- Drama Title: The Last Immortal
- Also Known As: 神隐, The Hidden God, Shen Yin
- Director: Chan Ka Lam
- Cast: Zhao Lu Si, Wang An Yu
- Screenwriter: Liu Fang
- Genres: Romance, Xianxia, Drama, Fantasy
- Number of Episodes: 40
- Date of Release: December 11, 2023
- Original Network: Tencent Video
- Where to Watch: Tencent Video, WeTV, MGTV, Viki
- Adapted from the novel: “Hidden God” by Xing Ling
Dear readers, I hope you are doing well. The Last Immortal is a Chinese romance drama released in December 2023, with 40 episodes. This The Last Immortal drama review is longer than my previous ones. It’s just my habit to go on and on about something I really like, so without further ado, let’s get started!
The Last Immortal Synopsis
Feng Yin is a Fire Phoenix born from the prestigious Phoenix Clan of Wutong Island. Her immortal spirit was shattered due to the carelessness of Gu Jin, a disciple of Daze Mountain. To atone for his sin, Gu Jin promised to collect Feng Yin’s immortal spirit fragments to allow Feng Yin to be reborn. Because Gu Jin had a true identity as the son of two True Gods, Yuan Qi, he was also punished by a catastrophe for his actions.
A part of Feng Yin’s immortal spirit entered a Water Divine Beast that had been dormant for 70,000 years. By chance, Gu Jin found the egg and hatched it. The beast took the form of a young female immortal named Ah Yin, who had no memory of Feng Yin. She was taken as a disciple of Daze Mountain and became Gu Jin’s junior.
Their master, Dong Hua, foresaw a catastrophic future for Gu Jin and Ah Yin. To protect them, he bound them in a master and servant contract. The two embarked on a perilous journey to find the fragments of Feng Yin’s immortal spirits. Along the way, they met Hong Yi, the nine-tailed red fox, and Yan Shuang, the Eagle Princess. The four found companionship and shared their joys and sorrows.
Gu Jin and Ah Yin’s relationship deepened as they realized their feelings. However, before they could enjoy the sweetness of love, the catastrophe was already looming. Will they overcome the greatest challenge of their lives? or will love be crushed before it blooms?
The Last Immortal Drama Review
I should have written this review a few days ago. However, I was unsatisfied when I watched The Last Immortal for the first time because I felt that the pacing of this drama was a bit too slow. It was only after Gu Jin and Ah Yin met Hong Yi and Yan Shuang that I started to grasp the story.
To avoid bias, I rewatched the drama from the beginning, especially the episodes that I found boring. I must say that I made the right decision. I changed my perspective, and it changed the drama rating in my head.
The Last Immortal’s story was well-written, and the visuals were beautiful and colorful. I enjoy colorful dramas, whether it is on the costumes like in Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace or on the sets like in Love Between Fairy and Devil or Blue Whisper. So, I did not hesitate to give this drama another chance.
I must admit that I chose this drama solely because of Zhao Lu Si. I have been a fan of hers for a few years. In contrast, I was not familiar with Wang An Yu. Although he is good-looking (and you know how much I love beautiful faces), his sad and forlorn expression in this drama was not to my liking. I love summer and everything that radiates happiness. Sadly, Gu Jin seemed to belong to the days at the end of the fall. Sad and cold.
In my opinion, “Hidden God” would be a more appropriate title for the drama rather than “The Last Immortal”. I was confused as to what the last immortal refers to because Yuan Qi was not the last god on earth and Ah Yin was not the last Water Divine Beast.
The Last Immortal is a bittersweet journey to adulthood and happiness. Yuan Qi could be considered a young god. Meanwhile, Ah Yin well… should I call her a child since she was only born a few years ago? However, despite her young age, Ah Yin was more mature than Yuan Qi. It might be related to Feng Yin’s mature disposition, so she was not lacking in that aspect. But Ah Yin lacked life experience, which made her prone to instigation.
The Last Immortal is a story about misunderstanding and poor communication. It all began when Gu Jin mistook Feng Yin for Hua Shu. Throughout their journey, Gu Jin and Ah Yin struggled to communicate effectively, often concealing their emotions and refusing to admit their feelings, which nearly drove them apart several times.
