Eternal Love (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms): Spoiler-Free Review
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
Title: | Eternal Love (2017) 三生三世十里桃花 (Also Known As: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) |
Platform: | Viki, iQIYI, Youtube (free), Netflix |
MDL Rating: | |
Genre: | Xianxia (High Fantasy), Romance |
Episode Count: | 58 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: Blood, Violence, General Xianxia mayhem, more steamy makeout scenes |
Staring: | Yang Mi (This Thriving Land) Mark Chao (Loving Strangers) Gao Wei Guang (Snowfall) Dilraba Dilmurat (The Longest Ballad) |
RBTS Rating: | 3.5/5 Stars (THE quintessential Xianxia whose popularity cemented the genre template of mortal trials, love throughout lifetimes, and many dramatic misunderstandings.)  |
Synopsis:
The Nine-tailed Fox Bai Qian, the youngest daughter of the Fox King, is brought to Kunlun Mountain to become a disciple of the God of War, Mo Yuan. While studying there, a war breaks out that leads to Mo Yuan sacrificing his life to seal a demon lord. Seventy thousand years later, Bai Qian attempts to also sacrifice herself to re-seal the demon lord but is instead thrown to the mortal realm where she loses all her memories and divine power. Living alone on a remote mountain, Bai Qian saves Crown Prince Ye Hua of the Nine Heavens, who is actually her fiancé in Heaven and greatly resembles the late Mo Yuan. The two start falling in love, not knowing the true identity of the other person and their love tribulation that involves them meeting in three different lives and three worlds.
Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Boasting over 50 billion views, Eternal Love is the most popular Xianxia of all time. It reinvented the blueprint for modern day high fantasy stories with its depictions of the the Heavenly Realm, making love over lifetimes and mortal trial arcs new hallmarks of the genre. The drama takes itself seriously, which has gotten lost in many of today's Xianxia's, such as the popular Love Between Fairy and Devil. There is no winking at the camera, or silly frills; the story instead uses mythology to create interesting immortal characters rooted in the folklore, not just for the sake of being whimsical and dressing up to get a pretty picture. The world building excelled in creating a harsh atmosphere that felt familiar in its political and family struggles, but it just happens to be magical. The story is complex with real stakes, tangled politics, and a whole lot of melodrama.
Now that I've just waxed poetic about how serious the drama is, file that information away, and remember it is still a Xianxia. Be prepared for store bought icing-- the fluff is still thick. We're still dealing with a structure that invovles foxes, demons, and the all the rest. It's just in comparison, especially within the last five years, the Xianxia's coming out have been silly photoshoots with the barest whipser of narrative.
As for the romance, I really did not care for Ye Hua. Never liked him, but Mark Chao (ML) saved it with his portrayal. And this is a RARE W for Yang Mi. I don't know what happened to her acting afterwards...
I did have some issues with the drama: Bai Feng Jiu was such an annoying character. I wish her and Dong Hua's storyline had been omitted, because I skipped almost all of their parts. My fast forward button was afraid to see me coming. I must be in the minority on this because these characters were given a spinoff sequel titled: Eternal Love of Dream. Love and Destiny (2019) is another spin-off set in the same world, but is not a direct sequel or prequel.
I didn't love how naive some of the female characters were: looking at you especially Bai Feng Jiu. Bai Qian and Su Su had there fair shake of the toddler heroine syndrome, but at least they were given growth. There were also too many misunderstandings and the plot was repetitive at times.
If you enjoy high fantasy, a tangled romance, and don't mind miscommunication, I would recommend Eternal Love.
Lastly, shout out to Maggie Huang who played Su Jin. I don't think I've EVER despised a character more. She really did her thing. And kudos to Mark Chao's luscious wig.
Story=3.5, Acting=3.5, Production Quality=3.5, Rewatch Value=3.75, Ending=3.5, Enjoyability= 3.75
Trailer:
Director: #LamYukFan (The First Jasmine, Love and Destiny, The Demon Hunter's Romance)
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