I wasn’t that keen to watch Burning Flames (烈焰) initially but the re-pairing of Allen Ren and Fair Xing aroused my curiosity. With many more titles on my list to catch up on, I was hesitant to embark on a 40-episode drama as that could take me up to a week or more to complete. Nevertheless, I hopped onboard after the initial hesitance and I have to say that the drama is generally okay if you are into the fantasy genre. I have the Burning Flames review written out below if you are unsure what to expect and if you should spend your time on it.
My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Fantasy
Aired: March 2024
Images credit: iQIYI Facebook
The Cast Of Burning Flames
- Allen Ren Jia Lun as Wu Geng / Ah Gou
- Fair Xing Fei as Bai Cai
- Bambi Zhu Xu Dan as Ah Lan
- Liu Xiang Jing as Fu Xi
- Ren Yan Kai as Zi Dian
- Jiang Xin as Xin Yue Kui
- Merxat as Shi Xing
- Gu Zi Cheng as Zhui Ri
- Roy Wang Xi Chao as Tai Ji
- Qi Yan Di as Liu Yue
- Zhao Xun as Gui Mu
- Zhang Lei as Shen Yan
- Han Dong as Chen Jing
- Yan Yi Kuan as Zi Yu
- Jeremy Tsui as Tian / Hei Long
- Song Wen Zuo as Zhou Qiao
- Zhu Zheng Ting as Ni Tian Er Xing
Main Characters
Wu Geng
Wu Geng is the Prince of Xin State. He is a very responsible prince who wants to protect his state and people. Wu Geng is a very determined man with strong willpower. His father is the King of Xin State while his mother is Xin Yue Hu who is an immortal.
Ah Gou
Ah Gou grew up with Bai Cai as a poor orphan. He is mute and has a simple mind but is physically strong. Ah Gou’s appearance bears a resemblance to Wu Geng.
Bai Cai
Bai Cai is a cunning and smart young lady who is streetwise. She was an orphan and grew up together with Ah Gou which makes them inseparable. Bai Cai suffers from a cold aura and is susceptible to coldness attacks. She is pragmatic but has a kind heart.
Supporting Characters
Ah Lan
Ah Lan is an immortal from the Shen Yin Clan which is headed by Kong Que. She is serious-looking and has a certain level of divine powers. Ah Lan also reports to Fu Xi.
Fu Xi
Fu Xi is the immortal High Priest of Shen Yin Clan. He has the eyes of prophecy and could see images from the future. Fu Xi has strong powers but tends to be cautious.
Zi Dian
Zi Dian is the first warrior of the Shen Yin Clan. He is obsessed with Ah Lan but she has no interest in him. Zi Dian is a jealous and spiteful immortal.
Xin Yue Kui
Xin Yue Kui is the High Priestess of the Immortal Realm. She is an ambitious immortal with an evil heart. Her sister is Wu Geng’s mother, Xin Yue Hu.
Shi Xing
Shi Xing is one of the tribal leaders of the Immortal Realm. He is a lunatic who is prone to go berserk. He is always looking for someone with great powers to fight with so that he could be killed.
Zhui Ri, Tai Ji & Liu Ye
The 3 of them are tribal leaders of the Immortal Realm. They have great powers and like to bully mortals to show off their superiority. Tai Ji and Liu Ye are lovers.
Gui Mu
Gui Mu is another tribal leader of the Immortal Realm with a specialty in poisonous spells. A severe injury led him to recuperate in the Mortal Realm and devour maidens. He is an evil and cruel immortal who only thinks about his own selfish interests.
Shen Yan
Shen Yan is the Grand Elder of Sage Hall of the Immortal Realm. He is a very powerful but reclusive immortal.
Chen Jing
Chen Jing is the leader of the Northern Mountain Mine. He was the King of the subjugated Wanqu State and now has to work for the Immortal Realm. Chen Jing is a powerful cultivator. He has a spoilt son named Zha Zha.
Zi Yu
Zi Yu is Wu Geng’s uncle on his father’s side. He is the greatest swordsman of the Mortal Realm and leads an unshackled life away from the palace.
Tian / Hei Long
Hei Long is the ruler of the 3 realms. He is a very powerful immortal whom no one can defeat in the last 100,000 years. Bai Long was his lover.
