Who Rules the World

Let it be bound to me for life

It was a story of love, ambition for the world, friendship, and above all kindness. It was a web of people and the stories they had to tell. For some it was a story of loyalty. For others, it was one of revenge. It was interesting to see even the most insignificant side characters making a difference with what little screen time they had. All of them carried a will, a voice, and character that made them so interesting to analyze. For me, it was all of these things. It was a story of Hei-Bai Fengxi (sorry bai fengxi XD)

The story revolves around Bai Fengxi, a free spirit, roaming the martial world seeking justice and constantly at odds with Hei Fengxi. Known as a deadly goddess and renowned for her martial arts and free spirit, only the elegant and mysterious Hei Fengxi can match her. We follow them through trials of their individual personal life that gives rise to discoveries in their identity, the walls they break through together in the martial world, and the love that arises as they see one another's world. It was innocent, pure, and unbroken. It remained that way.
As much as it is a love story, it is one about world peace, aspiration, and identity. I have to say, I got a bit emotional whenever the characters found a spark in the life they live, whether it was love, following a respected person, or a pursuit for happiness. Even those who wished to rule the world had a drive in them, a fire that made me a bit envious. Despite the flaws one can find within this tale, I found myself not caring. It delivered me more than the eye-candy I was expecting and spun me into a philosophical spiral on how I should be living life. It was a refreshing look into a couple that wasn't toxic, listened to one another, and stood on equal ground. They were really made for each other. They made their own mark on the world and a name for themselves before coming together. They were their own person before a couple. They saved each other rather than the typical damsel in distress plotline :) It was interesting because in many wuxia and dramas of similar nature, there is always some sacrifice involved. While there was sacrifice here, it wasn't someone denying the others right to choose. It wasn't a selfish self-justified sacrifice for the other pair that allowed for no input from the other party. I think that was a real interesting point for me. They all had a say (when they were able to) and there weren't decisions being made for one another being justified by love or righteousness. I guess it was refreshing for characters to be selfish and admit it rather than fake this selfish and righteous motive. I have to say that this drama kept the line of right and wrong, while allowing its characters to step beyond them as "there is more to life than right and wrong."

I have to say, the OST is beautiful. It was one of emotion and lead the story along. I can think of at least three scenes for each OST upon a listen. That is pretty amazing. I have yet to actually re-watch it (aside from episodes while waiting for the others to air) but I know I will enjoy it. I will find myself smiling at the little interactions and keeping my eyes peeled for the little details I missed. There will be no experience quite like the first watch but it won't be a minus. I do think a clip spree every once in a while via youtube will be really fun and refreshing.

All in all, like most of the reviews I do for dramas that I just watched, the numbers of stars don't matter. No matter how good or bad a drama is, for me, the enjoyment I felt from it matters more. So while this was a 8 star (maybe even 7.5) drama, it was honestly a 9 or even 10 for me in enjoyment and there is nothing wrong with that.
I have to say, I will miss not staying up and waiting for it to drop. I guess it is time to re-watch as Netflix uploads :)

No spoilers but my favorite quote and most memorable section really encapsulated all of the characters struggles in some way. I hope both you and I find that one thread within the thousands of worry that we can't bear to let go, binding it to us forever.

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Watch it if you like great visuals! Plot is pretty mediocre...

Hmm just finished the drama and to be very honest this drama does have many loopholes and entire script was rather on the surface/predictable plots but I still enjoyed it given that there are many familiar faces in this cast and acting wise is fine with me :)

I know many people criticized them for the unrealistic martial arts choreographies and "plagiarized" script lines but other than that is definitely watchable for me. For the rumored "plagiarized" parts, I don't really care because only the insiders know what's going on and since all scripts has to go through multiple revisions, thus end outcome only production teams know. For the stun choreography and visual effects, I would say it's very much westernized like the ones you will in a western movie.

For me, I just didn't like the fact this drama's scriptwriter made most of the supporting characters' part very superficial and super little screen time even though the novel had much more elaborations of them... If you are just watching for Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi then you will love it since all the damn plot focus and screen time is on them.

