It is not often in a drama whereby it is hard for the viewers to hate the villain, what more to actually root for him or her. This situation can be found In Ashes Of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜). In fact, even the secondary characters are a pleasure to watch and I really don’t mind them having more screen time. While I think the drama itself is a bit too draggy (you can read my Ashes Of Love review), the characters are interesting and the stars portray their roles well. The varied characters give life to the story and it will be great to delve a bit further into them.
N.B.: The following contain spoilers! For detailed episode summary, you can go to my Ashes Of Love Drama Recap.
Jin Mi
The main character Jin Mi is played by Yang Zi. She is supposed to be someone who is innocent about love and romance because she had been fed a pill that made her detached from love when she was born. So, Jin Mi is very naive and treats everyone as a friend. She is clueless that her behavior could invite misunderstandings especially when she is friendly, warm, and bubbly by nature. While it is part of the plot that her character is innocent and clueless, I can also understand why some viewers might find her irritating. There is a limit of how much ignorance one can take from a character before it feels overdone.
The good thing is her character becomes more matured as the drama progresses. Jin Mi is smarter and more rational in the Mortal Realm which helps to save the drama for me. Once back in the Heavenly Realm though, we are back to being treated to a Jin Mi who slept with Xu Feng while being engaged to Run Yu. But at the same time, she is a little afraid to break off her engagement. Then, she is again detached from love due to Run Yu’s manipulations.
Overall, Jin Mi is a neutral character to me. I don’t hate her but neither can I totally love either. There is a window of opportunity for her to firmly reject Run Yu but she didn’t do so. Towards the end, I get the feeling that her love for Xu Feng is also mixed up with heavy guilt and hence, a strong urge to atone for her mistakes. It is a bit different from Bai Feng Jiu’s straightforward love for Dong Hua Di Jun in Eternal Love Of Dream.
Xu Feng
Allen Deng Lun portrayed Xu Feng. I have watched a few of his dramas including Blossom In Heart. His most recent appearance that I have come across is a guest role in Skate Into Love. Xu Feng’s character is supposed to be smart but non-ambitious. His privileged background automatically garners him a lot of respect. His mother also paves the way for him by doing all the dirty jobs behind the scenes. It is easy to like Xu Feng because what you see is what you get. He doesn’t have sinister motives or put up any pretenses.
However, my complaint of Xu Feng is his selfishness towards Run Yu when it comes to Jin Mi. He asks his brother to give up Jin Mi when he knows his brother also loves her. Moreover, Jin Mi is engaged to Run Yu. In return, Xu Feng will not fight with him for the throne. It sounds like a barter trade to me. While I understand that Jin Mi doesn’t love Run Yu, I just find Xu Feng’s actions lack respect and empathy for him. But the saving grace is he is upfront about what he wants.
Xu Feng’s character also changes a little while he is in the Demon Realm. For a smart immortal, it is certainly uncharacteristic of him to trust Sui He. He is even planning to marry her! Then, his hatred for Jin Mi is suddenly gone after he hears of her sacrifices to resurrect him during the wedding ceremony. The change is very abrupt and the screenwriters fail to develop their relationship further before the drama rushes on to the war.
I guess I can sum up Xu Feng in one sentence – he is a prince who wants nothing else in life but the girl.
Run Yu
Leo Luo Yun Xi played the character Run Yu in Ashes Of Love. I have watched him in Princess Silver and he shone in that drama as well. Run Yu is a tragic character just like Rong Qi. He suffered immensely as a child. He has to constantly stay out of the limelight to avoid antagonizing the Empress who is Xu Feng’s mother. The interesting aspect about Run Yu is that his character changes in a negative way but viewers could totally understand his plight. You might even sympathize with him! So, Run Yu is a villain that I can’t hate. It is a good thing that he didn’t die in a tragic way in the end.
No doubt Run Yu is manipulative and hideous. I can also add he is obsessed with Jin Mi until he changes to become like the people he hates. I guess he craves for love so badly because his world has always been cold and lonely. If only he can open up his heart for Kuang Lu, he might find the warmth he seeks.
What I like about Run Yu is he remains responsible in the end. He didn’t run away after creating all the mess. Perhaps Xu Feng’s conversation with him enlightens him when he is about to give up. But I like it that he reverts to his old self and knows what he has done wrong. It is a pity that he still feels empty in the end since he can’t have Jin Mi’s love.
Liu Ying
Liu Ying is portrayed by Chen Yu Qi. The last time I watched her is in Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre 2019 in which she played Zhao Min. In Ashes Of Love, Liu Ying is a princess in the Demon Realm. But her character is upright and cheerful. She speaks her mind and is not afraid of challenges. Liu Ying is very consistent in her principles and demeanor throughout the whole drama. She is one very lovable demon princess.
