CHINESE DRAMA REVIEW
Chinese title大梦归离
2024 · 34 Episodes · Full-Length Chinese Drama · Fantasy / Historical / Romance / Adventure
Hou Minghao / Neo Hou as Zhao Yuanzhou / Zhu Yan; Chen Duling as Wen Xiao
Main Couple: Zhao Yuanzhou × Wen Xiao
THE ROMANCE CHECK
Relationship spoilers below.
RELATIONSHIP MILESTONES
Spoilers for the completed drama. Romantic conflict and magical separation are distinguished from an actual breakup.
Early story
Zhao Yuanzhou and Wen Xiao become uneasy allies in the Demon-Hunting Bureau.
Developing feelings
Trust and emotional attachment grow through their investigations and repeated efforts to protect each other.
Middle story
Flirting, sacrifice, jealousy and mutual protection make their feelings increasingly clear.
Around Episode 23
The Bai Ze Token storyline makes their bond unmistakably romantic. The aired version does not deliver a satisfying clearly shown main-couple kiss.
Breakup: NONE
They do not go through a conventional romantic breakup. Supernatural conflict and forced separation are different.
Final arc
Zhao Yuanzhou chooses sacrifice rather than allowing Wen Xiao to die.
Ending
Zhao Yuanzhou dies while Wen Xiao survives. Tragic Ending — separated by death.
Special / extra ending
A remnant of Zhao Yuanzhou may still exist, but he is not shown fully revived or reunited with Wen Xiao as a living couple.
Finished · 34 episodes. Spoilers include the finale and hopeful extra-ending hint.
My impressions cover what I watched. Later research is labeled on dropped reviews. Kissing, affection and adult intimacy are separate; coercion does not count as romantic spice. Being apart does not automatically mean a breakup.
A PERSONAL VIEWING JOURNAL
The cast of Fangs of Fortune is honestly one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed this drama. 😭 The ensemble is ridiculously strong, and the acting is excellent across the board. Unfortunately, after getting me attached to everybody, this drama apparently decided emotional destruction was the appropriate reward.
Because yes — this has a SAD ending. 😭
My reaction is pretty simple: “Super cast and acting. Unfortunately, sad ending.”
Zhao Yuanzhou, the powerful demon Zhu Yan, joins Wen Xiao and the Demon-Hunting Bureau to investigate supernatural cases involving humans and demons. Their team becomes a found-family-style group while facing increasingly dangerous threats.
It is a fantasy, mystery and adventure story with romance woven through it.
Hou Minghao / Neo Hou, Chen Duling, Tian Jiarui, Cheng Xiao, Lin Ziye, Xu Zhenxuan and Yan An give this drama a fantastic ensemble. The acting and emotional performances are some of its biggest strengths.
The supporting cast feels important instead of disposable, which makes getting attached very easy. Unfortunately, that also makes the deaths hurt more. 😭 Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhuo Yichen’s complicated bond is especially significant to the story.
Zhao Yuanzhou and Wen Xiao have emotional attachment, flirting, mutual protection and sacrifice. Their feelings develop before the finale, and their emotional intimacy matters.
But this is not romance-first, and the romantic payoff is much lower than what I usually prefer. The aired drama does not give me a satisfying clearly visible main-couple kissing payoff.
No conventional romantic breakup. Magical events, danger and forced separation are not the same thing as ending the relationship. Their ultimate separation is death.
Zhao Yuanzhou sacrifices himself and dies. Wen Xiao survives. They do not reunite alive on screen in the main ending.
The special / extra ending gives us a hopeful hint that a fragment or remnant of him may still exist. That suggests revival could be possible, but it does not actually show him fully revived or reunited with Wen Xiao as a living couple.
That little crumb is not enough for me to call this a Happy Ending. Killing Zhao Yuanzhou ruins the final romantic payoff for me. 😭
Final couple status: Separated by death / no confirmed reunion.
The cast? Fantastic. The acting? Fantastic. The emotional damage? Also apparently fantastic. 😭
Unfortunately, killing Zhao Yuanzhou and giving me a tiny “maybe he can come back someday” crumb is NOT the happy ending I ordered.
The excellent cast and performances are why I enjoyed it. That sad ending hurts the rating.
Final Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐ · Finished.
Official iQIYI International listing
Official iQIYI International English-language listing advertises the 2024 drama, 34 episodes and English subtitles. Use the original series listing rather than the separate dubbed editions. Signed-in U.S. playback, subtitle continuity, original audio and full audio/video quality were not tested for this publication.
Finished all 34 episodes. My reactions are personal; the timeline follows my finished-viewing chronology and retained finale evidence.