Live blogging through Love and Redemption

This is in a digital garden format. Think of this as a constantly updating Wiki page. So, the page will be updated as I watch Love and Redemption.

Last updated 20 Nov 2023

“Love & Redemption” is a classic everyone said I should watch. But so much has been written about this popular xianxia that I don’t really want to write yet another review on the web. At least, not a review in the “classic” style, anyway. Instead, I’ll be live-blogging my thoughts as I watch this 59-episode drama so you’ll be seeing my opinion unfold as the episodes roll by.

Table of contents

1. The weird reason why I didn’t want to watch Love and Redemption at first
2. The characters
   1. Si Feng, the self-sacrificing hero
   2. Xuanji, the complicated heroine
   3. My favourite side characters
3. Watch log (beware of spoilers)
   1. Episode 1
   2. Episode 4
   3. Episode 19
   4. Episodes 22 to 24
   5. Episode 23
   6. Episode 24
   7. Episode 27
   8. Episode 32
   9. Episode 33
   10. Episode 34
   11. Episode 35
   12. Episode 36
   13. Episode 37
   14. Episode 38
   15. Episode 39
   16. Episode 41
   17. Episode 42
   18. Episode 43
   19. Episode 47
   20. Episode 48
   21. Episode 49
   22. Episode 50
   23. Episode 51
   24. Episode 52, that infamous deleted kissing scene
   25. Episode 54
   26. Episode 55
   27. Episode 56-57
   28. Episode 58
   29. Episode 59
4. Final review
5. Final rating: 8

The weird reason why I didn’t want to watch Love and Redemption at first

After Cheng Yi got my attention with the magnificent Mysterious Lotus Casebook, I naturally wanted to see more of his shows. But I’ve been reluctant to even start Love & Redemption because I have a hangup.

I can’t stand it when characters spit up blood and don’t wipe it off.

I know, I know, it’s a pretty dumb hangup, and when I found out that he will be spitting blood Every. Single. Episode, I was like, nuh-uh, this is going to get me so irritated!

Out of curiosity, I decided to find out just how many times Si Feng ends up injured in Love and Redemption and came across this “whump” list.

Is it me or is it Every. Single. Episode??

Si Feng is made of Teflon.

I thought South Wind Knows, another more recent show of his, was ridiculous with the injuries 🤣

Yet, since Love and Redemption catapulted Cheng Yi to fame, I should give it a chance no matter how crazy it seems.

And I’m glad I did jump into it!

Frankly, I didn’t think I’d last long with Show. I thought I would’ve bailed out from boredom halfway through or at least fast-forward some episodes. I didn’t, and actually watched every episode. Shocker!

I would watch at least two episodes at the end of the workday. It was something I looked forward to each day.

I was a major skeptic of this show. I didn’t see how I could like it. But you can consider me converted.

The characters

Si Feng, the self-sacrificing hero

Si Feng feels like that typical hero who will do anything for love. Loyal to a fault, utterly devoted to Xuanji, he is a man that only exists in dramaland, but I’m here for it. I couldn’t say more about him lest I spoil you, but a lot of my thoughts about him are contained in the spoilerific watch log below.

Xuanji, the complicated heroine

Not gonna lie, Xuanji was the no.1 reason why I dragged my feet watching this. I don’t like baby-voiced, clueless heroines and Xuanji was exactly this for over 30 episodes. On top of that, I didn’t think of Crystal Yuan as a particularly good actress. Fortunately, Xuanji wasn’t as annoying as I thought, though I powered through mostly to watch Cheng Yi. As a character, Xuanji is more than she seems. The fun is figuring out what she is. Unfortunately, I’ve been thoroughly spoiled so that fun is not for me to experience, so if you’re not spoiled about Show yet, stay that way!

My favourite side characters

The side characters are what makes Love and Redemption even better. A lot of their side plots are actually as immersive as the main plot. There are way too many characters to list here, so I’ll only list my favourites:

Yihuan —the rebel of Lize Palace and Si Feng’s unofficial big bro. Love him! Without his support and friendship, I doubt Si Feng would have made it.

Teng She — he has an attitude and says what he wants. I like how he slowly ends up liking Xuanji and defends her.

Wu Zhi — super powerful but loyal and honourable. I like that he becomes Si Feng’s “other brother”. He is also super clueless about what to do with the little fox who loves him and acts like a rude boy.

Mingyan — okay, he’s bland as vanilla, but at least he’s loyal to Linglong, Xuanji and Si Feng. The steady rock everyone needs.

Zi Hu — sassy fox spirit with a big crunch on Wu Zhi. In the beginning, she was an enemy of sorts with the rag-tag band of young heroes, and thus, not very friendly towards them at all. But she eventually warms up to them.

Watch log (beware of spoilers)

Read this part only after you’ve watched the Show. You’ve been warned!

Episode 1

My greatest concern about Show was getting so annoyed with the Xuanji’s childish behaviour that I’d be totally turned off. But it turned out that I didn’t quite mind it. This was completely the opposite of my reaction to the FL in Love Between Fairy and Devil. Yuan Bing Yan is a better actress IMHO —she acts like a very believable 16-year-old.

Meanwhile, I knew that Cheng Yi is a great actor after watching Mysterious Lotus Casebook, but I’m amazed at how different he is here; he carries himself so differently and even looks different that I had to think hard to even see Li Lian Hua in him. (At one time I was actually convinced he had plastic surgery/heavy face filters or something, but towards the end of the arc he actually looked like the Cheng Yi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook, and my theory is that he lost a bunch of weight to portray a sickly Si Feng in the second last arc.) I miss his gorgeous voice though, ngl.

The special effects aren’t bad either. Not cringe-y, thank god. I have to admit, I was greatly influenced not to watch the show because of AvenueX’s review—as she complained about the costumes and setting, and since these things are super important to me, I expected a really cheap-looking production. It wasn’t as bad as I thought.

Episode 4

Maybe it is the power of Cheng Yi, but I can’t help liking it. There’s something relaxing about the show. I was actually worried I would dislike it due to the childlike female lead & not liking xian xia. But I like the interaction between Sifeng and Xuanji. So far. 🤞

Episode 19

Dang, it’s hard to see Ling Long being tortured and kept captive by Wu Tong. The actress who plays her is often accused of being a bad actress, but I thought she acted the heck out of that scene.

Also, Xuanji is so exasperatingly clueless I want this timeline to be over now damnit.

Also, dang it, Si Feng, you suffer so prettily. Dude gets tortured in so many ways and still manages look to gorgeous while he is half-dead lol.

Episodes 22 to 24

Aight, so it’s just episodes of Si Feng being tortured, whipped, and being half-dead in bed? I’m here for it!🫠

In the fine tradition of wuxia and xianxia dramas, sect leaders are idiots who jump to conclusions and they are in fine form right here. So, they are all sheepish and guilty for falsely accusing and torturing the heck out of Si Feng but don’t even get a slap on the wrist. Bleh.

Episode 23

Why does Si Feng look so delicious when he’s literally being tortured?? 😂

Episode 24

That conversation towards the end of the episode between Si Feng and Xuanji is sweet and hilarious. It’s all about how she must treat other men now that she claims she loves Si Feng. But it also shows how childlike and clueless Xuanji is. It must be exasperating to love her.😅 Si Feng, you don’t exist in real life!

Episode 27

Oh man, this episode is as painful as I thought it would be. Imagine remembering 9 past lives and in each one of them the person you love literally screws you over and kills you or allows you to die. Geez, Si Feng, if I were you I would stay the eff away from Xuanji 😅😅😅

Episode 32

Teng She is legit a super cute snake god. Also, Si Feng and Xuanji being all lovey dovey and sweet together. Of course that means we are a few episodes away from absolute disaster 😬☠️

Episode 33

At this junction, I can safely say that I like this drama a lot. I think it is down to, yes, Cheng Yi’s charisma and acting skills. But there’s also interesting side characters and side plots. Amazing, to be honest, because I usually hate them! It also helps that Xuanji’s annoying childishness and cluelessness have faded by now.

Episode 34

I love Teng She’s “I can’t believe I, a god, am being pushed around by mere mortals” thing. 🤣

Also, I swear the role of sect leaders is to make dumb ass decisions that eff things up for everybody.

Episode 35

Me thinking: They’re showing Si Feng and Xuanji totally being boyfriend and girlfriend and setting us up for the big tragic fallout.

Tragic reveal drops.

Dang.

Episode 36

Poor Si Feng. In the first few minutes of the episode, you can see from his eyes that he is dreading what’s coming next. Like, he knows hell is about to break loose, but he has no idea how or when it will happen. The fact that Cheng Yi can convey that with just his eyes is amazing. As usual!

Episode 37

Those anti-demon statues are so cool and scary. Also, whatever you may think of Golden Red Bird demons – they are pretty glorious to look at. I mean, just look at him.

The fighting scenes are on point in this episode.

Xuanji’s reaction to the Big Reveal is understandable, but my God Si Feng’s look of devastation when he realised that their love was not enough to overcome her bias against demons.

Episode 38

I find myself dreading to watch the episode because it is te start of the Break Up Arc where our couple starts being an ass to each other. Or rather, mostly Xuanji, if I understand it correctly. 10 episodes of this. TEN. May I survive this with my patience intact ☠️

Episode 39

Dad treats you like trash all your life, sends you to literal prison for a year, whips you for losing a damn mask, makes you put on a cursed mask, and then says: “Call me Dad.”

Ok Ok there’s this one little time where he did save Si Feng from certain death or something. But still

SI FENG DAMNIT DON’T CALL HIM FATHER HE DOESN’T DESERVE IT

Si Feng — kneels down and calls him father.

Episode 41

I swear parents, elders and heavenly kings will be the death of me in this drama. Bai Lin, Xuanji’s dad omgggg.

I am supremely tempted to fast forward to escape the exasperation 😂

Episode 42

The start of the lovers-to-enemies arc. Argh. On the one hand, I’m frustrated that Si Feng didn’t tell her what he discovered about her, but on the other hand, I can totally understand why. You don’t destroy someone’s sense of identity just to save yourself.

I can also see why Xuanji hates him thanks to his actions. Sigh.

About the sect leaders. Bah, I don’t want to understand them.

Episode 43

Evil Si Feng, even if it is fake evil Si Feng, is pretty creepy. But he’s totally oozing attitude!

Episode 47

I have to say, it wasn’t a big slog like I thought, this “lovers to enemies” arc, but boy oh boy does Bai Lin and the sect leaders just exist to frustrate the romance between Si Feng and Xuanji. The amount of times that Si Feng has done something to prove that he is not evil, like, I don’t know, saving Xuanji and sealing the Vase of Doom, they still believe he has bad intentions cos he’s a demon. Sigh. My problem is that the villains are written in such a one-dimensional way. They could have more layers and depth. Also, Si Feng’s friends and allies seem to act like explainers of his motives and intentions. Well, mostly because Si Feng is so damn tight-lipped about his plans and all. It is clumsy writing. But. But. I don’t seem to mind it.

I think it’s because it hits all the right tropes for me. Nothing gets my attention than having someone heavily misunderstood and later, justified, and seeing everyone that misunderstood him come to that realisation.

Poor Si Feng, I totally understand why he looked so defeated after all that he has done and is still being misunderstood by the people he loved. By the end of the episode, you can see that he has just given up and is ready to leave the world and just die in peace. My heart hurts for the poor lad.

Episode 48

The episode where Xuanji screams Si Feng Si Feng multiple times and my ears bled, ngl.

Also, Wu Tong? Another demonstration is that the writer can’t write layered villains. We don’t really know why he is evil, but he is 100% disgusting and a psychopath. I get the heebie-jeebies thinking about what he could’ve done with Ling Long in that cave when he had her primordial spirit captive. I remember reading online that someone thought Ling Long should be more forgiving and try to save him or something. And I’m like, are you kidding me?? Sure, I mean Ling Long + Mingyan has gotta be the most bland-as-vanilla relationship I’ve seen in Cdramaland, but he is healthy, people.

Episode 49

Yihuan probably will never admit this even under torture but he’s probably the biggest Si Feng/Xuanji shipper ever.

Also, I have always found it sweet that he calls Si Feng “Little Phoenix”, it shows a depth of brotherly affection no one at Lize Palace dares to express to one another.

Episode 50

All that groveling from Xuanji …

I like it. 😁

And Si Feng 100% grabbed that fake bride’s hand to make Xuanji jealous. I approve.

Also … not our couple having a lover’s quarrel while the demon was in the middle of threatening them. 😁

Episode 51

Okay, this episode must have the record number of Si Fengs yelled.

Xuanji continues to grovel and beg for forgiveness.

Carry on.

Episode 52, that infamous deleted kissing scene

So I cheated and watched the much-raved-about censored kissing scene before I watched this episode and hoo boy they were not kidding about 🔥🔥🔥
Since I first saw Cheng Yi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook I couldn’t picture him as a romantic lead. This clip makes 50+ eps of fillers worth it 🫠
What can this guy not do?

Watched the aired version and lemme tell you, what an absolute waste, my friends. And that little cut scene where Si Feng says he cannot ruin Xuanji because he doesn’t know how long he will leave? Dude, she’s offering it — just take it and stop being so honourable!

Episode 54

It’s really good to see the four muskateers back again at the start of the show: Ling Long, Ming Yan, Xuanji and Si Feng. Ah, brings back memories of when they were young and idealistic, and all they wanted to do was save the world. That little scene where Linglong and Mingyan apologised to Si Feng for their actions was sweet, but it made me a little miffed that all is forgiven so quickly because their actions did lead to scary consequences for Si Feng. Mingyan’s distrust of Si Feng led him to be tortured, Ling Long sowed doubt into Xuanji after the whole reveal of Lize Palace … well, I’m glad that Si Feng is magnimous enough to put it behind him.

Episode 55

Si Feng’s grief and despair at what happened to Xuanji was more than a little uncomfortable to watch. Cheng Yi acted the heck out of it, so good was it that I, a person that I felt as if I’m watching the actual raw grief of someone. In real life, I’m the sort that would look away or retreat when this happens because I feel as if I’m spying on them. I want to give them privacy and space to grief. I found myself actually looking away at this scene!

Episode 56-57

It was certainly weird to see Si Feng interacting with Rahu Ketu. On the one hand, Rahu Ketu is his own person, but one of his many lives was Xuanji, Si Feng’s big love. So he’s kinda like 10% Xuanji, only that 10% has an outsized influence on him.

I like seeing the interactions between Si Feng and Xuanji. Very believable. And poor Rahu Ketu, imagine being all this all-powerful badass but he doesn’t know what the heck to do with all these weird fluffy feelings he has for Si Feng.

As a villain, fortunately, Rahu Ketu is better fleshed out than all the other one-dimensional villains in the Show. His motives are very understandable. Imagine being betrayed by your best friend in the vilest way. So, I can understand how difficult or almost, impossible it was for him to let go of his grudge and fury. In a way, Xuanji’s past lives were all acting out their rage and grudge, only on the wrong person, Si Feng.

Episode 58

So, the Heavenly Emperor is just playing heavenly checkers and saying, “Aight, let my kids fight until the entire world collapses, I can’t interfere. Not my place. Peace out.”

I swear, xianxia Heavenly Emperors are always like this lol. Either they do nothing, or they do everything to make things worse! lol

Though I have to say it’s hilarious to see how he treats Bailin, like a stubborn child.

I have to say that the resolution to the whole mess was a tad convenient and very deus ex machina, with the Heavenly Emperor being said solution. Geez, all the Heavenly Emperor had to do was wave his hand, make our protaganists experience an alternate universe and all is well?

Bailin’s remorse was sudden and felt like it came out of nowhere. And because of that it didn’t feel 100% sincere. But oh well, I’m happy to be rid of him. Buh-Bye.

Episode 59

Things wrapped up pretty quickly, with the bad guys dispatched (or dispatching themselves) swiftly and our couple heading home. Xuanji is restored and so is Si Feng (kinda), though it takes a literal year before our couple finally gets their happy ending … and we long-suffering viewers finally get to see it after slogging through 50+ episodes of tragedy and sadness. If I’m glad about one thing is that Show did not leave us with an abrupt 1-minute closing scene that hints of a happy ending.

