Sword and Beloved

Must watch drama

First of all, this is the first drama of Cheng Yi that I have ever watched, and I have already become a die-hard fan. As for the drama itself, I 100% recommend it. The story is excellent, the costumes are beautiful, and the editing is very well done. All the actors delivered great performances, the sets are extraordinary, and every character has their own story and importance.

A great villain always makes the hero even more compelling, and in this drama, the Black Fox is definitely no ordinary villain. He is complex and powerful, which makes the whole story even more engaging.

The only slightly disappointing part was that the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL) did not have much screen time together. There was also very little intimacy between them. That said, I understand this, especially since Cheng Yi is known for not doing many kissing scenes in his dramas. However, another issue was that their relationship felt more like master and disciple rather than lovers. The strong emotional connection that should exist between two people in love was not fully conveyed.

Because the drama is titled Sword and Beloved, I was expecting a stronger love story—more moments where they are together, showing deep emotions and expressing their feelings for each other. Unfortunately, that didn’t really happen. Still, this does not take away from the overall quality of the drama.

Despite these minor flaws, it will always remain one of my favorite and most memorable dramas. A high-quality production like this comes along only once in a while, and I truly appreciate it.

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Dear writters, please stop using chengyi for ur worst plot stories . I'm a fan of chengyi waited years for this damn ,he's a best sword man those who watched mysterious lotus casebook know about his acting . Terrible plot by the way and FL I hate her from warm on cold night acting childish too really disgusting to watch please don't try to be Esther yu and I hate her too why can't they act without being super foolish? Childish?
Please remove romance tag they don't have it any, FL is the third wheel even second leads as a best romance chemistry, and i hate ending instead of dying the black fox talking endlessly and explaining the procedure , finally she died so I can be at peace not looking forward to this sequels.

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Worth WATCHING esp for the THOUSAND SWORDS SCENE ! Forego Hatred.

Overall, i enjoyed myself for the first part till epi. 17 or so and then the last bit from 32 to 36. The thousand swords scene is one of the best i have ever watched on c-drama. My honest opinion is that the acting and cgi are top notch even from the supporting cast but i do not know what happened in between till they dragged so much into the spider story. They suddenly focused on Li Yitong's beautiful outfits with her awful brother rather than sticking to the meaningful story. Bad planning indeed from the production team. But the final bit from epi 33 onwards were epic. Made me cry and understand the whole idea is that the goods willl always prevail against the bad. The good intention will always prevail against the hatred in people which is exactly what is happening the today's society. We stay true to our good intentions together

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Episodes 1–13: Legendary. Fugui the heart

Episodes 1–13 are highly recommended — a rare gem that still resonates within my soul and across the world.

After that, abandon ship. The two leads — the very heart of the story — vanish, leaving only empty echoes in their place.

I’m just trying to save you all a therapy bill 😅👻
--Episodes 14–30 became a void — hollow, directionless, and stripped of its soul. The director and scriptwriters lost their compass, spiraling into maniacal chaos — even spawning an unnecessary character that most likely broke the original manhua author’s heart. Because of this, Episodes 30–36 lost their soul entirely, and any heartfelt moments between the leads were erased, leaving me in desperate need of emotional therapy afterwards.

Episode 12 just Brilliant, and 13 the Sweetest Epilogue — a final flicker of grandeur before everything unraveled. Up to then, it was perfection, a rare diamond in the rough, 100/10.

14-36
The ending of Sword and Beloved felt less like a conclusion and more like another chain fastened around Fugui’s life. After thirteen episodes of watching him slowly break free from the cage his parents built—learning kindness, forming bonds, discovering his own heart—the finale forced him right back into the destiny he never chose. Instead of living for himself, he died fulfilling everyone else’s wishes except his own: his parents’ wishes , the prophecy, the sect’s expectations, the world’s demands. It wasn’t heroic, or poetic, or inevitable—it was a reversal of all his growth. The boy who fought so hard to escape the weight of fate ended the story still bound by it, proving not freedom, but surrender. In the end, Fugui didn’t break the cycle; the script chained him to it one last time.

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Cheng Yi Deserved a Better Story?

I started Sword and Beloved because of Cheng Yi, but I stayed because I wanted to understand Wangquan Fugui—not simply as the strongest swordsman, but as the son of Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu from Love in Pavilion, a child born from sacrifice and raised to become a weapon.

And that premise had so much potential.
Fugui inherits the extraordinary power of both his parents, but instead of being given the freedom his mother wished for him, he is raised by his father to become the strongest possible weapon against their enemies. His entire identity is built around strength, duty, emotional restraint, and sacrifice.

