✒The Fan & the Sash and the Locust & the Cricket & the ◾️bird & the ◽️bird °7.5° °VG°
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 (tbf, that does fit their characters). WRTW is not really a romance, though it is /about/ a romance. It’s not a political thriller, either. It is supposed to be both but it stays on the surface and never reaches any depths.The show 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 ML Feng Lan “Xi” / Hei Feng Xi. This is the show where I was 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. On acting skill alone, I fear he tops at high average: He gets his gigs for his looks. He is a beautiful man. I'm not turning away - there's enough special in that sauce. 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 at the place 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, 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 recognized her - so it's easy to recognize her superb acting skills.
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 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; I was never anxious to see what comes next. I certainty 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 $$$ distracts from the matters of the heart - the essentials.
There are funny moments on the way to love. A lady minister of the court is interested in Xi but he only has eyes for Feng. He introduces the two women, and they end up getting on so well that Xi can never get Feng alone to confess his feelings! No doubt, WRTW is worth a watch. The filming is gorgeous from the start. The costume set my heart aflutter. The towns and sets are gorgeous. The art in the show is sublime. One of the interior sets has all the woodwork painted a pale green. I may just copy that. Batsuits! We see a ninja flying around in a bonafide BATSUIT. That's straight FIRE! It's cool how their fighting styles reflect their personalities. Feng is compact, tidy, economical, and understated. Yet, she's shockingly effective. Xi's style is flashy, expansive, sweeping, and downright showy. It all leads to cool fights, super cool weapons, and bad@$$ moves. Ep37 has particularly impressive battles and fights.
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 ‘19,
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.Was this review helpful to you?
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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This review may contain spoilers
Watch.
I must admit that I'm not a big fan of Wuxia but this one had me glued in every episode.The chemistry between ML and FL is amazing. And if you take them out of the Hei-Bai Fengxi duo, they remain amazing. I love how the drama made them equally powerful yet showing flaws in their characters here and there. The actors were indeed perfect for their roles, they were very convincing all around. I may be biased because I've liked both before this drama, haha!
Bonus for me is how the women were portrayed to be strong and as cunning as the men.
The supporting actors were entertaining as well. Pu was my favourite and he left me heartbroken.
But what got me breezing through all 40 episodes is how each problem/challenge finds a solution/closure early on. They didn't drag alongside the overall arch. Would've wanted a more exciting character reveals for both ML and FL though. Like something that rocked the scene. And while I'm at it, a more gruesome end to the villain. I so wanted him to suffer first before getting the luxury of death.
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When reality doesnt meet expectation
well, i rarely write a review, i write this one because its beautiful drama yet annoying, hahaha...from episode 1-31, everything was well executed, amazing story, eyecandy ML and FL, beautiful scenes, etc.
after that, it started to be weird, confusing and rushed, like its entirely different drama and the director was changed.
the scene Lanxi know Fengxi identity just a few seconds without surprise expression at all from anyone, its not even a scene since it just shows Lanxi's hand, hahaha.
Its annoying because it made us think widly, did Lanxy knew her identity from the beginning since he has fountain abode network to do so? If he did, then did he has other intention/motive beside pure love?
because several other scenes after FL identity revealed were also weird, how Lanxi reacted when his dad said to him to find a spouse that bring benefit to yongzhou, how Lanxi said to Fengxi that since yongzhou's problem is now settled, then its time for the next move (the alliance wedding), which seems all moves were planned by him from the beginning.
All these scenes have ruined the beautiful love story they already built from the first episode, its still annoying eventhough its paid by last sacrifying life scene by Lanxi (which only a few seconds too and could be more dramatic).
and the last two episodes were even more horrible. Lanxi's white hair and outfit could be better and the drawing each other eyebrow is a funny yet silly ending scene for such a great drama.
its a pity since this could be a great and hit drama of the year. It should be divided into 2 seasons, season one should have been ended when lanxi confessed his love, wu yuan and huang chao's crush on fengxi also not well developed, adding more stories about how the three noble men fight over fengxi will be interesting, because lanxi's expression when he was jealous was realy really cute, hehe.
well, despite all the drawbacks, its still enjoyable, the story and acting were great, the characters are also great. they are strong and smart, know what they wants and dont bother to face and accept life changes and let go their big dreams for more simple purpose of life, which is love.
they teach us to accept drawbacks in our life, since most of the time reality are not as what we expected,
starts from and by accepting imperfection of this drama, hahaha.
