Till The End of The Moon Drama Review

• Title: Till The End of The Moon
• Also Known As: 长月烬明, Zhang Yue Jin Ming
• Director: Kuk Kok Leung
• Casts: Luo Yun Xi, Bai Lu, Chen Du Ling, Deng Wei
• Screenwriter: He Fang, Luo Xuan
• Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Xianxia
• Country: China
• Episodes: 40
• Year: 2023
• Original Network: Youku
• Where to Watch: Youku, Viki, Netflix

Helloooo.. I’m so exited to review this new drama called Till The End of The Moon. This drama is one the Chinese dramas released in April 2023, and we included it in our Must Watch Historical and Fantasy Chinese Dramas list in 2023. Hope you enjoy this review, thank you!

Till The End of The Moon Synopsis

Moments before the Demon Lord massacred the entire immortal sects, Li Susu’s family used their dying breaths to send Li Susu into the past to prevent the Demon Lord Tantai Jin from resurrecting. The last thing she saw before she was transported to 500 years into the past was of her loved ones falling to the ground one by one, loosing their lives at the hands of Tantai Jin.

The experience was devastating but it strengthened her resolve to destroy Tantai Jin before he could transform into the evil Demon Lord who was feared in her current world.

Li Susu was then transported to the past into the body of Ye Xiwu, a spoiled and cruel second miss of a military household. Her father is the well respected and heroic General Ye Xiao. By a weird twist of fate, Ye Xiwu was actually married to Tantai Jin. Tantai Jin was a hostage prince from Jing Country, who was sent to Sheng Kingdom when he was still a toddler. His life in Sheng Kingdom was filled with mistreatment and abuse, hence he lived through a pathetic existence.

On top of it all, Ye Xiwu also played a role in adding misery into Tantai Jin’s life. Even though he was her husband, but it was only in name. He was treated horribly in the Ye household; he could not get a decent meal to eat, he had to do hard labor, the servants all abused him, and Ye Xiwu had to give him daily beatings before going to sleep at night.

Li Susu was horrified when she learnt of this. She thought that the horrible treatments by everyone must have contributed into Tantai Jin turning into the Demon Lord she has come to know in her time. Therefore, this time she was determined to treat Tantai Jin humanely, and show him compassion, hoping it would prevent him into turning evil.

In the meantime, Li Susu would seek a way to extract the evil bone inside Tantai Jin’s body and eradicate evil permanently.

Days passed with Li Susu now living Ye Xiwu’s life. Learning first hand of the cruelty she forced on Tantai Jin, she pitied him. She even came to know and experienced a side of Tantai Jin that she never imagined he could possess. He was gentle, considerate, and he understood how to cherish things and how to be grateful. It was hard to connect him to the person who assassinated her entire family.

She began to wonder whether Tantai Jin was really the Demon Lord. Her heart began to have conflicts and painful dilemma, she could not allow herself to fall for Tantai Jin.

In the deep entanglement and bond that stretched to 3 life times, will Li Susu succeed in her mission? What will become of Tantai Jin, will he realize his destiny as Demon Lord? Will he come to know of his true identity and purpose in the world?

Till The End of The Moon Review

Have I ever mentioned that I normally despise dog blood dramas? (ᗒ ᗨᗕ). Unfortunately, Till The End of The Moon is straight up torture porn, both emotionally and physically almost from start to finish.

Watching this Till The End of The Moon drama has given me enough roller coaster ride to fill up my quota for the year. The twist and turn, the yearning, the betrayal, the severe heartache, and the fragility of Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu’s relationship really took a toll on me, and I hate that I have let myself experience debilitating anxiety over a drama. But, I have to admit, this drama makes me so obsessed that I begin to question life. Am I addicted to pain?? (˃̣̣̥ ∀ ˂̣̣̥)

Having said that though, the complicated plot and the unpredictable flow was something I appreciate. This drama is a truly enjoyable show, something special that comes once in a while in the Cdrama world, especially under the Xianxia genre.

But as much as I enjoyed it, there were things that didn’t sit right with me. For instance, the abuse that young Tantai Jin had to endure, it was over the top, my little heart could not take it. Also, the scene where Sang Jiu ‘forced’ Ming Ye to perform the wedding night intimacy with her, it was also too much. She drugged him before hand with the Xianxia version of a rape drug ʕథ ౪థʔ ….noooo…..

