- Drama Title: Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
- Also Known As: 永夜星河, The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus, Black Lotus Strategy Manual, Eternal Night Galaxy, Eternal Night of Star River, Yong Ye Xing He, Hei Lian Hua Gong Lue Shou Ce
- Director: Zhao Yi Long
- Cast: Esther Yu, Ding Yu Xi, Zhu Xu Dan, Yang Shi Ze
- Screenwriter: Bai Jin Jin
- Genres: Fantasy, Romance
- Number of Episodes: 32
- Date of Release: November 1, 2024
- Original Network: Tencent Video
- Where to Watch: WeTV, Tencent Video, Netflix, Viki
- Adapted from the web novel: “The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus” by Bai Yu Zhai Diao Gong
Dear readers… some update in my ordinary life. As you all know, I am not a good cook and I rarely did. But I enjoy watching people cook all kinds of food. The last video of my YouTube history is about two elderly couples cooking in the village of Azerbaijan.
Anyway, I found another genre that attracted me: Korean Mukbang Show. However, I’ve watched a lot of channels, and the one that interested me was only one, it’s Tzuyang’s channel. This young lady is certainly a big eater. But I love her because she was so sweet and kind to everyone she met.
So, this is a post about the latest idol period drama that I’m addicted to. I’m so excited to tell you about it. Well, I give you the review of Love Game in the Eastern Fantasy. Enjoy the post!
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Synopsis
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is a Chinese fantasy drama, with 32 episodes and released in November 2024. Ling Miao Miao traveled to a parallel world based on a fantasy novel called Catching Demons after she wrote a bad review on the Internet. The system in her head told Ling Miao Miao that if she wanted to return to her own world, she had to follow the story and complete tasks.
It would be all right if it weren’t for the fact that Ling Miao Miao is transported into the body of Lin Yu, the villainous supporting character in the novel. Besides, she has to accomplish a difficult task, making Mu Sheng fall in love with her. It was no small feat. Mu Sheng is a ruthless villain, and the impression he had of her was a -200% likeability rating.
To follow the story, Ling Miao Miao joined Mu Yao, Mu Sheng and Liu Fu Yi on their journey around the world to catch demons. Ling Miao Miao must use her creativity and her memory of the novel’s plot to survive and kill the Demon Queen.
Being with her through thick and thin has changed Mu Sheng’s perspective on Ling Miao Miao. Together they move forward and resolve the animosity between humans and demons. They rewrite the ending and save the world.
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Drama Review
Before we begin, you should understand the world of the fantasy book. The world in Catching Demons is a world full of people, animals, plants, and demons. However, humans and demons were on opposite sides. Therefore, some professionals are specializing in catching demons.
Demon catchers were cultivators with supernatural powers. There were different levels of demon catchers. The highest level was Heavenly Demon Catchers.
For demons, there were levels as well. The lowest one is like a dust demon, which you will find a lot of times, because they often appear in the form of a percentage. Meantime, the highest one is the level 9 demons. The higher the level of demons, the harder it is to defeat them. Only a few cultivators have encountered higher-level demons.
Ok, back to the review.
It’s been a long time since I found a fantasy drama that satisfied me in all aspects, and the last one is Love Between Fairy and Evil. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy has a heartwarming story, cast acting is top notch, chemistry was excellent, and visually stunning sets and cinematography, gorgeous costumes, and perfect CGI. There was nothing wrong with this drama except for the confusing ending.
Dear readers, the thing that made me love Cdramaland is that it has a wide variety of story plots. I’ve been venturing into Chinese fantasy land of dramas and novels for years, and it’s far from enough. Of course, you could always find some typical common patterns that you could easily guess. But the main idea was varied and creative. Compared with Western writers, Chinese writers’ imagination is in a different dimension.
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is an idol period drama that you mustn’t miss. Some people might think that the plot seems absurd. Well, when you start watching the first episode, you have entered a rabbit hole. So I suggest you keep your mind as open as possible, nothing is impossible here. And if you don’t like Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, don’t worry. This website is full of drama reviews, I am sure you could find the best one for you.
