There’s so many things I want to talk about - it is too overwhelming! As a fan of the novel myself, I would say this show was definitely not a disappointment! But it was not something I was extremely satisfied with either. I’d like to first focus on the acting - Dilireba and Gao Weiguang nailed it. They reprised their roles so well; I can proclaim with conviction that no one other than the two of them are suited to play the roles of Bai Fengjiu and Donghua Dijun respectively. It was like they were born to do this. The chemistry between the two of them was flawless, interactions were extremely engaging - suddenly I don’t know whether it’s Donghua’s character in particular that made it so fun, or Fengjiu’s reactions to him, or was it their acting... but all in all, it’s something that brings colour to the screen and warmth to your hearts.

Other than the leads, I think generally everyone else was okay, not exactly super fantastic, but definitely watchable. However there were one or two minor characters who really bothered me with their acting - I shall not name, but it was very painful to watch them on screen, hence I brought the acting down to a 9.0.

For the story line, I actually really love it. Like all Chinese fantasy dramas, it is dramatic, and I’m a sucker for that. It generally followed the flow of the novel, so I’m pretty satisfied with that. Some minor details changed here and there, but don’t let it bother you. The story is actually rather intense, but there were many light-hearted moments too, so it balances out pretty well. Don’t worry! It’s not really a show that will drive you to the wall (like palace dramas haha), so just relax and enjoy everything.

The music was good. I personally enjoyed it. But you know, having heard TMOPB’s iconic ending song for so many times, I couldn’t help but expect an OST that would shake the charts. There wasn’t any that was up to that level unfortunately, but that’s alright! The music is still enjoyable nonetheless, shoutout to Zhang Bichen!

Now I’ll briefly talk about the production of the show. Like many others, I’ve watched TMPOB and I had high expectations for ELOD, since it was a so-called sequel to that. But I was disappointed with the production of the show. When I look back, everything felt rushed. It wasn’t the story that was rushed (ok other than the last few episodes which literally flew by so quick... they could’ve taken it slower!!!), it was the production value. Filming was quite sloppy - very often the camera was shaky. CGI was also awkward, but then again that’s Chinese fantasy dramas for you - we can’t expect Hollywood CGI or something. I guess this is actually a pretty minor point, but just wanted to point it out.

Overall, this show was definitely fun and didn’t disappoint me at all. Other than the production value, I think everything was amazing. Now would in watch this again? Definitely, but not all parts. I still go back occasionally to rewatch some cute scenes between the leads. It’s really enjoyable, I cannot help but want to watch it over and over again. I might be a little biased because I absolutely adore the DongFeng couple, but I really really hope I can convince you to give this show a shot.