Sword Snow Stride

An arduous journey to success.

Hello there!
So, as this is my first time writing a review, please bear with me.
After seeing Zhang Ruoyun's Joy of Life, I came here to see Sword Snow Stride. And I must say, I'm quite impressed. It went above and beyond my expectations. So, let's get this party started.

Story: A young prince named Xu Feng Nian has to overcome hardships and assassins in order to become the new Lord of Northern Liang under the eager expectations of his father Xu Xiao, the Lord of Northern Liang.

Acting/Cast: I have to say I loved how Zhang Ruoyun portrayed the character Xu Feng Nian and I am glad it was him as he is the only one who could pull this off without any awkward acting. His portrayal of Xu Feng Nian and his charming expressions/reactions while acting were so engaging in Sword Snow Stride. He gave life to the character. Anyhow, moving on Jiang Ni was beautifully portrayed by Li Geng Xi. My initial reaction was to dislike her, but then I grew to love her and her relationship with Xu Feng Nian. Their bickering relationship was one of the series' highlights. Then there's Xu Xiao, the clever, scheming, and humourous father of Feng Nian. Hu Jun portrayed Xu Xiao in such a charismatic way that I have been very interested in his character since episode one. I loved his father-son relationship with Xu Feng Nian as well. It was so sweet and funny at the same time! All the actors did a fantastic job portraying their characters, from Li Chun Gang's booger power (hehe) and awesome skills in martial arts to Qiang Ni's loyalty to XFN, Ning E'mei's distrust turned loyalty towards XFN, and Fair Fox's mysteriousness, friendliness, and trust for XFN and so on... Last but not least, Zhao Kai was brilliantly portrayed by Liu Duan Duan as always. Just like our ML Xu Feng Nian, I admired the strength of his refusal to concede defeat regardless of what happened. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Music: The OST's which I loved are
1. In this Life by Zheng Zhi
2. Travelling In The Snow by Zhang Ruoyun himself
3. And the weird instrument which used to be played whenever there was an emotional scene. I still have no idea what instrument was used (Humph!!)

Rewatch value: I think it would be enjoyable to watch it again because of its humor and fighting scenes. However, I won't be watching it any time soon, maybe after six months or so... That way I can forget what I remember (wink) and relive the feeling!!

Overall: It was an incredible journey for me. Watching all the characters grow into their present selves was pretty satisfying to see. There were times when I felt it was a bit draggy and boring at the beginning. However, it soon makes up for it and gets me hooked up again. The action scenes were also pretty cool to watch. Overall I have to say it was well written and enjoyable. I think I would rate it a 9.5.

I hope you guys enjoyed my review!

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Perfect drama

Alasan pertama nonton ini sudah pasti karena zhang ruo yun di Joy of life, namun setelah nonton diawal episode, saya sudah tahu bahwa drama ini memiliki keunikan tersendiri. Saya menaruh nilai sempurna dengan tulus. ini menjadi drama ke 5 saya yang saya anggap drama terbaik sejak nirvana in fire (1). ever night (1), someday or one day , dan Joy of life.

Cerita
Penggabungan elemen dunia silat dengan kerajaaan. hampir mirip dengan JOL, namun di SSS lebih kuat elemen dunia silat. Pertarungan lebih terasa lama dan banyak terjadi. Cerita berjalan sangat-sangat lambat. Hal paling memukau dari cerita ini adalah dimana kita tidak akan bisa berpikir atau menebak jalan cerita yang dipilih. benar-benar out of the box. apalagi diakhir episode, itu sangat memukau.

Acting
karakter yang kuat untuk main lead membawa pengaruh paling tinggi. kemudian para wanita-wanita cantik juga membawa daya tarik yang sangat kuat. Apalagi ketika masih diawal, dimana banyak scene yang menunjukkan wanita-wanita tersebut. dan juga akting jiang ni yang masih cute sering marah ke xu feng nian.

Music
Sepertinya memang tidak ada, karena disini unsur romance sedikit sehingga yang banyak muncul adalah backsound. Paling menarik adalah backsound ketika bagian dari zhao kai kaget XD

Rewatch
10. karena season 2 mungkin akan lama, jadi untuk saat ini sudah saya rencanakan kemungkinan kita semua akan menonton kembali ketika season 2 datang XD

Terakhir, tonton ini di WEtv.

