Kill to Love Review: Zhang Zhe Xu, Mi Jin Burn in Doomed Love
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“The mountains and rivers span endlessly… but only you are the freedom I long for.”
The Chinese drama ‘Kill to Love’, based on author Yi Han He’s ‘Shan He Yong Ji‘ (山河永寂), follows the ill-fated romance between Prince Xian Shu He (Mi Jin), a gentle royal, and Duan Zi Ang (Zhang Zhe Xu), a ruthless assassin bound by revenge. The story opens with revenge and political games, but soon unravels into a tragic love affair, overflowing with yearning, obsession, betrayals, violence and desire.
Spanning 12 episodes, ‘Kill to Love’ begins with Duan Zi Ang’s late mission to assassinate Crown Prince Xiao Shu Qian (Chen Fang). Disguised and deadly, he slips into the Southern Kingdom’s palace but fails in his attempt. To bide his time, he turns his attention to Shu Qian’s younger brother, the gentle Sixth Prince Shu He, not expecting to fall for the young royal.
Though Shu He repeatedly asserts has no taste for politics, dreaming instead of a quiet life of travel and zither music, he soon finds himself ensnared in the palace’s power struggles and the rival Northern Kingdom’s schemes. Fearing Shu He’s growing favor with the Emperor, the Crown Prince orders his trusted guard Huo Ying (Wang Ding) to spy on him, ready to kill at the slightest provocation. Shu He’s closeness with Zi Ang only tightens the noose.
This isn’t the kind of historical drama drowning in opulence, but “Kill to Love” wins you over with its subtle visual story-telling. The carved details of the sixth prince’s mansion, the sheen of embroidered robes, and the lilting score that underscores each glance and touch, all combine to craft a world that is pleasing to the eye. While war and violence are a core theme of the tale, the creators cleverly limit the large-scale skirmishes to quick sequences, so the budget constraints don’t stand out.
The heart of any historical romance of course lies in its leads, and here Mi Jin and Zhang Zhe Xu light up the screen with crackling chemistry as the Prince and the Assassin. Zhang Zhe Xu captures Zi Ang’s duality with finesse, embodying both the cold edge of a poisoned dagger and the tender glow of a candle willing to consume itself for Shu He. Meanwhile, Mi Jin channels Shu He with dreamy grace, his refined posture and layered performance capture a prince bred in luxury, yet visibly burdened by the moral weight of power.
Yet instead of giving their courtship time to breathe, the creators rush the romance in the first half of ‘Kill to Love’, leaning heavily on a handful of childhood flashbacks to sell the love story. The result is a stormy relationship that feels accelerated and could’ve used more breathing room. One second Zi Ang is mocking Shu He’s softness, the next second he is melting over him. But oh well, Mi Jin’s Shu He looks so gorgeous throughout the show (the posters don’t do him justice), Zi Ang’s blind devotion almost feels inevitable.
The characterization and grown of them some of the characters in ‘Kill to Love’ were uneven. Zi Ang remains relatively straightforward in his arc, while Shu He is far more complex, confusing, and often frustrating, leaving both Zi Ang and the audience exasperated. His repeated claims of wanting no power ring mostly sincere, yet his unwavering loyalty to a brother who openly seeks his death is baffling. “You love the person who hates you and hate the person who loves you!” Zi Ang screams at him in anguish, capturing the audience’s own frustration.
Shu He’s troubled relationship with his brother deserved more growth in ‘Kill to Love’. A couple of extra episodes would’ve have given the romance and palace intrigue alike the space they needed, smoothing out the story’s uneven pacing. There’s this half-hearted romantic tease between Huo Ying and Shu He’s physician that feels pointless. While it may hold greater significance in the novel, the live-action adaptation would have benefited from omitting it.
The larger arc also plays with genre expectations: rather than the familiar “enemies-to-lovers,” the story in “Kill to Love” runs in reverse. Lovers curdle into rivals as they ascend thrones of opposing kingdoms in the second half, though Zi Ang continues to cling to the hope of rekindling what they once had.
Despite small missteps, such as the unchanged costumes across a supposed five-year leap, “Kill to Love” delivers as a heartfelt period drama where palace intrigue meets burning romance. The finale delivers a gut-punch of emotion, equal parts heartbreaking and grounded, giving the protagonists a realistic conclusion. For fans of historical romances filled with intrigue and twists, this one is well worth watching.
Watch ‘Kill to Love’ on YouTube, Gagaoolala, or Viu.
Read Next: Revenged Love Review: Snakes, Scheming, & RomCom Hilarity
Also Read: The Thursday Murder Club Review (Audio Version Below)
