Lost You Forever S1 Review

I wasn’t very keen to watch Lost You Forever S1 (长相思 第一季) after knowing it is going to get broken up into 2 seasons. It is not a nice feeling having to wait for the whole story to complete. Moreover, we don’t even know when exactly S2 is going to be aired although there are talks that it is going to be next year. That is a long wait indeed for those who have watched the first season and are in love with it. Nevertheless, the temptation was too great for me not to join in the bandwagon and just watch what is offered for now. So, here I’m with my Lost You Forever S1 review.

My rating: 8.5/10
Episodes: 39
Type: Xianxia Romance
Aired: July 2023
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook

The Cast Of Lost You Forever S1

• Yang Zi as Xiao Yao / Wen Xiao Liu
• Zhang Wan Yi as Xiyan Cang Xuan
• Deng Wei as Ye Shi Qi / Tushan Jing
• Tan Jian Ci as Xiang Liu
• Dai Lu Wa as A Nian / Gao Xin Yi
• Wang Hong Yi as Chishui Feng Long
• Wang Zhen as Chenrong Xin Yue
• Huang Can Can as Fangfeng Yi Ying
• Zheng Guo Lin as King of Haoling
• Hou Chang Rong as King of Xiyan
• Chen Chuang as Lao Mu
• Gao Xuan Ming as Chuan Zi
• Sun Kai as Ma Zi
• Ye Xiao Wei as Tushan Hou

Main Characters

Xiao Yao / Wen Xiao Liu

Xiao Yao is the daughter of King of Haoling and Xiling Heng who is a princess general of Xiyan. She has a deity bloodline with strong cultivation powers among her peers. She is also witty and cunning. Xiao Liu is Xiao Yao’s assumed persona as an adult after a tragic childhood experience. She is a doctor who specializes in fertility treatment. Xiao Liu has taken on a male identity and lives as a carefree and friendly person. While she cares about those close to her, she can be hard-hearted and doesn’t trust others easily.

Xiyan Cang Xuan

Cang Xuan is the grandson of the King of Xiyan. He is smart and studious but not as wily as Xiao Yao. Cang Xuan has a strong sense of responsibility and protective instinct towards Xiao Yao. They regard each other as brother and sister as Xiao Yao’s mother is his aunt and grandmother’s disciple from the same clan.

Ye Shi Qi / Tushan Jing

Shi Qi is a reserved and secretive man with a mysterious background. He is loyal towards Xiao Liu and protective of her. He has cultivation powers but tries to maintain a low profile. His real identity is Tushan Jing and his family is the wealthiest in Da Huang. He is a descendant of the 9-tailed fox deity.

Xiang Liu

Xiang Liu is the deputy to General Hong Jiang who controls remnants of Chen Rong’s army. He is a 9-headed serpent demon. Xiang Liu is ruthless and powerful. He can also be abusive when angered.

Supporting Characters

A Nian / Gao Xin Yi

A Nian is the Princess of Haoling. Her father is the King of Haoling while her mother is Consort Jing An. A Nian is a snobbish and spoilt princess who has lived a sheltered life. She is close to Cang Xuan who regards her as a younger sister.

Chishui Feng Long

Chishui Feng Long is the son of Chenrong Yi and future leader of the Chishui Clan which is one of the strongest clans in Da Huang. He is friends with Tushan Jing and has a younger sister, Chenrong Xin Yue. He also has feelings for Xiao Yao.

Chenrong Xin Yue

Chenrong Xin Yue is the daughter of Chenrong Yi and younger sister of Chishui Feng Long. She can be snobbish due to her upper class status. Chenrong Xin Yue is good friends with Fangfeng Yi Ying. She also has a crush on Cang Xuan.

Fangfeng Yi Ying

Fangfeng Yi Ying is the fiancee of the second master of the powerful and wealthy Tushan family. She appears as an innocent and lovestruck woman waiting for her man but hides a secret agenda.

King of Haoling

King of Haoling is the father to Xiao Yao and A Nian. He is also Cang Xuan’s master. The King is a fair and understanding ruler. Xiao Yao’s mother, Xiling Heng, was his Queen before she divorced him. He is currently married to A Nian’s mother, Consort Jing An, who looks like Xiling Heng.

