The Starry Love (2023) - Final Review
Final review/rating: The Starry Love (2023) - Hilarious and heartfelt xianxia take on "wrong carriage, right groom" tale
This is 9/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮ from Pandafan🐼
Overall rating: 9 Stars Plot: 9 Stars Acting/cast: 9 Stars Couple chemistry: 10 stars Music: 9 Stars Re-watch value: 9 Stars Enjoyment factor: 10 Stars |
What I thought would be yet another cookie-cutter xianxia turned into an enchanting and very funny watch. This drama has well-written relatable characters that will tug at your heartstrings and a witty script that deftly moves between side-splitting comedy and pathos.
For a spoiler-free synopsis, see mine 👉here, but essentially, The Starry Love (2023) starts with a "wrong carriage, right groom" premise, albeit in the xianxia setting, centering on the fates of a pair of twin sisters born to the mortal realm's Emperor.
On the day they are due to be married off to their respective grooms, a mix-up occurs and Qing Kui ends up in the demonic void realm, whilst Ye Tan ends up in the heavenly realm.
The shenanigans in the void realm are also equally hilarious as wily schemer Chao Feng is at first amused by what he sees as Qing Kui's naïve goodness, but finds himself tied up in a web of lies and hopelessly in love nonetheless.
And the side-splitting comical delights of this drama just keep rolling... Like the bad statue of You Qin in some random mortal temple which looks like an amateur restorer desecrated the original🤣
As for Chen Xing Xu's You Qin, talk about range! I have only previously seen him cast as the devious anti-hero type (eg Yang Kang in Legend of the Condor Heroes (2017), Li Cheng Yin in Goodbye my Princess (2019)), but in The Starry Love (2023) he demonstrates he is capable of more.
He Xuan Lin's Qing Kui also captivated me, to my surprise. I am not usually a fan of perfect Disney princess types, but Qing Kui's inherent goodness is so genuine and her love for Ye Tan so moving, I couldn't help but fall in love with her.
Chen Mu Chi's Chao Feng is also a deliciously sexy rogue. Although he is cynical, manipulative, and unscrupulous, he also manages to be lovable at the same time, and is clearly redeemable given his loyalty to his men and his protective love of his mother.
Ye Tan has the best ride-or-die bestie squad.
The void realm also provides us with such delights as 2IC Hai Chao (he of the eye rolls and snarky asides), Wu Dai, the endearing oaf with a heart of gold, and his determined pursuer Jia Lou Lou who can somehow make a confession of love sound like a death threat 🤣💓
Honestly, the man grew a pair, standing up to the Heavenly Emperor and Void King to protect his beloved daughters when he had no magical cultivation, and fully supporting Ye Tan in her deadly quest for vengeance.
As for Hu Sui, I never quiet warmed up to her character even when she was still firmly on Team Ye Tan, which might be more to do with Bai Yu Fei's acting rather than how the character is written.
Be prepared to go on an emotional rollercoaster - I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with the characters time and time again while laughing and crying. I have honestly never laughed so hard watching a xianxia.
While I think The Starry Love (2023) doesn't quite stick the landing in the final episode, that does not detract much from my considerable enjoyment of the drama overall. And boy am I impressed with the leads: Chen Xing Xu, Li Lan Di, Chen Mu Ci, He Xuan Lin - these four are definitely on my radar as young actors to watch!
SPOILERS AHEADS
Plot: "Wrong carriage, right groom" in xianxia setting
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| Princess Ye Tan and Princess Qing Kui |
In the first arc of the drama, we meet the elder sister, Princess Qing Kui, who is considered auspicious, is beloved by the Emperor, and is betrothed to the heavenly prince. She is good, kind, and perfection itself.
We also meet younger sister, Princess Ye Tan, who is considered inauspicious, is unloved by the Emperor, and is betrothed to the demon prince. Ye Tan has survived the last 18 years on her wit and cunning, and her outward screw-the-world bravado hides a vulnerable heart that longs for love and a place in the sun.
Despite their upbringing, the sisters share a close sisterly bond.
