O Nó do Amor: O Primeiro Amor de Sua Excelência (2018)

I usually watch k-dramas (and occasionally j-dramas) but after I saw a trailer on TY I decided to check out this c-drama. The story is intriguing, the characters interesting (the actors did a good job) and the comedic bits made me laugh out loud. The story is not messy, no weird side storylines that make no sense.
The main couple's storyline got me hooked from the first episode and I really enjoyed the 2nd couple (or 3some to be specific).

I really liked the younger actors that showed us the main couples backstory.

Pacing of the story was ok although towards the end the storyline is a bit sloppy.

The ending could have been better but it was satisfying (for the most part). It was . a bit rushed. I would have preferred 2 episodes to sort out all issues, instead of giving us episode 24 with all that 1980s storyline (totally unnecessary and a bit creepy).

The chemistry between the 2 leads was ok although some scenes felt a bit weak. I was expecting a bit more passion or despair in some scenes but the actors were a bit stiff instead.

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When melancholy becomes the selling point

This was a passable drama that suffered from a lack of engagement in the plot. Contrary to what I'm seeing a lot of people's reactions to the ending are, it made a lot of sense for what was the premise of the story. The ending is one of the decent things about this drama.

The main problem I had when going through the episodes was not related to the story itself, but rather the chemistry and connection between the lead actors. A big part of that is how the scenes and interactions themselves were written and also the wooden acting from the female lead, as she only shined when it came to acting sad or meek. Now that by itself wouldn't have been a problem if the whole drama didn't, as a result, have that depressing vibe from the start to the end. The scenes with these two left me half-asleep at best and skipping watching an episode for days at a time at worst. The other couples incidentally also have sad stories themselves.

The only instances of comedy that can be found in this whole show are the scenes with the lovable trio of the supporting cast, who very much kept the show going and made it watchable. I cared about their friendship and found it important for them not to have a shabby romance plot forcibly inserted into what was a well-crafted relationship between people who would typically be in a love triangle.

To summarize, has the story accomplished the goals of its setup? It has.
Has it taken the viewers on an interesting, well-paced, meaningful journey to get there? No.

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In all honesty I'm completely disappointed and slightly pissed of at the ending, but I'll try to get through this with the least amount of spoilers possible.

The production value of the drama itself was great, the CGI could've used a little work but other than that it was very satisfying to watch. The cast all did a great job with regards to portraying emotion through most of the series, but coming down to the end, when the plot started unraveling, the acting seemed to deteriorate. There was a lot of build up for an ending that was straight up mediocre.

The plot could have been amazing had the writers not gone for the typical heartbreaking but slight glimmer of hope style ending that's severely over done at this point. The main couple's progression into romance was natural and well paced, the side couple (the triad) added an incredible dynamic and showed a side of both friendship and romance that we hardly ever see in dramas. The other two couples that were focused on...one was unhealthy and the other...she fell in love with an abusive man and then chose to die with him. While both types of those relationships do happen, is it really something that we want encouraged in mainstream media? Coming down to the end it was like someone just started poking holes in the plot with a pin. Felt like I was watching a Chinese version of Hunger Games with the rate that people were dying, unnecessarily at that, in the last 3-4 episodes. The whole reverting to foxes thing? Like really? I'd have preferred that they just kill off the characters than force the men to watch her grow old and die, while they wait to regain their human forms.

So as much as I love the cast, save yourself the confusion, heartache and frustration and just skip this one. It isn't worth the time it'll take you to watch it, especially if you're a binge watcher like me.

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HOW I SEE IT, BE WARN!

The storyline of this drama is quite interesting, and all the cast members did an excellent job portraying their roles. Their emotions were palpable, and the chemistry between the characters was evident. However, there were several aspects of the drama that left much to be desired:

One, the story, while promising, suffered from slow execution and drawn-out flashbacks. It felt like the plot could have been condensed into just a few episodes, rather than being stretched out over half the series.

Two, the villains in the drama lacked convincing motivations. For instance, the sister of the male lead's mother held a grudge against the male lead and her sister, but her revenge plot seemed somewhat irrational and took an unnecessarily long time to materialize.

Three, the delayed confession of feelings between the secondary female and the secondary male-villain was unsatisfying. Their conflict seemed to revolve solely around unrequited love, and their sudden demise felt anticlimactic.

