De Vuelta del Abismo (2023)

One of the best dramas this year

This is my first time writing a review for a drama in MDL. I am not really much into xianxia but this drama became one of my favorites. So let me tell give a review and my opinions. I have already read the novel so I can say that there are a lot of changes made to the novel in the drama adaptation. A lot of characters were added and even the main villain is different, but I still feel like they all add up smoothly to give a conclusion.

Also this drama is for those people who like a light-hearted plot (there was angst and some sad parts too but it's still light-hearted considering that it's xianxia), a healthy relationship between the leads with fewer misunderstandings, a warm and naive male lead who turned cold after getting betrayed, a strong and sassy female lead, character development of the leads. Some may say that it was a bit fast-paced but for me it was perfect.
It will let you experience everything- comedy, romance, friendship, costume, fantasy, cute moments, grief and suspense. Give it a shot, trust me you won't be disappointed.

SPOILER AHEAD:
So the our male lead (Tian Yao ) is an all powerful dragon demon. He was initially innocent, naive and a warm person but turns cold and is full of hatred after he gets betrayed, used and badly wounded by his first love and that too on his wedding day. His ex dismembered him and sealed his body parts into different places. So his soul escapes one day and finds a mortal body. 10 years later he meets our female lead (Yan Hui). YH is a weak disciple (by weak I don't mean physically or emotionally, it's just that she had a seal placed in her body by her master which prevented her from using her magical powers to the fullest) at chenxing mountain who got kicked out because she defended spirits (taoists and spirits are generally at feud in there). She is a free-spirited, lazy, straightforward person who loves eating and wants to lead a lavish lifestyle. She was initially reluctant but after listening to TY's story started to sympathise with him and decided to help him find his body. In the beginning, TY was wary of her because she was also a Taoist just like his ex who betrayed him and only wanted to use her for finding his body. But after she saves his life, he begins to slowly warm up to her and trust her. They started to help and protect each other and facing all the difficulties together, thus forming a stong bond of mutual love, trust and understanding.
Now let me tell you in the novel, TY is the one who fell for YH first but in the drama, it was YH who fell first and confessed first. This makes sense because YH is a free spirted person who won't back down while TY is someone who has been hurt badly before and find it difficult to love again.
Our second male lead Bai Xiao Sheng was added in the drama. Now for future viewers this is a piece of advice:
In the beginning he is really funny and supports our main couple but then he falls in love with our female lead. At first he really doesn't plan on doing anything but then comes the only misunderstanding arc between our main couple. Both BXS and our female lead misunderstands the male lead and that's when he tries to create a rift between the two of them because he thinks that the male lead doesn't deserve her. So I saw a lot of people complaining about this arc and dropping the show there. For them, please have some patience. Many of you may find it annoying but once the misunderstanding gets cleared he backs off and gives his blessings to them. He even saves them twice. So yea, the misunderstanding arc will last from episode 17-24 but it will get better. Also, this arc, even though was not there in the novel but still important because this is where our male lead realizes how much our FL's trust and love meant to him. It was a moment of character development for him because he learns the need to explain himself and communicate well with FL.

Next, I would like to say that if you have seen or read somewhere about our female lead being a damsel in distress and always needing a male lead to save her, then that's not true. I saw these comments somewhere but I never understood. Yes, she was a bit weak in the beginning but there are times also when she saved our male lead and fought bravely. Her character development happens mainly in the second half of the drama where desperate situations force her to become a stronger version of herself. From someone who just wanted to lead a carefree life and eat baozi to being a strong, responsible, and protective person who is ready to burn down the world to protect her loved ones and eventually saving the day in the end. I feel like this is the best part of the drama adaptation. TY also got his own character growth, from being naive and innocent who got betrayed and became full of hatred but never changed his true nature, from initially planning to use the FL to selflessly loving her.
I know a lot of changes were made in the drama but I feel it was for the best outcome.