Most of the parts that I found it really predictable was Han Pu, Bai Lang Hua and Hua Chun Ran's character setup. Han Pu being the only child character typically always gets sacrificed in the end to push for main plot's development... Lang Hua's the super typical "brat" character that usually makes no sense in whatever they do in the most dramas' plot but always gets added in to make the casted characters look more "diverse"... I particularly felt a pity for her character since they could have made her more wise and having faith in Bai Feng Xi's moral values, like seriously Bai Feng Xi has always been a very protective and loving elder sister to the sect and there is no reason for junior sect members doubt her actions... For Hua Chun Ran, hmm I don't know but she character's plot seems to be have gotten much deleted parts to the point that she became like an extra for the story...

Overall I would say the scriptwriters did do a bad job given that it's one of Tencent's big budget project on the year... But since I'm familiar with most of the casts and how they performed generally, their acting and overall stun moves are ok for me.

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Political Drama With Soulmates

Who Rules the World was my first foray into Wuxia storytelling. And, my friends, I learned one important lesson - Wuxia dramas are not my thing. While I find Xianxia romances to be fantastically beautiful, I find the martial art fantasy elements to be unrealistic. From my research, the elements featured in WRTW are pretty standard to the genre and were executed well so I can only assume it is a me, not the genre, issue.

The worldbuilding and setting were completely overwhelming during the first few episodes. I could not even begin to tell you the major players or overarching plot because so many names, nations, and locations were being rushed down the pipeline. It wasn’t until around the 5th episode I came to a clearer understanding of the general synopsis. Between the fifth and thirtieth episode, it found a well-balanced rhythm between political intrigue and character-driven moments of growth. Was some of it boring and tedious? Yes, for sure. Anyone who enjoys the political aspects will probably enjoy these parts more than me.

The last ten episodes were almost frenetic as the pacing attempted to push forward the plot and characters to wrap up the story. Don’t get me wrong - I actually loved a lot about these episodes. However, it would have been better had the story been more evenly split between the two types of tones and energy. I read that the director left the project midway through production, and it shows. A bit more editing would have made for a better blended story.

While the genre and story pacing may have kept me from enjoying the story as much as I wanted to, the actors by far made up for a lot of mistakes. I absolutely loved Bai Feng Xi, played by the every lovely and versatile actress Zhao Lusi, and Hei Feng Xi, played by the talented Yang Yang. Their friendship, which eventually moved toward romance, was beautifully executed. The two had loads of chemistry. Honestly, I would have loved to have seen more intimate moments between the two, but it is understandable the genre calls for a focus on plot over romance. Their characters arcs, particularly Bai Feng Xi, really made me root for them as individuals and as romantic partners. Typical romantic tropes are mostly avoided, which makes for a refreshing storyline.

I also have to commend the actors playing these roles. I’ve seen Yang Yang in several shows by this point (H2O and You Are More Glory). While I liked him in the contemporary romances, he excelled in this setting. He encapsulated the fine gentlemen traits of Hei Feng Xi flawlessly. His mannerisms, way of speaking, and overall aura really impressed me. Zhao Lusi’s performance was just as powerful as Yang Yang’s, especially toward the end of the show. She has a chameleon like ability to switch between mischievous prankster, royal lady, and martial arts master as she navigates between all the various facets of her character. Any way we can get these two to act opposite of each other in the future?

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A Mesmerizing Blend of Fantasy, Romance, and Intrigue

"Who Rules the World" was a beautiful experience — I absolutely loved its blend of fantasy, ancient history, martial arts, and slow-burning romance. The chemistry between the leads, the poetic dialogue, the breathtaking costumes, and the overall world-building pulled me in completely. It had just the right balance of elegance, political intrigue, and emotional weight — exactly the kind of drama I love.

In fact, Chinese dramas with this ancient fantasy rom-com setting have always been my favorite. Everything — from the music to the character development — speaks to me.

Even though I enjoyed Who Rules the World immensely, I’m already looking forward to exploring more masterpieces like this in the genre.

