I watched The Eternal Love Season 2 (双世宠妃 II) recently because Season 3 is currently being aired. Given how complicated the story is, I have a feeling that I can’t skip the second season to move straight to the third. Otherwise, I’m afraid that there may be a lot of unanswered questions later on. So, although this is an old drama, I still watched it and completed The Eternal Love Season 2 review below. Is it better than the first season? Let’s take a look.
My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 30
Type: Historical Romance, Time Travel
Aired: October 2018
Images Credit: Tencent
The Cast Of The Eternal Love Season 2
- Xing Zhao Lin as Mo Lian Cheng / Cheng Cheng / 8th Prince
- Liang Jie as Qu Xiao Tan / Qu Tan Er
- Richards Wang Rui Chang as Mo Yi Huai / Eldest Prince
- Chen You Wei as Liu Shang
- Wang Hao Ge as Mo Jing Xuan / 14th Prince
- Amy Sun Yi Ning as Jing Xin
- Tiffany Zhong Qi as Qu Pan Er
- Lai Xi as Elder Liu
- Zhang Lei as Emperor
- Molly Qian as Consort Dugu Yan
- Zhang Xin Hua as Lord Qu Jiang Lin
- Wu Yu Hua as Empress Dowager
Main Characters
Mo Lian Cheng / 8th Prince
8th Prince is a smart and capable prince in the Dong Yue kingdom. He is also a serious and observant man. He constantly has to watch his back as he faces threats from the Eldest Prince. 8th Prince is assisted by his loyal lieutenant, Yu Hao.
Mo Lian Cheng / Cheng Cheng
Cheng Cheng is the future 8th Prince who has time travelled back to Dong Yue. He is more playful compared to the 8th Prince and likes to flirt with Xiao Tan.
Qu Xiao Tan / Qu Tan Er
Xiao Tan is a real estate agent in the modern world before appearing in Dong Yue as the second daughter of Lord Qu with a concubine. The daughter is called Tan Er and Xiao Tan has taken over her body. Xiao Tan is a brash and temperamental woman.
Mo Yi Huai / Eldest Prince
Eldest Prince is a determined and revengeful man whose main desire is to be with Tan Er whom he loves deeply.
Liu Shang
Liu Shang is Cheng Cheng in disguise. He takes on the identity of a scholar and becomes 8th Prince’s strategist. With his intelligence and knowledge of future events, he helps 8th Prince to overcome enemies in the royal court.
Supporting Characters
Mo Jing Xuan / 14th Prince
14th Prince is 8th Prince’s younger brother and they share a close bond. He is not a particularly smart man but upright. He takes a liking for Jing Xin.
Jing Xin
Jing Xin is Xiao Tan’s personal maid and best friend. She is loyal to Xiao Tan and they are supportive of one another.
Qu Pan Er
Pan Er is the eldest daughter of Lord Qu. She is in love with Eldest Prince. Hence, she is vindictive and jealous of Xiao Tan as Eldest Prince prefers her sister over her.
Elder Liu
Elder Liu is from the Magical Spirit World. He has special powers and has been looking for the master of the Soul Suppressing Orb.
Emperor
The Emperor is a suspicious man who is always afraid that his sons would usurp his throne.
Consort Dugu Yan
Consort Dugu Yan is the Emperor’s most favored woman. She has her own personal agenda and is a cruel and ambitious woman.
Lord Qu Jiang Lin
Lord Qu is Pan Er and Tan Er’s father. He is an out-of-favor official but holds the secret to the Soul Suppressing Orb. He is a petty man with big dreams.
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager is the Emperor’s mother while 8th Prince is her favorite grandson.
Synopsis
After being separated from 8th Prince Mo Lian Cheng following the confrontation with the Demon King in The Eternal Love Season 1, Qu Xiao Tan is now in the modern world and working as a real estate agent. She has no recollection of the past. Lian Cheng also ends up in the same world as Xiao Tan but with his memories intact. He looks for her but she has no idea who he is.
