run Yu. <- Not the best reasons to me, but I think that was the approach the drama went with.
When you mentioned that Jin Mi could have fallen in love with Run Yu instead of Xu Feng, if Run Yu was the person who went to the mortal realm and not Xu Feng… In a sense, life is about timing. Maybe Xu Feng and Jin Mi were fated to be lovers. x|
I watched the first season of the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua and finished the drama adaptation, The Untamed. I like the in-depth characterization and growth of the three main characters (Wei Ying, Lan Zhan, and Jiang Cheng) and their bonds. They were very aware of themselves. The story makes it clear that right or wrong is determined by society. Besides the side characters not being so developed as well as inconsistent characterization and some plot holes (I won't go into detail here, since this thread is for Ashes of Love xD), I would recommend Mo Dao Zu Shi (whether you choose to read the original novel, read the manhua adaptation, go to the audio drama adaptation, watch the donghua adaptation, or watch The Untamed which has the most changes from the original novel) for its overall depiction of collective society and justice.
It sounds like you enjoy main characters who are highly aware of themselves. Have you read or watched Joy of Life? The problems and perspectives are refreshing. The characters are consistent with their own beliefs, as you hear different views on their purpose in life. There was a logical story flow, as well as an unpredictable plot. (Honestly, if there was an award for the story with the most plot twists, Joy of Life deserves it lol) Cinematography and action scenes, as well as special effects, were on point. A nice balance of comedic relief, without taking away from the tone of the story.
Ofc not…in fact i like to have conversation…:)
You r right since the story is being told from the protagonist’s perspective so its like they r always right but i feel that as a viewer instead of just accepting something as it is its better to question if u have doubts.
Actually, it’s been so long since i have completed the show but many replied me about my perspective so all the points are still fresh in my memory. We have seen XF standing up for JM and also telling his mom that if she ever tries to hurt JM again, she will have to face him as he won’t let her hurt JM but he never did that for RY why? bcoz JM is a girl and he loves her but he also loves his brother then how come he never did the same for him. Basically, it’s like priority if someone hold priority in ur life u will do anything to protect them but if someone doesn’t then they won’t matter to u.
I was going to drop it too but then i saw a comment about RY that he was the one who will kill JM parents, so i only continued to check if that was true or not. I agree with that, they should have waited, its better to make RY come out of his painful situation rather then creating a new one for him and this was another point when i was like okay i m done with both JM and XF but it wasn’t enough, after what happened between them XF came to RY and said that i know u r hurt but forgive our mother bcoz no matter what she raised u. Then again XF said there is more, i want u to let go of JM and i won’t fight for throne. His dialogues were totally like he is doing some charity that u can have the throne but let JM go. This was point when i really understood what RY meant in initial eps that XF used to give him what he wanted not what RY wanted or not.
Further what i found a bit weird is, after JM realize about the pill, she was only interested in one thing is to tell XF that she was under the pill effect but she never tried to know why her mom did that to her.
I haven’t read the novel but yes i have seen many commenting about whats there in the novel, drama adaptation is a bit different and also mentioned about how manipulative RY was and XF took advantage of JM innocence. I guess the novel is very scary bcoz if they both r really like that then JM should stay away from both…
Not sure about the timing becoz its wasn’t only that but mainly it was Moon Immortal, he saw JM and XF together the very day JM arrived in Heavenly Realms and he wanted to see them together as a couple so he kept telling XF to be with her, to like her and to fall for her. But when the truth was revealed about JM and RY being the one, she is engaged to. Knowing that RY also loves JM why Moon Immortal was only thinking about XF? i thought both XF and RY r equal to him. I might have liked the whole show if instead of just relying on mortal arc and Moon immortal they had shown JM taking her time and realized everything step by step.
The untamed: I m still watching short clips between LWJ and WWX, i also feel that they should have explored more and 50 eps weren’t sufficient. Thanks for Anime name i will watch the anime first.
Who’s right and Who’s wrong isn’t set by society but the people in power and other r just blind followers even if they feel something is off but they always go by majority as sometimes it’s the most safest thing.
Yes u can say it like that i do like characters which can be admired and able to understand them, everyone makes mistake as its a part of life but hurting someone badly or who is already suffering is something i don’t like.
The Joy of life is in my list and i m going to start it from next week.
Hey Makino,
*Just a note on terminology: Donghua refers to animation made in China, while anime refers to Japanese animation (different terminologies apply elsewhere too, like saying “manhua” for Chinese comics and “manga” for Japanese graphic novels 🙂 ). So, since Mo Dao Zu Shi is a Chinese animation adapted from the original novel, donghua is the word that’s used 😉
You just reminded me of the different nuances the drama adaptation had from the original novel and the other adaptations (manhua, audio drama, and donghua). I felt that the novel and other mediums gave the tone that mass society can be destructive (well, the drama changed the facts surrounding demonic cultivation, which partially made Wei Ying less grey; one of the reasons why it’s the only adaptation with a different name from the original novel), due to fear. The drama had more of the power lens you mentioned ^ and made it way more obvious who the villains were in the second half of the story, without thoroughly justifying the inactivity of other powerful cultivators.
Moments between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan couldn’t be completely adapted into the drama, due to China’s TV regulations. (We’re so lucky the drama didn’t get banned haha) The audio drama shows more layers to Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s bond in the present, if you’re curious. The exploration you might be looking for may be found in the original novel. The donghua also dealt with censorship, but it followed the original novel more faithfully than the drama did.
You might not enjoy palace dramas very much then lol. The scheming that goes on can be such a headache. Although, dramas like Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace is more of a romantic tragedy, where you see how even the little moments can contribute to deteriorating a bond… That sisterly and/or platonic love can be so powerful, it gives you strength as you carry on throughout the years. <- Would you watch these kinds of dramas?
