- Drama Title: The Legend of Shen Li
- Also Known As: 与凤行, Legend Shen Li, Yu Feng Xing, Yu Feng Xing Guan Wei
- Director: Deng Ke
- Genres: Romance, Wuxia, Drama, Fantasy
- Cast: Zhao Li Ying, Lin Geng Xin
- Episodes: 39
- Date of Release: March 18, 2024
- Original Network: Hunan TV, Mango TV, Tencent Video
- Where to Watch: WeTV, Tencent Video, MGTV, Viki
- Adapted from the novel: “Yu Feng Xing” by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang
Dear readers, this is the drama review that I could not wait to write. I was sooo excited of this The Legend of Shen Li drama, and many words were swimming around in my head right now, waiting to be transferred into a post. So, bear with me with this long post. I have too many to say about this drama and hopefully, you would not get too bored to read them. So, enjoy the post!
The Legend of Shen Li Synopsis
Thousands of years ago, there were three realms in the world. The Divine Realm is where the Diviners Reside, the Immortal Realm is where the Immortals and Demons Live and the Mortal Realm is where the Ordinary Mortals dwell. And above them all is the Extraterrestrial Heaven, where the ancient gods stayed.
Shen Li, also known as Lord Bi Cang, is feared in the Immortal Realm for her unparalleled power. She has been guarding the realm for years. However, she is now on the run because she refused to be engaged to the useless Lord Fu Rong from the Divine Realm. Mo Fang, her trusted subordinate, helped her to escape. However, she was badly wounded and reverted to her true form, a phoenix.
Shen Li fell into the mortal realm and was mistaken for a chicken. A loner picked her up from the market and took her to his home. Xing Yun, an ordinary mortal who was sickly and weak, allowed Shen Li to stay in his courtyard for some time. The two of them formed a bond without knowing each other’s identity.
Shen Li developed feelings for Xing Yun due to his soft and gentle nature. However, their happiness was short-lived as Shen Li’s master and the Lord of the Immortal Realm sent an army to capture her.
Shen Li was unable to flee. As a parting gift, she used 500 years of her cultivation to help Xing Yun regain his health so that he could live longer. Afterward, Shen Li returned to the Immortal Realm and was imprisoned for a month. Xing Yun was already gone by the time she was released from captivity.
Unbeknownst to her, Xing Yun was actually Xing Zhi, the last ancient god who resided in the Extranatural Heaven and was in charge of the Three Realms. Xing Zhi had just discovered that Shen Li was the legendary Lord Bi Cang and that her engagement with Fu Rong had been arranged by him.
Shen Li and Xing Zhi met again in a completely different environment and identity. Will their love flourish once again, since both of them carry the heavy burden of the safety of the world on their shoulders?
The Legend of Shen Li Drama Review
The Legend of Shen Li had me addicted from the very first episode… No wait! I was already glued to the screen precisely since the opening scene. The animation used for the opening scene was certainly the kind that I liked. It is mainly black and gold. It creates a beautiful shade and silhouette. Not to mention the opening song. It has a Game of Throne vibe. Or is it because it has the same vibe that I like it in an instant? 🙄
Overall, I had a great time watching this drama. It is one of the Chinese dramas released in March 2024. Unlike other dramas, I started watching The Legend of Shen Li from its first episode on March 18, 2024. Instead of waiting for episodes to pile up, I eagerly awaited each new episode and noticed that the quality improved as the story progressed.
Although I initially watched the drama for Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin, the story itself kept me engaged and patiently waiting for the new episode, every day. The comedy was just right for a daily dose, rather than a weekend binge. I have been enjoying the excitement of watching a new episode at the end of each day, which fuels my happy mood.
The early episode featuring Shen Li in her phoenix form was the funniest. She did not resemble a phoenix at all, and people mistook her for a strange chicken with a burnt tail. Perhaps she became like that because Shen Li was severely injured. As a result, she lacked the grandeur of a phoenix, unlike Feng Yin’s true form in The Last Immortal.
Zhao Lu Si’s Feng Yin and Zhao Li Ying’s Shen Li were both phoenixes fated to be with special gods. Wang An Yu’s Yuan Qi is the only god born from two real gods, while Lin Geng Xin’s Xing Zhi is the last ancient god in the world. In The Last Immortal, Feng Yin persistently chased Xing Zhi for two-thirds of the drama. However, in The Legend of Shen Li, Xing Zhi is the brazen one who likes to pester Shen Li.
Both Xing Zhi and Shen Li are known for their serious demeanor and imposing presence. Shen Li is revered as the undefeated and powerful God of War, while Xing Zhi is an ancient god known for his cold nature.
However, despite their reputations, they both display a surprising sense of humor. They deliver funny lines with straight faces, and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while watching an episode. I was pleasantly surprised by the comedic talents of Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xing. They were THAT funny.
