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Love and Redemption: Spoiler-Free Mini Review

Jul 19
3 min read

Updated: Sep 19

Love and Redemption Poster with Yuan Bingyan and Cheng Yi

Title:

Love and Redemption (2020)

Platform:

Viki, Youku, IQIYI, Youtube (free),

MDL & Douban Rating:

8.6 & 7.5

Genre:

Xianxia, Period Romance, Fantasy, Action

Episode Count:

59

Parental Guidance Rating:

PG-13: Violence, Classic spitting of blood, An abusive relationship depicted (not leads), Assault alluded to-- the whole show is very dramatic but within the PG-13 realm.

Starring:

Cheng Yi (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

Yuan Bing Yan (Ever Night)

Liu Xue Yi (Kill Me, Love Me)

Zhang Yu Xi (Deep Affectionate Eyes)

RBTS Rating:

7.3/10 Stars: If you're not into angst or high fantasy, this romance might be a skip. But the leads actually have chemistry and the story gets better as it goes along.



Synopsis:

A thousand years since the battle between the demons and heavens took place, the souls of the Star of Mosha and the God of War are sent to the mortal realm to serve penance. In the mortal realm, Chu Xuan Ji, daughter of the Shaoyang Sect Leader, is deprived of her six senses. At a tournament, she meets Yu Si Feng, a skilled disciple of Lize Palace who was born on thesame day as her, and the two develop a friendship. Promising to meet again, Si Feng returns to his sect, where he is punished for breaking the rules and forced to wear a mask that could potentially harm his life, while Xuan Ji leaves her home to train in martial arts. Four years later, their destinies intertwine anew. While traveling together, recovered memories from their past lives surface, revealing secrets and conspiracies involving themselves and the three realms; demon, heavenly, and mortal. These revelations have a profound impact on their relationship, creating an imbalance in all three realms. @MDL



Spoiler-Free Mini Review:

Love and Redemption is one of those rare Xianxia plots where it truly gets better the more it goes on. The chemistry, the character growth, the lore; You really have to let it cook for much longer than you expect. And yes, that includes coming to terms with a very toddler-esque female lead. I'm tired of Xianxia infanilizing female characters and this is no expection. But again, she does improve. With everyone stuck at home during the pandemic , the drama became a massive hit upon relief, which is surprising considering it's a Xianxia. It's ranked fourth on MDL for the genre.


Is it a Xianxia without an ill-fitting and cumbersome mask?


The plot, as expected from a Xianxia, is so crazy. We've got surprise gender-bending, obssesive suitors, the noble idiot, and a niave star crossed female lead. The first half was a bit rough for me, which is insane to say when it amounts to 29 episodes (lol), and I did NOT care for the FL's sister's (2FL) character or acting, nor her loveline. The drama also felt WAY too long, but that's just how it is.


This is the only time I've felt like Cheng Yi had chemistry with his female lead.


Overall, I enjoyed this, especially for a Xianxia, but if you are not down for the angst, repetitiveness, whimsy, and downright childishness, I wouldn't recommend. Oh, and the excessive blood spitting.


Don't expect to see the female lead actress (also known as Crystal Yuan) anytime soon. Unfortunately, she was banned from acting in China for tax evasion after an investigation in 2023. She had four dramas awaiting release at the time, and they were either permanently shelved by platforms or they CGI'd another actress in her place. Bottom Line: She can no longer work as an actress in China.


This is diabolical, I know. But I couldn't help myself. But also Actors please pay your taxes! And don't be in scandals.
This is diabolical, I know. But I couldn't help myself. But also Actors please pay your taxes! And don't be in scandals.

Love and Redemption C-Drama cast poster

Story=3.5, Acting=2.75, Production Quality=3, Rewatch Value=3.75, Ending=3.75, Enjoyability= 3.75


Trailer:


Screenwriter: #LiuFang (Love of the Divine Tree, Mysterious Lotus Casebook, The Last immortal)


*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used on this blog. All images belong to their respective copyright holders and are used for commentary and review purposes. All reviews, opinions, and statements expressed on this blog are my own and are intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. They reflect my personal thoughts and interpretations and should not be considered as factual.



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