Spoiler free review:

Absolutely loved Novoland Pearl Eclipse..The love story between a master and disciple is handled very well with no cringeworthy or awkward scenes..

The main villain who is not a person plays a crucial role in our main couple loveline throughout the drama..Did they overcome it or not is their story!!!

The 2nd couple story is hate turned to love while the 3rd couple has an adorable love story..

The production is very grand..From costume, set designs, lighting, cinematography everything was just amazing..I especially loved all the soundtracks..The lyrics, the soulful voice were so in sync with the love story of the drama..

The ending of the drama is left to the viewers interpretation which I personally didn't like..But despite that I will definitely highly recommend this drama to everyone..Especially those who love student-teacher, age gap, forbidden, slow burn, girl pursuing guy romance trope..

Since this drama is adapted from the novel I would definitly suggest one to read it once after finishing this drama..They mostly kept the essence of the novel except the love triangle..Also toned down the darkness in it..

For me its a must watch drama!!!

I would suggest to at least try the 1st 14 episodes..Then decide whether to continue it or not..


If you want a detailed review...You can scroll down and read the below one..It has major spoilers..


Detailed review with spoiler:

Let me first say that I rarely watch cdrama due to number of episodes each drama have..No cdrama held my interest in the 1st episode itself like Novoland Pearl Eclipse did..I was hooked from the very 1st episode..Each and every episode were meaningful and not dragging at all..

Coming to the story..Let me divide it couplewise..

Fang Jianming - Haishi:

The love story of FangShi is so beautiful..Haishi was gets rescued by Fang Zhu when she was in a dire situation..He gives her a choice to be either a boy or girl..If girl she don't get eaily life but safety..If boy she gets everything but safety..HS chose to be a boy..She becomes disciple of Fang Zhu..While growing up inadvertently she fall for her shifu..It starts with a crush..So as she ages she silently keeps loving him..Fang Zhu who first didn't want to get married due to him being a baixi ( where one gets blood bonded with another person where they become human amulet for other taking all the hurt and pain) to Emperor couldn't help but fall for Haishi's beauty, character and her boldness..But being her shifu and Emperor's baixi he refuses to confess and right away rejects when she confesses her feelings..They both can't be helped but drawn closer however they resist..After many obstacles Fang Jianming becomes selfish for once and gets married to Haishi in private..But fate had other plan..They had to get separated due to the evil Prince Ji Chang who comes to know that HS is a girl and also him getting poisoned which has no antidote..To protect HS..FJM has no option but give her to Emperor and make her his Consort..First HS was so livid seeing his betrayal..Then she comes to know about baixi and decides to help him to break the bond..Even after all these things she didn't once stop loving her shifu..As she knows he loves her and not cold hearted..When the opportunity arose they both escape and live happily after breaking baixi and getting cured of poison with the help of mermaid..But once again fate was cruel..Emperor and Tilan dies and the new born baby has respiratory problem and FJM left with no option but to become his baixi..They both take responsibility of the kid..HS becomes regent looking after the country and Emperor son..While FJM.after escaping from death once again becomes Fang Zhu and becomes grand master to his best friend Di Xu's son..

Its a bittersweet ending as FangShi can't be together publicly..Continue their affair in private with seemingly no ending of baixi..


What I mainly loved about FangShi love story is the way HS pursued shifu..Usually when a heroine falls in love first and pursue hero..They are clingy, annoying and a doormat..No matter how much the hero insults they still beg them to love but here that's not the case..When FJM rejects Haishi's confession..She does fight and question him for giving her mixed signals but don't beg him to love back..She silently loves him and goes on to to do her job..Showed how strong she is!!!

Emperor Di Xu - Tilan:

Emperor Di Xu loved Zizian so much..She was his one true love..After her death he become depressed so much..Zizian father decided to marry his other daughter Tilan to maintain peace..DX gets shocked to the core seeing she is a lookalike of his dead wife..He then keeps torturing her..Tilan being nice, kind girl..Tries her best to be patient with him and takes all the cruel things Emperor does to her..Even **** her..After a while she couldn't take his cruelty and snaps..Eventually he comes to his sane condition after taking advice from Haishi and starts behaving well with Tilan..And falls for her..They live happily and tho at first her body becomes weak due to birth control concoction she becomes pregnant..They live happily for a while..But Suolan who is brother of Tilan had other plans..He masterminds a rebellion and in that battle Emperor and Tilan both dies..Leaving their son on the hands of FJM..

The only problem I had with XuLan love is that Emperor crossed the line and **** her..If he didn't then it could have been one of the best hate turned to love story..

Zhouying - Zhe Liu:

Zhouying was recued by Fang Zhu and becomes disciple of him..He sees ZL and falls in love..ZY loves her secretly without showing his face..But due to a massacre by poisoning in Fabric Office where ZL works, she loses her eyesight..Even then he loves her deeply..But fate has other choice..ZY belongs to Huku tribe..He is destined to become King of his tribe and maintain peace with Dazheng..So Shifu asks ZL to fake taking her own life..After knowing ZL died ZY gets heartbroken but does what his shifu asks..He joins right tribe and gets married to Tara for political reasons..While ZL in hiding keeps being a spy..After ZY defeats his brother, reunites the Huku tribes and become King..ZL finds ZY after that and they get reunited and gets their HE..

