{ "id": "epxzxz8kyn", "slug": "twisted-fate-of-love", "title": "Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia", "label": "East Asian drama series", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "label": "Titles Sp to Z", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020: East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials", "label": "East Asian web and streaming serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕) is a 2020 Chinese costume romance drama adapted from Shijiu's novel Yuzhao Ci, starring Sun Yi and Jin Han, 43 episodes on Tencent Video from 23 November 2020; distinct from the Shandong yugu opera of the same title.", "snippet": "Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕) is a 2020 Chinese costume romance drama adapted from Shijiu's novel Yuzhao Ci, starring Sun Yi and Jin Han, 43 episodes on Tencent Video from 23 November 2020; distinct from the Shandong yugu opera of the same title.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_east_asia.east_asian_web_streaming_serials.alpha-sp-to-z", "markdown": "# Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕)\n\n**Twisted Fate of Love** (今夕何夕) is a 2020 Chinese costume romance drama adapted from the web novel *Yuzhao Ci* (玉昭词) by Shijiu (时久), starring Sun Yi (孙怡) as the warrior Dong Yue and Jin Han (金瀚) as the scheming courtier [Feng Xi](https://www.edgepedia.org/feng-xi). It premiered exclusively on [Tencent Video](https://www.edgepedia.org/tencent-video) on 23 November 2020 and ran for 43 episodes.[1](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?g_ut=3&lid=185094743) • [2](https://thetvdb.com/series/twisted-fate-of-love) The same Chinese title has since been used for other works, including a Shandong yugu opera and a 2025 micro short drama, which are treated at the end of this article.\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | 今夕何夕; international title Twisted Fate of Love[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Source material | Web novel *Yuzhao Ci* (玉昭词) by Shijiu, a \"rebirth\" (重生) story[1](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?g_ut=3&lid=185094743) • [4](https://movie.douban.com/review/16673095/) |\n| Premiere | 23 November 2020, Tencent Video exclusive; 43 episodes of about 45 minutes, ending December 2020[1](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?g_ut=3&lid=185094743) • [2](https://thetvdb.com/series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Main cast | Sun Yi as Dong Yue, Jin Han as Feng Xi, Tan Jianci as Pang Yu, Zhang Zhijian as Lu Yuantong[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Production | Haitangguo Pictures and Penguin Pictures; directors Wei Hantao, Xu Huikang, and Chen Xiangjuan[1](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?g_ut=3&lid=185094743) |\n| Reception | Douban opening score 7.7 and Zhihu 9.8 at launch; a later review cites 7.4 on Douban and over 260 million views on Tencent Video[5](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5368205.html) • [4](https://movie.douban.com/review/16673095/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and story\n\nThe drama is set in the fictional Dayin (大胤) dynasty. Dong Yue, a female general scarred by war, travels back in time to the period before the conflict breaks out in order to assassinate the rebel minister Lu Yuantong (陆远潼) and stop the war that threatens the population. She crosses paths with Feng Xi, a powerful official described as a treacherous minister who \"calculates everything without omission\"; the two fight each other to the death and save each other to the death, and feelings grow between them despite her disapproval of his ruthless methods.[6](https://www.linetv.tw/drama/11783/eps/1) • [1](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?g_ut=3&lid=185094743)\n\nThe rebirth premise structures the plot into three lifetimes. In one later arc, Dong Yue returns to the past again and decides to trust Feng Xi, but he has lost all memory of her; in that life his hidden origins surface, he abandons his plan to clear his mother's clan's name in order to fulfill her wish to end the war, and he dies together with Lu Yuantong.[7](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/f5hlc09m4c9xb2w/b0035s1fbbw-%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%95%E4%BD%95%E5%A4%95_31) A reviewer noted the device lets the story restart after a lead character dies, splitting the narrative into three independent but escalating layers.[4](https://movie.douban.com/review/16673095/)\n\n## Cast\n\n| Actor | Role |\n|---|---|\n| Sun Yi | Dong Yue / Wen Xin[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Jin Han | Feng Xi[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Tan Jianci | Pang Yu[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Luo Qiuyun | Zi Yuan / Ming Zhu[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Yu Chengen | Dao Le[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n| Zhang Zhijian | Lu Yuantong[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love) |\n\nAccording to the synopsis distributed with international releases, Pang Yu and Feng Xi were old friends who cared deeply for each other, one refined and gentlemanly and the other exceptionally talented but concealing it; Dong Yue's appearance drives the two men into enmity, and she encourages them to reconcile as they face greater enemies while helping Pang Yu toward the throne.