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| Qing Kui and Chao Feng 💕 |
But perhaps some mistakes are meant to be. Qing Kui and the devilish 3rd Prince Chao Feng find themselves deeply in love, while Ye Tan finds that sparks fly between her and straitlaced heavenly prince Shao Dian You Qin. Ye Tan just seems to be able to press all his buttons, inciting an array of emotions: rage, greed, and lust to name a few, which he must cut off to maintain the concentration needed to save the four realms...
To be honest, I had my doubts when starting The Starry Love (2023). Everything was a bit over the top. The background music almost overpowered the dialogue and the blindingly bright bubblegum colour palette for the celestial realm had me adjusting my screen resolution and preparing myself for yet another cookie-cutter xianxia.
It only gets better from there, as Ye Tan
inspires a thunderstorm worth of lust in You Qin after ingesting a tree's worth of heavenly aphrodisiac (and fobs him off with a measly hairpin as a morning-after send off 😂), starts up an illegal heavenly gambling club that cleans out all of You Qin's worldly goods and has him greedily resorting to desperate measures to recoup his losses, and gives him an epic perm when one of her spells goes wrong.😆😆😆 And you gotta love a girl who can sort out a hotpot, anytime, anywhere, right? (RIP sacred heavenly bull)😆
However, just as Ye Tan and You Qin begin to know their hearts, they are parted when You Qin sacrifices himself to save the four realms from chaos.
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| Romancing the soul shards: Just add Ye Tan |
In the second arc of the drama, Ye Tan and her allies go in search of three shards of You Qin's soul because the only way to resurrect him is to get all three soul shards (formed from the rage, greed, and lust that Ye Tan has previously invoked in You Qin v1) to fall in love with her again.
Peak comedy ensues, before we get You Qin v2 and peak romance for both our CPs💕
In the third arc of the drama, Ye Tan and Qing Kui are revealed to be the twin flowers of Ganoderma Vein with the power to unleash chaos, leading the four realms to hunt them down. Thereafter angst follows as well as epic showdowns, as the sisters each sacrifice their all for those they love...
Why it works: laugh-out-loud comedy and 3D main characters
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| Li Lan Di as Ye Tan |
To be honest, I had my doubts when starting The Starry Love (2023). Everything was a bit over the top. The background music almost overpowered the dialogue and the blindingly bright bubblegum colour palette for the celestial realm had me adjusting my screen resolution and preparing myself for yet another cookie-cutter xianxia.
But Li Lan Di's Ye Tan?
I was sold from the moment she made the usually unflappable You Qin splutter with rage at their first meeting by accusing him of cradle snatching and wondering whether he is still 'able' at 2,700. I mean, it's a legit question!😆😅
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| Ep 7: A celestial perm |
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| Ep 8: Chao Feng is hulked |
The shenanigans in the void realm are also equally hilarious as wily schemer Chao Feng is at first amused by what he sees as Qing Kui's naïve goodness, but finds himself tied up in a web of lies and hopelessly in love nonetheless.
Even if she punishes him for misdeeds by turning him into the hulk😆 or interferes with his carefully laid schemes.
The sublime (eg Chao Feng and Qing Kui watching a romantic meteor shower together under a magic parasol) is definitely mixed with the ridiculous (eg because Chao Feng is holding said parasol with hands that are still green)😂.
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| Ep 13: The resemblance is...uncanny 🤣 |
This is, hands down, the funniest xianxia I have ever watched 😆🤣
All four leads shine, and share effortless chemistry.
Li Lan Di knocked it out of the park with her portrayal of Ye Tan as a mischievous, feisty, prickly, achingly vulnerable, fiercely loyal, and resilient heroine. Her comedic timing is impeccable and her immersive depiction of Ye Tan's grief in some of the climatic moments of angst was deeply moving. I also LOVED her sisterhood with Qing Kui (and Man Man) and her badass revenge arc. Everything about Ye Tan is just so damn relatable - I think she may be one of my all-time favorite xianxia heroines.
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| The three soul shards, starring Chen Xing Xu |
While he is the stock-standard straitlaced immortal (albeit with some social anxiety thrown in) in arc 1, in arc 2, Chen Xing Xu really shows us what he can do with his fiery and innocent La Mu, his avaricious and hilariously shameless Mei You Qing, and his flirtatious playboy Wen Ren, all of whom leave their individual marks on Ye Tan's heart and ours.
