Ashes of Love (TV series)

Ashes of Love (TV series)
Ashes of Love is a 2018 Chinese television series based on the novel Heavy Sweetness, Ash-like Frost (2009) by Dian Xian. It stars Yang Zi as Jin Mi and Deng Lun as Xu Feng in the lead roles. The series premiered on Jiangsu TV starting August 2, 2018.
The series reached 100 million views in just 15 minutes after the broadcast of the first episode. As of January 2019, the series has reached over 15 billion views.
Plot
Zi-Fen, the Flower Deity, died after giving birth to a daughter, Jin-Mi. She foresaw a future where her daughter would suffer a great love trial within the first ten thousand years of her life. Therefore, before dying she gave Jin-Mi a magical pill that prevents her from feeling and expressing romantic love, hoping to avoid the love trial tragedy. Jin-Mi grows up in the Flower Realm, living as a low-level immortal. Her peaceful life is interrupted when she encounters the Fire Deity, Xu-Feng, from the Heavenly Realm who had crashed into the Flower realm. After saving him, she persuades him to take her to see the Heavenly Realm, where Jin-Mi meets Xu-Feng's half-brother, the Night Deity, Run-Yu. She also meets Princess Sui-He, who is a close ally & niece of Xu-Feng's mother, the Holy Empress, and as a result, Sui-He believes she will one day marry Xu-Feng. Both Xu-Feng and Run-Yu develop a love interest in Jin-Mi. Due to the magic pill, Jin-Mi becomes unwittingly involved in a love triangle between the two brothers who become rivals for Jin-Mi affections. Jin-Mi, unknowingly, falls for Xu-Feng, through the mortal realm trial experience. Jin-Mi learns, later, of her true origin as a child of the late Flower Deity and the current Water Deity & she was also promised to the Holy Emperor's first-born son, Run-Yu when the Water Deity married the Wind Deity.
Eventually, Jin-Mi is tricked by Princess Sui-He into thinking her father & his wife, her stepmother died at the hands of Xu-Feng. She kills him on the day of her wedding to Run-Yu who has rebelled during his wedding against his father, the Holy Emperor, as Xu-Feng is defending his father against Run-Yu. As Xu-Feng is dying, Jin-Mi coughs up the magic pill as a consequence. She realizes she does love Xu-Feng & regrets what she has done. She finds out she was tricked by Princess Sui-He & Sui-He was the one who killed her father & her step-mother.
Jin-Mi feels guilty for killing her true love, Xu-Feng. She wanders around the river of souls looking for Xu-Feng & torturing herself for what she has done. She finds out Xu-Feng's soul was retrieved by his father before he died who placed it into Xu-Feng's Phoenix hairpin & given to Sui-He for safekeeping. She also knows there's an elixir which can bring back Xu-Feng to life, but the main ingredient is difficult to find. With the help of Xu-Feng's uncle, the Marriage Deity & her friend, the Green snake Deity, Jin-Mi was able to get the main ingredient, but at the cost of giving up her ability to distinguish colors & her Immortal form which she used to carry it. She gave the ingredients to the Medicine Deity to create the elixir of life. With the elixir in hand, Jin-Mi found out Xu-Feng's soul was being kept safely in the demon realm in a cave by Sui-He & a demon king who was sympathetic to Xu-Feng. She sneaks into the cave after Sui-He leaves & gives the elixir to Xu-Feng's soul. The elixir works & Xu-Feng is bought back to life. Jin-Mi filled with joy weeps & a teardrop falls on Xu-Feng's face. She quickly leaves before Xu-Feng awakens as she hears Sui-He coming back to the cave.
Xu-Feng is later reborn in the Demon Realm & soon named as the new Demon King. He unites the Demon realm & wages war against Run-Yu, who has now ascended the throne as Heavenly Emperor after his father died & with the support of other deities. He plans to make Jin-Mi Holy Empress. Sui-He, who went to Demon realm with Xu-Feng, lies about how she bought Xu-Feng back to life. Jin-Mi can't help visiting Xu-Feng in the Demon realm & visits him secretly every night. Xu-Feng is aware of her secret visits, tries to hate her for killing him & telling him as he was dying that she never loved him unaware of the magic pill given to her by her mother. To hurt Jin-Mi, Xu-Feng decides to marry Sui-He knowing Jin-Mi is nearby listening. Sui-He is elated to finally becoming Xu-Feng's wife. Xu-Feng walks over to Jin-Mi after Sui-He leaves & returns the love token (a piece of her true form) she had given him. Jin-Mi tries to tell Xu-Feng she loves him & about Sui-He's lies, but Xu-Feng doesn't want to hear about it & tells her to leave or he will kill her. Jin-Mi is completely heartbroken, destroys the love token & goes back to the Heavenly Realm. She finally agrees to marry Run-Yu, but finds out he had manipulated the truth about her father's death. She refuses to marry him, tries to escape to go back to the demon realm to stop Xu-Feng from marrying Sui-He & to tell him the truth about Sui-He & her true powers. Run-yu gets upset & imprisons her in her palace until the day of their wedding which is the same day as Xu-Feng's wedding. With the help of her friends, the Marriage Deity & the Green snake Deity, she escapes.