Zhou Qiao
Zhou Qiao is the Prince of Bai State. He is an opportunist and a revengeful man who looks up to the powerful but steps on the weak.
Ni Tian Er Xing
Ni Tian is the Grand Marshal of the Demon Clan who took over the position after the death of his brother, Hai Kuo Tian Kong. He is a responsible leader with an aim to defeat the immortals. Ni Tian is assisted by General Sui Feng Qi Wu, Tie Xue Wu Shuang, and Gui Mei Sen Lin while Mu Wu Biao Qing is his doctor.
Synopsis
In the war between 2 camps in the Immortal Clan, Hei Long emerged victorious but lost his lover in the process. Hei Long was heartbroken and ruled the 3 realms with cruelty. He created a new Immortal Clan and banished the Demon Clan underground that they could never see the sun again. The Mortals were made to mine for bloodstones for the immortals. Dissatisfied members of the Immortal Clan then left and started Shen Yin Clan in the Mortal Realm.
100,000 years later, the King of Xin State in the Mortal Realm has had enough and decides to rebel against the immortals for their cruelty. He and his wife die when the immortals attack the state as punishment. Their son, Wu Geng, has to hide his identity to survive after he was presumed dead. Together with Bai Cai who was an orphan, they experience hardship when they are sent to a mine to work as slaves.
Wu Geng’s determination to avenge his parents’ death and regain the people’s freedom from the Immortal Clan see him embark on a tough and risky journey to strengthen himself and look for allies. With Bai Cai at his side through thick and thin, he becomes protective of her. But they have no idea about her background until much later.
Burning Flames Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Burning Flames has an implied happy ending after the Mortal and Demon Clans’ victory over the immortals. Wu Geng defeats Xin Yue Kui in a fight in Episode 38 but lets her go as it was his grandfather’s dying wish to spare her life. But she ends up dead when her belief that everything that Hei Long did was for the good of the Immortal Clan is shattered. She learns that he cares for nothing except Bai Long and the bloodstones were to revive his lover. Xin Yue Kui blames Bai Long for it and lunges at her. Hei Long kills her in response.
Shen Yan’s secret plan is to use Bai Cai to open up Crystal Mountain to free Gen Gu. He sacrifices Tai Ji and Liu Ye to activate the seal in Episode 39. Bai Cai’s Crystal Glory is forced out of her upon activation. Bai Long dies once the seal opens. When Hei Long and Gen Gu start fighting, Bai Cai asks Zi Yu to destroy the Crystal Glory to save everyone. Gen Gu and Shen Yan perish together with the shattered crystal.
With Bai Long dead, Hei Long wants to destroy the world. Wu Geng kills him with everyone’s power infusion in Episode 40. There is freedom thereafter with mutual cooperation among the 3 realms. Wu Geng divides up each leader’s responsibility to oversee their respective clans. He and Bai Cai have their wedding ceremony but she dies midway through as her existence is tied with the destroyed Crystal Glory. But Wu Geng refuses to believe that she is dead. He wanders around for a year and arrives back at the hut that they used to live in. A familiar snowman in the yard is seen. He smiles when the door opens as the drama ends.
When Did The Leads Get Together?
Bai Cai tells Wu Geng not to leave her in Episode 21 after she got a scare when he collapsed due to exhaustion. He was using his powers to help cure the demons of their petrification sickness. In Episode 25, General An’s assumption that Wu Geng and Bai Cai are married makes Wu Geng consider the prospect of doing so. So, he suggests to Bai Cai that they get married once they have defeated Hei Long. She agrees to marry him.
When Did Bai Cai Know Ah Gou’s Identity?
Ah Gou is actually a shred of Wu Geng’s primordial spirit. His mother is an immortal who could foresee the future. So, she knew a calamity would occur and hid a shred of her son’s primordial spirit among the mortals. In Episode 3, she kills Wu Geng so that he would be presumed dead to keep him safe from the immortals. But Wu Geng would just become whole again though Ah Gou.
Bai Cai is told by Zhou Qiao that Ah Gou is Wu Geng in Episode 8 to confirm his identity. But Bai Cai denies it as she has no knowledge of the matter. Xin Yue Kui learns about Ah Gou’s identity in Episode 13 after taking away her father’s eyes of prophecy. She uses the knowledge to sow confusion in Bai Cai by controlling her mind in Episode 25. She tells Bai Cai that the Ah Gou whom she grew up with is not the same person as the present Ah Gou.