King of Xiyan

King of Xiyan is Cang Xuan’s paternal grandfather. He has a few sons who are fighting for power and Cang Xuan’s father was a victim. These include Xiyan De Yan and Xiyan Yu Yang who is Cang Xuan’s 5th and 7th uncle respectively. The King of Xiyan appears as a cold and strong ruler who is prepared to make the hard decisions even if they hurt himself and those around him.

Lao Mu, Chuan Zi & Ma Zi

Lao Mu was a Xiyan Army deserter. He now runs a clinic together with Xiao Liu. Chuan Zi and Ma Zi were orphans which they took in 20 years ago. The 3 men are family to Xiao Liu.

Tushan Hou

Tushan Hou is Shi Qi’s elder brother. He is the head of the Tushan Clan which has great economic powers due to their wealth. He is a conceited and evil-minded man.

Synopsis

Da Huang is populated by deities, mortals, and demons. There were 3 kingdoms in Da Huang, namely Haoling, Xiyan, and Chenrong. Internal power struggles and wars among the kingdoms often broke out. Cang Xuan is a Xiyan prince while Xiao Yao is a Haoling princess. They were very close and see each other as brother and sister when they were kids. Xiao Yao’s mother was Cang Xuan’s aunt as the former was also his grandmother’s disciple. Cang Xuan had promised Xiao Yao’s mother to protect her daughter.

Due to the power struggles and wars, Cang Xuan lost both his parents. Xiao Yao’s mother who was divorced, also died. Both the kids had to part ways when Xiao Yao was sent away to Mount Jade to keep her safe. But along the way, Xiao Yao went missing without any news. Cang Xuan was kicked out by his uncles and sent to Haoling as a hostage prince.

300 years later, Xiyan has conquered Chenrong but remnants of the army continue to cause trouble. Xiao Yao has changed her gender and appearance to become a doctor called Xiao Liu. She has settled in a remote town for 30 years thinking that she has been abandoned by those closest to her.

One day, Xiao Liu saved Shi Qi and took him in when he has nowhere to go although he has a powerful background which he is not willing to reveal. She is also forced to get acquainted with Xiang Liu of the Chenrong Army. Then, Cang Xuan turns up in town with a mission to destroy the Chenrong remnants for Xiyan. Xiao Liu is thus caught among these 3 men with competing interests.

Lost You Forever S1 Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

Lost You Forever S1 ends at Episode 39. Chishui Feng Long asks Xiao Yao to marry him. While he likes her, it is also a win-win solution for both. He will be able to become the clan leader by marrying her since she is the Eldest Princess of Haoling. In return, he can rally all the clans to support Cang Xuan. He also promises her that she will be his only woman. Cang Xuan quietly tears up when Xiao Yao informs him that she has decided to marry Chishui Feng Long.

Season 1 ends with the King of Xiyan suddenly abdicating and passing the throne to Cang Xuan. It is a surprise move on the King’s part which throws Cang Xuan’s uncles off guard but delights Xiao Yao immensely.

When Did Xiao Yao And Cang Xuan Meet Again?

Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan meet each other again in Episode 4 but they couldn’t recognize each other as they have not met since they parted as kids. She has also changed her persona to Xiao Liu and taken on a male identity. He arrives at her town to destroy remnants of the Chenrong Army while quietly seeks for clues on Xiao Yao’s whereabouts. She knows it is him in Episode 9 when he drops the fox tail memento she had given him as a parting gift during a fight with Xiang Liu.

Cang Xuan only knows Xiao Liu is Xiao Yao in Episode 14 after he captured her and Shi Qi to bring them back to Haoling. The King of Haoling suspects that Xiao Liu is his daughter but stops Cang Xuan from asking her as he wants her to tell them herself when she is ready.

Xiao Liu lost her composure and becomes agitated after seeing the King’s current wife, Consort Jing An, who looks like her mother in Episode 15. She is crying for her mother which reveals her own identity as Xiao Yao in front of Cang Xuan, her father, and Shi Qi. The King of Haoling announces Xiao Yao’s return as eldest princess in Episode 18 and holds a ceremony for it in Episode 19.

What Happened To Xiao Yao?

After Xiao Yao was sent from Xiyan to Mount Jade following her mother’s death, she went missing when she wanted to return to her father in Haoling. The maids who were sent to pick her up gossiped that her mother left her father because she had an affair with a demon named Chi Chen. Hence, even Xiao Yao’s paternity is suspect. This made Xiao Yao think that she is unwanted by her father and left the mountain on her own.

