The Longest Promise

This is the best xianxia drama I've watched after a long time! Xiao Zhan brought Shi Ying's character alive. Quality drama means an engaging plot and storyline, the directors, scriptwriters and actors who aim for perfection and of course the ability of the leads and supporting actors and actress to captivate the audience with their presence on screen. The longest promise is not only centered in romance, but the love of the country and humanity. Xiao Zhan is not merely a traffic star, he has become an actor with strong presence on screen. I am watching this for the second time, it's that good!!

I have waited to see half of all episodes before writing a review, but now I can confidently say that this is a great drama series! It shines in may aspects:

• Storyline

While it takes an episode or two to fully understand the setting, from then on it's a captivating story with good setups and payoffs, never letting plotlines drag on for too long but also not cutting interesting story elements short.

• Characters & casting

The stars of the show, Xiao Zhan as Shi Ying and Ren Min as Zhu Yan, are the heart of the show. Shi Ying is the tragic center of the story, while the character of Zhu Yan adds the necessary sweetness and a bit of lightheartedness to the story. Especially Xiao Zhan's performance of Shi Ying brings a lot of nuance and heart to the character.

The supporting cast is also very strong: they are well acted and all have their own motivations, ambitions and struggles. They are all written 3-dimensional and make the world and its inhabitans seem more alive (with the only exception so far being the Ice Clan).

• Visuals & CGI

This series is simply beautiful to watch. Sets, costumes, lightning, fight choreography, "magic", CGI background and creatures - they are all masterfully done and really work well with each other. For that alone it's a great watch.

• Music

I often don't notice music, even when it's well done. In this drama however I often notice music in a positive way, consciously realising that it imroves the scene I'm watching even further and motivating me to go back and watch the scene again.

All in all a great drama to watch for any fantasy fan, and definetly a must-watch for any xianxia drama fan.

Watched 4 episodes so far, I can honestly say this fantasy drama is very well made. Xiao Zhan is at his best in both his look and his acting. Unlike his role in the Untamed, this time Shiying, is a very elegant, calm, a bit cold most of the time but occasionally witty character. Xiao Zhan's temperament just perfectly suits this role. And his look is just beyond this world. I can't find suitable words for it. His acting ability has notably matured comparing to his last fantasy drama in my opinion, more subtle but still very powerful in delivering the character's emotions. His acting is always very genuine and touching, especially in sad scenes.

Other casts are doing pretty good jobs too. The costumes are stunning and special effects although not prefect, are definitely better than most of the dramas in this genre. If you are a fan of Chinese fantasy drama, don't miss this gem!

I have waited for 2 years for this drama, and I'm not disappointed! XiaoZhan is just as gorgeous as I expected, and the female lead is pretty and cute. The whole show is in very high quality, beautiful costumes, magnificent sceneries, and interesting story lines. All other supporting roles and side plots are very good too. The only thing is that I am distracted by XiaoZhan's handsome face, and would miss what they are saying. I had to go back and replay the parts multiple times LOL. This makes me so happy, what a nice summer vacation gift! I am so excited and looking forward to the rest of the episodes!

I was really hooked around episode 8

I'm a Wuxia fan but I always enjoy a great Xianxia, and this happens to be one of them. Xiao Zhan is an incredible talent. Xiao Zhan is a consummate actor, able to play any role and become that character. I had just finished his beautiful & latest drama The Youth Memories 2023 not too long ago, where he played the confident, assertive, and gregarious Xiao Chun Sheng. That drama was a slice of life/coming of age. In The Long Promise, he played Shi Ying, a loner, calm, quiet, and introspective with a tragic past. Very few artists can reach that depth of acting in two totally different types of characters as successfully as Xiao Zhan has.

The overall story is solid and the chemistry between all characters is excellent, it's not just 2D between ML and FL so that's another really strong point about this drama that many other dramas lack... The different relationships between all the characters and their character growth. I loved Gen Qing & Yuan. Chong Ming kept me smiling though.

I wanted to add that at first, I was skeptical about the FL because she's not a big-name star but she stepped up to the plate and played Zhu Yan wonderfully. A young, strong girl, who stands up to bullies even if she has to face adversity, and isn't afraid to show her true emotions. I always found little games like playing hard to get so annoying in other dramas (pet peeve) but that isn't the case in this drama. There is angst though, that's Xianxia for you, but the silly games that are annoying are not present in this drama.

Finally, the CGI, cinematography, and fighting scenes are so well done. The usage of natural geological landscapes is stunning. Scenes have a Zen-like quality. My favorite parts are usually the marital arts scenes since as I said, I favor the Wuxia genre. They were seamless and fluid, with great choreography. The color, the lighting, and the movement were done very well. It's just a stunning visual treat from beginning to end.

Highly recommended., especially if you love Xianxia.