Fourth, the character of the reporter took too many episodes to achieve her goals, and her ability to capture pictures unnoticed by the fox people seemed implausible, considering their supposed ability to sense humans.

Fifth, the love triangle involving the female lead's best friend and the male lead's assistants had potential, but it was underdeveloped and lacked a sense of conflict. It took far too long for the characters to address their feelings, and the resolution felt lacking.

Sixth, several characters felt unnecessary or irrelevant to the story, such as the father of the female lead's best friend, who didn't contribute to the overall narrative.

Seventh, the leads had limited screen time than the others, which was disappointing, but what was even more frustrating were the unnecessary scenes involving them.

Eighth, the ending left much to be desired, especially in how it handled the fates of the supporting cast. It seemed rushed and unsatisfying, particularly in the transformation of the male lead's assistants into foxes.

While the drama had a promising start, it suffered from flaws and inconsistencies in its later episodes. The pacing, character motivations, and resolutions left much to be desired. Personally, I found myself skipping parts, and the only reason I stuck with the drama was because of the characters played by Johnny and the intriguing love triangles.

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Oh Lord Have Mercy - Huang Jing Yu!!!

I can't believe I had never seen any of Johnny Huang's dramas. Even harder to believe that this one has been out since 2018! I came upon it quite by accident and am so happy I did. For once, the screenwriter got it right, and the director made it all happen with a great cast of actors. It wasn't perfect, but then, what is? There were a few holes and a few things left hanging, but hey - in this one, the good outweighed the bad.

I'm not usually a Victoria Song fan. I find her to be a bit wooden and one-dimensional. In this one, she was just a little less so; but then, with Huang Jing Yu as her leading man, it's not too surprising. He was phenomenal. Just the right blend of quiet strength and self-confidence and a hint of innocence. And of course, that he is just drop dead gorgeous didn't hurt. I did love the character of Helan Xi, and he played it to perfection.

And let's not omit the real charm of this drama - the trio of Xiu Xian, Zhao Kuan Yong, and Xian Xiao Ju. What chemistry these three had - and I couldn't have chosen one guy over the other for her and wanted her to have them both! My only comfort was that the latter couple Li Jia Ming & Liu Yong Xi fell in love in real life. That made me so happy, and I wish them well!

The story got a little loose in some parts, which wasted precious time that could have wrapped things up a little better at the end. The timeline was vague and references to how long it would take for the foxes to regain human form were ambiguous. One minute it was hundreds of years, and yet in 6 months there was Helan Xi on the train. Hey - I took the happy ending anyway I could get it, but still there are lingering questions. Part two mayhap? We can only hope.

I liked this story. I liked the actors. I even felt it for some of the evil characters (not a lot of them). But I liked this drama and would definitely rewatch it. I will, however, fast forward through scenes with her 'best friend' and the female reported whose ambition caught up to her in the end (too easy if you ask me).

A lot of eye candy in this one, folks, but also a good story and solid acting. And Johnny Huang without a shirt!

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i found this cdrama to be very addicting at first. the first episode was really "catchy" asking for more and more and more but when i reached its end i rolled my eyes "that's it? is that really is the end???!!!"
this is one disappointing cdrama ive ever watched. the plot is great, great actors, great pacing, great support actors but what i didn't like was the finale. i found the male lead has done a great job in this series, i am hoping to see him more on his next projects.
victoria song did a good job as the female lead i just hope she had more scenes opposite the male lead.

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A very touching story

I love the uniqueness and beauty of this story. The use of lighting, texture and color creating such impressionable visuals is memorable. On occasion the male lead fell out of being blind during daylight but I can understand the role of He Lan is challenging having to shift between being sighted and blind. I felt the actress playing Pipi looked older than Helan which did not suit what I expected of the character.
I love the supporting actors and stories about them with a harmonious balance of light humor and seriousness. Overall, I could rewatch this drama over and over again--a beautiful mix of fantasy and time crossover.