When news broke that she was missing, she became a target for those who wanted her spiritual energy for cultivation. In order to escape, she wished that she could change her appearance and all of a sudden, her face changed to whatever she envisioned. From then on, she kept changing her appearance that she could no longer recall her original look. She thought she was afflicted with a strange disease and hid in the mountains until she was tricked and captured by a fox demon who had an axe to grind with her mother.

Xiao Yao was caged up and tortured by the fox demon for years in preparation for the best time to kill her. She also had her cultivation powers stripped. Biding her time, Xiao Yao subsequently killed the fox demon and escaped. Xiao Yao tells Cang Xuan and Shi Qi about her experience in Episode 15. Her master who is also Cang Xuan’s great-grandmother restores her original looks for her in Episode 18.

Who Is Shi Qi?

Shi Qi is the second son of the Tushan family which is the richest family in the whole of Da Huang. He is a descendant of the 9-tailed fox deity. This is revealed in Episode 7 when he is found by his servant, Jing Ye. He narrates his whole story to Xiao Yao in Episode 13 while they are in hiding from being captured by Cang Xuan. Shi Qi has an elder brother, Tushan Hou, and they used to be very close. But their mother despised Tushan Hou and never treated him fairly.

After their mother died, Tushan Hou was depressed that he never got her approval but was subsequently informed that he was not her biological son. Thus, Tushan Hou exacted his revenge on Shi Qi instead. He locked up Shi Qi and tortured him before abandoning him on the streets to die before he was saved by Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yao & Cang Xuan

Cang Xuan has always suppressed his feelings for Xiao Yao and treated her as a younger sister. He is jealous when other men show an interest in Xiao Yao. This is especially true for Shi Qi whom Xiao Yao really likes. However, Cang Xuan’s ambition to be the King of Xiyan means he has to sacrifice his happiness because he needs the support of Shi Qi and Chishui Feng Long along the way. Thus, he can’t really offend them although they are after Xiao Yao.

In Episode 26, Cang Xuan tries to kiss Xiao Yao while she is asleep but is stopped by her dreamy mumblings. Later, he didn’t resist when Chenrong Xin Yue confesses her feelings and kisses him because he needs her family’s support to realize his ambition. He is sad and can only tell Xiao Yao that he will be a good brother to her.

When Cang Xuan is at risk of losing all his power and influence, Chenrong Xin Yue is unwilling to marry him in Episode 36 despite having deep feelings for him. Given the possibility that Xiao Yao could be demon Chi Chen’s daughter, Cang Xuan needs power to protect her. Xiao Yao’s safety triumphs over everything else to him. So, he marries Shen Shu Hui in Episode 37 to secure his position as the Shen family is the strongest of the 6 major families in Da Huang.

Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao & Xiang Liu

Although Xiang Liu seems to treat Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao rather cruelly at times, he has quietly fallen for her knowing that she is a woman. In Episode 12, he makes a deal with Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao to lure a poisonous bug out of Cang Xuan into his own body in return for her promise to do as he asks in the future. She also takes an oath that her happiness will turn to pain if she breaks her promise. Only Xiang Liu knows that the bug is meant for lovers as the couple implanted with it will live and die together.

Xiang Liu feels deceived when Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao turns out to be the Eldest Princess of Haoling in Episode 18 because she had told him before that she was abandoned and has no one to rely on. He tries to force a kiss from her in Episode 19 by throwing her into the sea with A Nian’s help. Xiao Yao refuses and would rather die from drowning than kissing him for air. After they got out of the water, she tells him that she fears him and that he is not someone a girl should let into her dreams. He is deeply hurt especially when he sees her together with Shi Qi.

So, Xiang Liu starts to approach Xiao Yao as Fangfeng Bei in Episode 22. She knows that they are the same person in Episode 25 after he got injured and needs her blood to heal. When Xiao Yao dies after being attacked by an enemy in Episode 30, Xiang Liu uses his heart blood to save her. She wakes up 37 years later in Episode 32 but thought he saved her because of a deal with Cang Xuan to allow Chenrong soldiers to return to Chenrong Mountain.

Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao & Shi Qi

Shi Qi already knows Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao is a woman after she saved him but kept quiet about his knowledge until Episode 14. He only tells her about his feelings for her when they are captured and imprisoned by Cang Xuan in Haoling. He insists that he wouldn’t leave her. Shi Qi also asks Xiao Liu/Xiao Yao to give him 15 years to sort out his family problems and break his engagement with Fangfeng Yin Ying. In the meantime, she must not fall in love with another man. She agrees to wait but is non-committal on a relationship with him. But Shi Qi says that he is willing to wait for a lifetime until she is ready.

After Xiao Yao got back her princess status, she is still willing to meet Shi Qi in Episode 19. He tells her that he and Fangfeng Yi Ying have no feelings for each other and she is repulsed by the scars on his body. Xiao Yao encourages Shi Qi not to look down on himself and kisses him on the lips in Episode 20. But he refrains from reciprocating and gives her a kiss on the forehead instead. He doesn’t want her pity but her love at that point.

Shi Qi’s grandmother refuses Shi Qi’s request to cancel his engagement to Fangfeng Yi Ying in Episode 21 and 27. Xiao Yao says that she will wait for him as long as he is not married. They deepen their relationship in Episode 28 when he kisses her. When Shi Qi couldn’t save Xiao Yao in time from an enemy’s attack, he tries to commit suicide and falls into a coma in Episode 30. He awakens in Episode 33 after Xiao Yao feeds him drops of her blood.

Breakup

Shi Qi finally tells Chishui Feng Long and Cang Xuan about his feelings for Xiao Yao after waking up from his coma. He is determined to be with her and prepared to give up his Tushan family status should his grandmother still disallows him to break off his engagement to Fangfeng Yi Ying. Xiao Yao also doesn’t mind being with Shi Qi although he would be a nobody without the Tushan family.

However, Shi Qi’s grandmother is insistent that he marries Fangfeng Yi Ying when he returns home. Shi Qi is left with no choice when his grandmother only has 6 more months to live and wants him to be the next head of the Tushan family. When he tells Shi Qi about it in Episode 34, she says that she understands his predicament. Fangfeng Yi Ying pretends to commit suicide in Episode 35 to hang on to Shi Qi after he becomes the new head of the Tushan family and wants to break off their engagement. This is despite her continued illicit affair with Tushan Hou.

Shi Qi is obligated to take care of Fangfeng Yi Ying due to her suicide attempt. He ends up sleeping with her after being drugged by his grandmother. Fangfeng Yi Ying ends up pregnant in Episode 36. As a result, Xiao Yao breaks up with Shi Qi and is heartbroken. Fangfeng Yi Ying then gives birth to a son in Episode 37 on the same day that Shi Qi’s grandmother dies of old age.

Shi Qi can only give his blessing to Chishui Feng Long when the latter informs him that he still has interest in Xiao Yao in Episode 38. He is left moping when Xiao Yao decides to accept Chishui Feng Long’s proposal in Episode 39.

Lost You Forever S1 Review – Left Pining For S2

If you like watching dramas in one sitting, then my advice would be to avoid Lost You Forever S1 until S2 is out. This is because this is a very addictive story with very good plot execution. It actually reminds me of Nirvana In Fire S1 as the way it draws me into the story and the pull feels familiar. The storytelling in Lost For Forever S1 is just as immersive and you can feel for most of the characters although they are not all good people.

The ending for the first season will leave many questions unanswered. These include the female lead’s paternity, who she will eventually end up with, and how the male leads will fight for her. Hence, there will be this big craving to fill once you have completed all the 39 episodes. So, it is not a bad idea at all to wait and watch both seasons back to back.

The story for this drama is also different from previous xianxia and fantasy dramas. There is no devil lord to get rid of or tribulations to undergo like in Till The End Of The Moon and Love And Destiny. Instead, the story revolves around a missing princess whose life becomes entangled with 4 men along the way. These 4 men have different backgrounds and personalities and love her in their own way. The uniqueness comes not just from the plot, but also the way her story is told. Usually, a love triangle is bad enough in a drama but Lost You Forever has presented the female lead’s relationship with these 4 men in a very practical and yet, emotional way.

Well-Written Complex Characters

One of the success points of this drama is the characters. While the story itself is already interesting, the characters add to the feel and will gnaw at your heart. Each of them have their reason for existence in the story and their own motivations and burdens. They are complex characters with layers to their personality. That is why although there are 4 men in the female lead’s life, you don’t feel that the plot is messed up or the relationships are bad. They just have different roles to play in her life and their foundation is well laid out as the story builds.