Regardless of how bad Ah Yin and Gu Jin’s communication was, there was another couple who had it worse than them. Yes, you guessed it right. It was Hong Yi and Yan Shuang. I really want to smack Yan Shuang’s head and throw a chair at Hong Yi. It was painful to see their foolishness.
One thing that made this drama enjoyable was the acting of our main leads. Zhao Lu Shi demonstrated excellent control of her muscles. Every time she fainted, she made it look like she had truly lost control of her body. Her fainting actions looked very natural.
It reminded me of her acting in Love Like the Galaxy, particularly the scene where Cheng Shao Shang fainted under the heavy rain after Empress Xuan died. There was something about her acting in that scene that lingered in my mind. Despite the faint acting, I was impressed with the scene where Feng Yin was overwhelmed with grief. Her body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
You could see the fear and helplessness in her eyes before the tears started to fall one by one. Many actors rely only on their facial expressions, but Zhao Lu Si did better with her body language. Kudos to her.
Wang An Yu also did an excellent job in this drama. His sad and forlorn expression was one thing, but his gestures also added depth to his acting. Gu Jin and Yuan Qi are no longer just characters in a novel. Wang An Yu worked hard to bring them to life. I love seeing his chemistry with Zhao Lu Si on screen. I wonder what they would look like if they were paired again in a modern drama.
The Cinematography and Production
The cinematography was pretty satisfactory. The costumes were beautiful and I love to see the headdresses and hairstyles. The Forbidden Valley and Gu Jin’s hut in the Daze Mountain mesmerized me. However, I was not impressed with the Heavenly Palace since it looked similar to other xianxia dramas I have watched.
The production team managed to do a good job with the trees and the environment, especially the parasol trees, although the CGI on the animals and beasts was not their strong point. I always love to watch fantasy dramas and this time my thirst was quenched.
The Story
The Last Immortal continues the story of Ancient Love Poetry, a 2021 drama featuring Xu Kai and Zhou Dong Yu. The romance in The Last Immortal was strong, although not as intense as in Ancient Love Poetry. There was also adventure and friendship because The Last Immortal is a drama about the journey to adulthood.
Meanwhile, the story of Ancient Love Poetry was more mature. However, although these two dramas were connected, it seemed that the producers wanted them to stand as independent dramas because they changed the names of some important characters in the stories.
Ancient Love Poetry is the story of Yuan Qi’s parents and their lives in the God Realm. The Last Immortal tells the story of Yuan Qi’s life in the Immortal Realm. In previous dramas, Yuan Qi was born from two True Gods, Bai Jue and Shang Gu.
However, in The Last Immortal, Yuan Qi’s parents were named Di Jun and Yi He. Additionally, the Heavenly Empress’s aunt has a different name; Feng Yuan used to be Feng Ran. Despite these differences in names, the story is still connected.
Yuan Qi’s character is best understood by looking back at his story in Ancient Love Poetry. His childhood was quite pitiful. Yuan Qi was conceived when Bai Jue’s spirit inhabited the body of the North Sea Lord, Qingmu, while Shang Gu’s spirit inhabited a weak goddess’s body named Houchi.
When Yuan Qi was still in his mother’s womb, Bai Jue resumed his true identity, which complicated the situation between his parents. Houchi felt brokenhearted and betrayed. Upon his birth, Houchi named him Qi, which means abandonment. Tian Qi added Yuan to his name. Shortly after his birth, Houchi died. Her physical body remained in a comatose state for 100 years before finally awakening as Shang Gu.
Yuan Qi was raised by Tian Qi, another True God who is a friend of Bai Jue and Shang Gu. Bai Jue did not take care of him due to the complicated situation between him and Shang Gu. Bai Jue had to act under pretense due to his secret mission. However, a child needs love to grow up, just as a tree needs sun.
Little Yuan Qi appeared to be a happy boy, but he missed his parents deeply. The wound in his heart was invisible but ever-present. So when he grew up to be a young man in the Immortal Realm, Yuan Qi appeared to be a young master enjoying life, but his eyes were filled with sorrow.