Xin Yue Kui creates further doubts in Bai Cai’s mind in Episode 26 to try to drive a wedge between Bai Cai and Wu Geng. This is because Bai Cai is the weapon Xin Yue Kui needs to kill Wu Geng. Bai Cai gets the confirmation that Ah Gou is Wu Geng when she hears him mentioning his parents while they are rescuing the King of Bai from Gui Mu’s imprisonment at the palace. In a flashback in Episode 30, Wu Geng already told Bai Cai about his identity in Episode 26 which she understood and accepted.
Is There Any Breakup?
Bai Cai pretends to break up with Wu Geng in Episode 27 when she confronts him about his identity. She is also shown to betray Wu Geng by stabbing him during a ceremony to honor his late parents in Episode 28. All these is an act to fool Xin Yue Kui to make her believe that Bai Cai has fallen out with Wu Geng and wants revenge for the loss of Ah Gou. Hence, Xin Yue Kui is tricked and gets defeated in a fight but saved by the Great Sages of the Immortal Realm in Episode 29.
During the confrontation, Wu Geng is poisoned by Great Sage Bai Lian. Bai Cai is forced to use her ancient powers to detoxify him in Episode 30. But she has been warned by Shi Xing not to use her powers earlier. This makes her worry that she will harm Wu Geng eventually which validates Fu Xi’s prophecy that Wu Geng will be pushed down into an abyss by someone close to him. That is why Fu Xi has wanted Bai Cai killed. So, she tells Ah Lan to do it should it becomes necessary to do so.
In Episode 31, the dark ancient spirit inside Bai Cai is activated and begins tormenting her after she has used her powers to save Wu Geng. The spirit takes over Bai Cai’s mind and kills Zi Dian in Episode 32. She also pushes Ah Lan and Wu Geng off a cliff. Wu Geng and Ah Lan is saved by a sea spirit named Bei and Shen Yan respectively. He didn’t give up on Bai Cai but gets help from the Great Demon Yong Heng Zhi Ye to force the ancient spirit out of Bai Cai’s body in Episode 34.
Bai Cai’s Background
Gui Mu suspects Bai Cai has some ancient power when he tries to devour her in Episode 10. She is rescued by Wu Geng. Fu Xi also knows Bai Cai is not a mortal in Episode 11 when he treats her for her cold aura and Gui Mu’s poison. He discovers that her divinity has been sealed.
In Episode 12, it is suspected that Bai Cai has the ancient Crystal Glory inside her. Hei Long has been looking for this crystal for years. When Fu Xi questions her about her identity, she assumes him to be her parents’ killer instead. Her father had sealed her divinity before he died after being attacked. Fu Xi then tries to kill Bai Cai whom he foresees will cause danger to Wu Geng. But Wu Geng arrives just in time to stop Fu Xi who explains that he didn’t kill Bai Cai’s parents.
Bai Cai manages to lift an ancient spell cast on Shi Xing in Episode 17 which only an ancient divine power can do so. The spell was cast by the immortals to punish him for falling in love with a mortal which is forbidden. Bai Cai learns she is a demon in Episode 19 after going to the Demon Realm with Wu Geng to seek an alliance. She is told by Ni Tian in Episode 20 that her parents had great achievements in the past but got disheartened after the previous Grand Marshal (Ni Tian’s brother) died and a civil war erupted among the demons. So, they left for the Mortal Realm only to be killed by the immortals.
Bai Cai’s Crystal Glory
In Episode 34, the Great Demon Yong Heng Zhi Ye reveals to Wu Geng the past history of the Crystal Glory which is the key needed to unlock Crystal Mountain. After Hei Long defeated Gen Gu in the battle between the immortals 100,000 years ago, Gen Gu had used his remaining powers to seal the rest of the Grand Immortals’ divine spirits in the Crystal Mountain. He then threw the key out of the Immortal Realm. The key disappeared over the years. If Hei Long gets the key, he would have the power to destroy the world. Bai Cai is that key that he needs.
When Did Wu Geng Become Powerful?
Fu Xi infuses the Fire of Chaos into Wu Geng in Episode 5. This is a curse mark of the immortals which Wu Geng could use in a fight against them. In Episode 13, Wu Geng’s divine power is activated after being trashed by Shi Xing in a fight and Bai Cai was taken away. However, he couldn’t withstand and control the powers that surge through him.
