Legend of Zang Hai (2025)

Well-written revenge drama, but struggles with uneven pacing

The story is set up well in the first episode where the foundation for revenge is laid and many of the antagonists are identified. Even Zhi Nu’s transition into Zang Hai is well done, providing all the details needed while measuredly moving the story forward.

Zang Hai moves to the capital and the story immediately gets more interesting with the additional players being revealed, while the cunning moves he makes put him in prime position to exact his revenge. Unfortunately, once he manages to become a “trusted” aide of the Marquis, moving onto the aristocrat’s property, the story starts to become less interesting.

It did have moments of intrigue but mostly started to drag. The story was written as if it came straight from the novella with every character beat and backstory displayed in meticulous detail on screen. That’s great for a book but can be difficult to make interesting onscreen if the script is not written with broadcast entertainment in mind.

The ML, Xiao Zhan, is good in this as are most of the supporting characters. The chemistry between the ML and his mentor is perfect. Not so much chemistry with the FL. Their interactions were flat and the actress in the role wasn’t that great. Again, well written to start. However, this just couldn’t hold my interest. So I ended up dropping it.

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Definitely a must watch

Now I'm onto Ep 7 now . In fact I started watching just this morning. Free for first 3 episodes in Youku and you can guess what I was soo hooked to the story that I absolutely must continue watching. In the end, I did what I fear I would do which is... sign up as VIP member so that I can get to watch the entire drama!!! I already have Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Sooka, iQIYI, Disney Plus, Youtube Premium and now... this Youku. So fat at Ep 7, I ain't regretting my decision one bit. The plot is damn good but I wish he's not always the sole survivor. Anyway, this is a must watch drama - no romance or comedy yet (or maybe none at all) but the good plot is enough to get me going at an accelerated speed.

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Sharp, Calculative and a whole lot of brains!!

Finally we're getting a hero who doesn't know martial arts! If you're looking for a cold-hearted main lead and his gang of misfits, this is that series!

Throughout the series, Zhang Hai has solely depended on his teachings, his cold heart burning with revenge, and slow and steady calculations when racing against time to capture and k-word the three villains in his life.
Every episode has you on the edge of your seat! There is always something going on, something happening to the people around Zhang Hai.
I also like that the romance arc is barely there in this series, which I like. And also because Zhang Hai has been guarding his heart against anything and everything that even remotely symbolizes love lol. The FL is such a great match for Xiao Zhan, they seem very comfortable on-screen, the dialogue delivery and acting is very natural between these two.
I also like the second lead/ second young master. First saw him in White Cat Legend. He has improved so much! Glad he's getting more recognition in this drama!
Still on ep 20, and waiting on the grand reveal of the third villain Zhang Hai has been searching. Hopefully soon!

rewatch value: 10/10

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A brilliant cinematographic masterpiece!

I will never understand how some people here have reviewed the story 8 or gave any other score below 10. This is literally a masterpiece in terms of story (strong beginning, intriguing story-line, always keeping you on the edge of wanting more), acting, all characters are killing the acting, I even like the antagonists because they are very clever, unpredictable, not to talk about the quality of the series, directing, and songs.

I somehow have gotten tired lately from watching Chinese dramas because somehow they were all the same, and lately I felt that the stories were very annoying with characters that were boring and at times even dummy. But this one hits different, it doesn't focuses (so far) on unnecessary romance, but it follows the path of strategic revenge. I am even learning so much myself from what I am seeing.
Will come back later, but please don't give unnecessary low scores because you cant literally show me another recent drama that deserves a 10 and not this one.
This drama is one of those who you cant even blink because you don't want to miss a bit.

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GOOD PLOT

I really love the plot of the series, and I love Xiao Zhan's acting as Zang Hai. He is perfect for it. I love the rest of the characters, too, except for one character. The princess, Xiang An Tu, is too bad character. The actress is great, but the character is so annoying. She only treats Zang Hai extremely badly, and she has already done a lot of unforgivable things to him, so it's impossible to like a relationship within them. Xiang An Tu doesn't deserve Zang Hai. And I really hope the plot ended with Zang Hai with another girl or alone, but not with her... that would ruin everything. The fact that she had a bad past is not an excuse for everything that she has done.