That is exactly the kind of internally conflicted character Cheng Yi can play beautifully.
And he does.

🎭 Cheng Yi Was NOT the Problem
If anything, Cheng Yi was the reason I remained invested as long as I did.
His Fugui is deliberately restrained. He isn't supposed to be openly emotional at the beginning. He has been conditioned to suppress attachment and prioritize strength, so much of Cheng Yi's performance happens through his expressions, silence, body language, and the subtle moments when Fugui begins questioning the life that was chosen for him.

But this also made me compare him with two of Cheng Yi's strongest roles:
Si Feng in Love and Redemption and Li Lianhua/Li Xiangyi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook.
And that comparison is where Sword and Beloved unfortunately loses.

In Love and Redemption, Cheng Yi was given a story that constantly challenged Si Feng emotionally. His love, suffering, sacrifice, misunderstandings and relationship with Xuanji were central to the narrative.

In Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Li Lianhua was practically inseparable from the story itself. His identity, his past, the mysteries, his relationships and his physical decline were all woven into the central plot.

Cheng Yi wasn't merely acting those stories.
He was at the center of them.
Fugui had the potential to become another unforgettable Cheng Yi character. But Sword and Beloved doesn't consistently give him enough space to be one.

There is a point where I found myself wondering:
“Where is Fugui? Why does it feel like the protagonist has become nothing more than a side character?”

And unfortunately, other viewers had the same complaint about the middle portion of the drama.
That is why I cannot blame Cheng Yi for the drama's low reception.
The actor was better than the material he was given.

🕷️ And Then There Was Qingtong
This is probably my biggest personal problem with the drama.
I simply did not connect with Qingtong the way I wanted to.
The idea of a spider demon becoming the person who challenges Fugui's worldview is actually interesting. But the execution of her character and the prolonged spider-related storyline made it increasingly difficult for me to remain emotionally invested.

And because Fugui and Qingtong are supposed to be at the heart of the story, their relationship needed to remain the emotional anchor.
Instead, after the major Thousand Swords turning point around Episode 17, the story increasingly separates the two leads and gives more attention to supporting characters and their relationships.

For me, that was the point where the story began losing its center.

⚔️ The Turning Point
The Thousand Swords sequence is one of the strongest early turning points because Fugui is finally forced out of the life that has defined him.

But after that, the drama becomes increasingly fragmented.

There are important plot developments, revelations and character arcs, but the main romance becomes less prominent, while side stories receive more attention.

This is especially frustrating because the central premise is actually strong:
A son raised to be a weapon finally has to decide whether he wants to remain a weapon—or become a person who chooses his own life.
That should have been the emotional spine of the entire drama.

💔 The Love in Pavilion Connection Makes It Even More Tragic
Having watched Love in Pavilion first, Fugui's story carries an additional layer of sadness.

Huaizhu dies giving birth to Fugui because she believes her son can help end the threat that destroyed their generation.

But she also leaves behind a very important wish:
If Fugui ever wants to walk away and choose peace for himself, he should be allowed to do so.

And this is where Hongye tragically fails her.
He protects Fugui's life, but he doesn't protect his freedom.

Instead, he raises his son to become the strongest weapon possible.

That contradiction is one of the most compelling aspects of Fugui's character.

And Sword and Beloved eventually makes Hongye confront that mistake.

So I don't think the deaths in Love in Pavilion were meaningless.

The tragedy was supposed to become the wound inherited by the next generation.

But here's where I struggled:
We already went through this.
The Masked Group was devastated.
Huaizhu died.
Hongye survived.
Fugui inherited the consequences.

And then in Sword and Beloved, we return to the same overarching enemy and another cycle of sacrifice and death.

At some point, I couldn't help asking:
“Was the tragedy of the previous generation meant to be resolved—or are we simply watching the same tragedy happen again?”

Thematically, the idea of breaking that cycle is powerful.
Emotionally, however, the repetition became exhausting.

📉 Why the Ratings Fell
This is also why I understand the surprisingly low reception.
The problem isn't simply that the drama is tragic.
Tragedy can be beautiful when the story earns it.
The bigger issue is execution:
• uneven pacing
• an increasingly fragmented storyline
• prolonged side arcs
• the main romance losing focus
• inconsistent use of the leads
• Qingtong becoming difficult for some viewers to connect with
• Fugui feeling strangely sidelined despite being the protagonist
• and an ending built around sacrifice after the audience has already endured so much loss

There are viewers who genuinely loved the drama, particularly its early episodes, Cheng Yi's performance, the visual presentation and its themes.
But the mixed-to-negative reception across multiple platforms shows that the problems weren't limited to one site's rating.
And personally, I understand why.