I really loved their love story..It was cute and adorable..

Fang Jiangming - Emperor Di Xu:

I absolutely loved their friendhsip bonding..DX never wanted FJM to become his baixi..But FJM did that on his own during Prince Yi rebellion..As due to him DX lost Zizian and their unborn child..And also he had no one else but DX his best friend..He couldn't afford to lose him..So he did baixi to save him..Time and again DX wanted to break baixi but FJM clearly refused as he was scared he might take his own life..Now due to baixi he can't..As if he did its FJM who will die first..Tho initially Emperor is cruel to FJM due to taking away his rights to live or die, he with time becomes his old self..Throughout the drama we see how much he cares for FJM..So when FJM asks to break baixi bond as he is in love he becomes ecstatic and ready to do it..But instead was forced to make FJM lover HS his Consort on his request..When he gets another chance to break the baixi bond..He does it..And grants FJM wish to leave the palace and live somewhere else..Even tho he knew he gonna lose his friend and a brilliant officer he does it happily for him..In the end when DX dies..FJM once again ready to become his baixi and save him..But he refuses and asks him to take care of his kid..Which FJM does by becoming Prince Weiyun baixi..

Zhouying - Haishi:

I absolutely love their siblings bonding..The way how ZY always takes care of HS..Even both playing cupid to each other love..Their relationship was heartwarming and one of the best..


Haishi - Tilan:

They defined sisterhood..Tilan from not disclosing that Haishi is a girl to helping and comforting her when she becomes new consort..Always understanding and supportive..Loved their bonding..

Emperor - Eunuch Mu:

Their bonding is beautiful too..Initially they brought out the humor in the drama..And till ending Mu remained loyal to him..

Villains:

From Su Ming, Duoluo,fake Princess, Prince Ji Chang and the mastermind Suolan and his father..They all played their role well..Especially JC being fake was one of the shocking twist..

But for me baixi is the main villain in this story..Sadly it was not defeated..

Production, Costumes and Soundtracks:

The production is of high value..The drama looks likes its a movie..Costumes were so beautiful..Be it for actor or actress..Elegant..Its very rare for a drama to have all its OST to be amazing..But this drama has that..They are both soulful and touching with beautiful lyrics..

Acting:

Yang Mi:

She lived as Haishi..From a teen crushing on her shifu, girl in unrequited love, warrior, Imperial Guard, girl in requited love, as a boy in disguise, being a women forced to become Consort and later to becoming Empress..She nailed all the roles to perfection..

Willaim Chan:

He was the most misunderstood actor and character in the drama..For me he portrayed the role of shifu to perfection..A coldhearted person who shows no emotion..People who claim that he should have shown micro expressions through his eyes..I totally disagree..He should be a statue to show in difference..As people usually read others through eyes only..Its a give away..So being a person who shows no emotion, then in flashback being a carefree teenager, then a guy in love showing vulnerability, a warrior, a strategist, being hopelessly and happily in love, a guy in mask, then giving into fate..He nailed all these role to perfection..

Xu Kai Cheng:

From being a ruthless Emperor, to a guy hopelessly in love, then being depressed, warrior, fun loving person, a bipolar person, then coming out of depression and falling in love again..XKC portrayed all these roles amazingly..

Chen Xiao Yun:

For Tilan from being a naive, kindhearted girl..To when a situation arise standing up for herself and then showing empathy to Emperor, girl in love..

For Zizian..Girl who loves her hubby deeply..

All were portrayed beautifully by her..We can clearly see how both roles where different.

Wang Sen:

WS portrayed the double role amazingly..The evil DL and kind ZY, as a loving brother, as a loyal disciple, guy who lost his love, a guy who got everything in the end..All were portrayed very well..

Yuan Yu Xuan:

From being young naive girl to becoming a smart and intelligent spy who lost her eyesight..She absolutely slayed the role..

Chemistry:

YM & WC:

FangShi being my most favorite..I loved their chemistry the most..For me their chemistry was understated yet lit..Understandable due to shifu-student relationship..Also due to shifu being a pursued one rather than the pursuer..Totally get them..

XKC & CXY:

I loved DX - Zizian couple chemistry more..Tilan one was good too..

WS & YYX:

Their chemistry was beautiful and I loved them too..

One of the rarest of rare drama where in loved all couples in a cdrama..

My take on the ending:

Yes..I am happy Fang Jianming survived..But what's make me unhappy is that baixi returned..And its back to where the drama started..He becoming Fang Zhu and hiding his face with mask..

And even if FangShi had kids..Publicly they can't acknowledge them..And if HS has a son now..It would be known as Emperor son..Given how Weiyun is alive..In future its highly possible that FangShi son might become baixi to him too..So yes..I am highly disappointed with the ending..Its an open ending for me..

But nevertheless..I thoroughly enjoyed all the 48 episodes..Its the journey whats that matter..Like looking for new episodes daily..Discussing about the drama..And fangirling over FangShi..It was an amazing experience!!! So I will highly recommend this drama!!!

Reduced 0.5 ratings for story and rewatch value coz of the ending..

To those who are skeptical..Don't..Just try it for yourself till episode 14..If even then you don't find this drama interesting enough then this is not for you..

P.S: This is my first time reviewing a drama..No idea how its done too..So ignore any grammatical and typo error..Also feedback is appreciated..