What I like about her is her courage to love and remain loyal to the people who matters in her life. Her love with Mu Ci is a sad one but she comes out of it with much positivity. There is nothing to dislike about her but then again, Liu Ying is not the central attention of the drama. There is not much opportunity for Liu Ying’s character development unlike the 3 main roles above.
Pu Chi
Liao Jing Feng played the role of Pu Chi or Yan You. I don’t know why but he looks a bit like Yalkun Merxat who starred in Legend Of Yun Xi. Pu Chi is such a cheerful and witty character that it is very easy to fall in love with him. Although he has a personal agenda in the beginning, Pu Chi never crosses the line. He knows his limits and what he shouldn’t do. Despite his joking and carefree ways, he cares about the people he loves deep in his heart. If you want a loyal friend, Pu Chi would make a great one. He is always supportive of Jin Mi and respects her decision.
Another reason why I like Pu Chi is his wisdom to walk away from being corrupted by evil doings around him. He chooses to disassociate himself from Run Yu when he sees that Run Yu is going down the wrong path. He warns Run Yu but when the latter refuses to listen, he simply leaves. Pu Chi saw how his foster mother suffered because of her obsession for revenge. He learned it is better to let go and he follows it through. Pu Chi is a fun and interesting character but hides a lot of wisdom beneath the playful exterior.
Dan Zhu
Dan Zhu is portrayed by Xia Zhi Yuan. He is also known as the Moon Immortal who is in charge of love and marriage of the mortals. I find him unique because they have purposely made him look youthful although he is an uncle to Xu Feng and Run Yu. With his youthful looks, his funny behavior automatically fits in with his character. Dan Zhu is always trying to matchmake his nephews and provides the drama with some comedic element together with his antics with Pu Chi.
Despite his non-serious character, Dan Zhu also knows when to chip in when the situation calls for it such as the trip up Snake Mountain. He is not featured in the last episode, so Dan Zhu just seems to fade away as the drama ends. It is a pity as his comical relationship with Immortal Yuan Ji could have been explored a bit further just like Si Ming and Shi San in Love And Destiny.
Kuang Lu
Bella Du Yu Chen plays the character Kuang Lu. This is a loyal subordinate type of character but with one-sided love thrown in. Kuang Lu stands by Run Yu through thick and thin. She is adamant on being by his side and quietly support him although she knows he is someone she will never have. She loves Run Yu. But Run Yu only has Jin Mi in his heart.
Kuang Lu will always feel conflicted. On one hand, she wants Run Yu to be happy and win over Jin Mi. But on the other, that happiness will cause her to be miserable too. While I admire her loyalty, she is also throwing away her future by staying close to someone who would never love her in the way she hoped for. Her plight a bit sad to me because she does have a good heart and deserves better. But I guess she should be contented in the end as she becomes Run Yu’s only confidante.
My Favorite Character
If I were to choose, I would say I like Run Yu the best out of all the characters in Ashes Of Love. There is a lot of depth to the character. I like him when he was kind and gentle. I can also understand when he turns bad. The background of Run Yu is very well explained which is why he is a villain I can be sympathetic towards. It is very different from the other villain in the drama which is Sui He who is very one-dimensional and predictable. The fact that Run Yu eventually ends up repentant and responsible but lonely as the Emperor also melts the heart.
It is not often that one could love the villain. Do you feel the same? If not, which is your favorite Ashes Of Love character then? 🥰
Images Credit: Tencent
My favorite character was also Run Yu. I liked him for his depth, but also because I thought the actor played his anguish so well. During the scene where Jin Mi confronts him after discovering his manipulations, I felt all of his emotions. He realized that she understood him better than he knew himself. (Spoiler) The expression of pained anger on his face when he told Jin Mi he had seen their lovemaking was incredible.
Although I like Run Yu, I didn’t think he should be with Jin Mi instead of Xu Feng. You really hit on it when you said that Kuang Loa was Run Yu’s only confident. If Run Yu had been more honest with Jin Mi instead of hiding everything from her all of the time, he might have stood a chance. The first lie (spoilers within) was when he got her to confess in front of her father to preserve their engagement. But if he had instead told her, “I followed you to the floral realm because I was worried and wanted to protect you. I also heard you are the daughter of the Water Immortal. I know you don’t feel for me yet the way I feel for you, but I’m not ready to give up on you yet. Would you be willing to confess to me as a friend so that your father doesn’t break things off between us easily so we can see if your feelings might grow stronger?” I think she may have agreed to give it a shot. While I felt that he truly loved her because he would and did sacrifice himself for her, it did not include the respect that love needs to thrive because he continually deceived her. Xu Feng did not trick Jin Mi in this way. He also knew her father was against them being together, but instead of scheming her to get around that, he asked if she was willing to confront him for their sake instead.
