It seems that the audience's preferences have changed along with the trend of Xianxia dramas. Increasingly, Xianxia dramas are bringing back the long-lost sense of youth to the audience, offering a blend of joy, passion, and adolescent energy. Not only do viewers indulge in the sweet and bitter plotlines, but they are also awakened to their yearning for idealized love, which can inspire the brighter side of human nature.
If every generation has its own Xianxia dramas, then the Xianxia dramas represented by “Love Between Fairy and Devil” and “Back from the Brink” undoubtedly fit the aesthetic taste of Generation Z in terms of art style, character design, and core values. They meet the current young people's demands for passionate values, which is markedly different from the previous style of Xianxia dramas.
Character Setting Downgraded
Prior to “The Journey of Flower,” the main theme of Xianxia dramas was the growth of youths in a collective background. Such as Li Xiaoyao, Jing Tian, and Baili Tusu were chosen because they came from the lower classes or had a strong aura. Since then, the protagonist of Xianxia dramas has become female, and the narrative of adolescent growth has been replaced by the female protagonist's story. At the same time, the protagonist's identity has been transformed into that of a god, and the taboo love story between teacher and student has been launched, making the audience unable to resist. “Eternal Love” continues with this character setting and narrative, except that it adds the reincarnation through the ages setting to the tragic love story between the Bai Qian (play by Yang Mi) and the Ye Hua (play by Mark Chao).
Since then, Xianxia dramas have been caught in a cycle of “master and disciple love + eternal love,” as seen in later dramas such as “Ancient Love Poetry,” “The Journey of Chong Zi ,” and others. “Love and Redemption” is somewhat unconventional in that, although its protagonist is also the son of a celestial emperor and a reincarnation of a heavenly battlefield god, the drama officially introduces a different emotional pattern. The fact that the god of war is female is the first thing that catches the eye, followed by the female lead's irresistible sense of power and the male lead's sense of fragmentation, making it somewhat innovative.
However, a single drama cannot salvage the audience's aesthetic fatigue towards the Xianxia genre, which is often criticized for its excessive focus on romance and lack of substantial conflict, especially as the divine settings become increasingly commonplace. The obstacles faced by the protagonists are typically limited to overcoming evil forces, unlocking their spiritual potential, and enduring emotional trials, while the immortal world backdrops are indistinguishable from one another. It was not until the emergence of “Love Between Fairy and Devil” that viewers began to believe in the genre again, particularly the generation Z who were deeply immersed in the story.
“Love Between Fairy and Devil” first focuses on the villainous male lead, Dong Fang Qing Cang (played by Wang He Di), whose attacks only require a slight tilt of his head, accompanied by a soundtrack reminiscent of anime battles. The female lead, Xiao Lan Hua (Orchid, played by Yu Shu Xin), is depicted as a childish, delicate and absent-minded flower who believes in love and peace. The obstacles that these two characters face in their quest to be together are seemingly insurmountable.
The protagonists in “Back from the Brink” are even more downgraded. The male lead, Tian Yao (played by Hou Ming Hao), is a thousand-year-old spirit dragon who was dismembered by his ex-lover and seeks the help of the female lead, Yan Hui (played by Zhou Ye), a congenitally flawed immortal girl who grew up in adversity and aspires to a peaceful life, but remains loyal to her friends. The plot unfolds according to the logic of ordinary people navigating the jianghu world, which is both grounded and modern. Furthermore, the casting of both dramas features youthful faces that suit the roles, rather than A-list celebrities.
The Ardor of Youth in Love
The struggle between free will and determinism is a recurring theme in the Wuxia genre. In “Chinese Paladin,” Zhao Ling'er's (play by Liu Yifei) identity as a descendant of Nüwa has predetermined her tragic fate to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Li Xiaoyao (play by Hu Ge), on the other hand, has fought against his destiny but ultimately failed to escape its grasp, resulting in a sorrowful ending. In “The Journey of Flower,” the female protagonist Bai Qian is a lone star in the heavens, prohibited by both moral and societal constraints from falling in love with her mentor Ye Hua and indulging in worldly desires.