Instead, we get a wedding, a wedding night and a family celebration where our couple and friends reunite. It is probably the most satisfying ending I’ve ever seen in a xianxia.

Speaking of wedding nights, we did not need a full-blown sex scene to convey sensuality. This is something we all learned from watching cdramas, and Love and Redemption actually does it quite well … with gestures and words!

The wedding night conversation between Si Feng and Xuanji is the most sensual thing and I think it made me blush. Si Feng insisting that they keep the candles burning and then Xuanji responding that she won’t change her clothes then. And Si Feng was all, “That’s my job”. 🔥🔥🔥

Sure, the ending scene at the birthday party was tonally jarring in the sense that it felt like Love and Redemption suddenly became a sitcom, but I didn’t care. Our couple deserves all the happiness.

It is so weird to see Si Feng happy, however. 😁Dude has been so miserable and angsty for so long that I forgot how he looked when he was happy. That said, he was never this happy and he deserved every smile and happy moment he could get.

What a satisfying ending!

Final review

As I said at the start of this really long post — Love and Redemption shouldn’t have worked with me. It had many flaws. Some are laughably bad. Like, could someone in the production team get better props for dismembered limbs, for example? And the War God’s armour is atrocious; Crystal Yuan looked as if she wore something far too big for her. They made a really good one for Rahu Ketu — so I know they’re capable of making nice-looking armour, so I’m not sure what went wrong there.

The camerawork could also have been better. The colours appear washed out at times.

And while the ending was wonderfully happy, it was also rushed and done in such a slip-shod way that you can’t help but go, “Wait, that’s it?”

Most of the villains were also one-dimensional, existing to only make lives difficult for our couple.

The acting of the cast ranged from really good (Cheng Yi and Liu Xueyi) to really bad (Si Feng’s dad — he was cringeworthy). I found Crystal Yuan okay and not as bad as some people make her out to be, and she was rather good as the War God, but she wasn’t as good as I’d like her to be.

And then there’s the clumsy way information is conveyed at times. For example, I call Yihuan the “info dump man” because he’s either there to explain to other characters what really happened, or to voice the frustration of the audience.

Okay, now that all the bad stuff is out of the way, I can declare that despite the flaws, I still really love the show because it managed to make me feel all the feels. I bought this world, and I bought Si Feng and Xuanji’s love.

One of the criticisms lobbed at Si Feng is that he’s too much of a martyr. I think this is because we are not given enough background on Si Feng’s motivation.

(Spoilers ahead —highlight to read it)

I think if they had fleshed out Si Feng and Xuanji’s pre-ten lives’ relationship better, I suspect we’ll understand why Si Feng is so determined to help Xuanji. Here’s my little theory – after Bailin finds out Si Feng’s original celestial identity as Xi Xuan, he said that Xi Xuan had to lie low after his mother, the Demon Princess left Heaven to side with the demons. Xi Xuan probably felt like an outcast most of his 10,000+ years and the War God was the only one who treated him like an equal and without contempt. And he probably fell in love with her then. We were told at the beginning that the War God didn’t have any friends in heaven and only spoke to a celestial red bird by the pond, and that was the start of their relationship.

Perhaps he originally wanted to just help her to overcome her trials, but with each life, this grew into love and a kind of determination to see it through.

Another factor that elevated this drama for me is Si Feng and Xuanji’s friends: Ling Long, Mingyan, Teng She and Wu Zhi all add color to the plot. They never felt like unnecessary additions but vital parts of the plot. I love how they take care of each other, especially towards the end when Si Feng really needed it. And their stories were quite interesting too — I was invested enough to care what happens to each of them.

So, is Love and Redemption worth your time?

I guess it depends. This is a polarising drama. Some loved it. Some wondered what people who liked it were smoking.

For me, it is a combination of factors: Cheng Yi’s good acting and charisma, the fun side characters, the theme of brotherhood and loyalty, and most of all, forgiveness and letting go of grudges: redemption.

I was able to ignore the flaws and simply enjoy the story.

You may not be able to, and that’s fine.

I’d say go in with an open mind; let yourself be swept away by the story. You could be surprised where you end up.

Final rating: 8