As of season 1 (I haven't read the novel yet), I can tell you that none of the characters in Joy of Life hurt others without a good reason. I wouldn't say they're perfect, but they're true to their values. Feel free to let me know if you want to talk again and we can go somewhere else. (I didn't mean to type this much on an Ashes of Love thread – opps 😛 )
Moving on to Ashes of Love:
I'm someone who has doubts too, even when somebody is not the main character LOL. Your point on Xu Feng being so attentive to Jin Mi because she's his romantic lover, while not doing the same to Run Yu who he has a good brotherly bond with… I don't like that kind of inconsistency. It bothers me in stories when Person A says they love Person B, but then Person A's actions do not consistently show that lol. And Person B continues to suffer. Sometimes, viewers might say, "But since Person B is the protagonist and doesn't hate Person A, I won't critique Person A and I will support Person A too!" <- Not my kind of logic :/
Maybe Ashes of Love just doesn't prioritize sibling love? :/ When I watched the drama, I felt that Xu Feng was passive before he fell in love with Jin Mi. It seems Xu Feng didn't have much of a passion in life because he had everything (wealthy, attentive parents, military and political strength), until he fell in love with Jin Mi. Especially if you're a viewer who loves it when the male lead puts his heart on his sleeve for the first time for his romantic interest, it's supposed to be thrilling. So, it's unfortunate that Run Yu just wasn't important enough for Xu Feng to potentially damage his own bond with Tuyao. :/
I commented above before ^ and I dropped the drama after the mortal arc ended haha. I didn't know about Xu Feng confronting Run Yu, to plead on Tuyao's behalf. I don't know how Tuyao managed to raise Run Yu yet hate her stepson so much because of Suli. If Tuyao hated Run Yu so much, couldn't she have gotten rid of her stepson earlier? That way, Xu Feng would have had 0 competitors to the throne. Maybe it's just a popular trope for the parents' drama to affect their children?
From what you're saying, it sounds like Xu Feng appeared to look out for Run Yu's best interests. But Run Yu knew that Xu Feng was being selfish. I didn't get the impression that Run Yu desired the throne, from where I stopped in the drama. I think that's another scene that's supposed to seem romantic, because Xu Feng chose his love for Jin Mi over becoming the next Heavenly Emperor. I got the impression that Run Yu desired happiness, not necessarily power though… :/
Maybe Jin Mi is more of a simpleminded character? She wanted to let Xu Feng know that she loved him, and the unfeeling pill prevented her from wholeheartedly being with him. Since the past can't change the present, maybe that's why Jin Mi never bothered to discover why Zi Fen placed the unfeeling pill?
@____@ Being manipulated in love is not my cup of tea. I didn't read the novel, so I don't know if Jin Mi knew that Run Yu manipulated her + Xu Feng took advantage of her innocence.
I had the impression that the Moon Immortal had the "first come, first serve" approach. Since the Moon Immortal shipped Jin Mi with Xu Feng first, maybe that's why the Moon Immortal continued to support the pair. Jin Mi didn't show signs of loving Xu Feng before the mortal trial happened, but Xu Feng certainly did reveal that he loved her. Seeing how happy Xu Feng was and Jin Mi seemed relaxed around him, I think the Moon Immortal saw that Jin Mi just needed time to realize her feelings. And that's what happened in the mortal realm. The Moon Immortal did support Run Yu's happiness, but the nephew didn't show signs of wanting to seek marriage prior to his engagement with Jin Mi. I felt that the Moon Immortal overall was confused by Jin Mi and Run Yu's engagement, since Xu Feng already liked her, and the potential couple were already getting along. The Moon Immortal didn't expect a love triangle from Run Yu.
I was frustrated by Jin Mi not showing love lol. I somehow wish the unfeeling pill was either removed earlier or was not reset after the mortal arc. Over 10 episodes, and there wasn't romantic feelings developing on her end… :/
Actually, i have seen comments about “manhua” but never really understood what was that so i thought may be its represents some kind of genre, Thanks a lot now i know what’s the difference and about Donghua too.
BTW when u mentioned the word Donghua it reminded me of Dong Hua Dijun .. :- D 😉
when u mentioned the Donghua name i checked it and watched rd 10 eps of S1, i feel the story order was same but the presentation was different compared to the drama as they used few characters in early stage like MianMian and Yanli. And Manhua is a bit faster than the drama, it can be becoz i watched the drama first.
I have heard about the censorship issue but i think making the drama this way can attract more audience from other age group as well but yes it also disappointed the Donghua and Novel audience. I wished the show could have been a bit longer bcoz i was enjoying LWJ, WWX, Rulan, Shizhui, Jangyi and Wan Ning together.
I do have novel link but currently i m not completely free, so i have saved it for later on, then there won’t be any disturbance.
Yeah sure but where?? As I m not a frequent user of thefangirlverdict.
I agree with that, when u say that u love someone but then ur actions doesn’t seem that way is something i don’t like either.
Correct RY doesn’t hold any importance in XF life, may be bcoz he is a brother from a different mother though their bond is good but RY is somewhere like a stranger whom he might help but will never go out of line in order to support him.
You might not be aware of this, when they showed the past life of Su Li and RY after Su Li’s death. The emperor deceived Su Li and used her due to her resemblance with JM mom. By the time Su Li realized that she was deceived by the emperor, she was already pregnant and since she didn’t wanted to make her family suffer by telling them about it so she gave birth secretly but she wasn’t able to hide it for long and was abandoned/had to leave her Fish Tribe. Since, RY true nature is of a dragon due to which dragon scale and horns grows on his body which made him a bit different than normal kids and hence was ridiculed by them. Su Li due to the fear that RY identity might get reveal so, she had to tear his horn from his head and scales from his body which leaves RY body bleed all over and in cold. This chain continued for years whenever RY grows back his horns and dragon scales till one day when RY came above the lake and he wanted to leave bcoz of the pain but then Tu Yao found him and said she will take him away and erased his memories so he won’t remember anything about the past after that she eliminated the whole fish tribe but Water Immortal was only able to save Su Li.
