Drama Review: The Demon Hunter’s Romance

Synopsis and Information

• Chinese title: 无忧渡 / Wu You Du
• Genre: Romance, Supernatural, Historical-fiction, Investigation
• Episodes: 36
• Episodes Length: 45 minutes
• Where to watch: iQiyi (en)
• Adaptation of novel: Ban Xia (半夏) by Ban Ming Ban Mei (半明半寐)

Synopsis: Xuan Ye, a mysterious demon hunter, and Ban Xia, a young girl. Together, they navigate a world where humans and demons coexist and embark on thrilling and mysterious adventures. In the bustling city of Guangping, humans and demons live side by side, with demons skilled at concealing their true forms by disguising themselves as humans. Ban Xia (played by Song Zu’er), a wealthy young woman, possesses a pair of peculiar eyes that can see through the illusions of these creatures. Despite her efforts to conform and be obedient, she is often labeled as “crazy” behind her back due to her ability. When she uncovers the secret that her sister-in-law is a demon, she becomes the target of pursuit and crosses paths with Xuan Ye (played by Ren Jialun), a demon hunter. With a gentle kiss, Xuan Ye allows Ban Xia to fully see the world where humans and demons coexist. Together, they investigate various strange incidents in Guangping City, such as the healing power of the Biyu Pear, the Nine Lives Cat, the Guangping Spring Dawn Painting, and the Cycle of Rebirth, and their relationship grows increasingly intimate. However, Xuan Ye carries a secret that repeatedly pushes Ban Xia away, as he gradually discovers the possibility that he himself may also be a demon. (Source: iQiyi)

Character Breakdown

Song Zu Er 宋祖儿 as Duan Ban Xia	Ren Jia Lun 任嘉伦 as Jiu Xuan Ye / Man Ying
Duan Ban Xia has a “sickness,” or ability to see demons. However, wanting to find her father, she learns to embrace it as she fights alongside demon hunter Xuan Ye.	Jiu Xuan Ye from a family demon hunters with medicinal knowledge. After agreeing to help Duan Banxia find her father, the two embark on a journey that ultimately unravels the truth behind his own past.

Drama Review

★★★☆☆ Rating: 3/5

Premise and First Impressions

The Demon Hunter’s Romance is adapted from Banming Banmei’s novel Ban Xia. The series stars Ren Jia Lun, known for his roles in Under the Power, One and Only, Forever and Ever, and Love of Nirvana. Song Zu Er is a child actrss best known for her roles in Novoland: Eagle Flag, The Bond, and Legally Romance.

Story-wise, The Demon Hunter’s Romance started off strong. The setup between the two characters and their stories was evident. Ban Xia is a girl who has a third eye for seeing demons, and her father’s mysterious death seems tied to what she has always been hiding from, so she confronts her fears and consults Xuan Ye, the demon hunter, for help. Xuan Ye himself has a compelling setup as a demon hunter who is known to have killed his entire family. Yet, despite his identity, he has a demon rabbit as a sidekick and works under the guise of a medical doctor who also does side tasks for the authorities.

It was a really intriguing start that made me pretty invested in their journey right from the get go and curious about what would happen next.

When the Plot Lost Its Way

But as the story slowly unfolded, I found myself feeling disappointed with how it progressed. The first three story arcs were solid in keeping my attention, focusing on different demons, their abilities, and the reasons behind their actions. But once the plot shifted to things like finding Ban Xia’s parents and unraveling Xuan Ye’s background, it started to fall apart. Not because those elements weren’t interesting, but because the story failed to tie the themes of each demon arc back together into a cohesive whole. I needed a reason for why any of it mattered.

Each arc showcased a different demon-human relationship and explored the idea that not all demons are evil. While there were subtle themes like obsession and vanity, these themes didn’t stay relevant to the main characters or their journey.

• Qu Man Niang (ep 1-2): Ban Xia’s sister-in-law is her first close encounter with a demon since returning home. This quick arc highlighted Ban Xia’s wariness of demons but also showed her learning that humans and demons can have relationships beyond evil.
• Biyu Pear (ep 4-8): Explores the theme of beauty and the desperation to maintain youth in order to survive. Here, Ban Xia took her first real steps toward bravery, trapped in the mirror with Xuan Ye, she used her intelligence and courage to assist him.
• Nine Lives Cat (ep 10-15): This arc is where things started to drag. In it, the biggest take I got from it was seeing Xuan Ye help Duan Yan Qiu recover from his grief over Man Niang and find the will to move forward.
• Guangping Spring Dawn Painting (ep 17-24): This arc contributed to their relationship development. Within this painting and Ban Xia not remembering Xuan Ye, was when he felt confident enough to admit his feelings to her. Despite the confession and finding Ban Xia’s parents, this arc felt too drawn.