For those who avoid excessive romance dramas, and for those who like imperial strategy and martial arts themes, this is the right choice. recommended

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The best Chinese series of 2021

Are you a fan of Joy of Life, Nirvana in Fire? Then, no doubt WATCH THIS :D ....
I have been a serial binger in my whole life. But recently, I've lost my appetite in all drama. Especially, during 2020 and 2021. Even the drama I've been hype for so far didn't come out interesting and gotta' drop in the midway. Actually, when I start watch this, didn't hope too much and thinking of dropping it like previous drama. But once I started it, I can't stop. Every episodes is interesting and fun to watch too. This gives me the same vibe as Joy of Life and Nirvana in Fire. It's like you're playing a chess game. Sometime you can guess and sometime not sure what's going to happen next. Oh... I love this. I can't express with word very well but I really love the chemistry between ML and his father. Though they don't priority the romance in this drama, the chemistry between ML and FL is so cute and lovely. The best part of this drama is the politic play between three kings but trust me, you won't get bored. Cuz every minutes is too exciting and funny sometime as well.
I'm looking forward this crew to make more drama in coming future too.

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Good story to watch

nice drama to watch, the comedy part almost never makes the drama boring or repetitive, the romantic part is recommended to my wife, the wuxia part is very positive, even if the special effects are a bit poor perhaps due to the budget. a particular mention to the female characters that I find very successful. to watch hopefully the story will continue in other seasons.
even some secondary male characters are well characterized, some only hinted at (possibly to be developed in a new season) the two main characters are very beautiful to see especially the female part which I found with the right mix between irony and romantic side

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I have mixed feelings about it, good but need more seasons to become great

The following is a review of Season 1 of a drama series that left me with mixed feelings about its ending. The season ends bittersweetly with a promise of continuation. The drama has some good points, but it also has some flaws that make it hard to fully enjoy.

One of the most praiseworthy aspects of the drama is the excellent performances of the two main male actors: Zhang Ruo Yun and Liu Duan Duan. Although Liu Duan Dua is listed support role, many viewers, including me, saw him as main second role. Their acting skills are impressive and they manage to keep me engaged throughout the season.

However, the slow pace of the drama and the lack of depth in some of the characters make it challenging to maintain the level of interest. I almost dropped around episode 10. It felt like there were too many scenes to introduce characters and explain their roles, but they lacked coherence and purpose. There were multiple visits, villains, and wuxia scenes, which made it feel redundant and caused me to lose interest after a while. Some of the supporting characters are stereotyped, such as the divine sword master who picks his nose at every turn.

In addition, the love-hate relationship between the male and female leads is somewhat predictable and lacks any real chemistry. If you are looking for a sweet romance, this drama is not for you. Although it is evident that the two leads are in love, they hardly express their feelings and only bicker around each other. This typical love-hate relationship is portrayed from the female's perspective, and the male lead is clear about his feelings but never expresses them. It felt very immature. The season ends with the two leads going their separate ways with only a promise to meet again in the future. There is no kiss or hug, leaving me feeling unsatisfied.

The age gap between the female lead, who was 18 or 19 at the time of production, and the male lead, who was 30, may have contributed to the lack of chemistry between them. However, it is also possible that their personalities, charisma, and talent did not mesh well together. I have yet to see an actress who can match Zhang Ruo Yun's acting skills and create a convincing on-screen chemistry with him. Even in the drama JOL, the female lead was only two years younger than him, but their chemistry still fell short. So, it raises the question: is it truly the age difference that is the issue, or is it a combination of other factors?

Despite its flaws, the drama has some entertaining moments. The slow pace of the wuxia genre was not noticeable to me but very criticized by viewers, and some parts were even hilarious, such as the divine sword master raising thousands of swords in the sky. However, some scenes were boring, such as the ending visits to the sects and the carriage talks. It was endless talks and introduction of characters. However, the scriptwriter and director did a great job of portraying the emotional relationship between the hero and his old companion, who died. Death that could have been avoided but felt right in the script. The scenes between them were emotional and tear-jerking. The father of the hero was also a well-developed character and reminded me of the emperor in “Joy of Life”, which added to the enjoyment of the show.

One of the highlights of the drama was the performance of the villain character portrayed by Liu Duan Duan. His character was complex, and he stole the show with Zhang Ruo Yun. He was a lovable villain who admired the hero but had no other choice but to try to kill him. His portrayal was so impressive that he became the second most memorable character of the show.

The season ends with a promise of revenge, leaving the viewers eagerly waiting for the continuation. However, it is unfortunate that season 2 is not yet in the process, the reality is that it may take 3-4 years for a drama or season to arrive. It is rumoured that the web novel has over 2000 chapters, it is then uncertain how many seasons the drama series will have when it will come to a conclusion and definitely when. This makes it challenging to see the big picture and enjoy the show to its fullest.