I think she took RY so he can become somewhat like her salve which she can use at any time and kill anytime.
No i didn’t mean that way, i said in a way that after what happened XF came to make a deal as he knew that the throne belongs to him but that’s not what RY wanted. RY only wanted happiness with JM but after seeing the whole past of her mother, Fish tribe and remembering his own then he gets to know that the emperor takes him as a mistake after which he saw XF and JM intimate scene through beast of dream, made him realize that if he needs to protect the people he love then he needs power and that was the turning point for him.
I can’t really say if she was completely simple minded becoz it also means she wasn’t intellectual but as we know she knew everything about the plant which could save XF when he was hit by Qiongqi. I felt her character a bit contradictory as there were few instances she did something out of the description of her character.
I too haven’t read the novel but only few comments on ashes of love pages, that’s why I said if both XF and RY are really like the way they describe them then its better to not get indulge urself with any of them.
That might be the reason for Moon Immortal as she met XF first and its true that XF also expressed his love for JM but XF also know that RY loves JM too. If JM is simple minded then that means it doesn’t matter who is she with as long as she can enjoy then how can Moon immortal decide?
That’s why I mentioned above that this is how RY was raised, he was in love with JM too but bcoz XF was in love with her and since childhood he was told not to lay on something which XF wants that’s why when he knew about JM origin he was happy. As u said that Moon Immortal wanted JM to realize her feeling but changing her fate in Mortal realm isn’t that also a form of Manipulation?
Hi Makino,
I’ve left a few comments on this thread about my thoughts on the whole situation with Run Yu’s character and how all the “good” characters we are supposed to root for (namely Xu Feng) are terrible hypocrites who care only for themselves. I agree with all your observations and analysis, there are so many messed up parts of this drama that everyone else seems to just accept because they like Xu Feng & Jin Mi’s romance.
But personally, I had to finish the rest of the show on 2x speed mostly just to see what happens, but while I initially liked XF and the drama up to around episode 30/Run Yu’s mom’s story, I started to hate and loathe them more and more. SO MUCH injustice in this drama and it’s all excused by the main characters.
It sounds like you didn’t get that far in the drama but I can assure you it only gets worse, it’s so illogical and frankly unethical but I guess the majority of viewers don’t care because they’re too in love with the romance. I HAVE seen some people point out the many problematic aspects of it, especially how Xu Feng continues to defend his mother and father’s actions and excuse all the evil they did all just because they were his parents and were good to him.
There is one scene where Run Yu tells him that his parents don’t deserve to be honored because they committed crimes and Xu Feng’s response was literally “BUT SHE WAS STILL YOUR STEPMOTHER,” totally blind to the fact that the STEPMOTHER MURDERED HIS BIOLOGICAL MOTHER in front of his very eyes, abused him throughout his childhood, and would have killed him too if the Water Immortal didn’t step in. (And we all know that while Run Yu was almost dead, Xu Feng was such a good brother he never even noticed that Run Yu was almost dead and had just lost his mom…because he was too busy having sex with his brother’s fiance.)
Sometimes Chinese dramas are frustrating to me because they demonstrate all the shortcomings of the Confucian traditions. But unlike dramas which depict those traditions as rigid and bad (like Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms/Eternal Love), Ashes of Love’s message seems to be to reinforce the traditions. Not once does anyone really challenge Xu Feng about his parents. The one time he starts to doubt whether his parents were evil, MU CI of all people (who was turned into a pet assassin by the Empress and lost half his life due to her poisoning) defended the Empress as saying that he saw her “cry in the corner” and that he found that even such a “respectable and honorable woman” was so pathetic. Like the Empress crying in the corner is supposed to excuse her genocide of the entire lionfish clan?
I’m on episode 54 and not once has Jin Mi even tried to find out again who ACTUALLY killed her dad and her Aunt. Her love for her dad I guess was just lip service. Xu Feng also didn’t bother to investigate or even look at Sui He (in fact at this point in the drama he’s with Sui He all because he thinks she saved his life, so who cares about how many other people she’s harmed and killed right) even though he knows that since only he or his mother could have summoned the Glass Fire spell of the Phoenix clan to kill the Water Immortal, the next most likely suspect is Sui He. It isn’t as if he didn’t know how Sui He was always his mother’s servant!
I find it so enraging that the whole drama continuously pushes this idea that because Xu Feng “didn’t really know” about his parents crimes and everything going on around him (like Sui He) then it’s all just fine. I mean, how can you respect a character that is apparently this blind and oblivious to the suffering of people around him? Or the alternative is that he JUST DIDN’T CARE. He was such a good brother that he didn’t care about Run Yu’s suffering and the very moment that his brother had a chance at something HE wanted, he turned against his brother and betrayed him. “True love” shouldn’t excuse cheating and sleeping with your brother’s fiance. And as Run Yu pointed out, it was SO CHEAP of XF to say that he could give him everything but Jin Mi because as we all know, XF never even wanted to be Emperor anyway. So what was he offering to give up, the crappy responsibility of having to look over the people of his kingdom that he never actually cared about anyway?
I’m with you, Fiction Bite and Makino. Night had all my sympathy, while Phoenix behaves horribly sleeping with a totally naive Jin Mi. It’s very, very uncomfortable and not a jot romantic. The only truly ace moment was Night’s intense, as you say Fan Girl, “badass” reaction to his diabolical step mum.