It’s interesting how every significant character in the show seemed to have a love arc that was ultimately unsatisfied except for the main leads and the Matchmaker. I kept thinking Moon Immortal and The Star Prediction Lady might have a thing, but that didn’t materialize. How each character handled their rejection or loss of affection was a testament of how good it evil their behaviors were during and afterwards. For me, that was the central theme of this story.
I loved Run yu! I like all the other characters too, but Run yu won my heart! You could feel his pain of not having Jin mi’s love. He Got cheated all the way around in that movie to me. I was glad to see Yunxi Luo star as the leading man in “And The Winner Is Love.”
I dont think the change in xf feelings is too fast and showed in not so good way, because the point of his anger-changing is when his uncle told that she used her genuine incarnation (6 petals frozen flower) to hold the xuanqjong light. And he knew that one of her petal has ruined by him, even he used it for suihe and hurt her on purpose. She only had 5 petals left and almost melted to bring xf back. Thats why he couldnt hold him self anymore and go for her, my opinion😌, sorry for my bad english
I think the memory erasing pill that the empress gave run Yun is feeling suppressin pill. If not why can’t he at least like kaung lu?. Still he’s my best actor with his long face. Lol.
I am amazed at all the love for Runyu. He is evil. He was evil almost from the beginning. He never loved Jin mi, he wanted to posses her. That was obvious from his later actions. It was even obvious early on, when Xufeng had noticed every single thing about her, while Runyu only knew that Xufeng was infatuated. Did no one else notice this was the very first ‘thing’ (Jinmi is not a thing but you get the point) that Xufeng would not give up ?
Runyu liked Jinmi okay but that was not his motive. Plus his unwarranted cruelty towards Kuang Lu turned me off him forever. He was not a nice person. He was *never* ‘gentle and kind’. That was a facade.
And he was never betrothed to Jinmi either. Huang di proposed that the first of water immortal and wind immortal’s children should marry his firstborn. Water and wind immortals never had a child. The betrothal was a ruse, a trick, and a fraud.
Yan yo had exactly the same back story as Runyu but he turned out all right. Did no one else notice that most every person in this show had a twin, a person who had the same problems but handled it differently ? It’s almost a morality play, showing us how from the same starting point, different behaviours lead to different results.
This love for Runyu is a shock to me, and perhaps a revelation. Possibly female people are not very smart, that’s why so often they hook up with scum. Appearances != reality.
I agree with your opinion wholeheartedly! Your winning point is- JinMi is not the first child of Water and Wind gods couple.
Now , I must add the difference between screen play and original novel exposure of REN Yue character. ( Tvnovel gave so much more details and excellent performance by Leo Lu ) To tell the truth I’ve red only a translation and never the original, and was fascinated by it.
Run Yu is my Favourite Character in Ashes of Love.The causes that turn Run Yu bad are permissiable.Anyone in his place will also react in such a way or more seriously ; 1. His birth mother was killed in front of him and 2. His determined bride who he also loves so much is being sneaked.I only think Xu Feng is Unethical.However much he loves Jin Mi, Xu Feng shouldn’t have sneaked his brother’s to-be-wife. Run Yu hid some facts and lied Jin Mi but he doesn’t lie all the time. He loves Jin Mi. It is true and his love is not less than Xu Feng.Who on earth would sacrifice half of his lifespan for another one?He commited the coup and dethroned his fathe. I don’t think not because he is obssessed to supreme authority or power but because for the sake of both he and Jin Mi. They had no background except from weak Floral Realm among enemies after Water and Wind Immortals had been assasinated. He just realized early that power is very important to protect the one he love or to protect his beloved one from taken away. To conclude, even Jin Mi doesn’t deserve such love.The saying that” if someone love another person, he doesn’t want or expect anything from that one” is far from reality.Except paternal or maternal love, everyone expects cares and love from their beloved ones.
Run Yu is my favourite character. I think the “sensible person say” analysis of his character is someone who’s got nothing up there. All empty!
Run Yu is a complicated character and far from being my favorite. He is compellingly written and well acted so I understand people’s compassion for him. However, the commenter above mentioned that Jin Mi was never really promised to him, which is true. The marriage contract was between Run Yu for the child of Water and Wind immortal, which they never had. Run Yu let his feelings for Jin Mi cloud his judgement and ran with the assumption that Jin Mi would fulfill the contract, when it really had nothing to do with her. It is possible to understand his motives without giving him a pass for all of the heinous things he does. In the end, he became just as bad as the people he was rebelling against.