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love)\n\n## Reception and commentary\n\nThe series premiered at the end of 2020 alongside several other costume dramas, including *Legend of Fei* and *[The Wolf](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-wolf-tv-series)*, and opened to strong viewership; industry reporting based on Guduo data noted it reached a solid play-count peak on its first day.[8](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5368205.html) As of one review's writing, its play count on Tencent Video had passed 260 million and it had reached first place on a heat-ranking search list.[4](https://movie.douban.com/review/16673095/)\n\n**A villainous male lead.** Commentary in Jiemian highlighted the series as an experiment within the costume idol-drama (古偶剧) formula: instead of the conventional heroic male lead, Feng Xi is written as a near-villain who rose through connections and acts with ruthless methods, closer to a traditional \"treacherous minister\" archetype.[9](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5862179.html) The same analysis observed that although such dramas use ancient settings, their emotional values align with modern ones, and that the show mapped contemporary topics such as workplace bullying onto its historical setting.[9](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5862179.html) • [8](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5368205.html)\n\n**Visual style.** A Douban review credited the production design, describing costumes with an \"ink-wash ancient style\" (水墨古风) integrated with classical Chinese landscape aesthetics, and noted the theme song \"Jin Xi He Xi\" was sung by Lala Hsu (徐佳莹).[4](https://movie.douban.com/review/16673095/)\n\n## Other works titled 今夕何夕\n\nThe phrase 今夕何夕 comes from classical Chinese, where it is used as an exclamation of praise meaning \"what a night this is\"; the character 夕 originally denoted dusk, when the moon first rises.[10](https://m.ccdi.gov.cn/content/36/84/28914.html) Several unrelated works carry the title:\n\n- **Yugu opera (渔鼓戏) 《今夕何夕》.** A small-theater opera of the yugu genre, a local opera form from Shandong with over 300 years of history that was inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list in June 2008. The opera adapts the [Tang dynasty](https://www.edgepedia.org/tang-dynasty) tale *Yi Xia* (义侠) from *Tang Chuanqi*, uses a four-act-plus-wedge structure modeled on Yuan zaju, and was reported to be the first yugu opera invited to perform abroad. Its three performers are all post-1990 inheritors of the genre, including Wang Qiaoyu (born 1998) as the courtesan Ruyue.[11](https://www.sdxc.gov.cn/whql/jpcz/202408/t20240814_14649162.htm)\n- **今夕遇何夕 (2022).** A 24-episode urban romance drama directed by Qiu Xudong, starring Feng Ruirui, Sun Tao, and He Yixuan, streamed on Youku; it is a distinct work despite the similar title.[12](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%95%E9%81%87%E4%BD%95%E5%A4%95/62092704?fromModule=lemma_inlink)\n- **Micro short drama (2025).** A micro short drama titled 《今夕何夕》, produced by the network products department of Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, launched on the Hongguan short-drama platform on 27 December with同步 release on ai Litchi and Litchi News; it follows a Huai opera performer who regains her purpose and a soldier who returns to the 1941 battlefield.[13](https://vv.lmtw.com/mzw/content/detail/id/249918) • [14](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_rh60ux0z5h.html)\n\n## References\n\n1. [今夕何夕, Sogou Baike](https://baike.sogou.com/m/fullLemma?g_ut=3&lid=185094743)\n2. [今夕何夕, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/twisted-fate-of-love)\n3. [Twisted Fate of Love, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/twisted-fate-of-love)\n4. [《今夕何夕》剧评, Douban](https://movie.douban.com/review/16673095/)\n5. [用\"反派\"圈粉？《今夕何夕》一次古偶剧的新试验, Jiemian](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5368205.html)\n6. [今夕何夕 第1集, LINE TV](https://www.linetv.tw/drama/11783/eps/1)\n7. [今夕何夕 第31集, WeTV](https://wetv.vip/zh-cn/play/f5hlc09m4c9xb2w/b0035s1fbbw-%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%95%E4%BD%95%E5%A4%95_31)\n8. [故事为核、IP+流量、现代情感观加持，浅析古偶剧的创作方法论, Jiemian](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5862179.html)\n9. [用\"反派\"圈粉？《今夕何夕》一次古偶剧的新试验, Jiemian](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5368205.html)\n10. [〖每日一字〗夕：今夕何夕, 中央纪委网站](https://m.ccdi.gov.cn/content/36/84/28914.html)\n11. [渔鼓戏《今夕何夕》：地方小戏的青春化表达, 山东宣传网](https://www.sdxc.gov.cn/whql/jpcz/202408/t20240814_14649162.htm)\n12. [今夕遇何夕, Baidu Baike](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E4%BB%8A%E5%A4%95%E9%81%87%E4%BD%95%E5%A4%95/62092704?fromModule=lemma_inlink)\n13. [短剧资讯速递（2025.12.27-12.31）, 流媒体网](https://vv.lmtw.com/mzw/content/detail/id/249918)\n14. [今夕何夕, iQIYI](https://www.iqiyi.com/a_rh60ux0z5h.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles Sp to Z*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕)](https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love](https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Twisted Fate of Love (今夕何夕)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/twisted-fate-of-love. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Twisted Fate of Love is a 2020 Chinese costume romance drama adapted from Shijiu's novel Yuzhao Ci, starring Sun Yi and Jin Han, 43 episodes on Tencent Video from 23 November 2020; distinct from the Shandong yugu opera of the same title." }