I think some Cdramas are really really good, like Ten Miles of Peach Blossom and the first two-thirds of The Rise of Phoenixes (don’t get me started on the last third). What I’ve noticed in a few (such as Well Intended Love and this one) is the male leads get away with some awful predatory manipulative behaviour to the female lead which seems to be ok because ‘they’re in love’. ???!!! To my mind, this is not love. There’s usually a lot of physical moving that they do too, like grabbing, which I hate. It seems like a trope. You’re trying to walk away? Grab. You’re trying to avoid me? Grab. Yikes. It’s dressed up like it’s sexual tension or something but I don’t buy it. Kdramas sometimes do this too but it’s usually a hand grab and usually it’s ok. It has taken some time to adjust to it, though! What’s wrong with keeping your grabby hands to yourself and saying ‘please wait’ or ‘don’t go’?! 😊
@Ele Nash – the newer Kdramas have moved away from the wrist grab some. But in the older ones, that’s a standard trope in all romance dramas. It tells you the grabber is in like/love, has dominance, and is the possessor and the same for the grabbee if she willingly goes along with it without too much fuss. 😆
I haven’t seen as many C-dramas as I have kdramas, but I have noticed that in quite a few that I’ve seen, the dominating male lead is a popular character, and often, him imposing on the female lead’s personal space is portrayed as romantic. I do struggle with this, in that I don’t find such couple dynamics very enjoyable (I think I used to accept them a lot more, when I first started watching drama).. I’m not sure if it’s as widespread a thing as it appears to me, since I’ve only watched relatively few C-dramas, but it does appear to be a pattern. 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve been told The Untamed is really good, so I’ve got it on my list. I hope I’ll like it as much as everyone else! 🙂
I haven’t too but these r 3 out of rd 15/16 C-Dramas i have seen so far which kind of makes me feel this way. You r right Fans can be the most supportive and on the other hand can be most craziest thing. Actually its so weird that they keep interfering in their personal space and judge them on the basis of that and then they try to either support or ruin their career.
Recently i heard that the main lead in The untamed Yibo was being stalked by a fan and that girl even placed a GPS tracking device on his car.
Yikes. That’s some messed up fan behavior. 😱 Being a celebrity comes with its hardships too! 😬
Hi kfangirl
I just came across your review because I’m deciding whether to skip to the end of this drama! I was reading the blurb to this on the site I’m watching and it revealed a little too much and made me question whether I want to continue… I just find Chinese dramas soooo long 😅 and I don’t have much time to watch them, I’m only up to episode 10!
I like Xu Feng, and how Jin Mi is so lively, mischievous and completely oblivious to his feelings!
The thing I find most disappointing though in dramas is when characters who start off as decent change for the worse, and you start to lose respect for them. The other thing I’m not a big fan of are love triangles, I find them frustrating and one of the worse sort of conflict a story can have because many dramas drag this element out needlessly.
Have you watched Journey of Flower? This is another drama within the same genre, and one of the the few that I actually finished! The thing I really liked about this is that none of the characters are truly evil and one dimensional, most things are in shades of grey. Even the show’s main and smaller antagonists, while you may hate what they do, you understand why they are doing it. Most of them exhibit characteristics that are admirable in some way and do manage to redeem themselves in the end. I’m still on my search to find another drama that does this! Any recommendations?
I really think you need to watch it to the end. I get what you said about the second lovestory, but you need to continue the main story to the end. I have never seen a male actor display his emotions like Deng Lun, I could feel the pain as he loses his breath while crying. I cried as hard as he did. Jim Mi also did an impressive job I love watching her funny faces, silliness, and the full range of emotions she is able to display as her character matured and breaks the spell she is under. I have to say that Yang Zi’s & Deng Lun chemistry is superb and would love to see this couple together again.
I think the thing that people love most about Ashes is it’s hero’s Journey, fulfilled at the end in a way we are grateful for. XuFeng literally not only goes to the underground, but he becomes SPOILER it’s prince! And then he marches to Heaven again, after having gone through so much darkness, to make peace.
Moreover, he meets with Jinmi again after a few hundred years, and they have their happily ever after. SO RARE in Chinese Historical/fantasy dramas. I think that’s the candy that everyone loves about Ashes.
But that’s just imo.
Hi Annie, thanks for the suggestion. I actually did FF through to the end, after everyone else told me that I was making a huge mistake. Unfortunately, even then, I never loved this one as much as everyone else did. I guess it really isn’t for me, after all. 😛
But I totally agree with the scenes that you found boring. i skipped most of them! haha
Hi! It’s sad that you dropped this show,.. The best episode for me so far is Episode 43. THE LEGENDARY WEDDING SCENE! It was so unexpected that I shouted at my phone when I was watching it! Haha And to think I was alone in my dorm room at that time. It’s sad that you did not reach it. Xu Feng is truly the brightest character in this drama and it was so refreshing to see his character development in the later episodes. This is my second C Drama after Ten Miles Peach Blossoms and this is just my opinion but I like this one better than Ten Miles. ^_^
Oh man. When I was skipping through episodes, it was honestly on this episode that I went “WAAATTTT” and turned to Legend of Fuyao. Different strokes for different folks, right? My ranking of C-historical/fantasy Dramas:
1.). Peach Blossoms (always and forever)
2.). Legend of Fuyao
3.). Princess Weiyoung (still watching)
4.). Ashes of Love
5.). ??
Going to dive into Nirvana in Fire, but I don’t want to get depressed. Have you seen it?
OMG I LOVE NIF! But.. it does have its tragic moments, so I don’t know what to say, about whether or not it would make you depressed.. 😛
I tried to watch Nirvana in Fire, I really did, but the only version I can find (I cant watch on my computer) is on Viki, and that’s dubbed. So I got five minutes in and couldn’t stop laughing. I’m pissed.
Instead, I’m watching Fights Break Circle. I really don’t get the Harry Potter parallels … it just reminds me of your typical Chinese fantasy. Or any fantasy. It’s super cracky, the bubble gum of Asian dramas. Loving it so far:)
Dang. You mean, dubbed in English?!? I’d heard whispers of that, but I wasn’t sure it was true. No wonder you couldn’t stop laughing! 😆 I don’t know if this is available in your region, but I found NIF on YouTube with subs. Try this playlist, let me know how that goes! 🙂
I haven’t tried Fights Break Circle, though I think I’ve heard that title mentioned somewhere. Glad you’re liking it, I hope it turns out to be a worthwhile watch! 🙂
Hi! Yeah Definitely different strokes for different folks. haha The scene was just very heartbreaking for me that’s why I love it.
