Word of Honor

When a Lunatic Psychopath and a Former Assassin Form an Unlikely Duo

So, how am I going to start my review? For your information, I've dropped this on ep 5 before I picked up where I left off. As I continued further, the story became more and more interesting. So, let's just begin!!!

Alright, let me explain the plot first. It revolved around the former head of the Window of Heaven who stepped down from his position due to his own reasons - Zhou Zishu and the head of the Ghost Valley - Wen Kexing. As you can see, the both of them had very different personalities and it would be too UNLIKELY for the both of them becoming soul mates. After experiencing the ups and downs amidst the chaos in the martial arts world, they became more attached and decided to trust each other for this lifetime (just like those sworn brothers did, but I guess soul mates are on a more intense relationship, considering this is a censored BL).

I also want to specially mention a very important property which contributes to the story - the Glazed Armor. The Glazed Armor was made by the 5 righteous sects in the martial arts world. It was rumored to be keeping all sorts of martial arts techniques and manuals which have been hunted by lots of people. However, the actual KEY is the jade hairpin that Wen Kexing always wore - not the Glazed Armor.

I just can't help it, but I really root on Wen Kexing also known as the Lunatic Wen. He's a real psychopath and had deep hatred engraved in his heart. The last thing he wanted to do was to destroy the world and then pay for the sins he had committed. However, after he encountered Zhou Zishu, he changed his perspective and tried to cherish his life as possible.

Adding the depth of the story are Gu Xiang (Wen Kexing's loyal subordinate), Cao Weining (Gu Xiang's lover), and Zhang Chengling (an orphan who was defected by the Ghost Valley's ambush which killed his family in the process and also Zhou Zishu's beloved disciple). By the way, the sad ending for Gu Xiang and Cao Weining was unnecessary at all. Why should you kill them off and causing bloodshed again? That double-faced master of Cao Weining - he shouldn't have trusted him or this kind of accident wouldn't happen at all.

The acting is... WOW!!! Sometimes, I just can feel the main leads' bromance. I'm not a great fan of BL, but this drama has made into one. Shout out to Gong Jun who portrayed Wen Kexing flawlessly. I hope he will get more psychopathic roles in the future. Zhou Ye did marvellously too and it is where she showcased and utilized her full acting skills which helped her gaining popularity. Not a great fan of Zhang Zhehan, but his acting is commendable, I would say.

The set, CGI, and cinematography is quite nice to me. I don't understand why people said everything was fake and cheap-made. Overall, a ten out of ten and will probably rewatch when I'm in the drama slump.

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MASTERPIECE

This is from the perspective of a non reader.
As a non reader, this series was so compelling and very much interesting to watch to the point that I can't bother sleeping just to finish the entire series. It was very engaging to me, no boring moments and the casts are just superb. They say it's about soulmates but bruhh I saw something else there! Their chemistry is to die for! Every actor in this series was just so awesome; special mention for Scorpion coz I really like his hair that's why I kept on imitating it for days! Hehe. I'm so inlove with this series. Just simply a masterpiece for me. No joke. It's my opinion so yeah hehe

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Where Loyalty Meets Hearts

“Word of Honor” is one of those dramas that instantly pulls you into its world. The story is beautifully crafted, full of emotion, mystery, and stunning visuals. But above everything, what truly stands out is the unique connection between the two leads.

Zhou ZiShu and Wen KeXing share a bond that goes beyond ordinary friendship. Their loyalty, trust, and playful yet heartfelt interactions create a bromance that feels deep, natural, and soul-touching. Every scene between them carries a warmth that makes the drama unforgettable.

For me, this drama is a perfect 10/10. It’s a powerful journey of two people who choose each other, support each other, and grow together. If you love strong emotional bonds and meaningful relationships, Word of Honor is truly a masterpiece.