While audiences who yearn for intense emotional connections may enjoy the angst of tragic love, it is noteworthy that even in a Xianxia drama with a strong female lead like “The Journey of Flower,” the male hero remains the savior of the people. The male protagonist is faced with the choice between the greater good and his love for the female lead, and often sacrifices her for the sake of his own heroic journey, leading to the heroine's downfall. This melancholic trope has been repeated countless times, even in later Xianxia dramas where there is no longer a greater good to serve, only immortal beings.
Meanwhile, the core conflict of defying fate and changing destiny through strong confrontation has disappeared, and more high-level immortals dominate and oppress low-level immortals for personal reasons, satisfying the power-hungry desires of some viewers. Xianxia dramas have become “Xianxia without Xia,” and their values have gradually deviated. The destined love of immortals has become a tool for suppressing others' sense of superiority.
“Love Between Fairy and Devil” is a combination of love and demons, but it sees all living beings. This drama has brought back the values of “love and peace” to Xianxia dramas, and has made the audience believe in some simple things again, such as friendship and love. It patiently depicts the emergence of love between the young male and female leads, not through the mentor-disciple relationship or predetermined union of immortal clans, but rather through the union of two individuals who are both lonely and rebellious.
The Xiao Lan Hua came unnoticed, with her master's whereabouts unknown. The Dong Fang Qing Cang gave her a vivid and colorful companionship. In order to obtain the strongest ability, the Dong Fang Qing Cang broke off his emotions, killed his father, and made the world forever dark and lonely. However, he allowed the colorful and successfully tamed Xiao Lan Hua to sacrifice herself, and he wanted to reverse fate for her.
The protagonist of “Back from the Brink” is also full of youthful energy. The male and female protagonists were initially both lower-class and incomplete, and they wanted to become complete and promote equality among humans, demons, and immortals. Tian Yao is pure and kind-hearted. After falling in love with Su Ying (played by Yang Rong) and unfortunately being dismembered, his main task is to find his own body, while Yanhui is a person who fights for justice and wants to cure heart disease. They are all people with free will, not blindly in love at first sight, but gradually confirming their feelings after going on adventures together.
The Love & Game Sense of the Z generation
The noteworthy aspect to mention is the strong sense of gaming that has emerged in recent years from the love-oriented dramas of Generation Z. The gaming narrative in these dramas vividly and concretely portrays the interactions of the main characters in their romantic encounters.
In “Love Between Fairy and Devil,” there are numerous segments of amusing gaming narrative. In the first stage, Dong Fang Qing Cang is bound to Xiao Lan Hua due to a shared heart spell, forcing him to listen to her incessant chatter, fetch her water from rootless springs, cook her hundreds of flowers soup, and tend to Xiao Lan Hua's wellbeing, thus being compelled to empathize with her.
In the second stage, the two exchange bodies and have to play each other's roles, resulting in a delicate version of Dong Fang Qing Cang and a cold-faced Xiao Lan Hua. In the third stage, they respectively lead their partners to open a game instance in the mortal world, where Xiao Lan Hua even pretends to be Dong Fang Qing Cang's husband. Each part is full of comic elements, and the true feelings are revealed in this comedy.
The game and interaction of “Back from the Brink” are even more extensive. In the first stage, the male and female protagonists accidentally got married in a small village. In the second stage, they entered Yongzhou, which is very unfriendly to monsters, and Tian Yao could only pretend to be Yanhui's servant to get through. With Bai Xiaosheng joining the game, the two entered the third stage. Moreover, the dialogue in this drama is very modern and full of jokes. Almost all of the popular online phrases have been deconstructed and reconstructed, and the dialogue is full of flavor and fun.
“Love Between Fairy and Devil” and “Back from the Brink” are full of playful and funny storylines, the core is a sense of youth, with a storytelling skin of games. It can be said that these two dramas perfectly interpret the viewing experience of being just enough for Generation Z.