I enjoyed this drama for its good scores and soundtrack, amazing visuals, awesome sets and scenery, excellent costumes, great story, and top-notch acting. The only issue I had was with the makeup or filter used, which made Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin’s faces look artificial at the beginning of the series. Things got better later because I could see the oily skin of Lin Geng Xin. However, I don’t know how thick Zhao Li Ying’s makeup was since her face always looks pore less.
The Wardrobes
The costumes are well-designed. The light fabric creates beautiful movement whenever the characters move. The design is simple, with long, wide sleeves for those who live leisurely and narrow sleeves for those who need practicality, such as soldiers.
Shen Li sometimes wears the wide-sleeved hanfu when she is idle, but her everyday However, Shen Li’s everyday attire is different from the rest. Her gown combined elements of hanfu and a cape, featuring short or long sleeves with high slits. Her arms were adorned with elegant, simple jewelry. Truly mesmerizing.
Zhao Li Ying looked very good in those costumes. The creative person behind those beautiful costumes is Chen Tong Xun. A very talented Chinese costume designer who also designs costumes for popular dramas such as Lost You Forever, The Blue Whisper, The Untamed, and my personal favorite is Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace.
The Casts and Crews
Initially, I believed that only Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin would shine in this drama, but I was proven wrong. Each actor had a unique charm. My favorites were He Yu, who played Fu Rong, and Li Jia Qi, who played You Lan. Their banter, (the ones that started or ended with You Lan calling him useless) was very entertaining. I laughed so hard while watching their scenes.
Li Jia Qi also appeared in a guest role in Delicacies Destiny drama. The villain, Fu Sheng, was played by Wei Zi Xin, who also appeared in Unshakable Faith and New Life Begins, alongside Liu Guan Lin, who portrayed the Heavenly Lord. And let’s not forget Zhen Li, who appeared in Only For Love, You Are Desire, Hidden Love, and my favorite drama, Love Like the Galaxy.
The Legend of Shen Li is an adaptation of a novel by the famous author Jiu Lu Fei Xiang, who also wrote Love You Seven Times, Back From the Brink, The Blue Whisper, and Love Between Fairy and Devil drama. Jiu Lu Fei Xiang is also the screenwriter for this drama. I enjoyed the drama where the author became the screenwriter since the story was always close to the real novel.
To create such a beautiful drama, we needed a great director. Deng Ke is the sole director of this drama, known for his work on successful productions such as My Heroic Husband and When We Were Young. I really like the way he has arranged everything flawlessly. Aside from the annoying makeup, the Legend of Shen Li is a drama you should never miss.
The Story
Story-wise, our main lead, Xing Zhi, is not a simple god. He is one of the wisest deities, second only to his silver-haired friend Qingye. Therefore, it is no wonder that he was a calculating person with a broad mind.
Qingye fell from divinity because he fell in love with someone he shouldn’t have and used his power to save the one he loved. As a result, he was demoted to a commoner and punished to be someone who wavered between two women in all lifetimes.
At some point, I feel sorry for those ancient gods. They live in a monotonous world, where their only entertainment is playing chess and conversing with other gods. They do not require food, drink, or sleep. It is understandable that Xing Zhi loves to cook, as deep down inside, the gods may desire to experience what mortals consider ordinary things.
Once, when Shen Li was injured because of his spirit animal, Xing Zhi brought her some medicine. However, he failed to muster the will to go to her. He merely wanted to ask her about her injury, if she liked her food, and to tell her that if she was bored, Shen Li could play with the spirit animal. However, he was unable to do it because it was something he shouldn’t do. In the end, Xing Zhi stood alone in the courtyard, pondering the feeling of being stuck in the middle.
Aren’t the Gods pitiful?
The people of the Immortal Realm are serious individuals who bear the burden of guarding the Xutian Abyss, the source of calamity for the Three Realms. Meanwhile, the diviners live a leisurely life. The Heavenly Emperor’s only problem was that he did not have enough jade cups for his collection. As a result, many amusing scenes took place among the diviners.
Fu Rong and You Lan held high status as the grandchildren of the Heavenly Lord. Fu Rong is foolish, while You Lan is witty and creative. To obtain information (or should I say, gossip) about their revered deities, You Lan repeatedly knocks out Fu Rong to access his memories. She specifically seeks details about the relationship between Xing Zhi and Shen Li during the time Fu Rong spent with them.
The investigation became like a soap opera binge-watching session, complete with drinks, nuts, and sunflower seeds as snacks. In a short amount of time, You Lan, who used to view Shen Li as a threat to the three realms, has become a fan. 🤣
I found another amusing scene about Xing Zhi. He pretended to be a fisherman and cast a net in the East Sea to catch a fish for Shen Li. This caused panic for the Eastern Sea Dragon King, as it was not an everyday occasion for an ancient god to cast a net in his territory. The King prepared many treasures and even a beautiful mermaid for Xing Zhi, but the poor god only wanted a fish to grill.
I can’t forget the way he scrutinized a fishing boat full of treasure. He didn’t need any of those things and didn’t care whether they were treasure or junk. He just wanted a fish and did not know what he should do with the treasures. Xing Zhi’s expression and gestures were like staring at Ikea’s furniture assembly instructions with no clue where to begin.
The Eastern Sea Dragon King and his subordinates surely have many strange thoughts in their minds. 🤣🤣
Initially, I thought the characters in The Legend of Shen Li weren’t much. During the first half of the drama, the story only revolves around the divine and immortal realms, allowing me to become familiar with the key characters. However, after the 28th episode, new characters are introduced, and the pace of the story increases dramatically. The plot twists and turns like a roller coaster, with sudden changes in speed and direction. This drama is really a thrill ride for me. I am very satisfied with it.
There are some key points in the story that you should pay attention to. Shen Li always leads the immortals’ army and is the protector of the Immortal Realm. The safety of the realm and its people rest on her shoulders. One wrong move could affect the entire realm. Meanwhile, Xing Zhi oversees three realms. He is the last of his kind, and his power is tremendous. If he died unnaturally or was stripped of his divinity, it would impact both the Xutian Abyss and the Immortal realm.
On a larger scale, his death would cause the Extranatural Heaven to collapse, and the stars would fall and crash upon the world, putting all living creatures in danger. One of the reasons why the gods were stripped of their divinity is because they developed humane emotions and feelings.
Shen Li’s true identity and the secret of her birth play a significant role in this drama. I had suspected that Shen Mu Yue might turn out to be a villain, but I was proven wrong. She always remains on the right side, and all the lies she told Shen Li were to protect her life.
The relationship between Shen Li and Xing Zhi is intense, but there are no steamy scenes between them. The kisses are short and sweet rather than hot. However, their gestures and dialogue convey the depth of their feelings towards each other. It follows the Cdrama trope that when a deity or immortal falls in love, the feeling is always excessive as if they’ll never fall in love again in their long lifetimes.
The drama’s ending is a happy one, but Shen Li and Xing Zhi faced a tough journey to be together, requiring sacrifices from both of them. Their story concluded in episode 38. The final episode focused on Ms. Jin’s love story, the Golden Serpent, and how Shen Li and Xing Zhi helped her obtain the love of her life. You can read about it on The Legend of Shen Li ending explained post.
The Cinematography
I have to say that this drama is totally worth it to be called the S+ class drama. The money was well spent. They not only managed to get Zhao Li Ying and Lin Geng Xin to act together in a drama, but the poster was also beautiful.
The sets, visuals, and scenery are incredible and picturesque. The CGI is good, and I am especially fond of the light emanating from Shen Li and Xing Zhi’s injuries. Additionally, they put some thought into how the immortals and diviners differ from mortals.
In the early episodes, I felt that the drama used too many filters. Xing Zhi and She Li appeared to be emitting light from their bodies, which made them seem blurred. However, upon reflection, it became clear that this was done to differentiate them from ordinary mortals. When they returned to the immortal worlds, they appeared normal again.
The directors did an excellent job of capturing the emotions displayed on the faces of the characters. There were many close-range shots that allowed us to see the tranquil faces of Xing Zhi and Shen Li. Another thing that mesmerized me was the motions of the fabrics. The director used a blower in many scenes. Xing Zhi and Shen LI’s hair seemed always flutter behind their back as well as their gown. It is a beautiful sight.
However, I wondered if the actors felt uncomfortable facing the blower in all those scenes. 🙄
I like how the director used multiple camera angles in one scene. It feels like we are inside the screen, rather than just watching the drama. The lighting and shooting angles also deserve praise, as they effectively convey the atmosphere around Shen Li and Xing Zhi.
I was amazed that I could feel the emotions even though the actors maintained a straight face at all times. Yeah, Shen Li’s monologue helped. However the impact was doubled when the director combined it with technical elements such as lighting and camera angles.
The Characters
Shen Li/ Lord Bi Cang
Shen Li (played by Zhao Li Ying) is strong, wise, clever, very brave, proud, and warm to those who are close to her, but terribly cold to those who offend her. She is not afraid to speak up and express her thoughts and opinions. Her straightforward attitude, combined with her strong analytical skills, has proven to be useful on the battlefield.
When facing an enemy, she is skilled in verbal combat. She can threaten and attack only with words to make her enemy angry. However, in ordinary conversations, she often blurted out what she should not have said. Of course, she realizes her mistakes, but when she tries to smooth things over, it becomes worse.
This happens especially when she is with Xing Zhi. For example, one time she commented about the Golden Serpent’s age, which could be categorized as ancient. Xing Zhi was hurt because it meant that Shen Li also categorized him as old. He thought that Shen Li objected to the fact that he was waaaaay older than her. For Xing Zhi, everybody could call him old or ancient, except for Shen Li. 🤣
Shen Li was born with the Azure Sea Pearl in her mouth, and Shen Mu Yue always said that she was born on the battlefield after her parents passed away. However, the real story is different, and there is a secret behind Shen Li’s identity that Shen Mu Yue is hiding from her.
Shen Li is a gentle God of War. Despite her indestructible and fearsome reputation, she was quite gentle with commoners and her subordinates. She always had a smile and was kind towards others.
Xing Zhi
Xing Zhi (played by Lin Geng Xin) is the last ancient god in the world and the last one born in the divine realm. Unlike other gods who were born with a clear mission, nobody knows what Xing Zhi’s mission is. He lived a lonely and boring life until he met Shen Li.
However, due to his status, Xing Zhi could not pursue his love for Shen Li. As a god, he was supposed to be free from any human emotions, such as happiness, sadness, anger, or love, because their power was too great and they might affect the world.
Unlike Shen Li, who can restrain her emotions because she is a more logical person, Xing Zhi’s emotions are like a sea wave. His mind is initially clear, but Shen Li appears like a wind that causes ripples. However, over time, the ripples become stronger.
When Shen Li was announced as dead and missing, it became a deadly wave that could not be tamed. This is probably because when someone tries something for the first time, the feeling or taste can be overwhelming. Xing Zhi, the ancient god, experiences intense feelings when he falls in love.
His way of falling in love may seem childish, as he gets jealous easily and loves to tease Shen Li. However, he is honest about his feelings towards her. He knows that he cannot have any feelings for her, yet he realizes that he cannot stay away from her.
The most entertaining part was when he couldn’t openly express his feelings for Shen Li but was completely jealous of Mo Fang. Losing her was the most painful moment, but fortunately, it didn’t last long.
Mo Fang
Mo Fang (played by Xin Yun Lai) is Liu Ming’s only son, and his father was once the Immortal Realm Lord. When Liu Ming was sealed inside the Xutian Abyss, Fu Sheng saved Mo Fang’s life by providing him with his heart blood. Fu Sheng indoctrinated Mo Fang to hate immortals and gods, and he was later sent into the army so he could make use of those immortals. However, Mo Fang was defeated by Fu Sheng before he could carry out his mission.
Mo Fang and Shen Li were peers and trained together. Initially, Mo Fang hated Shen Li, but after she saved him from a beast attack, he realized that she was not as bad as Fu Sheng had mentioned. Mo Fang stayed with Shen Li for years. His admiration for Shen Li has turned into love. Many people in the army seem to be aware of his feelings towards her because his gestures are so easy to read.
Mo Fang’s loyalty to Shen Li is also unparalleled. As her closest subordinate and friend, Shen Li never thought deeply about Mo Fang’s attitude towards her. She was probably the last one to realize his feelings. Shen Li took a gentle approach when dealing with Mo Fang’s feelings for her. She knew that there was no future for them since she was betrothed to Fu Rong.
Fu Rong
Fu Rong (played by He Yu) is like a naughty and spoiled boy who needs a good beating. He is a simple-minded and quite lecherous person who often acts like a child. He lacks courage and often hides behind someone stronger than him.
He responded to the arranged marriage in a comical way, but Shen Li, who always saw the bigger picture, was not affected. Xing Zhi personally arranged the marriage between Fu Rong and Shen Li. At that time, the Heavenly Lord told him about the arranged marriage plan to the immortal realm.
However, Xing Zhi was in a rush to go to the mortal realm to start his life as Xing Yun. So, Xing Zhi just randomly picked a name. Xing Zhi thought that Shen Li was a man. And Fu Rong, because the name sounds feminine, would be a perfect “wife” for Shen Li… 🤣
Although he had many shortcomings, Fu Rong had a very gentle heart. Fu Rong is also loyal to Xing Zhi. When Xing Zhi is in a bad situation, Fu Rong is willing to step up and help him. However, there are drastic changes in Fu Rong’s personality near the end of the drama, which I find unbelievably cool.
My Two Cents
Aaahhh… I was sooo disappointed because The Legend of Shen Li drama was already ended. I wished to see more of Xing Zhi and Shen Li’s drama. Thankfully the last episode also served as the story about them. Even though the main focus is Ms. Jin.
Well, dear readers, do you find this The Legend of Shen Li drama satisfying? Because I certainly did. I hope that you feel the same way as I did. And if you decide to watch this drama, don’t forget to write your opinion about it to us in the comment box below. I would surely be happy to hear it from you. Thank you for stopping by, I’ll see you in another post of drama review. Goodbye!