The story of Feng Yin/Ah Yin and Yuan Qi/Gu Jin can be divided into several parts. The first part began at the banquet held to celebrate Feng Yin’s birth. During the event, Feng Yin happened to see Gu Jin being bullied by Ling Feng, so she secretly helped him.
Gu Jin mistook Feng Yin for Hua Shu, who was wearing a robe of the same color. When he spoke to Hua Shu, she admitted that she was the one who helped him. Hua Shu then used Gu Jin’s gratitude and infatuation to get him to steal the Fire Phoenix Jade.
At that time, Gu Jin was still a fool who was easily manipulated. His reckless action caused Feng Ying’s immortal spirit to dissipate. To make amends, Gu Jin must find all the shattered fragments so that Feng Ying can be reborn.
The second part occurred after Gu Jin found the Water Divine Beast’s egg and hatched it. Once the beast took the form of Ah Yin, Dong Hua foresaw that Ah Yin would be Gu Jin’s tribulation. Gu Jin’s special identity makes his tribulation much harder than that of an ordinary immortal.
Additionally, Dong Hua was concerned for his safety due to his sealed Godly power and low cultivation level. To protect Gu Jin and Ah Yin, Dong Hua set up a master-servant contract to bind the two of them. Dong Hua made a second plan in case the contract failed. If that happened, Gu Jin’s tribulation would be linked to Daze Mountain. In other words, Daze Mountain and all of its disciples would bear the tribulation on Gu Jin’s behalf.
It could be considered a way of repaying the kindness of Yi He, Yuan Qi’s mother. Daze Mountain was destroyed, and most of the disciples vanished, including Chief Xian Shan and Lord Xian Zhu, leaving only Gu Jin, Ah Yin, and the youngest disciple Qing Yi.
In the third part, Gu Jin transformed into Yuan Qi after feeling tremendous grief upon seeing the destruction of Daze Mountain. This event somehow triggered his power seal to be broken, and in front of all the immortals, Gu Jin transformed into Yuan Qi, the True God.
The revelation caused shock to many, including the Peacock Clan’s Hua Mo and Hua Shu. To Hua Mo, the presence of a True God in the immortal realm would ruin his plan. But to Hua Shu, she regretted betting on the wrong person. She had pinned her hopes on Lan Feng, but he died unexpectedly.
Hua Shu attempted to maintain control over Yuan Qi in order to gain his support and maintain her position, but Yuan Qi was different from Gu Jin. He was sharp and not easily manipulated.
The relationship between Yuan Qi and Ah Yin was ruined in this part. They were no longer in harmony. Yuan Qi was consumed by regret for his inability to protect Daze Mountain, while Ah Yin was plagued by insecurities caused by Hou Chu’s words.
Yuan Qi, as a True God, came to understand why all the Gods in the Gods Realm seem cold. They shoulder the heavy responsibility of the world and often have to prioritize the bigger picture over their feelings and loved ones. Yuan Qi cannot show any partiality towards Ah Yin, especially since she was framed in Lan Feng’s death case. He could only secretly help her, but he overlooked Ah Yin’s feelings.
To me, this is as selfish as what Bai Yue did to Shang Gu. Father and son controlled other people’s fates. Even though they did it for the sake of their loved ones, people have the freedom to choose. If you have a plan for others, you should inform them beforehand to know whether they are willing or not. In the end, Yuan Qi, who always took Ah Yin’s love for granted, realized how it feels to lose someone.
Feng Yin’s rebirth marks the beginning of the final part. After Ah Yin dissipated and underwent a thousand years of tribulations, her spirit was nearly drained. Yuan Qi transferred some of his divine energy to keep her alive. When they met again, Feng Yin changed her appearance and acted coldly towards Yuan Qi. It took some time before he became suspicious that Feng Yin was Ah Yin.
The villain in this drama is similar to the villain in Ancient Love Poetry. Both dramas featured a wicked Heavenly Empress. Hua Shu was skilled in manipulation, but her father, Hua Mo, was even better. He worked in secret, colluding with evil and becoming a subordinate of Qing Lin.