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Everything you could ask for in a drama

To start, the martial arts/wuxia genre is not really my cup of tea. I'm more of a Sword and the Brocade kind of viewer. So going in, I didn't have expectations that I was going to like this. But let's just say, this drama got my attention and I ended up anxiously waiting for new eps every day.

HFX AND BFX are actually really well written characters. BFX was that fearless heroic figure who acted based on the situation right there and then and her emotions. While HFX is rather calculating. He always thinks before doing something. And is very kept to himself during the first half. From the very beginning, I already loved their interaction. I even had the feeling he was already in love with her way before they were introduced to us viewers. He's always watching and taking care of her without giving himself away. And ofc this leads to her thinking everything he does is to benefit himself and he wouldn't do anything that doesn't give him the upper hand. But again, I 99.99% am sure he either had feelings for her or admired her for a long time.

I definitely liked the first half better. It was more of them bickering, solving problems and slowly learning about each other.

Second half was politics, fight for the throne and war. Not my cup of tea but I can say I enjoyed this one as HFX always had the upperhand against his brother FJ.

Pros:
1. BFX was literally the female character we wished were written more in dramas. Alot of dramas, I see strong females in the beginning who gradually lose that coolness. But I can honestly say, she was a strong and badass character throughout most of the drama. There were only a few instances I didn't like her. Like how she babies her Jr. Sister Langhua. Who I wanted to slap so many times.
2. HFX's character...do we need to explain him. He's literally a hero to the world, BFX and our hearts.
3. We got some really good side characters.
*His sidekicks who were fun and always besides our male lead assisting him. Let me just say, I'm glad neither of them died.
* Prince Chang: Some might say he's not a good character as he killed innocent people who knew about his illness. But I think that was the only flaw in his character. I honestly thought he was going to turn against HFX but thankfully he remained the best brother for HFX. He didn't have many scenes but he definitely left an impression on me. He had some of my favorite scenes.
*Minister Feng: by far one of my favorite supporting females in any dramas I've watched. Yes, she was in love with HFX but he didn't love her and she was okay with that. Instead she continued to support him (take notes future evil jealous third wheeling females) and her bonding with BFX during their 1st meeting was enough to say I loved her.

Cons:
1. The rushed ending. Everything was choppy and alot of details were missing and they literally ended a war in a couple episodes. Not that I care for war scenes but wow, it was really rushed.
2. HFX's father the emperor is a terrible father. Didn't even care for his late wife. The fact that he chose to ignore all the bad things Queen Baili and her son FJ did to HFX will make you want to pull your hair. I was literally at the point of wishing death on him.
3. Queen Baili and FJ were really quite the annoying and jealous characters. They should have died long ago so that way there was more time for the actual war and end.

There's alot more pros and cons but I'll stop there. Regardless, I'd give a solid 9.5. Minus .5 for the long plot with the evil queen and stupid emperor.

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Love it

This has everything I love in a period piece drama. Lots of action, such wondrous martial arts that almost appears to be dancelike, beautiful and well written characters, a ML and FL that are confident and strong and of course romance. Am already looking forward to watching it again! Yang Yang and Zhao lu si have lots of chemistry together. It was great to watch them together.
This has everything I love in a period piece drama. Lots of action, such wondrous martial arts that almost appears to be dancelike, beautiful and well written characters, a ML and FL that are confident and strong and of course romance. Am already looking forward to watching it again! Yang Yang and Zhao lu si have lots of chemistry together. It was great to watch them together. . …………,,,,

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The Fan & the Sash and the Locust & the Cricket & the ◾️bird & the ◽️bird °7.5° °VG°

WRTW is a 2022 release that is rated a whopping 8.7 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 40 45-minute episodes. Based on the novel: "Qie Shi Tian Xia” / Let's Try The World, by Qing Lengyue, it's directed by: Yin Tao, Yu Yonggang & Shi Zhanli. Director Yin Tao is a master - a grand shifu. His credits include Ancient Love Poetry-8.6, Love and Redemption-10, and Under The Power-8.6 - powerhouses, all.