🎬 Did I Finish All 36 Episodes?
No.
And I'm actually okay with that.
I watched the early portion properly because I wanted to experience Fugui's development and the relationship between Fugui and Qingtong for myself.

After the story began losing focus, I chose to watch the important Fugui/Qingtong scenes, major revelations and key plot developments while fast-forwarding through portions that no longer held my interest.

I also followed the later story closely enough to understand how Fugui's journey and the major conflicts conclude.

I don't regret making that choice.
Because watching 36 episodes simply so I could say “I finished it” would not have changed my opinion of the writing.

And honestly?
Cheng Yi already gave me enough reason to stay until the point where I felt the story was no longer rewarding my investment.

⭐ Final Thoughts
There is a genuinely good story hidden inside Sword and Beloved.
Fugui is a fascinating character.
His relationship with his father is compelling.
His inheritance from Hongye and Huaizhu gives his journey emotional weight.
The idea of breaking away from a life built entirely around hatred, duty and strength is meaningful.
And Cheng Yi understands Fugui.
That's why it hurts to see the story gradually lose focus.

Compared with Si Feng in Love and Redemption and Li Lianhua/Li Xiangyi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Fugui had the potential to become another defining Cheng Yi performance.

But those dramas knew how to build the story around their central character.
Sword and Beloved increasingly struggled to do that.

So my biggest criticism isn't:
“Cheng Yi couldn't carry the drama.”
It is the opposite.
Cheng Yi carried the drama farther than the story could carry itself.

And perhaps the saddest conclusion I can give is this:
I didn't stop watching because Cheng Yi wasn't worth watching.

I stopped because Cheng Yi was worth watching in a story that knew what to do with him.
Cheng Yi: 9/10
Fugui as a character: 8.5/10
Premise: 8/10
Visuals/Action: 8/10
Romance: 6/10
FL Characterization: 5/10
Story Execution: 5/10
Pacing: 4.5/10
Overall: 6/10

A strong premise, a compelling protagonist and a very good Cheng Yi performance—unfortunately trapped inside a story that became increasingly messy, unfocused and emotionally exhausting.

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The lovesick dog stole the show

I had high expectations for this because of Love in Pavilion, but this did not do justice to its predecessor. I did like all of the flashbacks and tributes to LIP though and I got teary eyed every time we saw the brotherhood again. But this story was all over the place and poorly executed. I never made it through the first installment, Red Moon Pact, and I fast-forwarded/dozed off a lot with this one too. So it seems LIP will be my favorite drama in the series.

The drama started out interesting though. The first 3 eps when the FL is still a spider were very cute and I kept thinking I can't wait for her to become human and for them to fall in love. Then she did and it was fun for like 2 eps. I'm not saying that I didn't like their relationship by the end. For me, their relationship was better appreciated as platonic than romantic. He saved her and gave her a chance at being human, seeing the world, and making a difference. She provided the pure love needed to finally defeat their enemy. Wangquan Fu Gui never knew happiness or companionship and she opened up his world to those things as well. So in terms of love, there was tremendous, heartwarming love between them. But it just didn't feel romantic to me and that's okay.

The romance that did steal the spotlight was the one between the little lovesick puppy and his general. Fan Yun Fei was the cutest thing and the chemistry between him and Li Xue Yang was a treat to watch. Hands down, best CP in the show. They could even rival some of the CPs from LIP.

Ru Mu and Wei Yun were technically the 2nd CP but their romance did nothing for me. I liked them separately as characters but there was zero investment in their relationship for me.

The villains were all silly and terrible. Wangquan Hong Ye's character was butchered by both the actor and the writing, as well as the rest of the Alliance. The epic battles between our heroes and their enemies were pretty satisfying though. And the OST was great. Overall, a lot here could have been done better and I will probably never watch this again. Now on to Cheng Yi's 3rd drama of the year where he plays a white-haired and a black-haired version of himself XD. Hoping Vendetta of An is better.

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Beware of spoilers!!

Well I just finished the last episode of sword and beloved.

Afterall it's such a ride with lots of combined emotions. Like I went through different stages of emotions just to finish this one.
Maybe some agree with my opinion and some might be not but it just my on opinion.

