It is 1940s China, Si Teng, the most feared and powerful of all plant-alien hybrids is suddenly killed in a fabric warehouse of Shanghai. Her remains are smuggled away by a mysterious figure and buried in the the depths of a Tibetan forest. 80 years later, she is reawakened by a seemingly ordinary Qing Fang, whom she enslaves to help her survive in this strange new world. As Si Teng travels through the country, looking for another of herself, a hunter is closing in on their heels.
like a huge collision between timelines and ideas, the declining past with its traditions and way of dress which is now invading your present. it’s like if you blend supernatural, science fiction, elements of historical, mystery and finally horror into a super weird magical realism soup which you’re on the brink of hating because it’s has so many flavours but at the same time, you end up loving precisely because it’s so weird.
o⃣u⃣t⃣ o⃣ f⃣ t⃣ e⃣ n⃣
𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 8/10
𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 8/10
𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 9/10
𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 7/10
𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 8/𝟙𝟘
o⃣u⃣t⃣ o⃣ f⃣ f⃣ i⃣v⃣ e⃣
𝖍𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝖌𝖊𝖒 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - 💎💎💎💎💎
[ this was such a unique and cool drama, it absolutely deserves five gems. I have never seen anything like it. absolutely iconic. like, plant aliens instead of cultivators? genius. ]
𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - ✨✨✨✨
[ its the perfect length and the producers scripted this so well, si teng’s character was far ahead the game all through the drama. its gonna be like rediscovering a gold mine rewatching it for a second time ]
‘keep reading’ for detailed review
This drama, okay, this drama was so wild. So wild. it broke all the cliques and it did it so well. I remember watching the first episode of this drama and being literally so confused at what genre it could possibly fall into because it was that wild, but it honestly was such a fun ride.
𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 8
The mystery plot in this drama is absolutely on point- Si Teng’s motives and origins were revealed so beautifully, it hits the spot so good- not to mention that the whole concept of the 1930s is so unique. Not only did it serve the purpose of the plot well, but it also added a really unique mood to the drama. It really borrowed the dark murder mystery vibe and the inner turmoil of the timer period, and really conveyed the sense that things that are dead aren’t really ever buried and gone.
In some parts, the plot dragged, but it’s not a huge problem. However, my biggest peeve was the ending. The pace of the drama was going great until the last two or three episodes where they decided to introduce a little side-plot last minute in order to bring the leads together. And even with a less-than-relevant side plot dedicated to this, they still didn’t manage to do it in a smooth way.
I loved the idea of plant-alien hybrids. It was a pretty cool change from the classic ‘plant/animal spirit falls in love with human’ trope. Besides from being so unique, the idea of mutated plants also made the whole drama slightly more feasible and sensible from a modern stance.
𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 9
The characters were *chefs kiss*, I love the dynamics between the characters especially, and I really loved how in-depth many of them were.
Si Teng’s character and development was super rich and super enjoyable to watch. Her morals and her backstory were fleshed out really well- and her personality. For most of the drama her motives were pretty much hidden away and very obscure, but it served the mystery aspect well. Her personality is so so cool and she has so much expression and so much depth and- she's just so cool T-T.
Her dynamic with Qin Fang is also super sweet and super funny. I think their actors’ chemistry works very well, so no need to panic friends! Qin Fang was so selfless, however, he has very little backstory in comparison to Si Teng making him a bit of an empty character. Although it serves as a motive for his love for Si Teng, if felt like it was a bit lazy as well as cliché of the screenwriter to just shove the whole of their chemistry on the fact that oh, they were ‘destined’ for each other.
I also adored the character Yan Furui, I think he was written very well and is a very authentic character. He is kinda pushed around by the other characters, but oh god he is so funny and has a heart of gold, so what is there to hate?
𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 8
Zhang Binbin was great as Qin Fang, he was natural and very authentic, somehow even when he was being melodramatic. He was like a little bunny rabbit and his chemistry with Jing Tian was good as well. AND OMG- Jing Tian played Si Teng so so well, she embodied her grace and mannerisms perfectly. I have no complaints for this queen. I would praise her further, but that will mean spoilers, so I will just leave it saying that guys, her duality is FIRE.
Oh, also, the child actors! The child actors in this drama are incredible. Absolutely incredible, they acted so so so well. Just look at these little kids T-T
𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 7
The production was gorgeous, the views, the scenery and also the buildings were absolutely beautiful, wild and unrestrained. The music was gorgeous too and really suited the drama's mood and tone. The qipaos, the styling and the inclusion of traditional Chinese opera- (which also served to make it extra creepy)-
And then. SI TENG’S OUTFITS. They stole the show, like COMPLETELY stole the show. They were absolutely gorgeous and were the perfect blend between fantasy plant girl and modern clothing. It reflected her personality and suited her character immensely.
The visuals were great, but then it came to the sound. The sound was a little bit patchy, and sometimes the music would be louder than the character’s speech which was annoyed me though I got used to it after a while. My first impression of the cgi was not amazing either. But on reflection, the last drama I watched with cgi was ancient love poetry and their cgi was crazy brilliant, so I’d say the cgi is bearable, especially with their budget.
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and now... my favourite part....!
✨ 𝖋𝖆𝖛𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 ✨
si teng [ she was so cooooool, I love her so much aksjsjsjsjs. she was the perfect balance between cold and powerful yet vulnerable and soft. and guys- her fashion sense omg]
yan furui [omg this man, he was so lovable and so funny, everything he did was funny- I couldn’t help but laugh every time he appeared. although he was mostly comic relief, he was a really enjoyable and realistic character, his humour was super down to earth]
wafang [I love this little kid T-T, he’s a gonna grow up to be a legend just like his master/dad yan furui]