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The show that exhibited great potential, unfortunately it fell short to expectations

The show started out great, unfortunately, it didn't last till the end which is such a shame because the show had a lot of potential. It had all the things it need. Fresh and gripping plot that had a dash of fantasy, mystery, romance, friendship, and thrill, plus a great cast. I loved the music and the cliffhangers that made my hairs stood. But past 15ish episode, my interest waned. The writing got sloppy and was all over the place. I think they put a lot of backstory that didn't add any importance to the overall story. If they had to put more of a backstory, I would have preferred to have been the life of Helan and each of Huiyan's incarnations in all the different lifetimes they spent together. After all, this was a story about Helan trying to save Huiyan. They made it look like Pipi was just Pipi and not Huiyan at all. I would have wanted to see Pipi realizing and accepting that she is one and the same to all of her past incarnations. That would have a more dramatic approach. But nope, the show never explained everything. A romance-centered drama turned into a lot of angst and vengeance. Such a shame, truly a shame. If they concentrated on the show's main strength which is the chemistry of both leads, the relationships of the characters, then added a little of mystery, then it probably turned out better.

As for the characters, I've really never liked both Helan and Pipi. Helan was just too one dimensional. And Pipi doesn't have any personality at all. But they have great chemistry and I can't deny that Johnny is such a great actor. I loved the two sidekicks more and their comedic banter, and their complicated yet full of warmth relationship with Xiao Ju. Their scene when they both tried to make Xiao Ju choose was poignant and full of heart. It's not about whom Xiao Ju loved more, it was more than just the romance between a man and a woman. Both of the men became her family. How could she choose between them? And so, I fully support their relationship. They loved each other equally and that made it specially beautiful.

The end of Qian Hua and Zhao Song was too pitiful as well. It actually had more impact than any other emotional scene between the leads. The fact that Qian Hua fell in love with Zhao Song but still chose to help Helan was proof of her honesty, morals and devotion. And the fact that Zhao Song hurt Qian Hua despite being in love with her marked his total descent into darkness. They both ended tragically because they have chosen to. For Qian Hua, it was to save Zhao Song. For Zhao Song, it was to redeem himself and finally be together with his beloved, even if that meant death.

Anyway, like I said, the story had a lot of potential, but prepared to be disappointed if it falls short on your expectations towards the end.

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I am not sure if there is a book behind this story but it seems that it could have been done better if the main actress is replaced. I am not too impressed with her acting/character as it seems to be childish, naive and ignorant. And her expression is either sad or happy.
Although the main lead has a fantastic looking physique; I am more impressed with all the second lead actors and actresses. The whole series were pull together by this group of people.
The story is good. I would love to see more on the background history of the Fox clan, however the focus was on the main lead's story.
It is worth watching just because I like the Vampire's Diary type genre drama.

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It started as a very good drama. I loved the production, the acting, the light humor, and was very excited since the first chapter. I was so enchanted not just by the main lead, but the overall support acting - they were very good! The triangle between Pipi friend and Helan friends was sometimes the best part of an episode. The plot is very rich and interesting at first, and the fox mythology was so creative! But it just got lost in the middle. The ending isn't very good - lots of out of characters decisions at the end, and very suddenly. It could have been a fantastic chinese drama, but in the end it was just a good one.

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I'd be honest here. I decided to give this show a try because the story line was unique and it seemed really promising. Historical Romance that involves reincarnation? I'm in! The chosen leads looked great too. Victoria and Johnny Huang were really great in terms of portraying their roles, and even their expressions, really great actors! Plot-wise also it was not too cheesy and cringey unlike other chinese dramas out there, i'd give it that.

I was really drawn to this drama in the first few episodes, but in the middle of the series, the direction of the drama and the plot line started to lose itself. The plot line was getting all over the place with other unnecessary characters coming in, and inserting scenes that are not even needed at this point. I just continued and watched the drama for the sake of finishing it. I did not get to feel all the feels I expected to get while trying to finish this. oh, and the ending felt rushed as well. They might as well give them a happy reunion or something for the viewers to be happy about but instead it made me ask 'HOW IS THAT AN ENDING?'

The drama had no single memorable OST/Music used, and was really bland in that aspect, which made the drama even more bland than it already is.

and now as I write this review, it made me further realize that nothing was answered in the end. A longer airtime and better scriptwriters would've solve the problem for this drama. But its over. I feel bad that such a beautiful plot idea has been wasted.

Overall, I give this drama a 6/10 as the first half of the series was good enough to deserve a 6, however towards the end, it was really a disappointment.

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