The problem lies in the casting and scriptwriting. It's not just a few characters in SSS but many that are also cast in JOL (including the white cat! lol), and it's the same scriptwriter. In my opinion, the success of JOL is well-deserved, as it's the most-watched drama for the last 4 years when it first aired. Therefore, all efforts and focus are on the most successful drama. Rumors suggest that season 3 will be produced in 2024. If the production team wants to maintain the same casting, which is not always available at the same time, then it does make sense. Moreover, time is of the essence. If it takes 4-5 years to produce and obtain the “ River Crab” (slang for Film censorship in China) authorization, then all the seasons must be planned and signed to keep the momentum going and prevent the actors and actresses from aging. SSS is an excellent show, and I hope the next seasons can be squeezed in between.

SSS is good with a but…

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What a fun drama this is. In the beginning, I was not really sold on the lukewarm, almost non-existent chemistry between the male and female leads, but the main father-son tandem more than made up for it. If you are expecting romance, this is not the drama, but if you are fond of intricate schemes and a hodge-podge of quirky characters, this is the show for you.

I loved seeing Zhang Ruo Yun portray the cunning heir to the Northern region, who uses his dumb, playboy persona as a cover, but he is really a thoughtful person who values friendship, family and loyalty. Hu Jun as Xu Xiao is so freaking adorable as Feng Nian's loving father who, out of good intentions, plans his son's path to the throne, but does so with more shrewdness and usually at other people's expense. Feng Nian tries to outwit his father's well-intended machinations while his merry band of martial artists travel across mountains and seas to meet his brother and sisters. On the way, Feng Nian meets more allies and enemies while on his quest to fight for peace and justice.

Side characters are very well-fleshed out and memorable. I especially loved Lao Huang and Li Chun Gang who are Feng Nian's mentors/companions. The fight scenes can sometimes be over the top some times but are quite entertaining to watch. Can't wait for Season 2.

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Great Wigs

Story: 8.5/10: the story was nothing spectacular and its funny how everything was fengnians plan all along. so everything fit like a puzzle piece. while I liked xu fengnain i really liked the little side stories they had about people he would encounter. The tale of Xuanyuan was the best arc, and the father literally sacrificing himself for his daughter reduced me to tears. Otherwise, it was a typical palace/political drama at times. The cast-out emperor's son wanted to become emperor. That being said Zhao Kai is a FASCINATING character and I wish he did not die. He had his reasons for doing things, and while it would have thrown the country into chaos, I want him to be happy. He deserves love and a family, and he deserves a hug. And some soup. I know him and Xu Fengnian would have been great friends, so its upsetting that his story had to end this way.
Acting/Cast: I do not think I went into this drama knowing much people in the cast. All I know is Xi Fengnians dad (I call him Papi Xu) and Meng Ziyi. Which she had a small role. Otherwise the acting was..well acting. Nothing was immensely insane that it left me with chills but they did what they needed to do. I was not a fan of Jiang Ni's actress. Now I am unsure if it is because of how the character was written, and then given the directors notes OR if the actor just resorted to pouting through all her lines. She was a character I found skipping over her scenes. I did like her backstory and I felt that she should have packed more a punch. As well, I know the bio of MDL says she is 12 years old, and if she is then that makes me extremely uncomf with everything.
Music: It did what it needed to do, but nothing stood out. Not a memorable ost.
Rewatch Value: I mean it can be rewatched, do not think I will. But it is a show you can easily have on in the background.
Overall: I want to shout out who ever was in charge of the wigs in this show. I have a huge issue with wigs in shows when you can visibly see their lace front, and the wigs in this show was amazing. I was in love with Xu Fengnians wig before I even watched the show. I also loved how the color grading of the show was similar to Nirvana on Fire. It was not too bright and garish and everything was kind of muted. While some of the fighting was eh, I did like that we had a lot of fighting scenes. It made sense since the show was about the martial arts world. I liked the show and I am excited for season 2.

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Noticeable spontaneous acting but with relatively slow and boring pace