This will be my review on this drama solely based on my opinion only.

the reason i started this of course because of cheng yi. as a longtime fan of his work since love and redemption, then going through with stand by me , immortal samsara and mysterious lotus casebook i somehow know how this one will turned out.
but still i'm going through it since it's chengyi and he never disappoint.

since i've been anticipating this one ever since i watched love in pavilion i have high expectation on how they're going to turned out. and something that i loved they kept the original cast and bits of memories from love in pavilion. therefore im really going through all sort of emotions even the opening with hongye and huaizhu memories broke my heart onto pieces and they really insert that ost from love in pavilion. it seems like i'm digging the sad memories from watching love in my pavilion.

now going through the storyline, i actually loving the pace of the storytelling from the start up until ep 20. but somehow chengyi even as main lead never even appeared as many times as he should until around ep 28 -29. the story between qintong and qincheng was necessary however it becomes too draggy and chengyi screen time becoming more and more less that usual.
honestly i think they need that plot for qintong breakthrough but no need to drag on too much until it become unnecessary to the plot. i even dropped half - way and wait until it end today.

and actually it was worth the wait just from episode 28 or 29 i think story actually getting better without the unnecessary part. but the 10 episode from 20 - 29 should be there for the story to unfold. and i actually love the western region arc a lot and i think that makes me able to pick it up again.

now getting into the real review
the last 6 episode break my heart and i have been crying a lot since i watched hongye story first, i understand the struggle and the grief therefore i cannot bring myself to hate him instead i pity him a lot. i understand the outcomes of all sort of thing that happen until he becomes like this. but still my heart break a lot for fugui. he really loves and understand hongye a lot and im giving the credit to him.

the final 3 episode on dual character chengyi once again making another breakthrough. the acting?! and the execution of every bit of it? excellent!! i am even almost fall into his trap at the last demonic arc hahahaha. but its fugui and we know fugui doesnt waver!

even the last battle with black fox, i realised he is going to sacrificed himself for the sake of the peace but at what cost? fortunately my yunfei and xueyang have their on happy ending. but my rumu and weiyun. i cried a lot during their last moment. saddest wedding scene after hongye and huaizhu wedding scene huhuhu.

and the last bits where they show mask group alongside fugui omg my eyes so blurry i even need to take a break but still i went through it.

actually the ending is so much better than i thought. i though i might be sad by the ending but after seeing what they have through just to get the ending i think it was good enough.

overall thats all i think this is actually not a real review just a rant i guess.

if anyone reading this,
does it worth it? yes, but you need to go through ep 20 - 29 then it will be okay. its not that bad but it just too draggy at some part. after all it was good. maybe you will dislike the ending but it's chengyi after all hahahhahaah

anyways happy watching!!!

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Highly recommended drama

“Sword and Beloved” is such a beautiful drama.
The chemistry between the leads is wonderful — sincere, gentle, and beautifully unspoken.
Cheng Yi is phenomenal. His acting, presence, and emotional depth are simply unmatched. I especially loved the fighting scenes — Wang Quan Fu Gui is so powerful, yet carries a calm, peaceful aura that makes every moment memorable.
The cinematography is pure art from the first episode to the last. Although the Western Region arc felt a bit stretched, the overall journey remains emotional, immersive, and visually stunning.
Every actor delivered their role beautifully, and the ending left me with a sense of peace.

Highly recommend.

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Sword & Beloved a drama that will make you rewatch many times

From the story to the costumes, everything was delivered with utmost care, The performances of all the actors are impeccable, the magnificence of ChengYi in getting completely into this drama , makes it spectacular, CY never disappoints in a drama, his way of fighting in each scene makes it fall into reality, he doesn't use doubles and that gives more realism and appreciation to all the scenes. CP has chemistry, they make a Match together, one will lead the other to know the world and love and the other will lead him to improvement and confidence, that type of couple is more real, Here we will not see the weak FL who is always waiting to be rescued, plus, her tender heart will make us discover in FuGui things that are already in his genes, love like that of his perseverance of his father and their love for humanity and justice. A drama you won't be able to stop watching.

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Just Wow!!

visual effects are breathtaking, costumes, story, and of course acting! Fugui is powerful & smart. His relation with father is heartbreaking. He was born to be a weapon but he is not cold blooded. I adore that he understands what is wrong or right and dont agree for everything he is ordered to do.
Qingtong is adorable, not pitiful damsel in distress. She tries to help Fugui as much as she can + become better and stronger version of herself.
Chemistry between leads is so good. They understand and care about each others. No stupid misunderstanding.
Fugui is stunning, Qingtong sweet❤️❤️
Fighting scenes are on fire🔥🔥
Should I mention Epic scene with 1000 swords? This is rare scene in cdrama world which will be remembered!!

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