Also, his You Qin v 2 masterfully (and hilariously) integrates the characteristics of You Qin v 1 with all the soul shards into yet another compelling whole. This version knows how to flirt and let off fireworks, will fleece old immortals at the gambling table, and bitch slap Ye Tan's bullies in the heavenly realm or change their stars in the mortal realm so that they can have a taste of what it is like to be supposedly ill-omened.
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| You and me against the world💕 |
In my books, You Qin v 2 is exactly what we need in a xianxia hero - no more sacrificing the love of your life for the good of the realms or noble idiocy. I was particularly moved with his declaration in episode 30: "Who dares to touch her? My life was given to me by Tan'er, and I will live for her for the rest of my days. If the four realms accept her, then so be it. But if they do not, I will take on the entire world!" ("誰敢動她? 我的命是曇兒給的,餘生為她而活! 四界容她 我拱手作罷;若不容她 我對抗天下!") and also in episode 38: "Even if chaos renews and the four realms fall into ruins again, I will never point my sword at her!" ("哪怕四界顛覆, 混沌重啟,兒臣的劍峰也永不向她!")
Also, quick aside, I really like Chen Xing Xu's real voice and am so glad he dubbed himself in this drama. Being used to hearing him dubbed by more tenor sounding voice actors in other dramas, at first his deeper bass tones took some adjusting to. But I think his voice suits him perfectly and it was an essential part of how he was able to bring all the different facets of You Qin to life. Honestly, never overdub this man again!
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| Chen Mu Chi as Chao Feng with He Xuan Lin as Qing Kui💕 |
Besides, she is every bit as badass as Ye Tan when the situation calls for it - when she defeats the void realm's fiercest warrior Wu Dai with nothing more then a few medicinal needles she didn't only win his heart (and Chao Feng's) but likely that of every viewer of this drama. Her intelligence and quiet courage are also evident in her confrontations with the Void King, and later her ultimate sacrifice had me weeping my heart out along with Ye Tan and Chao Feng.
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| Chen Mu Chi as Chao Feng |
Chen Mu Chi's Chao Feng is also a deliciously sexy rogue. Although he is cynical, manipulative, and unscrupulous, he also manages to be lovable at the same time, and is clearly redeemable given his loyalty to his men and his protective love of his mother.
As well as his sizzling chemistry with He Xuan Lin's Qing Kui, I also enjoyed his hilarious banter with his 2IC Hai Chao (always on point and snarky) as well as that with his brother-in-law You Qin (whom he irreverently calls Lao Wu 老五, ie. Number 5 - y'know, for all of You Qin's variations 😅).
... and well written side characters
The drama also gives the well written side characters a chance to shine.
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| #squadgoals: Zi Wu, Man Man, Qing Heng, Die Lan Jue |
Who can forget or fail to love sassy sidekick parrot spirit Man Man, or loyal admirer-turned-BFF Die Lan Jue, or cute sister-in-law Zi Wu, or earnest brother-in-law Qing Heng, all of whom are fiercely loyal and will always fight in her corner?
Definition of found family, right there. I was fully invested in each of them.
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| Wu Dai: "Come to big brother's embrace" |
The void realm also provides us with such delights as 2IC Hai Chao (he of the eye rolls and snarky asides), Wu Dai, the endearing oaf with a heart of gold, and his determined pursuer Jia Lou Lou who can somehow make a confession of love sound like a death threat 🤣💓
As for mortal Emperor Tun, at first I thought he was the worst Dad in all the realms, which is saying a lot when you have Heavenly Emperor and Void King in the mix. Surely the worst, given his clear favouritism of Qing Kui and contrasting hatred of Ye Tan (and allowing her to be starved, imprisoned, and nearly killed on his watch) for the stupidly inadequate reason of her supposed inauspiciousness? That sort of💩will traumatise your child for life. All things considered, it is amazing that Ye Tan did not become a complete psychopath.