Unfortunately, I haven’t watched any CDramas aside from Peach Blossoms and Ashes of Love. I would definitely check out the dramas in your list! 🙂
I’d like to add some of my favorite C-dramas to your possible list! 🙂 I’d like to suggest A Love So Beautiful, and Put Your Head On My Shoulder for youthy romance, The First Half Of My Life for an elegantly done journey of a mature woman, and Nirvana in Fire, for excellent writing, cinematography and strategist-type plotting and action. 🙂
I’d like to add on to Fangurl’s list:
Legend of Fuyao: all about the live story. The heroine is so strong, and the hero respects her first and they sort of fall in love at the same time. The villains are fantastic! The plot is pretty good, but The acting done by Yang Mi (of Peach Blossoms) and Ethan Juan (of Taiwan’s “Fated to Love You”) have incredible chemistry.
There’s also “Fights Break sphere.” It’s hard not to be charmed by the hero, and his “sister” is fantastic at martial arts. That’s the plot – like naruto or Harry Potter or Star Wars – level up until you get ALL the skills and fight the bad guys. Not much by way of plot, this is a bubble gum drama, wherein the hero saves the world with help from his friends (I hope! Haven’t finished it yet.)
Above all, if you like cracky, watch Love020. It requires little brain power. If you want a life story with 50+ views, watch “10 of Peach Blossoms.” If you want stratagem, intricate plot and all over incredible, watch “Nirvana in Fire.”” This is based off Fangurl’s recommendation.
That’s all!!! I hope it helps:)
I actually ended up speed-watching the rest of the show, because so many folks told me I was making a huge mistake! 😆 Long story short, the wedding scene was quite a game-changer, just like everyone had promised. But.. I still wasn’t that into the show, even up till the very end. So my conclusion is that this one really wasn’t for me, after all. 😅 I’m glad you loved it tho!
Haha I see. I understand! 🙂 🙂
Truly, I never thought a love could rival Bai Qian and Ye Hua, but Fuyao calls Wuji out on all of his lies, whereas SuSu was meek and took it all. We know why, but it was damn refreshing to see a female lead who had such integrity.
Hang through the Harry Potter IV bit, and then things start to really roll. I even enjoyed the Deep Water villian – he was so hateful but played it so well!
Plus there are some very sexy fights between ML and FL. 😉
You have such a way of convincing me to check out shows, Sarah! 😆 It’s like you know just which buttons to press, to pique my curiosity! I’ve dutifully put Fuyao on my list, and will definitely be checking it out soonish! Thanks for the recommendation! <3
I’m hoping you enjoyed it as much as I did☺️⛩
Fair warning, that I’ve plans to watch Fuyao with a friend, so progress will be slow, and we won’t be starting on it right away either, coz we’re watching another show first, before we start on Fuyao. But it’s got a definite spot on our shared watch list, and we will get to it – eventually! 😉
I’m with you, Fangurl. The show was nice for the first 20 or so, and then I just wanted to do a MASSIVE SKIP to episode 50. The concept of a girl with the pellet causing soooo many misunderstandings and there being sooooo many flashbacks? I’ll give the show it’s superficial beauty, but that’s about it.
Have you tried Legend of Fuyao? It also needs a healthy amount of suspension of disbelief, but it’s closer to Peach Blossoms. Yang Mi kicks ass, and I think her love with Ethan Juan’s character is just about as powerful as Ye Hua (gasp! I know!)
I’d love to see what you have to say about Fuyao. I’m on my second watch, skipping the intrigue. Even if you drop it, it would be great to see a review Fuyao. I think it’s worthwhile.
I should say Wuji (Ethan) rivals Ye Hua fin love, but NO ONE can rival Ye Hua’s hair
WELL. That is a BIG statement, Sarah! I’m going to have to reconsider Fuyao! 😆
Truly, I never thought a love could rival Bai Qian and Ye Hua, but Fuyao calls Wuji out on all of his lies, whereas SuSu was meek and took it all. We know why, but it was damn refreshing to see a female lead who had such integrity.
Hang through the Harry Potter IV bit, and then things start to really roll. I even enjoyed the Deep Water villian – he was so hateful but played it so well!
Plus there are some very sexy fights between ML and FL. 😉
Lol. I wish I’d had the foresight to do the massive skip you mentioned, Sarah! 😆 I tried too hard with this one, I realize. 😛
I did watch E1 of Fuyao some time back, but got distracted by something else (I can’t remember what) and shelved it indefinitely. This comparison you make with Peaches, that their love is just about as powerful is doing a great job of piquing my interest, I must admit. 😆 I’ll have to put it back on my list now. 😅
Actually felt the same too… Runyu’s character just sucks ang his hairstyle gahd that’s horrible! But I kinda like him on first bit when he is a caring bro and my heart goes out when he cries in bed alone after his mom’s death..
I also think those flashbacks of old gen immortals are kinda cringey and doesn’t really need to go into too much details..
I fall in love with Xu Feng when he went into his battle white and gold costume when Jinmi tries to dress him up with her clothes..
There are some dragging scenes of other characters specifically the villains ehem Heavenly Empress which I find annoying cause I think they want us to see her good side like she just love and whatnot..
I don’t like Muci at all but I just love the demon princess so much so I did tolerate it!
The main otp is the one of the (mainly) reason I’ve finished this show and is actually on my beloved list (I fall in love with Xu Feng’s idealistic and unrealistic love for Jinmi) and tbh Xu Feng’s good looks, acting,(his eyes whenever he looks at Jinmi) goddamn voice and character made me love him and also Deng Lun as an actor …other reasons are beacause of Jinmi, Moon God, Mr. Puchi, and Demon Princess!