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The love story of Wen KeXing and Zhao Zi Shu

I would not pass this drama, it's addictive! I mean who can you not fall in love with Zhao Xu, Lao Wen, Gu Xiang, Cao WeiNing, little idiot Zhang ChengLing, and Ye BaiYi. The story is around this character and the actors delivers in the best way. You can't find Zhao Xu character from other actor better than Zhang Zhe Han or flirtatious Wen KeXing other than Simon Gong because these two main leads are reminiscence of Zhao Xu and Wen KeXing. Iam not into BL, don't like Untamed, but I love this one. Zhang Zhe Han is so gorgeously beautiful man, and flirtatious Simon Gong is so dang handsome. . . when Ah Xu started to warm up with Lao Wen and understood how much love and devotion Lao Wen has toward him, they're soft gazing to each other, smiles, barbs back forth, and helping each other to overcome emotional and traumatic past, co-parenting ChengLing. Sad ending for Gu Xiang and Cao WeiNing, too much love between Ah Xu and Lao Wen - they want to give the best life and health to the other man. I would give credit to Simon Gong I think he's the best in here, he's flirtatious in minute and cruel to people he hates in next. His chilling laugh, cold stares, tight lips, killing and revenge mood, his fan was deadly more so than BaiYi sword. The next scenes he'll be laugh happily, sparkling in his eyes, sweet smile, proud uncle master to ChengLing, concern and loving soulmate to Zhao Xu and kind master to Gu Xiang. That's why I love Simon Gong....he embodied all. Lately I realized Zhao Zi Shu seems to have a good and spoil life. His master/wife adored him and treated him like their own son. All members of the sect respected and adored him, 81 of original members died in his watch including his dear junior. He's been so much in power since 'naive and knew nothing' young man who brought the sect to serve Prince Jin and yet remaining member still loved him (in case of Han Jing) to the end. There where his guilty conscience played important role as he redirected his mind set into totally different perspective...change his life for the better but dying...this is where 'Word of Honor' story started. Where our love story and obsession began with the character of Wen KeXing, Gu Xiang, Zhang ChengLing, Cao WeiNing and Ye BaiYi. This drama will become a classic..one of the most memorable drama to many of us.

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BEST PLOT EVER! (explaining some scenes that are hard to get for English speakers)

Only watched this drama because there were no good dramas at that point of time. I didn't have any prior expectations for this drama. But BOYYYYY was it a pleasant surprise!!! I ended up watching this drama 4 times, watching their behind-the-scenes, their concert+variety shows+interviews+fan-made videos. I totally regret watching this drama coz my whole life literally revolves around it right now!!!
As a Mandarin speaker, I feel that you will understand and appreciate the plot and relationships between the characters more if you understand Mandarin. Due to censorship in China, the "romance" of the two male leads has to be displayed subtly through ancient Chinese poetry (romance poetry in particular) and inside jokes. For example, when Ah-Xiang smacked two hot cakes together it's called “贴烧饼” which means a romantic relationship between two men or when ZZS blew WKX's flute and said "sorry I dirtied your flute". Mind you, in the novel, WKX blows a horizontal flute (笛子 which is somewhat like the western flute) but in the drama, he blows a xiao (a vertical flute). “Blowing a xiao" in Mandarin means giving someone a BJ ahem so idk how can ZZH not laugh when he said "I dirtied your xiao". These are just two of many inside jokes XD

Okay. Back to reviewing on their acting. Those who are ZZH's fans would have known that he's a sporty man and all his previous roles are very manly. Fans of the novel were originally unhappy when they saw the cast in 2020 because they felt that ZZH would be too manly to portray ZZS. Hence, I was blown away when ZZH managed to not only bring ZZS to life but even incorporated his own interpretation of ZZS into the character, giving this character flesh and blood. ZZH once said that he originally wanted to play the role of WKX because WKX has more lines and is able to use words to describe his emotions, thus, less difficult for him to portray this character. On the other hand, ZZS is a character with "two thousand layers of dust" (quoted frm the scriptwriter) ie. ZZS is a complicated character with a complicated life. Nonetheless, being an actor for 10 years, ZZH was able to live up to expectations and blew our minds away with his beautiful, gentle, tragic yet powerful A-Xu.