Ok, there are a lot of cute moments but the kiss scenes are not great. (I heard that the director instructed them to kiss like kissing a wall, so not the actor's fault).
Plus the OST's are perfect.
Also all the characters got their own time to shine, no one was extra and unnecessary. Everyone had their own role to play.
CGI was not that good but its not that bad either given the fact that it's not a high-budget drama.
But still kudos to the director, scriptwriter and actors for all the effort they put into making this a better version of the novel.

Overall this was undoubtedly one of the best xianxia dramas this year.

Regarding the ending, let me spoil it, it's a HE so watch it without worry. And the ending is quite satisfactory(at least for me)

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A fresh and very amusing love story

Back From the Brink is a true gem among historical c-dramas, charming with its compelling narrative of love, betrayal, and vengeance. It truly sets itself apart from other dramas with a delicate balance between lightheartedness and seriousness, often injecting moments of delightful humor.

Tian Yao and Yan Hui not only make a remarkable couple but also stand as enchanting characters in their own right. Yan Hui, in particular, breaks the mold of the typical female lead. Her unwavering determination, when added to her feelings for Tian Yao make for a refreshing change, deviating from the common trope of pining for love. Furthermore, her fear of death (although it may seem like something basic and obvious) adds a nuanced layer to her character in many moments, distinguishing her from other FLs in the genre.

At first glance, Tian Yao may appear as the archetypal male lead, but as the story unfolds, we witness the unveiling of a pure-hearted individual with a touch of innocence and youthful charm.

While the story may have a slightly slow start in the initial episodes, it quickly gains momentum and it becomes quite interesting moving forward. However, there are some plot points in the middle, particularly the love triangle involving Bai Xiaosheng, that feel underdeveloped and lack proper buildout. Another issue lies with the main antagonist, Fu Yin. His origins and true desires remain unclear, leaving his motivations seemingly rooted in baseless anger towards the world. This shallow portrayal fails to elevate him to the status of a formidable major villain. In contrast, Suying proved herself as a stronger antagonist with a comprehensible motive. Her obsession with Lu Musheng, which she misconstrues as love, drives her to take extreme measures to save him and get him to love her again.

Despite these flaws, the drama's strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The romance, in particular, is expertly executed, eschewing the tiresome cycle of on-again-off-again relationships. Once Yan Hui and Tian Yao come together, they remain steadfast, a welcome departure from the endless obstacles that often plague main couples. However, more passionate and intimate moments between them would have further enriched their connection (and the few kiss scenes felt somewhat lacking passion).

Zhou Ye once again delivers a stellar performance, portraying an immensely funny and charming female lead. Her ability to convey emotions and provide comedic relief is commendable. Hou Minghao also impresses as Tian Yao, showcasing remarkable facial expressions that effectively convey his character's emotions (the reactions when Yan Hui unloads his own trauma onto others are especially noteworthy for their hilarity.).

Regarding the OST, there is little to critique. It is good overall, with a great opening theme, but it fails to leave a lasting impression or emerge as a standout aspect of the drama.

In conclusion, while Back From the Brink may not be a drama I would rewatch in its entirety (although certain parts, such as the Dragon Valley arc, Tian Yao baby arc, and the episodes surrounding the wedding, are worth revisiting), it is definetly a drama I recommend to anyone who enjoys xianxias. This drama does particularly well what it sells and brings a fresh perspective to the genre, offering something new and captivating to watch.

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Love this so, so much

This is possibly my favourite drama of all time.

Luckily I had a Mandarin speaker in my house to translate the final part to better understand the ending— this is a drama that will take weeks to recover from.

There was no filler; no weak, self conscious acting; and I even loved the effects as they seemed like children’s book illustrations and fit the mood. In short, for me there were none of the usual interruptions that push you out of the world that has been created. If you want to make me cry, just play me the opening song and watch me melt into a snotty mess on the floor.

For the ultimate, unequivocal show down between good and evil; for the most worthy couple; for side characters that get enough vibrancy to live on in your mind, rather than just existing to move the plot; this drama is the one.

