The Legend of White Snake

Parts of this series re just really funny and I love the mix of drama, mystery, Buddhism nd Chinese mythology, The effects are good - though Chinese CGI still hasn't got animals quite right. The two leads do their jobs but don't have much chemustry but Green Snake - Xiao Yan steals the scenes in eveeything she is in. Several other actors are really good with a few like Monk and the four Immortals a bit iffy. Production values and the costumes are really good, the photography a bit strange at times. Good to see "middle class" life and rge workings of medecine at the period. The story zips along well, never got bored, but perhaps a more focus on one main villain would have been better, Anyway very enjoyable and worth binge watching as I did on Netflix.

The filming is strikingly beautiful and all actors and actresses are so well chosen and act with sincerity. There is plenty of emotions going through the whole venture. A well versed martial monk with 2 ingenuous snakes to contend with looking so beautiful in their women form and the ever pragmatic main subject always calm and plenty of reverence throughout. Spectacular in so many ways and it should be viewed again and again.

Seriously in this series the buddha guy is really annoying.

This is the first Chinese series I've watched. I was on YouTube looking for the trailer for the animated film "White Snake" and I stumbled upon this series. That's how the great adventure in watching Chinese fantasy series began for me. For me it was an extraordinarily pleasant and relaxing series. The actors were chosen extraordinarily well. It is an enchanting series with a story that surely reaches everyone's heart.

...so why not a good fantasy?

What I liked:

1. I love these old Chinese myths. And the computer graphics, while pretty klutzy, gave this story a beautiful romantic feeling.

2. Loved the Buddhist philosophy of kindness and compassion woven throughout.

3. I'm not a reptile person. But the snakes shown here were really appealing. They had sweet faces and a soft, gentle demeanor - at least when they were small. Even the large snakes weren't particularly scary.

4. There was something innocent and touching about this story.

What I didn't like

1. THE PLOT - Holes galore. Mind-numbing repetition. You've heard the saying: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." In this series, the same character pulls the same stunt over and over.

And the same oblivious fools go for it every time: "Oh, woe is me. I'm to blame. You tried to tell me, but I didn't believe you. Can you forgive me?" After the third or fourth time, I, for one, was praying for a divorce.

2. BAI - uncommunicative, and unknowable. Her ability to effectively state pertinent facts and feelings ranges from zero to none. Not a good idea to marry someone without first telling him/her that you're a demon, a snake, and 1000 years old.

3. XU XIAN - yes he's virtuous, yes, he's likable. He's also weak, feckless, boring, and something of a dimwit. He shows as much passion as a dried up prune. He's continually manipulated by the same whining, sniveling lowlife.

4. THE ROMANCE - These two (you know who I'm talking about) act like an old married couple before they're even married. "Dear, will you pass me the salt?" "Of course, Dear."

5. DEITIES - They act like arbitrary bullies. When justice is finally dispensed - a certain snaky character who has always been honest, sincere, kind, reverent, loving and virtuous is sent to the pokey. Another reptilian individual who frequently indulges in murderous rampages gets off scot free.

6. ENDING - rushed and inexplicable. Certain characters (Zhang Yutang) disappear without a trace and are never heard from again.