Sorry for this intrusive promotion…😆😆
The Engaging Story
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is not only about love and romance, but also a story about friendship. It begins with Ling Miao Miao’s disappointment in Fu Zhou’s latest novel, Chasing Demons. Fu Zhou is her favorite author and she loves to read his works over and over again.
But today, Ling Miao Miao is having a terrible day. Her weekend has been snatched away by her boss. She and her colleague had to go to the office for a meeting and were scolded by him. Her misfortune did not stop there. Chasing Demons was not what she expected.
The story didn’t make sense, the ending was bad, and every character has an unhappy life. So her disappointment was doubled and she took it out on the review comment. And somehow she unlocked a magic and Lin Miao Miao was sucked into the screen.
This also happened in Song Yi Ren’s drama Different Princess. Both of them were magically absorbed into their computer screens, and woke up in a completely different place from their modern day. But there was a big difference between the two dramas. Hua Qing Ge in Different Princess is a writer, while Ling Miao Miao is a reader. However, what was interesting was that both dramas mentioned bad reviews for the novels.
The bad ending of Hua Qing Ge’s novel was so disappointing that the reader began to curse her. The reader’s enmity level activated a mysterious system and transported her into the novel. If Hua Qing Ge couldn’t change the ending, the plot would backfire on her. Meanwhile, Ling Miao Miao was disappointed with the story of the novel and wrote a bad review, criticizing the plot and the author.
If I wrote a bad review of Dylan Wang’s drama, would I be sucked into a parallel world like Ling Miao Miao? Ha ha.. Just kidding!😂
The beginning of the story was a bit confusing, I was wondering if Ling Miao Miao was moved to a world in a book or a game. Because the opening credits showed that it was a game, and in the first episode, Ling Miao Miao could respawn after she died. However, as the story went on, it did not matter to me anymore. In the end, I just overlooked the game and firmly believed that Ling Miao Miao was just moved to a world within a book.
I enjoy the good acting done by our main cast. The comedy was done well enough. I laughed out loud in many scenes, especially in the first half of the drama because the second half was a bit full of emotional scenes. In the first episode, you got an end credit scene in the middle of the episode because Ling Miao Miao was struck by lightning and died. 😂
I also have a lot of favorite scenes in this drama. The first one was in the 3rd episode, when Ling Miao Miao saw the Dust Demon for the first time. This little mushroom demon reminded me of the soot sprites in Spirited Away.
But that was not the only thing that made me fall in love with this movie. There were many touching scenes in this drama. I shed my first tears when Ling Miao Miao saw Lin Yu’s father for the first time. He resembled Ling Miao Miao’s late father. When she jumps into his arms, Esther Yu portrays a daughter who misses her father very much.
I understand this feeling from the bottom of my heart. Later, I cried a lot more, especially during Zi Qi’s scenes. This character carried so much sadness in his heart despite his tough appearance.
The story flows quickly, but later it slows down in the middle and ends abruptly. I was quite bored when they arrived in the capital. I was able to figure out the Dowager Dowager Zhao’s plot. I could also guess the relationship between Zi Qi and Zhao Ruo Shi. It seemed that the plot was quite simple for me who had been wandering in Cdramaland for years.
Even though the Love Game in Eastern Fantasy drama seemed to be purely for enjoyment for all of us, there were some things we could learn from it. A sibling bond didn’t necessarily require the same blood. Someone who has been with you all the time, through thick and thin, could be your siblings. When it happens, blood is not the only thing that matters. What matters is when your heart is connected to them. I admire the strong connection between Mu Yao and Zi Qi.🥰
I was also a little surprised when I realized that Zi Qi’s bond with his mother was not that strong. He surely misses her and wants to know the answer to why she left him. But when he learns the truth, Zi Qi is able to accept the reality calmly. This is a bit unexpected, but I feel okay with it. It all makes sense that sometimes we misinterpret our feelings.
In case you asked about the ending, there is a little twist at the end. The ending of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy could still be considered a happy one. However, it took me some time to digest the ending. Maybe after writing the Ending Explained post, I will be enlightened. But I was a little disappointed because they seemed to forget to tell us about Mu Yao, Liu Fu Yi, Cui Cui, and Lu Huai An.
The Excellent Acting
In Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, we get a glimpse of Ding Yu Xi becoming a villain. He has always been a good guy or a yandere character in his dramas. In the early episodes, it was said that the real villain in the book was Mu Sheng / Zi Qi. And there were some scenes that showed the real story.
Ding Yu Xi’s evil smile surprised me. I never thought that he would do a good job of being totally evil. I thought his acting in this drama was much better than his acting in Melody of Golden Age. And of course, the chemistry between him and Esther Yu was better than his chemistry with Deng En Xi, since Love Game in Eastern Fantasy was their second drama.
Esther Yu has always done a good job of portraying a cheerful and playful girl. I like to see her move around freely and without restraint, just like any other modern woman would do. Ling Miao Miao’s nature was a mixture of childishness and craftiness. She is intelligent and full of creativity.
Through Esther Yu’s micro-expressions and gestures, one could imagine Ling Miao Miao’s brain spinning when she encountered unexpected events. Especially the one that put her in a tight spot. Esther Yu and her exaggerated, overly sweet cuteness were everywhere in the drama. Still, I enjoyed it all because it added some charm to her acting.
Unfortunately, Esther Yu and Ding Yu Xi’s acting seemed to overshadow the presence of Zhu Xu Dan and Yang Shi Ze, even though they are also important characters in the story. They didn’t make much of an impression on me. When I recalled Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, I only had the story about Ling Miao Miao and Zi Qi in my mind.
I like to see some guest roles in this drama. Chen Du Ling appeared in the first episode as a mirror demon. Her makeup and hairstyle are nice. Her presence in this drama is probably a publicity stunt for her latest drama, Fangs of Fortune, because the story is also about the world of demons and humans. Xu Hai Qiao and Leon Lai’s presence also surprised me. They still look dashing and I like to see them in costumes.
Gorgeous Costumes and Excellent Cinematography
My love for period costumes was instantly satiated in the first episode. After being so disappointed with Esther Yu’s costume in Sword and Fairy, this time I was able to finish her drama with a satisfaction grin on my face.
Esther Yu’s costume and hairstyle in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy were perfect for her bubbly personality. The rainbow colored dress with a unique design showed that Ling Miao Miao is different from any other normal girl in this drama. And the hair. Oh, the HAIR! I LOVED Esther Yu’s cute hairstyles.
Even though it was full of flowers and ribbons and whatnot, it was really better than her hairstyle in Sword and Fairy. My favorite was in the first episode when Esther Yu was wearing a wedding dress. Unlike other dramas where the bride wore an elaborate phoenix crown, Esther Yu’s hair was full of colorful flower hairpins. It’s a very refreshing sight for me.
Esther Yu was not the only one who looked beautiful in this drama. Zhu Xu Dan also looked beautiful as Mu Yao. In my opinion, the entire Mu Yao style was perfect for her. The hairstyle was elaborate, but it was also a lot simpler than Esther Yu’s. It gives the aura of an important figure. It matched Mu Yao’s status as the head of the Mu family. But the loose bangs showed her identity as an unmarried young maiden.
Ding Yu Xi also rocked the white hair. Zi Qi as the demon was stunning, and although I didn’t like his hair, which was a tad too high, Yang Shi Ze looked handsome. If some of the costumes, especially the Water Demon King, reminded you of the Love Between Fairy and Devil drama.
Well, both dramas have the same costume designer. Yi Xiao Ya was the person behind several stunning dramas, such as Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact, Love You Seven Times, The Princess and the Werewolf, and of course Love Between Fairy and Devil.
Should I talk about the CGI? Absolutely!!!
I thought the CGI in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy was worthy of praise. The Dust Demon was especially cute, and I liked seeing the flashes of light and all the special effects when a fight happened. My favorite is the Reflection Domain scene in the 7th episode… It was BEAUTIFUL. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy really pleases my eyes with the stunning visuals.
The Characters
Mu Sheng / Zi Qi
A half-demon with a human heart. Zi Qi’s identity was somehow intriguing. He was an abandoned child who grew up alone. Later, he was adopted by the Mu family, a famous demon catching family, and given their family name. However, it was ironic that Zi Qi (played by Ding Yu Xi) had demon blood in his veins. And all these years, his demon nature was kept in check by the special ribbon his mother gave him.
Zi Qi has his own inner demon. Having had a hard childhood, with his parents abandoning him and his peers bullying him, it’s not surprising that Zi Qi grew up to be a suspicious, aggressive, bitter, obsessive, sensitive and bad-tempered young man. The only person he trusted was Mu Yao.
And even though they had traveled together for years, Zi Qi still hated Liu Fu Yi very much. He only showed his weakness and true personality after they met Ling Miao Miao. Zi Qi may look tough and ruthless on the outside, but he is a warm and fragile soul on the inside.
Ling Miao Miao
As a modern day dreamy girl, Ling Miao Miao (played by Esther Yu) loves to read fantasy books. Her favorite author is Fu Zhou, the author of Catching Demon. She has been his fan for ten years. Ling Miao Miao is a bubbly and bright girl. But her life in the real world was not as happy as it seemed. She worked as an insignificant employee. Her father died early, and her boss was a pain.
Being in a different world made her shine with her own light. Ling Miao Miao’s creativity sometimes helps in demon hunting. Her clumsiness made people laugh. Her cheerfulness and childishness brought some light into the gloomy life of the demon hunter. But the most important trait of Ling Miao Miao is her kindness and sincerity. She truly loves her friends, and everything she does is for their sake.
Mu Yao
The Mu family was a famous demon catcher family. Unfortunately, they were annihilated by the Demon Queen, who is called The Resentful Woman. The only remaining member of the Mus is Mu Yao (played by Zhu Xu Dan), the only daughter of Mu Huai Jiang. And Mu Sheng/Zi Qi, the adopted son of Mu Huai Jiang. Although there are only two of them, Mu Yao is determined to restore her family’s glory.
Mu Yao is a serious looking young woman. She never shows her weaknesses and always acts as an elder for Zi Qi. She loved Liu Fu Yi, but Mu Yao couldn’t let herself love freely before she avenged the death of her family. It is only after she meets Ling Miao Miao that Mu Yao shows her girlish and softer side.
Liu Fu Yi
When he was a child, Liu Fu Yi (played by Yang Shi Ze) was called Maodan. He came from a small village before being raised by his mysterious master. As a demon catcher, Liu Fu Yi has stronger power than Mu Yao. He believed that every living being deserved to be given a second chance.
As for his deep feelings for Mu Yao, Liu Fu Yi couldn’t fully accept her because he also has an unresolved emotional baggage. Guilt and regret filled his heart. But no matter what burden he carries on his shoulders, Liu Fu Yi has the softest heart and endless understanding for his friends.
The Conclusion
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy was a sweet romance story of a modern soul Ling Miao Miao and a yandere fantasy boy Zi Qi. They were meant to be together from the beginning. However, in the beginning, both of them have a bad destiny. But after some twists and turns, Ling Miao Miao and Zi Qi managed to change their fate.
Even though their jobs are fancy and important, demon catchers are just like us, mere mortals. There will come a time when they get hungry after killing a high-level demon. It has the same vibe as the after-credits scene of the Avengers eating shawarma after saving the world. They were so busy running around the world that when they got to the capital, everything was amazing to them. That was totally mortal, right?
So, after much thought. I would recommend this Cdrama to those who are into swoon-worthy romance. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy won’t disappoint you, dear readers. Anyway, I hope this review will help you all. Thank you for your visit. Goodbye!
