Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » BWT Recommends » 3 Reasons To Catch ‘Love Game In Eastern Fantasy’

3 Reasons To Catch ‘Love Game In Eastern Fantasy’

Sarah MusnickyBy Sarah Musnicky11/25/20245 Mins Read
Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Fantasy films and TV series are usually a good go-to if you need to escape daily life. However, these days, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fantasy series that doesn’t look and feel dark, making that escapism a little trickier to come by. Thankfully, one Chinese drama series is here with not only a lighter, more colorful visual aesthetic but also a careful balance between the silly and serious. Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is here to fill that niche.

Based on the novel The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus by Bai Yu Zhai Diao Gong, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy takes an ordinary woman and throws her into a work of fiction. It is arguably the scariest form of gamification ever. One in which the main player has no control. For those familiar with the Chuānyuè subgenre (essentially, traveling to a different world or time period,) that alone may be enough to convince you to watch this series.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

If you are on the fence about investing in this 32-episode series, here are the three reasons why you should give Love Game in Eastern Fantasy a chance, especially if you need some escapism right now.

The Wild Premise

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

As an author and a critic, I find the premise of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy brilliant. After growing frustrated by what she feels are useless NPC-like supporting characters, Ling Miaomiao (Yu Shuxin) leaves a scathing review blasting the novel Catching Demons. In an act of fate that every creative has likely dreamed up after receiving comments from haters, Miaomiao gets yeeted into the world of the novel — that also behaves like a game in some ways — and embodies one of the “useless” characters she so cruelly tore apart.

Now embodying the villainous Lin Yu, she’s forced to undergo specific challenges that the world’s “system” throws at her. Through her experiences in Catching Demons, Miaomiao learns that the characters themselves aren’t as “useless” as she thought.

The premise works so well because how many of us have left a negative review of something without thinking of the consequences? In Miaomiao’s case, the consequences are immediate and literally world-altering. With a hook like that, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy starts things hilariously, and Miaomiao’s attempts to learn the world’s rules hammer home the reality of her situation. It is a fun lesson to be mindful of what you post online.

The World of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

The world of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is both familiar and strange to Miaomiao. As an avid reader of Catching Demons, she knows more about the world’s structure, mechanics, and plot points. But there is a difference between reading the action happening on the page and experiencing it. Through her experiences, we learn of the Mu family, the dangers of demon hunting, the various demons occupying the world, and its politics.

As the audience surrogate, we also learn the rules of this universe with Miaomiao. It’s also where the rules get a little muddy, with the web novel mechanics evolving into a sort of game. The first couple of episodes show “the system” teaching Miaomiao how to accomplish tasks, “rebooting” her each time she fails. This humorous trial-and-error process shows how her actions can influence the plot and how one poor move can spell the end.

This becomes apparent once “the system” deems her ready to move past the beginner level. However, there are no more resets. Any time Miaomiao messes up, there will be no do-overs. In a way, this turns Love Game in Eastern Fantasy into a game for viewers. With how the writing sets the stage for Miaomiao’s future decisions, viewers will quickly react to everything she does, especially when she messes up epically. The world is dangerous, and the stakes are higher than ever, making for exciting viewing.

Mu Sheng’s Love Story

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

After Miaomiao has graduated from beginner status, “the system” assigns her the secret mission of winning the demon hunter Mu Sheng’s (Ding Yuxi) approval. On the surface, Mu Sheng embodies the Grumpy Black Cat trope found in romantic pairings. The only person he cares for is his sister, Mu Yao (Zhu Xudan), the only one who has ever been there for him. However, with Miaomiao’s arrival, that is soon to change.

One of the biggest joys of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is watching Mu Sheng slowly start to trust and develop romantic feelings for Miaomiao. His resistance at the beginning makes sense. Their characters in Catching Demons were destined to despise each other. Still, Miaomiao’s influence on her character, Li Yu, changed their fate regarding how Mu Sheng interacts with Li Yu. Miaomiao’s acceptance and understanding of Mu Sheng, even if they don’t always see eye to eye, start cracking open his shell.

The transition of the relationship between Mu Sheng and Miaomiao is so well done, thanks to the chemistry between Yu Shuxin and Ding Yuxi. Their love slowly builds, and its impact is felt once major conflict is introduced, generating emotional devastation that cuts to the core. This is the kind of relationship romance fans live for. If you need another grumpy/sunshine character romance, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy provides it.


With everything happening worldwide, Love Game in Eastern Fantasy offers a fun escape into its land of make-believe and demons. Don’t forget. Remember to be careful when writing a nasty review to creators. You may accidentally trigger a freak accident and get thrown into the world you’re vilifying. Just ask Miaomiao!

The first 20 episodes of Love Game in Eastern Fantasy are streaming now on Netflix, and more will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Episode 2 — “Two Wolves”
Next Article Making of ‘Arcane’ Featurette Highlights All The Hard Work
Sarah Musnicky

Sarah is a writer and editor for BWT. When she's not busy writing about KDramas, she's likely talking to her cat. She's also a Rotten Tomatoes Certified critic and a published author of both fiction and non-fiction.

Related Posts

A group of characters in Helluva Boss celebrating an achievement with some cake

‘Helluva Boss’: A Guide To 10 Devilishly Charming Characters You Will Meet

09/10/2025
Best of PAX West 2025

The Best of PAX West 2025: From AAA to Indie Games

09/08/2025
Xbox Game Pass Indie Games to play after Silksong

5 Xbox Game Pass Indie Games to Play After ‘Hollow Knight Silksong’

09/04/2025
Key art from World of Warcraft Midnight

‘World of Warcraft: Midnight’ Fixes New Player Onboarding And MORE

08/27/2025
Animated Movies to watch After Ne Zha II But Why Tho 11

10 Chinese Animated Films To Watch After Ne Zha II

08/23/2025
Mamoru Hosoda But Why Tho

Mamoru Hosoda: The Iconic Animation Directors Best Feature Films

08/23/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Gojo Jujutsu Kaisen - But Why Tho (2) Features

Everything To Know About Satoru Gojo

By Kate Sánchez09/07/2023Updated:02/16/2025

Satoru Gojo is the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 — now, heading into Cour 2, here is everything you need to know about the character.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here