I've seen a few of these actors before. Yang Yang plays Feng Lan “Xi” / Hei Feng Xi, the ML. This is the show where I had determined to decide ~ once and for all ~ if he can act, other than playing a smug know-it-all. {I wrote that prior to his 1st appearance in the show. Right from the start, he's a know-it-all😏, but he's not excessively smug, at least} As beauteous as he is, long hair does not suit him. That I already knew from Love 020-6.8. This especially applies when it is done up tightly. When it's loose or disheveled it looks better. His acting ranges from thoroughly acceptable to VG, but I think that on acting sk8ll alone, he's high average. He gets his gigs for his looks. He is a beautiful man. Here, he has some nice moments as a romantic lead. Zhao Lu Si is FL “Feng” Xi Yun / Bai Feng Xi. She's a natural, and she keeps getting prettier. She walks with an athletic spring here and her backbone is ramrod straight. Feng is wrapped tightly.

Kai Jiang plays the Tianshuang Sect leader, where Feng makes her home. He played the emperor in the marvelous Rebel Princess-8.5. What’s interesting is how he looks much healthier and younger here, just a year later, so it must all be by design. Leon Lai is the prince, Huang Chao. He was in Ancient Love Poetry as a wronged husband as well as a devoted disciple and father. In Overlord-8.4, he's a fussy, downright persnickety clothing designer who has his world turned upside-down by a street ruffian, and in The King's Avatar-7.9 he's a gregarious gamer who's not afraid to take fashion risks. These parts are all nothing alike, and he is wonderful in all of them. I am a fan. Feng Qi Wu, the proud and strong matriarch of the Feng family, is played by Xuan Lu. In The Untamed-9 she plays the quintessential sweet and feminine sister. I hardly recognize her, so it's easy to recognize her superb acting skills.

WRTW is the same old fare: A jumble of factions, a fight for the throne, decades old machinations, and wheels within wheels. It's all still tasty to me. Our leads first build a tentative trust and see that their goals are aligned. Teamwork quickly becomes love, but the heavy weight of responsibility may not leave any space for love to thrive. Their relationship is truly cute. They generate sincere warmth, but most of the time, it stops short of actual heat. There's a whiff of perfunctory ceremony about them, but that does fit their parts. WRTW is not really a romance, though it is /about/ a romance. This is not a political thriller, either. It is supposed to be both but it stays on the surface and never reaches any depths. There are funny moments on the way to love. A lady minister of the court is interested in Xi but he only has eyes for Feng. He introduces the two women, and they end up getting on so well that Xi can never get Feng alone to confess his feelings!

WRTW suffers slightly from big-budget disease. Is Tianshuang Sect any good? It's hard to tell. At times they are vanquished rather easily. The fact that it makes us wonder is a problem in and of itself. Yin Tao is exceptionally talented - probably a genius. His past successes cleared the way for bigger and bigger budgets. At times, the money and the expectation to deliver can create an environment where creativity is stifled. WRTW is a visual masterpiece, but it doesn't have the plot intricacy and range of human emotions that some of Yin Tao’s past works have. I settled into watching one episode per day. That was enough - the show never created the fever or the hunger to keep going in order to see what comes next. I won't be in a hurry to rewatch it. It doesn't have the Yin Tao magic that has enchanted me in the past. WRTW is good - it's VG, but not excellent. The last handful of episodes even started to feel a smidge like a chore. I found I was not emotionally invested in the characters. Not one of them. Love and Redemption has some decent special effects but, with 55 action-packed episodes to fill, most of the effects are clumsy to the point of being uncomfortable. I talked my son into watching an episode and he shook his head at Sefan's first fight scene with a CGI beast in ep1. CGI and special effects are important, but they won't make me want to watch a show again. I watched L&R twice in a row, despite the sometimes deficient effects, because the story, acting, and dialogue are superb. WRTW is more visually sophisticated, but I feel indifferent as to whether I'll ever watch it again. I expect I'll watch L&R 10 or 20 times before my life is over. That is the essence of big-budget disease. All the $$$ distracts from the matters of the heart - the essentials.