As Till The End of The Moon is a romance drama, chemistry between the main leads is very important and could be said as a make or break factor in a romance drama. On that point, I am happy to report that both Luo Yun Xi and Bai Lu did not disappoint. Although nothing overly sensual was depicted, but seeing them together on screen brought out something sweet and lingering in my heart. I really can’t get enough of them!

My favorite part of their romance was how in the beginning, no real love words were ever spoken, no commitment or promise was made, Ye Xiwu was even adamant that she could not give her heart to Tantai Jin. Yet, everything she did and everything he did showed how they really felt for each other. My girlish heart finds this terribly endearing.

This drama also has allowed me to experience the bewitching appeal that is Luo Yun Xi. Oh my tian! I have never seen anyone more ethereal than him. The role of Tantai Jin seems to be made for him that I don’t think anyone could do a better job.

As the bullied Tantai Jin, he looked frail and vulnerable, yet elegant and graceful with undeniable presence. His bearing stood out so much, he is indeed something special. How does he pull that off? As the Demon Lord, Tantai Jin often put on a smiling face, nothing over the top, just a simple light smirk. But he managed to portray an eerie and sinister look, and caught me off guard. He is truly talented in his craft. He has made me an instant fan!

Bai Lu, as always performed really well, I am always excited to see her work, and this one was no exception. She was actually the reason why I went into this drama in the first place. She always brings a fresh take on a character and how to bring them to live on screen. This time is another solid performance from her.

But that being said, I honestly think Luo Yun Xi carried this drama all by himself (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀). I’m sorry if you disagree, but all the annoying dog blood plots were made bearable by his charismatic performance on screen. I personally could not get enough of his portrayal as Tantai Jin in any stage of his life, including when he was Mingye and Cang Jiumin.

The Cinematography

This drama utilized CGI quite heavily, especially in the fight scenes. Although I cannot say that it was perfect, but they were executed pretty well and made the action scenes exciting. Only some scenes may need improvement, for instance the white tiger by Tantai Jin’s side in Jing Kingdom. However, I do appreciate that they were able to bring Shanqing Realm come to live, and make it as such that it was a believable place.

It could be seen that the production team has spent considerable amount for production and costume design. The outfit and headdresses were stunning, I cannot even say anything bad about it except beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

However, I do have to point out that during the early episodes, the camera work was a bit too good that I can see the actors’ and actresses’ pores haha. But it seems they took in the netizen’s complaints and added in a layer of filter on following episodes.

I also noticed that this drama was dubbed, but there are scenes where the dubbing did not match the performers’ lips. That was very annoying to watch, so I caught myself shifting my focus elsewhere so as not to get irritated so much whenever this happened and it was quite often.

The Casts and Characters

Luo Yun Xi as Tantai Jin/Cang Jiumin/Ming Ye

Tantai Jin was born as the devil fetus that would serve as a vasal for the return of the Demon Lord. He was fated to experience and endure bitterness and hardships throughout his life. This would serve as a catalyst for him to crossing over to the evil side.

Before he met Ye Xiwu, Tantai Jin was someone who was born without a love thread, which would enable someone to feel all emotions in the world. Because of this, he was often misunderstood as someone who was naturally evil, unfeeling and cruel. But that was only because he did not have the ability to feel anything.

It wasn’t until he met Ye Xiwu and felt the affection and care she had showered him, that Tantai Jin grew his own love thread and was able to feel normal emotions like other human beings.

Due to his humble origin, and his inability to empathize nor feel pain, he was often misunderstood. People would hate him, belittle him and fear him. In his eyes, it was only Ye Xiwu who treated him differently, who treated him like a human being who deserves love and respect.

After understanding the love in his heart, Tantai Jin showed himself as someone compassionate, upright and loyal. He proved himself to be a just and benevolent emperor, bringing peace and prosperity to his people. He was also merciful to his opponents.
He loved Ye Xiwu/Li Susu more than his own life, and would not hesitate to trade it for Ye Xiwu’s safety.

He ultimately became someone who would think of the good of the people and the safety of the universe, above his own. This was all because the love Ye Xiwu showed him. For a brief moment in his life, it was filled with sunshine and it shone throughout his entire existence.

Bai Lu as Ye Xiwu/Li Susu/Sang Jiu

Li Susu was the adopted daughter of the leader of Hengyang Sect, Qu Xuan Zi, and the biological daughter of Di Mian. She grew up surrounded by the love of her father and all her brothers and sisters in the sect. She never lacked of anything and her life seemed perfect until the Demon Lord and the Demon clan dominated the world and murdered her entire family.

When she was sent to 500 years in the past, as Ye Xiwu, she was also surrounded by the love of her family. Ye Xiwu was the family’s darling princess, the pearl held in the palm of her family. Her life was a stark contrast to Tantai Jin who did not have any of the love and support in his life.

In the beginning, she feared Tantai Jin and could not care less for his life or death. But then she grew to pity him, realizing that he was demonized and hated by everyone for no good reason. He was just a normal human being at the time, not yet the Demon Lord with whom she had deep grudges. Yet, people treated him worse than an animal.

Ye Xiwu had hoped that by staying by Tantai Jin’s side, she could be the light that will shine on his path, keep him on the path of goodness and away from the path of evil. But the road ahead proved to be challenging. There were many powers at play that wanted to push Tantai Jin and turn him into the Demon Lord. At times, Ye Xiwu felt powerless and thought that it would be better to just leave everything to fate.

However, without planning to, she had fallen in love with Tantai Jin. She fell so deep that she was willing to give her life for him, just so he could live on peacefully. On one hand, she felt as if she had betrayed the people but on the other hand she could not just leave Tantai Jin to suffer.

Deng Wei as Xiao Lin/Gong Ye Jiwu/Sang You

Gong Ye Jiwu was Li Susu’s brother in the Hengyang sect. He was also taken in by Leader Qu Xuan Zi when he was a child. In the battle against the Demon Lord, he gave his life to save Li Susu when she was about to be killed by the Demon Lord. His timely help enabled Susu to escape and go back in time to try to reverse their tragedy.

Gong Ye Jiwu grew up with Li Susu, he was her protector, mentor and friend. He could not help but fall in love with her. But 500 years ago, he was Xiao Lin, a talented and righteous Crown Prince of Sheng Kingdom who fell in love and was betrothed to Ye Bing Chang, Ye Xiwu’s older sister.

Xiao Lin fell in love with Ye Bing Chang after he saw her admiring the flowers happily by herself in the woods. Her beauty and tenderness captured his heart and that deep emotion reverberated into his life time as Gong Ye Jiwu.

Xiao Lin was admirable and a role model for all the young men at the time. Tantai Jin also felt respect and awe for him. So much so that Tantai Jin would often imitate Xiao Lin in the hopes that people would also like and venerate him like how they did towards Xiao Lin.

When everyone else thought it was alright to abuse and humiliate Tantai Jin, Xiao Lin was the only one who stood up for him and treated him with dignity. The two then develop a certain affinity for each other.
As Crown Prince of Sheng Kingdom, Xiao Lin fulfilled his duty and honor for the people of Sheng Country. He fought for them, defended them and ensured they would be able to live a good life.

Chen Du Ling as Ye Bing Chang/Tian Huan/Mo Nv

Ye Bing Chang was the first miss of General Ye Xiao’s household. She was Ye Xiwu’s older sister, born from a concubine. Since she was not of a legitimate line, she was not treated as well as Ye Xiwu. Although the family cared for her, but they spoiled Ye Xiwu and expected Ye Bing Chang to give in and be understanding as the older sister. This unfair treatment created a jealousy inside Ye Bing Chang’s heart.

Ye Bing Chang was known throughout the Sheng Country as a gentle, virtuous and kind beauty. Her reputation was the opposite that of Ye Xiwu, who was known as the spoiled, cruel troublemaker. Many gentlemen fell for her and asked her hand in marriage. But Ye Bing Chang fell in love with Xiao Lin.
She married Xiao Lin and became his consort.

Together, they made the perfect couple. Their time together was so memorable for her that she carried that sentiment to her life time as Mo Nv.

Mo Nv belonged to the demon clan. She was the older sister of Si Ying, one of the top generals of the Demon Lord. As part of the Demon Clan, she did her bidding to support the Demon Lord’s cause. But as she could not get over Xiao Lin and now she had fallen in love once more with Gong Ye Jiwu who belonged to the Immortal Clan, she began to wonder whether it was worth it to be on the Demon Lord’s side.

The Story (Spoilers)

Li Susu was sent to 500 years in the past by her family in their desperate attempt to reverse the tragedy unleashed by the Demon Lord in their world. She was transported into the body of Ye Xiwu, a pampered, arrogant and cruel second miss of General Ye Xiao’s household.

Due to her own scheme that went awry, Ye Xiwu was married to Tantai Jin, a hostage prince from Jing Kingdom. Ye Xiwu treated Tantai Jin inhumanely, making his days in the Ye household a living hell. Even so, to Tantai Jin it was slightly better than living in the Sheng Kingdom palace.

Li Susu was shocked to meet Tantai Jin in the Ye household looking so frail and powerless, defeated under Ye Xiwu’s tyranny. She found it hard to believe that the man who seemed a moment ago was ready to break her neck, was now appearing in front of her, fighting for his life and she was the cause for all of his unfortunate situation.

At first, the hatred she had towards Tantai Jin steeled her resolve. She decided to just find a way to extract the devil bone inside his body and kill him afterwards. However, fate went differently. Ye Xiwu found herself pitying Tantai Jin and the bitter life he had to live. She began to show him care and began to have ideas of giving him a better life.

Tantai Jin was wary and skeptical towards Ye Xiwu’s change in attitude, but he still welcomed the better treatment that came with it. As they spent more and more time together, he could not help to wonder whether Ye Xiwu has really fallen in love with him. Unbeknownst to him, he had also grown fonder of her presence.

The political situation in Jing Kingdom grew more and more chaotic. The fight to the throne became more intense and the common people took most of the brunt for it. Loyalist to the Yiyue tribe, Tantai Jin’s maternal tribe, decided to save Tantai Jin from Sheng Kingdom and bring him back to Jing. They helped him claim the throne to the kingdom and became Emperor of Jing.

Worried for his well being and the completion of her mission, Ye Xiwu followed him. Their quest together brought them to Bore’ Life, in which they lived through the memory of the God of War, Ming Ye and Princess of the Mohe River, Sang Jiu.

Ming Ye was married to Sang Jiu and they fell in love with each other deeply. Unfortunately, they did not have the chance to convey their true feelings to one another and the choices they made caused them to be separated forever.

The painful experience in Bore’ Life, further awakened the love between Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu. It also gave an idea to Ye Xiwu on how to extract the evil bone inside Tantai Jin, which is to trade it with her own immortal essence. Thus sacrificing herself for him, destructing her body as Ye Xiwu.

After she completed her mission, Li Susu came back to her own timeline, but the world has changed; there was no Demon Lord. She thought she has succeeded and she would now be able to continue her life with her family in safety and peace. But she found herself missing Tantai Jin and felt pain in their separation.

Unbeknownst to her, Tantai Jin was desperately looking for her soul in the Nether World, wishing to be reunited forever. His search came to nothing, because Li Susu was still alive, but his soul was slowly breaking in the realm of the dead.

Tantai Jin’s search for Ye Xiwu’s soul has spent him 500 years in the Nether World. As he was dying, Xiao Yao sect leader, Zhaoyao, rescued him and made him a disciple in the immortal sect. From clues he pieced together based on what Ye Xiwu had told him, Tantai Jin had a hunch he might be able to find Li Susu here, or at least resurrect her.

His intuition proved correct. Tantai Jin and Li Susu was now reunited. But with the emergence of Tantai Jin, it set the wheels in motion for the rise of the Demon Lord they feared so much. Now Tantai Jin and Li Susu had to find a way to safe the world and bring peace and order back into their lives. After all the heartbreaking entanglement, will they also be able to obtain the happy ending they longed for?

Final Comments

This Till The End of The Moon drama is filled with angst and I feel like a fool being obsessed and constantly wanting to watch through it to the end. But there is beauty in the story, and my heart goes out to Tantai Jin, poor poor Tantai Jin. Again, Luo Yun Xi’s performance for this role was unbelievable, I cannot give enough praises.

The series also did not give away the direction of the ending until the very last episode. There were foreshadowing, but you can never confirm it. Will it be happy ending? Bad ending? Well I can tell you how it went, and you may skip it if you want to surprise yourself haha. But the comments I read mentioned that the actors prefer it to have a bad ending. I have share the ending to this drama in a separate Till The End of The Moon ending explained post. So, see you there!