Hu Yao Xiao Hong Niang: Yue Hong Pian

Great actors can convey so much with just a glance, a stare, or a well-timed tear. Gong Jun can steal the scenes with only his eyes. I have watched several of his dramas and I think this is his best costume drama.

I really like DongFang Yuechu's interactions with Tushan Honghong (and his spirit friends in Tushan as well!). Both main characters are very fleshed out. The special effects are very well done. The firework scenes are beautiful. The colorful costumes are very fairy-like, and the make-up of the fox spirits in Tushan is very pretty. However, the screenwriting of this drama is a bit weak as there are bugs in several scenes (1-star deducted from the full mark).

I am an anime fan. When my friend told me that the Fox Spirit Matchmaker was going to be made into a TV drama with real people, I didn't have any expectations for the drama at first. One of the key factors that draws me to a movie or TV drama is the appearance of the actors. I watched Fox Spirit Matchmaker Red-Moon Pact because judging from the trailers, there are many handsome actors and pretty actresses in it. After watching the first few episodes, I am addicted to this drama! The adaptation of this drama is logically smooth and harmonious and is not too different from the original work. The script is solid, the foreshadowing is coherent, and the settings of each character are clear. From what I have seen so far, the production and casting of this drama are all good. I especially like Dongfang YueChu played by Gong Jun - he is the comic YueChu I have in my mind!

Such a beautifully made fantasy drama. One of the best in the recent years! Gong Jun did a very good job playing a teenager Dong Fang Yue Chu at the beginning, so energetic and smart, very different from his previous roles such as Wen Kexing and Han Ye. This is a very beautiful but at the same time sad love story because there is a huge gap between humans and spirits. Therefore, it is even harder for human and spirit to fall in love and stay with each other forever. It might be set to fail but Dong Fang Yue Chu and Tu Shan Hong Hong still try to fight for it. It's like Romeo and Juliet LOVE it!

I have finished the ten episodes, and found the drama quite intriguing. Fox legends are typical Chinese legends, dating back to the days of Da Yu, one of the nation's ancient tribe heroes. There are many Chinese literary stories based on foxes from Qinqiu Mountain and Tushan Mountain, with the focus on the relationship between foxes and humans. It is interesting to see the human character in the dama as kind of Chinese swordsmen, different from the traditional scholars who are physicially weak. Yuechu, the hero is a very lively, active, audacious and broad-minded guy, and he is funny. His feelings for Honghong, the fox who has lived for 1000 years and raised him up, reminded me of the Oedipus complex, as his mother died for him when he was a kid. But the transformation is natural and well-blended into their common adventures and growth.

Have to be honest that I was worried about the adaption from the original comic. But after watching the first 10 episodes, I am totally immersed in the story line. The acting is on par (credits to Gong Jun and Yang Mi's great chemistry), the animation effect is superb (not awkward and not too fake), the styling is colorful and good looking, the BGM is so on point (really love Zhang Jie's song - Like a Dream), and of course finally the plot is logical and fast paced. The first 2 episodes entail the background of how Yuechu became an orphan, joined Tuscan and then grew up. The biggest 2 enemies are introduced too. Then in the following 4 episodes, Yuechu managed to revenge for his parents (not entirely yet as there is another plot line regarding his family Dongfang), and Honghong rescued the tree from being destroyed by Shiji. The latest 4-6 episodes are about the couple in Yuyao nation, where Yuechu grew to recognize his mission and goals to achieve love and peace among 2 races. What can I say, if you want to know more about how Yuechu grows and become the strongest human and finally defeat the bad Shiji, and of course achieve peace with the help of Honghong, come join me in the story of Red-Moon Pact.