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A hot mess of finding my dragon body parts!

DON'T TRUST THE OTHER PEOPLE WHEN THEY SAY THIS IS THE BEST DRAMA OF 2023. THIS DRAMA IS FAR FROM IT... Had high expectations due to reading the reviews from others. This drama started good but lost me during half of it.

Like the storyline was for the male lead to find his missing body parts that the cruel ex lover scattered all over the world. The female lead got the protection scale which became her heart. She and male lead are destiny to be together. They go on a journey to find the remain parts of the male lead dragon body.

If they just focused on that part it might of been interesting , but adding too much on the sidelines really confused me. Like the male lead took his revenge pretty early on in the drama. i watched to 29 ep and still they only have found his leg, and his teeth aka sword? too slow...

Plus the leads get together really late. The male lead is just too afraid of getting hurt again... Poor female lead.

The female lead is pretty hilarious in the fact that she is really bold and not afraid of others.She stands up for the truth and for people/demons who are weaker than her. She also loves punching people.

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Just cause Neo Hou & Zhou Ye

Another drama that make me hang till the end cause of the actor & actress, this time of course Neo Hou & Zhou Ye, they are also the reason I'm watching in the first place.

So long not watch a drama that I don't care about the story of the drama, but hang till the end. Truth to be told, I don't too understand the story in the first place. Don't know the story just make me uninterested to follow or just to care. But they just pick the right actor/ess so for me seeing them still make me interesting to keep watching, at least to see them in my screen.

This drama open with stupid woman [Su Ying (SY)] that willing to do anything in the name of love, in this case killing Tian Yao. Stupid why...? Cause later on we learn the man that she love not even love her. Even after knowing that, SY still do anything just for hang him around her.

As usual with XianXia world we always deal between dark/evil & good force. As the story goes we learn that evil already infiltrate from long long ago. And as usual too always interesting to see how they try to combat their inner evil force, especially this time for Yan Hui

Even though the story not very interested to follow, but every time I start get bored they give us cute scene or story to attract us again. Like with the story of Tian Yao become pure like baby again, really cute to see Neo Hou act baby like.

Overall this just another XianXia story that ever exist....

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" I live so I can meet you. "

If I was to compare BFTB with the other xianxia I've watched this year, I enjoyed this more than The Starry Love but slightly less than TTEOFTM. My actual rating : 8.7/10.

The plot : A story of a human girl and a broken dragon who went on an adventure, healing each other along the way, facing challenges together and later fall in love with each other. I think the plot was excellent . One of the best I've seen. It was neat and detailed. I liked that everything happens for a reason .Most of the times the plot will left you confused at first but later will give answer to all your questions when the time comes. You just need to be patient.

The acting: This was my second time of watching Neo Hou after AGLM which I did'nt finished .Visually, ML is as pretty as FL and it was distracting lol. His acting was good and I enjoyed watching our Pretty Dragon in action ( Here is what I could'nt understand and find it annoying when everyone - village people,taoist people- called him Evil Dragon everytime they saw him. What evil thing he did that they saw I really wanna know. Like come ooon he had done nothing bad and never harming anyone how could they be so blind and keep believing on hearsay. Stupid people...) . This was my first time watching Zhou Ye as FL and I enjoyed her acting too. I think she did great at every emotional scene she was in. Acting of the other cast also not disappointing. My favourite was Riley Wang as Bai Xiao Sheng , our michievious third-wheel/ matchmaker. His character provide comic relief in this drama and his synergy with FL and ML never failed to entertain me while watching.

Romance : To describe the romance here, it was sweet with little angst. Both leads had good chemistry with each other. I liked the fact that our couple except for that one time always practice healthy communication with each other. There's nothing better than watching a couple being honest to each other about their feelings like what shown in this drama. Any conflict they had usually get solved right away and not predictably dragged to 5 till 10 episodes like in most drama. We did have 2nd and 3rd couple here but I skipped most of their scenes as I'm not deeply invested in their stories.