Wu Geng then meets his uncle, Zi Yu, when he goes to save Bai Cai in Episode 16. Zi Yu uses his qi cultivation to open up Wu Geng’s acupoints for his divine powers to flow through. Wu Geng’s powers increase as a result. His Colorless Realm divine power further awakens during his fight with Shi Xing in Episode 17.
Who Is Fu Xi?
Fu Xi is revealed to be Gui Mu’s master in Episode 9. He was also the High Priest of the Immortal Realm in the past but was deemed a traitor. In Episode 11, Fu Xi is revealed to be Xin Yue Kui and Xin Yue Hu’s father. This means he is Wu Geng’s maternal grandfather. Xin Yue Kui has always been jealous that Fu Xi seemed to favor her sister over her. She framed her father to cause him to be branded a traitor when he was the High Priest in the Immortal Realm.
Xin Yue Kui defeats her father in a fight and takes away his eyes of prophecy for her own use in Episode 13. Through his eyes, she discovers that Wu Geng is her nephew. She also locks Fu Xi up in the forbidden area of the Immortal Realm whereby he will slowly turn into a stone. Following his capture, Wu Geng learns that they are related in Episode 14. Fu Xi dies from his long imprisonment in Episode 37 after a brief reunion with Wu Geng and Bai Cai who have stormed the Immortal Realm to defeat Hei Long.
Other Key Events
- Shi Xing’s story is revealed in Episode 16. He dies in Episode 18 after being defeated by Wu Geng in a fight and regaining his memory through Bai Cai’s ancient power. He reawakens in Episode 24 as an ancient bird has kept him alive to await Wu Geng’s appearance.
- Kong Que is revealed to be Zhui Ri’s sister in Episode 26 but they share different views about the immortals’ rule over the 3 realms.
- Zhui Ri is defeated by the Shen Yin Clan members in Episode 29 when Xin Yue Kui brings her team to kill Wu Geng. The plan fails and Shi Xing also ends up killing Tian Kui.
- Zhou Qiao betrays Gui Mu to work with Wu Geng and kills him in Episode 29.
- Zi Dian dies in Episode 32 when he tries to protect Ah Lan from the dark ancient spirit which has taken over Bai Cai’s body.
- Ah Lan is saved by Shen Yan after being pushed down a cliff and learns that he is against Hei Long in Episode 34.
- Bei sacrifices herself to repel the dark forces stopping Wu Geng and his fleet from reaching the Immortal Realm in Episode 35.
- General An and Ah De die in the war with the immortals in Episode 36 followed by Tie Xue Wu Shuang in Episode 37.
- Chen Jing cooperates with Wu Geng to fight Bai Lian and rescue Zha Zha in Episode 36 and ends up dying for the effort.
- Hei Long kills Ah Lan in Episode 38 after she listened to Shen Yan to take out Hei Long who is supposed to be in meditative hibernation. She confesses to Wu Geng before she dies.
- Qing Xiong Ji’e and Ni Tian die in their effort to kill Hei Long in Episode 38 and 39 respectively.
Burning Flames Review – Plot-Driven Drama
Unlike The Legend Of Shen Li which is very character-driven, Burning Flames is the opposite. It relies more on the plot to get viewers hooked to the drama. In a nutshell, the story tells of the male protagonist’s journey to become stronger and seek allies in his quest to defeat a tyrannical immortal ruler. The female protagonist comes in as his constant companion. It is very much a David vs Goliath kind of tale with a manhua feel to it. So, you will get a lot of fighting scenes with specific moves being highlighted in large Chinese characters that would resemble a page lifted from a comic book.
The first problem that I detected from these scenes is the not so polished CGIs throughout. They are not awful but neither would they amaze you in any way. In fact, a few scenes just seem amateurish. I guess with so many of such scenes, it is hard to maintain the quality for all the episodes. So, the graphics are not going to draw you into the story at the start unlike Till The End Of The Moon which started with some grand special effects.
The second problem is the fighting scenes are not only many as mentioned above but a few of them are also very long. Therefore, it gets boring to me after a while because the fights are not beautifully choreographed moves that you tend to get in traditional wuxia dramas such as Side Story Of Fox Volant. They are peppered with special effects and when you are bombarded with them, the interest wanes.
