Whispers of Fate: Final Thoughts
Nov. 27th, 2025 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainwatersparkNon-spoiler thoughts: The final episode clearly felt rushed, which is a shame because I felt like it lost some of the emotional impact it should've had. Still, this remains one of my favorite C-dramas, even if the ending left me feeling quite sad (though possibly not for the same reasons as other people).
My second-biggest complaint about this show has to do with the writing of the female characters. Zhong Chunji ended up being the female character with the most depth and development, but I still feel like her feelings for Tang Lici/stabbing Tang Lici with the Thousand Curse Needle made no sense and were character assassination. Xifang Tao was evil through and through, and I honestly got tired of seeing her on screen. I wonder if her backstory got cut, since we learn at the end that she wants "freedom," but freedom from what?? I don't think anything would have redeemed her character for me (I was cheering when she died, honestly), but maybe having a backstory would've added the barest bit of context for her actions. A-Shui's character actually became more interesting to me after the twist and her betrayal of Tang Lici, because at least she finally had a personality beyond "would throw away everything for a man." But I honestly didn't care that much when she disappeared from the plot because her character had been so shallow and pathetic throughout the show. I don't get the people who are rabid fans of her romance with Tang Lici, because I thought it was quite chemistry-less. (Quite frankly, she had more chemistry with Zhong Chunji. They would've made a cute couple.)
My number one biggest complaint is how rushed everything was toward the end, especially in the last episode. I wanted Chi Yun to learn about Tang Lici hiring Bai Suche as a mole; it would've been such an interesting twist in their relationship, especially if it happened right before his poisoning. I also desperately wanted Shen Langhun (and others) to react to Chi Yun's death.
(Speaking of: I hated Chi Yun's death!! I hated how just a few unfortunate circumstances led to him dying before Tang Lici could save him!! Ugh.)
I do wonder how much was cut from the show. Tang Lici's backstory in the Tianren Realm was compressed to the point where I felt like we would've benefitted from a little more explanation about his childhood/being raised to be a weapon (?). (Side note: I still think the story would've been more interesting if Tang Lici had been the reincarnation of Yique Yinyang who chose a different path because of Fang Zhou's influence.)
The moments of unrealistic CGI mostly didn't bother me, but I have to be honest: my thought upon watching the final episode was "Man, they clearly ran out of budget for the CGI work." The battle between Tang Lici and Ye Mo looked more silly/stiff to me than epic, which is a shame since, hello, it's the climax of the entire story.
I know many (international) fans hated Tang Lici being erased from the new timeline as the price for giving everyone a happy ending. The ending actually made me sad for a different reason. I think it was very fitting for Tang Lici to sacrifice himself for everyone; it's a natural end to his character arc that started with not caring about people/having to learn human emotions. But what saddened me is that, even though all of Tang Lici's friends got a happy ending, we also see that they never met each other. The friendships they developed through their trials and tribulations are all gone. And to me, there's something quietly tragic about that.
I know I've just ranted about a bunch of negative stuff, but overall, this still remains one of my favorite C-dramas. I would give it an 8.5 out of 10 (the last episode did bring down my rating, unfortunately). I had no complaints about the storytelling until the final few episodes. The performances were all outstanding, the action scenes thrilling, the set pieces gorgeous, the characters (aside from the female characters) well-written and endearing. I've gotten to know a number of talented actors, and I can't wait to see whatever Luo Yunxi, Ao Ziyi, Xiao Shunyao, Fang Yilun, and Wang Yilun are in next. (Shadow Punisher airing when???)
My second-biggest complaint about this show has to do with the writing of the female characters. Zhong Chunji ended up being the female character with the most depth and development, but I still feel like her feelings for Tang Lici/stabbing Tang Lici with the Thousand Curse Needle made no sense and were character assassination. Xifang Tao was evil through and through, and I honestly got tired of seeing her on screen. I wonder if her backstory got cut, since we learn at the end that she wants "freedom," but freedom from what?? I don't think anything would have redeemed her character for me (I was cheering when she died, honestly), but maybe having a backstory would've added the barest bit of context for her actions. A-Shui's character actually became more interesting to me after the twist and her betrayal of Tang Lici, because at least she finally had a personality beyond "would throw away everything for a man." But I honestly didn't care that much when she disappeared from the plot because her character had been so shallow and pathetic throughout the show. I don't get the people who are rabid fans of her romance with Tang Lici, because I thought it was quite chemistry-less. (Quite frankly, she had more chemistry with Zhong Chunji. They would've made a cute couple.)
My number one biggest complaint is how rushed everything was toward the end, especially in the last episode. I wanted Chi Yun to learn about Tang Lici hiring Bai Suche as a mole; it would've been such an interesting twist in their relationship, especially if it happened right before his poisoning. I also desperately wanted Shen Langhun (and others) to react to Chi Yun's death.
(Speaking of: I hated Chi Yun's death!! I hated how just a few unfortunate circumstances led to him dying before Tang Lici could save him!! Ugh.)
I do wonder how much was cut from the show. Tang Lici's backstory in the Tianren Realm was compressed to the point where I felt like we would've benefitted from a little more explanation about his childhood/being raised to be a weapon (?). (Side note: I still think the story would've been more interesting if Tang Lici had been the reincarnation of Yique Yinyang who chose a different path because of Fang Zhou's influence.)
The moments of unrealistic CGI mostly didn't bother me, but I have to be honest: my thought upon watching the final episode was "Man, they clearly ran out of budget for the CGI work." The battle between Tang Lici and Ye Mo looked more silly/stiff to me than epic, which is a shame since, hello, it's the climax of the entire story.
I know many (international) fans hated Tang Lici being erased from the new timeline as the price for giving everyone a happy ending. The ending actually made me sad for a different reason. I think it was very fitting for Tang Lici to sacrifice himself for everyone; it's a natural end to his character arc that started with not caring about people/having to learn human emotions. But what saddened me is that, even though all of Tang Lici's friends got a happy ending, we also see that they never met each other. The friendships they developed through their trials and tribulations are all gone. And to me, there's something quietly tragic about that.
I know I've just ranted about a bunch of negative stuff, but overall, this still remains one of my favorite C-dramas. I would give it an 8.5 out of 10 (the last episode did bring down my rating, unfortunately). I had no complaints about the storytelling until the final few episodes. The performances were all outstanding, the action scenes thrilling, the set pieces gorgeous, the characters (aside from the female characters) well-written and endearing. I've gotten to know a number of talented actors, and I can't wait to see whatever Luo Yunxi, Ao Ziyi, Xiao Shunyao, Fang Yilun, and Wang Yilun are in next. (Shadow Punisher airing when???)