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Crowd Pleaser

Wow! This story is so gripping. I am talking to the TV. The beginning episode of Legend of Zhang Hai (2025) is torturous, as the hero’s family is wiped out before his eyes, when he was a child. There is a tortuous and very ruthless villain. This drama may not be for the faint of heart. Nonetheless, there is thrilling action, while the reason for revenge is set up in this drama. The viewer gets to see extensive training in the mindset for revenge, as the young child grows into a man. It appears that the set for the Chinese drama ‘The Double’ was used for this drama The Legend of Zhang Hai. The story is very mysterious as well.

Many will remember the star of The Legend of Zhang Hai from the beloved Chinese Drama “Untamed”. What I like about the acting of male lead Xiao Zhan is that he is always in the moment. Some actors become wall flowers when they don’t have speaking lines in a scene. They stop acting. Xiao Zhan is constantly performing, using his eyes to search the environment, moving his fingers, small motions that don’t steal the focus. The Costar for The Legend of Zhang Hai is Zhang Jing Yi. She has the ability to draw out the best performances of her male costars.

I like The Legend of Zhang Hai. This Mystery Thriller Fantasy Chinese drama is unusual, with a different type of storyline.

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BELOW EXPECTATION

Zang Hai was originally the son of the Imperial Astronomer. However, when he was young, he witnessed the murder of his entire family. Deciding on the path of revenge, Zang Hai withdrew from the scene temporarily and began training himself by learning construction and the art of war. At the young age, he reconstructed his entire face (surgery) so his enemy won't recognize him to revenge, he becomes so handsome boy then a man Xiao Zhan. Ten years later, he returned to the capital as an unrecognizable figure and became—through mentoring—the adviser of his enemy, Duke Ping Jin. From the Lord's manor to the court, from an ordinary advisor to becoming the chief minister of the imperial cabinet, through all deception of loyalty and dedication. Zang Hai struggled in the face of treacherous political plots and battles, finally getting a chance to kill his enemy.

Xiao Zhan obviously a very handsome man, like no one else is better looking than him, even the Female Lead Zhang Jing Yi (Xiang An Tu) she's (what I call) frozen face actress. Zhang Jing Yi has poker face, can't really tell what emotion or reaction to the scenes - blank face and she smiles wanly - she's only delivering her dialog.

So, I think 7 episodes is enough for me. I like Xiao Zhan but I don't think this drama is IT.

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When brilliance is blinded by vengeance, even the stars cannot guide a lost heart

Legend of Zhanghai presents itself as a tale of brilliance and destiny, led by a male protagonist skilled in astronomy and the decoding of ancient mechanisms. But behind the clever puzzles and polished visuals lies a story that feels increasingly hollow the deeper it goes.

The male lead may be intelligent, but his judgment is alarmingly flawed. He accepts Zhuang Zhi Xing’s accusations against the Dongxia Queen without a shred of doubt or verification. An act that contradicts the very essence of wisdom. For someone so capable, his lack of discernment is not just disappointing; it’s dangerous.

Even more unsettling is how carelessly he endangers himself and others. Stealing the Gui Seal and bringing it to the Imperial Astronomy Bureau despite clear threats. Eunuch Chao still alive, and his vengeful adopted sons and daughter looming, is not an act of courage, but of recklessness.

The most difficult part of watching this drama is seeing a protagonist so consumed by vengeance that everyone else becomes expendable. Many lives are sacrificed in silence, treated as mere stepping stones in his personal quest for revenge. Even a queen’s life is lost, reduced to collateral damage, an act that feels hollow and unjust. It’s as if the lives of others don’t matter unless their life mirrors his own family's. That kind of tunnel vision may be realistic in grief, but here it’s portrayed without enough reflection or consequence. Grief without reflection turns into destruction, and that’s exactly what we witness.

The female lead’s arc is equally disheartening. She falls in love too quickly, devotes herself too completely, and willingly sacrifices herself for his revenge, all for a man she barely knows. What could have been a moving story of connection becomes yet another example of a woman’s life folded into a man’s pain.

This drama is far from perfect. It has its beautiful moments: Clever twists, stunning visuals, and a male lead who is undeniably charismatic. But beneath that, it tells a story that often forgets the value of every life and the weight of every choice. Revenge may drive the plot, but it should not come at the cost of so many innocent souls without question, remorse, or reckoning.

Legend of Zhanghai is a story where intellect overshadows empathy, and revenge consumes compassion. It reminds us that no matter how clever a hero may be, if he forgets the worth of those around him, he is not a hero at all, just a man lost in his own darkness.

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