Cinematography & CGI: I have no complaints and thought it was great.

Music /OST: It was just okay. None made me eager to download it and put it on my spotify playlist.

Overall, BFTB was one of the best xianxia I've watched this year. If you like dragon, kind male lead, headstrong and kickass female lead, adventurous plot, romance with healthy communication & little angst in your story , watch this & you might enjoy it as I do.

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Du rire et une jolie romance, un été qui s'annonce sous de beau auspice !

Il pleut. Si pour certains vacanciers, c'est une plaie durant la période estivale, c'est une aubaine pour le nord de la France. Avouons que pouvoir rire de bon coeur sous son plaid, alors que l'orage gronde est plutôt plaisant.

L'intrigue nous amène cette fois dans le royaume des mortels où se côtoient taoist et démon. La sémillante Yan Hui expulsée de son clan y rencontre l'esprit millénaire dragon, Tian Yao. Ce dernier à la recherche de certaines parties de son corps, éparpillés à travers les 4 coins du monde après une trahison de sa fiancée Su Ying, comprend rapidement que Yan Hui possède une partie de ce qui lui appartient. Et voilà notre duo de choc, envers et contre tous, sur les routes afin de reconstituer notre dragon millénaire.

Envers et contre tous. C'est un peu le thème de notre drama. Derrière le ton léger et drôle, du moins durant la première partie, se cache le problème de cette normalité que l'humanité a imposé depuis des siècles. A travers l'histoire de Yan Hui et de Tian Yao, c'est l'universalité de la différence qui nous est montrés. Qui est le monstre? Qui est l'humain? Cette peur de l'inconnu, cette idée de ce qui est différent est obligatoirement mal. J'ai vraiment apprécié la morale de l'histoire et c'est joliment mis en scène à travers les différents couples humain/démon mais aussi ce rejet que chaque protagoniste rencontre au sein même de son clan.
J'aime que rien ne soit blanc ou noir, la nuance se glisse partout que cela soit chez les humains ou les démons.

L'humour omniprésent allège considérablement l'atmosphère et on se surprend à rire de bon coeur, du moins dans la première partie. La seconde partie devient plus dramatique et perd un peu ce côté étonnant et loufoque mais n'en reste pas moins agréable à suivre.

Les personnages? c'est le point fort et une belle réussite dans ce drama.
Yan Hui est le personnage central de ce drama. C'est un personnage féminin pétillant de vie dont la joie et la bonne humeur ont illuminé le petit écran de ses répliques détonnantes d'intelligences et de drôleries! J'ai totalement craqué pour ses actions inattendues et ses mimiques ultra "cutes"! J'ai adoré sa force et sa féminité, c'est un personnage superbement interprété par Zhou Ye! Je découvre cette actrice et j'avoue que j'ai été bluffée par son jeu. Je pense que Yan Hui fut le pilier de ce drama.
Tian Yao, moins exubérant, apporte ce contraste nécessaire dans notre duo, rendant le côté loufoque de Yan Hui encore plus évident. Leur couple fut adorable malgré je l'avoue une petite perte d'intensité pendant une partie du drama (je vous laisse deviner à quel moment....).
Les personnages secondaires ont été soignés, et nous prenons beaucoup de plaisir à suivre chacune de leur histoires.

C'est donc un drama extrêmement agréable à suivre avec une sacrée bonne dose de bonne humeur!

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great chemistry between the main leads

I started this drama not having any expectations mostly because I was not particularly interested in Zhou Ye and did not even know who Hou Ming Hao was.

The first 8 episodes were slow, story was average and relationship between the two main leads was very typical of c-drama couples who first met: bickering like enemies.

I watched on, however and was gradually drawn into the story and drawn into the developing camaraderie of the two main leads, from getting used to each other to falling in love and even dying for each other.

