Love Game In Eastern Fantasy
Cast: Ding Yuxi (Mu Sheng), Esther Yu (Ling Miaomiao/Lin Yu), Zhu Xudan (Mu Yao), Yang Shi Ze (Liu Fuyi), Gillian Chung (Goddess Mei), Xu Hai Qiao (Marquis Xing Yi), Lu Yu Hao (Cui Cui), Morning Chang (Wen Xin/ Lu Huai An, Liu Fuyi’s master), Bao Jian Feng (Mu Yao’s father), Wen Zheng Rong (Consort Dowager Zhao), Hai Lu (Fox Demon), Yu Meng Long (Fox Demon’s husband), Wang Xiao Chen (Fei Demon), Fei Qi Ming (Zhao Ruo Shi/Marquis Xing Yi’s son)
Director: Zhao Yi Long
Producer: Wang Yi Xu, Kennedy Xu
Production House: Tencent Penguin Videos, Stellar Media
Platform: Netflix
Screenplay: Bai Jin Jin
Based On: The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus by Bai Yu Zhai Diao Gong
Release Date: 1st Nov 2024
Ling Miaomiao gets absorbed into a game based on a novel written by her favourite author and her only way out is to complete the game. She is assigned the role of Lin Yu, the villainess, which is very different from her real life character and gets tasked to make the villain, Mu Sheng fall in love with her. Not easy, considering MuSheng’s initial impression of her is nosy, suspicious and irritating….
The game showcases a world where Humans and Demons are constantly at odds with each other. This, largely due to mistrust, fear and misunderstandings regarding each other’s nature. While the actual truth is that the war is encouraged by a select few so that demons can be hunted for their potency to make various talismans and be used in dark magic.
Mu Sheng is the devoted younger brother of Mu Yao. The Mu’s are a reputed family, renowned to be demon catchers for several generations. The Mu family were slaughtered by the resentful Woman, who is the queen of demons. The siblings then begin their journey to find her and avenge their family. Along the way, they meet Liu Fuyi: another renowned demon catcher with a background shrouded in mystery, Lin Yu: the daughter of a rich government official on an assignment capturing a mirror demon and Cui Cui: a young bamboo shoot demon searching for his 900 year grandfather.
We get into the core of the plot only when the quintet reach the imperial capital. At the capital, strange things are afoot. The tragedy at the Xingshan Hall where hundreds died in a fire occupies centerpoint in this arc, leading to some answers and then some questions. The Astronomical Bureau, the official government body specialising in demon catching, is housed in the capital. They are the caretakers of Crescent, the weapon which will be wielded by The Legendary Demon Catcher who is also prophesied to prevent doomsday caused by the demon queen.
Love Game has good vfx, amazing costumes, unique and complicated hairdos (in a nice way), the demons look fanciful rather than scary and we have really good cinematography as is seen in most Chinese mystical dramas.
As the show progresses Mu Sheng/Ziqi’s feelings also evolve for Lin Yu/Ling Miao Miao.The initial interactions between the leads are especially hilarious, where Ling MiaoMiao gets killed multiple times attempting to complete the tasks. Till she transitions from the beginner level where she is tasked with making Mu Sheng, fall in love with her. The leads don’t immediately fall for each other, and their interactions are not always romantic though they do have their own unique brand of flirting. We have cute dust demons on the side giving system updates regarding the progress in their relationship.
We have a solid plot with fast paced storytelling. Thankfully, the drama does not spend too much time in the dramatics, but, being a drama, expect: tears, declarations of friendship and love, loyalty, sticking up for each other, heroism, self sacrifice etc. Though there is good suspense that is held with strategic plot reveals at different points in the story, towards the end, the reveals tend to be plot heavy leaving us with a slightly ambiguous ending that could have been dealt with and explained better.
The plot twists are good, revealing a tragic past that is better left unexplored but inevitable in confrontation. I liked the actor who played Weixian, he had quirks and mannerisms that make an old coot like him really likeable.
Regarding the Leads…
Esther Yu, the actress who plays Ling MiaoMiao is pretty and vivacious, though her child-like attitude is too over the top. This is a constant in almost all the roles she plays. An example being Love Between Fairy and Devil, another mythical drama. Indeed, I like her better when her acting is more sombre.
Mu sheng, played by Ding Yuxi Is a deep feeling character. Deeply emotional, possessive and fanatically protective.
It’s not the first where the main girl enters an alternate reality or game as a villainess and then becomes the lead. We have popular anime: My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom and The Romance of Tiger and Rose among others. The latter, where Ding Yuxi, himself plays the male lead.
Love Game In Eastern Fantasy also touches upon the principle of ying and yang; Bad in good and Good in Bad, not all is good and not all is bad. Or that sometimes people are just grey…