Even among the leads, their characters are not all perfect individuals. Romantic love and personal happiness can be sacrificed because of responsibility and ambition. Friendships are struck based on benefits and a gamble on future success. Some characters carry deeps scars from the past which influence their current thinking and action. Duty becomes a source of inner conflict and an inability to live life freely.

Basically, the characters’ inner feelings are effectively fleshed out through the excellent plot execution, dialogue, and acting. This is no Back From The Brink or The Starry Love with a little humor and fun thrown in. This is a drama with characters that will leave you feeling their pain and sorrows.

No Single Male Lead

The other not so common aspect of Lost You Forever is the presence of a few male leads. There is not 1 or 2 potential suitors for the female lead but 4. I cannot recall any other drama with that kind of number. What is thrilling about this is that you have no idea who she will end up with. The story has been written in such a way that she can end up with any of the 4 and it is still understandable. I don’t think it is easy in terms of screenwriting and plot execution to be able to make viewers accept so many men in the female lead’s life and still not be repulsed by it. But they did it well enough and the story feels richer for it.

With the answer not being clear, you will naturally be curious and the anticipation will build up. The drama will automatically becomes addictive and you will be drawn into it. But this is also where the risk of sadness can creep in. Who should Xiao Yao end up with? Out of the 4 men, you are bound to have your favorite. One of them will resonate more with you than the rest. So, if your favorite didn’t get the girl in the end, dissatisfaction might arise when the curtains come down. This, of course, will have to wait until S2 is aired but that is the risk if you follow this drama!

Acting & Chemistry

The last time I watched Yang Zi is in Immortal Samsara. Together with Ashes Of Love, she is no stranger to dramas of this genre. But in Lost You Forever S1, I think she has pushed herself further with her portrayal of Xiao Liu. All her feminine beauty has to take a backseat when playing this male role. To me, she did well in portraying both Xiao Liu and Xiao Yao. While Xiao Liu is carefree and a man in the street, Xiao Yao is regal but without losing the commoner touch. Yang Zi is able to merge the 2 and you will be able to feel that they are different and yet, the same person.

Zhang Wan Yi also nailed his role as Cang Xuan. What he feels in his heart is hidden but the way the actor projects those secret emotions will automatically makes you feel for him. Tan Jian Ci as Xiang Liu is another nice surprise to the viewer while the white hair is a bonus indeed! Xiang Liu is a villain you can’t hate and Tan Jian Ci’s acting ensures that. His eye expressions are mesmerizing whenever he stares at Xiao Yao.

Deng Wei as Shi Qi is the weakest link among the leads to me. It is not that his acting his bad but I feel the other male leads kind of overshadowed him a little. Perhaps Shi Qi is tame and gentle which is hard to outshine the more domineering characters in the story. Deng Wei’s chemistry with Yang Zi is also not the scorching kind to me. But it is good enough for me as their love is more about devotion than passion. Moreover, with 3 other male suitors , it is hardly an issue.

My Verdict – A Great One To Watch

Lost You Forever S1 is certainly a drama not to be missed. The storytelling and well-written characters make this a moving drama. It is not a tearjerker but you can feel the lingering ache in the heart for some of the characters. The very first episode itself set the tone of the drama with the 2 kids playing their part perfectly. So, it is very easy to understand the leads’ motivations due to their childhood experiences. The drama is also refreshing in that the romantic partner for the female lead is not only uncertain, but is also not the main male lead. This creates greater possibilities and less predictability as the story progresses.

On the other side of the coin, this is a drama with a lot of conversations just like Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Actions are very limited while power struggles are depicted in a simple manner. There are no in depth schemings like a typical palace drama. So, if you are into detailed political intrigues and shrewd tactics like The Legend Of Anle, Lost You Forever S1 is not in that category. It focuses more on the emotional motivations of the characters instead. Thus, if they can move you with their story, this will be a great drama. Otherwise, it might get boring with its dialogue-heavy nature.

For this Lost You Forever S1 review, I would give it a score of 8.5/10. I find the story engrossing and well-structured with relatable characters. Once you start watching, it is hard to stop as you would want to know when something will occur and what the ending will be. There is always this anticipation to keep you addicted. But bear in mind, this is just Season 1 and you will be left hanging at the end before Season 2 comes along.