Basically, the entire story was simple, about the male lead finding the decapitated parts of his body after being harmed by Su Ying and the female lead helping him albeit initially unwilling. Lots of adventures along the way as they tried to find the parts together and lots of things happened which also tested the strength of their love for each other.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama more than I expected and was glad that I started and continued with it because it became one of those dramas I waited for episodes to drop and couldn’t bear for it to end. I was touched by the love they had for each other, something which was not sudden or out of the blue but developed as they went through each adventure. This was largely because of the strong chemistry between the main leads - Zhou Ye and Hou Ming Hao - a winning factor in any xianxia and they look good together in the drama, like a real couple.

There were some comedic parts in the show, you know it when the music changed, I was perfectly fine with them. It gave the show a lighter feel and I did find some humour in some of those parts.

There were no illogical moments or irritating characters in the drama, at least nothing that I want to make a hoo-ha of. The only negative thing would be the amateur acting of some of the cast. Though they were not important figures in the story, when you could see the flaws, your emotions would somehow be affected.

So, yes, all in all, this was a good watch, I would recommend this to anyone who likes to watch xianxias with adventure and a strong chemistry between the main leads.

And yes, Hou Ming Hao did look rather charming in the drama.

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A PERFECT DRAMA ???

I just can't believe it has ended. It 's the best drama for me. It was full of sweetness, comic, angsty, sad, happy mix together. I fully enjoyed every bit of it.


They are best couple gor me. The leads here support each other, solve things together and go through every hardships together.


The supporting characters are are also good here. They are funny and supportive of the leads and help them fullfill their goals.



After this i hope that they work together in another drama. I will rewatch it after sometimes. For future viewers, don't hesitate, don't confuse just start watching this.

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A light-hearted Xianxia with one of the best power couples out there

The story: The story is refreshing for a Xianxia as it takes place entirely in the Human realm and there are no Gods and endless reincarnations and lifes to go through. Instead it is more of a fantastical journey of healing and treasure hunt for the missing body parts for the ML. Although it deviates from the novel I enjoyed most of the changes as it fleshed out the characters arc and emotions. There are a few story points that seemed a bit convenient ( but no more than in the usual Xinxia Drama) but for the most part the story was logical. One needs to be a bit patient though because things that leave questions in the viewers mind are often explained but in a much later Episode where it all comes together. I also enjoy that heavier moments are never dragged out for too long and there is a good rhythm of emotional moments and moments of levity. BFTB even keeps this rhythm in the second half of the story where XianXia typically become heavy and joyless.
There are no misunderstandings that are unnecessarily dragged out. Instead the strong communication between the characters is one of the Highlights of BFTB.

The characters: The main couple is one of the best I have seen. I enjoyed that Tien Yao is not the typical cold OP lead but starts instead as very weak and traumatized. Originally pure and naiv we first meet him at his low point corrupted by the horrible things that happend to him.His journey of finding his old self and learning to trust and love again is very beautiful. I also liked that he makes mistakes on the way and isn't perfect ( which is also a change from the novel, that I personally found enriching to the story, aka the famous EP 16 so many viewers were complaining about.)
Yan Hui is a gem. She kicks ass, is honest and protects our dragon. Although she also grows as a person on their journey she is the rock that braces the storm. She is steadfast and true to herself, not to mention straightforward, brave and hilarious. She takes a lot of rejection from TY early on but she is not a push over and Tian Yao has to fight for her to get back in her good graces. There are a few instances where she wasn't the smartest cookie around, but I think that was mostly played for comedic effect. Most of the time she is smart and thoughtful.
The side characters were also lovable but in this drama the MLs are really the focus of the show which I prefer. Especially BXS functioned as a stand in for the viewer who is rooting for the MLs. He was convincingly cunning and broken but at the same time funny. He does try to insert himself between the couple for a few episodes but I didn't mind because Tien Yao really really needed the competition as a wake up call. Also BXS remained harmless and never steered into obsessive 2nd ML territory that cannot let go.
On the downside I found the villains too one dimensional and their obsessions went too far. Their motivations did not make much sense to me because they lacked any form of self reflection and self-awareness. It also made it difficult to imagine how Tien Yao could fall for Suying in the first place, because I can't imagine her icy face being able to pull off the deception required to fool him.