No doubt, WRTW is worth a watch. The filming is gorgeous from the start. The costume set my heart aflutter. The towns and sets are gorgeous. The art in the show is sublime. One of the Interior sets has all the woodwork painted a pale green. I may just copy that. Batsuits! We see a ninja flying around in a bonafide BATSUIT. That's straight FIRE! It's cool how their fighting styles reflect their personalities. Feng is compact, tidy, economical, and understated. Yet, she's shockingly effective. Xi's style is flashy, expansive, sweeping, and downright showy. It all leads to cool fights, super cool weapons, and bad@$$ moves. Ep37 has particularly impressive battles and fights.

So, fantasy fans will definitely enjoy this sampler platter. For fans of this show, wait until you see some of the even better features! China rules the fantasy world, and a world of wonders awaits you!


QUOTES📢

The more powerful you are in cooperation, the more benefit you'll get.

Have you convinced yourself of your own lies?


〰🖍 IMHO

📣7 📝7 🎭7 💓6 🦋7 🌞7 🎨9 ⚡6.5 🎵/🔊6 😅3 😭5 😱3 😯4 😖3 🤔4 💤3 🔚7

Age 12+ Rated TV-PG-13: Parents Cautioned

Re-📺? It's likely since I'm such a fan of the director and the FL.


In order of ~lite & trite~ to ~heavy & serious~ you may also like:

🔮🐉-
C🇨🇳: Love Between Fairy & Devil 8.9;
Once upon a time in Linglian Mountain-7.5,
Douluo Continent 9.4;
Handsome Siblings 8.7;
Story of Yanxi Palace-10
The Sword and the Brocade 8.6 (in ancient Chinese opera style),
The Rise of Phoenixes 9

K🇰🇷:
My Only Love Song 8.7 excellent comedy;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9

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Who Rules the World: A Captivating Xianxia Journey

“Who Rules the World” is a #Cdrama that has quickly become one of my favorites in the #xianxia genre. This series offers a blend of strong female characters, comedy, romance, epic battles, and a rich fantasy world.

The story follows Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi, martial arts experts who navigate political intrigue and personal challenges while developing a deep romance. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their story is both heartwarming and thrilling.

The drama stands out for its portrayal of strong women who are skilled fighters and intelligent. It balances action scenes with moments of humor and tenderness, making it a well-rounded watch.

Overall, “Who Rules the World” is a must-watch for xianxia fans. The captivating plot, well-developed characters, and stunning visuals make it a standout series.

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Overall, the most rewatchable historical drama and #couple goals

I loved how mature their romance was and how there were no unnecessary misunderstandings between the two, I loved how both were perfectly in sync with each other in their values, and priorities and always understood each other under any circumstance. The support roles were strong, I was so immersed in everyone's acting and really hated the villains too. The ost is very memorable and you will remember the drama no matter what when you hear it again. For a drama that's 40 eps, it's very rewatchable and surprisingly not a historical tragedy ( I have pet peeves about reincarnation tropes where they end the story whenever the couple reunite in their next life), the story moves on at a very steady pace so you wouldn't feel bored with it. Overall, the best Chinese drama I've seen so far.

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FAVORITE, BUT WITH FAULTS

YOU KNOW THAT DRAMA THAT WAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS?! IT WAS HIM.
THIS DRAMA WAS SIMPLY WONDERFUL, COMPLETELY WON MY HEART.
THE COUPLE WAS DIVINE, WITH A WONDERFUL CHEMISTRY, IT SHOULD NOT BE SEPARATED. IT WAS A COUPLE THAT, WHEN THEY STAYED TOGETHER, NOTHING ELSE SEPARATED THEM. DON'T MUST THINK OF THAT STUPID WOMAN CLICHE THAT IS AFFORDABLE FOR PROTA.
BUT, HOWEVER AND HOWEVER. I CANNOT SAY IT WAS PERFECT. THE SCRIPT IN SEVERAL MOMENTS RUN A LOT, THEY WILL NOT DEVELOP THE RIGHT VILLAIN. THE POOR SECONDARY, WERE SIMPLY FORGOTTEN. THERE YOU COULD MAKE A 60 EPISODE DRAMA OF BOA. NOT TO SAY ALSO, THAT THE FINAL FIGHT THE EFFECTS WERE VERY WEAK.

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