When the soul hunters catch up with Xiao Tan again, she jumps into the sea. Lian Cheng jumps in after her and they are transported back to the Dong Yue kingdom again. Due to the distortion of time and space, Lian Cheng returns as the 8th Prince of the future and has to hide his identity from the existing 8th Prince in Dong Yue. He also wants to protect Xiao Tan who is now the daughter of Lord Qu.
As Xiao Tan falls in love with Lian Cheng again, the existing 8th Prince also begins to develop feelings for her. Together, they face threats from the Eldest Prince who wants Xiao Tan for himself as well as other enemies who covet the throne.
The Eternal Love Season 2 Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
The Eternal Love Season 2 has a happy ending but with room for story continuation. Cheng Cheng (Xiao Tan addresses the modern Lian Cheng as such) and the existing 8th Prince have merged into a single being. 8th Prince asked Elder Liu to combine them after Cheng Cheng died as a result of shielding him from Eldest Prince’s attack during a fight. To enable Cheng Cheng to live again, his spirit was transferred from his dead body into 8th Prince’s body. It was also a way to save 8th Prince who was weakening from Eldest Prince’s blow.
So, 8th Prince is now the current and future 8th Prince rolled into one. He also became the Emperor. He married Xiao Tan and they eventually have a son. The drama ends with their son being the possible new master of the Soul Suppressing Orb and 8th Prince is now worried that history will repeat itself.
Liu Shang’s Identity
Cheng Cheng arrived back at Dong Yue from the future but had to hide his identity. So, he pretended to be a scholar named Liu Shang and wore a skin mask as he looked identical to the existing 8th Prince. Xiao Tan found out first that Liu Shang was Cheng Cheng in Episode 11. 8th Prince learned that Liu Shang was his future self in Episode 19.
Eldest Prince was suspicious of Liu Shang’s identity and set a trap to unmask him. He found out the truth in Episode 24 and reported it to the Emperor in order to bring down his brother.
What Happened To Eldest Prince?
Eldest Prince went insane in the end. He only wanted to be with Tan Er and that spurred his motivation to grab the throne. Eldest Prince and Tan Er were lovers. When Tan Er jumped into the lake to kill herself, she was saved but landed in a coma. When Tan Er re-awakened, the personality that appeared was Xiao Tan. But Eldest Prince still thought that Xiao Tan was Tan Er and wanted her at all cost.
In the end, Eldest Prince tried to absorb the energy from the Soul Suppressing Orb to defeat 8th Prince. Xiao Tan blocked his path and the energy resurrected Tan Er momentarily. Tan Er told Eldest Prince that it was fated that they were not meant to be. She also knew that he would die in the fight for the throne and she sacrificed her life in exchange for someone from the future who could alter his fate. Eldest Prince was devastated after hearing from Tan Er. He has no interest in the throne without Tan Er and went crazy.
Endings For The Other Characters
- Jing Xin and 14th Prince – They end up as a couple.
- Consort Dugu Yan – She died after being told to eat poisoned cakes by Pan Er while languishing in jail. She was caught by the Emperor for cheating on him.
- Pan Er – She died after sacrificing herself to save the poisoned Eldest Prince by transferring the poison to her own body.
- Lord Qu – He was killed by Eldest Prince when the latter saw him fighting with Cheng Cheng who was was trying to save Xiao Tan. Lord Qu had taken Xiao Tan hostage as he thought she could open the seal to the Soul Suppressing Orb.
- Emperor – He committed suicide by drinking poisoned tea after Eldest Prince rebelled. He rather die than being forced to write an edict to anoint Eldest Prince as his successor.
The Eternal Love Season 2 Review – Confusing!
I see that The Eternal Love Season 2 has continued to enjoy high ratings after the success of Season 1. Personally, I’m not a fan of Season 1 when I watched it about 6 months back. I just find the last few episodes to be totally bizarre. That is why I didn’t move on to Season 2 then. But curiosity got the better of me now that Season 3 is here and I just have to watch Season 2 to follow the story.