The Acting: Both the female and male lead are pure eye candy.
I was impressed with both of their acting, especially the emotional scenes where handled well by the leads. The acting for Tien Yao required a subtle change over time as our Male Lead is healing from his emotional Trauma and is beautifully portrayed by Hou Minghao who has very beautiful and expressive eyes. So it makes sense that he come across as repressed in the beginning. But he becomes more majestic and emotive as the story progresses. Also he manages to convincingly portray someone very young at one point which impressed me. I was almost wondering if that was really the same person, if Hou Minghao has some secret youth elixier I want it.
The other actors do a good job as well especially BXS cunning and mischief was well portrayed by Riley Wang. The actor who portrayed both the fox king and his twin also deserves to me mentioned here because he pulled of the double role really well.

Skinship: This couple has some of the most natural interactions and really delivers a feeling of closeness throughout. The kissing scenes are sadly few and very underwhelming ( the typical lips touching not moving kind) but all the other interactions and hugs, which are plenty, make up for it in this case, so I didn't mind the lackluster kissing as much as I would have otherwise.

OST: The Soundtrack is epic and beautiful. My personal favourite is the song sung by our very talented ML Hou Minghao which features lyrics that reflect the MLs heart perfectly. Especially because Tien Yao is not very expressive about his feelings having the ML sing them is especially meaningful.

Costumes: I really liked the costumes as they become more luxurious as the ML regains his strength. They are not as eye catching as those in LBFD but given that this Drama does not deal with Gods and ancient Demons but instead is set in the human realm the more sutle costuming suits the setting better. I also liked that the colors of the clothing reflected the purity/ naivety of the characters.
If a character becomes "dark" chinese Drama s always have the same evil makeup for the actors which BFTB does as well. I wish they would change that up a bit, especially since the greatest aholes usually live in heaven, but it was not as over the top as TTEOTM, so I can look past that.

CGI: The CGI is not the best but I got used to its quirkiness. The monsters look like pokemon which seems weird in a Live Action setting, but I got used to it by the end and now like their uniqueness. I liked that the spirits where portrayed in various stations of development with weaker spirits not having a completley human form, that is something I haven't seen before. The Backround CGI looked really beautiful. The wirework for the fights could have been a bit better as well, but it was not something I mind since Xianxia fight scenes seems a bit ridiculous most of the time anyway. If anyone has watched TSL one will notice that some of the same sets were used for both Dramas. But given that BFTB had a medium budget I think the Drama looks really good for its budget.

The ending: Although it is a happy Ending it felt similarly rushed as the one LBFD had. This seems to be a trend recently, that really annoys me especially when the novels ending had no such issue. This is also the reason for not giving BFTB full points.

All in all I really loved this show and BFTB has become my second favourite Xianxia Drama behind LBFD. It' s story is a welcome change from the usual Xianxia storys and while I dig all powerful cold characters like Dongfang Qingcang I loved the pure, tortured and emotional Tien Yao because these types of characters are much rarer. Also Yan Hui is easily the most kickass and awesome FL in all of Xianxia. Objectively I have to give LBFD the edge in terms of overall quality and its villains but my obsession with BFTB was as great if not greater.
I prefer these lighter more fun Xianxia shows over the angsty, noble idiocy induced melodramas such as AOL, TMOPB, ALP or TTEOTM. I think we are really lucky to have such high quality and light Xianxia Shows released so close after another, after TSL was also very nice this year.

Rewatch value is high for me ( already rewatched 3 times) as I get to really appreciate the subtle changes in TY. Watching it again especially after the reveal in the last couple EPs makes me see the earlier EPs in a new light.

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