However, the story is okay in general and it moves along well enough. That is if you are not too fussy about details and romance.
Easy To Follow Plot
One thing that the screenwriter did well with Burning Flames is the easy to follow plot. It could have been complicated with the high number of characters. But things are kept simple with the story being divided into different arcs that follow a logical sequence of events.
But the downside is the story is a long one. At least it feels that way to me. By the time I reached the third quarter of the drama, I can feel the drag. The story isn’t compelling enough to make me totally immerse in it. The side plots seem to bring it away from the main goal of defeating the villain at times. Although they are necessary and will tie back to the main plot at some point, it gets tiresome to watch at times due to their length.
While the protagonists’ adventure is a long one, certain parts of it also lack details. Things are not that well-explained or perhaps the screenwriter did not want to get into too much details which will drag the story further. For instance, why the female lead was born with an ancient power or how did an ancient spirit come to reside in her is not told. So, the story seems to have some missing pieces to me.
Not A Romance
The other major factor that should be noted is that Burning Flames is not a romance drama. The story is more about gaining allies and executing a rebellion against the tyranny of the immortals. The main couple does not have a lovey-dovey romance with fluffy scenes to make you feel sweet all over. They just decide to be together after being each other’s companion throughout all the challenges that they have to face. Thus, if you are looking for strong romantic vibes in your drama, you should avoid Burning Flames. Even dramas such as Wonderland Of Love will have better romance than this one.
However, this is not to say that the drama is unwatchable without a good romance. Its main selling point is the plot. You will have a clear idea of the characters’ motivations and an identifiable villain from the very beginning. Even the little bit of unknown surrounding the female lead doesn’t give you a mysterious feel to make you engrossed. There is no intrigue like Story Of Kunning Palace. What you are watching is simply how the protagonists get to the villain in a step-by-step manner.
The evil characters can also be pretty annoying. You will hate them and their antics which I supposed that is the intention. So, when the revenge comes, there will be some form of satisfaction for the viewers. As for the leads, their characters are likable but not exactly awe-inspiring.
Characters And Chemistry
The female protagonist, Bai Cai, is not a strong character. Her powers are limited to healing people here and there. There is no burst of power type of scenes whereby she could match the strength of the immortals. Neither is she shown as highly intelligent with brains to strategize and maneuver opponents. So, if you want a female lead that truly stands out, this would be missing from Burning Flames. Her presence is more on being a pillar of strength for the male protagonist, Wu Geng.
Wu Geng is written to be a leader. He could rally everyone together for a common cause with a strong will to overcome hardships to succeed. Hence, it is easier to like him and root for him compared to Bai Cai. Allen Ren is charismatic as usual in his portrayal as Wu Geng. However, I feel that he lacks the dominance and aura needed for the character.
To me, Fair Xing also did what she could with her role as Bai Cai. But her character just doesn’t have the room to make her shine in the drama when she is just reduced to be the male lead’s companion for the most part. The problem is compounded by the lack of chemistry between Fair Xing and Allen Ren as lovers. They look more natural as siblings than a couple. Fortunately, romance isn’t the focus of the drama. Otherwise, I think this pairing wouldn’t be too convincing although they have cooperated before in Miss Crow With Mr. Lizard.
My Verdict – Somewhere In Between
Burning Flames is neither good nor bad to me. It lies somewhere in between which makes it okay to watch especially if you like an adventure type of storyline. It has a promising start with 2 lookalikes being the hook. So, you will be tempted to watch on despite the not so sophisticated CGIs. Whether the interest will stay with you will depend very much on how emotionally invested you are in the characters.
The main leads are trusting of each other and it is a very supportive relationship throughout. The supporting characters also have their own short story to give viewers some context to their thinking and actions. These are positive aspects that some might find attractive. However, I still can’t get into the characters for some reason or other. Some personalities also don’t stick around much due to the different arcs to the story. The lack of chemistry between the leads further dilutes any bit of attachment to the characters. Therefore, the drama ends up being a bit draggy in the middle for me.
For this Burning Flames review, 7.5/10 would be my rating. The story is simple and decent but not great. If you like adventure stories that move from one arc to another with clear understanding of what the protagonists want to achieve, this might be engaging. But if you prefer a story and characters that move you deeply, this would not satisfy that need. You would still want to know what will happen at the end once you have started but you might not like the length it takes to get there.
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