If you can find fault in his acting, it really means that you have yet to understand the drama or the novel :'). There have been some criticisms regarding ZZH's acting (esp in the first ep), claiming that his acting is too bland and stoic. Okay, think about it, ZZS has seen 81 of his SJSZ's brothers died in front of him, it's no brainer that he's gg to be hopeless and helpless and borderline desensitized at that point of time. Furthermore, ZZS only had 2/3 years to live, which means he was basically waiting for death to arrive. For someone who is gg to die anytime soon, how emotional do you expect him to be??? ZZH said in an interview that he knew that there will be ppl criticising his acting, but he would still act out ZZS in a way that he thinks is closer to reality. ZZH is a man of morals. When he stabbed himself with the nails, it wasn't to punish himself. He was seeking death and would like to live 3 years of freedom before dying and he was also abiding by the rules that he had laid out (consistency in his character here). Till the very end, he still thought that the rules laid out by King Jin and Tian Chuang were right because he said that if he had knew that Wu Xi was able to remove the nails, he would have thought of a more fool-proof and more reliable punishment. Some might criticise, saying that "ZZS is a man of morals so why would he even befriend WKX and even become his bosom friend? There is inconsistency in the character!!!" ZZS is a person who doesn't really care abt the wealth and status of a person, what's important to him is the inside of a person. As a master of disguise, ZZS is highly skilled in looking beyond the exterior facade of a person and would not easily belief what's before his eyes. That was why he was so guarded against WKX in the beginning because he was unsure of what WKX was up to. But after being with WKX for quite some time, he saw that WKX wasn't someone with an evil heart. Inferring from when he heard WKX blew the xiao, he said "听这乐声，清正坚韧，百转无悔，非心性无邪者不可得，想不到，这人竟吹得出这等箫声" (basically means that a sound with such clarity and resolute cannot be blown by someone with evil at heart). It was only after befriending WKX did ZZS felt that there is something for him to live for in his life, hence, he wants to live (unlike him previously seeking death).

After watching the BTS, it was obvious that ZZH had given loads of advice on acting to GJ, which helped GJ's acting improve a lot as compared to his previous dramas. This was unsurprising given that GJ only entered the acting industry in 2015/2016 and is a comparatively new actor. I felt that GJ's facial features are outstanding but interesting -- He has puppy eyes but a chiselled jawline. Though extremely good looking, it's hard to find a suitable acting role for him (Chiselled jawline makes him suitable to play characters that are cold, arrogant, powerful etc, but his puppy eyes would clash with such character. Puppy eyes would make him suitable to play characters that are like a sunshine puffball, but his jawline and sharp nose and towering built would be weird), especially when he's a newbie in the industry. Hence, Wen Ke Xing is the perfect PERFECT character for GJ. It's literally tailored for him. Because WKX is a cute, innocent golden retriever with puppy eyes in front of ZZS who is curious abt the mortal realm but he is also the dark, cold-blooded, powerful lunatic leader of the Ghost Valley. When WKX first appeared in the drama, my heart stopped, my breathing stopped, the time stopped, everything stopped. My eyes were glued onto him. And when ZZS and WKX made their first eye contact, BOOM!!!!! Fireworks exploded!!!!!!

WKX is actually quite a complicated character hence some ppl may say that there is a lack of consistency. However, I think that this adds flesh to his character, making him more human and hence, more relatable to the audience. He is like a lotus flower in a muddy pond. Two things that moulded his character: his parents died tragically in front of him hence he wants to get revenge, and he has to endure the abuse and harsh environment in the Ghost Valley where he may get killed anytime. The only things that were keeping him alive before meeting ZZS are to live and get revenge. Despite being a dangerous and difficult to understand person, he isn't a monster. All these are just a shell that he uses to protect himself while growing up in a dark and dangerous Ghost Valley without any warmth and care. Inside him is still an innocent and extremely kind-hearted young boy who has yet to mature. The reason why he hates the evil of the "righteous sects" so much is due to his strong desire and pursuit for "kindness".