This drama is based on a very complicated long journey of a person with a clear conscience! It is involved with many on front moral-test of that person. That person, i.e., prince Xu Feng Nian (XFN) spend his whole life for only one basic moto: "survival" since he was not even born! Throughout his life journey he had to face uncountable sworn-enemies while maintaining a very high moral values for himself. Very powerful personality. A very good story to enjoy. So story is 10/10
I loved the spontaneous acting of every casts; its so natural that it was looking as if they are some real-life character and they are not at all acting but just living their life as we do. I am highly impressed with the acting of Qiu Xin Zhi, Yang Hao Yu,Tao Hai, Hu Jun. So mature acting skill! Obviously they are aged skilled actors, but I never found such a grip on spontaneous expression of any actors in other dramas. Its not a first drama in which so many veteran actors are present, but I wonder, how their acting
are so much strikingly different compare to other dramas!! The most weak acting I have felt here is : Jiang Ni. She did good in some scenes but was mostly a "dull" representative compare to other surrounding actor or actress of her age. Still I have enjoyed the acting so much that it deserves 10/10
Now, I would like to highlight the boring pace of this long complicated story. Countless time I was so bored of this drama flow that I was on verge of dropping it on that instance! Some cases, it was just unbearable. Still, there were some suspense to hold myself back here. I wonder if its the problem of "director" that he made it so boring time to time. The last ~ 10 episodes and first ~ 6 episodes were just awesome and very satisfying to me. In middle, it was very slow! So, I didnt much enjoy it as overall presentation.
Some cool fighting and bickering scenes of Qiu Xin Zhi were very entertaining, love them. He was perfect for the "sword god immortal". Beside him "Zhang Ruo Yun" was looking really a "kid" but I like his effort to blend himself as XFN in this drama. He did very good job as well.

The short analysis presented by a person at the end of each episode ( I am not sure but I think he is the director himself) was without any subtitle, so I could not able to understand anything of it. Thats the regret part of this drama.
Basically, this drama is based on a true survival as well as revenge story, very very carefully conducted so that other side-characters or innocents do not get involved. Very smartly XFN avoided himself from being tainted of "blood of innocents". In such "power struggle", it is indeed very hard to "not getting involved". There is very very rare story plot of drama is available in which the main character stays almost completely clean of "blood of innocents". Most revenge plot just drags many side innocent characters in the bloody revenge and lead them to "unfair death". And we just keep our eye closed to their "unfair" ending while just blindly supporting the main leading character. Thus, this drama is unique on its own.

This drama just reminds me of a phrase " knowledge: tomato is a fruit; wisdom: not keeping tomato in a fruit basket". There many such essence of wisdom are present in the story and I absolutely loved them. Just one notable example of such is when the fight between "sword god vs Wang Xian Zhi" was stopped with mutual unspoken agreement of both for greater good! Also Peach Blossom god came there to protect human-kind! Very deep and powerful plot, indeed.

But, I dont think I will re-watch it again for its super slow pace!!!!

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Marvelous ML

Drama is engaging although I give it a low rate. ML carries the whole show.
I give LOW because of FL's low-class acting. The story is not solid. The story didn't use the full potential of ML and other Characters.
The story Is all about Father and son's Cunning minds With a lot of female character's around it.
Music is okay.
What to expect from a story? a lot of suspense, little romance, comedy, and wuxia, and it delivers it quite nicely.
The graphic is good. Don't feel bored in the entire series.
I recommend it.
Overall enjoyable series, worth your time.

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The general's son's journey

If youre after wuxia drama with great storyline and phenomenal acting then this is for you.

I watched this with little anticipation but was thrown off with such great masterpiece.

A story about a general's son and his journey and his search for the readon behind his mother's death

All the sides characters are very involved and very smart as well. You couldn't guess who is evil and good as well. Their backstory is very well written.

I love the MLs acting and especially the fighting scenes. He is so cunning just like his father.

I would say this is the most anticipated drama ive ever watch with top notch acting, storyline and production

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Smart chess-like manoeuvres coupled with fantasy martial arts

From start to finish, this drama felt like a chess game where events unfolded because they were planned in order to illicit a specific outcome. It is strategies that not just take you from point A to point B (like most dramas) but to point C, D, E and beyond!

With flying swords at a flick of a finger and swirling waters with a wave of a hand, this drama satisfied me with a myriad of martial arts experts and their respective skills beautifully brought to the screen with decent cgi.

The ML’s father is a master strategist and though the ML doesn’t see eye to eye with him, the ML comes to terms with the reasons behind his father’s long term plan. It is a sad revelation how his father had to hold back on revenge, in order not to waste the efforts of all the lives lost in order to bring peace to the country.

Cinematography was gorgeous and I love the sceneries and settings. The pacing was leisurely allowing you to take in and enjoy the drama like a piece of art. While this was good in the beginning, I soon found it a bit tiring waiting for certain scenes to move along.

The ML is extremely lucky - he can pick up martial arts easily as he is gifted and also manages to come across many characters who end up saving his life on numerous occasions! The ML proves to be a chip of the old block with his fair share of strategies and long term planning, desperately wanting to not do things his father’s way but at times, ends up doing just that.

Unfortunately, the romance was muted with it barely visible most of the time and only had one touching moment when he had to part with her.

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