After Yuan Qi killed Qing Lin, he used his daughter as a tool to gain more power. His ultimate goal was to become the ruler of the three realms. Behind them all was the biggest villain, the Devil God Ming Qi, who worked remotely from the Abyssal Prison.
The story is the most interesting part of The Last Immortal drama. If you want to learn more about Yuan Qi’s background and the God Realm, check out Ancient Love Poetry. The episode is longer and the story is more complicated, but both dramas have a happy ending. I also wrote this drama ending, you can read it at The Last Immortal ending explained post. Thank you.
The Characters
Feng Yin / Ah Yin
Feng Yin is the Second Fire Phoenix born on Wutong Island. She was the first Fire Phoenix born before the previous one, Feng Yuan, died. Usually, a Fire Phoenix can only be born after the old one dies. So, many people thought that Feng Yin’s presence was a peculiar event.
However, there’s a story behind her birth. Feng Chi, the former Fire Phoenix, asked God to change the rule that Fire Phoenixes are only born after the previous one dies. Feng Chi did not want the next Fire Phoenix to live in loneliness like she did.
As a Fire Phoenix, Feng Yin received her first education when she was inside the egg. I believe it was a terrible way of life. She had to learn even before she was born. Whereas mundane people like us only learn how to cry and spit.
Anyhow, when Feng Yin was born, she could use her power and even kick ass. She is a just and righteous person who cannot stand bullies. She decided to experience the world before she ascended to the position of Phoenix Queen. However, her life as the Fire Phoenix ended prematurely when Gu Jin shattered her immortal spirit.
A fragment of her immortal spirit landed on a Water Divine Beast’s egg in Forbidden Valley at Daze Mountain. Gu Jin found it and hatched the egg. Since then, Daze Mountain has gained one more disciple. Ah Yin’s character differs from Feng Yin’s. She is childish and prone to emotional outbursts, and she is good at holding a grudge. However, Ah Yin is honest, righteous, and brave, and is known for her selflessness and concern for others.
The old Feng Yin (before her immortal spirit was shattered) and the new Feng Yin (after the rebirth) have different characters as well. The old Feng Yin was righteous, calm, composed, lively, and curious.
The new Feng Yin is more detached, cold, and ruthless. She was a mature person, honed by a thousand years of tragic hardships. She had experienced a bad breakup that shattered her love, she had lost her only kin, and she was killed by her loved one. Her life was arduous and it lasted for a thousand years.
It was understandable that Feng Yin became a cold, distant, and ruthless person. She still had a soft heart, though. But she could conceal it well. However, all of her hardships have sharpened her. Feng Ying can now defend herself and those she cares about, and is no longer easily bullied.
When she was naive, Ah Yin only wanted to reproduce to revive her Water Divine Beast clan. She was thirsty for a good-looking man, and the first thing she noticed about Gu Jin was his good physique (Me too, me too!!). A glimpse of his well-built body was enough to make her realize that he was a good husband material. But later on, she no longer just looked at the physique, she fell for his character and cared for his well-being.
But after Gu Jin became Yuan Qi, Ah Yin began to waver. Her insecurities arose due to the misunderstanding between them and Hong Chuo’s instigation. The hard shell around her heart began to crack, exposing the fragile feelings within. However, even after a thousand years later Feng Yin still hold Ah Yin’s love for Gu Jin inside her heart.
Yuan Qi / Gu Jin
Yuan Qi held a unique position in the world as the sole heir of two True Gods, Di Jun and Yi He. After his father’s death, Yuan Qi’s mother was devastated and shut down the God Realm to resurrect Di Jun. Young Yuan Qi was so sad about his father’s death that he lost his godly power. So Yi He sent her only son to the Immortal Realm to learn and experience living.
in the Immortal realm, Yuan Qi concealed his identity. Many people are aware that a true god was hiding among them, but only a few people know who he was. These individuals include Feng Yuan, the Heavenly Empress; Dong Hua, the Chief of Daze Mountain; Xian Shan and Xian Zhu, Gu Jin’s senior brothers; and the people of Qingchi Place, including Lady Hou Chou, Yuan Qi’s nanny. In this realm, Yuan Qi was known by his immortal name, Gu Jin.