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| Xia Ming Hao as Mortal Emperor Tun |
I didn't think it would be possible to whitewash Emperor Tun, but somehow,
the drama managed to provide a backstory that explained, if it did not justify, his earlier actions (the fact that he was trying to protect Ye Tan from the entire mortal realm who wanted her dead). It also helped that Emperor Tun's remorse and self loathing for his weakness in not standing up for Ye Tan for 18 years is very genuine, that Ye Tan needed their reconciliation as much as he did, and that he subsequently redeems himself by becoming the most epic Dad ever.
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| Void King and Heavenly Emperor |
Honestly, the man grew a pair, standing up to the Heavenly Emperor and Void King to protect his beloved daughters when he had no magical cultivation, and fully supporting Ye Tan in her deadly quest for vengeance.
The worst father of the drama is a toss up between the two cliché villains of the piece, Void King and Heavenly Emperor, though the latter probably takes the 'prize' given the former's intermittent bouts of conscience in relation to Chao Feng. The Heavenly Emperor was a nasty piece of works, selfishly using You Qin to maintain his power and resorting to underhand tactics like the oblivion shard to take away his free will and to trick him in to killing his one true love. I cheered when the awesome Heavenly Empress divorced him and was decidedly not convinced by the weak attempt to whitewash his character in the last episode. I think he got off too lightly with just having his cultivation destroyed by Ye Tan (though I guess it would have been awkward if she actually killed him given he is technically her father-in-law).
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| Bai Yu Fei as Hu Sui/ Su Zhi |
Hu Sui's backstory is tragic (the sole survivor of the genocide of her people) and when she learned that she has waited 10,000 years in the hope of reviving her people for nothing, it drives her over the edge. But I could not stomach the insidious way she manipulated both Ye Tan and Qing Kui right from the start to assuage her need for vengeance. Or the way she literally becoming a backstabber to achieve her ends, which would have seen destruction quite as horrific as that visited upon her people.
Honestly, I think Qing Heng had a lucky escape in not ending up with Hu Sui - he deserves better.
Fantastic OST
Special mention for the fantastic OST, which cemented all the 'feels'.
From Liu Yu Ning's powerful opening number 与子成说 ("Speaking sincerely with You"), to Mao Bu Yi's romantic and lyrical outro 天地无瑕 ("The World is flawless"), to Sa Ding Ding's magical 星落凝成糖 ("The Starry Love"), to Shuang Sheng's delightfully playful romcom number 双花儿 ("Twin Flowers"), all of the songs really enhanced my enjoyment of the drama.
That ending (!?)
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| Open ending?! |
In my view, this wonderful drama did not quite stick the landing in providing an unnecessary open ending, which is happy-ish in tone.
In short, angst is turned into decided comedy with banter between our two male leads who have been patiently waiting together (and irritating the hell out of each other🤣) for a year for the flower spirits of their wives to be reborn.
As they rib each other about such things as Chao Feng's smelly feet, two flowers blossom, and with the help of heart's blood from You Qin and Chao Feng the flowers increase in size and a tree appears. The director then leaves us with a shot of a gorgeous twin flower while You Qin, Chao Feng and the rest of their friends and family look on, and a voiceover recounts that the twin flowers once took human form and sacrificed themselves to save the four realm from chaos. And that is where the drama officially ends.
If you were hoping for a final shot where Ye Tan and Qing Kui step out from behind the tree and into the arms of their lovers, you will be sadly disappointed.
Honestly, was the director trolling us?🙈 Perhaps waiting a bit before releasing a gotcha special bonus episode (which as at the time of writing this review is not in the works)? Because the unabashedly comedic vibe of the drama throughout did not need an artsy ambiguous ending.
Oh well, no doubt there will be many fan edits that can fill the gaps in our hearts because our CPs deserve to be together and xianxia rules means that anything can happen. Just sayin'😅
Final Thoughts
🐼: The Starry Love (2023) is definitely worth watching. Not a
dull moment in all 40 episodes.
The drama is both heartfelt and hilarious, with engaging characters that will have you fully invested in their stories and a witty script that deftly navigates between side-splitting comedy and pathos.
One doesn't often associate xianxia with comedy, but the battle between good and evil has never been quite this entertaining.
A well deserved 9/10 stars ✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮✮
