First Impressions: Legend of White Snake

At long last, after multiple broadcast delays, my next awaited Xianxia drama has made it to the US! First Impressions: Intrigued, hopeful, and at this point, definitely going to continue watching!

The first episode wastes no time introducing our main cast and having our fated couple meet within the first twenty minutes. The legend or destiny of the white snake is a favorite among Chinese folklore, and as a result, it has a few on-screen adaptations already. For those not familiar, it’s the story of a white snake spirit who has cultivated enough essence to take human form. Now entering the world of mortals, our serpentine heroine, Bai Su Zhen, meets physician Xu Xuan. Their love is repeatedly tested as Su Zhen learns about the seven sufferings, and in this case, a pesky monk intervenes as he mistakes Su Zhen for an evil spirit. Other main characters include Xiao Qing, a 500 year old green snake spirit, who becomes Su Zhen's close friend and immortal confidant, as well as Jin Ru Yi a human in love with Xu Xuan.

With many Xianxia fantasies, the cheese factor can be over the top, and it can ruin the best of plot lines. After holding my breath, metaphorically for almost six months, I was able to exhale while simultaneously sigh with relief. While there is comic relief, no cheesy costumes or acting to be seen yet Additionally, main female characters in C-Dramas can over rely on damsel-in-distress or unintelligent stereotypes. The fact Su Zhen can fend for herself already in the first episodes (and even protect the male lead) gives me hope for this series.

I’ll reserve final judgment until I have more episodes to solidify my opinion, but expectations are high after the first three episodes. Combined, the visuals, set design, and costumes make me wanting more. I’m already reminded of the magic of Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (which is my all time favorite drama, Korean or Chinese) or Ashes of Frostlike Love. With Pillow Book just finishing up filming, this seems like just the right fantasy drama for me to take on next. It's slated for a moderate 36 episodes, which seems more approachable for this retelling (I gave up on last year's Destiny of White Snake around episode 30, as it was too dialogue heavy and failed to keep my interest). Some early indicators, such as better animation and some nice martial arts, I'm hoping my presupposition is accurate. I've been a fan of our main lead, Alan Yu, ever since he played the fox prince in 10 Miles of Peach Blossoms. Don't disappoint me, Alan!