Because his godly powers were mysteriously sealed, Gu Jin learned to be immortal like all the rest. However, after cultivating for 200 years, the only thing Gu Jin had mastered was how to entertain himself because he was good at lazing around. Gu Jin developed an expertise in enjoying good wine, which seemed to be an obsession for him. He was also known for his obvious feelings towards Princess Hua Shu from the Peacock Clan.
Gu Jin and Yuan Qi have different personalities, just like Ah Yin and Feng Yin. Gu Jin is unrestrained and careless, taking risks without considering the consequences. He was naive and easily fooled by Hua Shu’s gentle attitude. Gu Jin became emotionally dependent on Hua Shu after she rescued him from a dire situation.
This love and gratitude turned into a desire to please her, making Gu Jin vulnerable to manipulation by Hua Shu. Despite Ah Yin’s warning about the danger of Hua Shu, Gu Jin refused to believe her and fell for her scheme.
In the end, he willingly lent her the Sky-Shrouding Umbrella, which was crucial for his and Daze Mountain’s safety. Gu Jin’s lack of judgment brought chaos to the Daze Mountain and the three Lower Realms.
When his True God seal was lifted, Gu Jin transformed into his real identity as Yuan Qi. He used to despise his identity and mock the gods as cold and boring. Now that he had become one, Yuan Qi still had the cold and distant personality of a god, but he had feelings like Gu Jin. He still had affection for Ah Yin.
However, he suppressed his emotions to remain neutral towards all realms. Ah Yin was hurt by his cold and indifferent attitude, but it was understandable. The loneliest place is always at the top.
Hong Yi / Ah Jiu
The red fox Hong Yi also known as Ah Jiu is the most stubborn character in this story. He is short-tempered, irritable, childish, and impatient. His explosive personality is a result of the grief he felt after the death of his parents. Back then, the only person who could help them was his aunt, Hong Rou.
Unfortunately, at that time, Hong Rou had fallen into Qing Lin’s scheme, and when she learned of Hong Yi’s parents’ death, it was too late. Since then, Hong Yi has regarded his aunt as his enemy. He has never treated her nicely, no matter how hard Hong Rou tried to make amends.
Although he is cruel and always speaks harshly, Hong Yi’s affection runs deep in his veins. A fox is always loyal to its mate, and Hong Yi is an affectionate fox. He appeared blinded by his love for Ah Yin, waiting for her for a thousand years.
However, upon Ah Yin’s return as Feng Yin, Hong Yi immediately recognized the difference. He realized that although Ah Yin and Feng Yin were the same person, they had lived different lives and were, in fact, different people. Hong Yi was too late to realize that his feelings for Ah Yin had shifted to Yan Shuang.
Yan Shuang
As the Princess of the Eagle Clan, Yan Shuang was loyal to her clan. She fulfilled her duties as a princess and was proud to be a member of a prestigious clan. But Yan Shuang also had a humble personality, and despite her short temper, which is similar to Hong Yi’s, she remains the most stable person in the group. Her role is no less important than Ah Yin, Gu Jin, or Hong Yi. Yan Shuang is the pillar that holds and supports them.
Yan Shuang is a strong immortal who can fly and has mastered a technique to see things from afar. She is a faithful friend and lover. Yan Shuan believed that her friend, Ah Yin, would come back someday. For this reason, she kept many wine jars in the cottage, all of which contained Ah Yin’s favorite Peach Blossom Brew.
However, Yan Shuang is unlucky She secretly loves Hong Yi even though she knows his heart belongs to Ah Yin. It was only after her father urged her to make a decision that Yang Shuang realized she couldn’t wait for someone who didn’t love her back. Reality over dream. She bravely chose her clan and elders over her feelings.
Hua Shu
Hua Shu is considered the most beautiful woman in the Immortal Realm. She was born as a noble princess from the Peacock Clan of Bainiao Island. As a peacock, Hua Shu had a haughty attitude and loved to flaunt her beauty and high status.
