The 38-episode series is recently broadcasted on iQiyi, got me slightly excited as the novel 一时冲动，七世不祥 (literally translated A Moment of Impulse, 7 Lives of Unfortunate Luck) by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang 九鹭非香 is a personal favourite. At one point in time, the novel made me giggle in the middle of the night while reading the novel, followed with cackling continuously at the antiques of the characters. The novel is really one of those comedic story that gets you frustrated with the irrational actions of the characters, but at the same time rooting for them. The novel keeps me awake for hours into the wee hours, losing precious sleep with panda eyes the next day.
The Original Novel
The novel revolves around the encounter of junior cloud fairy, Xiao Xiang Zi and senior God of War, Chu Kong. Their first encounter ends up with the two fighting with each other due to a misunderstanding (and a very unreasonable Xiao Xiang Zi), resulting in a mess of the Red Strings for couples in the mortal world. Xiao Xiang Zi resides as an intern to the God of Fate ie Yue Lao. Both are punished to serve 7 lifetimes of loving each other by the Heavenly Emperor (what a great way to get enemies to embrace love). 😀 Subsequently, the novel follows through each lifetime of these quarrelling couple. While the two schemes to outsmart each other, the end results often lands both of them in sticky and funny situations beyond their control.
In the first lifetime, Xiao Xiang Zi escapes drinking the oblivion soup before reincarnating with her memories intact as the daughter of the Prime Minister. Unfortunately for Chu Kong, he reincarnates with no memories of his past and arrives late by 5 years too. Although Xiao Xiang Zi schemes to cut off the relationship with the Chu Kong, their lives are so greatly intertwined that both are promised to each other as children by their parents. When Lu Hai Kong (Chu Kong’s reincarnation in the 1st lifetime) loses his family, Xiao Xiang Zi accompanies him to safety towards the border town where Lu Hai Kong’s uncle resides. Their fate is broken when Xiao Xiang Zi sacrifices her life to save Lu Hai Kong. During the first lifetime, even though Xiao Xiang Zi has her past memories, she is still smitten with Lu Hai Kong’s innocence and commitment towards her.
Upon the couple’s return to the heaven, both are a little confused with their own feelings. Before they know it, the couple returns to reincarnate with Chu Kong maintaining his past memories while Xiao Xiang Zi reincarnates into a slightly dull girl Xiang Yun (due to being forcefully fed too much oblivion soup :D). As the master of Shen Ling Sect, Chu Kong safeguards Xiang Yun/ Xiao Xiang Zi but finds himself torn between keeping his grudge against the straightforward but a little dull Xiang Yun. When a stone demon Zi Hui appears suddenly as a contender to Xiang Yun’s affection, Chu Kong’s life turns topsy turvy as he struggles to understand his own feelings towards Xiang Yun and his reaction towards Zi Hui’s purported love for Xiang Yun. The lifetime ends with Chu Kong giving up his own heart to Zi Hui in order to save Xiang Yun, although she is so heart-broken that she falls off the cliff together with the dead Chu Kong.
Upon their return to the heaven and with temper flaring from Chu Kong, the two quarrelling couple once again gets thrown into the reincarnation wheel in an unfortunate mistake. This time only to reincarnate as animals – Xiao Xiang Zi as a tigress and Chu Kong as a wild boar. In this lifetime, the two faces off with some sinister being with sacrificial altar, indicating there is a demon cultivating their power via human sacrifices. Taking cue from the seriousness of the matters, both are hunted by human and died to eventually return to heaven.
Subsequent to reporting the matter to the King of Netherworld Yan Wang, the couple returns for a fourth time into the reincarnation wheel only to swap body as an adult General Chu Qing (Xiao Xing Zi in his body) and Princess Qing Ling (Chu Kong in her body). To make matters worse, the princess is pregnant 😀 It is extremely funny how the novel describes Chu Kong’s reaction towards his condition. In this lifetime, the couple investigates more and explores their own feelings towards each other better – realising they have slowly cultivated feelings for each other although in the most unconventional way. Also in this lifetime, they find Jin Luo, Zi Hui’s wife and more clues towards the sinister demon encountered in the previous lifetime. Somehow managing to swap both bodies back to their original gender, Xiao Xiang Zi in the body of Princess Qing Ling died as a hostage.
In the next two lifetimes, the couple reincarnates in their own heavenly body and keeping their power as they are now instructed to deal with the demon and sacrificial altar. As they faces off with the sinister demon, the pieces of the puzzle falls into place, linking Zi Hui and Jin Luo with the demon Jin Lian, who is the brother to Jin Luo. And another surprise is Jin Lian is Chu Kong’s long lost Master who swayed in his practice of cultivations resulting in him turning demonic. In their fight against Jin Lian, Chu Kong fights to death and his souls almost dispersing.