To me, if you really understand the plot and characters, it's no surprise why WKX and ZZS would attract each other and become each other's light. They both lost their loved ones at a young age, and had to shoulder responsibilities that boys their age shouldn't be shouldering--ZZS had to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that his brothers of SJSZ live while WKX has to avenge his parents' deaths. They are both lone wolves seeking warmth in a world that doesn't understand them. They are each other's saviour and light.

I love all the other character too!!! There isn't a single character that I hate, except for Cao Wei Ning's shifu. I cried like a baby and will never ever watch ep 32/33 again. My heart can't take the tragedy.

I love the whole crew, from the director and costume designer to the supporting characters and Xiaoyu (ZZH's childhood friend and personal assistant) HAHAHAH!!! The fans of Word of Honor are like the cutest bunch of people ever, extremely supportive and adorable. 山人们最棒了！！！萌萌哒~

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fun enough to watch once for Gong Jun's performance

(Updated Dec 2025)
So typically I'd want to keep my old review but bc I had written a very short review a few months after watching and I'm in the middle of a rewatch to grab scenes for editing purposes and I am finding the rewatch to be an excruciating experience, I'm just starting from scratch. So, firstly, from a BL perspective, I do have to admit that this is pretty epic in that regard. No, there is no kiss bc censorship, but it is unmistakably gay, there is no denying that WenZhou want each other carnally, they have their family unit w Chengling, there are a lot of good scenes demonstrating how deeply devoted they are to each other (i.e. Wen Kexing's willingness to die for Zhou Zishu, Zhou Zishu unwilling to let Wen Kexing die for him; and also the reverse). So if that is the only thing you care about when deciding whether to watch or skip, it's definitely one of the gayest CDramas.

As I said in the headline, Gong Jun's performance is literally the reason the show is as enjoyable as it is. Wen Kexing is a brilliantly written character and he is exceptional in the role. I'm becoming even more enamored with his performance with the rewatch because there are all these little nuances that you can easily miss if you don't know Wen Kexing's backstory. Wen Kexing is smart and strategic, he's been through The Horrors™️but still remains kind-hearted (mostly... if he views you as an enemy, he is Brutal and you are done for), he's fiercely protective of those he cares about and will do anything for that select group of people. Like truly one of the all-time characters, one of the all-time performances. Cannot applaud Gong Jun enough for his work here.

Now onto the negatives...

In my prior review I said that I thought the armory plot was "kind of boring" and this time around I find it unbelievably aggravating. Like wow I have to watch 5 dozen people I despise fight over this stupid key to the armory for a stockpile of weapons (allegedly). I hate basically everyone from the Five Lakes Alliance, I hate everyone from the Scorpion Sect, I hate the majority of the people from Ghost Valley (Luo Fumeng, Liu Qianqiao, Gu Xiang, and of course Wen Kexing you are all beloved and exempt), I hate that old wandering couple, etc etc. Watching terrible people at each other's throats is only fun when it's peripheral, if that is the main story, I just want to blow everyone up. Not involved w the armory nonsense, but I must say it for my own peace: I also hate Ye Baiyi who is seemingly around primarily for comedic relief by being "rude" but I just want to tear his throat out with my teeth every time he opens his mouth.

What I was completely unprepared for with this rewatch, though, was to realize that I hate Zhou Zishu. Like. Oh, he created the torture method that slowly kills members of Window from Heaven if they want to leave. He acts all self-righteous and morally superior when we literally see a flashback that heavily implies he killed a child who was begging him for help after he participated in massacring her family(/village???). The way he "trains" Chengling after finally accepting him as a disciple is straight up child abuse. His shitty mentality of "men don't cry" and constantly pushing this toxic masculinity bullshit (which, to be somewhat fair, is not exclusive to ZZS in this show, but, y'know, as he is the protagonist who we are supposed to view as the moral center... boy it's infuriating!) Like I remembered the first episode being a really unsympathetic set up for him, but I also remembered he had grown a lot on me by the end and I am truly at a loss for how I felt that way the first time. Like... was I just so euphoric about how gay this show was that I had my eyes closed to everything else??????