Xu-Feng becomes suspicious of Sui-He & her true intentions after finding evidence of her true power & deceit. He & his friend, the demon princess Liu-Ying, saw Sui-He switch out the heartstone in the great hall which can tell if a couple is meant to be by using one drop of blood from each person, for a fake stone. On the day of his wedding to Sui-He, he arranges a plan to make Sui-He show her true powers & deceit. Originally, his friend, the demon Princess Liu-Ying, was to impersonate Sui-He & Sui-He was given incense to knock her out, but, at the last minute, Jin-Mi was substituted with the help of the Marriage Deity & the Snake Deity. Using the puppet spell, Xu-Feng & Jin-Mi are married by the Marriage Deity & passes the test of the heartstone. Sui-He comes rushing into the hall stating the stone is fake & the bride is not her. The Demon princess Liu-Ying arrives to the hall, to the surprise of Xu-Feng, with the fake stone which had been switched out before the wedding for the real stone found in Sui-He's room. To Xu-Feng's surprise, his bride is Jin-Mi. Upset, Xu-Feng demands to know the truth & who bought Jin-Mi to the wedding. The Demon Princess Liu-Ying & the Marriage Deity both tell Xu-Feng to stop denying his heart's true desire. Xu-Feng learns the truth of his rebirth from his uncle & of Jin-Mi's sacrifices which Sui-He took credit for. In anger & resentment, Sui-He admits to her wrongdoings & it was done because of her love for Xu-Feng. She shows her true power given to her by the Holy Empress & tries to kill Jin-Mi. Realizing the truth, Xu-Feng stops Sui-He, removes her powers & banishes her from the demon realm. Xu-Feng admits to Jin-Mi, even though, she killed him, he couldn't bring himself to truly hate her, hated himself for it, but, in fact, he truly loves her with all his heart. They reconcile & admit their love for each other.
Final battle arrives between the Heavenly Realm & the Demon realm where Run-Yu states Jin-Mi was kidnapped & detained by the Demon King Xu-Feng, with a duel to the death taking place between Run-Yu and Xu-Feng. Jin-Mi wants to stop the loss of innocent lives & realizes she must ultimately sacrifices herself to end the war and return peace to the six realms. Jin-Mi's soul disappears in Xu-Feng's arms & Run-Yu, heartbroken about what he had done to Jin-Mi & his people, declares he will not set foot in the demon realm ever again.
In the aftermath, Xu-Feng gives up his position as Demon king to his friend, Demon Princess Liu-Ying, & tirelessly travels the six realms to search for the remains of Jin-Mi's soul which is protected by the ashes of Buddha. He believes because of her great sacrifice to bring peace to all realms, her soul is intact as a reward somewhere in the six realms. For three years, his search is unsuccessful, he settles into the first place he shared on the mortal realm with Jin-Mi. He discovers Jin-Mi was, in fact, a teardrop in his eye after he opens a box full of drawing Jin-Mi made of all their times together. Realizing Jin-Mi will one day be reincarnated, Xu-Feng resolves to wait for her.
Five hundred years later, Jin-Mi is reborn alongside her father in the Mortal Realm. On the day of her arranged wedding, Xu-Feng arrives in his phoenix form, kidnaps and reunites with Jin-Mi, who has retained her memories. They elope.
Seven years later, Demon princess, Liu-Ying works to bring a new age of prosperity to the Demon Realm. Sui-He, driven mad by her defeat, rambles around in the Demon Realm's outskirts. One day, she mistook an entrance to a cave to be the Holy Empress' throne room & where Xu-Feng is & stumbles into the same cave where she once threw the old Demon King's sons when they insulted her. This led to her being eaten alive by one of the remaining sons. He appears to have eaten his own brother.
