Immortal Samsara: the 2022 hit that rewrote its own novel's ending

2022 · Youku · Yang Zi (杨紫), Cheng Yi (成毅)

Why this one

Most xianxia (仙侠, "immortal-hero fantasy") romances are adapted with the ending of the source novel intact. Immortal Samsara (沉香如屑) is more interesting than that, because the adaptation changes who the heroine ends up with. That decision, and the way Youku released the show in two parts, tells you a lot about what the production thought its audience was there for.

It was a large release by any measure: the series reportedly took an 18.99% market share after release, with 2.4 million pre-air reservations.

The setup

Yan Dan (颜淡) is a four-leaf lotus (菡萏) spirit, one of the last of an ancient line, and her body is a medicinal treasure. She and her twin sister Zhi Xi (芷昔) are transformed into human form, and Yan Dan becomes an attendant to Lord Ying Yuan (应渊), the ruler of the six realms. She falls in love with him, which violates heavenly law. After a series of tragic events she is sent to the mortal world with her memories erased.

The second half picks up when Ying Yuan has come down to the mortal world too, in the form of a celestial-master figure named Tang Zhou (唐周), and Yan Dan, now in the human world with no memory of the past, helps him search for four divine artifacts while the story uncovers a war that was buried in the past.

Note — One story, two structures: The series ran 38 episodes in its first part (July 20 – August 17, 2022), then 21 episodes in its second part (August 18 – September 2), plus two special episodes released September 7. The second part is subtitled Chenxiang Chonghua (沉香重华). The split lines up with a real change in setting: the first part is the story in heaven, where the love story breaks the law, and the second moves the characters into the mortal world for the search for the four artifacts.

The ending change

The source is a novel by Su Mo (苏寞). In the novel, Yan Dan ends up with Yu Mo (余墨), the mountain lord who looks after her throughout. In the series, she ends up with Tang Zhou, that is, Ying Yuan. Yu Mo is played by Zhang Rui (张睿) and remains an important figure; the series simply keeps the central couple together rather than following the book.

That choice is worth knowing about because it shows how adaptation priorities work. A novel can sustain several possible partners for a heroine over hundreds of chapters; a television series with two top-billed leads and a first half devoted to their love story has already made a promise to its audience. Here the ending follows the show's own logic rather than the page's. If you have read the novel, expect the emotional weight to land differently.

Cast and crew worth knowing

• Yang Zi (杨紫) as Yan Dan, in one of her most prominent xianxia leads.

• Cheng Yi (成毅) as Ying Yuan, who appears in different forms across the story.

• Zhang Rui (张睿) as Yu Mo, and Meng Ziyi (孟子义) as Zhi Xi, Yan Dan's twin sister.

• Directed by Guo Hu (郭虎) and Ren Haitao (任海涛).

Where to watch

• Netflix in select regions

• Viki, with English subtitles

• Youku, region-restricted

Its echo outside China

Because it is on Netflix in several territories, Immortal Samsara reaches viewers who would never search for a fansubbed C-drama. That is an advantage most of the genre's biggest domestic hits lack, and it is a large part of why some shows become the entry point overseas fans recommend while equally successful ones stay unknown outside China.