Season 1 vs Season 2
Is The Eternal Love Season 1 better than Season 2 since most sequels end up being worse than the original? Well, I prefer the second season rather than the first. The main reason being the story in Season 2 has more fluidity with less dumbfounding twists. Furthermore, there is less CGI effects in Season 2 which I think is better as the low budget production really shows in Season 1 with the mediocre graphics.
However, the progress of the romance in the first season is more realistic. In the sequel, Xiao Tan has zero recollection of 8th Prince and even finds him annoying when they first met. But once transported to Dong Yue, she suddenly misses him and falls in love with him. Basically, the foundation for the romance to grow isn’t as strong compared to Season 1.
There is also less talk about the Soul Suppressing Orb and the sci-fi factor is more tempered this time round. Other than that, the cast remains largely the same and thus, the overall feel of the drama is also not much different than the prequel.
Original But Confusing Story
As viewers, we are always looking forward to refreshing stories rather than recycled plots. The Eternal Love Season 2 continues with its own unique tale but it comes at a price. It can be confusing especially if you fail to follow the narrations and dialogues closely. For example, many people think Xiao Tan is different from the one in the previous season. In fact, she is the same person in the story although she has no recollection of her past relationship with 8th Prince. This is because it has not happened where she is concerned as not only spatial but also time dimensions have been altered in her case.
Also, there are 2 Mo Lian Chengs in the drama – one current and one from the future. Sometimes, it can be confusing as to which character you are watching. Hence, you really need to pay close attention to the conversation and nuances to spot the difference. I guess the main plot is not that complicated but it is the little details that are easy to miss and these will lead to confusion at times. It does not help when certain events are glossed over for the sake of simplicity and you are then left with more questions.
A Popular Couple
One of the main reasons why The Eternal Love has such a huge following is because viewers love the chemistry between Xing Zhao Lin and Liang Jie. So, why not milk it and create more sequels, right? Personally, I think they improved on their chemistry and acting in Season 2 compared to Season 1. They don’t look as stiff and the interactions feel more natural rather than forced. it will be interesting to see if they can up the notch again in Season 3 after having cooperated in a few projects including the modern drama, You Are My Destiny.
Is It Necessary To Watch Season 1 First?
My advice is it is better to watch The Eternal Love Season 1 first before going to the sequel. This is because the first season provides the background as to who is Xiao Tan and how she relates to the Soul Suppressing Orb. It also gives you the idea why she and Mo Lian Cheng are destined to be together. The second season starts off with a simple narration of how they end up in the modern world but it won’t be enough for you to truly understand the whole story if you don’t watch the prequel.
This series is unlike Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms and Eternal Love Of Dream whereby the stories stand on their own although they share some common characters. The Eternal Love series is very clearly a continuation of a story with the endings giving a hint that more is to come just like the final scene in Douluo Continent.
My Verdict – Great For Fans
If you are a fan of the first season, then I think you will most probably love Season 2 as well. It is more of the same with lots of flirting and kisses where the romance is concerned. While it may not feel as satisfying compared to Season 1, I think the chemistry will make up for it for the majority of fans. I also prefer Xiao Tan in Season 2 as she is not as loud and shrill in the sequel.
I guess this series is great if you are looking for something different in a romance drama rather than the usual general with princess love stories like General’s Lady or a revenge plot such as A Girl Like Me. It moves away from the conventional and also infuses more elements than usual for a time travel drama. Hence, I have to give it credit in terms of story originality. However, the drawback is the more things are brought into the picture, the greater the mess, confusion, and unanswered questions. Signs of these are evident throughout the drama. You just have to gloss over them and think simplistically to enjoy the story.
7/10 would be my score for this The Eternal Love Season 2 review. Watch it if you like the Xing Zhao Lin and Liang Jie pairing. The drama doesn’t have a compelling saga like The Long Ballad or a solid romance build up like The Sword And The Brocade but it still sells because of the couple’s chemistry and lovey-dovey scenes. As long as you don’t delve too much into the details, the story will also pass muster for its uniqueness.
Will the season 1 characters return at some point