In the Heavenly Realm, Run-Yu rules alone as Celestial Emperor realizing it's not a position to be taken lightly. He notes this to his faithful female servant, Kuang-Lu. She renews her vow to always be by his side along with his Dream beast.
In the Mortal Realm, Jin-Mi and Xu-Feng live a happy & carefree life and has a son, who knows the story of his parents and tells it proudly.
Cast
Main
Yang Zi as Jin-Mi (锦觅)
A grape spirit, whose real identity is a six-petal frost flower fairy. Daughter of the Flower Deity and Water Deity. She is naive and altruistic but does not understand the true meaning of love due to the magical pill she was given at birth. She later becomes the Water Deity following her father's death.
Deng Lun as Xu-Feng (旭凤)
Second prince of the Heavenly Realm and the legitimate heir of the Heavenly Throne, the Fire Deity, God of War, and the Commander of the Divine Armies of 8 Directions. He becomes King Yi of Huai-Wu Kingdom, a warrior king in the Mortal Realm in his mortal trial. His true form is that of a phoenix. He becomes the Demon King after his rebirth in the Demon Realm.
Luo Yunxi as Run-Yu (润玉)
Eldest prince of the Heavenly Realm; the Night Deity. A gentle and calm person, he never makes a move without being certain of the outcome. He later seizes the throne after his birth mother's death. His true form is that of a dragon.
Wang Yi-Fei as Sui-He (穗禾)
Princess of the Bird Tribe; proud and arrogant, she wields great responsibility in securing power within the Bird tribe. A close ally & niece of the Holy Empress, she goes on to commit many cruel deeds in her attempt to obtain power and marry Xu-Feng. Her true form is that of a peacock.
Chen Yuqi as Liu-Ying (鎏英)
Demon Princess. A cheerful and forthright girl, and a heroic warrior. She has a tragic romantic relationship with her bodyguard, Mu-Ci.
Zou Tingwei as Qi-Yuan (奇鸢), Mu-Ci (暮辭)
A reaper who has double identities. He was forced to commit evil deeds for the Heavenly Empress due to her control and manipulation of him, but he remains kind at heart. He was Liu-Ying's bodyguard before he was thrown out of the demon realm, because of his tribe & ability to create an arrow using his blood & bones which can kill any deity. He has a tragic romantic relationship with Liu-Ying.
Supporting
Heaven realm
He Zhonghua as Taiwei (太微)
Heavenly Emperor. Ruler of the Heaven realm. A first good hearted later cruel, he is adept at making use of other people to achieve his goals. His true form is that of a golden dragon.
Kathy Chow as Tuyao (荼姚)
Heavenly Empress. Ruler of the Bird Tribe. A scheming and cruel woman who caused the death of the Flower Deity, along with many others. She schemes to get rid of any threats to Xufeng's ascension to Heavenly Emperor, including Jinmi and Runyu.
Xia Zhiyuan as Dan Zhu (丹朱), Match Maker, Moon Immortal (月下仙人), Fox Immortal (狐狸仙)
The Moon Immortal Yuexia. His true form is that of a fox. Taiwei's younger brother; Xufeng and Runyu's uncle. Known for his mischievous personality and youthful looks, he is in charge of love and marriage of all mortal beings. He is earnest in bringing Xufeng and Jin Mi together as a couple.
Wang Renjun as Luolin (洛霖)
Water Deity. Jin Mi's father and Zifen's former lover. An elegant and refined man who keeps himself out of worldly affairs, but is loyal and helpful to those in need.
Wang Yuanke as Lin Xiu (临秀)
Wind Immortal. Luolin's betrothed wife. A kind and gentle woman who was a good friend of Zifen and, later, treats Jin Mi as her own.
Fan Mianlin as Suli (簌离)
Dragon Fish Princess. Lord of Dongting lake. Runyu's birth mother, who gave birth to him after being seduced by the Heavenly Emperor, which was due to her resemblance to Zifen. She schemed for years to seek revenge on the Heavenly Empress for killing her tribe.
Liao Jingfeng as Lord Puchi (扑哧君), Yanyou (彦佑)
Snake Immortal. After getting banished from the Heaven realm, he was adopted by Suli and became one of her god-sons. He goes along with his adoptive mother's schemes. He befriended Jinmi after saving her from the attack of Qiongqi nine hundred years ago.