Then we have the main characters clearly liking each other and having goals to achieve, but at some point, they just seem to be wandering around, doing things passively, and waiting for events to unfold rather than actively seeking answers. That made the pacing feel slow in some moments. The plot structure could have been tighter, especially in making sure each demon arc actually served a purpose in their development or the central conflict.

Plot Holes and Unanswered Questions

There were some plot holes that left me wanting more clarity. 

• The Carefree Realm: I wish we got more backstory on the Carefree Realm, since this is where Xuan Ye and Ban Xia met. Why is there conflict between the two realms? Why do some humans not believe in demons? Why did Xuan Ye have to sacrifice himself to save the Carefree Realm? There just needed to be more here, especially if the writers expected us to accept that bizarre, abrupt ending.
• The fish-like demon: Introduced in the beginning was just completely forgotten later. He was supposed to be friends with Ban Xia’s sister-in-law and had vowed revenge. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, thinking he’d pop up again, but he didn’t. I had to convince myself it was cut out, not just forgotten, so I wouldn’t be so disappointed.
• Xuan Ye’s childhood & his uncle: I also wanted more about Xuan Ye’s childhood, and a clearer explanation of his “uncle” and how he connects to Xuan Ye’s family. A deeper villain arc could’ve added some real weight to the story. 
• Zi Kong: Zi Kong also deserved more development. He was one of my favorite supporting characters and had so much potential, but like several other side characters, he ended up feeling underused. With more effort in developing supporting characters’ motivations and arcs, the story would’ve felt a lot more complete.

Other plot points just didn’t make sense either to me were the purpose and mechanics of Xuan Ye’s sword’s ability, the mystery of old Mister Pu, or how the whole “rebirth” or reversal moment was possible. And I still don’t get why Ban Xia got kidnapped in the first place. I need more answers than what I was given. All of these loose ends made it hard to stay emotionally grounded in the story.

Characters and Performances

Personally, I would’ve preferred less focus on the painting story, even though I know that was a favorite for many. Even the Chilian and Xianxin arc felt unnecessary as I didn’t think it added much value.

What I wanted instead was more growth in both lead characters, especially Ban Xia and her journey to facing demons. She comes off as a timid character most of the time as scared, with some moments of bravery, but that’s about it, except for her fighting to be with Xuan Ye.

Xuan Ye being a more static character is understandable because he’s already mastered demon hunting. But his emotional journey needed more attention and a more capable acting performance to bring it to life.

Acting: Strengths and Limitations

I think the major issue lies in Ren Jia Lun’s acting. I’m okay with him in certain roles, especially ones that don’t demand much emotional range, but Xuan Ye is a deeply layered character. He’s been through a lot: losing his family overnight, living with guilt, discovering his true identity, and carrying the responsibility of protecting others and keeping two worlds safe.

All of that couldn’t be properly expressed in scenes that required Xuan Ye to show vulnerability, like when he was drinking with Du Yan Qiu. There’s so much emotional weight to Xuan Ye, and I wanted to feel that pain and turmoil. But because Ren Jia Lun couldn’t quite deliver that depth, it was hard to emotionally connect with him.

As for Ban Xia, she came across as a bit too timid. She had moments of courage, but I felt like the writing didn’t give her enough scenes to show that, even without martial arts skills, she’s still strong. Instead, she kept falling into “damsel in distress” moments, or putting herself into situation that needed Xuan Ye to save her. Maybe this was a limitation of the novel adaptation, maybe not, I haven’t read the book, so I’m not sure. But it’s something that could’ve been improved for the screen.

That said, Song Zu Er did a great job portraying Ban Xia’s vulnerability, her sad, pitiful expressions really suited the character and worked in her favor.

Romance and Emotional Payoff

Despite the narrative issues, I did enjoy the soundtrack, and I loved how their love story unfolded. It was a slow burn, but it worked – they came together despite their circumstances, admitted their feelings, and chose to be together. There were no annoying third parties trying to break them apart, which I appreciated. The only real obstacle was Xuan Ye’s duty to protect the world, and even that didn’t drag on or get overly frustrating.

It was a simple, heartfelt love story built through a journey together, and that made it feel honest and grounded.

Final Thoughts and Recommendation

Overall, I really liked the concept. But the execution was uneven, to the point where I sometimes didn’t even feel like continuing. It had great ideas and potential but didn’t deliver on everything it promised.

Despite its flaws, I’d still recommend this to fans of slow-burn historical fantasy romances or those who enjoy emotionally-driven fantasy stories with a bittersweet edge. Just know that while the premise is strong, the execution may leave you wanting more from both the narrative and the performances.

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