However, she displayed feelings of scorn and disdain towards those with lower status. Her attitude changed when she met male immortals, especially those from prestigious backgrounds. Hua Shu would display her gentle and caring sides but also add some vulnerability to manipulate others. Men often fell for her trick, including Gu Jin.
However, Lan Feng saw through her facade. When they were young, he found Hua Shu sulking alone in a corner of the Heavenly Palace and asked her what was wrong.
Hua Shu claimed that everyone favored Princess Chen Min and looked down on her because of her Peacock Clan background, despite her being prettier than Chen Min. Lan Feng comforted her instead of criticizing her thoughts. In his eyes, Hua Shu was enough, and he accepted her wholeheartedly.
Unlike other villains who put themselves above all else, Hua Shu put her Peacock Clan above all else. It became the sole reason for her evil intentions. She even married Lan Feng because she thought her position as Heavenly Empress would bring glory to her Peacock Clan.
FYI, many of the immortals classified clans into classes. For example, Daze Mountain is the first class clan in the entire Immortal Realm, so no one would try to go against them. The Peacock Clan could be considered as the second class. Hua Shu hated this label. It looked like she did everything for the sake of her clan’s prestige, but in the end, it was pure greed that lurked inside her heart.
Ao Ge / Xiu Yan
Ao Ge and Xiu Yan are the rulers of the Nether Realm. Ah Yin, Gu Jin, and Hong Yi encountered them while collecting Feng Yin’s fragments of Immortal Spirit from the parasol tree in the Nether Realm. They had to pass through Xiu Yan before meeting Ao Ge, the ruler of the Nether World.
Xiu Yan rules over Xiu Yan Tower. They had to pay Xiu Yan Tower to obtain a tablet that would open their way into Ao Ge’s Zhongling Palace.
Ah Yin sensed that Xiu Yan’s internal core was shattered when they first met. An ordinary person would have died, but Xiu Yan managed to survive. Ah Yin’s Water Divine Beast internal core could help him, but it would come at the cost of her lifespan. Ah Yin tried to heal him, but Xiu Yan refused her power. However, this action made Ah Yin recognize them as one person.
The history of Ao Ge and Xiu Yan’s life began 110,000 years ago. Xiu Yan and Ao Ge were born as twin brothers in Qiakun Platform in the Ancient God Realm. Ao Ge was born to manage life, thus he became the Heavenly Emperor.
Meanwhile, Xiu Yan was born to manage death and guide the tribulations, thus he became the Nether Realm King. They wore the same ring, but with different colored stones. Ao Ge’s stone is brown, while Xiu Yan’s is white.
During the war against the devil 70,000 years ago, Xiu Yan sacrificed himself to keep the Devil God Ming Qi inside the sealed Abyssal Prison. His internal core shattered and scattered throughout heaven and earth. Ao Ge searched for the fragments and broke into the Hall of Life and Death to steal the Reincarnation Book. Later, the True Goddess Yi He used the power of chaos to reshape the fragments.
However, Yi He could not help Xiu Yan’s rebirth because it would disrupt the world. Therefore, Ao Ge offered himself to be Xiu Yan’s vessel and become his substitute as the tribulation guide for thousands of years. However, some fragments of Xiu Yan’s internal core were sealed with Ming Qi inside the Abyssal Prison.
Both Ao Ge and Xiu Yan have a temper, but Xiu Yan is easier to approach. He helped Ah Yin when her immortal spirit shattered due to Yuan Qi’s Spirit Sword and guided her through her tribulations for a thousand years. He gave her the best fate so she could gain power to strengthen her spirit. But no matter how good the destiny was, Ah Yin always ended up dying tragically and gaining no power.
The Conclusion
The Last Immortal drama’s story was light but not without warmth. The visuals and costumes were beautiful. The acting and on screen chemistry was top notch. And if you are new to the fantasy genre, this drama could be a good start because the story was not too complicated. I suggest not trying to watch all the episodes in one go, because beautiful things should be enjoyed slowly. Happy Watching!