Du Yuchen as Kuang Lu (邝露)
Daughter of Immortal Taiji. She voluntarily becomes Runyu's subordinate due to her admiration for him, and remains loyal to him from then on.
Sa Dingding as Immortal Yuanji (缘机仙子)
An immortal who is in charge of the fate and destiny of human beings. She has a friendship with Moon Immortal.
Zhang Junran as Lord Liaoyuan (燎原君), Qin Tong (秦潼)
Xufeng's personal guard.
Li Yixuan as Lord Doumu (斗姆元君)
Luolin, Lin Xiu and Zifen's teacher.
Li Yongtian as Taishang Laojun (太上老君)
Zhang Shihong as Immortal Taiji (太巳仙人)
He Junlin as Thunder God Yunxiang (云响雷公)
Liu Siying as Lightning Goddess, Shengguang (圣光电母)
Li Xuefeng as Rat Immortal (鼠仙)
Leader of the Zodiac Immortals. Suli's subordinate, who helps her collect information in the Heaven realm.
Zhang Xiaoyang as Liao Ting (了听)
Xufeng's subordinate.
Cui Binbin as Fei Xu (飞絮)
Xufeng's subordinate.
Zheng Ge as Po Jun (破军)
A heavenly soldier recruited by Xufeng.
Fu Hongsheng as Yinque (隐雀)
Elder of Bird Tribe.
Dong Xiaobai as Queling (雀灵)
Suihe's subordinate.
Liu Haochen as Lianchao (廉晁)
Brother of Taiwei, and Tuyao's first love.
Liu Xiangping as Earth Deity (土地仙)
Zhong Sutong as Little Fairy (小仙女)
Flower realm
Zhang Yanyan as Zifen (梓芬)
Flower Deity. Ruler of the Flower Realm. Jinmi's mother. She died in childbirth after being attacked by the Holy Empress.
Peng Yang as Chief Peony (牡丹芳主)
Head of the Pavilion chiefs.
Ma Jing as Chief Begonia (海棠芳主)
Wen Luhan as Chief Magnolia (玉兰芳主)
Furou Meiqi as Rourou (肉肉), Qianghuo (羌活)
A succulent plant sprite. Jinmi's close friend, who died saving Jinmi from Qiongqi's attacks. She is later revived to accompany Jin Mi in her mortal trial.
Ning Wentong as Lao Hu (老胡)
Carrot sprite. An elder of the Flower Realm.
Xia Yiyao as Lianqiao (廉晁)
A flower sprite.
Wu Wenxuan as Pavilion Chief (芳主)
Duan Yu as Pavilion Chief (芳主)
Demon realm
Lu Yong as King Yancheng (焱城王)
Ruler of the Demon realm.
Yao Qingren as King Biancheng (卞城王)
Liuying's father.
Song Yunhao as King Gucheng (固城王)
An ambitious man who aims to usurp the throne.
Wang Siyu as Chishou (炽狩)
Son of King Yancheng.
Li Silang as Xuanshou (炫狩)
Son of King Yancheng.
Hu Mianyang as Qiongqi (穷奇)
A ferocious and legendary beast.
Mortal realm
Sun Ning as Lord Nanping (南平侯)
A royal of Huaiwu Kingdom and Suihe's father in the human realm. He aims to kill Xufeng during his mortal trial and usurp the throne.
Zhou Yihua as Chancellor Fu (傅相)
Chancellor of the Huaiwu Kingdom.
Tuo Gufeng as General Ji Chong (偏将齐冲)
Lord Nanping's subordinate.
Wen Jing as Jingjie (荆芥)
Elder of the Healer Tribe. She adopted Jinmi as a child during her mortal trial.
Production
The series began filming in June 2017 and finished in October 2017.
Soundtrack
Ratings
Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue
Reception
This drama was commercially successful, placing first among audience ratings in its time slot and reaching over ten billion views.
It also received positive reviews, scoring a 7.7 on Douban. The drama was praised for its light-hearted yet grounded storyline, high production quality of beautiful cinematography and exquisite costumes; as well as the well-constructed plot and excellent performance of the actors.
Awards and nominations
International broadcast
- 8TV (Malaysia) (26 November 2018)
- E-Le (10 December 2018)
- tvN Asia (22 January 2019)
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References
External links
Chinese romantic fantasy television series
Television shows based on Chinese novels
2018 Chinese television series debuts
Television series by Perfect World Pictures
Xianxia television series
2018 Chinese television series endings