In my prior review I also said that I felt the final 2 episodes turned unnecessarily tragic and that the ending felt fumbled. Like I don't want to get into huge spoilers (I try not to spoil anything from the last third in my reviews), but basically there's a massacre that feels like the equivalent of the Burial Mounds massacre in The Untamed... except it happens in the penultimate episode so there's no justice, there's no resolution to the horrors that you were just subjected to. It's just like "oh you thought these characters were going to be happy? HAHAHAHA NOPE." FOR WHAT REASON???????? Other than killing off fan favorite characters for Wen Kexing's angst, like literally there is no f*cking purpose for this?????? And then the character who facilitated the massacre doesn't face any consequences??????? What the hell??????????? How are we supposed to feel satisfied at the end when it feels like no one cares about all those deaths for more than 5 minutes?????

Anyway, watch Blood River, it does basically everything that Word of Honor does except better!

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Loved it so much!

This is really one of my favorite chinese drama's.
Unlike the Untamed that was filmed as a bromance, this drama is clearly love story.
The charismatic Zhang Zhe Han and Gong Jun did a great job portraining the lead characters. The chemistry between these two actors is amazing.

The story was very interesting with several plot twists. Besides the story of Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Ke Xin there were several side stories that were also quite interesting. Enough to keep you hooked for 36 episodes.
This drama made me cry, laugh out loud en made me feel the love between the leads.

As a bonus the OST was stunning!

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this is a masterpiece fo me!!!! it's more excelent drama this time. did you know that i rewatch this drama more than 100 time, wow. did you believe that i rewatch this drama more than 100 times? maybe not. it's ok if u didn't believe me. cause it's so good when watch this drama again. and i the soundtrack, it make me feel nostalgic when hear the soundtrack. it always make me want to rewatch this drama again. the bromance is so excelent, make me squealing like a fan girl. when is sad, make cry so hard. when is a comedy, make me laugh so hard. there's a lot of memory for me about this drama. ad now i recomend this drama to rewatch again

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Haven't seen a good Chinese ancient drama for quite some time, at least not for 2021. I would say, this is the best of 2021 so far :)

I was surprised coming to know that it was a low production drama as the scenes to me, besides the post-editing of CGI that weren't that perfect, others were pretty well filmed (especially fighting scenes). Unlike the usual big production that went on to 50 episodes, they only had 36 episodes (you will feel it is too short because you love them so much and wanted to see more!!) Well, TBH I felt it can actually be filmed into a 50-episode drama too as the last 6 or 7 episodes are pretty rushed when so many climax going on, but as they are budgeted, totally understandable for them to do it that way, they really made the best out of it!

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The Best??

Word of Honor is a beautifully crafted wuxia drama that captivates with its intricate plot and deeply resonant characters. The stunning cinematography and fight choreography are breathtaking, while the emotional depth of the story is undeniable. The nuanced portrayal of the central relationship forms the heart of the narrative, providing a compelling core that draws viewers in. While steeped in the traditions of the wuxia genre, Word of Honor offers a fresh perspective and a sophisticated exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and the complexities of human connection. A must-watch for fans of historical dramas and intricate character studies.

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I loved this sooo much

When I started watching this masterpiece I had no idea how much I would end up loving it. I’m definitely going to watch it again. Who would have thought that these boys would grab my heart squeeze in a tiny little bit then pull it out then squeeze it again and then put it back. Ohhhh I’m sure that this was the best historical bl drama this year and one of the best I’ve ever seen.(and I have seen a lot trust me) I’ve accidentally seen some spoilers before I finished the series but to be honest it actually didn’t tell me anything at all. For that I’m grateful because I kinda hate spoilers. Anyways for the costumes… dear that was something. My eyes died from happiness and beauty.

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