Glad you managed to find things to enjoy in this show, despite your misgivings about the other things that you mentioned, Axix Fxngxrl. I liked Xu Feng and I thought Deng Lun pretty melty for the most part, but I think there was just too much that wasn’t working for me, with this show. :/ The time spent on the previous generation was indeed draggy and cringey for me, and I found the Heavenly Empress (and the Heavenly Emperor too) very hard to watch. In the end, there was just not enough good stuff to pull me through the meh stuff. 😛
Blah
I FFW a lot of this show and still can’t understand the hype. To be honest you should watch the scence when YM is dying since it is done great in artistic way. The directing and artsy ways it was kept me despite the dragging ridiculousness script.
And I would have prefered if YM died since none of the lovers deserved her. She was so adorable and selfless but she hardly was more than a toy from mid series. When she discovered that herself she refused it to be a pawn. Reviving her was kind of lame and made her refusal a joke. At least Dragon truly repent at the end and decided to live alone but Phoenix just had “seconds” in immortal lifespan to wait until he got rewarded for whatever reason. Since I really liked YM probably they should have given her happy lifes with normal men and reborn as mortal again and again.
Hahaha, to be honest, I ended up FF-ing through to the end after everyone said I should’ve stuck with the show, and while the end was more interesting than where I originally dropped it, I still don’t love it and therefore, you could say that I don’t quite get the hype either. I guess every show works differently for everyone. 🙂
Ah I was so hesitant to watch it because of how long it is so Im glad I feel like its now okay to skip it. Lol.
I totally agree with you and felt the same way about SKY Castle. I really, really tried to like it and have watched until the 11th episode. I couldnt get myself to like it and see what so many others saw in it. I wanted to and I felt it a waste of time to drop it at that point because I was more than half way through.
It was always the thought that it might get better the next episode but sadly I got to the point where I couldn’t get myself to sit through it anymore. I guess I should listen to myself more and remember I don’t have to like something just because others did.
Lol, yes, that’s something that I’m learning too, that I don’t have to like something just because others like it. And often, I also end up liking something that others disliked. It’s all down to personal taste, and we got to go with what works for us. I really liked SKY Castle, but I can also understand that it just didn’t work for you.
As for Ashes, there are folks who really like this one, so if you’re at all hesitant to miss it, I’d say give it a try, and see whether it gets better for you, or worse. I felt there was too much filler and backstory, but others loved the side stories and backstories, so there’s that.
Aww. I really liked this drama, too bad it wasn’t your cup of tea. Tho I agree with you on the excessive subplots and backstory of the supporting characters. But FYI, Xu Feng’s voice is really Deng Lun. He dubbed his own voice. I just love his voice and overall charm
I did end up FF-ing through to the end, but I have to admit, this just wasn’t quite my cup of tea, even though there were stretches that I genuinely enjoyed. I must agree that Deng Lun is very appealing, and it’s really nice to know that the voice I was appreciating, is his own. 🙂
I really really loved this drama and literally XuFeng became the love of my life but near the mark where you dropped I just started skipping it a whole lot which is why I was able to make it past and barely notice parts which would probably have been boring for others. I literally skipped 90% of the Liu Ying and Mu Ci scenes akdfjslkjlkfjd
Lol, you did the wise thing skipping through the parts you didn’t like, Amy! 😆 I tried watching it without skipping, and that’s why I couldn’t continue. But, after everyone expressed that I was missing out big time, I went back and FF-ed my way through to the end. This was a lot more bearable, but I must admit I just wasn’t as into the show as everyone else. It did get more interesting in the last stretch though, I’ll give it that! 😉
I enjoyed this drama though it easily could have been cut around 10 to 15 episodes (the c-dramas are so bad with the filler), but I still liked it flaws and all. I do think spending so much time on Night really slowed the show down way too much.
Oh yes, I recall that you did like this one, Kat. I also remember you said it requires one to be in the right mood, in order to enjoy it. Yes, I so agree on the filler and the bloated narrative. I do wonder if I would have had a more enjoyable watch overall, if Show had been tighter. I did end up FF-ing through to the end, but by then, I already felt rather disengaged, and so didn’t feel as many feels as everyone who loved the show did.
Love this review it was pretty funny hahahah
Glad you were at least entertained, my dear! 🤣🤣
Ahhh sad to hear you dropped it. Yeah, Xu Feng’s voice is Deng Lun himself! The voices of the 3 leads are the actors voice. It did get draggy in the middle, but it picks up after (spoiler) Jin Mi kills Xu Feng. Deng Lun is sooo good in this show. I loved every bit of his scenes.
I tried to get into Peaches (3 times) but could not get pass ep 1. I’ve dropped so many fantasy cdramas and this was the first one I can finish and absolutely love.
That’s so interesting that you couldn’t get into Peaches but loved this! I’ve heard that before, I guess there’s something about this that just works for you. 🙂
I did end up FF-ing through to the end, partly coz of your spoiler, lol. I’m happy enough to know what happened, though I have to confess I still didn’t love it as much as you did. I did enjoy Deng Lun quite well though. 😉
Lol my fav 2 portions were the mortal trial and RunYu’s section where he’s trying to save his mom from the Empress. Idk I thought the chemistry and romance was pretty fantastic in the beginning, but I actually didn’t quite like Xu Feng as a character as much as you did. I liked Deng Lun as Xu Feng, but certain personality traits of XF I really couldn’t like. Sort of the way you lost respect for Run Yu, I sort of…didn’t think too much of XF at times.