Heartbroken, Xiao Xiang Zi is not satisfied and once against sets off into the mortal realm to chase after Chu Kong’s dispersed souls. Upon finding his souls, they are finally reunited in the heaven. Happily in love and totally looking forward to their marriage.
The beauty of reading a book or novel is in the way the writer is able to bring up various feelings with just descriptions of words and sentences. The novel itself is actually one of Jiu Lu Fei Xiang’s funniest story to-date. Xiao Xiang Zi is painted as a slightly straightforward but not so smart fairy, coloured in her views towards the arrogant Chu Kong. Chu Kong on the other hand, is an arrogant person, equally coloured in his quarrels with Xiao Xiang Zi. Through their quarrels, lies a deep concerns for each other through their journey in the mortal world. And fall in love these two quarrelling lovers do. Such a cute couple. Technically, the novel is a light-hearted read whereby there is really no need to dwell too much into the depth of feelings.
A translated English version of the novel. Short, really funny story.
https://www.novelcool.com/novel/Seven-Unfortunate-Lifetimes-All-Thanks-to-a-Single-Moment-of-Impulse.html
Series In Life
The series is actually quite different from the novel. Xiao Xiang Zi is portrayed by Yang Chao Yue (recently watched her as Zhai Miao of Fireworks of the Heart) while Chu Kong is portrayed by Ding Yu Xi (Han Shuo of the Romance of Tiger and Rose).
The series has taken some liberty to revise the storyline and plots. Although the key characters are still included, the personality and characterisation have changed significantly. The main lead romance of Xiao Xiang Zi and Chu Kong is obviously the main attractions, but the series have totally changed their personality. And it is with a heavy heart that I watched them turned into something else.
The beauty of the 2 quarrelling lovers are in their mundane bickering and misunderstanding. This provides the comedic situations for a good hearty laugh. Unfortunately for the series, it has taken a sweet approach to the romance similar to many other romance series. It just wasted the materials that the original author had written. Yang Chao Yue is unable to bring out the innocent but unreasonable Xiao Xiang Zi, in many cases missing the part of the main lead’s personality. Ding Yu Xi is also unable to bring out the arrogance in Chu Kong, instead showing him as a sweet-talking God of War. The Chu Kong in the novel is meant to be one who is not good with words, in fact he will say one thing, but mean another especially in his interaction with Xiao Xiang Zi.
The series also changes some part of the plot whereby Xiao Xiang Zi is the “reincarnation” of Princess Cang Hai, a demon princess deemed to have turned bad while Chu Kong is Xi Lin’s second prince. The story plot thickens whereby the Heavenly Emperor, Chu Kong’s elder brother, is revealed to be manipulating the truth of events 30,000 years ago. The villainanous role is given to the Heavenly Emperor instead of the more obscure demonic Jin Lian.
Jin Luo and Zi Hui’s romantic arc also takes a beating. The original novel provides a simple romance for a stone demon who is committed towards his love for demon Jin Luo, who originally intends to grab his heart. In a turn of event, she falls in love with him and sacrifices herself. Their lingering feelings for each other maintains part of their soul, but could not save them ultimately. In the series, this particular arc is a little messy as Zi Hui falls in love with Jin Luo (who lost her memories but living on as the Princess of the Sea). Although their fate still brings them together, there are many misunderstanding between the two of them.
Jin Lian in the series is painted as the villain, but provided with a good backdrop story whereby he is resurrecting Princess Cang Hai to revive Mo Luo Clan’s survival. The very messy stories are then intertwined with the original story.
The last part of the stories that follow Chu Kong and Xiao Xiang Zi into the demon realm as the Demon King is totally not in the original story. I guess the producer intends to wrap up the stories outside of the original novel in this realm.
Conclusion 5/10
I would probably skip the series and pick up the novel to read it over the weekend. I am a little disappointed with the performances of Ding Yu Xi, as he does very well as Han Shuo in the Romance of Tiger and Rose. The rest of the cast is really forgettable.
It is a quite a disappointing run for the original novel. I keep thinking, if only… If only the producers keep to the original storyline better; If only the comedic part of the novel is brought up more; If only the producers focus on the storyline instead of the romance. I also did not think the casts did well, but could not put the entire blame on them as the story is already flawed.
Hence, pick up the novel perhaps to indulge in some readings.
Cheng's Musings 