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The best part of the drama is the chemistry between Zhao Lu Si and Yang Yang. They are like the perfect couple and I really like their interaction and they are very cute together. Yang Yang is indeed a very handsome and charming actor who can be overly cool but when he smiles, my heart just melts :)
The wuxia/fighting scenes are a lot more in the first half of the drama. The second half is mostly just political stuff, but not too heavy that you can still easily follow and understand the plot. That's why I only gave this drama a 9 because these political plots are too predictable and light for me. I think the strong part of this drama is the romance story between Yang Yang and Zhao Lu Si.
Another strong point is that there is quite a couple of strong female characters, Bai Feng Xi being one of them and Feng Qi Wu. Boy, I like how badass and loyal Feng Qi Wu is. She really is a great character. The other supporting characters are also good, particularly those by Hei Feng Xi's side like Chong LI and the General and his two sons. I enjoyed these supporting characters story a lot too.
Rewatch value is high for me. If I have time and couldn't find anything new that's worth to watch, this would be on the top of my rewatch list as it's entertaining and quite light for a costume drama. The OST is great! There are five songs that I put on my Apple Music playlist that I've been listening to over and over again, especially the two songs that are on the background of Bai-Hei Feng Xi's romantic interaction. I am still listening to these songs (and will still be listening to this song) even after I have finished watching the drama.
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Intriguing storyline, superb acting
Finally I feel so ecstatic having watched the entire series.The storyline is captivating even though its filled with scheming, politics and bloodmath at every step. As the storyline navigates through, such intense scenes, it's the little moments between the two charming leads that lightens up the screen .
The chemistry between the leads yang yang and zhao lu is is simply irresistible and as someone mentioned i can't possibly think if anyone else portraying the roles of bai he fengxi better than them .
The costumes, action scenes and background are just spot on.
Definitely a delectable watch as they rule our heart!
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THE wuxia-romance drama of 2022!
Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang's acting is on point. Their chemistry on the drama is very good. They are both green flag. This drama is very recommended to everyone, new cdrama lover or a certified cdrama fan.I started this drama because of Zhao Lusi, I just get to know Yang Yang in this drama. This drama really did not disappoint. I can see that Zhao Lusi's acting skills also improved a lot and her fighting scenes are very good. This drama also shows an important lesson that the people's safety is more important and being with the ones you love than power. While everyone is struggling for power, they did not hurt innocent people. They prioritize the people's safety first before going in war. Ofc, except for the actual schemer behind they're back, he hides his true identity and true intentions and hurt many innocent people. I love the fact that Hei fengxi/ Feng Lanxi and Bai Fenxi/ Feng Xiyun sacrificed too much even they're lives to protect each other.
The fact that's bothering me is that feng Lanxi only has 10 yrs left to live because he saved BFX through Old Tianji. Also I don't know why but I really wished they had children together lol.
But overall I liked the drama, it's not a cliché drama. This drama also has pros and cons like the other cdramas but you'll really love it if you watch this.
FYI: I cried out of happiness when they got married lol😭
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The drama that got me into historical C-drama.
This is one of the first historical drama I watch that lures me into the world of C-drama. It has the most perfect tropes of strong female lead and strong male lead who can fight. The plot is complicated but it makes sense and with quite good pacing. I love a slow-burn and yearning type, so this is definitely one of those. This was my introduction to Zhao Lusi and she quickly became my favorites actress. She carried the acting in this show and I watched it mostly for her. Yang Yang was ok but their visual matches quite well so I don't mind. This is my comfort show and with insanely high re-watch value.Was this review helpful to you?
Good drama
Who rules the world is a great drama. Great action and a it will keep wanting to watch more. I waited a long time to watch it and it was worth the wait. A great story and good songs. This was a good year for Yang Yang with two good dramas. It's a great action packed and good fighting scenes. Yang Yang and Zhao Lu si make a good pair and have good chemistry together. Zhao Lu si is beautiful. The acting of Yang Yang improves all the time.I already watched 20 episodes in 3 days.
It's a good drama and not a total wuxia drama. It's got a lot political plot to it.
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Story about Politic, Deception, and Power.
This drama is Chinese drama that revolves around the theme of power and politics. The show offers a unique insight into the world of high-level politics, and the struggles that individuals go through to maintain power. The drama features strong performances from the lead actors, who bring to life the complex characters they play. The show's pacing is engaging, and the twists and turns of the plot keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. The drama's production value is high, and the cinematography is stunning. Overall, "Who Rules the World" is a thought-provoking and entertaining drama that offers a unique look into the world of politics.Was this review helpful to you?