Maybe because I personally ascribe to a more logical sort of display of emotions, but first, I feel like on JinMi’s situation, RunYu was a total ass for not giving JinMi a chance to express what she wants, but honestly…as someone who was basically engaged to a different guy but was really dating his brother. I didn’t know how to feel about her “not understanding” the fact that she was honestly kinda keeping a foot in each boat. And then XF, is RIGHT that JinMi gets to make her own choice and we all know she chooses XF, but at the same time, dude that IS your brother’s fiance and you’re basically TELLING him “I want your fiance and she wants me just leave the picture dude” BEFORE RunYu went all greasy berserk to try to manipulate everyone to get her.
And then most importantly, I have strong feelings about RunYu’s family situation with the Empress and Emperor. And then here comes XF all high and mighty (even in the end esp in the last episode — lol I skipped literally half the drama but did watch the last 2 eps) where he lays out what RunYu “should and shouldn’t do, must and mustn’t forgive”, all these nice Confucian concepts about how “they were wrong but they’re your parents” WITHOUT understanding the whole picture. As a child spoiled from birth, who doesn’t even see half the disgusting things his mother does in the name of “protecting him” who isn’t even aware of all the cowardly blindness his father exhibits to “keep the peace”, I was just REALLY enflamed about like, what gave you the right to lecture someone else about these things when none of this has really affected you! In a more realistic dysfunctional family, you can definitely argue a child like XF is also a victim, definitely affected by guilt etc from such a family. But in THIS drama XF has never exhibited that kind of emotional turmoil or consideration for this aspect of his pretty damn awful family. So I mean, honestly, I also didn’t really respect XF for that. Yes he represents the “good”, a lesson on how when you get slapped, turn the other cheek and all that. But to me it just made me feel like he was very self-righteous regarding this situation because none of these hurts and injustices ever affected him until RunYu basically decided to lose all morality and pay retribution (honestly I felt a little guiltily gratified when he screwed over the emperor and empress). It rubbed me the wrong way so much. I’m not excusing RY, but honestly I didn’t like how XF handled this at all.
Overall I thought Ashes was pretty cracky in the beginning, but I got tired of it mostly because the drama was all about just the romance, and I’m rarely about that “I live for romance and romance only” life where the characters aren’t really defined outside that romance. Hence why I did like RunYu a little more at first cuz the backstory gave him a bit more of substance outside of “I wanna date JinMi”.
Hi there Julianne, thanks for popping on by to share your thoughts on Ashes, and I’m sorry this reply comes so late!
I think I gave XF more of a pass when it came to the love triangle because he did meet Jin Mi first, and Jin Mi did have feelings for him too, even though she didn’t know it coz of the pellet. So I guess because in my head this was THE lead couple that Show was serving up to me, RY’s fixation with her became categorized in my head as futile second-lead pining. I think that’s why I was more accepting of XF’s desire to elbow in on the betrothal between RY and JM. Of course, that doesn’t excuse XF’s behavior since you rightly pointed out that he shouldn’t have felt like he had the right to expect RY to give up his betrothed for him. Overall, I think I just really liked the cracky early eps and the mortal trial. Everything was just.. not so compelling, to me. 😛
Forgot to say about Mu Ci’s whole “the past is the past” response to Xu Feng questioning – for the first time in the whole damn drama – that his parents did wrong.
Mu Ci literally said that he saw the empress crying in the corner so he was sympathetic since such a “respectable and honorable” woman was actually so pathetic. OH I DIDN’T KNOW THAT A FEW TEARS EXCUSE GENOCIDE, TORTURE, AND MURDER! That was the most WTF moment ever. No one in the entire show ever actually got called out for their evil deeds, and I don’t just say that because I was sympathetic toward Run Yu (he doesn’t get called out either). We even get the scene where the other dude suddenly decided to sacrifice his life to give Jin Mi the light ingredient all because he TRULY MADLY DEEPLY loved Tu Yao of all people
It’s just all hand waved away so we can cheer on Jin Mi and Xu Feng’s romance. Blergh.
If there’s one message the whole drama seems to be promoting, it’s that love absolves any crime you can imagine. No matter how hateful or crazy, it’s fine! The whole drama is just toxic af because of it. The Emperor raping the Floral Goddess was never addressed, even the “good” characters like Kuang Lu literally just stood by and helped Run Yu murder people to cover up his manipulation (like the poor archive guy who Jin Mi thought changed the dream to be a “reality” dream) all because of TRUEEEEEE LOOOOVE. The message seems to be that everything is excused as long as you really, really, really obsessed over someone.
Sorry if this comment appears twice, WordPress is giving me a hard time submitting comments and it just isn’t showing up for me.
YOUR QUOTE: As a child spoiled from birth, who doesn’t even see half the disgusting things his mother does in the name of “protecting him” who isn’t even aware of all the cowardly blindness his father exhibits to “keep the peace”, I was just REALLY enflamed about like, what gave you the right to lecture someone else about these things when none of this has really affected you!
I agree SO MUCH WITH THIS. I’m watching the drama now and basically am just hate watching through the end at 2x speed because all the “good” characters are such hypocrites. Xu Feng turns a totally blind eye to injustice and continues to defend his parents even when he does know about the atrocious crimes they committed. The Moon Immortal always loved only one nephew to begin with and not only ignored hte other, but stood by while a child was abused. No one even cares who murdered the Water Immortal and his wife anymore, all that was just lip service by Jin Mi because even though she knows now that Xu Feng didn’t commit the murder, not ONCE has she even said in passing that she is investigating. Xu Feng didn’t even care to investigate even though he knows that his mother didn’t do it – instead, he’s all buddy buddy with Sui He rather than suspect her, all because she “saved” his life (never mind how many people she tortured and killed too.)
This drama is all kinds of messed up in the messaging, I LOVED how Mu Ci at one point tells Xu Feng to just let the past by the past the SECOND he questions whether his parents were actually bad people. Not a single word about how the Empress controlled and poisoned him so he could be her pet assassin (despite still giving up half his lifespan due to that). It’s all hand waved away.
