Excellent Story
This drama weaves in a number of subplots but at its heart it is a story of love surviving anything, including death. There are two sets of couples, one being the primary and the other is secondary. The first is Bai Quian, the Queen of the Fox tribe and Ye Hua, the crown prince of the Celestial Tribe. Our second couple is Feng Jiu, the niece of Bai Quian, and Dong Hua, an ancient deity from prehistoric times (compare to Greek primordial deity).This series has three major arcs:
Kunlan/Su Yin
In this arc Bai Quian is still a young immortal (about 20,000 years old) and disguises herself as a boy 'Su Yin' in order to train under the God of War & Music, Mo Yuan. She grows a lot and experiences a number of painful events that contribute to her growth.
The pivotal plot points of this arc center on the conflict between the Celestial Tribe and the Ghost Tribe. As an act of good faith, Mo Yuan created a bell and gifted it to the ghost tribe. This bell has the power to swallow up the whole world in hell fire, destroying everything, including deities (this occurs before the show starts). Unfortunately, the Ghost emperor uses it when he triggers a war. While the Ghost emperor is sealed in the bell, only a powerful god can stop the bells destructive path. Mo Yuan sacrifices his life to seal him in the bell and his soul is split into thousands of pieces (hindering him from even reincarnating).
Later, Bai Quian who knows the secret of the bell (that it will run out) re-seals the emperor but he curses her to live in the mortal realm, as a human, with no memories.
Mortal World/Su Su Bai Quian lives her quietly until she saves an injured Ye Hua. Ye Hua falls in love with her, gives her the name of Su Su, and they marry. But through a series of tragic events a number of misunderstandings arise between them. After giving birth to their child Su Su leaps to her death.
Heaven/Bai Quian
She has her memories back and has ascended to high goddess--apparently this was her trial (the love trial) to become a goddess. Filled with depression, she drinks a potion that erases her memories as a mortal. Ye Hua encounters her and immediately recognizes her as Su Su.
Important Arc that is a step below primary in terms of screen time/importance:
Feng Jiu & Dong Hua 'Repaying a Kindness'
Dong Hua saves her life, Feng Jiu seeks to repay his kindness. She enters his mansion as a servant and causes a number of mishaps in her heart felt (but clumsy) attempts to pay him back. She falls in love with him.
'The Mortal Emperor' Dong Hua chooses to experience the bitterness of being mortal and chooses to live a lifetime as a mortal. He is born an emperor. He plans ahead for Feng Jiu to help him with his love trial (experience the pain of heartbreak/betrayal). He does it to entertain her dream of being his consort, something which he says he cannot do as a deity.
'The Invulnerable God'
Feng Jiu is hopelessly in love with Dong Hua but he coldly rejects her time and time again, making it clear that he cannot entertain a relationship. If you want to know why, watch the show.
SUB PLOTS Li Jing & Xuan Nu Xuan Nu is Bai Quian's cousin. She falls in love with Li Jing (who becomes emperor after his father is sealed away). She chases after him, but he only has eyes for Bai Quian. Nevertheless they are married. She is filled with envy for her cousin and has very low self esteem.
Si Jin
YH's foster sister, who is a primary antagonist in the story. She is in love with Ye Hua and is willing to do anything to have him, including sabotaging his relationships. She is very clever and manipulative and appears nice.
Mo Yuan
Much of the series follows trying to resurrect him, figure out where his body went, and learn the identity of his disciple, Su Yin.
The Mermaid Clan A proud warrior clan that rebelled with the ghost clan during the epic war. They start another war later.
The Celestial Emperor
A rigid thinker whose ambition for his grandson, Ye Hua, causes a lot of problems.
There are other subplots but these are the ones that come to mind.
CONS
The CGI is not good PROS The sets and costumes are beautiful. The acting is great.
Side Note: This is based off a novel that has come under fire for being plagiarized. However, this is an issue that is almost impossible to address in China as their laws are different and it was copied from a boys love/gay novel which is considered taboo in China. It's sequel, the pillow book, was not, and follows the relationship of Dong Hua and Feng Jiu.
score 10/10
jossej 10 April 2017
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3682004/14733
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