Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms or Eternal Love (三生三世十里桃花) is such an epic tale that it has become one of the most watched drama series in China. So, when The Pillow Book aka Eternal Love Of Dream (三生三世枕上书) was released, there was a lot of anticipation for the sequel. But which one is better? Personally, I find both to be highly recommended. I know some would find one to be much better than the other. I do have my preference too but both are worth a watch even though the dramas are almost 60-episode long.
Do You Have To Watch Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms First?
It is not absolutely necessary to watch Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms first before you tackle The Pillow Book. They are independent stories that can be understood on their own. However, watching the 2017 production first will give you a better idea of the different characters and how they relate to each other. Even though there are a lot of character overlaps between the 2 dramas, The Pillow Book is not a continuation of Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. Each focuses on the romance of different couples
The Similarities
Both Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms and The Pillow Book are romance dramas with a xianxia or fantasy theme. The heroes in the 2 dramas are powerful men who have the task to keep all the realms safe. Both of them have a cold and rational personality with little show of emotions. But when they do fall in love, they love very deeply and would willingly sacrifice their lives for the woman they love. In both the dramas, the heroes will have to battle the Demon King who is out to to control the world. It is a do-or-die battle that is reserved to the end of the drama.
As for the heroines, both of them are princesses from Qing Qiu and belong to the Fox clan. They have an aunt-niece relationship which is why many of the characters in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms are also found in The Pillow Book. Both share a few common traits. They are willful and stubborn at times but doted upon by family members.
Furthermore, the couple in The Pillow Book is also featured in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. The love story of Bai Feng Jiu and Dong Hua Di Jun is also partly told in the 2017 drama. Hence, a section of the story in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms and The Pillow Book will seem familiar. Some changes have been made with more details added in the latter to differentiate it from the earlier production. But the gist of it remains the same to keep it in line with the novel.
The Differences
There is a bit of difference in the tone of both dramas. The romance in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms has a more serious tone overall compared to The Pillow Book which has a lighter feel. This is because the relationship dynamics of both couples are different. Ye Hua and Bai Qian’s love is solemn and deeply felt. Dong Hua and Feng Jiu’s romance is sweet and loving. Dong Hua likes to pamper Feng Jiu and be pampered in return. As Feng Jiu is also much younger, she is more playful and innocent. When Dong Hua reciprocates with his own brand of humor, the chemistry is palpable.
The romance in the 2 stories also start off very differently. Bai Qian’s first love is not Ye Hua but someone from the Demon Tribe. But when she meets Ye Hua, their love is mutual. In The Pillow Book, Feng Jiu starts off falling for Dong Hua pretty quickly but it is a one-sided affair. She gets close to him when she is in her fox form which carries on for a few episodes. Some might find it cute while others could find it a little childish. Hence, there are viewers who would find it harder to relate to The Pillow Book as the fantasy aspect is more prominent in the romance compared to Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms.
Which Is Better?
Personally, I prefer Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms over The Pillow Book because the former’s story is more straightforward. The Pillow Book has a more abstract plot that is more confusing and thus, has less appeal to me. Without understanding the conversations, I would think many would be left confused as to what is happening in certain parts of the drama.
However, I still feel that both Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms and The Pillow Book are worth watching. If you really have to pick one to watch, then I would suggest choosing it based on the dramas’ couple vibes. Which one is more relatable to you – a serious romance with lots of angst and more emotionally moving or one which has more sweet moments and less intense heartbreaks? And if you have watched both, which do you prefer then?
Images Credit: Croton, Tencent
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I definitely prefer Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms Over the pillow book first I find Dilraba role as childish and I don’t really like her giggly character in fact after watching the whole drama for first time I skipped all her and Vengo scenes when I rewatched the drama multiple times I just focused on Bian Qian and Ye Hua love story
the drama names are confusing. which one is exactly eternal love of dream and which one is ten miles of peach blossom? who are the main lead in eternal love of dream and who are the main leads in ten miles of peach blossom?
Yes, the names are confusing especially for those who don’t know Chinese. Eternal Love Of Dream is also known as The Pillow Book. Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms is also called Eternal Love which is not to be confused with another series known as The Eternal Love.
The main leads in Eternal Love Of Dream are Dilraba Dilmurat and Vengo Gao. Both of them are also in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms as a side couple while the main leads are Yang Mi and Mark Chao.
Pillow Book has better settings, costumes and special effects. Mark Chao’s acting was awesome in Ten Mile Peach blossom, and Director Lee did a great job with the emotive scenes, like in many of her previous dramas.
I would argue with that. I feel like it’s subjective and completely a matter of taste as to who likes which series better. I loved the dynamic between Feng Jiu and Dong Hua in both series. Of course, the factual differences between the two series confused me, but both series have their own lessons about the two characters. In the case of the Ten Miles Peachblossoms series, the process of accepting an impossible love relationship is also touching. In the case of The Pillow Book, we can see another possible outcome, because unfortunately the chronology and the desire of the viewers of the other series were not compatible, so a slightly different story had to be built, with which everyone could be satisfied.
My complaint about The Pillow Book is that the ending was very rushed. The last episode could have been broken up into at least 2 episodes, so that the viewer does not have to understand the dramatic nature of the situations by scratching their heads, because many things are happening at the same time.
There are lovable and very captivating scenes in both series with the two characters, I think both series were very successful in their own way. However, Gao Weiguang also fully deserves The Pillow Book series.