Love and Redemption
2020
Original language: Chinese
- drama
- sci-fi & fantasy
The story
Legend has it that the god of battle saved heaven a 1000 years in the past in a deadly battle against the demon. Both fell from heaven and disappeared from the world. Chu Xuanji was born in the world without the six senses, making her quite clueless and inept. The Zanhua tournament is held within the Shaoyang sect, and leader Chu Lei has two daughters - his relied on eldest daughter Chu Linglong and youngest daughter Chu Xuanji, who is lazy and horrible in martial arts. When Yu Sifeng and Chu Xuanji happen to meet, they befriend each other. Yu Sifeng falls for Xuanji despite the harsh consequences he has to face, as students at Lize Palace are prohibited from falling in love. Four years later, Xuanji and Yu Sifeng meet again. Sifeng wears a mask because of a curse that can only be broken if he finds true love.
What it’s like
Sun-washed mountain sects, drifting mist, and silk robes that flare in slow motion give this its look, with bright, saturated palettes that shift to cooler blues and greys when the mood darkens. Sword duels arrive as sweeping, wire-assisted aerial choreography against digital skies, and the sound is a sweeping orchestral score with plucked guqin and bamboo flute, punctuated by clashing blades and wind. The vibe is wistful and gently romantic, with a comforting, fairy-tale sheen. It suits a weekend binge, a comfort rewatch, or an evening when you want a warm, dreamlike escape. Pacing is episodic and leisurely, with lighter comic beats between longer stretches of longing. Emotionally it stays in the register of first love and quiet devotion, with a lonely figure slowly learning to trust and a bond tested by separation and hidden pasts. Fight scenes are stylised and bloodless, with some martial injury and peril but no gore, and the romance is tender and restrained. It is for viewers who love costume fantasy, lyrical romance, and the pleasures of richly staged, fantastical worlds.
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