A Moment but Forever
A Moment but Forever / Nian Wu Shuang 念无双 is such a pretty donghua. The background panels are gorgeous and the characters do look quite lifelike… well, perhaps save for the most basic “dynamic NPC”s.😛 I loved the story and the fact that it’s a whole, continuous arc with a proper plot. I checked the novel the dongua is based on (Unparalleled Under The Heaven) and it ends more or less the same. There shouldn’t be any additional seasons, unless the makers decide to cook something up themsleves. I guess you could call this a xianxia, as it has most of the aspects of the genre. It’s also been categorized as action, fantasy and romance, which pretty much sums it up.
The next quote is lifted from the begining of the first episode and it gives us the background for the actual story.
A thousand years ago, in order to control the Demon Race who wanted to rule the three realms, the celestial realm sealed the most powerful warrior of the Demon Race, Princess of Lake. The Demon Lord used this excuse to start the war between demons and gods. In order to protect the God Race, the goddess Wu Shuang took her Divine Heart and created the powerful Divine Hand to turn the tide and help Tai He, the God of War, to destroy the Demon Race. However, the Demon Lord sacrifices his life to cut off Tai He’s left hand, which resulted in the loss of the Divine Hand in the mortal realm. After this war, the celestial realm has also suffered great losses. The seriously injured God of War sealed himself. And Wu Shuang, who had lost her heart searched for Divine Hand everywhere.
We then then pick up from the “present day” in the mortal realm, where the Fox Clan is about to have a gods-worshipping ceremony at the Forbidden Lake. While Yuan Zhong, the young High Priest of the Fox Clan, is reading a preyer to the gods and all the attendees join him, there is a sudden, violent attack. War Ghosts, a demon race people have come to demand that the Fox Clan to give them their divine artefact, the Divine Hand. Save for Yuan Zhong and his buddy Tang Hua the High Immortal, the clan members are defenceless, so these two have to do their best to fight the War Ghosts off. During the fight Yuan Zhong is fatally wounded which results in the Divine Hand finally being activated. Yup, it’s his actual hand (LOL!) and the power in it has been dormant all this while. The enemy is slain, but Yuan Zhong is mortal and his body is not strong enough to sustain using the divine power, so there are consequences.
Wu Shuang now knows where to go for The Divine Hand and she sends her aspect to the mortal realm to get it back. Unfortunately the Hand has merged with Yuan Zhong’s body and if forcefully taken, he will die. Not only that – she will also die as her heart is inside the Hand. So she decides it’s not time yet and goes back to the Celestial Realm, leaving behind an awestruck Yuan Zhong, who can’t forget her. They will meet again, of course.
Wu Shuang comes back to the mortal realm as Ji Tanyin and takes part in maid selection at Yuan Zhong’s mansion in order to get close him. Things don’t go quite as planned though, as finding an opportunity to acquire the Hand proves trickier than she anticipated. She hadn’t counted on Yuan Zhong’s suspicious nature and foxy ways, nor on his habit of wamooshing from tricky cituations. The War Ghosts also haven’t given up. All sorts of things happen and the pair forms a bond which eventually turns into something more serious. There is danger, trials and tribulations, betrayal and sadness but also friendship, triumphs, some cuteness and beautiful moments of calm. There is also evil that emerges from the darkness hiding deep in one’s soul, things like jelousy and envy. And counterbalancing it – love and forgiveness.
The donghua has only 14 episodes (thankfully) and is available at iQIYI (episodic) and also @ YT (split in 2 parts but in better quality – oh my, the placeholder pics are kinda racey, which the donghua ain’t, ha).