Xu Feng, where do I even start? All this BS I see in other comments about how he was a good brother – how was he ever good? It’s telling that RY says that XF’s happy childhood memories were his nightmares. Even if you can excuse XF for being a kid (like just 4-5 years younger mind you!) and oblivious to the abuse that RY suffered at the hands of the Empress, how to excuse that for the other thousands of years AND when he’s an adult?
RY’s mother is murdered in front of his eyes and he’s nearly murdered as well (if the Water Immortal hadn’t intervened) and all that is hand waved away again. Meanwhile XF is being such a good brother that he doesn’t even NOTICE that his brother is almost dead because…he’s having sex with his brother’s fiance!! WTF!
This drama requires the viewers to excuse EVERYTHING in the name of love. No concept of honor or justice. Everything just gets covered up. It represents the very worst sides of the Confucian traditions and filial piety, the idea that your parents must be respected at all costs (even if they’re Hitler…how is the Empress wiping out the entire lionfish tribe any different from genocide) and that crimes, as long as they’re covered up enough, are ok in the name of “PEACE.”
Amen, sister. You got farther than me, and i was constantly skipping episodes. Meanwhile, I’m on my 2nd watch of Peach Blossoms on Viki for the commentary 🌸. What an amazing show! Ashes seems a poor copy.
Hi there sarah, it’s great to see you around here. Apologies this reply is so late, but you did make me giggle with your description of your experience with this show! Yes, Peaches is definitely more enjoyable than this one, for me anyway. There are some folks who much prefer Ashes to Peaches, which I personally don’t get, but as they say, different strokes for different folks! 😀
*pat your back it must be hard decision. Great review! Thank you for your honesty 😀
Aw, thanks for enjoying the post, Hana! <3
When it comes to cdramas I realised early on that xianxia ain’t my genre. There have been few exceptions… like Peaches, though with that one I’m beginning to think it was mostly due to Mark I actually finished it. 😀 I can generally tell by the trailers already that ‘nope, not for me’. So, I did not even try watching Ashes of Love. I fare better with wuxias but with those I often get bored half way through, even if I’d inhaled the first 20 or so epis.
I really think Peaches was the exception, and yes, I do think Mark gets a lot of credit for my being so drawn to Peaches! 😆 I guess my enjoyment of Peaches made me think that I might like other xianxia shows, but so far, I haven’t actually found one that I really liked. So yeah, I’m starting to rethink that one. It’s quite possible Peaches was a very special anomaly. 😛
Hi, I’m a late entrant to the k&c drama party(Thank you, Netflix) A friend suggested your blog as a reference point and I checked out your reviews on the shows I’ve watched. Mostly, I’ve found our viewpoints matching though there were a few that we seemed to have opposing thoughts on.
On this one, your review is bang on! I did complete it only because I have this absolute need to finish anything I start be it a book or a movie or a tv show. I can honestly say I completely skipped whole episodes in the middle just so I could get to the finish line. Sometimes, I wondered why I was putting myself through this! I started off liking the male lead then became indifferent. The FL’s childish innocence was okay for a while then started grating on my nerves. For a while during the middle episodes, I fervently wished someone would knock some sense into her 😡
Ultimately, I felt so let down because honestly I thought the premise had so much potential. Some what like how I feel after watching a Indian show 😛
Okay, my rant for the day is done!
BTW if I have failed to mention it, I love reading your reviews.
Hi there Sandya, welcome to the blog! I’m happy that your friend’s recommendation didn’t disappoint and that you enjoy the reviews! 😉 I giggled at your rant, especially about the childish aura of the female lead. I feel ya, there were definitely times when I was really So. Over. it, because it just didn’t ring true to me. Hopefully you won’t be feeling too sore about this drama for very long, and that another, better drama will come along to steal your heart! <3
I’m with you on this one. Didn’t love it at first but stayed through first few eps and got sucked in by OTP moments, then started losing interest and pretty much fast forwarded through most of it. There’s a whole lot of love for this drama out there but for me personally, even though it had its moments, it wasn’t quite on the level of 3L3W Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms. Maybe Mark Chao was the secret sauce lol. 😍
OMG Owl Star, I feel like you liked exactly the bits I liked, quite possibly, and then just did the smarter thing and FF-ed through all the stuff that didn’t work for you. I wish I’d done what you did! 😆 I ended up FF-ing through to the end coz so many people told me I was seriously missing out and that it got much better.. It was better than where I’d originally stopped, but I must confess, I don’t think I would’ve missed ALL that much if I hadn’t gone back to FF through to the end. This show does have a lot of love, but I guess it’s just not really for me. I’m with you on Peaches, and yes, Mark Chao was quite possibly the secret sauce! 😆
Xu Feng’s voice actor is Deng Lun himself! Haha.
That’s good to know! Thanks e30! I like knowing that I’m hearing Deng Lun’s actual voice. 😉
Your criticisms were spot on, and I felt mostly the same way as you at that point in the story. But ep 43 is such a game changer for this show, and the last 10 episodes were so good. It really is a shame you put in all that time and didn’t even get to see the best parts!
Hi there jc – I must give you credit for getting me to at least FF through to the end of Ashes to see the important bits. You were right, E43 was a total game changer. I still didn’t enjoy the show as much as I had in the beginning, but it did have a bit of an uptick towards the end. For the record, though, without the FF button, I wouldn’t have been able to last through to the end. 😛
Sad to know that you dropped it…I agree with you that there were a lot of things that made me fast forward a lot of stuff. But cling on I did, for Xu Feng. I wish you had seen his journey till the end. It was worth the time and effort for me 🙂
Hi there TC, sorry this reply comes so late. After everyone told me that I was missing out in a big way, I FF-ed my way through to the end of Ashes, just to see the important bits, so I didn’t miss everything. It did become more interesting right at the end, but I must confess, without the FF button, I would’ve never survived to see the end! 😆